Search results for: chlorinated bioactive glasses
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 682

Search results for: chlorinated bioactive glasses

412 Repurposing of Crystalline Solar PV For Sodium Silicate Production

Authors: Lawal Alkasim, Clement M. Gonah, Zainab S. Aliyu

Abstract:

This work is focus on recovering silicon form photovoltaic cells and repurposing it toward the use in glass, ceramics or glass ceramics as it is made up of silicon material. Silicon is the main back-bone and responsible for the thermodynamic properties of glass, ceramics and glass ceramics materials. Antireflection silicon is soluble in hot alkali. Successfully the recovered material composed of silicon and silicon nitride of the A.R, with a small amount of silver, Aluminuim, lead & copper in the sunshine of crystalline/non-crystalline silicon solar cell. Aquaregia is used to remove the silver, Aluminium, lead & copper. The recovered material treated with hot alkali highly concentrated to produce sodium silicate, which is an alkali silicate glass (water glass). This type of glass is produced through chemical process, unlike other glasses that are produced through physical process of melting and non-crystalline solidification. It has showed a property of being alkali silicate glass from its solubility in water and insoluble in alcohol. The XRF analysis shows the presence of sodium silicate.

Keywords: unrecyclable solar PV, crystalline silicon, hot conc. alkali, sodium silicate

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411 3D Electromagnetic Mapping of the Signal Strength in Long Term Evolution Technology in the Livestock Department of ESPOCH

Authors: Cinthia Campoverde, Mateo Benavidez, Victor Arias, Milton Torres

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This article focuses on the 3D electromagnetic mapping of the intensity of the signal received by a mobile antenna within the open areas of the Department of Livestock of the Escuela Superior Politecnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH), located in the city of Riobamba, Ecuador. The transmitting antenna belongs to the mobile telephone company ”TUENTI”, and is analyzed in the 2 GHz bands, operating at a frequency of 1940 MHz, using Long Term Evolution (LTE). Power signal strength data in the area were measured empirically using the ”Network Cell Info” application. A total of 170 samples were collected, distributed in 19 concentric circles around the base station. 3 campaigns were carried out at the same time, with similar traffic, and average values were obtained at each point, which varies between -65.33 dBm to -101.67 dBm. Also, the two virtualization software used are Sketchup and Unreal. Finally, the virtualized environment was visualized through virtual reality using Oculus 3D glasses, where the power levels are displayed according to a range of powers.

Keywords: reception power, LTE technology, virtualization, virtual reality, power levels

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410 Contamination of Groundwater by Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonium and Phosphate in the Guelma-bouchegouf Irrigated Area (Northeastern Algeria)

Authors: Benhamza Moussa, Aissaoui Marwa, Touati Mounira, Chaoui Widad

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The Guelma-Bouchegouf irrigated area is located in the northeast of Algeria, and it extends about 80 km. It was commissioned in 1996, with an irrigable area of 9250 ha, it spreads on both banks of the Seybouse Wadi and it is subdivided into five autonomous distribution sectors. In order to assess the state of groundwater quality, the results of the chemical analyzes were plotted on the Piper diagram, which shows that the chemical facies are sulfate-calcium chloride and sulfate-calcium with a slight tendency to migrate to chlorinated sulphate - sodium. The predominance of sulphates in the waters of the region is geologically explained by the existence in the Guelma Basin of evaporitic deposits, which are mainly represented by rock salt and gypsum. In addition to this natural origin, we can mention the anthropogenic origin, following the use of chemical fertilizers in the Guelma-Bouchegouf irrigated area. Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ show moderate to significant mineralization of water, closely correlated with very high conductivities. The values of the recorded conductivities vary from 1360 μs / cm (P3) to 4610 μs / cm (P10). These important values are due to dissolved salts on the one hand and the leaching of fertilizers by irrigation water on the other hand. NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺ show little to significant pollution throughout the study area. Phosphate represents significant pollution, with excessive values far exceeding the allowable standard. With respect to ammonium, 87% of the sampling points present little pollution and 13 % significant pollution. Regarding phosphates, in the form of PO₄³⁻, groundwater in the study area represents significant pollution; all values far exceed the allowable standard.

Keywords: groundwater, organic parameters, standards, Pollution

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409 Stems of Prunus avium: An Unexplored By-product with Great Bioactive Potential

Authors: Luís R. Silva, Fábio Jesus, Catarina Bento, Ana C. Gonçalves

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Over the last few years, the traditional medicine has gained ground at nutritional and pharmacological level. The natural products and their derivatives have great importance in several drugs used in modern therapeutics. Plant-based systems continue to play an essential role in primary healthcare. Additionally, the utilization of their plant parts, such as leaves, stems and flowers as nutraceutical and pharmaceutical products, can add a high value in the natural products market, not just by the nutritional value due to the significant levels of phytochemicals, but also by to the high benefit for the producers and manufacturers business. Stems of Prunus avium L. are a byproduct resulting from the processing of cherry, and have been consumed over the years as infusions and decoctions due to its bioactive properties, being used as sedative, diuretic and draining, to relief of renal stones, edema and hypertension. In this work, we prepared a hydroethanolic and infusion extracts from stems of P. avium collected in Fundão Region (Portugal), and evaluate the phenolic profile by LC/DAD, antioxidant capacity, α-glucosidase inhibitory activity and protection of human erythrocytes against oxidative damage. The LC-DAD analysis allowed to the identification of 19 phenolic compounds, catechin and 3-O-caffolquinic acid were the main ones. In a general way, hydroethanolic extract proved to be more active than infusion. This extract had the best antioxidant activity against DPPH• (IC50=22.37 ± 0.28 µg/mL) and superoxide radical (IC50=13.93 ± 0.30 µg/mL). Furthermore, it was the most active concerning inhibition of hemoglobin oxidation (IC50=13.73 ± 0.67 µg/mL), hemolysis (IC50=1.49 ± 0.18 µg/mL) and lipid peroxidation (IC50=26.20 ± 0.38 µg/mL) on human erythrocytes. On the other hand, infusion revealed to be more efficient towards α-glucosidase inhibitory activity (IC50=3.18 ± 0.23 µg/mL) and against nitric oxide radical (IC50=99.99 ± 1.89 µg/mL). The Sweet cherry sector is very important in Fundão Region (Portugal), and taking profit from the great wastes produced during processing of the cherry to produce added-value products, such as food supplements cannot be ignored. Our results demonstrate that P. avium stems possesses remarkable antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. It is therefore, suggest, that P. avium stems can be used as a natural antioxidant with high potential to prevent or slow the progress of human diseases mediated by oxidative stress.

