scholarly journals The Potential Contribution of Decentralized Anaerobic Digestion towards Urban Biowaste Recovery Systems: A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13435
Author(s):  
Eftychia Ntostoglou ◽  
Dilip Khatiwada ◽  
Viktoria Martin
Keyword(s):  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Urban Policy ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
Treatment Technology ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Scoping Literature Review ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Impact

The potential contribution of decentralized approaches in implementing biowaste recovery systems has attracted interest in urban policy making and scientific research. Although the scientific literature on the topic is rapidly increasing, it is still limited and scattered. A comprehensive overview of current scientific knowledge is thus needed to support future research on decentralized options for biowaste recovery systems. Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a mature biowaste treatment technology that recovers energy and nutrients, and can close urban resource loops. Through a scoping literature review, this paper investigated decentralized AD and its potential contribution in implementing urban biowaste recovery systems. We identified opportunities and challenges for planning of decentralized AD, and concluded that these mainly concern: (a) digestate management; (b) the potential for local circularity with product valorization in outlets such as urban agriculture; and (c) the development and application of decision support tools. The findings highlighted the need to enhance scientific evidence on the impact of decentralized AD in different urban contexts. Results from published studies were highly context-specific, making it difficult to draw general conclusions. This study can support the transition to integrated planning of AD and wider urban biowaste recovery systems. Such planning must include a comprehensive analysis of configuration approaches.

Self-Management of Arthritis

2017 ◽  
pp. 171-196
Author(s):  
Jessica M. Brooks ◽  
Kanako Iwanaga ◽  
Fong Chan
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Counseling Services ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Physical Conditions ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

Arthritis is ranked among the top causes of disability in the United States and worldwide. Despite recent improvements in medications and medical treatment, there is no known cure for arthritis. Providing evidence-based psychoeducation and counseling services to people with arthritis lessens the impact of pain-related symptoms and disability on the individual and society. The purpose of this chapter is to provide an overview of the most common arthritic conditions, co-occurring physical conditions, and psychosocial factors associated with arthritis. Barriers to self-management and existing self-management programs are also discussed along with the current state of scientific evidence. The chapter concludes with some questions for future research.

Software-as-a-Medical Device: demystifying Connected Health regulations

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 186-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel Carroll ◽  
Ita Richardson
Keyword(s):  
Medical Device ◽  
Medical Devices ◽  
Healthcare Service ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Extensive Literature ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Connected Health ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Connected Health is an emerging and rapidly developing field never before witnessed across the healthcare sector. It has the potential to transform healthcare service systems by increasing its safety, quality and overall efficiency. However, as healthcare technologies or medical devices continuously rely more on software development, one of the core challenges is examining how Connected Health is regulated – often impacting Connected Health innovation. The purpose of this paper is to present an understanding of how Connected Health is regulated. Many of these regulatory developments fall under “medical devices”, giving rise to Software-as-a-Medical Device (SaaMD). Design/methodology/approach Through an extensive literature review, this paper demystifies Connected Health regulation. It presents the outcome of expert discussions which explore the key regulatory developments in the context of Connected Health to provide a practical guide to understanding how regulation can potentially shape healthcare innovation. Findings Several key issues are identified, and the authors present a comprehensive overview of regulatory developments relating to Connected Health with a view to support the continued growth of IT-enabled healthcare service models. The authors also identify the key challenges in Connected Health and identify areas for future research. Originality/value A key outcome of this research is a clearer understanding of the opportunities and challenges that regulation and standards present to Connected Health. Furthermore, this research is of critical importance in a first attempt towards recognising the impact of regulation and standards compliance in Connected Health.

scholarly journals Protein status of people with phenylketonuria: a scoping review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. e049883
Author(s):  
Sarah Firman ◽  
Radha Ramachandran ◽  
Kevin Whelan ◽  
Oliver C Witard ◽  
Majella O’Keeffe
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Grey Literature ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Protein Status ◽  
Ethical Approval ◽  
Review Protocol ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionPhenylketonuria (PKU) is a disorder of protein metabolism resulting in an accumulation of phenylalanine in the body. Dietary management consists of altering the sources of ingested protein to limit phenylalanine intake. Current dietary protein guidelines for PKU are based on limited scientific evidence, thus it remains unclear whether current practice leads to optimal protein status in people with PKU. To date, no attempt has been made to systematically evaluate the protein status of people with PKU, using a combination of validated anthropometric, biochemical and functional measurement tools. Furthermore, factors known to influence protein status in the general population warrant consideration when determining protein status in individuals with PKU, alongside factors unique to PKU such as the type of protein substitute consumed. Understanding the impact of these variables on protein status is crucial to developing a personalised approach to protein recommendations for optimising health and functional outcomes in people with PKU. Therefore, the aim of this scoping review is to examine existing evidence regarding the protein status of people with PKU, and to investigate the nutritional and lifestyle variables that influence protein status.Methods and analysisThis review will be guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, along with guidance from Levac et al, Pawliuk et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute. The following databases will be searched: MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, CENTRAL, Web of Science and Scopus, alongside grey literature. Identified literature will be assessed by two independent reviewers for inclusion. Descriptive numerical analysis will be performed and a narrative summary will accompany the tabulated results describing how study findings relate to the review questions.Ethics and disseminationThis review protocol does not require ethical approval. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publication, presented at relevant conferences, and shared with a patient research advisory group to inform discussions on future research.

