Search results for: retail food risk factor study

Authors: Khaled Harrar, Rachid Jennane

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The purpose of this study is the discrimination of 28 postmenopausal with osteoporotic femoral fractures from an age-matched control group of 28 women using texture analysis based on fractals. Two pre-processing approaches are applied on radiographic images; these techniques are compared to highlight the choice of the pre-processing method. Furthermore, the values of the fractal dimension are compared to those of the fractal signature in terms of the classification of the two populations. In a second analysis, the BMD measure at proximal femur was compared to the fractal analysis, the latter, which is a non-invasive technique, allowed a better discrimination; the results confirm that the fractal analysis of texture on calcaneus radiographs is able to discriminate osteoporotic patients with femoral fracture from controls. This discrimination was efficient compared to that obtained by BMD alone. It was also present in comparing subgroups with overlapping values of BMD.

Keywords: osteoporosis, fractal dimension, fractal signature, bone mineral density

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Authors: Daniela F. Maluf, Fernanda Roters, Luma C. F. Silva

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The goal of this work is to report the main dermatological alterations occurring during pregnancy and actual cosmetic protocols available and recommended for safe use. Throughout pregnancy, woman's body undergoes many transformations such as hormonal changes and weight gain. These alterations can result in undesirable skin aspects that end up affecting the future mother's life. The main complaints of pregnant women involve melasma advent, varicose veins, edema, and natural skin aging. Even if most of the time is recommended to wait for the birth to use cosmetics, there are some alternatives to prevent and to treat these alterations during pregnancy. For all these cases, there is a need to update information about safety and efficacy of new actives and technologies in cosmetic products. The purpose of this study was to conduct a literature review about the main skin alterations during pregnancy and actual recommended treatments, according to the current legislation.

Keywords: pregnancy, cosmetic, treatment, physiological changes

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Authors: Won-Gon Kim

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A standardized system to describe the pressure-flow characteristics of a given cannula has recently been proposed and has been termed ‘the M-number’. Using three different sizes of aortic cannulas in 50 pediatric cardiac patients on hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, we analyzed the correlation between experimentally and clinically derived M-numbers, and found this was positive. Clinical M-numbers were typically 0.35 to 0.55 greater than experimental M-numbers, and correlated inversely with a patient's temperature change; this was most probably due to increased blood viscosity, arising from hypothermia. This inverse relationship was more marked in higher M-number cannulas. The clinical data obtained in this study suggest that experimentally derived M-numbers correlate strongly with clinical performance of the cannula, and that the influence of temperature is significant.

Keywords: cardiopulmonary bypass, M-number, aortic cannula, pressure-flow characteristics

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Authors: Rayhaneh Amooaghaie, Masoomeh Nabaei

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In this study, 200 µM Cd reduced relative seed germination, root elongation tolerance and seed germination tolerance index of Catharanthus roseus. The melatonin improved seed germination, germination velocity, seedling length and vigor index under Cd stress in a dose-dependent manner and the maximum biological responses obtained by 100 μM melatonin. However, 200-400 μM melatonin and 400 μM SNP had negative effects that evidenced as lower germination indices and poor establishment of seedlings. The cadmium suppressed amylase activity and contents of soluble and reducing sugars in germinating seeds, thereby reduced seed germination and subsequent seedling growth whereas increased electrolyte leakage. These Cd-induced inhibitory effects were ameliorated by melatonin.

Keywords: cadmium, Catharanthus roseus, melatonin, seed germination

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Authors: C. Nobre, C. C. Castro, A.-L. Hantson, J. A. Teixeira, L. R. Rodrigues, G. De Weireld

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Fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) are produced from sucrose by Aureobasidium pullulans in yields between 40-60% (w/w). To increase the amount of FOS it is necessary to remove the small, non-prebiotic sugars, present. Two methods for producing high-purity FOS have been developed: the use of microorganisms able to consume small saccharides; and the use of continuous chromatography to separate sugars: simulated moving bed (SMB). It is herein proposed the combination of both methods. The aim of this study is to optimize the composition of the fermentative broth (in terms of salts and sugars) that will be further purified by SMB. A yield of 0.63 gFOS.g Sucrose-1 was obtained with A. pullulans using low amounts of salts in the initial fermentative broth. By removing the small sugars, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Zymomonas mobilis increased the percentage of FOS from around 56.0% to 83% (w/w) in average, losing only 10% (w/w) of FOS during the recovery process.

