Acceptable Standards Research Articles

Living conditions in Italian administrative detention centres for migrants: a scoping review

Abstract Since 2011, Italy has experienced a growing flow of migrants, despite the implementation of restrictive and detention-oriented procedures. Detention facilities for migrants must provide health protection and general assistance to the person. Considering the critical state of the centres reported by various sources, this study gives an overview of the conditions in Italian detention facilities for migrants from a public health perspective. A scoping search of the peer-reviewed and grey literature was performed to investigate the public health standards currently in force in Italian detention facilities for migrants and refugees (Hotspot and CPR-Pre-removal Detention Centres). Articles published from 2009 to 2021 in English and Italian were included and qualitatively described in five categories: provision of healthcare, living conditions, protection of vulnerable detainees, access to legal advice, and the Covid-19 pandemic. 11 peer-reviewed studies and 24 grey documents were included. Guidelines on screening procedures for infectious diseases or vaccines appeared to be hastily followed; chronic and mental diseases were not appropriately addressed. The facilities were described as run-down, with scarce and poor-quality meals, and lacking of educational activities. A lack of protection for vulnerable categories was reported, including unaccompanied minors. The Covid-19 pandemic further exacerbated pre-existing issues, highlighting systemic weaknesses in preparedness and response. Life conditions within the centres for migrants in Italy fall significantly short of acceptable standards. The main problems are the unavailability of cultural mediation services and the insufficient protection of mental health. The overall conditions appeared to be not dignifying and violations of the law are, if not frequent, present and well recognised. Urgent reforms are warranted to address these shortcomings and ensure the humane treatment and protection of migrants within these facilities. Key messages • Italy is responding to the recent inflow of migrants with policies oriented to detention and repatriation. To this, it established de-facto detention centres for migrants, namely Hotspot and CPRs. • The public health standards of migrants’ repatriation centres are poorly followed and life inside the centres appears misereble.

Assessment of Groundwater Quality Using Water Quality Indices in Illegal Mining Communities: A Case Study of the Atwima-kwanwoma District and Obuasi East Metropolis, Ghana

This study investigated groundwater quality in illegal mining zones within the Atwima-Kwanwoma District and Obuasi East Metropolis of the Ashanti Region, Ghana, employing both the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment Water Quality Index (CCME-WQI) and Nemerow's Pollution Index (NPI). The analysis revealed severe contamination across multiple parameters, including heavy metals, microbial indicators, and physicochemical parameters. The CCME-WQI values for the five towns consistently indicated "Poor" water quality, ranging from 26.8 to 31.1, reflecting significant deviations from acceptable water quality standards. Notably, Town A exhibited a cyanide concentration of 11.25 mg/L, while Town B recorded lead levels at 118.73 μg/L, both far exceeding permissible limits set by health authorities. The presence of Escherichia coli further exacerbates health risks, underscoring the urgent need for improved water treatment and management practices. This study demonstrates that the integrated use of NPI and CCME-WQI provides a comprehensive assessment of groundwater quality, revealing significant environmental and public health challenges. Immediate intervention, including regulatory enforcement, sustainable mining practices, and remediation strategies, is crucial to safeguard groundwater resources. The findings contribute uniquely to the understanding of water quality dynamics in mining-affected regions and advocate for a coordinated approach to mitigate environmental degradation.

Artificial agents: responsibility & control gaps

ABSTRACT Artificial agents create significant moral opportunities and challenges. Over the last two decades, discourse has largely focused on the concept of a ‘responsibility gap.’ We argue that this concept is incoherent, misguided, and diverts attention from the core issue of ‘control gaps.’ Control gaps arise when there is a discrepancy between the causal control an agent exercises and the moral control it should possess or emulate. Such gaps present moral risks, often leading to harm or ethical violations. We propose a second-order ‘duty of moral control’ that mandates closing these gaps to reduce risks within acceptable moral limits. Our analysis encompasses both autonomous machines and collective agents, acknowledging their similarities and key differences in constitution and moral status. We suggest four methods to close control gaps: ensuring artificial agents attain moral agency, providing meaningful human control, implementing safety engineering, and employing social control. These methods aim to responsibly integrate artificial agents into society. We conclude that a realistic approach, which addresses the practical problems posed by control gaps, is essential. This approach provides solutions to manage the risks posed by artificial agents while maintaining acceptable moral standards, ensuring we responsibly harness their potential and address the ethical challenges they present.

