Search results for: building density

Authors: Virginia Martin Torrejon, Song Hang

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Gelatine foams are widely explored materials due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and availability. They exhibit outstanding properties and are currently subject to increasing scientific research due to their potential use in different applications, such as biocompatible cellular materials for biomedical products or biofoams as an alternative to fossil-fuel-derived packaging. Gelatine is a highly surface-active polymer, and its concentrated solutions usually do not require surfactants to achieve low surface tension. Still, anionic surfactants like sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) strongly interact with gelatine, impacting its viscosity and rheological properties and, in turn, their foaming behaviour. Foaming behaviour is a key parameter for cellular solids produced by mechanical foaming as it has a significant effect on the processing and properties of cellular materials. Foamability mainly impacts the density and the mechanical properties of the foams, while foam stability is crucial to achieving foams with low shrinkage and desirable pore morphology. This work aimed to investigate the influence of SDS on the foaming behaviour of concentrated gelatine foams by using a dynamic foam analyser. The study of maximum foam height created, foam formation behaviour, drainage behaviour, and foam structure with regard to bubble size and distribution were carried out in 10 wt% gelatine solutions prepared at different SDS/gelatine concentration ratios. Comparative rheological and viscometry measurements provided a good correlation with the data from the dynamic foam analyser measurements. SDS incorporation at optimum dosages and gelatine gelation led to highly stable foams at high expansion ratios. The viscosity increase of the hydrogel solution at SDS content increased was a key parameter for foam stabilization. In addition, the impact of SDS content on gelling time and gel strength also considerably impacted the foams' stability and pore structure.

Keywords: dynamic foam analyser, gelatine foams stability and foamability, gelatine-surfactant foams, gelatine-SDS rheology, gelatine-SDS viscosity

Procedia PDF Downloads 154

Authors: Rahul Patel

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Ahmedabad, a city located in western India, is experiencing rapid growth due to urbanization and industrialization. It is projected to become a metropolitan city in the near future, resulting in various construction activities. Soil testing is necessary before construction can commence, requiring construction companies and contractors to periodically conduct soil testing. The focus of this study is on the process of creating a spatial database that is digitally formatted and integrated with geotechnical data and a Geographic Information System (GIS). Building a comprehensive geotechnical (Geo)-database involves three steps: collecting borehole data from reputable sources, verifying the accuracy and redundancy of the data, and standardizing and organizing the geotechnical information for integration into the database. Once the database is complete, it is integrated with GIS, allowing users to visualize, analyze, and interpret geotechnical information spatially. Using a Topographic to Raster interpolation process in GIS, estimated values are assigned to all locations based on sampled geotechnical data values. The study area was contoured for SPT N-Values, Soil Classification, Φ-Values, and Bearing Capacity (T/m2). Various interpolation techniques were cross-validated to ensure information accuracy. This GIS map enables the calculation of SPT N-Values, Φ-Values, and bearing capacities for different footing widths and various depths. This study highlights the potential of GIS in providing an efficient solution to complex phenomena that would otherwise be tedious to achieve through other means. Not only does GIS offer greater accuracy, but it also generates valuable information that can be used as input for correlation analysis. Furthermore, this system serves as a decision support tool for geotechnical engineers.

Keywords: ArcGIS, borehole data, geographic information system, geo-database, interpolation, SPT N-value, soil classification, Φ-Value, bearing capacity

Procedia PDF Downloads 74

Authors: Pierluigi Tosi, Ed de Jong, Gerard van Klink, Luc Vincent, Alice Mija

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During the last decades renewable and low-cost resources have attracted increasingly interest. Carbohydrates can be derived by lignocellulosic biomasses, which is an attractive option since they represent the most abundant carbon source available in nature. Carbohydrates can be converted in a plethora of industrially relevant compounds, such as 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and levulinic acid (LA), within acid catalyzed dehydration of sugars with mineral acids. Unfortunately, these acid catalyzed conversions suffer of the unavoidable formation of highly viscous heterogeneous poly-disperse carbon based materials known as humins. This black colored low value by-product is made by a complex mixture of macromolecules built by covalent random condensations of the several compounds present during the acid catalyzed conversion. Humins molecular structure is still under investigation but seems based on furanic rings network linked by aliphatic chains and decorated by several reactive moieties (ketones, aldehydes, hydroxyls, …). Despite decades of research, currently there is no way to avoid humins formation. The key parameter for enhance the economic viability of carbohydrate conversion processes is, therefore, increasing the economic value of the humins by-product. Herein are presented new humins based polymeric materials that can be prepared starting from the raw by-product by thermal treatment, without any step of purification or pretreatment. Humins foams can be produced with the control of reaction key parameters, obtaining polymeric porous materials with designed porosity, density, thermal and electrical conductivity, chemical and electrical stability, carbon amount and mechanical properties. Physico chemical properties can be enhanced by modifications on the starting raw material or adding different species during the polymerization. A comparisons on the properties of different compositions will be presented, along with tested applications. The authors gratefully acknowledge the European Community for financial support through Marie-Curie H2020-MSCA-ITN-2015 "HUGS" Project.

Keywords: by-product, humins, polymers, valorization

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: David C. Nwogbo

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Examining the impact of federalism on good governance is crucial for enhancing governance in Nigeria. This study focuses on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as a case study. Employing a descriptive survey design, data was collected to explore the relationship between federalism and good governance in Abuja, Nigeria. A stratified random sampling method was used to select 289 respondents from the population of Abuja. The sample size was determined using a formula based on precision and population size. A survey questionnaire was employed to gather information on respondents' demographics, perceptions, and experiences concerning federalism and good governance in the FCT. Descriptive statistics, such as percentages and means, were utilized to analyze the study's findings. The findings provided insights into the perceptions and experiences of residents of the FCT with regard to the relationship between federalism and good governance. The results of this study will be useful for policy and decision-making related to the implementation of these concepts in Nigeria and, more specifically, in the FCT, Abuja. The study found that the majority of respondents believe that the federal system of government has not been effective in promoting accountability, transparency, and reducing corruption in Nigeria. There is a need for reforms to improve the effectiveness of the federal system in promoting good governance. These reforms include strengthening institutions, reallocation of resources, reform of the electoral system, decentralization of power, strengthening the role of the judiciary, capacity building, promoting transparency, and engagement of civil society. The findings also highlight the need for significant reforms to address these challenges and promote good governance in the country. The results of this study can be used to inform policy decisions and guide future research on the subject.

