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“The importance of collaboration between the project team, end-users, and stakeholders in managing complex decisions and risks in project environments”
No full textNoThe importance of a collaborative approach between the project team, end-users, and stakeholders
in managing complex decisions and risks in project environments has long been emphasized. The Porter
model emphasizes the need to focus on client needs and competitive advantage. However, a lack of
resources and capability development may hinder the project team's ability to provide appropriate
services. Supervisors, team members, and end-users can play a supportive role in easing complexity in
risk management and decision-making. It is important to understand standards as performance measures
for decision-making and the need for detailed knowledge of the project brief. The value of group
decision support systems and low-intensity involvements in decision-making would give rise to
involving end-users in critical decision-making, the importance of focusing on organizational culture
and strategic planning, and the need for a change of mindset to align individual perceptions with the
norm. It is also important to gather and analyze information before making a decision. While some
project teams see end-users as a threat to their judgment, the research emphasizes the duty to respond
to end-users' needs and highlights the value they add to risk assessment
Cytotoxicity of Ruthenium(II) Arene Complexes Containing Functionalized Ferrocenyl β-Diketonate Ligands
No full textYesThe synthesis and characterization of 24 ruthenium(II) arene complexes of the type [(p-cym)RuCl(Fc-acac)] (where p-cym = p-cymene and
Fc-acac = functionalized ferrocenyl β-diketonate ligands) are reported, including single-crystal X-ray diffraction for 21 new complexes. Chemosensitivity studies have been conducted against human pancreatic carcinoma (MIA PaCa-2), human colorectal adenocarcinoma p53-wildtype (HCT116 p53+/+) and normal human retinal epithelial cell lines (APRE-19). The most active complex, which contains a 2-furan-substituted ligand (4), is 5x more cytotoxic than the analogs 3-furan complex (5) against MIA PaCa-2. Several complexes were screened under hypoxic conditions and at shorter-time incubations, and their ability to damage DNA was determined by the comet assay. Compounds were also screened for their potential to inhibit the growth of both bacterial and fungal strains
Dissolving and Swelling Hydrogel-Based Microneedles: An Overview of Their Materials, Fabrication, Characterization Methods, and Challenges
No full textYesPolymeric hydrogels are a complex class of materials with one common feature—the ability to form three-dimensional networks capable of imbibing large amounts of water or biological fluids without being dissolved, acting as self-sustained containers for various purposes, including pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Transdermal pharmaceutical microneedles are a pain-free drug delivery system that continues on the path to widespread adoption—regulatory guidelines are on the horizon, and investments in the field continue to grow annually. Recently, hydrogels have generated interest in the field of transdermal microneedles due to their tunable properties, allowing them to be exploited as delivery systems and extraction tools. As hydrogel microneedles are a new emerging technology, their fabrication faces various challenges that must be resolved for them to redeem themselves as a viable pharmaceutical option. This article discusses hydrogel microneedles from a material perspective, regardless of their mechanism of action. It cites the recent advances in their formulation, presents relevant fabrication and characterization methods, and discusses manufacturing and regulatory challenges facing these emerging technologies before their approval
Enhancing circular economy and sustainable environmental practices: opportunities and challenges of tyre pyrolysis in Africa
No full textYesStudies estimate that Africa's urban population is expected to triple over 40 years, from 395 million in 2010 to 1.339 billion in 2050. Challenges associated with increasing urbanisation and the rise of large cities in the African sub-region represent critical challenges to the environment and the rich ecosystem. The growing population, particularly in most cities in Africa, has resulted in increasing demand for non-degradable consumable waste products, changes in lifestyle and consumption patterns, and rising demand for transportation and associated solid waste disposal problems, especially tyre waste. However, few studies have examined circular economy practices such as tyre pyrolysis to attenuate Africa's ever-increasing waste disposal challenges. Moreover, most of these studies failed to account for specific risk-based decision-making attributes in an integrated way, such as technology readiness, risk identification, carbon footprint analysis, supply chain and procurement factors, and financial risk quantification. As a result, to the best of our knowledge and understanding, research-based tyre recycling feasibility practices are limited and scattered. We contribute to the literature by providing systematic literature on tyre pyrolysis in Africa from 2008-2022 inclusive, covering 16 African countries. To address tyre waste in Africa, this chapter provides a 10-point strategy on how pyrolysis can be integrated into production plants and associated businesses to minimise tyre waste in Africa
