Search results for: treated volumes

Authors: Admire Isaac Tichafa Shayanowako, Mark Laing, Hussein Shimelis

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Striga asiatica is among the leading abiotic constraints to maize production under small-holder farming communities in southern African. However, confirmed sources of resistance to the parasitic weed are still limited. Conventional breeding programmes have been progressing slowly due to the complex nature of the inheritance of Striga resistance, hence there is a need for more innovative approaches. This study aimed to achieve partial resistance as well as to breed for compatibility with Fusarium oxysporum fsp strigae, a soil fungus that is highly specific in its pathogenicity. The agar gel and paper roll assays in conjunction with a glass house pot trial were done to select genotypes based on their potential to stimulate germination of Striga and to test the efficacy of Fusarium oxysporum as a biocontrol agent. Results from agar gel assays showed a moderate to high potential in the release of Strigalactones among the 33 OPVs. Maximum Striga germination distances from the host root of 1.38 cm and up to 46% germination were observed in most of the populations. Considerable resistance was observed in a landrace ‘8lines’ which had the least Striga germination percentage (19%) with a maximum distance of 0.93 cm compared to the resistant check Z-DPLO-DTC1 that had 23% germination at a distance of 1.4cm. The number of fusarium colony forming units significantly deferred (P < 0.05) amongst the genotypes growing between germination papers. The number of crown roots, length of primary root and fresh weight of shoot and roots were highly correlated with concentration of fusarium macrospore counts. Pot trials showed significant differences between the fusarium coated and the uncoated treatments in terms of plant height, leaf counts, anthesis-silks intervals, Striga counts, Striga damage rating and Striga vigour. Striga emergence counts and Striga flowers were low in fusarium treated pots. Plants in fusarium treated pots had non-significant differences in height with the control treatment. This suggests that foxy 2 reduces the impact of Striga damage severity. Variability within fusarium treated genotypes with respect to traits under evaluation indicates the varying degree of compatibility with the biocontrol.

Keywords: maize, Striga asiaitca, resistance, compatibility, F. oxysporum

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Authors: Najmul Hasan, Shiping Li, Chunli Liu

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The synergy effect of surface modifications using the acid treatment and noble metal (Au) deposition on the efficiency of SnFe2O4 (SFO) nano-octahedron photocatalyst has been investigated. Inorganic acids (H2SO4 and HNO3) were employed to compare the effects of different acids. It has been found that after corrosion treatment using H2SO4 and deposition of Au nanoparticles, SnFe2O4 nano-octahedron (Au-S-SFO) showed significantly enhanced photocatalytic activity under simulated light irradiation. Au-S-SFO was characterized by XRD, XPS, EDS, FTIR, Uv-vis-DRS, SEM, PL, and EIS analysis. The mechanism for CO2 reduction was investigated by scavenger tests. The stability of Au-S-SFO was confirmed by continuously repeated tests followed by XRD analysis. The surface corrosion treatment of SFO octahedron with H2SO4 could produce hydroxyl group (-OH) and sulfonic acid group (-SO3H) as reaction sites. These active sites not only enhanced the Au nanoparticles deposition to the acid treated SFO surface but also acted as the Brønsted acid sites that enhance the water adsorption and provide protons for CTC degradation and CO2 reduction. These effects improved the carrier separation and transfer efficiency. In addition, the photocatalytic efficiency was further enhanced by the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect of Au nanoparticles deposited on the surface of acid-treated SFO. As a result of the synergy of both acid treatment and SPR effect from the Au NPs, Au-S-SFO exhibited the highest CO2 reduction activity with 2.81, 1.92, and 2.69 times higher evolution rates for CO, CH4, and H2, respectively than that of pure SFO.

Keywords: surface modification, CO2 reduction, Au deposition, Gas-liquid interfacial plasma

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Authors: Jee-Young Lee, Joaquim J. Ferreira, Hyeo-il Ma, José-Francisco Rocha, Beomseok Jeon

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The effective management of wearing-off is a key driver of medication changes for patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) treated with levodopa (L-DOPA). While L-DOPA is well tolerated and efficacious, its clinical utility over time is often limited by the development of complications such as dyskinesia. Still, common first-line option includes adjusting the daily L-DOPA dose followed by adjunctive therapies usually counting for the L-DOPA equivalent daily dose (LEDD). The LEDD conversion formulae are a tool used to compare the equivalence of anti-PD medications. The aim of this work is to compare the effects of opicapone (OPC) 50 mg, a catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor, and an additional 100 mg dose of L-DOPA in reducing the off time in PD patients with early motor fluctuations receiving different daily L-DOPA doses. OPC was found to be well tolerated and efficacious in advanced PD population. This work utilized patients' home diary data from a 4-week Phase 2 pharmacokinetics clinical study. The Korean ADOPTION study randomized (1:1) patients with PD and early motor fluctuations treated with up to 600 mg of L-DOPA given 3–4 times daily. The main endpoint was change from baseline in off time in the subgroup of patients receiving 300–400 mg/day L-DOPA at baseline plus OPC 50 mg and in the subgroup receiving >300 mg/day L-DOPA at baseline plus an additional dose of L-DOPA 100 mg. Of the 86 patients included in this subgroup analysis, 39 received OPC 50 mg and 47 L-DOPA 100 mg. At baseline, both L-DOPA total daily dose and LEDD were lower in the L-DOPA 300–400 mg/day plus OPC 50 mg group than in the L-DOPA >300 mg/day plus L-DOPA 100 mg. However, at Week 4, LEDD was similar between the two groups. The mean (±standard error) reduction in off time was approximately three-fold greater for the OPC 50 mg than for the L-DOPA 100 mg group, being -63.0 (14.6) minutes for patients treated with L-DOPA 300–400 mg/day plus OPC 50 mg, and -22.1 (9.3) minutes for those receiving L-DOPA >300 mg/day plus L-DOPA 100 mg. In conclusion, despite similar LEDD, OPC demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in off time when compared to an additional 100 mg L-DOPA dose. The effect of OPC appears to be LEDD independent, suggesting that caution should be exercised when employing LEDD to guide treatment decisions as this does not take into account the timing of each dose, onset, duration of therapeutic effect and individual responsiveness. Additionally, OPC could be used for keeping the L-DOPA dose as low as possible for as long as possible to avoid the development of motor complications which are a significant source of disability.

