Enhancing Ontario’s Rural Infrastructure Preparedness: Inter-Community Service Sharing in a Changing Climate — Environmental Scan

Given the research that has been done in this environmental scan and the gaps found in this research, it is our aim to find out: What types of service sharing are going on in Ontario municipalities, particularly in rural/remote areas? How can inter-community service sharing (ICSS) benefit the asset management planning process in these rural/remote areas to enhance capacities for climate change resilience? Climate change (CC) will exacerbate deterioration to existing infrastructure and increase replacement costs. Improved preparedness reduces risks and increases efficiency, readiness and coping capacity. To increase the preparedness of Ontario rural communities, this project develops CC-Prepared Inter-Community Service Sharing (ICSS) as an innovative strategy that expands cost-effective solutions within Ontario’s standardized Asset Management Planning (AMP) process. Overseen by a Project Advisory Board (PAB), it identifies a suite of best practice ICSS processes and principles and a range of factors and indicators that influence the uptake of ICSS as a viable and practical opportunity targeted to enhance rural infrastructure preparedness for CC. It utilizes a multimethod, interdisciplinary approach involving an environmental scan, interviews, a survey and case studies and develops an ICSS Toolkit consisting of reports, workbook, policy brief and media kit. Knowledge translation and transfer (KTT) includes blogs, teleconferences, articles, presentations and a workshop. For small rural Ontario communities, this study enhances management of CC impacts on infrastructure through the development of a CC-Prepared ICSS strategy, increasing anticipatory, collective actions that reduce dam age and increase efficiencies. It informs sound municipal/provincial level programs and policies about innovative ICSS that benefit rural communities through the identification of Ontario-wide trends, case study best practises and action-oriented recommendations

Using Photovoice to Understand Climate Change Adaptation in Rural Ontario

The examination of community adaptation and resilience approaches to address the threats of climate change in rural Ontario is becoming increasingly important in emergency management and preparedness. Community engagement becomes critical in this regard, as local experiences partly influence perceptions of climate change risks within municipalities. Photovoice is a community-based participatory research methodology that empowers participants to document their perceptions and understandings of a particular issue through the use of visual images. This technique was undertaken to understand the impacts of the F3 tornado that hit the community of Goderich, Ontario in 2011 and capture their member’s perceptions on disaster recovery and climate-related threats. For this project, I worked with 10 community photographers to refine themes (n=7) related to the impacts of the extreme event on critical infrastructure as well as community strengths and challenges associated with climate change resilience. My findings indicate that the F3 2011 tornado brought vast hardship to the residents of Goderich of which they still experience five years later and that differing opinions during the recovery process encouraged controversy – hindering some of the social cohesion during rebuild. Despite the community’s fast recovery, certain infrastructure such as banking and businesses remains to be vulnerable to future disaster. Most importantly, optimistic acceptance and positive outlook regarding their perception of community strength and resilience despite losses was an overwhelming theme for the participants in this project

KAJIAN PERUBAHAN RUMAH INTI PADA PERUMAHAN SEDERHANA (STUDI KASUS : PERUMAHAN KPR GRIYA MAHONI, ACEH BARAT )

