Search results for: mean average precision

Authors: Husnain Yousaf, Rudy Swennen, Hannes Claes, Muhammad Amjad

Abstract:

In recent years, the Lower Triassic Main Buntsandstein sandstones in the southern Netherlands Basins have become a point of interest for their deep geothermal potential. To identify the most suitable reservoir for geothermal exploration, the diagenesis and factors affecting reservoir quality, such as porosity and permeability, are assessed. This is done by combining point-counted petrographic data with conventional core analysis. The depositional environments play a significant role in determining the distribution of lithofacies, cement, clays, and grain sizes. The position in the basin and proximity to the source areas determine the lateral variability of depositional environments. The stratigraphic distribution of depositional environments is linked to both local topography and climate, where high humidity leads to fluvial deposition and high aridity periods lead to aeolian deposition. The Middle Buntsandstein Sandstones in the southern part of the Netherlands shows high porosity and permeability in most sandstone intervals. There are various controls on reservoir quality in the examined sandstone samples. Grain sizes and total quartz content are the primary factors affecting reservoir quality. Conversely, carbonate and anhydrite cement, clay clasts, and intergranular clay represent a local control and cannot be applied on a regional scale. Similarly, enhanced secondary porosity due to feldspar dissolution is locally restricted and minor. The analysis of textural, mineralogical, and petrophysical data indicates that the aeolian and fluvial sandstones represent a heterogeneous reservoir system. The ephemeral fluvial deposits have an average porosity and permeability of <10% and <1mD, respectively, while the aeolian sandstones exhibit values of >18% and >100mD.

Keywords: reservoir quality, diagenesis, porosity, permeability, depositional environments, Buntsandstein, Netherlands

Procedia PDF Downloads 67

Authors: Johannes Matiasek

Abstract:

Introduction and Aims: Octenidine is a common antiseptic agent in the area of surgical interventions because of its antimicrobial efficacy and outstanding biocompatibility index. We investigate the direct postoperative application of octenilin® on typical procedures in the field of plastic surgery in a prospective, randomized controlled intervention study. The aim of this study is to determine the influence of a direct postoperative application of an octenidine-containing wound gel on wound healing and scarring after abdominoplasty. Material and Methods: In this study, we enrolled 33 patients who underwent abdominoplasty because of medical indications (e.g. Cutis laxa abdominis). To ensure an intraindividual comparison, each patient received both dressings (study-group: octenilin® wound gel; control-group: Omnistrip® dry plaster) immediately after surgery. We evaluate wound-healing tendency, pain during dressing changes and scar formation after two weeks, three, six and twelve months. Regarding scar-evaluation skin-elasticity, sebum on the skin, transepidermal waterloss, skin hydration, melanin content and erythema level were determined with special probes. Furthermore the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) and pain level during dressing change are determined. Results: At the time of surgery the mean patient’s age was 44.1 years. On average 5.6 dressing changes were necessary. Wound healing disorders occurred more often in the control-group. In the control-group (dry plaster Omnistrip®) patients reported significantly more pain and superficial skin injuries during dressing changes occurred. Objective scar-evaluation after 3, 6 and 12 months resulted in a significant higher skin-elasticity and significant lower transepidermal water loss in the octenilin® group which is confirmed in the VSS. Conclusion: The immediate postoperative application of the octenidine-containing hydrogel octenilin® after abdominoplasty results in favoured scar formation compared to our actual standard therapy. Less hypertrophic scar formation was observed in the study-group.

Keywords: abdominoplasty, octenidine, scarring, wound healing

Procedia PDF Downloads 202

Authors: L. Diogo, A. Legrand, J. Nguyen-Cao, J. Rogeau, S. Bornhofen

Abstract:

Lenia is a system of cellular automata with continuous states, space and time, which surprises not only with the emergence of interesting life-like structures but also with its beauty. This paper reports ongoing research on a GPU implementation of Lenia using CUDA C++ and OpenGL Interoperability. We demonstrate how CUDA as a low-level GPU programming paradigm allows optimizing performance and memory usage of the Lenia algorithm. A comparative analysis through experimental runs with existing implementations shows that the CUDA implementation outperforms the others by one order of magnitude or more. Cellular automata hold significant interest due to their ability to model complex phenomena in systems with simple rules and structures. They allow exploring emergent behavior such as self-organization and adaptation, and find applications in various fields, including computer science, physics, biology, and sociology. Unlike classic cellular automata which rely on discrete cells and values, Lenia generalizes the concept of cellular automata to continuous space, time and states, thus providing additional fluidity and richness in emerging phenomena. In the current literature, there are many implementations of Lenia utilizing various programming languages and visualization libraries. However, each implementation also presents certain drawbacks, which serve as motivation for further research and development. In particular, speed is a critical factor when studying Lenia, for several reasons. Rapid simulation allows researchers to observe the emergence of patterns and behaviors in more configurations, on bigger grids and over longer periods without annoying waiting times. Thereby, they enable the exploration and discovery of new species within the Lenia ecosystem more efficiently. Moreover, faster simulations are beneficial when we include additional time-consuming algorithms such as computer vision or machine learning to evolve and optimize specific Lenia configurations. We developed a Lenia implementation for GPU using the C++ and CUDA programming languages, and CUDA/OpenGL Interoperability for immediate rendering. The goal of our experiment is to benchmark this implementation compared to the existing ones in terms of speed, memory usage, configurability and scalability. In our comparison we focus on the most important Lenia implementations, selected for their prominence, accessibility and widespread use in the scientific community. The implementations include MATLAB, JavaScript, ShaderToy GLSL, Jupyter, Rust and R. The list is not exhaustive but provides a broad view of the principal current approaches and their respective strengths and weaknesses. Our comparison primarily considers computational performance and memory efficiency, as these factors are critical for large-scale simulations, but we also investigate the ease of use and configurability. The experimental runs conducted so far demonstrate that the CUDA C++ implementation outperforms the other implementations by one order of magnitude or more. The benefits of using the GPU become apparent especially with larger grids and convolution kernels. However, our research is still ongoing. We are currently exploring the impact of several software design choices and optimization techniques, such as convolution with Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT), various GPU memory management scenarios, and the trade-off between speed and accuracy using single versus double precision floating point arithmetic. The results will give valuable insights into the practice of parallel programming of the Lenia algorithm, and all conclusions will be thoroughly presented in the conference paper. The final version of our CUDA C++ implementation will be published on github and made freely accessible to the Alife community for further development.

Keywords: artificial life, cellular automaton, GPU optimization, Lenia, comparative analysis.

