Search results for: Content analysis

Authors: Poulomi Bhadra, Manjushree Palit, Sanjeev P. Sahni

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Forensic science uses all branches of science for criminal investigation and trial and has increasingly emerged as an important tool in the administration of justice. However, the growth and development of this field in India has not been as rapid or widespread as compared to the more developed Western countries. For successful administration of justice, it is important that all agencies involved in law enforcement adopt an inter-professional approach towards forensic science, which is presently lacking. In light of the alarmingly high average acquittal rate in India, this study aims to examine the lack of understanding and appreciation of the importance and scope of forensic evidence and expert opinions amongst law professionals such as lawyers and judges. Based on a study of trial court cases from Delhi and surrounding areas, the study underline the areas in forensics where the criminal justice system has noticeably erred. Using this information, the authors examine the extent of forensic understanding amongst legal professionals and attempt to conclusively identify the areas in which they need further appraisal. A cross-sectional study done using a structured questionnaire was conducted amongst law professionals across age, gender, type and years of experience in court, to determine their understanding of DNA, fingerprints and other interdisciplinary scientific materials used as forensic evidence. In our study, we understand the levels of understanding amongst lawyers with regards to DNA and fingerprint evidence, and how it affects trial outcomes. We also aim to understand the factors that prevent credible and advanced awareness amongst legal personnel, amongst others. The survey identified the areas in modern and advanced forensics, such as forensic entomology, anthropology, cybercrime etc., in which Indian legal professionals are yet to attain a functional understanding. It also brings to light, what is commonly termed as the ‘CSI-effect’ in the Western courtrooms, and provides scope to study the existence of this phenomenon and its effects on the Indian courts and their judgements. This study highlighted the prevalence of unchallenged expert testimony presented by the prosecution in criminal trials and impressed upon the judicial system the need for independent analysis and evaluation of the scientist’s data and/or testimony by the defense. Overall, this study aims to define a clearer and rigid understanding of why legal professionals should have basic understanding of the interdisciplinary nature of forensic sciences. Based on the aforementioned findings, the author suggests various measures by which judges and lawyers might obtain an extensive knowledge of the advances and promising potentialities of forensic science. This includes promoting a forensic curriculum in legal studies at Bachelor’s and Master’s level as well as in mid-career professional courses. Formation of forensic-legal consultancies, in consultation with the Department of Justice, will not only assist in training police, military and law personnel but will also encourage legal research in this field. These suggestions also aim to bridge the communication gap that presently exists between law practitioners, forensic scientists and the general community’s awareness of the criminal justice system.

Keywords: forensic science, Indian legal professionals, interdisciplinary awareness, legal education

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Authors: Gulhan Sen

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Disasters could result in many deaths and injuries. In these difficult times, accessible resources are limited, demand and supply balance is distorted, and there is a need to make urgent interventions. Disproportionateness between accessible resources and intervention capacity makes triage a necessity in every stage of disaster response. Healthcare professionals, who are in charge of triage, have to evaluate swiftly and make ethical decisions about which patients need priority and urgent intervention given the limited available resources. For such critical times in disaster triage, 'doing the greatest good for the greatest number of casualties' is adopted as a code of practice. But there is no guide for healthcare professionals about ethical decision-making during disasters, and this study is expected to use as a source in the preparation of the guide. This study aimed to examine whether the qualities healthcare professionals in Izmir related to disaster triage were adequate and whether these qualities influence their capacity to make ethical decisions. The researcher used a survey developed for data collection. The survey included two parts. In part one, 14 questions solicited information about socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge levels of the respondents on ethical principles of disaster triage and allocation of scarce resources. Part two included four disaster scenarios adopted from existing literature and respondents were asked to make ethical decisions in triage based on the provided scenarios. The survey was completed by 215 healthcare professional working in Emergency-Medical Stations, National Medical Rescue Teams and Search-Rescue-Health Teams in Izmir. The data was analyzed with SPSS software. Chi-Square Test, Mann-Whitney U Test, Kruskal-Wallis Test and Linear Regression Analysis were utilized. According to results, it was determined that 51.2% of the participants had inadequate knowledge level of ethical principles of disaster triage and allocation of scarce resources. It was also found that participants did not tend to make ethical decisions on four disaster scenarios which included ethical dilemmas. They stayed in ethical dilemmas that perform cardio-pulmonary resuscitation, manage limited resources and make decisions to die. Results also showed that participants who had more experience in disaster triage teams, were more likely to make ethical decisions on disaster triage than those with little or no experience in disaster triage teams(p < 0.01). Moreover, as their knowledge level of ethical principles of disaster triage and allocation of scarce resources increased, their tendency to make ethical decisions also increased(p < 0.001). In conclusion, having inadequate knowledge level of ethical principles and being inexperienced affect their ethical decision-making during disasters. So results of this study suggest that more training on disaster triage should be provided on the areas of the pre-impact phase of disaster. In addition, ethical dimension of disaster triage should be included in the syllabi of the ethics classes in the vocational training for healthcare professionals. Drill, simulations, and board exercises can be used to improve ethical decision making abilities of healthcare professionals. Disaster scenarios where ethical dilemmas are faced should be prepared for such applied training programs.

Keywords: disaster triage, medical ethics, ethical principles of disaster triage, ethical decision-making

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Authors: Tamrat Girma Biru

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Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is defined as resistant to at least Refampicin and Isoniazed: the most two power full TB drugs. It is a leading cause of high rates of morbidity and mortality, and increasing psychosocial challenges to patients, especially when co-infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Ethiopia faces the highest rates of MDR-TB infection in the world. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to identify the psychosocial challenges of MDR-TB patients, to investigate the extent of the psychosocial challenges on (self-esteem, depression, and stigma) that MDR-TB patients encounter, to examine whether there is a sex difference in experiencing psychosocial challenges and assess the counseling needs of MDR-TB patients. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted at St. Peter TB Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa on 40 patients (25 males and 15 females) who are hospitalized for treatment. The patients were identified by using purposive sampling and made fill a questionnaire measuring their level of self-esteem, depression and stigma. Besides, data were collected from 16 participants, 28 care providers and 8 guardians, using semi-structured interview. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS statistical program, descriptive statistics, independent t-test, and qualitative description. Results and Discussion: The results of the study showed that the majority (80%) of the respondents had suffered psychological challenges and social discriminations. Thus, the significance of MDR-TB and its association with HIV/AIDS problems is considered. Besides the psychosocial challenges, various aggravating factors such as length of treatment, drug burden and insecurity in economy together highly challenges the life of patients. In addition, 60% of participants showed low level of self-esteem. The patients also reported that they experienced high self-stigma and stigma by other members of the society. The majority of the participants (75%) showed moderate and severe level of depression. In terms of sex there is no difference between the mean scores of males and females in the level of depression and stigmatization by others and by themselves. But females showed lower level of self-esteem than males. The analysis of the t-test also shows that there were no statistically significant sex difference on the level of depression and stigma. Based on the qualitative data MDR-TB patients face various challenges in their life sphere such as: Psychological (depression, low self value, lowliness, anxiety), social (stigma, isolation from social relations, self-stigmatization,) and medical (drug side effect, drug toxicity, drug burden, treatment length, hospital stays). Recommendations: Based on the findings of this study possible recommendations were forwarded: develop and extend MDR-TB disease awareness creation through by media (printing and electronic), school net TB clubs, and door to door community education. Strengthen psychological wellbeing and social relationship of MDR-TB patients using proper and consistent psychosocial support and counseling. Responsible bodies like Ministry of Health (MOH) and its stakeholders and Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) need to assess the challenges of patients and take measures on this pressing issue.

Keywords: psychosocial challenges, counseling, multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), tuberculosis therapy

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Authors: Chetna Dhand, Venkatesh Mayandi, Silvia Marrero Diaz, Roger W. Beuerman, Seeram Ramakrishna, Rajamani Lakshminarayanan

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Sturdy Insect Cuticle Sclerotization, Incredible Substrate independent Mussel’s bioadhesion, Tanning of Leather are some of catechol(amine)s mediated natural processes. Chemical contemplation spots toward a mechanism instigated with the formation of the quinone moieties from the respective catechol(amine)s, via oxidation, followed by the nucleophilic addition of the amino acids/proteins/peptides to this quinone leads to the development of highly strong, cross-linked and water-resistant proteinacious structures. Inspired with this remarkable catechol(amine)s chemistry towards amino acids/proteins/peptides, we attempted to design highly stable and water-resistant antifungal wound dressing mats with exceptional durability using collagen (protein), dopamine (catecholamine) and antifungal drugs (Amphotericin B and Caspofungin) as the key materials. Electrospinning technique has been used to fabricate desired nanofibrous mat including Collagen (COLL), COLL/Dopamine (COLL/DP) and calcium incorporated COLL/DP (COLL-DP-Ca2+). The prepared protein-based scaffolds have been studied for their microscopic investigations (SEM, TEM, and AFM), structural analysis (FT-IR), mechanical properties, water wettability characteristics and aqueous stability. Biocompatibility of these scaffolds has been analyzed for dermal fibroblast cells using MTS assay, Cell TrackerTM Green CMFDA and confocal imaging. Being the winner sample, COLL-DP-Ca2+ scaffold has been selected for incorporating two antifungal drugs namely Caspofungin (Peptide based) and Amphotericin B (Non-Peptide based). Antifungal efficiency of the designed mats has been evaluated for eight diverse fungal strains employing different microbial assays including disc diffusion, cell-viability assay, time kill kinetics etc. To confirm the durability of these mats, in term of their antifungal activity, drug leaching studies has been performed and monitored using disc diffusion assay each day. Ex-vivo fungal infection model has also been developed and utilized to validate the antifungal efficacy of the designed wound dressings. Results clearly reveal dopamine mediated crosslinking within COLL-antifungal scaffolds that leads to the generation of highly stable, mechanical tough, biocompatible wound dressings having the zone of inhabitation of ≥ 2 cm for almost all the investigated fungal strains. Leaching studies and Ex-vivo model has confirmed the durability of these wound dressing for more than 3 weeks and certified their suitability for commercialization. A model has also been proposed to enlighten the chemical mechanism involved for the development of these antifungal wound dressings with exceptional robustness.

