Arsenite (As(III)) and Selenate (Se(VI)) are universally touted as extremely toxic oxyanions in natural and industrial water systems. Thus, the production of low-cost adsorbents that are scalable and toxic-free is of great importance today. In this work, a large-scale goethite nanorods (α-FeOOH NRs) is synthesized using a modified rapid hydrolysis method. The obtained powder is characterized using different multidisciplinary techniques. Accordingly, the results showed uniform and straight nanorods (length ~400 nm and diameter ~40 nm) resembling cigar-like morphology while the structure is confirmed to be of orthorhombic α-FeOOH phase. The potential application of this material to adsorb As (III) and Se (VI) ions in water is explored. In particular, for initial adsorbate concentrations (~500 µg/L), the removal efficiencies are found exceptional with α-FeOOH doses of 0.33 g/L and ~0.5 g/L for As (III) and Se (VI), respectively. Attractively, the adsorption capacities were estimated using trusted isotherms and then experimentally verified at ultimately high concentrations. Besides, a pH-controlled adsorption study showed that a pH of 5–8 is a favored range for higher ionic uptake, which meets the World Health Organization (WHO) benchmarks of drinking water. To conclude, the α-FeOOH NRs are potential adsorbent for the sustainable removal of toxin ions in water systems.

BACKGROUND: Many research studies require recruiting heat-acclimatized workers to participate in heat-stress experiments and application fields. A reliable heat acclimatization program for workers in countries with hot environments has not been repor

Background: The handling of unknown weights, which is common in daily routines either at work or during leisure time, is suspected to be highly associated with the incidence of low back pain (LBP). Objectives: To investigate the effects of knowledge and magnitude of a load (to be lifted) on brain responses, autonomic nervous activity, and trapezius and erector spinae muscle activity. Methods: A randomized, within-subjects experiment involving manual lifting was conducted, wherein 10 participants lifted three different weights (1.1, 5, and 15 kg) under two conditions: either having or not having prior knowledge of the weight to be lifted. Results: The results revealed that the lifting of unknown weights caused increased average heart rate and percentage of maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC) but decreased average inter-beat interval, very-low-frequency power, low-frequency power, and low-frequency/high-frequency ratio. Regardless of the weight magnitude, lifting of unknown weights was associated with smaller theta activities in the power spectrum density (PSD) of the central region, smaller alpha activities in the PSD of the frontal region, and smaller beta activities in the PSDs of both the frontal and central regions. Moreover, smaller alpha and beta activities in the PSD of the parietal region were associated only with lifting of unknown lightweights. Conclusions: Uncertainty regarding the weight to be lifted could be considered as a stress-adding variable that may increase the required physical demand to be sustained during manual lifting tasks. The findings of this study stress the importance of eliminating uncertainty associated with handling unknown weights, such as in the cases of handling patients and dispatching luggage. This can be achieved through preliminary self-sensing of the load to be lifted, or the cautious disclosure of the actual weight of manually lifted objects, for example, through clear labeling and/or a coding system.

Numerous industries, including footwear, handicrafts, and the automobile industry, utilize leather materials. The main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of input power of the diode laser in laser cutting on vegetable chrome tanned buffalo leather to enhance the cutting process. In the present investigation, carbonization, kerf width, and material removal rate (MRR) were taken as performance measures. The diode-based laser beam machining was designed and fabricated with 2.5 W, 5.5 W, and 20 W diode laser to cut vegetable chrome tanned leather. The high-intensity 20 W diode laser produced lower carbonization, lower kerf width, and higher material removal rate compared with the 2.5 W and 5.5 W diodes. This improved performance was due to the adjustable features associated with this diode laser actuation in the form of circular shape with adjustable diameter. A high power with a lower spot size under pulsed mode can produce higher power density. Since a higher power density can establish less interaction time, it produces lower carbonization. Due to the ability of the 20 W diode laser driver to control the beam shape and size, it could produce a lower kerf width and higher MRR. The optimal parameters for cutting chrome vegetable tanned cow leather were a standoff distance of 18 mm, feed rate of 200 mm/min, and duty cycle of 70%.