Patient-derived podocyte spheroids reveal new insights into the etiopathogenesis of Alport syndrome
No full textAlport syndrome (AS) is a rare disease characterized by defective glomerular basement membranes, caused by mutations in COL4A3, COL4A4, and COL4A5, which synthesize collagen type IV. Patients present with progressive proteinuria, hematuria and podocyte loss. There is currently no cure for Alport syndrome, and this is mainly due to its complex and variable pathogenesis, as well as the lack of models that can faithfully mimic the human phenotype. Here we have developed a novel human culture model of Alport syndrome and used it to study the effects of different mutations on podocyte development and biology. First, we established a differentiation protocol that allowed us to generate podocyte spheroids from patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). We have then carried out discovery proteomics and demonstrated that a total of 178 proteins were differentially expressed between Alport (AS1 and AS3) and control (LT) podocytes. GO analysis indicated alterations in several metabolic pathways, such as oxidative phosphorylation, RNA maturation, chromatin condensation, and proliferation. Although functional assays showed no changes in lactate production and mitochondrial potential compared to healthy controls, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy analysis showed key morphological changes related to the phenotypical maturation of Alport podocytes. Moreover, the studied mutations led to persistent proliferation, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and the concomitant expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors α and γ (PPARα and PPARγ) in podocytes. These data on patient-derived podocytes provide evidence that collagen mutations, in addition to playing a central role in the defective development of the glomerular filtration barrier, cause significant alterations in podocyte development and metabolism very early in development, even before the formation of the filtering apparatus. In conclusion, our study provides a new methodological platform for the differentiation of podocytes and to study human podocytopathies in a personalized manner, and reveals new insights into the etiopathogenesis and pathobiology of Alport syndrome.The Project POST-DOC/0916/0109 is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research and Innovation Foundation. BP is the recipient of a fellowship from Fondazione Terzi-Albini
Novel Microwave Fluid Sensor for Complex Dielectric Parameter Measurement of Ethanol-Water Solution
Get PDFYesIn this paper, a 2.45 GHz band microwave sensor design is introduced
to be utilized for the dielectric constant determination of ethanol-water solutions.
The introduced microwave sensor is composed of two symmetrically positioned, directly coupled inter-connected split-ring resonators with a circular ring-shaped detection area in the middle region, into which a small amount of ethanol-water solution is dropped. The fabricated prototype of the microwave sensor has a total component size of 12 mm x 30 mm on Rogers RO4003 substrate. The sensor measurement performance is numerically evaluated and experimentally validated in good agreement. The introduced microwave sensor has the structural design novelty of possessing the main detection region in a form of a circular hollow where a disposable 3D printed fluid cup can be accommodated for multiple uses. The introduced microwave sensor has technical feasibility to be used as an ingredient identification device for the chemical solutions to figure out complex dielectric parameters of ethanol-water specimens with small, low-cost, reusable, easy-to-fabricate features as well as the determination of volume percentage concentration of ethanol content
Industry 4.0 and Circular Economy for Emerging Markets: Evidence from Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the Indian Food Sector
