Search results for: free available chlorine
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 3533

Search results for: free available chlorine

3203 Determination of Biomolecular Interactions Using Microscale Thermophoresis

Authors: Lynn Lehmann, Dinorah Leyva, Ana Lazic, Stefan Duhr, Philipp Baaske

Abstract:

Characterization of biomolecular interactions, such as protein-protein, protein-nucleic acid or protein-small molecule, provides critical insights into cellular processes and is essential for the development of drug diagnostics and therapeutics. Here we present a novel, label-free, and tether-free technology to analyze picomolar to millimolar affinities of biomolecular interactions by Microscale Thermophoresis (MST). The entropy of the hydration shell surrounding molecules determines thermophoretic movement. MST exploits this principle by measuring interactions using optically generated temperature gradients. MST detects changes in the size, charge and hydration shell of molecules and measures biomolecule interactions under close-to-native conditions: immobilization-free and in bioliquids of choice, including cell lysates and blood serum. Thus, MST measures interactions under close-to-native conditions, and without laborious sample purification. We demonstrate how MST determines the picomolar affinities of antibody::antigen interactions, and protein::protein interactions measured from directly from cell lysates. MST assays are highly adaptable to fit to the diverse requirements of different and complex biomolecules. NanoTemper´s unique technology is ideal for studies requiring flexibility and sensitivity at the experimental scale, making MST suitable for basic research investigations and pharmaceutical applications.

Keywords: biochemistry, biophysics, molecular interactions, quantitative techniques

Procedia PDF Downloads 527
3202 Effect of Inclusions on the Shape and Size of Crack Tip Plastic Zones by Element Free Galerkin Method

Authors: A. Jameel, G. A. Harmain, Y. Anand, J. H. Masoodi, F. A. Najar

Abstract:

The present study investigates the effect of inclusions on the shape and size of crack tip plastic zones in engineering materials subjected to static loads by employing the element free Galerkin method (EFGM). The modeling of the discontinuities produced by cracks and inclusions becomes independent of the grid chosen for analysis. The standard displacement approximation is modified by adding additional enrichment functions, which introduce the effects of different discontinuities into the formulation. The level set method has been used to represent different discontinuities present in the domain. The effect of inclusions on the extent of crack tip plastic zones is investigated by solving some numerical problems by the EFGM.

Keywords: EFGM, stress intensity factors, crack tip plastic zones, inclusions

Procedia PDF Downloads 290
3201 Portfolio Selection with Constraints on Trading Frequency

Authors: Min Dai, Hong Liu, Shuaijie Qian

Abstract:

We study a portfolio selection problem of an investor who faces constraints on rebalancing frequency, which is common in pension fund investment. We formulate it as a multiple optimal stopping problem and utilize the dynamic programming principle. By numerically solving the corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation, we find a series of free boundaries characterizing optimal strategy, and the constraints significantly impact the optimal strategy. Even in the absence of transaction costs, there is a no-trading region, depending on the number of the remaining trading chances. We also find that the equivalent wealth loss caused by the constraints is large. In conclusion, our model clarifies the impact of the constraints on transaction frequency on the optimal strategy.

Keywords: portfolio selection, rebalancing frequency, optimal strategy, free boundary, optimal stopping

Procedia PDF Downloads 88
3200 CFD Simulation of Surge Wave Generated by Flow-Like Landslides

Authors: Liu-Chao Qiu

Abstract:

The damage caused by surge waves generated in water bodies by flow-like landslides can be very high in terms of human lives and economic losses. The complicated phenomena occurred in this highly unsteady process are difficult to model because three interacting phases: air, water and sediment are involved. The problem therefore is challenging since the effects of non-Newtonian fluid describing the rheology of the flow-like landslides, multi-phase flow and free surface have to be included in the simulation. In this work, the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package FLUENT is used to model the surge waves due to flow-like landslides. The comparison between the numerical results and experimental data reported in the literature confirms the accuracy of the method.

Keywords: flow-like landslide, surge wave, VOF, non-Newtonian fluids, multi-phase flows, free surface flow

Procedia PDF Downloads 416
3199 Usy-Cui Zeolite: An Efficient and Reusable Catalyst for Derivatives Indole Synthesis

Authors: Hassina Harkat, Samiha Taybe, Salima Loucif, Valérie Beneteau, Patrick Pale

Abstract:

Indole and its derivatives have attracted great interest because of their importance in the synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry. They are widely used as anti hypertension, anti tubercular, anticancer activity, antiviral, Alzheimer's disease, antioxidant properties, and free radical induced lipid peroxidation. Many drugs and natural products contain indole moiety, such as the vinca alkaloids, fungal metabolites and marine natural products. Generally applicable synthetic methods for indole moiety involve ring closure to form the pyrrole. Indole derivatives can also be accessed by further functionalization of the indole nucleus. Therefore we report a mild and efficient protocol for the synthesis of analogues of indole catalyzed via zeolithe USY doped with CuI under solvent-free conditions.

