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Quantitative Trends of Air Quality in NWI Using and Evaluating the PurpleAir Sensors
Get PDFRegulations imposed on air quality have a direct impact to respiratory health. The relationship of particulate matter to respiratory health has been improving and the link to health problems has only grown stronger. The purpose of this investigation was to quantitatively study and monitor air quality trends of particulate matter using low cost air quality sensors in Northwest Indiana (NWI) and evaluating the PurpleAir sensors for use in the community. Multiple PurpleAir air quality index (AQI) sensors were placed across several cities in NWI. A years’ worth of data was accumulated and processed data consisted of particulate matter of 2.5µm and smaller (PM2.5), although the smallest size fraction of 0.3µm and smaller were the primary focus. PM2.5 concentrations were graphed on a monthly basis representing concentration, temperature, and pressure as well as a monthly and yearly log normal distribution of concentration. The distribution of PM2.5 concentration within different cities and counties represented little variation of particulate concentration. There exist many “non-distribution” like trends where month to month variations from the natural distribution of particulate concentration could be found. The manufactures of the sensors don\u27t report their conversion equation and so we have used one of our own to account for concentration and humidity. Characteristics of the PurpleAir air quality sensors are convenient for communities focused on environmental justice, however the air samplers are not accounting for all metrics of air quality. More work needs to be completed towards understanding the limitations and capabilities of the low cost air quality sensors
Displacement, Social Justice, and the Right to the City: A Review and Critical Reflections in the 21st Century
Get PDFThis paper aims to review the literature and themes relating to displacement, social justice, and the right to the city in the 21st century. Displacement, in its various forms, is central to understanding the human rights abuses and livelihood implications when urban rights are revoked, forcing inhabitants to the periphery, and is the focus of this paper. Whereas the city’s services, resources, and opportunities should be a collective right advanced by local authorities for all who occupy urban space, displacements lead to resettlement and impoverishment, especially as livelihoods are disrupted. Urban renewal, through mega-projects, clean-up campaigns, and speculative gentrification processes, violates human rights when the poor are displaced in the periphery. Such displacements are often a product of the neoliberal assault. There are social justice, economic, and cultural implications as their urban rights are revoked. The focus on rights is partly owed to philosophers such as Henri Lefebvre and geographers such as David Harvey who have pioneered works on the right to the city and social justice, respectively. The struggle for social justice can be viewed as a moral claim for the realization and advancement of human rights in the city
Botulinum Toxin Type A compared to Topiramate in Prevention of Migraine
Get PDFObjective: To determine the effectiveness between topiramate and botulinum toxin type A in the prevention of chronic migraine and if there is a superior treatment option between the two. Migraines are a debilitating condition worldwide and determining the most effective treatment can help patients who suffer from them. Methods: Online databases were used to find academic sources that compared the use of topiramate and botulinum toxin type A. Only sources published within the last 5 years were included in this research paper. Results: Both topiramate and botulinum toxin type A were effective in decreasing monthly migraines, but botulinum toxin type A was slightly more effective. Topiramate had more adverse effects when compared to its counterpart, making the treatment option less tolerable. Conclusion: Because of the frequent adverse effects that result from topiramate, botulinum toxin type A is the superior treatment in the prevention of chronic migraine.
Keywords: chronic migraine, adults, prophylaxis, topiramate, botulinum toxin type
COVID-19 Vaccination and the Development of Type 1 Diabetes
Get PDFObjective: Incidence rates of new-onset Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus have been increasing over time, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic. This research paper aims to investigate whether the COVID-19 vaccine is associated with a higher risk of developing Type 1 Diabetes.
Methods: Data was gathered through a literature review of five evidence-based studies sourced from online databases PubMed and Summon. Only studies with adults 18 years and older who were either vaccinated against or exposed to COVID-19, and without a prior diabetes diagnosis, were included. The outcome of interest was the incidence of Type 1 Diabetes after exposure to COVID-19 or after vaccination.
Results: Five evidence-based studies were identified and evaluated. Among the cases, three indicated that Type 1 Diabetes incidence was increased due to exposure to the COVID-19 antigen. Two case studies implied that the onset of disease followed COVID-19 vaccination. Conclusions: Given the absence of causal studies, COVID-19 vaccination can not be directly correlated to the development of Type 1 Diabetes; the potential risks associated with the vaccination do not outweigh its established benefits.
