Stages Of Process Research Articles

Geochronology, mineralization and prospecting implication of the Paleoproterozoic Shaliuquan Nb-Ta pegmatite deposit in the northern Tibetan Plateau

A large number of Archean and Paleoproterozoic pegmatite rare-metal deposits exist worldwide, but few Precambrian pegmatite deposits have been reported in China, especially in the Tibetan Plateau. The Precambrian pegmatite deposits are still poorly studied. The Shaliuquan pegmatite, located in Quanji Massif, is a rare pegmatite-type Nb-Ta deposit in the northern Tibetan Plateau. Columbite-tantalite group minerals (CGMs) from three pegmatite samples give the U-Pb ages of 1844.2 ± 8.1 Ma, 1831.2 ± 12.2 Ma and 1848.0 ± 18.7 Ma, respectively. The U-Pb ages of CGMs show that the Shaliuquan pegmatite is a rare Paleoproterozoic pegmatite rare-metal deposit in the Tibetan Plateau. This is supported by the Precambrian 40Ar/39Ar plateau age of muscovites from two pegmatite samples (1094–1518 Ma), representing the metamorphic events after formation. As for the formation of Shaliuquan pegmatites, we argue that the hydrothermal processes in the late stage of the pegmatite evolution play a vital role for the enrichment and mineralization of Ta, which is evidenced by texture and compositions of CGMs and zircons. The formation of the Shaliuquan pegmatites is a response to the assembly of the Columbia supercontinent. The discovery of the Precambrian Shaliuquan pegmatite deposit implies that the Quanji Massif in the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, which has an ancient mature metasediments basement and thick continental crust, has great potential for prospecting the Paleoproterozoic pegmatite rare-metal deposits.

Barriers to diverse clinical trial participation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Engaging Hispanic/Latina caregivers and health professionals

BackgroundDespite the increasing availability of clinical trials in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, racial/ethnic minorities and other populations facing health disparities remain underrepresented in clinical trials evaluating products for Duchenne. We sought to understand the barriers faced by Hispanic/Latino families specifically and underrepresented groups more generally to clinical trial participation in Duchenne.MethodsWe engaged two participant groups: Hispanic/Latino caregivers of children with Duchenne in the US, including Puerto Rico, and health professionals within the broader US Duchenne community. Caregiver interviews explored attitudes towards and experiences with clinical trials, while professional interviews explored barriers to clinical trial participation among socio-demographically underrepresented families (e.g., low income, rural, racial/ethnic minority, etc.). Interviews were analyzed aggregately and using a thematic analysis approach. An advisory group was engaged throughout the course of the study to inform design, conduct, and interpretation of findings generated from interviews.ResultsThirty interviews were conducted, including with 12 Hispanic/Latina caregivers and 18 professionals. We identified barriers to clinical trial participation at various stages of the enrollment process. In the initial identification of patients, barriers included lack of awareness about trials and clinical trial locations at clinics that were less likely to serve diverse patients. In the prescreening process, barriers included ineligibility, anticipated non-compliance in clinical trial protocols, and language discrimination. In screening, barriers included concerns about characteristics of the trial, as well as mistrust/lack of trust. In consent and recruitment, barriers included lack of timely decision support, logistical factors (distance, time, money), and lack of translated study materials.ConclusionsNumerous barriers hinder participation in Duchenne clinical trials for Hispanic/Latino families and other populations experiencing health disparities. Addressing these barriers necessitates interventions across multiple stages of the clinical trial enrollment process. Recommendations to enhance participation opportunities include developing clinical trial decision support tools, translating prominent clinical trials educational resources such as ClinicalTrials.gov, fostering trusting family-provider relationships, engaging families in clinical trial design, and establishing ethical guidelines for pre-screening potentially non-compliant patients.

Design and development of a novel multirotor configuration with counter-rotating coaxial propellers

In this study, a novel multirotor configuration has been developed, which utilizes a coaxial counter-rotating propeller with a large diameter at the center and four propellers with smaller diameters on four arms in an X configuration. The research pursues two main objectives. The first objective is to establish a development method for multirotors based on the well-known V-method approach in system development. The proposed method enables the design team to analyse and evaluate the multirotor at each stage of the design process, from the system to the component level, and improve the design with greater speed and accuracy. Additionally, the proposed approach can be integrated with various optimization methods, if necessary, to achieve an optimal design. The second objective is to provide the proof-of-concept of the novel multirotor configuration. This objective is pursued across different evaluation sections, from evaluating individual components to fully evaluating the multirotor, to assess the performance of this novel configuration and identify its advantages and disadvantages. The results of various evaluations demonstrate the proposed development process's practicality and proves that the novel configuration is operational and competitive with conventional multirotors in various applications.

