This publication introduces a promising concept for the effective decortication and separation of kenaf stems, which is adapted to different degrees of retting. Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), a natural fibre with immense potential for sustainable materials, presents challenges in decortication due to its diverse properties. In response, we offer a technical solution that achieves exceptional cleaning efficiency, resulting in fibre-free shives and nearly shive-free fibre bundles. Our investigations reveal that the degree of decortication of kenaf stems can be finely adjusted using different cleaning concepts. The process attains optimal fibre bundle lengths through cleaning steps, rendering them ideal for fleeces and needle felts in the automotive industry. Furthermore, our separation pre-tests demonstrate the suitability of the total fibre line concept for kenaf processing. Particularly, well-retted kenaf showcases superior processability compared to non-retted kenaf. The significance of this study lies in developing an efficient and sustainable solution for harnessing kenaf’s potential as an automotive material. By optimising the decortication process, we can obtain high-quality fibres that meet the demands of automotive applications, contributing to creating eco-friendly and lightweight materials. As sustainability gains prominence in industries worldwide, the total fibre line concept presents a crucial step forward in realising greener and more environmentally conscious automotive practices. The abundance and renewability of kenaf, combined with the cost-effectiveness of our proposed decortication approach, make it a viable alternative to traditional materials derived from fossil fuels. This research establishes the feasibility and benefits of adopting our total fibre line concept for processing kenaf stems. The versatility of this technology offers opportunities for further exploration and extension to other natural fibres to promote a more sustainable future for the automotive industry and beyond.

O dossier inserido no presente número da Revista Territórios & Fronteiras, intitulado “Ter e poder: o domínio territorial régio da paisagem natural ibero-atlântica (1250-1550)”, foi motivado pela crescente consciencialização para a necessidade de integrar os elementos não-humanos – assim como a sua influência sobre as sociedades humanas – na investigação histórica.

AbstractBackground:Maternal psychological distress is related to poorer physical and mental health as well as child developmental problems. Interventions that optimise maternal mental health and wellbeing during the “first 1,000 days” of life should have wide-reaching benefits for the mother and her child. Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) during this critical period have the potential to equip women with enhanced coping strategies that can be applied and maintained in daily life. This study aimed to understand uptake of DMHIs in pregnancy, and the extent participants apply intervention strategies 10-12 months post-participation in a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing different digital programs.Methods:A mixed methods triangulation approach was undertaken. We explored demographic data and psychological distress measures in the intervention groups and a comparison group that were offered the intervention but did not participate or did not meet the inclusion criteria based on gestational age (n=525). Intervention participants (n=54) were invited to undertake an interview up to 12 months post-intervention to understand ongoing skills application. Fifteen interviews were undertaken using a phenomenological approach to analyse the data.Results:Baseline psychological distress results showed a significant difference between those who enrolled in the intervention, compared to those who did not, with higher psychological distress (combined), and stress and depression (sub-scale) scores for the intervention groups. Qualitative content analysis identified four main themes relating to long-term engagement: (1) Motivations to use skills; (2) Taking time for oneself; (3) Emotional support; and (4) Improving wellbeing (such as aids sleep and emotional impacts). Within each theme there were a number of sub-themes, including enablers or barriers to engagement.Conclusions:This study indicated that women who chose to enrol in DMHIs in pregnancy have greater psychological distress than those who chose not to participate. Many participants in this study continued to apply learnt skills in everyday life. This implies that digital strategies may be effective and applicable longer-term to enable women to apply positive coping skills in everyday life during critical child developmental periods. Ultimately, this will contribute to designing apps that sustain wellbeing and could be protective in preventing postnatal psychological distress.Trial Registration:Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Number (ACTRN12620000672954p); (12/06/2020) http://anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12620000672954p.aspx

The multidisciplinary nature of quality of life calls for appropriate definitions of the concept. Although it is specific to the field of sociology, it appears more and more often in ecology, economy, health, climatology, etc. The phenomenon of metamorphosis thus involves the different fields with activities that produce natural and technical changes. The modification of natural systems and their transformation due to natural-technical causes, characteristic of post-industrial mining areas, brings the new fields of research closer to the geographical environment. The analysis of the quality of life of the communities in these areas involves a transdisciplinary approach (between and within various disciplines as well as beyond any of them) to understand the physiognomy and health of landscapes, respectively the ecology of landscapes loaded with life resources. Through the lens of geotectonic movements in the last period of time, in addition to safe underground mining, ensuring security and health in public and private above-ground spaces requires the need to analyze the real situation, primarily in public institutions, in the public and private health system (hospitals, ambulatories). This paper briefly reviews the geoecology of quality of life, focusing on the most important definitions of the concept and highlighting the elements applicable to post-industrial mining areas.

