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This thesis evaluates the performance of an EPR programme for post-consumer PET waste management by PET recycling company (PETCO) in South Africa. It analyses waste management policies of South Africa that are relevant to EPR. Using a set of evaluative tools, the thesis reveals areas for improvement in the EPR scheme. It also identifies areas in informal sector interventions where EPR can contribu
Nature-based Solutions (NBS) are one of the approaches to the regeneration of urban areas. These solutions are copied from, inspired by, or supported by nature. The solutions, ideally, result in multiple benefits to the society and environment. The examples of NBS measures for stormwater management are, including but not limited to, natural swale, retention ponds, and green roofs. Such measures ha
Moving towards circular economy is considered as a fundamental way to achieve sustainable development, but practices and tools that can support businesses in implementing this concept are still underdeveloped. Moreover, there is uncertainty about the impact that the adoption of circularity has on the current way of working of a company. With the adoption of aspects of action research on a rock and
OBJECTIVES: To investigate hip dysplasia as a risk factor for clinically relevant and incident radiographic hip OA.METHODS: From a prospective cohort (CHECK) of 1002 middle-aged, new consulters for hip and/or knee pain, 468 hips (251 individuals) were selected based on hip pain, available lateral center edge angle (LCEA) and absence of definite radiographic hip OA (Kellgren and Lawrence [KL] grade
Policies that facilitate sustainability transformations require knowledge about the dynamics of complex socio-ecological systems, including biophysical mechanisms and diverse human-nature relationships. Such a comprehensive evidence base can only be built by integrating multiple types of knowledges. Ontology, epistemology, and semantics are a well-established terminology to structure and facilitat
Background: Lung injury in COVID-19 is characterized by neutrophil invasion and the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). An aberrant NET formation may induce local inflammation and increase sputum viscosity. Inhalation of DNase I (dornase alfa) is a treatment option that degrades NETs in the airways. Previous case series have indicated positive clinical effects of inhaled dornase alfa
Controllable hydrogen generation rate of Al-Ga-based on-site hydrogen supply materials significantly impacts their practical application. In many scenarios, the hydrolysis reaction occurs at elevated temperatures, which is a factor often overlooked in its effect on reaction kinetics. This study investigates the relationship between grain size and reaction rate in Al-Ga-based alloys for hydrogen ge
The Middle Danube (Carpathian) Basin is considered to encompass some of the thickest and most complete records of aeolian dust deposition in Europe, covering the last two glacial–interglacial cycles. In this study, independent, published chronologies based on absolute dating methods were compiled for 34 loess-palaeosol sequences and modelled using Bayesian statistics. Mass accumulation rates (MARs
Chrysene-containing polymers functionalized with piperidinium- and quinuclidinium cations, respectively, are prepared by polyhydroxyalkylation and studied as anion exchange membranes (AEMs). Experimental results, supported by theoretical considerations, indicate that the chrysene units significantly enhance alkaline stability; a poly(chrysene piperidinium) AEM shows only 16% total ionic loss, comp
A search for a new Z′ gauge boson predicted by Lµ-Lτ models, based on charged-current Drell-Yan production, pp→W±(∗)→Z′μ±ν→μ±μ μ±ν, is presented. The data sample used corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 140 fb-1 of proton-proton collisions at s=13 TeV recorded by the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. The search examines a final state of 3μ plus large missing transverse momentum.
The European Association of Urology (EAU) 2021 prognostic model for non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is based on the World Health Organization (WHO) 1973 and/or WHO 2004/2022 grading systems for patients who did not receive bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillations and is widely used to assess the risk of progression. The estimated risk of progression affects the type of adjuvant intr
Atmospheric methane (CH4) growth rates reached unprecedented values in the years 2020-2022. To identify the main drivers of this increase, an inverse modeling study estimated regional and sectoral emission changes for 2016-2022. Three inverse estimates based on different sets of atmospheric CH4 observations (surface observations only, surface and aircraft observations, and GOSAT observations) cons
Machine learning methods have a groundbreaking impact in many application domains, but their application on real robotic platforms is still limited. Despite the many challenges associated with combining machine learning technology with robotics, robot learning remains one of the most promising directions for enhancing the capabilities of robots. When deploying learning-based approaches on real rob
Amplification of the MYCN proto-oncogene serves as a key marker of aggressive disease and poor treatment outcomes in certain pediatric tumors originating from the nervous system, including neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma. However, the complex nature of the challenging MYCN protein underscores the urgent need for additional targets and therapies to tackle neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma. In thi
Nocturia, the urge to wake from sleep to void, is targeted sub-optimally by existing drugs that modulate circadian dysregulation of urine production in kidney without alleviating detrusor overactivity, a key aspect in the multifactorial etiology of nocturia. This study reports age-related upregulation of arginine vasopressin (AVP) synthesis in mouse urinary bladder to counter the concurrent declin
Objective: Ampullary neoplastic lesions can be resected by endoscopic papillectomy (EP) or transduodenal surgical ampullectomy (TSA) while pancreaticoduodenectomy is reserved for more advanced lesions. We present the largest retrospective comparative study analysing EP and TSA. Design: Of all patients in the database, lesions with prior interventions, benign histology advanced malignancy (T2 and m
Purpose: To present the outcomes of a randomised clinical trial for the treatment of progressive keratoconus using different kinds of riboflavin and the addition of sterile water in thin corneae. Methods: A randomised study using epithelium-off corneal cross-linking (CXL) with continuous UVA irradiance 9 mW/cm2 for 10 min (total fluence 5.4 J/cm2) and two kinds of riboflavin solutions: (i) isoosmo
Objectives To study the effect of a progressively enhanced rest–shade–hydration–hygiene (RSHH) intervention on kidney injury and inflammation biomarkers, and rates of clinical acute kidney injury (AKI) in Nicaraguan sugarcane workers with a very high rate of chronic kidney disease of non-traditional origin (CKDnt). Methods We analysed serum creatinine and C-reactive protein (CRP) and leukocyturia
Background: Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of lymph nodes is a widely used method for evaluating lymphadenopathy. FNAB offers general advantages of rapid turnaround time, low cost and minimal morbidity, and more specific advantages in various clinical situations, such as deeply located lymph nodes or patients with significant comorbidities. The FNAB sample can be utilized for a wide range of
