The object with the study of this literature was to describe differente programs of care and patients and relatives experience and opinion about the caring for patients with Anorexia Nervosa. The method the author used was a descriptive literature study based on imperial studies. The studies were based on 15 scientific articles within the chosen field. The results shows that these patients hade special needs to be seen and heard as individuals, involved in their own treatment, and have good contact with the caring staff. The study also shows which methods were mostly appreciated involving nurses, patients and relatives. Results show the patients appreciating the individual therapy and an empathetic caring staff. Parents though thought that family therapy was the best treatment. Here they felt they could show their feelings and at the same time get help and advice in handling different situations. The result also shows problem areas such as framing oneself from the world or patients starting a competition of weight loss among the group members. The study also shows the difference in the nurses views of the different situation. Most nurses found it difficult to treat Anorexia Nervosa or to understand the illness, didn’t feel they had enough knowledge of the psychological health. It also shows that more studies and knowledge is needed in regards to forms and ways of treatment and the different causes of the illness.

Cancer is one of the challenges for today's medicine and therefore a great deal of effort is being put into improving known methods of treatment and developing new ones. A new method that has been proposed is magnetic hyperthermia where magnetic nanoparticles linked to the tumor dissipate heat when subjected to an alternating magnetic field and will thus increase the temperature of the tumor. This method makes the tumor more susceptible to radiation therapy and chemotherapy, or can be used to elevate the temperature of the tumor cells to cause cell death. The particles proposed for this are single core and often have a size in the range of 10 nm to 50 nm. To achieve an effective treatment the particles should have a narrow size distribution and the proper size. In this work, a theoretical model for predicting the heating power generated by magnetic nanoparticles was evaluated. The model was compared with experimental results for magnetite particles of size 15 nm to 35 nm dissolved in water. The properties of the particles were characterized, including measurements of the magnetic saturation, the effective anisotropy constant, average size and size distribution. To evaluate the results from the model the AC susceptibility and heating power were experimentally determined. The model is a two-step model. First the out-of-phase component of the AC susceptibility as a function of frequency is calculated. Then this result is used to calculate the heating power. The model gives a correct prediction of the shape of the out-of-phase component of the susceptibility but overestimates its magnitude. Using the experimentally determined out-of-phase component of the susceptibility, the model estimation of the heating power compares quite well with the measured values.

Anaerobic co-digestion of organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), with thickened waste activated sludge (TWAS) and primary sludge (PS) has the potential to enhance (biodegradation) of solid waste, increase longevity of existing landfills and lead to more sustainable development by improving waste to energy production. This study reports on mesophilic batch anaerobic biological methane potential (BMP) assays carried out with different concentrations and combinations (ratios) of OFMSW, TWAS (microwave (MW) pre-treated and untreated) and PS to assess digester stability and potential improved specific biodegradability and potential increased specific biogas production by digestion of OFMSW with PS and TWAS in various tri-substrate mixtures. Results indicated improvements in specific biogas production with concomitant improvements in COD and volatile solid (VS) removal for co-digestion of OMSW, TWAS and PS vs. controls. In terms of improvements in biogas production and digester stability the OFMSW:TWAS:PS:50:25:25 ratio with or without TWAS MW treatment was deemed best for further continuous digester studies. At a 15d HRT which is the regulatory policy in the province of Ontario for municipal mesophilic anaerobic TWAS:PS treatment, co-digestion of OFMSW:TWAS:PS, and OFMSW:TWASMW:PS resulted in a 1.38 and 1.46 fold relative improvement in biogas production and concomitant waste stabilization when compared to TWAS:PS and TWASMW:PS digestion at the same HRT and volumetric VS loading rate respectively. Treatment of OFMSW with PS and TWAS provides beneficial effects that could be exploited at MWWTP that are being operated at loading rates less than design capacity.