Keywords: stems, Prunus avium, phenolic compounds, biological potential

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408 Fermentation of Tolypocladium inflatum to Produce Cyclosporin in Dairy Waste Culture Medium

Authors: Fereshteh Falah, Alireza Vasiee, Farideh Tabatabaei-Yazdi

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In this research, we investigated the usage of dairy sludge in the fermentation process and cyclosporin production. This bioactive compound is a metabolite produced by Tolypocladium inflatum. Results showed that about 200 ppm of cyclosporin can be produced in this fermentation. In order to have a proper and specific function, CyA must be free of any impurities, so we need purification. In this downstream processing, we used chromatographic extraction and evaluation of pharmacological activities of cyA. Results showed that the obtained metabolite has very high activity against Aspergilus niger (25mm clear zone). This cyclosporin was isolated for use as an antibiotic. The current research shows that this drug is very vital and commercially very important.

Keywords: fermentation, cyclosporin A, Tolypocladium inflatum, TLC

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407 Effect of Botanical and Synthetic Insecticide on Different Insect Pests and Yield of Pea (Pisum sativum)

Authors: Muhammad Saeed, Nazeer Ahmed, Mukhtar Alam, Fazli Subhan, Muhammad Adnan, Fazli Wahid, Hidayat Ullah, Rafiullah

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The present experiment evaluated different synthetic insecticides against Jassid (Amrasca devastations) on pea crop at Agriculture Research Institute Tarnab, Peshawar Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The field was prepared to cultivate okra crop in Randomized Complete Block (RCB) Design having six treatments with four replications. Plant to plant and row to row distance was kept at 15 cm and 30 cm, respectively. Pre and post spray data were recorded randomly from the top, middle and bottom leaves of five selected plants. Five synthetic insecticides, namely Confidor (Proponil), a neonicotinoid insecticide, Chlorpyrifos (chlorinated organophosphate (OP) insecticide), Lazer (dinitroaniline) (Pendimethaline), Imidacloprid (neonicotinoids insecticide) and Thiodan (Endosulfan, organochlorine insecticide), were used against infestation of aphids, pea pod borer, stem fly, leaf minor and pea weevil. Each synthetic insecticide showed significantly more effectiveness than control (untreated plots) but was non-significant among each other. The lowest population density was recorded in the plot treated with synthetic insecticide i.e. Confidor (0.6175 liter.ha-1) (4.24 aphids plant⁻¹) which is followed by Imidacloprid (0.6175 liter.ha⁻¹) (4.64 pea pod borer plant⁻¹), Thiodan (1.729 liter.ha⁻¹) (4.78 leaf minor plant⁻¹), Lazer (2.47 liter.ha-1) (4.91 pea weevil plant⁻¹), Chlorpyrifos (1.86 liter.ha⁻¹) (5.11 stem fly plant⁻¹), respectively while the highest population was recorded from the control plot. It is concluded from the data that the residual effect decreases with time after the application of spray, which may be less dangerous to the environment and human beings and can effectively manage this dread.

Keywords: okra crop, jassids, Confidor, imidacloprid, chlorpyrifos, laser, Thiodan

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406 A Study on Cleaning Mirror Technology with Reduced Water Consumption in a Solar Thermal Power Plant

Authors: Bayarjargal Enkhtaivan, Gao Wei, Zhang Yanping, He Guo Qiang

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In our study, traditional cleaning mirror technology with reduced consumption of water in solar thermal power plants is investigated. In developed countries, a significant increase of growth and innovation in solar thermal power sector is evident since over the last decade. These power plants required higher water consumption, however, there are some complications to construct and operate such power plants under severe drought-inflicted areas like deserts where high water-deficit can be seen but sufficient solar energy is available. Designing new experimental equipments is the most important advantage of this study. These equipments can estimate various types of measurements at the mean time. In this study, Glasses were placed for 10 and 20 days at certain positions to deposit dusts on glass surface by using a common method. Dust deposited on glass surface was washed by experimental equipment and measured dust deposition on each glass. After that, experimental results were analyzed and concluded.

Keywords: concentrated solar power (CSP) plant, high-pressure water, test equipment of clean mirror, cleaning technology of glass and mirror

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405 Hibiscus Sabdariffa Extracts: A Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Resource for Multifunctional Cellulosic Fibers

Authors: Mohamed Rehan, Gamil E. Ibrahim, Mohamed S. Abdel-Aziz, Shaimaa R. Ibrahim, Tawfik A. Khattab

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The utilization of natural products in finishing textiles toward multifunctional applications without side effects is an extremely motivating goal. Hibiscus sabdariffa usually has been used for many traditional medicine applications. To develop an additional use for Hibiscus sabdariffa, an extraction of bioactive compounds from Hibiscus sabdariffa followed by finishing on cellulosic fibers was designed to cleaner production of the value-added textiles fibers with multifunctional applications. The objective of this study is to explore, identify, and evaluate the bioactive compound extracted from Hibiscus sabdariffa by different solvent via ultrasonic technique as a potential eco-friendly agent for multifunctional cellulosic fabrics via two approaches. In the first approach, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract was used as a source of sustainable eco-friendly for simultaneous coloration and multi-finishing of cotton fabrics via in situ incorporations of nanoparticles (silver and metal oxide). In the second approach, the micro-capsulation of Hibiscus sabdariffa extracts was followed by coating onto cotton gauze to introduce multifunctional healthcare applications. The effect of the solvent type was accelerated by ultrasonic on the phytochemical, antioxidant, and volatile compounds of Hibiscus sabdariffa. The surface morphology and elemental content of the treated fabrics were explored using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The multifunctional properties of treated fabrics, including coloration, sensor properties and protective properties against pathogenic microorganisms and UV radiation as well as wound healing property were evaluated. The results showed that the water, as well as ethanol/water, was selected as a solvent for the extraction of natural compounds from Hibiscus Sabdariffa with high in extract yield, total phenolic contents, flavonoid contents, and antioxidant activity. These natural compounds were utilized to enhance cellulosic fibers functionalization by imparting faint/dark red color, antimicrobial against different organisms, and antioxidants as well as UV protection properties. The encapsulation of Hibiscus Sabdariffa extracts, as well as wound healing, is under consideration and evaluation. As a result, the current study presents a sustainable and eco-friendly approach to design cellulosic fabrics for multifunctional medical and healthcare applications.

