Search results for: body exposure

Authors: Kotaro Miura, Makoto Sakamoto, Yuji Tanabe

Abstract:

We focus on internal stress and displacement of an elastic axisymmetric contact problem for indentation of a layer-substrate body. An elastic layer is assumed to be perfectly bonded to an elastic semi-infinite substrate. The elastic layer is smoothly indented with a flat-ended cylindrical indenter. The analytical and exact solutions were obtained by solving an infinite system of simultaneous equations using the method to express a normal contact stress at the upper surface of the elastic layer as an appropriate series. This paper presented the numerical results of internal stress and displacement distributions for hard-coating system with constant values of Poisson’s ratio and the thickness of elastic layer.

Keywords: indentation, contact problem, stress distribution, coating materials, layer-substrate body

Procedia PDF Downloads 160

Authors: Mohd Izzat Md. Nor, Norfazlina Jaffar, Noor Zaitulakma Md. Zain, Nur Izyanti Mohd Suppian, Subhashini Balakrishnan, Geetha Kandavello

Abstract:

During the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Malaysia has been focusing on building herd immunity by introducing vaccination programs into the community. Hospital Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) were developed to prevent inpatient transmission. Objective: In this study, we focus on the positivity rate of inpatient Person Under Surveillance (PUS) becoming COVID-19 positive and compare this to the National rate in order to see the outcomes of the patient who becomes COVID-19 positive in relation to their vaccination status. Methodology: This is a retrospective observational study carried out from 1 January until 30 March 2022 in Institut Jantung Negara (IJN). There were 5,255 patients admitted during the time of this study. Pre-admission Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) swab was done for all patients. Patients with positive PCR on pre-admission screening were excluded. The patient who had exposure to COVID-19-positive staff or patients during hospitalization was defined as PUS and were quarantined and monitored for potential COVID-19 infection. Their frequency and risk of exposure (WHO definition) were recorded. A repeat PCR swab was done for PUS patients that have clinical deterioration with or without COVID symptoms and on their last day of quarantine. The severity of COVID-19 infection was defined as category 1-5A. All patients' vaccination status was recorded, and they were divided into three groups: fully immunised, partially immunised, and unvaccinated. We analyzed the positivity rate of PUS patients becoming COVID-positive, outcomes, and correlation with the vaccination status. Result: Total inpatient PUS to patients and staff was 492; only 13 became positive, giving a positivity rate of 2.6%. Eight (62%) had multiple exposures. The majority, 8/13(72.7%), had a high-risk exposure, and the remaining 5 had medium-risk exposure. Four (30.8%) were boostered, 7(53.8%) were fully vaccinated, and 2(15.4%) were partial/unvaccinated. Eight patients were in categories 1-2, whilst 38% were in categories 3-5. Vaccination status did not correlate with COVID-19 Category (P=0.641). One (7.7%) patient died due to COVID-19 complications and sepsis. Conclusion: Within the first quarter of 2022, our institution's positivity rate (2.6%) is significantly lower than the country's (14.4%). High-risk exposure and multiple exposures to positive COVID-19 cases increased the risk of PUS becoming COVID-19 positive despite their underlying vaccination status.

Keywords: COVID-19, boostered, high risk, Malaysia, quarantine, vaccination status

Procedia PDF Downloads 92

Authors: Mohammad Tahir Yousafzai, Rubina Qasim

Abstract:

We assessed Hepatitis B vaccination and its determinants among health care workers (HCW) in Northwest Pakistan. HCWs from both public and private clinics were interviewed about hepatitis B vaccination, socio-demographic, hepatitis B virus transmission modes, disease threat and benefits of vaccination. Logistic regression was performed. Hepatitis B vaccination was 40% (Qualified Physicians: 86% and non-qualified Dispensers:16%). Being Qualified Physician (Adj. OR 26.6; 95%CI 9.3-73.2), Non-qualified Physician (Adj.OR 1.9; 95%CI 0.8-4.6), qualified Dispensers (Adj. OR 3.6; 95%CI 1.3-9.5) compared to non-qualified Dispensers, working in public clinics (Adj. OR 2.5; 95%CI 1.1-5.7) compared to private, perceived disease threat after exposure to blood and body fluids (Adj. OR 1.1; 95%CI 1.1-1.2) and perceived benefits of vaccination (Adj. OR 1.1; 95%CI 1.1-1.2) were significant predictors of hepatitis B vaccination. Improved perception of disease threat and benefits of vaccination and qualification of HCWs are associated with hepatitis B vaccination.

Keywords: Hepatitis B vaccine, immunization, healthcare workers, primary health

Procedia PDF Downloads 322

Authors: Mazhar B. Tayel, Eslam I. AlSaba

Abstract:

The heart is the most important part in any body organisms. It effects and affected by any factor in the body. Therefore, it is a good detector of any matter in the body. When the heart signal is non-stationary signal, therefore, it should be study its variability. So, the Heart Rate Variability (HRV) has attracted considerable attention in psychology, medicine and have become important dependent measure in psychophysiology and behavioral medicine. Quantification and interpretation of heart rate variability. However, remain complex issues are fraught with pitfalls. This paper presents one of the non-linear techniques to analyze HRV. It discusses 'What Poincare plot is?', 'How it is work?', 'its usage benefits especially in HRV', 'the limitation of Poincare cause of standard deviation SD1, SD2', and 'How overcome this limitation by using complex correlation measure (CCM)'. The CCM is most sensitive to changes in temporal structure of the Poincaré plot as compared to SD1 and SD2.

