scholarly journals The Microalgae Biorefinery: A Perspective on the Current Status and Future Opportunities Using Genetic Modification

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (22) ◽  
pp. 4793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gino Schiano di Visconte ◽  
Andrew Spicer ◽  
Christopher J. Chuck ◽  
Michael J. Allen

There is clear scientific evidence that emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG), arising from fossil fuel combustion and land-use change as a result of human activities, are perturbing the Earth’s climate. Microalgae-derived biofuels have been chased since the 1980s without success but, lately, a new biorefinery concept is receiving increasing attention. Here, we discuss the possible solutions to the many problems that make this process unrealised to date, considering also the possibility of including genetically modified (GM) organisms to improve the productivity and process economics. Currently, unless coupled to a service or higher value product production, biofuels derived from microalgae fail to achieve economic reality. However, provided sufficient development of new technologies, potentially including new or improved organisms to lower both production and processing costs, as well as looking at the utility of distributed versus centralised production models, algae biofuels could achieve an impact, off-setting our heavy reliance on petroleum-based liquid fuels.

Vamping the Stage is the first book-length historical and comparative examination of women, modernity, and popular music in Asia. This book documents the many ways that women performers have supported, challenged, and undermined representations of existing gendered norms in the entertainment industries of China, Japan, India, Indonesia, Iran, Korea, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The case studies in this volume address colonial, post-colonial, as well as late modern conditions of culture as they relate to women’s musical practices and their changing social and cultural identities throughout Asia. Female entertainers were artistic pioneers of new music, new cinema, new forms of dance and theater, and new behavior and morals. Their voices, mediated through new technologies of film, radio, and the phonograph, changed the soundscape of global popular music and resonate today in all spheres of modern life. These female performers were not merely symbols of times that were rapidly changing. They were active agents in the creation of local performance cultures and the rise of a region-wide and globally oriented entertainment industry. Placing women’s voices in social and historical contexts, the authors critically analyze salient discourses, representations, meanings, and politics of “voice” in Asian popular music of the 20th century to the present day.


2011 ◽  
Vol 135 (7) ◽  
pp. 860-869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soheil S. Dadras

Abstract Context.—In the current “molecular” era, the advent of technology, such as array-based platforms, systems biology, and genome-wide approaches, has made it possible to examine human cancers, including melanoma, for genetic mutations, deletions, amplification, differentially regulated genes, and epigenetic changes. Advancement in current technologies is such that one can now examine ribonucleic acid (RNA), deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), and protein directly from the patient's own tumor. Objective.—To apply these new technologies in advancing molecular diagnostics in melanoma has historically suffered from a major obstacle, namely, the scarcity of fresh frozen, morphologically defined tumor banks, annotated with clinical information. Recently, some of the new platforms have advanced to permit utilization of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tumor specimens as starting material. Data Sources.—This article reviews the latest technologies applied to FFPE melanoma sections, narrowing its focus on the utility of transcriptional profiling, especially for melastatin; comparative genomic hybridization; BRAF and NRAS mutational analysis; and micro ribonucleic acid profiling. Conclusion.—New molecular approaches are emerging and are likely to improve the classification of melanocytic neoplasms.


2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 9-12
Author(s):  
A. Lyaginskaya ◽  
N. Shandala ◽  
E. Metlyaev ◽  
V. Kuptsov ◽  
O. Parinov

