Search results for: flower characteristics

Authors: Oluwole Durodolu

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The rationale for this study is to explore the adaptive strategy that librarians adopt in performing night shifts in a mega-city like Lagos state. Maslach Burnout Theory would be used to measure the three proportions of burnout in understanding emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation, and individual accomplishment to scrutinise job-related burnout syndrome allied with longstanding, unsolved stress. The qualitative methodology guided by a phenomenological research paradigm, which is an approach that focuses on the commonality of real-life experience in a particular group, would be used, focus group discussion adopted as a method of data collection from library staff who are involved in night-shift. The participant for the focus group discussion would be selected using a convenience sampling technique in which staff at the cataloguing unit would be included in the sample because of the representative characteristics of the unit. This would be done to enable readers to understand phenomena as it is reasonable than from a remote perspective. The exploratory interviews which will be in focus group method to shed light on issues relating to security, housing, transportation, budgeting, energy supply, employee duties, time management, information access, and sustaining professional levels of service and how all these variables affect the productivity of all the 149 library staff and their work-life balance.

Keywords: nightshift, work-life balance, mega-city, academic library, Maslach Burnout Theory, Lagos State, University of Lagos

Procedia PDF Downloads 109

Authors: V. E. Bazhenov, A. V. Li, A. A. Komissarov, A. V. Koltygin, S. A. Tavolzhanskii, O. O. Voropaeva, A. M. Mukhametshina, A. A. Tokar, V. A. Bautin

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Magnesium-based alloys are considered as effective materials in the development of biodegradable implants. The magnesium alloys containing Mg, Zn, Ca as an alloying element are the subject of the particular interest. These elements are the nutrients for the human body, which provide their high biocompatibility. In this work, we investigated the effect of severe plastic deformation (SPD) on the mechanical and corrosion properties of Mg-Zn-Ca and Mg-Zn-Ca-Mn alloys containing from 2 to 4 wt.% Zn; 0.7 wt.% Ca and up to 1 wt.% Mn. Hot extrusion was used as a method of intensive plastic deformation. The temperature of hot extrusion was set to 220 °C and 300 °C. Metallographic analysis after hot extrusion shows that the grain size in the studied alloys depends on the deformation temperature. The grain size for all of investigated alloys is in the range from 3 to 7 microns, and 3 μm corresponds to the extrusion temperature of 220 °C. Analysis of mechanical properties after extrusion shows that extrusion at a temperature of 220 °C and alloying with Mn increase the strength characteristics and decrease the ductility of studied alloys. A slight anisotropy of properties in the longitudinal and transverse directions was also observed. Measurements of corrosion properties revealed that the addition of Mn to Mg-Zn-Ca alloys reduces the corrosion rate. On the other hand, increasing the Zn content in alloys increases the corrosion rate. The extrusion temperature practically does not affect the corrosion rate. Acknowledgement: The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation in the framework of Increase Competitiveness Program of NUST «MISiS» (No K2-2019-008), implemented by a governmental decree dated 16th of March 2013, N 211.

Keywords: biocompatibility, hot extrusion, magnesium alloys, severe plastic deformation, properties

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Authors: Allen Yushark Fosu, Ndue Kanari, James Vaughan, Alexandre Changes

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Spodumene is a lithium-bearing mineral of great interest due to increasing demand of lithium in emerging electric and hybrid vehicles. The conventional method of processing the mineral for the metal requires inevitable thermal transformation of α-phase to the β-phase followed by roasting with suitable reagents to produce lithium salts for downstream processes. The selection of appropriate reagent for roasting is key for the success of the process and overall lithium recovery. Several researches have been conducted to identify good reagents for the process efficiency, leading to sulfation, alkaline, chlorination, fluorination, and carbonizing as the methods of lithium recovery from the mineral.HSC Chemistry is a thermochemical software that can be used to model metallurgical process feasibility and predict possible reaction products prior to experimental investigation. The software was employed to investigate and explain the various reagent characteristics as employed in literature during spodumene roasting up to 1200°C. The simulation indicated that all used reagents for sulfation and alkaline were feasible in the direction of lithium salt production. Chlorination was only feasible when Cl2 and CaCl2 were used as chlorination agents but not NaCl nor KCl. Depending on the kind of lithium salt formed during carbonizing and fluorination, the process was either spontaneous or nonspontaneous throughout the temperature range investigated. The HSC software was further used to simulate and predict some promising reagents which may be equally good for roasting the mineral for efficient lithium extraction but have not yet been considered by researchers.

Keywords: thermochemical modelling, HSC chemistry software, lithium, spodumene, roasting

Procedia PDF Downloads 147

Authors: Oluwagbenga B. Fatile, Felix U. Idu, Olajide T. Sanya

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This paper reports the viability of developing Zn-27Al alloy matrix hybrid composites reinforced with alumina, graphite and fly ash (a solid waste byproduct of coal in thermal power plants). This research work was aimed at developing low cost-high performance Zn-27Al matrix composite with low density. Alumina particulates (Al2O3), graphite added with 0, 2, 3, 4, and 5 wt% fly ash were utilized to prepare 10wt% reinforcing phase with Zn-27Al alloy as matrix using two-step stir casting method. Density measurement estimated percentage porosity, tensile testing, micro hardness measurement, and optical microscopy were used to assess the performance of the composites produced. The results show that the hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and percent elongation of the hybrid composites decrease with increase in fly ash content. The maximum decrease in hardness and ultimate tensile strength of 13.72% and 15.25% respectively were observed for composite grade containing 5wt% fly ash. The percentage elongation of composite sample without fly ash is 8.9% which is comparable with that of the sample containing 2wt% fly ash with percentage elongation of 8.8%. The fracture toughness of the fly ash containing composites was, however, superior to those of composites without fly ash with 5wt% fly ash containing composite exhibiting the highest fracture toughness. The results show that fly ash can be utilized as complementary reinforcement in ZA-27 alloy matrix composite to reduce cost.