Keywords: accountability, federalism, good, governance

Procedia PDF Downloads 102

Authors: Naad-E-Ali Sulehria

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Pakistan and china have stepped in a new phase of strengthening fraternity as the dream of economic corridor once discerned by both countries is going to take a pragmatic shape. Pak-China economic corridor an under construction program is termed to be an emerging dynamic of 21st century that anticipates a nexus between Asian continent and Indian Ocean by extending its functions to adjoining East, South, Central and Western Asian regions. The $45.6 billion worth heavily invested megaprojects by China are meant to revive energy sector and building economic infrastructure in Pakistan. Evidently, these projects are a part of ‘southern extension’ of Silk Road economic belt which is going to draw out prominent incentives for both countries particularly bolstering China to acquire influential dominance over the regional trade and beyond. In pursuit to adhere, by these progressive plans both countries have began working on their respective assignments. This article discusses the economical development programs under China’s peripheral diplomacy regarding its region-specific-approach to accumulate trade of Persian Gulf and access the landlocked Central Asian states through Pakistan in a sublimate context to break US encirclement of Asia. Pakistan’s utmost preference to utilize its strategic channel as a trade hub to become an emerging economy and surpass its arch-rival India for strategic concerns is contemplated accordingly. The needs and feasibility of the economic gateway and the dividends it can provide in the contemporary scenario are examined carefully and analysis is drawn upon the future prospects of the Pakistan-China Economic corridor once completed.

Keywords: pak-china economic corridor (PCEC), central asian republic states (CARs), new silk road economic belt, gawadar

Procedia PDF Downloads 367

Authors: H. H. Elewa, E. M. Ramadan, A. M. Nosair

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Rainfall water harvesting is considered as an important tool for overcoming water scarcity in arid and semi-arid region. Wadi Watir in the southeastern part of Sinai Peninsula is considered as one of the main and active basins in the Gulf of Aqaba drainage system. It is characterized by steep hills mainly consist of impermeable rocks, whereas the streambeds are covered by a highly permeable mixture of gravel and sand. A comprehensive approach involving the integration of geographic information systems, remote sensing and watershed modeling was followed to identify the RWH capability in this area. Eight thematic layers, viz volume of annual flood, overland flow distance, maximum flow distance, rock or soil infiltration, drainage frequency density, basin area, basin slope and basin length were used as a multi-parametric decision support system for conducting weighted spatial probability models (WSPMs) to determine the potential areas for the RWH. The WSPMs maps classified the area into five RWH potentiality classes ranging from the very low to very high. Three performed WSPMs' scenarios for W. Watir reflected identical results among their maps for the high and very high RWH potentiality classes, which are the most suitable ones for conducting surface water harvesting techniques. There is also a reasonable match with respect to the potentiality of runoff harvesting areas with a probability of moderate, low and very low among the three scenarios. WSPM results have shown that the high and very high classes, which are the most suitable for the RWH are representing approximately 40.23% of the total area of the basin. Accordingly, several locations were decided for the establishment of water harvesting dams and cisterns to improve the water conditions and living environment in the study area.

Keywords: Sinai, Wadi Watir, remote sensing, geographic information systems, watershed modeling, runoff water harvesting

Procedia PDF Downloads 357

Authors: D. P. Ray, L. Ammayappan, S. Debnath, R. K. Ghosh, D. Mondal, S. Dasgupta, S. Islam, S. Chakroborty, P. K. Ganguly, D. Nag

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Nature being bountiful is generous enough to provide rich resources to mankind. These resources can be used as an alternative to synthetics, thereby reducing the chances of environmental pollution. Natural fibre based composites have emerged as a successful trend in recent automobile industry. Natural fibre based composites used in automobile industries not only reduces their fuel consumption but also do not pose any health hazards. In spite of the use of natural fibre based bio composite in automobile industries, its use is only being limited to interior products. However, its major drawbacks which contributed to limited scope in the field of industry are reduced durability and mechanical strength. Thereby, the use of natural fibre based bio composites as headliner in case of automobile industries is also not successfully deployed. Out of all the natural fibres available, jute can widely be used as automobile parts because of its easy availability, comparatively higher specific strength, lower density, low thermal conductivity and most importantly its non polluting and non abrasive nature. Various research outcomes in the field of jute based biocomposites for the use of automobile industries has not successfully being deployed due to certain inherent problem of the fibre. Jute being hydrophilic in nature is not readily adhered to the hydrophobic polyester resin. Therefore introduction of a chemical compatibilizer, in the preparation of jute based composites have been tested to enhance the mechanical and durable properties of the material to a greater extent. This present work therefore focuses on the synthesis of a suitable compatibilizer, acting as a chemical bridge between the polar jute fabric and the non polar resin matrix. This in turn results in imparting better interfacial bonding between the two, thereby inducing higher mechanical strength. These coupling treated fabrics are casted into composites and tested for their mechanical properties. The test reports show a remarkable change in all of its properties. The durability test was performed by soil burial test method.

