Method and apparatus for eliminating luminol interference material

A method and apparatus for removing porphyrins from a fluid sample which are unrelated to the number of bacteria present in the sample and prior to combining the sample with luminol reagent to produce a light reaction is disclosed. The method involves a pre-incubation of the sample with a dilute concentration of hydrogen peroxide which inactivates the interfering soluble porphyrins. Further, by delaying taking a light measurement for a predetermined time period after combining the hydrogen peroxide-treated water sample with a luminol reagent, the luminescence produced by the reaction of the luminol reagent with ions present in the solution, being short lived, will have died out so that only porphyrins within the bacteria which have been released by rupturing the cells with the sodium hydroxide in the luminol reagent, will be measured. The measurement thus obtained can then be related to the concentration of live and dead bacteria in the fluid sample

Water monitor system: Phase 1 test report

Automatic water monitor system was tested with the objectives of assuring high-quality effluent standards and accelerating the practice of reclamation and reuse of water. The NASA water monitor system is described. Various components of the system, including the necessary sensors, the sample collection system, and the data acquisition and display system, are discussed. The test facility and the analysis methods are described. Test results are reviewed, and recommendations for water monitor system design improvement are presented

NASA JSC water monitor system: City of Houston field demonstration

A water quality monitoring system with on-line and real time operation similar to the function in a spacecraft was investigated. A system with the capability to determine conformance to future high effluent quality standards and to increase the potential for reclamation and reuse of water was designed. Although all system capabilities were not verified in the initial field trial, fully automated operation over a sustained period with only routine manual adjustments was accomplished. Two major points were demonstrated: (1) the water monitor system has great potential in water monitoring and/or process control applications; and (2) the water monitor system represents a vast improvement over conventional (grab sample) water monitoring techniques

Method for detecting coliform organisms

A method and apparatus are disclosed for determining the concentration of coliform bacteria in a sample. The sample containing the coliform bacteria is cultured in a liquid growth medium. The cultured bacteria produce hydrogen and the hydrogen is vented to a second cell containing a buffer solution in which the hydrogen dissolves. By measuring the potential change in the buffer solution caused by the hydrogen, as a function of time, the initial concentration of bacteria in the sample is determined. Alternatively, the potential change in the buffer solution can be compared with the potential change in the liquid growth medium to verify that the potential change in the liquid growth medium is produced primarily by the hydrogen gas produced by the coliform bacteria

Rapid, quantitative determination of bacteria in water

A bioluminescent assay for ATP in water borne bacteria is made by adding nitric acid to a water sample with concentrated bacteria to rupture the bacterial cells. The sample is diluted with sterile, deionized water, then mixed with a luciferase-luciferin mixture and the resulting light output of the bioluminescent reaction is measured and correlated with bacteria present. A standard and a blank also are presented so that the light output can be correlated to bacteria in the sample and system noise can be substracted from the readings. A chemiluminescent assay for iron porphyrins in water borne bacteria is made by adding luminol reagent to a water sample with concentrated bacteria and measuring the resulting light output of the chemiluminescent reaction

Automated water monitor system field demonstration test report. Volume 2: Technical summary

The NASA Automatic Water Monitor System was installed in a water reclamation facility to evaluate the technical and cost feasibility of producing high quality reclaimed water. Data gathered during this field demonstration test are reported

Automated water monitor system field demonstration test report. Volume 1: Executive summary

A system that performs water quality monitoring on-line and in real time much as it would be done in a spacecraft, was developed and demonstrated. The system has the capability to determine conformance to high effluent quality standards and to increase the potential for reclamation and reuse of water

Reviewing Reviewing The Fan Mags

On 2 June 1933 trade daily The Hollywood Reporter announced it was inaugurating a new column, “Reviewing The Fan Mags”. The section appeared 65 times over the next 12 months, eventually surveying 145 magazine issues. The column then ceased as suddenly as it had begun, this time without fanfare. In beginning the section as a new service for readers, the editor, W. R. Wilkerson, had attested that fan magazines were important to the film business. What happened in that year, then, to make Wilkerson decide to abandon the coverage of the movie magazine contents, and ostensibly reverse his views about their utility? This article first examines the contexts, contents, and style of the “Reviewing the Fan Mags” section, before moving to consider the circumstances around its cancellation

Organizational boundaries of medical practice: the case of physician ownership of ancillary services

Physician ownership of in-office ancillary services (IOASs) has come under increasing scrutiny. Advocates of argue that IOASs allow physicians to supervise the quality and coordination of care. Critics have argued that IOASs create financial incentives for physicians to increase ancillary service volume. In this paper we develop a conceptual framework to evaluate the tradeoffs associated with physician ownership of IOASs. There is some evidence supporting the existence of scope and transaction economies in IOASs. Improvement in flow and continuity of care are likely to generate scope economies and improvements in quality monitoring and reductions in consumer transaction costs are likely to generate transaction economies. Other factors include the capture of upstream and downstream profits, but these incentives are likely to be small compared to scope and transaction economies. Policy debates on the merits of IOASs should include an explicit assessment of these tradeoffs. This research was supported in part by funding from the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)

The importance of considering the treatment and care of family pets in domestic violence risk assessments

A significant part of the health visiting role is to work with families where there is domestic violence. Pets are often regarded as members of the family and as such are additional victims in environments where domestic violence is perpetrated. This paper explores the co-existence of domestic violence and animal cruelty and the implications of the use of animal cruelty to exercise coercive control over intimate partners in terms of the dangerousness of the abuser. It also considers the impact of animal cruelty on the health and social and emotional development of children. In domestic violence situations, child safety should be held paramount and adult safety a priority; the authors argue that in the pursuit of the best outcomes for children and adults, health visitors should be cognisant of the treatment and care of family pets in their assessment and in planning interventions to support families in changing their situation. An overview is provided of the domestic violence risk assessment tools that refer to animal cruelty as a contributory factor for serious harm and the animal welfare services available to help families escaping domestic violence