Search results for: effect of key parameters

Authors: Usman Bawa

Abstract:

Macro-invertebrates have been used to monitor organic pollution in rivers and streams. Several biotic indices based on macro-invertebrates have been developed over the years including the Biological Monitoring Working Party (BMWP). A new biotic index, the Gammarus:Asellus ratio has been recently proposed as an index of organic pollution. This study tested the validity of the Gammarus:Asellus ratio as an index of organic pollution, by examining the relationship between the Gammarus:Asellus ratio and physical-chemical parameters, and other biotic indices such as BMWP and, Average Score Per Taxon (ASPT) from lakes and streams at Markeaton Park, Allestree Park, and Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire. Macro invertebrates were sampled using the standard five-minute kick sampling techniques physical and chemical environmental variables were obtained based on standard sampling techniques. Eighteen sites were sampled, six sites from Markeaton Park (three sites across the stream and three sites across the lake). Six sites each were also sampled from Allestree Park and Kedleston Hall lakes. The Gammarus:Asellus ratio showed an opposite significant positive correlations with parameters indicative of organic pollution such as the level of nitrates, phosphates, and calcium and also revealed a negatively significant correlations with other biotic indices (BMWP/ASPT). The BMWP score correlated positively significantly with some water quality parameters such as dissolved oxygen and flow rate, but revealed no correlations with other chemical environmental variables. The BMWP score was significantly higher in the stream than the lake in Markeaton Park, also The ASPT scores appear to be significantly higher in the upper Lakes than the middle and lower lakes. This study has further strengthened the use of BMWP/ASPT score as an index of organic pollution. But, additional application is required to validate the use of Gammarus:Asellus as a rapid bio monitoring tool.

Keywords: Asellus, biotic index, Gammarus, macro invertebrates, organic pollution

Procedia PDF Downloads 350

Authors: Mohamed M. Ragab, Neveen A. Abdel Raoof, Reham H. Diab

Abstract:

Background: Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is the most common symptom when ordinary individuals and athletes are exposed to unaccustomed physical activity, especially eccentric contraction which impairs athletic performance, ordinary people work ability and physical functioning. A multitude of methods have been investigated to reduce DOMS. One of the valuable method to control DOMS is repeated bout effect (RBE) as a prophylactic method. Purpose: To compare the repeated bout effect of submaximal eccentric contraction versus maximal isometric contraction on induced DOMS. Methods: Sixty normal male volunteers were assigned randomly into three groups of equal number: Group (A) “first study group”: 20 subjects received submaximal eccentric contraction on non-dominant elbow flexors as prophylactic exercise. Group (B) “second study group”: 20 subjects received maximal isometric contraction on non-dominant elbow flexors as prophylactic exercise. Group (C) “control group”: 20 subjects did not receive any prophylactic exercise. Maximal isometric contraction peak torque of elbow flexors and patient related elbow evaluation (PREE) scale were measured for each subject 3 times before, immediately after and 48 hours after induction of DOMS. Results: Post-hoc test for maximal isometric peak torque and PREE scale immediately and 48 hours after induction of DOMS revealed that group (A) and group (B) resulted in significant decrease in maximal isometric strength loss and elbow pain and disability rather than control group (C), but submaximal eccentric group (A) was more effective than maximal isometric group (B) as it showed more rapid recovery of functional strength and less degrees of elbow pain and disability. Conclusion: Both submaximal eccentric contraction and maximal isometric contraction were effective in prevention of DOMS but submaximal eccentric contraction had the greatest protective effect.

Keywords: delayed onset muscle soreness, maximal isometric peak torque, patient related elbow evaluation scale, repeated bout effect

Procedia PDF Downloads 368

Authors: Michele Sinico

Abstract:

The psychological present has an actual extension. When a sequence of instantaneous stimuli falls in this short interval of time, observers perceive a compresence of events in succession and the temporal order depends on the qualitative relationships between the perceptual properties of the events. Two experiments were carried out to study the influence of perceptual grouping, with and without temporal displacement, on the duration of auditory sequences. The psychophysical method of adjustment was adopted. The first experiment investigated the effect of temporal displacement of a white noise on sequence duration. The second experiment investigated the effect of temporal displacement, along the pitch dimension, on temporal shortening of sequence. The results suggest that the temporal order of sounds, in the case of temporal displacement, is organized along the pitch dimension.

Keywords: time perception, perceptual present, temporal displacement, Gestalt laws of perceptual organization

Procedia PDF Downloads 253

Authors: Marzena Tokarewicz, Malgorzata Gradzka-Dahlke

Abstract:

High-entropy alloys (HEAs) have gained significant attention due to their great potential as functional and structural materials. HEAs have very good mechanical properties (in particular, alloys based on CoCrNi). They also show the ability to maintain their strength at high temperatures, which is extremely important in some applications. AlCoCrFeNi alloy is one of the most studied high-entropy alloys. Scientists often study the effect of changing the aluminum content in this alloy because it causes significant changes in phase presence and microstructure and consequently affects its hardness, ductility, and other properties. Research conducted by the authors also investigates the effect of aluminium content in AlₓCoCrFeNi alloy on its microstructure and mechanical properties. AlₓCoCrFeNi alloys were prepared by vacuum induction melting. The obtained samples were examined for chemical composition, microstructure, and microhardness. The three-point bending method was carried out to determine the bending strength, bending modulus, and conventional bending yield strength. The obtained results confirm the influence of aluminum content on the properties of AlₓCoCrFeNi alloy. Most studies on AlₓCoCrFeNi alloy focus on the determination of mechanical properties in compression or tension, much less in bending. The achieved results provide valuable information on the bending properties of AlₓCoCrFeNi alloy and lead to interesting conclusions.

