Search results for: synergistic studies

Authors: Yassir Abdelrazig, Ren Moses

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Roadway planning and design is a very complex process involving five key phases before a project is completed; planning, project development, final design, right-of-way, and construction. The planning phase for a new roadway transportation project is a very critical phase as it greatly affects all latter phases of the project. A location study is usually performed during the preliminary planning phase in a new roadway project. The objective of the location study is to develop alignment alternatives that are cost efficient considering land acquisition and construction costs. This paper describes a methodology to develop optimal preliminary roadway alignments utilizing spatial-data. Four optimization criteria are taken into consideration; roadway length, land cost, land slope, and environmental impacts. The basic concept of the methodology is to convert the proposed project area into a grid, which represents the search space for an optimal alignment. The aforementioned optimization criteria are represented in each of the grid’s cells. A spatial-data optimization technique is utilized to find the optimal alignment in the search space based on the four optimization criteria. Two case studies for new roadway projects in Duval County in the State of Florida are presented to illustrate the methodology. The optimization output alignments are compared to the proposed Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) alignments. The comparison is based on right-of-way costs for the alignments. For both case studies, the right-of-way costs for the developed optimal alignments were found to be significantly lower than the FDOT alignments.

Keywords: gemoetric design, optimization, planning, roadway planning, roadway design

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Authors: Taweesak Janyacharoen, Lalita Pradubgool, Lalita Wongsorn, Pitchayapa Janyacharoen

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Street dance is a form of exercise that is classified as aerobic and is very suitable for teenagers. Street dance is a dance that can create new dance moves all the time. It often incorporates elements from gymnastics and is accompanied by fast-paced music that emphasizes excitement and energy. It is a combination of high-intensity and low-intensity activities. Few studies have looked at the effects of street dance on cardiovascular endurance, and previous studies have long-term effects. However, no research study in Thailand has studied acute effects before. This study was to investigate the acute effect of street dance exercise on blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation and physical fitness in sedentary subjects. Subjects were divided into 2 groups: the control group (n=15) received health education and rest, and the experimental group (n=15) received street dance exercise. Both groups will measure their blood pressure (BP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO₂) and six-minute walk test (6MWT) before and after completing the program. The results found that both groups had significantly different HR when comparing before and after the program (p<0.05). MAP, HR and SpO₂ had significantly different (p<0.05) when compared between groups. This study concluded that the acute effect of street dance exercise could be increased in HR while the SpO₂ decreased. In clinical, it was seen that the values that were changed are still within the range that is considered normal. Therefore, street dance exercises can be used as one choice of alternative exercise.

Keywords: street dance, exercise, blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation

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Authors: Ndukwe, Chinedu O.

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Background: There are only a few epidemiological studies published on skin disorders in the elderly within the Nigerian context and none from the Southeast Region of the country. In addition, none of these studies has considered the pattern and frequency of histopathologically diagnosed geriatric skin lesions. Hence, we attempted to determine the frequency as well as the age and gender distributions of histologically diagnosed dermatological diseases in the geriatric population from skin biopsies submitted to the histopathology department of a tertiary care hospital in Southeast Nigeria. Material and methods: This is a cross-sectional retrospective hospital-based study involving all skin biopsies of patients 60 years and above, received at the Department of Histopathology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Nigeria from January 2004 to December 2019. Results: During the study period, 751 skin biopsies were received in the histopathology department. Of these, 142 were from patients who were older than 60 years. Thus, the overall share of geriatric patients was 18.9%. The mean age at presentation was 71.1 ± 8.6 years. The M: F was 1:1 and most of the patients belonged to the age group of 60–69 years (69 cases, 48.6%). The mean age of the male patients was 72.1±9.5 years. In the female patients, it was 70.1±7.5 years. The commonest disease category was neoplasms (91, 64.1%). Most neoplasms were malignant. There were 67/142 (47.2%) malignant lesions. Commonest was Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (30 cases) which is 21.1% of all geriatric skin biopsies and 44.8% of malignant skin biopsies. This is closely followed by melanoma (29 cases). Conclusion: Malignant neoplasms, benign neoplasms and papulosquamous disorders are the three commonest histologically diagnosed skin lesions in our geriatric population. The commonest skin malignancies in this group of patients are squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma.

Keywords: geriatric, skin, Nigeria, histopathology

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Authors: Suzan Ghaddar, Aline Pinon, Manuel Gallardo-villagran, Mona Diab-assaf, Bruno Therrien, Bertrand Liagre

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer and exhibits a consistently rising incidence worldwide. Despite notable advancements in CRC treatment, frequent occurrences of side effects and the development of therapy resistance persistently challenge current approaches. Eventually, innovations in focal therapies remain imperative to enhance the patient’s overall quality of life. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) emerges as a promising treatment modality, clinically used for the treatment of various cancer types. It relies on the use of photosensitive molecules called photosensitizers (PS), which are photoactivated after accumulation in cancer cells, to induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that cause cancer cell death. Among commonly used metal-based drugs in cancer therapy, ruthenium (Ru) possesses favorable attributes that demonstrate its selectivity towards cancer cells and render it suitable for anti-cancer drug design. In vitro studies using distinct arene-Ru complexes, encapsulating porphin PS, are conducted on human HCT116 and HT-29 colorectal cancer cell lines. These studies encompass the evaluation of the antiproliferative effect, ROS production, apoptosis, cell cycle progression, molecular localization, and protein expression. Preliminary results indicated that these complexes exert significant photocytotoxicity on the studied colorectal cancer cell lines, representing them as promising and potential candidates for anti- cancer agents.

