Search results for: non-central potential

Authors: A. K. Paul, Vinod Kumar

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Lead free magnetoelectric (ME) nanoparticulate (1−x) BNT-BKT-BMgT−x CFO (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) composite films were synthesized using chemical solution deposition method. The X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscope (TEM) reveal that CFO nanoparticles were well distributed in the matrix of BNT-BKT-BMgT. The nanocomposite films exhibit both good magnetic and ferroelectric properties at room temperature (R-T). It is concluded that the modulation in compositions of piezomagnetic/piezoelectric components plays a fundamental role in the magnetoelectric coupling in these nanoparticulate composite films. These ME composites provide a great opportunity as potential lead-free systems for ME devices.

Keywords: lead free multiferroic, nanocomposite, ferroelectric, ferromagnetic and magneto-electric properties

Procedia PDF Downloads 127

Authors: Vardan Melkonyan, Arman Azizyan, Astghik Boyajyan

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Virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that uses immersive virtual environments to expose individuals to the feared stimuli or situations that trigger their phobia. VR exposure therapy has become an increasingly popular treatment for phobias, including fear of heights, public speaking, and flying, due to its ability to provide a controlled and safe environment for individuals to confront their fears while also allowing therapists to tailor the virtual exposure to the specific needs and goals of each individual. It is also a cost-effective and accessible treatment option, as it can be delivered remotely and does not require the use of drugs. Overall, VR exposure therapy has the potential to be a valuable tool for therapists in the treatment of phobias. But current methods may be improved by incorporating advanced technology such as photorealistic VR environments, tactile feedback suits, and responsive systems. The aim of this study was to identify the most effective approach for enhancing VR exposure therapy for the treatment of phobias. Photorealistic VR environments and stimuli can greatly enhance the effectiveness of VR exposure therapy for the treatment of phobias. By creating immersive, realistic virtual environments that closely mimic the real-life situations that trigger phobia responses, patients are able to more fully engage in the therapeutic process and confront their fears in a controlled and safe manner. This can help to reduce the severity of phobia symptoms and increase treatment outcomes. The use of tactile feedback suits and responsive systems can further enhance the VR exposure therapy experience by adding a physical element to the virtual environment. These suits, which can mimic the sensations of touch, pressure, and movement, allow patients to fully immerse themselves in the virtual world and feel as if they are physically present in the situation. This can help to increase the realism of the virtual environment and make it more effective in reducing phobia symptoms. Additionally, responsive systems can be used to trigger specific events or responses within the virtual environment based on the patient's actions, providing a more interactive and personalized treatment experience. A comprehensive literature review was conducted, including studies on VR exposure therapy for phobias and the use of advanced technology to enhance the therapy. Results indicate that incorporating these enhancements may significantly increase the effectiveness of VR exposure therapy for phobias. Further research is needed to fully understand the potential of these enhancements and to determine the optimal combination and implementation.

Keywords: virtual reality, mental health, phobias, fears, treatment, photorealistic, immersive, phobia

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Authors: Zipeng Zhang, Yat C. Wong, Arul Arulrajah

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Since automobiles became widely popular around the early 20th century, end-of-life tyres have been one of the major types of waste humans encounter. Every minute, there are considerable quantities of tyres being disposed of around the world. Most end-of-life tyres are simply landfilled or simply stockpiled, other than recycling. To address the potential issues caused by tyre waste, incorporating it into construction materials can be a possibility. This research investigated the viability of manufacturing bricks using mill waste and tyre crumb by alkali-activation at a relatively low temperature. The mill waste was extracted from a brick factory located in Melbourne, Australia, and the tyre crumbs were supplied by a local recycling company. As the main precursor, the mill waste was activated by the alkaline solution, which was comprised of sodium hydroxide (8m) and sodium silicate (liquid). The introduction ratio of alkaline solution (relative to the solid weight) and the weight ratio between sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate was fixed at 20 wt.% and 1:1, respectively. The tyre crumb was introduced to substitute part of the mill waste at four ratios by weight, namely 0, 5, 10 and 15%. The mixture of mill waste and tyre crumbs were firstly dry-mixed for 2 min to ensure the homogeneity, followed by a 2.5-min wet mixing after adding the solution. The ready mixture subsequently was press-moulded into blocks with the size of 109 mm in length, 112.5 mm in width and 76 mm in height. The blocks were cured at 50°C with 95% relative humidity for 2 days, followed by a 110°C oven-curing for 1 day. All the samples were then placed under the ambient environment until the age of 7 and 28 days for testing. A series of tests were conducted to evaluate the linear shrinkage, compressive strength and water absorption of the samples. In addition, the microstructure of the samples was examined via the scanning electron microscope (SEM) test. The results showed the highest compressive strength was 17.6 MPa, found in the 28-day-old group using 5 wt.% tyre crumbs. Such strength has been able to satisfy the requirement of ASTM C67. However, the increasing addition of tyre crumb weakened the compressive strength of samples. Apart from the strength, the linear shrinkage and water absorption of all the groups can meet the requirements of the standard. It is worth noting that the use of tyre crumbs tended to decrease the shrinkage and even caused expansion when the tyre content was over 15 wt.%. The research also found that there was a significant reduction in compressive strength for the samples after water absorption tests. In conclusion, the tyre crumbs have the potential to be used as a filler material in brick manufacturing, but more research needs to be done to tackle the durability problem in the future.

