High rate physico-chemical process as a pre-treatment to membranes used in water reuse

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology.The presence of NOM in the source water adversely affects drinking water treatments and water quality. NOM is thus known to increase disinfectant and coagulant demand, fouls membrane and favours biological regrowth in the distribution network. Extensive work has focused on enhanced coagulation, activated carbon adsorption and membrane processes as strategies to remove dissolved organic carbon. The main objective of this study is to assess the impact of Purolite®A SOOPS ion exchange resin on dissolved organic carbon (DOC) removal and fouling reduction of membrane filtration used as post-treatment. Moreover, the effect of Purolite® A500PS on hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances removal from biologically treated sewage effluent (BTSE) was also studied. Purolite® A500PS can effectively remov~ effluent organic matter (EfOM) from biologically treated sewage effluent. At a dose of 0.5g/L, Purolite® A500PS was able to remove as high as 84% of DOC from synthetic wastewater and 79% from real biologically treated sewage . effluent. It was found that DOC removal efficiency strongly depended on the size of Purolite® A500PS. An investigation of the adsorption equilibrium behaviour of Purolite® A500PS ion exchange indicated that the Langmuir and Freundlich models fitted wel I with the experimental data. In addition, kinetic adsorption of Purolite® AS OOPS with organic compound can be described by the Ho model. A series of batch experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of different influent concentration on the performance of Purolite®A 500PS. The results indicated that the DOC adsorption rate of Purolite® A500PS dropped 76% to 45% when initial concentration increased from 10 mg/L to 20 mg/L. Fluidised bed Purolite® A500PS column can effectively remove 74.5% of DOC from wastewater effluent. The smaller size o(l 50--300 μm of Purolite® A500PS is more effective in DOC removal because of its higher detention time and longer bed depth. Purolite® ASOOPS fluidized bed treatment was significantly affected by bed depth and fluidization velocity. Higher bed depths and lower fluidization velocity led to a superior DOC removal from synthetic wastewater. An increase of 20% in the removal of efficiency was attained when GAC was used in the first step prior to Purolite® A500PS fluidized treatment. Moreover, adsorption of large MW compounds was significant when both GAC and Purolite® A500PS were used as a filter medium. Combination of GAC and Purolite® A500PS treatment removed larger molecular size fraction (more than 600 Da) more effectively whereas smaller molecular size fraction (below 300 Da) could also be removed to some extent. In addition, LC-OCD analysis demonstrated that pre-treatment of GAC on Purolite® A500PS decreased more than 95% of hydrophobic and hydrophilic from synthetic wastewater. Post-treatment by flocculation was considered to improve further DOC. It was found that the optimum flocculant dose reduced significantly from 40 mg/L to 18 mg/L when SWW was pre-treated by Purolite® A500PS fluidized column. The combined treatment Jed to a higher DOC removal efficiency of 84%. When the Purolite® A500PS fluidized column effluent was pumped into the submerged membrane reactor, an increase of l 0% in organic removal \Vas achieved after filtration. The critical flux of submerged membrane hybrid reactor system was increased from 20 L/m2.h to 35 L/rn2.h when a dose of 0.1 g/L particle size of l 50-300 μm of Purolite®A 500PS was added . The TMP was decreased from 30KPa with conventional submerged membrane system to 13KPa with submerged membrane hybrid reactor system

CSR communication through social media : a litmus test for banking consumers’ loyalty

Prior literature in the field of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has largely focused on investigating its relationship with organizational-related outcomes, whereas the impact of CSR on consumer behavior is largely ignored in the recent literature. Further, most of the prior studies have investigated CSR with a philanthropic viewpoint, but its importance in achieving marketing-related outcomes is something that is to date, underexplored. Hence, the aim of the present study is to investigate the impact of CSR communication through social media on consumer loyalty with the mediating effect of consumers’ brand admiration in the banking sector of Pakistan. The banking sector was selected due to the reason that this sector is homogenized in nature and creating consumers’ loyalty due to this homogenized character of this sector is challenging. The data of the present study were collected from different banking consumers through an adapted questionnaire on a five-point Likert scale. A total of 448 fully filled questionnaires were received which included 289 male and 159 female banking consumers. The results of the present study revealed that CSR communications through social media have a positive impact on consumer loyalty, and consumers’ brand admiration partially mediates this relationship. The findings of the present study would help policymakers from banking institutions to use CSR strategy from the perspective of marketing which is undoubtedly very important for every organization in the current digital age

