A Feasible Framework for Maintenance Digitalization

The entire industry is changing as a result of new developments in digital technology, and maintenance management is a crucial procedure that may take advantage of the opportunities brought about by industrial digitalization. To support digital innovation in maintenance management, this study intends to meet the cutting-edge necessity of addressing a transformation strategy in industrial contexts. Setting up a customized pathway with adequate methodologies, digitalization tools, and collaboration between the several stakeholders involved in the maintenance environment is the first step in this process. The results of a previous conference contribution, which revealed important digitalization variables in maintenance management, served as the foundation for the research approach herein suggested. We lead a thorough assessment of the literature to categorize the potential benefits and challenges in maintenance digitalization to be assessed in conjunction with the important digitalization aspects previously stated. As a starting point for maintenance management transformation, we offer a feasible framework for maintenance digitalization that businesses operating in a variety of industries can use. As industrial processes and machines have become more sophisticated and complex and as there is a growing desire for more secure, dependable, and safe systems, we see that this transition needs to be tailored to the specific application context

Introducing medical parasitology at the University of Makeni, Sierra Leone

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version.Capacity building in Sierra Leone (West Africa) is critical to prevent potential future outbreaks similar to the 2013-16 Ebola outbreak that had devastating effects for the country and its poorly developed healthcare system. De Montfort University (DMU) in the United Kingdom (UK), in collaboration with parasitologists from the Spanish Universities of San Pablo CEU and Miguel Hernández de Elche, is leading a project to build the teaching and research capabilities of medical parasitology at the University of Makeni (UniMak, Sierra Leone). This project has two objectives: a) to introduce and enhance the teaching of medical parasitology, both theoretical and practical; and b) to implement and develop parasitology research related to important emerging human parasites such as Cryptosporidium spp. due to their public health significance. Two UniMak academics, hired to help initiate and implement the research part of the project, shared their culturally sensitive public health expertise to broker parasitology research in communities and perform a comprehensive environmental monitoring study for the detection of different emerging human parasites. The presence of targeted parasites are being studied microscopically using different staining techniques, which in turn have allowed UniMak’s academics to learn these techniques to develop new practicals in parasitology. To train UniMak’s academics and develop both parts of our project, a DMU researcher visited UniMak for two weeks in April 2019 and provided a voluntary short training course in basic parasitology, which is currently not taught in any of their programmes, and was attended by 31 students. These sessions covered basic introduction to medical parasitology and life-cycle, pathogenesis, detection, treatment and prevention of: a) coccidian parasites (Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora and Cystoisospora); b) Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba and free-living amoebas; c) malaria and d) microsporidia. A theoretical session on common staining techniques was also provided. To facilitate the teaching and learning of these parasites, the novel resource DMU e-Parasitology was used, a package developed by the above participating universities and biomedical scientists from the UK National Health Service (NHS): http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk/ index.htm. Following the two weeks of training, UniMak’s academics performed different curriculum modifications to the undergraduate programme ‘Public Health: Medical Laboratory Sciences’, which includes the introduction of new practicals in parasitology and changes to enhance the content of medical parasitology that will be subjected to examination. Thus, a new voluntary practical on Kinyoun stain for the detection of coccidian parasites was introduced in the final year module of ‘Medical Bacteriology and Parasitology’; eighteen students in pairs processed faecal samples from pigs provided by the Department of Agriculture and Food Security from a nearby farm. Academics at UniMak used the Kinyoun staining unit (available at http://parasitology.dmu.ac.uk/learn/lab/Kinyoun/story_html5.html; [1]) to deliver this practical. Although our project is at a preliminary stage, it has been shown to be effective in promoting the introduction and establishment of medical parasitology at UniMak and could be viewed as a case-study for other universities in low-income countries to promote the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and improve public health understanding of infectious diseases

Cryptosporidium spp. in the English urban environment: a public health concern?