KAJIAN PERUBAHAN RUMAH INTI PADA PERUMAHAN SEDERHANA(Studi Kasus: Perumahan KPR Griya Mahoni Aceh Barat) LAPORAN PENELITIAN TUGAS AKHIRHissa Arfira1404104010048ABSTRAKPerumahan KPR Griya Mahoni, Aceh Barat, merupakan perumahan KPR yang diberikan oleh perbankan kepada para nasabah perorangan yang akan membeli rumah. Perumahan ini sangat diminati oleh masyarakat, terutama masyarakat yang memiliki keterbatasan dana untuk membangun rumah ataupun membeli rumah secara tunai. Type rumah yang ditawarkan oleh developer adalah type 36 dan type 36 plus dengan settingan ruang yang berbeda tetapi dengan type rumah yang sama, seperti ada rumah yang memiliki KM/WC namun tidak memiliki dapur dan sebaliknya, dengan demikian, penghuni bisa memilih denah yang sudah disediakan developer sesuai yang diinginkan. Namun, setelah pasca huni terjadinya berbagai bentuk perubahan pada rumah inti. Hal ini menyebabkan beberapa masalah seperti: terbentuknya ruang dengan tidak memiliki bukaan yang optimal karena terdapat ruang-ruang yang tidak adanya ventilasi udara dan jendela, Peluasan dan penambahan ruang juga menyebabkan desain tampak bangunan menjadi berubah sehingga massa bangunan antar rumah sudah tidak sama. Berdasarkan permasalahan yang telah ditemukan, pertanyaan penelitian yang dapat dirumuskan adalah faktor apa saja yang mempengaruhi penghuni melakukan perubahan rumah pada perumahan KPR Griya Mahoni, Aceh Barat?, elemen/tipe ruang apa saja yang timbul akibat perubahan rumah inti pada perumahan KPR Griya Mahoni Aceh Barat? dan Perubahan apa saja yang terjadi pada perumahan KPR Griya Mahoni, Aceh Barat?. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode penelitian deskriptif kuantitatif. Teknik pengumpulan data dilakukan secara observasi (pengamatan), kuisioner, dokumentasi dan pengukuran. Sampel yang akan diteliti berjumlah 60 KK dari populasi yang berjumlah 70 KK. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian diketahui bahwa jenis perubahan rumah inti yang terjadi pada perumahan KPR Griya Mahoni sebagian besar adalah perluasan (ekspansi) yang mencapai 56,70% terhadap ruang dapur, kamar tidur, KM/WC dan ruang makan. Sedangkan untuk faktor yang mempengaruhi perubahan yang terjadi pada perumahan KPR Griya Mahoni atara lain adalah faktor peningkatan penghasilan, status lahan, luas lahan dan kelengkapan sarana dan prasarana dasar.Kata Kunci: Perubahan Desain Rumah, Perubahan Griya Mahoni, Aceh Barat.i

Role of Membrane Cholesterol in Modulating Actin Architecture and Cellular Contractility

Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process that initiates with accumulation of apolipoprotein B containing lipoproteins (LPs) in the subendothelium (intima), especially in areas where the laminar flow is disturbed. LP retention triggers an inflammatory response leading to activation of endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells that culminates with recruitment of leukocytes. Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of vascular disease worldwide being its major clinical manifestations ischemic heart disease, ischemic stroke, and peripheral arterial disease. Even though a lot has been done to unravel the role of turbulent flow and mechanotransduction for atherosclerosis development, little is known about the role of plasma membrane (PM) cholesterol in this process. This chapter is going to be focused on exploring what has been done so far to decipher the role of PM cholesterol in regulating actin architecture, cellular mechanical properties, and cellular contractility in muscle and nonmuscle cells

Multidrug-resistant enterobacterales in Oman : molecular epidemiology and therapeutic insights

