Search results for: design patterns

Authors: Wenfan Yan, Yumei Han

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

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

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Authors: Mian Huang, Chi Ma, Junyu Lin, William Lu

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Introduction: Bone health attracts more attention recently and an intelligent question and answer (QA) chatbot for osteoporosis is helpful for science popularization. With Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) technology developing, we build an osteoporosis corpus dataset and then fine-tune LLaMA, a famous open-source GPT foundation large language model(LLM), on our self-constructed osteoporosis corpus. Evaluated by clinical orthopedic experts, our fine-tuned model outperforms vanilla LLaMA on osteoporosis QA task in Chinese. Three-dimensional quantitative computed tomography (QCT) measured bone mineral density (BMD) is considered as more accurate than DXA for BMD measurement in recent years. We develop an automatic Phantom-less QCT(PL-QCT) that is more efficient for BMD measurement since no need of an external phantom for calibration. Combined with LLM on osteoporosis, our PL-QCT provides efficient and accurate BMD measurement for our chatbot users. Material and Methods: We build an osteoporosis corpus containing about 30,000 Chinese literatures whose titles are related to osteoporosis. The whole process is done automatically, including crawling literatures in .pdf format, localizing text/figure/table region by layout segmentation algorithm and recognizing text by OCR algorithm. We train our model by continuous pre-training with Low-rank Adaptation (LoRA, rank=10) technology to adapt LLaMA-7B model to osteoporosis domain, whose basic principle is to mask the next word in the text and make the model predict that word. The loss function is defined as cross-entropy between the predicted and ground-truth word. Experiment is implemented on single NVIDIA A800 GPU for 15 days. Our automatic PL-QCT BMD measurement adopt AI-associated region-of-interest (ROI) generation algorithm for localizing vertebrae-parallel cylinder in cancellous bone. Due to no phantom for BMD calibration, we calculate ROI BMD by CT-BMD of personal muscle and fat. Results & Discussion: Clinical orthopaedic experts are invited to design 5 osteoporosis questions in Chinese, evaluating performance of vanilla LLaMA and our fine-tuned model. Our model outperforms LLaMA on over 80% of these questions, understanding ‘Expert Consensus on Osteoporosis’, ‘QCT for osteoporosis diagnosis’ and ‘Effect of age on osteoporosis’. Detailed results are shown in appendix. Future work may be done by training a larger LLM on the whole orthopaedics with more high-quality domain data, or a multi-modal GPT combining and understanding X-ray and medical text for orthopaedic computer-aided-diagnosis. However, GPT model gives unexpected outputs sometimes, such as repetitive text or seemingly normal but wrong answer (called ‘hallucination’). Even though GPT give correct answers, it cannot be considered as valid clinical diagnoses instead of clinical doctors. The PL-QCT BMD system provided by Bone’s QCT(Bone’s Technology(Shenzhen) Limited) achieves 0.1448mg/cm2(spine) and 0.0002 mg/cm2(hip) mean absolute error(MAE) and linear correlation coefficient R2=0.9970(spine) and R2=0.9991(hip)(compared to QCT-Pro(Mindways)) on 155 patients in three-center clinical trial in Guangzhou, China. Conclusion: This study builds a Chinese osteoporosis corpus and develops a fine-tuned and domain-adapted LLM as well as a PL-QCT BMD measurement system. Our fine-tuned GPT model shows better capability than LLaMA model on most testing questions on osteoporosis. Combined with our PL-QCT BMD system, we are looking forward to providing science popularization and early morning screening for potential osteoporotic patients.

Keywords: GPT, phantom-less QCT, large language model, osteoporosis

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Authors: Joel A. Gordon, Nazmiye Balta-Ozkan, Seyed Ali Nabavi

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Hydrogen-fueled technologies are rapidly advancing as a critical component of the low-carbon energy transition. In countries historically reliant on natural gas for home heating, such as the UK, hydrogen may prove fundamental for decarbonizing the residential sector, alongside other technologies such as heat pumps and district heat networks. While the UK government is set to take a long-term policy decision on the role of domestic hydrogen by 2026, there are considerable uncertainties regarding consumer preferences for ‘hydrogen homes’ (i.e., hydrogen-fueled appliances for space heating, hot water, and cooking. In comparison to other hydrogen energy technologies, such as road transport applications, to date, few studies have engaged with the social acceptance aspects of the domestic hydrogen transition, resulting in a stark knowledge deficit and pronounced risk to policymaking efforts. In response, this study aims to safeguard against undesirable policy measures by revealing the underlying relationships between the factors of domestic hydrogen acceptance and their respective dimensions: attitudinal, socio-political, community, market, and behavioral acceptance. The study employs an online survey (n=~2100) to gauge how different UK householders perceive the proposition of switching from natural gas to hydrogen-fueled appliances. In addition to accounting for housing characteristics (i.e., housing tenure, property type and number of occupants per dwelling) and several other socio-structural variables (e.g. age, gender, and location), the study explores the impacts of consumer heterogeneity on hydrogen acceptance by recruiting respondents from across five distinct groups: (1) fuel poor householders, (2) technology engaged householders, (3) environmentally engaged householders, (4) technology and environmentally engaged householders, and (5) a baseline group (n=~700) which filters out each of the smaller targeted groups (n=~350). This research design reflects the notion that supporting a socially fair and efficient transition to hydrogen will require parallel engagement with potential early adopters and demographic groups impacted by fuel poverty while also accounting strongly for public attitudes towards net zero. Employing a second-order multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in Mplus, the proposed hydrogen acceptance model is tested to fit the data through a partial least squares (PLS) approach. In addition to testing differences between and within groups, the findings provide policymakers with critical insights regarding the significance of knowledge and awareness, safety perceptions, perceived community impacts, cost factors, and trust in key actors and stakeholders as potential explanatory factors of hydrogen acceptance. Preliminary results suggest that knowledge and awareness of hydrogen are positively associated with support for domestic hydrogen at the household, community, and national levels. However, with the exception of technology and/or environmentally engaged citizens, much of the population remains unfamiliar with hydrogen and somewhat skeptical of its application in homes. Knowledge and awareness present as critical to facilitating positive safety perceptions, alongside higher levels of trust and more favorable expectations for community benefits, appliance performance, and potential cost savings. Based on these preliminary findings, policymakers should be put on red alert about diffusing hydrogen into the public consciousness in alignment with energy security, fuel poverty, and net-zero agendas.

Keywords: hydrogen homes, social acceptance, consumer heterogeneity, heat decarbonization

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Authors: Ling Ai, Ziyu Zhao, Zeyu Zhou, Xiaochen Yang, Heng Zhai, Stuart Holmes

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Optimizing the catalyst layer structure is crucial for enhancing the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) with low Platinum (Pt) loading. Current works focused on the utilization, durability, and site activity of Pt particles on support, and performance enhancement has been achieved by loading Pt onto porous support with different morphology, such as graphene, carbon fiber, and carbon black. Some schemes have also incorporated cost considerations to achieve lower Pt loading. However, the design of the catalyst layer (CL) structure in the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) must consider the interactions between the layers. Addressing the crucial aspects of water management, low contact resistance, and the establishment of effective three-phase boundary for MEA, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) are promising CL support due to their intrinsically high hydrophobicity, high axial electrical conductivity, and potential for ordered alignment. However, the drawbacks of MWCNTs, such as strong agglomeration, wall surface chemical inertness, and unopened ends, are unfavorable for Pt nanoparticle loading, which is detrimental to MEA processing and leads to inhomogeneous CL surfaces. This further deteriorates the utilization of Pt and increases the contact resistance. Robust chemical oxidation or nitrogen doping can introduce polar functional groups onto the surface of MWCNTs, facilitating the creation of open tube ends and inducing defects in tube walls. This improves dispersibility and load capacity but reduces length and conductivity. Consequently, a trade-off exists between maintaining the intrinsic properties and the degree of functionalization of MWCNTs. In this work, MWCNTs were modified based on the operational requirements of the MEA from the viewpoint of interlayer interactions, including the search for the optimal degree of oxidation, N-doping, and micro-arrangement. MWCNT were functionalized by oxidizing, N-doping, as well as micro-alignment to achieve lower contact resistance between CL and proton exchange membrane (PEM), better hydrophobicity, and enhanced performance. Furthermore, this work expects to construct a more continuously distributed three-phase boundary by aligning MWCNT to form a locally ordered structure, which is essential for the efficient utilization of Pt active sites. Different from other chemical oxidation schemes that used HNO3:H2SO4 (1:3) mixed acid to strongly oxidize MWCNT, this scheme adopted pure HNO3 to partially oxidize MWCNT at a lower reflux temperature (80 ℃) and a shorter treatment time (0 to 10 h) to preserve the morphology and intrinsic conductivity of MWCNT. The maximum power density of 979.81 mw cm-2 was achieved by Pt loading on 6h MWCNT oxidation time (Pt-MWCNT6h). This represented a 59.53% improvement over the commercial Pt/C catalyst of 614.17 (mw cm-2). In addition, due to the stronger electrical conductivity, the charge transfer resistance of Pt-MWCNT6h in the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) test was 0.09 Ohm cm-2, which was 48.86% lower than that of Pt/C. This study will discuss the developed catalysts and their efficacy in a working fuel cell system. This research will validate the impact of low-functionalization modification of MWCNTs on the performance of PEMFC, which simplifies the preparation challenges of CL and contributing for the widespread commercial application of PEMFCs on a larger scale.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes, electrocatalyst, membrane electrode assembly, proton exchange membrane fuel cell

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Authors: Mozhdeh Khalili Kordabadi

