Hasil untuk "Hazardous substances and their disposal"

Sarjito Sarjito, Alfia Magfirona, Wiyadi

Considering the results of the community service implementation team's observations and investigations, there are three main problems faced by the MARDIKO Scavenger Group in Sitimulyo Piyungan Village, Bantul, Yogyakarta as a PkM partner in pioneering a creative economy-based cooperative. First, lack of knowledge and skills about waste processing that generates additional income. Second, scavengers in their daily lives only look for used goods from waste carried by garbage trucks heading to the disposal area. Third, community awareness and involvement in waste management are still very low, whereas if waste can be recycled, it will produce products that can be additional income for the scavenger group. The PkM implementation method is through the science and technology diffusion method by making and applying an incinerator to process non-organic waste and hazardous substances by burning. The purpose of burning waste is to process waste so that it can reduce its volume and danger, in addition to capturing or destroying hazardous substances that may be released during combustion. In resolving problems in the social, production and marketing fields experienced by the MARDIKO scavenger group, the implementation of the PKM program is carried out through 5 program stages, namely socialization and community awareness, training, application of incinerator technology, utilizing ash from burning for bricks, intensive assistance and evaluation of program sustainability.

Prashant Srivastava, Becky Macdonald

Biosolids, valued as nutrient-rich soil amendments, are now approached cautiously by farmers due to growing public concern, and increasingly stringent and varying per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) regulatory standards across jurisdictions. PFAS concentrations in biosolids vary widely between countries and wastewater treatment plants. Inconsistent monitoring and testing protocols hinder accurate assessment and comparison across sites. The fragmented regulatory landscape, with diverse thresholds and evolving requirements, complicates compliance and long-term planning for water utilities, challenging infrastructure investment. A key issue is lack of proven, scalable PFAS treatment technologies for municipal wastewater plants. Current solutions often lack performance, cost-effectiveness, and practicality at scale. Utilities face financial burdens for monitoring and remediation while balancing other priorities, like managing emerging contaminants and reducing greenhouse gas emissions from energy-intensive processes. Effective source control to limit PFAS entry into wastewater systems is critical and cost-effective. Integrated strategies targeting multiple pollutants can optimize investments. Clear, science-based regulatory standards for PFAS in biosolids are urgently needed to guide compliance. Collaboration among utilities, academia, technology providers, and stakeholders, supported by transparent engagement, is essential for practical PFAS management solutions and rebuilding public trust. Sustainable biosolids management depends on evidence-based, interdisciplinary efforts integrating technological innovation, regulatory clarity, and socioecological resilience.

Shu Wei Hsueh, Anya Callista Kurniadi, Tan S.M. Amelia et al.

Polylactic acid (PLA), the most popular bioplastic, has high sustainability potential as it is bio-sourced and also harbors biodegradability. A form of its biodegradability is via composting, and it was previously established that thermophilic temperatures are needed for PLA breakdown in composts. Here we report the development of composts that have overcome the high-temperature requirement for PLA composting. Our mesophilic composts exhibited clear PLA biodegradability, and this is due to specific biological activity enriched in our material. To investigate the nature of this mesophilic activity, we conducted metagenomics analysis to reveal the microbial composition and enzyme-coding potential associated with PLA biodegradation. These efforts revealed multiple enzyme subtypes with strong enrichment on PLA surfaces in our trained composts, and the top candidate was a type of hydro-lyase, an enzyme that can cleave ester bonds in the absence of water. Hydro-lyases represent a novel class of enzymes that could facilitate PLA degradation, and our results point to the model that the combinatorial action of multiple types of enzymes is what drives PLA biodegradation and how the temperature barrier for PLA composting is overcome.

