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Prospects for environmentally safe disinfection of urban sewerage with the help of compositions of non-toxic bactericidal metal complex reagents and surfactants
No full textThe prospects of environmentally safe disinfection of urban sewerage using compositions of bactericidal complexes of copper with amino acids and iminodiacetate derivatives of mucopolysaccharides and triglycerides of fatty acids are shown. When they are dosed into wastewater, the complexes penetrate into the structure of Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and mucus and within a few minutes bind the structural fragments of pathogens and larvae, which leads to their death with the outflow of cell fluid, the disappearance of fecal odor, cessation of putrification and coagulation of SPM. The complete disinfection is achieved at doses of complexes of 0.8 - 1.5 mmol per 1 kg of dry matter. The composition is dosed into sewage wells. Organo-mineral masses settle from disinfected wastewater. The use of compositions will reduce the negative impact of sewerage on the sanitary-epidemiological and ecological situation in settlements, increase the efficiency of existing treatment facilities and produce organo-mineral masses as commercial products.</p
Brain-computer interface applications to decrease phantom limb pain
No full textPhantom limb pain is mainly experienced in people who have suffered limb amputation, its study and analysis are relevant to know the causes and help patients to reduce pain. On the other hand, brain-computer interfaces encode brain signals and decode them for communication with a device. Through the motor imagination of the movement of the amputated limb and with the help of a brain-computer interface, an amputee patient can reduce or eliminate pain. The objective of this paper is to give an introduction to brain-computer interfaces as a tool for the reduction of phantom limb pain. Therefore, the applications of interfaces in relation to pain are highlighted, some related studies are discussed, and their benefits and disadvantages are analyzed. Finally, it is established that phantom limb pain research benefits from incorporating brain-computer interfaces as part of non-pharmaceutical therapy because it is a tool that provides feedback on the reconfiguration of the cerebral cortex in relation to pain.</p
Review on the role of women along the aquaculture value chain in Kenya
No full textAquaculture is perceived as masculine work in most regions despite several years of women’s involvement in the sector. Women participate in almost all activities of the aquaculture value chain such as pond construction, sorting of seeds, fertilization of ponds, making and mending of fishing gears, fish harvesting, processing, value addition, transport, and marketing. The majority of women engage in aquaculture to earn income and food for the household. Women’s involvement in aquaculture has led to the creation of more job opportunities thus increasing income generation for rural women. Nevertheless, women face several challenges in aquaculture with the most critical one being limited access to income despite their heavy involvement. They also lack limited access to certified seed, high cost of feeds, and collaterals to access credit. The promotion of aquaculture, gender equity, and empowerment of women and youths has been promoted through various initiatives including Sustainable Development Goals and Blue Economy. However, gender discrepancies are still high despite both gender playing fundamental roles in aquaculture development. Therefore, there is a need to promote gender equity as it will lead to recognition of their full potential towards increasing production, productivity, processing, trade, and economic growth.</p
Singlet-excited dioxygen O<sub>2</sub>(a<sup>1</sup>Δ<sub>g</sub>) and organic pollutants in marine waters beneath the Sun
No full textThe ground state dioxygen has a triplet spin state O2(X3Σg). The singlet excited O2(a1Δg) dioxygen possesses an excess energy of 22 kcal/mole and is highly reactive with respect to organic matter since all organic molecules have also singlet ground states with all spins paired; their reactions with O2(a1Δg) are not forbidden by spin selection. The chromophoric pollutants in sea waters under sun irradiation can generate O2(a1Δg) and other reactive oxygen species which could oxidase many wastes. This review describes mechanisms of O2(a1Δg) interaction with organic pollutants in seawater with black carbon dispersion and with corals.</p
Effects of using augmented reality on students’ learning
No full textThis article presents the results of a systematic review of the literature regarding the effects of using Augmented Reality (AR) on the learning of science students (Natural Sciences and Biology).The PRISMA methodology was used. Ten articles were selected from indexed journals, in a period of time between 2010 and 2022, after applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The main inclusion criteria were: only articles with students from Basic and Secondary Education (equivalent to ISCED 2 and 3) and that report results in students’ learning. The main exclusion criteria were: duplicate articles and those that did not present a teaching strategy associated with the use of AR. The databases consulted were Scopus, ScienceDirect, Springer Link, EBSCO and Web of Science. Eight out of ten of the selected articles used an experimental methodology.The results indicate that AR had positive effects on students’ learning and motivation, as well as on other variables such as visuospatial skills and student involvement in tasks.</p
Exploring the user’s preferences of different adaptation policies in adaptive menu design
