Work Points Research Articles

RESEARCH ON THE PRODUCTION POTENTIAL OF WINTER WHEAT RESEARCH GROWN UNDER NON-IRRIGATED CONDITIONS ON DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOIL IN SOUTHERN OLTENIA

The purpose of this study was to study the behavior of wheat under non-irrigated conditions in the context of recent climate changes, with the objective of choosing the soil for the maximum manifestation of the plant's biological potential under conditions of thermohydric stress. In this sense, five work points were placed in plots sown with the Glosa wheat variety on two types of soil (loamy-sandy and chernozem), in order to evaluate the plant's behavior according to fertility. The obtained results highlighted a degree of twinning of the plant of about 89.74%, in the wheat crop placed on chernozem, exceeding by 16.8% the degree of twinning recorded in wheat plants grown on sandy-loamy soil, where the average of the analyzed points was 72.94%. The analysis of the phytosanitary state of the wheat crop revealed a degree of attack of 46-64% caused by the infection with Puccinia striiformis + Septoria tritici and 0-1.9% caused by Erysiphe graminis, the intensity of the attack being slightly higher with the sown wheat on the chernozem type soil as a result of a higher density of plants and the induction of a wetter microclimate the architecture of the leaf apparatus. The results obtained during the harvesting of the plant, highlighted the recording of the highest productions in the plots of wheat sown on chernozem soil (3664-4735kg/ha), exceeding on average by 82.5% the production recorded on sandy-loamy soil.

From Knowledge to Practice: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Educational Module to Increase Cultural Awareness in Nursing Students.

Background: Educational programs for health-care providers increasingly implement culturally sensitive care. Clear methods for educating students in cultural awareness are still lacking. Research indicates that simply increasing knowledge on ethnicity, culture, or migration does not improve culturally sensitive behavior and can foster stereotypes. To overcome barriers like othering, a form of micro-racism, enhanced critical self-awareness is essential for health-care providers. Aim: A 4h module on culturally sensitive care was designed, implemented, and evaluated, with the aim of increasing nursing students' self-awareness about othering, racism, and exclusion in health care. Methods: This article describes (1) the content of the module, led by the Johari Window model and the needs and insights from nursing students and health-care providers, (2) implementation of the module, and (3) subsequent evaluation among 34 participants. Results: The survey findings were categorized into six themes: Understanding Differences and Prejudices, Applying Knowledge in the Context of Nursing Practice, Acquiring Insights through Interpersonal Engagement, Strengths of the Sessions, Weaknesses and Areas for Improvement, and Overall Impressions. The participants evaluated the module positively, identifying success factors (e.g., enhanced self-reported awareness of their own positionality) and working points (e.g., imbalance in interaction among students and time constraints). Conclusion: The study describes the design, implementation, and evaluation of a module that successfully increases nursing students' self-reported cultural competence and self-awareness, enhancing understanding of health-care inequalities and fostering open communication for more inclusive care.

An intra-pulse feedforward algorithm for improving pulsed microwave and beam stability

During the pulsed operation of the linear accelerator in Dalian Coherent Light Source (DCLS), we observe a strong correlation between the klystron modulator's high voltage and the klystron output microwave, with noticeable stratification among microwaves. Therefore, we propose an intra-pulse feedforward algorithm and implement it in Low-Level Radiofrequency (LLRF) systems. This algorithm assumes that the transfer model of the microwave system is linear within a small range of work points and measures the transfer coefficient of the microwave between the LLRF and klystron. For each pulsed microwave of the klystron output, the LLRF system first calculates the vector deviation between the initial measurement within its pulse and the target. The deviation will be compensated in the LLRF excitation so that the stratification in the later part of the pulsed microwave is suppressed. Experiments have shown that this algorithm can effectively suppress the stratification among microwaves. The microwave amplitude and phase stability (RMS) are improved from 0.10%/0.19∘ to 0.07%/0.06∘ (klystron 4, for example), and the beam energy stability is significantly enhanced from 0.14% to 0.08%. This algorithm can also be applied to other FEL accelerators operating in pulsed modes.

