Search results for: primary health care facilities
157 A Rural Journey of Integrating Interprofessional Education to Foster Trust
Authors: Julia Wimmers Klick
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Interprofessional Education (IPE) is widely recognized as a valuable approach in healthcare education, despite the challenges it presents. This study explores IP surface anatomy lab sessions, with a focus on fostering trust and collaboration among healthcare students. The research is conducted within the context of rural healthcare settings in British Columbia (BC), where a medical school and a physical therapy (PT) program operate under the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). While IPE sessions addressing soft skills have been implemented, the integration of hard skills, such as Anatomy, remains limited. To address this gap, a pilot feasibility study was conducted with a positive outcome, a follow-up study involved these IPE sessions aimed at exploring the influence of bonding and trust between medical and PT students. Data were collected through focus groups comprising participating students and faculty members, and a structured SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Challenges) analysis was conducted. The IPE sessions, 3 in total, consisted of a 2.5-hour lab on surface anatomy, where PT students took on the teaching role, and medical students were newly exposed to surface anatomy. The focus of the study was on the relationship-building process and trust development between the two student groups, rather than assessing the acquisition of surface anatomy skills. Results indicated that the surface anatomy lab served as a suitable tool for the application and learning of soft skills. Faculty members observed positive outcomes, including productive interaction between students, reversed hierarchy with PT students teaching medical students, practicing active listening skills, and using a mutual language of anatomy. Notably, there was no grade assessment or external pressure to perform. The students also reported an overall positive experience; however, the specific impact on the development of soft skill competencies could not be definitively determined. Participants expressed a sense of feeling respected, welcomed, and included, all of which contributed to feeling safe. Within the small group environment, students experienced becoming a part of a community of healthcare providers that bonded over a shared interest in health professions education. They enjoyed sharing diverse experiences related to learning across their varied contexts, without fear of judgment and reprisal that were often intimidating in single professional contexts. During a joint Christmas party for both cohorts, faculty members observed students mingling, laughing, and forming bonds. This emphasized the importance of early bonding and trust development among healthcare colleagues, particularly in rural settings. In conclusion, the findings emphasize the potential of IPE sessions to enhance trust and collaboration among healthcare students, with implications for their future professional lives in rural settings. Early bonding and trust development are crucial in rural settings, where healthcare professionals often rely on each other. Future research should continue to explore the impact of content-concentrated IPE on the development of soft skill competencies.Keywords: interprofessional education, rural healthcare settings, trust, surface anatomy
Procedia PDF Downloads 66156 Estimating Poverty Levels from Satellite Imagery: A Comparison of Human Readers and an Artificial Intelligence Model
Authors: Ola Hall, Ibrahim Wahab, Thorsteinn Rognvaldsson, Mattias Ohlsson
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The subfield of poverty and welfare estimation that applies machine learning tools and methods on satellite imagery is a nascent but rapidly growing one. This is in part driven by the sustainable development goal, whose overarching principle is that no region is left behind. Among other things, this requires that welfare levels can be accurately and rapidly estimated at different spatial scales and resolutions. Conventional tools of household surveys and interviews do not suffice in this regard. While they are useful for gaining a longitudinal understanding of the welfare levels of populations, they do not offer adequate spatial coverage for the accuracy that is needed, nor are their implementation sufficiently swift to gain an accurate insight into people and places. It is this void that satellite imagery fills. Previously, this was near-impossible to implement due to the sheer volume of data that needed processing. Recent advances in machine learning, especially the deep learning subtype, such as deep neural networks, have made this a rapidly growing area of scholarship. Despite their unprecedented levels of performance, such models lack transparency and explainability and thus have seen limited downstream applications as humans generally are apprehensive of techniques that are not inherently interpretable and trustworthy. While several studies have demonstrated the superhuman performance of AI models, none has directly compared the performance of such models and human readers in the domain of poverty studies. In the present study, we directly compare the performance of human readers and a DL model using different resolutions of satellite imagery to estimate the welfare levels of demographic and health survey clusters in Tanzania, using the wealth quintile ratings from the same survey as the ground truth data. The cluster-level imagery covers all 608 cluster locations, of which 428 were classified as rural. The imagery for the human readers was sourced from the Google Maps Platform at an ultra-high resolution of 0.6m per pixel at zoom level 18, while that of the machine learning model was sourced from the comparatively lower resolution Sentinel-2 10m per pixel data for the same cluster locations. Rank correlation coefficients of between 0.31 and 0.32 achieved by the human readers were much lower when compared to those attained by the machine learning model – 0.69-0.79. This superhuman performance by the model is even more significant given that it was trained on the relatively lower 10-meter resolution satellite data while the human readers estimated welfare levels from the higher 0.6m spatial resolution data from which key markers of poverty and slums – roofing and road quality – are discernible. It is important to note, however, that the human readers did not receive any training before ratings, and had this been done, their performance might have improved. The stellar performance of the model also comes with the inevitable shortfall relating to limited transparency and explainability. The findings have significant implications for attaining the objective of the current frontier of deep learning models in this domain of scholarship – eXplainable Artificial Intelligence through a collaborative rather than a comparative framework.Keywords: poverty prediction, satellite imagery, human readers, machine learning, Tanzania
Procedia PDF Downloads 97155 Climate Change Impact on Mortality from Cardiovascular Diseases: Case Study of Bucharest, Romania
Authors: Zenaida Chitu, Roxana Bojariu, Liliana Velea, Roxana Burcea
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A number of studies show that extreme air temperature affects mortality related to cardiovascular diseases, particularly among elderly people. In Romania, the summer thermal discomfort expressed by Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) is highest in the Southern part of the country, where Bucharest, the largest Romanian urban agglomeration, is also located. The urban characteristics such as high building density and reduced green areas enhance the increase of the air temperature during summer. In Bucharest, as in many other large cities, the effect of heat urban island is present and determines an increase of air temperature compared to surrounding areas. This increase is particularly important during heat wave periods in summer. In this context, the researchers performed a temperature-mortality analysis based on daily deaths related to cardiovascular diseases, recorded between 2010 and 2019 in Bucharest. The temperature-mortality relationship was modeled by applying distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) that includes a bi-dimensional cross-basis function and flexible natural cubic spline functions with three internal knots in the 10th, 75th and 90th percentiles of the temperature distribution, for modelling both exposure-response and lagged-response dimensions. Firstly, this study applied this analysis for the present climate. Extrapolation of the exposure-response associations beyond the observed data allowed us to estimate future effects on mortality due to temperature changes under climate change scenarios and specific assumptions. We used future projections of air temperature from five numerical experiments with regional climate models included in the EURO-CORDEX initiative under the relatively moderate (RCP 4.5) and pessimistic (RCP 8.5) concentration scenarios. The results of this analysis show for RCP 8.5 an ensemble-averaged increase with 6.1% of heat-attributable mortality fraction in future in comparison with present climate (2090-2100 vs. 2010-219), corresponding to an increase of 640 deaths/year, while mortality fraction due to the cold conditions will be reduced by 2.76%, corresponding to a decrease by 288 deaths/year. When mortality data is stratified according to the age, the ensemble-averaged increase of heat-attributable mortality fraction for elderly people (> 75 years) in the future is even higher (6.5 %). These findings reveal the necessity to carefully plan urban development in Bucharest to face the public health challenges raised by the climate change. Paper Details: This work is financed by the project URCLIM which is part of ERA4CS, an ERA-NET initiated by JPI Climate, and funded by Ministry of Environment, Romania with co-funding by the European Union (Grant 690462). A part of this work performed by one of the authors has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme from the project EXHAUSTION under grant agreement No 820655.Keywords: cardiovascular diseases, climate change, extreme air temperature, mortality
Procedia PDF Downloads 119154 Production of Medicinal Bio-active Amino Acid Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid In Dairy Sludge Medium
Authors: Farideh Tabatabaee Yazdi, Fereshteh Falah, Alireza Vasiee
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Introduction: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a non-protein amino acid that is widely present in organisms. GABA is a kind of pharmacological and biological component and its application is wide and useful. Several important physiological functions of GABA have been characterized, such as neurotransmission and induction of hypotension. GABA is also a strong secretagogue of insulin from the pancreas and effectively inhibits small airway-derived lung adenocarcinoma and tranquilizer. Many microorganisms can produce GABA, and lactic acid bacteria have been a focus of research in recent years because lactic acid bacteria possess special physiological activities and are generally regarded as safe. Among them, the Lb. Brevis produced the highest amount of GABA. The major factors affecting GABA production have been characterized, including carbon sources and glutamate concentration. The use of food industry waste to produce valuable products such as amino acids seems to be a good way to reduce production costs and prevent the waste of food resources. In a dairy factory, a high volume of sludge is produced from a separator that contains useful compounds such as growth factors, carbon, nitrogen, and organic matter that can be used by different microorganisms such as Lb.brevis as carbon and nitrogen sources. Therefore, it is a good source of GABA production. GABA is primarily formed by the irreversible α-decarboxylation reaction of L-glutamic acid or its salts, catalysed by the GAD enzyme. In the present study, this aim was achieved for the fast-growing of Lb.brevis and producing GABA, using the dairy industry sludge as a suitable growth medium. Lactobacillus Brevis strains obtained from Microbial Type Culture Collection (MTCC) were used as model strains. In order to prepare dairy sludge as a medium, sterilization should be done at 121 ° C for 15 minutes. Lb. Brevis was inoculated to the sludge media at pH=6 and incubated for 120 hours at 30 ° C. After fermentation, the supernatant solution is centrifuged and then, the GABA produced was analyzed by the Thin Layer chromatography (TLC) method qualitatively and by the high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method quantitatively. By increasing the percentage of dairy sludge in the culture medium, the amount of GABA increased. Also, evaluated the growth of bacteria in this medium showed the positive effect of dairy sludge on the growth of Lb.brevis, which resulted in the production of more GABA. GABA-producing LAB offers the opportunity of developing naturally fermented health-oriented products. Although some GABA-producing LAB has been isolated to find strains suitable for different fermentations, further screening of various GABA-producing strains from LAB, especially high-yielding strains, is necessary. The production of lactic acid, bacterial gamma-aminobutyric acid, is safe and eco-friendly. The use of dairy industry waste causes enhanced environmental safety. Also provides the possibility of producing valuable compounds such as GABA. In general, dairy sludge is a suitable medium for the growth of Lactic Acid Bacteria and produce this amino acid that can reduce the final cost of it by providing carbon and nitrogen source.Keywords: GABA, Lactobacillus, HPLC, dairy sludge