Keywords: fly ash, hybrid composite, mechanical behaviour, stir-cast

Procedia PDF Downloads 324

Authors: Fatemeh Abdollahi, Munn-Sann Lye, Jamshid Yazdani Charati, Mehran Zarghami

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Background: The negative consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) on children have not been studied extensively. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of different types of IPV and its association with children’s growth and developmental problems. Methods: In a descriptive-analytical study, 596 mothers of one-year-old children referred to the primary health centers in Gonbad-e- Kavoos city were recruited (2018). The data were collected using the World Health Organization Domestic Violence, Ages and Stages Questionnaire-12 and the socio-economic, obstetrics, demographic and anthropometric characteristics related questionnaire. BMI Z-Score was categorized into three grades; thin (Z<-2), normal (-2≤Z<1), and overweight-obese (Z≥1). The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, chi-square test, and regression. Results: The prevalence of physical, psychological, and sexual IPV was 7.4%, 29.5%, and 2.4%, respectively. Most of the children were of normal weight at one-year-old (91.7%). Similarly, the prevalence of overweight and obese was 13.3% and 8%, respectively. 2% of children had developmental problems at age one. There was a significant relationship between the father’s education and occupation and IPV and children’s delay in growth, respectively. There was no significant difference between BMI Z-Score and developmental disabilities in the children in women exposed and not exposed to all types of IPV. Conclusions: The prevalence of psychological IPV was common. IPV and children’s growth problems were influenced by the father’s socio-economic status. Preventing psychological IPV as a forerunner of other types of IPV and improving the economic situation may help in the reduction of these difficulties.

Keywords: children, development, growth, intimate partner violence

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Authors: Sudarshan Chalise, Athula Naranpanawa

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This paper attempts to investigate the viability of cropland re-allocation as an adaptation strategy to minimise the economy-wide costs of climate change on agriculture. Nepal makes an interesting case study as it is one of the most vulnerable agricultural economies within South Asia. This paper develops a comparative static multi-household Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model for Nepal with a nested set of Constant Elasticity of Transformation (CET) functional forms to model the allocation of land within different agricultural sectors. Land transformation elasticities in these CET functions are allowed to reflect the ease of switching from one crop to another based on their agronomic characteristics. The results suggest that, in the long run, farmers in Nepal tend to allocate land to crops that are comparatively less impacted by climate change, such as paddy, thereby minimizing the economy-wide impacts of climate change. Furthermore, the results reveal that land re-allocation tends to reduce the income disparity among different household groups by significantly moderating the income losses of rural marginal farmers. Therefore, it is suggested that policy makers in Nepal should prioritise schemes such as providing climate-smart paddy varieties (i.e., those that are resistant to heat, drought and floods) to farmers, subsidising fertilizers, improving agronomic practices, and educating farmers to switch from crops that are highly impacted by climate change to those that are not, such as paddy.

Keywords: climate change, general equilibrium, land re-allocation, nepalese agriculture

Procedia PDF Downloads 316

Authors: Ahmed I. Al-Amoud

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A laboratory and field study were conducted on subsurface drip irrigation systems. In the first laboratory study, eight subsurface drip irrigation lines available locally, were selected and a number of experiments were made to evaluate line hydraulic characteristics to insure it's suitability for drip irrigation design requirements and high performance to select the best for field experiments. The second study involves field trials on mature date palm trees to study the effect of subsurface drip irrigation system on the yield and water consumption of date palms, and to compare that with the traditional surface drip irrigation system. Experiments were conducted in Alwatania Agricultural Project, on 50 mature palm trees (17 years old) of Helwa type with 10 meters spacing between rows and between trees. A high efficiency subsurface line (Techline) was used based on the results of the first study. Irrigation scheduling was made through a soil moisture sensing device to ensure enough soil water levels in the soil. Experiment layouts were installed during 2001 season, measurements continued till end of 2008 season. Results have indicated that there is an increase in the yield and a considerable saving in water compared to the conventional drip irrigation method. In addition there were high increases in water use efficiency using the subsurface system. The subsurface system proves to be durable and highly efficient for irrigating date palm trees.

Keywords: drip irrigation, subsurface drip irrigation, date palm trees, date palm water use, date palm yield

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Authors: Nuo Duan, Yi Pik Cheng

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This paper presents the data of a series of two-dimensional Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations of a large-diameter rigid monopile subjected to cyclic loading under a high gravitational force. At present, monopile foundations are widely used to support the tall and heavy wind turbines, which are also subjected to significant from wind and wave actions. A safe design must address issues such as rotations and changes in soil stiffness subject to these loadings conditions. Design guidance on the issue is limited, so are the availability of laboratory and field test data. The interpretation of these results in sand, such as the relation between loading and displacement, relies mainly on empirical correlations to pile properties. Regarding numerical models, most data from Finite Element Method (FEM) can be found. They are not comprehensive, and most of the FEM results are sensitive to input parameters. The micro scale behaviour could change the mechanism of the soil-structure interaction. A DEM model was used in this paper to study the cyclic lateral loads behaviour. A non-dimensional framework is presented and applied to interpret the simulation results. The DEM data compares well with various set of published experimental centrifuge model test data in terms of lateral deflection. The accumulated permanent pile lateral displacements induced by the cyclic lateral loads were found to be dependent on the characteristics of the applied cyclic load, such as the extent of the loading magnitudes and directions.

