Search results for: Robin boundary condition
912 Prevalence and Patterns of Hearing Loss among the Elderly with Hypertension in Southwest, Nigeria
Authors: Ayo Osisanya, Promise Ebuka Okonkwo
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Reduced hearing sensitivity among the elderly has been attributed to some risk factors and influence of age-related degenerative conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease, bipolar disorder, and hypertension. Hearing loss; especially the age-related type (presbycusis), has been reported as one of the global burden affecting the general well-being and quality of life of the elderly with hypertension. Thus, hearing loss has been observed to be associated with hypertension and functional decline in elderly, as this condition makes them experience poor communication, fatigue, reduced social functions, mood-swing, and withdrawal syndrome. Emerging research outcomes indicate a strong relationship between hypertension and reduced auditory performance among the elderly. Therefore, this study determined the prevalence, types, and patterns of hearing loss associated with hypertension, with a bid to suggesting comprehensive management strategies and a model of creating awareness towards promoting good healthy living among the elderly in Nigeria. One hundred and seventy-two elderly, aged 65–85 with hypertension were purposively selected from patients undergoing treatment for hypertension in some tertiary hospitals in southwest Nigeria for the study. Participants were suggested to Pure-Tone Audiometry (PTA) through the use of Maico 53 Diagnostic Audiometer to determine the degree, types ad patterns of hearing loss among the elderly with hypertension. Results showed that 148 (86.05%) elderly with hypertension presented with different degrees, types, and patterns of hearing loss. Out of this number, 123 (83.11%) presented with bilateral hearing loss, while 25 (16.89%) had unilateral hearing loss. Degree of hearing loss, 74 moderate hearing loss, 118 moderately severe and 50 severe hearing loss. 36% of the hearing loss appeared as flat audiometric configuration, 24% were slopping, 19% were rising, while 21% were tough-shaped audiometric configurations. The findings showed high prevalence of hearing loss among the elderly with hypertension in Southwest, Nigeria. Based on the findings, management of elderly with hypertension should include regular audiological rehabilitation and total adherence to hearing conservation principles, otological management, regulation of blood pressure and adequate counselling / follow-up services.Keywords: auditory performance, elderly, hearing loss, hypertension
Procedia PDF Downloads 292911 Reclamation of Saline and Alkaline Soils through Aquaculture: A Review and Prospects for Future Research
Authors: M. Shivakumar, S. R. Somashekhar, C. V. Raju
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Secondary salinization of agricultural lands in any command areas of the world is the major issue in the recent past. Currently, it is estimated that the 954 mh of saline and alkaline soil is present in the world. Thousands of hectares of land, getting added every year. Argentina, Bangladesh and Australia are most affected countries. In India, out of 142.80 million hectare (mh) cropped area, 56 mh is irrigated area. Of which, more than 9 mh (about 16.%) of land is found to be alkaline/saline. Due to continuous utilization of same land for same agricultural activities, excessive usage of fertilizers and water, most of the soils have become alkaline, saline or water logged. These lands are low productive and at times totally unfit for agricultural activities. These soils may or may not posses good physical condition, but plants may suffer from its inability to absorb water from salty solution. Plants suffer from dehydration and loose water to the soil, shrink, resulting death of plant. This process is called plasmolysis. It is the fact that soil is an independent, organic body of nature that acquires properties in accordance with forces which act upon it. Aquaculture is one of the solutions to utilize such problematic soils for food production. When the impoundments are constructed in an area 10-15% of the affected areas, the excess water along with the salts gets into impoundments and management of salt is easier in water than in the soil. Due to high organic input in aquaculture such as feed, manure and continuous deposition of fecal matter, pH of the soil gets reduced and over the period of time such soils can be put back into the original activity. Under National Agricultural Development Program (NADP), the project was implemented in 258 villages of Mandya District, Karnataka State, India and found that these lands can be effectively utilized for fish culture and increase the proteinacious food production by many folds while conserving the soils. The findings of the research can be adopted and up scaled in any country.Keywords: saline and alkaline soils, Aquaculture, Problematic soils, Reclamation
Procedia PDF Downloads 136910 Assessment of Rangeland Condition in a Dryland System Using UAV-Based Multispectral Imagery
Authors: Vistorina Amputu, Katja Tielboerger, Nichola Knox
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Primary productivity in dry savannahs is constraint by moisture availability and under increasing anthropogenic pressure. Thus, considering climate change and the unprecedented pace and scale of rangeland deterioration, methods for assessing the status of such rangelands should be easy to apply, yield reliable and repeatable results that can be applied over large spatial scales. Global and local scale monitoring of rangelands through satellite data and labor-intensive field measurements respectively, are limited in accurately assessing the spatiotemporal heterogeneity of vegetation dynamics to provide crucial information that detects degradation in its early stages. Fortunately, newly emerging techniques such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), associated miniaturized sensors and improving digital photogrammetric software provide an opportunity to transcend these limitations. Yet, they have not been extensively calibrated in natural systems to encompass their complexities if they are to be integrated for long-term monitoring. Limited research using drone technology has been conducted in arid savannas, for example to assess the health status of this dynamic two-layer vegetation ecosystem. In our study, we fill this gap by testing the relationship between UAV-estimated cover of rangeland functional attributes and field data collected in discrete sample plots in a Namibian dryland savannah along a degradation gradient. The first results are based on a supervised classification performed on the ultra-high resolution multispectral imagery to distinguish between rangeland functional attributes (bare, non-woody, and woody), with a relatively good match to the field observations. Integrating UAV-based observations to improve rangeland monitoring could greatly assist in climate-adapted rangeland management.Keywords: arid savannah, degradation gradient, field observations, narrow-band sensor, supervised classification
Procedia PDF Downloads 122909 The Predictive Role of Attachment and Adjustment in the Decision-Making Process in Infertility
Authors: A. Luli, A. Santona
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It is rare for individuals that are involved in a relationship to think about the possibility of having procreation problems in the near present or in the future. However, infertility is a condition that affects millions of people all around the world. Often, infertile individuals have to deal with experiences of psychological, relational and social problems. In these cases, they have to review their choices and take into consideration, if it is necessary, new ones. Different studies have examined the different decisions that infertile individuals have to go through dealing with infertility and its treatment, but none of them is focused on the decision-making style used by infertile individuals to solve their problem and on the factors that influences it. The aim of this paper is to define the style of decision-making used by infertile persons to give a solution to the ‘problem’ and the potential predictive role of the attachment and of the dyadic adjustment. The total sample is composed by 251 participants, divided in two groups: the experimental group composed by 114 participants, 62 males and 52 females, age between 25 and 59 years, and the control group composed by 137 participants, 65 males and 72 females, age between 22 and 49 years. The battery of instruments used is composed by: the General Decision Making Style (GDMS), the Experiences in Close Relationships Questionnaire Revised (ECR-R), Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and the Symptom Checklist-90-R (SCL-90-R). The results from the analysis of the samples showed a prevalence of the rational decision-making style for both males and females. No significant statistical difference was found between the experimental and control group. Also the analyses showed a significant statistical relationship between the decision making styles and the adult attachment styles for both males and females. In this case, only for males, there was a significant statistical difference between the experimental and the control group. Another significant statistical relationship was founded between the decision making styles and the adjustment scales for both males and females. Also in this case, the difference between the two groups was founded to be significant only of males. These results contribute to enrich the literature on the subject of decision-making styles in infertile individuals, showing also the predictive role of the attachment styles and the adjustment, confirming in this was the few results in the literature.Keywords: adjustment, attachment, decision-making style, infertility
