Search results for: human toxicity potential

Authors: Mary Isobelle Mullaney

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The maxim "an unexamined life is not worth living," attributed to Socrates, prompts a contemplative reflection spanning over 32 years as a teacher educator in the Republic of Ireland. Taking time to contemplate the changes that have occurred and the current landscape provides valuable insights into the dynamic terrain of teacher preparation. The reflective journey traverses the impacts of global and societal shifts, responding to challenges, embracing advancements, and navigating the delicate balance between responsiveness to the world and the active shaping of it. The transformative events of the COVID-19 pandemic spotlighted the indispensable role of teachers in Ireland, reinforcing the critical nature of education for the well-being of pupils. Research solidifies the understanding that teachers matter and so it is worth exploring the pivotal role of the teacher educator. This reflective piece examines the changes in teacher education and explores the juxtapositions that have emerged in response to three decades of profound change. The attractiveness of teaching as a career is juxtaposed against the reality of the demands of the job, with conditions for public servants in Ireland undergoing a shift. High-level strategic discussions about increasing teacher numbers now contrast with a previous oversupply. The delicate balance between the imperative to increase enrolment (getting "bums on seats") and the gatekeeper role of teacher educators is explored, raising questions about maintaining high standards amid changing student profiles. Another poignant dichotomy involves the high demand for teachers versus the hurdles candidates face in becoming teachers. The rising cost and duration of teacher education courses raise concerns about attracting quality candidates. The perceived attractiveness of teaching as a career contends with the reality of increased demands on educators. One notable juxtaposition centres around the rapid evolution of Irish initial teacher education versus the potential risk of change overload. The Teaching Council of Ireland has spearheaded considerable changes, raising questions about the timing and evaluation of these changes. This reflection contemplates the vision of a professional teaching council versus its evolving reality and the challenges posed by the value placed on school placement in teacher preparation. The juxtapositions extend to the classroom, where theory may not seamlessly align with the lived experience. Inconsistencies between college expectations and the classroom reality prompt reflection on the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs. Addressing the changing demographic landscape of society and schools, there is a persistent incongruity between the diversity of Irish society and the profile of second-level teachers. As education undergoes a digital revolution, the enduring philosophies of education confront technological advances. This reflection highlights the tension between established practices and contemporary demands, acknowledging the irreplaceable value of face-to-face interaction while integrating technology into teacher training programs. In conclusion, this reflective journey encapsulates the intricate web of juxtapositions in Irish Initial Teacher Education. It emphasises the enduring commitment to fostering education, recognising the profound influence educators wield, and acknowledging the challenges and gratifications inherent in shaping the minds and futures of generations to come.

Keywords: Irish post primary teaching, juxtapositions, reflection, teacher education

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Authors: Jaden Lu, Olivia Lu

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Despite the remarkable advancement of solar cell technology, the challenge of optimizing total solar energy harvest efficiency persists, primarily due to significant heat loss. This excess heat not only diminishes solar panel output efficiency but also curtails its operational lifespan. A promising approach to address this issue is the conversion of surplus heat into electricity. In recent years, there is growing interest in the use of thermoelectric generators (TEG) as a potential solution. The integration of efficient TEG devices holds the promise of augmenting overall energy harvest efficiency while prolonging the longevity of solar panels. While certain research groups have proposed the integration of solar cells and TEG devices, a substantial gap between conceptualization and practical implementation remains, largely attributed to low thermal energy conversion efficiency of TEG devices. To bridge this gap and meet the requisites of practical application, a feasible strategy involves the incorporation of a substantial number of p-n junctions within a confined unit volume. However, the manufacturing of high-density TEG p-n junctions presents a formidable challenge. The prevalent solution often leads to large device sizes to accommodate enough p-n junctions, consequently complicating integration with solar cells. Recently, the adoption of 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising solution to address this challenge by fabricating high-density p-n arrays. Despite this, further developmental efforts are necessary. Presently, the primary focus is on the 3D printing of vertically layered TEG devices, wherein p-n junction density remains constrained by spatial limitations and the constraints of 3D printing techniques. This study proposes a novel device configuration featuring horizontally arrayed p-n junctions of Bi2Te3. The structural design of the device is subjected to simulation through the Finite Element Method (FEM) within COMSOL Multiphysics software. Various device configurations are simulated to identify optimal device structure. Based on the simulation results, a new TEG device is fabricated utilizing 3D Selective laser melting (SLM) printing technology. Fusion 360 facilitates the translation of the COMSOL device structure into a 3D print file. The horizontal design offers a unique advantage, enabling the fabrication of densely packed, three-dimensional p-n junction arrays. The fabrication process entails printing a singular row of horizontal p-n junctions using the 3D SLM printing technique in a single layer. Subsequently, successive rows of p-n junction arrays are printed within the same layer, interconnected by thermally conductive copper. This sequence is replicated across multiple layers, separated by thermal insulating glass. This integration created in a highly compact three-dimensional TEG device with high density p-n junctions. The fabricated TEG device is then attached to the bottom of the solar cell using thermal glue. The whole device is characterized, with output data closely matching with COMSOL simulation results. Future research endeavors will encompass the refinement of thermoelectric materials. This includes the advancement of high-resolution 3D printing techniques tailored to diverse thermoelectric materials, along with the optimization of material microstructures such as porosity and doping. The objective is to achieve an optimal and highly integrated PV-TEG device that can substantially increase the solar energy harvest efficiency.

Keywords: thermoelectric, finite element method, 3d print, energy conversion

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Authors: M. Doudi, M. H. Pazandeh, L. Rahimzadeh Torabi

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Bedsores are pressure ulcers that occur on the skin or tissue due to being immobile and lying in bed for extended periods. Bedsores have the potential to progress into open ulcers, increasing the possibility of variety of bacterial infection. Acinetobacter baumannii, a pathogen of considerable clinical importance, exhibited a significant correlation with Bedsores (pressure ulcers) infections, thereby manifesting a wide spectrum of antibiotic resistance. The emergence of drug resistance has led researchers to focus on alternative methods, particularly phage therapy, for tackling bacterial infections. Phage therapy has emerged as a novel therapeutic approach to regulate the activity of these agents. The management of bacterial infections greatly benefits from the clinical utilization of bacteriophages as a valuable antimicrobial intervention. The primary objective of this investigation consisted of isolating and discerning potent bacteriophage capable of targeting multi drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria obtained from pressure ulcers. In present study, analyzed and isolated A. baumannii strains obtained from a cohort of patients suffering from pressure ulcers at Taleghani Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. An approach that included biochemical and molecular identification techniques was used to determine the taxonomic classification of bacterial isolates at the genus and species levels. The molecular identification process was facilitated by using the 16S rRNA gene in combination with universal primers 27 F, and 1492 R. Bacteriophage was obtained through the isolation process conducted on treatment plant sewage located in Isfahan, Iran. The main goal of this study was to evaluate different characteristics of phage, such as their appearance, range of hosts they can infect, how quickly they can enter a host, their stability at varying temperatures and pH levels, their effectiveness in killing bacteria, the growth pattern of a single phage stage, mapping of enzymatic digestion, and identification of proteomics patterns. The findings demonstrated that an examination was conducted on a sample of 50 specimens, wherein 15 instances of A. baumannii were identified. These microorganisms are the predominant Gram-negative agents known to cause wound infections in individuals suffering from bedsores. The study's findings indicated a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the strains isolated from pressure ulcers, excluding the clinical strains that exhibited responsiveness to colistin.According to the findings obtained from assessments of host range and morphological characteristics of bacteriophage VbɸAB-1, it can be concluded that this phage possesses specificity towards A. Baumannii BAH_Glau1001 was classified as a member of the Plasmaviridae family. The bacteriophage mentioned earlier showed the strongest antibacterial effect at a temperature of 18 °C and a pH of 6.5. Through the utilization of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis on protein fragments, it was established that the bacteriophage VbɸAB-1 exhibited a size range between 50 and 75 kilodaltons (KDa). The numerous research findings on the effectiveness of phages and the safety studies conducted suggest that the phages studied in this research can be considered as a practical solution and recommended approach for controlling and treating stubborn pathogens in burn wounds among hospitalized patients.

Keywords: acinetobacter baumannii, extremely drug- resistant, phage therapy, surgery wound

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Authors: Marthinus Conradie

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The conversational dynamics of democratically orientated deliberation continue to stimulate critical scholarship for its potential to bolster robust engagement between different sections of pluralist societies. Several axes of deliberation that have attracted academic attention include face-to-face vs. online interaction, and citizen-to-citizen communication vs. engagement between citizens and political elites. In all these areas, numerous researchers have explored deliberative procedures aimed at achieving instrumental goals such a securing consensus on policy issues, against procedures that prioritise expressive outcomes such as broadening the range of argumentative repertoires that discursively construct and mediate specific political issues. The study that informs this paper, works in the latter stream. Drawing its data from the reader-comments section of a South African broadsheet newspaper, the study investigates online, citizen-to-citizen deliberation by analysing the discursive practices through which competing understandings of social problems are articulated and contested. To advance this agenda, the paper deals specifically with user-generated comments posted in response to news stories on questions of race and racism in South Africa. The analysis works to discern and interpret the various sets of discourse practices that shape how citizens deliberate contentious political issues, especially racism. Since the website in question is designed to encourage the critical comparison of divergent interpretations of news events, without feeding directly into national policymaking, the study adopts an analytic framework that traces how citizens articulate arguments, rather than the instrumental effects that citizen deliberations might exert on policy. The paper starts from the argument that such expressive interactions are particularly crucial to current trends in South African politics, given that the precise nature of race and racism remain contested and uncertain. Centred on a sample of 2358 conversational moves in 814 posts to 18 news stories emanating from issues of race and racism, the analysis proceeds in a two-step fashion. The first stage conducts a qualitative content analysis that offers insights into the levels of reciprocity among commenters (do readers engage with each other or simply post isolated opinions?), as well as the structures of argumentation (do readers support opinions by citing evidence?). The second stage involves a more fine-grained discourse analysis, based on a theorisation of argumentation that delineates it into three components: opinions/conclusions, evidence/data to support opinions/conclusions and warrants that explicate precisely how evidence/data buttress opinions/conclusions. By tracing the manifestation and frequency of specific argumentative practices, this study contributes to the archive of research currently aggregating around the practices that characterise South Africans’ engagement with provocative political questions, especially racism and racial inequity. Additionally, the study also contributes to recent scholarship on the affordances of Web 2.0 software by eschewing a simplistic bifurcation between cyber-optimist vs. pessimism, in favour of a more nuanced and context-specific analysis of the patterns that structure online deliberation.