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Textiles play a vital role in human life, particularly in the form of clothing. However, the alarming rate at which textiles end up in landfills presents a significant environmental risk. With approximately one garbage truck per second being filled with discarded textiles, urgent measures are required to mitigate this trend. Governments and responsible organizations are calling upon various stakeholders to shift from a linear economy to a circular economy model in the textile industry. This article highlights several key approaches that can be undertaken to address this pressing issue. These approaches include the creation of renewable raw material sources, rethinking production processes, maximizing the use and reuse of textile products, implementing reproduction and recycling strategies, exploring redistribution to new markets, and finding innovative means to extend the lifespan of textiles. By adopting these strategies, the textile industry can contribute to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. Introduction: Textiles, particularly clothing, are essential to human existence. However, the rapid accumulation of textiles in landfills poses a significant threat to the environment. This article explores the urgent need for the textile industry to transition from a linear economy model to a circular economy model. The linear model, characterized by the creation, use, and disposal of textiles, is unsustainable in the long term. By adopting a circular economy approach, the industry can minimize waste, reduce environmental impact, and promote sustainable practices. This article outlines key approaches that can be undertaken to drive this transition. Approaches to Address Environmental Challenges: Creation of Renewable Raw Materials Sources: Exploring and promoting the use of renewable and sustainable raw materials, such as organic cotton, hemp, and recycled fibers, can significantly reduce the environmental footprint of textile production. Rethinking Production Processes: Implementing cleaner production techniques, optimizing resource utilization, and minimizing waste generation are crucial steps in reducing the environmental impact of textile manufacturing. Maximizing Use and Reuse of Textile Products: Encouraging consumers to prolong the lifespan of textile products through proper care, maintenance, and repair services can reduce the frequency of disposal and promote a culture of sustainability. Reproduction and Recycling Strategies: Investing in innovative technologies and infrastructure to enable efficient reproduction and recycling of textiles can close the loop and minimize waste generation. Redistribution of Textiles to New Markets: Exploring opportunities to redistribute textiles to new and parallel markets, such as resale platforms, can extend their lifecycle and prevent premature disposal. Improvising Means to Extend Textile Lifespan: Encouraging design practices that prioritize durability, versatility, and timeless aesthetics can contribute to prolonging the lifespan of textiles. Conclusion: The textile industry must urgently transition from a linear economy to a circular economy model to mitigate the adverse environmental impact caused by textile waste. By implementing the outlined approaches, such as sourcing renewable raw materials, rethinking production processes, promoting reuse and recycling, exploring new markets, and extending the lifespan of textiles, stakeholders can work together to create a more sustainable and environmentally friendly textile industry. These measures require collective action and collaboration between governments, organizations, manufacturers, and consumers to drive positive change and safeguard the planet for future generations.

Keywords: textiles, circular economy, environmental challenges, renewable raw materials, production processes, reuse, recycling, redistribution, textile lifespan extension.

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Authors: Manon Frédout, Laëtitia Bucari, Mathias Aloui, Gaëtan Duhamel, Olivier Rovellotti, Javier Blanco

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Ecosystems must be resilient to ensure cleaner air, better water and soil quality, and thus healthier citizens. Technology can be an excellent tool to support urban ecosystem restoration projects, especially when based on Open Source and promoting Open Data. This is the goal of the ecoTeka application: one single digital tool for tree management which allows decision-makers to improve their urban forestry practices, enabling more responsible urban planning and climate change adaptation. EcoTeka provides city councils with three main functionalities tackling three of their challenges: easier biodiversity inventories, better green space management, and more efficient planning. To answer the cities’ need for reliable tree inventories, the application has been first built with open data coming from the websites OpenStreetMap and OpenTrees, but it will also include very soon the possibility of creating new data. To achieve this, a multi-source algorithm will be elaborated, based on existing artificial intelligence Deep Forest, integrating open-source satellite images, 3D representations from LiDAR, and street views from Mapillary. This data processing will permit identifying individual trees' position, height, crown diameter, and taxonomic genus. To support urban forestry management, ecoTeka offers a dashboard for monitoring the city’s tree inventory and trigger alerts to inform about upcoming due interventions. This tool was co-constructed with the green space departments of the French cities of Alès, Marseille, and Rouen. The third functionality of the application is a decision-making tool for urban planning, promoting biodiversity and landscape connectivity metrics to drive ecosystem restoration roadmap. Based on landscape graph theory, we are currently experimenting with new methodological approaches to scale down regional ecological connectivity principles to local biodiversity conservation and urban planning policies. This methodological framework will couple graph theoretic approach and biological data, mainly biodiversity occurrences (presence/absence) data available on both international (e.g., GBIF), national (e.g., Système d’Information Nature et Paysage) and local (e.g., Atlas de la Biodiversté Communale) biodiversity data sharing platforms in order to help reasoning new decisions for ecological networks conservation and restoration in urban areas. An experiment on this subject is currently ongoing with Montpellier Mediterranee Metropole. These projects and studies have shown that only 26% of tree inventory data is currently geo-localized in France - the rest is still being done on paper or Excel sheets. It seems that technology is not yet used enough to enrich the knowledge city councils have about biodiversity in their city and that existing biodiversity open data (e.g., occurrences, telemetry, or genetic data), species distribution models, landscape graph connectivity metrics are still underexploited to make rational decisions for landscape and urban planning projects. This is the goal of ecoTeka: to support easier inventories of urban biodiversity and better management of urban spaces through rational planning and decisions relying on open databases. Future studies and projects will focus on the development of tools for reducing the artificialization of soils, selecting plant species adapted to climate change, and highlighting the need for ecosystem and biodiversity services in cities.

Keywords: digital software, ecological design of urban landscapes, sustainable urban development, urban ecological corridor, urban forestry, urban planning

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Authors: Juliet Sorensen, Anna Maitland

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Introduction: Characterized by lack of water and sanitation, food insecurity, and low access to hospitals and clinics, informal urban settlements in Lagos, Nigeria have very poor health outcomes. With little education and a general inability to demand basic rights, these communities are often disempowered and isolated from understanding, claiming, or owning their health needs. Utilizing community-based participatory research characterized by interdisciplinary, cross-cultural partnerships, evidence-based assessments, and both primary and secondary source research, a holistic health education and advocacy program was developed in Lagos to address health barriers for targeted communities. This includes a first of its kind guide formulated to teach community-based health educators how to transmit health information to low-literacy Nigerian audiences while supporting behavior change models and social support mechanisms. This paper discusses the interdisciplinary contributions to developing a health education program while also looking at the need for greater beneficiary ownership and implementation of health justice and access. Methods: In March 2016, an interdisciplinary group of medical, legal, and business graduate students and faculty from Northwestern University conduced a Health Needs Assessment (HNA) in Lagos with a partner and a local non-governmental organization. The HNA revealed that members of informal urban communities in Lagos were lacking basic health literacy, but desired to remedy this lacuna. Further, the HNA revealed that even where the government mandates specific services, many vulnerable populations are unable to access these services. The HNA concluded that a program focused on education, advocacy, and organizing around anatomy, maternal and sexual health, infectious disease and malaria, HIV/AIDS, emergency care, and water and sanitation would respond to stated needs while also building capacity in communities to address health barriers. Results: Based on the HNA, including both primary and secondary source research on integrated health education approaches and behavior change models and responsive, adaptive material development, a holistic program was developed for the Lagos partners and first implemented in November 2016. This program trained community-nominated health educators in adult, low-literacy, knowledge exchange approaches, utilizing information identified by communities as a priority. After a second training in March 2017, these educators will teach community-based groups and will support and facilitate behavior change models and peer-support methods around basic issues like hand washing and disease transmission. They will be supported by community paralegals who will help ensure that newly trained community groups can act on education around access, such as receiving free vaccinations, maternal health care, and HIV/AIDS medicines. Materials will continue to be updated as needs and issues arise, with a focus on identifying best practices around health improvements that can be shared across these partner communities. Conclusion: These materials are the first of their kind, and address a void of health information and understanding pervasive in informal-urban Lagos communities. Initial feedback indicates high levels of commitment and interest, as well as investment by communities in these materials, largely because they are responsive, targeted, and build community capacity. This methodology is an important step in dignity-based health justice solutions, albeit in the process of refinement.

Keywords: community health educators, interdisciplinary and cross cultural partnerships, health justice and access, Nigeria

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Authors: Daniel Stabler, Anne-Laure Mention, Henri Hakala, Ahmad Alaassar

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In Europe, 2.2 billion tons of waste annually generate severe environmental damage and economic burdens, and negatively impact human health. A stark illustration of the problem is found within the consumer electronics industry, which reflects one of the most complex global waste streams. Of the 5.3 billion globally discarded mobile phones in 2022, only 17% were properly recycled. To address these pressing issues, Europe has made significant strides in developing waste management strategies, Circular Economy initiatives, and Right to Repair policies. These endeavors aim to make product repair and maintenance more accessible, extend product lifespans, reduce waste, and promote sustainable resource use. European countries have introduced Right to Repair policies, often in conjunction with extended producer responsibility legislation, repair subsidies, and consumer repair indices, to varying degrees of regulatory rigor. Changing societal trends emphasizing sustainability and environmental responsibility have driven consumer demand for more sustainable and repairable products, benefiting repair-focused consumer electronics businesses. In academic research, much of the literature in Management studies has examined the European Circular Economy and the Right to Repair from firm-level perspectives. These studies frequently employ a business-model lens, emphasizing innovation and strategy frameworks. However, this study takes an institutional perspective, aiming to understand the adoption of Circular Economy and repair-focused business models within the European consumer electronics market. The concepts of the Circular Economy and the Right to Repair align with institutionalism as they reflect evolving societal norms favoring sustainability and consumer empowerment. Regulatory institutions play a pivotal role in shaping and enforcing these concepts through legislation, influencing the behavior of businesses and individuals. Compliance and enforcement mechanisms are essential for their success, compelling actors to adopt sustainable practices and consider product life extension. Over time, these mechanisms create a path for more sustainable choices, underscoring the influence of institutions and societal values on behavior and decision-making. Institutionalism, particularly 'neo-institutionalism,' provides valuable insights into the factors driving the adoption of Circular and repair-focused business models. Neo-institutional pressures can manifest through coercive regulatory initiatives or normative standards shaped by socio-cultural trends. The Right to Repair movement has emerged as a prominent and influential idea within academic discourse and sustainable development initiatives. Therefore, understanding how macro-level societal shifts toward the Circular Economy and the Right to Repair trigger firm-level responses is imperative. This study aims to answer a crucial question about the impact of European Right to Repair initiatives had on the financial and environmental performance of European consumer electronics companies at the firm level. A quantitative and statistical research design will be employed. The study will encompass an extensive sample of consumer electronics firms in Northern and Western Europe, analyzing their financial and environmental performance in relation to the implementation of Right to Repair mechanisms. The study's findings are expected to provide valuable insights into the broader implications of the Right to Repair and Circular Economy initiatives on the European consumer electronics industry.

