Other articles by Aimée E. van Dijk on PubMed

• Dynamics of Meiosis and Protein Kinase Activities in Bovine Oocytes Correlated to Prolactin Treatment and Follicle Size Theriogenology. Mar, 2001  |   Pubmed ID: 11291912 Oocyte developmental competence depends on the size of the original follicle and is affected by compounds like prolactin. We wished to investigate nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of bovine oocytes correlated to their origin and response to prolactin treatment, by monitoring at frequent intervals meiotic configuration of chromosomes and activity of histone H1 and MAP-kinase. Bovine ovaries were obtained from a slaughterhouse and oocytes were recovered by follicle isolation. Oocytes (n = 1,397) with a compact cumulus were selected from small (2 to 3 mm) and large (4 to 5 mm in diameter) follicles and cultured up to 28 h in TCM 199+20% bull serum with or without 50 ng/mL bovine prolactin. Four groups of oocytes were formed: originating from small or large follicles, and treated or not treated with prolactin. At the scheduled time intervals for in vitro maturation, cumulus oocyte complexes from the 4 groups were randomly selected and the oocytes were analyzed for histone H1 and MAP-kinase, and for chromatin configuration. The first meiotic division took longer to complete in oocytes from large follicles (P < 0.01). Under the influence of prolactin the meiosis was prolonged in oocytes both from small and large follicles (P < 0.05). Histone H1 and MAP-kinases started to be activated at approximately the same time, around 6 h after beginning maturation. But after this time, significantly lower levels of both kinase activities were found in oocytes treated with prolactin, especially those treated during Meiosis I (P < 0.05). Our results indicate a correlation of chromatin configuration and histone H1/MAP-kinase activities.
• Sentinel Monitoring of General Community Health During the 1998 World Football Cup Revue D'épidémiologie Et De Santé Publique. Apr, 2001  |   Pubmed ID: 11319480 Present knowledge of the consequences of mass gatherings for the health of the community is scant. Our objective was to determine the impact of the 1998 World Football Cup on general community health.
• Extraction and Characterization of Organic Matter from Surface Waters (reservoir of Keddara in Algeria) Environmental Technology. May, 2001  |   Pubmed ID: 11424737 The combined XAD-8 and XAD-4 resin procedure for isolating dissolved organic solutes from Keddara reservoir in Algeria was found to isolate 65% of total organic carbon (TOC). Of the 45% of solute adsorbed onto XAD-8 resin, 34% was in the form of fulvic acids, and 11% humic acids. Approximately 19% of the hydrophilic solutes were adsorbed onto XAD-4 resin. Characterization experiments have shown that the three isolated fractions have a low apparent molecular weight investigated by ultrafiltration and fluorescence and low aromaticity as shown by the results of UV-absorbance, the formation potential of total organic halogens (reactivity with chlorine) and the polyhydroxyaromatic (PHA) determined by pyrolysis gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) which show that the isolated fractions are aliphatic as well as aromatic. The low molecular weight and the low aromaticity compared with literature data are due to coagulation and sedimentation of NOM with high molecular weight, which occur naturally in the reservoir. The Keddara reservoir, with low hydraulic loading area and long detention times receiving water with low NOM and high in hardness can be expected to be very effective coagulation and sedimentation basins.
