scholarly journals Colorimetric pad for low-concentration formaldehyde monitoring in indoor air

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Watcharaporn Wongsakoonkan ◽  
Sumate Pengpumkiat ◽  
Vorakamol Boonyayothin ◽  
Chaiyanun Tangtong ◽  
Wisanti Laohaudomchok ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Formaldehyde Concentration ◽  
Color Intensity ◽  
Direct Reading ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Low Concentration ◽  
Time Accuracy ◽  
User Friendly

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to develop an accurate, selective, low-cost and user-friendly colorimetric pad to detect formaldehyde at low concentration.Design/methodology/approach1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione, a reactive chemical, was selected to develop the colorimetric pad for indoor air formaldehyde measurement. Silica nanoparticle impregnated with the reactive chemical was coated on the cellulose filter surface to increase the reactive site. A certified formaldehyde permeation tube was used to generate six varied concentrations between 0.01 and 0.10 ppm in a test chamber. The color intensity on the pads was measured using an image processing program to produce a formaldehyde concentration reading chart. The colorimetric pad was tested for optimum reaction time, accuracy, precision, stability, selectivity and shelf life.FindingsThe color of the pads changed from white to yellow and the color intensity varied with the concentrations and appeared to be stable after exposure to formaldehyde for 8 hours. At room temperature, the stability of the pad was 7 days, and shelf life was 120 days. The accuracy, precision and bias of the pad were 12.38%, 0.032 and 6.0%, respectively. Carbonyl compounds, benzene and toluene did not interfere with the reading of this developed colorimetric pad.Originality/valueThe developed colorimetric pad meets NIOSH's criteria for an overall accuracy of ±25%, bias = 10%. They were accurate at low concentrations, user-friendly and had low cost compared to an electronic direct reading instrument (cost of chemicals and materials was 21.50 Bath or 0.69 USD per piece) so that favorable for the use of general people for health protection.

Open source digital library on open educational resources

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 1022-1039 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Ahammad
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Digital Library ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Open Educational Resources ◽  
Educational Resources ◽  
Institutional Repository ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Library Community ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explain the implementation procedure of DSpace at the Library of Independent University, Bangladesh. This paper shows how DSpace is promoting open educational resources (OER) movement and demonstrates the ease of implementing DSpace in an institution. Moreover, the purpose of this paper is to encourage library professionals to participate in the OER movement by implementing DSpace in their libraries. Design/methodology/approach The requirements for implementing DSpace have been shown in this paper. It also describes the system model of an academic repository (DSpace)/digital library (DL). In addition, the paper describes the legal issues for submitting an item in DSpace and self-submission process of an item as well as shows impact of DSpace on OER. Findings Open source software and Open Access Institutional Repository software has a fundamental role in promoting OER. DSpace is perfect for building a DL or an institutional repository in libraries, especially for developing country libraries because this demands low cost and it is easy to implement in libraries as well as is user-friendly. Originality/value This paper will help to understand the role of the library community and librarians about OER. It will also show the impact of DL on OER. In addition, this paper encourages librarians to participate in OER movement.

scholarly journals New Diagnostic Insights for Macrorhabdus ornithogaster Infection

2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (11) ◽  
pp. 3448-3450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Borrelli ◽  
Ludovico Dipineto ◽  
Laura Rinaldi ◽  
Violante Romano ◽  
Emilio Noviello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Yeast Infection ◽  
Gram Staining ◽  
Epidemiological Monitoring ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
Monitoring And Surveillance ◽  
Flotac Technique ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Current Report

The aim of this study was to propose the use of a new rapid and user-friendly diagnostic tool for the detection ofMacrorhabdusornithogasterinfection in birds. The current report focuses on the diagnostic feasibility of different methods, with particular emphasis on the application of the mini-Flotac technique for the diagnosis ofM.ornithogasterinfection. The mini-Flotac method is particularly tailored for epidemiological monitoring and surveillance, where large numbers of fecal samples must be rapidly, yet reliably, examined. Gram staining, as the standard method, was used to validate the reliability of the mini-Flotac method. This tool has not yet been used in avian species or in the diagnosis of yeast infections. In our study,M. ornithogastershowed excellent performance in a flotation assay, which had not been demonstrated previously. Our results suggest that the mini-Flotac method is a valid, sensitive, and potentially low-cost alternative technique for use in the diagnosis of this yeast infection in birds.

