Search results for: respiratory frequency band

Authors: Sulistyaningtyas

Abstract:

Examining the role of Middle Eastern freedom activists’ speech based on gender perspective is considered noteworthy because the society in the Middle East is patriarchal. This research aims to examine the language use of the Middle Eastern freedom activists’ speeches through gender perspective. The data sources are from male and female Middle Eastern freedom activists’ speech videos. In analyzing the data, the theories employed are about Language Style from Gender Perspective and The Language for Speech. The result reveals that there are sets of spoken language differences between male and female speakers. In using the language for speech, both male and female speakers produce metaphor, euphemism, the ‘rule of three’, parallelism, and pronouns in random frequency of production, which cannot be separated by genders. Moreover, it cannot be concluded that one gender is more potential than the other to influence the audience in delivering speech. There are other factors, particularly non-verbal factors, existing to give impacts on how a speech can influence the audience.

Keywords: gender perspective, language use, Middle Eastern freedom activists, speech

Procedia PDF Downloads 411

Authors: E. E. EL-Kholy, Ahamed Kalas, Mahmoud Fauzy, M. El-Shahat Dessouki, Abdou M. El-refay, Mohammed El-Zefery

Abstract:

Direct Torque Control (DTC) is an AC drive control method especially designed to provide fast and robust responses. In this paper a progressive algorithm for direct torque control of three-phase induction drive system supplied by photovoltaic arrays using voltage source inverter to control motor torque and flux with maximum power point tracking at different level of insolation is presented. Experimental results of the new DTC method obtained by an experimental rapid prototype system for drives are presented. Simulation and experimental results confirm that the proposed system gives quick, robust torque and speed responses at constant switching frequencies.

Keywords: photovoltaic (PV) array, direct torque control (DTC), constant switching frequency, induction motor, maximum power point tracking (MPPT)

Procedia PDF Downloads 476

Authors: Sebastian van Delden, Matthew Anuszkiewicz, Jayse White, Scott Stolarski

Abstract:

Industrial robotic manipulators have been commonplace in the manufacturing world since the early 1960s, and unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) have only begun to realize their full potential in the service industry and the military. The omnipresence of these technologies in their respective fields will only become more potent in coming years. While these technologies have greatly evolved over the years, the typical approach to human interaction with these robots has not. In the industrial robotics realm, a manipulator is typically jogged around using a teach pendant and programmed using a networked computer or the teach pendant itself via a proprietary software development platform. Drones are typically controlled using a two-handed controller equipped with throttles, buttons, and sticks, an app that can be downloaded to one’s mobile device, or a combination of both. This application-oriented work offers a novel approach to human interaction with both unmanned aerial vehicles and industrial robotic manipulators via hand gestures and movements. Two systems have been implemented, both of which use a Myo™ armband to control either a drone (DJI Spark™) or a robotic arm (Stäubli™ TX40). The methodologies developed by this work present a mapping of armband gestures (fist, finger spread, swing hand in, swing hand out, swing arm left/up/down/right, etc.) to either drone or robot arm movements. The findings of this study present the efficacy and limitations (precision and ergonomic) of hand gesture control of two distinct types of robotic technology. All source code associated with this project will be open sourced and placed on GitHub. In conclusion, this study offers a framework that maps hand and arm gestures to drone and robot arm control. The system has been implemented using current ubiquitous technologies, and these software artifacts will be open sourced for future researchers or practitioners to use in their work.

Keywords: human robot interaction, drones, gestures, robotics

Procedia PDF Downloads 147

Authors: Rewadee Waiyawassana

Abstract:

The objectives of the research on Thai tourists’ satisfaction of visiting Southern of Thailand are i) to study the Thai tourists’ satisfaction who select southern of Thailand as their destinations ii) to study their tourist’s decision making process in Southern of Thailand. The samples of the study are 619 Thai visitors at Southern of Thailand by accidental sampling technic and focus group interview for 12 key informant by purposive sampling. The data analysis includes Percentage, Frequency and One-way ANOVA. The findings from the research are the satisfaction of Thai visitors on southern of Thailand ranks from the resources of the destination, transportation, convenience, security, and promotion and public relations; with the high level of satisfaction on all the factors the government or responsible agencies should also modernize the marketing and public relation with increasing public relations, the potential visitors shall be updated with new information and alternative tourist destination also.

Keywords: public relations, Southern of Thailand, Thai Tourists’ satisfaction, Tourist’s decision making process

Procedia PDF Downloads 315

Authors: Rita Gill Singh, Alex Chun Koon, Cindy Sing Bik Ngai, Joanna Wen Ying Ho, Mei Li Khong, Enoch Chan, Terrence Lau

Abstract:

Although humour is viewed as a beneficial element in teaching, there has been little attempt to systematize humour in teaching, possibly because it is difficult to teach someone to be humorous. This study integrated planned humour pedagogical approach into teaching and learning activities and examined the effect of systematically planned humour on students’ engagement and learning in different courses. Specifically, appropriate types of humour (i.e. analogy, absurdity and wordplay) and incorporation methods and frequency were systematically integrated into the lessons of courses at some higher education institutions in Hong Kong. The results showed that the planned humour pedagogical approach increased student engagement, as well as enhanced learning and motivation while reducing students’ stress. The pedagogical implications of this study will be useful for researchers, practitioners, and educators.