scholarly journals Impact of Housing Environment on the Immune System in Chickens: A Review

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tanja Hofmann ◽  
Sonja S. Schmucker ◽  
Werner Bessei ◽  
Michael Grashorn ◽  
Volker Stefanski
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Allostatic Load ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Poultry Production ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Comprehensive Overview ◽  
Housing Environment ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

During their lifespan, chickens are confronted with a wide range of acute and chronic stressors in their housing environment that may threaten their welfare and health by modulating the immune system. Especially chronic stressful conditions can exceed the individual’s allostatic load, with negative consequences for immunity. A fully functional immune system is mandatory for health and welfare and, consequently, also for high productivity and safe animal products. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the impact of housing form, light regime as well as aerial ammonia and hydrogen sulfide concentrations on the immune system in chickens. Certain housing conditions are clearly associated with immunological alterations which potentially impair the success of vaccinations or affect disease susceptibility. Such poor conditions counteract sustainable poultry production. This review also outlines current knowledge gaps and provides recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals Industrial Modernization and Political Change: A Latin American Perspective

1978 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 593-614 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Collier
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Political Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Potential Contribution ◽  
American Experience ◽  
American Perspective ◽  
Recent Emergence ◽  
Political Differences ◽  
The Impact

The recent emergence of harshly repressive military governments in several of the industrially most advanced nations of Latin America has called into question earlier hypotheses of modernization theory regarding the links between socioeconomic modernization and democracy. Guillermo O'Donnell has made an important contribution to explaining this new authoritarianism and to using the recent Latin American experience as a basis for proposing a major reformulation of the earlier hypotheses. Yet O'Donnell's analysis requires significant modification if its potential contribution is to be realized. Highly aggregated conceptual categories such as “bureaucratic-authoritarianism” should be abandoned, and his explanatory framework should be broadened to explicity incorporate the crucial political differences among Latin American countries, as well as the impact of the international economic and political system. A revised explanation for the rise of authoritarianism is presented to illustrate how some of these modifications could be applied in future research on political change in Latin America.

scholarly journals Cadmium Addition Effects on Anaerobic Digestion with Elevated Temperatures

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 2367
Author(s):  
Yonglan Tian ◽  
Shusen Li ◽  
Ying Li ◽  
Huayong Zhang ◽  
Xueyue Mi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Anaerobic Digestion ◽  
Volatile Fatty Acids ◽  
Elevated Temperatures ◽  
Anaerobic Fermentation ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Coenzyme F420 ◽  
Peak Period ◽  
The Impact

Anaerobic fermentation with biogas as an energy source is influenced by the presence of heavy metals. However, the availability of the heavy metals is dependent on the digestion temperature. In this study, the impacts of Cd on the characteristics of biogas, substrate biodegradation, and enzyme activity during anaerobic co-digestion were investigated under varying digestion temperatures. The results showed that 1 mg/L initial Cd concentration improved cumulative biogas yields by 404.96%, 16.93%, and 5.56% at 55 °C, 45 °C, and 35 °C, respectively. In contrast, at low temperatures (25 °C), the yield decreased by 0.77%. In the 55 °C group, Cd addition improved the activity of cellulase (p < 0.05) and coenzyme F420 (p < 0.01). The total chemical oxygen demand (COD) during the peak period and the transformation of hydrolytic organic components into volatile fatty acids (VFAs) influenced the CH4 and biogas yields. There were no significant differences in cellulase, dehydrogenase, and coenzyme F420 activities with or without Cd addition when the digestion temperature was 45 °C, 35 °C, and 25 °C. Therefore, thermophilic digestion is recommended for the efficient degradation of Cd-contaminated biowaste. Moreover, the impact of metals on the performance of anaerobic digestion should be considered together with temperature conditions in future research and practice.

scholarly journals Audio-recording cancer consultations for patients and their families—putting evidence into practice

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. Hack ◽  
Kinta Beaver ◽  
Penelope Schofield
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Audio Recording ◽  
Research Implementation ◽  
Audio Recordings ◽  
Specific Factors ◽  
Parihs Framework ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Training And Support ◽  
The Impact

This chapter aims to briefly review the empirical literature on the value of consultation audio-recordings for patients and families; conduct a theory-driven examination of the factors that limit practice uptake of this intervention; and provide practical suggestions for how these factors might best be addressed to enhance clinical uptake of consultation audio-recording use. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) Framework is used to examine the impact of scientific evidence, context-specific factors, and facilitation principles, as these pertain to the uptake of consultation audio-recording in practice. Important considerations in efforts to implement a consultation audio-recording service are provided, including leadership, perceived value and benefit, resource costs, technological practicalities, litigation concerns, and staff training and support. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches to implementation are recommended to enhance the likelihood of successful uptake into practice.

