Search results for: middle molecules

Authors: Artsiom Zinchanka

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The world faces now one of the largest migration crisis and the European Union meets challenges in accepting the flow of migrants that could not be handled finally at this step. This crisis is complicated with many factors, such as military conflict in the Middle East; absence of the appropriate conditions in the refugees’ camps; but also with the complicity of the migration flow consisting of the Sub-Saharan migrants. This type of migrants leave their homelands for many reasons including poverty, not appropriate level of social and economic conditions, absence of infrastructure and access to the education and medical care. In practice, when the restrictive approach directed to limit the flow of illicit migration and to send illicit migrants back to their homelands is not always working, the approach directed to the root causes of the migration crisis can be more effective in settling the crisis. The Cotonou Agreement and the following treaties concluded between the European Union, and Sub-Saharan states show that the European Union considers the development of human rights and appropriate social and economic conditions in the Sub-Saharan states as one of the most important factors addressing the migration crisis. The preventive approach as the efforts of the European Union to develop appropriate social and economic conditions in Sub-Saharan states is considered in this article, as well as its evolution and current condition. This article also considers pros and cons of this approach and the obstacles that this approach faces. The research methods include review of literature and documents, analytical and descriptive methods.

Keywords: migration crisis, preventive approach, Sub-Saharan States, the European Union

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Authors: Kelvin Lo

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Nowadays, numerical modelling in geotechnical engineering is very common but sophisticated. Many advanced input settings and considerable computational efforts are required to optimize the design to reduce the construction cost. To optimize a design, it usually requires huge numerical models. If the optimization is conducted manually, there is a potentially dangerous consequence from human errors, and the time spent on the input and data extraction from output is significant. This paper presents an automation process introduced to numerical modelling (Plaxis 2D) of a trench excavation supported by a secant-pile retaining structure for a top-down tunnel project. Python code is adopted to control the process, and numerical modelling is conducted automatically in every 20m chainage along the 200m tunnel, with maximum retained height occurring in the middle chainage. Python code continuously changes the geological stratum and excavation depth under groundwater flow conditions in each 20m section. It automatically conducts trial and error to determine the required pile length and the use of props to achieve the required factor of safety and target displacement. Once the bending moment of the pile exceeds its capacity, it will increase in size. When the pile embedment reaches the default maximum length, it will turn on the prop system. Results showed that it saves time, increases efficiency, lowers design costs, and replaces human labor to minimize error.

Keywords: automation, numerical modelling, Python, retaining structures

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Authors: Rumana Keyani, Haleema Sadia, Asia Nosheen, Rabia Naz, Humaira Yasmin, Sidra Zahoor

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Tomato is a significant crop of the world and is one of the staple foods of Pakistan. A vast number of plant pathogens from simple viruses to complex parasites cause diseases in tomatoes but fungal infection in our country is quite high. Sometimes the symptoms are too harsh destroying the crop altogether. Countries like our own with continuously increasing massive population and limited resources cannot afford such an economic loss. There is an array of morphological, genetic, biochemical and molecular processes involved in plant resistance mechanisms to biotic stress. The study of different metabolic pathways like Jasmonic acid (JA) pathways and most importantly signaling molecules like ROS/RNS and their redoxin enzymes i.e. TRX and NRX is crucial to disease management, contributing to healthy plant growth. So, improving tolerance in crop plants against biotic stresses is a dire need of our country and world as whole. In the current study, fungal pathogenic strains Alternaria solani and Rhizoctonia solani were used to inoculate tomatoes to check the defense responses of tomato plant against these pathogens at molecular as well as phenotypic level with jasmonic acid and spermidine pretreatment. All the growth parameters (root and shoot length, dry and weight root, shoot weight measured 7 days post-inoculation, exhibited that infection drastically declined the growth of the plant whereas jasmonic acid and spermidine assisted the plants to cope up with the infection. Thus, JA and Spermidine treatments maintained comparatively better growth factors. Antioxidant assays and expression analysis through real time quantitative PCR following time course experiment at 24, 48 and 72 hours intervals also exhibited that activation of JA defense genes and a polyamine Spermidine helps in mediating tomato responses against fungal infection when used alone but the two treatments combined mask the effect of each other.

Keywords: fungal infection, jasmonic acid defence, tomato, spermidine

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Authors: Olumide Simeon Ogunnusi, Shukor Abd Razak, Michael Kolade Adu

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Inter-agent communication manager facilitates communication among mobile agents via message passing mechanism. Until now, all Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents (FIPA) compliant agent systems are capable of exchanging messages following the standard format of sending and receiving messages. Previous works tend to secure messages to be exchanged among a community of collaborative agents commissioned to perform specific tasks using cryptosystems. However, the approach is characterized by computational complexity due to the encryption and decryption processes required at the two ends. The proposed approach to secure agent communication allows only agents that are created by the host agent server to communicate via the agent communication channel provided by the host agent platform. These agents are assumed to be harmless. Therefore, to secure communication of legitimate agents from intrusion by external agents, a 2-phase policy enforcement system was developed. The first phase constrains the external agent to run only on the network server while the second phase confines the activities of the external agent to its execution environment. To implement the proposed policy, a controller agent was charged with the task of screening any external agent entering the local area network and preventing it from migrating to the agent execution host where the legitimate agents are running. On arrival of the external agent at the host network server, an introspector agent was charged to monitor and restrain its activities. This approach secures legitimate agent communication from Man-in-the Middle and Replay attacks.

Keywords: agent communication, introspective agent, isolation of agent, policy enforcement system

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Authors: Yvette Reisinger

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Relatively little is known about the Arab travel market, especially the outbound travel market from Arab countries in the Middle East. The Kuwaiti travel market is the smallest yet fastest growing in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. The Kuwaiti travel market represents a great potential for the international tourism industry. Kuwaiti nationals have a very high spending power due to the Kuwaiti dinar being the highest-valued currency unit in the world. Although Europe, North America, and Asia/Pacific try to attract the Arab tourist market the number of Kuwaiti travellers attracted to these destinations is very low. The success in attracting the Kuwaiti travel market to Western countries must be guided by an analysis of the factors that affect its travel decisions. The objective of the study is to identify major factors that influence Kuwaiti nationals’ intentions to travel to Western countries. A model is developed and empirically tested on a sample of 343 Kuwaiti nationals. A series of regression analyses are run to determine the effects of different factors on Kuwaiti’s travel decisions. A Herman’s single factor test and Durbin-Watson test are used to assess the validity of the regression model. Analysis is controlled for socio-demographics. The results show that the Muslim friendly amenities and destination cognitive image exert significant effects on Kuwaiti nationals’ intentions to travel to Western countries. The study provides a better understanding of the factors that attract Kuwaiti tourists to Western countries. By knowing what encourages Kuwaitis to travel to Western countries marketers can plan and promote these countries accordingly. The study provides a foundation of future empirical research into the Kuwaiti/Arab travel market.

