Co-culture of Early and Late Passage Chondrocytes on Biomimetic Collagen-Alginate Sulfate Films Improves the Cartilage Phenotype of Cells Utilized in Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation

The limited regenerative ability of avascular articular cartilage poses challenges in treating cartilage damaged by injury or disease. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) repairs cartilage tissues by reintroducing healthy chondrocytes from an autologous cartilage biopsy into the defect. However, a significant challenge is the tendency for chondrocytes to de-differentiate during monolayer cell expansion on tissue culture plastic (TCP), which is required to reach sufficient cell numbers for ACT procedures. The de-differentiated chondrocytes adopt a fibroblastic phenotype and produce inferior cartilage with weaker mechanical properties and altered tissue composition. This study aims to assess the effects of a co-culture system of early- and late-passage chondrocytes on biomimetic collagen-alginate sulfate (Col-AlgS) films to preserve the cartilage phenotype of monolayer-expanded articular chondrocytes as an optimized cell source for ACT. Col-AlgS films were prepared through layer–by–layer (LBL) deposition of type I collagen (Col1) and alginate sulfate (AlgS), with TCP and Col1 as control substrates. Primary bovine chondrocytes were serial passaged before Passage 1 (P1) and Passage 4 (P4) chondrocytes were seeded individually or in co–cultures on the 3 substrates as follows: P4 cells alone, a 3:1 ratio of P4 cells to P1 cells, a 1:1 ratio of P4:P1, a 1:3 ratio of P4:P1, and P1 cells alone. The viability and proliferation of cells was assessed using live/dead assay and trypan blue exclusion. Chondrocyte morphology was assessed through ImageJ processing. Gene expression was quantified using quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (q-RT-PCR) and protein synthesis was assessed using western blotting. This work showed a 2-fold decrease in cell proliferation on Col-AlgS compared to TCP and Col1 controls (p<0.05). Conversely, there was an increasing trend in cell proliferation of the co-cultures compared to P4 on TCP (1.5-fold) and Col1 as well as Col-AlgS (2-fold) substrates (p<0.05). Col-AlgS increased the expression of relevant genes more than 3-fold, including type I collagen (Col1) and type II collagen (Col2) (p<0.01 and p<0.05 respectively) as well as lubricating superficial zone protein (SZP) (p<0.01), while decreasing pro-inflammatory interleukin 6 (IL6) (p<0.05). Similarly, the co-cultures increased gene expression of Col2 and SZP (p<0.05 for both), while decreasing IL6 (p<0.01). Moreover, microscopic images indicated that chondrocytes on Col1 and AlgS substrates were found to have a rounder morphology compared to those on TCP. Thus, we conclude that a co-culture system of early- and late-passage chondrocytes on Col-AlgS limits the de-differentiation of articular chondrocytes during monolayer-expansion. This system may therefore be used for an optimized chondrocyte source in cartilage tissue engineering applications as it addresses the issue of cell numbers obtained through serial passaging with preserved phenotype

Enhancing Power Quality and Energy Trading in Distribution Network Enabled with Blockchain

This thesis aims to develop a methodology for optimizing energy flow in a distributed network characterized by a distributed system operator (DSO), energy management gateway (EMG), renewable energy (RE) sources and grid. The users of different buses will play a major role in optimizing the power flow, in addition to supplying the needed demand. Based on the location and size of renewables and stored energy, it is expected to reach the least power losses, cost, and voltage deviations possible in the network. The network is supported by blockchain to ensure secure and transparent transactions in addition to facilitating trading between peers. The network is subjected to time domain power flow (TDPF), Prophet forecast, and peer-to-peer (P2P) trading connected to a blockchain to reach optimal configuration

Historical Writing and the State: Sultans in the Biographical Writing of 16th and 17th Century Historians of Bilād al-Shām

By the 1970’s, the history of the Arab lands under Ottoman rule had been finally seen as elusive and yet to be thoroughly explored by scholars who had grown increasingly dissatisfied with the nationalist interpretations of the Ottoman past. This thesis follows on this approach of revisiting Arab-Ottoman history through the sources that we have left of the four-centuries long Ottoman rule in the Arab world. Particularly, it aims at examining the early modern attitude of Arab religious scholars of Bilād al-Shām towards the figure they were subject to, the sultan. It shifts the focus from studying the relationships of the Arabs with the provincial governments towards examining the relationship with the central government through the particular lens of determining attitudes of ulema of Bilād al-Shām towards the Ottoman ruling figure. Biographical dictionaries covering the 16th and until the mid-17th century, and which have entries on Ottoman sultans, were utilized in this research. These works were authored by the learned elite of the society of Bilād al-Shām and reflect their own dispositions, and perhaps to a lesser degree, that of the general public. Their evaluation of the Ottoman sultans is uniformly positive, founded on the conformity of the basis of the Ottoman sultans’ rule and general conduct on one hand with the defining aspects of legitimacy in Islamic legal and political theory on the other. The thesis touches upon the topic of uniform social and political standards across the regions of Bilād al-Shām and Anatolia, highlighting that broadly similar pillars of legitimation are shared between Ottoman Turkish scholars and their counterparts in Bilād al-Shām, based on a shared Islamic social fabric