Keywords: jute, automobile industry, biodegradability, chemical compatibilizer

Procedia PDF Downloads 457

Authors: L. Wei Sheng, M. T. Noor Syazwanee, C. J. Carolyna, M. Amiruddin, M. Pauziah

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This paper exhibits the alternatives towards active suspension systems revised based on the classical passive suspension system to improve comfort and handling performance. An active Magneto rheological (MR) suspension system is proposed as to explore the active based suspension system to enhance performance given its freedom to independently specify the characteristics of load carrying, handling, and ride quality. Malaysian quarter car with two degrees of freedom (2DOF) system is designed and constructed to simulate the actions of an active vehicle suspension system. The structure of a conventional twin-tube shock absorber is modified both internally and externally to comprehend with the active suspension system. The shock absorber peripheral structure is altered to enable the assembling and disassembling of the damper through a non-permanent joint whereby the stress analysis of the designed joint is simulated using Finite Element Analysis. Simulation on the internal part where an electrified copper coil of 24AWG is winded is done using Finite Element Method Magnetics to measure the magnetic flux density inside the MR damper. The primary purpose of this approach is to reduce the vibration transmitted from the effects of road surface irregularities while maintaining solid manoeuvrability. The aim of this research is to develop an intelligent control system of a consecutive damping automotive suspension system. The ride quality is improved by means of the reduction of the vertical body acceleration caused by the car body when it experiences disturbances from speed bump and random road roughness. Findings from this research are expected to enhance the quality of ride which in return can prevent the deteriorating effect of vibration on the vehicle condition as well as the passengers’ well-being.

Keywords: active suspension, FEA, magneto rheological damper, Malaysian quarter car model, vibration control

Procedia PDF Downloads 209

Authors: Dongxue Li, Zhonghua Ning, Yi’na Li, Baoshan Cui, Wasner Daniel, Sebastian Dötterl

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Most of the world's coastal alluvial plains can be significant carbon (C) eservoirs in which upland sediments are deposited and bury former topsoil, thereby contributing to soil C preservation, especially in river-controlled deltas like the Yellow River Delta, China. These deltas are affected by the continuous large amount of sediment transport and strong river dynamics from the upper reaches, which makes the river course in the deltas change frequently. However, the impact of varying river course changes on C stocks in these estuary wetlands is unclear. To investigate this, we drilled five 2 m cores along a sediment deposition sequence of the Yellow River Delta, which shifted its main course flow in the delta several times throughout the 20th century. Covering 80 years of sediment deposition, we explored both soil C stocks and their potential sources, and identified key soil physicochemical and hydrometeorological variables that correlate to C density and deposition rate. Further, the spatiotemporal C distribution and its relationship with these variables was examined. Our results showed that sediments at a soil depth of 200 cm in the main courses of the Yellow River corresponded to deposition ages ranging from 1942 to 1989. The oldest course has the lowest C stocks and showed C-enriched compared with younger courses. Contributions of soil C stemming from fresh particulate organic carbon from deposited upstream sources were significantly higher than local, in-situ vegetation. In addition, the carbon of the oldest and relatively young courses tends to be affected by interaction effects of hydrometeorological and physiochemical varibales, and that of the middle courses tends to be affected by independent variables. Our findings can help prioritize conservation efforts across different river courses and provide quantitative support for global carbon emission reduction by assessing sediment carbon reservoirs.

Keywords: alluvial plains, coastal wetland, core drilling, course diversion, organic carbon, sediment deposition rate, soil deposition

Procedia PDF Downloads 27

Authors: Maryam S. Ghoraishi, John E. Hawk, Thomas Thundat

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Understanding liquid properties in small scale has become important in recent decades as immerging new microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) devices have been widely used for micro pumps, drug delivery, and many other laboratory-on-microchips analysis. Often in microfluidic devices, fluids are transported electrokinetically. Therefore, extensive knowledge of fluid flow, heat transport, electrokinetics and electrochemistry are key to successful lab on a chip design. Among different microfluidic devices, recently developed hollow channel cantilever offers an ideal platform to study different fluid properties simultaneously without drastic decrease in quality factor which normally occurs when traditional cantilevers operate in the liquid phase. Using hollow channel cantilever, we monitor changes in density and viscosity of liquid while simultaneously investigating dielectric properties of alcohol water binary mixtures. Considerable research has been conducted on alcohol-water mixtures since such a mixture is a typical prototype for biomolecules, Micelle formation, and structural stability of proteins (to name a few). Here we show that hollow channel cantilever can be employed to investigate dielectric properties of ethanol/water mixtures in different concentrations. We study dynamic amplitude shifts of hollow channel cantilever oscillation at different concentrations of ethanol/water for different voltages. Our results show how interactions between solute and solvent, and possibly cluster formation, could change dielectric properties and dipole reorientation of the mixture, as well as the resulting force on the hollow cantilever. For comparison, we also examine higher conductivity ionic mixtures of sodium sulfate solution under the same conditions as low conductivity ethanol/water mixtures. We will show the results from systematic investigation of solvent effects on dielectric properties of the binary mixture. We will also address the question of resolution limits in dielectric study of analyte molecules imposed by solvent concentrations.

Keywords: dielectric constant, cantilever sensors, ethanol water mixtures, low frequency

Procedia PDF Downloads 202

Authors: Huiqiang Yang, Domingo Santana

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This paper proposes a novel configuration which introduces a natural draft dry cooling tower system in a molten salt power tower. A three-dimensional numerical modeling was developed based on the novel configuration. A plan of building 20 new concentrating solar power plants has been announced by Chinese government in September 2016, and among these 20 new plants, most of them are located in regions with long winter and harsh winter climate. The innovative configuration proposed includes an external receiver concrete tower at the center, a natural draft dry cooling tower which is surrounding the external receiver concrete tower and whose shell is fixed on the external receiver concrete tower, and a power block (including a steam generation system, a steam turbine system and hot/cold molten salt tanks, and water treatment systems) is covered by the roof of the natural draft dry cooling tower. Heat exchanger bundles are vertically installed at the furthest edge of the power block. In such a way, all power block equipment operates under suitable environmental conditions through whole year operation. The monthly performance of the novel configuration is simulated as compared to a standard one. The results show that the novel configuration is much more efficient in each separate month in a typical meteorological year. Moreover, all systems inside the power block have less thermal losses at low ambient temperatures, especially in harsh winter climate. It is also worthwhile mentioning that a photovoltaic power plant can be installed on the roof of the cooling tower to reduce the parasites of the molten salt power tower.

