Feral dogs in Chitral gol national park, Pakistan: a potential threat to the future of threatened Kashmir Markhor (Capra falconeri cashmiriensis)

Feral dogs are well-organized hunters of ungulates in many parts of the world, causing great damage to wildlife populations and ultimately to the ecosystem. In Pakistan, the impacts of feral dogs on the wildlife have not been documented yet. In a period of fifteen years (2006-2020), feral dogs have killed hundreds of threatened markhor in Chitral gol national park (CGNP), Pakistan. Despite direct predation other impacts including disturbance and competition with other natural predators, could compromise conservation and management efforts. The population of feral dogs seems to have been increased with the increase of dumping sites by communities. Our findings suggest that there are pressing needs of controlling the feral dogs population and eradicating them from the core zone of CGNP and surrounding buffer communities. Conventional culling of dogs should be coupled with modern techniques like castration and sterilization. Communities should be educated regarding the clean environment, proper disposal of home wastes and, biodiversity conservation.

Protocols and safety measurements used in intubation of COVID-19 patients

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many countries to pose an emergency to contain the contamination and prevent the further spread of the infection. In this context, many societies and research papers were published to optimize guidelines and protocols for patients undergoing surgery and subsequent intubation. Accordingly, infection control is a critical approach to reduce the rate of contamination and risk of catching infections for suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients. As a result, various guidelines were discussed in the current literature review, including guidelines to the patient, healthcare workers, operating room, anesthesia equipment, and patient transportation. For instance, healthcare workers can protect themselves from catching infections by wearing personal protective equipment and conducting adequate disinfection measures following each operation, in addition to the proper disposal of the contaminated objects. Strictly following these protocols should be done to reduce the risk of contamination in the operating room and enhance the outcomes of the patients and healthcare workers.

Planning, Analysis and Design of Advanced Township at Thodupuzha in Kerala

Due to the rise in population and increase in urbanisation levels in our country, most of the settlements are in urban areas. As the cities that already existing are heavily populated along with a great deal of limitations in the infrastructure, emergence of an advanced township away from the vicinity of these overpopulated urban areas offer safer and better accommodation for the people. The planning and layout of the project is shown using autoCAD and for the structural analysis we use STADD Pro V.18i. Demographic analysis is done among specific clientele. Development of roof top rainwater harvesting(sump)has been carried out in order to provide source of water for the whole population of the township. Use of intze tank which is a circular overhead tank to meet the daily water requirement of the population inside the township.For the proper disposal and processing of the waste generated, almost 30 acres of land is being used to hold the per capita waste generated which managed after calculating factors like total waste generated, estimated landfill, total area required for land etc. The salient features a major advantages of this township is discussed in detail. Keywords: IS - Indian Standard BM - Bending Moment BIS - Bureau of Indian Standards cm - CentiMeters mm - MilliMeters m - Meter C - Celsius

Development of Smart Waste Bin for Solid Waste Management

Growing urbanisation in developing countries, population growth, and changes in human activities and consumption patterns have resulted in significant amounts of trash that must be appropriately disposed of, treated, and managed to provide a sustainable environment and a reasonable standard of life for the growing population. The aim of the paper is to design a smart dustbin for proper disposal of waste without any human intervention by providing a smart technology for waste system monitoring, reducing human time, effort, and intervention. This paper presents a smart waste bin integrated with a microcontroller-based Arduino board which is interfaced with ultrasonic sensors, MQ-2 sensor, servo motor, LCD and GSM modem. The Arduino microcontroller is programmed using Arduino C which measures the height of the dust bin using the ultrasonic sensor. Once the waste gets to the pre-set level, the microcontroller activates the GSM modem to send a message to a designated number. The status of the waste in the bin is transferred to the designated line and display on the LCD whenever it exceeds the pre-set value. The replacement of the traditional waste bin with smart waste bin help in efficient management of waste by assuring that filled waste bin are emptied when the pre-set value is exceeded. This also help in reducing time involve in checking the status of the waste bin and number of trips embarked by the waste collection vehicle and total expenditure associated with collection is minimized. It eventually helps to maintain cleanliness in our environment. Therefore, the system makes the waste collection more efficient.

