Helicobacter pylori determination in non-municipal drinking water and epidemiological findings

BACKGROUND: Studies conducted in Europe as well as in North and South America have tried to link Helicobacter pylori colonization with the drinking water supply, especially since H. pylori is known to survive quite well in water. METHODS: In 2000, a cohort of 1884 grade-two children from two rural counties surrounding the city of Leipzig, Germany (77.4% of the 1991/1992 birth cohort) were tested for H. pylori colonization using the [13C]urea breath test. A parent-completed questionnaire elicited details on living conditions and lifestyle habits including questions on the children's drinking water from sources other than public water supplies, swimming in natural waters, etc. In a second independent study, samples of well water, taken from 157 private wells still used in the two counties, were being tested for the presence of H. pylori, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method to determine relevant target DNA fragments of H. pylori. RESULTS: In county I, 5.7% of the children and in county II 6.6% tested H. pylori-positive. Cluster analyses of the questionnaire data in both counties pointed to 'drinking water from other than municipal sources', as the closest H. pylori-associated cluster variable. The cluster estimations were supported by odds ratio (OR) calculations with an OR=16.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.1,...,88.5) for county I and OR=4.0 (95% CI 1.3,...,12.4) for county II. The PCR analyses showed H. pylori DNA fragments in 10.8% of the wells in county I and 9.2% in county II. The detection limit was set at 10 DNA copies corresponding to 125 bacteria/L, the average infestation of these wells was 931 bacteria/L. CONCLUSION: Despite the fact that the microbiological and epidemiological data do not correspond except that both studies were conducted in the same geographical areas, the independent findings of H. pylori in well water in the same general areas where children do seem to drink water other than from the public water supply suggests that water may be an important source of H. pylori infection.     

Tritium Content and Salinity of Some Groundwaters in Greater Cairo Water Supply Stations

Abstract

Groundwaters from some wells, used for potable water supply from three drinking water stations at Greater Cairo in El-Ameria, El-Harem and Joli Ville, were sampled for tritium measurement. The wells with low tritium content are very suitable for drinking purpose due to the high residence time indicating that the groundwater was away from surface contaminations for a longer time. The pumping of the production wells should be restricted to deep wells of low salinity for drinking purpose. General recommendations are given for the proper approach for exploiting groundwater as a useful and cheap source for drinking water in Greater Cairo.     

A theory of vibrational frequency shifts revisited: application to dimers of LiH with the inert gases He,Ne, Ar and Kr

The objective of this paper is to contribute towards an understanding of the anomalous blue vibrational shifts that have been observed on forming some hydrogen bonds. It is shown that linear complexes of the LiH molecule with an inert gas atom Rg exhibit red or blue shifts of the LiH vibrational frequency depending upon whether Rg is attached to the Li or the H atom.

The shifts in the frequency of the Li–H vibration on forming the weakly bound linear complexes Li–H…Rg and H–Li…Rg (Rg?=?He, Ne, Ar, Kr) were determined by ab initio computations at the MP2/6-311++G(2d,?2p) level of theory. These frequency shifts were found to be in good agreement with predictions from a model based on perturbation theory and involving first and second derivatives U′ and U′′ of the interaction energy with respect to displacement of the Li–H bond length from its equilibrium value in the isolated molecule. Concentration of the Li–H vibrational motion in the light H atom causes U′ and U′′ to be dominated by repulsion in Li–H…Rg and by attraction in H–Li…Rg, producing blue and red shifts, respectively. The bond length changes on complexation are well predicted by U′.     

Theoretical study of cooperativity between hydrogen bond‒hydrogen bond,halogen bond‒halogen bond and hydrogen bond‒halogen bond in ternary FX…diazine…XF (X = H and Cl) complexes

ABSTRACT

In the present work, the cooperativity between hydrogen bond?hydrogen bond, halogen bond?halogen bond and hydrogen bond?halogen bond in ternary FX…diazine…XF (X = H and Cl) complexes is theoretically investigated. The sign of cooperative energy (E_coop) obtained in all of the triads is positive which indicates that the ternary complex is less stable than the sum of the two isolated binary complexes. Moreover, our calculations show that E_coop value in triads increases as FX…pyridazine…XF > FX…pyrimidine…XF > FX…pyrazine…XF. In agreement with energetic, geometrical and topological properties, electrostatic potentials and coupling constants across ¹⁵N…X?¹⁹F (X = ¹H or ³⁵Cl) hydrogen and halogen bonds indicate that hydrogen and halogen bonds are weakened in the considered complexes where two hydrogen and halogen bonds coexist. As compared to N…H hydrogen bond, it is also observed that cooperativity has greater effect on N…Cl halogen bond.     