• High Salinity Wastewater Treatment Using Yeast and Bacterial Membrane Bioreactors Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. 2002  |   Pubmed ID: 12448470 Two laboratory-scale membrane bioreactor systems were investigated to treat high salinity wastewater containing high organic (5,000 mg/L COD) and salt content (32 g/L NaCl), namely: (1) the Yeast Membrane Bioreactor (YMBR) and; (2) Yeast pretreatment followed by Bacterial Membrane Bioreactor (BMBR). In the YMBR system, experimental runs were conducted with a mean biomass concentration of 12 g MLSS/L. Here the maximum COD removal rate of 0.93 g COD/g MLSS x day was obtained at F/M of 1.5 g COD/g MLSS.d. Whereas, the BMBR system was operated with a biomass concentration of up to 25 g MLSS/L, resulting in maximum COD removal rate of 0.32 kg COD/kg MLSS x day at F/M ratio of 0.4. In comparison to BMBR, YMBR could obtain higher COD removal rate at higher organic loading, indicating the potential of a yeast reactor system to treat high salinity wastewater containing high organic concentration. Transmembrane pressure in BMBR was progressively increased from 2 to 60 kPa after 12 d, 6 d and 2 d at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 14 h, 9 h and 4 h, with average biomass concentration of 6.1, 15 and 20 g MLSS/L, respectively. Whereas the transmembrane pressure in YMBR has increased from 2 to 60 kPa only after 76 days of operation, with an average biomass concentration of 12 MLSS/L and an operating HRT range of 5-32 h.
• [Myocardial Infarction in AIDS] Annales Françaises D'anesthèsie Et De Rèanimation. Nov, 2002  |   Pubmed ID: 12494811 We report two cases of myocardial infarction, in young HIV positive patients seen in the Emergency Department. These patients were under treatments: for one, an association of nucleosidic inhibitors, and for the other one, the combination of nucleosic analogue inhibitor with a non nucleosic analogue; in the last case, the patient underwent, few months before, a treatment containing a protease inhibitor. In both cases, the pain wasn't typical and didn't refer to a coronary heart disease. Lipid tests were normal. The diagnosis has been made quickly and allows a coronary angioplasty with a favourable issue. Authors are arguing the characteristics of this cardiac pathology, recently discovered in HIV positive patients, and do insist on the need to think at a coronary heart disease in front of any chest pain symptom even unusual.
• Membrane Bioreactors for Wastewater Treatment and Reuse: a Success Story Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. 2003  |   Pubmed ID: 12578166 This paper briefly reviews our current understanding of membrane bioreactor processes (including conventional and immersed membrane designs) resulting from three decades of development, highlighting process advantages, applications and areas for continuing research.
• Math Curriculum: an Innovative Approach to Address Weight Issues in Children The Diabetes Educator. Mar-Apr, 2003  |   Pubmed ID: 12728752
• Membrane-flocculation-adsorption Hybrid System in Wastewater Treatment: Micro and Nano Size Organic Matter Removal Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. 2004  |   Pubmed ID: 15686030 Cross flow microfiltration with in-line flocculation reduces the fouling of membranes thus leading to high quality product water. A detailed experimental study conducted with an artificial suspension (particle size distribution similar to that of surface water) revealed that the filtration rate can be increased by several times by adopting in-line flocculation. In-line flocculation-microfiltration is therefore an attractive technique to reduce internal clogging while improving the permeate flux significantly. A detailed ultrafiltration (UF) study was conducted with biologically treated sewage effluent with pretreatment by flocculation and powdered activated carbon adsorption. The TOC removal by the NTR 7410 UF membrane alone was 43.6%. The TOC removal increased significantly by the use of pretreatment: 69.3% by flocculation and 91% by flocculation followed by adsorption. The organic colloidal portion (between 3,500 dalton and 0.45 microm) in the biologically treated effluent was removed up to more than 65% by the pretreatment of flocculation. The molecular weight of the biologically treated effluent ranged from 250 to about 3,573 dalton with the highest fraction in the range of 250-845 dalton. By the incorporation of pretreatment, the majority of both large and small molecular weight organic matter was removed. This hybrid system led to practically no filtration flux decline in membrane filtration.
• Is Semi-flocculation Effective As Pretreatment to Ultrafiltration in Wastewater Treatment? Water Research. Jan, 2005  |   Pubmed ID: 15607174 In this study, ferric chloride (FeCl(3)) flocculation was used as a pretreatment to ultrafiltration (UF) in treating synthetic wastewater containing synthetic organic matter (SOM). The effect of flocculant dose was studied in terms of organic removal and membrane flux decline. The UF with optimum dose of FeCl(3) (68 mg L(-1)) did not experience any flux decline during the whole operation of 6 h. The preflocculation with a smaller dose of 20 mg L(-1) of FeCl(3) led to a severe flux decline in the UF (more than 65% in 6 h). To understand the phenomenon of the flux decline of UF, the MW ranges of SOM removed by different doses of FeCl(3) and by the post treatment of UF were studied. Flocculation with at least 50 mg L(-1) of FeCl(3) dose was found to be necessary to avoid any significant flux decline and to obtain superior DOC removal.
