Search results for: heterotrophic plate count

Authors: Farha Ibrahim, Ely Zarina Samsudin, Ahmad Razali Ishak, Jeyanthini Sathasivam

Abstract:

Introduction: Indoor air quality (IAQ) has recently gained substantial traction as the airborne transmission of infectious respiratory disease has become an increasing public health concern. Public hospital outpatient department (OPD). IAQ warrants special consideration as it is the most visited department in which patients and staff are all directly impacted by poor IAQ. However, there is limited evidence on IAQ in these settings. Moreover, occupants’ behavior like occupant’s movement and operation of door, windows and appliances, have been shown to significantly affect IAQ, yet the influence of these determinants on IAQ in such settings have not been established. Objectives: This study aims to examine IAQ in Malaysian public hospitals OPD and assess its relationships with occupants’ behavior. Methodology: A multicenter cross-sectional study in which stratified random sampling of Johor public hospitals OPD (n=6) according to building age was conducted. IAQ measurements include indoor air temperature, relative humidity (RH), air velocity (AV), carbon dioxide (CO2), total bacterial count (TBC) and total fungal count (TFC). Occupants’ behaviors in Malaysian public hospital OPD are assessed using observation forms, and results were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were performed to characterize all study variables, whereas non-parametric Spearman Rank correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation between IAQ and occupants’ behavior. Results: After adjusting for potential cofounder, the study has suggested that occupants’ movement in new building, like seated quietly, is significantly correlated with AV in new building (r 0.642, p-value 0.010), CO2 in new (r 0.772, p-value <0.001) and old building (r -0.559, p-value 0.020), TBC in new (r 0.747, p-value 0.001) and old building (r -0.559, p-value 0.020), and TFC in new (r 0.777, p-value <0.001) and old building (r -0.485, p-value 0.049). In addition, standing relaxed movement is correlated with indoor air temperature (r 0.823, p-value <0.001) in new building, CO2 (r 0.559, p-value 0.020), TBC (r 0.559, p-value 0.020), and TFC (r -0.485, p-value 0.049) in old building, while walking is correlated with AV in new building (r -0.642, p-value 0.001), CO2 in new (r -0.772, p-value <0.001) and old building (r 0.559, p-value 0.020), TBC in new (r -0.747, p-value 0.001) and old building (r 0.559, p-value 0.020), and TFC in old building (r -0.485, p-value 0.049). The indoor air temperature is significantly correlated with number of doors kept opened (r 0.522, p-value 0.046), frequency of door adjustments (r 0.753, p-value 0.001), number of windows kept opened (r 0.522, p-value 0.046), number of air-conditioned (AC) switched on (r 0.698, p-value 0.004) and frequency of AC adjustment (r 0.753, p-value 0.001) in new hospital OPD building. AV is found to be significantly correlated with number of doors kept opened (r 0.642, p-value 0.01), frequency of door adjustments (r 0.553, p-value 0.032), number of windows kept opened (r 0.642, p-value 0.01), and frequency of AC adjustment, number of fans switched on, and frequency of fans adjustment(all with r 0.553, p-value 0.032) in new building. In old hospital OPD building, the number of doors kept opened is significantly correlated with CO₂, TBC (both r -0.559, p-value 0.020) and TFC (r -0.495, p-value 0.049), frequency of door adjustment is significantly correlated with CO₂, TBC (both r-0.559, p-value 0.020) and TFC (r -0.495, p-value 0.049), number of windows kept opened is significantly correlated with CO₂, TBC (both r 0.559, p-value 0.020) and TFC (r 0.495, p-value 0.049), frequency of window adjustment is significantly correlated with CO₂,TBC (both r -0.559, p-value 0.020) and TFC (r -0.495, p-value 0.049), number of AC switched on is significantly correlated with CO₂, TBC (both r -0.559, p-value 0.020) and TFC (r -0.495, p-value 0.049),, frequency of AC adjustment is significantly correlated with CO2 (r 0.559, p-value 0.020), TBC (0.559, p-value 0.020) and TFC (r -0.495, p-value 0.049), number of fans switched on is significantly correlated with CO2, TBC (both r 0.559, p-value 0.020) and TFC (r 0.495, p-value 0.049), and frequency of fans adjustment is significantly correlated with CO2, TBC (both r -0.559, p-value 0.020) and TFC (r -0.495, p-value 0.049). Conclusion: This study provided evidence on IAQ parameters in Malaysian public hospitals OPD and significant factors that may be effective targets of prospective intervention, thus enabling stakeholders to develop appropriate policies and programs to mitigate IAQ issues in Malaysian public hospitals OPD.