Isotope and Trace Gas Analyses as Tools to Assess Water Protection Zones in a Rural Area

Abstract

An example is presented for the application of groundwater age dating by tritium and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) measurements to assess water protection zones. The investigation area is located in a rural area close to Osnabrück (Lower Saxony, Germany). Samples from 13 drinking water supply wells were collected in November 1995.

By using an exponential model, groundwater residence times were calculated for the wells. The tritium and CFC data showed comparable residence times with slightly higher values derived from the CFCs (especially F113). Most of the wells showed residence times around or below 10 years indicating a rather high vulnerability with respect to anthropogenic contaminations.     

Use of Isotope Methods for the Development of a New Structural-Geological Model in the Finne Region

Abstract

Since the 1960s intensive isotope hydrogeological studies have been carried out in the Finne mountain range between Herrengosserstedt in Thuringia and the River Unstrut near Karsdorf in Saxony-Anhalt. The new railway line Erfurt-Leipzig/Halle, a part of the traffic projects German Union - Railway-No. 8-, will cross this area with two tunnels, each of which is 6 km long. The tunnelling of the Middle Bunter rocks on the west side involves the crossing of an area with deep wells used for drinking water supply.

To clarify the hydrodynamic situation in this area, the planning company for railway construction German Union (PB DE) contracted Trischler und Partner to carry out an extensive exploration programme. This programme included not only investigations using the isotopes ²H, ¹⁸O, ³H, ¹³C and ¹⁴C, but also single measurements of chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) and a multitude of hydrochemical analyses.

Because of stratum related ground water sampling, an aquifer related evaluation of the investigation results was possible. Based on these results a fundamentally new structural-geological model for the investigation area was developed. In addition to its great importance for the tunnel planning, with the new model it will be possible to solve urgent questions concerning the drinking water supply in this region.     

Non-invasive diagnosis of type 2 diabetes in Helicobacter pylori infected patients using isotope-specific infrared absorption measurements

Helicobacter pylori causes several gastrointestinal diseases and may also contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Several studies suggest that there might be a potential link between H. pylori infection and T2D, but it still remains the subject of debate. Here, we first report the cumulative effect of H. pylori infection and T2D by exploiting the excretion kinetics of ¹³C/¹²C and ¹⁸O/¹⁶O isotope ratios of exhaled breath CO₂ in response to an oral dose of ¹³C-enriched glucose in individuals with T2D and non-diabetic controls (NDC) harbouring the H. pylori infection. Using a high-resolution integrated cavity output spectroscopy (ICOS) technique in the infrared region, we observed that the isotopic fractionations of ¹³C and ¹⁸O in breath CO₂ are distinctly altered in H. pylori infected T2D patients as well as in H. pylori infected NDC. Several optimal diagnostic cut-off points of ¹³C and ¹⁸O isotopes of breath CO₂ were also determined which exhibited the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of ～97?% and thus suggesting that breath ¹³C and ¹⁸O isotopes might be considered as potential biomarkers for the non-invasive assessment of the gastric pathogen prior to the onset of T2D. This may open a new diagnostic strategy for treating these common diseases in an alternative way.     

Preface - Contributions to the 8th International Conference on Applications of Stable Isotope Techniques to Ecological Studies (ISOECOL), Brest,France, 20–24 August 2012

Abstract

The study is focused on the dolomite-limestone drinking water aquifers in the Bo? massif, as well as on the andesite-aquifer containing mineral water in the vicinity of Roga?ka Slatina. The catchment area is limited and both drinking and mineral waters are discharged from the same source. The increasing use of deeper aquifers means that natural springs and shallow wells have become sporadic. Consequently new techniques of investigating recharge and aquifer capacity are required which can augment classical hydrogeological methods.

Current research into the mineral and drinking water aquifers in the area of Roga?ka Slatina is based on measuring the isotopic composition of light elements, (H, C and O) as natural tracers. It can be concluded that all the groundwaters investigated are typically infiltrated meteoric water. The drinking waters are generally young and were infiltrated up to about ten years ago. The isotopic composition of oxygen is similar to recent precipitation (δ¹⁸O = -9.3 ± 1‰) and the drinking waters contain tritium. It was found that exploited mineral waters recharged aquifers during colder periods; they are only partly mixed with younger water as can be seen from the isotopic composition of oxygen and corrected ¹⁴C dating, which puts the mean ages at between around 100 and 8,000 years. With regard to the “nuclear period” (1960-64) with abnormally high tritium activities of precipitation, all the waters examined can be divided into at least three main infiltration groups depending on their measured tritium content: around 35 years old (> 80 T.U.), older (> 10 T.U.) and younger (10 to 60 T.U.). Detailed dating is possible following the above classification. Isotope exchange between rocks and water is negligible and therefore very deep circulation at the temperature conditions above 80°C does not occur. Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in the drinking waters is the result of equilibrium reactions between carbonates and organically produced CO₂ (δ¹³C = - 14.5 ± ‰), while the high concentrations of DIC (δ¹³C = + 3 ±‰) and CO₂ observed in the mineral waters are generated by low-temperature decarbonatization processes and indicate the deep origin of CO₂, from where gas migrates into mineral water aquifers.

