Untapped Resource Research Articles

Pharmacological potential of Jussiaea repens L. against CuSO4 and bacterial lipopolysaccharide O55:B5 induced inflammation using in-vivo zebrafish models

Ethnopharmacological relevanceThe Northeastern state of India is known for its remarkable biodiversity and untapped medicinal resources. Jussiaea repens L., commonly known as water primrose, is a plant found in this region that has been traditionally used by indigenous communities for various purposes. It has been employed to treat skin ulcerations, bone fractures, rheumatism, stomach pain, and intestinal worms.Despite its long-standing ethnopharmacological usage, there is limited scientific research on the bioactivity of Jussiaea repens L. However, preliminary studies have shown its potential antioxidant properties and cytotoxicity against cancer cells. Further exploration of its medicinal properties, particularly its potential as an anti-inflammatory agent, is warranted. Aim of the studyThis study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory properties of Jussiaea repens L., a plant species found in the biodiverse Northeastern region of India. The plant has been traditionally used by indigenous communities for various ailments. By utilizing zebrafish as an animal model and evaluating its effects in different inflammation models, the study aimed to uncover the plant's potential as an anti-inflammatory agent. The research contributes to the scientific understanding of this traditional remedy and its potential therapeutic applications. MethodsJussiaea repens L. extract was obtained from the stem and leaves using methanol as the solvent. Zebrafish embryos were used for in vivo assays. The anti-inflammatory study included two models: CuSO4-induced inflammation and tail wounding followed by bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation. The activities of catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured in CuSO4-induced inflammation. Leukocyte migration at the injury site was observed in the tail wounding model. The extract's inhibition of the 15-LOX enzyme was assessed. All procedures followed established protocols and ethical guidelines. Results and conclusionJussiaea repens L. extract exhibited anti-inflammatory activity in two in vivo zebrafish models: CuSO4-induced inflammation and tail wounding combined with bacterial lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation. The extract reduced mortality rates and showed antioxidant effects by increasing catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities in the CuSO4 model. In the tail wounding model, the extract reduced leukocyte migration in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, the extract demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of the 15-LOX enzyme in the in vitro assay. These results suggest that Jussiaea repens L. extract possesses anti-inflammatory properties and inhibits the 15-LOX enzyme.

Population genomic structures and signatures of selection define the genetic uniqueness of several fancy and meat rabbit breeds.

Following the recent domestication process of the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), many different breeds and lines, distinguished primarily by exterior traits such as coat colour, fur structure and body size and shape, have been constituted. In this study, we genotyped, with a high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism panel, a total of 645 rabbits from 10 fancy breeds (Belgian Hare, Champagne d'Argent, Checkered Giant, Coloured Dwarf, Dwarf Lop, Ermine, Giant Grey, Giant White, Rex and Rhinelander) and three meat breeds (Italian White, Italian Spotted and Italian Silver). ADMIXTURE analysis indicated that breeds with similar phenotypic traits (e.g. coat colour and body size) shared common ancestries. Signatures of selection using two haplotype-based approaches (iHS and XP-EHH), combined with the results obtained with other methods previously reported that we applied to the same breeds, we identified a total of 5079 independent genomic regions with some signatures of selection, covering about 1777 Mb of the rabbit genome. These regions consistently encompassed many genes involved in pigmentation processes (ASIP, EDNRA, EDNRB, KIT, KITLG, MITF, OCA2, TYR and TYRP1), coat structure (LIPH) and body size, including two major genes (LCORL and HMGA2) among many others. This study revealed novel genomic regions under signatures of selection and further demonstrated that population structures and signatures of selection, left into the genome of these rabbit breeds, may contribute to understanding the genetic events that led to their constitution and the complex genetic mechanisms determining the broad phenotypic variability present in these untapped rabbit genetic resources.