Zohreh Shishebor, Zahra Sajjdnia, Maryam Sharafi

Statistical knowledge enables us to utilize appropriate methods for data collection, conduct accurate analyses, and effectively communicate results. Statistics plays a pivotal role in scientific discoveries, data-driven decision-making, and predictive modeling. Statistical plots serve as powerful tools for enhancing data visualization and facilitating data communication. By examining a statistical graph, underlying patterns and relationships within the data become more discernible. Visualizations are a far more effective way of communicating statistical findings to a non-technical audience. Charts and graphs make complex data relationships much easier to understand than tables of numbers or statistical reports. Even for technical audiences, a well-designed statistical graphics can quickly convey the key insights. When we are dealing with a new dataset and do not have a specific hypothesis to test, visual analysis excels at revealing patterns, outliers, and potential relationships that might not be apparent from numerical summaries alone. Statistical tests assume a certain structure in the data; visual inspection helps determine if that assumption is justified. Statistical graphs like box plots, scatter plots, and histograms can readily highlight outliers that might be missed by statistical tests focused on central tendencies. These outliers might be errors or genuinely interesting data points requiring further investigation. It is crucial to remember that ocular and statistical analysis are complementary, not competing, approaches, so both should be used. Visualizations guide the choice and interpretation of statistical tests, while statistical tests provide a more rigorous quantification of observed patterns in the data.  Using both methods together leads to more robust and reliable conclusions (Hullman et al., 2015; Tan & Shi, 2019; Wainer & Thissen, 1981).

Shaun R Seaman

Seaman and Keogh (Biometrical Journal 2024) proposed a method for simulating data compatible with a marginal structural model (MSM) for the hazard of a survival time outcome. In this short report, I propose two extensions of this method. First, Seaman and Keogh favoured the use of a Gaussian copula, because this enables the function of the confounder history through which the hazard of failure depends on confounders to be interpreted as a risk score. Here, I describe how this interpretation can be preserved even when a non-Gaussian copula is used. Second, I extend Seaman and Keogh's method to allow simulation of data compatible with a MSM for a cause-specific or subdistribution hazard of failure in the presence of a competing event.

Alexander M. Sidorkin

The skill to separate form from substance in writing has gained new prominence in the age of AI-generated content. The challenge - discriminating between fluent expression and substantive thought - constitutes a critical literacy skill for modern education. This paper examines form-substance discrimination (FSD) as an essential learning outcome for curriculum development in higher education. We analyze its cognitive foundations in fluency bias and inhibitory control, trace its evolution from composition theory concepts like "higher-order concerns," and explore how readers progress from novice acceptance of polished text to expert critical assessment. Drawing on research in cognitive psychology, composition studies, and emerging AI pedagogy, we propose practical strategies for fostering this ability through curriculum design, assessment practices, and explicit instruction. By prioritizing substance over surface in writing education, institutions can prepare students to navigate an information landscape where AI-generated content amplifies the ancient tension between style and meaning, ultimately safeguarding the value of authentic human thought in knowledge construction and communication.

Sanjay Acharjee, Abir Khan Ratul, Diego Patino et al.

Training vision models to detect workplace hazards accurately requires realistic images of unsafe conditions that could lead to accidents. However, acquiring such datasets is difficult because capturing accident-triggering scenarios as they occur is nearly impossible. To overcome this limitation, this study presents a novel scene graph-guided generative AI framework that synthesizes photorealistic images of hazardous scenarios grounded in historical Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) accident reports. OSHA narratives are analyzed using GPT-4o to extract structured hazard reasoning, which is converted into object-level scene graphs capturing spatial and contextual relationships essential for understanding risk. These graphs guide a text-to-image diffusion model to generate compositionally accurate hazard scenes. To evaluate the realism and semantic fidelity of the generated data, a visual question answering (VQA) framework is introduced. Across four state-of-the-art generative models, the proposed VQA Graph Score outperforms CLIP and BLIP metrics based on entropy-based validation, confirming its higher discriminative sensitivity.

Emenike G. Okonkwo, Greg Wheatley, Yang Liu et al.

Sugars and sugar-rich agricultural by-products are cheaper and eco-friendly alternatives to conventional reductants used in recovering metals from spent lithium-ion batteries. Still, they are rarely used due to a poor understanding of their performance and reaction chemistry. In this study, two hypotheses bearing on the role of chemistry and influence of non-sugary organic compounds (impurities) on the performance of sugars, namely: glucose, fructose and sucrose, and a parent sugar-rich agro-industrial by-product – molasses, as reductants in the leaching of Li, Co, Mn and Ni from spent lithium-ion battery cathode material were tested. Statistical analysis using ANOVA revealed that the performance of the sugars and molasses are similar with >85% Mn, >88% Ni, >88%Co and >98% Li leached at 90 °C and 60 min. This shows that the presence of non-sugar organic compounds does not hamper the performance of the sugars-based reductants. The performance of the sugars relies more on temperature than chemistry. Furthermore, evaluation of the oxidation pathway hints at a potential inhibition of secondary oxidation reactions at lower temperatures. This study provides statistically validated proof that the performance of sugarcane molasses, even at lower concentration, is equipollent to the pure sugars in the leaching of critical metals from spent lithium-ion batteries.

