Search results for: robust ranking technique
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 8187

Search results for: robust ranking technique

2007 Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) Attribute to Biofouling of Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor: Adhesion and Viscoelastic Properties

Authors: Kbrom Mearg Haile

Abstract:

Introduction: Membrane fouling is the bottleneck for the anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) robust continuous operation, primarily caused by the mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) characteristics formed by aggregated flocs and a scaffold of microbial self-produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which dictates the flocs integrity. Accordingly, the adhesion of EPS to the membrane surface versus their role in forming firm, elastic, and mechanically stable flocs under the reactor’s hydraulic shear is critical for minimizing interactions between EPS and colloids originating from the MLSS flocs with the membrane. This study aims to gain insight and investigate the effect of MLSS flocs properties, EPS adhesion and viscoelasticity, viscoelastic properties of the sludge, and membrane fouling propensity. Experimental: As a working hypothesis, to alter the aforementioned flocs’ and EPS’s properties, the addition of either coagulant or surfactant was carried out during the AnMBR operation. In the AnMBR, two flat-sheet 300 kDa pore size polyether sulfone (PES) membranes with a total filtration area of 352 cm2 were immersed in the AnMBR system treating municipal wastewater of Midreshet Ben-Gurion village at the Negev highlands, Israel. The system temperature, pH, biogas recirculation, and hydraulic retention time were regulated. TMP fluctuations during a 30-day experiment were recorded under three operating conditions: Baseline (without the addition of coagulating or dispersing agent), coagulant addition (FeCl3), and surfactant addition (sodium dodecyl sulfate). At the end of each experiment, EPS were extracted from the MLSS and from the fouled membrane, characterized for their protein, polysaccharides, and DOC contents, and correlated with the fouling tendency of the submerged UF membrane. The EPS adherence and viscoelastic properties were revealed using QCM-D via the PES-coated gold sensor used as a membrane-mimicking surface providing a detailed real-time EPS adhesion. The associated shifts in the resonance frequency and dissipation at different overtones were further modeled using the Voigt-based viscoelastic model (using Dfind software, Q-Sense Biolin Scientific) in which the thickness, shear modulus, and shear viscosity values of the adsorbed EPS layers on the PES coated sensor were calculated. Results and discussion: The observations obtained from the QCM-D analysis indicate a greater decrease in the frequency shift for the elevated membrane fouling scenarios, likely due to an observed decrease in the calculated shear viscosity and shear modulus of the EPS adsorbed layer, coupled with an increase in EPS layer hydrated thickness and fluidity (ΔD/Δf slopes). Further analysis is being conducted for the three major operating conditions-analyzing their effects on sludge rheology, dewaterability (capillary suction time-CST) and settle ability (SVI). The biofouling layer is further characterized microscopically using a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM), for analyzing the consistency of the development of the biofouling layer with sludge characteristics, i.e., thicker biofouling layer on the membrane surface when operated with surfactant addition, due to flocs with reduced integrity and availability of EPS/colloids to the membrane. Conversely, a thinner layer when operated with coagulant compared to the baseline experiment, due to elevation in flocs integrity.

Keywords: viscoelasticity, biofouling, viscoelastic, AnMBR, EPS, elocintegrity

Procedia PDF Downloads 22
2006 Applying the Regression Technique for ‎Prediction of the Acute Heart Attack ‎

Authors: Paria Soleimani, Arezoo Neshati

Abstract:

Myocardial infarction is one of the leading causes of ‎death in the world. Some of these deaths occur even before the patient ‎reaches the hospital. Myocardial infarction occurs as a result of ‎impaired blood supply. Because the most of these deaths are due to ‎coronary artery disease, hence the awareness of the warning signs of a ‎heart attack is essential. Some heart attacks are sudden and intense, but ‎most of them start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort, then early ‎detection and successful treatment of these symptoms is vital to save ‎them. Therefore, importance and usefulness of a system designing to ‎assist physicians in the early diagnosis of the acute heart attacks is ‎obvious.‎ The purpose of this study is to determine how well a predictive ‎model would perform based on the only patient-reportable clinical ‎history factors, without using diagnostic tests or physical exams. This ‎type of the prediction model might have application outside of the ‎hospital setting to give accurate advice to patients to influence them to ‎seek care in appropriate situations. For this purpose, the data were ‎collected on 711 heart patients in Iran hospitals. 28 attributes of clinical ‎factors can be reported by patients; were studied. Three logistic ‎regression models were made on the basis of the 28 features to predict ‎the risk of heart attacks. The best logistic regression model in terms of ‎performance had a C-index of 0.955 and with an accuracy of 94.9%. ‎The variables, severe chest pain, back pain, cold sweats, shortness of ‎breath, nausea, and vomiting were selected as the main features.‎

Keywords: Coronary heart disease, Acute heart attacks, Prediction, Logistic ‎regression‎

Procedia PDF Downloads 449
2005 Analytic Hierarchy Process and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Approach for Selecting the Most Effective Soil Erosion Zone in Gomati River Basin

Authors: Rajesh Chakraborty, Dibyendu Das, Rabindra Nath Barman, Uttam Kumar Mandal

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In the present study, the objective is to find out the most effective zone causing soil erosion in the Gumati river basin located in the state of Tripura, a north eastern state of India using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA).The watershed is segmented into 20 zones based on Area. The watershed is considered by pointing the maximum elevation from sea lever from Google earth. The soil erosion is determined using the universal soil loss equation. The different independent variables of soil loss equation bear different weightage for different soil zones. And therefore, to find the weightage factor for all the variables of soil loss equation like rainfall runoff erosivity index, soil erodibility factor etc, analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is used. And thereafter, multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA) approach is used to select the most effective zone causing soil erosion. The MCDM technique concludes that the maximum soil erosion is occurring in the zone 14.

Keywords: soil erosion, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), multi criteria decision making (MCDM), universal soil loss equation (USLE), multi-objective optimization on the basis of ratio analysis (MOORA)

Procedia PDF Downloads 539
2004 Maryland Restoration of Anterior Tooth Loss as a Minimal Invasive Dentistry: An Alternative Treatment

Authors: B. Oral, C. Bal, M. S. Kar, A. Akgürbüz

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Loss of maxillary central incisors occurs in many patients, and the treatment of young adults with this problem is a challenge for both prosthodontists and orthodontists. Common treatment alternatives are distalization of adjacent teeth and fabrication of a conventional 3-unit fixed partial denture, a single implant supported crown restoration or a resin-bonded fixed partial denture. This case report describes the indication of a resin-bonded fixed partial denture, preparation of the abutment teeth and the prosthetic procedures. The technique described here represents a conservative, esthetically pleasing and rapid solution for the missing maxillary central incisor when implant placement and/or guided bone regeneration techniques are not feasible because of financial, social or time restrictions. In this case a 16 year-old female patient who lost her maxillary left central incisor six years ago in a bicycle accident applied to our clinic with a major complaint of her unaesthetic appearance associated with the loss of her maxillary left central incisor. Although there was an indication for orthodontic treatment because of the limited space at the traumatized area, the patient did not accept to receive any orthodontic procedure. That is why an implant supported restoration could not be an option for the narrow area. Therefore maryland bridge as a minimal invasive dental therapy was preferred as a retention appliance so the patient's aesthetic appearance was restored.

