Search results for: peak current reduction

Authors: Monu Ojha, Rahul Rana, Satywati Sharma, Kavya Dashora

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The global production rate of plastics has increased enormously and global demand for polyethylene resins –High-density polyethylene (HDPE), Linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) and Low-density polyethylene (LDPE) is expected to rise drastically, with very high value. These get accumulated in the environment, posing a potential ecological threat as they are degrading at a very slow rate and remain in the environment indefinitely. The aim of the present study was to investigate the potential of commonly found soil microbes like Bacillus subtilus, Aspergillus niger, Pseudomonas fluroscence for their ability to biodegrade LDPE in the lab on solid and liquid media conditions as well as in presence of 1% salt in the soil. This study was conducted at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, India from July to September where average temperature and RH (Relative Humidity) were 33 degrees Celcius and 80% respectively. It revealed that the weight loss of LDPE strip obtained from market of approximately 4x6 cm dimensions is more in liquid broth media than in solid agar media. The percentage weight loss by P. fluroscence, A. niger and B. subtilus observed after 80 days of incubation was 15.52, 9.24 and 8.99% respectively in broth media and 6.93, 2.18 and 4.76 % in agar media. The LDPE strips from same source and on the same were subjected to soil in presence of above microbes with 1% salt (NaCl: obtained from commercial table salt) with temperature and RH 33 degree Celcius and 80%. It was found that the rate of degradation increased in the soil than under lab conditions. The rate of weight loss of LDPE strips under same conditions given in lab was found to be 32.98, 15.01 and17.09 % by P. fluroscence, A. niger and B. subtilus respectively. The breaking strength was found to be 9.65N, 29N and 23.85 N for P. fluroscence, A. niger and B. subtilus respectively. SEM analysis conducted on Zeiss EVO 50 confirmed that surface of LDPE becomes physically weak after biological treatment. There was the increase in the surface roughness indicating Surface erosion of LDPE film. FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy) analysis of the degraded LDPE films showed stretching of aldehyde group at 3334.92 and 3228.84 cm-1,, C–C=C symmetric of aromatic ring at 1639.49 cm-1.There was also C=O stretching of aldehyde group at 1735.93 cm-1. N=O peak bend was also observed which corresponds to 1365.60 cm-1, C–O stretching of ether group at 1217.08 and 1078.21 cm-1.

Keywords: microbial degradation, LDPE, Aspergillus niger, Bacillus subtilus, Peudomonas fluroscence, common salt

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Authors: Sharon Garyn-Tal, Shoshana Shahrabani

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Military service in general, and in combat units in particular, can be physically and psychologically stressful. Therefore, type of service may have significant implications for soldiers during and after their military service including emotions, judgments and risk perceptions. Previous studies have focused on risk propensity and risky behavior among soldiers, however there is still lack of knowledge on the impact of type of army service on risk perceptions. The current study examines the effect of type of army service (combat versus non-combat service) and negative incidental emotions on risk perceptions. In 2014 a survey was conducted among 153 combat and non-combat Israeli soldiers. The survey was distributed in train stations and central bus stations in various places in Israel among soldiers waiting for the train/bus. Participants answered questions related to the levels of incidental negative emotions they felt, to their risk perceptions (chances to be hurt by terror attack, by violent crime and by car accident), and personal details including type of army service. The data in this research is unique because military service in Israel is compulsory, so that the Israeli population serving in the army is wide and diversified. The results indicate that currently serving combat participants were more pessimistic in their risk perceptions (for all type of risks) compared to the currently serving non-combat participants. Since combat participants probably experienced severe and distressing situations during their service, they became more pessimistic regarding their probabilities of being hurt in different situations in life. This result supports the availability heuristic theory and the findings of previous studies indicating that those who directly experience distressing events tend to overestimate danger. The findings also indicate that soldiers who feel higher levels of incidental fear and anger have pessimistic risk perceptions. In addition, respondents who experienced combat army service also have pessimistic risk perceptions if they feel higher levels of fear. In addition, the findings suggest that higher levels of the incidental emotions of fear and anger are related to more pessimistic risk perceptions. These results can be explained by the compulsory army service in Israel that constitutes a focused threat to soldiers' safety during their period of service. Thus, in this stressful environment, negative incidental emotions even during routine times correlate with higher risk perceptions. In conclusion, the current study results suggest that combat army service shapes risk perceptions and the way young people control their negative incidental emotions in everyday life. Recognizing the factors affecting risk perceptions among soldiers is important for better understanding the impact of army service on young people.

Keywords: army service, combat soldiers, incidental emotions, risk perceptions

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Authors: Nafisa Komilova, Plamena Angelova, Andrey Abramov, Ulugbek Mirkhodjaev

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Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder which is induced by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the midbrain. The mechanism of neurodegeneration is associated with the aggregation of misfolded proteins, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial disfunction. Considering this, the process of removal of unwanted organelles or proteins by autophagy is vitally important in neurons, and activation of these processes could be protective in PD. Short-time acidification of cytosol can activate mitophagy and autophagy, and here we used sodium pyruvate and sodium lactate in human fibroblasts with PD mutations (Pink1, Pink1/Park2, α-syn triplication, A53T) to induce changes in intracellular pH. We have found that both lactate and pyruvate in millimolar concentrations can induce short-time acidification of cytosol in these cells. It induced activation of mitophagy and autophagy in control and PD fibroblasts and protected against cell death. Importantly, the application of lactate to acute brain slices of control and Pink1 knockout mice also induced a reduction of pH in neurons and astrocytes that increase the level of mitophagy. Thus, acidification of cytosol by compounds which play important role in cell metabolism also can activate mitophagy and autophagy and protect cells in the familial form of PD.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease, mutations, mitophagy, autophagy

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Authors: Tomas Seidl

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'Enjoy the Czech traditions with all sences!' is the main communication headline of one of the major current marketing project representing the intangible cultural heritage of the Czech Republic to its visitors. The project CZ.1.06/4.1.00/12.08915 and CZ.1.06/4.1.00/12.08916 which is solved in the period 2013-2015 is co-financed form the EU financial sources from the Integrated Operational Programme. The primary goal of the project was to analyze the dislocation and potential of the intangible cultural heritage in the Czech Republic. Further goal was to prepare a useful regionalization. An as solution based on the outcomes the creative and media strategy was created and prepared. The processor – CzechTourism expect the following web and mobile application development and successful marketing campaign in 2015.

