Search results for: trait specific marker

Authors: Sofia Maria Poulimenou, Ioannis Deliyannis, Elisavet Filippidou, Stamatella Laboura

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Smart technologies are being actively used to improve the experience of travel and promote or demote a destination’s reputation via a wide variety of social media applications and platforms. This paper conceptualises the design and deployment of smart management apps to promote culture, sustainability and accessibility within two destinations in Greece that represent the extremes of visiting scale. One is the densely visited Corfu, which is a UNESCO’s heritage site. The problems caused by the lack of organisation of the visiting experience and infrastructures affect all parties interacting within the site: visitors, citizens, public and private sector. Second is Kilkis, a low tourism destination with high seasonality and mostly inbound tourism. Here the issue faced is that traditional approaches to inform and motivate locals and visitors to explore and taste of the culture have not flourished. The problem is apprehended via the design and development of two systems named “Hologrammatic Corfu” for Corfu old town and “BRENDA” for the area of Kilkis. Although each system is designed independently, featuring different solutions to the problems, both approaches have been designed by the same team and a novel gaming and gamification methodology. The “Hologramatic Corfu” application has been designed, for the exploration of the site covering user requirments before, during and after the trip, with the use of transmedia content such as photos, 360-degree videos, augmented reality and hologrammatic videos. Also, a statistical analysis of travellers’ visits to specific points of interest is actively utilized enabling visitors to dynamically re-rooted during their visit, safeguarding sustainability and accessibility and inclusivity along the entire tourism cycle. “BRENDA” is designed specifically to promote gastronomic and historical tourism. This serious game implements and combines gaming and gamification elements in order to connect local businesses with cultural points of interest. As the environment of the project has a strong touristic orientation, “BRENDA” supports food-related gamified processes and historical games involving active participation of both local communities (content providers) and visitors (players) which are more likely to be successfully performed in the informal environment of travelling and promote sustainable tourism experiences. Finally, the paper presents the ability to re-use existing gaming components within new areas of interest via minimal adaptation and the use of transmedia aspects that enables destinations to be rebranded into smart destinations.

Keywords: smart tourism, gamification, user experience, transmedia content

Procedia PDF Downloads 176

Authors: Boriana Karamanova, Svetlana Veleva, Luybomir Soserov, Ana Arenillas, Francesco Lufrano, Antonia Stoyanova

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Supercapacitors have received a lot of research attention and are promising energy storage devices due to their high power and long cycle life. In order to developed an advanced device with significant capacity for storing charge and cheap carbon materials, efforts must focus not only on improving synthesis by controlling the morphology and pore size but also on improving electrode-electrolyte compatibility of the resulting systems. The present study examines the relationship between the surface chemistry of two activated carbon xerogels, the electrolyte type, and the electrochemical properties of supercapacitors. Activated carbon xerogels were prepared by varying the initial pH of the resorcinol-formaldehyde aqueous solution. The materials produced are physicochemical characterized by DTA/TGA, porous characterization, and SEM analysis. The carbon xerogel based electrodes were prepared by spreading over glass plate a slurry containing the carbon gel, graphite, and poly vinylidene difluoride (PVDF) binder. The layer formed was dried consecutively at different temperatures and then detached by water. After, the layer was dried again to improve its mechanical stability. The developed electrode materials and the Aquivion® E87-05S membrane (Solvay Specialty Polymers), socked in Na2SO4 as a polymer electrolyte, were used to assembly the solid-state supercapacitor. Symmetric supercapacitor cells composed by same electrodes and 1 M KOH electrolytes are also assembled and tested for comparison. The supercapacitor performances are verified by different electrochemical methods - cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and long-term durability tests in neutral and alkaline electrolytes. Specific capacitances, energy, and power density, energy efficiencies, and durability were compared into studied supercapacitors. Ex-situ physicochemical analyses on the synthesized materials have also been performed, which provide information about chemical and structural changes in the electrode morphology during charge / discharge durability tests. They are discussed on the basis of electrode-electrolyte interaction. The obtained correlations could be of significance in order to design sustainable solid-state supercapacitors with high power and energy density. Acknowledgement: This research is funded by the Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria under the National Program "European Scientific Networks" (Agreement D01-286 / 07.10.2020, D01-78/30.03.2021). Authors gratefully acknowledge.

Keywords: carbon xerogel, electrochemical tests, neutral and alkaline electrolytes, supercapacitors

Procedia PDF Downloads 137

Authors: Yasmeen Cheema, Parvinder Singh

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The evolution of Islamic State (acronym IS) has an ultimate goal of restoring the caliphate. IS threat to the global security is main concern of international community but has also raised a factual concern for India about the regular radicalization of IS ideology among Indian youth. The incident of joining Arif Ejaz Majeed, an Indian as ‘jihadist’ in IS has set strident alarm in law & enforcement agencies. On 07.03.2017, many people were injured in an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast on-board of Bhopal Ujjain Express. One perpetrator of this incident was killed in encounter with police. But, the biggest shock is that the conspiracy was pre-planned and the assailants who carried out the blast were influenced by the ideology perpetrated by the Islamic State. This is the first time name of IS has cropped up in a terror attack in India. It is a red indicator of violent presence of IS in India, which is spreading through social media. The IS have the capacity to influence the younger Muslim generation in India through its brutal and aggressive propaganda videos, social media apps and hatred speeches. It is a well known fact that India is on the radar of IS, as well on its ‘Caliphate Map’. IS uses Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms constantly. Islamic State has used enticing videos, graphics, and articles on social media and try to influence persons from India & globally that their jihad is worthy. According to arrested perpetrator of IS in different cases in India, the most of Indian youths are victims to the daydreams which are fondly shown by IS. The dreams that the Muslim empire as it was before 1920 can come back with all its power and also that the Caliph and its caliphate can be re-established are shown by the IS. Indian Muslim Youth gets attracted towards these euphemistic ideologies. Islamic State has used social media for disseminating its poisonous ideology, recruitment, operational activities and for future direction of attacks. IS through social media inspired its recruits & lone wolfs to continue to rely on local networks to identify targets and access weaponry and explosives. Recently, a pro-IS media group on its Telegram platform shows Taj Mahal as the target and suggested mode of attack as a Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Attack (VBIED). Islamic State definitely has the potential to destroy the Indian national security & peace, if timely steps are not taken. No doubt, IS has used social media as a critical mechanism for recruitment, planning and executing of terror attacks. This paper will therefore examine the specific characteristics of social media that have made it such a successful weapon for Islamic State. The rise of IS in India should be viewed as a national crisis and handled at the central level with efficient use of modern technology.

Keywords: ideology, India, Islamic State, national security, recruitment, social media, terror attack

Procedia PDF Downloads 231

Authors: M. Mashiur Rahman, Ulrik Birk Henriksen, Jesper Ahrenfeldt, Maria Puig Arnavat

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Using biomass gasification to make producer gas is one of the promising sustainable energy options available for small scale plant and rural applications for power and electricity. Tar content in producer gas is the main problem if it is used directly as a fuel. A low-tar biomass (LTB) gasifier of approximately 30 kW capacity has been developed to solve this. Moving bed gasifier with internal recirculation of pyrolysis gas has been the basic principle of the LTB gasifier. The gasifier focuses on the concept of mixing the pyrolysis gases with gasifying air and burning the mixture in separate combustion chamber. Five tests were carried out with the use of wood pellets and wood chips separately, with moisture content of 9-34%. The LTB gasifier offers excellent opportunities for handling extremely low-tar in the producer gas. The gasifiers producer gas had an extremely low tar content of 21.2 mg/Nm³ (avg.) and an average lower heating value (LHV) of 4.69 MJ/Nm³. Tar content found in different tests in the ranges of 10.6-29.8 mg/Nm³. This low tar content makes the producer gas suitable for direct use in internal combustion engine. Using mass and energy balances, the average gasifier capacity and cold gas efficiency (CGE) observed 23.1 kW and 82.7% for wood chips, and 33.1 kW and 60.5% for wood pellets, respectively. Average heat loss in term of higher heating value (HHV) observed 3.2% of thermal input for wood chips and 1% for wood pellets, where heat loss was found 1% of thermal input in term of enthalpy. Thus, the LTB gasifier performs better compared to typical gasifiers in term of heat loss. Equivalence ratio (ER) in the range of 0.29 to 0.41 gives better performance in terms of heating value and CGE. The specific gas production yields at the above ER range were in the range of 2.1-3.2 Nm³/kg. Heating value and CGE changes proportionally with the producer gas yield. The average gas compositions (H₂-19%, CO-19%, CO₂-10%, CH₄-0.7% and N₂-51%) obtained for wood chips are higher than the typical producer gas composition. Again, the temperature profile of the LTB gasifier observed relatively low temperature compared to typical moving bed gasifier. The average partial oxidation zone temperature of 970°C observed for wood chips. The use of separate combustor in the partial oxidation zone substantially lowers the bed temperature to 750°C. During the test, the engine was started and operated completely with the producer gas. The engine operated well on the produced gas, and no deposits were observed in the engine afterwards. Part of the producer gas flow was used for engine operation, and corresponding electrical power was found to be 1.5 kW continuously, and maximum power of 2.5 kW was also observed, while maximum generator capacity is 3 kW. A thermodynamic equilibrium model is good agreement with the experimental results and correctly predicts the equilibrium bed temperature, gas composition, LHV of the producer gas and ER with the experimental data, when the heat loss of 4% of the energy input is considered.