Keywords: fructo-oligosaccharides, microbial treatment, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zymomonas mobilis

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Authors: Ouaaz Oum Essaad, Melbouci Bachir

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The experimental study conducted has a dual purpose: to valorize the clay material in the road domain and improve the lift of the shape layers by strengthening with plastic waste (in the form of aggregates). To do this, six mixtures of Clay and sand of different percentages were studied: 100% Clay, 95% Clay + 05% Sand, 90% Clay + 10% Sand, 85% Clay + 15% Sand, 80% Clay + 20% Sand, 75% Clay + 25% Sand. Proctor compaction and simple compression tests have been carried out on mixtures (sand + clay + plastic waste). The results obtained show a clear evolution of the characteristics of the Proctor test and the compressive strength of the mixtures according to the different types and percentages of the recycled plastic Plasticity and consistency index are important parameters that play a role in the toughness of plastic soil.

Keywords: valorization, recycling, soil mixture, mechanical tests

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Authors: Suleiman Bashir Adamu, Lawan Sani Taura

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We study the role of boundary conditions via -symmetric quantum mechanics, where denotes parity operator and denotes time reversal operator. Using the one-dimensional Schrödinger Hamiltonian for a free particle in an infinite square well, we introduce symmetric boundary conditions. We find solutions of the 1D Klein-Gordon equation for a free particle in an infinite square well with Hermitian boundary and symmetry boundary conditions, where in both cases the energy eigenvalues and eigenfunction, respectively, are obtained.

Keywords: Eigenvalues, Eigenfunction, Hamiltonian, Klein- Gordon equation, PT-symmetric quantum mechanics

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Authors: Y. Salfati, D. Sharef Bussel, J. Zamir

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In this paper, we present an Evaluation Case Study implementing the eight principles of Collaborative Approaches to Evaluation (CAE) as designed by Brad Cousins in the past decade. The focus of this paper is sharing a rich experience in which we achieved two main goals. The first was the development of a valuable and meaningful new teacher training program, and the second was a successful implementation of the CAE principles. The innovative teacher training program is based on the idea of including physical movement during the process of teaching and learning academic themes. The program is called Learning through Movement. This program is a response to a call from the Ministry of Education, claiming that today children sit in front of screens and do not exercise any physical activity. In order to contribute to children’s health, physical, and cognitive development, the Ministry of Education promotes learning through physical activities. Research supports the idea that sports and physical exercise improve academic achievements. The Learning through Movement program is operated by Kaye Academic College. Students in the Elementary School Training Program, together with students in the Physical Education Training Program, implement the program in collaboration with two mentors from the College. The program combines academic learning with physical activity. The evaluation began at the beginning of the program. During the evaluation process, data was collected by means of qualitative tools, including interviews with mentors, observations during the students’ collaborative planning, class observations at school and focus groups with students, as well as the collection of documentation related to the teamwork and to the program itself. The data was analyzed using content analysis and triangulation. The preliminary results show outcomes relating to the Teacher Training Programs, the student teachers, the pupils in class, the role of Physical Education teachers, and the evaluation. The Teacher Training Programs developed a collaborative approach to lesson planning. The students' teachers demonstrated a change in their basic attitudes towards the idea of integrating physical activities during the lessons. The pupils indicated higher motivation through full participation in classes. These three outcomes are indicators of the success of the program. An additional significant outcome of the program relates to the status and role of the physical education teachers, changing their role from marginal to central in the school. Concerning evaluation, a deep sense of trust and confidence was achieved, between the evaluator and the whole team. The paper includes the perspectives and challenges of the heads and mentors of the two programs as well as the evaluator’s conclusions. The evaluation unveils challenges in conducting a CAE evaluation in such a complex setting.