University of Macau / Faculty of Science and Technology / Department of Electromechanical Engineering

Flax fibers can be used as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional reinforcing fibers (e.g., glass) in composites. The interest in natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites is growing rapidly due to its high performance in terms of mechanical properties, significant processing advantages, excellent chemical resistance, low cost and low density. These advantages place natural fiber composites among the high performance composites having economic and environmental advantages. In the field of technical utilization of plant fibers, flax fiber-reinforced composites represent one of the most important areas. On the other hand, lack of good interfacial adhesion and poor resistance to moisture absorption make the use of natural fiber-reinforced composites less attractive. In order to improve their interfacial properties, fibers were subjected to chemical treatments, namely, mercerization, silane treatment, benzoylation, and peroxide treatment. Selective removal of non-cellulosic compounds constitutes the main objective of the chemical treatments of flax fibers to improve the performance of fiber-reinforced composites. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of pre-treated flax fibers on the performance of the fiber-reinforced composites. Short flax fibers were derived from Saskatchewan-grown flax straws, for use in fiber-reinforced composites. Composites consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) or HDPE/LLDPE mix, chemically treated fibers and additives were prepared by the extrusion process. Extrusion is expected to improve the interfacial adhesion significantly as opposed to simple mixing of the two components. The extruded strands were then pelletized and ground. The test samples were prepared by rotational molding. The fiber surface topology and the tensile fracture surfaces of the composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy to determine whether the modified fiber-matrix interface had improved interfacial bonding. Mechanical and physical properties of the composites were evaluated. The differential scanning calorimetry technique was also used to measure the melting point of flax fiber and composite. Overall, the scanning electron microscopy photographs of fiber surface characteristics and fracture surfaces of composites clearly indicated the extent of fiber-matrix interface adhesion. Chemically treated fiber-reinforced composites showed better fiber-matrix interaction as observed from the good dispersion of fibers in the matrix system. Compared to untreated fiber-reinforced composites, all the treated fiber-reinforced composites had the same tendency to slightly increase the tensile strength at yield of composites. Silane, benzoylation, and peroxide treated fiber-reinforced composites offered superior physical and mechanical properties. Strong intermolecular fiber-matrix bonding decreased the high rate of water absorption in biocomposites. The incorporation of 10% untreated or chemically treated flax fibers also increased the melting point of composites. Further investigation is required to address the effect of increase in fiber content on the performance of composites.

Flax fibers can be used as environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional reinforcing fibers (e.g., glass) in composites. The interest in natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites is growing rapidly due to its high performance in terms of mechanical properties, significant processing advantages, excellent chemical resistance, low cost and low density. These advantages place natural fiber composites among the high performance composites having economic and environmental advantages. In the field of technical utilization of plant fibers, flax fiber-reinforced composites represent one of the most important areas. On the other hand, lack of good interfacial adhesion and poor resistance to moisture absorption make the use of natural fiber-reinforced composites less attractive. In order to improve their interfacial properties, fibers were subjected to chemical treatments, namely, mercerization, silane treatment, benzoylation, and peroxide treatment. Selective removal of non-cellulosic compounds constitutes the main objective of the chemical treatments of flax fibers to improve the performance of fiber-reinforced composites. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of pre-treated flax fibers on the performance of the fiber-reinforced composites. Short flax fibers were derived from Saskatchewan-grown flax straws, for use in fiber-reinforced composites. Composites consisting of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) or HDPE/LLDPE mix, chemically treated fibers and additives were prepared by the extrusion process. Extrusion is expected to improve the interfacial adhesion significantly as opposed to simple mixing of the two components. The extruded strands were then pelletized and ground. The test samples were prepared by rotational molding. The fiber surface topology and the tensile fracture surfaces of the composites were characterized by scanning electron microscopy to determine whether the modified fiber-matrix interface had improved interfacial bonding. Mechanical and physical properties of the composites were evaluated. The differential scanning calorimetry technique was also used to measure the melting point of flax fiber and composite. Overall, the scanning electron microscopy photographs of fiber surface characteristics and fracture surfaces of composites clearly indicated the extent of fiber-matrix interface adhesion. Chemically treated fiber-reinforced composites showed better fiber-matrix interaction as observed from the good dispersion of fibers in the matrix system. Compared to untreated fiber-reinforced composites, all the treated fiber-reinforced composites had the same tendency to slightly increase the tensile strength at yield of composites. Silane, benzoylation, and peroxide treated fiber-reinforced composites offered superior physical and mechanical properties. Strong intermolecular fiber-matrix bonding decreased the high rate of water absorption in biocomposites. The incorporation of 10% untreated or chemically treated flax fibers also increased the melting point of composites. Further investigation is required to address the effect of increase in fiber content on the performance of composites.