Keywords: opicapone, levodopa, pharmacokinetics, off-time

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Authors: Berina Pilipović, Saša Pilipović, Maja Pašić-Kulenović

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Inflammation is the body's response to impaired homeostasis caused by infection, injury or trauma resulting in systemic and local effects. Inflammation causes the body's response to injury and is characterized by a series of events including inflammatory response, response to pain receptors and the recovery process. Inflammation can be acute and chronic. The inflammatory response is described in three different phases. Free radical is an atom or molecule that has the unpaired electron and is therefore generally very reactive chemical species. Biologically important example of reaction with free radicals is called Lipid peroxidation (LP). Lipid peroxidation reactions occur in biological membranes, and if at the outset is not stopped with the action of antioxidants, it will bring damage to the membrane, which results in partial or complete loss of their physiological functions. Calcium antagonists and beta-adrenergic receptor antagonists are known drugs, and for many years and widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. Some of these compounds also show antioxidant activity. The mechanism of antioxidant activities of calcium antagonists and beta-blockers is unknown, since their structure varies widely. This research investigated the possible local anti-inflammatory activity of ointments containing 1% carvedilol in the white petrolatum USP. Ear inflammation was induced by 3% croton oil acetone solution, in quantity of 10 µl on both mouse ears. Albino Swiss mouse (n = 8) are treated with 2.5 mg/ear ointment, and control group was treated on the same way as previous with hydrocortisone 1% ointment (2.5 mg/ear). The other ear of the same animal was used as control one. Ointments were administered once per day, on the left ear. After treatment, ears were observed for three days. After three days, we measured mass (mg) of 6 mm ear punch of treated and controlled ears. The results of testing anti-inflammatory effects of ointments with carvedilol in the mouse ear model show stronger observed effect than ointment with 1% hydrocortisone in the same basis. Identical results were confirmed by the difference between the mass of 6 mm ears punch. The results were also confirmed by histological examination. Ointments with carvedilol showed significant reduction of the inflammation process caused by croton oil on the mouse inflammation model.

Keywords: antioxidant, carvedilol, inflammation, mouse ear

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Authors: Samia A. El-Fiky, F. A. Abou-Zaid, Ibrahim M. Farag, Naira M. Efiky

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Clomipramine hydrochloride is one of the most used tricyclic antidepressant drug in Egypt. This drug contains in its chemical structure on two benzene rings. Benzene is considered to be toxic and clastogenic agent. So, the present study was designed to assess the genotoxic effect of Clomipramine hydrochloride on somatic and germ cells in mice. Three dose levels 0.195 (Low), 0.26 (Medium), and 0.65 (High) mg/kg.b.wt. were used. Seven groups of male mice were utilized in this work. The first group was employed as a control. In the remaining six groups, each of the above doses was orally administrated for two groups, one of them was treated for 5 days and the other group was given the same dose for 30 days. At the end of experiments, the animals were sacrificed for cytogenetic and sperm examination as well as histopathological investigations by using hematoxylin and eosin stains (H and E stains) and electron microscope. Concerning the sperm studies, these studies were confined to 5 days treatment with different dose levels. Moreover, the ultrastructural investigation by electron microscope was restricted to 30 days treatment with drug doses. The results of the dose dependent effect of Clomipramine showed that the treatment with three different doses induced increases of frequencies of chromosome aberrations in bone marrow and spermatocyte cells as compared to control. In addition, mitotic and meiotic activities of somatic and germ cells were declined. The treatments with medium or high doses were more effective for inducing significant increases of chromosome aberrations and significant decreases of cell divisions than treatment with low dose. The effect of high dose was more pronounced for causing such genetic deleterious in respect to effect of medium dose. Moreover, the results of the time dependent effect of Clomipramine observed that the treatment with different dose levels for 30 days led to significant increases of genetic aberrations than treatment for 5 days. Sperm examinations revealed that the treatment with Clomipramine at different dose levels caused significant increase of sperm shape abnormalities and significant decrease in sperm count as compared to control. The adverse effects on sperm shape and count were more obviousness by using the treatments with medium or high doses than those found in treatment with low dose. The group of mice treated with high dose had the highest rate of sperm shape abnormalities and the lowest proportion of sperm count as compared to mice received medium dose. In histopathological investigation, hematoxylin and eosin stains showed that, the using of low dose of Clomipramine for 5 or 30 days caused a little pathological changes in liver tissue. However, using medium and high doses for 5 or 30 days induced severe damages than that observed in mice treated with low dose. The treatment with high dose for 30 days gave the worst results of pathological changes in hepatic cells. Moreover, ultrastructure examination revealed, the mice treated with low dose of Clomipramine had little differences in liver histological architecture as compared to control group. These differences were confined to cytoplasmic inclusions. Whereas, prominent pathological changes in nuclei as well as dilated of rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (rER) were observed in mice treated with medium or high doses of Clomipramine drug. In conclusion, the present study adds evidence that treatments with medium or high doses of Clomipramine have genotoxic effects on somatic and germ cells of mice, as unwanted side effects. However, the using of low dose (especially for short time, 5 days) can be utilized as a therapeutic dose, where it caused relatively similar proportions of genetic, sperm, and histopathological changes as those found in normal control.

Keywords: clomipramine, mice, chromosome aberrations, sperm abnormalities, histopathology

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Authors: Muhammad Munawar

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Pavement destruction is normally associated with the horizontal relocation of subgrade because of pavement engrossing water and inordinate avoidance and differential settlement of material underneath the pavement. The aim of the research is to study the effect of the additives (rockdust) on the stability and the increase of bearing capacity of selected soils in Mardan City. The physical, chemical and designing properties of soil were contemplated, and the soil was treated with added admixture rockdust with the goal of stabilizing the local soil. The stabilization or modification of soil is done by blending of rock dust to soils in the scope of 0 to 85% by the rate increment of 5%, 10%, and 15% individually. The following test was done for treated sample: Atterberg limits (liquid limit, plasticity index, plastic limit), standard compaction test, the California bearing test and the direct shear test. The results demonstrated that the gradation of soil is narrow from the particle size analysis. Plasticity index (P.I), Liquid limit (L.L) and plastic limit (P.L) were shown reduction with the addition of Rock dust. It was concluded that the maximum dry density is increasing with the addition of rockdust up to 10%, beyond 10%, it shows reduction in their content. It was discovered that the Cohesion C diminished, the angle of internal friction and the California bearing ratio (C.B.R) was improved with the addition of Rock dust. The investigation demonstrated that the best stabilizer for the contextual investigation (Toru road Mardan) is the rock dust and the ideal dosage is 10 %.