Keywords: higher education, pedagogy, humour, student engagement, learning, motivation

Procedia PDF Downloads 54

Authors: Mahfouz Saeed

Abstract:

Cu₂(ZnSn)(S)₄ (CTZS) offers potential advantages over CuInGaSe₂ (CIGS) as solar thin film because to its higher band gap. Preparing such photovoltaic materials by electrochemical techniques is particularly attractive due to the lower processing cost and the high throughput of such techniques. Several recent publications report CTZS electroplating; however, the electrochemical process still facing serious challenges such as a sulfur atomic ration which is about 50% of the total alloy. We introduce in this work an improved electrolyte composition which enables the direct electrodeposition of CTZS from a single bath. The electrolyte is significantly more dilute in comparison to common baths described in the literature. The bath composition we introduce is: 0.0032 M CuSO₄, 0.0021 M ZnSO₄, 0.0303 M SnCl₂, 0.0038 M Na₂S₂O₃, and 0.3 mM Na₂S₂O3. PHydrion is applied to buffer the electrolyte to pH=2, and 0.7 M LiCl is applied as supporting electrolyte. Electrochemical process was carried at a rotating disk electrode which provides quantitative characterization of the flow (room temperature). Comprehensive electrochemical behavior study at different electrode rotation rates are provided. The effects of agitation on atomic composition of the deposit and its adhesion to the molybdenum back contact are discussed. The post treatment annealing was conducted under sulfur atmosphere with no need for metals addition from the gas phase during annealing. The potential which produced the desired atomic ratio of CTZS at -0.82 V/NHE. Smooth deposit, with uniform composition across the sample surface and depth was obtained at 500 rpm rotation speed. Final sulfur atomic ratio was adjusted to 50.2% in order to have the desired atomic ration. The final composition was investigated using Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy technique (EDS). XRD technique used to analyze CTZS crystallography and thickness. Complete and functional CTZS PV devices were fabricated by depositing all the required layers in the correct order and the desired optical properties. Acknowledgments: Case Western Reserve University for the technical help and for using their instruments.

Keywords: photovoltaic, CTZS, thin film, electrochemical

Procedia PDF Downloads 231

Authors: N. Ullah, A. Haddad, F. Van Der Linde

Abstract:

This paper investigates the effects of breaks in bonds, breaks in the earthing system and breaks in earth wire on the rise of the earth potential (EPR) in a substation and at the transmission tower bases using various models of an L6 tower. Different approaches were adopted to examine the integrity of the earthing system and the terminal towers. These effects were investigated to see the associated difference in the EPR magnitudes with respect to a healthy system at various locations. Comparisons of the computed EPR magnitudes were then made between the healthy and unhealthy system to detect any difference. The studies were conducted at power frequency for a uniform soil with different soil resistivities. It was found that full breaks in the double bond of the terminal towers increase the EPR significantly at the fault location, while they reduce EPR at the terminal tower bases. A fault on the isolated section of the grid can result in EPR values up to 8 times of those on a healthy system at higher soil resistivities, provided that the extended earthing system stays connected to the grid.

Keywords: bonding, earthing, EPR, integrity, system

Procedia PDF Downloads 321

Authors: Ghoutia Naima Sabri, Tayeb Benouaz

Abstract:

The interaction between wave and electron cyclotron movement when the electron passes through a layer of resonance at a fixed frequency results an Electron Cyclotron (EC) absorption in Tokamak plasma and dependent magnetic field. This technique is the principle of additional heating (ECRH) and the generation of non-inductive current drive (ECCD) in modern fusion devices. In this paper we are interested by the problem of EC absorption which used a microscopic description of kinetic theory treatment versus the propagation which used the cold plasma description. The power absorbed depends on the optical depth which in turn depends on coefficient of absorption and the order of the excited harmonic for O-mode or X-mode. There is another possibility of heating by dissipation of Alfven waves, based on resonance of cold plasma waves, the shear Alfven wave (SW) and the compressional Alfven wave (FW). Once the (FW) power is coupled to (SW), it stays on the magnetic surface and dissipates there, which cause the heating of bulk plasmas.