Yanira Baldovinos, Precious Obiako, Clancy Collom et al.

Since 2007, the market for e-cigarettes has resulted in increasing demand for newer technologies and flavorings contributing to the complexity of these products. As a result, methodologies for e-cigarette aerosol capturing and testing have become a necessity in understanding the toxicities surrounding e-cigarette products. This study tests an alternative aerosol capture method followed by toxicity testing of the sample collected on a lung in vitro model.

Liane Carmen Ruszczyk, Gabriel Tochetto, Adriana Dervanoski et al.

This study investigates the efficacy of activated carbon derived from coconut shells for the removal of Triclosan (TCS) from aqueous solutions. Experimental results demonstrate the impressive efficiency of coconut shell-derived activated carbon in eliminating TCS from water. Statistical analysis underscores the significant role of agitation in enhancing adsorption efficiency, with increased agitation leading to higher contaminant removal rates. Equilibrium is rapidly achieved, with removal efficiencies exceeding 85 %. Kinetic analysis reveals rapid adsorption kinetics, predominantly following the pseudo-second-order model. Additionally, intraparticle diffusion analyses provide insights into TCS diffusion within activated carbon pores, highlighting its dependence on solute concentration. These findings underscore the potential of coconut shell-derived activated carbon as a viable solution for mitigating TCS contamination in water sources, contributing to the development of effective water treatment strategies.

Mitra Ashoori, Seyedeh Zahra Mohtarami Zavardeh

Background: Various psychological factors can affect the type of emotions. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to predict anger suppression based on obsessive beliefs and preoccupied attachment style among non-clinical population. Methods: The research method was a descriptive-correlation type. The statistical population included all undergraduate students of the humanities faculties of Universities of Tehran in the academic year of 2022-2023, who were selected through Cluster sampling of 312 students.Usage: State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 (STAXI-2), Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ-44) and Experiences in Close Relationships (ECR) were used. Finally, the data were analysed by Pearson correlation and multiple regression methods. Results: The results of step-by-step regression analysis showed that both scales of preoccupied attachment style and obsessive beliefs are able to significantly predict anger suppression. In the first step, the preoccupied attachment style (β = 0.54, P < 0.001) explained 29.3% of the variance of anger suppression, and in the second step, the obsessive beliefs scale (P < 0.001, 0.13) = β) was also added to the model and increased the explained variance to 30.9% and actually increased the explanation coefficient by 1.6%. Conclusion: The findings of the study confirm the relationship between preoccupied attachment style and obsessive beliefs for anger suppression. Separating the role of attachment styles and incompatible beliefs can have a significant effect on expressing or not expressing anger.

Celia Chen, Alex Leitch

This paper details the development of an interactive sculpture built from deprecated hardware technology and intentionally decomposable, transient materials. We detail a case study of "Strain" - an emotive prototype that reclaims two orphaned digital artifacts to power a kinetic sculpture made of common disposable objects. We use the Myo, an abandoned myoelectric armband, in concert with the Programmable Air, a soft-robotics prototyping project, to manipulate a pneumatic bladder array constructed from condoms, bamboo skewers, and a small library of 3D printed PLA plastic connectors designed to work with these generic parts. The resulting sculpture achieves surprisingly organic actuation. The goal of this project is to produce several reusable components: software to resuscitate the Myo Armband, homeostasis software for the Programmable Air or equivalent pneumatic projects, and a library of easily-printed parts that will work with generic bamboo disposables for sculptural prototyping. This project works to develop usable, repeatable engineering by applying it to a slightly whimsical object that promotes a strong emotional response in its audience. Through this, we transform the disposable into the sustainable. In this paper, we reflect on project-based insights into rescuing and revitalizing abandoned consumer electronics for future works.

