Synthesis, Characterization, and Investigation of the Catalytic Activity of NiO, CuO, and NiO-CuO Nanoparticles on Silica as Surrogates of Combustion-Generated Nanoparticles

Transition metal oxide nanoparticles contained in fly ash are known to catalyze the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) during the waste incineration process. The potential catalytic activity of silica-supported NiO, CuO, and NiO-CuO nanoparticles for the formation of PCDD/Fs will be discussed in this dissertation. The successful synthesis of silica-supported NiO, CuO, and NiO-CuO nanoparticles as surrogates of combustion-generated nanoparticles was important to this study. The synthesis was followed by the characterization of the nanoparticle surrogates by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Finally, the catalytic activity of these nanoparticle surrogates for the formation of PCDD/Fs was investigated. Silica-supported metal oxide nanoparticles were prepared by wetness impregnation of metal ionƒ{dendrimer complexes (WI-D) and wetness impregnation of metal ion solutions (WI-M), both followed by oxidative thermal treatment (calcination). NiO nanoparticles with low size dispersity (14%) and an average diameter of 3.6 ¡Ó 0.5 nm were formed by the WI-D method followed by calcination at 500 „aC for 5 h. NiO nanoparticles prepared by the WI-M method showed of low size dispersity (14%) and an average diameter 2.9 ¡Ó 0.4 nm followed by calcination at 500 „aC for 5 h. For the first time, mixed NiO-CuO nanoparticles were synthesized with the ability to control their Ni:Cu (1:1, 1:3, 1:10, 10:1, and 3:1) molar composition by altering the amounts of metal ions in the starting solutions. Catalytic activity of NiO, CuO, and NiO-CuO nanoparticles was investigated by reacting 2-monochlorophenol (2-MCP)ƒ{a known PCDD/Fs precursorƒ{on their surface at cool-zone temperatures of waste incinerators (300¡V500 „aC with 50 „aC intervals). Results indicated nearly 85% of the 2-MCP was reacted at 300 „aC, while close to 100% conversion was achieved for 2-MCP at temperatures above 450 „aC. It is proposed that the reactions associated with PCDD/Fs formation were initiated by binding of 2-MCP to the metal-oxide sites on the silica support, followed by formation of surface-bound chlorinated phenol molecule. PCDD/Fs yields as a function of reaction temperature and the nature of the catalyst (NiO, CuO and NiO-CuO) will be discussed

GENETIC DIFFERENTIATION AND STRUCTURE OF BOREAL POPULATIONS OF CROSSOCALYX HELLERIANUS (NEES EX LINDENB.) MEYL. IN NORTH AMERICA

Studying population genetic parameters of dominantly asexual bryophyte species is interesting due to the unique features of their life cycle, such as a relatively short distance dispersal capacity and a lack of the advantages of sexual reproduction. Studying asexual species becomes even more interesting when the study species are also habitat specialists, are rare in part of their global distribution, and have a dominant haploid life cycle. We chose a species that falls into all the above categories, Crossocalyx hellerianus (Nees ex Lindenb.) Meyl.; a minute dioicous epixylic liverwort with dominant asexual reproduction, which inhabits decaying logs and stumps of coniferous trees in boreal and subalpine forests with a circumboreal- subcontinental distribution. The objective of this study is to identify the spatial pattern of genetic variation and structure of C. hellerianus from population (site) to regional (100 km) and intercontinental scales (10 000 km) and to subsequently answer the question, how do the current distribution of the species and dispersal limitations shape the spatial genetic patterns of C. hellerianus? Samples were collected from three provinces in Canada: Quebec (15 populations, 104 individuals), Alberta (six populations, 50 individuals), and New Brunswick (one population, nine individuals). Using already published data, we compared Canadian and European populations with six populations (99 individuals) from the Czech Republic and four populations (241 individuals) from Finland. Six polymorphic microsatellite markers were used to genotype the individuals. The sequenced data were analyzed for genetic diversity estimations, genetic variation, and population structure parameters using different software packages. Despite the dominant asexual reproduction mode of this species, we observed a high level of genetic diversity even within colony and population levels. Also, we found some evidence of long-distance dispersal of asexual propagules of the species. In terms of genetic variation and structure, we observed two main clusters in North America and few barriers to gene flow, which is a pattern similar to that found in boreal tree species in North America that were influenced by post-glacial dispersal patterns. The populations from the Gulf of St-Lawrence region were differentiated from the other populations. At the intercontinental level, three significant clusters were observed as Canadian, Czech, and Finnish populations each formed a cluster, although a connection between Europe and North America is suggested via the Gulf of St-Lawrence region. The results of this research indicate that the populations of asexually reproducing species can be as genetically diverse as sexually reproducing species. Furthermore, the genetic structure of the species in North America has been shaped by post-glacial dispersal patterns and biogeographic connections between North American and Europe

