Recycled Printer Filament

The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of recycling PLA filament for 3D printing on its material properties. After examining these effects, PLA and carbon fiber additives were mixed with recycled PLA pellets in different ratios to attempt to regain material properties lost in the recycling process. To complete these findings, an experiment was design and executed. The research found that tensile strength during multiple iterations of recycling remained mostly unaffected, however, the strain degraded exponentially. In the PLA additive study, high ratios of PLA additive were able to increase the strength and strain properties of the material. In the carbon fiber study, the strength and strain properties could not be restored

Maplewood Marine Restoration Project - Panel Session

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s Habitat Enhancement Program (HEP) administers the largest habitat bank in Canada, through an agreement with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. This initiative is intended to provide a balance between a healthy environment and future development projects that maybe required for port operations. The program is aligned with the port authority’s vision to be the world’s most sustainable port and is focused on creating, restoring and enhancing fish and wildlife habitat. Building on the success of past projects within Burrard Inlet, in 2019, the port authority and Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) entered into a ten-year agreement to formalize how collaboration would proceed on habitat bank projects within Burrard Inlet, acknowledging that there is a mutual benefit to work together in a collaborative way. The recently completed Maplewood Marine Restoration Project is an example of a positive project outcome of this agreement and is aligned with the conference theme of “Honoring Our Ancestors: Visions for Future Generations and the Salish Sea”. The project is located in North Vancouver on the north shore of Burrard Inlet, in a marine site that was identified as a restoration priority by TWN. The mudflats hold a cultural significance and continue to be used for traditional practices such as harvesting for a variety of marine species. TWN’s Burrard Inlet Action Plan set out the priority to restore critical nearshore habitat, among other priorities to improve the health of the inlet. The project restored approximately 4.5 hectares of degraded habitat at the site by creating a tidal flat, an eelgrass bed and a rock reef in an area that was previously impacted by industrial activities. The project included a skilled, multi-disciplinary team that included significant collaboration and input from TWN’s Treaty, Lands and Resource Department and involvement from Musqueam Indian Band and Squamish Nation

Cabbage and fermented vegetables : From death rate heterogeneity in countries to candidates for mitigation strategies of severe COVID-19

Large differences in COVID-19 death rates exist between countries and between regions of the same country. Some very low death rate countries such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, or the Balkans have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods. Although biases exist when examining ecological studies, fermented vegetables or cabbage have been associated with low death rates in European countries. SARS-CoV-2 binds to its receptor, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). As a result of SARS-CoV-2 binding, ACE2 downregulation enhances the angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT(1)R) axis associated with oxidative stress. This leads to insulin resistance as well as lung and endothelial damage, two severe outcomes of COVID-19. The nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2 (Nrf2) is the most potent antioxidant in humans and can block in particular the AT(1)R axis. Cabbage contains precursors of sulforaphane, the most active natural activator of Nrf2. Fermented vegetables contain many lactobacilli, which are also potent Nrf2 activators. Three examples are: kimchi in Korea, westernized foods, and the slum paradox. It is proposed that fermented cabbage is a proof-of-concept of dietary manipulations that may enhance Nrf2-associated antioxidant effects, helpful in mitigating COVID-19 severity.Peer reviewe

Nrf2-interacting nutrients and COVID-19 : time for research to develop adaptation strategies

There are large between- and within-country variations in COVID-19 death rates. Some very low death rate settings such as Eastern Asia, Central Europe, the Balkans and Africa have a common feature of eating large quantities of fermented foods whose intake is associated with the activation of the Nrf2 (Nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like 2) anti-oxidant transcription factor. There are many Nrf2-interacting nutrients (berberine, curcumin, epigallocatechin gallate, genistein, quercetin, resveratrol, sulforaphane) that all act similarly to reduce insulin resistance, endothelial damage, lung injury and cytokine storm. They also act on the same mechanisms (mTOR: Mammalian target of rapamycin, PPAR gamma:Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor, NF kappa B: Nuclear factor kappa B, ERK: Extracellular signal-regulated kinases and eIF2 alpha:Elongation initiation factor 2 alpha). They may as a result be important in mitigating the severity of COVID-19, acting through the endoplasmic reticulum stress or ACE-Angiotensin-II-AT(1)R axis (AT(1)R) pathway. Many Nrf2-interacting nutrients are also interacting with TRPA1 and/or TRPV1. Interestingly, geographical areas with very low COVID-19 mortality are those with the lowest prevalence of obesity (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). It is tempting to propose that Nrf2-interacting foods and nutrients can re-balance insulin resistance and have a significant effect on COVID-19 severity. It is therefore possible that the intake of these foods may restore an optimal natural balance for the Nrf2 pathway and may be of interest in the mitigation of COVID-19 severity