• Influence of Flocculation and Adsorption As Pretreatment on the Fouling of Ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration Membranes: Application with Biologically Treated Sewage Effluent Environmental Science & Technology. May, 2005  |   Pubmed ID: 15952397 Membrane fouling is a critical limitation on the application of membranes to wastewater reuse. This work aims to understand the fouling phenomenon which occurs in ultrafiltration (UF; 17500 molecular weight cutoff (MWCO)) and nanofiltration (NF; 250 MWCO) membranes, with and without pretreatment. For this purpose, the molecular weight (MW) distribution of the organics has been used as a parameter to characterize the influent, the permeate, and the foulant on the membrane surface. The variation of foulant concentration on the membrane due to pretreatment of the influent by flocculation and/or adsorption was investigated in detail. With the UF membrane, the peak of the MW distribution of organics in the permeate depended on the pretreatment; for example, the weight-averaged MW (Mw) of 675 without pretreatment shifted down to 314 with pretreatment. In the case of the NF membrane, the Mw of organics in the permeate was 478 (without pretreatment) and 310 (with flocculation followed by adsorption). The Mw of the organics in the foulant on the membrane surface was 513 (UF) and 192 (NF) without pretreatment and 351 (UF) and 183 (NF) after pretreatment with flocculation followed by adsorption, respectively. Without the pretreatment, the foulant concentration was higher on both membranes. The difference was more significant on the UF membrane than on the NF membrane. For both membranes, the flocculation-and-then-adsorption pretreatment proved very effective.
• Membrane Fouling and Selectivity Mechanisms in Effluent Ultrafiltration Coupled with Flocculation Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. 2005  |   Pubmed ID: 16003970 Membrane filtration is adequate for producing disinfected clear water suitable for various kinds of applications. However, fouling of membranes is the main limitation. The scope of the present study is to examine the effect of iron coagulation of primary wastewater effluent on membrane filtration, in parallel to fouling characterization of the iron itself. The fouling of ultrafiltration membranes by colloidal iron hydroxide-oxide has been studied by measuring the pore streaming potential of PES UF membrane. pH 5.5 (charge neutralization zone) provided better removal and lower fouling intensity than pH 7.8 (sweep coagulation zone), but the internal clogging at acidic pH was higher. Fouling of the membrane as measured by flux reduction was usually accompanied by a positive change in zeta potential and iso-electric point (IEP) of the membrane. An initially large change in zeta potential (without charge reversal) was seen even after relatively small amounts of iron solution were filtered through the membrane. A control experiment showed this is not due to iron adsorption equilibrium, but should probably be attributed to fouling. Change in zeta potential, can be used as an indicator for commencement of fouling even for small flux reductions. UF membrane critical flux after iron filtration can be evaluated more accurately by zeta potential than pressure drop or change in iron concentration.
• Foulant Characterization of the NF Membranes with and Without Pretreatment of Biologically Treated Wastewater Water Science and Technology : a Journal of the International Association on Water Pollution Research. 2005  |   Pubmed ID: 16003987 In this study, different pretreatment methods such as ferric chloride (FeCl3) flocculation and powdered activated carbon (PAC) adsorption were evaluated in terms of their capability in removing effluent organic matter (EfOM) and the characteristics of the foulants on the NF membranes. A detailed experiment was conducted with two NF membranes (NTR 729HF with MWCO 700 daltons and LF 10 with MWCO 200 daltons). With pretreatment, the concentration of organic matter on the membranes decreased to 5.671 x 10(-3) (NTR 729HF) and 4.940 x 10(-3) (LF 10) mg EfOM/cm2 of membrane from 6.372 x 10(-3) (NTR 729HF) and 4.979 x 10(-3) (LF 10) mg EfOM/cm2 of membrane. The MW of the solute fraction of biologically treated sewage effluent (BTSE) ranged from 250 daltons to about 3573 (the most important being 250-520 daltons). The weight-averaged MW values of the foulants on the NTR 729HF membrane reduced from 304 daltons without pre-treatment to 208 daltons with pretreatment. In the case of EfOM, the small molecules (MW 300 to 500 daltons) are mainly responsible for the membrane fouling. Thus, the MW distribution of organic matter in the effluent and in the foulant can be used as a representative tool to evaluate the efficiency of pretreatment and NF and in the selection of their operating conditions.