Objective The purpose of this study was to obtain the infection status, exercise, anxiety and sleep quality of some Chinese residents who recovered from infection during the COVID-19 pandemic, explore the influencing factors of recovery status, and help improve the intervention measures for COVID-19 recovery. Methods This study is a sub-study, nested within a cross-sectional study, investigating the infection and physical and mental health of partially recovered residents in all 34 provincial areas of China during the COVID-19 epidemic. Results There were 1013 participants in this study, including 374 males and 639 females. The cardiopulmonary endurance after infection was significantly lower than that before infection (P<0.01). Among all participants, women (3.92±4.97) had more anxiety than men (3.33±4.54, P<0.01); The sleep score after infection (8.27±7.05) was significantly higher than that before infection (4.17±4.97, P<0.01). The days of fever remission in regular exercise and sedentary group were significantly shorter than those in irregular exercise and sedentary group (P<0.05). The days of fever remission in regular exercise group (1.81±1.91) was significantly shorter than that in irregular exercise group (2.02±1.95, P<0.05). The number of negative days in the non-sedentary group (7.32±3.24) was significantly lower than that in the sedentary group (7.66±3.06, P<0.05). Conclusions In this study, it was observed that the recovery time of symptoms after COVID-19 recovery was related to age, and the more symptoms there were, the worse cardiopulmonary fitness and sleep quality would be. Sedentary people and irregular exercise people generally took a longer time to turn negative. Therefore, appropriate exercise, psychological and sleep hygiene and other health interventions should be considered in COVID-19 recovery measures.

AbstractDer neue Bericht über die Nutzung von CO2 für Chemikalien, synthetischen Kraftstoffen, Polymeren, Proteinen und Mineralien des Nova‐Instituts gibt einen tiefen und umfassender Einblick in die Technologien, Trends und den dynamisch wachsenden Markt der nachhaltigen CO2‐Abscheidung und ‐Nutzung.

Domestic violence and gender-based violence are being reported in increasing numbers throughout the world. The statistics, as well as the headlines, are brutal and heart-breaking but little is being done to address the issues in a rigorous and decisive way. This shows not only that our societies are still a long way from accomplishing gender equality, but that the increasing polarization in attitudes and information exchange, possibly contribute to the decrease in humanism and care. In Portugal for instance, most homeless women have previously been the victims of domestic violence. Which makes this vulnerable group even more excluded and marginalized. As part of a practice-based research for the PhD, I started a collaboration with a Lisbon based organization that advocates housing first strategies in dealing with the problem of homelessness in general, but the project is focused on women particularly. Throughout 2022 we have been building foundations for a women’s association run and organized by the women who are or have been homeless, and whose main goal is to approach and care for Lisbon’s homeless women based on peer support. A collaborative interactive documentary is an important part of this process. Its production is being used as both a tool for empowerment, and at the same time, as a part of an outreach strategy aimed at the wider Lisbon public and their cognizance about women’s homelessness, drawing attention to a series of specific problems that homeless women face. The baseline question is if and how the interactive documentary can contribute and serve for the voices of these women to enter the debate, to show various points of view and sensibilize the community for their issues, as well as to display the lack of policies and propose the bottom-up approaches and joint strategies, offer feasible solutions and build collective action to seriously address women’s homelessness. Theoretically and methodologically, the constructs of polyphony and co-creation are very important factors here. This approach helps in building trust among different actors, where the authorial role vanishes, and the narrative is controlled and shaped by several participants. Our hypothesis is that it could also help in producing affect and care, firstly among peers, which is already being observed, and then among the documentary’s audience. The promise for social change often gets intertwined with documentary filmmaking, and the discussions around impact and change did grow in the last couple of decades, in industry, in marketing, at festivals and around funding opportunities, and coming from different filmmakers, activists, NGOs and other stakeholders. It is often talked and written about, but rarely proved. This paper does not aim at establishing the proof of the direct link between impact and documentary, but it will, through one case study, explore the affordances of collaborative interactive documentary in raising awareness, building hope, fortifying personal relationships, and fostering affect and care.

Cannabis and Cannabinoid ResearchAhead of Print Case in Context: Acne Inversa (Hidradenitis Suppurativa)Franjo Grotenhermen and Attila OláhFranjo Grotenhermen*Address correspondence to: Franjo Grotenhermen, MD, nova-Institut GmbH, Chemiepark Knapsack, Industriestraße 300, Hürth 50354, Germany. E-mail Address: franjo.grotenhermen@nova-institut.denova-Institut GmbH, Chemiepark Knapsack, Hürth, Germany.Search for more papers by this author and Attila OláhDepartment of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.Search for more papers by this authorPublished Online:19 Apr 2023https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2023.0026AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View articleFiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 0Issue 0 InformationCopyright 2023, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishersTo cite this article:Franjo Grotenhermen and Attila Oláh.Case in Context: Acne Inversa (Hidradenitis Suppurativa).Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.ahead of printhttp://doi.org/10.1089/can.2023.0026Online Ahead of Print:April 19, 2023PDF download