Home Usage Research Articles

Assessment of Helicobacter pylori Infection and Associated Risk Factors in Asymptomatic Patients Attending Muhoza Health Center

Background: H. pylori, is a bacterial pathogen that colonizes the gastric mucous lining and the epithelial tissue of the stomach. Helicobacter pylori strains infections can lead to several diseases such as duodenal ulcers, gastric ulcers, adenocarcinoma of the distal stomach, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease and autoimmune diseases. The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of H. pylori infection and risk factors associated with H. pylori in asymptomatic participants attending Muhoza health center Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 13th September to 13th October. Stool samples from 60 eligible participants were collected in sterile containers and they were immunoserologicaly analysed. Rapid tests were used to detect H. pylori antigens. A liquid in the testing kit was mixed with a small portion of the stool. The mixture was poured to the sample hole on the rapid test which displayed results. Data regarding risk factors were collected using questionnaires and were analyzed statistically using SPSS 20. Results: The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 37%. Females were more affected than males, with 25% and 12% respectively. Age, education, source of water and household population were significantly associated with Helicobacter pylori with p-values < 0.05. The study was limited since it was one health center based, hence not having large representative population. Conclusion: Education of the population about prevention of the infection, supply clean, treated water for home usage and drinking, are recommended to the local government authorities in Musanze. Screening for H. pylori infection, good adherence on antibiotics against H. pylori, hand washing, and proper household settings to reduce crowding issue are recommended. Further researches are recommended for more conclusive results. Keywords: H. pylori infection, risk factors, stomach, asymptomatic.

Assessing the effectiveness of bioclimatic strategies in improving thermal comfort and reducing energy consumption in a house located in a desert climate

This article examined the effectiveness of bioclimatic strategies to enhance thermal comfort and decrease energy consumption in a desert-climate residence. The study assessed the impact of thermal insulation, natural ventilation, and phase-change materials (PCMs) over a year, with each strategy evaluated both independently and in combination. Monthly energy bills were analyzed to determine the impact of these strategies. The results indicated substantial reductions in energy costs, with decreases of up to 50% during transitional seasons; however, the complete elimination of heating and cooling systems was not feasible due to significant thermal phase differences between indoor and outdoor environments. Further analysis of thermal discomfort hours revealed that increasing insulation thickness during specific seasons could mitigate peak heat intensity and delay its occurrence, thus extending periods of comfort and reducing discomfort hours. Despite these improvements, some periods of thermal distress persisted during the warmest months, underscoring the necessity for a balanced approach to climate adaptation strategies. Overall, the implementation of these strategies proved effective in improving comfort and reducing energy usage in desert-climate homes, although they do not fully negate the need for traditional heating and cooling systems.

Phenanthridium‐based conjugated probe for selective detection of anionic surfactant

AbstractThe quaternary ammonium complex of (2‐(methylthio)indeno[1,2,3‐gh]phenanthridin‐1‐yl)(phenyl)methanone (QAC) has been employed as a new and simple fluorescence sensor for detection of the anionic surfactant; sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), through fluorescence light‐up. The generation of electrostatic interaction and associated intermolecular arrangement between the probe and anionic surfactant is responsible for the fluorescence enhancement and subsequent selectivity towards the anionic surfactant. Concurrently, the probe was unaltered by the presence of cationic and non‐ionic systems. Utilizing this property, we were able to construct a facile and efficient method for the detection of anionic surfactants, featuring LOD values up to 1.1 μM concentrations in dimethylsulfoxide solvent. The light‐up detection was also confirmed via lifetime studies, with superior increments in average lifetime decay values (0.33–2.7 ns). The practical/real‐time applications of probe QAC as a sensor have also been investigated and successfully demonstrated via its ability to detect anionic surfactants from commercially available home usage products.