The spread of antibiotic resistance is a concerning issue causing limited treatment options for bacterial infections, particularly with Gram-negative bacteria. Surveillance and epidemiological studies help to determine the magnitude of the problem as well as to establish early measures to slow down the spread of resistance and consequently increase antibiotic lifespan. Currently, there is a visible paucity of published data about resistance from the Arabian Peninsula. In this thesis, we studied a collection of carbapenem nonsusceptible E. coli (n=35) and K. pneumoniae (n=237) isolated in 2015 from various hospitals in Oman. We aimed at identifying resistance mechanisms, mapping the bacterial population structure, investigating bacterial fitness, and studying potential treatment options available to tackle infections caused by such multidrug-resistant strains. These aims were addressed in five papers as discussed below. NDM and OXA-48 were the only carbapenemases we found in this collection, both among E. coli (Paper I) and K. pneumoniae (Paper II). The pattern of resistance among the isolates from Arabian Peninsula mimics the pattern reported from the Indian subcontinent, most likely due to the close socioeconomic interactions between them. Both regions lack KPC enzymes, which are commonly seen in China and the US from strains belong to ST11 and ST258, respectively. Despite ST11 being predominant in this collection, we did not detect KPC. Yet, we detected a high-risk clone of E. coli, ST131-H30Rx-CTX-M-15. Additionally, we identified newly emerging clones of K. pneumoniae and E. coli such as ST231 and ST1193-H64RxC, respectively. Nearly 10% of the K. pneumoniae isolates in our collection were colistin resistant which prompted us to study the mechanisms of colistin resistance (Paper III). MgrB-inactivation by insertion elements was seen in 8 isolates while other mutations were seen in other chromosomal genes known to be involved in colistin resistance e.g. pmrB, phoPQ and crrB. However, we did not detect mcr genes. Collectively, the genetic alterations are thought to reduce the net negative charge in bacterial cell wall, hence lowering the binding affinity of colistin. Our data underscores that there is no reduction in the surface charge in colistinresistant K. pneumoniae, due to the MgrB-insertion (Paper IV). The genetic alteration might lead to other structural changes in the cell wall such as altering hydrophobicity, which required further investigation. Also, our data shows no difference in the survival rates of colistin resistant and susceptible strains in blood, serum and zebrafish model. Thus, gaining resistance against colistin does not infer a fitness cost in K. pneumoniae with MgrB-insertion (Paper IV). Additionally, colistin and LL-37 share similar binding mechanism which suggest there might be a cross-resistance between them. Our data supported this hypothesis, but only at high concentrations of LL-37 ( ≥ 50 mg/L) (Paper IV). Finally, we studied available options to treat infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains. Combining colistin and rifampicin showed good in vitro activity against multidrug-resistant strains of E. coli (Paper V) and K. pneumoniae (Paper III). To summarise, we conducted comprehensive genomic analysis of E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates from Oman to reveal the resistance mechanism, their impact on bacterial cell structural and if there is a fitness cost inferred by the resistance mechanisms. Finally, we studied combination therapy as an available option at hand for tackling infections caused by multidrug-resistant strains

Lysosomes: How Plasma Membrane Repair Route Can Be Hijacked by Parasites?

Lysosomes are acidic organelles that are not only involved in degradation processes but also participated in other cellular functions, such as specialized secretion and plasma membrane (PM) resealing. When the PM is ruptured, Ca2+ flows from the extracellular milieu toward the cytoplasm potentially triggering cell death. In order to escape from the apoptotic route, cells developed an elegant mechanism in which lysosomes are recruited to the sites of injuries in a Ca2+-dependent fashion. Lysosomes, fuse with the PM releasing their enzymatic content. Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM), one of the secreted enzymes, cleaves sphingomyelin into ceramide, inducing compensatory endocytosis and internalization of the membrane-damaged site. Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease, relies heavily on lysosomes to successfully invade mammalian cells. By mechanically injuring the host PM, T. cruzi evokes lysosome exocytosis, and subsequently, compensatory endocytosis. The latter drives the parasite into the host cell, where it can replicate. This early association with lysosomes prevents T. cruzi evasion from the host cells allowing colonization of host intracellular milieu. This review chapter will summarize the main contributions in the field exploring the crosstalk between PM repair and T. cruzi invasion and how the understanding of these mechanisms evolved throughout the years

Combustion and emission studies of a common-rail direct injection diesel engine with various injector nozzles

Fuel injection has a critical role in an internal combustion engine and a significant effect on the quality of the fuel spray. In turn, fuel spray directly affects an engine´s combustion, efficiency, power and emissions. This study evaluated three different injector nozzles in a highspeed, non-road diesel engine. It was run on diesel fuel oil (DFO) and testing was conducted at three different engine loads (100%, 75% and 50%) and at two engine speeds (2,200 rpm and 1,500 rpm). The nozzles had 6, 8 and 10 holes and a relatively high mass flow rate (HF). The study investigated and compared injection and combustion characteristics, together with gaseous emissions. The combustion parameters seemed to be very similar with all studied injector nozzles. The emission measurements indicated general reductions in hydrocarbons (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) at most load/speed points when using the 6- and 10-hole nozzles instead of the reference 8-hole nozzles. However, smoke number increased when the alternative nozzles were used