Keywords: electron cyclotron, heating, plasma, tokamak

Procedia PDF Downloads 505

Authors: Marwane Ben Hcine, Ridha Bouallegue

Abstract:

The aim of this work is to provide an original analytical framework for downlink effective SINR evaluation in LTE networks. The classical single carrier SINR performance evaluation is extended to multi-carrier systems operating over frequency selective channels. Extension is achieved by expressing the link outage probability in terms of the statistics of the effective SINR. For effective SINR computation, the exponential effective SINR mapping (EESM) method is used on this work. Closed-form expression for the link outage probability is achieved assuming a log skew normal approximation for single carrier case. Then we rely on the lognormal approximation to express the exponential effective SINR distribution as a function of the mean and standard deviation of the SINR of a generic subcarrier. Achieved formulas is easily computable and can be obtained for a user equipment (UE) located at any distance from its serving eNodeB. Simulations show that the proposed framework provides results with accuracy within 0.5 dB.

Keywords: LTE, OFDMA, effective SINR, log skew normal approximation

Procedia PDF Downloads 356

Authors: Umberto Cerasani, Luca Cerasani

Abstract:

Methods for earthquakes forecasting have been intensively investigated in the last decades, but there is still no universal solution agreed by seismologists. Rock failure is most often preceded by a tiny elastic movement in the failure area and by the appearance of micro-cracks. These micro-cracks could be detected at the soil surface and represent useful earth-quakes precursors. The aim of this study was to verify whether tiny raw acceleration signals (in the 10⁻¹ to 10⁻⁴ cm/s² range) prior to the arrival of main primary-waves could be exploitable and related to earthquakes magnitude. Mathematical tools such as Fast Fourier Transform (FFT), moving average and wavelets have been applied on raw acceleration data available on the ITACA web site, and the study focused on one of the most unpredictable earth-quakes, i.e., the August 24th, 2016 at 01H36 one that occurred in the central Italy area. It appeared that these tiny acceleration signals preceding main P-waves have different patterns both on frequency and time domains for high magnitude earthquakes compared to lower ones.

Keywords: earthquake, accelerometer, earthquake forecasting, seism

Procedia PDF Downloads 132

Authors: Leena Wanganoo

Abstract:

In this digital age with the mushrooming of online companies across the globe has led to an unprecedented new business model. The frequency of online purchasing varies across the globe, but trend shows a steep upward movement. From Generation X to the Millennial the consumer not only wants to order the product with the click of mouse but also very demanding service quality during pre to post-transaction stage. The existing research examines the impact of website quality on the on behavioral intentions in e-services customers and has not adequately recognized the quality of e-commerce logistics perceived by the customer.In order to address this gap, this study examines the relationship among the logistics service quality, satisfaction, and loyalty. Drawing upon a sample of 350 millennial customers from various regions of UAE will work within the framework of structural equation modeling (SEM). Finally, the study would use Importance-Performance analysis (IPA) to discuss the relations of the level of customers’ expected logistics service quality and level of customers’ perceived logistics serviced quality.

Keywords: logistics service quality, customer satisfaction, loyalty, electronic commerce

Procedia PDF Downloads 164

Authors: Mekroud Amel

Abstract:

Emergency departments are known for the workload, the variety of pathologies and the difficulties in their management with the continuous influx of patients The role of our service in the management of patients with two or three mild to moderate organ failures, involving several disciplines at the same time, as well as the effect of this management on the skills and efficiency of our team has been demonstrated Borderline cases between two or three or even more disciplines, with instability of a vital function, which have been successfully managed in the emergency room, the therapeutic procedures adopted, the consequences on the quality and level of care delivered by our team, as well as that the logistical consequences, and the pedagogical consequences are demonstrated. The consequences found are Positive on the emergency teams, in rare situations are negative Regarding clinical situations, it is the entanglement of hemodynamic distress with right, left or global participation, tamponade, low flow with acute pulmonary edema, and/or state of shock With respiratory distress with more or less profound hypoxemia, with haematosis disorder related to a bacterial or viral lung infection, pleurisy, pneumothorax, bronchoconstrictive crisis. With neurological disorders such as recent stroke, comatose state, or others With metabolic disorders such as hyperkalaemia renal insufficiency severe ionic disorders with accidents with anti vitamin K With or without septate effusion of one or more serous membranes with or without tamponade It’s a Retrospective, monocentric, descriptive study Period 05.01.2022 to 10.31.2022 the purpose of our work: Search for a statistically significant link between the type of moderate to severe pathology managed in the emergency room whose problems are multivisceral on the efficiency of the healthcare team and its level of care and optional care offered for patients Statistical Test used: Chi2 test to prove the significant link between the resolution of serious multidisciplinary cases in the emergency room and the effectiveness of the team in the management of complicated cases Search for a statistically significant link : The management of the most difficult clinical cases for organ specialties has given general practitioner emergency teams a great perspective and has been able to improve their efficiency in the face of emergencies received

Keywords: emergency care teams, management of patients with dysfunction of more than one organ, learning curve, quality of care

Procedia PDF Downloads 73

Authors: Pooja Seth, Shruti Aggarwal

Abstract:

Thermoluminescence dosimetry (TLD) is one of the most effective methods for the assessment of dose during diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy applications. In these applications monitoring of absorbed dose is essential to prevent patient from undue exposure and to evaluate the risks that may arise due to exposure. LiF based thermoluminescence (TL) dosimeters are promising materials for the estimation, calibration and monitoring of dose due to their favourable dosimetric characteristics like tissue-equivalence, high sensitivity, energy independence and dose linearity. As the TL efficiency of a phosphor strongly depends on the preparation route, it is interesting to investigate the TL properties of LiF based phosphor in nanocrystalline form. LiF doped with magnesium (Mg), copper (Cu), sodium (Na) and silicon (Si) in nanocrystalline form has been prepared using chemical co-precipitation method. Cubical shape LiF nanostructures are formed. TL dosimetry properties have been investigated by exposing it to gamma rays. TL glow curve structure of nanocrystalline form consists of a single peak at 419 K as compared to the multiple peaks observed in microcrystalline form. A consistent glow curve structure with maximum TL intensity at annealing temperature of 573 K and linear dose response from 0.1 to 1000 Gy is observed which is advantageous for radiotherapy application. Good reusability, low fading (5 % over a month) and negligible residual signal (0.0019%) are observed. As per photoluminescence measurements, wide emission band at 360 nm - 550 nm is observed in an undoped LiF. However, an intense peak at 488 nm is observed in doped LiF nanophosphor. The phosphor also exhibits the intense optically stimulated luminescence. Nanocrystalline LiF: Mg, Cu, Na, Si phosphor prepared by co-precipitation method showed simple glow curve structure, linear dose response, reproducibility, negligible residual signal, good thermal stability and low fading. The LiF: Mg, Cu, Na, Si phosphor in nanocrystalline form has tremendous potential in diagnostic radiology, radiotherapy and high energy radiation application.

Keywords: thermoluminescence, nanophosphor, optically stimulated luminescence, co-precipitation method

Procedia PDF Downloads 397

Authors: K. A. El-Battawy, W. S. El-Nattat

Abstract:

The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the impact of methionine on the preservation, acrosomal integrity, DNA integrity and post thawing motility of extended goat semen. Semen samples were diluted with a Tris-based extender containing the additive methionine 1.5, 2.5 and 5mM then the diluted samples were kept in glass tubes and cooled from 37°C to 5°C in a cold cabinet, and maintained at 5°C. Sperm motility (SM%), alive sperm (AS%), sperm abnormalities (SA%) acrosomal integrity and DNA integrity were determined at 5°C for periods of 0,24, 48and 72 h of liquid storage. Furthermore, the influence of methionine on post-thawing motility was assessed. The results elaborated that the addition of methionine and L-tyrosine particularly 2.5mM of methionine significantly improved SM% and reduced dead sperm %. Furthermore, the addition of 2.5mM methionine improved post-thawing motility (43.75 ± 1.25% vs. 32.50 ± 3.23 in the control group). Moreover, the frequency of acrosomal defects was lower in treated groups than in control. In conclusion, the addition of methionine induced remarkable physiological effects on goat semen quality during conservation for 7-days-long period at 5°C and improved its freezability.

Keywords: methionine, acrosome, semen, cryopreservation

Procedia PDF Downloads 381

Authors: Chun-Wei Liu, Feng-Tsai Weng

Abstract:

People faced pollution threaten in modern age although the standard of exhaust gas of vehicles has been established. The goal of this study is to investigate the effect of water atomizer in a vehicle emission system. Diluted 20% ammonia water was used in spraying system. Micro particles produced by exhausted gas from engine of vehicle which were cumulated through atomized spray in a self-development collector. In experiments, a self-designed atomization model plate and a gas tank controlled by the micro-processor using Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) logic was prepared for exhaust test. The gas from gasoline-engine of vehicle was purified with the model panel collector. A soft well named ANSYS was utilized for analyzing the distribution condition of rejected gas. Micro substance and percentage of CO, HC, CO2, NOx in exhausted gas were investigated at different engine speed, and atomizer vibration frequency. Exceptional results in the vehicle engine emissions measurement were obtained. The temperature of exhausted gas can be decreased 3oC. Micro substances PM10 can be decreased and the percentage of CO can be decreased more than 55% at 2500RPM by proposed system. Value of CO, HC, CO2 and NOX was all decreased when atomizers were used with water.

Keywords: atomizer, CO, HC, NOx, PM2.5

Procedia PDF Downloads 446

Authors: A. Shooshtari, A. R. Masoodi, S. Heyrani Moghaddam

Abstract:

Free vibration analysis of a gabled frame with elastic support and semi-rigid connections is performed by using a program in OpenSees software. Natural frequencies and mode shape details of frame are obtained for two states, which are semi-rigid connections and elastic supports, separately. The members of this structure are analyzed as a prismatic nonlinear beam-column element in software. The mass of structure is considered as two equal lumped masses at the head of two columns in horizontal and vertical directions. Note that the degree of freedom, allocated to all nodes, is equal to three. Furthermore, the mode shapes of frame are achieved. Conclusively, the effects of connections and supports flexibility on the natural frequencies and mode shapes of structure are investigated.