Procedia PDF Downloads 131153 Treatment Process of Sludge from Leachate with an Activated Sludge System and Extended Aeration System
Authors: A. Chávez, A. Rodríguez, F. Pinzón
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Society is concerned about measures of environmental, economic and social impacts generated in the solid waste disposal. These places of confinement, also known as landfills, are locations where problems of pollution and damage to human health are reduced. They are technically designed and operated, using engineering principles, storing the residue in a small area, compact it to reduce volume and covering them with soil layers. Problems preventing liquid (leachate) and gases produced by the decomposition of organic matter. Despite planning and site selection for disposal, monitoring and control of selected processes, remains the dilemma of the leachate as extreme concentration of pollutants, devastating soil, flora and fauna; aggressive processes requiring priority attention. A biological technology is the activated sludge system, used for tributaries with high pollutant loads. Since transforms biodegradable dissolved and particulate matter into CO2, H2O and sludge; transform suspended and no Settleable solids; change nutrients as nitrogen and phosphorous; and degrades heavy metals. The microorganisms that remove organic matter in the processes are in generally facultative heterotrophic bacteria, forming heterogeneous populations. Is possible to find unicellular fungi, algae, protozoa and rotifers, that process the organic carbon source and oxygen, as well as the nitrogen and phosphorus because are vital for cell synthesis. The mixture of the substrate, in this case sludge leachate, molasses and wastewater is maintained ventilated by mechanical aeration diffusers. Considering as the biological processes work to remove dissolved material (< 45 microns), generating biomass, easily obtained by decantation processes. The design consists of an artificial support and aeration pumps, favoring develop microorganisms (denitrifying) using oxygen (O) with nitrate, resulting in nitrogen (N) in the gas phase. Thus, avoiding negative effects of the presence of ammonia or phosphorus. Overall the activated sludge system includes about 8 hours of hydraulic retention time, which does not prevent the demand for nitrification, which occurs on average in a value of MLSS 3,000 mg/L. The extended aeration works with times greater than 24 hours detention; with ratio of organic load/biomass inventory under 0.1; and average stay time (sludge age) more than 8 days. This project developed a pilot system with sludge leachate from Doña Juana landfill - RSDJ –, located in Bogota, Colombia, where they will be subjected to a process of activated sludge and extended aeration through a sequential Bach reactor - SBR, to be dump in hydric sources, avoiding ecological collapse. The system worked with a dwell time of 8 days, 30 L capacity, mainly by removing values of BOD and COD above 90%, with initial data of 1720 mg/L and 6500 mg/L respectively. Motivating the deliberate nitrification is expected to be possible commercial use diffused aeration systems for sludge leachate from landfills.Keywords: sludge, landfill, leachate, SBR
Procedia PDF Downloads 262152 Design of an Automated Deep Learning Recurrent Neural Networks System Integrated with IoT for Anomaly Detection in Residential Electric Vehicle Charging in Smart Cities
Authors: Wanchalerm Patanacharoenwong, Panaya Sudta, Prachya Bumrungkun
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The paper focuses on the development of a system that combines Internet of Things (IoT) technologies and deep learning algorithms for anomaly detection in residential Electric Vehicle (EV) charging in smart cities. With the increasing number of EVs, ensuring efficient and reliable charging systems has become crucial. The aim of this research is to develop an integrated IoT and deep learning system for detecting anomalies in residential EV charging and enhancing EV load profiling and event detection in smart cities. This approach utilizes IoT devices equipped with infrared cameras to collect thermal images and household EV charging profiles from the database of Thailand utility, subsequently transmitting this data to a cloud database for comprehensive analysis. The methodology includes the use of advanced deep learning techniques such as Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) and Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) algorithms. IoT devices equipped with infrared cameras are used to collect thermal images and EV charging profiles. The data is transmitted to a cloud database for comprehensive analysis. The researchers also utilize feature-based Gaussian mixture models for EV load profiling and event detection. Moreover, the research findings demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed system in detecting anomalies and critical profiles in EV charging behavior. The system provides timely alarms to users regarding potential issues and categorizes the severity of detected problems based on a health index for each charging device. The system also outperforms existing models in event detection accuracy. This research contributes to the field by showcasing the potential of integrating IoT and deep learning techniques in managing residential EV charging in smart cities. The system ensures operational safety and efficiency while also promoting sustainable energy management. The data is collected using IoT devices equipped with infrared cameras and is stored in a cloud database for analysis. The collected data is then analyzed using RNN, LSTM, and feature-based Gaussian mixture models. The approach includes both EV load profiling and event detection, utilizing a feature-based Gaussian mixture model. This comprehensive method aids in identifying unique power consumption patterns among EV owners and outperforms existing models in event detection accuracy. In summary, the research concludes that integrating IoT and deep learning techniques can effectively detect anomalies in residential EV charging and enhance EV load profiling and event detection accuracy. The developed system ensures operational safety and efficiency, contributing to sustainable energy management in smart cities.Keywords: cloud computing framework, recurrent neural networks, long short-term memory, Iot, EV charging, smart grids
Procedia PDF Downloads 55151 Effectiveness of Participatory Ergonomic Education on Pain Due to Work Related Musculoskeletal Disorders in Food Processing Industrial Workers
Authors: Salima Bijapuri, Shweta Bhatbolan, Sejalben Patel
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Ergonomics concerns the fitting of the environment and the equipment to the worker. Ergonomic principles can be employed in different dimensions of the industrial sector. Participation of all the stakeholders is the key to the formulation of a multifaceted and comprehensive approach to lessen the burden of occupational hazards. Taking responsibility for one’s own work activities by acquiring sufficient knowledge and potential to influence the practices and outcomes is the basis of participatory ergonomics and even hastens the process to identify workplace hazards. The study was aimed to check how participatory ergonomics can be effective in the management of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Method: A mega kitchen was identified in a twin city of Karnataka, India. Consent was taken, and the screening of workers was done using observation methods. Kitchen work was structured to include different tasks, which included preparation, cooking, distributing, and serving food, packing food to be delivered to schools, dishwashing, cleaning and maintenance of kitchen and equipment, and receiving and storing raw material. Total 100 workers attended the education session on participatory ergonomics and its role in implementing the correct ergonomic practices, thus preventing WRMSDs. Demographic details and baseline data on related musculoskeletal pain and discomfort were collected using the Nordic pain questionnaire and VAS score pre- and post-study. Monthly visits were made, and the education sessions were reiterated on each visit, thus reminding, correcting, and problem-solving of each worker. After 9 months with a total of 4 such education session, the post education data was collected. The software SPSS 20 was used to analyse the collected data. Results: The majority of them (78%), depending on the availability and feasibility, participated in the intervention workshops were arranged four times. The average age of the participants was 39 years. The percentage of female participants was 79.49%, and 20.51% of participants comprised of males. The Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) showed that knee pain was the most commonly reported complaint (62%) from the last 12 months with a mean VAS of 6.27, followed by low back pain. Post intervention, the mean VAS Score was reduced significantly to 2.38. The comparison of pre-post scores was made using Wilcoxon matched pairs test. Upon enquiring, it was found that, the participants learned the importance of applying ergonomics at their workplace which inturn was beneficial for them to handle any problems arising at their workplace on their own with self confidence. Conclusion: The participatory ergonomics proved effective with workers of mega kitchen, and it is a feasible and practical approach. The advantage of the given study area was that it had a sophisticated and ergonomically designed workstation; thus it was the lack of education and practical knowledge to use these stations was of utmost need. There was a significant reduction in VAS scores with the implementation of changes in the working style, and the knowledge of ergonomics helped to decrease physical load and improve musculoskeletal health.Keywords: ergonomic awareness session, mega kitchen, participatory ergonomics, work related musculoskeletal disorders
Procedia PDF Downloads 131150 Surface Adjustments for Endothelialization of Decellularized Porcine Pericardium
Authors: M. Markova, E. Filova, O. Kaplan, R. Matejka, L. Bacakova
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The porcine pericardium is used as a material for cardiac and aortic valves substitutes. Current biological aortic heart valve prosthesis have a limited lifetime period because they undergo degeneration. In order to make them more biocompatible and prolong their lifetime it is necessary to reseed the decellularized prostheses with endothelial cells and with valve interstitial cells. The endothelialization of the prosthesis-surface may be supported by suitable chemical surface modification of the prosthesis. The aim of this study is to prepare bioactive fibrin layers which would both support endothelialization of porcine pericardium and enhance differentiation and maturation of the endothelial cells seeded. As a material for surface adjustments we used layers of fibrin with/without heparin and some of them with adsorbed or chemically bound FGF2, VEGF or their combination. Fibrin assemblies were prepared in 24-well cell culture plate and were seeded with HSVEC (Human Saphenous Vein Endothelial Cells) at a density of 20,000 cells per well in EGM-2 medium with 0.5% FS and without heparin, without FGF2 and without VEGF; medium was supplemented with aprotinin (200 U/mL). As a control, surface polystyrene (PS) was used. Fibrin was also used as homogeneous impregnation of the decellularized porcine pericardium throughout the scaffolds. Morphology, density, and viability of the seeded endothelial cells were observed from micrographs after staining the samples by LIVE/DEAD cytotoxicity/viability assay kit on the days 1, 3, and 7. Endothelial cells were immunocytochemically stained for proteins involved in cell adhesion, i.e. alphaV integrin, vinculin, and VE-cadherin, markers of endothelial cells differentiation and maturation, i.e. von Willebrand factor and CD31, and for extracellular matrix proteins typically produced by endothelial cells, i.e. type IV collagen and laminin. The staining intensities were subsequently quantified using a software. HSVEC cells grew on each of the prepared surfaces better than on control surface. They reached confluency. The highest cell densities were obtained on the surface of fibrin with heparin and both grow factors used together. Intensity of alphaV integrins staining was highest on samples with remained fibrin layer, i.e. on layers with lower cell densities, i.e. on fibrin without heparin. Vinculin staining was apparent, but was rather diffuse, on fibrin with both FGF2 and VEGF and on control PS. Endothelial cells on all samples were positively stained for von Willebrand factor and CD31. VE-cadherin receptors clusters were best developed on fibrin with heparin and growth factors. Significantly stronger staining of type IV collagen was observed on fibrin with heparin and both growth factors. Endothelial cells on all samples produced laminin-1. Decellularized pericardium was homogeneously filled with fibrin structures. These fibrin-modified pericardium samples will be further seeded with cells and cultured in a bioreactor. Fibrin layers with/without heparin and with adsorbed or chemically bound FGF2, VEGF or their combination are good surfaces for endothelialization of cardiovascular prostheses or porcine pericardium based heart valves. Supported by the Ministry of Health, grants No15-29153A and 15-32497A, and the Grant Agency of the Czech Republic, project No. P108/12/G108.Keywords: aortic valves prosthesis, FGF2, heparin, HSVEC cells, VEGF
