Effect of Treated Oily Waste Water of Khartoum Refinery on Nubian Goat Kids

One of the very many imposed environmental threats of the petroleum industry internationally is its effluent of treated oily waste water (TOWW), which was reported causing mortalities in small ruminants. This study was carried out to investigate the toxic effects of TOWW of Khartoum Refinery Company (KRC) on Nubian goat kids. Twentyone goat kids were divided into three groups: Group A (control), arranged in 1x3, and B and C (test groups) arranged in 2x3x3. Each test group was divided into three subgroups; B1, B2 and B3 and C1, C2 and C3. Groups B and C were watered for 6 weeks from KRC oxidation ponds II and III, respectively, diluted at ratios of 1:0, 1:1 and 1:2 with tap water respective to subgroups 1, 2 and 3. The control group was tap watered. All groups were fed on a basal ration of 2.86 Mcal ME/kg and crude protein 20.88% energy concentration meeting goat daily requirements. Clinical signs and mortalities were daily observed. Body weights were recorded fortnightly. Blood and serum samples were collected fortnightly for haematological (RBCs, Hb, PCV, WBCs and their differentials) and serum metabolites (glucose, total protein, albumin and globulin), enzymes (AST and ALP) and electrolytes (Ca, P, Co, Cu, Fe and Mn) examinations. Organs samples for histopathological investigations were collected on post mortem examinations or in extremis slaughter. All test groups significantly (P≤ 0.05) lost weight with variations in the total water consumption and similar average water consumption for all subgroups except C3 (P≤0.05). All test groups showed decreased appetite, diarrhoea, weakness and partial paralysis. The mortality was 100%, 66.6% and 33.3% in subgroups C1, C2 and C3, respectively. The mortality was 66.6% in subgroup B3 and 33.3% in each of B2 or B1. Haematologically, test goats were neither anaemic nor infected with haemodilutions (P≤0.05) in subgroups B3, C2 and C3. All test groups showed congestion or haemorrhage in the intestinal submucosa, with detachment of epithelium or detachment of the villi, in response to the osmotic diarrhoea. All test groups showed no significant (P>0.05) changes in serum metabolites, electrolytes or serum enzymes, but livers were congested, stressed and engorged. Bile and kidney showed shrinkage, necrosis of the glomeruli, congestion and haemorrhage in the cortical and medullary tubules. These signs were indications of intensive mineral excretion. It is concluded that TOWW from KRC has toxic effects on Nubian goat kids judged by the early mortalities and by the clinical signs of diarrhoea and recumbency, metabolic disturbances in the liver with histopathological changes in various body systems. It is recommended that TOWW initial concentration be restored by addition of equivalent water to reduce or abolish its toxic manifestations

Uncovering the magnetic particle imaging and magnetic resonance imaging features of iron oxide nanocube clusters

Multifunctional imaging nanoprobes continue to garner strong interest for their great potential in the detection and monitoring of cancer. In this study, we investigate a series of spatially arranged iron oxide nanocube-based clusters (i.e., chain-like dimer/trimer, centrosymmetric clusters, and enzymatically cleavable two-dimensional clusters) as magnetic particle imaging and magnetic resonance imaging probes. Our findings demonstrate that the short nanocube chain assemblies exhibit remarkable magnetic particle imaging signal enhancement with respect to the individually dispersed or the centrosymmetric cluster analogues. This result can be attributed to the beneficial uniaxial magnetic dipolar coupling occurring in the chain-like nanocube assembly. Moreover, we could effectively synthesize enzymatically cleavable two-dimensional nanocube clusters, which upon exposure to a lytic enzyme, exhibit a progressive increase in magnetic particle imaging signal at well-defined incubation time points. The increase in magnetic particle imaging signal can be used to trace the disassembly of the large planar clusters into smaller nanocube chains by enzymatic polymer degradation. These studies demonstrate that chain-like assemblies of iron oxide nanocubes offer the best spatial arrangement to improve magnetic particle imaging signals. In addition, the nanocube clusters synthesized in this study also show remarkable transverse magnetic resonance imaging relaxation signals. These nanoprobes, previously showcased for their outstanding heat performance in magnetic hyperthermia applications, have great potential as dual imaging probes and could be employed to improve the tumor thermo-therapeutic efficacy, while offering a readable magnetic signal for image mapping of material disassemblies at tumor sites