Keywords: Kuwaiti travel market, travel decisions, Western countries

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Authors: Pholosho M. Kgopa, Phatu W. Mashela, Alen Manyevere

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Increasing incidents of drought spells in most Sub-Saharan Africa call for using alternative sources of water for irrigation in arid and semi-arid regions. A study was conducted to investigate chemical composition of borehole and treated wastewater from different sampling disposal sites at University of Limpopo Experimental Farm (ULEF). A 4 × 5 factorial experiment, with the borehole as a reference sampling site and three other sampling sites along the wastewater disposal system was conducted over five months. Water samples were collected at four sites namely, (a) exit from Pond 16 into the furrow, (b) entry into night-dam, (c) exit from night dam to irrigated fields and (d) exit from borehole to irrigated fields. Water samples were collected in the middle of each month, starting from July to November 2016. Samples were analysed for pH, EC, Ca, Mg, Na, K, Al, B, Zn, Cu, Cr, Pb, Cd and As. The site × time interactions were highly significant for Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Cr, Pb, Cd, and As variables, but not for Na and K. Sampling site was highly significant on all variables, with sampling period not significant for K and Na. Relative to water from the borehole, Na concentration in wastewater samples from the night-dam exit, night-dam entry and Pond16 exit were lower by 69, 34 and 55%, respectively. Relative to borehole water, Al was higher in wastewater sampling sites. In conclusion, both sampling site and period affected the chemical composition of treated wastewater.

Keywords: irrigation water quality, spatial effects, temporal effects, water reuse, water scarcity

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Authors: Mehrnaz Mostafavi

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Lung cancer is one of the most harmful forms of cancer. The long-term survival rate of lung cancer patients treated by conventional modalities such as surgical resection, radiation, and chemotherapy remains far from satisfactory. Systemic drug delivery is rarely successful because only a limited amount of the chemotherapeutic drug targets lung tumor sites, even when administered at a high dose. Targeted delivery of drug molecules to organs or special sites is one of the most challenging research areas in pharmaceutical sciences. By developing colloidal delivery systems such as liposomes, micelles and nanoparticles a new frontier was opened for improving drug delivery. Nanoparticles with their special characteristics such as small particle size, large surface area and the capability of changing their surface properties have numerous advantages compared with other delivery systems. Targeted nanoparticle delivery to the lungs is an emerging area of interest.Multimodal or combination therapy represents a promising new method to fight disease. Therefore, a combination of different therapeutic strategies may be the best alternative to improve treatment outcomes for lung cancer. Photothermal therapy was proposed as a novel approach to treatment. In this work, photothermal therapy with gold nanoparticles and near infrared laser (NIR) irradiation was investigated.Four types of small (<100nm), NIR absorbing gold nanoparticles (nanospheres, nanorods) were synthesized using wet chemical methods and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and UV-vis spectroscopy. Their synthesis and properties were evaluated, to determine their feasibility as a photothermal agent for clinical applications. In vitro cellular uptake studies of the nanoparticles into lung cancer cell lines was measured using light scattering microscopy.Small gold nanorods had good photothermal properties and the greatest cellular uptake, and were used in photothermal studies. Under 4W laser irradiation, an increase in temperature of 10°C and decrease in cell viability of up to 80% were obtained.

Keywords: photothermal, therapy, cancer, gold nanorods

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Authors: Suresh Reddi, Mathew Leslie, Vishnu S. Das

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Sustainable design is a prominent concept across all sectors of engineering and its importance is widely recognized within the Arabian Gulf region. Despite that sustainable or soft engineering options are not widely deployed in coastal engineering projects and a preference for utilizing ‘hard engineering’ solutions remain. The concept of soft engineering lies in “working together” with the nature to manage the coastline. This approach allows hard engineering options, such as breakwaters or sea walls, to be minimized or even eliminated altogether. Hard structures provide a firm barrier to wave energy or flooding, but in doing so they often have a significant impact on the natural processes of the coastline. This may affect the area locally or impact on neighboring zones. In addition, they often have a negative environmental impact and may create a sense of disconnect between the marine environment and local users. Soft engineering options, seek to protect the coastline by working in harmony with the natural process of sediment transport/budget. They often consider new habitat creation and creating usable spaces that will increase the sense of connection with nature. Often soft engineering options, where appropriately deployed can provide a low-maintenance, aesthetically valued, natural line of coastal protection. This paper deals with an overview of the following: The widely accepted soft engineering practices across the world; How this approach has been considered by Ramboll in some recent projects in Middle East and Asia; Challenges and barriers to use in using soft engineering options in the region; Way forward towards more widespread adoption.

Keywords: coastline, hard engineering, low maintenance, soft engineering options

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Authors: Latife Merve Oktay, Berrin Tugrul

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Hydroxytyrosol (HT) is a phenolic phytochemical molecule derived from the hydrolysis of oleuropein, which originates during the maturation of the olives. It has recently received particular attention because of its antioxidant, anti-proliferative, pro-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities. In this study, we investigated the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of hydroxytyrosol and its effects on phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) signaling pathways in human ovarian cancer cell lines OVCAR-3 and MDAH-2774. XTT cell proliferation kit, Cell Death Detection Elisa Plus Kit (Roche) and Human Apoptosis Array (R&D Systems) were used to determine the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of HT in OVCAR-3 and MDAH-2774 cell lines at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h. Effect of HT on PI3K/Akt and ERK 1/2 signaling pathways were investigated by using specific inhibitors of these pathways. IC50 values of HT were found to be 102.3 µM in MDAH-2774 cells at 72 h and 51.5 µM in OVCAR-3 cells at 96 h. Apoptotic effect of HT in MDAH-2774 cells was the highest at 50 µM at 72 h, and kept decreasing at 100 and 150 µM concentrations and was not seen at 200 µM and higher concentrations. Highest apoptotic effect was seen at 100 µM concentration in OVCAR-3 cells at 96 h, however apoptotic effect was decreased over 100 µM concentrations. According to antibody microarray results, HT increased the levels of pro-apoptotic molecules Bad, Bax, active caspase-3, Htra2/Omi by 2.0-, 1.4-, 1.2-, 4.2-fold, respectively and also increased the levels of pro-apoptotic death receptors TRAIL R1/DR4, TRAIL R2/DR5, FAS/TNFRSF6 by 2.1-, 1.7-, 1.6-fold, respectively, however, it decreased the level of Survivin by 1.6-fold which is one of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) family in MDAH-2774 cells. In OVCAR-3 cells, HT decreased the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins Bcl-2, pro-caspase 3 by 3.1-, 8.2-fold, respectively and IAP family proteins CIAP-1, CIAP-2, XIAP, Livin, Survivin by 6.5-, 6.0-, 3.2-, 2.2-, 2.7-fold, respectively and increased the level of cytochrome-c by 1.2-fold. We have shown that HT shows its cytotoxic and apoptotic effect through inhibiting ERK 1/2 signaling pathway in both OVCAR-3 and MDAH-2774 cells. Further studies are needed to investigate molecular mechanisms and modulatory effects of hydroxytyrosol.