Several species of Cryptosporidium can infect humans and have been described as opportunistic parasites. Different outbreaks have been described in the UK as oocysts of these pathogens can spread through contaminated water and food as some species of Cryptosporidium, such as C. parvum, exhibit resistance to harsh environmental conditions. These pathogens have been found in animal faeces, thus we reported the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. in a dog faecal sample collected in a highly frequented public park in Leicester city centre (UK), after screening 9 topsoil and 18 faecal samples. As a result, and to determine potential risks to the Leicester population, we collected 132 animal faecal samples [37 deer, 13 dogs, 4 cats and 78 avian (27 uncertain due to diarrhoea, 25 pigeon, 14 waterfowl and 12 songbird)] across different parks in Leicester from June 2017 to May 2018. Animal faecal samples were appropriately screened using Kinyoun's acid-fast staining. We observed structures related to Cryptosporidium spp. in 16 faecal samples as follows: 10.3% avian (3 pigeon, 2 songbird and 3 diarrhoeic), 18.9% deer and 7.7% dog. However, and in order to characterise the risks to the local population, molecular analysis will be required to determine if the oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. found are from anthroponotic species. Our results might highlight the relevance of performing environmental monitoring studies to determine the presence of these pathogens in the urban environment due to the unprecedented expansion of the urban media that is occurring to a global scale

Human-related microsporidia in the English urban environment: what we know so far?

The potential zoonotic transmission route of Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp. (E. intestinalis, E. hellem and E. cuniculi) is under discussion. “Urban animals” could represent a risk to the population that should be carefully studied. Following the detection of human-related microsporidia in 2 out of 18 dog faecal samples collected in the city centre of Leicester (UK) in January 2016, 228 animal faecal samples were randomly sampled from different parks and recreational areas across the city from June 2016 to February 2017. The presence of microsporidia species were sought by real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with melting curve analysis after extracting DNA by dysrupting the spores using Fast-Prep for soil following previous methodologies. 28 stool samples were positive for human-pathogenic microsporidia, as follows: Enterocytozoon bieneusi was detected in 2 waterfowl stool samples. A higher prevalence of Encephalitozoon spp. was identified. Thus, 26 faecal samples (14 deer, 7 avian [3 waterfowl, 2 songbird, 1 pigeon, 1 uncertain], 2 dog, 1 fox and 2 unidentified due to diarhoea) were positive for Encephalitozoon spp. Specifically, E. intestinalis/ E. hellem were detected in two samples from avian species (waterfowl and diarrhoeic sample) and E. cuniculi in 7 (6 deer and 1 fox). Our results indicate that human-related microsporidia would be present in urban parks and recreational areas in Leicester, which could represent a risk for humans. Interventions to tackle this potential risk should be applicable to a variety of animals, although more studies are needed to fully understand the potential zoonotic role of these pathogens

Experimental validation of a rans-vof numerical model of the wave generation and propagation in a 2d wave flume

This paper focus on the study of free surface variation in a Numerical Wave Flume (NWF) due to a paddle movement. The NWF is the numerical representation of a 12.5 meters long Experimental Wave Flume (EWF) of the laboratory of the University of the Basque Country. The experiments and the numerical simulations are performed in several depths (0.3, 0.4 and 0.5 meters). Besides different velocities for the paddle movement are induced between 0.064 and 0.1 m/s. The numerical simulations are based on an Eulerian Multiphase of two fluids, air and water, more concretely the Volume of Fluid model. The surface variation in two points (6.0 and 6.3 meters from the wave flume start) is studied in both numerical and experimental wave flumes and compared its variation through the experiment time. Besides, the experiments will be analyzed in the wave maker theory. The results show the models quality in the first moments of the experiments, where the reflection does not appear, in which the results from both experimental and numerical simulations are pretty similar

Interaction between Dietary Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K3 in Gilthead Seabream Larvae (Sparus aurata) in Relation to Growth and Expression of Bone Development-Related Genes

