Wastewater irrigation and health: assessing and mitigating risk in low-income countries

Wastewater irrigation / Public health / Health hazards / Risk assessment / Epidemiology / Sewage sludge / Excreta / Diseases / Vegetables / Leaf vegetables / Economic impact / Wastewater treatment / Irrigation methods / Developing countries

Implementation of a Non-Metallic Reinforced Bridge Deck, Volume 1: Bond Behavior

The primary maintenance problem with bridges in Indiana has been deterioration of the concrete deck which is often related to corrosion of the reinforcing steel. While a corrosion protection system consisting of epoxy-coated reinforcement in combination with 2-1/2 in. of Class C concrete cover has been used in Indiana, research and experience have demonstrated that this system can be compromised. As an alternative solution to the corrosion problem in reinforced concrete, fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) bars which are corrosion resistant can be provided as reinforcement. This research was divided into two phases directed towards the implementation of a nonmetallic reinforced bridge deck. The first phase evaluated the bond strength of fiber reinforced polymer reinforcement with the goal of developing a design expression for the calculation of development and splice lengths. Forty-six glass FRP, carbon FRP, and steel reinforced concrete beams with unconfined tension lap splices were tested. The second phase consisted of the design, construction, and performance evaluation of a glass FRP bar reinforced concrete bridge deck. Based on this study, design recommendations are provided for the calculation of development and splice lengths of both FRP and steel reinforcement. Furthermore, the behavior of the FRP reinforced bridge deck is assessed and compared with its design assumptions. The findings of this study provide design tools and behavioral data that will assist in the future development and deployment of this technology

Análisis de la producción científica sobre el tenis en silla de ruedas

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue analizar la producción científica en el tenis en silla de ruedas (TSR), identificando, clasificando y categorizando los estudios indexados en la Web of Science y Medline (Pubmed). Se utilizaron los descriptores “wheelchair” y “tennis”. La muestra final de estudio fueron 73 artículos de los cuales se analizaron: 1) base de datos, 2) año, 3) tipo de publicación (artículo, revisión, conferencia, o artículo de opinión), 4) revista, 5) institución del primer firmante, 6) autor principal, 7) número de autores, 8) idioma, 9) deporte (TSR, o TSR en comparación de varias disciplinas de deporte adaptado, o comparación entre el TSR y el tenis convencional), 10) sexo de la muestra, 11) categoría, 12) nivel competitivo, y 13) disciplina principal del estudio. Los resultados mostraron un aumento de la producción científica del TSR en los últimos años, cuyas disciplinas de estudio son principalmente la fisiología, psicología del deporte y la biomecánica

Total Value of Phosphorus Recovery

Phosphorus (P) is a critical, geographically concentrated, nonrenewable resource necessary to support global food production. In excess (e.g., due to runoff or wastewater discharges), P is also a primary cause of eutrophication. To reconcile the simultaneous shortage and overabundance of P, lost P flows must be recovered and reused, alongside improvements in P-use efficiency. While this motivation is increasingly being recognized, little P recovery is practiced today, as recovered P generally cannot compete with the relatively low cost of mined P. Therefore, P is often captured to prevent its release into the environment without beneficial recovery and reuse. However, additional incentives for P recovery emerge when accounting for the total value of P recovery. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the range of benefits of recovering P from waste streams, i.e., the total value of recovering P. This approach accounts for P products, as well as other assets that are associated with P and can be recovered in parallel, such as energy, nitrogen, metals and minerals, and water. Additionally, P recovery provides valuable services to society and the environment by protecting and improving environmental quality, enhancing efficiency of waste treatment facilities, and improving food security and social equity. The needs to make P recovery a reality are also discussed, including business models, bottlenecks, and policy and education strategies

Urban agriculture during economic crisis: lessons from Cuba, Sri Lanka and Ukraine

Economic crises take different forms and occur for various reasons, such as political conflicts and pandemics. What all these crises have in common is that they cause disruption to rural-urban food supply chains, resulting in food shortages for the urban poor, with the most direct impact being an increase in food prices. It is within this challenging context that we present empirical examples of the role of urban agriculture

Therapeutic Strategies and Biomarkers to Modulate PARP Activity for Targeted Cancer Therapy