Keywords: apoptosis, cytotoxicity, hydroxytyrosol, ovarian cancer

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Authors: Deepa Kundu, Prabhakar Sharma, Sayan Bhattacharya, Jianying Shang

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The discharge of dye-containing effluents in the water bodies has raised concern due to the potential hazards related to their toxicity in the environment. There are various treatment technologies available for the removal of dyes from wastewaters. The use of biosorbent to remove dyes from wastewater is one of the effective and inexpensive techniques. In the study, the adsorption of phenothiazine dye methylene blue onto biosorbent prepared from Lantana camara L. has been studied in aqueous solutions. The batch adsorption experiments were conducted and the effects of various parameters such as pH (3-12), contact time, adsorbent dose (100-400 mg/L), initial dye concentration (5-20 mg/L), and temperature (303, 313 and 323 K) were investigated. The prepared leaf (BCL600) and shoot (BCS600) biochar of Lantana were characterized using FTIR, SEM, elemental analysis, and zeta potential (pH~7). A comparison between the adsorption potential of both the biosorbent was also evaluated. The results indicated that the amount of methylene blue dye (mg/g) adsorbed onto the surface of biochar was highly dependent on the pH of the dye solutions as it increased with an increase in pH from 3 to 12. It was observed that the dye treated with BCS600 and BCL600 attained an equilibrium within 60 and 100 minutes, respectively. The rate of the adsorption process was determined by performing the Lagergren pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetics. It was found that dye treated with both BCS600 and BCL600 followed pseudo-second-order kinetics implying the multi-step nature of the adsorption process involving external adsorption and diffusion of dye molecules into the interior of the adsorbents. The data obtained from batch experiments were fitted well with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms (R² > 0.98) to indicate the multilayer adsorption of dye over the biochar surfaces. The thermodynamic studies revealed that the adsorption process is favourable, spontaneous, and endothermic in nature. Based on the results, the inexpensive and easily available Lantana camara biomass can be used to remove methylene blue dye from wastewater. It can also help in managing the growth of the notorious weed in the environment.

Keywords: adsorption kinetics, biochar, Lantana camara, methylene blue dye, possible mechanism, thermodynamics

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Authors: Isabel Lopez-Oliva, Akshay Paropkari, Shweta Saraswat, Stefan Serban, Paola de Pablo, Karim Raza, Andrew Filer, Iain Chapple, Thomas Dietrich, Melissa Grant, Purnima Kumar

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Objective: We aimed to explicate the role of the subgingival microbiome in the causal link between rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and periodontitis (PD). Methods: Subjects with/without RA and with/without PD were randomized for treatment with scaling and root planing (SRP) or oral hygiene instructions. Subgingival biofilm, gingival crevicular fluid, and serum were collected at baseline and at 3- and 6-months post-operatively. Correlations were generated between 72 million 16S rDNA sequences, immuno-inflammatory mediators, circulating antibodies to oral microbial antigens, serum inflammatory molecules, and clinical metrics of RA. The dynamics of inter-microbial and host-microbial interactions were modeled using differential network analysis. Results: RA superseded periodontitis as a determinant of microbial composition, and DAS28 score superseded the severity of periodontitis as a driver of microbial assemblages (p=0.001, ANOSIM). RA subjects evidenced higher serum anti-PPAD (p=0.0013), anti-Pg-enolase (p=0.0031), anti-RPP3, anti- Pg-OMP and anti- Pi-OMP (p=0.001) antibodies than non-RA controls (with and without periodontitis). Following SRP, bacterial networks anchored by IL-1b, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, MIP-1b, and PDGF-b underwent ≥5-fold higher rewiring; and serum antibodies to microbial antigens decreased significantly. Conclusions: Our data suggest a circular relationship between RA and PD, beginning with an RA-influenced dysbiosis within the healthy subgingival microbiome that leads to exaggerated local inflammation in periodontitis and circulating antibodies to periodontal pathogens and positive correlation between severity of periodontitis and RA activity. Periodontal therapy restores host-microbial homeostasis, reduces local inflammation, and decreases circulating microbial antigens. Our data highlights the importance of integrating periodontal care into the management of RA patients.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, periodontal, subgingival, DNA sequence analysis, oral microbiome

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Authors: Abeer Tariq, Mohammed S. Aljawad, Khaldoun S. Alfarisi

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This paper aimed to estimate the petrophysical properties (porosity, permeability, and fluid saturation) of the Ajeel well (Aj-1) Shale reservoir. Petrophysical properties of the Naokelekan Formation at Ajeel field are determined from the interpretation of open hole log data of one well which penetrated the source rock reservoir. However, depending on these properties, it is possible to divide the Formation which has a thickness of approximately 28-34 m, into three lithological units: A is the upper unit (thickness about 9 to 13 m) consisting of dolomitized limestones; B is a middle unit (thickness about 13 to 20 m) which is composed of dolomitic limestone, and C is a lower unit (>22 m thick) which consists of shale-rich and dolomitic limestones. The results showed that the average formation water resistivity for the formation (Rw = 0.024), the average resistivity of the mud filtration (Rmf = 0.46), and the Archie parameters were determined by the picket plot method, where (m) value equal to 1.86, (n) value equal to 2 and (a) value equal to 1. Also, this reservoir proved to be economical for future developments to increase the production rate of the field by dealing with challenging reservoirs. In addition, Porosity values and water saturation Sw were calculated along with the depth of the composition using Interactive Petrophysics (IP) V4.5 software. The interpretation of the computer process (CPI) showed that the better porous zone holds the highest amount of hydrocarbons in the second and third zone. From the flow zone indicator FZI method, there are two rock types in the studied reservoir.