Keywords: bending properties, high-entropy alloys, induction melting, microstructure

Procedia PDF Downloads 154

Authors: Eniola Simbiat Ibude

Abstract:

Work politics could be referred to as office politics or organizational politics. Work place politics take different form, direction, and dimensions. Studies of these features of organizational politics have been conducted in the private sector and much has been left to be studied on the other side of the fence, namely in larger bureaucracies and in public sector system. This is the gap the study tried to fill. This study also focuses on the negative effects that perceptions of politics seem to have on job attitudes (i.e., job satisfaction, organizational commitment) and on affective performance. This was with a view to understanding the relevance of its effects on job performance. The descriptive survey research design of the ex-post facto type was adopted for this study since the variables being studied had already occurred and were, therefore, not manipulated. Data were analyzed using the descriptive and inferential statistics of frequency counts, simple percentages, ANOVA, and multiple regression. Findings show that the joint and relative effect of organizational politics on workers performance, planning, coordination and supervision of work (B 0.71), delaying information for carrying out work (B 0.67), criticizing and wasting time for work done (B 0.56) has contributed to workers performance. The effect could be seen as negative on workers performance. Conclusively, every employee will not react to organizational politics the same way. The 'social arsenal' or the 'social skills' of the individual are a good buffer against the potential aftermaths of organizational politics. Also, from this study, it could be concluded that the perceptions of politics have a more complex relationship with job performance, a relationship that may be different for various types of employees.

Keywords: bureaucracies, dimension, politics, trend

Procedia PDF Downloads 245

Authors: E. Soboleva, E. Sergachyova, S. G. Davydenko, T. V. Meledina

Abstract:

Problem of food preservation is extremely important for mankind. Viscous damage ("illness") of bread results from development of Bacillus spp. bacteria. High temperature resistant spores of this microorganism are steady against 120°C) and remain in bread during pastries, potentially causing spoilage of the final product. Scientists are interested in further characterization of bread spoiling Bacillus spp. species. Our aim was to find weather yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains that are able to produce natural antimicrobial killer factor can preserve bread illness. By diffusion method, we showed yeast antagonistic activity against spore-forming bacteria. Experimental technological parameters were the same as for bakers' yeasts production on the industrial scale. Risograph test during dough fermentation demonstrated gas production. The major finding of the study was a clear indication of the presence of killer yeast strain antagonistic activity against rope in bread causing bacteria. After demonstrating antagonistic effect of S. cerevisiae on bacteria using solid nutrient medium, we tested baked bread under provocative conditions. We also measured formation of carbon dioxide in the dough, dough-making duration and quality of the final products, when using different strains of S. cerevisiae. It is determined that the use of yeast S. cerevisiae RCAM 01730 killer strain inhibits appearance of rope in bread. Thus, natural yeast antimicrobial killer toxin, produced by some S. cerevisiae strains is an anti-rope in bread protector.

Keywords: bakers' yeasts, killer toxin, rope in bread, Saccharomyces cerevisiæ

Procedia PDF Downloads 239

Authors: Prabhashini Wijewantha

Abstract:

This study looks at the impact of protean career attitude of employees on their career success and next it looks at the mediation effect of career insights on the above relationship. Career success is defined as the accomplishment of desirable work related outcomes at any point in person’s work experiences over time and it comprises of two sub variables, namely, career satisfaction and perceived employability. Protean career attitude was measured using the eight items from the Self Directedness subscale of the Protean Career Attitude scale developed by Briscoe and Hall, where as career satisfaction was measured by the three item scale developed by Martine, Eddleston, and Veiga. Perceived employability was also evaluated using three items and career insight was measured using fourteen items that were adapted and used by De Vos and Soens. Data were collected from a sample of 300 mid career executives in Sri Lanka deploying the survey strategy and data were analyzed using the SPSS and AMOS software version 20.0. A preliminary analysis of data was initially performed where data were screened and reliability and validity were ensured. Next a simple regression analysis was performed to test the direct impact of protean career attitude on career success and the hypothesis was supported. The Baron and Kenney’s four steps, three regressions approach for mediator testing was used to calculate the mediation effect of career insight on the above relationship and a partial mediation was supported by the data. Finally theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: career success, career insight, mid career MBAs, protean career attitude

Procedia PDF Downloads 362

Authors: Ait Hamlet Smina, Bensoltane Samira, Djekoun Mohamed, Berrebbah Houria

Abstract:

In Algeria, the use of insecticides and other phytosanitary products are considerably spreading with the development of agriculture. But, the analyses of the residues of pesticides are not systematically made. In this context, we estimated through an experimental study, the effect of a neonicotinoid insecticide, the thiamethoxam which is used as a commercial preparation on the land snail Helix aspersa. This snail is one of the most abundant gastropod in North-East Algeria. Little information is available in the literature concerning the study of the biochemical markers of mollusks which are exposed to insecticides and especially, thiamethoxam.In this work, adult snails Helix aspersa were used to estimate the effect of a neonicotinoid insecticide (thiamethoxam) on the acetylcholinesterase (AChE), glutathione S-transferase (GST) and catalase (CAT) activities in this gastropod after a treatment of 6 weeks. During this period, snails were exposed by ingestion and contact to fresh lettuce leaves which were soaked with an insecticide solution. The thiamethoxam test solutions were 0, 25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/L, which are lower or equal to the concentrations that are applied in field. The results showed that the enzymatic activities of AChE and GST and CAT increased significantly with a dose-dependent manner. These results confirmed the toxic effect of thiamethoxam on snails exposed to the lettuce contaminated with this neonicotinoid insecticide, likely to be used as biomarker of exposure, at first to thiamethoxam then to other insecticides belonging to the same chemical family, currently present in the environment.

Keywords: helix aspersa, insecticide, thiamethoxam, AChE, GST, CAT

Procedia PDF Downloads 456

Authors: Maryam Ziaei, Saeedeh Rafiei, Leila Mivehi, Akbar Khodaparast Haghi

Abstract:

Carbon nanofibers possess properties that are rarely present in any other types of carbon adsorbents, including a small cross-sectional area, combined with a multitude of slit shaped nanopores that are suitable for adsorption of certain types of molecules. Because of their unique properties these materials can be used for the selective adsorption of organic molecules. On the other hand, activated carbon fiber (ACF) has been widely applied as an effective adsorbent for micro-pollutants in recent years. ACF effectively adsorbs and removes a full spectrum of harmful substances. Although there are various methods of fabricating carbon nanofibres, electrospinning is perhaps the most versatile procedure. This technique has been given great attention in current decades because of the nearly simple, comfortable and low cost. Spinning process control and achieve optimal conditions is important in order to effect on its physical properties, absorbency and versatility with different industrial purposes. Modeling and simulation are suitable methods to obtain this approach. In this paper, activated carbon nanofibers were produced during electrospinning of polyacrylonitrile solution. Stabilization, carbonization and activation of electrospun nanofibers in optimized conditions were achieved, and mathematical modelling of electrosinning process done by focusing on governing equations of electrified fluid jet motion (using FeniCS software). Experimental and theoretical results will be compared with each other in order to estimate the accuracy of the model. The simulation can provide the possibility of predicting essential parameters, which affect the electrospinning process.