Poly-(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1 (PARP1) is commonly known for its vital role in DNA damage response and repair. However, its enzymatic activity has been linked to a plethora of physiological and pathophysiological transactions ranging from cellular proliferation, survival and death. For instance, malignancies with BRCA1/2 mutations heavily rely on PARP activity for survival. Thus, the use of PARP inhibitors is a well-established intervention in these types of tumors. However, recent studies indicate that the therapeutic potential of attenuating PARP1 activity in recalcitrant tumors, especially where PARP1 is aberrantly overexpressed and hyperactivated, may extend its therapeutic utility in wider cancer types beyond BRCA-deficiency. Here, we discuss treatment strategies to expand the tumor-selective therapeutic application of PARP inhibitors and novel approaches with predictive biomarkers to perturb NAD+ levels and hyperPARylation that inactivate PARP in recalcitrant tumors. We also provide an overview of genetic alterations that transform non-BRCA mutant cancers to a state of “BRCAness” as potential biomarkers for synthetic lethality with PARP inhibitors. Finally, we discuss a paradigm shift for the use of novel PARP inhibitors outside of cancer treatment, where it has the potential to rescue normal cells from severe oxidative damage during ischemia-reperfusion injury induced by surgery and radiotherapy

Differences in forms of organization of the padel lessons with students

El objetivo del presente estudio es conocer los efectos en la cantidad y eficacia de golpeos y la percepción de satisfacción/diversión, aburrimiento y esfuerzo a través de cuatro formas de organización diferentes de sesiones de pádel. Los participantes del estudio fueron 48 estudiantes del Ciclo Formativo de Técnico en Animación y Actividades Físico Deportivas (33 chicos y 15 chicas), con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 26 años. Se evaluó la cantidad y eficacia de los golpeos a través de una hoja de observación directa. La percepción de diversión y aburrimiento fue evaluada a través del Sport Satisfaction Instrument y la percepción de esfuerzo a través de la Pictorial Children´s Effort Rating Table. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la forma de organización basada en el peloteo entre los alumnos se plantea como la más eficaz en la enseñanza del pádel, obteniendo un número significativamente mayor y más eficaz de golpeos, así como valores significativamente superiores de diversión/satisfacción y esfuerzo e inferiores de aburrimientoThe aim of this study was to determine the effects on the quantity and effectiveness of strokes and perceived satisfaction / fun, boredom and effort through four different organizational forms of paddle sessions. Study participants were 48 students from the Technical Training Course in Animation and Sports Physical Activities (33 boys and 15 girls) with ages between 18 and 26 years. The amount and effectiveness of beatings through direct observation of a sheet was evaluated. The perception of fun and boredom was evaluated through the Sport Satisfaction Instrument and perception of effort through the Pictorial Children's Effort Rating Table. The results show that the form of organization based on the rally among students is seen as the most effective in teaching paddle. A significantly greater and more effective number of strokes and significantly higher values of amusement / satisfaction and effort and lower boredom have been proved as a result of this form of organizatio

Analysis of Serve and Serve-Return Strategies in Elite Male and Female Padel

This aim of this study was to analyze serve and return statistics in elite padel players regarding courtside and gender. The sample contained 668 serves and 600 returns of serves from 14 matches (7 male and 7 female) of the 2019 Masters Finals World Padel Tour. Variables pertaining to serve (number, direction, court side and effectiveness), return of serve (direction, height, stroke type and effectiveness) and point outcome were registered through systematic observation. The main results showed that the serving pair had an advantage in rallies, under 8 shots in women and under 12 shots in men. Statistical differences according to gender and court side were found. Female players execute more backhand and cross-court returns and use more lobs than men. On the right court, serves are more frequently aimed at the "T" and more down the line returns are executed when compared to the left side. Such knowledge could be useful to develop appropriate game strategies and to design specific training exercises based on actual competition context

Analysis of performance parameters of the smash in male and female professional padel

The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution and effectiveness of the different types of smash in professional padel according to the area and direction of the strokes and the gender. Through systematic observation, 1.015 smashes from eight finals (four men’s and four women’s) of the professional matches were analyzed. The smashes were categorized into four types of smash: tray, flat, topspin and off the wall. The results showed both men’s and women’s that the tray is the most used smash by padel players, presenting a percentage of point continuity of almost 90%. The flat and topspin smashes are the strokes that achieve the highest percentage of winning points (near 60%), although this efficiency decreases significantly when the players move away from the net area (p < 0.05), especially in the flat smash. Men perform a higher percentage of winning smashes than women, mainly in the flat smash (p = 0.02). Furthermore, with regards to direction, flat and off the wall smashes are predominantly down the line strokes and women perform significantly more cross court topspin smashes than men (p = 0.005). The results shown could be used to design tasks and exercises by padel coaches at professional players