Study on low power ADC Design using Memristor on Embedded systems

As portable and battery-operated devices become more common, embedded systems must meet the highest standards for low power consumption. Conventional analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) add a substantial amount of power to these systems overall. The design and application of low power ADCs using memristor technology are examined in this work. Memristors present a viable substitute for traditional ADC components because of their high density and non-volatile memory capabilities. Through the utilization of memristors' special qualities—like their low voltage operation and powerlessness—this research attempts to create ADC architectures with much lower power consumption. The suggested design creates a small, effective, and power-saving solution by integrating memristors in the analog front end and digital processing stages of the ADC. According to experimental results, memristor-based ADCs can save a significant amount of power without sacrificing performance, which makes them perfect for next-generation embedded systems applications. By advancing the design of energy-efficient embedded systems, this study may prolong the lifespan of portable electronics and open up new applications in wearable and Internet of Things (IOT) technologies.

Monitoring of enteropathogenic Gram-negative bacteria in wastewater treatment plants: a multimethod approach.

The wastewater treatment processes are associated with the emission of microbial aerosols, including enteropathogenic bacteria. Their presence in this work environment poses a real threat to the health of employees, both through the possibility of direct inhalation of the contaminated air and indirectly through the pollution of all types of surfaces with such bioaerosol particles. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of enteropathogenic bacteria in the air, on surfaces, and in wastewater samples collected in four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The effectiveness of conventional culture-biochemical, as well as spectrometric and molecular methods for the rapid detection of enteropathogenic bacteria at workstations related to particular stages of wastewater processing, was also evaluated. Bioaerosol, surface swab, and influent and effluent samples were collected from wastewater plants employing mechanical-biological treatment technologies. The air samples were collected using MAS-100 NT impactor placed at a height of 1.5m above the floor or ground, simulating aspiration from the human breathing zone. Surface samples were collected with sterile swabs from different surfaces (valves, handles, handrails, and coveyor belts) at workplaces. The raw influent and treated effluent wastewater samples were aseptically collected using sterile bottles. The identification of bacterial entheropathogens was simultaneously conducted using a culture-based method supplemented with biochemical (API) tests, mass-spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS), and molecular (multiplex real-time PCR) methods. This study confirmed the common presence of bacterial pathogens (including enteropathogenic and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., and Yersinia enterocolitica) in all air, surface, and wastewater samples at studied workplaces. Higher concentrations of enteropathogenic bacteria were observed in the air and on surfaces at workplaces where treatment processes were not hermetized. The results of this study underline that identification of enteropathogenic bacteria in WWTPs is of great importance for the correct risk assessment at workplaces. From the analytical point of view, the control of enteropathogenic bacterial air and surface pollution using rapid multiplex-PCR method should be routinely performed as a part of hygienic quality assessment in WWTPs.

OSTEOGENESIS AND BONE RESORPTION IN PATIENTS WITH POSTOPERATIVE MANDIBULAR BONE DEFECTS DURING INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES

Tooth extraction has long been the most common surgical procedure. Preserving the height of the alveolar ridge after extraction is crucial for further replacement of the missing tooth, including through dental implantation. This study aimed to assess the effect of cryopreserved placenta and quercetin on bone formation and osteoresorption markers in oral fluid. Ninety patients who underwent lower tooth extraction due to inflammation participated in the research. They were divided into three clinical groups of 30 each: the first group received cryopreserved placenta after extraction, the second group received combined therapy of cryopreserved placenta and quercetin, and the third (control) group underwent standard tooth extraction. Osteocalcin and matrix metalloproteinase-8 levels in the oral fluid were measured on days 1, 10, 20, 30, 90, and 180 after extraction for all groups. Antagonism between "osteocalcin" and "matrix metalloproteinase-8" was observed in the oral fluid during reparative osteogenesis. However, statistically significant changes in this marker were noted earlier in the observation period and were more pronounced, possibly due to local changes predominating. This suggests activation of bone tissue resorption processes in the early stages of the study and osteogenesis in the later stages of observation. The least dynamic changes in the studied indicators were observed when cryopreserved placenta was used in combination with quercetin treatment.