Procedia PDF Downloads 322908 Effect of Temperature and Deformation Mode on Texture Evolution of AA6061
Authors: M. Ghosh, A. Miroux, L. A. I. Kestens
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At molecular or micrometre scale, practically all materials are neither homogeneous nor isotropic. The concept of texture is used to identify the structural features that cause the properties of a material to be anisotropic. For metallic materials, the anisotropy of the mechanical behaviour originates from the crystallographic nature of plastic deformation, and is therefore controlled by the crystallographic texture. Anisotropy in mechanical properties often constitutes a disadvantage in the application of materials, as it is often illustrated by the earing phenomena during drawing. However, advantages may also be attained when considering other properties (e.g. optimization of magnetic behaviour to a specific direction) by controlling texture through thermo-mechanical processing). Nevertheless, in order to have better control over the final properties it is essential to relate texture with materials processing route and subsequently optimise their performance. However, up to date, few studies have been reported about the evolution of texture in 6061 aluminium alloy during warm processing (from room temperature to 250ºC). In present investigation, recrystallized 6061 aluminium alloy samples were subjected to tensile and plane strain compression (PSC) at room and warm temperatures. The gradual change of texture following both deformation modes were measured and discussed. Tensile tests demonstrate the mechanism at low strain while PSC does the same at high strain and eventually simulate the condition of rolling. Cube dominated texture of the initial rolled and recrystallized AA6061 sheets were replaced by domination of S and R components after PSC at room temperature, warm temperature (250ºC) though did not reflect any noticeable deviation from room temperature observation. It was also noticed that temperature has no significant effect on the evolution of grain morphology during PSC. The band contrast map revealed that after 30% deformation the substructure inside the grain is mainly made of series of parallel bands. A tendency for decrease of Cube and increase of Goss was noticed after tensile deformation compared to as-received material. Like PSC, texture does not change after deformation at warm temperature though. n-fibre was noticed for all the three textures from Goss to Cube.Keywords: AA 6061, deformation, temperature, tensile, PSC, texture
Procedia PDF Downloads 477907 Philippine Site Suitability Analysis for Biomass, Hydro, Solar, and Wind Renewable Energy Development Using Geographic Information System Tools
Authors: Jara Kaye S. Villanueva, M. Rosario Concepcion O. Ang
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For the past few years, Philippines has depended most of its energy source on oil, coal, and fossil fuel. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), the dominance of coal in the energy mix will continue until the year 2020. The expanding energy needs in the country have led to increasing efforts to promote and develop renewable energy. This research is a part of the government initiative in preparation for renewable energy development and expansion in the country. The Philippine Renewable Energy Resource Mapping from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Surveys is a three-year government project which aims to assess and quantify the renewable energy potential of the country and to put them into usable maps. This study focuses on the site suitability analysis of the four renewable energy sources – biomass (coconut, corn, rice, and sugarcane), hydro, solar, and wind energy. The site assessment is a key component in determining and assessing the most suitable locations for the construction of renewable energy power plants. This method maximizes the use of both the technical methods in resource assessment, as well as taking into account the environmental, social, and accessibility aspect in identifying potential sites by utilizing and integrating two different methods: the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) method and Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. For the MCDA, Analytical Hierarchy Processing (AHP) is employed to determine the parameters needed for the suitability analysis. To structure these site suitability parameters, various experts from different fields were consulted – scientists, policy makers, environmentalists, and industrialists. The need to have a well-represented group of people to consult with is relevant to avoid bias in the output parameter of hierarchy levels and weight matrices. AHP pairwise matrix computation is utilized to derive weights per level out of the expert’s gathered feedback. Whereas from the threshold values derived from related literature, international studies, and government laws, the output values were then consulted with energy specialists from the DOE. Geospatial analysis using GIS tools translate this decision support outputs into visual maps. Particularly, this study uses Euclidean distance to compute for the distance values of each parameter, Fuzzy Membership algorithm which normalizes the output from the Euclidean Distance, and the Weighted Overlay tool for the aggregation of the layers. Using the Natural Breaks algorithm, the suitability ratings of each of the map are classified into 5 discrete categories of suitability index: (1) not suitable (2) least suitable, (3) suitable, (4) moderately suitable, and (5) highly suitable. In this method, the classes are grouped based on the best groups similar values wherein each subdivision are set from the rest based on the big difference in boundary values. Results show that in the entire Philippine area of responsibility, biomass has the highest suitability rating with rice as the most suitable at 75.76% suitability percentage, whereas wind has the least suitability percentage with score 10.28%. Solar and Hydro fall in the middle of the two, with suitability values 28.77% and 21.27%.Keywords: site suitability, biomass energy, hydro energy, solar energy, wind energy, GIS
Procedia PDF Downloads 141906 Carbon Sequestration Modeling in the Implementation of REDD+ Programmes in Nigeria
Authors: Oluwafemi Samuel Oyamakin
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The forest in Nigeria is currently estimated to extend to around 9.6 million hectares, but used to expand over central and southern Nigeria decades ago. The forest estate is shrinking due to long-term human exploitation for agricultural development, fuel wood demand, uncontrolled forest harvesting and urbanization, amongst other factors, compounded by population growth in rural areas. Nigeria has lost more than 50% of its forest cover since 1990 and currently less than 10% of the country is forested. The current deforestation rate is estimated at 3.7%, which is one of the highest in the world. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks constituted what is referred to as REDD+. This study evaluated some of the existing way of computing carbon stocks using eight indigenous tree species like Mansonia, Shorea, Bombax, Terminalia superba, Khaya grandifolia, Khaya senegalenses, Pines and Gmelina arborea. While these components are the essential elements of REDD+ programme, they can be brought under a broader framework of systems analysis designed to arrive at optimal solutions for future predictions through statistical distribution pattern of carbon sequestrated by various species of tree. Available data on height and diameter of trees in Ibadan were studied and their respective potentials of carbon sequestration level were assessed and subjected to tests so as to determine the best statistical distribution that would describe the carbon sequestration pattern of trees. The result of this study suggests a reasonable statistical distribution for carbons sequestered in simulation studies and hence, allow planners and government in determining resources forecast for sustainable development especially where experiments with real-life systems are infeasible. Sustainable management of forest can then be achieved by projecting future condition of forests under different management regimes thereby supporting conservation and REDD+ programmes in Nigeria.Keywords: REDD+, carbon, climate change, height and diameter
Procedia PDF Downloads 157905 Analysis of Biomarkers Intractable Epileptogenic Brain Networks with Independent Component Analysis and Deep Learning Algorithms: A Comprehensive Framework for Scalable Seizure Prediction with Unimodal Neuroimaging Data in Pediatric Patients
Authors: Bliss Singhal