Keywords: biomass gasification, low-tar biomass gasifier, tar elimination, engine, deposits, condensate

Procedia PDF Downloads 115

Authors: C. Miranda, S. Cunha, R. Soares, M. Maia, G. Igrejas, F. Silva, P. Poeta

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The worldwide inappropriate use of antibiotics has increased the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms isolated from animals, humans, food, and the environment. To combat this complex and multifaceted problem is essential to know the prevalence in livestock animals and possible ways of transmission among animals and between these and humans. Enterococci species, in particular E. faecalis and E. faecium, are the most common nosocomial bacteria, causing infections in animals and humans. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize resistance and virulence factors genes among two enterococci species isolated from calf colostrums in Portuguese dairy farms. The 55 enterococci isolates (44 E. faecalis and 11 E. faecium) were tested for the presence of the resistance genes for the following antibiotics: erythromicyn (ermA, ermB, and ermC), tetracycline (tetL, tetM, tetK, and tetO), quinupristin/dalfopristin (vatD and vatE) and vancomycin (vanB). Of which, 25 isolates (15 E. faecalis and 10 E. faecium) were tested until now for 8 virulence factors genes (esp, ace, gelE, agg, cpd, cylA, cylB, and cylLL). The resistance and virulence genes were performed by PCR, using specific primers and conditions. Negative and positive controls were used in all PCR assays. All enterococci isolates showed resistance to erythromicyn and tetracycline through the presence of the genes: ermB (n=29, 53%), ermC (n=10, 18%), tetL (n=49, 89%), tetM (n=39, 71%) and tetK (n=33, 60%). Only two (4%) E. faecalis isolates showed the presence of tetO gene. No resistance genes for vancomycin were found. The virulence genes detected in both species were cpd (n=17, 68%), agg (n=16, 64%), ace (n=15, 60%), esp (n=13, 52%), gelE (n=13, 52%) and cylLL (n=8, 32%). In general, each isolate showed at least three virulence genes. In three E. faecalis isolates was not found virulence genes and only E. faecalis isolates showed virulence genes for cylA (n=4, 16%) and cylB (n=6, 24%). In conclusion, these colostrum samples that were consumed by calves demonstrated the presence of antibiotic-resistant enterococci harbored virulence genes. This genotypic characterization is crucial to control the antibiotic-resistant bacteria through the implementation of restricts measures safeguarding public health. Acknowledgements: This work was funded by the R&D Project CAREBIO2 (Comparative assessment of antimicrobial resistance in environmental biofilms through proteomics - towards innovative theragnostic biomarkers), with reference NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-030101 and PTDC/SAU-INF/30101/2017, financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the Northern Regional Operational Program (NORTE 2020) and the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). This work was supported by the Associate Laboratory for Green Chemistry - LAQV which is financed by national funds from FCT/MCTES (UIDB/50006/2020 and UIDP/50006/2020).

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance, calf, colostrums, enterococci

Procedia PDF Downloads 200

Authors: Tewele Gerlase Haile

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Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The global development landscape underwent a transformative shift in 2015 as the international community pivoted from the MDGs to the more ambitious and comprehensive SDGs. The NDGs were a set of eight international development goals established by the United Nations in 2000, with the aim of improving the lives of people around the world by 2015. SDGs are a continuation of the MDGs. Unlike on the other development goals, progress on eradication of extreme hunger and poverty (MDG 1) has been slow at a continental level. The implementation of the MDGs was uneven: some countries have already achieved many of them, while the others have not started any of them yet. With its Poverty Reduction Strategic Papers (PRSPs), Ethiopia has been given special attention to the first MDG since 1993. The Ethiopian government was actively engaged in anti-poverty political campaign leaving other agendas as secondary issues. Poverty in Ethiopia progressively reduced over the years; it was 44.2% in 2000, 38.7% in 2007, 29.6 % in 2011, and it is projected to further reduce to 16.7% by the end of 2020. The long-term impact of war on the sustainability and effectiveness of SDG-related initiatives in post-conflict regions, particularly in how local governance and community resilience are affected. This could involve exploring how war interrupts progress, which specific SDGs are most vulnerable, and what strategies might mitigate these impacts. Reviewing a transitional period enables policy makers to align global or national development goals into local development goals with an uninterrupted policy continuity. The existing literature on development economics often neglects the importance of reviewing the transitional period of consecutive global development goals in a local or regional perspective. Reviewing a transitional period enables policy makers to align global or national development goals into local development goals with an uninterrupted policy continuity. Using a Policy Coherence for Development (PCD) approach as analytical tool, this paper is intended to retrospectively review what happened to the local economy of Tigrai Regional State during the transitional period from MDGs (2000-2015) to SDGs (2015-2030). Taking a retrospective facts and observations into account, policy discontinuity is witnessed in Tigrai following the dissolution of the EPRDF that followed with a terrible war that claimed about a million human lives and worth of over a hundred Billion US dollars economic costs. The unhealthy political reform caused not only a terrible war but also breaks the promising SDGs. Unlike other regional states, Tigrai left unprivileged to translate the ambitious SDGs into its local development policies.

Keywords: local development, political reform, war, MDGs, SDGs, Ethiopia, tigrai

Procedia PDF Downloads 21

Authors: Xiaoling Ren, Guidong Yang

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As one of the largest industrial synthetic chemicals in the world, ammonia has the advantages of high energy density, easy liquefaction, and easy transportation, which is widely used in agriculture, chemical industry, energy storage, and other fields. The industrial Haber-Bosch method process for ammonia synthesis is generally conducted under severe conditions. It is essential to develop a green, sustainable strategy for ammonia production to meet the growing demand. In this direction, photocatalytic nitrogen reduction has huge advantages over the traditional, well-established Haber-Bosch process, such as the utilization of natural sun light as the energy source and significantly lower pressure and temperature to affect the reaction process. However, the high activation energy of nitrogen and the low efficiency of photo-generated electron-hole separation in the photocatalyst result in low ammonia production yield. Many researchers focus on improving the catalyst. In addition to modifying the catalyst, improving the dispersion of the catalyst and making full use of active sites are also means to improve the overall catalytic activity. Few studies have been carried out on this, which is the aim of this work. In this work, by making full use of the nitrogen activation ability of WO3-x with defective sites, small size WO3-x photocatalyst with high dispersibility was constructed, while the growth of WO3-x was restricted by using a high specific surface area mesoporous SBA-15 molecular sieve with the regular pore structure as a template. The morphology of pure SBA-15 and WO3-x/SBA-15 was characterized byscanning electron microscopy (SEM). Compared with pure SBA-15, some small particles can be found in the WO3-x/SBA-15 material, which means that WO3-x grows into small particles under the limitation of SBA-15, which is conducive to the exposure of catalytically active sites. To elucidate the chemical nature of the material, the X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis was conducted. The observed diffraction pattern inWO3-xis in good agreement with that of the JCPDS file no.71-2450. Compared with WO3-x, no new peaks appeared in WO3-x/SBA-15.It can be concluded that WO3-x/SBA-15 was synthesized successfully. In order to provide more active sites, the mass content of WO3-x was optimized. Then the photocatalytic nitrogen reduction performances of above samples were performed with methanol as a hole scavenger. The results show that the overall ammonia production performance of WO3-x/SBA-15 is improved than pure bulk WO3-x. The above results prove that making full use of active sites is also a means to improve overall catalytic activity.This work provides material basis for the design of high-efficiency photocatalytic nitrogen reduction catalysts.

