Search results for: long gap atresia treatment

Authors: Alena Cejkova, Martina Paldrychova, Jana Michailidu, Olga Matatkova, Jan Masak

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Increasing the resistance of pathogenic microorganisms to many antibiotics is a serious threat to the treatment of infectious diseases and cleaning medical instruments. It should be added that the resistance of microbial populations growing in biofilms is often up to 1000 times higher compared to planktonic cells. Biofilm formation in a number of microorganisms is largely influenced by the quorum sensing regulatory mechanism. Finding external factors such as natural substances or physical processes that can interfere effectively with quorum sensing signal molecules should reduce the ability of the cell population to form biofilm and increase the effectiveness of antibiotics. The present work is devoted to the effect of chitosan as a representative of natural substances with anti-biofilm activity and non- thermal plasma (NTP) alone or in combination with polymyxin B on biofilm formation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Particular attention was paid to the influence of these agents on the level of quorum sensing signal molecules (acyl-homoserine lactones) during planktonic and biofilm cultivations. Opportunistic pathogenic strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (DBM 3081, DBM 3777, ATCC 10145, ATCC 15442) were used as model microorganisms. Cultivations of planktonic and biofilm populations in 96-well microtiter plates on horizontal shaker were used for determination of antibiotic and anti-biofilm activity of chitosan and polymyxin B. Biofilm-growing cells on titanium alloy, which is used for preparation of joint replacement, were exposed to non-thermal plasma generated by cometary corona with a metallic grid for 15 and 30 minutes. Cultivation followed in fresh LB medium with or without chitosan or polymyxin B for next 24 h. Biofilms were quantified by crystal violet assay. Metabolic activity of the cells in biofilm was measured using MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) colorimetric test based on the reduction of MTT into formazan by the dehydrogenase system of living cells. Activity of N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) compounds involved in the regulation of biofilm formation was determined using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain harboring a traG::lacZ/traR reporter gene responsive to AHLs. The experiments showed that both chitosan and non-thermal plasma reduce the AHLs level and thus the biofilm formation and stability. The effectiveness of both agents was somewhat strain dependent. During the eradication of P. aeruginosa DBM 3081 biofilm on titanium alloy induced by chitosan (45 mg / l) there was an 80% decrease in AHLs. Applying chitosan or NTP on the P. aeruginosa DBM 3777 biofilm did not cause a significant decrease in AHLs, however, in combination with both (chitosan 55 mg / l and NTP 30 min), resulted in a 70% decrease in AHLs. Combined application of NTP and polymyxin B allowed reduce antibiotic concentration to achieve the same level of AHLs inhibition in P. aeruginosa ATCC 15442. The results shown that non-thermal plasma and chitosan have considerable potential for the eradication of highly resistant P. aeruginosa biofilms, for example on medical instruments or joint implants.

Keywords: anti-biofilm activity, chitosan, non-thermal plasma, opportunistic pathogens

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Authors: Chales Mumbere Musavandalo, Lucie B. Mugherwa, Gloire Kayitoghera Mulondi, Naanson Bweya, Muyisa Musongora, Francis Lelo Nzuzi

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The landscape of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo harbors a large community of Mbuti indigenous peoples, often described as the guardians of nature. Living in and off the forest has long been a sustainable strategy for preserving natural resources. This strategy, seen as a form of eco-responsible citizenship, draws upon ethnobotanical knowledge passed down through generations. However, these indigenous communities are facing socio-cultural upheaval, which impacts their traditional way of life. This study aims to assess the relationship between the Mbuti indigenous people’s way of life and the preservation of the Okapi Wildlife Reserve. The study was conducted under the assumption that, despite socio-cultural upheavals, the forest and its resources remain central to the Mbuti way of life. The study was conducted in six encampments, three of which were located inside the forest and two in the anthropized zone. The methodological approach initially involved group interviews in six Mbuti encampments. The objective of these interviews was to determine how these people perceive the various services provided by the forest and the resources obtained from this habitat. The technique of using pebbles was adopted to adapt the exercise of weighting services and resources to the understanding of these people. Subsequently, the study carried out ethnobotanical surveys to identify the wood resources frequently used by these communities. This survey was completed in third position by a transect inventory of 1000 m length and 25 m width in order to enhance the understanding of the abundance of these resources around the camps. Two transects were installed in each camp to carry out this inventory. Traditionally, the Mbuti communities sustain their livelihood through hunting, fishing, gathering for self-consumption, and basketry. The Manniophyton fulvum-based net remains the main hunting tool. The primary forest and the swamp are two habitats from which these peoples derive the majority of their resources. However, with the arrival of the Bantu people, who introduced agriculture based on cocoa production, the Mbuti communities started providing services to the Bantu in the form of labor and field guarding. This cultural symbiosis between Mbute and Bantu has also led to non-traditional practices, such as the use of hunting rifles instead of nets and fishing nets instead of creels. The socio-economic and ecological environment in which Mbuti communities live is changing rapidly, including the resources they depend on. By incorporating the time factor into their perception of ecosystem services, only their future (p-value = 0, 0,121), the provision of wood for energy (p-value = 0,1976), and construction (p-value = 0,2548) would be closely associated with the forest in their future. For other services, such as food supply, medicine, and hunting, adaptation to Bantu customs is conceivable. Additionally, the abundance of wood used by the Mbuti people has been high around encampments located in intact forests and low in those in anthropized areas. The traditional way of life of the Mbuti communities is influenced by the cultural symbiosis, reflected in their habits and the availability of resources. The land tenure security of Mbuti areas is crucial to preserve their tradition and forest biodiversity. Conservation efforts in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve must consider this cultural dynamism and promote positive values for the flagship species. The oversight of subsistence hunting is imperative to curtail the transition of these communities to poaching.

Keywords: traditional life, conservation, Indigenous people, cultural symbiosis, forest

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Authors: Gokulan Vethanayakam, Daniel Aston

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Introduction: The ReSPECT process supports healthcare professionals when making patient-centered decisions in the event of an emergency. It has been widely adopted by the NHS in England and allows patients to express thoughts and wishes about treatments and outcomes that they consider acceptable. It includes (but is not limited to) cardiopulmonary resuscitation decisions. ReSPECT conversations should ideally occur prior to ICU admission and should be documented in the eight sections of the nationally-standardised ReSPECT form. This audit evaluated the use of ReSPECT on a busy cardiothoracic ICU in an NHS Trust where established policies advocating its use exist. Methods: This audit was a retrospective review of ReSPECT forms for a sample of high-risk patients admitted to ICU at the Royal Papworth Hospital between January 2021 and March 2022. Patients all received one of the following interventions: Veno-Venous Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VV-ECMO) for severe respiratory failure (retrieved via the national ECMO service); cardiac or pulmonary transplantation-related surgical procedures (including organ transplants and Ventricular Assist Device (VAD) implantation); or elective non-transplant cardiac surgery. The quality of documentation on ReSPECT forms was evaluated using national standards and a graded ranking tool devised by the authors which was used to assess narrative aspects of the forms. Quality was ranked as A (excellent) to D (poor). Results: Of 230 patients (74 VV-ECMO, 104 transplant, 52 elective non-transplant surgery), 43 (18.7%) had a ReSPECT form and only one (0.43%) patient had a ReSPECT form completed prior to ICU admission. Of the 43 forms completed, 38 (88.4%) were completed due to the commencement of End of Life (EoL) care. No non-transplant surgical patients included in the audit had a ReSPECT form. There was documentation of balance of care (section 4a), CPR status (section 4c), capacity assessment (section 5), and patient involvement in completing the form (section 6a) on all 43 forms. Of the 34 patients assessed as lacking capacity to make decisions, only 22 (64.7%) had reasons documented. Other sections were variably completed; 29 (67.4%) forms had relevant background information included to a good standard (section 2a). Clinical guidance for the patient (section 4b) was given in 25 (58.1%), of which 11 stated the rationale that underpinned it. Seven forms (16.3%) contained information in an inappropriate section. In a comparison of ReSPECT forms completed ahead of an EoL trigger with those completed when EoL care began, there was a higher number of entries in section 3 (considering patient’s values/fears) that were assessed at grades A-B in the former group (p = 0.014), suggesting higher quality. Similarly, forms from the transplant group contained higher quality information in section 3 than those from the VV-ECMO group (p = 0.0005). Conclusions: Utilisation of the ReSPECT process in high-risk patients is yet to be well-adopted in this trust. Teams who meet patients before hospital admission for transplant or high-risk surgery should be encouraged to engage with the ReSPECT process at this point in the patient's journey. VV-ECMO retrieval teams should consider ReSPECT conversations with patients’ relatives at the time of retrieval.

Keywords: audit, critical care, end of life, ICU, ReSPECT, resuscitation

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Authors: B. Sudhakara Reddy

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This study provides a snapshot of the sustainability of selected Indian cities by employing 70 indicators in four dimensions to develop an overall city sustainability index. In recent years, the concept of ‘urban sustainability’ has become prominent due to its complexity. Urban areas propel growth and at the same time poses a lot of ecological, social and infrastructural problems and risks. In case of developing countries, the high population density of and the continuous in-migration run the highest risk in natural and man-made disasters. These issues combined with the inability of policy makers in providing basic services makes the cities unsustainable. To assess whether any given policy is moving towards or against urban sustainability it is necessary to consider the relationships among its various dimensions. Hence, in recent years, while preparing the sustainability index, an integral approach involving indicators of different dimensions such as ‘economic’, ‘environmental’ and 'social' is being used. It is also important for urban planners, social analysts and other related institutions to identify and understand the relationships in this complex system. The objective of the paper is to develop a city performance index (CPI) to measure and evaluate the urban regions in terms of sustainable performances. The objectives include: i) Objective assessment of a city’s performance, ii) setting achievable goals iii) prioritise relevant indicators for improvement, iv) learning from leaders, iv) assessment of the effectiveness of programmes that results in achieving high indicator values, v) Strengthening of stakeholder participation. Using the benchmark approach, a conceptual framework is developed for evaluating 25 Indian cities. We develop City Sustainability index (CSI) in order to rank cities according to their level of sustainability. The CSI is composed of four dimensions: Economic, Environment, Social, and Institutional. Each dimension is further composed of multiple indicators: (1) Economic that considers growth, access to electricity, and telephone availability; (2) environmental that includes waste water treatment, carbon emissions, (3) social that includes, equity, infant mortality, and 4) institutional that includes, voting share of population, urban regeneration policies. The CSI, consisting of four dimensions disaggregate into 12 categories and ultimately into 70 indicators. The data are obtained from public and non-governmental organizations, and also from city officials and experts. By ranking a sample of diverse cities on a set of specific dimensions the study can serve as a baseline of current conditions and a marker for referencing future results. The benchmarks and indices presented in the study provide a unique resource for the government and the city authorities to learn about the positive and negative attributes of a city and prepare plans for a sustainable urban development. As a result of our conceptual framework, the set of criteria we suggest is somewhat different to any already in the literature. The scope of our analysis is intended to be broad. Although illustrated with specific examples, it should be apparent that the principles identified are relevant to any monitoring that is used to inform decisions involving decision variables. These indicators are policy-relevant and, hence they are useful tool for decision-makers and researchers.