Keywords: online deliberation, discourse analysis, qualitative content analysis, racism

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Authors: Tugba Altin

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In an era marked by pronounced climate change consequences, communities are observed to confront traumatic events that yield both tangible and intangible repercussions. Such events not only cause discernible damage to the landscape but also deeply affect the intangible aspects, including emotional distress and disruptions to cultural landscapes. The Lytton Creek Fire of 2021 serves as a case in point. Beyond the visible destruction, the less overt but profoundly impactful disturbance to place attachment (PA) is scrutinized. PA, representing the emotional and cognitive bonds individuals establish with their environments, is crucial for understanding how such events impact cultural identity and connection to the land. The study underscores the significance of addressing both tangible and intangible traumas for holistic community recovery. As communities renegotiate their affiliations with altered environments, the cultural landscape emerges as instrumental in shaping place-based identities. This renewed understanding is pivotal for reshaping adaptation planning. The research advocates for adaptation strategies rooted in the lived experiences and testimonies of the affected populations. By incorporating both the tangible and intangible facets of trauma, planning efforts are suggested to be more culturally attuned and emotionally insightful, fostering true resonance with the affected communities. Through such a comprehensive lens, this study contributes enriching the climate change discourse, emphasizing the intertwined nature of tangible recovery and the imperative of emotional and cultural healing after environmental disasters. Following the pronounced aftermath of the Lytton Creek Fire in 2021, research aims to deeply understand its impact on place attachment (PA), encompassing the emotional and cognitive bonds individuals form with their environments. The interpretive phenomenological approach, enriched by a hermeneutic framework, is adopted, emphasizing the experiences of the Lytton community and co-researchers. Phenomenology informed the understanding of 'place' as the focal point of attachment, providing insights into its formation and evolution after traumatic events. Data collection departs from conventional methods. Instead of traditional interviews, walking audio sessions and photo elicitation methods are utilized. These allow co-researchers to immerse themselves in the environment, re-experience, and articulate memories and feelings in real-time. Walking audio facilitates reflections on spatial narratives post-trauma, while photo voices captured intangible emotions, enabling the visualization of place-based experiences. The analysis is collaborative, ensuring the co-researchers' experiences and interpretations are central. Emphasizing their agency in knowledge production, the process is rigorous, facilitated by the harmonious blend of interpretive phenomenology and hermeneutic insights. The findings underscore the need for adaptation and recovery efforts to address emotional traumas alongside tangible damages. By exploring PA post-disaster, the research not only fills a significant gap but advocates for an inclusive approach to community recovery. Furthermore, the participatory methodologies employed challenge traditional research paradigms, heralding potential shifts in qualitative research norms.

Keywords: wildfire recovery, place attachment, trauma recovery, cultural landscape, visual methodologies

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Authors: L. Calcagni, A. Battisti, M. Hensel, D. S. Hensel

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Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have seen a dynamic growth of water-based (WB) architecture, mainly due to the increasing threat of floods caused by sea level rise and heavy rains, all correlated with climate change. At the same time, the shortage of land available for urban development also led architects, engineers, and policymakers to reclaim the seabed or to build floating structures. Furthermore, the drive to produce energy from renewable resources has expanded the sector of offshore research, mining, and energy industry which seeks new types of WB structures. In light of these considerations, the time is ripe to consider floating architecture as a full-fledged building typology. Currently, there is no universally recognized academic definition of a floating building. Research on floating architecture lacks a proper, commonly shared vocabulary and typology distinction. Moreover, there is no global international legal framework for urban development on water, and there is no structured performance based building design (PBBD) approach for floating architecture in most countries, let alone national regulatory systems. Thus, first of all, the research intends to overcome the semantic and typological issues through the conceptualization of floating architecture, laying the proto-ontological conditions for floating development, and secondly to identify the parameters to be considered in the definition of a specific PBBD framework, setting the scene for national planning strategies. The theoretical overview and re-semanticization process involve the attribution of a new meaning to the term floating architecture. This terminological work of semantic redetermination is carried out through a systematic literature review and involves quantitative and historical research as well as logical argumentation methods. As it is expected that floating urban development is most likely to take place as an extension of coastal areas, the needs and design criteria are definitely more similar to those of the urban environment than to those of the offshore industry. Therefore, the identification and categorization of parameters –looking towards the potential formation of a PBBD framework for floating development– takes the urban and architectural guidelines and regulations as the starting point, taking the missing aspects, such as hydrodynamics (i.e. stability and buoyancy) from the offshore and shipping regulatory frameworks. This study is carried out through an evidence-based assessment of regulatory systems that are effective in different countries around the world, addressing on-land and on-water architecture as well as offshore and shipping industries. It involves evidence-based research and logical argumentation methods. Overall, inhabiting water is proposed not only as a viable response to the problem of rising sea levels, thus as a resilient frontier for urban development, but also as a response to energy insecurity, clean water, and food shortages, environmental concerns, and urbanization, in line with Blue Economy principles and the Agenda 2030. This review shows how floating architecture is to all intents and purposes, an urban adaptation measure and a solution towards self-sufficiency and energy-saving objectives. Moreover, the adopted methodology is, to all extents, open to further improvements and integrations, thus not rigid and already completely determined. Along with new designs and functions that will come into play in the practice field, eventually, life on water will seem no more unusual than life on land, especially by virtue of the multiple advantages it provides not only to users but also to the environment.

Keywords: adaptation measures, building typology, floating architecture, performance based building design, rising sea levels

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Authors: Meron Zenaselase Rata, Euridice Leyequien Abarca

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The production of major crops in Northern Ethiopia, especially the Tigray Region, is at subsistence level due to drought, erratic rainfall, and poor soil fertility. Since cactus pear is a drought-resistant plant, it is considered as a lifesaver fruit and a strategy for poverty reduction in a drought-affected area of the region. Despite its contribution to household income and food security in the area, the cactus pear sub-sector is experiencing many constraints with limited attention given to its post-harvest loss management. Therefore, this research was carried out to identify opportunities for reducing post-harvest losses and recommend possible strategies to reduce post-harvest losses, thereby improving production and smallholder’s income. Both probability and non-probability sampling techniques were employed to collect the data. Ganta Afeshum district was selected from Eastern Tigray, and two peasant associations (Buket and Golea) were also selected from the district purposively for being potential in cactus pear production. Simple random sampling techniques were employed to survey 30 households from each of the two peasant associations, and a semi-structured questionnaire was used as a tool for data collection. Moreover, in this research 2 collectors, 2 wholesalers, 1 processor, 3 retailers, 2 consumers were interviewed; and two focus group discussion was also done with 14 key farmers using semi-structured checklist; and key informant interview with governmental and non-governmental organizations were interviewed to gather more information about the cactus pear production, post-harvest losses, the strategies used to reduce the post-harvest losses and suggestions to improve the post-harvest management. To enter and analyze the quantitative data, SPSS version 20 was used, whereas MS-word were used to transcribe the qualitative data. The data were presented using frequency and descriptive tables and graphs. The data analysis was also done using a chain map, correlations, stakeholder matrix, and gross margin. Mean comparisons like ANOVA and t-test between variables were used. The analysis result shows that the present cactus pear value chain involves main actors and supporters. However, there is inadequate information flow and informal market linkages among actors in the cactus pear value chain. The farmer's gross margin is higher when they sell to the processor than sell to collectors. The significant postharvest loss in the cactus pear value chain is at the producer level, followed by wholesalers and retailers. The maximum and minimum volume of post-harvest losses at the producer level is 4212 and 240 kgs per season. The post-harvest loss was caused by limited farmers skill on-farm management and harvesting, low market price, limited market information, absence of producer organization, poor post-harvest handling, absence of cold storage, absence of collection centers, poor infrastructure, inadequate credit access, using traditional transportation system, absence of quality control, illegal traders, inadequate research and extension services and using inappropriate packaging material. Therefore, some of the recommendations were providing adequate practical training, forming producer organizations, and constructing collection centers.

