Methylene Blue Test Research Articles

Development of Soil-Water Characteristic Curve for Flexible Base Materials Using the Methylene Blue Test

AbstractThis study describes an experimental investigation of the methylene blue test to determine the methylene blue value (MBV) and quantitatively generate the soil-water characteristic curve (SWCC) for unbound aggregate material based on the predicted percent fines content (PFC). The traditional methylene blue test has been improved significantly in terms of time, sample size, and method for analyzing the results. These improvements enable the methylene blue test to be not only a laboratory test but also a field test. This improved methylene blue test methodology is used to generate the SWCC for unbound aggregate material. The relationship between the MBV and the PFC value is established. The principles of unsaturated soil mechanics are taken into account to develop regression models for determining the four fitting parameters in a previously developed SWCC equation by using the predicted PFC value, which are then used to generate the SWCC for the unbound aggregates. The proposed method is validated by...

Photo-catalytic titanium oxide film deposition by atmospheric TPCVD using vortex Ar plasma jet

In order to generate the vortex plasma jet, the vortex flow creation nozzle (vortex nozzle) was equipped at the head of the plasma torch. Consequently, by equipment of the vortex nozzle, plasma jet released from the plasma torch ran along the inner wall of the vortex nozzle and the plasma jet was changed into vortex plasma jet in the vortex nozzle. As for the titanium oxide film deposition, anatase rich titanium oxide film with uniform thickness distribution could be obtained on the 304 stainless steel substrate. The film deposition rate at the center on the condition of 30 mm in deposition distance was approximately 8 μm/min. Besides, since the anatase rich film indicated hydrophilic and methylene-blue droplet on the film was decolored by UV irradiation in cases of methylene-blue wettability and decoloration tests, it was proved that the anatase rich film have photocatalytic properties. Especially, in case of the film deposited on the condition of 30 mm in deposition distance, methylene-blue droplet was perfectly decolored by 48 h UV irradiation. From these results, this technique was found to have high potential for uniform film deposition by TPCVD.

Activated carbon fibers/poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid composite scaffolds: Preparation and characterizations

The present work is a first trial to introduce activated carbon fibers (ACF) with high adsorption capacity into poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA), resulting in a novel kind of scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. ACF, prepared via high-temperature processing of carbon fibers, are considered to possess bioactivity and biocompatibility. The ACF/PLGA composite scaffolds are prepared by solvent casting/particulate leaching method. Increments in both pore quantity and quality over the surface of ACF as well as a robust combination between ACF and PLGA matrix are observed via scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The high adsorption capacity of ACF is confirmed by methylene blue solution absorbency test. The surfaces of ACF are affiliated with many hydrophilic groups and characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Furthermore, the SEM images show that cells possess a favorable spreading morphology on the ACF/PLGA scaffolds. Besides, vivo experiments are also carried out to evaluate the histocompatibility of the composite scaffolds. The results show that ACF have the potential to become one of the most promising materials in biological fields.

Reperméation de fistule œso-trachéale dans l’atrésie de l’œsophage de type III : un diagnostic et une prise en charge difficile

Recurrent tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) is possible after repair of congenital esophageal atresia. The frequency of recurrent TEF is observed in about 10% of the cases. Within a cohort of 67 children with type III esophageal atresia repaired between 1998 and 2009, we aimed to identify the number of children with recurrent TEF, the risk factors for this condition, and the treatment proposed. The sex ratio was 1.7. Surgery was performed between 4 and 36 hours of life. Five children (7.5%) had a recurrent TEF, usually during the first 3 months, revealed by respiratory symptoms related to feeding in some cases. We noted that recurrent TEF was more frequent with anastomotic leakage (P=0.09) or postsurgical pneumothorax (P<0.01). The diagnosis was made in four cases out of five by a methylene blue test performed during a tracheobronchial endoscopy. Surgical treatment was noted in four children, with three postsurgical secondary effects. One child was treated by endoscopy and an esophageal clip. With a median follow-up of 52 months, no recurrence was noted. The recurrence of TEF may be linked to postsurgical events. Diagnosis is not easy and treatment is not clearly codified. Endoscopic treatment may be an advantageous option to surgery, likely with less morbidity.