Keywords: natural frequency, mode shape, gabled frame, semi-rigid connection, elastic support, OpenSees software

Procedia PDF Downloads 401

Authors: Khader S. Al-Aidmat, Venus W. Samawi

Abstract:

Blurred vision in the misty atmosphere is essential problem which needs to be resolved. To solve this problem, we developed a technique to restore foggy degraded image from its original version using Back-propagation neural network (BP-NN). The suggested technique is based on mapping between foggy scene and its corresponding original scene. Seven different approaches are suggested based on type of features used in image restoration. Features are extracted from spatial and spatial-frequency domain (using DCT). Each of these approaches comes with its own BP-NN architecture depending on type and number of used features. The weight matrix resulted from training each BP-NN represents a fog filter. The performance of these filters are evaluated empirically (using PSNR), and perceptually. By comparing the performance of these filters, the effective features that suits BP-NN technique for restoring foggy images is recognized. This system proved its effectiveness and success in restoring moderate foggy images.

Keywords: artificial neural network, discrete cosine transform, feed forward neural network, foggy image restoration

Procedia PDF Downloads 375

Authors: Khaleel Bader Bataineh

Abstract:

Past studies have maintained that the Arab learners' beliefs about language learning hold vital effects on their performance. Thus, this study was carried out to investigate the language learning beliefs of Irbid National University students. It aimed at identifying the language learning beliefs according to gender. This study is a descriptive design that employed survey questionnaire of Language Learning Beliefs Inventory (BALLI). The data were elicited from 83 English major students during the class sessions. The data were analyzed using an SPSS program in which frequency analysis and t-test were performed to examine the students’ responses. Thus, the major findings of this research indicated that there is a variation in responses with regards to the subjects’ beliefs about English learning. Also, the findings show significant differences in four questionnaire items according to gender. It is hoped that the findings provide valuable insights to educators about the learners’ beliefs which assist them to develop the teaching and learning English language process in Jordan universities.

Keywords: foreign language, students’ beliefs, language learning, Arab students

Procedia PDF Downloads 479

Authors: Supattra Kanchanopast

Abstract:

The purpose of this research was to identify factors that influenced the trust of e-commerce within retail businesses. In order to achieve the objectives of this research, the researcher collected data from random e-commerce users in Bangkok. The data was comprised of the results of 382 questionnaires. The data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics, which included frequency, percentages, and the standard deviation of pertinent factors. Multiple regression analysis was also used. The findings of this research revealed that the majority of the respondents were female, 25-40 years old, and graduated a bachelor degree. The respondents mostly worked in private sectors and had monthly income between 15,000-25,000 baht. The findings also indicate that information quality factors, website design factors, service quality factor, security factor and advertising factors as significant factors effecting customer trust of e-commerce in online retail. The hypotheses testing revealed that these factors in e-commerce had an effect on customer’s trust in the same direction with high level.

Keywords: e-commerce, online retail, Retail business, trust, website

Procedia PDF Downloads 186

Authors: Manuela Caciula, Luis Torres, Simion Tomoiaga

Abstract:

Introduction: The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), more commonly referred to as COVID-19, has wreaked havoc on all facets of higher education since its inception in late 2019. College students, in particular, significantly reduced their daily energy expenditure and increased the time spent sitting to listen to online classes and complete their studies from home. This change, in combination with the associated COVID-19 lockdown, presumably decreased physical activity levels, increased mental health symptoms, and led to the promotion of unhealthy eating habits. Objectives: The main objective of this study was to determine the current self-reported physical activity levels, mental health symptoms, and body composition of college students after the COVID-19 lockdown in order to develop future interventions for the overall improvement of health. Methods: All participants completed pre-existing, well-validated surveys for both physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire - long form) and mental health (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale). Body composition was assessed in person with the use of an Inbody 570 device. Results: Of the 90 American college students (M age = 22.52 ± 4.54, 50 females) who participated in this study, depressive and anxious symptom scores consistent with 58% (N = 52) heightened symptomatology, 17% (N = 15) moderate borderline symptomatology, and 25% (N = 23) asymptomatology were reported. In regard to physical activity, 79% (N = 71) of the students were highly physically active, 18% (N = 16) were moderately active, and 3% (N = 3) reported low levels of physical activity. Additionally, 46% (N = 41) of the students maintained an unhealthy body fat percentage based on World Health Organization recommendations. Strong, significant relationships were found between anxiety and depression symptomatology and body fat percentage (P = .003) and skeletal muscle mass (P = .015), with said symptomatology increasing with added body fat and decreasing with added skeletal muscle mass. Conclusions: Future health interventions for American college students should be focused on strategies to reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive characteristics, as well as nutritional information on healthy eating, regardless of self-reported physical activity levels.

