Knowledge regarding reverse osmosis (R.O) waste water utilization among general public in urban areas

Introduction: Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification process that uses a partial permeable membrane to remove ions, unwanted molecules and larger particles from drinking water. In reverse osmosis, an applied pressure is used to overcome osmotic pressure, a colligative property that is driven by chemical potential differences of the solvent, a thermodynamic parameter. In the process of reverse osmosis the amount of water that is drained is a concern area for the people using the R.O. filtration device in their household because it wasted about 70% of the water to purify just one liter of water. This R.O. waste water can be utilized for various purposes such as washing vehicle like car bike etc, cleaning toilet this study is aimed to assess the knowledge reverse osmosis waste water utilization among general public at Indore. Objectives: 1. To assess the pretest knowledge regarding reverse osmosis (R.O) waste water utilization among general public. 2. To assess the posttest knowledge regarding reverse osmosis waste water utilization among general public. 3. To evaluate the effectiveness of structured teaching program on reverse osmosis (R.O) waste water utilization among general public. Hypothesis: H1- there will be significant difference between pretest and posttest knowledge who received structured teaching program regarding the utilization of waste R.O water. Materials and Methods: Quantitative, pre-experimental, one group pretest posttest design was adopted for the study. Total of 60 general public selected by using simple randomized sampling technique was used. Description of Tools: Structured knowledge questionnaire. Result: Data was analyzes using descriptive and inferential statistics. Major Finding: In the pre-test majority of the sample (44 out of 60, 73.3%) had inadequate knowledge and in the post-test, majority (54 out of 60, 90%) had adequate knowledge regarding reverse osmosis. A paired‘t’ test was done and it showed a‘t’ value of 22.34 at 0.05 level of significance, this indicates the effectiveness of structured teaching programme in enhancing the knowledge of the general public. There was no association found between the mean pre-test knowledge of the general public. There was no association found between the mean pre-test knowledge scorer with the selected socio-demographic variable such as age (?2 = 8.643), gender (?2 = 4.455), education qualification (?2 = 4.706), Occupation (?2 = 2.531), number of family member (?2 = 5.653) and previous knowledge about reverse osmosis filter water (?2 =0.393). Conclusion: There is a significant difference between the mean pre-test and post-test knowledge score among general public regarding reverse osmosis waste water utilization.

Progress on application of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy in identification of traditional Chinese medicine / 中国中药杂志

With the increasing demand for traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs), the resources of TCMs are gradually rare, and the phenomenon that TCMs fake is a common occurrence. Consequently, we need to urgently improve identification technique of TCMs. Terahertz time-domain spectroscopy(THz-TDS) is a newly emerging spectroscopy technology that has been widely used in image, security inspection, biological detection, medicine, material technology, aerospace, oil exploration and other fields. Which is currently used as a simple and quick method to identify the origins, fake products, processed products and pesticide residues of TCMs, hence, it plays a significant role in supplementing and improving the quality control levels of TCMs. In this paper, the composition principle of THz-TDS and its advantages in authentification of TCMs have been summarized. Additionally, the current situation and application prospects of THz-TDS in the field of TCM identification have also been reviewed.

Sodium reduction in margarine using NaCl substitutes

ABSTRACT Sodium chloride is traditionally used as a food additive in food processing. However, because of its high sodium content, NaCl has been associated with chronic diseases. Margarine is a popular product that is used in several preparations, but it includes high sodium content; therefore, it is among the products whose sodium content should be reduced. Thus, the objective of this study was to produce margarines with reduced sodium content prepared using a salt mixture. The following 4 margarine formulations were prepared: Formulation A (control - 0% sodium reduction), Formulation B (20.8% less sodium), Formulation C (33.0% less sodium) and Formulation D (47.4% less sodium). The low sodium formulations were produced using a salt mixture consisting of NaCl, KCl, and monosodium glutamate at different concentrations. The margarines were evaluated using an acceptance test and descriptive tests: time-intensity and temporal dominance of sensations. The mixture used is a good alternative for preparing low sodium margarine because the low sodium formulations feature equal salinity and do not produce a strange or bad taste. Furthermore, it may be possible to prepare margarines with up to 47.4% less sodium and that are acceptable to consumers.

Molluscicidal effects of 3 molluscicides by spraying and poudrage methods in dry season / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To evaluate the effects of 3 molluscicides namely 5%niclosamide ethanolamine granules,4%“Luo-wei”(Tea-seed distilled saponins,TDS)and 50%wettable powder of niclosamide ethanolamine salt(WPN)by spraying and pou-drage methods in marshland and lake regions in dry season. Methods An environment with a high snail density was chosen as the experimental field,then the spraying and poudrage experiments were carried out in the field to assess the molluscicidal effects of 5%niclosamide ethanolamine granules,TDS and WPN delivered by spraying and poudrage methods with a concentration of 30, 6 and 2 g/m2,respectively,and the molluscicidal effects of the 3 drugs by the two methods were evaluated and compared in differ-ent time. Results After the delivery for 15 d,the adjusted snail death rates of the 5%niclosamide ethanolamine granules,TDS and WPN in the spraying experiment were 79.00%,82.29%and 84.83%,respectively,and those in the poudrage experiments were 97.42%,95.27% and 96.62%,respectively. Conclusion The molluscicidal effect of poudrage method is better than the spraying method,and the former is worthy of further extension and application in the marshland in dry season.