Correlation analyses between the parameters studied are performed. Useful conclusions concerning water circulation and the capacities of aquifer reservoirs are described which support the future optimal pumping of mineral and drinking water at the limited catchment area of Roga?ka Slatina and Bo?.     

Luminosity function of optically-selected type II QSOs

For a sample of 411 type II QSOs with redshifts less then 0.3, we use the Balmer decrements to do the reddening correction of the [O III] luminosities and then derive the intrinsic [O III] luminosity function. We find that the host reddening correction of the [O III] 5007 luminosity for type II QSOs cannot be neglected. The median Balmer decrement of Hα/Hβ=4.0 corresponds to an extinction of 0.94 mag for the [O III] 5007 line, which is consistent with the result derived from the median Hβ/Hγ. Comparing the intrinsic luminosity function of type II QSOs with that of type I QSOs, we find that the upper limit of the type II QSO’s fraction in the total QSOs is 80% for type II QSOs with z < 0.3 and 8.6⩽log (L _{[O III]}/L _⊙)⩽9.4.

     

Propagation of light through an optically thick flat homogeneous cloud layer

Abstract

Monte Carlo simulations of light pulse transfer through a flat homogeneous cloud layer are used to compute zero, first and second moments of the light power temporal distribution at the input of a receiver placed at the cloud bottom or removed from it to a distance H in a pure atmosphere. The upper boundary of a cloud layer is considered to be illuminated by an infinitely extended δ-pulsed light beam. Transmittance of the cloud layer T and radiance angular distribution B(θ) at its bottom (these data define the zero moment or the pulse-response energy under steady illumination W), as well as mean propagation time t¯ and variance (width) (Δt)² of the pulse-response are calculated for cloud optical thicknesses τ=0, …, 50, incidence angle θ₀=0, …, 60°, single scattering albedo ω₀=0.995, …, 1.0 and the receiver view angle 2 β=40° and 90°. Monte Carlo simulation results are compared with well known Rosenberg asymptotic formulae for T and B(θ) as well as with a simple model developed for calculating t¯ and Δt. The comparison reveals high accuracy of all formulae considered for the optical thickness τ>10, …, 15. A simple procedure for computing W, t¯ and Δt parameters for a three-layer medium (cloud/pure atmosphere/sea water) is outlined.     

Sauna,sweat and science II – do we sweat what we drink?

ABSTRACT

Inspired by a previous ‘Sauna, sweat and science’ study [Zech et al. Isot Environ Health Stud. 2015;51(3):439–447] and out of curiosity and enthusiasm for stable isotope and sauna research we aimed at answering the question ‘do we sweat (isotopically) what we drink’? We, therefore, pulse-labelled five test persons in a sauna experiment with beverages that were ²H-enriched at about +25,600?‰. Sweat samples were collected during six sauna rounds and the hydrogen isotope composition δ²H_sweat was determined using an isotope ratio mass spectrometer. Before pulse labelling, δ²H_sweat – reflecting by approximation body water – ranged from –32 to –22?‰. This is ～35?‰ enriched compared to usual mid-European drinking water and can be explained with hydrogen-bearing food as well as with the respiratory loss of ²H-depleted vapour. The absence of a clearly detectable ²H pulse in sweat after pulse labelling and δ²H_sweat results of ≤+250?‰ due to a fast ²H equilibration with body water are moreover a clearly negative answer to our research question also in a short-term consideration. Given that the recovery of the tracer based on an isotope mass balance calculation is clearly below 100?%, we finally answer the question ‘where did the rest of the tracer go?’     