No full textAdaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) have been developed to improve the usability of products by adapting to the user, the platform, and the environment. However, there is a limited understanding of how different adaptation policies impact personalization and usability in adaptive menus. The present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of different adaptation policies in adaptive menu design. The study surveyed computer science students at Kathmandu University and conducted a usability study to gather data. The results of the study showed that a majority of participants were neutral in their perception of the ease of use of the websites they regularly visit, but a strong majority (83%) indicated a preference for personalized menu options. Personalization was found to be a key factor in the effectiveness of adaptive menus. Participants valued the ability of adaptive menus to tailor their options based on their specific needs or preferences. The findings of this study provide insight into users’ preferences for adaptation policies in adaptive menus and suggest that a recency-frequency-based menu is most effective in meeting users’ needs. Similarly, findings also suggest users’ preference for adaptation policy also changes based on the context of use. Future research could further investigate the effectiveness of different adaptation policies in different contexts of use.</p
A case of extremity over-exposure and regulatory compliance
No full textDuring a routine NRC inspection, a review of historical occupational dosimetry monitoring data for interventional radiology physician AUs was questioned regarding unexpectedly low results. This was interpreted to be an indicator of noncompliance with the wearing of occupational dose monitoring devices and, therefore, required occupation dose reconstructions in order to estimate the actual dose. In an effort to comply with dose monitoring requirements, the AU interventional radiologists diligently began wearing their whole-body and ring dosimeters during all procedures including Y-90, fluoroscopy-guided and CT-guided. In the interest of patient care, an AU that performs many interventional CT-guided procedures involving the use of a cumbersome treatment device, placed his hand in the CT beam on numerous occasions to stabilize the device. This quickly resulted in a cumulative extremity exposure that exceeded allowed limits. Once we became aware of the extremity over-exposure, steps were taken to prevent any further significant extremity exposure for the remainder of the year. The over-exposure was reported to the NRC and State following regulatory requirements. </p
The effect of mercury ions on the metabolic activity of Poecilia Reticulata cells
No full textAmong anthropogenic factors polluting ecosystems and affecting living organisms, mercury, and its compounds are the most toxic. In this study, we investigated the effect of mercury ions on freshwater live-bearing fish Poecilia reticulata. The cytotoxicity of mercury was analyzed on Poecilia reticulata fry using the MTT test. Studies have shown that small concentrations of mercury can have a stimulating effect on the metabolic activity of fish cells, but at high concentrations, the mercury had a depressing effect.</p
Myocardial bridges and competitive sports fitness between past and future
No full textThe myocardial bridge is an intramural course of a coronary artery in which a more or less long section of a coronary branch, instead of running normally on the epicardial surface of the heart, deepens early in the myocardium, coming to be surrounded by a ring or sleeve of muscle fiber cells that, contracting in systole, can cause an ab-extrinsic “throttling” of the artery. The guidelines for granting eligibility for competitive sports have evolved over time: from 2009, when any case of myocardial bridging indicated exclusion of eligibility, to today, when only significant bridges, i.e. ‘long’ bridges > 1 cm and > 3 mm deep, place a restriction on competitive sports activity. </p
Restoration of sinus rhythm in a late presentation of inferior STEMI complicated by complete heart block with percutaneous coronary intervention
No full textAn 87-year-old female patient presented with a two-day history of the chest and epigastric pain associated with generalized fatigue. She was diagnosed with late presentation inferior ST-elevation myocardial infarction complicated by complete heart block. Given her late presentation, she was not taken to the catheterization laboratory immediately. She was admitted to the cardiac care unit. Transthoracic echocardiography showed an ejection fraction of 55% - 60% with wall motion abnormalities involving the posterior and inferior walls. A coronary angiogram the next day showed a total occlusion of the proximal segment of the RCA. Despite the uncertain benefit, taking into account the complete heart block, the artery was re-canalized with stent placement. She remained in complete heart block with stable hemodynamics. The heart team took the decision with the family to delay the insertion of a permanent pacemaker to maximize the chance of spontaneous recovery. Indeed, three days after coronary revascularization, her rhythm evolved into atrial fibrillation and two days later reverted to sinus rhythm with first-degree AV block and LAFB. She remained in normal sinus rhythm and first-degree AV block at her six months follow-up clinic visit. Data regarding the role of percutaneous intervention in patients presenting with late inferior STEMI and complete heart block is lacking. Our case illustrates the possible therapeutic role of late intervention in restoring sinus rhythm and avoiding the insertion of a permanent pacemaker.</p