Current context of transport sector in South Asia: Recommendations towards a sustainable transportation system

Purpose Given the current focus on sustainable development, there is a need to identify the current status of the transport sector in developing countries and the obstacles to the development of a sustainable transport system. Thus, this paper aims to provide a critical review on what needs to be done in such countries towards a sustainable transportation system. The focus of the paper will be on the South Asian context. In order to achieve the aim, the paper examines the current issues, the policy context and the key actions required in the countries selected in South Asia (i.e. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal). Design/methodology/approach The main method used for the project was a combination of semi-structured interviews and focus groups. In addition, a policy analysis was also carried out with a use of secondary data. Altogether 348 interviews and 16 focus groups (with 157 participants) were carried out in the selected 06 countries. Although the purpose of the research methods was to carry out a situational analysis of each country mentioned above on seven societal challenges identified under the EU’s Horizon 2020 research programme, this paper only focuses on presenting the findings relating to sustainable transport. Findings Findings reveal that South Asian countries need to improve different aspects of their transportation sector, starting from national level transportation policies. Sustainable transportation is not merely about mobility but also about creating safer, convenient and environmentally friendly transportation systems. Some key actions needed for these include introducing driver and passenger safety regulations, establishing vehicle emissions test centres to reduce CO2 emissions, and introducing public-private partnerships where useful. Originality/value This study provides a robust policy direction towards the introduction/improvement of a sustainable transportation system in South Asian countries

'We do not rush to the hospital for ordinary wounds (suḷu tuvāla)': A qualitative study on the early clinical manifestations of cutaneous leishmaniasis and associated health behaviours in rural Sri Lanka.

Knowledge of early clinical manifestations, people's perceptions and behaviours is crucial in preventing and controlling neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an NTD that causes skin lesions and affects millions worldwide. Delayed healthcare-seeking behaviour leading to prolonged treatment periods and complications is rife among people with cutaneous leishmaniasis. This study examined the patient-reported early clinical manifestations of cutaneous leishmaniasis, local interpretations and associated health behaviours within the socio-cultural context of rural Sri Lanka. We conducted a qualitative study among people with cutaneous leishmaniasis in three rural communities in the Anuradhapura district, Sri Lanka. Participants' experiences were explored through a study-bespoke participant experience reflection journal and in-depth interviews. We analysed the data using a narrative-thematic approach. The study included 30 people with cutaneous leishmaniasis (12 females and 18 males) aged between 18 and 75 years. We identified four major themes during the analysis: 1) patient-reported early clinical manifestations of cutaneous leishmaniasis, 2) local interpretations of the early skin lesion(s), 3) associated actions and behaviours, and 4) the time gap between the initial notice of symptoms and seeking healthcare for cutaneous leishmaniasis. Early clinical manifestations differed among the participants, while the majority misinterpreted them as a mosquito/ant bite, pimple, wart, eczema, macule, or worm infestation. Participants undertook different context-specific self-management actions to cure cutaneous leishmaniasis. We identified an average time gap between the notice of symptoms and the first visit to the healthcare facility ranging from three to twelve months. Diverse early clinical manifestations, local interpretations, and associated behaviours of people with cutaneous leishmaniasis have led to a substantial delay in healthcare-seeking. The study sheds light on the importance of understanding the manifestations of NTDs within the social context. Our findings will inform designing context-specific health interventions to improve awareness and healthcare-seeking in cutaneous leishmaniasis in rural settings. [Abstract copyright: Copyright: © 2023 Gunasekara et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Doctoral Studies as part of an Innovative Training Network (ITN): Early Stage Researcher (ESR) experiences [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: The Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Actions’ (MSCA) Innovative Training Network (ITN) is a doctoral training programme jointly implemented by academic institutions and industries from countries across Europe and beyond. To our knowledge no study has examined the experience of students participating in MSCA-ITNs. This study aims to evaluate and report MSCA-ITN Early Stage Researcher (ESR) experiences. Methods: The Innovative Training Network - Evaluation Questionnaire (ITN-EQ) was developed to assess supervision, training, collaborations and experiences of ESRs and forwarded to two tinnitus-related ITNs and seven ITNs of other disciplines. Results: Key advantages identified included better career prospects, multidisciplinary research opportunities/collaborations, international exposure, personal/professional development, plus generous salaries and research budgets. However, lack of a common EU framework resulted in the experience being largely dependent on the host institution, country and supervisor. Moreover, managing the dual requirements of ITNs and host institutions while completing a three-year PhD seemed challenging for most ESRs. ESR involvement in workshop and training school planning was desirable. More than 80% of ESRs rated the overall ITN experience favourably and 98.3% would recommend the same to prospective PhD students. Conclusions: This report could provide valuable insights in planning and management of future ITNs and could assist prospective students in their decision of joining an ITN for their PhD