Keywords: colorectal cancer, photodynamic therapy, photosensitizers, arene-ruthenium complexes, apoptosis

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Authors: K. Dhanalakshmi, N. Deepak, E. Manikandan, S. Kanagaraj, M. Sulthan Ariff Rahman, P. Chilambarasan C. Abhimanyu, C. A. Akaash Emmanuel Raj, V. R. Sanal Kumar

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In this paper using a validated double precision, density-based implicit standard k-ε model, the detailed 2D and 3D numerical studies have been carried out to examine the external flow choking at wing-in-ground (WIG) effect craft. The CFD code is calibrated using the exact solution based on the Sanal flow choking condition for adiabatic flows. We observed that at the identical WIG effect conditions the numerically predicted 2D boundary layer blockage is significantly higher than the 3D case and as a result, the airfoil exhibited an early external flow choking than the corresponding wing, which is corroborated with the exact solution. We concluded that, in lieu of the conventional 2D numerical simulation, it is invariably beneficial to go for a realistic 3D simulation of the wing in ground effect, which is analogous and would have the aspects of a real-time parametric flow. We inferred that under the identical flying conditions the chances of external flow choking at WIG effect is higher for conventional aircraft than an aircraft facilitating a divergent channel effect at the bottom surface of the fuselage as proposed herein. We concluded that the fuselage and wings integrated geometry optimization can improve the overall aerodynamic performance of WIG craft. This study is a pointer to the designers and/or pilots for perceiving the zone of danger a priori due to the anticipated external flow choking at WIG effect craft for safe flying at the close proximity of the terrain and the dynamic surface of the marine.

Keywords: boundary layer blockage, chord dominated ground effect, external flow choking, WIG effect

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Authors: Ghadeer M Alkusayer, Adelicia Yu, Pamela Orr

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Study objective: To report a case of postpartum pulmonary cryptococcal infection (CCI) in an otherwise healthy 35-year-old woman. Additionally, the cases of pulmonary cryptococcal infections either in the antepartum or the postpartum period with pregnancy outcomes, were systematically reviwed. Methods: A systematic search of Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and EMBASE was conducted for peer-reviewed studies without date restrictions, published in English and relating to CCI during pregnancy or postpartum period. Conference press, editorials, opinion pieces and letters were excluded. Two authors independently screened citations and full-text articles, extracted data and assessed study quality. Given the heterogeneity of study designs, a narrative synthesis was conducted. Results: The search identified 128 references, of which 22 case reports and series met the inclusion criteria. This is a total of 29 women (including the current case) . The mean age of the women was 28.3 ± 12.3 years. Nine (31.03%) presented and were diagnosed in the postpartum period. Two (6.90%) of the patients were reported as immunocompromised with HIV. Four maternal deaths (13.79%) were found in this case series with one (4.3%) patient with severe neurological deficits. Four (17.4%) infant deaths were reported. Women primary presentation varied with chest pain 13 (44.82%), headache 10 (35.70%), dyspnea 19 (65.51%), or fever 12 (41.38%). Three studies reported placental pathology positive for C. neoformans. Conclusion: This case of pulmonary cryptococcal infection in the postpartum period is an important addition to the literature of this rare infection in pregnancy. The patient is not immunocompromised. The patient was successfully treated with 4 months of Fluconazole 400 mg and continued to breastfeed the healthy baby.

Keywords: pulmonary cryptococcus, pregnancy, cryptococci , postpartum

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Authors: Kristen Emory, Jerry Flores

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Purpose: We explore the unique and underrepresented experiences of Indigenous women living in Toronto, Canada, during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to better document the impacts of COVID-19 on the mental health and well-being of Indigenous women in Toronto, Canada, in order to better understand unmet needs, as well as lay the groundwork for more targeted research and potential interventions based on these needs. Background: It has been fairly well documented that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased mental health concerns among various populations globally. There have also been numerous studies indicating increases in substance use and abuse in response to the stress of the pandemic. There is also evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted a variety of historically marginalized populations in Canada, the US, and globally, including Indigenous populations. While these studies provide some insight into how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the global population, much less is known about the lived experiences of Indigenous populations during the time of COVID-19. Better understanding these experiences will allow public health professionals, governments, and non-governmental organizations better combat health inequities related to the pandemic. Methods: In-depth qualitative semi-structured virtual (due to COVID-19) interviews with 13 Indigenous women were conducted during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020). Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by team members using Dedoose qualitative analysis software. Findings: COVID-19 negatively affected Indigenous females identifying participants’ mental health and corresponding reported increases in substance use. In addition to the daily stress of the unpredictability of life in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, participants cited job loss, economic concerns, homeschooling, and lack of access to medical resources as primary factors in increasing their stress and decreasing mental health and wellbeing. In response to these stressors, a majority of participants cited coping mechanisms such as increased substance use to help deal with the uncertainty. In particular, alcohol and tobacco emerged as coping mechanisms to help participants cope with stress related to the pandemic (as well as its social and economic toll on respondents' lives). We will present qualitative data to be presented, including participant direct quotes, explaining their experiences with COVID-19, mental health, and increased substance use, as well as analysis and synthesis with the existing scientific evidence base. Conclusion: This research is among the good studies to our knowledge that scientifically explore the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and well-being and corresponding increases in reported substance use.

Keywords: mental health, covid-19, indigenous, inequity, anxiety, depression, stress

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Authors: G. Ramya

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Value engineering is a systematic approach, widely used to optimize the design or process or product in the designing stage. It used to achieve the client's obligation by increasing the functionality and attain the targeted cost in the cost planning. Value engineering effectiveness and benefits decrease along with the progress of the project since the change in the scope of the work and design will account for more cost all along the lifecycle of the project. Integrating the value engineering with other project management activities will promote cost minimization, client satisfaction, and ensure early completion of the project in time. Previous research studies suggested that value engineering can integrate with other project delivery activities, but research studies unable to frame a model that collaborates the project management activities with the job plan of value engineering approach. I analyzed various project management activities and their synergy between each other. The project management activities and processes like a)risk analysis b)lifecycle cost analysis c)lean construction d)facility management e)Building information modelling f)Contract administration, collaborated, and project delivery model planned along with the RIBA plan of work. The key outcome of the research is a value-driven project delivery model, which will succeed in dealing with the economic impact, constraints and conflicts arise due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Indian construction sector. Benefits associated with the structured framework is construction project delivery that ensures early contractor involvement, mutual risk sharing, and reviving the project with a cost overrun and delay back on track ,are discussed. Keywords: Value-driven project delivery model, Integration, RIBA plan of work Themes: Design Economics

Keywords: value-driven project delivery model, Integration, RIBA

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Authors: Stephanie Remedios, Linda Veronica Rios