Purpose: To identify the problem of assessing the health status of personnel working under the conditions of new technologies for the production of nuclear fuel. Material and method: The object of the research was the general morbidity of workers in the production of mixed nitride uranium-plutonium fuel (MNUP-fuel). The material for the study was the data presented in the «Health Passports». The paper used the method of comparative analysis of the overall morbidity of workers in the production of MNUP-fuel and workers in enterprises dealing with nuclear fuel. Results and analysis: At present, in our country, within the framework of the «Breakthrough» project, new technologies are being developed for the fabrication and refurbishment of mixed uranium-plutonium (MNUP) fuel. In the absence of radiation and hygienic standards for the content of fuel products in working rooms, in order to assess the influence of production factors, along with the radiation dose, the incidence of personnel is studied as an integral indicator of health. A study of the incidence of 50 workers in the production of MNUP fuel revealed: Relatively high incidence of general morbidity – 1122 diseases per 100 people or an average of 93.5 diseases per 100 people per year, regardless of the length of service. The leading diseases in the overall morbidity structure are diseases of the respiratory system – 26.0 % (1st place), eyes – 13.4 % (2nd place), musculoskeletal system – 11.4 % (3rd place), circulatory system – 10,9 % (4th place), injuries and poisoning – 8.4 % (5th place), digestive organs and genitourinary system – 7.7 % and 7.0 %, respectively (6th place), which make up 84.7 % of the total morbidity. Obviously, the effective dose of 4.6 mSv/year cannot be the only reason for the high morbidity in workers in complex radiochemical production, but characterizes only the influence of one of the many nonspecific factors of production. The existing system for assessing the health of personnel working in radiochemical production, in addition to analyzing the risks of deterministic and stochastic effects, should include an assessment of the overall morbidity of personnel.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyeon Yu ◽  
Angelica de Antonio ◽  
Elena Villalba-Mora

BACKGROUND eHealth and Telehealth play a crucial role in assisting older adults who visit hospitals frequently or who live in nursing homes and can benefit from staying at home while being cared for. Adapting to new technologies can be difficult for older people. Thus, to better apply these technologies to older adults’ lives, many studies have analyzed acceptance factors for this particular population. However, there is not yet a consensual framework to be used in further development and the search for solutions. OBJECTIVE This paper presents an Integrated Acceptance Framework (IAF) for the older user’s acceptance of eHealth, based on 43 studies selected through a systematic review. METHODS We conducted a four-step study. First, through a systematic review from 2010 to 2020 in the field of eHealth, the acceptance factors and basic data for analysis were extracted. Second, we carried out a thematic analysis to group the factors into themes to propose and integrated framework for acceptance. Third, we defined a metric to evaluate the impact of the factors addressed in the studies. Last, the differences amongst the important IAF factors were analyzed, according to the participants’ health conditions, verification time, and year. RESULTS Through the systematic review, 731 studies were founded in 5 major databases, resulting in 43 selected studies using the PRISMA methodology. First, the research methods and the acceptance factors for eHealth were compared and analyzed, extracting a total of 105 acceptance factors, which were grouped later, resulting in the Integrated Acceptance Framework. Five dimensions (i.e., personal, user-technology relational, technological, service-related, environmental) emerged with a total of 23 factors. Also, we assessed the quality of the evidence. And then, we conducted a stratification analysis to reveal the more appropriate factors depending on the health condition and the assessment time. Finally, we assess which are the factors and dimensions that are recently becoming more important. CONCLUSIONS The result of this investigation is a framework for conducting research on eHealth acceptance. To elaborately analyze the impact of the factors of the proposed framework, the criteria for evaluating the evidence from the studies that have extracted factors are presented. Through this process, the impact of each factor in the IAF has been presented, in addition to the framework proposal. Moreover, a meta-analysis of the current status of research is presented, highlighting the areas where specific measures are needed to facilitate e-Health acceptance.


2001 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Chocat ◽  
P. Krebs ◽  
J. Marsalek ◽  
W. Rauch ◽  
W. Schilling

Even though urban drainage has been practised for more than 5000 years, many challenges arising from growing demands on drainage still remain with respect to runoff quantity and quality; landscape aesthetics, ecology and beneficial uses; and operation of existing urban wastewater systems. Further advances can be achieved by adopting an integrated approach, optimal operation of the existing infrastructure, advanced pollution and runoff source controls, improved resilience of receiving waters, and adaptive water management. The specific research needs include new technologies and strategies for stormwater management, advanced treatment of urban wet-weather effluents, and tools for analysis and operation of drainage systems. High diversity of demands on, and region/site specific conditions of, urban drainage shapes the role of urban drainage experts – as mediators among the many stakeholders and fields involved.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Youssef Nafidi ◽  
Anouar Alami ◽  
Moncef Zaki ◽  
Hanane Afkar ◽  
Mohammed Elazami Elhassani