Nexus among corruption, political instability and natural resources on economic recovery in Vietnam

Vietnam experienced political unrest from its founding in 1945–2000. However, since 2000, hints of system stability have been observed. Political unrest strengthens the foundations of national corruption over time. By considering the functions of per-capita income and natural resource development, this study assessed the effects of corruption, political instability (PIS), and natural resources on economic development. We used data from 1980 to 2020 to apply linear and non-linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL). Both approaches supported the theory when applied to Vietnam. Our findings show that PIS has a detrimental impact on a nation's GDP, whereas natural resources increase GDP over the long and short term. In contrast, corruption temporarily boosts GDP, while lowering it over time. The asymmetric results over the long-term show that as corruption increases, GDP decreases, and as corruption decreases, GDP increases. The causality correlation supports these findings and suggests policies to combat lease and patronage practices and create a more transparent national environment. This will help control the obvious problems of PIS, corruption, and untapped natural resources and support the country's economic development and prosperity.

Community-Led Education among Rohingya Refugees and the Politics of Refugee Education in Bangladesh

Abstract The academic literature on refugee education and education in emergencies is understandably preoccupied with how to improve educational tools and learning platforms for refugees. However, political restrictions on education from host governments are among the main obstacles for quality education in many refugee settings. This article contributes to the refugee education literature by exploring ways in which refugees themselves can mitigate the denial of the right to education through a combination of traditional community mobilization and the use of new technologies. Specifically, the article analyses the educational strategies that Rohingya youths and community-based education networks manoeuvre to secure basic education in the refugee camps in Bangladesh, despite severe political restrictions. Based on qualitative interviews in 2019 and 2021 (in person and phone interviews) with 38 community teachers and 16 refugee students, and digital data collection, including reviews of learning tools of 21 online programmes, the article presents new knowledge on the strategies that Rohingya youths and adolescents pursue to access learning tools and education. It also shows how community-based education networks and teachers tackle political restrictions on education. These networks represent an educated wellspring of untapped resources with close ties to the refugee community, and insights into the grievances and aspirations of Rohingya youths, that humanitarian education providers should engage with to improve their response.

Evaluation of the acidogenic fermentation potential of food industry by-products

Food industry annually generates huge amounts of waste and by-products, which represent untapped renewable resources to produce platform chemicals (e.g., organic acids) through biological processes, such as acidogenic fermentation (AF). Here, the AF potential of nine food industry by-products has been evaluated in anaerobic batch experiments, with main attention to the spectrum of attained products and related conversion yields. Farinaceous by-products, especially Bread Crust (BC) and Reground Pasta (RP), exhibited the highest conversion yield of the initial Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) into AF products, up to values of 55 ± 2% and 75 ± 9% (for RP and BC, respectively). Substantially lower values, ranging between 6 ± 1% (for Spinach, SP) and 22 ± 1% (for Grape pomace Lees, GL) were achieved with by-products from the vegetable and winery industry. Further experiments with GL, SP, and WP (White exhausted grape Pomace) in the presence of glucose as reference substrate, revealed the coexistence of both recalcitrant and inhibitory compounds in GL and WP, whereas no inhibition on microbial activity was displayed by SP. A sonication pre-treatment experiment (at a low frequency of 20 kHz for 15 min and at room temperature) allowed increasing the conversion yield of GL by approximately 45%.

Untapped Resources of the Republic of Moldova (by Categories) and Their Impact on the Economy

The statement that the Republic of Moldova is not a state with natural resources is most often used as an argument for national scarcity. The reality is different, in the top 12 countries by GDP per capita there are only 2 countries with excess natural resources. Industrialisation explains the procedure by which a finished product is sold at a higher price per kilogram after processing a kilogram of raw material. There are untapped resources according to several categories on the territory of the Republic of Moldova: inexhaustible, recyclable, renewable, extracted from underground, with development potential. It is only important to create a national industrialization strategy and develop a correlation in the production processes of several sectors to create an optimal marginal cost.

Microbial Interaction is Among the Key Factors for Isolation of Previous Uncultured Microbes.

