Search results for: pile load test

Authors: E. Sinem Ozdemir Salci, Nazmiye Gunes, Guven Ozkaya, Gulsen Goncagul, Kamil Seyrek Intas

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to show the effects of progesterone and estrogen concentrations in ewes induced with different induction of parturition methods. Twenty-four healthy ewes (n=24) on 138th gestation day were randomly separated according to induction methods (group I (n=6), (0.09% NaCl), group II (n=6) (dexamethasone, 16 mg im.), group III (n=6) (aglepristone 5mg/kg sc.) and group IV (n=6) (aglepristone, 2,5 mg/kg sc.+dexamethasone 8 mg im.). The blood samples of the ewes were collected at 12 hours intervals from induction time to the postpartum 2nd day in order to determine progesterone and estradiol 17-ß levels. These hormone concentrations were determined by ELISA, and obtained results were statistically analyzed with Kruskal Wallis and Dunn tests between the groups, and Friedman and Wilcoxon test within the groups. The results pointed out that there was no significant difference within the groups in terms of estradiol 17-ß (group 1, p=0.508; group 2, p=0.054; group 3, p=0.672; group 4, p=0,170). And there was only a significant difference at 138th day (p=0,019) between groups II and IV (p=0,010). There was a significant difference in terms of progesterone concentration within group 1, 2 and 4 (p=0.000). And there was a significant difference at all times except 138th day between the groups (p<0.05). As a conclusion, the induction of parturition methods could be performed successfully. These methods have no effect on estradiol 17-ß concentration but also make changings on progesterone concentrations as in groups 3 and 4.

Keywords: ewe, estradiol 17-ß, induction of parturition, progesterone

Procedia PDF Downloads 213

Authors: Hong-Jin Joo, Hee-Yoel Kwak

Abstract:

Vacuum Membrane Distillation (VMD) uses pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure. The feed seawater is capable of producing more vapor at the same temperature than Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD), Air Gap Membrane Distillation (AGMD) or Sweep Gas Membrane Distillation (SGMD). It is advantageous because it is operable at a lower temperature than other membrane distillations. However, no commercial product is available that uses the VMD method, as it is still in the study stage. In this study, therefore, thermal performance test according to the feed water conditions was performed prior to both construction of the demonstration plant, which uses VMD module of the capacity of 400m³/d in South Korea, and commercialization of VMD module with hollow fiber membrane. Such study was performed by designing and constructing the VMD module of the capacity of 2 m³/day which utilizes the polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane. The results obtained from the VMD module manufactured by ECONITY Co., Ltd in South Korea, showed that the maximum performance ratio (PR) value of 0.904, feed water temperature of 75 ℃, and the flow rate of 8 m3/h. As the temperature of and flow rate of the feed water increased, the PR value of the VMD module also increased.

Keywords: membrane distillation, vacuum membrane distillation, hollow fiber membrane, desalination

Procedia PDF Downloads 201

Authors: Rafał Urbaniak, Robert Kłosowiak, Michał Ciałkowski, Jarosław Bartoszewicz

Abstract:

The Chair of Thermal Engineering at Poznan University of Technology has been conducted research works on the possibilities of using carbon nanostructures in energy and mechanics applications for a couple of years. Those studies have provided results in a form of co-operation with foreign research centres, numerous publications and patent applications. Authors of this paper have studied the influence of multi-walled carbon nanostructures on changes in static friction arising when steel surfaces were moved. Tests were made using the original test stand consisting of automatically controlled inclined plane driven by precise stepper motors. Computer program created in the LabView environment was responsible for monitoring of the stand operation, accuracy of measurements and archiving the obtained results. Such a solution enabled to obtain high accuracy and repeatability of all conducted experiments. Tests and analysis of the obtained results allowed us to determine how additional layers of carbon nanostructures influenced on changes of static friction coefficients. At the same time, we analyzed the potential possibilities of applying nanostructures under consideration in mechanics.

Keywords: carbon nanotubes, static friction, dynamic friction

Procedia PDF Downloads 311

Authors: P. Raajeswari, S. M. Devatha, S. Yuvajanani, U. Rashika

Abstract:

Edible food packaging are the need of the hour to save life on land and under water by eliminating waste cycle and replacing Single Use Plastics at grass root level as it can be eaten or composted as such. Cassava (Manihot esculenta) selected for making edible films are rich source of starch, and also it exhibit good sheeting propertiesdue to the high amylose: amylopectin content. Cassava starch was extracted by manual method at a laboratory scale and yielded 65 per cent. Edible films were developed by adding food grade plasticizers and water. Glycerol showed good plasticizing property as compared to sorbitol and polylactic acid in both manual (petri dish) and machine (film making machine) production. The thickness of the film is 0.25±0.03 mm. Essential oil and components from peels like pomegranate, orange, pumpkin, onion, and banana brat, and herbs like tulsi and country borage was extracted through the standardized aqueous and alkaline method. In the standardized film, the essential oil and components from selected peel and herbs were added to the casting solution separately and casted the film. It was added to improve the anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and optical properties. By inclusion of extracts, it reduced the bubble formation while casting. FTIR, Water Vapor and Oxygen Transmission Rate (WVTR and OTR), tensile strength, microbial load, shelf life, and degradability of the films were done to analyse the mechanical property of the standardized films. FTIR showed the presence of essential oil. WVTR and OTR of the film was improved after inclusion of essential oil and extracts from 1.312 to 0.811 cm₃/m₂ and 15.12 to 17.81 g/ m₂.d. Inclusion of essential oil from herbs showed better WVTR and OTR than the inclusion of peel extract and standard. Tensile strength and Elongation at break has not changed by essential oil and extracts at 0.86 ± 0.12 mpa and 14 ± 2 at 85 N force. By inclusion of extracts, an optical property of the film enhanced, and it increases the appearance of the packaging material. The films were completely degraded on 84thdays and partially soluble in water. Inclusion of essential oil does not have impact on degradability and solubility. The microbial loads of the active films were decreased from 15 cfu/gm to 7 cfu/gm. The films can be stored at frozen state for 24 days and 48 days at atmospheric temperature when packed with South Indian snacks and savories.

