Towards a remote portable bio-affinity surface plasmon resonance analyser for environmental steroidal-pollutants

The widespread presence of chemicals with the capacity to disrupt the endocrine system in both wildlife and humans in our natural environment has increasingly become of major concern in the last ten years. Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are a group of compounds that pose a potentially dangerous and real threat to the health of both humans and wildlife. These substances can mimic or interfere with the biological pathways of natural endogenous signalling chemicals controlling the endocrine system (e.g. sex hormones). Endocrine disrupters are ubiquitous in water. The detection, monitoring and treatment of wastewaters and surface waters for EDCs would significantly help minimise the environmental burden imposed by these natural and synthetic compounds. To optimise such processes, an economical, in-situ or field-based detection technique for EDCs is required. The research presented in this thesis describes the development of a portable surface plasmon resonance device for the detection of endocrine disrupters in wastewater and surface waters. The first two result chapters describe the construction, development and optimisation of the portable analyser and immunoassay protocol using anti-estrogenic antibodies. A novel approach for regenerating the SPR sensing surface was achieved by using Persil biological laundry liquid (1%). The developed immunoassay showed a working range between 0.2 - 7µg/L for Estrone-3-Gulcuronide (E13G) in buffer. The detection of 17beta- Estradiol (E2) in buffer, synthetic wastewater and real wastewater samples was also carried out; the working range was 0.1 - 10µg/L; 0.3-7µg/L and 0.1-10µg/L respectively. The second part of the thesis describes the synthesis and protocol development of a photo-chromic dye and its application to immuno-sensing systems en route to a reversible bio-affinity antibody for application to regenerating biosensing surfaces. This approach was to demonstrate the concept of remote regeneration of the active sensing surface for a portable optical sensor.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Merkkiaineet ikääntyvien ravitsemustilan määrittämisessä ja kliinisen ravintovalmisteen vaikutus ravitsemustilaan

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Prioritizing Health Care Strategies to Reduce Childhood Mortality

IMPORTANCE: Although child mortality trends have decreased worldwide, deaths among children younger than 5 years of age remain high and disproportionately circumscribed to sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia. Tailored and innovative approaches are needed to increase access, coverage, and quality of child health care services to reduce mortality, but an understanding of health system deficiencies that may have the greatest impact on mortality among children younger than 5 years is lacking. OBJECTIVE: To investigate which health care and public health improvements could have prevented the most stillbirths and deaths in children younger than 5 years using data from the Child Health and Mortality Prevention Surveillance (CHAMPS) network. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This cross-sectional study used longitudinal, population-based, and mortality surveillance data collected by CHAMPS to understand preventable causes of death. Overall, 3390 eligible deaths across all 7 CHAMPS sites (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, and South Africa) between December 9, 2016, and December 31, 2021 (1190 stillbirths, 1340 neonatal deaths, 860 infant and child deaths), were included. Deaths were investigated using minimally invasive tissue sampling (MITS), a postmortem approach using biopsy needles for sampling key organs and fluids. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: For each death, an expert multidisciplinary panel reviewed case data to determine the plausible pathway and causes of death. If the death was deemed preventable, the panel identified which of 10 predetermined health system gaps could have prevented the death. The health system improvements that could have prevented the most deaths were evaluated for each age group: stillbirths, neonatal deaths (aged <28 days), and infant and child deaths (aged 1 month to <5 years). RESULTS: Of 3390 deaths, 1505 (44.4%) were female and 1880 (55.5%) were male; sex was not recorded for 5 deaths. Of all deaths, 3045 (89.8%) occurred in a healthcare facility and 344 (11.9%) in the community. Overall, 2607 (76.9%) were deemed potentially preventable: 883 of 1190 stillbirths (74.2%), 1010 of 1340 neonatal deaths (75.4%), and 714 of 860 infant and child deaths (83.0%). Recommended measures to prevent deaths were improvements in antenatal and obstetric care (recommended for 588 of 1190 stillbirths [49.4%], 496 of 1340 neonatal deaths [37.0%]), clinical management and quality of care (stillbirths, 280 [23.5%]; neonates, 498 [37.2%]; infants and children, 393 of 860 [45.7%]), health-seeking behavior (infants and children, 237 [27.6%]), and health education (infants and children, 262 [30.5%]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study, interventions prioritizing antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care could have prevented the most deaths among children younger than 5 years because 75% of deaths among children younger than 5 were stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Measures to reduce mortality in this population should prioritize improving existing systems, such as better access to antenatal care, implementation of standardized clinical protocols, and public education campaigns

Towards a remote portable bio-affinity surface plasmon resonance analyser for environmental steroidal-pollutants

The widespread presence of chemicals with the capacity to disrupt the endocrine system in both wildlife and humans in our natural environment has increasingly become of major concern in the last ten years. Endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) are a group of compounds that pose a potentially dangerous and real threat to the health of both humans and wildlife. These substances can mimic or interfere with the biological pathways of natural endogenous signalling chemicals controlling the endocrine system (e.g. sex hormones). Endocrine disrupters are ubiquitous in water. The detection, monitoring and treatment of wastewaters and surface waters for EDCs would significantly help minimise the environmental burden imposed by these natural and synthetic compounds. To optimise such processes, an economical, in-situ or field-based detection technique for EDCs is required. The research presented in this thesis describes the development of a portable surface plasmon resonance device for the detection of endocrine disrupters in wastewater and surface waters. The first two result chapters describe the construction, development and optimisation of the portable analyser and immunoassay protocol using anti-estrogenic antibodies. A novel approach for regenerating the SPR sensing surface was achieved by using Persil biological laundry liquid (1%). The developed immunoassay showed a working range between 0.2 - 7µg/L for Estrone-3-Gulcuronide (E13G) in buffer. The detection of 17beta- Estradiol (E2) in buffer, synthetic wastewater and real wastewater samples was also carried out; the working range was 0.1 - 10µg/L; 0.3-7µg/L and 0.1-10µg/L respectively. The second part of the thesis describes the synthesis and protocol development of a photo-chromic dye and its application to immuno-sensing systems en route to a reversible bio-affinity antibody for application to regenerating biosensing surfaces. This approach was to demonstrate the concept of remote regeneration of the active sensing surface for a portable optical sensor

