Assessing the pedestrian experience in public spaces

The assessment of the pedestrian experience in public spaces is increasingly becoming an essential constituent of urban street design. This paper first presents a new methodology for evaluating pedestrian environments through on-street surveys, building upon well-established comprehensive pedestrian audit tools, such as PERS and PEDS. The methodology is applied on the South Kensington area of London, in light of recent redevelopments seeing the conversion of the previous car-oriented layout to a more pedestrian-friendly one. The results suggest that the new design is generally perceived positively by pedestrians, but point out that there may be room for improvement in terms of pedestrian comfort. The results are then further analysed statistically in order to draw generic conclusions and investigate the effects of different aspects of the pedestrian environment on each other with respect to the pedestrian experience. By fitting a series of ordered logistic regression models, a number of interdependences are identified and interpreted

Fabrication and study of release kinetics of moxifloxacin and dexamethasone loaded nanostructured lipid carrier system for ocular drug delivery

Background: The combination of moxifloxacin hydrochloride (MOX) and dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DEX) is widely available in the conventional commercial market for treating ocular infections and inflammations. Traditional ocular delivery systems are inferior to nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) due to their poor drug bioavailability, rapid tear drainage, and limited drug penetration. In contrast, NLCs offer sustained release, enhanced corneal absorption, and improved drug stability. Thus, the research aims to develop moxifloxacin and dexamethasone-loaded NLC for effective drug release.  Methodology: In this study, a combination of MOX and DEX drugs was loaded in an NLC. The NLC was prepared using standard methods and evaluated for characteristic properties, including particle size (PS), polydispersity index (PDI), entrapment efficiency (EE), and drug loading (DL), as well as drug encapsulation and in vitro studies. Results and Discussion: The optimized formulation of NLC possessed a particle size of 190.58 nm and a polydispersity index of 26.7%. The fabricated drug exhibited a KP model release kinetics, indicating that drug release occurred via a combination of diffusion and polymer reaction. The NLC also exhibited a PDI of 26.7%, indicating a moderately uniform particle size distribution, which further suggests a consistent particle size, an acceptable characteristic for nano-carrier systems. The FT-IR analysis revealed optimal encapsulation of drugs inside the lipids, thereby achieving the desired objectives of drug fabrication. Conclusion: The formulated NLC has a particle size that falls within the ideal range for a smooth surface in commercial NLC formulations. Additionally, the prepared NLCs' adherence to the KP model underscores their potential as an advanced drug delivery system

Feto-maternal outcome in eclampsia at tertiary care hospital in an observational prospective study

Background: Eclampsia is a grave consequence of pre-eclampsia. It is defined as development of seizures in a woman with pre-eclampsia during pregnancy or puerperium that cannot be attributed to other causes. Pre-eclampsia complicated by generalized tonic clonic convulsions raises the risk to both mother and fetus. The current study is being done to analyse the cause, clinical course, it's management and feto-maternal outcome in patients of eclampsia. Methods: prospective observational study at Gopinath maternity home, Obstetrics and Gynaecology department, Government Medical College, Bhavanagar including all antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum cases of eclampsia in 10-month period August 2023 to May 2024. Results: The findings underscore the high prevalence of eclampsia among younger women, particularly primigravidae. The study also revealed that the majority of cases were managed as emergencies, reflecting the lack of adequate prenatal care and monitoring. These demographic and socioeconomic insights emphasize the urgent need for improved healthcare access and educational programs targeted at vulnerable groups to mitigate the risks associated with eclampsia. Conclusions: The high incidence of eclampsia and its complications during this study indicate the need for early identification of risk factors and timely intervention to improve maternal and perinatal outcome. By giving mass awareness towards the importance of antenatal care, ensuring early detection of symptoms of pre-eclampsia in peripheral hospitals and providing adequate treatment, the incidence of eclampsia can be reduced effectively

Detection and Characterization of Visceral Anisakid Nematodes in Blue Whiting from Portuguese Waters