Keywords: bricks, mill waste, tyre crumbs, waste recycling

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Authors: M. Khouil, N. Saber, M. Mestari

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This study aimed to propose, a different architecture of a Path Planning using the NECMOP. where several nonlinear objective functions must be optimized in a conflicting situation. The ability to detect and avoid collision is very important for mobile intelligent machines. However, many artificial vision systems are not yet able to quickly and cheaply extract the wealth information. This network, which has been particularly reviewed, has enabled us to solve with a new approach the problem of collision detection between two convex polyhedra in a fixed time (O (1) time). We used two types of neurons linear and threshold logic, which simplified the actual implementation of all the networks proposed. This article represents a comprehensive algorithm that determine through the AMAXNET network a measure (a mini-maximum point) in a fixed time, which allows us to detect the presence of a potential collision.

Keywords: path planning, collision detection, convex polyhedron, neural network

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Authors: Yalçın Kılıç, İbrahim Kani

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In recent years, interest in the synthesis of coordination compounds has greatly increased due to various application areas (such as catalysis, gas storage, luminescence). Dicarboxylic acids are often used in the synthesis of metal complexes. Bis-thiosalicylate derivative ligands contribute to the synthesis of structures of crystal engineering interest, as they can have both rigid and flexible properties. In addition, these ligands have great potential in terms of catalytic applications with the sulfur and oxygen donor atoms in their structures. In this study, we synthesized a Cu(II) complex [Cu(tsaxyl)(phen)2]•CH3OH (where tsaxyl = 2,2'-(1,2-phylenebis(methylene))bis(sulfanedyl)dibenzoate, phen = 1,10-phenantroline) and characterized through X-ray crystallography. The catalytic activities of Cu(II) complex on oxidation of ethylbenzene, cyclohexane, diphenylmethane, p-xylene were performed in acetonitrile with t-BuOOH as the source of oxygen.

Keywords: complex, crystallography, catalysis, oxidation

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Authors: Yiqiang Ni, Xuanlong Chen, Enliang Li, Linting Zheng, Shizheng Yang

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Bipolar ICs are playing an important role in military applications, mainly used in logic gates, such as inverter and NAND gate. The defect of metal break located on the step is one of the main failure mechanisms of bipolar ICs, resulting in open-circuit or functional failure. In this situation, general failure localization methods like optical beam-induced resistance change (OBIRCH) and photon emission microscopy (PEM) might not be fully effective. However, active voltage contrast (AVC) can be used as a voltage probe, which may pinpoint the incorrect potential and thus locate the failure position. Two case studies will be present in this paper on how to implement AVC for failure localization, and the detailed failure mechanism will be discussed.

Keywords: bipolar IC, failure localization, metal break, open failure, voltage contrast

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Authors: Mohammad Afzal Khan, Fatimah Alanazi, Hala Abdalrahman Ahmed, Talal Shamma, Kilian Kelly, Mohammed A. Hammad, Abdullah O. Alawad, Abdullah Mohammed Assiri, Dieter Clemens Broering

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Lung transplantation is a life-saving surgical replacement of diseased lungs in patients with end-stage respiratory malfunctions. Despite the remarkable short-term recovery, long-term lung survival continues to face several significant challenges, including chronic rejection and severe toxic side-effects due to global immunosuppression. Stem cell-based immunotherapy has been recognized as a crucial immunoregulatory regimen in various preclinical and clinical studies. Despite initial therapeutic outcomes, conventional stem cells face key limitations. The Cymerus™ manufacturing facilitates the production of a virtually limitless supply of consistent human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived mesenchymal stem cells, which could play a key role in selective immunosuppression and graft repair during rejection. Here, we demonstrated the impact of iPSC-derived human MSCs on the development of immune-tolerance and long-term graft survival in mouse orthotopic airway allografts. BALB/c→C57BL/6 allografts were reconstituted with iPSC-derived MSCs (2 million/transplant/ at d0), and allografts were examined for regulatory T cells (Tregs), oxygenation, microvascular blood flow, airway epithelium and collagen deposition during rejection. We demonstrated that iPSC-derived MSC treatment leads to significant increase in tissue expression of hTSG-6 protein, followed by an upregulation of mouse Tregs and IL-5, IL-10, IL-15 cytokines, which augments graft microvascular blood flow and oxygenation, and thereby maintained a healthy airway epithelium and prevented the subepithelial deposition of collagen at d90 post-transplantation. Collectively, these data confirmed that iPSC-derived MSC-mediated immunosuppression has potential to establish immune-tolerance and rescue allograft from sustained hypoxic/ischemic phase and subsequently limits long-term airway epithelial injury and collagen progression, which therapeutically warrant a study of Cymerus iPSC-derived MSCs as a potential management option for immunosuppression in transplant recipients.

Keywords: stem cell therapy, immunotolerance, regulatory T cells, hypoxia and ischemia, microvasculature

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Authors: Yechan Kim, Bonhyuk Ku, Minkyung Jung, Hyoungku Kang

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This study presents the remanufacturing of a 25kV gas insulated switchgear (GIS) that operated indoors for 27 years before being decommissioned due to aging. The research involved a detailed process of dismantling, visual inspection, component-wise examination, and various testing methodologies to assess the equipment's condition. The focus was on evaluating the GIS's integrity and feasibility for remanufacturing. The results highlight the potential of remanufacturing in extending the life of electrical power equipment, offering insights into the best practices, challenges, and technical considerations of such an undertaking. This contributes to a sustainable approach in the power industry, emphasizing the reuse and restoration of aging equipment.

