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Bio-recovery of municipal plastic waste management based on an integrated decision-making framework
Get PDFRecent years have seen rapid development in industrialization and urbanization with huge growth in the population throughout the world. In this regard, an efficient and robust framework for the concept of a green city and sustainable development goals to manage municipal plastic wastes is still needed. This study models a bio-recovery of municipal different plastic wastes management
based on a new integrated Multi-Criterion Decision-Making (MCDM) approach through a case study in Mashahd, Iran. The proposed integrated MCDM framework includes the Shannon Entropy (SE), Ordered Weighted Aggregation (OWA), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and, ELimination Et Choice Translating REality (ELECTRE) systems in an intelligent way. Through decision-making computations, all criteria are approved after extraction from the literature review by experts with more than 60% agreement percentage. Different scenarios of economic, energy, and environmental
crises are created. One finding of this paper is to create a new entrance in economic competition with plastic biodegradation to present a novel, environmental-friendly product with high-quality
and low-cost advantages. Another finding determines that with an application of plastic wastes bio-recovery, citizens' satisfaction from urban management system will be increased from 49% to 64%. Whereas, based on the outcomes of this investigation, the rate of municipal waste industries development, smart city goals’ meeting, and rate of hazardous material emission from municipal
solid wastes are increased to 58%, 25%, and 70%, respectively. The declared numerical outcomes illustrate the effectiveness of plastic waste bio-recovery on the smart city approach
4 x 4 Massive MIMO antennas for 39 GHz millimeter-wave applications
Get PDFThis paper shows a compacted design of 4x4 Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (mMIMO) antennas that will be used for future 39 GHz millimeter-wave (mm-Wave) effective communications required for 5th Generation (5G) networks. The 5G networks not only support a high data rate but also accommodate excessive internet traffic. The proposed single element antenna is designed on Rogers RT5880 (lossy) with a maximum dimension of 10x8.
An evaluation of the factors that influence academic success as defined by engaged students
Get PDFGrades are frequently used by academics as a measure of academic success. The literature has largely neglected to ascertain how students define this important concept. This study aimed to give voice to how university students define academic success and what they perceive as the contributing factors. This qualitative study used three focus groups with 16 undergraduate psychology students attending a London university. Experiential inductive thematic analysis (TA) was used to analyse the data. Students defined academic success as a combination of outcomes including grades and more holistic outcomes of personal development and achievements. Three themes emerged to summarise students’ perception of the factors that influence academic success. The first theme, student agency, included two subthemes: setting goals and self-regulation. The second theme was aptitude, with two subthemes: self-evaluation and motivation. The final theme was the type of support which included the subthemes institutional support and external support. This study adds the student voice to the definition of academic success and the factors that facilitate it. The challenge for higher education institutions is to incorporate these student-defined attributes into the curriculum to facilitate student success, particularly targeting malleable elements such as study and social skills, financial and other tailored provisions, especially for non-traditional students. Researchers also need to develop instruments to measure holistic academic success outcomes to assess if students are reaching these objectives
An assessment of technological development and applications of decentralized water reuse: a critical review and conceptual framework
Get PDFRapid development, urbanisation and population growth have contributed to water stress in many parts of the world. As freshwater sources are finite, it is essential to source for alternatives to ensure water security. Reclamation of non-conventional water sources (i.e.: rainwater and greywater) can be a viable alternative to alleviate water stress. In this work, various laboratory, pre-commercialisation scale and commercialised products for rainwater harvesting and greywater treatment and reuse were reviewed. As a result, a conceptual framework is proposed to provide an overview on the applicability of technologies under various settings, which were mapped against the intended use of treated water and the potential for water supply expansion. This conceptual framework could aid decision makers in deciding on a suitable decentralised solution for water reclamation depending on limiting criteria. Decentralised systems of rainwater harvesting and greywater treatment for reuse are going to be crucial in reducing the dependence on the centralised water supply
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in diverse groups in the UK—is the driver economic or cultural in student populations
Get PDFStudies have identified a greater reluctance for members of the Black, Asian, and minority ethnic communities to be vaccinated against COVID-19 despite a higher probability of greater harm from COVID-19. We conducted an anonymised questionnaire-based study of students (recruiting primarily before first reports of embolic events) at two London universities to identify whether economic or educational levels were primarily responsible for this reluctance: a postgraduate core group (PGCC) n=860 and a pilot study of undergraduate medical and nursing students (n=103). Asian and Black students were 2.0 and 3.2 times (PGCC) less likely to accept the COVID vaccine than White British students. Similar findings were noted in the pilot study students. As students were studying for Masters or PhD degrees and voluntarily paying high fees, educational and economic reasons were unlikely to be the underlying cause, and wider cultural reservations were more likely. Politicians exerted a strong negative in-fluence, suggesting that campaigns should omit politicians
Meta-analysis examining interventions aimed at reducing sedentary lifestyle in poststroke patients
Get PDFImplications for practice and research
- Loosely related to increasing physical activity is reducing sedentary time.
