Chapter 8 - Post-Treatment of Desalinated Water—Chemistry, Design, Engineering, and Implementation

Introduction:Caries is associated with high counts of mutans streptococci (MS), lactobacillus (LB), and a low saliva buffering capacity (BC). No study using odds ratios (OR) has correlated caries and these factors and no similar study has been done in Saudi Arabia before. Objectives: To determine: The prevalence of caries, the number of colony forming units (CFUs) of MS and LB, the saliva buffering capacity (BC) and the relationship between these factors.Materials and Methods:This was an analytical cross sectional study on children from Madinah. Caries was recorded using dmft/DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth). The scores for MS and LB and the BC of saliva was calculated using the Caries Risk Test (CRT)®.Results:A total of 316 students were examined; two-thirds (62%) were female and 25% were caries free. Saliva was collected from 235 participants and the majority had high MS and LB scores (66 and 71%, respectively) while 25% had a low saliva BC. The odds for those who had high LB and MS CFUs, were 9 and 4 times more at risk to developing dental caries and those with a low BC had significantly more caries (P = 0.03). The likelihood for those having severe caries and high counts of LB and MS was 25 (P < 0.01) and 6 (P = 0.042) times greater, respectively, compared to those with no or mild caries. Those with multiple risk factors were more likely to have caries compared to those with single or no risk factors present.Conclusions:The prevalence of caries was relatively high and many respondents had greater than 105 CFUs/ml of MS and LB. Almost all with a low BC had severe caries. There was a strong correlation between high MS, high LB, and low BC and the high prevalence of caries; hence the combination of these factors could be confidently used to predict caries in this population.

The buffering capacity of air-equilibrated seminal plasma from the chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha and steelhead Oncorhynchus mykiss were determined. Buffering capacities were significantly less at pH values at and above 7.3 than over the range 6.0 to 7.0 and were particularly low between pH values of approximately 7.5 to 8.5. The potential of chinook salmon sperm to become motile upon addition to water was highly sensitive to pH. Only very low levels of motility were demonstrable when sperm had been maintained at pH values at or below 7.5 prior to water exposure while maximum motility was noted when sperm had been maintained at pH values of about 8.0 and above. Thus, the potential for motility appeared especially sensitive to that pH range over which seminal plasma exhibited its lowest buffering capacity. Buffering capacity, protein content and inorganic phosphate content of chinook salmon and steelhead seminal plasmas were less than those of corresponding blood plasma or ovarian fluid suggesting that seminal plasma is unique among salmonid body fluids in its composition and low buffering capacity. This low buffering capacity is likely to facilitate the role of the sperm duct epithelium in semen pH regulation and thus, in the sperm's acquisition of the potential for motility upon exposure to water.

Quantitative assessment for stimulated saliva flow rate and buffering capacity in relation to different ages

Sublingual Buprenorphine and Dental Problems

Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of different levels of fumaric acid supplementation to diets with a low or high buffer capacity on the concentrations of microbial metabolites and lipopolysaccharides, as an indicator of gram negative bacteria in ileal digesta of young pigs. In two experiments, 12 pigs each were weaned at 14 d of age and fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum between 15 and 17 d of age. In experiment 1, the pigs were fed wheat–soybean meal diets without or with inclusion of 1, 2 or 3% fumaric acid according to a balanced two-period changeover design. In experiment 2, the same diets were fed, except that the dietary buffering capacity was increased by inclusion of 3% sodium bicarbonate to all diets. The pigs were fed three times daily, equal amounts at 8 h intervals. The diets were supplied at a rate of 5% (wt/wt) of body weight. The inclusion of fumaric acid to the diet with a low buffering capacity (exp. 1) decreased (P &lt; 0.05) the concentrations of lactic acid, ammonia, spermidine and lipopolysaccharides in ileal digesta. Supplementation of fumaric acid to a diet with a high buffering capacity (exp. 2) did not affect (P &gt; 0.05) the concentrations of fermentation products in ileal digesta, but there was a decrease (P &lt; 0.05) in the concentration of lipopolysaccharides. Furthermore, in both experiments, the concentration of most fermentation products decreased (P &lt; 0.05) with increasing age after weaning. These results give further evidence that supplementation of fumaric acid to diets for young pigs during the first 3–4 wk after weaning reduces the metabolic activity and the concentrations of bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. The magnitude of this effect, however, is dependent on the buffering capacity and the inclusion level of fumaric acid in the diets. Key words: Pigs, fumaric acid, buffering capacity, microbial metabolites, ileal digesta, lipopolysaccharides