Keywords: Maryland bridge, single tooth restoration, aesthetics, maxillary central incisors

Procedia PDF Downloads 360
2003 Reconstruction Spectral Reflectance Cube Based on Artificial Neural Network for Multispectral Imaging System

Authors: Iwan Cony Setiadi, Aulia M. T. Nasution

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The multispectral imaging (MSI) technique has been used for skin analysis, especially for distant mapping of in-vivo skin chromophores by analyzing spectral data at each reflected image pixel. For ergonomic purpose, our multispectral imaging system is decomposed in two parts: a light source compartment based on LED with 11 different wavelenghts and a monochromatic 8-Bit CCD camera with C-Mount Objective Lens. The software based on GUI MATLAB to control the system was also developed. Our system provides 11 monoband images and is coupled with a software reconstructing hyperspectral cubes from these multispectral images. In this paper, we proposed a new method to build a hyperspectral reflectance cube based on artificial neural network algorithm. After preliminary corrections, a neural network is trained using the 32 natural color from X-Rite Color Checker Passport. The learning procedure involves acquisition, by a spectrophotometer. This neural network is then used to retrieve a megapixel multispectral cube between 380 and 880 nm with a 5 nm resolution from a low-spectral-resolution multispectral acquisition. As hyperspectral cubes contain spectra for each pixel; comparison should be done between the theoretical values from the spectrophotometer and the reconstructed spectrum. To evaluate the performance of reconstruction, we used the Goodness of Fit Coefficient (GFC) and Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE). To validate reconstruction, the set of 8 colour patches reconstructed by our MSI system and the one recorded by the spectrophotometer were compared. The average GFC was 0.9990 (standard deviation = 0.0010) and the average RMSE is 0.2167 (standard deviation = 0.064).

Keywords: multispectral imaging, reflectance cube, spectral reconstruction, artificial neural network

Procedia PDF Downloads 322
2002 Challenges to Developing a Trans-European Programme for Health Professionals to Recognize and Respond to Survivors of Domestic Violence and Abuse

Authors: June Keeling, Christina Athanasiades, Vaiva Hendrixson, Delyth Wyndham

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Recognition and education in violence, abuse, and neglect for medical and healthcare practitioners (REVAMP) is a trans-European project aiming to introduce a training programme that has been specifically developed by partners across seven European countries to meet the needs of medical and healthcare practitioners. Amalgamating the knowledge and experience of clinicians, researchers, and educators from interdisciplinary and multi-professional backgrounds, REVAMP has tackled the under-resourced and underdeveloped area of domestic violence and abuse. The team designed an online training programme to support medical and healthcare practitioners to recognise and respond appropriately to survivors of domestic violence and abuse at their point of contact with a health provider. The REVAMP partner countries include Europe: France, Lithuania, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, and the UK. The training is delivered through a series of interactive online modules, adapting evidence-based pedagogical approaches to learning. Capturing and addressing the complexities of the project impacted the methodological decisions and approaches to evaluation. The challenge was to find an evaluation methodology that captured valid data across all partner languages to demonstrate the extent of the change in knowledge and understanding. Co-development by all team members was a lengthy iterative process, challenged by a lack of consistency in terminology. A mixed methods approach enabled both qualitative and quantitative data to be collected, at the start, during, and at the conclusion of the training for the purposes of evaluation. The module content and evaluation instrument were accessible in each partner country's language. Collecting both types of data provided a high-level snapshot of attainment via the quantitative dataset and an in-depth understanding of the impact of the training from the qualitative dataset. The analysis was mixed methods, with integration at multiple interfaces. The primary focus of the analysis was to support the overall project evaluation for the funding agency. A key project outcome was identifying that the trans-European approach posed several challenges. Firstly, the project partners did not share a first language or a legal or professional approach to domestic abuse and neglect. This was negotiated through complex, systematic, and iterative interaction between team members so that consensus could be achieved. Secondly, the context of the data collection in several different cultural, educational, and healthcare systems across Europe challenged the development of a robust evaluation. The participants in the pilot evaluation shared that the training was contemporary, well-designed, and of great relevance to inform practice. Initial results from the evaluation indicated that the participants were drawn from more than eight partner countries due to the online nature of the training. The primary results indicated a high level of engagement with the content and achievement through the online assessment. The main finding was that the participants perceived the impact of domestic abuse and neglect in very different ways in their individual professional contexts. Most significantly, the participants recognised the need for the training and the gap that existed previously. It is notable that a mixed-methods evaluation of a trans-European project is unusual at this scale.

Keywords: domestic violence, e-learning, health professionals, trans-European

Procedia PDF Downloads 83
2001 ChatGPT 4.0 Demonstrates Strong Performance in Standardised Medical Licensing Examinations: Insights and Implications for Medical Educators

Authors: K. O'Malley

Abstract:

Background: The emergence and rapid evolution of large language models (LLMs) (i.e., models of generative artificial intelligence, or AI) has been unprecedented. ChatGPT is one of the most widely used LLM platforms. Using natural language processing technology, it generates customized responses to user prompts, enabling it to mimic human conversation. Responses are generated using predictive modeling of vast internet text and data swathes and are further refined and reinforced through user feedback. The popularity of LLMs is increasing, with a growing number of students utilizing these platforms for study and revision purposes. Notwithstanding its many novel applications, LLM technology is inherently susceptible to bias and error. This poses a significant challenge in the educational setting, where academic integrity may be undermined. This study aims to evaluate the performance of the latest iteration of ChatGPT (ChatGPT4.0) in standardized state medical licensing examinations. Methods: A considered search strategy was used to interrogate the PubMed electronic database. The keywords ‘ChatGPT’ AND ‘medical education’ OR ‘medical school’ OR ‘medical licensing exam’ were used to identify relevant literature. The search included all peer-reviewed literature published in the past five years. The search was limited to publications in the English language only. Eligibility was ascertained based on the study title and abstract and confirmed by consulting the full-text document. Data was extracted into a Microsoft Excel document for analysis. Results: The search yielded 345 publications that were screened. 225 original articles were identified, of which 11 met the pre-determined criteria for inclusion in a narrative synthesis. These studies included performance assessments in national medical licensing examinations from the United States, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, Poland, Taiwan, Japan and Germany. ChatGPT 4.0 achieved scores ranging from 67.1 to 88.6 percent. The mean score across all studies was 82.49 percent (SD= 5.95). In all studies, ChatGPT exceeded the threshold for a passing grade in the corresponding exam. Conclusion: The capabilities of ChatGPT in standardized academic assessment in medicine are robust. While this technology can potentially revolutionize higher education, it also presents several challenges with which educators have not had to contend before. The overall strong performance of ChatGPT, as outlined above, may lend itself to unfair use (such as the plagiarism of deliverable coursework) and pose unforeseen ethical challenges (arising from algorithmic bias). Conversely, it highlights potential pitfalls if users assume LLM-generated content to be entirely accurate. In the aforementioned studies, ChatGPT exhibits a margin of error between 11.4 and 32.9 percent, which resonates strongly with concerns regarding the quality and veracity of LLM-generated content. It is imperative to highlight these limitations, particularly to students in the early stages of their education who are less likely to possess the requisite insight or knowledge to recognize errors, inaccuracies or false information. Educators must inform themselves of these emerging challenges to effectively address them and mitigate potential disruption in academic fora.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, generative ai, large language models, licensing exam, medical education, medicine, university