Keywords: physical activity, mental health, body composition, COVID-19

Procedia PDF Downloads 85

Authors: Neslihan Demirci, Serdar Durdağı

Abstract:

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is still a worldwide disease-causing agent that, according to WHO, led to the death of 1.5 million people from tuberculosis (TB) in 2020. The bacteria reside in macrophages located specifically in the lung. There is a known quadruple drug therapy regimen for TB consisting of isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF), pyrazinamide (PZA), and ethambutol (EMB). Over the past 60 years, there have been great contributions to treatment options, such as recently approved delamanid (OPC67683) and bedaquiline (TMC207/R207910), targeting mycolic acid and ATP synthesis, respectively. Also, there are natural compounds that can block the tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase (TrpRS) enzyme, chuangxinmycin, and indolmycin. Yet, already the drug resistance is reported for those agents. In this study, the newly released TrpRS enzyme structure is investigated for potential inhibitor drugs from already synthesized molecules to help the treatment of resistant cases and to propose an alternative drug for the quadruple drug therapy of tuberculosis. Maestro, Schrodinger is used for docking and molecular dynamic simulations. In-house library containing ~8000 compounds among FDA-approved indole-containing compounds, a total of 57 obtained from the ChemBL were used for both ATP and tryptophan binding pocket docking. Best of indole-containing 57 compounds were subjected to hit expansion and compared later with virtual screening workflow (VSW) results. After docking, VSW was done. Glide-XP docking algorithm was chosen. When compared, VSW alone performed better than the hit expansion module. Best scored compounds were kept for ten ns molecular dynamic simulations by Desmond. Further, 100 ns molecular dynamic simulation was performed for elected molecules according to Z-score. The top three MMGBSA-scored compounds were subjected to steered molecular dynamic (SMD) simulations by Gromacs. While SMD simulations are still being conducted, ponesimod (for multiple sclerosis), vilanterol (β₂ adrenoreceptor agonist), and silodosin (for benign prostatic hyperplasia) were found to have a significant affinity for tuberculosis TrpRS, which is the propulsive force for the urge to expand the research with in vitro studies. Interestingly, top-scored ponesimod has been reported to have a side effect that makes the patient prone to upper respiratory tract infections.

Keywords: drug repurposing, molecular dynamics, tryptophanyl-tRNA synthetase, tuberculosis

Procedia PDF Downloads 108

Authors: L. Srikanth, D. Neelima Satyam

Abstract:

The transmission line towers are one of the important life line structures in the distribution of power from the source to the various places for several purposes. The predominant external loads which act on these towers are wind and earthquake loads. In this present study tower is analyzed using Indian Standards IS: 875:1987 (Wind Load), IS: 802:1995 (Structural Steel), IS:1893:2002 (Earthquake) and dynamic analysis of tower has been performed considering ground motion of 2001 Bhuj Earthquake (India). The dynamic analysis was performed considering a tower system consisting two towers spaced 800m apart and 35m height each. This analysis has been performed using numerical time stepping finite difference method which is central difference method were employed by a developed MATLAB program to get the normalized ground motion parameters includes acceleration, frequency, velocity which are important in designing the tower. The tower is analyzed using response spectrum analysis.

Keywords: response spectra, dynamic analysis, central difference method, transmission tower

Procedia PDF Downloads 391

Authors: Elmira Solati, Atousa Mehrani, Davoud Dorranian

Abstract:

Generation of ZnO-Au nanocomposite under laser irradiation of a mixture of the ZnO and Au colloidal suspensions are experimentally investigated. In this work, firstly ZnO and Au nanoparticles are prepared by pulsed laser ablation of the corresponding metals in water using the 1064 nm wavelength of Nd:YAG laser. In a second step, the produced ZnO and Au colloidal suspensions were mixed in different volumetric ratio and irradiated using the second harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser operating at 532 nm wavelength. The changes in the size of the nanostructure and optical properties of the ZnO-Au nanocomposite are studied as a function of the volumetric ratio of ZnO and Au colloidal suspensions. The crystalline structure of the ZnO-Au nanocomposites was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The optical properties of the samples were examined at room temperature by a UV-Vis-NIR absorption spectrophotometer. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was done by placing a drop of the concentrated suspension on a carbon-coated copper grid. To further confirm the morphology of ZnO-Au nanocomposites, we performed Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) of the ZnO-Au nanocomposites was measured to characterize the luminescence properties of the ZnO-Au nanocomposites. The ZnO-Au nanocomposites were characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The X-ray diffraction pattern shows that the ZnO-Au nanocomposites had the polycrystalline structure of Au. The behavior observed by images of transmission electron microscope reveals that soldering of Au and ZnO nanoparticles include their adhesion. The plasmon peak in ZnO-Au nanocomposites was red-shifted and broadened in comparison with pure Au nanoparticles. By using the Tauc’s equation, the band gap energy for ZnO-Au nanocomposites is calculated to be 3.15–3.27 eV. In this work, the formation of ZnO-Au nanocomposites shifts the FTIR peak of metal oxide bands to higher wavenumbers. PL spectra of the ZnO-Au nanocomposites show that several weak peaks in the ultraviolet region and several relatively strong peaks in the visible region. SEM image indicates that the morphology of ZnO-Au nanocomposites produced in water was spherical. The TEM images of ZnO-Au nanocomposites demonstrate that with increasing the volumetric ratio of Au colloidal suspension the adhesion increased. According to the size distribution graphs of ZnO-Au nanocomposites with increasing the volumetric ratio of Au colloidal suspension the amount of ZnO-Au nanocomposites with the smaller size is further.

