Search results for: susceptibility testing

Authors: Ghaleb Bin Huraib, Fahad Al Harthi, Misbahul Arfin, Abdulrahman Al-Asmari

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Atopic dermatitis (AD), also known as atopic eczema, is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by severe itching and recurrent relapsing eczema-like skin lesions, affecting up to 20% of children and 10% of adults in industrialized countries. AD is a complex multifactorial disease, and its exact etiology and pathogenesis have not been fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of gene polymorphisms of T helper cell subtype Th1 and Th2 cytokines, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1on AD susceptibility in a Saudi cohort. One hundred four unrelated patients with AD and 195 healthy controls were genotyped for IFN-γ (874A/T), IL-6 (174G/C) and TGF-β1 (509C/T) polymorphisms using ARMS-PCR and PCR-RFLP technique. The frequency of genotypes AA and AT of IFN-γ (874A/T) differed significantly among patients and controls (P 0.001). The genotype AT was increased while genotype AA was decreased in AD patients as compared to controls. AD patients also had higher frequency of T containing genotypes (AT+TT) than controls (P = 0.001). The frequencies of allele T and A were statistically different in patients and controls (P = 0.04). The frequencies of genotype GG and allele G of IL-6 (174G/C) were significantly higher while genotype GC and allele C were lower in AD patients than controls. There was no significant difference in the frequencies of alleles and genotypes of TGF-β1 (509C/T) polymorphism between patient and control groups. These results showed that susceptibility to AD is influenced by presence or absence of genotypes of IFN-γ (874A/T) and IL-6 (174G/C) polymorphisms. It is concluded that T-allele and T-containing genotypes (AT+TT) of IFN-γ (874A/T) and G-allele and GG genotype ofIL-6 (174G/C) polymorphisms are susceptible to AD in Saudis.On the other hand, the TGF-β1 (509C/T) polymorphism may not be associated with AD risk in Saudi population however further studies with large sample size are required to confirm these findings.

Keywords: atopic dermatitis, interferon-γ, interleukin-6, transforming growth factor-β1, polymorphism

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Authors: Ling Xu, Giuseppe Loprencipe, Antonio D'Andrea

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Asphalt pavement with recycled and sustainable materials has become the most commonly adopted strategy for road construction, including reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and crumb rubber (CR) from waste tires. However, the adhesion and cohesion characteristics of rubberized reclaimed asphalt pavement were still ambiguous, resulting in deteriorated adhesion behavior and life performance. This research investigated the effect of bonding characteristics on rutting resistance and moisture susceptibility of rubberized reclaimed asphalt pavement in terms of two RAP sources with different oxidation levels and two tire rubber with different particle sizes. Firstly, the binder bond strength (BBS) test and bonding failure distinguishment were conducted to analyze the surface behaviors of binder-aggregate interaction. Then, the compatibility and penetration grade of rubberized RAP binder were evaluated by rotational viscosity test and penetration test, respectively. Hamburg wheel track (HWT) test with high-temperature viscoelastic deformation analysis was adopted, which illustrated the rutting resistance. Additionally, a water boiling test was employed to evaluate the moisture susceptibility of the mixture and the texture features were characterized with the statistical parameters of image colors. Finally, the colloid structure model of rubberized RAP binder with surface interaction was proposed, and statistical analysis was established to release the correlation among various indexes. This study concluded that the gel-phase colloid structure and molecular diffusion of the free light fraction would affect the surface interpretation with aggregate, determining the bonding characteristic of rubberized RAP asphalt.

Keywords: bonding characteristics, reclaimed asphalt pavement, rubberized asphalt, sustainable material

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Authors: Jui-Chen Huang

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This research used artificial intelligence method to explore elderly’s opinions on the reuse of telecare, its effect on their service quality, satisfaction and the relationship between customer perceived value and intention to reuse. This study conducted a questionnaire survey on the elderly. A total of 124 valid copies of a questionnaire were obtained. It adopted Backpropagation Network (BPN) to propose an effective and feasible analysis method, which is different from the traditional method. Two third of the total samples (82 samples) were taken as the training data, and the one third of the samples (42 samples) were taken as the testing data. The training and testing data RMSE (root mean square error) are 0.022 and 0.009 in the BPN, respectively. As shown, the errors are acceptable. On the other hand, the training and testing data RMSE are 0.100 and 0.099 in the regression model, respectively. In addition, the results showed the service quality has the greatest effects on the intention to reuse, followed by the satisfaction, and perceived value. This result of the Backpropagation Network method is better than the regression analysis. This result can be used as a reference for future research.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, backpropagation network (BPN), elderly, reuse, telecare

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Authors: I. Sterbova, E. Oberhofnerova, M. Panek, M. Pavelek

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With growing popularity, wood of European larch (Larix decidua, Mill.) is being more often applied into the exterior, usually as facade elements, also without surface treatment. The aim of this work was to compare two laboratory tests of artificial accelerated weathering of wood with two ways of natural weathering in the exterior. To assess changes in selected surface characteristics of larch wood, accelerated weathering methods in the Xenotest and UV chamber were used, both in combination with temperature cycling, for 6 weeks. They were compared with natural weathering results at exposition under 45° and 90° in the exterior for 12 months. The changes of colour, gloss, contact angle of water and also changes in visual characteristics were evaluated. The results of wood surfaces changes after 6 weeks of accelerated weathering in Xenotest are closer to 12 months of natural weathering in the exterior at an angle of 90° compared to the UV chamber testing. The results, especially the colour changes, of the samples exposed at an angle of 45° in the exterior were significantly different. Testing in Xenotest more closely simulates the weathering of façade elements in the exterior compared to the UV chamber testing.

