Abstract 

Autoverification is defined as the process by which a computer performs the initial verification of test results. Any data that fall outside set parameters are then reviewed by the technologist [1]. LabRespond is an open system with an integral approach to control which monitors all the phases of the laboratory process. In particular, the statistical-based multi-two-dimensional test ”frequency of occurrence” has a high detection rate for suspicious test results. The content of LabRespond, the validation rules and, in particular, the test ”frequency of occurrence” is mainly the work of members of the Dutch Working Group of Clinical Chemometrics¹(¹Members of the Dutch Working Group of Clinical Chemometrics are: Marcel Volmer, Martin van der Horst, Remi Wulkan, Kees van Dongen, Wytze Oosterhuis, Herman Ulenkate and Henk Goldschmidt.) and the staff of the laboratory of the Saint Elisabeth Hospital in Tilburg.

The effect of selected pesticides, monocrotophos, chlorpyrifos alone and in combination with mancozeb and carbendazim, respectively, was tested on nitrification and phosphatase activity in two groundnut (Arachis hypogeae L.) soils. The oxidation of ammonical nitrogen was significantly enhanced under the impact of selected pesticides alone and in combinations at 2.5 kg ha⁻¹ in black soil, and furthermore, increase in concentration of pesticides decreased the rate of nitrification, whereas in the case of red soil, the nitrification was increased up to 5.0 kg ha⁻¹ after 4 weeks, and then decline phase was started gradually from 6 to 8 weeks of incubation. The activity of phosphatase was increased in soils, which received the monocrotophos alone and in combination with mancozeb up to 2.5 and 5.0 kg ha⁻¹, whereas the application of chlorpyrifos singly and in combination with carbendazim at 2.5 kg ha⁻¹ profoundly increased the phosphatase activity after 20 days of incubation, in both soils. But higher concentrations of pesticides were either innocuous or inhibitory to the phosphatase activity.

A capillary electrophoresis method has been developed for the analysis of omethoate and dichlorvos. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the separate conditions for simultaneous detection of omethoate and dichlorvos. The results indicated that the optimal conditions for omethoate and dichlorvos determination were; pH 7.64, SDS concentration 67.5 mM, separation voltage 19.0 KV. Quantitative linear ranges were 1.0–300 μg/mL for omethoate and dichlorvos with correlation of 0.9967 and 0.9965, respectively. The limits of detection were 0.046 μg/mL and 0.031 μg/mL for omethoate and dichlorvos, with relative standard deviations (R.S.D.) <3.6%. The value of recoveries for omethoate and dichlorvos were arranged from 94.1% to 106.0%.

Goal, Scope and Background

This paper discusses the merging of methodological aspects of two known methods into a hybrid on an application basis. Water shortages are imminent due to scarce supply and increasing demand in many parts of the world. In California, this is caused primarily by population growth. As readily available water is depleted, alternatives that may have larger energy and resource requirements and, therefore, environmental impacts must be considered. In order to develop a more environmentally responsible and sustainable water supply system, these environmental implications should be incorporated into planning decisions.

Methods

Comprehensive accounting for environmental effects requires life cycle assessment (LCA), a systematic account of resource use and environmental emissions caused by extracting raw materials, manufacturing, constructing, operating, maintaining, and decommissioning the water infrastructure. In this study, a hybrid LCA approach, combining elements of process-based and economic input-output-based LCA was used to compare three supply alternatives: importing, recycling, and desalinating water. For all three options, energy use and air emissions associated with energy generation, vehicle and equipment operation, and material production were quantified for life-cycle phases and water supply functions (supply, treatment, and distribution). The Water-Energy Sustainability Tool was developed to inform water planning decisions. It was used to evaluate the systems of a Northern and a Southern California water utility.

Results and Discussion

The results showed that for the two case study utilities desalination had 2–5 times larger energy demand and caused 2–18 times more emissions than importation or recycling, due primarily to the energy-intensity of the treatment process. The operation life-cycle phase created the most energy consumption with 56% to 90% for all sources and case studies. For each water source, a different life-cycle phase dominated energy consumption. For imported water, supply contributed 56% and 86% of the results for each case study; for desalination, treatment accounted for approximately 85%; for recycled water, distribution dominated with 61% and 74% of energy use. The study calculated external costs of air pollution from all three water supply systems. These costs are borne by society, but not paid by producers. The external costs were found to be 6% of desalinated water production costs for both case studies, 8% of imported water production costs in Southern California, and 1–2% for the recycled water systems and for the Northern California utility's imported water system.