Fundamental chemistry and engineering aspects of post-treatment processes for desalinated water—A review

The aim of this study was to assess the significance and role of physical parameters of saliva on periodontal health in children with Down syndrome (DS). A comparative evaluation of physical parameters of saliva such as flow rate, viscosity, pH, quantity and buffering capacity, and buffer capacity was carried out using GC Saliva-Check Buffer kit and correlated with periodontal condition examined using community periodontal index of treatment needs (CPITN) in 40 DS subjects (group I) and 40 healthy controls (group II) aged 8-15 years. Down syndrome subjects had a low resting salivary flow rate, moderately acidic saliva, very low quantity of stimulated saliva, and low buffering capacity. On correlating salivary parameters with the periodontal condition, DS subjects with CPITN code 1 had low resting salivary flow rate, normal viscosity, moderately acidic pH, very low quantity of stimulated saliva, and low buffering capacity. Down syndrome subjects with CPITN code 2 had low resting flow rate, increased viscosity, very low quantity of stimulated saliva, low buffering capacity, and moderately acidic pH. Healthy controls with CPITN code 0 had normal resting flow rate, viscosity of saliva, quantity of stimulated saliva, buffering capacity, and moderately acidic pH. Compared to healthy controls, DS subjects showed decreased values for resting flow rate, pH, quantity of stimulated saliva, and buffering capacity. A statistically significant correlation was observed between the physical parameters of saliva and periodontal condition in DS subjects (p < 0.05). Periodontal diseases start at a very early age and periodontal health deteriorates at a faster rate in DS children for which saliva also plays its part. Prime importance should be given to frequent oral hygiene and preventive measures in DS children thus preventing accumulation of debris and plaque.

To evaluate dental caries and periodontal pocketing in relation to saliva buffering capacity among two groups of Japanese adults aged above 35 years old (A35) or 35 years old and below (B35). After measuring the initial pH of saliva, samples were titrated with 0.1N HCl to evaluate the buffer capacity. Levels of mutans streptococci and Lactobacilli in saliva, DMF and periodontal pocket were also measured. Among B35 group, DMF of adults with High buffering capacity was significantly lower than those of adults with Medium and Low buffering capacity (p < 0.05). Chi-square test showed the distribution of subjects with high counts of mutans Streptococci or Lactobacilli into the three buffer capacities, which was not statistically different between two age groups (p > 0.05). There were statistical differences for the mean periodontal pocket depth on the upper right incisor of adults in A35 with High buffer capacity and those of adults with any buffer capacity in B35 group. Statistical differences were also found for the pocket depth on lower left incisor and upper right molars of adults in A35 with High buffer capacity and those of adults with low buffer capacity in B35 group (p < 0.01). High buffering capacity of saliva might be associated with better status of oral health among Japanese adults in both age groups.

Experiments were conducted to determine the effect of fumaric acid supplementation and buffering capacity of the diet on ileal and fecal digestibilities of CP, GE, and amino acids in early-weaned pigs. In two experiments, 12 pigs each were weaned at 14 d of age and fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum between 15 and 17 d of age. In both experiments, the pigs were fed four diets, based on wheat and soybean meal without (control) or with 1, 2, or 3% fumaric acid according to a balanced two-period change-over design. In Exp. 2, the buffering capacity of the diets was increased by supplementation of 3% sodium bicarbonate. The pigs were fed three times daily: equal amounts at 8-h intervals. The diets were supplied at a rate of 5% (wt/wt) of body weight. The inclusion of fumaric acid to the diet with a low buffering capacity increased (P < .05) the ileal digestibilities of CP, GE, and the majority of amino acids. The highest responses were found at an inclusion level of 2% fumaric acid. The improvements in apparent ileal amino acid digestibilities ranged from 4.9 to 12.8 percentage units. Supplementation of fumaric acid to a diet with a high buffering capacity led only to numerical increases in ileal digestibilities of CP, GE, and amino acids. In both studies, fumaric acid supplementation had no effect (P > .05) on the fecal digestibilities of CP, GE, and amino acids, except histidine. A high buffering capacity of the diet decreased the ileal amino acid digestibilities by 1 to 10 percentage units compared with diets with the low buffering capacities. In both experiments, ileal and fecal digestibilities were higher (P < .05) in Period 2 (on d 24 after weaning) than in Period 1 (on d 11 after weaning). A positive correlation (P < .05) between ileal digestibilities and fumaric acid supplementation to the diets with the low buffering capacities was observed in Period 1 (on d 11 after weaning), but not in Period 2 (on d 24 after weaning). No relationship (P > .05) between ileal digestibilities and fumaric acid supplementation to the diets with a high buffering capacity could be established. In conclusion, supplementation of fumaric acid to starter diets during the first 3 to 4 wk after weaning increases the ileal digestibilities of GE, CP, and amino acids.