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Background. Pediatric obesity is a serious health problem linked to multiple physical diseases and ailments, including diabetes, heart disease, and joint issues. While research has shown pediatric obesity can bring about an array of physical illnesses, it is less known how such a condition can affect children’s cognitive development. With childhood overweight and obesity prevalence rates on the rise, it is essential to understand the scope of their cognitive consequences. The present review of the literature tested the hypothesis that poor physical health, such as childhood obesity or malnutrition, negatively impacts a child’s cognitive development. Methodology. A systematic review was conducted to determine the relationship between poor physical health and lower cognitive functioning in children ages 4-16. Electronic databases were searched for studies dating back to ten years. The following databases were used: Science Direct, FIU Libraries, and Google Scholar. Inclusion criteria consisted of peer-reviewed academic articles written in English from 2012 to 2022 that analyzed the relationship between childhood malnutrition and obesity on cognitive development. A total of 17,000 articles were obtained, of which 16,987 were excluded for not addressing the cognitive implications exclusively. Of the acquired articles, 13 were retained. Results. Research suggested a significant connection between diet and cognitive development. Both diet and physical activity are strongly correlated with higher cognitive functioning. Cognitive domains explored in this work included learning, memory, attention, inhibition, and impulsivity. IQ scores were also considered objective representations of overall cognitive performance. Studies showed physical activity benefits cognitive development, primarily for executive functioning and language development. Additionally, children suffering from pediatric obesity or malnutrition were found to score 3-10 points lower in IQ scores when compared to healthy, same-aged children. Conclusion. This review provides evidence that the presence of physical activity and overall physical health, including appropriate diet and nutritional intake, has beneficial effects on cognitive outcomes. The primary conclusion from this research is that childhood obesity and malnutrition show detrimental effects on cognitive development in children, primarily with learning outcomes. Assuming childhood obesity and malnutrition rates continue their current trade, it is essential to understand the complete physical and psychological implications of obesity and malnutrition in pediatric populations. Given the limitations encountered through our research, further studies are needed to evaluate the areas of cognition affected during childhood.

Keywords: childhood malnutrition, childhood obesity, cognitive development, cognitive functioning

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Authors: Dinesh Kumar Sharma, Sanjay Sharma

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Textile manufacturing industry uses a substantial amount of chemicals not only in the production processes but also in manufacturing the raw materials. Dyes are the most significant raw material which provides colour to the fabric and yarn. Dyes are produced by using a large amount of chemicals both organic and inorganic in nature. Dyes are further classified as Reactive or Vat Dyes which are mostly used in cotton textiles. In the process of application of dyes to the cotton fiber, yarn or fabric, several auxiliary chemicals are also used in the solution called dyebath to improve the absorption of dyes. There is a very little absorption of dyes and auxiliary chemicals and a residual amount of all these substances is released as the spent dye bath effluent. Because of the wide variety of chemicals used in cotton textile dyes, there is always a risk of harmful effects which may not be apparent immediately but may have an irreversible impact in the long term. Colour imparted by the dyes to the water also has an adverse effect on its public acceptability and the potability. This study has been conducted with an objective to assess the feasibility of reuse of the spent dye bath. Studies have been conducted in two independent industries manufacturing dyed cotton yarn and dyed cotton fabric respectively. These have been referred as Unit-I and Unit-II. The studies included assessment of reduction in pollution levels and the economic benefits of such reuse. The study conclusively establishes that the reuse of spent dyebath results in prevention of pollution, reduction in pollution loads and cost of effluent treatment & production. This pollution prevention technique presents a good preposition for pollution prevention in cotton textile industry.

Keywords: dyes, dyebath, reuse, toxic, pollution, costs

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Authors: Mrinal Kanti Bhowmik, Kakali Das Jr., Barin Kumar De, Debotosh Bhattacharjee

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Breast cancer is the most common cancer and a leading cause of death for women in the 35 to 55 age group. Early detection of breast cancer can decrease the mortality rate of breast cancer. Mammography is considered as a ‘Gold Standard’ for breast cancer detection and a very popular modality, presently used for breast cancer screening and detection. The screening of digital mammograms often leads to over diagnosis and a consequence to unnecessary traumatic & painful biopsies. For that reason recent studies involving the use of thermal imaging as a screening technique have generated a growing interest especially in cases where the mammography is limited, as in young patients who have dense breast tissue. Tumor is a significant sign of breast cancer in both mammography and thermography. The tumors are complex in structure and they also exhibit a different statistical and textural features compared to the breast background tissue. Fractal geometry is a geometry which is used to describe this type of complex structure as per their main characteristic, where traditional Euclidean geometry fails. Over the last few years, fractal geometrics have been applied mostly in many medical image (1D, 2D, or 3D) analysis applications. In breast cancer detection using digital mammogram images, also it plays a significant role. Fractal is also used in thermography for early detection of the masses using the thermal texture. This paper presents an overview of the recent aspects and initiatives of fractals in breast cancer detection in both mammography and thermography. The scope of fractal geometry in automatic breast cancer detection using digital mammogram and thermogram images are analysed, which forms a foundation for further study on application of fractal geometry in medical imaging for improving the efficiency of automatic detection.

Keywords: fractal, tumor, thermography, mammography

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Authors: Tzu-Hao Li, Yen-Ying Kung, Chang-Youh Tsai

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Oral dryness is a common chief complaint among patients with Sjőgren syndrome (SS), which is a disorder currently known as autoantibodies production; however, to author’s best knowledge, there has been no satisfying pharmacy to relieve the associated symptoms. Hence the effectiveness of other non-pharmacological interventions such as acupuncture should be accessed. We conducted a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) which evaluated the effectiveness of xerostomia in SS. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Chongqing Weipu Database (CQVIP), China Academic Journals Full-text Database, AiritiLibrary, Chinese Electronic Periodicals Service (CEPS), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) Database were searches through May 12, 2018 to select studies. Data for evaluation of subjective and objective xerostomia was extracted and was assessed with random-effects meta-analysis. After searching, a total of 541 references were yielded and five RCTs were included, covering 340 patients dry mouth resulted from SS, among whom 169 patients received acupuncture and 171 patients were control group. Acupuncture group was associated with higher subjective response rate (odds ratio 3.036, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.828 – 5.042, P < 0.001) and increased salivary flow rate (weighted mean difference [WMD] 3.066, 95% CI 2.969 – 3.164, P < 0.001), as an objective marker. In addition, two studies examined IgG levels, which were lower in the acupuncture group (WMD -166.857, 95% CI -233.138 - -100.576, P < 0.001). Therefore, in the present meta-analysis, acupuncture improves both subjective and objective markers of dry mouth with autoantibodies reduction in patients with SS and is considered as an option of non-pharmacological treatment for SS.