Keywords: molten salt power tower, natural draft dry cooling, commercial scale, power block, harsh winter climate

Procedia PDF Downloads 341

Authors: Jan Dahlhaus, Alejandro Cardenas Miranda, Frederik Scholer, Maximilian Leonhardt, Matthias Moullion, Frank Beutenmuller, Julia Eckhardt, Josef Wasner, Frank Nittel, Sebastian Stoll, Devin Atukalp, Daniel Folgmann, Tobias Mayer, Obrad Dordevic, Paul Riley, Jean-Marc Le Peuvedic

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Electrical and hybrid aerospace technologies pose very challenging demands on the battery pack – especially with respect to weight and power. In the Clean Sky 2 research project LiBAT (funded by the EU), the consortium is currently building an ambitious prototype with state-of-the art cells that shows the potential of an intelligent pack design with a high level of integration, especially with respect to thermal management and power electronics. For the latter, innovative multi-level-inverter technology is used to realize the required power converting functions with reduced equipment. In this talk the key approaches and methods of the LiBat project will be presented and central results shown. Special focus will be set on the simulative methods used to support the early design and development stages from an overall system perspective. The applied methods can efficiently handle multiple domains and deal with different time and length scales, thus allowing the analysis and optimization of overall- or sub-system behavior. It will be shown how these simulations provide valuable information and insights for the efficient evaluation of concepts. As a result, the construction and iteration of hardware prototypes has been reduced and development cycles shortened.

Keywords: electric aircraft, battery, Li-ion, multi-level-inverter, Novec

Procedia PDF Downloads 166

Authors: Ajmal Khan Kassi, Humayun Javed, Muhammad Asif Aziz

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Response of different aubergine cultivars against Brinjal shoot and fruit borer (Leucinodes orbonalis Guenee.) was evaluated at research farm of PMAS, Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, during 2013. Field trials were conducted in randomized completed block design with four replications for the screening of five cultivars of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L) (Short Purpal, Singhnath 666, Brinjal long 6275, Round Brinjal 86602, Round Egg Plant White). Cultivar Round White Brinjal showed maximum fruit infestation (54.44%) followed by Singhnath 666 (53.19%), while minimum fruit infestation was observed in Round Brinjal 86602 (42.39%). Cultivar Short Purpal showed maximum larval population (0.43) followed by Round White Brinjal (0.39), while the minimum larval population was observed in Round Brinjal 86602 with (0.27). It was observed that Round Brinjal 86602 cultivar showed comparatively minimum (L. orbonalis) larval population per leaf. The correlation of Brinjal fruit infestation and larval population of (L. orbonalis) with the different environmental factors showed that, the average relative humidity was positively and significantly correlated with fruit infestation on cultivars average precipitation showed positive but non- significant correlation on all the cultivars except Singhnath 666 with the value of (0.79) which was positive and significant. The average temperature showed non-significant and negative correlation with Brinjal long 6275, Round Brinjal 86602 and Singhnath 666, but significant negative correlation with Short Purpal and Round White Brinjal. Maximum temperature also showed the significant and negative correlation on all the five Brinjal cultivars which were significant and highly significant. Minimum temperature showed negative correlation and not significant correlation with all the cultivars. Consequently, based on the (L. orbonalis) larval density and Brinjal fruit infestation, the Round Brinjal 86602 proved least susceptible and Short Purpal highly susceptible cultivar.

Keywords: evaluation, Brinjal (Solanum melongena L), Cultivars, L. orbonalis

Procedia PDF Downloads 196

Authors: Sun-Mi Park, Ji-Hyun Jung, Min-Jung Kang

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Software (SW) education is scheduled to be included in the National curriculum in South Korea by 2018. However, Korean national kindergarten curriculum has been excepted from the revision of the entire Korean national school curriculum including software education. Even though the SW education has not been considered a part of current national kindergarten curriculum, there is a growing interest of adopting software education into the ECE practice. Teachers might be a key element in introducing and implementing new educational change such as SW education. In preparation for the adoption of SW education in ECE, it might be necessary to figure out ECE teachers’ perception and attitudes toward early childhood software education. For this study, 219 ECE teachers’ concern level in SW education was surveyed by using the Stages of Concern Questionnaire (SoCQ). As a result, the teachers' concern level in SW education is the highest at stage 0-Unconcerned and is high level in stage 1-informational, stage 2-personal, and stage 3-management concern. Thus, a non-user pattern was mostly indicated. However, compared to a typical non-user pattern, the personal and informative concern level is slightly high. The 'tailing up' phenomenon toward stage 6-refocusing was shown. Therefore, the pattern aspect close to critical non-user ever appeared to some extent. In addition, a significant difference in concern level was shown at all stages depending on the awareness of necessity. Teachers with SW training experience showed higher intensity only at stage 0. There was statistically significant difference in stage 0 and 6 depending on the future implementation decision. These results will be utilized as a resource in building ECE teachers’ support system according to his or her concern level of SW education.

Keywords: concerns-based adoption model (CBAM), early childhood education teachers, software education, Stages of Concern (SoC)

Procedia PDF Downloads 207

Authors: A. Goma Amira, U. E. Mahrous

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Measuring the effect of perinatal lead exposure on learning ability of offspring is considered as a sensitive and selective index for providing an early marker for central nervous system damage produced by this toxic metal. A total of 35 Sprague-Dawley adult rats were used to investigate the effect of lead acetate toxicity on behavioral patterns of adult female rats and learning ability of offspring. Rats were allotted into 4 groups, group one received 1g/l lead acetate (n=10), group two received 1.5g/l lead acetate (n=10), group three received 2g/l lead acetate in drinking water (n=10), and control group did not receive lead acetate (n=5) from 8th day of pregnancy till weaning of pups. The obtained results revealed a dose-dependent increase in the feeding time, drinking frequency, licking frequency, scratching frequency, licking litters, nest building, and retrieving frequencies, while standing time increased significantly in rats treated with 1.5g/l lead acetate than other treated groups and control. On the contrary, lying time decreased gradually in a dose-dependent manner. Moreover, movement activities were higher in rats treated with 1g/l lead acetate than other treated groups and control. Furthermore, time spent in closed arms was significantly lower in rats given 2g/l lead acetate than other treated groups, while they spent significantly much time spent in open arms than other treated groups which could be attributed to occurrence of adaptation. Furthermore, number of entries in open arms was-dose dependent. However, the ratio between open/closed arms revealed a significant decrease in rats treated with 2g/l lead acetate than the control group.