A study of middle ear reconstruction, the degree of functional restoration and causes of graft failure following chronic ear disease

Aims and objectivesTo determine the results of various types of tympano-ossiculoplasties and the degree of functional restoration following surgery. Materials and methodsThis prospective study comprises 51 consecutive patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) – tubotympanic disease (TTD) and atticoantral disease (AAD), who presented to the academic department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, in a tertiary care hospital in South India. All patients underwent a thorough examination and appropriate investigations. Eustachian tube function (ETF) was assessed preoperatively by methylene blue dye test and saccharin test. The size of the mastoids was measured by using a graph paper, on which the X-ray film of the mastoid taken in the lateral oblique view (Law’s view) was superimposed. Patients with CSOM (TTD) with less than 3months of dry ear and small size mastoids on X-ray were subjected to cortical mastoidectomy and type I tympanoplasty; whereas patients with dry ear more than 3months underwent type I tympanoplasty alone. Type III tympanoplasty was carried out in those with erosion of incus/malleus by placing temporalis fascia over the stapes superstructure. Patients with AAD underwent modified radical mastoidectomy (MRM) and ossicular reconstruction was carried out depending on the remnant of the ossicles. Partial Ossicular Replacement Prosthesis (PORP) made of plastipore was used for Austin’s type b ossiculoplasty; while Plastipore/Gold was used as Total Ossicular Replacement Prosthesis (TORP) in type d ossiculoplasty. Patients were reviewed after 15days, 1 and 3months post-operatively for a clinico-audiological assessment of the operated ear to evaluate the graft status and hearing improvement. The postoperative audiograms were recorded on the 2nd and 3rd visit. Results and observationsOf the 51 patients with CSOM; 37 had TTD and 14 had AAD. Of the 37 patients with TTD, 35 patients had normal ETF and 2 of them had partial dysfunction. With normal ETF, the graft uptake rate was 80% compared to partial ETF which had only 50%. Patients with large and medium size mastoids had 89% of graft uptake. Patients with small and medium size perforations had 100% graft uptake; whereas large and subtotal perforations had 75% and 71.43% respectively. A total number of 34 tympanoplasties and 17 ossiculoplasties were done. Of these; 29 were type I and 5 were of type III. Out of 17 ossiculoplasties, 3 were type b and 14 cases were of type d. We used 7 Gold and 7 Plastipore TORP for the type d ossiculoplasty and PORP in 3 of the cases. Using temporal fascia as graft material 34 patients underwent tympanoplasty in whom the graft uptake was 79.41%, while 17 patients underwent ossiculoplasty using temporalis fascia as graft, the graft uptake was 88.23%. Tympanoplasty done for small and medium size perforations had 100% hearing improvement with A–B gap <20dB but patients who had large or subtotal perforations had 80% and 67% respectively. Hearing improvement to an A–B gap <20dB was noted in 91% and 60% following type I and type III tympanoplasty respectively. Hearing improvement to an A–B gap <20dB was noted in all the cases of type b ossiculoplasty and with type d ossiculoplasty (42%). ConclusionPatients with normal Eustachian tube function, large and medium size mastoids, small and medium size perforations of the tympanic membrane would have a good rate of graft uptake with tympano-ossiculoplasties thereby returning to normal hearing postoperatively.

Comparison of nasal mucociliary clearance in adenoid hypertrophy with or without otitis media with effusion