Keywords: cactus pear, post-harvest losses, profit margin, value-chain

Procedia PDF Downloads 83

Authors: E. O. Aluta, C. A. Booth, D. G. Proverbs, T. Appleby

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Challenges in the effective management of potable water have attracted global attention in recent years and remain many world regions’ major priorities. Scarcity and unavailability of potable water may potentially escalate poverty, obviate democratic expression of views and militate against inter-sectoral development. These challenges contra-indicate the inherent potentials of the resource. Thus, while creation of poverty may be regarded as a broad-based problem, it is capable of reflecting life-span reduction diseases, the friction of interests manifesting in threats and warfare, the relegation of democratic principles for authoritarian definitions and Human Rights abuse. The challenges may be identified as manifestations of ineffective management of potable water resource and therefore, regarded as major problems in environmental protection. In reaction, some nations have re-examined their laws and policies, while others have developed innovative projects, which seek to ameliorate difficulties of providing sustainable potable water. The problems resonate in Nigeria, where the legal framework supporting the supply and management of potable water has been criticized as ineffective. This has impacted more on rural community members, often regarded as ‘voiceless’. At that level, the participation of non-state actors has been identified as an effective strategy, which can improve water supply. However, there are indications that there is no pragmatic application of this, resulting in over-centralization and top-down management. Thus, this study focuses on how the participatory process may enable the development of participatory water governance framework, for use in Nigeria rural communities. The Rural Advisory Board (RAB) is proposed as a governing body to promote proximal relationships, institute democratisation borne out of participation, while enabling effective accountability and information. The RAB establishes mechanisms for effectiveness, taking into consideration Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP), advocated as guiding principles of decision-makers. Other tools, which may be explored in achieving these are, Laws and Policies supporting the water sector, under the direction of the Ministries and Law Courts, which ensure non-violation of laws. Community norms and values, consisting of Nigerian traditional belief system, perceptions, attitude and reality (often undermined in favour of legislations), are relied on to pave the way for enforcement. While the Task Forces consist of community members with specific designation of duties, which ensure compliance and enforceability, a cross-section of community members are assigned duties. Thus, the principle of participation is pragmatically reflected. A review of the literature provided information on the potentials of the participatory process, in potable water governance. Qualitative methodology was explored by using the semi-structured interview as strategy for inquiry. The purposive sampling strategy, consisting of homogeneous, heterogeneous and criterion techniques was applied to enable sampling. The samples, sourced from diverse positions of life, were from the study area of Delta State of Nigeria, involving three local governments of Oshimili South, Uvwie and Warri South. From the findings, there are indications that the application of the participatory process is inhered with empowerment of the rural community members to make legitimate demands for TAP. This includes the obviation of mono-decision making for the supply and management of potable water. This is capable of restructuring the top-down management to a top-down/bottom-up system.

Keywords: participation, participatory process, participatory water governance, rural advisory board

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Authors: Benjamin Arazi

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Blockchain is the technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. It revolutionizes the meaning of trust in the sense of offering total reliability without relying on any central entity that controls or supervises the system. The Wall Street Journal states: “Blockchain Marks the Next Step in the Internet’s Evolution”. Blockchain was listed as #1 in Linkedin – The Learning Blog “most in-demand hard skills needed in 2020”. As stated there: “Blockchain’s novel way to store, validate, authorize, and move data across the internet has evolved to securely store and send any digital asset”. GSMA, a leading Telco organization of mobile communications operators, declared that “Blockchain has the potential to be for value what the Internet has been for information”. Motivated by these seminal observations, this paper presents the foundations of a Blockchain-based “Internet of Assets” academic program that joins under one roof leading application areas that are characterized by the transfer of assets over communication lines. Two such areas, which are pillars of our economy, are Fintech – Financial Technology and mobile communications services. The next application in line is Healthcare. These challenges are met based on available extensive professional literature. Blockchain-based assets communication is based on extending the principle of Bitcoin, starting with the basic question: If digital money that travels across the universe can ‘prove its own validity’, can this principle be applied to digital content. A groundbreaking positive answer here led to the concept of “smart contract” and consequently to DLT - Distributed Ledger Technology, where the word ‘distributed’ relates to the non-existence of reliable central entities or trusted third parties. The terms Blockchain and DLT are frequently used interchangeably in various application areas. The World Bank Group compiled comprehensive reports, analyzing the contribution of DLT/Blockchain to Fintech. The European Central Bank and Bank of Japan are engaged in Project Stella, “Balancing confidentiality and auditability in a distributed ledger environment”. 130 DLT/Blockchain focused Fintech startups are now operating in Switzerland. Blockchain impact on mobile communications services is treated in detail by leading organizations. The TM Forum is a global industry association in the telecom industry, with over 850 member companies, mainly mobile operators, that generate US$2 trillion in revenue and serve five billion customers across 180 countries. From their perspective: “Blockchain is considered one of the digital economy’s most disruptive technologies”. Samples of Blockchain contributions to Fintech (taken from a World Bank document): Decentralization and disintermediation; Greater transparency and easier auditability; Automation & programmability; Immutability & verifiability; Gains in speed and efficiency; Cost reductions; Enhanced cyber security resilience. Samples of Blockchain contributions to the Telco industry. Establishing identity verification; Record of transactions for easy cost settlement; Automatic triggering of roaming contract which enables near-instantaneous charging and reduction in roaming fraud; Decentralized roaming agreements; Settling accounts per costs incurred in accordance with agreement tariffs. This clearly demonstrates an academic education structure where fundamental technologies are studied in classes together with these two application areas. Advanced courses, treating specific implementations then follow separately. All are under the roof of “Internet of Assets”.

Keywords: blockchain, education, financial technology, mobile telecommunications services

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Authors: G. K. Viswanadh, B. Rajasekhar, G. Venkata Ramana

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Water distribution networks play a vital role in ensuring a reliable supply of clean water to urban areas. However, they face several challenges, including pressure control, pump speed optimization, and burst event detection. This paper combines insights from two studies to address these critical issues in Water distribution networks, focusing on the specific context of Kapra Municipality, India. The first part of this research concentrates on optimizing pressure control and pump speed in complex Water distribution networks. It utilizes the EPANET- MATLAB Toolkit to integrate EPANET functionalities into the MATLAB environment, offering a comprehensive approach to network analysis. By optimizing Pressure Reduce Valves (PRVs) and variable speed pumps (VSPs), this study achieves remarkable results. In the Benchmark Water Distribution System (WDS), the proposed PRV optimization algorithm reduces average leakage by 20.64%, surpassing the previous achievement of 16.07%. When applied to the South-Central and East zone WDS of Kapra Municipality, it identifies PRV locations that were previously missed by existing algorithms, resulting in average leakage reductions of 22.04% and 10.47%. These reductions translate to significant daily Water savings, enhancing Water supply reliability and reducing energy consumption. The second part of this research addresses the pressing issue of burst event detection and localization within the Water Distribution System. Burst events are a major contributor to Water losses and repair expenses. The study employs wireless sensor technology to monitor pressure and flow rate in real time, enabling the detection of pipeline abnormalities, particularly burst events. The methodology relies on transient analysis of pressure signals, utilizing Cumulative Sum and Wavelet analysis techniques to robustly identify burst occurrences. To enhance precision, burst event localization is achieved through meticulous analysis of time differentials in the arrival of negative pressure waveforms across distinct pressure sensing points, aided by nodal matrix analysis. To evaluate the effectiveness of this methodology, a PVC Water pipeline test bed is employed, demonstrating the algorithm's success in detecting pipeline burst events at flow rates of 2-3 l/s. Remarkably, the algorithm achieves a localization error of merely 3 meters, outperforming previously established algorithms. This research presents a significant advancement in efficient burst event detection and localization within Water pipelines, holding the potential to markedly curtail Water losses and the concomitant financial implications. In conclusion, this combined research addresses critical challenges in Water distribution networks, offering solutions for optimizing pressure control, pump speed, burst event detection, and localization. These findings contribute to the enhancement of Water Distribution System, resulting in improved Water supply reliability, reduced Water losses, and substantial cost savings. The integrated approach presented in this paper holds promise for municipalities and utilities seeking to improve the efficiency and sustainability of their Water distribution networks.

Keywords: pressure reduce valve, complex networks, variable speed pump, wavelet transform, burst detection, CUSUM (Cumulative Sum), water pipeline monitoring

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Authors: Harold M. Carag, April Charmaine D. Camacho, Girlie Nora A. Abrigo, Florencia G. Palis, Ma. Larissa Lelu P. Gata

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A technology impact assessment on the use of microbial inoculants in the reforestation and rehabilitation of forest ancestral lands of the Magbukün Aytas in Morong, Bataan was conducted. This two-year rainforestation technology aimed to determine the optimum condition for the improvement of seedling survival rate in the nursery and in the field to hasten the process of forest regeneration of Magbukün Ayta’s ancestral land. A combination of qualitative methods (key informant interviews, focus groups and participant observation), participated by the farmers who were directly involved in the project, community men and women, the council of elders and the project staff, was employed to complete this impact assessment. The recorded data were transcribed, and the accounts were broadly categorized on the following aspects: social (gender, institutional, anthropological), economic and environmental. The Australian Center for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) framework was primarily used for the impact analysis while the Harvard Analytical Framework was specifically used for the gender impact analysis. Through this technology, a wildling nursery with more than one thousand seedlings was successfully established and served as a good area for the healthy growth of seedlings that would be planted in the forest. Results showed that this technology affected positively and negatively the various gender roles present in the community although household work remained to be the women’s responsibility. The technology introduced directly added up to the workload done by the men and women (preparing and applying fertilizer, making pots etc.) but this, in turn, provided ways to increase their sources of livelihood. The gender roles that were already present were further strengthened after the project and men remained to be in control. The technology or project in turn also benefited from the already present roles since they no longer have to assign things to them, the execution of the various roles was smoothly executed. In the anthropological aspect, their assigned task to manage the nursery was an easy responsibility because of their deep connection to the environment and their fear and beliefs on ‘engkato’ and ‘anito’ was helpful in guarding the forest. As the cultural value of these trees increases, their mindset of safeguarding the forest also heightens. Meanwhile, the welfare of the whole tribe is the ultimate determinant of the swift entry of projects. The past institutions brought ephemeral reliefs on the subsistence of the Magbukün Aytas. These were good ‘conditioning’ factors for the adoption of the technology of the project. As an attempt to turn away from the dependent of harmful chemical, the project’s way of introducing organic inputs was slowly gaining popularity in the community. Economically, the project was able to provide additional income to the farmers. However, the slow mode of payment dismayed other farmers and abandoned their roles. Lastly, major environmental effects weren’t that much observed after the application of the technology. The minor effects concentrated more on the improved conditions of the soil and water in the community. Because of the introduced technology, soil conditions became more favorable specifically for the species that were planted. The organic fertilizers used were in turn not harmful for the residents living in Sitio Kanawan. There were no human diseases caused by the technology. The conservation of the biodiversity of the forest is clearly the most evident long-term result of the project.