Keywords: active films, cassava starch, plasticizer, characterization

Procedia PDF Downloads 72

Authors: Mehdi Ganjkhani, Sobhan Badakhshan, Seyedvahid Hosseini

Abstract:

Power plants exploit striking proportion of underground water consumption. Correspondingly, natural gas-fired power plants need less water than the other conventional power plants. Therefore, shifting unit commitment planning toward these power plants would help to save water consumption. This paper discusses the impacts of water consumption limitation on natural gas consumption and vice versa as a short-term water consumption management solution. To do so, conventional unit commitment problem is extended by adding water consumption and natural gas constraints to the previous constrains. The paper presents the impact of water saving on natural gas demands as well as natural gas shortage on water demand. Correspondingly, the additional cost of electricity production according to the aforementioned constraints is evaluated. Finally, a test system is applied to investigate potentials and impacts of water saving and natural gas shortage. Different scenarios are conducted and the results are presented. The results of the study illustrate that in order to use less water for power production it needs to use more natural gas. Meanwhile, natural gas shortage causes to utilize more amount of water in aggregate.

Keywords: electric energy generation system, underground water sources, unit commitment, water consumption saving, natural gas

Procedia PDF Downloads 187

Authors: Hao Mi, Ming Yang, Tian-yue Yang

Abstract:

Ultrasonic infrared nondestructive testing is a kind of testing method with high speed, accuracy and localization. However, there are still some problems, such as the detection requires manual real-time field judgment, the methods of result storage and viewing are still primitive. An intelligent non-destructive detection system based on embedded linux is put forward in this paper. The hardware part of the detection system is based on the ARM (Advanced Reduced Instruction Set Computer Machine) core and an embedded linux system is built to realize image processing and defect detection of thermal images. The CLAHE algorithm and the Butterworth filter are used to process the thermal image, and then the boa server and CGI (Common Gateway Interface) technology are used to transmit the test results to the display terminal through the network for real-time monitoring and remote monitoring. The system also liberates labor and eliminates the obstacle of manual judgment. According to the experiment result, the system provides a convenient and quick solution for industrial non-destructive testing.

Keywords: remote monitoring, non-destructive testing, embedded Linux system, image processing

Procedia PDF Downloads 217

Authors: Ifueko Oghogho Ukponmwan, Mike O. Orji

Abstract:

This study investigated the antifungal activity of Bacilluss subtilis in the control of postharvest fungal rot of white yam (Dioscorea spp). Bacillus subtilis was isolated from the soil and fungi (Aspergillus spp, Mucor and yeasts) were isolated from rotten yam. The organisms were paired in yam nutrient agar (YNA) and yam Sabourraud dextrose agar media. In the yam dextrose agar media (YSDA) plates, the Bacillus grew rapidly and established itself and restricted the growth of the fungi organisms, but there was no zone of inhibition. This behaviour of Bacillus on the plates of YSDA was also observed in the yams where the fungi caused rot but the rot was suppressed by the presence of the Bacillus as compared to the degree of rot observed in the control that had only spoilage fungi. The control yam showed greater rot than other yams that contained a combination of Bacillus and fungi. The t-Test analysis showed that the difference in the rot between the treated samples and the control sample is significant and this implies that the presence of Bacillus significantly reduced the growth of fungi in the samples (yams). It was revealed from this study that Bacillus subtilis treatment can be successfully used to preserve white yams in storage. Its fast growth and early establishment in the sample accounts for its antifungal strength.

Keywords: Bacillus subtilis, rot, fungi, yam

Procedia PDF Downloads 177

Authors: Ojo Oo, Akinde S. B., Kiilani A. O., Jayeola Jo, Jogbodo T. M., Ajani Ka, Olaniyan So, Adeagbo Oy, Bolarinwa Ra, Durosomo Ha, Sule W. F.

Abstract:

Lockdown imposed to control SARS-CoV-2 transmission hampered malaria control services in Nigeria. Considering COVID-19 vaccination, we assessed Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) antigen and SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin-G (IgG) positivity among adults in Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Consenting attendees of four Healthcare Centres were consecutively enrolled for blood sampling; relevant socio-demographic/behavioral/clinical/environmental data were collected with a questionnaire. Samples were tested, using commercial rapid test kits, for Pf antigen and SARS-CoV-2 IgG and results were analyzed using logistic regression. Participants' mean age was 40.99 years (n=200), and they were predominantly females (84.5%), traders/businessmen/women (86.0%), with self-reported receipt of COVID-19 vaccine from 123 (61.5%). Pf antigen positivity was 17.5% (95% CI: 12.23–22.77%) with age (p=0.004), marital status (p=0.004), report of stagnant water around the workplace (p=0.041) and bush around homes (p=0.008) being associated. SARS-CoV-2 IgG positivity was 56.5% (95% CI: 49.63–63.37%) with age (p=0.012) and receipt of COVID-19 vaccination (p=0.001) being associated. Although the vaccinated had a 22.8 times higher likelihood of IgG positivity, no factor was predictive of COVID-19 vaccine receipt. We report 17.5% Pf antigen positivity with four predictors, and 56.5% SARS-CoV-2 IgG positivity with two predictors.