Procedia PDF Downloads 47

Authors: Hameed Alsamadany, Nader Aryamanesh, Guijun Yan

Abstract:

Heat is one of the major abiotic stresses limiting wheat production worldwide. To identify heat tolerant genotypes, a newly designed system involving a large plastic box holding many layers of filter papers positioned vertically with wheat seeds sown in between for the ease of screening large number of wheat geno types was developed and used to study heat tolerance. A collection of 499 wheat geno types were screened under heat stress (35ºC) and non-stress (25ºC) conditions using the new method. Compared with those under non-stress conditions, a substantial and very significant reduction in seedling length (SL) under heat stress was observed with an average reduction of 11.7 cm (P<0.01). A damage index (DI) of each geno type based on SL under the two temperatures was calculated and used to rank the genotypes. Three hexaploid geno types of Triticum aestivum [Perenjori (DI= -0.09), Pakistan W 20B (-0.18) and SST16 (-0.28)], all growing better at 35ºC than at 25ºC were identified as extremely heat tolerant (EHT). Two hexaploid genotypes of T. aestivum [Synthetic wheat (0.93) and Stiletto (0.92)] and two tetraploid genotypes of T. turgidum ssp dicoccoides [G3211 (0.98) and G3100 (0.93)] were identified as extremely heat susceptible (EHS). Another 14 geno types were classified as heat tolerant (HT) and 478 as heat susceptible (HS). Extremely heat tolerant and heat susceptible geno types were used to develop re combinant inbreeding line populations for genetic studies. Four major QTLs, HTI4D, HTI3B.1, HTI3B.2 and HTI3A located on wheat chromosomes 4D, 3B (x2) and 3A, explaining up to 34.67 %, 28.93 %, 13.46% % and 11.34% phenotypic variation, respectively, were detected. The four QTLs together accounted for 88.40% of the total phenotypic variation. Random wheat geno types possessing the four heat tolerant alleles performed significantly better under the heat condition than those lacking the heat tolerant alleles indicating the importance of the four QTLs in conferring heat tolerance in wheat. Molecular markers are being developed for marker assisted breeding of heat tolerant wheat.

Keywords: bread wheat, heat tolerance, screening, RILs, QTL mapping, association analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 555

Authors: Han Zheng

Abstract:

This research is being conducted to explore women's leadership in China's National Governing Bodies ( in order to identify the barriers to women's leadership and provide feasible solutions. Extensive research has been undertaken internationally, which has identified and acknowledged the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions across multiple industries and global contexts. According to these studies, leadership specifically within the sports industry was both historically and is still currently male-dominated. Within China, the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions is also evident, which women only occupy 16% of the leadership in business enterprises and 5.6% in scientific and technological research institutions, yet there is limited research that has looked to examine why this is the case regarding women's leadership in China, especially within in sports industry. Therefore, this research gap drives the purpose, which aims to explore the current situation of women's leadership in sports National Governing Bodies (NGBs) in China. By using both questionnaires and interviews, data from NGBs in China will be collected. This research will achieve the following three goals: 1, determine the representation level of women's leadership in the target organizations. 2, identify barriers to women's leadership and their causes. 3, provide feasible solutions. Based on the multi-level framework, this study develops a "barrier matrix" framework: according to the analysis of the previous literature, it concludes that there are eight main barriers that hinder the development of women's leadership. The research combines qualitative and quantitative analysis, using questionnaires and interviews. Key findings according to the analysis of the primary data collected: 1. The average proportion of female occupational leadership in China's sports NGBs is less than 17.5%. 2. 50.8% of China's sports NGBs have no equal employment opportunity policy. 3. According to the preliminary qualitative analysis of the interviews, it is found that the core barriers affecting women's leadership development are mainly in the following areas: male-dominated culture and gender stereotyping (macro-level), biased organizational policies and procedures (meso-level), work-family conflicts and self-limiting behaviors (micro-level).

Keywords: women leadership, sport management, gender equality, sport leadership, sport NGBs

Procedia PDF Downloads 180

Authors: Kushal Patel, Manasa Dittakavi, Cyrus Falsafi, Gretchen Lovett

Abstract:

Rural America has seen a surge in opioid addiction rates and overdose deaths in recent years, becoming a significant public health crisis. This may be due to a variety of factors, such as lack of access to healthcare or other economic and social factors that can contribute to addiction such as poverty, unemployment, and social isolation. As the opioid epidemic has disproportionately affected rural communities, pregnant women in these areas may be highly susceptible and face additional difficulties in facing the appropriate care they need. Opioid use disorder has many negative effects on prenatal infants. These include changes in their microbiome, mental health, neurodevelopment and cognition. These can affect how the child performs in various activities in life and how they interact with others. It has been demonstrated that using cognitive behavioral therapy improves not just pain-related results but also mobility, quality of life, disability, and mood outcomes. This indicates that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) may be a useful therapeutic strategy for enhancing general health and wellbeing in people with opioid use problems. In terms of treating psychiatric diseases, CBT carries fewer dangers than opioids. One study that illustrates the potential for CBT to promote a reduction in opioid use disorder used self-reported drug use patterns 6 months prior to and during their pregnancy. At the beginning of the study, participants reported an average of 3.78 drug or alcohol use days in the previous 28 days, which decreased to 1.63 days after treatment. The study also found a decrease in depression scores, as measured by IDS scores, from 23.9 to 17.1 at the end of treatment. These and other results show that CBT can have meaningful impacts on pregnant women in Rural America who struggle with an opioid use disorder. This project has been approved by the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine- Office of Research and Sponsored Programs and deemed non-research scholarly work.

Keywords: appalachia, CBT, opiods, pregnancy

Procedia PDF Downloads 95

Authors: Armin Bodaghkhani, Bruce Colbourne, Yuri S. Muzychka

Abstract:

The process of spray-cloud formation and flow kinematics produced from breaking wave impact on vertical and slant lab-scale bow-shaped models were experimentally investigated. Bubble Image Velocimetry (BIV) and Image Processing (IP) techniques were applied to study the various types of wave-model impacts. Different wave characteristics were generated in a tow tank to investigate the effects of wave characteristics, such as wave phase velocity, wave steepness on droplet velocities, and behavior of the process of spray cloud formation. The phase ensemble-averaged vertical velocity and turbulent intensity were computed. A high-speed camera and diffused LED backlights were utilized to capture images for further post processing. Various pressure sensors and capacitive wave probes were used to measure the wave impact pressure and the free surface profile at different locations of the model and wave-tank, respectively. Droplet sizes and velocities were measured using BIV and IP techniques to trace bubbles and droplets in order to measure their velocities and sizes by correlating the texture in these images. The impact pressure and droplet size distributions were compared to several previously experimental models, and satisfactory agreements were achieved. The distribution of droplets in front of both models are demonstrated. Due to the highly transient process of spray formation, the drag coefficient for several stages of this transient displacement for various droplet size ranges and different Reynolds number were calculated based on the ensemble average method. From the experimental results, the slant model produces less spray in comparison with the vertical model, and the droplet velocities generated from the wave impact with the slant model have a lower velocity as compared with the vertical model.