The influence of perfusion solution on renal graft viability assessment

BACKGROUND: Kidneys from donors after cardiac or circulatory death are exposed to extended periods of both warm ischemia and intra-arterial cooling before organ recovery. Marshall’s hypertonic citrate (HOC) and Bretschneider’s histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) preservation solutions are cheap, low viscosity preservation solutions used clinically for organ flushing. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of these two solutions both on parameters used in clinical practice to assess organ viability prior to transplantation and histological evidence of ischemic injury after reperfusion. METHODS: Rodent kidneys were exposed to post-mortem warm ischemia, extended intra-arterial cooling (IAC) (up to 2 h) with preservation solution and reperfusion with either Krebs-Hensleit or whole blood in a transplant model. Control kidneys were either reperfused directly after retrieval or stored in 0.9% saline. Biochemical, immunological and histological parameters were assessed using glutathione-S-transferase (GST) enzymatic assays, polymerase chain reaction and mitochondrial electron microscopy respectively. Vascular function was assessed by supplementing the Krebs-Hensleit perfusion solution with phenylephrine to stimulate smooth muscle contraction followed by acetylcholine to trigger endothelial dependent relaxation. RESULTS: When compared with kidneys reperfused directly post mortem, 2 h of IAC significantly reduced smooth muscle contractile function, endothelial function and upregulated vascular cellular adhesion molecule type 1 (VCAM-1) independent of the preservation solution. However, GST release, vascular resistance, weight gain and histological mitochondrial injury were dependent on the preservation solution used. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that initial machine perfusion viability tests, including ischemic vascular resistance and GST, are dependent on the perfusion solution used during in situ cooling. HTK-perfused kidneys will be heavier, have higher GST readings and yet reduced mitochondrial ischemic injury when compared with HOC-perfused kidneys. Clinicians should be aware of this when deciding which kidneys to transplant or discard

Arsitektur Jaringan Komputer Berbasis Framework Togaf-Adm Menggunakan Proses NDLC

One factor for the achievement of the objectives of the concept of learning in the management of modern education is to utilize information technology that is supported by a reliable computer network architecture. In this research, the method of designing a computer network architecture is based on the 4 stages of the TOGAF-ADM Framework, namely vision architecture, business architecture, information systems architecture (data architecture and application architecture) and technology architecture. Then the system implementation uses the Network Development Life Cycle (NDLC) process which consists of analysis, design, simulation prototyping, implementation, monitoring, management and ending with an evaluation of computer network development. From the trial results, it is obtained that by using load balance technology and microtic device support, sending and receiving data packets is now faster and more stable because the communication lines have been segmented and the data collision in the network is resolved. The new network implementation successfully stabilized upload and download data speeds, overcoming limited connections and 0% packet loss

1,5-Bis[(E)-1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylidene]thiocarbonohydrazide monohydrate

In the title compound, C17H18N4O2S·H2O, the thio­urea derivative is almost planar, with an r.m.s. deviation for the non-H atoms of 0.057 Å. The hydroxyl groups lie to the same side of the mol­ecule as the thione S atom, a conformation that allows the formation of intra­molecular O-H...S and O-H...N hydrogen bonds. In the crystal structure, the thio­urea and water mol­ecules self-assemble into a two-dimensional array by a combination of Owater-H...Ohydrox­yl, N-H...Owater and Owater-H...S hydrogen bonds and C-H...[pi] inter­actions

{4-Hydroxy-N'-[(2-oxido-1-naphthyl-O) methylidene] benzohydrazidato-2N', O} dimethyltin (IV)

Two independent but very similar molecules comprise the asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Sn(CH3)2- (C18H12N2O3)]. Each Sn atom is coordinated by two methyl groups and two O atoms and an N atom from the dinegative tridentate ligand. The resultant C2NO2 donor set defines a coordination geometry intermediate between square-pyramidal and trigonal-pyramidal, with a small tendency towards the former. +Zigzag chains running along the a axis mediated by O—HN hydrogen bonding characterize the crystal packing. These are connected into layers in the ab plane by a combination of C—HN and – [centroid–centroid distances = 3.658 (2) and 3.6740 (18) A˚ ] interactions. The layers are connected along the c axis via C—HO interactions

Towards the development of sustainable tourism in Pakistan : a study of the role of tour operators

The literature on sustainable tourism is scant, particularly in the least developed countries. Very few studies touch upon the concept and no holistic theoretical or conceptual frameworks around the idea of sustainable tourism have been formulated. This study aims at exploring the role of tour operators in developing sustainable tourism in Pakistan and how the tour operators (TOs) conceive their role in this regard. TOs were reached through phone calls, emails, and virtual sources as face-to-face interviews were not possible due to COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions on travel by the government. In-depth interviews were conducted to gather data. Results suggest that the TOs although realize the importance of social, environmental, and economic dimensions of tourism on the communities but have no management systems in place to cater accordingly. There are no incentives in place by the government facilitate TOs to design and implement such systems. The TOs do not select a destination based on Global Sustainable Tourism Council criterion, but rather the selection of destination is mostly demand-based and profit-oriented. The study suggests that corporate profit motive is the sole criterion for decision making and is one of the major causes impeding sustainable tourism in Pakistan. The role of TOs in developing sustainable tourism is vague as the TOs do not have any systems in place to implement sustainable models. The study recommends that efforts need to be put in place to incentivize sustainable tourism in Pakistan and proper laws should be set forth by the authorities to comply by the TOs. The role of TOs is important and understood, however, there is a need to put proper systems in place