Keywords: indole, zeolithe, USY-CuI, heterogeneous catalysis

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3198 Synthesis and Characterizations of Lead-free BaO-Doped TeZnCaB Glass Systems for Radiation Shielding Applications

Authors: Rezaul K. Sk., Mohammad Ashiq, Avinash K. Srivastava

Abstract:

The use of radiation shielding technology ranging from EMI to high energy gamma rays in various areas such as devices, medical science, defense, nuclear power plants, medical diagnostics etc. is increasing all over the world. However, exposure to different radiations such as X-ray, gamma ray, neutrons and EMI above the permissible limits is harmful to living beings, the environment and sensitive laboratory equipment. In order to solve this problem, there is a need to develop effective radiation shielding materials. Conventionally, lead and lead-based materials are used in making shielding materials, as lead is cheap, dense and provides very effective shielding to radiation. However, the problem associated with the use of lead is its toxic nature and carcinogenic. So, to overcome these drawbacks, there is a great need for lead-free radiation shielding materials and that should also be economically sustainable. Therefore, it is necessary to look for the synthesis of radiation-shielding glass by using other heavy metal oxides (HMO) instead of lead. The lead-free BaO-doped TeZnCaB glass systems have been synthesized by the traditional melt-quenching method. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed the glassy nature of the synthesized samples. The densities of the developed glass samples were increased by doping the BaO concentration, ranging from 4.292 to 4.725 g/cm3. The vibrational and bending modes of the BaO-doped glass samples were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, and FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) was performed to study the functional group present in the samples. UV-visible characterization revealed the significance of optical parameters such as Urbach’s energy, refractive index and optical energy band gap. The indirect and direct energy band gaps were decreased with the BaO concentration whereas the refractive index was increased. X-ray attenuation measurements were performed to determine the radiation shielding parameters such as linear attenuation coefficient (LAC), mass attenuation coefficient (MAC), half value layer (HVL), tenth value layer (TVL), mean free path (MFP), attenuation factor (Att%) and lead equivalent thickness of the lead-free BaO-doped TeZnCaB glass system. It was observed that the radiation shielding characteristics were enhanced with the addition of BaO content in the TeZnCaB glass samples. The glass samples with higher contents of BaO have the best attenuation performance. So, it could be concluded that the addition of BaO into TeZnCaB glass samples is a significant technique to improve the radiation shielding performance of the glass samples. The best lead equivalent thickness was 2.626 mm, and these glasses could be good materials for medical diagnostics applications.

Keywords: heavy metal oxides, lead-free, melt-quenching method, x-ray attenuation

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3197 Chemical Composition and Antioxidant Activity of Methanolic Extract of Spilanthes acmella Murr.

Authors: Wanthani Paengsri, Thanyarat Chuesaard, Napapha Promsawan

Abstract:

Spilanthes acmella Murr. was extracted with methanol, yielding methanol crude extract 5.86 %w/w. This study aimed to examine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of methanolic crude extract. The chemical composition of methanolic crude extract was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The predominant components were found to be palmitic acid (40.08%), 2-hexadecanoyl glycerol (6.96%) and octadecanoic acid (4.06%). Antioxidant activity was determined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH) free radical, for evaluating free radicle scavenging activity. The methanolic extract at 150 µg/mL showed an antioxidant activity with high of radical scavenging activity (75.23%).

Keywords: antioxidant activity, GC-MS analysis, Spilanthes, Phak-Kratt Hauwaen

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3196 Safety of Implementation the Gluten - Free Diet in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Authors: J. Jessa

Abstract:

Background: Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder, the incidence of which has significantly increased in recent years. Children with autism have impairments in social skills, communication, and imagination. Children with autism has more common than healthy children feeding problems: food selectivity, problems with gastrointestinal tract: diarrhea, constipations, abdominal pain, reflux and others. Many parents of autistic children report that after implementation of gluten-, casein- and sugar free diet those symptoms disappear and even cognitive functions become better. Some children begin to understand speech and to communicate with parents, regain eye contact, become more calm, sleep better and has better concentration. Probably at the root of this phenomenon lies elimination from the diet peptides construction of which is similar to opiates. Enhanced permeability of gut causes absorption of not fully digested opioid-like peptides from food, like gluten and casein and probably others (proteins from soy and corn) which impact on brain of autistic children. Aim of the study: The aim of the study is to assess the safety of gluten-free diet in children with autism, aged 2,5-7. Methods: Participants of the study (n=70) – children aged 2,5-7 with autism are divided into 3 groups. The first group (research group) are patients whose parents want to implement a gluten-free diet. The second group are patients who have been recommended to eliminate from the diet artificial substances, such as preservatives, artificial colors and flavors, and others (control group 1). The third group (control group 2) are children whose parents did not agree for implementation of the diet. Caregivers of children on the diet are educated about the specifics of the diet and how to avoid malnutrition. At the start of the study we exclude celiac disease. Before the implementation of the diet we performe a blood test for patients (morphology, ferritin, total cholesterol, dry peripheral blood drops to detect some genetic metabolic diseases), plasma aminogram) and urine tests (excretion of ions: Mg, Na, Ca, the profile of organic acids in urine), which assess nutritional status as well as the psychological test assessing the degree of the child's psychological functioning (PEP-R). All of these tests will be repeated after one year from the implementation of the diet. Results: To the present moment we examined 42 children with autism. 12 of children are on gluten- free diet. Our preliminary results are promising. Parents of 9 of them report that, there is a big improvement in child behavior, concentration, less aggression incidents, better eye contact and better verbal skills. Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest that dietary intervention may positively affect developmental outcome for some children diagnosed with ASD.