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Epilepsy is a prevalent neurological disorder affecting approximately 50 million individuals worldwide and 1.2 million Americans. There exist millions of pediatric patients with intractable epilepsy, a condition in which seizures fail to come under control. The occurrence of seizures can result in physical injury, disorientation, unconsciousness, and additional symptoms that could impede children's ability to participate in everyday tasks. Predicting seizures can help parents and healthcare providers take precautions, prevent risky situations, and mentally prepare children to minimize anxiety and nervousness associated with the uncertainty of a seizure. This research proposes a comprehensive framework to predict seizures in pediatric patients by evaluating machine learning algorithms on unimodal neuroimaging data consisting of electroencephalogram signals. The bandpass filtering and independent component analysis proved to be effective in reducing the noise and artifacts from the dataset. Various machine learning algorithms’ performance is evaluated on important metrics such as accuracy, precision, specificity, sensitivity, F1 score and MCC. The results show that the deep learning algorithms are more successful in predicting seizures than logistic Regression, and k nearest neighbors. The recurrent neural network (RNN) gave the highest precision and F1 Score, long short-term memory (LSTM) outperformed RNN in accuracy and convolutional neural network (CNN) resulted in the highest Specificity. This research has significant implications for healthcare providers in proactively managing seizure occurrence in pediatric patients, potentially transforming clinical practices, and improving pediatric care.Keywords: intractable epilepsy, seizure, deep learning, prediction, electroencephalogram channels
Procedia PDF Downloads 74904 Evaluation of Stress Relief using Ultrasonic Peening in GTAW Welding and Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) in Stainless Steel, and Comparison with the Thermal Method
Authors: Hamidreza Mansouri
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In the construction industry, the lifespan of a metal structure is directly related to the quality of welding. In most metal structures, the welded area is considered critical and is one of the most important factors in design. To date, many fracture incidents caused by these types of cracks have occurred. Various methods exist to increase the lifespan of welds to prevent failure in the welded area. Among these methods, the application of ultrasonic peening, in addition to the stress relief process, can manually and more precisely adjust the geometry of the weld toe and prevent stress concentration in this part. This research examined Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) on common structural steels and 316 stainless steel, which require precise welding, to predict the optimal condition. The GTAW method was used to create residual stress; two samples underwent ultrasonic stress relief, and for comparison, two samples underwent thermal stress relief. Also, no treatment was considered for two samples. The residual stress of all six pieces was measured by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) method. Then, the two ultrasonically stress-relieved samples and two untreated samples were exposed to a corrosive environment to initiate cracking and determine the effectiveness of the ultrasonic stress relief method. Thus, the residual stress caused by GTAW in the samples decreased by 3.42% with thermal treatment and by 7.69% with ultrasonic peening. Furthermore, the results show that the untreated sample developed cracks after 740 hours, while the ultrasonically stress-relieved piece showed no cracks. Given the high costs of welding and post-welding zone modification processes, finding an economical, effective, and comprehensive method that has the least limitations alongside a broad spectrum of usage is of great importance. Therefore, the impact of various ultrasonic peening stress relief parameters and the selection of the best stress relief parameter to achieve the longest lifespan for the weld area is highly significant.Keywords: GTAW welding, stress corrosion cracking(SCC), thermal method, ultrasonic peening.
Procedia PDF Downloads 36903 Myocardial Reperfusion Injury during Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patient with Triple-Vessel Disease in Limited Resources Hospital: A Case Report
Authors: Fanniyah Anis, Bram Kilapong
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Myocardial reperfusion injury is defined as the cellular damage that results from a period of ischemia, followed by the reestablishment of the blood supply to the infarcted tissue. Ventricular tachycardia is one of the most commonly encountered reperfusion arrhythmia as one of the types of myocardial perfusion injury. Prompt and early treatment can reduce mortality, despite limited resources of the hospital in high risk patients with history of triple vessel disease. Case report, Male 53 years old has been diagnosed with NSTEMI with 3VD and comorbid disease of Hypertension and has undergone revascularization management with Percutaneous coronary intervention. Ventricular tachycardia leading to cardiac arrest occurred right after the stent was inserted. Resuscitation was performed for almost 2 hours until spontaneous circulation returned. Patient admitted in ICU with refractory cardiac shock despite using combination of ionotropic and vasopressor agents under standard non-invasive monitoring due to the limitation of the hospital. Angiography was performed again 5 hours later to exclude other possibilities of blockage of coronary arteries and conclude diagnosis of myocardial reperfusion injury. Patient continually managed with combination of antiplatelet agents and maintenance dose of anti-arrhythmia agents. The handling of the patient was to focus more on supportive and preventive from further deteriorating of the condition. Patient showed clinically improvement and regained consciousness within 24 hours. Patient was successfully discharged from ICU within 3 days without any neurological sequela and was discharge from hospital after 3 days observation in general ward. Limited Resource of hospital did not refrain the physician from attaining a good outcome for this myocardial reperfusion injury case and angiography alone can be used to confirm the diagnosis of myocardial reperfusion injury.Keywords: limited resources hospital, myocardial reperfusion injury, prolonged resuscitation, refractory cardiogenic shock, reperfusion arrhythmia, revascularization, triple-vessel disease
Procedia PDF Downloads 298902 Tectonics of Out-of-Sequence Thrusting in NW Himachal Himalaya, India
Authors: Rajkumar Ghosh
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Jhakri Thrust (JT), Sarahan Thrust (ST), and Chaura Thrust (CT) are the three OOST along Jakhri-Chaura segment along the Sutlej river valley in Himachal Pradesh. CT is deciphered only by Apatite Fission Track dating. Such geochronological information is not currently accessible for the Jhakri and Sarahan thrusts. JT was additionally validated as OOST without any dating. The described rock types include ductile sheared gneisses and upper greenschist-amphibolite facies metamorphosed schists. Locally, the Munsiari (Jutogh) Thrust is referred to as the JT. Brittle shear, the JT, borders the research area's southern and ductile shear, the CT, and its northern margins. The JT has a 50° western dip and is south-westward verging. It is 15–17 km deep. A progressive rise in strain towards the JT zone based on microstructural tests was observed by previous researchers. The high-temperature ranges of the MCT root zone are cited in the current work as supportive evidence for the ductile nature of the OOST. In Himachal Pradesh, the lithological boundaries for OOST are not set. In contrast, the Sarahan thrust is NW-SE striking and 50-80 m wide. ST and CT are probably equivalent and marked by a sheared biotite-chlorite matrix with a top-to-SE kinematic indicator. It is inferred from cross-section balancing that the CT is folded with this anticlinorium. These thrust systems consist of several branches, some of which are still active. The thrust system exhibits complex internal geometry consisting of box folds, boudins, scar folds, crenulation cleavages, kink folds, and tension gashes. Box folds are observed on the hanging wall of the Chaura thrust. The ductile signature of CT represents steepen downward of the thrust. After the STDSU stopped deformation, out-of-sequence thrust was initiated in some sections of the Higher Himalaya. A part of GHC and part of the LH is thrust southwestward along the Jutogh Thrust/Munsiari Thrust/JT as also the Jutogh Nappe. The CT is concealed beneath Jutogh Thrust sheet hence the basal part of GHC is unexposed to the surface in Sutlej River section. Fieldwork and micro-structural studies of the Greater Himalayan Crystalline (GHC) along the Sutlej section reveal (a) initial top-to-SW sense of ductile shearing (CT); (b) brittle-ductile extension (ST); and (c) uniform top-to-SW sense of brittle shearing (JT). A group of samples of schistose rock from Jutogh Group of Greater Himalayan Crystalline and Quartzite from Rampur Group of Lesser Himalayan Crystalline were analyzed. No such physiographic transition in that area is to determine a break in the landscape due to OOST. OOSTs from GHC are interpreted mainly from geochronological studies to date, but proper field evidence is missing. Apart from minimal documentation in geological mapping for OOST, there exists a lack of suitable exposure of rock to generalize the features of OOST in the field in NW Higher Himalaya. Multiple sets of thrust planes may be activated within this zone or a zone along which OOST is engaged.Keywords: out-of-sequence thrust, main central thrust, grain boundary migration, South Tibetan detachment system, Jakhri Thrust, Sarahan Thrust, Chaura Thrust, higher Himalaya, greater Himalayan crystalline