Keywords: larch wood, wooden facade, wood accelerated weathering, weathering methods

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Authors: Ahmed H. Elkholy

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An elastic analysis is developed to obtain the distribution of stresses, strains, bending moment and deformation for a thin hollow, variable thickness cylindrical specimen when subjected to different biaxial loadings. The specimen was subjected to a combination of internal pressure, axial tensile loading and external pressure. Several axial to circumferential stress ratios were investigated in detail. The analytical model was then validated using experimental results obtained from a test rig using several biaxial loadings. Based on the preliminary results obtained, the specimen was then modified geometrically to ensure uniform strain distribution through its wall thickness and along its gauge length. The new design of the specimen has a higher buckling strength and a maximum value of equivalent stress according to the maximum distortion energy theory. A cyclic function generator of the standard servo-controlled, electro-hydraulic testing machine is used to generate a specific signal shape (sine, square,…) at a certain frequency. The two independent controllers of the electronic circuit cause an independent movement to each servo-valve piston. The movement of each piston pressurizes the upper and lower sides of the actuators alternately. So, the specimen will be subjected to axial and diametral loads independent of each other. The hydraulic system has two different pressures: one pressure will be responsible for axial stress produced in the specimen and the other will be responsible for the tangential stress. Changing the two pressure ratios will change the stress ratios accordingly. The only restriction on the maximum stress obtained is the capacity of the testing system and specimen instability due to buckling.

Keywords: biaxial, fatigue, stress, testing

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Authors: Sangyeop Shin, D. C. M. Kulatunga, S. H. S. Dananjaya, Chamilani Nikapitiya, Jehee Lee, Mahanama De Zoysa

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Saprolegniasis is one of the most devastating fungal diseases in freshwater fish which is caused by species in the genus Saprolegnia including Saprolegnia parasitica. In this study, we isolated the strain of S. parasitica from diseased rainbow trout in Korea. Morphological and molecular based identification confirmed that isolated fungi belong to the member of S. parasitica, supported by its typical fungal features including cotton-like whitish mycelium, zoospores (primary and secondary) and phylogenetic analysis with internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Pathogenicity of isolated S. parasitica was developed in embryo, larvae, juvenile and adult zebrafish as a disease model. Up regulation of host genes encoding ZfTnf-α, Zfc-Rel, ZfIl-12, ZfLyz-c, Zfβ-def, and ZfHsp-70 was identified in zebrafish larvae after experimental challenge of S. parasitica showing the host immune responses against the S. parasitica. Survival of the juveniles upon fungal infection might be due to the increased immune protection in the host. Investigation of antifungal susceptibility of S. parasitica with natural lawsone (2-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone) revealed the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and percentage inhibition of radial growth (PIRG %) as 200 µg/mL and 31.8%, respectively. Lawsone was able to change the membrane permeability, and cause irreversible damage and disintegration to the cellular membranes of S. parasitica which might have effect on fungi growth inhibition. Moreover, the mycelium exposed to lawsone (MIC level) changed the transcriptional responses of S. parasitica genes. Overall results indicate that lawsone could be a potential and novel anti-S. parasitica agent for controlling S. parasitica infection.

Keywords: host-pathogen interactions, lawsone, rainbow trout, Saprolegnia parasitica, Saprolegniasis, zebrafish

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Authors: Leila Fozouni, Anahita Mazandarani

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Background: Maternal infections are the most common cause of infections in infants, and the level of infection and its severity highly depends on the degree of colonization of the bacteria in the mother; so, the occurrence of aggressive diseases is not unpredictable in mothers with very high colonization. Group B Streptococcus is part of the normal flora of the gastrointestinal and genital tracts in women and is the leading cause of septicemia and meningitis in newborns. Today Zinc oxide nanoparticle is regarded as one of the most commonly used and safest nanoparticles for defeating Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. This study aims to determine the antibacterial effects of Zinc oxide on the growth of drug-resistant group B Streptococcus strains isolated from pregnant women. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 150 pregnant women of 28–37 weeks admitted to seven hospitals and maternity wards in Golestan province, northeast of Iran. For bacterial identification, rectovaginal swabs were firstly inoculated to the Todd-Hewitt Broth and cultured in blood agar (containing 5% sheep blood). Then microbiologic and PCR methods were performed to detect group B Streptococci. Disk diffusion and broth microdilution tests were used to determine the bacterial susceptibility to antibiotics according to CLSI M100(2021) criteria. The antibacterial properties of Zinc oxide nanoparticles were evaluated using the agar well-diffusion method. Results: The prevalence of group B Streptococcus was 18% in pregnant women. Out of twenty-seven positive cultures, 62.96% were higher than thirty years old. Ninety percent and 45% of isolates were resistant to clindamycin and erythromycin, respectively, and susceptibility to cefazolin was 71%. In addition, susceptibility to ampicillin and penicillin were 74% and 55%, respectively. The results showed that 82% of erythromycin-resistant, 92% clindamycin-resistant, and 78% of cefazolin-resistant isolates were eliminated by zinc oxide nanoparticles at a concentration of 100 mg/L of the nanoparticle. Furthermore, ZnONPs could inhibit all drug-resistant isolates at a concentration of 200 mg/mL (MIC90 ≥ 200). Conclusion: Since the drug resistance of group B streptococci against various antibiotics is increasing, determining and investigating the drug-resistance pattern of this bacterium to different antibiotics in order to prevent arbitrary consumption of antibiotics by pregnant women and ultimately prevent Infant mortality seems necessary. Generally, ZnONPs showed a high antimicrobial effect, and it was revealed that the bactericide effect increases upon the increase in the concentration of the nanoparticle.