Procedia PDF Downloads 32
2000 Investigating The Effect Of Convection On The Rating Of Buried Cables Using The Finite Element Method

Authors: Sandy J. M. Balla, Jerry J. Walker, Isaac K. Kyere

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The heat transfer coefficient at the soil–air interface is important in calculating underground cable ampacity when convection occurs. Calculating the heat transfer coefficient accurately is complex because of the temperature variations at the earth's surface. This paper presents the effect of convection heat flow across the ground surface on the rating of three single-core, 132kV, XLPE cables buried underground. The Finite element method (FEM) is a numerical analysis technique used to determine the cable rating of buried cables under installation conditions that are difficult to support when using the analytical method. This study demonstrates the use of FEM to investigate the effect of convection on the rating ofburied cables in flat formation using QuickField finite element simulation software. As a result, developing a model to simulate this type of situation necessitates important considerations such as the following boundary conditions: burial depth, soil thermal resistivity, and soil temperature, which play an important role in the simulation's accuracy and reliability. The results show that when the ground surface is taken as a convection interface, the conductor temperature rises and may exceed the maximum permissible temperature when rated current flows. This is because the ground surface acts as a convection interface between the soil and the air (fluid). This result correlates and is compared with the rating obtained using the IEC60287 analytical method, which is based on the condition that the ground surface is an isotherm.

Keywords: finite element method, convection, buried cables, steady-state rating

Procedia PDF Downloads 131
1999 Core Stability Index for Healthy Young Sri Lankan Population

Authors: V. M. B. K. T. Malwanage, S. Samita

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Core stability is one of the major determinants that contribute to preventing injuries, enhance performance, and improve quality of life of the human. Endurance of the four major muscle groups of the central ‘core’ of the human body is identified as the most reliable determinant of core stability amongst the other numerous causes which contribute to readily make one’s core stability. This study aimed to develop a ‘Core Stability Index’ to confer a single value for an individual’s core stability based on the four endurance test scores. Since it is possible that at least some of the test scores are not independent, possibility of constructing a single index using the multivariate method exploratory factor analysis was investigated in the study. The study sample was consisted of 400 healthy young individuals with the mean age of 23.74 ± 1.51 years and mean BMI (Body Mass Index) of 21.1 ± 4.18. The correlation analysis revealed highly significant (P < 0.0001) correlations between test scores and thus construction an index using these highly inter related test scores using the technique factor analysis was justified. The mean values of all test scores were significantly different between males and females (P < 0.0001), and therefore two separate core stability indices were constructed for the two gender groups. Moreover, having eigen values 3.103 and 2.305 for males and females respectively, indicated one factor exists for all four test scores and thus a single factor based index was constructed. The 95% reference intervals constructed using the index scores were -1.64 to 2.00 and -1.56 to 2.29 for males and females respectively. These intervals can effectively be used to diagnose those who need improvement in core stability. The practitioners should find that with a single value measure, they could be more consistent among themselves.

Keywords: construction of indices, endurance test scores, muscle endurance, quality of life

Procedia PDF Downloads 162
1998 Efficient Fuzzy Classified Cryptographic Model for Intelligent Encryption Technique towards E-Banking XML Transactions

Authors: Maher Aburrous, Adel Khelifi, Manar Abu Talib

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Transactions performed by financial institutions on daily basis require XML encryption on large scale. Encrypting large volume of message fully will result both performance and resource issues. In this paper a novel approach is presented for securing financial XML transactions using classification data mining (DM) algorithms. Our strategy defines the complete process of classifying XML transactions by using set of classification algorithms, classified XML documents processed at later stage using element-wise encryption. Classification algorithms were used to identify the XML transaction rules and factors in order to classify the message content fetching important elements within. We have implemented four classification algorithms to fetch the importance level value within each XML document. Classified content is processed using element-wise encryption for selected parts with "High", "Medium" or “Low” importance level values. Element-wise encryption is performed using AES symmetric encryption algorithm and proposed modified algorithm for AES to overcome the problem of computational overhead, in which substitute byte, shift row will remain as in the original AES while mix column operation is replaced by 128 permutation operation followed by add round key operation. An implementation has been conducted using data set fetched from e-banking service to present system functionality and efficiency. Results from our implementation showed a clear improvement in processing time encrypting XML documents.

Keywords: XML transaction, encryption, Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), XML classification, e-banking security, fuzzy classification, cryptography, intelligent encryption

Procedia PDF Downloads 411
1997 Optimization Parameters Using Response Surface Method on Biomechanical Analysis for Malaysian Soccer Players

Authors: M. F. M. Ali, A. R. Ismail, B. M. Deros

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Soccer is very popular and ranked as the top sports in the world as well as in Malaysia. Although soccer sport in Malaysia is currently professionalized, but it’s plunging achievements within recent years continue and are not to be proud of. After review, the Malaysian soccer players are still weak in terms of kicking techniques. The instep kick is a technique, which is often used in soccer for the purpose of short passes and making a scoring. This study presents the 3D biomechanics analysis on a soccer player during performing instep kick. This study was conducted to determine the optimization value for approach angle, distance of supporting leg from the ball and ball internal pressure respect to the knee angular velocity of the ball on the kicking leg. Six subjects from different categories using dominant right leg and free from any injury were selected to take part in this study. Subjects were asked to perform one step instep kick according to the setting for the variables with different parameter. Data analysis was performed using 3 Dimensional “Qualisys Track Manager” system and will focused on the bottom of the body from the waist to the ankle. For this purpose, the marker will be attached to the bottom of the body before the kicking is perform by the subjects. Statistical analysis was conducted by using Minitab software using Response Surface Method through Box-Behnken design. The results of this study found the optimization values for all three parameters, namely the approach angle, 53.6º, distance of supporting leg from the ball, 8.84sm and ball internal pressure, 0.9bar with knee angular velocity, 779.27 degrees/sec have been produced.