Procedia PDF Downloads 67901 A Case Report on Therapeutic Approach in Cases of Anasarca in Neonates Dogs
Authors: Maria L. G. Lourenço, Keylla H. N. P. Pereira, Viviane Y. Hibaru, Fabiana F. Souza, Joao C. P. Ferreira, Simone B. Chiacchio, Luiz H. A. Machado
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Anasarca is generalized congenital edema that is often lethal. The condition is transmitted hereditarily and is autosomal dominant, with a racial predisposition in French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs. This study aims at reporting a case of anasarca treatment in neonates. The fetuses of a one year and six months old, primiparous English Bulldog mother were diagnosed with anasarca during an ultrasound examination performed at the 55th day of pregnancy and, therefore, an elective cesarean section was scheduled to prevent fetal dystocia. At birth, all puppies presented anasarca, and one of the six was stillborn. The newborns presented cyanosis, dyspnea, bradycardia, absent reflexes, low vitality scores (3/10), and hypothermia ( < 32ºC). The weight of the puppies at the time of birth varied between 347 and 373 grams, about 100 grams above the average weight estimated for the breed. Immediate neonatal care was applied with oxygen therapy via a mask, aminophylline (0.2 ml/100 g/PV/sublingual), and slow heating. After 10 minutes, there was a significant improvement in the neonatal parameters. The anasarca was treated with the drug furosemide, administered subcutaneously, at a dose of 0.2 mg per 100 grams of weight, every three hours. The stimulation for urination of newborns was performed every 30 minutes, and weight loss was monitored every 30 minutes. Five grams of potassium chloride were administered orally for every 30 grams of weight loss to counterbalance the loss of potassium caused by the diuretic medication. After 15 hours, the neonates reached the ideal weight for the breed, around 209 to 230 grams. In total, four neonates received five doses of furosemide, while one received six doses. The puppies are currently ten months old, healthy and neutered. Anasarca should not be ignored and is considered potentially lethal and an indication for euthanasia in all cases. Early intervention is of utmost importance for the survival of these patients.Keywords: Walrus syndrome, congenital edema, water puppy syndrome, puppies
Procedia PDF Downloads 166900 Tunable Graphene Metasurface Modeling Using the Method of Moment Combined with Generalised Equivalent Circuit
Authors: Imen Soltani, Takoua Soltani, Taoufik Aguili
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Metamaterials crossover classic physical boundaries and gives rise to new phenomena and applications in the domain of beam steering and shaping. Where electromagnetic near and far field manipulations were achieved in an accurate manner. In this sense, 3D imaging is one of the beneficiaries and in particular Denis Gabor’s invention: holography. But, the major difficulty here is the lack of a suitable recording medium. So some enhancements were essential, where the 2D version of bulk metamaterials have been introduced the so-called metasurface. This new class of interfaces simplifies the problem of recording medium with the capability of tuning the phase, amplitude, and polarization at a given frequency. In order to achieve an intelligible wavefront control, the electromagnetic properties of the metasurface should be optimized by means of solving Maxwell’s equations. In this context, integral methods are emerging as an important method to study electromagnetic from microwave to optical frequencies. The method of moment presents an accurate solution to reduce the problem of dimensions by writing its boundary conditions in the form of integral equations. But solving this kind of equations tends to be more complicated and time-consuming as the structural complexity increases. Here, the use of equivalent circuit’s method exhibits the most scalable experience to develop an integral method formulation. In fact, for allaying the resolution of Maxwell’s equations, the method of Generalised Equivalent Circuit was proposed to convey the resolution from the domain of integral equations to the domain of equivalent circuits. In point of fact, this technique consists in creating an electric image of the studied structure using discontinuity plan paradigm and taken into account its environment. So that, the electromagnetic state of the discontinuity plan is described by generalised test functions which are modelled by virtual sources not storing energy. The environmental effects are included by the use of an impedance or admittance operator. Here, we propose a tunable metasurface composed of graphene-based elements which combine the advantages of reflectarrays concept and graphene as a pillar constituent element at Terahertz frequencies. The metasurface’s building block consists of a thin gold film, a dielectric spacer SiO₂ and graphene patch antenna. Our electromagnetic analysis is based on the method of moment combined with generalised equivalent circuit (MoM-GEC). We begin by restricting our attention to study the effects of varying graphene’s chemical potential on the unit cell input impedance. So, it was found that the variation of complex conductivity of graphene allows controlling the phase and amplitude of the reflection coefficient at each element of the array. From the results obtained here, we were able to determine that the phase modulation is realized by adjusting graphene’s complex conductivity. This modulation is a viable solution compared to tunning the phase by varying the antenna length because it offers a full 2π reflection phase control.Keywords: graphene, method of moment combined with generalised equivalent circuit, reconfigurable metasurface, reflectarray, terahertz domain
Procedia PDF Downloads 172899 Design and Development of an Innovative MR Damper Based on Intelligent Active Suspension Control of a Malaysia's Model Vehicle
Authors: L. Wei Sheng, M. T. Noor Syazwanee, C. J. Carolyna, M. Amiruddin, M. Pauziah
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This paper exhibits the alternatives towards active suspension systems revised based on the classical passive suspension system to improve comfort and handling performance. An active Magneto rheological (MR) suspension system is proposed as to explore the active based suspension system to enhance performance given its freedom to independently specify the characteristics of load carrying, handling, and ride quality. Malaysian quarter car with two degrees of freedom (2DOF) system is designed and constructed to simulate the actions of an active vehicle suspension system. The structure of a conventional twin-tube shock absorber is modified both internally and externally to comprehend with the active suspension system. The shock absorber peripheral structure is altered to enable the assembling and disassembling of the damper through a non-permanent joint whereby the stress analysis of the designed joint is simulated using Finite Element Analysis. Simulation on the internal part where an electrified copper coil of 24AWG is winded is done using Finite Element Method Magnetics to measure the magnetic flux density inside the MR damper. The primary purpose of this approach is to reduce the vibration transmitted from the effects of road surface irregularities while maintaining solid manoeuvrability. The aim of this research is to develop an intelligent control system of a consecutive damping automotive suspension system. The ride quality is improved by means of the reduction of the vertical body acceleration caused by the car body when it experiences disturbances from speed bump and random road roughness. Findings from this research are expected to enhance the quality of ride which in return can prevent the deteriorating effect of vibration on the vehicle condition as well as the passengers’ well-being.Keywords: active suspension, FEA, magneto rheological damper, Malaysian quarter car model, vibration control
Procedia PDF Downloads 203898 Acquisition of Overt Pronoun Constraint in L2 Turkish by Adult Korean Speakers
Authors: Oktay Cinar
