Sorption Studies of Cs+ and Ba2+ Cations on Magnesite

Cataloged from PDF version of article.The adsorption behavior of Cs+ and Ba2+ cations on magnesite has been studied as a function of time, cation concentration and temperature, utilizing both the radiotracer method and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Saturation was approached in about I day for both cations. The sorption data were found to follow Freundlich type isotherms. Sorption of both Cs+ and Ba2+ cations were found to be exothermic in nature with ΔH0 (kJ/mol) of -37, -13 and ΔS0 (kJ/mol·K) of -0.09, -0.009, respectively. Negative ΔG0 values were obtained for both cations, indicating the spontaneity of their sorption on magnesite. The magnitude of ΔG0 suggest that ion exchange is the dominating sorption mechanism. The adsorption behavior of Cs+ and Ba2+ cations on magnesite has been studied as a function of time, cation concentration and temperature, utilizing both the radiotracer method and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Saturation was approached in about 1 day for both cations. The sorption data were found to follow Freundlich type isotherms. Sorption of both Cs+ and Ba2+ cations were found to be exothermic in nature with ΔH0 (kJ/mol) of -37, -13 and ΔS0 (kJ/mol·K) of -0.09, -0.009, respectively. Negative ΔG0 values were obtained for both cations, indicating the spontaneity of their sorption on magnesite. The magnitude of ΔG0 suggest that ion exchange is the dominating sorption mechanism

Potential of Phosphorus Pollution in the Soil of the Northern Gaza Strip, Palestine

The damage and negative consequences of the Israeli Cast Lead on Gaza in the period between December 2008 - January 2009 is not only limited to the number of martyrs and wounded people, the destruction of houses and the infrastructure, but it also reached the environment. This paper investigates the occurrence of phosphorus (P) in the soil of the northern gover-norate of the Gaza Strip which has been shaped as a result of the heavily bombing of white phosphorus on Gaza during the war. We have measured soil Phosphorus concentrations in three different areas; agricultural, non-agricultural and urban areas. The obtained Olsen P values in most of the soil samples were ranked very high. The maximum value of phosphorous determined in agricultural areas was about 110.9 mg/ kg, in the non-agricultural areas adjacent to boarders 63.3 mg/ kg, and in urban areas 85.2 mg/ kg. The results show that the potential of phosphorus in the northern of the Gaza Strip is becoming higher than the allowed Olsen P values

The influence of the representative volume element (RVE) size on the homogenized response of cured fiber composites

The influence of the representative volume element (RVE) size (in terms of fiber packing and number of fibers for a given fiber-volume fraction) on the residual stresses created during the curing process of a continuous fiber-reinforced polymer matrix tow is investigated with the ultimate goal of finding a minimum unit cell size that can be used later for a homogenization procedure to calculate the response of woven fiber textile composites and in particular, fiber tows. A novel network curing model for the solidification of epoxy is used to model the curing process. The model takes into account heat conduction, cure kinetics and the creation of networks in a continuously shape changing body. The model is applied to the curing of a fiber/matrix RVE. The results for the minimum size of the RVE, obtained on the basis of the curing problem, are compared with a similar RVE, modeled as an elastic–plastic solid subjected to external loads, in order to compare the minimum RVE sizes obtained on the basis of different boundary value problem solutions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98620/1/0965-0393_20_7_075007.pd