Agroecology Knowledge and Practices in Early Modern Levantive Agriculture: Exploring Abdul Ghani Al Nabulsi’s Book “Ilm El-Milaha Fi Ilm El-Filaha”

This Thesis explores the agroecological knowledge from the Levantine early modern period as a source of indigenous knowledge that could be adapted to the modern world. The research uses principally the work of Abdul Ghani Al Nabulsi as a source. Al Nabulsi is a polymath who lived between the 17th and 18th century and died in Damascus in 1731, and gathered a wealth of agroecological, and agricultural practices and knowledge occurred during his lifetime and before from ancient and current sources. This study evaluates traditional Levantine farming methods and their potential applications in modern agroecological practices using historical analysis and scientific research. Indigenous knowledge from the early modern Levant is compared to modern agricultural practices and insights from Africa and Latin America to demonstrate the resilience, adaptability, sustainability, and wealth of these traditional practices. The research employs an interdisciplinary approach to analyze Al Nabulsi’s book, involving a critical examination of its content, comparison with recent scholarly works, and a detailed look at the historical context. The findings suggest that traditional agricultural practices promote sustainable and efficient agroecological practices that tackle the challenges of contemporary cultivation. Furthermore, combining these traditional methods with modern agroecological principles can improve food security, reduce environmental impact, enhance ecosystem health, and promote sustainable agricultural practices. This approach highlights the importance of preserving cultural heritage and using indigenous knowledge to inform modern agroecological practices. The study's findings can help develop sustainable agricultural policies, enhance local farming practices, preserve cultural heritage, and support social-base development programs

Rivers and Rivalries: A Political Ecology Analysis of the Transboundary Assi (Orontes) River Basin in Lebanese-Syrian Relations

Transboundary water governance is a critical issue in regions where shared water resources intersect with complex political and socio-ecological dynamics. This thesis explores the Assi (Orontes) River Basin, a transboundary river shared by Lebanon and Syria, through the lens of political ecology and socio-ecological systems thinking. While Lebanon is the upstream riparian, its utilization of the Assi River’s waters remains limited due to historical, political, and governance-related factors. Using a qualitative research approach, this study employs thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews with local resource managers, farmers, aquaculturists, governmental officials, and NGO representatives to assess perceptions of water governance, environmental degradation, and socio-economic impacts. Findings indicate that contrary to dominant academic narratives, Syrian influence is not perceived as a major factor restricting Lebanon’s water development. Instead, internal governance failures, systemic marginalization, and corruption are identified as primary barriers. The research also highlights the declining environmental health of the Assi River, particularly due to pollution from unregulated aquaculture and groundwater over-extraction. The study argues that Lebanon’s political and economic neglect of the Hermel region, where the Assi River flows, has exacerbated underdevelopment, overshadowing transboundary water disputes as a key issue. It challenges existing frameworks of hydro-hegemony, proposing that transboundary water management in smaller river basins should be analyzed not only through geopolitical power asymmetries but also through the lens of domestic governance inefficiencies and local socio-political dynamics. The thesis concludes by recommending institutional reforms, infrastructure investment, and enhanced cooperation between Lebanon and Syria to ensure the sustainable and equitable management of the Assi River. It also calls for a paradigm shift in transboundary water governance studies to account for internal governance structures and localized socio-ecological factors alongside traditional geopolitical analyses

The Politicization of Climate Policies in the Israeli Occupation of Palestine: Environmental Responsibility or Tools of Domination?