Pure cultivation of microbes is still limited by the challenges of microbial uncultivability, with most microbial strains unable to be cultivated under standard laboratory conditions. The experience accumulated from advanced techniques such as in situ cultivation has identified that microbial interactions exist in natural habitats but are absent in laboratory cultures. These microbial interactions are likely one of the key factors in isolating previously uncultured microbes. The need for better knowledge of the mechanisms operating in microbial interactions has led to various experiments that have utilized microbial interactions in different approaches to microbial cultivation. These new attempts to understand microbial interactions not only present a new perspective on microbial uncultivability but also provide an opportunity to access uncultured phylogenetically novel microbes with their potential biotechnology applications. In this review, we focus on studies of the mechanisms of microbial interaction where the growth of other microbes is affected. Additionally, we review some successful applications of microbial interactions in cultivation methods, an approach that can play an important role in the bioprospecting of untapped microbial resources.

Tobacco treatment specialists’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs about lung cancer screening: Potential piece of the puzzle for increasing lung cancer screening awareness

ObjectivesLess than 5% of eligible U.S. individuals undergo lung cancer screening (LCS). A significant barrier is lack of awareness; more effective outreach and education strategies are needed to achieve greater population LCS uptake. Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTSs) are an untapped resource to assist and understanding TTS knowledge and perspectives about LCS and readiness and capacity to assist is a critical first step. MethodsA sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design was conducted to understand LCS knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of TTSs. A cross-sectional survey (N = 147) was conducted supplemented with 3 focus groups (N = 12). ResultsTTSs lacked good working knowledge about LCS in general and screening guidelines, but think it is important for their patient population and open to routinely assessing and adding this educational component into their current workflow. ConclusionsTobacco treatment offers a unique venue for LCS awareness and is a setting where there are experienced specialists trained in tobacco use assessment and treatment. Results highlight the unmet training needs required to facilitate integration of tobacco treatment and LCS. Practice ImplicationsTTSs are an expanding healthcare workforce. There is a strong need for current TTSs to receive additional training in the benefits of LCS.

The offshore wind energy potential of Morocco: Optimal locations, cost analysis, and socioenvironmental examination.

Morocco, a country without substantial fossil fuels, is emerging as a leader in renewable energy. This article addresses an untapped natural resource in Morocco: offshore wind. Methodologically, we use geographic information systems to assess optimal locations for offshore wind energy plants based on wind speed and power density from the Global Wind Atlas. We incorporate geological, environmental, and economic parameters and calculate capital expenses, operating expenses, development costs, and decommissioning costs to determine if the wind plant will provide a return on investment during its lifetime. The results identify three locations near the cities of Dakhla, Boujdour, and Essaouira that would recoup their investment in 14, 13, and 18 years, respectively, along with supplying 21.8% of Morocco's current energy needs for 2022. We conclude by considering the implications that the new plants would have for Morocco in the social, political, environmental, and economic dimensions. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2024;20:201-210. © 2023 SETAC.

Preparation and evaluation of chitosan-alginate/carrageenan hydrogel for oral drug delivery in the treatment of diabetes

Marine beds are an untapped resource of bioactive materials which can be explored for drug delivery applications. In the present study, a hydrogel was developed with an optimal concentration of sodium alginate-chitosan core polyelectrolytic complex loaded with anti-diabetic drug metformin and coated with ĸ-Carrageenan as an efficient oral drug delivery vehicle. The formulation was optimized by changing parameters such as concentration of polymers, amount of cross-linker and the type and amount of coating material. The prepared hydrogels were characterized for their structural integrity using instrumental techniques such as FTIR, XRD, DSC, and SEM while the physical properties were assessed by evaluating its thickness, UV barrier ability and swelling degree. In vitro study demonstrated the influence of presence and type of coating material affecting drug delivery process. The study suggested that coating with 3% ĸ-Carrageenan (A19) was found most suitable for oral drug delivery since it could resist diffusion of drug in the stomach (pH 1.2) so that maximum drug could reach the intestine (pH 7.4) for absorption. Metformin loaded hydrogel (A20) released ~49% drug in the simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2). In the simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.4) both the hydrogel exhibited a sustained release pattern lasting for more than 4 h. Investigation of drug release kinetics using different mathematical models showed that Higuchi model was the best fit release model with R2 ⩾ 0.973. The results indicated that the prepared hydrogels could be potential drug delivery vehicle toward intestine as well as for extended release to colon targeted drug delivery.