Keywords: heart rate variability, chaotic system, poincare, variance, standard deviation, complex correlation measure

Procedia PDF Downloads 403

Authors: Lamiaa Shehata

Abstract:

The current (COVID-19) pandemic is one of the international crises, and a lot of efforts have been directed toward the improvement of efficient vaccines, however vaccine hesitancy is one of the universal menaces that make the fulfillment of society immunity very hard. The World Health Organization acknowledges vaccine hesitancy as the society’s maximum risk to people's health protection, especially in little and moderate-revenue nations. Social media is strong in observing audience behaviors and evaluating the circulation, which would supply useful data for strategy makers. It has a significant function in spreading facts during the pandemic, it could assist to boost protective manners. The objective of this study is to determine the effects of social media exposure on vaccine hesitancy. Data were collected using a survey in a form of a structured questionnaire conducted during December 2021- January 2022 using convenient sampling techniques (680) in Egypt and the United Arab Emirates. The results revealed that there was a significant relationship between the high exposure to social media and the refusal of the Covid19 vaccine also, the percentage of the refusal of the vaccine is higher in Egypt, however, UAE forced people to take the vaccine. Furthermore, public attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination vary from gender and region. In conclusion, policymakers must adjust their policies through the use of social media to immediate actions to vaccine-related news to support vaccination approval.

Keywords: COVID-19, hesitancy, social media, vaccine

Procedia PDF Downloads 147

Authors: Ali Almadan, Anoop Krishnan, Ajita Rattani

Abstract:

Facial recognition is a widely adopted technology in surveillance, border control, healthcare, banking services, and lately, in mobile user authentication with Apple introducing “Face ID” moniker with iPhone X. A lot of research has been conducted in the area of face recognition on datasets captured by surveillance cameras, DSLR, and mobile devices. Recently, face recognition technology has also been deployed on body-worn cameras to keep officers safe, enabling situational awareness and providing evidence for trial. However, limited academic research has been conducted on this topic so far, without the availability of any publicly available datasets with a sufficient sample size. This paper aims to advance research in the area of face recognition using body-worn cameras. To this aim, the contribution of this work is two-fold: (1) collection of a dataset consisting of a total of 136,939 facial images of 102 subjects captured using body-worn cameras in in-door and daylight conditions and (2) evaluation of various deep-learning architectures for face identification on the collected dataset. Experimental results suggest a maximum True Positive Rate(TPR) of 99.86% at False Positive Rate(FPR) of 0.000 obtained by SphereFace based deep learning architecture in daylight condition. The collected dataset and the baseline algorithms will promote further research and development. A downloadable link of the dataset and the algorithms is available by contacting the authors.

Keywords: face recognition, body-worn cameras, deep learning, person identification

Procedia PDF Downloads 170

Authors: Mona Loraine M. Barabad, Duckshin Park, Michael E. Versoza

Abstract:

This study gives a comparison of the commuters’ exposure to particulate matter while taking different transportation mode (jeepney, motorcycle and taxi) in Cebu City, Philippines. A personal aerosol monitor (Sidepak AM510) was used for data collection; in addition, both temperature and humidity were also documented. Analysis was done and showed that Jeepney, which is the most commonly used mode in the country, has the highest PM collected having an average of 358.0μg/m^3, followed by the motorcycle with an average of 244.6 μg/m^3. The taxi recorded to have an average of 50.0 μg/m^3 and the lowest between the microenvironments sampled. The outcome was greatly significant to the traffic volume together with several factors that could possibly affect the result. However, due to the lack of time and resources, the data collected was limited. Further and thorough investigation should be implemented to provide more essential information regarding the subject.

Keywords: air quality, particulate matter, Philippines, transportation

Procedia PDF Downloads 380

Authors: Hatem Hamdy Ghieth

Abstract:

In the recent time many fires happened in many skeleton buildings. The fire may be continues for a long time. This fire may cause a collapse of the building. This collapse may be happened due to the time of exposure to fire as well as the rate of the loading to the carrying elements. In this research a laboratory study for reinforced concrete columns under effect of fire with temperature reaches (650 ْ C) on the behavior of columns which loaded with axial load and with exposing to fire temperature only from all sides of columns. the main parameters of this study are level of load applying to the column, and the temperature applied to the fire, this temperatures was 500oC and 650oc. Nine concrete columns with dimensions 20x20x100 cms were casted one of these columns was tested to determine the ultimate load while the least were fired according to the experimental schedule.

Keywords: columns, fire duration, concrete strength, level of loading

Procedia PDF Downloads 443

Authors: Grzegorz Szaciłowski, Marta Konop, Małgorzata Dymecka, Jakub Ośko

Abstract:

In 1996, the European Council Directive 96/29/EURATOM pointed phosphate fertilizers to have a potentially negative influence on the environment from the radiation protection point of view. Fertilizers along with irrigation and crop rotation were the milestones that allowed to increase agricultural productivity. Firstly based on natural materials such as compost, manure, fish processing waste, etc., and since the 19th century created synthetically, fertilizers caused a boom in crop yield and helped to propel global food production, especially after World War II. In this work the concentrations of ²¹⁰Po, ²²⁶Ra, ²³²Th, ⁴⁰K, and ¹³⁷Cs in selected fertilizers and soil samples were determined. The results were used to calculate the annual addition of natural radionuclides and increment of the external radiation exposure caused by the use of studied fertilizers. Soils intended for different types of crops were sampled in early spring when no vegetation had occurred yet. Analysed fertilizers were those with which the soil was previously fertilized. For gamma radionuclides, a high purity germanium detector GX3520 from Canberra was used. The polonium concentration was determined by radiochemical separation followed by measurement by means of alpha spectrometry. The spectrometer used in this study was equipped with 450 cm² PIPS detector from Canberra. Obtained results showed significant differences in radionuclide composition between phosphate and nitrogenous fertilizers (e.g. the radium equivalent activity for phosphate fertilizer was 207.7 Bq/kg in comparison to <5.6 Bq/kg for nitrogenous fertilizer). The calculated increase of external radiation exposure due to use of phosphate fertilizer ranged between 3.4 and 5.4 nG/h, which represents up to 10% of the polish average outdoor exposure due to terrestrial gamma radiation (45 nGy/h).

Keywords: ²¹⁰Po, alpha spectrometry, exposure, gamma spectrometry, phosphate fertilizer, soil

Procedia PDF Downloads 306

Authors: Solange Adechian, Michèle Balage, Didier Remond, Carole Migné, Annie Quignard-Boulangé, Agnès Marset-Baglieri, Sylvie Rousset, Yves Boirie, Claire Gaudichon, Dominique Dardevet, Laurent Mosoni

Abstract:

Studies have shown that timing of protein intake, leucine content, and speed of digestion significantly affect postprandial protein utilization. Our aim was to determine if one can spare lean body mass during energy restriction by varying the quality and the timing of protein intake. Obese volunteers followed a 6-wk restricted energy diet. Four groups were compared: casein pulse, casein spread, milk-soluble protein (MSP, = whey) pulse, and MSP spread (n = 10-11 per group). In casein groups, caseins were the only protein source; it was MSP in MSP groups. Proteins were distributed in four meals per day in the proportion 8:80:4:8% in the pulse groups; it was 25:25:25:25% in the spread groups. We measured weight, body composition, nitrogen balance, 3-methylhistidine excretion, perception of hunger, plasma parameters, adipose tissue metabolism, and whole body protein metabolism. Volunteers lost 7.5 ± 0.4 kg of weight, 5.1 ± 0.2 kg of fat, and 2.2 ± 0.2 kg of lean mass, with no difference between groups. In adipose tissue, cell size and mRNA expression of various genes were reduced with no difference between groups. Hunger perception was also never different between groups. In the last week, due to a higher inhibition of protein degradation and despite a lower stimulation of protein synthesis, postprandial balance between whole body protein synthesis and degradation was better with caseins than with MSP. It seems likely that the positive effect of caseins on protein balance occurred only at the end of the experiment.

Keywords: lean body mass, fat mass, casein, whey, protein metabolism

Procedia PDF Downloads 76

Authors: Nezihe Şengün, Ragip Pala

Abstract:

To prevent overweight and obesity, individuals need to consume food and beverages according to their nutritional needs, engage in regular exercises, and regularly monitor their body weight. This study aimed to examine the effects of exercise, diet, or combined intervention on changes in blood lipid parameters (total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides) and the level of malondialdehyde (MDA), a marker of oxidative stress, in parallel with the increase in body weight due to poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyle conditions. The study included a total of 48 female students aged 18-28 years with a BMI between 25.0 and 29.9 kg/m². They were divided into four groups: control (C), exercise (Ex), diet (D), and exercise+diet (Ex+D). Those in the exercise groups received aerobic exercises at 60-70% intensity (10 minutes warm-up, 30 minutes running, 10 minutes cool-down), while those in the diet groups were provided with a diet program based on the calculation of energy needs considering basal metabolic rate, physical activity level, age, and BMI. The students’ body weight, body fat mass, Body Mass Index (BMI), and waist-hip ratios were measured at the beginning (day 1) and end (day 60) of the 8-week intervention period. Their total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and MDA levels were evaluated and analyzed, considering a statistical significance level of p<0.05. As a result, female students in the Ex+D group had the largest difference in body weight, body fat mass, BMI, and waist-hip ratios, and this difference was statistically significant. Except for those in the C group, those in the other groups experienced a decrease in their total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels and an increase in their HDL cholesterol levels. The decrease in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels was statistically significant for those in the D group, and the increase in HDL cholesterol level was statistically significant for those in the Ex+D group (p<0.05). A decrease in MDA level was found in all groups except those in the C group, and this decrease was significantly higher in the Ex group. In conclusion, our study revealed that the most effective way to achieve weight loss is through a combination of exercise and diet. The application of Ex+D is considered to balance blood lipid levels and suppress oxidative stress.

