Quantitative Observations Research Articles

Quantification of observable behaviors following oral administration of oxycodone and nalfurafine in male rhesus monkeys

BackgroundRecent preclinical studies have investigated the atypical kappa-opioid receptor (KOR) agonist, nalfurafine, as a co-formulary with mu-opioid receptor (MOR) agonists as a potential deterrent for misuse. However, no study has investigated effects of nalfurafine combined with a MOR agonist using an oral route of administration. The objective of the current study was to measure behavioral effects of orally administered oxycodone and nalfurafine, alone and combined, in rhesus monkeys using a quantitative behavioral observation procedure. MethodsAdult male rhesus monkeys (N=5) were orally administered vehicle, oxycodone (0.56-1.8mg/kg), nalfurafine (0.001-0.0056mg/kg), or mixtures (1.0mg/kg oxycodone/0.001-0.0056mg/kg nalfurafine) in a Jell-O vehicle at multiple timepoints (10-320min). Species-typical and drug-induced behaviors were recorded by observers blinded to conditions. ResultsOxycodone alone significantly increased scratch and face-rub behaviors without affecting other behaviors. Nalfurafine decreased baseline levels of scratch without affecting other behaviors, and oxycodone-nalfurafine combinations resulted in reduced oxycodone-induced scratching at a dose (0.001mg/kg) that did not produce sedation-like effects. Oxycodone combined with larger nalfurafine doses (0.0032-0.0056mg/kg) also reduced oxycodone induced scratch that were accompanied with sedation-like effects (i.e., increased lip droop). ConclusionsNalfurafine was orally active in rhesus monkeys, and it reduced oxycodone-induced pruritus at a dose that did not produce sedation-like effects that are commonly observed with prototypical KOR agonists. Combinations of low doses of nalfurafine with MOR agonists such as oxycodone may be well-tolerated by humans who are prescribed MOR agonists for the treatment of pain.

Seismic Background Noise Analysis from the Seismic Station Located at the University of Abuja, Northcentral Nigeria

Abstract: In October 2018, the Federal Government of Nigeria established several seismic stations in different places in the country. Three of these stations are located in the Abuja region (the Federal Capital Territory, or FCT) and are managed by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency. Over the past few years, several low to intermediate earthquakes have been recorded within and around the Abuja region. These occurrences have provided valuable opportunities to study seismic earth noise using the dataset collected from the VolksMeter II seismometer installed at the University of Abuja. The data was processed using the Win QUAKE software to analyze the seismic background noise by identifying its sources. This analysis aimed to examine the seasonal and/or daily noise levels and check the seismometer’s stability through spectral display. The physical examination and/or quantitative observation of the spectrum revealed that there was a distinct area with densely high ranges between 0.08 and 10 s, corresponding to a frequency range of 0.1Hz–12.53Hz. This assessment involved a full Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) calculation. The spectral analysis indicated the presence of noise burbles, primarily attributable to instrumental noise. These noise burbles were prominent in the east-west direction during the months of March, April, May, and June 2019, with frequencies of 0.03Hz, 0.04Hz, 0.03Hz, and 0.03Hz, respectively. A similar pattern was observed in the north-south direction, with noise peaks of 0.07Hz in the months of January, April, and July 2019. The findings from this study of seismic noise amplitude demonstrate a clear correlation with the global seismic noise models. The sources contributing to the station’s noise levels encompass factors such as wind, geological influences, instrumental noise, and human activities including machinery and airport operations as well as vehicular traffic. These observations highlight the potential of using background seismic noise to quantify tremors and monitor their spatial variations, a task that remains difficult with traditional approaches. Keywords: VolksMeter II, Seismic station, Background noise, Spectrum, University of Abuja.