Keywords: rockdust, stabilization, modification, CBR

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Authors: Leili Iranirad, Mohammad Saleh Sadeghi, Seyed Fakhreddin Hejazi, Negar Vakili Razlighi

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Objective: Contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) or contrast-induced acute kidney injury (CI-AKI) is an unknown acute kidney injury (AKI) occurring after exposure to contrast media (CM). Contrast agents are most often used for diagnostic procedures or therapeutic angiographic interventions. Recently, Na/K citrate as a urine alkalinization has been evaluated for the prevention of CIN. We conducted this experiment to evaluate the efficiency of Na/K citrate on CIN in high-risk patients treated with cardiac catheterization. Methods: A prospective randomized clinical trial was conducted on 400 patients having moderate to high-risk factors for CIN treated with elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and were assigned randomly to the control group or the Na/K citrate group. The Na/K citrate group (n=200) received 5 g Na/K citrate solution, which was diluted in 200 mL water two h before and four hours after the first administration and intravenous hydration for two h prior to and six h after the procedure, while the control group (n=200) only received intravenous hydration. Serum creatinine (SCr) was calculated prior to the contrast exposure and after 48 h. CIN was described as a 25% increase in creatinine of serum (SCr) or >0.5 mg/dl 48 h after contrast administration. Results: CIN was observed in 33 patients (16.5%) in the control group and in 6 patients (3%) in the Na/K citrate group. A significant variation was recorded in the CIN incidence between the two groups 48 h after the radiocontrast agent administration (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Our results show that Na/K citrate is useful and substantially reduces the incidence of CIN.

Keywords: contrast media, citrate, PCI

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Authors: Kgomotso Matobole, Noluzuko Monakali, Hilary Rutto, Tumisang Seodigeng

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On a global scale, there is an alarming generation of food waste. Food waste is generated across the food supply chain. Worldwide urbanization, as well as global economic growth, have contributed to this amount of food waste the environment is receiving. Food waste normally ends on illegal dumping sites when not properly disposed, or disposed to landfills. This results in environmental pollution due to inadequate waste management practices. Food waste is rich in organic matter and highly biodegradable; hence, it can be utilized for the production of bioethanol, a type of biofuel. In so doing, alternative energy will be created, and the volumes of food waste will be reduced in the process. This results in food waste being seen as a precious commodity in energy generation instead of a pollutant. The main aim of the project was to simulate a biorefinery, using a software called CHEMCAD 7.12. The resulting purity of the ethanol from the simulation was 98.9%, with the feed ratio of 1: 2 for food waste and water. This was achieved by integrating necessary unit operations and optimisation of their operating conditions.

Keywords: fermentation, bioethanol, food waste, hydrolysis, simulation, modelling

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Authors: Shivani Thakur, Jasmin Dominguez Cervantes, Ahmed Zabiba, Fatima Zabiba, Sandhini Agarwal, Kamalpreet Kaur, Hussein Maatouk, Shae Chand, Omar Madriz, Tiffany Huang, Saloni Bansal

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The prevalence of lymphedema in women in rural communities highlights the importance of developing effective treatment and prevention methods. Subjects with secondary lymphedema in California’s Central Valley were surveyed at 6 surgical clinics to assess demographics and symptoms of lymphedema. Additionally, subjects on semaglutide treatment for obesity and/or T2DM were monitored for their diabetes management, weight loss progress, and lymphedema symptoms compared to subjects who were not treated with semaglutide. The subjects were followed for 12 months. Subjects who were treated with semaglutide completed pre-treatment questionnaires and follow-up post-treatment questionnaires at 3, 6, 9, 12 months, along with medical assessment. The untreated subjects completed similar questionnaires. The questionnaires investigated subjective feelings regarding lymphedema symptoms and management using a Likert-scale; quantitative leg measurements were collected, and blood work reviewed at these appointments. Paired difference t-tests, chi-squared tests, and independent sample t-tests were performed. 50 subjects, aged 18-75 years, completed the surveys evaluating secondary lymphedema: 90% female, 69% Hispanic, 45% Spanish speaking, 42% disabled, 57 % employed, 54% income range below 30 thousand dollars, and average BMI of 40. Both treatment and non-treatment groups noted the most common symptoms were leg swelling (x̄=3.2, ▁d= 1.3), leg pain (x̄=3.2, ▁d=1.6 ), loss of daily function (x̄=3, ▁d=1.4 ), and negative body image (x̄=4.4, ▁d=0.54). Subjects in the semaglutide treatment group >3 months of treatment compared to the untreated group demonstrated: 55% subject in the treated group had a 10% weight loss vs 3% in the untreated group (average BMI reduction by 11% vs untreated by 2.5%, p<0.05) and improved subjective feelings about their lymphedema symptoms: leg swelling (x̄=2.4, ▁d=0.45 vs x̄=3.2, ▁d=1.3, p<0.05), leg pain (x̄=2.2, ▁d=0.45 vs x̄= 3.2, ▁d= 1.6, p<0.05), and heaviness (x̄=2.2, ▁d=0.45 vs x̄=3, ▁d=1.56, p<0.05). Improvement in diabetes management was demonstrated by an average of 0.9 % decrease in A1C values compared to untreated 0.1 %, p<0.05. In comparison to untreated subjects, treatment subjects on semaglutide noted 6 cm decrease in the circumference of the leg, knee, calf, and ankle compared to 2 cm in untreated subjects, p<0.05. Semaglutide was shown to significantly improve weight loss, T2DM management, leg circumference, and secondary lymphedema functional, physical and psychosocial symptoms.

Keywords: diabetes, secondary lymphedema, semaglutide, obesity

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Authors: Mohamed M. Diab, Fahmy E. Mohamed, Alaa Balbaa

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Background: Myofascial pain syndrome a common type of non-articular musculoskeletal pain, is a condition associated with regional pain and muscle tenderness characterized by the presence of hypersensitive nodules. Objectives: the purpose of this study is to compare between the effects of manual progressive ischemic pressure versus the effect of post isometric facilitation in the treatment of Rhomboid latent myofascial trigger points. Methods: six patients had participated in this study. Patients divided into two groups. Group A treated by manual progressive ischemic pressure and traditional physical therapy program. Group B treated by post isometric facilitation and traditional physical therapy program. Treatment program was for 6 sessions over two week’s period. Result: Statistical analysis revealed that there is no significant difference in post treatment from pretreatment in pain severity (VAS) in myofascial trigger points with Rhomboid muscles) and Pain pressure threshold (PPT) for tenderness at both groups (A,B). Conclusion: ischemic pressure technique appear to be no more effective than post isometric facilitation in treatment of rhomboids latent myofacial trigger point.