Keywords: COVID-19, vaccine, IgG, Plasmodium falciparum, SARS-CoV-2

Procedia PDF Downloads 129

Authors: Azam Tabatabaee, Fereshteh Dastgoshadeh, Akram Tabatabaee

Abstract:

This paper describes the use of by-products as adsorbents for removing heavy metals from aqueous effluent solutions. Products of almond skin, walnut shell, saw dust, rice bran and egg shell were evaluated as metal ion adsorbents in aqueous solutions. A comparative study was done with commercial adsorbents like ion exchange resins and activated carbon too. Batch experiments were investigated to determine the affinity of all of biomasses for, Cd(ΙΙ), Cr(ΙΙΙ), Ni(ΙΙ), and Pb(ΙΙ) metal ions at pH 5. The rate of metal ion removal in the synthetic wastewater by the biomass was evaluated by measuring final concentration of synthetic wastewater. At a concentration of metal ion (50 mg/L), egg shell adsorbed high levels (98.6 – 99.7%) of Pb(ΙΙ) and Cr(ΙΙΙ) and walnut shell adsorbed high levels (35.3 – 65.4%) of Ni(ΙΙ) and Cd(ΙΙ). In this study, it has been shown that by-products were excellent adsorbents for removal of toxic ions from wastewater with efficiency comparable to commercially available adsorbents, but at a reduced cost. Also statistical studies using Independent Sample t Test and ANOVA Oneway for statistical comparison between various elements adsorption showed that there isn’t a significant difference in some elements adsorption percentage by by-products and commercial adsorbents.

Keywords: adsorbents, heavy metals, commercial adsorbents, wastewater, by-products

Procedia PDF Downloads 406

Authors: Nairy Kechichian

Abstract:

The original Leclerc Bridge is a covered wooden bridge that is considered a Quebec heritage structure with an index of 60, making it a very important provincial bridge from a historical point of view. It was constructed in 1927 and is in the rural area of Abitibi-Temiscamingue. It is a “town Québécois” type of structure, which is generally rare but common for covered bridges in Abitibi-Temiscamingue. This type of structure is composed of two trusses on both sides formed with diagonals, internal bracings, uprights and top and bottom chords to allow the transmission of loads. This structure is mostly known for its solidity, lightweightness, and ease of construction. It is a single-span bridge with a length of 25.3 meters and allows the passage of one vehicle at a time with a 4.22-meter driving lane. The structure is composed of 2 trusses located at each end of the deck, two gabion foundations at both ends, uprights and top and bottom chords. WSP (Williams Sale Partnership) Canada inc. was mandated by the Transport Minister of Quebec in 2019 to increase the capacity of the bridge from 5 tons to 30.6 tons and rehabilitate it, as it has deteriorated quite significantly over the years. The bridge was damaged due to material deterioration over time, exposure to humidity, high load effects and insect infestation. To allow the passage of 3 axle trucks, as well as to keep the integrity of this heritage structure, the final design chosen to rehabilitate the bridge involved adding a new deck independent from the roof structure of the bridge. Essentially, new steel beams support the deck loads and the desired vehicle loads. The roof of the bridge is linked to the steel deck for lateral support, but it is isolated from the wooden deck. The roof is preserved for aesthetic reasons and remains intact as it is a heritage piece. Due to strict traffic management obstacles, an efficient construction method was put into place, which consisted of building a temporary bridge and moving the existing roof onto it to allow the circulation of vehicles on one side of the temporary bridge while providing a working space for the repairs of the roof on the other side to take place simultaneously. In parallel, this method allowed the demolition and reconstruction of the existing foundation, building a new steel deck, and transporting back the roof on the new bridge. One of the main criteria for the rehabilitation of the wooden bridge was to preserve, as much as possible, the existing patrimonial architectural design of the bridge. The project was completed successfully by the end of 2021.

Keywords: covered bridge, wood-steel, short span, town Québécois structure

Procedia PDF Downloads 61

Authors: Zafar Mahmood, Surayya Naz, Nazir Shah Khattak

Abstract:

The degree of freedom relates to our capability to observe or model the energy paths within the system. Higher the number of energy paths being modeled leaves to us a higher degree of freedom, but increasing the time and modeling complexity rendering it useless for today’s world’s need for minimum time to market. Since the number of residuals that can be uniquely isolated are dependent on the number of independent outputs of the system, increasing the number of sensors required. The examples of discrete position sensors that may be used to form an array include limit switches, Hall effect sensors, optical sensors, magnetic sensors, etc. Their mechanical design can usually be tailored to fit in the transitional path of an STME in a variety of mechanical configurations. The case studies into multi-sensor system were carried out and actual data from sensors is used to test this generic framework. It is being investigated, how the proper modeling of limit switches as timing sensors, could lead to unified and neutral residual space while keeping the implementation cost reasonably low.

