129 research outputs found
Toxicity evaluation of selected ionic liquid compounds on embryonic development of Zebrafish.
No full textHydrate formation in seafloor pipelines is considered an economic and flow assurance issue for the oil and gas industries. Ionic liquids (ILs) have been recently used as potential hydrate inhibitors. Although branded as green compounds, their ecotoxicity in case of leakage from pipelines onto the aquatic environment needs more deep evaluations. Here, we investigate the impacts of three ILs previously used as successful thermodynamic hydrate inhibitors namely choline chloride (ChC1), 1-methyl-1-propyl pyrrolidinium triflate (PMPy [triflate]) and tetra-methyl ammonium acetate (TMAA). Mortality (including LC50), teratogenicity, locomotion and neurotoxicity, and hatching rate were utilized to investigate any potential acute toxicity of these ILs on embryonic development of zebrafish. No significant mortality or teratogenic effects were found for all tested compounds in a concentration range between 50 and 200 mg/L. The LC50 was significantly higher than the tested dose >200 mg/L. While, up to 200 mg/L all compound had no impact on the survival rate, ChCl showed a significant effect on neuromuscular development as judged by the increase of spontaneous tail coiling activity (25 VS 4 burst/ minutes of the negative control-treated embryos). Further, apart from PMPy [triflate], ChC1 and TMAA had a significant adverse effect on the hatching rate of the treated embryos at concentrations of 200 mg/L. However, this effect was very mild at lower concentrations (≤100 mg/L). Our data indicate that within the tested concentrations both TMAA and PMPy [triflate] had no or little potential harmful effect on embryonic development of aquatic fauna "green", while ChC1 should be used with caution
Inhibition of Inorganic Oilfield Scales: Theoretical Investigation
Get PDFScale deposition is a critical issue in the oil and gas exploration and production processes causing significant blocking in the tubing and consequently flow assurance and economic losses. Most studies addressing the scale formation have focused on the experimental impact of different variables on scale formation. At the start of this work, the formation and inhibition of inorganic oilfield scales such as iron sulfide, calcite, and barite scales theoretically was analyzed by using Density-Functional Theory (DFT) simulation. Molecular dynamics simulation and DFT calculation were used to investigate the inhibition effects of four different scale inhibitors polyacrylic acid (PAA), hydrolyzed polymaleic anhydride (HPMA), polyepoxysuccinic acid (PESA) and polyaspartic acid (PASP) on iron sulfide scale formation. After that, the inhibition of barite scale deposition was investigated by employing molecular simulation (VASP and DFT) for three different scale inhibitors namely: (Polyaspartic acid, PASP; Nitrilotrimethylenephosphonateand, NTPM; Dimethylenetriaminepenta (methylene-phosphonic acid), DETPMP). The selected inhibitors are widely used in the industry. Geometrical analysis were used to explore the inhibitors performance and visualize the outcomes. QSAR parameters were also used to predict the activity of the inhibitors in the system. . Binding energy calculation produced - 1.06 eV, -0.17 eV, and -2.33 eV for PASP, NTPM, and DETPMP, respectively. The results of this study indicated that the inhibition strength of the three inhibitors on barite scale formation can be sequenced as DETPMP>PASP>NTPM, which is in agreement with experimental observations. Moreover, the ecological toxicity properties were predicted, and the environmental impact of the different inhibitors assessed. All inhibitors showed comparable eco-tox properties, and predicted to be soluble in water. Molecular simulations proved to be an effective tool in the prediction of the performance and toxicity of barite scale inhibitors
Higher and Middle Management Perspectives on Patient-Centered Care in an Oncology Setting: A Qualitative Study
No full textBackground: Patient center care (PCC) plays a crucial role in achieving the organizational and patient outcomes. Literature suggests that PCC enhance patient’s adherence to treatment, lower the cost of health care organization. This study aimed explore the higher and middle managers’ perceptions of patient-centered care (PCC) in an oncology setting, identify the PCC implementation challenges in the oncology setting, and understand the role of managers in facilitating PCC within the oncology context. Methods: Sampling involved the use of the purposive sampling technique on 17 middle managers and 6 upper managers who had been working in an oncology setting. The six-step thematic analysis method was used for data analysis. Results: The interviews identified six main themes and seventeen subthemes: “comprehensive care, partnership, and informed decision-making”, “infrastructure and support systems”, “leadership influence on patient-centered care”, “cultural and operational barriers”, “perceived outcomes”, and “strategies to enhance PCC in oncology”. The subthemes of