Search results for: microbial fuel cells

Authors: Sara Mosallanejad, Bogdan Z. Dlugogorski, Jeff Gore, Mohammednoor Altarawneh

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Ammonium nitrate (NH­₄NO₃, AN) is commonly used as the main component of AN emulsion and fuel oil (ANFO) explosives, that use extensively in civilian and mining operations for underground development and tunneling applications. The emulsion formulation and wettability of AN prills, which affect the physical stability and detonation of ANFO, highly depend on the surface tension, density, viscosity of the used liquid. Therefore, for engineering applications of this material, the determination of density and surface tension of concentrated aqueous solutions of AN is essential. The molecular dynamics (MD) simulation method have been used to investigate the density and the surface tension of high concentrated ammonium nitrate solutions; up to its solubility limit in water. Non-polarisable models for water and ions have carried out the simulations, and the electronic continuum correction model (ECC) uses a scaling of the charges of the ions to apply the polarisation implicitly into the non-polarisable model. The results of calculated density and the surface tension of the solutions have been compared to available experimental values. Our MD simulations show that the non-polarisable model with full-charge ions overestimates the experimental results while the reduce-charge model for the ions fits very well with the experimental data. Ions in the solutions show repulsion from the interface using the non-polarisable force fields. However, when charges of the ions in the original model are scaled in line with the scaling factor of the ECC model, the ions create a double ionic layer near the interface by the migration of anions toward the interface while cations stay in the bulk of the solutions. Similar ions orientations near the interface were observed when polarisable models were used in simulations. In conclusion, applying the ECC model to the non-polarisable force field yields the density and surface tension of the AN solutions with high accuracy in comparison to the experimental measurements.

Keywords: ammonium nitrate, electronic continuum correction, non-polarisable force field, surface tension

Procedia PDF Downloads 231

Authors: Kusmartono, Siti Chuzaemi, Hartutik dan Mashudi

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Two studies were conducted involving an in vitro (Expt 1) and in vivo (Expt 2) measurements. Expt 1. aimed to evaluate effects of adding CT extracts on gas production and efficiency of microbial protein synthesis (EMPS), Expt 2 aimed to evaluate effects of supplementing shrub/tree leaves as CT source on feed consumption, digestibility, N retention, body weight gain and dressing percentage of growing sheep fed on elephant grass (EG) as a basal diet.Ten shrub and tree leaves used as CT sources were wild sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia), mulberry (Morus macroura), cassava (Manihot utilissima), avicienna (Avicennia marina), calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus), sesbania (Sesbania grandiflora), acacia (acacia vilosa), glyricidia (Glyricidia sepium), jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), moringa (Moringa oleifera). The treatments applied in Expt 1 were: T1=Elephant grass (60%)+concentrate (40%); T2 = T1 + CT (3% DM); T3= T2 + PEG; T4 = T1 + CT (3.5% DM); T5 = T4 + PEG; T6 = T1 + CT (4% DM) and T7 = T6 + PEG. Data obtained were analysed using Randomized Block Design. Statistical analyses showed that treatments significanty affected (P<0.05) total gas production and EMPS. The lowest values of total gas production (45.9 ml/500 mg DM) and highest value of EMPS (64.6 g/kg BOTR) were observed in the treatment T4 (3.5% CT from cassava leave extract). Based on this result it was concluded that this treatment was the best and was chosen for further investigation using in vivo method. The treatmets applied for in vivo trial were: T1 = EG (60%) + concentrate (40%); T2 = T1 + dried cassava leave (equivalent to 3.5% CT); T3 = T2 + PEG. 18 growing sheep aging of 8-9 months and weighing of 23.67kg ± 1.23 were used in Expt 2. Results of in vivo study showed that treatments significanty affected (P<0.05) nutrients intake and digestibility (DM, OM and CP). N retention for sheep receiving treatment T2 were significantly higher (P<0.05; 15.6 g/d) than T1 (9.1 g/d) and T3 (8.53 g/d). Similar results were obtained for daily weight gain where T2 were the highest (62.79 g/d), followed by T1 (51.9 g/d) and T3 (52.85 g/d). Dressing percentage of T2 was the highest (51.54%) followed by T1 (49.61%) and T3 (49.32%). It can be concluded that adding adding dried cassava leaves did not reduce palatability due to CT, but rather increased OM digestibility and hence feed consumption was improved. N retention was increased due to the action of CT in the cassava leaves and this may have explained a higher input of N into duodenum which was further led to higer daily weight gain and dressing percentage.

Keywords: in vitro gas production, sheep, shrub and tree leaves, condensed tannin

Procedia PDF Downloads 264

Authors: Han Xiao

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The development of nanomedicines has recently achieved several breakthroughs in the field of cancer treatment; however, the biocompatibility and targeted burst release of these medications remain a limitation, which leads to serious side effects and significantly narrows the scope of their applications. The self-assembly of intermediate filament protein (IFP) peptides was triggered by a hydrophobic cation drug 7-amino actinomycin D (7-AAD) to synthesize pH-activatable nanoparticles (NPs) that could simultaneously locate tumors and produce antitumor effects. The designed IFP peptide included a target peptide (arginine–glycine–aspartate), a negatively charged region, and an α-helix sequence. It also possessed the ability to encapsulate 7-AAD molecules through the formation of hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions by a one-step method. 7-AAD molecules with excellent near-infrared fluorescence properties could be target delivered into tumor cells by NPs and released immediately in the acidic environments of tumors and endosome/lysosomes, ultimately inducing cytotoxicity by arresting the tumor cell cycle with inserted DNA. It is noteworthy that the IFP/7-AAD NPs tail vein injection approach demonstrated not only high tumor-targeted imaging potential, but also strong antitumor therapeutic effects in vivo. The proposed strategy may be used in the delivery of cationic antitumor drugs for precise imaging and cancer therapy.

Keywords: 7-amino actinomycin D, intermediate filament protein, nanoparticle, tumor image

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: Ranjith Kumar Kankala, Wei-Zhi Lin, Chia-Hung Lee

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Antibiotic resistance in bacteria has become an emergency situation clinically. To improve the efficacy of antibiotics in resistant strains, advancement of nanoparticles is inevitable than ever. Herewith, we demonstrate a design by immobilizing tetracycline (TET) in copper substituted mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Cu-MSNs) through a pH-sensitive coordination link, enabling its release in the acidic environment. Subsequently, MSNs are coated with silver nanoparticles stabilized polyethyleneimine (PEI-SNP) to act against drug-resistant (MDR) bacterial strains. Silver ions released from SNP are capable of sensitizing the resistant strains and facilitate the generation of free radicals capable of damaging the cell components. In addition, copper ions in the framework are also capable of generating free radicals through Fenton-like reaction. Furthermore, the nanoparticles are well-characterized physically, and various antibacterial efficacious tests against isolated multidrug resistant bacterial strain were highly commendable. However, this formulation has no significant toxic effect on normal mammalian fibroblast cells accounting its high biocompatibility. These MSN trio-hybrids, i.e., SNP, tetracycline, and copper ions result in synergistic effects, and their advancement could bypass resistance and allow synergism for effective treatment of antibiotic clinically.