Ions with strong symmetric H-bonds and their solvation in aqueous-ethanolic solutions of HCl

Ion-molecular interactions in the HCl-EtOH-H₂O system are studied by means of multiple frustrated total internal reflection IR spectroscopy over a wide range of concentrations of the components. It is demonstrated that, in the investigated solutions, the acid is fully bound into ions and uncharged complexes formed by strong symmetric or quasi-symmetric H-bonds. There is a competition between H₂O and EtOH molecules during the formation of the (H₅C₂(H)O…H…O(H)C₂H₅)⁺, (H₂O…H…OH₂)⁺, and (H₂O…H…O(H)C₂H₅)⁺ proton disolvates. In dilute solutions of HCl in 2: 1 and 1: 1 EtOH-H₂O mixtures, (H₂O…H…OH₂)⁺ proton dihydrates are mainly formed, whereas in concentrated HCl solutions, under conditions of a partial solvation of ions by solvent molecules, predominantly (H₂O…H…O(H)C₂H₅)⁺ mixed proton disolvates arise. In concentrated solutions of HCl in EtOH with low water content, the acid is partially bound into (H₅C₂(H)O…H⁺…Cl^?) uncharged complexes with the participation of the Cl^? anion.     

Helicobacter Pylori in Vivo Diagnosis after Food Intake: Results of Simultaneous [15N]Urea Urine and [13C]Acetate Breath Tests

Abstract

The protocols for ¹³C and ¹⁵N H. pylori tests stipulate that the diagnostic agent should be taken on an empty stomach. It is presumed that food intake prior to the tests leads to less reliable test results due to a prolongation of the gastric residence time of the diagnostic agent urea. This might allow the bacteria to split a higher proportion of urea, resulting in an increased number of false positives. 12 probands received 150mg [¹⁵N]urea and 75 mg sodium [¹³C]acetate in 75 ml orange juice as a test drink. [¹⁵N]Urea served as an agent to diagnose gastric H. pylori colonization. The ¹⁵N tests were evaluated using a urine sample of the second hour after test start. [¹³C]Acetate served as a marker of the gastric emptying of water-soluble food including the urea under the influence of food intake. Breath air samples were taken to calculate the gastric emptying half life (EHL) and the apparent resorption time (RT) of the urea. The double tests were carried out four times within four weeks using identical test protocols but different     

The Prevalence of Helicobacter Pylori Infection in Benign Laryngeal Disorders

Helicobacter pylori (HP) is an accepted cause of chronic active gastritis and has a major causative role in peptic ulcers. It is a gastric carcinogen. Its role in nonulcer dyspepsia (NUD) is less clear, yet 50% of patients with NUD are infected with HP, and some recent literature demonstrates long-term improvement of symptoms following eradication. HP has been investigated in several other organ systems, but has not been investigated to any major degree in laryngeal disorders, a region that could be directly exposed to the bacterium from pharyngolaryngeal reflux. This study represents one arm of a larger study designed to investigate such a relationship. Of 101 patients with nonmalignant voice disorders presenting to our voice clinics, 54.5% tested positive for the H. pylori organism. Of the controls, 47.1% tested positive. When striated into age groups of < 45 years, 46–61 years, and > 62 years, and then age-matched with the controls, the likelihood of infection with the H. pylori organism was greater in both the experimental middle group, and in the middle group when combined with the elder group, than in the matched controls, and this difference demonstrated a trend approaching statistical significance. This finding is discussed in the light of other studies on HP and on gastroesophageal reflex (GER).     

Assessing the authenticity of commercial deep-sea drinking water by chemical and isotopic approaches

This study combines stable isotopes and chemical elements with statistical principal component analysis (PCA) to assess the authenticity of bottled commercial drinking water desalinized from deep seawater in the Taiwan market. Isotopic results indicate that true bottled deep-sea drinking water (DSDW) exhibits about 0?‰ for both δ²H and δ¹⁸O values, which are values similar to those of open seawater. By comparison, suspected counterfeit DSDW products display δ²H and δ¹⁸O values of around ?51?‰ and ?8?‰, respectively. These values are representative of terrestrial freshwater. In addition, suspected counterfeit DSDWs have δ and electrical conductivity values similar to a mixed water (MW) product that was manufactured by purifying terrestrial freshwater and adulterating this with small amounts of brine. Furthermore, PCA results indicate the chemical constitution of suspected DSDW products to be similar to the MW product which falls between purified terrestrial freshwater and desalinized open seawater. These similarities imply that suspected counterfeit DSDW products are manufactured in a similar manner to the declared MW product. This study demonstrates how combining knowledge of stable water isotopes and PCA can be used in assessing the authenticity of commercial DSDW products. The method should be of great interest to similar investigations elsewhere.     

Interface D − complexes in a two-dimensional electron system

The excitation spectrum of a two-dimensional electron system in high-quality AlGaAs/GaAs quantum wells has been studied by Raman scattering. New Raman lines due to the excitation of interface D ^? complexes in which two electrons localized in a quantum well are coupled to a charged impurity at the quantum well interface have been identified. The ground state of the interface D ^? complexes has been found to change in the transverse magnetic field from spin-singlet to spin-triplet, similar to a change in the ground state of the system of two electrons localized in a harmonic potential.