Understanding the Causes of Civil Wars in Post-Colonial Sub-Saharan Africa. Case study: Sierra Leone and the Role of women in the Search for Peace

It is widely understood or assumed among scholars like Thomas Weiss, that civil wars in Africa are mainly wars for natural resources. This statement needs careful evaluation, and it is for this reason that this study will use Weiss`s theories on the causes of wars in sub-Sahara Africa as a background for understanding the Sierra Leone conflict. In addition, as the title implies, this paper further aims to investigate the war in Sierra Leone and most importantly the predominant role played by women in the search for peace, in sustaining it and in the post conflict reconstruction. It is of vital significance because in the minds of many Africans, women are meant to be seen and not to be heard. It is in the light of this that this thesis will investigate the sudden emancipation of the Sierra Leonean women from victims of their culture to agents of peace like their women counterparts in neighbouring Liberia

Towards microbioprocess control:an inexpensive 3D printed microbioreactor with integrated online real-time glucose monitoring

Abstract Bioprocessing is of crucial importance in pharmaceutical, biofuel, food and other industries. Miniaturization of bioprocesses into microbioreactors allows multiplexing of experiments as well as reduction of reagent consumption and labour-intensity. A crucial part of the research within microbioreactors is biochemical analysis of product, byproduct and substrate concentrations that currently heavily relies on large analytical equipment. Biosensors are a promising analytical tool, however, integration into a microbioreactor is associated with challenges in ensuring sterility, appropriate sensing range, control of matrix effects and stability. In this work we present a novel biosensor integrated analytical chip that features an internal, actuated buffer flow in contact with a biosensor downstream and a diffusion limiting membrane exposed to the sample upstream. The technology was developed and tested using an electrochemical glucose oxidase biosensor and was found to successfully surmount the aforementioned challenges including the extension of the linear range of sensitivity to more than 20 g L⁻¹ for online, real time monitoring of glucose. The biosensor integration chip with the glucose biosensor was then mounted onto a 3D printed microbioreactor with 1 mL of internal volume. The system successfully monitored the consumption of glucose of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in real time for more than 8 h. The developed technology and measurement methodologies are transferrable to other biosensors and microbioreactors as well as large scale applications

Desarrollo de un polímero de impronta molecular selectivo a ácido fólico para su determinación en extractos de alimentos utilizando extracción en fase sólida dispersiva y LC-MS

El ácido fólico (FA) es un compuesto que pertenece al grupo de las vitaminas B (vitamina B9) de gran importancia nutricional. Existen diferentes metodologías para llevar a cabo su determinación de manera precisa en diferentes matrices y, en todas ellas, se hace necesario incluir una etapa de extracción previa a su determinación, lo que mejora la sensibilidad de las mediciones y reduce los posibles efectos matriz. Tanto la extracción en fase sólida (SPE) como técnicas relacionadas que utilizan polímeros de impronta molecular (MIP) permiten una purificación simple y efectiva, así como una preconcentración del FA presente en alimentos y muestras biológicas. En este trabajo se ha desarrollado un nuevo MIP para la extracción selectiva de FA en matrices alimentarias. Para ello, se han estudiado diversas combinaciones de monómeros (ácido metacrílico (MAA), 4-vinilpiridina (4VPy) y cloruro de vinilbencil trimetilamonio (VBTMAC)) y entrecruzadores (etilenglicoldimetacrilato (EGDMA) y divinilbenceno (DVB)) en diversos porógenos. Las isotermas de absorción muestran que la mayor afinidad se consigue usando VBTMAC como monómero funcional y EGDMA como entrecruzador. Posteriormente, se optimizó la relación FA:VBTMAC:EGDMA (1:25:250) y se determinaron sus propiedades de unión, tanto cinéticas como de equilibrio, determinando una alta afinidad (2.5 mmol g-1) y una elevada relación MIP/NIP (superior a 37).Posteriormente, se usó este MIP para la extracción de FA en lechuga y galletas enriquecidas mediante extracción en fase sólida dispersiva (DSPE) y su ulterior análisis por LC-MS, obteniendo una recuperación y repetibilidad apropiadas (≥ 79,50% y ≤ 13,15 (% RDS), respectivamente).Fil: Panjan, Peter. University Of Oulu; FinlandiaFil: Monasterio, Romina Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Biología Agrícola de Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: Fernández Gutiérrez, Alberto. Universidad de Granada. Facultad de Ciencias; EspañaFil: Sesay, Adama M.. University Of Oulu; FinlandiaFil: Carrasco-Pancorbo, Alegría. Universidad de Granada. Facultad de Ciencias; EspañaFil: Fernandez Sanchez, Jorge F.. Universidad de Granada. Facultad de Ciencias; EspañaXXII Reunión de la Sociedad Española de Química AnalíticaValladolidEspañaSociedad Española de Química Analític