Keywords: group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus, pregnant women, zinc oxide nanoparticles, drug resistance

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Authors: Abderafi Charki, David Bigaud

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The aim of this oral speach is to present the PVMODREL© (PhotoVoltaic MODule RELiability) new software developed in the University of Angers. This new tool permits us to evaluate the lifetime and reliability of a PV module whatever its geographical location and environmental conditions. The electrical power output of a PV module decreases with time mainly as a result of the effects of corrosion, encapsulation discoloration, and solder bond failure. The failure of a PV module is defined as the point where the electrical power degradation reaches a given threshold value. Accelerated life tests (ALTs) are commonly used to assess the reliability of a PV module. However, ALTs provide limited data on the failure of a module and these tests are expensive to carry out. One possible solution is to conduct accelerated degradation tests. The Wiener process in conjunction with the accelerated failure time model makes it possible to carry out numerous simulations and thus to determine the failure time distribution based on the aforementioned threshold value. By this means, the failure time distribution and the lifetime (mean and uncertainty) can be evaluated. An example using the damp heat test is shown to demonstrate the usefulness PVMODREL.

Keywords: lifetime, reliability, PV Module, accelerated life testing, accelerated degradation testing

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Authors: Sita Yiemkuntitavorn

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The purposes of this research were to: (1) Develop a distance training package on the teaching principles foundation english language in order to gain the teaching ability for secondary school english teachers in Bangkok and its vicinity (2) study the satisfaction of English teachers towards the quality of a distance training package. The samples for the efficiency testing consisted of 30 english teachers in Bangkok and its vicinity, obtained by purposive sampling. Research tools comprised (1) a distance learning package on the foundation of English writing for teachers. (2) The questionnaires asking the teachers on the quality of the distance training package, and (3) two parallel forms of an achievement test for pre-testing and post-testing. Statistics used were the E1/E2 index, mean and standard deviation. Research findings showed that, (1) the distance training package were efficient at 80.2/80.6 according to the set efficiency criterion of 80/80; (2) and the satisfaction of the teachers on the distance training package of the teaching principles of foundation english for secondary school english teachers in Bangkok and its vicinity was at “Satisfied” level.

Keywords: a distance training package, teaching principles of foundation english, secondary school, Bangkok and its vicinity

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Authors: Elsa Makue Nguuffo, Esther Del Florence Moni Ndedi, Jacky Njiki Bikoï, Jean Paul Assam Assam, Maximilienne Ascension Nyegue

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Aims: The present study aims to evaluate the kinetic parameters of essential oils (EOs) and combinations fromDrypetes gossweileri Stem Bark, Ocimum gratissimum leaves, Cymbopogon citratusleaves after evaluation of their antibacterial activityonmultidrug-resistant strains ofShigella. Material and Methods:fiveclinical strains of Shigellaisolated from patients with diarrhoeaincluding Shigella flexneri, and 4 otherstrains of Shigella sppwere selected. Their antibiotic profile was established using agar test diffusion with seven antibiotics belonging to seven classes.EOs were extracted from each plant using hydrodistillation process. The activity of Ciprofloxacin®, OEs, and their combination formulatedinthe followingratios(w/w/w): C1: 1/1/1; C2: 2/1/1; C3: 1/2/1, C4:1/1/2 was evaluated microdilution assay. The various interactions of OEs in the different combinations were determined then the OE and the most active combination were retained to determine their kinetic parameters on S. flexneri. Results: Antibiotic susceptibility tests revealed that most Shigella isolates (n = 4) were resistant to six antibiotics tested. Ciprofloxacin (40%), Nalidixic acid (60%), Tetracycline (80%), Amoxicillin (100%), Cefotaxime (80%), Erythromycin (100%), and Cotrimoxazole (80%) were the profiles found in the different strains of Shigella. About the antibacterial activity of OEs, Drypetes gossweileriOE and C2 combination had shown a higher Shigellicide property with a Minimal Inhibitory Concentration(MIC) respectivelyranging from 0.078 mg/mL to 0.312 mg/mL and 0.012 to 1.562 mg/mL. Combinations of OEs showed various interactions whose synergistic effects were mostly encountered. The best deactivation was obtained by the combination C2 at 16 MIC withb= 1.962. Conclusion: the susceptibility of Shigella to OEs and their combinations justifies their use in traditional medicine in the treatment of shigellosis.