Keywords: benchmark, city, indicator, performance, sustainability

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Authors: Eric Bang

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Interactions between receptors and ligands are crucial for many essential biological processes, including neurotransmission and metabolism. Ligand-receptor analyses that examine cell behavior and interactions often utilize cell type-specific RNA expressions from single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data. Using CellPhoneDB, a public repository consisting of ligands, receptors, and ligand-receptor interactions, the cell-cell interactions were explored in a specific scRNA-seq dataset from kidney tissue and portrayed the results with dot plots and heat maps. Depending on the type of cell, each ligand-receptor pair was aligned with the interacting cell type and calculated the positori probabilities of these associations, with corresponding P values reflecting average expression values between the triads and their significance. Using single-cell data (sample kidney cell references), genes in the dataset were cross-referenced with ones in the existing CellPhoneDB dataset. For example, a gene such as Pleiotrophin (PTN) present in the single-cell data also needed to be present in the CellPhoneDB dataset. Using the single-cell transcriptomics data via slide-seq and reference data, the CellPhoneDB program defines cell types and plots them in different formats, with the two main ones being dot plots and heat map plots. The dot plot displays derived measures of the cell to cell interaction scores and p values. For the dot plot, each row shows a ligand-receptor pair, and each column shows the two interacting cell types. CellPhoneDB defines interactions and interaction levels from the gene expression level, so since the p-value is on a -log10 scale, the larger dots represent more significant interactions. By performing an interaction analysis, a significant interaction was discovered for myeloid and T-cell ligand-receptor pairs, including those between Secreted Phosphoprotein 1 (SPP1) and Fibronectin 1 (FN1), which is consistent with previous findings. It was proposed that an effective protocol would involve a filtration step where cell types would be filtered out, depending on which ligand-receptor pair is activated in that part of the tissue, as well as the incorporation of the CellPhoneDB data in a streamlined workflow pipeline. The filtration step would be in the form of a Python script that expedites the manual process necessary for dataset filtration. Being in Python allows it to be integrated with the CellPhoneDB dataset for future workflow analysis. The manual process involves filtering cell types based on what ligand/receptor pair is activated in kidney cells. One limitation of this would be the fact that some pairings are activated in multiple cells at a time, so the manual manipulation of the data is reflected prior to analysis. Using the filtration script, accurate sorting is incorporated into the CellPhoneDB database rather than waiting until the output is produced and then subsequently applying spatial data. It was envisioned that this would reveal wherein the cell various ligands and receptors are interacting with different cell types, allowing for easier identification of which cells are being impacted and why, for the purpose of disease treatment. The hope is this new computational method utilizing spatially explicit ligand-receptor association data can be used to uncover previously unknown specific interactions within kidney tissue.

Keywords: bioinformatics, Ligands, kidney tissue, receptors, spatial transcriptome

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Authors: Boris Nemzer, Nebiyu Abshiru, Z. B. Pietrzkowski

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Coffee cherry is one of the most ubiquitous agricultural commodities which possess nutritional and human health beneficial properties. Between the two most widely used coffee cherries Coffea arabica (Arabica) and Coffea canephora (Robusta), Coffea arabica remains superior due to its sensory properties and, therefore, remains in great demand in the global coffee market. In this study, the phytochemical contents and pharmacokinetics of Coffeeberry® Energy (CBE), a commercially available Arabica whole coffee fruit caffeine extract, are investigated. For phytochemical screening, 20 mg of CBE was dissolved in an aqueous methanol solution for analysis by mass spectrometry (MS). Quantification of caffeine and chlorogenic acids (CGAs) contents of CBE was performed using HPLC. For the bioavailability study, serum samples were collected from human subjects before and after 1, 2 and 3 h post-ingestion of 150mg CBE extract. Protein precipitation and extraction were carried out using methanol. Identification of compounds was performed using an untargeted metabolomic approach on Q-Exactive Orbitrap MS coupled to reversed-phase chromatography. Data processing was performed using Thermo Scientific Compound Discover 3.3 software. Phytochemical screening identified a total of 170 compounds, including organic acids, phenolic acids, CGAs, diterpenoids and hydroxytryptamine. Caffeine & CGAs make up more than, respectively, 70% & 9% of the total CBE composition. For serum samples, a total of 82 metabolites representing 32 caffeine- and 50 phenolic-derived metabolites were identified. Volcano plot analysis revealed 32 differential metabolites (24 caffeine- and 8 phenolic-derived) that showed an increase in serum level post-CBE dosing. Caffeine, uric acid, and trimethyluric acid isomers exhibited 4- to 10-fold increase in serum abundance post-dosing. 7-Methyluric acid, 1,7-dimethyluric acid, paraxanthine and theophylline exhibited a minimum of 1.5-fold increase in serum level. Among the phenolic-derived metabolites, iso-feruloyl quinic acid isomers (3-, 4- and 5-iFQA) showed the highest increase in serum level. These compounds were essentially absent in serum collected before dosage. More interestingly, the iFQA isomers were not originally present in the CBE extract, as our phytochemical screen did not identify these compounds. This suggests the potential formation of the isomers during the digestion and absorption processes. Pharmacokinetics parameters (Cmax, Tmax and AUC0-3h) of caffeine- and phenolic-derived metabolites were also investigated. Caffeine was rapidly absorbed, reaching a maximum concentration (Cmax) of 10.95 µg/ml in just 1 hour. Thereafter, caffeine level steadily dropped from the peak level, although it did not return to baseline within the 3-hour dosing period. The disappearance of caffeine from circulation was mirrored by the rise in the concentration of its methylxanthine metabolites. Similarly, serum concentration of iFQA isomers steadily increased, reaching maximum (Cmax: 3-iFQA, 1.54 ng/ml; 4-iFQA, 2.47 ng/ml; 5-iFQA, 2.91 ng/ml) at tmax of 1.5 hours. The isomers remained well above the baseline during the 3-hour dosing period, allowing them to remain in circulation long enough for absorption into the body. Overall, the current study provides evidence of the potential health benefits of a uniquely formulated whole coffee fruit product. Consumption of this product resulted in a distinct serum profile of bioactive compounds, as demonstrated by the more than 32 metabolites that exhibited a significant change in systemic exposure.

Keywords: phytochemicals, mass spectrometry, pharmacokinetics, differential metabolites, chlorogenic acids

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Authors: Dean Sinković, Tea Golja, Morena Paulišić

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Upon the end of the vicious war in former Yugoslavia in 1995, international development community widely promoted microfinance as the key development framework to eradicate poverty, create jobs, increase income. Widespread claims were made that microfinance institutions would play vital role in creating a bedrock for sustainable ‘bottom-up’ economic development trajectory, thus, helping newly formed states to find proper way from economic post-war depression. This uplifting neoliberal narrative has no empirical support in the Republic of Croatia. Firstly, the type of enterprises created via microfinance sector are small, unskilled, labor intensive, no technology and with huge debt burden. This results in extremely high failure rates of microenterprises and poor individuals plunging into even deeper poverty, acute indebtedness and social marginalization. Secondly, evidence shows that microcredit is exact reflection of dangerous and destructive sub-prime lending model with ‘boom-to-bust’ scenarios in which benefits are solely extracted by the tiny financial and political elite working around the microfinance sector. We argue that microcredit providers are not proper financial structures through which developing countries should look way out of underdevelopment and poverty. In order to achieve sustainable long-term growth goals, public policy needs to focus on creating, supporting and facilitating the small and mid-size enterprises development. These enterprises should be technically sophisticated, capable of creating new capabilities and innovations, with managerial expertise (skills formation) and inter-connected with other organizations (i.e. clusters, networks, supply chains, etc.). Evidence from South-East Europe suggest that such structures are not created via microfinance model but can be fostered through various forms of social enterprises. Various legal entities may operate as social enterprises: limited liability private company, limited liability public company, cooperative, associations, foundations, institutions, Mutual Insurances and Credit union. Our main hypothesis is that cooperatives are potential agents of social and economic transformation and community development in the region. Financial cooperatives are structures that can foster more efficient allocation of financial resources involving deeper democratic arrangements and more socially just outcomes. In Croatia, pioneers of the first social enterprises were civil society organizations whilst forming a separated legal entity. (i.e. cooperatives, associations, commercial companies working on the principles of returning the investment to the founder). Ever since 1995 cooperatives in Croatia have not grown by pursuing their own internal growth but mostly by relying on external financial support. The greater part of today’s registered cooperatives tend to be agricultural (39%), followed by war veterans cooperatives (38%) and others. There are no financial cooperatives in Croatia. Due to the above mentioned we look at the historical developments and the prevailing social enterprises forms and discuss their advantages and disadvantages as potential agents for social and economic transformation and community development in the region. There is an evident lack of understanding of this business model and of its potential for social and economic development followed by an unfavorable institutional environment. Thus, we discuss the role of governance and management in the formation of social enterprises in Croatia, stressing the challenges for the governance of the country’s social enterprise movement.