Ensuring Patient Care Continuity: An Audit of Discharge Letter Completeness in Accordance with National Standards

Abstract Background Discharge letters serve as a crucial communication tool to convey essential patient's healthcare information from hospital teams to general practitioners and step-down institutions. In 2013, the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) introduced the National Standard for Patient Discharge Summary Information guideline. Reference 1. Health Information and Quality Authority. (2013). National Standard for Patient Discharge Summary Information. Retrieved from https://www.hiqa.ie/hiqa-news-updates/hiqa-publishes-national-standard-patient-discharge-summary-information. Methods This audit reviewed the completeness of discharge letters of patients admitted under the geriatric service of a tertiary hospital, covering the period between 1st September and 31st December 2023. Twenty-five variables were selected from the HIQA standards. The discharge letters were audited for completeness based on the inclusion of these recommended variables. An acceptable completeness rate of 80% for each variable was established. Results Of the total 89 discharge letters meeting the inclusion criteria, the average age of patients was 80.75 [SD12.95] years, with males comprising 60%. Seventeen out of 25 selected variables were 100% complete as they were automatically included by the electronic software. All discharge letters also invariably included diagnosis and hospital course information. Over 80% of the discharge letters met the acceptable threshold of including the items: discharge medication and future actions/follow-up. However, documentation of allergic status and inclusion radiological and blood investigations were only found in 27% and 49% of the letters, respectively. Conclusion The audited discharge letters had acceptable rates of completeness regarding inclusion of important items, while documentation of allergic status and inclusion of blood and radiological investigations fell below the acceptable standard. Of note, those that were automatized achieved 100% compliance. Regular auditing of discharge letters should become standard practice to improve completeness and ensure patient care continuity and safety. Consideration should be given to automatization of inclusion of reports of investigations.

Greenspace coverage vs. enhanced vegetation index: Correlations with surface urban heat island intensity in different climate zones

The two greenspace indicators, greenspace coverage (GC) and enhanced vegetation index (EVI), have been widely used in studies on surface urban heat island intensity (SUHII). However, GC, which is more practical for urban planning, has not been as extensively involved in cross-regional SUHII studies as EVI. This study investigated 233 Chinese cities spanning three climate zones to examine how the correlations between SUHII and GC differ from those between SUHII and EVI across different climate zones. Our findings reveal that SUHII is more closely associated with the urban-rural differences in greenspace (ΔGC and ΔEVI) than with the urban values of GC and EVI. ΔGC shows potential for inter-city SUHII studies and outperforms ΔEVI in mild temperate climate zones (Cw and Cf). In the snow with dry winter climate zone (Dw), the correlation between SUHII and ΔEVI peaks at −0.795, exceeding that of ΔGC at −0.653. The cooling effects of greenspace diminish progressively from Dw to Cw to Cf, with the same ΔGC corresponding to higher SUHII in Cf than in Cw and Dw. These results underscore the necessity to develop targeted acceptable SUHII standards and GC thresholds for different climate zones to guide greening-based cooling measures.

Effective Teaching for Classroom Management Workshop: The Ghanaian Teachers’ Perspectives and Evaluation

The paper is about teachers’ reflection on and evaluation of continuous professional training and development. It is a qualitative survey, grounded in narrative inquiry framework of educational research with the assumptions that humans are social storytelling organisms. With a convenient sampling technique, 619 responses were received from 778 participants. Adopting a participant-centred mode of teaching, participants evaluated the workshop in their own words. With a human cognition of thinking, learning, and understanding, comments were classified into Bloom’s (1956) three learning domains of cognitive, affective, and skills combined with Perry & Booth’s (2021) concept of evaluating facilitators and workshop organizations and Kirkpatrick’s (1998) four levels of evaluation. Participants insisted that this workshop be extended to other schools to build the required foundation for students. They mentioned also that their exposures to contemporary instructional strategies meet the globally acceptable standards and are challenged as 21st century teachers. Participants maintained that they would go back to the classroom with different mind-sets to include learners during lesson planning.