Quantitative characterization of occupational sites of implanted P atoms in diamond

The authors implanted P atoms at 50 and 140-keV energies with respective fluences of 1×1014 and 2×1014/cm2 into diamond thin films synthesized by chemical vapor deposition on the type-Ib diamond substrate formed by high-pressure and high-temperature conditions. The occupational sites of implanted P atoms were determined in each processing stage of P implantation, ion-beam-induced epitaxial crystallization (IBIEC) annealing by 3-MeV-Ne2+ ion irradiation at 750°C, and thermal annealing at 850°C in vacuum, by quantitatively comparing the random and channeling yields in Rutherford backscattering (RBS) measurements. In the analysis of RBS spectra, simulated distributions were fitted to the experimentally obtained spectra and we quantitatively identified the occupational sites and ratio of implanted P atoms. In addition, we investigated the diffusion phenomenon of implanted P atoms during annealing processes from the depth profile of scattered He ions. Consequently, the averaged occupational ratio in the substitutional lattice site was stably recorded around 50%. From the depth profile in the RBS spectra, thermal diffusion of implanted P atoms was clearly observed during the last thermal annealing after MeV-IBIEC annealing. We finally discuss the potentials of the MeV-IBIEC irradiation at relatively low temperatures applying to useful and credible annealing methods for electrical activation as well as recovery of damaged crystallinity.

GPR124 promotes trophoblast proliferation, migration, and invasion and inhibits trophoblast cell apoptosis and inflammation via JNK and P38 MAPK pathways.

Early-onset preeclampsia, which occurrs before 34 weeks of gestation, is the most dangerous classification of preeclampsia, which is a pregnancy-specific disease that causes 1% of maternal deaths. G protein-coupled receptor 124 (GPR124) is significantly expressed at various stages of the human reproductive process, particularly during embryogenesis and angiogenesis. Our prior investigation demonstrated a notable decrease in GPR124 expression in the placentas of patients with early-onset preeclampsia compared to that in normal pregnancy placentas. However, there is a lack of extensive investigation into the molecular processes that contribute to the role of GPR124 in placenta development. This study aimed to examine the mechanisms by which GPR124 affects the occurrence of early-onset preeclampsia and its function in trophoblast. Proliferative, invasive, migratory, apoptotic, and inflammatory processes were identified in GPR124 knockdown, GPR124 overexpression, and normal HTR8/SVneo cells. The mechanism of GPR124-mediated cell function in GPR124 knockdown HTR8/SVneo cells was examined using inhibitors of the JNK or P38 MAPK pathway. Downregulation of GPR124 was found to significantly inhibit proliferation, invasion and migration, and promote apoptosis of HTR8/SVneo cells when compared to the control and GPR124 overexpression groups. This observation is consistent with the pathological characteristics of preeclampsia. In addition, GPR124 overexpression inhibits the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-8 and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) while enhancing the secretion of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-4. Furthermore, GPR124 suppresses the activation of P-JNK and P-P38 within the JNK/P38 MAPK pathway. The invasion, apoptosis, and inflammation mediated by GPR124 were partially restored by suppressing the JNK and P38 MAPK pathways in HTR8/SVneo cells. GPR124 plays a crucial role in regulating trophoblast proliferation, invasion, migration, apoptosis, and inflammation via the JNK and P38 MAPK pathways. Furthermore, the effect of GPR124 on trophoblast suggests its involvement in the pathogenesis of early-onset preeclampsia.

Factors influencing adoption of sexual and reproductive health intervention for adolescents in Ebonyi, Nigeria.