comprehensive care included fostering partnerships and enabling informed decisions. The infrastructure and support systems encompassed educational empowerment and service integration. Leadership influence highlighted the role of elevating awareness, providing organizational support, and promoting comprehensive care. The cultural and operational barriers addressed the challenges faced in implementation. The perceived outcomes focused on the results of patient-centered care, while strategies to enhance PCC in oncology provided actionable insights for improvement. This provides a comprehensive understanding of the perceptions of middle and higher managers on patient-centered care (PCC) in oncology settings. It identifies key challenges in PCC implementation, highlights the critical role of managers in facilitating PCC, and offers actionable strategies for enhancing PCC
Towards digital readiness of evidence-based practice in a regional cancer center using role-based business process and data modeling
No full textIntroduction Evidence-based practice is a problem-based solving approach to clinical practice that encourages nurses providing personalized patient care while utilizing the necessary scientific evidence for a better understanding of risks and benefits of diagnostic tests and treatments. Digital transformation of an organization begins with attaining an acceptable digital readiness level. One approach entails specifying and modeling their processes and the respective data models. Objectives In Jordan, at King Hussein Cancer Center—an international and regional accredited cancer care hospital—their nursing practice requires obtaining a standardized specification of evidence-based practice processes and their respective conceptual data model that is currently not specified for digital readiness. Methods The design science research methodology was adopted to deliver two increments. The first was concerned with the design, development, and demonstration of eight evidence-based practice processes specified using BPMN. The second was related to the design and development, demonstration, and evaluation of a respective derived data model of the case study. Both increments involved interviews with domain experts for elicitation and validation. Results Eight evidence-based practice process models were identified and specified using BPMN along with their associated data models, where one representative process model was utilized in this research to demonstrate the effectiveness of process and data modeling towards digital readiness of evidence-based practice in regional cancer center. Conclusions Both deliverables enabled the evidence-based practice management to attain common understanding to identify inefficiencies, redundancies, and areas for improvement that can be addressed through digital solutions. Evidence -based practice BPMN process models were considered as a road map to follow up a project implementation and a rich visualization to perform data analytics to identify evidence-based practice trends, patterns, and insights that can inform strategic data-driven decisions. Both deliverables were concluded necessary for developing respective information systems in the journey towards digital transformation
HIGH PRESSURE CO2/N2 AND CO2/CH4 SEPARATION USING DENSE POLYSULFONE SUPPORTED IONIC LIQUID MEMBRANES (DPSILMS)
Get PDFThe separation of carbon dioxide from different sources (e.g. natural gas, flue gas, etc.) has become an important area of research. Some conventional methods of CO2 separation were used over the years including adsorption (with porous solids), absorption (with amines), cryogenic separation and membranes. Amongst these technologies, Supported Ionic Liquid Membranes (SILMs) technology has been developed in the past few years and became one of the promising techniques in CO2 separation from gas streams. SILMs technology combines the advantages of both membranes and ionic liquids (ILs) hence it has become an interest of many recent studies. Most of the synthesized SILMs in literature uses porous membranes to support the ionic liquids. Although these SILMs achieve high permeability of CO2, the separation selectivity to the other gas is very low due to the high permeance of the other gas. Another drawback of porous SILMs is the membrane failure with high pressures due to ionic liquid loss through the pores of the support membrane.
In this work, we look alternative solutions to overcome these disadvantages by synthesizing SILMs using dense (non-porous) polymeric support by which limiting or eliminating ILs loss through the membrane and increase the selectivity of CO2 separation. Four types of ionic liquids (ILs) were blended with polysulfone (PSF) to produce functional dense polymeric-supported ionic liquid membranes (DPSILMs). These ionic liquids are 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bistriflamide [C4mim][NTf2] and Di-iso-propyl 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium bistriflamide [DIP-C4mim][NTf2], Tributylmethylphosphonium formate [P4441][formate], and Tributylmethylammonium formate [N4441][formate].