Silica Sand, Activated Carbon, and Manganese Zeolite for Clean Water Filtration

The General Background Water is essential for human life, but many rural areas still lack access to clean drinking water that meets health standards. In Sumbergedang Village, Pandaan, local water sources are often contaminated by dissolved metals and bacteria, posing risks to community health. Current filtration methods in the area are insufficient, and limited studies explore the combined use of silica sand, activated carbon, manganese zeolite, and UV sterilization for improving rural water quality. This study aims to evaluate the performance of these filtration materials and UV sterilization in producing safe drinking water for the village. The results show that the filtration system increased the pH of the water from 7.94 to 7.98, within acceptable drinking water standards. The novelty of this research lies in the integration of filtration materials with UV sterilization to address both chemical and microbial contaminants, offering a comprehensive solution for water purification. The findings suggest that, while the system effectively improves most water quality parameters, additional treatments may be required to reduce aluminum levels to meet national drinking water standards. These results have important implications for water management in rural areas facing similar challenges. Highlihts: The study combines mangan zeolite, silica sand, and activated carbon with UV sterilization for effective water purification. Filtration and UV treatment significantly reduced turbidity, odors, and bacterial contamination in spring water. Aluminum levels exceeded permissible limits, indicating the need for further modifications to the filtration system. Keywords: Water quality, filtration, UV sterilization, rural communities, aluminum levels

Stabilizing Voltage and Managing Power Loss in Medium Voltage Distribution Systems Through Strategic Maneuvers

Repairs and maintenance on the electrical power system often require power outages. To ensure safety and security during maintenance, limiting the extent of these outages is essential. This study aims to analyze the impact of network maneuvers on voltage drop and power loss in feeders in Medan, Indonesia. The research involves simulating the feeder circuit under various maneuver scenarios using ETAP 19.0.1 software to analyze voltage drop and power loss in the 20 kV distribution network. The end voltage on the backup feeder decreased from 20.31 kV before maneuvering to 20.10 kV after maneuvering. Despite the maneuvers causing an increase in voltage drop from 0.724 kV (3.24%) to 1.080 kV (4.23%) and in active power losses from 152.59 kW (2.29%) to 226.92 kW (3.02%), both remained within the acceptable standard of 5%. To mitigate the voltage, drop, the study proposes uprating the conductor by replacing the existing AAAC conductor with an XLPE-insulated cable. This upgrade can increase the end voltage from 20.09 kV to 20.49 kV, thus improving the overall performance of the feeder during maintenance activities.

Assessing sustainability in smallholder vegetable farms in Benin Republic: A matrix approach

This study aims to assess the level of sustainability in vegetable-based agrifood production systems in Benin and to propose actions to enhance sustainability, food safety, and year-round production in the vegetable production systems. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 200 vegetable farmers in contrasting agroecological areas (with areas of extensive production of staples and intensive production of vegetables), using the “Indicateur de Durabilité des Exploitations Agricoles” (IDEA) framework (an on-farm sustainability index). Most of the surveyed vegetable farmers produced a wide range of crops, including leafy vegetables (amaranth, African eggplant, and African basil) and peppers, grown by more than 50% of the farmers. The average scores achieved by the vegetable farms regarding three dimensions of sustainability—ecological, social, and economic—were 35, 41, and 63, respectively, out of a maximum score of 100. All three sustainability dimensions of the vegetable farms were, on average, at a low level and improvements were needed for them to reach an acceptable standard. The vegetable farms located in the south of Benin had, on average, a higher sustainability score than those in the north: around 50% of vegetable farms in the south had a medium score, while the sustainability level of almost 75% of vegetable farms in the north was low. Interventions seeking to improve the sustainability of vegetable farms in Benin should focus on the promotion and adoption of eco-responsible practices that improve on-farm biodiversity, water conservation, and the effective allocation and management of land and labor, to mitigate the environmental impacts of vegetable production.