Doctoral Studies as part of an Innovative Training Network (ITN):Early Stage Researcher (ESR) experiences [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Background: The Marie-Skłodowska-Curie Actions’ (MSCA) Innovative Training Network (ITN) is a doctoral training programme jointly implemented by academic institutions and industries from countries across Europe and beyond. To our knowledge no study has examined the experience of students participating in MSCA-ITNs. This study aims to evaluate and report MSCA-ITN Early Stage Researcher (ESR) experiences. Methods: The Innovative Training Network - Evaluation Questionnaire (ITN-EQ) was developed to assess supervision, training, collaborations and experiences of ESRs and forwarded to two tinnitus-related ITNs and seven ITNs of other disciplines. Results: Key advantages identified included better career prospects, multidisciplinary research opportunities/collaborations, international exposure, personal/professional development, plus generous salaries and research budgets. However, lack of a common EU framework resulted in the experience being largely dependent on the host institution, country and supervisor. Moreover, managing the dual requirements of ITNs and host institutions while completing a three-year PhD seemed challenging for most ESRs. ESR involvement in workshop and training school planning was desirable. More than 80% of ESRs rated the overall ITN experience favourably and 98.3% would recommend the same to prospective PhD students. Conclusions: This report could provide valuable insights in planning and management of future ITNs and could assist prospective students in their decision of joining an ITN for their PhD

Corrigendum:Multidisciplinary Tinnitus Research: Challenges and Future Directions From the Perspective of Early Stage Researchers (Front. Aging Neurosci., (2021), 13, (647285), 10.3389/fnagi.2021.647285)