- The impact of stroke may symbolize a limitation in physical activities.
- Although the level of physical activity may act as a buffer to a better quality of life, sedentary behaviour is not associated with reduced or increased mortality in people affected with stroke.
- Whilst no benefits were found in relation to mortality rate, further studies are required to bridge clinical gaps in this area
Soluble papain to digest monoclonal antibodies; time and cost-effective method to obtain Fab fragment
Get PDFAntigen binding fragments (Fabs) used in research (e.g., antibody mimetics, antibody-drug conjugate, bispecific antibodies) are frequently obtained by enzymatic digestion of monoclonal antibodies using immobilised papain. Despite obtaining pure Fab, using immobilised papain to digest IgG has limitations, most notably slow digestion time (more than 8 h), high cost and limited scalability. Here we report a time and cost-effective method to produce pure, active and stable Fab using soluble papain. Large laboratory scale digestion of an antibody (100 mg) was achieved using soluble papain with a digestion time of 30 min and isolated yields of 55–60%. The obtained Fabs displayed similar binding activity as Fabs prepared via immobilised papain digestion. Site-specific conjugation between Fabs and polyethylene glycol (PEG) was carried out to obtain antibody mimetics FpF (Fab-PEG-Fab) indicating that the native disulphide bond had been preserved. Surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) of prepared FpFs showed that binding activity towards the intended antigen was maintained. We anticipate that this work will provide a fast and less costly method for researchers to produce antibody fragments at large scale from whole IgG suitable for use in research
A review of physical and digital mock-up applications in healthcare building development
Get PDFMock-up simulation is a design or human factor research method to help designers identify key design issues and factors of a product or environment. This paper discusses physical mock-up (PMU) and digital mock-up (DMU) applications in healthcare building development through a narrative literature review. The following questions are addressed in this paper: what would the purposes of using PMU or DMU simulations be? At which phase of a hospital design would a PMU or DMU simulation be used? What methods can be used to conduct PMU and DMU simulations? The paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of these two mock-up methods and highlights the importance of clinical staff’s involvement in mock-up simulations. It gives recommendations for the design practitioners or project managers of healthcare building development recommendations to implement these two mock-up methods in healthcare building development projects
Olfactory stimulation for people with dementia: a rapid review
Get PDFThere is a growing interest in using olfactory (smell) stimulation in dementia care. This study aims to extend current knowledge by synthesising the evidence on the efficacy of interventions using olfactory stimulation for people with dementia and to assess the effects of different types of odours and administration methods using a mixed methods approach. The rapid review was conducted based on searches in six electronic databases. A narrative approach was applied to assess 20 studies included in the review. Fourteen studies used a quasi-experimental design, five studies used an experimental design and one was a case study. High heterogeneity was found on odours and methods of application used, with the majority of studies administering lavender oil using a diffuser. Mixed results were reported on the benefits of olfactory stimulation on responsive behaviours and cognitive function. Although the evidence available is limited, encouraging results were found regarding olfactory stimulation and increased sleep duration, food intake and improved balance. It was not possible to draw any overall conclusion in relation to the effect of olfactory stimulation. However, this review shows promising results that support further investigation of olfactory stimulation as a nonpharmacological intervention for people with dementia. The review is limited due to the low to moderate quality of studies included. Furthermore, the broad range of approaches was employed, and comparison between the studies was difficult. Further high-quality mixed method studies using robust and detailed protocols are needed to clarify the effects of olfactory stimuli and any other factors that may influence the responses of people with dementia