Overall US Hospice Quality According to Decedent Caregivers-Natural Language Processing and Sentiment Analysis of 3389 Online Caregiver Reviews.

Objectives: With an untapped quality resource in online hospice reviews, study aims were exploring hospice caregiver experiences and assessing their expectations of the hospice Medicare benefit. Methods: Topical and sentiment analysis was conducted using natural language processing (NLP) of Google and Yelp caregiver reviews (n = 3393) between 2013-2023 using Google NLP. Stratified sampling weighted by hospice size to approximate the daily census of US hospice enrollees. Results: Overall caregiver sentiment of hospice care was neutral (S = .14). Therapeutic, achievable expectations and misperceptions, unachievable expectations were, respectively, the most and least prevalent domains. Four topics with the highest prevalence, all had moderately positive sentiments: caring staff, staff professionalism and knowledge; emotional, spiritual, bereavement support; and responsive, timely or helpful. Lowest sentiments scores were lack of staffing; promises made, but not kept, pain, symptoms and medications; sped-up death, hasted, or sedated; and money, staff motivations. Significance of Results: Caregivers overall rating of hospice was neutral, largely due to moderate sentiment on achievable expectations in two-thirds of reviews mixed with unachievable expectations in one-sixth of reviews. Hospice caregivers were most likely to recommend hospices with caring staff, providing quality care, responsive to requests, and offering family support. Lack of staff, inadequate pain-symptom management were the two biggest barriers to hospice quality. All eight CAHPS measures were found in the discovered review topics. Close-ended CAHPS scores and open-ended online reviews have complementary insights. Future research should explore associations between CAHPS and review insights.

The Impact of Teaching Strategies to Promote Critical Thinking among General Nursing Students

Background: The complex role of today’s nurses warranties higher levels of critical thinking and clinical judgment abilities. Critical thinking is familiar as an essential factor of nursing exercise by The National League for Nursing (NLN). Objective: The aim of this study were: To find out impact of teaching strategies to promote critical thinking in general nursing students. To analysis the teaching strategies to promote critical thinking in General nursing students. Methods: The descriptive research technique was used in this research which based on questionnaires. All the nursing students of the university was the population of study. The researcher used simple cross sectional sampling in the selection of students. The student of general nursing School DHQ Hospital Jhang were selected as a population 15o students were given questionnaire and all questionnaire were responded. Results: Results indicates that students and instructors each share the responsibility for the quality of learning Yes were 83.5% and the No were 16.5% with the statement. The mean is 1.1652 with .373oo standard deviation. Results also describes about CT is an essential component of nursing education and a necessary competency for modern nursing practice. Results indicate that 98.3% respondents were yes, no were .9% and don’t know was .9% with the statement. The mean is 1.o261 with .2o778 standard deviation. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that the vast majority of nursing students who participated had low levels of promote critical thinking. The results also reinforce the need for students’ continued development in these areas. Nurse educators must renew their commitment to CT as an educational ideal and this ideal must be continually pursued because it is integral to true autonomy in our complex society. The importance of CT to education and practice is indisputable. Nurse educators are an untapped resource in educational organizations.

Street art and creative place-making: urban tourism regeneration in Toronto, Canada

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the place-making processes of street art within the context of Toronto, Canada, and potential for street art as alternative tourism to contribute to new urban tourism and encourage urban regeneration in the city.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies reflexive thematic analysis to analyse secondary data sources such as reports, maps, videos, websites, news articles and official documents alongside photographic documentation and field research.FindingsStreet art in Toronto has been found to coincide closely with processes of creative place-making. While there is some indication that municipal street art organizations and destination marketing organizations are aware of the possibilities for street art to contribute to tourism in the city, it remains an untapped resource for new urban tourism. As a component of creative place-making, it has great potential as a form of alternative tourism to regenerate a still struggling tourism economy.Originality/valueThis paper explores the nascent research area and practical application of street art as an alternative form of urban tourism in Toronto, Canada. It also fills a gap by connecting the concept of creative place-making with street art, urban regeneration and tourism specifically; a focus that needs wider attention.