Keywords: remanufacturing, dismantling, gas insulated switchgear, sustainability, life extension

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Authors: Alshehri Sultan

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Organizational change has remained an important subject for many researchers in the field of organizations theory. We propose the importance of organizational liability of renewal through a model that examines how an organization can overcome potential rigidities in organizational capabilities from learning by changing capabilities. We examine whether an established organization can overcome liability of renewal by changes in organizational capabilities and how the organizational renewal process reflect on the balance between the dynamic aspect of organizational learning as demonstrated by changes in capabilities and the stabilizing aspects of organizational inertia. We found both positive relationship between organizational learning and performance, and between legitimacy and performance. Performance and legitimacy have, however, a negative relationship on the pressure for change.

Keywords: organizational capabilities, organizational liability, liability of renewal, pressure for change

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Authors: Seok Woo Chang, Kee Yeon Kum, Kwang Shik Bae, WooCheol Lee

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Aim: The objective of this study was to compare the biocompatibilities and mineralization potential of ProRoot MTA and newly developed calcium phosphate based cement, Capseal. Materials and Methods: The biocompatibilities and mineralization-related gene expressions (Bone sialoprotein (BSP) and osteocalcin (OCN)) of ProRoot MTA and Capseal were also compared by a methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) assay and reverse transcription-polymerization chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis on 1, 3, and 7 days, respectively. Empty rings were used as control group. The results were statistically analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test with a Bonferroni correction. P-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The biocompatibilities of ProRoot MTA and Capseal were equally favorable. ProRoot MTA and Capseal affected the messenger RNA expression of osteocalcin and osteonectin. Conclusions: Based on the results, both ProRoot MTA and Capseal could be a useful biomaterial in clinical endodontics.

Keywords: biocompatibility, calcium silicate cement, MTT, RT-PCR

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Authors: Nothando Gwazani, K. R. Marembo

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An increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) from fossil fuel and land use change necessitates identification of strategies for mitigating threats associated with global warming. Oceans are insufficient to offset the accelerating rate of carbon emission. However, the challenges of oceans as a source of reducing carbon footprint can be effectively overcome by the storage of carbon in terrestrial carbon sinks. The gases with special optical properties that are responsible for climate warming include carbon dioxide (CO₂), water vapors, methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), nitrogen oxides (NOₓ), stratospheric ozone (O₃), carbon monoxide (CO) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s). Amongst these, CO₂ plays a crucial role as it contributes to 50% of the total greenhouse effect and has been linked to climate change. Because plants act as carbon sinks, interest in terrestrial carbon sequestration has increased in an effort to explore opportunities for climate change mitigation. Removal of carbon from the atmosphere is a topical issue that addresses one important aspect of an overall strategy for carbon management namely to help mitigate the increasing emissions of CO₂. Thus, terrestrial ecosystems have gained importance for their potential to sequester carbon and reduce carbon sink in oceans, which have a substantial impact on the ocean species. Field data and electromagnetic spectrum bands were analyzed using ArcGIS 10.2, QGIS 2.8 and ERDAS IMAGINE 2015 to examine the vegetation distribution. Satellite remote sensing data coupled with Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was employed to assess future potential changes in vegetation distributions in Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The observed 5-year interval analysis examines the amount of carbon absorbed using vegetation distribution. In 2015, the numerical results showed low vegetation distribution, therefore increased the acidity of the oceans and gravely affected fish species and corals. The outcomes suggest that the study area could be effectively utilized for carbon sequestration so as to mitigate ocean acidification. The vegetation changes measured through this investigation suggest an environmental shift and reduced vegetation carbon sink, and that threatens biodiversity and ecosystem. In order to sustain the amount of carbon in the terrestrial ecosystems, the identified ecological factors should be enhanced through the application of good land and forest management practices. This will increase the carbon stock of terrestrial ecosystems thereby reducing direct loss to the atmosphere.

Keywords: remote sensing, vegetation dynamics, carbon sequestration, terrestrial carbon sink

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Authors: Senol Dogan, Gunay Karli

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Identification of relevant publications based on a Medline query is time-consuming and error-prone. An all based process has the potential to solve this problem without any manual work. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to investigate the ability of machine learning to identify relevant articles accurately. 5 different machine learning algorithms were tested using 23 predictors based on several metadata fields attached to publications. We find that the Boosted model is the best-performing algorithm and its overall accuracy is 96%. In addition, specificity and sensitivity of the algorithm is 97 and 93%, respectively. As a result of the work, we understood that we can apply the same procedure to understand cancer gene expression big data.

Keywords: prediction of publications, machine learning, algorithms, bariatric surgery, comparison of algorithms, boosted, tree, logistic regression, ANN model

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Authors: Aliyu Mohammed Lawal, Dahiru Ya'u Gital

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The problems placed on the environment as a result of energy generation and usage in Nigeria are: Potential damage to the environment health by Co, Co2, Sox and Nox effluent gas emissions and global warming. For instance in the year 2004 in Nigeria energy consumption was 58% oil and 34% natural gas but about 94 million metric tons of Co2 was emitted out of which 64% came from fossil fuels while about 35% came from fuel wood. The findings from this research on how to alleviate these problems are that long term sustainable development solutions should be enhanced globally; energy should be used more rationally renewable energy resources should be exploited and the existing emissions should be controlled to tolerate limits because the increase in energy demand in Nigeria places enormous strain on current energy facilities.