     

Fourier Transform Vibrational Spectra of Magnesium Hydrogenphosphate Trihydrate. I. The O-H Stretching Region∗

Abstract

The Fourier transform (FT) infrared and Raman spectra of newberyite, MgHPH₄ - 3H₂O are studied in the region where the stretching vibrations of the water molecules (protiated and deuterated) and the O-H/O-D stretches of the hydrogenphosphate anions are expected to appear. The O-H stretching vibrations give rise to a complex feature known as the A,B,C trio. Since neither of the maxima found below 3000 cm^?1 represents a true band arising from a given fundamental, it is pointless to correlate their frequencies with the observed O…O distances. In the water stretching region, the two bands with highest frequencies undoubtedly correspond to the anti symmetric and symmetric stretch of one type of the water molecules. The stretching vibrations of one of the remaining two types of H₂O molecules are clearly uncoupled and the O-H oscillator involved in the weaker hydrogen bond is responsible for a band at 3376 cm^?1 whereas the rest of the water stretchings are apparently overlapped yielding the complex band below 3320 cm^?1. Thus the situation is again complicated and the correlations between the frequencies and the O_w…O distances are inappropriate. The two bands at highest frequencies (3522 and 3483 cm^?1 at RT) exhibit a positive temperature coefficient.

     

Vibrational and Light-Emitting Properties of Si/Si1−xSnx Heterostructures

Multilayer heterostructures Si/Si_1−xSn_x grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si (001) substrates have been studied by Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Raman spectra exhibit peaks corresponding to the vibrations of Si-Sn and Sn-Sn bonds; the vibrations of Sn-Sn bonds imply the presence of tin nanocrystals in heterostructures. Two photoluminescence bands at 0.75 eV (1650 nm) and 0.65 eV (1900 nm) have been observed in heterostructures at low temperatures. The former band can be attributed to optical transitions in quantum wells in the type II heterostructure Si/Si_1−xSn_x. The latter band can be associated with excitons localized in tin nanocrystals.

     

Is there an advantage in normalising the results of the Helicobacter Pylori [13C]Urea breath test for CO2 production rate in children?

The urea breath test (UBT) is a non-invasive diagnostic test to detect the presence of Helicobacter pylori in the stomach, and is the simplest way to confirm eradication after treatment. The test is based on the capacity of H. pylori to secrete the enzyme urease, which hydrolyses urea to ammonia and carbon dioxide. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is an advantage in expressing the results of UBTs in terms of urea hydrolysis rate (UHR), rather than breath ¹³C enrichment alone. Retrospective analysis of data collected between 1995 and 2002 from 260 patients undergoing UBTs was performed. The cut-offs for positive tests using breath 30-minute enrichment (E30), UHR calculated using VCO₂ estimated from height and weight (H/WT) and VCO₂ estimated from weight only were determined using two-graph receiver operator characteristic (TG-ROC) analysis. The cut-off points were 3.5‰ or 38.7?ppm ¹³C excess, 7.04?µmol/h and 7.08?µmol/h, respectively. There was no advantage in expressing the results as UHR (θ₀, Theta-zero, where sensitivity?=?specificity?=?0.97 (UHR H/WT), 0.98 (UHR WT) and 1.00 (E30)) rather than breath ¹³CO₂ enrichment alone. Differences in the extent of H. pylori colonisation and urease activity are more important than variation in VCO₂ in determining breath ¹³CO₂ enrichment in the UBT.     

A computational study of model hydrogen-, halogen-, beryllium- and magnesium-bonded complexes of aziridine derivatives

ABSTRACT

A computational study of the complexes F^?/H₂O…Z-aziridine, Z-aziridine…BeH₂/MgH₂ and F^?/H₂O…Z-aziridine…BeH₂ /MgH₂ (Z = Cl, H, Li) was undertaken in order to investigate the non-covalent interactions operative in the dimers and to assess their interplay in the trimer complexes. The halogen- and hydrogen-bonds between the O and Z atoms in F^?/H₂O…Z-aziridine are enhanced in the trimers by the Be(Mg) bond and vice versa, but the lithium bond is hardly affected. In the trimers containing F^?, the H bond is more dominant than the Be(Mg) bond, whereas the Be(Mg) bond is more dominant in the halogen- and lithium-bonded analogues. On the other hand, the Be(Mg) bond makes the major contribution to the energetic stability of all of the trimers containing H₂O.