Procedia PDF Downloads 257149 Ultrafiltration Process Intensification for Municipal Wastewater Reuse: Water Quality, Optimization of Operating Conditions and Fouling Management
Authors: J. Yang, M. Monnot, T. Eljaddi, L. Simonian, L. Ercolei, P. Moulin
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The application of membrane technology to wastewater treatment has expanded rapidly under increasing stringent legislation and environmental protection requirements. At the same time, the water resource is becoming precious, and water reuse has gained popularity. Particularly, ultrafiltration (UF) is a very promising technology for water reuse as it can retain organic matters, suspended solids, colloids, and microorganisms. Nevertheless, few studies dealing with operating optimization of UF as a tertiary treatment for water reuse on a semi-industrial scale appear in the literature. Therefore, this study aims to explore the permeate water quality and to optimize operating parameters (maximizing productivity and minimizing irreversible fouling) through the operation of a UF pilot plant under real conditions. The fully automatic semi-industrial UF pilot plant with periodic classic backwashes (CB) and air backwashes (AB) was set up to filtrate the secondary effluent of an urban wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in France. In this plant, the secondary treatment consists of a conventional activated sludge process followed by a sedimentation tank. The UF process was thus defined as a tertiary treatment and was operated under constant flux. It is important to note that a combination of CB and chlorinated AB was used for better fouling management. The 200 kDa hollow fiber membrane was used in the UF module, with an initial permeability (for WWTP outlet water) of 600 L·m-2·h⁻¹·bar⁻¹ and a total filtration surface of 9 m². Fifteen filtration conditions with different fluxes, filtration times, and air backwash frequencies were operated for more than 40 hours of each to observe their hydraulic filtration performances. Through comparison, the best sustainable condition was flux at 60 L·h⁻¹·m⁻², filtration time at 60 min, and backwash frequency of 1 AB every 3 CBs. The optimized condition stands out from the others with > 92% water recovery rates, better irreversible fouling control, stable permeability variation, efficient backwash reversibility (80% for CB and 150% for AB), and no chemical washing occurrence in 40h’s filtration. For all tested conditions, the permeate water quality met the water reuse guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), French standards, and the regulation of the European Parliament adopted in May 2020, setting minimum requirements for water reuse in agriculture. In permeate: the total suspended solids, biochemical oxygen demand, and turbidity were decreased to < 2 mg·L-1, ≤ 10 mg·L⁻¹, < 0.5 NTU respectively; the Escherichia coli and Enterococci were > 5 log removal reduction, the other required microorganisms’ analysis were below the detection limits. Additionally, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 was measured in raw wastewater of WWTP, UF feed, and UF permeate in November 2020. As a result, the raw wastewater was tested positive above the detection limit but below the quantification limit. Interestingly, the UF feed and UF permeate were tested negative to SARS-CoV-2 by these PCR assays. In summary, this work confirms the great interest in UF as intensified tertiary treatment for water reuse and gives operational indications for future industrial-scale production of reclaimed water.Keywords: semi-industrial UF pilot plant, water reuse, fouling management, coronavirus
Procedia PDF Downloads 109148 Well-being of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Developmental Coordination Disorder: Cross-Cultural and Cross-disorder Comparative Studies
Authors: Léa Chawki, Émilie Cappe
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Context: Nowadays, supporting parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and helping them adjust to their child’s condition represents a core clinical and scientific necessity and is encouraged by the French National Strategy for Autism (2018). In France, ASD remains a challenging condition, causing distress, segregation and social stigma to concerned family members concerned by this handicap. The literature highlights that neurodevelopmental disorders in children, such as ASD, influence parental well-being. This impact could be different according to parents’ culture and the child’s particular disorder manifestation, such as developmental coordination disorder (DCC), for instance. Objectives: This present study aims to explore parental stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as the quality of life in parents of children with ASD or DCD, as well as the explicit individual, psychosocial and cultural factors of parental well-being. Methods: Participants will be recruited through diagnostic centers, child and specialized adolescent units, and organizations representing families with ASD and DCD. Our sample will include five groups of 150 parents: four groups of parents having children with ASD – one living in France, one in the US, one in Canada and the other in Lebanon – and one group of French parents of children with DCD. Self-evaluation measures will be filled directly by parents in order to measure parental stress, anxiety and depressive symptoms, quality of life, coping and emotional regulation strategies, internalized stigma, perceived social support, the child’s problem behaviors severity, as well as motor coordination deficits in children with ASD and DCD. A sociodemographic questionnaire will help collect additional useful data regarding participants and their children. Individual and semi-structured research interviews will be conducted to complete quantitative data by further exploring participants’ distinct experiences related to parenting a child with a neurodevelopmental disorder. An interview grid, specially designed for the needs of this study, will strengthen the comparison between the experiences of parents of children with ASD with those of parents of children with DCD. It will also help investigate cultural differences regarding parent support policies in the context of raising a child with ASD. Moreover, interviews will help clarify the link between certain research variables (behavioral differences between ASD and DCD, family leisure activities, family and children’s extracurricular life, etc.) and parental well-being. Research perspectives: Results of this study will provide a more holistic understanding of the roles of individual, psychosocial and cultural variables related to parental well-being. Thus, this study will help direct the implementation of support services offered to families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (ASD and DCD). Also, the implications of this study are essential in order to guide families through changes related to public policies assisting neurodevelopmental disorders and other disabilities. The between-group comparison (ASD and DCD) is also expected to help clarify the origins of all the different challenges encountered by those families. Hence, it will be interesting to investigate whether complications perceived by parents are more likely to arise from child-symptom severity, or from the lack of support obtained from health and educational systems.Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, cross-cultural, cross-disorder, developmental coordination delay, well-being
Procedia PDF Downloads 90147 Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) Degradation Products and Its in vitro Cytotoxicity Evaluation in NIH3T3 Cells
Authors: Lesly Y Carmona-Sarabia, Luisa Barraza-Vergara, Vilmalí López-Mejías, Wandaliz Torres-García, Maribella Domenech-Garcia, Madeline Torres-Lugo
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Biosensors are used in many applications providing real-time monitoring to treat long-term conditions. Thus, understanding the physicochemical properties and biological side effects on the skin of polymers (e. g., poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA) employed in the fabrication of wearable biosensors is crucial for the selection of manufacturing materials within this field. The PMMA (hydrophobic and thermoplastic polymer) is commonly employed as a coating material or substrate in the fabrication of wearable devices. The cytotoxicityof PMMA (including residual monomers or degradation products) on the skin, in terms of cells and tissue, is required to prevent possible adverse effects (cell death, skin reactions, sensitization) on human health. Within this work, accelerated aging of PMMA (Mw ~ 15000) through thermal and photochemical degradation was under-taken. The accelerated aging of PMMA was carried out by thermal (200°C, 1h) and photochemical degradation (UV-Vis, 8-15d) adapted employing ISO protocols (ISO-10993-12, ISO-4892-1:2016, ISO-877-1:2009, ISO-188: 2011). In addition, in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation of PMMA degradation products was performed using NIH3T3 fibroblast cells to assess the response of skin tissues (in terms of cell viability) exposed with polymers utilized to manufacture wearable biosensors, such as PMMA. The PMMA (Mw ~ 15000) before and after accelerated aging experiments was characterized by thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetric (DSC), powder X-ray diffractogram (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) to determine and verify the successful degradation of this polymer under the specific conditions previously mention. The degradation products were characterized through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to identify possible byproducts generated after the accelerated aging. Results demonstrated a percentage (%) weight loss between 1.5-2.2% (TGA thermographs) for PMMA after accelerated aging. The EDS elemental analysis reveals a 1.32 wt.% loss of carbon for PMMA after thermal degradation. These results might be associated with the amount (%) of PMMA degrade after the accelerated aging experiments. Furthermore, from the thermal degradation products was detected the presence of the monomer and methyl formate (low concentrations) and a low molecular weight radical (·COOCH3) in higher concentrations by NMR. In the photodegradation products, methyl formate was detected in higher concentrations. These results agree with the proposed thermal or photochemical degradation mechanisms found in the literature.1,2 Finally, significant cytotoxicity on the NIH3T3 cells was obtained for the thermal and photochemical degradation products. A decrease in cell viability by > 90% (stock solutions) was observed. It is proposed that the presence of byproducts (e.g. methyl formate or radicals such as ·COOCH₃) from the PMMA degradation might be responsible for the cytotoxicity observed in the NIH3T3 fibroblast cells. Additionally, experiments using skin models will be employed to compare with the NIH3T3 fibroblast cells model.Keywords: biosensors, polymer, skin irritation, degradation products, cell viability
Procedia PDF Downloads 135146 Hydrogeomatic System for the Economic Evaluation of Damage by Flooding in Mexico
Authors: Alondra Balbuena Medina, Carlos Diaz Delgado, Aleida Yadira Vilchis Fránces
