Search results for: human activity detection

Authors: Rady Farag Aziz Ibrahim

Abstract:

The gap between Islamic terrorism and human rights has become an important issue in the fight against Islamic terrorism worldwide. This situation is repeated because terrorism and human rights are interconnected in such a way that when the former begins, the latter becomes subject to violence. This unknown relationship was recognized in the Vienna Declaration and Program of Action adopted at the International Conference on Human Rights held in Vienna on 25 June 1993, confirming that terrorist acts, in all their forms and manifestations, aim to destroy the rights of individuals. humanity to destroy. Therefore, Islamic terrorism is a violation of basic human rights. For this purpose, the first part of the article will focus on the relationship between terrorism and human rights and the synergy between these two concepts. The second part then explores the emerging concept of cyber threats and how they exist. Additionally, technology analysis will be conducted against threats based on human rights. This will be achieved through analysis of the concept of 'securitization' of human rights and by striking a balance between counter-terrorism measures and the protection of human rights at all costs. This article concludes with recommendations on how to balance terrorism and human rights today.

Keywords: sustainable development, human rights, the right to development, the human rights-based approach to development

Procedia PDF Downloads 38

Authors: Vivek Mahadev, Manoj Kumar, Neelu Mathur, Brahm Dutt Pandey

Abstract:

Perimeter guarding and protection of critical installations require prompt intrusion detection and assessment to take effective countermeasures. Currently, visual and electronic surveillance are the primary methods used for perimeter guarding. These methods can be costly and complicated, requiring careful planning according to the location and terrain. Moreover, these methods often struggle to detect stealthy and camouflaged insurgents. The object of the present work is to devise a surveillance technique using seismic sensors that overcomes the limitations of existing systems. The aim is to improve intrusion detection, assessment, and characterization by utilizing seismic sensors. Most of the similar systems have only two types of intrusion detection capability viz., human or vehicle. In our work we could even categorize further to identify types of intrusion activity such as walking, running, group walking, fence jumping, tunnel digging and vehicular movements. A virtual fence of 60 meters at GCNEP, Bahadurgarh, Haryana, India, was created by installing four underground geophones at a distance of 15 meters each. The signals received from these geophones are then processed to find unique seismic signatures called features. Various feature optimization and selection methodologies, such as LightGBM, Boruta, Random Forest, Logistics, Recursive Feature Elimination, Chi-2 and Pearson Ratio were used to identify the best features for training the machine learning models. The trained models were developed using algorithms such as supervised support vector machine (SVM) classifier, kNN, Decision Tree, Logistic Regression, Naïve Bayes, and Artificial Neural Networks. These models were then used to predict the category of events, employing weighted ensemble voting to analyze and combine their results. The models were trained with 1940 training events and results were evaluated with 831 test events. It was observed that using the weighted ensemble voting increased the efficiency of predictions. In this study we successfully developed and deployed the virtual fence using geophones. Since these sensors are passive, do not radiate any energy and are installed underground, it is impossible for intruders to locate and nullify them. Their flexibility, quick and easy installation, low costs, hidden deployment and unattended surveillance make such systems especially suitable for critical installations and remote facilities with difficult terrain. This work demonstrates the potential of utilizing seismic sensors for creating better perimeter guarding and protection systems using multiple machine learning models in weighted ensemble voting. In this study the virtual fence achieved an intruder detection efficiency of over 97%.

Keywords: geophone, seismic perimeter surveillance, machine learning, weighted ensemble method

Procedia PDF Downloads 78

Authors: J. B. Minari, O. B. Oloyede, A. A. Odutuga

Abstract:

Myeloperoxidase is the most abundant enzyme found in the polymorphonuclear neutrophil and is known to play a central role in the host defense system of the leukocyte. The enzyme has been reported to interact with some drugs to generate free radical which inhibits its activity. This study investigated the effects of artesunate on the activity of the enzyme and the subsequent effect on the host immune system. In investigating the effects of the drugs on myeloperoxidase, the influence of concentration, pH, partition ratio estimation and kinetics of inhibition were studied. This study showed that artesunate is concentration-dependent inhibitor of myeloperoxidase with an IC50 of 0.078mM. Partition ratio estimation showed that 60 enzymatic turnover cycles are required for complete inhibition of myeloperoxidase in the presence of artesunate. The influence of pH on the effect of artesunate on the enzyme showed least activity of myeloperoxidase at physiological pH. The kinetic inhibition studies showed that artesunate caused a competitive inhibition with an increase in the Km value from 0.12mM to 0.26mM and no effect on the Vmax value. The Ki value was estimated to be 2.5mM. The results obtained from this study show that artesunate is a potent inhibitor of myeloperoxidase and it is capable of inactivating the enzyme. It is considered that the inhibition of myeloperoxidase in the presence of artesunate as revealed in this study may partly explain the impairment of polymorphonuclear neutrophil and consequent reduction of the strength of the host defense system against secondary infections.

