Interventions to reduce pesticide exposure from the agricultural sector in Africa: a workshop report

Despite the fact that several cases of unsafe pesticide use among farmers in different parts of Africa have been documented, there is limited evidence regarding which specific interventions are effective in reducing pesticide exposure and associated risks to human health and ecology. The overall goal of the African Pesticide Intervention Project (APsent) study is to better understand ongoing research and public health activities related to interventions in Africa through the implementation of suitable target-specific situations or use contexts. A systematic review of the scientific literature on pesticide intervention studies with a focus on Africa was conducted. This was followed by a qualitative survey among stakeholders involved in pesticide research or management in the African region to learn about barriers to and promoters of successful interventions. The project was concluded with an international workshop in November 2021, where a broad range of topics relevant to occupational and environmental health risks were discussed such as acute poisoning, street pesticides, switching to alternatives, or disposal of empty pesticide containers. Key areas of improvement identified were training on pesticide usage techniques, research on the effectiveness of interventions targeted at exposure reduction and/or behavioral changes, awareness raising, implementation of adequate policies, and enforcement of regulations and processes

The need for strategic projects for a new urban gate to Tirana as a business card for Albania.

Il capitolo , a firma congiunta di Besnik Aliaj , urbanista e Rettore della Polis University, e di Gastone Ave, urbanista e professore alla Università di Ferrara-Dipartimento di Architettura, presenta una sintesi delle analisi e delle proposte emerse nel corso di 4 seminari svolti a Tirana (Albania) e a Ferrara (Italia) per una pianificazione territoriale dell'asse tra l'aeroporto internazionale Rinas della città di Tirana e il centro della stessa capitale albanese. Il capitolo indentifica questo asse come una zona chiave per lo sviluppo dell'Albania, in particolare per una politica di attrazione di imprese e investimenti stranieri di qualità

The law of growth of nitrided layer in 31CrMoV9 steel

The law of growth of nitrided layers produced by gaseous nitriding of 31CrMoV9 alloy steel at different process parameters is described. 31CrMoV9 steel specimens were subjected to nitriding process in ammonia gas at three different temperatures: 510, 550 and 590°C, and for each temperature four different nitriding times were used. This way twelve specimens were produced. Nitrided specimens were investigated with optical microscopy, electron probe micro-analysis and x-ray diffraction. The nitrogen depth concentration profiles, deduced from electron probe micro-analysis, in conjunction with results of optical microscopy, were used to determine the thickness of the nitrided layers, i.e. the diffusion depth of nitrogen. From the dependence of the nitrided layer thickness on process parameters (temperature and time) it was possible to deduce the law that governs the growth of the nitrided layer for 31CrMoV9 alloy steel. Through this law, then, it is possible to predetermine the layer thickness for every real process parameter in nitriding of 31CrMoV9 steel, which is very important for technological applications

Overcoming Multi Finger Turn-On In Hv Diacs Using Local Polv-Ballasting

Miscorrelation between TLP. IEC contact and IEC air-gap high current capability of dual- direction DIAC devices is experimentally observed and explained by non-simultaneous turn on the DIAC device fingers. The effect is studied using numerical simulation, followed by the experimental validation of the new proposed design with poly-emitter ballasting

Kinematic coupling of the glenohumeral and scapulothoracic joints generates humeral axial rotation

