Application of the photo-Fenton process at circumneutral pH to agricultural water reuse

Màster d'Enginyeria Ambiental, Facultat de Química, Universitat de Barcelona, Curs: 2019-2020. Tutors: Alberto Cruz Alcalde, Carme Sans Mazón.The high water consumption in agriculture (60-70% of freshwater) and the prediction of a significant growth usage led the scientific community to the concept that the reuse of WW is necessary. Advanced Oxidation Processes (AOPs) and, in particular, photo-Fenton technique showed up to be very useful for the elimination of micropollutants (MPs) and disinfection from wastewater by generating powerful Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS). The strategy of this project consisted in involving three organic fertilizers (EDTA-Fe, EDDS-Fe and DTPA-Fe) in the application of the photo-Fenton process at neutral pH for Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) abatement (100%, 94.1% and 90.1% of SMX degradation, respectively). To be iron chelate agents, their employment permitted to avoid iron precipitation making plausible water reuse for agricultural purposes containing already a fertilizer. In this way, DTPA-Fe complex has been deeply investigated since it is the less known in scientific community so far, showing a great outcome in photo-Fenton technique application. This thesis is focus on reaction’s mechanism of the process as there would be a chance that iron complexes would participate with dissolved oxygen and sunlight to the generation of ROS, which could have significant environmental implications if they are also formed in aquatic ecosystems. From test with tert butanol as radical hydroxyl (HO∙) scavenger, this most oxidation species showed up to be the responsible of SMX degradation. Also, the introduction of solar light in the system revealed a possible iron complex excitation and radical species formation ([DTPA-Fe(II)]*2-, DTPA∙3-, O2∙-) so its engagement in reaction but at very minimum level. In addition, oxygen and hydrogen peroxide allowed the development of ROS species so increasing the efficiency of the process itself (69.2% when only H2O2 applied, 30.1% when only O2 applied).To sum up, photo-Fenton with iron complexes at neutral pH revealed to be very efficient technique in terms of reference compound removal, considering to be a possible strategy to apply in one line of WWTP (Wastewater Treatment Plant) to wastewater reuse in agriculture since the availability of solar light is free

Nurses using physical restraints: Are the accused also the victims? – A study using focus group interviews

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To date, the literature has provided an abundance of evidence on the adverse outcomes of restraint use on patients. Reportedly, nurses are often the personnel who initiate restraint use and attribute its use to ensuring the safety of the restrained and the others. A clinical trial using staff education and administrative input as the key components of a restraint reduction program was conducted in a rehabilitation setting to examine whether there were any significant differences in the prevalence of restraint use pre- and post-intervention. Subsequent to the implementation of the intervention program, focus group interviews were conducted to determine the perspective of the nursing staff on the use of restraints and their opinions of appropriate means to reduce their use.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Registered nurses working in units involved in the study were invited to participate in focus group interviews on a voluntary basis. Twenty-two registered nurses (three males [13.6%] and nineteen females [86.4%]) attended the four sessions. All interviews were audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Other than the author, another member of the project team validated the findings from the data analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Four themes were identified. Participants experienced internal conflicts when applying physical restraints and were ambivalent about their use, but they would use restraints nonetheless, mainly to prevent falls and injuries to patients. They felt that nurse staffing was inadequate and that they were doing the best they could. They experienced pressure from the management level and would have liked better support. Communication among the various stakeholders was a problem. Each party may have a different notion about what constitutes a restraint and how it can be safely used, adding further weight to the burden shouldered by staff.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Studies about restraints and restraint use have mostly focused on nurses' inadequate and often inaccurate knowledge about the use of restraints and its associated adverse effects. These studies, however, fail to note that nurses can also be victims of the system. Restraint use is a complex issue that needs to be understood in relation to the dynamics within an environment.</p

A Validity and Reliability Study of a Chinese Assessment Tool for Persons with Moderate to Severe Intellectual Disabilities