Keywords: antibiotic resistance, copper, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, Ph-sensitive release, polyethyleneimine, silver, tetracycline

Procedia PDF Downloads 199

Authors: Kaarunya Sampathkumar, Say Chye Joachim Loo

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Oral delivery is regarded as the facile method for the administration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) and drug carriers. In an initiative towards sustainable nanotechnology, an oral nano-delivery system has been developed that is made entirely of food-based materials and can also act as a site-specific delivery device depending on the stimulus encountered in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). The delivery system has been fabricated from food grade polysaccharide materials like chitosan and starch through electrospraying technique without the use of any organic solvents. A nutraceutical extracted from an Indian medicinal plant, has been loaded into the nano carrier to test its efficacy in encapsulation and stimuli based release of the active ingredient. The release kinetics of the nutraceutical from the carrier was evaluated in simulated gastric, intestinal and colonic fluid and was found to be triggered both by the enzymes and the pH in each part of the intestinal tract depending on the polysaccharide being used. The toxicity of the nanoparticles on the intestinal epithelial cells was tested and found to be relatively safe for up to 24 hours at a concentration of 0.2 mg/mL with cellular uptake also being observed. The developed nano carrier thus serves as a promising delivery vehicle for targeted delivery to different parts of the GIT with the inherent conditions of the GIT itself acting as the stimulus. In addition, being fabricated from food grade materials, the carrier could be potentially used for the targeted delivery of nutrients through functional foods.

Keywords: bioavailability, chitosan, delivery systems, encapsulation

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Authors: Aya Tanaka, Mariko Era, Shiho Sakai, Takayoshi Kawahara, Takahide Kanyama, Hiroshi Morita

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Objectives: Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus oryzae are used as koji fungi in the spot of the brewing. Since koji-muro (room for making koji) was a low level of airtightness, microbial contamination has long been a concern to the alcoholic beverage production. Therefore, we focused on the fatty acid salt which is the main component of soap. Fatty acid salts have been reported to show some antibacterial and antifungal activity. So this study examined antimicrobial activities against Aspergillus and Bacillus spp. This study aimed to find the effectiveness of the fatty acid salt in koji-muro as antimicrobial agents. Materials & Methods: A. niger NBRC 31628, A. oryzae NBRC 5238, A. oryzae (Akita Konno store) and Bacillus subtilis NBRC 3335 were chosen as tested. Nine fatty acid salts including potassium butyrate (C4K), caproate (C6K), caprylate (C8K), caprate (C10K), laurate (C12K), myristate (C14K), oleate (C18:1K), linoleate (C18:2K) and linolenate (C18:3K) at 350 mM and pH 10.5 were used as antimicrobial activity. FASs and spore suspension were prepared in plastic tubes. The spore suspension of each fungus (3.0×104 spores/mL) or the bacterial suspension (3.0×105 CFU/mL) was mixed with each of the fatty acid salts (final concentration of 175 mM). The mixtures were incubated at 25 ℃. Samples were counted at 0, 10, 60, and 180 min by plating (100 µL) on potato dextrose agar. Fungal and bacterial colonies were counted after incubation for 1 or 2 days at 30 ℃. The MIC (minimum inhibitory concentration) is defined as the lowest concentration of drug sufficient for inhibiting visible growth of spore after 10 min of incubation. MICs against fungi and bacteria were determined using the two-fold dilution method. Each fatty acid salt was separately inoculated with 400 µL of Aspergillus spp. or B. subtilis NBRC 3335 at 3.0 × 104 spores/mL or 3.0 × 105 CFU/mL. Results: No obvious change was observed in tested fatty acid salts against A. niger and A. oryzae. However, C12K was the antibacterial effect of 5 log-unit incubated time for 10 min against B. subtilis. Thus, C12K suppressed 99.999 % of bacterial growth. Besides, C10K was the antibacterial effect of 5 log-unit incubated time for 180 min against B. subtilis. C18:1K, C18:2K and C18:3K was the antibacterial effect of 5 log-unit incubated time for 10 min against B. subtilis. However, compared to saturated fatty acid salts to unsaturated fatty acid salts, saturated fatty acid salts are lower cost. These results suggest C12K has potential in the field of koji-muro. It is necessary to evaluate the antimicrobial activity against other fungi and bacteria, in the future.

Keywords: Aspergillus, antimicrobial, fatty acid salts, koji-muro

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Authors: Brahim Mazian, Anne Bergeret, Jean-Charles Benezet, Sandrine Bayle, Luc Malhautier

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Hemp fibers are increasingly used as reinforcements in polymer matrix composites due to their competitive performance (low density, mechanical properties and biodegradability) compared to conventional fibres such as glass fibers. However, the huge variation of their biochemical, physical and mechanical properties limits the use of these natural fibres in structural applications when high consistency and homogeneity are required. In the hemp industry, traditional processes termed field retting are commonly used to facilitate the extraction and separation of stem fibers. This retting treatment consists to spread out the stems on the ground for a duration ranging from a few days to several weeks. Microorganisms (fungi and bacteria) grow on the stem surface and produce enzymes that degrade pectinolytic substances in the middle lamellae surrounding the fibers. This operation depends on the weather conditions and is currently carried out very empirically in the fields so that a large variability in the hemp fibers quality (mechanical properties, color, morphology, chemical composition…) is resulting. Nonetheless, if controlled, retting might be favorable for good properties of hemp fibers and then of hemp fibers reinforced composites. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the influence of controlled retting within a designed environmental chamber (lab-scale pilot unit) on the quality of the hemp fibres harvested at the seed maturity growth stage. Various assessments were applied directly on fibers: color observations, morphological (optical microscope), surface (ESEM), biochemical (gravimetry) analysis, spectrocolorimetric measurements (pectins content), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and tensile testing. The results reveal that controlled retting leads to a rapid change of color from yellow to dark grey due to development of microbial communities (fungi and bacteria) at the stem surface. An increase of thermal stability of fibres due to the removal of non-cellulosic components along retting is also observed. A separation of bast fibers to elementary fibers occurred with an evolution of chemical composition (degradation of pectins) and a rapid decrease in tensile properties (380MPa to 170MPa after 3 weeks) due to accelerated retting process. The influence of controlled retting on the biocomposite material (PP / hemp fibers) properties is under investigation.