Keywords: low-cost limit sensors, fault diagnostics, Single Throw Mechanical Equipment (STME), parameter estimation, parity-space

Procedia PDF Downloads 605

Authors: S. M. Mahbobur Rahman

Abstract:

Whole building energy simulation models are widely used for predicting future energy consumption, performance diagnosis and optimum control.  Black box building energy modeling approach has been heavily studied in the past decade. The thermal response of a building can also be modeled using a network of interconnected resistors (R) and capacitors (C) at each node called R-C network. In this study, a model building, Case 600, as described in the “Standard Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Program”, ASHRAE standard 140, is studied along with a 3R2C thermal network model and the ASHRAE clear sky solar radiation model. Although building an energy model involves two important parts of building component i.e., the envelope and internal mass, the effect of building internal mass is not considered in this study. All the characteristic parameters of the building envelope are evaluated as on Case 600. Finally, monthly building energy consumption from the thermal network model is compared with a simple-box energy model within reasonable accuracy. From the results, 0.6-9.4% variation of monthly energy consumption is observed because of the south-facing windows.

Keywords: ASHRAE case study, clear sky solar radiation model, energy modeling, thermal network model

Procedia PDF Downloads 140

Authors: An-Hsu Chen

Abstract:

The study intends to explore how the athletic trainings (12 hours per day, four days per week) have impacts on athlete burnout and their leisure participations. The connection between athlete burnout and leisure participation of collegiate athletes is also discussed. Athlete burnout and leisure participation questionnaire were administrated and 186 valid responses were collected. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient. Results suggest that athlete burnout among collegiate athletes with different specialties are significant distinct. Participants who train more days per week are more likely to participate in entertainment activities while those who have higher training hours per day tend to avoid knowledge-based activities. The research also finds there is a significant positive correlation between athlete burnout and leisure participation of collegiate athletes while sport devaluation is negatively correlated with sport activities in leisure participation. Hence, adjust and well-arrange training quality and quantity may help to avoid over-trainings. Away trainings, uploading training volumes, and group leisure activities are suggested to be arranged properly to allow athletes cope with the burnout and stress caused by long-term trainings and periodical competitions.

Keywords: emotional and physical exhaustion, leisure activities, sport devaluation, training hours

Procedia PDF Downloads 330

Authors: Hicham Abidallah

Abstract:

In this work we realized a formulation of an entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae with a dose of 1,7 x 105 spores/ml, and aqueous abstracts of two different plants sage (Salvia officinalis) and American paper (Schinus molle) with they’re full dose and half dose, on a black bean aphid populations (Aphis fabae) on a bean crop planted in pots at semi-controlled conditions. Five formulations were achieved (Met, Fd, F1/2d, Sd et S1/2d) and tested on six blocks each one contained six pots. This study revealed that four (04) formulations exercised an influence over black bean aphid (Met, Fd, F1/2d, Sd), of which Metarhizium marked the most elevated and aggressive toxicity with an efficiency of 99,24%, however, sage formulation with the half dose (S1/2d ) marked a weak toxicity with an efficiency of 18%. Test of Metarhizium anisopliae on bees didn’t show toxicity, and no mortality has been marked, and no trace of green Muscardine observed.

Keywords: Metarhizium anisopliae, salvia officinalis, Schinus molle, Aphis fabae, efficiency degree

Procedia PDF Downloads 366

Authors: Manal Kamel, Sara Maher

Abstract:

Development of sensitive non-invasive tests for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigens is imperative to manage the extent of infection throughout the population, yet, it is still challenging. Here, we designed and optimized a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for SARS-CoV-2 S1 antigen detection in saliva. Both saliva samples and nasopharyngeal swapswere collected from 170 PCR-confirmed positive and negative cases. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were conjugated with S1protein receptor binding domain (RBD) nanobodies. Recombinant S1 monoclonal antibodies (S1mAb) as primery antibody and gold conjugated nanobodies as secondary antibody were employed in sandwich ELISA. Our developed system were optimized to achieve 87.5 % sensitivity and 100% specificity for saliva samples compared to 89 % and 100% for nasopharyngeal swaps, respectively. This means that saliva could be a suitable replacement for nasopharyngeal swaps No cross reaction was detected with other corona virus antigens. These results revealed that our developed ELISAcould be establishedas a new, reliable, sensitive, and non-invasive test for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection, using the easily collected saliva samples.

Keywords: COVID 19, diagnosis, ELISA, nanobodies

Procedia PDF Downloads 128

Authors: Hameed Olalekan Bolaji

Abstract:

The digital natives are driving the trends of literacy in the use of electronic devices for learning purposes. This has reconfigured the context of learning in the exploration of knowledge in a social learning environment. This study explores the impact of Ubiquitous Collaborative Mobile Learning (UCML) instructional design model in a quantitative designed-based research approach. The UCML model was a synergetic blend of four models that are relevant to the design of instructional content for a social learning environment. The UCML model serves as the treatment and instructions were transmitted via mobile device based on the principle of ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) to promote social learning. Three research questions and two hypotheses were raised to guide the conduct of this study. A researcher-designed questionnaire was used to collate data and the it was subjected to reliability of Cronbach Alpha which yielded 0.91. Descriptive statistics of mean and standard deviation were used to answer research questions while inferential statistics of independent sample t-test was used to analyze the hypotheses. The findings reveal that the UCML model was adequately evolved and it promotes social learning its design principles through the use of mobile devices.