Get PDFYesThe linear economic business model was deemed unsustainable, necessitating the emergence of the circular economy (CE) business model. Due to resource scarcity, increasing population, and high food waste levels, the food sector has been facing significant sustainability challenges. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly those in the food sector, are making efforts to become more sustainable and to adopt new business models such as the CE, but adoption rates remain low. Industry 4.0 and its associated technological applications have the potential to enable CE implementation and boost business competitiveness. In the context of emerging economies facing significant resource scarcity constraints and limited technology availability, CE principles need to be adapted. CE could create a new job economy in emerging economies, bringing scale and a competitive advantage. This study explores the enablers of and barriers to Industry 4.0 adoption for CE implementation in fruit and vegetable SMEs in India from a resource-based perspective. The purpose is to develop an evidence-based framework to help inform theory and practice about CE implementation by SMEs in emerging economies. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with experts in food SMEs. The interview transcripts were first subjected to thematic analysis. The analysis was then complemented with sentiment and emotion analyses. Subsequently, hierarchical cluster
analysis, k-means analysis, and linear projection analysis were performed. Among others, the findings suggest that Industry 4.0 plays a key role in implementing CE in SMEs in emerging economies such as India. However, there are specific enablers and barriers that need to be considered by SMEs to develop the resources and capabilities needed for CE competitive advantage
Archaeologists discover ancient Mayan board game – here’s what it can teach modern educators
No full textYesArchaeologists have unearthed a stone scoreboard in Chichén Itzá, Mexico, shedding light on the Mayan civilization's ancient board game called Pok-a-Tok. The Mayan games held deep cultural and religious significance, reflecting the beliefs and values of the people. Winning such games was considered a sign of divine favor, while losing could result in human sacrifices. Mayan games fostered communal identity and connections between the physical, spiritual, and social realms. The concept of the "magic circle" in gaming, where players enter a temporary world with its own rules and boundaries, can be applied to modern education to promote inclusion, collaboration, and the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. By incorporating ancient and modern games, educators can create inclusive learning environments that cater to diverse student needs
A model learning based testing approach for kernel P systems
Get PDFYesKernel P systems have been introduced as a unifying formalism allowing to specify, simulate and analyse various problems. Several applications of this
model have been considered and a powerful tool built in order to support their development and analysis. Testing represents an important aspect of any system analysis and correctness. In this paper we introduce for the first time a bounded test generation approach for kernel P systems by considering bounded input sequences. A learning algorithm for kernel P systems is based on learning X-machine models that are equivalent to these systems for sequences of steps up to a certain limit, ℓ. The Lℓ learning algorithm is used.
The testing approach is then devised from the inferred X-machines. The method is applied to a case study illustrating the key parts of the approach.This research was supported by the European Regional Development Fund, Competitiveness Operational Program 2014-2020 through project IDBC (code SMIS 2014+: 121512). Raluca Lefticaru, Savas Konur and Marian Gheorghe have been partially supported by the Royal Society grant IES╲R3╲213176, 2022-2024. The work of Savas Konur is also supported by EPSRC (EP/R043787/1)
Making Sense of Food Safety and Food Waste: Lived Experiences in Food Catering Using Systems Thinking
Get PDFFood safety and food waste have many strands and perspectives; one is how managers and staff make decisions. There is limited research on food catering services, how managers and staff deal with food safety and waste, and their decision approaches. To obtain a better understanding, this research sought the lived experiences of managers and staff. The research aim is to explore the lived experiences of managers and staff to better understand their decision behaviour approaches in controlling food safety and food waste.
The way forward is to conduct a qualitative phenomenological research focusing on twenty-five purposefully selected managers and staff in Vancouver. Using organisational theory as a lens, data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and non-participant observations. The research used inductive thematic analysis, resulting in nineteen themes.
The key findings were inadequate training and planning, improper practices and customer behaviours attributed to internal and external processes and systems; managers and staff lacked appreciation for using a specific approach to support decisions. The researcher introduces systems thinking as one approach to support decision making to enhance control of food safety and waste.
The implications include appreciating the interrelationship of factors influencing food safety and food waste. The research limitations were the COVID-19 pandemic, time and resources, and insufficient participant experiences. The research contribution was using systems thinking as one of the approaches to make decisions to enhance control of food safety and food waste in food catering services