Influence of the Mekin hydroelectric dam on the distribution of benthic macroinvertebrates of the Dja stream: South Cameroon region

This work was conducted with the aim of studying the biodiversity of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Dja River and determining the effect of the Mekin hydroelectric dam on their population in relation to the physico-chemical quality of the water. The study ran from May to October 2020 and samplings were carried out on a monthly basis in four different sampling stations located upstream and downstream of the dam. The physico-chemical analyses were done according to standard methods, while the benthic macrofauna was collected using a turbid net of 400 µm mesh size over a total area of about 6 m2 per station. Physico-chemical analyses revealed a decreasing evolution from upstream to downstream of the dam of nitrogen forms (NO3- (1.67mg/L-0.41mg/L); NH4+ (0.31 mg/L-0.21 mg/L) with p>0.05); Electrical Conductivity (21.45µS/Cm-17.1µS/Cm with p<0.05) and Suspended Solids (11.10mg/L-6.57mg/L with p<0.05); while Dissolved Oxygen (49.82%-78.23% with p<0.05) and velocity (0.04m/s-0.23m/s) increased. Organic Pollution Index revealed that the water was moderately polluted (3-4). In total, 1894 individuals, of which 1044 belonging to 2 phyla, 2 classes, 6 orders, 27 families and 47 genera/species were collected upstream; and 850 belonging to 3 phyla, 4 classes, 8 orders, 28 families and 45 genera/species were collected downstream. Odonata was largely abundant and highly represented Trithemis dorsalis (96.05%); while downstream, Heteroptera was largely abundant and highly represented by Poissonia sp1. (79.78%). These results revealed that restoration of the upstream of the dam impacted by organic pollution and physical degradation of the environment is recommended.

Long-term in-vivo recording performance of flexible penetrating microelectrode arrays

Objective. Neural interfaces are an essential tool to enable the human body to directly communicate with machines such as computers or prosthetic robotic arms. Since invasive electrodes can be located closer to target neurons, they have advantages such as precision in stimulation and high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in recording, while they often exhibit unstable performance in long-term in-vivo implantation because of the tissue damage caused by the electrodes insertion. In the present study, we investigated the electrical functionality of flexible penetrating microelectrode arrays (FPMAs) up to 3 months in in-vivo conditions. Approach. The in-vivo experiment was performed by implanting FPMAs in five rats. The in-vivo impedance as well as the action potential (AP) amplitude and SNR were analyzed over weeks. Additionally, APs were tracked over time to investigate the possibility of single neuron recording. Main results. It was observed that the FPMAs exhibited dramatic increases in impedance for the first 4 weeks after implantation, accompanied by decreases in AP amplitude. However, the increase/decrease in AP amplitude was always accompanied by the increase/decrease in background noise, resulting in quite consistently maintained SNRs. After 4 weeks of implantation, we observed two distinctive issues regarding long-term implantation, each caused by chronic tissue responses or by the delamination of insulation layer. The results demonstrate that the FPMAs successfully recorded neuronal signals up to 12 weeks, with very stably maintained SNRs, reduced by only 16.1% on average compared to the first recordings, although biological tissue reactions or physical degradation of the FPMA were present. Significance. The fabricated FPMAs successfully recorded intracortical signals for 3 months. The SNR was maintained up to 3 months and the chronic function of FPMA was comparable with other silicon based implantable electrodes.

Impact of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation on new silicone half-piece elastometric respirator (VJR-NMU) performance, structural integrity and sterility during the COVID-19 pandemic

Since the innovation of our new half-piece elastometric respirator, this type of filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) has been used widely in Thailand. Decontamination methods including ultraviolet C (UVC) germicidal irradiation and 70% alcohol have been implemented to decontaminate these respirators. We then examined the inactivation potential of different decontamination processes on porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and numerous bacterial strains, most of which were skin-derived. To enable rigorous integrity of the masks after repeated decontamination processes, fit tests by the Bitrex test, tensile strength and elongation at break were also evaluated. Our results showed that UVC irradiation at a dose of 3 J/cm2 can eradicate bacteria after 60 min and viruses after 10 min. No fungi were found on the mask surface before decontamination. The good fit test results, tensile strength and elongation at break were still maintained after multiple cycles of decontamination. No evidence of physical degradation was found by gross visual inspection. Alcohol (70%) is also an easy and effective way to eradicate microorganisms on respirators. As the current pandemic is expected to continue for months to years, the need to supply adequate reserves of personnel protective equipment (PPE) and develop effective PPE reprocessing methods is crucial. Our studies demonstrated that the novel silicone mask can be safely reprocessed and decontaminated for many cycles by UVC irradiation, which will help ameliorate the shortage of important protective devices in the COVID-19 pandemic era.

