11 research outputs found
Experimental Assessment of Microbial Fuel Cells for Treatment and Nutrient Recovery from Different Wastewaters
No full textA Master of Science thesis in Civil Engineering by Hadeer Abdalla entitled, “Experimental Assessment of Microbial Fuel Cells for Treatment and Nutrient Recovery from Different Wastewaters”, submitted in May 2022. Thesis advisor is Dr. Kazi Fattah and thesis co-advisor is Dr. Mohamed Abdallah. Soft copy is available (Thesis, Completion Certificate, Approval Signatures, and AUS Archives Consent Form).Wastewater is an abundant renewable source of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus. However, current recovery methods require large amounts of energy and chemicals. Consequently, these processes pose economic and environmental burdens and is therefore often not implemented. Microbial fuel cells (MFC) are one of the bio-electrochemical wastewater treatment technologies that has potential for nutrient recovery as it can reduce chemicals cost while at the same time treat the wastewater and produce electricity. However, there is limited knowledge of the optimum operation mode of MFCs and the effect of the substrate on nutrient recovery. This study investigates the efficiency of struvite formation for nutrient recovery in a MFC using various wastewater substrates, such as, urine, centrate, and greywater (phase I) and different operating modes (phase II). In phase II of the experimental run the system was operated by recirculating the treated anolyte to the cathode compartment. The performance of the 700ml-volume dual-chamber cells was assessed based on electricity output, organics removal in terms of soluble chemical oxygen demand (sCOD), and struvite recovery. The highest sCOD removal efficiency of over 95% was achieved with the centrate-fed cell. The sCOD removal efficiency increased by 24% from the single operation (phase I) to the recirculation stage (phase II). The highest maximum power density generated from the urine, centrate, and greywater fed MFCs for phase I were found to be 1.7, 1.5, and 0.95 mW/cm², and 1.18, 0.82, and 0.73 mW/cm² for phase II, respectively. The urine-fed 700ml cell produced the highest struvite precipitate quantity (1.5g), followed by centrate (1.3g) and greywater (0.3g) in phase I, while the urine sample yielded 1.7g in phase II. The highest phosphate recovery efficiencies of over 55% (phase I) and 20% (phase II) were found for the cell treating urine, while efficiencies of other substrates were 36% (for centrate) and 48% (for greywater. Morphological and chemical analysis of the precipitate formed confirmed that the nutrients were recovered primarily as struvite. The results of this study verify the potential for implementing MFCs for nutrient recovery and anolyte recirculation.College of EngineeringDepartment of Civil EngineeringMaster of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE
Effect of Educational Intervention on Pediatric Diabetes self Care Practices
No full textAbstract: Background: Diabetes mellitus is among the most common chronic illnesses in childhood, it is a chronic metabolic condition affecting the child’s physical and physiological growth and development. Aim of the study: Study the effect of educational intervention on pediatric diabetes self care practices. Research design: A quasi experimental design (one group pre/post test) was used in the study. Settings: The present study was carried out at pediatric outpatient unit affiliated to Suez Canal University Hospitals and Health Insurance Hospital at Ismailia city. Sample: A non probability purposive sample (30) of diabetic children at the previously mentioned settings. Tools for data collection: The data were collected using two tools namely structured interview questionnaire and observational checklists to assess diabetes self care practices. Results: There was statistically significant difference in the total mean scores of satisfactory knowledge and self care practice pre/immediate post educational intervention. The total satisfactory knowledge was 100% immediate post educational intervention compared with 6.7% pre intervention. The total satisfactory level of self care practice was 100% immediate post educational intervention compared with 63.3% pre educational intervention. Conclusion: The educational intervention had a positive effect on children's diabetes self care practices. Recommendations: Periodic educational interventions are required to achieve positive change on diabetic children's self care practices.
Keywords: Diabetic children, educational intervention, Knowledge, Nursing, Practice.