Keywords: catecholamine chemistry, electrospinning technique, antifungals, wound dressings, collagen

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Authors: Bhakti Chitale

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Mumbai city, which is the business capital of India and one of the most crowded cities in the world, holds the biggest slum in Asia. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) occupies an area of 4035 sq.km. with a population of 22.8 million people. This population is mostly urban with 91% of this population living in areas of Municipal Corporations and Councils. Another 3% live in Census Towns. The region has 9 Municipal Corporations, 8 Municipal councils, and around 1000 villages. On the one hand MMR reflects the highest contribution to the Nations overall economy and on the other hand it shows the horrible and intolerable picture of about 2 million people, who are living in slums/without even slum with totally unhygienic conditions and with total loss of hope. The generations are about to get affected adversely if the solution is not worked out. This study is an attempt towards working out the solution. Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is state government's authority, specially formed to govern the development of MMR. MMRDA is engaged in long term planning, promotion of new growth centres, implementation of strategic projects and financing infrastructure development. While preparing the master plan for MMR for next 20 years MMRDA conducted a detail study regarding Housing scenario in MMR and possible options for improvement. The author was the in charge officer for the said assignment. This paper puts light on the interesting outcomes of the research study, which ranges from the adverse effects of government policies, automatic responses of housing market, effects on planning processes, and overall changing needs of housing patterns in the world due to changes in the social mechanism. It alarms the urban planners who usually focus on smart infrastructure development, about allied future dangers. This housing study will explain the complexities, realities and needs of innovations in the housing policies all over the world. The paper will explain further few success stories and failure stories of government initiatives with reasons. It gives the clear idea about the differences in needs of housing for people from different economic groups and direct and indirect market pressures on low cost housing. Magical phenomenon came in front like a large percentage of vacant houses is present in spite of the huge need. Housing market gets affected by the developments or any other physical and financial changes taking place in the nearby areas or cities, also by changes in cities which are located far from the region and also by the international investments or policy changes. Instead of just depending on governments actions in case of generation of affordable housing, it becomes equally important to make the housing markets automatically generate such stock and still make them sustainable is the aim of all the movement. In summary, we may say that the paper will sequentially elaborate the complete dynamics of housing in one of the most crowded urban area in the world that is Mumbai Metropolitan Region, with a lot of data, analysis, case studies, and recommendations.

Keywords: Mumbai India, slum housing, region planning, market recommendations

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Authors: Ani Wilson Uchenna, Ogbonna Chikodi

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This study examined the impact of artificial intelligence driven applications on banks’ performance in West Africa using Nigeria and Ghana as case studies. Specifically, the study examined the extent to which deployment of smart automated teller machine impacts the banks’ net worth within the reference period in Nigeria and Ghana. It ascertained the impact of point of sale on banks’ net worth within the reference period in Nigeria and Ghana. Thirdly, it verified the extent to which webpay services can influence banks’ performance in Nigeria and Ghana and finally, determined the impact of mobile pay services on banks’ performance in Nigeria and Ghana. The study used automated teller machine (ATM), Point of sale services (POS), Mobile pay services (MOP) and Web pay services (WBP) as proxies for explanatory variables while Bank net worth was used as explained variable for the study. The data for this study were sourced from central bank of Nigeria (CBN) Statistical Bulletin as well as Bank of Ghana (BoGH) Statistical Bulletin, Ghana payment systems oversight annual report and world development indicator (WDI). Furthermore, the mixed order of integration observed from the panel unit test result justified the use of autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach to data analysis which the study adopted. While the cointegration test showed the existence of cointegration among the studied variables, bound test result justified the presence of long-run relationship among the series. Again, ARDL error correction estimate established satisfactory (13.92%) speed of adjustment from long run disequilibrium back to short run dynamic relationship. The study found that while Automated teller machine (ATM) had statistically significant impact on bank net worth (BNW) of Nigeria and Ghana, point of sale services application (POS) statistically and significantly impact on bank net worth within the study period, mobile pay services application was statistically significant in impacting the changes in the bank net worth of the countries of study while web pay services (WBP) had no statistically significant impact on bank net worth of the countries of reference. The study concluded that artificial intelligence driven application have significant an positive impact on bank performance with exception of web pay which had negative impact on bank net worth. The study recommended that management of banks both in Nigerian and Ghanaian should encourage more investments in AI-powered smart ATMs aimed towards delivering more secured banking services in order to increase revenue, discourage excessive queuing in the banking hall, reduced fraud and minimize error in processing transaction. Banks within the scope of this study should leverage on modern technologies to checkmate the excesses of the private operators POS in order to build more confidence on potential customers. Government should convert mobile pay services to a counter terrorism tool by ensuring that restrictions on over-the-counter withdrawals to a minimum amount is maintained and place sanctions on withdrawals above that limit.

Keywords: artificial intelligence (ai), bank performance, automated teller machines (atm), point of sale (pos)

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Authors: Anush Patric, M. Jadeyegowda, M. N. Ramesh, M. Ravikumar, C. R. Ajay

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Kodagu district which is situated in Central Western Ghats regions falls in one of the hottest of hot spots of biodiversity which is recognised by UNESCO. The district has one of the highest densities of community managed sacred forests in the world with rich floral and faunal diversity. It is a habitat for more than ten different types of Ethnic Indigenous tribal groups commonly called ‘Girijanas’ (Soligas, Yarvas, Jenukuruba, Bettakuruba etc.), who are having the rich knowledge of medicinal value of the plants that are commonly available in the forest. The tribal men of this region are the treasure house of the traditional plant knowledge and health care practices. An ethnobotanical survey was undertaken in tribal areas of the district to collect information about some of the indigenous medicinal plant knowledge of tribal people by semi-structured interviews, ranking exercises and field observations on their native habitat in order to evaluate the potential medicinal uses of local plants. The study revealed that, the ethnobotanical information of 83 plant species belonging to 45 families, of the total 83 species documented, most plants used in the treatment were trees (11 species), shrubs (41 species), herbs (22 species) and rarely climbers (9 species) which are used in the treatment of Hyperacidity, Respiratory disorders, Snake bite Abortifacient, Anthelmintic, Paralysis, Antiseptic, Fever, Chest pain, Stomachic, Jaundice, Piles, Asthma, Malaria, Renal disorders, Malaria and many other diseases. Maximum of 6 plant species each of Acanthaceae, Apiaceae and were used for drug preparation, followed by Asclepiadaceae, Liliaceae, Fabaceae, Verbenaceae, Caesalpinaceae, Bombaceae, Papilonaceae, Solanaceae, Rubiaceae, Myrtaceae, Amaranthaceae, Asteraceae, Ascelepidaceae, Cucurbitaceae, Apocyanaceae, and Solanaceae etc. In our present study, only medicinal plants and their local medicinal uses are recorded and presented. Information was obtained by local informants having the knowledge about medicinal plants. About 23 local tribes were interviewed. For each plant, necessary information like botanical name, family of plant species, local name and uses are given. Recent trend shows a decline in the number of traditional herbal healers in the tribal areas since the younger generation is not interested to continue this tradition. Hence, there is an urgent need to record and preserve all information on plants used by different ethnic/tribal communities for various purposes before it reaches to verge of extinction. In addition, several wild medicinal plants are declining in numbers due to deforestation and forest fires. There is need for phytochemical analysis and conservation measures to be taken for conserving medicinal plant species which is far better than allopathic medicines and these do not cause any side effects as they are the natural disease healers. So, conservation strategies have to be practiced in all levels and sectors by creating awareness about the value of such medicinal plants, and it is necessary to save the disappearing plants to strengthen the document and to conserve them for future generation.

Keywords: diseases, ethnic groups, folk medicine, Kodagu, medicinal plants

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Authors: Sutapa Mondal Roy, Suban K. Sahoo

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The primary aim of this work is to synthesis silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) through environmentally benign routes to avoid any chemical toxicity related undesired side effects. The nanoparticles were stabilized with drug ciprofloxacin (Cp) and were studied for their effectiveness as drug delivery agent. Targeted drug delivery improves the therapeutic potential of drugs at the diseased site as well as lowers the overall dose and undesired side effects. The small size of nanoparticles greatly facilitates the transport of active agents (drugs) across biological membranes and allows them to pass through the smallest capillaries in the body that are 5-6 μm in diameter, and can minimize possible undesired side effects. AgNPs are non-toxic, inert, stable, and has a high binding capacity and thus can be considered as biomaterials. AgNPs were synthesized from the nutrient broth supernatant after the culture of environment-friendly bacteria Bacillus subtilis. The AgNPs were found to show the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) band at 425 nm. The Cp capped Ag nanoparticles formation was complete within 30 minutes, which was confirmed from absorbance spectroscopy. Physico-chemical nature of the AgNPs-Cp system was confirmed by Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) etc. The AgNPs-Cp system size was found to be in the range of 30-40 nm. To monitor the kinetics of drug release from the surface of nanoparticles, the release of Cp was carried out by careful dialysis keeping AgNPs-Cp system inside the dialysis bag at pH 7.4 over time. The drug release was almost complete after 30 hrs. During the drug delivery process, to understand the AgNPs-Cp system in a better way, the sincere theoretical investigation is been performed employing Density Functional Theory. Electronic charge transfer, electron density, binding energy as well as thermodynamic properties like enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs free energy etc. has been predicted. The electronic and thermodynamic properties, governed by the AgNPs-Cp interactions, indicate that the formation of AgNPs-Cp system is exothermic i.e. thermodynamically favorable process. The binding energy and charge transfer analysis implies the optimum stability of the AgNPs-Cp system. Thus, the synthesized Cp-Ag nanoparticles can be effectively used for biological purposes due to its environmentally benign routes of synthesis procedures, which is clean, biocompatible, non-toxic, safe, cost-effective, sustainable and eco-friendly. The Cp-AgNPs as biomaterials can be successfully used for drug delivery procedures due to slow release of drug from nanoparticles over a considerable period of time. The kinetics of the drug release show that this drug-nanoparticle assembly can be effectively used as potential tools for therapeutic applications. The ease of synthetic procedure, lack of possible chemical toxicity and their biological activity along with excellent application as drug delivery agent will open up vista of using nanoparticles as effective and successful drug delivery agent to be used in modern days.