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In Mexico, each year news is disseminated about the ravages of floods, such as the total loss of housing, damage to the fields; the increase of the costs of the food, derived from the losses of the harvests, coupled with health problems such as skin infection, etc. In addition to social problems such as delinquency, damage in education institutions and the population in general. The flooding is a consequence of heavy rains, tropical storms and or hurricanes that generate excess water in drainage systems that exceed its capacity. In urban areas, heavy rains can be one of the main factors in causing flooding, in addition to excessive precipitation, dam breakage, and human activities, for example, excessive garbage in the strainers. In agricultural areas, these can hardly achieve large areas of cultivation. It should be mentioned that for both areas, one of the significant impacts of floods is that they can permanently affect the livelihoods of many families, cause damage, for example in their workplaces such as farmlands, commercial or industry areas and where services are provided. In recent years, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have had an accelerated development, being reflected in the growth and the exponential evolution of the innovation giving; as a result, the daily generation of new technologies, updates, and applications. Innovation in the development of Information Technology applications has impacted on all areas of human activity. They influence all the orders of life of individuals, reconfiguring the way of perceiving and analyzing the world such as, for instance, interrelating with people as individuals and as a society, in the economic, political, social, cultural, educational, environmental, etc. Therefore the present work describes the creation of a system of calculation of flood costs for housing areas, retail establishments and agricultural areas from the Mexican Republic, based on the use and application of geotechnical tools being able to be useful for the benefit of the sectors of public, education and private. To generate analysis of hydrometereologic affections and with the obtained results to realize the Geoinformatics tool was constructed from two different points of view: the geoinformatic (design and development of GIS software) and the methodology of flood damage validation in order to integrate a tool that provides the user the monetary estimate of the effects caused by the floods. With information from the period 2000-2014, the functionality of the application was corroborated. For the years 2000 to 2009 only the analysis of the agricultural and housing areas was carried out, incorporating for the commercial establishment's information of the period 2010 - 2014. The method proposed for the resolution of this research project is a fundamental contribution to society, in addition to the tool itself. Therefore, it can be summarized that the problems that are in the physical-geographical environment, conceiving them from the point of view of the spatial analysis, allow to offer different alternatives of solution and also to open up slopes towards academia and research.Keywords: floods, technological innovation, monetary estimation, spatial analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 218145 Conceptualizing the Moroccan Amazigh
Authors: Sanaa Riaz
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The free people, Amazigh (plural Imazighen), often known by the more popular exonym, Berber, are spread across several North African countries with the highest population in Morocco have been substantially misunderstood and differentially showcased by entities from western-school educated scholars to human, health and women’s rights organizations, to the State to the international community. This paper is an examination of the various conceptualization of the Imazighen. With the popularity of the Arab Spring movement to oust monarchical and dictatorial rulers across the Middle East and North Africa in Morocco, the Moroccan monarchy introduced various reform programs to win public favor. These included social, economic and educational reforms to incorporate marginalized groups such as the Imazighen. The monarchy has ushered Amazigh representation in public offices and landscape through Amazigh script, even though theirs has been an oral culture. After the Arab Spring, the Justice and Development party, an Islamist party took over in Morocco due to its accessibility to the masses, In Sept. 2021, unlike the case of Egypt and Tunisia where military and constitutional means were sought, Morocco successfully removed it from power through the ballot, resulting in a real victory for the neutral monarchy and its representation as a moderate, secular and liberal force for the nation. As a result, supporting the perpetuation of Amazigh linguistic identity also became synonymous to making a secular statement as a Muslim. It has led to the telling of Amazigh identity at state museums as one representing the indigenous, pure, diverse, culturally-rich and united Morocco. Reform efforts have also prioritized an amiable look towards the economic and familial links of Moroccan Jews with the few thousand families still left in the country and a showcasing through museums and cultural centers of the Jewish identity as Moroccan first. In that endeavor, it is interesting to note the coverage of Jews as the indigenous of Morocco through the embracing of their “folk” cultural and religious practices, those that are not continued outside Morocco. In this epistemology, the concept of the Moroccan Jew becomes similar to the indigenous Amazigh, both cherished as the oldest peoples of Morocco and symbols of its unity and resilience. In the urban discourse, Amazigh identity is a concept that continues to be part of the deliberations of elites and scholars graduating from French schools on the incorporation of rural and illiterate Morocco in economic and educational advancement. Yet, with the constant influx of migrants from Western Sahara into cities like Fez and Marrakesh, Amazigh has often been described as the umbrella term of those of “mixed” ethnic ancestry who constitute the country’s free population. In sum, Amazigh identity highlights the changing discourse on marginalized communities, human rights, representation, Moroccan nationhood, and regional and transnational politics. The aim of this paper is to analyze perceptions of Amazigh identity in Morocco post-2021 ousting of the Islamist party using data from state-sponsored museum displays and cultural centers collected in Summer 2022 and scholarly analyses of Amazigh identity, representation and rights in Morocco.Keywords: Amazigh identity, Morocco, representation, state politics
Procedia PDF Downloads 82144 Forced Immigration to Turkey: The Socio-Spatial Impacts of Syrian Immigrants on Turkish Cities
Authors: Tolga Levent
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Throughout the past few decades, forced immigration has been a significant problem for many developing countries. Turkey is one of those countries, which has experienced lots of forced immigration waves in the Republican era. However, the ongoing forced immigration wave of Syrians started with Syrian Civil War in 2011, is strikingly influential due to its intensity. In six years, approximately 3,4 million Syrians have entered to Turkey and presented high-level spatial concentrations in certain cities proximate to the Syrian border. These concentrations make Syrians and their problems relatively visible, especially in those cities. The problems of Syrians in Turkish cities could be associated with all dimensions of daily lives. Within economical dimension, high rates of Syrian unemployment push them to informal jobs offering very low wages. The financial aids they continuously demand from public authorities trigger anti-Syrian behaviors of local communities. Moreover, their relatively limited social adaptation capacities increase integration problems within social dimension day by day. Even, there are problems related to public health dimension such as the reappearance of certain child's illnesses due to the insufficiency of vaccination of Syrian children. These problems are significant but relatively easy to be prevented by using different types of management strategies and structural policies. However, there are other types of problems -urban problems- emerging with socio-spatial impacts of Syrians on Turkish cities in a very short period of time. There are relatively limited amount of studies about these impacts since they are difficult to be comprehended. The aim of the study, in this respect, is to understand these rapidly-emerging impacts and urban problems resulted from this massive immigration influx and to discuss new qualities of urban planning facing them. In the first part, there is a brief historical consideration of forced immigration waves in Turkey. These waves are important to make comparison with the ongoing immigration wave and to understand its significance. The second part is about quantitative and qualitative analyses of the spatial existence of Syrian immigrants in the city of Mersin, as an example of cities where Syrians are highly concentrated. By using official data from public authorities, quantitative statistical analyses are made to detect spatial concentrations of Syrians at neighborhood level. As methods of qualitative research, observations and in-depth interviews are used to define socio-spatial impacts of Syrians. The main results show that there emerges 'cities in cities' though sharp socio-spatial segregations which change density surfaces; produce unforeseen land-use patterns; result in inadequacies of public services and create degradations/deteriorations of urban environments occupied by Syrians. All these problems are significant; however, Turkish planning system does not have a capacity to cope with them. In the final part, there is a discussion about new qualities of urban planning facing these impacts and urban problems. The main point of discussion is the possibility of resilient urban planning under the conditions of uncertainty and unpredictability fostered by immigration crisis. Such a resilient planning approach might provide an option for countries aiming to cope with negative socio-spatial impacts of massive immigration influxes.Keywords: cities, forced immigration, Syrians, urban planning
Procedia PDF Downloads 245143 Contamination by Heavy Metals of Some Environmental Objects in Adjacent Territories of Solid Waste Landfill
Authors: D. Kekelidze, G. Tsotadze, G. Maisuradze, L. Akhalbedashvili, M. Chkhaidze
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Statement of Problem: The problem of solid wastes -dangerous sources of environmental pollution,is the urgent issue for Georgia as there are no waste-treatment and waste- incineration plants. Urban peripheral and rural areas, frequently along small rivers, are occupied by landfills without any permission. The study of the pollution of some environmental objects in the adjacent territories of solid waste landfill in Tbilisi carried out in 2020-2021, within the framework of project: “Ecological monitoring of the landfills surrounding areas and population health risk assessment”. Research objects: This research had goal to assess the ecological state of environmental objects (soil cover and surface water) in the territories, adjacent of solid waste landfill, on the base of changes heavy metals' (HM) concentration with distance from landfill. An open sanitary landfill for solid domestic waste in Tbilisi locates at suburb Lilo surrounded with densely populated villages. Content of following HM was determined in soil and river water samples: Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ni, Co, Mn. Methodology: The HM content in samples was measured, using flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry (spectrophotometer of firm Perkin-Elmer AAnalyst 200) in accordance with ISO 11466 and GOST Р 53218-2008. Results and discussion: Data obtained confirmed migration of HM mainly in terms of the distance from the polygon that can be explained by their areal emissions and storage in open state, they could also get into the soil cover under the influence of wind and precipitation. Concentration of Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn always increases with approaching to landfill. High concentrations of Pb, Cd are characteristic of the soil covers of the adjacent territories around the landfill at a distance of 250, 500 meters.They create a dangerous zone, since they can later migrate into plants, enter in rivers and lakes. The higher concentrations, compared to the maximum permissible concentrations (MPC) for surface waters of Georgia, are observed for Pb, Cd. One of the reasons for the low concentration of HM in river water may be high turbidity – as is known, suspended particles are good natural sorbents that causes low concentration of dissolved forms. Concentration of Cu, Ni, Mn increases in winter, since in this season the rivers are switched to groundwater feeding. Conclusion: Soil covers of the areas adjacent to the landfill in Lilo are contaminated with HM. High concentrations in soils are characteristic of lead and cadmium. Elevated concentrations in comparison with the MPC for surface waters adopted in Georgia are also observed for Pb, Cd at checkpoints along and below (1000 m) of the landfill downstream. Data obtained confirm migration of HM to the adjacent territories of the landfill and to the Lochini River. Since the migration and toxicity of metals depends also on the presence of their mobile forms in water bodies, samples of bottom sediments should be taken too. Bottom sediments reflect a long-term picture of pollution, they accumulate HM and represent a constant source of secondary pollution of water bodies. The study of the physicochemical forms of metals is one of the priority areas for further research.Keywords: landfill, pollution, heavy metals, migration
Procedia PDF Downloads 95142 Supplementation of Yeast Cell Wall on Growth Performance in Broiler Reared under High Ambient Temperature
Authors: Muhammad Shahzad Hussain