Keywords: cyclic loading, DEM, numerical modelling, sands

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Authors: Nader Khalafian, Mohsen Ghaderi

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Field observations have revealed many examples of structures which were damaged due to ground surface deformation caused by the faulting phenomena. In this paper some efforts were made in order to estimate the length and location of the ground surface where large displacements were created due to the reverse faulting. This research has conducted in two steps; (1) in the first step, a 2D explicit finite element model were developed using ABAQUS software. A subroutine for Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion with strain softening model was developed by the authors in order to properly model the stress strain behavior of the soil in the fault rapture zone. The results of the numerical analysis were verified with the results of available centrifuge experiments. Reasonable coincidence was found between the numerical and experimental data. (2) In the second step, the effects of the fault dip angle (δ), depth of soil layer (H), dilation and friction angle of sand (ψ and φ) and the amount of fault offset (d) on the soil surface displacement and fault rupture path were investigated. An artificial neural network-based model (ANN), as a powerful prediction tool, was developed to generate a general model for predicting faulting characteristics. A properly sized database was created to train and test network. It was found that the length and location of the zone of displaced ground surface can be accurately estimated using the proposed model.

Keywords: reverse faulting, surface deformation, numerical, neural network

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Authors: Hossein Edrisi

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To study the impact of the amount and volume of power of isolation transformer on the lamps in airfield Ground Lighting Systems. A test was conducted in Persian Gulf International Airport, This airport is situated in the south of Iran and it is one of the most cutting-edge airports, the same one that owns modern devices. Iran uses materials and auxiliary equipment which are made by ADB Company from Belgium. Airfield ground lighting (AGL) systems are responsible for providing visual issue to aircrafts and helicopters in the runways. In an AGL system a great deal of lamps are connected in serial circuits to each other and each ring has its individual constant current regulators (CCR), which through that provide energy to the lamps. Control of lamps is crucial for maintenance and operation in the AGL systems. Thanks to the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) that is a cutting-edge technology can help the system to connect the elements from substations and ATC (TOWER). For this purpose, a test in real conditions of the airport done for all element that used in the airport such as isolation transformer in different power capacity and different consuming power and brightness of the lamps. The data were analyzed with Lux meter and Multimeter. The results had shown that the increase in the power of transformer caused a significant increase in brightness. According to the Ohm’s law and voltage division, without changing the characteristics of the light bulb, it is not possible to change the voltage, just need to change the amount of transformer with which it connects to the lamps. When the voltage is increased, the current through the bulb has to increase as well, because of Ohm's law: I=V/R and I=V/R which means that if V increases, so do I increase. The output voltage on the constant current regulator emerges between the lamps and the transformers.

Keywords: AGL, CCR, lamps, transformer, Ohm’s law

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Authors: Laura X. Martinez, Andrés F. Rodríguez, Ruth A. Catacoli

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One of the most important factors for air pollution is that the concentrations of PM₁₀ maintain a constant trend, with the exception of some places where that frequently surpasses the allowed ranges established by Colombian legislation. The community that surrounds the Universidad Libre Bogotá is inhabited by a considerable number of students and workers, all of whom are possibly being exposed to PM₁₀ for long periods of time while on campus. Thus, the chemical characterization of PM₁₀ found in the ambient air at the Universidad Libre Bogotá was identified as a problem. A Hi-Vol sampler and EPA Test Method 5 were used to determine if the quality of air is adequate for the human respiratory system. Additionally, quartz fiber filters were utilized during sampling. Samples were taken three days a week during a dry period throughout the months of November and December 2015. The gravimetric analysis method was used to determine PM₁₀ concentrations. The chemical characterization includes non-conventional carcinogenic pollutants. Atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was used for the determination of metals and VOCs were analyzed using the FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) method. In this way, concentrations of PM₁₀, ranging from values of 13 µg/m³ to 66 µg/m³, were obtained; these values were below standard conditions. This evidence concludes that the PM₁₀ concentrations during an exposure period of 24 hours are lower than the values established by Colombian law, Resolution 610 of 2010; however, when comparing these with the limits set by the World Health Organization (WHO), these concentrations could possibly exceed permissible levels.

Keywords: air quality, atomic absorption spectrophotometry, gas chromatography, particulate matter

Procedia PDF Downloads 240

Authors: Sonila Robo, Ilma Robo, Eduart Kapaj, Saimir Heta

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Background: Early birth is 37 weeks or less, pregnancy maturity! Clinically active presence, or positive culture of vaginal secretions, means excessive production of cytokines and prostaglandins also encountered in amniotic fluid. Bacterial vaginosis appears with their clinical outbreak in a combination of bacteria. Some of these bacteria are basic members in the creation of bacterial plaque. Objective: The purpose of this study is to find the link between the presence of specific bacteria in the mouth, bacterial vaginosis as one of the causes of premature birth, and the latter. Methods: The study was applied to 30 pregnant women in the burden pathology ward at Fier maternity, divided into two groups. The first group consisting of 20 women in the 2-month period, August-September. The number of women in the ward was 10 days maximum! All women were treated with cortisone and serum IV, magnesium sulphate, antibiotic prophylaxis! Results: 55% of women were under the age of 25 and 45% of women were over the age of 25. The age effect is mentioned for classifying the diseases that causes Actinomyces. Under the age of 25, a teenager and a 25-year-old are chronically ill. The final index was G2! All females were positive for the presence of salicylic acid in saliva and vaginal secretions. Conclusions:Premature birth is a complex process with some gynecological reasons, but in high percentage of cases there is coverage with the presence of infection by Actinomyces Actinomycetemcomitans in the oral cavity, which depending on the age causes two different types of periodontitis with special characteristics.