Keywords: ammonia, photocatalytic, nitrogen reduction, WO3-x, high dispersibility

Procedia PDF Downloads 160

Authors: Sadie Namani, Lindita Ajazaj, Arjeta Zogaj, Vera Berisha, Bahrije Halili, Luljeta Hasani, Ajete Aliu

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Background: The outcome of bacterial meningitis is strongly related to the resistance of bacterial pathogens to the initial antimicrobial therapy. The objective of the study was to analyze the initial antimicrobial therapy, the resistance of meningeal pathogens and the outcome of adults bacterial meningitis cases. Materials/methods: This prospective study enrolled 46 adults older than 16 years of age, treated for bacterial meningitis during the years 2009 and 2010 at the infectious diseases clinic in Prishtinë. Patients are categorized into specific age groups: > 16-26 years of age (10 patients), > 26-60 years of age (25 patients) and > 60 years of age (11 patients). All p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Data were analyzed using Stata 7.1 and SPSS 13. Results: During the two year study period 46 patients (28 males) were treated for bacterial meningitis. 33 patients (72%) had a confirmed bacterial etiology; 13 meningococci, 11 pneumococci, 7 gram-negative bacilli (Ps. aeruginosa 2, Proteus sp. 2, Acinetobacter sp. 2 and Klebsiella sp. 1 case) and 2 staphylococci isolates were found. Neurological complications developed in 17 patients (37%) and the overall mortality rate was 13% (6 deaths). Neurological complications observed were: cerebral abscess (7/46; 15.2%), cerebral edema (4/46; 8.7%); haemiparesis (3/46; 6.5%); recurrent seizures (2/46; 4.3%), and single cases of thrombosis sinus cavernosus, facial nerve palsy and decerebration (1/46; 2.1%). The most common meningeal pathogens were meningococcus in the youngest age group, gram negative-bacilli in second age group and pneumococcus in eldery age group. Initial single-agent antibiotic therapy (ceftriaxone) was used in 17 patients (37%): in 60% of patients in the youngest age group and in 44% of cases in the second age group. 29 patients (63%) were treated with initial dual-agent antibiotic therapy; ceftriaxone in combination with vancomycin or ampicillin. Ceftriaxone and ampicillin were the most commonly used antibiotics for the initial empirical therapy in adults > 50 years of age. All adults > 60 years of age were treated with the initial dual-agent antibiotic therapy as in this age group was recorded the highest mortality rate (M=27%) and adverse outcome (64%). Resistance of pathogens to antimicrobics was recorded in cases caused by gram-negative bacilli and was associated with greater risk for developing neurological complications (p=0.09). None of the gram-negative bacilli were resistant to carbapenems; all were resistant to ampicillin while 5/7 isolates were resistant to cefalosporins. Resistance of meningococci and pneumococci to beta-lactams was not recorded. There were no statistical differences in the occurrence of neurological complications (p > 0.05), resistance of meningeal pathogens to antimicrobics (p > 0.05) and the inital antimicrobial therapy (one vs. two antibiotics) concerning group-ages in adults. Conclusions: The initial antibiotic therapy with ceftriaxone alone or in combination with vancomycin or ampicillin did not cover cases caused by gram-negative bacilli.

Keywords: adults, bacterial meningitis, outcomes, therapy

Procedia PDF Downloads 174

Authors: Elaheh Talebi, Fariba Yavari, Lucy Philip, Lesley Town

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The mining industry generates vast amounts of data, necessitating robust data management systems and advanced analytics tools to achieve better decision-making processes in the development of mining production and maintaining safety. This paper highlights the advantages of Power BI, a powerful intelligence tool, over traditional Excel-based approaches for effectively managing and harnessing mining data. Power BI enables professionals to connect and integrate multiple data sources, ensuring real-time access to up-to-date information. Its interactive visualizations and dashboards offer an intuitive interface for exploring and analyzing geotechnical data. Advanced analytics is a collection of data analysis techniques to improve decision-making. Leveraging some of the most complex techniques in data science, advanced analytics is used to do everything from detecting data errors and ensuring data accuracy to directing the development of future project phases. However, while Power BI is a robust tool, specific visualizations required by geotechnical engineers may have limitations. This paper studies the capability to use Python or R programming within the Power BI dashboard to enable advanced analytics, additional functionalities, and customized visualizations. This dashboard provides comprehensive tools for analyzing and visualizing key geotechnical data metrics, including spatial representation on maps, field and lab test results, and subsurface rock and soil characteristics. Advanced visualizations like borehole logs and Stereonet were implemented using Python programming within the Power BI dashboard, enhancing the understanding and communication of geotechnical information. Moreover, the dashboard's flexibility allows for the incorporation of additional data and visualizations based on the project scope and available data, such as pit design, rock fall analyses, rock mass characterization, and drone data. This further enhances the dashboard's usefulness in future projects, including operation, development, closure, and rehabilitation phases. Additionally, this helps in minimizing the necessity of utilizing multiple software programs in projects. This geotechnical dashboard in Power BI serves as a user-friendly solution for analyzing, visualizing, and communicating both new and historical geotechnical data, aiding in informed decision-making and efficient project management throughout various project stages. Its ability to generate dynamic reports and share them with clients in a collaborative manner further enhances decision-making processes and facilitates effective communication within geotechnical projects in the mining industry.

Keywords: geotechnical data analysis, power BI, visualization, decision-making, mining industry

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Authors: Valerii Levshakov, Olga Fedorova

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Specific features of ship structures, made from composites, i.e. simultaneous shaping of material and structure, large sizes, complicated outlines and tapered thickness have defined leading role of technology, integrating test results from material science, designing and structural analysis. Main procedures of composite shipbuilding are contact molding, vacuum molding and winding. Now, the most demanded composite shipbuilding technology is the manufacture of structures from fiberglass and multilayer hybrid composites by means of vacuum molding. This technology enables the manufacture of products with improved strength properties (in comparison with contact molding), reduction of production duration, weight and secures better environmental conditions in production area. Mechanized winding is applied for the manufacture of parts, shaped as rotary bodies – i.e. parts of ship, oil and other pipelines, deep-submergence vehicles hulls, bottles, reservoirs and other structures. This procedure involves processing of reinforcing fiberglass, carbon and polyaramide fibers. Polyaramide fibers have tensile strength of 5000 MPa, elastic modulus value of 130 MPa and rigidity of the same can be compared with rigidity of fiberglass, however, the weight of polyaramide fiber is 30% less than weight of fiberglass. The same enables to the manufacture different structures, including that, using both – fiberglass and organic composites. Organic composites are widely used for the manufacture of parts with size and weight limitations. High price of polyaramide fiber restricts the use of organic composites. Perspective area of winding technology development is the manufacture of carbon fiber shafts and couplings for ships. JSC ‘Shipbuilding & Shiprepair Technology Center’ (JSC SSTC) developed technology of dielectric uncouplers for cryogenic lines, cooled by gaseous or liquid cryogenic agents (helium, nitrogen, etc.) for temperature range 4.2-300 K and pressure up to 30 MPa – the same is used for separating components of electro physical equipment with different electrical potentials. Dielectric uncouplers were developed, the manufactured and tested in accordance with International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Technical specification. Spiral uncouplers withstand operating voltage of 30 kV, direct-flow uncoupler – 4 kV. Application of spiral channel instead of rectilinear enables increasing of breakdown potential and reduction of uncouplers sizes. 95 uncouplers were successfully the manufactured and tested. At the present time, Russian the manufacturers of ship composite structures have started absorption of technology of manufacturing the same using automated prepreg laminating; this technology enables the manufacture of structures with improved operational specifications.

Keywords: fiberglass, infusion, polymeric composites, winding

Procedia PDF Downloads 238

Authors: Hennie Boeije, Renate Verkaik, Joke Korevaar

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In Dutch national policy, it is promoted that the elderly remain living at home longer. They are less often admitted to a nursing home or only later in life. While living at home, it is important that they experience a good quality of life. Care providers in primary care support this. In this study, it was investigated what quality of life means for the elderly and which characteristics care should have that supports living at home longer with quality of life. To explore this topic, a qualitative methodology was used. Four focus groups were conducted: two with elderly people who live at home and their family caregivers, one with district nurses employed in-home care services and one with elderly care physicians working in primary care. Next to this individual interviews were employed with general practitioners (GPs). In total 32 participants took part in the study. The data were thematically analysed with MaxQDA software for qualitative analysis and reported. Quality of life is a multi-faceted term for elderly. The essence of their description is that they can still undertake activities that matter to them. Good physical health, mental well-being and social connections enable them to do this. Own control over their life is important for some. They are of opinion that how they experience life and manage old age is related to their resilience and coping. Key terms in the definitions of quality of life by GPs are also physical and mental health and social contacts. These are the three pillars. Next, to this elderly care, physicians mention security and safety and district nurses add control over their own life and meaningful daily activities. They agree that with frail elderly people, the balance is delicate and a change in one of the three pillars can cause it to collapse like a house of cards. When discussing what support is needed, professionals agree on access to care with a low threshold, prevention, and life course planning. When care is provided in a timely manner, a worsening of the situation can be prevented. They agree that hospital care often is not needed since most of the problems with the elderly have to do with care and security rather than with a cure per se. GPs can consult elderly care physicians to lower their workload and to bring in specific knowledge. District nurses often signal changes in the situation of the elderly. According to them, the elderly predominantly need someone to watch over them and provide them with a feeling of security. Life course planning and advance care planning can contribute to uniform treatment in line with older adults’ wishes. In conclusion, all stakeholders, including elderly persons, agree on what entails quality of life and the quality of care that is needed to support that. A future challenge is to shape conditions for the right skill mix of professionals, cooperation between the professions and breaking down differences in financing and supply. For the elderly, the challenge is preparing for aging.