Keywords: carbon nanofibers, electrospinning, electrospinning modeling, simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 290

Authors: Ayako Hasegawa, Ken Ubukata

Abstract:

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether corrective feedback has any significant effect on Japanese low-intermediate EFL learners’ performance on a specific set of linguistic features. The subjects are Japanese college students majoring in English. They have studied English for about 7 years, but their inter-language seems to fossilize because non-target like errors is frequently observed in traditional deductive teacher-fronted approach. It has been reported that corrective feedback plays an important role in diminishing or overcoming inter-language fossilization and achieving TL competency. Therefore, it was examined how the corrective feedback (the focus of this study was metalinguistic feedback) and self-correction raised the students’ awareness and helped them notice the gaps between their inter-language and the TL.

Keywords: written corrective feedback, fossilized error, grammar teaching, language teaching

Procedia PDF Downloads 362

Authors: C. C. Okafor, T. M. Ezeh

Abstract:

The effect of addition of sweet potato leaves in replacement of wheat offal in the production of broiler chicks feed was studied. 72 day-old marshal strain chicks were used and brooded for two weeks with a normal commercial feed in Nigeria called top feed and weighed separately at the end of the two weeks, complete randomized design (CRD) was used. The weighed broiler chicks were randomly allocated to four dietary treatments. Each treatment was replicated to twice with eighteen birds per replicate. The four dietary treatment identified as T1, T2, T3 and T4. T1 served as control diet with 21% crude protein content, while T2 was prepared with Enzyme and in T3 and T4, wheat offal was replaced with sweet potato leaves and in T4 with inclusion of enzyme. Growth performance was studied using the following daily feed intake, daily weight gain and feed efficiency. The result in daily weight gain showed that chicks fed with T2 feed had the highest weight gain (93.75) while chicks fed with T3 had the least weight gain of (34.5 gm). In daily feed intake chicks fed with T4 fed more (53.06 gm) than chicks fed with T2 (51.08 gm). In feed efficiency T3 had the highest value of 30% while the T2 had the least efficiency of 22%. There was no significant difference (P≥ 0.05) in all the three parameter tested. Sweet potato leaves can replace wheat offal in broiler feed production without any adverse effect on the growth performance.

Keywords: broiler, diet, dietary, potato leaves, wheat offal

Procedia PDF Downloads 535

Authors: Xingmao Ma, Wenjie Sun

Abstract:

Rice paddies are frequently co-contaminated by arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd), both of which demonstrate a high propensity for accumulation in rice grains and cause global food safety and public health concern. Even though different agricultural management strategies have been explored for their simultaneous control in rice grains, a viable solution is yet to be developed. Interestingly, several nanoagrichemicals, such as the zinc nanofertilizer and copper nanopesticide have displayed strong potential to reduce As or Cd accumulation in rice tissues. In order to determine whether these nanoagrichemicals can lower the accumulation of both As and Cd in rice, a series of bench studies were performed. Our results show that zinc oxide nanoparticles at 100 mg/Kg significantly lowered both As, and Cd in rice roots and shoots in flood irrigated rice seedlings, while equivalent amount of zinc ions only reduced As concentration in rice shoots. Zinc ions significantly increased Cd concentration in rice shoots by almost 30%. The results demonstrate a unique 'nano-effect' of zinc oxide nanoparticles, which is ascribed to the slow releasing of zinc ions from nanoparticles and the formation of different transformation products in these two treatments. We also evaluated the effect of nanoscale soil amendment, silicon oxide nanoparticles (SiO₂NPs) on the simultaneous reduction in both flooding and alternate wet and dry irrigation scheme. The effect of SiO₂NPs on As and Cd accumulation in rice tissues was strongly affected by the irrigation scheme. While 2000 mg/kg of SiO₂NPs significantly reduced As in rice roots and insignificantly reduced As in rice shoots in flooded rice, it increased As concentration in rice shoots in alternate wet and dry irrigation. In both irrigation scenarios, SiO₂NPs significantly reduced Cd concentration in rice roots, but only reduced Cd concentration in rice shoots in alternate wet and dry irrigation. Our results demonstrate a marked effect of nanoagrichemicals on the accumulation of As and Cd in rice and can be a potential solution to simultaneously control both in certain conditions.

Keywords: arsenic, cadmium, rice, nanoagrichemicals

Procedia PDF Downloads 164

Authors: Mohamed Khedr, Ahmed Farghali, Waleed El Rouby, Abdelrhman Hamdeldeen

Abstract:

Pure CeO2, Sm and Gd doped CeO2 were successfully prepared via hydrothermal method. The effect of hydrothermal temperature, reaction time and precursors were investigated. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), FT-Raman Spectroscopy, transmission electron microscope (TEM) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM). The prepared pure and doped CeO2 nanoparticles were used as photo-catalyst for the degradation of Methylene blue (MB) dye under UV light irradiation. The results showed that Gd doped CeO2 nano-particles have the best catalytic degradation effect for MB under UV irradiation. The degradation pathways of MB were followed using liquid chromatography (LC/MS) and it was found that Gd doped CeO2 was able to oxidize MB dye with a complete mineralization of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur heteroatoms into CO2, NH4+, NO3- and SO42-.