Keywords: energy generation, environmental health, effluent gas emission, global warming, fossil fuel

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Authors: Saahith M. S., Sivakami R.

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In the realm of football analytics, particularly focusing on predicting football player performance, the ability to forecast player success accurately is of paramount importance for teams, managers, and fans. This study introduces an elaborate examination of predicting football player performance through the integration of data visualization methods and machine learning algorithms. The research entails the compilation of an extensive dataset comprising player attributes, conducting data preprocessing, feature selection, model selection, and model training to construct predictive models. The analysis within this study will involve delving into feature significance using methodologies like Select Best and Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) to pinpoint pertinent attributes for predicting player performance. Various machine learning algorithms, including Random Forest, Decision Tree, Linear Regression, Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), will be explored to develop predictive models. The evaluation of each model's performance utilizing metrics such as Mean Squared Error (MSE) and R-squared will be executed to gauge their efficacy in predicting player performance. Furthermore, this investigation will encompass a top player analysis to recognize the top-performing players based on the anticipated overall performance scores. Nationality analysis will entail scrutinizing the player distribution based on nationality and investigating potential correlations between nationality and player performance. Positional analysis will concentrate on examining the player distribution across various positions and assessing the average performance of players in each position. Age analysis will evaluate the influence of age on player performance and identify any discernible trends or patterns associated with player age groups. The primary objective is to predict a football player's overall performance accurately based on their individual attributes, leveraging data-driven insights to enrich the comprehension of player success on the field. By amalgamating data visualization and machine learning methodologies, the aim is to furnish valuable tools for teams, managers, and fans to effectively analyze and forecast player performance. This research contributes to the progression of sports analytics by showcasing the potential of machine learning in predicting football player performance and offering actionable insights for diverse stakeholders in the football industry.

Keywords: football analytics, player performance prediction, data visualization, machine learning algorithms, random forest, decision tree, linear regression, support vector regression, artificial neural networks, model evaluation, top player analysis, nationality analysis, positional analysis

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Authors: Dnyandip K. Bhamare, Manish K Rathod, Jyotirmay Banerjee

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This paper aims to study performance of a thermosiphon solar water heating system with the help of the proposed analytical model. This proposed model predicts the temperature and mass flow rate in a thermosiphon solar water heating system depending on radiation intensity and ambient temperature. The performance of the thermosiphon solar water heating system is evaluated in the Indian context. For this, eight cities in India are selected considering radiation intensity and geographical positions. Predicted performance at various cities reveals the potential for thermosiphon solar water in India.

Keywords: solar water heater, collector outlet temperature, thermosyphon, India

Procedia PDF Downloads 259

Authors: Johannes Günther

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Time Sensitive Networking (TSN), standardized in the IEEE 802.1 standard, has been lent increasing attention in the context of mission critical systems. Such mission critical systems, e.g., in the automotive domain, aviation, industrial, and smart factory domain, are responsible for coordinating complex functionalities in real time. In many of these contexts, a reliable data exchange fulfilling hard time constraints and quality of service (QoS) conditions is of critical importance. TSN standards are able to provide guarantees for deterministic communication behaviour, which is in contrast to common best-effort approaches. Therefore, the superior QoS guarantees of TSN may aid in the development of new technologies, which rely on low latencies and specific bandwidth demands being fulfilled. TSN extends existing Ethernet protocols with numerous standards, providing means for synchronization, management, and overall real-time focussed capabilities. These additional QoS guarantees, as well as management mechanisms, lead to an increased attack surface for potential malicious attackers. As TSN guarantees certain deadlines for priority traffic, an attacker may degrade the QoS by delaying a packet beyond its deadline or even execute a denial of service (DoS) attack if the delays lead to packets being dropped. However, thus far, security concerns have not played a major role in the design of such standards. Thus, while TSN does provide valuable additional characteristics to existing common Ethernet protocols, it leads to new attack vectors on networks and allows for a range of potential attacks. One answer to these security risks is to deploy defense mechanisms according to a moving target defense (MTD) strategy. The core idea relies on the reduction of the attackers' knowledge about the network. Typically, mission-critical systems suffer from an asymmetric disadvantage. DoS or QoS-degradation attacks may be preceded by long periods of reconnaissance, during which the attacker may learn about the network topology, its characteristics, traffic patterns, priorities, bandwidth demands, periodic characteristics on links and switches, and so on. Here, we implemented and tested several MTD-like defense strategies against different attacker models of varying capabilities and budgets, as well as collaborative attacks of multiple attackers within a network, all within the context of TSN networks. We modelled the networks and tested our defense strategies on an OMNET++ testbench, with networks of different sizes and topologies, ranging from a couple dozen hosts and switches to significantly larger set-ups.

