Effect of castor cake and elephant grass composting on edaphic fauna

Elephant grass and castor cake when combined can make a promising organic fertilizer. However, castor cake contains potentially toxic chemicals, such as ricin and ricinine. To test potential effects of these chemicals, compost piles of elephant grass ( Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) with castor cake were prepared with different C:N ratios (T1 = 40, T2 = 30, T3 = 20; T4 = 30 [control, elephant grass + crotalaria]) to evaluate colonization by edaphic fauna and any suppressive effects of castor cake. Soil organisms were collected with Berlese-Tullgren funnels. There were temporal differences between the treatments, and the epigeous fauna was mainly represented by members of the Acari and Entomobryomorpha. Elapsed time is the major factor in determining the composition of the epigeous fauna community associated with composting, indicating that castor cake has no suppressive effect.

End of life treatment options for bioplastics; a composting efficency case study

The constant increase in plastic production creates many problems, from its oil-based production all the way to end-of-life treatment, as the same proprieties that make plastic useful make conventional plastic into long-lasting waste that’s quickly piling up. One alternative is a different kind of plastic, bioplastic, a polymeric compound that is both functionally like synthetic plastics and largely environmentally sustainable. It is not necessarily enough to solve the plastic waste issue there's a need for effective strategies to manage bioplastic products at their end of life, to avoid undoing the reduction of environmental impact. One such treatment, unique to biodegradable bioplastics, is composting. This prompts a closer study of how efficient this process is in degrading bioplastics.

Care during the intensive phase: promotion of adherence

The standards in this chapter focus on maximising the patient`s ability to adhere to the treatment prescribed. Many people are extremely shocked when they are told they have TB, some refuse to accept it and others are relieved to find out what is wrong and that treatment is available. The reaction depends on many factors, including cultural beliefs and values, previous experience and knowledge of the disease. Even though TB is more common among vulnerable groups, it can affect anyone and it is important for patients to be able to discuss their concerns in relation to their own individual context. The cure for TB relies on the patient receiving a full, uninterrupted course of treatment, which can only be achieved if the patient and the health service work together. A system needs to be in place to trace patients who miss their appointments for treatment (late patients). The best success will be achieved through the use of flexible, innovative and individualised approaches. The treatment and care the patient has received will inevitably have an impact on his or her willingness to attend in the future. A well-defined system of late patient tracing is mandatory in all situations. However, when the rates are high (above 10%), any tracing system will be useless without also examining the service as a whole.

Methane generation in tropical landfills: Simplified methods and field results

This paper deals with the use of simplified methods to predict methane generation in tropical landfills. Methane recovery data obtained on site as part of a research program being carried Out at the Metropolitan Landfill, Salvador, Brazil, is analyzed and used to obtain field methane generation over time. Laboratory data from MSW samples of different ages are presented and discussed: and simplified procedures to estimate the methane generation potential, L(o), and the constant related to the biodegradation rate, k are applied. The first order decay method is used to fit field and laboratory results. It is demonstrated that despite the assumptions and the simplicity of the adopted laboratory procedures, the values L(o) and k obtained are very close to those measured in the field, thus making this kind of analysis very attractive for first approach purposes. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Refusal of treatment

Patients' thoughts, feelings and desires are communicated in a variety of ways, and require sympathetic, critical interpretation. Patients need clear, evidence-based medical information so that they can make their own decisions about whether to consent to or refuse medical treatment. Treatment refusal may provide an opportunity to introduce patients to advance care planning. Unconscious motivations in doctors may obstruct good clinical decision-making. Although respect for the patient's responsibility to make healthcare decisions should be a condition of the clinical relationship, healthcare decision-making is a collaborative process.