Keywords: shigella, multidrug-resistant, EOs, kinetic

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Authors: Williams A. Adu, Cynthia A. Danquah, Paul P. S. Ossei, Selase Ativui, Michael Ofori, James Asenso, George Owusu

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Background Silicosis is an occupational disease of the lung that is caused by chronic exposure to silica dust. There is a higher frequency of co-existence of silicosis with tuberculosis (TB), ultimately resulting in lung fibrosis and respiratory failure. Chronic intake of synthetic drugs has resulted in undesirable side effects. Diosgenin is a steroidal saponin that has been shown to exert a therapeutic effect on lung injury. Therefore, we investigated the ability of diosgenin to reduce the susceptibility of silica-induced TB in rats. Method Silicosis was induced by intratracheal instillation of 50 mg/kg crystalline silica in Sprague Dawley rats. Different doses of diosgenin (1, 10, and 100 mg/kg), Mycobacterium smegmatis and saline were administered for 30 days. Afterwards, 5 of the rats from each group were sacrificed, and the 5 remaining rats in each group, except the control, received Mycobacterium smegmatis. Treatment of diosgenin continued until the 50th day, and the rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment. The result was analysed using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with a Graph-pad prism Result At a half-maximal inhibition concentration of 48.27 µM, diosgenin inhibited the growth of Mycobacterium smegmatis. There was a marked decline in the levels of immune cell infiltration and cytokines production. Lactate dehydrogenase and total protein levels were significantly reduced compared to control. There was an increase in the survival rate of the treatment group compared to the control. Conclusion Diosgenin ameliorated silica-induced pulmonary tuberculosis by declining the levels of inflammatory and pro-inflammatory cytokines and, in effect, significantly reduced the susceptibility of rats to pulmonary TB.

Keywords: silicosis, tuberculosis, diosgenin, fibrosis, crystalline silica

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Authors: Yu-Lin Shen, Ming-Kuen Chang

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In addition to a considerable amount of machinery and equipment, intricacies of the transmission pipeline exist in Petrochemical plants. Long term corrosion may lead to pipeline thinning and rupture, causing serious safety concerns. With the advances in non-destructive testing technology, more rapid and long-range ultrasonic detection techniques are often used for pipeline inspection, EMAT without coupling to detect, it is a non-contact ultrasonic, suitable for detecting elevated temperature or roughened e surface of line. In this study, we prepared artificial defects in pipeline for Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer Testing (EMAT) to survey the relationship between the defect location, sizing and the EMAT signal. It was found that the signal amplitude of EMAT exhibited greater signal attenuation with larger defect depth and length.. In addition, with bigger flat hole diameter, greater amplitude attenuation was obtained. In summary, signal amplitude attenuation of EMAT was affected by the defect depth, defect length and the hole diameter and size.

Keywords: EMAT, NDT, artificial defect, ultrasonic testing

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Authors: Nicki Mohammadi, Emma Reford, Natalia Romano Spica, Laura Tabacof, Jenna Tosto-Mancuso, David Putrino, Christopher P. Kellner

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Introductory Statement: The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic demanded an unprecedented need for the rapid development, dispersal, and application of infection testing. However, despite the impressive mobilization of resources, individuals were incredibly limited in their access to tests, particularly during the initial months of the pandemic (March-April 2020) in New York City (NYC). Access to COVID-19 testing is crucial in understanding patients’ illness experiences and integral to the development of COVID-19 standard-of-care protocols, especially in the context of overall access to healthcare resources. Succinct Description of basic methodologies: 18 Patients in a COVID-19 Remote Patient Monitoring Program (Precision Recovery within the Mount Sinai Health System) were interviewed regarding their experience with COVID-19 during the first wave (March-May 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City. Patients were asked about their experiences navigating COVID-19 diagnoses, the health care system, and their recovery process. Transcribed interviews were analyzed for thematic codes, using grounded theory to guide the identification of emergent themes and codebook development through an iterative process. Data coding was performed using NVivo12. References for the domain “testing” were then extracted and analyzed for themes and statistical patterns. Clear Indication of Major Findings of the study: 100% of participants (18/18) referenced COVID-19 testing in their interviews, with a total of 79 references across the 18 transcripts (average: 4.4 references/interview; 2.7% interview coverage). 89% of participants (16/18) discussed the difficulty of access to testing, including denial of testing without high severity of symptoms, geographical distance to the testing site, and lack of testing resources at healthcare centers. Participants shared varying perspectives on how the lack of certainty regarding their COVID-19 status affected their course of recovery. One participant shared that because she never tested positive she was shielded from her anxiety and fear, given the death toll in NYC. Another group of participants shared that not having a concrete status to share with family, friends and professionals affected how seriously onlookers took their symptoms. Furthermore, the absence of a positive test barred some individuals from access to treatment programs and employment support. Concluding Statement: Lack of access to COVID-19 testing in the first wave of the pandemic in NYC was a prominent element of patients’ illness experience, particularly during their recovery phase. While for some the lack of concrete results was protective, most emphasized the invalidating effect this had on the perception of illness for both self and others. COVID-19 testing is now widely accessible; however, those who are unable to demonstrate a positive test result but who are still presumed to have had COVID-19 in the first wave must continue to adapt to and live with the effects of this gap in knowledge and care on their recovery. Future efforts are required to ensure that patients do not face barriers to care due to the lack of testing and are reassured regarding their access to healthcare. Affiliations- 1Department of Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 2Abilities Research Center, Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY

Keywords: accessibility, COVID-19, recovery, testing

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Authors: Alexandra Roy

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Building on literature on cognitive matching and social categorization and using the correspondence testing method, we test the interaction effect of person characteristics (Gender with physical attractiveness) and job context (client contact, industry status, coworker contact). As expected, while findings show a strong impact of gender with beauty on hiring chances, job context characteristics have also a significant overall effect of this hiring outcome. Moreover, the rate of positive responses varies according some of the recruiter’s characteristics. Results are robust to various sensitivity checks. Implications of the results, limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords: correspondence testing, discrimination, hiring, physical attractiveness

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Authors: Rudolf Hela, Lenka Bodnarova

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Paper focuses on experimental testing of possibilities of mechanical activation of fly ash and observation of influence of specific surface and granulometry on final properties of fresh and hardened concrete. Mechanical grinding prepared various fineness of fly ash, which was classed by specific surface in accordance with Blain and their granulometry was determined by means of laser granulometer. Then, sets of testing specimens were made from mix designs of identical composition with 25% or Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R replaced with fly ash with various specific surface and granulometry. Mix design with only Portland cement was used as reference. Mix designs were tested on consistency of fresh concrete and compressive strength after 7, 28, 60, and 90 days.

Keywords: concrete, fly ash, latent hydraulicity, mechanically activated fly ash

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Authors: Mohamed H. Khalifa, Fikry I. El-Shahawi, Nabil A. Mansour

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The cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) is a major insect pest of vegetables and cotton crops in Egypt, and exhibits different levels of tolerance to certain insecticides. Chlorantraniliprole has been registered recently in Egypt for control this insect. The susceptibilities of three S. littoralis populations collected from El Behaira governorate, north Egypt to chlorantraniliprole were determined by leaf-dipping technique on 4^th instar larvae. Obvious variation of toxicity was observed among the laboratory susceptible, and three field populations with LC₅₀ values ranged between 1.53 µg/ml and 6.22 µg/ml. However, all the three field populations were less susceptible to chlorantraniliprole than a laboratory susceptible population. The most tolerant populations were sampled from El Delengat (ED) Province where S. littoralis had been frequently challenged by insecticides. Certain enzyme activity assays were carried out to be correlated with the mechanism of the observed field population tolerance. All field populations showed significantly enhanced activities of detoxification enzymes compared with the susceptible strain. The regression analysis between chlorantraniliprole toxicities and enzyme activities revealed that the highest correlation is between α-esterase or β-esterase (α-β-EST) activity and collected field strains susceptibility, otherwise this correlation is not significant (P > 0.05). Synergism assays showed the ED and susceptible strains could be synergized by known detoxification inhibitors such as piperonyl butoxide (PBO), triphenyl phosphate (TPP) and diethyl-maleate (DEM) at different levels (1.01-8.76-fold and 1.09-2.94 fold, respectively), TPP showed the maximum synergism in both strains. The results show that there is a correlation between the enzyme activity and tolerance, and carboxylic-esterase (Car-EST) is likely the main detoxification mechanism responsible for tolerance of S. littoralis to chlorantraniliprole.

Keywords: chlorantraniliprole, detoxification enzymes, Egypt, Spodoptera littoralis

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Authors: Amy Gooden, Meshandren Naidoo

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Genetic research and transfers of big data are not confined to a particular jurisdiction, but there is a lack of clarity regarding the legal requirements for importing and exporting such data. Using direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) as an example, this research assesses the status of data sharing into and out of South Africa (SA). While SA laws cover the sending of genetic data out of SA, prohibiting such transfer unless a legal ground exists, the position where genetic data comes into the country depends on the laws of the country from where it is sent – making the legal position less clear.

Keywords: cross-border, data, genetic testing, law, regulation, research, sharing, South Africa

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Authors: Didik Sugiyanto

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Conditions that often occur in the framework of a particular vehicle at a car is a collision or collision with another object, an example of such damage is to the frame or chassis for the required design framework that is able to absorb impact energy. Characteristics of the material are influenced by the value of the stiffness of the material that need to be considered in choosing the material properties of the material. To obtain material properties that can be adapted to the experimental conditions tested the tensile and compression testing. In this study focused on the chassis at an angle of 150, 300, and 450. It is based on field studies that vehicle primarily for freight cars have a point of order light between 150 to 450. Research methods include design tools, design framework, procurement of materials and experimental tools, tool-making, the manufacture of the test framework, and the testing process, experiment is testing the power of the press to know the order. From this test obtained the maximum force on the corner of 150 was 569.76 kg at a distance of 16 mm, angle 300 is 370.3 kg at a distance of 15 mm, angle 450 is 391.71 kg at a distance of 28 mm. After reaching the maximum force the order will occur collapse, followed by a decrease in the next distance. It can be concluded that the greatest strain energy occurs at an angle of 150. So it is known that the frame at an angle of 150 produces the best level of security.

Keywords: buckling, collapse, body frame, vehicle

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Authors: Michael Tupý, Vít Petránek

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The paper is focused on testing of the poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) layer which had the function of a CO2 insulating protection against concrete and mortar carbonation. The barrier efficiency of PVB was verified by the measurement of diffusion characteristics. Two different types of PVB were tested; original extruded PVB sheet and PVB sheet made from PVB dispersion which was obtained from recycled windshields. The work deals with the testing CO2 diffusion when polymer sheets were exposed to a CO2 atmosphere (10% v/v CO2) with 0% RH. The excellent barrier capability against CO2 permeability of original and also recycled types of PVB layers was observed. This application of PVB waste can bring advantageous use in civil engineering and significant environmental contribution.