• [Evaluation of a Continuous Training Program at Bichat Hospital for In-hospital Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation] Annales Françaises D'anesthèsie Et De Rèanimation. Feb, 2006  |   Pubmed ID: 16269232 Management of in-hospital cardiac arrest is now considered as a hospital quality indicator. Such management actually requires training health care workers (HCWs) for basic life support (BLS).
• ADP Ribosylation Factor Like 2 (Arl2) Protein Influences Microtubule Dynamics in Breast Cancer Cells Experimental Cell Research. Feb, 2007  |   Pubmed ID: 17188265 ADP ribosylation factor like 2 (Arl2) protein is involved in the folding of tubulin peptides. Variants of the human adenocarcinoma line MCF7 cells with increased or reduced content of Arl2 protein were produced and characterized. Western blot analysis performed after separation of the different fractions of tubulins showed that the content in polymerizable soluble heterodimers was significantly increased in cells with the highest Arl2 expression level (MA+) and reduced in cells with the lowest Arl2 expression level (MA-) in comparison to control cells (MP). Microtubule dynamic instability, measured after microinjection of rhodamine-labelled tubulin in living cells, was significantly enhanced in MA+ cells and reduced in MA- cells. These alterations involved modifications of the microtubule growth and shortening rates, duration of attenuation phases, percentage of time spent in each phase (growth, shortening and attenuation) and catastrophe frequency. We also observed modifications in the expression level of the tumor suppressor protein phosphatase 2Ac, which has been shown to form a complex with Arl2. Finally, cell cycle progression was modified in these cells, particularly in regard to duration of telophase. In summary, alterations in Arl2 protein content were found to be associated with modifications in tubulin pools, microtubule dynamics as well as cell cycle progression.
• Columbus, the European Physiology Modules Facility and CADMOS Journal of Gravitational Physiology : a Journal of the International Society for Gravitational Physiology. Jul, 2007  |   Pubmed ID: 18372739 Columbus, the European Space Agency (ESA) orbital facility laboratory will be launched in December 2007 and attached to the International Space Station (ISS). In its launch configuration, Columbus includes 4 multi-user facilities: one of them is the European Physiology Modules Facility, also called EPM. The EPM will be devoted to Human Physiology; it will be collocated in the Columbus module with two other physiology racks, i.e. the HRF-1 and HRF-2 American racks (Human Research Facility). CADMOS is part of the French Space Agency, located in Toulouse; it has been designated by the European Space Agency as the Facility Responsible Centre (FRC) for the EPM. As a User Support and Operations Centre, CADMOS main tasks are to help the scientists to prepare and perform their experiments in Space and to monitor operations on the ISS.