Molluscicidal effect comparison between TDS and MNSC in field / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To compare the molluscicidal effects between“Luo-wei”(TDS),a plant molluscicide in 4 percent, and metaldehyde and niclosamide(MNSC)in the field. Methods A natural ecological environment with Oncomelania hupensis was selected as the test area,the test concentrations of TDS and MNSC were 2.5 g/m3 and 2 ml/m3 respectively by the immersion method;the test doses of TDS and MNSC were 3 g/m2 and 2 ml/m2 respectively by the spray method;the doses of WPN in a control group were 2 g/m3 and 2 g/m2 respectively by the two methods above-mentioned. The molluscicidal effects between TDS and MNSC were compared by using the synchronous design method and parallel comparative method. Results In the TDS group,the death rate of snails was 90.70%by immersion for 24 hours,reached to 81.40%after spraying for 7 days,and there were no significant differences among the observation time points in molluscicidal effects(P>0.05). One day after the spraying,the death rate of snails was less in the TDS group compared with that in the MSCN group(P0.05). In the MSCN group,the death rate of snails was 99.17%by immersion for 24 hours,reached to 66.07% by spraying for 1 day. In the WPS group,the death rate of snails was 97.15% by immersion for 24 hours,reached to 71.43%after spraying for 1 day,and there were no significant differences(both P>0.05). Conclusion TDS has a good molluscicidal activity and stable efficacy,and the molluscicidal effect of TDS is similar to that of MSCN in the filed, but the molluscicidal sensitivity of TDS is lower than that of MSCN.

Municipal wastewater treatment and kinetic studies using immobilized fixed bed anaerobic digester.

This study was designed to evaluate the performance of a cylindrical immobilized fixed Bed. Anaerobic digester in treating diluted municipal waste water. A series of three independent batch experiments was performed for a total operation time of 28 days. The system of anaerobic digestion showed stability conditions, with no noticeable scum or foaming problems. The anaerobic treatment of diluted municipal waste water is done using immobilized fixed bed anaerobic batch reactor. The source of waste generation is a mixed sludge collected from dock yard. The present study, thus initiated a need based experimental work on anaerobic digester incorporated with immobilized poly urethane foam system. The kinetic parameters are also estimated using experimental data. Empirical relations were developed for the characteristics like BOD, COD, SCOD, TDS and TSS using modeling equations.

Nicotine Dependence and Smoking Cessation after Hospital Discharge among Inpatients with Coronary Heart Attacks

This study focuses on the predictability of two alternative questionnaires for nicotine dependence, i.e., the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) and the Tobacco Dependence Screener (TDS), each of which represents a different aspect of dependence, among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Twenty-nine male inpatients that had been newly diagnosed as CHD were followed up for 30 weeks after hospital discharge. The baseline information included age, number of cigarettes per day, years of smoking, disease type (angina pectoris [AP] or acute myocardial infarction [AMI]), whether they had received a briefing on smoking cessation, the FTQ, and the TDS. At 30 weeks after hospital discharge, 19 (66%) were abstainers. The group with a high TDS score (of 6 or greater) was significantly less likely to quit smoking than the group with a low TDS score (p=0.046). The FTQ score was not significantly different between the abstainers and non-abstainers. The subjects with AP were significantly less likely to quit smoking than those with AMI (p=0.021). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that belonging to the high-TDS group and being diagnosed as AP were significantly associated with failure in smoking cessation (p<0.05). The present study suggests that the TDS may have higher predictability than the FTQ concerning smoking cessation among CHD inpatients.

Nicotine dependence and smoking cessation after hospital discharge among inpatients with coronary heart attacks

This study focuses on the predictability of two alternative questionnaires for nicotine dependence, i.e., the Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (FTQ) and the Tobacco Dependence Screener (TDS), each of which represents a different aspect of dependence, among patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). Twenty-nine male inpatients that had been newly diagnosed as CHD were followed up for 30 weeks after hospital discharge. The baseline information included age, number of cigarettes per day, years of smoking, disease type (angina pectoris [AP] or acute myocardial infarction [AMI), whether they had received a briefing on smoking cessation, the FTQ, and the TDS. At 30 weeks after hospital discharge, 19 (66%) were abstainers. The group with a high TDS score (of 6 or greater) was significantly less likely to quit smoking than the group with a low TDS score (p=0.046). The FTQ score was not significantly different between the abstainers and non-abstainers. The subjects with AP were significantly less likely to quit smoking than those with AMI (p=0.021). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that belonging to the high-TDS group and being diagnosed as AP were significantly associated with failure in smoking cessation (p<0.05). The present study suggests that the TDS may have higher predictability than the FTQ concerning smoking cessation among CHD inpatients.