Book review. Venipuncture for the Application of Blood Concentrates. Shahram Ghanaati, MD, DMD, PhD, Chicago: Quintessence Publishing Co Inc.

Book review. A small handbook on blood sampling for dentists and oral surgeons in the dental practice has been published. The sole author of this guide is Prof. Shahram Ghanaati, DDS, MD, PhD, Senior Consultant and Deputy Director of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Plastic Surgery at Frankfurt University Hospital, Germany. Although the advantages of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and other blood concentrates in dental implantology are well known, dentists and dental assistants are not used to taking blood samples. The author presents a guideline for collecting and preparing blood samples to ensure a high level of patient safety in these cases and a certain degree of professionalism in the dental profession. In his foreword, the author rightly points out that only regular practice can bring theory to life. The soft-cover book is extremely compact at 64 pages. The author focuses on the individual work steps and points out possible application errors using 88 photos, illustrations, and generally very easy-to-understand language. The result is an inexpensive clinical guide describing the necessary equipment, anatomy, and the correct sequence of steps for successful venipuncture. It should be included in any oral surgery practice that wants to work with blood concentrates. Of course, anyone looking for references or further information in this small book will not find what they want in the instructions. A list of possible application areas for blood concentrates must also be made. However, the reader is provided with efficient step-by-step instructions. Thus, the booklet elegantly helps close the knowledge gap among dentists regarding successful blood collection.

FROM PRODUCTIVE CONTRADICTIONS IN BUFFON’S SPEECH TO A NEW LOOK AT THE ESSENCE OF THE “LEADERSHIP STYLE” CONCEPT IN MANAGEMENT PSYCHOLOGY

The work points out the presence of not always conscious prerequisites from which researchers of the “management style” proceed in their theoretical and methodological constructions. The author expresses his disagreement with Buffon regarding his phrase “The style is the man himself”, which has gained wide popularity by now. Buffon’s speech reveals productive contradictions of a metonymic and structural-logical nature, which allow the author of the article to raise previously unanswered questions regarding the essence of the concept of “style” and its particular manifestation in the format of “management style”. It is pointed out that style can be considered in terms of the presence of places of functional emptiness in it. Their (quantity, size, location, capacity, plasticity, etc.) as well as the “stylistic substance” in which they are included have an individual character for their bearer.

Can We Predict Who Will Experience Adverse Events While Using Smoking Cessation Pharmacotherapy? A Secondary Analysis of the EAGLES Clinical Trial.

Concerns about potential side effects remain a barrier to uptake of Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved smoking cessation pharmacotherapy [i.e., varenicline, bupropion, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)]. However, use of pharmacotherapy can double the odds of successful quitting. Knowledge of an individual's likelihood of side effects while taking smoking cessation pharmacotherapy could influence treatment planning discussions and monitoring. We conducted a secondary, post-hoc analysis to predict an individual's likelihood of adverse events (AEs) using the Evaluating Adverse Events in a Global Smoking Cessation Study (EAGLES) data from 4,209 adults in the United States who smoked. Participants were randomized to receive 12 weeks of treatment with varenicline, bupropion, NRT patch, or placebo. Our models predicted the likelihood of moderate to severe psychiatric and non-psychiatric AEs during treatment. Using pre-treatment demographic and clinical data, multivariable logistic regression models yielded acceptable areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for an individual's likelihood of moderate to severe 1) psychiatric AEs for bupropion and NRT and 2) non-psychiatric AEs for varenicline and bupropion. Once we adjusted for demographic and baseline characteristics, medication was not associated with psychiatric AEs. Varenicline differed from placebo with regards to non-psychiatric AEs. It is possible to predict person-specific likelihood of moderate to severe psychiatric and non-psychiatric AEs during smoking cessation treatment, though the probability of psychiatric AEs did not differ by medication. Future work should consider factors related to implementation in clinical settings, including determining whether lower burden assessment protocols can be equally accurate for AE prediction. Using data from a large dataset people who smoke in the U.S., it is possible to predict an individual's likelihood of psychiatric and non-psychiatric adverse events during smoking cessation treatment prior to initiating treatment. These predictive models provide a starting point for future work addressing how best to modify and integrate such clinical decision support algorithms into treatment for smoking cessation.

