Mobile-Based Monitoring System Framework for Smart Hydroponics Lettuce Farming

Hydroponics farming is popular all over the world because it sustains many people who suffer from hunger and who don’t have a lot of space or land that can be planted. The focus of this study is to provide material and design for innovative smart hydroponics farming that involves growing a lettuce plant using IoT devices, sensors, and Node-Red. Conducting this study is critical to the research because different components need to be identified first, as well as features for mobile devices connected to the IoT devices. The aim of this study is to design an IoT-based system that constantly monitors the water level, temperature, and humidity of the hydroponic lettuce crop. To fulfill the aim of the study, the researchers provide material and design for how it works, methodology for the hardware of the system, and a design thinking process to address complex problems and come up with unique solutions that emphasize innovation. As a result, the study can collect data from the different sensors. The readings of the sensors can be accessed through the Node-red Dashboard, viewable on mobile devices. Additionally, the researchers suggested exploring more about Node-Red and other possible uses of it in the IoT

Influence of natural deep eutectic systems in water thermal behavior and their applications in cryopreservation

Natural deep eutectic systems (NADES), which have applications as solvents for both engineering and life sci-ences, are mainly composed of sugars, aminoacids or organic acids. In this work NADES composed by glucose,urea and proline (G:U:P in a molar ratio of 1:1:1) and proline and glucose (P:G 5:3) were prepared and addedin different mass fractions to water.By differential scanning calorimetry it was verified as the crystallization tendency of water is modified even forlow fraction of NADES added. This is also observed by polarized optical microscopy which allowed followingthe formation of crystals with different crystalline morphologies as bulk water. Calorimetric data also shown asthe crystallization temperature decreases for all P:G mixtures and this shift is more accentuated for weight frac-tion of NADES higher than 0.5. Crystallization is totally suppressed for NADES fraction higher than 0.7.NADES/water mixtures cytotoxicity was evaluated in vitro, revealing that they are less toxic as compared withthe commonly used cryoprotective additives as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Additionally, cell viability testswith cell lines cryopreserved using DMSO and both the prepared NADES showed comparable viability.This work combines thermophysical data on NADES and evaluates itâ s in vitro performance, providing cues fortheir use in cryopreservation applications.European Union Horizon 2020 Program under the agreement number ERC-2016-CoG 725034 (ERC Consolidator Grant Des.solve). This research was also funded by PTDC/EQU-EQU/29851/2017. A. Paiva acknowledges the financial support from project IF/01146/2015 attributed within the 2015 FCT researcher program. This work was supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry - LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020

Thyroidal effect of metformin treatment in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.

OBJECTIVE: Metformin is widely used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Growing evidence supports the beneficial effects of metformin also in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). It was recently reported that metformin has a TSH-lowering effect in hypothyroid patients with diabetes being treated with metformin. DESIGN: Aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of metformin treatment on the thyroid hormone profile in patients with PCOS. PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS: Thirty-three patients with PCOS were specifically selected for being either treated with levothyroxine for a previous diagnosis of hypothyroidism (n = 7), untreated subclinically hypothyroid (n = 2) or euthyroid without levothyroxine treatment (n = 24) before the starting of metformin. The serum levels of TSH and FT(4) were measured before and after a 4-month period of metformin therapy. RESULTS: Thyroid function parameters did not change after starting metformin therapy in euthyroid patients with PCOS. In the 9 hypothyroid patients with PCOS, the basal median serum levels of TSH (3·2 mIU/l, range = 0·4-7·1 mIU/l) significantly (P < 0·05) decreased after a 4-month course of metformin treatment (1·7 mIU/l, range = 0·5-5·2 mIU/l). No significant change in the serum levels of FT4 was observed in these patients. The TSH-lowering effect of metformin was not related to the administered dose of the drug, which was similar in euthyroid as compared with hypothyroid patients with PCOS (1406 ± 589 vs 1322 ± 402 mg/day, respectively; NS). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that metformin treatment has a TSH-lowering effect in hypothyroid patients with PCOS, both treated with l-thyroxine and untreated

Assessing the Future Streetscape of Rimini Harbor Docks with Virtual Reality

The human factor plays an important role in the successful design of infrastructure to support sustainable mobility. By engaging users early in the design process, information can be obtained before physical environments are built, making designed spaces more attractive and safer for users. This study presents the collected data of a virtual reality (VR) application in which user perception has been evaluated within an urban redevelopment context. The area under consideration is the Canal of the Port of Rimini (Italy), a degraded area not connected to the city center. The redevelopment of degraded urban areas is the first step towards achieving the sustainability aims set out in the Sustainable Development Goals. Prior to this work, evaluation methods were developed in the decision-making process, considering different social, economic, and environmental aspects in order to obtain a priority scale of interventions for urban regeneration. Architectural solutions were proposed to represent targeted and specific interventions that are designed precisely for the context to which they are dedicated in order to make the Canal Port area a continuum with its urban context and to improve its perception by tourists and inhabitants. To assess these proposed infrastructure modifications, two models of VR were created, one relevant to the current condition and one representing the future condition after redevelopment of the area. Virtual visits to the Canal of the Port of Rimini were created under two scenarios, namely, the current situation and the future situation after redevelopment of the infrastructure. Then, human participants were involved through two different questionnaires. The first allowed participants validate the VR model created by comparing it with the real context, while the second served to evaluate the perceptions of users by comparing the two VR models of the canal before and after the intervention. The results of this empirical research highlight the benefits of engaging users early in the design process and improving the user experience before implementing renovation of the infrastructure