Keywords: silver nanoparticles, ciprofloxacin, density functional theory, drug delivery

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Authors: Tiantian Min, Chuanxiang Cheng, Jin Yue

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The growth and reproduction of microorganisms in food packaging can cause food decay and foodborne diseases, which pose a serious threat to the health of consumers and even cause serious economic losses. Active food packaging containing antibacterial bioactive compounds is a promising strategy for extending the shelf life of products and maintaining the food quality, as well as reducing the food waste. However, most active packaging can only act as slow-release effect for antimicrobials, which causes the release rate of antimicrobials not match the growth rate of microorganisms. Stimuli-responsive active packaging materials based on biopolymeric substrates and bioactive substances that respond to some biological and non-biological trigger factors provide more opportunities for fresh food preservation. The biological stimuli factors such as relative humidity, pH and enzyme existed in the exudate secreted by microorganisms have been expected to design food packaging materials. These stimuli-responsive materials achieved accurate release or delivery of bioactive substances at specific time and appropriate dose. Recently, metal-organic-frameworks (MOFs) nanoparticles become attractive carriers to enhance the efficiency of bioactive compounds or drugs. Cellulose nanofibrils have been widely applied for film substrates due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility. The abundant hydroxyl groups in cellulose can be oxidized to carboxyl groups by TEMPO, making it easier to anchoring MOFs and to be further modification. In this study, a pH and enzyme dual-responsive CAR@ZIF-8/TOCNF/PE film was fabricated by in-situ growth of ZIF-8 nanoparticles onto TEMPO-oxidized cellulose (TOCNF) film and further coated with pectin (PE) for stabilization and controlled release of carvacrol (CAR). The enzyme triggered release of CAR was achieved owing to the degradation of pectin by pectinase secreted by microorganisms. Similarly, the pH-responsive release of CAR was attributed to the unique skeleton degradation of ZIF-8, further accelerating the release of CAR from the topological structure of ZIF-8. The composite film performed excellent crystallinity and adsorb ability confirmed by X-ray diffraction and BET analysis, and the inhibition efficiency against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus and Aspergillus niger reached more than 99%. The composite film was capable of releasing CAR when exposure to dose-dependent enzyme (0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mg/mL) and acidic condition (pH = 5). When inoculated 10 μL of Aspergillus niger spore suspension on the equatorial position of mango and raspberries, this composite film acted as packaging pads effectively inhibited the mycelial growth and prolonged the shelf life of mango and raspberries to 7 days. Such MOF-TOCNF based film provided a targeted, controlled and sustained release of bioactive compounds for long-term antibacterial activity and preservation effect, which can also avoid the cross-contamination of fruits.

Keywords: active food packaging, controlled release, fruit preservation, in-situ growth, stimuli-responsive

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Authors: Evonne Kaplan-Liss, Val Lantz-Gefroh

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Arts and humanities are often incorporated into medical education to help deepen understanding of the human condition and the ability to communicate from a place of compassion. However, a gap remains in our knowledge of compassionate communication training for postgraduate medical professionals (as opposed to students and residents); how training opportunities include and impact the artists themselves, and how train-the-trainer models can support learners to become teachers. In this report, the authors present results from a pilot evaluation of the UC San Diego Health: Sanford Compassionate Communication Fellowship, a 60-hour experiential program that uses theater, narrative reflection, poetry, literature, and journalism techniques to train a multidisciplinary cohort of medical professionals and artists in compassionate communication. In the culminating project, fellows design and implement their own projects as teachers of compassionate communication in their respective workplaces. Qualitative methods, including field notes and 30-minute Zoom interviews with each fellow, were used to evaluate the impact of the fellowship. The cohort included both artists (n=2) and physicians representing a range of specialties (n=7), such as occupational medicine, palliative care, and pediatrics. The authors coded the data using thematic analysis for evidence of how the multidisciplinary nature of the fellowship impacted the fellows’ experiences. The findings show that the multidisciplinary cohort contributed to a greater appreciation of compassionate communication in general. Fellows expressed that the ability to witness how those in different fields approached compassionate communication enhanced their learning and helped them see how compassion can be expressed in various contexts, which was both “exhilarating” and “humbling.” One physician expressed that the fellowship has been “really helpful to broaden my perspective on the value of good communication.” Fellows shared how what they learned in the fellowship translated to increased compassionate communication, not only in their professional roles but in their personal lives as well. A second finding was the development of a supportive community. Because each fellow brought their own experiences and expertise, there was a sense of genuine ability to contribute as well as a desire to learn from others. A “brave space” was created by the fellowship facilitators and the inclusion of arts-based activities: a space that invited vulnerability and welcomed fellows to make their own meaning without prescribing any one answer or right way to approach compassionate communication. This brave space contributed to a strong connection among the fellows and reports of increased well-being, as well as multiple collaborations post-fellowship to carry forward compassionate communication training at their places of work. Results show initial evidence of the value of a multidisciplinary fellowship for promoting compassionate communication for both artists and physicians. The next steps include maintaining the supportive fellowship community and collaborations with a post-fellowship affiliate faculty program; scaling up the fellowship with non-physicians (e.g., nurses and physician assistants); and collecting data from family members, colleagues, and patients to understand how the fellowship may be creating a ripple effect outside of the fellowship through fellows’ compassionate communication.

Keywords: compassionate communication, communication in healthcare, multidisciplinary learning, arts in medicine

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Authors: Yi Jen Wang, Yu Ju Chen

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Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback can promote autonomic nervous function, sleep quality and reduce psychological stress. In HRV biofeedback training, it is hoped that through the guidance of machine video or audio, the patient can breathe slowly according to his own heart rate changes so that the heart and lungs can achieve resonance, thereby promoting the related effects of autonomic nerve function; while, it is also pointed out that if slow breathing of 6 times per minute can also guide the case to achieve the effect of cardiopulmonary resonance. However, there is no relevant research to explore the comparison of the effectiveness of cardiopulmonary resonance by using video or audio HRV biofeedback training and metronome-guided slow breathing. Purpose: To compare the promotion of autonomic nervous function performance between using HRV biofeedback and slow breathing guided by a metronome. Method: This research is a kind of experimental design with convenient sampling; the cases are randomly divided into the heart rate variability biofeedback training group and the slow breathing training group. The HRV biofeedback training group will conduct HRV biofeedback training in a four-week laboratory and use the home training device for autonomous training; while the slow breathing training group will conduct slow breathing training in the four-week laboratory using the mobile phone APP breathing metronome to guide the slow breathing training, and use the mobile phone APP for autonomous training at home. After two groups were enrolled and four weeks after the intervention, the autonomic nervous function-related performance was repeatedly measured. Using the chi-square test, student’s t-test and other statistical methods to analyze the results, and use p <0.05 as the basis for statistical significance. Results: A total of 27 subjects were included in the analysis. After four weeks of training, the HRV biofeedback training group showed significant improvement in the HRV indexes (SDNN, RMSSD, HF, TP) and sleep quality. Although the stress index also decreased, it did not reach statistical significance; the slow breathing training group was not statistically significant after four weeks of training, only sleep quality improved significantly, while the HRV indexes (SDNN, RMSSD, TP) all increased. Although HF and stress indexes decreased, they were not statistically significant. Comparing the difference between the two groups after training, it was found that the HF index improved significantly and reached statistical significance in the HRV biofeedback training group. Although the sleep quality of the two groups improved, it did not reach that level in a statistically significant difference. Conclusion: HRV biofeedback training is more effective in promoting autonomic nervous function than slow breathing training, but the effects of reducing stress and promoting sleep quality need to be explored after increasing the number of samples. The results of this study can provide a reference for clinical or community health promotion. In the future, it can also be further designed to integrate heart rate variability biological feedback training into the development of AI artificial intelligence wearable devices, which can make it more convenient for people to train independently and get effective feedback in time.