Keywords: myeloperoxidase, artesunate, inhibition, nuetrophill

Procedia PDF Downloads 362

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

Abstract:

This study proposed a 3D human body reconstruction method, which integrates multi-view joint information into a set of joints and processes it with a parametric human body template. Firstly, we obtained human body image information captured from multiple perspectives. The multi-view information can avoid self-occlusion and occlusion problems during the reconstruction process. Then, we used the MvP algorithm to integrate multi-view joint information into a set of joints. Next, we used the parametric human body template SMPL-X to obtain more accurate three-dimensional human body reconstruction results. Compared with the traditional single-view parametric human body template reconstruction, this method significantly improved the accuracy and stability of the reconstruction.

Keywords: parametric human body templates, reconstruction of the human body, multi-view, joint

Procedia PDF Downloads 77

Authors: Fruzsina Luca Kézér, Viktor Jurkovich, Ottó Szenci, János Tőzsér, Levente Kovács

Abstract:

Positive interaction between people and animals could have a favorable effect on the welfare and production by reducing stress levels. However, to the repeated contact with humans (e.g. farm staff, veterinarians or herdsmen), animals may respond with escape behavior or avoidance, which both have negative effects on the ease of handling, welfare and may lead to the expression of aggressive behaviors. Rough or aversive handling can impair health and the function of the cardiac autonomic activity due to fear and stress, which also can be determined by certain parameters of heart rate variability (HRV). Although the essential relationships between fear from humans and basal tone of the autonomic nervous system were described by the authors previously, several questions remained unclear in terms of the associations between different coping strategies (behavioral syndromes) of the animals and physiological responsiveness to humans. The main goal of this study was to find out whether human behavior and emotions to the animals have an impact on cardiac function and behavior of animals with different coping styles in response situations. Therefore, in the present study, special (fear, approaching, restraint, novel arena, novel object) tests were performed on healthy, 2-year old heifers (n = 104) differing in coping styles [reactive (passive) vs. proactive (active) coping]. Animals were categorized as reactive or proactive based on the following tests: 1) aggressive behavior at the feeding bunk, 2) avoidance from an approaching person, 3) immobility, and 4) daily activity (number of posture changes). Heart rate, the high frequency (HF) component of HRV as a measure of vagal activity and the ratio between the low frequency (LF) and HF components (LF/HF ratio) as a parameter of sympathetic nervous system activity were calculated for all individual during lying posture (baseline) and for response situations in novel object, novel arena, and unfamiliar person tests (both for 5 min), respectively. The differences between baseline and response were compared between groups. Higher sympathetic (higher heart rates and LF/HF ratios) and lower parasympathetic activity (lower HF) was found for proactive animals in response situations than for reactive (passive) animals either during the novel object, the novel arena and the unfamiliar person test. It suggests that animals with different behavioral traits differ in their immediate autonomic adaptation to novelty and people. Based on our preliminary results, it seems, that the analysis of HRV can help to understand the physiological manifestation of responsiveness to novelty and human presence in dairy cattle with different behavioral syndromes.

Keywords: behavioral syndromes, human-cattle interaction, novel arena test, physiological responsiveness, proactive coping, reactive coping

Procedia PDF Downloads 351

Authors: A. Sacko, H. Nyoni, T. A. M. Msagati, B. Ntsendwana

Abstract:

Carbon based materials to target environmental pollutants have become increasingly recognized in science. Electrochemical methods using carbon based materials are notable methods for high sensitive detection of organic pollutants in air. It is therefore in this light that exfoliated graphite electrode was fabricated for electrochemical analysis of PAHs in urban atmospheric air. The electrochemical properties of the graphite electrode were studied using CV and EIS in the presence of acetate buffer supporting electrolyte with 2 Mm ferricyanide as a redox probe. The graphite electrode showed enhanced current response which confirms facile kinetics and enhanced sensitivity. However, the peak to peak (DE) separation increased as a function of scan rate. The EIS showed a high charger transfer resistance. The detection phenanthrene on the exfoliated graphite was studied in the presence of acetate buffer solution at PH 3.5 using DPV. The oxidation peak of phenanthrene was observed at 0.4 V. Under optimized conditions (supporting electrolyte, pH, deposition time, etc.). The detection limit observed was at 5x 10⁻⁸ M. Thus the results demonstrate with further optimization and modification lower concentration detection can be achieved.

Keywords: electrochemical detection, exfoliated graphite, PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), urban air

Procedia PDF Downloads 202

Authors: Shashank Kumar, Mansi Chandra, Ujjawal Singh, Parth Gupta, Rishi Ram, Arnab Sarkar

Abstract:

Milk is one of the basic and primary sources of food and energy as we start consuming milk from birth. Hence, milk quality and purity and checking the concentration of its constituents become necessary steps. Considering the importance of the purity of milk for human health, the following study has been carried out to simultaneously detect and quantify the different adulterants like urea and starch in milk with the help of a paper-based microfluidic device integrated with a smartphone. The detection of the concentration of urea and starch is based on the principle of colorimetry. In contrast, the fluid flow in the device is based on the capillary action of porous media. The microfluidic channel proposed in the study is equipped with a specialized detection zone, and it employs a colorimetric indicator undergoing a visible color change when the milk gets in touch or reacts with a set of reagents which confirms the presence of different adulterants in the milk. In our proposed work, we have used iodine to detect the percentage of starch in the milk, whereas, in the case of urea, we have used the p-DMAB. A direct correlation has been found between the color change intensity and the concentration of adulterants. A calibration curve was constructed to find color intensity and subsequent starch and urea concentration. The device has low-cost production and easy disposability, which make it highly suitable for widespread adoption, especially in resource-constrained settings. Moreover, a smartphone application has been developed to detect, capture, and analyze the change in color intensity due to the presence of adulterants in the milk. The low-cost nature of the smartphone-integrated paper-based sensor, coupled with its integration with smartphones, makes it an attractive solution for widespread use. They are affordable, simple to use, and do not require specialized training, making them ideal tools for regulatory bodies and concerned consumers.

Keywords: paper based microfluidic device, milk adulteration, urea detection, starch detection, smartphone application

Procedia PDF Downloads 63

Authors: G. Tamilpavai, C. Vishnuppriya

Abstract:

Studying DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) sequence is useful in biological processes and it is applied in the fields such as diagnostic and forensic research. DNA is the hereditary information in human and almost all other organisms. It is passed to their generations. Earlier stage detection of defective DNA sequence may lead to many developments in the field of Bioinformatics. Nowadays various tedious techniques are used to identify defective DNA. The proposed work is to analyze and identify the cancer-causing DNA motif in a given sequence. Initially the human DNA sequence is separated as k-mers using k-mer separation rule. The separated k-mers are clustered using Self Organizing Map (SOM). Using Levenshtein distance measure, cancer associated DNA motif is identified from the k-mer clusters. Experimental results of this work indicate the presence or absence of cancer causing DNA motif. If the cancer associated DNA motif is found in DNA, it is declared as the cancer disease causing DNA sequence. Otherwise the input human DNA is declared as normal sequence. Finally, elapsed time is calculated for finding the presence of cancer causing DNA motif using clustering formation. It is compared with normal process of finding cancer causing DNA motif. Locating cancer associated motif is easier in cluster formation process than the other one. The proposed work will be an initiative aid for finding genetic disease related research.

Keywords: bioinformatics, cancer motif, DNA, k-mers, Levenshtein distance, SOM

Procedia PDF Downloads 186

Authors: Albert Perez-Bellmunt, Eila Rivera, Aida Valls, Berta Estragues, Sara Ortiz, Roberto Seijas, Pedro Alvarez

Abstract:

INTRODUCTION: Physical and sports activity on a regular basis present numerous health benefits such as the prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Also, there is a relation between sport and the psychological or the cognitive process of children and young people. The objective of the present study is to know if the sports practice has any positive influence on the university academic performance. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The level of the physical activity of 220 students of different degrees in health science was evaluated and compared with the academic results (grades). To assess the level of physical and sports activity, the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (to calculate the sporting level in a general way) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (to estimate the physical activity carried out during the days leading up to the academic exams) were used. RESULTS: The students that realized an average level of sports activity the days before the exam obtained better grades than the rest of their classmate and the result was statistically significant. Controversially, if the sports level was analyzed in a general way, no relationship was observed between academic performance and the level of sport realized. CONCLUSION: A moderate physical activity, on the days leading up to an assessment, can be a positive factor for the university academic performance. Despite the fact that a regular sports activity improves many cognitive and physiological processes, the present study did not observe a direct relationship between sport/physical activity and academic performance.

Keywords: academic performance, academic results, global physical activity questionnaire, physical activity questionnaire, sport, sport practice

Procedia PDF Downloads 189

Authors: Stepanov Ivan, Musalimov Viktor, Monahov Uriy

Abstract:

This report examines the current state of human gait simulator development based on the human hip joint model. This unit will create a database of human gait types, useful for setting up and calibrating mechano devices, as well as the creation of new systems of rehabilitation, exoskeletons and walking robots. The system has ample opportunity to configure the dimensions and stiffness, while maintaining relative simplicity.

Keywords: hip joint, human gait, physiotherapy, simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 404

Authors: Abdulrahman M. Alhowikan, Nadra E. Elamin, Sarah S. Aldayel, Sara A. AlSiddiqi, Fai S. Alrowais, Laila Y. Al-Ayadhi

Abstract:

Background: A growing body of research has suggested that physical activities (PA) have important implications for improving the performance of ASD children. They revealed that the physiological, cognitive, psychological, and behavioral functioning had improved after performing some physical activities. Methods: We compared the sedentary behavior and physical activities between children with autism spectrum disorder (n=21) and age-matched control group (n=30), using the ActiGraph GT3X+ for the assessments. Results: Our results revealed that the total time spent in sedentary activity and the total sedentary activity counts were highly significant in the control group compared to the ASD group (p < 0.001, p=0.001, respectively). ASD spent a significantly longer time than the controls engaging on vigorous physical activity (VPA) (p=0.017). The results also indicated that there were no significant differences between both groups for the total counts and time spent in light physical activity (LPA) and moderate physical activity (MPA). Conclusion: The finding highlights the importance of physical activity intervention for ASD children, using accurate and precise measurement tools to record all activities.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorders, motor skills, physical activity, ActiGraph GT3X+, moderate-to vigorous-intensity physical activity

Procedia PDF Downloads 137

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

Abstract:

Hyperlipidemia or an increase in blood lipids is a condition that has been rising, especially during the last decade, with the advancement of the life-span of the car, as an important disease. In fact, it is one of the complications of industrial life and semi-industrial. Hyperlipidemia alone is not a disease, but it is recognized as an important risk factor for coronary artery disease. The methodology of this review article is the use of research to provide the best solution for physical activity and exercise in relation to lowering blood lipids and lowering blood pressure. Also, factors that contribute to improving the health status of humans should be introduced. Research findings in this article show that physical activity with a specific duration and severity can keep a person away from the cardiovascular disease. The result shows that regular physical activity with low intensity and long periods of time is essential for human health. Physical mobility reduces blood pressure, reduces the harmful fats and does not cause cardiovascular disease. More than half of the patients suffering from cardiovascular problems are afflicted with blood lipids. On the other hand, high blood pressure is one of the serious health hazards in the world today, which causes a large number of cardiovascular problems and mortality in the world. Undoubtedly, the second most common risk factor for heart disease is high blood pressure after cigarette smoking.

Keywords: blood pressure, cardiovascular, hyperlipidemia, risk factor

Procedia PDF Downloads 237

Authors: Yu-Kuei Hsu, Yan-Gu Lin

Abstract:

A facile and simple fabrication of copper(II) oxide (CuO) nanosheet on copper foil as nanoelectrode for H2O2 sensing application was proposed in this study. The spontaneous formation of CuO nanosheets by immersing the copper foil into 0.1 M NaOH aqueous solution for 48 hrs was carried out at room temperature. The sheet-like morphology with several ten nanometers in thickness and ~500 nm in width was observed by SEM. Those nanosheets were confirmed the monoclinic-phase CuO by the structural analysis of XRD and Raman spectra. The directly grown CuO nanosheets film is mechanically stable and offers an excellent electrochemical sensing platform. The CuO nanosheets electrode shows excellent electrocatalytic response to H2O2 with significantly lower overpotentials for its oxidation and reduction and also exhibits a fast response and high sensitivity for the amperometric detection of H2O2. The novel spontaneously grown CuO nanosheets electrode is readily applicable to other analytes and has great potential applications in the electrochemical detection.

Keywords: CuO, nanosheets, H2O2 detection, Cu foil

Procedia PDF Downloads 288

Authors: Sasitorn Chetanont

Abstract:

The objectives of this study are to find out the approaches to promote healthy recreation activities for elderly tourists and develop Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market to be a health tourism attraction. The research methodology was to analyze internal and external situations according to MP-MF and the MC-STEPS principles. As for the results of this study the researcher found that the healthy recreational activities for elderly tourists could be divided in 7 groups; travelling Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market activity, homestay relaxation, arts center platform activity, healthy massage activity, paying homage to a Buddha image activity, herbal joss-stick home activity, making local desserts and food activity.

Keywords: elderly tourists, recreation activities, Bang Nam Phueng Floating Market, health tourism

Procedia PDF Downloads 419

Authors: Zhenzhen Zhang

Abstract:

As major human activity places, buildings consume a large amount of energy, and residential buildings are very important part of it. An extensive research work had been conducted to research how to achieve low energy goals, vernacular dwellings and contemporary technologies are two prime parameters among them. On one hand, some researchers concentrated on vernacular dwellings which were climate-response design and could offer a better living condition without mechanic application. On the other hand, a series concepts appeared based on modern technologies, surplus energy house, bioclimatic architecture, etc. especially thermodynamic architecture which integrates the micro-climate, human activity, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency into design. How to blend the two parameters is the key research topic now, which would act as the key to how to integrate the ancient design wise and contemporary new technologies. By several cases study, this paper will represent the evolution of thermodynamic architecture and then try to develop one methodology about how to produce a typical thermodynamic prototype for one area by blending the ancient building wise and contemporary concepts to achieve both low energy consumption and surplus energy.

Keywords: vernacular dwelling, thermodynamic architecture, bioclimatic architecture, thermodynamic prototype, surplus energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 288

Authors: Shivankar Agrawal, Sunil Kumar Deshmukh, Colin Barrow, Alok Adholeya

Abstract:

Millions of people worldwide are affected by infectious diseases caused by bacteria and fungi. Skin and skin structure infections (SSSI) represent a significant category of infectious disease. Unexpectedly, many pathogens have developed resistance towards current antibiotics and over the time this problem has become more and more serious. All these new problems necessitate the continuous search for novel and alternative antibiotics and antifungals. The aim of our research is the screening of extracts of marine fungi for their antibacterial activity against bacteria causing skin and wound infection in humans. A total of 40 marine samples were collected from west coast and Andaman Island of India and 35 morphologically different marine fungi were isolated using natural sea water medium. Among 35 marine fungi, eight isolates exhibited significant antimicrobial activity against human pathogens. In the course of systematic screening program for bioactive marine fungi, strain 'D5' was found to be most potent strain with MIC value of 1 mg/mL, which was morphologically identified as Simplicillium lamellicola. The effects of the most active crude extracts against their susceptible test microorganisms were also investigated by SEM analysis. Purification and characterization of crude extracts for identification of active lead molecule is under process. The results of diversity and antimicrobial activity have increased the scope of finding industrially important marine fungi from Indian marine environments and these organisms could be vital sources for the discovery of pharmaceutically useful molecules.

Keywords: antimicrobial activity, antibiotic, marine fungi, skin infections

Procedia PDF Downloads 263

Authors: Vivek B. Ravindran, Aravind Surapaneni, Rebecca Traub, Sarvesh K. Soni, Andrew S. Ball

Abstract:

Parasitic diseases have a devastating, long-term impact on human health and welfare. More than two billion people are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), including the roundworms (Ascaris), hookworms (Necator and Ancylostoma) and whipworm (Trichuris) with majority occurring in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Despite its low prevalence in developed countries, the removal of STHs from wastewater remains crucial to allow the safe use of sludge or recycled water in agriculture. Conventional methods such as incubation and optical microscopy are cumbersome; consequently, the results drastically vary from person-to-person observing the ova (eggs) under microscope. Although PCR-based methods are an alternative to conventional techniques, it lacks the ability to distinguish between viable and non-viable helminth ova. As a result, wastewater treatment industries are in major need for radically new and innovative tools to detect and quantify STHs eggs with precision, accuracy and being cost-effective. In our study, we focus on the following novel and innovative techniques: -Recombinase polymerase amplification and Surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (RPA-SERS) based detection of helminth ova. -Use of metal nanoparticles and their relative nanozyme activity. -Colorimetric detection, differentiation and enumeration of genera of helminth ova using hydrolytic enzymes (chitinase and lipase). -Propidium monoazide (PMA)-qPCR to detect viable helminth ova. -Modified assay to recover and enumerate helminth eggs from fresh raw sewage. -Transcriptome analysis of ascaris ova in fresh raw sewage. The aforementioned techniques have the potential to replace current conventional and molecular methods thereby producing a standard protocol for the determination and enumeration of helminth ova in sewage sludge.

Keywords: colorimetry, helminth, PMA-QPCR, nanoparticles, RPA, viable

Procedia PDF Downloads 297

Authors: Uchenna Nkiruka Umeononihu, Adenike Kuku, Oludele Odekanyin, Olubunmi Babalola, Femi Agboola, Rapheal Okonji

Abstract:

In this study, a lectin from the bulb of Dioscorea bulbifera was purified, characterised, and its acute and sub-acute toxicity was investigated with a view to evaluate its toxic effects in mice. The protein from the bulb was extracted by homogenising 50 g of the bulb in 500 ml of phosphate buffered saline (0.025 M) of pH 7.2, stirred for 3 hr, and centrifuged at the speed of 3000 rpm. Blood group and sugar specificity assays of the crude extract were determined. The lectin was purified in a two-step procedure- gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 and affinity chromatography on Sepharose 4-B arabinose. The degree of purity of the purified lectin was ascertained by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Detection of covalently bound carbohydrate was carried out with Periodic Acid-Schiffs (PAS) reagent staining technique. Effects of temperature, pH, and EDTA on the lectin were carried out using standard methods. This was followed by acute toxicity studies via oral and subcutaneous routes using mice. The animals were monitored for mortality and signs of toxicity. The sub-acute toxicity studies were carried out using rats. Different concentrations of the lectin were administered twice daily for 5 days via the subcutaneous route. The animals were sacrificed on the sixth day; blood samples and liver tissues were collected. Biochemical assays (determination of total protein, direct bilirubin, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), catalase (CAT), and superoxide dismutase (SOD)) were carried out on the serum and liver homogenates. The collected organs (heart, liver, kidney, and spleen) were subjected to histopathological analysis. The results showed that lectin from the bulbs of Dioscorea bulbifera agglutinated non-specifically the erythrocytes of the human ABO system as well as rabbit erythrocytes. The haemagglutinating activity was strongly inhibited by arabinose and dulcitol with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 0.781 and 6.25, respectively. The lectin was purified to homogeneity with native and subunit molecular weights of 56,273 and 29,373 Daltons, respectively. The lectin was thermostable up to 30 0C and lost 25 %, 33.3 %, and 100 % of its heamagglutinating activity at 40°C, 50°C, and 60°C, respectively. The lectin was maximally active at pH 4 and 5 but lost its total activity at pH eight, while EDTA (10 mM) had no effect on its haemagglutinating activity. PAS reagent staining showed that the lectin was not a glycoprotein. The sub-acute studies on rats showed elevated levels of ALT, AST, serum bilirubin, total protein in serum and liver homogenates suggesting damage to liver and spleen. The study concluded that the aerial bulb of D. bulbifera lectin was non-specific in its heamagglutinating activity and dimeric in its structure. The lectin shared some physicochemical characteristics with lectins from other Dioscorecea species and was moderately toxic to the liver and spleen of treated animals.

Keywords: Dioscorea bulbifera, heamagglutinin, lectin, toxicity

Procedia PDF Downloads 125

Authors: Yogesh Shukla

Abstract:

Many attempts have been made to study temperature distribution problem in human tissues under normal environmental and physiological conditions at constant arterial blood temperature. But very few attempts have been made to investigate temperature distribution in human tissues under different arterial blood temperature. In view of above, a finite element model has been developed to unsteady temperature distribution in dermal region in human body. The model has been developed for one dimension unsteady state case. The variation in parameters like thermal conductivity, blood mass flow and metabolic activity with respect to position and time has been incorporated in the model. Appropriate boundary conditions have been framed. The central difference approach has been used in space variable and trapezoidal rule has been employed a long time variable. Numerical results have been obtained to study relationship among temperature and time.

Keywords: rate of metabolism, blood mass flow rate, thermal conductivity, heat generation, finite element method

Procedia PDF Downloads 352

Authors: Valeriy M. Kondratev, Ekaterina A. Vyacheslavova, Talgat Shugabaev, Alexander S. Gudovskikh, Alexey D. Bolshakov

Abstract:

Modern sensorics imposes strict requirements on the biosensors characteristics, especially technological feasibility, and selectivity. There is a growing interest in the analysis of human health biological markers, which indirectly testifying the pathological processes in the body. Such markers are acids and alkalis produced by the human, in particular - ammonia and hydrochloric acid, which are found in human sweat, blood, and urine, as well as in gastric juice. Biosensors based on modern nanomaterials, especially low dimensional, can be used for this markers detection. Most classical adsorption sensors based on metal and silicon oxides are considered non-selective, because they identically change their electrical resistance (or impedance) under the action of adsorption of different target analytes. This work demonstrates a feasible frequency-resistive method of electrical impedance spectroscopy data analysis. The approach allows to obtain of selectivity in adsorption sensors of a resistive type. The method potential is demonstrated with analyzis of impedance spectra of silicon nanowires in the presence of NH3 and HCl vapors with concentrations of about 125 mmol/L (2 ppm) and water vapor. We demonstrate the possibility of unambiguous distinction of the sensory signal from NH3 and HCl adsorption. Moreover, the method is found applicable for analysis of the composition of ammonia and hydrochloric acid vapors mixture without water cross-sensitivity. Presented silicon sensor can be used to find diseases of the gastrointestinal tract by the qualitative and quantitative detection of ammonia and hydrochloric acid content in biological samples. The method of data analysis can be directly translated to other nanomaterials to analyze their applicability in the field of biosensory.

Keywords: electrical impedance spectroscopy, spectroscopy data analysis, selective adsorption sensor, nanotechnology

Procedia PDF Downloads 112

Authors: Jheanel E. Estrada, Larry A. Vea

Abstract:

This study developed model to detect proper/improper sitting posture using the built in web camera which detects the upper body points’ location and distances (chin, manubrium and acromion process). It also established relationships of human body frames and proper sitting posture. The models were developed by training some well-known classifiers such as KNN, SVM, MLP, and Decision Tree using the data collected from 60 students of different body frames. Decision Tree classifier demonstrated the most promising model performance with an accuracy of 95.35% and a kappa of 0.907 for head and shoulder posture. Results also showed that there were relationships between body frame and posture through Body Mass Index.

Keywords: posture, spinal points, gyroscope, image processing, ergonomics

Procedia PDF Downloads 327

Authors: Xinglu Nie, Feifei Tang, Chuntao Wei, Zhimin Ruan, Qianhong Zhu

Abstract:

Current method of manual-style inspection can not fully meet the requirement of the urban rail transit security in China. In this paper, an intelligent inspection method using unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is utilized. A series of orthophoto of rail transit monitored area was collected by UAV, image correction and registration were operated among multi-phase images, then the change detection was used to detect the changes, judging the engineering activities and human activities that may become potential threats to the security of urban rail. Not only qualitative judgment, but also quantitative judgment of changes in the security control area can be provided by this method, which improves the objectives and efficiency of the patrol results. The No.6 line of Chongqing Municipality was taken as an example to verify the validation of this method.

Keywords: rail transit, control of protected areas, intelligent inspection, UAV, change detection

Procedia PDF Downloads 367

Authors: Qaiser Akram, Ahsan Naeem, Hafiz Muhammad Rizwan, Waqas Ahmad, Rubeena Yasmeen

Abstract:

Aspergillus has good secretory potential for phytases. Morphologically and microscopically identified Aspergillus terreus (A. terreus) (n=20) were screened for phytase production and non-toxicity. Phytases produced by non-toxigenic A. terreus under optimum conditions were quantified. Phytases of highest producer A. terreus were evaluated for stability after exposure to temperature (35, 55, 75 and 95ºC) and pH (2, 4, 6 and 8). Effect of metal ions (Fe⁺³, Ba⁺², Ca⁺², Cu⁺², Mg⁺², Mn⁺², K⁺¹ and Na⁺¹) was assessed on phytase activity. Log reduction in phytase activity was calculated. The highest activity units of phytase produced by A. terreus were 271.49 ± 8.14 phytase unit / mL (FTU/ mL). The lowest reduction in phytase activity was 50.20 ± 7.36 (18.5%) and 68.22 ± 10.3 FTU/mL (25.13%) at 35ºC and pH 6, respectively for 15 minutes. The highest reduction 259 ± 0.84 (95.5%) and 211.99 ± 4.39 FTU/mL (78.1%) was recorded at 95ºC for 60 minutes and pH 2.0 for 45 minutes exposure, respectively. All metal ions negatively affected phytase activity. Phytase activity was inhibited minimum (45.32 ± 28.54 FTU/mL, 16.69%) by K⁺¹(1 mM) and maximum (231.48 ± 3.68 FTU/mL, 80.8%) by Cu⁺² (10 mM). It was concluded that A. terreus phytase stability and activity was dependent on physio-chemical factors.

Keywords: stability, phytase, aspergillus terreus, physio-chemical factors and metal ions

Procedia PDF Downloads 282

Authors: Natasha Mandal, Rakesh Singh Moirangthem

Abstract:

The present work reports a theoretical model to develop a plasmonic biosensor for the detection of glucose concentrations in human blood and urine as the abnormality of glucose label is the major cause of diabetes which becomes a life-threatening disease worldwide. This study is based on the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor applications which is a well-established, highly sensitive, label-free, rapid optical sensing tool. Here we have introduced a sandwich assay of two dielectric spacer layers of MgF2 and BaTiO3which gives better performance compared to commonly used SiO2 and TiO2 dielectric spacers due to their low dielectric loss and higher refractive index. The sensitivity of our proposed sensor was found as 3242 nm/RIU approximately, with an excellent linear response of 0.958, which is higher than the conventional single-layer Au SPR sensor. Further, the sensitivity enhancement is also optimized by coating a few layers of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials (e.g., Graphene, h-BN, MXene, MoS2, WS2, etc.) on the sensor chip. Hence, our proposed SPR sensor has the potential for the detection of glucose concentration in blood and urine with enhanced sensitivity and high affinity and could be utilized as a reliable platform for the optical biosensing application in the field of medical diagnosis.

Keywords: biosensor, surface plasmon resonance, dielectric spacer, 2D nanomaterials

Procedia PDF Downloads 104

Authors: F. Haddadj, S. Hamdi, A. Milla, S. Zenia, A. Smai, H. Saadi, F. Marniche, B. Doumandji-Mitiche

Abstract:

The use of a biopesticide based on a microorganism scale requires particular care including safety against the useful auxiliary fauna and mammals among other human beings. Due to its persistence in soil and its apparent human and animal safety, Beauveria bassiana is a cryptogram used for controlling pests organizations, particularly in the locust where its effectiveness has been proven. This fungus is also called for greater respect for biotic communities and the environment. Indeed, biopesticides have several environmental benefits: biodegradability, their activity and selectivity decrease unintended non-target species effects, decreased resistance to some of them. It is in this sense that we contribute by presenting our work on the safety of B. bassiana against mammals. For this we conducted a toxicological study of this fungus strain on Wistar rats Rattus norvegicus, first its effect on weight gain. In a second time were performed histological target organ is the liver. After 20 days of treatment, the results of the toxicological studies have shown that B. bassiana caused no change in the physiological state of rats or weight gain, behavior and diet. On cuts in liver histology revealed no disturbance on the organ.

Keywords: B. bassiana, entomopathogenic fungus, histology, Rattus norvegicus

Procedia PDF Downloads 236

Authors: Hanaa M. Abdelgawad, Mona Safar, Ayman M. Wahba

Abstract:

Real-time image and video processing is a demand in many computer vision applications, e.g. video surveillance, traffic management and medical imaging. The processing of those video applications requires high computational power. Therefore, the optimal solution is the collaboration of CPU and hardware accelerators. In this paper, a Canny edge detection hardware accelerator is proposed. Canny edge detection is one of the common blocks in the pre-processing phase of image and video processing pipeline. Our presented approach targets offloading the Canny edge detection algorithm from processing system (PS) to programmable logic (PL) taking the advantage of High Level Synthesis (HLS) tool flow to accelerate the implementation on Zynq platform. The resulting implementation enables up to a 100x performance improvement through hardware acceleration. The CPU utilization drops down and the frame rate jumps to 60 fps of 1080p full HD input video stream.

Keywords: high level synthesis, canny edge detection, hardware accelerators, computer vision

Procedia PDF Downloads 478

Authors: Shenouda Salib Hosni Rofail

Abstract:

The interface between development and human rights has long been the subject of scholarly debate. As a result, a set of principles ranging from the right to development to a human rights-based approach to development has been adopted to understand the dynamics between the two concepts. Despite these attempts, the exact link between development and human rights is not yet fully understood. However, the inevitable interdependence between the two concepts and the idea that development efforts must be made while respecting human rights have gained prominence in recent years. On the other hand, the emergence of sustainable development as a widely accepted approach to development goals and policies further complicates this unresolved convergence. The place of sustainable development in the human rights discourse and its role in ensuring the sustainability of development programs require systematic research. The aim of this article is, therefore, to examine the relationship between development and human rights, with a particular focus on the place of the principles of sustainable development in international human rights law. It will continue to examine whether it recognizes the right to sustainable development. Thus, the Article states that the principles of sustainable development are recognized directly or implicitly in various human rights instruments, which is an affirmative answer to the question posed above. Accordingly, this document scrutinizes international and regional human rights instruments, as well as the case law and interpretations of human rights bodies, to support this hypothesis.

Keywords: sustainable development, human rights, the right to development, the human rights-based approach to development, environmental rights, economic development, social sustainability human rights protection, human rights violations, workers’ rights, justice, security.

Procedia PDF Downloads 47

Authors: Maria Nejjari, Michel Cloutier, Guylaine Talbot, Martin Lanthier

Abstract:

The fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a staining technique that allows the identification, detection and quantification of microorganisms without prior cultivation by means of epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Oligonucleotide probes have been used to detect bacteria and archaea that colonize the cattle and swine digestive systems. These bacterial strains have been obtained from fecal samples issued from cattle manure and swine slurry. The collection of these samples has been done at 3 different pit’s levels A, B and C with same height. Two collection depth levels have been taken in consideration, one collection level just under the pit’s surface and the second one at the bottom of the pit. Cells were fixed and FISH was performed using oligonucleotides of 15 to 25 nucleotides of length associated with a fluorescent molecule Cy3 or Cy5. The double hybridization using Cy3 probe targeting bacteria (Cy3-EUB338-I) along with a Cy5 probe targeting Archaea (Gy5-ARCH915) gave a better signal. The CLSM images show that there are more bacteria than archaea in swine slurry. However, the choice of fluorescent probes is critical for getting the double hybridization and a unique signature for each microorganism. FISH technique is an easy way to detect pathogens like E. coli O157, Listeria, Salmonella that easily contaminate water streams, agricultural soils and, consequently, food products and endanger human health.

Keywords: archaea, bacteria, detection, FISH, fluorescence

Procedia PDF Downloads 385

Authors: Xiaoxiao Li, Shuangcheng Jia, Qian Li

Abstract:

Keypoint detection has always been a challenge in the field of image recognition. This paper proposes a novelty keypoint detection method which is called Multi-Scale Feature Fusion Convolutional Network with Attention (MFFCNA). We verified that the multi-scale features with the attention mechanism module have better feature expression capability. The feature fusion between different scales makes the information that the network model can express more abundant, and the network is easier to converge. On our self-made street sign corner dataset, we validate the MFFCNA model with an accuracy of 97.8% and a recall of 81%, which are 5 and 8 percentage points higher than the HRNet network, respectively. On the COCO dataset, the AP is 71.9%, and the AR is 75.3%, which are 3 points and 2 points higher than HRNet, respectively. Extensive experiments show that our method has a remarkable improvement in the keypoint recognition tasks, and the recognition effect is better than the existing methods. Moreover, our method can be applied not only to keypoint detection but also to image classification and semantic segmentation with good generality.

Keywords: keypoint detection, feature fusion, attention, semantic segmentation

Procedia PDF Downloads 117

Authors: Jun Su Ha

Abstract:

Various advanced technologies will be adopted in Advanced Control Rooms (ACRs) of advanced Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), which is thought to increase operators’ performance. However, potential human factors issues coupled with digital technologies might be troublesome. Human factors issues in ACRs are identified and strategies (or countermeasures) for evaluating and analyzing each of issues are addressed in this study.

Keywords: advanced control room, human factor issues, human performance, human error, nuclear power plant

Procedia PDF Downloads 468