Keywords: gluten free diet, autism spectrum disorder, autism, blood test

Procedia PDF Downloads 324
3195 An Optimization Algorithm for Reducing the Liquid Oscillation in the Moving Containers

Authors: Reza Babajanivalashedi, Stefania Lo Feudo, Jean-Luc Dion

Abstract:

Liquid sloshing is a crucial problem for the dynamic of moving containers in the packaging industries. Sloshing issues have been so far mainly modeled within the framework of fluid dynamics or by using equivalent mechanical models with different kinds of movements and shapes of containers. Nevertheless, these approaches do not allow to determinate the shape of the free surface of the liquid in case of the irregular shape of the moving containers, so that experimental measurements may be required. If there is too much slosh in the moving tank, the liquid can be splashed out on the packages. So, the free surface oscillation must be controlled/reduced to eliminate the splashing. The purpose of this research is to propose an optimization algorithm for finding an optimum command law to reduce surface elevation. In the first step, the free surface of the liquid is simulated based on the separation variable and weak formulation models. Then Genetic and Gradient algorithms are developed for finding the optimum command law. The optimum command law is compared with existing command laws, and the results show that there is a significant difference in surface oscillation between optimum and existing command laws. This algorithm is applicable for different varieties of bottles in case of using the camera for detecting the liquid elevation, and it can produce new command laws for different kinds of tanks to reduce the surface oscillation and remove the splashing phenomenon.

Keywords: sloshing phenomenon, separation variables, weak formulation, optimization algorithm, command law

Procedia PDF Downloads 153
3194 Microencapsulation for Enhancing the Survival of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus during Spray Drying of Sweetened Yoghurt

Authors: Dibyakanta Seth, Hari Niwas Mishra, Sankar Chandra Deka

Abstract:

Microencapsulation is an established method of protecting bacteria from the adverse conditions. An improved extrusion spraying technique was used to encapsulate mixed bacteria culture of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus using sodium alginate as the coating material. The effect of nozzle air pressure (200, 300, 400 and 500 kPa), sodium alginate concentration (1%, 1.5%, 2%, 2.5% and 3% w/v), different concentration of calcium chloride (0.1, 0.2, 1 M) and initial cell loads (10⁷, 10⁸, 10⁹ cfu/ml) on the viability of encapsulated bacteria were investigated. With the increase in air pressure the size of microcapsules decreased, however the effect was non-significant. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) in the viability of encapsulated cells when the concentration of calcium chloride was increased. Increased level of sodium alginate significantly increased the survival ratio of encapsulated bacteria (P < 0.01). Encapsulation with 3% alginate was treated as optimum since a higher concentration of alginate increased the gel strength of the solution and thus was difficult to spray. Under optimal conditions 3% alginate, 10⁹ cfu/ml cell load, 20 min hardening time in 0.1 M CaCl2 and 400 kPa nozzle air pressure, the viability of bacteria cells was maximum compared to the free cells. The microcapsules made at the optimal condition when mixed with yoghurt and subjected to spray drying at 148°C, the survival ratio was 2.48×10⁻¹ for S. thermophilus and 7.26×10⁻¹ for L. bulgaricus. In contrast, the survival ratio of free cells of S. thermophilus and L. bulgaricus were 2.36×10⁻³ and 8.27×10⁻³, respectively. This study showed a decline in viable cells count of about 0.5 log over a period of 7 weeks while there was a decline of about 1 log in cultures which were incorporated as free cells in yoghurt. Microencapsulation provided better protection at higher acidity compared to free cells. This study demonstrated that microencapsulation of yoghurt culture in sodium alginate is an effective technique of protection against extreme drying conditions.

Keywords: extrusion, microencapsulation, spray drying, sweetened yoghurt

Procedia PDF Downloads 253
3193 Structural Behavior of Incomplete Box Girder Bridges Subjected to Unpredicted Loads

Authors: E. H. N. Gashti, J. Razzaghi, K. Kujala

Abstract:

In general, codes and regulations consider seismic loads only for completed structures of the bridges while, evaluation of incomplete structure of bridges, especially those constructed by free cantilever method, under these loads is also of great importance. Hence, this research tried to study the behavior of incomplete structure of common bridge type (box girder bridge), in construction phase under vertical seismic loads. Subsequently, the paper provided suitable guidelines and solutions to withstand this destructive phenomena. Research results proved that use of preventive methods can significantly reduce the stresses resulted from vertical seismic loads in box cross sections to an acceptable range recommended by design codes.