Keywords: circular economy, right to repair, institutionalism, environmental management, european union

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Authors: Loretta Ichim, Dan Popescu, Grigore Stamatescu

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The paper reports the collaboration between a top university from Romania and three companies for the implementation of a research project in a multidisciplinary domain, focusing on the impact and benefits both for the education and industry. The joint activities were developed under the Space Technology and Advanced Research Program (STAR), funded by the Romanian Space Agency (ROSA) for a university-industry partnership. The context was defined by linking the European Space Agency optional programs, with the development and promotion national research, with the educational and industrial capabilities in the aeronautics, security and related areas by increasing the collaboration between academic and industrial entities as well as by realizing high-level scientific production. The project name is Multisensory Robotic System for Aerial Monitoring of Critical Infrastructure Systems (MUROS), which was carried 2013-2016. The project included the University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest (coordinator) and three companies, which manufacture and market unmanned aerial systems. The project had as main objective the development of an integrated system for combined ground wireless sensor networks and UAV monitoring in various application scenarios for critical infrastructure surveillance. This included specific activities related to fundamental and applied research, technology transfer, prototype implementation and result dissemination. The core area of the contributions laid in distributed data processing and communication mechanisms, advanced image processing and embedded system development. Special focus is given by the paper to analyzing the impact the project implementation in the educational process, directly or indirectly, through the faculty members (professors and students) involved in the research team. Three main directions are discussed: a) enabling students to carry out internships at the partner companies, b) handling advanced topics and industry requirements at the master's level, c) experiments and concept validation for doctoral thesis. The impact of the research work (as the educational component) developed by the faculty members on the increasing performances of the companies’ products is highlighted. The collaboration between university and companies was well balanced both for contributions and results. The paper also presents the outcomes of the project which reveals the efficient collaboration between high education and industry: master thesis, doctoral thesis, conference papers, journal papers, technical documentation for technology transfer, prototype, and patent. The experience can provide useful practices of blending research and education within an academia-industry cooperation framework while the lessons learned represent a starting point in debating the new role of advanced research and development performing companies in association with higher education. This partnership, promoted at UE level, has a broad impact beyond the constrained scope of a single project and can develop into long-lasting collaboration while benefiting all stakeholders: students, universities and the surrounding knowledge-based economic and industrial ecosystem. Due to the exchange of experiences between the university (UPB) and the manufacturing company (AFT Design), a new project, SIMUL, under the Bridge Grant Program (Romanian executive agency UEFISCDI) was started (2016 – 2017). This project will continue the educational research for innovation on master and doctoral studies in MUROS thematic (collaborative multi-UAV application for flood detection).

Keywords: education process, multisensory robotic system, research and innovation project, technology transfer, university-industry partnership

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Authors: Xue Bai, Ranran He, Chang Liu

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Care planning before the onset of intensive care needs can benefit older adults’ psychological well-being and increases families’ ability to manage caregiving crises and cope with care transitions. Effective care planning requires collaborative ‘team-work’ in families. However, future care planning has not been substantially examined in intergenerational or family contexts, let alone among immigrant families who have to face particular challenges in parental caregiving. From a family systems perspective, this study intends to explore the extent, processes, and contents of intergenerational care planning of Mainland immigrant ageing families in Hong Kong and to examine the intergenerational congruence and discrepancies in the care planning process. Adopting a qualitative research design, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 adult child-older parent pairs and another 33 adult children. In total, 50 adult children who migrated to Hong Kong after the age of 18 with more than three years’ work experience in Hong Kong had at least one parent aged over 55 years old who was not a Hong Kong resident and considered his/herself as the primary caregiver of the parent were recruited. Seventeen ageing parents of the recruited adult children were invited for dyadic interviews. Scarcity of caregiving resources in the context of cross-border migration, intergenerational discrepancies in care planning stages, both generations’ struggle and ambivalence toward filial care, intergenerational transmission of care values, and facilitating role of accumulated family capital in care preparation were primary themes concluded from participants’ narratives. Compared with ageing parents, immigrant adult children generally displayed lower levels of care planning. Although with a strong awareness of parents’ future care needs, few adult children were found engaged in concrete planning activities. This is largely due to their uncertainties toward future life and career, huge work and living pressure, the relatively good health status of their parents, and restrictions of public welfare policies in the receiving society. By contrast, children’s cross-border migration encouraged ageing parents to have early and clear preparation for future care. Ageing parents mostly expressed low filial care expectations when realizing the scarcity of family caregiving resources in the cross-border context. Even though they prefer in-person support from children, most of them prepare themselves for independent ageing to prioritize the next generation’s needs or choose to utilize paid services, welfare systems, friend networks, or extended family networks in their sending society. Adult children were frequently found caught in the dilemma of desiring to provide high quality and in-person support for their parents but lacking sufficient resources. Notably, a salient pattern of intergenerational transmission in terms of family and care values and ideal care arrangement emerged from intergenerational care preparation. Moreover, the positive role of accumulated family capital generated by a reunion in care preparation and joint decision-making were also identified. The findings of the current study will enhance professionals’ and service providers’ awareness of intergenerational care planning in cross-border migration contexts, inform services to alleviate unpreparedness for elderly care and intergenerational discrepancies concerning care arrangements and broaden family services to encompass intergenerational care planning interventions. Acknowledgment: This study is supported by a General Research Grant from the Research Grants Council of the HKSAR, China (Project Number: 15603818).

Keywords: intergenerational care planning, mainland immigrants in Hong Kong, migrant family, older adults

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Authors: Justin Woulfe

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Siloed logistics and supply chain management systems throughout the Department of Defense (DOD) has led to disparate approaches to modeling and simulation (M&S), a lack of understanding of how one system impacts the whole, and issues with “optimal” solutions that are good for one organization but have dramatic negative impacts on another. Many different systems have evolved to try to understand and account for uncertainty and try to reduce the consequences of the unknown. As the DoD undertakes expansive digital transformation initiatives, there is an opportunity to fuse and leverage traditionally disparate data into a centrally hosted source of truth. With a streamlined process incorporating machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI), advanced M&S will enable informed decisions guiding program success via optimized operational readiness and improved mission success. One of the current challenges is to leverage the terabytes of data generated by monitored systems to provide actionable information for all levels of users. The implementation of a cloud-based application analyzing data transactions, learning and predicting future states from current and past states in real-time, and communicating those anticipated states is an appropriate solution for the purposes of reduced latency and improved confidence in decisions. Decisions made from an ML and AI application combined with advanced optimization algorithms will improve the mission success and performance of systems, which will improve the overall cost and effectiveness of any program. The Systecon team constructs and employs model-based simulations, cutting across traditional silos of data, aggregating maintenance, and supply data, incorporating sensor information, and applying optimization and simulation methods to an as-maintained digital twin with the ability to aggregate results across a system’s lifecycle and across logical and operational groupings of systems. This coupling of data throughout the enterprise enables tactical, operational, and strategic decision support, detachable and deployable logistics services, and configuration-based automated distribution of digital technical and product data to enhance supply and logistics operations. As a complete solution, this approach significantly reduces program risk by allowing flexible configuration of data, data relationships, business process workflows, and early test and evaluation, especially budget trade-off analyses. A true capability to tie resources (dollars) to weapon system readiness in alignment with the real-world scenarios a warfighter may experience has been an objective yet to be realized to date. By developing and solidifying an organic capability to directly relate dollars to readiness and to inform the digital twin, the decision-maker is now empowered through valuable insight and traceability. This type of educated decision-making provides an advantage over the adversaries who struggle with maintaining system readiness at an affordable cost. The M&S capability developed allows program managers to independently evaluate system design and support decisions by quantifying their impact on operational availability and operations and support cost resulting in the ability to simultaneously optimize readiness and cost. This will allow the stakeholders to make data-driven decisions when trading cost and readiness throughout the life of the program. Finally, sponsors are available to validate product deliverables with efficiency and much higher accuracy than in previous years.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, digital transformation, machine learning, predictive analytics

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Authors: Michael Josef Schwerer

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Background: The identification of unknown victims from mass disasters, violent crimes, or terrorist attacks is frequently facilitated through information from missing persons lists, portrait photos, old or recent pictures showing unique characteristics of a person such as scars or tattoos, or simply reference samples from blood relatives for DNA analysis. In contrast, the identification or at least the characterization of an unknown perpetrator from criminal or terrorist actions remains challenging, particularly in the absence of material or data for comparison, such as fingerprints, which had been previously stored in criminal records. In scenarios that result in high levels of destruction of the perpetrator’s corpse, for instance, blast or fire events, the chance for a positive identification using standard techniques is further impaired. Objectives: This study shows the forensic genetic procedures in the Legal Medicine Service of the German Air Force for the identification of unknown individuals, including such cases in which reference samples are not available. Scenarios requiring such efforts predominantly involve aircraft crash investigations, which are routinely carried out by the German Air Force Centre of Aerospace Medicine as one of the Institution’s essential missions. Further, casework by military police or military intelligence is supported based on administrative cooperation. In the talk, data from study projects, as well as examples from real casework, will be demonstrated and discussed with the audience. Methods: Forensic genetic identification in our laboratories involves the analysis of Short Tandem Repeats and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in nuclear DNA along with mitochondrial DNA haplotyping. Extended DNA analysis involves phenotypic markers for skin, hair, and eye color together with the investigation of a person’s biogeographic ancestry. Assessment of the biological age of an individual employs CpG-island methylation analysis using bisulfite-converted DNA. Forensic Investigative Genealogy assessment allows the detection of an unknown person’s blood relatives in reference databases. Technically, end-point-PCR, real-time PCR, capillary electrophoresis, pyrosequencing as well as next generation sequencing using flow-cell-based and chip-based systems are used. Results and Discussion: Optimization of DNA extraction from various sources, including difficult matrixes like formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, degraded specimens from decomposed bodies or from decedents exposed to blast or fire events, provides soil for successful PCR amplification and subsequent genetic profiling. For cases with extremely low yields of extracted DNA, whole genome preamplification protocols are successfully used, particularly regarding genetic phenotyping. Improved primer design for CpG-methylation analysis, together with validated sampling strategies for the analyzed substrates from, e.g., lymphocyte-rich organs, allows successful biological age estimation even in bodies with highly degraded tissue material. Conclusions: Successful identification of unknown individuals or at least their phenotypic characterization using pigmentation markers together with age-informative methylation profiles, possibly supplemented by family tree search employing Forensic Investigative Genealogy, can be provided in specialized laboratories. However, standard laboratory procedures must be adapted to work with difficult and highly degraded sample materials.