Keywords: outpatient department, iaq, occupants practice, public hospital

Procedia PDF Downloads 72

Authors: Kiran Nawaz, Ahmad Ali Shahid, Sehrish Iftikhar, Waheed Anwar, Muhammad Nasir Subhani

Abstract:

Chili (Solanum annum L.) attacks by many fungal pathogens, including members of Oomycetes which are responsible for root rot in different chili growing areas of the world. Oomycetes pathogens cause economic losses in different regions of the Pakistan. Most of the plant tissues, including roots, crowns, fruit, and leaves, are vulnerable to Phytophthora capsici. It is very difficult to manage the Phytophthora root rot of chili as many commercial varieties are tremendously vulnerable to P. capsici. The causal agent of the disease was isolated on corn meal agar (CMA) and identified on a morphological basis by using available taxonomic keys. The pathogen was also confirmed on the molecular basis through internal transcribed spacer region and with other molecular markers.The Blastn results showed 100% homology with already reported sequences of P. capsici in NCBI database. Most of the farmers have conventionally relied on foliar fungicide applications to control Phytophthora root rot in spite of their incomplete effectiveness. In this study, in vitro plate assay, seed soaking and foliar applications of 6 fungicides were evaluated against root rot of chili. In vitro assay revealed that significant inhibition of linear growth was obtained with Triflumizole at 7.0%, followed by Thiophanate methyl (8.9%), Etridiazole (6.0%), Propamocarb (5.9%) and 7.5% with Mefenoxam and Iprodione for P. capsici. The promising treatments of in vitro plate bioassay were evaluated in pot experiments under controlled conditions in the greenhouse. All fungicides were applied after at 6-day intervals. Results of pot experiment showed that all treatments considerably inhibited the percentage of P. capsici root rot incidence. In addition, application of seed soaking with all six fungicides combined with the foliar spray of the same components showed the significant reduction in root rot incidence. The combine treatments of all fungicides as in vitro bioassay, seed soaking followed by foliar spray is considered non-harmful control methods which have advantages and limitation. Hence, these applications proved effective and harmless for the management of soil-borne plant pathogens.

Keywords: blastn, bioassay, corn meal agar(CMA), oomycetes

Procedia PDF Downloads 219

Authors: Olfat A. Fadali, Mohamed S. Mahmoud, Omnia H. Abdelraheem, Shimaa G. Mohammed

Abstract:

The effect of electromagnetic field (EMF) on the removal of edible oil from oil-in-water emulsion by means of electrocoagulation was investigated in rectangular batch electrochemical cell with DC current. Iron (Fe) plate anodes and stainless steel cathodes were employed as electrodes. The effect of different magnetic field intensities (1.9, 3.9 and 5.2 tesla), three different positions of EMF (below, perpendicular and parallel to the electrocoagulation cell), as well as operating time; had been investigated. The application of electromagnetic field (5.2 tesla) raises percentage of oil removal from 72.4% for traditional electrocoagulation to 90.8% after 20 min.

Keywords: electrocoagulation, electromagnetic field, Oil-water emulsion, edible oil

Procedia PDF Downloads 512

Authors: Tim Farrelly

Abstract:

In recent years, AI-powered object detection systems have opened the doors for innovative new applications and products, especially those operating in the real world or ‘on edge’ – namely, in sport. This paper investigates the viability of an ultra-low parameter convolutional neural network specially designed for the detection of footballs on ‘on the edge’ devices. The main contribution of this paper is the exploration of integrating new design features (depth-wise separable convolutional blocks and squeezed and excitation modules) into an ultra-low parameter network and demonstrating subsequent improvements in performance. The results show that tracking the ball from Full HD images with negligibly high accu-racy is possible in real-time.

Keywords: deep learning, object detection, machine vision applications, sport, network design

Procedia PDF Downloads 125

Authors: Murat Parlak, Muhammed Çağlar Malyemez

Abstract:

In a harsh environment, it is crucialtoinvestigatethethermal problem systematically implement a reliableandeffectivecoolingtechniqueformilitaryequipment. In this study, an electronicaldevice has been designed to fit different boundary conditions. Manyfinalternatives can be possiblesolutionsforthethermal problem. Therefore, it is an important step to define an easyproduciblefindesignand a low power fan selection for the optimum unit-design satisfying IP68. The equipment is planned to serve at 71C environment conditions and it also can be screwedto a cold plate at +85C. In both conditions, it is intendedtousethesamechassiswithoutanymodifications. To optimize such a ruggeddevice, all CFD analysis has been done withAnsysFluent 2021®. Afterstudyingpinfins, it is seenthatthesurfacearea is not enough, hencethefin-type is changed to a straightrectangulartypewithforcedconvectioncooling. Finally, a verycompactproductthat can serve in a harsh environment is obtained.