Vitamins D and K are essential fat-soluble nutrients that intervene in bone development processes among other biological functions. The present study is aimed at investigating the potential combined effect of dietary supplementation with vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin K3 (menadione) in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larvae. For that purpose, seabream diets were supplemented with different combinations of vitamin D3/vitamin K3 (mg/kg diet) as follows: 0.00/0, 0.06/70, 0.06/170, 0.13/70, 0.13/170, 0.40/70, and 0.40/170. Feeding gilthead seabream larvae (22 days post hatch) for 21 days with the diets supplemented with 0.06-0.13 mg/kg vitamin D3 and 70 mg/kg vitamin K3 (diets 0.06/70 and 0.13/70) led to the highest larval growth and survival and the highest expression of important biomarkers of both bone development and health, such as bmp2, osx, and mgp, and calcium homeostasis, such as pthrp and casr. However, the increased supplementation with both vitamins at 0.40 mg/kg vitamin D3 and 170 mg/kg vitamin K3 (diet 0.40/170) reduced larval growth and survival, downregulated bmp2 and pthrp expressions, and upregulated osx and mgp, causing an unbalance in the relative expression of these genes. The results of the present study have shown the interaction between vitamin D3 supplementation and vitamin K3 supplementation in larval performance and gene expression related to bone development and calcium homeostasis, denoting the significance of a correct balance between both vitamins in larval diets.publishedVersio

Studying the presence of Cyclospora and Cystoisospora in urban parks from Leicester, UK.

Cyclospora cayetanensis and Cystoisospora belli (formerly known as Isospora belli) are emerging coccidian parasites that can spread by ingesting contaminated food or water. Despite their presence is more common in tropical and subtropical regions, different studies have described domestic outbreaks due to these pathogens around the world. Zoonotic transmission of these pathogens is under discussion as they have been found in various animals and birds. We have performed a preliminary study to investigate their potential presence in an English urban environment. 132 animal faecal samples were collected between Summer 2017 and Spring 2018 from 7 different urban parks across Leicester (UK). A veterinarian confirmed animal species as: 78 avian (25 pigeon, 14 waterfowl, 12 songbird, 27 uncertain due to diarrhoea), 37 deer, 13 dogs and 4 cats. Smears were microscopically analysed by Kinyoun's acid-fast staining technique. Cyclospora spp. were observed in three faecal samples (2.3%), two from deer and one from avian (diarrheic sample); however, further analysis are required to determine if the oocysts observed are from Cyclospora cayetanensis. Contrarily, Cystoisospora spp. were not found in any of the screened stool samples. Despite our results should be considered as preliminary, the presence of Cyclospora spp. oocysts in 2.3% of the animal faecal samples collected across Leicester might represent a potential human risk that, although minor, should be throughly studied to protect the local community. Moreover, Cyclospora spp. have been found in different animal species, which may require different interventions to target those specific animals to protect the public health

Antibacterial Nanostructured Ti Coatings by Magnetron Sputtering: From Laboratory Scales to Industrial Reactors

Based on an already tested laboratory procedure, a new magnetron sputtering methodology to simultaneously coat two-sides of large area implants (up to ~15 cm2) with Ti nanocolumns in industrial reactors has been developed. By analyzing the required growth conditions in a laboratory setup, a new geometry and methodology have been proposed and tested in a semi-industrial scale reactor. A bone plate (DePuy Synthes) and a pseudo-rectangular bone plate extracted from a patient were coated following the new methodology, obtaining that their osteoblast proliferation efficiency and antibacterial functionality were equivalent to the coatings grown in the laboratory reactor on small areas. In particular, two kinds of experiments were performed: Analysis of bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation, and osteoblasts–bacteria competitive in vitro growth scenarios. In all these cases, the coatings show an opposite behavior toward osteoblast and bacterial proliferation, demonstrating that the proposed methodology represents a valid approach for industrial production and practical application of nanostructured titanium coatings.EU-FEDER and the MINECO-AEI 201560E055EU-FEDER and the MINECO-AEI MAT2014-59772-C2-1-PEU-FEDER and the MINECO-AEI MAT2016-75611-REU-FEDER and the MINECO-AEI MAT2016-79866-REU-FEDER and the MINECO-AEI MAT2015-69035-REDCUniversity of Seville (Spain) V and VI PPIT-USMINECO CSIC13-4E-179