A systematic review of building systems and technologies to mitigate the spread of airborne viruses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amna Salman ◽  
Anoop Sattineni ◽  
Salman Azhar ◽  
Kasia Leousis
Keyword(s):  
Indoor Air ◽  
Natural Ventilation ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Critical Issue ◽  
Mapping Technique ◽  
Hvac System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Building Systems ◽  
Airborne Viruses

Purpose The purpose of this study is to conduct a rigorous systematic literature review and present a summary of building systems and technologies that can be used to mitigate the spread of airborne viruses. With the recent outbreak of COVID-19, occupants’ health and indoor air quality (IAQ) have become a critical issue for facility managers to maintain the full functionality of the buildings. An improved understanding of these available systems will help facility managers and building owners to protect the health and safety of building occupants. Design/methodology/approach The PRISMA protocol was used for defining the literature search methodology. The concept mapping technique was used for determining the keywords. The keywords were then used to search for relevant articles using the Scopus database and Google Scholar. A thorough bibliometric analysis and qualitative analysis were conducted for the selected publications. Findings It was found that sensor technologies, botanical air-filtration systems and artificial intelligence could be used to effectively monitor and improve IAQ. In addition, natural ventilation is one of the low-cost and effective methods of reducing contaminants from the indoor air. Computational fluid dynamic modeling can be used to understand the flow of virus particles within the building through the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. Several changes to the HVAC system are also discussed. Originality/value This study contains a diversity of methods from the existing literature that were systematically selected to present the state-of-the-art building systems and technologies that can effectively improve IAQ. The researchers plan to follow up on the findings of this research and will conduct an empirical study to assess its impact on IAQ.

Formaldehyde sensing properties of ZnO-based hollow nanofibers

Sensor Review ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shaohong Wei ◽  
Youjuan Zhang ◽  
Meihua Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
High Sensitivity ◽  
Diffraction Field ◽  
Formaldehyde Concentration ◽  
Hollow Nanofibers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sensing Properties ◽  
Electrospinning Method ◽  
Formaldehyde Sensing ◽  
Hollow Nanofiber

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to synthesize SnO2–ZnO hollow nanofibers, study their sensing properties and introduce an attractive candidate for formaldehyde detection in practice. Design/methodology/approach – Pure and SnO2–ZnO hollow nanofibers were synthesized by electrospinning method and characterized via X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The formaldehyde-sensing properties were investigated. Findings – The optimum performance was obtained at 260°C by the 14 at.% SnO2–ZnO hollow nanofiber sensor. The sensor could detect formaldehyde down to 0.1 ppm with rapid response–recovery time (4-6 s and 7-9 s, respectively), high sensitivity, good selectivity and stability. The relationship between the sensor’s sensitivity and formaldehyde concentration suggests that the adsorbed oxygen species on the sensor’s surface is O2−. The prominent sensing properties are attributed to the one dimensional hollow nanofiber structures and the promoting effects of SnO2. Practical implications – The sensor fabricated from 14 at.% SnO2–ZnO fibers exhibits excellent formaldehyde-sensing characteristics. It can be used for formaldehyde detection in practice. Social implications – The electrospinning method is a very simple and convenient method for fabricating hollow nanofibers and the sensing material is of low cost. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, studies on formaldehyde sensing of SnO2–ZnO hollow nanofibers have not been reported before.

Tools of Transformation: Appropriate Technology in U.S. Countercultural Literature

2012 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-93
Author(s):  
Peter Mortensen
Keyword(s):  
Low Cost ◽  
Appropriate Technology ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Environmental Transformation ◽  
Buckminster Fuller ◽  
1960S And 1970S ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Environmentally Sound ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
Second Wave

This essay takes its cue from second-wave ecocriticism and from recent scholarly interest in the “appropriate technology” movement that evolved during the 1960s and 1970s in California and elsewhere. “Appropriate technology” (or AT) refers to a loosely-knit group of writers, engineers and designers active in the years around 1970, and more generally to the counterculture’s promotion, development and application of technologies that were small-scale, low-cost, user-friendly, human-empowering and environmentally sound. Focusing on two roughly contemporary but now largely forgotten American texts Sidney Goldfarb’s lyric poem “Solar-Heated-Rhombic-Dodecahedron” (1969) and Gurney Norman’s novel Divine Right’s Trip (1971)—I consider how “hip” literary writers contributed to eco-technological discourse and argue for the 1960s counterculture’s relevance to present-day ecological concerns. Goldfarb’s and Norman’s texts interest me because they conceptualize iconic 1960s technologies—especially the Buckminster Fuller-inspired geodesic dome and the Volkswagen van—not as inherently alienating machines but as tools of profound individual, social and environmental transformation. Synthesizing antimodernist back-to-nature desires with modernist enthusiasm for (certain kinds of) machinery, these texts adumbrate a humanity- and modernity-centered post-wilderness model of environmentalism that resonates with the dilemmas that we face in our increasingly resource-impoverished, rapidly warming and densely populated world.