Keywords: traditions, intangible cultural heritage, Czech Republic, CzechTourism, digital performance

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Authors: Michael Mihalicz, Aziz Guergachi

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Background: The science of modelling choice preferences has evolved over centuries into an interdisciplinary field contributing to several branches of Microeconomics and Mathematical Psychology. Early theories in Decision Science rested on the logic of rationality, but as it and related fields matured, descriptive theories emerged capable of explaining systematic violations of rationality through cognitive mechanisms underlying the thought processes that guide human behaviour. Cognitive limitations are not, however, solely responsible for systematic deviations from rationality and many are now exploring the effect of visceral factors as the more dominant drivers. The current study builds on the existing literature by exploring sleep deprivation, thermal comfort, stress, hunger, fear, anger and sadness as moderators to three distinct elements that define individual risk preference under Cumulative Prospect Theory. Methodology: This study is designed to compare the risk preference of participants experiencing an elevated affective or visceral state to those in a neutral state using nonparametric elicitation methods across three domains. Two experiments will be conducted simultaneously using different methodologies. The first will determine visceral states and risk preferences randomly over a two-week period by prompting participants to complete an online survey remotely. In each round of questions, participants will be asked to self-assess their current state using Visual Analogue Scales before answering a series of lottery-style elicitation questions. The second experiment will be conducted in a laboratory setting using psychological primes to induce a desired state. In this experiment, emotional states will be recorded using emotion analytics and used a basis for comparison between the two methods. Significance: The expected results include a series of measurable and systematic effects on the subjective interpretations of gamble attributes and evidence supporting the proposition that a portion of the variability in human choice preferences unaccounted for by cognitive limitations can be explained by interacting visceral states. Significant results will promote awareness about the subconscious effect that emotions and other drive states have on the way people process and interpret information, and can guide more effective decision making by informing decision-makers of the sources and consequences of irrational behaviour.

Keywords: decision making, emotions, prospect theory, visceral factors

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Authors: Santiranjan Shannigrahi, Mohit Sharma, Ivan Tan Chee Kiang, Yong Anna Marie

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Polymer-ceramics composites are gaining importance due to their high specific strength, corrosion resistance, and high mechanical properties, as well as low cost. As a result, polymer composites are suitable for various industrial applications, like automobiles, aerospace, and biomedical areas. The present work comprises the development of polymer-ceramic composite films and is tested for the harsh environment including weatherability and UV barrier property. The polymer composite films are kept in weather chamber for a fixed period of time followed by tested for their physical, mechanical and chemical properties. The composite films are fabricated using compounding followed by hot pressing. UV-visible spectroscopy results reveal that the pure polymer polyethylene (PE) films are transparent in the visible range and do not absorb UV. However, polymer ceramic composite films start absorbing UV completely even at very low filler loading amount of 5 wt.%. The changes in tensile properties of the various composite films before and after UV illuminations for 40 hrs at 60 degC are analyzed. The tensile strength of neat PE film has been observed 8% reduction, whereas the remarkable increase in tensile strength has been observed (18% improvement for 10 wt. % filled composites films). The UV exposure leads to strengthen the crosslinking among PE polymer chains in the filled composite films, which contributes towards the incremented tensile strength properties.

Keywords: polymer ceramic composite, processing, harsh environment, mechanical properties

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Authors: A. A. Embaby, A. Abu Halawa, M. Ramadan

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In Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, there are several areas where expansive soil exists in the form of variable-thicknesses layers in the developed regions. Severe distress to infrastructures can be caused by the development of heave and swelling pressure in this kind of expansive shale. Among the various techniques for expansive soil mitigation, the removal and replacement technique is very popular for lightly loaded structures and shallow foundations. This paper presents the result of an experimental study conducted for evaluating the effect of type and thickness of the cushion soils on mitigation of swelling characteristics of expanded shale. Seven undisturbed shale samples collected from Al Qadsiyah district, which is located in the Tabuk town north Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are treated with two types of cushion coarse-grained sediments (CCS); sand and gravel. Each type is represented with three thicknesses, 22%, 33% and 44% in relation to the depth of the active zone. The test results indicated that the replacement of expansive shale by CCS reduces the swelling potential and pressure. It is found that the reduction in swelling depends on the type and thickness of CCS. The treatment by removing the original expansive shale and replacing it by cushion sand with 44% thickness reduced the swelling potential and pressure of about 53.29% and 62.78 %, respectively.