Assessing the Impact of Gas Flaring Activities in Ebedei, Southern Nigeria

The study looked at how gas flaring affects development and sustainable growth. While the availability of natural gas and crude oil is expected to serve as a socioeconomic stimulus for faster, more sustainable growth, the current situation in Nigeria's oil-producing regions is significantly worse than expected. Eleven (11) experimental locations, including Obinomba (control site), which lacks a gas flaring station, provide data for the collections. The air quality indices concentrations and various temperatures were measured. At a starting location that was 50 meters distant from the flare's bund wall, assessments of the location temperature and also air quality in Ebedei were taken at intervals of 50 meters. The statistics indicate that both the temperature and the quantity (content) of gases (CO, NO2, SO4, and CH4) have increased. Thus, a rise in temperature is proportional to a rise in flared gases. It is imperative that no agricultural crops be planted in this area that react adversely to high temperature variation, such as cassava, palm trees, rubber trees, bananas, and other crops. It can be suggested that the extracted gas be liquefied and bottled for usage in home and industrial settings, as well as being heavily utilized by a gas turbine to generate electricity. Residential buildings should be constructed at least 0.5 kilometers away from the flare point, and water samples should be analyzed to determine the level of contamination and water portability. To maintain adherence and keep the blessed environment, it is totally crucial to urge that FEPA continuously track and assess the degree of damages attributed to gas flaring.

Usage and impact of a do-it-yourself air cleaner on residential PM2.5 in a smoke-impacted community

Low-cost, do-it-yourself (DIY) portable air cleaners (PACs) are an accessible option for socioeconomically disadvantaged communities to reduce smoke exposure, but their real-world efficacy is largely untested. We conducted two pilot studies to quantify the impact of DIY and comparable lower-cost commercial PACs on indoor fine particle mass concentrations (PM2.5) in a tribal community exposed to wildfire and wood stove smoke.We measured indoor and outdoor PM2.5, indoor carbon dioxide, main door activity, and PAC usage in homes on the Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation for wildfire (n = 8) and wood stove (n = 11) pilot studies. We monitored initial PM2.5, then sequentially provided a DIY PAC (box fan with a MERV 13 filter), a commercial PAC, and a real-time air quality display with participants’ choice of either or both PACs. We quantified reductions in total indoor (PM2.5-IN) and infiltrated (PM2.5-INFILT) PM2.5 using mixed linear models and determined the barriers and facilitators of PAC usage through interviews.In the wildfire study, DIY PAC use was associated with 7–11% reduction in PM2.5-IN and PM2.5-INFILT; commercial PAC use was only associated with reduced PM2.5-INFILT (18.3%). In the wood stove study, commercial PAC use was associated with roughly twice the reductions in PM2.5-IN (20.0%) and PM2.5-INFILT (10.0%) relative to DIY PAC use. Interviews identified cost and access to replacement filters as barriers to PAC use, demonstrating the need for lower cost PACs. All households preferred the commercial PAC due to the DIY PAC's higher noise level and cooling effect in winter; 75% of participants reported that they would use DIY PACs in a different room or during warmer weather and smoke events.While both pilot studies suggest PACs reduced PM2.5, future studies in smoke-impacted communities should reflect that DIY PAC efficacy depends on prior PAC ownership, ambient smoke conditions, and PAC intrusiveness (noise, size and appearance, cooling effects) affecting user behavior.

Monitoring the Use of Electrical Energy and Water in Homes Based on IoT

Increased awareness of energy efficiency and sustainable resource management has encouraged the development of intelligent electrical energy and water usage monitoring systems. In this context, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a promising solution for connecting household devices to the internet, enabling users to monitor and control electricity and water consumption in real-time. This research aims to design and implement an IoT-based monitoring system for electrical energy and water usage in homes. This system uses a powerful Arduino ESP32 microcontroller and can connect to the internet via WiFi. This microcontroller acts as a control center that collects data from sensors installed in the house. Based on these problems, this research was carried out, with the aim of creating a prototype to record electrical power loads and display the amount of electricity consumption in rupiah levels to monitor the use of electrical power loads and convert them into rupiah. To conduct this research, the author used observational research methodology or field study and literature study. In this research, it is necessary to pay attention to understanding how to think and how to carry out the results of thinking according to scientific steps.

