Search results for: Total horizontal derivative

Authors: Adha Bayu Wijaya, A. Zainal Abidin, Naufal Baihaqi, Joko Suprayitno, Astika Titistiti, Muslim Adi Wijaya, Endah Tri Lestari, Agung Wibowo

Abstract:

Sulfur is a non-metallic chemical element in the form of a yellow crystalline solid with the chemical formula, and is formed from several types of natural and artificial chemical reactions. Commercial applications of sulfur processed products can be found in various aspects of life, for example in the use of processed sulfur as paving blocks. The Gundih Central Processing Plant (CPP) is capable of producing 14 tons/day of sulfur pellets. This amount comes from the high H2S content of the wells with a total concentration of 20,000 ppm and a volume accumulation of 14 MMSCFD acid gas. H2S is converted to sulfur using the thiobacillus microbe in the Biological Sulfur Recovery Unit (BSRU) with a sulfur product purity level greater than 95%. In 2018 sulfur production at Gundih CPP was recorded at 4044 tons which could potentially trigger serious problems from an environmental aspect. The use of sulfur as material for making paving blocks is an alternative solution in addressing the potential impact on the environment, as regulated by Government Regulation No.22 of Year 2021 concerning the Waste Management of Non-Hazardous and Toxic Substances (B3), and the high cost of handling sulfur by third parties. The design mix of ratio sulfur paving blocks is 22% cements, rock ash 67%, and 11% of sulfur pellets. The sulfur used in making the paving mixture is pure sulfur, namely the side product category without any contaminants, thereby eliminating the potential for environmental pollution when implementing sulfur paving. Strength tests of sulfur paving materials have also been confirmed by external laboratories. The standard used in making sulfur paving blocks refers to the SNI 03-0691-1996 standard. With the results of sulfur paving blocks made according to quality B. Currently, sulfur paving blocks are used in building access to wells locations and in public roads in the Cepu Field area as a contribution from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

Keywords: sulphur, innovation, paving block, CSR, sulphur paving

Procedia PDF Downloads 74

Authors: Mireya Mateo Gomez

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions first-generation Mexican origin mothers living in San Diego have on postpartum depression (PPD), with a special focus on social influences and cultural beliefs towards those meanings. This study also aimed to examine possible PPD help-seeking behaviors that first-generation Mexican origin mothers can perform. The Health Belief Model (HBM) and Social Ecological Model (SEM) were the guiding theoretical frameworks for this study. Data for this study were collected from three focus groups, four in-depth interviews, and the distribution of an acculturation survey (ARSMA II). There were a total of 15 participants, in which participant’s mean age was 45, and the mean age migrated to the United States being 22. Most participants identified as being married, born in Southern or Western Mexico, and with a strong Mexican identity in relation to the ARSMA survey. Participants identified four salient PPD perceptions corresponding to the interpersonal level of SEM. These four main perceptions were: 1) PPD affecting the identity of motherhood; 2) PPD being a natural part of a mother’s experience but mitigated by networks; 3) PPD being a U.S. phenomenon due to family and community breakdown; and 4) natural remedies as a preferred PPD treatment. In regard to themes relating to help seeking behaviors, participants identified seven being: 1) seeking help from immediate family members; 2) practicing home remedies; 3) seeking help from a medical professional; 4) obtaining help from a clinic or organization; 5) seeking help from God; 6) participating in PPD support groups; and 7) talking to a friend. It was evident in this study that postpartum depression is not a well discussed topic within the Mexican immigrant population. In relation to the role culture and social influences have on PPD perceptions, most participants shared hearing or learning about PPD from their family members or friends. Participants also stated seeking help from family members if diagnosed with PPD and seeking out home remedies. This study as well provides suggestions to increase the awareness of PPD among the Mexican immigrant community.

