Search results for: free swelling index

Authors: Kobus-Cisowska Joanna, Flaczyk Ewa, Gramza-Michalowska Anna, Kmiecik Dominik, Przeor Monika, Marcinkowska Agata, Korczak Józef

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Cereal products, including mainly bread is a staple food known from the beginning of history throughout the world. It is now believed that there is no replacement of the basic food. Bread, due to the high content of starch is the energy source for the proper functioning of our body. It also contains proteins, fats, vitamins, especially of the B group and vitamin E, a number of minerals, and fiber. The aim of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant activity of new developed bread premixes with mulberry fruits for people with anemia, diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. From the finished product-bread, aqueous and methanol extracts was prepared, which in next step were analyzed to assess the activity of the radical DPPH test, ABTS, chelating activity, the ability to reduce metals. Extracts were prepared from bread were acquired with premixes directly after production and stored for three months. The resulting trial breads effect by different mechanisms of antioxidant. They showed the ability to scavenge radicals ABTS and DPPH and chelating activity. Methanol extracts showed significantly greater antioxidant activity in comparison with aqueous extracts, and the largest effect was estimated for sample of bread for anemia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The greatest ability to scavenging ABTS radicals showed breads for anemia, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, while smaller for anemia and control sample. It was shown that the methanol extracts of the breads samples showed no ability to chelate iron (II). These properties are observed only in the aqueous extracts. The greatest ability attempt had anemia while the lowest control sample. Financial supported by the UE Project no POIG 01.01.02-00-061/09.

Keywords: morus alba, antioxidant activity, free radicals, polyphenols

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Authors: Aliro Villacorta, Laura Rubio, Mohamed Alaraby, Montserrat López Mesas, Victor Fuentes-Cebrian, Oscar H. Moriones, Ricard Marcos, Alba Hernández.

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Micro and nano plastics (MNPLs) are emergent environmental pollutants requiring urgent information on their potential risks to human health. One of the problems associated with the evaluation of their undesirable effects is the lack of real samples matching those resulting from the environmental degradation of plastic wastes. To such end, we propose an easy method to obtain polyethylene terephthalate nano plastics from water plastic bottles (PET-NPLs) but, in principle, applicable to any other plastic goods sources. An extensive characterization indicates that the proposed process produces uniform samples of PET-NPLs of around 100 nm, as determined by using a multi-angle and dynamic light scattering methodology. An important point to be highlighted is that to avoid the metal contamination resulting from methods using metal blades/burrs for milling, trituration, or sanding, we propose to use diamond burrs to produce metal-free samples. To visualize the toxicological profile of the produced PET-NPLs, we have evaluated their ability to be internalized by cells, their cytotoxicity, and their ability to induce oxidative stress and induce DNA damage. In this preliminary approach, we have detected their cellular uptake, but without the induction of significant biological effects. Thus, no relevant increases in toxicity, reactive oxygen species (ROS) induction, or DNA damage -as detected with the comet assay- have been observed. The use of real samples, as produced in this study, will generate relevant data in the discussion about the potential health risks associated with MNPLs exposures.

Keywords: nanoplastics, polyethylene terephthalate, physicochemical characterization, cell uptake, cytotoxicity

Procedia PDF Downloads 100

Authors: Arezou Rezazadeh, Nasrin Omidvar, Hassan Eini-Zinab, Mahmoud Ghazi-Tabatabaie, Reza Majdzadeh, Saeid Ghavamzadeh, Sakineh Nouri-Saeidlou

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Dietary pattern analysis method can reflect more information about the nutritional etiology of chronic diseases such as obesity. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between major dietary patterns and anthropometric measures in men and women living in the city of Urmia. In this cross-sectional study, 723 participants (427 women and 296 men), aged 20–64 in Urmia city were selected from all four zones of Urmia city, in the north-west of Iran. Anthropometrics (weight, height, waist and hip circumference) were measured with standard methods. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated by dividing weight (in kilograms) by the square of height (in meter). Dietary intake information was collected by a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire in the last year. Dietary patterns were determined using principal component analysis. The relationship between dietary patterns and obesity was analyzed by logistic regression. Three major dietary patterns (DPs) were identified that were named ‘Traditional Higher SES (THS)’, ‘Traditional Low SES (TLS)’ and ‘Transitional’. THS DP was positively and Transitional DP was negatively associated with BMI and waist circumference (W.C), however, after adjusting for confounding variables (age, gender, ethnicity, energy intake, physical activity and SES), the associations were not significant. The TLS was not significantly associated with BMI, but after adjusting for confounders, a significant positive association was detected with W.C and Waist to hip ratio (WHR). Findings showed that both traditional patterns were positively and the western type transitional pattern was reversely associated with anthropometric indices. But this relationship was highly affected by demographic, socioeconomic and energy input and output determinants. The results indicate the inevitable effect of environmental factors on the relationship between dietary patterns and anthropometric indices.

Keywords: anthropometric indices, dietary pattern, Iran, North-west

Procedia PDF Downloads 167

Authors: Archana S., Usha Rani G., Anand Balakrishnan, Sanjana R., Solomon F., Vijayalakshmi J.

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Background: There is evidence that male factors contribute to the infertility of up to 50% of couples, who are evaluated and treated for infertility using advanced assisted reproductive technologies. Genetic abnormalities, including sperm chromosome aneuploidy as well as structural aberrations, are one of the major causes of male infertility. Recent advances in technology expedite the evaluation of sperm aneuploidy. The purpose of the study was to de-termine the prevalence of sperm aneuploidy in infertile males and the degree of association between DNA fragmentation and sperm aneuploidy. Methods: In this study, 75 infertile men were included, and they were divided into four abnormal groups (Oligospermia, Terato-spermia, Asthenospermia and Oligoasthenoteratospermia (OAT)). Men with children who were normozoospermia served as the control group. The Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) method was used to test for sperm aneuploidy, and the Sperm Chromatin Dispersion Assay (SCDA) was used to measure the fragmentation of sperm DNA. Spearman's correla-tion coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between sperm aneuploidy and sperm DNA fragmentation along with age. P < 0.05 was regarded as significant. Results: 75 partic-ipants' ages varied from 28 to 48 years old (35.5±5.1). The percentage of spermatozoa bear-ing X and Y was determined to be statistically significant (p-value < 0.05) and was found to be 48.92% and 51.18% of CEP X X 1 – nucish (CEP XX 1) [100] and CEP Y X 1 – nucish (CEP Y X 1) [100]. When compared to the rate of DNA fragmentation, it was discovered that infertile males had a greater frequency of sperm aneuploidy. Asthenospermia and OAT groups in sex chromosomal aneuploidy were significantly correlated (p<0.05). Conclusion: Sperm FISH and SCDA assay results showed increased sperm aneuploidy frequency, and DNA fragmentation index in infertile men compared with fertile men. There is a significant relationship observed between sperm aneuploidy and DNA fragmentation in OAT patients. When evaluating male variables and idiopathic infertility, the sperm FISH screening method can be used as a valuable diagnostic tool.

Keywords: ale infertility, dfi (dna fragmentation assay) (scd-sperm chromatin dispersion).art (artificial reproductive technology), trisomy, aneuploidy, fish (fluorescence in-situ hybridization), oat (oligoasthoteratospermia)

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Authors: Lidia Kowalska, Edward Arseniuk

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Glume and leaf blotch is a disease of wheat caused by necrotrophic fungus Parastagonospora nodorum. It is a serious pathogen in many wheat-growing areas throughout the world. Use of resistant cultivars is the most effective and economical means to control the above-mentioned disease. Plant breeders and pathologists have worked intensively to incorporate resistance to the pathogen in new cultivars. Conventional methods of breeding for resistance can be supported by using the biotechnological ones, i.e., somatic embryogenesis and androgenesis. Therefore, an effort was undertaken to compare genetic variation in P. nodorum resistance among winter wheat somaclones, dihaploids and conventional varieties. For the purpose, a population of 16 somaclonal and 4 dihaploid wheat lines from six crosses were used to assess their resistance to P. nodorum under field conditions. Lines were grown in disease-free (fungicide protected) and inoculated micro plots in 2 replications of a split-plot design in a single environment. The plant leaves were inoculated with a mixture of P. nodorum isolates three times. Spore concentrations were adjusted to 4 x 10⁶ of viable spores per one milliliter. The disease severity was rated on a scale, where > 90% – susceptible, < 10% - resistant. Disease ratings of plant leaves showed statistically significant differences among all lines tested. Higher resistance to P. nodorum was observed more often on leaves of somaclonal lines than on dihaploid ones. On average, disease, severity reached 15% on leaves of somaclones and 30% on leaves of dihaploids. Some of the genotypes were showing low leaf infection, e.g. dihaploid D-33 (disease severity 4%) and a somaclone S-1 (disease severity 2%). The results from this study prove that dihaploid and somaclonal variation might be successfully used as an additional source of wheat resistance to the pathogen and it could be recommended to use in commercial breeding programs. The reported results prove that biotechnological methods may effectively be used in breeding for disease resistance of wheat to fungal necrotrophic pathogens.

Keywords: glume and leaf blotch, somaclonal, androgenic variation, wheat, resistance breeding

Procedia PDF Downloads 122

Authors: E. Farg, M. M. El-Sharkawy, M. S. Mostafa, S. M. Arafat

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Mapping water stress provides important baseline data for sustainable agriculture. Recent developments in the new Sentinel-1 data which allow the acquisition of high resolution images and varied polarization capabilities. This study was conducted to detect and quantify vegetation water content from canopy backscatter for extracting spatial information to encourage drought mapping activities throughout new reclaimed sandy soils in western Nile delta, Egypt. The performance of radar imagery in agriculture strongly depends on the sensor polarization capability. The dual mode capabilities of Sentinel-1 improve the ability to detect water stress and the backscatter from the structure components improves the identification and separation of vegetation types with various canopy structures from other features. The fieldwork data allowed identifying of water stress zones based on land cover structure; those classes were used for producing harmonious water stress map. The used analysis techniques and results show high capability of active sensors data in water stress mapping and monitoring especially when integrated with multi-spectral medium resolution images. Also sub soil drip irrigation systems cropped areas have lower drought and water stress than center pivot sprinkler irrigation systems. That refers to high level of evaporation from soil surface in initial growth stages. Results show that high relationship between vegetation indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index NDVI the observed radar backscattering. In addition to observational evidence showed that the radar backscatter is highly sensitive to vegetation water stress, and essentially potential to monitor and detect vegetative cover drought.

Keywords: canopy backscatter, drought, polarization, NDVI

Procedia PDF Downloads 148

Authors: Zhanara Suleimenova, Raushan Blieva, Aigerim Zhakipbekova, Inkar Tapenbayeva, Zhanar Narmuratova

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Green processes are based on innovative technologies that do not negatively affect the environment. Industrial enzymes originated from biological systems can effectively contribute to sustainable development through being isolated from microorganisms which are fermented using primarily renewable resources. Many widespread microorganisms secrete a significant amount of biocatalysts into the environment, which greatly facilitates the task of their isolation and purification. The ability to control the enzyme production through the regulation of their biosynthesis and the selection of nutrient media and cultivation conditions allows not only to increase the yield of enzymes but also to obtain enzymes with certain properties. In this regard, large potentialities are embedded in immobilized cells. Enzyme production technology in a secreted active form enabling industrial application on an economically feasible scale has been developed. This method is based on the immobilization of enzyme producers on a solid career. Immobilizing has a range of advantages: decreasing the price of the final product, absence of foreign substances, controlled process of enzyme-genesis, the ability of various enzymes' simultaneous production, etc. Design of proposed equipment gives the opportunity to increase the activity of immobilized cell culture filtrate comparing to free cells, growing in periodic culture conditions. Such technology allows giving a 10-times raise in culture productivity, to prolong the process of fungi cultivation and periods of active culture liquid generation. Also, it gives the way to improve the quality of filtrates (to make them more clear) and exclude time-consuming processes of recharging fermentative vials, that require manual removing of mycelium.

Keywords: industrial enzymes, immobilization, submerged fermentation, microscopic fungi

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: Iahtasham Khan, Vania Lucia De Assis Santana, Marcilia Maria Alves De Souza, Mabel Hanna Vance Harrop, Fernando Leandro Dos Santos, Cecília Maria Souza Leão E. Silva, Pedro Paulo Silveira, Marcelo Brasil, Marcus Vinícius, Hélio Cordeiro Manso Filho, Muhammad Younus, Aman Ullah Khan

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Glanders ranks high on clinical lists in some regions of Brazil as a cause of respiratory and lymphatic disease in equids. Glanders is caused by Burkolderia mallei (B. mallei) Gram-negative bacterium. B. mallei was first biological agent used in World War I in 20th century. The complement fixation test (CFT) is a serodiagnostic tool prescribed by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)for the diagnosis of glanders in the international trade of equids. The aim of the present study was to monitor the serological responses in equines naturally infected with B. mallei using the CFT. A total of 574 equids were tested with CFT, 30 days apart in a total of 12 samplings. One hundred thirty-four sera tested negative in all samplings; 192 sera tested positive in one sampling and 125 sera tested positive in two or more samplings. Remaining 123 samples showed uncertain results. Thus, CFT results can vary over a period of time. These variations could be the consequence of the effects of the natural immune response in each animal. The findings of the present study demonstrate difficulties regarding the simultaneous implementation of CFT and test and slaughter policies to eradicate glanders. Another constraint to control this disease is the presence of carrier/transitory CFT-negative animals, which are a potential source of disease in glanders-free areas. Serodiagnostic tests of higher sensitivity and specificity like immunobloat should be implemented to achieve success in the eradication of glanders.

Keywords: glanders, equids, horses, immunological, mules

Procedia PDF Downloads 417

Authors: Yunhui Sun, Qingquan Liu, Xiaoliang Wang

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Dense granular flows widely exist in geological flows such as debris flow, landslide, or sheet flow, where both the interparticle and solid-liquid interactions are important to modify the flow. So, a two-phase approach with both phases correctly modelled is important for a better investigation of the saturated granular flows. However, a proper closure model covering a wide range of flowing states for the solid phase is still lacking. This study first employs a chute flow experiment based on the refractive index matching method, which makes it possible to obtain internal flow information such as velocity, shear rate, granular fluctuation, and volume fraction. The granular stress is obtained based on a steady assumption. The kinetic theory is found to describe the stress dependence on the flow state well. More importantly, the granular rheology is found to be frictionally dominated under weak shear and collisionally dominated under strong shear. The results presented thus provide direct experimental evidence on a possible frictional-collisional closure model for the granular phase. The data indicates that both frictional stresses exist over a wide range of the volume fraction, though traditional theory believes it vanishes below a critical volume fraction. Based on the findings, a two-phase model is used to simulate the chute flow. Both phases are modelled as continuum media, and the inter-phase interactions, such as drag force and pressure gradient force, are considered. The frictional-collisional model is used for the closure of the solid phase stress. The profiles of the kinematic properties agree well with the experiments. This model is further used to simulate immersed granular collapse, which is unsteady in nature, to study the applicability of this model, which is derived from steady flow.

Keywords: closure model, collision, friction, granular flow, two-phase model

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Authors: Ina Nasto, Denada Sota, Pudrila Haskoçelaj, Mariola Ismailaj, Hajdar Kicaj

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Most of the fishing areas of the Mediterranean Sea are considered to be overfished, consequently fishing has decreased or is static. Considering the continuous increase in demand for fish, the option of aquaculture production has had a growing development in recent decades. The environmental impact of aquaculture in the marine ecosystem has been a subject of study for several years in the Mediterranean. In the case of the Albanian waters, and in particular the Gulf of Vlora, have had a progressive growing of aquaculture activity in the last twenty years. Given the convenient and secluded location for tourist activities, the bay of Ragusa was considered as the most suitable area to install the aquaculture cage system for the breeding of sea bass and sea bream. The impact of aquaculture in on the soft bottom benthic communities has been assessed at the biggest commercial fish farm (Alb-Adriatico Sh.P.K) established in coastal waters of Ragusa bay 30–50 m deep, in the southern part of the Gulf of Vlora. In order to determine if there is a possible impact on the aquaculture cage in benthic communities, a comparative analysis was undertaken between transects and samples with differences in distances between them and with a gradient of distance from the fish cages. A total of 275 taxa were identified (1 Foraminifera, 1 Porifera, 3 Cnidaria, 2 Platyhelminthes, 2 Nemertea, 1 Bryozoa, 171 Mollusca, 39 Annelida, 35 Crustacea, 14 Echinodermata, 1 Hemichordata, and 5 Tunicata). The anaysis showed three main habitats in the area: biocoenosis of terrigenous mud, residual areas with Possidonia oceanica and also residual assemblages of algal coralligenous. Four benthic biotic indexes were calculated (Shannon H ’, BENTIX, Simpson's Diversity and Peilou’s J’) also benthic indicators as total abundance, number of taxa and species frequency to evaluate possible ecological impact of fish cages in Ragusa bay.

Keywords: Bentix index, Benthic community, invertebrates, aquaculture, Raguza bay

Procedia PDF Downloads 102

Authors: Liliane Ventura, Mauro Masili

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Ultraviolet (UV) protection is critical for sunglasses, and mydriasis, as well as miosis, are relevant parameters to consider. The literature reports that for sunglasses, ultraviolet protection is critical because sunglasses can cause the opposite effect if the lenses do not provide adequate UV protection due to the greater dilation of the pupil when wearing sunglasses. However, the scientific literature does not properly quantify to support this rationale. The reasoning may be misleading by ignoring not only the inherent absorption of UV by the sunglass lens materials but also by ignoring the absorption of the anterior structures of the eye, i.e., the cornea and aqueous humor. Therefore, we estimate the pupil diameter and calculate the solar ultraviolet influx through the pupil of the human eye for two situations of an individual wearing and not wearing sunglasses. We quantify the dilation of the pupil as a function of the luminance of the surrounding. Therefore, we calculate the influx of solar UV through the pupil of the eye for two situations for an individual wearing sunglass and for the eyes free of shade. A typical boundary condition for the calculation is an individual in an upright position wearing sunglasses, staring at the horizon as if the sun is in the zenith. The calculation was done for the latitude of the geographic center of the state of São Paulo (-22º04'11.8'' S) from sunrise to sunset. A model from the literature is used for determining the sky luminance. The initial approach is to obtain pupil diameter as a function of luminance. Therefore, as a preliminary result, we calculate the pupil diameter as a function of the time of day, as the sun moves, for a particular day of the year. The working range for luminance is daylight (10⁻⁴ – 10⁵ cd/m²). We are able to show how the pupil adjusts to brightness change (~2 - ~7.8 mm). At noon, with the sun higher, the direct incidence of light on the pupil is lower if compared to mid-morning or mid-afternoon, when the sun strikes more directly into the eye. Thus, the pupil is larger at midday. As expected, the two situations have opposite behaviors since higher luminance implies a smaller pupil. With these results, we can progress in the short term to obtain the transmittance spectra of sunglasses samples and quantify how light attenuation provided by the spectacles affects pupil diameter.

Keywords: sunglasses, UV protection, pupil diameter, solar irradiance, luminance

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Authors: Maria Manzoor, Iram Gul, Muhammad Arshad

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Bacterial strains were isolated from contaminated soil collected from Rawalpindi and Islamabad. The strains were investigated for lead resistance and their effect on Pb solubility and PGPR activity. Incubation experiments were carried for inoculated and unoculated soil containing different levels of Pb. Results revealed that few stains (BTM-4, BTM-11, BTM-14) were able to tolerate Pb up to 600 mg L-1, whereas five strains (BTM-3, BTM-6, BTM-10, BTM-21 and BTM-24) showed significant increase in solubility of Pb when compared to all other strains and control. The CaCl2 extractable Pb was increased by 13.6, 6.8, 4.4 and 2.4 folds compared to un-inoculated control soil at increased soil Pb concentration (500, 1000, 1500 and 200 mg kg-1, respectively). The selected bacterial strains (11) were further investigated for plant growth promotion activity through PGPR assays including. Germination and root elongation assays were also conducted under elevated metal concentration in controlled conditions to elucidate the effects of microbial strains upon plant growth and development. The results showed that all the strains tested in this study, produced significantly varying concentrations of IAA, siderophores and gibberellic acid along with ability to phosphorus solubilization index (PSI). The results of germination and root elongation assay further confirmed the beneficial role of the microbial strains in elevating metal stress through PGPR activity. Among all tested strains, BTM-10 significantly improved plant growth. 1.3 and 2.7 folds increase in root and shoot length was observed when compared to control. Which may be attributed to presence of important plant growth promoting enzymes (IAA 74.6 μg/ml; GA 19.23 μg/ml; Sidrophore units 49% and PSI 1.3 cm). The outcome of this study indicates that these Pb tolerant and solubilizing strains may have the potential for plant growth promotion under metal stress and can be used as mediator when coupled with heavy metal hyperaccumulator plants for phytoremediation of Pb contaminated soil.

Keywords: Pb resistant bacteria, Pb mobilizing bacteria, Phytoextraction of Pb, PGPR activity of bacteria

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Authors: Tahani Hallek, Dhaou Akrout, Riadh Ahmadi, Mabrouk Montacer

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The present work is an organic geochemical study of the Fahdene Formation outcrops at the Mahjouba region belonging to the Eastern part of the Kalaat Senan structure in northwestern Tunisia (the Kef-Tedjerouine area). The analytical study of the organic content of the samples collected, allowed us to point out that the Formation in question is characterized by an average to good oil potential. This fossilized organic matter has a mixed origin (type II and III), as indicated by the relatively high values of hydrogen index. This origin is confirmed by the C29 Steranes abundance and also by tricyclic terpanes C19/(C19+C23) and tetracyclic terpanes C24/(C24+C23) ratios, that suggest a marine environment of deposit with high plants contribution. We have demonstrated that the heterogeneity of organic matter between the marine aspect, confirmed by the presence of foraminifera, and the continental contribution, is the result of an episodic anomaly in relation to the sequential stratigraphy. Given that the study area is defined as an outer platform forming a transition zone between a stable continental domain to the south and a deep basin to the north, we have explained the continental contribution by successive forced regressions, having blocked the albian transgression, allowing the installation of the lowstand system tracts. This aspect is represented by the incised valleys filling, in direct contact with the pelagic and deep sea facies. Consequently, the Fahdene Formation, in the Kef-Tedjerouine area, consists of transgressive system tracts (TST) brutally truncated by extras of continental progradation; resulting in a mixed influence deposition having retained a heterogeneous organic material.

Keywords: molecular geochemistry, biomarkers, forced regression, deposit environment, mixed origin, Northern Tunisia

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Authors: Lemuel David

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The importance of the Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises sector is well recognized for its legitimate contribution to the Macroeconomic objectives of the Republic of Liberia, like generation of employment, input t, exports, and enhancing entrepreneurship. Right now, Medium and Small enterprises accounts for about 99 percent of the industrial units in the country, contributing 60 percent of the manufacturing sector output and approximately one-third of the nation’s exports. The role of various financial institutions like ECO bank and Non-financial Institutions like Bearch Limited support promoting the growth of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises is unique. A small enterprise or entrepreneur gets many types of assistance from different institutions for varied purposes in the course of his entrepreneurial journey. This paper focuses on the factors related to financial institutional support and non-financial institutional support entrepreneurs to the growth of Medium and Small enterprises in the Republic of Liberia. The significance of this paper is to support Policy and Institutional Support for Medium and Small enterprises to know the views of entrepreneurs about financial and non-financial support systems in the Republic of Liberia. This study was carried out through a survey method, with the use of questionnaires. The population for this study consisted of all registered Medium and Small enterprises which have been registered during the years 2004-2014 in the republic of Liberia. The sampling method employed for this study was a simple random technique and determined a sample size of 400. Data for the study was collected using a standard questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: the first part consisted of questions on the profile of the respondents. The second part covers (1) financial, promotional factors and (2) non-financial promotional factors. The results of the study are based on financial and non-financial supporting activities provided by institutions to Medium and Small enterprises. After investigation, it has been found that there is no difference in the support given by Financial Institutions and non-financial Institutions. Entrepreneurs perceived “collateral-free schemes and physical infrastructure support factors are highest contributing to entry and growth of Medium and Small enterprises.

Keywords: micro, small, and medium enterprises financial institutions, entrepreneurship

Procedia PDF Downloads 103

Authors: Wipada Prasansaph

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The aim of this research is twofold: to develop a local literature (simplified English translation version) reading booklet for Thai primary school children (the fourth graders) and to encourage the love of reading in English by reading local literature. An excerpt from Thai literature namely Phra-apaimani, the reading requirement for Primary 4 was selected to be translated into English in simplified language with cartoon pictures to illustrate the key happenings of the story. After the first draft of the booklet development, the samples of the booklets were distributed to 3 educator experts to call for validity and comments on 1) the appropriateness of the English language, 2) the organization of the booklet, 3) the comprehension of the story, and 4) the relevance to the core curriculum of Basic Education of Thailand (B.E.2551). The IOC (Index of Item – Objective Congruence) was 0.9 indicated that the material is applicable (with some comments and suggestions). After the first amendment, the booklets were distributed to 30 fourth graders (in 3 schools – 10 in each school), 10 English teachers of Primary 4, and 10 educational supervisors for English subjects (in primary level) to call for comments on 1) the comprehension of the story 2) the organization of the booklet, and 3) the encouragement for the love of reading in English. The English reading booklet on Phra-apaimani for Thai primary children, the IOC questionnaire (with the open-ended questions) for the educator experts, and the rating scales for the students, the teachers, and the educational supervisors were used as the instruments of the research. The findings revealed that most students rated ‘positive’ level for the comprehension of the story, while the teachers and the educational supervisors rated ‘highly positive’. The 3 groups rated ‘highly positive’ for both the organization of the booklet and for the encouragement for the love of reading in English. It is recommended that there should be more production of English reading texts for children, especially the texts that children already have some background knowledge. Moreover, illustration is the most crucial part for the children’s reading texts.

Keywords: English language, reading skill, primary children, Thai literature

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Authors: N. C. Ghosh, Niladri Das, Prolay Mondal, Ranajit Ghosh

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Groundwater quality deterioration due to human activities has become a prime factor of modern life. The major concern of the study is to access spatial variation of groundwater quality and to identify the sources of groundwater chemicals and its impact on human health of the concerned area. Multivariate statistical techniques, cluster, principal component analysis, and hydrochemical fancies are been applied to measure groundwater quality data on 14 parameters from 107 sites distributed randomly throughout the Birbhum district. Five factors have been extracted using Varimax rotation with Kaiser Normalization. The first factor explains 27.61% of the total variance where high positive loading have been concentrated in TH, Ca, Mg, Cl and F (Fluoride). In the studied region, due to the presence of basaltic Rajmahal trap fluoride contamination is highly concentrated and that has an adverse impact on human health such as fluorosis. The second factor explains 24.41% of the total variance which includes Na, HCO₃, EC, and SO₄. The last factor or the fifth factor explains 8.85% of the total variance, and it includes pH which maintains the acidic and alkaline character of the groundwater. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) grouped the 107 sampling station into two clusters. One cluster having high pollution and another cluster having less pollution. Moreover hydromorphological facies viz. Wilcox diagram, Doneen’s chart, and USSL diagram reveal the quality of the groundwater like the suitability of the groundwater for irrigation or water used for drinking purpose like permeability index of the groundwater, quality assessment of groundwater for irrigation. Gibb’s diagram depicts that the major portion of the groundwater of this region is rock dominated origin, as the western part of the region characterized by the Jharkhand plateau fringe comprises basalt, gneiss, granite rocks.

Keywords: correlation, factor analysis, hydrological facies, hydrochemistry

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Authors: Ana C. Ramos Valdivia, Ileana Vera-Reyes, Ariana A. Huerta-Heredia

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The conditions of biotic and abiotic stress in plants can lead to the generation of high amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which leads through a signaling cascade and second messengers to different antioxidant defense responses including the production of secondary metabolites. A limited number of species of plants like Uncaria tomentosa (cat claw) typical of the Amazon region produce monoterpenoid oxindole alkaloids (MOA) such as isopteropodine, mitraphylline, rhynchophylline and its isomers. Moreover, in cultivated roots, the glucoindole alkaloid 3α-dihydrocadambine (DHC) is also accumulated. Several studies have demonstrated that MAO has antioxidant properties and possess important pharmacological activities such as antitumor and immunostimulant while DHC, has hypotensive and hypolipidemic effects. In order the study the regulatory concerns operating in MAO production, the links between oxidative stress and antioxidant alkaloid production in U. tomentosa root cultures were examined. Different amount of hydrogen peroxide between 0.2 -1.0 mM was added to 12 days old roots cultures showing that, this substance had a differential effect on the production of DHC and MOA whereas the viability remained in 80% after six days. Addition of 0.2 mM hydrogen peroxide increased approximately 65% MAO and DHC production (0,540 ± 0.018 and 0.618 ± 0.029 mg per g dry weight, respectively) relative to the control. On contrast, after the addition of 0.6 mM and 1 mM hydrogen peroxide, DHC accumulation into the roots gradually decreased to 53% and 93% respectively, without changes in MAO concentration, which was in relation to a twice increase of the intracellular hydrogen peroxide content. On the other hand, concentrations of DHC (0.1, 0.5 and 1.0 mM in methanol) demonstrated free-radical scavenging activity against 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The calculated IC50 for all tested concentrations was 0.180 mg per ml (0.33 mM) while the calculated TE50 was 276 minutes. Our results suggest that U. tomentosa root cultures both MAO and DHC have antioxidant capacities and respond to oxidative stress with a stimulation of their production; however, in presence of a higher concentration of ROS into the roots, DHC could be oxidized.

Keywords: monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, oxidative stress, root cultures, uncaria tomentosa

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Authors: K. A. Ghazaryan, H. S. Movsesyan, N. P. Ghazaryan

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The present study was aimed in assessing the heavy metal pollution of the soils around Agarak copper-molybdenum mine complex and related environmental risks. This mine complex is located in the south-east part of Armenia, and the present study was conducted in 2013. The soils of the five riskiest sites of this region were studied: surroundings of the open mine, the sites adjacent to processing plant of Agarak copper-molybdenum mine complex, surroundings of Darazam active tailing dump, the recultivated tailing dump of “ravine - 2”, and the recultivated tailing dump of “ravine - 3”. The mountain cambisol was the main soil type in the study sites. The level of soil contamination by heavy metals was assessed by Contamination factors (Cf), Degree of contamination (Cd), Geoaccumulation index (I-geo) and Enrichment factor (EF). The distribution pattern of trace metals in the soil profile according to Cf, Cd, I-geo and EF values shows that the soil is much polluted. Almost in all studied sites, Cu, Mo, Pb, and Cd were the main polluting heavy metals, and this was conditioned by Agarak copper-molybdenum mine complex activity. It is necessary to state that the pollution problem becomes pressing as some parts of these highly polluted region are inhabited by population, and agriculture is highly developed there; therefore, heavy metals can be transferred into human bodies through food chains and have direct influence on public health. Since the induced pollution can pose serious threats to public health, further investigations on soil and vegetation pollution are recommended. Finally, Cf calculating based on distance from the pollution source and the wind direction can provide more reasonable results.

Keywords: Agarak copper-molybdenum mine complex, heavy metals, soil contamination, enrichment factor (EF), Armenia

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Authors: Siyabonga Kunene, Calvin Shipley

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Introduction: Despite health benefits that come with running, injuries are common with prevalence ranging between 18.2% and 92.4% worldwide. Differences in gait patterns between barefoot and shod running, can determine traits that could lead to running injuries. The aim was to assess and compare lower limb gait cycle patterns between barefoot and shod running among runners. Methods: An experimental same-subject study design was used. The study population consisted of male and female adult recreational runners who were injury free from a running club in Durban. A convenience sampling method was used and 14 participants were recruited. The study was conducted in the physiotherapy performance laboratory at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. A Woodway Desmo Treadmill and KinePro gait analysis system were used. Descriptive & inferential statistics were analysed using Microsoft Excel and Intercooled Stata. Results: Participants included a greater percentage of females (57.1%, n = 8) than males (42.9%, n = 6). The mean population age was 38.57. A significant difference (p < 0.0009) between barefoot cadence (177.9236steps/min) and shod cadence (171.9445steps/min) was observed. Right (0.261s) and left (0.257s) barefoot stand phase was shorter than right (0.273s) and left (0.270s) shod stand phase. Right barefoot swing phase exhibited less significant (0.420s) results when compared to right shod swing phase (0.427s), whereas left barefoot swing phase was quicker (0.416s) than left shod swing phase (0.432s). Significant differences between barefoot and shod stand (p < 0.009) and swing (p < 0.040) phase symmetry occurred. Conclusion: A considerable difference was found between barefoot and shod running gait cycle patterns among participants. This difference may play a role in prevention of running related injuries.

Keywords: barefoot running, shod running, gait cycle pattern, same-subject study design

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Authors: Nadia H. Mohammed, Anmar Al-Taie, Fadia H. Al-Sultany

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Although breast cancer prevalence continues to increase, mortality has been decreasing as a result of early detection and improvement in adjuvant systemic therapy. Nevertheless, this disease required further efforts to understand and identify the associated potential risk factors that could play a role in the prevalence of this malignancy among Iraqi women. The objective of this study was to assess the perception of certain predictive risk factors on the prevalence of breast cancer types among a sample of Iraqi women diagnosed with breast cancer. This was a retrospective observational study carried out at National Cancer Research Center in College of Medicine, Baghdad University from November 2017 to January 2018. Data of 100 patients with breast cancer whose biopsies examined in the National Cancer Research Center were included in this study. Data were collected to structure a detailed assessment regarding the patients’ demographic, medical and cancer records. The majority of study participants (94%) suffered from ductal breast cancer with mean age 49.57 years. Among those women, 48.9% were obese with body mass index (BMI) 35 kg/m². 68.1% of them had positive family history of breast cancer and 66% had low parity. 40.4% had stage II ductal breast cancer followed by 25.5% with stage III. It was found that 59.6% and 68.1% had positive oestrogen receptor sensitivity and positive human epidermal growth factor (HER2/neu) receptor sensitivity respectively. In regard to the impact of prediction of certain variables on the incidence of ductal breast cancer, positive family history of breast cancer (P < 0.0001), low parity (P< 0.0001), stage I and II breast cancer (P = 0.02) and positive HER2/neu status (P < 0.0001) were significant predictive factors among the study participants. The results from this study provide relevant evidence for a significant positive and potential association between certain risk factors and the prevalence of breast cancer among Iraqi women.

Keywords: Ductal Breast Cancer, Hormone Sensitivity, Iraq, Risk Factors

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Authors: Joseph F. Cabrera, Rachael Dela Cruz

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This study specifically examines patterns that define ethnoracially diverse neighborhoods. Ethnoracial diversity is important as it facilitates cross-racial interactions within neighborhoods which have been theorized to be associated with such outcomes as intergroup harmony, the reduction of racial and ethnic prejudice and discrimination, and increases in racial tolerance. Los Angeles (LA) is an ideal location to study ethnoracial spatial patterns as it is one of the most ethnoracially diverse cities in the world. A large influx of Latinos, as well as Asians, have contributed to LA’s urban landscape becoming increasingly diverse over several decades. Our dataset contains all census tracts in Los Angeles County in 2016 and incorporates Census and ACS demographic and spatial data. We quantify ethnoracial diversity using a derivative of Simpson’s Diversity Index and utilize this measure to test previous literature that suggests Latinos are one of the key drivers of changing ethnoracial spatial patterns in Los Angeles. Preliminary results suggest that there has been an overall increase in ethnoracial diversity in Los Angeles neighborhoods over the past sixteen years. Patterns associated with this trend include decreases in predominantly white and black neighborhoods, increases in predominantly Latino and Asian neighborhoods, and a general decrease in the white populations of the most diverse neighborhoods. A similar pattern is seen in neighborhoods with large Latino increases- a decrease in white population, but with an increase in Asian and black populations. We also found support for previous research that suggests increases in Latino and Asian populations act as a buffer, allowing for black population increases without a sizeable decrease in the white population. Future research is needed to understand the underlying causes involved in many of the patterns and trends highlighted in this study.

Keywords: race, race and interaction, racial harmony, social interaction

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Authors: Hakim Herbane

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Efforts to achieve sustainability in architecture must prove their effectiveness despite various methods attempted. Biomimicry, which looks to successful natural models to promote sustainability and innovation, faces obstacles in implementing sustainability despite its restorative approach to the relationship between humans and nature. In Nunavik, Inuit communities are exploring a sustainable production system that aligns with their aspirations and meets their demands of human, technological, technical, economic, and ecological factors. Biomimicry holds promise in line with Inuit philosophy, but its failure to implement sustainability requires further investigations to remedy its deficiencies. Our literature review underscores the importance of involving the community in defining sustainability and determining the best methods for its implementation. Additionally, vernacular architecture shows valuable orientations for achieving sustainability. Moreover, reintegrating Inuit communities and their traditional architectural practices, which have successfully balanced their built environment's diverse needs and constraints, could pave the way for a sustainable Inuit-built environment in Nunavik and advance architectural biomimicry principles simultaneously. This research aims at establishing a sustainability monitoring tool for Nordic architectural process by analyzing Inuit vernacular and biomimetic architecture, in addition to the input of stakeholders involved in Inuit architecture production in Nunavik, especially Inuit. The goal is to create a practical tool (an index) to aid in designing sustainable architecture, taking into account environmental, social, and economic perspectives. Furthermore, the study seeks to authenticate strong, sustainable design principles of vernacular and biomimetic architectures. The literature review uncovered challenges and identified new opportunities. The forthcoming discourse will focus on the careful and considerate incorporation of Inuit communities’ perceptions and indigenous building practices into our methodology and the latest findings of our research.

Keywords: sustainability, biomimicry, vernacular architecture, community involvement

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Authors: Odenigbo Veronica Ngozi, Ukwuaba Loretta Chika, Ukamaka Eze

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This study delved into youth’s empowerment pathway to unlocking entrepreneurial skills and employability in Enugu state, Nigeria. The purpose of the study is to ascertain the effect of youth joblessness in Enugu State. Two research questions guided the study, and two null hypotheses, which were formulated and tested at a 0.05 level of significance, were used for the analysis. A descriptive survey research design was employed for the study. The population for the study consisted of 103 male and female youths in Enugu state, who were randomly sampled among youths as respondents. A structured questionnaire which was developed by researchers and titled ‘Youth Empowerment a Pathway to Unlocking Entrepreneurial Skills and Employability (YEPUESEQ)’, was used to elicit information from the respondents. The instrument was validated by three experts, one from the Department of Measurement and Evaluation and two from the Department of Continuing Education and Development Studies, all from Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Agbani (ESUT). Cronbach Alpha reliability estimate was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument with a reliability index of 0.74, indicating that the instrument is highly reliable and suitable to elicit information from the respondent. Data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the two research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance using a t-test. The findings of the study indicated that when the youths are jobless, they tend to join bad gangs in as much as they can get money, but when they are empowered, they tend towards supporting themselves, the community, and the nation as a whole in bringing in human, economic and social development to society. Based on the findings, the researchers recommended, among others, that the government should establish skill acquisition centers while the youths can enroll for a particular skill of their choice with good facilities, infrastructures and qualified facilitators.

Keywords: youth, empowerment, entrepreneurial skill, employability skill

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Authors: Kasipandi Muniyandi, Parimelazhagan Thangaraj

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Plants are important prospective wealth of a country, combination of local health care information about a specific plant together with data published by several groups of scientists, can help in deciding whether it should be considered acceptable for medicinal use. In the developed countries, too, plant-derived drugs may be of importance. The wide variety of ailments that are being treated with Plectranthus is an indication of the medicinal value of the genus. A number of species are not toxic and so may be taken orally, whilst others are used topically on the skin or as enemas. This study was designed to evaluate the different properties of Plectranthus stocksii and the aerial parts were collected and extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, acetone and methanol by Soxhlet apparatus and finally macerated with hot water. The quantification assays revealed that, leaf methanol extract showed higher total phenolic (415.41 mg GAE/ g extract) and tannin (177.53 mg GAE/ g extract) contents whereas leaf ethyl acetate exhibited higher flavonoids (777.11 mg RE/ g extract) content. The antioxidant efficiency of the extracts was analyzed by various radical scavenging assays. Among the different antioxidant assays, leaf ethyl acetate extract showed higher free radical scavenging activities against DPPH (IC50 = 3.46 µg/mL), ABTS (27417.65 µM TE/ g extract), FRAP (152.17 mM Fe(II)E/ mg extract) NO• radical (21.46%) and Superoxide radical (IC50 = 24.16 µg/mL) assays. All the parts P. stocksii extracts showed significant protection against OH• induced DNA damage at 50 µg concentration. The HPLC analysis of leaf ethyl acetate extract revealed the presence of Quercetin (30.29 µg/mg of extract) was the major compound. Anticancer activity of leaf ethyl acetate extract showed better IC50 values were 48.87 and 36.08 µg/ mL against MCF-7 and Caco-2 respectively. From this study, P. stocksii can act as a potent antioxidant and cytotoxic antimicrobial agent. The scope for drug development from this plant is endless and there is undoubtedly a call for further research in pharmaceutical industries.

Keywords: antioxidant, cytotoxicity, phenolics, plectranthus stocksii

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Authors: Kwan-Ho Kim, Jin-Hong Park

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The multi-valued logic (MVL) circuits, which can handle more than two logic states, are one of the promising solutions to overcome the bit density limitations of conventional binary logic systems. Recently, tunneling devices such as Esaki diode and resonant tunneling diode (RTD) have been extensively explored to construct the MVL circuits. These tunneling devices present a negative differential resistance (NDR) phenomenon in which a current decreases as a voltage increases in a specific applied voltage region. Due to this non-monotonic current behavior, the tunneling devices have more than two threshold voltages, consequently enabling construction of MVL circuits. Recently, the emergence of two dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) crystals has opened up the possibility to fabricate such tunneling devices easily. Owing to the defect-free surface of the 2D crystals, a very abrupt junction interface could be formed through a simple stacking process, which subsequently allowed the implementation of a high-performance tunneling device. Here, we report a vdW heterostructure based tunneling device with multiple threshold voltages, which was fabricated with black phosphorus (BP) and hafnium diselenide (HfSe₂). First, we exfoliated BP on the SiO₂ substrate and then transferred HfSe₂ on BP using dry transfer method. The BP and HfSe₂ form type-Ⅲ heterojunction so that the highly doped n+/p+ interface can be easily implemented without additional electrical or chemical doping process. Owing to high natural doping at the junction, record high peak to valley ratio (PVCR) of 16 was observed to the best our knowledge in 2D materials based NDR device. Furthermore, based on this, we first demonstrate the feasibility of the ternary latch by connecting two multi-threshold voltage devices in series.

Keywords: two dimensional van der Waals crystal, multi-valued logic, negative differential resistnace, tunneling device

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Authors: Emine Aydin, Duygu Gocmen

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In this study, pumpkin flours (PFs) were used to replace wheat flour in cookie formulation at three different levels (10%, 20% and 30% w/w). For this purpose PFs produced by two different applications (with or without metabisulfite pre-treatment) and then dried in freeze dryer. Control sample included no PFs. The total phenolic contents of the cookies supplemented with PFs were higher than that of control and gradually increased in total phenolic contents of cookies with increasing PF supplementation levels. Phenolic content makes also significant contribution on nutritional excellence of the developed cookies. Pre-treatment with metabisulfite (MS) had a positive effect on free, bound and total phenolics of cookies which are supplemented with various levels of MS-PF. This is due to a protective effect of metabisulfite pretreatment for phenolic compounds in the pumpkin flour. Phenolic antioxidants may act and absorb in a different way in humans and thus their antioxidant and health effects will be changed accordingly. In the present study phenolics’ bioavailability of cookies was investigated in order to assess PF as sources of accessible phenolics. The content of bioaccessible phenolics and phenolic bioaccessibility of cookies supplemented with PFs had higher than those of control sample. Cookies enriched with 30% MS-PF had the highest bioaccessible phenolics (597.86 mg GAE 100g-1) and phenolic bioaccessibility (41.71%). MS application in PF production caused a significant increase in phenolic bioaccessibility of cookies. According to all assay (ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP and DPPH), antioxidant activities of cookies with PFs higher than that of control cookie. It was also observed that the cookies supplemented with MS-PF had significantly higher antioxidant activities than those of cookies including PF. In presented study, antioxidative bioaccessibilities of cookies were also determined. The cookies with PFs had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher antioxidative bioaccessibilities than control ones. Increasing PFs levels enhanced antioxidative bioaccessibilities of cookies. As a result, PFs addition improved the nutritional and functional properties of cookie by causing increase in antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, bioaccessible phenolics and phenolic bioaccessibilities.

Keywords: phenolic compounds, antioxidant activity, dietary fiber, pumpkin, freeze drying, cookie

Procedia PDF Downloads 259

Authors: Dib Imane, Chettah Wahid, Khedidja Abdelhamid

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The plain of Gadaïne - Ain Yaghout, located in the wilaya of Batna (Eastern Algeria), experiences intensive human activities, particularly in agricultural practices which are accompanied by an increasing use of chemical fertilizers and manure. These activities lead to a degradation of the quality of water resources. In order to protect the quality of groundwater in this plain and formulate effective strategies to mitigate or avoid any contamination of groundwater, a risk assessment using the European method known as “COSTE Action 620” was applied to the mio-. plio-quaternary aquifer of this plain. Risk assessment requires the identification of existing dangers and their potential impact on groundwater by using a system of evaluation and weighting. In addition, it also requires the integration of the hydrogeological factors that influence the movement of contaminants by means of the intrinsic vulnerability maps of groundwater, which were produced according to the modified DRASTIC method. The overall danger on the plain ranges from very low to high. Farms containing stables, houses detached from the public sewer system, and sometimes manure piles were assigned a weighting factor expressing the highest degree of harmfulness; this created a medium to high danger index. Large areas for agricultural practice and grazing are characterized, successively, by low to very low danger. Therefore, the risks present at the study site are classified according to a range from medium to very high-risk intensity. These classes successively represent 3%, 49%, and 0.2% of the surface of the plain. Cultivated land and farms present a high to very high level of risk successively. In addition, with the exception of the salt mine, which presents a very high level of risk, the gas stations and cemeteries, as well as the railway line, represent a high level of risk.

Keywords: semi-arid, quality of water resources, risk assessment, vulnerability, contaminants

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Authors: Saeedeh Imani Moqadam, Ilya Bobrov, Jérémy Epp, Nils Ellendt, Lutz Mädler

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High entropy alloys (HEAs), having adjustable properties and enhanced stability compared with intermetallic compounds, are solid solution alloys that contain more than five principal elements with almost equal atomic percentage. The concept of producing such alloys pave the way for developing advanced materials with unique properties. However, the synthesis of such alloys may require advanced processes with high cooling rates depending on which alloy elements are used. In this study, the micro spheres of different diameters of HEAs were generated via a drop-on-demand droplet generator and subsequently solidified during free-fall in an argon atmosphere. Such droplet generators can generate individual droplets with high reproducibility regarding droplet diameter, trajectory and cooling while avoiding any interparticle momentum or thermal coupling. Metallography as well as X-ray diffraction investigations for each diameter of the generated metallic droplets where then carried out to obtain information about the microstructural state. To calculate the cooling rate of the droplets, a droplet cooling model was developed and validated using model alloys such as CuSn%6 and AlCu%4.5 for which a correlation of secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) and cooling rate is well-known. Droplets were generated from these alloys and their SDAS was determined using quantitative metallography. The cooling rate was then determined from the SDAS and used to validate the cooling rates obtained from the droplet cooling model. The application of that model on the HEA then leads to the cooling rate dependency and hence to the identification of process windows for the synthesis of these alloys. These process windows were then compared with cooling rates obtained in processes such as powder production, spray forming, selective laser melting and casting to predict if a synthesis is possible with these processes.

Keywords: cooling rate, drop-on-demand, high entropy alloys, microstructure, single droplet generation, X-ray Diffractometry

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Authors: Nur Aziza Luxfiati

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Clustering is partitioning data sets into sub-sets or groups in such a way that elements certain properties have shared property settings with a high level of similarity within one group and a low level of similarity between groups. . The K-Means algorithm is one of thealgorithmsclustering as a grouping tool that is most widely used in scientific and industrial applications because the basic idea of the kalgorithm is-means very simple. In this research, applying the technique of clustering using the k-means algorithm as a method of solving the problem of national development imbalances between regions in Central Java Province based on macroeconomic indicators. The data sample used is secondary data obtained from the Central Java Provincial Statistics Agency regarding macroeconomic indicator data which is part of the publication of the 2019 National Socio-Economic Survey (Susenas) data. score and determine the number of clusters (k) using the elbow method. After the clustering process is carried out, the validation is tested using themethodsBetween-Class Variation (BCV) and Within-Class Variation (WCV). The results showed that detection outlier using z-score normalization showed no outliers. In addition, the results of the clustering test obtained a ratio value that was not high, namely 0.011%. There are two district/city clusters in Central Java Province which have economic similarities based on the variables used, namely the first cluster with a high economic level consisting of 13 districts/cities and theclustersecondwith a low economic level consisting of 22 districts/cities. And in the cluster second, namely, between low economies, the authors grouped districts/cities based on similarities to macroeconomic indicators such as 20 districts of Gross Regional Domestic Product, with a Poverty Depth Index of 19 districts, with 5 districts in Human Development, and as many as Open Unemployment Rate. 10 districts.

Keywords: clustering, K-Means algorithm, macroeconomic indicators, inequality, national development

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Authors: Soumaya Mrabet, Imen Akkari, Amira Atig, Elhem Ben Jazia

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Introduction: Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic autoimmune inflammatory enteropathy caused by gluten. The clinical presentation is very variable. Malabsorption in the MC is responsible for an alteration of the bone metabolism. Our purpose is to study the osteoarticular manifestations related to this condition. Material and methods: It is a retrospective study of 41 cases of CD diagnosed on clinical, immunological, endoscopic and histological arguments, in the Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology Department of Farhat Hached Hospital between September 2005 and January 2016. Results: Osteoarticular manifestations were found in 9 patients (22%) among 41 patients presenting CD. These were 7 women and 2 men with an average age of 35.7 years (25 to 67 years). These manifestations were revelatory of CD in 3 cases. Abdominal pain and diarrhea were present in 6 cases. Inflammatory polyarthralgia of wrists and knees has been reported in 7 patients. Mechanical mono arthralgia was noted in 2 patients. Biological tests revealed microcytic anemia by iron deficiency in 7 cases, hypocalcemia in 5 cases, Hypophosphatemia in 3 cases and elevated alkaline phosphatases in 3 cases. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with duodenal biopsy found villous atrophy in all cases. In immunology, Anti-transglutaminase antibodies were positive in all patients, Anti-endomysium in 7 cases. Measurement of bone mineral density (BMD) by biphotonic X-ray absorptiometer with evaluation of the T-score and the Z-score was performed in Twenty patients (48.8%). It was normal in 7 cases (33%) and showed osteopenia in 5 patients (25%) and osteoporosis in 2 patients (10%). All patients were treated with a Gluten-free diet associated with vitamin D and calcium substitution in 5 cases. The evolution was favorable in all cases with reduction of bone pain and normalization of the phosphocalcic balance. Conclusion: The bone impact of CD is frequent but often asymptomatic. Patients with CD should be evaluated by the measurement of bone mineral density and monitored for calcium and vitamin D deficiencies.

Keywords: bone mineral density, celiac disease, osteoarticular manifestations, vitamin D and calcium

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