Keywords: early birth, periodontal status, bacterial vaginosis, actinomyces actinomycetemcomitans

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: Kahlil Fredrick Cui, Marissa Pastor

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Earthquakes are complex phenomena, exhibiting complex correlations in space, time, and magnitude. Recently, the concept of complex networks has been used to shed light on the statistical and dynamical characteristics of regional seismicity. In this work, we study the relationships and interactions of seismic regions in Chile, Japan, and the Philippines through weighted and directed complex network analysis. Geographical areas are digitized into cells of fixed dimensions which in turn become the nodes of the network when an earthquake has occurred therein. Nodes are linked if a correlation exists between them as determined and measured by a correlation metric. The networks are found to be scale-free, exhibiting power-law behavior in the distributions of their different centrality measures: the in- and out-degree and the in- and out-strength. The evidence is also found of preferential interaction between seismically active regions through their degree-degree correlations suggesting that seismicity is dictated by the activity of a few active regions. The importance of a seismic region to the overall seismicity is measured using a generalized centrality metric taken to be an indicator of its activity or passivity. The spatial distribution of earthquake activity indicates the areas where strong earthquakes have occurred in the past while the passivity distribution points toward the likely locations an earthquake would occur whenever another one happens elsewhere. Finally, we propose a method that would project the location of the next possible earthquake using the generalized centralities coupled with correlations calculated between the latest earthquakes and a geographical point in the future.

Keywords: complex networks, correlations, earthquake, hazard assessment

Procedia PDF Downloads 194

Authors: Naveed Chughtai, Salman Atif, Azhar Ali Taj, Murtaza Asghar Bukhari

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Accessible transport systems play a crucial role in infrastructure management and ease of access to destinations. Thus, the necessity of knowledge of service coverage and service deprived areas is a prerequisite for devising policies. Integration of PTALs model with GIS network analysis models (Service Area Analysis, Closest Facility Analysis) facilitates the analysis of deprived areas. In this research, models presented determine the accessibility. The empirical evidence suggests that current bus network system caters only 18.5% of whole population. Using network analysis results as inputs for PTALs, it is seen that excellent accessibility indexed bands cover a limited areas, while 78.8% of area is totally deprived of any service. To cater the unserved catchment, new route alignments are proposed while keeping in focus the Socio-economic characteristics, land-use type and net population density of the deprived area. Change in accessibility with proposed routes show a 10% increment in service delivery and enhancement in terms of served population is up to 20.4%. PTALs result shows a decrement of 60 Km2 in unserved band. The result of this study can be used for planning, transport infrastructure management, allocation of new route alignments in combination with future land-use development and for adequate spatial distribution of service access points.

Keywords: GIS, public transport accessibility, PTALs, accessibility index, service area analysis, closest facility analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 420

Authors: Sepehr Lajevardi Esfahani, Shohre Rouhani, Zahra Ranjbar

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Graphene has gained much attention owing to its unique optical and electrical properties. Charge carriers in graphene sheets (GS) carry out a linear dispersion relation near the Fermi energy and behave as massless Dirac fermions resulting in unusual attributes such as the quantum Hall effect and ambipolar electric field effect. It also exhibits nondispersive transport characteristics with an extremely high electron mobility (15000 cm²/(Vs)) at room temperature. Recently, several progresses have been achieved in the fabrication of single- or multilayer GS for functional device applications in the fields of optoelectronic such as field-effect transistors ultrasensitive sensors and organic photovoltaic cells. In addition to device applications, graphene also can serve as reinforcement to enhance mechanical, thermal, or electrical properties of composite materials. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is an attractive method for development of various coatings and films. It readily applied to any powdered solid that forms a stable suspension. The deposition parameters were controlled in various thicknesses. In this study, the graphene electrodeposition conditions were optimized. The results were obtained from SEM, Ohm resistance measuring technique and AFM characteristic tests. The minimum sheet resistance of electrodeposited reduced graphene oxide layers is achieved at conditions of 2 V in 10 s and it is annealed at 200 °C for 1 minute.

