Degradation of congo red dye in aqueous solution by using advanced oxidation processes / Alya Nadhira Nasron... [et al.]

Degradation of azo dyes by using advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) was conducted. In this approach, different AOPs, which are Fenton process and titanium dioxide (TiO 2 ) catalyst, were examined and compared for the degradation of an azo dye (i.e., Congo red dye). The sample was tested under UV light and the experiment was conducted for 90 min with 15 min interval. The degradation rate of dye was determined using UV-Vis spectrophotometry. The effect of several parameters on the degradation process such as the concentration of metal ions (Fe 2+ , Cu 2+ , and Mn 2+ ) as the catalyst in Fenton process, the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), the mass of TiO 2 , and pH value of the dye solution were investigated. The initial Congo red concentration used for both techniques was 5 ppm. The results showed that the percentage degradation followed the sequence of H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ /UV, H 2 O 2 /Cu 2+ /UV, H 2 O 2 /Mn 2+ /UV, and TiO 2 /UV. The best operating conditions for H 2 O 2 /Fe 2+ /UV were pH 3, 0.2 M concentration of H 2 O 2 , and 0.02 M concentration of metal ion in 15 min, which achieved 99.92% degradation of dye. The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum showed the absence of azo bond (N=N) peak after degradation process, which indicates the successful cleavage of azo bond in the chemical structure of Congo red

Bilateral Subdural Hematoma following Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Insertion in a Ten-month Old Tanzanian Female with Congenital Hydrocephalus: An Uncommon Presentation

There is an unmet need for the treatment of hydrocephalus in Tanzania. Thousands of newborns each year in the region are affected by this condition and access to care remains a challenge. While treatment options like cerebrospinal fluid diversion through ventriculo-peritoneal shunting are within the skill set of general surgeons, the potential complications represent an additional challenge. We present a 10-month-old Tanzanian female who developed bilateral-subdural hematomas after insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt

Changes in Lipid Profile of Rat Plasma after Chronic Administration of Laghobanondo Rosh (LNR)—An Ayurvedic Formulation

Abstract In this study, the lipid profile of rats' plasma was measured after chronic administration of LNR usually used in the treatment of pandu (anaemia).The animal used for this research work was albino rats (Rattus novergicus: Sprague-Dawley strains) and LNR was administered per oral route at a dose of 100mg/kg body weight, once daily, up to 45 days for all the experiments. Forty rats, equally of both sexes, were randomly grouped into four where one male and one female group were used as control and other groups were used as test. LNR remarkably decreased plasma triglycerides in both male and female rats and it was statistically very highly significant (p=0.001***). Similar trend of result was noticed incase of total cholesterol in both sexes of the animal but it was not statistically significant (male, p=0.296, female, p=0.511). On the other hand, a reverse trend in the result was observed in case of VLDL, LDL and HDL. In case of LDL, the increase in male rats was statistically significant (p=0.047*) but in female rats it was statistically insignificant (p=0.506). The increase in VLDL and HDL was statistically insignificant in the both male and female rats

Performance evaluation of lateritic subgrade soil treated with lime and coir fibre-activated carbon

The subgrade layer’s stability considerably influences the long-term performance of pavement systems. This study investigates the influence of lime as a traditional stabiliser and activated carbon with coir fibre (ACF) as waste materials and an environmentally friendly binder to stabilise lateritic subgrade soil. Experiments, including the one-dimensional consolidation and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests, have been conducted to investigate the geotechnical properties of stabilised soil in various percentages of additives 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% lime and 1%, 2%, and 3% ACF. The results demonstrate that 3% ACF and 12% lime can significantly improve the strength parameters and decrease the void ratio and permeability in the stabilised soil. Furthermore, microstructural analysis was performed before and after stabilisation for optimum content. The microstructural analysis proves that AC and lime particles fill soil voids, and gel formation binds the soil particles in the stabilised soil matrix. The results show that 3% ACF stabilised soil is comparable with 12% lime in UCS value and decreasing void ratio. Furthermore, both are suitable for subgrade of low-volume road stability according to Malaysian standards

Robust estimation of bacterial cell count from optical density

Optical density (OD) is widely used to estimate the density of cells in liquid culture, but cannot be compared between instruments without a standardized calibration protocol and is challenging to relate to actual cell count. We address this with an interlaboratory study comparing three simple, low-cost, and highly accessible OD calibration protocols across 244 laboratories, applied to eight strains of constitutive GFP-expressing E. coli. Based on our results, we recommend calibrating OD to estimated cell count using serial dilution of silica microspheres, which produces highly precise calibration (95.5% of residuals <1.2-fold), is easily assessed for quality control, also assesses instrument effective linear range, and can be combined with fluorescence calibration to obtain units of Molecules of Equivalent Fluorescein (MEFL) per cell, allowing direct comparison and data fusion with flow cytometry measurements: in our study, fluorescence per cell measurements showed only a 1.07-fold mean difference between plate reader and flow cytometry data