• Critical Flux and Chemical Cleaning-in-place During the Long-term Operation of a Pilot-scale Submerged Membrane Bioreactor for Municipal Wastewater Treatment Water Research. Jan, 2011  |   Pubmed ID: 20947121 The critical flux and chemical cleaning-in-place (CIP) in a long-term operation of a pilot-scale submerged membrane bioreactor for municipal wastewater treatment were investigated. Steady filtration under high flux (30 L/(m(2) h)) was successfully achieved due to effective membrane fouling control by sub-critical flux operation and chemical CIP with sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) in both trans-membrane pressure (TMP) controlling mode (cleaning with high concentration NaClO of 2000-3000 mg/L in terms of effective chorine was performed when TMP rose to 15 kPa) and time controlling mode (cleanings were performed weekly and monthly respectively with low concentration NaClO (500-1000 mg/L) and high concentration NaClO (3000 mg/L)). Microscopic analysis on membrane fibers before and after high concentration NaClO was also conducted. Images of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that NaClO CIP could effectively remove gel layer, the dominant fouling under sub-critical flux operation. Porosity measurements indicated that NaClO CIP could partially remove pore blockage fouling. The analyses from fourier transform infrared spectrometry (FTIR) with attenuated total reflectance accessory (ATR) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS) demonstrated that protein-like macromolecular organics and inorganics were the important components of the fouling layer. The analysis of effluent quality before and after NaClO CIP showed no obvious effect on effluent quality.
• Isolated Kaposi Sarcoma of the Finger Pulp in an AIDS Patient Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Surgery & Research : OTSR. Feb, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22210505 A 63-year-old woman with long-standing AIDS and previous Kaposi sarcomas of the lower limb presented to our consultation complaining of a painful left ring finger with pulp enlargement. X-rays revealed an osteolytic lesion of the distal phalanx. We suspected an isolated osseous Kaposi sarcoma and at surgery we found a hemorrhagic lesion with bone extension into the phalanx. Bone involvement is rare in Kaposi sarcoma and even rarer in patients without a cutaneous location.
• Phase Behaviour, Interactions, and Structural Studies of (amines+ionic Liquids) Binary Mixtures Chemphyschem : a European Journal of Chemical Physics and Physical Chemistry. May, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22378633 We present a study on the phase equilibrium behaviour of binary mixtures containing two 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bis{(trifluoromethyl)sulfonyl}imide-based ionic liquids, [C(n)mim] [NTf(2)] (n=2 and 4), mixed with diethylamine or triethylamine as a function of temperature and composition using different experimental techniques. Based on this work, two systems showing an LCST and one system with a possible hourglass shape are measured. Their phase behaviours are then correlated and predicted by using Flory-Huggins equations and the UNIQUAC method implemented in Aspen. The potential of the COSMO-RS methodology to predict the phase equilibria was also tested for the binary systems studied. However, this methodology is unable to predict the trends obtained experimentally, limiting its use for systems involving amines in ionic liquids. The liquid-state structure of the binary mixture ([C(2)mim] [NTf(2)]+diethylamine) is also investigated by molecular dynamics simulation and neutron diffraction. Finally, the absorption of gaseous ethane by the ([C(2)mim][NTf(2)]+diethylamine) binary mixture is determined and compared with that observed in the pure solvents.
• Reliability of a New Method for Lower-extremity Measurements Based on Stereoradiographic Three-dimensional Reconstruction Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Surgery & Research : OTSR. Sep, 2012  |   Pubmed ID: 22858107 Several clinical and radiological techniques have been described to assess lower limb length and angle measurements. None of them has yet met the ideal criteria for a reliable, reproducible, safe, and inexpensive system. In this context, a new biplanar X-ray system (EOSâ„¢, EOS imaging, Paris, France) makes it possible to obtain a 3D reconstruction of the lower extremities from two 2D orthogonal radiographic images, with associated calculation of 3D measurements. The reliability of this technique has never been documented on adults.
• Influence of Prolonged Immersion on the Resistance of Arthroscopy Knots in Biological Media Orthopaedics & Traumatology, Surgery & Research : OTSR. Apr, 2013  |   Pubmed ID: 23433729 Biomechanical studies of arthroscopic knots have been performed on sutures that were tied manually and tested immediately after tying. We performed this study to evaluate the knot and the suture during the healing phase, which was not evaluated in these previous studies. Our hypothesis was that the biomechanics features of arthroscopic knots may change in relation to the duration of incubation in biological media simulating synovial fluid. Thus our goal was to study the influence of incubation for 30 days in biological media simulating body fluid using a device to standardize knot tying and allow comparison of arthroscopic sutures.