Keywords: cushion coarse-grained sediments (CCS), expansive soil, Saudi Arabia, swelling pressure, Tabuk Shale

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Authors: Ronald Croce, Timothy Quinn, John Miller

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Incomplete activation, or activation failure, of motor units during maximal voluntary contractions is often referred to as muscle inhibition (MI), and is defined as the inability of the central nervous system to maximally drive a muscle during a voluntary contraction. The purpose of the present study was to assess the interrelationship amongst peak torque (PT), muscle inhibition (MI; incomplete activation of motor units), and voluntary muscle activation (VMA) of the quadriceps’ muscle group as a function of knee angle and muscle length during maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVICs). Nine young adult males (mean + standard deviation: age: 21.58 + 1.30 years; height: 180.07 + 4.99 cm; weight: 89.07 + 7.55 kg) performed MVICs in random order with the knee at 15, 55, and 95° flexion. MI was assessed using the interpolated twitch technique and was estimated by the amount of additional knee extensor PT evoked by the superimposed twitch during MVICs. Voluntary muscle activation was estimated by root mean square amplitude electromyography (EMGrms) and mechanomyography (MMGrms) of agonist (vastus medialis [VM], vastus lateralis [VL], and rectus femoris [RF]) and antagonist (biceps femoris ([BF]) muscles during MVICs. Data were analyzed using separate repeated measures analysis of variance. Results revealed a strong dependency of quadriceps’ PT (p < 0.001), MI (p < 0.001) and MA (p < 0.01) on knee joint position: PT was smallest at the most shortened muscle position (15°) and greatest at mid-position (55°); MI and MA were smallest at the most shortened muscle position (15°) and greatest at the most lengthened position (95°), with the RF showing the greatest change in MA. It is hypothesized that the ability to more fully activate the quadriceps at short compared to longer muscle lengths (96% contracted at 15°; 91% at 55°; 90% at 95°) might partly compensate for the unfavorable force-length mechanics at the more extended position and consequent declines in VMA (decreases in EMGrms and MMGrms muscle amplitude during MVICs) and force production (PT = 111-Nm at 15°, 217-NM at 55°, 199-Nm at 95°). Biceps femoris EMG and MMG data showed no statistical differences (p = 0.11 and 0.12, respectively) at joint angles tested, although there were greater values at the extended position. Increased BF muscle amplitude at this position could be a mechanism by which anterior shear and tibial rotation induced by high quadriceps’ activity are countered. Measuring and understanding the degree to which one sees MI and VMA in the QF muscle has particular clinical relevance because different knee-joint disorders, such ligament injuries or osteoarthritis, increase levels of MI observed and markedly reduced the capability of full VMA.

Keywords: electromyography, interpolated twitch technique, mechanomyography, muscle activation, muscle inhibition

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Authors: Michael Radwan Omary

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Context: This scientific innovation demonstrate organic catalysis engineered media effective desalination of surface and groundwater. The author has developed a technology called “Storm-Water Ions Filtration Treatment” (SWIFTTM) cold reactor modules designed to retrofit typical urban street storm drains or catch basins. SWIFT triggers biochemical redox reactions with water stream-embedded toxic total dissolved solids (TDS) and electrical conductivity (EC). SWIFTTM Catalysts media unlock the sub-molecular bond energy, break down toxic chemical bonds, and neutralize toxic molecules, bacteria and pathogens. Research Aim: This research aims to develop and design lower O&M cost, zero-brine discharge, energy input-free, chemical-free water desalination and disinfection systems. The objective is to provide an effective resilient and sustainable solution to urban storm-water and groundwater decontamination and disinfection. Methodology: We focused on the development of organic, non-chemical, no-plugs, no pumping, non-polymer and non-allergenic approaches for water and waste water desalination and disinfection. SWIFT modules operate by directing the water stream to flow freely through the electrically charged media cold reactor, generating weak interactions with a water-dissolved electrically conductive molecule, resulting in the neutralization of toxic molecules. The system is powered by harvesting sub-molecular bonds embedded in energy. Findings: The SWIFTTM Technology case studies at CSU-CI and CSU-Fresno Water Institute, demonstrated consistently high reduction of all 40 detected waste-water pollutants including pathogens to levels below a state of California Department of Water Resources “Drinking Water Maximum Contaminants Levels”. The technology has proved effective in reducing pollutants such as arsenic, beryllium, mercury, selenium, glyphosate, benzene, and E. coli bacteria. The technology has also been successfully applied to the decontamination of dissolved chemicals, water pathogens, organic compounds and radiological agents. Theoretical Importance: SWIFT technology development, design, engineering, and manufacturing, offer cutting-edge advancement in achieving clean-energy source bio-catalysis media solution, an energy input free water and waste water desalination and disinfection. A significant contribution to institutions and municipalities achieving sustainable, lower cost, zero-brine and zero CO2 discharges clean energy water desalination. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: The researchers collected data on the performance of the SWIFTTM technology in reducing the levels of various pollutants in water. The data was analyzed by comparing the reduction achieved by the SWIFTTM technology to the Drinking Water Maximum Contaminants Levels set by the state of California. The researchers also conducted live oral presentations to showcase the applications of SWIFTTM technology in storm water capture and decontamination as well as providing clean drinking water during emergencies. Conclusion: The SWIFTTM Technology has demonstrated its capability to effectively reduce pollutants in water and waste water to levels below regulatory standards. The Technology offers a sustainable solution to groundwater and storm-water treatments. Further development and implementation of the SWIFTTM Technology have the potential to treat storm water to be reused as a new source of drinking water and an ambient source of clean and healthy local water for recharge of ground water.

Keywords: catalysis, bio electro interactions, water desalination, weak-interactions

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Authors: Hyekyung Woo, Gwihyun Kim

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mHealth, which encompasses mobile health technologies and interventions, is rapidly evolving in various medical specialties, and its impact is evident in oncology. This review describes current trends in research addressing the integration of mHealth into the management of breast cancer by examining evaluations of mHealth and its contributions across the cancer care continuum. Mobile technologies are perceived as effective in prevention and as feasible for managing breast cancer, but the diagnostic accuracy of these tools remains in doubt. Not all phases of breast cancer treatment involve mHealth, and not all have been addressed by research. These drawbacks in the application of mHealth to breast cancer management call for intensified research to strengthen its role in breast cancer care.