In light of empirical experience from Morocco, combined with new possibilities afforded by Information and Communication Technology (ICT), there is a wish to integrate new technologies into distance education to help solve a set of problems identified in the initial training at the Regional Centre for the Professions of Education and Training of Fez-Meknes. The results of a study conducted among 15 trainee teachers of the Earth and Life Sciences allow us to conclude that designing a hypermedia tool for learning could constitute a promising solution to address the many challenges linked to the initial training of teachers in Morocco. Finally, the use of this digital resource by trainee teachers’ has also strongly contributed to their eagerness to integrate ICT in their subsequent teaching practices.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alasdair Neilson

This paper seeks to highlight the importance of metaphors for marine conservation and policy. It argues that themanner in which the oceans are perceived, often as an alien landscape, can limit the way language is utilised inmarine conservation efforts. This limitation can produce unhelpful environmental metaphors that, instead ofacting as catalysts for action, produce negative and reactionary responses. It illustrates this point through theexample of what has become known as the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch.’ It postulates that if there is a disconnectbetween the many complex environmental issues facing the world's oceans and the way they are perceived, thenmore focus should be placed on developing pre-determined culturally embedded metaphors, which can conjurerelatable imagery, but that are also rooted in scientific evidence. It recommends that, in an extension to existingpublic perception research (PPR) on how different communities value the ocean environment, there is room forshared metaphors of the oceanic environment to be developed that can help raise awareness within a particularcultural setting.


Digestion ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Zili Xiao ◽  
Danian Ji ◽  
Feng Li ◽  
Zhengliang Li ◽  
Zhijun Bao

<b><i>Background:</i></b> With the development of new technologies such as magnifying endoscopy with narrow band imaging, endoscopists achieved better accuracy for diagnosis of gastric cancer (GC) in various aspects. However, to master such skill takes substantial effort and could be difficult for inexperienced doctors. Therefore, a novel diagnostic method based on artificial intelligence (AI) was developed and its effectiveness was confirmed in many studies. AI system using convolutional neural network has showed marvelous results in the ongoing trials of computer-aided detection of colorectal polyps. <b><i>Summary:</i></b> With AI’s efficient computational power and learning capacities, endoscopists could improve their diagnostic accuracy and avoid the overlooking or over-diagnosis of gastric neoplasm. Several systems have been reported to achieved decent accuracy. Thus, AI-assisted endoscopy showed great potential on more accurate and sensitive ways for early detection, differentiation, and invasion depth prediction of gastric lesions. However, the feasibility, effectiveness, and safety in daily practice remain to be tested. <b><i>Key messages:</i></b> This review summarizes the current status of different AI applications in early GC diagnosis. More randomized controlled trails will be needed before AI could be widely put into clinical practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Mary Casey ◽  
David Coghlan ◽  
Áine Carroll ◽  
Diarmuid Stokes ◽  
Kinley Roberts ◽  
...  

Background: Traditional research approaches are increasingly challenged in healthcare contexts as they produce abstract thinking rather than practical application. In this regard, action research is a growing area of popularity and interest, essentially because of its dual focus on theory and action. However, there is a need for action researchers not only to justify their research approach but also to demonstrate the quality of their empirical studies. Therefore, the authors set out to examine the current status of the quality of extant action research studies in healthcare to encourage improved scholarship in this area. The aim of this scoping review is to identify, explore and map the literature regarding the application of action research in either individual, group or organisational domains in any healthcare context. Methods: The systematic scoping review will search the literature within the databases of CINAHL, PubMed and ABI/Inform within the recent five-year period to investigate the scientific evidence of the quality of action research studies in healthcare contexts. The review will be guided by Arksey and O'Malley’s five mandatory steps, which have been updated and published online by the Joanna Briggs Institute. The review will follow the PRISMA-ScR framework guidelines to ensure the standard of the methodological and reporting approaches are exemplary. Conclusion: This paper outlines the protocol for an exploratory scoping review to systematically and comprehensively map out the evidence as to whether action research studies demonstrate explicitly how the essential factors of a comprehensive framework of action research are upheld. The review will summarise the evidence on the quality of current action research studies in healthcare. It is anticipated that the findings will inform future action researchers in designing studies to ensure the quality of the studies is upheld.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 1_42-1_47
Author(s):  
Naomi SHIBASAKI-KITAKAWA
Keyword(s):  

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