Keywords: autonomic nervous function, HRV biofeedback, heart rate variability, slow breathing

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Authors: Marcel Verwey, Anna M. Joubert, Elsie M. Nolte, Wolfgang Dohle, Barry V. L. Potter, Anne E. Theron

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A tetrahydroisoquinolinone (THIQ) core can be used to mimic the A,B-ring of colchicine site-binding microtubule disruptors such as 2-methoxyestradiol in the design of anti-cancer agents. Steroidomimeric microtubule disruptors were synthesized by introducing C'2 and C'3 of the steroidal A-ring to C'6 and C'7 of the THIQ core and by introducing a decorated hydrogen bond acceptor motif projecting from the steroidal D-ring to N'2. For this in vitro study, four non-steroidal THIQ-based analogues were investigated and comparative studies were done between the non-sulphamoylated compound STX 3450 and the sulphamoylated compounds STX 2895, STX 3329 and STX 3451. The objective of this study was to investigate the modes of cell death induced by these four THIQ-based analogues in A549 lung carcinoma epithelial cells and metastatic breast adenocarcinoma MDA-MB-231 cells. Cytotoxicity studies to determine the half maximal growth inhibitory concentrations were done using spectrophotometric quantification via crystal violet staining and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. Microtubule integrity and morphologic changes of exposed cells were investigated using polarization-optical transmitted light differential interference contrast microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. Flow cytometric quantification was used to determine apoptosis induction and the effect that THIQ-based analogues have on cell cycle progression. Signal transduction pathways were elucidated by quantification of the mitochondrial membrane integrity, cytochrome c release and caspase 3, -6 and -8 activation. Induction of autophagic cell death by the THIQ-based analogues was investigated by morphological assessment of fluorescent monodansylcadaverine (MDC) staining of acidic vacuoles and by quantifying aggresome formation via flow cytometry. Results revealed that these non-steroidal microtubule disrupting analogues inhibited 50% of cell growth at nanomolar concentrations. Immunofluorescence microscopy indicated microtubule depolarization and the resultant mitotic arrest was further confirmed through cell cycle analysis. Apoptosis induction via the intrinsic pathway was observed due to depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, induction of cytochrome c release as well as, caspase 3 activation. Potential involvement of programmed cell death type II was observed due to the presence of acidic vacuoles and aggresome formation. Necrotic cell death did not contribute significantly, indicated by stable LDH levels. This in vitro study revealed the induction of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway as well as possible involvement of autophagy after exposure to these THIQ-based analogues in both MDA-MB-231- and A549 cells. Further investigation of this series of anticancer drugs still needs to be conducted to elucidate the temporal, mechanistic and functional crosstalk mechanisms between the two observed programmed cell deaths pathways.

Keywords: apoptosis, autophagy, cancer, microtubule disruptor

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Authors: Komal Rathore, Kiesha Pierre, Kyle Cogswell, Aaron Driscoll, Andres Tejada Martinez, Gita Iranipour, Luke Mulford, Aydin Sunol

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Modeling of Biological Wastewater Treatment Plants requires several parameters for kinetic rate expressions, thermo-physical properties, and hydrodynamic behavior. The kinetics and associated mechanisms become complex due to several biological processes taking place in wastewater treatment plants at varying times and spatial scales. A dynamic process model that incorporated the complex model for activated sludge kinetics was developed using the BioWin software platform for an Advanced Wastewater Treatment Plant in Valrico, Florida. Due to the extensive number of tunable parameters, an experimental design was employed for judicious selection of the most influential parameter sets and their bounds. The model was tuned using both the influent and effluent plant data to reconcile and rectify the forecasted results from the BioWin Model. Amount of mixed liquor suspended solids in the oxidation ditch, aeration rates and recycle rates were adjusted accordingly. The experimental analysis and plant SCADA data were used to predict influent wastewater rates and composition profiles as a function of time for extended periods. The lumped dynamic model development process was coupled with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling of the key units such as oxidation ditches in the plant. Several CFD models that incorporate the nitrification-denitrification kinetics, as well as, hydrodynamics was developed and being tested using ANSYS Fluent software platform. These realistic and verified models developed using BioWin and ANSYS were used to plan beforehand the operating policies and control strategies for the biological wastewater plant accordingly that further allows regulatory compliance at minimum operational cost. These models, with a little bit of tuning, can be used for other biological wastewater treatment plants as well. The BioWin model mimics the existing performance of the Valrico Plant which allowed the operators and engineers to predict effluent behavior and take control actions to meet the discharge limits of the plant. Also, with the help of this model, we were able to find out the key kinetic and stoichiometric parameters which are significantly more important for modeling of biological wastewater treatment plants. One of the other important findings from this model were the effects of mixed liquor suspended solids and recycle ratios on the effluent concentration of various parameters such as total nitrogen, ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, etc. The ANSYS model allowed the abstraction of information such as the formation of dead zones increases through the length of the oxidation ditches as compared to near the aerators. These profiles were also very useful in studying the behavior of mixing patterns, effect of aerator speed, and use of baffles which in turn helps in optimizing the plant performance.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics, flow-sheet simulation, kinetic modeling, process dynamics

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Authors: C. Bateira, J. Fernandes, A. Costa

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The Douro Demarked Region (DDR) is a production Porto wine region. On the NE of Portugal, the strong incision of the Douro valley developed very steep slopes, organized with agriculture terraces, have experienced an intense and deep transformation in order to implement the mechanization of the work. The old terrace system, based on stone vertical wall support structure, replaced by terraces with earth embankments experienced a huge terrace instability. This terrace instability has important economic and financial consequences on the agriculture enterprises. This paper presents and develops cartographic tools to access the embankment instability and identify the area prone to instability. The priority on this evaluation is related to the use of physically based mathematical models and develop a validation process based on an inventory of the past embankment instability. We used the shallow landslide stability model (SHALSTAB) based on physical parameters such us cohesion (c’), friction angle(ф), hydraulic conductivity, soil depth, soil specific weight (ϱ), slope angle (α) and contributing areas by Multiple Flow Direction Method (MFD). A terraced area can be analysed by this models unless we have very detailed information representative of the terrain morphology. The slope angle and the contributing areas depend on that. We can achieve that propose using digital elevation models (DEM) with great resolution (pixel with 40cm side), resulting from a set of photographs taken by a flight at 100m high with pixel resolution of 12cm. The slope angle results from this DEM. In the other hand, the MFD contributing area models the internal flow and is an important element to define the spatial variation of the soil saturation. That internal flow is based on the DEM. That is supported by the statement that the interflow, although not coincident with the superficial flow, have important similitude with it. Electrical resistivity monitoring values which related with the MFD contributing areas build from a DEM of 1m resolution and revealed a consistent correlation. That analysis, performed on the area, showed a good correlation with R2 of 0,72 and 0,76 at 1,5m and 2m depth, respectively. Considering that, a DEM with 1m resolution was the base to model the real internal flow. Thus, we assumed that the contributing area of 1m resolution modelled by MFD is representative of the internal flow of the area. In order to solve this problem we used a set of generalized DEMs to build the contributing areas used in the SHALSTAB. Those DEMs, with several resolutions (1m and 5m), were built from a set of photographs with 50cm resolution taken by a flight with 5km high. Using this maps combination, we modelled several final maps of terrace instability and performed a validation process with the contingency matrix. The best final instability map resembles the slope map from a DEM of 40cm resolution and a MFD map from a DEM of 1m resolution with a True Positive Rate (TPR) of 0,97, a False Positive Rate of 0,47, Accuracy (ACC) of 0,53, Precision (PVC) of 0,0004 and a TPR/FPR ratio of 2,06.

Keywords: agricultural terraces, cartography, landslides, SHALSTAB, vineyards

Procedia PDF Downloads 176

Authors: H. Weigelt-Marom

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Over the years and up to the arousal of the COVID-19 pandemic, deaf or hard of hearing students studying in higher education institutions, participated lectures on campus using hearing aids and strategies adapted for frontal learning in a classroom. Usually, these aids were well known to them from their earlier study experience in school. However, the transition to online lessons, due to the latest pandemic, led deaf or hard of hearing students to study outside of their physical, well known learning environment. The change of learning environment and structure rose new challenges for these students. The present study examined the learning experience, limitations, challenges and benefits regarding learning online with lecture and classmates via the “Zoom” video conference program, among deaf or hard of hearing students in academia setting. In addition, emotional and social aspects related to learning in general versus the “Zoom” were examined. The study included 18 students diagnosed as deaf or hard of hearing, studying in various higher education institutions in Israel. All students had experienced lessons on the “Zoom”. Following allocation of the group study by the deaf and hard of hearing non-profit organization “Ma’agalei Shema”, and receiving the participants inform of consent, students were requested to answer a google form questioner and participate in an interview. The questioner included background information (e.g., age, year of studying, faculty etc.), level of computer literacy, and level of hearing and forms of communication (e.g., lip reading, sign language etc.). The interviews included a one on one, semi-structured, in-depth interview, conducted by the main researcher of the study (interview duration: up to 60 minutes). The interviews were held on “ZOOM” using specific adaptations for each interviewee: clear face screen of the interviewer for lip and face reading, and/ or professional sign language or live text transcript of the conversation. Additionally, interviewees used their audio devices if needed. Questions regarded: learning experience, difficulties and advantages studying using “Zoom”, learning in a classroom versus on “Zoom”, and questions concerning emotional and social aspects related to learning. Thematic analysis of the interviews revealed severe difficulties regarding the ability of deaf or hard of hearing students to comprehend during ”Zoom“ lessons without adoptive aids. For example, interviewees indicated difficulties understanding “Zoom” lessons due to their inability to use hearing devices commonly used by them in the classroom (e.g., FM systems). 80% indicated that they could not comprehend “Zoom” lessons since they could not see the lectures face, either because lectures did not agree to open their cameras or, either because they did not keep a straight forward clear face appearance while teaching. However, not all descriptions regarded learning via the “zoom” were negative. For example, 20% reported the recording of “Zoom” lessons as a main advantage. Enabling then to repeatedly watch the lessons at their own pace, mostly assisted by friends and family to translate the audio output into an accessible input. These finding and others regarding the learning experience of the group study on the “Zoom”, as well as their recommendation to enable deaf or hard of hearing students to study inclusively online, will be presented at the conference.