Title: Effect of Educational Intervention on Pediatric Diabetes self Care Practices
Author: Hadeer Hussien Soliman, Wafaa El- Sayed Ouda, Manal Farouk Mohamed, Rehab Hassan Kafl
International Journal of Novel Research in Healthcare and Nursing
ISSN 2394-7330
Vol. 9, Issue 3, September 2022 - December 2022
Page No: 55-64
Novelty Journals
Website: www.noveltyjournals.com
Published Date: 27-September-2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7115915
Paper Download Link (Source)
https://www.noveltyjournals.com/upload/paper/Effect%20of%20Educational%20Intervention-27092022-1.pdfInternational Journal of Novel Research in Healthcare and Nursing, ISSN 2394-7330, Novelty Journals, Website: www.noveltyjournals.co
Environmental Footprint and Economics of a Full-Scale 3D-Printed House
No full text3D printing, is a newly adopted technique in the construction sector with the aim to improve the economics and alleviate environmental impacts. This study assesses the eco-efficiency of 3D printing compared to conventional construction methods in large-scale structural fabrication. A single-storey 3D-printed house was selected in the United Arab Emirates to conduct the comparative assessment against traditional concrete construction. The life cycle assessment (LCA) framework is utilized to quantify the environmental loads of raw materials extraction and manufacturing, as well as energy consumption during construction and operation phases. The economics of the selected structural systems were investigated through life cycle costing analysis (LCCA), that included mainly the construction costs and energy savings. An eco-efficiency analysis was employed to aggregate the results of the LCA and LCCA into a single framework to aid in decision making by selecting the optimum and most eco-efficient alternative. The findings revealed that houses built using additive manufacturing and 3D printed materials were more environmentally favourable. The conventional construction method had higher impacts when compared to the 3D printing method with global warming potential of 1154.20 and 608.55 kg CO2 eq, non-carcinogenic toxicity 675.10 and 11.9 kg 1,4-DCB, and water consumption 233.35 and 183.95 m3, respectively. The 3D printed house was also found to be an economically viable option, with 78% reduction in the overall capital costs when compared to conventional construction methods. The combined environmental and economic results revealed that the overall process of the 3D-printed house had higher eco efficiency compared to concrete-based construction. The main results of the sensitivity analysis revealed that up to 90% of the environmental impacts in 3D printing mortars can be mitigated with decreasing cement ratios
3D Printing in Sustainable Buildings: Systematic Review and Applications in the United Arab Emirates
No full textThree-dimensional printing (3DP) has been rapidly evolving to be one of the leading technology fields in the coming decades. However, as in the early years of new technologies, 3DP suffers from technical limitations and various implications. This study focuses on the applications of 3DP in the construction industry, emphasizing its environmental, financial, and social sustainability aspects. A systematic bibliographic analysis was carried out for the relevant publications which increased by 25-fold from 2014 to 2021. The 3D-printed construction projects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are presented to demonstrate the early 3DP technology penetration into its booming construction sector. The UAE case is of particular interest from a sustainability perspective due to the environmental footprint of the ample construction activities in the country, combined with the ambitious strategic plans to achieve sustainable development goals. This critical analysis shows that, despite the limited literature, 3DP could potentially be a sustainable alternative with up to 49% less environmental footprint and 78% more cost-effectiveness compared to conventional construction techniques. As the social sustainability aspect was the least addressed, this study discusses relevant social impact indicators and systematic assessment criteria. It is evident that 3DP is already reshaping the future of the built environment, especially in cases where 3DP is advantageous, such as customized designs, quick project delivery, and sustainability-oriented constructions
Promising synthesized bis (arylmethylidene) acetone -polymeric PCL emulsified nanoparticles with enhanced antimicrobial/antioxidant efficacy: in-vitro and in-vivo evaluation
No full textIntroduction: Recently, bis(arylmethylidene)acetone drugs known as C5-curcumin, were acknowledged for their potent biological effects as a neoteric synthetic alternative to curcumin effectively used to treat many diseases. Methods: In this study, new polymeric emulsified nanoparticles (PENS) carrying biodegradable polycaprolactone (PCL) polymer moieties within their framework were developed as promising carriers for a modern synthesized bis(arylmethylidene)acetone “(1E,4E)-1,5-di(thiophen-2-yl) penta-1,4dien-3-one” (TPO) with improved bioavailability. Such systems were evaluated by studying their; encapsulation efficiency, release behavior, physicochemical evaluations, TEM and SEM measurements and cytotoxicity, besides the in-vitro and in-vivo biological studies screening. Results: The results revealed high encapsulation efficiency ranging between 99.31± 2.15 and 99.55 ± 2.03 %, and a sustained release behavior for up to 24 h with nanosized particle size. TPO emulsified nanoparticles (TPO-ENPs) showed effective antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans and Aspergillus brasiliensis as well as antioxidant efficacy with a higher scavenging activity of 177.6μg TE/ mg against free radicals of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) relatively to the control drug. F1’ and F2’ TPO-ENPs were safe on Vero-cells and proved a significant reduction of hepatocellular alterations and serum ALT levels in control groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, these novel synthesized TPO-ENPs showed pronounced efficacy as antimicrobial/ antioxidant/ anti-inflammatory/ analgesic/ hepatoprotective therapeutic vehicles
Optimizing aerobic granular sludge process performance: Unveiling the power of coupling experimental factorial design methodology with artificial intelligence modeling