Development of a label‐free, impedance‐based biosensor to identify harmful effects of pesticides on insect cells

AbstractInsects are a major part of the planet's ecosystem and their vital role as pollinators for agriculture is undisputed. Alongside factors as climate change or loss of habitats, rising use of pesticides emerges as a key threat to insect populations. For fighting this man‐made problem, development of an easy, fast, sensitive, and non‐invasive biosensor for determining pesticide toxicity may help to ban harmful substances and formulations. Here, a biosensor based on Sf21 (Spodoptera frugiperda) insect cells as sensors and electric cell‐substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) as physical transducer is described. Sf21 cell suspensions and well‐defined pesticide solutions were mixed immediately before seeding on planar gold‐film electrodes. The capacitance at 20 kHz was recorded as a function of time as a measurand for cell adhesion providing dose–response profiles of pesticide impact. For future in‐field applications, decoupling of the cell culture routines from the actual cytotoxicity assay is mandatory. Thus, suspensions of Sf21 cells were cryopreserved at –80°C in the wells of multielectrode arrays and thawed anytime for conducting the assays. Five pesticides were tested for their concentration‐dependent cytotoxicity expressed as EC50 values by ECIS and validated using the well‐established WST‐1 cell viability assay. Results were found to be in good agreement. Our studies revealed cytotoxic effects of some pesticides sold for home usage far below the recommended concentration and were found to be more toxic than formulations sold for agricultural industry only.

Enhancing smart grid electricity prediction with the fusion of intelligent modeling and XAI integration

This study examines the vital role of accurate load forecasting in the energy planning of smart cities. It introduces a hybrid approach that uses machine learning (ML) to forecast electricity usage in homes, improving accuracy through the extraction of correlated features. The accuracy of predictions is assessed using loss functions and the root mean square error (RMSE). In response to increasing interest in explainable artificial intelligence (XAI), this paper proposes a framework for predicting energy consumption in smart homes. This user-friendly approach helps users understand their energy consumption patterns by employing shapley additive explanations (SHAP) techniques to provide clear explanations. The research uses gradient boosting and long short-term memory neural networks to forecast energy usage. In the context of sustainable urban development, it emphasizes the importance of conserving energy in homes. The paper explores AI and ML methods for predicting residential energy use, aiming to make socially meaningful impacts. It highlights the need to understand the factors affecting predictions to improve the accountability, reliability, and justification of decisions in energy optimization. Explainable AI techniques are used to gain insights into the prediction models and identify factors influencing household energy consumption. This research aids in decision-making processes related to electricity forecasting, advancing discussions on intelligent decision-making in power management, especially in smart grids and sustainable urban development.

Measuring U.S. consumer sunscreen application at home and online: optimizing our methods to determine sunscreen application thickness for improved environmental emissions estimates

Ultraviolet (UV) filters are chemical ingredients used in sunscreen products to protect the skin from the harmful effects of solar radiation and have come under scrutiny due to concerns of potential aquatic impacts after direct release to the environment. UV filter emissions to the environment are directly influenced by the amount and frequency of sunscreen products applied by consumers. Previous research indicates that consumers have not applied adequate sunscreen thicknesses for several decades. Thus, comprehensive research is needed to investigate a more representative sunscreen application thickness to better estimate UV filter emissions from sunscreen products. A home use study and an online survey was conducted to better estimate sunscreen application thickness potentially exhibited by the general population both during daily skincare routine and when going to the beach. A secondary objective was to further improve the consumer survey method for estimating sunscreen application thickness. During their daily activities, the results of the home usage test suggest that people are applying 0.89 mg/cm2 to their face and 0.85 mg/cm2 to their body on average. Using an online survey to reach a larger sample of the population, the results were higher than the home use study with people applying on average 1.09 and 1.60 mg/cm2 to their face and body, respectively, as part of a regular skincare routine and on average 1.27 and 1.67 mg/cm2 to their face and body, respectively, when planning a day at the beach. The data generated from this study can be used in environmental emissions assessments of UV filters in sunscreen products to provide more realistic and representative estimates. In addition, the online survey instrument developed as part of this research can be used to further investigate sunscreen habits and practices that influence the amount and frequency of sunscreen used by people participating in recreational activities.