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Two major problems are facing generally by conventional poultry farming that is disease outbreaks and poor performance, which results due to improper management. To enhance the growth performance and efficiency of feed and reduce disease outbreaks, antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) which are antibiotics at sub-therapeutic levels, are extensively used in the poultry industry. European Union has banned the use of antibiotics due to their presence in poultry products, development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and disturbance of normal gut microbial ecology. These residues cause serious health concerns and produce antibiotic resistance in pathogenic microbes in human beings. These issues strengthen the need for the withdrawal of AGPs from poultry feed. Nowadays, global warming is a major issue, and it is more critical in tropical areas like Pakistan, where heat stress is already a major problem. Heat stress leads to poor production performance, high mortality, immuno-suppression, and concomitant diseases outbreak. The poultry feed industry in Pakistan, like other countries of the world, has been facing shortages and high prices of local as well as imported feed ingredients. Prebiotics are potential replacer for AGP as prebiotics has properties to enhance the production potential and reduce the growth of harmful bacteria as well as stimulate the growth/activity of beneficial bacteria. The most commonly used prebiotics in poultry includes mannan oligosaccharide (MOS). MOS is an essential component of the yeast cell wall (YCW) (Saccharomyces cerevisiae); therefore, the YCW wall possesses prebiotic properties. The use of distillery yeast wall (YCW) has the potential to replace conventional AGPs and to reduce mortality due to heat stress as well as to bind toxins in the feed. The dietary addition of YCW has not only positive effects on production performance in poultry during normal conditions but during stressful conditions. A total of 168-day-old broilers were divided into 6 groups, each of which has 28 birds with 4 replicates (n=7).Yeast cell wall (YCW) supplementation @ 0%, 1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5%, 3% from day 0 to 35. Heat stress was exposed from day 21 to 35 at 30±1.1ᵒC with relative humidity 65±5%. Zootechnical parameters like body weight, FCR, Organ development, and histomorphometric parameters were studied. A significant weight gain was observed at group C supplemented @ 1.5% YCW during the fifth week. Significant organ weight gain of Gizzard, spleen, small intestine, and cecum was observed at group C supplemented @ 1.5% YCW. According to morphometric indices Duodenum, Jejunum, and Ileum has significant villus height, while Jejunum and Ileum have also significant villus surface area in the group supplemented with 1.5% YCW. IEL count was only decreased in 1.5% YCW-fed group in jejunum and ileum, not in duodenum, that was less in 2% YCW-supplemented group. Dietary yeast cell wall of saccharomyces cerevisiae partially reduced the effects of high ambient temperature in terms of better growth and modified gut histology and components of mucosal immune response to better withstand heat stress in broilers.Keywords: antibiotics, AGPs, broilers, MOS, prebiotics, YCW
Procedia PDF Downloads 86141 Performance of CALPUFF Dispersion Model for Investigation the Dispersion of the Pollutants Emitted from an Industrial Complex, Daura Refinery, to an Urban Area in Baghdad
Authors: Ramiz M. Shubbar, Dong In Lee, Hatem A. Gzar, Arthur S. Rood
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Air pollution is one of the biggest environmental problems in Baghdad, Iraq. The Daura refinery located nearest the center of Baghdad, represents the largest industrial area, which transmits enormous amounts of pollutants, therefore study the gaseous pollutants and particulate matter are very important to the environment and the health of the workers in refinery and the people whom leaving in areas around the refinery. Actually, some studies investigated the studied area before, but it depended on the basic Gaussian equation in a simple computer programs, however, that kind of work at that time is very useful and important, but during the last two decades new largest production units were added to the Daura refinery such as, PU_3 (Power unit_3 (Boiler 11&12)), CDU_1 (Crude Distillation unit_70000 barrel_1), and CDU_2 (Crude Distillation unit_70000 barrel_2). Therefore, it is necessary to use new advanced model to study air pollution at the region for the new current years, and calculation the monthly emission rate of pollutants through actual amounts of fuel which consumed in production unit, this may be lead to accurate concentration values of pollutants and the behavior of dispersion or transport in study area. In this study to the best of author’s knowledge CALPUFF model was used and examined for first time in Iraq. CALPUFF is an advanced non-steady-state meteorological and air quality modeling system, was applied to investigate the pollutants concentration of SO2, NO2, CO, and PM1-10μm, at areas adjacent to Daura refinery which located in the center of Baghdad in Iraq. The CALPUFF modeling system includes three main components: CALMET is a diagnostic 3-dimensional meteorological model, CALPUFF (an air quality dispersion model), CALPOST is a post processing package, and an extensive set of preprocessing programs produced to interface the model to standard routinely available meteorological and geophysical datasets. The targets of this work are modeling and simulation the four pollutants (SO2, NO2, CO, and PM1-10μm) which emitted from Daura refinery within one year. Emission rates of these pollutants were calculated for twelve units includes thirty plants, and 35 stacks by using monthly average of the fuel amount consumption at this production units. Assess the performance of CALPUFF model in this study and detect if it is appropriate and get out predictions of good accuracy compared with available pollutants observation. CALPUFF model was investigated at three stability classes (stable, neutral, and unstable) to indicate the dispersion of the pollutants within deferent meteorological conditions. The simulation of the CALPUFF model showed the deferent kind of dispersion of these pollutants in this region depends on the stability conditions and the environment of the study area, monthly, and annual averages of pollutants were applied to view the dispersion of pollutants in the contour maps. High values of pollutants were noticed in this area, therefore this study recommends to more investigate and analyze of the pollutants, reducing the emission rate of pollutants by using modern techniques and natural gas, increasing the stack height of units, and increasing the exit gas velocity from stacks.Keywords: CALPUFF, daura refinery, Iraq, pollutants
Procedia PDF Downloads 190140 Anti-tuberculosis, Resistance Modulatory, Anti-pulmonary Fibrosis and Anti-silicosis Effects of Crinum Asiaticum Bulbs and Its Active Metabolite, Betulin
Authors: Theophilus Asante, Comfort Nyarko, Daniel Antwi
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Drug-resistant tuberculosis, together with the associated comorbidities like pulmonary fibrosis and silicosis, has been one of the most serious global public health threats that requires immediate action to curb or mitigate it. This prolongs hospital stays, increases the cost of medication, and increases the death toll recorded annually. Crinum asiaticum bulb (CAE) and betulin (BET) are known for their biological and pharmacological effects. Pharmacological effects reported on CAE include antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-analgesic, and anti-cancer effects. Betulin has exhibited a multitude of powerful pharmacological properties ranging from antitumor, anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, anti-microbial, and anti-viral activities. This work sought to investigate the anti-tuberculosis and resistant modulatory effects and also assess their effects on mitigating pulmonary fibrosis and silicosis. In the anti-tuberculosis and resistant modulatory effects, both CAE and BET showed strong antimicrobial activities (31.25 ≤ MIC ≤ 500) µg/ml against the studied microorganisms and also produced significant anti-efflux pump and biofilm inhibitory effects (ρ < 0.0001) as well as exhibiting resistance modulatory and synergistic effects when combined with standard antibiotics. Crinum asiaticum bulbs extract and betulin were shown to possess anti-pulmonary fibrosis effects. There was an increased survival rate in the CAE and BET treatment groups compared to the BLM-induced group. There was a marked decrease in the levels of hydroxyproline and collagen I and III in the CAE and BET treatment groups compared to the BLM-treated group. The treatment groups of CAE and BET significantly downregulated the levels of pro-fibrotic and pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations such as TGF-β1, MMP9, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-alpha compared to an increase in the BLM-treated groups. The histological findings of the lungs suggested the curative effects of CAE and BET following BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice. The study showed improved lung functions with a wide focal area of viable alveolar spaces and few collagen fibers deposition on the lungs of the treatment groups. In the anti-silicosis and pulmonoprotective effects of CAE and BET, the levels of NF-κB, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6 and hydroxyproline, collagen types I and III were significantly reduced by CAE and BET (ρ < 0.0001). Both CAE and BET significantly (ρ < 0.0001) inhibited the levels of hydroxyproline, collagen I and III when compared with the negative control group. On BALF biomarkers such as macrophages, lymphocytes, monocytes, and neutrophils, CAE and BET were able to reduce their levels significantly (ρ < 0.0001). The CAE and BET were examined for anti-oxidant activity and shown to raise the levels of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) while lowering the level of malondialdehyde (MDA). There was an improvement in lung function when lung tissues were examined histologically. Crinum asiaticum bulbs extract and betulin were discovered to exhibit anti-tubercular and resistance-modulatory properties, as well as the capacity to minimize TB comorbidities such as pulmonary fibrosis and silicosis. In addition, CAE and BET may act as protective mechanisms, facilitating the preservation of the lung's physiological integrity. The outcomes of this study might pave the way for the development of leads for producing single medications for the management of drug-resistant tuberculosis and its accompanying comorbidities.Keywords: fibrosis, crinum, tuberculosis, antiinflammation, drug resistant
Procedia PDF Downloads 77139 Training Hearing Parents in SmiLE Therapy Supports the Maintenance and Generalisation of Deaf Children's Social Communication Skills
Authors: Martina Curtin, Rosalind Herman
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Background: Deaf children can experience difficulties with understanding how social interaction works, particularly when communicating with unfamiliar hearing people. Deaf children often struggle with integrating into a mainstream, hearing environments. These negative experiences can lead to social isolation, depression and other mental health difficulties later in life. smiLE Therapy (Schamroth, 2015) is a video-based social communication intervention that aims to teach deaf children skills to confidently communicate with unfamiliar hearing people. Although two previous studies have reported improvements in communication skills immediately post intervention, evidence for maintenance of gains or generalisation of skills (i.e., the transfer of newly learnt skills to untrained situations) has not to date been demonstrated. Parental involvement has been shown to support deaf children’s therapy outcomes. Therefore, this study added parent training to the therapy children received to investigate the benefits to generalisation of children’s skills. Parents were also invited to present their perspective on the training they received. Aims: (1) To assess pupils’ progress from pre- to post-intervention in trained and untrained tasks, (2) to investigate if training parents improved their (a) understanding of their child’s needs and (b) their skills in supporting their child appropriately in smiLE Therapy tasks, (3) to assess if parent training had an impact on the pupil’s ability to (a) maintain their skills in trained tasks post-therapy, and (b) generalise their skills in untrained, community tasks. Methods: This was a mixed-methods, repeated measures study. 31 deaf pupils (aged between 7 and 14) received an hour of smiLE Therapy per week, for 6 weeks. Communication skills were assessed pre-, post- and 3-months post-intervention using the Communication Skills Checklist. Parents were then invited to attend two training sessions and asked to bring a video of their child communicating in a shop or café. These videos were used to assess whether, after parent training, the child was able to generalise their skills to a new situation. Finally, parents attended a focus group to discuss the effectiveness of the therapy, particularly the wider impact, i.e., more child participation within the hearing community. Results: All children significantly improved their scores following smiLE therapy and maintained these skills to high level. Children generalised a high percentage of their newly learnt skills to an untrained situation. Parents reported improved understanding of their child’s needs, their child’s potential and in how to support them in real-life situations. Parents observed that their children were more confident and independent when carrying out communication tasks with unfamiliar hearing people. Parents realised they needed to ‘let go’ and embrace their child’s independence and provide more opportunities for them to participate in their community. Conclusions: This study adds to the evidence base on smiLE Therapy; it is an effective intervention that develops deaf children’s ability to interact competently with unfamiliar, hearing, communication partners. It also provides preliminary evidence of the benefits of parent training in helping children to generalise their skills to other situations. These findings will be of value to therapists wishing to develop deaf children’s communication skills beyond the therapy setting.Keywords: deaf children, generalisation, parent involvement, social communication