The Emotional Intelligence Sports Inventory (ESi): A cross-cultural analysis - Australia, Wales, and England

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-28
Author(s):  
Kenneth H. Smith ◽  
Martyn Newman ◽  
Stephan Ledain ◽  
Joseph Zajda
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Intelligence ◽  
Sport Participation ◽  
Sport Performance ◽  
Cultural Analysis ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Athletic Success ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

It has been widely documented that psychological constructs, specifically emotional intelligence, significantly contribute to athletic success. Yet the extant literature is limited and often inconsistent. Context-specific exploration of the impact of emotional intelligence on elite athletic performance can provide richer, more informed conclusions. Thus, this study explored the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and sport performance among 389 males and females from Australia, Wales, and England. The Emotional Intelligence Sports Inventory-ESi was used to identify EI differences between gender, level of sport participation, and nationality. Results showed there were significant differences between these factors on a number of the 11 ESi subscales. The implications of the results are discussed, and it is concluded that the study’s findings will facilitate a more robust and reliable use of the ESi in future research.

scholarly journals Effects of Unfiltered Cigarettes on Smoking Behavior and Toxicant Exposure: Protocol for a Randomized Crossover Clinical Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eyal Oren ◽  
Kim Pulvers ◽  
Devan R Romero ◽  
Casey Barber ◽  
Erika Carter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Smoking Behavior ◽  
Baseline Period ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Institutional Review Boards ◽  
Single Use ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND Plastic filters on cigarette butts are a widespread source of nonbiodegradable, toxic environmental waste. State and local legislation to ban the sale of single-use cigarettes may be considered to prevent this waste, but scientific evidence on the impact of switching smokers to unfiltered cigarettes on smoking behavior and toxicant exposures is needed to inform this policy. We have designed an open-label, randomized, 9-week, crossover clinical trial of adult filtered-cigarette smokers who switch to unfiltered cigarettes. OBJECTIVE Our objective is to understand the impact of switching smokers of filtered cigarettes to unfiltered cigarettes on smoking behavior and toxic exposures. METHODS This trial involves a 1-week baseline period; a 2-week period of smoking filtered or unfiltered cigarettes, where groups are randomly assigned; a 3-week washout period; another 1-week baseline period; and a 2-week crossover period of smoking the opposite condition (ie, filtered or unfiltered cigarettes) for a sufficient sample size of 40 participants. We will determine changes in (1) observed topography (ie, puff count, interpuff interval, and puff volume) and cigarettes smoked per day, via butt counts and self-report, (2) expired carbon monoxide and excretion of urinary cotinine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol, and volatile organic compounds, and (3) participants’ knowledge and attitudes toward unfiltered cigarettes, satisfaction with smoking, and intention to quit if they were not able to smoke filtered cigarettes. RESULTS This study was funded in June 2018 and approved by the relevant Institutional Review Boards in July 2018. This study has enrolled 37 participants as of October 2020. Data analysis is currently underway, and trial results are expected to be published in spring 2021. CONCLUSIONS This pilot proof-of-principle study will inform the design of a larger, future research project that can provide robust scientific evidence on our research question. Such a large study could inform possible state or local legislation to ban the sale of single-use filtered cigarettes in order to mitigate the environmental impact of discarded single-use plastic filters. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03749876; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03749876 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/19603

scholarly journals How do we Read Online: The Effect of the Internet on Reading Behaviour

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Channa Herath
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Online Reading ◽  
Quantitative Research Methods ◽  
The Impact

<p>Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore online and offline reading and determine the differences between them while assessing the impact of the Internet and online environment on individuals' reading behaviour. Design/methodology/approach This study followed a sequential mixed-method approach and employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods. First, two focus groups were carried out to obtain a range of opinions on the topic and identify unforeseen areas. Subsequently, an online survey was applied to a representative sample of individuals from multiple countries. Findings People used different media for different purposes. They read a range of paper materials throughout the day in various locations to gain knowledge, for pleasure, for mood change, to escape, and out of obligation. They also read a range of online materials due to the availability of a large choice, efficiency, accessibility, low cost, up-to-date nature, and environmental considerations. The different media revealed different reading patterns. With an increasing amount of time spent on reading online, a screen based reading behaviour is emerging. Skim reading, scanning, and speed reading were evident while less time was spent on in depth reading leading to less comprehension and content absorption/recall levels. There was a lower attention span on online materials therefore less concentration was also identified. Reduced relaxation levels were evident therefore the majority of individuals printed online materials to read. Overall, the amount people read had increased over time due to the vast amount of reading materials. Research limitations/ implications Online reading strategies and skills are required to address the identified impacts. Future research can be extended to more scientific evidence to justify these findings. It would also be fascinating to examine how new additions to online reading devices influence or alter the online reading behaviour. Originality/value One of the few studies that analyses the impact of the online environment on individuals'  reading behaviour. In this sense, it provides a significant contribution to both academic literature and practitioners.</p>

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