Keywords: ancestral lands, impact assessment, microbial inculants, reforestation

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Authors: Carly Cummings, Maria Soledad Peresin

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Alabama has a long history of racial injustice and unsatisfactory educational performance. In the 1870s Jim Crow laws segregated public schools and disproportionally allocated funding and resources to white institutions across the South. Despite the Supreme Court ruling to integrate schools following Brown vs. the Board of Education in 1954, Alabama’s school system continued to exhibit signs of segregation, compounded by “white flight” and the establishment of exclusive private schools, which still exist today. This discriminatory history has had a lasting impact of the state’s education system, reflected in modern school demographics and achievement data. It is well known that Alabama struggles with education performance, especially in science education. On average, minority groups scored the lowest in science proficiency. In Alabama, minority populations are concentrated in a region known as the Black Belt, which was once home to countless slave plantations and was the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement. Today the Black Belt is characterized by a high density of woodlands and plays a significant role in Alabama’s leading economic industry-forest products. Given the economic importance of forestry and agriculture to the state, environmental science proficiency is essential to its stability; however, it is neglected in areas where it is needed most. To better understand the inequity of science education within Alabama, our study first investigates how geographic location, demographics and school funding relate to science achievement scores using ArcGIS and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Additionally, our study explores the implementation of a relevant, problem-based, active learning lesson in schools. Relevant learning engages students by connecting material to their personal experiences. Problem-based active learning involves real-world problem-solving through hands-on experiences. Given Alabama’s significant woodland coverage, educational materials on forest products were developed with consideration of its relevance to students, especially those located in the Black Belt. Furthermore, to incorporate problem solving and active learning, the lesson centered around students using forest products to solve environmental challenges, such as water pollution- an increasing challenge within the state due to climate change. Pre and post assessment surveys were provided to teachers to measure the effectiveness of the lesson. In addition to pedagogical practices, community and mentorship programs are known to positively impact educational achievements. To this end, our work examines the results of surveys measuring educational professionals’ attitudes toward a local mentorship group within the Black Belt and its potential to address environmental and science literacy. Additionally, our study presents survey results from participants who attended an educational community event, gauging its effectiveness in increasing environmental and science proficiency. Our results demonstrate positive improvements in environmental awareness and science literacy with relevant pedagogy, mentorship, and community involvement. Implementing these practices can help provide equitable and inclusive learning environments and can better equip students with the skills and knowledge needed to bridge this historic educational gap within Alabama.

Keywords: equitable education, environmental science, environmental education, science education, racial injustice, sustainability, rural education

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Authors: Achraf Al Faraj, Asma Sultana Shaik, Baraa Al Sayed

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Specific and effective targeting of drug delivery systems (DDS) to cancerous sites remains a major challenge for a better diagnostic and therapy. Recently, SWCNTs with their unique physicochemical properties and the ability to cross the cell membrane show promising in the biomedical field. The purpose of this study was first to develop a biocompatible iron oxide tagged SWCNTs as diagnostic nanoprobes to allow their noninvasive detection using MRI and their preferential targeting in a breast cancer murine model by placing an optimized flexible magnet over the tumor site. Magnetic targeting was associated to specific antibody-conjugated SWCNTs active targeting. The therapeutic efficacy of doxorubicin-conjugated SWCNTs was assessed, and the superiority of diffusion-weighted (DW-) MRI as sensitive imaging biomarker was investigated. Short Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) stabilized water soluble SWCNTs were first developed, tagged with iron oxide nanoparticles and conjugated with Endoglin/CD105 monoclonal antibodies. They were then conjugated with doxorubicin drugs. SWCNTs conjugates were extensively characterized using TEM, UV-Vis spectrophotometer, dynamic light scattering (DLS) zeta potential analysis and electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Their MR relaxivities (i.e. r1 and r2*) were measured at 4.7T and their iron content and metal impurities quantified using ICP-MS. SWCNTs biocompatibility and drug efficacy were then evaluated both in vitro and in vivo using a set of immunological assays. Luciferase enhanced bioluminescence 4T1 mouse mammary tumor cells (4T1-Luc2) were injected into the right inguinal mammary fat pad of Balb/c mice. Tumor bearing mice received either free doxorubicin (DOX) drug or SWCNTs with or without either DOX or iron oxide nanoparticles. A multi-pole 10x10mm high-energy flexible magnet was maintained over the tumor site during 2 hours post-injections and their properties and polarity were optimized to allow enhanced magnetic targeting of SWCNTs toward the primary tumor site. Tumor volume was quantified during the follow-up investigation study using a fast spin echo MRI sequence. In order to detect the homing of SWCNTs to the main tumor site, susceptibility-weighted multi-gradient echo (MGE) sequence was used to generate T2* maps. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements were also performed as a sensitive imaging biomarker providing early and better assessment of disease treatment. At several times post-SWCNT injection, histological analysis were performed on tumor extracts and iron-loaded SWCNT were quantified using ICP-MS in tumor sites, liver, spleen, kidneys, and lung. The optimized multi-poles magnet revealed an enhanced targeting of magnetic SWCNTs to the primary tumor site, which was found to be much higher than the active targeting achieved using antibody-conjugated SWCNTs. Iron-loading allowed their sensitive noninvasive tracking after intravenous administration using MRI. The active targeting of doxorubicin through magnetic antibody-conjugated SWCNTs nanoprobes was found to considerably decrease the primary tumor site and may have inhibited the development of metastasis in the tumor-bearing mice lung. ADC measurements in DW-MRI were found to significantly increase in a time-dependent manner after the injection of DOX-conjugated SWCNTs complexes.

Keywords: single-walled carbon nanotubes, nanomedicine, magnetic resonance imaging, cancer diagnosis and therapy

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Authors: Jaden Lu, Olivia Lu

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Despite the remarkable advancement of solar cell technology, the challenge of optimizing total solar energy harvest efficiency persists, primarily due to significant heat loss. This excess heat not only diminishes solar panel output efficiency but also curtails its operational lifespan. A promising approach to address this issue is the conversion of surplus heat into electricity. In recent years, there is growing interest in the use of thermoelectric generators (TEG) as a potential solution. The integration of efficient TEG devices holds the promise of augmenting overall energy harvest efficiency while prolonging the longevity of solar panels. While certain research groups have proposed the integration of solar cells and TEG devices, a substantial gap between conceptualization and practical implementation remains, largely attributed to low thermal energy conversion efficiency of TEG devices. To bridge this gap and meet the requisites of practical application, a feasible strategy involves the incorporation of a substantial number of p-n junctions within a confined unit volume. However, the manufacturing of high-density TEG p-n junctions presents a formidable challenge. The prevalent solution often leads to large device sizes to accommodate enough p-n junctions, consequently complicating integration with solar cells. Recently, the adoption of 3D printing technology has emerged as a promising solution to address this challenge by fabricating high-density p-n arrays. Despite this, further developmental efforts are necessary. Presently, the primary focus is on the 3D printing of vertically layered TEG devices, wherein p-n junction density remains constrained by spatial limitations and the constraints of 3D printing techniques. This study proposes a novel device configuration featuring horizontally arrayed p-n junctions of Bi2Te3. The structural design of the device is subjected to simulation through the Finite Element Method (FEM) within COMSOL Multiphysics software. Various device configurations are simulated to identify optimal device structure. Based on the simulation results, a new TEG device is fabricated utilizing 3D Selective laser melting (SLM) printing technology. Fusion 360 facilitates the translation of the COMSOL device structure into a 3D print file. The horizontal design offers a unique advantage, enabling the fabrication of densely packed, three-dimensional p-n junction arrays. The fabrication process entails printing a singular row of horizontal p-n junctions using the 3D SLM printing technique in a single layer. Subsequently, successive rows of p-n junction arrays are printed within the same layer, interconnected by thermally conductive copper. This sequence is replicated across multiple layers, separated by thermal insulating glass. This integration created in a highly compact three-dimensional TEG device with high density p-n junctions. The fabricated TEG device is then attached to the bottom of the solar cell using thermal glue. The whole device is characterized, with output data closely matching with COMSOL simulation results. Future research endeavors will encompass the refinement of thermoelectric materials. This includes the advancement of high-resolution 3D printing techniques tailored to diverse thermoelectric materials, along with the optimization of material microstructures such as porosity and doping. The objective is to achieve an optimal and highly integrated PV-TEG device that can substantially increase the solar energy harvest efficiency.