Keywords: spray charachteristics, droplet size and velocity, wave-body interactions, bubble image velocimetry, image processing

Procedia PDF Downloads 302

Authors: Go Iwashita

Abstract:

The paper describes how the frequencies of heatstroke occurring in indoor built environment are related to the outdoor thermal environment with big statistical data. As the statistical accident data of heatstroke, the nationwide accident data were obtained from the National Agency for the Advancement of Sports and Health (NAASH) . The meteorological database of the Japanese Meteorological Agency supplied data about 1-hour average temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, and so forth. Each heatstroke data point from the NAASH database was linked to the meteorological data point acquired from the nearest meteorological station where the accident of heatstroke occurred. This analysis was performed for a 10-year period (2005–2014). During the 10-year period, 3,819 cases of heatstroke were reported in the NAASH database for the investigated secondary/high schools of the nine Japanese representative cities. Heatstroke most commonly occurred in the outdoor schoolyard at a wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) of 31°C and in the indoor gymnasium during athletic club activities at a WBGT > 31°C. The determined accident ratio (number of accidents during each club activity divided by the club’s population) in the gymnasium during the female badminton club activities was the highest. Although badminton is played in a gymnasium, these WBGT results show that the risk level during badminton under hot and humid conditions is equal to that of baseball or rugby played in the schoolyard. Except sports, the high risk of heatstroke was observed in schools houses during cultural activities. The risk level for indoor environment under hot and humid condition would be equal to that for outdoor environment based on the above results of WBGT. Therefore control measures against hot and humid indoor condition were needed as installing air conditions not only schools but also residences.

Keywords: accidents in schools, club activity, gymnasium, heatstroke

Procedia PDF Downloads 219

Authors: Abdulrahman M. Alajlan, Saichao Dang, Qiaoqiang Gan

Abstract:

Photovoltaic (PV) cells, while pivotal for solar energy harnessing, confront a challenge due to the presence of persistent residual heat. This thermal energy poses significant obstacles to the performance and longevity of PV cells. Mitigating this thermal issue is imperative, particularly in tropical regions where solar abundance coexists with elevated ambient temperatures. In response, a sustainable and economically viable solution has been devised, incorporating water-passive cooling within a Photovoltaic-Thermoelectric (PV-TEG) hybrid system to address PV cell overheating. The implemented system has significantly reduced the operating temperatures of PV cells, achieving a notable reduction of up to 15 °C below the temperature observed in standalone PV systems. In addition, a thermoelectric generator (TEG) integrated into the system significantly enhances power generation, particularly during nighttime operation. The developed hybrid system demonstrates its capability to generate power at a density of 0.5 Wm⁻² during nighttime, which is sufficient to concurrently power multiple light-emitting diodes, demonstrating practical applications for nighttime power generation. Key findings from this research include a consistent temperature reduction exceeding 10 °C for PV cells, translating to a 5% average enhancement in PV output power compared to standalone PV systems. Experimental demonstrations underscore nighttime power generation of 0.5 Wm⁻², with the potential to achieve 0.8 Wm⁻² through simple geometric optimizations. The optimal cooling of PV cells is determined by the volume of water in the heat storage unit, exhibiting an inverse relationship with the optimal performance for nighttime power generation. Furthermore, the TEG output effectively powers a lighting system with up to 5 LEDs during the night. This research not only proposes a practical solution for maximizing solar radiation utilization but also charts a course for future advancements in energy harvesting technologies.

Keywords: photovoltaic-thermoelectric systems, nighttime power generation, PV thermal management, PV cooling

Procedia PDF Downloads 91

Authors: Aldé Belgard Tchicaya Loemba, Baraka Kichonge, Thomas Kivevele, Juma Rajabu Selemani

Abstract:

Plants used for medicinal purposes are extremely perishable, owing to moisture-enhanced enzymatic and microorganism activity, climate change, and improper handling and storage. Experiments have shown that drying the medicinal plant without affecting the active nutrients and controlling the moisture content as much as possible can extend its shelf life. Different traditional and modern drying techniques for preserving medicinal plants have been developed, with some still being improved in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, many of these methods fail to address the most common issues encountered when drying medicinal plants, such as nutrient loss, long drying times, and a limited capacity to dry during the evening or cloudy hours. Heat pump drying is an alternate drying method that results in no nutritional loss. Furthermore, combining a heat pump dryer with a solar energy storage system appears to be a viable option for all-weather drying without affecting the nutritional values of dried products. In this study, a solar-assisted heat pump dryer integrated with thermal energy storage is developed for drying moringa leaves. The study also discusses the performance analysis of the developed dryer as well as the proximate analysis of the dried moringa leaves. All experiments were conducted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. to assess the dryer's performance in “daytime mode”. Experiment results show that the drying time was significantly reduced, and the dryer demonstrated high performance in preserving all of the nutrients. In 5 hours of the drying process, the moisture content was reduced from 75.7 to 3.3%. The average COP value was 3.36, confirming the dryer's low energy consumption. The findings also revealed that after drying, the content of protein, carbohydrates, fats, fiber, and ash greatly increased.

Keywords: heat pump dryer, efficiency, moringa leaves, proximate analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 88

Authors: Maria L. G. Lourenço, Keylla H. N. P. Pereira, Viviane Y. Hibaru, Fabiana F. Souza, Joao C. P. Ferreira, Simone B. Chiacchio, Luiz H. A. Machado

Abstract:

Anasarca is generalized congenital edema that is often lethal. The condition is transmitted hereditarily and is autosomal dominant, with a racial predisposition in French Bulldogs and English Bulldogs. This study aims at reporting a case of anasarca treatment in neonates. The fetuses of a one year and six months old, primiparous English Bulldog mother were diagnosed with anasarca during an ultrasound examination performed at the 55th day of pregnancy and, therefore, an elective cesarean section was scheduled to prevent fetal dystocia. At birth, all puppies presented anasarca, and one of the six was stillborn. The newborns presented cyanosis, dyspnea, bradycardia, absent reflexes, low vitality scores (3/10), and hypothermia ( < 32ºC). The weight of the puppies at the time of birth varied between 347 and 373 grams, about 100 grams above the average weight estimated for the breed. Immediate neonatal care was applied with oxygen therapy via a mask, aminophylline (0.2 ml/100 g/PV/sublingual), and slow heating. After 10 minutes, there was a significant improvement in the neonatal parameters. The anasarca was treated with the drug furosemide, administered subcutaneously, at a dose of 0.2 mg per 100 grams of weight, every three hours. The stimulation for urination of newborns was performed every 30 minutes, and weight loss was monitored every 30 minutes. Five grams of potassium chloride were administered orally for every 30 grams of weight loss to counterbalance the loss of potassium caused by the diuretic medication. After 15 hours, the neonates reached the ideal weight for the breed, around 209 to 230 grams. In total, four neonates received five doses of furosemide, while one received six doses. The puppies are currently ten months old, healthy and neutered. Anasarca should not be ignored and is considered potentially lethal and an indication for euthanasia in all cases. Early intervention is of utmost importance for the survival of these patients.

