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Monitoring air pollution variability during disasters
Get PDFNational environmental regulations lack short-term standards for variability in fine particulate matter (PM2.5); they depend solely on concentration-based standards. Twenty-five years of research has linked short-term PM2.5, that is, increases of at least 10 μg/m3 that can occur in-between regulatory readings, to increased mortality. Even as new technologies have emerged that could readily monitor short-term PM2.5, such as real-time monitoring and mobile monitoring, their primary application has been for research, not for air quality management. The Gulf oil spill offers a strategic setting in which regulatory monitoring, computer modeling, and stationary monitoring could be directly compared to mobile monitoring. Mobile monitoring was found to best capture the variability of PM2.5 during the disaster. The research also found that each short-term increase (≥10 μg/m3) in fine particulate matter was associated with a statistically significant increase of 0.105 deaths (p \u3c 0.001) in people aged 65 and over, which represents a 0.32% increase. This research contributes to understanding the effects of PM2.5 on mortality during a disaster and provides justification for environmental managers to monitor PM2.5 variability, not only hourly averages of PM2.5 concentration
Discovery of Clioquinol and analogues as novel inhibitors of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 infection, ACE2 and ACE2 - Spike protein interaction in vitro
Get PDFSevere Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the etiological agent for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has resulted in an ongoing pandemic. Presently, there are no clinically approved drugs for COVID-19. Hence, there is an urgent need to accelerate the development of effective antivirals. Herein, we discovered Clioquinol (5-chloro-7-iodo-8-quinolinol (CLQ)), a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug, and two of its analogues (7-bromo-5-chloro-8-hydroxyquinoline (CLBQ14); and 5, 7-Dichloro-8-hydroxyquinoline (CLCQ)) as potent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced cytopathic effect in vitro. In addition, all three compounds showed potent anti-exopeptidase activity against recombinant human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (rhACE2) and inhibited the binding of rhACE2 with SARS-CoV-2 Spike (RBD) protein. CLQ displayed the highest potency in the low micromolar range, with its antiviral activity showing a strong correlation with inhibition of rhACE2 and rhACE2-RBD interaction. Altogether, our findings provide a new mode of action and molecular target for CLQ and validates this pharmacophore as a promising lead series for the clinical development of potential therapeutics for COVID-19
Contact Stress In Helical Bevel Gears
Get PDFHelical bevel gears have inclined or twisted teeth on a conical surface and the common types are skew, spiral, zerol, and hypoid bevel gears. However, this study does not include hypoid bevel gears. Due to the geometric complexities of bevel gears, commonly used methods in their design are based on the concept of equivalent or virtual spur gear. The approach in this paper is based on the following assumptions, a) the helix angle of helical bevel gears is equal to mean spiral angle, b) the pitch diameter at the backend is defined as that of a helical gear, and c) the Tredgold’s approximation is applied to the helical gear. Upon these premises, the contact stress capacity of helical bevel gears is formulated in explicit design parameters. The new contact stress capacity model is used to estimate the contact stress in three gear systems for three application examples and compared with previous solutions. Differences between the new estimated results and the previous solutions vary from -3% and -11%, with the new estimates being consistently but marginally or slightly lower than the previous solution values. Though the differences appear to be small, they are significant because the durability of gears is strongly influenced by the contact stress. For example, a 5% reduction in contact stress may result in almost 50% increase in durability in some steel materials. The equations developed do not apply to bevel crown gears
The therapeutic potential of the novel angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 in the treatment of coronavirus disease-19
Get PDFSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the etiological agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This virus has become a global pandemic with unprecedented mortality and morbidity along with attendant financial and economic crises. Furthermore, COVID-19 can easily be transmitted regardless of religion, race, sex, or status. Globally, high hospitalization rates of COVID-19 patients have been reported, and billions of dollars have been spent to contain the pandemic. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) 2 is a receptor of SARS-CoV-2, which has a significant role in the entry of the virus into the host cell. ACE2 is highly expressed in the type II alveolar cells of the lungs, upper esophagus, stratified epithelial cells, and other tissues in the body. The diminished expressions of ACE2 have been associated with hypertension, arteriosclerosis, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and immune system dysregulation. Overall, the potential drug candidates that could serve as ACE2 activators or enhance the expression of ACE2 in a disease state, such as COVID-19, hold considerable promise in mitigating the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reviews the therapeutic potential and pharmacological benefits of the novel ACE2 in the management of COVID-19 using search engines, such as Google, Scopus, PubMed, and PubMed Central
Remembering and Re-Membering the Middle Passage: 100 Years of Fact and Fiction