School and Community-embedded reproductive health interventions have been implemented in developing countries, with evidence that they led to improved sexual and reproductive health among adolescents. However, this type of intervention is rarely evaluated for its potential adoption and use. This study evaluated the constraints and enablers of the adoption of a school and community-embedded intervention that used community engagement, capacity building, partnerships and collaborations to deliver sexual and reproductive health services to adolescents. The intervention was implemented between 2019 and 2021 in six local government areas in Ebonyi State. The results on adoption presented here were collected four months into the mid-phase of the project, targeting adolescents, parents, adult family members, healthcare providers, local authorities, and community members. Sixteen in-depth interviews were conducted with policymakers, 14 with health service providers and 18 Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with parents, community leaders and adolescents who were part of the implementation process. The coding reliability approach, a type of thematic data analysis was used, that involves early theme development and the identification of evidence for the themes. The adoption of school and community-embedded reproductive health intervention was strong among stakeholders at the early stages of the implementation process. Multi-stakeholder involvement and its multi-component approach made the intervention appealing, thereby enabling its adoption. However, at the later stage, the adoption was constrained by beliefs and norms about sexual and reproductive health (SRH) and the non-incentivisation of stakeholders who acted as advocates at the community level. The sustainability of the intervention may be threatened by the non-incentivisation of stakeholders and the irregular supply of materials and tools to facilitate SRH advocacy at the community level. The inclusive community-embedded reproductive health intervention was adopted by stakeholders because of the enablers which include timely stakeholder engagement. However, for it to be sustainable, implementers must address the non-incentivising of community-level advocates which serve as constraints.

Microeukaryotic community dynamics and assembly mechanisms in shrimp aquaculture ponds

Microeukaryotes play a crucial role in maintaining microbial diversity and stability of aquaculture pond ecosystems. Despite their importance, our understanding of microeukaryotic community assembly and temporal dynamics throughout the aquaculture cycle remained limited. This study investigated microeukaryotic community dynamics in nine shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) farming ponds over 60 days using 18S rRNA gene sequencing. The results indicated that microeukaryotic community dynamics in the pond system can be divided into two stages: a fluctuating stage from day 0 to day 40 and a stable stage from day 40 to day 60. The alpha diversity of the microeukaryotic community in sediment increased in the first stage and decreased in the second stage, while it remained relatively stable in water. The community structure, network complexity, and stability of the microeukaryotic community in water were more stable in the second stage than in the first stage. Additive partitioning analysis indicated local diversity and within-habitat variation were the primary contributors to the total microeukaryotic metacommunity diversity of aquaculture pond system. Furthermore, the species pool in both water and sediment primarily originated from historical sources within the microeukaryotic metacommunity, and the dispersal route between habitats (water and sediment) was strengthened in the second stage compared to the first stage. Additionally, the assembly of microeukaryotic community was primarily governed by stochastic processes in the first stage and deterministic processes in the second stage. Specifically, increasing nitrogen loading influenced the relative abundance of dominant green algae and strengthened the homogeneous environmental selection of the microeukaryotic community. Overall, this study demonstrates the significant impact of historical species pool and nutrient loading in structuring the microeukaryotic metacommunity in the aquaculture pond system.

A Reference Process for Assessing the Reliability of Predictive Analytics Results

Organizations employ data mining to discover patterns in historic data in order to learn predictive models. Depending on the predictive model the predictions may be more or less accurate, raising the question about the reliability of individual predictions. This paper proposes a reference process aligned with the CRISP-DM to enable the assessment of reliability of individual predictions obtained from a predictive model. The reference process describes activities along the different stages of the development process required to establish a reliability assessment approach for a predictive model. The paper then presents in more detail two specific approaches for reliability assessment: perturbation of input cases and local quality measures. Furthermore, this paper describes elements of a knowledge graph to capture important metadata about the development process and training data. The knowledge graph serves to properly configure and employ the reliability assessment approaches.

Enhanced differential evolution-Rao optimization with distance comparison method and its application in optimal sizing of truss structures

A new decision-making approach based on distance measures is established in this study to effectively reduce unnecessary structural analyses in performing truss optimization by metaheuristic algorithms. This approach termed distance comparison (DiC) judges a new design candidate as worth evaluating by using its distance from the best solution. The new candidate solution will be omitted without evaluating it if it is not closer to the best solution than the one being compared. The DiC method is integrated with a novel hybrid metaheuristic based on differential evolution (DE) and the Rao algorithm. In the proposed hybrid strategy, a modified Rao algorithm and an enhanced DE are applied adaptively based on the population diversity to utilize the advantage of each one for a specific stage of the optimization process. Six truss sizing examples with continuous variables, including the 10-bar and 200-bar planar trusses and the 25-bar, 72-bar, 120-bar, and 942-bar spatial trusses, are examined to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Numerical results demonstrate that DiC significantly reduces the number of structural analyses. Moreover, the performance of the proposed hybrid metaheuristic algorithm conducted on the examples is better than that of some state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms.