Keywords: box girder bridges, prestress loads, free cantilever method, seismic loads, construction phase

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3192 Free Fatty Acid Assessment of Crude Palm Oil Using a Non-Destructive Approach

Authors: Siti Nurhidayah Naqiah Abdull Rani, Herlina Abdul Rahim, Rashidah Ghazali, Noramli Abdul Razak

Abstract:

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has always been of great interest in the food and agriculture industries. The development of prediction models has facilitated the estimation process in recent years. In this study, 110 crude palm oil (CPO) samples were used to build a free fatty acid (FFA) prediction model. 60% of the collected data were used for training purposes and the remaining 40% used for testing. The visible peaks on the NIR spectrum were at 1725 nm and 1760 nm, indicating the existence of the first overtone of C-H bands. Principal component regression (PCR) was applied to the data in order to build this mathematical prediction model. The optimal number of principal components was 10. The results showed R2=0.7147 for the training set and R2=0.6404 for the testing set.

Keywords: palm oil, fatty acid, NIRS, regression

Procedia PDF Downloads 507
3191 Approximate Spring Balancing for Swimming Pool Lift Mechanism to Reduce Actuator Torque

Authors: Apurva Patil, Sujatha Srinivasan

Abstract:

Reducing actuator loads is important for applications in which human effort is required for actuation. The potential benefit of applying spring balancing to rehabilitation devices which work against gravity on a nonhorizontal plane is well recognized, but practical applications have been elusive. Although existing methods provide exact spring balance, they require additional masses or auxiliary links, or all the springs used originate from the ground, which makes the resulting device bulky and space-inefficient. This paper uses a method of static balancing of mechanisms with conservative loads such as gravity and spring loads using non-zero-free-length springs and no auxiliary links. Application of this method to a manually operated swimming pool lift mechanism which lowers and raises the physically challenged users into or out of the swimming pool is presented here. Various possible configurations using extension and compression springs as well as gas spring in the mechanism are compared. This work involves approximate spring balancing of the mechanism using minimization of potential energy variance. It uses the approach of flattening the potential energy distribution over the workspace and fuses it with numerical optimization. The results show the considerable reduction in actuator torque requirement with practical spring design and arrangement. Although the method provides only an approximate balancing, it is versatile, flexible in choosing appropriate control variables that are relevant to the design problem and easy to implement. The true potential of this technique lies in the fact that it uses a very simple optimization to find the spring constant, free length of the spring and the optimal attachment points subject to the optimization constraints. Also, it uses physically realizable non-zero-free-length springs directly, thereby reducing the complexity involved in simulating zero-free-length springs from non-zero-free-length springs. This method allows springs to be attached inside the mechanism, which makes the implementation of spring balancing practical. Because auxiliary linkages can be avoided, the resultant swimming pool lift mechanism is compact. The cost benefits and reduced complexity can be significant advantages in the development of this user-actuated swimming pool lift for developing countries.

Keywords: gas spring, rehabilitation device, spring balancing, swimming pool lift

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3190 A Posteriori Trading-Inspired Model-Free Time Series Segmentation

Authors: Plessen Mogens Graf

Abstract:

Within the context of multivariate time series segmentation, this paper proposes a method inspired by a posteriori optimal trading. After a normalization step, time series are treated channelwise as surrogate stock prices that can be traded optimally a posteriori in a virtual portfolio holding either stock or cash. Linear transaction costs are interpreted as hyperparameters for noise filtering. Trading signals, as well as trading signals obtained on the reversed time series, are used for unsupervised channelwise labeling before a consensus over all channels is reached that determines the final segmentation time instants. The method is model-free such that no model prescriptions for segments are made. Benefits of proposed approach include simplicity, computational efficiency, and adaptability to a wide range of different shapes of time series. Performance is demonstrated on synthetic and real-world data, including a large-scale dataset comprising a multivariate time series of dimension 1000 and length 2709. Proposed method is compared to a popular model-based bottom-up approach fitting piecewise affine models and to a recent model-based top-down approach fitting Gaussian models and found to be consistently faster while producing more intuitive results in the sense of segmenting time series at peaks and valleys.

Keywords: time series segmentation, model-free, trading-inspired, multivariate data

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3189 Wettability of Superhydrophobic Polymer Layers Filled with Hydrophobized Silica on Glass

Authors: Diana Rymuszka, Konrad Terpiłowski, Lucyna Hołysz, Elena Goncharuk, Iryna Sulym

Abstract:

Superhydrophobic surfaces exhibit extremely high water repellency. The commonly accepted basic criterion for such surfaces is a water contact angle larger than 150°, low contact angle hysteresis and low sliding angle. These surfaces are of special interest, because properties such as anti-sticking, anti-contamination and self-cleaning are expected. These properties are attractive for many applications such as anti-sticking of snow for antennas and windows, anti-biofouling paints for boats, waterproof clothing, self-cleaning windshields for automobiles, dust-free coatings or metal refining. The various methods for the preparation of superhydrophobic surfaces since last two decades have been reported, such as phase separation, electrochemical deposition, template method, plasma method, chemical vapor deposition, wet chemical reaction, sol-gel processing, lithography and so on. The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of modified colloidal silica, used as a filler, on the hydrophobicity of the polymer film deposited on the glass support activated with plasma. On prepared surfaces water advancing (ӨA) and receding (ӨR) contact angles were measured and then their total apparent surface free energy was determined using the contact angle hysteresis approach (CAH). The structures of deposited films were observed with the help of an optical microscope. Topographies of selected films were also determined using an optical profilometer. It was found that plasma treatment influence glass surface wetting and energetic properties that is observed in higher adhesion between polymer/filler film and glass support. Using the colloidal silica particles as a filler for the polymer thin film deposited on the glass support, it is possible to produce strongly adhering layers of superhydrophobic properties. The best superhydrophobic properties were obtained for surfaces of the film glass/polimer + modified silica covered in 89 and 100%. The advancing contact angle measured on these surfaces amounts above 150° that leads to under 2 mJ/m2 value of the apparent surface free energy. Such films may have many practical applications, among others, as dust-free coatings or anticorrosion protection.