No full textThis examines how selected African American writers have treated the Middle Passage in creative and historical literature. Among the authors included are Lillian Jones Horace, Zora Neale Hurston, Toni Morrison, Charles Johnson, and Sowande\u27 Mustakeem
Toxicity of Indoor Dust-Derived Trace Elements and Organic Contaminants Impact on Normal Human Colon Epithelial Cells
Get PDFIndoor dust stands out as a burgeoning challenge in society due to its implication on people’s health. Exposure to toxic dust particles occurs in different ways that include inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact. In the hindsight, many people spend most of their time indoors exposing themselves to high levels of dust. Notably, different groups of individuals present varied risk levels to the toxicity of particles with vulnerable persons being susceptible to adverse effects of these contaminants. This includes the elderly, children, and immunocompromised individuals. The study examines the impacts of two variables that are trace elements (TMD) and organic contaminants (OD) on a normal human colon cell (CCD841) that is exposed to indoor dust. In this case, cultures of the cells were made and treated with varying concentrations of TMD and OD. Then, different factors were observed to highlight the impact of each sample on the cultured cells. Consecutively, viability, apoptosis, cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, and inflammation were observed. The methods used in the experiment included the performance of MTT assay, protease cell viability, apoptosis 3/7 caspase, LDH release, reactive oxygen species, and inflammasome caspase-1 assay. In this case, two variables were treated to these experiments while varying their concentrations. The findings indicated significant figures when both variables had higher concentrations. This supported the research hypothesis where prolonged exposure to indoor dust results in huge damage to the body, specifically the normal colon cells for this study. The research points out to the importance of averting indoor air pollution. The effects of indoor dust samples in activation of oxidative stress by measuring the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), was noticeable which suggest weakening the immune system, and the human body becomes an easy target to invade. Inflammasome-Caspase-1 also was induced when being exposed by both dust samples. Although, both variables TMD and OD have a positive correlation, The results shows that a significant change in the culture cells meant an increase in the concentration of both TMD and OD, and it is hard to be determined which one of these two samples is more toxic to normal human colon cells; but if they both are combined and penetrate at a cellular level, there is a high chance to cause a serious harm
Examining Arrests for Possession of Marijuana Among Students Attending Minority Serving Institutions and Non-Minority Serving Institutions
Get PDFThis study examined on-campus drug arrests made in 2018 and 2019 at 20 non-minority serving and minority serving institutions located in Texas. The on-campus drug arrest data included a total of 1693 possession of marijuana arrests. The purpose of the study was to determine if racial arrest disparities existed among Blacks and Whites arrested for possession of marijuana on college campuses in Texas. Furthermore, the study employed the racial threat theory to determine if the racial composition of the neighborhood a college is located in influenced the percentage of Black arrests for possession of marijuana. Results revealed that Blacks were more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana at non-minority serving institutions than at minority serving institutions. Interestingly, Blacks were more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana at a majority of the colleges included in the study. Subsequent examination of this result revealed that Blacks were 2 to 30 times more likely to be arrested for possession of marijuana at college campuses in Texas. Conclusively, the study found support for the racial threat theory. Findings indicated that as the percentage of Black residents increased so did Black arrest percentages for possession of marijuana. Implications of the findings and limitations of the study are discussed
Urbanization and Climate Change Impacts: A Comparative Analysis of Adaptability of US Coastal Cities
Get PDFThe quest to address human and societal developmental requirements has caused urban cities to grow and expand (Zhao, Gao, & Cuo, 2016). Urbanization is a term associated with the physical development of metropolitan cities. The word relates closely to the developmental approach utilized in the formation of urban societies (Fishman, 2017). According to researchers, urbanization contributes to the impacts of climate change and associated natural disasters. Climate change is closely related to societal and environmental carbon footprints and greenhouse gas emissions (Brody, Zahran, Maghelal, Grover, & Highfield, 2007). Development activities and growth of municipal settings have substantial impacts on the environment and society. Expanding suburban communities away from the core of urban settings signifies expansion and extension (Zhao et al., 2016; Zhou, Leng, Su, & Ren, 2019). Urban growth has a significant spatial impact because of the extensive land space usage around cores of metropolitan settings. Challenges associated with urban sprawl include climate change and lack of mass transportation, depicted by transit mobility and accessibility constraints (Bienkowshi, 2018; Bullard, Johnson, & Torres, 2000; Majumdar, Sen, & Park, 2013; Sen & Mayfield, 2004). The development of urban cities and associated growth have the consequential effect of carbon footprints on metropolitan cities (Brody et al., 2007). The term carbon footprint is synonymous with greenhouse gas emission and global warming. Carbon footprint also has linkage with climate change (Benevolenza & DeRigne, 2018; Brody et al., 2007; Cross, 2013). Natural disasters such as damaging flooding and catastrophic