Layla Bouzoubaa, Elham Aghakhani, Rezvaneh Rezapour

Stigma is a barrier to treatment for individuals struggling with substance use disorders (SUD), which leads to significantly lower treatment engagement rates. With only 7% of those affected receiving any form of help, societal stigma not only discourages individuals with SUD from seeking help but isolates them, hindering their recovery journey and perpetuating a cycle of shame and self-doubt. This study investigates how stigma manifests on social media, particularly Reddit, where anonymity can exacerbate discriminatory behaviors. We analyzed over 1.2 million posts, identifying 3,207 that exhibited stigmatizing language towards people who use substances (PWUS). Using Informed and Stylized LLMs, we develop a model for de-stigmatization of these expressions into empathetic language, resulting in 1,649 reformed phrase pairs. Our paper contributes to the field by proposing a computational framework for analyzing stigma and destigmatizing online content, and delving into the linguistic features that propagate stigma towards PWUS. Our work not only enhances understanding of stigma's manifestations online but also provides practical tools for fostering a more supportive digital environment for those affected by SUD. Code and data will be made publicly available upon acceptance.

Sarah Jawad Khaled , Wissam Abdul-Ameer Ali

Health institutions create between 10 and 15 percent of their total waste as hazardous waste, consisting of substances contaminated with patient blood or bodily secretions, and need special handling to make it safe for disposal due to its environmental and public health risks. The data was collected by designing a self-assessment questionnaire. Three government hospitals in Basrah were randomly selected. The results showed that only one hospital got a high level, while the remaining two hospitals received a medium level because of transportation issues and inadequate medical waste storage. As it related to assessing healthcare providers' knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward medical waste, the results were positive at 91.6 %  knowledge level, 85.4 % attitude level, and 87.8 % practice level. The situation of medical waste in the governorate requires additional effort on the part of the responsible authorities in terms of adopting new technologies in hospital waste management and promoting more education and training for staff.

Asghar Ramezani, Zohreh Karimiankakolaki

Background: Psychological empowerment and constructive thinking and its fit with the job are one of the most important success factors in advancing the organization's goals and increasing commitment and job performance. This study was conducted to investigating the relationship between individual and organizational fit and psychological empowerment and constructive thinking in medical personnel of a Hospital in Behbahan City in 2022. Methods: This descriptive-analytical (cross-sectional) study was conducted on 250. The assessment of psychological empowerment was measured using a 15-question Spritzer and Meishert questionnaire, the evaluation of constructive thinking was measured using a 28-question Epstein and Mayer questionnaire, and the state of individual and organizational fit was measured using a 10-question Scroggins questionnaire. The data was analyzed using SPSS 26 software and a significance level of 0.05. Results: The average age of the study participants was 36.21 years. The average score of psychological empowerment was 13.39 ± 9.84, which was higher than the average and was at a desirable level. The average score of constructive thinking was 27.75 ± 19.08, which was at the optimal level and above the average. The average score of fit between the individual and the organization was 18.91 ± 17.08 which was above the average and at the optimal level. There was a positive and significant relationship between the average score of individual-organization fit and constructive thinking (p = 0.007). The relationship between the mean score of psychological empowerment and constructive thinking was also positive and significant (p = 0.000). However, there was no significant relationship between the average score of individual-organization fit and psychological empowerment (p = 0.196). Conclusion: According to the results and the positive relationship between the fit variables of the organization and the psychological empowerment with constructive thinking, it is possible to improve the other variables with the positive changes and promotion of each of them and advance it towards its goals by promoting the organization.

Mojtaba Hemayatkhah, Mohammad Reza Masjedi, Fatemeh Abdolazimbeyg et al.

Background: Tobacco use by adolescents is one of the most devastating social challenges throughout the world, threatening the health of future generations and communities in all social, cultural, health, and environmental aspects. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the prevention against Tobacco dependence (PAD) interventions among students in Varamin City in 2020. Methods: This study utilized the findings from the initial phase of the Prevention against Tobacco Dependence (PAD) project, which was conducted using a cohort method in Varamin city (Tehran province). The study encompassed four phases and involved both male and female students. For the second phase, a sample of 780 ninth-grade students was chosen using stratified sampling, with 350 students (45%) serving as PAD-helpers. Data was collected using a modified version of a questionnaire developed by the World Health Organization (WHO). Results: In the students’ families, most fathers still used cigarettes (25.5%) and hookah (11.4%). In total, the prevalence of hookah, cigarette, and new tobacco product use among students was 35%, 15.9%, and 22.2%, respectively. The most important reason for smoking was curiosity (56.7%), and more than 71% of students believed that PAD project increased their knowledge about dangers of smoking. Based on t-test scores, there was a significant difference between PAD-helpers and non-PAD-helpers in terms of anti-smoking knowledge, attitude, and practice. Two variables of the level of knowledge and attitude towards smoking had a significant direct relationship with the variable of anti-smoking practice (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This project contained effective interventions to raise the students’ knowledge and change their attitudes towards smoking, and these changes have been more evident among PAD-helpers and their anti-smoking practice.