Keywords: collaborative evaluation, training teachers, learning through movement

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Authors: Suteera Pradubwong, Pattama Surit, Sumalee Pongpagatip, Tharinee Pethchara, Bowornsilp Chowchuen

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Background: Cleft lip and palate (CLP) is a congenital anomaly of the lip and palate that is caused by several factors. It was found in approximately one per 500 to 550 live births depending on nationality and socioeconomic status. The Tawanchai Center and out-patients surgical room of Srinagarind Hospital are responsible for providing care to patients with CLP (starting from birth to adolescent) and their caregivers. From the observations and interviews with nurses working in these units, they reported that both patients and their caregivers confronted many problems which affected their physical and mental health. Based on the Soukup’s model (2000), the researchers used evidence triggers from clinical practice (practice triggers) and related literature (knowledge triggers) to investigate the problems. Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the problems of care for patients with CLP in the Tawanchai Center and out-patient surgical room of Srinagarind Hospital. Material and Method: The descriptive method was used in this study. For practice triggers, the researchers obtained the data from medical records of ten patients with CLP and from interviewing two patients with CLP, eight caregivers, two nurses, and two assistant workers. Instruments for the interview consisted of a demographic data form and a semi-structured questionnaire. For knowledge triggers, the researchers used a literature search. The data from both practice and knowledge triggers were collected between February and May 2016. The quantitative data were analyzed through frequency and percentage distributions, and the qualitative data were analyzed through a content analysis. Results: The problems of care gained from practice and knowledge triggers were consistent and were identified as holistic issues, including 1) insufficient feeding, 2) risks of respiratory tract infections and physical disorders, 3) psychological problems, such as anxiety, stress, and distress, 4) socioeconomic problems, such as stigmatization, isolation, and loss of income, 5)spiritual problems, such as low self-esteem and low quality of life, 6) school absence and learning limitation, 7) lack of knowledge about CLP and its treatments, 8) misunderstanding towards roles among the multidisciplinary team, 9) no available services, and 10) shortage of healthcare professionals, especially speech-language pathologists (SLPs). Conclusion: From evidence-triggers, the problems of care affect the patients and their caregivers holistically. Integrated long-term care by the multidisciplinary team is needed for children with CLP starting from birth to adolescent. Nurses should provide effective care to these patients and their caregivers by using a holistic approach and working collaboratively with other healthcare providers in the multidisciplinary team.

Keywords: evidence-triggers, cleft lip, cleft palate, problems of care

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Authors: Dongkoo Yun, Melissa James-MacEachern

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This study analyzes Americans’ views of four Atlantic Canadian provinces as travel destinations regarding specific destination attributes for a pleasure trip, awareness (heard) of the destinations, past visit to the destinations during the prior two years, and intention to visit in the next two years. Results indicate that American travellers perceived the four Atlantic Canadian provinces as separate and distinct when rating best-fit destination attributes to each destination. The results suggest that travel destinations, specifically the four selected destinations, must be prepared to differentiate their destination’s image and the range of experiences and services to appeal and attract more American travellers.

Keywords: American perceptions, Atlantic Canadian provinces, competitiveness, positioning analysis

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Authors: L. K. Akila

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Art activities can fund as a clinical support tool (CST) between interventions in Art Therapy to direct the client back towards better outcome goals. In the present study, during free art sessions, researcher examined the possibilities of motivating the adolescent group to involve in art making process by reflecting upon art intervention administered. Results show that adolescents’ reflecting upon their art works generated during the intervention; could change their perceptions and cognitions to improve their positive approach by restructuring their art expressions. Consequently, such reflections triggered and improved their emotions, feelings and ideas, and produced secure attachment between family, peers and teachers. By the end of interference, transformations experienced were effective more upon depression, self-image, and self-efficacy, and to a certain extent on aggressive patterns represented.

Keywords: adolescent, adolescent psychology, aggression, art, art therapy, cognition, depression, emotion, self-image