Keywords: obesity, exercise, diet, body mass index, blood lipids

Procedia PDF Downloads 83

Authors: Leyla Sattarzadeh, Shahin Fathi Molk Kian, Maghsoud Peeri, Mohammadali Azarbaijani, Hasan Matin Homaee

Abstract:

Inflammation by various mechanisms may cause atherosclerosis. Systemic circulating inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), pro-inflammatory cytokines such as Interleukin-6 (IL-6), vascular inflammatory markers as adhesion molecules like Intracellular Adhesion Molecule-1 (ICAM-1) and Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 (VCAM-1) are the predictors of cardiovascular diseases. Regarding the conflicting results about the effect of different patterns of resistance exercise training on these inflammatory markers, present study aimed to examine the effect of different patterns of eight week resistance exercise training on CRP, IL-6, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels in healthy untrained women. 56 healthy volunteered untrained female university students (aged: 21 ± 3 yr., Body Mass Index: 21.5 ± 3.5 kg/m²) were selected purposefully and divided into four groups. At the end of training protocol and after subject drop during the protocol, upper body exercise training (n=11), lower body (n=12) and whole body resistance exercise training group (n=11) completed the eight weeks of training period although the control group (n=7) did anything. Blood samples gathered pre and post-experimental period and CRP, IL-6, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 levels were evaluated using special laboratory kits, then the difference of pre and post values of each indices analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (α < 0.05). The results of one way ANOVA for difference of pre and post values of CRP, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 showed no significant changes due to the exercise training, but there were significant differences between groups about IL-6. Tukey post- hoc test indicated that there is significant difference between the differences of pre and post values of IL-6 between lower body exercise training group and control group, and eight weeks of lower body exercise training lead to significant changes in IL-6 values. There were no changes in anthropometric indices. The findings show that the different patterns of upper, lower and whole body exercise training by involving the different amounts of muscles altered the IL-6 values in lower body exercise training group probably because of engaging the bigger amount of muscles, but showed any significant changes about CRP, ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 probably due to intensity and duration of exercise or the lower levels of these markers at baseline of healthy people.

Keywords: resistance training, C-reactive protein, interleukin-6, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1

Procedia PDF Downloads 144

Authors: Emiko Suzuki

Abstract:

Although fitness is defined as the body’s ability to respond to the demand of physical activity without undue fatigue in health science, in media oftentimes physical activity is presented as means to an attractive body rather than a fit and healthy one. Of all types of media, Instagram is becoming an increasingly persuasive source of information and advice on health and fitness, where individuals conceptualize what health and fitness mean for them. However, this user-generated and unregulated platform can be problematic, as it can communicate misleading information about health and fitness and possibly leading individuals to psychological problems such as eating disorders. In fact, previous research has shown that some messages that were posted with a tag that related to inspire others to do fitness, in fact, encouraged distancing the self from the internal needs of the body. For this reason, this present study aims to explore how health and fitness are communicated on Instagram by analyzing images and texts. A content analysis of images that were labeled with particular hashtags was performed, followed by a thematic analysis of texts from the same set of images. The result shows an interesting insight about messages about how health and fitness are communicated from companies through media, then digested and further shared among communities on Instagram. The study explores how the use of visual focused way of communicating health and fitness can lead to the dehumanization of human bodies.

Keywords: Instagram, fitness, dehumanization, body image, embodiment

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Fernanda Miranda da Cruz

Abstract:

This paper aims to systematize, descriptively and analytically, the relations between language, body and material world explored in a specific empirical context: everyday co-presence interactions between children diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disease ASD and various interlocutors. We will work based on 20 hours of an audiovisual corpus in Brazilian Portuguese language. This analysis focuses on 1) the analysis of daily interactions that have the presence/participation of subjects with a diagnosis of ASD based on an embodied interaction perspective; 2) the study of the status and role of gestures, body and material world in the construction and constitution of human interaction and its relation with linguistic-cognitive processes and Autistic Spectrum Disorders; 3) to highlight questions related to the field of videoanalysis, such as: procedures for recording interactions in complex environments (involving many participants, use of objects and body movement); the construction of audiovisual corpora for linguistic-interaction research; the invitation to a visual analytical mentality of human social interactions involving not only the verbal aspects that constitute it, but also the physical space, the body and the material world.

Keywords: autism spectrum disease, multimodality, social interaction, non-verbal interactions

Procedia PDF Downloads 119

Authors: Valizadeh Gever Bita, Joel Caren, Louisa Huand, Yu-Cheng Zhu, Esmaeil Amiri

Abstract:

Within a honey bee colony, queen is the sole reproducer of fertilized eggs, while queens are safeguarded by worker bees, trophallactic behavior and food sharing activities could expose them to agrochemicals. Here, we assessed the effects of three widely used pesticides—Acephate, Bifenthrin, and Chlorantraniliprole— on worker bees, to investigate indirect effects on the physiology and reproductive traits of queens as well as the eggs they produce. Using RT-qPCR we measured the expression of several detoxification and immune genes in adult worker bees, queens, and freshly laid eggs after pesticide exposure. These analyses aimed to elucidate the physiological changes in queens and potential transgenerational effects. While no significant changes in reproductive traits were observed following Chlorantraniliprole and Bifenthrin exposure, Acephate caused adverse effects on egg size, egg-laying activity, and queen weight. The expression of detoxification, immune and antioxidant-related genes in workers, queens and freshly laid eggs changed over time in response to these pesticides. The results of this investigation revealed that pesticides can cause negative impact on queen physiology and reproduction indirectly through their effects on exposed worker bees. These effects can potentially extend to the next generation of honey bees.