Keywords: biomechanics, instep kick, soccer, optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 230
1996 Uniqueness and Repeatability Analysis for Slim Tube Determined Minimum Miscibility Pressure

Authors: Waqar Ahmad Butt, Gholamreza Vakili Nezhaad, Ali Soud Al Bemani, Yahya Al Wahaibi

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Miscible gas injection processes as secondary recovery methods can be applied to a huge number of mature reservoirs to improve the trapped oil displacement. Successful miscible gas injection processes require an accurate estimation of the minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) to make injection process feasible, economical, and effective. There are several methods of MMP determination like slim tube approach, vanishing interfacial tension and rising bubble apparatus but slim tube is the deployed experimental technique in this study. Slim tube method is assumed to be non-standardized for MMP determination with respect to both operating procedure and design. Therefore, 25 slim tube runs were being conducted with three different coil lengths (12, 18 and 24 m) of constant diameter using three different injection rates (0.08, 0.1 and 0.15 cc/min) to evaluate uniqueness and repeatability of determined MMP. A trend of decrease in MMP with increase in coil length was found. No unique trend was found between MMP and injection rate. Lowest MMP and highest recovery were observed with highest coil length and lowest injection rate. It shows that slim tube measured MMP does not depend solely on interacting fluids characteristics but also affected by used coil selection and injection rate choice. Therefore, both slim tube design and procedure need to be standardized. It is recommended to use lowest possible injection rate and estimated coil length depending upon the distance between injections and producing wells for accurate and reliable MMP determination.

Keywords: coil length, injection rate, minimum miscibility pressure, multiple contacts miscibility

Procedia PDF Downloads 253
1995 A Comparative Study of Single- and Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotube Incorporation to Indium Tin Oxide Electrodes for Solar Cells

Authors: G. Gokceli, O. Eksik, E. Ozkan Zayim, N. Karatepe

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Alternative electrode materials for optoelectronic devices have been widely investigated in recent years. Since indium tin oxide (ITO) is the most preferred transparent conductive electrode, producing ITO films by simple and cost-effective solution-based techniques with enhanced optical and electrical properties has great importance. In this study, single- and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT and MWCNT) incorporated into the ITO structure to increase electrical conductivity, mechanical strength, and chemical stability. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were firstly functionalized by acid treatment (HNO3:H2SO4), and the thermal resistance of CNTs after functionalization was determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Thin films were then prepared by spin coating technique and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), four-point probe measurement system and UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The effects of process parameters were compared for ITO, MWCNT-ITO, and SWCNT-ITO films. Two factors including CNT concentration and annealing temperature were considered. The UV-Vis measurements demonstrated that the transmittance of ITO films was 83.58% at 550 nm, which was decreased depending on the concentration of CNT dopant. On the other hand, both CNT dopants provided an enhancement in the crystalline structure and electrical conductivity. Due to compatible diameter and better dispersibility of SWCNTs in the ITO solution, the best result in terms of electrical conductivity was obtained by SWCNT-ITO films with the 0.1 g/L SWCNT dopant concentration and heat-treatment at 550 °C for 1 hour.

Keywords: CNT incorporation, ITO electrode, spin coating, thin film

Procedia PDF Downloads 115
1994 Enhanced Mechanical Properties and Corrosion Resistance of Fe-Based Thin Film Metallic Glasses via Pulsed Laser Deposition

Authors: Ali Obeydavi, Majid Rahimi

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This study explores the synthesis and characterization of Fe-Cr-Mo-Co-C-B-Si thin film metallic glasses fabricated using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique on silicon wafer and 304 stainless steel substrates. it systematically varied the laser pulse numbers (20,000; 30,000; 40,000) and energies (130, 165, 190 mJ) to investigate their effects on the microstructural, mechanical, and corrosion properties of the deposited films. Comprehensive characterization techniques, including grazing incidence X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy with selected area electron diffraction, were utilized to assess the amorphous structure and surface morphology. Results indicated that increased pulse numbers and laser energies led to enhanced deposition rates and film thicknesses. Nanoindentation tests demonstrated that the hardness and elastic modulus of the amorphous thin films significantly surpassed those of the 304 stainless steel substrate. Additionally, electrochemical polarization and impedance spectroscopy revealed that the Fe-based metallic glass coatings exhibited superior corrosion resistance compared to the stainless steel substrate. The observed improvements in mechanical and corrosion properties are attributed to the unique amorphous structure achieved through the PLD process, highlighting the potential of these materials for protective coatings in aggressive environments.

Keywords: thin film metallic glasses, pulsed laser deposition, mechanical properties, corrosion resistance

Procedia PDF Downloads 23
1993 Posts by Influencers Promoting Water Saving: The Impact of Distance and the Perception of Effectiveness on Behavior

Authors: Sancho-Esper Franco, Rodríguez Sánchez Carla, Sánchez Carolina, Orús-Sanclemente Carlos

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Water scarcity is a reality that affects many regions of the world and is aggravated by climate change and population growth. Saving water has become an urgent need to ensure the sustainability of the planet and the survival of many communities, where youth and social networks play a key role in promoting responsible practices and adopting habits that contribute to environmental preservation. This study analyzes the persuasion capacity of messages designed to promote pro-environmental behaviors among youth. Specifically, it studies how the efficacy (effectiveness) of the response (personal response efficacy/effectiveness) and the perception of distance from the source of the message influence the water-saving behavior of the audience. To do so, two communication frameworks are combined. First, the Construal Level Theory, which is based on the concept of "psychological distance", that is, people, objects or events can be perceived as psychologically near or far, and this subjective distance (i.e., social, temporal, or spatial) determines their attitudes, emotions, and actions. This perceived distance can be social, temporal, or spatial. This research focuses on studying the spatial distance and social distance generated by cultural differences between influencers and their audience to understand how cultural distance can influence the persuasiveness of a message. Research on the effects of psychological distance between influencers-followers in the pro-environmental field is very limited, being relevant because people could learn specific behaviors suggested by opinion leaders such as influencers in social networks. Second, different approaches to behavioral change suggest that the perceived efficacy of a behavior can explain individual pro-environmental actions. People will be more likely to adopt a new behavior if they perceive that they are capable of performing it (efficacy belief) and that their behavior will effectively contribute to solving that problem (personal response efficacy). It is also important to study the different actors (social and individual) that are perceived as responsible for addressing environmental problems. Specifically, we analyze to what extent the belief individual’s water-saving actions are effective in solving the problem can influence water-saving behavior since this individual effectiveness increases people's sense of obligation and responsibility with the problem. However, in this regard, empirical evidence presents mixed results. Our study addresses the call for experimental studies manipulating different subtypes of response effectiveness to generate robust causal evidence. Based on all the above, this research analyzes whether cultural distance (local vs. international influencer) and the perception of effectiveness of behavior (personal response efficacy) (personal/individual vs. collective) affect the actual behavior and the intention to conserve water of social network users. An experiment of 2 (local influencer vs. international influencer) x 2 (effectiveness of individual vs. collective response) is designed and estimated. The results show that a message from a local influencer appealing to individual responsibility exerts greater influence on intention and actual water-saving behavior, given the cultural closeness between influencer-follower, and the appeal to individual responsibility increases the feeling of obligation to participate in pro-environmental actions. These results offer important implications for social marketing campaigns that seek to promote water conservation.