Keywords: electrophoretic deposition (EPD), graphene oxide (GO), electrical conductivity, electro-optical devices

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Authors: Samantha Borja, Vladimir Valle, Pamela Molina

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The development of adhesives from renewable raw materials attracts the attention of the scientific community, due to it promises the reduction of the dependence with materials derived from oil. This work proposes the use of modified 'oca (Oxalis tuberosa)' starch and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the elaboration of adhesives for lignocellulosic substrates. The investigation focused on the formulation of adhesives with 3 different PVA:starch (modified and native) ratios (of 1,0:0,33; 1,0:1,0; 1,0:1,67). The first step to perform it was the chemical modification of starch through acid hydrolysis and a subsequent urea treatment to get carbamate starch. Then, the adhesive obtained was characterized in terms of instantaneous viscosity, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and shear strength. The results showed that viscosity and mechanical tests exhibit data with the same tendency in relation to the native and modified starch concentration. It was observed that the data started to reduce its values to a certain concentration, where the values began to grow. On the other hand, two relevant bands were found in the FTIR spectrogram. The first in 3300 cm⁻¹ of OH group with the same intensity for all the essays and the other one in 2900 cm⁻¹, belonging to the group of alkanes with a different intensity for each adhesive. On the whole, the ratio PVA:starch (1:1) will not favor crosslinking in the adhesive structure and causes the viscosity reduction, whereas, in the others ones, the viscosity is higher. It was also observed that adhesives made with modified starch had better characteristics, but the adhesives with high concentrations of native starch could equal the properties of the adhesives made with low concentrations of modified starch.

Keywords: polyvinyl alcohol, PVA, chemical modification, starch, FTIR, viscosity, shear strength

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Authors: Essam Mansour

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The key purpose of this study is to show information-seeking behaviour of Kuwaiti Judges (KJs). Being one of the few studies about the information needs and information-seeking behaviour conducted in Arab and developing countries, this study is a pioneer one among many studies conducted in information seeking, especially with this significant group of information users. The authors tried to investigate this seeking behavior in terms of KJs' thoughts, perceptions, motivations, techniques, preferences, tools and barriers met when seeking information. The authors employed a questionnaire, with a response rate 77.2 percent. This study showed that most of KJs were likely to be older, educated and with a work experience ranged from new to old experience. There is a statistically reliable significant difference between KJs' demographic characteristics and some sources of information, such as books, encyclopedias, references and mass media. KJs were using information moderately to make a decision, to be in line with current events, to collect statistics and to make a specific/general research. The office and home were the most frequent location KJs were accessing information from. KJs' efficiency level of the English language is described to be moderately good, and a little number of them confirmed that their efficiency level of French was not bad. The assistance provided by colleagues, followed by consultants, translators, sectaries and librarians were found to be most strong types of assistance needed when seeking information. Mobile apps, followed by PCs, information networks (the Internet) and information databases were the highest technology tool used by KJs. Printed materials, followed by non-printed and audiovisual materials were the most preferred information formats KJs use. The use of languages, the recency of information and the place of information, the deficit role of the library to deliver information were at least significant barriers to KJs when seeking information.

Keywords: information users, information-seeking behaviour, information needs, judges, Kuwait

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Authors: Saeed Pourhassan, Nastaran Maghbouli

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1) Background It has been hypothesized that, in individuals with diabetes mellitus, the peripheral nerve is swollen due to sorbitol over-accumulation. Additionally growing evidence supported electro diagnostic study of diabetes induced neuropathy as a method having some challenges. 2) Objective To examine the performance of sonographic cross-sectional area (CSA) measurements in the diagnosis of diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN). 3) Data Sources Electronic databases, comprising PubMed and EMBASE and Google scholar, were searched for the appropriate studies before Jan 1, 2020. 4) Study Selection Eleven trials comparing different peripheral nerve CSA measurements between participants with and without DPN were included. 5) Data Extraction Study design, participants' demographic characteristics, diagnostic reference of DPN, and evaluated peripheral nerves and methods of CSA measurement. 6) Data Synthesis Among different peripheral nerves, Tibial nerve diagnostic odds ratios pooled from five studies (713 participants) were 4.46 (95% CI, 0.35–8.57) and the largest one with P<0.0001, I²:64%. Median nerve CSA at wrist and mid-arm took second and third place with ORs= 2.82 (1.50-4.15), 2.02(0.26-3.77) respectively. The sensitivities and specificities pooled from two studies for Sural nerve were 0.78 (95% CI, 0.68–0.89), and 0.68 (95% CI, 0.53–0.74). Included studies for other nerves were limited to one study. The largest sensitivity was for Sural nerve and the largest specificity was for Tibial nerve. 7) Conclusions The peripheral nerves CSA measured by ultrasound imaging is useful for the diagnosis of DPN and is most significantly different between patients and participants without DPN at the Tibial nerve. Because the Tibial nerve CSA in healthy participants, at various locations, rarely exceeds 24 mm2, this value can be considered as a cutoff point for diagnosing DPN.

Keywords: diabetes, diagnosis, polyneuropathy, ultrasound

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Authors: Rudzani Lusunzi, Frans Waanders, Elvis Fosso-Kankeu, Robert Khashane Netshitungulwana

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The Sabie Goldfield has a history of gold mining dating back more than a century. Acid mine drainage (AMD) from the Nestor mine tailings storage facility (MTSF) poses a serious threat to the nearby ecosystem, specifically the Sabie River system. This study aims at developing mitigation measures for the AMD emanating from the Nestor MTSF using materials from the Glynns Lydenburg MTSF. The Nestor MTSF (NM) and the Glynns Lydenburg MTSF (GM) each provided about 20 kg of bulk composite samples. Using samples from the Nestor MTSF and the Glynns Lydenburg MTSF, two mixtures were created. MIX-A is a mixture that contains 25% weight percent (GM) and 75% weight percent (NM). MIX-B is the name given to the second mixture, which contains 50% AN and 50% AG. The same static test, i.e., acid–base accounting (ABA), net acid generation (NAG), and acid buffering characteristics curve (ABCC) was used to estimate the acid-generating probabilities of samples NM and GM for MIX-A and MIX-B. Furthermore, the mineralogy of the Nestor MTSF samples consists of the primary acid-producing mineral pyrite as well as the secondary minerals ferricopiapite and jarosite, which are common in acidic conditions. The Glynns Lydenburg MTSF samples, on the other hand, contain primary acid-neutralizing minerals calcite and dolomite. Based on the assessment conducted, materials from the Glynns Lydenburg are capable of neutralizing AMD from Nestor MTSF. Therefore, the alkaline tailings materials from the Glynns Lydenburg MTSF can be used to rehabilitate the acidic Nestor MTSF.