La incuestionabilidad del riesgo

Con anterioridad a la década de 1980, la literatura especializada en análisis y gestión del riesgo estaba dominada por la llamada visión tecnocrática o dominante. Esta visión establecía que los desastres naturales eran sucesos físicos extremos, producidos por una naturaleza caprichosa, externos a lo social y que requerían soluciones tecnológicas y de gestión por parte de expertos. Este artículo se centra en desarrollar una nueva explicación para entender la persistencia hegemónica de la visión tecnocrática basada en el concepto de incuestionabilidad del riesgo. Esta propuesta conceptual hace referencia a la incapacidad y desidia de los expertos, científicos y tomadores de decisiones en general (claimmakers) de identificar y actuar sobre las causas profundas de la producción del riesgo ya que ello conllevaría a cuestionar los imperativos normativos, las necesidades de las elites y los estilos de vida del actual sistema socioeconómico globalizado.Before de 1980s, the natural hazard analysis and management specialized literature was dominated by the so called "dominant" or "technocratic" view. Such perspective had established that natural disasters are extreme physical events caused by a whimsical nature and that these events are external to society. These events required technological and management solutions developed by experts. The current article aims at addressing a new explanatory component in the hegemonic persistence of the technocratic view. Such assumption was based on the "unquestionability of the risk" concept. It is stated that the "unquestionability of the risk" is the overall incapacity and neglect of experts, scientists and decision makers to identify and act over the deep causes of risk production, since it would make them question the normative imperatives and the demands from the elite as well as the life style in nowadays globalized socio-economic system

Novel soft bending actuator based power augmentation hand exoskeleton controlled by human intention

This article presents the development of a soft material power augmentation wearable robot using novel bending soft artificial muscles. This soft exoskeleton was developed as a human hand power augmentation system for healthy or partially hand disabled individuals. The proposed prototype serves healthy manual workers by decreasing the muscular effort needed for grasping objects. Furthermore, it is a power augmentation wearable robot for partially hand disabled or post-stroke patients, supporting and augmenting the fingers’ grasping force with minimum muscular effort in most everyday activities. This wearable robot can fit any adult hand size without the need for any mechanical system changes or calibration. Novel bending soft actuators are developed to actuate this power augmentation device. The performance of these actuators has been experimentally assessed. A geometrical kinematic analysis and mathematical output force model have been developed for the novel actuators. The performance of this mathematical model has been proven experimentally with promising results. The control system of this exoskeleton is created by hybridization between cascaded position and force closed loop intelligent controllers. The cascaded position controller is designed for the bending actuators to follow the fingers in their bending movements. The force controller is developed to control the grasping force augmentation. The operation of the control system with the exoskeleton has been experimentally validated. EMG signals were monitored during the experiments to determine that the proposed exoskeleton system decreased the muscular efforts of the wearer

A variable stiffness soft gripper using granular jamming and biologically inspired pneumatic muscles

As the domains in which robots operate change the objects a robot may be required to grasp and manipulate are likely to vary significantly and often. Furthermore there is increasing likelihood that in the future robots will work collaboratively alongside people. There has therefore been interest in the development of biologically inspired robot designs which take inspiration from nature. This paper presents the design and testing of a variable stiffness, three fingered soft gripper which uses pneumatic muscles to actuate the fingers and granular jamming to vary their stiffness. This gripper is able to adjust its stiffness depending upon how fragile/deformable the object being grasped is. It is also lightweight and low inertia making it better suited to operation near people. Each finger is formed from a cylindrical rubber bladder filled with a granular material. It is shown how decreasing the pressure inside the finger increases the jamming effect and raises finger stiffness. The paper shows experimentally how the finger stiffness can be increased from 21 to 71 N/m. The paper also describes the kinematics of the fingers and demonstrates how they can be position-controlled at a range of different stiffness values

