Using six different lignocellulosic biomass materials for removal of methylene blue by biosorption

A BSTRACT This study illustrates the feasibility of using lignocellulosic sources, such as agricultural residues (e.g. straws) and wood processing industry wastes (e.g. sawdust) to remove basic dyes such as methylene blue (MB) from water and wastewater. Specifically, wheat straw, chickpea straw, lentil straw, Norway Spruce (Picea abies) sawdust, algae (Posidonia oceanica) and cork were used as absorbents for MB. The adsorption was characterised using seven adsorption models, including the Freundlich, Langmuir, Sips, Radke-Prausnitz Modified, Radke-Prausnitz, Tóth and UNILAN. The maximum adsorption capacity according to the Langmuir isotherm model was 147.1 mg/g for algae and the lowest adsorption capacity was recorded for spruce sawdust as 33.5 mg/g. The adsorption processes followed the second-order kinetic model in comparison with first order and intra-particle diffusion kinetic models. In addition, desorption experiments was performed using pure water as desorbent. Also the adsorbents were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform-infrared spectroscop

Deficits in Auditory Rhythm Perception in Children With Auditory Processing Disorder Are Unrelated to Attention

Auditory processing disorder (APD) is defined as a specific deficit in the processing of auditory information along the central auditory nervous system, including bottom-up and top-down neural connectivity. Even though music comprises a big part of audition, testing music perception in APD population has not yet gained wide attention in research. This work tests the hypothesis that deficits in rhythm perception occur in a group of subjects with APD. The primary focus of this study is to measure perception of a simple auditory rhythm, i.e., short isochronous sequences of beats, in APD children and to compare their performance to age-matched normal controls. The secondary question is to study the relationship between cognition and auditory processing of rhythm perception. We tested 39 APD children and 25 control children aged between 6 and 12 years via (a) clinical APD tests, including a monaural speech in noise test, (b) isochrony task, a test measuring the detection of small deviations from perfect isochrony in a isochronous beats sequence, and (c) two cognitive tests (auditory memory and auditory attention). APD children scored worse in isochrony task compared to the age-matched control group. In the APD group, neither measure of cognition (attention nor memory) correlated with performance in isochrony task. Left (but not right) speech in noise performance correlated with performance in isochrony task. In the control group a large correlation (r = −0.701, p = 0.001) was observed between isochrony task and attention, but not with memory. The results demonstrate a deficit in the perception of regularly timed sequences in APD that is relevant to the perception of speech in noise, a ubiquitous complaint in this condition. Our results suggest (a) the existence of a non-attention related rhythm perception deficit in APD children and (b) differential effects of attention on task performance in normal vs. APD children. The potential beneficial use of music/rhythm training for rehabilitation purposes in APD children would need to be explored

The Use of the Gaps-In-Noise Test as an Index of the Enhanced Left Temporal Cortical Thinning Associated with the Transition between Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer's Disease

Background: The known link between auditory perception and cognition is often overlooked when testing for cognition. Purpose: To evaluate auditory perception in a group of older adults diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Research Design: A cross-sectional study of auditory perception. Study Sample: Adults with MCI and adults with no documented cognitive issues and matched hearing sensitivity and age. Data collection: Auditory perception was evaluated in both groups, assessing for hearing sensitivity, speech in babble (SinB), and temporal resolution. Results: Mann‐Whitney test revealed significantly poorer scores for SinB and temporal resolution abilities of MCIs versus normal controls for both ears. The right-ear gap detection thresholds on the Gaps-In-Noise (GIN) Test clearly differentiated between the two groups (p < 0.001), with no overlap of values. The left ear results also differentiated the two groups (p < 0.01); however, there was a small degree of overlap ∼8-msec threshold values. With the exception of the left-ear inattentiveness index, which showed a similar distribution between groups, both impulsivity and inattentiveness indexes were higher for the MCIs compared to the control group. Conclusions: The results support central auditory processing evaluation in the elderly population as a promising tool to achieve earlier diagnosis of dementia, while identifying central auditory processing deficits that can contribute to communication deficits in the MCI patient population. A measure of temporal resolution (GIN) may offer an early, albeit indirect, measure reflecting left temporal cortical thinning associated with the transition between MCI and Alzheimer’s disease