Morpho-mechanical mapping of human dura mater microstructure

The human dura mater is known to impact vastly traumatic brain injury mechanopathology. In spite of this involvement, dura mater is typically neglected in computational and physical human head models. The lack of location-dependent microstructural and related mechanical data of dura mater may be considered a rationale behind this simplification. The anisotropic nature of dura mater under various loading conditions so far remains unelucidated. Furthermore, principal collagen fiber orientation is yet to be quantified for a morpho-mechanically-informed material model on the dura mater. This study aims to assess how location-dependent mechanical anisotropy is linked to principal collagen fiber orientation. Uniaxial extension tests were performed in a heated tissue bath for 60 samples from six individuals and correlated to the three-dimensional collagen structure in four individuals using second-harmonic generation (SHG) imaging. Failure stress and stretch at failure, elastic modulus, and a microstructurally motivated material model were integrated to examine local differences in dura mater morpho-mechanics. The quantitative observation of collagen fiber orientation and dispersion confirmed that collagen is highly aligned in the human dura mater and that both fiber orientation and dispersion differ depending on the location investigated. This observation provides a possible explanation for the previously observed isotropic mechanical behavior, as the main collagen fiber direction is not oriented along the anterior-posterior or medial-lateral direction at most of the mapped locations. Additionally, these site-dependent structural properties have implications for the mechanical load response and therefore potentially for the regional functions dura mater has to fulfill. The here chosen non-symmetrical fiber dispersion material model fits the data well and provides a comprehensive parameter base for further studies and future finite element models. Statement of significanceThe human dura mater greatly affects traumatic brain injury mechanisms, but it is often ignored in computational and physical head models. This is because there is a lack of detailed microstructural and mechanical data specific to the dura mater. Its anisotropic nature and collagen fiber orientation have not been fully understood, hindering the development of an accurate material model. Hence, this study combines morphological data on collagen fiber orientation and dispersion at multiple locations of human cranial dura mater, and links microstructure to location-specific load-displacement behavior. It provides microstructurally informed mechanical information towards realistic head models for predicting location-dependent tissue behavior and failure for assessing brain injury and graft material development.

Testing guidelines for distinctness, uniformity and stability in Oxalis

AbstractThe genus Oxalis contains important species worldwide with great economic and edible values. However, the testing guidelines have not been furbished, especially in China. Oxalis germplasm, including 60 species and 125 varieties, was collected from home and abroad and extensive field trials and phenotypic observations were conducted along with quantitative taxonomy, observations, correlation analysis and cluster analysis. Under the test guidelines of the International Union for the Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV), general guidelines for testing for distinctness, uniformity, stability (DUS) of new plant varieties, and Japanese test guidelines for DUS of Oxalis, 96 test characteristics (38 qualitative characteristics, 28 quantitative characteristics and 30 pseudo-qualitative characteristics) were determined as DUS test characteristics of Oxalis. Each test characteristic was scientifically graded and accurately described, and standard varieties and characteristic diagrams were provided for some characteristics. The guidelines for testing DUS of new plant varieties of Oxalis provide a standard for examining and testing new varieties of plants.

Experimental study on the axial growth characteristics of streamer stem during dark period in long spark discharge

This paper presents an original investigation into the axial evolution of streamer stem during a dark period in long spark discharge. To obtain thermodynamic morphology and temperature distribution of stems, we set up a quantitative schlieren system with the temporal and spatial resolutions of 0.37 μs and 31 μm/pixel, respectively. The quantitative schlieren observation experiments of positive leader discharge with a 1.0 m rod-plate gap were carried out, and the time-resolved quantitative schlieren images were captured. Furthermore, the temperature distribution of stems and its morphology evolution in the axial direction during a dark period were obtained. Due to the dispersion of first streamer discharge, the gas temperature in stem roots shows two evolutionary trends, namely, rising and falling. It was found that the gas temperature in stem decreased along the axis with the increase in the distance from stem root, and the gas temperature of a thermal thin channel was between 400 and 800 K. There is a significant dependency between axial development parameters of thermal thin channels and the first streamer discharge parameters. The phenomenon of channel abrupt elongation triggered by secondary streamer discharge was observed by the schlieren system, and the influence of characteristic parameters on the inception of secondary streamer was statistically analyzed. The ion current waveform in leader relaxation phase was measured, and it is clarified that the generation mechanism of thermal thin channels is due to the energy transfer between positive ions and neutral particles, which finally leads to the increase in gas temperature in the channels.