Shedding light on the composition of extreme microbial dark matter: alternative approaches for culturing extremophiles.

More than 20,000 species of prokaryotes (less than 1% of the estimated number of Earth's microbial species) have been described thus far. However, the vast majority of microbes that inhabit extreme environments remain uncultured and this group is termed "microbial dark matter." Little is known regarding the ecological functions and biotechnological potential of these underexplored extremophiles, thus representing a vast untapped and uncharacterized biological resource. Advances in microbial cultivation approaches are key for a detailed and comprehensive characterization of the roles of these microbes in shaping the environment and, ultimately, for their biotechnological exploitation, such as for extremophile-derived bioproducts (extremozymes, secondary metabolites, CRISPR Cas systems, and pigments, among others), astrobiology, and space exploration. Additional efforts to enhance culturable diversity are required due to the challenges imposed by extreme culturing and plating conditions. In this review, we summarize methods and technologies used to recover the microbial diversity of extreme environments, while discussing the advantages and disadvantages associated with each of these approaches. Additionally, this review describes alternative culturing strategies to retrieve novel taxa with their unknown genes, metabolisms, and ecological roles, with the ultimate goal of increasing the yields of more efficient bio-based products. This review thus summarizes the strategies used to unveil the hidden diversity of the microbiome of extreme environments and discusses the directions for future studies of microbial dark matter and its potential applications in biotechnology and astrobiology.

Effective utilization of waste paper sludge ash as a supplementary material for cement

One of the main causes of carbon dioxide emissions, along with deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels, is the manufacture of cement. Another significant user of natural, untapped resources is the manufacture of concrete. About 7% of the planet's greenhouse gas emissions come from the cement industry. To address the environmental effects of cement manufacturing and the continued loss of natural resources, finding an alternative binding ingredient is vital to establish a sustainable concrete industry. This study shows how to combine waste paper sludge ash with various cement ratios to produce low-cost concrete. Waste paper sludge ash was used as an extra cementitious ingredient as a novel replacement for traditional concrete. In the current experiment, waste paper sludge ash was used as partial replacement of different proportions of (2.5%,5% and 7.5 %) to cement in concrete of M25 grade to test and study its durability, compressive strength, splitting tensile strength and flexural strength at 28 days. Using the results as a guide, it was found that waste paper sludge ash can replace cement up to 5% by weight. Test results show that adding waste paper sludge as a partial replacement of cement in concrete improved the performance of concrete in terms of strength.

Using Whiteboard Animation and Patient Narratives for Learning Clinical Ophthalmology: Student Perspectives.

In ophthalmology, an area that lacks teaching time in university, whiteboard animation and patient narratives may be untapped resources for learning. This research will seek student perspectives on both formats. The authors hypothesise that these formats would be a useful learning tool for clinical ophthalmology in the medical curriculum. The principal aims were to report the prevalence of using whiteboard animation and patient narratives to learn clinical ophthalmology and determine medical students' perspectives on their satisfaction and value as a learning tool. A whiteboard animation and patient narrative video on an ophthalmological condition were provided to students attending two medical schools in South Australia. Following this, they were asked to provide feedback via an online questionnaire. A total of 121 wholly answered surveys were obtained. 70% of students use whiteboard animation for medicine, but only 28% use it for ophthalmology. There was a significant association between the qualities of the whiteboard animation and satisfaction (P<0.001). 25% of students use patient narratives for medicine, but only 10% use it for ophthalmology. Nonetheless, most of the students reported that patient narratives are engaging and improve memory. The consensus is that these learning methods would be welcome in ophthalmology if more content like this were available. According to medical students, whiteboard animation and patient narratives are helpful methods of learning ophthalmology, and a continued effort should be made for their use.

