Pilot Study Results to Convert Oil Field Produced Water to Drinking Water or Reuse

Schoeller Technical Papers, Inc. (Schoeller), which manufactures photographic and other specialty papers, is located in Pulaski, New York. The wastewater treatment system consists of a primary clarifier and two settling lagoons. Secondary treatment using a biotower was proposed to meet the new New York State Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (SPDES) discharge limits for BOD and TSS. The effluent from each basin is discharged directly to the Salmon River, at an approximate average flow of 1.6 million gallons/day (mgd). A biotower pilot study was performed to evaluate the suitability of a biotower treatment process for treating the total effluent from Schoeller's facility. The pilot study was used to select the media for the full-scale biotower and to confirm the design loading for the full-scale biotower, which proceeded in parallel with the pilot study due to the schedule constraints. Two pilot systems were operated to compare a conventional cross-flow and vertical media. Test data were collected to evaluate the performance of each pilot treatment system at a range of loading conditions and to develop the design loading information for the full-scale plant. The pilot units were operated for a period of 10 months. BOD concentrations to the pilot units averaged 58 mg/l with a peak of 210 mg/l. Approximately 80% of the BOD was soluble. BOD loadings averaged 21 lb BOD/day/1,000 cubic feet with a peak of 77 lb BOD/day/1,000 cubic feet. Both pilot units achieved excellent BOD removals exceeding 75%, with average effluent soluble BOD concentration less than 10 mg/l and average effluent TSS concentrations of 12 mg/l. The two media achieved comparable performance throughout most of the pilot study.

Download Full-text

Korean Environmental Health Survey in Children and Adolescents (KorEHS-C): Survey design and pilot study results on selected exposure biomarkers

International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health ◽

10.1016/j.ijheh.2013.06.001 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 217 (2-3) ◽

pp. 260-270 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Mina Ha ◽

Ho-Jang Kwon ◽

Jong-Han Leem ◽

Hwan-Cheol Kim ◽

Kee Jae Lee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Environmental Health ◽

Health Survey ◽

Survey Design ◽

Study Results ◽

Exposure Biomarkers

Download Full-text

Symptom Cluster-Matching Antidepressant Treatment: A Case Series Pilot Study

Pharmaceuticals ◽

10.3390/ph14060526 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (6) ◽

pp. 526

Author(s):

Sławomir Murawiec ◽

Marek Krzystanek

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Antidepressant Treatment ◽

Case Series ◽

Symptom Cluster ◽

Study Results ◽

Cluster Matching ◽

The Individual ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

Effectiveness Studies

Despite treating depression with antidepressants, their effectiveness is often insufficient. Comparative effectiveness studies and meta-analyses show the effectiveness of antidepressants; however, they do not provide clear indications as to the choice of a specific antidepressant. The rational choice of antidepressants may be based on matching their mechanisms of action to the symptomatic profiles of depression, reflecting the heterogeneity of symptoms in different patients. The authors presented a series of cases of patients diagnosed with depression in whom at least one previous antidepressant treatment was shown to be ineffective before drug targeted symptom cluster-matching treatment (SCMT). The presented pilot study shows for the first time the effectiveness of SCMT in the different clusters of depressive symptoms. All the described patients obtained recovery from depressive symptoms after introducing drug-targeted SCMT. Once validated in clinical trials, SCMT might become an effective and rational method of selecting an antidepressant according to the individual profile of depressive symptoms, the mechanism of their formation, and the mechanism of drug action. Although the study results are preliminary, SCMT can be a way to personalize treatment, increasing the likelihood of improvement even in patients who meet criteria for treatment-resistant depression.