Keywords: electronic cooling, harsh environment, forced convection, compact design

Procedia PDF Downloads 162

Authors: A. Harrouz, A. Benatiallah, O. Harrouz

Abstract:

This paper presents the search for errors in the measurement instruments in a dynamic system of metering liquid or gas and sees the tolerance defined by the international standards and recommendations. We will implement a program on MATLAB/Simulink which is calculated based on the ISO-5167. This program will take the system parameters on considerations such as: the willingness plates, the size of the orifice, the given design conditions, reference conditions, find pressure drop for a given flow, or flow for a loss of given load. The results are considered very good and satisfactory because the errors identified of measuring instruments system are within the margin of error limit by the regulations.

Keywords: analyzing, control, gas, meters system

Procedia PDF Downloads 382

Authors: Kunal Das, Priya Sengupta, Abhishek K. Singh

Abstract:

Pin assignment, scheduling, routing and error detection for arbitrary biochemical protocols in Digital Microfluidic Biochip have been reported in this paper. The research work is concentrating on pin assignment for 2 or 3 droplets routing in the arbitrary biochemical protocol, scheduling and routing in m × n biochip. The volumetric error arises due to droplet split in the biochip. The volumetric error detection is also addressed using biochip AND logic gate which is known as microfluidic AND or mAND gate. The algorithm for pin assignment for m × n biochip required m+n-1 numbers of pins. The basic principle of this algorithm is that no same pin will be allowed to be placed in the same column, same row and diagonal and adjacent cells. The same pin should be placed a distance apart such that interference becomes less. A case study also reported in this paper.

Keywords: digital microfludic biochip, cross-contamination, pin assignment, microfluidic AND gate

Procedia PDF Downloads 256

Authors: Autumporn Buranapongphan, Ketsirin Meethong, Phukan Pahaphom

Abstract:

The objectives of this research is aim to study the standard formula of choux cream recipe. Formulation of choux cream were used gluten free as a replacer with flour in choux dough, quinoa milk in cream and shelf life on product. The results showed the acceptance test using 30 target consumers revealed that liking of choux dough with water 34%, egg 30% flour 19% butter 16% baking powder 1% and cream with milk 68% sugar 13% butter 6.8% egg 4.5% and vanilla 0.9%. The gluten free exhibited the formulation of dough is rice flour 12% potato starch 26% tapioca 7.7% and quinoa flour 4.3%. The ratio of corn flour at 40% had significant effects on liking of viscosity for quinoa cream. During storage by Total viable count (TVA) were kept in room temperature for 8 hours and chilled for 18 hours.

Keywords: choux cream, gluten free, quinoa, dough

Procedia PDF Downloads 380

Authors: Chonlakorn Wiboonsiriruk, Ekachai Phaisangittisagul, Chadchai Srisurangkul, Itsuo Kumazawa

Abstract:

Public transportation is a crucial aspect of passenger transportation, with buses playing a vital role in the transportation service. Passenger counting is an essential tool for organizing and managing transportation services. However, manual counting is a tedious and time-consuming task, which is why computer vision algorithms are being utilized to make the process more efficient. In this study, different object detection algorithms combined with passenger tracking are investigated to compare passenger counting performance. The system employs the EfficientDet algorithm, which has demonstrated superior performance in terms of speed and accuracy. Our results show that the proposed system can accurately count passengers in varying conditions with an accuracy of 94%.

Keywords: computer vision, object detection, passenger counting, public transportation

Procedia PDF Downloads 130

Authors: Bartosz Olszanski, Zbigniew Nosal, Jacek Rokicki

Abstract:

An experimental study of cold-jet (nitrogen) reaction control jet system has been carried out to investigate the flow control efficiency for low to moderate jet pressure ratios (total jet pressure p0jet over free stream static pressure in the wind tunnel p∞) and different angles of attack for infinite Mach number equal to 2. An investigation of jet influence was conducted on a flat plate geometry placed in the test section of intermittent supersonic wind tunnel of Department of Aerodynamics, WUT. Various convergent jet nozzle geometries to obtain different jet momentum ratios were tested on the same test model geometry. Surface static pressure measurements, Schlieren flow visualizations (using continuous and photoflash light source), load cell measurements gave insight into the supersonic crossflow interaction for different jet pressure and jet momentum ratios and their influence on the efficiency of side jet control as described by the amplification factor (actual to theoretical net force generated by the control nozzle). Moreover, the quasi-steady numerical simulations of flow through the same wind tunnel geometry (convergent-divergent nozzle plus test section) were performed using ANSYS Fluent basing on Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) solver incorporated with k-ω Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model to assess the possible spurious influence of test section walls over the jet exit near field area of interest. The strong bow shock, barrel shock, and Mach disk as well as lambda separation region in front of nozzle were observed as images taken by high-speed camera examine the interaction of the jet and the free stream. In addition, the development of large-scale vortex structures (counter-rotating vortex pair) was detected. The history of complex static pressure pattern on the plate was recorded and compared to the force measurement data as well as numerical simulation data. The analysis of the obtained results, especially in the wake of the jet showed important features of the interaction mechanisms between the lateral jet and the flow field.