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The aim of this study is to investigate the acquisition of Overt Pronoun Constraint (OPC) by adult Korean L2 Turkish speakers in order to find out how constraints regulating the syntax of null and overt subjects are acquired. OPC is claimed to be a universal feature of all null subject languages restricting the co-indexation between overt embedded pronoun and quantified or wh-question antecedents. However, there is no such restriction when the embedded subject is null or the antecedent is a referential subject. Considered as a principle of Universal Grammar (UG), OPC knowledge of L2 speakers has been widely tested with different language pairs. In the light of previous studies on OPC, it can be argued that L2 learners display early sensitivity to OPC constraints during their interlanguage grammar development. Concerning this, the co-indexation between overt embedded pronoun o (third person pronoun) and referential matrix subject is claimed to be controversial in Turkish, which poses problems with the universality of OPC. However, the current study argues against this claim by providing evidence from advanced Korean speakers that OPC is universal to all null subject languages and OPC knowledge can be accessed with direct access to UG. In other words, the performances of adult Korean speakers on the syntax of null and overt subjects are tested to support this claim. In order to test this, OPC task is used. 15 advanced speakers and a control group of adult native Turkish participants are instructed to determine the co-reference relationship between the subject of embedded clause, either overt pronominal o or null, and the subject of the matrix clause, either quantified pronoun and wh-question or referential antecedent. They are asked to select the interpretation of the embedded subject, either as the same person as in the matrix subject or another person who is not the same person in the matrix subject. These relations are represented with four conditions, and each condition has four questions (16 questions in total). The results claim that both control group and Korean L2 Turkish speakers display sensitivity to all constraints that OPC has, which suggests that OPC works in Turkish as well.Keywords: adult Korean speakers, binding theory, generative second language acquisition, overt pronoun constraint
Procedia PDF Downloads 300897 Use of Transportation Networks to Optimize The Profit Dynamics of the Product Distribution
Authors: S. Jayasinghe, R. B. N. Dissanayake
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Optimization modelling together with the Network models and Linear Programming techniques is a powerful tool in problem solving and decision making in real world applications. This study developed a mathematical model to optimize the net profit by minimizing the transportation cost. This model focuses the transportation among decentralized production plants to a centralized distribution centre and then the distribution among island wide agencies considering the customer satisfaction as a requirement. This company produces basically 9 types of food items with 82 different varieties and 4 types of non-food items with 34 different varieties. Among 6 production plants, 4 were located near the city of Mawanella and the other 2 were located in Galewala and Anuradhapura cities which are 80 km and 150 km away from Mawanella respectively. The warehouse located in the Mawanella was the main production plant and also the only distribution plant. This plant distributes manufactured products to 39 agencies island-wide. The average values and average amount of the goods for 6 consecutive months from May 2013 to October 2013 were collected and then average demand values were calculated. The following constraints are used as the necessary requirement to satisfy the optimum condition of the model; there was one source, 39 destinations and supply and demand for all the agencies are equal. Using transport cost for a kilometer, total transport cost was calculated. Then the model was formulated using distance and flow of the distribution. Network optimization and linear programming techniques were used to originate the model while excel solver is used in solving. Results showed that company requires total transport cost of Rs. 146, 943, 034.50 to fulfil the customers’ requirement for a month. This is very much less when compared with data without using the model. Model also proved that company can reduce their transportation cost by 6% when distributing to island-wide customers. Company generally satisfies their customers’ requirements by 85%. This satisfaction can be increased up to 97% by using this model. Therefore this model can be used by other similar companies in order to reduce the transportation cost.Keywords: mathematical model, network optimization, linear programming
Procedia PDF Downloads 337896 Impact of Dietary Rumen Protected Choline on Transition Dairy Cows’ Productive Performance
Authors: Mohamed Ahmed Tony, Fayez Abaza
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The effects of a dietary supplement of rumen-protected choline on feed intake, milk yield, milk composition and some blood metabolites were evaluated in transition dairy cows. Forty multiparous cows were blocked into 20 pairs and then randomly allocated to either one of 2 treatments. The treatments were supplementation either with or without (control) rumen-protected choline. Treatments were applied from 2 weeks before and until 8 weeks after calving. Both groups received the same basal diet as total mixed ration. Additionally, 50 g of a rumen-protected choline supplement (25% rumen protected choline chloride) was added individually in the feed. Individual feed intake, milk yield, and body weight were recorded daily. Milk samples were analyzed weekly for fat, protein, and lactose content. Blood was sampled at week 2 before calving, d 1, d 4, d 7, d 10, week 2, week 3, and week 8 after calving. Glucose, triglycerids, nonesterified fatty acids, and β-hydroxybutyric acid in blood were analysed. The results revealed that choline supplementation increased DM intake from 16.5 to 18.0 kg/d and, hence, net energy intake from 99.2 to 120.5 MJ/d at the intercept of the lactation curve at 1 day in milk. Choline supplementation had no effect on milk yield, milk fat yield, or lactose yield. Milk protein yield was increased from 1.11 to 1.22 kg/d at the intercept of the lactation curve. Choline supplementation was associated with decreased milk fat concentration at the intercept of the lactation curve at 1 day in milking, but the effect of choline on milk fat concentration gradually decreased as lactation progressed. Choline supplementation decreased the concentration of blood triglycerids during the first 4 wk after parturition. Choline supplementation had no effect on energy-corrected milk yield, energy balance, body weight and body condition score. Results from this study suggest that fat metabolism in periparturient dairy cows is improved by choline supplementation during the transition period and this may potentially decrease the risk for metabolic disorders in the periparturient dairy cow.Keywords: choline, dairy cattle, transition cow, triglycerids
Procedia PDF Downloads 504895 Studies on Organic and Inorganic Micro/Nano Particle Reinforced Epoxy Composites
Authors: Daniel Karthik, Vijay Baheti, Jiri Militky, Sundaramurthy Palanisamy
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Fibre based nano particles are presently considered as one of the potential filler materials for the improvement of mechanical and physical properties of polymer composites. Due to high matrix-filler interfacial area there will be uniform and homogeneous dispersion of nanoparticles. In micro/nano filler reinforced composites, resin material is usually tailored by organic or inorganic nanoparticles to have improved matrix properties. The objective of this study was to compare the potential of reinforcement of different organic and inorganic micro/nano fillers in epoxy composites. Industrial and agricultural waste of fibres like Agave Americana, cornhusk, jute, basalt, carbon, glass and fly ash was utilized to prepare micro/nano particles. Micro/nano particles were obtained using high energy planetary ball milling process in dry condition. Milling time and ball size were kept constant throughout the ball milling process. Composites were fabricated by hand lay method. Particle loading was kept constant to 3% wt. for all composites. In present study, loading of fillers was selected as 3 wt. % for all composites. Dynamic mechanical properties of the nanocomposite films were performed in three-point bending mode with gauge length and sample width of 50 mm and 10 mm respectively. The samples were subjected to an oscillating frequency of 1 Hz, 5 Hz and 10 Hz and 100 % oscillating amplitude in the temperature ranges of 30°C to 150°C at the heating rate of 3°C/min. Damping was found to be higher with the jute composites. Amongst organic fillers lowest damping factor was observed with Agave Americana particles, this means that Agave americana fibre particles have betters interface adhesion with epoxy resin. Basalt, fly ash and glass particles have almost similar damping factors confirming better interface adhesion with epoxy.Keywords: ball milling, damping factor, matrix-filler interface, particle reinforcements
Procedia PDF Downloads 260894 An Impairment of Spatiotemporal Gait Adaptation in Huntington's Disease when Navigating around Obstacles
Authors: Naznine Anwar, Kim Cornish, Izelle Labuschagne, Nellie Georgiou-Karistianis