The Evaluation of Content Relevance and Representativeness of the New Stroke Risk Screening Scales.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Early and comprehensive risk identification is essential for identifying individuals at high risk for stroke. This study aimed to evaluate each question in the new Stroke Risk Screening Scales (SRSS) and assess the domains for content relevance and representativeness. Initially, six stroke experts were invited to evaluate the SRSS questions. The content validity index (CVI), including the item-CVI (I-CVI) and the average-CVI (Ave-CVI), was then calculated. In our study, the acceptable standards for I-CVI and Ave-CVI were ≥0.78 and ≥0.9, respectively. The results showed that all invited experts accepted the invitation and evaluated the SRSS questions. The previous version of the SRSS consisted of 33 questions. Of these, 30 questions reached an I-CVI of ≥0.78, indicating good content validity. Three questions had an I-CVI of 0.67 and were considered invalid; thus, they were deleted. The overall instrument achieved an Ave-CVI of 0.95. Comprehensive SRSS are essential for effective stroke prevention planning. By facilitating the early identification of individuals at high risk for stroke, these scales help reduce the incidence and impact of stroke. The high content validity found in this study supports the reliability of the SRSS as a screening tool. In the future, implementing such validated scales in clinical practice can improve early intervention strategies, ultimately enhancing health outcomes and optimizing the use of healthcare resources.

Questionnaire Translation and Validation of Problem-Focused Coping in Increasing Work to Family Enrichment in Context of Laos

This study aims to translate and validate a questionnaire of problem-focused coping in increasing work to family enrichment in the context of Laos. The questionnaire is translated by using forward and backward translation process with two Lao bilingual translations: then this questionnaire is evaluated through three validity criteria (content validity, face validity, and construct validity) and reliability process. The findings show that the questionnaire translation is available locally, culturally acceptable, and conceptual equivalence for Lao language. Lao questionnaire version is fulfilled acceptable standards of validity and reliability analysis. This study suggests that the Lao questionnaire version is locally accepted to proceed for further actual study in Lao context.

The Chaos: Improving the Pronunciation of Grade 9 Students

Pronunciation is taught primarily at the elementary level. It is a skill that students should master throughout their studies so that they can express their opinions clearly. This study aimed to identify Grade 9 students’ mispronounced words and their causes, level of pronunciation, and the exposure of students in pronunciation using the poem titled The Chaos written by Gerard Nolst Trenité. The researchers used a purposive sampling technique by acceptable pronunciation standards to select the respondents who are in level 1 from Grade 9 students in a selected private school in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan. This study utilized Patole’s English Pronunciation Problems to classify the mispronounced words followed by a focus group discussion. The results showed that irregular pronunciation was the most common pronunciation problem encountered by the students. Additionally, two respondents stepped on level 2 and one respondent stepped on level 3 wherein the respondents agreed that companions are a great help for them to pronounce the words because they can correct it right away.

External quality assessment performance in ten countries: an IFCC global laboratory quality project.

This study aimed to assess the validity of external quality assessment (EQA) laboratory results across various cultural and environmental contexts and to identify potential improvement areas. The International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine (IFCC) Task Force on Global Laboratory Quality (TF-GLQ) conducted a 2-year study (2022 and 2023) in which EQA materials, related software and online training was provided by a commercial vendor to 100 laboratories in ten IFCC member society countries. The results were analysed on a monthly basis by the TF-GLQ, to show the number of submissions per country, tests per lab, acceptability rates, random failures and to get a measure of which analytes performed poorly. The EQA material was dispatched on a quarterly basis. Some countries had problems with customs releasing the material in a timely manner, resulting in laboratories not receiving them on time leading to no submission. We report here the results for the second year of the survey. The number of examinations varied between laboratories, ranging from seven to 84 analytes. Of the ten countries surveyed, six averaged greater than 90 % acceptable results over the whole 12-months cycle, one had unacceptable results for two of the nine months they returned results and the other four were considered to not perform to an acceptable standard. All 100 participating laboratories indicated satisfaction with the EQA survey and related services, including on-site training, and report handling. However, specimen receiving issues, suggest benefits in dispatching materials for a full 12-month cycle. Significant discrepancies in EQA performance indicate that four countries require long-term assistance, training and guidance. To ensure reliable patient results, promoting EQA in certain countries is essential to achieve the required level of quality.