Keywords: financial cooperatives, governance and management models, microfinance institutions, social enterprises

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Authors: Maksim Barsakov

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Introduction. In modern plastic surgery, there are a large number of breast lift techniques.Due to the spreading information about the "side effects" of silicone implants, interest in implant-free mastopexy is increasing year after year. However, despite the variety of techniques, patients sometimes do not get full satisfaction from the results of mastopexy because of the unexpressed filling of the upper pole, extended anchoring postoperative scars and sometimes because of obtaining an aesthetically unattractive breast shape. The stability of the result after mastopexy depends on many factors, including postoperative rehabilitation. Stability of weight and hormonal background, stretchability of tissues. The high recurrence rate of ptosis and short-term aesthetic effect of mastopexy indicate the urgency of improving surgical techniques and increasing the stabilization of breast tissue. Purpose of the study. To develop and introduce into practice a technique of mastopexy based on the use of a modified Ribeiro flap, as well as elements of tissue movement and fixation designed to increase the stability of postoperative mastopexy. In addition, to give indications for the application of this surgical technique. Materials and Methods. it operated on 103 patients aged 18 to 53 years from 2019 to 2023 according to the reported method. These were patients with primary mastopexy, secondary mastopexy, and also patient with implant removal and one-stage mastopexy. The patients were followed up for 12 months to assess the stability of the result. Results and their discussion. Observing the patients, we noted greater stability of the breast shape and upper pole filling compared to the conventional classical methods. We did not have to resort to anchoring scars. In 90 percent of cases, a inverted T-shape scar was used. In 10 percent, the J-scar was used. The quantitative distribution of complications identified among the operated patients is as follows: worsened healing of the junction of vertical and horizontal sutures at the period of 1-1.5 months after surgery - 15 patients; at treatment with ointment method healing was observed in 7-30 days; permanent loss of NAC sensitivity - 0 patients; vascular disorders in the area of NAC/areola necrosis - 0 patients; marginal necrosis of the areola-2 patients. independent healing within 3-4 weeks without aesthetic defects. Aesthetically unacceptable mature scars-3 patients; partial liponecrosis of the autoflap unilaterally - 1 patient. recurrence of ptosis - 1 patient (after weight loss of 12 kg). In the late postoperative period, 2 patients became pregnant, gave birth, and no lactation problems were observed. Conclusion. Thus, in the world of plastic surgery methods of breast lift continue to improve, which is especially relevant in modern times, due to the increased attention to this operation. The author's proposed method of mastopexy with glandular autoflap allows obtaining in most cases a stable result, a fuller breast shape, avoiding the presence of extended anchoring scars, and also preserves the possibility of lactation. The author of this article has obtained a patent for invention for this method of mastopexy.

Keywords: mastopexy, mammoplasty, autoflap, personal technique

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Authors: Aidan Ryan, Nahima Miah, Sahaj Kaur, Imogen Sutherland, Mohamed Saleh

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Pulmonary symptoms are a common presentation to the emergency department. Due to a lack of understanding of the underlying pathophysiology, chronic liver disease is not often considered a cause of dyspnea. We present three patients who were admitted with significant respiratory distress secondary to hepatopulmonary syndrome, portopulmonary hypertension, and hepatic hydrothorax. The first is a 27-year-old male with a 6-month history of progressive dyspnea. The patient developed a severe type 1 respiratory failure with a PaO₂ of 6.3kPa and was escalated to critical care, where he was managed with non-invasive ventilation to maintain oxygen saturation. He had an agitated saline contrast echocardiogram, which showed the presence of a possible shunt. A CT angiogram revealed significant liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and large para esophageal varices. Ultrasound of the abdomen showed coarse liver echo patter and enlarged spleen. Along with these imaging findings, his biochemistry demonstrated impaired synthetic liver function with an elevated international normalized ratio (INR) of 1.4 and hypoalbuminaemia of 28g/L. The patient was then transferred to a tertiary center for further management. Further investigations confirmed a shunt of 56%, and liver biopsy confirmed cirrhosis suggestive of alpha-1-antitripsyin deficiency. The findings were consistent with a diagnosis of hepatopulmonary syndrome, and the patient is awaiting a liver transplant. The second patient is a 56-year-old male with a 12-month history of worsening dyspnoea, jaundice, confusion. His medical history included liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and grade 1 oesophageal varices secondary to significant alcohol excess. On admission, he developed a type 1 respiratory failure with PaO₂ of 6.8kPa requiring 10L of oxygen. CT pulmonary angiogram was negative for pulmonary embolism but showed evidence of chronic pulmonary hypertension, liver cirrhosis, and portal hypertension. An echocardiogram revealed a grossly dilated right heart with reduced function, pulmonary and tricuspid regurgitation, and pulmonary artery pressures estimated at 78mmHg. His biochemical markers showed impaired synthetic liver function with an INR of 3.2, albumin of 29g/L, along with raised bilirubin of 148mg/dL. During his long admission, he was managed with diuretics with little improvement. After three weeks, he was diagnosed with portopulmonary hypertension and was commenced on terlipressin. This resulted in successfully weaning off oxygen, and he was discharged home. The third patient is a 61-year-old male who presented to the local ambulatory care unit for therapeutic paracentesis on a background of decompensated liver cirrhosis. On presenting, he complained of a 2-day history of worsening dyspnoea and a productive cough. Chest x-ray showed a large pleural effusion, increasing in size over the previous eight months, and his abdomen was visibly distended with ascitic fluid. Unfortunately, the patient deteriorated, developing a larger effusion along with an increase in oxygen demand, and passed away. Without underlying cardiorespiratory disease, in the presence of a persistent pleural effusion with underlying decompensated cirrhosis, he was diagnosed with hepatic hydrothorax. While each presented with dyspnoea, the cause and underlying pathophysiology differ significantly from case to case. By describing these complications, we hope to improve awareness and aid prompt and accurate diagnosis, vital for improving outcomes.

Keywords: dyspnea, hepatic hydrothorax, hepatopulmonary syndrome, portopulmonary syndrome

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Authors: Shrestha Sharma, Jasjeet K. Sahni, Javed Ali, Sanjula Baboota

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Introduction: Rutin is a naturally occurring strong antioxidant molecule belonging to bioflavonoid category. Due to its free radical scavenging properties, it has been found to be beneficial in the treatment of various diseases including inflammation, cancer, diabetes, allergy, cardiovascular disorders and various types of microbial infections. Despite its beneficial effects, it suffers from the problem of low aqueous solubility which is responsible for low oral bioavailability. The aim of our study was to optimize and characterize self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery system (SNEDDS) of rutin using Box-Behnken design (BBD) combined with a desirability function. Further various antioxidant, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies were performed for the optimized rutin SNEDDS formulation. Methodologies: Selection of oil, surfactant and co-surfactant was done on the basis of solubility/miscibility studies. Sefsol+ Vitamin E, Solutol HS 15 and Transcutol P were selected as oil phase, surfactant and co-surfactant respectively. Optimization of SNEDDS formulations was done by a three-factor, three-level (33)BBD. The independent factors were Sefsol+ Vitamin E, Solutol HS15, and Transcutol P. The dependent variables were globule size, self emulsification time (SEF), % transmittance and cumulative percentage drug released. Various response surface graphs and contour plots were constructed to understand the effect of different factor, their levels and combinations on the responses. The optimized Rutin SNEDDS formulation was characterized for various parameters such as globule size, zeta potential, viscosity, refractive index , % Transmittance and in vitro drug release. Ex vivo permeation studies and pharmacokinetic studies were performed for optimized formulation. Antioxidant activity was determined by DPPH and reducing power assays. Anti-inflammatory activity was determined by using carrageenan induced rat paw oedema method. Permeation of rutin across small intestine was assessed using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Major findings:The optimized SNEDDS formulation consisting of Sefsol+ Vitamin E - Solutol HS15 -Transcutol HP at proportions of 25:35:17.5 (w/w) was prepared and a comparison of the predicted values and experimental values were found to be in close agreement. The globule size and PDI of optimized SNEDDS formulation was found to be 16.08 ± 0.02 nm and 0.124±0.01 respectively. Significant (p˂0.05) increase in percentage drug release was achieved in the case of optimized SNEDDS formulation (98.8 %) as compared to rutin suspension. Furthermore, pharmacokinetic study showed a 2.3-fold increase in relative oral bioavailability compared with that of the suspension. Antioxidant assay results indicated better efficacy of the developed formulation than the pure drug and it was found to be comparable with ascorbic acid. The results of anti-inflammatory studies showed 72.93 % inhibition for the SNEDDS formulation which was significantly higher than the drug suspension 46.56%. The results of CLSM indicated that the absorption of SNEDDS formulation was considerably higher than that from rutin suspension. Conclusion: Rutin SNEDDS have been successfully prepared and they can serve as an effective tool in enhancing oral bioavailability and efficacy of Rutin.

Keywords: rutin, oral bioavilability, pharamacokinetics, pharmacodynamics

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Authors: Tatsiana Ihnatovich, Darya Nizheharodava, Mikalai Halabarodzka, Tatsiana Savitskaya, Marina Zafranskaya

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Liver fibrosis is a complex of histological changes resulting from chronic liver disease accompanied by an excessive production and deposition of extracellular matrix components in the hepatic parenchyma. Liver fibrosis is a serious medical and social problem. Hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) make a significant contribution to the extracellular matrix deposition due to liver injury. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have a pronounced anti-inflammatory, regenerative and immunomodulatory effect; they are able to differentiate into hepatocytes and induce apoptosis of activated HSCs that opens the prospect of their use for preventing the excessive fibro-formation and the development of liver cirrhosis. The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of MSCs therapy on the expression of fibrogenesis markers genes in liver tissue and HSCs cultures of rats with experimental liver cirrhosis (ELC). Materials and methods: ELC was induced by the common bile duct ligation (CBDL) in female Wistar rats (n = 19) with an average body weight of 250 (220 ÷ 270) g. Animals from the control group (n = 10) were sham-operated. On the 56th day after the CBDL, the rats of the experimental (n = 12) and the control (n = 5) groups received intraportal MSCs in concentration of 1×106 cells/animal (previously obtained from rat’s bone marrow) or saline, respectively. The animals were taken out of the experiment on the 21st day. HSCs were isolated by sequential liver perfusion in situ with following disaggregation, enzymatic treatment and centrifugation of cell suspension on a two-stage density gradient. The expression of collagen type I (Col1a1) and type III (Col3a1), matrix metalloproteinase type 2 (MMP2) and type 9 (MMP9), tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases type 1 (TIMP1), transforming growth factor β type 1 (TGFβ1) and type 3 (TGFβ3) was determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Statistical analysis was performed using Statistica 10.0. Results: In ELC rats compared to sham-operated animals, a significant increase of all studied markers expression was observed. The administration of MSCs led to a significant decrease of all detectable markers in the experimental group compared to rats without cell therapy. In ELC rats, an increased MMP9/TIMP1 ratio after cell therapy was also detected. The infusion of MSCs in the sham-operated animals did not lead to any changes. In the HSCs from ELC animals, the expression of Col1a1 and Col3a1 exceeded the similar parameters of the control group (p <0.05) and statistically decreased after the MSCs administration. The correlation between Col3a1 (Rs = 0.51, p <0.05), TGFβ1 (Rs = 0.6, p <0.01), and TGFβ3 (Rs = 0.75, p <0.001) expression in HSCs cultures and liver tissue has been found. Conclusion: Intraportal administration of MSCs to rats with ELC leads to a decreased Col1a1 and Col3a1, MMP2 and MMP9, TIMP1, TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 expression. The correlation between the expression of Col3a1, TGFβ1 and TGFβ3 in liver tissue and in HSCs cultures indicates the involvement of activated HSCs in the fibrogenesis that allows considering HSCs to be the main cell therapy target in ELC.