Keywords: petrophysical properties, porosity, permeability, ajeel field, Naokelekan formation, Jurassic sequences, carbonate reservoir, source rock

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Authors: Medhanie Gebremedhin Gebru, Alex Schechter

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Dimethyl ether (DME) possesses several advantages over other small organic molecules such as methanol, ethanol, and ammonia in terms of providing higher energy density, being less toxic, and having lower Nafion membrane crossover. However, the absence of an active and stable catalyst has been the bottleneck that hindered the commercialization of direct DME fuel cells. A Vulcan XC72 carbon-supported ternary metal catalyst, Pt₃Pd₃Sn₂/C is reported to have yielded the highest specific power density (90 mW mg-¹PGM) as compared to other catalysts tested fordirect DME fuel cell (DDMEFC). However, the micropores and sulfur groups present in Vulcan XC72 hinder the fuel utilization by causing Pt agglomeration and sulfur poisoning. Vulcan XC72 having a high carbon sp³ hybridization content, is also prone to corrosion. Therefore, carbon supports such as multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), black pearl 2000 (BP2000), and their cold N2 plasma-treated counterpartswere tested to further enhance the activity of the catalyst, and the outputs with these carbons were compared with the originally used support. Detailed characterization of the pristine and carbon supports was conducted. Electrochemical measurements in three-electrode cells and laboratory prototype fuel cells were conducted.Pt₃Pd₃Sn₂/BP2000 exhibited excellent performance in terms of electrochemical active surface area (ECSA), peak current density (jp), and DME oxidation charge (Qoxi). The effect of the plasma activation on the activity improvement was observed only in the case of MWCNT while having little or no effect on the other carbons. A Pt₃Pd₃Sn₂ supported on the optimized mixture of carbons containing 75% plasma-activated MWCNT and 25% BP2000 (Pt₃Pd₃Sn₂/75M25B) provided the highest reported power density of 117 mW mg-1PGM using an anode loading of1.55 mgPGMcm⁻².

Keywords: DME, DDMEFC, ternary metal catalyst, carbon support, plasma activation

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Authors: Shabnam Abdi, Behzad Toosi

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Background: Melanoma is the most lethal type of malignant skin cancer in humans and dogs since it spreads rapidly throughout the body. Despite significant advances in treatment, cancer at an advanced stage has a poor prognosis. Hence, more effective treatments are needed to enhance outcomes with fewer side effects. Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular receptors are the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases and are divided into two subfamilies, EphA and EphB, both of which play a significant role in disease, especially cancer. Due to their association with proliferation and invasion in many aggressive types of cancer, Eph receptor tyrosine kinases (Eph RTKs) are promising cancer therapy molecules. Because these receptors have not been studied in canine melanoma, we investigated how EphA2 influences survival and tumorigenicity of melanoma cells. Methods: Expression of EphA2 protein in canine melanoma cell lines and human melanoma cell line was evaluated by Western blot. Melanoma cells were transduced with lentiviral particles encoding Eph-targeting shRNAs or non-silencing shRNAs (control) for silencing the expression of EphA2 receptor, and silencing was confirmed by Western blotting and immunofluorescence. The effect of siRNA treatment on cellular proliferation, colony formation, tumorsphere assay, invasion was analyzed by Resazurin assay Matrigel invasion assay, respectively. Results: Expression of EphA2 was detected in canine and human melanoma cell lines. Moreover, stably silencing EphA2 by specific shRNAs significantly and consistently decreased the expression of EphA2 protein in both human and canine melanoma cells. Proliferation, colony formation, tumorsphere and invasion of melanoma cells were significantly decreased in EphA2 siRNA-treated cells compared to control. Conclusion: Our data provide the first functional evidence that the EphA2 receptor plays a critical role in the malignant cellular behavior of melanoma in both human and dogs.

Keywords: ephA2, targeting, melanoma, human, canine

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Authors: Raimoana Frogier, Luc Girard, Pierre Bauduin, Diane Rebiscoul, Olivier Diat

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Nano-ions (NIs) are ionic species or clusters of nanometric size. Their low charge density and the delocalization of their charges give special properties to some of NIs belonging to chemical classes of polyoxometalates (POMs) or boron clusters. They have the particularity of interacting non-covalently with neutral hydrated surface or interfaces such as assemblies of surface-active molecules (micelles, vesicles, lyotropic liquid crystals), foam bubbles or emulsion droplets. This makes possible to classify those NIs in the Hofmeister series as superchaotropic ions. The mechanism of adsorption is complex, linked to the simultaneous dehydration of the ion and the molecule or supramolecular assembly with which it can interact, all with an enthalpic gain on the free energy of the system. This interaction process is reversible and is sufficiently pronounced to induce changes in molecular and supramolecular shape or conformation, phase transitions in the liquid phase, all at sub-millimolar ionic concentrations. This new property of some NIs opens up new possibilities for applications in fields as varied as biochemistry for solubilization, recovery of metals of interest by foams in the form of NIs... In order to better understand the physico-chemical mechanisms at the origin of this interaction, we use silicon wafers functionalized by non-ionic oligomers (polyethylene glycol chains or PEG) to study in situ by X-ray reflectivity this interaction of NIs with the grafted chains. This study carried out at ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility) and has shown that the adsorption of the NIs, such as POMs, has a very fast kinetics. Moreover the distribution of the NIs in the grafted PEG chain layer was quantify. These results are very encouraging and confirm what has been observed on soft interfaces such as micelles or foams. The possibility to play on the density, length and chemical nature of the grafted chains makes this system an ideal tool to provide kinetic and thermodynamic information to decipher the complex mechanisms at the origin of this adsorption.