Improving Reliability of Immunological Assays by Defining Minimal Criteria for Cell Fitness.

Human PBMC-based assays are often used as biomarkers for the diagnosis and prognosis of disease, as well as for the prediction and tracking of response to biological therapeutics. However, the development and use of PBMC-based biomarker assays is often limited by poor reproducibility. Complex immunological assays can be further complicated by variation in cell handling before analysis, especially when using cryopreserved cells. Variation in postthaw viability is further increased if PBMC isolation and cryopreservation are done more than a few hours after collection. There is currently a lack of evidence-based standards for the minimal PBMC viability or "fitness" required to ensure the integrity and reproducibility of immune cell-based assays. In this study, we use an "induced fail" approach to examine the effect of thawed human PBMC fitness on four flow cytometry-based assays. We found that cell permeability-based viability stains at the time of thawing did not accurately quantify cell fitness, whereas a combined measurement of metabolic activity and early apoptosis markers did. Investigation of the impact of different types and levels of damage on PBMC-based assays revealed that only when cells were >60-70% live and apoptosis negative did biomarker values cease to be determined by cell fitness rather than the inherent biology of the cells. These data show that, to reproducibly measure immunological biomarkers using cryopreserved PBMCs, minimal acceptable standards for cell fitness should be incorporated into the assay protocol.

The burden of iatrogenic obstetric fistulas in Sub-Saharan Africa: Systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

Obstetric fistulas are abnormal open connection(s) between the vagina and the urinary tract or the rectum resulting from tragic injuries sustained by mothers during childbirth that lead to urine and/or faecal incontinence. Due to the rapidly growing middle class in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the corresponding quest for hospital delivery and caesarean section, surgery-related (iatrogenic) obstetric fistulas are on the rise. Worryingly, there is scanty data on surgery-related fistulas. This review aims to collate empirical evidence on the magnitude of iatrogenic obstetric fistulas in SSA, generate country-specific data and explore factors that influence obstetric surgery-related fistulas. All relevant databases, PubMed, LILACS, CINAHL, SCOPUS and Google Scholar will be searched from 1st January 2000 to 31st March 2024 using search terms developed from the major concepts in the title without restrictions by language. The Cochrane Library, African Journals Online, Data Base of African Thesis and Dissertations Including Research (DATAD-R D Space) and preprint repositories will also be searched. Reference lists of relevant studies will be searched and experts in the field will be contacted for additional (unpublished) studies. The search output will be exported to Endnote where duplicate studies will be removed. The deduplicated studies will be exported to Rayyan where study screening and selection will be conducted. At least two authors will independently select studies, extract data and assess quality in the included studies using pretested tools. Disagreements between reviewers will be resolved through discussion. Data analysis will be performed with RevMan 5.4. Comparative binary outcomes will be reported as odds ratio (OR) or risk ratio (RR) and for continuous outcomes, mean difference and standard deviations (SDs) will be used. Non-comparative studies will be analysed as weighted proportions. Heterogeneity between studies will be assessed graphically and statistically, and where a significant level is detected, the random-effects model meta-analysis will be performed. All estimates will be reported with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Where data permit, we will conduct subgroup and sensitivity analyses to test the robustness of the estimates on key quality domains. The overall quality of the evidence will be assessed using GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation). This systematic review and meta-analysis uses rigorous methods and best practices to attempt to collate all empirical evidence and estimate country-specific proportions of iatrogenic (surgery-related) fistulas among obstetric fistula patients across countries in SSA. This review will explore context-specific variables, provide insights into their impact and relate them to the type and experience of personnel performing the obstetric procedures that lead to obstetric fistulas. The findings of the full review are expected to inform the development of national and regional Training Programs for Medical Officers, support the development of a consensus "minimum acceptable standard of care" and inform quality assurance standards for clinicians involved in the provision of surgical obstetric care.