Keywords: identification, forensic genetics, phenotypic markers, CPG methylation, biological age estimation, forensic investigative genealogy

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Authors: Kalaumari Mayoral-Peña, Ana I. Montejano-Montelongo, Josué Reyes-Muñoz, Gonzalo A. Ortiz-Mancilla, Mayrin Rodríguez-Cruz, Víctor Hernández-Villalobos, Jesús A. Guzmán-López, Santiago García-Jacobo, Iván Licona-Vázquez, Grisel Fierros-Romero, Rosario Flores-Vallejo

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The group B-lactamic antibiotics include some of the most frequently used small drug molecules against bacterial infections. Nevertheless, an alarming decrease in their efficacy has been reported due to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Infections caused by bacteria expressing extended Spectrum B-lactamases (ESBLs) are difficult to treat and account for higher morbidity and mortality rates, delayed recovery, and high economic burden. According to the Global Report on Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance, it is estimated that mortality due to resistant bacteria will ascend to 10 million cases per year worldwide. These facts highlight the importance of developing low-cost and readily accessible detection methods of drug-resistant ESBLs bacteria to prevent their spread and promote accurate and fast diagnosis. Bacterial detection is commonly done using molecular diagnostic techniques, where PCR stands out for its high performance. However, this technique requires specialized equipment not available everywhere, is time-consuming, and has a high cost. Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) is an alternative technique that works at a constant temperature, significantly decreasing the equipment cost. It yields double-stranded DNA of several lengths with repetitions of the target DNA sequence as a product. Although positive and negative results from LAMP can be discriminated by colorimetry, fluorescence, and turbidity, there is still a large room for improvement in the point-of-care implementation. DNA origami is a technique that allows the formation of 3D nanometric structures by folding a large single-stranded DNA (scaffold) into a determined shape with the help of short DNA sequences (staples), which hybridize with the scaffold. This research aimed to generate DNA origami structures using LAMP products as scaffolds to improve the sensitivity to detect ESBLs in point-of-care diagnosis. For this study, the coding sequence of the CTM-X-15 ESBL of E. coli was used to generate the LAMP products. The set of LAMP primers were designed using PrimerExplorerV5. As a result, a target sequence of 200 nucleotides from CTM-X-15 ESBL was obtained. Afterward, eight different DNA origami structures were designed using the target sequence in the SDCadnano and analyzed with CanDo to evaluate the stability of the 3D structures. The designs were constructed minimizing the total number of staples to reduce costs and complexity for point-of-care applications. After analyzing the DNA origami designs, two structures were selected. The first one was a zig-zag flat structure, while the second one was a wall-like shape. Given the sequence repetitions in the scaffold sequence, both were able to be assembled with only 6 different staples each one, ranging between 18 to 80 nucleotides. Simulations of both structures were performed using scaffolds of different sizes yielding stable structures in all the cases. The generation of the LAMP products were tested by colorimetry and electrophoresis. The formation of the DNA structures was analyzed using electrophoresis and colorimetry. The modeling of novel detection methods through bioinformatics tools allows reliable control and prediction of results. To our knowledge, this is the first study that uses LAMP products and DNA-origami in combination to delect ESBL-producing bacterial strains, which represent a promising methodology for diagnosis in the point-of-care.

Keywords: beta-lactamases, antibiotic resistance, DNA origami, isothermal amplification, LAMP technique, molecular diagnosis

Procedia PDF Downloads 184

Authors: Sofia Horjales, Florencia Palma

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Our society is currently experiencing a profound transformation, demanding a proactive response from governmental bodies and higher education institutions to empower the next generation as catalysts for change. Environmental sustainability is rooted in the critical need to maintain the equilibrium and integrity of natural ecosystems, ensuring the preservation of precious natural resources and biodiversity for the benefit of both present and future generations. It is an essential cornerstone of sustainable development, complementing social and economic sustainability. In this evolving landscape, active methodologies take a central role, aligning perfectly with the principles of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and emerging as a pivotal element of teacher education. The emphasis on active learning methods has been driven by the urgent need to nurture sustainability and instill social responsibility in our future leaders. The Universidad Tecnológica of Uruguay (UTEC) is a public, technologically-oriented institution established in 2012. UTEC is dedicated to decentralization, expanding access to higher education throughout Uruguay, and promoting inclusive social development. Operating through Regional Technological Institutes (ITRs) and associated centers spread across the country, UTEC faces the challenge of remote student populations. To address this, UTEC utilizes e-learning for equal opportunities, self-regulated learning, and digital skills development, enhancing communication among students, teachers, and peers through virtual classrooms. The Interdisciplinary Continuing Education Program is part of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Department of UTEC. The main goal is to strengthen innovation skills through a transversal and multidisciplinary approach. Within this Program, we have developed a Case of Study and Project-Based Learning Virtual Course designed for university students and open to the broader UTEC community. The primary aim of this course is to establish a strong foundation for comprehending and addressing environmental sustainability issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. Upon completing the course, we expect students not only to understand the intricate interactions between social and ecosystem environments but also to utilize their knowledge and innovation skills to develop projects that offer enhancements or solutions to real-world challenges. Our course design centers on innovative learning experiences, rooted in active methodologies. We explore the intersection of these methods with sustainability and social responsibility in the education of university students. A paramount focus lies in gathering student feedback, empowering them to autonomously generate ideas with guidance from instructors, and even defining their own project topics. This approach underscores that when students are genuinely engaged in subjects of their choice, they not only acquire the necessary knowledge and skills but also develop essential attributes like effective communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. These qualities will benefit them throughout their lifelong learning journey. We are convinced that education serves as the conduit to merge knowledge and cultivate interdisciplinary collaboration, igniting awareness and instigating action for environmental sustainability. While systemic changes are undoubtedly essential for society and the economy, we are making significant progress by shaping perspectives and sparking small, everyday actions within the UTEC community. This approach empowers our students to become engaged global citizens, actively contributing to the creation of a more sustainable future.

Keywords: active learning, environmental education, project-based learning, soft skills development

Procedia PDF Downloads 38

Authors: Eduardo Lanzagorta Garcia, Chaitra Venkatesh, Romina Pezzoli, Laura Gabriela Rodriguez Barroso, Declan Devine, Margaret E. Brennan Fournet

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New antimicrobial interventions are urgently required to combat rising global health and medical infection challenges. Here, an innovative antimicrobial technology, providing price competitive alternatives to antibiotics and readily integratable with currently technological systems is presented. Two cutting edge antimicrobial materials, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and uncompromised sustained Ag+ action from triangular silver nanoplates (TSNPs) reservoirs, are merged for versatile effective antimicrobial action where current approaches fail. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) exist widely in nature and have recently been demonstrated for broad spectrum of activity against bacteria, viruses, and fungi. TSNP’s are highly discrete, homogenous and readily functionisable Ag+ nanoreseviors that have a proven amenability for operation within in a wide range of bio-based settings. In a design for advanced antimicrobial sustainable plastics, antimicrobial TSNPs are formulated for processing within biodegradable biopolymers. Histone H5 AMP was selected for its reported strong antimicrobial action and functionalized with the TSNP (AMP-TSNP) in a similar fashion to previously reported TSNP biofunctionalisation methods. A synergy between the propensity of biopolymers for degradation and Ag+ release combined with AMP activity provides a novel mechanism for the sustained antimicrobial action of biopolymeric thin films. Nanoplates are transferred from aqueous phase to an organic solvent in order to facilitate integration within hydrophobic polymers. Extrusion is used in combination with calendering rolls to create thin polymerc film where the nanoplates are embedded onto the surface. The resultant antibacterial functional films are suitable to be adapted for food packing and biomedical applications. TSNP synthesis were synthesized by adapting a previously reported seed mediated approach. TSNP synthesis was scaled up for litre scale batch production and subsequently concentrated to 43 ppm using thermally controlled H2O removal. Nanoplates were transferred from aqueous phase to an organic solvent in order to facilitate integration within hydrophobic polymers. This was acomplised by functionalizing the TSNP with thiol terminated polyethylene glycol and using centrifugal force to transfer them to chloroform. Polycaprolactone (PCL) and Polylactic acid (PLA) were individually processed through extrusion, TSNP and AMP-TSNP solutions were sprayed onto the polymer immediately after exiting the dye. Calendering rolls were used to disperse and incorporate TSNP and TSNP-AMP onto the surface of the extruded films. Observation of the characteristic blue colour confirms the integrity of the TSNP within the films. Antimicrobial tests were performed by incubating Gram + and Gram – strains with treated and non-treated films, to evaluate if bacterial growth was reduced due to the presence of the TSNP. The resulting films successfully incorporated TSNP and AMP-TSNP. Reduced bacterial growth was observed for both Gram + and Gram – strains for both TSNP and AMP-TSNP compared with untreated films indicating antimicrobial action. The largest growth reduction was observed for AMP-TSNP treated films demonstrating the additional antimicrobial activity due to the presence of the AMPs. The potential of this technology to impede bacterial activity in food industry and medical surfaces will forge new confidence in the battle against antibiotic resistant bacteria, serving to greatly inhibit infections and facilitate patient recovery.

Keywords: antimicrobial, biodegradable, peptide, polymer, nanoparticle

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Authors: Adriana De Serio, Donato Forenza

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Aims. In this experimental research the Authors present the methodological plan “Musictherapy and Gardentherapy” that they created interconnected with the garden landscape ecosystems and aimed at PsychoPhysical Disability (MusGarPPhyD). In the context of the environmental education aimed at spreading the landscape culture and its values, it’s necessary to develop a solid perception of the environment sustainability to implement a multidimensional approach that pays attention to the conservation and enhancement of gardens and natural environments. The result is an improvement in the life quality also in compliance with the objectives of the European Agenda 2030. The MusGarPPhyD can help professionals such as musictherapists and environmental and landscape researchers strengthen subjects' motivation to learn to deal with the psychophysical discomfort associated with disability and to cope with the distress and the psychological fragility and the loneliness and the social seclusion and to promote productive social relationships. Materials and Methods. The MusGarPPhyD was implemented in multiple spaces. The musictherapy treatments took place first inside residential therapeutic centres and then in the garden landscape ecosystem. Patients: twenty, set in two groups. Weekly-sessions (50’) for three months. Methodological phases: - Phase P1. MusicTherapy treatments for each group in the indoor spaces. - Phase P2. MusicTherapy sessions inside the gardens. After each Phase, P1 and P2: - a Questionnaire for each patient (ten items / liking-indices) was administrated at t0 time, during the treatment and at tn time at the end of the treatment. - Monitoring of patients' behavioral responses through assessment scales, matrix, table and graph system. MusicTherapy methodology: pazient Sonorous-Musical Anamnesis, Musictherapy Assessment Document, Observation Protocols, Bodily-Environmental-Rhythmical-Sonorous-Vocal-Energy production first indoors and then outside, sonorous-musical instruments and edible instruments made by the Author/musictherapist with some foods; Administration of Patient-Environment-Music Index at time to and tn, to estimate the patient’s behavior evolution, Musictherapeutic Advancement Index. Results. The MusGarPPhyD can strengthen the individual sense of identity and improve the psychophysical skills and the resilience to face and to overcome the difficulties caused by the congenital /acquired disability. The multi-sensory perceptions deriving from contact with the plants in the gardens improve the psychological well-being and regulate the physiological parameters such as blood pressure, cardiac and respiratory rhythm, reducing the cholesterol levels. The secretions of the peptide hormones endorphins and the endogenous opioids enkephalins increase and bring a state of patient’s tranquillity and a better mood. The subjects showed a preference for musictherapy treatments within a setting made up of gardens and peculiar landscape systems. This resulted in greater health benefits. Conclusions. The MusGarPPhyD contributes to reduce psychophysical tensions, anxiety, depression and stress, facilitating the connections between the cerebral hemispheres, thus also improving intellectual performances, self-confidence, motor skills and social interactions. Therefore it is necessary to design hospitals, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, surrounded by gardens. Ecosystems of natural and urban parks and gardens create fascinating skyline and mosaics of landscapes rich in beauty and biodiversity. The MusGarPPhyD is useful for the health management promoting patient’s psychophysical activation, better mood/affective-tone and relastionships and contributing significantly to improving the life quality.