Keywords: CeO2, doped CeO2, photocatalysis, methylene blue

Procedia PDF Downloads 334

Authors: M. H. A. D. de Silva, R. P. Hewawasam, M. A. G. Iresha

Abstract:

Macrosomia is common in infants born to not only women diagnosed with gestational diabetes mellitus but also non-diabetic obese women. Maternal Body Mass Index (BMI) correlates with the incidence of large for gestational age infants. Obesity has reached epidemic levels in modern societies. During the past two decades, obesity in children and adolescents has risen significantly in Asian populations including Sri Lanka. There is increasing evidence to believe that infants who are born large for gestational age are more likely to be obese in childhood and adolescence and are at risk of cardiovascular and metabolic complications later in life. It is also established that Asians have lower skeletal muscle mass, low bone mineral content and excess body fat for a given BMI indicating a genetic predisposition in the occurrence of obesity. The objective of this study is to determine the effect of maternal weight, weight gain during pregnancy, c-peptide and insulin concentrations in the cord blood on the birth of appropriate for and large for gestational age infants in a tertiary care center in Southern Sri Lanka. Umbilical cord blood was collected from 90 newborns (Male 40, Female 50; gestational age 35-42 weeks) after double clamping the umbilical cord before separation of the placenta and the concentration of insulin and C-peptide were measured by ELISA technique. Anthropometric parameters of the newborn such as birth weight, length, ponderal index, occipital frontal, chest, hip and calf circumferences were measured, and characteristics of the mother were collected. The relationship between insulin, C-peptide and anthropometrics were assessed by Spearman correlation. The multiple logistic regression analysis examined influences of maternal weight, weight gain during pregnancy, C-peptide and insulin concentrations in cord blood as covariates on the birth of large for gestational age infants. A significant difference (P<0.001) was observed between the insulin levels of infants born large for gestational age (18.73 ± 0.52 µlU/ml) and appropriate for gestational age (13.08 ± 0.56 µlU/ml). Consistently, A significant decrease in concentration (41.68%, P<0.001) was observed between C-peptide levels of infants born large for gestational age and appropriate for gestational age. Cord blood insulin and C-peptide levels had a significant correlation with birth weight (r=0.35, P<0.05) of the newborn at delivery. Maternal weight and BMI which are indicators of maternal nutrition were proven to be directly correlated with birth weight and length. To our knowledge, this relationship was investigated for the first time in a Sri Lankan setting and was also evident in our results. This study confirmed the fact that insulin and C-peptide play a major role in regulating fetal growth. According to the results obtained in this study, we can suggest that the increased BMI of the mother has a direct influence on increased maternal insulin secretion, which may subsequently affect cord insulin and C-peptide levels and also birth weight of the infant.

Keywords: C-peptide, insulin, large for gestational age, maternal weight

Procedia PDF Downloads 170

Authors: A.D. Susanti, W. B. Sediawan, S.K. Wirawan, Budhijanto, Ritmaleni

Abstract:

Oryzanol content in rice bran oil (RBO) naturally has high antioxidant activity. Its reviewed has several health properties and high interested in pharmacy, cosmetics, and nutrition’s. Because of the low concentration of oryzanol in crude RBO (0.9-2.9%) then its need to be further processed for practical usage, such as via adsorption process. In this study, investigation and adjustment of adsorption equilibrium models were conducted through the kinetic data approachments. Mathematical modeling on kinetics of batch adsorption of oryzanol separation from RBO has been set-up and then applied for equilibrium results. The size of adsorbent particles used in this case are usually relatively small then the concentration in the adsorbent is assumed to be not different. Hence, the adsorption rate is controlled by the rate of oryzanol mass transfer from the bulk fluid of RBO to the surface of silica gel. In this approachments, the rate of mass transfer is assumed to be proportional to the concentration deviation from the equilibrium state. The equilibrium models applied were Langmuir, coefficient distribution, and Freundlich with the values of the parameters obtained from equilibrium results. It turned out that the models set-up can quantitatively describe the experimental kinetics data and the adjustment of the values of equilibrium isotherm parameters significantly improves the accuracy of the model. And then the value of mass transfer coefficient per unit adsorbent mass (kca) is obtained by curve fitting.

Keywords: adsorption equilibrium, adsorption kinetics, oryzanol, rice bran oil

Procedia PDF Downloads 324

Authors: Vasilios Kanellopoulos

Abstract:

The present paper examines the effect of innovation efficiency on the production of new knowledge from a firm level perspective. It resorts to the Greek version of community innovation survey (CIS 2012-2014 microdata) and employs 1274 firms of the manufacturing, which constitutes the main sector of examination. It assumes a knowledge production function (KPF) and finds that R&D spillovers related to the expenditures on innovation activities, internal R&D, external R&D, skilled labor, and the expenditures in the acquisition of machinery have a positive and significant effect on the production of new knowledge when OLS techniques are applied. However, innovation efficiency comes from a Banker and Morey (1986) data envelopment analysis (DEA) with categorical variables has a statistically insignificant impact on the production of new knowledge measured by firm’s turnover.

Keywords: firms, innovation efficiency, production of new knowledge, R&D spillovers

Procedia PDF Downloads 141

Authors: Abdel Rahman Khider Hassan

Abstract:

This paper describes a multi-criteria geospatial model for prediction of landslide hazard zonation (LHZ) for Lake Naivasha catchment (Kenya), based on spatial analysis of integrated datasets of location intrinsic parameters (slope stability factors) and external landslides triggering factors (natural and man-made factors). The intrinsic dataset included: lithology, geometry of slope (slope inclination, aspect, elevation, and curvature) and land use/land cover. The landslides triggering factors included: rainfall as the climatic factor, in addition to the destructive effects reflected by proximity of roads and drainage network to areas that are susceptible to landslides. No published study on landslides has been obtained for this area. Thus, digital datasets of the above spatial parameters were conveniently acquired, stored, manipulated and analyzed in a Geographical Information System (GIS) using a multi-criteria grid overlay technique (in ArcGIS 10.2.2 environment). Deduction of landslide hazard zonation is done by applying weights based on relative contribution of each parameter to the slope instability, and finally, the weighted parameters grids were overlaid together to generate a map of the potential landslide hazard zonation (LHZ) for the lake catchment. From the total surface of 3200 km² of the lake catchment, most of the region (78.7 %; 2518.4 km²) is susceptible to moderate landslide hazards, whilst about 13% (416 km²) is occurring under high hazards. Only 1.0% (32 km²) of the catchment is displaying very high landslide hazards, and the remaining area (7.3 %; 233.6 km²) displays low probability of landslide hazards. This result confirms the importance of steep slope angles, lithology, vegetation land cover and slope orientation (aspect) as the major determining factors of slope failures. The information provided by the produced map of landslide hazard zonation (LHZ) could lay the basis for decision making as well as mitigation and applications in avoiding potential losses caused by landslides in the Lake Naivasha catchment in the Kenya Highlands.

