Fate and transport of volatile organic compounds in glacial till and groundwater at an industrial site in Northern Ireland

Volatile organic compound (VOC) contamination of subsurface geological material and groundwater was discovered on the Nortel Monkstown industrial site, Belfast, Northern Ireland. The objectives of this study were to (1) investigate the characteristics of the geological material and its influences on contaminated groundwater flow across the site using borehole logs and hydrological evaluations, and (2) identify the contaminants and examine their distribution in the subsurface geological material and groundwater using chemical analysis. This report focuses on the eastern car park (ECP) which was a former storage area associated with trichloroethene (TCE) degreasing operations. This is where the greatest amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly TCE, were detected. The study site is on a complex deposit of clayey glacial till with discontinuous coarser grained lenses, mainly silts, sands and gravel, which occur at 0.45-7.82 m below ground level (bgl). The lenses overall form an elongated formation that acts as a small unconfined shallow aquifer. There is a continuous low permeable stiff clayey till layer beneath the lenses that performs as an aquitard to the groundwater. Highest concentrations of VOCs, mainly TCE, in the geological material and groundwater are in these coarser lenses at similar to 4.5-7 m bgl. Highest TCE measurements at 390,000 mu g L-1 for groundwater and at 39,000 mu g kg(-1) at 5.7 m for geological material were in borehole GA19 in the coarse lens zone. It is assumed that TCE gained entrance to the subsurface near this borehole where the clayey till was thin to absent above coarse lenses which provided little retardation to the vertical migration of this dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) into the groundwater. However, TCE is present in low concentrations in the geological material overlying the coarse lens zone. Additionally, VOCs appear to be associated with poorly drained layers and in peat < 3.0 m bgl in the ECP. Some indication of natural attenuation as VOCs degradation products vinyl chloride (VC) and dichloromethane (DCM) also occur on the site

Occupational therapy and return to work: a systematic literature review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The primary aim of this review study was to gather evidence on the effectiveness in terms of return to work (RTW) of occupational therapy interventions (OTIs) in rehabilitation patients with non-congenital disorders. A secondary aim was to be able to select the most efficient OTI.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature review of peer-reviewed papers was conducted using electronic databases (Cinahl, Cochrane Library, Ebsco, Medline (Pubmed), and PsycInfo). The search focussed on randomised controlled trials and cohort studies published in English from 1980 until September 2010. Scientific validity of the studies was assessed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Starting from 1532 papers with pertinent titles, six studies met the quality criteria. Results show systematic reviewing of OTIs on RTW was challenging due to varying populations, different outcome measures, and poor descriptions of methodology. There is evidence that OTIs as part of rehabilitation programs, increase RTW rates, although the methodological evidence of most studies is weak.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Analysis of the selected papers indicated that OTIs positively influence RTW; two studies described precisely what the content of their OTI was. In order to identify the added value of OTIs on RTW, studies with well-defined OT intervention protocols are necessary.</p

Geophysical and Sedimentological Assessment of Urban Impacts in a Lake Ontario Watershed and Lagoon: Frenchman's Bay, Pickering, Ontario