The temporal reliability of serum estrogens, progesterone, gonadotropins, SHBG and urinary estrogen and progesterone metabolites in premenopausal women

BACKGROUND: There is little existing research to guide researchers in estimating the minimum number of measurement occasions required to obtain reliable estimates of serum estrogens, progesterone, gonadotropins, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), and urinary estrogen and progesterone metabolites in premenopausal women. METHODS: Using data from a longitudinal study of 34 women with a mean age of 42.3 years (SD = 2.6), we calculated the minimum number of measurement occasions required to obtain reliable estimates of 12 analytes (8 in blood, 4 in urine). Five samples were obtained over 1 year: at baseline, and after 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. We also calculated the percent of true variance accounted for by a single measurement and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) between measurement occasions. RESULTS: Only 2 of the 12 analytes we examined, SHBG and estrone sulfate (E(1)S), could be adequately estimated by a single measurement using a minimum reliability standard of having the potential to account for 64% of true variance. Other analytes required from 2 to 12 occasions to account for 81% of the true variance, and 2 to 5 occasions to account for 64% of true variance. ICCs ranged from 0.33 for estradiol (E(2)) to 0.88 for SHBG. Percent of true variance accounted for by single measurements ranged from 29% for luteinizing hormone (LH) to 92% for SHBG. CONCLUSIONS: Experimental designs that take the natural variability of these analytes into account by obtaining measurements on a sufficient number of occasions will be rewarded with increased power and accuracy

Medial patellofemoral ligament injury patterns and associated pathology in lateral patella dislocation: an MRI study

BACKGROUND: Lateral Patella dislocations are common injuries seen in the active and young adult populations. Our study focus was to evaluate medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) injury patterns and associated knee pathology using Magnetic Resonance Imaging studies. METHODS: MRI studies taken at one imaging site between January, 2007 to January, 2008 with the final diagnosis of patella dislocation were screened for this study. Of the 324 cases that were found, 195 patients with lateral patellar dislocation traumatic enough to cause bone bruises on the lateral femoral trochlea and the medial facet of the patella were selected for this study. The MRI images were reviewed by three independent observers for location and type of MPFL injury, osteochondral defects, loose bodies, MCL and meniscus tears. The data was analyzed as a single cohort and by gender. RESULTS: This study consisted of 127 males and 68 females; mean age of 23 yrs. Tear of the MPFL at the patellar attachment occurred in 93/195 knees (47%), at the femoral attachment in 50/195 knees (26%), and at both the femoral and patella attachment sites in 26/195 knees (13%). Attenuation of the MPFL without rupture occurred in 26/195 knees (13%). Associated findings included loose bodies in 23/195 (13%), meniscus tears 41/195 (21%), patella avulsion/fracture in 14/195 (7%), medial collateral ligament sprains/tears in 37/195 (19%) and osteochondral lesions in 96/195 knees (49%). Statistical analysis showed females had significantly more associated meniscus tears than the males (27% vs. 17%, p = 0.04). Although not statistically significant, osteochondral lesions were seen more in male patients with acute patella dislocation (52% vs. 42%, p = 0.08). CONCLUSION: Patients who present with lateral patella dislocation with the classic bone bruise pattern seen on MRI will likely rupture the MPFL at the patellar side. Females are more likely to have an associated meniscal tear than males; however, more males have underlying osteochondral lesions. Given the high percentage of associated pathology, we recommend a MRI of the knee in all patients who present with acute patella dislocation

First report of field evolved resistance to agrochemicals in dengue mosquito, Aedes albopictus (Diptera: Culicidae), from Pakistan

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Agrochemicals have been widely used in Pakistan for several years. This exposes mosquito populations, particularly those present around agricultural settings, to an intense selection pressure for insecticide resistance. The aim of the present study was to investigate the toxicity of representative agrochemicals against various populations of <it>Aedes albopictus </it>(Skuse) collected from three different regions from 2008-2010.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For organophosphates and pyrethroids, the resistance ratios compared with susceptible Lab-PK were in the range of 157-266 fold for chlorpyrifos, 24-52 fold for profenofos, 41-71 fold for triazofos, and 15-26 fold for cypermethrin, 15-53 fold for deltamethrin and 21-58 fold for lambdacyhalothrin. The resistance ratios for carbamates and new insecticides were in the range of 13-22 fold for methomyl, 24-30 fold for thiodicarb, and 41-101 fold for indoxacarb, 14-27 fold for emamectin benzoate and 23-50 fold for spinosad. Pair wise comparisons of the log LC_50sof insecticides revealed correlation among several insecticides, suggesting a possible cross resistance mechanism. Moreover, resistance remained stable across 3 years, suggesting field selection for general fitness had also taken place for various populations of <it>Ae. albopictus</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Moderate to high level of resistance to agrochemicals in Pakistani field populations of <it>Ae. albopictus </it>is reported here first time. The geographic extent of resistance is unknown but, if widespread, may lead to problems in future vector control.</p