ObjectiveTo investigate pre- and postoperative mucociliary clearance in patients with adenoid hypertrophy or combined with otitis media with effusion. MethodsPatients were divided into two groups: Group 1—patients with adenoid hypertrophy (AH), and Group 2—patients with AH and otitis media with effusion (AHOME). In all patients, AH size was recorded, and the Andersen saccharin and methylene blue tests were conducted before and 1 month after surgery to obtain mucociliary clearance time (MCT). Nasal cavity length was measured intraoperatively to establish mucociliary clearance velocity (MCV). Patients with allergic rhinitis, active infection, and history of nasal or ear surgery were excluded. ResultsThis study included 64 patients with a mean age of 8.34±2.98 years (range: 3–18 years). Pre- and postoperative MCT were 14.60±4.83 and 9.48±2.63min in Group 1 and 16.03±4.31 and 12.12±3.78min in Group 2, respectively. Pre- and postoperative MCV were 0.77±0.30 and 1.16±0.42mm/min in Group 1 and 0.67±0.16 and 0.89±0.28mm/min in Group 2, respectively. MCT and MCV were significantly improved postoperatively in both groups (p<0.001). In addition, the postoperative MCT and MCV of Group 1 were significantly better than those of Group 2 (p<0.001). Exposure to cigarette smoking and adenoid size had negative correlations with mucociliary clearance. ConclusionsOtitis media was associated with impaired mucociliary clearance and further studies should be performed to demonstrate the causes of this deficiency.

Effect of water-based drilling fluid components on filter cake structure

Filter cake plays an important role in the filtration performance of drilling fluid. Drilling fluid components greatly influence the characteristics of the filter cake. The homogeneity of the filter cake, in turn, influences the properties of the filtration process. This study is devoted to understand the structure of drilling fluid filter cake in the non-reservoir sections and provide a new insight into cake layer structure. The spatial distribution of physical, chemical structure of cake layers was characterized by various analytical techniques, including high-temperature high-pressure (HTHP) fluid loss test, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrum (EDS), particle size distribution (PSD), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and methylene blue test (MBT). The results showed that the filter cake was heterogeneous not only in structure but also in composition. The structures and composition of filter cake change significantly from the top layer to the bottom layer. Drilling fluid components have a non-negligible effect on filter cake characteristics. High clay content would result in reduced compactness of filter cake because of the clay coalescence under high temperature, the critical coalescence temperature decreases with the increase of clay content. SEM images and elemental compositions illustrated that electrolyte contamination results in larger pore size of the filter cake as compared to the cake formed by uncontaminated freshwater based drilling fluid, the “honeycomb” structure collapsed because of its inhibitory action on the hydration and swelling capabilities of the pore wall of filter cake, and the filter cake of high density drilling fluid had a loose structure when compared with that of low density drilling fluid. EDS and XRD studies showed that there was an increase in the mass-ratio of hematite to barite of filter cake from the top layer to the bottom layer. Through the PSD results, the filter cake was found to have a larger particle size in the bottom layer than in the top layer.

Cement and lime mixture stabilization of an expansive overconsolidated clay

Urban areas of the wilaya of M'sila in Algeria nowadays experience a considerable development because of an unceasingly increasing demography, from where its extension towards virgin zones often less favorable than those already urbanized. This wilaya is located in a zone classified as semi-arid, whose geology comprises clayey formations characterized by a high variation of volume when the conditions of their equilibrium are modified (natural climatic phenomena due to a prolonged dryness, human activity by modification of the ground water level because of excessive pumping, configuration of constructions in their environment). This paper presents and analyzes the results of a series of normal Proctor compaction tests, methylene blue tests, California bearing ratio tests and undrained direct shear tests performed on Sidi-Hadjrès expansive overconsolidated clay treated with mixture of various cement and lime contents and compacted under the optimum Proctor conditions. These test results show that the geotechnical parameters values are concordant and confirm the bearing capacity improvement of this natural clay, which is translated by a significant increase in soil strength and its durability. However, the best performances are obtained for a mixt treatment corresponding to 8% cement and 4% lime contents.

Study of CFU for individual microorganisms in mixed cultures with a known ratio using MBRT.

Determination of metabolically active cell count is an important step in designing, operating and controlling fermentation processes. It’s particularly relevant in processes involving mixed cultures, where multiple species contribute to the total growth. The motivation for the current study is to develop a methodology to estimate metabolically active cell counts for the individual species in a mixed culture with approximate equal numbers. Further, the methodology should indicate the presence of a contaminant in short time periods since in the agar plate methods used frequently it takes about 24 h. We present a methodology based on the rate of Methylene blue (MB) reduction to evaluate total count of metabolically active cells. The standard curve relating the slope of MB reduction and CFU of the individual species could be used to measure the metabolic activity of each species in the mixed culture. The slope of MB reduction could also be used to obtain the growth rate of individual species in a mixed culture and that of the total cell count. These measurements were achieved in less than 6 minutes during the growth of the cells. Evaluating the metabolic activity of individual species in a mixed culture is tedious, difficult and time consuming. The Methylene Blue dye Reduction Test (MBRT) presented here is capable of quickly estimating colony forming units (CFU) of individual species in a mixed culture if the ratio of the numbers of cells is known. The method was used to dynamically detect the occurrence of a contaminating microorganism during fermentation. The protocol developed here can be adapted to applications in processes involving mixed cultures.