Keywords: musictherapy, gardentherapy, disability, life quality

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Authors: Isabelle Barrett

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Natural watercourses provide a range of vital ecosystem services, notably freshwater provision. They also offer highly heterogeneous habitat which supports an extreme diversity of aquatic life. Exploitation of rivers, changing land use and flood prevention measures have led to habitat degradation and subsequent biodiversity loss; indeed, freshwater species currently face a disproportionate rate of extinction compared to their terrestrial and marine counterparts. Large woody debris (LWD) encompasses the trees, large branches and logs which fall into watercourses, and is responsible for important habitat characteristics. Historically, natural LWD has been removed from streams under the assumption that it is not aesthetically pleasing and is thus ecologically unfavourable, despite extensive evidence contradicting this. Restoration efforts aim to replace lost LWD in order to reinstate habitat heterogeneity. This paper aims to assess the current state of such restoration schemes for improving fluvial ecological health in the UK. A detailed review of the scientific literature was conducted alongside a meta-analysis of 25 UK-based projects involving LWD restoration. Projects were chosen for which sufficient information was attainable for analysis, covering a broad range of budgets and scales. The most effective strategies for river restoration encompass ecological success, stakeholder engagement and scientific advancement, however few projects surveyed showed sensitivity to all three; for example, only 32% of projects stated biological aims. Focus tended to be on stakeholder engagement and public approval, since this is often a key funding driver. Consequently, there is a tendency to focus on the aesthetic outcomes of a project, however physical habitat restoration does not necessarily lead to direct biodiversity increases. This highlights the significance of rivers as highly heterogeneous environments with multiple interlinked processes, and emphasises a need for a stronger scientific presence in project planning. Poor scientific rigour means monitoring is often lacking, with varying, if any, definitions of success which are rarely pre-determined. A tendency to overlook negative or neutral results was apparent, with unjustified focus often put on qualitative results. The temporal scale of monitoring is typically inadequate to facilitate scientific conclusions, with only 20% of projects surveyed reporting any pre-restoration monitoring. Furthermore, monitoring is often limited to a few variables, with biotic monitoring often fish-focussed. Due to their longer life cycles and dispersal capability, fish are usually poor indicators of environmental change, making it difficult to attribute any changes in ecological health to restoration efforts. Although the potential impact of LWD restoration may be positive, this method of restoration could simply be making short-term, small-scale improvements; without addressing the underlying symptoms of degradation, for example water quality, the issue cannot be fully resolved. Promotion of standardised monitoring for LWD projects could help establish a deeper understanding of the ecology surrounding the practice, supporting movement towards adaptive management in which scientific evidence feeds back to practitioners, enabling the design of more efficient projects with greater ecological success. By highlighting LWD, this study hopes to address the difficulties faced within river management, and emphasise the need for a more holistic international and inter-institutional approach to tackling problems associated with degradation.

Keywords: biological monitoring, ecological health, large woody debris, river management, river restoration

Procedia PDF Downloads 174

Authors: Nur A. Özdemir, Sude Erkin, Hatice K. Güney, Cemre S. Atılgan, Enes Huylu, Hüseyin Y. Altıntaş, Aysemin Top, Özak Durmuş

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Carbon emissions produced during a product’s life cycle, from extraction of raw materials up to waste disposal and market consumption activities are the major contributors to global warming. In the light of the science-based targets (SBT) leading the way to a zero-carbon economy for sustainable growth of the companies, carbon footprint reporting of the purchased goods has become critical for identifying hotspots and best practices for emission reduction opportunities. In line with Ford Otosan's corporate sustainability strategy, research was conducted to evaluate the carbon footprint of purchased products in accordance with Scope 3 of the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (GHG). The purpose of this paper is to develop a systematic and transparent methodology to calculate carbon footprint of the products produced by automotive OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) within the context of automobile supply chain management. To begin with, primary material data were collected through IMDS (International Material Database System) corresponds to company’s three distinct types of vehicles including Light Commercial Vehicle (Courier), Medium Commercial Vehicle (Transit and Transit Custom), Heavy Commercial Vehicle (F-MAX). Obtained material data was classified as metals, plastics, liquids, electronics, and others to get insights about the overall material distribution of produced vehicles and matched to the SimaPro Ecoinvent 3 database which is one of the most extent versions for modelling material data related to the product life cycle. Product life cycle analysis was calculated within the framework of ISO 14040 – 14044 standards by addressing the requirements and procedures. A comprehensive literature review and cooperation with suppliers were undertaken to identify the production methods of parts used in vehicles and to find out the amount of scrap generated during part production. Cumulative weight and material information with related production process belonging the components were listed by multiplying with current sales figures. The results of the study show a key modelling on carbon footprint of products and processes based on a scientific approach to drive sustainable growth by setting straightforward, science-based emission reduction targets. Hence, this study targets to identify the hotspots and correspondingly provide broad ideas about our understanding of how to integrate carbon footprint estimates into our company's supply chain management by defining convenient actions in line with climate science. According to emission values arising from the production phase including raw material extraction and material processing for Ford OTOSAN vehicles subjected in this study, GHG emissions from the production of metals used for HCV, MCV and LCV account for more than half of the carbon footprint of the vehicle's production. Correspondingly, aluminum and steel have the largest share among all material types and achieving carbon neutrality in the steel and aluminum industry is of great significance to the world, which will also present an immense impact on the automobile industry. Strategic product sustainability plan which includes the use of secondary materials, conversion to green energy and low-energy process design is required to reduce emissions of steel, aluminum, and plastics due to the projected increase in total volume by 2030.

Keywords: automotive, carbon footprint, IMDS, scope 3, SimaPro, sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 79

Authors: Divya SY. Ang, Mark B. Tan, Nicholas EM. Yeo, Siti RB. Sudirman, Khong Yik Chew

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Introduction: The importance of the amalgamation of technological and engineering advances with surgical principles of reconstruction cannot be overemphasized. With earlier detection of cancer, consequences of high-speed living and neglect, like traumatic injuries and infection, resulting in increasingly younger patients with bone defects. This may result in malformations and suboptimal function that is more noticeable and palpable in the younger, active demographic. Our team proposes a technique that encapsulates a mesh of multidisciplinary effort, tissue engineering and reconstructive principles. Methods/Materials: Our patient was a young competitive footballer in his early 30s who was diagnosed with submandibular adenoid cystic carcinoma with bony involvement. He was thus counselled for a right hemi mandibulectomy, the floor of mouth resection, right selective neck dissection, tracheostomy, and free fibular flap reconstruction of his mandible and required post-operative radiotherapy. Being young and in his prime sportsman years, he was unable to accept the morbidities associated with using his fibula to reconstruct his mandible despite it being the gold standard reconstructive option. The fibula is an ideal vascularized bone flap because it’s reliable and easily shaped with relatively minimal impact on functional outcomes. The fibula contributes to 30% of weightbearing and is the attachment for the lateral compartment muscles; it is stronger in footballers concerning lateral bending. When harvesting the fibula, the distal 6-8cm and up to 10% of the total length is preserved to maintain the ankle’s stability, thus, minimizing the impact on daily activities. There are studies that have noted gait variability post-operatively. Therefore, returning to a premorbid competitive level may be doubtful. To improve his functional outcomes, the decision was made to try and restore the fibula's form and function. Using the concept of Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), our team comprising of Plastics, Otolaryngology, Orthopedics and Radiology, worked with Osteopore to design a 3D bioresorbable implant to regenerate the fibula defect (14.5cm). Bone marrow was harvested via reaming the contralateral hip prior to the wide resection. 30mls of his blood was obtained for extracting platelet rich plasma. These were packed into the Osteopore 3D-printed bone scaffold. This was then secured into the fibula defect with titanium plates and screws. The flexor hallucis longus and soleus were anchored along the construct and intraosseous membrane, done in a single setting. Results: He was reviewed closely as an outpatient over 10 months post operatively. He reported no discernable loss or difference in ankle function. He is satisfied and back in training and our team has video and photographs that substantiate his progress. Conclusion: FDM allows regeneration of long bone defects. However, we aimed to also restore his eversion and inversion that is imperative for footballers and hence reattached his previously dissected muscles along the length of the Osteopore implant. We believe that the reattachment of the muscle stabilizes not only the construct but allows optimum muscle tensioning when moving his ankle. This is a simple but effective technique in restoring complete function and form in a young patient whose minute muscle control is imperative to life.

