ABSTRACT
This work describes the development of supported zeolite-Y membranes, prepared using the hydrothermal method, for the removal of nickel from an aqueous solution. Alumina hollow fibers prepared using the phase inversion and sintering technique were used as an inert support. The supported zeolite-Y membranes were characterized using the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and the water permeation and rejection test. The performance of the supported zeolite-Y membranes for heavy metal removal using batch adsorption and filtration test was studied using the atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). The adsorption study shows that the removal of nickel was pH-dependent but affected by the presence of α-alumina. The seeded zeolite-Y membrane gave the highest adsorption capacity which was 126.2 mg g-1. This enabled the membrane to remove 63% of nickel ions from the aqueous solution within 180 min of contact time. The adsorption mechanism of nickel onto the zeolite-Y membrane was best fitted to the Freundlich isotherm. The kinetic study concluded that the adsorption was best fitted to pseudo-second-order model with higher correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.9996). The filtration study proved that the zeolite-Y membrane enabled to reduce the concentration of heavy metal at parts per billion level.
Subject(s)
Aluminum Oxide/chemistry , Metals, Heavy/chemistry , Nickel/chemistry , Water Pollutants, Chemical/analysis , Water Purification/methods , Zeolites/chemistry , Adsorption , Aluminum Oxide/analysis , Kinetics , Water Pollutants, Chemical/chemistry , X-Ray DiffractionABSTRACT
A module entitled 'SayangKU' (MyLove), based on the Islamic perspective, was developed as an instrument to assist adolescents that involved in premarital sexual activity. The module comprises four phases: Love of God (Allah), Love of the Prophet, Love of Oneself, and Love of the Ummah (world). From analysis of Rasch, the value of item reliability was .80 and an individual reliability was .95. Dimensionality value was more than 40 % variance explained by measures, and level of agreement among experts was 86.88 %. The posttest shows the better result from pretest and proves the effectiveness of the module.
Subject(s)
Adolescent Behavior/psychology , Religion and Sex , Sexual Behavior/psychology , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Male , Reproducibility of Results , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
The distal femurs of 100 subjects (50 men, 50 women) from the Malay population aged between 19 and 38 years were scanned to measure the anterior-posterior (AP) and medial-lateral (ML) width. The mean AP values were 64.02 ± 3.38 mm and 57.33 ± 3.26 mm for men and women, respectively, and the mean ML values were 74.91 ± 3.52 mm and 64.53 ± 3.07 mm. We compared our data to that published previously for the Chinese and Indian populations. It was found that the Malay population had smaller distal femur than that of the Chinese but was larger than that of the Indian population (P < 0.05). In conclusion, although it is well established that Asians have a smaller distal femur size than that of the Western population, the variations in different Asian ethnicities may need to be considered when designing the appropriate knee implant.
Subject(s)
Anthropometry/methods , Femur/anatomy & histology , Adult , Asian People , Demography , Ethnicity , Female , Humans , Image Processing, Computer-Assisted , India , Malaysia , Male , Young AdultABSTRACT
Retrocaval ureter is a rare cause of hydronephrosis. Its rarity and non-specific presentation pose a challenge to surgeons and radiologists in making the correct diagnosis. Differentiation from other causes of urinary tract obstruction, especially the more common urolithiasis, is important for successful surgical management. Current practice has seen multislice computed tomography (MSCT) rapidly replaces intravenous urography (IVU) in the assessment of patients with hydronephrosis due to suspected urolithiasis, especially ureterolithiasis. However, MSCT, without adequate opacification of the entire ureter, may allow the physician to overlook a retrocaval ureter as the cause of hydronephrosis. High-resolution IVU images can demonstrate the typical appearance that leads to the accurate diagnosis of a retrocaval ureter. We reported a case that illustrates this scenario and highlights the importance of IVU in the assessment of a complex congenital disorder involving the urinary tract.
Subject(s)
Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Ceftriaxone/therapeutic use , Cefuroxime/therapeutic use , Kerosene/poisoning , Lung Abscess/chemically induced , Air , Child, Preschool , Humans , Lung/diagnostic imaging , Lung Abscess/diagnostic imaging , Lung Abscess/drug therapy , Male , Radiography , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
Hydrocephalus is a common neurological disorder in children and the result of a variety of causes. However, with the advancement of imaging modalities, particularly MRI, previously reported rarer causes of hydrocephalus in children are now being more readily appreciated. We report an 11-year-old boy with diffuse villous hyperplasia of the choroid plexus. He had a ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt in-situ and a prior diagnosis from infancy of congenital aqueduct stenosis as the cause of his hydrocephalus. His current presentation was with further shunt dysfunction. CT and MRI demonstrated enlarged choroid plexuses but did not confirm aqueduct stenosis. CSF overproduction was demonstrated from the externalized ventricular drain. The enlarged choroid plexuses were surgically resected and histology confirmed choroid plexus hyperplasia. Identification of choroid plexus hyperplasia is important since the neurosurgical management of hydrocephalus is not VP shunt insertion, but resection of the hyperplastic choroid plexus.