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Authors: Natalia Banasik

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Comprehension of verbal irony is an example of pragmatic competence in understanding figurative language. The knowledge of how it develops may shed new light on the understanding of social and communicative competence that is crucial for one's effective functioning in the society. Researchers agree it is a competence that develops late in a child’s development. One of the abilities that seems crucial for irony comprehension is theory of mind (ToM), that is the ability to understand that others may have beliefs, desires and intentions different from one’s own. Although both theory of mind and irony comprehension require the ability to understand the figurative use of the false description of the reality, the exact relationship between them is still unknown. Also, even though irony comprehension in children has been studied for over thirty years, the results of the studies are inconsistent as to the age when this competence are acquired. The presented study aimed to answer questions about the developmental trajectories of irony comprehension and ascribing function to ironic utterances by preschool children. Specifically, we were interested in how it is related to the development of ToM and how comprehension of the function of irony changes with age. Data was collected from over 150 monolingual, Polish-speaking children and (so far) thirty bilingual children speaking Polish and English who live in the US. Four-, five- and six-year-olds were presented with a story comprehension task in the form of audio and visual stimuli programmed in the E-prime software (pre-recorded narrated stories, some of which included ironic utterances, and pictures accompanying the stories displayed on a touch screen). Following the presentation, the children were then asked to answer a series of questions. The questions checked the children’s understanding of the intended utterance meaning, evaluation of the degree to which it was funny and evaluation of how nice the speaker was. The children responded by touching the screen, which made it possible to measure reaction times. Additionally, the children were asked to explain why the speaker had uttered the ironic statement. Both quantitive and qualitative analyses were applied. The results of our study indicate that for irony recognition there is a significant difference among the three age groups, but what is new is that children as young as four do understand the real meaning behind the ironic statement as long as the utterance is not grammtically or lexically complex also, there is a clear correlation of ToM and irony comprehension. Although four-year olds and six-year olds understand the real meaning of the ironic utterance, it is not earlier than at the age of six when children start to explain the reason of using this marked form of expression. They talk about the speaker's intention to tell a joke, be funny, or to protect the listener's emotions. There are also some metalinguistic references, such as "mommy sometimes says things that don't make sense and this is called a metaphor".

Keywords: child's pragmatics, figurative speech, irony comprehension in children, theory of mind and irony

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Authors: Mostafa Rajabi, Kazem Mahanpoor

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Performances of the methyl red (MR) dye adsorption on poly(methyl methacrylate)/graphene oxide (PMMA/GO) and poly(methyl methacrylate)/graphene oxide-Fe3O4 (PMMA/GO-Fe3O4) nanocomposites as adsorbents were investigated. Our results showed that for adsorption of MR dye on PMMA/GO-Fe3O4 and PMMA/GO nanocomposites, 80 minutes, 298 K, and pH 2 were the best contact time, temperature and pH value for process, respectively, because the optimum adsorption of the MR dye with both nanocomposite adsorbents were observed in these values of the parameters. The equilibrium study results showed that PMMA/GO-Fe3O4 and PMMA/GO were suitable adsorbents for MR dye removing and were best in agreement with the Langmuir isotherm model.

Keywords: adsorption, isotherm, methyl methacrylate, methyl red, nanocomposite, nano magnetic Fe3O4

Procedia PDF Downloads 167

Authors: Jarunee Wonglimpiyarat

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This paper explores the innovation management strategy of Thailand in moving towards the Detroit of Asia. The study analyses Thailand’s automotive cluster based on Porter’s Diamond Model and national innovation system (NIS) framework. A qualitative methodology was carried out, using semi-structured interviews with the players in the Thai automotive industry. Thailand took a different NIS approach by pursuing an Original Equipment Manufacture (OEM) strategy to attract foreign investments in building its automotive cluster, a different path from other Asian countries that competed with Own Brand Manufacture (OBM) strategies. The findings provide useful lessons for other newly industrialized countries (NICs) in adopting the cluster policies to move up the technological ladders.

Keywords: innovation management strategy, national innovation system (NIS), Detroit of Asia, original equipment manufacturer (OEM)

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Authors: Eyup Ozkan, Ozkan U. Nalbantoglu, Aycan Gundogdu, Mehmet Hora, A. Emre Onuk

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The human microbiome has been associated with cardiological conditions and this relationship is becoming to be defined beyond the gastrointestinal track. In this study, we investigate the alteration in circulatory microbiota in the context of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). We received circulatory blood samples from suspected CAD patients and maintain 16S ribosomal RNA sequencing to identify each patient’s microbiome. It was found that Corynebacterium and Methanobacteria genera show statistically significant differences between healthy and CAD patients. The overall biodiversities between the groups were observed to be different revealed by machine learning classification models. We also achieve and demonstrate the performance of a diagnostic method using circulatory blood microbiome-based estimation.

Keywords: coronary artery disease, blood microbiome, machine learning, angiography, next-generation sequencing

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Authors: H. Nabaei, M. Joghataie

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In this article, we study the design methods of matched filter with commercial software including CST Studio and ADS in specific frequency: 900 MHz. At first, we select two amounts of impedance for studying matching of them. Then, using by matched filter utility tool in ADS software, we simulate and deviate the elements of matched filters. In the following, we implement matched filter in CST STUDIO software. The simulated results show the great conformity in this field. Also, we peruse scattering and Impedance parameters in the Derivative structure. Finally, the layout of matched filter is obtained by the schematic tool of CST STUDIO. In fact, here, we present the design process of matched filters in the specific frequency.