Keywords: cellulosic fibers, Hibiscus sabdariffa extract, multifunctional application, nanoparticles

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404 Antioxidant, Hypoglycemic and Hypotensive Effects Affected by Various Molecular Weights of Cold Water Extract from Pleurotus Citrinopileatus

Authors: Pao-Huei Chen, Shu-Mei Lin, Yih-Ming Weng, Zer-Ran Yu, Be-Jen Wang

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Pancreatic α-amylase and intestinal α-glucosidase are the critical enzymes for the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into di- or mono-saccharide, which play an important role in modulating postprandial blood sugars. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) converts inactive angiotensin-I into active angiotensin-II, which subsequently increase blood pressure through triggering vasoconstriction and aldosterone secretion. Thus, inhibition of carbohydrate-digestion enzymes and ACE will help the management of blood glucose and blood pressure, respectively. Studies showed Pleurotus citrinopileatus (PC), an edible mushroom and commonly cultured in oriental countries, exerted anticancer, immune improving, antioxidative, hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic effects. Previous studies also showed various molecular weights (MW) fractioned from extracts may affect biological activities due to varying contents of bioactive components. Thus, the objective of this study is to investigate the in vitro antioxidant, hypoglycemic and hypotenstive effects and distribution of active compounds of various MWs of cold water extract from P. citrinopileatus (CWEPC). CWEPC was fractioned into four various MW fractions, PC-I (<1 kDa), PC-II (1-3.5 kDa), PC-III (3.5-10 kDa), and PC-IV (>10 kDa), using an ultrafiltration system. The physiological activities, including antioxidant activities, the inhibition capabilities of pancreatic α-amylase, intestinal α-glucosidase, and hypertension-linked ACE, and the active components, including polysaccharides, protein, and phenolic contents, of CWEPC and four fractions were determined. The results showed that fractions with lower MW exerted a higher antioxidant activity (p<0.05), which was positively correlated to the levels of total phenols. In contrast, the inhibition effects on the activities of α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and ACE of PC-IV fraction were significantly higher than CWEPC and the other three low MW fractions (< 10 kDa), which was more related to protein contents. The inhibition capability of CWEPC and PC-IV on α-amylase activity was 1/13.4 to 1/2.7 relative to that of acarbose (positive control), respectively. However, the inhibitory ability of PC-IV on α-glucosidase (IC50 = 0.5 mg/mL) was significantly higher than acarbose (IC50 = 1.7 mg/mL). Kinetic data revealed that PC-IV fraction followed a non-competitive inhibition on α-glucosidase activity. In conclusion, the distribution of various bioactive components contribute to the functions of different MW fractions on oxidative stress prevention, and blood pressure and glucose modulation.

Keywords: α-Amylase, angiotensin converting enzyme, α-Glucosidase, Pleurotus citrinopileatus

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403 Polarization of Glass with Positive and Negative Charge Carriers

Authors: Valentina V. Zhurikhina, Mihail I. Petrov, Alexandra A. Rtischeva, Mark Dussauze, Thierry Cardinal, Andrey A. Lipovskii

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Polarization of glass, often referred to as thermal poling, is a well-known method to modify the glass physical and chemical properties, that manifest themselves in loosing central symmetry of the medium, glass structure and refractive index modification. The usage of the poling for second optical harmonic generation, fabrication of optical waveguides and electrooptic modulators was also reported. Nevertheless, the detailed description of the poling of glasses, containing multiple charge carriers is still under discussion. In particular, the role of possible migration of electrons in the space charge formation usually remains out of the question. In this work, we performed the numerical simulation of thermal poling of a silicate glass, containing Na, K, Mg, and Ca. We took into consideration the contribution of electrons in the polarization process. The possible explanation of migration of electrons can be the break of non-bridging oxygen bonds. It was found, that the modeled depth of the space charge region is about 10 times higher if the migration of the negative charges is taken under consideration. The simulated profiles of cations, participating in the polarization process, are in a good agreement with the experimental data, obtained by glow discharge spectroscopy.

Keywords: glass poling, charge transport, modeling, concentration profiles

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402 Studying the Effect of Reducing Thermal Processing over the Bioactive Composition of Non-Centrifugal Cane Sugar: Towards Natural Products with High Therapeutic Value

Authors: Laura Rueda-Gensini, Jader Rodríguez, Juan C. Cruz, Carolina Munoz-Camargo

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There is an emerging interest in botanicals and plant extracts for medicinal practices due to their widely reported health benefits. A large variety of phytochemicals found in plants have been correlated with antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and analgesic properties, which makes plant-derived products promising candidates for modulating the progression and treatment of numerous diseases. Non-centrifugal cane sugar (NCS), in particular, has been known for its high antioxidant and nutritional value, but composition-wise variability due to changing environmental and processing conditions have considerably limited its use in the nutraceutical and biomedical fields. This work is therefore aimed at assessing the effect of thermal exposure during NCS production over its bioactive composition and, in turn, its therapeutic value. Accordingly, two modified dehydration methods are proposed that employ: (i) vacuum-aided evaporation, which reduces the necessary temperatures to dehydrate the sample, and (ii) window refractance evaporation, which reduces thermal exposure time. The biochemical composition of NCS produced under these two methods was compared to traditionally-produced NCS by estimating their total polyphenolic and protein content with Folin-Ciocalteu and Bradford assays, as well as identifying the major phenolic compounds in each sample via HPLC-coupled mass spectrometry. Their antioxidant activities were also compared as measured by their scavenging potential of ABTS and DPPH radicals. Results show that the two modified production methods enhance polyphenolic and protein yield in resulting NCS samples when compared to traditional production methods. In particular, reducing employed temperatures with vacuum-aided evaporation demonstrated to be superior at preserving polyphenolic compounds, as evidenced both in the total and individual polyphenol concentrations. However, antioxidant activities were not significantly different between these. Although additional studies should be performed to determine if the observed compositional differences affect other therapeutic activities (e.g., anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and immunoprotective), these results suggest that reducing thermal exposure holds great promise for the production of natural products with enhanced nutritional value.