Keywords: fused deposition modelling, functional reconstruction, lower limb bony defects, regenerative surgery, 3D printing, tissue engineering

Procedia PDF Downloads 43

Authors: Savvas Rogotis, Nikolaos Kalatzis, Stergios Dimou-Sakellariou, Nikolaos Marianos

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As precision holds the key for the introduction of distinct benefits in agriculture (e.g., energy savings, reduced labor costs, optimal application of inputs, improved products, and yields), it steadily becomes evident that new initiatives should focus on rendering Precision Agriculture (PA) more accessible to the average farmer. PA leverages on technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), earth observation, robotics and positioning systems (e.g., the Global Navigation Satellite System – GNSS - as well as individual positioning systems like GPS, Glonass, Galileo) that allow: from simple data georeferencing to optimal navigation of agricultural machinery to even more complex tasks like Variable Rate Applications. An identified customer pain point is that, from one hand, typical triangulation-based positioning systems are not accurate enough (with errors up to several meters), while on the other hand, high precision positioning systems reaching centimeter-level accuracy, are very costly (up to thousands of euros). Within this paper, a Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) is introduced, that can be adapted to any existing IoT field-sensing station infrastructure. The latter should cover a minimum set of requirements, and in particular, each station should operate as a fixed, obstruction-free towards the sky, energy supplying unit. Station augmentation will allow them to function in pairs with GNSS rovers following the differential GNSS base-rover paradigm. This constitutes a key innovation element for the proposed solution that encompasses differential GNSS capabilities into an IoT field-sensing infrastructure. Integrating this kind of information supports the provision of several additional PA beneficial services such as spatial mapping, route planning, and automatic field navigation of unmanned vehicles (UVs). Right at the heart of the designed system, there is a high-end GNSS toolkit with base-rover variants and Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) capabilities. The GNSS toolkit had to tackle all availability, performance, interfacing, and energy-related challenges that are faced for a real-time, low-power, and reliable in the field operation. Specifically, in terms of performance, preliminary findings exhibit a high rover positioning precision that can even reach less than 10-centimeters. As this precision is propagated to the full dataset collection, it enables tractors, UVs, Android-powered devices, and measuring units to deal with challenging real-world scenarios. The system is validated with the help of Gaiatrons, a mature network of agro-climatic telemetry stations with presence all over Greece and beyond ( > 60.000ha of agricultural land covered) that constitutes part of “gaiasense” (www.gaiasense.gr) smart farming (SF) solution. Gaiatrons constantly monitor atmospheric and soil parameters, thus, providing exact fit to operational requirements asked from modern SF infrastructures. Gaiatrons are ultra-low-cost, compact, and energy-autonomous stations with a modular design that enables the integration of advanced GNSS base station capabilities on top of them. A set of demanding pilot demonstrations has been initiated in Stimagka, Greece, an area with a diverse geomorphological landscape where grape cultivation is particularly popular. Pilot demonstrations are in the course of validating the preliminary system findings in its intended environment, tackle all technical challenges, and effectively highlight the added-value offered by the system in action.

Keywords: GNSS, GBAS, precision agriculture, RTK, smart farming

Procedia PDF Downloads 84

Authors: J. D. Cabral, E. Murray, P. Turner, E. Hewitt, A. Ali, M. McConnell

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Worldwide demand for organ replacement and tissue regeneration is progressively increasing. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, where a physical construct is produced using computer-aided design, is a promising tool to advance the tissue engineering and regenerative medicine fields. In this paper we describe two different approaches to developing 3D bioprinted constructs for use in tissue regeneration. Bioink development is critical in achieving the 3D biofabrication of functional, regenerative tissues. Hydrogels, cross-linked macromolecules that absorb large amounts of water, have received widespread interest as bioinks due to their relevant soft tissue mechanics, biocompatibility, and tunability. In turn, not only is bioink optimisation crucial, but the creation of vascularized tissues remains a key challenge for the successful fabrication of thicker, more clinically relevant bioengineered tissues. Among the various methodologies, cell-laden hydrogels are regarded as a favorable approach; and when combined with novel core/shell 3D bioprinting technology, an innovative strategy towards creating new vessel-like structures. In this work, we investigate this cell-based approach by using human umbilical endothelial cells (HUVECs) entrapped in a viscoelastic chitosan/dextran (CD)-based core hydrogel, printed simulataneously along with a gelatin methacrylate (GelMA) shell. We have expanded beyond our previously reported FDA approved, commercialised, post-surgical CD hydrogel, Chitogel®, by functionalizing it with cell adhesion and proteolytic peptides in order to promote bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell (immortalized BMSC cell line, hTERT) and HUVECs growth. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of these cell lines in a 3D bioprinted construct is demonstrated. Our studies show that particular peptide combinations crosslinked within the CD hydrogel was found to increase in vitro growth of BMSCs and HUVECs by more than two-fold. These gels were then used as a core bioink combined with the more mechanically robust, UV irradiated GelMA shell bioink, to create 3D regenerative, vessel-like scaffolds with high print fidelity. As well, microporous MEW scaffolds made from milk proteins blended with PCL were found to show promising bioactivity, exhibiting a significant increase in keratinocyte (HaCaTs) and fibroblast (normal human dermal fibroblasts, NhDFs) cell migration and proliferation when compared to PCL only scaffolds. In conclusion, our studies indicate that a peptide functionalized CD hydrogel bioink reinforced with a GelMA shell is biocompatible, biodegradable, and an appropriate cell delivery vehicle in the creation of regenerative 3D constructs. In addition, a novel 3D printing technique, melt electrowriting (MEW), which allows fabrication of micrometer fibre meshes, was used to 3D print polycaprolactone (PCL) and bioactive milk protein, lactorferrin (LF) and whey protein (WP), blended scaffolds for potential skin regeneration applications. MEW milk protein/PCL scaffolds exhibited high porosity characteristics, low overall biodegradation, and rapid protein release. Human fibroblasts and keratinocyte cells were seeded on to the scaffolds. Scaffolds containing high concentrations of LF and combined proteins (LF+WP) showed improved cell viability over time as compared to PCL only scaffolds. This research highlights two scaffolds made using two different 3D printing techniques using a combination of both natural and synthetic biomaterial components in order to create regenerative constructs as potential chronic wound treatments.

Keywords: biomaterials, hydrogels, regenerative medicine, 3D bioprinting

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Authors: L. Ereku, R. E. Mackay, A. Naveenathayalan, K. Ajayi, W. Balachandran

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Over the past decade the increase of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) especially in the developing world due to high cost and lack of sufficient medical testing have given rise to the need for a rapid, low cost point of care medical diagnostic that is disposable and most significantly reproduces equivocal results achieved within centralised laboratories. This paper present the development of a disposable PDMS microfluidic cartridge incorporating blisters filled with reagents required for isothermal DNA amplification in clinical diagnostics and point-of-care testing. In view of circumventing the necessity for external complex microfluidic pumps, designing on-chip pressurised fluid reservoirs is embraced using finger actuation and blister storage. The fabrication of the blisters takes into consideration three proponents that include: material characteristics, fluid volume and structural design. Silicone rubber is the chosen material due to its good chemical stability, considerable tear resistance and moderate tension/compression strength. The case of fluid capacity and structural form go hand in hand as the reagent need for the experimental analysis determines the volume size of the blisters, whereas the structural form has to be designed to provide low compression stress when deformed for fluid expulsion. Furthermore, the top and bottom section of the blisters are embedded with miniature polar opposite magnets at a defined parallel distance. These magnets are needed to lock or restrain the blisters when fully compressed so as to prevent unneeded backflow as a result of elasticity. The integrated chip is bonded onto a large microscope glass slide (50mm x 75mm). Each part is manufactured using a 3D printed mould designed using Solidworks software. Die-casting is employed, using 3D printed moulds, to form the deformable blisters by forcing a proprietary liquid silicone rubber through the positive mould cavity. The set silicone rubber is removed from the cast and prefilled with liquid reagent and then sealed with a thin (0.3mm) burstable layer of recast silicone rubber. The main microfluidic cartridge is fabricated using classical soft lithographic techniques. The cartridge incorporates microchannel circuitry, mixing chamber, inlet port, outlet port, reaction chamber and waste chamber. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS, QSil 216) is mixed and degassed using a centrifuge (ratio 10:1) is then poured after the prefilled blisters are correctly positioned on the negative mould. Heat treatment of about 50C to 60C in the oven for about 3hours is needed to achieve curing. The latter chip production stage involves bonding the cured PDMS to the glass slide. A plasma coroner treater device BD20-AC (Electro-Technic Products Inc., US) is used to activate the PDMS and glass slide before they are both joined and adequately compressed together, then left in the oven over the night to ensure bonding. There are two blisters in total needed for experimentation; the first will be used as a wash buffer to remove any remaining cell debris and unbound DNA while the second will contain 100uL amplification reagents. This paper will present results of chemical cell lysis, extraction using a biopolymer paper membrane and isothermal amplification on a low-cost platform using the finger actuated blisters for reagent storage. The platform has been shown to detect 1x105 copies of Chlamydia trachomatis using Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA).

Keywords: finger actuation, point of care, reagent storage, silicone blisters

Procedia PDF Downloads 340

Authors: Leila Noori, Rosario Barone, Francesca Rappa, Antonella Marino Gammazza, Alessandra Maria Vitale, Giuseppe Donato Mangano, Giusy Sentiero, Filippo Macaluso, Kathryn H. Myburgh, Francesco Cappello, Federica Scalia

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The neuromuscular system controls, directs, and allows movement of the body through the action of neural circuits, which include motor neurons, sensory neurons, and skeletal muscle fibers. Protein homeostasis of the involved cytotypes appears crucial to maintain the correct and prolonged functions of the neuromuscular system, and both neuronal cells and skeletal muscle fibers express significant quantities of protein chaperones, the molecular machinery responsible to maintain the protein turnover. Genetic mutations or defective post-translational modifications of molecular chaperones (i.e., genetic or acquired chaperonopathies) may lead to neuromuscular disorders called as neurochaperonopathies. The limited knowledge of the effects of the defective chaperones on skeletal muscle fibers and neurons impedes the progression of therapeutic approaches. A distinct genetic variation of CCT5 gene encoding for the subunit 5 of the chaperonin CCT (Chaperonin Containing TCP1; also known as TRiC, TCP1 Ring Complex) was recently described associated with severe distal motor neuropathy by our team. In this study, we investigated the histopathological abnormalities of the skeletal muscle biopsy of the pediatric patient affected by the mutation Leu224Val in the CCT5 subunit. We provide molecular and structural features of the diseased skeletal muscle tissue that we believe may be useful to identify undiagnosed cases of this rare genetic disorder. We investigated the histological abnormalities of the affected tissue via hematoxylin and eosin staining. Then we used immunofluorescence and qPCR techniques to explore the expression and distribution of CCT5 in diseased and healthy skeletal muscle tissue. Immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry assays were performed to study the sarcomeric and structural proteins of skeletal muscle, including actin, myosin, tubulin, troponin-T, telethonin, and titin. We performed Western blot to examine the protein expression of CCT5 and some heat shock proteins, Hsp90, Hsp60, Hsp27, and α-B crystallin, along with the main client proteins of the CCT5, actin, and tubulin. Our findings revealed muscular atrophy, abnormal morphology, and different sizes of muscle fibers in affected tissue. The swollen nuclei and wide interfiber spaces were seen. Expression of CCT5 had been decreased and showed a different distribution pattern in the affected tissue. Altered expression, distribution, and bandage pattern were detected by confocal microscopy for the interested muscular proteins in tissue from the patient compared to the healthy control. Protein levels of the studied Hsps normally located at the Z-disk were reduced. Western blot results showed increased levels of the actin and tubulin proteins in the diseased skeletal muscle biopsy compared to healthy tissue. Chaperones must be expressed at high levels in skeletal muscle to counteract various stressors such as mechanical, oxidative, and thermal crises; therefore, it seems relevant that defects of molecular chaperones may result in damaged skeletal muscle fibers. So far, several chaperones or cochaperones involved in neuromuscular disorders have been defined. Our study shows that alteration of the CCT5 subunit is associated with the damaged structure of skeletal muscle fibers and alterations of chaperone system components and paves the way to explore possible alternative substrates of chaperonin CCT. However, further studies are underway to investigate the CCT mechanisms of action to design applicable therapeutic strategies.