Keywords: social marketing, influencer, message framing, experiment, personal response efficacy, water saving

Procedia PDF Downloads 62
1992 Embolization of Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistulae: Clinical Outcomes and Long-Term Follow-Up: A Multicenter Study

Authors: Walid Abouzeid, Mohamed Shadad, Mostafa Farid, Magdy El Hawary

Abstract:

The most frequent treatable vascular abnormality of the spinal canal is spinal dural arteriovenous fistulae (SDAVFs), which cause progressive para- or quadriplegia mostly affecting elderly males. SDAVFs are present in the thoracolumbar region. The main goal of treatment must be to obliterate the shunting zone via superselective embolization with the usage of a liquid embolic agent. This study aims to evaluate endovascular technique as a safe and efficient approach for the treatment SDAVFs, especially with long-term follow-up clinical outcomes. Study Design: A retrospective clinical case study. From May 2010 to May 2017, 15 patients who had symptoms attributed to SDAVFs underwent the operation in the Departments of Neurosurgery in Suhag, Tanta, and Al-Azhar Universities and Interventional Radiology, Ain Shams University. All the patients had varying degrees of progressive spastic paraparesis with and without sphincteric disturbances. Endovascular embolization was used in all cases. Fourteen were males, with ages ranging from 45 to 74 years old. After the treatment, good outcome was found in five patients (33.3%), a moderate outcome was delineated in six patients (40 %), and four patients revealed a poor outcome (26.7%). Spinal AVF could be treated safely and effectively by the endovascular approach. Generally, there is no correlation between the disappearance of MRI abnormalities and significant clinical improvement. The preclinical state of the patient is directly proportional to the clinical outcome. Due to unexpected responses, embolization should be attempted even the patient is in a bad clinical condition.

Keywords: spine, arteriovenous, fistula, endovascular, embolization

Procedia PDF Downloads 108
1991 Effective Dose and Size Specific Dose Estimation with and without Tube Current Modulation for Thoracic Computed Tomography Examinations: A Phantom Study

Authors: S. Gharbi, S. Labidi, M. Mars, M. Chelli, F. Ladeb

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The purpose of this study is to reduce radiation dose for chest CT examination by including Tube Current Modulation (TCM) to a standard CT protocol. A scan of an anthropomorphic male Alderson phantom was performed on a 128-slice scanner. The estimation of effective dose (ED) in both scans with and without mAs modulation was done via multiplication of Dose Length Product (DLP) to a conversion factor. Results were compared to those measured with a CT-Expo software. The size specific dose estimation (SSDE) values were obtained by multiplication of the volume CT dose index (CTDIvol) with a conversion size factor related to the phantom’s effective diameter. Objective assessment of image quality was performed with Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) measurements in phantom. SPSS software was used for data analysis. Results showed including CARE Dose 4D; ED was lowered by 48.35% and 51.51% using DLP and CT-expo, respectively. In addition, ED ranges between 7.01 mSv and 6.6 mSv in case of standard protocol, while it ranges between 3.62 mSv and 3.2 mSv with TCM. Similar results are found for SSDE; dose was higher without TCM of 16.25 mGy and was lower by 48.8% including TCM. The SNR values calculated were significantly different (p=0.03<0.05). The highest one is measured on images acquired with TCM and reconstructed with Filtered back projection (FBP). In conclusion, this study proves the potential of TCM technique in SSDE and ED reduction and in conserving image quality with high diagnostic reference level for thoracic CT examinations.

Keywords: anthropomorphic phantom, computed tomography, CT-expo, radiation dose

Procedia PDF Downloads 221
1990 The Influence of Air Temperature Controls in Estimation of Air Temperature over Homogeneous Terrain

Authors: Fariza Yunus, Jasmee Jaafar, Zamalia Mahmud, Nurul Nisa’ Khairul Azmi, Nursalleh K. Chang, Nursalleh K. Chang

Abstract:

Variation of air temperature from one place to another is cause by air temperature controls. In general, the most important control of air temperature is elevation. Another significant independent variable in estimating air temperature is the location of meteorological stations. Distances to coastline and land use type are also contributed to significant variations in the air temperature. On the other hand, in homogeneous terrain direct interpolation of discrete points of air temperature work well to estimate air temperature values in un-sampled area. In this process the estimation is solely based on discrete points of air temperature. However, this study presents that air temperature controls also play significant roles in estimating air temperature over homogenous terrain of Peninsular Malaysia. An Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) interpolation technique was adopted to generate continuous data of air temperature. This study compared two different datasets, observed mean monthly data of T, and estimation error of T–T’, where T’ estimated value from a multiple regression model. The multiple regression model considered eight independent variables of elevation, latitude, longitude, coastline, and four land use types of water bodies, forest, agriculture and build up areas, to represent the role of air temperature controls. Cross validation analysis was conducted to review accuracy of the estimation values. Final results show, estimation values of T–T’ produced lower errors for mean monthly mean air temperature over homogeneous terrain in Peninsular Malaysia.