Keywords: lead toxicity, rats, learning ability, behavior

Procedia PDF Downloads 379

Authors: Muhammad Rizwan Tariq, Muhammad Issa Khan, Zulfiqar Ahmad, Muhammad Adnan Nasir, Muhammad Sameem Javed, Sheraz Ahmed

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Functional foods may be a good tool that can be simply utilized in reducing community health expenses. Regular consumption of rabbit meat can offer patrons with bioactive components because the manipulation in rabbit feed is much successful to raise the levels of conjugated linoleic acid, ecosapentaenoic acid, decosahexaenoic acid, polyunsaturated fatty acids, selenium, tocopherol etc. and to reduce the ω-3/ω-6 ratio which is performing a major role in curing of cardiovascular and several other diseases. In comparison to the meats of other species, rabbit meat has higher amounts of protein with essential amino acids, especially in the muscles and low cholesterol contents that also have elevated digestibility. The present study was carried out to develop the functional rabbit meat by modifying feed ingredient of rabbit diet. Thirty-day old rabbits were fed with feeds containing 2 % and 4 % oat. The feeding trial was carried out for eight weeks. Rabbits were divided into three different groups and reared for the period of two months. T0 rabbits were considered control group while T1 rabbits were reared on 4% oat, and T2 were on 2% oat in the feed. At the end of the 8 weeks, the rabbits were slaughtered. Results presented in this study concluded that 4 % oat seed supplementation enhanced n-3 PUFA in meat. It was observed that oat seed supplementation also reduced fat percentage in the meat. Utilization of oat in the feed of rabbits significantly affected the pH, protein, fat, textural and concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids. A study trial was conducted in order to examine the impact of functional meat on the blood lipid profile of human subjects. They were given rabbit meat in comparison to the chicken meat for the period of one month. The cholesterol, triglycerides and low density lipoprotein were found to be lower in blood serum of human subject group treated with 4 % oat meat.

Keywords: functional food, functional rabbit meat, meat quality, rabbit

Procedia PDF Downloads 367

Authors: Mina Ganji Morad, Maziar Azadisoleimanieh, Sina Ganji Morad

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A green roof is formed by green plants alive and has many positive impacts in the regional climatic, as well as indoor. Green roof system to prevent solar radiation plays a role in the cooling space. The cooling is done by reducing thermal fluctuations on the exterior of the roof and by increasing the roof heat capacity which cause to keep the space under the roof cool in the summer and heating rate increases during the winter. A roof garden is one of the recommended ways to reduce energy consumption in large cities. Despite the scale of the city green roofs have effective functions, such as beautiful view of city and decontaminating the urban landscape and reduce mental stress, and in an exchange of energy and heat from outside to inside spaces. This article is based on a review of 20 articles and 10 books and valid survey results on the positive effects of green roofs to prevent energy waste in the building. According to these publications, three of the conventional roof, green roof typical and green roof with certain administrative details (layers of glass) and the use of resistant plants and shrubs have been analyzed and compared their heat transfer. The results of these studies showed that one of the best green roof systems for mountainous climate is tree and shrub system that in addition to being resistant to climate change in mountainous regions, will benefit from the other advantages of green roof. Due to the severity of climate change in mountainous areas it is essential to prevent the waste of buildings heating and cooling energy. Proper climate design can greatly help to reduce energy.

Keywords: green roof, heat transfer, reducing energy consumption, mountainous areas, sustainable architecture

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Authors: Tran Dinh Lan, Do Thi Thu Huong

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Among the 17 goals of the United Nations, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, SDG 14.2 and SDG 14.4 under SDG 14 directly address the sustainable management, exploitation, and use of marine ecosystems. To achieve these goals, it is necessary to quantify the level of sustainable use of marine ecosystems, which have been paid attention for more than two decades in the direction of a quantitative approach by indicator and index development using methods of building and analyzing indicators and indices. With the employment of the above methods, over the past two decades, a number of marine ecosystems in Vietnam have been quantitatively evaluated for sustainable use for integrated coastal and marine management. Thirty indicators for sustainable use of marine ecosystems in the Northeast of Vietnam, together with indices, have been developed to assess mangrove, coral, and beach ecosystems. An assessment shows the following results. The mangrove ecosystem declined from sustainable to unsustainable uses in the period 1989-2007. The coral ecosystem in 2003 was at a sensitive point between sustainable and unsustainable uses. The beach ecosystem was evaluated with ten selected beaches in the period 2013-2018, showing that nine beaches are at a sustainable level, and one beach is at an unsustainable level. The Thua Thien-Hue coastal lagoon ecosystem assessed by 21 indicators of environmental vulnerability in 2014 showed less sustainability. The marine ecosystems around the offshore islands of Bach Long Vi, Con Co, and Tho Chu were tested to assess the level of sustainable use by the index of total economic value. The results show that these ecosystems are being used sustainably but are also at risk of falling to an unsustainable level (Tho Chu). The use of the environmental vulnerability index or economic value index to evaluate ecosystem sustainability only reflects parts of the function or value of the system but does not fully reflect the sustainability of the system.

Keywords: index, indicators, sustainability evaluation, Vietnam marine ecosystems

Procedia PDF Downloads 108

Authors: Emanuele Bonamente, Andrea Aquino

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This study presents an innovative design for geothermal heat pumps with the goal of maximizing the system efficiency (COP - Coefficient of Performance), reducing the soil use (e.g. length/depth of geothermal boreholes) and initial investment costs. Based on experimental data obtained from a two-year monitoring of a working prototype implemented for a commercial building in the city of Perugia, Italy, an upgrade of the system is proposed and the performance is evaluated via CFD simulations. The prototype was designed to include a thermal heat storage (i.e. water), positioned between the boreholes and the heat pump, acting as a flywheel. Results from the monitoring campaign show that the system is still capable of providing the required heating and cooling energy with a reduced geothermal installation (approx. 30% of the standard length). In this paper, an optimization of the system is proposed, re-designing the heat storage to include phase change materials (PCMs). Two stacks of PCMs, characterized by melting temperatures equal to those needed to maximize the system COP for heating and cooling, are disposed within the storage. During the working cycle, the latent heat of the PCMs is used to heat (cool) the water used by the heat pump while the boreholes independently cool (heat) the storage. The new storage is approximately 10 times smaller and can be easily placed close to the heat pump in the technical room. First, a validation of the CFD simulation of the storage is performed against experimental data. The simulation is then used to test possible alternatives of the original design and it is finally exploited to evaluate the PCM-storage performance for two different configurations (i.e. single- and double-loop systems).