Objections to the “global harm principle” with regard to migration policy

This work points out problems that would arise from applying the “Global Harm Principle” (GHP), a non-ideal theory regarding global migrations. The Global Harm Principle derives from the “Harm Principle”, articulated by John Stuart Mill during the 19th century, expanded to include geopolitical relations and migratory flows. The article aims to refute GHP. Several objections are listed to demonstrate the unfeasibility of its implementation, through historical and socio-political reasoning, as well as thought experiments. We conclude by speculating that the deficiencies in GHP are due to its formulator, Shelley Wilcox, inadvertently falling into a fallacy of composition when expanding Mill’s reasoning to cover geopolitics and, afterwards, committing a fallacy of division when addressing harm compensation.

Fluid and thermal effect on temperature-dependent power increase of electric vehicle's permanent magnet synchronous motor using compound water cooling method

Taking advantage of compound housing water jacket (HWJ) and hollow-shaft water jacket (SWJ) cooling based on the temperature-dependent power of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) is a solution for enhanced electric vehicle (EV) performance. The fluid and temperature field of a 40 kW PMSM at three typical continuous working points were studied, covering low to high speeds of EVs. The influence of different coolant flowrates on power of motor was obtained by multi-physics field coupling analysis method. The impact of current control modes was also investigated. 3D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) conjugate heat transfer calculation combined with 3D lumped parameter thermal network (LPTN) was adopted to calculate the flow and temperature. Temperature-dependent material properties were taken into consideration in electromagnetic finite element analysis (FEA). The models were modified and validated by experiments. Once compounding SWJ on the basis of a strong HWJ cooling, the PM temperature can continue to decrease over 20 degC. The insensitive characteristic of PM temperature towards SWJ flow rate was observed. Under constant current control mode, 3.8 %, 6 % and 4 % PMSM power enhancement by compound cooling were proved at three typical working points. Under current open-loop, 7 %, 16 %, and 10 % increases with compound cooling were confirmed.

Multi-consistency for semi-supervised medical image segmentation via diffusion models

Medical image segmentation presents a formidable challenge, compounded by the scarcity of annotated data in numerous datasets. Semi-supervised methods offer viable solutions to mitigate that, while the image generation capability of diffusion models has shown potential in capturing semantically meaningful information. This paper introduces Multi-Consistency for semi-supervised medical image Segmentation via Diffusion Models (MCSD). We propose a Diffusion-based Feature-guided Module (DFM) that extracts features from pre-trained diffusion models and uses multi-scale features to guide multi-consistency segmentation networks. Additionally, we introduce the Dual-branch Image Consistency (DIC) strategy, which performs multi-consistency learning by generating two independent strong augmented images and optimizing the network by encouraging consistency between strong and weak inputs at multiple levels of features and images. Our method outperforms current approaches, demonstrating its effectiveness in semi-supervised medical image segmentation through experimental results for various labeled data ratios. Furthermore, this work points out the potentiality of diffusion models in semi-supervised medical image segmentation and offers suggestions for improving their use in medical imaging tasks. The code is available at https://github.com/yunzhuC/MCSD.