Keywords: Nestor Mine, acid mine drainage, mitigation, Sabie River system

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Authors: Farhad Nouparast

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For more production we need more capital formation. Capital formation in each country should be based on comparative advantages in different economic sectors due to the different production possibility curves. In regional planning, recognizing the relative advantages and consequently investing in more production requires identifying areas with the necessary capabilities and location of each region compared to other regions. In this article, ranking of Iran's provinces is done according to the specific and given variables as the best investment position in agricultural activity. So we can provide the necessary background for investment analysis in different regions of the country to formulate national and regional planning and execute investment projects. It is used factor analysis technique and numerical taxonomy analysis to do this in thisarticle. At first, the provinces are homogenized and graded according to the variables using cross-sectional data obtained from the agricultural census and population and housing census of Iran as data matrix. The results show that which provinces have the most potential for capital formation in agronomy sub-sector. Taxonomy classifies organisms based on similar genetic traits in biology and botany. Numerical taxonomy using quantitative methods controls large amounts of information and get the number of samples and categories and take them based on inherent characteristics and differences indirectly accommodates. Numerical taxonomy is related to multivariate statistics.

Keywords: Capital Formation, Factor Analysis, Multivariate statistics, Numerical Taxonomy Analysis, Production, Ranking, Spatial Planning

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Authors: Shantha Kumari Muniyandi, Johan Sohaili, Siti Suhaila Mohamad

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The aim of this study was to investigate the suitability of reusing nonmetallic printed circuit boards (PCBs) waste in recycled HDPE (rHDPE) in terms of toxicity and mechanical properties. A series of X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometry (XRF) analysis tests have been conducted on raw nonmetallic PCBs waste to determine the chemical compositions. It can be seen that the nonmetallic PCBs approximately 72% of glass fiber reinforced epoxy resin materials such as SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, BaO, Na2O, and SrO, 9.4% of metallic materials such as CuO, SnO2, and Fe2O3, and 6.53% of Br. Total Threshold Limit Concentration (TTLC) and Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) tests also have been done to study the toxicity characteristics of raw nonmetallic PCB powders, rHDPE/PCB and virgin HDPE for comparison purposes. For both of the testing, Cu was identified as the highest metal element contained in raw PCBs with the concentration of 905 mg/kg and 59.09 mg/L for TTLC and TCLP, respectively. However, once the nonmetallic PCB was filled in rHDPE composites, the concentrations of Cu were reduced to 134 mg/kg for TTLC and to 3 mg/L for TCLP testing. For mechanical properties testing, incorporation of 40 wt% nonmetallic PCB into rHDPE has increased the flexural modulus and flexural strength by 140% and 36%, respectively. While, Izod Impact strength decreased steadily with incorporation of 10 – 40 wt% nonmetallic PCBs.

Keywords: nonmetallic printed circuit board, recycled HDPE, composites, mechanical properties, total threshold limit concentration, toxicity characteristic leaching procedure

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Authors: Babak Safaei, Ahmad Ghanbari, Arash Rahmani

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In the present study, the free vibration characteristics of double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) are investigated. The small-scale effects are taken into account using the Eringen’s nonlocal elasticity theory. The nonlocal elasticity equations are implemented into the different classical beam theories namely as Euler-Bernoulli beam theory (EBT), Timoshenko beam theory (TBT), Reddy beam theory (RBT), and Levinson beam theory (LBT) to analyze the free vibrations of DWCNTs in which each wall of the nanotubes is considered as individual beam with van der Waals interaction forces. Generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) method is utilized to discretize the governing differential equations of each nonlocal beam model along with four commonly used boundary conditions. Then molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is performed for a series of armchair and zigzag DWCNTs with different aspect ratios and boundary conditions, the results of which are matched with those of nonlocal beam models to extract the appropriate values of the nonlocal parameter corresponding to each type of chirality, nonlocal beam model and boundary condition. It is found that the present nonlocal beam models with their proposed correct values of nonlocal parameter have good capability to predict the vibrational behavior of DWCNTs, especially for higher aspect ratios.

Keywords: double-walled carbon nanotubes, nonlocal continuum elasticity, free vibrations, molecular dynamics simulation, generalized differential quadrature method

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Authors: M. Mesrar, T. Lamcharfi, Nor-S. Echatoui, F. Abdi