Keywords: molecular chaperones, neurochaperonopathy, neuromuscular system, protein homeostasis

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Authors: Ghidey Ghebreyohanes, Eltahir Awad Gasim Khalil, Zemenfes Tsighe, Faiza Ali

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Background: reproductive health (RH) is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in all matters relating to the reproductive system at all stages of life. In East Africa including Eritrea, adolescents comprise more than a quarter of the population. The region holds the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases, HIV, unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion with its complications. Young girls carry the highest burden of reproductive health problems due to their risk taking behavior, lack of knowledge, peer pressure, physiologic immaturity and low socioeconomic status. Design: this was a Community-based, randomized, case-controlled and pre-test-post-test intervention study. Setting: Zoba Debub was randomly selected out of the six zobas in Eritrea. The four high schools out of the 26 in Zoba Debub were randomly selected as study target schools. Over three quarter of the people live on farming. The target population was female students attending grade nine with majority of these girls live in the distant villages and walk to school. The study participants were randomly selected (n=165) from each school. Furthermore, the 1 intervention and 3 controls for the study arms were assigned randomly. Objectives: this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of peer reproductive health education in improving knowledge, attitude, and health service use of high school adolescent girls in Eritrea Methods: the protocol was reviewed and approved by the Scientific and Ethics Committees of Faculty of Nursing Sciences, University of Khartoum. Data was collected using pre-designed and pretested questionnaire emphasizing on reproductive health knowledge, attitude and practice. Sample size was calculated using proportion formula (α 0.01; power of 95%). Measures used were scores and proportions. Descriptive and inferential statistics, t-test and chi square at (α .01), 99% confidence interval were used to compare changes of pre and post-intervention scores using SPSS soft ware. Seventeen students were selected for peer educators by the school principals and other teachers based on inclusion criteria that include: good academic performance and acceptable behavior. One peer educator educated one group composed of 8-10 students for two months. One faculty member was selected to supervise peer educators. The principal investigator conducted the training of trainers and provided supervision and discussion to peer educators every two weeks until the end of intervention. Results: following informed consent, 627 students [164 in intervention and 463 in the control group] with a ratio of 1 to 3, were enrolled in the study. The mean age for the total study population was 15.4±1.0 years. The intervention group mean age was 15.3±1.0 year; while the control group had a mean age of 15.4±1.0. The mean ages for the study arms were similar (p= 0.4). The majority (96 %) of the study participants are from Tigrigna ethnic group. Reproductive knowledge scores which was calculated out of a total 61 grade points: intervention group (pretest 6.7 %, post-test 33.6 %; p= 0.0001); control group (pretest 7.3 %, posttest 7.3 %, p= 0.92). Proportion difference in attitude calculated out of 100%: intervention group (pretest 42.3 % post test 54.7% p= 0.001); controls group (pretest 45%, post test 44.8 p= 0.7). Proportion difference in Practice calculated out of 100 %: intervention group (pretest 15.4%, post test 80.4 % p= 0.0001); control group (pretest 16.8%, posttest 16.9 % p= 0.8). Mothers were quoted as major (> 90 %) source of reproductive health information. All focus group discussants and most of survey participants agreed on the urgent need of reproductive health information and services for adolescent girls. Conclusion: reproductive health knowledge and use of facilities is poor among adolescent girls in sub-urban Eretria. School-based peer reproductive health education is effective and is the best strategy to improve reproductive health knowledge and attitudes.

Keywords: reproductive health, adolescent girls, eretria, health education

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Authors: Waqas Abrar

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Background: Pakistan is confronted with a formidable challenge to increase uptake of modern contraceptive methods. USAID, through its flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), in Pakistan is determined to support provincial Departments of Health and Population Welfare to increase the country's contraceptive prevalence rates (CPR) in Sindh, Punjab and Balochistan to achieve FP2020 goals. To inform program design and planning, a Rapid Situation Assessment (RSA) of family planning was carried out in Rawalpindi and Lahore districts in Punjab and Karachi district in Sindh. Methodology: The methodology consisted of comprehensive desk review of available literature and used a qualitative approach comprising of in-depth interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs). FGDs were conducted with community women, men, and mothers-in-law whereas IDIs were conducted with health facility in-charges/chiefs, healthcare providers, and community health workers. Results: Some of the oft-quoted reasons captured during desk review included poor quality of care at public sector facilities, affordability and accessibility in rural communities and providers' technical incompetence. Moreover, providers had inadequate knowledge of contraceptive methods and lacked counseling techniques; thereby, leading to dissatisfied clients and hence, discontinuation of contraceptive methods. These dissatisfied clients spread the myths and misconceptions about contraceptives in their respective communities which seriously damages community-level family planning efforts. Private providers were found reluctant to insert Intrauterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCDs) due to inadequate knowledge vis-à-vis post insertion issues/side effects. FGDs and IDIs unveiled multi-faceted reasons for poor contraceptives uptake. It was found that low education and socio-economic levels lead to low contraceptives uptake and mostly uneducated women rely on condoms provided by Lady Health Workers (LHWs). Providers had little or no knowledge about postpartum family planning or lactational amenorrhea. At community level family planning counseling sessions organized by LHWs and Male Mobilizers do not sensitize community men on permissibility of contraception in Islam. Many women attributed their physical ailments to the use of contraceptives. Lack of in-service training, job-aids and Information, Education and Communications (IEC) materials at facilities seriously comprise the quality of care in effective family planning service delivery. This is further compounded by frequent stock-outs of contraceptives at public healthcare facilities, poor data quality, false reporting, lack of data verification systems and follow-up. Conclusions: Some key conclusions from this assessment included capacity building of healthcare providers on long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) which give women contraception for a longer period. Secondly, capacity building of healthcare providers on postpartum family planning is an enormous challenge that can be best addressed through institutionalization. Thirdly, Providers should be equipped with counseling skills and techniques including inculcation of pros and cons of all contraceptive methods. Fourthly, printed materials such as job-aids and Information, Education and Communications (IEC) materials should be disseminated among healthcare providers and clients. These concluding statements helped MCSP to make informed decisions with regard to setting broad objectives of project and were duly approved by USAID.

Keywords: capacity building, contraceptive prevalence rate, family planning, Institutionalization, Pakistan, postpartum care, postpartum family planning services

Procedia PDF Downloads 111

Authors: L. Malic, X. Zhang, D. Brassard, L. Clime, J. Daoud, C. Luebbert, V. Barrere, A. Boutin, S. Bidawid, N. Corneau, J. Farber, T. Veres

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The incidence of infections caused by foodborne pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes) poses a great potential threat to public health and safety. These issues are further exacerbated by legal repercussions due to “zero tolerance” food safety standards adopted in developed countries. Unfortunately, a large number of related disease outbreaks are caused by pathogens present in extremely low counts currently undetectable by available techniques. The development of highly sensitive and rapid detection of foodborne pathogens is therefore crucial, and requires robust and efficient pre-analytical sample preparation. Immunomagnetic separation is a popular approach to sample preparation. Microfluidic chips combined with external magnets have emerged as viable high throughput methods. However, external magnets alone are not suitable for the capture of nanoparticles, as very strong magnetic fields are required. Devices that incorporate externally applied magnetic field and microstructures of a soft magnetic material have thus been used for local field amplification. Unfortunately, very complex and costly fabrication processes used for integration of soft magnetic materials in the reported proof-of-concept devices would prohibit their use as disposable tools for food and water safety or diagnostic applications. We present a sample preparation magnetic microfluidic device implemented in low-cost thermoplastic polymers using fabrication techniques suitable for mass-production. The developed magnetic capture chip (M-chip) was employed for rapid capture and release of L. monocytogenes conjugated to immunomagnetic nanoparticles (IMNs) in buffer and beef filtrate. The M-chip relies on a dense array of Nickel-coated high-aspect ratio pillars for capture with controlled magnetic field distribution and a microfluidic channel network for sample delivery, waste, wash and recovery. The developed Nickel-coating process and passivation allows generation of switchable local perturbations within the uniform magnetic field generated with a pair of permanent magnets placed at the opposite edges of the chip. This leads to strong and reversible trapping force, wherein high local magnetic field gradients allow efficient capture of IMNs conjugated to L. monocytogenes flowing through the microfluidic chamber. The experimental optimization of the M-chip was performed using commercially available magnetic microparticles and fabricated silica-coated iron-oxide nanoparticles. The fabricated nanoparticles were optimized to achieve the desired magnetic moment and surface functionalization was tailored to allow efficient capture antibody immobilization. The integration, validation and further optimization of the capture and release protocol is demonstrated using both, dead and live L. monocytogenes through fluorescence microscopy and plate- culture method. The capture efficiency of the chip was found to vary as function of listeria to nanoparticle concentration ratio. The maximum capture efficiency of 30% was obtained and the 24-hour plate-culture method allowed the detection of initial sample concentration of only 16 cfu/ml. The device was also very efficient in concentrating the sample from a 10 ml initial volume. Specifically, 280% concentration efficiency was achieved in 17 minutes only, demonstrating the suitability of the system for food safety applications. In addition, flexible design and low-cost fabrication process will allow rapid sample preparation for applications beyond food and water safety, including point-of-care diagnosis.

