Biocomposting process for utilization agro-industrial wastes

Biological treatment has played prominent roles in bioremediation of wastes and contaminants. Composting is one of the biological process that has been considered to be one of the most suitable ways of converting organic wastes into products that are beneficial for plant growth. The study of the bio-composting process by solid-state bioconversion utilizing palm oil mill effluent (POME) and empty fruit bunch (EFB) were studied in lab scale. From the study it is found that horizontal rotary drum bioreactor was the most suitable to run this study. In this project, four filamentous fungi were used; (i) Phanerochaete chrysosporium. (ii) Trichoderma harzianum. (iii) Aspergillus niger. (iv) Penicillium sp. The bioconversion of lignocellulosic materials by evaluating the C/N ratio and other parameters using horizontal rotary drum bioreactor were studied. The good and mature of the compost is reflected by C/N ratio, germination index and glucosamine assay. The result showed that the C/N ratio drop from days 10 onwards and in the range of 25 to 30. The germination indexes of 50 to 70% indicate that the compost produce was a phyto toxic-free product and merely achieved as mature compost. The composting period required to complete this process was two months. Thus, this study developed an effective and feasible composting technique of POME and EFB using horizontal rotary drum bioreactor by solid state bioconversion process

Corrosion Inhibition Study of Mild Steel in Acidic Medium by Antibiotic Drugs: a Comparative Study

- A comparison of the inhibiting efficiency of antibiotic drugs (ciprofloxacin, cloxacillin, and amoxicillin) on the corrosion of mild steel in 1 mol·L−1 HCl were studied at room temperature using mass loss measurement. The main reason is probably be due to the formation of protective coverage by the inhibitor as other authors reported previously. Adsorption characteristics of the inhibitor has also been studied using simple equation and it was found that drugs inhibits the corrosion of mild steel by being adsorbed on the surface of mild steel by a physical adsorption mechanism. The adsorption of drugs on the mild steel surface was found to be spontaneous and obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. It was observed that the test drug has a promising inhibitory action in acid medium against corrosion of mild steel. Moreover it was revealed that an inhibition efficiency of 80.1 % can be achieved with 3×10-3M ciprofloxacin drug treatment on mild steel

Why do you dance? Development of the Dance Motivation Inventory (DMI)

Dancing is a popular form of physical exercise and studies have show that dancing can decrease anxiety, increase self-esteem, and improve psychological wellbeing. The aim of the current study was to explore the motivational basis of recreational social dancing and develop a new psychometric instrument to assess dancing motivation. The sample comprised 447 salsa and/or ballroom dancers (68% female; mean age 32.8 years) who completed an online survey. Eight motivational factors were identified via exploratory factor analysis and comprise a new Dance Motivation Inventory: Fitness, Mood Enhancement, Intimacy, Socialising, Trance, Mastery, Self-confidence and Escapism. Mood Enhancement was the strongest motivational factor for both males and females, although motives differed according to gender. Dancing intensity was predicted by three motivational factors: Mood Enhancement, Socialising, and Escapism. The eight dimensions identified cover possible motives for social recreational dancing, and the DMI proved to be a suitable measurement tool to assess these motives. The explored motives such as Mood Enhancement, Socialising and Escapism appear to be similar to those identified in other forms of behaviour such as drinking alcohol, exercise, gambling, and gaming

Improving Follow Up Compliance for Patients with Sleep Disordered Breathing at Jefferson Sleep Center

Despite the high effectiveness of CPAP therapy, patient adherence remains variable and a hurdle towards appropriate treatment of their sleep-disordered breathing. Patients often stop using their CPAP and are then lost to follow-up, which increases their risk of previously mentioned complications that are associated with OSA. Goals for Improvement To increase the follow-up rate for patients with OSA

Kesan penggunaan koswer multimedia animasi visual terhadap pencapaian pelajar dalam mata pelajaran matematik