Nutritional and Microbiological Quality Assessment of Pasteurized Milk in Azh Agro Industries Pvt. Ltd., Gazipur, Bangladesh

Milk is one of the most valuable and regularly consumed natural food which is rich in nutritional value. A study was carried out with raw liquid milk collected from Shahzadpur and pasteurized, packed in AHZ Agro Industries Pvt. Ltd, Gazipur, Bangladesh. One hundred and forty five pasteurized milk samples collected from August, 2011 to February 2012 were analyzed for the nutritional and chemical composition such as acidity, fat, solid non fat, protein, lactose, specific gravity; and microbiological characteristics. Platform tests (alcohol and clot-on-boiling) were found negative. From the study it was found that the nutrient composition of the pasteurized milk samples were within the standard limits with average specific gravity of milk was 1.029, fat 3.575%, protein 3.43% and lactose 5.02 %. Acidity% refers the quality of milk. The 7 months average highest acidity was 0.15% and the lowest acidity was 0.146%. Protein percentage was found to be 3.36% in August (Rainy season), 3.45% in winter and 3.42% in spring. All the samples had solid non fat (SNF) with standard limits of 8.17 to 8.38 percent. It was found that total bacterial count in milk varies with seasons. In rainy season, autumn season and winter the average total viable count was 1715, 1744.3 and 1481.6 cfu/ml respectively. From 145 pasteurized milk samples, 121 samples showed excellent quality and 24 samples showed good quality in methylene blue reductase test (MBRT). No coliform and Salmonella/Shigella were observed. SNF and protein percentage varied with season, been highest in winter while less in spring. The overall result found was ensuring good quality of pasteurized milk. All the nutritional composition and microbiological count complies with the BSTI standard.

Vesicouterine fistula presenting with urinary incontinence 30 years after primary Cesarean: Case report and review of the literature

A vesicouterine fistula is an abnormal communication between the bladder and the uterus. The most common cause is lower segment Cesarean section. Conservative treatment may be applied in some cases, but surgery is the definitive treatment. We present a 55-year-old woman with vesicouterine fistula after primary Cesarean section; she presented with urinary incontinence 30 years later. Methylene blue dye test was performed and drainage of urine dyed with methylene blue through the uterine cervix was observed. Diagnosis was confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging. Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral oophorectomy was performed and the bladder wall was sutured in a double layer with 2/0 polyglycolic suture. No complications developed and the patient did not suffer from any urinary incontinence afterwards. Vesicouterine fistula should be suspected in cases presenting with urinary incontinence even years after Cesarean section; diagnostic tests and, if necessary, appropriate surgery should be performed.

A study on awareness regarding milk borne diseases in an urban community of Karnataka

Background: Milk is considered an attractive source of energy, proteins and calcium for infants and young children who have few alternative sources for these nutrients. Besides its beneficial effects on nutrition, milk is also ideally suited for growth of microorganisms. Many milk-borne epidemics of human diseases have been spread by contamination of milk by spoiled hands of dairy workers, unsanitary utensils, flies and polluted water supplies. Aims & Objective: To assess knowledge and practices towards milk borne diseases. Materials and Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 250 households residing in urban area, Belgaum district, using predesigned and pretested questionnaire. Informally marketed raw milk samples were collected from 10% households (25 houses) for laboratory analysis using Brucella milk ring test (BMRT), methylene blue reduction test (MBRT) and Coli form tests (CT) at the teaching hospital. Results: None of the participants knew that diseases can be transmitted by milk or could name the milk borne diseases. 1/3rd of the participants revealed that they consume raw milk, among them 1/3rd quoted health and convenience as reason for consumption of raw milk. Upper and lower SES classes, milk consumption practices (of washing hands, washing utensils, adulteration with water) were studied. Among 25 samples collected for laboratory analysis, 3 (12%) samples were found positive for Brucella milk ring test and 5 (20%) samples were positive for methylene blue reduction test as well as Coliform test. Mean specific gravity was 1.026 ± 0.004. Conclusion: Awareness about milk borne diseases was nil among participants. Attitude towards milk consumption practices was not satisfactory. One way to approach this problem would be to develop educational outreach programs for dairy producers, as well as for the general public, that focus on issues related to the consumption of raw milk.