Keywords: Rhmoiboid trigger point, myofacila trigger point, ischemic pressure, post isometric facilitation

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Authors: Tebogo Mabotsa, Tamba Jamiru, David Ibrahim

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Dual phase(DP) steel consists essentially of fine grained equiaxial ferrite and a dispersion of martensite. Martensite is the primary precipitate in DP steels, it is the main resistance to dislocation motion within the material. The objective of this paper is to present a relation between the intercritical annealing holding time and the hardness of a dual phase steel. The initial heat treatment involved heating the specimens to 1000oC and holding the sample at that temperature for 30 minutes. After the initial heat treatment, the samples were heated to 770oC and held for a varying amount of time at constant temperature. The samples were held at 30, 60, and 90 minutes respectively. After heating and holding the samples at the austenite-ferrite phase field, the samples were quenched in water, brine, and oil for each holding time. The experimental results proved that an equation for predicting the hardness of a dual phase steel as a function of the intercritical holding time is possible. The relation between intercritical annealing holding time and hardness of a dual phase steel heat treated at high temperatures is parabolic in nature. Theoretically, the model isdependent on the cooling rate because the model differs for each quenching medium; therefore, a universal hardness equation can be derived where the cooling rate is a variable factor.

Keywords: quenching medium, annealing temperature, dual phase steel, martensite

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Authors: Neeraj Vij, Amber Brennan, Jenni Winters, Hadi Salehi, Hamy Temkit, Emily Andrisevic, Mohan V. Belthur

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Idiopathic clubfoot is a common lower extremity deformity with an incidence of 1:500. The Ponseti Method is well known as the gold standard of treatment. However, there is limited functional data demonstrating correction of the clubfoot after treatment with the Ponseti method. The purpose of this study was to study the clinical and functional outcomes after the Ponseti method with the Clubfoot Disease-Specific Instrument (CDS) and pedobarography. This IRB-approved prospective study included patients aged 3-18 who were treated for idiopathic clubfoot with the Ponseti method between January 2008 and December 2018. Age-matched controls were identified through siblings of clubfoot patients and other community members. Treatment details were collected through a chart review of the included patients. Laboratory assessment included a physical exam, gait analysis, and pedobarography. The Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument and the Clubfoot Disease-Specific Instrument were also obtained on clubfoot patients (CF). The Wilcoxson rank-sum test was used to study differences between the CF patients and the typically developing (TD) patients. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. There were a total of 37 enrolled patients in our study. 21 were priorly treated for CF and 16 were TD. 94% of the CF patients had bilateral involvement. The age at the start of treatment was 29 days, the average total number of casts was seven to eight, and the average total number of casts after Achilles tenotomy was one. The reoccurrence rate was 25%, tenotomy was required in 94% of patients, and ≥1 tenotomy was required in 25% of patients. There were no significant differences between step length, step width, stride length, force-time integral, maximum peak pressure, foot progression angles, stance phase time, single-limb support time, double limb support time, and gait cycle time between children treated with the Ponseti method and typically developing children. The average post-treatment Pirani and Dimeglio scores were 5.50±0.58 and 15.29±1.58, respectively. The average post-treatment PODCI subscores were: Upper Extremity: 90.28, Transfers: 94.6, Sports: 86.81, Pain: 86.20, Happiness: 89.52, Global: 88.6. The average post-treatment Clubfoot Disease-Specific Instrument scores subscores were: Satisfaction: 73.93, Function: 80.32, Overall: 78.41. The Ponseti Method has a very high success rate and remains to be the gold standard in the treatment of idiopathic clubfoot. Timely management leads to good outcomes and a low need for repeated Achilles tenotomy. Children treated with the Ponseti method demonstrate good functional outcomes as measured through pedobarography. Pedobarography may have clinical utility in studying congenital foot deformities. Objective measures for hours of brace wear could represent an improvement in clubfoot care.

Keywords: functional outcomes, pediatric deformity, patient-reported outcomes, talipes equinovarus

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Authors: Tsai-chun Lai, Szu-ju Fu, Tzu-lin Lee, Yuh-Lien Chen

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There is much evidence that exposure to fine particulate matter (PM) from air pollution increases the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. According to previous reports, PM in the air enters the respiratory tract, contacts the alveoli, and enters the blood circulation, leading to the progression of cardiovascular disease. PM pollution may also lead to cardiometabolic disturbances, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease. The effects of PM on cardiac function and mitochondrial damage are currently unknown. We used mice and rat cardiomyocytes (H9c2) as animal and in vitro cell models, respectively, to simulate an air pollution environment using PM. These results indicate that the apoptosis-related factor PUMA, a regulator of apoptosis upregulated by p53, is increased in mice treated with PM. Apoptosis was aggravated in cardiomyocytes treated with PM, as measured by TUNEL assay and Annexin V/PI. Western blot results showed that CASPASE3 was significantly increased and BCL2 (B-cell lymphoid 2) was significantly decreased under PM treatment. Concurrent exposure to PM increases mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) production by MitoSOX Red staining. Furthermore, using Mitotracker staining, PM treatment significantly shortened mitochondrial length, indicating mitochondrial fission. The expression of mitochondrial fission-related proteins p-DRP1 (phosphodynamics-related protein 1) and FIS1 (mitochondrial fission 1 protein) was significantly increased. Based on these results, the exposure to PM worsens mitochondrial function and leads to cardiomyocyte apoptosis.

