Accuracy of point-of-care HIV and CD4 field testing by lay healthcare workers in the Botswana Combination Prevention Project.

Accurate HIV and CD4 testing are critical in program implementation, with HIV misdiagnosis having serious consequences at both the client and/or community level. We implemented a comprehensive training and Quality Assurance (QA) program to ensure accuracy of point-of-care HIV and CD4 count testing by lay counsellors during the Botswana Combination Prevention Project (BCPP). We compared the performance of field testing by lay counsellors to results from an accredited laboratory to ascertain accuracy of testing.

Application of polymer-coated Macadamia integrifolia nutshell biomass impregnated with palladium for chromium(VI) remediation.

Freely suspended and porous basket restrained granules of palladium nanoparticles supported on polymer-grafted Macadamia nutshell biomass (Pd@Polym-MNS) composite were used for the treatment chromium(VI)-containing water. In the presence of formic acid, the Pd@Polym-MNS demonstrated its activity in the adsorption-reduction-based conversion of noxious chromium(VI) to less toxic chromium(III) with a low activation energy of 13.4 kJ mol, ΔH (+ 10.

Rejection Capacity of Nanofiltration Membranes for Nickel, Copper, Silver and Palladium at Various Oxidation States.

Electroplating and metalworking industries produce enormous amounts of waste containing heavy metals in their effluents, leading to potential threats to biotic and abiotic life. According to regulation, heavy metal contamination must be kept within the regulated standard of a few parts per million, which has led to a recent pique in interest in the utilization of nanofiltration technology for metal recovery. The effect of feed pH, pressure, metal concentration, and oxidation of metal on the rejection of heavy metal ions using three commercial nanofiltration membranes (NF, NF90, and NF270) were explored.

Characterization of Selected Polymeric Membranes Used in the Separation and Recovery of Palladium-Based Catalyst Systems.

Membrane separation processes tender a capable option for energy-demanding separation processes. Nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are among the most explored, with a latent use in the chemical industry. In this study, four commercial membranes (NF90, NF270, BW30, and XLE) were investigated for their applicability based on the key structural performance characteristics in the recycling of Pd-based catalysts from Heck coupling post-reaction mixture.

Palladium nanoparticles dispersed on functionalized macadamia nutshell biomass for formic acid-mediated removal of chromium(VI) from aqueous solution.

Driven by the need for sustainably sourced catalysts and the use of reaction systems that generate environmentally benign by-products, the present study aimed to deposit stable, dispersed palladium (Pd) nanoparticles on the modified surfaces of granular macadamia nutshell (MNS) biomass for catalytic reduction of hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) to trivalent chromium (Cr(III)). Through wet impregnation with Pd(II) ions and subsequent hydrazine-mediated reduction to Pd(0), Pd nanoparticles were embedded in a scaffold of polyethyleneimine grafted on bleached MNS previously coated with a chemically bound layer of polyglycidyl methacrylate. Imagery from scanning electron microscopy showed the formation of different layers of the polymeric coating and dispersed palladium resulting from surface modification and palladium nanoparticle synthesis, respectively.