The main aim of this study is to investigate the potential use of the synthesized DPSILMs in the industrial gas processing applications for high-pressure CO2 separation from N2 and CH4 streams with less or no loss of ILs. The synthesized DPSILMs were analysed using FTIR and SEM and showed a clear chemical and physical change in the structure PSF and well distribution of ILs in PSF. Binary mixtures of CO2/N2 and CO2/CH4 (5 mol% CO2) were used in the study. Selectivity values for the prepared DPSILMs were obtained using a high-pressure membrane unit obtained from Rubotherm Präzisionsmesstechnik GmbH apparatus (System 2). The highest CO2/N2 selectivity values were 36 for both PSF-0.5 wt% [DIP-C4mim][NTf2], PSF-25 wt% [N4441][formate], 29 and 21 for PSF-0.5 wt% [C4mim][NTf2] and PSF-50 wt% [P4441][formate] respectively. Whereas the highest CO2/CH4 selectivity results were 70, 63, 47, and 32 for PSF-2.5 wt% [C4mim][NTf2], PSF-2.5 wt% [DIP-C4mim][NTf2], PSF-0.5 wt% [N4441][formate], and PSF-5 wt% [P4441][formate] respectively. Another system was used to measure the permeability of each gas (System 1) to be plotted then on Robeson's upper bound (2008) with other PSF blends in the literature for better comparison. The plot showed that the synthesized DPSILMs gave satisfying results and behave as well or better than different types of reported PSF blends. The highest CO2 permeabilities (with CO2/N2 separation measurements) obtained with each IL were 19, 13.6, 10.8, and 8.9 barrer with PSF-25 wt% [N4441][formate], PSF-5 wt% [p4441][formate], PSF-0.5 wt% [DIP- C4mim][NTf2], and PSF-5 wt% [C4mim][NTf2] respectively. However with CO2/CH4 separation measurements, the highest CO2 permeabilities were 17.3, 13.8, 12.5, and 11.5 barrer with PSF-12.5 wt% [P4441][formate], PSF-2.5 wt% [DIP-C4mim][NTf2], PSF-0.5 wt% [N4441][formate], and PSF-2.5 wt% [C4mim][NTf2] respectively.
Stability measurements of the synthesized DPSILMs were conducted regarding ILs loss and CO2/CH4 separation efficiency. Stability results showed that DPSILMs with 5 wt% [P4441][formate] and [N4441][formate] showed about 30% and 20% ILs loss respectively at 10 bar after 12 hours with small reduction in CO2/CH4 selectivity; while no loss of [DIP-C4mim][NTf2] and [C4mim][NTf2] was observed.Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation) under NPRP Grant # [09-739-2-284
The Impact Of Using Multi-Sensory Approach For Teaching Students With Learning Disabilities
Get PDFThe purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of using the Multi-Sensory Approach for teaching students with learning disabilities on the sixth grade students' achievement in mathematics at Jordanian public schools. To achieve the purpose of the study, a pre/post-test was constructed to measure students' achievement in mathematics. The test consisted of twenty items on mathematics. The sample of the study comprised (117) sixth grade students in Ruqaya bent Al Rasoul School for girls and Fatima bent el Yaman school for girls in Irbid the first directorate of Education and was distributed into four sections, which were selected purposefully. The sample of the study was divided into four groups (two experimental and two control groups). The experimental group was taught using multi-sensory approach while the control group was taught using the current approach. The sample of the study was (62) students in the experimental group and (55) students in the control group. Those groups were distributed into four purposefully selected sections in Ruqaya bent Al Rasoul School for girls and Fatima bent el Yaman school for girls in Irbid the first directorate of Education. Descriptive statistical analyses were used (Means and Standard Deviation) for the pre and post- tests of students' mathematics test to experimental and control groups. The findings of the study indicated that there were statistically significant differences in the post- test between the control and the experimental groups in favor of the experimental group. The researcher proposed some recommendations to enhance the importance of parental involvement on students' achievement in English language such as conducting further studies on other populations and for a longer time
The Libyan Arabic version of the Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR)