Keywords: cultural beliefs, health belief model, Mexican origin mothers, perceptions, postpartum depression social ecological model

Procedia PDF Downloads 150

Authors: Nanche Billa Robert

Abstract:

More and more youth are doubtful of making a satisfactory labour market transition because of the present global economic instability and this is more so in Africa of the Sahara and metropolis like Douala. We use the explanatory sequential mixed method: in the first phase we randomly administered 610 questionnaires in the Douala metropolis respecting the population size of each division and its gender composition. We constructed the questionnaire using the desired values for living a comfortable life in Douala. In the second phase, we purposefully selected and interviewed 50 poor youth in order to explain in detail the initial quantitative results. We obtain the following result: The modal income class is 24,000-74,000 frs Central Africa Franc (CFA) and about 67% of the youth of the Douala metropolis earn below 75,000 frs CFA. They earn only 31.02% of the total income. About 85.7% earn below 126,000 frs CFA and about 92.14% earn below 177,000 frs CFA. The poverty-line is estimated at 177,000 frs CFA per month based on the desired predominant values in Douala and only about 9% of youth earn this sum, therefore, 91% of the youth are poor. We discovered that the salary a youth earns influences his level of poverty. Low income earners eat once or twice per day, rent low-standard houses of below 20,000 frs, are dependent and possess very limited durable goods, consult traditional doctors when they are sick, sleep and gamble during their leisure time. Intermediate income earners feed themselves either twice or thrice per day, eat healthy meals weekly, possess more durable goods, are independent, gamble and drink during their leisure time. High income earners feed themselves at least thrice per day, eat healthy food daily, inhabit high quality and expensive houses, are more stable by living longer in their neighbourhoods, like travelling and drinking during their leisure time. Unsalaried youth, are students, housewives or unemployed youth, they eat four times per day, take healthy meals daily, weekly, fortnightly or occasionally, are dependent or homeless depending on whether they are students or unemployed youth. The situation of the youth can be ameliorated through investing in the productive sector and promoting entrepreneurship as well as formalizing the informal sector.

Keywords: income, inequality, poverty, metropolis

Procedia PDF Downloads 94

Authors: Elahe Kamari

Abstract:

Research on translation process has been conducted for more than 20 years, investigating various issues and using different research methodologies. Most recently, researchers have started to use eye tracking to study translation processes. They believed that the observable, measurable data that can be gained from eye tracking are indicators of unobservable cognitive processes happening in the translators’ mind during translation tasks. The aim of this study was to investigate directionality in translation processes through using eye tracking. The following hypotheses were tested: 1) processing the target text requires more cognitive effort than processing the source text, in both directions of translation; 2) L2 translation tasks on the whole require more cognitive effort than L1 tasks; 3) cognitive resources allocated to the processing of the source text is higher in L1 translation than in L2 translation; 4) cognitive resources allocated to the processing of the target text is higher in L2 translation than in L1 translation; and 5) in both directions non-professional translators invest more cognitive effort in translation tasks than do professional translators. The performance of a group of 30 male professional translators was compared with that of a group of 30 male non-professional translators. All the participants translated two comparable texts one into their L1 (Persian) and the other into their L2 (English). The eye tracker measured gaze time, average fixation duration, total task length and pupil dilation. These variables are assumed to measure the cognitive effort allocated to the translation task. The data derived from eye tracking only confirmed the first hypothesis. This hypothesis was confirmed by all the relevant indicators: gaze time, average fixation duration and pupil dilation. The second hypothesis that L2 translation tasks requires allocation of more cognitive resources than L1 translation tasks has not been confirmed by all four indicators. The third hypothesis that source text processing requires more cognitive resources in L1 translation than in L2 translation and the fourth hypothesis that target text processing requires more cognitive effort in L2 translation than L1 translation were not confirmed. It seems that source text processing in L2 translation can be just as demanding as in L1 translation. The final hypothesis that non-professional translators allocate more cognitive resources for the same translation tasks than do the professionals was partially confirmed. One of the indicators, average fixation duration, indicated higher cognitive effort-related values for professionals.