Kinematic issues in 6R cuspidal robots, guidelines for path planning and deciding cuspidality

A cuspidal serial robot can change inverse kinematic solutions (IKS) without crossing singularities because it has multiple IKS in a singularity-free region. This property of robots has been researched for over thirty years but has not been taken seriously when designing new robots. The presented work points out issues related to nonsingular change of IKS and path planning specific to the cuspidal robots present in existing commercial robots used in various applications. The multiple IKS at the initial end-effector pose allows the user to choose an initial IKS that may lead to a continuous and repeatable path. We analyze in detail how the initial IKS choice affects the prescribed path’s feasibility and repeatability. Cuspidal robots can be used safely if the workspace is analyzed, considering the cuspidality property. For these reasons, we propose a path testing and planning methodology that considers different path scenarios. Given the rise of unconventional designs in 6R robots, the identification of cuspidal properties in the design phase of a robot is of paramount importance. We recall all the known criteria for cuspidality and propose new methods to decide if a given 6R robot is cuspidal. Accordingly, a practical guideline is proposed for deciding the cuspidality of a generic 6R robot.

Research into Energy-Saving Control Strategies of a Bulldozer Driven by a Torque Converter Based on the Minimum Fuel Consumption Rate of the Whole Machine

In order to address the issue of poor fuel efficiency in hydraulic bulldozers during operation, this paper proposes a speed–load control strategy aimed at minimizing the overall fuel consumption rate of the machine. First, input–output models of the engine, hydraulic torque converter and the entire vehicle were established. Then, based on the bulldozer’s output power and fuel consumption rate, a performance metric for the overall fuel consumption rate was proposed to reflect the machine’s working efficiency. The characteristics of the overall fuel consumption rate were analyzed under different load, speed, and gear conditions. Next, a work point optimization control strategy was proposed for the whole machine energy-saving mode and constant power mode, aiming to minimize the overall fuel consumption rate while using the load, speed, and gear as control variables. To verify the feasibility of the work point optimization control strategy, simulations were conducted for both the energy-saving and constant power modes. The simulation results showed that in the whole machine energy-saving mode, this control strategy resulted in the lowest fuel consumption compared to constant speed control strategies at 1500, 1700, and 2000 rpm, with significant reductions in most cases. In the constant power mode, a comparison between four optimal operating points and the whole machine energy-saving mode revealed that while the former had slightly higher fuel consumption, it ensured a stable power output. Finally, experimental testing demonstrated that the proposed control strategy reduced the overall fuel consumption rate by 12.5% compared to the constant speed mode, verifying the effectiveness of the strategy. The study concludes that the energy-saving control strategy, through the coordinated switching between the two modes in complex operating conditions, not only ensures a stable power output for the bulldozer but also significantly improves fuel efficiency, providing an important reference for optimizing the efficiency of transmission systems in construction machines.

Static Versus Dynamic Accessibility. Accessibility Management as a Tool to Enable Its Permanence over Time.

An accessibility monitoring or audit of an environment provides information at a given point in time (static view of accessibility). But accessibility, to be really effective, must be maintained over time. Therefore, it must be considered throughout all phases of the design process (different phases of the project) and construction (different phases of the work). But it is also essential that, once built, it is possible to maintain or even increase the level of accessibility initially achieved. There are many cases in which, despite a good accessible project, during the life of the building the accessibility conditions worsen substantially because the need for a system that guarantees the permanence of accessibility over time is not contemplated. This requires the adoption of a Universal Accessibility Management System (UAMS) which, as is done with other disciplines such as Quality or Sustainability, allows those responsible for the management of this environment to implement, prevent or correct the accessibility actions that correspond in each case. For the development of a UAMS, the first thing to be defined is the scope to be considered and the scope. Furthermore, from the point of view of use, accessibility can be considered from the visitor's point of view (customer service; customer's perspective) or from the worker's point of view (workstation; employee's perspective). In this article we will take as a reference two methodologies that have been widely used on numerous occasions, to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each of them and their parts from a deep theoretical (processes and indicators) and practical (disruptors) knowledge. The ultimate aim of this work is to identify the aspects to be considered in the definition of a UAMS, in order to be able to define and specify the keys to approach an accessibility audit from a dynamic perspective, that is to say. one that really guarantees the sustainability of the accessibility of that place over time.