Keywords: non-centrifugal cane sugar, polyphenolic compounds, thermal processing, antioxidant activity

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401 Acerola and Orange By-Products as Sources of Bioactive Compounds for Probiotic Fermented Milks

Authors: Tatyane Lopes de Freitas, Antonio Diogo S. Vieira, Susana Marta Isay Saad, Maria Ines Genovese

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The fruit processing industries generate a large volume of residues to produce juices, pulps, and jams. These residues, or by-products, consisting of peels, seeds, and pulps, are routinely discarded. Fruits are rich in bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, which have positive effects on health. Dry residues from two fruits, acerola (M. emarginata D. C.) and orange (C. sinensis), were characterized in relation to contents of ascorbic acid, minerals, total dietary fibers, moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, and also high performance liquid chromatographic profile of flavonoids, total polyphenols and proanthocyanidins contents, and antioxidant capacity by three different methods (Ferric reducing antioxidant power assay-FRAP, Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity-ORAC, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) radical scavenging activity). Acerola by-products presented the highest acid ascorbic content (605 mg/100 g), and better antioxidant capacity than orange by-products. The dry residues from acerola demonstrated high contents of proanthocyanidins (617 µg CE/g) and total polyphenols (2525 mg gallic acid equivalents - GAE/100 g). Both presented high total dietary fiber (above 60%) and protein contents (acerola: 10.4%; orange: 9.9%), and reduced fat content (acerola: 1.6%; orange: 2.6%). Both residues showed high levels of potassium, calcium, and magnesium, and were considered sources of these minerals. With acerola by-product, four formulations of probiotics fermented milks were produced: F0 (without the addition of acerola residue (AR)), F2 (2% AR), F5 (5% AR) and F10 (10% AR). The physicochemical characteristics of the fermented milks throughout of storage were investigated, as well as the impact of in vitro simulated gastrointestinal conditions on flavonoids and probiotics. The microorganisms analyzed maintained their populations around 8 log CFU/g during storage. After the gastric phase of the simulated digestion, the populations decreased, and after the enteric phase, no colonies were detected. On the other hand, the flavonoids increased after the gastric phase, maintaining or suffering small decrease after enteric phase. Acerola by-products powder is a valuable ingredient to be used in functional foods because is rich in vitamin C, fibers and flavonoids. These flavonoids appear to be highly resistant to the acids and salts of digestion.

Keywords: acerola, orange, by-products, fermented milk

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400 Phytochemical Composition and Biological Activities of the Vegetal Extracts of Six Aromatic and Medicinal Plants of Algerian Flora and Their Uses in Food and Pharmaceutical Industries

Authors: Ziani Borhane Eddine Cherif, Hazzi Mohamed, Mouhouche Fazia

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The vegetal extracts of aromatic and medicinal plants start to have much of interest like potential sources of natural bioactive molecules. Many features are conferred by the nature of the chemical function of their major constituents (phenol, alcohol, aldehyde, cetone). This biopotential lets us to focalize on the study of three main biological activities, the antioxidant, antibiotic and insecticidal activities of six Algerian aromatic plants in the aim of making in evidence by the chromatographic analysis (CPG and CG/SM) the phytochemical compounds implicating in this effects. The contents of Oxygenated monoterpenes represented the most prominent group of constituents in the majority of plants. However, the α-Terpineol (28,3%), Carvacrol (47,3%), pulégone (39,5%), Chrysanthenone (27,4%), Thymol 23,9%, γ-Terpinene 23,9% and 2-Undecanone(94%) were the main components. The antioxyding activity of the Essential oils and no-volatils extracts was evaluated in vitro using four tests: inhibition of free radical 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and the 2,2-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical-scavenging activity (ABTS•+), the thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assays and the reducing power. The measures of the IC50 of these natural compounds revealed potent activity (between 254.64-462.76mg.l-1), almost similar to that of BHT, BHA, Tocopherol and Ascorbic acid (126,4-369,1 mg.l-1) and so far than the Trolox one (IC50= 2,82mg.l-1). Furthermore, three ethanol extracts were found to be remarkably effective toward DPPH and ABTS inhibition, compared to chemical antioxidant BHA and BHT (IC = 9.8±0.1 and 28±0.7 mg.l-1, respectively); for reducing power test it has also exhibited high activity. The study on the insecticidal activity effect by contact, inhalation, fecundity and fertility of Callosobruchus maculatus and Tribolium confusum showed a strong potential biocide reaching 95-100% mortality only after 24 hours. The antibiotic activity of our essential oils were evaluated by a qualitative study (aromatogramme) and quantitative (MIC, MBC and CML) on four bacteria (Gram+ and Gram-) and one strain of pathogenic yeast, the results of these tests showed very interesting action than that induced by the same reference antibiotics (Gentamycin, and Nystatin Ceftatidine) such that the inhibition diameters and MIC values for tested microorganisms were in the range of 23–58 mm and 0.015–0.25%(v/v) respectively.

Keywords: aromatic plants, essential oils, no-volatils extracts, bioactive molecules, antioxidant activity, insecticidal activity, antibiotic activity

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399 MARISTEM: A COST Action Focused on Stem Cells of Aquatic Invertebrates

Authors: Arzu Karahan, Loriano Ballarin, Baruch Rinkevich

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Marine invertebrates, the highly diverse phyla of multicellular organisms, represent phenomena that are either not found or highly restricted in the vertebrates. These include phenomena like budding, fission, a fusion of ramets, and high regeneration power, such as the ability to create whole new organisms from either tiny parental fragment, many of which are controlled by totipotent, pluripotent, and multipotent stem cells. Thus, there is very much that can be learned from these organisms on the practical and evolutionary levels, further resembling Darwin's words, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change”. The ‘stem cell’ notion highlights a cell that has the ability to continuously divide and differentiate into various progenitors and daughter cells. In vertebrates, adult stem cells are rare cells defined as lineage-restricted (multipotent at best) with tissue or organ-specific activities that are located in defined niches and further regulate the machinery of homeostasis, repair, and regeneration. They are usually categorized by their morphology, tissue of origin, plasticity, and potency. The above description not always holds when comparing the vertebrates with marine invertebrates’ stem cells that display wider ranges of plasticity and diversity at the taxonomic and the cellular levels. While marine/aquatic invertebrates stem cells (MISC) have recently raised more scientific interest, the know-how is still behind the attraction they deserve. MISC, not only are highly potent but, in many cases, are abundant (e.g., 1/3 of the entire animal cells), do not locate in permanent niches, participates in delayed-aging and whole-body regeneration phenomena, the knowledge of which can be clinically relevant. Moreover, they have massive hidden potential for the discovery of new bioactive molecules that can be used for human health (antitumor, antimicrobial) and biotechnology. The MARISTEM COST action (Stem Cells of Marine/Aquatic Invertebrates: From Basic Research to Innovative Applications) aims to connect the European fragmented MISC community. Under this scientific umbrella, the action conceptualizes the idea for adult stem cells that do not share many properties with the vertebrates’ stem cells, organizes meetings, summer schools, and workshops, stimulating young researchers, supplying technical and adviser support via short-term scientific studies, making new bridges between the MISC community and biomedical disciplines.