Keywords: Walrus syndrome, congenital edema, water puppy syndrome, puppies

Procedia PDF Downloads 189

Authors: Mansoureh Karimollahi, Mehriar Adrmohammadi, Mohsen Mohammadi

Abstract:

Introduction: Patient satisfaction with nursing care is considered as an important indicator of the quality and effectiveness of the health care system, and improving the quality of care is not possible without paying attention to the opinions and expectations of patients. Considering that the scales for assessing satisfaction with nursing care in our country are not comprehensive and measure very few areas, therefore, in this study, psychometrically, the Persian version of the Newcastle Nursing Care Satisfaction Scale was used in patients hospitalized in the wards. Internal medicine and general surgery were discussed. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 patients admitted to the surgery and internal departments of hospitals affiliated to Ardabil University of Medical Sciences. The Newcastle nursing care satisfaction scale was used for the first time in Iran in comparison with the good nursing care scale from the patients' point of view to evaluate the criterion validity. The Newcastle nursing care satisfaction scale was used after translation, validity, and reliability. Results: The level of satisfaction of patients and the experience of patients with nursing care was at a favorable level, respectively, with an average of 111.8 ± 14.2 and 69.07 ± 14.8. Total CVI was estimated at 0.96 for the experience section, 0.95 for the satisfaction section, and 0.96 for the whole scale. The index (CVR) was also 0.95 for the experience section, 0.95 for the satisfaction section, and 0.95 for the whole scale. Criterion validity was also estimated using 0.725 correlation. The validity of the construct was also confirmed using the goodness of fit index (X2=1932/05, p=0.013, KMO=0.913). Convergent validity was estimated at 0.99 in the experience subscale and 0.98 in the satisfaction subscale. . The overall reliability in the experience subscale and satisfaction subscale was 94%, 92%, and 98%, respectively, which indicated the acceptable reliability of the questionnaire. Conclusion: The Persian version of the Newcastle nursing care satisfaction scale as a comprehensive tool that can be easily completed by patients and is easy to interpret, has good validity and reliability and can be used in patient care centers, in departments Surgery, and internal medicine are recommended.

Keywords: psychometrics, Newcastle nursing care satisfaction scale, nursing care satisfaction, general surgery department

Procedia PDF Downloads 101

Authors: A. Raceviciute-Stupeliene, V. Sasyte, V. Viliene, V. Slausgalvis, J. Al-Saifi, R. Gruzauskas

Abstract:

The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of special additives such as chelators, zinc sulphate and silicic acid on productivity parameters, carcass characteristics and meat quality of fattening pigs. The test started with 40 days old fattening pigs (mongrel (mother) and Yorkshire (father)) and lasted up to 156 days of age. During the fattening period, 32 pigs were divided into 2 groups (control and experimental) with 4 replicates (total of 8 pens).  The pigs were fed for 16 weeks’ ad libitum with a standard wheat-barley-soybean meal compound (Control group) supplemented with chelators, zinc sulphate and silicic acid (dosage 2 kg/t of feed, Experimental group). Meat traits in live pigs were measured by ultrasonic equipment Piglog 105. The results obtained throughout the experimental period suggest that supplementation of chelators, zinc sulphate and silicic acid tend to positively affect average daily gain and feed conversion ratio of pigs for fattening (p < 0.05). Pigs’ evaluation with Piglog 105 showed that thickness of fat in the first and second point was by 4% and 3% respectively higher in comparison to the control group (p < 0.05). Carcass weight, yield, and length, also thickness of fat showed no significant difference among the groups. The water holding capacity of meat in Experimental group was lower by 5.28%, and tenderness – lower by 12% compared with that of the pigs in the Control group (p < 0.05). Regarding pigs’ meat chemical composition of the experimental group, a statistically significant difference comparing with the data of the control group was not determined. Cholesterol concentration in muscles of pigs fed diets supplemented with chelators, zinc sulphate and silicic acid was lower by 7.93 mg/100 g of muscle in comparison to that of the control group. These results suggest that supplementation of chelators, zinc sulphate and silicic acid in the feed for fattening pigs had significant effect on pigs growing performance and meat quality.

Keywords: silicic acid, chelators, meat quality, pigs, zinc sulphate

Procedia PDF Downloads 184

Authors: Lukas Kober, Vladimir Littva, Vladimir Siska

Abstract:

The pandemic has had a significant impact on our lives. One of the most affected professions is the nursing profession. Nurses are closest to the patient, spend the most time with him, support him, often replace the closest family members, and of course, are part of the whole treatment process. Current nurses have more competencies and roles than in the past. The healthcare system has reached a turning point, also in connection with the spreading Delta variant and the risk of the arrival of the third wave. The lack of nurses is a long-term problem, but it did not arise by itself. The reasons for the departure of nurses from the health care system are not only due to the increasing average age of nurses and midwives in Slovakia and their retirement. Thousands of nurses are leaving due to poor working conditions, low wages, and poor management of individual workplaces. We need to keep older nurses in the health care system, otherwise, we risk their early departure. The pandemic only exacerbates this situation, and the associated risks, such as occupational infections or enormous overload and exhaustion, only accelerate the exit from the profession. According to current data from the register of nurses and midwives, we canceled 772 registrations from January to September 2021, and 584 nurses requested the suspension of registration due to non-performance of the profession. During the same period, we registered only 240 new nurses graduate. We have had this significant disparity here for a long time. For the whole of 2020, we canceled 911 registrations and suspended 973 registrations. We registered a total of 389 graduates. Our system loses hundreds of graduates a year and loses experienced nurses with decades of experience who leave due to poor working conditions, wages and suffer from burnout. Such compensation should also be awarded to the families of health professionals who have lost their lives due to work and to COVID-19. These options can also be motivating for promising people interested in studying nursing, who can gradually replace the missing workforce. This purchase is supported by the KEGA project no. 015KU-4/2019.

Keywords: pandemic, COVID-19, nursing, nursing workforce, lack of nurses

Procedia PDF Downloads 222

Authors: Atefeh Abedini, Pegah Soltani, Arda Kiani

Abstract:

Background: Sarcoidosis and Tuberculosis are both considered granulomatous chronic diseases with some similar pulmonary and extra-pulmonary manifestations. It is hypothesized that given these morphological similarities, the genome of mycobacterium could have an impact on the development of Sarcoidosis. Identifying the potential correlation of these diseases may assist in the management of sarcoidosis. Herein, we aimed to inspect the lymph node biopsy of sarcoidosis patients for the existence of the HSP-65 mycobacterium DNA sequence. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 1188 Sarcoidosis patients without active/latent tuberculosis infection who were diagnosed in Masih Daneshvari Hospital in Tehran, Iran, from January 2020 to January 2022. Trans-bronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) was performed due to bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy to take a specimen. Results: The under-evaluated patients were mainly women (N=815 (68.6%)), none-smoker (N=1016 (85.5%)), and middle-aged (50.1 (SD=4.22)) with average angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) index of 75.6 (SD=6.42). Dyslipidemias (n=314 (26.4%), Hypertension (n=295 (24.8%)), Diabetes mellitus (n=131 (11.0%)), and chronic heart diseases (n=97 (8.2%)) had the highest prevalence between comorbidities. Skin lesions (n= 655 (55.1%)), ophthalmic (n=341 (28.7%)), and cardiac involvement (n=229 (19.3%)) were obtained as the most common extra-pulmonary characteristics of the patients. Amongst 1188 enrolled patients who were not afflicted with Mycobacterium tuberculosis based on smear/culture essay, clinical symptoms, and Chest x-ray screening, 121 (10.2%) cases had detectable amplified DNA for Mycobacterium Tuberculosis extracted from mediastinal lung lymph nodes. Conclusion: In this survey, the mycobacterium genome was detected in almost 1 per 10 case biopsies of sarcoidosis. The remarkable number of cases (n=1188) evaluated in this study was the strength of this study which supported the hypothesis regarding sarcoidosis and mycobacterium genome correlation. Further investigation, such as case-control surveys, is required to better clarify this association.