Accuracy of Johnson's Formula for Estimating Fetal Weight Compared to Actual Birth Weight: A Study of 600 Cases in Rangpur Medical College

Introduction: The estimation of fetal weight during pregnancy has a significant impact on the survival of newborns and some immediate and late sequelae of the life of newborns. Estimation of fetal weight also plays a paramount role in determining time, mode, and place of delivery. There are many methods to estimate fetal weight like the palpation method, fundal height measurement, and radio frequency volume reduction. Johnson's method is one of the clinical methods that require no expense and is easier to estimate the precise birth weight and fetal weight. This study aimed to analyze the accuracy of the Johnsons formula for estimating fetal weight compared to actual birth weight. Methods: This cross-sectional prospective study took place in the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department of Rangpur Medical College Hospital, Rangpur, between May 2015 to October 2015, six (06) months after approval. The sample size was 600 as per inclusion criteria. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews with the women by using a pre- design questionnaire after proper counseling and informed written consent. The purposive sampling method was used in the study. Data processing was consisting of registration schedule, editing, computerization, preparation of dummy table, analyzing & matching of data. Statistical analysis was carried out by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16.0 for Windows. The mean values were calculated for continuous variables. The quantitative observations were indicated by frequencies and percentages. Paired t-test was used for continuous variables. Pearson's correlation coefficients were used to test the relationship between the groups. P values <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Result: The mean age was found 24.5±5.1 years with a range from 18 to 38 years. The mean symphysio fundal height was found 32.4±2.0 cm with a range from 28 to 36 cm. The mean estimated fetal weight was found 3205.2±287.9 grams with a range from 2635 to 3875 grams. The mean actual birth weight after delivery was found 3019.0±359.0 grams with a range from 2200 to 3800 grams. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.05) between the two groups. A positive significant correlation (r=0.929; p=0.001) was found between actual birth weight and estimated fetal weight by Johnson's formula. A positive significant correlation (r=0.517; p=0.001) was found between actual birth weight and symphysio fundal height. A positive significant correlation (r=0.129; p=0.002) was also found between the actual birth weight neonate and the BMI of the mother. Conclusion: Antenatal and intranatal fetal weight can be estimated with reasonable accuracy, clinically using Johnson's formula. Ultrasound is not available in remote areas where Johnson's formula is easy and simple to calculate and can be included in the training program of medical and paramedical staff and birth attendants.

PENGARUH BAURAN PEMASARAN TERHADAP KEPUASAN PASIEN DI APOTEK RAHMA KRIAN SIDOARJO

Marketing strategy is a way to achieve goals precisely by fulfilling the needs and desires of consumers through the exchange of goods or services. This study aims to determine the effect of the marketing mix with product, price, place, and promotion variables on patient satisfaction at Apotek Rahma. The type of research used is quantitative observation with a sample of 114 respondents and was conducted at the Rahma Krian Pharmacy Sidoarjo. The data collection technique uses a questionnaire that will be distributed to patients who will come to the pharmacy or who will consult a doctor. The analysis technique uses validity test, reliability test, multiple linear regression test, classical assumption test, and T test (partial), F test (simultaneous). The results showed that product and price variables had no effect on patient satisfaction, but place and promotion had an effect on patient satisfaction. Based on joint or simultaneous test, product, price, place, and promotion variables have a significant effect on patient satisfaction.