Keywords: contact angle, plasma, superhydrophobic, surface free energy

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3188 Use Cases Analysis of Free Space Optical Communication System

Authors: Kassem Saab, Fritzen Bart, Yves-Marie Seveque

Abstract:

The deployment of Free Space Optical Communications (FSOC) systems requires the development of robust and reliable Optical Ground Stations (OGS) that can be easily installed and operated. To this end, the Engineering Department of Airbus Defence and Space is actively working on the development of innovative and compact OGS solutions that can be deployed in various environments and provide high-quality connectivity under different atmospheric conditions. This article presents an overview of our recent developments in this field, including an evaluation study of different use cases of the FSOC with respect to different atmospheric conditions. The goal is to provide OGS solutions that are both simple and highly effective, allowing for the deployment of high-speed communication networks in a wide range of scenarios.

Keywords: end to end optical communication, laser propagation, optical ground station, turbulence

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3187 Effect of the Nature of Silica Precursor in Zeolite ZSM-22 Synthesis

Authors: Nyiko M. Chauke, James Ramontja, Richard M. Moutloali

Abstract:

The zeolite ZSM-22 material demonstrated effective hydrophilic character as a nanoadditive filler in the preparation of nanocomposite membranes. In this study, nanorods ZSM-22 zeolite materials were hydrothermally synthesised from a homogenous gel mixture prepared using different silica precursors: colloidal silica, fumed silica, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), and aluminium precursor: aluminium sulphate octadecahydrate (Al₂(SO₄)₃.18H₂O to Si/Al of 60. This was focused on developing a defect-free zeolite framework for effective use in applications such as membrane separation process, adsorption, and catalysis. The obtained ZSM-22 zeolite materials with 60 Si/Al ratio exhibits high crystallinity, hydrophilicity, and needle-like morphologies, suggesting successful synthesis as shown by X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) physicochemical analysis. It was revealed that the use of different nature of silica precursors significantly influenced the properties of the final product and contributed to the development of defect-free zeolite material. As such, the crystalline nanorods of Theta-1 (TON) ZSM-22 obtained from TEOS silica showed high phase purity, defect-free, and narrow particle size distribution. Morphological analysis exhibited that the use of TEOS as silica precursor was effective than its counterparts and produced high crystalline need-like agglomerated particles.

Keywords: silica precursor, hydrothermal synthesis, zeolite material, ZSM-22

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3186 Signal Amplification Using Graphene Oxide in Label Free Biosensor for Pathogen Detection

Authors: Agampodi Promoda Perera, Yong Shin, Mi Kyoung Park

Abstract:

The successful detection of pathogenic bacteria in blood provides important information for early detection, diagnosis and the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Silicon microring resonators are refractive-index-based optical biosensors that provide highly sensitive, label-free, real-time multiplexed detection of biomolecules. We demonstrate the technique of using GO (graphene oxide) to enhance the signal output of the silicon microring optical sensor. The activated carboxylic groups in GO molecules bind directly to single stranded DNA with an amino modified 5’ end. This conjugation amplifies the shift in resonant wavelength in a real-time manner. We designed a capture probe for strain Staphylococcus aureus of 21 bp and a longer complementary target sequence of 70 bp. The mismatched target sequence we used was of Streptococcus agalactiae of 70 bp. GO is added after the complementary binding of the probe and target. GO conjugates to the unbound single stranded segment of the target and increase the wavelength shift on the silicon microring resonator. Furthermore, our results show that GO could successfully differentiate between the mismatched DNA sequences from the complementary DNA sequence. Therefore, the proposed concept could effectively enhance sensitivity of pathogen detection sensors.

Keywords: label free biosensor, pathogenic bacteria, graphene oxide, diagnosis

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3185 Comparative Analysis of Oil Extracts from Cotton and Watermelon Seeds

Authors: S. A. Jumare, A. O. Tijani, M. F. Siraj, B. V. Babatunde

Abstract:

This research investigated the comparative analysis of oil extracted from cotton and watermelon seeds using solvent extraction process. Normal ethyl-ether was used as solvent in the extraction process. The AOAC method of Analysis was employed in the determination of the physiochemical properties of the oil. The chemical properties of the oil determined include the saponification value, free fatty acid, iodine value, peroxide value and acid value. The physical properties of the oil determined include specific gravity, refractive index, colour, odour, taste and pH. The value obtained for cottonseed oil are saponification value (187mgKOH/g), free fatty acid (5.64mgKOH/g), iodine value (95.2g/100), peroxide value (9.33meq/kg), acid value (11.22mg/KOH/g), pH value (4.62), refractive index (1.46), and specific gravity (0.9) respectively, it has a bland odour, a reddish brown colour and a mild taste. The values obtained for watermelon seed oil are saponification value (83.3mgKOH/g), free fatty acid (6.58mg/KOH/g), iodine value (122.6g/100), peroxide value (5.3meq/kg), acid value (3.74mgKOH/g), pH value (6.3), refractive index (1.47), and specific gravity (0.9) respectively, it has a nutty flavour, a golden yellow colour and a mild taste. From the result obtained, it shows that cottonseed oil has high acid value which shows the stability of the oil and its stability to rancidity. Consequently, watermelon seed oil is order wise.