This study was designed to test the psychometric properties of the Chinese interRAI Intellectual Disability (ID) tool in a Chinese population with learning disabilities in Hong Kong. The Chinese interRAI ID was prepared based on the original interRAI ID which is a standardized, comprehensive instrument and is designed to evaluate the strengths, preferences, and needs of persons with all levels of ID living in various care settings. A sample of 100 people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities was assessed with the Chinese interRAI ID and its criterion measures. The subscales of the interRAI ID, including the Cognitive Performance Scale, Depression Rating Scale, Aggressive Behavior Scale, Activities of Daily Living Hierarchy Scale, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Involvement Scale, had high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = .66 to .87) and test–retest reliability (r = .96 to .99; κ = .68 to .81). Comparison of the interRAI ID scales with criterion measures supported concurrent and discriminant validity of these scales. The study results provide preliminary support for the Chinese interRAI ID as a reliable and valid tool for assessing Chinese individuals with learning disabilities in Hong Kong

Thickness dependence of the anomalous Hall effect in thin films of the topological semimetal Co2_2MnGa

Topological magnetic semimetals promise large Berry curvature through the distribution of the topological Weyl nodes or nodal lines and further novel physics with exotic transport phenomena. We present a systematic study of the structural and magnetotransport properties of Co$_2$MnGa films from thin (20 nm) to bulk like behavior (80 nm), in order to understand the underlying mechanisms and the role on the topology. The magnetron sputtered Co$_2$MnGa films are $L$$2_{\mathrm {1}}$-ordered showing very good heteroepitaxy and a strain-induced tetragonal distortion. The anomalous Hall conductivity was found to be maximum at a value of 1138 S/cm, with a corresponding anomalous Hall angle of 13 %, which is comparatively larger than topologically trivial metals. There is a good agreement between the theoretical calculations and the Hall conductivity observed for the 80 nm film, which suggest that the effect is intrinsic. Thus, the Co$_2$MnGa compound manifests as a promising material towards topologically-driven spintronic applications.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 1 tabl

Acupressure for agitation in nursing home residents with dementia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Agitation is prevalent among people with dementia (PWD) in nursing homes. It frustrates both the PWD and their caregivers. Acupressure is a non-pharmacological intervention whose effectiveness is supported by preliminary studies. However, there is still a dearth of evidence to explain its effect for clinical use and further research. The present study is being conducted primarily to investigate the effects of acupressure as compared with sham-acupressure and usual care. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a multicenter, assessor/participant/statistician-blinded, parallel group, randomized controlled trial taking place in Hong Kong nursing homes. We have been recruiting PWD over 65 years of age in nursing homes, who are experiencing agitation; 99 participants will be recruited in order to demonstrate a significant effect difference (that is, f =0.27) with a power of 0.8 and a significance level of 0.05 among the three groups. Participants are assigned by permuted block randomization into three groups in a 1:1:1 ratio. In the acupressure group, participants receive acupressure at the Fengchi (GB20), Baihui (GV20), Shenmen (HT7), Niguan (PC6) and Yingtang (EX-HN3) acupoints. In the sham-acupressure group, participants receive pressure on five non-acupoints. In the usual-care group, participants receive no intervention apart from the care provided by the nursing homes. Participants assigned to the sham-acupressure and usual-care groups receive free acupressure, like those in the acupressure group, after completion of the study. The whole study lasts for 30 weeks, and its primary outcome measure is agitation. The general estimated equation model will be used to compare the effects among groups and time points. The trial is currently recruiting participants. DISCUSSION: This trial will provide a higher quality of evidence than previous studies on the use of acupressure for agitation in PWD. It will also provide newer evidence on acupressure in the population of PWD with agitation for clinical application and further research, including the effect on moderating stress, the delayed effect, the added effect on the placebo, and the effect on moderating the participant’s use of psychotropic drugs. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Centre for Clinical Trials Clinical Trials Registry: CUHK_CCT00347 (Registration date: 13 December 2012)

Pharmacokinetics and mammary elimination of imidocarb in sheep and goats.