Response surface methodology of subcritical water-reactive extraction of gingerol to shogaol ginger dregs through ultraviolet light pretreatment

The increase of shogaol production through reactive extraction of subcritical water depends on the stages of the pretreatment process in destroying the cellular cells of ginger pulp. Pretreatment using ultraviolet B (UVB) is predicted to be able to damage cellular cell walls and outer cell membranes (plasmalemma). In addition, to initiate the degradation of gingerols to shogaols, the reaction conversion and selectivity of shogaols are increased. This study aimed to examine the optimum process conditions for the subcritical water-reactive extraction of gingerol to shogaol from the ginger pulp by utilizing UVB pretreatment: reactive extraction temperature (110 – 130oC), ratio solvent/feed (22:1 – 32:1 b/b), and time (10 – 30 minutes). The extract of shogaol in solvent was separated from the raffinate with a separator funnel and analysed using HPLC-MS. Interpretation of experimental data to optimize the reactive extraction process used the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The study results show that at 120°C, solvent:inlet ratio 27:1 for 20 minutes through ultraviolet B-light pretreatment for 10 minutes, the yield of shogaol increased from 177 µg/L (without UV) to 18646 µg/L. Moreover, the RSM model was very good at predicting shogaol acquisition responses with a determination coefficient of R2 to be 0.8554. The optimum condition for reactive extraction through UV-B light pretreatment was reached at a temperature of 121.46°C and an inlet solvent ratio of 27.96 at 18.36 minutes, with a shogaol concentration of 18567.1 µg /L.

Improving lightning protection with corona minimising air terminals

A comprehensive approach to lightning protection is comprised of four key steps, namely protection against direct lightning strikes, dealing with surges and transients, dissipation of lightning currents via earthing and bonding, and protecting people. This paper deals with new research findings associated with direct-strike protection with lightning rods or “air terminals”, namely the effect of accumulated corona space charge around the tips of these components. There is now a great deal of consensus amongst lightning researchers and practitioners that space charge accumulation reduces the efficiency of an air terminal by inhibiting the initiation and development of an upward leader, a critical stage in the lightning attachment process. The paper describes measurements carried out in a high-voltage laboratory to quantify the amount of corona discharge that would be emitted under thunderstorm conditions from a variety of air terminals of different geometries. A unique, previously unreported aspect of these experiments was the corona testing of air terminals under dry and wet conditions. The results of these experiments showed that corona discharge (and hence space charge accumulation) from a standard Franklin rod is substantially higher than from the range of significantly blunter “corona minimising” air terminals that were tested. The previously reported polarity difference in corona characteristics was also observed, i.e., the magnitude of negative corona was larger than positive corona for the same ambient electric field. Differences in corona discharge were also observed under wet and dry conditions, where wet air terminals were found to produce modestly more corona. The paper then addresses the optimisation of air terminals, i.e., minimising corona discharge, for practical lightning protection applications, where the air terminal radius of curvature is tailored to its height and position of installation. Various researchers have made these calculations, the outcomes of which are summarised in this paper. In general, radii of curvature in the range 1–100 mm are required, depending on the installation height and location of the air terminal.

ІННОВАЦІЙНІ ТРАНСФОРМАЦІЇ ОБЛІКОВО-АНАЛІТИЧНОГО ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ УПРАВЛІННЯ БІЗНЕСОМ