Keywords: mobile application, breast cancer, content analysis, mHealth

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Authors: Mom Bishwakarma

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This research traces out how the Dalit in Nepal evolved from the early 1950s to the current day, from invoking Dalit against caste discrimination through to the asserting proportional representation in state structures. The research focused most closely on the formation of Dalit association and resistance, as well as on the different struggles throughout this period. It then discusses the expansion of Dalit movement in NGOs, its internationalization and responses. The research sees that Dalit movement has been influenced by its network with the national and international civil rights movement particularly Dalit movement in India and argues that Dalit movement in Nepal have in many ways, challenged the orthodox based caste stratification for Dalit equality and justice. It can be seen that at the same time as Dalit participation was increasing, divisions by caste line also emerged. Rather reshaping the power structures, Dalit movement encircled into division and contentious politics.

Keywords: Dalit, equality, justice, movements, Nepal

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Authors: M. H. Arslan, U. K. Sahin, H. Acikgoz-Tufan, I. Gocek, I. Erdem

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Various exterior factors have perpetual effects on textile materials during wear, use and laundering in everyday life. In accordance with their frequency of use, textile materials are required to be laundered at certain intervals. The medium in which the laundering process takes place have inevitable detrimental physical and chemical effects on textile materials caused by the unique parameters of the process inherently existing. Connatural structures of various textile materials result in many different physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics. Because of their specific structures, these materials have different behaviors against several exterior factors. By modeling the behavior of commercial and test textiles as group-wise against laundering process, it is possible to disclose the relation in between these two groups of materials, which will lead to better understanding of their behaviors in terms of similarities and differences against the washing parameters of the laundering. Thus, the goal of the current research is to examine the behavior of two groups of textile materials as commercial textiles and as test textiles towards the main washing machine parameters during laundering process such as temperature, load quantity, mechanical action and level of water amount by concentrating on shrinkage, pilling, sewing defects, collar abrasion, the other defects other than sewing, whitening and overall properties of textiles. In this study, cotton fabrics were preferred as commercial textiles due to the fact that garments made of cotton are the most demanded products in the market by the textile consumers in daily life. Full factorial experimental set-up was used to design the experimental procedure. All profiles always including all of the commercial and the test textiles were laundered for 20 cycles by commercial home laundering machine to investigate the effects of the chosen parameters. For the laundering process, a modified version of ‘‘IEC 60456 Test Method’’ was utilized. The amount of detergent was altered as 0.5% gram per liter depending on varying load quantity levels. Datacolor 650®, EMPA Photographic Standards for Pilling Test and visual examination were utilized to test and characterize the textiles. Furthermore, in the current study the relation in between commercial and test textiles in terms of their performance was deeply investigated by the help of statistical analysis performed by MINITAB® package program modeling their behavior against the parameters of the laundering process. In the experimental work, the behaviors of both groups of textiles towards washing machine parameters were visually and quantitatively assessed in dry state.

Keywords: behavior against washing machine parameters, performance evaluation of textiles, statistical analysis, commercial and test textiles

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Authors: Wei Yaming

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Objective: In order to compare the stress of employees sent overseas with (GRAS) before and after, we used the resource-oriented music listening intervention in this study. We also collected pertinent experimental data. Methods: The experiment involved 47 employees who were sent abroad by the Chinese side. They completed the stress scale test and documented it before the intervention. They tested for stress after five interventions and performed one-on-one interviews. Quantitative data and SPSS software were used to analyze relationships between stress reduction and resource-oriented music listening, as well as Pearson's correlation, multiple regression levels, and ANOVA. For the qualitative analysis, content analysis of one-on-one interviews was performed. Results: A comparison of data from before and after demonstrates how resource-focused music listening activities can lessen and relieve stress in remote workers. In the qualitative study, stress is broken down into six categories: relationship stress, health stress, emotional stress, and frustration stress. External pressures include work pressure and cultural stress. And it has been determined that listening to music that is resource-oriented can better ease internal stress (health, emotion, and dissatisfaction). Conclusion: The Guide Resource-oriented Music Listening (GROML) Program appears to have had some effect on the participants' stress levels. The resources that the participants encountered while listening to music are bravery, calm, letting go, and relaxing.

Keywords: resource-oriented, music listening, oversea dispatch employees, work stress

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Authors: Min Yu, Olivier T. Picot, Theo Graves Saunders, Ivo Dlouhy, Amit Mahajan, Michael J. Reece

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Graphene was successfully introduced into a polymer-derived silicon oxycarbide (SiOC) matrix by phase transfer of graphene oxide (GO) from an aqueous (GO dispersed in water) to an organic phase (copolymer as SiOC precursor in diethyl ether). With GO concentrations increasing up to 2 vol%, graphene-containing flakes self-assembled into a lamellar structure in the matrix leading to composite with the anisotropic property. Spark plasma sintering (SPS) was applied to densify the composites with four different GO concentrations (0, 0.5, 1 and 2 vol%) up to ~2.3 g/cm3. The fracture toughness of SiOC-2 vol% GO composites was significantly increased by ~91% (from 0.70 to 1.34 MPa·m¹/²), at the expense of a decrease in the flexural strength (from 85MPa to 55MPa), compared to SiOC-0 vol% GO composites. Moreover, the electrical conductivity in the perpendicular direction (σ┴=3×10⁻¹ S/cm) in SiOC-2 vol% GO composite was two orders of magnitude higher than the parallel direction (σ║=4.7×10⁻³ S/cm) owing to the self-assembled lamellar structure of graphene in the SiOC matrix. The composites exhibited increased electrical conductivity (σ┴) from 8.4×10⁻³ to 3×10⁻¹ S/cm, with the increasing GO content from 0.5 to 2 vol%. The SiOC-2 vol% GO composites further showed the better electrochemical performance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) than pure graphene, exhibiting a similar onset potential (~0.75V vs. RHE) and more positive half-wave potential (~0.6V vs. RHE).