Keywords: geothermal heat pump, phase change materials (PCM), energy storage, renewable energies

Procedia PDF Downloads 314

Authors: Kehinde Joseph Awosan, Balarabe Adami Isah, Edzu Usman Yunusa, Sarafadeen Adeniyi Arisegi, Izuchukwu Obasi, Oluchi Solomon-Anucha

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Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is prevalent in patients with diabetes mellitus and a significant risk for major cardiovascular events. Identifying its burden and peculiarities is crucial to preventing complications among those at risk. Aim: This study was conducted to determine the prevalence and predictors of metabolic syndrome among diabetes clinic attendees in Sokoto, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 365 patients with type 2 diabetes attending the diabetes clinic of Specialist Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain data on the respondents’ socio-demographic variables, treatment history, and lifestyle. Blood pressure and anthropometric measurements (including weight, height, and waist circumference) were done for the patients. Likewise, biochemical assessment (including fasting plasma glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), and triglyceride (TG) was done. Metabolic syndrome was defined according to the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP ATP III). Data were analyzed using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25. Results: The ages of the patients ranged from 30 to 78 (mean = 50.9 ±11.7) years. The overall prevalence of MetS was 57.3%, with a higher prevalence in females (68.1%) than males (43.0%). The most common components of MetS observed were hypertension (69.2%), and elevated fasting plasma glucose (65.7%); while the predictors of MetS were age > 50 years (OR 6.960, 95% CI: 3.836-12.628, p < 0.001), female sex (OR 2.300, 95% CI: 1.355-3.903, p = 0.002), physical activity (OR 0.214, 95% CI: 0.126-0.363, p < 0.001), and overweight/obesity (OR 3.356, 95% CI: 1.838-6.127, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Metabolic syndrome is prevalent among patients with type 2 diabetes in Sokoto, Nigeria, and the predictors were age > 50 years, female sex, physical activity, and overweight/obesity. Diabetes care providers should screen their patients for MetS to prevent adverse cardiovascular events.

Keywords: prevalence, predictors, metabolic syndrome, diabetes

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Authors: Zimu Li, Zheng Wan

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The Suez Canal plays an important role in global shipping networks and is one of the most frequently used waterways in the world. The 2021 canal obstruction by ship Ever Given in March 2021, however, completed blocked the Suez Canal for a week and caused significant disruption to world trade. Therefore, it is very important to quantitatively analyze the impact of the accident on the robustness of the global shipping network. However, the current research on maritime transportation networks is usually limited to local or small-scale networks in a certain region. Based on the complex network theory, this study establishes a global shipping complex network covering 2713 nodes and 137830 edges by using the real trajectory data of the global marine transport ship automatic identification system in 2018. At the same time, two attack modes, deliberate (Suez Canal Blocking) and random, are defined to calculate the changes in network node degree, eccentricity, clustering coefficient, network density, network isolated nodes, betweenness centrality, and closeness centrality under the two attack modes, and quantitatively analyze the actual impact of Suez Canal Blocking on the robustness of global shipping network. The results of the network robustness analysis show that Suez Canal blocking was more destructive to the shipping network than random attacks of the same scale. The network connectivity and accessibility decreased significantly, and the decline decreased with the distance between the port and the canal, showing the phenomenon of distance attenuation. This study further analyzes the impact of the blocking of the Suez Canal on Chinese ports and finds that the blocking of the Suez Canal significantly interferes withChina's shipping network and seriously affects China's normal trade activities. Finally, the impact of the global supply chain is analyzed, and it is found that blocking the canal will seriously damage the normal operation of the global supply chain.

Keywords: global shipping networks, ship AIS trajectory data, main channel, complex network, eigenvalue change

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Authors: Harshit Mittal, Neeraj Garg

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Hand symbol recognition is a pivotal component in the domain of computer vision, with far-reaching applications spanning sign language interpretation, human-computer interaction, and accessibility. This research paper discusses the approach with the integration of the Canny Edge algorithm and convolutional neural network. The significance of this study lies in its potential to enhance communication and accessibility for individuals with hearing impairments or those engaged in gesture-based interactions with technology. In the experiment mentioned, the data is manually collected by the authors from the webcam using Python codes, to increase the dataset augmentation, is applied to original images, which makes the model more compatible and advanced. Further, the dataset of about 6000 coloured images distributed equally in 5 classes (i.e., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) are pre-processed first to gray images and then by the Canny Edge algorithm with threshold 1 and 2 as 150 each. After successful data building, this data is trained on the Convolutional Neural Network model, giving accuracy: 0.97834, precision: 0.97841, recall: 0.9783, and F1 score: 0.97832. For user purposes, a block of codes is built in Python to enable a window for hand symbol recognition. This research, at its core, seeks to advance the field of computer vision by providing an advanced perspective on hand sign recognition. By leveraging the capabilities of the Canny Edge algorithm and convolutional neural network, this study contributes to the ongoing efforts to create more accurate, efficient, and accessible solutions for individuals with diverse communication needs.