Keywords: decision making, geospatial, landslide, multi-criteria, Naivasha

Procedia PDF Downloads 210

Authors: Fabienne Vozy, Anick Lepage

Abstract:

Insects are displaying high nutritional value, low greenhouse gas emissions, low land use requirements and high food conversion efficiency. They can contribute to the food chain and be one of many solutions to protein shortages. Currently, in North America, nutritional entomology is under-developed and the needs to better understand its benefits remain to convince large-scale producers and consumers (both for human and agricultural needs). As such, large-scale production of mealworms offers a promising alternative to replacing traditional sources of protein and fatty acids. To proceed orderly, it is required to collect more data on the nutritional values of insects such as, a) Evaluate the diets of insects to improve their dietary value; b) Test the breeding conditions to optimize yields; c) Evaluate the use of by-products and organic residues as sources of food. Among the featured technical parameters, relative humidity (RH) percentage and temperature, optimal substrates and hydration sources are critical elements, thus establishing potential benchmarks for to optimize conversion rates of protein and fatty acids. This research is to establish the combination of the most influential rearing parameters with local food residues, to correlate the findings with the nutritional value of the larvae harvested. 125 same-monthly old adults/replica are randomly selected in the mealworm breeding pool then placed to oviposit in growth chambers preset at 26°C and 65% RH. Adults are removed after 7 days. Larvae are harvested upon the apparition of the first nymphosis signs and batches, are analyzed for their nutritional values using wet chemistry analysis. The first samples analyses include total weight of both fresh and dried larvae, residual humidity, crude proteins (CP%), and crude fats (CF%). Further analyses are scheduled to include soluble proteins and fatty acids. Although they are consistent with previous published data, the preliminary results show no significant differences between treatments for any type of analysis. Nutritional properties of each substrate combination have yet allowed to discriminate the most effective residue recipe. Technical issues such as the particles’ size of the various substrate combinations and larvae screen compatibility are to be investigated since it induced a variable percentage of lost larvae upon harvesting. To address those methodological issues are key to develop a standardized efficient procedure. The aim is to provide producers with easily reproducible conditions, without incurring additional excessive expenditure on their part in terms of equipment and workforce.

Keywords: entomophagy, nutritional value, rearing parameters optimization, Tenebrio molitor

Procedia PDF Downloads 115

Authors: Aysegul Alyamac, Sukru Gulec

Abstract:

Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) is a plant extract used to stop bleeding caused by injuries and surgical interventions. ABS also involved in wound healing of intestinal mucosal damage due to oxidative stress and inflammation. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a common chronic disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that causes abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gastrointestinal bleeding, and increases the risk of colon cancer. Inflammation is an essential factor in the development of IBD. The various studies have been performed about the physiological effects of ABS; however, ABS dependent mechanism on colonic inflammation has not been elucidated. Thus, the protective effect of ABS on colonic inflammation was investigated in this study. The Caco-2 and RAW 264.7 murine macrophage cells were used as a model of in vitro colonic inflammation. RAW 264.7 cells were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 12 hours to induce the inflammation, and a conditional medium was obtained. Caco-2 cells were treated with 15 µl/ml ABS for 4 hours, then incubated with conditional medium and the cells also were incubated with 15 µl/ml ABS and conditional medium together for 4 hours. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) protein levels were targeted in testing inflammatory condition and its level was significantly increased (25 fold, p<0.001) compared to the control group by using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. The COX-2 mRNA level was used as a marker gene to show the possible anti-inflammatory effect of ABS in Caco-2 cells. RAW cells-derived conditional medium significantly (3.3 fold, p<0.001) induced cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) mRNA levels in Caco-2 cells. The pretreatment of Caco-2 cells caused a significant decrease (3.3 fold, p<0.001) in COX-2 mRNA levels relative to conditional medium given group. Furthermore, COX-2 mRNA level was significantly reduced (4,7 fold, p<0.001) in ABS and conditional medium treated group. These results suggest that ABS might have an anti-inflammatory effect in vitro.

Keywords: Ankaferd blood stopper, CaCo-2, colonic inflammation, RAW 264.7

Procedia PDF Downloads 148

Authors: Anamika Sahu

Abstract:

The Himalayas, like many mountainous regions, is susceptible to multiple hazards. In recent times, the frequency of such disasters is continuously increasing due to extreme weather phenomena. These natural hazards are responsible for irreparable human and economic loss. The Indian Himalayas has repeatedly been ruptured by great earthquakes in the past and has the potential for a future large seismic event as it falls under the seismic gap. Damages caused by earthquakes are different in different localities. It is well known that, during earthquakes, damage to the structure is associated with the subsurface conditions and the quality of construction materials. So, for sustainable mountain development, prior estimation of site characterization will be valuable for designing and constructing the space area and for efficient mitigation of the seismic risk. Both geotechnical and geophysical investigation of the subsurface is required to describe the subsurface complexity. In mountainous regions, geophysical methods are gaining popularity as areas can be studied without disturbing the ground surface, and also these methods are time and cost-effective. The MASW method is used to calculate the Vs30. Vs30 is the average shear wave velocity for the top 30m of soil. Shear wave velocity is considered the best stiffness indicator, and the average of shear wave velocity up to 30 m is used in National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program (NEHRP) provisions (BSSC,1994) and Uniform Building Code (UBC), 1997 classification. Parameters obtained through geotechnical investigation have been integrated with findings obtained through the subsurface geophysical survey. Joint interpretation has been used to establish inter-relationships among mineral constituents, various textural parameters, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) with shear wave velocity. It is found that results obtained through the MASW method fitted well with the laboratory test. In both conditions, mineral constituents and textural parameters (grain size, grain shape, grain orientation, and degree of interlocking) control the petrophysical and mechanical properties of rocks and the behavior of shear wave velocity.