Keywords: thermoelectric, finite element method, 3d print, energy conversion

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Authors: Viktorya Sargsyan, Arax Hovhannesyan, Karine Abelyan

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Introduction: During the last decade, scientific studies have proven the importance of Early Childhood Development (ECD) interventions. These interventions are shown to create strong foundations for children’s intellectual, emotional and physical well-being, as well as the impact they have on learning and economic outcomes for children as they mature into adulthood. Many children in rural Armenia fail to reach their full development potential due to lack of early brain stimulation (playing, singing, reading, etc.) from their parents, and lack of community tools and services to follow-up children’s neurocognitive development. This is exacerbated by high rates of stunting and anemia among children under 3(CU3). This research study tested the effectiveness of an integrated ECD and Maternal, Newborn and Childhood Health (MNCH) model, called “Go Baby, Go!” (GBG), against the traditional (MNCH) strategy which focuses solely on preventive health and nutrition interventions. The hypothesis of this quasi-experimental study was: Children exposed to GBG will have better neurocognitive and nutrition outcomes compared to those receiving only the MNCH intervention. The secondary objective was to assess the effect of GBG on parental child care and nutrition practices. Methodology: The 14 month long study, targeted all 1,300 children aged 0 to 23 months, living in 43 study communities the in Gavar and Vardenis regions (Gegharkunik province, Armenia). Twenty-three intervention communities, 680 children, received GBG, and 20 control communities, 630 children, received MCHN interventions only. Baseline and evaluation data on child development, nutrition status and parental child care and nutrition practices were collected (caregiver interview, direct child assessment). In the intervention sites, in addition to MNCH (maternity schools, supportive supervision for Health Care Providers (HCP), the trained GBG facilitators conducted six interactive group sessions for mothers (key messages, information, group discussions, role playing, video-watching, toys/books preparation, according to GBG curriculum), and two sessions (condensed GBG) for adult family members (husbands, grandmothers). The trained HCPs received quality supervision for ECD counseling and screening. Findings: The GBG model proved to be effective in improving ECD outcomes. Children in the intervention sites had 83% higher odd of total ECD composite score (cognitive, language, motor) compared to children in the control sites (aOR 1.83; 95 percent CI: 1.08-3.09; p=0.025). Caregivers also demonstrated better child care and nutrition practices (minimum dietary diversity in intervention site is 55 percent higher compared to control (aOR=1.55, 95 percent CI 1.10-2.19, p =0.013); support for learning and disciplining practices (aOR=2.22, 95 percent CI 1.19-4.16, p=0.012)). However, there was no evidence of stunting reduction in either study arm. he effect of the integrated model was more prominent in Vardenis, a community which is characterised by high food insecurity and limited knowledge of positive parenting skills. Conclusion: The GBG model is effective and could be applied in target areas with the greatest economic disadvantages and parenting challenges to improve ECD, care practices and developmental outcomes. Longitudinal studies are needed to view the long-term effects of GBG on learning and school readiness.

Keywords: early childhood development, integrated interventions, parental practices, quasi-experimental study

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Authors: Men An Pan, Ho Hsiung Huang, Jui Chuan Lin, Tsui Hsun Wu, Hsing Yuan Yen

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Pingtung County, located in the southernmost region of Taiwan, has the largest number of pig farms in the country. In the past, livestock operators in Dongpian Village discharged their wastewater into the nearby water bodies, causing water pollution in the local rivers and polluting the air with the stench of the pig excrement. These resulted in many complaints from the local residents. In response to a long time fighting back of the community against the livestock farms due to the confrict, the County Government's Environmental Protection Bureau (PTEPB) examined potential wayouts in addition to heavy fines to the perpetrators. Through helping the livestock farms to upgrade their pollution prevention equipment, promoting the reuse of biogas residue and slurry from the pig excrement, and environmental education, the confrict was successfully resolved. The properly treated wastewater from the livestock farms has been freely provided to the neighboring farmlands via pipelines and tankers. Thus, extensive cultivation of bananas, papaya, red dragon fruit, Inca nut, and cocoa has resulted in 34% resource utilization of biogas residue as a fertilizer. This has encouraged farmers to reduce chemical fertilizers and use microbial materials like photosynthetic bacteria after banning herbicides while lowering the cost of wastewater treatment in livestock farms and alleviating environmental pollution simultaneously. That is, the livestock farms fully demonstrate the determination to fulfill their corporate social responsibility (CSR). Due to the success, Eight farms jointly established a social enterprise - "Dongpian Gemstone Village Co., Ltd." to promote organic farming through a "shared farm." The company appropriates 5% of its total revenue back to the community through caregiving services for the elderly and a fund for young local farmers. The community adopted the Satoyama Initiative in accordance with the Conference of the CBD COP10. Through the positive impact of environmental education, the community seeks to realize the coexistence between society and nature while maintaining and developing socio-economic activities (including agriculture) with respect for nature and building a harmonic relationship between humans and nature. By way of sustainable management of resources and ensuring biodiversity, the community is transforming into a socio-ecological production landscape. Apart from nature conservation and watercourse ecology, preserving local culture is also a key focus of the environmental education. To mitigate the impact of global warming and climate change, the community and the government have worked together to develop a disaster prevention and relief system, strive to establish a low-carbon emitting homeland, and become a model for resilient communities. By the power of environmental education, this community has turned its residents’ hearts and minds into concrete action, fulfilled social responsibility, and moved towards realizing the UN SDGs. Even though it is not the only community to integrate government agencies, research institutions, and NGOs for environmental education, it is a prime example of a low-carbon sustainable community that achieves more than 9 SDGs, including responsible consumption and production, climate change action, and diverse partnerships. The community is also leveraging environmental education to become a net-zero carbon community targeted by COP26.

Keywords: environmental education, biogas residue, biogas slurry, CSR, SDGs, climate change, net-zero carbon emissions

Procedia PDF Downloads 118

Authors: T. Heikkinen, J. Oksman, T. Bragge, A. Nurmi, O. Kontkanen, T. Ahtoniemi

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Motor impairment is an inherent phenotypic feature of several chronic neurodegenerative diseases, and pharmacological therapies aimed to counterbalance the motor disability have a great market potential. Animal models of chronic neurodegenerative diseases display a number deteriorating motor phenotype during the disease progression. There is a wide array of behavioral tools to evaluate motor functions in rodents. However, currently existing methods to study motor functions in rodents are often limited to evaluate gross motor functions only at advanced stages of the disease phenotype. The most commonly applied traditional motor assays used in CNS rodent models, lack the sensitivity to capture fine motor impairments or improvements. Fine motor skill characterization in rodents provides a more sensitive tool to capture more subtle motor dysfunctions and therapeutic effects. Importantly, similar approach, kinematic movement analysis, is also used in clinic, and applied both in diagnosis and determination of therapeutic response to pharmacological interventions. The aim of this study was to apply kinematic gait analysis, a novel and automated high precision movement analysis system, to characterize phenotypic deficits in three different chronic neurodegenerative animal models, a transgenic mouse model (SOD1 G93A) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and R6/2 and Q175KI mouse models for Huntington’s disease (HD). The readouts from walking behavior included gait properties with kinematic data, and body movement trajectories including analysis of various points of interest such as movement and position of landmarks in the torso, tail and joints. Mice (transgenic and wild-type) from each model were analyzed for the fine motor kinematic properties at young ages, prior to the age when gross motor deficits are clearly pronounced. Fine motor kinematic Evaluation was continued in the same animals until clear motor dysfunction with conventional motor assays was evident. Time course analysis revealed clear fine motor skill impairments in each transgenic model earlier than what is seen with conventional gross motor tests. Motor changes were quantitatively analyzed for up to ~80 parameters, and the largest data sets of HD models were further processed with principal component analysis (PCA) to transform the pool of individual parameters into a smaller and focused set of mutually uncorrelated gait parameters showing strong genotype difference. Kinematic fine motor analysis of transgenic animal models described in this presentation show that this method isa sensitive, objective and fully automated tool that allows earlier and more sensitive detection of progressive neuromuscular and CNS disease phenotypes. As a result of the analysis a comprehensive set of fine motor parameters for each model is created, and these parameters provide better understanding of the disease progression and enhanced sensitivity of this assay for therapeutic testing compared to classical motor behavior tests. In SOD1 G93A, R6/2, and Q175KI mice, the alterations in gait were evident already several weeks earlier than with traditional gross motor assays. Kinematic testing can be applied to a wider set of motor readouts beyond gait in order to study whole body movement patterns such as with relation to joints and various body parts longitudinally, providing a sophisticated and translatable method for disseminating motor components in rodent disease models and evaluating therapeutic interventions.

Keywords: Gait analysis, kinematic, motor impairment, inherent feature

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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

Procedia PDF Downloads 49

Authors: Siddhant Yadav, Rylea Ranum, Hannah Alberts, Abdul Kalaiger, Brent Bauer, Ryan Hurt, Ann Vincent, Loren Toussaint, Sanjeev Nanda

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Background and significance: Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic pain disorder also characterized by chronic fatigue, morning stiffness, sleep, and cognitive symptoms, psychological disturbances (anxiety, depression), and is comorbid with multiple medical and psychiatric conditions. It has an incidence of 2-4% in the general population and is reported more commonly in women. Oxidative stress and inflammation are thought to contribute to pain in patients with FM, and the adoption of an antioxidant/anti-inflammatory diet has been suggested as a modality to alleviate symptoms. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the efficacy of specialized diets (ketogenic, gluten free, Mediterranean, and low carbohydrate) in improving FM symptoms. Methodology: A comprehensive search of the following databases from inception to July 15th, 2021, was conducted: Ovid MEDLINE and Epub ahead of print, in-process and other non-indexed citations and daily, Ovid Embase, Ovid EBM reviews, Cochrane central register of controlled trials, EBSCO host CINAHL with full text, Elsevier Scopus, website and citation index, web of science emerging sources citation and clinicaltrials.gov. We included randomized controlled trials, non-randomized experimental studies, cross-sectional studies, cohort studies, case series, and case reports in adults with fibromyalgia. The risk of bias was assessed with the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality designed, specific recommended criteria (AHRQ). Results: Thirteen studies were eligible for inclusion. This included a total of 761 participants. Twelve out of the 13 studies reported improvement in widespread body pain, joint stiffness, sleeping pattern, mood, and gastrointestinal symptoms, and one study reported no changes in symptomatology in patients with FM on specialized diets. None of the studies showed the worsening of symptoms associated with a specific diet. Most of the patient population was female, with the mean age at which fibromyalgia was diagnosed being 48.12 years. Improvement in symptoms was reported by the patient's adhering to a gluten-free diet, raw vegan diet, tryptophan- and magnesium-enriched Mediterranean diet, aspartame- and msg- elimination diet, and specifically a Khorasan wheat diet. Risk of bias assessment noted that 6 studies had a low risk of bias (5 clinical trials and 1 case series), four studies had a moderate risk of bias, and 3 had a high risk of bias. In many of the studies, the allocation of treatment (diets) was not adequately concealed, and the researchers did not rule out any potential impact from a concurrent intervention or an unintended exposure that might have biased the results. On the other hand, there was a low risk of attrition bias in all the trials; all were conducted with an intention-to-treat, and the inclusion/exclusion criteria, exposures/interventions, and primary outcomes were valid, reliable, and implemented consistently across all study participants. Concluding statement: Patients with fibromyalgia who followed specialized diets experienced a variable degree of improvement in their widespread body pain. Improvement was also seen in stiffness, fatigue, moods, sleeping patterns, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Additionally, the majority of the patients also reported improvement in overall quality of life.