Keywords: cell therapy, experimental liver cirrhosis, hepatic stellate cells, mesenchymal stem cells

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Authors: Marie Guittonny-LarchevêQue

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In boreal Canada, industrial activities such as forestry, peat extraction and metal mines often occur nearby. At closure, mine waste storage facilities have to be reclaimed. On tailings storage facilities, tree plantations can achieve rapid restoration of forested landscapes. However, trees poorly grow in mine tailings and organic amendments like peat are required to improve tailings’ structure and nutrients. Canada is a well-known producer of horticultural quality peat, but some lower quality peats coming from areas adjacent to the reclaimed mines could allow successful revegetation. In particular, hemic peat coming from the bottom of peat-bogs is more decomposed than fibric peat and is less valued for horticulture. Moreover, forest peat is sometimes excavated and piled by the forest industry after cuttings to stimulate tree regeneration on the exposed mineral soil. The objective of this project was to compare the ability of peats of differing quality and origin to improve tailings structure, nutrients and tree development. A greenhouse experiment was conducted along one growing season in 2016 with a complete randomized block design combining 8 repetitions (blocks) x 2 tree species (Populus tremuloides and Pinus banksiana) x 6 substrates (tailings, commercial horticultural peat, and mixtures of tailings with commercial peat, forest peat, local fibric peat, or local hemic peat) x 2 fertilization levels (with or without mineral fertilization). The used tailings came from a gold mine and were low in sulfur and trace metals. The commercial peat had a slightly acidic pH (around 6) while other peats had a clearly acidic pH (around 3). However, mixing peat with slightly alkaline tailings resulted in a pH close to 7 whatever the tested peats. The macroporosity of mixtures was intermediate between the low values of tailings (4%) and the high values of commercial peat alone (34%). Seedling survival was lower on tailings for poplar compared to all other treatments, with or without fertilization. Survival and growth were similar among all treatments for pine. Fertilization had no impact on the maximal height and diameter of poplar seedlings but changed the relative performance of the substrates. When not fertilized, poplar seedlings grown in commercial peat were the highest and largest, and the smallest and slenderest in tailings, with intermediate values in mixtures. When fertilized, poplar seedlings grown in commercial peat were smaller and slender compared to all other substrates. However for this species, foliar, shoot, and root biomass production was the greatest in commercial peat and the lowest in tailings compared to all mixtures, whether fertilized or not. The mixture with local fibric peat provided the seedlings with the lowest foliar N concentrations compared to all other substrates whatever the species or the fertilization treatment. At the short-term, the performance of all the tested peats were close when mixed to tailings, showing that peats of lower quality could be valorized instead of using horticultural peat. These results demonstrate that intersectorial synergies in accordance with the principles of circular economy may be developed in boreal Canada between local industries around the reclamation of mine waste dumps.

Keywords: boreal trees, mine spoil, mine revegetation, intersectorial synergies

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Authors: Omolola Ojetayo, Emmanuel Garuba, Obinna Ajunwa, Abiodun A. Onilude

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Introduction: Biofilm is a functional community of microorganisms that are associated with a surface or an interface. These adherent cells become embedded within an extracellular matrix composed of polymeric substances, i.e., biofilms refer to biological deposits consisting of both microbes and their extracellular products on biotic and abiotic surfaces. Despite their detrimental effects in medicine, biofilms as natural cell immobilization have found several applications in biotechnology, such as in the treatment of wastewater, bioremediation and biodegradation, desulfurization of gas, and conversion of agro-derived materials into alcohols and organic acids. The means of enhancing immobilized cells have been chemical-inductive, and this affects the medium composition and final product. Physical factors including electrical, magnetic, and electromagnetic flux have shown potential for enhancing biofilms depending on the bacterial species, nature, and intensity of emitted signals, the duration of exposure, and substratum used. However, the concept of cell immobilisation by electrical and magnetic induction is still underexplored. Methods: To assess the effects of physical factors on biofilm formation, six American typed culture collection (Acetobacter aceti ATCC15973, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC9027, Serratia marcescens ATCC14756, Gluconobacter oxydans ATCC19357, Rhodobacter sphaeroides ATCC17023, and Bacillus subtilis ATCC6633) were used. Standard culture techniques for bacterial cells were adopted. Natural autoimmobilisation potentials of test bacteria were carried out by simple biofilms ring formation on tubes, while crystal violet binding assay techniques were adopted in the characterisation of biofilm quantity. Electroinduction of bacterial cells by direct current (DC) application in cell broth, static magnetic field exposure, and electromagnetic flux were carried out, and autoimmobilisation of cells in a biofilm pattern was determined on various substrata tested, including wood, glass, steel, polyvinylchloride (PVC) and polyethylene terephthalate. Biot Savart law was used in quantifying magnetic field intensity, and statistical analyses of data obtained were carried out using the analyses of variance (ANOVA) as well as other statistical tools. Results: Biofilm formation by the selected test bacteria was enhanced by the physical factors applied. Electromagnetic induction had the greatest effect on biofilm formation, with magnetic induction producing the least effect across all substrata used. Microbial cell-cell communication could be a possible means via which physical signals affected the cells in a polarisable manner. Conclusion: The enhancement of biofilm formation by bacteria using physical factors has shown that their inherent capability as a cell immobilization method can be further optimised for industrial applications. A possible relationship between the presence of voltage-dependent channels, mechanosensitive channels, and bacterial biofilms could shed more light on this phenomenon.

Keywords: bacteria, biofilm, cell immobilization, electromagnetic induction, substrata

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Authors: Esther Gumboh

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The police play a critical role in society and are an integral aspect of the rule of law. Equally, respect for human rights is an integral part of professional policing. In view of the vast powers that the police enjoy and the attendant risk of abuse and resulting human rights violations, the need for police accountability and civilian police oversight is internationally and regionally recognised. Policing oversight springs from the duty to investigate human rights violations. Those implicated in perpetrating or covering up violations must be disciplined or prosecuted to ensure effective accountability. Police accountability is particularly important in Malawi given the dark history of policing in the country during the 30-year dictatorial era under President Kamuzu Banda. Described as one of the most repressive regimes in Africa, the Banda administration was characterised by gross state-sponsored violence, repressive policing and human rights violations. Indeed, the police were involved in various forms of human rights abuse including arbitrary arrests and unlawful detentions, torture, and excessive use of force in conducting arrests and public order policing. This situation flourished within a culture of police impunity bolstered in part by the absence of clear oversight mechanisms for police accountability. In turn, there was immense public mistrust of the police. Unsurprisingly, the criminal justice system was one of the priority areas for reform when Malawi adopted its first democratic Constitution in 1994. Section 153 of the Constitution envisions a police service that is, for all intents and purposes, there to provide for the protection of public safety and the rights of persons in Malawi according to the prescriptions of the Constitution and any other law. This position reflects the view that the duty to protect and promote human rights is not incompatible with effective policing. Despite this, the police continue to engage in questionable behaviour in public order policing, excessive use of force, deaths in police custody, ill-treatment, torture and other forms of abuse including sexual abuse. Perpetrators of abuses are occasionally punished, but investigations are often delayed, abandoned, or remain inconclusive. Police accountability remains largely elusive. Commendably, the law does subject the police to significant oversight both internally and externally. However, until 2010, Malawi lacked a wholly independent civilian oversight mechanism specifically mandated to monitor the activities of the Malawi Police Service and held it accountable. This void has since been filled by the Independent Complaints Commission established under the Police Act. This is a positive development that reiterates Malawi’s commitment to the investigation of human rights violations by the police and to ending police impunity. This contribution examines the legal framework for this Commission to project the effectiveness of the Commission. While the framework looks promising on various fronts, there are potential challenges that lie ahead. Malawi must pre-emptively deal with these challenges carefully if the Commission is to have any practical significance in transforming police accountability in the country. Drawing on lessons from other jurisdictions like South Africa, the paper makes recommendations for legislative reform to strengthen the Commission’s framework.

Keywords: civilian policing oversight, Malawi, police, police accountability, policing, policing oversight

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Authors: Olugbenga S. Alebiosu, Olusola H. Adekanmbi, Oluwatoyin T. Ogundipe

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Pollen and spores have been identified as major airborne bio-particles inducing respiratory disorders such as asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis among hypersensitive individuals. An aeropalynological study was conducted within a one year sampling period with a view to investigating the monthly depositional rate of atmospheric pollen and spores; influence of the immediate vegetation on airborne pollen distribution; allergenic potentials of dominant atmospheric pollen types at selected study locations in Bauchi and Taraba states, Northwestern Nigeria. A tauber-like pollen trap was employed in aerosampling with the sampler positioned at a height of 5 feet above the ground, followed by a monthly collection of the recipient solution for the sampling period. The collected samples were subjected to acetolysis treatment, examined microscopically with the identification of pollen grains and spores using reference materials and published photomicrographs. Plants within the surrounding vegetation were enumerated. Crude protein contents extracted from pollen types found to be commonly dominant at both study locations; Senna siamea, Terminalia cattapa, Panicum maximum and Zea mays were used to sensitize Musmusculus. Histopathological studies of bronchi and lung sections from certain dead M.musculus in the test groups was conducted. Blood samples were collected from the pre-orbital vein of M.musculus and processed for serological and haematological (differential and total white blood cell counts) studies. ELISA was used in determining the levels of serological parameters: IgE and cytokines (TNF-, IL-5, and IL-13). Statistical significance was observed in the correlation between the levels of serological and haematological parameters elicited by each test group, differences between the levels of serological and haematological parameters elicited by each test group and those of the control, as well as at varying sensitization periods. The results from this study revealed dominant airborne pollen types across the study locations; Syzygiumguineense, Tridaxprocumbens, Elaeisguineensis, Mimosa sp., Borreria sp., Terminalia sp., Senna sp. and Poaceae. Nephrolepis sp., Pteris sp. and a trilete fern also produced spores. This study also revealed that some of the airborne pollen types were produced by local plants at the study locations. Bronchi sections of M.musculus after first and second sensitizations, as well as lung section after first sensitization with Senna siamea, showed areas of necrosis. Statistical significance was recorded in the correlation between the levels of some serological and haematological parameters produced by each test group and those of the control, as well as at certain sensitization periods. The study revealed some candidate pollen allergens at the study locations allergy sufferers and also established a complexity of interaction between immune cells, IgE and cytokines at varied periods of mice sensitization and forming a paradigm of human immune response to different pollen allergens. However, it is expedient that further studies should be conducted on these candidate pollen allergens for their allergenicity potential in humans within their immediate environment.