Keywords: network security, time sensitive networking, moving target defense, cyber security

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Authors: Ali Zaker, Zhi Chen

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Due to the concerns about the depletion of fossil fuel sources and the deteriorating environment, the attempt to investigate the production of renewable energy will play a crucial role as a potential to alleviate the dependency on mineral fuels. One particular area of interest is the generation of bio-oil through sewage sludge (SS) pyrolysis. SS can be a potential candidate in contrast to other types of biomasses due to its availability and low cost. However, the presence of high molecular weight hydrocarbons and oxygenated compounds in the SS bio-oil hinders some of its fuel applications. In this context, catalytic pyrolysis is another attainable route to upgrade bio-oil quality. Among different catalysts (i.e., zeolites) studied for SS pyrolysis, activated chars (AC) are eco-friendly alternatives. The beneficial features of AC derived from SS comprise the comparatively large surface area, porosity, enriched surface functional groups, and presence of a high amount of metal species that can improve the catalytic activity. Hence, a sludge-based AC catalyst was fabricated in a single-step pyrolysis reaction with NaOH as the activation agent and was compared with HZSM5 zeolite in this study. The thermal decomposition and kinetics were invested via thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) for guidance and control of pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis and the design of the pyrolysis setup. The results indicated that the pyrolysis and catalytic pyrolysis contains four obvious stages, and the main decomposition reaction occurred in the range of 200-600°C. The Coats-Redfern method was applied in the 2nd and 3rd devolatilization stages to estimate the reaction order and activation energy (E) from the mass loss data. The average activation energy (Em) values for the reaction orders n = 1, 2, and 3 were in the range of 6.67-20.37 kJ for SS; 1.51-6.87 kJ for HZSM5; and 2.29-9.17 kJ for AC, respectively. According to the results, AC and HZSM5 both were able to improve the reaction rate of SS pyrolysis by abridging the Em value. Moreover, to generate and examine the effect of the catalysts on the quality of bio-oil, a fixed-bed pyrolysis system was designed and implemented. The composition analysis of the produced bio-oil was carried out via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The selected SS to catalyst ratios were 1:1, 2:1, and 4:1. The optimum ratio in terms of cracking the long-chain hydrocarbons and removing oxygen-containing compounds was 1:1 for both catalysts. The upgraded bio-oils with AC and HZSM5 were in the total range of C4-C17, with around 72% in the range of C4-C9. The bio-oil from pyrolysis of SS contained 49.27% oxygenated compounds, while with the presence of AC and HZSM5 dropped to 13.02% and 7.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, the generation of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) compounds was significantly improved in the catalytic process. Furthermore, the fabricated AC catalyst was characterized by BET, SEM-EDX, FT-IR, and TGA techniques. Overall, this research demonstrated AC is an efficient catalyst in the pyrolysis of SS and can be used as a cost-competitive catalyst in contrast to HZSM5.

Keywords: catalytic pyrolysis, sewage sludge, activated char, HZSM5, bio-oil

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Authors: Aidoud Assia, Bencheikh Messaouda, Boukour Salima

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Polystyrene is often seen in the ocean and on Algerian beaches, mainly as food containers. It's one of the top 10 most common items found there. This happens because it's light and easily carried away from its original source, like packaging or transport, into the environment. Unfortunately, it's not recycled much because it's not very profitable to do so. Hence, turning this waste into a resource can turn challenges into opportunities for a territory's economic and environmental development, which is the focus of this study. the goal is to analyze the physical and mechanical properties of a new type of mortar made from dune sand mixed with recycled polystyrene. it also aim to assess its potential for use in various construction applications. The mixtures were prepared by replacing portions of dune sand with polystyrene waste at varying volumes (10%, 20%, and 30%), while keeping the amount of cement constant. The results indicate a noticeable impact on both the physical and mechanical properties because of incorporating polystyrene waste.

Keywords: polystyrène, eco-mortier, sable de dune, résistance

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Authors: Solotan A. Tolulope

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Due to the lack of application of laws, implementers' acquaintance with the principles of urban planning, or the absence of laws and the governmental role, cities and their urban growth developed more than the fundamental designs and plans. This has led to a lack of foundations and criteria for achieving a life that provides the needs of sufficient housing in urban planning. In this study, we attempted to use cutting-edge innovations and technology to manage and resolve issues while collaborating with planning cadres that have the potential to significantly and favorably impact urban development. This helps to enhance management's function and the effectiveness of urban planning and management. To fulfill the needs of the community and the neighborhoods of these cities, modern approaches and technologies are used, addressing the criteria of sustainability and development. To put the notion of urban sustainability and development into action, this has been researched using global experiences.

Keywords: application, modern, technologies, urban, development

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Authors: Nour-Elhouda Lecheheb

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Destination image is one of the main factors that influence potential visitors' decision choice. This study aims to explore the pre-visit perception of prior British tourists and compare them to the actual projected images of the Algerian tourism suppliers. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with both prior British tourists to Algeria and the Algerian tourism suppliers in 2019. The findings of this study suggest how the Algerian tourism suppliers might benefit from understanding the perceived image of prior tourists to match tourists' expectations and better plan their projected images.