Keywords: deaf or hard of hearing, learning experience, Zoom, qualitative research

Procedia PDF Downloads 115

Authors: Muhammad Karim Ahmadzai

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Floods are natural phenomena and are an integral part of the water cycle. The majority of them are the result of climatic conditions, but are also affected by the geology and geomorphology of the area, topography and hydrology, the water permeability of the soil and the vegetation cover, as well as by all kinds of human activities and structures. However, from the moment that human lives are at risk and significant economic impact is recorded, this natural phenomenon becomes a natural disaster. Flood management is now a key issue at regional and local levels around the world, affecting human lives and activities. The majority of floods are unlikely to be fully predicted, but it is feasible to reduce their risks through appropriate management plans and constructions. The aim of this Case Study is to identify, and map areas of flood risk in the Khinch District of Panjshir Province, Afghanistan specifically in the area of Peshghore, causing numerous damages. The main purpose of this study is to evaluate the contribution of remote sensing technology and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in assessing the susceptibility of this region to flood events. Panjsher is facing Seasonal floods and human interventions on streams caused floods. The beds of which have been trampled to build houses and hotels or have been converted into roads, are causing flooding after every heavy rainfall. The streams crossing settlements and areas with high touristic development have been intensively modified by humans, as the pressure for real estate development land is growing. In particular, several areas in Khinch are facing a high risk of extensive flood occurrence. This study concentrates on the construction of a flood susceptibility map, of the study area, by combining vulnerability elements, using the Analytical Hierarchy Process/ AHP. The Analytic Hierarchy Process, normally called AHP, is a powerful yet simple method for making decisions. It is commonly used for project prioritization and selection. AHP lets you capture your strategic goals as a set of weighted criteria that you then use to score projects. This method is used to provide weights for each criterion which Contributes to the Flood Event. After processing of a digital elevation model (DEM), important secondary data were extracted, such as the slope map, the flow direction and the flow accumulation. Together with additional thematic information (Landuse and Landcover, topographic wetness index, precipitation, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Elevation, River Density, Distance from River, Distance to Road, Slope), these led to the final Flood Risk Map. Finally, according to this map, the Priority Protection Areas and Villages and the structural and nonstructural measures were demonstrated to Minimize the Impacts of Floods on residential and Agricultural areas.

Keywords: flood hazard, flood risk map, flood mitigation measures, AHP analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 115

Authors: Jiahui You, Kyung Jae Lee

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Hydraulic fracturing fluid (HFF) is widely used in shale reservoir productions. HFF contains diverse chemical additives, which result in the dissolution and precipitation of minerals through multiple chemical reactions. In this study, a new pore-scale Darcy–Brinkman–Stokes (DBS) model coupled with Level Set Method (LSM) is developed to address the microscopic phenomena occurring during the iron–HFF interaction, by numerically describing mass transport, chemical reactions, and pore structure evolution. The new model is developed based on OpenFOAM, which is an open-source platform for computational fluid dynamics. Here, the DBS momentum equation is used to solve for velocity by accounting for the fluid-solid mass transfer; an advection-diffusion equation is used to compute the distribution of injected HFF and iron. The reaction–induced pore evolution is captured by applying the LSM, where the solid-liquid interface is updated by solving the level set distance function and reinitialized to a signed distance function. Then, a smoothened Heaviside function gives a smoothed solid-liquid interface over a narrow band with a fixed thickness. The stated equations are discretized by the finite volume method, while the re-initialized equation is discretized by the central difference method. Gauss linear upwind scheme is used to solve the level set distance function, and the Pressure–Implicit with Splitting of Operators (PISO) method is used to solve the momentum equation. The numerical result is compared with 1–D analytical solution of fluid-solid interface for reaction-diffusion problems. Sensitivity analysis is conducted with various Damkohler number (DaII) and Peclet number (Pe). We categorize the Fe (III) precipitation into three patterns as a function of DaII and Pe: symmetrical smoothed growth, unsymmetrical growth, and dendritic growth. Pe and DaII significantly affect the location of precipitation, which is critical in determining the injection parameters of hydraulic fracturing. When DaII<1, the precipitation uniformly occurs on the solid surface both in upstream and downstream directions. When DaII>1, the precipitation mainly occurs on the solid surface in an upstream direction. When Pe>1, Fe (II) transported deeply into and precipitated inside the pores. When Pe<1, the precipitation of Fe (III) occurs mainly on the solid surface in an upstream direction, and they are easily precipitated inside the small pore structures. The porosity–permeability relationship is subsequently presented. This pore-scale model allows high confidence in the description of Fe (II) dissolution, transport, and Fe (III) precipitation. The model shows fast convergence and requires a low computational load. The results can provide reliable guidance for injecting HFF in shale reservoirs to avoid clogging and wellbore pollution. Understanding Fe (III) precipitation, and Fe (II) release and transport behaviors give rise to a highly efficient hydraulic fracture project.

Keywords: reactive-transport , Shale, Kerogen, precipitation

Procedia PDF Downloads 162

Authors: Andrey Cherdantsev, Mikhail Cherdantsev, Sergey Isaenkov, Dmitriy Markovich

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In annular gas-liquid flow, liquid flows as a film along pipe walls sheared by high-velocity gas stream. Film surface is covered by large-scale disturbance waves which affect pressure drop and heat transfer in the system and are necessary for entrainment of liquid droplets from film surface into the core of gas stream. Disturbance waves are a highly complex and their properties are affected by numerous parameters. One of such aspects is flow development, i.e., change of flow properties with the distance from the inlet. In the present work, this question is studied using brightness-based laser-induced fluorescence (BBLIF) technique. This method enables one to perform simultaneous measurements of local film thickness in large number of points with high sampling frequency. In the present experiments first 50 cm of upward and downward annular flow in a vertical pipe of 11.7 mm i.d. is studied with temporal resolution of 10 kHz and spatial resolution of 0.5 mm. Thus, spatiotemporal evolution of film surface can be investigated, including scenarios of formation, acceleration and coalescence of disturbance waves. The behaviour of disturbance waves' velocity depending on phases flow rates and downstream distance was investigated. Besides measuring the waves properties, the goal of the work was to investigate the interrelation between disturbance waves properties and integral characteristics of the flow such as interfacial shear stress and flow rate of dispersed phase. In particular, it was shown that the initial acceleration of disturbance waves, defined by the value of shear stress, linearly decays with downstream distance. This lack of acceleration which may even lead to deceleration is related to liquid entrainment. Flow rate of disperse phase linearly grows with downstream distance. During entrainment events, liquid is extracted directly from disturbance waves, reducing their mass, area of interaction to the gas shear and, hence, velocity. Passing frequency of disturbance waves at each downstream position was measured automatically with a new algorithm of identification of characteristic lines of individual disturbance waves. Scenarios of coalescence of individual disturbance waves were identified. Transition from initial high-frequency Kelvin-Helmholtz waves appearing at the inlet to highly nonlinear disturbance waves with lower frequency was studied near the inlet using 3D realisation of BBLIF method in the same cylindrical channel and in a rectangular duct with cross-section of 5 mm by 50 mm. It was shown that the initial waves are generally two-dimensional but are promptly broken into localised three-dimensional wavelets. Coalescence of these wavelets leads to formation of quasi two-dimensional disturbance waves. Using cross-correlation analysis, loss and restoration of two-dimensionality of film surface with downstream distance were studied quantitatively. It was shown that all the processes occur closer to the inlet at higher gas velocities.

Keywords: annular flow, disturbance waves, entrainment, flow development

Procedia PDF Downloads 249

Authors: Magdalena Maria Rost-Roszkowska, Alina Chachulska-Żymełka, Monika Tarnawska, Maria Augustyniak, Alina Kafel, Agnieszka Babczyńska

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The digestive system of insects is composed of three distinct regions: fore-, mid- and hingut. The middle region (the midgut) is treated as one of the barriers which protects the organism against any stressors which originate from external environment, e.g. toxic metals. Such factors can activate the cell death in epithelial cells to preserve the entire tissue/organs against the degeneration. Different mechanisms involved in homeostasis maintenance have been described, but the studies of animals under field conditions do not give the opportunity to conclude about potential ability of subsequent generation to inherit the tolerance mechanisms. It is possible only by a multigenerational strain of an animal led under laboratory conditions, exposed to a selected toxic factor, present also in polluted ecosystems. The main purpose of the project was to check if changes, which appear in the midgut epithelium after Cd treatment, can be fixed during the following generations of insects with the special emphasis on apoptosis. As the animal for these studies we chose 5th larval stage of the beet armyworm Spodoptera exigua Hübner (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), which is one of pest of many vegetable crops. Animals were divided into some experimental groups: K, Cd, KCd, Cd1, Cd2, Cd3. A control group (K) fed a standard diet, and was conducted for XX generations, a cadmium group (Cd), fed on standard diet supplemented with cadmium (44 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food) for XXX generations. A reference Cd group (KCd) has been initiated: control insects were fed with Cd supplemented diet (44 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food). Experimental groups Cd1, Cd2, Cd3 developed from the control one: 5 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food, 10 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food, 20 mg Cd per kg of dry weight of food. We were interested in the activation of apoptosis during following generations in all experimental groups. Therefore, during the 1st year of the experiment, the measurements were done for 6 generations in all experimental group. The intensity and the course of apoptosis have been examined using transmission electron microscope (TEM), confocal microscope and flow cytometry. During apoptosis the cell started to shrink, extracellular spaces appeared between digestive and neighboring cells, the nucleus achieved a lobular shape. Eventually, the apoptotic cells was discharged into the midgut lumen. A quantitative analysis revealed that the number of apoptotic cells depends significantly on the generation, tissue and cadmium concentration in the insect rearing medium. In the following 6 generations, we observed that the percentage of apoptotic cells in the midguts from cadmium-exposed groups decreased gradually according to the following order of strains: Cd1, Cd2, Cd3 and KCd. At the same time, it was still higher than the percentage of apoptotic cells in the same tissues of the insects from the control and multigenerational cadmium strain. The results of our studies suggest that changes caused by cadmium treatment were preserved during 6-generational development of lepidopteran larvae. The study has been financed by the National Science Centre Poland, grant no 2016/21/B/NZ8/00831.