Keywords: aquatic/marine invertebrates, adult stem cell, regeneration, cell cultures, bioactive molecules

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398 Thermo-Physical and Morphological Properties of Pdlcs Films Doped with Tio2 Nanoparticles.

Authors: Salima Bouadjela, Fatima Zohra Abdoune, Lahcene Mechernene

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PDLCs are currently considered as promising materials for specific applications such as creation of window blinds controlled by electric field, fog simulators, UV protective glasses, high data storage device etc. We know that the electrical field inside the liquid crystal is low compare with the external electric field [1,2]. An addition of high magnetic and electrical, properties containing compounds to the polymer dispersed liquid crystal (PDLC) will enhance the electrical, optical, and magnetic properties of the PDLC [3,4]. Low Concentration of inorganic nanoparticles TiO2 added to nematic liquid crystals (E7) and also combined with monomers (TPGDA) and cured monomer/LC mixture to elaborate polymer-LC-NP dispersion. The presence of liquid crystal and nanoparticles in TPGDA matrix were conformed and the modified properties of PDLC due to doped nanoparticle were studied and explained by the results of FTIR, POM, UV. Incorporation of nanoparticles modifies the structure of PDLC and thus it makes increase the amount of droplets and decrease in droplet size. we found that the presence of TiO2 nanoparticles leads to a shift the nematic-isotropic transition temperature TNI.

Keywords: nanocomposites, PDLC, phases diagram, TiO2

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397 Antiglycemic Activity of Raw Plant Materials as Potential Components of Functional Food

Authors: Ewa Flaczyk, Monika Przeor, Joanna Kobus-Cisowska, Józef Korczak

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The aim of this paper was to collect the information concerning the most popular raw plant materials of antidiabetic activity, in a context of functional food developing production. The elaboration discusses morphological elements possible for an application in functional food production of the plants such as: common bean, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, white mulberry, fenugreek, French lilac, ginseng, jambolão, and bitter melon. An activity of bioactive substances contained in these raw plant materials was presented, pointing their antiglycemic and also hypocholesterolemic, antiarthritic, antirheumatic, antibacterial, and antiviral activity in the studies on humans and animals. Also the genesis of functional food definition was presented.

Keywords: antiglycemic activity, raw plant materials, functional food, food, nutritional sciences

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396 Cardioprotective Effect of the Leaf Extract of Andrographis Paniculata in Isoproterenol-Induced Myocardial Infarction

Authors: Emmanuel Ikechuckwu Onwubuya, Afees Adebayo Oladejo

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Background: The use of medicinal plants in the treatment of chronic diseases especially myocardial infarction, is gaining wide acceptance globally. Andrographis paniculata (Acanthaceae) is a medicinal plant commonly known as the king of bitters in Nigeria and has been acclaimed for several therapeutic activities. Materials and methods: This study investigated the cardio-protective effect of the leaf extract of A. paniculata in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarction. Fresh green leaves of A paniculata were harvested from the Faculty of Agriculture farmland, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria. Identification and authentication of the plant were carried out at the Department of Botany, Nnamdi Azikiwe University and a voucher specimen was deposited at the herbarium. The plant material was then shredded, air-dried under shade and pulverized. The fine powders obtained were weighed and extraction was done via a solvent combination of water and ethanol (3:7) for 72 hr via maceration. The filtrate gotten was evaporated to dryness to obtain the ethanol extract, which was used for further bioassay study. The bioactive constituents of the plant extract were quantitatively analyzed by Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The animals were administered the extract of A. paniculata orally for seven days at a divided dose of 100 mg/kg, 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg body weights. On the eighth day, myocardial infarction was induced through subcutaneous administration of isoproterenol at a dose of 150 mg/kg/day diluted in 2 ml of saline on two consecutive days. Subsequently, the blood pressures were monitored and blood was collected for bioassay studies. Results: The results of the study showed that the leaf extract of A. paniculata was rich in Dodecanoic acid (8.261%), 4-Dibenzofuranamine (6.03%), Cyclotrisiloxane (4.679 %). The findings also showed a significant decrease (p>0.05) in the Mean arterial blood pressure, heart rate, aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, creatinine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities of the treatment group compared with the untreated control group while the antioxidant (superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione) activities were significantly increased in the treatment group, compared with the untreated control group. Conclusion: The findings of this work have shown that the leaf of A. paniculata was rich in bioactive compounds, which could be synthesized to produce plant-based products to fight cardiovascular diseases, especially myocardial infarction.

Keywords: cardiovascular disease, myocardial infarction, medicinal plant, andrographis paniculata, isoproterenol

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395 Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion) and Its Phytochemical Approach to Malignant Diseases

Authors: Angel Champion

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Chemotherapy and radiation use an acidified approach to induce apoptosis, which only kills mature cancer cells while resulting in gene and cell damage with significant levels of toxicity in tumor-affected tissues and organs. The acid approach, where the cells exterminated are not differentiated, induces the disappearance of white blood cells from the blood. This increases susceptibility to infection in severe forms of cancer spread. However, chemotherapy and radiation cannot kill cancer stem cells that metastasize, being the leading cause of 98% of cancer fatalities. With over 12 million new cancer cases symptomatic each year, including common malignancies such as Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), this study aims to assess the bioactive constituents and phytochemical composition of Taraxacum Officinale (Dandelion). This analysis enables pharmaceutical quality and potency to be applied to studies on cancer cell proliferation and apoptosis. A phytochemical screening is carried out to identify the antioxidant components of Dandelion root, stem, and flower extract. The constituents tested for are phlorotannins, carbohydrates, glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, alkaloids, sterols, triterpenes, and anthraquinone glycosides. To conserve the existing phenolic compounds, a portion of the constituent tests will be examined with an acid, alcohol, or aqueous solvent. As a result, the qualitative and quantitative variations within the Dandelion extract that measure uniform effective potency are vital to the conformity for producing medicinal products. These medicines will be constructed with a consistent, uniform composition that physicians can use to control and effectively eradicate malignant diseases safely. Taraxacum Officinale's phytochemical composition comprises a highly-graded potency due to present bioactive contents that will essentially drive out malignant disease within the human body. Its high potency rate is powerful enough to eliminate both mature cancer cells and cancer stem cells without the cell and gene damage induced by chemotherapy and radiation. Correspondingly, the high margins of cancer mortality on a global scale are mitigated. This remarkable contribution to modern therapeutics will essentially optimize the margins of natural products and their derivatives, which account for 50% of pharmaceuticals in modern therapeutics, while preventing the adverse effects of radiation and chemotherapy drugs.