Keywords: COVID-19 vaccination, Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, SARS-CoV2, autoimmune conditions, mechanism of vaccination, immunit
Mapping Middle-earth: Environmental and Political Narratives in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Cartographies (2024) by Anahit Behrooz
Get PDFBook review, by Stefan Ekman, of Mapping Middle-earth (2024) by Anahit Behroo
Evaluating Bad Theology and Making a Case for the Ethical Priority of Religious Diversity in Tolkien Studies
Get PDFPresented at Oxonmoot in 2024, the aim of this paper is to present a selection of theological Tolkien criticisms for the purpose of evaluating them through practical theologian Leah Robinson’s definition of bad theology. The point is argued that bad theology in Tolkien Studies needs to be identified and understood as unethical and replaced with the openness of theologian John Thatamanil’s criteria for religious diversity. Concluding will be a promotion of religious diversity as an ethical priority and evaluative tool for future theological engagements within Tolkien Studies
New records of two adventive bee species in Indiana (Hymenoptera: Colletidae; Megachilidae)
Get PDFHere we report the first records of Pseudoanthidium nanum (Mocsáry) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) and Hylaeus hyalinatus Smith (Hymenoptera: Colletidae) for the state of Indiana. P. nanum was first detected in Gary, Lake County during August, 2023, and multiple specimens of H. hyalinatus were collected from 2021 to 2023 in Marion, Grant County. These records fill gaps in the Midwestern ranges of both species
Middle-earth’s Middleman: Exploring the Contradictory Positionalities of Faramir in J.R.R. Tolkien’s \u27The Lord of the Rings\u27
Get PDFIn the large pantheon of characters in The Lord of the Rings, Faramir stands out for his position of unbelonging, and is usually analyzed comparatively to other characters rather than in-depth in his own right. However, more focused considerations of Faramir can articulate the breadth of Tolkien’s influences that were incorporated into Middle-earth as well as the ways in which those influences conflicted with Tolkien\u27s own moral compass, and thus needed to be openly challenged and modified. Those internal conflicts can be interrogated throughout Faramir’s contradictory positions within the literature, history, and societies that Middle-earth represents. His positioning in a liminal state, perpetually caught between several competing influences and ideas—between Old Norse and Christian literary conventions, between transgressing and conforming constructs of gender, and even between fantasy and reality—helps to clarify the roles of converging elements in Tolkien’s construction of Middle-earth. Faramir uniquely illuminates aspects of the larger story environment as a whole, reflecting the divergent pieces that cohabitate in Middle-earth and the breadth of analytical frameworks that can be applied to Tolkien’s storytelling
Correlation between molecular prognostic factors and bevacizumab therapeutic resistance in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer; the AVAMET study
Get PDFObjectives. Colorectal cancer is responsible for more than two million cases diagnosed annually. Despite early diagnosis through screening programs and adequate treatment, 25% of cases are diagnosed with metastatic disease while up to 50% of patients diagnosed early progress to metastatic disease. Materials and Methods. The study of 40 patients aims to identify the role of placental growth factor and heparin-binding growth factor as prognostic tools for current treatments involving resistance to bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer. Results. Our results suggested that overall survival was influenced by serum fibroblast growth factor 1 levels. A cut-off value of 260.71 pg/ml was considered predictive of a disease-free survival/DFS of 6 months to 1 year, while a cut-off value of 117.51 pg/ml was considered predictive of a better DFS. Regarding placental growth factor involvement, a serum level of 13.75 pg/ml as a first determination and 11.48 pg/ml after 8 months of chemotherapy and anti-vascular endothelial growth factor therapy were considered cut-off values for 1- to 3-year overall survival/OS, while 6.45 pg/ml and 8.12 pg/ml levels were considered cut-off levels for 3- to 5-year OS. Conclusions. The results of the current study detected cutoff levels that may better predict treatment resistance in advanced-stage colorectal cancer and poor OS and DFS rates. Serum levels of placental growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 1 at diagnosis become important prognostic factors predicting resistance to bevacizumab in metastatic colorectal cancer