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Falls and subsequent injuries are common features in symptomatic Huntington’s disease (symp-HD) individuals. As part of daily walking, navigating around obstacles may incur a greater risk of falls in symp-HD. We designed obstacle-crossing experiment to examine adaptive gait dynamics and to identify underlying spatiotemporal gait characteristics that could increase the risk of falling in symp-HD. This experiment involved navigating around one or two ground-based obstacles under two conditions (walking while navigating around one obstacle, and walking while navigating around two obstacles). A total of 32 participants were included, 16 symp-HD and 16 healthy controls with age and sex matched. We used a GAITRite electronic walkway to examine the spatiotemporal gait characteristics and inter-trail gait variability when participants walked at their preferable speed. A minimum of six trials were completed which were performed for baseline free walk and also for each and every condition during navigating around the obstacles. For analysis, we separated all walking steps into three phases as approach steps, navigating steps and recovery steps. The mean and inter-trail variability (within participant standard deviation) for each step gait variable was calculated across the six trails. We found symp-HD individuals significantly decreased their gait velocity and step length and increased step duration variability during the navigating steps and recovery steps compared with approach steps. In contrast, HC individuals showed less difference in gait velocity, step time and step length variability from baseline in both respective conditions as well as all three approaches. These findings indicate that increasing spatiotemporal gait variability may be a possible compensatory strategy that is adopted by symp-HD individuals to effectively navigate obstacles during walking. Such findings may offer benefit to clinicians in the development of strategies for HD individuals to improve functional outcomes in the home and hospital based rehabilitation program.Keywords: Huntington’s disease, gait variables, navigating around obstacle, basal ganglia dysfunction
Procedia PDF Downloads 436893 The Optimal Order Policy for the Newsvendor Model under Worker Learning
Authors: Sunantha Teyarachakul
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We consider the worker-learning Newsvendor Model, under the case of lost-sales for unmet demand, with the research objective of proposing the cost-minimization order policy and lot size, scheduled to arrive at the beginning of the selling-period. In general, the New Vendor Model is used to find the optimal order quantity for the perishable items such as fashionable products or those with seasonal demand or short-life cycles. Technically, it is used when the product demand is stochastic and available for the single selling-season, and when there is only a one time opportunity for the vendor to purchase, with possibly of long ordering lead-times. Our work differs from the classical Newsvendor Model in that we incorporate the human factor (specifically worker learning) and its influence over the costs of processing units into the model. We describe this by using the well-known Wright’s Learning Curve. Most of the assumptions of the classical New Vendor Model are still maintained in our work, such as the constant per-unit cost of leftover and shortage, the zero initial inventory, as well as the continuous time. Our problem is challenging in the way that the best order quantity in the classical model, which is balancing the over-stocking and under-stocking costs, is no longer optimal. Specifically, when adding the cost-saving from worker learning to such expected total cost, the convexity of the cost function will likely not be maintained. This has called for a new way in determining the optimal order policy. In response to such challenges, we found a number of characteristics related to the expected cost function and its derivatives, which we then used in formulating the optimal ordering policy. Examples of such characteristics are; the optimal order quantity exists and is unique if the demand follows a Uniform Distribution; if the demand follows the Beta Distribution with some specific properties of its parameters, the second derivative of the expected cost function has at most two roots; and there exists the specific level of lot size that satisfies the first order condition. Our research results could be helpful for analysis of supply chain coordination and of the periodic review system for similar problems.Keywords: inventory management, Newsvendor model, order policy, worker learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 406892 Nano-Plasmonic Diagnostic Sensor Using Ultraflat Single-Crystalline Au Nanoplate and Cysteine-Tagged Protein G
Authors: Hwang Ahreum, Kang Taejoon, Kim Bongsoo
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Nanosensors for high sensitive detection of diseases have been widely studied to improve the quality of life. Here, we suggest robust nano-plasmonic diagnostic sensor using cysteine tagged protein G (Cys3-protein G) and ultraflat, ultraclean and single-crystalline Au nanoplates. Protein G formed on an ultraflat Au surface provides ideal background for dense and uniform immobilization of antibodies. The Au is highly stable in diverse biochemical environment and can immobilize antibodies easily through Au-S bonding, having been widely used for various biosensing applications. Especially, atomically smooth single-crystalline Au nanomaterials synthesized using chemical vapor transport (CVT) method are very suitable to fabricate reproducible sensitive sensors. As the C-reactive protein (CRP) is a nonspecific biomarker of inflammation and infection, it can be used as a predictive or prognostic marker for various cardiovascular diseases. Cys3-protein G immobilized uniformly on the Au nanoplate enable CRP antibody (anti-CRP) to be ordered in a correct orientation, making their binding capacity be maximized for CRP detection. Immobilization condition for the Cys3-protein G and anti-CRP on the Au nanoplate is optimized visually by AFM analysis. Au nanoparticle - Au nanoplate (NPs-on-Au nanoplate) assembly fabricated from sandwich immunoassay for CRP can reduce zero-signal extremely caused by nonspecific bindings, providing a distinct surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement still in 10-18 M of CRP concentration. Moreover, the NP-on-Au nanoplate sensor shows an excellent selectivity against non-target proteins with high concentration. In addition, comparing with control experiments employing a Au film fabricated by e-beam assisted deposition and linker molecule, we validate clearly contribution of the Au nanoplate for the attomolar sensitive detection of CRP. We expect that the devised platform employing the complex of single-crystalline Au nanoplates and Cys3-protein G can be applied for detection of many other cancer biomarkers.Keywords: Au nanoplate, biomarker, diagnostic sensor, protein G, SERS
Procedia PDF Downloads 252891 Jointly Optimal Statistical Process Control and Maintenance Policy for Deteriorating Processes
Authors: Lucas Paganin, Viliam Makis
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With the advent of globalization, the market competition has become a major issue for most companies. One of the main strategies to overcome this situation is the quality improvement of the product at a lower cost to meet customers’ expectations. In order to achieve the desired quality of products, it is important to control the process to meet the specifications, and to implement the optimal maintenance policy for the machines and the production lines. Thus, the overall objective is to reduce process variation and the production and maintenance costs. In this paper, an integrated model involving Statistical Process Control (SPC) and maintenance is developed to achieve this goal. Therefore, the main focus of this paper is to develop the jointly optimal maintenance and statistical process control policy minimizing the total long run expected average cost per unit time. In our model, the production process can go out of control due to either the deterioration of equipment or other assignable causes. The equipment is also subject to failures in any of the operating states due to deterioration and aging. Hence, the process mean is controlled by an Xbar control chart using equidistant sampling epochs. We assume that the machine inspection epochs are the times when the control chart signals an out-of-control condition, considering both true and false alarms. At these times, the production process will be stopped, and an investigation will be conducted not only to determine whether it is a true or false alarm, but also to identify the causes of the true alarm, whether it was caused by the change in the machine setting, by other assignable causes, or by both. If the system is out of control, the proper actions will be taken to bring it back to the in-control state. At these epochs, a maintenance action can be taken, which can be no action, or preventive replacement of the unit. When the equipment is in the failure state, a corrective maintenance action is performed, which can be minimal repair or replacement of the machine and the process is brought to the in-control state. SMDP framework is used to formulate and solve the joint control problem. Numerical example is developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the control policy.Keywords: maintenance, semi-Markov decision process, statistical process control, Xbar control chart
Procedia PDF Downloads 83890 Moved by Music: The Impact of Music on Fatigue, Arousal and Motivation During Conditioning for High to Elite Level Female Artistic Gymnasts
Authors: Chante J. De Klerk