Penerapan Budaya Organisasi Di Sekolah Dalam Menciptakan Sumber Daya Manusia (SDM) Yang Unggul

. School as an organization certainly has a culture of organization which becomes an important role in the realization of the vision and mission of school. The culture of school organizations is the norms adopted and implemented by all components to achieve the vision and mission of the school effectively. This study aims to describe the culture of school organizations in SMK Negeri 1 Medan for preparing superior human resources and programs to support the culture of school. The approach of this study was quantitative observation, interview and documentation were used as the instruments of eliciting the data. The research subjects included elements of school residents, namely the deputy headmaster, teachers, and students. The results of this observation showed that (1) SMK Negeri 1 Medan has three superior cultures namely the culture of discipline, cooperation, and the culture of industrial work, (2) there are several programs for students in the application of school culture, (3) there are supporting and inhibiting factors for the realization of an effective school organization culture. According to observations, the culture of school organizations in SMK Negeri 1 Medan can be said to be effective.

Construction of High Spatiotemporal Continuity Surface Water Bodies Dataset in the Haihe River Basin

Surface water bodies exhibit high dynamic variability on seasonal and interannual scales, and high spatiotemporal resolution water bodies extent data are crucial for studying surface water bodies’ evolution. Existing surface water bodies datasets are mainly based on optical data acquisition, which has the advantages of long temporal coverage and convenience but is susceptible to cloud contamination, leading to low spatiotemporal continuity. Although microwave remote sensing data are not affected by clouds, early SAR acquisition and short temporal coverage limit its use. Therefore, existing surface water bodies datasets face the problem of insufficient spatiotemporal resolution or low continuity. This research integrates Sentinel-2 optical data and Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) observations to reconstruct the surface water bodies dataset with a 6-day and 10-meter spatiotemporal resolution. Then, the proposed method introduces a spatiotemporal correlation model and predicts the land cover (water or land) of Sentinel-2 cloudy pixels, which improves the spatiotemporal continuity of the reconstructed surface water bodies dataset further. Based on the proposed method, we construct the Haihe River Water Dataset (HRWD) from 2016 to 2020 with a 6-day and 10-meter spatiotemporal resolution. Compared with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre’s (JRC’s) Global Surface Water Explorer and Global Surface Water Extent Dataset (GSWED), the HRWD shows a rational accuracy (e.g., the overall accuracy of the HRWD is more than 93%) and a better spatiotemporal continuity, which provide an improved performance in identifying and monitoring surface water bodies in the Haihe River Basin. This indicates that the proposed method can improve the spatiotemporal continuity of surface water body mapping and meet the needs of accurate and long-term quantitative observation of the distribution of large-scale and high spatiotemporal continuity surface water bodies.

Morphological and molecular characteristics of Donax incarnatus (Bivalvia: Donacidae) from Badur Beach, Madura Island, Indonesia based on the COX1 gene

Abstract. Wijaya CB, Ambarwati R, Rahayu DA. 2023. Morphological and molecular characteristics of Donax incarnatus (Bivalvia: Donacidae) from Badur Beach, Madura Island, Indonesia based on the COX1 gene. Biodiversitas 24: 2805-2813. Donacidae, a family of marine bivalve mollusks, has a high diversity of morphological traits, including shape and color pattern variations. However, these variations often led to errors in morphological identification, necessitating the use of molecular identification methods for accurate species identification and support. This study aims to analyze the morphological and molecular characteristics of Donax incarnatus Gmelin, 1791 collected from Badur Beach of Madura Island, Sumenep District, East Java Province, Indonesia, using the COX1 gene as a molecular marker. Morphological characterization was conducted through qualitative and quantitative observations, while sequencing results were analyzed using bioinformatics software. The results showed that the exterior color of D. incarnatus has three morphological variations, namely purple-black (OQ692130.1), yellowish orange (OQ692131.1), and white (OQ692132.1). Molecular characterization indicated that the similarity value of D. incarnatus with these variations ranged from 96.06% to 99.61%. At the same time, the alignment results of all samples with reference species and outgroups obtained five variations of nucleotide bases. The average genetic distance between D. incarnatus and the in group was 0.01. The phylogenetic tree results obtained using Neighbor-Joining (NJ) and Maximum Likelihood (ML)methods were categorized into two subclusters: D. incarnatus species from Thailand and the study sample from Badur Beach, Madura Island, Indonesia, were placed in the same cluster.