Keywords: acupuncture, meta-analysis, Sjogren syndrome, xerostomia

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Authors: Piret Pernik

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Based on strategic, operational, and technical analysis of the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine, this paper will examine the opportunities and risks of using small commercial drones (dual-use unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV) for military purposes. The paper discusses the opportunities and risks in the information domain, encompassing both cyber and electromagnetic interference and attacks. The paper will draw conclusions on a possible strategic impact to the battlefield outcomes in the modern armed conflicts by the widespread use of dual-use UAVs. This article will contribute to filling the gap in the literature by examining based on empirical data cyberattacks and electromagnetic interference. Today, more than one hundred states and non-state actors possess UAVs ranging from low cost commodity models, widely are dual-use, available and affordable to anyone, to high-cost combat UAVs (UCAV) with lethal kinetic strike capabilities, which can be enhanced with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). Dual-use UAVs have been used by various actors for intelligence, reconnaissance, surveillance, situational awareness, geolocation, and kinetic targeting. Thus they function as force multipliers enabling kinetic and electronic warfare attacks and provide comparative and asymmetric operational and tactical advances. Some go as far as argue that automated (or semi-automated) systems can change the character of warfare, while others observe that the use of small drones has not changed the balance of power or battlefield outcomes. UAVs give considerable opportunities for commanders, for example, because they can be operated without GPS navigation, makes them less vulnerable and dependent on satellite communications. They can and have been used to conduct cyberattacks, electromagnetic interference, and kinetic attacks. However, they are highly vulnerable to those attacks themselves. So far, strategic studies, literature, and expert commentary have overlooked cybersecurity and electronic interference dimension of the use of dual use UAVs. The studies that link technical analysis of opportunities and risks with strategic battlefield outcomes is missing. It is expected that dual use commercial UAV proliferation in armed and hybrid conflicts will continue and accelerate in the future. Therefore, it is important to understand specific opportunities and risks related to the crowdsourced use of dual-use UAVs, which can have kinetic effects. Technical countermeasures to protect UAVs differ depending on a type of UAV (small, midsize, large, stealth combat), and this paper will offer a unique analysis of small UAVs both from the view of opportunities and risks for commanders and other actors in armed conflict.

Keywords: dual-use technology, cyber attacks, electromagnetic warfare, case studies of cyberattacks in armed conflicts

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Authors: M. Bonello, D. Micallef, S. P. Borg

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Driven by increased comfort standards, but at the same time high energy consciousness, energy-efficient space cooling has become an essential aspect of building design. Its aims are simple, aiming at providing satisfactory thermal comfort for individuals in an interior space using low energy consumption cooling systems. In this context, evaporative cooling is both an energy-efficient and an eco-friendly cooling process. In the past two decades, several academic studies have been performed to determine the resulting thermal comfort produced by an evaporative cooling system, including studies on temperature profiles, air speed profiles, effect of clothing and personnel activity. To the best knowledge of the authors, no studies have yet considered the analysis of relative humidity (RH) profiles in a space cooled using evaporative cooling. Such a study will determine the effect of different humidity levels on a person's thermal comfort and aid in the consequent improvement designs of such future systems. Under this premise, the research objective is to characterise the resulting different RH profiles in a chamber micro-climate using the evaporative cooling system in which the inlet air speed, temperature and humidity content are varied. The chamber shall be modelled using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in ANSYS Fluent. Relative humidity shall be modelled using a species transport model while the k-ε RNG formulation is the proposed turbulence model that is to be used. The model shall be validated with measurements taken using an identical test chamber in which tests are to be conducted under the different inlet conditions mentioned above, followed by the verification of the model's mesh and time step. The verified and validated model will then be used to simulate other inlet conditions which would be impractical to conduct in the actual chamber. More details of the modelling and experimental approach will be provided in the full paper The main conclusions from this work are two-fold: the micro-climatic relative humidity spatial distribution within the room is important to consider in the context of investigating comfort at occupant level; and the investigation of a human being's thermal comfort (based on Predicted Mean Vote – Predicted Percentage Dissatisfied [PMV-PPD] values) and its variation with different locations of relative humidity values. The study provides the necessary groundwork for investigating the micro-climatic RH conditions of environments cooled using evaporative cooling. Future work may also target the analysis of ways in which evaporative cooling systems may be improved to better the thermal comfort of human beings, specifically relating to the humidity content around a sedentary person.

Keywords: chamber micro-climate, evaporative cooling, relative humidity, thermal comfort

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Authors: Keivan Jamshidi

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Distal swelling and eventual degeneration of axon in the CNS and PNS have been considered to be the characteristic neuropathological effects of acrylamide (ACR) neuropathy. This study was conducted to determine the neurotoxic effects of different doses of ACR (0.5, 5, 50, 100, and 500 mg/kg per day × 11days i. p.) on hypothalamus of rat using the de Olmos amino cupric-silver stain and electron microscopy. For this purpose 60 adult male rats (Wistar, approximately 250 g) were randomly assigned in 5 treatment groups as A, B, C, D, E) exposed to 0.5, 5, 50, 100, and 500 mg/kg per dayx11days i. p. and one control group as F received daily i. p. injections of 0.9% saline (3ml/kg). As indices of developing neurotoxicity, weight gain, gait scores and landing hindlimb foot splay were determined. After 11 days, two rats for silver stain, and two rats for EM were randomly selected; dissected and proper samples were collected from hypothalamus. Results did show no neurological behavior in groups A, B and F were observed in group C. Rats in groups D and E died within 1-2 hours due to sever toxemia. In histopathological studies based on de Olmos technique no argyrophilic neurons or processes were observed in stained sections obtained from hypothalamus of rats belong to groups A, B, and F while moderate to severe argyrophilic changes were observed in different nuclei and regions of stained sections obtained from hypothalamus of rats belong to group C. In ultra-structural studies some variations in the myelin sheet of injured axons including decompactation, interlaminar space formation, disruption of the laminar sheet, accumulation of neurofilaments, vacculation, and clumping inside the axolem, and finally complete disappearance of laminar sheet were observed.