Keywords: MASW, mechanical, petrophysical, site characterization

Procedia PDF Downloads 91

Authors: Jatindra Lahkar

Abstract:

The effect of chemical reaction on laminar mixed convection flow and heat and mass transfer along a vertical unsteady stretching sheet is investigated, in the presence of heat generation/absorption with variable viscosity and viscous dissipation. The governing non-linear partial differential equations are reduced to ordinary differential equations using similarity transformation and solved numerically using the fourth order Runge-Kutta method along with shooting technique. The effects of various flow parameters on the velocity, temperature and concentration distributions are analyzed and presented graphically. Skin-friction coefficient, Nusselt number and Sherwood number are derived at the sheet. It is observed that the influence of chemical reaction, the fluid flow along the sheet accelerate with the increase of chemical reaction parameter, on the other hand, temperature of the fluid increases with increase of chemical reaction parameter but concentration of the fluid reduces with it. The boundary layer decreases on the surface of the sheet for all values of unsteadiness parameter, increasing values of the chemical reaction parameter. The increases in the values of Sc cause the species concentration and its boundary layer thickness to decrease resulting in less induced flow and higher fluid temperatures. This is depicted in the decreases in the velocity and species concentration and increases in the fluid temperature as Sc increases.

Keywords: chemical reaction, heat generation/absorption, magnetic number, unsteadiness, variable viscosity

Procedia PDF Downloads 308

Authors: C. C. Castro, T. Senechal, D. Lahem, A. L. Hantson

Abstract:

Formaldehyde is one of the most representative volatile organic compounds present in the indoor air of residential units and workplaces. Increased attention has been given to this toxic compound because of its carcinogenic effect in health. Biological or enzymatic transformation is being explored to degrade this pollutant. Pseudomonas putida is a bacteria able to synthesize formaldehyde dehydrogenase, an enzyme known to use formaldehyde as a substrate and transform it into less toxic compounds. The immobilization of bacterial cells in the surface of different supports through spraying or dip-coating is herein proposed. The determination of the enzymatic activity on the coated surfaces was performed as well as the study of its effect on formaldehyde degradation in an isolated chamber. Results show that the incorporation of microbial cells able to synthesize depolluting enzymes can be an innovative, low-cost, effective and environmentally friendly solution for indoor air depollution.

Keywords: cells encapsulation, formaldehyde, formaldehyde dehydrogenase, indoor air depollution

Procedia PDF Downloads 179

Authors: Chaohong Pan

Abstract:

Through public diplomacy on social media, governments have attempted to influence foreign public opinion. What is the impact of digital public diplomacy? Public diplomacy research often relies on content analysis to study the strategies employed by communicators but has rarely examined its actual impact on the audience. In addition, we do not know if giving a communicator an explicit label, as Twitter does with “government account”, would change the effects of the messages. Can the government label reduce the percussiveness of public diplomacy messages by sending a warning signal? Using a 2 × 2 survey experiment, the present paper contributes to the study of public diplomacy by randomly exposing American participants to four types of tweets from Chinese diplomats. The stimulus materials vary in terms of the tweets’ content (“positive-china” vs. “negative-US) and Twitter government labels (with vs. without the labels). I found that positive tweets about China have a significant positive effect on Americans’ attitudes toward China, whereas negative tweets about the US have little effect on their opinions. Furthermore, positive-China tweets are effective only on China-related issues, which indicates that Chinese diplomats’ tweets have limited effects on shaping a foreign audience’s attitudes toward their own country. Lastly, I find that labels largely have no impact on a diplomatic tweet’s effect. These results contribute to our understanding of the effects of public diplomacy in the digital age.

Keywords: public diplomacy, china, foreign public opinion, twitter

Procedia PDF Downloads 195

Authors: Gopalasingam Daisan

Abstract:

Landmines and ammunitions have been creating a significant threat to the people and animals, after the war, the landmines remain in the land and it plays a vital role in civilian’s security. Especially the Children are at the highest risk because they are curious. After all, an unexploded bomb can look like a tempting toy to an inquisitive child. The initial step of designing the UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) for landmine detection is to choose an appropriate and effective sensor to locate the landmines and other unexploded ammunitions. The sensor weight and other components related to the sensor supporting device’s weight are taken as a payload weight. The mission requirement is to find the landmines in a particular area by making a proper path that will cover all the vicinity in the desired area. The weight estimation of the UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) can be estimated by various techniques discovered previously with good accuracy at the first phase of the design. The next crucial part of the design is to calculate the power requirement and the wing loading calculations. The matching plot techniques are used to determine the thrust-to-weight ratio, and this technique makes this process not only easiest but also precisely. The wing loading can be calculated easily from the stall equation. After these calculations, the wing area is determined from the wing loading equation and the required power is calculated from the thrust to weight ratio calculations. According to the power requirement, an appropriate engine can be selected from the available engine from the market. And the wing geometric parameter is chosen based on the conceptual sketch. The important steps in the wing design to choose proper aerofoil and which will ensure to create sufficient lift coefficient to satisfy the requirements. The next component is the tail; the tail area and other related parameters can be estimated or calculated to counteract the effect of the wing pitching moment. As the vertical tail design depends on many parameters, the initial sizing only can be done in this phase. The fuselage is another major component, which is selected based on the slenderness ratio, and also the shape is determined on the sensor size to fit it under the fuselage. The landing gear is one of the important components which is selected based on the controllability and stability requirements. The minimum and maximum wheel track and wheelbase can be determined based on the crosswind and overturn angle requirements. The minor components of the landing gear design and estimation are not the focus of this project. Another important task is to calculate the weight of the major components and it is going to be estimated using empirical relations and also the mass is added to each such component. The CG and moment of inertia are also determined to each component separately. The sensitivity of the weight calculation is taken into consideration to avoid extra material requirements and also reduce the cost of the design. Finally, the aircraft performance is calculated, especially the V-n (velocity and load factor) diagram for different flight conditions such as not disturbed and with gust velocity.