Keywords: composite, fracture toughness, flexural strength, electrical conductivity, electrochemical performance

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Authors: Danish Laidin, Peter Gostomski, Aaron Marshall, Carlo Carere

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Groundwater contamination of nitrate (NO3-) is becoming more prevalent in regions of intensive and extensive agricultural activities. Household nitrate removal involves using ion exchange membranes and reverse osmosis (RO) systems, whereas industrial nitrate removal may use organic carbon substrates (e.g. methanol) for heterotrophic microbial denitrification. However, these approaches both require high capital investment and operating costs. In this study, denitrification was demonstrated using bio-electrochemical systems (BESs) inoculated from sediments and microbial enrichment cultures. The BES reactors were operated continuously as microbial electrolytic cells (MECs) with a poised potential of -0.7V and -1.1V vs Ag/AgCl. Three parallel MECs were inoculated using hydrogen-driven denitrifying enrichments, stream sediments, and biofilm harvested from a denitrifying biotrickling filter, respectively. These reactors were continuously operated for over a year as various operating conditions were investigated to determine the optimal conditions for electroactive denitrification. The mass loading rate of nitrate was varied between 10 – 70 mg NO3-/d, and the maximum observed nitrate removal rate was 22 mg NO3- /(cm2∙d) with a current of 2.1 mA. For volumetric load experiments, the dilution rate of 1 mM NO3- feed was varied between 0.01 – 0.1 hr-1 to achieve a nitrate loading rate similar to the mass loading rate experiments. Under these conditions, the maximum rate of denitrification observed was 15.8 mg NO3- /(cm2∙d) with a current of 1.7mA. Hydrogen (H2) was supplied intermittently to investigate the hydrogenotrophic potential of the denitrifying biofilm electrodes. H2 supplementation at 0.1 mL/min resulted in an increase of nitrate removal from 0.3 mg NO3- /(cm2∙d) to 3.4 mg NO3- /(cm2∙d) in the hydrogenotrophically subcultured reactor but had no impact on the reactors which exhibited direct electron transfer properties. Results from this study depict the denitrification performance of the immobilized biofilm electrodes, either by direct electron transfer or hydrogen-driven denitrification, and the contribution of the planktonic cells present in the growth medium. Other results will include the microbial community analysis via 16s rDNA amplicon sequencing, varying the effect of poising cathodic potential from 0.7V to 1.3V vs Ag/AgCl, investigating the potential of using in-situ electrochemically produced hydrogen for autotrophic denitrification and adjusting the conductivity of the feed solution to mimic groundwater conditions. These findings highlight the overall performance of sediment inoculated MECs in removing nitrate and will be used for the future development of sustainable solutions for the treatment of nitrate polluted groundwater.

Keywords: bio-electrochemical systems, groundwater, electroactive denitrification, microbial electrolytic cell

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Authors: Chaimaan Benhsinat, Amal Tazi, Mohammed Azzi

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Synthetic azo-dyes are widely used in food industry, they product intense coloration, high toxicity and mutagenicity for wastewater; Causing serious damage to aquatic biota and risk factors for humans. The treatment of these effluents remains a major challenge especially for third world countries that have not yet all possibilities to integrate the concept of sustainable development. These aqueous effluents require specific treatment to preserve natural environments. For these reasons and in order to contribute to the fight against this danger, we were interested in this study to the degradation of the dye Ponceau Red E124 'C20H11N2Na3O10S3' 'used in a food industry Casablanca-Morocco, by the super iron ferrate (VI) K3FexMnyO8; Synthesized in our laboratory and known for its high oxidizing and flocculants. The degradation of Ponceau red is evaluated with the objectives of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC) and discoloration reductions. The results are very satisfying. In fact, we achieved 90% reduction of COD and 99% of discoloration. The recovered floc are subject to various techniques for spectroscopic analysis (UV-visible and IR) to identify by-products formed after the degradation. Moreover, the results will then be compared with those obtained by the application of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4, 7H2O) used by the food industry for the degradation of P4R. The results will be later compared with those obtained by the application of ferrous sulfate (FeSO4, 7H2O) used by the food industry, in the degradation of the P4R.

Keywords: COD removal, color removal, dye ponceau 4R, oxydation by ferrate (VI)

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Authors: Emily Carrothers

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This research takes a critical look at the development of the social worker subjectivity, particularly in Canada. Through an interrogation of required graduate course texts, this paper explicates the discursive formation, orientation, and maintenance of the social worker subject and the conceptualizations of poverty in graduate social work education. This research aims to advance understandings of power and ideology in social work graduate texts and formations of particular dominant constructions of poverty and social worker subjectivity. Guiding questions for this inquiry include: What are social workers being oriented to? What are social workers being oriented away from? How is poverty theorized, discussed and/or attached to social location in social work education? And, how are social workers implicated in contesting or reinforcing poverty? Using critical discourse analysis, 6 texts were analyzed with a particular focus on ways in which notions of poverty are discursively represented and ways in which notions of the formation of the social worker were approached. This revealed that discursively underpinning social work in anti-oppressive practice (AOP) can work to reify hierarchal structures of power that orient social workers away from structural poverty reduction strategies and towards punitive interactions with those that experience poverty and multiple forms of marginalization. This highlights that the social worker subjectivity is formed in opposition to the client, with graduate texts constructing the social worker as an expert in client’s lives and experiences even more so than the client.