Keywords: adsorption, nano-ions, solid-liquid interface, superchaotropicity

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Authors: Paulomi (Polly) Burey, Zoe Lynch

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In STEM education, students often have difficulty linking static images and words from textbooks or online resources, to the underlying mechanisms of the topic of study. This can often dissuade some students from pursuing study in the physical and chemical sciences. A growing movement in current day students demonstrates that the YouTube generation feel they learn best from video or dynamic, interactive learning tools, and will seek these out as alternatives to their textbooks and the classroom learning environment. Chemistry, and in particular visualization of molecular structures in everyday materials, can prove difficult to comprehend without significant interaction with the teacher of the content and concepts, beyond the timeframe of a typical class. This can cause a learning hurdle for distance education students, and so it is necessary to provide strong electronic tools and resources to aid their learning. As one of the electronic resources, an animation design approach to link everyday materials to their underlying chemistry would be beneficial for student learning, with the focus here being on food. These animations were designed and storyboarded with a scaling approach and commence with a focus on the food material itself and its component parts. This is followed by animated transitions to its underlying microstructure and identifying features, and finally showing the molecules responsible for these microstructural features. The animation ends with a reverse transition back through the molecular structure, microstructure, all the way back to the original food material, and also animates some reactions that may occur during food processing to demonstrate the purpose of the underlying chemistry and how it affects the food we eat. Using this cyclical approach of linking students’ existing knowledge of food to help guide them to understanding more complex knowledge, and then reinforcing their learning by linking back to their prior knowledge again, enhances student understanding. Food is also an ideal material system for students to interact with, in a hands-on manner to further reinforce their learning. These animations were launched this year in a 2nd year University Food Chemistry course with improved learning outcomes for the cohort.

Keywords: chemistry, food science, future pedagogy, STEM Education

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Authors: Yun Ma, Jiajun Lu

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President Xi Jinping has clearly stated the need to more effectively advance the process of urbanization centered on people, striving to shape cities into spaces that are healthier, safer, and more livable. However, during the development and construction of mountainous cities, numerous uncertain disruptive factors have emerged, one after another, posing severe challenges to the city's overall development. Therefore, building resilient cities and creating high-quality urban ecosystems and safety systems have become the core and crux of achieving sustainable urban development. This paper takes the central urban area of Chongqing as the research object and establishes an urban resilience assessment indicator system from four dimensions: society, economy, ecology, and infrastructure. It employs the entropy weight method and TOPSIS model to assess the urban resilience level of the central urban area of Chongqing from 2019 to 2022. The results indicate that i. the resilience level of the central urban area of Chongqing is unevenly distributed, showing a spatial pattern of "high in the middle and low around"; it also demonstrates differentiation across different dimensions; ii. due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the overall resilience level of the central urban area of Chongqing has declined significantly, with low recovery capacity and slow improvement in urban resilience. Finally, based on the four selected dimensions, this paper proposes optimization strategies for urban resilience in mountainous cities, providing a basis for Chongqing to build a safe and livable new city.

Keywords: mountainous urban areas, central urban area of chongqing, entropy weight method, TOPSIS model, ArcGIS

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Authors: Thais Cardoso Franco, Caio Nahuel Sousa Fagonde, Willer Gomes dos Santos

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Aurora Borealis is an optical phenomenon composed of luminous events observed in the night skies in the polar regions resulting from disturbances in the magnetosphere due to the impact of solar wind particles with the Earth's upper atmosphere, channeled by the Earth's magnetic field, which causes atmospheric molecules to become excited and emit electromagnetic spectrum, leading to the display of lights in the sky. However, there are still different implications of this phenomenon under study: high intensity auroras are often accompanied by geomagnetic storms that cause blackouts on Earth and impair the transmission of signals from the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Auroras are also known to occur on other planets and exoplanets, so the activity is an indication of active space weather conditions that can aid in learning about the planetary environment. In order to improve understanding of the phenomenon, this research aims to design a satellite formation flying solution for collecting and transmitting data for monitoring aurora borealis in northern hemisphere, an approach that allows studying the event with multipoint data collection in a reduced time interval, in order to allow analysis from the beginning of the phenomenon until its decline. To this end, the ideal number of satellites, the spacing between them, as well as the ideal topology to be used will be analyzed. From an orbital study, approaches from different altitudes, eccentricities and inclinations will also be considered. Given that at large relative distances between satellites in formation, controllers tend to fail, a study on the efficiency of nonlinear adaptive control methods from the point of view of position maintenance and propellant consumption will be carried out. The main orbital perturbations considered in the simulation: non-homogeneity terrestrial, atmospheric drag, gravitational action of the Sun and the Moon, accelerations due to solar radiation pressure and relativistic effects.

Keywords: formation flying, nonlinear adaptive control method, aurora borealis, adaptive SDRE method

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Authors: Jasna Čanadanović-Brunet, Lidija Jevrić, Gordana Ćetković, Vesna Tumbas Šaponjac, Jelena Vulić, Slađana Stajčić

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Wheat contains high amount of nutrients such as dietary fiber, resistant starch, vitamins, minerals and microconstituents, which are building blocks of body tissues, but also help in the prevention of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes. Sprouting enhances the nutritional value of whole wheat through biosynthesis of tocopherols, polyphenols and other valuable phytochemicals. Since the nutritional and sensory benefits of germination have been extensively documented, using of sprouted grains in food formulations is becoming a trend in healthy foods. The present work addressed the possibility of using freeze-dried sprouted wheat powder, obtained from spelt-wheat cv. ‘Nirvana’ (Triticum spelta L.) and winter wheat cv. ‘Simonida’ (Triticum aestivum L. ssp. vulgare var. lutescens), as a source of phytochemicals, to improve the functional status of the consumer. The phytochemicals' content (total polyphenols, flavonoids, chlorophylls and carotenoids) and biological activities (antioxidant activity on DPPH radicals and antiinflammatory activity) of sprouted wheat powders were assessed spectrophotometrically. The content of flavonoids (216.52 mg RE/100 g), carotenoids (22.84 mg β-carotene/100 g) and chlorophylls (131.23 mg/100 g), as well as antiinflammatory activity (EC50=3.70 mg/ml) was found to be higher in sprouted spelt-wheat powder, while total polyphenols (607.21 mg GAE/100 g) and antioxidant activity on DDPPH radicals (EC50=0.27 mmol TE/100 g) was found to be higher in sprouted winter wheat powders. Simulation of gastro-intestinal digestion of sprouted wheat powders clearly shows that intestinal digestion caused a higher release of polyphenols than gastric digestion for both samples, which indicates their higher bioavailability in the colon. The results of the current study have shown that wheat sprouts can provide a high content of phytochemicals and considerable bioactivities. Moreover, data reported show that they contain a unique pattern of bioactive molecules, which make these cereal sprouts attractive functional foods for a health-promoting diet.