Building nursing homes for high-income individuals/families in Vietnam

This study employs a Bayes model to examine the impact of income groups on the Nursing home usage costs across 10 provinces and cities in Vietnam: Ha Noi, Vinh Phuc, Bac Ninh, Hai Phong, Nam Dinh, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Dong Nai, and Binh Duong. The study utilizes 8 variables: Average population (DSTB), Average income (TNTB), Income group 1 (TN1), Income group 2 (TN2), Income group 3 (IG3), Income group 4 (TN4), Income group 5 (TN5), Cost of using nursing home (CP), with data collected annually from 2012 to 2022. The results indicate that major cities attract larger populations and a higher proportion of elderly individuals, thus attracting more investment in various forms of nursing homes, thereby improving their competitiveness. Among income groups of residents in provinces and cities, income group 5 has the highest income and shows a positive correlation with cost of using nursing home, which aligns well with reality. In recent years, affluent families have shown a preference for high-end nursing homes offering the best care services, albeit at higher costs than standard ones. However, fundamentally, Vietnamese individuals have not prioritized the choice of living in nursing homes during their elderly years. Research results show that it is necessary to focus on the quality of nursing home services because of increasing demand and the aging population trend of Vietnam in the future.

LPG gas leakage detection using ESP32

This research paper presents the development of an LPG gas detection system utilizing the capabilities of the ESP32 microcontroller and email notification functionalities. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), a widely used fuel source, poses a significant threat due to potential fire and explosion hazards in case of leaks. This project addresses this concern by proposing a cost-effective and user-friendly solution for early leak detection. The system employs an MQ-series sensor specifically designed for LPG detection. The sensor's output voltage changes in response to LPG concentration in the surrounding air. This data is acquired by the ESP32 microcontroller and processed to trigger email notifications when gas levels exceed a pre-defined threshold indicative of a potential leak. This allows for remote monitoring and prompt intervention, potentially mitigating safety risks associated with LPG usage in homes and industries. The paper further discusses the system's functionality, development process, and potential applications, along with suggestions for future improvements. Keywords— LPG gas detection, ESP32, MQ-series sensor, email notification, leak detection, safety system, Internet of Things (IoT), microcontroller, sensor data acquisition

Household Water Use Efficiency and its implication for Sustainable Accessibility: A Case Study

The existential value of water for human survival and sustenance prompted the need to determine factors responsible for water use efficiency (WUE) among twenty-seven households working in Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria. The households were made up of academic and non-academic staff who, by virtue of their exposure and experience are knowledgeable enough to respond accurately to the insightful questions. Specialized variables of indoor water use were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Estimates of usedvolume of each variable/day were expressed in litres, the frequency of use and the sources of the used water were obtained. All respondents have tertiary education and are females. The family size ranged from 2 to 5 and they generally source their water (96.37% groundwater) close to their homes and premises. Potential areas of excessive water use in homes were identified, using Factor Analysis, to be laundry, incidental uses and auto-wash which are in the non-consumptive category. The trio constituted 53.33% of all water usage in homes. This is evidently beyond sustainability threshold and demands further attention. Thus, water use efficiency in homes should conservatively address non-consumptive uses by using water-propelled machines at full capacities, water-reuse/recycling and taking sensible responsibilities for resource sustainability.

Tobacco usage in the home: a cross-sectional analysis of heated tobacco product (HTP) use and combustible tobacco smoking in Japan, 2023.