Sustainable development goals and ending ECC as a public health crisis

Early Childhood Caries (ECC) remains a global issue despite numerous advancements in research and interventional approaches. Nearly, 530 million children suffer from untreated dental caries of primary teeth. The consequences of such untreated dental caries not only limit the child's chewing and eating abilities but also, significantly impact the child's overall growth. Research has demonstrated that ECC is associated with nearly 123 risk factors. ECC has also been associated with local pain, infections, abscesses, and sleep pattern. Furthermore, it can affect the child's emotional status and decrease their ability to learn or perform their usual activities. In high-income countries, dental care continues to endorse a “current treatment-based approach” that involves high-technology, interventionist, and specialized approaches. While such approaches provide immediate benefit at an individual level, it fails to intercept the underlying causes of the disease at large. In low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), the “current treatment approach” often remains limited, unaffordable, and unsuitable for the majority of the population. Rather, dentistry needs to focus on “sustainable goals” and integrate dental care with the mainstream healthcare system and primary care services. Dental care systems should promote “early first dental visits,” when the child is 1 year of age or when the first tooth arrives. The serious shortages of appropriately trained oral healthcare personnel in certain regions of the world, lack of appropriate technologies and isolation of oral health services from the health system, and limited adoption of prevention and oral health promotion can pose as critical barriers. The oral health care systems must focus on three major keystones to combat the burden of ECC−1. Essential oral health services are integrated into healthcare in every country ensuring the availability of appropriate healthcare accessible and available globally, 2. Integrating oral and general healthcare to effectively prevent and manage oral disease and improve oral health, 3. Collaborating with a wide range of health workers to deliver sustainable oral health care tailored to cater to the oral health care needs of local communities

Surface spectroscopic studies of Cs+, and Ba2+ sorption on chlorite-illite mixed clay

The sorption behavior of Cs+, and Ba2+ on natural clay was investigated using ToF-SIMS, XPS, and XRD. The natural clay was composed mainly of chlorite and illite in addition to quartz and calcite. Depth profiling up to 70 Å was performed at 10 Å steps utilizing ToF-SIMS to study the amount of sorbed Cs+ and Ba2+ as a function of depth in the clay matrix. The results suggest that Cs+ and Ba2+ ions were sorbed primarily by ion exchange coupled with hydrolytic sorption. According to ToF-SIMS and XPS results, the total sorbed amount of Ba2+ was larger than that of Cs+. Quantitative determination of the primary cations within the analyzed clay before and after sorption indicated that for Ba2+ sorption, Ca2+, Mg2+ and for Cs+ sorption Ca2+, K+ were the major exchanging ions. The XRD spectra of Ba-sorbed clay contained new peaks that were identified as BaCO3

Development and validation of a tool to improve community pharmacists' surveillance role in the safe dispensing of herbal supplements

Background: There has been an appreciable increase in the use of herbal supplements, including immune boosters, during the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, there are concerns with falsified herbal supplements Objectives Developed a new questionnaire that can potentially help community pharmacists with identifying the extent of falsified herbal supplements. Methods: A cross sectional study conducted over nine months among 500 community pharmacies in the UAE. Face-to-face interviews were undertaken using a structured questionnaire, which was subjected to face and content validity, with the content validity index (CVI) computed. Construct validity was tested using an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) via principally component analysis (PCA). The model was then confirmed through Partial confirmatory factor analysis (PCFA). Reliability was assessed via test-retest reliability, internal consistency, item internal consistency (IIC), and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Results: An instrument compromised of five domains with a 24-item scale was developed with CVI of 0.843. The KMO measure of sampling adequacy was 0.891, and Bartlett’s test of sphericity indicated significance (p-value < 0.001). Confirmation of the subsequent 5-domains was achieved through PCFA using MLA with oblimin rotation. The PCFA obtained values of 0.962 for NFI, 0.977 for CFI, and 0.987 for TLI; all values were greater than 0.95, and the RMSEA value was 0.03 (i.e., less than 0.06). Consequently, the model had a good fit. All domains demonstrated Cronbach’s alpha coefficients above 0.70, with 0.940 for the full instrument. Meanwhile, all items met the IIC correlation standard of ≥ 0.40. The instrument presented good ICC statistics of 0.940 (0.928 – 0.950) as well as statistical significance (p < 0.001). Those participants who had more than 10 experience years more likely to identify falsified herbal supplements compared to those who have 1 to 10 experience years (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study developed and validated a new instrument to identify safe herbal supplements products, which will help enhance the role of the community pharmacists in safe and effective treatment of suitable patients with herbal supplements

The value of discretion in Africa: Evidence from acquired intangible assets under IFRS 3