Procedia PDF Downloads 129138 Investigation of Attitude of Production Workers towards Job Rotation in Automotive Industry against the Background of Demographic Change
Authors: Franciska Weise, Ralph Bruder
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Due to the demographic change in Germany along with the declining birth rate and the increasing age of population, the share of older people in society is rising. This development is also reflected in the work force of German companies. Therefore companies should focus on improving ergonomics, especially in the area of age-related work design. Literature shows that studies on age-related work design have been carried out in the past, some of whose results have been put into practice. However, there is still a need for further research. One of the most important methods for taking into account the needs of an aging population is job rotation. This method aims at preventing or reducing health risks and inappropriate physical strain. It is conceived as a systematic change of workplaces within a group. Existing literature does not cover any methods for the investigation of the attitudes of employees towards job rotation. However, in order to evaluate job rotation, it is essential to have knowledge of the views of people towards rotation. In addition to an investigation of attitudes, the design of rotation plays a crucial role. The sequence of activities and the rotation frequency influence the worker and as well the work result. The evaluation of preliminary talks on the shop floor showed that team speakers and foremen share a common understanding of job rotation. In practice, different varieties of job rotation exist. One important aspect is the frequency of rotation. It is possible to rotate never, more than one time or even during every break, or more often than every break. It depends on the opportunity or possibility to rotate whenever workers want to rotate. From the preliminary talks some challenges can be derived. For example a rotation in the whole team is not possible, if a team member requires to be trained for a new task. In order to be able to determine the relation of the design and the attitude towards job rotation, a questionnaire is carried out in the vehicle manufacturing. The questionnaire will be employed to determine the different varieties of job rotation that exist in production, as well as the attitudes of workers towards those different frequencies of job rotation. In addition, younger and older employees will be compared with regard to their rotation frequency and their attitudes towards rotation. There are three kinds of age groups. Three questions are under examination. The first question is whether older employees rotate less frequently than younger employees. Also it is investigated to know whether the frequency of job rotation and the attitude towards the frequency of job rotation are interconnected. Moreover, the attitudes of the different age groups towards the frequency of rotation will be examined. Up to now 144 employees, all working in production, took part in the survey. 36.8 % were younger than thirty, 37.5 % were between thirty und forty-four and 25.7 % were above forty-five years old. The data shows no difference between the three age groups in relation to the frequency of job rotation (N=139, median=4, Chi²=.859, df=2, p=.651). Most employees rotate between six and seven workplaces per day. In addition there is a statistically significant correlation between the frequency of job rotation and the attitude towards the frequency (Spearman-Rho: 2-sided=.008, correlation coefficient=.223). Less than four workplaces per day are not enough for the employees. The third question, which differences can be found between older and younger people who rotate in a different way and with different attitudes towards job rotation, cannot be possible answered. Till now the data shows that younger people would like to rotate very often. Regarding to older people no correlation can be found with acceptable significance. The results of the survey will be used to improve the current practice of job rotation. In addition, the discussions during the survey are expected to help sensitize the employees with respect to rotation issues, and to contribute to optimizing rotation by means of qualification and an improved design of job rotation. Together with the employees and the results of the survey there must be found standards which show how to rotate in an ergonomic way while consider the attitude towards job rotation.Keywords: job rotation, age-related work design, questionnaire, automotive industry
Procedia PDF Downloads 296137 Removal of VOCs from Gas Streams with Double Perovskite-Type Catalyst
Authors: Kuan Lun Pan, Moo Been Chang
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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are one of major air contaminants, and they can react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in atmosphere to form ozone (O3) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) with solar irradiation, leading to environmental hazards. In addition, some VOCs are toxic at low concentration levels and cause adverse effects on human health. How to effectively reduce VOCs emission has become an important issue. Thermal catalysis is regarded as an effective way for VOCs removal because it provides oxidation route to successfully convert VOCs into carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O(g)). Single perovskite-type catalysts are promising for VOC removal, and they are of good potential to replace noble metals due to good activity and high thermal stability. Single perovskites can be generally described as ABO3 or A2BO4, where A-site is often a rare earth element or an alkaline. Typically, the B-site is transition metal cation (Fe, Cu, Ni, Co, or Mn). Catalytic properties of perovskites mainly rely on nature, oxidation states and arrangement of B-site cation. Interestingly, single perovskites could be further synthesized to form double perovskite-type catalysts which can simply be represented by A2B’B”O6. Likewise, A-site stands for an alkaline metal or rare earth element, and the B′ and B′′ are transition metals. Double perovskites possess unique surface properties. In structure, three-dimensional of B-site with ordered arrangement of B’O6 and B”O6 is presented alternately, and they corner-share octahedral along three directions of the crystal lattice, while cations of A-site position between the void of octahedral. It has attracted considerable attention due to specific arrangement of alternating B-site structure. Therefore, double perovskites may have more variations than single perovskites, and this greater variation may promote catalytic performance. It is expected that activity of double perovskites is higher than that of single perovskites toward VOC removal. In this study, double perovskite-type catalyst (La2CoMnO6) is prepared and evaluated for VOC removal. Also, single perovskites including LaCoO3 and LaMnO3 are tested for the comparison purpose. Toluene (C7H8) is one of the important VOCs which are commonly applied in chemical processes. In addition to its wide application, C7H8 has high toxicity at a low concentration. Therefore, C7H8 is selected as the target compound in this study. Experimental results indicate that double perovskite (La2CoMnO6) has better activity if compared with single perovskites. Especially, C7H8 can be completely oxidized to CO2 at 300oC as La2CoMnO6 is applied. Characterization of catalysts indicates that double perovskite has unique surface properties and is of higher amounts of lattice oxygen, leading to higher activity. For durability test, La2CoMnO6 maintains high C7H8 removal efficiency of 100% at 300oC and 30,000 h-1, and it also shows good resistance to CO2 (5%) and H2O(g) (5%) of gas streams tested. For various VOCs including isopropyl alcohol (C3H8O), ethanal (C2H4O), and ethylene (C2H4) tested, as high as 100% efficiency could be achieved with double perovskite-type catalyst operated at 300℃, indicating that double perovskites are promising catalysts for VOCs removal, and possible mechanisms will be elucidated in this paper.Keywords: volatile organic compounds, Toluene (C7H8), double perovskite-type catalyst, catalysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 159136 Effect of Rapeseed Press Cake on Extrusion System Parameters and Physical Pellet Quality of Fish Feed
Authors: Anna Martin, Raffael Osen
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The demand for fish from aquaculture is constantly growing. Concurrently, due to a shortage of fishmeal caused by extensive overfishing, fishmeal substitution by plant proteins is getting increasingly important for the production of sustainable aquafeed. Several research studies evaluated the impact of plant protein meals, concentrates or isolates on fish health and fish feed quality. However, these protein raw materials often require elaborate and expensive manufacturing and their availability is limited. Rapeseed press cake (RPC) – a side product of de-oiling processes – exhibits a high potential as a plant-based fishmeal alternative in fish feed for carnivorous species due to its availability, low costs and protein content. In order to produce aquafeed with RPC, it is important to systematically assess i) inclusion levels of RPC with similar pellet qualities compared to fishmeal containing formulations and ii) how extrusion parameters can be adjusted to achieve targeted pellet qualities. However, the effect of RPC on extrusion system parameters and pellet quality has only scarcely been investigated. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of feed formulation, extruder barrel temperature (90, 100, 110 °C) and screw speed (200, 300, 400 rpm) on extrusion system parameters and the physical properties of fish feed pellets. A co-rotating pilot-scale twin screw extruder was used to produce five iso-nitrogenous feed formulations: a fish meal based reference formulation including 16 g/100g fishmeal and four formulations in which fishmeal was substituted by RPC to 25, 50, 75 or 100 %. Extrusion system parameters, being product temperature, pressure at the die, specific mechanical energy (SME) and torque, were monitored while samples were taken. After drying, pellets were analyzed regarding to optical appearance, sectional and longitudinal expansion, sinking velocity, bulk density, water stability, durability and specific hardness. In our study, the addition of minor amounts of RPC already had high impact on pellet quality parameters, especially on expansion but only marginally affected extrusion system parameters. Increasing amounts of RPC reduced sectional expansion, sinking velocity, bulk density and specific hardness and increased longitudinal expansion compared to a reference formulation without RPC. Water stability and durability were almost not affected by RPC addition. Moreover, pellets with rapeseed components showed a more coarse structure than pellets containing only fishmeal. When the adjustment of barrel temperature and screw speed was investigated, it could be seen that the increase of extruder barrel temperature led to a slight decrease of SME and die pressure and an increased sectional expansion of the reference pellets but did almost not affect rapeseed containing fish feed pellets. Also changes in screw speed had little effects on the physical properties of pellets however with raised screw speed the SME and the product temperature increased. In summary, a one-to-one substitution of fishmeal with RPC without the adjustment of extrusion process parameters does not result in fish feed of a designated quality. Therefore, a deeper knowledge of raw materials and their behavior under thermal and mechanical stresses as applied during extrusion is required.Keywords: extrusion, fish feed, press cake, rapeseed
Procedia PDF Downloads 137135 The Role of Serum Fructosamine as a Monitoring Tool in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Treatment in Vietnam
Authors: Truong H. Le, Ngoc M. To, Quang N. Tran, Luu T. Cao, Chi V. Le
