17 research outputs found
Kenyan Policy on Organ Donation, Transfusion, and Transplantation: Implications for Africa and the Greater Transplant Community.
No full textSolid organ transplantation is the safest and most economical therapy for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).1,2 Despite its proven efficacy and cost-effectiveness, low- and middle-income countries are battling with healthcare inequities in transplantation.
The shortage of donors is particularly pronounced in Kenya, with an emerging infrastructure for transplantation.3 The affordability of the transplant and the cost of posttransplant medications is the immediate problem. When compared with the cost of dialysis, transplantation is less expensive, providing a better quality of life and returning patients to the workforce, which generates national and regional taxes.4
Kenya began living donor kidney transplantations in 1978 (A. Twahir and H. Bagha, personal communication, 2022, “The State of Kidney Transplant in Kenya”). The development of a national transplantation program has been delayed with the absence of an infrastructure, adequate funding, inadequate public education and awareness, and lack of well-trained professional personnel. There is currently no deceased donor renal transplantation program. Here, we review barriers to solid organ transplantation in Kenya and introduce possible solutions based on the new Kenyan policy decisions
WCN24-472 AN UNUSUAL CASE OF SEVERE REFRACTORY HYPOKALEMIA WITH ARRHYTHMIAS: A CASE REPORT
No full textMechanically recycled textile fibers in carded and needle-punched non-wovens : Implications on processability, structure, and performance
No full textPublisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024.To foster a circular economy, it is crucial to increase the recycling of solid waste significantly, particularly post-consumer textile waste, and identify viable applications for the reclaimed materials. This study specifically examined the integration of mechanically recycled post-consumer polyester and cotton fibers containing fractions into carded and needle-punched non-woven structures. The research investigated the carding processability of four mechanically recycled fibers, examining their performance when combined with virgin polyester fibers in varying ratios. The fiber fractions were characterized in terms of mean fiber length, short fiber content, fiber uniformity, diameter, fiber bundle strength, and elongation. The processability challenges encountered during the carding of the mechanically recycled textile fractions were mainly associated with high proportions of synthetic recycled fibers, which resulted in increased fiber piling on the metallic parts of the carding device. Furthermore, the effect of different blend ratios of mechanically recycled polyester and cotton fibers with virgin polyester fiber on the properties of carded and needle-punched structures, including mass per unit area, thickness, tensile strength, elongation, air permeability, morphology, and porosity was studied. The tensile properties and air permeability of non-wovens obtained from 50/50 blends of recycled polyester cotton and virgin polyester were comparable to those produced from 100% virgin polyester fibers. The results of this study demonstrate that carding and needle punching provide a robust route for processing polyester and cotton containing mechanically recycled end-of-life textile-based fractions without the use of chemical additives.Peer reviewe
Advances in Preparation Methods and Conductivity Properties of Graphene-based Polymer Composites
No full textPublisher Copyright: © 2023, The Author(s).Graphene-based polymer composites with improved physical properties are of great interest due to their lightweight, conductivity, and durability. They have the potential to partially replace metals and ceramics in several applications which can reduce energy and cost. The obtained properties of graphene-based polymer composites are often linked to the way graphene is dispersed in the polymer matrix. Preparation techniques like solution mixing, melt blending, and in-situ polymerization have been used to obtain graphene-based polymer composites. Dispersing and aligning graphene fillers within the composite is a key factor in enhancing the thermal and electrical conductivity values of the composites due to graphene’s anisotropic properties. The effect of the preparation methods of these composites on their physical-chemical properties is discussed in this review where we presented the advances that were achieved so far in the preparation techniques used showing the highest values ever achieved for electrical and thermal conductivity for these graphene-based polymer composites. Also, we presented the possible applications where graphene-based composites can be utilized.Peer reviewe
Aggregation behavior and intermicellar interactions of cationic Gemini surfactants: Effects of alkyl chain, spacer lengths and temperature
No full textThe Role of SodiumGlucose Cotransporter2 Inhibitors in the Treatment Paradigm of CKD in Africa An African Association of Nephrology Panel Position Paper
No full textSpontaneous Formation of Nanocubic Particles and Spherical Vesicles in Catanionic Mixtures of Ester-Containing Gemini Surfactants and Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate in the Presence of Electrolyte
No full textSelf-assembly of pure ester-containing
cationic gemini surfactants,
dodecyl esterquat, and dodecyl betainate geminis, and cation-rich
catanionic mixtures of them with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were
investigated using surface tension, electrical conductivity, dynamic
light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and
cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurements in the absence and presence of
KCl. Different physicochemical properties such as the critical micelle
concentration (CMC), degree of counterion dissociation (αdiss), interfacial properties, morphology of aggregates, and
interparticle interaction parameters were determined. Both geminis
formed micelles in the absence of KCl, and mixing with SDS did not
change the morphology; just a growth in micelle size was observed.