Keywords: air temperature control, interpolation analysis, peninsular Malaysia, regression model, air temperature

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1989 Social Consequences of Male Migration on Women: An Evidence from Gujrat-Pakistan

Authors: Shahid Iqbal

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It is observed that international migration is increased over a time period in all over the world counties and Pakistan is not escaped. It played a pivotal role in household economy and affecting the gender roles both positive and negative in the developing countries. A vast majority of males from Pakistan migrate to other countries in search of employment and income generating activities and their families left behind, particularly nuclear families are subjected to different social problems. In this scenario, most of the responsibilities lie on the female partners as they have to play the role of male as well as female for their children and household chores. Wives of some males feel loneliness, isolation and a sense of insecurity. Keeping in mind, these realities, this study aims to explore the social impact of husbands’ absentee ship on the lives of families left behind. Particularly, wives’ own experiences will be analyzed. This study will be carried out in the District Gujrat of Punjab Pakistan. Since this study will focus on observing the social impact of male’s migration on families, so, all the households that had at least one member abroad will be the potential respondents of the study. Purposes sampling technique will be used as method to locate the respondents. A focus group discussion will be conducted as a tool for the collection of data. Those women will be approached who are taking care of their families in the absence of their husbands for last three years. For the sake of analysis Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) will be applied and researcher will explore how participants make sense of their personal experience and social world.

Keywords: social consequences, male migration, left behind, absentee ship, Pakistan

Procedia PDF Downloads 558
1988 Educational Attainment of Owner-Managers and Performance of Micro- and Small Informal Businesses in Nigeria

Authors: Isaiah Oluranti Olurinola, Michael Kayode Bolarinwa, Ebenezer Bowale, Ifeoluwa Ogunrinola

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Abstract - While much literature exists on microfinancing and its impact on the development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSME), yet little is known in respect of the impact of different types of education of owner-managers on the performances as well as innovative possibilities of such enterprises. This paper aims at contributing to the understanding of the impact of different types of education (academic, technical, apprenticeship, etc) that influence the performance of micro, small and medium-sized enterprise (MSME). This study utilises a recent and larger data-set collected in six states and FCT Abuja, Nigeria in the year 2014. Furthermore, the study carries out a comparative analysis of business performance among the different geo-political zones in Nigeria, given the educational attainment of the owner-managers. The data set were enterprise-based and were collected by the Nigerian Institute for Social and Economic Research (NISER) in the year 2014. Six hundred and eighty eight enterprises were covered in the survey. The method of data analysis for this study is the use of basic descriptive statistics in addition to the Logistic Regression model used in the prediction of the log of odds of business performance in relation to any of the identified educational attainment of the owner-managers in the sampled enterprises. An OLS econometric technique is also used to determine the effects of owner-managers' different educational types on the performance of the sampled MSME. Policy measures that will further enhance the contributions of education to MSME performance will be put forward.

Keywords: Business Performance, Education, Microfinancing, Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises

Procedia PDF Downloads 522
1987 Use Multiphysics Simulations and Resistive Pulse Sensing to Study the Effect of Metal and Non-Metal Nanoparticles in Different Salt Concentration

Authors: Chun-Lin Chiang, Che-Yen Lee, Yu-Shan Yeh, Jiunn-Haur Shaw

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Wafer fabrication is a critical part of the semiconductor process, when the finest linewidth with the improvement of technology continues to decline and the structure development from 2D towards to 3D. The nanoparticles contained in the slurry or in the ultrapure water which used for cleaning have a large influence on the manufacturing process. Therefore, semiconductor industry is hoping to find a viable method for on-line detection the nanoparticles size and concentration. The resistive pulse sensing technology is one of the methods that may cover this question. As we know that nanoparticles properties of material differ significantly from their properties at larger length scales. So, we want to clear that the metal and non-metal nanoparticles translocation dynamic when we use the resistive pulse sensing technology. In this study we try to use the finite element method that contains three governing equations to do multiphysics coupling simulations. The Navier-Stokes equation describes the laminar motion, the Nernst-Planck equation describes the ion transport, and the Poisson equation describes the potential distribution in the flow channel. To explore that the metal nanoparticles and the non-metal nanoparticles in different concentration electrolytes, through the nanochannel caused by ion current changes. Then the reliability of the simulation results was verified by resistive pulse sensing test. The existing results show that the lower ion concentration, the greater effect of nanoparticles on the ion concentration in the nanochannel. The conductive spikes are correlated with nanoparticles surface charge. Then we can be concluded that in the resistive pulse sensing technique, the ion concentration in the nanochannel and nanoparticle properties are important for the translocation dynamic, and they have the interactions.

Keywords: multiphysics simulations, resistive pulse sensing, nanoparticles, nanochannel

Procedia PDF Downloads 349
1986 Determinants of Teenage Pregnancy: The Case of School Adolescents of Arba Minch Town, Southern Ethiopia

Authors: Aleme Mekuria, Samuel Mathewos

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Background: Teenage pregnancy has long been a worldwide social, economic and educational concern for the developed, developing and underdeveloped countries. Studies on adolescent sexuality and pregnancy are very limited in our country. Therefore, this study aims at assessing the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and its determinants among school adolescents of Arba Minch town. Methods: Institution- based, cross-sectional study was conducted from 20-30 March 2014. Systematic sampling technique was used to select a total of 578 students from four schools of the town. Data were collected by trained data collectors using a pre-tested, self-administered structured questionnaire. The analysis was made using the software SPSS version 20.0 statistical packages. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of teenage pregnancy. Results: The prevalence of teenage pregnancy among school adolescents of Arba Minch town was 7.7%. Being grade11(AOR=4.6;95%CI:1.4,9.3) and grade12 student (AOR=5.8;95% CI:1.3,14.4), not knowing the correct time to take emergency contraceptives(AOR=3.3;95%CI:1.4,7.4), substance use(AOR=3.1;95%CI:1.1,8.8), living with either of biological parents (AOR=3.3;95%CI:1.1,8.7) and poor parent-daughter interaction (AOR=3.1;95%CI:1.1,8.7) were found to be significant predictors of teenage pregnancy. Conclusion: This study revealed a high level of teenage pregnancy among school adolescents of Arba Minch town. A significant number of adolescent female school students were at risk of facing the challenges of teenage pregnancy in the study area. School-based reproductive health education and strong parent-daughter relationships should be strengthened.

Keywords: adolescent, Arba minch, risk factors, school, southern Ethiopia, teenage pregnancy

Procedia PDF Downloads 349
1985 Multimedia Technologies Utilisation as Predictors of Lecturers’ Teaching Effectiveness in Colleges of Education in South-West, Nigeria

Authors: Abel Olusegun Egunjobi, Olusegun Oyeleye Adesanya

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Teaching effectiveness of lecturers in a tertiary institution in Nigeria is one of the determinants of the lecturer’s productivity. In this study, therefore, lecturers’ teaching effectiveness was examined vis-à-vis their multimedia technologies utilisation in Colleges of Education (CoE) in South-West, Nigeria. This is for the purpose of ascertaining the relationship and contribution of multimedia technologies utilisation to lecturers’ teaching effectiveness in Nigerian colleges of education. The descriptive survey research design was adopted in the study, while a multi-stage sampling procedure was used in the study. A stratified sampling technique was used to select colleges of education, and a simple random sampling method was employed to select lecturers from the selected colleges of education. A total of 862 lecturers (627 males and 235 females) were selected from the colleges of education used for the study. The instrument used was lecturers’ questionnaire on multimedia technologies utilisation and teaching effectiveness with a reliability coefficient of 0.85 at 0.05 level of significance. The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and t-test. The findings showed that the level of multimedia technologies utilisation in colleges of education was low, whereas lecturers’ teaching effectiveness was high. Findings also revealed that the lecturers used multimedia technologies purposely for personal and professional developments, so also for up to date news on economic and political matters. Also, findings indicated that laptop, Ipad, CD-ROMs, and computer instructional software were the multimedia technologies frequently utilised by the lecturers. There was also a significant difference in the teaching effectiveness between lecturers in the Federal and State COE. The government should, therefore, make adequate provision for multimedia technologies in the COE in Nigeria for lecturers’ utilisation in their instructions so as to boost their students’ learning outcomes.