Phytochemical composition, antioxidant activity, and cytotoxicity of the aqueous extracts of Dracaena arborea and Bridelia ferruginea: In vitro and in silico studies

Dracaena arborea (DA) and Bridelia ferruginea (BF) are medicinal plants used in the treatment of various ailments such as diabetes, infertility, and sexual dysfunctions. The aim of this work was to characterize these plants chemically and investigate their antioxidant and cytotoxicity in vitro and in silico. The cytotoxicity was determined in PC3, NIH3T3 and BT474 cells, and through hemolysis using erythrocytes. Furthermore, selected compounds from DA and BF were docked against some oxidative stress (Keap1: Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 and GST: glutathione S-transferase) and cytotoxicity (PARP10: poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase family member 10 and p90 RSK: p90 ribosomal S6 kinases) proteins to predict the ligand-protein interaction. We found that the total phenolic and flavonoid content in BF was significantly (p < 0.001) higher than that of DA. 16 and 32 phytocompounds were identified in DA and BF, respectively. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS+) free radical scavenging activity, and cupric and ferric reducing power of BF were significantly (p < 0.05–0.001) higher than those of DA. Moreover, the ability of BF to inhibit lipid peroxidation was higher than that of DA. DA dose-dependently decreased the viability of PC3, NIH3T3, and BT474 cells, while BF tended to feed the cells. Drug-Likeness and toxicity prediction of selected compounds found in DA and BF were within the acceptable standards, according to Lipinski's rule. The majority of compounds found in DA and BF exhibited a strong binding affinity with Keap1, GST, PARP10 and p90 RSK, which supports the in vitro results. For instance, Cis-cyclohexane-1,3-diamine from DA showed a binding affinity of -6.73 kcal/mol and interacted with Keap1 through five conventional hydrogen bonds, while Nrf2 (a Keap1 inhibitor) exhibited a binding affinity of -11.82 kcal/mol and interacted with Keap1 via two conventional hydrogen bonds. 1,3-propanediamine, n-methyl identified in BF exhibited a high stability with Keap1 (-5.95 kcal/mol) due to the presence of 6 conventional hydrogen bonds. Among the compounds identified in DA, the best stable ligand interacting with PARP10 was 2-deoxy-alpha-d-ribopyranose (-7.62 kcal/mol), as it was well-matched in the PARP10 pocket through five conventional hydrogen bonds. In parallel, among the compounds present in BF, 2-[(methylamino)methyl]cyclohexanol showed the best binding affinity with PARP10 (-9.80 kcal/mol), which was higher than that of veliparib (-8.26 kcal/mol), used as a reference inhibitor. In conclusion, BF has the possibility to be exploited in the prevention/treatment of oxidative stress-related diseases, while DA could be a potential anticancer agent. This could justify their ethnomedicinal uses.

The reliability assessment method for sealing structure of subsea horizontal clamp connector based on sealing and strength

The reliability assessment of the Subsea Horizontal Clamp Connector (SHCC) sealing performance faces a challenge due to the lack of characteristic dimension evaluation methods. Hence, this paper develops the Comprehensive Sealing Reliability Evaluation (CSRE) method. This approach allows for the simultaneous analysis of failure in two dimensions: structural sealing and structural strength, incorporating the uncertainty of fuzzy stress in the evaluation. The CSRE method is based on Bayesian networks, using contact stress as a critical parameter to establish structural sealing failure nodes with gasket coefficients combined with the API standards for acceptance. Simultaneously, it establishes structural strength failure nodes using an improved stress interference model. When applying the CSRE method, this paper, through Monte Carlo simulations combined with torque transmission mechanics and finite element contact models, analyzes the reliability variations of the developed SHCC under different torque levels. The results indicate that the sealing reliability of SHCC is related to sealing pressure and structural strength, with excessively high or low torque affecting its sealing reliability. At an input torque of 2400 N·m, its reliability reaches the maximum value, which is 0.9912. The presented CSRE approach, validated through experimentation and method comparison, demonstrates greater alignment with engineering practicality.