Keywords: controlled retting, hemp fibre, mechanical properties, thermal stability

Procedia PDF Downloads 155

Authors: Chaya B. M., C. Dhanush, Inti Sai Srikar, Akula Pavan Parvatalu, Chirag Gowda R

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Recently, there has been a lot of interest in µ-LED technology because of its exceptional qualities, including auto emission, high visibility, low consumption of power, rapid response and longevity. Light-emitting diodes (LED) using III-nitride, such as lighting sources, visible light communication (VLC) devices, and high-power devices, are finding increasing use as miniaturization technology advances. The use of micro-LED displays in place of traditional display technologies like liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is one of the most prominent recent advances, which may even represent the next generation of displays. The development of fully integrated, multifunctional devices and the incorporation of extra capabilities into micro-LED displays, such as sensing, light detection, and solar cells, are the pillars of advanced technology. Due to the wide range of applications for micro-LED technology, the effectiveness and dependability of these devices in numerous harsh conditions are becoming increasingly important. Enough research has been conducted to overcome the under-effectiveness of micro-LED devices. In this paper, different Micro LED design structures are proposed in order to achieve optimized optical properties. In order to attain improved external quantum efficiency (EQE), devices' light extraction efficiency (LEE) has also been boosted.

Keywords: finite difference time domain, light out coupling efficiency, far field intensity, power density, quantum efficiency, flat panel displays

Procedia PDF Downloads 79

Authors: Pukhrambam Helena Chanu, Janardan Yadav

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This study investigates the potential of various fungal isolates to solubilize zinc and counteract rice pathogens, with the aim of mitigating zinc deficiency and disease prevalence in rice farming. Soil samples from the rhizosphere were collected, and zinc-solubilizing fungi were isolated and purified. Molecular analysis identified Talaromyces sp, Talaromyces versatilis, Talaromyces pinophilus, and Aspergillus terreus as effective zinc solubilizers. Through qualitative and quantitative assessments, it was observed that solubilization efficiencies varied among the isolates over time, with Talaromyces versatilis displaying the highest capacity for solubilization. This variability in solubilization rates may be attributed to differences in fungal metabolic activity and their ability to produce organic acids that facilitate zinc release from insoluble sources in the soil. In inhibition assays against rice pathogens, the fungal isolates exhibited antagonistic properties, with Talaromyces versatilis demonstrating the most significant inhibition rates. This antagonistic activity may be linked to the production of secondary metabolites, such as antibiotics or lytic enzymes by fungi, which inhibit the growth of rice pathogens. The ability of Talaromyces versatilis to outperform other isolates in both zinc solubilization and pathogen inhibition highlights its potential as a multifunctional biocontrol agent in rice cultivation systems. These findings emphasize the potential of fungi as natural solutions for enhancing zinc uptake and managing diseases in rice cultivation. Utilizing indigenous zinc-solubilizing fungi offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly approach to addressing zinc deficiency in soils, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. Moreover, harnessing the antagonistic activity of these fungi can contribute to integrated disease management strategies, minimizing reliance on synthetic pesticides and promoting ecological balance in agroecosystems. Additionally, the study included the evaluation of dipping time under different concentrations, viz.,10 ppm, 20 ppm, and 30 ppm of biosynthesized nano ZnO on rice seedlings. This investigation aimed to optimize the application of nano ZnO for efficient zinc uptake by rice plants while minimizing potential risks associated with excessive nanoparticle exposure. Evaluating the effects of varying concentrations and dipping durations provides valuable insights into the safe and effective utilization of nano ZnO as a micronutrient supplement in rice farming practices.

Keywords: biosynthesized nano ZnO, rice, root dipping, zinc solubilizing fungi.

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Authors: Amit Kumar Baghel, Sisir Kumar Nayak

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The proposed metamaterial design help to increase the radiation efficiency at 2.9 GHz by reducing the side and back lobes by making the phase difference of the waves emerging from the phase center of the horn antenna same after passing through metamaterial array. The unit cell of the metamaterial is having concentric ring structure made of copper of 0.035 mm thickness on both sides of FR4 sheet. The inner ring diameter is kept as 3 mm, and the outer ring diameters are changed according to the path and tramission phase difference of the unit cell from the phase center of the antenna in both the horizontal and vertical direction, i.e., in x- and y-axis. In this case, the ring radius varies from 3.19 mm to 6.99 mm with the respective S21 phase difference of -62.25° to -124.64°. The total phase difference can be calculated by adding the path difference of the respective unit cell in the array to the phase difference of S21. Taking one of the unit cell as the reference, the total phase difference between the reference unit cell and other cells must be integer multiple of 360°. The variation of transmission coefficient S21 with the ring radius is greater than -6 dB. The array having 5 x 5 unit cell is kept inside the pyramidal horn antenna (L X B X H = 295.451 x 384.233 x 298.66 mm3) at a distance of 36.68 mm from the waveguide throat. There is an improvement in side lobe level in E-plane by 14.6 dB when the array is used. The front to back lobe ration is increased by 1 dB by using the array. The proposed antenna with metamaterial array can be used in beam shaping for wireless power transfer applications.