Ethical dilemmas confronting dentists in Queensland, Australia

Background: This paper details contemporary ethical dilemmas encountered by Queensland dentists. Methods: An age-stratified sample of 499 dentists resident in Queensland was surveyed. The questionnaire contained scenarios of five common ethical dilemmas. In addition, open-ended questions sought the respondent's most frequent, difficult and recent ethical dilemmas, and where they would seek guidance in dealing with ethical problems. Results: Respondents acknowledged the patient's rights in treatment decisions and the dentist's right to refuse demands for inappropriate treatment. However, responses varied in the extent to which dentists may influence treatment decisions. Few respondents would ignore evidence of poor dental treatment but they are evenly divided in choosing to inform the patient, the dentist or both. Poor quality treatment is the most frequent and difficult dilemma, and half have experienced this problem recently. Requests by patients for fraudulent receipts occur in a third of responses. Dentists develop ethical values from multiple sources but for help with dental ethical problems, 90 per cent of respondents would consult another dentist. Conclusions: Of the ethical dilemmas discussed in this survey, those relating to poor quality treatment confronted most respondents. Also the actions of dentists in dealing with these dilemmas were most varied.

Clinical pathways in mental health

Caremaps [Clinical pathways] are like microwave ovens: five years from now, members of all disciplines will marvel at how they ever got along without them. Of course there will always be some that refuse to accept innovation or who are technophobic. Most people, however, will readily incorporate useful, practical new products into their daily lives.' Zander [1]

Yield and nutrition of sunflower fertilized with sewage sludge stabilized by different processes

The different methods of sewage sludge stabilization modify their physical chemical and biological properties, altering its efficiency when applied in agriculture. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrient levels in soil and the yield of sunflower fertilized with sewage sludge stabilized by different processes. The experiment was conducted in Cambisol, with the treatments: control (without fertilization), fertilization with sewage sludge solarized, composted, vermicomposted, limed and chemical fertilizer recommended for sunflower crop. The experimental design a randomized block with four replications. The different methods of sewage sludge treatment did not affect the yield; however, the application of sewage sludge, regardless the stabilization process adopted, was more effective than chemical fertilizer and the control treatment. Overall, fertilization with limed sewage sludge provided higher soil nutrients concentrations, while treatments with composted and vermicomposted sewage sludge showed higher levels of nutrients in the plant.

Estratégias promotoras do envolvimento em atividades, num grupo de crianças de uma turma do 1º ano de escolaridade

Projeto de Intervenção apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação de Lisboa para obtenção de grau de mestre em Ciências da Educação - Especialidade Educação Especial

Importância e satisfação atribuídas pelos professores universitários às competências comunicacionais

O Processo de Bolonha enfatiza as competências de comunicação dos estudantes universitários, nomeadamente os da saúde. As conceções dos professores tendem a variar com a idade e são importantes na formação das conceções dos alunos. Objetivos – Analisar a importância e a satisfação que professores universitários atribuem a diversas competências de comunicação e a sua relação com a idade. Metodologia – Foram avaliados 79 professores universitários, entre os 29 e os 82 anos (M=41,89; DP=9,99), maioritariamente do sexo feminino (69,6%), através de um Questionário Sóciodemográfico e das Escalas de Importância (EI) e Satisfação (ES) do Questionário de Competências de Comunicação (QCC). Resultados – Entre 1 a 4 participantes atribuíram a 11 dos 26 itens da EI e a 7 dos 26 itens da ES o menor valor possível. Houve também pelo menos um participante a atribuir o maior valor possível a todos os itens da EI (entre 8 a 51 participantes) e da ES (entre 6 a 46 participantes). A competência “agradecer” foi considerada a mais importante e satisfatória. A idade não se correlacionou com os itens da EI, correlacionando-se com “responder a perguntas” (r(78)=0,27, p≤0,02) e “pedir feedback nas relações sociais” (r(78)=0,30, p≤0,008) da ES. Dado que competências imprescindíveis aos profissionais de saúde obtiveram scores indicadores de baixa importância (e.g., “discordar”, “recusar pedidos”, “fazer pedidos”, “parafrasear”), considera-se importante trabalhar a perceção de importância dos professores universitários que não parece variar com a idade. Competências importantes para o trabalho do professor (e.g., “recusar pedidos”, “pedir mudança de comportamento”) obtiveram das médias de satisfação mais baixas, sugerindo necessidade de treino.

Produção de bioetanol a partir de um resíduo orgânico proveniente da central de compostagem da LIPOR

Mestrado em Engenharia Química

Saúde e segurança residual : um estudo comportamental dos trabalhadores da recolha de resíduos de Ponta Delgada

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ambiente, Saúde e Segurança.