Keywords: Canada, education, social work, subjectivity

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Authors: Dyah Adi Sriwahyuni

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Institutional work has become a prominent and contemporary institutional theory perspective in organization studies. A wealth of studies in organizations have explored actor activities in creating, maintaining, and disrupting institutions at the field level. However, the exploration of the work of actors in creating new management practices at the organizational level has been somewhat limited. The current institutional work literature mostly describes the work of actors at the field level and ignores organizational actors who work to realize management practices. Organizational actors here are defined as actors in organizations who work to institutionalize a particular management practice within the organizations. The extant literature has also generalized the types of management practices, which meant overlooking the unique characteristics of each management fashion as well as a management practice. To fill these gaps, this study aims to provide empirical evidence so as to contribute theoretically to institutional work through a comparative case study on organizational actors’ creation of knowledge management (KM) practice in two public sector organizations in Indonesia. KM is a contemporary management practice employed to manage individual and organizational knowledge in order to improve organizational performance. This practice presents a suitable practical setting with which to provide a rich understanding of the organizational actors’ institutional work and their connection with technology. Drawing on and extending the work of Perkmann and Spicer (2008), this study explores the forms of institutional work performed by organizational actors, including their motivation, skills, challenges, and opportunities. The primary data collection is semi-structured interviews with knowledgeable actors and document analysis for validity and triangulation. Following Eisenhardt's cross-case patterns, the researcher analyzed the collected data focusing on within-group similarities and intergroup differences. The researcher coded interview data using NVivo and used documents to corroborate the findings. The study’s findings add to the wealth of institutional theory literature in organization studies, particularly institutional work related to management practices. This study builds a theory about the work of organizational actors in creating knowledge management practices. Using the perspective of institutional work, research can show the roles of the various actors involved, their practices, and their relationship to technology (materiality), not only focusing on actors with a power which has been the theorizing of institutional entrepreneurship. The development of knowledge management practices in the Indonesian public sector is also a significant additional contribution, given that the current KM literature is dominated by conceptualizing the KM framework and the impact of KM on organizations. The public sector, which is the research setting, also provides important lessons on how actors in a highly institutionalized context are creating an institution, in this case, a knowledge management practice.

Keywords: institutional work, knowledge management, case study, public sector organizations

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Authors: Seyed Sadegh Naseralavi, Sadegh Balaghi, Ehsan Khojastehfar

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Time history dynamic analysis of structures is considered as an exact method while being computationally intensive. Filtration of earthquake strong ground motions applying wavelet transform is an approach towards reduction of computational efforts, particularly in optimization of structures against seismic effects. Wavelet transforms are categorized into continuum and discrete transforms. Since earthquake strong ground motion is a discrete function, the discrete wavelet transform is applied in the present paper. Wavelet transform reduces analysis time by filtration of non-effective frequencies of strong ground motion. Filtration process may be repeated several times while the approximation induces more errors. In this paper, strong ground motion of earthquake has been filtered once applying each wavelet. Strong ground motion of Northridge earthquake is filtered applying various wavelets and dynamic analysis of sampled shear and moment frames is implemented. The error, regarding application of each wavelet, is computed based on comparison of dynamic response of sampled structures with exact responses. Exact responses are computed by dynamic analysis of structures applying non-filtered strong ground motion.

Keywords: wavelet transform, computational error, computational duration, strong ground motion data

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Authors: Komeil Valipourian

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Urban advances and the growing need for developing infrastructures has increased the importance of deep excavations. In this study, after the introducing probability analysis as an important issue, an attempt has been made to apply it for the deep excavation project of Bangkok’s Metro as a case study. For this, the numerical probability model has been developed based on the Finite Difference Method and Monte Carlo sampling approach. The results indicate that disregarding the issue of probability in this project will result in an inappropriate design of the retaining structure. Therefore, probabilistic redesign of the support is proposed and carried out as one of the applications of probability analysis. A 50% reduction in the flexural strength of the structure increases the failure probability just by 8% in the allowable range and helps improve economic conditions, while maintaining mechanical efficiency. With regard to the lack of efficient design in most deep excavations, by considering geometrical and geotechnical variability, an attempt was made to develop an optimum practical design standard for deep excavations based on failure probability. On this basis, a practical relationship is presented for estimating the maximum allowable horizontal displacement, which can help improve design conditions without developing the probability analysis.

Keywords: numerical probability modeling, deep excavation, allowable maximum displacement, finite difference method (FDM)

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Authors: Jai Hyung Park, Eugene Kim, Jin Hun Park, Min Joon Oh

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Introduction: Subchondral insufficiency fracture of the femoral head (SIF) is a rare complication; however, it has been recognized to cause femoral head collapse. Subchondral insufficiency fracture (SIF) is caused by normal or physiological stress without any trauma. It has been reported in osteoporotic patients after the fixation of the proximal femur with an Intramedullary nail. Case presentation: We reported 5 cases with SIF of the femoral head after proximal femur fracture fixation with Intra-medullary nail. All patients had osteoporosis as an underlying disease. Good reduction was achieved in all 5 patients. SIF was found from about 3 months to 4 years after the initial operation, and all the fractures were solidly united at the final diagnosis. We investigated retrospectively the feature of those cases and several factors that affected the occurrence of SIF. Discussion: There are a few discussions regarding the SIF of the femoral head. These discussions may include the predisposing risk factors, how to diagnose the SIF in osteoporotic patients, and the peri-operative factors to prevent SIF. Conclusion: Subchondral insufficiency fracture of the femoral head is a considerable complication after the internal fixation of the proximal femur. There are several factors that can be modified. If they could be controlled in the peri-operative period, SIF could be prevented or handled in advance. Other options related to arthroplasty can be considered in old osteoporotic patients.