No full textThe Juvenile Arthritis Multidimensional Assessment Report (JAMAR) is a new parent/patient reported outcome measure that enables a thorough assessment of the disease status in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We report the results of the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the parent and patient versions of the JAMAR in the Libyan Arabic language. The reading comprehension of the questionnaire was tested in 10 JIA parents and patients. Each participating centre was asked to collect demographic, clinical data, and the JAMAR in 100 consecutive JIA patients or all consecutive patients seen in a 6-month period and to administer the JAMAR to 100 healthy children and their parents. The statistical validation phase explored descriptive statistics and the psychometric issues of the JAMAR: the 3 Likert assumptions, floor/ceiling effects, internal consistency, Cronbach’s alpha, interscale correlations, test–retest reliability, and construct validity (convergent and discriminant validity). A total of 100 JIA patients (22.0% systemic, 26.0% oligoarticular, 25.0% RF negative polyarthritis, and 27.0% other categories) and 100 healthy children, were enrolled in a paediatric rheumatology centre. The JAMAR components discriminated well healthy subjects from JIA patients. Notably, there is no significant difference between the healthy subjects and their affected peers in the school-related problems variable. All JAMAR components revealed satisfactory psychometric performances. In conclusion, the Libyan Arabic version of the JAMAR is a valid tool for the assessment of children with JIA and is suitable for use both in routine clinical practice and clinical research
El derecho del trabajo frente a la libertad de empresa: principios de igualdad y no discriminación por razón de sexo en el acceso al empleo
Get PDFLa Constitución Española reconoce en su artículo 38 el derecho a la libertad de empresa, el cual comporta, no solo la creación de entidades con personalidad jurídica propia, sino también, la libre disposición por parte de los empresarios de contratar al personal que estime conveniente para la consecución de sus fines patrimoniales. Del mismo modo, los artículos 14 y 35.1 de la Norma fundamental, recogen los derechos a la igualdad y a la no discriminación por varios motivos, así como el derecho a acceder al empleo en igualdad de condiciones sin que dicho acceso pueda hacerse de forma discriminatoria por razón de sexo. Se produce de este modo, un enfrentamiento entre dos derechos fundamentales recogidos en el texto constitucional y cuyo ejercicio se ve limitado por la colisión con otro derecho, y ello porque la eficacia de los derechos fundamentales no se circunscribe a la acción de los poderes públicos sino también a la de los particulares.Grado en Relaciones Laborales y Recursos Humano
A solid-phase extractant based on microemulsion modified date pits for toxic pollutants
No full textApplication of microemulsion modified raw date pits as an inexpensive solid extractant for removing methylene blue (MB), copper ion (Cu2+) and cadmium ion (Cd2+) has been presented. The results summarised herein are also part of an investigation conducted to evaluate the adsorption capacity by taking into consideration the experimental parameters such as pH, particle size and initial solute concentration. The experimental data obtained from the adsorption isotherms studies were used to find pollutants distribution factors and modelled using both Langmuir and Freundlich equations. The modified adsorbent was more effective toward all pollutants with high removal capacities (50–350 mg/g) and with very large distribution values (9–235 L/g) which indicates the suitability of this new material for extraction organic and inorganic pollutants. After microemulsion modification, the FTIR scans of the samples show clear differences in the position and intensity the characteristics bands of the raw date pits (RDP). Three mechanisms of the MB, Cu2+ and Cd2+ adsorption onto μE-MDP are possible: (i) adsorption by an electrostatic force of the anionic head group of the surfactant and the positive charge of the dye (MB+) or the metal ions (Cu2+ or Cd2+), (ii) adsorption by tail groups of the surfactant and the hydrophobic character of the MB molecules. The MB is a basic dye and has basic characteristics and therefore is expected to interact strongly with the anionic head groups of the surfactants (RCOO–). In the contrary, the Cu2+ and Cd2+ ions are not expected to interact by the tail groups of the surfactant where the ionic radii of these ions may explain the differences between Cu2+ (0.72 Å) and Cd2+ (0.99 Å) adsorption capacities and (iii) filling the channel (pores) of the RDP by dissolving in the microemulsion micelles.Scopu
- …