This project critically investigates the politicization of climate policies within the framework of Israel's occupation of Palestine and analyses the duality of environmental responsibility and tools of domination. Embedded within the broader discourse on climate and conflict, it engages with critiques of the securitization and depoliticization of climate narratives that obscure local power dynamics and systems of oppression. Through a discourse analysis of the official statements of Israel at the United Nations Climate Change Conferences (COP) since 2015, this project shows how Israel instrumentalizes environmental discourses in support of its settler colonial project. At the same time as Israel has positioned itself as a leader in climate innovation, afforestation, water management, and the development of renewable energies reshape the landscape and solidify control over Palestinian territories under the rhetoric of environmental stewardship. This project brings postcolonial studies and critical security studies together in an original way to expose the inability of dominant climate-security paradigms to take seriously anything but an abstract threat in view of the lived experiences of marginalized populations. It emphasizes how socio-political contexts must be integrated within climate governance frameworks that offer nuanced insights into how climate policies perpetuate systemic inequalities, especially in occupation contexts

Eldrin and the Golden Key

This book is a fiction book full of magical elements with a strong moral.Three kids find a magical hot air balloon which takes them to The Enchanted Valley. The children learn about the golden key, a magical artifact that protects the magic of the valley. But the key was stolen long ago by Eldrin, a powerful guardian. The kids work together to save the valley and learn the importance of forgiveness

A Road Traffic Queueing Model Balancing Emissions and Cost

This paper examines a highway system using a queueing theory model, with parameters estimated from realistic data. Preliminary results include estimation of key performance indicators such as throughput, mean number of vehicles, and emissions. The model identifies the optimal number of lanes and speed limit that minimizes the combined costs of road construction and traffic delays. Additionally, the study extends to include a second objective, which is minimizing carbon emissions. Our results, comparing the results of both objectives, demonstrate that emissions considerations can influence the design of highway systems, and lead to significantly higher costs. In order to explore the trade-offs between reducing costs and emissions, we analyze this resulting two-objective optimization through the characterization of Pareto-optimal (efficient) solutions and their application to realistic scenarios. We observe that significant cost saving can be achieved (e.g. 20%) if one allows a small increase in emissions (e.g. by 0.5%) over the level stipulated by the single-objective emission minimization model

The Evolution of International Humanitarian Action and the Ramifications of Increased Aid ‘Bunkerisation’ on Humanitarian Principles and Meeting Needs in Syria and Yemen

The international aid system has experienced significant growth, with billions of dollars mobilised each year to address humanitarian crises. However, the majority of this funding is concentrated in a few chronic conflict zones, such as Syria and Yemen, where the ability of aid workers to deliver support is increasingly constrained by security and administrative challenges. The rise of "bunkerisation," where aid workers are isolated in secure compounds and reliant on outsourced local organisations or private contractors, has raised concerns about the effectiveness and ethical implications of humanitarian responses. While local organisations are tasked with delivering aid, they are often under-resourced and face greater risks, as evidenced by the disproportionate number of national staff casualties compared to international workers. Despite efforts to innovate and improve operational strategies in these settings, the humanitarian system is struggling to meet the growing needs of populations in conflict-affected areas. This essay examines the evolution of the international aid system, focusing on the challenges faced by humanitarian actors in Yemen and Syria, and argues that current responses are increasingly inadequate, as the humanitarian system is being pushed beyond its core mandate and compromised by political agendas

A Digital Twin for Methane Catalytic Cracking in a Fluidized Bed Reactor

Methane catalytic cracking is a promising clean alternative for hydrogen production, generating only hydrogen and solid carbon, thereby minimizing environmental impact. Unlike conventional methods, this technology enables hydrogen production without additional hydrocarbon emissions. However, an efficient catalyst is required to facilitate the reaction at moderate operating temperatures (500–700°C), reducing operational costs and allowing for potential integration with solar energy. To enhance both mass and heat transfer, a bubbling fluidized bed reactor (FBR) was employed to conduct the methane cracking process. This study presents the development of a three-phase FBR model using a highly active zinc-promoted nickel catalyst (50Ni-5Zn/USY) on ultra-stable Y (USY) zeolite. The model was designed to predict the reactor’s performance under different operating conditions, providing essential insights for scaling up the process for industrial applications. To accurately simulate the system, both kinetic and mechanistic models were developed: The mechanistic model describes the hydrodynamic properties of the fluidized bed, bubble characteristics, and the mass transfer of methane and hydrogen across the three phases. The kinetic model was formulated to characterize the reaction rate. The most suitable kinetic model suggests that the reaction follows a dissociative adsorption mechanism, with the first hydrogen abstraction from methane identified as the rate-determining step. This was validated against experimental data, where parameter estimation was carried out to predict the Arrhenius rate coefficients. The findings of this model significantly enhance the understanding of methane catalytic cracking, providing key insights for optimizing process conditions and demonstrating the feasibility of scaling up this technology for industrial hydrogen production with minimal environmental impact