Keywords: flow visualization techniques, pressure measurements, reaction control jet, supersonic cross flow

Procedia PDF Downloads 276

Authors: Chollawat Pookpienlert, Jintana Sanwong

Abstract:

An element a of a semigroup S is called left (right) regular if there exists x in S such that a=xa² (a=a²x) and said to be intra-regular if there exist u,v in such that a=ua²v. Let T(X) be the semigroup of all full transformations on a set X under the composition of maps. For a fixed nonempty subset Y of X, let Fix(X,Y)={α ™ T(X) : yα=y for all y ™ Y}, where yα is the image of y under α. Then Fix(X,Y) is a semigroup of full transformations on X which fix all elements in Y. Here, we characterize left regular, right regular and intra-regular elements of Fix(X,Y) which characterizations are shown as follows: For α ™ Fix(X,Y), (i) α is left regular if and only if Xα\Y = Xα²\Y, (ii) α is right regular if and only if πα = πα², (iii) α is intra-regular if and only if | Xα\Y | = | Xα²\Y | such that Xα = {xα : x ™ X} and πα = {xα⁻¹ : x ™ Xα} in which xα⁻¹ = {a ™ X : aα=x}. Moreover, those regularities are equivalent if Xα\Y is a finite set. In addition, we count the number of those elements of Fix(X,Y) when X is a finite set. Finally, we determine the maximal congruence ρ on Fix(X,Y) when X is finite and Y is a nonempty proper subset of X. If we let | X \Y | = n, then we obtain that ρ = (Fixn x Fixn) ∪ (H ε x H ε) where Fixn = {α ™ Fix(X,Y) : | Xα\Y | < n} and H ε is the group of units of Fix(X,Y). Furthermore, we show that the maximal congruence is unique.

Keywords: intra-regular, left regular, maximal congruence, right regular, transformation semigroup

Procedia PDF Downloads 214

Authors: Takaaki Miyabe, Hideharu Takahashi, Hiroshige Kikura

Abstract:

The Government of Japan and Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, Incorporated (TEPCO) are struggling with the decommissioning of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plants, especially fuel debris retrieval. In fuel debris retrieval, amount of fuel debris, location, characteristics, and distribution information are important. Recently, a survey was conducted using a robot with a small camera. Progress report in remote robot and camera research has speculated that fuel debris is present both at the bottom of the Pressure Containment Vessel (PCV) and inside the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV). The investigation found a 'tie plate' at the bottom of the containment, this is handles on the fuel rod. As a result, it is assumed that a hole large enough to allow the tie plate to fall is opened at the bottom of the reactor pressure vessel. Therefore, exploring the existence of holes that lead to inside the RCV is also an issue. Investigations of the lower part of the RPV are currently underway, but no investigations have been made inside or above the PCV. Therefore, a survey must be conducted for future fuel debris retrieval. The environment inside of the RPV cannot be imagined due to the effect of the melted fuel. To do this, we need a way to accurately check the internal situation. What we propose here is the adaptation of a technology called 'Structure from Motion' that reconstructs a 3D image from multiple photos taken by a single camera. The plan is to mount a monocular camera on the tip of long-arm robot, reach it to the upper part of the PCV, and to taking video. Now, we are making long-arm robot that has long-arm and used at high level radiation environment. However, the environment above the pressure vessel is not known exactly. Also, fog may be generated by the cooling water of fuel debris, and the radiation level in the environment may be high. Since camera alone cannot provide sufficient sensing in these environments, we will further propose using ultrasonic measurement technology in addition to cameras. Ultrasonic sensor can be resistant to environmental changes such as fog, and environments with high radiation dose. these systems can be used for a long time. The purpose is to develop a system adapted to the inside of the containment vessel by combining a camera and an ultrasound. Therefore, in this research, we performed a basic experiment on 3D image reconstruction using a camera and ultrasound. In this report, we select the good and bad condition of each sensing, and propose the reconstruction and detection method. The results revealed the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

Keywords: camera, image processing, reconstruction, ultrasound

Procedia PDF Downloads 90

Authors: Adel Mohsen

Abstract:

A direct method based on the good Broyden's updates for evaluating the inverse of a nonsingular square matrix of full rank and solving related system of linear algebraic equations is studied. For a matrix A of order n whose LU-decomposition is A = LU, the multiplication count is O (n3). This includes the evaluation of the LU-decompositions of the inverse, the lower triangular decomposition of A as well as a “reduced matrix inverse”. If an explicit value of the inverse is not needed the order reduces to O (n3/2) to compute to compute inv(U) and the reduced inverse. For a symmetric matrix only O (n3/3) operations are required to compute inv(L) and the reduced inverse. An example is presented to demonstrate the capability of using the reduced matrix inverse in treating ill-conditioned systems. Besides the simplicity of Broyden's update, the method provides a mean to exploit the possible sparsity in the matrix and to derive a suitable preconditioner.

