Environmental engineering education for developing countries: framework for the future.

This paper presents the existing philosophy, approach, criteria and delivery of environmental engineering education (E3) for developing countries. In general, environmental engineering is being taught in almost all major universities in developing countries, mostly under civil engineering degree programmes. There is an urgent need to address specific inputs that are particularly important for developing countries with respect to the reality of urbanisation and industrialisation. The main component of E3 in the near future will remain on basic sanitation in most developing countries, with special emphasis on the consumer-demand approach. In order to substantially overcome environmental problems in developing countries, E3 should include integrated urban water management, sustainable sanitation, appropriate technology, cleaner production, wastewater minimisation and financial framework.     

Catecholamine uptake, accumulation, and release in acute porphyria

Hypertension and tachycardia are well known features of acute porphyria and have been shown to be related to increased circulating catecholamines. The mechanism by which circulating catecholamines are increased was studied using the isolated perfused rat heart and human platelets as a model of adrenergic neuronal function. It was found that neither delta-aminolevulinate (ALA) nor porphobilinogen (PBG) blocked uptake or caused release in the isolated perfused rat heart. Platelets from six patients with acute prophyria, three in remission and three latent, with matching normal controls were studied with regard to their uptake of [(3)H]norepinephrine in the presence of ALA or PBG. It was found that ALA and PBG significantly reduced uptake and accumulation of [(3)H]-norepinephrine in patients with acute porphyria; however, no similar reduction in uptake and accumulation was observed in the platelets of normal controls. Therefore, it appears that there is a latent defect in the catecholamine uptake and (or) accumulation of platelets of patients with acute prophyria which only manifests itself in the presence of ALA or PBG. If platelet uptake serves as a model of adrenergic neuron uptake, this suggests that elevated circulating catecholamine levels during acute attacks of acute porphyria are caused at least partially by blockade of re-uptake into the sympathetic neurons.     

Differential effectiveness of written and verbal communications in modifying students' perceptions of the counseling center's role.

Recent research has indicated that students' attitudes regarding the roles of the college counseling center can be modified. One line of research has suggested the effectiveness of an in vivo presentation. A second line of research has suggested that a personally written letter is also an effective modifier. However, there has been no empirical comparison of the relative effectiveness of these 2 procedures within the same experiment. This is especially important given the difference in expense between the 2 procedures. The present experiment, conducted with 157 university students, evaluated the comparative effectiveness of an in vivo presentation, a personally written letter, and an impersonal brochure in modifying Ss' attitudes toward the appropriateness of personal/social, vocational, and college routine concerns for discussion with a counseling psychologist. Results suggest that simple presentation of the facts was enough to correct attitudes toward vocational and college routine concerns. With regard to modifying attitudes concerning personal/social concerns, the in vivo procedure was not significantly more effective than the personal letter. This result calls into question the economic justifiability of using the relatively more expensive in vivo communication. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cyclic fatty acid yields from linseed oil

Increased yields of saturated cyclic fatty acids which are fluid at −50C have been obtained from linseed oil. Depending on reaction conditions, yields varied from 20–42 g of cyclic acids per 100 g of linseed oil. Solvent ratios of 6, 3, and 1.5∶1; catalyst concentrations of 10, 30, 60, and 100%; and reaction temps of 225, 275, 295, and 325C were evaluated. Ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol were compared as reaction solvents. In general, high solvent ratios favored high cyclic acid yields at the lower reaction temperature, but as the temperature increased the effect of solvent ratio decreased. Increasing the percentage excess of sodium hydroxide increased the cyclic acid yield. Diethylene glycol gave higher yields than ethylene glycol at comparable conditions. Presented at the AOCS meeting in Chicago, Ill., October, 1961. A laboratory of the No. Utiliz. Res. & Dev. Div., ARS, U.S.D.A.     

Hepatic hamartoma in adults. Apropos of a case documented by MRI

A mixed hamartoma of the liver in a 39 year old man is reported. Abdominal ultrasound revealed a 4 cm inhomogeneous echogenic mass with acoustic shadowing. MRI T1 weighted images showed a inhomogeneous low intensity mass with lower gadolinium enhancement than normal liver, a moderate low signal intensity on proton density weighted images, and heterogeneous isosignal intensity on T2 weighted images. Peripheric calcifications were found on pathologic examination.     