Keywords: apis mellifera, egg laying, detoxification enzymes, gene expression, honey bee queen

Procedia PDF Downloads 70

Authors: Amir Hosseinvand

Abstract:

Probiotics have health-giving effects on the human body, so by stimulating the immune system, they prevent many occurrences they are diseases and food allergies in humans. There are various bacteria in the human digestive system; some are useful, some are harmless, and other groups of bacteria are harmful to human health. These bacteria should be in balance in the body of people in a normal state. In certain conditions, such as a person's high stress, aging, continuous use of antibiotics, or improper diet, the intestinal microbial flora has changed, and these changes cause some diseases in people. Probiotics have health benefits for the human body and are often found in the digestive system of healthy people. Nevertheless, fermented foods such as fermented dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, buttermilk or fermented pickles contain some species of these bacteria that are useful. But the important point that should be noted is that due to modern and industrial life, high fat and high protein diets, and excessive use of antibiotics, the number of these bacteria in people's bodies has decreased, and it is necessary to consume probiotics either in the form of probiotic foods or in the form of supplements. Probiotics with mild stimulation of the immune system increase the immunity level of the body and prevent the occurrence of food allergies in people.

Keywords: human health, dairy products, food allergies, probiotic

Procedia PDF Downloads 43

Authors: Adam Aboalkaz, Rana Shamoon, Duncan Meikle, James Lewis

Abstract:

Background and aims: In orthopaedic theatres, radiological screening during operations is a commonly used and useful technique to visualise and guide the operating surgeon. Within any theatre using ionising radiation, it is imperative that the use of protective equipment and the wearing of a dosimeter at all times. 1. To assess compliance with use of protective equipment during orthopaedic procedures involving ionising radiation. 2. To assess the radiation risk knowledge of staff members regularly present in an orthopaedic theatre of a national major trauma centre, in accordance to the ionising radiation regulation (2000) guidelines. Method: We conducted an Observational study of 21 operations at the University Hospital of Wales, which is a major trauma centre, recording the compliance with use of protective equipment (lead aprons and thyroid shields) and dosimeters. The observations were performed sporadically over a two week period to ensure that all staff in monitored operating theatres were not aware of the ongoing study, as to avoid bias. A questionnaire testing the knowledge of trainees and staff within the orthopaedic department was given following completion of the initial phase of the study, with 19 responses. The questions were based on knowledge of ionising radiation exposure and monitoring. The questions also tested the general staff knowledge of what equipment should be worn and where to locate such equipment. Results: This study found that only 25% of staff members were wearing thyroid protectors when less than 1 meter from the radiation source and only 50% were wearing appropriate lead aprons whilst in this same vicinity. The study also showed that 0% of all staff members used a dosimeter whilst in an area of radiation exposure. From the distributed questionnaires, only 40% of staff understood where to stand whilst radiation was being used, and only 25% of staff knew where to find protective equipment. Conclusion: Overall our audit showed poor compliance with regards to the National and local policies, due to lack of awareness of the policy and lack of basic ionising radiation exposure knowledge. It was evident from the observational study and questionnaire that staff were not fully aware of what equipment should be worn, where to find such equipment and did not appreciate that the distance from the ionising radiation source altered its exposure effect. This lack of knowledge may affect the staff health and safety after long term exposure. Changes to clinical practice: From the outcome of this study, we managed to drastically increase awareness of ionising radiation within the orthopaedic department. A mandatory teaching session on the safety of ionising radiation has been incorporated into the orthopaedic induction week for all staff. The dosimeters have been moved to a visible location within the trauma operating theatre and all staff made aware of where to find protective equipment.

Keywords: audit, ionising radiation, observational study, protection

Procedia PDF Downloads 258

Authors: Maryam Mirzaei, Sinisa Krajnovic´

Abstract:

The paper reports a study about the prediction of flows around simplified vehicles using Partially-Averaged Navier-Stokes (PANS). Numerical simulations are performed for two simplified vehicles: A slanted-back Ahmed body at Re=30 000 and a square back Ahmed body at Re=300 000. A comparison of the resolved and modeled physical flow scales is made with corresponding LES and experimental data for a better understanding of the performance of the PANS model. The PANS model is compared for coarse and fine grid resolutions and it is indicated that even a coarse-grid PANS simulation is able to produce fairly close flow predictions to those from a well-resolved LES simulation. The results indicate the possibility of improvement of the predictions by employing a finer grid resolution.

Keywords: partially-averaged Navier-Stokes, large eddy simulation, PANS, LES, Ahmed body

Procedia PDF Downloads 602

Authors: Meenu Joshi, Natalie Naidoo, Farzeen Kader

Abstract:

Identification of body fluids is an essential step in forensic investigation to aid in crime reconstruction. Tissue-specific differentially methylated regions (tDMRs) of the human genome can be targeted to be used as biomarkers to differentiate between body fluids. The present study was undertaken to establish the methylation status of potential tDMRs in blood, semen, saliva, and vaginal fluid by using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfite sequencing (BS). The methylation statuses of 3 potential tDMRS in genes ZNF282, PTPRS, and HPCAL1 were analysed in 10 samples of each body fluid. With MSP analysis, the ZNF282, and PTPRS1 tDMR displayed semen-specific hypomethylation while HPCAL1 tDMR showed saliva-specific hypomethylation. With quantitative analysis by BS, the ZNF282 tDMR showed statistically significant difference in overall methylation between semen and all other body fluids as well as at individual CpG sites (p < 0.05). To evaluate the effect of environmental conditions on the stability of methylation profiles of the ZNF282 tDMR, five samples of each body fluid were subjected to five different forensic simulated conditions (dry at room temperature, wet in an exsiccator, outside on the ground, sprayed with alcohol, and sprayed with bleach) for 50 days. Vaginal fluid showed highest DNA recovery under all conditions while semen had least DNA quantity. Under outside on the ground condition, all body fluids except semen showed a decrease in methylation level; however, a significant decrease in methylation level was observed for saliva. A statistical significant difference was observed for saliva and semen (p < 0.05) for outside on the ground condition. No differences in methylation level were observed for the ZNF282 tDMR under all conditions for vaginal fluid samples. Thus, in the present study ZNF282 tDMR has been identified as a novel and stable semen-specific hypomethylation marker.