Keywords: cadmium, cell death, digestive system, ultrastructure

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Authors: Sandra Carrillo Hoyos

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Mining activities in South America have significantly grown during the last decades, given the abundance of natural resources, the implemented governmental policies to incentivize foreign investment as well as the boom in international prices for metals and oil between 2002 and 2008. While this context allowed the region to occupy a leading position between the top producers of minerals around the world, it has also meant an increase in socio-environmental conflicts which have generated costs and negative impacts not only for the companies but especially for the governments and local communities.During the latest decade, the mining sector in Peru has faced with the social resistance of a large number of communities, which began organizing actions against the implementation of high investing projects. The dissatisfaction has derived in the prevalence of socio-environmental conflicts associated with mining activities, some of them never solved into an agreement. In order to prevent those socio-environmental conflicts and obtain the social license from local communities, most of the mining companies have developed diverse initiatives within the framework of policies and practices of corporate social responsibility (CSR). This paper has assessed the mining sector’s contribution toward the local development management along the last decade, as part of CSR strategies as well as the policies promoted by the Peruvian State. This assessment found that, in the beginning, these initiatives have been based on a philanthropic approach and were reacting to pressures from local stakeholders to maintain the consent to operate from the surrounding communities as well as to create, as a result, a harmonious atmosphere for operations. Due to the weak State presence, such practices have increased the expectations of communities related to the participation of mining companies in solving structural development problems, especially those related to primary needs, infrastructure, education, health, among others. In other words, this paper was focused on analyze in what extent these initiatives have promoted local empowerment for development planning and integrated management of natural resources from a territorial approach. From this perspective, the analysis demonstrates that, while the design and planning of social investment initiatives have improved due to the sector´s sustainability approach, many companies have developed actions beyond their competence during this process. In some cases, the referenced actions have generated dependency with communities, even though this relationship has not exempted the companies of conflict situations with unfortunate consequences. Furthermore, the social programs developed have not necessarily generated a significant impact in improving the quality of life of affected populations. In fact, it is possible to identify that those regions with high mining resources and investment are facing with a situation of poverty and high dependency on mining production. In spite of the revenues derived from mining industry, local governments have not been able to translate the royalties into sustainable development opportunities. For this reason, the proposed paper suggests some challenges for the mining sector contribution to local development based on the best practices and lessons learnt from a benchmarking for the leading mining companies.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, local development, mining, socio-environmental conflict

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Authors: Hanan Begali, Shahi Dost, Annett Ziegler, Markus Cornberg, Maria-Esther Vidal, Anke R. M. Kraft

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Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection can be treated with nucleot(s)ide analog (NA), for example, which inhibits HBV replication. However, they have hardly any influence on the functional cure of HBV, which is defined by hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) loss. NA needs to be taken life-long, which is not available for all patients worldwide. Additionally, NA-treated patients are still at risk of developing cirrhosis, liver failure, or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Although each patient has the same components of the immune system, immune responses vary between patients. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the immune response against HBV in different patients is necessary to understand the parameters leading to HBV cure and to use this knowledge to optimize HBV therapies. This requires seamless integration of an enormous amount of diverse and fine-grained data from viral markers, e.g., hepatitis B core-related antigen (HBcrAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg). The data integration system relies on the assumption that profiling human immune systems requires the analysis of various variables (e.g., demographic data, treatments, pre-existing conditions, immune cell response, or HLA-typing) rather than only one. However, the values of these variables are collected independently. They are presented in a myriad of formats, e.g., excel files, textual descriptions, lab book notes, and images of flow cytometry dot plots. Additionally, patients can be identified differently in these analyses. This heterogeneity complicates the integration of variables, as data management techniques are needed to create a unified view in which individual formats and identifiers are transparent when profiling the human immune systems. The proposed study (HBsRE) aims at integrating heterogeneous data sets of 87 chronically HBV-infected patients, e.g., clinical data, immune cell response, and HLA-typing, with knowledge encoded in biomedical ontologies and open-source databases into a knowledge-driven framework. This new technique enables us to harmonize and standardize heterogeneous datasets in the defined modeling of the data integration system, which will be evaluated in the knowledge graph (KG). KGs are data structures that represent the knowledge and data as factual statements using a graph data model. Finally, the analytic data model will be applied on top of KG in order to develop a deeper understanding of the immune profiles among various patients and to evaluate factors playing a role in a holistic profile of patients with HBsAg level loss. Additionally, our objective is to utilize this unified approach to stratify patients for new effective treatments. This study is developed in the context of the project “Transforming big data into knowledge: for deep immune profiling in vaccination, infectious diseases, and transplantation (ImProVIT)”, which is a multidisciplinary team composed of computer scientists, infection biologists, and immunologists.

Keywords: chronic hepatitis B infection, immune response, knowledge graphs, ontology

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Authors: M. Sarraf, J. E. Moros, M. C. Sánchez

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Oleogels are self-standing systems that are able to trap edible liquid oil into a tridimensional network and also help to use less fat by forming crystallization oleogelators. There are different ways to generate oleogelation and oil structuring, including direct dispersion, structured biphasic systems, oil sorption, and indirect method (emulsion-template). The selection of processing conditions as well as the composition of the oleogels is essential to obtain a stable oleogel with characteristics suitable for its purpose. In this sense, one of the ingredients widely used in food products to produce oleogels and emulsions is polysaccharides. Basil seed gum (BSG), with the scientific name Ocimum basilicum, is a new native polysaccharide with high viscosity and pseudoplastic behavior because of its high molecular weight in the food industry. Also, proteins can stabilize oil in water due to the presence of amino and carboxyl moieties that result in surface activity. Whey proteins are widely used in the food industry due to available, cheap ingredients, nutritional and functional characteristics such as emulsifier and a gelling agent, thickening, and water-binding capacity. In general, the interaction of protein and polysaccharides has a significant effect on the food structures and their stability, like the texture of dairy products, by controlling the interactions in macromolecular systems. Using edible oleogels as oil structuring helps for targeted delivery of a component trapped in a structural network. Therefore, the development of efficient oleogel is essential in the food industry. A complete understanding of the important points, such as the ratio oil phase, processing conditions, and concentrations of biopolymers that affect the formation and stability of the emulsion, can result in crucial information in the production of a suitable oleogel. In this research, the effects of oil concentration and pressure used in the manufacture of the emulsion prior to obtaining the oleogel have been evaluated through the analysis of droplet size and rheological properties of obtained emulsions and oleogels. The results show that the emulsion prepared in the high-pressure homogenizer (HPH) at higher pressure values has smaller droplet sizes and a higher uniformity in the size distribution curve. On the other hand, in relation to the rheological characteristics of the emulsions and oleogels obtained, the predominantly elastic character of the systems must be noted, as they present values of the storage modulus higher than those of losses, also showing an important plateau zone, typical of structured systems. In the same way, if steady-state viscous flow tests have been analyzed on both emulsions and oleogels, the result is that, once again, the pressure used in the homogenizer is an important factor for obtaining emulsions with adequate droplet size and the subsequent oleogel. Thus, various routes for trapping oil inside a biopolymer matrix with adjustable mechanical properties could be applied for the creation of the three-dimensional network in order to the oil absorption and creating oleogel.

Keywords: basil seed gum, particle size, viscoelastic properties, whey protein

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Authors: M. Koksal, T. Ozyazici, E. Gurdal, M. Yarım, E. Demirpolat, M. B. Y. Aycan

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The discovery of new drugs in cancer chemotherapy is still a major topic because of severe side effects, selectivity problems and resistance development potential of existing drugs. In recent years, combined anticancer therapies or multi-acting drugs are clinically preferred over traditional cytotoxic treatment, with the aim of avoiding resistance and toxic side effects. Arrangement of multi-acting targets can be carried out either by combination of several drugs with different mechanisms or by usage of a single chemical compound capable of regulating several targets of a disease with multiple factors. In literature, several pyrimidine and piperazine derivatives have been involved in the structure of many compounds which have been used as chemotherapeutic agents along with wide clinical applications. The aim of this study is to combine pyrimidine and piperazine core structures to research and develop novel piperazinylpyrimidine derivatives with selective cytotoxicity over cancer cells. In this study, a group of novel 6-fluorophenyl-3-[2-(substitutedpiperazinyl)ethyl] hexahydropyrimidine-2,4-dione derivatives designed to observe the desired anticancer activity due to pyrimidine and piperazine based scaffolds. Target compounds were obtained by the reaction of appropriate piperazine derivatives and 6-(2/4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-chloroethyl)hexahydropyrimidine-2,4-dione. The synthetic pathway of 6-(2/4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-chloroethyl)hexahydropyrimidine-2,4-dione was started with Rodionov reaction using aldehyde, malonic acid and ammonium acetate in ethanol. Isolated β-fluorophenyl-β-amino acids were treated with 2-chloroethylisocyanate in the presence of an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution at room temperature to yield the sodium salts of the corresponding ureido acids. By addition of a mineral acid, ureido acids were precipitated. Later, these ureido acids were refluxed in thionyl chloride to give the 6-(2/4-fluorophenyl)-3-(2-chloroethyl)hexahydropyrimidine-2,4-di-one which were furthermore treated with secondary amines. Structures of purified compounds were characterized with IR, 1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, mass spectroscopies and elemental analysis. All of the compounds gave satisfactory analytical and spectroscopic data, which were in full accordance with their depicted structures. In IR spectra of the compounds, N-H group was seen at 3230-3213 cm⁻¹. C-H was seen at 3100-2820 cm⁻¹ and C=O vibrational peaks were observed approximately at 1725 and 1665 cm⁻¹ in accordance with literature. In the NMR spectra of target compounds, the methylene protons of piperazine give two separate multiplet peaks around 3.5 and 4.5 ppm representing the successful N-alkylation of the structure. The cytotoxic activity of the synthesized compounds was investigated on human bronchial epithelial (BEAS 2B), lung (A549), colon adenocarcinoma (COLO205) and breast (MCF7) cell lines, by means of sulphorhodamine B (SRB) assays in triplicate. IC₅₀ values of the screened derivatives were found in range of 11.8-78 µM. This project was supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK, Project no: 215S157).