Ramai pelajar yang bermasalah dalam topik Pelan dan Dongakan. Ini kerana pelajar sukar untuk membayangkan objek yang tersembunyi melalui proses pengajaran dan pembelajaran (P&P) secara konvensional. Penyelidik telah membangunkan satu koswer multimedia animasi visual dalam topik Pelan dan Dongakan dengan menerapkan kesemua elemen-elemen yang dapat membantu meningkatkan kemahiran visual iaitu elemen animasi, video, audio, grafik dan teks. Seterusnya, kajian kuasi eksperimental ini turut dijalankan bertujuan untuk mengetahui kesan penggunaan koswer multimedia animasi visual terhadap pencapaian pelajar bagi mata pelajaran Matematik di sekolah menengah. Ujian Pra dan Ujian Pos digunakan untuk melihat perbezaan pencapaian yang signifikan selepas menggunakan koswer multimedia animasi visual yang menggunakan teori Kognitif Visual Wiley. Responden yang terlibat dalam kajian ini ialah seramai 40 orang pelajar Tingkatan Lima yang dibahagikan kepada dua kumpulan iaitu kumpulan rawatan dan kumpulan kawalan yang dipilih daripada sebuah sekolah di daerah Batu Pahat, Johor. Hasil analisis menunjukkan peningkatan skor min markah bagi pelajar kumpulan rawatan. Hasil analisis ujian-t (paired-sample-t-test) membuktikan bahawa wujudnya perbezaan skor min markah yang signifikan di antara markah ujian pra dan markah ujian pos bagi kumpulan rawatan. Oleh itu, terdapat perbezaan yang signifikan di antara skor min markah ujian pra dan ujian pos bagi pelajar kumpulan rawatan selepas menggunakan koswer multimedia animasi visual. Manakala instrumen soal selidik yang digunakan untuk melihat tahap penerimaan pelajar selepas menggunakan koswer multimedia animasi visual berdasarkan tiga aspek iaitu aspek isi kandungan, aspek interaksi dan aspek persembahan telah memeperolehi skor min yang tinggi bagi ketiga-tiga aspek tersebut. Dapatan kajian ini menggambarkan penggunaan koswer multimedia animasi visual dapat membantu meningkatkan pencapaian Matematik di dalam bilik darjah terutama yang tidak melibatkan pengiraan

Exercise addiction – the emergence of a new disorder

An optimal level of regular physical activity plays an important role in the maintenance of physical and mental health. However, excessive exercise in a minority of individuals can have adverse effects on health and lead to exercise addiction. Exercise addiction can be conceptualised as a behavioural addiction. The aim of this paper is to outline the current knowledge on the concept, epidemiology, aetiology, comorbidity, and possible interventions of exercise addiction

Radiation-induced non-cancer risks in interventional cardiology: Optimisation of procedures and staff and patient dose reduction

Concerns about ionizing radiation during interventional cardiology have been increased in recent years as a result of rapid growth in interventional procedure volumes and the high radiation doses associated with some procedures. Non-cancer radiation risks to cardiologists and medical staff in terms of radiation-induced cataracts, and skin injuries for patients appear clear potential consequences of interventional cardiology procedures, while radiation-induced potential risk of developing cardiovascular effects remain less clear. This paper provides an overview of the evidence-based reviews of concerns about non-cancer risks of radiation exposure in interventional cardiology. Strategies commonly undertaken to reduce radiation doses to both medical staff and patients during interventional cardiology procedures are discussed; optimisation of interventional cardiology procedures is highlighted

Corrosion Inhibition Study of Mild Steel in Acidic Medium by Antibiotic Drugs: A Comparative Study

Abstract - A comparison of the inhibiting efficiency of antibiotic drugs (ciprofloxacin, cloxacillin, and amoxicillin) on the corrosion of mild steel in 1 mol·L−1 HCl were studied at room temperature using mass loss measurement. The main reason is probably be due to the formation of protective coverage by the inhibitor as other authors reported previously. Adsorption characteristics of the inhibitor has also been studied using simple equation and it was found that drugs inhibits the corrosion of mild steel by being adsorbed on the surface of mild steel by a physical adsorption mechanism. The adsorption of drugs on the mild steel surface was found to be spontaneous and obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model. It was observed that the test drug has a promising inhibitory action in acid medium against corrosion of mild steel. Moreover it was revealed that an inhibition efficiency of 80.1 % can be achieved with 3×10-3M ciprofloxacin drug treatment on mild steel.Keywords: Steel corrosion; Antibiotic drugs; Adsorption isotherm; Inhibition mechanism

Measuring compulsive buying behaviour: Psychometric validity of three different scales and prevalence in the general population and in shopping centres

Due to the problems of measurement and the lack of nationally representative data, the extent of compulsive buying behaviour (CBB) is relatively unknown. Methods: The validity of three different instruments was tested: Edwards Compulsive Buying Scale (ECBS; Edwards, 1993), Questionnaire About Buying Behavior (QABB; Lejoyeux & Adès, 1994) and Richmond Compulsive Buying Scale (RCBS; Ridgway, et. al., 2008) using two independent samples. One was nationally representative of the Hungarian population (N=2710) while the other comprised shopping mall customers (N=1447). Results: A new, four-factor solution for the ECBS was developed (ECBS-R), and confirmed the other two measures. Additionally, cut-off scores were defined for all measures. Results showed that the prevalence of CBB is 1.85% (with QABB) in the general population but significantly higher in shopping mall customers (8.7% with ECBS-R, 13.3% with QABB and 2.5% with RCBS-R). Conclusions: Due to the diversity of content, each measure identifies a somewhat different CBB group