Turbulence correlation between moving trains and anemometer towers: Theoretical analysis, field measurements and simulation

A precise command of railway operations according to the measured instantaneous wind speed on an anemometer tower along a railway line is the development trend, whose challenges lie in the unknown transfer relation(s) between wind speed fluctuations on a moving train and an anemometer tower, i.e. the turbulence correlation between them. To address this issue, in the current work, the cross-correlation functions of wind speed fluctuations at the moving train and anemometer tower are derived, and an empirical formula of the coherence functions is obtained. The turbulence correlation is inversely related to the separation distance from the anemometer tower to the line, and there is little correlation when this distance is longer than double the longitudinal turbulence length scale. Field measurements of wind characteristics were carried out on an anemometer tower and a moving vehicle, and the turbulence correlation and its expression were validated. Three methods are proposed and compared to evaluate the instantaneous wind speed at the anemometer tower and moving train with this correlation. The methods based on the cross-spectral density and coherence function can accurately simulate the correlation, and the latter performance is slightly better (its simulation of the frequency domain correlation is 52.9% better than the former); the method based on solely independent and identically distributed random phases cannot fully simulate the correlation. From this, the effects of the correlation on train operations are studied and analysed in detail. Our analysis shows that neglecting this correlation leads to conservative estimates: wind speed differences between the anemometer tower and the moving train are at least 18.1% greater, and the safety and economic assessments of train operations in crosswinds are underestimated by at least 32.0%. Considering the correlation can reduce the (excess) safety risk/margin and is an inevitable development of adapting to the detailed assessment of the crosswind stability of vehicles. The quantitative description and simulation of the correlation presented in this work point to the critical importance of wind speed monitoring systems for the detailed crosswind assessment, and provide a theoretical basis for further research work on the crosswind stability of vehicles under true/realistic turbulent flow wind.

Fast radio bursts as standard candles for cosmology

Recently, fast radio bursts (FRBs) have become a thriving field in astronomy and cosmology. Due to their extragalactic and cosmological origin, they are useful to study the cosmic expansion and the intergalactic medium (IGM). In the literature, the dispersion measure (DM) of FRB has been considered extensively. It could be used as an indirect proxy of the luminosity distance dL of FRB. The observed DM contains the contributions from the Milky Way (MW), the MW halo, IGM, and the host galaxy. Unfortunately, IGM and the host galaxy of FRB are poorly known to date, and hence the large uncertainties of DMIGM and DMhost in DM plague the FRB cosmology. Could we avoid DM in studying cosmology? Could we instead consider the luminosity distance dL directly in the FRB cosmology? We are interested to find a way out for this problem in the present work. From the lessons of calibrating type Ia supernovae (SNIa) or long gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) as standard candles, we consider a universal subclassification scheme for FRBs, and there are some empirical relations for them. In the present work, we propose to calibrate type Ib FRBs as standard candles by using a tight empirical relation without DM. The calibrated type Ib FRBs at high redshifts can be used like SNIa to constrain the cosmological models. We also test the key factors affecting the calibration and the cosmological constraints. Notice that the results are speculative, since they are based on simulations for the future (instead of now). We stress that the point in the present work is just to propose a viable method and a workable pipeline using type Ib FRBs as standard candles for cosmology in the future.

Hyperbaric inactivation at 150–250 MPa of Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris spores at room temperature and effect of innovative technologies pre-treatments