Keywords: body fluids, bisulphite sequencing, forensics, tDMRs, MSP

Procedia PDF Downloads 168

Authors: Fantu Lombamo Untiso, Sylvia Murphy, Emily Pieracci

Abstract:

Background: Rabies is a highly fatal viral disease of all warm-blooded animals including human globally. However, effective rabies control program still remains to be a reality and needs to be strengthened. Objective: Reviewing of recorded data and analyzing it to generate information on the status of rabies in Addis Ababa in the year 2012/13. Methods: A retrospective data were used from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute rabies case record book registered in the year 2012/13. Results: Among 1357 suspected rabid animals clinically examined; only 8.84% were positive for rabies. Out of 216 animal brains investigated in the laboratory with Fluorescent Antibody Technique, 55.5% were confirmed rabies positive. Among the laboratory confirmed positive rabies cases, high percentage of the animals came from Yeka (20%) and lower number from Kirkos subcity (3.3%). Out of 1149 humans who came to the institute seeking anti-rabies post-exposure prophylaxis, 85.65% and 7.87% of them were exposed to suspected dogs and cats respectively. 3 human deaths due to rabies were reported in the year after exposure to dog bite of unknown vaccination status. Conclusion: The principal vector of rabies in Addis Ababa is dog. Effective rabies management and control based on confirmed cases and mass-immunization and control of stray dog populations is recommended.

Keywords: Addis Ababa, exposure, rabies, surveillance

Procedia PDF Downloads 186

Authors: Sabrina Barsky, Ashley Monks

Abstract:

In humans, exercise improves symptoms of various pathological states, although exercise adaptations seem to differ in response to sex. Skeletal muscle anabolism is thought to be regulated by androgen receptor (AR) through poorly specified mechanisms. Interactions of AR and exercise on muscle phenotype remain inconclusive in males, and undetermined in females. We hypothesized that sex differences in exercise adaptations are regulated by the androgenic system and the type of exercise performed. Here we examined interactions between a muscle-specific AR overexpression transgene (HSA-AR) and forced aerobic exercise paradigm on muscle and adipose exercise adaptation in male and female rats. We used dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to examine body composition adaptations post 9-week exercise protocol. We replicated the effects of HSA-AR on body composition, with males only having increased % lean mass and reduced % fat mass (P<0.05). Aerobic exercise improved lean body phenotype significantly, with lesser indices of total and % fat mass (P<0.01) in both sexes. Sex-specific effects of exercise included decreased total body mass (P<0.01) in males and increased lean mass % (P<0.001) in females. Surprisingly, neither AR manipulation nor exercise affected bone parameters in either sex. This varied response in total mass and lean mass according to exercise presents a sexually dimorphic response to exercise. Neither sex showed an interaction between HSA-AR and forced aerobic exercise on body composition. Future work is proposed to examine the effects of exercise type (aerobic versus resistance) and the role of gonadal androgens in sexually dimorphic exercise-mediated mitochondrial adaptations. This work implicates the development of sex-specific exercise therapies.

Keywords: androgen receptor, forced exercise, muscle physiology, sexual dimorphism

Procedia PDF Downloads 132

Authors: M. Jathaveda, Joben Leons, G. Vidya

Abstract:

Reentry from orbit is a critical phase in the entry trajectory. For a non-propulsive ballistic entry, static and dynamic stability play an important role in the trajectory, especially for the safe deployment of parachutes, typically at subsonic Mach numbers. Static stability of flight vehicles are being estimated through CFD techniques routinely. Advances in CFD software as well as computational facilities have enabled the estimation of the dynamic stability derivatives also through CFD techniques. Longitudinal static and dynamic stability of a typical reentry body for subsonic Mach number of 0.6 is predicted using commercial software CFD++ and presented here. Steady state simulations are carried out for α = 2° on an unstructured grid using SST k-ω model. Transient simulation using forced oscillation method is used to compute pitch damping derivatives.

Keywords: stability, typical reentry body, subsonic, static and dynamic

Procedia PDF Downloads 120

Authors: Nafiseh Ebrahimi, Gautham Muthukumaran, Amir Jafari

Abstract:

Human walking gait is considered to be the most efficient biped walking gait. There are various types of gait human follows during locomotion and arm swing is one of the most important factors which controls and differentiates human gaits. Earlier studies declared a 7% reduction in the metabolic cost due to the arm swing. In this research, we compared different types of arm swings in terms of metabolic cost reduction and then suggested, designed, fabricated and tested a quasi-passive upper body exoskeleton to study the metabolic cost reduction in the folded arm walking gate scenarios. Our experimental results validate a 10% reduction in the metabolic cost of walking aided by the application of the proposed exoskeleton.