Keywords: mycobacterium tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, genome, DNA, trans-bronchial needle aspiration

Procedia PDF Downloads 39

Authors: Faezeh Eslamian, Zhiming Qi, Michael J. Tate

Abstract:

Phosphorus losses from agricultural fields through leaching is one of the main contributors to eutrophication of lakes in Quebec as well as North America. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the application of high calcium hydrated lime as a soil amendment in reducing the subsurface transport of phosphorus to water bodies by studying the interactions between phosphorus leaching and lime application in three common agricultural soil textures (sandy loam, loam and clay loam) in Quebec. For this purpose, 6 intact soil columns of 10 cm diameter and 20 cm deep were taken from each of the three different soil textured agricultural fields. Lime (high calcium hydrated lime) was applied to the top 5 cm of half of the intact soil columns while the rest were left as controls. The columns were leached with artificial rainwater in-consecutively at a rate of 3 mm h-1 over a 90-day period. The total amount of water added was equal to the average total rainfall of the region in fall. The leachate samples were collected daily and analyzed for dissolved reactive phosphorus, total dissolved phosphorus, total phosphorus, pH, electrical conductivity, calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron. The results showed that lime was able to significantly reduce dissolved reactive phosphorus concentrations in the leachates by 70 and 40 percent in sandy loam and loam soil columns, respectively, while phosphorus concentration in the clay loam soil leachates were increased by 40 percent. The calcium in lime has P-binding capabilities. Soil chemical properties in sandy and loamy soils can affect phosphorus leaching, whereas, transport mechanisms in clay soils with macropores dominate phosphorus leaching behaviors. The presence of preferential pathways and cracks in the clay soil columns has led to a quick transport of phosphorus through the soil and the less contact time with the soil matrix, therefore, causing less opportunity for P sorption and larger P release. Application of lime to agricultural fields can be considered as a promising measure in mitigating phosphorus loss from sandy loam and loam soils.

Keywords: leaching, lime, phosphorus, soil texture

Procedia PDF Downloads 178

Authors: Abanda Wilfred Chick

Abstract:

Background: According to World Health Organization (WHO), the role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in health sectors of developing nations has been demonstrated to have had a great improvement of fifty percent reduction in mortality and or twenty-five-fifty percent increase in productivity. The objective of this study was to assess the use of information and communication technologies in enhancing health care delivery for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients in Bamenda Health District. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study in which 388 participants were consecutively selected amongst health personnel and HIV patients from public and private health institutions involved in Human Immunodeficiency Virus management. Data on socio-demographic variables, the use of information and communication technologies tools, and associated challenges were collected using structured questionnaires. Descriptive statistics with a ninety-five percent confidence interval were used to summarize findings, while Cramer’s V test, logistic regression, and Chi-square test were used to measure the association between variables, Epi info version7.2, MS Excel, and SPSS version 25.0 were utilized for data entry and statistical analysis respectively. Results: Of the participants, one-quarter were health personnel, and three-quarters were HIV patients. For both groups of participants, there was a significant relationship between the use of ICT and demographic information such as level of education, marital status, and age (p<0.05). For the impediments to using ICT tools, a greater proportion identified the high cost of airtime or internet bundles, followed by an average proportion that indicated inadequate training on ICT tools; for health personnel, the majority said inadequate training on ICT tools/applications and half said unavailability of electricity. Conclusion: Not up to half of the HIV patients effectively make use of ICT tools/applications to receive health care. Of health personnel, three quarters use ICTs, and only one quarter effectively use mobile phones and one-third of computers, respectively, to render care to HIV patients.

Keywords: ICT tools, HIV patients, health personnel, health care delivery

Procedia PDF Downloads 87

Authors: Kuo-Dung Chiou, Yen-Xue Chen, Chia-Ying Chang

Abstract:

This study uses AI technology to establish an expert system and establish a fruit appearance database for pineapples and custard apples. It collects images based on appearance defects and fruit maturity. It uses deep learning to detect the location of the fruit and can detect the appearance of the fruit in real-time. Flaws and maturity. In addition, a hyperspectral camera was used to scan pineapples and custard apples, and the light reflection at different frequency bands was used to find the key frequency band for pectin softening in post-ripe fruits. Conducted a large number of multispectral image collection and data analysis to establish a database of Pineapple Custard Apple and Big Eyed Custard Apple, which includes a high-definition color image database, a hyperspectral database in the 377~1020 nm frequency band, and five frequency band images (450, 500, 670, 720, 800nm) multispectral database, which collects 4896 images and manually labeled ground truth; 26 hyperspectral pineapple custard apple fruits (520 images each); multispectral custard apple 168 fruits (5 images each). Using the color image database to train deep learning Yolo v4's pre-training network architecture and adding the training weights established by the fruit database, real-time detection performance is achieved, and the recognition rate reaches over 97.96%. We also used multispectral to take a large number of continuous shots and calculated the difference and average ratio of the fruit in the 670 and 720nm frequency bands. They all have the same trend. The value increases until maturity, and the value will decrease after maturity. Subsequently, the sub-bands will be added to analyze further the numerical analysis of sugar content and moisture, and the absolute value of maturity and the data curve of maturity will be found.

Keywords: hyperspectral image, fruit firmness, deep learning, automatic detection, automatic measurement, intelligent labor saving

Procedia PDF Downloads 9

Authors: Javeria Arain, Saad Malik

Abstract:

The management of solid waste is a crucial and essential aspect of urban environmental management especially in a city with an ever increasing population such as Karachi. The total amount of municipal solid waste generated from Gulshan e Iqbal town on average is 444.48 tons per day and landfill sites are a widely accepted solution for final disposal of this waste. However, an improperly selected site can have immense environmental, economical and ecological impacts. To select an appropriate landfill site a number of factors should be kept into consideration to minimize the potential hazards of solid waste. The purpose of this research is to analyse the study area for the construction of an appropriate landfill site for disposal of municipal solid waste generated from Gulshan e-Iqbal Town by using geospatial techniques considering hydrological, geological, social and geomorphological factors. This was achieved using analytical hierarchy process and fuzzy analysis as a decision support tool with integration of geographic information sciences techniques. Eight most critical parameters, relevant to the study area, were selected. After generation of thematic layers for each parameter, overlay analysis was performed in ArcGIS 10.0 software. The results produced by both methods were then compared with each other and the final suitability map using AHP shows that 19% of the total area is Least Suitable, 6% is Suitable but avoided, 46% is Moderately Suitable, 26% is Suitable, 2% is Most Suitable and 1% is Restricted. In comparison the output map of fuzzy set theory is not in crisp logic rather it provides an output map with a range of 0-1, where 0 indicates least suitable and 1 indicates most suitable site. Considering the results it is deduced that the northern part of the city is appropriate for constructing the landfill site though a final decision for an optimal site could be made after field survey and considering economical and political factors.