The interaction of grassland management factors such as plant species, rate of nitrogen (N) fertiliser application and stage of maturity at harvest, will determine the optimal balance of herbage yield, nutritive quality and ensilability for ruminant nutrition and/or industrial applications. This study investigated the effects of N fertiliser input and harvest date on the yield and chemical composition of five common grass species, and made comparisons with red clover. Perennial ryegrass (PRG), Italian ryegrass (IRG), tall fescue, cocksfoot, timothy and red clover were grown under two inorganic N fertiliser inputs (0 kg N ha−1 and 125 kg N ha−1; except red clover) and harvested at five dates (fortnightly from 12 May to 7 July) in the primary growth. Regression analysis of these data allowed comparison of the yield and chemical composition of each grass species at common growth stages, without the confounding effects of variation in maturity between grass species at common harvest dates. Of the grass species investigated, timothy was most productive in terms of dry matter (DM) yield and thus has the potential to provide a cheaper feed per unit DM. However, the most digestible grass species was PRG, with timothy being the lowest, and this could impact on both animal and bioenergy production potential. The most suitable grass species for ensiling was IRG (particularly when grown without fertiliser N) due to its higher water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) concentration and lower buffering capacity (BC) compared to all other grass species. In comparison to the grasses receiving inorganic N fertiliser, red clover had a numerically lower DM yield, but a higher mean DM digestibility and crude protein concentration. The lower WSC concentration and higher BC of the red clover may result in a greater preservation challenge during ensiling.

Epidemiological studies have shown that the prevalence of coal workers' pneumoconiosis (CWP) differed remarkably between different coal mine regions despite comparable exposures to respirable dust. In the United States, CWP was found to be most common in Pennsylvania coal miners and least common in miners from Utah. The active component(s) responsible for the regional differences in CWP has not yet been identified. In the present study, we found that coals from Pennsylvania, compared with Utah coals, showed a much lower buffering capacity as determined by the amount of acid consumed in order to reach pH 4.5, which is the pH of the phagolysosomes of macrophages. Moreover, the coals from Pennsylvania released large amounts of Fe2+ in the acidified extract, whereas the coals from Utah released little Fe2+. Using electron spin resonance (ESR), we found that the coals from Pennsylvania, but not from Utah, were effective in oxidizing formate by a radical pathway. Two coals, one from Utah with high buffering capacity and low acid-soluble Fe2+ and the other from Pennsylvania with low buffering capacity and high acid-soluble Fe2+, were then selected for cell treatment. We found that human tracheal epithelial (HTE) cells treated with the coal from Pennsylvania (10 microg/cm2) showed a 36% increase in oxidant formation over the control as detected by dichlorofluorescein assay, whereas the coal from Utah had no effect. An electrophoretic mobility shift assay was used to test the binding affinity of nuclear proteins extracted from the coal-treated HTE cells to an oxidative stress-responsive transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1) element. The coal from Pennsylvania with high acid-soluble Fe2+ (1 microg/cm2) activated AP-1 to the same extent as 10 microM H2O2, while the coal from Utah without acid-soluble Fe2+ had no effect. These results support our hypothesis that the prevalence of CWP may be higher in coal workers exposed to coal with high acid-soluble Fe2+ and low buffering capacity than in workers exposed to coal with low acid-soluble Fe2+ and high buffering capacity.

