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Background: The high demand for building bricks underscores their essential role in the construction industry, which pushes researchers to continuously improve the characteristics of these products. This study aimed to investigate the impact of incorporating oleic components (Margins) in fired bricks manufacturing of by substituting water with different percentages of margins. Methods: Fired bricks were produced at the laboratory using clays taking from the Tangier region in northern Morocco. During this process, water used in the bricks production was substituted with margins in increasing percentages ranging from 10 % up to 30 %. To validate the results obtained from the physicochemical analyses performed on the manufactured bricks, three types of vegetable samples from three different regions of Morocco were utilized. Result: The study results are very remarkable, demonstrating a significant enhancement in compressive strength. The strength increased from 15.16 MPa for conventional bricks to 33.77 MPa for bricks manufactured with a 30 % substitution. Furthermore, porosity decreased from 33 % to 19 %. Conclusion: By integrating oleic components into the manufacturing process, we were able to achieve three main objectives.1. We have improved the characteristics of the bricks, which tend towards the load-bearing wall standards.2. We reduced the water quantity used in the bricks manufacturing by 30 %.3. We minimized the processing cost of the waste resulting from olive oil production, as well as its harmful effects on the environment.
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BACKGROUND: The term "cellulitis" is frequently used to describe a non-necrotizing inflammation of the skin and subcutaneous tissues that is typically caused by an acute infection and does not affect the muscles or fascia. Warmth, erythema, tenderness, swelling, and localized pain are the hallmarks of cellulitis. Life-threatening and debilitating outcomes from cellulitis include necrotizing fasciitis, necrotizing hypodermitis, abscess formation, septic shock, and, in extreme cases, death. The current study aimed to assess public awareness of cellulitis in the Al-Qunfudhah region, Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted targeting all residents in Al-Qunfudhah, Saudi Arabia, during the period from January to March 2024. Data were collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire. The study questionnaire included participants' demographic data, cellulitis data, and knowledge and attitude towards cellulitis. The final questionnaire was uploaded online using social media platforms by the researchers and their friends until no more new participants were included. RESULTS: A total of 470 records were analyzed. Among the respondents, the majority were male (n=347, 73.8%), and the highest proportion fell within the age range of 18 to 25 years (n=174, 37.0%). The highest proportion of respondents correctly identified cellulitis as a medical condition affecting the skin and soft tissues underneath it, typically caused by infection or injury (n=278, 59.1%). Additionally, the majority acknowledged that cellulitis can cause pain, swelling, and redness in the affected area (n=240, 51.1%). As for factors associated with awareness of cellulitis, significant associations were found with age group (p=0.031), educational levels (p=0.003), and employment status (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a high level of awareness of cellulitis among participants, especially highly educated and employed participants. Participants believed that healthcare providers play a crucial role in raising population awareness of cellulitis health problems.
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Soil supports numerous ecosystem services and contributes to climate change mitigation. Several publications have appeared in recent years considering soil as a persistent carbon sink and reported that agroforestry systems have a potential for soil organic carbon storage. However, there is still little knowledge about the soil organic carbon storage in olive orchards and its role in climate change mitigation. Therefore, soil samples collected from topsoil (0-30 cm) and subsoil (30-60 cm) in 57 different olive orchards provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the role of several factors (tree ages, planting density, farming system type and soil depth) in driving soil organic carbon storage variability in agroforestry olive orchards compared to olive trees in monoculture system across the Saiss region (Morocco). The difference was significant between the two types of plantation systems studied (agroforestry and monoculture) and between the two soil layers studied (topsoil and subsoil). Agroforestry olive orchard systems stored approximately 1.2 times the organic carbon in the soil compared to monoculture systems. In addition, topsoil stores 1.5 times compared to subsoil. The correlation results showed a positive relationship between the organic carbon stock of the topsoil and the subsoil, indicating that an increase in the topsoil is accompanied by an increase in the organic carbon stock of the subsoil. These results can provide a better understanding of the effect of agroforestry on deep soil organic carbon stock in Moroccan olive orchards. Furthermore, it can provide a valuable reference for future research on the soil organic carbon storage variability in Morocco and from an international perspective.
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The aim of this work is to study the performances of removal of hexavalent chromium from aqueous solution by three different oxy-hydroxides: hematite, goethite and alpha-alumina. Batch experiments were conducted to measure the effects on adsorption of Cr(VI) of different parameters such as pH of the medium, ionic strength, and initial concentration. Results showed that the adsorption of Cr(VI) depends strongly on the pH, but is independent of ionic strength for hematite and goethite. For alpha-alumina, adsorption is strongly dependent on pH values and ionic strength. Equilibrium studies showed that Cr(VI) had a high affinity in an acidic medium, but decreased as solution pH increased. Equilibrium isotherms were measured experimentally. Results were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich equations using linearized correlation coefficient at room temperature. The characteristic parameters for each isotherm have been determined. Langmuir equation was found to fit the equilibrium data for Cr(VI) adsorption.