Keywords: Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), fuzzy set theory, Geographic Information Sciences (GIS), Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)

Procedia PDF Downloads 507

Authors: Chen ChihYu, Tang Wen Tzu, Chen Kuang Hui

Abstract:

Aim —To compare the dismount skill between Taiwanese and elite international gymnastics in parallel bars following the 2017-2020 code of points. Methods—The gymnasts who advanced to the parallel bars event finals of these four competitions including World Championships, Universiade, the National Games of Taiwan, and the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games of Taiwan both 2017 and 2019 were selected in this study. The dismount skill of parallel bars was analyzed, and the average difficulty score was compared by one-way ANOVA. Descriptive statistics were applied to present the type of dismount skill and the difficulty of each gymnast in these four competitions. The data from World Championships and Universiade were combined as the international group (INT), and data of Taiwanese National Games and National Intercollegiate Athletic Games were also combined as the national group (NAT). The differences between INT and NAT were analyzed by the Chi-square test. The statistical significance of this study was set at α= 0.05. Results— i) There was a significant difference in the mean parallel bars dismount skill in these four competitions analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Both dismount scores of World Championships and Universiade were significantly higher than in Taiwanese National Games and National Intercollegiate Athletic Games (0.58±0.08 & 0.56±0.08 > 0.42±0.06 & 40±0.06, p < 0.05). ii) Most of the gymnasts in World Championships and Universiade selected the 0.6-point skill as the parallel bars dismount element, and for the Taiwanese National Games and the National Intercollegiate Athletic Games, most of the gymnasts performed the 0.4-point dismount skill. iii) The result of the Chi-square test has shown that there was a significant difference in the selection of parallel bars dismount skill. The INT group used the E or E+ difficulty element as the dismount skill, and the NAT group selected the D or D- difficulty element. Conclusion— The level of parallel bars dismount in Taiwanese gymnastics is inferior to elite international gymnastics. It is suggested that Taiwanese gymnastics must try to practice the F difficulty dismount (double salto forward tucked with half twist) in the future.

Keywords: Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, dismount, difficulty score, element

Procedia PDF Downloads 147

Authors: Leslie M. Mullins

Abstract:

In the face of dramatically shifting demographic trends and macroeconomic pressures on affordable housing in high-cost cities, municipalities and developers have been forced to develop new models of sustainable development that integrates elements of substantial rehabilitation and new construction while controlling for relocation and mass displacement. Community development partners in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California are starting to prioritize anti-displacement strategies when rehabilitating severely neglected public housing developments. This study explored the community-driven efforts to transform four dilapidated public housing sites (N=2,600 households) into thriving mixed-income housing communities. Eight interviews were conducted with frontline workers (property managers and service providers), who directly worked with residents throughout critical stages of the relocation and leasing process. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by a systematic procedure for qualitative analysis to identify key themes on the topics of interest. Also, an extensive literature analysis was conducted to determine promising practices throughout the industry. This study highlighted that resident’s emotional attachment to their homes (regardless of the deteriorating conditions of their unit) could both a) impede the relocation process and substantially impact the budget and timeline, while b) simultaneously providing a basis for an enhanced sense of belonging and community cohesion. This phenomenon often includes the welcoming of new residents and cultures. Resident centered workshops, healing centered rituals, and extensive 'hands-on' guidance was highlighted as promising practices that resulted in residential retention rates that were two to three times the national average and positively impacted the overall project’s budget and timeline.

Keywords: anti-displacement strategies, community based practices, community cohesion, cultural preservation, healing-centered, public housing, relocation, trauma-informed

Procedia PDF Downloads 140

Authors: Olorunsanya E. O., Adedeji S. O., Anyanwu A. A.

Abstract:

Food insecurity is a challenge to many nations Nigeria inclusive. It is increasingly becoming a major problem among farm households due to many factors chief of which is low labour productivity. This study therefore profiles the food security status of a representative randomly selected 90 farming households in Chanchaga area of Nigeria’s Guinea Savana using structured interview schedule Descriptive and inferential statistics were used as analytical tools for the study. The results of the descriptive statistics show that majority (35.56%) of the surveyed household heads fall within the age range of 40 – 49 years and (88.89%) are male while (78.89) are married. More than half of the respondents have formal education. About 43.3% of the household heads have farm experience of 11- 20 years and a modal household size class range of 7 – 12. The results further reveal that majority (68.8%) earned more than N12, 500 (22.73 US Dollar) per month. The result of households’ food expenditure pattern reveals that an average household spends about N3, 644.44 (6.63 US Dollar) on food and food items on a weekly basis. The result of the analysis of food diversity intake in the study area shows that 63.33% of the sampled households fell under the low household food diversity intake, while 33 households, representing 36.67% ranks high in term of household food diversity intake. The result for the food security status shows that the sampled population was food secure (58.89%) while 41.11% falls below the recommended threshold. The result for the logistics regression model shows that age, engagement in off farm employment and household size are significant in determining the food security status of farm household in the study area. The three variables were significant at 10%, 5% and 1% respectively. The study therefore recommends among others, that measures be put in place by stakeholders to make agriculture attractive for youth since age is a significant determinant of food security in the study area. Awareness should also be created by stakeholders on the needs for effective family planning methods to be adopted by farm household in the study area.

Keywords: Niger State, Guinea Savana, food diversity, logit regression model and food security

Procedia PDF Downloads 110

Authors: Ramona-Niculina Jurcau, Ioana-Marieta Jurcau, Dong Hun Kwak, Nicolae-Alexandru Colceriu

Abstract:

Background: Academic environment led, in time, to the birth of some research subjects concluded with many publications. One of these issues is related to the learning stress. Thus far, the PubMed website displays an impressive number of papers related to the academic stress. Aims: Through this study, we aimed to evaluate the research concerning academic learning stress (ALS), by a retrospective analysis of PubMed publications. Methods: We evaluated the ALS, considering: a) different keywords as - ‘academic stress’ (AS), ‘academic stressors’ (ASs), ‘academic learning stress’ (ALS), ‘academic student stress’ (ASS), ‘academic stress college’ (ASC), ‘medical academic stress’ (MAS), ‘non-medical academic stress’ (NMAS), ‘student stress’ (SS), ‘nursing student stress’ (NS), ‘college student stress’ (CSS), ‘university student stress’ (USS), ‘medical student stress’ (MSS), ‘dental student stress’ (DSS), ‘non-medical student stress’ (NMSS), ‘learning students stress’ (LSS), ‘medical learning student stress’ (MLSS), ‘non-medical learning student stress’ (NMLSS); b) the year average for decades; c) some selection filters provided by PubMed website: Article types - Journal Article (JA), Clinical Trial (CT), Review (R); Species - Humans (H); Sex - Male (M) and Female (F); Ages - 13-18, 19-24, 19-44. Statistical evaluation was made on the basis of the Student test. Results: There were differences between keywords, referring to all filters. Nevertheless, for all keywords were noted the following: the majority of studies have indicated that subjects were humans; there were no important differences between the number of subjects M and F; the age of participants was mentioned only in some studies, predominating those with teenagers and subjects between 19-24 years. Conclusions: 1) PubMed publications document that concern for the research field of academic stress, lasts for 56 years and was materialized in more than 5.010 papers. 2) Number of publications in the field of academic stress varies depending on the selected keywords: those with a general framing (AS, ASs, ALS, ASS, SS, USS, LSS) are more numerous than those with a specific framing (ASC, MAS, NMAS, NS, CSS, MSS, DSS, NMSS, MLSS, NMLSS); those concerning the academic medical environment (MAS, NS, MSS, DSS, MLSS) prevailed compared to the non-medical environment (NMAS, NMSS, NMLSS). 3) Most of the publications are included at JA, of which a small percentage are CT and R. 4) Most of the academic stress studies were conducted with subjects both M and F, most aged under 19 years and between 19-24 years.