Keywords: acrylamide, hypothalamus, rat, de Olmos amino cupric, silver stain, electron microscopy

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Authors: Veriko Jeladze, Besarion Partsvania, Levan Shoshiashvili

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This paper addresses a very topical issue today. The frequency range 2.5-100 GHz contains frequencies that have already been used or will be used in modern 5G technologies. The wavelengths used in 5G systems will be close to the body dimensions of small size biological objects, particularly insects. Because the body and body parts dimensions of insects at these frequencies are comparable with the wavelength, the high absorption of EMF energy in the body tissues can occur(body resonance) and therefore can cause harmful effects, possibly the extinction of some of them. An investigation into the impact of radio-frequency nonionizing electromagnetic field (EMF) utilized in the future 5G on insects is of great importance as a very high number of 5G network components will increase the total EMF exposure in the environment. All ecosystems of the earth are interconnected. If one component of an ecosystem is disrupted, the whole system will be affected (which could cause cascading effects). The study of these problems is an important challenge for scientists today because the existing studies are incomplete and insufficient. Consequently, the purpose of this proposed research is to investigate the possible hazardous impact of RF-EMFs (including 5G EMFs) on insects. The project will study the effects of these EMFs on various insects that have different body sizes through computer modeling at frequencies from 2.5 to 100 GHz. The selected insects are honey bee, wasp, and ladybug. For this purpose, the detailed 3D discrete models of insects are created for EM and thermal modeling through FDTD and will be evaluated whole-body Specific Absorption Rates (SAR) at selected frequencies. All these studies represent a novelty. The proposed study will promote new investigations about the bio-effects of 5G-EMFs and will contribute to the harmonization of safe exposure levels and frequencies of 5G-EMFs'.

Keywords: electromagnetic field, insect, FDTD, specific absorption rate (SAR)

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Authors: Yue Zhang, Bo Yang, Gang Xiong, Mohamed Elchalakanic, Shidong Nie

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This study aims to investigate the lateral torsional buckling of I-shaped cross-section beams fabricated from Q460GJ structural steel plates. Both experimental and numerical simulation results are presented in this paper. A total of eight specimens were tested under a three-point bending, and the corresponding numerical models were established to conduct parametric studies. The effects of some key parameters such as the non-dimensional member slenderness and the height-to-width ratio, were investigated based on the verified numerical models. Also, the results obtained from the parametric studies were compared with the predictions calculated by different design codes including the Chinese design code (GB50017-2003, 2003), the new draft version of Chinese design code (GB50017-201X, 2012), Eurocode 3 (EC3, 2005) and the North America design code (ANSI/AISC360-10, 2010). These comparisons indicated that the sectional height-to-width ratio does not play an important role to influence the overall stability load-carrying capacity of Q460GJ structural steel beams with welded I-shaped cross-sections. It was also found that the design methods in GB50017-2003 and ANSI/AISC360-10 overestimate the overall stability and load-carrying capacity of Q460GJ welded I-shaped cross-section beams.

Keywords: experimental study, finite element analysis, global stability, lateral torsional buckling, Q460GJ structural steel

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Authors: Arsalan Makinian

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Our future cities will constantly evolve the necessary technologies for tomorrow’s needs. Technologies which enable a better kind of prosperity and security. This paper reports on the precedent of a smart city from its beginning to prevalence among urbanism academic literature and reports of tech companies. The article aims to direct urban foresight studies and to build a pathway for the future of smart city concept by gathering theoretical and empirical experiences related to smart cities with both top-down and bottom-up approaches. It hopes to deliver results of different studies, pilot projects, and development strategies of some of the smart cities in order to allow a shareable knowledge to take shape and develop in terms of qualitative aspects of a smart city. Now the definition of the smart city goes beyond removing physical boundaries, changing the concept of mobility and providing electronic service for citizens, it now constitutes fields such as energy efficiency, economic competitiveness, protecting the environment and finally, it takes advantage of technology and data science to improve the quality of life. In the smart city, the role of citizens is considered as both final purpose and contributor. Emerging issues which are almost implications of advanced technologies -as the most important trends of the future- and their reflection on the society need to be foresighted. Educating and fostering knowledge of smartness is one of the targets of the smart city concept. In this regard, some of these smart cites have established research and development units to share their projects and smart city initiatives. Due to this fact, gaining experience and sharing the results of this subject is necessary for technology management and moving toward a smart urban future.

Keywords: age of urban tech, bottom-up approach, role of citizens, smart city

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Authors: Ae Ra Han, Seoung Eun Huh, Ji Yeon Kim, Joanne Kwak-Kim, Sung Ki Lee

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Objective: Prevalence of osteoporosis, cardiovascular disorders, and Alzheimer's disease rapidly increase after menopause. Immune activation and inflammation are suggested as an important pathogenesis of these serious diseases. Several pro-inflammatory cytokines are increased in women with surgical or natural menopause. However, the little is known about IL-17 producing T cells and Foxp3+ regulatory T (Treg) cells in post-menopause. Methods: A total of 34 postmenopausal women, who had no active cardiovascular, endocrine and infectious disorders were recruited as study group and healthy premenopausal women participated as controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated. Immuno-morphologic (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD56/CD16), intracellular cytokine (TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-10, IL-17), and Treg cell (Foxp3) studies were carried out using flow cytometry. The proportion of peripheral lymphocytes, including IL-17 producing and Foxp3+ Treg cells immune cell in each group were statistically analyzed. Results: The proportion of NK cells was significantly increased in menopausal women as compared to that of controls (P=.005). The ratios of TNF-alpha/IL-10 producing CD3+CD4+ T cells were increased in postmenopausal women. CD3+IL-17+ T cell level was higher in postmenopausal women and CD4+ Foxp3+ Treg cells was lower than that of controls. The ratios of CD3+IL-17+ T cell to CD3+Foxp3+ and to CD4+Foxp3+ Treg cells were significantly increased in postmenopausal women (P=.001). Conclusions: We found enhanced innate immunity and Th1- and Th17-mediated adaptive immunity in postmenopausal women. This may explain increasing prevalence of chronic inflammatory diseases after menopause. Further studies are needed to elucidate what factors contribute to this inflammatory shift in the postmenopause.