Keywords: elderly living at home, quality of life, quality of care, professional cooperation, life course planning, advance care planning

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Authors: Vasiliki Markantoni, Eftychia Platsidaki, Georgios Chaidemenos, Georgios Kontochristopoulos

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Introduction: Bromhidrosis, also known as osmidrosis, is a common distressing condition with a significant negative effect on patient’s quality of life. Its etiology is multifactorial. It usually affects axilla, genital skin, breasts and soles, areas where apocrine glands are mostly distributed. Therapeutic treatments include topical antibacterial agents, antiperspirants and neuromuscular blocker agents-toxins. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and possible complications of topical glycopyrrolate, an anticholinergic agent, for treatment of bromhidrosis. Glycopyrrolate, applied topically as a cream, solution or spray at concentrations between 0,5% and 4%, has been successfully used to treat different forms of focal hyperhidrosis. Materials and Methods: Twenty patients, six males and fourteen females, meeting the criteria for bromhidrosis were treated with topical glycopyrrolate for two months. The average age was 36. Eleven patients had bromhidrosis located to the axillae, four to the soles, four to both axillae and soles and one to the genital folds. Glycopyrrolate was applied topically as a cream at concentration 2%, formulated in Fitalite. During the first month, patients were using the cream every night and thereafter twice daily. The degree of malodor was assessed subjectively by patients and scaled averagely as ‘none’, ‘mild’, ‘moderate’, and ‘severe’ with corresponding scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The modified Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was used to assess the quality of life. The clinical efficacy was graded by the patient scale of excellent, good, fair and poor. In the end, patients were given the power to evaluate whether they were totally satisfied with, partially satisfied or unsatisfied and possible side effects during the treatment were recorded. Results: All patients were satisfied at the end of the treatment. No patient defined the response as no improvement. The subjectively assessed score level of bromhidrosis was remarkably improved after the first month of treatment and improved slightly more after the second month. DLQI score was also improved to all patients. Adverse effects were reported in 2 patients. In the first case, topical irritation was reported. This was classed as mild (erythema and desquamation), appeared during the second month of treatment and was treated with low-potency topical corticosteroids. In the second case, mydriasis was reported, that recovered without specific treatment, as soon as we insisted to the importance of careful hygiene after cream application so as not to contaminate the periocular skin or ocular surface. Conclusions: Dermatologists often encounter patients with bromhidrosis, therefore should be aware of treatment options. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate the use of topical glycopyrrolate as a therapeutic approach for bromhidrosis. Our findings suggest that topical glycopyrrolate has an excellent safety profile and demonstrate encouraging results for the management of this distressful condition.

Keywords: Bromhidrosis, glycopyrrolate, topical treatment, osmidrosis

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Authors: Bastian Waduge Naveen Harindu Hemasiri, Jae-Kwan Kim, Ji-Myon Lee

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Indium tin oxide (ITO) remains the industrial standard transparent conducting oxides with better performances. Recently, graphene becomes as a strong material with unique properties to replace the ITO. However, graphene/ITO hybrid composite material is a newly born field in the electronic world. In this study, the graphene/ITO composite bi-film was synthesized by a two steps process. 10 wt.% tin-doped, ITO thin films were produced by an environmentally friendly aqueous sol-gel spin coating technique with economical salts of In(NO3)3.H2O and SnCl4 without using organic additives. The wettability and surface free energy (97.6986 mJ/m2) enhanced oxygen plasma treated glass substrates were used to form voids free continuous ITO film. The spin-coated samples were annealed at 600 0C for 1 hour under low vacuum conditions to obtained crystallized, ITO film. The crystal structure and crystalline phases of ITO thin films were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) technique. The Scherrer equation was used to determine the crystallite size. Detailed information about chemical composition and elemental composition of the ITO film were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) coupled with FE-SEM respectively. Graphene synthesis was done under chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method by using Cu foil at 1000 0C for 1 min. The quality of the synthesized graphene was characterized by Raman spectroscopy (532nm excitation laser beam) and data was collected at room temperature and normal atmosphere. The surface and cross-sectional observation were done by using FE-SEM. The optical transmission and sheet resistance were measured by UV-Vis spectroscopy and four point probe head at room temperature respectively. Electrical properties were also measured by using V-I characteristics. XRD patterns reveal that the films contain the In2O3 phase only and exhibit the polycrystalline nature of the cubic structure with the main peak of (222) plane. The peak positions of In3d5/2 (444.28 eV) and Sn3d5/2 (486.7 eV) in XPS results indicated that indium and tin are in the oxide form only. The UV-visible transmittance shows 91.35 % at 550 nm with 5.88 x 10-3 Ωcm specific resistance. The G and 2D band in Raman spectroscopy of graphene appear at 1582.52 cm-1 and 2690.54 cm-1 respectively when the synthesized CVD graphene on SiO2/Si. The determined intensity ratios of 2D to G (I2D/IG) and D to G (ID/IG) were 1.531 and 0.108 respectively. However, the above-mentioned G and 2D peaks appear at 1573.57 cm-1 and 2668.14 cm-1 respectively when the CVD graphene on the ITO coated glass, the positions of G and 2D peaks were red shifted by 8.948 cm-1 and 22.396 cm-1 respectively. This graphene/ITO bi-film shows modified electrical properties when compares with sol-gel derived ITO film. The reduction of sheet resistance in the bi-film was 12.03 % from the ITO film. Further, the fabricated graphene/ITO bi-film shows 88.66 % transmittance at 550 nm wavelength.

Keywords: chemical vapor deposition, graphene, ITO, Raman Spectroscopy, sol-gel

Procedia PDF Downloads 260

Authors: Mohamad Najari, Gilbert Grondin, Marwan El-Rich

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Design trucks in standard codes are selected based on the amount of damage they cause on structures-specifically bridges- and roads to represent the real traffic loads. Some limited numbers of trucks are run on a bridge one at a time and the damage on the bridge is recorded for each truck. One design track is also run on the same bridge “n” times -“n” is the number of trucks used previously- to calculate the damage of the design truck on the same bridge. To make these damages equal a reduction factor is needed for that specific design truck in the codes. As the limited number of trucks cannot be the exact representative of real traffic through the life of the structure, these reduction factors are not accurately calculated and they should be modified accordingly. Started on July 2004, the vehicle load data were collected in six weigh in motion (WIM) sites owned by Alberta Transportation for eight consecutive years. This database includes more than 200 million trucks. Having these data gives the opportunity to compare the effect of any standard fatigue trucks weigh and the real traffic load on the fatigue life of the bridges which leads to a modification for the fatigue truck factor in the code. To calculate the damage for each truck, the truck is run on the bridge, moment history of the detail under study is recorded, stress range cycles are counted, and then damage is calculated using available S-N curves. A 2000 lines FORTRAN code has been developed to perform the analysis and calculate the damages of the trucks in the database for all eight fatigue categories according to Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CSA S-16). Stress cycles are counted using rain flow counting method. The modification factors for design truck (CL-625) are calculated for two different bridge configurations and ten span lengths varying from 1 m to 200 m. The two considered bridge configurations are single-span bridge and four span bridge. This was found to be sufficient and representative for a simply supported span, positive moment in end spans of bridges with two or more spans, positive moment in interior spans of three or more spans, and the negative moment at an interior support of multi-span bridges. The moment history of the mid span is recorded for single-span bridge and, exterior positive moment, interior positive moment, and support negative moment are recorded for four span bridge. The influence lines are expressed by a polynomial expression obtained from a regression analysis of the influence lines obtained from SAP2000. It is found that for design truck (CL-625) fatigue truck factor is varying from 0.35 to 0.55 depending on span lengths and bridge configuration. The detail results will be presented in the upcoming papers. This code can be used for any design trucks available in standard codes.

Keywords: bridge, fatigue, fatigue design truck, rain flow analysis, FORTRAN

Procedia PDF Downloads 521

Authors: Rebecca Johnson, Elizabeth Hoban

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Condom use among young men in Cambodia has declined between 2005 and 2014 which has public health implications such as increased risks of sexually transmitted infections, including HIV, and unplanned pregnancies. Conversations about sexual and reproductive health issues, including condom use, are not socially sanctioned in Cambodian society leaving young adults with limited knowledge of, and poor access to sexual and reproductive health services. Additionally, men play a dominant role in decision making regarding condom use within sexual partnerships. This study sought to fill a gap in knowledge by exploring young adult males’ attitudes, perceptions and behaviours regarding condom use. In February and March 2018, twenty young adult males, aged 18 to 24 years, were recruited from urban, peri urban and rural areas in Cambodia. The young adult males participated in a face-to-face semi structured interview that used an interview guide and photo elicitation method. The interview explored participants’ knowledge of sexual and reproductive health issues and efficacy, sexual behaviours, and use of condoms. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted and the following major themes emerged: understanding of reproduction, understanding of sexually transmitted infections, knowledge about condoms, condom use, access to condoms, and sexual behaviour. Participants’ knowledge of condoms and specific reasons for their use varied; most participants understood that condoms provide protection from sexually transmitted infections and prevent pregnancy. Stigma associated with condom access was consistently referred to as a problem and the main reason cited by young men for not using condoms during sexual intercourse. The perceived importance of condom use altered with partner type and relationship status, dependent upon the need for protection from sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy. Condoms were used for infection control in the context of multiple relationships, or as a contraceptive method for unmarried and some married couples. The majority of young men engaged in premarital sexual intercourse, of those men the many used condoms. The inconsistent use of condoms by young men in Cambodia is of public health concern because of the increased risk of sexually transmitted infections (including HIV), and unplanned pregnancy. Public health action is required in order to minimize long term health issues for individuals and the community. Health education is required to increase knowledge of condom use, sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and reduce the stigma associated with this topic. Sustainable health promotion programs are needed to increase ease of access to condoms for young people. Public health policy in Cambodia needs to be reviewed to improve sexual and reproductive health outcomes for young adults.