The pharmacokinetics and mammary excretion of imidocarb dipropionate, a therapeutic/prophylactic agent against a variety of tick-borne hemoparasitic diseases in domestic animals, have been investigated in sheep and goats. A commercial formulation of imidocarb di-propionate was injected i.m. at a single dose of 3 mg/kg of body weight in 7 mature lactating ewes and 8 lactating does in good health. Blood samples were collected for 48 h after administration and milk samples were collected every 12 h for 10 d. A weak cation-exchange solid-phase procedure was used to remove imidocarb from plasma. A hexane/isoamyl alcohol liquid-liquid procedure was adopted to extract the drug from the milk of sheep. The same method was used for goat milk after exposing the matrices to enzymatic digestion. The extracted samples were analyzed by HPLC. The i.m. disposition kinetics of imidocarb in the 2 species showed significant differences in the rate of elimination (0.0075 +/- 0.002 and 0.025 +/- 0.004 L/h in sheep and goats, respectively), being faster in ewes than in does. Nevertheless, a smaller area under the concentration-time curve (12.21 +/- 0.76 and 9.49 +/- 0.54 microg/mL per h in sheep and goats, respectively), a larger volume of distribution (4.18 +/- 0.44 and 7.68 +/- 0.57 L/kg in sheep and goats, respectively), and a longer mean residence time (9.07 +/- 0.77 and 14.75 +/- 2.20 h in sheep and goats, respectively) were found in goats, suggesting a more rapid and effective drug storage in tissues during the first 48 h after the injection. The concentrations of imidocarb in milk of both species were higher than in plasma. However, a fast passage through the blood-milk barrier and a high storage of imidocarb were observed in the milk of ewes, whereas the drug concentrations were not as high nor was the extent of drug penetration from blood to milk as great in the milk of goats (AUC(milk 0-48)/AUC(plasma 0-48) = 2.5 +/- 0.45 and 1.26 +/- 0.27 in sheep and goat, respectively). Despite the differences in pharmacokinetic behavior, and considering the sensitivity of pathogens to imidocarb, the same dosage regimen can be used for clinical efficacy against Babesia spp. infection in both species. In contrast, the differences in depletion of imidocarb residue in milk and the large variability in mammary drug elimination found in goats suggests that great care should be taken in defining the withdrawal time in small ruminant dairy species

A geospatial approach for mapping the earthquake-induced liquefaction risk at the european scale

none6noopenBozzoni Francesca, Roberta Bonì, Daniele Conca, Claudia Meisina, Carlo G. Lai, Elisa ZuccoloBozzoni, Francesca; Boni', Roberta; Daniele, Conca; Claudia, Meisina; Lai, Carlo G.; Elisa, Zuccol

Residue depletion and histopathological alterations in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) after oral administration of oxytetracycline

Aquaculture is a key component of the animal food industry, but intensive farming conditions increase the incidence of infectious diseases. Oxytetracycline (OTC) plays a major role for infectious diseases in fishes. Its MRLs include their 4-epimers, so in this trial, the depletion of residues of OTC and 4-epioxytetracycline in muscle and liver have been evaluated in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) after oral administration. Hepatotoxicity has been investigated with histopathological effects on target tissues. A validated DAD-HPLC with SPE extraction has been applied. Residual levels in muscle and liver depleted with a similar kel, but mean retention time and t½ß resulted longer in muscle than in liver because of different vascularization. The OTC concentrations were below the LMR at 48 h after dosing. No analytical peaks ascribable to 4-epi-OTC or other derivatives were detected, while histopathology of liver showed degenerated parenchymal hepatocytes, nuclear pyknosis, focal necrosis and inflammatory leucocytes infiltration. It can be concluded that the assessment of pharmacokinetic and residual depletion of antibiotics result fundamental to determine the most suitable therapeutic regime and to minimize the toxic effects in fish species

The Effect of a Restraint Reduction Program on Physical Restraint Rates in Rehabilitation Settings in Hong Kong

Background. In view of the adverse effects of using restraints, studies examining the use of restraint reduction programs (RRPs) are needed. Objectives. To investigate the effect of an RRP on the reduction of physical restraint rates in rehabilitation hospitals. Methods. A prospective quasi-experimental clinical trial was conducted. Demographic data, medical and health-related information on recruited patients from two rehabilitation hospitals, as well as facility data on restraint rates were collected. Results. The increase in the restraint rate in the control site was 4.3 times greater than that in the intervention site. Changes in the restraint mode, from continuous to intermittent, and the type of restraint used were found between the pre- and postintervention periods in both the control site and the intervention site. Discussion. Compared with that in the control site, the RRP in the intervention site helped arrest any increase in the restraint rate although it had no effect on physical restraint reduction. The shift of restraint mode from continuous to intermittent in the intervention site was one of the positive outcomes of the RRP