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The potential of music to facilitate superior performance during high to elite level gymnastics conditioning instigated this research. A team of seven gymnasts completed a fixed conditioning programme eight times, alternating the two variable conditions. Four sessions of each condition were conducted: without music (session 1), with music (session 2), without music (3), with music (4), without music (5), and so forth. Quantitative data were collected in both conditions through physiological monitoring of the gymnasts, and administration of the Situational Motivation Scale (SIMS). Statistical analysis of the physiological data made it possible to quantify the presence as well as the magnitude of the musical intervention’s impact on various aspects of the gymnasts' physiological functioning during conditioning. The SIMS questionnaire results were used to evaluate if their motivation towards conditioning was altered by the intervention. Thematic analysis of qualitative data collected through semi-structured interviews revealed themes reflecting the gymnasts’ sentiments towards the data collection process. Gymnast-specific descriptions and experiences of the team as a whole were integrated with the quantitative data to facilitate greater dimension in establishing the impact of the intervention. The results showed positive physiological, motivational, and emotional effects. In the presence of music, superior sympathetic nervous activation, and energy efficiency, with more economic breathing, dominated the physiological data. Fatigue and arousal levels (emotional and physiological) were also conducive to improved conditioning outcomes compared to conventional conditioning (without music). Greater levels of positive affect and motivation emerged in analysis of both the SIMS and interview data sets. Overall, the intervention was found to promote psychophysiological coherence during the physical activity. In conclusion, a strategically constructed musical intervention, designed to accompany a gymnastics conditioning session for high to elite level gymnasts, has ergogenic potential.Keywords: arousal, fatigue, gymnastics conditioning, motivation, musical intervention, psychophysiological coherence
Procedia PDF Downloads 88889 The Comparison of the Effects of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Delivery by Systemic and Intra-Tracheal Injection on Elastase-Induced Emphysema Model
Authors: Maryam Radan, Fereshteh Nejad Dehbashi, Vahid Bayati, Mahin Dianat, Seyyed Ali Mard, Zahra Mansouri
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Pulmonary emphysema is a pathological respiratory condition identified by alveolar destruction which leads to limitation of airflow and diminished lung function. A substantial body of evidence suggests that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the ability to induce tissue repair primarily through a paracrine effect. In this study, we aimed to determine the efficacy of Intratracheal adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADSCs) therapy in comparison to this approach with that of Intravenous (Systemic) therapy. Fifty adult male Sprague–Dawley rats weighing between 180 and 200 g were used in this experiment. The animals were randomized to Control groups (Intratracheal or Intravenous vehicle), Elastase group (intratracheal administration of porcine pancreatic elastase; 25 U/kg on day 0 and day 10th), Elastase+Intratracheal ADSCs therapy (1x107 Cells, on day 28) and Elastase+Systemic ADSCs therapy (1x107 Cells, on day 28). The rats which not subjected to any treatment, considered as the control. All rats were sacrificed 3 weeks later. Morphometric findings in lung tissues (Mean linear intercept) confirmed the establishment of the emphysema model via alveolar disruption. Contrarily, ADSCs administration partially restored alveolar architecture. These results were associated with improving arterial oxygenation, reducing lung edema, and decreasing lung inflammation with higher significant effects in the Intratracheal therapy route. These results documented that the efficacy of intratracheal ADSCs was comparable with intravenous ADSCs therapy. Accordingly, the obtained data suggested that intratracheal delivery of ADSCs would enhance lung repair in pulmonary emphysema. Moreover, this method provides benefits over a systemic administration, such as the reduction of cell number and the low risk to engraft other organs.Keywords: mesenchymal stem cell, emphysema, Intratracheal, systemic
Procedia PDF Downloads 206888 Process Optimization and Microbial Quality of Provitamin A-Biofortified Amahewu, a Non-Alcoholic Maize Based Beverage
Authors: Temitope D. Awobusuyi, Eric O. Amonsou, Muthulisi Siwela, Oluwatosin A. Ijabadeniyi
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Provitamin A-biofortified maize has been developed to alleviate Vitamin A deficiency; a major public health problem in developing countries. Amahewu, a non-alcoholic fermented maize based beverage is produced using white maize, which is deficient in Vitamin A. In this study, the suitable processing conditions for the production of amahewu using provitamin A-biofortified maize and the microbial quality of the processed products were evaluated. Provitamin A-biofortified amahewu was produced with reference to traditional processing method. Processing variables were Inoculum types (Malted provitamin A maize, Wheat bran, and lactobacillus mixed starter culture with either malted provitamin A or wheat bran) and concentration (0.5 %, 1 % and 2 %). A total of four provitamin A-biofortified amahewu products after fermentation were subjected to different storage conditions: 4ᴼC, 25ᴼC and 37ᴼC. pH and TTA were monitored throughout the storage period. Sample of provitamin A-biofortified amahewu were plated and observed every day for 5 days to assess the presence of Aerobic and Anaerobic spore formers, E.coli, Lactobacillus and Mould. The addition of starter culture substantially reduced the fermentation time (6 hour, pH 3.3) compared to those with no addition of starter culture (24 hour pH 3.5). It was observed that Lactobacillus were present from day 0 for all the storage temperatures. The presence of aerobic spore former and mould were observed on day 3. E.coli and Anaerobic spore formers were not present throughout the storage period. These microbial growth were minimal at 4ᴼC while 25ᴼC had higher counts of growth with 37ᴼC having the highest colony count. Throughout the storage period, pH of provitamin A-biofortified amahewu was stable. Provitamin A-biofortified amahewu stored under refrigerated condition (4ᴼC) had better storability compared to 25ᴼC and 37ᴼC. The production and microbial quality of provitamin A-biofortified amahewu might be important in combating Vitamin A Deficiency.Keywords: biofortification, fermentation, maize, vitamin A deficiency
Procedia PDF Downloads 425887 Correlation Studies in Nutritional Intake, Health Status and Clinical Examination of Young Adult Girls
Authors: Sonal Tuljaram Kame
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Growth and development is based on proper diet. A balanced diet contains all the nutrients in required quantum. Although physical growth is completed by young adulthood, the body tissues remain in a dynamic state with catabolism slightly exceeding anabolism, resulting in a net decrease in the number of cells. After the years of adolescence which cause upheavals in the life of the person, the individual struggle to emerge as an adult who know who he is and what his goals are. During this period nutrients are needed for maintaining the health and energy is required for physical functions and physical activities. The nutritional requirement in young adulthood differs from other periods of life. Iron is needed for haemoglobin synthesis and necessitates by the considerable examination of blood volume. Young adult girls need to ensure adequate intake of iron as they loose 0.5 mg/day by way of menstruation. This is complete awareness about nutritional and health on the other side there is widespread ignorance about nutrition and health among young adult girls. The young adult girls who are aware about nutrition and health seem to be very conscious about nutritional intake and health. Figure consciousness and fear of obesity leads to self imposed intake of nutrients. It may result in various health problems. The study was planned to investigate nutrient intake, find relation between nutritional intake, clinical examination score and health status of young adult girls. The present study is based on the data collected from 120 young adult girls studying in four different competitive exams coaching academies in Akola city of Maharashtra. It was found that nutritional intake of these young adult girls was below the recommended level, nutritional knowledge level and nutritional intake are associated attributes, calories, calcium and protein intake is positively correlated with clinical examination and health status. It was concluded that well planned nutritional counseling for the young adult girls can help prevent nutritional deficiency diseases and disorders which may lead to anaemic condition in young adult girls. Girls need to be educated on intake of iron and vitamin B12.Keywords: nutritional intake, health status, young adult girls, correlation studies
Procedia PDF Downloads 362886 Support for Privilege Based on Nationality in Switched-At-Birth Scenario
Authors: Anne Lehner, Mostafa Salari Rad, Jeremy Ginges