Keywords: collaboration, mobile device, social learning, ubiquitous

Procedia PDF Downloads 151

Authors: Nisreen Naji Al-Khawaldeh, Lara Ahmad Mansour El-Awar

Abstract:

The present study investigated the strategies MA translation students used for translating technical terms, the most common obstacles they encountered in translating such terms, and the motives behind using such terms as they are in their original form despite their translatability into Arabic. To achieve these objectives, a translation test was administered to 100 MA students specialising in translation at both Hashemite University and The University of Jordan. It consisted of two parts: (a) 50 English technical terms to be translated (b) two questions to be answered concerning the challenges or problems encountered while translating the previous technical terms and the motives that drive them to use most of the English technical terms as they are despite their translatability into Arabic. The analysis of the results revealed that MA translation students faced problems in translating technical terms, namely the inability to find the equivalent form for the given technical terms, the use of literal translation, and the wider use of loan-words type. Besides, the students used different strategies to translate the technical terms, namely borrowing (i.e., loan- words), paraphrasing, synonymy, naturalization, equivalence, and literal translation. Moreover, it was also revealed that most technical terms were used as they are in the source language despite their translatability into Arabic because these technical terms are easier to use in English rather than in Arabic. Also, when these terms were introduced to the Arab world, they were introduced in English, not in Arabic. So, the brain links these objects to their English terms.

Keywords: arabic, english, technical terms, translation strategies, translation problems

Procedia PDF Downloads 270

Authors: Terefe Fuge, George Tsourtos , Emma Miller

Abstract:

Objectives: Maintaining optimal adherence and viral suppression in people living with HIV (PLWHA) is essential to ensure both preventative and therapeutic benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART). Prisoners bear a particularly high burden of HIV infection and are highly likely to transmit to others during and after incarceration. However, the level of adherence and viral suppression, as well as its associated factors in incarcerated populations in low-income countries is unknown. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of non-adherence and viral failure, and contributing factors to this amongst prisoners in South Ethiopia. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted between June 1, 2019 and July 31, 2020 to compare the level of adherence and viral suppression between incarcerated and non-incarcerated PLWHA. The study involved 74 inmates living with HIV (ILWHA) and 296 non-incarcerated PLWHA. Background information including sociodemographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial, behavioural, and incarceration-related characteristics was collected using a structured questionnaire. Adherence was determined based on participants’ self-report and pharmacy refill records, and plasma viral load measurements which were undertaken within the study period were prospectively extracted to determine viral suppression. Various univariate and multivariate regression models were used to analyse data. Results: Self-reported dose adherence was approximately similar between ILWHA and non-incarcerated PLWHA (81% and 83% respectively), but ILWHA had a significantly higher medication possession ratio (MPR) (89% vs 75%). The prevalence of viral failure (VF) was slightly higher (6%) in ILWHA compared to non-incarcerated PLWHA (4.4%). The overall dose non-adherence (NA) was significantly associated with missing ART appointments, level of satisfaction with ART services, patient’s ability to comply with a specified medication schedule and types of methods used to monitor the schedule. In ILWHA specifically, accessing ART services from a hospital compared to a health centre, an inability to always attend clinic appointments, experience of depression and a lack of social support predicted NA. VF was significantly higher in males, people of age 31-35 years and in those who experienced social stigma, regardless of their incarceration status. Conclusions: This study revealed that HIV-infected prisoners in South Ethiopia were more likely to be non-adherent to doses and so to develop viral failure compared to their non-incarcerated counterparts. A multitude of factors was found to be responsible for this requiring multilevel intervention strategies focusing on the specific needs of prisoners.

Keywords: Adherence , Antiretroviral therapy, Incarceration, South Ethiopia, Viral suppression

Procedia PDF Downloads 130

Authors: T. Boonkang, C. Santhaweesuk, N. Pianthong, P. Neeramon, A. Phimhlo, S. Bangphan

Abstract:

The objective of this research was to apply metakaolin from northeast of Thailand as a binder in the casting process of rice polishing cylinder in replacement of the imported calcined magnesite cement and to reduce the production cost of the cylinder. Metakaolin was obtained from three different regions (Udon Thani, Nakhon Phanom, and Ubon Ratchathani). The design of experiment analysis using the MINITAB Release 14 based on the compressive strength and tensile strength testing was conducted. According to the analysis results, it was found that the optimal proportions were calcined magnesite cement: metakaolin from Udon Thani, Nakhon Phanom and Ubon Ratchathani equal to 63:37, 71:29, and 100:0, respectively. When used this formula to cast the cylinder and test the rice milling, it was found that the average broken rice percent was 32.52 and 38.29 for the cylinder contained the metakaolin from Udon Thani and Nakhon Phanom, respectively, which implied that the cylinder which contained the metakaolin from Udon Thani has higher efficiency than the cylinder which contained the metakaolin from Nakhon Phanom at 0.05 level of statistical significance. Whereas, the average wear rate of cylinder from both resources were 7.27 and 6.53 g/h, respectively.

Keywords: binder, casting, metakaolin, rice polishing cylinder

Procedia PDF Downloads 301

Authors: Singh Baljinder, Sharma Navneet

Abstract:

Microalbuminuria is the earliest detectable marker of diabetic nephropathy. We planned to evaluate the prevalence of microalbuminuria in type 1 diabetics and correlate with various risk factor. We randomly selected 100 type 1 diabetic patients after inclusion and exclusion criteria from DCRC, S. P. Medical College, Bikaner. Clinical examinations for anthropometeric parameters, hypertension, retinopathy, glycaemic status, lipid profile were done and microalbuminuria was estimated by micral test. Microalbuminuria was seen in 38% patients. The mean urinary albumin concentration was 96.61 mg/l in microalbuminuria positive cases, 134 mg/L in hypertensive patients while 74.5 mg/L in normal patients. Mean diabetic duration was 6.43 years in microalbuminurics. Albumin excretion increased significantly with age at onset of 10-18 years and declined thereafter. Microalbuminuria cases exhibited mean cholesterol 181.63 mg%, TG 130.94 mg%, LDL 109.87 mg%, HDL 57.5 mg% and VLDL 30.64 mg%. Mean urinary albumin concentration in patients with retinopathy was 160.52 mg/L while 78.66 mg/L without retinopathy. In multiple stepwise logistic regression analysis, a strong positive association was seen between microalbuminuria and hypertension (OR=5.087, CI=2.1319-12.101), fasting blood sugar (OR=3. 491, CI=1.138-10.70), duration of diabetes (OR=3.41, CI=1.360-8.55) and HbA1c (OR=2.381, CI-=1.1-5.64). The present study indicates that microalbuminuria is a common complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus and can be prevented by careful management of risk factors.

Keywords: type 1 diabetes, microalbuminuria, diabetic nephropathy, retinopathy, hypertension

Procedia PDF Downloads 444

Authors: Oktia Woro Kasmini Handayani, Sri Ratna Rahayu, Efa Nugroho, Berta Kalswahermawati

Abstract:

Diabetes occurs 10 years faster in the Southeast Asian region than the European region, which occurs in the most productive periods. Cultural differences as well as cultural transitions can be determinant factors of health cases in urban and rural areas. The purpose of this research is to analyze the effect of the cultural environment, behavior and the occurrence of diabetes mellitus in urban areas of Semarang, Indonesia. The research was conducted in the area of Semarang Regency, using a quantitative approach and supported by qualitative data, the population is DM type 2 patients, sample size of 200 people, with a purposive sampling technique. The independent variable consists of cultural environment, behavior, and the dependent variable is DM. The data is analyzed with regression test method. Cultural environment affects behavior positively, with t value of 4,690 and p (sig.) 0.000, this means sig <0.05, while the effect of behavior on Diabetes Mellitus obtained t value 2.950 with p-value (sig.) 0.003 this means that sig <0.05, thus it can be interpreted that the behavior has a significant effect on Diabetes Mellitus. The cultural environment directly affects the incidence of DM. It can also shape a person's behavior or lifestyle or habit, whether healthy or unhealthy one, which in turn causes symptoms of DM.

Keywords: Behavior, Cultural Environment, Diebetes Millitus, Urban

Procedia PDF Downloads 130

Authors: Jodie Hughes

Abstract:

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 individuals that were born female globally. Endometriosis incidence rates peak between 30-40 year of age, in young women and adolescents it is a rarely suspected and often ill-diagnosed. The average cost of endometriosis is €9,579 per woman. More than 75% of women have reported being absent from work due to endometriosis, with 40% of women becoming unemployed due to the disease. 46% of patients with endometriosis need to have appointments with upward of five doctors to gain a correct diagnosis. Quantitative data were collected by way of an online PSS-10 survey that included demographic questions from two sample groups of females, group 1 was females with endometriosis, group 2 were healthy women. The data were scored using Cohens scoring system, overall scores were input to SPSS. A non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test and ANOVA was used to ascertain any differences between the PSS-10 scores of the two groups. A significance level of P<0.05 was adopted. Four women were invited to take part in a semi structured interview that was recorded, transcribed and coded using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA) using NVivo 12. Results showed that the PSS-10 scores were significantly higher in women with endometriosis compared to healthy women with a p=<0.005. Endometriosis affects all aspects of a patient’s life, to adequately diagnose and treat the condition and improve HRQoL there needs to be better understanding of the clinical symptoms and how they impact the lives of patients.

Keywords: endometriosis, HRQoL, perceived stress, women

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: Muna Khethier Abbass, Bassma Finner Sultan

Abstract:

In this research the effect of Al2O3 nanoparticles on corrosion behavior of aluminum base alloy(Al-4.5wt%Cu-1.5wt%Mg) has been investigated. Nanocomopsites reinforced with variable contents of 1,3 & 5wt% of Al2O3 nanoparticles were fabricated using powder metallurgy. All samples were prepared from the base alloy powders under the best powder metallurgy processing conditions of 6 hr of mixing time , 450 MPa of compaction pressure and 560°C of sintering temperature. Density and micro hardness measurements, and electrochemical corrosion tests are performed for all prepared samples in 3.5wt%NaCl solution at room temperature using potentiostate instrument. It has been found that density and micro hardness of the nanocomposite increase with increasing of wt% Al2O3 nanoparticles to Al matrix. It was found from Tafel extrapolation method that corrosion rates of the nanocomposites reinforced with alumina nanoparticles were lower than that of base alloy. From results of corrosion test by potentiodynamic cyclic polarization method, it was found the pitting corrosion resistance improves with adding of Al2O3 nanoparticles . It was noticed that the pits disappear and the hysteresis loop disappears also from anodic polarization curve.

Keywords: powder metallurgy, nano composites, Al-Cu-Mg alloy, electrochemical corrosion

Procedia PDF Downloads 458

Authors: K. N. S. Kasi Viswanadham

Abstract:

Coupled system of second order linear and nonlinear boundary value problems occur in various fields of Science and Engineering. In the formulation of the problem, any one of 81 possible types of boundary conditions may occur. These 81 possible boundary conditions are written as a combination of four boundary conditions. To solve a coupled system of boundary value problem with these converted boundary conditions, a collocation method with cubic B-splines as basis functions has been developed. In the collocation method, the mesh points of the space variable domain have been selected as the collocation points. The basis functions have been redefined into a new set of basis functions which in number match with the number of mesh points in the space variable domain. The solution of a non-linear boundary value problem has been obtained as the limit of a sequence of solutions of linear boundary value problems generated by quasilinearization technique. Several linear and nonlinear boundary value problems are presented to test the efficiency of the proposed method and found that numerical results obtained by the present method are in good agreement with the exact solutions available in the literature.