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Introduction: In Vietnam, the current monitoring and treatment for ordinary diabetic patient mostly based on glucose monitoring with HbA1c test for every three months (recommended goal is HbA1c < 6.5%~7%). For diabetes in pregnant women or Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), glycemic control until the time of delivery is extremly important because it could reduce significantly medical implications for both the mother and the child. Besides, GDM requires continuos glucose monitoring at least every two weeks and therefore an alternative marker of glycemia for short-term control is considering a potential tool for the healthcare providers. There are published studies have indicated that the glycosylated serum protein is a better indicator than glycosylated hemoglobin in GDM monitoring. Based on the actual practice in Vietnam, this study was designed to evaluate the role of serum fructosamine as a monitoring tool in GDM treament and its correlations with fasting blood glucose (G0), 2-hour postprandial glucose (G2) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Methods: A cohort study on pregnant women diagnosed with GDM by the 75-gram oralglucose tolerance test was conducted at Endocrinology Department, Cho Ray hospital, Vietnam from June 2014 to March 2015. Cho Ray hospital is the final destination for GDM patient in the southern of Vietnam, the study population has many sources from other pronvinces and therefore researchers belive that this demographic characteristic can help to provide the study result as a reflection for the whole area. In this study, diabetic patients received a continuos glucose monitoring method which consists of bi-weekly on-site visit every 2 weeks with glycosylated serum protein test, fasting blood glucose test and 2-hour postprandial glucose test; HbA1c test for every 3 months; and nutritious consultance for daily diet program. The subjects still received routine treatment at the hospital, with tight follow-up from their healthcare providers. Researchers recorded bi-weekly health conditions, serum fructosamine level and delivery outcome from the pregnant women, using Stata 13 programme for the analysis. Results: A total of 500 pregnant women was enrolled and follow-up in this study. Serum fructosamine level was found to have a light correlation with G0 ( r=0.3458, p < 0.001) and HbA1c ( r=0.3544, p < 0.001), and moderately correlated with G2 ( r=0.4379, p < 0.001). During study timeline, the delivery outcome of 287 women were recorded with the average age of 38.5 ± 1.5 weeks, 9% of them have macrosomia, 2.8% have premature birth before week 35th and 9.8% have premature birth before week 37th; 64.8% of cesarean section and none of them have perinatal or neonatal mortality. The study provides a reference interval of serum fructosamine for GDM patient was 112.9 ± 20.7 μmol/dL. Conclusion: The present results suggests that serum fructosamine is as effective as HbA1c as a reflection of blood glucose control in GDM patient, with a positive result in delivery outcome (0% perinatal or neonatal mortality). The reference value of serum fructosamine measurement provided a potential monitoring utility in GDM treatment for hospitals in Vietnam. Healthcare providers in Cho Ray hospital is considering to conduct more studies to test this reference as a target value in their GDM treatment and monitoring.Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, monitoring tool, serum fructosamine, Vietnam
Procedia PDF Downloads 275134 Relationship Between Brain Entropy Patterns Estimated by Resting State fMRI and Child Behaviour
Authors: Sonia Boscenco, Zihan Wang, Euclides José de Mendoça Filho, João Paulo Hoppe, Irina Pokhvisneva, Geoffrey B.C. Hall, Michael J. Meaney, Patricia Pelufo Silveira
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Entropy can be described as a measure of the number of states of a system, and when used in the context of physiological time-based signals, it serves as a measure of complexity. In functional connectivity data, entropy can account for the moment-to-moment variability that is neglected in traditional functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses. While brain fMRI resting state entropy has been associated with some pathological conditions like schizophrenia, no investigations have explored the association between brain entropy measures and individual differences in child behavior in healthy children. We describe a novel exploratory approach to evaluate brain fMRI resting state data in two child cohorts, and MAVAN (N=54, 4.5 years, 48% males) and GUSTO (N = 206, 4.5 years, 48% males) and its associations to child behavior, that can be used in future research in the context of child exposures and long-term health. Following rs-fMRI data pre-processing and Shannon entropy calculation across 32 network regions of interest to acquire 496 unique functional connections, partial correlation coefficient analysis adjusted for sex was performed to identify associations between entropy data and Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire in MAVAN and Child Behavior Checklist domains in GUSTO. Significance was set at p < 0.01, and we found eight significant associations in GUSTO. Negative associations were found between two frontoparietal regions and cerebellar posterior and oppositional defiant problems, (r = -0.212, p = 0.006) and (r = -0.200, p = 0.009). Positive associations were identified between somatic complaints and four default mode connections: salience insula (r = 0.202, p < 0.01), dorsal attention intraparietal sulcus (r = 0.231, p = 0.003), language inferior frontal gyrus (r = 0.207, p = 0.008) and language posterior superior temporal gyrus (r = 0.210, p = 0.008). Positive associations were also found between insula and frontoparietal connection and attention deficit / hyperactivity problems (r = 0.200, p < 0.01), and insula – default mode connection and pervasive developmental problems (r = 0.210, p = 0.007). In MAVAN, ten significant associations were identified. Two positive associations were found = with prosocial scores: the salience prefrontal cortex and dorsal attention connection (r = 0.474, p = 0.005) and the salience supramarginal gyrus and dorsal attention intraparietal sulcus (r = 0.447, p = 0.008). The insula and prefrontal connection were negatively associated with peer problems (r = -0.437, p < 0.01). Conduct problems were negatively associated with six separate connections, the left salience insula and right salience insula (r = -0.449, p = 0.008), left salience insula and right salience supramarginal gyrus (r = -0.512, p = 0.002), the default mode and visual network (r = -0.444, p = 0.009), dorsal attention and language network (r = -0.490, p = 0.003), and default mode and posterior parietal cortex (r = -0.546, p = 0.001). Entropy measures of resting state functional connectivity can be used to identify individual differences in brain function that are correlated with variation in behavioral problems in healthy children. Further studies applying this marker into the context of environmental exposures are warranted.Keywords: child behaviour, functional connectivity, imaging, Shannon entropy
Procedia PDF Downloads 196133 Membrane Technologies for Obtaining Bioactive Fractions from Blood Main Protein: An Exploratory Study for Industrial Application
Authors: Fatima Arrutia, Francisco Amador Riera
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The meat industry generates large volumes of blood as a result of meat processing. Several industrial procedures have been implemented in order to treat this by-product, but are focused on the production of low-value products, and in many cases, blood is simply discarded as waste. Besides, in addition to economic interests, there is an environmental concern due to bloodborne pathogens and other chemical contaminants found in blood. Consequently, there is a dire need to find extensive uses for blood that can be both applicable to industrial scale and able to yield high value-added products. Blood has been recognized as an important source of protein. The main blood serum protein in mammals is serum albumin. One of the top trends in food market is functional foods. Among them, bioactive peptides can be obtained from protein sources by microbiological fermentation or enzymatic and chemical hydrolysis. Bioactive peptides are short amino acid sequences that can have a positive impact on health when administered. The main drawback for bioactive peptide production is the high cost of the isolation, purification and characterization techniques (such as chromatography and mass spectrometry) that make unaffordable the scale-up. On the other hand, membrane technologies are very suitable to apply to the industry because they offer a very easy scale-up and are low-cost technologies, compared to other traditional separation methods. In this work, the possibility of obtaining bioactive peptide fractions from serum albumin by means of a simple procedure of only 2 steps (hydrolysis and membrane filtration) was evaluated, as an exploratory study for possible industrial application. The methodology used in this work was, firstly, a tryptic hydrolysis of serum albumin in order to release the peptides from the protein. The protein was previously subjected to a thermal treatment in order to enhance the enzyme cleavage and thus the peptide yield. Then, the obtained hydrolysate was filtered through a nanofiltration/ultrafiltration flat rig at three different pH values with two different membrane materials, so as to compare membrane performance. The corresponding permeates were analyzed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technology in order to obtain the peptide sequences present in each permeate. Finally, different concentrations of every permeate were evaluated for their in vitro antihypertensive and antioxidant activities though ACE-inhibition and DPPH radical scavenging tests. The hydrolysis process with the previous thermal treatment allowed achieving a degree of hydrolysis of the 49.66% of the maximum possible. It was found that peptides were best transmitted to the permeate stream at pH values that corresponded to their isoelectric points. Best selectivity between peptide groups was achieved at basic pH values. Differences in peptide content were found between membranes and also between pH values for the same membrane. The antioxidant activity of all permeates was high compared with the control only for the highest dose. However, antihypertensive activity was best for intermediate concentrations, rather than higher or lower doses. Therefore, although differences between them, all permeates were promising regarding antihypertensive and antioxidant properties.Keywords: bioactive peptides, bovine serum albumin, hydrolysis, membrane filtration
Procedia PDF Downloads 191132 Eco-Friendly Cultivation
Authors: Shah Rucksana Akhter Urme
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Agriculture is the main source of food for human consumption and feeding the world huge population, the pressure of food supply is increasing day by day. Undoubtedly, quality strain, improved plantation, farming technology, synthetic fertilizer, readily available irrigation, insecticides and harvesting technology are the main factors those to meet up the huge demand of food consumption all over the world. However, depended on this limited resources and excess amount of consuming lands, water, fertilizers leads to the end of the resources and severe climate effects has been left for our future generation. Agriculture is the most responsible to global warming, emitting more greenhouse gases than all other vehicles largely from nitrous oxide released by from fertilized fields, and carbon dioxide from the cutting of rain forests to grow crops . Farming is the thirstiest user of our precious water supplies and a major polluter, as runoff from fertilizers disrupts fragile lakes, rivers, and coastal ecosystems across the globe which accelerates the loss of biodiversity, crucial habitat and a major driver of wildlife extinction. It is needless to say that we have to more concern on how we can save the nutrients of the soil, storage of the water and avoid excessive depends on synthetic fertilizer and insecticides. In this case, eco- friendly cultivation could be a potential alternative solution to minimize effects of agriculture in our environment. The objective of this review paper is about organic cultivation following in particular biotechnological process focused on bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticides. Intense practice of chemical pesticides, insecticides has severe effect on both in human life and biodiversity. This cultivation process introduces farmer an alternative way which is nonhazardous, cost effective and ecofriendly. Organic fertilizer such as tea residue, ashes might be the best alternative to synthetic fertilizer those play important role in increasing soil nutrient and fertility. Ashes contain different essential and non-essential mineral contents that are required for plant growth. Organic pesticide such as neem spray is beneficial for crop as it is toxic for pest and insects. Recycled and composted crop wastes and animal manures, crop rotation, green manures and legumes etc. are suitable for soil fertility which is free from hazardous chemicals practice. Finally water hyacinth and algae are potential source of nutrients even alternative to soil for cultivation along with storage of water for continuous supply. Inorganic practice of agriculture, consuming fruits and vegetables becomes a threat for both human life and eco-system and synthetic fertilizer and pesticides are responsible for it. Farmers that practice eco-friendly farming have to implement steps to protect the environment, particularly by severely limiting the use of pesticides and avoiding the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, which are necessary for organic systems to experience reduced environmental harm and health risk.Keywords: organic farming, biopesticides, organic nutrients, water storage, global warming
Procedia PDF Downloads 53131 Blood Chemo-Profiling in Workers Exposed to Occupational Pyrethroid Pesticides to Identify Associated Diseases
Authors: O. O. Sufyani, M. E. Oraiby, S. A. Qumaiy, A. I. Alaamri, Z. M. Eisa, A. M. Hakami, M. A. Attafi, O. M. Alhassan, W. M. Elsideeg, E. M. Noureldin, Y. A. Hobani, Y. Q. Majrabi, I. A. Khardali, A. B. Maashi, A. A. Al Mane, A. H. Hakami, I. M. Alkhyat, A. A. Sahly, I. M. Attafi