wildfires ravaging human societies worldwide are consequential impacts of climate change (Benevolenza & DeRigne, 2018; Cross, 2013). Climate change also has a strong linkage with greenhouse gas emissions. The destructive impact of flooding has led to the call to establish a flood mitigation plan from various quarters (Brody et al., 2007; Burby & Dalton, 1994). Climate change adaptation ideology emanated from the call from various quarters, including researchers, scholars, and practitioners, to ensure stabilization and sustainability of vulnerable cities (Cox et al., 2019). The development of an adaptation plan enables city planners to identify appropriate and applicable policies that will help inhabitants of societies to acclimatize with the probable effects of climate change (Cox et al., 2019; Gleeson, 2016). The adaptation plan developed by communities and cities will also enable the establishment of a suitable implementation methodology and an execution approach tailored to suit environmental and societal requirements and conditions (Cox et al., 2019). With a well-structured climate change adaptation plan, communities and cities will have access to tools that helps with risk assessment understanding (McDaniels, Chang, Hawkins, Chew, & Longstaff, 2015; Nance, 2009). Judicious and equitable implementation of articulated climate change adaption plan will equally enable citizens to acquire necessary skills required to manage risks associated with impacts of climate change (Bullard et al., 2000; Mahlkow & Donner, 2017). This research endeavor addresses gaps in scholarly literature regarding equity and social justice associated with climate adaptation plan quality. The study encompasses a comparative analysis of the adaptability of coastal cities in the United States to the impacts of climate change (Araos et al., 2016; Babbie, 2017; Bullard et al., 2000; Bullard & Wright, 2012). It focuses on examining the conceptualization and implementation of climate adaptation plans using nine plan quality principles (Araos et al., 2016). The study aims to contribute to scholarly research inquiries in climate adaptation plans by incorporating equity and social justice as an additional plan quality principle (Bullard et al., 2000; Bullard & Wright, 2012). I hypothesize that incorporating equity and social justice into climate adaptation plans will enhance plan quality and mitigate disproportionate social impacts on vulnerable populations (Araos et al., 2016; Babbie, 2017; Bullard et al., 2000; Bullard & Wright, 2012)
The Predictability of Types of Mentoring Relationships on The Perceived Performance Behaviors of College Undergraduate Students
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to examine the predictability of types of mentoring relationships on the perceived academic success, retention status, graduation status, and progression status of undergraduate students in the United States. Specifically, this study focused on the predictable relationship between types of mentoring relationships such as peer mentorship, faculty mentorship, e-mentorship, and group mentorship on the perceived academic success, retention status, graduation status, and persistence status of undergraduate students. For this study I utilized a correlational design. A survey was used to collect quantitative data from undergraduate students. A purposive sample of the population was necessary for this study. The sample consisted of undergraduate students who are enrolled at two universities located in two regions of the United States (Southcentral and Midwestern). The data analysis employed in this study was simultaneous multiple regression. The simultaneous multiple regression statistical design determined the relationship or association of the variables. The identified population was assessed on their perceived academic success, retention and graduation status, and persistence. The standardized regression coefficients of the multiple regression measured how well the given variable can be predicted using a linear function of a set of the other variables to establish the relationship between the variables
Correlation of Economic Status and Trace Metals Concentrations in Surface Soils in the Houston Metropolitan Area.
Get PDFUrban surface soils are contaminated by trace metals from various anthropogenic sources such as traffic and industrial facilities. Socio-economically disadvantaged communities are generally located closer to these sources and likely exposed more to toxic metals. This study aims to investigate the surface soil contamination by trace metals. Surface soils were collected from parks (n=75) and playgrounds of elementary schools (n=6) located in 33 postal codes split into four groups with different economic status (average annual household income) and industrial emissions (releases reported to the Toxic Release Inventory). Postal codes were ordered into high/middle income (\u3e 40,000/year) without emissions, and low income with emissions. Collected soil samples were analyzed for trace metals (Al, As, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) using microwave digester with nitric acid and ICP-MS. A confirmatory analysis was performed by XRF. The results showed that disadvantaged neighborhoods at the proximity of industrial facilities displayed the highest levels of Fe, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr, Co, Ni and Mn with the respective mean concentrations of 1.40%, 33.1 mg/kg, 12.7 mg/kg, 94.2 mg/kg, 0.26 mg/kg, 11.7 mg/kg, 4.07 mg/kg, 8.35 mg/kg, and 228 mg/kg. While the lowest mean concentrations of 1.40%, 0.48% 13.6 mg/g, 6.70 mg/kg, 38.1 mg/kg, 0.08 mg/kg, 4.96 mg/kg, 2.11 mg/kg and 3.76 mg/kg for Al, Fe, Pb, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Cr, Co, and Ni were detected in the samples collected in affluent neighborhoods located far from industries. This study shows that closeness to industrial facilities is likely to be an important factor for the health risk of children living in economically disadvantaged communities