Keywords: collocation method, coupled system, cubic b-splines, mesh points

Procedia PDF Downloads 206

Authors: N. R. Ramkumar

Abstract:

The foremost aim of physical education has been to inculcate a healthy mind in a healthy body. The aim of this study was to find out the differences in nutritional awareness among urban, semi urban and rural girls of South India. The investigator administered a nutritional awareness questionnaire consisting of 25 statements among 100 rural; 100 semi urban and 100 urban girls studying in different schools in South India. The filled up questionnaire were scored and the total scores for all the twenty five statements were considered as the nutritional awareness level of the subjects. The differences on nutritional awareness among urban, semi urban and rural girls were tested for statistical significance using ANOVA. In all cases 0.05 level was fixed to test the significance. The results proved that there were significant differences on nutritional awareness among urban, semi urban and rural girls (P<0.05). The paired mean comparisons proved that urban girls were having highest nutritional awareness (M: 86.86), followed by semi urban girls (M: 81.86) and then by rural girls (M: 79.48). The differences between urban and semi urban girls and urban and rural girls were significant and there was no significant differences between semi urban and rural girls. The findings of this study proved that rural girls were significantly having lesser nutritional awareness and hence the study recommends the strong need of nutritional education for rural girls in South India.

Keywords: nutrition, awareness, urban, semi urban, rural girls

Procedia PDF Downloads 652

Authors: Hosam Mohamed Darwish

Abstract:

In 2008, the Egyptian Ministry of Education introduced a new national coursebook ‘Hello for Secondary Schools, which recommends a shift in EFL teachers’ instructional practices. Since then, very little attention has been paid to teachers’ techniques in EFL writing classes. Hence, this study aimed at investigating teaching writing practices in secondary schools and exploring the teachers’ attitudes towards EFL writing skill in addition to exploring the difficulties that teachers encountered in EFL writing lessons. The study depended on data triangulation through administering two questionnaires: one to 44 teachers and the other to 24 students, and conducting semi-structured interviews with 11 teachers. Both teachers and students were asked to describe teaching practices in EFL writing classes while the open-ended questions and interviews collected data about the teachers’ difficulties in writing lessons. The questionnaires indicate that teachers have negative attitudes towards teaching writing, and most of their practices are still traditional. Five factors have influenced teachers’ practices: backwash of the test, teachers’ professional development, students’ culture of reading and large classes. The study recommends there has to be a necessary change in the students’ examination system, and ongoing teachers’ professional development should be considered. Finally, a teaching model and implications are suggested.

Keywords: EFL writing, Egyptian secondary schools, teachers’ attitudes, teachers’ techniques

Procedia PDF Downloads 417

Authors: Nayeli Camacho, Fernanda Lara-Perez, Carolina Ortega-Portilla, Diego G. Espinosa-Arbelaez, Juan M. Alvarado-Orozco, Guillermo C. Mondragon-Rodriguez

Abstract:

Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) has been the gold standard material for total knee replacements for almost five decades. Wear damage to UHMWPE articulating surface is inevitable due to the natural sliding and rolling movements of the knee. This generates a considerable amount of wear debris, which results in mechanical instability of the joint, reduces joint mobility, increases pain with detrimental biologic responses, and causes component loosening. The presence of wear particles has been closely related to adverse reactions in the knee joint surrounding tissue, especially for particles in the range of 0.3 to 2 μm. Carbon-based materials possess excellent mechanical properties and have shown great promise in tribological applications. In this study, diamond-like carbon coatings (DLC) and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to decrease the wear rate of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. A titanium doped DLC (Ti-DLC) was deposited by magnetron sputtering on stainless steel precision spheres while CNTs were used as a second phase reinforcement in UHMWPE at a concentration of 1.25 wt.%. A comparative tribological analysis of the wear of UHMWPE and UHMWPE-CNTs with a stainless steel counterpart with and without Ti-DLC coating is presented. The experimental wear testing was performed on a pin-on-disc tribometer under dry conditions, using a reciprocating movement with a load of 1 N at a frequency of 2 Hz for 100,000 and 200,000 cycles. The wear tracks were analyzed with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy to determine wear modes and observe the size and shape of the wear debris. Furthermore, profilometry was used to study the depth of the wear tracks and to map the wear of the articulating surface. The wear tracks at 100,000 and 200,000 cycles on all samples were relatively shallow, and they were in the range of average roughness. It was observed that the Ti-DLC coating decreases the mass loss in the UHMWPE and the depth of the wear track. The combination of both carbon-based materials decreased the material loss compared to the system of stainless steel and UHMWPE. Burnishing of the surface was the predominant wear mode observed with all the systems, more subtle for the systems with Ti-DLC coatings. Meanwhile, in the system composed of stainless steel-UHMWPE, the intrinsic surface roughness of the material was completely replaced by the wear tracks.

