Comparison of the impacts of elevated CO₂ soil gas concentrations on selected European terrestrial environments

Selected European studies have illustrated the impacts of elevated CO₂ concentrations in shallow soils on pasture. For the first time, general unified conclusions can be made, providing CO₂ thresholds where effects on plants and soil microbiology are observed and making recommendations on how this information can be used when planning projects for CO₂ storage. The sites include those where CO₂ is being naturally released to the atmosphere from deep geological formations; and a non-adapted site, with no previous history of CO₂ seepage, where CO₂ has been injected into the unsaturated soil horizon. Whilst soil gas concentrations will be influenced by flux rates and other factors, the results suggest that a concentration of between 10% and 15% CO₂ soil gas at 20 cm depth, which is within the root zone, is an important threshold level for observing changes in plant coverage. Site-specific plant ‘indicators’ are also observed for CO₂ concentrations at ≥35%. Microbiological changes are seen where CO₂ soil gas concentrations are between 15% and 40%. As part of site characterisation, an evaluation of the risks of leakage and their potential environmental impacts should be undertaken

Nutrition in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic inflammatory autoimmune disease of unknown etiology, resulting in the progressive destruction of cartilage and bone resulting in structural destruction and functional impotence Purpose: The purpose of this work is to highlight the contribution of diet to rheumatoid arthritis. Methodology: The material in the study was articles on the subject that were found mainly in electronic databases such as Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, and the Hellenic Academic Libraries Association (HEAL-Link). Results: Nutrition can play an important role in preventing the onset of the disease as it is directly related to improving bone mass and maintaining bone and joints. Of particular importance are the contribution of various nutrients, vitamins and antioxidants to reducing the risk of fractures, inflammation and pain and energy consumption. Conclusions: Proper information of patients on the disease and the available therapeutic methods can make a significant contribution to their activation and activation for participation in various therapies that will contribute significantly to the control of the disease with as few consequences as possible

A novel social gamified collaboration platform enriched with shop-floor data and feedback for the improvement of the productivity, safety and engagement in factories

Nowadays a lot of people working in industrial environments face daily routines as boring and dull which disaffects them from each other. Thus, the evolution of online communities has given a great opportunity in communication and interaction between people that work in the same environment but may not have direct interaction. An online Social Collaboration platform introduced to industrial environment enhances interaction between colleagues and empowers bonding by creating a social community where participants can share concerns, ideas and knowledge. Moreover, when introducing a new idea to a workplace, like Social Collaboration platform, it is expected to have both positive and negative reactions so it is challenging to create an attractive environment and engage as many individuals as possible. For this reason a gamification strategy can be used which is proven to appeal to the majority of people when applied with appropriate strategy. The gamified social collaboration platform that is introduced in this paper supports engagement of employees in to their daily jobs by triggering motivation and offering only positive feedback. The objective of the proposed concept is the creation of a pleasant and friendly environment in industrial premises where employees have the need to participate in collective activities and improve team spirit. A complete social collaboration tool with gamified actions is presented which is deployed in a plant floor at CERTH/CPERI and tested on real conditions during 3 months. The analysis of the user’s engagement is promising and showed that the platform was successfully introduced at daily procedures and interactions using the gamified actions. Moreover, an overall enhancement of positive mood between colleagues is noticed along with engagement and satisfaction. This novel social platform proves that there is a necessity for change in industries by boosting human contact and eliminating alienation. Fortunately, with the right use of technology, this necessity can be satisfied and the whole procedure of communication, engagement and knowledge exchange is facilitated