Flexing service schedules: Assessing the potential for demand-adaptive hybrid transit via a stated preference approach

This paper assesses the demand for a flexible, demand-adaptive transit service, using the Chicago region as an example. We designed and implemented a stated-preference survey in order to (1) identify potential users of flexible transit, and (2) inform the service design of the flexible transit mode. Multinomial logit, mixed-logit, and panel mixed-logit choice models were estimated using the data obtained from the survey. The survey instrument employed a dp-efficient design and the Google Maps API to capture precise origins and destinations in order to create realistic choice scenarios. The stated-preference experiments offered respondents a choice between traditional transit, car, and a hypothetical flexible transit mode. Wait time, access time, travel time, service frequency, cost, and number of transfers varied across the choice scenarios. The choice model results indicate mode-specific values of in-vehicle travel time ranging between $16.3 per hour (car) and$21.1 per hour (flexible transit). The estimated value of walking time to transit is $25.9 per hour. The estimated value of waiting time at one’s point of origin for a flexible transit vehicle is$11.3 per hour; this value is significantly lower than the disutility typically associated with waiting at a transit stop/station indicating that the ‘at-home’ pick-up option of flexible transit is a highly desirable feature. The choice model results also indicate that respondents who use active-transport modes or public transit for their current commute trip, or are bikeshare members, were significantly more likely to choose flexible and traditional transit than car commuters in the choice experiments. The implications of these and other relevant model results for the design and delivery of flexible, technology-enabled services are discussed

Placebo response in patients with Dravet syndrome: Post-hoc analysis of two clinical trials

International audienceObjectiveDravet syndrome is a rare, early childhood-onset epileptic and developmental encephalopathy. Responses to placebo in clinical trials for epilepsy therapies range widely, but factors influencing placebo response remain poorly understood. This study explored placebo response and its effects on safety, efficacy, and quality of life outcomes in patients with Dravet syndrome.MethodsWe performed exploratory post-hoc analyses of pooled data from placebo-treated patients from the GWPCARE 1B and GWPCARE 2 randomized controlled phase III trials, comparing cannabidiol and matched placebo in 2–18 year old Dravet syndrome patients. All patients had ≥4 convulsive seizures during a baseline period of 4 weeks.Results124 Dravet syndrome-treated patients were included in the analysis (2–5 years: n = 35; 6–12 years: n = 52; 13–18 years: n = 37). Convulsive seizures were experienced by all placebo group patients at all timepoints, with decreased median convulsive seizure frequency during the treatment period versus baseline; the number of convulsive seizure-free days was similar to baseline. Convulsive seizure frequency had a nominally significant positive correlation with age and a nominally significant negative correlation with body mass index. Most placebo-treated patients experienced a treatment-emergent adverse event; however, most resolved quickly, and serious adverse events were infrequent. Placebo treatment had very little effect on reported Caregiver Global Impression of Change outcomes versus baseline.InterpretationPlacebo had little impact on convulsive seizure-free days and Caregiver Global Impression of Change versus baseline, suggesting that these metrics may help differentiate placebo and active treatment effects in future studies. However, future research should further assess placebo responses to confirm these results

Acta stomatologica Croatica

Purpose – The paper aims to explore the food shopping and preparation responsibility in a sample of adults, average age 32.5 years. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of 198 adults (81 men and 117 women) who were involved in a longitudinal dietary study self-completed a questionnaire about their food habits. Chi-squared analysis explored relationships between variables using SPSS (version 10). Open-ended responses were analysed in QSR NUD*IST using a content analysis framework. Findings – The majority of respondents were married or co-habiting (79 per cent), 6 per cent were lone parents, 9 per cent lived alone and the remainder lived with parents and others. Significantly more women than men were responsible for food shopping and preparation (both p, 0:001). Within shared households food responsibility was predominately a female dominated area, with a considerably higher proportion of women responsible for food shopping and preparation compared with men. Reasons given for this included aspects of time and work as well as women being more skilled in this task. Research limitations/implications – The study was a relatively small and homogenous sample, not necessarily representative of the wider UK population. Practical implications – Identifies the enduring gender divide in food responsibility. Findings will be useful to health educators, policy planners and researchers. Originality/value – In light of the recent focus on diet and health, this paper describes the reported shopping and food preparation behaviours in a sample of adults in their 30s at the beginning of a new century

Seven-membered rings

The review covers work published in the calendar year 2012. Novel reaction chemistry and new ring synthetic methods for azepines, benzoazepines, oxepines, thiepines, diazepines, benzodiazepines, dioxepines, and dithiepines are reviewed

Seven-membered rings

The review covers work published in the calendar year 2010. Novel reaction chemistry and new ring synthetic methods for azepines, benzoazepines, oxepines, thiepines, diazepines, benzodiazepines, dioxepines, dithiepines are reviewed