Search Results (3)

The United Nations Organization established 17 sustainable development goals in 2015, including No Poverty, Good Health and Well-Being, Quality Education, Reduced Inequalities, and Responsible Consumption and Production. Latin America stands out as a region marked by significant levels of inequality, encompassing disparities in income and inadequate social protection. The rural municipality of Mecayapan in the Selvas region of Veracruz state, Mexico, is a community where these issues are prominently present. Another specific challenge that exacerbates the situation is the absence of connectivity, which hinders the utilization of technological advancements in three fundamental areas: health, education, and the economy. The project began with a thorough evaluation of the geographical, social, economic, cultural, educational, and health factors within the region. Following this, the network design and implementation phase was executed, considering the available resources, prioritizing recycled materials, and utilizing simulations when required. The subsequent step involved deploying the network in a prioritized manner, utilizing strategic management approaches. To assess the impact of this implementation, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted. This likely entailed the collection of data through interviews, observations, or surveys to gain comprehensive insights into how the WiFi network influenced the community. Results indicate that the implementation of a long-distance WiFi network with wide, open-access coverage in Mecayapan will yield favorable outcomes in terms of social inclusion, poverty reduction, and the overall enhancement of residents’ quality of life. By leveraging technological advancements and promoting connectivity, the WiFi network can contribute to long-term sustainability by fostering economic development, enabling access to educational resources, facilitating communication and networking opportunities, and promoting sustainable practices in various sectors. Full article

Blowflies are known vectors of many foodborne pathogens and unintentional human ingestion of maggots by meat consumption may lead to intestinal myiasis. In fact, the control of insect pests is an important aspect of industrial and home-made food processing and blowflies (Diptera: Calliphoridae), which are among the most important pests involved in the damage of meat products. Most spices, largely used in food preparations and industry, contain essential oils that are toxic and repellent against insects and exert antimicrobial activity. In this study, we assessed the electro-antennographic responses, the oviposition deterrence, the toxicity, and the repellence of the essential oils (EOs) of Allium sativum L., Salvia officinalis L., and Rosmarinus officinalis L. against the blowfly Calliphora vomitoria L. We tested the EOs antibacterial and antifungal properties and the efficacy of an A. sativum EO-charged mist sprayed in the tunnel entryway of a meat processing room to form an olfactive barrier against the entrance of flies. The results showed that the EOs are perceived by female blowfly’ antennae and exert an evident repellent activity against them completely deterring the oviposition for up to 24 h starting from the concentration of 2.5 μL cm⁻² EO. The EOs also exhibited toxic activity by both topical application (LD₅₀ from 0.44 to 1.97 μL insect⁻¹) and fumigation (LC₅₀ from 1.76 to 31.52 μL L⁻¹) against adults of C. vomitoria and were able to exert a clear antimicrobial activity toward pathogens. Lastly, the EO-charged mist was able to reduce by about 40% the presence of Calliphoridae in the meat processing room of a dry-ham factory. Full article

In this paper, we present a new mobile wireless communication platform for real-time monitoring of an individual’s breathing rate. The platform takes the form of a wearable stretching T-shirt featuring a sensor and a detection base station. The sensor is formed by a spiral-shaped antenna made from a multi-material fiber connected to a compact transmitter. Based on the resonance frequency of the antenna at approximately 2.4 GHz, the breathing sensor relies on its Bluetooth transmitter. The contactless and non-invasive sensor is designed without compromising the user’s comfort. The sensing mechanism of the system is based on the detection of the signal amplitude transmitted wirelessly by the sensor, which is found to be sensitive to strain. We demonstrate the capability of the platform to detect the breathing rates of four male volunteers who are not in movement. The breathing pattern is obtained through the received signal strength indicator (RSSI) which is filtered and analyzed with home-made algorithms in the portable system. Numerical simulations of human breath are performed to support the experimental detection, and both results are in a good agreement. Slow, fast, regular, irregular, and shallow breathing types are successfully recorded within a frequency interval of 0.16–1.2 Hz, leading to a breathing rate varying from 10 to 72 breaths per minute. Full article