Special Issue - Digitalisation and governance, legislative oversight, and service delivery in Africa

African governments remain seized with the permanent goal of achieving development and a better standard of living for their citizens. Government is responsible for formulating public policies that address societal issues and delivering much needed basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity and waste removal, all of which are crucial to the affirmation of human dignity and facilitating an acceptable standard of living. The delivery of basic services is also crucial to creating an enabling environment for local economic development because businesses need such services to function and continue executing economic activities in a given subnational jurisdiction. Moreover, governments can enable economic development through sound development planning, policymaking, resource allocation, implementation, and the monitoring, review and evaluation of the performance of such plans and policies vis-à-vis their goals of economic stimulation. The process of digitalisation as a product of the Third and Fourth Industrial Revolutions presents important opportunities for governments to improve the efficiency of their processes and systems and drive socio-economic change.

INVESTIGATION OF THE REFRACTORY PROPERTIES OF KANKARA CLAY FOR ENGINEERING AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS

The refractory properties of Kankara clay have been investigated with a view to understanding its suitability for various engineering and industrial applications. The experimental procedures include thermal shock resistance, thermal conductivity, shrinkage, apparent porosity, refractoriness under load with rising temperature mode, and refractoriness under loadmaintained temperature mode. The results obtained from the research work showed the clay has good refractory properties that can be used for both Engineering and industrial applications. The value obtained through the thermal conductivity test 0.48W/m℃ , as compared with 0.35- 0.45 W/moC for insulating fire brick and 1.05- 1.45W/m℃ for dense fire brick. 2kg/cm2 of the sample was further subjected to refractoriness test where the sample was heated to 1405oC as compared to 1750oC for the production of fire bricks. Further investigation indicated that a glassy surface structure was formed when the samples was heated above 1400℃ . The value obtained as regard the porosity level was 25% which fell between 20-30% as the acceptable standard. The sample was also subjected to apparent porosity and a value of 38% was obtained. Kankara clay formed a glassy and surfaces when heated above 1400oC. In this research, these bricks porous with an apparent porosity of 38.07%. Attempts to produce these bricks with acceptable porosity level of 20-30% were not successful. Kankara clay exhibits moderate thermal shock resistance, moderate thermal conductivity, moderate shrinkage, high apparent porosity, and high refractoriness under load in both rising temperature mode and maintained temperature mode. "Based on these results, Kankara clay appears to be well-suited for use in applications where moderate levels of thermal shock resistance, thermal conductivity, and shrinkage are acceptable, such as in the manufacture of low-temperature bricks, but less suited for high-temperature applications, such as furnace linings, due to its high apparent porosity and susceptibility to deformation under load. Further research could be conducted to explore strategies for reducing the porosity and improving the refractoriness of this clay for broader applications.

Empirical Study on the Impact of Infusion Media on the Flow Rate of Infusion Pumps

To investigate the impact of different infusion media on the flow rate of infusion pumps. Ten infusion pumps were randomly selected and tested for infusion rates using deionized water, saline solution, glucose solution, and parenteral nutrition solution. The infusion flow rate was set at 30 mL/h, and the testing methodology conformed to the standards for the calibration and quality control of syringe pumps and infusion pumps. For infusion set A, the infusion rate was unaffected by the infusion media, remaining within the acceptable quality control standards. For infusion set B, when infused with deionized water, saline solution, and glucose solution, the infusion errors were within the quality control standards. However, when using parenteral nutrition solution as the infusion medium, the infusion error exceeded the acceptable quality control standards. Both the infusion set and the infusion medium can affect the flow rate of infusion pumps. It is crucial to calibrate the flow rate according to the specific infusion medium to reduce medical risks associated with infusion pumps during clinical use.