However, the aggregation behavior of these geminis with respect to
the position of the ester bond in the alkyl chain appeared completely
different in the presence of KCl. Esterquat gemini formed cubic nanoparticles
(or cobosomes) in the presence of [KCl] = 0.05 M and transformed into
spherical micelles upon increasing the surfactant concentration. By
contrast, betainate gemini formed vesicles in the presence of [KCl]
= 0.05 M and subsequently converted to micelles as the surfactant
concentration increased. The morphology of esterquat gemini (in the
presence of 0.05 M KCl) after mixing with SDS changed from cubic nanoparticles
(or cobosomes) to cylindrical nanoparticles coexistent with cobosomes.
Betainate gemini remained vesicular upon mixing with SDS, and no dramatic
structural change of aggregates took place. The morphology changes
of aggregates upon mixing with SDS were explained from calculating
the interactions between two gemini surfactants and SDS on the basis
of regular solution theory
Intermolecular interactions between a dye and cationic surfactants: Effects of alkyl chain, head group, and counterion
No full textCurcumin release from blended polycaprolactone/polylactic acid electrospun nanofibrous meshes
No full textThere is a great interest in developing drug delivery systems that are biocompatible and release the drug in a controlled way. In this study, the release of curcumin from electrospun meshes made from polycaprolactone, polylactic acid, or their blends was studied and compared. The polymers and curcumin were dissolved in a mixture of chloroform and dimethylformamide. The beadless electrospun meshes were obtained under the following conditions: the applied voltage of 22 kV, the tip to collector distance of 13 cm, and the polymer feed rate of 0.2 ml/h. The viscosity of the polymer solution increased by increasing the percentage of polylactic acid in the mixture. As a result, the average fiber diameter of the meshes was increased. The fabricated polycaprolactone mesh showed the minimum average fiber diameter (∼120 nm) and the maximum porosity (∼71%). The hybrid nanofibrous meshes were also fabricated using two counter nozzles on both sides of the collector. The tensile strengths of the polylactic acid and polycaprolactone electrospun meshes loaded with curcumin were 19.86 and 12.64 MPa, respectively. The tensile strain of the meshes increased from 43 to 116% by increasing the polycaprolactone weight percentage in the mixture. The results showed that the physical–mechanical properties of the fabricated electrospun meshes could be tuned by polymer blending. The release of curcumin from these electrospun meshes was monitored in a buffer solution using an UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The critical parameters on the release of curcumin were found to be the type of polymers, the average diameter of nanofibers, porosity, and hydrophilicity of the meshes. © The Author(s) 2019
ParcEMon: IoT Platform for Real-Time Parcel Level Last-Mile Delivery Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reporting and Management
No full textTransport is Australia’s third-largest source of greenhouse gases accounting for around 17% of emissions. In recent times, and particularly as a result of the global pandemic, the rapid growth within the e-commerce sector has contributed to last-mile delivery becoming one of the main emission sources. Delivery vehicles operating at the last-mile travel long routes to deliver to customers an array of consignment parcels in varying numbers and weights, and therefore these vehicles play a major role in increasing emissions and air pollutants. The work reported in this paper aims to address these challenges by developing an IoT platform to measure and report on real-world last-mile delivery emissions. Such evaluations help to understand the factors contributing to freight emissions so that appropriate mitigation measures are implemented. Unlike previous research that was completed in controlled laboratory settings, the data collected in this research were from a delivery vehicle under real-world traffic and driving conditions. The IoT platform was tested to provide contextualised reporting by taking into account three main contexts including vehicle, environment and driving behaviours. This approach to data collection enabled the analysis of parcel level emissions and correlation of the vehicle characteristics, road conditions, ambient temperature and other environmental factors and driving behaviour that have an impact on emissions. The raw data collected from the sensors were analysed in real-time in the IoT platform, and the results showed a trade-off between parcel weight and total distance travelled which must be considered when selecting the best delivery order for reducing emissions. Overall, the study demonstrated the feasibility of the IoT platform in collecting the desired levels of data and providing detailed analysis of emissions at the parcel level. This type of micro-level understanding provides an important knowledge base for the enhancement of delivery processes and reduction of last-mile delivery emissions
