Domestic wastewater treatment by Pistia stratiotes in constructed wetland.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the performance of Pistia stratiotes for treatment of domestic wastewater in a free surface water flow constructed wetland. The objective of the study was to evaluate contaminants removal efficiency of the constructed wetland vegetated with P. stratiotes in treatment of domestic wastewater against Hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 10, 20 and 30 days was investigated. This asks for newer and efficient low-cost nature-based water treatment system which along with cost takes into consideration the sustainability of the ecosystem. Five constructed wetland setups improved the wastewater quality and purify it significantly by reducing the TDS by 83%, TSS by 82%, BOD by 82%, COD by 81%, Chloride by 80%, Sulfate by 77%, NH3 by 84% and Total Oil and Grease by 74%. There was an increase in pH of about 11.9%. Color and odor of wastewater was also improved significantly and effectively. It was observed that 30 days' HRT was optimum for the treatment of domestic wastewater. The final effluent was found to be suitable as per national environmental quality standards and recycled for watering plants and crop irrigation but not for drinking purposes. The treatment in constructed wetland system was found to be economical, as the cost of construction only was involved and operational and maintenance cost very minimal. Even this research was conducted on the sole purpose of commuting the efficiency of pollutant removal in short span time.

Role of media and the media hypes in the aftermath of mass casualty incidents a qualitative thematic content analysis.

Objective: To explore the role of media during mass casualty events and its impact on people. METHODS: The qualitative thematic content analysis was conducted at Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, from 2018 to 2020 and comprised of semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions involving participants from the health sector and policymakers at the provincial level. The Frontline Workers such as the ambulance drivers and the first-aid-givers were also included. Data was subjected to conventional content analysis to generate themes. RESULTS: There were 5 in-depth interviews and 4 focus group discussions in the study. Qualitative analysis revealed that the media has a great deal to do in times of a disaster. The media is the strongest weapon and largely impacts people's mind and behaviour, but it has been playing with their emotions and creating unrest among them. Conclusion: There is a need for the policymakers to set guidelines and define the role of the media in times of a disaster.

Efficacy of Natural Formulation Containing Activated Charcoal, Calcium Sennosides, Peppermint Oil, Fennel Oil, Rhubarb Extract, and Purified Sulfur (Nucarb®) in Relieving Constipation.

Introduction Long-term use of laxatives may have side effects such as bloating, allergic reaction, abdominal pain, metabolic disturbances, and hepatotoxicity. In this study, we have compared the efficacy of herbal medicine Nucarb, a combination of activated charcoal, calcium sennosides, peppermint oil, fennel oil, rhubarb extract, and purified sulfur, in relieving constipation. Methods This longitudinal study was conducted in multiple cities of Pakistan from April 2021 to June 2021. A total of 1000 patients, of either gender between age group 18 and 75 years, with complete spontaneous bowel movement of less than or equal to two times per week, were enrolled in the study. Participants were prescribed two tablets of Nucarb once daily (OD) at bedtime for the first seven days, followed by one tablet of Nucarb OD at bedtime for the following seven days. They were asked to return for follow-up after 14 days. Results There was a statistically significant improvement in all six components of constipation. After 14 days, the severity of constipation reduced by 80.70%, the sensation of straining was reduced by 72.69%, and the feeling of incomplete evacuation was reduced by 71.87%. There was no adverse event reported. Conclusion Nucarb is efficacious in reducing the severity of constipation, sensation of straining, bloating and abdominal pain, feeling of incomplete evacuation, and difficulty in passing gas. Since it is a herbal product, it can be safely used in all populations.

Spiritual Health Among Pakistani Religious and Non-Religious Professional: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study Highlighting the Role of Regional Beliefs and Practices.

BACKGROUND: Spiritual health forms the core of health and is associated with better physical and mental health. Spiritual health and wellbeing has been shown to be significantly associated with better mental outcomes, yet there's lack of understanding of the determinants of spiritual health. Religious practices have been shown to improve health and have been assumed to be associated with spirituality, yet there remains a gap between religious practices and spiritual health. It is therefore, crucial to understand the role of religious beliefs and practices in improving spiritual health. PURPOSE: To assess spiritual wellbeing between religious and non-religious professionals and assess how regional religious beliefs and practices are associated with spiritual wellbeing. METHODS: We examined spiritual health among religious and non-religious professionals. A comparative cross sectional study was done with a sample size of 210. Differences of spiritual health and spiritual experiences, perceived spiritual traits and psychological parameters were observed. RESULTS: Religious professionals were found to be more spiritually healthy than non-religious professionals (P < .05). Spiritual experiences weakly contribute to spiritual health (r = 0.39, P < .05). Perceived spiritual traits including frequency of prayer (ß = 5.25, CI = 1.80-8.70, P < .01) and belief in the presence of Supreme Being (ß = 1.001, CI = 0.120-1.883, P < .05) influenced spiritual wellbeing and spiritual wellbeing showed a negative association with psychological parameters including anger (OR = 0.95, CI = 0.929-0.987, P < .05). CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: The findings from this study show that religious professionals tend to be more spiritually healthy than non-religious professionals highlighting the importance of incorporating religious practices to ensure spiritual wellbeing. Improving spiritual wellbeing can provide an important tool for promoting holistic healing.