Keywords: particulate matter, cardiomyocyte, apoptosis, mitochondria

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Authors: M. A. Pawar, C. S. Patil

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Investigations were carried out to evaluate the persistent toxicity of imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and dimethoate to Aphis gossypii and Amrasca biguttula biguttula under laboratory condition during 2012. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized block design with three replications in the glass house of department of Entomology M. P. K. V. Rahuri. Okra plants were raised in glass house following all recommended agronomic practices. The 21 days old plants were used for assessing the effect of insecticides on aphids and jassids. The insecticides were diluted with distilled water to make desired concentrations and used for foliar application. The insecticides included in the study were imidacloprid 17.8 SL, imidacloprid 70 WG, thiamethoxam 25 WG and dimethoate 30 EC. Untreated check was maintained by spraying with distilled water. The mortality of aphids and jassids on treated leaf were recorded at 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 21, and 25 days after spray till zero per cent mortality observed for each treatment. Treated leaves from the glasshouse were brought to laboratory and were put in tube with moist cotton swab at the bottom of leaf and sucking apparatus was fit to the tube. Ten jassids were sucked in each tube from the plants in the field. Evaluated insecticides differed in their persistence and index of persistence toxicity against both insects of different treatments. Recommended dose of imidacloprid (25 g a.i/ha) persisted for 21 days against both aphids and jassids. However dimethoate, a conventional insecticide persisted for 11 days.

Keywords: Amrasca biguttula biguttula, Aphis gossypii, imidacloprid, persistent toxicity

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Authors: Djamil Guettiche, Ahmed Mekki, Tighilt Fatma-Zohra, Rachid Mahmoud

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The aim of this study was to synthesize and characterize conducting polymer composites of polypyrrole and graphene, including pristine and surface-treated graphene (PPy/GO, PPy/rGO, and PPy/rGO-ArCOOH), for use as sensitive elements in a homemade chemiresistive module for on-line detection of nitrogen oxides vapors. The chemiresistive module was prepared, characterized, and evaluated for performance. Structural and morphological characterizations of the composite were carried out using FTIR, Raman spectroscopy, and XRD analyses. After exposure to NO and NO₂ gases in both static and dynamic modes, the sensitivity, selectivity, limit of detection, and response time of the sensor were determined at ambient temperature. The resulting sensor showed high sensitivity, selectivity, and reversibility, with a low limit of detection of 1 ppm. A composite of polypyrrole and graphene functionalized with aryl 4-carboxy benzene diazonium salt was synthesized and characterized using FTIR, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV-visible, and X-ray diffraction. The PPy-rGOArCOOH composite exhibited a good electrical resistance response to NO₂ at room temperature and showed enhanced NO₂-sensing properties compared to PPy-rGO thin films. The selectivity and stability of the NO₂ sensor based on the PPy/rGO-ArCOOH nanocomposite were also investigated.

Keywords: conducting polymers, surface treated graphene, diazonium salt, polypyrrole, Nitrogen oxide sensing

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Authors: Yao Song, Danni Cheng, Jianjun Ren

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Objectives: We aimed to explore the prognostic effects of absolute values and dynamic changes of common hematological indices on oropharynx squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients treated with radiation. Methods and materials: The absolute values of white blood cell (WBC), absolute neutrophil count (ANC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), hemoglobin (Hb), platelet (Plt), albumin (Alb), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) at baseline (within 45 days before radiation), 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-months after the start of radiotherapy were retrospectively collected. Locally-estimated smoothing scatterplots were used to describe the smooth trajectory of each index. A mixed-effect model with a random slope was fitted to describe the changing rate and trend of indices over time. Cox proportional hazard analysis was conducted to assess the correlation between hematological indices and treatment outcomes. Results: Of the enrolled 85 OPSCC patients, inflammatory indices, such as WBC and ALC, dropped rapidly during acute treatment and gradually recovered, while NLR and PLR increased at first three months and subsequently declined within 3-12 months. Higher absolute value or increasing trend of nutritional indices (Alb and Hb) was associated with better prognosis (all p<0.05). In contrast, patients with higher absolute value or upward trend of inflammatory indices (WBC, ANC, Plt, PLR and NLR) had worse survival (all p<0.05). Conclusions: The absolute values and dynamic changes of hematological indices were valuable prognostic factors for OPSCC patients who underwent radiotherapy.

Keywords: hematological indices, oropharyngeal cancer, radiotherapy, NLR, PLR

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Authors: Reshu Yadav, Himanshu Joshi, S. K. Tripathi

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Fresh water is a scarce resource which is essential for humans and ecosystems, but its distribution is uneven. Agricultural production accounts for 70% of all surface water supplies. It is projected that against the expansion in the area equipped for irrigation by 0.6% per year, the global potential irrigation water demand would rise by 9.5% during 2021-25. This would, on one hand, have to compete against the sharply rising urban water demand. On the other, it would also have to face the fear of climate change, as temperatures rise and crop yields could drop from 10-30% in many large areas. The huge demand for irrigation combined with fresh water scarcity encourages to explore the reuse of wastewater as a resource. However, the use of such wastewater is often linked to the safety issues when used non judiciously or with poor safeguards while irrigating food crops. Paddy is one of the major crops globally and amongst the most important in South Asia and Africa. In many parts of the world, use of municipal wastewater has been promoted as a viable option in this regard. In developing and fast growing countries like India, regularly increasing wastewater generation rates may allow this option to be considered quite seriously. In view of this, a pilot field study was conducted at the Jagjeetpur Municipal Sewage treatment plant situated in the Haridwar town of Uttarakhand state, India. The objectives of the present study were to study the effect of treated wastewater on the production of various paddy varieties (Sharbati, PR-114, PB-1, Menaka, PB1121 and PB 1509) and emission of GHG gases (CO2, CH4 and N2O) as compared to the same varieties grown in the control plots irrigated with fresh water. Of late, the concept of water footprint assessment has emerged, which explains enumeration of various types of water footprints of an agricultural entity from its production to processing stages. Paddy, the most water demanding staple crop of Uttarakhand state, displayed a high green water footprint value of 2966.538 m3/ton. Most of the wastewater irrigated varieties displayed upto 6% increase in production, except Menaka and PB-1121, which showed a reduction in production (6% and 3% respectively), due to pest and insect infestation. The treated wastewater was observed to be rich in Nitrogen (55.94 mg/ml Nitrate), Phosphorus (54.24 mg/ml) and Potassium (9.78 mg/ml), thus rejuvenating the soil quality and not requiring any external nutritional supplements. Percentage increase of GHG gases on irrigation with treated municipal waste water as compared to control plots was observed as 0.4% - 8.6% (CH4), 1.1% - 9.2% (CO2), and 0.07% - 5.8% (N2O). The variety, Sharbati, displayed maximum production (5.5 ton/ha) and emerged as the most resistant variety against pests and insects. The emission values of CH4 ,CO2 and N2O were 729.31 mg/m2/d, 322.10 mg/m2/d and 400.21 mg/m2/d in water stagnant condition. This study highlighted a successful possibility of reuse of wastewater for non-potable purposes offering the potential for exploiting this resource that can replace or reduce existing use of fresh water sources in agricultural sector.