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According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Pesticides Use Database, pesticide use in agriculture in Saudi Arabia has more than doubled from 4539 tons in 2009 to 10496 tons in 2019. Among pesticides, pyrethroids is commonly used in Saudi Arabia. Pesticides may increase susceptibility to a variety of diseases, particularly among pesticide workers, due to their extensive use, indiscriminate use, and long-term exposure. Therefore, analyzing blood chemo-profiles and evaluating the detected substances as biomarkers for pyrethroid pesticide exposure may assist to identify and predicting adverse effects of exposure, which may be used for both preventative and risk assessment purposes. The purpose of this study was to (a) analyze chemo-profiling by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, (b) identify the most commonly detected chemicals in a time-exposure-dependent manner using a Venn diagram, and (c) identify their associated disease among pesticide workers using analyzer tools on the Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD) website, (250 healthy male volunteers (20-60 years old) who deal with pesticides in the Jazan region of Saudi Arabia (exposure intervals: 1-2, 4-6, 6-8, more than 8 years) were included in the study. A questionnaire was used to collect demographic information, the duration of pesticide exposure, and the existence of chronic conditions. Blood samples were collected for biochemistry analysis and extracted by solid-phase extraction for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Biochemistry analysis reveals no significant changes in response to the exposure period; however, an inverse association between the albumin level and the exposure interval was observed. The blood chemo-profiling was differentially expressed in an exposure time-dependent manner. This analysis identified the common chemical set associated with each group and their associated significant occupational diseases. While some of these chemicals are associated with a variety of diseases, the distinguishing feature of these chemically associated disorders is their applicability for prevention measures. The most interesting finding was the identification of several chemicals; erucic acid, pelargonic acid, alpha-linolenic acid, dibutyl phthalate, diisobutyl phthalate, dodecanol, myristic Acid, pyrene, and 8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid, associated with pneumoconiosis, asbestosis, asthma, silicosis and berylliosis. Chemical-disease association study also found that cancer, digestive system disease, nervous system disease, and metabolic disease were the most often recognized disease categories in the common chemical set. The hierarchical clustering approach was used to compare the expression patterns and exposure intervals of the chemicals found commonly. More study is needed to validate these chemicals as early markers of pyrethroid insecticide-related occupational disease, which might assist evaluate and reducing risk. The current study contributes valuable data and recommendations to public health.Keywords: occupational, toxicology, chemo-profiling, pesticide, pyrethroid, GC-MS
Procedia PDF Downloads 92130 Tele-Rehabilitation for Multiple Sclerosis: A Case Study
Authors: Sharon Harel, Rachel Kizony, Yoram Feldman, Gabi Zeilig, Mordechai Shani
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Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease that may cause restriction in participation in daily activities of young adults. Main symptoms include fatigue, weakness and cognitive decline. The appearance of symptoms, their severity and deterioration rate, change between patients. The challenge of health services is to provide long-term rehabilitation services to people with MS. The objective of this presentation is to describe a course of tele-rehabilitation service of a woman with MS. Methods; R is a 48 years-old woman, diagnosed with MS when she was 22. She started to suffer from weakness of her non-dominant left upper extremity about ten years after the diagnosis. She was referred to the tele-rehabilitation service by her rehabilitation team, 16 years after diagnosis. Her goals were to improve ability to use her affected upper extremity in daily activities. On admission her score in the Mini-Mental State Exam was 30/30. Her Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) score of the left upper extremity was 48/60, indicating mild weakness and she had a limitation of her shoulder abduction (90 degrees). In addition, she reported little use of her arm in daily activities as shown in her responses to the Motor Activity Log (MAL) that were equal to 1.25/5 in amount and 1.37 in quality of use. R. received two 30 minutes on-line sessions per week in the tele-rehabilitation service, with the CogniMotion system. These were complemented by self-practice with the system. The CogniMotion system provides a hybrid (synchronous-asynchronous), the home-based tele-rehabilitation program to improve the motor, cognitive and functional status of people with neurological deficits. The system consists of a computer, large monitor, and the Microsoft’s Kinect 3D sensor. This equipment is located in the client’s home and connected to a clinician’s computer setup in a remote clinic via WiFi. The client sits in front of the monitor and uses his body movements to interact with games and tasks presented on the monitor. The system provides feedback in the form of ‘knowledge of results’ (e.g., the success of a game) and ‘knowledge of performance’ (e.g., alerts for compensatory movements) to enhance motor learning. The games and tasks were adapted for R. motor abilities and level of difficulty was gradually increased according to her abilities. The results of her second assessment (after 35 on-line sessions) showed improvement in her FMA score to 52 and shoulder abduction to 140 degrees. Moreover, her responses to the MAL indicated an increased amount (2.4) and quality (2.2) of use of her left upper extremity in daily activities. She reported high level of enjoyment from the treatments (5/5), specifically the combination of cognitive challenges while moving her body. In addition, she found the system easy to use as reflected by her responses to the System Usability Scale (85/100). To-date, R. continues to receive treatments in the tele-rehabilitation service. To conclude, this case report shows the potential of using tele-rehabilitation for people with MS to provide strategies to enhance the use of the upper extremity in daily activities as well as for maintaining motor function.Keywords: motor function, multiple-sclerosis, tele-rehabilitation, daily activities
Procedia PDF Downloads 173129 Application and Aspects of Biometeorology in Inland Open Water Fisheries Management in the Context of Changing Climate: Status and Research Needs
Authors: U.K. Sarkar, G. Karnatak, P. Mishal, Lianthuamluaia, S. Kumari, S.K. Das, B.K. Das
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Inland open water fisheries provide food, income, livelihood and nutritional security to millions of fishers across the globe. However, the open water ecosystem and fisheries are threatened due to climate change and anthropogenic pressures, which are more visible in the recent six decades, making the resources vulnerable. Understanding the interaction between meteorological parameters and inland fisheries is imperative to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies. As per IPCC 5th assessment report, the earth is warming at a faster rate in recent decades. Global mean surface temperature (GMST) for the decade 2006–2015 (0.87°C) was 6 times higher than the average over the 1850–1900 period. The direct and indirect impacts of climatic parameters on the ecology of fisheries ecosystem have a great bearing on fisheries due to alterations in fish physiology. The impact of meteorological factors on ecosystem health and fish food organisms brings about changes in fish diversity, assemblage, reproduction and natural recruitment. India’s average temperature has risen by around 0.7°C during 1901–2018. The studies show that the mean air temperature in the Ganga basin has increased in the range of 0.20 - 0.47 °C and annual rainfall decreased in the range of 257-580 mm during the last three decades. The studies clearly indicate visible impacts of climatic and environmental factors on inland open water fisheries. Besides, a significant reduction in-depth and area (37.20–57.68% reduction), diversity of natural indigenous fish fauna (ranging from 22.85 to 54%) in wetlands and progression of trophic state from mesotrophic to eutrophic were recorded. In this communication, different applications of biometeorology in inland fisheries management with special reference to the assessment of ecosystem and species vulnerability to climatic variability and change have been discussed. Further, the paper discusses the impact of climate anomaly and extreme climatic events on inland fisheries and emphasizes novel modeling approaches for understanding the impact of climatic and environmental factors on reproductive phenology for identification of climate-sensitive/resilient fish species for the adoption of climate-smart fisheries in the future. Adaptation and mitigation strategies to enhance fish production and the role of culture-based fisheries and enclosure culture in converting sequestered carbon into blue carbon have also been discussed. In general, the type and direction of influence of meteorological parameters on fish biology in open water fisheries ecosystems are not adequately understood. The optimum range of meteorological parameters for sustaining inland open water fisheries is yet to be established. Therefore, the application of biometeorology in inland fisheries offers ample scope for understanding the dynamics in changing climate, which would help to develop a database on such least, addressed research frontier area. This would further help to project fisheries scenarios in changing climate regimes and develop adaptation and mitigation strategies to cope up with adverse meteorological factors to sustain fisheries and to conserve aquatic ecosystem and biodiversity.Keywords: biometeorology, inland fisheries, aquatic ecosystem, modeling, India
Procedia PDF Downloads 186128 Genome-Wide Analysis Identifies Locus Associated with Parathyroid Hormone Levels
Authors: Antonela Matana, Dubravka Brdar, Vesela Torlak, Marijana Popovic, Ivana Gunjaca, Ozren Polasek, Vesna Boraska Perica, Maja Barbalic, Ante Punda, Caroline Hayward, Tatijana Zemunik
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Parathyroid hormone (PTH) plays a critical role in the regulation of bone mineral metabolism and calcium homeostasis. Higher PTH levels are associated with heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery disease, cardiovascular mortality and poorer bone health. A twin study estimated that 60% of the variation in PTH concentrations is genetically determined. Only one GWAS of PTH concentration has been reported to date. Identified loci explained 4.5% of the variance in circulating PTH, suggesting that additional genetic variants remain undiscovered. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify novel genetic variants associated with PTH levels in a general population. We have performed a GWAS meta-analysis on 2596 individuals originating from three Croatian cohorts: City of Split and the Islands of Korčula and Vis, within a large-scale project of “10,001 Dalmatians”. A total of 7 411 206 variants, imputed using the 1000 Genomes reference panel, with minor allele frequency ≥ 1% and Rsq ≥ 0.5 were analyzed for the association. GWAS within each data set was performed under an additive model, controlling for age, gender and relatedness. Meta-analysis was conducted using the inverse-variance fixed-effects method. Furthermore, to identify sex-specific effects, we have conducted GWAS meta-analyses analyzing males and females separately. In addition, we have performed biological pathway analysis. Four SNPs, representing one locus, reached genome-wide significance. The most significant SNP was rs11099476 on chromosome 4 (P=1.15x10-8), which explained 1.14 % of the variance in PTH. The SNP is located near the protein-coding gene RASGEF1B. Additionally, we detected suggestive association with SNPs, rs77178854 located on chromosome 2 in the DPP10 gene (P=2.46x10-7) and rs481121 located on chromosome 1 (P=3.58x10-7) near the GRIK1 gene. One of the top hits detected in the main meta-analysis, intron variant rs77178854 located within DPP10 gene, reached genome-wide significance in females (P=2.21x10-9). No single locus was identified in the meta-analysis in males. Fifteen biological pathways were functionally enriched at a P<0.01, including muscle contraction, ion homeostasis and cardiac conduction as the most significant pathways. RASGEF1B is the guanine nucleotide exchange factor, known to be associated with height, bone density, and hip. DPP10 encodes a membrane protein that is a member of the serine proteases family, which binds specific voltage-gated potassium channels and alters their expression and biophysical properties. In conclusion, we identified 2 novel loci associated with PTH levels in a general population, providing us with further insights into the genetics of this complex trait.Keywords: general population, genome-wide association analysis, parathyroid hormone, single nucleotide polymorphisms.
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