Keywords: insufficiency fracture of femoral head, intra-medullary nail, osteoporosis, proximal femur fracture

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Authors: Robert E. Kenney, Efrain Antunez, Samuel Nodal, Ameer Malik, Richard B. Aguilar

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Physician burnout has gained much attention during the COVID pandemic. After-hours workload, HCC coding, HEDIS metrics, and clinical documentation negatively impact career satisfaction. These and other influences have increased the rate of physicians leaving the workforce. In addition, roughly 1% of the entire physician workforce will be retiring earlier than expected based on pre-pandemic trends. The two Medical Specialties with the highest rates of burnout are Family Medicine and Primary Care. With a predicted shortage of primary care physicians looming, the need to address physician burnout is crucial. Commonly reported issues leading to clinician burnout are clerical documentation requirements, increased time working on Electronic Health Records (EHR) after hours, and a decrease in work-life balance. Clinicians experiencing burnout with physical and emotional exhaustion are at an increased likelihood of providing lower quality and less efficient patient care. This may include a lack of suitable clinical documentation, medication reconciliation, clinical assessment, and treatment plans. While the annual baseline turnover rates of physicians hover around 6-7%, the COVID pandemic profoundly disrupted the delivery of healthcare. A report found that 43% of physicians switched jobs during the initial two years of the COVID pandemic (2020 and 2021), tripling the expected average annual rate to 21.5 %/yr. During this same time, an average of 4% and 1.5% of physicians retired or left the workforce for a non-clinical career, respectively. The report notes that 35.2% made career changes for a better work-life balance and another 35% reported the reason as being unhappy with their administration’s response to the pandemic. A physician-led primary care-focused health organization, Cano Health (CH), based out of Florida, sought to preemptively address this problem by implementing several supportive measures. Working with >120 clinics and >280 PCPs from Miami to Tampa and Orlando, managing nearly 120,000 Medicare Advantage lives, CH implemented a number of changes to assist with the clinician’s workload. Supportive services such as after hour and home visits by APRNs, in-clinic care managers, and patient educators were implemented. In 2021, assistive Artificial Intelligence Software (AIS) was integrated into the EHR platform. This AIS converts free text within PDF files into a usable (copy-paste) format facilitating documentation. The software also systematically and chronologically organizes clinical data, including labs, medical records, consultations, diagnostic images, medications, etc., into an easy-to-use organ system or chronic disease state format. This reduced the excess time and documentation burden required to meet payor and CMS guidelines. A clinician Documentation Support team was employed to improve the billing/coding performance. The effects of these newly designed workflow interventions were measured via analysis of clinician turnover from CH’s hiring and termination reporting software. CH’s annualized average clinician turnover rate in 2020 and 2021 were 17.7% and 12.6%, respectively. This represents a 30% relative reduction in turnover rate compared to the reported national average of 21.5%. Retirement rates during both years were 0.1%, demonstrating a relative reduction of >95% compared to the national average (4%). This model successfully promoted the retention of clinicians in a Value-Based Care setting.

Keywords: clinician burnout, COVID-19, value-based care, burnout, clinician retirement

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Authors: Seyed Sobhan Alvani, Mohammad Gohari

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By developing cities and increasing the population, traffic congestion has become a vital problem. Due to this crisis, urban designers try to present solutions to decrease this difficulty. On the other hand, predicting the model with perfect accuracy is essential for solution-providing. The current study presents a model based on artificial intelligence which can predict traffic index based on city population, growth rate, and area. The accuracy of the model was evaluated, which is acceptable and it is around 90%. Thus, urban designers and planners can employ it for predicting traffic index in the future to provide strategies.

Keywords: traffic index, population growth rate, cities wideness, artificial neural network

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Authors: Busra Gulnihan Dascıoglu, Ozalp Vayvay, Zeynep Tugce Kalender

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Humanitarian supply chain management has gain popularity in recent years in research fields. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on humanitarian operations and crisis/disaster management from 2010 to latest researches in order to identify the current research and to provide direction for future research in this growing field. Researches are classified considering the research publication year, research fields. Articles from humanitarian supply chain management were reviewed, keywords were identified within a disaster management lifecycle framework. Research gaps are identified for future research areas.

Keywords: crisis, disaster, humanitarian supply chain management, relief operations

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Authors: Ali A. Al-Jazaairry, Tahsin T. Sabbagh

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Presence of cavities in soil predictably induces ground deformation and changes in soil stress, which might influence adjacent existing pile foundations, though the effect of twin cavities on a nearby pile needs to be understood. This research is an attempt to identify the behaviour of piles subjected to axial load and embedded in cavitied clayey soil. A series of finite element modelling were conducted to investigate the performance of piled foundation located in such soils. The validity of the numerical simulation was evaluated by comparing it with available field test and alternative analytical model. The study involved many parameters such as twin cavities size, depth, spacing between cavities, and eccentricity of cavities from the pile axis on the pile performance subjected to axial load. The study involved many cases; in each case, a critical value has been found in which cavities’ presence has shown minimum impact on the behaviour of pile. Load-displacement relationships of the affecting parameters on the pile behaviour were presented to provide helpful information for designing piled foundation situated near twin underground cavities. It was concluded that the presence of the cavities within the soil mass reduces the ultimate capacity of pile. This reduction differs according to the size and location of the cavity.