Operating Room Waste Generated Across Otolaryngology Cases

ABSTRACT Background Hospital waste adds to the ecological footprint of the healthcare system, whereas inattention to recyclables may increase costs. The primary objective of this study was to assess the amount of recyclable and nonrecyclable intraoperative waste produced across representative otolaryngology surgical procedures. Methods Representative surgical cases across four otolaryngology subspecialties at a tertiary care military medical institution were prospectively identified. Waste was collected, divided, and weighed across two categories: recyclable and nonrecyclable. This study was performed in conjunction with a hospital-approved quality improvement project. Results The study included 22 otolaryngology surgeries performed across four otolaryngology subspecialties: facial plastics, pediatrics, otology, and head and neck oncology. Overall, 197.4 kg of waste was collected of which 40.2 kg (20%) was recyclable and 157.2 kg (80%) was nonrecyclable. An average of 1.8 kg of recyclable materials and 7.1 kg of nonrecyclable materials were collected per case. Conclusion This study supports that otolaryngology surgical procedures generate a significant amount of waste, a large component of which is recyclable. It highlights the need for proper disposal of this waste and the implementation of a recycling program at our institution with the potential for both ecologic and economic benefits.

Awareness towards Disposal of Unused Medication in District Shaheed Benazirabad Sindh

Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine level of awareness about proper disposal of unused medicine. It is a growing problem. People directly dispose unused medicines into waste or flush into sink. Finally, these improperly disposed medicines mix with wastewater leach out into sea water, ground water, drinking water and effect human and other forms of life and develop microbial resistance and accidental poising and various societal repercussion. Confusion exists in people about proper disposal of unused medicine. Despite of already available guidelines people very rarely follow proper disposal methods. Particularly in developing countries situation is very alarming. It is well established fact that knowledge and level of awareness play pivotal role for practice of proper disposal methods. Study Design: This study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. Methodology: This study was conducted in Nawab Shah and its vicinities: Sakrand, Kaziahamed, Bachalpur, during September 2019 to May 2020. The number of participants were included in the study according Slovin's Formula. The simple random sampling method was used to select participants. The level of awareness about proper disposal of unused medicine of 400 participants was assessed through a well-designed questionnaire. The questionnaires were distributed to the participants at their homes with the help of volunteers. The descriptive statistics were analyzed through latest version of MS excel 2016. Results: Out of 400, 320 (80%) of the participants admitted have no knowledge for proper disposal of unused medicines. 185 (46.25%) of the participants viewed throwing unused medicines into waste was correct. Whereas 176 (44%) of the participants believed improperly thrown medicines has no effect on environment. Conclusion: The level of knowledge about proper disposal of unused medicine was found very low in study participants. It is suggested government should incorporate guidelines about the harmful effects of improper disposal of unused medicines in curriculum at primary level of education.

Unsafe Sharps Disposal Among Insulin-Using Patients With Diabetes Mellitus: An Emerging Global Crisis

Approximately eight billion therapeutic injections are administered outside of medical treatment facilities annually. The management of diabetes mellitus (DM) includes self-monitoring of blood glucose levels and administration of insulin and injectable non–insulin-related medications. The lancets, needles, and syringes used for DM management are categorized as medical sharps. Improperly discarded medical sharps can cause needlestick injuries in unsuspecting individuals and thereby pose a considerable public health risk. Release of these items into the environment will likely increase with the rising worldwide prevalence of DM, and a public safety crisis will emerge if proper disposal measures are not emphasized. This article reviews the literature from various geopolitical regions and describes how a substantial number of patients with DM improperly discard their sharps. Data support the need to develop multifaceted and innovative approaches to reduce risk associated with improper disposal of DM-related medical sharps into local communities.

