Synthesis and characterization of new ultrafiltration ceramic membranes for water treatment

International audienc

Heavy metals and color retention by a synthesized inorganic membrane

AbstractIn this study, a new type of a double-layer ceramic membrane was used for the filtration of wastewater. The synthesized membrane consists of a macroporous substrate (with pore size of about 0.1μm) prepared following the colloid filtration technique and a thin film functional layer (with pore size of about 10nm) carried out according to the sol–gel preparation method.The ceramic membranes were tested for the removal of cadmium, zinc, Methylene Blue and Malachite Green from water under a pressure of 5bar and a treatment time of 2h. Liquid filtration and flow tests through these membranes resulted in a rejection rate of 100% for Methylene Blue and Malachite Green. This paper also presents the ability of the tubular membrane prepared to separate heavy metals (cadmium and zinc) from their synthetic aqueous solutions. The influence of the applied pressure, feed solute concentration, feed pH on the rejection of cadmium and zinc ions was studied. Retention rates of cadmium and zinc ions of 100% were observed for an initial feed concentration of 10−4mol/L

Color, COD, and salt retention by inorganic membrane

International audienc

The moral experiences of children with osteogenesis imperfecta

BackgroundSerious ethical problems have been anecdotally identified in the care of children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), which may negatively impact their moral experiences, defined as their sense of fulfillment towards personal values and beliefs.Research aimsTo explore children’s actual and desired participation in discussions, decisions, and actions in an OI hospital setting and their community using art-making to facilitate their self-expression.Research designA focused ethnography was conducted using the moral experiences framework with data from key informant interviews; participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and practice-based research (art-making) with 10 children with OI; and local documents.Participants and research contextThe study was conducted at a pediatric, orthopedic hospital.Ethical considerationsThis study was approved by McGill University Institutional Review Board.Findings/resultsChildren expressed desires to participate in their care, but sometimes lacked the necessary resources and encouragement from healthcare providers. Art-making facilitated children’s voice and participation in health-related discussions.ConclusionsHealthcare providers are recommended to consider the benefits of art-making and educational resources to reduce discrepancies between children’s actual and desired participation in care and promote positive moral experiences.</jats:sec

Lipophilic Compounds and Antibacterial Activity of Opuntia ficus-indica Root Extracts from Algeria

The chemical composition, investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and antibacterial activity of lipophilic extractives of three varieties of Opuntia ficus-indica roots from Algeria are reported in this paper for the first time. The results obtained revealed a total of 55 compounds, including fatty acids, sterols, monoglycerides and long chain aliphatic alcohols that were identified and quantified. &beta;-Sitosterol was found as the major compound of the roots of the three varieties. Furthermore, considerable amounts of essential fatty acids (&omega;3, &omega;6, and &omega;9) such as oleic, linoleic, and linolenic acids were also identified. The green variety was the richest among the three studied varieties. The antibacterial activity, evaluated with disc diffusion method, revealed that lipophilic extracts were effective mainly against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (19~23 mm). Gram-negative strains mainly Pseudomonas aeruginosa gave an inhibition zone of 18 mm, which is considered high antibacterial activity. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of the tested bacteria revealed interesting values against the majority of bacteria tested: 75&ndash;100 &micro;g mL&minus;1 for Bacillus sp., 250&ndash;350 &micro;g/mL for the two Staphylococcus strains, 550&ndash;600 &micro;g mL&minus;1 for E. coli, and 750&ndash;950 &micro;g mL&minus;1 obtained with Pseudomonas sp. This study allows us to conclude that the lipophilic fractions of cactus roots possess interesting phytochemicals such as steroids, some fatty acids and long chain alcohols that acted as antibiotic-like compounds countering pathogenic strains

Supplemental Material - The moral experiences of children with osteogenesis imperfecta

Supplemental Material for The moral experiences of children with osteogenesis imperfecta by Yi Wen Wang, Franco A Carnevale, Maria Ezcurra, Khadidja Chougui, Claudette Bilodeau, Sophia Siedlikowski and Argerie Tsimicalis in Nursing Ethics</p