Keywords: academic stress, student stress, academic learning stress, medical student stress

Procedia PDF Downloads 568

Authors: Sisay Wondmagegn Molla, Mulugeta Admasu Delele, Tadelle Nigusu Mekonen

Abstract:

It is common to observe quality deterioration and mechanical injury of horticulture products as a result of suboptimal design and handling of the packaging systems. Society uses the old and primitive way of handling horticulture products, which is produced through trial and error This method is known to have many limitations on quality, environmental pollution, labor and cost. Ethiopia stands first in bamboo resources in Africa, which is 67 % of the African and 7 % of the world's bamboo resources. The purpose of this project was to design and develop bamboo-based ventilated horticultural produce crates using validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The model was used to predict the airflow and temperature distribution inside the loaded crate. The study included: sizing, collection of the thermo-physical properties, and designing and developing a CFD model of the bamboo-based ventilated horticultural crate. The designed crate (40×30×25cm) had a capacity of about 18 kg, and cold air temperature (130C) was used for cooling the fruit. Airflow in the loaded crate is far from uniform. There is a relatively high-velocity flow at the top, near inlet and near outlet sections, and a relatively low airflow near the center of the loaded crate. The predicted velocity variation within the bulk of the produce was relatively large, it was in the range of 0.04-7m/s. The vented produce package contributed the highest cooling airflow resistance. Similar to the airflow, the cooling characteristics of the product were not uniform. There was a difference in the cooling rate of the produce in the airflow direction and from the top to the bottom section of the loaded crate. The products that were located near the inlet side and top of the bulk showed a faster cooling rate than the rest of the bulk. The result showed that the produced volume average temperature was 17.9°C after a cooling period of 3 hr. It was reduced by 12.05°C. The result showed the potential of the CFD modeling approach in developing the bamboo-based design of horticultural produce crates in terms of airflow and heat transfer characteristics.

Keywords: bamboo, modeling, cooling, horticultural, packaging

Procedia PDF Downloads 30

Authors: Fazl Ullah, Rahmat Ullah

Abstract:

This paper shows a comprehensive learning focused on the optimization of gas production in shale gas reservoirs through hydraulic fracturing. Shale gas has emerged as an important unconventional vigor resource, necessitating innovative techniques to enhance its extraction. The key objective of this study is to examine the influence of fracture parameters on reservoir productivity and formulate strategies for production optimization. A sophisticated model integrating gas flow dynamics and real stress considerations is developed for hydraulic fracturing in multi-stage shale gas reservoirs. This model encompasses distinct zones: a single-porosity medium region, a dual-porosity average region, and a hydraulic fracture region. The apparent permeability of the matrix and fracture system is modeled using principles like effective stress mechanics, porous elastic medium theory, fractal dimension evolution, and fluid transport apparatuses. The developed model is then validated using field data from the Barnett and Marcellus formations, enhancing its reliability and accuracy. By solving the partial differential equation by means of COMSOL software, the research yields valuable insights into optimal fracture parameters. The findings reveal the influence of fracture length, diversion capacity, and width on gas production. For reservoirs with higher permeability, extending hydraulic fracture lengths proves beneficial, while complex fracture geometries offer potential for low-permeability reservoirs. Overall, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of hydraulic cracking dynamics in shale gas reservoirs and provides essential guidance for optimizing gas production. The research findings are instrumental for energy industry professionals, researchers, and policymakers alike, shaping the future of sustainable energy extraction from unconventional resources.

Keywords: fluid-solid coupling, apparent permeability, shale gas reservoir, fracture property, numerical simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: Lucas Paganin, Viliam Makis

Abstract:

With the advent of globalization, the market competition has become a major issue for most companies. One of the main strategies to overcome this situation is the quality improvement of the product at a lower cost to meet customers’ expectations. In order to achieve the desired quality of products, it is important to control the process to meet the specifications, and to implement the optimal maintenance policy for the machines and the production lines. Thus, the overall objective is to reduce process variation and the production and maintenance costs. In this paper, an integrated model involving Statistical Process Control (SPC) and maintenance is developed to achieve this goal. Therefore, the main focus of this paper is to develop the jointly optimal maintenance and statistical process control policy minimizing the total long run expected average cost per unit time. In our model, the production process can go out of control due to either the deterioration of equipment or other assignable causes. The equipment is also subject to failures in any of the operating states due to deterioration and aging. Hence, the process mean is controlled by an Xbar control chart using equidistant sampling epochs. We assume that the machine inspection epochs are the times when the control chart signals an out-of-control condition, considering both true and false alarms. At these times, the production process will be stopped, and an investigation will be conducted not only to determine whether it is a true or false alarm, but also to identify the causes of the true alarm, whether it was caused by the change in the machine setting, by other assignable causes, or by both. If the system is out of control, the proper actions will be taken to bring it back to the in-control state. At these epochs, a maintenance action can be taken, which can be no action, or preventive replacement of the unit. When the equipment is in the failure state, a corrective maintenance action is performed, which can be minimal repair or replacement of the machine and the process is brought to the in-control state. SMDP framework is used to formulate and solve the joint control problem. Numerical example is developed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the control policy.

Keywords: maintenance, semi-Markov decision process, statistical process control, Xbar control chart

Procedia PDF Downloads 96

Authors: C. Nathanailides, P. Logothetis, G. Kanlis S. Anastasiou, L. Kokokiris, P. Mpeza

Abstract:

Farmed Red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) is one of the “new candidate fish species” for the diversification of Mediterranean aquaculture which is predomintly based on the cultivation of the European sea bass, (Dicenfrarchus labrax), and the gilthead sea bream, (Sparus aurata). The quality of farmed red porgy (Pagrus pagrus) was investigated with samples obtained from the local fish market in the region of Igoumenitsa, NW Greece. Sample of the fish (ungutted and with scales) were purchased from three local fish mongers and transported to the laboratory within few minutes in foamed polystyrene boxes in ice. The average weight of whole fish ranged between 271-289g. A sample of the fish flesh taken from the upper epaxial region was transferred aseptically to a stomacher bag containing sterile Buffered Peptone Water solution (0.1%) and homogenized. After serial dilutions in 0.1% peptone water, the homogenates were spread on the surface of agar plates. Total viable counts (TVC) were determined using plate count agar after incubation at 30 oC for 3 days. The quality attributes monitored during the present work included bacterial load (total mesophilic) and the pH of the flesh. There was a marginal increase in the price of fresh red porgy sold during the summer time, with prices ranging, over a period of four seasons, from 5.85 to 7.5 per kilo. The results of the microbiological analysis indicate that with the exception of summer samples (which exhibited 5.23 (±0.13) log cfu/g), the bacterial load remained well below the legal limits and was around 3.1 log cfu/g. The pH values varied between 6.54 and 6.69. The results indicate a possible influence of season on the bacterial load of fish sold in the market. Nevertheless, the parameters investigated in the present work indicate that the bacteria load was well below the legal limit and that fish were sold within few days after harvesting. The peak of bacterial load in the summer samples may be a result of a post-harvesting contamination of the farmed fish and temperature fluctuations during handling and transportation.