Heavy metal bioremediation of coal-fired flue gas using microalgae under different CO2 concentrations.

Sustainability assessments have revealed that integration of CO2 from coal-fired flue gas with microalgae cultivation systems could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The technical goal of this integration is to utilize exhaust from coal power plants to enhance microalgae cultivation processes by capturing and recycling of carbon dioxide from a more toxic to a less toxic form. However, heavy metals are also introduced along with CO2 to the cultivation system which could contaminate biomass and have deleterious effects on products derived from such systems. The present study aimed at shedding some light on capability of microalgae to sustain their diversity and propagate them under different CO2 concentrations from coal-fired flue gas. Mixed microalgal culture was grown in nutrient rich medium and heavy metals (Al, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) are expected to be introduced from flue gas. Three concentrations (1%, 3% and 5.5%) of CO2 were evaluated (reference concentrations from flue gas). Comparative studies were carried out by flue gas and control systems in photobioreactors. Under the 3% CO2 (30% flue gas), the highest fraction of B, Mn and Zn were found to be internalized by the cells (46.8 ±9.45 gL-1, 253.66 ± 40.62 gL-1 and 355.5 ±50.69 gL-1 respectively) during their cultivation period into biomass. Hence, microalgae may offer solution to two major challenges: providing potential biofuel feedstock for energy security and reducing heavy metal pollution to the air.

Mixed microalgae consortia growth under higher concentration of CO2 from unfiltered coal fired flue gas: Fatty acid profiling and biodiesel production.

Biodiesel is produced by transesterification of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) from oleaginous microalgae feedstock. Biodiesel fuel properties were studied and compared with biodiesel standards. Qualitative analysis of FAME was done while cultivating mixed microalgae consortia under three concentrations of coal fired flue gas (1%, 3.0% and 5.5% CO2). Under 1% CO2 concentration (flue gas), the FAME content was 280.3 µg/mL, whereas the lipid content was 14.03 µg/mL/D (day). Both FAMEs and lipid contents were low at other CO2 concentrations (3.0 and 5.5%). However, mixed consortia in the presence of phosphate buffer and flue gas (PB + FG) showed higher saturated fatty acids (SFA) (36.28%) and unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) (63.72%) versus 5.5% CO2 concentration, which might be responsible for oxidative stability of biodiesel. Subsequently, higher cetane number (52) and low iodine value (136.3 gI2/100 g) biodiesel produced from mixed consortia (PB + FG) under 5.5% CO2 along with 50 mM phosphate buffer were found in accordance with European (EN 14214) standard. Results revealed that phosphate buffer significantly enhanced the biodiesel quality, but reduced the FAME yield. This study intended to develop an integrated approach for significant improvement in biodiesel quality under surplus phosphorus by utilizing waste flue gas (as CO2 source) using microalgae. The CO2 sequestration from industrial flue gas not only reduced greenhouse gases, but may also ensure the sustainable and eco-benign production of biodiesel.

Selection and adaptation of microalgae to growth in 100% unfiltered coal-fired flue gas.

Microalgae have been considered for biological carbon capture and sequestration to offset carbon emissions from fossil fuel combustion. This study shows that mixed biodiverse microalgal communities can be selected for and adapted to tolerate growth in 100% flue gas from an unfiltered coal-fired power plant that contained 11% CO2. The high SOx and NOx emissions required slow adaptation of microalgae over many months, with step-wise increases from 10% to 100% flue gas supplementation and phosphate buffering at higher concentrations. After a rapid decline in biodiversity over the first few months, community profiling revealed Desmodesmus spp. as the dominant microalgae. To the authors' knowledge this work is the first to demonstrate that up 100% unfiltered flue gas from coal-fired power generation can be used for algae cultivation. Implementation of serial passages over a range of photobioreactors may contribute towards the development of microalgal-mediated carbon capture and sequestration processes.

Soft tissue and water substitutes for megavoltage photon beams: An EGSnrc-based evaluation.

In this work, soft-tissue equivalence of water, polystyrene, PMMA and water equivalence of polystyrene, and PMMA has been assessed for multiple megavoltage photon beams and field sizes. EGSnrc based Monte Carlo (MC) codes, BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc are used for the linac head modeling and the phantom dose calculations, respectively. Percentage depth doses (PDDs) are scored for two field sizes (5 × 5 cm2, 10 × 10 cm2) and photon energies (6 MV and 10 MV) in water, polystyrene, PMMA, and soft tissue. The comparisons of PDDs show that soft-tissue equivalence of various materials varies with the depth in the phantom, field size, and photon energy. Water and PMMA are found to be the closest soft-tissue and water substitutes, respectively. Soft-tissue and water equivalence of dosimetry materials need to be evaluated for a range of photon energies and field sizes before their application in complex radiation beams.