Keywords: fibromyalgia, specialized diet, vegan, gluten free, Mediterranean, systematic review

Procedia PDF Downloads 51

Authors: Subhash Nerella, Ziyuan Guan, Azra Bihorac, Parisa Rashidi

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Intensive care units (ICUs) provide care to critically ill patients in severe and life-threatening conditions. However, patient monitoring in the ICU is limited by the time and resource constraints imposed on healthcare providers. Many critical care indices such as mobility are still manually assessed, which can be subjective, prone to human errors, and lack granularity. Other important aspects, such as environmental factors, are not monitored at all. For example, critically ill patients often experience circadian disruptions due to the absence of effective environmental “timekeepers” such as the light/dark cycle and the systemic effect of acute illness on chronobiologic markers. Although the occurrence of delirium is associated with circadian disruption risk factors, these factors are not routinely monitored in the ICU. Hence, there is a critical unmet need to develop systems for precise and real-time assessment through novel enabling technologies. We have developed the mobility and circadian disruption quantification system (Mobi-DiQ) by augmenting biomarker and clinical data with pervasive sensing data to generate mobility and circadian cues related to mobility, nightly disruptions, and light and noise exposure. We hypothesize that Mobi-DiQ can provide accurate mobility and circadian cues that correlate with bedside clinical mobility assessments and circadian biomarkers, ultimately important for delirium risk assessment and prevention. The collected multimodal dataset consists of depth images, Electromyography (EMG) data, patient extremity movement captured by accelerometers, ambient light levels, Sound Pressure Level (SPL), and indoor air quality measured by volatile organic compounds, and the equivalent CO₂ concentration. For delirium risk assessment, the system recognizes mobility cues (axial body movement features and body key points) and circadian cues, including nightly disruptions, ambient SPL, and light intensity, as well as other environmental factors such as indoor air quality. The Mobi-DiQ system consists of three major components: the pervasive sensing system, a data storage and analysis server, and a data annotation system. For data collection, six local pervasive sensing systems were deployed, including a local computer and sensors. A video recording tool with graphical user interface (GUI) developed in python was used to capture depth image frames for analyzing patient mobility. All sensor data is encrypted, then automatically uploaded to the Mobi-DiQ server through a secured VPN connection. Several data pipelines are developed to automate the data transfer, curation, and data preparation for annotation and model training. The data curation and post-processing are performed on the server. A custom secure annotation tool with GUI was developed to annotate depth activity data. The annotation tool is linked to the MongoDB database to record the data annotation and to provide summarization. Docker containers are also utilized to manage services and pipelines running on the server in an isolated manner. The processed clinical data and annotations are used to train and develop real-time pervasive sensing systems to augment clinical decision-making and promote targeted interventions. In the future, we intend to evaluate our system as a clinical implementation trial, as well as to refine and validate it by using other data sources, including neurological data obtained through continuous electroencephalography (EEG).

Keywords: deep learning, delirium, healthcare, pervasive sensing

Procedia PDF Downloads 65

Authors: Chia-Jung Chen, Yu-Chi Hsu, June-Dong Lin, Kun-Chen Chan, Chieh-Tien Wang, Li-Ching Wu, Chung-Feng Liu

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With fast advances in healthcare technology, various total laboratory automation (TLA) processes have been proposed. However, adopting TLA needs quite high funding. This study explores an early adoption experience by Taiwan’s large-scale hospital group, the Chimei Hospital Group (CMG), which owns three branch hospitals (Yongkang, Liouying and Chiali, in order by service scale), based on the five stages of Everett Rogers’ Diffusion Decision Process. 1.Knowledge stage: Over the years, two weaknesses exists in laboratory department of CMG: 1) only a few examination categories (e.g., sugar testing and HbA1c) can now be completed and reported within a day during an outpatient clinical visit; 2) the Yongkang Hospital laboratory space is dispersed across three buildings, resulting in duplicated investment in analysis instruments and inconvenient artificial specimen transportation. Thus, the senior management of the department raised a crucial question, was it time to process the redesign of the laboratory department? 2.Persuasion stage: At the end of 2013, Yongkang Hospital’s new building and restructuring project created a great opportunity for the redesign of the laboratory department. However, not all laboratory colleagues had the consensus for change. Thus, the top managers arranged a series of benchmark visits to stimulate colleagues into being aware of and accepting TLA. Later, the director of the department proposed a formal report to the top management of CMG with the results of the benchmark visits, preliminary feasibility analysis, potential benefits and so on. 3.Decision stage: This TLA suggestion was well-supported by the top management of CMG and, finally, they made a decision to carry out the project with an instrument-leasing strategy. After the announcement of a request for proposal and several vendor briefings, CMG confirmed their laboratory automation architecture and finally completed the contracts. At the same time, a cross-department project team was formed and the laboratory department assigned a section leader to the National Taiwan University Hospital for one month of relevant training. 4.Implementation stage: During the implementation, the project team called for regular meetings to review the results of the operations and to offer an immediate response to the adjustment. The main project tasks included: 1) completion of the preparatory work for beginning the automation procedures; 2) ensuring information security and privacy protection; 3) formulating automated examination process protocols; 4) evaluating the performance of new instruments and the instrument connectivity; 5)ensuring good integration with hospital information systems (HIS)/laboratory information systems (LIS); and 6) ensuring continued compliance with ISO 15189 certification. 5.Confirmation stage: In short, the core process changes include: 1) cancellation of signature seals on the specimen tubes; 2) transfer of daily examination reports to a data warehouse; 3) routine pre-admission blood drawing and formal inpatient morning blood drawing can be incorporated into an automatically-prepared tube mechanism. The study summarizes below the continuous improvement orientations: (1) Flexible reference range set-up for new instruments in LIS. (2) Restructure of the specimen category. (3) Continuous review and improvements to the examination process. (4) Whether installing the tube (specimen) delivery tracks need further evaluation.

Keywords: innovation decision process, total laboratory automation, health care

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Authors: Sarah Niklas, Lynne Chester, Mark Diesendorf

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Geopolitical tensions, climate change and recent movements favouring a transformative shift in institutional power structures have influenced the economics of conventional energy supply for decades. This study takes a multi-dimensional approach to illustrate the potential of renewable energy (RE) technology to provide a pathway to a low-carbon economy driven by ecologically sustainable, independent and socially just energy. This comparative analysis identifies economic, political and social drivers that shaped the adoption of RE policy in two significantly different economies, Germany and Australia, with strong and weak commitments to RE respectively. Two complementary political-economy theories frame the document-based analysis. Régulation Theory, inspired by Marxist ideas and strongly influenced by contemporary economic problems, provides the background to explore the social relationships contributing the adoption of RE within the macro-economy. Varieties of Capitalism theory, a more recently developed micro-economic approach, examines the nature of state-firm relationships. Together these approaches provide a comprehensive lens of analysis. Germany’s energy policy transformed substantially over the second half of the last century. The development is characterised by the coordination of societal, environmental and industrial demands throughout the advancement of capitalist regimes. In the Fordist regime, mass production based on coal drove Germany’s astounding economic recovery during the post-war period. Economic depression and the instability of institutional arrangements necessitated the impulsive seeking of national security and energy independence. During the postwar Flexi-Fordist period, quality-based production, innovation and technology-based competition schemes, particularly with regard to political power structures in and across Europe, favoured the adoption of RE. Innovation, knowledge and education were institutionalized, leading to the legislation of environmental concerns. Lastly the establishment of government-industry-based coordinative programs supported the phase out of nuclear power and the increased adoption of RE during the last decade. Australia’s energy policy is shaped by the country’s richness in mineral resources. Energy policy largely served coal mining, historically and currently one of the most capital-intense industry. Assisted by the macro-economic dimensions of institutional arrangements, social and financial capital is orientated towards the export-led and strongly demand-oriented economy. Here energy policy serves the maintenance of capital accumulation in the mining sector and the emerging Asian economies. The adoption of supportive renewable energy policy would challenge the distinct role of the mining industry within the (neo)-liberal market economy. The state’s protective role of the mining sector has resulted in weak commitment to RE policy and investment uncertainty in the energy sector. Recent developments, driven by strong public support for RE, emphasize the sense of community in urban and rural areas and the emergence of a bottom-up approach to adopt renewables. Thus, political economy frameworks on both the macro-economic (Regulation Theory) and micro-economic (Varieties of Capitalism theory) scales can together explain the strong commitment to RE in Germany vis-à-vis the weak commitment in Australia.