Keywords: inflammation, immune cell, menopause, Th17, regulatory T cell

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Authors: Rajasekhar Reddy Poonuru, Anusha Parnem

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Purpose: To formulate proliposome powder of agomelatine, an antipsychotic drug, and to evaluate physicochemical, in vitro characters and effect of surface charge on ex vivo intestinal permeation. Methods: Film deposition technique was employed to develop proliposomal powders of agomelatin with varying molar ratios of lipid Hydro Soy PC L-α-phosphatidylcholine (HSPC) and cholesterol with fixed sum of drug. With the aim to derive free flowing and stable proliposome powder, fluid retention potential of various carriers was examined. Liposome formation and number of vesicles formed for per mm3 up on hydration, vesicle size, and entrapment efficiency was assessed to deduce an optimized formulation. Sodium cholate added to optimized formulation to induce surface charge on formed vesicles. Solid-state characterization (FTIR, DSC, and XRD) was performed with the intention to assess native crystalline and chemical behavior of drug. The in vitro dissolution test of optimized formulation along with pure drug was evaluated to estimate dissolution efficiency (DE) and relative dissolution rate (RDR). Effective permeability co-efficient (Peff(rat)) in rat and enhancement ratio (ER) of drug from formulation and pure drug dispersion were calculated from ex vivo permeation studies in rat ileum. Results: Proliposomal powder formulated with equimolar ratio of HSPC and cholesterol ensued in higher no. of vesicles (3.95) with 90% drug entrapment up on hydration. Neusilin UFL2 was elected as carrier because of its high fluid retention potential (4.5) and good flow properties. Proliposome powder exhibited augmentation in DE (60.3 ±3.34) and RDR (21.2±01.02) of agomelation over pure drug. Solid state characterization studies demonstrated the transformation of native crystalline form of drug to amorphous and/or molecular state, which was in correlation with results obtained from in vitro dissolution test. The elevated Peff(rat) of 46.5×10-4 cm/sec and ER of 2.65 of drug from charge induced proliposome formulation with respect to pure drug dispersion was assessed from ex vivo intestinal permeation studies executed in ileum of wistar rats. Conclusion: Improved physicochemical characters and ex vivo intestinal permeation of drug from charge induced proliposome powder with Neusilin UFL2 unravels the potentiality of this system in enhancing oral delivery of agomelatin.

Keywords: agomelatin, proliposome, sodium cholate, neusilin

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Authors: D. Lopes, I. I. R. Baptista, R. F. Vieira, J. Vaz, H. Varela, O. M. Freitas, V. F. Domingues, R. Jorge, C. Delerue-Matos, S. A. Figueiredo

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Deodorization is nowadays a need in wastewater treatment plants. Nitrogen and sulphur compounds, volatile fatty acids, aldehydes and ketones are responsible for the unpleasant odours, being ammonia, hydrogen sulphide and mercaptans the most common pollutants. Although chemical treatments of the air extracted are efficient, these are more expensive than biological treatments, namely due the use of chemical reagents (commonly sulphuric acid, sodium hypochlorite and sodium hydroxide). Biofiltration offers the advantage of avoiding the use of reagents (only in some cases, nutrients are added in order to increase the treatment efficiency) and can be considered a sustainable process when the packing medium used is of natural origin. In this work the application of some natural materials locally available was studied both at laboratory and pilot scale, in a real wastewater treatment plant. The materials selected for this study were indigenous Portuguese forest materials derived from eucalyptus and pinewood, such as woodchips and bark, and coconut fiber was also used for comparison purposes. Their physico-chemical characterization was performed: density, moisture, pH, buffer and water retention capacity. Laboratory studies involved batch adsorption studies for ammonia and hydrogen sulphide removal and evaluation of microbiological activity. Four pilot-scale biofilters (1 cubic meter volume) were installed at a local wastewater treatment plant treating odours from the effluent receiving chamber. Each biofilter contained a different packing material consisting of mixtures of eucalyptus bark, pine woodchips and coconut fiber, with added buffering agents and nutrients. The odour treatment efficiency was monitored over time, as well as other operating parameters. The operation at pilot scale suggested that between the processes involved in biofiltration - adsorption, absorption and biodegradation - the first dominates at the beginning, while the biofilm is developing. When the biofilm is completely established, and the adsorption capacity of the material is reached, biodegradation becomes the most relevant odour removal mechanism. High odour and hydrogen sulphide removal efficiencies were achieved throughout the testing period (over 6 months), confirming the suitability of the materials selected, and mixtures thereof prepared, for biofiltration applications.

Keywords: ammonia hydrogen sulphide and removal, biofiltration, natural materials, odour control in wastewater treatment plants

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Authors: Mohammad Khalid, Mariya Munir, Jacelyn Rice Boyaue

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Highways are considered a major source of pollution to storm-water, and its runoff can introduce various contaminants, including nutrients, Indicator bacteria, heavy metals, chloride, and phosphorus compounds, which can have negative impacts on receiving waters. This study assessed the ability of biochar for contaminants removal and to improve the water holding capacity of soil biochar mixture. For this, ten commercially available biochar has been strategically selected. Lab scale batch testing was done at 3% and 6% by the weight of the soil to find the preliminary estimate of contaminants removal along with hydraulic conductivity and water retention capacity. Furthermore, from the above-conducted studies, six best performing candidate and an application rate of 6% has been selected for the column studies. Soil biochar mixture was filled in 7.62 cm assembled columns up to a fixed height of 76.2 cm based on hydraulic conductivity. A total of eight column experiments have been conducted for nutrient, heavy metal, and indicator bacteria analysis over a period of one year, which includes a drying as well as a deicing period. The saturated hydraulic conductivity was greatly improved, which is attributed to the high porosity of the biochar soil mixture. Initial data from the column testing shows that biochar may have the ability to significantly remove nutrients, indicator bacteria, and heavy metals. The overall study demonstrates that biochar could be efficiently applied with clay soil to improve the soil's hydraulic characteristics as well as remove the pollutants from the stormwater runoff.