Keywords: metamaterial, side lobe level, front to back ratio, beam forming

Procedia PDF Downloads 275

Authors: Bikram K. Das, Kalyan K. Chattopadhyay

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The advent of 2-D materials in the last decade has induced a fresh spur of growth in fuel cell technology as these materials have some highly promising traits that can be exploited to felicitate Oxygen Reduction Reaction (ORR) in an efficient way. Among the various 2-D carbon materials, graphyne (Gy) and graphdiyne (Gdy)1 with their intrinsic non-uniform charge distribution holds promises in this purpose and it is expected2 that substitutional Nitrogen (N) doping could further enhance their efficiency. In this regard, dispersive force corrected density functional theory is used to map the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) kinetics of five different kinds of N doped graphyne and graphdiyne systems (namely αGy, βGy, γGy, RGy and 6,6,12Gy and Gdy) in alkaline medium. The best doping site for each of the Gy/ Gdy system is determined comparing the formation energies of the possible doping configurations. Similarly, the best di-oxygen (O₂) adsorption sites for the doped systems are identified by comparing the adsorption energies. O₂ adsorption on all N doped Gy/ Gdy systems is found to be energetically favorable. ORR on a catalyst surface may occur either via the Eley-Rideal (ER) or the Langmuir–Hinschelwood (LH) pathway. Systematic studies performed on the considered systems reveal that all of them favor the ER pathway. Further, depending on the nature of di-oxygen adsorption ORR can follow either associative or dissociative mechanism; the possibility of occurrence of both the mechanisms is tested thoroughly for each N doped Gy/ Gdy. For the ORR process, all the Gy/Gdy systems are observed to prefer the efficient four-electron pathway but the expected monotonically exothermic reaction pathway is found only for N doped 6,6,12Gy and RGy following the associative pathway and for N doped βGy, γGy and Gdy following the dissociative pathway. Further computation performed for these systems reveals that for N doped 6,6,12Gy, RGy, βGy, γGy and Gdy the overpotentials are 1.08 V, 0.94 V, 1.17 V, 1.21 V and 1.04 V respectively depicting N doped RGy is the most promising material, to carry out ORR in alkaline medium, among the considered ones. The stability of the ORR intermediate states with the variation of pH and electrode potentials is further explored with Pourbiax diagrams and the activities of these systems in the alkaline medium are compared with the prior reported B/N doped identical systems for ORR in an acidic medium in terms of a common descriptor.

Keywords: graphdiyne, graphyne, nitrogen-doped, ORR

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Authors: Muhammad Nouman, Fahad Tiwana, Muhammad Irfan, Mohsin Tiwana

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Traffic congestion has been increasing significantly in major metropolitan areas as a result of increased motorization, urbanization, population growth and changes in the urban density. Traffic congestion compromises efficiency of transport infrastructure and causes multiple traffic concerns; including but not limited to increase of travel time, safety hazards, air pollution, and fuel consumption. Traffic management has become a serious challenge for federal and provincial governments, as well as exasperated commuters. Effective, flexible, efficient and user-friendly traffic information/database management systems characterize traffic conditions by making use of traffic counts for storage, processing, and visualization. While, the emerging data collection technologies continue to proliferate, its accuracy can be guaranteed through the comparison of observed data with the manual handheld counters. This paper presents the design of tablet based manual traffic counting application and framework for development of traffic database management system for Pakistan. The database management system comprises of three components including traffic counting android application; establishing online database and its visualization using Google maps. Oracle relational database was chosen to develop the data structure whereas structured query language (SQL) was adopted to program the system architecture. The GIS application links the data from the database and projects it onto a dynamic map for traffic conditions visualization. The traffic counting device and example of a database application in the real-world problem provided a creative outlet to visualize the uses and advantages of a database management system in real time. Also, traffic data counts by means of handheld tablet/ mobile application can be used for transportation planning and forecasting.

Keywords: manual count, emerging data sources, traffic information quality, traffic surveillance, traffic counting device, android; data visualization, traffic management

Procedia PDF Downloads 193

Authors: Shabnam Alizadeh, Hatice Dumanoglu

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Plant tissue culture is a substantial plant propagation technique for mass clonal production throughout the year, regardless of time in fruit species. However, the rooting achievement must be enhanced in the difficult-to-root genotypes. Classical auxin applications in clonal propagation of these genotypes are inadequate to solve the rooting problem. Nanoparticles having different physical and chemical properties from bulk material could enhance the rooting success of controlled release of these substances when loaded with auxin due to their ability to reach the active substance up to the target cells as a carrier system.The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles loaded with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA-nZnO) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA-nZnO) on in vitro rooting of microcuttings in a difficult-to-root apple genotype (Malus domestica Borkh.). Rooting treatments consisted of IBA or IAA at concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 mg/L; nZnO, IAA-nZnO and IBA-nZnO at doses of 0.0, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0 mg/L were used. All components were added to the Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium at strength ½ with 2% sucrose and 0.7% agar before autoclaving. In the study, no rooting occurred in control and nZnO applications. Especially, 1.0 mg/L and 2.0 mg/L IBA-nZnO nanoparticle applications (containing 0.5 mg/L and 0.9 mg/L IBA), respectively with rooting rates of 40.3% and 70.4%, rooting levels of 2.0±0.4 and 2.3±0.4, 2.6±0.7 and 2.5±0.6 average root numbers and 20.4±1.6 mm and 20.2±3.4 mm average root lengths put forward as effective applications.

Keywords: Auxin, Malus, nanotechnology, zinc oxide nanoparticles

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Authors: V. E. Messerle, A. B. Ustimenko, O. A. Lavrichshev

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A large amount of manure and its irrational use negatively affect the environment. As compared with biomass fermentation, plasma processing of manure enhances makes it possible to intensify the process of obtaining fuel gas, which consists mainly of synthesis gas (CO + H₂), and increase plant productivity by 150–200 times. This is achieved due to the high temperature in the plasma reactor and a multiple reduction in waste processing time. This paper examines the plasma processing of biomass using the example of dried mixed animal manure (dung with a moisture content of 30%). Characteristic composition of dung, wt.%: Н₂О – 30, С – 29.07, Н – 4.06, О – 32.08, S – 0.26, N – 1.22, P₂O₅ – 0.61, K₂O – 1.47, СаО – 0.86, MgO – 0.37. The thermodynamic code TERRA was used to numerically analyze dung plasma gasification and pyrolysis. Plasma gasification and pyrolysis of dung were analyzed in the temperature range 300–3,000 K and pressure 0.1 MPa for the following thermodynamic systems: 100% dung + 25% air (plasma gasification) and 100% dung + 25% nitrogen (plasma pyrolysis). Calculations were conducted to determine the composition of the gas phase, the degree of carbon gasification, and the specific energy consumption of the processes. At an optimum temperature of 1,500 K, which provides both complete gasification of dung carbon and the maximum yield of combustible components (99.4 vol.% during dung gasification and 99.5 vol.% during pyrolysis), and decomposition of toxic compounds of furan, dioxin, and benz(a)pyrene, the following composition of combustible gas was obtained, vol.%: СО – 29.6, Н₂ – 35.6, СО₂ – 5.7, N₂ – 10.6, H₂O – 17.9 (gasification) and СО – 30.2, Н₂ – 38.3, СО₂ – 4.1, N₂ – 13.3, H₂O – 13.6 (pyrolysis). The specific energy consumption of gasification and pyrolysis of dung at 1,500 K is 1.28 and 1.33 kWh/kg, respectively. An installation with a DC plasma torch with a rated power of 100 kW and a plasma reactor with a dung capacity of 50 kg/h was used for dung processing experiments. The dung was gasified in an air (or nitrogen during pyrolysis) plasma jet, which provided a mass-average temperature in the reactor volume of at least 1,600 K. The organic part of the dung was gasified, and the inorganic part of the waste was melted. For pyrolysis and gasification of dung, the specific energy consumption was 1.5 kWh/kg and 1.4 kWh/kg, respectively. The maximum temperature in the reactor reached 1,887 K. At the outlet of the reactor, a gas of the following composition was obtained, vol.%: СO – 25.9, H₂ – 32.9, СO₂ – 3.5, N₂ – 37.3 (pyrolysis in nitrogen plasma); СO – 32.6, H₂ – 24.1, СO₂ – 5.7, N₂ – 35.8 (air plasma gasification). The specific heat of combustion of the combustible gas formed during pyrolysis and plasma-air gasification of agricultural waste is 10,500 and 10,340 kJ/kg, respectively. Comparison of the integral indicators of dung plasma processing showed satisfactory agreement between the calculation and experiment.