Keywords: axial load, clay, finite element, pile, twin cavities, ultimate capacity

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Authors: Jiaqi Dong, Qing-Hua Qin, Yi Xiao

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Some of the most fundamental challenges of elastic metamaterials (EMMs) optimization can be attributed to the high consumption of computational power resulted from finite element analysis (FEA) simulations that render the optimization process inefficient. Furthermore, due to the inherent mesh dependence of FEA, minuscule geometry features, which often emerge during the later stages of optimization, induce very fine elements, resulting in enormously high time consumption, particularly when repetitive solutions are needed for computing the objective function. In this study, a surrogate modelling algorithm is developed to reduce computational time in structural optimization of EMMs. The surrogate model is constructed based on a multilayer feedforward artificial neural network (ANN) architecture, trained with prepopulated eigenfrequency data prepopulated from FEA simulation and optimized through regime selection with genetic algorithm (GA) to improve its accuracy in predicting the location and width of the primary elastic band gap. With the optimized ANN surrogate at the core, a Nelder-Mead (NM) algorithm is established and its performance inspected in comparison to the FEA solution. The ANNNM model shows remarkable accuracy in predicting the band gap width and a reduction of time consumption by 47%.

Keywords: artificial neural network, machine learning, mechanical metamaterials, Nelder-Mead optimization

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Authors: Phyo Wai Aung, Sysoev Oleg Evgenevich, Boris Necolavet Maryin

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The article deals with theoretical problems of correlation of processes of microstructure changes of structural materials under cyclic loading and acoustic emission. The ways of the evolution of a microstructure under the influence of cyclic loading are shown depending on the structure of the initial crystal structure of the material. The spectra of the frequency characteristics of acoustic emission signals are experimentally obtained when testing titanium samples for cyclic loads. Changes in the fractal dimension of the acoustic emission signals in the selected frequency bands during the evolution of the microstructure of structural materials from the action of cyclic loads, as well as in the destruction of samples, are studied. The experimental samples were made of VT-20 structural material widely used in aircraft and rocket engineering. The article shows the striving of structural materials for synergistic stability and reduction of the fractal dimension of acoustic emission signals, in accordance with the degradation of the microstructure, which occurs as a result of fatigue processes from the action of low cycle loads. As a result of the research, the frequency range of acoustic emission signals of 100-270 kHz is determined, in which the fractal dimension of the signals, it is possible to most reliably predict the durability of structural materials.

Keywords: cyclic loadings, material structure changing, acoustic emission, fractal dimension

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Authors: Fatima Zohra Ibn Majdoub Hassani, Ivan Lavandera, Joseph Kreit

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This study explored the effects of different organic solvents, temperature, and the amount of glycerol on the alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-catalysed stereoselective reduction of different ketones. These conversions were then analyzed by gas chromatography. It was found that when the amount of deep eutectic solvents (DES) increases, it can improve the stereoselectivity of the enzyme although reducing its ability to convert the substrate into the corresponding alcohol. Moreover, glycerol was found to have a strong stabilizing effect on the ADH from Ralstonia sp. (E. coli/ RasADH). In the case of organic solvents, it was observed that the best conversions into the alcohols were achieved with DMSO and hexane. It was also observed that temperature decreased the ability of the enzyme to convert the substrates into the products and also affected the selectivity. In addition to that, the recycling of DES up to three times gave good conversions and enantiomeric excess results and glycerol showed a positive effect in the stability of various ADHs. Using RasADH, a good conversion and enantiomeric excess into the S-alcohol were obtained. It was found that an enhancement of the temperature disabled the stabilizing effect of glycerol and decreased the stereoselectivity of the enzyme. However, for other ADHs a temperature increase had an opposite positive effect, especially with ADH-T from Thermoanaerobium sp. One of the objectives of this study was to see the effect of cofactors such as NAD(P) on the biocatlysis activities of ADHs.

Keywords: alcohol dehydrogenases, DES, gas chromatography, RasADH

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Authors: M. A. Suazlina, H. Azhan, S. A. Syamsyir, S. Y. S. Yusainee

Abstract:

Fe2O3 was doped to Bi-2223 superconductor prepared in bulk form using high purity oxide powders via solid state reaction technique with intermediate grinding. A stiochiometric of x=0.00, 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, 0.08 and 0.10 Fe are systematically added to the well balanced Bi1.6Pb0.4Sr2Ca2Cu3-xFexOy in order to trace the effect of Fe doping to the system. Microstructure, resistive transitions, phase volume, and cell parameters were hence investigated. Substitution of Fe is found to slowly decrease the Bi-2223 phase volume and the resistive transitions for x=0.00 – 0.10 samples whereas accelerated formation of the Bi-2212 phase is detected for further substitutions. Changes in superconducting properties of Fe-doping Bi-2223 system were discussed and the findings were further compared with available literature.

Keywords: BSCCO, critical temperature, critical current density, XRD, flux pinning

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Authors: Yahaya Taiwo, Adedayo M. Segun

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This study investigated the effect of postweld soaking temperature on mechanical properties of AISI 1018 steel plate welded in aqueous environment. Pairs of 90 x 70 x 12 mm, AISI 1018 steel plates were welded with weld zone beyond distance 10 mm from weld centerline immersed in a water jacket at 25°C. The welded specimens were tempered at temperature of 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600°C for 1.5 hours. Tensile, hardness and toughness tests at distances 15, 30, 45 and 60 mm from the weld centreline with micro structural evaluation were carried out. The results show that the aqueous environment as-weld sample exhibited higher hardness and tensile strength values of 45.3 HV and 448.12 N/mm2 respectively while the hardness and tensile strength of aqueous environment postweld heat treated samples were 44.9 HV and 378.98 N/mm2. This revealed 0.82% and 15.4% reduction in hardness and strength respectively. The metallographic tests showed that the postweld heat treated AISI 1018 steel micro structure contained tempered martensite with ferritic structure and precipitation of carbides. Postweld heat treatment produced materials of lower hardness and improved toughness.

Keywords: air weld samples, aqueous environment weld samples, soaking temperature, water jacket

Procedia PDF Downloads 334