Keywords: Cambodia, condom use, sexual and reproductive health, young adult males

Procedia PDF Downloads 130

Authors: Joseph Ndegwa

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Changes are required if energy systems are to foster long-term growth. The main problems are increasing access to inexpensive, dependable, and sufficient energy supply while addressing environmental implications at all levels. Policies can help to promote sustainable development by providing adequate and inexpensive energy sources to underserved regions, such as liquid and gaseous fuels for cooking and electricity for household and commercial usage. Promoting energy efficiency. Increased utilization of new renewables. Spreading and implementing additional innovative energy technologies. Markets can achieve many of these goals with the correct policies, pricing, and regulations. However, if markets do not work or fail to preserve key public benefits, tailored government policies, programs, and regulations can achieve policy goals. The main strategies for promoting sustainable energy systems are simple. However, they need a broader recognition of the difficulties we confront, as well as a firmer commitment to specific measures. Making markets operate better by minimizing pricing distortions, boosting competition, and removing obstacles to energy efficiency are among the measures. Complementing the reform of the energy industry with policies that promote sustainable energy. Increasing investments in renewable energy. Increasing the rate of technical innovation at each level of the energy innovation chain. Fostering technical leadership in underdeveloped nations by transferring technology and enhancing institutional and human capabilities. promoting more international collaboration. Governments, international organizations, multilateral financial institutions, and civil society—including local communities, business and industry, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and consumers—all have critical enabling roles to play in the problem of sustainable energy. Partnerships based on integrated and cooperative approaches and drawing on real-world experience will be necessary. Setting the required framework conditions and ensuring that public institutions collaborate effectively and efficiently with the rest of society are common themes across all industries and geographical areas in order to achieve sustainable development. Powerful tools for sustainable development include energy. However, significant policy adjustments within the larger enabling framework will be necessary to refocus its influence in order to achieve that aim. Many of the options currently accessible will be lost or the price of their ultimate realization (where viable) will grow significantly if such changes don't take place during the next several decades and aren't started right enough. In any case, it would seriously impair the capacity of future generations to satisfy their demands.

Keywords: sustainable development, reliable, price, policy

Procedia PDF Downloads 67

Authors: Eugene C. Lim

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This paper seeks to examine the extent to which ‘forum shopping’ is available to patent filers seeking protection of GMO (genetically modified organisms)-based inventions in Hong Kong. Under Hong Kong’s current re-registration system for standard patents, an inventor must first seek patent protection from one of three Designated Patent Offices (DPO) – those of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), the Europe Union (EU) (designating the UK), or the United Kingdom (UK). The ‘designated patent’ can then be re-registered by the successful patentee in Hong Kong. Interestingly, however, the EU and the PRC do not adopt a harmonized approach toward the patenting of GMOs, and there are discrepancies in their interpretation of the phrase ‘animal or plant variety’. In view of these divergences, the ability to effectively manage ‘conflict of law’ issues is an important priority for multinational biotechnology firms with a patent portfolio in the Greater China region. Generally speaking, both the EU and the PRC exclude ‘animal and plant varieties’ from the scope of patentable subject matter. However, in the EU, Article 4(2) of the Biotechnology Directive allows a genetically modified plant or animal to be patented if its ‘technical feasibility is not limited to a specific variety’. This principle has allowed for certain ‘transgenic’ mammals, such as the ‘Harvard Oncomouse’, to be the subject of a successful patent grant in the EU. There is no corresponding provision on ‘technical feasibility’ in the patent legislation of the PRC. Although the PRC has a sui generis system for protecting plant varieties, its patent legislation allows the patenting of non-biological methods for producing transgenic organisms, not the ‘organisms’ themselves. This might lead to a situation where an inventor can obtain patent protection in Hong Kong over transgenic life forms through the re-registration of a patent from a more ‘biotech-friendly’ DPO, even though the subject matter in question might not be patentable per se in the PRC. Through a comparative doctrinal analysis of legislative provisions, cases and court interpretations, this paper argues that differences in the protection afforded to GMOs do not generally prejudice the ability of global MNCs to obtain patent protection in Hong Kong. Corporations which are able to first obtain patents for GMO-based inventions in Europe can generally use their European patent as the basis for re-registration in Hong Kong, even if such protection might not be available in the PRC itself. However, the more restrictive approach to GMO-based patents adopted in the PRC would be more acutely felt by enterprises and inventors based in mainland China. The broader scope of protection offered to GMO-based patents in Europe might not be available in Hong Kong to mainland Chinese patentees under the current re-registration model for standard patents, unless they have the resources to apply for patent protection as well from another (European) DPO as the basis for re-registration.

Keywords: biotechnology, forum shopping, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), greater China region, patent portfolio

Procedia PDF Downloads 327

Authors: Beatrice Arthur

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The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed various industries, enabling faster and more accurate decision-making processes. However, with these advancements come increased risks, including data privacy issues, systemic biases, and challenges related to transparency and accountability. As AI technologies become more integrated into business processes, there is a growing need for comprehensive auditing and assurance frameworks to manage these risks and ensure ethical use. This paper provides a literature review on AI auditing and assurance programs, highlighting the importance of adapting traditional audit methodologies to the complexities of AI-driven systems. Objective: The objective of this review is to explore current AI audit practices and their role in mitigating risks, ensuring accountability, and fostering trust in AI systems. The study aims to provide a structured framework for developing audit programs tailored to AI technologies while also investigating how AI impacts governance, risk management, and regulatory compliance in various sectors. Methodology: This research synthesizes findings from academic publications and industry reports from 2014 to 2024, focusing on the intersection of AI technologies and IT assurance practices. The study employs a qualitative review of existing audit methodologies and frameworks, particularly the COBIT 2019 framework, to understand how audit processes can be aligned with AI governance and compliance standards. The review also considers real-time auditing as an emerging necessity for influencing AI system design during early development stages. Outcomes: Preliminary findings indicate that while AI auditing is still in its infancy, it is rapidly gaining traction as both a risk management strategy and a potential driver of business innovation. Auditors are increasingly being called upon to develop controls that address the ethical and operational risks posed by AI systems. The study highlights the need for continuous monitoring and adaptable audit techniques to handle the dynamic nature of AI technologies. Future Directions: Future research will explore the development of AI-specific audit tools and real-time auditing capabilities that can keep pace with evolving technologies. There is also a need for cross-industry collaboration to establish universal standards for AI auditing, particularly in high-risk sectors like healthcare and finance. Further work will involve engaging with industry practitioners and policymakers to refine the proposed governance and audit frameworks. Funding/Support Acknowledgements: This research is supported by the Information Systems Assurance Management Program at Concordia University of Edmonton.

Keywords: AI auditing, assurance, risk management, governance, COBIT 2019, transparency, accountability, machine learning, compliance

Procedia PDF Downloads 26

Authors: Fiona Jensen, Barb Goodwin, Nancy Kleiman, Rhonda Usunier

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Background: Clinical simulation is now a common component in many health profession curricula in preparation for clinical practice. In the Rady Faculty of Health Sciences (RFHS) college leads in simulation and interprofessional (IP) education, planned an eight hour simulated hospital day shift, where seventy students from six health professions across two campuses, learned with each other in a safe, realistic environment. Learning about interprofessional collaboration, an expected competency for many health professions upon graduation, was a primary focus of the simulation event. Method: Faculty representatives from the Colleges of Nursing, Medicine, Pharmacy and Rehabilitation Sciences (Physical Therapy, Occupation Therapy, Respiratory Therapy) and Pharmacy worked together to plan the IP event in a simulation facility in the College of Nursing. Each college provided a faculty mentor to guide the same profession students. Students were placed in interprofessional teams consisting of a nurse, physician, pharmacist, and then sharing respiratory, occupational, and physical therapists across the team depending on the needs of the patients. Eight patient scenarios were role played by health profession students, who had been provided with their patient’s story shortly before the event. Each team was guided by a facilitator. Results and Outcomes: On the morning of the event, all students gathered in a large group to meet mentors and facilitators and have a brief overview of the six competencies for effective collaboration and the session objectives. The students assuming their same profession roles were provided with their patient’s chart at the beginning of the shift, met with their team, and then completed professional specific assessments. Shortly into the shift, IP team rounds began, facilitated by the team facilitator. During the shift, each patient role-played a spontaneous health incident, which required collaboration between the IP team members for assessment and management. The afternoon concluded with team rounds, a collaborative management plan, and a facilitated de-brief. Conclusions: During the de-brief sessions, students responded to set questions related to the session learning objectives and expressed many positive learning moments. We believe that we have a sustainable simulation IP collaborative learning opportunity, which can be embedded into curricula, and has the capacity to grow to include more health profession faculties and students. Opportunities are being explored in the RFHS at the administrative level, to offer this event more frequently in the academic year to reach more students. In addition, a formally structured event evaluation tool would provide important feedback and inform the qualitative feedback to event organizers and the colleges about the significance of the simulation event to student learning.