Quantum dots coordinated with conjugated organic ligands: new nanomaterials with novel photophysics

CdSe quantum dots functionalized with oligo-(phenylene vinylene) (OPV) ligands (CdSe-OPV nanostructures) represent a new class of composite nanomaterials with significantly modified photophysics relative to bulk blends or isolated components. Single-molecule spectroscopy on these species have revealed novel photophysics such as enhanced energy transfer, spectral stability, and strongly modified excited state lifetimes and blinking statistics. Here, we review the role of ligands in quantum dot applications and summarize some of our recent efforts probing energy and charge transfer in hybrid CdSe-OPV composite nanostructures

Forty-Three Loci Associated with Plasma Lipoprotein Size, Concentration, and Cholesterol Content in Genome-Wide Analysis

While conventional LDL-C, HDL-C, and triglyceride measurements reflect aggregate properties of plasma lipoprotein fractions, NMR-based measurements more accurately reflect lipoprotein particle concentrations according to class (LDL, HDL, and VLDL) and particle size (small, medium, and large). The concentrations of these lipoprotein sub-fractions may be related to risk of cardiovascular disease and related metabolic disorders. We performed a genome-wide association study of 17 lipoprotein measures determined by NMR together with LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, ApoA1, and ApoB in 17,296 women from the Women's Genome Health Study (WGHS). Among 36 loci with genome-wide significance (P<5×10−8) in primary and secondary analysis, ten (PCCB/STAG1 (3q22.3), GMPR/MYLIP (6p22.3), BTNL2 (6p21.32), KLF14 (7q32.2), 8p23.1, JMJD1C (10q21.3), SBF2 (11p15.4), 12q23.2, CCDC92/DNAH10/ZNF664 (12q24.31.B), and WIPI1 (17q24.2)) have not been reported in prior genome-wide association studies for plasma lipid concentration. Associations with mean lipoprotein particle size but not cholesterol content were found for LDL at four loci (7q11.23, LPL (8p21.3), 12q24.31.B, and LIPG (18q21.1)) and for HDL at one locus (GCKR (2p23.3)). In addition, genetic determinants of total IDL and total VLDL concentration were found at many loci, most strongly at LIPC (15q22.1) and APOC-APOE complex (19q13.32), respectively. Associations at seven more loci previously known for effects on conventional plasma lipid measures reveal additional genetic influences on lipoprotein profiles and bring the total number of loci to 43. Thus, genome-wide associations identified novel loci involved with lipoprotein metabolism—including loci that affect the NMR-based measures of concentration or size of LDL, HDL, and VLDL particles—all characteristics of lipoprotein profiles that may impact disease risk but are not available by conventional assay

Autoantibodies to Agrin in Myasthenia Gravis Patients

To determine if patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) have antibodies to agrin, a proteoglycan released by motor neurons and is critical for neuromuscular junction (NMJ) formation, we collected serum samples from 93 patients with MG with known status of antibodies to acetylcholine receptor (AChR), muscle specific kinase (MuSK) and lipoprotein-related 4 (LRP4) and samples from control subjects (healthy individuals and individuals with other diseases). Sera were assayed for antibodies to agrin. We found antibodies to agrin in 7 serum samples of MG patients. None of the 25 healthy controls and none of the 55 control neurological patients had agrin antibodies. Two of the four triple negative MG patients (i.e., no detectable AChR, MuSK or LRP4 antibodies, AChR-/MuSK-/LRP4-) had antibodies against agrin. In addition, agrin antibodies were detected in 5 out of 83 AChR+/MuSK-/LRP4- patients but were not found in the 6 patients with MuSK antibodies (AChR-/MuSK+/LRP4-). Sera from MG patients with agrin antibodies were able to recognize recombinant agrin in conditioned media and in transfected HEK293 cells. These sera also inhibited the agrin-induced MuSK phosphorylation and AChR clustering in muscle cells. Together, these observations indicate that agrin is another autoantigen in patients with MG and agrin autoantibodies may be pathogenic through inhibition of agrin/LRP4/MuSK signaling at the NMJ