A Gridded Monthly Precipitation Merged Rain Gauge and Satellite Analysis Dataset for the Tian Shan Range between 1981 and 2019

Abstract An accurate and reliable precipitation product on regular grids is essential for understanding trends and variability within climate studies, for weather forecasting, and in hydrology and agrometeorology applications. However, the construction of high-resolution spatiotemporal precipitation grid products is challenging for complex terrain with sparse rain gauge networks and when only coarse spatial resolutions of satellite data are available. The objective of this study was to consequently provide a practical method to create a grid precipitation product by merging accurate quantitative observations from weather stations with continuous spatial information and from a satellite-based estimate product. The new gridded precipitation product exhibits a monthly temporal resolution and a spatial resolution of 0.01° for the Tian Shan range, extending back to 1981. To overcome the limitation of low densities and sparse distributions of meteorological stations in the complex terrain of the Tian Shan, a suitable interpolation of Australian National University Spline (ANUSPLIN) was used to interpolate grid precipitation based on in situ data. The interpolation grid precipitation was then merged with the satellite precipitation product developed by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Climate Hazards Group. After evaluation and validation using withheld stations and comparison to reference datasets, the result indicated that the merged product exhibits considerable promise for application in complex terrain. The method can be widely applied and is expected to construct precipitation products with high spatial and temporal resolution by merging multiple precipitation data sources. Significance Statement The purpose of this study is to construct a gridded precipitation dataset by merging the interpolation precipitation based on in situ observation and a satellite precipitation product in arid mountain regions. This is important because gridded precipitations are essential to the evaluation of climate model output and detection of trends in mean climate and climate extremes. Our results present a guide on merging frameworks to construct precipitation datasets used multisource data sources for regions with complex topography, precipitation scarcity, and ungauged and sparse collection.

Obedience to Uli’l-Amr and Tax Compliance: Islamic Scholarly Perceptions

For Muslims, all aspects of human life including politics and leadership are governed by the Holy Qur’ān. One of the well-known verses is QS. An-Nisa [4]: 59 which instructs the Muslims to obey uli’l-amr. The literature, however, shows that the scope of obedience is not absolute. Resultantly, the current research aims to understand the tax compliance in the context of obedience to authority. It provides a contemporary viewpoint from the Islamic boarding school (pesantren) communities in Depok, Indonesia about enrichment. Both quantitative research and field observations have been used to accomplish the research goals. Focusing on the pesantren communities’ support for the operation of public services, it highlights the connections between obedience to authority and tax compliance. They confirm several assertions frequently linked to tax compliance based on the responsibility on order to obey the ruler, the legitimacy of tax collection, and the intention to engage in tax (non) compliance. The findings enhance the pesantren environment’s support for taxation as a commitment to implement QS. An-Nisa [4]: 59. If the government’s ability to collect taxes is constrained, it would remind them to handle this resource efficiently. This study emphasises the importance of taxation for the viability of the state with genuine support for taxation, transcending any political right. Since uli’l-amr is inherent in religious teachings, the government’s main goal remains to encourage taxpayer compliance through various means of assistance. In this regard, recommendations for promoting tax compliance through some mechanisms are also presented.

RNAi Analysis of Potential Functions of Cyclin B3 in Reproduction of Male Oriental River Prawns (Macrobrachium nipponense).