This study employs molecular detection techniques, including conventional PCR and Sanger sequencing, to investigate the prevalence, species composition and public health implications of Anisakid nematodes in blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) caught off the Portuguese coast. With Portugal’s high fish consumption rates and increasing preference for raw or undercooked seafood, the risk of parasitic infections, particularly anisakidosis, is rising. Fifty blue whiting fish were examined, showing a 100% infection rate with Anisakid larvae. Molecular analysis identified 68.1% of the larvae as Anisakis simplex, 18.1% as Anisakis pegreffii, and 13.8% as Hysterothylacium aduncum, marking the first report of H. aduncum in blue whiting in Portugal. Phylogenetic analysis based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) 1, 5.8S ribosomal RNA and ITS-2 confirmed the species classification. Notably, 42.9% of the fish were infected with multiple Anisakid species, increasing the risk of allergenic sensitization. Statistical analysis showed no significant correlation between fish width and parasitic load, and a weak negative correlation was found between fish length and parasitic load. The study contributes to food safety by integrating molecular tools that enable rapid and accurate species identification, offering new insights into the detection of biological contaminants in seafood. These findings are significant considering the rising trend in raw seafood consumption, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced detection strategies and broader parasite monitoring programs to mitigate public health risks. The high prevalence of parasitized fish highlights the necessity for the implementation of safe cooking practices to reduce the risk of anisakidosis. Further research into the allergenic potential of Hysterothylacium spp. and the ecological factors influencing this nematode distribution is recommended. © 2024 by the authors.Mahima Hemnani thanks Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for the financial support of her PhD work under the Maria de Souza scholarship contract number 2021.09380.BD. Ana Luísa Martins thanks Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) for the financial support of her PhD work under the Maria de Souza scholarship contract number 2022.14749.BD

Koch’s Postulatesfor New Species of Sooty Blotch and Flyspeck

Sooty blotch and flyspeck fungi(SBFS) infect the cuticles of the apples resulting in dark blemishes on the surface. The number of species identified in the SBFS has increased with the help of molecular techniques. The following report summarizes the progress of confirming the identity of additional SBFS species using a modified Koch’s postulates. Molecular techniques of DNA extraction and amplification were applied to fungi isolated from signs on apples

Off-balance sheet items and the financial crisis: An empirical evidence of the United Kingdom Banks

The last couple of decades, our financial systems around the world have drastically evolved and given rise to potentially extremely high levels of risk. Borrowing has become extremely easy and at cheaper rates than ever before, opening up a great source of investments to everyone for their specific risk and return needs. Have these complex financial products but in fact hampered our growth? What are the central banks doing about the same? How did we lead ourselves into the crisis and what have we done to avert any further ones? What were the main causes of this devastating fallout and how badly were we affected? By evaluating the role of off-balance sheet items in the process of securitization with context to the financial crisis of 2007-2008, it is possible to explain its root causes. These issues are addressed in this piece of work

Design of probe for NQR/NMR detection

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is a RF technique that is able to detect any compound by sensing the excited resonance signals from atomic nuclei having non-zero spin. NQR is similar to NMR but the only difference is NMR needs a DC magnetic field and due to this its application in the field is limited. A FPGA based NQR spectrometer is designed using a single FPGA chip to perform the digital tasks required for NQR spectrometer. Design of Probe for NMR/NQR spectrometer is researched. Parallel tuned and series tuned Probes are discussed and simulated.14N NQR from NaNO2 is observed from spectrometer designed with parallel tuned probe

The Building of Pulsed NQR/NMR Spectrometer

NQR spectrometer designed is composed of four modules; Transmitter, Probe, Receiver and computer controlled (FPGA & Software) module containing frequency synthesizer, synchronous demodulator, pulse programmer and display. The function of the Transmitter module is to amplify the RF pulse sequence to about 200 W power level into the probe (50 Ohm) which is a parallel resonance circuit with a tapped capacitor. The probe excites the nucleus and picks-up the signal emitted from the nuclei. The nuclear signal at the same frequency as the excitation, which is typically in the range of a few microvolts is amplified, demodulated and filtered (1 kHz to 100 kHz) by receiver module. 14N NQR, 1H and 2H NMR signals are observed from the spectrometer.As the SNR of NQR signal is very low, NQR signal processing based on Adaptive Line Enhancement is presented