Engineering the Crop Microbiota Through Host Genetics.

The microbiota populating the plant-soil continuum defines an untapped resource for sustainable crop production. The host plant is a driver for the taxonomic composition and function of these microbial communities. In this review, we illustrate how the host genetic determinants of the microbiota have been shaped by plant domestication and crop diversification. We discuss how the heritable component of microbiota recruitment may represent, at least partially, a selection for microbial functions underpinning the growth, development, and health of their host plants and how the magnitude of this heritability is influenced by the environment. We illustrate how host-microbiota interactions can be treated as an external quantitative trait and review recent studies associating crop genetics with microbiota-based quantitative traits. We also explore the results of reductionist approaches, including synthetic microbial communities, to establish causal relationships between microbiota and plant phenotypes. Lastly, we propose strategies to integrate microbiota manipulation into crop selection programs. Although a detailed understanding of when and how heritability for microbiota composition can be deployed for breeding purposes is still lacking, we argue that advances in crop genomics are likely to accelerate wider applications of plant-microbiota interactions in agriculture.

Analysis of energy variability and costs for offshore wind and hybrid power unit with equivalent energy storage system

Offshore wind and wave energy are largely untapped renewable resources. However, the intermittency and the high cost of energy of these resources pose a few major challenges for their wide-scale developments. Although energy storage systems are considered to mitigate or reduce the energy variability to support a reliable power network, the proposed solutions have further increased the capital expenditure. This is primarily due to a lack of systematic techno-economic assessments of offshore renewable systems with energy storage. In addition, the integration of offshore wind and wave energy systems reported in previous literature showed a number of benefits, such as power smoothing and cost reduction. This paper investigates the offshore wind and wave energy intermittency and their dispatchability and proposes an equivalent energy storage system to achieve the same level of energy variability as the combined wind and wave system. This provides a thorough understanding of the power smoothing performance and firmness of energy supply in an offshore energy farm. The economic assessment of the stand-alone offshore wind system, the wind turbine with an energy storage system and the hybrid power unit system are conducted and compared via high-fidelity cost models. In addition, the sensitivities of three system configurations are investigated at multiple locations around the world, which are selected to address typical wind and sea states. The results indicate that the hybrid wind and wave power system has merits in reducing energy variability and enhancing ocean energy dispatchability while offering highly competitive cost, compared to the other two system configurations. Furthermore, the research aims to provide a guidance and support for the developers, investors and policymakers at the pre-planning stage of developing ocean renewable energy systems.

Research on Wake Field Characteristics and Support Structure Interference of Horizontal Axis Tidal Stream Turbine

The harnessing and utilization of tidal current energy have emerged as prominent topics in scientific inquiry, due to their vast untapped resource potential, leading to numerous investigations into the efficacy of hydrokinetic turbines under various operational conditions. This paper delineates the wake field characteristics and performance of horizontal axis tidal stream turbines under the influence of support structures, using a comprehensively blade-resolved computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) model that employs Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations in combination with the RNG k-ε turbulence model. To achieve this, the study utilized experimental tank tests and numerical simulations to investigate the distribution characteristics and recuperative principles of the turbine’s wake field. The velocity distribution and energy augmentation coefficient of the wake field showed strong agreement with the experimental results. To further assess the effect of support structures on the flow field downstream of the unit and its performance, the hydrodynamic attributes of the turbine wake field were analyzed with and without support structures. The interference elicited by the support structure modified the velocity distribution of the near-wake flow field, resulting in a 4.41% decrease in the turbine’s power coefficient (Cp), significantly impacting the turbine’s instantaneous performance.

Physical Activity: An Untapped Resource to Address Our Nation's Mental Health Crisis Among Children and Adolescents.

Physical Activity: An Untapped Resource to Address Our Nation's Mental Health Crisis Among Children and Adolescents.