Keywords: Au nanoparticles, pulsed laser ablation, ZnO-Au nanocomposites, ZnO nanoparticles

Procedia PDF Downloads 332

Authors: A. Lovascio, A. D’Orazio, V. Centonze

Abstract:

From several years till now the aerospace industry is developing more and more small satellites for Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) missions. Such satellites have a low cost of making and launching since they have a size and weight smaller than other types of satellites. However, because of size limitations, small satellites need integrated electronic equipment based on digital logic. Moreover, the LEOs require telecommunication modules with high throughput to transmit to earth a big amount of data in a short time. In order to meet such requirements, in this paper we propose a Telemetry, Tracking & Command module optimized through the use of the Commercial Off-The-Shelf components. The proposed approach exploits the major flexibility offered by these components in reducing costs and optimizing the performance. The method has been applied in detail for the design of the front-end receiver, which has a low noise figure (1.5 dB) and DC power consumption (smaller than 2 W). Such a performance is particularly attractive since it allows fulfilling the energy budget stringent constraints that are typical for LEO small platforms.

Keywords: COTS, LEO, small-satellite, TT&C

Procedia PDF Downloads 124

Authors: I. Touaїbia, E. Azzag, O. Narjes

Abstract:

Power supply networks are growing continuously and their reliability is getting more important than ever. The complexity of the whole network comprises numerous components that can fail and interrupt the power supply for the end user. Underground distribution systems are normally exposed to permanent faults, due to specific construction characteristics. In these systems, visual inspection cannot be performed. In order to enhance service restoration, accurate fault location techniques must be applied. This paper describes the different faults that affect the underground distribution system of SONELGAZ (National Society of Electricity and Gas of Algeria), and cable fault location procedure with impulse reflection method (TDR), based in the analyses of the cable response of the electromagnetic impulse, allows cable fault prelocation. The results are obtained from real test in the underground distribution feeder from electrical network of energy distribution company of Souk-Ahras, in order to know the influence of cable characteristics in the types and frequency of faults.

Keywords: distribution networks, fault location, TDR, underground cable

Procedia PDF Downloads 520

Authors: Rishi Saxena

Abstract:

Cyanobacteria is a photosynthetic prokaryote, and these obtain their energy through photosynthesis. In this paper, we studied the effect of iron on metabolic changes in the diazotrophic cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120. Nowadays, metal contamination due to natural and anthropogenic sources is a global environment concern. Iron induced changes in growth, N2-fixation, CO2 fixation and photosynthetic activity were studied in a diazotrophic cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120. Iron at 50 uM concentration supported the maximum growth, heterocyst frequency, CO2 fixation, photosystem I (PS I), photosystem II (PS II) and nitrogenase activities in the organism. Higher concentration of iron inhibited these processes. Chl a and PS II activities were more sensitive to iron than the protein and PS I activity. Here, it is also mentioned that heavy metal induced altered macromolecules metabolism and changes in the central dogma of life (DNA→ mRNA → Protein). And also recent advances have been made in understanding heavy metal-cyanobacteria interaction and their application for metal detoxification.

Keywords: cyanobacterium anabaena 7120, nitrogen fixation, photosystem I (PS I), photosystem II (PS II)

Procedia PDF Downloads 126

Authors: H. Falsafi Falsafizadeh, R. Zeinali Zeinali

Abstract:

This paper focuses on determination of total Operating Reserve (OR) level, consisting of spinning and non-spinning reserves, in two small real power systems, in such a way that the system reliability indicator would comply with typical industry standards. For this purpose, the standard used by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) – i.e., 1 day outage in 10 years or 0.1 days/year is relied. The simulation of system operation for these systems that was used for the determination of total operating reserve level was performed by industry standard production simulation software in this field, named PLEXOS. In this paper, the operating reserve which meets an annual Loss of Load Expectation (LOLE) of approximately 0.1 days per year is determined in the study year. This reserve is the minimum amount of reserve required in a power system and generally defined as a percentage of the annual peak.