ABSTRACT With an increasing population density throughout the world and the current drive to provide fresh water to as many people as possible, innovative methods of providing safe drinking water are in very high demand. In 2002, the United Nations stated in their millennium declaration that one of their priority goals was “to halve, by the year 2015, the proportion of people who are unable to reach or to afford safe drinking water” (UNESCO, 2000). This goal was set with high standards, and will require a great deal of water treatment related research in the short coming years. Over the past two decades, drinking water treatment via membrane filtration has been widely accepted as a feasible alternative to conventional drinking water treatment. Membrane processes are used in environmental, chemical, food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and various other industries for separation applications. Since the early 1990’s, there has been rapid growth in the use of low-pressure hollow fibre membrane processes for the production of drinking water. These membrane systems are increasingly being accepted as feasible technologies for drinking water treatment. Like with any innovative process, it has limitations; the primary limitation being membrane fouling, which is an accumulation of particles on the surface and inside the pores of the membrane surface. Membrane fouling has the ability to reduce the flux, in doing so, requiring a higher pumping intensity to maintain a consistent volume of water being treated. This project investigated chemical coagulation as a pre-treatment to membrane ultra-filtration, with the goal of mitigating fouling impact in order to maintain a consistent permeate flux, while monitoring several water quality parameters before and after treatment such as turbidity, alkalinity, pH and total organic carbon (TOC). Two different raw water sources were studied: Grand River water taken from the Hidden Valley intake, located in Kitchener, ON, and Lake Ontario water taken from the Woodward Water Treatment Plant in Hamilton, ON. The evaluated coagulants include alum and ferric chloride, which are widely used hydrolyzing metal salt (HMS) coagulants; and three polyaluminum chloride (PACl) products, which are pre-hydrolyzed coagulants formed by the controlled neutralization of aluminum chloride solution. Phase 1 of the project involved the coagulation of water using various aluminum and iron-based coagulants. Synthetic water was used at the outset, followed by the use of raw water obtained from two water treatment plants: one on the Grand River and one on Lake Ontario. A series of jar test trials was conducted to determine optimum coagulant dosages for the removal of NOM. These doses were then used as a baseline for subsequent membrane trials in phase 2 of this project. Phase 2 involved the treatment of raw and coagulated waters with a hollow fibre bench scale UF unit (Zenon Environmental Inc.®, ZeeWeed-1). Membrane trials were performed with the coagulants applied at optimal and sub optimal dosages in order to evaluate the integrated process for mitigation of organic fouling. As all trials were conducted at a constant flowrate, membrane fouling was evaluated by monitoring trans-membrane pressure (TMP) over time. The raw and treated water were fractionated to obtain quantitative information on the size components of NOM contributing most to fouling. Results will be presented comparing how the different coagulants affected the concentration of each NOM MW fraction in the raw and treated waters. Collectively, results showed that all four coagulants substantially decreased the rate of TMP increase, particularly with the Grand River water which contained much higher turbidity and TOC concentrations than the Lake Ontario water. During the trials conducted with Grand River, alum performed best, reducing the TMP by 57 % over a 3-day period. The PACl coagulants performed best at reducing the TMP during the Lake Ontario membrane trials; reducing the TMP by 21 % and 19 % for SP 70 and SP respectively. The system’s ability to maintain a permeate turbidity level of 0.1 NTU or lower was met, and TOC removals varied a small amount across the four coagulants, ranging from 45-65 % and 15-35 % for the Grand River and Lake Ontario trials, respectively.

No description available.