scholarly journals Engineering and characterization of gymnosperm sapwood toward enabling the design of water filtration devices

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krithika Ramchander ◽  
Megha Hegde ◽  
Anish Paul Antony ◽  
Luda Wang ◽  
Kendra Leith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Shelf Life ◽  
Social Acceptance ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Coliform Bacteria ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Water Filter ◽  
Synthetic Test ◽  
Xylem Tissue ◽  
Filtration Material

AbstractNaturally-occurring membranes in the xylem tissue of gymnosperm sapwood enable its use as an abundantly-available material to construct filters, with potential to facilitate access to safe drinking water in resource-constrained settings. However, the material’s behavior as a filter is poorly understood, and challenges such as short shelf life have not been addressed. Here, we characterize the operational attributes of xylem filters and show that the material exhibits a highly non-linear dependence of flow resistance on thickness upon drying, and a tendency for self-blocking. We develop guidelines for the design and fabrication of xylem filters, demonstrate gravity-operated filters with shelf life >2 years, and show that the filters can provide >3 log removal of E. coli, MS-2 phage, and rotavirus from synthetic test waters and coliform bacteria from contaminated spring, tap, and ground waters. Through interviews and workshops in India, we use a user-centric approach to design a prototype filtration device with daily- to weekly-replaceable xylem filters, and uncover indicators of social acceptance of xylem as a natural water filter. Our work enhances the understanding of xylem as a filtration material, and opens opportunities for engineering a diverse range of low-cost, biodegradable xylem-based filtration products on a global scale.

scholarly journals Pocket MUSE: an affordable, versatile and high-performance fluorescence microscope using a smartphone

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yehe Liu ◽  
Andrew M. Rollins ◽  
Richard M. Levenson ◽  
Farzad Fereidouni ◽  
Michael W. Jenkins
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Consumer Electronics ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Point Of Care Diagnostics ◽  
Optical Module ◽  
Optical Configuration ◽  
User Friendly

AbstractSmartphone microscopes can be useful tools for a broad range of imaging applications. This manuscript demonstrates the first practical implementation of Microscopy with Ultraviolet Surface Excitation (MUSE) in a compact smartphone microscope called Pocket MUSE, resulting in a remarkably effective design. Fabricated with parts from consumer electronics that are readily available at low cost, the small optical module attaches directly over the rear lens in a smartphone. It enables high-quality multichannel fluorescence microscopy with submicron resolution over a 10× equivalent field of view. In addition to the novel optical configuration, Pocket MUSE is compatible with a series of simple, portable, and user-friendly sample preparation strategies that can be directly implemented for various microscopy applications for point-of-care diagnostics, at-home health monitoring, plant biology, STEM education, environmental studies, etc.

Recent advancements in low-cost portable sensors for urban and indoor air quality monitoring

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hernández-Gordillo ◽  
S. Ruiz-Correa ◽  
V. Robledo-Valero ◽  
C. Hernández-Rosales ◽  
S. Arriaga
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Quality Monitoring ◽  
Air Quality Monitoring ◽  
Portable Sensors

scholarly journals Methods of Respiratory Virus Detection: Advances towards Point-of-Care for Early Intervention

Micromachines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 697
Author(s):  
Siming Lu ◽  
Sha Lin ◽  
Hongrui Zhang ◽  
Liguo Liang ◽  
Shien Shen
Keyword(s):  
Viral Load ◽  
Respiratory Virus ◽  
Viral Infections ◽  
Point Of Care ◽  
Human Life ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Virus Detection ◽  
Frequent Monitoring ◽  
User Friendly ◽  
New Strategies

Respiratory viral infections threaten human life and inflict an enormous healthcare burden worldwide. Frequent monitoring of viral antibodies and viral load can effectively help to control the spread of the virus and make timely interventions. However, current methods for detecting viral load require dedicated personnel and are time-consuming. Additionally, COVID-19 detection is generally relied on an automated PCR analyzer, which is highly instrument-dependent and expensive. As such, emerging technologies in the development of respiratory viral load assays for point-of-care (POC) testing are urgently needed for viral screening. Recent advances in loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), biosensors, nanotechnology-based paper strips and microfluidics offer new strategies to develop a rapid, low-cost, and user-friendly respiratory viral monitoring platform. In this review, we summarized the traditional methods in respiratory virus detection and present the state-of-art technologies in the monitoring of respiratory virus at POC.

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