Samaneh Shakeri, Gholam Reza Moarefi, Samaneh Farahani et al.

Background: This study aimed to elucidate a model of emotional divorce in Iranian Muslim women, based on factors such as happiness, religious attitude, and marital satisfaction. Methods: This research employed an applied approach with a descriptive-correlational design. The research sample comprised 337 married Muslim women of Yazd in 2021, selected using purposive sampling. In the model developed, the variables included happiness and religious attitude (exogenous variables), marital satisfaction (endogenous mediator variable), and emotional divorce (endogenous variable). Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Oxford Happiness Inventory (OHI), Gutman's Emotional Divorce Questionnaire (GEDQ), the Religion Assessment Questionnaire (RAQ), and the ENRICH Marital Satisfaction Scale (EMSS). Data analysis was performed using SPSS-21 and LISREL-8.80 software. The Sobel test was also utilized to explore the mediating role of marital satisfaction. Results: The findings revealed that happiness has a direct and significant impact on marital satisfaction. Happiness, religious attitude, and marital satisfaction all exhibited significant and direct effects on emotional divorce (p < 0.05). Additionally, happiness, through its influence on marital satisfaction, was found to affect the emotional divorce of women. Conclusion: It can be inferred that higher levels of happiness in women are associated with increased marital satisfaction. Moreover, greater happiness and marital satisfaction in women correspond to a reduced likelihood of experiencing emotional divorce in the future.

Ludvig Sinander

I revisit the standard moral-hazard model, in which an agent's preference over contracts is rooted in costly effort choice. I characterise the behavioural content of the model in terms of empirically testable axioms, and show that the model's parameters are identified. I propose general behavioural definitions of relative (over)confidence and optimism, and characterise these in terms of the parameters of the moral-hazard model. My formal results are rooted in a simple but powerful insight: that the moral-hazard model is closely related to the well-known 'variational' model of choice under uncertainty.

Angela Carollo, Paul H. C. Eilers, Hein Putter et al.

Hazard models are the most commonly used tool to analyse time-to-event data. If more than one time scale is relevant for the event under study, models are required that can incorporate the dependence of a hazard along two (or more) time scales. Such models should be flexible to capture the joint influence of several times scales and nonparametric smoothing techniques are obvious candidates. P-splines offer a flexible way to specify such hazard surfaces, and estimation is achieved by maximizing a penalized Poisson likelihood. Standard observations schemes, such as right-censoring and left-truncation, can be accommodated in a straightforward manner. The model can be extended to proportional hazards regression with a baseline hazard varying over two scales. Generalized linear array model (GLAM) algorithms allow efficient computations, which are implemented in a companion R-package.

Monika Motaghi, Shahab SHahabi, Lida Gholizade

Background: Acquiring knowledge and information about successful policies and localizing them for Iran can lead to disease control. Therefore, the present study aims to review the managerial performance of the selected countries against COVID-19 virus in order to provide a model, based on the experience of the countries in decision/policy making and performing appropriate strategies for their healthcare systems. Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional comparative study in the field of COVID-19 disease in the selected countries. The countries performance data were gathered from documents published in databases like WHO, CDC, WORLDOMETER, Science Direct, PubMed, NCBI, OURWORLDINDATA, DOL, IMF, website of the Ministry of Health, Medical Education, website of Iran Statistics as reliable informative sources. Results: Responses of  the selected countries healthcare systems to present the managerial model for COVID-19 in Iran, involving perspectives of experts were categorized and registered in 6 areas and 78 fields, including a) governance and leadership (14 fields), b) economic (13 fields), c) demographic (17 fields), D) technology (10 fields), e) transnational (7 fields), and f) healthcare services (17 fields). Conclusion: Efficient management of some countries has proven that geographical boundaries and population density are less important than the determined and proper decisions.