Open Wave – tutkimus avoimen innovoinnin mahdollisuuksista venealalla: Open Wave - projektin tutkimusraportti

The aim of the Open wave project is to identify the product and service possibilities in boat industry through open innovation methods. We pursue the aim by answering the following research questions: What kind of role do user and trend information have in developing future products and services in boat industry? How does the concept generation method work in identifying product and service possibilities? What kind of technological trends create new product and service possibilities in boat industry? We focus on the challenges and the possibilities on both internal markets and the central export markets of boat industry.Open Wave -projektin tavoitteena on tunnistaa veneilyalan tulevaisuuden tuote- ja palvelumahdollisuuksia avoimen innovoinnin menetelmillä. Tavoitteeseen pyritään vastaamalla seuraaviin tutkimuskysymyksiin: Millainen merkitys käyttäjä- ja trenditiedolla on tulevaisuuden venealan tuotteiden ja palveluiden kehittämisessä? Miten konseptointimenetelmä toimii tuote- ja palvelumahdollisuuksien tunnistamisessa? Millaiset venealan tuotteet ja palvelut tukevat veneilyn lisäämistä? Millaiset teknologiset trendit luovat tuote- ja palvelumahdollisuuksia veneilyalalla? Projektissa keskitytään sekä kotimaan että keskeisten vientialueiden haasteisiin ja mahdollisuuksiin. Keskeisenä tuloksena on avoimen innovoinnin toimintamalli tulevaisuuden tuote- ja palvelumahdollisuuksien tunnistamiseen veneilyalalla. Toimintamallissa yhdistyvät muotoilun, markkinoinnin ja tekniikan näkökulmat

Combustion property analyses with variable liquid marine fuels in combustion research unit

The quality of ignition and co mbustion of four marine and power plant fuels were studied in a Combustion Research Unit, CRU. The fuels were low - sulphur Light Fuel Oil (LFO, baseline), Marine Gas Oil (MGO), kerosene and renewable wood - based naphtha. To meet climate change requirements a nd sustainability goals, combustion systems needs to be able to operate with a variety of renewable and ‘net - zero - carbon’ fuels. Due to the variations in the chemical and physical properties of the fuels, they generally cannot simply be dropped into existi ng systems. The aim of this research project was to understand how changes in fuel composition affect engine operation. The focus was on how various properties of the fuels impact on the combustion process – especially ignition delay and in - cylinder combus tion. The goal of the research project was to allow broad fuel flexibility without any or only minor changes to engine hardware. Before the engine tests, the CRU forms an easy and cost - effective device to find out the engine suitability of the fuel . The re sults showed that the ignition delay decreased expectedly with all fuels when the in - cylinder pressure and temperature increased. The differences in the maximum heat release rates between fuels decreased in high - pressure conditions. MGO had the shortest ig nition delay under both pressure and temperature conditions. Based on the CRU results MGO and kerosene are suitable to use in compression - ignited engines like the reference fuel LFO. In contrast renewable naphtha had a long ignition delay. If naphtha is us ed in a CI engine, the engine must be started and stopped with, e.g. LFO or MGO.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

Systematic versus informal application of culturally relevant pedagogy: Are performance outcomes different? A study of college students

In a field study, the effects on academic performance of two different applications of culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in the classroom were measured. As per the requirements of such pedagogy, both entailed modes and contents of instruction that attend to the specific cultural characteristics of the learners. However, in one condition (systematic CRP application), emphasis on culturally relevant contents extended to both instruction and assessment, whereas in another condition, they were largely confined to instruction (informal CRP application). Students of Middle Eastern descent who were enrolled in either a history or a critical thinking course were exposed to one of the two conditions. During the first half of the semester, midterm and assignment performance did not significantly differ. However, performance during the second half of the semester and attendance rates were higher for the systematic CRP condition. These findings suggest that emphasis on culturally relevant content encompassing both learning and assessment can be beneficial to academic performance but its fruits become tangible only with sustained exercise.    &nbsp