Keywords: Algeria, destination choice, destination image, perceived image, projected image

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Authors: Merih Welay Welesilassie, Marianne Nikolov

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Research into second and foreign language (L2) acquisitions has demonstrated that L2 anxiety, perceived proficiency, and L2 willingness to communicate (L2WTC) profoundly impact language learning outcomes. However, the complex interplay between these variables has yet to be fully explored, as these factors are dynamic and context-specific and can vary across different learners and learning environments. This study, therefore, utilized a cross-sectional quantitative survey research design to scrutinise the causal relationships between L2 anxiety, English proficiency, and L2WTC of 609 Ethiopian preparatory school students. The model for the L2WTC, both inside and outside the classroom, has been expanded to include an additional sub-scale known as the L2WTC in a digital setting. Moreover, in contrast to the commonly recognised debilitative-focused L2 anxiety, the construct of L2 anxiety has been divided into facilitative and debilitative anxiety. This method allows to measure not only the presence or absence of anxiety but also evaluate if anxiety helps or hinders the L2 learning experience. A self-assessment proficiency measure was also developed specifically for Ethiopian high school students. The study treated facilitative and debilitative anxiety as independent variables while considering self-assessed English proficiency and L2WTC in the classroom, outside the classroom, and in digital settings as dependent variables. Additionally, self-assessed English proficiency was used as an independent variable to predict L2WTC in these three settings. The proposed model, including these variables, was tested using structural equation modelling (SEM). According to the descriptive analysis, the mean scores of L2WTC in the three settings were generally low, ranging from 2.30 to 2.84. Debilitative anxiety casts a shadow on the positive aspects of anxiety. Self-assessed English proficiency was also too low. According to SEM, debilitative anxiety displayed a statistically significant negative impact on L2WTC inside the classroom, outside the classroom, in digital settings, and in self-assessed levels of English proficiency. In contrast, facilitative anxiety was found to positively contribute to L2WTC outside the classroom, in digital settings, and in self-assessed English proficiency. Self-assessed English proficiency made a statistically significant and positive contribution to L2WTC within the classroom, outside the classroom, and in digital contexts. L2WTC inside the classroom was found to positively contribute to L2WTC outside the classrooms and in digital contexts. The findings were systematically compared with existing studies, and the pedagogical implications, limitations, and potential avenues for future research were elucidated. The outcomes of the study have the potential to significantly contribute to the advancement of theoretical and empirical knowledge about improving English education, learning, and communication not only in Ethiopia but also in similar EFL contexts, thereby providing valuable insights for educators, researchers, and policymakers.

Keywords: debilitative anxiety, facilitative anxiety, L2 willingness to communicate, self-assessed English proficiency

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Authors: Juliana A. Knocikova, Yann Bouret, Médéric Argentina, Laurent Counillon

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Cell volume, together with membrane potential and intracellular hydrogen ion concentration, is an essential biophysical parameter for normal cellular activity. Cell volumes can be altered by osmotically active compounds and extracellular tonicity. In this study, a simple mathematical model of osmotically induced cell swelling and shrinking is presented. Emphasis is given to water diffusion across the membrane. The mathematical description of the cellular behavior consists in a system of coupled ordinary differential equations. We compare experimental data of cell volume alterations driven by differences in osmotic pressure with mathematical simulations under hypotonic and hypertonic conditions. Implications for a future model are also discussed.

Keywords: eukaryotic cell, mathematical modeling, osmosis, volume alterations

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Authors: Zawawi Daud

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Agro waste can be defined as waste from agricultural plant. Oil palm leaf and corn stalk can be categorized as ago waste material. At first, the comparison between oil palm leaf and corn stalk by mechanical properties from soda pulping process. After that, focusing on surface characterization by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Both material have a potential due to mechanical properties (tensile, tear, burst and fold) and surface characterization but corn stalk shows more in strength and compactness due to fiber characterization compared to oil palm leaf. This study promoting the green technology in develop a friendly product and suitable to be used as an alternative pulp in paper making industry.

Keywords: fiber, oil palm leaf, corn stalk, green technology

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Authors: Qiang Wang, Hongyang Yu, MingRong Lai, Miao Luo

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This paper presents a method for accurately localizing and interacting with known surface defects by overlaying patterns onto real-world surfaces using a projection system. Given the world coordinates of the defects, we project corresponding patterns onto the surfaces, providing an intuitive visualization of the specific defect locations. To enable users to interact with and retrieve more information about individual defects, we implement a gesture recognition system based on a pruned and optimized version of YOLOv6. This lightweight model achieves an accuracy of 82.8% and is suitable for deployment on low-performance devices. Our approach demonstrates the potential for enhancing defect identification, inspection processes, and user interaction in various applications.

Keywords: defect localization, projection mapping, gesture recognition, YOLOv6

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Authors: Varsha Tol, Laila Garda, Neelam Bhardwaj, Malata Usar