The objective of this research was to evaluate the long-term performance of enhanced anaerobic bioremediation (EAB) at chlorinated solvent sites and the occurrence of sustained treatment following EAB. A database of groundwater concentration versus time records was compiled for 25 sites with at least three years of post-treatment data. The median post-treatment monitoring period for these sites was 5.2 years, with a maximum of 11.7 years. Long-term performance was evaluated based on concentration changes from before treatment to the final year of post-treatment monitoring. Results indicate that the median concentration reduction for all 25 sites was approximately 80%, just under 1 order of magnitude. Sustained treatment, where concentrations remain suppressed after ceasing active treatment, was evaluated using a lines-of-evidence approach including analysis of rebound, statistical concentration trends after treatment, and decay rates from before and after treatment. Results indicate that sustained treatment is occurring at a majority of the sites.

ABSTRACT With an increasing population density throughout the world and the current drive to provide fresh water to as many people as possible, innovative methods of providing safe drinking water are in very high demand. In 2002, the United Nations stated in their millennium declaration that one of their priority goals was “to halve, by the year 2015, the proportion of people who are unable to reach or to afford safe drinking water” (UNESCO, 2000). This goal was set with high standards, and will require a great deal of water treatment related research in the short coming years. Over the past two decades, drinking water treatment via membrane filtration has been widely accepted as a feasible alternative to conventional drinking water treatment. Membrane processes are used in environmental, chemical, food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and various other industries for separation applications. Since the early 1990’s, there has been rapid growth in the use of low-pressure hollow fibre membrane processes for the production of drinking water. These membrane systems are increasingly being accepted as feasible technologies for drinking water treatment. Like with any innovative process, it has limitations; the primary limitation being membrane fouling, which is an accumulation of particles on the surface and inside the pores of the membrane surface. Membrane fouling has the ability to reduce the flux, in doing so, requiring a higher pumping intensity to maintain a consistent volume of water being treated. This project investigated chemical coagulation as a pre-treatment to membrane ultra-filtration, with the goal of mitigating fouling impact in order to maintain a consistent permeate flux, while monitoring several water quality parameters before and after treatment such as turbidity, alkalinity, pH and total organic carbon (TOC). Two different raw water sources were studied: Grand River water taken from the Hidden Valley intake, located in Kitchener, ON, and Lake Ontario water taken from the Woodward Water Treatment Plant in Hamilton, ON. The evaluated coagulants include alum and ferric chloride, which are widely used hydrolyzing metal salt (HMS) coagulants; and three polyaluminum chloride (PACl) products, which are pre-hydrolyzed coagulants formed by the controlled neutralization of aluminum chloride solution. Phase 1 of the project involved the coagulation of water using various aluminum and iron-based coagulants. Synthetic water was used at the outset, followed by the use of raw water obtained from two water treatment plants: one on the Grand River and one on Lake Ontario. A series of jar test trials was conducted to determine optimum coagulant dosages for the removal of NOM. These doses were then used as a baseline for subsequent membrane trials in phase 2 of this project. Phase 2 involved the treatment of raw and coagulated waters with a hollow fibre bench scale UF unit (Zenon Environmental Inc.®, ZeeWeed-1). Membrane trials were performed with the coagulants applied at optimal and sub optimal dosages in order to evaluate the integrated process for mitigation of organic fouling. As all trials were conducted at a constant flowrate, membrane fouling was evaluated by monitoring trans-membrane pressure (TMP) over time. The raw and treated water were fractionated to obtain quantitative information on the size components of NOM contributing most to fouling. Results will be presented comparing how the different coagulants affected the concentration of each NOM MW fraction in the raw and treated waters. Collectively, results showed that all four coagulants substantially decreased the rate of TMP increase, particularly with the Grand River water which contained much higher turbidity and TOC concentrations than the Lake Ontario water. During the trials conducted with Grand River, alum performed best, reducing the TMP by 57 % over a 3-day period. The PACl coagulants performed best at reducing the TMP during the Lake Ontario membrane trials; reducing the TMP by 21 % and 19 % for SP 70 and SP respectively. The system’s ability to maintain a permeate turbidity level of 0.1 NTU or lower was met, and TOC removals varied a small amount across the four coagulants, ranging from 45-65 % and 15-35 % for the Grand River and Lake Ontario trials, respectively.