Keywords: landmine, UAS, matching plot, optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 171

Authors: Reinzo Vittorio B. Cardenas, Heather Venice L. Abogado, Andrea Therese V. Afable, Rhea D. Avillanoza, Marie Abegail P. Ayagan, Catherine D. Bantayan

Abstract:

As the Internet provides fast and reliable health-related information, the tendency to self-diagnose increases to further understand medical jargon in a diagnosis with a physician and decreases costly consultation fees. The study aimed to explore and understand the factors affecting online health-seeking behaviors in middle-income class adults in Metro Manila. The study was conducted from March to April of 2021 with a sample size of 200 individuals aged 20 to 49 years old. The study was delivered via an online survey that used a questionnaire adapted from the research of Lee et al. (2015). Specifically, the survey consisted of three sections: assessing web-based health-seeking behaviors, consultation with health professionals, and participants' hesitancy to consult with physicians, which used a mix of a 5-point Likert-type scale with multiple responses and multiple-choice options. The results showed that the age and educational attainment of the respondents had a negative effect while presenting a positive effect of socio-economic status on health-seeking behavior. Lastly, there was a significant effect of participant’s hesitancy for professional consultation on their health-seeking behavior. The results gleaned from the study indicated that various individual and socio-economic factors might significantly affect one’s health-seeking behaviors. Although hesitancy had a significant effect on the spectrum of health-seeking behaviors, this does not imply that certain factors are specifically related to an individual’s tendency to seek health information. This information instead becomes essential in understanding the patient-physician relationship and giving patients a more holistic treatment.

Keywords: health-seeking behavior, health information, Internet, physician consultation

Procedia PDF Downloads 219

Authors: Emily Rowe

Abstract:

Introduction: Balance assessments can be used to help evaluate a person’s risk of falls, determine causes of balance deficits and inform intervention decisions. It is widely accepted that instrumented quantitative analysis can be more reliable and specific than semi-qualitative ordinal scales or itemised scoring methods. However, the uptake of quantitative methods is hindered by expense, lack of portability, and set-up requirements. During stepping, foot placement is actively coordinated with the body centre of mass (COM) kinematics during pre-initiation. Based on this, the potential to use COM velocity just prior to foot off and foot placement error as an outcome measure of dynamic balance is currently being explored using complex 3D motion capture. Inertial sensors and pressure mats might be more practical technologies for measuring these parameters in clinical settings. Objective: The aim of this study was to test the criterion validity and test-retest reliability of a synchronised inertial sensor and pressure mat-based approach to measure foot placement error and COM velocity while stepping. Methods: Trials were held with 15 healthy participants who each attended for two sessions. The trial task was to step onto one of 4 targets (2 for each foot) multiple times in a random, unpredictable order. The stepping target was cued using an auditory prompt and electroluminescent panel illumination. Data was collected using 3D motion capture and a combined inertial sensor-pressure mat system simultaneously in both sessions. To assess the reliability of each system, ICC estimates and their 95% confident intervals were calculated based on a mean-rating (k = 2), absolute-agreement, 2-way mixed-effects model. To test the criterion validity of the combined inertial sensor-pressure mat system against the motion capture system multi-factorial two-way repeated measures ANOVAs were carried out. Results: It was found that foot placement error was not reliably measured between sessions by either system (ICC 95% CIs; motion capture: 0 to >0.87 and pressure mat: <0.53 to >0.90). This could be due to genuine within-subject variability given the nature of the stepping task and brings into question the suitability of average foot placement error as an outcome measure. Additionally, results suggest the pressure mat is not a valid measure of this parameter since it was statistically significantly different from and much less precise than the motion capture system (p=0.003). The inertial sensor was found to be a moderately reliable (ICC 95% CIs >0.46 to >0.95) but not valid measure for anteroposterior and mediolateral COM velocities (AP velocity: p=0.000, ML velocity target 1 to 4: p=0.734, 0.001, 0.000 & 0.376). However, it is thought that with further development, the COM velocity measure validity could be improved. Possible options which could be investigated include whether there is an effect of inertial sensor placement with respect to pelvic marker placement or implementing more complex methods of data processing to manage inherent accelerometer and gyroscope limitations. Conclusion: The pressure mat is not a suitable alternative for measuring foot placement errors. The inertial sensors have the potential for measuring COM velocity; however, further development work is needed.

Keywords: dynamic balance, inertial sensors, portable, pressure mat, reliability, stepping, validity, wearables

Procedia PDF Downloads 157

Authors: Zhichao Song, Swanand Vaidya

Abstract:

Nowadays, most portable (e.g., smartphones) and wearable (e.g., smartwatches and earphones) consumer hardware are designed to be dustproof following IP5 or IP6 ratings to ensure the product is able to handle potentially dusty outdoor environments. On the other hand, the design guideline is relatively vague for indoor devices (e.g., smart displays and speakers). While it is generally believed that the indoor environment is much less dusty, in certain circumstances, dust ingression is still able to cause functional failures, such as microphone frequency response shift and camera black spot, or cosmetic dissatisfaction, mainly the dust build up in visible pockets and gaps which is hard to clean. In this paper, we developed a simulation methodology to analyze dust settlement and ingression into known ports of a device. A closed system is initialized with dust particles whose sizes follow Weibull distribution based on data collected in a user study, and dust particle movement was approximated as a settlement in stationary fluid, which is governed by Stokes’ law. Following this method, we simulated dust ingression into MEMS microphone through the acoustic port and protective mesh. Various design and environmental parameters are evaluated including mesh pore size, acoustic port depth-to-diameter ratio, mass density of dust material and inclined angle of microphone port. Although the dependencies of dust resistance on these parameters are all monotonic, smaller mesh pore size, larger acoustic depth-to-opening ratio and more inclined microphone placement (towards horizontal direction) are preferred for dust resistance; these preferences may represent certain trade-offs in audio performance and compromise in industrial design. The simulation results suggest the quantitative ranges of these parameters, with more pronounced effects in the improvement of dust resistance. Based on the simulation results, we proposed several design guidelines that intend to achieve an overall balanced design from audio performance, dust resistance, and flexibility in industrial design.

