The effectiveness of filtration and phytoremediation with combination of aquatic plants in wastewater treatment of Sasirangan industry

Most of Sasirangan fabric industry in South Kalimantan have not carried out an optimal wastewater treatment effort. In order to improve the quality of the waste, a combination of filtration and phytoremediation using the symbiosis of water hyacinth and Jeringau plants were applied. This study aimed to analyze the effectiveness of the filtration and phytoremediation processes using a combination of the two aquatic plants. The method used in this study was an experimental method with the treatment of a comparison of water hyacinth and Jeringau, namely 1: 3, 1: 1, and 3: 1 (w/w). The research stages are the acclimatization of the two aquatic plants for ten days, filtration with sand, gravel, and coconut fibers, and phytoremediation. The parameters tested in this study were BOD, COD, and TSS. The results showed that the combination of filtration and phytoremediation with the combination of the two water plants was able to improve the quality of sasirangan’s effluent. The best treatment for BOD and TSS was the combination of water hyacinth and Jeringau 1:1 (w/w) with the effectiveness obtained was 75.57% for BOD; and 63.93% for TSS, and the combination of water hyacinth and Jeringau at 3:1 (w/w) for COD with the effectiveness of 87.20% for COD.

Fluralaner as a novel treatment for sarcoptic mange in the bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus): safety, pharmacokinetics, efficacy and practicable use

Background Sarcoptic mange causes significant animal welfare and occasional conservation concerns for bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) throughout their range. To date, in situ chemotherapeutic interventions have involved macrocytic lactones, but their short duration of action and need for frequent re-administration has limited treatment success. Fluralaner (Bravecto®; MSD Animal Health), a novel isoxazoline class ectoparasiticide, has several advantageous properties that may overcome such limitations. Methods Fluralaner was administered topically at 25 mg/kg (n = 5) and 85 mg/kg (n = 2) to healthy captive bare-nosed wombats. Safety was assessed over 12 weeks by clinical observation and monitoring of haematological and biochemical parameters. Fluralaner plasma pharmacokinetics were quantified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. Efficacy was evaluated through clinical assessment of response to treatment, including mange and body condition scoring, for 15 weeks after topical administration of 25 mg/kg fluralaner to sarcoptic mange-affected wild bare-nosed wombats (n = 3). Duration of action was determined through analysis of pharmacokinetic parameters and visual inspection of study subjects for ticks during the monitoring period. Methods for diluting fluralaner to enable ‘pour-on’ application were compared, and an economic and treatment effort analysis of fluralaner relative to moxidectin was undertaken. Results No deleterious health impacts were detected following fluralaner administration. Fluralaner was absorbed and remained quantifiable in plasma throughout the monitoring period. For the 25 mg/kg and 85 mg/kg treatment groups, the respective means for maximum recorded plasma concentrations (Cmax) were 6.2 and 16.4 ng/ml; for maximum recorded times to Cmax, 3.0 and 37.5 days; and for plasma elimination half-lives, 40.1 and 166.5 days. Clinical resolution of sarcoptic mange was observed in all study animals within 3–4 weeks of treatment, and all wombats remained tick-free for 15 weeks. A suitable product for diluting fluralaner into a ‘pour-on’ was found. Treatment costs were competitive, and predicted treatment effort was substantially lower relative to moxidectin. Conclusions Fluralaner appears to be a safe and efficacious treatment for sarcoptic mange in the bare-nosed wombat, with a single dose lasting over 1–3 months. It has economic and treatment-effort-related advantages over moxidectin, the most commonly used alternative. We recommend a dose of 25 mg/kg fluralaner and, based on the conservative assumption that at least 50% of a dose makes dermal contact, Bravecto Spot-On for Large Dogs as the most appropriate formulation for adult bare-nosed wombats.

A water quality index for the removal requirement and purification treatment effort of micropollutants

The European Water Framework Directive (WFD) states that measures should be taken to improve the quality of water bodies to prevent further required extension of current (drinking) water treatment. Hence, for water managers it is of key importance to evaluate and report on the quality of water and the level of purification treatment that is required. For this purpose a novel framework of indices is defined, and their definition allows the inclusion of new, emerging substances. The indices can be calculated based on micropollutant characteristics alone and do not require any knowledge of specific purification treatment installations. Applying this framework of indices to water bodies provides an objective and reproducible way of evaluating the required purification treatment level. The indices were calculated for water quality data for up to 600 micropollutants from five sampling locations along the river Rhine in the Netherlands. This revealed differences between the sampling sites (index values ranged from 145 to 273) and showed that for the river Rhine the required purification treatment level, as well as the underlying removal requirement and purification treatment effort, have not improved over the years, despite the introduction of the WFD in 2000.

Optimal Control Analysis of Pneumonia and Meningitis Coinfection

In this paper, we proposed a deterministic model of pneumonia-meningitis coinfection. We used a system of seven ordinary differential equations. Firstly, the qualitative behaviours of the model such as positivity of the solution, existence of the solution, the equilibrium points, basic reproduction number, analysis of equilibrium points, and sensitivity analysis are studied. The disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable if the basic reproduction number is kept less than unity, and conditions for global stability are established. Then, the basic model is extended to optimal control by incorporating four control interventions, such as prevention of pneumonia as well as meningitis and also treatment of pneumonia and meningitis diseases. The optimality system is obtained by using Pontryagin’s maximum principle. For simulation of the optimality system, we proposed five strategies to check the effect of the controls. First, we consider prevention only for both diseases, and the result shows that applying prevention control has a great impact in bringing down the expansion of pneumonia, meningitis, and their coinfection in the specified period of time. The other strategies are prevention effort for pneumonia and treatment effort for meningitis, prevention effort for meningitis and treatment effort for pneumonia, treatment effort for both diseases, and using all interventions. We obtained that each of the listed strategies is effective in minimizing the expansion of pneumonia-only, meningitis-only, and coinfectious population in the specified period of time.

Evaluation of euthanasia and trap - neuter - return (TNR) programs in managing free-roaming cat populations

Global estimates of the number of domestic cats (Felis catus) are >400 million. Issues associated with free-roaming cats are of global importance because of animal-welfare and public-health concerns and impacts on native wildlife through predation, competition and disease transmission. In the United States, proposed control solutions for managing urban free-roaming cat populations include euthanasia and trap–neuter–return (TNR) programs. We evaluated control methods using a demographic population model for a 25-year period, with parameters estimated from an unmanaged, free-roaming cat population in Texas. We modelled euthanasia and TNR at 25%, 50% and 75% implementation rates and a 50 : 50 combination of euthanasia and TNR at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% implementation rates for 0%, 25% and 50% maximum immigration rates. We compared final population size, total number of cats treated and treatment effort relative to population reduction. Population decreases were comparable among euthanasia, TNR and a 50 : 50 combination for all treatment rates when the immigration rate was 0%; however, they were higher for euthanasia at 25% and 50% maximum immigration rates. Euthanasia required higher treatment effort than TNR. Our results indicate that immigration must be prevented and high (>50%) treatment rates implemented to reduce free-roaming cat populations.