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The solid-state reaction method was used to synthesize ferroelectric systems with lead-free properties, specifically (1-x-y)(Na₀.₅Bi₀.₅)TiO₃-xBaTiO₃-y(K₀.₅ Bi₀.₅)TiO₃. To achieve a pure perovskite phase, the optimal calcination temperature was determined to be 1000°C for 4 hours. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis identified the presence of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in the (1-x-y)NBT xBT-yKBT ceramics for specific molar compositions, namely (0.95NBT-0.05BT, 0.84NBT-0.16KBT, and 0.79NBT-0.05BT-0.16KBT). To enhance densification, the sintering temperature was set at 1100°C for 4 hours. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images exhibited homogeneous distribution and dense packing of the grains in the ceramics, indicating a uniform microstructure. These materials exhibited favorable characteristics, including high dielectric permittivity, low dielectric loss, and diffused phase transition behavior. The ceramics composed of 0.79NBT-0.05BT-0.16KBT exhibited the highest piezoelectric constant (d33=148 pC/N) and electromechanical coupling factor (kp = 0.292) among all compositions studied. This enhancement in piezoelectric properties can be attributed to the presence of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in the material. This study presents a comprehensive approach to improving the performance of lead-free ferroelectric systems of composition 0.79(Na₀.₅Bi₀.₅)Ti O₃-0.05BaTiO₃-0.16(K₀.₅Bi₀.₅)TiO₃.

Keywords: solid-state method, (1-x-y)NBT-xBT-yKBT, morphotropic phase boundary, Raman spectroscopy, dielectric properties

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Authors: Fernando G. Torres, Donna M. Ebenstein, Monica Merino

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Most fish are covered by a protective external armour. The characteristics of these armours depend on the individual elements that form them, such as scales, scutes or dermal plates. In this work, we assess the properties of two different types of protective elements: scales from A. gigas and dermal plates from P. pardalis. A. Gigas and P. Pardalis are two Amazonian fish with a rather prehistoric aspect. They have large scales and dermal plates that form two different types of protective body armours. Although both scales and dermal plates are formed by collagen and hydroxyapatite, their structures display remarkable differences. The structure and composition of the samples were assessed by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). Morphology studies were carried out using a Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Nanoindentation tests were performed to measure the reduced moduli in A. gigas scales and P. pardalis plates. The similarities and differences between scales and dermal plates are discussed based on the experimental results. Both protective armours are designed to be lightweight, flexible and tough. A. Gigas scales are are light laminated composites, while P. pardalis dermal plates show a sandwich like structure with dense outer layers and a porous inner matrix. It seems that the armour of P. pardalis is more suited for a bottom-dwelling fish and allows for protection against predators. The scales from A. Gigas are more adapted to give protection to a swimming fish. The information obtained from these studies is also important for the development of bioinspired nanocomposites, with potential applications in the biomedical field.

Keywords: pterygoplichthys pardalis, dermal plates arapaima gigas, fish scales

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Authors: B. S. Chandrashekar, M. K. Prasannakumar, P. Buela Parivallal, Sahana N. Banakar, Swathi S. Patil, H. B. Mahesh, D. Pramesh

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Bacterial soft rot is one of the most often seen diseases in many plant species globally, resulting in considerable yield loss. Radish roots with dark water-soaked lesions, maceration of tissue, and a foul odour were collected in the Kolar region, India. Two isolates were obtained from rotted samples that demonstrated morphologically unpigmented, white mucoid convex colonies on nutrient agar medium. The isolated bacteria (RDH1 and RDH3) were gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria with biochemically distinct characteristics similar to the type culture of Enterobacter cloacae ATCC13047 and Bergy's handbook of determinative bacteriology. The 16s rRNA gene was used to identify Enterobacter species. On carrot, potato, tomato, chilli, bell pepper, knolkhol, cauliflower, cabbage, and cucumber slices, the Koch′s postulates were fulfilled, and the pathogen was also pathogenic on radish, cauliflower, and cabbage seedlings were grown in a glasshouse. After 36 hours, both isolates exhibited a hypersensitive sensitivity to Nicotianatabacum. Semi-quantitative analysis revealed that cell wall degrading enzymes (CWDEs) such as pectin lyase, polygalacturonase, and cellulase (p=1.4e09) contributed to pathogenicity, whereas isolates produced biofilms (p=4.3e-11) that help in host adhesion. This is the first report in India of radish soft rot caused by E. cloacae.

Keywords: soft rot, enterobacter cloacae, 16S rRNA, nicotiana tabacum, and pathogenicity

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Authors: Ada Yurman

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Social reactions to deviant groups with political goals follow two central patterns; one that associates personal characteristics with deviant behavior, and the other that claims that society is to be blamed for deviant behavior. The establishment usually tends towards the former notion and thus disclaims any responsibility for the distress of the underprivileged, while it is usually those who oppose government policies who believe that the fault lies with society. The purpose of the present research was to examine social reactions to the Wadi Salib riots that occurred in Haifa in 1959. These riots represented the first ethnic protest within Israeli society with its ideology of the ingathering of the exiles. The central question was whether this ideology contributed to the development of a different reaction when compared to reactions to similar events abroad. This question was examined by means of analyzing articles in the Israeli press of that period. The Israeli press representing the views of the establishment was at pains to point out that the rioters were criminals, their object being to obstruct the development of society. Opposition party leaders claimed that the rioters lived in poor circumstances, which constituted a direct result of government policies. An analysis of press reports on the Wadi Salib riots indicates a correspondence between the reaction to these events and similar events abroad. Nevertheless, the reaction to the Wadi Salib riots did not only express a conflict between different political camps, but also different symbolic universes. Each group exploited the events at Wadi Salib to prove that their ideology was the legitimate one.