Download Full-text

DNA methylation and behavioral dysfunction in males with 47,XXY and 49,XXXXY: a pilot study

Clinical Epigenetics ◽

10.1186/s13148-021-01123-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Richard S. Lee ◽

Sophia Q. Song ◽

Henri M. Garrison-Desany ◽

Jenny L. Carey ◽

Patricia Lasutschinkow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

X Chromosome ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

Epigenetic Modification ◽

Cpg Methylation ◽

Monoamine Oxidase A ◽

Low Fertility ◽

X Chromosomes ◽

Behavioral Dysfunction ◽

Study Results

Abstract Background Equal dosage of X-linked genes between males and females is maintained by the X-inactivation of the second X chromosome in females through epigenetic mechanisms. Boys with aneuploidy of the X chromosome exhibit a host of symptoms such as low fertility, musculoskeletal anomalies, and cognitive and behavioral deficits that are presumed to be caused by the abnormal dosage of these genes. The objective of this pilot study is to assess the relationship between CpG methylation, an epigenetic modification, at several genes on the X chromosome and behavioral dysfunction in boys with supernumerary X chromosomes. Results Two parental questionnaires, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), were analyzed, and they showed expected differences in both internal and external behaviors between neurotypical (46,XY) boys and boys with 49,XXXXY. There were several CpGs in AR and MAOA of boys with 49,XXXXY whose methylation levels were skewed from levels predicted from having one active (Xa) and three inactive (Xi) X chromosomes. Further, methylation levels of multiple CpGs in MAOA showed nominally significant association with externalizing behavior on the CBCL, and the methylation level of one CpG in AR showed nominally significant association with the BRIEF Regulation Index. Conclusions Boys with 49,XXXXY displayed higher levels of CpG methylation at regulatory intronic regions in X-linked genes encoding the androgen receptor (AR) and monoamine oxidase A (MAOA), compared to that in boys with 47,XXY and neurotypical boys. Our pilot study results suggest a link between CpG methylation levels and behavior in boys with 49,XXXXY.

Download Full-text

Characteristics and Management of Produced Water in Al-Ahdab Oil Field

IOP Conference Series Materials Science and Engineering ◽

10.1088/1757-899x/1094/1/012090 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 1094 (1) ◽

pp. 012090

Author(s):

Zahraa N Mahbouba ◽

Mahmood K Abdulkhalik ◽

Jassim H Mussa

Keyword(s):

Produced Water ◽

Oil Field

Download Full-text

Knowledge, Attitudes, Behaviors of Women Related to Pregnancy, and Early Childhood Caries Prevention: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health ◽

10.1177/21501327211013302 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 215013272110133

Author(s):

Neel Shimpi ◽

Ingrid Glurich ◽

Catherine Maybury ◽

Min Qi Wang ◽

Kazumasa Hashimoto ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oral Health ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Health Education ◽

Survey Study ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Maintenance ◽

Significance Level ◽

Study Results ◽

And Behaviors

Objective Health education interventions during pregnancy can influence maternal oral health (OH), maternal OH-behaviors and children’s OH. Interventions that can be delivered at anytime and anywhere, for example mobile-health (mHealth) provides an opportunity to address challenges of health education and support activation of women in underserved and rural communities to modify their health behavior. This pilot study was undertaken as a part of a mHealth initiative to determine knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors related to pregnancy and ECC prevention among women attending obstetrics/gynecology (OB/GYN) practices at a large rurally-based clinic. Methods A cross-sectional survey study was voluntarily engaged by women (n = 191) aged 18 to 59 years attending OB/GYN visits, over a 3-week period from 12/2019 to 1/2020. Survey results were analyzed applying descriptive statistics, X2 and Fisher’s Exact tests. The significance level was set at P < .0001 for all analyses. Results Approximately half of respondents were between 18 and 29 years (53%), had a college degree (55%), and 100% reported cell phone use. Whereas 53% and 31%, respectively, indicated that they were “somewhat” or “very” sure of how to prevent ECC in their children, only 9% recognized evidence of early decay and 30% did not know the purpose of fluoride. Overall, only 27% of participants correctly answered the knowledge-based questions. Further, only 57% reported their provider explained things in a way that was easy to understand. Only 24% reported seeing a dentist during their current pregnancy. Conclusions Study results suggested potential gaps in knowledge and behaviors related to ECC prevention and provided baseline data to inform future interventions to improve ECC prevention practices. Notably, majority of participants used their cell phones for making medical/dental appointments and reported using their phones to look up health-related information. This demographic represents a potentially receptive target for mHealth approaches to improve understanding of oral health maintenance during pregnancy and ECC prevention.

Download Full-text