Keywords: greenhouse gases, nutrients, water footprint, wastewater irrigation

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Authors: A. A. Ghanim

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The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is heading towards a severe and rapidly expanding water crisis, which can have negative impacts on the country’s environment and economy. Of the total water consumption in KSA, the agricultural sector accounts for nearly 87% of the total water use and, therefore, any attempt that overlooks this sector will not help in improving the sustainability of the country’s water resources. KSA Vision 2030 gives priority of water use in the agriculture sector for the regions that have natural renewable water resources. It means that there is little concern for making reuse of municipal wastewater for irrigation purposes in any region in general and in water-scarce regions in particular. The use of treated wastewater is very limited in Saudi Arabia, but it has very considerable potential for future expansion due its numerous beneficial uses. This study reviews the current situation of water resources in Saudi Arabia, providing more highlights on agriculture and wastewater reuse. The reviewed study is proposing some corrective measures for development and better management of water resources in the Kingdom. Suggestions also include consideration of treated water as an alternative source for irrigation in some regions of the country. The study concluded that a sustainable solution for the water crisis in KSA requires implementation of multiple measures in an integrated manner. The integrated solution plan should focus on two main directions: first, improving the current management practices of the existing water resources; second, developing new water supplies from both conventional and non-conventional sources.

Keywords: Saudia Arabia, water resources, water crises, wastewater reuse

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Authors: Emad Hafez, Mahmoud Seleiman

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Two field experiments were carried out in order to investigate the effect of chemical inducers [benzothiadiazole 0.9 mM L-1, oxalic acid 1.0 mM L-1, salicylic acid 0.2 mM L-1] on physiological and technological traits as well as on yields and antioxidant enzyme activities of barley grown under abiotic stress (i.e. water surplus and deficit conditions). Results showed that relative water content, leaf area, chlorophyll and yield as well as technological properties of barley were improved with chemical inducers application under water surplus and water-stress conditions. Antioxidant enzymes activity (i.e. catalase and peroxidase) were significantly increased in barley grown under water-stress and treated with chemical inducers. Yield and related parameters of barley presented also significant decrease under water-stress treatment, while chemical inducers application enhanced the yield-related traits. Starch and protein contents were higher in plants treated with salicylic acid than in untreated plants when water-stress was applied. In conclusion, results show that chemical inducers application have a positive interaction and synergetic influence and should be suggested to improve plant growth, yield and technological properties of water stressed barley. Salicylic acid application was better than oxalic acid and benzothiadiazole in terms of plant growth and yield improvement.

Keywords: antioxidant enzymes, drought stress, Hordeum vulgare L., quality, yield

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Authors: Samia A. El-Fiky, Fouad A. Abou-Zaid, Ibrahim M. Farag, Naira M. El-Fiky

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Clomipramine hydrochloride is one of the most used tricyclic antidepressant drug in Egypt. This drug contains in its chemical structure on two benzene rings. Benzene is considered to be toxic and clastogenic agent. So, the present study was designed to assess the genotoxic effect of Clomipramine hydrochloride on somatic and germ cells in mice. Three dose levels 0.195 (Low), 0.26 (Medium), and 0.65 (High) mg/kg.b.wt. were used. Seven groups of male mice were utilized in this work. The first group was employed as a control. In the remaining six groups, each of the above doses was orally administrated for two groups, one of them was treated for 5 days and the other group was given the same dose for 30 days. At the end of experiments, the animals were sacrificed for cytogenetic and sperm examination as well as histopathological investigations by using hematoxylin and eosin stains (H and E stains) and electron microscope. Concerning the sperm studies, these studies were confined to 5 days treatment with different dose levels. Moreover, the ultrastructural investigation by electron microscope was restricted to 30 days treatment with drug doses. The results of the dose dependent effect of Clomipramine showed that the treatment with three different doses induced increases of frequencies of chromosome aberrations in bone marrow and spermatocyte cells as compared to control. In addition, mitotic and meiotic activities of somatic and germ cells were declined. The treatments with medium or high doses were more effective for inducing significant increases of chromosome aberrations and significant decreases of cell divisions than treatment with low dose. The effect of high dose was more pronounced for causing such genetic deleterious in respect to effect of medium dose. Moreover, the results of the time dependent effect of Clomipramine observed that the treatment with different dose levels for 30 days led to significant increases of genetic aberrations than treatment for 5 days. Sperm examinations revealed that the treatment with Clomipramine at different dose levels caused significant increase of sperm shape abnormalities and significant decrease in sperm count as compared to control. The adverse effects on sperm shape and count were more obviousness by using the treatments with medium or high doses than those found in treatment with low dose. The group of mice treated with high dose had the highest rate of sperm shape abnormalities and the lowest proportion of sperm count as compared to mice received medium dose. In histopathological investigation, hematoxylin and eosin stains showed that, the using of low dose of Clomipramine for 5 or 30 days caused a little pathological changes in liver tissue. However, using medium and high doses for 5 or 30 days induced severe damages than that observed in mice treated with low dose. The treatment with high dose for 30 days gave the worst results of pathological changes in hepatic cells. Moreover, ultrastructure examination revealed, the mice treated with low dose of Clomipramine had little differences in liver histological architecture as compared to control group. These differences were confined to cytoplasmic inclusions. Whereas, prominent pathological changes in nuclei as well as dilated of rough Endoplasmic Reticulum (rER) were observed in mice treated with medium or high doses of Clomipramine drug. In conclusion, the present study adds evidence that treatments with medium or high doses of Clomipramine have genotoxic effects on somatic and germ cells of mice, as unwanted side effects. However, the using of low dose (especially for short time, 5 days) can be utilized as a therapeutic dose, where it caused relatively similar proportions of genetic, sperm, and histopathological changes as those found in normal control.