Soybean soapstock utilization: Fatty acid adducts with ethylene and 1-butene

The relation of certain reaction variables to yield was investigated in the preparation of ethylene and 1-butene Diels-Alder adducts with alkali conjugated linoleic and linolenic acid soaps derived from soybean oil soapstock. Adduct yields generally increased with pressure at the 295 C reaction temperature. Maximum yields obtained with fatty acids derived from soapstock were ca. 80% of theory with ethylene and 40% of theory with 1-butene. Purification of adduct methyl esters by vacuum fractional distillation gave adducts with >95% purity. Ethylene adduct amides showed promise as antiblock agents for plastic film.     

Recording apparatus for measuring oxygen absorption

Summary Two sensitive but inexpensive electrical circuits have been described which translate change in mercury level in a manometer to an electromotive force of sufficient magnitude so that it may be applied to a standard d.c. potentiometric recorder. The recording manometer, when coupled with a simple closed system containing a small amount of lipid material and oxygen or air, can be adapted to determine continuously the cumulative absorption of oxygen by the oil or fat. The break-point, a measure of the stability of the sample, may be obtained from the resulting curve. The apparatus has been successfully employed to determine the oxidative stability of hydrogenated soybean oil, and because of the small amount of attention required, it should be readily adaptable to quality control of edible oil and fat products. The recording manometer should be useful also for measuring and recording pressure changes in other systems. Presented at the meeting of American Oil Chemists’ Society, New Orleans, La., April 17–20, 1955.     

Continuous production of cyclic fatty acids

Kinetic studies of a batch treatment of linseed oil to produce cyclic acids indicated that of a continuous process conducted in a flow-through reactor and involving rapid heat-up of reactants, followed by a short reaction time, might be feasible. Tests were conducted in a continuous system to examine the effects of flow rate (retention time), reaction temp, reaction system pressure and reagents on product yields. The reactant solution (linseed oil-ethylene glycol-sodium hydroxide) was pumped through an externally heated tube and discharged through a back-pressure valve. Maximum cyclic acid yields based on wt of oil were 37% by the continuous method and 40.4% by the batch process when the feed was saturated with nitrogen, and 39.5% and 46.1% for the respective methods when the feed was saturated with ethylene. These differences may be offset by the advantages inherent in a continuous process. Presented in part at the AOCS Meeting, New Orleans, 1962. A laboratory of the No. Utiliz. Res. & Dev. Div., ARS, USDA.     

Cyclic fatty acids from linolenic acid

Linolenic acid of 95% purity was heated with excess alkali in ethylene glycol to produce cyclic fatty acids. Reaction variables, which are associated with the cyclization reaction and which were investigated, included solvent-to-fatty-acid ratio, catalyst concentration, and reaction temperature, headspace gas (N₂ or C₂H₄), and head-space gas pressure. Yields of cyclic acids were improved by increasing solvent ratio (1.5–6 wt basis), reaction temperature (225–295C), and catalyst concentration (10–100% excess). With nitrogen the optimum catalyst concentration was about 100% excess, but when ethylene was used, no increase was obtained beyond 50% excess catalyst. Yields of polymeric acids produced in the reaction generally decreased as cyclic acid yields increased, except in one instance. Higher yields of cyclic fatty acids were obtained with ethylene than with nitrogen under all comparable conditions, and increasing the ethylene pressure to as high as 500 psi improved the yield. Ethylene adds to the conjugated double bonds and is believed to give C₂₀ fatty acids having a 1,4-disubstituted monoene ring in the chain. The maximum yield of monomeric cyclic acids from 95% linolenic acid was 84.6%, the balance being polymeric and unreacted monomeric acids. Monomeric acids from this test contained 95% cyclic acids. Presented at AOCS meeting, New Orleans, 1962. No. Utiliz. Res. & Dev. Div., ARS, U.S.D.A.