Keywords: translation processes, eye tracking, cognitive resources, directionality

Procedia PDF Downloads 461

Authors: Afshin Zahedi, Keivan Jamshidi

Abstract:

This study was conducted to determine the neurotoxic effects of different doses of ACR on the thoracic axons of the spinal cord of rat. To evaluate this hypothesis in the thoracic axons, amino-cupric silver staining technique of the de Olmos was conducted to define the histopathologic characteristic (argyrophilia) of axonal damage following ACR exposure. For this purpose 60 adult male rats (Wistar, approximately 250 g) were selected. Rats were hosed in polycarbonate boxes as two per each. Randomly assigned groups of rats (10 rats per exposure group, total 5 exposure groups as A, B, C, D and E) were exposed to 0.5, 5, 50, 100 and 500 mg/kg per day×11days intraperitoneal injection (IP injection) respectively. The remaining 10 rats were housed in group (F) as control group. Control rats received daily injections of 0.9% saline (3ml/kg). As indices of developing neurotoxicity, weight gain, gait scores and landing hindlimb foot splay (LHF) were determined. Weight gains were measured daily prior to injection. Gait scoring involved observation of spontaneous open field locomotion, included evaluations of ataxia, hopping, rearing and hind foot placement, and hindlimb foot splay were determined 3-4 times per week. Gait score was assigned from 1-4. After 11 days, two rats for silver stain, were randomly selected, dissected and proper samples were collected from thoracic portion of the spinal cord of rat. Results did show no neurological behavior in groups A, B and F, whereas severe neurotoxicity was observed in groups C and D. Rats in groups E died within 1-2 hours due to severe toxemia. In histopathological studies based on the de Olmos technique no argyrophilic neurons or processes were observed in stained sections obtained from the thoracic portion of the spinal cord of rats belong to groups A, B and F, while moderate to severe argyrophilic changes were observed in different stained sections obtained from the thoracic portion of the spinal cord of rats belong to groups C and D.

Keywords: acrylamide, rat, axonopathy, argyrophily, de Olmos

Procedia PDF Downloads 340

Authors: Ziaullah, Shah Wahab Ali

Abstract:

Micro-grid equipped with heterogeneous energy resources present the idea of small scale distributed energy management (DEM). DEM helps in minimizing the transmission and operation costs, power management and peak load demands. Micro-grids are collections of small, independent controllable power-generating units and renewable energy resources. Micro-grids also motivate to enable active customer participation by giving accessibility of real-time information and control to the customer. The capability of fast restoration against faulty situation, integration of renewable energy resources and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) make micro-grid as an ideal system for distributed power systems. Micro-grids can have a bank of energy storage devices. The energy management system of micro-grid can perform real-time energy forecasting of renewable resources, energy storage elements and controllable loads in making proper short-term scheduling to minimize total operating costs. We present a review of existing micro-grids optimization objectives/goals, constraints, solution approaches and tools used in micro-grids for energy management. Cost-benefit analysis of micro-grid reveals that cooperation among different micro-grids can play a vital role in the reduction of import energy cost and system stability. Cooperative micro-grids energy trading is an approach to electrical distribution energy resources that allows local energy demands more control over the optimization of power resources and uses. Cooperation among different micro-grids brings the interconnectivity and power trading issues. According to the literature, it shows that open area of research is available for cooperative micro-grids energy trading. In this paper, we proposed and formulated the efficient energy management/trading module for interconnected micro-grids. It is believed that this research will open new directions in future for energy trading in cooperative micro-grids/interconnected micro-grids.