Keywords: chromosome aberrations, clomipramine, mice, histopathology, sperm abnormalities

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Authors: Noor Akhmazillah Fauzi, Mohammed Mehdi Farid, Filipa V. Silva

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The aim of this paper is to investigate if different concentration of Manuka honey (as a model food) has a major influence on the inactivation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae (as the testing microorganism) after subjecting it to HPP. Honey samples with different sugar concentrations (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 °Brix) were prepared aseptically using sterilized distilled water. No dilution of honey was made for the 80 °Brix sample. For the 0 °Brix sample (control), sterilized distilled water was used. Thermal treatment at 55 °C for 10 min (conventionally applied in honey pasteurisation in industry) was carried out for comparison purpose. S. cerevisiae cell numbers in honey samples were established before and after each HPP and thermal treatment. The number of surviving cells was determined after a proper dilution of the untreated and treated samples by the viable plate count method. S. cerevisiae cells, in different honey concentrations (0 to 80 °Brix), subjected to 600 MPa (at ambient temperature) showed an increasing resistance to inactivation with °Brix. A significant correlation (p < 0.05) between cell reduction and °Brix was found. Cell reduction in high pressure-treated samples varied linearly with °Brix (R2 > 0.9), confirming that the baroprotective effect of the food is due to sugar content. This study has practical implications in establishing efficient process design for commercial manufacturing of high sugar food products and on the potential use of HPP for such products.

Keywords: high pressure processing, honey, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, °Brix

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Authors: Dmitriy Kuptsov

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Tree data structures, such as binary or in general k-ary trees, are essential in computer science. The applications of these data structures can range from data search and retrieval to sorting and ranking algorithms. Naive implementations of these data structures can consume prohibitively large volumes of random access memory limiting their applicability in certain solutions. Thus, in these cases, more advanced representation of these data structures is essential. In this paper we present the design of the compact version of ternary tree data structure and demonstrate the results for the experimental evaluation using static dictionary problem. We compare these results with the results for binary and regular ternary trees. The conducted evaluation study shows that our design, in the best case, consumes up to 12 times less memory (for the dictionary used in our experimental evaluation) than a regular ternary tree and in certain configuration shows performance comparable to regular ternary trees. We have evaluated the performance of the algorithms using both 32 and 64 bit operating systems.

Keywords: algorithms, data structures, succinct ternary tree, per- formance evaluation

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Authors: M. Farhaoui, M. Derraz

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Problem statement: In the water treatment processes, the coagulation and flocculation processes produce sludge according to the level of the water turbidity. The aluminum sulfate is the most common coagulant used in water treatment plants of Morocco as well as many countries. It is difficult to manage the sludge produced by the treatment plant. However, it can be used in the process to improve the quality of the treated water and reduce the aluminum sulfate dose. Approach: In this study, the effectiveness of sludge was evaluated at different turbidity levels (low, medium, and high turbidity) and coagulant dosage to find optimal operational conditions. The influence of settling time was also studied. A set of jar test experiments was conducted to find the sludge and aluminum sulfate dosages in order to improve the produced water quality for different turbidity levels. Results: Results demonstrated that using sludge produced by the treatment plant can improve the quality of the produced water and reduce the aluminum sulfate using. The aluminum sulfate dosage can be reduced from 40 to 50% according to the turbidity level (10, 20 and 40 NTU). Conclusions/Recommendations: Results show that sludge can be used in order to reduce the aluminum sulfate dosage and improve the quality of treated water. The highest turbidity removal efficiency is observed within 6 mg/l of aluminum sulfate and 35 mg/l of sludge in low turbidity, 20 mg/l of aluminum sulfate and 50 mg/l of sludge in medium turbidity and 20 mg/l of aluminum sulfate and 60 mg/l of sludge in high turbidity. The turbidity removal efficiency is 97.56%, 98.96% and 99.47% respectively for low, medium and high turbidity levels.

Keywords: coagulation process, coagulant dose, sludge, turbidity removal

Procedia PDF Downloads 335

Authors: Monika Bansal

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Background: Placement of dental implant in narrow alveolar ridge is challenging to be treated. GBR procedure is currently most widely used to augment the deficient alveolar ridges and to treat the fenestration and dehiscence around dental implants. Thus, the objectives of the present study were to evaluate as well as compare the clinical performance of collagen membrane and titanium mesh for horizontal bone augmentation at dehisced implant sites. Methods and material: Total 12 single edentulous implant sites with buccal bone deficiency in 8 subjects were equally divided and treated simultaneously with either of the two membranes and DBBM(Bio-Oss) bone graft. Primary outcome measurements in terms of defect height and defect width were made using a calibrated plastic periodontal probe. Re-entry surgery was performed to remeasure the augmented site and to remove Ti-mesh at 6th month. Independent paired t-tests for the inter-group comparison and student-paired t-tests for the intra-group comparison were performed. The differences were considered to be significant at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Mean defect fill with respect to height and width was 3.50 ± 0.54 mm (87%) and 2.33 ± 0.51 mm (82%) for collagen membrane and 3.83 ± 0.75 mm (92%) and 2.50 ± 0.54 mm (88%) for Ti-mesh group respectively. Conclusions: Within the limitation of the study, it was concluded that mean defect height and width after 6 months were statistically significant within the group without significant difference between them, although defect resolution was better in Ti-mesh.

Keywords: collagen membrane, dehiscence, dental implant, horizontal bone, augmentation, ti-mesh

Procedia PDF Downloads 111

Authors: C. Gallottini, W. Di Mari, A. Amaddeo, K. Barbaro, A. Dolci, G. Dolci, L. Gallottini, G. Barraco, S. Eramo

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A group of 10 dogs (group A) with Periodontal Disease in the third stage, were subjected to regenerative therapy of periodontal tissues, by use of nano hydroxy apatite (NHA). These animals induced by general anesthesia, where treated by ultrasonic scaling, root planning, and at the end by a mucogingival flap in which it was applied NHA. The flap was closed and sutured with simple steps. Another group of 10 dogs (group B), control group, was treated only by scaling and root planning. No patient was subjected to antibiotic therapy. After three months, a check was made by inspection of the oral cavity, radiography and bone biopsy at the alveolar level. Group A showed a total restitutio ad integrum of the periodontal structures, and in group B still mild gingivitis in 70% of cases and 30% of the state remains unchanged. Numerous experimental studies both in animals and humans have documented that the grafts of porous hydroxyapatite are rapidly invaded by fibrovascular tissue which is subsequently converted into mature lamellar bone tissue by activating osteoblast. Since we acted on the removal of necrotic cementum and rehabilitating the root tissue by polishing without intervention in the ligament but only on anatomical functional interface of cement-blasts, we can connect the positive evolution of the clinical-only component of the cement that could represent this perspective, the only reason that Periodontal Disease become a Cement Disease, while all other clinical elements as nothing more than a clinical pathological accompanying.