Keywords: wheat, sprouts, phytochemicals, bioactivity

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Authors: Lauren B. Birney

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The envisioned long-term outcome of this three-year research, and implementation plan is for 1) teachers and students to design and build their own computational models of real-world environmental-human health phenomena occurring within the context of the “Human Harbor” and 2) project researchers to evaluate the degree to which these integrated Computer Science (CS) education experiences in New York City (NYC) public school classrooms (PreK-12) impact students’ computational-technical skill development, job readiness, career motivations, and measurable abilities to understand, articulate, and solve the underlying phenomena at the center of their models. This effort builds on the partnership’s successes over the past eight years in developing a benchmark Model of restoration-based Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education for urban public schools and achieving relatively broad-based implementation in the nation’s largest public school system. The Billion Oyster Project Curriculum and Community Enterprise for Restoration Science (BOP-CCERS STEM + Computing) curriculum, teacher professional developments, and community engagement programs have reached more than 200 educators and 11,000 students at 124 schools, with 84 waterfront locations and Out of School of Time (OST) programs. The BOP-CCERS Partnership is poised to develop a more refined focus on integrating computer science across the STEM domains; teaching industry-aligned computational methods and tools; and explicitly preparing students from the city’s most under-resourced and underrepresented communities for upwardly mobile careers in NYC’s ever-expanding “digital economy,” in which jobs require computational thinking and an increasing percentage require discreet computer science technical skills. Project Objectives include the following: 1. Computational Thinking (CT) Integration: Integrate computational thinking core practices across existing middle/high school BOP-CCERS STEM curriculum as a means of scaffolding toward long term computer science and computational modeling outcomes. 2. Data Science and Data Analytics: Enabling Researchers to perform interviews with Teachers, students, community members, partners, stakeholders, and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) industry Professionals. Collaborative analysis and data collection were also performed. As a centerpiece, the BOP-CCERS partnership will expand to include a dedicated computer science education partner. New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), Computer Science for All (CS4ALL) NYC will serve as the dedicated Computer Science (CS) lead, advising the consortium on integration and curriculum development, working in tandem. The BOP-CCERS Model™ also validates that with appropriate application of technical infrastructure, intensive teacher professional developments, and curricular scaffolding, socially connected science learning can be mainstreamed in the nation’s largest urban public school system. This is evidenced and substantiated in the initial phases of BOP-CCERS™. The BOP-CCERS™ student curriculum and teacher professional development have been implemented in approximately 24% of NYC public middle schools, reaching more than 250 educators and 11,000 students directly. BOP-CCERS™ is a fully scalable and transferable educational model, adaptable to all American school districts. In all settings of the proposed Phase IV initiative, the primary beneficiary group will be underrepresented NYC public school students who live in high-poverty neighborhoods and are traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields, including African Americans, Latinos, English language learners, and children from economically disadvantaged households. In particular, BOP-CCERS Phase IV will explicitly prepare underrepresented students for skilled positions within New York City’s expanding digital economy, computer science, computational information systems, and innovative technology sectors.

Keywords: computer science, data science, equity, diversity and inclusion, STEM education

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Authors: S. Mahmoudi, A. Belhaj Mohamed, M. Saidi, F. Rezgui

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Depositional environment and source potential of the different organic rich levels of Devonian age (up to 990m thick) from the onshore EC-1 well (Southern Tunisia) were investigated using different geochemical techniques (Rock-Eval pyrolysis, GC-MS) of over than 130 cutting samples. The obtained results including Rock Eval Pyrolysis data and biomarker distribution (terpanes, steranes and aromatics) have been used to describe the depositional environment and to assess the thermal maturity of the Devonian organic matter. These results show that the Emsian deposits exhibit poor to fair TOC contents. The associated organic matter is composed of mixed kerogen (type II/III), as indicated by the predominance of C29 steranes over C27 and C28 homologous, that was deposited in a slightly reduced environment favoring organic matter preservation. Thermal maturity assessed from Tmax, TNR and MPI-1 values shows a mature stage of organic matter. The Middle Devonian (Eifelian) shales are rich in type II organic matter that was deposited in an open marine depositional environment. The TOC values are high and vary between 2 and 7 % indicating good to excellent source rock. The relatively high IH values (reaching 547 mg HC/g TOC) and the low values of t19/t23 ratio (down to 0.2) confirm the marine origin of the organic matter (type II). During the Upper Devonian, the organic matter was deposited under variable redox conditions, oxic to suboxic which is clearly indicated by the low C35/C34 hopanes ratio, immature to marginally mature with the vitrinite reflectance ranging from 0.5 to 0.7 Ro and Tmax value of 426°C-436 °C and the TOC values range between 0.8% to 4%.

Keywords: biomarker, depositional environment, devonian, source rock

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Authors: Abdul Mutalib Md Jani, Abdul Hadi Mahmud, Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Ali

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The rapid growth of interest in surface modification of nanostructures materials that exhibit improved structural and functional properties is attracting more researchers. The unique properties of highly ordered nanoporous anodic aluminium oxide (NAAO) membrane have been proposed as a platform for biosensing applications. They exhibit excellent physical and chemical properties with high porosity, high surface area, tunable pore sizes and excellent chemical resistance. In this study, NAAO was functionalized with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) to prepared silane-modified NAAO. Amine functional groups are formed on the surface of NAAO during silanization and were characterized using Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The synthesis of multi segment of peptide on NAAO surfaces can be realized by changing the surface chemistry of the NAAO membrane via click chemistry. By click reactions, utilizing alkyne terminated with amino group, various peptides tagged on NAAO can be envisioned from chiral natural or unnatural amino acids using standard coupling methods (HOBt, EDCI and HBTU). This strategy seemly versatile since coupling strategy of dipeptide with another amino acids, leading to tripeptide, tetrapeptide or pentapeptide, can be synthesized without purification. When an appropriate terminus is selected, multiple segments of amino acids can be successfully synthesized on the surfaces. The immobilized NAAO should be easily separated from the reaction medium by conventional filtration, thus avoiding complicated purification methods. Herein, we proposed to synthesize multi fragment peptide as a model for capturing and attaching various small biomolecules on NAAO surfaces and can be also applied as biosensing device, drug delivery systems and biocatalyst.