Keywords: windshield, poly(vinyl butyral), mortar, diffusion, carbonatation, polymer waste

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Authors: Chanchai Supaartagorn

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Structured Query Language (SQL) is the standard de facto language to access and manipulate data in a relational database. Although SQL is a language that is simple and powerful, most novice users will have trouble with SQL syntax. Thus, we are presenting SQL generator tool which is capable of translating actions and displaying SQL commands and data sets simultaneously. The tool was developed based on Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern. The MVC pattern is a widely used software design pattern that enforces the separation between the input, processing, and output of an application. Developers take full advantage of it to reduce the complexity in architectural design and to increase flexibility and reuse of code. In addition, we use White-Box testing for the code verification in the Model module.

Keywords: MVC, relational database, SQL, White-Box testing

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Authors: Samuel Oye Bandele

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A policy is a system of principles to guide activities and strategic decisions of an organisation in order to achieve stated objectives and meeting expected outcomes. A Computer Based Test (CBT) policy is therefore a statement of intent to drive the CBT programmes, and should be implemented as a procedure or protocol. Policies are hence generally adopted by an organization or a nation. The concern here, in this paper, is the consideration and analysis of issues that are significant to evolving the acceptable policy that will drive the new CBT innovation in Nigeria. Public examinations and internal examinations in higher educational institutions in Nigeria are gradually making a radical shift from Paper Based or Paper-Pencil to Computer-Based Testing. The need to make an objective and empirical analysis of Policy issues relating to CBT became expedient. The following are some of the issues on CBT evolution in Nigeria that were identified as requiring policy backing. Prominent among them are requirements for establishing CBT centres, purpose of CBT, types and acquisition of CBT equipment, qualifications of staff: professional, technical and regular, security plans and curbing of cheating during examinations, among others. The descriptive research design was employed based on a population consisting of Principal Officers (Policymakers), Staff (Teaching and non-Teaching-Policy implementors), and CBT staff ( Technical and Professional- Policy supports) and candidates (internal and external). A fifty-item researcher-constructed questionnaire on policy issues was employed to collect data from 600 subjects drawn from higher institutions in South West Nigeria, using the purposive and stratified random sampling techniques. Data collected were analysed using descriptive (frequency counts, means and standard deviation) and inferential (t-test, ANOVA, regression and Factor analysis) techniques. Findings from this study showed, among others, that the factor loadings had significantly weights on the organizational and National policy issues on CBT innovation in Nigeria.

Keywords: computer-based testing, examination, innovation, paper-based testing, paper pencil based testing, policy issues

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Authors: Renata Szewczyk, Beata Lachtara, Kinga Wieczorek, Jacek Osek

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Campylobacter is recognized as the main cause of bacterial gastrointestinal infections in Europe. A main source of the pathogen is poultry and poultry meat; however, other animals like pigs and cattle can also be reservoirs of the bacteria. Human Campylobacter infections are often self-limiting but in some cases, macrolide and fluoroquinolones have to be used. The aim of this study was to determine antimicrobial resistance patterns (AMR) of Campylobacter isolated from pig and cattle carcasses. Between July 2009 and December 2015, 735 swabs from pig (n = 457) and cattle (n = 278) carcasses were collected at Polish slaughterhouses. All samples were tested for the presence of Campylobacter by ISO 10272-1 and confirmed to species level using PCR. The antimicrobial susceptibility of Campylobacter isolates was determined by a microbroth dilution method with six antimicrobials: gentamicin (GEN), streptomycin (STR), erythromycin (ERY), nalidixic acid (NAL), ciprofloxacin (CIP) and tetracycline (TET). It was found that 167 of 735 samples (22.7%) were contaminated with Campylobacter. The vast majority of them were of pig origin (134; 80.2%), whereas for cattle carcasses Campylobacter was less prevalent (33; 19.8%). Among positive samples C. coli was predominant species (123; 73.7%) and it was isolated mainly from pig carcasses. The remaining isolates were identified as C. jejuni (44; 26.3%). Antimicrobial susceptibility indicated that 22 out of 167 Campylobacter (13.2%) were sensitive to all antimicrobials used. Fourteen of them were C. jejuni (63.6%; pig, n = 6; cattle, n = 8) and 8 was C. coli (36.4%; pig, n = 4; cattle, n = 4). Most of the Campylobacter isolates (145; 86.8%) were resistant to one or more antimicrobials (C. coli, n = 115; C. jejuni, n = 30). Comparing the AMR for Campylobacter species it was found that the most common pattern for C. jejuni was CIP-NAL-TET (9; 30.0%), whereas CIP-NAL-STR-TET was predominant among C. coli (47; 40.9%). Multiresistance, defined as resistance to three or more classes of antimicrobials, was found in 57 C. coli strains, mostly obtained from pig (52 isolates). On the other hand, only one C. jejuni strain, isolated from cattle, showed multiresistance with pattern CIP-NAL-STR-TET. Moreover, CIP-NAL-STR-TET was characteristic for most of multiresistant C. coli isolates (47; 82.5%). For the remaining C. coli the resistance patterns were CIP-ERY-NAL-TET (7 strains; 12.3%) and for one strain of each patterns: ERY-STR-TET, CIP-STR-TET, CIP-NAL-GEN-STR-TET. According to the present findings resistance to erythromycin was observed only in 11 C. coli (pig, n = 10; cattle, n = 1). In conclusion, the results of this study showed that pig carcasses may be a serious public health concern because of contamination with C. coli that might features multiresistance to antimicrobials.

