THE USE OF JATROPHA CURCAS TO ACHIEVE A SELF SUFFICIENT WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY IN RURAL SENEGAL

The use of Jatropha curcas as a source of oil for fueling water pumps holds promise for rural communities struggling to achieve water security in arid climates. The potential for use in developing communities as an affordable, sustainable fuel source has been highly recommended for many reasons: it is easily propagated, drought resistant, grows rapidly, and has high-oil-content seeds, as well as medicinal and economic potential. This study uses a rural community in Senegal, West Africa, and calculates at what level of Jatropha curcas production the village is able to be self-sufficient in fueling their water system to meet drinking, sanitation and irrigation requirements. The current water distribution system was modelled to represent irrigation requirements for nine different Jatropha curcas cultivation and processing schemes. It was found that a combination of using recycled greywater for irrigation and a mechanical press to maximize oil recovered from the seeds of mature Jatropha curcas trees, would be able to operate the water system with no diesel required

Introduction: Animal Cultures

Creative writing, transdisciplinary literary animal studies, and law-anthropology don’t often appear in the same sentence, but this interdisciplinary mingling is where we as editors meet in animal studies. We were particularly enthused by discussions that emerged during the Australasian Animal Studies Conference, held at the University of Sydney in November 2023, providing a rich source from which to consider the conference theme: ‘Animal Cultures’. Keynote speaker, Carol Gigliotti, wondered about the animal cultural research ideas that can be taken with us to ‘make lives better for animals, both wild and captive\u27

Chemical Interactions and Cytotoxicity of Terpene and Diluent Vaping Ingredients

Vaping devices have risen in popularity since their inception in 2007. The practice involves using a variety of commercially available devices. Internal heating systems in devices aerosolize e-liquid formulations of complex mixtures including an active ingredient (e.g., THC, CBD, and nicotine), diluents (or cutting agents), solvents, and flavoring agents (e.g., terpenes and aldehydes). The vaping toxicology literature consists of cytotoxicity studies of individual chemicals and commercial formulas. Because of the variation of e-liquid composition, there is a limited understanding of the toxicity of ingredient combinations. This study analyzed the cytotoxic effects after exposure to individual and binary mixtures of a representative terpene (+-R-limonene) and diluent (triethyl citrate) on human lung cell models. Data were analyzed to determine the effects of 97:3 and 80:20% v/v (triethyl citrate/limonene) binary mixtures. BEAS-2B cells, a bronchial epithelial cell, and A549 cells, a type II alveolar epithelial cell, served as models for comparison. LC50 values were calculated and isobolograms were used to assess chemical interactions. Results show that limonene was more cytotoxic than triethyl citrate. Isobolographic analyses confirmed that the 97:3% v/v mixture resulted in an antagonistic chemical interaction. The 80:20% v/v mixture resulted in a similar result. Further testing of different ratios of binary mixtures is needed for chemical interaction screening to inform safety assessments

Epidemiology of Colic Current Knowledge and Future Directions

Epidemiologic studies are essential for the generation of evidence-based, preventive health care strategies. This includes ways to minimize colic risk and assist informed decision making concerning diagnosis, treatment, and likely outcomes. It is important to consider that colic is not a simple "disease" but is a syndrome of abdominal pain that encompasses multiple different disease processes, and which is multifactorial in nature. This review focuses on prevention and diagnosis of colic, including specific forms of colic, communications with owners/carers concerning colic risk and management, and areas of future research

Is there a need to review the wording and application of guidance and legislation on Public Spaces Protection Orders (PSPO's)?

Written evidence from Dr. Vicky Heap, Jamie Grace, Dr. Alex Black, Dr. Jill Dickinson, Benjamin Archer, all Sheffield Hallam University

Distinct mesenchymal progenitor cell subsets in the adult human synovium

Objective. To analyse the heterogeneity at the single-cell level of human mesenchymal progenitor cells from SM. Methods. Cell populations were enzymatically released from the knee joint synovium of adult human individuals. Single cell-derived clonal populations were obtained by limiting dilution and serially passaged to determine growth rates. Phenotypic analysis was carried out by flow cytometry. Replicative senescence was assessed by the senescence-associated β-galactosidase staining. Telomere lengths were determined semiquantitatively by Southern blotting. Telomerase activity was measured using a real-time quantitative telomerase repeat amplification procedure. Culture-expanded clonal populations were subjected to in vitro differentiation assays to investigate their mesenchymal multipotency. Results. The 50 clones analysed displayed wide variations in the proliferation rates, even within the same donor sample. The time taken to reach 20 population doublings ranged from 44 to 130 days. The phenotype of the clones tested was compatible with that of mesenchymal stem cells. Mean telomere lengths ranged from 5.2 to 10.9 kb with positive linear trend with telomerase activity, but no correlation with proliferative rates or cell senescence. All clones tested were capable of chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation, though with large variability in potency. In contrast, only 30% of the clones were adipogenic. Conclusions. We report for the first time the co-existence, within the synovium, of progenitor cell subsets with distinct mesenchymal differentiation potency. Our findings further emphasize the need for strategies to purify cell populations with the clinically desired tissue formation potential

