Rice husk templated water treatment sludge as low cost dye and metal adsorbent

AbstractThe preparation of adsorbents at low cost as alternatives to the expensive ones in the treatment processes of water and wastewater is the interest of the researchers worldwide. Here, a novel cheap mesoporous adsorbent was prepared via the recycling of wastes namely water treatment sludge and rice husk (RH) as textural modifier. Surface area and pore dimensions were optimized against RH ratio. The mesoporous sludge was employed in adsorption of rosaniline dye, Pb2+, Ni2+ and chlorine from aqueous solutions under dynamic experimental conditions. It was found that the initial dye concentration and textural structure of the adsorbent played important roles in adsorption capacity. The reusability test shows the ease desorption of dye with slightly alkaline water (pH=8) indicating the stability and reusability of the ceramic adsorbent for several times. For metallic cations, the characteristics (ionic radius and ΔHhyd) of ions affect the adsorption affinity. Chlorine adsorption is controlled by the cation exchange capacity(CEC)

Time And Cost Controlling Using Critical Path Method (Case Study At Palur Fly-Over Surakarta)

ABSTRACT-The purpose of this study is to (1.To analyze the remaining work items at month of 14th from the project starts, 2). To analyze the remaining cost items at month of 14th after the project start. And the last is 3). To reschedule and to optimize the time and cost by use Critical Path Method (CPM). This study will analyze time and cost controlling by using CPM approach on the project. Based on the background of the study, the statements of the problems can be formulated as follows: (1) How is rescheduling in optimization of time on Palur Fly over of Surakarta by using Critical Path Method (CPM)? and (2) How is the implement of the normal and the crash of the cost on Palur flyover in Surakarta by using Critical Path Method (CPM)?. The writer analyzed the fly-over project implementation fly over Palur in Surakarta whether according to the time plan. By rescheduling the plan and make optimization of time and minimizing cost with CPM (Critical Path Method). Based on the result and discussion, the conclusion of this research as follows: The implementation of the project is not in accordance with the plan, it is too late because of the weather and can be solved by increasing the valve of workers. Based on the rescheduling alternatives can be implemented as the alternative I with 160 days shorter and the rest of cost Rp 32.556.381.15

Effect of methanolic extract of Piper sarmentosum leaves on neointimal foam cell infiltration in rabbits fed with high cholesterol diet

Previous research has shown the beneficial effects of aqueous extract of Piper sarmentosum (P.s) on atherosclerosis. The first stage in atherosclerosis is the formation of foam cell. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the methanol extract of P.s on fatty streaks by calculating neointimal foam cell infiltration in rabbits fed with high cholesterol diet. Thirty six male New Zealand white rabbits were divided equally into six groups: (i) C: control group fed normal rabbit chow; (ii) CH: cholesterol diet (1 % cholesterol); (iii) PM1: 1 % cholesterol with methanol extract of P.s (62.5 mg/kg); (iv) PM2: 1 % cholesterol with methanol extract of P.s (125 mg/kg); (v) PM3: 1 % cholesterol with methanol extract of P.s (250 mg/kg); (vi) SMV group fed 1 % cholesterol supplemented with Simvistatin drug (1.2 mg/kg). All animals were treated for 10 weeks. At the end of the treatment, the rabbits were fasted and sacrificed and the aortic tissues were collected for histological studies to measure the area of the neointimal foam cell infiltration using software. The thickening of intima ratio of atherosclerosis and morphological changes by scanning electron microscope were measured. The results showed that the atherosclerotic group had significantly bigger area of fatty streak compared to the control group. The area of fatty streak in the abdominal aorta was significantly reduced in the treatment groups which were similar with the SMV group. Similarly, there was a reduction in the number of foam cell in the treatment groups compared to the atherosclerotic group as seen under scanning microscope. In conclusion, histological study demonstrated that the methanol extract of the P.s could reduce the neointimal foam cell infiltration in the lumen of the aorta and the atherosclerotic lesion

Molecular characterization of aviadenovirus serotypes and pathogenicity of the identified adenovirus in broiler chickens

Inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) is an economically significant viral disease that primarily affects broiler chickens. At least 12 different aviadenovirus serotypes are responsible for causing IBH. This study aimed to use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and phylogenetic analysis to characterize fowl adenovirus isolates that were in circulation from 2019 to 2021 and investigate the pathogenicity of the isolated strains in commercial broiler chickens. Suspected liver samples were molecularly identified using hexon gene targeting by PCR, and viruses were isolated using chick embryo liver cell culture. For serotype identification, the fowl adenovirus-positive samples were subjected to hexon gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. The pathogenicity of two isolates was tested in commercial chickens via the oral route. The phylogenetic analysis of the hexon gene showed that the isolated viruses clustered with serotype 8a species E. On testing the pathogenicity of the isolates based on necropsy and histopathological examination, no mortality was observed; however, lesions were observed in the liver, kidney, heart, pancreas, bursa, and lung specimens with intermittent virus shedding at different time points throughout the experimental period. Further research on the likelihood of vaccine production is warranted to limit disease-related losses

Total photoproduction cross-section at very high energy

In this paper we apply to photoproduction total cross-section a model we have proposed for purely hadronic processes and which is based on QCD mini-jets and soft gluon re-summation. We compare the predictions of our model with the HERA data as well as with other models. For cosmic rays, our model predicts substantially higher cross-sections at TeV energies than models based on factorization but lower than models based on mini-jets alone, without soft gluons. We discuss the origin of this difference.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures. Accepted for publication in EPJC. Changes concern added references, clarifications of the Soft Gluon Resummation method used in the paper, and other changes requested by the Journal referee which do not change the results of the original versio

Loss-of-function mutations in UDP-Glucose 6-Dehydrogenase cause recessive developmental epileptic encephalopathy

Developmental epileptic encephalopathies are devastating disorders characterized by intractable epileptic seizures and developmental delay. Here, we report an allelic series of germline recessive mutations in UGDH in 36 cases from 25 families presenting with epileptic encephalopathy with developmental delay and hypotonia. UGDH encodes an oxidoreductase that converts UDP-glucose to UDP-glucuronic acid, a key component of specific proteoglycans and glycolipids. Consistent with being loss-of-function alleles, we show using patients’ primary fibroblasts and biochemical assays, that these mutations either impair UGDH stability, oligomerization, or enzymatic activity. In vitro, patient-derived cerebral organoids are smaller with a reduced number of proliferating neuronal progenitors while mutant ugdh zebrafish do not phenocopy the human disease. Our study defines UGDH as a key player for the production of extracellular matrix components that are essential for human brain development. Based on the incidence of variants observed, UGDH mutations are likely to be a frequent cause of recessive epileptic encephalopathy

Erratum: Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 84 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks for 195 countries and territories, 1990–2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Interpretation: By quantifying levels and trends in exposures to risk factors and the resulting disease burden, this assessment offers insight into where past policy and programme efforts might have been successful and highlights current priorities for public health action. Decreases in behavioural, environmental, and occupational risks have largely offset the effects of population growth and ageing, in relation to trends in absolute burden. Conversely, the combination of increasing metabolic risks and population ageing will probably continue to drive the increasing trends in non-communicable diseases at the global level, which presents both a public health challenge and opportunity. We see considerable spatiotemporal heterogeneity in levels of risk exposure and risk-attributable burden. Although levels of development underlie some of this heterogeneity, O/E ratios show risks for which countries are overperforming or underperforming relative to their level of development. As such, these ratios provide a benchmarking tool to help to focus local decision making. Our findings reinforce the importance of both risk exposure monitoring and epidemiological research to assess causal connections between risks and health outcomes, and they highlight the usefulness of the GBD study in synthesising data to draw comprehensive and robust conclusions that help to inform good policy and strategic health planning

The evolving SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Africa: Insights from rapidly expanding genomic surveillance