This study evaluated hyperbaric inactivation (HI) at 150, 200 and 250 MPa, up to 24 h (at ambient temperatures,18–23 °C) to inactivate Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris (ACB) spores in apple juice. The effects of pre-treatments on spores by thermal pasteurization (90 °C, 30 s), high pressure processing (600 MPa, 3 min, HPP), pulsed electric field (30 kV, 80 μs, 1400 Hz, PEF), and ultrasound (67 W, 20 kHz, 5 min, US) prior to HI was evaluated. The results were fitted to non-linear inactivation kinetic models, including Biphasic, Log-logistic, and Weibull. Without a previous pre-treatment, ACB spores were reduced ≈4.56 log units by HI after 24 h, regardless of the pressure level (initial load around 6 log CFU/mL). The pre-treatments did not affect ACB spores during HI (≈4–5 log units' inactivation after 24 h under pressure), except for PEF that resulted in a lower inactivation (≈3.5 log units after 24 h under pressure). Phase contrast microscopy revealed that the spores were unable to form a vegetative cell during HI. HI at 5 °C resulted in a lower inactivation level, with 3.86, 2.54 and 1.77 log units of inactivation, respectively, at 150, 200 and 250 MPa after 96 h. Industrial relevanceThe results of this work point to the possibility of using HI, before or after conventional thermal pasteurization and other nonthermal technologies (HPP, PEF, and US) to process apple juice, to inactivate ACB spores at room temperature and also under refrigeration. This methodology should be further studied in the context of ACB spores' high thermal stability and its industrial relevance.

Perspectives of care providers on obstacles to healthcare access for people with disabilities in Ethiopia: a qualitative investigation

BackgroundDespite having similar healthcare needs to non-disabled individuals, people with disabilities in Ethiopia face significant challenges accessing healthcare services due to existing barriers. This study aimed to explore these barriers from the perspectives of care providers in primary healthcare facilities.MethodsQualitative research was conducted with care providers in Dire Dawa to identify barriers to healthcare access for people with disabilities. Thematic analysis was used to categorize data into themes.ResultsEight healthcare providers from four service departments participated in eight in-depth interviews and two focus groups. Six themes emerged: physical barriers, financial difficulties, non-accommodating diagnostic facilities, care providers’ attitudes and capacity, communication barriers, and lack of access to health information. Non-confidential and non-dignified care was also identified as a barrier.ConclusionThe study highlights important barriers that prevent people with disabilities from accessing primary healthcare services. Addressing these barriers is crucial for achieving disability-inclusive healthcare services. This research can serve as a starting point for further work in this area to promote equitable healthcare for people with disabilities.

FUZZY LOGIC-BASED POWER MANAGEMENT IN GRID-CONNECTED SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS

With the ever-increasing application of photovoltaic systems on the power grid, energy flow management and grid stability have become a key factor, especially under varying conditions like variable cloud cover and fluctuating load demands. The paper looks forward to proposing a fuzzy logic approach to the management of energy regarding a solar energy system connected to a grid, aiming at obtaining an optimised power distribution among PV generation, the grid, and battery storage. The proposed system will be driven by five input parameters, PV value, grid availability, load demand, battery state of charge, and tariff rate, to regulate the energy flow activity within different scenarios. The simulation results developed in the MATLAB Simulink environment proved the effectiveness of the applied controller in maintaining energy stability and fulfilling the requirements of a load within seven case studies for a 24-hour duration. The work points out the potential of fuzzy logic, besides reliability, in enhancing the efficiency of various renewable energy systems integrated with conventional energy supply grids.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0799/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