Keywords: extraction, solvent, cotton seeds, watermelon seeds

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3184 Free Radical Study of Papua’s Candy as the Consumption Culture of the Papuans

Authors: Livy Febria Tedjamulia, Aas Nurasyiah, Ivana Josephin Purnama, Monika Diah Maharani Kusumastuti, Achmad Ridwan Ariyantoro

Abstract:

Papua's candy is one of Indonesia’s indigenous consumption consisting of areca nut (Areca catechu), forest betel fruit (Piper aduncum), and CaCO3. This research aims to determine the concentration of tannins in areca nut, alkaloids in areca nut, flavonoids in forest betel fruit; detect their interaction and CaCO3; also toform a standardize consumption recommendation. The research methodwas includingDPPH assay for papua’s candy mixture, which resulted in IC50 value. Data analysis used is mathematical linear regression for each experiment. The test result of alkaloid is a Rf value of 0.773, while concentration of tannin and flavonoidare 0.603 mgGAE/g and 125.402 gQE/g, respectively. The IC50 value shows number of 3.0403, showing high antioxidant capacity.Other antioxidant assays were being studied using literature review, namely trolox and oxygen radical absorbance capacity, to figure out interaction among the bioactive compounds. It turned out that the interaction detected is antagonistic, which means the compound that is joined already has a stable molecular structure so that could reduce free radicals by donating hydrogen atoms. The recommendation consumptions given are 4 areca nuts, 5 forest betels, and 1 gram of lime betel. Therefore, papua's candy has its potential to be developed into functional food.

Keywords: antioxidant, bioactive compounds interaction, free radical, papua’s candy

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3183 Enzymatic Remediation in Standard Crude Palm Oil for Superior Quality Oil

Authors: Haniza Ahmad, Norliza Saparin, Ahmadilfitri Md Noor, Mohd Suria Affandi Yusoff

Abstract:

Enzymatic remediation is applied in low free fatty acid (FFA) (<4%) crude palm oil (CPO) to investigate if further FFA reduction is able to take place to produce premium CPO (<1% FFA). There are four different lipase Candida Antartica brands used in this study. Samples submit to enzymatic remediation using rotary evaporator under 100mbar vacuum with rotation at 260rpm. Samples were taken at 4hours, 8hours and 24hours for analyses. FFA less than 1% was achieved after 24hours reaction with 1% enzyme and 2% glycerol. The FFA reduction was intensified with the presence of glycerol who provides more sites for fatty acid attachment. At 2% glycerol, 71-88% FFA was reduced whereas at 1% glycerol, 46-75% FFA reduced. However, partial glycerides was increased with presence of glycerol with 2% add in glycerol showed greater partial glycerides increment compared to 1% glycerol.

Keywords: enzymes, crude palm oil, free fatty acid, glycerol

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3182 Effect of Different SE Diets on Blood SE, TAC Levels in Dairy Cattle and Their Newborn Calves

Authors: Moshfeghi Sogand

Abstract:

Free radicals can be produced during the respiratory oxidation of different cells. These free radicals can damage to various macromolecules as protein ,fat, nucleic acids and … are harmful for body. The natural defence system that can prevent the damage of free radicals and nuteralized them , have tittled under the name total antioxidant capacity (TAC ). Se is one main antioxidant part in TAC , because it is one main part in structure of some body antioxidant enzymes such as GPX(glutathione peroxidase). Blood SE ,GPX and TAC probably can change by feeding of different selenium supplement diet in late pregnancy and also may transport from maternal blood to its fetus or by clostrum after calving. In this respect we have determined 100 pregnant dairy cattle (in the same condition of age , race and number of parturient) then devided them to 4 groups feed them in 3 last pregnancy months by different selenium diets. Group1:controle no se supplementation , group2: recived 0/3 ppm of the daily diet Saccharomyces Cervisiae . group3 :recived selenium _ rich yeast(containing200ppm selenium)was mixed with total daily ration fed. Group4: recived se _rich yeast(containing300 ppm selenium)was mixed with total daily ration fed. Then measured blood SE,GPX and TAC levels in them and in 3 days newborn calves after calving. The results were analysed by Tukey Anova test and the highest level of blood SE ,GPX and TAC was shown in cattle that feed fermented SE_yeast diet and in their 3 days newborn calves.