Keywords: biochar, nutrients, indicator bacteria, storm-water treatment, sustainability

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Authors: Sudhir Kumar, V. R. Sinha

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Water in oil topical microemulsions of 5-FU were developed and optimized using face centered central composite design. Topical w/o microemulsion of 5-FU were prepared using sorbitan monooleate (Span 80), polysorbate 80 (Tween 80), with different oils such as oleic acid (OA), triacetin (TA), and isopropyl myristate (IPM). The ternary phase diagrams designated the microemulsion region and face centered central composite design helped in determining the effects of selected variables viz. type of oil, smix ratio and water concentration on responses like drug content, globule size and viscosity of microemulsions. The CCD design exhibited that the factors have statistically significant effects (p<0.01) on the selected responses. The actual responses showed excellent agreement with the predicted values as suggested by the CCD with lower residual standard error. Similarly, the optimized values were found within the range as predicted by the model. Furthermore, other characteristics of microemulsions like pH, conductivity were investigated. For the optimized microemulsion batch, ex-vivo skin flux, skin irritation and retention studies were performed and compared with marketed 5-FU formulation. In ex vivo skin permeation studies, higher skin retention of drug and minimal flux was achieved for optimized microemulsion batch then the marketed cream. Results confirmed the actual responses to be in agreement with predicted ones with least residual standard errors. Controlled release of drug was achieved for the optimized batch with higher skin retention of 5-FU, which can further be utilized for the treatment of many dermatological disorders.

Keywords: 5-FU, central composite design, microemulsion, ternanry phase diagram

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Authors: Dyah Adi Sriwahyuni

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Institutional work has become a prominent and contemporary institutional theory perspective in organization studies. A wealth of studies in organizations have explored actor activities in creating, maintaining, and disrupting institutions at the field level. However, the exploration of the work of actors in creating new management practices at the organizational level has been somewhat limited. The current institutional work literature mostly describes the work of actors at the field level and ignores organizational actors who work to realize management practices. Organizational actors here are defined as actors in organizations who work to institutionalize a particular management practice within the organizations. The extant literature has also generalized the types of management practices, which meant overlooking the unique characteristics of each management fashion as well as a management practice. To fill these gaps, this study aims to provide empirical evidence so as to contribute theoretically to institutional work through a comparative case study on organizational actors’ creation of knowledge management (KM) practice in two public sector organizations in Indonesia. KM is a contemporary management practice employed to manage individual and organizational knowledge in order to improve organizational performance. This practice presents a suitable practical setting with which to provide a rich understanding of the organizational actors’ institutional work and their connection with technology. Drawing on and extending the work of Perkmann and Spicer (2008), this study explores the forms of institutional work performed by organizational actors, including their motivation, skills, challenges, and opportunities. The primary data collection is semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable actors and document analysis for validity and triangulation. Following Eisenhardt's cross-case patterns, the researcher analyzed the collected data focusing on within-group similarities and intergroup differences. The researcher coded interview data using NVivo and used documents to corroborate the findings. The study’s findings add to the wealth of institutional theory literature in organization studies, particularly institutional work related to management practices. This study builds a theory about the work of organizational actors in creating knowledge management practices. Using the perspective of institutional work, research can show the roles of the various actors involved, their practices, and their relationship to technology (materiality), not only focusing on actors with a power which has been the theorizing of institutional entrepreneurship. The development of knowledge management practices in the Indonesian public sector is also a significant additional contribution, given that the current KM literature is dominated by conceptualizing the KM framework and the impact of KM on organizations. The public sector, which is the research setting, also provides important lessons on how actors in a highly institutionalized context are creating an institution, in this case, a knowledge management practice.

Keywords: institutional work, knowledge management, case study, public sector organizations

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Authors: M. Tabatabaee, R. Mohebat, M. Baranian

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Textile industries produce large volumes of colored dye effluents which are toxic and non-biodegradable. Earlier studies have shown that a wide range of organic substrates can be completely photo mineralized in the presence of photocatalysts and oxidant agents. ZnO and TiO2 are important photocatalysts with high catalytic activity that have attracted much research attention. Zinc sulfide is one of the semiconductor nanomaterials that can be used for the production of optical sensitizers, photocatalysts, electroluminescent materials, optical sensors and for solar energy conversion. The synthesis of ZnS nanoparticles has been tried by various methods and sulfide sources. Elementary sulfur powder, H2S or Na2S are used as sulfide sources for synthesis of ZnS nano particles. Recently, solar energy is has been successfully used for photocatalytic degradation of dye pollutant. Studies have shown that the use of metal oxides or sulfides with ZnO or TiO2 can significantly enhance the photocatalytic activity of them. In this research, Nano-sized zinc sulfide was synthesized successfully by a simple method using thioasetamide as sulfide source in the presence of polyethylene glycol (PEG 2000). X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectroscopy scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to characterize the structure and morphology synthesized powder. The effect of photocatalytic activity of prepared ZnS and ZnS/ZnO, on degradation of direct Black19 under UV and sunlight irradiation was investigated. The effects of various parameters such as amount of photocatalyst, pH, initial dye concentration and irradiation time on decolorization rate were systematically investigated. Results show that more than 80% of 500 mgL-1 of dye decolorized in 60-min reaction time under UV and solar irradiation in the presence of ZnS nanoparticles. Whereas, mixed ZnS/ZnO (50%) can decolorize more than 80% of dye in the same conditions.

Keywords: zinc sulfide, nano articles, photodegradation, solar light

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Authors: Néstor Iván Rojas, Wilson Medina Sierra

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Managing spatial information is described through a Geographic Information System (GIS), for some neighborhoods in the city of Tunja, in relation to the structural typology of the buildings. The use of GIS provides tools that facilitate the capture, processing, analysis and dissemination of cartographic information, product quality evaluation of the classification of buildings. Allows the development of a method that unifies and standardizes processes information. The project aims to generate a geographic database that is useful to the entities responsible for planning and disaster prevention and care for vulnerable populations, also seeks to be a basis for seismic vulnerability studies that can contribute in a study of urban seismic microzonation. The methodology consists in capturing the plat including road naming, neighborhoods, blocks and buildings, to which were added as attributes, the product of the evaluation of each of the housing data such as the number of inhabitants and classification, year of construction, the predominant structural systems, the type of mezzanine board and state of favorability, the presence of geo-technical problems, the type of cover, the use of each building, damage to structural and non-structural elements . The above data are tabulated in a spreadsheet that includes cadastral number, through which are systematically included in the respective building that also has that attribute. Geo-referenced data base is obtained, from which graphical outputs are generated, producing thematic maps for each evaluated data, which clearly show the spatial distribution of the information obtained. Using GIS offers important advantages for spatial information management and facilitates consultation and update. Usefulness of the project is recognized as a basis for studies on issues of planning and prevention.