Keywords: cytotoxicity, hexahydropyrimidine, piperazine, sulphorhodamine B assay

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Authors: John Peter Dacanay, Edison Ramos, Cristopher James Dicang

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Waste management is a global concern due to increasing waste production from changing consumption patterns and population growth. Proper waste disposal management is a critical aspect of public health and environmental protection. In the healthcare industry, medical waste is generated in large quantities, and if not disposed of properly, it poses a significant threat to human health and the environment. Efficient waste management conserves natural resources and prevents harm to human health, and implementing an effective waste management system can save human lives. The study aimed to assess the level of awareness and practices on waste disposal management, highlighting the understanding of proper disposal, potential hazards, and environmental implications among Medical Technology students. This would help to provide more recommendations for improving waste management practices in healthcare settings as well as for better waste management practices in educational institutions. From the collected data, a female of 21 years of age stands out among the respondents. With the frequency and percentage of medical technology students' knowledge of laboratory waste management being high, it indicates that all respondents demonstrated a solid understanding of proper disposal methods, regulations, risks, and handling procedures related to laboratory waste. That said, the findings emphasize the significance of education and awareness programs in equipping individuals involved in laboratory practices with the necessary knowledge to handle and dispose of hazardous and infectious waste properly. Most respondents demonstrate positive practices or are highly mannered in laboratory waste management, including proper segregation and disposal in designated containers. However, there are concerns about the occasional mixing of waste types, emphasizing the reiteration of proper waste segregation. Students show a strong commitment to using personal protective equipment and promptly cleaning up spills. Some students admit to improper disposal due to rushing, highlighting the importance of time management and safety prioritization. Overall, students follow protocols for hazardous waste disposal, indicating a responsible approach. The school's waste management system is perceived as adequate, but continuous assessment and improvement are necessary. Encouraging reporting of issues and concerns is crucial for ongoing improvement and risk mitigation. The analysis reveals a moderate positive relationship between the respondents' knowledge and practices regarding laboratory waste management. The statistically significant correlation with a p-value of 0.26 (p-value 0.05) suggests that individuals with higher levels of knowledge tend to exhibit better practices. These findings align with previous research emphasizing the pivotal role of knowledge in influencing individuals' behaviors and practices concerning laboratory waste management. When individuals possess a comprehensive understanding of proper procedures, regulations, and potential risks associated with laboratory waste, they are more inclined to adopt appropriate practices. Therefore, fostering knowledge through education and training is essential in promoting responsible and effective waste management in laboratory settings.

Keywords: waste disposal management, knowledge, attitude, practices

Procedia PDF Downloads 97

Authors: Shailendra Kumar, Lokesh Kashyap, Puneet Khanna, Nishant Patel, Rakesh Kumar, Arshad Ayub, Kelika Prakash, Yudhyavir Singh, Krithikabrindha V.

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Introduction: Spinal anesthesia is considered a standard anesthesia technique for caesarean delivery. The incidence of spinal hypotension during caesarean delivery is 70 -80%. Spinal hypotension may cause cerebral hypoperfusion in the mother, but physiologically cerebral autoregulatory mechanisms accordingly prevent cerebral hypoxia. Cerebral blood flow remains constant in the 50-150 mmHg of Cerebral Perfusion Pressure (CPP) range. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive technology that is used to detect Cerebral Desaturation Events (CDEs) immediately compared to other conventional intraoperative monitoring techniques. Objective: The primary aim of the study is to correlate the change in cerebral oxygen saturation using NIRS with respect to a fall in mean blood pressure after spinal anaesthesia and to find out the effects of spinal hypotension on neonatal APGAR score, neonatal acid-base variations, and presence of Postoperative Delirium (POD). Methodology: NIRS sensors were attached to the forehead of all the patients, and their baseline readings of cerebral oxygenation on the right and left frontal regions and mean blood pressure were noted. Subarachnoid block was given with hyperbaric 0.5% bupivacaine plus fentanyl, the dose being determined by the individual anaesthesiologist. Co-loading of IV crystalloid solutions was given to the patient. Blood pressure reading and cerebral saturation were recorded every 1 minute till 30min. Hypotension was a fall in MAP less than 20% of the baseline values. Patients going for hypotension were treated with an IV Bolus of phenylephrine/ephedrine. Umbilical cord blood samples were taken for blood gas analysis, and neonatal APGAR was noted by a neonatologist. Study design: A prospective observational study conducted in a population of Thirty ASA 2 and 3 parturients scheduled for lower segment caesarean section (LSCS). Results: Mean fall in regional cerebral saturation is 28.48 ± 14.7% with respect to the mean fall in blood pressure 38.92 ± 8.44 mm Hg. The correlation coefficient between fall in saturation and fall in mean blood pressure is 0.057, and p-value {0.7} after subarachnoid block. A fall in regional cerebral saturation occurred 2±1 min before a fall in mean blood pressure. Twenty-nine out of thirty patients required vasopressors during hypotension. The first dose of vasopressor requirement is needed at 6.02±2 min after the block. The mean APGAR score was 7.86 and 9.74 at 1 and 5 min of birth, respectively, and the mean umbilical arterial pH of 7.3±0.1. According to DRS-98 (Delirium Rating Scale), the mean delirium rating score on postoperative day 1 and day 2 were 0.1 and 0.7, respectively. Discussion: There was a fall in regional cerebral oxygen saturation, which started before with respect to a significant fall in mean blood pressure readings but was statistically not significant. Maximal fall in blood pressure requiring vasopressors occurs within 10 min of SAB. Neonatal APGAR scores and acid-base variations were in the normal range with maternal hypotension, and there was no incidence of postoperative delirium in patients with post-spinal hypotension.

Keywords: cerebral oxygenation, LSCS, NIRS, spinal hypotension

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Authors: Chooi Fong Lee

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Maternal psychological well-being has been investigated from various aspects, such as social support, employment status. However, a perspective from self-discrepancy theory has not been employed. Moreover, most were focused on young mothers. Less is understanding the middle-aged mother’s psychological well-being. This research examined the influence of maternal self-discrepancy between actual and ideal self on maternal role achievement, state anxiety, trait anxiety, and subjective well-being among Japanese middle-aged mothers across their employment status. A pilot study with 20 Japanese mother participants (aged 40-55, 9 regular-employed, 8 non-regular-employed, and 3 homemakers) was conducted to assess the viability of survey questionnaires (Maternal Role Achievement Scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Subjective Well-being Scale, and Self-report questionnaire). The self-report questionnaire prompted participants to list up to 3 ideal selves they aspired to be and rate the extent to which their actual selves deviated from their ideal selves on a 7-point scale (1= not at all; 4 = medium; 7 = extremely). Self-discrepancy scores were calculated by subtracting participants’ degree ratings from a 7-point scale, summing them up, and then dividing the total by 3. The final sample consisted of 241 participants, 97 regular-employed, 87 non-regular employed, and 57 homemaker mothers. We ensured participants were randomly selected to mitigate bias. The results show that regular-employed mothers tend to exhibit lower self-discrepancy scores compared to non-regular employed and homemaker mothers. Moreover, the discrepancy between actual and ideal self negatively correlated with maternal role achievement, state anxiety, and subjective well-being, while positively correlated with trait anxiety. Trait anxiety arises when one feels they did not meet their ideal self, as evidenced by higher levels in homemaker mothers, who experience lower state anxiety. Conversely, regular-employed mothers exhibit higher state anxiety but lower trait anxiety, suggesting satisfaction in their professional pursuits despite balancing work and family responsibilities. Full-time maternal roles contribute to lower state anxiety but higher trait anxiety among homemaker mothers due to a lack of personal identity achievement. Non-regular employed mothers show similarities to homemaker mothers. In self-reports, regular-employed mothers highlight support and devotion to their children’s development, while non-regular-employed mothers seek life fulfillment through part-time work alongside child-rearing duties. Homemaker mothers emphasize qualities like sociability, and communication skills, potentially influencing their self-discrepancy scores. Furthermore, the hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that the discrepancy between actual and ideal self significantly predicts subjective well-being. In conclusion, the findings offer valuable insights into the impact of maternal self-discrepancy on psychological well-being among middle-aged Japanese mothers across different employment statuses. Understanding these dynamics becomes crucial as contemporary women increasingly pursue higher education and depart from traditional motherhood norms. Working toward one ideal self might contribute to a mother psychological well-being. Acknowledgment: This project was made possible with funding support from the Japan ICU Foundation.