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, Campylobacter, carcasses, multi resistance

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Authors: Muhammad Suhail Ibrahim, Ahmad Mujtaba

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Background: The accuracy of the most frequently used tests for diagnosing Helicobacter pylori is always under consideration in clinical settings. A reliable diagnosis is crucial to confirm the success of therapy. Objective: The aim of this research was to study the isolation frequency of H. pylori from patients compatible with gastritis or gastric ulcer and to compare some feasible non-invasive and invasive methods for the diagnosis of infection. Materials and Methods: Ninety-six gastric biopsy and blood samples were obtained with various gastroduodenal symptoms after obtaining informed consent. The biopsies were analyzed and compared using the culture, microscopic examination, histopathology, Rapid urease RUT), serology, biochemical, antibiotic susceptibility test and molecular method. Results: A number of 40 (41.67%) were considered H. pylori positive in both histopathology and RUT. On the other hand, 46 patients were positive against anti IgA and IgG by ELISA. Eighteen biopsies were positive according to the culture test. This was further confirmed by endoscopic examination, urease, catalase and oxidase tests. A high percentage of resistance to polymyxin B, amoxicillin, and kanamycin was observed (100, 88.89, and 77.78%, respectively). A gene (Cag A) was also detected by using molecular technique which appeared positive in 16 patients. The sensitivity/specificity (%) of diagnostic method was 95/77 for histology, 100/83.5 for rapid urease, 85.7/90 for gram staining, 100/66.6 for IgG serology, 100/79.5 for IgA serology, 100/75.0 for PCR, 100/79.04 for combination of RUT and IgG serology and 100/92.4 for combination of RUT, gram staining and IgG serology. Conclusion: In view of the result obtained, PCR appeared to be the most reliable test. However, higher sensitivity and specificity were also recorded for other tests. So, for more accurate results, it is advisable not to rely solely on a single method for detection.

Keywords: helicobacter pylori, isolation, detection, culture, urease, polymerase chain reaction, antibiotic susceptibility test, dyspeptic patients

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Authors: Polychronis Kapalidis

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In recent years, researchers have started to turn their attention to cyber security and maritime security independently, neglecting, in most cases, to examine the areas where these two critical issues are intertwined. The impact of cybersecurity issues on the maritime economy is emerging dramatically. Maritime transport and all related activities are conducted by technology-intensive platforms, which today rely heavily on information systems. The paper’s argument is that when no defense is completely effective against cyber attacks, it is vital to test responses to the inevitable incursions. Hence, preparedness in the form of testing existing cybersecurity structure via different tools for potential attacks is vital for minimizing risks. Traditional criminal activities may further be facilitated and evolved through the misuse of cyberspace. Kidnap, piracy, fraud, theft of cargo and imposition of ransomware are the major of these activities that mainly target the industry’s most valuable asset; the ship. The paper, adopting a case-study analysis, based on stakeholder consultation and secondary data analysis, namely policy and strategic-related documentation, presents the importance of holistic testing in the sector. Arguing that poor understanding of the issue leads to the adoption of ineffective policies the paper will present the level of awareness within the industry and assess the risks and vulnerabilities of ships to these cybercriminal activities. It will conclude by suggesting that testing procedures must be focused on three main pillars within the maritime transport sector: the human factor, the infrastructure, and the procedures.

Keywords: cybercrime, cybersecurity, organized crime, risk mitigation

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Authors: Tarek M. Alguhane, Ayman H. Khalil, M. N. Fayed, Ayman M. Ismail

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The elastic period has a primary role in the seismic assessment of buildings. Reliable calculations and/or estimates of the fundamental frequency of a building and its site are essential during analysis and design process. Various code formulas based on empirical data are generally used to estimate the fundamental frequency of a structure. For existing structures, in addition to code formulas and available analytical tools such as modal analyses, various methods of testing including ambient and forced vibration testing procedures may be used to determine dynamic characteristics. In this study, the dynamic properties of the 32 buildings located in the Madinah of Saudi Arabia were identified using ambient motions recorded at several, spatially-distributed locations within each building. Ambient vibration measurements of buildings have been analyzed and the fundamental longitudinal and transverse periods for all tested buildings are presented. The fundamental mode of vibration has been compared in plots with codes formulae (Saudi Building Code, EC8, and UBC1997). The results indicate that measured periods of existing buildings are shorter than that given by most empirical code formulas. Recommendations are given based on the common design and construction practice in Madinah city.