The paper examines the value of managerial discretion in financial reporting by exploring the value relevance of intangible assets acquired in business combinations (AIA) before and after the 2008 International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) 3 amendment. The 2008 IFRS 3 amendment gave managers the discretion to recognize previously unrecognized intangibles in the target firm, hence, we posit that if managerial discretion improves the quality of financial reporting, we should observe an increase in the value relevance of AIA after the amendment. Our empirical analysis is based on a dataset of 603 mergers announced between 2004 to 2016, across 7 African countries. Consistent with our main hypothesis, we find that the value relevance of AIA, predominantly acquired goodwill (AGW), increased after the amendment, suggesting that managerial discretion improves the quality of financial information. Importantly, we highlight a caveat to this argument by showing that the value of discretion is moderated by the underlying institutional quality, with the value relevance of AIA being greater in high-quality institutional contexts. Our findings are robust to alternative measures of AIA, alternative models for testing value relevance and various controls for endogeneity. Overall, our findings have important implications for accounting standard-setters, governments, investors and practitioners

The Trail Pheromone of the Venomous Samsum Ant, Pachycondyla sennaarensis

Ant species use branching networks of pheromone trails for orientation between nest and resources. The current study demonstrated that workers of the venomous samsum ant, Pachycondyla sennaarensis (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Ponerinae), employ recruitment trail pheromones discharged from the Dufour's gland. Secretions of other abdomen complex glands, as well as hindgut gland secretions, did not evoke trail following. The optimum concentration of trail pheromone was found to be 0.1 gland equivalent/40 cm trail. This concentration demonstrated effective longevity for about one hour. This study also showed that P. sennaarensis and Tapinoma simrothi each respond to the trail pheromones of the other species as well as their own

Community pharmacists’ perspectives on cardiovascular disease pharmaceutical care in the United Arab Emirates: a questionnaire survey-based analysis

Background: Community pharmacists play an intermediary role between prescribing physicians and patients in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and thus are responsible for ensuring that patients receive optimal cardiovascular disease (CVD) pharmaceutical care.Methods: we used a cross-sectional design to assess the perceptions and practices of community pharmacists concerning pharmaceutical care for patients with CVD. A trained researcher visited randomly selected community pharmacies and used a structured questionnaire to conduct in-person interviews with pharmacists. The questionnaire collected demographic data and information on perceptions and practices regarding CVD pharmaceutical care.Results: Five hundred and fifty-one participants were recruited. The average participant age (mean ± SD) was 35 ± 2.7 years. The average perception score regarding CVD prevention and management was 75.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 77.1%–74.2%), and the average practice score for CVD prevention and management was 87.1% (95% CI 76.5%–79.6%). Bivariate analysis revealed that gender (p = 0.001), education level (p &lt; 0.001), pharmacy position (p = 0.004), work experience (p &lt; 0.001), number of patients served per day (p &lt; 0.001) and being trained on CVD prevention and management (p &lt; 0.001) were significantly associated with perceptions about the prevention and management of CVD. Better practice scores were seen among older participants (OR 1.01; 95% CI 1–1.019), postgraduates (OR 1.77; 95% CI 1.66–1.89), workers at chain pharmacies (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.11–1.39), pharmacists in charge (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.01–1.47), pharmacists with &gt;10 years of experience (OR 11.3; 95% CI 6.01–15.62), pharmacists with 6–10 years of experience (OR 4.42; 95% CI 3.90–5) and pharmacists trained on CVD prevention and management (OR 1.29; 95% CI 1.15–1.46).Conclusion: Pharmacy practitioners working in community pharmacies in the UAE actively engage in delivering pharmaceutical care to patients, playing a role in CVD management and prevention. However, they showed low levels of involvement in other healthcare services, specifically in screening and measuring patients’ weight, glucose levels, and blood pressure, monitoring treatment responses, maintaining medical records, and reviewing medication refill histories. Activities such as educating patients, providing medication counseling, offering support for treatment adherence, and fostering collaborative relationships with other healthcare providers should be encouraged among UAE community pharmacists to ensure the provision of high-quality patient care