Keywords: arm swing, MET (metabolic equivalent of a task), calorimeter, oxygen consumption, upper body quasi-passive exoskeleton

Procedia PDF Downloads 161

Authors: Vladyslav Povoroznyuk, Galina Dubetska, Roksolana Povoroznyuk

Abstract:

In recent years, the problem of hyperuricemia is getting a particular importance due to its increased incidence in the world population. The aim of this study was to determine uriс acid level in blood serum, incidence of hyperuricemia among women in postmenopausal period and their association with body mass index and some components of metabolic syndrome (triglyceride, cholesterol, systolic and diastolic pressure). We examined 412 women in postmenopausal period. They were divided in to the following groups: I group (BMI = 18,5-24,9), II group (BMI = 25,0-29,9), III group (BMI = 30,0-34,9), IV group (BMI > 35). We determined uric acid level among women during postmenopausal period depending on their body mass index. The higher level of uric acid was found in patients with the maximal body mass index (BMI > 35). In the I group it was 277,52 ± 8,40; in the II group – 286,81 ± 7,79; in the III group – 291,81 ± 7,56; in the IV group – 327,17 ± 12,17. Incidence of hyperuricemia among women in the I group was 10,2%, in the II group – 15,9%; in the III group – 21,2%, in the IV group – 34,2%. We found an interdependence between an uric acid level and BMI in the examined women (r = 0,21, p < 0,05). We determined that the highest level of triglyceride (F = 18,62, p < 0,05), cholesterol (F = 3,64, p < 0,05), atherogenic coefficient (F = 22,64, p < 0,05), systolic (F = 10,5, p < 0,05) and diastolic pressure (F = 4,30, p < 0,05) was among women with hyperuricemia. It was an interdependence between an uric acid level and triglyceride (r = 0,26, p < 0,05), atherogenic coefficient (r = 0,24, p < 0,05) among women in postmenopausal period.

Keywords: hyperuricemia, uric acid, body mass index, women

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: A. O. Omonona, T. A. Jarikre

Abstract:

Increase specialization in agriculture and use of pesticides may inadvertently cause ecosystem degradation and eventually loss of biodiversity. The populations of numerous wildlife species have undergone a precipitous decline. Many of these problems have been attributed directly to habitat loss and over exploitation resulting from unregulated pesticide uses. Carbendazim a broad spectrum benzimidazole fungicide and a metabolite of benomyl, is used to control plant disease in cereals and fruit. The effect of carbendazim exposure and the ameliorative effect of tocopherol (vitamin E) were assessed on African giant rat AGR. Hematological, biochemical and histological changes were used to determine the health condition of the animals exposed to pesticide. Sixteen AGR were stabilized, weighed and then divided into four experimental groups (A to D). Two groups were pretreated with vitamin. Group A was exposed to carbendazim only, B- carbendazim + vitamin, C- vitamin only, and D- blank (control). Packed cell volume PCV was estimated by the microhematocrit method, Leucocyte and Platelet counts were determined using the hemocytometric method. Cholinesterase (AchE) and markers of oxidative stress were quantified, and tissue changes examined microscopically. There were no behavioral changes observed in the animals, but there was a decrease in body weight and abortion after 23 days of exposure to carbendazim. There was significant differences in the packed cell volume, the hemoglobin concentration and the red blood cell counts (p < 0.05). The increases in malonyl aldehyde MDA was significant (p < 0.05) in the pesticide intoxicated rats compared to control. Vitamin E supplementation reduced MDA level significantly (p < 0.05). There was a sharp remarkable decrease in acetylcholinesterase levels in the pesticide intoxicated rats (p < 0.05). Vitamin E supplementation normalise the AchE levels comparable to that in control. Grossly, the vital organs appeared normal in the pesticide exposed and control groups except moderate pulmonary congestion. Microscopically, there was severe diffuse hepatocellular swelling in carbendazim exposed group. The severity of hepatocellular injury was reduced in the rats with vitamin E. This study ascertained the toxic effect of carbendazim and antioxidative properties of vitamins in the Africa giant rat.

Keywords: African giant rat, antioxidant, carbendazim, pesticides, toxicity

Procedia PDF Downloads 366

Authors: Soraia V. M. de Sá, Miguel A. Faria, José O. Fernandes, Sara C. Cunha

Abstract:

Cereals play a vital role in fulfilling the nutritional needs of children, supplying essential nutrients crucial for their growth and development. However, concerns arise due to children's heightened vulnerability due to their unique physiology, specific dietary requirements, and relatively higher intake in relation to their body weight. This vulnerability exposes them to harmful food contaminants, particularly mycotoxins, prevalent in cereals. Because of the thermal stability of mycotoxins, conventional industrial food processing often falls short of eliminating them. Children, especially those aged 4 months to 12 years, frequently encounter mycotoxins through the consumption of specialized food products, such as instant foods, breakfast cereals, bars, cookie snacks, fruit puree, and various dairy items. A close monitoring of this demographic group's exposure to mycotoxins is essential, as toxins ingestion may weaken children’s immune systems, reduce their resistance to infectious diseases, and potentially lead to cognitive impairments. The severe toxicity of mycotoxins, some of which are classified as carcinogenic, has spurred the establishment and ongoing revision of legislative limits on mycotoxin levels in food and feed globally. While EU Commission Regulation 1881/2006 addresses well-known mycotoxins in processed cereal-based foods and infant foods, the absence of regulations specifically addressing emerging mycotoxins underscores a glaring gap in the regulatory framework, necessitating immediate attention. Emerging mycotoxins have gained mounting scrutiny in recent years due to their pervasive presence in various foodstuffs, notably cereals and cereal-based products. Alarmingly, exposure to multiple mycotoxins is hypothesized to exhibit higher toxicity than isolated effects, raising particular concerns for products primarily aimed at children. This study scrutinizes the presence of 22 mycotoxins of the diverse range of chemical classes in 148 processed cereal-based foods, including 39 breakfast cereals, 25 infant formulas, 27 snacks, 25 cereal bars, and 32 cookies commercially available in Portugal. The analytical approach employed a modified QuEChERS procedure followed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) analysis. Given the paucity of information on the risk assessment of children to multiple mycotoxins in cereal and cereal-based products consumed by children of Portugal pioneers the evaluation of this critical aspect. Overall, aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2) emerged as the most prevalent regulated mycotoxins, while enniatin B (ENNB) and sterigmatocystin (STG) were the most frequently detected emerging mycotoxins.