Chemical Characterization and Source Apportionment of Household Fine Particulate Matter in Rural, Peri-urban, and Urban West Africa

Household air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions is an important cause of disease burden. Little is known about the chemical composition and sources of household air pollution in sub-Saharan Africa, and how they differ between rural and urban homes. We analyzed the chemical composition and sources of fine particles (PM2.5) in household cooking areas of multiple neighborhoods in Accra, Ghana, and in peri-urban (Banjul) and rural (Basse) areas in The Gambia. In Accra, biomass burning accounted for 39–62% of total PM2.5 mass in the cooking area in different neighborhoods; the absolute contributions were 10–45 μg/m3. Road dust and vehicle emissions comprised 12–33% of PM2.5 mass. Solid waste burning was also a significant contributor to household PM2.5 in a low-income neighborhood but not for those living in better-off areas. In Banjul and Basse, biomass burning was the single dominant source of cooking-area PM2.5, accounting for 74–87% of its total mass; the relative and absolute contributions of biomass smoke to PM2.5 mass were larger in households that used firewood than in those using charcoal, reaching as high as 463 μg/m3 in Basse homes that used firewood for cooking. Our findings demonstrate the need for policies that enhance access to cleaner fuels in both rural and urban areas, and for controlling traffic emissions in cities in sub-Saharan Africa

Museos y colecciones: registrar para custodiar

El Museo en Ciencias de la Salud (MCS) situado en el Hospital Nacional de Clínicas, trabaja fehacientemente desde su año de creación en 2011, en el diseño y ejecución de políticas acordes para el desarrollo de esta institución. En este trabajo nos interesa exponer los métodos y procesos adoptados conjuntamente con los museos de Anatomía Normal y Anatomía Patológica, en materia de adquisición, conservación y empleo de colecciones recibidas por el MCS; puntualmente destacar los procedimientos adoptados y ejecutados en el registro de colecciones de origen anatómico, es decir preparados anatómicos conservados en medios líquidos. Poner en práctica políticas para la gestión de las colecciones es incluir métodos prácticos, técnicos, éticos y jurídicos, que permiten reunir, organizar, estudiar, interpretar y preservar las colecciones museográficas, acciones que permite velar por su estado de conservación y perpetuidad de las colecciones.Red de Museos de la Universidad Nacional de La Plat

Museos y colecciones: registrar para custodiar

El Museo en Ciencias de la Salud (MCS) situado en el Hospital Nacional de Clínicas, trabaja fehacientemente desde su año de creación en 2011, en el diseño y ejecución de políticas acordes para el desarrollo de esta institución. En este trabajo nos interesa exponer los métodos y procesos adoptados conjuntamente con los museos de Anatomía Normal y Anatomía Patológica, en materia de adquisición, conservación y empleo de colecciones recibidas por el MCS; puntualmente destacar los procedimientos adoptados y ejecutados en el registro de colecciones de origen anatómico, es decir preparados anatómicos conservados en medios líquidos. Poner en práctica políticas para la gestión de las colecciones es incluir métodos prácticos, técnicos, éticos y jurídicos, que permiten reunir, organizar, estudiar, interpretar y preservar las colecciones museográficas, acciones que permite velar por su estado de conservación y perpetuidad de las colecciones.Red de Museos de la Universidad Nacional de La Plat

Museos y colecciones: registrar para custodiar

El Museo en Ciencias de la Salud (MCS) situado en el Hospital Nacional de Clínicas, trabaja fehacientemente desde su año de creación en 2011, en el diseño y ejecución de políticas acordes para el desarrollo de esta institución. En este trabajo nos interesa exponer los métodos y procesos adoptados conjuntamente con los museos de Anatomía Normal y Anatomía Patológica, en materia de adquisición, conservación y empleo de colecciones recibidas por el MCS; puntualmente destacar los procedimientos adoptados y ejecutados en el registro de colecciones de origen anatómico, es decir preparados anatómicos conservados en medios líquidos. Poner en práctica políticas para la gestión de las colecciones es incluir métodos prácticos, técnicos, éticos y jurídicos, que permiten reunir, organizar, estudiar, interpretar y preservar las colecciones museográficas, acciones que permite velar por su estado de conservación y perpetuidad de las colecciones.Red de Museos de la Universidad Nacional de La Plat