Keywords: hand symbol recognition, computer vision, Canny edge algorithm, convolutional neural network

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Authors: Feridun Demir, Pelin Okdem

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Polymers are versatile materials with many unique properties, such as low density, reasonable strength, flexibility, and easy processability. However, the mechanical properties of these materials are insufficient for many engineering applications. Therefore, there is a continuous search for new polymeric materials with improved properties. Polymeric nanocomposites are an advanced class of composite materials that have attracted great attention in both academic and industrial fields. Since nano-reinforcement materials are very small in size, they provide ultra-large interfacial area per volume between the nano-element and the polymer matrix. This allows the nano-reinforcement composites to exhibit enhanced toughness without compromising hardness or optical clarity. PPy and MWCNT/PPy nanocomposites were synthesized by the chemical oxidative polymerization method and the supercapacitor properties of the obtained nanocomposites were investigated. In addition, pure MWCNT was functionalized with acid (H₂SO₄/H₂O₂) and base (NH₄OH/H₂O₂) solutions at a ratio of 3:1 and a-MWCNT/d-PPy, and b-MWCNT/d-PPy nanocomposites were obtained. The homogeneous distribution of MWCNTs in the polypyrrole matrix and shell-core type morphological structures of the nanocomposites was observed with SEM images. It was observed with SEM, FTIR and XRD analyses that the functional groups formed by the functionalization of MWCNTs caused the MWCNTs to come together and partially agglomerate. It was found that the conductivity of the nanocomposites consisting of MWCNT and d-PPy was higher than that of pure d-PPy. CV, GCD and EIS results show that the use of a-MWCNT and b-MWCNTs in nanocomposites with low particle content positively affects the supercapacitor properties of the materials but negatively at high particle content. It was revealed that the functional MWCNT particles combined in nanocomposites with high particle content cause a decrease in the conductivity and distribution of ions in the electrodes and, thus, a decrease in their energy storage capacity.

Keywords: polypyrrole, multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT), conducting polymer, chemical oxidative polymerization, nanocomposite, supercapacitor

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Authors: Myung-Soo Lee, Sun-Jin Jo, Kyoung-Sae Na, Joo-Eon Park

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Early intervention after a disaster is important for recovery of disaster victims and each country has its own professional mental health service system such as Disaster Psychiatric Assistant Team in Japan and Crisis Counseling Program in the USA. The purpose of this study was to determine key prior components of the Korean Disaster Psychiatric Assistant Team (K-DPAT) for building up Korean disaster mental health service system. We conducted an Analytic Hierarchy Process(AHP) with disaster mental health experts using pairwise comparison questionnaire which compares the relative importance of the key components of Korean disaster mental health service system. Forty-one experts answered the first online survey, and among them, 36 responded to the second. Ten experts were participated in panel meeting and discussed the results of the survey and AHP process. Participants decided the relative importance of the Korean disaster mental health service system regarding initial professional intervention as follows. K-DPAT could be organized at a national level (43.0%) or regional level (40.0%). K-DPAT members should be managed (59.0%) and educated (52.1%) by national level than regional or local level. K-DPAT should be organized independent of the preexisting mental health system (70.1%). Funding for K-DPAT should be from the Ministry of Public Safety and the system could be managed by Ministry of Health (65.8%). Experts agreed K-DPAT leader is suitable for key decision maker for most types of disaster except infectious disease. We expect new model for disaster mental health services can improve insufficiency of the system such as fragmentation and decrease the unmet needs of early professional intervention for the disaster victims.

Keywords: analytic hierarchy process, decision making, disaster, DPAT, mental health services

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Authors: K. Almi, S. Lakel, A. Benchabane, A. Kriker

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The fiber–matrix compatibility can be improved if suitable enforcements are chosen. Whenever the reinforcements have more thermal stability, they can resist to the main processes for wood–thermoplastic composites. Several researches are focused on natural resources for the production of biomaterials intended for technical applications. Date palm wood present one of the world’s most important natural resource. Its use as insulating materials will help to solve the severe environmental and recycling problems which other artificial insulating materials caused. This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation on the thermal proprieties of date palm wood from Algeria. A study of physical, chemical and mechanical properties is also carried out. The goal is to use this natural material in the manufacture of thermal insulation materials for buildings. The local natural resources used in this study are the date palm fibers from Biskra oasis in Algeria. The results have shown that there is no significant difference in the morphological proprieties of the four types of residues. Their chemical composition differed slightly; with the lowest amounts of cellulose and lignin content belong to Petiole. Water absorption study proved that Rachis has a low value of sorption whereas Petiole and Fibrillium have a high value of sorption what influenced their mechanical properties. It is seen that the Rachis and leaflets exhibit a high tensile strength values compared to the other residue. On the other hand the low value of bulk density of Petiole and Fibrillium leads to high value of specific tensile strength and young modulus. It was found that the specific young modulus of Petiole and Fibrillium was higher than that of Rachis and Leaflets and that of other natural fibers or even artificial fibers. Compared to the other materials date palm wood provide a good thermal proprieties thus, date palm wood will be a good candidate for the manufacturing efficient and safe insulating materials.

Keywords: composite materials, date palm fiber, natural fibers, tensile tests, thermal proprieties

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Authors: Andres F. Ramirez, Carlos F. Valencia

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The increasing interest in renewable energies strategies application and the path for diminishing the use of carbon related energy sources have encouraged the development of novel strategies for integration of solar energy into the electricity network. A correct inclusion of the fluctuating energy output of a photovoltaic (PV) energy system into an electric grid requires improvements in the forecasting and simulation methodologies for solar energy potential, and the understanding not only of the mean value of the series but the associated underlying stochastic process. We present a methodology for synthetic generation of solar irradiance (shortwave flux) and air temperature bivariate time series based on copula functions to represent the cross-dependence and temporal structure of the data. We explore the advantages of using this nonlinear time series method over traditional approaches that use a transformation of the data to normal distributions as an intermediate step. The use of copulas gives flexibility to represent the serial variability of the real data on the simulation and allows having more control on the desired properties of the data. We use discrete zero mass density distributions to assess the nature of solar irradiance, alongside vector generalized linear models for the bivariate time series time dependent distributions. We found that the copula autoregressive methodology used, including the zero mass characteristics of the solar irradiance time series, generates a significant improvement over state of the art strategies. These results will help to better understand the fluctuating nature of solar energy forecasting, the underlying stochastic process, and quantify the potential of a photovoltaic (PV) energy generating system integration into a country electricity network. Experimental analysis and real data application substantiate the usage and convenience of the proposed methodology to forecast solar irradiance time series and solar energy across northern hemisphere, southern hemisphere, and equatorial zones.