Keywords: airborne, hypersensitive, mus musculus, pollen allergens, respiratory, tauber-like

Procedia PDF Downloads 119

Authors: Leigha C. Crout

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This paper will investigate the categorical disregard of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in establishing and maintaining a baseline standard of civil guarantees for economic migrant women and their dependents. In light of the relative forward strides in terms of policy facilitating the ascension of female workers in China, this oft-invisible subgroup of women remains neglected from the modern-day “iron rice bowl” of the self-identified communist state. This study is being undertaken to rectify the absence of data on this subject and provide a baseline for future studies on the matter, as the human rights of migrants has become an established facet of transnational dialogue and debate. The basic methodology of this research will consist of the evaluation of China’s compliance with its own national guidelines, and the eight international human rights law treaties it has ratified. Data will be extracted and cross-checked from a number of relevant sources to monitor the extent of compliance, including but by no means limited to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Universal Periodic Review (UPR) reports and responses, submissions and responses of international human rights treaty bodies, local and international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and their annual reports, and articles and commentaries authored by specialists on the modern state and implementation of Chinese law. Together, these data will illuminate the vast network of compliance that has forced many migrant women to work within situations of extreme economic precarity. The structure will proceed as follows: first, an outline of the current status of migrant workers and the enforcement of stipulated protections will be provided; next, the analysis of the oft-debated regulations directing and the outline of mandatory services guaranteed to external and internal migrants; and finally, a conclusion incorporating various recommendations to improve transparency and gradually decrease the amount of migrant work turned forced labor that typifies the economic migrant experience, especially in the case of women. The internal and international migrant workers in China are bound by different and uncomplimentary systems. The first, which governs Chinese citizens moving to different regions or provinces to find more sustainable employment (internal migrants), is called the hukou (or huji) residency system. This law enforces strict regulation of the movement of peoples, while ensuring that residents of urban areas receive preferential benefits to those received by their so-called “agricultural” resident counterparts. Given the overwhelming presence of the Communist Party of China throughout the vast state, the management of internal migrants and the disregard for foreign domestic workers is, at minimum, a surprising oversight. This paper endeavors to provide a much-needed foundation for future commentary and discussion on the treatment of female migrant workers and their families in the People’s Republic of China.

Keywords: female migrant worker’s rights, the People’s Republic of China, forced labor, Hukou residency system

Procedia PDF Downloads 127

Authors: Oleg Shovkovyy

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This research conducted in response to one of the most pressing questions on the agenda of many public administration offices around the world: “What could be done for better integration and assimilation of immigrants into hosting communities?” In author’s view, the answer could be suggested by immigrants themselves. They, often ‘bogged down in the past,’ snared by own idols and demons, perceive things differently, which, in turn, may result in their inability to integrate smoothly into hosting communities. Brief literature review suggests that perceptions of immigrants are completely neglected or something unsought in the current research on migrants, which, often, based on opinion polls by members of hosting communities themselves or superficial research data by various research organizations. Even those specimens that include voices of immigrants, unlikely to shed any additional light onto the problem simply because certain things are not made to speak out loud, especially to those in whose hands immigrants’ fate is (authorities). In this regard, this qualitative study, conducted by an insider to a few Russian-speaking communities, represents a unique opportunity for all stakeholders to look at the question of integration through the eyes of immigrants, from a different perspective and thus, makes research findings especially valuable for better understanding of the problem. Case study research employed ethnographic methods of gathering data where, approximately 200 Russian-speaking immigrants of first and second generations were closely observed by the Russian-speaking researcher in their usual setting, for eight months, and at different venues. The number of informal interviews with 27 key informants, with whom the researcher managed to establish a good rapport and who were keen enough to share their experiences voluntarily, were conducted. The field notes were taken at 14 locations (study sites) within the Brisbane region of Queensland, Australia. Moreover, all this time, researcher lived in dwelling of one of the immigrants and was an active participant in the social life (worship, picnics, dinners, weekend schools, concerts, cultural events, social gathering, etc.) of observed communities, whose members, to a large extent, belong to various religious lines of the Russian and Protestant Church. It was found that the majority of immigrants had experienced some discrimination in matters of hiring, employment, recognition of educational qualifications from home countries, and simply felt a sort of dislike from society in various everyday situations. Many noted complete absences or very limited state assistance in terms of employment, training, education, and housing. For instance, the Australian Government Department of Human Services not only does not stimulate job search but, on the contrary, encourages to refuse short-term works and employment. On the other hand, offered free courses on adaptation, and the English language proved to be ineffective and unpopular amongst immigrants. Many interviewees have reported overstated requirements for English proficiency and local work experience, whereas it was not critical for the given task or job. Based on the result of long-term monitoring, the researcher also had the courage to assert the negative and decelerating roles of immigrants’ communities, particularly religious communities, on processes of integration and assimilation. The findings suggest that governments should either change current immigration policies in the direction of their toughening or to take more proactive and responsible role in dealing with immigrant-related issues; for instance, increasing assistance and support to all immigrants and probably, paying more attention to and taking stake in managing and organizing lives of immigrants’ communities rather, simply leaving it all to chance.

Keywords: Australia, immigration, integration, perceptions

Procedia PDF Downloads 204

Authors: Simone Raimondi De Souza, Glaucia Maria Moraes De Oliveira, Ronir Raggio Luiz, Glorimar Rosa

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Introduction: Obesity is among the main risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Genesis is multifactorial, including genetic, hormonal and environmental factors disorders, among which inadequate feeding pattern, for which nutritional counseling strategies have proven effective. The consumption of beta-glucans (soluble fibers that reportedly promote satiety) present in oat bran can be an effective strategy for preventing and treating obesity. Other benefits have been observed with oat bran consumption, such as reduction of hypercholesterolemia and hyperglycemia, two other risk factors for CVD. Objectives: To analyze the effect of oat bran consumption associated with nutritional counseling in reducing body mass index (BMI), blood cholesterol, glucose profile, waist and neck circumference in obese individuals, and to evaluate the change in eating pattern. Methods: clinical trial, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, lasting 90 days with adults of both genders, with BMI ≥30kg/m2. The study was approved by the Ethics in Research involving human beings in a public institute of cardiology, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Individuals were invited to participate and accepted formally by signing the Terms of Consent. Participants were randomized into oat bran group (gOB) or placebo group (gPCB) and received, respectively: morning prepared consisting of 40g oat bran, 30g of skimmed milk powder and 1g sweetener sucralose; refined flour 40g rice, 30g of milk powder and 1g sweetener sucralose. The Ten Steps to Healthy Eating, of Brazilian Ministry of Health were used to support the nutritional counseling. Variables analyzed: gender; age; BMI, waist circumference (WC) neck circumference (NC); systolic blood pressure (SBP); diastolic blood pressure (DBP); food consumption, total cholesterol (TC), LDL-cholesterol (LDL-c), HDL-cholesterol (HDL-c), non-HDL cholesterol (nHDLc), triglycerides (TG), fasting glucose (FG), fasting insulin (FI) and HOMA-IR. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-hour dietary recall. The Diet Quality Index revised for the Brazilian population (IQD-R) assessed quality of feeding pattern. Statistical analyzes were performed using SPSS version 21, considering statistically significant p-value less than 0.05. Results: A total of 38 participants were included, age = 50 ± 7,6years, 63% women. 19 subjects were placed in gOB and 19 in gPCB. After intervention, statistically significant reductions were observed in the following parameters: in gOB: IQD-R, TC, LDL-c, nHDL-c, FI, SBP, DBP, BMI, WC, NC; in gPCB: IQD-R, LDL-c, SBP, DBP, BMI, WC, NC. No statistically significant differences were observed in the results between groups. Conclusion: Our results reinforce nutritional counseling as important strategy for prevention and treatment of obesity and suggest that inclusion of oat bran in daily diet can bring additional benefits controlling risk factors for CVD. More studies are needed to establish all benefits of oat bran to human health as well as the ideal daily dose for consumption.

Keywords: oat bran, cardiovascular disease, nutritional counseling, obesity

Procedia PDF Downloads 207

Authors: Asma Omri, Iheb Sifaoui, Sofiane Sayahi, Hichem Besbes

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Future vehicle systems demand advanced capabilities, notably in-cabin life detection and driver monitoring systems, with a particular emphasis on drowsiness detection. To meet these requirements, several techniques employ artificial intelligence methods based on real-time vital sign measurements. In parallel, Frequency-Modulated Continuous-Wave (FMCW) radar technology has garnered considerable attention in the domains of healthcare and biomedical engineering for non-invasive vital sign monitoring. FMCW radar offers a multitude of advantages, including its non-intrusive nature, continuous monitoring capacity, and its ability to penetrate through clothing. In this paper, we propose a system utilizing the AWR6843AOP radar from Texas Instruments (TI) to extract precise vital sign information. The radar allows us to estimate Ballistocardiogram (BCG) signals, which capture the mechanical movements of the body, particularly the ballistic forces generated by heartbeats and respiration. These signals are rich sources of information about the cardiac cycle, rendering them suitable for heart rate estimation. The process begins with real-time subject positioning, followed by clutter removal, computation of Doppler phase differences, and the use of various filtering methods to accurately capture subtle physiological movements. To address the challenges associated with FMCW radar-based vital sign monitoring, including motion artifacts due to subjects' movement or radar micro-vibrations, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks are implemented. LSTM's adaptability to different heart rate patterns and ability to handle real-time data make it suitable for continuous monitoring applications. Several crucial steps were taken, including feature extraction (involving amplitude, time intervals, and signal morphology), sequence modeling, heart rate estimation through the analysis of detected cardiac cycles and their temporal relationships, and performance evaluation using metrics such as Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) and correlation with reference heart rate measurements. For dataset construction and LSTM training, a comprehensive data collection system was established, integrating the AWR6843AOP radar, a Heart Rate Belt, and a smart watch for ground truth measurements. Rigorous synchronization of these devices ensured data accuracy. Twenty participants engaged in various scenarios, encompassing indoor and real-world conditions within a moving vehicle equipped with the radar system. Static and dynamic subject’s conditions were considered. The heart rate estimation through LSTM outperforms traditional signal processing techniques that rely on filtering, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), and thresholding. It delivers an average accuracy of approximately 91% with an RMSE of 1.01 beat per minute (bpm). In conclusion, this paper underscores the promising potential of FMCW radar technology integrated with artificial intelligence algorithms in the context of automotive applications. This innovation not only enhances road safety but also paves the way for its integration into the automotive ecosystem to improve driver well-being and overall vehicular safety.