Keywords: ambient vibration, fundamental period, RC buildings, infill walls

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Authors: Jéssica Ferreira Rodrigues, Júlio Silvio De Sousa Bueno Filho, Vanessa Rios De Souza, Ana Carla Marques Pinheiro

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This study aimed to evaluate the implications of the block size and testing order on efficiency and precision of preference estimation for Dulce de leche samples. Efficiency was defined as the inverse of the average variance of pairwise comparisons among treatments. Precision was defined as the inverse of the variance of treatment means (or effects) estimates. The experiment was originally designed to test 16 treatments as a series of 8 Sudoku 16x16 designs being 4 randomized independently and 4 others in the reverse order, to yield balance in testing order. Linear mixed models were assigned to the whole experiment with 112 testers and all their grades, as well as their partially balanced subgroups, namely: a) experiment with the four initial EU; b) experiment with EU 5 to 8; c) experiment with EU 9 to 12; and b) experiment with EU 13 to 16. To record responses we used a nine-point hedonic scale, it was assumed a mixed linear model analysis with random tester and treatments effects and with fixed test order effect. Analysis of a cumulative random effects probit link model was very similar, with essentially no different conclusions and for simplicity, we present the results using Gaussian assumption. R-CRAN library lme4 and its function lmer (Fit Linear Mixed-Effects Models) was used for the mixed models and libraries Bayesthresh (default Gaussian threshold function) and ordinal with the function clmm (Cumulative Link Mixed Model) was used to check Bayesian analysis of threshold models and cumulative link probit models. It was noted that the number of samples tested in the same session can influence the acceptance level, underestimating the acceptance. However, proving a large number of samples can help to improve the samples discrimination.

Keywords: acceptance, block size, mixed linear model, testing order, testing order

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Authors: K. H. Reeta, Bhavana Prasher, Mitali Mukerji, Dhwani Dholakia, Sangeeta Khanna, Archana Vats, Shivam Pandey, Sandeep Seth, Subir Kumar Maulik

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Introduction Research has demonstrated a connection between coronary artery disease (CAD) and genetics. We did a deep literature mining using both bioinformatics and manual efforts to identify the susceptible polymorphisms in coronary artery disease. Further, the study sought to validate these findings in an Asian population. Methodology In first phase, we used an automated pipeline which organizes and presents structured information on SNPs, Population and Diseases. The information was obtained by applying Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to approximately 28 million PubMed abstracts. To accomplish this, we utilized Python scripts to extract and curate disease-related data, filter out false positives, and categorize them into 24 hierarchical groups using named Entity Recognition (NER) algorithms. From the extensive research conducted, a total of 466 unique PubMed Identifiers (PMIDs) and 694 Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) related to coronary artery disease (CAD) were identified. To refine the selection process, a thorough manual examination of all the studies was carried out. Specifically, SNPs that demonstrated susceptibility to CAD and exhibited a positive Odds Ratio (OR) were selected, and a final pool of 324 SNPs was compiled. The next phase involved validating the identified SNPs in DNA samples of 96 CAD patients and 37 healthy controls from Indian population using Global Screening Array. ResultsThe results exhibited out of 324, only 108 SNPs were expressed, further 4 SNPs showed significant difference of minor allele frequency in cases and controls. These were rs187238 of IL-18 gene, rs731236 of VDR gene, rs11556218 of IL16 gene and rs5882 of CETP gene. Prior researches have reported association of these SNPs with various pathways like endothelial damage, susceptibility of vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms, and reduction of HDL-cholesterol levels, ultimately leading to the development of CAD. Among these, only rs731236 had been studied in Indian population and that too in diabetes and vitamin D deficiency. For the first time, these SNPs were reported to be associated with CAD in Indian population. Conclusion: This pool of 324 SNP s is a unique kind of resource that can help to uncover risk associations in CAD. Here, we validated in Indian population. Further, validation in different populations may offer valuable insights and contribute to the development of a screening tool and may help in enabling the implementation of primary prevention strategies targeted at the vulnerable population.

Keywords: coronary artery disease, single nucleotide polymorphism, susceptible SNP, bioinformatics

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Authors: Harminder Singh

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Cold spray is a novel and emerging technology for the fabrication of coating. In this study, coating is successfully developed by this process on superalloy surface. The selected coating composition is already proved as corrosion resistant. The microstructure of the newly developed coating is examined by various characterization techniques, for testing its suitability for high temperature corrosive conditions of waste incinerator. The energy producing waste incinerators are still running at low efficiency, mainly due to their chlorine based highly corrosive conditions. The characterization results show that the developed cold sprayed coating structure is suitable for its further testing in highly aggressive conditions.

Keywords: coating, cold spray, corrosion, microstructure

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Authors: Ahmed M. Seyam, Rita Nemes, Salem Georges Nehme

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Europe and the United States have a worldwide significance in the field of concrete control and construction; according to that, a lot of countries adopted their standards and regulations in the concrete field, as proof of the Europe and US strong standards and due to lack of own regulations. The main controlled property of concrete are the compressive strength, flexure tensile strength, and modulus of elasticity as it relates both to its bearing capacity and to the durability of the elements built with it, so in this paper, ASTM standard and EN standards method of testing those properties were put under the microscope to compare the variations between them.

Keywords: concrete, ASTM, EU standards, compressive strength, flexural strength, modulus of elasticity

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Authors: Salmin Alshalmani, Ghazall M Benhusein, Ebtisam Alhadi Absomaha, Marwa I. Meshri, Hamdoon A. Mohammed, Jamal Mezogi

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Eight wild medicinal plants used by Libyan and growing in Al-Jebel Al-Akhdar, Libya were suspected to estimate the antioxidant activity using 2,2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl stable free radical (DPPH). Incidences of purple colour reduction of the DPPH by testing extracts in addition to quercetin and vitamin C as positive controls reflect its ability to scavenge free radicals. All testing plants extract showed noticeable strength as antioxidant regarding its abilities to scavenge DPPH with an especial regards to Sarcopoterium spinosum.

Keywords: antioxidant, scavenging activity, folk medicine, methanol extracts

Procedia PDF Downloads 601