Keywords: copula autoregressive, solar irradiance forecasting, solar energy forecasting, time series generation

Procedia PDF Downloads 323

Authors: Threera Intarareaung

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This research aims to study guidelines of organizing the Wat Sai Museum of Local Boats, of Ruam Sai Pattana Community 789, Kradangnga sub-district, Bang Khon Tee district, Samut Songkram province. The procedures are to seek for potentials and problems within the community to properly organize the said museum. The research contains methodology of qualitative by studying from the population from Ruam Sai Pattana 789, a community that located within the area of the museum. The sample contains 40 persons. The procedures are in-depth interview, observation, focus group by discussing ideas, problems and the importance of the museum. After that, the information received is synthesized and analyzed. The result finds that the local temple requires setting up the boat museum. However, there are several factors that limit the possibility which are the museum manager, resources, exhibition and service and knowledge management. These factors reflect mutual potentials and problems that lead us to seek the best solutions to set up the local boat museum. In conclusion, there are 4 issues regarding the management. First, the knowledge management should be conducted to indicate the purposes of the museum. Second, exhibition and service should be categorized. In addition, the serviced should be assisted by local guides. Third, the museum should employ staffs to correspond to other entities such as related authorities. Fourth is regarding location and condition of the building. This is considered as a major factor that needs discussion from different parties. However, the condition of the existing resource is proper. All the information is collected by field trip and interview the locals and person of interest. Therefore, the idea is inconsistent with the community’s requirement that can proceed to real practice.

Keywords: museum, boat museum, heritage tourism, conservation lifestyle

Procedia PDF Downloads 332

Authors: Băilă Diana Irinel, Păcurar Răzvan, Păcurar Ancuța

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Although the volumes of fibre reinforced polymer composites (FRPs) used for aircraft applications is a relatively small percentage of total use, the materials often find their most sophisticated applications in this industry. In aerospace, the performance criteria placed upon materials can be far greater than in other areas – key aspects are light-weight, high-strength, high-stiffness, and good fatigue resistance. Composites were first used by the military before the technology was applied to commercial planes. Nowadays, composites are widely used, and this has been the result of a gradual direct substitution of metal components followed by the development of integrated composite designs as confidence in FRPs has increased. The airplane uses a range of components made from composites, including the fin and tailplane. In the last years, composite materials are increasingly used in automotive applications due to the improvement of material properties. In the aerospace and automotive sector, the fuel consumption is proportional to the weight of the body of the vehicle. A minimum of 20% of the cost can be saved if it used polymer composites in place of the metal structures and the operating and maintenance costs are alco very low. Glass fiber-epoxy composites are widely used in the making of aircraft and automobile body parts and are not only limited to these fields but also used in ship building, structural applications in civil engineering, pipes for the transport of liquids, electrical insulators in reactors. This article was establish the high-performance of composite material, a type glass-epoxy used in automotive and aeronautic domains, concerning the tensile and flexural tests and SEM analyzes.

Keywords: glass-epoxy composite, traction and flexion tests, SEM analysis, acoustic emission (AE) signals

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Authors: Lukas Ded

Abstract:

Studying the tissue structure and histogenesis in the natural, 3D context is challenging but highly beneficial process. Contrary to classical approach of the physical tissue sectioning and subsequent imaging, it enables to study the relationships of individual cellular and histological structures in their native context. Recent developments in the tissue clearing approaches and microscopic volume imaging/data processing enable the application of these methods also in the areas of developmental and reproductive biology. Here, using the CLARITY tissue procedure and 3D confocal volume imaging we optimized the protocol for clearing, staining and imaging of the mice seminiferous tubules isolated from the testes without cardiac perfusion procedure. Our approach enables the high magnification and fine resolution axial imaging of the whole diameter of the seminiferous tubules with possible unlimited lateral length imaging. Hence, the large continuous pieces of the seminiferous tubule can be scanned and digitally reconstructed for the study of the single tubule seminiferous stages using nuclear dyes. Furthermore, the application of the antibodies and various molecular dyes can be used for molecular labeling of individual cellular and subcellular structures and resulting 3D images can highly increase our understanding of the spatiotemporal aspects of the seminiferous tubules development and sperm ultrastructure formation. Finally, our newly developed algorithms for 3D data processing enable the massive parallel processing of the large amount of individual cell and tissue fluorescent signatures and building the robust spermatogenic models under physiological and pathological conditions.

Keywords: CLARITY, spermatogenesis, testis, tissue clearing, volume imaging

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Authors: Rahila Yilangai, Sonali Saha, Amartya Saha, Augustine Ezealor

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Gallery forests in sub-Saharan Africa are drastically disappearing due to intensive anthropogenic activities thus reducing ecosystem services, one of which is water provisioning. The role played by forest cover in regulating streamflow and water yield is not well understood, especially in West Africa. This pioneering 2-year study investigated the interrelationships between plant cover and hydrology in protected and unprotected gallery forests. Rainfall, streamflow, and evapotranspiration (ET) measurements/estimates over 2015-2016 were obtained to form a water balance for both catchments. In addition, transpiration in the protected gallery forest with high vegetation cover was calculated from stomatal conductance readings of selected species chosen from plot level data of plant diversity and abundance. Results showed that annual streamflow was significantly higher in the unprotected site than the protected site, even when normalized by catchment area. However, streamflow commenced earlier and lasted longer in the protected site than the degraded unprotected site, suggesting regulation by the greater tree density in the protected site. Streamflow correlated strongly with rainfall with the highest peak in August. As expected, transpiration measurements were less than potential evapotranspiration estimates, while rainfall exceeded ET in the water cycle. The water balance partitioning suggests that the lower vegetation cover in the unprotected catchment leads to a larger runoff in the rainy season and less infiltration, thereby leading to streams drying up earlier, than in the protected catchment. This baseline information is important in understanding the contribution of plants in water cycle regulation, for modeling integrative water management in applied research and natural resource management in sustaining water resources with changing the land cover and climate uncertainties in this data-poor region.

Keywords: evapotranspiration, gallery forest, rainfall, streamflow, transpiration

Procedia PDF Downloads 173