Desenvolvimento de processo de depilação de pele caprina sem destruição do pêlo e avaliação do seu impacto ambiental

O meio ambiente é uma grande preocupação mundial existindo cada vez mais imposições legais no sentido de o proteger. Torna-se assim necessário que as indústrias adoptem e desenvolvam processos alternativos mais limpos. A indústria de curtumes transforma a pele animal em couro, material resistente à putrefacção e com estabilidade térmica suficiente para ser manufacturado nas indústrias do calçado, estofos, vestuário e marroquinaria. A transformação referida é efectuada através duma série de processos entre os quais o caleiro, processo que visa depilar a pele e promover o relaxamento da estrutura fibrilar, tem um papel importante. O processo de caleiro produz um efluente bastante poluente. Tendo em conta esse facto, este trabalho teve como objectivo desenvolver processos de depilação de pele caprina sem destruição do pêlo, com vista à redução da quantidade de sulfureto e sulfidrato de sódio utilizada e da carga poluente do efluente. Além disso, o processo permite a recuperação do pêlo e este pode ser reaproveitado como fertilizante orgânico, hidrolisado de queratina, compostagem, etc. Todo o trabalho foi realizado tomando por base um processo de caleiro padrão utilizado industrialmente, alterando-o de forma a obter um processo de caleiro óptimo de depilação sem destruição do pêlo com e sem utilização de enzimas. Numa primeira fase, desenvolveu-se um processo de depilação sem destruição do pêlo normalmente utilizado para a pele de bovino que foi adaptado com resultados positivos, designado de processo sem enzimas. Numa segunda fase, desenvolveu-se um processo enzimático em que se utilizou uma protease (Erhavit DMC), uma lipase (Defat 50) e uma amilase (Mayzme SD-L); este processo deu bons resultados tal como o anterior. A redução da quantidade de sulfureto de sódio foi de 33% e 53% para o processo sem enzimas e processo com enzimas, respectivamente, em relação ao processo padrão. O efeito dos processos na carga poluente, à escala piloto, comprova uma redução de 37% nos SST, 37% nos SDT, 60% na CQO, 9% no S2- e 73% no Azoto para o processo sem enzimas e uma redução de 93% nos SST, 63% nos SDT, 69% na CQO, 69% no S2- e 83% no Azoto para o processo com enzimas, quando comparados com o processo padrão. . Uma análise de custos, com incidência apenas nos agentes químicos utilizados, permitiu concluir a existência de uma redução de custos anuais de 30% para o processo com enzimas e de 13% para o processo sem enzimas, quando comparados com o processo padrão. Como conclusão, os processos desenvolvidos apresentam um grande potencial para serem explorados industrialmente.

Assessment of workers’ exposure to Aflatoxin B1 in a Portuguese waste industry

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is considered by different International Agencies as a genotoxic and potent hepatocarcinogen. However, despite the fact that the fungi producing this compound are detected in some work environments, AFB1 is rarely monitored in occupational settings. The aim of the present investigation was to assess exposure to AFB1 of workers from one Portuguese waste company located in the outskirt of Lisbon. Occupational exposure assessment to AFB1 was done with a biomarker of internal dose that measures AFB1 in the serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Forty-one workers from the waste company were enrolled in this study (26 from sorting; 9 from composting; 6 from incineration). A control group (n = 30) was also considered in order to know the AFB1 background levels for the Portuguese population. All the workers showed detectable levels of AFB1 with values ranging from 2.5ng ml−1 to 25.9ng ml−1 with a median value of 9.9±5.4ng ml−1. All of the controls showed values below the method’s detection limit. Results obtained showed much higher (8-fold higher) values when compared with other Portuguese settings already studied, such as poultry and swine production. Besides this mycotoxin, other mycotoxins are probably present in this occupational setting and this aspect should be taken into consideration for the risk assessment process due to possible synergistic reactions. The data obtained suggests that exposure to AFB1 occurs in a waste management setting and claims attention for the need of appliance of preventive and protective safety measures.

Contribuição para o estudo dos subprodutos de uma ETAR: gradados e areias

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil, na Área de Especialização de Hidráulica