1,3,4-oxadiazole-based deep-blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters for organic light emitting diodes

We are grateful to the EPSRC for financial support (grants EP/P010482/1, EP/J01771X, EP/J00916 and EP/R035164/1). We gratefully acknowledge funding through the EPSRC NSF- CBET lead agency agreement (EP/R010595/1, 1706207) and a Leverhulme Trust Research Grant (RPG-2017-231). We thank the EPSRC UK National Mass Spectrometry Facility at Swansea University for analytical services. Z.L. and W. L. thank the China Scholarship Council (grant numbers 201703780004 and 201708060003)A series of four 1,3,4-oxadiazole-based thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) derivatives are reported as emitters for organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). As a function of the nature of the substituent on the weak 1,3,4-oxadiazole acceptor their emission color could be tuned from green-blue to blue. The highly twisted conformation between carbazoles and oxadiazoles results in effective separation of the HOMO and the LUMO resulting in a small singlet-triplet splitting. The corresponding singlet-triplet energy gaps (∆EST) range from 0.22 to 0.28 eV resulting in an efficient reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) process and moderate to high photoluminescence quantum yields (ΦPL), ranging from 35 to 70% in a DPEPO matrix. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on i-2CzdOXD4CF3Ph achieve maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of up to 12.3% with a sky-blue emission at CIE of (0.18, 0.28) while the device based on i-2CzdOXDMe shows blue emission at CIE of (0.17, 0.17) with a maximum EQE of 11.8%.PostprintPeer reviewe

Retrospective evaluation of hyperproteinorrachia without pleocytosis (albuminocytologic dissociation) and survival in dogs

Abstract: Background: Hyperproteinorrachia (raised cerebrospinal fluid total protein [CSF‐TP]) without pleocytosis (HP) (also known as albuminocytologic dissociation) is identified in dogs with different neurologic diseases. However, the association between survival and increased CSF‐TP is unknown. Objectives: (a) Identify conditions commonly associated with HP in dogs and (b) investigate whether higher CSF‐TP concentrations or other relevant factors are associated with 1‐year survival. Methods: This is a retrospective study that identified dogs with HP (Cisternal CSF‐TP >0.30 g/L, Lumbar CSF‐TP >0.45 g/L with total nucleated cell concentrations [TNCCs] and RBC counts within RIs) from 2008 to 2019: recording signalment, weight, vital parameters, inflammation, neuroanatomic localization, CSF‐TP, sampling site, final diagnosis, etiologic classification, and 1‐year survival. Corrected CSF‐TP was calculated as CSF‐TP minus 0.3 (cisternal) or 0.45 (lumbar or unknown). Descriptive statistics were produced, CSF‐TP differences between groups (eg, neuroanatomic localizations) were evaluated using the Mann‐Whitney U test or Kruskal‐Wallis test (post‐hoc testing). The Cox proportional hazards model was used for survival data. Statistical significance was set at a P 0.05). Neoplasia, after adjustment for age, was the only variable associated with a worse survival (P = 0.01 HR: 2.08 (95% CI: 1.65‐39.2). CSF‐TP was not associated with age (P > 0.05). Conclusions: HP in dogs is associated with a wide range of conditions; the most common conditions are neoplasia, MUO, and IVDD. Higher CSF‐TP levels do not correlate with a worse 1‐year survival; however, they do correlate with neoplastic lesions

Méthodes alternatives in vitro pour l’étude des interactions hôte-pathogène du poumon

Les maladies respiratoires, qu’elles touchent les animaux et/ou les hommes, ont un impact sanitaire et économique considérable sur notre société. Pouvoir mieux les contrôler, les traiter et les prédire, nécessite de pouvoir les étudier. Pour cela des modèles d’études pertinents, reproductibles, efficaces aisés d’utilisation, et alternatifs à l’expérimentation animale doivent être proposés. D’énormes progrès méthodologiques ont été réalisés ces dernières années avec l’émergence de modèles in vitro qui miment le poumon en reproduisant la diversité des types cellulaires, l’architecture du tissu et certaines de ses fonctionnalités (activité ciliaire, sécrétion). Cette revue présente les avancées dans la génération de ces modèles chez le bovin : les organoïdes, les cultures Air-liquide-interface (ALI) et les coupes fines de poumon (PCLS). Ils sont utilisés pour mieux décrire et comprendre les processus physiopathologiques induits par des infections (virus, bactérie, parasite) respiratoires et permettent de tester des approches prophylactiques ou curatives