Keywords: distributed energy management, information and communication technologies, microgrid, energy management

Procedia PDF Downloads 374

Authors: Prashant Das, Tushar Singh, Virendra Byadwal

Abstract:

The present study attempted to understand the role of cognitive flexibility and employee engagement in predicting employees’ turnover intentions. Employee turnover is a significant problem that many organizations are facing these days. Employee turnover is not only extremely expensive for the employer but also results in poor production levels. In developing countries like India, organizations once believed to have most stable employees, are facing major turnover problems. One such organization is banking organizations. Due to globalization, banks are now changing their work scenarios under which the employees have many different roles to perform. Cognitive flexibility which refers to an individual’s ability to shift cognitive sets and to adapt to one’s changing environment, thus seems to be an important factor that are responsible for the employee turnover in organizations. It is hypothesized that those with higher cognitive flexibility would be more able to adapt to the changing work demands of the organizations and thus would show less turnover intentions. Another factor that seems to be important in predicting turnover is employee engagement. Kahn referred to engagement in terms of the harnessing of organization members’ selves to their work roles [by which they] employ and express themselves physically, cognitively, and emotionally during role performances. Studies have shown a strong relationship between employee engagement and turnover intentions. Those with higher engagement with their jobs have found to show low turnover intentions. This study thus hypothesizes that employees with higher engagement will show lower levels of turnover intentions. A total of 150 bank employees (75 from private and 75 from public) participated in this study. They were administered Cognitive Flexibility Scale, Gallup Questionnaire and Intention to Stay Questionnaire along with another questionnaire asking for their demographic details. Results of the study revealed that employees with higher levels of cognitive flexibility and employee engagement show lover levels of turnover intentions. However, the effect is more prominent in case of employees of private banks. Demographic characteristics such as level of the employee and years of engagement in the current job have also been found to be influencing the relationship between cognitive flexibility, employee engagement and turnover intentions. Results of the study are interpreted in accordance to the prevalent literature and theoretical positions.

Keywords: cognitive flexibility, employee engagement, organization, turnover intentions

Procedia PDF Downloads 422

Authors: Miao Li, Mengyuan Xu

Abstract:

As a low-carbon travel mode, bicycling has drawn increasing political interest in the contemporary Chinese urban context, and the public sharing bikes have become the most popular ways of bike usage in China now. This research aims to explore the spatial-temporal relationship between sharing bike usage and different characteristics of the urban street built environment. In the research, street segments were used as the analytic unit of the street built environment defined by street intersections. The sharing bike usage data in the research include a total of 2.64 million samples that are the entire sharing bike distribution data recorded in two days in 2018 within a neighborhood of 185.4 hectares in the city of Wuhan, China. And these data are assigned to the 97 urban street segments in this area based on their geographic location. The built environment variables used in this research are categorized into three sections: 1) street design characteristics, such as street width, street greenery, types of bicycle lanes; 2) condition of other public transportation, such as the availability of metro station; 3) Street function characteristics that are described by the categories and density of the point of interest (POI) along the segments. Spatial Lag Models (SLM) were used in order to reveal the relationships of specific urban streets built environment characteristics and the likelihood of sharing bicycling usage in whole and different periods a day. The results show: 1) there is spatial autocorrelation among sharing bicycling usage of urban streets in case area in general, non-working day, working day and each period of a day, which presents a clustering pattern in the street space; 2) a statistically strong association between bike sharing usage and several different built environment characteristics such as POI density, types of bicycle lanes and street width; 3) the pattern that bike sharing usage is influenced by built environment characteristics depends on the period within a day. These findings could be useful for policymakers and urban designers to better understand the factors affecting bike sharing system and thus propose guidance and strategy for urban street planning and design in order to promote the use of sharing bikes.

Keywords: big data, sharing bike usage, spatial statistics, urban street built environment

Procedia PDF Downloads 144

Authors: Nicole Ramlachan, Samuel Mark West

Abstract:

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-associated deaths in North America, with the vast majority being non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with a five-year survival rate of only 24%. Non-invasive discovery of biomarkers associated with early-diagnosis of NSCLC can enable precision oncology efforts using liquid biopsy-based multiomics profiling of plasma. Although tissue biopsies are currently the gold standard for tumor profiling, this method presents many limitations since these are invasive, risky, and sometimes hard to obtain as well as only giving a limited tumor profile. Blood-based tests provides a less-invasive, more robust approach to interrogate both tumor- and non-tumor-derived signals. We intend to examine 30 stage III-IV NSCLC patients pre-surgery and collect plasma samples.Cell-free DNA (cfDNA) will be extracted from plasma, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) performed. Through the analysis of tumor-specific alterations, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertions, deletions, copy number variations (CNVs), and methylation alterations, we intend to identify tumor-derived DNA—ctDNA among the total pool of cfDNA. This would generate data to be used as an accurate form of cancer genotyping for diagnostic purposes. Using liquid biopsies offer opportunities to improve the surveillance of cancer patients during treatment and would supplement current diagnosis and tumor profiling strategies previously not readily available in Trinidad and Tobago. It would be useful and advantageous to use this in diagnosis and tumour profiling as well as to monitor cancer patients, providing early information regarding disease evolution and treatment efficacy, and reorient treatment strategies in, timethereby improving clinical oncology outcomes.

Keywords: genomics, multiomics, clinical genetics, genotyping, oncology, diagnostics

Procedia PDF Downloads 159

Authors: Ritwik Saha, Anindita Chaudhuri

Abstract:

The psychological dimension of work-based mobility of the contemporary time in the context of the ever-changing socio-economic process mounting the interest to address the consequential issues of quality of life and well-being of the migrant section of society. The negotiation with the fluidity of the job market and the changing psychosocial dimensions within and between psychosocial relations may disentangle the resilience as well as the mechanism of diligence toward migrant (marginal) life. The work-based mobility and its associated phenomena have highly impacted the migrant’s quality of life especially the marginalized (socioeconomically weak) ones along with their family members staying away from them. The subjective experiences of the journey of their migrant life and reconstruction of the psychosocial being in terms of existence and well-being at the host place are the minimal addressed issues in migrant literature. Hence this gap instigates to bring forth the issue with the present study exploring the phenomenal aspects of lived experiences, resilience, and sense-making of the well-being of migrant living by the marginalized migrant people engaging in unorganized space. In doing so qualitative research method was followed, and semi-structured interviews were used for data collection from the four selected migrant groups (Fuchkawala, Bhunjawala, Bhari - drinking water supplier, Construction worker) as they migrated to Kolkata and its metropolis area from different states of India, Five participants from each group (20 participants in total) age range between 20 to 45 were interviewed physically and participants’ observatory notes were taken to capture their lived experiences, audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed systematically following Charmaz’s three-layer coding of grounded theory. Being truthful to daily industry, the strong desire to build children’s future, the mastering mechanism to dual existence, use of traditional social network these four themes emerges after analysis of the data. However, incorporating fate as their usual way of life and making sense of well-being through their assertion is another evolving aspect of migrant life.

Keywords: lived experiences, marginal living, resilience, sense-making process, well-being

Procedia PDF Downloads 61

Authors: Shahrzad Zolfagharnassab, Abdul Rashid Mohamed Shariff, Reza Ehsani, Hawa Ze Jaffar, Ishak Aris

Abstract:

Ripeness estimation of oil palm fresh fruit is important processes that affect the profitableness and salability of oil palm fruits. The adulthood or ripeness of the oil palm fruits influences the quality of oil palm. Conventional procedure includes physical grading of Fresh Fruit Bunches (FFB) maturity by calculating the number of loose fruits per bunch. This physical classification of oil palm FFB is costly, time consuming and the results may have human error. Hence, many researchers try to develop the methods for ascertaining the maturity of oil palm fruits and thereby, deviously the oil content of distinct palm fruits without the need for exhausting oil extraction and analysis. This research investigates the potential of infrared images (Thermal Images) as a predictor to classify the oil palm FFB ripeness. A total of 270 oil palm fresh fruit bunches from most common cultivar of oil palm bunches Nigresens according to three maturity categories: under ripe, ripe and over ripe were collected. Each sample was scanned by the thermal imaging cameras FLIR E60 and FLIR T440. The average temperature of each bunches were calculated by using image processing in FLIR Tools and FLIR ThermaCAM researcher pro 2.10 environment software. The results show that temperature content decreased from immature to over mature oil palm FFBs. An overall analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) test was proved that this predictor gave significant difference between underripe, ripe and overripe maturity categories. This shows that the temperature as predictors can be good indicators to classify oil palm FFB. Classification analysis was performed by using the temperature of the FFB as predictors through Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), Mahalanobis Discriminant Analysis (MDA), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and K- Nearest Neighbor (KNN) methods. The highest overall classification accuracy was 88.2% by using Artificial Neural Network. This research proves that thermal imaging and neural network method can be used as predictors of oil palm maturity classification.