Keywords: colleges of education, lecturers’ teaching effectiveness, multimedia technologies utilisation, Southwest Nigeria

Procedia PDF Downloads 140
1984 Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME) Approach to Email Spam Detection

Authors: Rohini Hariharan, Yazhini R., Blessy Maria Mathew

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The task of detecting email spam is a very important one in the era of digital technology that needs effective ways of curbing unwanted messages. This paper presents an approach aimed at making email spam categorization algorithms transparent, reliable and more trustworthy by incorporating Local Interpretable Model-agnostic Explanations (LIME). Our technique assists in providing interpretable explanations for specific classifications of emails to help users understand the decision-making process by the model. In this study, we developed a complete pipeline that incorporates LIME into the spam classification framework and allows creating simplified, interpretable models tailored to individual emails. LIME identifies influential terms, pointing out key elements that drive classification results, thus reducing opacity inherent in conventional machine learning models. Additionally, we suggest a visualization scheme for displaying keywords that will improve understanding of categorization decisions by users. We test our method on a diverse email dataset and compare its performance with various baseline models, such as Gaussian Naive Bayes, Multinomial Naive Bayes, Bernoulli Naive Bayes, Support Vector Classifier, K-Nearest Neighbors, Decision Tree, and Logistic Regression. Our testing results show that our model surpasses all other models, achieving an accuracy of 96.59% and a precision of 99.12%.

Keywords: text classification, LIME (local interpretable model-agnostic explanations), stemming, tokenization, logistic regression.

Procedia PDF Downloads 47
1983 Medicinal Plants and Arbuscular mycorrhizal Colonization

Authors: Ammani K., Glory M.

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Demands of traditional herbal medicines are increasing day by day over the world. Considering the growing demand of medicinal plants in curative treatments and the role of VAM fungi in augmentation of the production of active secondary metabolites by the medicinal plants, the present work has been undertaken to survey the mycorrhizal status in 30 different medicinal plants belonging to various families from Krishna district, Andhra Pradesh. The roots were collected carefully and stained by the Phillips & Hayman technique. Basing on the occurrence of vesicles and arbuscules, categorized into four grades; Excellent: mycelia, vesicles or arbuscules present more than 75% of root bits, Good: mycelia, vesicles or arbuscules present 50-75% in surface of root bits, moderate: mycelia, vesicles or arbuscules present 25-50% in surface of root bits, and poor: mycelia, vesicles or arbuscules present 1-25% in surface of root bits. The study reveals that the roots of all plants were colonized by AM fungi. Percentage of root colonization by AM fungi was more in Aloe vera, Phylanthus emblica, Azadiracta indica and least in plants such as Aerva lanata, Vinca rosea, Crotalaria verrucosa among the 30 medicinal plants in present study. The enhancement of growth and vigour and increased production of bioactive compounds of the medicinal plants is desirable which may be achieved by inoculation of the roots with Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. There is a steady increase in the cultivation of medicinal plants to maintain a steady supply to support the increasing demand but corresponding researches of VAM fungi and their association in medicinal plants have received very little attention as compared to the studies on forest species and field crops. So a vast research on this field is necessary for a better tomorrow.

Keywords: Arbuscular mycorrhizae, colonization, categories, medicinal plants

Procedia PDF Downloads 402
1982 Probability-Based Damage Detection of Structures Using Model Updating with Enhanced Ideal Gas Molecular Movement Algorithm

Authors: M. R. Ghasemi, R. Ghiasi, H. Varaee

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Model updating method has received increasing attention in damage detection structures based on measured modal parameters. Therefore, a probability-based damage detection (PBDD) procedure based on a model updating procedure is presented in this paper, in which a one-stage model-based damage identification technique based on the dynamic features of a structure is investigated. The presented framework uses a finite element updating method with a Monte Carlo simulation that considers the uncertainty caused by measurement noise. Enhanced ideal gas molecular movement (EIGMM) is used as the main algorithm for model updating. Ideal gas molecular movement (IGMM) is a multiagent algorithm based on the ideal gas molecular movement. Ideal gas molecules disperse rapidly in different directions and cover all the space inside. This is embedded in the high speed of molecules, collisions between them and with the surrounding barriers. In IGMM algorithm to accomplish the optimal solutions, the initial population of gas molecules is randomly generated and the governing equations related to the velocity of gas molecules and collisions between those are utilized. In this paper, an enhanced version of IGMM, which removes unchanged variables after specified iterations, is developed. The proposed method is implemented on two numerical examples in the field of structural damage detection. The results show that the proposed method can perform well and competitive in PBDD of structures.

Keywords: enhanced ideal gas molecular movement (EIGMM), ideal gas molecular movement (IGMM), model updating method, probability-based damage detection (PBDD), uncertainty quantification

Procedia PDF Downloads 277
1981 Effect of Genuine Missing Data Imputation on Prediction of Urinary Incontinence

Authors: Suzan Arslanturk, Mohammad-Reza Siadat, Theophilus Ogunyemi, Ananias Diokno

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Missing data is a common challenge in statistical analyses of most clinical survey datasets. A variety of methods have been developed to enable analysis of survey data to deal with missing values. Imputation is the most commonly used among the above methods. However, in order to minimize the bias introduced due to imputation, one must choose the right imputation technique and apply it to the correct type of missing data. In this paper, we have identified different types of missing values: missing data due to skip pattern (SPMD), undetermined missing data (UMD), and genuine missing data (GMD) and applied rough set imputation on only the GMD portion of the missing data. We have used rough set imputation to evaluate the effect of such imputation on prediction by generating several simulation datasets based on an existing epidemiological dataset (MESA). To measure how well each dataset lends itself to the prediction model (logistic regression), we have used p-values from the Wald test. To evaluate the accuracy of the prediction, we have considered the width of 95% confidence interval for the probability of incontinence. Both imputed and non-imputed simulation datasets were fit to the prediction model, and they both turned out to be significant (p-value < 0.05). However, the Wald score shows a better fit for the imputed compared to non-imputed datasets (28.7 vs. 23.4). The average confidence interval width was decreased by 10.4% when the imputed dataset was used, meaning higher precision. The results show that using the rough set method for missing data imputation on GMD data improve the predictive capability of the logistic regression. Further studies are required to generalize this conclusion to other clinical survey datasets.