Keywords: fish quality, marketing, aquaculture, Pagrus pagrus

Procedia PDF Downloads 683

Authors: R. Udayabhaskar, R. V. Mangalaraja, V. T. Perarasu, Saeed Farhang Sahlevani, B. Karthikeyan, David Contreras

Abstract:

Bandgap engineering of CeO₂ nanocrystals is of high interest for many research groups to meet the requirement of desired applications. The band gap of CeO₂ nanostructures can be modified by varying the particle size, morphology and dopants. Anchoring the metal oxide nanostructures on graphene sheets will result in composites with improved properties than the parent materials. The presence of graphene sheets will acts a support for the growth, influences the morphology and provides external paths for electronic transitions. Thus, the controllable synthesis of ceria:graphene composites with various morphologies and the understanding of the optical properties is highly important for the usage of these materials in various applications. The development of ceria and ceria:graphene composites with low cost, rapid synthesis with tunable optical properties is still desirable. By this work, we discuss the synthesis of pure ceria (nanospheres) and ceria:graphene composites (nano-rice like morphology) by using commercial microwave oven as a cost effective and environmentally friendly approach. The influence of the graphene on the crystallinity, morphology, band gap and luminescence of the synthesized samples were analyzed. The average crystallite size obtained by using Scherrer formula of the CeO₂ nanostructures showed a decreasing trend with increasing the graphene loading. The higher graphene loaded ceria composite clearly depicted morphology of nano-rice like in shape with the diameter below 10 nm and the length over 50 nm. The presence of graphene and ceria related vibrational modes (100-4000 cm⁻¹) confirmed the successful formation of composites. We observed an increase in band gap (blue shift) with increasing loading amount of graphene. Further, the luminescence related to various F-centers was quenched in the composites. The authors gratefully acknowledge the FONDECYT Project No.: 3160142 and BECA Conicyt National Doctorado2017 No. 21170851 Government of Chile, Santiago, for the financial assistance.

Keywords: ceria, graphene, luminescence, blue shift, band gap widening

Procedia PDF Downloads 196

Authors: Luksanaporn Krungkraipetch

Abstract:

A pterygium is an eye surface lesion that begins in the limbal conjunctiva and progresses to the cornea. The lesion is more common in the nasal limbus than in the temporal, and it has a distinctive wing-like aspect. Indications for surgery, in decreasing order of significance, are grown over the corneal center, decreased vision due to corneal deformation, documented growth, sensations of discomfort, and aesthetic concerns. Recurrent pterygium results in the loss of time, the expense of therapy, and the potential for vision impairment. The objective of this study is to find out how often the recurrence of pterygium after surgery occurs, what effect the surgery technique has, and what causes them to come back in people with pterygium. Materials and Methods: Observational case control in retrospect: the study involves a retrospective analysis of 164 patient samples. Data analysis is descriptive statistics analysis, i.e., basic data details about pterygium surgery and the risk of recurrent pterygium. For factor analysis, the inferential statistics odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) ANOVA are utilized. A p-value of 0.05 was deemed statistically important. Results: The majority of patients, according to the results, were female (60.4%). Twenty-four of the 164 (14.6%) patients who underwent surgery exhibited recurrent pterygium. The average age is 55.33 years old. Postoperative recurrence was reported in 19 cases (79.3%) of bare sclera techniques and five cases (20.8%) of conjunctival autograft techniques. The recurrence interval is 10.25 months, with the most common (54.17 percent) being 12 months. In 91.67 percent of cases, all follow-ups are successful. The most common recurrence level is 1 (25%). A surgical complication is a subconjunctival hemorrhage (33.33 percent). Comparing the surgeries done on people with recurrent pterygium didn't show anything important (F = 1.13, p = 0.339). Age significantly affected the recurrence of pterygium (95% CI, 6.79-63.56; OR = 20.78, P 0.001). Conclusion: This study discovered a 14.6% rate of pterygium recurrence after pterygium surgery. Across all surgeries and patients, the rate of recurrence was four times higher with the bare sclera method than with conjunctival autograft. The researchers advise selecting a more conventional surgical technique to avoid a recurrence.

Keywords: pterygium, recurrence pterygium, pterygium surgery, excision pterygium

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: H. Tanyildizi, M. Abuqebitah, I. Cavdar, M. Demir, L. Kabasakal

Abstract:

Aim: Whole liver radiation has the modest benefit in the treatment of unresectable hepatic metastases but the radiation doses must keep in control. Otherwise, RILD complications may arise. In this study, we aimed to calculate amount of maximum permissible activity (MPA) and critical organ absorbed doses with MIRD methodology, to evaluate tumour doses for treatment response and whole liver doses for RILD and to find optimal liver function test additionally. Materials and Methods: This study includes 29 patients who attended our nuclear medicine department suffering from Y-90 microspheres treatment. 10 mCi Tc-99m MAA was applied to the patients for dosimetry via IV. After the injection, whole body SPECT/CT images were taken in one hour. The minimum therapeutic tumour dose is on the point of being 120 Gy1, the amount of activities were calculated with MIRD methodology considering volumetric tumour/liver rate. A sub-working group was created with 11 patients randomly and liver clearance rate with Tc-99m-Mebrofenin was calculated according to Ekman formalism. Results: The volumetric tumour/liver rates were found between 33-66% (Maksimum Tolarable Dose (MTD) 48-52Gy3) for 4 patients, were found less than 33% (MTD 72Gy3) for 25 patients. According to these results the average amount of activity, mean liver dose and mean tumour dose were found 1793.9±1.46 MBq, 32.86±0.19 Gy, and 138.26±0.40 Gy. RILD was not observed in any patient. In sub-working group, the relationship between Bilirubin, Albumin, INR (which show presence of liver disease and its degree), liver clearance with Tc-99m-Mebrofenin and calculated activity amounts were found r=0.49, r=0.27, r=0.43, r=0.57, respectively. Discussions: The minimum tumour dose was found 120 Gy for positive dose-response relation. If volumetric tumour/liver rate was > 66%, dose 30 Gy; if volumetric tumour/liver rate 33-66%, dose escalation 48 Gy; if volumetric tumour/liver rate < 33%, dose 72 Gy. These dose limitations did not create RILD. Clearance measurement with Mebrofenin was concluded that the best method to determine the liver function. Therefore, liver clearance rate with Tc-99m-Mebrofenin should be considered in calculation of yttrium-90 microspheres dosimetry.

Keywords: clearance, dosimetry, liver, RILD

Procedia PDF Downloads 442