Keywords: CNT reinforcement, self-lubricating materials, Ti-DLC, UHMWPE tribological performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 107

Authors: Mequanent Wale Mekonen, Edoardo Otranto, Angela Alibrandi

Abstract:

Diabetic kidney disease is one of the main microvascular complications caused by diabetes. Several clinical and biochemical variables are reported to be associated with diabetic kidney disease in people with type 2 diabetes. However, their interrelations could distort the effect estimation of these variables for the disease's progression. The objective of the study is to determine how the biochemical and clinical variables in people with type 2 diabetes are interrelated with each other and their effects on kidney disease progression through advanced statistical methods. First, principal component analysis was used to explore how the biochemical and clinical variables intercorrelate with each other, which helped us reduce a set of correlated biochemical variables to a smaller number of uncorrelated variables. Then, ordered logit regression models (cumulative, stage, and adjacent) were employed to assess the effect of biochemical and clinical variables on the order-level response variable (progression of kidney function) by considering the proportionality assumption for more robust effect estimation. This retrospective cross-sectional study retrieved data from a type 2 diabetic cohort in a polyclinic hospital at the University of Messina, Italy. The principal component analysis yielded three uncorrelated components. These are principal component 1, with negative loading of glycosylated haemoglobin, glycemia, and creatinine; principal component 2, with negative loading of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein; and principal component 3, with negative loading of high-density lipoprotein and a positive load of triglycerides. The ordered logit models (cumulative, stage, and adjacent) showed that the first component (glycosylated haemoglobin, glycemia, and creatinine) had a significant effect on the progression of kidney disease. For instance, the cumulative odds model indicated that the first principal component (linear combination of glycosylated haemoglobin, glycemia, and creatinine) had a strong and significant effect on the progression of kidney disease, with an effect or odds ratio of 0.423 (P value = 0.000). However, this effect was inconsistent across levels of kidney disease because the first principal component did not meet the proportionality assumption. To address the proportionality problem and provide robust effect estimates, alternative ordered logit models, such as the partial cumulative odds model, the partial adjacent category model, and the partial continuation ratio model, were used. These models suggested that clinical variables such as age, sex, body mass index, medication (metformin), and biochemical variables such as glycosylated haemoglobin, glycemia, and creatinine have a significant effect on the progression of kidney disease.

Keywords: diabetic kidney disease, ordered logit model, principal component analysis, type 2 diabetes

Procedia PDF Downloads 34

Authors: Martonovich Noa, Maman David, Alfandari Liad, Behrbalk Eyal.

Abstract:

Introduction: The human body is designed for upright standing and walking, with the lower extremities and axial skeleton supporting weight-bearing. Constant weight-bearing on joints not meant for this action can lead to various pathologies, as seen in wheelchair users. Handstand practitioners use their wrists as weight-bearing joints during activities, but little is known about wrist injuries in this population. This study aims to investigate the epidemiology of wrist pain among handstand practitioners, as no such data currently exist. Methods: The study is a cross-sectional online survey conducted among athletes who regularly practice handstands. Participants were asked to complete a three-part questionnaire regarding their workout regimen, training habits, and history of wrist pain. The inclusion criteria were athletes over 18 years old who practice handstands more than twice a month for at least 4 months. All data were collected using Google Forms, organized and anonymized using Microsoft Excel, and analyzed using IBM SPSS 26.0. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and potential risk factors were tested using asymptotic t-tests and Fisher's tests. Differences were considered significant when p < 0.05. Results: This study surveyed 402 athletes who regularly practice handstands to investigate the prevalence of chronic wrist pain and potential risk factors. The participants had a mean age of 31.3 years, with most being male and having an average of 5 years of training experience. 56% of participants reported chronic wrist pain, and 14.4% reported a history of distal radial fracture. Yoga was the most practiced form, followed by Capoeira. No significant differences were found in demographic data between participants with and without chronic wrist pain, and no significant associations were found between chronic wrist pain prevalence and warm-up routines or protective aids. Conclusion: The lower half of the body is meant to handle weight-bearing and impact, while transferring the load to upper extremities can lead to various pathologies. Athletes who perform handstands are particularly prone to chronic wrist pain, which affects over half of them. Warm-up sessions and protective instruments like wrist braces do not seem to prevent chronic wrist pain, and there are no significant differences in age or training volume between athletes with and without the condition. Further research is needed to understand the causes of chronic wrist pain in athletes, given the growing popularity of sports and activities that can cause this type of injury.

Keywords: handstand, handbalance, wrist pain, hand and wrist surgery, yoga, calisthenics, circus, capoeira, movement.

Procedia PDF Downloads 85

Authors: Juan Sebastián Hernández

Abstract:

The Nevado del Ruíz volcano, located between the limits of the Departments of Caldas and Tolima in Colombia, presented an unstable behaviour in the course of the year 2020, this volcanic activity led to secondary effects on the crust, which is why the prediction of deformations becomes the task of geoscientists. In the course of this article, the use of tropospheric variables such as evapotranspiration, UV aerosol index, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, methane, surface temperature, among others, is used to train a set of neural networks that can predict the behaviour of the resulting phase of an unrolled interferogram with the DInSAR technique, whose main objective is to identify and characterise the behaviour of the crust based on the environmental conditions. For this purpose, variables were collected, a generalised linear model was created, and a set of neural networks was created. After the training of the network, validation was carried out with the test data, giving an MSE of 0.17598 and an associated r-squared of approximately 0.88454. The resulting model provided a dataset with good thematic accuracy, reflecting the behaviour of the volcano in 2020, given a set of environmental characteristics.

Keywords: crustal deformation, Tropomi, neural networks (ANN), volcanic activity, DInSAR

Procedia PDF Downloads 97