Keywords: simulation, collaboration, teams, interprofessional

Procedia PDF Downloads 131

Authors: Rochelle Yun Ge

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University has played an active role in the country’s development in China. There has been an increasing research interest on the development of higher education cooperation, talent cultivation and attraction, and innovation in the regional development. The Triple Helix model, which indicates that regional innovation and development can be engendered by collaboration among university, industry and government, is often adopted as research framework. The research using triple helix model emphasizes the active and often leading role of university in knowledge-based economy. Within this framework, universities are conceptualized as key institutions of knowledge production, transmission and transference potentially making critical contributions to regional development. Recent research almost uniformly consistent in indicating the high-level research labours (i.e., doctoral, post-doctoral researchers and academics) as important actors in the innovation ecosystem with their cross-geographical human capital and resources presented. In 2019, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) was officially launched as an important strategy by the Chinese government to boost the regional development of the Pearl River Delta and to support the realization of “One Belt One Road” strategy. Human Capital formation is at the center of this plan. One of the strategic goals of the GBA development is set to evolve into an international educational hub and innovation center with high-level talents. A number of policies have been issued to attract and cultivate human resources in different GBA cities, in particular for the high-level R&D (research and development) talents such as doctoral and post-doctoral researchers. To better understand the development of high-level talents hub in the GBA, more empirical considerations should be given to explore the approaches of talents cultivation and attraction in the GBA. What remains to explore is the ways to better attract, train, support and retain these talents in the cross-systems context. This paper aims to investigate the role of university in human capital development under China’s national agenda of GBA integration through the lens of universities and actors. Two flagship comprehensive universities are selected to be the cases and 30 interviews with university officials, research leaders, post-doctors and doctoral candidates are used for analysis. In particular, we look at in what ways have universities aligned their strategies and practices to the Chinese government’s GBA development strategy? What strategies and practices have been developed by universities for the cultivation and attraction of high-level research labor? And what impacts the universities have made for the regional development? The main arguments of this research highlights the specific ways in which universities in smaller sub-regions can collaborate in high-level human capital formation and the role policy can play in facilitating such collaborations.

Keywords: university, human capital, regional development, triple-helix model

Procedia PDF Downloads 113

Authors: M. N. Baig, F. N. Khan, M. Junaid

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Titanium alloys are widely employed in aerospace, medical, chemical, and marine applications. These alloys offer many advantages such as low specific weight, high strength to weight ratio, excellent corrosion resistance, high melting point and good fatigue behavior. These attractive properties make titanium alloys very unique and therefore they require special attention in all areas of processing, especially welding. In this work, 1.6 mm thick sheets of Ti-5Al-2,5Sn, an alpha titanium (α-Ti) alloy, were welded using electron beam (EBW) and laser beam (LBW) welding processes to achieve a full penetration Bead-on Plate (BoP) configuration. The weldments were studied using polarized optical microscope, SEM, EDS and XRD. Microhardness distribution across the weld zone and smooth and notch tensile strengths of the weldments were also recorded. Residual stresses using Hole-drill Strain Measurement (HDSM) method and deformation patterns of the weldments were measured for the purpose of comparison of the two welding processes. Fusion zone widths of both EBW and LBW weldments were found to be approximately equivalent owing to fairly similar high power densities of both the processes. Relatively less oxide content and consequently high joint quality were achieved in EBW weldment as compared to LBW due to vacuum environment and absence of any shielding gas. However, an increase in heat-affected zone width and partial ά-martensitic transformation infusion zone of EBW weldment were observed because of lesser cooling rates associated with EBW as compared with LBW. The microstructure infusion zone of EBW weldment comprised both acicular α and ά martensite within the prior β grains whereas complete ά martensitic transformation was observed within the fusion zone of LBW weldment. Hardness of the fusion zone in EBW weldment was found to be lower than the fusion zone of LBW weldment due to the observed microstructural differences. Notch tensile specimen of LBW exhibited higher load capacity, ductility, and absorbed energy as compared with EBW specimen due to the presence of high strength ά martensitic phase. It was observed that the sheet deformation and deformation angle in EBW weldment were more than LBW weldment due to relatively more heat retention in EBW which led to more thermal strains and hence higher deformations and deformation angle. The lowest residual stresses were found in LBW weldments which were tensile in nature. This was owing to high power density and higher cooling rates associated with LBW process. EBW weldment exhibited highest compressive residual stresses due to which the service life of EBW weldment is expected to improve.

Keywords: Laser and electron beam welding, Microstructure and mechanical properties, Residual stress and distortions, Titanium alloys

Procedia PDF Downloads 229

Authors: Walter Sebron, Hans Tschürtz, Peter Krebs

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The choice of applicable analysis methods in safety or systems engineering depends on the depth of knowledge about a system, and on the respective lifecycle phase. However, the analysis method chain still shows gaps as it should support system analysis during the lifecycle of a system from a rough concept in pre-project phase until end-of-life. This paper’s goal is to discuss an analysis method, the VISSE Shell Model Analysis (VISMA) method, which aims at closing the gap in the early system lifecycle phases, like the conceptual or pre-project phase, or the project start phase. It was originally developed to aid in the definition of the system boundary of electronic system parts, like e.g. a control unit for a pump motor. Furthermore, it can be also applied to non-electronic system parts. The VISMA method is a graphical sketch-like method that stratifies a system and its parts in inner and outer shells, like the layers of an onion. It analyses a system in a two-step approach, from the innermost to the outermost components followed by the reverse direction. To ensure a complete view of a system and its environment, the VISMA should be performed by (multifunctional) development teams. To introduce the method, a set of rules and guidelines has been defined in order to enable a proper shell build-up. In the first step, the innermost system, named system under consideration (SUC), is selected, which is the focus of the subsequent analysis. Then, its directly adjacent components, responsible for providing input to and receiving output from the SUC, are identified. These components are the content of the first shell around the SUC. Next, the input and output components to the components in the first shell are identified and form the second shell around the first one. Continuing this way, shell by shell is added with its respective parts until the border of the complete system (external border) is reached. Last, two external shells are added to complete the system view, the environment and the use case shell. This system view is also stored for future use. In the second step, the shells are examined in the reverse direction (outside to inside) in order to remove superfluous components or subsystems. Input chains to the SUC, as well as output chains from the SUC are described graphically via arrows, to highlight functional chains through the system. As a result, this method offers a clear and graphical description and overview of a system, its main parts and environment; however, the focus still remains on a specific SUC. It helps to identify the interfaces and interfacing components of the SUC, as well as important external interfaces of the overall system. It supports the identification of the first internal and external hazard causes and causal chains. Additionally, the method promotes a holistic picture and cross-functional understanding of a system, its contributing parts, internal relationships and possible dangers within a multidisciplinary development team.

Keywords: analysis methods, functional safety, hazard identification, system and safety engineering, system boundary definition, system safety

Procedia PDF Downloads 226

Authors: K. Petrosyan, R. Piwowarczyk, K. Ruraż, S. Thijs, J. Vangronsveld, W. Kaca

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Holoparasitic plants are flowering heterotrophic angiosperms which with the help of an absorbing organ - haustorium, attach to another plant, the so-called the host. Due to the different hosts, unusual lifestyle, lack of roots, chlorophylls and photosynthesis, these plants are interesting and unique study objects for global biodiversity. The seeds germination of the parasitic plants also is unique: they germinate only in response to germination stimulants, namely strigolactones produced by the root of an appropriate host. Resistance of the seeds on different environmental conditions allow them to stay viable in the soil for more than 20 years. Among the wide range of plant protection mechanisms the endophytic communities have a specific role. In this way, they have the potential to mitigate the impacts of adverse conditions such as soil salinization. The major objective of our study was to compare the bacterial endo-microbiomes from seeds of two holoparasitic plants from Orobanchaceae family, Cistanche – C. armena (Armenia) and C. phelypaea (Portugal) – from saline habitats different in soil water status. The research aimed to perform how environmental conditions influence on the diversity of the bacterial communities of C. armena and C. phelypaea seeds. This was achieved by comparison of the endophytic microbiomes of two species and isolation of culturable bacteria. A combination of culture-dependent and molecular techniques was employed for the identification of the seed endomicrobiome (culturable and unculturable). Using the V3-V4 hypervariable region of the 16S rRNA gene, four main taxa were identified: Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, but the relative proportion of the taxa was different in each type of seed. Generally, sixteen phyla, 323 genera and 710 bacterial species were identified, mainly Gram negative, halotolerant bacteria with an environmental origin. However, also some unclassified and unexplored taxonomic groups were found in the seeds of both plants. 16S rRNA gene sequencing analysis from both species identified the gram positive, endospore forming, halotolerant and alkaliphile Bacillus spp. which suggests that the endophytic bacteria of examined seeds possess traits that are correlated with the natural habitat of their hosts. The cultivable seed endophytes from C. armena and C. phelypaea were rather similar, notwithstanding the big distances between their growth habitats - Armenia and Portugal. Although the seed endophytic microbiomes of C. armena and C. phelypaea contain a high number of common bacterial taxa, also remarkable differences exist. We demonstrated that the environmental conditions or abiotic stresses influence on diversity of the bacterial communities of holoparasiotic seeds. To the best of our knowledge the research is the first report of endophytes from seeds of holoparasitic Cistanche armena and C. phelypaea plants.