Keywords: nanoporous anodic aluminium oxide, silanization, peptide synthesise, click chemistry

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Authors: Abdul Latheef O. Mavukkandy

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Islamization of knowledge (IOK) is an intellectual movement emerged in the middle of 1970s to address the threats by modern western civilizational onslaughts. This paper analyzes the discourse of Islamization of knowledge with special reference to the views of Kamal Hassan who prefers an alternative term called 'Islamicization'. First of all the theoretical and practical outlines of IOK movement were presented by Ismail Raji al-Faruqi in his book 'Islamization of Knowledge; General Principles and Work Plan' in 1982. He identified that the educational system in the Muslim world accounted for the decline of Muslim Ummah through de-Islamization and demoralization. So, the need for IOK was an academic challenge to reconstruct the Ummah. Kamal Hassan kept just different view from Ismail Raji al-Faruqi and Muhammed Naquib al-Attas that he coined the terms 'Relevantization and Contextualization'. So, he wanted the 'Islamization of Islamic Revealed Knowledge'. So, he used Islamization of Human Knowledge (IOHK) instead of IOK. As part of this movement, the IOK identified that the textbooks used in Muslim educational institutions systematically keep the students estranged from Islam and its heritage. Furthermore, the modern secular knowledge develops secular attitude devoid of Islamic moral philosophy and the sense of mission in life. Based upon the content analysis of some of the sources, this study found that Islamization of Knowledge is an important movement in Islamic world, but the IOK project is not practicable completely because of the lack of trained teachers and resources. Although, the project resulted in the foundation of some universities and publishing more works, journals and doctoral thesis on different dimensions of Islamization of Knowledge.

Keywords: Islamization, Islamicization, releventization, human knowledge

Procedia PDF Downloads 427

Authors: Héctor González Espinosa, Ricardo Ivan Cordova Chávez, Alejandra Contreras Ramos, Itzia Irene Padilla Martínez, José Guadalupe Trujillo Ferrara, Marvin Antonio Soriano Ursúa

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Boronic acids are able to create diester bonds with carbohydrates because of their hydroxyl groups; in nature, there are some organoborates with these characteristics, such as the calcium fructoborate, formed by the union of two fructose molecules and a boron atom, synthesized by plants. In addition, it has been observed that, in animal cells only the compounds with cis-diol functional groups are capable of linking to boric or boronic acids. The formation of these organoboron compounds could impair the physical and chemical properties of the precursors, even their acute toxicity. In this project, two carbohydrate-derived boron-containing compounds from D-fructose and D-arabinose and phenylboronic acid are analyzed by different spectroscopy techniques such as Raman, Infrared with Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and X-ray diffraction crystallography to describe their chemical characteristics. Also, an acute toxicity test was performed to determine their LD50 using the Lorke’s method. It was confirmed by multiple spectra the formation of the adducts by the generation of the diester bonds with a β-D-pyranose of fructose and arabinose. The most prominent findings were the presence of signals corresponding to the formation of new bonds, like the stretching of B-O bonds, or the absence of signals of functional groups like the hydroxyls presented in the reagents used for the synthesis of the adducts. The NMR spectra yielded information about the stereoselectivity in the synthesis reaction, observed by the interaction of the protons and their vicinal atoms in the anomeric and second position carbons; but also, the absence of a racemic mix by the finding of just one signal in the range for the anomeric carbon in the 13C NMR spectra of both adducts. The acute toxicity tests by the Lorke’s method showed that the LD50 value for both compounds is 1265 mg/kg. Those results let us to propose these adducts as highly safe agents for further biological evaluation with medical purposes.

Keywords: acute toxicity, adduct, boron, carbohydrate, diester bond

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Authors: Leila Chebaiki-Adli, Naima Chabbi-Chemrouk

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In the Algiers context, the historical city (the old medina) was in the middle age surrounded by several residencies and gardens. They were built in the aim to spend hot days of the year. Among these later, the residences of AbdelTif and the gardens of the dey (which exist always), benefit from important criteria which increase interior comfort. Their know-how is today in trend and can give us several considerations to the architectural design and to the landscape architecture. Their particularity is seen in the built-garden interactions and the design solutions. These later let the user live with vegetation, sky and water through maximum of places in the constructions. On the basis on an aesthetic-tectonic approach, which make in evidence the architectural criteria of the two quoted cases studies (the AbdelTif residence and the gardens of the dey), we will explain in the proposed paper, some important characteristics and design solutions, which contribute strongly to the concretisation and the materialisation of a landscape architecture, and which can be used in all the Mediterranean area. The proposed aesthetic-tectonic approach is based on the fusion between interior and exterior, in the aim to distinguish syntactic criteria. The syntactic criteria correspond to: The composition and the articulation between interior and exterior spaces, the employed materials in the quoted spaces, the manifestation processes. The major finding of this study is the identification of paradigmatic processes related to the architectural design. These later reveal more figurative (direct) than expressive (no direct) way of design and creativeness. While the figurative way benefits from a high level of manifestation, the expressive one benefits from more composed and articulated materials.

Keywords: aesthetic/tectonic approach, Algiers context, design, landscape architecture

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Authors: Amina Aquil, Abdeljalil El Got

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Background: Sleep quality is one of the most important indicators related to the quality of life of patients suffering from cancer. Many factors could affect this quality of sleep and then be considered as associated predictors. Methods: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sleep disorders and the associated factors with impaired sleep quality in Moroccan women with gynecological cancer. A cross-sectional study was carried out within the oncology department of the Ibn Rochd University Hospital, Casablanca, on Moroccan women who had undergone radical surgery for gynecological cancer (n=100). Translated and validated Arabic versions of the following international scales were used: Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Rosenberg's self-esteem scale (RSES), and Body image scale (BIS). Results: 78% of participants were considered poor sleepers. Most of the patients exhibited very poor subjective quality, low sleep latency, a short period of sleep, and a low rate of usual sleep efficiency. The vast majority of these patients were in poor shape during the day and did not use sleep medication. Waking up in the middle of the night or early in the morning and getting up to use the bathroom were the main reasons for poor sleep quality. PSQI scores were positively correlated with anxiety, depression, body image dissatisfaction, and lower self-esteem (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Sleep quality and its predictors require a systematic evaluation and adequate management to prevent sleep disturbances and mental distress as well as to improve the quality of life of these patients.