Conclusion

Recycling water was found to be more energy intensive in Northern than in Southern California, but the results for imported water were similar. While the energy demand of water recycling was found to be larger than importation in Northern California, the two alternatives were competitive in Southern California. For all alternatives in both case studies, the energy consumed by system operation dominated the results, but maintenance was also found to be significant. Energy production was found to be the largest contributor in all water provision systems, followed by materials production. The assessment of external costs revealed that the environmental effects of energy and air emissions caused by infrastructure is measurable, and in some cases, significant relative to the economic cost of water.

Recommendation and Perspective

This paper advocates the necessity of LCA in water planning, and discusses the applicability of the described model to water utilities.

Assessments of current and future development paths require comprehensive sets of indicators covering all essential aspects. From a holistic systems point of view, most currently proposed indicator sets are incomplete and deficient. Assessments of sustainable development require a full representation of the satisfaction states of the “basic orientors” (=fundamental interests) of constituent sector systems, and of their contribution to basic orientor satisfaction of the total system. Basic orientors are value dimensions (existence, effectiveness, freedom of action, security, adaptability, coexistence) emerging from a self-organizing system's interaction with its environment, and its fundamental properties (normal environmental state, scarce resources, variety, variability, change, other systems). Basic orientors are also reflected in human emotions, societal punishment, psychological and social needs, life styles, and values emerging in self-organization of artificial life. The relative weight assigned to basic orientors of partner systems is a question of ethics. Based on these concepts, a general scheme for finding a “complete” set of indicators of viability and sustainability is derived, and it is applied to deriving a comprehensive set of indicators of sustainable development for society and its sector systems (infrastructure, economic system, social system, individual development, government, environment and resource system). The method can be applied at different levels of complexity and regional resolution. A full set of regional indicators for sustainable development is presented, a method for compact assessment of development paths using orientor stars is described, and the approach for application at the community level is outlined.

A new model, CCBATCH, comprehensively couples microbially catalyzed reactions to aqueous geochemistry. The effect of aqueous speciation on biodegradation reactions and the effect of biological reactions on the concentration of chemical species (e.g. H₂CO₃, NH ₄⁺ , O₂) are explicitly included in CCBATCH, allowing systematic investigation of kinetically controlled biological reactions. Bulk-phase chemical speciation reactions including acid/base and complexation are modeled as thermodynamically controlled, while biological reactions are modeled as kinetically controlled. A dual-Monod kinetic formulation for biological degradation reactions is coupled with stoichiometry for the degradation reaction to predict the rate of change of all biological and chemical species affected by the biological reactions. The capability of CCBATCH to capture pH and speciation effects on biological reactions is demonstrated by a series of modeling examples for the citrate/Fe(III) system. pH controls the concentration of potentially biologically available forms of citrate. When the percentage of the degradable substrate is low due to complexation or acid/base speciation, degradation rates may be slow despite high concentrations of substrate Complexation reactions that sequester substratein non-degradable forms may prevent degradation or stopdegradation reactions prior to complete substrate utilization. The capability of CCBATCH to couple aqueous speciation changes to biodegradation reaction kinetics and stoichiometry allows prediction of these key behaviors in mixed metal/chelate systems.

Summary

The bud and leaf nematode, Aphelenchoides subtenuis, infecting corms and pseudostems of gladiolus in Iran, is characterised morphologically and morphometrically using a light microscope and SEM. Its relationship with similar species is discussed. The species is characterised by a sub-cylindrical female tail with hemispherical terminus bearing a single, ventrally located, mucron, well-developed postuterine sac (115 µm long) extending for ca 65% of the vulva/anus distance, presence of three lines in the lateral field, and the conoid male tail with an inconspicuous mucron. This study extends the intraspecific variability of A. subtenuis.

Surface ozone (O₃) concentrations have proved to be difficult to control and regional (0₃) concentrations appear to be increasing in many parts of the world. Eucalyptus species are widely used as plantation trees in many regions that have Mediterranean, warm temperate and subtropical climates. An increased knowledge of the effects of tropospheric O₃ on Eucalyptus trees may assist in the management of these plantations. The present study was set up to evaluate injury and measure growth reduction caused by O₃ in eight Eucalyptus species. Seven month old saplings were exposed to diumally varied concentrations of 26 or 172 nil⁻¹ (0₃) (7h mean) 7h day⁻¹, 5 days in every 14 days, for 18 weeks. The plants were grown in open top field chambers fitted with rain excluders. Significant differences were found between the responses of different species. There was no visible injury or dry weight reduction in E. globulus. However O₃ exposure caused a 30% weight reduction and 90% leaf injury in E. microcorys. E. gomphocephala also experienced a 30% weight reduction but no significant leaf injury. Hence Eucalyptus plantations in regions with the potential for photochemical smog formation, such as some of the rapidly developing industrialising nations in Asia and South America, will need to consider O₃ tolerance when selecting plantation trees.