No full textThis research explored innovative approaches, integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and design of experiments, to enhance the performance of the aerobic granular sludge (AGS) process in wastewater treatment. A hybrid model coupling artificial neural networks and random forests (ANN-RF) with response surface methodology (RSM) via central composite design (CCD) and Box-Behnken design (BBD) was developed to improve the optimization process. This model was compared to another one pairing fuzzy logic (FL) and genetic algorithm (GA), using CCD for random run generation. The experimental datasets were obtained from three AGS batch reactors operated under varying hydraulic retention times (HRT) and different chemical oxygen demand (COD), N, and P ratios. Both RSM-AI and FL-GA models optimized these variables toward maximum COD removal. RSM-AI achieved a high fit (desirability index of 1), resulting in 99.1 % COD removal efficiency at COD:N and COD:P ratios of 35–145 and 145–355, respectively, and an HRT of 7.6 h. FL-GA achieved 96.8 % COD removal efficiency at different COD:N and COD:P ratios with an HRT of 6 h. Integrating RSM, AI, FL, and GA presented a comprehensive approach, contributing to AGS reactor scale-up for sustainable wastewater treatment
Physical model tests of the notional permeability on breakwaters
No full textBreakwaters are important objects to protect coastal- and harbour areas. To minimalize the probability of failure of breakwaters, a lot of research has been conducted concerning the stability of breakwaters. After Iribarren and Hudson, an influential research is conducted by Van der Meer. The literature research of this report will provide more background information concerning their researches on the stability of breakwaters. Van der Meer tested three sorts of breakwater constructions. The first breakwater structure contained a homogeneous construction (P=0.6) The second and third structure consisted of respectively a construction with impermeable core (P=0.1) and a structure with a filter layer and a permeable core (P=0.5). These variants of breakwaters were constructed with different slopes angles to require as much information possible concerning the stability of breakwaters. Van der Meer discovered two formulas for the stability of breakwaters. The first formula is used for plunging waves while the second formula is used for surging waves.Within these formulas, important factors as damage, wave height and notional permeability are included. The most important parameter of the formulas of Van der Meer is the notional permeability factor P. Van der Meer conducted his research on three different constructions and has designed a fourth construction based on the stability curves. This fourth construction has a value of permeability of 0.4. This value is estimated based on curve fitting. Following the research done by Van der Meer, Kik has subsequently researched the notional permeability of three breakwater constructions. Firstly, Kik repeated the test with a construction of impermeable core (model 1/P=0.08) and the test with the construction of filter layer and permeable core (model 2/ P=0.05) of Van der Meer. Lastly, Kik did a third test existing of a variant of the design of the fourth construction of Van der Meer (model 3 / P=0.35). Concluding from his research, Kik stated that the ‘Root mean square equation’ is a reliable method to determine the notional permeability P. During this research the influence of the thickness of the filter layer on the notional permeability P is studied. This research will also try to answer the question whether other relevant aspects might influence the notional permeability as well. The elaboration of this research is performed in a practical way in a wave flume in the water laboratory of the faculty of civil engineering of the TU Delft. Scale models of the breakwaters were constructed to test the notional permeability of the breakwaters. In the water laboratory three models were tested. Firstly, model 3 of Kik is repeated as model 3A, with a calculated value of notional permeability P 0.38. The construction of model 3A is build with a top layer, filter layer 1, filter layer 2 and a impermeable core. Second, another variant of model 3 of Kik is designed and tested (model 4). However, the measured damage figures were too low and therefore they could not be used to calculate a value for the notional permeability P. The construction of model four is build with a top layer, filter layer 1, filter layer 2 which is thicker as model 3A and an impermeable core. Finally, model 5 is tested with a calculated value of notional permeability of P 0.45. This model is designed from the fourth construction of Van der Meer. The construction of model 5 is build with a top layer, filter layer 1 and a permeable core with the same material of filter layer 2 of model 3A and model 4. The results of this research show that the influences of the notional permeability P exists of the ratio of the armour layer thickness and the thickness of the second filter layer. If the layer thicknesses are equal the value for notional permeability P is 0.38, which follows from model 3A. If the second layer has an infinite thickness (permeable core), the value for notional permeability P is 0.45, which follows from model 5. The value of the notional permeability P of model 5 corresponds to the design calculations of the computer model HADEER. Van der Meer discovered using this computer model that the ratio of dn50a/ dn50f = 5 has a value on the notional permeability P of 0.43 –0.44. During this research, while using two different methods, a value of the notional permeability P of 0.45 was calculated.coastal engineeringHydraulic EngineeringCivil Engineering and Geoscience
Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study
No full text© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseBackground: Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide. Methods: A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study—a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3·85 [95% CI 2·58–5·75]; p<0·0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63·0% vs 82·7%; OR 0·35 [0·23–0·53]; p<0·0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer. Interpretation: Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised. Funding: National Institute for Health and Care Research
Global variation in postoperative mortality and complications after cancer surgery: a multicentre, prospective cohort study in 82 countries
No full text© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licenseBackground: 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods: This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03471494. Findings: Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation: Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding: National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit
Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries
No full textBackground: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures. Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge. Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to sideeffects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (β coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and lowand middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not. Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely
