Validity and reliability of a job factors questionnaire related to the work tasks of physical therapists

Physical therapists engage in work tasks that expose them to occupational risk factors related to musculoskeletal disorders. Due to the gap in the literature on instruments focused on those workers, this study adapted a job factors questionnaire to physical therapists, and assessed its psychometric properties. The questionnaire was adapted and its content validity was established. The psychometric properties were evaluated among 142 physical therapists. Reliability was verified using the temporal-stability design and internal consistency. Construct validity was assessed with the known-groups technique. Test-retest results demonstrated intraclass correlation coefficients between .82 and .90 (p < .001). Cronbach's α of .91 verified the reliability of the questionnaire. The known-groups technique demonstrated a statistically significant difference on the scores of the items when physical therapists were compared to office workers. The results indicated that the adapted questionnaire had acceptable psychometric properties for assessing problematic job factors among physical therapists working in hospitals.     

Microbial degradation of the benzonitrile herbicides dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil in soil and subsurface environments--insights into degradation pathways, persistent metabolites and involved degrader organisms

The benzonitriles dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil are important broad-spectrum or selective herbicides used in agriculture, orchards and public areas worldwide. The dichlobenil metabolite 2,6-dichlorobenzamide is the most frequently encountered groundwater contaminant in Denmark, which suggests that the environmental fate of these three structurally related benzonitrile herbicides should be addressed in detail. This review summarises the current knowledge on microbial degradation of dichlobenil, bromoxynil and ioxynil with particular focus on common features of degradation rates and pathways, accumulation of persistent metabolites and diversity of the involved degrader organisms.     

The fate of recombinant plasmids during composting of organic wastes

Composting was investigated as a means for safe disposal of organic waste containing bacteria that carry transgenes in recombinant plasmids. To generate model recombinant plasmids, a mobile IncQ plasmid, RSF1010, and a non-mobile plasmid, pGFP, were genetically modified to carry a DNA segment encoding both green fluorescent protein and kanamycin resistance and were designated as RSF1010-GFPK and pGFPK. Escherichia coli (E. coli) C600 harboring these plasmids were inoculated into chicken manure specimens that were placed in compost at 20 and 60 cm from the bottom of a 1.0-m high compost bin. Control specimens were held at ambient temperature. By day 10, compost temperatures at the lower and upper levels of the bin had reached 45.3 and 61.5°C, respectively, and at both levels the target E. coli had been inactivated and the plasmids had lost their capacity to be transformed or mobilized. Furthermore, based on real time Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the transgene fragments along with the host chromosomal DNA fragment from specimens at the upper level had been degraded beyond the detection limit. However, at the lower level where temperatures remained below 48°C these fragment persisted to day 21. At ambient temperatures (0–8°C), the E. coli, plasmids and the transgene fragments persisted in manure specimens throughout the 21 day test period. The study showed the potential for composting as a safe procedure for disposal of bacteria carrying transgenes in recombinant plasmids.     

Simultaneous removal of emerging contaminants and disinfection for municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent quality improvement: a systemic analysis of the literature

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This work presents a bibliographic review of the literature regarding the simultaneous removal of contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) and...     

Waste materials for activated carbon preparation and its use in aqueous-phase treatment: a review

Commercial activated carbon is a preferred adsorbent for the removal of micropollutants from the aqueous phase; however, its widespread use is restricted due to high associated costs. To decrease treatment costs, attempts have been made to find inexpensive alternative activated carbon (AC) precursors, such as waste materials. Some reviews report the use of waste materials for the preparation of AC; however, these studies are restricted to either type of wastes, preparation procedures, or specific aqueous-phase applications. The present work reviews and evaluates literature dedicated both to the preparation of AC by recycling different types of waste materials and also to its application in various aqueous-phase treatments. It is clear that conventional (from agriculture and wood industry) and non-conventional (from municipal and industrial activities) wastes can be used to prepare AC, that can be applied in various aqueous treatment processes, namely to remove organic pollutants, dyes, volatile organic compounds, and heavy metals. Moreover, high surface areas can be obtained using either physical or chemical activation; however, combined treatments might enhance the surface properties of the adsorbent, therefore increasing its adsorption capacity. It is evident from the revision made that AC prepared from both conventional and non-conventional wastes might effectively compete with the commercial ones. This happens mostly when the activation procedures are optimized considering both the raw material used to produce the carbons and the contaminants to be removed.     

Predicting Satisfaction with Smart Irrigation Controllers and Their Long‐Term Use among Homeowners in Central Florida

Studies throughout Florida have shown smart controllers can substantially reduce irrigation under residential high‐water use conditions. However, successful promotion requires understanding the link between controller performance and the mechanisms by which they are adopted. This article compares irrigation water‐use and survey data collected from households installed with soil moisture sensor and evapotranspiration controllers. The study investigated whether the relative change in irrigation use between two years preceding and two years following installation was a reliable predictor of a homeowner's satisfaction with the device and likelihood of continuing to use it. Results indicated relative changes in irrigation use were only significantly associated with the quality of controller programming. Satisfaction with the controller was largely attributable to satisfaction with the appearance of the landscape and the perceived water‐saving effectiveness of the controller whereas the likelihood of its continued use was only significantly predicted by the level of technical knowledge regarding its functioning and whether or not challenges were experienced with it. Targeting homeowners with supplemental user‐friendly information may best support their long‐term adoption of smart controllers while providing irrigation contractors with training in implementation techniques would represent an integrated strategy for added reductions in residential outdoor water use.     

Applying the Kuhn–Tucker model to estimate the value of recreational ecosystem services in Sicily

This paper applies the Kuhn–Tucker model to estimate recreation demand of parks in Sicily. We estimate a fixed coefficient specification and a random coefficient specification to take into account heterogeneity across visitors. Estimates suggest a diversity of preferences across the population and that parks with higher level of quality attributes are more likely to be visited. We also simulate two sets of hypothetical policy scenarios to evaluate and compare the recreational value of each park and the welfare impacts of changes in a quality attribute.     

Environmental performance evaluation of agro-industrial innovations – Part 2: methodological approach for performing vulnerability analysis of watersheds

Environmental vulnerability analysis has been sparsely used in environmental performance evaluation (EPE) of technological innovations. The present paper proposes a methodological approach to carry out vulnerability analysis of watersheds and to integrate this analysis into methods of environmental performance evaluation of agro-industrial innovations. This approach is applied to the Ambitec-Life Cycle method, described in Part 1 (this issue) of this study. The case study of green coconut substrate compared to ripe coconut substrate, also described in Part 1 (this issue), is now presented considering the vulnerability analysis of the watersheds where the life cycle stages of these products occur. The integration of vulnerability analysis in Ambitec-Life Cycle contributes to a better understanding of the environmental aspects of agro-industrial technological innovations with potential to cause significant impacts in watersheds where these innovations are implemented.     

SiO_3~(2-)离子的加入对脉冲倒极电解合成PASiC的研究

探索了试验过程中SiO2 -3 离子团的加入对脉冲自动倒极电解法合成聚合氯化硅酸铝中Alb 含量的影响。通过试验确定了最佳摩尔比。在脉冲倒极周期和电解槽电流一定的情况下 ,当总铝AlT 与SiO2 -3 的摩尔比为 10∶1～ 2 0∶1时 ;在此合成条件下制备液中Alb 含量超过 80 % ;处理模拟水样最佳投药量为 :0 5～ 5mgAl2 O3 /L。在制备过程中 ,极化现象得到了极好的控制 ,电解槽电压和电流十分稳定     

Effect of copper in the protistan community of activated sludge

Protists have proved to be an interesting tool for assessing the occurrence of pollution in wastewater treatment systems along with its role in the control of pollution itself through grazing of dispersed bacteria and maintenance of a healthy trophic web in those artificial ecosystems. Two sets of assays were carried on in a bench scale pilot plant in order to study the response of the activated sludge community of protists to the exposure of copper: the first set was carried on with synthetic sewage and the second one with real sewage. The results emphasize the ability of activated sludge biological communities to survive and to react to toxicants and highlight the role of protistan communities as indicators of toxicants entrance in treatment systems.