Keywords: Broyden's updates, matrix inverse, inverse factorization, solution of linear algebraic equations, ill-conditioned matrices, preconditioning

Procedia PDF Downloads 464

Authors: Adamu Usman, Grace Stanley Balami

Abstract:

Pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum L. R. Br.) is a cereal cultivated in arid and semi-arid areas of the world. It supports more than 100 million people around the world. Parasitic weed (Striga hermonthica Del. Benth) is a major constraint to its production. Estimated yield losses are put at 10 - 95% depending on variety, ecology and cultural practices. Potentials in selection of traits in pearl millets for grain yield have been reported and it depends on genotypic variability and heritability among landraces. Variability and heritability among cultivars could offer opportunities for improvement. The study was conducted to determine the genetic variability among cultivars and estimate broad sense heritability among grain yield and related traits. F1 breeding populations were generated with 9 parental cultivars, viz; Ex-Gubio, Ex-Monguno, Ex-Baga as males and PEO 5984, Super-SOSAT, SOSAT-C88, Ex-Borno and LCIC9702 as females through Line × Tester mating during 2017 dry season at Lushi Irrigation Station, Bauchi Metropolitan in Bauchi State, Nigeria. The F1 population and the parents were evaluated during cropping season of 2018 at Bauchi and Maiduguri. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance. Results showed significant difference among cultivars and among traits indicating variability. Number of plants at emergence, days to 50% flowering, days to 100% flowering, plant height, panicle length, number of plants at harvest, Striga count at 90 days after sowing, panicle weight and grain yield were significantly different. Significant variability offer opportunity for improvement as superior individuals can be isolated. Genotypic variance estimates of traits were largely greater than environmental variances except in plant height and 1000 seed weight. Environmental variances were low and in some cases negligible. The phenotypic variances of all traits were higher than genotypic variances. Similarly phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV) was higher than genotypic coefficient of variation (GCV). High heritability was found in days to 50% flowering (90.27%), Striga count at 90 days after sowing (90.07%), number of plants at harvest (87.97%), days to 100% flowering (83.89%), number of plants at emergence (82.19%) and plant height (73.18%). Greater heritability estimates could be due to presence of additive gene. The result revealed wider variability among genotypes and traits. Traits having high heritability could easily respond to selection. High value of GCV, PCV and heritability estimates indicate that selection for these traits are possible and could be effective.

Keywords: variability, heritability, phenotypic, genotypic, striga

Procedia PDF Downloads 32

Authors: Shahram Jamali, Samira Hamed

Abstract:

One of the open issues in Random Early Detection (RED) algorithm is how to set its parameters to reach high performance for the dynamic conditions of the network. Although original RED uses fixed values for its parameters, this paper follows a model-based approach to upgrade performance of the RED algorithm. It models the routers queue behavior by using the Markov model and uses this model to predict future conditions of the queue. This prediction helps the proposed algorithm to make some tunings over RED's parameters and provide efficiency and better performance. Widespread packet level simulations confirm that the proposed algorithm, called Markov-RED, outperforms RED and FARED in terms of queue stability, bottleneck utilization and dropped packets count.

Keywords: active queue management, RED, Markov model, random early detection algorithm

Procedia PDF Downloads 520

Authors: Kinga Wieczorek, Elzbieta Kukier, Remigiusz Pomykala, Beata Lachtara, Renata Szewczyk, Krzysztof Kwiatek, Jacek Osek

Abstract:

The MICRORISK project (Research cooperation in assessment of microbiological hazard and risk in the food chain) was funded by the European Commission under the FP7 PEOPLE 2012 IRSES call within the International Research Staff Exchange Scheme of Marie Curie Action and realized during years from 2014 to 2015. The main aim of the project was to establish a cooperation between the European Union (EU) and the third State in the area important from the public health point of view. The following organizations have been engaged in the activity: National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) in Pulawy, Poland (coordinator), French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) in Maisons Alfort, France, National Scientific Center Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine (NSC IECVM), Kharkov and State Scientific and Research Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Veterinary and Sanitary Expertise (SSRILDVSE) Kijev Ukraine. The results of the project showed that Ukraine used microbiological criteria in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. Compliance concerns both the criteria applicable at the stage of food safety (retail trade), as well as evaluation criteria and process hygiene in food production. In this case, the Ukrainian legislation also provides application of the criteria that do not have counterparts in the food law of the European Union, and are based on the provisions of Ukrainian law. Partial coherence of the Ukrainian and EU legal requirements in terms of microbiological criteria for food and feed concerns microbiological parameters such as total plate count, coliforms, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus spp., including S. aureus. Analysis of laboratory methods used for microbiological hazards control in food production chain has shown that most methods used in the EU are well-known by Ukrainian partners, and many of them are routinely applied as the only standards in the laboratory practice or simultaneously used with Ukrainian methods. The area without any legislation, where the EU regulation and analytical methods should be implemented is the area of Shiga toxin producing E. coli, including E. coli O157 and staphylococcal enterotoxin detection. During the project, the analysis of the existing Ukrainian and EU data concerning the prevalence of the most important food-borne pathogens on different stages of food production chain was performed. Particularly, prevalence of Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., L. monocytogenes as well as clostridia was examined. The analysis showed that poultry meat still appears to be the most important food-borne source of Campylobacter and Salmonella in the UE. On the other hand, L. monocytogenes were seldom detected above the legal safety limit (100 cfu/g) among the EU countries. Moreover, the analysis revealed the lack of comprehensive data regarding the prevalence of the most important food-borne pathogens in Ukraine. The results of the MICRORISK project are networking activities among researches originations participating in the tasks will help with a better recognition of each other regarding very important, from the public health point of view areas such as microbiological hazards in the food production chain and finally will help to improve food quality and safety for consumers.

Keywords: cooperation, European Union, food chain safety, food law, microbiological risk, Microrisk, Poland, Ukraine

Procedia PDF Downloads 354

Authors: A. Kianifar, M. Afzali, I. Pishbin

Abstract:

In this paper, design details, theoretical analysis and thermal performance analysis of a solar energy concentrator suited to combined heat and thermoelectric power generation are presented. The thermoelectric device is attached to the absorber plate to convert concentrated solar energy directly into electric energy at the focus of the concentrator. A cooling channel (water cooled heat sink) is fitted to the cold side of the thermoelectric device to remove the waste heat and maintain a high temperature gradient across the device to improve conversion efficiency.

Keywords: concentrator thermoelectric generator, CTEG, solar energy, thermoelectric cells

Procedia PDF Downloads 283

Authors: Y. Madani, H. Achache, B. Boutabout

Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to analyze numerically by the three-dimensional finite element method, using ABAQUS calculation code, the mechanical behavior of a unidirectional and multidirectional delaminated stratified composite under mechanical loading in Mode II. This study consists of the determination of the energy release rate G in mode II as well as the distribution of equivalent von Mises stresses along the damaged zone by varying several parameters such as the applied load and the delamination length. It allowed us to deduce that the high energy release rate favors delamination at the free edges of a stratified plate subjected to bending.

Keywords: delamination, energy release rate, finite element method, stratified composite

Procedia PDF Downloads 155

Authors: Narender Singh Thakur, Sunil Chamoli

Abstract:

The use of roughness geometry in the rectangular channel duct is an effective technique to enhance the rate of heat transfer to the working fluid. The present research concentrates on the performance comparison of a rectangular channel with different roughness geometry of the test plate. The performance enhancement is compared by considering the statistical correlations developed by the various investigators for Nusselt number and friction factor. Among all the investigated geometries multiple v-shaped rib roughened rectangular channel found thermo hydraulically better than other investigated geometries under similar current and operating conditions.

Keywords: nusselt number, friction factor, thermohydraulic, performance parameter

Procedia PDF Downloads 396

Authors: Xiao Chen, Xiaoying Kong, Min Xu

Abstract:

This paper presents a road vehicle detection approach for the intelligent transportation system. This approach mainly uses low-cost magnetic sensor and associated data collection system to collect magnetic signals. This system can measure the magnetic field changing, and it also can detect and count vehicles. We extend Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients to analyze vehicle magnetic signals. Vehicle type features are extracted using representation of cepstrum, frame energy, and gap cepstrum of magnetic signals. We design a 2-dimensional map algorithm using Vector Quantization to classify vehicle magnetic features to four typical types of vehicles in Australian suburbs: sedan, VAN, truck, and bus. Experiments results show that our approach achieves a high level of accuracy for vehicle detection and classification.

Keywords: vehicle classification, signal processing, road traffic model, magnetic sensing

Procedia PDF Downloads 302

Authors: Iryna Shevchenko

Abstract:

The science of mathematics was originated at the order of count of objects and subsequently for the measurement of size and quality of objects using the logical or abstract means. The laws of mathematics are based on the study of absolute values. The number 0 or "nothing" is the purely logical (as the opposite to absolute) value as the "nothing" should always assume the space for the something that had existed there; otherwise the "something" would never come to existence. In this work we are going to prove that the number "0" is the abstract (logical) and not an absolute number and it has the absolute value of “∞” (infinity). Therefore, the number "0" might not stand in the row of numbers that symbolically represents the absolute values, as it would be the mathematically incorrect. The symbolical value of number "0" in the row of numbers could be represented with symbol "∞" (infinity). As a result, we have the mathematical row of numbers: epsilon, ...4, 3, 2, 1, ∞. As the conclusions of the theory of number “0” we presented the statements: multiplication and division by fractions of numbers is illegal operation and the mathematical division by number “0” is allowed.