Keywords: maternal employment, maternal role, self-discrepancy, state-trait anxiety, subjective well-being

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Authors: Vanessa Do, Lauren Smith, Leslie Carver

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It is widely known that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may exhibit sensitivity to stimuli. Even at a young age, they tend to display stimuli-related discomfort in their behavior during play. Play serves a crucial role in a child’s early years as it helps support healthy brain development, socio-emotional skills, and adaptation to their environment There is research dedicated to studying infant preferences for toys, especially in regard to: gender preferences, the advantages of promoting play, and the caregiver’s role in their child’s play routines. However, there is a disproportionate amount of literature examining how play patterns may differ in children with sensory sensitivity, such as children diagnosed with ASD. Prior literature has studied and found supporting evidence that individuals with ASD have deficits in social communication and have increased presence of repetitive behaviors and/or restricted interests, which also display in early childhood play patterns. This study aims to examine potential differences in toy preference between infants with (FH+) and without (FH-) a familial history of ASD ages 6. 9, and 12 months old. More specifically, this study will address the question, “do FH+ infants tend to play more with toys that require less social engagement compared to FH- infants?” Infants and their caregivers were recruited and asked to engage in a free-play session in their homes that lasted approximately 5 minutes. The sessions were recorded and later coded offline for engagement behaviors categorized by toy; each toy that the infants interacted with was coded as belonging to one of 6 categories: sensory (designed to stimulate one or more senses such as light-up toys or musical toys) , construction (e.g., building blocks, rubber suction cups), vehicles (e.g., toy cars), instructional (require steps to accomplish a goal such as flip phones or books), imaginative (e.g., dolls, stuffed animals), and miscellaneous (toys that do not fit into these categories). Toy engagement was defined as the infant looking and touching the toy (ILT) or looking at the toy while their caregiver was holding it (IL-CT). Results reported include/will include the proportion of time the infant was actively engaged with the toy out of the total usable video time per subject — distractions observed during the session were excluded from analysis. Data collection is still ongoing; however, the prediction is that FH+ infants will have higher engagement with sensory and construction toys as they require the least amount of social effort. Furthermore, FH+ infants will have the least engagement with the imaginative toys as prior literature has supported the claim that individuals with ASD have a decreased likelihood to engage in play that requires pretend play and other social skills. Looking at what toys are more or less engaging to FH+ infants is important as it provides significant contributions to their healthy cognitive, social, and emotional development. As play is one of the first ways for a child to understand the complexities of the larger world, the findings of this study may help guide further research into encouraging play with toys that are more engaging and sensory-sensitive for children with ASD.

Keywords: autism engagement, children’s play, early development, free-play, infants, toy

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Authors: Maria Ines Azambuja

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Graphic displays of Age-Period-Cohort (APC) mortality trends generally uses data aggregated within 5 or 10-year intervals. Technology allows one to increase the amount of processed data. Displaying occurrences by 1-year intervals is a logic first step in the direction of attaining higher quality landscapes of variations in temporal occurrences. Method: 1) Comparison of UK mortality trends plotted by 10-, 5- and 1-year intervals; 2) Comparison of UK and US mortality trends (period X age and cohort X age) displayed by 1-year intervals. Source: Mortality data (period, 1x1, males, 1933-1912) uploaded from the Human Mortality Database to Excel files, where Period X Age and Cohort X Age graphics were produced. The choice of transforming age-specific trends from calendar to birth-cohort years (cohort = period – age) (instead of using cohort 1x1 data available at the HMD resource) was taken to facilitate the comparison of age-specific trends when looking across calendar-years and birth-cohorts. Yearly live births, males, 1933 to 1912 (UK) were uploaded from the HFD. Influenza references are from the literature. Results: 1) The use of 1-year intervals unveiled previously unsuspected period, cohort and interacting period x cohort effects upon all-causes mortality. 2) The UK and US figures showed variations associated with particular calendar years (1936, 1940, 1951, 1957-68, 72) and, most surprisingly, with particular birth-cohorts (1889-90 in the US, and 1900, 1918-19, 1940-41 and 1946-47, in both countries. Also, the figures showed ups and downs in age-specific trends initiated at particular birth-cohorts (1900, 1918-19 and 1947-48) or a particular calendar-year (1968, 1972, 1977-78 in the US), variations at times restricted to just a range of ages (cohort x period interacting effects). Importantly, most of the identified “scars” (period and cohort) correlates with the record of occurrences of Influenza A epidemics since the late 19th Century. Conclusions: The use of 1-year intervals to describe APC mortality trends both increases the amount of information available, thus enhancing the opportunities for patterns’ recognition, and increases our capability of interpreting those patterns by describing trends across smaller intervals of time (period or birth-cohort). The US and the UK mortality landscapes share many but not all 'scars' and distortions suggested here to be associated with influenza epidemics. Different size-effects of wars are evident, both in mortality and in fertility. But it would also be realistic to suppose that the preponderant influenza A viruses circulating in UK and US at the beginning of the 20th Century might be different and the difference to have intergenerational long-term consequences. Compared with the live births trend (UK data), birth-cohort scars clearly depend on birth-cohort sizes relatives to neighbor ones, which, if causally associated with influenza, would result from influenza-related fetal outcomes/selection. Fetal selection could introduce continuing modifications on population patterns of immune-inflammatory phenotypes that might give rise to 'epidemic constitutions' favoring the occurrence of particular diseases. Comparative analysis of mortality landscapes may help us to straight our record of past circulation of Influenza viruses and document associations between influenza recycling and fertility changes.

Keywords: age-period-cohort trends, epidemic constitution, fertility, influenza, mortality

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Authors: Yu Zhang, Jie Wu, Li Dong

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Rural tourism is the service industry which regards the agricultural production, rural life, rural nature and cultural landscape as the tourist attraction. It aims to meet the needs of the city tourists such as country sightseeing, vacation, and leisure. According to the difference of the tourist resources, the rural settlements can be divided into different types: The type of tourism resources, scenic spot, and peri-urban. In the past ten years, the rural tourism has promoted the industrial transformation and economic growth in rural areas of China. And it is conducive to the coordinated development of urban and rural areas and has greatly improved the ecological environment and the standard of living for farmers in rural areas. At the same time, a large number of buildings and sites are built in the countryside in order to enhance the tourist attraction and the ability of tourist reception and also to increase the travel comfort and convenience, which has significant influence on the spatial evolution of the village settlement. This article takes the XiangYing Subdistrict, which is in JinPu District of Dalian in China as the exemplification and uses the technology of Remote Sensing (RS), Geographic Information System (GIS) and the technology of Landscape Spatial Analysis to study the influence of the rural tourism development in the rural settlement spaces in four steps. First, acquiring the remote sensing image data at different times of 8 administrative villages in the XiangYing Subdistrict, by using the remote sensing application EDRAS8.6; second, vectoring basic maps of XiangYing Subdistrict including its land-use map with the application of ArcGIS 9.3, associating with social and economic attribute data of rural settlements and analyzing on the rural evolution visually; third, quantifying the comparison of these patches in rural settlements by using the landscape spatial calculation application Fragstats 3.3 and analyzing on the evolution of the spatial structure of settlement in macro and medium scale; finally, summarizing the evolution characteristics and internal reasons of tourism-oriented rural settlements. The main findings of this article include: first of all, there is difference in the evolution of the spatial structure between the developing rural settlements and undeveloped rural settlements among the eight administrative villages; secondly, the villages relying on the surrounding tourist attractions, the villages developing agricultural ecological garden and the villages with natural or historical and cultural resources have different laws of development; then, the rural settlements whose tourism development in germination period, development period and mature period have different characteristics of spatial evolution; finally, the different evolution modes of the tourism-oriented rural settlement space have different influences on the protection and inheritance of the village scene. The development of tourism has a significant impact on the spatial evolution of rural settlement. The intensive use of rural land and natural resources is the fundamental principle to protect the rural cultural landscape and ecological environment as well as the critical way to improve the attraction of rural tourism and promote the sustainable development of countryside.

Keywords: landscape pattern, rural settlement, spatial evolution, tourism-oriented, Xiangying Subdistrict

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Authors: Ife Elegbeleye, Nnditshedzeni Eric, Regina Maphanga, Femi Elegbeleye, Femi Agunbiade

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The global potential of other renewable energy sources such as wind, hydroelectric, bio-mass, and geothermal is estimated to be approximately 13 %, with hydroelectricity constituting a larger percentage. Sunlight provides by far the largest of all carbon-neutral energy sources. More energy from the sunlight strikes the Earth in one hour (4.3 × 1020 J) than all the energy consumed on the planet in a year (4.1 × 1020 J), hence, solar energy remains the most abundant clean, renewable energy resources for mankind. Photovoltaic (PV) devices such as silicon solar cells, dye sensitized solar cells are utilized for harnessing solar energy. Polyene-diphenylaniline organic molecules are important sets of molecules that has stirred many research interest as photosensitizers in TiO₂ semiconductor-based dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The advantages of organic dye molecule over metal-based complexes are higher extinction coefficient, moderate cost, good environmental compatibility, and electrochemical properties. The polyene-diphenylaniline organic dyes with basic configuration of donor-π-acceptor are affordable, easy to synthesize and possess chemical structures that can easily be modified to optimize their photocatalytic and spectral properties. The enormous interest in polyene-diphenylaniline dyes as photosensitizers is due to their fascinating spectral properties which include visible light to near infra-red-light absorption. In this work, density functional theory approach via GPAW software, Avogadro and ASE were employed to study the effect of methoxy functionalized group on the spectral properties of polyene-diphenylaniline dyes and their photons absorbing characteristics in the visible region to near infrared region of the solar spectrum. Our results showed that the two-phenyl based complexes D5 and D7 exhibits maximum absorption peaks at 750 nm and 850 nm, while D9 and D11 with methoxy group shows maximum absorption peak at 800 nm and 900 nm respectively. The highest absorption wavelength is notable for D9 and D11 containing additional polyene and methoxy groups. Also, D9 and D11 chromophores with the methoxy group shows lower energy gap of 0.98 and 0.85 respectively than the corresponding D5 and D7 dyes complexes with energy gap of 1.32 and 1.08. The analysis of their electron injection kinetics ∆Ginject into the band gap of TiO₂ shows that D9 and D11 with the methoxy group has higher electron injection kinetics of -2.070 and -2.030 than the corresponding polyene-diphenylaniline complexes without the addition of polyene group with ∆Ginject values of -2.820 and -2.130 respectively. Our findings suggest that the addition of functionalized group as an extension of the organic complexes results in higher light harvesting efficiencies and bathochromic shift of the absorption spectra to higher wavelength which suggest higher current densities and open circuit voltage in DSSCs. The study suggests that the photocatalytic properties of organic chromophores/complexes with donor-π-acceptor configuration can be enhanced by the addition of functionalized groups.

Keywords: renewable energy resource, solar energy, dye sensitized solar cells, polyene-diphenylaniline organic chromophores

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