Keywords: impedance matching, lumped element, transmission line, maximum power transmission, 3D layout

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Authors: Maryam Hasanali, Syed Mohammad Mojtabaei, Iman Hajirasouliha, G. Charles Clifton, James B. P. Lim

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Cold-formed steel (CFS) elements are increasingly being used as main load-bearing components in the modern construction industry, including low- to mid-rise buildings. In typical multi-storey buildings, CFS structural members act as beam-column elements since they are exposed to combined axial compression and bending actions, both in moment-resisting frames and stud wall systems. Current design specifications, including the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI S100) and the Australian/New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS 4600), neglect the beneficial effects of warping-restrained boundary conditions in the design of beam-column elements. Furthermore, while a non-linear relationship governs the interaction of axial compression and bending, the combined effect of these actions is taken into account through a simplified linear expression combining pure axial and flexural strengths. This paper aims to evaluate the reliability of the well-known Direct Strength Method (DSM) as well as design proposals found in the literature to provide a better understanding of the efficiency of the code-prescribed linear interaction equation in the strength predictions of CFS beam columns and the effects of warping-restrained boundary conditions on their behavior. To this end, the experimentally validated finite element (FE) models of CFS elements under compression and bending were developed in ABAQUS software, which accounts for both non-linear material properties and geometric imperfections. The validated models were then used for a comprehensive parametric study containing 270 FE models, covering a wide range of key design parameters, such as length (i.e., 0.5, 1.5, and 3 m), thickness (i.e., 1, 2, and 4 mm) and cross-sectional dimensions under ten different load eccentricity levels. The results of this parametric study demonstrated that using the DSM led to the most conservative strength predictions for beam-column members by up to 55%, depending on the element’s length and thickness. This can be sourced by the errors associated with (i) the absence of warping-restrained boundary condition effects, (ii) equations for the calculations of buckling loads, and (iii) the linear interaction equation. While the influence of warping restraint is generally less than 6%, the code suggested interaction equation led to an average error of 4% to 22%, based on the element lengths. This paper highlights the need to provide more reliable design solutions for CFS beam-column elements for practical design purposes.

Keywords: beam-columns, cold-formed steel, finite element model, interaction equation, warping-restrained boundary conditions

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Authors: S. Belgherras Bekkouche, T. Benouaz, S. M. A. Bekkouche

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Tokamak plasma is far from having a stable background. The study of turbulent transport is an important part of the current research and advanced scenarios were devised to minimize it. To do this, we used a three-wave interaction model which allows to investigate the occurrence drift-wave turbulence driven by pressure gradients in the edge plasma of a tokamak. In order to simulate the energy redistribution among different modes, the growth/decay rates for the three waves was added. After a numerical simulation, we can determine certain aspects of the temporal dynamics exhibited by the model. Indeed for a wide range of the wave decay rate, an intermittent transition from periodic behavior to chaos is observed. Then, a control strategy of chaos was introduced with the aim of reducing or eliminating the weak turbulence.

Keywords: wave interaction, plasma drift waves, wave turbulence, tokamak, edge plasma, chaos

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Authors: Andrei-Marius Sandu

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This study aims to analyze the bovine meat and milk sector for the period 2007-2013. For the period analyzed, it is known that Romania has benefited from EU funding through the National Rural Development Programme 2007-2013. In this programme, there were measures that addressed exclusively the animal husbandry sector in Romania. This paper presents data on bovine production of meat, milk and livestock in Romania, but also data on the price and impact the European Funds implementation had on them.

Keywords: European funds, measures, national rural development programme, price

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Authors: G. Gurguze, I. Turkoglu

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Today, the developing features of technological tools with limited energy resources have made it necessary to use energy efficiently. Energy management techniques have emerged for this purpose. As with every field, energy management is vital for robots that are being used in many areas from industry to daily life and that are thought to take up more spaces in the future. Particularly, effective power management in autonomous and multi robots, which are getting more complicated and increasing day by day, will improve the performance and success. In this study, robot management algorithms, usage of renewable and hybrid energy sources, robot motion patterns, robot designs, sharing strategies of workloads in multiple robots, road and mission planning algorithms are discussed for efficient use of energy resources by mobile robots. These techniques have been evaluated in terms of efficient use of existing energy resources and energy management in robots.