Keywords: cereal-based products, children´s nutrition, food safety, UPLC-MS/MS analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: Jiahe Liu, Hongyang Yu, Miao Luo, Feng Qian

Abstract:

The widespread application of 3D human body reconstruction spans various fields. Smplify-X, an algorithm reliant on single-image input, employs three distinct body parameter templates, necessitating gender classification of individuals within the input image. Researchers employed a ResNet18 network to train a gender classifier within the Smplify-X framework, setting the threshold at 0.9, designating images falling below this threshold as having neutral gender. This model achieved 62.38% accurate predictions and 7.54% incorrect predictions. Our improvement involved refining the MobileNet network, resulting in a raised threshold of 0.97. Consequently, we attained 78.89% accurate predictions and a mere 0.2% incorrect predictions, markedly enhancing prediction precision and enabling more precise 3D human body reconstruction.

Keywords: SMPLX, mobileNet, gender classification, 3D human reconstruction

Procedia PDF Downloads 105

Authors: M. J. Pourvaghar, M. E. Bahram, M. Sayyah, Sh. Khoshemehry

Abstract:

Adiponectin is a cytokine secreted by the adipose tissue that functions as an anti-inflammatory, antiathrogenic and anti-diabetic substance. Its density is inversely correlated with body mass index. The purpose of this research was to examine the effect of 12 weeks of high intensity interval training (HIIT) with the level of serum adiponectin and some selected adiposity markers in overweight and fat college students. This was a clinical research in which 24 students with BMI between 25 kg/m² to 30 kg/m². The sample was purposefully selected and then randomly assigned into two groups of experimental (age =22.7±1.5 yr.; weight = 85.8±3.18 kg and height =178.7±3.29 cm) and control (age =23.1±1.1 yr.; weight = 79.1±2.4 kg and height =181.3±4.6 cm), respectively. The experimental group participated in an aerobic exercise program for 12 weeks, three sessions per weeks at a high intensity between 85% to 95% of maximum heart rate (considering the over load principle). Prior and after the termination of exercise protocol, the level of serum adiponectin, BMI, waist to hip ratio, and body fat percentages were calculated. The data were analyzed by using SPSS: PC 16.0 and statistical procedure such as ANCOVA, was used. The results indicated that 12 weeks of intensive interval training led to the increase of serum adiponectin level and decrease of body weight, body fat percent, body mass index and waist to hip ratio (P < 0.05). Based on the results of this research, it may be concluded that participation in intensive interval training for 12 weeks is a non-invasive treatment to increase the adiponectin level while decreasing some of the anthropometric indices associated with obesity or being overweight.

Keywords: adiponectin, cardiovascular, interval, overweight, training

Procedia PDF Downloads 321

Authors: I. O. Dudusola, I. Ogunjimi

Abstract:

This study was carried out to determine the effect of sex and genotype on morphometric traits of turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) in a turkey population. Linear body measurements were taken on 150 turkeys. 70 exotic turkeys which include both males (20) and Females (50) and 80 locally adapted turkeys which include males (30) and females (50). The study was conducted at the Turkey Unit of the Teaching and Research Farm, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. The linear body measurements taken and recorded were the beak length, head length, neck length, body length, keel length, wingspan, wing length, drumstick, Shank length, toe length, tail length and body girth all taken in centimetres (cm). The recorded variables were analyzed with SAS (2008). Duncan multiple range test was used to detect differences among means. Variation was noted between male and female turkeys in favour of the male turkeys as an expression of sexual dimorphism for all studied traits. The male is found to be significantly higher (p <0.05) than the females for all the morphometric traits measured both for the local and exotic type. The exotic type is found to be significantly higher (p <0.05) than the local type for all the morphometric traits measured. The interaction is higher significantly (p <0.05) in the exotic genotype and in the male sex in relation with the morphometric trait especially in the beak length, neck length, body length, keel length, drumstick, shank length and the toe length.

Keywords: exotic type, linear measurement, local type, morphometric traits, Meleagris gallopavo

Procedia PDF Downloads 336

Authors: Malinee Pongsavee

Abstract:

Sodium formate is the chemical substance used for food additive. Catalase is the important antioxidative enzyme in protecting the cell from oxidative damage by reactive oxygen species (ROS). The resultant level of oxidative stress in sodium formatetreated lymphocytes was investigated. The sodium formate concentrations of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6 mg/mL were treated in human lymphocytes for 12 hours. After 12 treated hours, catalase activity change was measured in sodium formate-treated lymphocytes. The results showed that the sodium formate concentrations of 0.4 and 0.6 mg/mL significantly decreased catalase activities in lymphocytes (P < 0.05). The change of catalase activity in sodium formate-treated lymphocytes may be the oxidative damage marker for detect sodium formate exposure in human.

Keywords: sodium formate, catalase activity, oxidative damage marker, toxicity

Procedia PDF Downloads 482