The First Laparoscopic Vesicovaginal Fistula Repair in Iran

Background: Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) is the most common acquired fistula of the urinary system. Different surgical techniques exist, but having several advantages make laparoscopy as a favorable method. According to the recent data, we have performed the first laparoscopic repair of VVF in Iran. Case report: A 19-year-old (G1P1) woman, referred to our center, complaining from continuous urinary incontinence from 7 months ago. She developed continuous wetting after her first cesarean section, performed 7 months ago. Methylene blue dye test, was positive for VVF and voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) confirmed the diagnosis. Cystoscopy revealed the exact location of fistula in the bladder wall. Patient underwent laparoscopic VVF repair using transperitoneal transvesical approach in the supine position. Patient did not have any urinary leakage during hospitalization and discharged with urethral indwelling catheter at fourth day after the operation. Voiding cystourethrogram was done after 2 weeks, and it was normal without any extravasations. Discussion: Dense pelvic adhesions and/or inflammation from prior abdominal surgery can make this approach less desirable in some patients. Furthermore, intracorporeal laparoscopic suturing requirement for VVF repair is an advanced skill many surgeons lack. We used transabdominally transvesical laparos copic method and, according to the literature review, this is the first case of VVF laparoscopic surgery performed in Iran.

Photocatalytic Activity of the Oxide Layer Formed on NiTi Surface through Thermal Oxidation Process

In the present study, we attempted to prepare a photocatalytic titanium dioxide (TiO2) layer on nickel-titanium (NiTi) alloy surface through a simple thermal oxidation process in air. At 723K, an amorphous TiO2 layer including a slight amount of Ni was formed on the surface. Above 873K, the TiO2 layer crystallized into a rutile phase. At 1023K, a complex oxide of NiTiO3 was also formed. The methylene blue degradation test for evaluating photocatalytic activity showed that the formed TiO2 layers act as photocatalyst under ultraviolet (UV) light illumination, and its activity is superior to that of the surface layer formed by oxidizing a pure Ti substrate. The adhesion strength of the surface layers formed at 723K on NiTi alloy was higher than that of a commercially available TiO2-coating. We conclude that thermal oxidation as a surface modification technique is expected to make NiTi alloys give photocatalytic activity. [doi:10.2320/matertrans.M2014114]

Gastric leaks post sleeve gastrectomy: review of its prevention and management.

Gastric sleeve gastrectomy has become a frequent bariatric procedure. Its apparent simplicity hides a number of serious, sometimes fatal, complications. This is more important in the absence of an internationally adopted algorithm for the management of the leaks complicating this operation. The debates exist even regarding the definition of a leak, with several classification systems that can be used to predict the cause of the leak, and also to determine the treatment plan. Causes of leak are classified as mechanical, technical and ischemic causes. After defining the possible causes, authors went into suggesting a number of preventive measures to decrease the leak rate, including gentle handling of tissues, staple line reinforcement, larger bougie size and routine use of methylene blue test per operatively. In our review, we noticed that the most important clinical sign or symptom in patients with gastric leaks are fever and tachycardia, which mandate the use of an abdominal computed tomography, associated with an upper gastrointrstinal series and/or gastroscopy if no leak was detected. After diagnosis, the management of leak depends mainly on the clinical condition of the patient and the onset time of leak. It varies between prompt surgical intervention in unstable patients and conservative management in stable ones in whom leaks present lately. The management options include also endoscopic interventions with closure techniques or more commonly exclusion techniques with an endoprosthesis. The aim of this review was to highlight the causes and thus the prevention modalities and find a standardized algorithm to deal with gastric leaks post sleeve gastrectomy.