Effects of dietary vitamin D3 levels on survival, mineralization, and skeletal development of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larvae

Vitamin D is an essential fat soluble micronutrient that helps in growth, bone development, calcium homeostasis and other metabolic process. The study on effect of vitamin D3 in marine fish larvae were very scarce irrespective of species. The present study determines the impacts of dietary vitamin D3 on growth performance, calcium absorption, mineralization, and skeletal anomalies during the development of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) larvae was assessed until 47 days post hatching. Diets containing four levels of vitamin D3 (0, 25, 30, 384 μg kg−1 or 11.6, 1000, 1200, 15,360 IU kg−1) were formulated to determine the effect of vitamin D3 at deficient, excess, and optimum levels. The gilthead seabream larvae in the present study fed with this wide range of vitamin D3 presented a constant growth with all the diets but presented signs of toxicity in excess level, affecting the survival, calcium uptake, and bone biomarker mechanism in larvae, which resulted in increased skeletal anomalies and mortality. An increase of dietary vitamin D3 up to 384 μg kg−1 significantly raised the whole body vitamin D3 content, calcium, and phosphorus intake and increased the incidence of skeletal anomalies, particularly cranial anomalies. The appearance of skeletal anomalies in larvae fed 384 μg kg−1 vitamin D3 was in association with the upregulation of bmp2, alp, and oc gene expression. However, larvae fed 0, 25, 30 μg kg−1 vitamin D3 showed higher survival than the group fed 384 μg kg−1 vitamin D3. Meanwhile vitamin D3 deficient diet 0 μg kg−1 presented with lower mineralization rate and increase incidence of maxillary anomaly. Thus, the current study revealed the evidence of vitamin D3 deficiency as well as toxicity in gilthead seabream larvae during the developmental process and conclude that the recommended dietary vitamin D3 level for gilthead seabream larvae may range between 25 and 30 μg kg−1 which improves larval survival, calcium and phosphate level and vertebral mineralization with reduced incidence of skeletal anomalies in gilthead seabream larva

Presence of Giardia in urban parks from Leicester, UK

Giardia duodenalis (syn. G. lamblia and G. intestinalis) is a worldwide leading diarrheagenic human protozoan parasite with potential to contaminate water, food or fomites. Animal-to‑animal and animal‑to‑human transmissions are major concerns, however human giardiasis in the United Kingdom (UK) are underdiagnosed. The main aim of this study was to evaluate if Giardia is present in an English urban environment to determine if public health interventions were necessary to protect human health. Thus, 21 fresh animal faecal samples were collected from Humberstone Park in Leicester (UK) in August 2017, when there had been no precipitation for at least the preceding 48 h. A veterinarian identified the possible animal species as: 7 avian (2 songbird, 1 pigeon, 4 uncertain) and 14 canine (dog). Smears were stained with Trichrome as described elsewhere. Giardia spp. cysts were observed in three faecal samples from dogs (21.4%), confirming our previous results in which we detected the presence of G. duodenalis in one dog faecal sample collected in the Leicester’s Castle Park (central Leicester) in a pilot study performed in winter 2016 using the immunoassay ImmunoCard STAT!®. Our results, although preliminary, indicate the presence of Giardia spp. in Leicester’s urban environment. Moreover, dogs could act as reservoirs and might play a potential role in the transmission of these pathogens in Leicester. Thus, public parks could be an important source of infection, particularly for children, as they can accidentally ingest this parasite from soil contaminated with dog faeces. This pilot study has provided critical insight for performing a more comprehensive study to determine the size of this risk and the necessity of enhancing public health awareness to reduce canine faecal pollution in Leicester to protect human health