In the original article, there was an error. For the sentence “NMDA receptor antagonists (AM-101) have been discontinued in phase III for not meeting endpoints (van de Heyning et al., 2014)” there was a typographical error (phase III should have been phase II). In addition, it was brought to our attention that clinical trials for AM-101 are ongoing. A correction has been made to section 6. Treatment Development, Subsection 6.4. Pharmacology-Based Interventions, paragraph 1. The corrected paragraph is below. A wide variety of therapeutic drugs have been used to relieve tinnitus (Elgoyhen and Langguth, 2010). For acute tinnitus, a dose-dependent reduction in tinnitus intensity was observed with intravenous lidocaine (Trellakis et al., 2006). However, its use is controversial due to its short-lasting response, its potentially life threatening arrhythmogenic side effects, and the low bioavailability of its oral form (Israel et al., 1982; Trellakis et al., 2007; Gil-Gouveia and Goadsby, 2009). A potential goal of pharmacologic tinnitus research could be to identify the mechanism by which lidocaine interferes with tinnitus and mimic this effect using a drug with better tolerance that can be orally administered. For chronic tinnitus, the off-label use of medicines like betahistine (Hall et al., 2018d), anticonvulsants (Hoekstra et al., 2011), and glutamate receptor antagonists have shown little or no effect in clinical trials. Prescription of antidepressants and benzodiazepines is limited to tinnitusassociated comorbidities such as depression, insomnia and anxiety (Langguth et al., 2019). Moreover, three clinical research programs, in the last few years, were discontinued in phase II and III. AMPA antagonist selurampanel (BGG492) has not resulted in a new compound (Cederroth et al., 2018). NMDA receptor antagonists (AM-101) did not meet the primary endpoint of improving minimum masking level in acute tinnitus in a phase II clinical trial but showed improvement for tinnitus loudness, annoyance, sleep difficulties, and tinnitus impact in patients with tinnitus after noise trauma or otitis media (van de Heyning et al., 2014). Many other treatments decreasing tinnitus percept or targeting central auditory processing pathways are at a preclinical phase (Schilder et al., 2019). The modulator of voltage-gated potassium channels (Kv3.1) (AUT00063) was not effective in alleviating tinnitus symptoms (Hall et al., 2019b). The authors apologize for this error and state that this does not change the scientific conclusions of the article in any way. The original article has been updated

Standardised profiling for tinnitus research: The European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research Screening Questionnaire (ESIT-SQ)

Background: The heterogeneity of tinnitus is substantial. Its numerous pathophysiological mechanisms and clinical manifestations have hampered fundamental and treatment research significantly. A decade ago, the Tinnitus Research Initiative introduced the Tinnitus Sample Case History Questionnaire, a case history instrument for standardised collection of information about the characteristics of the tinnitus patient. Since then, a number of studies have been published which characterise individuals and groups using data collected with this questionnaire. However, its use has been restricted to a clinical setting and to the evaluation of people with tinnitus only. In addition, it is limited in the ability to capture relevant comorbidities and evaluate their temporal relationship with tinnitus. Method: Here we present a new case history instrument which is comprehensive in scope and can be answered by people with and without tinnitus alike. This ‘European School for Interdisciplinary Tinnitus Research Screening Questionnaire’ (ESIT-SQ) was developed with specific attention to questions about potential risk factors for tinnitus (including demographics, lifestyle, general medical and otological histories), and tinnitus characteristics (including perceptual characteristics, modulating factors, and associations with co-existing conditions). It was first developed in English, then translated into Dutch, German, Italian, Polish, Spanish, and Swedish, thus having broad applicability and supporting international collaboration. Conclusions: With respect to better understanding tinnitus profiles, we anticipate the ESIT-SQ to be a starting point for comprehensive multi-variate analyses of tinnitus. Data collected with the ESIT-SQ can allow establishment of patterns that distinguish tinnitus from non-tinnitus, and definition of common sets of tinnitus characteristics which might be indicated by the presence of otological or comorbid systemic diseases for which tinnitus is a known symptom

Multidisciplinary Tinnitus Research: Challenges and Future Directions From the Perspective of Early Stage Researchers

Tinnitus can be a burdensome condition on both individual and societal levels. Many aspects of this condition remain elusive, including its underlying mechanisms, ultimately hindering the development of a cure. Interdisciplinary approaches are required to overcome long-established research challenges. This review summarizes current knowledge in various tinnitus-relevant research fields including tinnitus generating mechanisms, heterogeneity, epidemiology, assessment, and treatment development, in an effort to highlight the main challenges and provide suggestions for future research to overcome them. Four common themes across different areas were identified as future research direction: (1) Further establishment of multicenter and multidisciplinary collaborations; (2) Systematic reviews and syntheses of existing knowledge; (3) Standardization of research methods including tinnitus assessment, data acquisition, and data analysis protocols; (4) The design of studies with large sample sizes and the creation of large tinnitus-specific databases that would allow in-depth exploration of tinnitus heterogeneity