Keywords: dust settlement, numerical simulation, microphone design, Weibull distribution, Stoke's equation

Procedia PDF Downloads 111

Authors: Alaa G. M. Osman, Abd-El –Baset M. Abd El Reheem, Khaled Y. Abouelfadl, Usama M. Mahmoud, Mohsen A. Moustafa

Abstract:

This study aimed to explore new sites of biomarker research and to establish the use of blood parameters in wild fish populations. Four hundred and twenty fish samples were collected from six sites along the whole course of the river Nile, Egypt. The mean values of erythrocytes, thrombocytes, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit value, and mean corpuscular volume were significantly lower in the blood of Nile tilapia and African catfish collected from downstream (contaminated) compared to upstream sites. In contrast, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration in the peripheral blood of both fish species significantly increased from upstream to downstream river Nile. The leukocytes count was significantly decreased in contaminated sites compared to upstream area. Hematological variables in the peripheral blood of Oreochromis niloticus niloticus and Clarias gariepinus exhibited significant (p<0.05) correlation with nearly all the detected chemical and physical parameters along the Nile course. In the present study, lower cellular and nuclear areas and cellular and nuclear shape factor were recorded in the erythrocytes of fish collected from downstream compared to those caught from upstream sites. This was confirmed by higher immature ratios of red cells in the blood of fish sampled from downstream river Nile. Karyorrhetic and enucleated erythrocytes were significantly correlated with physiochemical parameters in water samples collected from the same sites is being higher in the blood of fish collected from downstream sites. To see if there was any correlation between fish altered physiological fitness and environmental stress, we measured serum biochemical variables namely; total protein, cholesterol, triglycerides, calcium, chlorides, alkaline phosphatase activity (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), uric acid activity, creatinine, and serum glucose. The level of all the selected biochemical variables in the blood of O. niloticus niloticus and C. gariepinus were recorded to be significantly higher (p<0.05) in downstream sites. According to the present results, nearly all the detected haematological and blood biochemical variables are suitable indicators of contaminant exposure in O. niloticus niloticus and C. gariepinus. Also the detected erythrocytes malformations in blood collected from Nile tilapia and African catfish were proven to be suitable for bio-monitoring aquatic pollution. The results revealed species-specific differences in sensitivities, suggesting that Nile tilapia may serve as a more sensitive test species compared to African catfish.

Keywords: biomarkers, water pollution, blood parameters, river nile, african catfish, nile tilapia

Procedia PDF Downloads 295

Authors: Yulistiani Yulistiani, Zamrotul Izzah, Lintang Bismantara, Wenny Putri Nilamsari, Arif Bachtiar, Budi Suprapti

Abstract:

Interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) are pro-inflammatory cytokines, which have the protective immune response against Tuberculosis (TB). Indeed, pro-inflammatory cytokines Mycobacterium tuberculosis antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells and NK cells increase the level of production of IFN-γ, a cytokine critical for augmenting the microbicidal activity of phagocytes. On the other hand, M. tuberculosis reduces the effects of IFN-γ by inhibiting the transcription of IFN-γ- responsive genes and by inducing the secretion of IL-6, which inhibits IFN-γ signaling. Probiotics Lactobacillus sp. and Bifidobacterium sp. were known to increase IFN-γ production in vivo, while vitamin B1, B6, and B12 worked on macrophages and releasing cytokines. Therefore, the present study was to evaluate the effect of probiotics and vitamin B supplement on changes of plasma cytokine levels in active pulmonary TB. From October to November 2016, twelve M. tuberculosis-infected patients starting anti-TB drugs were recruited, then divided into two groups. Seven patients were given a combination of probiotics and vitamin B, while five patients were in the control group. Plasma IFN-γ and IL-6 levels were measured by the ELISA kit before and a month after treatment. IFN-γ levels raised in four patients receiving the supplement (P = 0.743), while IL-6 increased in three patients in this group until day 30 of treatment (P = 0.298). Taken together, these results show the promising effect of probiotics and vitamin B on stimulation of IFN-γ and IL-6 production during intensive therapy of TB.

Keywords: interferon-gamma, interleukin-6, probiotic, tuberculosis

Procedia PDF Downloads 352

Authors: Musa Filibus Gugu

Abstract:

An investigation was carried out on the effect of garlic powder extract on fungi associated with Irish potato rot in Bokkos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Diseased Irish potatoes were randomly collected from three markets in the study location and fungal species isolated. Isolated fungal species were Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Pytophthora infestans. Frequency of occurrence for Fusarium culmorum, Fusarium oxysporum, and Pytophthora infestans was 10%, 34%, and 56%, respectively, using sabauraud dextrose agar, after incubation for 4-7 days. Treatment of Pytophthora infestans with garlic powder extract at concentrations of 0.5g/ml, 0.4g/ml, 0.3gml, 0.2g/ml and 0.1g/ml showed 100%, 92%, 68%, 32% and 10% inhibition zones, respectively. Fusarium culmorum showed 100%, 90%, 40%, 9% and 0% inhibition zones when treated with garlic powder extract at concentrations of 0.5g/ml, 0.4g/ml, 0.3gml, 0.2g/ml and 0.1g/ml, respectively. Garlic powder extract concentrations of 0.5g/ml, 0.4g/ml, 0.3gml, 0.2g/ml and 0.1g/ml showed 100%, 98%, 55%, 30%, 0% inhibition zones, respectively on Fusarium oxysporum. Hence, Restriction of the radial growth of the fungal colonies suggests a good antifungal effect of garlic extract. This can be integrated into the treatment of fungal diseases of Irish potato in Bokkos, Nigeria, as this will help to reduce the indiscriminate use of fungicides, especially in an environment with a struggling economy.

Keywords: fungal rot, garlic extract, inhibition zone, Irish potato

Procedia PDF Downloads 149