Blue-Violet Laser Modification of Titania Treated Titanium: Antibacterial and Osteo-Inductive Effects

BackgroundMany studies on surface modifications of titanium have been performed in an attempt to accelerate osseointegration. Recently, anatase titanium dioxide has been found to act as a photocatalyst that expresses antibiotic properties and exhibits hydrophilicity after ultraviolet exposure. A blue-violet semiconductor laser (BV-LD) has been developed as near-ultraviolet light. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of exposure to this BV-LD on surface modifications of titanium with the goal of enhancing osteoconductive and antibacterial properties.MethodsThe surfaces of pure commercial titanium were polished with #800 waterproof polishing papers and were treated with anatase titania solution. Specimens were exposed using BV-LD (λ = 405 nm) or an ultraviolet light-emitting diode (UV-LED, λ = 365 nm) at 6 mW/cm2 for 3 h. The surface modification was evaluated physically and biologically using the following parameters or tests: surface roughness, surface temperature during exposure, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, contact angle, methylene blue degradation tests, adherence of Porphyromonas gingivalis, osteoblast and fibroblast proliferation, and histological examination after implantation in rats.ResultsNo significant changes were found in the surface roughness or XRD profiles after exposure. BV-LD exposure did not raise the surface temperature of titanium. The contact angle was significantly decreased, and methylene blue was significantly degraded. The number of attached P. gingivalis organisms was significantly reduced after BV-LD exposure compared to that in the no exposure group. New bone was observed around exposed specimens in the histological evaluation, and both the bone-to-specimen contact ratio and the new bone area increased significantly in exposed groups.ConclusionsThis study suggested that exposure of titanium to BV-LD can enhance the osteoconductivity of the titanium surface and induce antibacterial properties, similar to the properties observed following exposure to UV-LED.

Photocatalytically active titanium dioxide nanopowders: Synthesis, photoactivity and magnetic separation

Two approaches were used to obtain nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalyst powders. Firstly, low-temperature synthesis method and secondly liquid flame spraying. The structural properties of the produced powders were determined with X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption tests. The photocatalytic properties of the powders were studied with methylene blue (MB) discoloration tests. After discolorations tests, TiO2 was coagulated with magnetite particles using FeCl3·6 H2O at a fixed pH value. Magnetic separation of coagulated TiO2 and magnetite was carried out by a permanent magnet. The obtained results showed that the particle size of the powders synthesized at low-temperature was very small and the specific surface area high. The phase content of the powder was also shown to depend greatly on the acidity of the synthesis solution. Powder synthesized by liquid flame spraying was mixture of anatase and rutile phases with essentially larger particle size and lower specific surface area than those of low-temperature synthesized powders. The MB discoloration test showed that photocatalytic activity depends on the phase structure as well as the specific surface area of the synthesized TiO2 powder. The magnetic separation of TiO2–magnetite coagulate from solution proved to be efficient around pH:8.

Avaliação das características do líquido ruminal, hemogasometria, atividade pedométrica e diagnóstico de laminite subclínica em vacas leiteiras