Introduction. The innovative potential of business entities indicates their ability to ensure sustainable development and the availability of opportunities to maintain its achieved level in the future, which directly depends on the effectiveness of the accounting and analytical management system and the information produced by it. Changes in approaches to the formation of information at the request of users, the introduction into practice management reports, conducting activities in compliance with the principles of sustainable development, the objective need to adjust vectors of business implementation in the conditions of military operations, and the need to strengthen control over all stages of the full cycle of the economic process actualize the importance of developing an activity strategy. This applies not only to the long-term strategy, but also to the planning of current activities, which significantly increases the value of information regarding the legality of activities at each stage of the economic process. These issues require in-depth scientific research and, based on their results, the development of substantiated proposals aimed at increasing the level of accounting and analytical management support. Problem Statement. The phrase “accounting and analytical support” is quite often included in the title of scientific articles and themes of dissertations for obtaining the scientific degree of Doctor of Economic Sciences and Doctor of Philosophy in the specialty 08.00.09 - Accounting, analysis and audit (by types of economic activity). This does not indicate the exhaustiveness of the problems in the outlined field, but rather actualizes the importance of their in-depth research in the context of meeting the needs of management. The purpose is to consider modern trends in the improvement of the accounting and analytical system of business entities with the actualization of the need to expand the scope of address information at the request of users, to strengthen control over the completeness of the coverage in the process of its formation of all the facts of business practice and conducted operations, and the importance of introducing compliance procedures in this context and financial monitoring. Methods. The logical-abstract method is used, which is based on the elements of the methods of theoretical generalization, analysis, grouping, comparison, description. Results. Society's trust in the accounting institute directly depends on the quality of the information used in the process of evaluating the performance of the activity. Priority is given to summary information, summarized by the indicators of various forms of reporting. This gives reason to evaluate information from the point of view of the “purity” of reporting indicators and the initiation of the characteristic style of the accounting profession and the appropriate behavior of its representatives as managers of a high level of professional knowledge, education, culture and upbringing. It is time to develop a specific code of ethics for a professional accountant as a specialist of a new formation with powerful intellectual potential, a wide range of knowledge and skills, capable of establishing business management on the basis of financial monitoring and compliance. Conclusions. The accounting and analytical system, the components of which can change in the context of taking into account the invariance of management decisions without violating the integrity of the system, remains the informational confirmation of the transition of the business to the platform of sustainable development.

Consumer Preferences for Turmeric Quality Attributes: A Conjoint Analysis in Chamarajanagar District, Karnataka, India

Consumer purchasing behaviour, heavily influenced by quality preferences, drives the need to understand the desired quality attributes of turmeric. With the increasing emphasis on health and wellness, there's a growing demand for organic and sustainably sourced turmeric among health-conscious consumers. To meet these preferences, quality control measures throughout production and processing stages are crucial. The study employed conjoint analysis to elucidate consumer preferences for turmeric quality attributes in Chamarajanagar district utilizing both primary and secondary data sources. Well-structured questionnaires were employed to gather consumer preference data on attributes such as quantity, colour, texture, origin and longevity. Turmeric's area and production exhibited a positive growth rate despite moderate instability. The additive model was used for analysis proved to be a good fit, with both Pearson’s rank correlation coefficient (0.97) and Kendall’s correlation coefficient (0.89) significant at the one percent probability level. Preferred attributes for turmeric powder among respondents included light-yellow colour, fine texture, a 50g quantity pack, organic origin, and long-lasting nature. Insights gained from this analysis inform product development, marketing strategies, and pricing decisions, enabling producers to tailor turmeric offerings to meet consumer demands effectively and enhance market competitiveness. Promoting domestic turmeric cultivation not only boosts foreign exchange inflow but also improves the economic standing of farmers. Thus, prioritizing enhancements in turmeric cultivation presents a promising avenue for encouraging the agricultural sector and fostering economic growth.

Microalgae production in an industrial-scale photobioreactors plant: A comprehensive Life Cycle assessment

Microalgae cultivation provides multiple opportunities to produce valuable bioproducts, but greater clarity must be achieved regarding the real sustainability of current technologies. Numerous life cycle assessment (LCA) studies have been conducted so far. However, most of them were based on literature data and/or extrapolations of lab-scale results, while only a few studies used primary data from pilot or full-scale microalgal plants. Moreover, the obtained results showed great variability, leaving the debate on microalgae sustainability fully open.This work presents a thorough LCA based on primary data from an industrial-scale microalgal facility located in Caltagirone, Italy. The plant is based on vertically-stacked horizontal photobioreactors (total volume of 40.4 m3) installed in a greenhouse and has a capacity of 1200 kgDW/y (Chlorella vulgaris). A cradle-to-gate assessment was performed with the functional unit of 1 kgDW biomass, including operational and infrastructural data. The results emphasized the key role in the generation of potential impacts played by cultivation among process stages and by chemicals (nutrients and cleaning agents) and electricity (mainly for agitation and thermoregulation) among flow types. In comparison with studies from the literature, the analysed microalgal plant has an intermediate environmental performance (e.g., global warming potential of 153 kg CO2,eq/kgDW). This result is encouraging, as it comes from a reliable assessment built on full-scale primary data. On the other hand, it highlights the need to explore alternative strategies (e.g., industrial symbiosis and circular bioeconomy) to reduce the environmental footprint of the process and enhance its economic attractiveness.