Keywords: ballistocardiogram, FMCW Radar, vital sign monitoring, LSTM

Procedia PDF Downloads 53

Authors: V. Vsevolozhskaia

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Since 1990, energy-efficient development concepts have constituted both a turning point in civil engineering and a challenge for an environmentally friendly future. Energy and water currently play an essential role in the sustainable economic growth of the world in general and Russia in particular: the efficiency of the water supply system is the second most important parameter for energy consumption according to the British assessment method, while the water-energy nexus has been identified as a focus for accelerating sustainable growth and developing effective, innovative solutions. The activities considered in this study were aimed at organizing and executing the renovation of the property in residential buildings located in St. Petersburg, specifically buildings with local or federal historical heritage status under the control of the St. Petersburg Committee for the State Inspection and Protection of Historic and Cultural Monuments (KGIOP) and UNESCO. Even after reconstruction, these buildings still fall into energy efficiency class D. Russian Government Resolution No. 87 on the structure and required content of project documentation contains a section entitled ‘Measures to ensure compliance with energy efficiency and equipment requirements for buildings, structures, and constructions with energy metering devices’. Mention is made of the need to install collectors and meters, which only calculate energy, neglecting the main purpose: to make buildings more energy-efficient, potentially even energy efficiency class A. The least-explored aspects of energy-efficient technology in the Russian Federation remain the water balance and the possibility of implementing rain and meltwater collection systems. These modern technologies are used exclusively for new buildings due to a lack of government directive to create project documentation during the planning of major renovations and reconstruction that would include the collection and reuse of rainwater. Energy-efficient technology for rain and meltwater collection is currently applied only to new buildings, even though research has proved that using rainwater is safe and offers a huge step forward in terms of eco-efficiency analysis and water innovation. Where conservation is mandatory, making changes to protected sites is prohibited. In most cases, the protected site is the cultural heritage building itself, including the main walls and roof. However, the installation of a second water supply system and collection of rainwater would not affect the protected building itself. Water efficiency in St. Petersburg is currently considered only from the point of view of the installation that regulates the flow of the pipeline shutoff valves. The development of technical guidelines for the use of grey- and/or rainwater to meet the needs of residential buildings during reconstruction or renovation is not yet complete. The ideas for water treatment, collection and distribution systems presented in this study should be taken into consideration during the reconstruction or renovation of residential cultural heritage buildings under the protection of KGIOP and UNESCO. The methodology applied also has the potential to be extended to other cultural heritage sites in northern countries and lands with an average annual rainfall of over 600 mm to cover average toilet-flush needs.

Keywords: cultural heritage, energy efficiency, renovation, rainwater collection, reconstruction, water management, water supply

Procedia PDF Downloads 81

Authors: Grzegorz Raniszewski, Zbigniew Kolacinski, Lukasz Szymanski, Slawomir Wiak, Lukasz Pietrzak, Dariusz Koza

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One of the most promising area for carbon nanotubes (CNTs) application is medicine. One of the most devastating diseases is cancer. Carbon nanotubes may be used as carriers of a slowly released drug. It is possible to use of electromagnetic waves to destroy cancer cells by the carbon nanotubes (CNTs). In our research we focused on thermal ablation by ferromagnetic carbon nanotubes (Fe-CNTs). In the cancer cell hyperthermia functionalized carbon nanotubes are exposed to radio frequency electromagnetic field. Properly functionalized Fe-CNTs join the cancer cells. Heat generated in nanoparticles connected to nanotubes warm up nanotubes and then the target tissue. When the temperature in tumor tissue exceeds 316 K the necrosis of cancer cells may be observed. Several techniques can be used for Fe-CNTs synthesis. In our work, we use high-temperature methods where arc-discharge is applied. Low-temperature systems are microwave plasma with assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) and hybrid physical-chemical vapor deposition (HPCVD). In the arc discharge system, the plasma reactor works with a pressure of He up to 0,5 atm. The electric arc burns between two graphite rods. Vapors of carbon move from the anode, through a short arc column and forms CNTs which can be collected either from the reactor walls or cathode deposit. This method is suitable for the production of multi-wall and single-wall CNTs. A disadvantage of high-temperature methods is a low purification, short length, random size and multi-directional distribution. In MPCVD system plasma is generated in waveguide connected to the microwave generator. Then containing carbon and ferromagnetic elements plasma flux go to the quartz tube. The additional resistance heating can be applied to increase the reaction effectiveness and efficiency. CNTs nucleation occurs on the quartz tube walls. It is also possible to use substrates to improve carbon nanotubes growth. HPCVD system involves both chemical decomposition of carbon containing gases and vaporization of a solid or liquid source of catalyst. In this system, a tube furnace is applied. A mixture of working and carbon-containing gases go through the quartz tube placed inside the furnace. As a catalyst ferrocene vapors can be used. Fe-CNTs may be collected then either from the quartz tube walls or on the substrates. Low-temperature methods are characterized by higher purity product. Moreover, carbon nanotubes from tested CVD systems were partially filled with the iron. Regardless of the method of Fe-CNTs synthesis the final product always needs to be purified for applications in medicine. The simplest method of purification is an oxidation of the amorphous carbon. Carbon nanotubes dedicated for cancer cell thermal ablation need to be additionally treated by acids for defects amplification on the CNTs surface what facilitates biofunctionalization. Application of ferromagnetic nanotubes for cancer treatment is a promising method of fighting with cancer for the next decade. Acknowledgment: The research work has been financed from the budget of science as a research project No. PBS2/A5/31/2013

Keywords: arc discharge, cancer, carbon nanotubes, CVD, thermal ablation

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Authors: Keivan Davami, Michael Munther, Lloyd Hackel

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The control of properties and material behavior by implementing thermal-mechanical processes is based on mechanical deformation and annealing according to a precise schedule that will produce a unique and stable combination of grain structure, dislocation substructure, texture, and dispersion of precipitated phases. The authors recently developed a thermal-mechanical technique to stabilize the microstructure of additively manufactured nickel-based superalloys even after exposure to high temperatures. However, the mechanism(s) that controls this stability is still under investigation. Laser peening (LP), also called laser shock peening (LSP), is a shock based (50 ns duration) post-processing technique used for extending performance levels and improving service life of critical components by developing deep levels of plastic deformation, thereby generating high density of dislocations and inducing compressive residual stresses in the surface and deep subsurface of components. These compressive residual stresses are usually accompanied with an increase in hardness and enhance the material’s resistance to surface-related failures such as creep, fatigue, contact damage, and stress corrosion cracking. While the LP process enhances the life span and durability of the material, the induced compressive residual stresses relax at high temperatures (>0.5Tm, where Tm is the absolute melting temperature), limiting the applicability of the technology. At temperatures above 0.5Tm, the compressive residual stresses relax, and yield strength begins to drop dramatically. The principal reason is the increasing rate of solid-state diffusion, which affects both the dislocations and the microstructural barriers. Dislocation configurations commonly recover by mechanisms such as climbing and recombining rapidly at high temperatures. Furthermore, precipitates coarsen, and grains grow; virtually all of the available microstructural barriers become ineffective.Our results indicate that by using “cyclic” treatments with sequential LP and annealing steps, the compressive stresses survive, and the microstructure is stable after exposure to temperatures exceeding 0.5Tm for a long period of time. When the laser peening process is combined with annealing, dislocations formed as a result of LPand precipitates formed during annealing have a complex interaction that provides further stability at high temperatures. From a scientific point of view, this research lays the groundwork for studying a variety of physical, materials science, and mechanical engineering concepts. This research could lead to metals operating at higher sustained temperatures enabling improved system efficiencies. The strengthening of metals by a variety of means (alloying, work hardening, and other processes) has been of interest for a wide range of applications. However, the mechanistic understanding of the often complex processes of interactionsbetween dislocations with solute atoms and with precipitates during plastic deformation have largely remained scattered in the literature. In this research, the elucidation of the actual mechanisms involved in the novel cyclic LP/annealing processes as a scientific pursuit is investigated through parallel studies of dislocation theory and the implementation of advanced experimental tools. The results of this research help with the validation of a novel laser processing technique for high temperature applications. This will greatly expand the applications of the laser peening technology originally devised only for temperatures lower than half of the melting temperature.