Keywords: rough set, imputation, clinical survey data simulation, genuine missing data, predictive index

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1980 Influence of Pseudomonas japonica on Growth and Metal Tolerance of Celosia cristata L.

Authors: Muhammad Umair Mushtaq, Ameena Iqbal, Muhammad Aqib Hassan Ali Khan, Ismat Nawaz, Sohail Yousaf, Mazhar Iqbal

Abstract:

Heavy metals are one of the priority pollutants as they pose serious health and environmental threats. They can be removed by various physiochemical methods but are costly and responsible for additional environmental problems. Bioremediation that exploits plants and their associated microbes have been referred as cost effective and environmental friendly technique. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to evaluate the potential of Celosia cristata and effects of bacteria, Pseudomonas japonica, and organic amendment moss/compost on tolerating/accumulating heavy metals. Two weeks old seedlings were transferred to soil in pots, and after four weeks they were inoculated with bacterial strain, while after growth of six weeks they were watered with a metal containing synthetic wastewater and were harvested after a growth period of nine weeks. After harvesting, morphological and physiological parameters and metal content of plants were measured. The results showed highest plant growth and biomass production in case of organic amendments while highest metal uptake has been found in non-amended pots. Positive controls have shown highest Pb uptake of 2900 mg/kg DW, while P. japonica amended pots have shown highest Cd, Cr, Ni and Cu uptake of 963.53, 1481.17, 1022.01 and 602.17 mg/kg DW, respectively. In conclusion organic amendments have strong impacts on growth enhancement while P. japonica enhances metal translocation and accumulation to aerial parts with little significant involvement in plant growth.

Keywords: ornamental plants, plant microbe interaction, amendments, bacteria

Procedia PDF Downloads 294
1979 Analysis of Saudi Breast Cancer Patients’ Primary Tumors using Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization

Authors: L. M. Al-Harbi, A. M. Shokry, J. S. M. Sabir, A. Chaudhary, J. Manikandan, K. S. Saini

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Breast cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death worldwide and is the most common malignancy among Saudi females. During breast carcinogenesis, a wide-array of cytogenetic changes involving deletions, or amplification, or translocations, of part or whole of chromosome regions have been observed. Because of the limitations of various earlier technologies, newer tools are developed to scan for changes at the genomic level. Recently, Array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (aCGH) technique has been applied for detecting segmental genomic alterations at molecular level. In this study, aCGH was performed on twenty breast cancer tumors and their matching non-tumor (normal) counterparts using the Agilent 2x400K. Several regions were identified to be either amplified or deleted in a tumor-specific manner. Most frequent alterations were amplification of chromosome 1q, chromosome 8q, 20q, and deletions at 16q were also detected. The amplification of genetic events at 1q and 8q were further validated using FISH analysis using probes targeting 1q25 and 8q (MYC gene). The copy number changes at these loci can potentially cause a significant change in the tumor behavior, as deletions in the E-Cadherin (CDH1)-tumor suppressor gene as well as amplification of the oncogenes-Aurora Kinase A. (AURKA) and MYC could make these tumors highly metastatic. This study validates the use of aCGH in Saudi breast cancer patients and sets the foundations necessary for performing larger cohort studies searching for ethnicity-specific biomarkers and gene copy number variations.

Keywords: breast cancer, molecular biology, ecology, environment

Procedia PDF Downloads 376
1978 Examining Three Psychosocial Factors of Tax Compliance in Self-Employed Individuals using the Mindspace Framework - Evidence from Australia and Pakistan

Authors: Amna Tariq Shah

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Amid the pandemic, the contemporary landscape has experienced accelerated growth in small business activities and an expanding digital marketplace, further exacerbating the issue of non-compliance among self-employed individuals through aggressive tax planning and evasion. This research seeks to address these challenges by developing strategic tax policies that promote voluntary compliance and improve taxpayer facilitation. The study employs the innovative MINDSPACE framework to examine three psychosocial factors—tax communication, tax literacy, and shaming—to optimize policy responses, address administrative shortcomings, and ensure adequate revenue collection for public goods and services. Preliminary findings suggest that incomprehensible communication from tax authorities drives individuals to seek alternative, potentially biased sources of tax information, thereby exacerbating non-compliance. Furthermore, the study reveals low tax literacy among Australian and Pakistani respondents, with many struggling to navigate complex tax processes and comprehend tax laws. Consequently, policy recommendations include simplifying tax return filing and enhancing pre-populated tax returns. In terms of shaming, the research indicates that Australians, being an individualistic society, may not respond well to shaming techniques due to privacy concerns. In contrast, Pakistanis, as a collectivistic society, may be more receptive to naming and shaming approaches. The study employs a mixed-method approach, utilizing interviews and surveys to analyze the issue in both jurisdictions. The use of mixed methods allows for a more comprehensive understanding of tax compliance behavior, combining the depth of qualitative insights with the generalizability of quantitative data, ultimately leading to more robust and well-informed policy recommendations. By examining evidence from opposite jurisdictions, namely a developed country (Australia) and a developing country (Pakistan), the study's applicability is enhanced, providing perspectives from two disparate contexts that offer insights from opposite ends of the economic, cultural, and social spectra. The non-comparative case study methodology offers valuable insights into human behavior, which can be applied to other jurisdictions as well. The application of the MINDSPACE framework in this research is particularly significant, as it introduces a novel approach to tax compliance behavior analysis. By integrating insights from behavioral economics, the framework enables a comprehensive understanding of the psychological and social factors influencing taxpayer decision-making, facilitating the development of targeted and effective policy interventions. This research carries substantial importance as it addresses critical challenges in tax compliance and administration, with far-reaching implications for revenue collection and the provision of public goods and services. By investigating the psychosocial factors that influence taxpayer behavior and utilizing the MINDSPACE framework, the study contributes invaluable insights to the field of tax policy. These insights can inform policymakers and tax administrators in developing more effective tax policies that enhance taxpayer facilitation, address administrative obstacles, promote a more equitable and efficient tax system, and foster voluntary compliance, ultimately strengthening the financial foundation of governments and communities.

Keywords: individual tax compliance behavior, psychosocial factors, tax non-compliance, tax policy

Procedia PDF Downloads 75