Cellulase (Avicelase, Cel1) from Streptomyces reticuli efficiently hydrolyzes crystalline cellulose (Avicel) to cellobiose. The synthesis of the enzyme was found to be dependent on the presence of insoluble Avicel but not on either soluble hydroxyethylcellulose, cellooligomers, or cellobiose. Glycerol and various metabolizable mono- and disaccharides repress Avicelase synthesis, whereas yeast extract has no inducing or repressing effect. Glucose kinase is not required for the repression effect. In the course of cultivation, S. reticuli secretes significant quantities of acid, predominantly pyruvate and succinate, which reduce the pH to 4 in commonly used media with low buffering capacity. Comparative studies with media with low and high buffering capacities revealed that Avicelase synthesis is strongly repressed at a low pH.

In this study, we determined the pH and buffer capacity of human gastrointestinal (GI) fluids (aspirated from the stomach, duodenum, proximal jejunum, and mid/distal jejunum) as a function of time, from 37 healthy subjects after oral administration of an 800 mg immediate-release tablet of ibuprofen (reference listed drug; RLD) under typical prescribed bioequivalence (BE) study protocol conditions in both fasted and fed states (simulated by ingestion of a liquid meal). Simultaneously, motility was continuously monitored using water-perfused manometry. The time to appearance of phase III contractions (i.e., housekeeper wave) was monitored following administration of the ibuprofen tablet. Our results clearly demonstrated the dynamic change in pH as a function of time and, most significantly, the extremely low buffer capacity along the GI tract. The buffer capacity on average was 2.26 μmol/mL/ΔpH in fasted state (range: 0.26 and 6.32 μmol/mL/ΔpH) and 2.66 μmol/mL/ΔpH in fed state (range: 0.78 and 5.98 μmol/mL/ΔpH) throughout the entire upper GI tract (stomach, duodenum, and proximal and mid/distal jejunum). The implication of this very low buffer capacity of the human GI tract is profound for the oral delivery of both acidic and basic active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). An in vivo predictive dissolution method would require not only a bicarbonate buffer but also, more significantly, a low buffer capacity of dissolution media to reflect in vivo dissolution conditions.

Five-year follow-up study of saliva, mutans streptococci, lactobacilli and yeast counts in lymphoma patients

An experiment was carried out to examine the effects of supplementation of formic acid to semipurified diets containing fish meal for weanling pigs with low and high buffering capacity on nutrient digestion and bacterial populations and metabolites in the small intestine. Twelve barrows, weaned at 21 d, were fitted with a simple T-cannula at the distal ileum. The BW of the pigs at weaning and at the conclusion of the experiment were 7.8 and 13.8 kg, respectively. The pigs were fed four corn starch-based fish meal diets according to a two-period change-over design. The diets were formulated to contain 18% CP. For two of the diets, referred to as NCaP, fish meal was the calcium and phosphorus source. For the remaining two diets, referred to as HCaP, the levels of calcium and phosphorus were doubled (compared with the NCaP diets) by the addition of calcium carbonate and dicalcium phosphate. The diets were supplemented with (+NCaP and +HCaP) or without (−NCaP and −HCaP) 1% (wt/wt) formic acid. The buffering capacity of the HCaP diets increased (P &lt; 0.05) when the levels of calcium and phosphorus were doubled. The pH of the diets were: 6.25, 4.46, 6.13 and 4.59 for the −NCaP, +NCaP, −HCaP and +HCaP diets, respectively. Supplementation of formic acid to diets with low and high buffering capacity did not affect (P &gt; 0.05) the apparent ileal digestibilities of AA. The pH, ammonia and VFA concentrations, bacterial populations in ileal digesta and the incidence of diarrhea were also not affected (P &gt; 0.05). Therefore, the supplementation of 1% (wt/wt) formic acid to corn starch-based fish meal diets with low and high buffering capacity for weanling pigs (7.8–13.8 kg) does not affect nutrient digestibilities and bacterial populations in the small intestine. Key words: Pigs, formic acid, buffering capacity, digestibility, bacteria