Keywords: riots, media, political deviance, symbolic universe

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Authors: Amir Hossein Ashari, Sedighe Erfan Manesh

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When investigating Iranian traditional and historical urban development, such as that seen in Shiraz, our attention is drawn to mosques as a focal point. Vakil Mosque in Shiraz is completely consistent, coordinated and integrated with the Bazaar, square and school. This is a significant example of traditional urban development. The position of the mosque in the most important urban joint near bazaar in a way that it is considered part of the bazaar structure are factors that have given it social, political, and economic roles in addition to the original religious role. These are among characteristics of sustainable development. The mosque has had an important effect in formation of the city because it is connected to main gates. In terms of access, the mosque has different main and peripheral access paths from different parts of the city. The courtyard of the mosque was located next to the main elements of the city so that it was considered as an urban open space, which made it a more active and more dynamic place. This study is carried out via library and field research with the purpose of finding strategies for taking advantage of useful features of the mosque in traditional urban development. These features include its role as a gathering center for people and city in sustainable urban development. Mosque can be used as a center for enhancing social interactions and creating a sense of association that leads to sustainable social space. These can act as a model which leads us to sustainable cities in terms of social and economic factors.

Keywords: mosque, traditional urban development, sustainable social space, Vakil Mosque, Shiraz

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Authors: Mahwish Ghulam Rasool

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The design of a space is a complex process that involves multiple stages, from conceptualization, identifying design problems to understanding the context, materiality, and functionality of the space. Out of all the design elements, color is one of the most dominant and expressive factors that affect the spatial dynamics of the interior space. Color affects aesthetic comfort in space and has a lasting impact on human perception and psychology. Using color as a tool for creating spatial experiences is a new paradigm. Color semantics in spaces are not only used for surface treatment or aesthetics, but it also has more powerful functional characteristics. As interior spaces are evolving and becoming experiential with each decade, designers are looking for new processes to enhance the spatial and experiential quality of interior spaces. The relationship between color and interior typologies is a relatively new paradigm. This paper discusses the role of colors in interior spaces from various perspectives, exploring their impact on the formation of interior typologies and the use of colors in space design. The paper analyzes interior typologies worldwide, from residential to commercial interior spaces, where color semantics plays a prominent role in the design. The paper also emphasizes the design process and the creation of design language, unveiling the possibilities of applying colors in interior spaces that can be in harmony with the building context, space functionality, or in opposition to the existing building envelope or environment. The paper aims to contribute to the field of interior design education and practices. By using experimental and various research methodologies for investigation, it aims to fill the gap in the literature regarding color semantics and the relationship between interior typologies.

Keywords: color psychology, color semantics, interior environments, interior typologies

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Authors: Damien P. Fevre, Peter K. Dearden

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Honeybee population sustainability is a critical concern for environmental stability and human food security. The success of a colony relies heavily on the egg-laying capacity of the queen, as it determines the production of thousands of worker bees who, in turn, perform essential functions in foraging and transforming food to make it digestible for the colony. The main sources of nutrition for honeybees are nectar, providing carbohydrates, and pollen, providing protein. This study delves into the impact of the proportion of these macronutrients on the food consumption patterns of nurse bees responsible for feeding the queen and how it affects the characteristics of the eggs produced. Using nutritional geometry, qRT-PCR, and RNA-seq analysis, this study sheds light on the pivotal role of nutrition in influencing gene expression in nurse bees, honeybee queen egg-laying capacity and embryonic development. Interestingly, while nutrition is crucial, the queen's genotype plays an even more significant role in this complex relationship, highlighting the importance of genotype-by-environment interactions. Understanding the interplay between genotype and nutrition is key to optimizing beekeeping management and strategic queen breeding practices. The findings from this study have significant implications for beekeeping practices, emphasizing the need for an appropriate nutrition to support the social nutrition of Apis mellifera. Implementing these insights can lead to improved colony health, increased productivity, and sustainable honeybee conservation efforts.

Keywords: honeybee, egg-laying, nutrition, transcriptomics

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Authors: T. Toathom, M. Munlin, P. Sugunnasil

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The traveling salesman problem (TSP) is one of the best-known problems in optimization problem. There are many research regarding the TSP. One of the most usage tool for this problem is the genetic algorithm (GA). The chromosome of the GA for TSP is normally encoded by the order of the visited city. However, the traditional chromosome encoding scheme has some limitations which are twofold: the large solution space and the inability to encapsulate some information. The number of solution for a certain problem is exponentially grow by the number of city. Moreover, the traditional chromosome encoding scheme fails to recognize the misplaced correct relation. It implies that the tradition method focuses only on exact solution. In this work, we relax some of the concept in the GA for TSP which is the exactness of the solution. The proposed work exploits the relation between cities in order to reduce the solution space in the chromosome encoding. In this paper, a second order GA is proposed to solve the TSP. The term second order refers to how the solution is encoded into chromosome. The chromosome is divided into 2 types: the high order chromosome and the low order chromosome. The high order chromosome is the chromosome that focus on the relation between cities such as the city A should be visited before city B. On the other hand, the low order chromosome is a type of chromosome that is derived from a high order chromosome. In other word, low order chromosome is encoded by the traditional chromosome encoding scheme. The genetic operation, mutation and crossover, will be performed on the high order chromosome. Then, the high order chromosome will be mapped to a group of low order chromosomes whose characteristics are satisfied with the high order chromosome. From the mapped set of chromosomes, the champion chromosome will be selected based on the fitness value which will be later used as a representative for the high order chromosome. The experiment is performed on the city data from TSPLIB.

Keywords: genetic algorithm, traveling salesman problem, initial population, chromosomes encoding

Procedia PDF Downloads 257