Keywords: agricultural waste, experiment, plasma gasification, thermodynamic calculation

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Authors: Devita Wardani, Pratiwi Gusti Wahyu, Andreas Infianto, Raden Dicky Wirawan Listiandoko, Descahirul, Yunnica

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Flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FFB) is the essential method for both the diagnosis and staging of central lung cancer. Concerning central lesions, the sensitivity of endobronchial forceps biopsy of a visible endobronchial lesion is 74%. The aim is to determine the distribution of lung cancer types of patients diagnosed with and who underwent bronchoscopy at General Ahmad Yani Metro Hospital. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional descriptive study. Data are obtained from histopathological results of lung malignancy through bronchoscopy either from forceps biopsy, washing and brushing. Results: Lung cancer is more found in men (72.2%) than women (27.8%). The average age for men ranges 57 years old for Non-Small Cell and 56 years old for Small Cell case. Most histopathology found in non-small cell lung cancer (87.7%), with adenocarcinoma as the most common type (68.4%), followed by squamous cell carcinoma (29.1%). Findings for adenocarcinoma showed that men had an incidence of 64.8% and women had an incidence of 35.2%. Like NSCLC, men can have up to 90% of cases of SCLC compared to 10% in women. In addition to non-small cell and small cell types, other types, such as large cells and renal carcinoma metastases, were obtained. Conclusions: Adenocarcinoma lung cancer is the most widely obtained type with predominantly male patients.

Keywords: bronchoscopy, forceps biopsy, washing, brushing

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Authors: Lingling Shui, Shuting Xie

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As alternatives to electronic devices, optically active structures from responsive nanomaterials offer great opportunity buildup smart functional sensors. Hereby, we report on droplet microfluidics enabled construction and application of photonic microcapsules (PMCs) for colorimetric temperature microsensors, enabling miniaturization for injectable local micro-area sensing and integration for large-area sensing. Monodispersed PMCs are produced by in-situ photopolymerization of hydrogel shells of cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC)-in-water-in-oil double emulsion droplets prepared using microfluidic devices, with controllable physical structures and chemical compositions. Constructed PMCs exhibit thermal responsive structural color according to the selective Bragg reflection of CLC’s periodical helical structures within the microdroplet’s spherical confinement. Constructed PMCs with tunable size and composition have been successfully applied for monitoring the living cell extracellular temperature via co-incubation with cell suspension, and for detecting human body temperature via a flexible device from assembled PMCs. These PMCs could be flexibly applied in either micro-environment or large-area surface, enabling wide applications for precision temperature monitoring biological activities (e.g. cells or organs), optoelectronic devices working conditions (e.g. temperature indicators under extreme conditions), and etc.

Keywords: droplet, microfluidics, assembly, soft materials, microsensor

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Authors: Roman Khanferyan

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Endurance exercises and strenuous muscle activity are accompanied by multiple immune dysfunctions due to the activation of cytokines and chemokines synthesis. This study assesses changes in the synthesis of immune regulatory mediators in elite athletes during endurance sports activity. The concentrations of cytokines/chemokines (IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, MIP-1 beta, GRO-alpha, RANTES, SDF-1a, VEGF) in sera of hockey athletes (n=33) and in supernatants of 24-h cultivated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of boxers (n=6) assayed by ELISA and Luminex xMAP multiplex assays. Estimation of body composition studied by using bioimpedance technology. The dietary energy consumption per person has been estimated using an album of different sizes of portions of the most frequently consumed foods. It has been demonstrated that endurance sports activity enhances the secretions of most pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in more than 2-6 fold. The study demonstrated that the high increase of more than 3-4 times in the concentration of IL-18 in sera of athletes (327.86 + 45.67 pg/ml) didn’t correlate with BMI (p=0.040) but demonstrated a low correlation with MMI (p=0.234) and BMR (p=0,231). The opposite impact on the concentration of IL-10 has been demonstrated in athletes. It has been shown a negative correlation between its concentration and BMI (p= - 0.251), MMI (p= - 0.327), and BMR (p= - 0.301). In vitro studies in boxers showed greater amounts of chemokines in the PBMC supernatants, including MIP-1β, GRO-α, RANTES, SDF-1α, and IL-8 (P<0.05). At the same time, healthy controls had greater supernatant levels of MCP-1, Eotaxin, and MIP-1α. The study demonstrated a high correlation between physical activity, usual athletes' diet, and consumption of specialized sports nutrition products.

Keywords: sport nutrition, cytokines, chemokines, endurace exercises

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Authors: Nirmal Kumar Verma, Pallavi Jha

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Generation of the electromagnetic radiation oscillating at the frequencies in the terahertz range by propagation of two-color laser pulses in plasma is an active area of research due to its potential applications in various areas, including security screening, material characterization, and spectroscopic techniques. Due to nonionizing nature and the ability to penetrate several millimeters, THz radiation is suitable for diagnosis of cancerous cells. Traditional THz emitters like optically active crystals, when irradiated with high power laser radiation, are subject to material breakdown and hence low conversion efficiencies. This problem is not encountered in laser-plasma based THz radiation sources. The present paper is devoted to the study of the enhanced electromagnetic radiation generation by propagation of two-color, linearly polarized laser pulses through the magnetized plasma. The two lasers pulse orthogonally polarized are co-propagating along the same direction. The direction of the external magnetic field is such that one of the two laser pulses propagates in the ordinary mode, while the other pulse propagates in the extraordinary mode through the homogeneous plasma. A transverse electromagnetic wave with frequency in the THz range is generated due to the presence of the static magnetic field. It is observed that larger amplitude terahertz can be generated by mixing of ordinary and extraordinary modes of two-color laser pulses as compared with a single laser pulse propagating in the extraordinary mode.