Cyclin B3 (CycB3) is involved in the metabolic pathway of the cell cycle, playing essential roles in the regulation of cell proliferation and mitosis. CycB3 is also predicted to be involved in the reproduction of male oriental river prawns (Macrobrachium nipponense). In this study, the potential functions of CycB3 in M. nipponense were investigated using quantitative real-time PCR, RNA interference, and histological observations. The full-length DNA sequence of CycB3 in M. nipponense was 2147 base pairs (bp) long. An open reading frame of 1500 bp was found, encoding 499 amino acids. A highly conserved destruction box and two conserved cyclin motifs were found in the protein sequence of Mn-CycB3. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that this protein sequence was evolutionarily close to that of CycB3s of crustacean species. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis results suggested that CycB3 was involved in the process of spermiogenesis, oogenesis, and embryogenesis in M. nipponense. RNA interference analysis showed that CycB3 had a positive regulatory relationship with insulin-like androgenic gland hormone (IAG) in M. nipponense. In addition, sperm were rarely observed in the testis of double-stranded CycB3-injected prawns after 14 days of treatment, and sperm abundance was dramatically lower than that in the double-stranded GFP-injected prawns on the same day. This result indicated that CycB3 can regulate the testis reproduction in M. nipponense through inhibiting the IAG expressions. Overall, these results indicated that CycB3 plays essential roles in the regulation of male reproduction in M. nipponense, which may promote the studies of male reproduction in other crustacean species.

Translating clinical notes into quantitative measures-a real-world observation on the response to cholinesterase inhibitors or selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors prescribed to outpatients with dementia using electronic medical records.

Objective: Cholinesterase inhibitors (CEIs) are prescribed for dementia to maintain or improve memory. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are also prescribed to manage psychiatric symptoms seen in dementia. What proportion of outpatients actually responds to these drugs is still unclear. Our objective was to investigate the responder rates of these medications in an outpatient setting using the electronic medical record (EMR). Methods: We used the Johns Hopkins EMR system to identify patients with dementia who were prescribed a CEI or SSRI for the first time between 2010 and 2021. Treatment effects were assessed through routinely documented clinical notes and free-text entries in which healthcare providers record clinical findings and impressions of patients. Responses were scored using a three-point Likert scale named the NOte-based evaluation method for Treatment Efficacy (NOTE) in addition to the Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change Plus caregiver input (CIBIC-plus), a seven-point Likert scale used in clinical trials. To validate NOTE, the relationships between NOTE and CIBIC-plus and between NOTE and change in MMSE (Mini-Mental State Examination) before and after medication were examined. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using Krippendorff's alpha. The responder rates were calculated. Results: NOTE showed excellent inter-rater reliability and correlated well with CIBIC-plus and changes in MMSEs. Out of 115 CEI cases, 27.0% reported improvement and 34.8% reported stable symptoms in cognition; out of 225 SSRI cases, 69.3% reported an improvement in neuropsychiatric symptoms. Conclusion: NOTE showed high validity in measuring the pharmacotherapy effects based on unstructured clinical entries. Although our real-world observation included various types of dementia, the results were remarkably similar to what was reported in controlled clinical trials of Alzheimer's disease and its related neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Environmental fluid mechanics of minimum energy loss weirs: hydrodynamics and self-aeration at Chinchilla MEL weir during the November–December 2021 flood event

During the recent decades, a number of overflow embankment protection systems were implemented. One design is the Minimum Energy Loss (MEL) weir, developed to pass large flood events with minimum energy loss and low erosion. Several MEL weirs have successfully operated for decades in Australian catchments affected by heavy tropical and sub-tropical rainfalls with very flat gradients. Their historical performances are discussed and confirmed the design capability to pass large floods with small afflux and very small energy loss and little environmental impact including no significant erosion at the abutments. During a major flood, visual and quantitative observations were undertaken at the Chinchilla MEL weir. On the smooth converging chute, the observations showed that the inception of self‐aeration was a three‐dimensional process with a gradual change in free‐surface roughness, from a smooth glassy free-surface to a very-rough choppy surface. An optical technique (OF) was implemented to derive the contour maps of surface velocities based upon video movies taken from a sturdy tripod. The self-aerated flow velocity data were close to the backwater equation in the self‐aerated region, while highlighting regions of high- and low-velocities across the chute. The OF data showed large streamwise surface velocity fluctuations in the aerated flow region, consistent with the broad literature on self-aerated flow measurements. The ratio of transverse to streamwise surface turbulence intensity indicated a strong anisotropy of the free-surface turbulence.