Keywords: laser shock peening, mechanical properties, indentation, high temperature stability

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Authors: Vrushali Guhe, Shailza Singh

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Cutaneous leishmaniasis is neglected tropical disease present worldwide caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania major, the therapeutic armamentarium for leishmaniasis are showing several limitations as drugs are showing toxic effects with increasing resistance by a parasite. Thus identification of novel therapeutic targets is of paramount importance. Previous studies have shown that autophagy, a cellular process, can either facilitate infection or aid in the elimination of the parasite, depending on the specific parasite species and host background in leishmaniasis. In the present study, our objective was to target the essential autophagy protein ATG8, which plays a crucial role in the survival, infection dynamics, and differentiation of the Leishmania parasite. ATG8 in Leishmania major and its homologue, LC3, in Homo sapiens, act as autophagic markers. Present study manifested the crucial role of ATG8 protein as a potential target for combating Leishmania major infection. Through bioinformatics analysis, we identified non-conserved motifs within the ATG8 protein of Leishmania major, which are not present in LC3 of Homo sapiens. Against these two non-conserved motifs, we generated a peptide library of 60 peptides on the basis of physicochemical properties. These peptides underwent a filtering process based on various parameters, including feasibility of synthesis and purification, compatibility with Selective Reaction Monitoring (SRM)/Multiple reaction monitoring (MRM), hydrophobicity, hydropathy index, average molecular weight (Mw average), monoisotopic molecular weight (Mw monoisotopic), theoretical isoelectric point (pI), and half-life. Further filtering criterion shortlisted three peptides by using molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations. The direct interaction between ATG8 and the shortlisted peptides was confirmed through Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) experiments. Notably, these peptides exhibited the remarkable ability to penetrate the parasite membrane and exert profound effects on Leishmania major. The treatment with these peptides significantly impacted parasite survival, leading to alterations in the cell cycle and morphology. Furthermore, the peptides were found to modulate autophagosome formation, particularly under starved conditions, suggesting their involvement in disrupting the regulation of autophagy within Leishmania major. In vitro, studies demonstrated that the selected peptides effectively reduced the parasite load within infected host cells. Encouragingly, these findings were corroborated by in vivo experiments, which showed a reduction in parasite burden upon peptide administration. Additionally, the peptides were observed to affect the levels of LC3II within host cells. In conclusion, our findings highlight the efficacy of these novel peptides in targeting Leishmania major’s ATG8 and disrupting parasite survival. These results provide valuable insights into the development of innovative therapeutic strategies against leishmaniasis via targeting autophagy protein ATG8 of Leishmania major.

Keywords: ATG8, leishmaniasis, surface plasmon resonance, MD simulation, molecular docking, peptide designing, therapeutics

Procedia PDF Downloads 62

Authors: Elena Ionescu, Elena Iacob, Marie-Louise Ionescu, Carmen Elena Tebrencu, Oana Teodora Ciuperca

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Echinacea species (Asteraceae) has received a global attention because it is widely used for treatment of cold, flu and upper respiratory tract infections. Echinacea species contain a great variety of chemical components that contribute to their activity. The most important components responsible for the biological activity are those with high molecular-weight such as polysaccharides, polyacetylenes, highly unsaturated alkamides and caffeic acid derivatives. The principal factors that may influence the chemical composition of Echinacea include the species and the part of plant used (aerial parts or roots ). In recent years the market for Echinacea has grown rapidly and also the cases of adultery/replacement especially for Echinacea root. The identification of presence or absence of same biomarkers provide information for safe use of Echinacea species in food supplements industry. The aim of the study was the preliminary evaluation and fingerprinting by UV-VISIBLE spectroscopy of biomarkers in terms of content in phenolic derivatives of some Echinacea species (E. purpurea, E. angustifolia and E. pallida) for identification and authentication of the species. The steps of the study were: (1) samples (extracts) preparation from Echinacea species (non-hydrolyzed and hydrolyzed ethanol extracts); (2) samples preparation of reference substances (polyphenol acids: caftaric acid, caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid; flavonoids: rutoside, hyperoside, isoquercitrin and their aglycones: quercitri, quercetol, luteolin, kaempferol and apigenin); (3) identification of specific absorption at wavelengths between 700-200 nm; (4) identify the phenolic compounds from Echinacea species based on spectral characteristics and the specific absorption; each class of compounds corresponds to a maximum absorption in the UV spectrum. The phytochemical compounds were identified at specific wavelengths between 700-200 nm. The absorption intensities were measured. The obtained results proved that ethanolic extract showed absorption peaks attributed to: phenolic compounds (free phenolic acids and phenolic acids derivatives) registrated between 220-280 nm, unsymmetrical chemical structure compounds (caffeic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid) with maximum absorption peak and absorption "shoulder" that may be due to substitution of hydroxyl or methoxy group, flavonoid compounds (in free form or glycosides) between 330-360 nm, due to the double bond in position 2,3 and carbonyl group in position 4 flavonols. UV spectra showed two major peaks of absorption (quercetin glycoside, rutin, etc.). The results obtained by UV-VIS spectroscopy has revealed the presence of phenolic derivatives such as cicoric acid (240 nm), caftaric acid (329 nm), caffeic acid (240 nm), rutoside (205 nm), quercetin (255 nm), luteolin (235 nm) in all three species of Echinacea. The echinacoside is absent. This profile mentioned above and the absence of phenolic compound echinacoside leads to the conclusion that species harvested as Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea pallida are Echinacea purpurea also; It can be said that preliminary fingerprinting of Echinacea species through correspondence with the phenolic derivatives profile can be achieved by UV-VIS spectroscopic investigation, which is an adequate technique for preliminary identification and authentication of Echinacea in medicinal herbs.

Keywords: Echinacea species, Fingerprinting, Phenolic compounds, UV-VIS spectroscopy

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Authors: V. Howard, R. Maguire, S. Corrigan

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Background: Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease, typically diagnosed in childhood. T1D puts an enormous strain on families; controlling blood-glucose in children is difficult and the consequences of poor control for patient health are significant. Successful illness management and better health outcomes can be dependent on quality of caregiving. On diagnosis, parent-caregivers face a steep learning curve as T1D care requires a significant level of knowledge to inform complex decision making throughout the day. The majority of illness management is carried out in the home setting, independent of clinical health providers. Parent-caregivers vary in their level of knowledge and their level of engagement in applying this knowledge in the practice of illness management. Enabling researchers to quantify these aspects of the caregiver experience is key to identifying targets for psychosocial support interventions, which are desirable for reducing stress and anxiety in this highly burdened cohort, and supporting better health outcomes in children. Currently, there are limited tools available that are designed to capture this information. Where tools do exist, they are not comprehensive and do not adequately capture the lived experience. Objectives: Development of quantitative tools, informed by lived experience, to enable researchers gather data on parent-caregiver knowledge and engagement, which accurately represents the experience/cohort and enables exploration of questions that are of real-world value to the cohort themselves. Methods: This research employed an engaged approach to address the problem of quantifying two key aspects of caregiver diabetes management: Knowledge and engagement. The research process was multi-staged and iterative. Stage 1: Working from a constructivist standpoint, literature was reviewed to identify relevant questionnaires, scales and single-item measures of T1D caregiver knowledge and engagement, and harvest candidate questionnaire items. Stage 2: Aggregated findings from the review were circulated among a PPI (patient and public involvement) expert panel of caregivers (n=6), for discussion and feedback. Stage 3: In collaboration with the expert panel, data were interpreted through the lens of lived experience to create a long-list of candidate items for novel questionnaires. Items were categorized as either ‘knowledge’ or ‘engagement’. Stage 4: A Delphi-method process (iterative surveys) was used to prioritize question items and generate novel questions that further captured the lived experience. Stage 5: Both questionnaires were piloted to refine wording of text to increase accessibility and limit socially desirable responding. Stage 6: Tools were piloted using an online survey that was deployed using an online peer-support group for caregivers for Juveniles with T1D. Ongoing Research: 123 parent-caregivers completed the survey. Data analysis is ongoing to establish face and content validity qualitatively and through exploratory factor analysis. Reliability will be established using an alternative-form method and Cronbach’s alpha will assess internal consistency. Work will be completed by early 2024. Conclusion: These tools will enable researchers to gain deeper insights into caregiving practices among parents of juveniles with T1D. Development was driven by lived experience, illustrating the value of engaged research at all levels of the research process.

Keywords: caregiving, engaged research, juvenile type 1 diabetes, quantified engagement and knowledge

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Authors: Noor S. Nasri, Eric C. A. Tatt, Usman D. Hamza, Jibril Mohammed, Husna M. Zain

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Climate change has becoming a global environmental issue that may trigger irreversible changes in the environment with catastrophic consequences for human, animals and plants on our planet. Methane, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide are the greenhouse gases (GHG) and as the main factor that significantly contributes to the global warming. Mainly carbon dioxide be produced and released to atmosphere by thermal industrial and power generation sectors. Methane is dominant component of natural gas releases significant of thermal heat, and the gaseous pollutants when homogeneous thermal combustion takes place at high temperature. Heterogeneous catalytic Combustion (HCC) principle is promising technologies towards environmental friendly energy production should be developed to ensure higher yields with lower pollutants gaseous emissions and perform complete combustion oxidation at moderate temperature condition as comparing to homogeneous high thermal combustion. Hence the principle has become a very interesting alternative total oxidation for the treatment of pollutants gaseous emission especially NOX product formation. Noble metals are dispersed on a support-porous HCC such as γ- Al2O3, TiO2 and ThO2 to increase thermal stability of catalyst and to increase to effectiveness of catalytic combustion. Support-porous HCC material to be selected based on factors of the surface area, porosity, thermal stability, thermal conductivity, reactivity with reactants or products, chemical stability, catalytic activity, and catalyst life. γ- Al2O3 with high catalytic activity and can last longer life of catalyst, is commonly used as the support for Pd catalyst at low temperatures. Sustainable and renewable support-material of bio-mass char was derived from agro-industrial waste material and used to compare with those the conventional support-porous material. The abundant of biomass wastes generated in palm oil industries is one potential source to convert the wastes into sustainable material as replacement of support material for catalysts. Objective of this study was to compare the kinetic rate of reaction the combustion of methane on Palladium (Pd) based catalyst with Al2O3 support and bio-char (Bc) support derived from shell kernel. The 2wt% Pd was prepared using incipient wetness impregnation method and the HCC performance was accomplished using tubular quartz reactor with gas mixture ratio of 3% methane and 97% air. Material characterization was determined using TGA, SEM, and BET surface area. The methane porous-HCC conversion was carried out by online gas analyzer connected to the reactor that performed porous-HCC. BET surface area for prepared 2 wt% Pd/Bc is smaller than prepared 2wt% Pd/ Al2O3 due to its low porosity between particles. The order of catalyst activity based on kinetic rate on reaction of catalysts in low temperature is prepared 2wt% Pd/Bc > calcined 2wt% Pd/ Al2O3 > prepared 2wt% Pd/ Al2O3 > calcined 2wt% Pd/Bc. Hence the usage of agro-industrial bio-mass waste material can enhance the sustainability principle.