Species Diversity of Arthropods Founds in Refuse Dumpsites in Ifite Awka, Anambra State and Its Public Health Risk

A survey of some refuse dumpsites in Ifite, Awka, Anambra, Nigeria State were carried out for 5 weeks to determine the arthropod vectors associated with those refuse dumps and their relative abundance per site and species diversity. Five refuse dumpsites were randomly selected based on their composition and human activities within the environment. The sampled sites are Commissioners Quarters (site A), Second Market (site B), Miracle Junction (site C), Star-Lodge Junction (site D) and Wintess Hotel (site E). Fourteen species of arthropods were collected in eight orders and eleven families namely; Muscidae, Culicidae, Blattidae, Calliphoridae, Formicidae, Elateridae, Xystodesmidae, Polydesmidae, Acrididae, Lygaeidae and Selonopidae. The most abundant vector species encountered in all five study sites was Musca domestica, the dominant species, followed by Aedes. spp., and P. americana which occurred in all study sites except site A. Site A, M. domestica 12 (38.71%), followed by A. aegypti 6 (19.35%), site B, M. domestica 15 (25.42%), followed by A. aegypti 12 (20.34%) and P. Americana 10 (16.95%), site C, M. domestica 17 (28.89%), followed by A. aegypti 7 (15.56%) and P. Americana 5 (11.11%), site D, M. domestica 17 (27.42%), followed by A. aegypti 11 (17.74%) and P. americana 7 (11.29%), site E, M. domestica 30 (32.26%), followed by A. spp.,17 (18.28%) and P. Americana 16 (17.20%).The abundance of these vectors suggests the prevalence of arthropod vector borne disease in Ifite, Awka environment. Proper disposal of refuse dumps and public enlightenment on the dangers of indiscriminate dumping of refuse to the general public is highly recommended to avert health and environmental problems associated with these arthropod vectors.

Assessing Strength of Plastic Paving Blocks for Construction of Non-Motorised Transport Facilities.

Walking remains the oldest and most common mode of transport making up a portion if not most or all our daily commute. However, infrastructure developments in our urban areas have a bias towards motorised transport leading to pedestrians and cyclists being the most affected in road incidents. Increasing non-motorised transport facilities in our urban centres would increase levels of walkability, reduce the number of crashes involving non-motorised transport users, reduce traffic congestion, noise and air pollution making them sustainable and more liveable. Three hundred million tonnes of plastic waste are produced annually in the world with Kenya contributing 407,506 tonnes. The waste produced shall continue to increase with increasing population, urbanisation and development. The non-biodegradability of plastic makes proper disposal of plastic waste a menace and due to widespread littering, plastic waste has become a common sight in our urban and rural areas. The conventional materials used for the construction of walkways and cycle lanes, asphalt and concrete are most ideal for the motorised transport pavements. Plastic paving blocks can be affordable, readily available and environmentally friendly making a suitable alternate construction material if adopted. This study assessed the strength of plastic paving blocks for use in the construction of walkways and cycle lanes; by undertaking a tensile strength test according to SANS 1058:2021 on samples provided by Corec Kenya. The samples satisfied all of the strength specifications and from this it can be recommended that the plastic paving blocks can be used on low traffic pavements such as walkways and cycle lanes.

Green Diabetes Summit 2021

On July 21, 2021, Diabetes Technology Society convened the virtual Green Diabetes Summit. The event consisted of 23 representatives from key stakeholder groups based in both the United States and Europe. The purposes of the summit were to (1) provide background on the complexity of addressing sustainability-related issues, including waste management, of diabetes devices from many different perspectives along the products’ life cycle stages, and (2) determine the feasibility and role of a coalition of stakeholders to find solutions, particularly in the design, use, and proper disposal of diabetes devices used in home care that no one stakeholder can resolve on their own.