Nanopatterned Polymer Molds Using Anodized Aluminum Templates for Anti-Reflective Coatings

This work introduces a facile geometry-controlled method for the fabrication of embossed and engraved polymeric moth-eye-inspired nanostructures in imprinting molds using anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates, resulting in a novel anti-reflective transparent coating. The moth-eye nanostructures are prepared directly on the surface of a flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate. As a prerequisite procedure, a UV-curable polyurethane acrylate resin is spun on the PET. The shape of the moth-eye nanostructures can then be adjusted by controlling the size and shape of the nanopores in the AAO templates. Both embossed and concaved polymer moth-eye nanostructures were successfully mounted on a PET substrate. Embossed polymer replica molds were prepared using the AAO master templates in combination with an imprinting process. As revealed by field-emission electron microscope (FE-SEM) images, conical nanopatterns in the AAO template with a diameter of ~90 nm and a depth of ~100 nm, create a homogeneous embossed morphology in the polymer moth-eye nanostructure. The polymeric molds with the depths of 300 and 500 nm revealed the amalgamated structures in their apexes. In addition, a dip-imprinting process of the polymeric layers was implemented to yield a concaved mold by assembly on the surface of the 100 nm embossed polymer mold substrate. Considering that the embossed structures may be crumbled due to their protuberant shapes, the concaved geometries can have an advantage of stability in a certain application concerning physical degradation along with a higher transmission by ~2%, despite somewhat nonuniform structure. The experimental and theoretical results of this study indicate that this polymer layer has the potential for use in anti-reflective coating applications in transparent films.

Urban decay: a case study of the negatives in the Toronto Telegram fonds, Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections

The negatives in the Toronto Telegram fonds (1876-1971), at the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University, in Toronto, Canada are representative of eras in history and are of great historical, geographic and intrinsic value. The declining condition of the negatives is of significant concern for the longevity of these photographic artifacts. The fundamental value this fonds has to support research and teaching at the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University Library and York University must be recognized. My research concentrates on the 830,000 negatives, which include glass plate, cellulose nitrate, and cellulose acetate materials, all suffering from minor to severe forms of chemical and physical degradation. Vinegar syndrome is a major problem; the consequences of which are permanently deformed cellulose acetate negatives. This case study investigates the deteriorating condition of each type of negative within this fonds, and suggests appropriate measures for decelerating degradation.

Urban decay: a case study of the negatives in the Toronto Telegram fonds, Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections

The negatives in the Toronto Telegram fonds (1876-1971), at the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at York University, in Toronto, Canada are representative of eras in history and are of great historical, geographic and intrinsic value. The declining condition of the negatives is of significant concern for the longevity of these photographic artifacts. The fundamental value this fonds has to support research and teaching at the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections, York University Library and York University must be recognized. My research concentrates on the 830,000 negatives, which include glass plate, cellulose nitrate, and cellulose acetate materials, all suffering from minor to severe forms of chemical and physical degradation. Vinegar syndrome is a major problem; the consequences of which are permanently deformed cellulose acetate negatives. This case study investigates the deteriorating condition of each type of negative within this fonds, and suggests appropriate measures for decelerating degradation.

Photocatalytic Degradation of Plastic

Due to rapid growth and modernization, the consumption of plastic has increased rapidly. However, due to the non-biodegradable nature of plastics, its management and disposal have become an environmental concern. The majority of plastics end up in landfill sites or oceans through rivers which is a threat to the marine ecosystem. Plastic can remain in the environment for thousands of years furthermore due to physical degradation plastics are converted into microplastics. Current techniques of recycling plastic require a significant amount of segregation which is not feasible due to economic constraints. Photocatalyst enhances the rate of degradation using light as a source of energy hence making the process economically feasible. This chapter provides a comprehensive review focusing on plastics, its pollution and type of polymers. Further, the chapter also reviews the various research conducted for the photocatalytic degradation of plastics.