Keywords: nanoidroxiaphatite, parodontal disease, cement disease, regenerative therapy

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Authors: Valdrina Ajeti, Icko Gjorgoski

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Stress can be a reason for some physiological and biological disorders in the body. The antioxidative defense system is necessary for the maintenance of redox homeostasis in organisms. Because of its antioxidant effect, alkaline water (AW) is the focus of scientific interest. Adding AW and co-treatment with sodium ascorbate (SA) is expected for the organism to act preventively to hyperthermic stress. To investigate the effect of AW and SA on glucose and cortisol levels during acute hyperthermic stress, white female Wistar laboratory rats, divided into three groups of 10 individuals, were exposed to heat for 80 min, for 21 days. Acute hyperthermic exposure at 41˚C was a cause for oxidative stress. The first group is the control group, the second group is treated with AW, and the third group with AW and SA. Plasma glucose levels were determined by colorimetric method and cortisol was measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The comparison of the means was made using the Tukey test. Differences were considered significant at a level of p < 0.05. Our results show that levels of glucose and cortisol have been increased in the group treated with AW on the 21st day after treatment (p < 0.0001), but not on the 7th and 14th day as compared to the control group. Also, co-treatment of animals with AW and SA significantly increased the levels of glucose and cortisol on the 21st day after treatment showing a synergistic effect. The individual action of AW, as well as synergism with SA, caused a high protective effect on oxidative damage.

Keywords: alkaline water, sodium ascorbate, hyperthermic stress, glucose, cortisol

Procedia PDF Downloads 131

Authors: Eleni Maria Pavlopoulou, Vasiliki N. Georgiannou, Filippos C. Chortis

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The response of M31 sand stabilized with colloidal silica (CS) aqueous gel is investigated in the laboratory. CS is introduced in the water regime, forming a hydrosol. The low viscosity hydrosol thickens in a controllable manner to form a stable, non-toxic gel; the gel fills the pore space, retains the pore water, and supports the grain structure. The role of colloidal silica on subsequent sand behavior is examined with the aid of direct shear, triaxial, and normal compression tests. Under the examined loading modes, while the strength of the treated sand is enhanced, its stiffness may reduce, and its compressibility increase. However, in most geotechnical problems, the loading conditions are complex, involving changes in both stress magnitude and direction. Rotation of principal stresses (σ1, σ2, σ3) in varying amounts expressed as angle α, (from α=0° to 90°) in concurrence with increasing shear stress loading is commonly encountered in soil structures such as foundations, embankments, underwater slopes. To assess the influence of anisotropy on the response of sands before and after their stabilization, hollow cylinder tests were performed. The behavior of stabilized sand is compared with the characteristic sand behavior, i.e., a reduction in peak stress ratio associated with a softer stress-strain response with the increasing angle a. The influence of the magnitude of the intermediate principal stress (σ2) on the mechanical response of treated and untreated sand is also examined.

Keywords: anisotropy, colloidal silica, laboratory tests, sands, soil stabilization

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Authors: Lauren Zammerilla Westcott, Ronald C. Jones, James W. Fleshman

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The surgical treatment of breast cancer has rapidly evolved over the past 50 years, progressing from Halsted’s radical mastectomy to a public campaign of surgical options, aesthetic reconstruction, and patient empowerment. This article examines the happenings that led to the transition of breast surgery as a subset of general surgery to its own specialized field. Sparked by the research of Dr. Bernard Fisher and the first National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project trial in 1971, the field of breast surgery underwent significant growth over the next several decades, enabling general surgeons to limit their practices to the breast. High surgical volumes eventually led to the development of the first formal breast surgical oncology fellowship in a large community-based hospital at Baylor University Medical Center in 1982. The establishment of the American Society of Breast Surgeons, as well several landmark clinical trials and public campaign efforts, further contributed to the advancement of breast surgery, making it the specialized field of the current era.

Keywords: breast cancer, breast fellowship, breast surgery, surgical history

Procedia PDF Downloads 131

Authors: Sajid Maqsood, Aysha Al Rashedi, Aisha Abushelaibi, Kusaimah Manheem

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Impact of different natural antioxidants on lipid oxidation, microbial load and sensorial quality in ground camel meat (leg region) during 9 days of refrigerated storage were investigated. Control camel meat showed higher lipid oxidation products (Peroxide value and Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS)) during the storage period. Upon addition of different natural antioxidants PV and TBARS were retarded, especially in samples added with tannic acid (TA), catechin (CT) and gallic acid (GA) (p<0.05). Haem iron content decreased with increasing storage period and was found to be lower in samples added with caffeic acid (CA) and gallic acid (GA) at the end of storage period (p<0.05). Furthermore, lower mesophilic bacterial count (MBC) and psychrophilic bacterial counts (PBC) were observed in TA and CT treated samples compared to control and other samples (p<0.05). Camel meat treated with TA and CT also received higher likeness scores for colour, odor and overall appearance compared to control samples (p<0.05). Therefore, adding different natural antioxidants especially TA and CT showed retarding effect on lipid oxidation and microbial growth and were also effective in maintaining sensory attributes (color and odor) of ground camel meat during storage at 4°C. Hence, TA and CT could be considered as the potential natural antioxidant for preserving the quality of the camel meat displayed at refrigerated shelves.

Keywords: natural antioxidants, lipid oxidation, quality, camel meat

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Authors: Siddhant Sahu, P. James Daniel Paul

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Technical analysis comprised by various technical indicators is a holistic way of representing price movement of stocks in the market. Various forms of indicators have evolved from the primitive ones in the past decades. There have been many attempts to introduce volume as a major determinant to determine strong patterns in market forecasting. The law of demand defines the relationship between the volume and price. Most of the traders are familiar with the volume game. Including the time dimension to the law of demand provides a different visualization to the theory. While attempting the same, it was found that there are different thresholds in the market for different companies. These thresholds have a significant influence on the price. This article is an attempt in determining the thresholds for companies using the three dimensional graphs for optimizing the portfolios. It also emphasizes on the magnitude of importance of volumes as a key factor for determining of predicting strong price movements, bullish and bearish markets. It uses a comprehensive data set of major companies which form a major chunk of the Indian automotive sector and are thus used as an illustration.

Keywords: technical analysis, expert system, law of demand, stocks, portfolio analysis, Indian automotive sector

Procedia PDF Downloads 316