Keywords: artificial neural network, maturity classification, oil palm FFB, thermal imaging

Procedia PDF Downloads 360

Authors: Siswoyo Haryono

Abstract:

Purpose – The fundamental goal of this research is to see if the integrative organizational behavior model can be used effectively in Islamic boarding schools. This paper also seeks to assess the effect of Islamic organizational culture, leadership, and spiritual intelligence on teachers' organizational commitment to Islamic Boarding schools. The goal of the mediation analysis is to see if the Islamic work ethic has a more significant effect on the instructors' organizational commitment than the direct effects of Islamic organizational culture, leadership, and Islamic spiritual intelligence. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was used to obtain data from teachers at Islamic Boarding Schools. This study used the AMOS technique for structural equation modeling to evaluate the expected direct effect. To test the hypothesized indirect effect, employed Sobel test. Findings – Islamic organizational culture, Islamic leadership, and Islamic spiritual intelligence significantly affect Islamic work ethic. When it comes to Islamic corporate culture, Islamic leadership, Islamic spiritual intelligence, and Islamic work ethics have a significant impact. The findings of the mediation study reveal that Islamic organizational culture, leadership, and spiritual intelligence influences organizational commitment through Islamic work ethic. The total effect analysis shows that the most effective path to increasing teachers’ organizational commitment is Islamic leadership - Islamic work ethic – organizational commitment. Originality/value – This study evaluates the Integrative Model of Organizational Behavior by Colquitt (2016) applied in Islamic Boarding School. The model consists of contemporary leadership and individual characteristic as the antecedent. The mediating variables of the model consist of individual mechanisms such as trust, justice, and ethic. Individual performance and organizational commitment are the model's outcomes. These variables, on the other hand, do not represent the Islamic viewpoint as a whole. As a result, this study aims to assess the role of Islamic principles in the model. The study employs reliability and validity tests to get reliable and valid measures. The findings revealed that the evaluation model is proven to improve organizational commitment at Islamic Boarding School.

Keywords: Islamic leadership, Islamic spiritual intelligence, Islamic work ethic, organizational commitment, Islamic boarding school

Procedia PDF Downloads 160

Authors: Sania Bashir

Abstract:

A promising approach to healthcare delivery, telemedicine makes use of communication technology to reach out to remote regions of the world, allowing for beneficial interactions between diabetic patients and healthcare professionals as well as the provision of affordable and easily accessible medical care. The emergence of contemporary care models, fueled by the pervasiveness of mobile devices, provides better information, offers low cost with the best possible outcomes, and is known as digital health. It involves the integration of collected data using software and apps, as well as low-cost, high-quality outcomes. The goal of this study is to assess how well telemedicine works for diabetic patients and how it impacts their HbA1c levels. A questionnaire-based survey of 300 diabetics included 150 patients in each of the groups receiving usual care and via telemedicine. A descriptive and observational study that lasted from September 2021 to May 2022 was conducted. HbA1c has been gathered for both categories every three months. A remote monitoring tool has been used to assess the efficacy of telemedicine and continuing therapy instead of the customary three monthly meetings like in-person consultations. The patients were (42.3) 18.3 years old on average. 128 men were outnumbered by 172 women (57.3% of the total). 200 patients (66.6%) have type 2 diabetes, compared to over 100 (33.3%) candidates for type 1. Despite the average baseline BMI being within normal ranges at 23.4 kg/m², the mean baseline HbA1c (9.45 1.20) indicates that glycemic treatment is not well-controlled at the time of registration. While patients who use telemedicine experienced a mean percentage change of 10.5, those who visit the clinic experienced a mean percentage change of 3.9. Changes in HbA1c are dependent on several factors, including improvements in BMI (61%) after 9 months of research and compliance with healthy lifestyle recommendations for diet and activity. More compliance was achieved by the telemedicine group. It is an undeniable reality that patient-physician communication is crucial for enhancing health outcomes and avoiding long-term issues. Telemedicine has shown its value in the management of diabetes and holds promise as a novel technique for improved clinical-patient communication in the twenty-first century.