Assessing carrying capacity using demographics, visitor experience and field studies: the case of Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

ABSTRACT The Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (HBNP) was designated the first Marine Life Conservation District in Hawai’i in 1967. It is the most popular visitor snorkelling experience on the island of O’ahu. A social carrying capacity study was conducted upon reopening, following a nine-month COVID-19 closure due to travel restrictions. Surveys were compared to three prior surveys conducted between 1990 and 2002 to provide a larger historical context of social dynamics and perceived human impacts over time. Demographics, recreational activities, crowding perceptions, and educational availability were assessed. Visitor activity photos and counts were evaluated in context with survey responses. Perceived visitor contact on the reef was compared to in situ snorkelling impact. These quantitative observations reported an average of one reef disturbance for every two individuals. Photographic analysis of breakage of selected baseline corals prior to closure were compared to corals following reopening of the preserve in 2021. Partial mortality occurred in 60% of coral colonies. Successful management policies that include social carrying capacities should align with biological carrying capacities to balance the health of the ecosystem with a positive experience for visitors. These management strategies provide a holistic approach to advance conservation and meet visitor satisfaction goals.

Revising the effectiveness of municipal waste management in Hong Kong

Although there have been many studies related to the municipal solid waste (MSW) problem in Hong Kong, only limited research has recently discussed the spatial variation of citizens’ environmental awareness in different geographical constituencies. Also, the relationship between environmental awareness of citizens and the effectiveness of waste management has been poorly understood. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of three proposed approaches; investigate whether the environmental awareness of citizens will affect the effectiveness of current waste management strategies; and examine the differences in the level of environmental awareness of residents in different geographical constituencies, so we can provide suggestions to help mitigate the solid waste problem. In addition, the hypothesis is that there is a relationship between environmental awareness of citizens and its effectiveness. This research adopted quantitative observations and questionnaires as well as qualitative interviews to understand the public perception about the proposed MSW charging, plastic shopping bag charging and recycling in Hong Kong. This research confirmed that the environmental awareness of Hong Kong citizens varies among various geographical constituencies. Residents in Kowloon West have comparatively lower environmental awareness may due largely to the socio-economic background of residents and comparatively unhygienic environment, and they often do not support plastic shopping bag charging and recycling. In addition, males have a lower environmental awareness than females as their attitude towards charging policy may not have much impact on their lifestyle. It is not surprising that low environmental awareness of citizens will reduce the effectiveness of current environmental policies. MSW charging tends to be effective and should be implemented in Hong Kong. Furthermore, plastic shopping bag charging can be effective in the short term but ineffective in the long term, and recycling tends to be invalid as Hong Kong has not developed a circular economy. The limitations of each policy should be considered, and more studies are needed to improve the existing policies as well as exploring novel ways to solve the MSW problem.

Abstract 4303: High-throughput 3D tumoroid models for immunotherapy and drug discovery