Managing the environmental impacts of urbanization on watersheds is a major problem facing Canadian communities. Meeting this challenge requires that municipal planning departments have access to good quality environmental information allowing them to develop effective land use plans and remediation policies. Managing such problems demands an interdisciplinary approach involving a range of scientific disciplines including geology, geochemistry, sedimentology, hydrogeology, hydrology, geophysics and aquatic ecology. Geoscientists from the University of Toronto and McMaster University are working with the City of Pickering, Ontario on remediation of a Lake Ontario lagoon and urbanized watershed (Frenchman's Bay) experiencing large stormwater flows and enhanced sediment erosion and transportation. Throughout the watershed, the hydrological cycle has been dramatically changed as a result of 'hardening' by roads and buildings - greatly restricting infiltration and promoting surface runoff. The urban-impacted watershed empties into the shallow, semi-enclosed coastal lagoon of Frenchman's Bay - serving as a trap for fine-grained contaminated sediment. A wide range of geophysical techniques have been employed in Frenchman's Bay lagoon to determine the geology of the lagoon, physical characteristics of bottom sediments and the distribution of contaminated sediment on its floor. Sommaire La gestion des répercussions environnementales de l'urbanisation sur les bassins de drainage constitue un problème de taille confrontant les collectivités canadiennes. Pour y faire face convenablement, les services de planification urbaine doivent pouvoir compter sur des données environnementales de qualité pour espérer pouvoiré laborer des politiques efficaces de réhabilitation et d'utilisation des sols. Le traitement de ce genre de problème exige que l'on adopte une approche multidisciplinaire intégrant une gamme de disciplines scientifiques, dont la géologie, la géochimie, la sédimcntologie, l'hydrogéologie, l'hydrologie, la géophysique ainsi que l'hydro-écologie. Des géoscientifiques de l'Université de Toronto et de l'Université McMaster travaillent de concert avec la ville de Pickering (Ontario) à la réhabilitation d'une lagune du lac Ontario et son bassin de drainage urbanisé (baie de Frenchman), lesquels sont soumis à de forts volumes d'eaux de ruissellement et à une érosion et un transport sédimentaire accrus. Dans l'ensemble du bassin de drainage, le cycle hydrologique a été considérablement changé par une « induration » des sols découlant de la construction de routes et d'édifices, limitant d'autant l'infiltration de l'eau et favorisant son ruissellement. Ces eaux de bassin de drainage « urbanisé » se déversent dans la lagune côtière peu profonde et quasi fermée de la baie de Frenchman, piégeant ainsi les sédiments à grains fins contaminés. Un gamme étendue de techniques géophysiques ont été mises à profit dans la lagune de la baie de Frenchman pour définir la géologie de la lagune, les caractéristiques physiques des sédiments du fond ainsi que la distribution des sédiments contaminés sur le fond

Relationship between dysplasia, p53 protein accumulation, DNA ploidy, and Glut1 overexpression in Barrett metaplasia

Background: There is a need for molecular markers of malignant progression in Barrett metaplasia (BM). The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between dysplasia, p53 protein accumulation, DNA ploidy, and Glut1 in BM. Methods: Sections of esophageal biopsy specimens from 120 patients with BM were evaluated for dysplasia, p53 protein, and Glut1 expression by immunohistochemistry, and DNA ploidy by Feulgen stain and image analysis. In cases with diploid DNA histograms, the percentage cells in the G0G1 and G2M phases of the cell cycle were determined. Results: Of 108 diploid cases 19 (28%) of 69 cases with G0G1 ≥ 90% or G2M ≥ 8.33% were p53- positive, in contrast to only 1 (3%) of 39 cases with lower G0G1 or G2M (P = 0.0008). Of 32 p53-positive cases 11 (32%) were aneuploid, in contrast to none (0%) of 88 p53-negative cases (P \u3c 0.0001). Ten (91%) of 11 aneuploid cases were high-grade dysplasia/adenocarcinoma (HGD/CA), compared with only 1 (1%) of 109 diploid cases (P \u3c 0.0001). Five (45%) of 11 cases with HGD/CA were Glut1-positive, in contrast to none (0%) of 109 cases without HGD/CA (P \u3c 0.0001). Conclusions: Our data strongly suggest that in BM, after oxidative DNA damage, as a result of gastroesophageal reflux, there is an increase in the percentage of cells in the G0G1 or G2M phases of the cell cycle to enable repair of damaged DNA; in some of these cases this is followed sequentially by p53 gene mutation and protein accumulation, DNA aneuploidy, HGD, and CA with or without Glut1 overexpression. These events can be detected in routinely processed biopsy samples

I movimenti per l'unità europea 1970-1986

L'opera raccoglie numerosi contributi che cercano di ricostruire l'attività dei movimenti e delle personalità che vi agirono per l'unità europea tra il 1970 e il 1986 cioè tra la fase di rilancio del processo di costruzione europea degli anni Settanta che pur in un contesto di profonda crisi vedono il lancio di politiche europee e di innovazioni istituzionali e la fase immediatamente precedente all'Atto Unico, anche questa caratterizzata da crisi e conflitti fra i vari membri della CE