Keywords: body image, gynecological cancer, self esteem, sleep quality

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Authors: Seyyed Kavous Abbasi

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Technical and professional branch is a subcategory of high school educational system. It deals with the programs which have been designed for the promotion of applied science and necessary skill and growth of potential talents in students. The purpose of performance of this branch is preparing of preponderance of in police in different section of industries and service. The aim of this research is the survey of group relation family, economic, educational and individual factors and the student's tendency toward technical professional courses. The method of the study is descriptive survey. 195 subjects were chosen randomly from all the male and female students of technical and professional school in Izeh. Instrument for this research was research-made questionnaire consisting of 22 questions on the base of likers spectrum. The reliability of this questionnaire has been estimated 0.8. Analyses of research data has been performed in two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics. Analyses of data has shown that the family factors with average of 3.12, individual factors 3.95, economic factors 3.92 and educational factors 3.57 more than middle level have more effects , in comparison with the factor of group relation with average of 2.79 less than average level in tendency the technical and professional course . Comparison of effective factors in tendency to technical and professional course has shown that individual factors had the most effects and the group relation factors had the least effects. Comparison between male and female subject's ideas showed that there is a different between their ideas about economics and family factors.

Keywords: high school, relation family, individual factors, analysis interest

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Authors: Yunjia Yang, Yakun Yan, Peng Li, Gordon Xu, Timothy Mahony, Neena Mitter, Karishma Mody

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Sheep flystrike is one of the most economically important diseases affecting the Australian sheep and wool industry (>356M/annually). Currently, control of Lucillia cuprina relies almost exclusively on chemicals controls and the parasite has developed resistance to nearly all control chemicals used in the past. It is therefore critical to develop an alternative solution for the sustainable control and management of flystrike. RNA interference (RNAi) technologies have been successfully explored in multiple animal industries for developing parasites controls. This research project aims to develop a RNAi based biological control for sheep blowfly. Double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) has already proven successful against viruses, fungi and insects. However, the environmental instability of dsRNA is a major bottleneck with a protection window only lasting 5-7 days. Bentonite polymer (BenPol) technology can overcome this problem, as it can be tuned for controlled release of the dsRNA in the gut challenging pH environment of the blowfly larvae, prolonging its exposure time to and uptake by target cells. We have investigated four different BenPol carriers for their dsRNA loading capabilities of which three of them were able to afford dsRNA stability under multiple temperatures (4°C, 22°C, 40°C, 55°C) in the sheep serum. Based on stability results, we further tested dsRNA from potential targeted genes loaded with BenPol carrier in larvae feeding assay, and get three knockdowns. Our results, establish that the dsRNA when loaded on BenPol particles is stable unlike naked dsRNA which is rapidly degraded in the sheep serum. A stable nanoparticles delivery system that can protect and increase the inherent stability of the dsRNA molecules at higher temperatures in a complex biological fluid like serum, offers a great deal of promise for the future use of this approach for enhancing animal protection.

Keywords: RNA interference, Lucillia cuprina, polymer carriers, polymer stability

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Authors: Jasbir Singh, Devender Kumar, Davender Redhu, Surender Kumar, Vandana Bhardwaj

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Single Nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of proteosomal gene complex is involved in the pathogenesis of hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection. Some of such proteosomal gene complex are large multifunctional proteins (LMP) and antigen associated transporters that help in antigen presentation. Both are involved in intracellular processing and presentation of viral antigens in association with Major Histocompatability Complex (MHC) Class I molecules. A total of hundred each of hepatitis B virus infected and control samples from northern India were studied. Genomic DNA was extracted from all studied samples and PCR-RFLP method was used for genotyping at different positions of LMP genes. Genotypes at a given position were inferred from the pattern of bands and genotype frequencies and haplotype frequencies were also calculated. Homozygous SNP {A>C} was observed at codon 145 of LMP7 gene and having a protective role against HBV as there was statistically significant high distribution of this SNP among controls than cases. Heterozygous SNP {A>C} was observed at codon 145 of LMP7 gene and made individuals more susceptible to HBV infection as there was statistically significant high distribution of this SNP among cases than control. SNP {T>C} was observed at codon 60 of LMP2 gene but statistically significant differences were not observed among controls and cases. For codon 145 of LMP7 and codon 60 of LMP2 genes, four haplotypes were constructed. Haplotype I (LMP2 ‘C’ and LMP7 ‘A’) made individuals carrying it more susceptible to HBV infection as there was statistically significant high distribution of this haplotype among cases than control. Haplotype II (LMP2 ‘C’ and LMP7 ‘C’) made individuals carrying it more immune to HBV infection as there was statistically significant high distribution of this haplotype among control than cases. Thus it can be concluded that homozygous SNP {A>C} at codon 145 of LMP7 and Haplotype II (LMP2 ‘C’ and LMP7 ‘C’) has a protective role against HBV infection whereas heterozygous SNP {A>C} at codon 145 of LMP7 and Haplotype I (LMP2 ‘C’ and LMP7 ‘A’) made individuals more susceptible to HBV infection.

Keywords: Hepatitis B Virus, single nucleotide polymorphism, low molecular weight proteins, transporters associated with antigen presentation

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Authors: Shenaz Ahmed, Hussain Jafri, Muhammed Faran, Wajeeha Naseer Ahmed, Yasmin Rashid, Yasmin Ehsan, Shabnam Bashir, Mushtaq Ahmed

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Low uptake of cascade screening for βeta-Thalassaemia Major (β-TM) in the ‘Punjab Thalassaemia Prevention Project’ (PTPP) in Pakistan led to the development of a ‘decision support intervention for relatives’ (DeSIRe). This paper presents the experiences of relatives of children with β-TM of the DeSIRe following its use by PTPP field officers in routine clinical practice. Fifty-four semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted (April to June 2021) with relatives in seven cities in the Punjab province (Lahore, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahab, Kasur, Gujranwala, Multan, and Faisalabad). Thematic analysis shows that participants were satisfied with the content of the DeSIRe and its delivery by the field officers in a family meeting. They understood the main purpose of the DeSIRe was to improve their knowledge of β-TM and its inheritance, to enable them to make decisions about thalassemia carrier testing, particularly before marriage. While participants raised concerns about the stigma of testing positive, they believed the DeSIRe was an appropriate intervention, which supported relatives to make informed decisions. Our findings show the DeSIRe is appropriate for use by healthcare professionals in routine practice in a low-middle income country and has the potential to facilitate shared decision-making about cascade screening for thalassemia. Further research is needed to prove the efficacy of the DeSIRe.

Keywords: thalassemia, Pakistan, cascade screening, decision support

Procedia PDF Downloads 241