Keywords: array of pillars, bacteria isolation, immunomagnetic sample preparation, polymer microfluidic device

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Authors: Suparna Bagchi

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Education as a discipline will probably be shaped by the importance it places on a conceptual, curricular, and pedagogical need to shift the emphasis toward transformative classrooms working for positive change through cultural diversity. Awareness of cultural diversity and race equality has heightened following George Floyd’s killing in the USA in 2020. This increasing awareness is particularly relevant in areas of historically low ethnic diversity which have lately experienced a rise in ethnic minority populations and where inclusive growth is a challenge. This research study aims to explore the perspectives of practitioners, students, and parents towards multiculturalism in four South West England primary schools. A qualitative case study methodology has been adopted framed by sociocultural theory. Data were collected through virtually conducted semi-structured interviews with school practitioners and parents, observation of students’ classroom activities, and documentary analysis of classroom displays. Although one-third of the school population includes ethnically diverse children, BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) characters featured in children's books published in Britain in 2019 were almost invisible, let alone a BAME main character. The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) are vocal about extending the Curriculum beyond the academic and technical arenas for pupils’ broader development and creation of an understanding and appreciation of cultural diversity. However, race equality and community cohesion which could help in the students’ broader development are not Ofsted’s school inspection criteria. The absence of culturally diverse content in the school curriculum highlighted by the 1985 Swann Report and 2007 Ajegbo Report makes England’s National Curriculum look like a Brexit policy three decades before Brexit. A revised National Curriculum may be the starting point with the teachers as curriculum framers playing a significant part. The task design is crucial where teachers can place equal importance on the interwoven elements of “how”, “what” and “why” the task is taught. Teachers need to build confidence in encouraging difficult conversations around racism, fear, indifference, and ignorance breaking the stereotypical barriers, thus helping to create students’ conception of a multicultural Britain. Research showed that trainee teachers in predominantly White areas often exhibit confined perspectives while educating children. Irrespective of the geographical location, school teachers can be equipped with culturally responsive initial and continuous professional development necessary to impart multicultural education. This may aid in the reduction of employees’ unconscious bias. This becomes distinctly pertinent to avoid horrific cases in the future like the recent one in Hackney where a Black teenager was strip-searched during period wrongly suspected of cannabis possession. Early research findings show participants’ eagerness for more ethnic diversity content incorporated in teaching and learning. However, schools are considerably dependent on the knowledge-focused Primary National Curriculum in England. Moreover, they handle issues around the intersectionality of disability, poverty, and gender. Teachers were trained in times when foregrounding ethnicity matters was not happening. Therefore, preoccupied with Curriculum requirements, intersectionality issues, and teacher preparations, schools exhibit an incapacity due to which keeping momentum on ethnic diversity is somewhat endangered.

Keywords: case study, curriculum decolonisation, inclusive education, multiculturalism, qualitative research in Covid19 times

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Authors: Tim Crocker-Buque, Sandra Mounier-Jack, Natasha Howard

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Background: Due to both the increasing scale and speed of urbanisation, urban areas in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) host increasingly large populations of under-immunized children, with the additional associated risks of rapid disease transmission in high-density living environments. Multiple interdependent factors are associated with these coverage disparities in urban areas and most evidence comes from relatively few countries, e.g., predominantly India, Kenya, Nigeria, and some from Pakistan, Iran, and Brazil. This study aimed to identify, describe, and assess the main tools used to measure or improve coverage of immunisation services in poor urban areas. Methods: Authors used a qualitative review design, including academic and non-academic literature, to identify tools used to improve coverage of public health interventions in urban areas. Authors selected and extracted sources that provided good examples of specific tools, or categories of tools, used in a context relevant to urban immunization. Diagnostic (e.g., for data collection, analysis, and insight generation) and programme tools (e.g., for investigating or improving ongoing programmes) and interventions (e.g., multi-component or stand-alone with evidence) were selected for inclusion to provide a range of type and availability of relevant tools. These were then prioritised using a decision-analysis framework and a tool selection guide for programme managers developed. Results: Authors reviewed tools used in urban immunisation contexts and tools designed for (i) non-immunization and/or non-health interventions in urban areas, and (ii) immunisation in rural contexts that had relevance for urban areas (e.g., Reaching every District/Child/ Zone). Many approaches combined several tools and methods, which authors categorised as diagnostic, programme, and intervention. The most common diagnostic tools were cross-sectional surveys, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, secondary analysis of routine data, and geographical mapping of outcomes, resources, and services. Programme tools involved multiple stages of data collection, analysis, insight generation, and intervention planning and included guidance documents from WHO (World Health Organisation), UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), USAID (United States Agency for International Development), and governments, and articles reporting on diagnostics, interventions, and/or evaluations to improve urban immunisation. Interventions involved service improvement, education, reminder/recall, incentives, outreach, mass-media, or were multi-component. The main gaps in existing tools were an assessment of macro/policy-level factors, exploration of effective immunization communication channels, and measuring in/out-migration. The proposed framework uses a problem tree approach to suggest tools to address five common challenges (i.e. identifying populations, understanding communities, issues with service access and use, improving services, improving coverage) based on context and available data. Conclusion: This study identified many tools relevant to evaluating urban LMIC immunisation programmes, including significant crossover between tools. This was encouraging in terms of supporting the identification of common areas, but problematic as data volumes, instructions, and activities could overwhelm managers and tools are not always suitably applied to suitable contexts. Further research is needed on how best to combine tools and methods to suit local contexts. Authors’ initial framework can be tested and developed further.

Keywords: health equity, immunisation, low and middle-income countries, poverty, urban health

Procedia PDF Downloads 113

Authors: Nazym Zhumabayeva, Aleksandr Mezin, Alexandra Knysheva

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Women's underrepresentation in STEM is critical, worsened by ineffective engagement in educational practices. UNICEF Kazakhstan and GameLab KBTU's collaborative initiatives aim to enhance female STEM participation by fostering an inclusive environment. Learning from LEVEL UP's 2023 program, which featured a hackathon, the 2024 strategy pivots towards non-competitive gamification. Although the data from last year's project showed higher than average student engagement, observations and in-depth interviews with participants showed that the format was stressful for the girls, making them focus on points rather than on other values. This study presents a gamified educational system, DPG Lab, aimed at incentivizing young women's participation in STEM through the development of digital public goods (DPGs). By prioritizing collaborative gamification elements, the project seeks to create an inclusive learning environment that increases engagement and interest in STEM among young women. The DPG Lab aims to find a solution to minimize competition and support collaboration. The project is designed to motivate female participants towards the development of digital solutions through an introduction to the concept of DPGs. It consists of a short online course, a simulation videogame, and a real-time online quest with an offline finale at the KBTU campus. The online course offers short video lectures on open-source development and DPG standards. The game facilitates the practical application of theoretical knowledge, enriching the learning experience. Learners can also participate in a quest that encourages participants to develop DPG ideas in teams by choosing missions throughout the quest path. At the offline quest finale, the participants will meet in person to exchange experiences and accomplishments without engaging in comparative assessments: the quest ensures that each team’s trajectory is distinct by design. This marks a shift from competitive hackathons to a collaborative format, recognizing the unique contributions and achievements of each participant. The pilot batch of students is scheduled to commence in April 2024, with the finale anticipated in June. It is projected that this group will comprise 50 female high-school students from various regions across Kazakhstan. Expected outcomes include increased engagement and interest in STEM fields among young female participants, positive emotional and psychological impact through an emphasis on collaborative learning environments, and improved understanding and skills in DPG development. GameLab KBTU intends to undertake a hypothesis evaluation, employing a methodology similar to that utilized in the preceding LEVEL UP project. This approach will encompass the compilation of quantitative metrics (conversion funnels, test results, and surveys) and qualitative data from in-depth interviews and observational studies. For comparative analysis, a select group of participants from the previous year's project will be recruited to engage in the DPG Lab. By developing and implementing a gamified framework that emphasizes inclusion, engagement, and collaboration, the study seeks to provide practical knowledge about effective gamification strategies for promoting gender diversity in STEM. The expected outcomes of this initiative can contribute to the broader discussion on gamification in education and gender equality in STEM by offering a replicable and scalable model for similar interventions around the world.

Keywords: collaborative learning, competitive learning, digital public goods, educational gamification, emerging regions, STEM, underprivileged groups

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Authors: Anjula Negi, Sanjay Gupta

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Paradigms studied inform inadequacies of financial resources, be it to finance metro rails for construction or to meet operational revenues or to derive profits in the long term. Funding sustainability is far and wide for much-needed public transport modes, like urban rail or metro rails, to be successfully operated. India embarks upon a sustainable transport journey and has proposed metro rail systems countrywide. As an emerging economic leader, its fiscal constraints are paramount, and the land value capture (LVC) mechanism provides necessary support and innovation toward development. India’s metro rail policy promotes multiple methods of financing, including private-sector investments and public-private-partnership. The critical question that remains to be addressed is what factors can make such mechanisms work. Globally, urban rail is a revolution noted by many researchers as future mobility. Researchers in this study deep dive by way of literature review and empirical assessments into factors that can lead to the adoption of LVC mechanisms. It is understood that the adoption of LVC methods is in the nascent stages in India. Research posits numerous challenges being faced by metro rail agencies in raising funding and for incremental value capture. A few issues pertaining to land-based financing, inter alia: are long-term financing, inter-institutional coordination, economic/ market suitability, dedicated metro funds, land ownership issues, piecemeal approach to real estate development, property development legal frameworks, etc. The question under probe is what are the parameters that can lead to success in the adoption of land value capture (LVC) as a financing mechanism. This research provides insights into key parameters crucial to the adoption of LVC in the context of Indian metro rails. Researchers have studied current forms of LVC mechanisms at various metro rails of the country. This study is significant as little research is available on the adoption of LVC, which is applicable to the Indian context. Transit agencies, State Government, Urban Local Bodies, Policy makers and think tanks, Academia, Developers, Funders, Researchers and Multi-lateral agencies may benefit from this research to take ahead LVC mechanisms in practice. The study deems it imperative to explore and understand key parameters that impact the adoption of LVC. Extensive literature review and ratification by experts working in the metro rails arena were undertaken to arrive at parameters for the study. Stakeholder consultations in the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) process were undertaken for principal component extraction. 43 seasoned and specialized experts participated in a semi-structured questionnaire to scale the maximum likelihood on each parameter, represented by various types of stakeholders. Empirical data was collected on chosen eighteen parameters, and significant correlation was extracted for output descriptives and inferential statistics. Study findings reveal these principal components as institutional governance framework, spatial planning features, legal frameworks, funding sustainability features and fiscal policy measures. In particular, funding sustainability features highlight sub-variables of beneficiaries to pay and use of multiple revenue options towards success in LVC adoption. Researchers recommend incorporation of these variables during early stage in design and project structuring for success in adoption of LVC. In turn leading to improvements in revenue sustainability of a public transport asset and help in undertaking informed transport policy decisions.

Keywords: Exploratory factor analysis, land value capture mechanism, financing metro rails, revenue sustainability, transport policy

Procedia PDF Downloads 54