INTRODUCTION Investment in Africa over the past year with regard to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequencing has led to a massive increase in the number of sequences, which, to date, exceeds 100,000 sequences generated to track the pandemic on the continent. These sequences have profoundly affected how public health officials in Africa have navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. RATIONALE We demonstrate how the first 100,000 SARS-CoV-2 sequences from Africa have helped monitor the epidemic on the continent, how genomic surveillance expanded over the course of the pandemic, and how we adapted our sequencing methods to deal with an evolving virus. Finally, we also examine how viral lineages have spread across the continent in a phylogeographic framework to gain insights into the underlying temporal and spatial transmission dynamics for several variants of concern (VOCs). RESULTS Our results indicate that the number of countries in Africa that can sequence the virus within their own borders is growing and that this is coupled with a shorter turnaround time from the time of sampling to sequence submission. Ongoing evolution necessitated the continual updating of primer sets, and, as a result, eight primer sets were designed in tandem with viral evolution and used to ensure effective sequencing of the virus. The pandemic unfolded through multiple waves of infection that were each driven by distinct genetic lineages, with B.1-like ancestral strains associated with the first pandemic wave of infections in 2020. Successive waves on the continent were fueled by different VOCs, with Alpha and Beta cocirculating in distinct spatial patterns during the second wave and Delta and Omicron affecting the whole continent during the third and fourth waves, respectively. Phylogeographic reconstruction points toward distinct differences in viral importation and exportation patterns associated with the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants and subvariants, when considering both Africa versus the rest of the world and viral dissemination within the continent. Our epidemiological and phylogenetic inferences therefore underscore the heterogeneous nature of the pandemic on the continent and highlight key insights and challenges, for instance, recognizing the limitations of low testing proportions. We also highlight the early warning capacity that genomic surveillance in Africa has had for the rest of the world with the detection of new lineages and variants, the most recent being the characterization of various Omicron subvariants. CONCLUSION Sustained investment for diagnostics and genomic surveillance in Africa is needed as the virus continues to evolve. This is important not only to help combat SARS-CoV-2 on the continent but also because it can be used as a platform to help address the many emerging and reemerging infectious disease threats in Africa. In particular, capacity building for local sequencing within countries or within the continent should be prioritized because this is generally associated with shorter turnaround times, providing the most benefit to local public health authorities tasked with pandemic response and mitigation and allowing for the fastest reaction to localized outbreaks. These investments are crucial for pandemic preparedness and response and will serve the health of the continent well into the 21st century

The institutionalisation of political risk assessment (IPRA) in Jordanian international firms

This paper investigates the determinants of the institutionalisation of political risk assessment (IPRA) within publicly traded international firms in Jordan. The aim is to contribute to the development of IPRA theory by identifying indicators of institutionalisation; by describing and explaining their determinants; and by investigating their relative importance. The paper also represents one of the first studies of political risk assessment of firms in a Middle East context. The study focuses on firm-specific characteristics and extends previous research by investigating firms’ size and degree of internationalisation. A survey strategy was adopted and self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the entire target population of Jordanian international firms. 44 usable responses were obtained (54.9%). Non-parametric statistics were used to test the research hypotheses. The main findings are that the level of institutionalisation of political risk assessment (PRA) within firms is significantly and positively correlated with a firm's total assets, international revenue and number of operating countries. Of the three significant determinants of institutionalisation, the number of operating countries is found to be the most important. The more countries in which a firm operates, the more likely it is to face significant risks, and so to institutionalise political risk assessment

Managerial perceptions of political risk in international projects

This paper examines the vulnerability of international projects to political risks. A brief review of the literature on general risks – natural, financial, cultural and political – is undertaken and then a more detailed review of the literature on political risk is presented. It was found that relatively few studies of political risk, particularly in the context of international projects, have been carried out. More particularly the focus has been almost exclusively on developed, rather than developing, countries. Questionnaires were distributed therefore to the entire target population of Jordanian international projects. The findings suggest that the political risk associated with international projects poses a threat to the majority of respondents and that the vulnerability to political risk is related to a firm’s degree of internationalisation. International projects are more concerned about host-society and interstate related risks than host-government related risks