Keywords: SE, TAC, SE DIETS, FRAP

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3181 Synthesis of Mg/B Containing Compound in a Modified Microwave Oven

Authors: Gülşah Çelik Gül, Figen Kurtuluş

Abstract:

Magnesium containing boron compounds with hexagonal structure have been drawn much attention due to their superconductive nature. The main target of this work is new modified microwave oven by on our own has an ability about passing through a gas in the oven medium for attainment of oxygen-free compounds such as c-BN.  Mg containing boride was synthesized by modified-microwave method under nitrogen atmosphere using amorphous boron and magnesium source in appropriate molar ratio. Microwave oven with oxygen free environment has been modified to aimed to obtain magnesium boride without oxygen. Characterizations were done by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Mg containing boride, generally named magnesium boride, with amorphous character without oxygen is obtained via designed microwave oven system.

Keywords: magnesium containing boron compounds, modified microwave synthesis, powder X-ray diffraction, FTIR

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3180 Sloshing Response of Liquid in Prismatic Container under Oscillation

Authors: P. R. Maiti, S. K. Bhattacharyya

Abstract:

Sloshing is a physical phenomenon characterized by the oscillation of unrestrained free surface of liquid in a partially liquid filled container subjected to external excitation. Determination of sloshing frequency in container is important to avoid resonance condition of the system. The complex behavior of the free surface movement and its combined mode of vibration make difficulty for exact analysis of sloshing. In the present study, numerical analysis is carried out for a partially liquid filled tank under external forces. Boundary element approach is used to formulate the sloshing problem in two -dimensional prismatic container with potential flow. Effort has been made to find slosh response for two dimensional problems in partially liquid filled prismatic container.

Keywords: sloshing, boundary element method, prismatic container, oscillation

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3179 Applied Free Living Nematode as Bioindicator to Assess Environmental Impact of Dam Construction in Ba Lai Estuary, Vietnam

Authors: Ngo Xuan Quang, Tran Thanh Thai, Ann Vanreusel

Abstract:

The Ba Lai dam construction was created in 2000 in the Ba Lai estuarine river, Ben Tre province, Vietnam to prevent marine water infiltration, drainage and de-acidification, and to build a reservoir of freshwater for land reclamation in the Ba Lai tributary. However, this dam is considered as an environmental failure for the originally connected estuarine and river ecosystem, especially to bad effect to benthic fauna distribution. This research aims to study applying free living nematode communities’ distribution in disturbance of dam construction as bioindicator to detect environmental impact. Nematode samples were collected together measuring physical–chemical environmental parameters such as chlorophyll, CPE, coliform, nutrient, grain size, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, conductivity, temperature in three stations within three replicates. Results showed that free living nematode communities at the dam construction was significantly low densities, low diversity (Hurlbert’s index, Hill diversity indices) and very low maturity index in comparison with two remaining stations. Strong correlation of nematode feeding types and communities’ structure was found in relation with sediment grain size and nutrient enrichment such nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and pigment concentration. Moreover, greatly negative link between nematode maturity index with nutrient parameters can serve as warning organic pollution of the Ba Lai river due to dam construction.

Keywords: Ba Lai, dam impact, nematode, environment

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3178 Graphene-Intercalated P4Se3@CNF Hybrid Electrode for Sustainable Energy Storage Solution: Enabling High Energy Density and Ultra-long Cyclic Stability

Authors: Daya Rani

Abstract:

Non-metal-based compounds have emerged as promising electrodes in recent years to replace scarce and expensive transition-metals for energy storage applications. Herein, a simple electro-spinning technique followed by carbonization is used to create tetraphosphorus triselenide(P4Se3)nano-flakes encapsulated in carbon nanofiber (P4Se3@CNF) to obtain a binder-free, metal-free and flexible hybrid electrode with high electrical conductivity and cyclic stability. A remarkable capacitive performance (5.5-folds@P4Se3) of 810Fg-1/[email protected] has been obtained using P4Se3@CNF electrode with an excellent rate capability compared to pristine(P4Se3) which is further supported by theoretical calculations via intercalating graphene within bare P4Se3 flakes inducing partial charge redistribution in hetero-structure. A flexible pouch-type hybrid-supercapacitor followed by coin-cell has been manufactured offering exceptional energy-density without sacrificing power density and ultra-long durability over 35000 and 100000-cycles with capacitance-retention of 99.77% and 100%, respectively. It has been demonstrated that as-fabricated device has practical usefulness towards renewable energy harvesting and storage via integrating commercial solar cell module with supercapattery array that can enlighten the blue LED approximately for 31minutes, rotate the homemade windmill device, power Arduino and glow “INST” against 2minutes of charging. This work demonstrates a facile route towards the development of metal-free electrochemical renewable energy storage/transfer devices offering an inevitable adoption in industrial platforms.