Keywords: two-color laser pulses, electromagnetic radiation, magnetized plasma, ordinary and extraordinary modes

Procedia PDF Downloads 286

Authors: Yahaya Tajudeen, Joy Okpuzor, Tolu Ajayi

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The cell-rebuilding efficacy of four food plants eating as vegetables and spices in Nigeria was assessed in the lungs of wild rats (Rattus rattus) living in a polluted environment. The plants are roselle (Hibiscus sabdarrifa), moringa (Moringa oleifera), ginger (Zingiber officinale) and ugwu (Telfairia occidentalis). Sixty rats were caught from the vicinity of a cement factory in Sagamu, Southwestern-Nigeria and grouped into 6. The control group was administered distilled water, while the test groups were given ethanolic extracts of roselle, moringa, ginger, ugwu and the mixture of the extracts for 180 days. The histopathology of the rats was conducted before and at the end of 180 days extracts administration. Before administering the extracts, the lungs of the rats showed vascular congestion, severe fibrosis and congested alveolus; all which were also observed in the lungs of control rats at the end of the treatment. However, the lungs of rats that were treated with the extracts of the plants showed moderate, mild or no histological damage compared to the control rats. The extract of the mixture of the plants performed best, followed by ginger, ugwu and roselle, respectively. These findings suggest that the food plants contain phytonutrients and phytochemicals, which repaired damaged cells and tissues in the exposed rats. Consequently, the plants could play a role in ameliorating health effects of environmental pollution.

Keywords: food plants, wild rats, lung, histopathology, fibrosis, cell-rebuilding

Procedia PDF Downloads 367

Authors: S. P. Gomes, D. C. Goncalves, E. Ribeiro, M. C. L. Seelaender

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Skin is susceptible to photo damage induced by exposure to sunlight, or ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which induces breakdown of extracellular matrix, DNA degradation, skin cell lesion and apoptosis, and development of cancer. Phytonutrients demonstrate protective effects against UV damage. The purpose of this study was evaluating the effect of an antioxidant juice (AJ) contaning Brazilian natural products upon skin damage. The juice was produced by Metabolics®. Male Wistar rats were divided in 4 groups: Animals receiving the antioxidant juice (AJ): orange, carrot, honey, tomato extract, avocado, ginger and camu-camu (Brazilian fruit, a major source of vitamin C) ad libitum for 21 days; or water (C), subdivided in groups exposed or not to UV radiation for 2 non consecutive days, during five hours each day, after 15 days of juice supplementation. On the 22nd day, rats were killed by decapitation and epithelium samples from the dorsal skin removed, fixed in bouin and embedded in paraffin. The sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin or mallory and picrosirius red. Isolated DNA was submitted to electrophoresis (1.8% agarose gel, 0.5% ethidium bromide). UV radiation significantly induced sunburn of superficial epithelial cells of C, AJ treatment reduced this effect. Collagen changes were observed in UV groups, yet AJ treatment prevented collagen degradation. UV radiation induced significant DNA degradation, in C, which was prevented by AJ treatment. The antioxidant juice consumed chronically protected against acute skin damage.

Keywords: nutraceuticals, antioxidants, photoprotection, uv radiation

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Authors: Ayodeji Motunrayo Omoare

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Economically fish provides an important source of food and income for both men and women especially many households in the developing world and fishing has an important social and cultural position in river-rine communities. However, fish is highly susceptible to deterioration. Consequently, this study was carried out to correlate income generation of small-scale women fish processors in Abeokuta metropolis, Ogun State, Nigeria. Eighty small-scale women fish processors were randomly selected from five communities as the sample size for this study. Collected data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that the mean age of the respondents was 31.75 years with average household size of 4 people while 47.5% of the respondents had primary education. Most (86.3%) of the respondents were married and had spent more than 11 years in fish processing. The respondents were predominantly Yoruba tribe (91.2%). Majority (71.3%) of the respondents used traditional kiln for processing their fish while 23.7% of the respondents used hot vegetable oil to fry their fish. Also, the result revealed that respondents sourced capital from Personal Savings (48.8%), Cooperatives (27.5%), Friends and Family (17.5%) and Microfinance Banks (6.2%) for fish processing activities. The respondents generated an average income of ₦7,000.00 from roasted fish, ₦3,500.00 from dried fish, and ₦5,200.00 from fried fish daily. However, inadequate processing equipment (95.0%), non-availability of credit facility from microfinance banks (85.0%), poor electricity supply (77.5%), inadequate extension service support (70.0%), and fuel scarcity (68.7%) were major constraints to fish processing in the study area. Results of chi-square analysis showed that there was a significant relationship between personal characteristics (χ2 = 36.83, df = 9), processing methods (χ2 = 15.88, df = 3) and income generated at p < 0.05 level of significance. It can be concluded that significant relationship existed between processing methods and income generated. The study, therefore, recommends that modern processing equipment should be made available to the respondents at a subsidized price by the agro-allied companies.

Keywords: correlates, income, fish processors, women, small-scale

Procedia PDF Downloads 246

Authors: Muhasin Koyiloth, Sathyanarayana N. Gummadi

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Biological membranes are ordered association of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates. Lipids except sterols possess asymmetric distribution across the bilayer. Eukaryotic membranes possess a group of lipid translocators called scramblases that disrupt phospholipid asymmetry. Their action is implicated in cell activation during wound healing and phagocytic clearance of apoptotic cells. Cholesterol is one of the major membrane lipids distributed evenly on both the leaflet and can directly influence the membrane fluidity through the ordering effect. The fluidity has an impact on the activity of several membrane proteins. The palmitoylated phospholipid scramblases localized to the lipid raft which is characterized by a higher number of sterols. Here we propose that cholesterol can interact with scramblases through putative CRAC motif and can modulate their activity. To prove this, we reconstituted phospholipid scramblase 1 of C. elegans (SCRM-1) in proteoliposomes containing different amounts of cholesterol (Liquid ordered/Lo). We noted that the presence of cholesterol reduced the scramblase activity of wild-type SCRM-1. The interaction between SCRM-1 and cholesterol was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy using NBD-Chol. Also, we observed loss of such interaction when one of I273 in the CRAC motif mutated to Asp. Interestingly, the point mutant has partially retained scramblase activity in Lo vesicles. The current study elucidated the important interaction between cholesterol and SCRM-1 to fine-tune its activity in artificial membranes.