Keywords: frequency control, LOLE, operating reserve, system reliability

Procedia PDF Downloads 332

Authors: Forouzan Salehi Fergeni

Abstract:

Converting the movement intents of a person into commands for action employing brain signals like electroencephalogram signals is a brain-computer interface (BCI) system. When left or right-hand motions are imagined, different patterns of brain activity appear, which can be employed as BCI signals for control. To make better the brain-computer interface (BCI) structures, effective and accurate techniques for increasing the classifying precision of motor imagery (MI) based on electroencephalography (EEG) are greatly needed. Subject dependency and non-stationary are two features of EEG signals. So, EEG signals must be effectively processed before being used in BCI applications. In the present study, after applying an 8 to 30 band-pass filter, a car spatial filter is rendered for the purpose of denoising, and then, a method of analysis of variance is used to select more appropriate and informative channels from a category of a large number of different channels. After ordering channels based on their efficiencies, a sequential forward channel selection is employed to choose just a few reliable ones. Features from two domains of time and wavelet are extracted and shortlisted with the help of a statistical technique, namely the t-test. Finally, the selected features are classified with different machine learning and neural network classifiers being k-nearest neighbor, Probabilistic neural network, support-vector-machine, Extreme learning machine, decision tree, Multi-layer perceptron, and linear discriminant analysis with the purpose of comparing their performance in this application. Utilizing a ten-fold cross-validation approach, tests are performed on a motor imagery dataset found in the BCI competition III. Outcomes demonstrated that the SVM classifier got the greatest classification precision of 97% when compared to the other available approaches. The entire investigative findings confirm that the suggested framework is reliable and computationally effective for the construction of BCI systems and surpasses the existing methods.

Keywords: brain-computer interface, channel selection, motor imagery, support-vector-machine

Procedia PDF Downloads 30

Authors: Burçe Boyraz

Abstract:

This study examines appearances of brand placement as an alternative communication strategy in television series by focusing on Yalan Dünya which is one of the most popular television series in Turkey. Consequently, this study has a descriptive research design and quantitative content analysis method is used in order to analyze frequency and time data of brand placement appearances in first 3 seasons of Yalan Dünya with 16 episodes. Analysis of brand placement practices in Yalan Dünya is dealt in three categories: episode-based analysis, season-based analysis and comparative analysis. At the end, brand placement practices in Yalan Dünya are evaluated in terms of type, form, duration and legal arrangements. As a result of this study, it is seen that brand placement plays a determinant role in Yalan Dünya content. Also, current legal arrangements make brand placement closer to other traditional communication strategies instead of differing brand placement from them distinctly.

Keywords: advertising, alternative communication strategy, brand placement, Yalan Dünya

Procedia PDF Downloads 237

Authors: Atlal El-Assaad

Abstract:

Viruses change with time through mutations and result in new variants that may persist or disappear. A Mutation refers to an actual change in the virus genetic sequence, and a variant is a viral genome that may contain one or more mutations. Critical mutations may cause the virus to be more transmissible, with high disease severity, and more vulnerable to diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines. Thus, variants carrying such mutations may increase the risk to human health and are considered variants of concern (VOC). Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the contagious in humans, positive-sense single-stranded RNA virus that caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) - has been studied thoroughly, and several variants were revealed across the world with their corresponding mutations. SARS-CoV-2 has four structural proteins, known as the S (spike), E (envelope), M (membrane), and N (nucleocapsid) proteins, but prior study and vaccines development focused on genetic mutations in the S protein due to its vital role in allowing the virus to attach and fuse with the membrane of a host cell. Specifically, subunit S1 catalyzes attachment, whereas subunit S2 mediates fusion. In this perspective, we studied all charged amino acid mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 viral spike protein S1 when bound to Antibody CC12.1 in a crystal structure and assessed the effect of different mutations. We generated all missense mutants of SARS-CoV-2 protein amino acids (AAs) within the SARS-CoV-2:CC12.1 complex model. To generate the family of mutants in each complex, we mutated every charged amino acid with all other charged amino acids (Lysine (K), Arginine (R), Glutamic Acid (E), and Aspartic Acid (D)) and studied the new binding of the complex after each mutation. We applied Poisson-Boltzmann electrostatic calculations feeding into free energy calculations to determine the effect of each mutation on binding. After analyzing our data, we identified charged amino acids keys for binding. Furthermore, we validated those findings against published experimental genetic data. Our results are the first to propose in silico potential life-threatening mutations of SARS-CoV-2 beyond the present mutations found in the five common variants found worldwide.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, variant, ionic amino acid, protein-protein interactions, missense mutation, AESOP

Procedia PDF Downloads 101