Keywords: microbiome, parasitic plant, salinity, seeds

Procedia PDF Downloads 73

Authors: Klaus Froehlich-Gildhoff, Ullrich Boettinger, Katharina Rauh, Angela Schickler

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The Prevention Network Ortenaukreis, PNO, funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research, aims to promote physical and mental health as well as the social inclusion of 3 to 10 years old children and their families in the Ortenau district. Within a period of four years starting 11/2014 a community network will be established. One regional and five local prevention representatives are building networks with stakeholders of the prevention and health promotion field bridging the health care, educational and youth welfare system in a multidisciplinary approach. The regional prevention representative implements regularly convening prevention and health conferences. On a local level, the 5 local prevention representatives implement round tables in each area as a platform for networking. In the setting approach, educational institutions are playing a vital role when gaining access to children and their families. Thus the project will offer 18 month long organizational development processes with specially trained coaches to 25 kindergarten and 25 primary schools. The process is based on a curriculum of prevention and health promotion which is adapted to the specific needs of the institutions. Also to ensure that the entire region is reached demand oriented advanced education courses are implemented at participating day care centers, kindergartens and schools. Evaluation method: The project is accompanied by an extensive research design to evaluate the outcomes of different project components such as interview data from community prevention agents, interviews and network analysis with families at risk on their support structures, data on community network development and monitoring, as well as data from kindergarten and primary schools. The latter features a waiting-list control group evaluation in kindergarten and primary schools with a mixed methods design using questionnaires and interviews with pedagogues, teachers, parents, and children. Results: By the time of the conference pre and post test data from the kindergarten samples (treatment and control group) will be presented, as well as data from the first project phase, such as qualitative interviews with the prevention coordinators as well as mixed methods data from the community needs assessment. In supporting this project, the Federal Ministry aims to gain insight into efficient components of community prevention and health promotion networks as it is implemented and evaluated. The district will serve as a model region, so that successful components can be transferred to other regions throughout Germany. Accordingly, the transferability to other regions is of high interest in this project.

Keywords: childhood research, health promotion, physical health, prevention network, psychological well-being, social inclusion

Procedia PDF Downloads 223

Authors: Tanvi Rajesh Sanghavi

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Introduction: Neurodiversity is a concept which captures the different ways in which everyone's brain functions and is considered as part of normal variation. It is a strength-based approach which focuses on the individual's strengths and capabilities and believes in providing support wherever necessary. In many parts of the world, those diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder have been ostracized and ridiculed due to their sensory and communication differences. Hence, it becomes important for the teachers to have knowledge about autism and understand the needs of children with Autism. Need: India is rich in terms of culture, languages and religious diversity. It is important to study neurodiversity in such a population for better understanding of neurodiverse individuals and appropriate intervention. Aim & objectives: This study seeks teachers' knowledge of the causes, traits and educational requirements of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It also aims to find out whether mainstream schools actually provide training programs to the teachers to manage such children along with the necessary accommodations. Method: The current study was a cross-sectional study conducted among school teachers. A total of 30 school teachers were taken for the study. The participants were enrolled after informed consent. The participants were directed to a google form consisting of objective questions. The first part of the questionnaire elicited information about school, teaching experience, qualification, etc. There were specific questions extracting details on attending/conducting sensitization and professional programs in regard to care for autistic children. The second part of the questionnaire consisted of some basic questions on the teacher’s understanding of diagnosis, traits, causes, road to recovery and understanding the educational and communication needs of autistic children from the teacher’s perspective. The responses were tabulated and analyzed descriptively. Results: Most of the teachers had 5–10 years of teaching experience. The majority of the teachers used the term “special child” for autistic children. Around 54.8% (17 teachers) of the total teachers felt that the parents of autistic children should teach their child to learn adaptive skills and 41.9% of the teachers felt that they should take medical intervention. About 50% of the teachers felt that the cause of autism is related to pre-natal maternal factors and about 40% felt that its cause is genetic. Only a small percentage of teachers felt that they were trained to manage the children with autism. More than 50% of the teachers mentioned that their schools do not conduct training programs for managing these children. Discussion & Conclusion: In this study, the knowledge and perspectives of teachers on children with ASD were studied. The most widely held contemporary belief is that genetic factors play a major part in the development of ASD, although the existing evidence is muddled, with numerous opposing perspectives on the nature of this mechanism. It is worth noting that any culture's level of humanity is mirrored in how that society "treats" its vulnerable population.

Keywords: autism, neurodiversity, awareness, education

Procedia PDF Downloads 18

Authors: Alejandro Cittadino, David Allende

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Landfilling of municipal solid waste is a common waste management practice in Argentina as in many parts of the world. There is extensive scientific literature on the potential negative effects of landfill leachates on the environment, so it’s necessary to be rigorous with the control and monitoring systems. Due to the specific municipal solid waste composition in Argentina, local landfill leachates contain large amounts of organic matter (biodegradable, but also refractory to biodegradation), as well as ammonia-nitrogen, small trace of some heavy metals, and inorganic salts. In order to investigate the surface water quality in the Reconquista river adjacent to the Norte III landfill, water samples both upstream and downstream the dumpsite are quarterly collected and analyzed for 43 parameters including organic matter, heavy metals, and inorganic salts, as required by the local standards. The objective of this study is to apply a water quality index that considers the leachate characteristics in order to determine the quality status of the watercourse through the landfill. The water pollution index method has been widely used in water quality assessments, particularly rivers, and it has played an increasingly important role in water resource management, since it provides a number simple enough for the public to understand, that states the overall water quality at a certain location and time. The chosen water quality index (ICA) is based on the values of six parameters: dissolved oxygen (in mg/l and percent saturation), temperature, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5), ammonia-nitrogen and chloride (Cl-) concentration. The index 'ICA' was determined both upstream and downstream the Reconquista river, being the rating scale between 0 (very poor water quality) and 10 (excellent water quality). The monitoring results indicated that the water quality was unaffected by possible leachate runoff since the index scores upstream and downstream were ranked in the same category, although in general, most of the samples were classified as having poor water quality according to the index’s scale. The annual averaged ICA index scores (computed quarterly) were 4.9, 3.9, 4.4 and 5.0 upstream and 3.9, 5.0, 5.1 and 5.0 downstream the river during the study period between 2014 and 2017. Additionally, the water quality seemed to exhibit distinct seasonal variations, probably due to annual precipitation patterns in the study area. The ICA water quality index appears to be appropriate to evaluate landfill impacts since it accounts mainly for organic pollution and inorganic salts and the absence of heavy metals in the local leachate composition, however, the inclusion of other parameters could be more decisive in discerning the affected stream reaches from the landfill activities. A future work may consider adding to the index other parameters like total organic carbon (TOC) and total suspended solids (TSS) since they are present in the leachate in high concentrations.