Keywords: artificial membranes, CRAC motif, plasma membrane, PL scramblase

Procedia PDF Downloads 175

Authors: Xia Huo

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Children are more vulnerable to environmental toxicants compared to adults, and their developing immune system is among the most sensitive targets regarding toxicity of environmental toxicants. Studies have found that exposure to environmental toxicants is associated with impaired immune function in children, but only a few studies have focused on the relationship between environmental toxicant exposure and vaccine antibody potency and immunoglobulin (Ig) levels in children. These studies investigated the associations of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), heavy metals (Pb, Cd, As, Hg) and PM2.5 with the serum-specific antibody concentrations and Ig levels against different vaccines, such as anti-Hib, tetanus, diphtheria toxoid, and analyze the possible mechanisms underlying exposure-related alterations of antibody titers and Ig levels against different vaccines. Results suggest that exposure to these toxicants is generally associated with decreased potency of antibodies produced from childhood immunizations and an overall deficiency in the protection the vaccines provide. Toxicant exposure is associated with vaccination failure and decreased antibody titers, and increased risk of immune-related diseases in children by altering specific immunoglobulin levels. Age, sex, nutritional status, and co-exposure may influence the effects of toxicants on the immune function in children. Epidemiological evidence suggests that exposure-induced changes to humoral immunerelated tissue/cells/molecules response to vaccines may have predominant roles in the inverse associations between antibody responsiveness to vaccines and environmental toxicants. These results help us to conduct better immunization policies for children under environmental toxicant burden.

Keywords: environmental toxicants, immunotoxicity, vaccination, antibodies, children's health

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Authors: Damilola Mofikoya

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Developed countries account for a large proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. In the last decade, countries including the United States and China have made a commitment to cut down carbon emissions by signing the Paris Climate Agreement. However, carbon neutrality is a challenging issue to tackle at the country level because of the scale of the problem. To overcome this challenge, cities are at the forefront of these efforts. Many cities in the United States are taking strategic actions and proposing programs and initiatives focused on renewable energy, green transportation, less use of fossil fuel vehicles, etc. There have been concerns about the implications of those strategies and a lack of community engagement. This paper is focused on community-based efforts that help actualize the reduction of carbon footprint through sustained and inclusive action. Existing zero-carbon assessment tools are examined to understand variables and indicators associated with the zero-carbon goals. Based on a broad, systematic review of literature on community strategies, and existing zero-carbon assessment tools, a dashboard was developed to help simplify and demystify carbon neutrality goals at a community level. The literature was able to shed light on the key contributing factors responsible for the success of community efforts in carbon neutrality. Stakeholder education is discussed as one of the strategies to help communities take action and generate momentum. The community-based efforts involving individuals and residents, such as reduction of food wastages, shopping preferences, transit mode choices, and healthy diets, play an important role in the context of zero-carbon initiatives. The proposed community-based dashboard will emphasize the importance of sustained, structured, and collective efforts at a communal scale. Finally, the present study discusses the relationship between life expectancy and quality of life and how it affects carbon neutrality in communities.

Keywords: carbon footprint, communities, life expectancy, quality of life

Procedia PDF Downloads 88

Authors: K. A. Weidenmann, M. Grigo, B. Brylka, P. Elsner, T. Böhlke

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In order to reduce fuel consumption, the weight of automobiles has to be reduced. Fiber reinforced polymers offer the potential to reach this aim because of their high stiffness to weight ratio. Additionally, the use of fiber reinforced polymers in automotive applications has to allow for an economic large-scale production. In this regard, long fiber reinforced thermoplastics made by direct processing offer both mechanical performance and processability in injection moulding and compression moulding. The work presented in this contribution deals with long glass fiber reinforced polypropylene directly processed in compression moulding (D-LFT). For the use in automotive applications both the temperature and the time dependency of the materials properties have to be investigated to fulfill performance requirements during crash or the demands of service temperatures ranging from -40 °C to 80 °C. To consider both the influence of temperature and time, quasistatic tensile tests have been carried out at different temperatures. These tests have been complemented by high speed tensile tests at different strain rates. As expected, the increase in strain rate results in an increase of the elastic modulus which correlates to an increase of the stiffness with decreasing service temperature. The results are in good accordance with results determined by dynamic mechanical analysis within the range of 0.1 to 100 Hz. The experimental results from different testing methods were grouped and interpreted by using different time temperature shift approaches. In this regard, Williams-Landel-Ferry and Arrhenius approach based on kinetics have been used. As the theoretical shift factor follows an arctan function, an empirical approach was also taken into consideration. It could be shown that this approach describes best the time and temperature superposition for glass fiber reinforced polypropylene manufactured by D-LFT processing.

Keywords: composite, dynamic mechanical analysis, long fibre reinforced thermoplastics, mechanical properties, time temperature superposition

Procedia PDF Downloads 199

Authors: Jaiprakash Dargad

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CdMnSe dilute semiconductor or semimagnetic semiconductors have become the focus of intense research due to their interesting combination of magnetic and semiconducting properties, and are employed in a variety of devices including solar cells, gas sensors etc. A series of thin films of this material, Cd1−xMnxSe (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5), were therefore synthesized onto precleaned amorphous glass substrates using a solution growth technique. The sources of cadmium (Cd2+) and manganese (Mn2+) were aqueous solutions of cadmium sulphate and manganese sulphate, and selenium (Se2−) was extracted from a reflux of sodium selenosulphite. The different deposition parameters such as temperature, time of deposition, speed of mechanical churning, pH of the reaction mixture etc were optimized to yield good quality deposits. The as-grown samples were thin, relatively uniform, smooth and tightly adherent to the substrate support. The colour of the deposits changed from deep red-orange to yellowish-orange as the composition parameter, x, was varied from 0 to 0.5. The terminal layer thickness decreased with increasing value of, x. The optical energy gap decreased from 1.84 eV to 1.34 eV for the change of x from 0 to 0.5. The coefficient of optical absorption is of the order of 10-4 - 10-5 cm−1 and the type of transition (m = 0.5) is of the band-to-band direct type. The dc electrical conductivities were measured at room temperature and in the temperature range 300 K - 500 K. It was observed that the room temperature electrical conductivity increased with the composition parameter x up to 0.1, gradually decreasing thereafter. The thermo power measurements showed n-type conduction in these films.