Keywords: illegal operation of division and multiplication by fractions of number, infinity, mathematical row of numbers, theory of number “0”

Procedia PDF Downloads 532

Authors: Peter Tabatt, Christian Siemers

Abstract:

Using FPGA devices to improve the behavior of time-critical parts of embedded systems is a proven concept for years. With reconfigurable FPGA devices, the logical blocks can be partitioned and grouped into static and dynamic parts. The dynamic parts can be reloaded 'on demand' at runtime. This work uses cellular automata, which are constructed through compilation from (partially restricted) ANSI-C sources, to determine the suitability of various metrics for optimal partitioning. Significant metrics, in this case, are for example the area on the FPGA device for the partition, the pass count for loop constructs and communication characteristics to other partitions. With successful partitioning, it is possible to use smaller FPGA devices for the same requirements as with not reconfigurable FPGA devices or – vice versa – to use the same FPGAs for larger programs.

Keywords: reconfigurable FPGA, cellular automata, partitioning, metrics, parallel computing

Procedia PDF Downloads 249

Authors: M. Altekin, R. F. Yükseler

Abstract:

Geometrically nonlinear axisymmetric bending of a shallow spherical shell with a point support at the apex under linearly varying axisymmetric load was investigated numerically. The edge of the shell was assumed to be simply supported or clamped. The solution was obtained by the finite difference and the Newton-Raphson methods. The thickness of the shell was considered to be uniform and the material was assumed to be homogeneous and isotropic. Sensitivity analysis was made for two geometrical parameters. The accuracy of the algorithm was checked by comparing the deflection with the solution of point supported circular plates and good agreement was obtained.

Keywords: Bending, Nonlinear, Plate, Point support, Shell.

Procedia PDF Downloads 247

Authors: Reena Aggarwal, Neha Kestwal

Abstract:

The Himalayan Nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) has been used for centuries as fibre and food source by Himalayan communities. Himalayan Nettle is a natural cellulosic fibre that can be handled in the same way as other cellulosic fibres. The Uttarakhand Bamboo and Fibre Development Board based in Uttarakhand, India is working extensively with the nettle fibre to explore the potential of nettle for textile production in the region. The fiber is a potential resource for rural enterprise development for some high altitude pockets of the state and traditionally the plant fibre is used for making domestic products like ropes and sacks. Himalayan Nettle is an unconventional natural fiber with functional characteristics of shrink resistance, degree of pathogen and fire resistance and can blend nicely with other fibres. Most importantly, they generate mainly organic wastes and leave residues that are 100% biodegradable. The fabrics may potentially be reused or re-manufactured and can also be used as a source of cellulose feedstock for regenerated cellulosic products. Being naturally bio- degradable, the fibre can be composted if required. Though a lot of research activities and training are directed towards fibre extraction and processing techniques in different craft clusters villagers of different clusters of Uttarkashi, Chamoli and Bageshwar of Uttarakhand like retting and Degumming process, very little is been done to analyse the crucial properties of nettle fiber like shrinkage and wash fastness. These properties are very crucial to obtain desired quality of fibre for further processing of yarn making and weaving and in developing these fibers into fine saleable products. This research therefore is focused towards various on-field experiments which were focused on shrinkage properties conducted on cotton, nettle and cotton/nettle blended yarn samples. The objective of the study was to analyze the scope of the blended fiber for developing into wearable fabrics. For the study, after conducting the initial fiber length and fineness testing, cotton and nettle fibers were mixed in 60:40 ratio and five varieties of yarns were spun in open end spinning mill having yarn count of 3s, 5s, 6s, 7s and 8s. Samples of 100% Nettle 100% cotton fibers in 8s count were also developed for the study. All the six varieties of yarns were tested with shrinkage test and results were critically analyzed as per ASTM method D2259. It was observed that 100% Nettle has a least shrinkage of 3.36% while pure cotton has shrinkage approx. 13.6%. Yarns made of 100% Cotton exhibits four times more shrinkage than 100% Nettle. The results also show that cotton and Nettle blended yarn exhibit lower shrinkage than 100% cotton yarn. It was thus concluded that as the ratio of nettle increases in the samples, the shrinkage decreases in the samples. These results are very crucial for Uttarakhand people who want to commercially exploit the abundant nettle fiber for generating sustainable employment.