Keywords: metal free, carbon nano-fiber, pouch-type hybrid super-capacitor, nano-flakes

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3177 The Expression of the Social Experience in Film Narration: Cinematic ‘Free Indirect Discourse’ in the Dancing Hawk (1977) by Grzegorz Krolikiewicz

Authors: Robert Birkholc

Abstract:

One of the basic issues related to the creation of characters in media, such as literature and film, is the representation of the characters' thoughts, emotions, and perceptions. This paper is devoted to the social perspective (or the focalization) expressed in film narration. The aim of the paper is to show how social point of view of the hero –conditioned by his origin and the environment from which he comes– can be created by using non-verbal, purely audiovisual means of expression. The issue will be considered on the example of the little-known polish movie The Dancing Hawk (1977) by Grzegorz Królikiewicz, based on the novel by Julian Kawalec. The thesis of the paper is that the polish director uses a narrative figure, which is somewhat analogous to literary form of free indirect discourse. In literature, free indirect discourse is formally ‘spoken’ by the external narrator, but the narration is clearly filtered through the language and thoughts of the character. According to some scholars (such as Roy Pascal), the narrator in this form of speech does not cite the character's words, but uses his way of thinking and imitates his perspective – sometimes with a deep irony. Free indirect discourse is frequently used in Julian Kawalec’s novel. Through the linguistic stylization, the author tries to convey the socially determined perspective of a peasant who migrates to the big city after the Second World War. Grzegorz Królikiewicz expresses the same social experience by pure cinematic form in the adaptation of the book. Both Kawalec and Królikiewicz show the consequences of so-called ‘social advancement’ in Poland after 1945, when the communist party took over political power. On the example of the fate of the main character, Michał Toporny, the director presents the experience of peasants who left their villages and had to adapt to new, urban space. However, the paper is not focused on the historical topic itself, but on the audiovisual form of the movie. Although Królikiewicz doesn’t use frequently POV shots, the narration of The Dancing Hawk is filtered through the sensations of the main character, who feels uprooted and alienated in the new social space. The director captures the hero's feelings through very complex audiovisual procedures – high or low points of view (representing the ‘social position’), grotesque soundtrack, expressionist scenery, and associative editing. In this way, he manages to create the world from the perspective of a socially maladjusted and internally split subject. The Dancing Hawk is a successful attempt to adapt the subjective narration of the book to the ‘language’ of the cinema. Mieke Bal’s notion of focalization helps to describe ‘free indirect discourse’ as a transmedial figure of representing of the characters’ perceptions. However, the polysemiotic medium of the film also significantly transforms this figure of representation. The paper shows both the similarities and differences between literary and cinematic ‘free indirect discourse.’

Keywords: film and literature, free indirect discourse, social experience, subjective narration

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3176 Effect of Carbon-Free Fly Ash and Ground Granulated Blast-Furnace Slag on Compressive Strength of Mortar under Different Curing Conditions

Authors: Abdul Khaliq Amiri, Shigeyuki Date

Abstract:

This study investigates the effect of using carbon-free fly ash (CfFA) and ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBFS) on the compressive strength of mortar. The CfFA used in this investigation is high-quality fly ash and the carbon content is 1.0% or less. In this study, three types of blends with a 30% water-binder ratio (w/b) were prepared: control, binary and ternary blends. The Control blend contained only Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), in binary and ternary blends OPC was partially replaced with CfFA and GGBFS at different substitution rates. Mortar specimens were cured for 1 day, 7 days and 28 days under two curing conditions: steam curing and water curing. The steam cured specimens were exposed to two different pre-curing times (1.5 h and 2.5 h) and one steam curing duration (6 h) at 45 °C. The test results showed that water cured specimens revealed higher compressive strength than steam cured specimens at later ages. An increase in CfFA and GGBFS contents caused a decrease in the compressive strength of mortar. Ternary mixes exhibited better compressive strength than binary mixes containing CfFA with the same replacement ratio of mineral admixtures.

Keywords: carbon-free fly ash, compressive strength, ground granulated blast-furnace slag, steam curing, water curing

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3175 Frequency-Dependent and Full Range Tunable Phase Shifter

Authors: Yufu Yin, Tao Lin, Shanghong Zhao, Zihang Zhu, Xuan Li, Wei Jiang, Qiurong Zheng, Hui Wang

Abstract:

In this paper, a frequency-dependent and tunable phase shifter is proposed and numerically analyzed. The key devices are the dual-polarization binary phase shift keying modulator (DP-BPSK) and the fiber Bragg grating (FBG). The phase-frequency response of the FBG is employed to determine the frequency-dependent phase shift. The simulation results show that a linear phase shift of the recovered output microwave signal which depends on the frequency of the input RF signal is achieved. In addition, by adjusting the power of the RF signal, the full range phase shift from 0° to 360° can be realized. This structure shows the spurious free dynamic range (SFDR) of 70.90 dB·Hz2/3 and 72.11 dB·Hz2/3 under different RF powers.

Keywords: microwave photonics, phase shifter, spurious free dynamic range, frequency-dependent

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3174 Effect of Ionized Plasma Medium on the Radiation of a Rectangular Microstrip Antenna on Ferrite Substrate

Authors: Ayman Al Sawalha

Abstract:

This paper presents theoretical investigations on the radiation of rectangular microstrip antenna printed on a magnetized ferrite substrate Ni0.62Co0.02Fe1.948O4 in the presence of ionized plasma medium. The theoretical study of rectangular microstrip antenna in free space is carried out by applying the transmission line model combining with potential function techniques while hydrodynamic theory is used for it is analysis in plasma medium. By taking the biased and unbiased ferrite cases, far-field radiation patterns in free space and plasma medium are obtained which in turn are applied in computing radiated power, directivity, quality factor and bandwidth of antenna. It is found that the presence of plasma medium affects the performance of rectangular microstrip antenna structure significantly.

Keywords: ferrite, microstrip antenna, plasma, radiation

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