Glenohumeral and scapulothoracic motion combine to generate humerothoracic motion, but their discrete contributions towards humerothoracic axial rotation have not been investigated. Understanding their contributions to axial rotation is important to judge the effects of pathology, surgical intervention, and physiotherapy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the kinematic coupling between glenohumeral and scapulothoracic motion and determine their relative contributions towards axial rotation. Twenty healthy subjects (10 M/10F, ages 22-66) were previously recorded using biplane fluoroscopy while performing arm elevation in the coronal, scapular, and sagittal planes, and external rotation in 0° and 90° of abduction. Glenohumeral and scapulothoracic contributions towards axial rotation were computed by integrating the projection of glenohumeral and scapulothoracic angular velocity onto the humeral longitudinal axis, and analyzed using one dimensional statistical parametric mapping and linear regression. During arm elevation, scapulothoracic motion supplied 13-20° (76-94%) of axial rotation, mainly via scapulothoracic upward rotation. The contribution of scapulothoracic motion towards axial rotation was strongly correlated with glenohumeral plane of elevation during arm elevation. During external rotation, scapulothoracic motion contributed 10° (8%) towards axial rotation in 0° of abduction and 15° (15%) in 90° of abduction. The contribution of scapulothoracic motion towards humerothoracic axial rotation could explain the simultaneous changes in glenohumeral plane of elevation and axial rotation associated with some pathologies and surgeries. Understanding how humerothoracic motion results from the functional coupling of scapulothoracic and glenohumeral motions may inform diagnostic and treatment strategies by targeting the source of movement impairments in clinical populations

The Symbiotic Field in Ten Behaviors

This chapter identifies ten behaviors, or operative methods, adopted by contemporary designers confronted with problems of spatial reform in regions of the contemporary continuum. The analysis proceeds through the compared anatomy of a set of case studies, tackling spatial problems in a diversity of scales and contexts. The cases include a majority of implemented projects, but also speculative visions, figurative compositions, and performances to explore the tangible and intangible layers of the contemporary continuum. By arraying operative approaches spanning from metabolist to geophilosophical, the ten behaviors conjure up a ‘symbiotic field’ layering the ecological, societal, psychic, aesthetic, cultural, semiotic, geographic, and mythological: built macro-ecologies of geographic scale; artificial micro-ecologies implanted into the metropolitan platform; ecological installations raising awareness through aesthetic performances; cybernetic scenarios preconizing the control of natural/anthropic metabolism; atmospheric assemblages dealing with the cultural and the transient; experiments of psychic and sensorial manipulation of the landscape; explorations of the transculturation process in a utilitarian modernity versus symbiotic culture dialectic; formation of alternative spaces in the folds of the language; geopolitical plans representing the geography of power; geophilosophical excavations aiming at reimplanting a mythology into the landscape. Furthermore, the chapter analyzes the radical utopias that constitute the recurrent reference for many of today’s visions of the contemporary continuum. The text also argues on how the utopian visions of the 60s and 70s have unawares become today’s quotidian living contexts

Replicating dynamic humerus motion using an industrial robot.

Transhumeral percutaneous osseointegrated prostheses provide upper-extremity amputees with increased range of motion, more natural movement patterns, and enhanced proprioception. However, direct skeletal attachment of the endoprosthesis elevates the risk of bone fracture, which could necessitate revision surgery or result in loss of the residual limb. Bone fracture loads are direction dependent, strain rate dependent, and load rate dependent. Furthermore, in vivo, bone experiences multiaxial loading. Yet, mechanical characterization of the bone-implant interface is still performed with simple uni- or bi-axial loading scenarios that do not replicate the dynamic multiaxial loading environment inherent in human motion. The objective of this investigation was to reproduce the dynamic multiaxial loading conditions that the humerus experiences in vivo by robotically replicating humeral kinematics of advanced activities of daily living typical of an active amputee population. Specifically, 115 jumping jack, 105 jogging, 15 jug lift, and 15 internal rotation trials-previously recorded via skin-marker motion capture-were replicated on an industrial robot and the resulting humeral trajectories were verified using an optical tracking system. To achieve this goal, a computational pipeline that accepts a motion capture trajectory as input and outputs a motion program for an industrial robot was implemented, validated, and made accessible via public code repositories. The industrial manipulator utilized in this study was able to robotically replicate over 95% of the aforementioned trials to within the characteristic error present in skin-marker derived motion capture datasets. This investigation demonstrates the ability to robotically replicate human motion that recapitulates the inertial forces and moments of high-speed, multiaxial activities for biomechanical and orthopaedic investigations. It also establishes a library of robotically replicated motions that can be utilized in future studies to characterize the interaction of prosthetic devices with the skeletal system, and introduces a computational pipeline for expanding this motion library