Evaluation of Hybrid Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) For Palm Oil Mill Effluent (POME) Treatment

The pollution load of palm oil mill effluent (POME) is in the range of 50,000 mg COD/L. With more than 500 palm oil mills, Malaysia produces some 13.9 million tonnes of crude palm oil annually and generates around 35 x 106 m3 POME. Typically, raw POME is difficult to degrade because it contains significant amounts of oil (tryacylglycerols) and degradative products such as di-and monoacylglycerols and fatty acids. The fatty acids composition (C12 – C20) of each of this fraction are different from one another and contribute to the high value of pollution load in POME. Thus POME has to be treated, usually in a series of anaerobic and aerobic treatment steps, for the organic matter to be degraded before the effluent is allowed to be discharged into public waterways. The objective of this study was to observe the performance of a hybrid membrane bioreactor (MBR) for POME. The raw POME was introduced into sequencing processes of anaerobic, anoxic and aerobic in order to achieve biological nutrient removal and the membrane modules were submerged into the aerobic zone. The critical flux of MBR using the flux-step method based on transmembrane pressure (TMP) was conducted as well as flux and permeability studies for assessing fouling in a membrane bioreactor operating at constant flux. The reactor was operated at a mixed liquor suspended solid (MLSS) concentration of 4000 to 8000 mg/l. The removal efficiency of COD, SS, TN and TP achieved were 94%, 98%, 83% and 64% respectively. The hybrid MBR was found to be able to degrade POME significantly and high quality effluent could be reused for various other applications.Keywords

Effect of linoleic acid of Nigella sativa on MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the main life-threatening diseases which a woman may face during her life. Several lifestyle factors such as weight gain, obesity, fat intake and decreased level of physical activity are associated with breast cancer risk. In vitro and vivo studies showed that, Linoleic acid (LA) is one of the main fatty acids composition of Nigella sativa. The objective was to investigate inhibitory and anti-cancer effects of Linoleic acid on the MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Methods: The apoptosis and cytotoxic activity assay was used in order to find toxic effects and the results were supported by flow cytometry (Cell cycle analysis). The results showed the cytotoxic effect of Linoleic acid on the breast cancer cell can be considered as an anti-cancer effect of LA. Results: According to our findings, when the concentration of lionleic acid was increased, compared with the concentrations currently being reported, it showed an anti-cancer effects. The IC50 was 84.72µl/ml. There was a significant (p<0.05) effect between the treatment groups which are more than IC 50 and the control group. Conclusion: We came to this conclusion that Linoleic acid has an inhibitory effect on human breast cancer cell lines which can be due to its two double-bandings molecular structure

Can children undergoing ophthalmologic examinations under anesthesia be safely anesthetized without using an IV line?

To document that with proper patient and procedure selection, children undergoing general inhalational anesthesia for ophthalmologic exams (with or without photos, ultrasound, laser treatment, peri-ocular injection of chemotherapy, suture removal, and/or replacement of ocular prosthesis) can be safely anesthetized without the use of an intravenous (IV) line. Children are rarely anesthetized without IV access placement. We performed a retrospective study to determine our incidence of IV access placement during examinations under anesthesia (EUA) and the incidence of adverse events that required intraoperative IV access placement. Data collected from our operating room (OR) information system includes but is not limited to diagnosis, anesthesiologist, surgeon, and location of IV catheter (if applicable), patient's date of birth, actual procedure, and anesthesia/procedure times. We reviewed the OR and anesthetic records of children (>1 month and <10 years) who underwent EUAs between January 1, 2003 and May 31, 2009. We determined the percentage of children who were anesthetized without IV access placement, as well as the incidence of any adverse events that required IV access placement, intraoperatively. We analyzed data from 3196 procedures performed during a 77-month period. Patients' ages ranged from 1 month to 9 years. Overall, 92% of procedures were performed without IV access placement. Procedure duration ranged from 1-39 minutes. Reasons for IV access placement included parental preference for antinausea medication and/or attending preference for IV access placement. No child who underwent anesthesia without an IV line had an intraoperative adverse event requiring insertion of an IV line. Our data suggest that for children undergoing general anesthesia for ophthalmologic exams (with or without photos, ultrasound, laser treatment, intraocular injection of chemotherapy, suture removal, and/or replacement of ocular prosthesis), anesthesia can be safely conducted without placement of an IV line

Long-Term Followup Comparing Two Treatment Dosing Strategies of 125

Objective. To investigate the efficacy of two different dosing strategies of radioactive iodine-125 (125I) in the management of small- and medium-sized posterior uveal melanoma. Patients and Methods. The medical records of consecutive patients with choroidal melanomas between 1.5 and 5.0 mm in apical height treated initially with 125I plaque radiotherapy were reviewed. Patients were treated with one of the following two treatment dosing strategies: (1) 85 Gy to the apical height of the tumor (group 1) or (2) 85 Gy to a prescription point of 5.0 mm (group 2). Results. Of 95 patients, 55 patients were treated to the apical height of the tumor, and 40 were treated to a prescription point of 5.0 mm. Comparative analysis of the incidence rates of specific complications between the two groups demonstrates that group 2 had a significantly higher incidence of radiation retinopathy, radiation optic neuropathy, and/or visually significant cataract formation than group 1 (). Conclusion. Treatment of choroidal melanomas less than 5 mm in apical height with 125I brachytherapy to the true apical height is equally effective when compared to treatment with 85 Gy to 5.0 mm. Treatment to the apical height of the tumor may result in lower incidence of radiation-related complications