Keywords: energy management, mobile robot, robot administration, robot management, robot planning

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Authors: Bronwyn Griffin, Caroline Acton, Tona Gillen, Roy Kimble

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Background: Bicycle riding is a common recreational activity enjoyed by many children throughout Australia that has been associated with the usual caveat of benefits related to exercise and recreation. Given Australia was the first country in the world to introduce cyclist helmet laws in 1991, very few publications have reviewed paediatric cycling injuries (fatal or non-fatal) since. Objectives: To identify trends in children (0-16 years) who required admission for greater than 24 hours following a bicycle-related injury (fatal and non-fatal) in Queensland. Further, to discuss changes that have occurred in paediatric cycling injury trends in Queensland since a prominent local study/publication in 1995. This paper aims to establish evidence to inform interventions promoting safer riding to parents, children and communities. Methods: Data on paediatric (0-16 years) cycling injuries in Queensland resulting in hospital admission more than 24 hours across three tertiary paediatric hospitals in Brisbane between November 2008-June 2015 was compiled by the Paediatric Trauma Data Registry for non-fatal injuries. The Child Death Review Team at the Queensland Families and Childhood Commission provided data on fatalities in children <17years from (June 2004 –June 2015). Comparing trends to a local study published in 1995 Results: Between 2008-2015 there were 197 patients admitted for greater than 24 hours following a cycling injury. The median age was 11 years, with males more frequently involved (n=139, 87%) compared to females. Mean length of stay was three days, with 47 (28%) children admitted to PICU, location of injury was most often the street (n=63, 37%). Between 2004 –2015 there were 15 fatalities (Incidence rate 0.25/100,000); all were male, 14/15 occurred on the street, with eight stated to have not been wearing a helmet, 11/15 children came from the least advantaged socio-economic group (SEIFA) compared to a local publication in 1995, finding of 94 fatalities between (1981-1992). Conclusions: There has been a notable decrease in incidence of fatalities between the two time periods with incidence rates dropping from 1.75-0.25/100,000. More statistics need to be run to ascertain if this is a true reduction or perhaps a decrease in children riding bicycles. Injuries that occur on the street that come in contact with a car remain of serious concern. The purpose of this paper is not to discourage bicycle riding among child and adolescent populations, rather, inform parents and the wider community about the risks associated with cycling in order to reduce injuries associated with this sport, whilst promoting safe cycling.

Keywords: paediatric, cycling, trauma, prevention, emergency

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Authors: Z. Funda Türkmenoğlu, Mehmet Türkmenoglu, Demet Yavuz,

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In this study, the effects of waste marbles as aggregate material on workability and hardened concrete characteristics of self compacting lightweight concrete are investigated. For this purpose, self compacting light weight concrete are produced by waste marble aggregates are replaced with fine aggregate at 5%, 7.5%, and 10% ratios. Fresh concrete properties, slump flow, T₅₀ time, V funnel, compressive strength and ultrasonic pulse velocity of self compacting lightweight concrete are determined. It is concluded from the test results that using waste marbles as aggregate material by replacement with fine aggregate slightly affects fresh and hardened concrete characteristics of self compacting lightweight concretes.

Keywords: hardened concrete characteristics, self compacting lightweight concrete, waste marble, workability

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Authors: Abdo Shabah

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Mass customization aims to produce customized goods (allowing economies of scope) at lower cost (to achieve economies of scale) using multiple strategies (modularization and postponement). Through a simulation experiment of organizations under turbulent environment, we aim to compare standardization and mass customization of services and assess the impact of different forms of mass customization (early and late postponement) on performance, quality and consumer satisfaction, on the use of modular dynamic 3D Geographic Information System. Our hypothesis is that mass customization performs better and achieves better quality in turbulent environment than standardization, but only when using early postponement strategies. Using mixed methods study, we try to confirm our hypothesis.