Spatially resolved distribution of pancreatic hormones proteoforms by MALDI-imaging mass spectrometry

Zinc plays a crucial role both in the immune system and endocrine processes. Zinc restriction in the diet has been shown to lead to degeneration of the endocrine pancreas, resulting in hormonal imbalance within the β-cells. Proteostasismay vary depending on the stage of a pathophysiological process, which underscores the need for tools aimed at directly analyzing biological status. Among proteomics methods, MALDI-ToF-MS can serve as a rapid peptidomics tool for analyzing extracts or by histological imaging. Here we report the optimization of MALDI imaging mass spectrometry analysis of histological thin sections from mouse pancreas. This optimization enables the identification of the major islet peptide hormones as well as the major accumulated precursors and/or proteolytic products of peptide hormones. Cross-validation of the identified peptide hormones was performed by LC-ESI-MS from pancreatic islet extracts. Mice subjected to a zinc-restricted diet exhibited a relatively lower amount of peptide intermediates compared to the control group. These findings provide evidence for a complex modulation of proteostasis by micronutrients imbalance, a phenomenon directly accessed by MALDI-MSI.

A "2-in-1" Bioanalytical System Based on Nanocomposite Conductive Polymers for Early Detection of Surface Water Pollution.

This work proposes an approach to the formation of receptor elements for the rapid diagnosis of the state of surface waters according to two indicators: the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) index and toxicity. Associations among microorganisms based on the bacteria P. yeei and yeast S. cerevisiae, as well as associations of the yeasts O. polymorpha and B. adeninivorans, were formed to evaluate these indicators, respectively. The use of nanocomposite electrically conductive materials based on carbon nanotubes, biocompatible natural polymers-chitosan and bovine serum albumin cross-linked with ferrocenecarboxaldehyde, neutral red, safranin, and phenosafranin-has made it possible to expand the analytical capabilities of receptor systems. Redox polymers were studied by IR spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy, the contents of electroactive components were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy, and electrochemical properties were studied by electrochemical impedance and cyclic voltammetry methods. Based on the proposed kinetic approach to modeling individual stages of bioelectrochemical processes, the chitosan-neutral red/CNT composite was chosen to immobilize the yeast association between O. polymorpha (ks = 370 ± 20 L/g × s) and B. adeninivorans (320 ± 30 L/g × s), and a bovine serum albumin (BSA)-neutral composite was chosen to immobilize the association between the yeast S. cerevisiae (ks = 130 ± 10 L/g × s) and the bacteria P. yeei red/CNT (170 ± 30 L/g × s). After optimizing the composition of the receptor systems, it was shown that the use of nanocomposite materials together with associations among microorganisms makes it possible to determine BOD with high sensitivity (with a lower limit of 0.6 mg/dm3) and detect the presence of a wide range of toxicants of both organic and inorganic origin. Both receptor elements were tested on water samples, showing a high correlation between the results of biosensor analysis of BOD and toxicity and the results of standard analytical methods. The results obtained show broad prospects for creating sensitive and portable bioelectrochemical sensors for the early warning of environmentally hazardous situations based on associations among microorganisms and nanocomposite materials.

Assessment of Women’s Participation in Fish Processing in Ekiti State, Nigeria

This research examined the involvement of women in various stages of fish processing in Ekiti State, Nigeria. A sampling method was used to select 90 women fish processors, and data was collected through structured interviews. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, and means, along with charts. Additionally, probit regression analysis was conducted to identify socio-economic factors influencing women's participation in fish processing. The findings revealed that, on average, women involved in fish processing were 38.5 years old, with 57% being married and 28.4% being single. A majority (61.7%) had received formal education, and nearly all (91%) were members of cooperative societies. The study found that women were primarily engaged in scaling, gutting, and sticking (87%), with 60% using the hot smoking method. Most processing equipment was locally fabricated, with 15% using drum ovens, 25% using metal sheets, 45% using clay ovens, and 40% using kilns. The majority (85%) used firewood as a fuel source, and 89% packaged their fish in baskets and paper. The probit regression analysis indicated that age, education, access to credit, and access to markets were positively and significantly related to women's participation in fish processing. Marital status and experience in fish processing were also positively related but not significantly. The study concluded that women utilized various methods, equipment, and energy sources in fish processing. Based on the findings, recommendations were made, including assisting women in forming cooperative societies to enhance their business management skills, prioritizing women in accessing credit and loans, and stabilizing fish product prices to mitigate business risks among women processors.