Abstract The tumor microenvironment (TME) is a complex 3D cellular system comprised of a diverse amalgam of cells. To characterize the TME, we developed a 3D cell culture platform which facilitates imaging-based analysis and cell viability for extended durations. We used this platform to collect in-situ spatiotemporal measurements of cytokine concentrations in the tumor vicinity, track cellular activity, and model local tumor invasion of glioblastoma (GBM) using fast-scanning confocal microscopy. The mechanism by which we achieve long-term 3D culture is perfusion, modeled as flow through a porous medium. Perfusion facilitates regulated transport of nutrients and waste within the soft microgel medium: Liquid-Like Solids (LLS). The interstitial space is tuned to mimic a capillary bed, and surface bioconjugation of the microgels promotes cellular adhesion and migration. To measure cytokine concentrations, GBM tumoroids were grown in LLS and printed into a dispersion of ELISA beads in LLS. The mechanical stability of LLS ensures the tumor and ELISA beads remain stationary without impeding cellular activity. Cytokine on and off-rates were referenced alongside measured bead fluorescence intensities and positions to fit spatiotemporal reaction-diffusion models. Fast-scanning confocal microscopy facilitated in-situ observation of the evolutionary dynamics of tumor progression. Co-culture of patient-derived tumor explants and autologous PBMCs printed into type I collagen-bioconjugated LLS enabled studies of cancer-immune interactions. In-situ cytokine measurements revealed local IL-8 concentrations reached a maximum value of 2 ng ml−1 after 10 hours. A cellular production rate was estimated at 2 molecules cell−1 s−1. Invasive behavior into the proximal space was determined to be super-diffusive; off-lattice agent-based simulations indicated this behavior is a result of the confinement of invasive fronts to the microgel interstitium. The invading glioblastoma cells used anchorage-dependent migration and were guided by geometric cues to traverse the porous bioconjugated LLS network. Cancer-immune interaction studies revealed average CD8+ speeds greater than 2.8 µm min−1 and both chemotaxis and chemokinetic behavior. CD8+ T-cell killing rates were estimated at approximately 3 cancer cells hr−1 initially, monotonically falling over 12 hours to roughly 1 cell hr−1. The development of the in-situ 3D ELISA assay and imaging-based analysis techniques have enabled the tracking of tumor-immune cell interactions, observation of dynamic tumor progression, and local cytokine concentration profiling at appreciable spatiotemporal resolutions. The combination of a physiologically relevant 3D culture platform with the capacity for in-situ qualitative and quantitative observation may lead to new, powerful, preclinical models that allow for interrogation of the TME and decrease the rate of false discovery. Citation Format: Duy Nguyen, Alexander McGhee, Diego Pedro, Alfonso Pepe, Matthew Schaller, Ryan Smolchek, Jack Famiglietti, Stephanie Warrington, W. Gregory Sawyer. High-throughput 3D tumoroid models for immunotherapy and drug discovery. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 4303.

Formation Process and Driving Mechanism of Urban Waterlogging in the Greater Bay Area

With the acceleration of the urbanization process, the degree of “hardening” of the urban surface becomes higher, and the storage capacity is weakened seriously, so it is easy to cause urban waterlogging. Doing a good job in urban flood control and waterlogging control and reducing disaster losses has become the top priority of disaster prevention and mitigation in our country in the 21st century. This study takes the Chebeichong watershed in Guangzhou as the research area, and based on quantitative observation data, summarizes the formation mechanism of urban waterlogging in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area(GBA), and proposes the key driving factors for the formation of urban waterlogging in the GBA. It will provide theoretical and technical support for the study of effective urban waterlogging forecasting methods.

Single-shot super-resolution quantitative phase imaging allowed by coherence gate shaping

Biomedical and metasurface researchers repeatedly reach for quantitative phase imaging (QPI) as their primary imaging technique due to its high-throughput, label-free, quantitative nature. So far, very little progress has been made toward achieving super-resolution in QPI. However, the possible super-resolving QPI would satisfy the need for quantitative observation of previously unresolved biological specimen features and allow unprecedented throughputs in the imaging of dielectric metasurfaces. Here we present a method capable of real-time super-resolution QPI, which we achieve by shaping the coherence gate in the holographic microscope with partially coherent illumination. Our approach is based on the fact that the point spread function (PSF) of such a system is a product of the diffraction-limited spot and the coherence-gating function, which is shaped similarly to the superoscillatory hotspot. The product simultaneously produces the PSF with a super-resolution central peak and minimizes sidelobe effects commonly devaluating the superoscillatory imaging. The minimization of sidelobes and resolution improvement co-occur in the entire field of view. Therefore, for the first time, we achieve a single-shot widefield super-resolution QPI. We demonstrate here resolution improvement on simulated as well as experimental data. A phase resolution target image shows a resolving power improvement of 19%. Finally, we show the practical feasibility by applying the proposed method to the imaging of biological specimens.