MACHINE-LEARNING TECHNIQUES IN MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS PREDICTION USING EEG

The diagnosis and quantification of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have typically depended on skilled doctors recognizing visual patterns, such as Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Electroencephalography (EEG), which resulted in a costly, time-consuming and non-reproducible process. The application of Machine Learning (ML) in MS diagnosis has been getting a lot of attention in the last few years due to the volume of scientific data, the heterogeneity of disease courses, and the variety of diagnostic methods. The EEG has the capability to detect important changes in the brain’s inherent electrical activity, which are influenced by changes in the neural network connections associated with inflammatory demyelinating and neural damage characteristic of the MS. Utilizing multimodal machine learning over the clinically available data may be a contemporary strategy with amazing potential to facilitate early diagnosis. Considering recent EEG investigations as well as the accessibility to their datasets would be the initial steps in utilizing the ML in MS diagnosis. This paper provides a systematic review of the latest techniques for MS diagnostic based on PRISMA guidelines with the prospect of ML application in their investigations. The goal is to find if EEG could be considered a robust and accurate technique for MS diagnosis. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, we consider 111 papers. In our review, 404 people are considered including 209 with MS and 195 healthy controls. As a result, we generated an updated investigation looking at the ML approaches as well as utilizing EEG as an accurate, but less often used method to help with early diagnosis of MS. We summarize, analyze, discuss, and synthesize the recently published works, current trends, and open research issues. The review also points out knowledge gaps about the necessity of validating results and addressing constraints such as limited sample number. Our investigation proves that the precision of the supervised strategies such as [Formula: see text]NN and SVM is typically higher than that of the unsupervised strategies. On the other hand, by utilizing various techniques such as splitting EEG signal sub-bands, signal windowing, and identifying effective features from the data analysis approaches, we have been able to achieve significant classification accuracy higher than 99%. According to the high degree of accuracy of the results, this approach is becoming the focal point of the research works. The high diagnostic accuracy of the proposed machine learning techniques on the EEG signal analysis shows its potential capacity to become a more widespread procedure as the MS diagnostic techniques. To develop the reliability of these methods, gathering, and analyzing more EEG signals from MS patients and creating more suitable EEG protocols are essential in future studies. In the same way, for the dynamic and online analyses of the EEG signals, in-depth studies are needed to determine more effective EEG protocols and machine-learning techniques.

Paradoxical Luxury in the Sint Maarten’s Property Market

This article outlines the concept of ‘paradoxical luxury’ derived through an ethnographic exploration of Sint Maarten’s high-end real estate market. Classic works analyzed luxury goods as markers of status and their consumption playing a role in reinforcing social stratification. More recent work points to the allure of luxury consumption as predicated upon references to heritage, tradition, durability, and quality as selling points while also serving older functions of display and stratification. The luxury concept has also been influenced by more recent concerns among consumers about issues such as sustainability. This study, however, reveals a luxury real estate market through which the ability to display status remains unclear as well as lacking key defining elements of luxury such as heritage and quality. Further, the cycle of repeated destruction of these properties due to seasonal hurricanes present a form of luxury that challenges the traditional views of the concept. As such, the marketed exclusivity and perceived value of properties are directly confronted by their vulnerability to natural disasters, sub-standard building quality and inferior local infrastructure, as well as lax regulatory framework. The concept of paradoxical luxury underscores the contradictory nature of luxury in this setting.

A new plant-based drug delivery platform based on alkyl polyglucosides and β-sitosterol nanovesicles for topical delivery

The finding of new vesicular systems is a challenging process that depends on different factors such as the components used, the interactions between them or the dispersant media. Our objective was to develop a new vesicular delivery system formed by self-assembly of β-Sitosterol (Sit), Lauryl Glucoside (LGL) and Lauryl Glucose Carboxylate (LGC) molecules, all plant-based, biodegradable and biocompatible components. Nanovesicles (NVs) with different molar ratios of Sit, LGL and LGC were prepared using a single step method named DELOS, and characterized by dynamic light scattering, cryo-electron microscopy and small-angle X-ray scattering. Antioxidant compound α-tocopherol (TCP) was integrated in the NVs showing their potential to nanoformulate hydrophobic payloads. Finally, in vitro biocompatibility assays with reconstructed human epidermis and ex vivo skin retention studies using multiphoton microscopy and NVs labelled with Nile Red (NR) were carried out. As a result of this work, a new platform of NVs has been obtained by the self-assembly of Sit, LGL and LGC, obtaining vesicular systems with tunable physicochemical properties in terms of size (130 – 220 nm), surface charge ((-70) – (-40) mV) and lamellarity (unilamellar and multilamellar vesicles), when the carbon chain of the alkyl polyglucoside was >12. The vesicles could efficiently integrate TCP, proving their potential role as delivery systems and maintaining its antioxidant activity after loading. Finally, they also showed biocompatibility with the skin and improved the permeability of the poorly water-soluble molecule NR in terms of time and depth through the epidermis. Overall, the results of this work point to the successful development of an attractive platform based on stable and homogeneous nanovesicles composed of plant-derived ingredients for topical delivery.