Keywords: political economy, regulation theory, renewable energy, social relationships, energy transitions

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Authors: Anjalika Fernando, Banuka Athuraliya

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This paper presents a comprehensive approach for converting Sinhala Sign Language (SSL) into grammatically correct sentences using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques in real-time. While previous studies have explored various aspects of SSL translation, the research gap lies in the absence of grammar checking for SSL. This work aims to bridge this gap by proposing a two-stage methodology that leverages deep learning models to detect signs and translate them into coherent sentences, ensuring grammatical accuracy. The first stage of the approach involves the utilization of a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) deep learning model to recognize and interpret SSL signs. By training the LSTM model on a dataset of SSL gestures, it learns to accurately classify and translate these signs into textual representations. The LSTM model achieves a commendable accuracy rate of 94%, demonstrating its effectiveness in accurately recognizing and translating SSL gestures. Building upon the successful recognition and translation of SSL signs, the second stage of the methodology focuses on improving the grammatical correctness of the translated sentences. The project employs a Neural Machine Translation (NMT) architecture, consisting of an encoder and decoder with LSTM components, to enhance the syntactical structure of the generated sentences. By training the NMT model on a parallel corpus of Sinhala wrong sentences and their corresponding grammatically correct translations, it learns to generate coherent and grammatically accurate sentences. The NMT model achieves an impressive accuracy rate of 98%, affirming its capability to produce linguistically sound translations. The proposed approach offers significant contributions to the field of SSL translation and grammar correction. Addressing the critical issue of grammar checking, it enhances the usability and reliability of SSL translation systems, facilitating effective communication between hearing-impaired and non-sign language users. Furthermore, the integration of deep learning techniques, such as LSTM and NMT, ensures the accuracy and robustness of the translation process. This research holds great potential for practical applications, including educational platforms, accessibility tools, and communication aids for the hearing-impaired. Furthermore, it lays the foundation for future advancements in SSL translation systems, fostering inclusive and equal opportunities for the deaf community. Future work includes expanding the existing datasets to further improve the accuracy and generalization of the SSL translation system. Additionally, the development of a dedicated mobile application would enhance the accessibility and convenience of SSL translation on handheld devices. Furthermore, efforts will be made to enhance the current application for educational purposes, enabling individuals to learn and practice SSL more effectively. Another area of future exploration involves enabling two-way communication, allowing seamless interaction between sign-language users and non-sign-language users.In conclusion, this paper presents a novel approach for converting Sinhala Sign Language gestures into grammatically correct sentences using NLP techniques in real time. The two-stage methodology, comprising an LSTM model for sign detection and translation and an NMT model for grammar correction, achieves high accuracy rates of 94% and 98%, respectively. By addressing the lack of grammar checking in existing SSL translation research, this work contributes significantly to the development of more accurate and reliable SSL translation systems, thereby fostering effective communication and inclusivity for the hearing-impaired community

Keywords: Sinhala sign language, sign Language, NLP, LSTM, NMT

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Authors: Sopio Totibadze

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Although the legal framework of Georgia reflects the main principles of gender equality and is in line with the international situation (UNDP, 2018), Georgia remains a male-dominated society. This means that men prevail in many areas of social, economic, and political life, which frequently gives women a subordinate status in society and the family (UN women). According to the latest study, “violence against women and girls in Georgia is also recognized as a public problem, and it is necessary to focus on it” (UN women). Moreover, the Public Defender's report on the protection of human rights in Georgia (2019) reveals that “in the last five years, 151 women were killed in Georgia due to gender and family violence”. Sadly, these statistics have increased significantly since that time. The issue was acutely reflected in the document published by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, “Gender Hate Crime” (March 10, 2021). “Unfortunately, the rates of femicide ..... are still high in the country, and distrust of law enforcement agencies often makes such cases invisible, which requires special attention from the state.” More precisely, the cited document considers that there are frequent cases of crimes based on gender-based oppression in Georgia, which pose a threat not only to women but also to people of any gender whose desires and aspirations do not correspond to the gender norms and roles prevailing in society. According to the study, this type of crime has a “significant and lasting impact on the victim(s) and also undermines the safety and cohesion of society and gender equality”. It is well-known that language is often used as a tool for gender oppression (Rusieshvili-Cartledge and Dolidze, 2021; Totibadze, 2021). Therefore, feminist and gender studies in linguistics ultimately serve to represent the problem, reflect on it, and propose ways to solve it. Together with technical advancement in communication, a new form of discrimination has arisen- hate language against women in electronic media discourse. Due to the nature of social media and the internet, messages containing hate language can spread in seconds and reach millions of people. However, only a few know about the detrimental effects they may have on the addressee and society. This paper aims to analyse the hateful comments directed at women on various media platforms to determine (1) the linguistic strategies used while attacking women and (2) the reasons why women may fall victim to this type of hate language. The data have been collected over six months, and overall, 500 comments will be examined for the paper. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was chosen for the methodology of the study. The comments posted on various media platforms, including social media posts, articles, or pictures, have been selected manually due to several reasons, the most important being the problem of identifying hate speech as it can disguise itself in different ways- humour, memes, etc. The comments on the articles, posts, pictures, and videos selected for sociolinguistic analysis depict a woman, a taboo topic, or a scandalous event centred on a woman that triggered a lot of hatred and hate language towards the person to whom the post/article was dedicated. The study has revealed that a woman can become a victim of hatred directed at them if they do something considered to be a deviation from a societal norm, namely, get a divorce, be sexually active, be vocal about feministic values, and talk about taboos. Interestingly, people who utilize hate language are not only men trying to “normalize” the prejudiced patriarchal values but also women who are equally active in bringing down a "strong" woman. The paper also aims to raise awareness about the hate language directed at women, as being knowledgeable about the issue at hand is the first step to tackling it.

Keywords: femicide, hate language, media discourse, sociolinguistics

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Authors: Nursuhaili Najwa Masrol, Nur Hafizah Mohammed, Nur Nadhirah Rusyda Rosnan, Vijaya Subramaniam, Sim Choon Cheak

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Replanting in oil palm cultivation is vital to enable the introduction of planting materials and provides an opportunity to improve the road, drainage, terrace design, and planting density. Oil palm replanting is fundamentally necessary every 25 years. The adoption of the digital replanting blueprint is imperative as it can assist the Malaysia Oil Palm industry in addressing challenges such as labour shortages and limited expertise related to replanting tasks. Effective replanting planning should commence at least 6 months prior to the actual replanting process. Therefore, this study will help to plan and design the replanting blueprint with high-precision translation on the ground. With the advancement of geospatial technology, it is now feasible to engage in thoroughly researched planning, which can help maximize the potential yield. A blueprint designed before replanting is to enhance management’s ability to optimize the planting program, address manpower issues, or even increase productivity. In terrace planting blueprints, geographic tools have been utilized to design the roads, drainages, terraces, and planting points based on the ARM standards. These designs are mapped with location information and undergo statistical analysis. The geospatial approach is essential in precision agriculture and ensuring an accurate translation of design to the ground by implementing high-accuracy technologies. In this study, geospatial and remote sensing technologies played a vital role. LiDAR data was employed to determine the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), enabling the precise selection of terraces, while ortho imagery was used for validation purposes. Throughout the designing process, Geographical Information System (GIS) tools were extensively utilized. To assess the design’s reliability on the ground compared with the current conventional method, high-precision GPS instruments like EOS Arrow Gold and HIPER VR GNSS were used, with both offering accuracy levels between 0.3 cm and 0.5cm. Nearest Distance Analysis was generated to compare the design with actual planting on the ground. The analysis revealed that it could not be applied to the roads due to discrepancies between actual roads and the blueprint design, which resulted in minimal variance. In contrast, the terraces closely adhered to the GPS markings, with the most variance distance being less than 0.5 meters compared to actual terraces constructed. Considering the required slope degrees for terrace planting, which must be greater than 6 degrees, the study found that approximately 65% of the terracing was constructed at a 12-degree slope, while over 50% of the terracing was constructed at slopes exceeding the minimum degrees. Utilizing blueprint replanting promising strategies for optimizing land utilization in agriculture. This approach harnesses technology and meticulous planning to yield advantages, including increased efficiency, enhanced sustainability, and cost reduction. From this study, practical implementation of this technique can lead to tangible and significant improvements in agricultural sectors. In boosting further efficiencies, future initiatives will require more sophisticated techniques and the incorporation of precision GPS devices for upcoming blueprint replanting projects besides strategic progression aims to guarantee the precision of both blueprint design stages and its subsequent implementation on the field. Looking ahead, automating digital blueprints are necessary to reduce time, workforce, and costs in commercial production.

Keywords: replanting, geospatial, precision agriculture, blueprint

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Authors: Victoria L. Chester, Usha Kuruganti

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The forest industry is a major economic sector of Canada and also one of the most dangerous industries for workers. The use of mechanized mobile forestry harvesting machines has successfully reduced the incidence of injuries in forest workers related to manual labor. However, these machines have also created additional concerns, including a high machine operation learning curve, increased the length of the workday, repetitive strain injury, cognitive load, physical and mental fatigue, and increased postural loads due to sitting in a confined space. It is critical to obtain objective performance data for employers to develop appropriate work practices for this industry, however ergonomic field studies of this industry are lacking mainly due to the difficulties in obtaining comprehensive data while operators are cutting trees in the woods. The purpose of this study was to establish a measurement and experimental protocol to examine the effects of worker skill level and movement training speed (joystick crane speed) on harvesting performance using a forestry simulator. A custom wrist angle measurement device was developed as part of the study to monitor Euler angles during operation of the simulator. The device of the system consisted of two accelerometers, a Bluetooth module, three 3V coin cells, a microcontroller, a voltage regulator and an application software. Harvesting performance and crane data was provided by the simulator software and included tree to frame collisions, crane to tree collisions, boom tip distance, number of trees cut, etc. A pilot study of 3 operators with various skill levels was tested to identify factors that distinguish highly skilled operators from novice or intermediate operators. Dependent variables such as reaction time, math skill, past work experience, training movement speed (e.g. joystick control speeds), harvesting experience level, muscle activity, and wrist biomechanics were measured and analyzed. A 10-channel wireless surface EMG system was used to monitor the amplitude and mean frequency of 10 upper extremity muscles during pre and postperformance on the forestry harvest stimulator. The results of the pilot study showed inconsistent changes in median frequency pre-and postoperation, but there was the increase in the activity of the flexor carpi radialis, anterior deltoid and upper trapezius of both arms. The wrist sensor results indicated that wrist supination and pronation occurred more than flexion and extension with radial-ulnar rotation demonstrating the least movement. Overall, wrist angular motion increased as the crane speed increased from slow to fast. Further data collection is needed and will help industry partners determine those factors that separate skill levels of operators, identify optimal training speeds, and determine the length of training required to bring new operators to an efficient skill level effectively. In addition to effective and employment training programs, results of this work will be used for selective employee recruitment strategies to improve employee retention after training. Further, improved training procedures and knowledge of the physical and mental demands on workers will lead to highly trained and efficient personnel, reduced risk of injury, and optimal work protocols.