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In India, differently- abled girls suffer from a “dual stigma” of being female and physically challenged. The general consensus is that they are incapable of standing on their own two feet. It was observed that these girls do not have access to educational programs as most hostels do not keep them after the tenth grade. They are forced to return to a life of poverty and are often considered a liability by their families. Higher education is completely ignored. Parents focus on finding a husband and passing on their ‘burden’ to someone else. An innovative, intervention for differently-abled adolescent girls with the express purpose of mainstreaming them into society was started by Helplife. The objective was to enrich the lives of these differently abled adolescent girls through precise research, focused intervention and professionalism. This programme addresses physical, mental and social rehabilitation of the girls who come from impoverished backgrounds. These adolescents are reached by word of mouth, snowball technique and through the network of the NGO. Applications are invited from potential candidates which are scrutinized by a panel of experts. Selection criteria include her disability, socio-economic status, and desire and drive to make a difference in her own life. The six main areas of intervention are accommodation, education, health, professional courses, counseling and recreational activities. Each girl on an average resides in Helplife for a period of 2-3 years. Analysis of qualitative data collected at various time points indicates holistic development of character. A quality of life questionnaire showed a significant improvement in scores at three different time points in 75% of the current population under intervention i.e. 19 girls. Till date, 25 girls have successfully passed out from the intervention program completing their graduation/post-graduation. Currently, we have 19 differently abled girls housed in three flats in Pune district of Maharashtra. Out of which 14 girls are pursuing their graduation or post-graduation. Six of the girls are working in jobs in various sectors. In conclusion it may be noted with adequate support and guidance the sky is the limit. This journey of 12 years has been a learning for us with ups and downs modifying the intervention at every step. Helplife has a belief of impacting positively, individual lives of differently abled girls in order to empower them in a holistic manner. The intervention has a positive impact on differently abled girls. They serve as role models to other differently abled girls indicating that this is a road map to success by getting empowered to live with full potential and get integrated in the society in a dignified way.

Keywords: differently-abled, dual-stigma, empowerment, youth

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Authors: Sepideh Mirzaee

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Gender-transformative (G-TE) education is a challenging concept in the field of education and it is a matter of hot debate in the contemporary world. Paulo Freire as the prominent advocate of transformative education considers it as an alternative to conventional banking model of education. Besides, a more inclusive concept has been introduced, namely, G-TE, as an unbiased education fostering an environment of gender justice. As its main tenet, G-TE eliminates obstacles to education and improves social shifts. A plethora of contemporary research indicates that G-TE could completely revolutionize education systems by displacing inequalities and changing gender stereotypes. Despite significant progress in female education and its effects on gender equality in Iran, challenges persist. There are some deficiencies regarding gender disparities in the society and, education, specifically. As an example, the number of women with university degrees is on the rise; thus, there will be an increasing demand for employment in the society by them. Instead, many job opportunities remain occupied by men and it is seen as intolerable for the society to assign such occupations to women. In fact, Iran is regarded as a patriarchal society where educational contexts can play a critical role to assign gender ideology to its learners. Thus, such gender ideologies in the education can become the prevailing ideologies in the entire society. Therefore, improving education in this regard, can lead to a significant change in a society subsequently influencing the status of women not only within their own country but also on a global scale. Notably, higher education plays a vital role in this empowerment and social change. Particularly higher education can have a crucial part in imparting gender neutral ideologies to its learners and bringing about substantial change. It has the potential to alleviate the detrimental effects of gender inequalities. Therefore, this study aims to conceptualize the pivotal role of G-TE and its potential power in developing gender equality within the higher educational system of Iran presented within a theoretical framework. The study emphasizes the necessity of stablishing a theoretical grounding for citizenship, and transformative education while distinguishing gender related issues including gender equality, equity and parity. This theoretical foundation will shed lights on the decisions made by policy-makers, syllabus designers, material developers, and specifically professors and students. By doing so, they will be able to promote and implement gender equality recognizing the determinants, obstacles, and consequences of sustaining gender-transformative approaches in their classes within the Iranian higher education system. The expected outcomes include the eradication of gender inequality, transformation of gender stereotypes and provision of equal opportunities for both males and females in education.

Keywords: citizenship education, gender inequality, higher education, patriarchal society, transformative education

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Authors: C. Recchia, M. Bourel, B. Recchia

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Microorganisms (viruses, bacteria, fungi) are responsible for most communicable diseases, threatening human health. For domestic use, chemical agents are often criticized because of their potential dangerousness, and natural solutions are needed. Application of the “dry microfine steam” (DMS) technology was tested on a selection of common pathogens (SARS-CoV-2, enterovirus EV-71, human coronavirus 229E, E. coli, S. aureus, C. albicans), on different innate surfaces, for 5 to 10 seconds. Quantification of the remaining pathogens was performed, and the reduction rates ranged from 99.8% (S. aureus on plastic) to over 99.999%. DMS showed high efficacy in the elimination of common microorganisms and could be seen as a natural alternative to chemical agents to improve domestic hygiene.

Keywords: steam, SARS-CoV-2, bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, sterilization

Procedia PDF Downloads 163

Authors: Rajkumar Ghosh

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Fluoride contamination in water and its subsequent impact on agricultural practices is a growing concern in various regions worldwide, including North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. This study aimed to investigate the extent of fluoride contamination in the region's water sources and evaluate its effects on crop production and quality. A comprehensive survey of water sources, including wells, ponds, and rivers, was conducted to assess the fluoride levels in North 24 Parganas. Water samples were collected and analyzed using standard methods, and the fluoride concentration was determined. The findings revealed significant fluoride contamination in the water sources, surpassing the permissible limits recommended by national and international standards. To assess the effects of fluoride contamination on crops, field experiments were carried out in selected agricultural areas. Various crops commonly cultivated in the region, such as paddy, wheat, vegetables, and fruits, were examined for their growth, yield, and nutritional quality parameters. Additionally, soil samples were collected from the study sites to analyse the fluoride levels and their potential impact on soil health. The results demonstrated the adverse effects of fluoride contamination on crop growth and yield. Reduced plant height, stunted root development, decreased biomass accumulation, and diminished crop productivity were observed in fluoride-affected areas compared to uncontaminated control sites. Furthermore, the nutritional composition of crops, including micronutrients and mineral content, was significantly altered under high fluoride exposure, leading to potential health risks for consumers. The study also assessed the impact of fluoride on soil quality and found a negative correlation between fluoride concentration and soil health indicators, such as pH, organic matter content, and nutrient availability. These findings emphasize the need for sustainable soil management practices to mitigate the harmful effects of fluoride contamination and maintain agricultural productivity. Overall, this study highlights the alarming issue of fluoride contamination in water sources and its detrimental effects on crop production and quality in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India. The findings underscore the urgency for implementing appropriate water treatment measures, promoting awareness among farmers and local communities, and adopting sustainable agricultural practices to mitigate fluoride contamination and safeguard the region's agricultural ecosystem.