Heated tobacco product (HTP) use continues in Japan as the second most common product after cigarettes. While the health effects of HTPs and their secondhand emissions are not well-studied, the tobacco industry has actively marketed HTPs as a smokeless, health-conscious alternative to cigarettes to encourage home consumption. We investigated the prevalence of current tobacco product use and usage at home. The present study conducted a cross-sectional analysis of data from the 2023 wave of a nationwide, Internet-based, self-reported survey. 29,354 individuals aged 16-74 were included in the analysis. We assessed the prevalence of current (past-30-day) use for HTPs, cigarettes, non-cigarette combustible tobacco, and dual (combustible plus HTP) use. The frequency of use (daily or more than monthly) in the home was calculated for both HTPs and combustible tobacco. Multivariable Poisson regression models were employed to identify factors associated with home usage. Adjusted prevalence ratios (APRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. All analyses were weighted to address the Internet-based sample's selectivity and yield nationally representative estimates. In 2023, the prevalence of current use was 12.4% (HTPs), 18.9% (cigarettes), 3.6% (non-cigarette combustible tobacco), and 7.4% (dual use). Among current users of any tobacco (N = 5,818), 49.8% reported daily tobacco usage within their homes, and 67.1% reported monthly or more frequent home usage. Compared to exclusive combustible tobacco smokers, exclusive HTP users exhibited higher prevalence of daily home usage (APR = 1.54; 95% CI = 1.43-1.67), as did dual users (APR = 1.10; 95% CI = 1.01-1.20). Daily home usage prevalence was notably higher for those without complete tobacco-free rules at home or workplaces, older individuals, and those with lower education levels. Those living with adult or child household member and current drinkers showed significantly lower daily home usage prevalence. Home usage was more common among HTP users than among combustible tobacco smokers. Ongoing efforts to assess and address the impact of indoor tobacco product use, including HTPs, on health are warranted. Regulatory and educational strategies should be considered to discourage tobacco consumption in both public and private spaces.

Investigation and Comparative Assessment of Surface Water Quality for Drinking Purposes by Using Relief Algorithm, GIS, and Machine Learning: A Case Study of Mahanadi River Basin, Odisha (India)

Surface water is the best source of drinking water available. However, climate change, over-pumping, and a variety of contaminants have all led to the depletion of this valuable resource. Conducting surface water quality assessments for home usage, especially drinking water, is essential to safeguarding human health and effectively managing resources. In this study, this work has highlighted an evaluation of surface water quality of river Mahanadi, Odisha, for drinking purposes using Relief Algorithm (RA) based WQI (RA-WQI), with reliability-based MLs (Machine Learning) such as Weight of Evidence (WOE) have been employed. For this, water samples from 19 locations were taken for a period of 2018-2023, to test 20 physicochemical parameters in the selected sampling sites. The findings indicated that although pH changes, the water is alkaline and its value spanned from 7.73 to 7.9. The concentration of coliform and TKN is found to be higher at all locations. The highest levels of Cl- and SO42- are located close to the downstream area. Based on the results, anions and cations are observing a shift in the trend, i.e., Fe2+ > B+ and Cl- > SO42- > NO3- > F- respectively, throughout the occupied duration. Further, the calculated RAWQI revealed that 63.16% belong to poor water quality while 31.57% of sites come under the zone of excellent water. However, 5.26% of samples indicated an unsuitable water class. The analysis primarily revealed that at 8 samples, the main cause could be deterioration of domestic water, illegally dumped municipal solid waste, and agricultural runoff were the leading sources causing adulteration of the river’s water quality. As a result, a renowned ML models, such as WOE, were adopted and it suggests location SP-(9) was the most polluted in comparison with other locations, followed by SP-(8), (19), and (2) respectively. Following this, the analytic findings also suggests from the highest RA-WQI values that consists of 488, 243, 277 and 285 at this location. However, it was relevant that the degree of pollution at these stations was more closely linked to a wide range of expanding human activities, such as excessive water use, fertilizer effects, agricultural runoff, and industrial activity in and around the river corridor. According to the drinking water quality indices, the surface water in the area under investigation is classified as suitable for human consumption. Thus, the results illuminate the preservation and distribution of drinkable and irrigable surface water supplies, and provide decision-makers with a valuable resource for implementing successful surface water protection strategies in the area under study.