Keywords: EMG, forestry, human factors, wrist biomechanics

Procedia PDF Downloads 115

Authors: M. Doudi, M. H. Pazandeh, L. Rahimzadeh Torabi

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Bedsores are pressure ulcers that occur on the skin or tissue due to being immobile and lying in bed for extended periods. Bedsores have the potential to progress into open ulcers, increasing the possibility of a variety of bacterial infections. Acinetobacter baumannii, a pathogen of considerable clinical importance, exhibited a significant correlation with Bedsores (pressure ulcers) infections, thereby manifesting a wide spectrum of antibiotic resistance. The emergence of drug resistance has led researchers to focus on alternative methods, particularly phage therapy, for tackling bacterial infections. Phage therapy has emerged as a novel therapeutic approach to regulate the activity of these agents. The management of bacterial infections greatly benefits from the clinical utilization of bacteriophages as a valuable antimicrobial intervention. The primary objective of this investigation consisted of isolating and discerning potent bacteriophage capable of targeting multi-drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) bacteria obtained from pressure ulcers. The present study analyzed and isolated A. baumannii strains obtained from a cohort of patients suffering from pressure ulcers at Taleghani Hospital in Ahvaz, Iran. An approach that included biochemical and molecular identification techniques was used to determine the taxonomic classification of bacterial isolates at the genus and species levels. The molecular identification process was facilitated by using the 16S rRNA gene in combination with universal primers 27 F and 1492 R. Bacteriophage was obtained through the isolation process conducted on treatment plant sewage located in Isfahan, Iran. The main goal of this study was to evaluate different characteristics of phage, such as their appearance, the range of hosts they can infect, how quickly they can enter a host, their stability at varying temperatures and pH levels, their effectiveness in killing bacteria, the growth pattern of a single phage stage, mapping of enzymatic digestion, and identification of proteomics patterns. The findings demonstrated that an examination was conducted on a sample of 50 specimens, wherein 15 instances of A. baumannii were identified. These microorganisms are the predominant Gram-negative agents known to cause wound infections in individuals suffering from bedsores. The study's findings indicated a high prevalence of antibiotic resistance in the strains isolated from pressure ulcers, excluding the clinical strains that exhibited responsiveness to colistin. According to the findings obtained from assessments of host range and morphological characteristics of bacteriophage VbɸAB-1, it can be concluded that this phage possesses specificity towards A. Baumannii BAH_Glau1001 was classified as a member of the Podoviridae family. The bacteriophage mentioned earlier showed the strongest antibacterial effect at a temperature of 18 °C and a pH of 6.5. Through the utilization of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis on protein fragments, it was established that the bacteriophage VbɸAB-1 exhibited a size range between 50 and 75 kilodaltons (KDa). The numerous research findings on the effectiveness of phages and the safety studies conducted suggest that the phages studied in this research can be considered as a practical solution and recommended approach for controlling and treating stubborn pathogens in burn wounds among hospitalized patients. The findings of our research indicated that isolated phages could be an effective antimicrobial and an appreciate candidate for prophylaxis against pressure ulcers.

Keywords: acinetobacter baumannii, extremely drug-resistant, phage therapy, surgery wound

Procedia PDF Downloads 54

Authors: Demetrio L. Valle Jr., Juliana Janet M. Puzon, Windell L. Rivera

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From the various medicinal plants available in the Philippines, crude ethanol extracts of twelve (12) Philippine medicinal plants, namely: Senna alata L. Roxb. (akapulko), Psidium guajava L. (bayabas), Piper betle L. (ikmo), Vitex negundo L. (lagundi), Mitrephora lanotan (Blanco) Merr. (Lanotan), Zingiber officinale Roscoe (luya), Curcuma longa L. (Luyang dilaw), Tinospora rumphii Boerl (Makabuhay), Moringga oleifera Lam. (malunggay), Phyllanthus niruri L. (sampa-sampalukan), Centella asiatica (L.) Urban (takip kuhol), and Carmona retusa (Vahl) Masam (tsaang gubat) were studied. In vitro methods of evaluation against selected Gram-positive and Gram-negative multidrug-resistant (MDR), bacteria were performed on the plant extracts. Although five of the plants showed varying antagonistic activities against the test organisms, only Piper betle L. exhibited significant activities against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive multidrug-resistant bacteria, exhibiting wide zones of growth inhibition in the disk diffusion assay, and with the lowest concentrations of the extract required to inhibit the growth of the bacteria, as supported by the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) assays. Further antibacterial studies of the Piper betle L. leaf, obtained by three extraction methods (ethanol, methanol, supercritical CO2), revealed similar inhibitory activities against a multitude of Gram-positive and Gram-negative MDR bacteria. Thin layer chromatography (TLC) assay of the leaf extract revealed a maximum of eight compounds with Rf values of 0.92, 0.86, 0.76, 0.53, 0.40, 0.25, 0.13, and 0.013, best visualized when inspected under UV-366 nm. TLC- agar overlay bioautography of the isolated compounds showed the compounds with Rf values of 0.86 and 0.13 having inhibitory activities against Gram-positive MDR bacteria (MRSA and VRE). The compound with an Rf value of 0.86 also possesses inhibitory activity against Gram-negative MDR bacteria (CRE Klebsiella pneumoniae and MBL Acinetobacter baumannii). Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was able to identify six volatile compounds, four of which are new compounds that have not been mentioned in the medical literature. The chemical compounds isolated include 4-(2-propenyl)phenol and eugenol; and the new four compounds were ethyl diazoacetate, tris(trifluoromethyl)phosphine, heptafluorobutyrate, and 3-fluoro-2-propynenitrite. Phytochemical screening and investigation of its antioxidant, cytotoxic, possible hemolytic activities, and mechanisms of antibacterial activity were also done. The results showed that the local variant of Piper betle leaf extract possesses significant antioxidant, anti-cancer and antimicrobial properties, attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds, particularly of flavonoids (condensed tannin, leucoanthocyanin, gamma benzopyrone), anthraquinones, steroids/triterpenes and 2-deoxysugars. Piper betle L. is also traditionally known to enhance wound healing, which could be primarily due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities. In vivo studies on mice using 2.5% and 5% of the ethanol leaf extract cream formulations in the excised wound models significantly increased the process of wound healing in the mice subjects, the results and values of which are at par with the current antibacterial cream (Mupirocin). From the results of the series of studies, we have definitely proven the value of Piper betle L. as a source of bioactive compounds that could be developed into therapeutic agents against MDR bacteria.

Keywords: Philippine herbal medicine, multidrug-resistant bacteria, Piper betle, TLC-bioautography

Procedia PDF Downloads 716

Authors: Elizabeth R. LaFave, Grayson Sink, Anna Vassallo, Samantha Mills, Eli G. Hvastkovs

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Throughout history and into modern times, the continuation of male influence over female healthcare has created inadequacies in availability and access to treatments, often further limited in rural communities. The historical plight of women in healthcare can be understood by studying the advancements made by women in the field, both through their career arcs and by delving into the treatments they offer. An early example is the case of Martha Ballard (1735-1812), a midwife in New York who practiced when female practitioners were dismissed in favor of less educated male physicians, which was a well-accepted practice into the twentieth century. In order to overcome these setbacks, a strategy used by some female practitioners was to develop and market their own remedies in an attempt to better serve female patients. By highlighting the compromises and social manipulation of female entrepreneurs, in comparison with the medicines they developed and used, we can map their ability to carve a specific niche for themselves and their targeted customers. The application of modern chemical approaches in a historical context serves to enhance a variety of perspectives within the museum sphere necessary for the comprehension and understanding of the female plight in both medical care and service. In order to further examine the overall bias and scrutiny for women in the medical field, specifically those undertaking entrepreneurial roles, examples of alternative remedies from female founders will be analyzed utilizing these approaches. Modern analytical chemistry techniques, specifically mass spectrometry (MS), have been successful in offering compositional analyses for both labeled and unlabeled ingredients in old medicines. Previously, we have analyzed two forms of alternative treatment options created by male medical professionals to address lingering historical questions of purity and validity. Although primarily sugar based, both Humphreys’ Specifics and Boericke & Tafel remedies also contained unique ingredients, albeit in small quantities, with medicinal properties. Here, we applied the same methodology to study another highly politicized 19th-century debate surrounding the contribution and role of women in the medical profession through analyzing three remedies, each from a different female-led manufacturing company; Mrs. Joe Persons, Lydia Pinkham, and Winslow’s Syrups. Following MS analyses for both labeled and unlabeled ingredients, both Winslow’s and Pinkham’s remedies were similar to their male counterparts in advertisement strategy, targeted customer base, and overall composition of remedy (primarily sugar-based with small amounts of unique ingredients). In effect, these unbiased chemical assessments are used to dissect the rationality of both market and physician criticism for each individual manufacturer through assessment of authenticity, benefaction, and comparison among female entrepreneurs and their aims to enter the medical community (i.e., geographic location, market size). Our work aims to increase collaboration between STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)-based fields and historical museum studies on a larger scale while also answering questions of potential bias towards females in the medical community as means of comparison to their male counterparts and in-depth historical analyses to unravel individual strategies to overcome the setback.

Keywords: nineteenth-century medicine, alternative remedies, female healthcare, chemical analyses, mass spectrometry

Procedia PDF Downloads 60

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

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

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

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