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Exploring the availability, characteristics and barriers of rehabilitation programs in organ transplant populations across Canada

Affiliated institutions include: University Health Network (D. Brooks, L. Wickerson, D. Helm), University of Toronto (D. Brooks, D. Helm)Purpose: This survey is the first in Canada to describe the availability, characteristics and barriers of rehabilitation programs for individuals pre- and post- heart, lung, kidney and liver transplantation. Methods: A cross sectional descriptive survey was administered to all known transplant programs across Canada. Results: Of the 58 programs surveyed, 35 agreed to participate and six refused, for a response rate of 71%. Heart (n=6) and lung (n=5) pre- and post-transplant rehabilitation programs were identified. All rehabilitation programs included aerobic exercises, strength training and education, and involved a multidisciplinary team. The 6 Minute Walk Test and the Short Form-36 were the most reported outcome measures used, 50% and 33%, respectively. In kidney (n=13) and liver (n=6) transplant programs, no rehabilitation was identified. Over 50% of respondents cited lack of funding, shortage of healthcare personnel and a low volume of patients as barriers to providing rehabilitation programs. Conclusion: Across Canada, the majority of heart and lung transplant programs provided rehabilitation, while kidney and liver transplant programs did not. Rehabilitation plays an increasingly important role in improving physical function, independence, and quality of life pre- and post-transplantation and should be considered necessary in all transplant programs across Canada

Secondary Myelitis in Dermal Sinus Causing Paraplegia in a Child with Previously Normal Neurological Function

Neural tube defects result from failure of neural tube fusion during early embryogenesis, the fourth week after conception. The spectrum of severity is not uniform across the various forms of this congenital anomaly as certain presentations are not compatible with extrauterine life (anencephaly) while, on the other hand, other defects may remain undiagnosed as they are entirely asymptomatic (occult spina bifida). We report a child with previously normal neurological development, a devastating clinical course following superinfection of a subtle spina bifida defect which resulted in a flaccid paralysis below the level of the lesion and permanent neurological deficits following resolution of the acute infection and a back closure surgery

Compressive and shear strengths of coir fibre reinforced activated carbon stabilised lateritic soil

Constructing structures on lateritic soil is challenging in geotechnical engineering due to the various physical and geotechnical characteristics. Many studies investigated different stabiliser materials to strengthen the geotechnical parameters of lateritic soil. This study used activated carbon and coir fibre (ACF) to stabilise lateritic soils as an environmentally friendly binder. Experiments including the unconfined compressive strength (UCS) test and the direct shear test (DST) are performed to investigate the mechanical properties of ACF-stabilised soil for different percentages of activated carbon (AC). Before and after ACF stabilisation, microstructural characterisations of soil samples were performed using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and surface-area analysis (BET). The experimental results demonstrate that 3% ACF can considerably enhance the compressive strength, while 2% ACF significantly improves the shear strength, of lateritic soil. Accordant to the UCS results, using fibre in AC-stabilised soil improves post-peak behaviour and residual strength. Moreover, 2% ACF can significantly improve shear strength by creating an interlocking matrix among AC, soil particles, and fibre. The microstructural characterisation based on the findings obtained by FESEM and BET analysis confirms that AC particles fill soil voids. AC restrains the soil movement when exposed to external stresses. In addition, the formation of gel in the stabilised soil matrix binds the soil particles, increasing the strength of the ACF-stabilised soil in comparison with untreated soil

Strength and Durability of Cement-Treated Lateritic Soil

The transportation infrastructure, including low-volume roads in some regions, needs to be constructed on weak ground, implying the necessity of soil stabilization. Untreated and cement-treated lateritic soil for low-volume road suitability were studied based on Malaysian standards. A series of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests was performed for four cement doses (3%, 6%, 9%, 12%) for different curing times. According to Malaysian standards, the study suggested 6% cement and 7 days curing time as the optimum cement dosage and curing time, respectively, based on their 0.8 MPa UCS values. The durability test indicated that the specimens treated with 3% cement collapsed directly upon soaking in water. Although the UCS of 6% cement-treated specimens decreased against wetting–drying (WD) cycles, the minimum threshold based on Malaysian standards was still maintained against 15 WD cycles. On the contrary, the durability of specimens treated with 9% and 12% cement represented a UCS increase against WD cycles. FESEM results indicated the formation of calcium aluminate hydrate (CAH), calcium silicate hydrate (CSH), and calcium aluminosilicate hydrate (CASH) as well as shrinking of pore size when untreated soil was mixed with cement. The formation of gels (CAH, CSH, CASH) and decreasing pore size could be clarified by EDX results in which the increase in cement content increased calcium