Living and working in the (post-pandemic) city: a research agenda

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Work from home (WFH) received much public attention. Imposing such a measure was feasible in the context of labour markets’ flexibilisation, which has reshaped urban live-work relationships. However, the pandemic’s effects on those relationships have rarely been explored in housing and planning studies. This paper draws a research agenda based on a literature review of the changes in urban live-work relationships, which were accelerated and legitimised under COVID-19. The latter is considered an exogenous shock contingent upon several other shocks, embedded in structural crises and accelerating ongoing trends. The literature confirms the acceleration of hybrid work for those able to do so, which has fuelled debates on home usage and legitimated planning discourses based on urban proximity, densification and mixed use. Hence, we encourage critical research on (i) the conceptualisations of WFH and COVID-19, (ii) housing policy responses to accumulated uncertainties and regulations for quality and resilient housing, and (iii) the critical analysis of WFH-oriented planning.

Assessment of knowledge and disposal practices of unused and expired household medicines in a community in Liberia

BackgroundExpansion of pharmaceutical industries and improved availability of pharmaceuticals across the world have contributed to an increase in drug usage and accumulation in homes. Improper disposal of expired and unused medications has several consequences such as environmental pollution, and childhood poisoning. ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to assess the knowledge on disposal as well as disposal practices of unused and expired household medicines in the Parker Corner Road Community in Brewerville, Liberia. MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional survey conducted among 162 residents of Parker Corner Road Community using face-to-face interviews. Outcomes measured were knowledge of disposal as well as disposal practices of unused and expired household medicines. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics. ResultsMajority of respondents (55.6%) were female and 23.5% had university education. 71% of the respondents reported that they had not received any information on safe disposal practices while 64.2% admitted that they often did not read and follow disposal instructions. The most popular disposal practices were disposal of the drugs along with household waste (61.1%) and flushing them down the toilets or sinks (25.3%). Majority of the respondents (82.1%) were aware of the health effects arising from improper disposal of unused and expired medicines while 64.2% usually read medicine disposal instruction on the package. Only about 3% of them knew of expired medication take-back system and 33.3% knew nothing about medication expiration date. ConclusionThe study revealed insufficient knowledge as well as inappropriate disposal practices of unused and expired medicines among residents of Parker Corner Road Community in Brewerville. There is need to organize a public enlightenment programme on safe, appropriate use, as well as disposal of unused and expired medicines.

Applying Geophysical and Hydrogeochemical Methods to Evaluate Groundwater Potential and Quality in Middle Egypt

The El-Minia district is a location of interest for future urban development. Using hydrochemistry and electrical resistivity studies, this work aimed to evaluate the groundwater potentiality and it’s suitable for various uses. The groundwater potential in the study area was evaluated based on 24 VESs (vertical electrical soundings), and its quality was determined based on the analyses of 57 groundwater samples. EC (salinity index), Na% (salt hazard), SAR (ratio of sodium adsorption), chloride risks, SSP (soluble sodium percentage), MH (magnesium hazard), and other indicators were used to determine whether the collected water samples were suitable for irrigation. Four layers in the study area are mentioned in the geoelectrical cross-sections that have been constructed. The first is made up of silt and clay from the Nile River, while the second is made up of sandy clay, which has a resistivity range of 15 to 32 Ohm.m and a range thickness of 2 to 68 m. Dry limestone makes up the third layer; its resistivity ranges from 1222 to 3000 Ohm.m and its thickness varies between 75 and 95 m. The Eocene aquifer in the research area is represented by the final layer, which has a thickness of more than 250 m and resistivity values that range from 602 to 860 Ohm.m. Most groundwater samples that were collected are safe for drinking; however, none of them are fit for home usage because of their extreme hardness. According to the SAR and US diagram, RSC, KR, and PI, most groundwater samples from the Pleistocene and Eocene aquifers are fit for irrigation.