Keywords: antioxidant, apoptosis, metastasize, phytochemical, proliferation, potency

Procedia PDF Downloads 72
394 Evaluate Effects of Different Curing Methods on Compressive Strength, Modulus of Elasticity and Durability of Concrete

Authors: Dhara Shah, Chandrakant Shah

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Construction industry utilizes plenty of water in the name of curing. Looking at the present scenario, the days are not so far when all construction industries will have to switch over to an alternative-self curing system, not only to save water for sustainable development of the environment but also to promote indoor and outdoor construction activities even in water scarce areas. At the same time, curing is essential for the development of proper strength and durability. IS 456-2000 recommends a curing period of 7 days for ordinary Portland cement concrete, and 10 to 14 days for concrete prepared using mineral admixtures or blended cements. But, being the last act in the concreting operations, it is often neglected or not fully done. Consequently, the quality of hardened concrete suffers, more so, if the freshly laid concrete gets exposed to the environmental conditions of low humidity, high wind velocity and high ambient temperature. To avoid the adverse effects of neglected or insufficient curing, which is considered a universal phenomenon, concrete technologist and research scientists have come up with curing compounds. Concrete is said to be self-cured, if it is able to retain its water content to perform chemical reaction for the development of its strength. Curing compounds are liquids which are either incorporated in concrete or sprayed directly onto concrete surfaces and which then dry to form a relatively impermeable membrane that retards the loss of moisture from the concrete. They are an efficient and cost-effective means of curing concrete and may be applied to freshly placed concrete or that which has been partially cured by some other means. However, they may affect the bond between concrete and subsequent surface treatments. Special care in the choice of a suitable compound needs to be exercised in such circumstances. Curing compounds are generally formulated from wax emulsions, chlorinated rubbers, synthetic and natural resins, and from PVA emulsions. Their effectiveness varies quite widely, depending on the material and strength of the emulsion.

Keywords: curing methods, self-curing compound, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity, durability

Procedia PDF Downloads 327
393 Identification of Arglecins B and C and Actinofuranosin A from a Termite Gut-Associated Streptomyces Species

Authors: Christian A. Romero, Tanja Grkovic, John. R. J. French, D. İpek Kurtböke, Ronald J. Quinn

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A high-throughput and automated 1H NMR metabolic fingerprinting dereplication approach was used to accelerate the discovery of unknown bioactive secondary metabolites. The applied dereplication strategy accelerated the discovery of natural products, provided rapid and competent identification and quantification of the known secondary metabolites and avoided time-consuming isolation procedures. The effectiveness of the technique was demonstrated by the isolation and elucidation of arglecins B (1), C (2) and actinofuranosin A (3) from a termite-gut associated Streptomyces sp. (USC 597) grown under solid state fermentation. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by extensive interpretation of 1H, 13C and 2D NMR spectroscopic data. These represent the first report of arglecin analogs isolated from a termite gut-associated Streptomyces species.

Keywords: actinomycetes, actinofuranosin, antibiotics, arglecins, NMR spectroscopy

Procedia PDF Downloads 60
392 Synthesis and Anticholinesterase Activity of Carvacrol Derivatives

Authors: Fatih Sonmez

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Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease and it is the most common form of dementia that affects aged people. Acetylcholinesterase is a hydrolase involved in the termination of impulse transmission at cholinergic synapses by rapid hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter ACh in the central and peripheral nervous system. Carvacrol (5-iso-propyl-2-methyl-phenol) is a main bioactive monoterpene isolated from many medicinal herbs, such as Thymus vulgaris, Monarda punctate and Origanum vulgare spp. It is known that carvacrol has been widely used as an active anti-inflammatory ingredient, which can inhibit the isoproterenol induced inflammation in myocardial infarcted rats. In this paper, a series of 12 carvacrol substituted carbamate derivatives (2a-l) was synthesized and their inhibitory activities on AChE and BuChE were evaluated. Among them, 2d exhibited the strongest inhibition against AChE with an IC50 value of 2.22 µM, which was 130-fold more than that of carvacrol (IC50 = 288.26 µM).

Keywords: Acetylcholinesterase, Butyrylcholinesterase, Carbamate, Carvacrol

Procedia PDF Downloads 351
391 Efficacy of Solanum anguivi Lam Fruits (African Bitter Berry) in Lowering Glucose Levels in Diabetes Mellitus and Increasing Survival

Authors: Aisha Musaazi Sebunya Nakitto, Anika E. Wagner, Yusuf B. Byaruhanga, John H. Muyonga

Abstract:

The prevalence and burden of diabetes are rapidly increasing globally, stemming from changes in lifestyle and dietary habits. Although several drugs are available to treat type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), many are accompanied by several side effects and are often costly. Solanum anguivi Lam. fruits (SALF) are bitter berries that commonly grow in the wild and are traditionally cultivated by many globally as a remedy for T2DM. This effect is likely attributable to the presence of bioactive compounds such as phenolics, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, and vitamin C in SALF. In this study, we investigated the morphological characteristics of different SALF accessions and the effect of ripeness stages and thermal treatments on the bioactive compounds contents (BCC) and antioxidant activity (AA) of SALF accessions. Using the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster (D. melanogaster) model, we explored the potential impact of dietary SALF in preventing and treating T2DM phenotypes. Morphological characterization was conducted based on descriptors of Solanum species. The BCC and AA of SALF at different ripeness stages (unripe, yellow, orange, and red) and after thermal treatments were determined using spectrophotometry, HPLC, and gravimetry. Male and female fruit flies were fed a high-sugar diet (HSD) to induce a T2DM-like phenotype, while control flies were fed on SY10 medium for up to 24 days. Experimental flies were exposed to HSD supplemented with 5 or 10 mg/ml SALF. The therapeutic and prevention effect of SALF in T2DM-like phenotype was investigated on weight, climbing activity, glucose and triglyceride contents, survival, and gene expression of PPARγ co-activator 1α fly homolog Srl and Drosophila insulin-like peptides. Methods in fly studies included Gustatory assay, Climbing assay, Glucose GOD-PAP assay, Triglyceride GPO-PAP assay, Roti-Quant®, and Real Time-PCR analysis. The ripeness stage significantly influenced SALF BCC and AA, and this was dependent on the accession. The unripe stage had the highest AA and total phenolics and flavonoids; the orange stage was rich in saponins, while the red stage had the highest alkaloid contents. Boiling and steaming increased the total phenolics and AA up to 4-fold and 3-fold, respectively. Drying at low temperatures resulted in higher phenolics and AA than the control. In the therapeutic model, the HSD-fed female flies exhibited elevated glucose levels, which exhibited a dose-dependent reduction upon exposure to a SALF-supplemented diet. Female flies fed on a SALF+ HSD exhibited a significant increase in survival compared to HSD-fed and control diet-fed flies. SALF supplementation did not alter the weights, fitness, and triglyceride levels of female flies in comparison with HSD-only-fed flies. The mRNA levels of Srl decreased in HSD-fed flies compared to the control-fed, with no effect observed in females exposed to HSD+SALF. Similarly, in the preventative model, the SALF diet resulted in higher survival of supplemented flies compared to controls. Consumption of boiled unripe SALF may result in the highest health benefits due to the high phenolic contents and antioxidant activity observed. Dietary intake of SALF significantly lowered glucose levels and increased survival of the D. melanogaster model. Additional studies in higher organisms are needed to explore the preventative and therapeutic potential of SALF in T2DM.