Keywords: agricultural ecosystem, water treatment, sustainable agricultural, fluoride contamination

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Authors: Mike Wei, Mario Cedillo, Jiahui Lin, Carol Lorraine Storey-Johnson, Carla Boutin-Foster

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Purpose: The extent to which health insurance enrollment succeeds under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) rests heavily on the ability to reach the uninsured and motivate them to enroll. We sought to identify perceptions about the ACA among uninsured patients at a free clinic in New York City. Background: The ACA holds tremendous promise for reducing the number of uninsured Americans. As of April 2014, nearly 8 million people had signed up for health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Despite this early success, future and continued enrollment rests heavily on the degree of public awareness. Reaching eligible individuals and increasing their awareness and understanding remains a fundamental challenge to realizing the full potential of the ACA. Reaching out to uninsured patients who are seeking care through safety net facilities such as free clinics may provide important avenues for reaching potential enrollees. This project focuses on the experience at the free clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College, the Weill Cornell Community Clinic (WCCC), and seeks to understand perceptions about the ACA among its patient population. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of all patients who visited the free clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College, the Weill Cornell Community Clinic, from July 2013 to May 2014. Patients who provided informed consent at their visit and completed a semi-structured questionnaire were included (N=62). The questionnaire comprised of questions about demographic characteristics and open-ended questions about their knowledge and perception of the impact of the ACA. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the population demographics. Qualitative coding techniques were used for open-ended items. Results: Approximately one third of patients surveyed never had health insurance. Of the remaining 65%, 20% lost their insurance within the past year. Only 55% had heard about the ACA, and only 10% knew about the Health Benefits Exchange. Of those who had heard about the ACA, sentiments were tinged with optimistic misperceptions, such as “it will be free health care for all.” While optimistic, most of the responses focused on the economic implications of the ACA. Conclusions: These findings reveal the immense amount of misconception and lack of understanding with regards to the ACA. As such, the study highlights the need to educate and address the concerns of those who remain skeptical or uncertain about the implications of the ACA.

Keywords: Affordable Care Act, demographics, free clinics, underserved.

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Authors: D. Y. Fong, C. Y. Kuo, Y. T. Chiang, W. C. Lin

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Objectives: Qigong is an ancient Chinese practice in pursuit of a healthier body and a more peaceful mindset. It emphasizes on the restoration of vital energy (Qi) in body, mind, and spirit. The practice is the combination of gentle movements and mild breathing which help the doers reach the condition of tranquility. On account of the features of Qigong, first, we use cross-sectional methodology to compare the differences among the varied levels of Qigong practitioners on cognitive function with event-related potential (ERP) and electroencephalography (EEG). Second, we use the longitudinal methodology to explore the effects on the Qigong trainees for pretest and posttest on ERP and EEG. Current study adopts Attentional Network Test (ANT) task to examine the participants’ cognitive function, and aging-related researches demonstrated a declined tread on the cognition in older adults and exercise might ameliorate the deterioration. Qigong exercise integrates physical posture (muscle strength), breathing technique (aerobic ability) and focused intention (attention) that researchers hypothesize it might improve the cognitive function in aging adults. Method: Sixty participants were involved in this study, including 20 young adults (21.65±2.41 y) with normal physical activity (YA), 20 Qigong experts (60.69 ± 12.42 y) with over 7 years Qigong practice experience (QE), and 20 normal and healthy adults (52.90±12.37 y) with no Qigong practice experience as experimental group (EG). The EG participants took Qigong classes 2 times a week and 2 hours per time for 24 weeks with the purpose of examining the effect of Qigong intervention on cognitive function. ANT tasks (alert network, orient network, and executive control) were adopted to evaluate participants’ cognitive function via ERP’s P300 components and P300 amplitude topography. Results: Behavioral data: 1.The reaction time (RT) of YA is faster than the other two groups, and EG was faster than QE in the cue and flanker conditions of ANT task. 2. The RT of posttest was faster than pretest in EG in the cue and flanker conditions. 3. No difference among the three groups on orient, alert, and execute control networks. ERP data: 1. P300 amplitude detection in QE was larger than EG at Fz electrode in orient, alert, and execute control networks. 2. P300 amplitude in EG was larger at pretest than posttest on the orient network. 3. P300 Latency revealed no difference among the three groups in the three networks. Conclusion: Taken together these findings, they provide neuro-electrical evidence that older adults involved in Qigong practice may develop a more overall compensatory mechanism and also benefit the performance of behavior.

Keywords: Qigong, cognitive function, aging, event-related potential (ERP)

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