Who are Smart Home Users and What do they Want? – Insights from an International Survey

Abstract Any set of devices for controlling home appliances that link to a common network and may be controlled independently or remotely are typically referred to as smart home technology. Smart homes and home automation are not completely unknown to people anymore; smart devices and sensors are part of daily life in the 21st century. Among other benefits of home automation devices, it is possible to manage home appliances and monitor resource usage, and security. It is essential to find practical information about smart home users, and possible use cases. The current survey covers smart home usage benefits and challenges for the users. The study presents the result of the collected information from different countries, and the participants are people from a variety of age groups and occupations. The questionnaire that contains both qualitative and quantitative questions was distributed through internet channels such as blog posts and social network groups. Furthermore, to generate the survey questions we conducted a literature review to gain a better understating of the subject and the related work. The research provides a better foundation for future smart home development. As a result of this survey-based study and in addition to finding the desirable home automation features, we discovered the amount of money users are ready to spend to automate their homes. Connecting the favourite smart home features to its users and the amount of money they are ready to spend on them can provide a bigger picture for the smart home industry as a whole and particularly be beneficial for developers and start-ups.

Evaluating liquefied natural gas export quantities from Egypt using system dynamics approach

Background: Egypt and nearby countries have been discovering new sources of natural gas (NG) leading to proven increased reserves. Egypt has two liquefaction stations for exporting Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), while nearby countries do not have such stations.Aim: Egypt adopted a policy to export LNG to major importing countries in Europe. Hence, this article aims to analyse the dynamics of the factors affecting the LNG export supply chain, and the main elements of adequate policies needed to optimise decisions related to LNG export in Egypt.Settings: The input data for this study were obtained from official national and international reports.Method: A system dynamics simulation model is used as a decision support system model to optimise decisions related to LNG exports in Egypt.Results: The model gives insight into the effect of investment in new discoveries, investment in renewable energy and changes in population, gross domestic product (GDP) and LNG export prices, as well as the quantity of LNG re-export on the dynamics of LNG export Present Value and quantity.Conclusion: The research provides a novel decision support system that can be used in adopting adequate policies along the LNG industry supply chain targets, optimising decisions related to exports of LNG. For Egypt, investments in new discoveries and making a long-term agreement to buy NG to be re-exported, are recommended strategic decisions to consider when targeting the optimisation of decisions related to the export of LNG. Investment in the generation of renewable energy and decreasing the home usage patterns come next in importance.

Myoelectric prosthesis hand grasp control following targeted muscle reinnervation in individuals with transradial amputation.

Despite the growing availability of multifunctional prosthetic hands, users' control and overall functional abilities with these hands remain limited. The combination of pattern recognition control and targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) surgery, an innovative technique where amputated nerves are transferred to reinnervate new muscle targets in the residual limb, has been used to improve prosthesis control of individuals with more proximal upper limb amputations (i.e., shoulder disarticulation and transhumeral amputation). The goal of this study was to determine if prosthesis hand grasp control improves following transradial TMR surgery. Eight participants were trained to use a multi-articulating hand prosthesis under myoelectric pattern recognition control. All participated in home usage trials pre- and post-TMR surgery. Upper limb outcome measures were collected following each home trial. Three outcome measures (Southampton Hand Assessment Procedure, Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, and Box and Blocks Test) improved 9-12 months post-TMR surgery compared with pre-surgery measures. The Assessment of Capacity for Myoelectric Control and Activities Measure for Upper Limb Amputees outcome measures had no difference pre- and post-surgery. An offline electromyography analysis showed a decrease in grip classification error post-TMR surgery compared to pre-TMR surgery. Additionally, a majority of subjects noted qualitative improvements in their residual limb and phantom limb sensations post-TMR. The potential for TMR surgery to result in more repeatable muscle contractions, possibly due to the reduction in pain levels and/or changes to phantom limb sensations, may increase functional use of many of the clinically available dexterous prosthetic hands.