Keywords: dilute semiconductor, reflux, CBD, thin film

Procedia PDF Downloads 231

Authors: Luana N. Cardozo, Debora A. S. Coutinho, Fabiola Lagher, Bruno J. G. Silva, Ivonilce Venture, Mainara Tesser, Graciela Venera

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Ostrich oil is used as food in Brazil, and it has been the subject of scientific research because it contains essential fatty acids (Omega 3, 6, 7, and 9), which provide benefits to human health. Alkylglycerols are lipid ethers consisted of a saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon chain joined by ether-type bonding to one of the glycerol hydroxyls. It is known that supplementation with alkylglycerols can act significantly on the functioning of immune system cells, both in pathological situations and in homeostasis. Objective: Analyze the presence of alkylglycerols in ostrich oil. Methods: The ostrich oil was bought from an industry that manufactures the product for sale as food, located in Mirante da Serra, northern Brazil. The samples were sent for analysis to the chemistry department of the Federal University of Paraná, where they were analyzed by the gas chromatography method. Results: The analysis of the ostrich oil presented alkylglycerols in area 514505154. Comparison, it is possible to observe that shark liver oil contains the area 26190196, and the difference between both is highly significant. Conclusion: The importance of alkylglycerol supplementation for the immune system is known. The analysis of the results made it possible to verify the presence of alkylglycerols in the ostrich oil, which is five times higher than in the shark liver oil, that would be the largest source food, but was surpassed by the ostrich oil until the present time. The present study emphasizes that ostrich oil can be considered a food source of alkylglycerols and may play a promising role in the immune system because it contains such substance, but further studies are needed to prove its performance in the body.

Keywords: ostrich oil, nutritional composition, alkylglycerols, food

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: M. Elder, L. Beech, A. Mackie

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Heterotopic pregnancy is an uncommon and potentially life-threatening condition in which there is simultaneous occurrence of intrauterine and ectopic pregnancies. It has an incidence of approximately 1:3900 pregnancies, occurring in only 1:30000 spontaneous pregnancies. This study presents a rare case of spontaneous heterotopic pregnancy in a 34-year-old primiparous woman who was brought in by ambulance to the emergency department following collapse at 20+1 weeks gestation after normal first trimester screening and morphology scan. She was hemodynamically unstable and fetal heart rate was 60bpm. Initial resuscitation included transfusion of 2 units packed red blood cells and 1g intravenous tranexamic acid. Bedside ultrasound revealed evidence of approximately 1000ml clot in the right upper quadrant. She underwent a diagnostic laparoscopy and washout, which proceeded to a midline exploratory laparotomy. This revealed a 2.6L hemoperitoneum and query right ectopic pregnancy with calcified areas and clot, with no other cause of bleeding identified. Right salpingectomy was performed, and pathology later confirmed ectopic pregnancy. The intrauterine pregnancy had no complications, and she delivered a healthy full-term baby. This case demonstrates that ultrasound confirmation of intrauterine pregnancy does not exclude coexisting ectopic pregnancy. Heterotopic pregnancy should be considered in any pregnant woman presenting with abdominal pain or signs of hemorrhagic shock, as prompt diagnosis and treatment is essential to minimize foetal and maternal morbidity and mortality.

Keywords: ectopic pregnancy, hemorrhagic shock, salpingectomy, spontaneous heterotopic pregnancy

Procedia PDF Downloads 140

Authors: Y. Vásquez, F. Reyes, P. Oyola, M. Rubio, J. Muñoz, E. Lissi

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In several cities in Chile, there is significant urban pollution, particularly in Santiago and in cities in the south where biomass is used as fuel in heating and cooking in a large proportion of homes. This has generated interest in knowing what factors can be modulated to control the level of pollution. In this project was conditioned and set up a photochemical chamber (14m3) equipped with gas monitors e.g. CO, NOX, O3, others and PM monitors e.g. dustrack, DMPS, Harvard impactors, etc. This volume could be exposed to UVA lamps, producing a spectrum similar to that generated by the sun. In this chamber, PM and gas emissions associated with biomass burning were studied in the presence and absence of radiation. From the comparative analysis of wood stove (eucalyptus globulus) and pellet (radiata pine), it can be concluded that, in the first approximation, 9-nitroanthracene, 4-nitropyrene, levoglucosan, water soluble potassium and CO present characteristics of the tracers. However, some of them show properties that interfere with this possibility. For example, levoglucosan is decomposed by radiation. The 9-nitroanthracene, 4-nitropyrene are emitted and formed under radiation. The 9-nitroanthracene has a vapor pressure that involves a partition involving the gas phase and particulate matter. From this analysis, it can be concluded that K+ is compound that meets the properties known to be tracer. The PM2.5 emission measured in the automatic pellet stove that was used in this thesis project was two orders of magnitude smaller than that registered by the manual wood stove. This has led to encouraging the use of pellet stoves in indoor heating, particularly in south-central Chile. However, it should be considered, while the use of pellet is not without problems, due to pellet stove generate high concentrations of Nitro-HAP's (secondary organic contaminants). In particular, 4-nitropyrene, compound of high toxicity, also primary and secondary particulate matter, associated with pellet burning produce a decrease in the size distribution of the PM, which leads to a depth penetration of the particles and their toxic components in the respiratory system.

Keywords: biomass burning, photochemical chamber, particulate matter, tracers

Procedia PDF Downloads 194

Authors: Nazanin Gerami, Shirin Adlparvar

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In the present time in the laboratory, one can create an ionized gas, that is to say, plasma from room temperature up to ten times more than the temperature of the sun center (150,000,000). All these temperature spectrums of plasma have applications in different disciplines, including dentistry, medicine, science, surface treatment, nuclear waste disinfection, nuclear fusion technology, etc. However, for the sick of simplicity, all these plasma temperature spectrums are classified as cold or low-pressure non-thermal plasma and warm or high-pressure equilibrium plasma. The cold plasma, as we are interested in this paper, exists at lower ion and neutral temperatures with respect to electron temperature, but in the equilibrium plasma, the temperatures of ion and electron are fairly equal. The cold plasma is a partially ionized gas comprising ions, electrons, ultraviolet photons and reactive neutrals such as radicals, excited and ground-state molecules. Cold atmospheric pressure plasmas are widely used in diverse fields of dental medicine, such as the titanium surface of dental implants, which helps in reducing contact angle and supporting the spread of osteoblastic cells and is known to aid in osteoblastic proliferation and osseointegration, thus increasing the success rates of implants. This article focuses on the anticipated uses of a newly designed water-cooled adjustable cathode cold atmospheric pressure plasma Jet (CAPPJ) for titanium surface treatment in dental implant placement.

Keywords: CAPPJ, surface modification, osseointegration, plasma medicine, dentistry

Procedia PDF Downloads 150