Keywords: Himalayan nettle, sustainable, shrinkage, blending

Procedia PDF Downloads 215

Authors: A. C. Vidal, D. R. Mulinari, C. F. Bandeira, S. R. Montoro

Abstract:

Due to the great effort suffered by foot during movement, is of great importance to count on a shoe that has a proper structure and excellent support tread to prevent the immediate and long-term consequences in all parts of the body. In this sense, new reinforcements of insoles with high impact absorption were developed in this work, from a polyurethane (PU) biocomposite derived from castor oil reinforced or not with palm fibers. These insoles have been obtained from the mixture with polyol prepolymer (diisocyanate) and subsequently were evaluated morphologically, mechanically and by thermal analysis. The results revealed that the biocomposites showed lower flexural strength, higher impact strength and open interconnected pores in their microstructure, but with smaller cells and degradation temperature slightly higher compared to the marketed material, showing interesting properties for a possible application as reinforcement of insoles.

Keywords: composite, polyurethane insole, palm fibers, plantar insoles reinforcement

Procedia PDF Downloads 399

Authors: Reza Hedayati, Meysam Jahanbakhshi

Abstract:

Fracture Mechanics is used to predict debonding propagation in adhesive joint between aluminum and composite plates. Three types of loadings and two types of glass-epoxy composite sequences: [0/90]2s and [0/45/-45/90]s are considered for the composite plate and their results are compared. It was seen that generally the cases with stacking sequence of [0/45/-45/90]s have much shorter lives than cases with [0/90]2s. It was also seen that in cases with λ=0 the ends of the debonding front propagates forward more than its middle, while in cases with λ=0.5 or λ=1 it is vice versa. Moreover, regardless of value of λ, the difference between the debonding propagations of the ends and the middle of the debonding front is very close in cases λ=0.5 and λ=1. Another main conclusion was the non-dimensionalized debonding front profile is almost independent of sequence type or the applied load value.

Keywords: adhesive joint, debonding, fracture, LEFM, APDL

Procedia PDF Downloads 338

Authors: S. Ritddech, P. Aroonjarattham, K. Aroonjarattham

Abstract:

The pullout strength had an effect on the stability of plate screw fixation when inserted in the cervical spine. Nine different titanium alloy bone screws were used to test the pullout strength through finite element analysis. The result showed that the Moss Miami I can bear the highest pullout force at 1,075 N, which causes the maximum von Mises stress at 858.87 MPa, a value over the yield strength of titanium. The bone screw should have large outer diameter, core diameter and proximal root radius to increase the pullout strength.

Keywords: pullout strength, screw parameter, cervical spine, finite element analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 275

Authors: Altoumi Alndalusi

Abstract:

High-temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA) failure is the common phenomena at elevated temperature in hydrogen environment in oil and gas field. The failure occurred once after four years at the internal surface of Platforming elbow. Both visual and microscopic examinations revealed that the failure was initiated due to blistering forming followed by large cracking at the inner surface. Crack morphology showed that the crack depth was about 50% of material wall thickness and its behavior generally was intergranular. This study concluded that the main reason led to failure due to incorrect material selection comparing to the platforming conditions.

Keywords: decarburization, failure, heat affected zone, morphology, partial pressure, plate form

Procedia PDF Downloads 136

Authors: Fatima Zohra Bissaad, Farid Bounaceur, Nassima Behidj, Nadjiba Chebouti, Fatma Halouane, Bahia Doumandji-Mitiche

Abstract:

Effect of Beauveria bassiana and Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum on the 5^th instar nymphs of Schistocerca gregaria was studied in the laboratory. Infection by these both entomopathogenic fungi caused reduction in the hemolymph total protein. The average amounts of total proteins were 2.3, 2.07, 2.09 µg/100 ml of haemolymph in the control and M. anisopliae var. acridum, and B. bassiana based-treatments, respectively. Three types of haemocytes were recognized and identified as prohaemocytes, plasmatocytes and granulocytes. The treatment caused significant reduction in the total haemocyte count and in each haemocyte type on the 9^th day after its application.

Keywords: Beauveria bassiana, haemolymph picture, haemolymph protein, Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum, Schistocerca gregaria

Procedia PDF Downloads 456

Authors: Janet Holland

Abstract:

Eye tracking is a great way to triangulate multiple data sources for deeper, more complete knowledge of how instructional materials are really being used and emotional connections made. Using sensor based biometrics provides a detailed local analysis in real time expanding our ability to collect science based data for a more comprehensive level of understanding, not previously possible, for teaching and learning. The knowledge gained will be used to make future improvements to instructional materials, tools, and interactions. The literature has been examined and a preliminary pilot test was implemented to develop a methodology for research in Instructional Design and Technology. Eye tracking now offers the addition of objective metrics obtained from eye tracking and other biometric data collection with analysis for a fresh perspective.

Keywords: area of interest, eye tracking, biometrics, fixation, fixation count, fixation sequence, fixation time, gaze points, heat map, saccades, time to first fixation

Procedia PDF Downloads 113