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Many of life’s privileges (and burdens) are thrust on us at birth. Someone born white or male in the United States is also born with a set of advantages over someone born non-white or female. One aspect of privileges conferred by birth is that they are so entrenched in social institutions and social norms that until they are robustly challenged, they can be seen as a moral good. While American society increasingly confronts privileges based on gender and race, other types of privileges, like one's nationality, see less attention. The nationality one is born into can have enormous effects on one’s personal life, work opportunities, and health outcomes. Yet, we predicted that although most Americans would regard it as absurd to think that white people have a right to protect their privileges and 'way of life', they would regard it as obvious that Americans have a right to protect the American way of life and associated privileges. In a preregistered study we presented 300 Americans randomly with one out of three 'privilege scales' in order to assess their agreement with certain statements. The domains for the privilege scales were nationality, race, and gender. Next, all participants completed the switched-at-birth task assessing ones tendency to essentialize nationality. We found that Americans are more approving of privilege based on nationality than of privilege based on gender and race. In addition, we found an interaction of condition with ideology, showing that conservatives are in general more approving of the privilege of any kind than liberals are, and they especially approve of privilege based on nationality. For the switched-at-birth task, we found that both, liberals as well as conservatives are equally willing to grant the child 100% American nationality. Whether or not one chose 100% is unrelated to the expressed approval of privilege based on nationality. One might hesitate to fully grant the child 100% American nationality in the task, yet disapprove of privilege based on nationality. This shows that as much as we see beholders of privilege being oblivious to their statuses within other social categories, like gender or race, we seem to detect the same blindness for the privilege based on nationality. Liberals showing relatively fewer support for privilege based on nationality compared to conservatives still refused to acknowledge the child as having become 100% American and thereby denying the privileges it potentially bestows upon them.Keywords: thought experiment, anti-immigrant attitudes, privilege of nationality, immigration, moral circles, psychology
Procedia PDF Downloads 119885 Influence of Driving Speed on Bearing Capacity Measurement of Intra-Urban Roads with the Traffic Speed Deflectometer(Tsd)
Authors: Pahirangan Sivapatham, Barbara Esser, Andreas Grimmel
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In times of limited public funds and, in particular, an increased social, environmental awareness, as well as the limited availability of construction materials, sustainable and resource-saving pavement management system, is becoming more and more important. Therefore, the knowledge about the condition of the structural substances, particularly bearing capacity and its consideration while planning the maintenance measures of the subordinate network, i.e., state and municipal roads unavoidable. According to the experience, the recommended ride speed of the Traffic Speed Deflectometer (TSD) shall be higher than 40 km/h. Holding of this speed on the intra-urban roads is nearly not possible because of intersections and traffic lights as well as the speed limit. A sufficient background of experience for the evaluation of bearing capacity measurements with TSD in the range of lower speeds is not available yet. The aim of this study is to determine the possible lowest ride speed of the TSD while the bearing capacity measurement on the intra-urban roads. The manufacturer of the TSD used in this study states that the measurements can be conducted at a ride speed of higher than 5 km/h. It is well known that with decreasing ride speed, the viscous fractions in the response of the asphalt pavement increase. This must be taken into account when evaluating the bearing capacity data. In the scope of this study, several measurements were carried out at different speeds between 10 km/h and 60 km/h on the selected intra-urban roads with Pavement-Scanner of the University of Wuppertal, which is equipped with TSD. Pavement-Scanner is able to continuously determine the deflections of asphalt roads in flowing traffic at speeds of up to 80 km/h. The raw data is then aggregated to 10 m mean values so that, as a rule, a bearing capacity characteristic value can be determined for each 10 m road section. By means of analysing of obtained test results, the quality and validity of the determined data rate subject to the riding speed of TSD have been determined. Moreover, the data and pictures of the additional measuring systems of Pavement-Scanners such as High-Speed Road Monitor, Ground Penetration Radar and front cameras can be used to determine and eliminate irregularities in the pavement, which could influence the bearing capacity.Keywords: bearing capacity measurement, traffic speed deflectometer, inter-urban roads, Pavement-Scanner, structural substance
Procedia PDF Downloads 224884 Spontaneous Pneumothorax in Mixed Poisoning Presented as Daisley Barton Syndrome
Authors: A. A. Md. Ryhan Uddin, Swarup Das, Rajesh Barua, Joheb Hasan, Rashedul Islam
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Background: The herbicide has toxicological importance because some of them are associated with high mortality rates due to respiratory failure. Organophosphate poisoning (OPC) & Paraquat self-poisoning is a major clinical and public health problems in low and middle-income countries across much of South Asia. Paraquat was not used as a common suicidal agent previously in Bangladesh. We report a case of 15 years old female admitted to the ER with a history of nausea & vomiting after ingestion of an unknown substance in a suicidal attempt, later identified as mixed poisoning- OPC & Paraquat. She was initially asymptomatic but later developed renal shutdown & lung injuries as well as pneumothorax, referred to as Daisley Barton Syndrome. Objective: This case report aims to alert spontaneous pneumothorax in mixed poisoning on uncommon forms of presentation. Pneumothorax in a patient with paraquat poisoning is a less unusual but underdiagnosed finding. It has a high index of early mortality. Case history: The patient's attendant complained about nausea followed by vomiting, which was nonprojectile & contains undigested food materials first, then gastric juice later. After a few hours, she also complains of urinary retention. Her family members treated her with some home remedies for her initial symptoms, but all attempts failed. After admission, the patient was initially asymptomatic. Through repeated history taking, her attendant showed a bottle of OPC in liquid form, which they suspected that she may have ingested some of the liquid from that bottle accidentally or attempted Suicide. So, management started for OPC poisoning. She responded well initially, but on 4th day of admission, the patient's condition became deteriorating. After the workout with the family member, 2nd bottle of Pesticide was discovered, which was Paraquat. Conclusion: Physicians should be aware of the symptoms of mixed poisoning and the timely use of urine dithionate testing for early detection and treatment. Pneumothorax is an early predictor of mortality in patients with paraquat poisoning.Keywords: pneumothorax, suicide, dithionate, OPC, herbicide
Procedia PDF Downloads 85883 Structural Correlates of Reduced Malicious Pleasure in Huntington's Disease
Authors: Sandra Baez, Mariana Pino, Mildred Berrio, Hernando Santamaria-Garcia, Lucas Sedeno, Adolfo Garcia, Sol Fittipaldi, Agustin Ibanez
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Schadenfreude refers to the perceiver’s experience of pleasure at another’s misfortune. This is a multidetermined emotion which can be evoked by hostile feelings and envy. The experience of Schadenfreude engages mechanisms implicated in diverse social cognitive processes. For instance, Schadenfreude involves heightened reward processing, accompanied by increased striatal engagement and it interacts with mentalizing and perspective-taking abilities. Patients with Huntington's disease (HD) exhibit reductions of Schadenfreude experience, suggesting a role of striatal degeneration in such an impairment. However, no study has directly assessed the relationship between regional brain atrophy in HD and reduced Schadenfreude. This study investigated whether gray matter (GM) atrophy in HD patients correlates with ratings of Schadenfreude. First, we compared the performance of 20 HD patients and 23 controls on an experimental task designed to trigger Schadenfreude and envy (another social emotion acting as a control condition). Second, we compared GM volume between groups. Third, we examined brain regions where atrophy might be associated with specific impairments in the patients. Results showed that while both groups showed similar ratings of envy, HD patients reported lower Schadenfreude. The latter pattern was related to atrophy in regions of the reward system (ventral striatum) and the mentalizing network (precuneus and superior parietal lobule). Our results shed light on the intertwining of reward and socioemotional processes in Schadenfreude, while offering novel evidence about their neural correlates. In addition, our results open the door to future studies investigating social emotion processing in other clinical populations characterized by striatal or mentalizing network impairments (e.g., Parkinson’s disease, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders).Keywords: envy, Gray matter atrophy, Huntigton's disease, Schadenfreude, social emotions
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