CD-based microfluidics for primary care in extreme point-of-care settings

We review the utility of centrifugal microfluidic technologies applied to point-of-care diagnosis in extremely under-resourced environments. The various challenges faced in these settings are showcased, using areas in India and Africa as examples. Measures for the ability of integrated devices to effectively address point-of-care challenges are highlighted, and centrifugal, often termed CD-based microfluidic technologies, technologies are presented as a promising platform to address these challenges. We describe the advantages of centrifugal liquid handling, as well as the ability of a standard CD player to perform a number of common laboratory tests, fulfilling the role of an integrated lab-on-a-CD. Innovative centrifugal approaches for point-of-care in extremely resource-poor settings are highlighted, including sensing and detection strategies, smart power sources and biomimetic inspiration for environmental control. The evolution of centrifugal microfluidics, along with examples of commercial and advanced prototype centrifugal microfluidic systems, is presented, illustrating the success of deployment at the point-of-care. A close fit of emerging centrifugal systems to address a critical panel of tests for under-resourced clinic settings, formulated by medical experts, is demonstrated. This emphasizes the potential of centrifugal microfluidic technologies to be applied effectively to extremely challenging point-of-care scenarios and in playing a role in improving primary care in resource-limited settings across the developing world

The politics of land deals - a comparative analysis of global land policies on large-scale land acquisition

Due to current crises, large-scale land acquisition is becoming a topic of growing concern. Public data from the ‘Land Matrix Global Observatory’ project demonstrates that in low- and middle-income countries, since 2000, 1,419 large-scale land deals (transnational and domestic) have been concluded, covering an area of almost 40 million hectares. The majority of these land transactions, also referred to as ‘land grabs’, took place between 2008 and 2010, peaking in 2009. The global land grab is largely driven by emerging economies in search for alternative ways to secure food and fuel supply in the nearby future. Large-scale land acquisitions often go hand in hand with issues of displacement, weak governance structures, corruption, conflicts, and environmental damages. Global land policies on large-scale land acquisition could be a solution to regulate the global land grab. Several international institutions have taken the initiative in developing ‘voluntary' principles and guidelines, also known as 'codes of conduct' to combat the global land grab. The effectiveness of these so-called ‘soft law' instruments is however increasingly being questioned. This paper therefore offers an in-depth institutional analysis on the effectiveness of global land policies on large-scale land acquisition, as developed by the European Union, the World Bank Group and consortium, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the African Union. Based on theories of soft law, and interrelations with transparency, accountability and legitimacy, twelve hypotheses were tested on a 5-point scale dependently as well as independently. The research implies that the African Union Framework and Guidelines, and the FAO Voluntary Guidelines, are theoretically most likely to succeed in effectively regulating large-scale land transactions in the near future. With this presentation / my research I would like to open the debate on the effectiveness of these Global Land Policies on Large-Scale Land Transactions ‘from theory to practice’. My research is purely theoretical and I would like to discuss how these Global Land Policies, as established by four major institutions, could actually be translated into practice. Research for example shows that in Africa most land deals are initiated and facilitated by the African governments themselves. Another interesting subject of discussion is whether these voluntary guidelines have ‘teeth’, in other words do these principles need to have sanctions on non-performance

NF-κB Blockade Reduces the O2-Evoked Rise in Na+ Conductance in Fetal Alveolar Cells

Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed minimal levels of NF-κB activity in rat distal lung epithelial cells cultured at fetal (23 mmHg) or adult alveolar (100 mmHg) PO2, but revealed significant activation of this transcription factor in cells exposed to a rise in PO2 mimicking that experienced at birth. This response was entirely abolished by pretreating cells with 5 mM sulfasalazine (SSA). This shift in PO2 also evoked a rise in apical Na+ conductance (GNa+) that may underlie the O2-evoked stimulation of Na+ transport seen in these cells. Pretreatment with SSA had no effect upon GNa+ in cells cultured continually at adult or fetal PO2 but did inhibit the increase in GNa+ seen in cells that had experienced the rise in PO2. O2-evoked activation of NF-κB may thus mediate the increased Na+ transport that occurs when the distal lung epithelial cells are exposed to a physiologically-relevant increase in PO2