Keywords: antioxidant activity, bioactive compounds, bitter berries, Drosophila melanogaster, Solanum anguivi, type 2 diabetes mellitus, survival

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390 Substantiate the Effects of Reactive Dyes and Aloe Vera on the Ultra Violet Protective Properties on Cotton Woven and Knitted Fabrics

Authors: Neha Singh

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The incidence of skin cancer has been rising worldwide due to excessive exposure to sun light. Climatic changes and depletion of ozone layer allow the easy entry of UV rays on earth, resulting skin damages such as sunburn, premature skin ageing, allergies and skin cancer. Researches have suggested many modes for protection of human skin against ultraviolet radiation; avoidance to outdoor activities, using textiles for covering the skin, sunscreen and sun glasses. However, this paper gives an insight about how textile material specially woven and knitted cotton can be efficiently utilized for protecting human skin from the harmful ultraviolet radiations by combining reactive dyes with Aloe Vera. Selection of the fabric was based on their utility and suitability as per the climate condition of the country for the upper and lower garment. A standard dyeing process was used, and Aloe Vera molecules were applied by in-micro encapsulation technique. After combining vat dyes with Aloe Vera excellent UPF (Ultra violet Protective Factor) was observed. There is a significant change in the UPF of vat dyed cotton fabric after treatment with Aloe Vera.

Keywords: UV protection, aloe vera, protective clothing, reactive dyes, cotton, woven and knits

Procedia PDF Downloads 259
389 Preparation and Application of Biocompatible Nanobioactive Glass as Therapeutic Agents for Bone Tissue Engineering

Authors: P. Shrivastava, S. Vijayalakshmi, A. K. Singh, S. Dalai, R. Teotia, P. Sharma, J. Bellare

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This paper focuses on the synthesis and application of nanobioactive glass for bone regeneration studies. Nanobioactive glass has been synthesized by sol gel method having a combination of silicon, calcium and phosphorous in the molar ratio of 75:21:4. The prepared particles were analyzed for surface morphology by FEG SEM and FEG TEM. Physiochemical properties were investigated using ICP AES, FTIR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. To ascertain their use for therapeutic use, biocompatibility evaluation of the particles was done by performing soaking studies in SBF and in vitro cell culture studies on MG63 cell lines. Cell morphology was observed by FE SEM and phase contrast microscopy. Nanobioactive glasses (NBG) thus prepared were of 30-200 nm in size, which makes them suitable for nano-biomedical applications. The spherical shape of the particles imparts high surface to volume ratio, promoting fast growth of hydroxyapatite (HA), which is the mineral component of bone. As evaluated by in vitro cell culture studies the NBG was found to enhance the surface activation which enhances osteoblast adhesion. This is an essential parameter to improve bone tissue integration, thereby making nanobioactive glass therapeutically suitable for correcting bone defects.

Keywords: biocompatibility, bone tissue engineering, hydroxyapatite, nanobioactive glass

Procedia PDF Downloads 455
388 Absent Theaters: A Virtual Reconstruction from Memories

Authors: P. Castillo Muñoz, A. Lara Ramírez

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Absent Theaters is a project that virtually reconstructs three theaters that existed in the twentieth century, demolished in the city of Medellin, Colombia: Circo España, Bolívar, and Junín. Virtual reconstruction is used as an excuse to talk with those who lived in their childhood and youth cultural spaces that formed a whole generation. Around 100 people who witnessed these theaters were interviewed. The means used to perform the oral history work was the virtual reconstruction of the interior of the theaters that were presented to the interviewees through the Virtual Reality glasses. The voices of people between 60 and 103 years old were used to generate a transmission of knowledge to the new generations about the importance of theaters as essential places for the city, as spaces generating social relations and knowledge of other cultures. Oral stories about events, the historical and social context of the city, were mixed with archive images and animations of the architectural transformations of these places. Oral stories about events, the historical and social context of the city, were mixed with archive images and animations of the architectural transformations of these places, with the purpose of compiling a collective discourse around cultural activities, heritage, and memory of Medellin.

Keywords: culture, heritage, oral history, theaters, virtual reality

Procedia PDF Downloads 132
387 Preparation and Fabrication of Lithium Disilicate Glass Ceramic as Dental Crowns via Hot Pressing Method

Authors: A. Srion, W. Thepsuwan, N. Monmaturapoj

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Two Lithium disilicate (LD) glass ceramics based on SiO2-Li2O-K2O-Al2O3 system were prepared through glass melting method and then fabricated into dental crowns via hot pressing at 850˚C and 900˚C in order to study the effect of the pressing temperatures on theirs phase formation and microstructure. The factor such as heat treatment temperature (as-cast glass, 600˚C and 700˚C) of the glass ceramics used to press was also investigated the effect of an initial microstructure before pressing. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to determine phase formation and microstructure of the samples, respectively. X-ray diffraction result shows that the main crystalline structure was Li2Si2O5 by having Li3PO4, Li0.6Al0.6Si2O6, Li2SiO3, Ca5 (PO4)3F, SiO2 as minor phases. Glass compositions with different heat treatment temperatures exhibited a difference phase formation but have less effect during pressing. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed microstructure of lath-like of Li2Si2O5 in all glasses. With increasing the initial heat treatment temperature, the longer the lath-like crystals of lithium disilicate were increased especially when using glass heat treatment at 700˚C followed by pressing at 900˚C. This could be suggested that LD1 heat treatment at 700˚C which pressing at 900˚C presented the best formation by hot pressing and compiled microstructure.