Lejeunea gradsteinii (Lejeuneaceae), a new liverwort species from mt. Kinabalu, Sabah

Lejeunea gradsteinii is described and illustrated as a new species from Mt. Kinabalu, Sabah. The plant stands out by 1) lobules with flat free margin and 2 teeth, the first tooth consisting of (1)-2 cells, 2) whitish-green plant color, 3) weakly crenulate margins of leaves, underleaves, female bracts and bracteoles, 4) basal cells of leaf lobes forming a weak vitta, 5) well-developed trigones and scarce intermediate thickenings, 6) deeply bifid underleaves (to 2/3) with rounded tips, 7) long male shoots with up to 13 pair of bracts, and 8) longexserted, obovate-clavate perianths with 5 sharp keels ending into short auricles. Lejeunea gradsteinii is most closely related to L. kodamae Ikegami et Inoue and L. bidentula Herzog, all of which have 2-toothed lobules

A taxonomic treatment of Lejeunea discreta, l. eifrigii and l. sordida, new to peninsular Malaysia

Lejeunea discreta Lindenb., Lejeunea eifrigii Mizut. and Lejeunea sordida (Nees) Nees, reported for the first time from Peninsular Malaysia, are fully described and illustrated

Comparative studies of leaf venation in some species of sapindaceae of Malaysia

A study on the variation of leaf venation pattern was undertaken on 43 taxa belonging to 19 genera of Sapindaceae in Malaysia. Results showed that there were 17 venation patterns observed based on the leaf lamina venation, ultimate marginal and veinlet patterns. A total of 15 taxa showed bi-veinlets, 15 taxa uni-veinlets, eight taxa simple veinlets, three taxa tri-veinlet patterns and two other taxa with no ending veinlets. The presence of idioblast cells on the leaf lamina surfaces, presence and localization of simple trichomes on the leaf veins or on the leaf epidermis are the diagnostic characteristics that can be used in identification of Guioa, Harpullia and Glenneia. Druses observed on the leaves lamina can be very useful for species identification of Filicium decipiens (Wight & Arn.) Thwaites. Combination of variation in the leaf venation and diagnostic characteristics found in this study have taxonomic value especially in species and genus identification and differentiation in Sapindaceae in Malaysia

Clinical Study Long-Term Followup Comparing Two Treatment Dosing Strategies of 125 I Plaque Radiotherapy in the Management of Small/Medium Posterior Uveal Melanoma

Objective. To investigate the efficacy of two different dosing strategies of radioactive iodine-125 ( 125 I) in the management of smalland medium-sized posterior uveal melanoma. Patients and Methods. The medical records of consecutive patients with choroidal melanomas between 1.5 and 5.0 mm in apical height treated initially with 125 I plaque radiotherapy were reviewed. Patients were treated with one of the following two treatment dosing strategies: (1) 85 Gy to the apical height of the tumor (group 1) or (2) 85 Gy to a prescription point of 5.0 mm (group 2). Results. Of 95 patients, 55 patients were treated to the apical height of the tumor, and 40 were treated to a prescription point of 5.0 mm. Comparative analysis of the incidence rates of specific complications between the two groups demonstrates that group 2 had a significantly higher incidence of radiation retinopathy, radiation optic neuropathy, and/or visually significant cataract formation than group 1 ( = 0.028). Conclusion. Treatment of choroidal melanomas less than 5 mm in apical height with 125 I brachytherapy to the true apical height is equally effective when compared to treatment with 85 Gy to 5.0 mm. Treatment to the apical height of the tumor may result in lower incidence of radiation-related complications

Crystallization of Ranasmurfin, a blue-coloured protein from Polypedates leucomystax

A novel blue protein from frog nests has been crystallized

Sustainable use of natural and chemical coagulants for contaminants removal from palm oil mill effluent : a comparative analysis

This article aimed at determining the optimum coagulant dose for various coagulants. This is to ascertain coagulant with the potential for higher removal of contaminants. By fixing the initial pH, settling time, coagulant aid dose, rapid mixing speed & time, slow mixing speed & time as constant parameters, the study assessed the process efficiency in terms of percentage removals for TSS, oil & grease, COD, NH3-N, turbidity and colour. The results indicated that the optimum dosage for FeCl3, moringa oleifera, aluminum sulphate, chitosan and zeolite was found to be 1000, 2000, 4000, 400 and 1000 mg/L, respectively. Results were analysed using the one-way analysis of variance (One-Way ANOVA) of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 17 where P-values for all contaminants tested across various coagulants and their dosages found to be <0.05. Thus, the null hypothesis is discredited which indicate there is significant improvement in the removal efficiencies