Keywords: microzonation, buildings, geo-processing, cadastral number

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Authors: Asher John Mohan, Krishna K. L.

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Objectives: (1) To assess the extent of memory impairment induced by Phenytoin (PHT) at normal and reduced dose on temporal lobe epileptic mice. (2) To evaluate the protective effect of Levetiracetam (LEV) on aggravation of memory impairment in temporal lobe epileptic mice by PHT. Materials and Methods: Albino mice of either sex (n=36) were used for the study for a period of 64 days. Convulsions were induced by intraperitoneal administration of pilocarpine 280 mg/kg on every 6th day. Radial arm maze (RAM) was employed to evaluate the memory impairment activity on every 7th day. The anticonvulsant and memory impairment activity were assessed in PHT normal and reduced doses both alone and in combination with LEV. RAM error scores and convulsive scores were the parameters considered for this study. Brain acetylcholine esterase and glutamate were determined along with histopathological studies of frontal cortex. Results: Administration of PHT for 64 days on mice has shown aggravation of memory impairment activity on temporal lobe epileptic mice. Although the reduction in PHT dose was found to decrease the degree of memory impairment the same decreased the anticonvulsant potency. The combination with LEV not only brought about the correction of impaired memory but also replaced the loss of potency due to the reduction of the dose of the antiepileptic drug employed. These findings were confirmed with enzyme and neurotransmitter levels in addition to histopathological studies. Conclusion: This study thus builds a foundation in combining a nootropic anticonvulsant with an antiepileptic drug to curb the adverse effect of memory impairment associated with temporal lobe epilepsy. However further extensive research is a must for the practical incorporation of this approach into disease therapy.

Keywords: anti-epileptic drug, Phenytoin, memory impairment, Pilocarpine

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Authors: Sitong. Chen, Bing Wei

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As a sociocultural concept, identity has increasingly gained attention in educational research, and the notion of students’ science identity has been widely discussed in the field of science education. Science identity was proved to be a key indicator of students’ learning engagement, persistence, and career intentions in science-related and STEM fields. Thus, a great deal of educational effort has been made to promote students’ science identity in former studies. However, most of this research was focused on students’ identity development during undergraduate and graduate periods, except for a few studies exploring high school students’ identity formation. High school has been argued as a crucial period for promoting science identity. This study applied a qualitative method to explore how high school students have come to form their science identities in previous learning and living experiences. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 newly enrolled undergraduate students majoring in science-related fields. As suggested by the narrative data from interviews, students’ formation of science identities was driven by their five interrelated experiences: growing self-recognition as a science person, achieving success in learning science, getting recognized by influential others, being interested in science subjects, and informal science experiences in various contexts. Specifically, students’ success and achievement in science learning could facilitate their interest in science subjects and others’ recognition. And their informal experiences could enhance their interest and performance in formal science learning. Furthermore, students’ success and interest in science, as well as recognition from others together, contribute to their self-recognition. Based on the results of this study, some practical implications were provided for science teachers and researchers in enhancing high school students’ science identities.

Keywords: high school students, identity formation, learning experiences, living experiences, science identity

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Authors: M. Kumral, A. Abdelnasser, M. Budakoglu, M. Karaman, D. K. Yildirim, Z. Doner, A. Bostanci

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The Paraga area is located at the extreme eastern part of Nakhchivan district at the boundary with Armenia. The field study is situated at Ordubad region placed in 9 km from Paraga village and stays at 2300-2800 m height over sea level. It lies within a region of low-grade metamorphic porphyritic volcanic and plutonic rocks. The detailed field studies revealed that this area composed mainly of metagabbro-diorite intrusive rocks with porphyritic character emplaced into meta-andesitic rocks. This complex is later intruded by unmapped olivine gabbroic rocks. The Cu-Mo-(Au) mineralization at Paraga deposit is vein-type mineralization that is essentially related to quartz veins stockwork which cut the dioritic rocks and concentrated at the eastern and northeastern parts of the area with different directions N80W, N25W, N70E and N45E. Also, this mineralization is associated with two shearing zones directed N75W and N15E. The host porphyritic rocks were affected by intense sulfidation, carbonatization, sericitization and silicification with pervasive hematitic alterations accompanied with mineralized quartz veins and quartz-carbonate veins. Sulfide minerals which are chalcopyrite, pyrite, arsenopyrite and sphalerite occurred in two cases either inside these mineralized quartz veins or disseminated in the highly altered rocks as well as molybdenite and also at the peripheries between the altered host rock and veins. Gold found as inclusion disseminated in arsenopyrite and pyrite as well as in their cracks.

Keywords: porphyry Cu-Mo-(Au), Paraga area, Nakhchivan, Azerbaijan, paragenesis, hyrothermal alteration

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Authors: Jatin Sridhar Naidu, Aryan Arora, Zainab Shafiq, Reza Mirnezami

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Background: Robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) promises good outcomes in midgut adenocarcinoma surgery. However, its effectiveness in midgut neuroendocrine tumours (MNETs) is unknown. This study aimed to assess the current use, user interface, and any emerging developments of RAS in MNET treatment using the literature available. Methods: This review was carried out using PRISMA guidelines. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science were searched on 22nd October 2022. All studies reporting primary data on robotic surgery in midgut neuroendocrine tumours or carcinoid tumours were included. The midgut was defined to be from the duodenojejunal flexure to the splenic flexure. Methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs critical appraisal tool. Results: According to our systematic review protocol, nineteen studies were selected. A total of twenty-six patients were identified. RAS was used for right colectomies, right hemicolectomies, ileal resections, caecal resections, intracorporeal anastomoses, and complete mesocolic excisions. It offered an optimal user-interface with enhanced visuals, fine dexterity, and ergonomic work position. Innovative developments in tumour-healthy tissue boundary and vasculature visualisation were reported. Conclusion: RAS for MNETs is safe and feasible, although the evidence base is limited. We recommend large prospective-randomised controlled trials comparing it with laparoscopy and open surgery. Developments in intraoperative contrast dyes and tumour-specific probes are very promising.

Keywords: robotic surgery, colorectal surgery, neuroendocrine neoplasms, midgut neoplasms

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