Keywords: landfill, leachate, surface water, water quality index

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Authors: Chien-Chun Huang, Yi-U Chiou, Chiun-C.R. Wang

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For longer shelf life of noodles, air-dried method is the traditional way for the noodle preparation. Microwave drying has the specific advantage of rapid and uniform heating due to the penetration of microwaves into the body of the product. Microwave-assisted facility offers a quick and energy saving method during food dehydration as compares to the conventional air-dried method. Recently, numerous studies in the rheological characteristics of pasta or spaghetti were carried out with microwave–assisted air driers and many agricultural products were dried successfully. There are few researches about the evaluation of physicochemical characteristics and cooking quality of microwave-assisted air dried salted noodles. The purposes of this study were to compare the difference between conventional and microwave-assisted drying method on the physicochemical properties and eating quality of rice bran noodles. Three different microwave power including 0.5 KW, 0.75 KW and 1.0 KW installing with 50℃ hot air were applied for dehydration of rice bran noodles in this study. Three proportion of rice bran ranging in 0-20% were incorporated into salted noodles processing. The appearance, optimum cooking time, cooking yield and losses, textural profiles analysis, sensory evaluation of rice bran noodles were measured in this study. The results indicated that high power (1.0 KW) microwave facility caused partially burnt and porous on the surface of rice bran noodles. However, no characteristic of noodle was appeared on the surface of noodles preparing by low power (0.5 KW) microwave facility. The optimum cooking time of noodles was decreased as higher power microwave or higher proportion of rice bran was incorporated into noodles preparation. The higher proportion of rice bran (20%) or higher power of microwave-assisted dried noodles obtained the higher color intensity and the higher cooking losses as compared with conventional air dried noodles. The firmness of cooked rice bran noodles slightly decreased in the cooked noodles which were dried by high power microwave-assisted method. The shearing force, tensile strength, elasticity and texture profiles of cooked rice noodles decreased with the progress of the proportion of rice bran. The results of sensory evaluation indicated conventional dried noodles obtained the higher springiness, cohesiveness and acceptability of cooked noodles than high power (1.0 KW) microwave-assisted dried noodles. However, low power (0.5 KW) microwave-assisted dried noodles showed the comparable sensory attributes and acceptability with conventional dried noodles. Moreover, the sensory attributes including firmness, springiness, cohesiveness decreased, but stickiness increased, with the increases of rice bran proportion. These results inferred that incorporation of lower proportion of rice bran and lower power microwave-assisted dried noodles processing could produce faster cooking time and acceptable quality of cooked noodles as compared to conventional dried noodles.

Keywords: microwave-assisted drying method, physicochemical characteristics, rice bran noodles, sensory evaluation

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Authors: Masih Nikgou

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ICU nurses or intensive care nurses are highly specialized and trained healthcare personnel. These nurses provide nursing care for patients with life-threatening illnesses or conditions. They provide the experience, knowledge and specialized skills that patients need to survive and recover. Intensive care nurses (ICU) are trained to make momentary decisions and act quickly when the patient's condition changes. Their primary work environment is in the hospital in intensive care units. Typically, ICU patients require a high level of care. ICU nurses work in challenging and complex fields in their nursing profession. They have the primary duty of caring for and saving patients who are fighting for their lives. Intensive care (ICU) nurses are highly trained to provide exceptional care to patients who depend on 24/7 nursing care. A patient in the ICU is often equipped with a ventilator, intubated and connected to several life support machines and medical equipment. Intensive Care Nurses (ICU) have full expertise in considering all aspects of bringing back their patients. Some of the specific responsibilities of ICU nurses include (a) Assessing and monitoring the patient's progress and identifying any sudden changes in the patient's medical condition. (b) Administration of drugs intravenously by injection or through gastric tubes. (c) Provide regular updates on patient progress to physicians, patients, and their families. (d) According to the clinical condition of the patient, perform the approved diagnostic or treatment methods. (e) In case of a health emergency, informing the relevant doctors. (f) To determine the need for emergency interventions, evaluate laboratory data and vital signs of patients. (g) Caring for patient needs during recovery in the ICU. (h) ICU nurses often provide emotional support to patients and their families. (i) Regulating and monitoring medical equipment and devices such as medical ventilators, oxygen delivery devices, transducers, and pressure lines. (j) Assessment of pain level and sedation needs of patients. (k) Maintaining patient reports and records. As the name suggests, critical care nurses work primarily in ICU health care units. ICUs are completely healthy and have proper lighting with strict adherence to health and safety from medical centers. ICU nurses usually move between the intensive care unit, the emergency department, the operating room, and other special departments of the hospital. ICU nurses usually follow a standard shift schedule that includes morning, afternoon, and night schedules. There are also other relocation programs depending on the hospital and region. Nurses who are passionate about data and managing a patient's condition and outcomes typically do well as ICU nurses. An inquisitive mind and attention to processes are equally important. ICU nurses are completely compassionate and are not afraid to advocate for their patients and family members. who are distressed.

Keywords: nursing, intensive care unit, pediatric intensive care unit, mobile intensive care unit, surgical intensive care unite

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Authors: Fatemeh Sadeghi, Peyman Sheikhzadeh

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Introduction: Block Sequential Regularized Expectation Maximization (BSREM) reconstruction algorithm was recently developed to suppress excessive noise by applying a relative difference penalty. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of various strengths of noise penalization factor in the BSREM algorithm under different acquisition duration and lesion sizes in order to determine an optimum penalty factor by considering both quantitative and qualitative image evaluation parameters in clinical uses. Materials and Methods: The NEMA IQ phantom and 15 clinical whole-body patients with prostate cancer were evaluated. Phantom and patients were injected withGallium-68 Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen(68 Ga-PSMA)and scanned on a non-time-of-flight Discovery IQ Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography(PET/CT) scanner with BGO crystals. The data were reconstructed using BSREM with a β-value of 100-500 at an interval of 100. These reconstructions were compared to OSEM as a widely used reconstruction algorithm. Following the standard NEMA measurement procedure, background variability (BV), recovery coefficient (RC), contrast recovery (CR) and residual lung error (LE) from phantom data and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), signal-to-background ratio (SBR) and tumor SUV from clinical data were measured. Qualitative features of clinical images visually were ranked by one nuclear medicine expert. Results: The β-value acts as a noise suppression factor, so BSREM showed a decreasing image noise with an increasing β-value. BSREM, with a β-value of 400 at a decreased acquisition duration (2 min/ bp), made an approximately equal noise level with OSEM at an increased acquisition duration (5 min/ bp). For the β-value of 400 at 2 min/bp duration, SNR increased by 43.7%, and LE decreased by 62%, compared with OSEM at a 5 min/bp duration. In both phantom and clinical data, an increase in the β-value is translated into a decrease in SUV. The lowest level of SUV and noise were reached with the highest β-value (β=500), resulting in the highest SNR and lowest SBR due to the greater noise reduction than SUV reduction at the highest β-value. In compression of BSREM with different β-values, the relative difference in the quantitative parameters was generally larger for smaller lesions. As the β-value decreased from 500 to 100, the increase in CR was 160.2% for the smallest sphere (10mm) and 12.6% for the largest sphere (37mm), and the trend was similar for SNR (-58.4% and -20.5%, respectively). BSREM visually was ranked more than OSEM in all Qualitative features. Conclusions: The BSREM algorithm using more iteration numbers leads to more quantitative accuracy without excessive noise, which translates into higher overall image quality and lesion detectability. This improvement can be used to shorter acquisition time.

Keywords: BSREM reconstruction, PET/CT imaging, noise penalization, quantification accuracy

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Authors: Ujjwall Sai Sunder Uppuluri

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Group theory is a powerful tool that researchers can use to provide a structural foundation for their Agent Based Models. These Agent Based models are argued by this paper to be the future of the Social Science Disciplines. More specifically, researchers can use them to apply evolutionary theory to the study of complex social systems. This paper illustrates one such example of how theoretically an Agent Based Model can be formulated from the application of Group Theory, Systems Dynamics, and Evolutionary Biology to analyze the strategies pursued by states to mitigate risk and maximize usage of resources to achieve the objective of economic growth. This example can be applied to other social phenomena and this makes group theory so useful to the analysis of complex systems, because the theory provides the mathematical formulaic proof for validating the complex system models that researchers build and this will be discussed by the paper. The aim of this research, is to also provide researchers with a framework that can be used to model political entities such as states on a 3-dimensional plane. The x-axis representing resources (tangible and intangible) available to them, y the risks, and z the objective. There also exist other states with different constraints pursuing different strategies to climb the mountain. This mountain’s environment is made up of risks the state faces and resource endowments. This mountain is also layered in the sense that it has multiple peaks that must be overcome to reach the tallest peak. A state that sticks to a single strategy or pursues a strategy that is not conducive to the climbing of that specific peak it has reached is not able to continue advancement. To overcome the obstacle in the state’s path, it must innovate. Based on the definition of a group, we can categorize each state as being its own group. Each state is a closed system, one which is made up of micro level agents who have their own vectors and pursue strategies (actions) to achieve some sub objectives. The state also has an identity, the inverse being anarchy and/or inaction. Finally, the agents making up a state interact with each other through competition and collaboration to mitigate risks and achieve sub objectives that fall within the primary objective. Thus, researchers can categorize the state as an organism that reflects the sum of the output of the interactions pursued by agents at the micro level. When states compete, they employ a strategy and that state which has the better strategy (reflected by the strategies pursued by her parts) is able to out-compete her counterpart to acquire some resource, mitigate some risk or fulfil some objective. This paper will attempt to illustrate how group theory combined with evolutionary theory and systems dynamics can allow researchers to model the long run development, evolution, and growth of political entities through the use of a bottom up approach.

Keywords: complex systems, evolutionary theory, group theory, international political economy

Procedia PDF Downloads 140