Keywords: catalytic-combustion, environmental, support-bio-char material, sustainable and renewable material

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Authors: Alaa Fezai, Anuj Sharma, Wolfgang Mueller-Hirsch, André Zimmermann

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Viscoelastic materials have been widely used in the automotive industry over the last few decades with different functionalities. Besides their main application as a simple and efficient surface damping treatment, they may ensure optimal operating conditions for on-board electronics as thermal interface or sealing layers. The dynamic behavior of viscoelastic materials is generally dependent on many environmental factors, the most important being temperature and strain rate or frequency. Prior to the reliability analysis of systems including viscoelastic layers, it is, therefore, crucial to accurately predict the dynamic and lifetime behavior of these materials. This includes the identification of the dynamic material parameters under critical temperature and frequency conditions along with a precise damage localization and identification methodology. The goal of this work is twofold. The first part aims at applying an inverse viscoelastic material-characterization approach for a wide frequency range and under different temperature conditions. For this sake, dynamic measurements are carried on a single lap joint specimen using an electrodynamic shaker and an environmental chamber. The specimen consists of aluminum beams assembled to adapter plates through a viscoelastic adhesive layer. The experimental setup is reproduced in finite element (FE) simulations, and frequency response functions (FRF) are calculated. The parameters of both the generalized Maxwell model and the fractional derivatives model are identified through an optimization algorithm minimizing the difference between the simulated and the measured FRFs. The second goal of the current work is to guarantee an on-line detection of the damage, i.e., delamination in the viscoelastic bonding of the described specimen during frequency monitored end-of-life testing. For this purpose, an inverse technique, which determines the damage location and size based on the modal frequency shift and on the change of the mode shapes, is presented. This includes a preliminary FE model-based study correlating the delamination location and size to the change in the modal parameters and a subsequent experimental validation achieved through dynamic measurements of specimen with different, pre-generated crack scenarios and comparing it to the virgin specimen. The main advantage of the inverse characterization approach presented in the first part resides in the ability of adequately identifying the material damping and stiffness behavior of soft viscoelastic materials over a wide frequency range and under critical temperature conditions. Classic forward characterization techniques such as dynamic mechanical analysis are usually linked to limitations under critical temperature and frequency conditions due to the material behavior of soft viscoelastic materials. Furthermore, the inverse damage detection described in the second part guarantees an accurate prediction of not only the damage size but also its location using a simple test setup and outlines; therefore, the significance of inverse numerical-experimental approaches in predicting the dynamic behavior of soft bonding layers applied in automotive electronics.

Keywords: damage detection, dynamic characterization, inverse approaches, vibration testing, viscoelastic layers

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Authors: Wenfan Yan, Yumei Han

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Objectives: Educational inequality persists between China's ethnic minority regions and the mainland. The key to rectifying this disparity lies in enhancing the quality of educators. This paper delves into the Chinese government's innovative policy, "Group Educators Supporting Tibet" (GEST), designed to bridge the shortage of high-quality teachers in Tibet, a representative underprivileged ethnic minority area. GEST aims to foster collective action by networking provincial expert educators with Tibetan counterparts and collaborating between supporting provincial educational entities and Tibetan education entities. Theoretical Framework: The unequal distribution of social capital contributes significantly to the educational gap between ethnic minority areas and other regions in China. Within the framework of social network theory, motivated GEST educators take action to foster resources and relationships. This study captures grassroots perspectives to outline how social networking contributes to the policy objective of enhancing Tibetan teachers' quality and eradicating educational injustice. Methodology: A sequential mixed-methods approach was adopted to scrutinize policy impacts from the vantage point of social networking. Quantitative research involved surveys for GEST and Tibetan teachers, exploring demographics, perceptions of policy significance, motivations, actions, and networking habits. Qualitative research included focus group interviews with GEST educators, local teachers, and students from program schools. The findings were meticulously analyzed to provide comprehensive insights into stakeholders' experiences and the impacts of the GEST policy. Key Findings: The policy empowers individuals to impact Tibetan education significantly. Motivated GEST educators with prior educational support experiences contribute to its success. Supported by a collective -school, city, province, and government- the new social structure fosters higher efficiency. GEST's approach surpasses conventional methods. The individual, backed by educators, realizes the potential of transformative class design. Collective activities -pedagogy research, teaching, mentoring, training, and partnerships- equip Tibetan teachers, enhancing educational quality and equity. This collaborative effort establishes a robust foundation for the policy's success, emphasizing the collective impact on Tibetan education. Contributions: This study contributes to international policy studies focused on educational equity through collective teacher action. Using a mixed-methods approach and guided by social networking theory, it accentuates stakeholders' perspectives, elucidating the genuine impacts of the GEST policy. The study underscores the advancement of social networking, the reinforcement of local teacher quality, and the transformative potential of cultivating a more equitable and adept teaching workforce in Tibet. Limitations of the Study and Suggestions for Future Research Directions: While the study emphasizes the positive impacts of motivated GEST educators, there might be aspects or challenges not fully explored. A more comprehensive understanding of potential drawbacks or obstacles would provide a more balanced view. For future studies, investigating the long-term impact of the GEST policy on educational quality could provide insights into the sustainability of the improvements observed. Also, understanding the perspectives of Tibetan teachers who may not have directly benefited from GEST could reveal potential disparities in policy implementation.

Keywords: teacher development, social networking, teacher quality, mixed research method

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Authors: Shewit Kidane, Abebe Getahun, Wassie Anteneh, Admassu Demeke, Peter Goethals

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We have reviewed major findings of scientific studies on Lake Tana fish resources and their threats. The aim was to provide summarized information for all concerned bodies and international readers to get full and comprehensive picture about the lake’s fish resource and conservation problems. The Lake Tana watershed comprise 28 fish species, of which 21 are endemic. Moreover, Lake Tana is the one among the top 250 lake regions of global importance for biodiversity and it is world recognized migratory birds wintering site. Lake Tana together with its adjacent wetlands provide directly and indirectly a livelihood for more than 500,000 people. However, owing to anthropogenic activities, the lake ecosystem as well as fish and attributes of the fisheries sector are severely degraded. Fish species in Lake Tana are suffering due to illegal fishing, damming, habitat/breeding ground degradation, wastewater disposal, introduction of exotic species, and lack of implementing fisheries regulations. Currently, more than 98% of fishers in Lake Tana are using the most destructive monofilament. Indeed, dams, irrigation schemes and hydropower are constructed in response to the emerging development need only. Mitigation techniques such as construction of fish ladders for the migratory fishes are the most forgotten. In addition, water resource developers are likely unaware of both the importance of the fisheries and the impact of dam construction on fish. As a result, the biodiversity issue is often missed. Besides, Lake Tana wetlands, which play vital role to sustain biodiversity, are not wisely utilised in the sense of the Ramsar Convention’s definition. Wetlands are considered as unhealthy and hence wetland conversion for the purpose of recession agriculture is still seen as advanced mode of development. As a result, many wetlands in the lake watershed are shrinking drastically over time and Cyprus papyrus, one of the characteristic features of Lake Tana, has dramatically declined in its distribution with some local extinction. Furthermore, the recently introduced water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) is creating immense problems on the lake ecosystem. Moreover, currently, 1.56 million tons of sediment have deposited into the lake each year and wastes from the industries and residents are directly discharged into the lake without treatment. Recently, sign of eutrophication is revealed in Lake Tana and most coarsely, the incidence of cyanobacteria genus Microcystis was reported from the Bahir Dar Gulf of Lake Tana. Thus, the direct dependency of the communities on the lake water for drinking as well as to wash their body and clothes and its fisheries make the problem worst. Indeed, since it is home to many endemic migratory fish, such kind of unregulated developmental activities could be detrimental to their stocks. This can be best illustrated by the drastic stock reduction (>75% in biomass) of the world unique Labeobarbus species. So, unless proper management is put in place, the anthropogenic impacts can jeopardize the aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, in order to sustainably use the aquatic resources and fulfil the needs of the local people, every developmental activity and resource utilization should be carried out adhering to the available policies.

Keywords: anthropogenic impacts, dams, endemic fish, wetland degradation

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Authors: Papakonstantinou Apostolos, Argyrios Moustakas, Panagiotis Zervos, Dimitrios Stefanakis, Manolis Tsapakis, Nektarios Spyridakis, Mary Paspaliari, Christos Kontos, Antonis Legakis, Sarantis Houzouris, Konstantinos Topouzelis

Abstract:

For years unmanned and remotely operated robots have been used as tools in industry research and education. The rapid development and miniaturization of sensors that can be attached to remotely operated vehicles in recent years allowed industry leaders and researchers to utilize them as an affordable means for data acquisition in air, land, and sea. Despite the recent developments in the ground and unmanned airborne vehicles, a small number of Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) platforms are targeted for mapping and monitoring environmental parameters for research and industry purposes. The ARGO project is developed an open-design USV equipped with multi-level control hardware architecture and state-of-the-art sensors and payloads for the autonomous monitoring of environmental parameters in large sea areas. The proposed USV is a catamaran-type USV controlled over a wireless radio link (5G) for long-range mapping capabilities and control for a ground-based control station. The ARGO USV has a propulsion control using 2x fully redundant electric trolling motors with active vector thrust for omnidirectional movement, navigation with opensource autopilot system with high accuracy GNSS device, and communication with the 2.4Ghz digital link able to provide 20km of Line of Sight (Los) range distance. The 3-meter dual hull design and composite structure offer well above 80kg of usable payload capacity. Furthermore, sun and friction energy harvesting methods provide clean energy to the propulsion system. The design is highly modular, where each component or payload can be replaced or modified according to the desired task (industrial or research). The system can be equipped with Multiparameter Sonde, measuring up to 20 water parameters simultaneously, such as conductivity, salinity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, etc. Furthermore, a high-end multibeam echo sounder can be installed in a specific boat datum for shallow water high-resolution seabed mapping. The system is designed to operate in the Aegean Sea. The developed USV is planned to be utilized as a system for autonomous data acquisition, mapping, and monitoring bathymetry and various environmental parameters. ARGO USV can operate in small or large ports with high maneuverability and endurance to map large geographical extends at sea. The system presents state of the art solutions in the following areas i) the on-board/real-time data processing/analysis capabilities, ii) the energy-independent and environmentally friendly platform entirely made using the latest aeronautical and marine materials, iii) the integration of advanced technology sensors, all in one system (photogrammetric and radiometric footprint, as well as its connection with various environmental and inertial sensors) and iv) the information management application. The ARGO web-based application enables the system to depict the results of the data acquisition process in near real-time. All the recorded environmental variables and indices are presented, allowing users to remotely access all the raw and processed information using the implemented web-based GIS application.

Keywords: monitor marine environment, unmanned surface vehicle, mapping bythometry, sea environmental monitoring

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