Thermochemical Conversion of Waste Glass and Mollusk Shells into an Absorbent Material for Separation of Direct Blue 15 Azo Dye from Industrial Wastewater.

The objective of the presented work was to convert waste glass and mollusk shells into a porous material for separation of the direct blue 15 azo dye from industrial wastewater. The porous glass material of specific pore size and surface area was prepared through a thermochemical reaction by reacting waste glass with mollusk shells, soda, and rock salt. The optimal reaction conditions were determined by adjusting the reaction time, reaction temperature, and relative amount of the reactants.

Effect of Urea and Borate Plasticizers on Rheological Response of Corn Starch.

Although starch based materials have an array of fascinating industrial applications, the native starches do not show good mechanical strength, thermal stability, and rheological properties for their use in the mainstream processing industry. For example, the use of starches for producing controlled release fertilizers is a new research endeavor with detailed knowledge still to come. The thermal processing of native starches with water as a plasticizer results in poor physical and pasting properties of the final product.

Spatial Prediction and Optimized Sampling Design for Sodium Concentration in Groundwater.

Sodium is an integral part of water, and its excessive amount in drinking water causes high blood pressure and hypertension. In the present paper, spatial distribution of sodium concentration in drinking water is modeled and optimized sampling designs for selecting sampling locations is calculated for three divisions in Punjab, Pakistan. Universal kriging and Bayesian universal kriging are used to predict the sodium concentrations.

Use of Ethnomedicinal Plants by the People Living around Indus River.

The objective of present study was to document and preserve ethnomedicinal knowledge use to treat different human ailments by traditional healers of Dera Ismail Khan region, Pakistan. Field work was conducted between February 2012 and January 2013 using semistructured questionnaires. Data was collected from 120 traditional healers through questionnaire survey.