Keywords: mass customization, postponement, experiment, performance, quality, satisfaction, 3D GIS

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Authors: Fairouz Tazerouti, Samira Ihadadene

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Pyrethroids are synthetic pesticides that originated from the modification of natural pyrethrins to improve their biological activity and stability. They are a family of chiral pesticides with a large number of stereoisomers. Enantiomers of synthetic pyretroids present different insecticidal activity, toxicity against aquatic invertebrates and persistence in the environment so the development of rapid and sensitive chiral methods for the determination of different enantiomers is necessary. In this study, the separation of enantiomers of pyrethroid insecticides has been systematically studied using three commercially chiral high-performance liquid chromatography columns. Useful resolution was obtained for compounds with a variety of acid and alcohol moieties, and containing one to four chiral centres. The chromatographic behaviour of the diastereomers of some of these insecticides by using normal, polar and reversed mobile phase mode were also examined.

Keywords: pesticides, analysis, liquid chromatography, pyrethroids

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Authors: Chih-Ping Chen

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Despite the increasing popularity of and interest in mobile games, there has been little research that evaluates gender differences in users’ actual preferences for mobile game content, and the factors that influence entertainment and mobile-learning habits. To fill this void, this study examines different gender users’ experience of mobile English learning game adoption in order to identify the areas of development in Taiwan, using Uses and Gratification Theory, Expectation Confirmation Theory and experiential value. The integration of these theories forms the basis of an extended research concept. Users’ responses to questions about cognitive perceptions, confirmation, gratifications and continuous use were collected and analyzed with various factors derived from the theories.

Keywords: expectation confirmation theory, experiential value, gender difference, mobile game, uses and gratification

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Authors: Cao Bin, Yuan Yi, Wang Qiang, Amor Abdelkader, Ali Reza Kamali, Diogo Montalvão

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The study of the electrodynamic behavior of non-ferrous particles in time-varying magnetic fields is a promising area of research with wide applications, including recycling of non-ferrous metals, mechanical transmission, and space debris. The key technology for recovering non-ferrous metals is eddy current separation (ECS), which utilizes the eddy current force and torque to separate non-ferrous metals. ECS has several advantages, such as low energy consumption, large processing capacity, and no secondary pollution, making it suitable for processing various mixtures like electronic scrap, auto shredder residue, aluminum scrap, and incineration bottom ash. Improving the separation efficiency of mixtures with different particle sizes in ECS can create significant social and economic benefits. Our previous study investigated the influence of particle size on separation efficiency by combining numerical simulations and separation experiments. Pearson correlation analysis found a strong correlation between the eddy current force in simulations and the repulsion distance in experiments, which confirmed the effectiveness of our simulation model. The interaction effects between particle size and material type, rotational speed, and magnetic pole arrangement were examined. It offer valuable insights for the design and optimization of eddy current separators. The underlying mechanism behind the effect of particle size on separation efficiency was discovered by analyzing eddy current and field gradient. The results showed that the magnitude and distribution heterogeneity of eddy current and magnetic field gradient increased with particle size in eddy current separation. Based on this, we further found that increasing the curvature of magnetic field lines within particles could also increase the eddy current force, providing a optimized method to improving the separation efficiency of fine particles. By combining the results of the studies, a more systematic and comprehensive set of optimization guidelines can be proposed for mixtures with different particle size ranges. The separation efficiency of fine particles could be improved by increasing the rotational speed, curvature of magnetic field lines, and electrical conductivity/density of materials, as well as utilizing the eddy current torque. When designing an ECS, the particle size range of the target mixture should be investigated in advance, and the suitable parameters for separating the mixture can be fixed accordingly. In summary, these results can guide the design and optimization of ECS, and also expand the application areas for ECS.

Keywords: eddy current separation, particle size, numerical simulation, metal recovery

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Authors: C. J. Tien, C. S. Chen, S. F. Huang, Z. X. Wang

Abstract:

Algae in soil ecosystems can produce organic matters and oxygen by photosynthesis. Heterocyst-forming cyanobacteria can fix nitrogen to increase soil nitrogen contents. Secretion of mucilage by some algae increases the soil water content and soil aggregation. These actions will improve soil quality and fertility, and further increase abundance and diversity of soil microorganisms. In addition, some mixotrophic and heterotrophic algae are able to degrade petroleum hydrocarbons. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to analyze the effects of algal addition on the degradation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH), diversity and activity of bacteria and algae in the diesel-contaminated soil under different nutrient contents and frequency of plowing and irrigation in order to assess the potential bioremediation technique using edaphic algae. The known amount of diesel was added into the farmland soil. This diesel-contaminated soil was subject to five settings, experiment-1 with algal addition by plowing and irrigation every two weeks, experiment-2 with algal addition by plowing and irrigation every four weeks, experiment-3 with algal and nutrient addition by plowing and irrigation every two weeks, experiment-4 with algal and nutrient addition by plowing and irrigation every four weeks, and the control without algal addition. Soil samples were taken every two weeks to analyze TPH concentrations, diversity of bacteria and algae, and catabolic genes encoding functional degrading enzymes. The results show that the TPH removal rates of five settings after the two-month experimental period were in the order: experiment-2 > expermient-4 > experiment-3 > experiment-1 > control. It indicated that algal addition enhanced the degradation of TPH in the diesel-contaminated soil, but not for nutrient addition. Plowing and irrigation every four weeks resulted in more TPH removal than that every two weeks. The banding patterns of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) revealed an increase in diversity of bacteria and algae after algal addition. Three petroleum hydrocarbon-degrading algae (Anabaena sp., Oscillatoria sp. and Nostoc sp.) and two added algal strains (Leptolyngbya sp. and Synechococcus sp.) were sequenced from DGGE prominent bands. The four hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria Gordonia sp., Mycobacterium sp., Rodococcus sp. and Alcanivorax sp. were abundant in the treated soils. These results suggested that growth of indigenous bacteria and algae were improved after adding edaphic algae. Real-time polymerase chain reaction results showed that relative amounts of four catabolic genes encoding catechol 2, 3-dioxygenase, toluene monooxygenase, xylene monooxygenase and phenol monooxygenase were appeared and expressed in the treated soil. The addition of algae increased the expression of these genes at the end of experiments to biodegrade petroleum hydrocarbons. This study demonstrated that edaphic algae were suitable biomaterials for bioremediating diesel-contaminated soils with plowing and irrigation every four weeks.

Keywords: catabolic gene, diesel, diversity, edaphic algae

Procedia PDF Downloads 258

Authors: Yong-Nam Kwon

Abstract:

In the present study, we have designed the hydro-mechanical forming in which AZ31 sheet was drawn to a kind of preform step following gas blow forming for accurate geometry. In order to judge a formability enhancement of AZ31 sheet, model geometry came from a practical automotive part which had quite depth with complicated curvatures, which was proven that a single sheet forming could not gave a successful part. Experimentally, we succeeded to make the model part with accurate dimension. The optimum forming conditions for respective forming steps were considered most important technical features of this hydro-mechanical and would be discussed in details. Also, the effort to avoid detrimental abnormal grain growth was given and discussed for a practical application.

Keywords: hydro-mechanical forming, AZ31, abnormal grain growth, model geometry

Procedia PDF Downloads 499

Authors: Anna Romanova, Morteza A. Alani

Abstract:

Corrosion of concrete sewer pipes induced by sulfuric acid is an acknowledged problem and a ticking time-bomb to sewer operators. Whilst the chemical reaction of the corrosion process is well-understood, the indirect roles of other parameters in the corrosion process which are found in sewer environment are not highly reflected on. This paper reports on a field studies undertaken in Austria and United Kingdom, where the parameters of temperature, pH, H2S and CO2 were monitored over a period of time. The study establishes that (i) effluent temperature and pH have similar daily pattern and peak times, When examined in minutes scale, (ii) H2S and CO2 have an identical hourly pattern, (iii) H2S instant or shifted relation to effluent temperature is governed by the root mean square value of CO2.

Keywords: concrete corrosion, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, sewer pipe, sulfuric acid

Procedia PDF Downloads 290

Authors: N. Hadj Mohamed, A. Boutaleb

Abstract:

The Beni Snouss area is characterized by horst and graben structures and it comprises deformed Palaeozoic sedimentary and magmatic rocks overlapping by Mesozoic sediments. Two structural units are distinguished: a Palaeozoic basement and a Mesozoic cover. The study area is densely faulted and major faults strike N110° to N140° and dip vertically The mineralized fault zones are readily distinguishable by their argillic wall rock alteration. The fault zones that are filled with mineralizations, aplites, microgranites and quartz run roughly parallel to each other and are apparently in the same fault system. The Palaeozoic basement rocks contain mineralization occurring as veins, veinlets and disseminations. The Liassic carbonate platform sequence contains Ba (Pb-Zn) sulphide deposits occurring mainly as strata bound, and open space filling.

Keywords: Algeria, basement, Beni Snouss, cover

Procedia PDF Downloads 261