Keywords: lithium disilicate, hot pressing, dental crown, microstructure

Procedia PDF Downloads 324
386 Potential of Visualization and Information Modeling on Productivity Improvement and Cost Saving: A Case Study of a Multi-Residential Construction Project

Authors: Sara Rankohi, Lloyd Waugh

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Construction sites are information saturated. Digitalization is hitting construction sites to meet the incredible demand of knowledge sharing and information documentations. From flying drones, 3D Lasers scanners, pocket mobile applications, to augmented reality glasses and smart helmet, visualization technologies help real-time information imposed straight onto construction professional’s field of vision. Although these technologies are very applicable and can have the direct impact on project cost and productivity, experience shows that only a minority of construction professionals quickly adapt themselves to benefit from them in practice. The majority of construction managers still tend to apply traditional construction management methods. This paper investigates a) current applications of visualization technologies in construction projects management, b) the direct effect of these technologies on productivity improvement and cost saving of a multi-residential building project via a case study on Mac Taggart Senior Care project located in Edmonton, Alberta. The research shows the imaged based technologies have a direct impact on improving project productivity and cost savings.

Keywords: image-based technologies, project management, cost, productivity improvement

Procedia PDF Downloads 359
385 Variation of Biologically Active Compounds and Antioxidancy in the Process of Blueberry Storage

Authors: Meri Khakhutaishvili, Indira Djaparidze, Maia Vanidze, Aleko Kalandia

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Cultivation of blueberry in Georgia started in 21st century. There are more than 20 species of blueberry cultivated in this region from all other the world. The species are mostly planted on acidic soil, previously occupied by tea plantations. Many of the plantations have pretty good yield. It is known that changing the location of a plant to a new soil or climate effects chemical compositions of the plant. However, even though these plants are brought from other countries, no research has been conducted to fully examine the blueberry fruit cultivated in Georgia. Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation Grant FR/335/10-160/14, gave us an opportunity to continue our previous works and conduct research on several berries, among them of course the chemical composition of stored Blueberry. We were able to conduct the first study that included examining qualitative and quantitative features of bioactive compounds in Georgian Blueberry. This experiments were held in the ‘West Georgia Regional Chromatography center’ (Grant AP/96/13) of our university, that is equipped with modern equipment like HPLC UV-Vis, RI-detector, HPLC-conductivity detector, UPLC-MS-detector. Biochemical analysis was conducted using different physico-chemical and instrumental methods. Separation-identification and quantitative analysis were conducted using UPLC-MS (Waters Acquity QDa detector), HPLC (Waters Brceze 1525, UV-Vis 2489 detectors), pH-meters (Mettler Toledo). Refractrometer -Misco , Spectrometer –Cuvette Changer (Mettler Toledo UV5A), C18 Cartridge Solid Phase Extraction (SPE) Waters Sep-Pak C18 (500 mg), Chemicals – stability radical- 2,2-Diphenil-1-picrilhydrazyl (Aldrich-germany), Acetonitrile, Methanol, Acetic Acid (Merck-Germany), AlCl3, Folin Ciocalteu reagent (preparation), Standarts –Callic acid, Quercetin. Carbohydrate HPLC-RI analysis used systems acetonitrile-water (80-20). UPLC-MS analysis used systems- solvent A- Water +1 % acetic acid და solvent -B Methanol +1% acetic acid). It was concluded that the amount of sugars was in range of 5-9 %, mostly glucose and fructose. Also, the amount of organic acids was 0.2-1.2% most of which was malic and citric acid. Anthocians were also present in the sample 200-550mg/100g. We were able to identify up to 15 different compounds, most of which were products of delphinidine and cyanide. All species have high antioxidant level(DPPH). By rapidly freezing the sample and then keeping it in specific conditions allowed us to keep the sample for 12 months.

Keywords: antioxidants, bioactive, blueberry, storage

Procedia PDF Downloads 211
384 Up-Scaling of Highly Transparent Quasi-Solid State Dye-Sensitized Solar Devices Composed of Nanocomposite Materials

Authors: Dimitra Sygkridou, Andreas Rapsomanikis, Elias Stathatos, Polycarpos Falaras, Evangelos Vitoratos

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At the present work highly transparent strip type quasi-solid state dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) were fabricated through inkjet printing using nanocomposite TiO2 inks as raw materials and tested under outdoor illumination conditions. The cells, which can be considered as the structural units of large area modules, were fully characterized electrically and electrochemically and after the evaluation of the received results a large area DSSC module was manufactured. The module design was a sandwich Z-interconnection where the working electrode is deposited on one conductive glass and the counter electrode on a second glass. Silver current collective fingers were printed on the conductive glasses to make the internal electrical connections and the adjacent cells were connected in series and finally insulated using a UV curing resin to protect them from the corrosive (I-/I3-) redox couple of the electrolyte. Finally, outdoor tests were carried out to the fabricated dye-sensitized solar module and its performance data were collected and assessed.

Keywords: dye-sensitized solar devices, inkjet printing, quasi-solid state electrolyte, transparency, up-scaling

Procedia PDF Downloads 336
383 Factory Virtual Environment Development for Augmented and Virtual Reality

Authors: Michal Gregor, Jiri Polcar, Petr Horejsi, Michal Simon

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Machine visualization is an area of interest with fast and progressive development. We present a method of machine visualization which will be applicable in real industrial conditions according to current needs and demands. Real factory data were obtained in a newly built research plant. Methods described in this paper were validated on a case study. Input data were processed and the virtual environment was created. The environment contains information about dimensions, structure, disposition, and function. Hardware was enhanced by modular machines, prototypes, and accessories. We added new functionalities and machines into the virtual environment. The user is able to interact with objects such as testing and cutting machines, he/she can operate and move them. Proposed design consists of an environment with two degrees of freedom of movement. Users are in touch with items in the virtual world which are embedded into the real surroundings. This paper describes the development of the virtual environment. We compared and tested various options of factory layout virtualization and visualization. We analyzed possibilities of using a 3D scanner in the layout obtaining process and we also analyzed various virtual reality hardware visualization methods such as Stereoscopic (CAVE) projection, Head Mounted Display (HMD), and augmented reality (AR) projection provided by see-through glasses.

Keywords: augmented reality, spatial scanner, virtual environment, virtual reality

Procedia PDF Downloads 405