Este estudo objetivou avaliar as características do líquido ruminal, hemogasometria, atividade pedométrica e ocorrência laminite subclínica, por meio da presença de enfermidades podais secundárias, em vacas leiteiras de alta produção, provenientes de um rebanho comercial. Foram avaliadas 200 vacas holandesas, oriundas da mesma propriedade, localizada na região de Araçatuba, SP, divididas em quatro grupos, sendo estes estabelecidos a partir da produtividade diária. Inicialmente procedeu-se o exame clínico dos animais, seguido da colheita de amostras do líquido ruminal, por meio de sondagem esofágica, sendo este avaliado quanto ao pH, cor, odor, consistência, sedimentação, flutuação e prova de redução pelo azul de metileno. Também foram colhidas amostras de sangue venoso para hemogasometria, além da coleta dos dados da pedometria (número de passos) e produção de leite diária das vacas. Os dados obtidos foram tabulados e submetidos à análise de correlação. Nenhum animal avaliado apresentou alterações no pH ruminal, bem como não foram encontrados distúrbios do desequilíbrio ácido básico, pois os valores de pH sanguíneo, PCO2, TCO2, HCO3- e EB estavam dentro da normalidade, durante a análise hemogasométrica. A pedometria foi efetiva como método de triagem para as vacas acometidas de afecções podais, pois se observou a redução no número de passos devido à dor, correlacionada a menor produção leiteira. Contudo, a identificação destas afecções, somente foi possível mediante exame clínico específico dos dígitos. A ocorrência das afecções podais em 49,5% do rebanho deveu-se aos fatores de riscos presentes na propriedade, como o concreto abrasivo e instalações inadequadas, associados também a possível ocorrência de acidose ruminal subaguda, não diagnosticada pela metodologia utilizada. A correlação entre os valores do pH ruminal, pedometria e hemogasometria se mostrou eficiente para o diagnóstico precoce das afecções podais e também no estabelecimento da etiologia destas enfermidades. A laminite subclínica acometeu primariamente as vacas do rebanho, considerando a etiologia multifatorial desta afecção, ocorrência e distribuição das enfermidades podais diagnosticadas.

English

The present study was conducted to evaluate the quality of milk from Rawalakot and its surroundings. Milk samples were collected from house hold animal, milkman and restaurant milk in order to assess the hygienic status of raw milk, which was collected from three different parts of the city, Rawalakot Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It was observed that the milk samples which were collected from house hold milk showed better quality compared to the other two sources. For the assessment of adulterants, clot-on-boiling (COB), alcohol perception and methyleneblue tests were conducted. In COB test, the result was 29% positive in house hold animal milk, 38% in milkman and 38% in restaurant milk; whereas, in COB test, results of milkman and restaurant milk were similar. The results of alcohol tests showed variation among the three sources of milk: in household animal milk (APT) it was 34%; 44% in milkman and 34% in restaurant milk. Methyleneblue test results show variation among the three sources; the mean values of A+, B+, C+ and D+ for HH were 29, 44, 17, 11 and 14%; 62, 11, 14% were recorded for MM; whereas 14, 33, 33 and 11%, in RM, respectively. The quality of milk was different in all three sources. Milk composition was assessed by specific gravity, fat % and acidity test. The result of Gerber test (fat% age) shows slight variation among the three sources of milk (7.00%, 6.31% and 5.55), respectively. The results of specific gravity were 0.128 g/ml for house hold, 1.027 g/ml for milkman and 0.125 g/ml for restaurant milk, respectively. All three sources showed low specific gravity than standards. The result of acidity test shows slight difference in all three sources of milk. The acidity of milk samples was recorded as 0.18 in house hold milk, 0.21 for milkman milk and 0.19 in restaurant milk. The acidity was higher than the standard values in both milkman and restaurant milk. In organoleptic test, the result was based on sensory evaluation and scoring system. The lowest value was 5.5 and highest value was 7.4. As the results show the HH animal milk was graded as good compared to the other two sources of milk. Key words: Organoleptic, adulterants, milk, acidity.

Optimization Studies of Photocatalytic Tungsten-Doped Titania Coatings Deposited by Reactive Magnetron Co-Sputtering

In this article we investigate the structural and photocatalytic properties of W-doped titanium dioxide coatings. TiO2-W thin films were deposited onto glass slides by reactive magnetron co-sputtering. The properties of the films were analyzed using such techniques as XRD, Raman spectroscopy, EDX, TEM, and surface profilometry. The photocatalytic properties of the coatings were assessed using the methylene blue (MB) degradation test under UV and fluorescent light sources. The methylene blue decomposition experiments showed that, at the optimum dopant concentration of tungsten, the photocatalytic activity can be improved by a factor of 6, compared to undoped titania. For the coatings discussed within this work, the optimum dopant concentration was determined to be 5.89 at.% of W. The results indicated that tungsten doping at this level extends the lifetime of the photogenerated charge carriers and significantly increases the photocatalyst surface area.