Keywords: diabetes, digital health, mobile app, telemedicine

Procedia PDF Downloads 90

Authors: M.Younus, M. Athar Khan, Asif Adrees

Abstract:

The present research endeavour was made to investigate the Public Health impact of Salmonellosis through consuming the meat and eggs of the carrier’s birds and to see the prevalence of Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium from poultry feed, poultry meat, and poultry eggs and their role in the chain of transmission of salmonellae to human beings and causing food poisoning. The ultimate objective was to generate data to improve the quality of poultry products and human health awareness. Salmonellosis is one of the most wide spread food borne zoonoses in all the continents of the world. The etiological agents Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium not only produce the disease but during the convalescent phase (after the recovery of disease) remain carriers for indefinite period of time. The carrier state was not only the source of spread of disease with in the poultry but also caused typhoid fever in humans. The chain of transmission started from poultry feed to poultry meat and ultimately to humans as dead end hosts. In this experiment a total number of 200 samples of human stool and blood were collected randomly (100 samples of human stool and 100 samples of human blood) of 100 patients suspected from food poisoning patients from different hospitals of Lahore area for the identification of Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium through PCR method in order to see the public health impact of Salmonellosis through consuming the meat and eggs of the carrier birds. On the average 14 and 10 stool samples were found positive against Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium from each of the 25 patients from each hospital respectively in case of suspected food poisoning patients. Similarly on an average 5% and 6% blood samples were found positive from 25 patients of each hospital respectively. There was a significant difference (P< 0.05) in the sero positivity of stool and blood samples of suspected food poisoning patients as far as Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium was concerned. However there was no significant difference (P<0.05) between the hospitals.

Keywords: salmonella, zoonosis, food, transmission, eggs

Procedia PDF Downloads 664

Authors: Irsa Ejaz, Siyang He, Wei Li, Naiyue Hu, Chaochen Tang, Songbo Li, Meng Li, Boubacar Diallo, Guanghui Xie, Kang Yu

Abstract:

Background: Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) is a non-destructive, fast, and low-cost method to measure the grain quality of different cereals. Previously reported NIR model calibrations using the whole grain spectra had moderate accuracy. Improved predictions are achievable by using the spectra of whole grains, when compared with the use of spectra collected from the flour samples. However, the feasibility for determining the critical biochemicals, related to the classifications for food, feed, and fuel products are not adequately investigated. Objectives: To evaluate the feasibility of using NIRS and the influence of four sample types (whole grains, flours, hulled grain flours, and hull-less grain flours) on the prediction of chemical components to improve the grain sorting efficiency for human food, animal feed, and biofuel. Methods: NIR was applied in this study to determine the eight biochemicals in four types of sorghum samples: hulled grain flours, hull-less grain flours, whole grains, and grain flours. A total of 20 hybrids of sorghum grains were selected from the two locations in China. Followed by NIR spectral and wet-chemically measured biochemical data, partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to construct the prediction models. Results: The results showed that sorghum grain morphology and sample format affected the prediction of biochemicals. Using NIR data of grain flours generally improved the prediction compared with the use of NIR data of whole grains. In addition, using the spectra of whole grains enabled comparable predictions, which are recommended when a non-destructive and rapid analysis is required. Compared with the hulled grain flours, hull-less grain flours allowed for improved predictions for tannin, cellulose, and hemicellulose using NIR data. Conclusion: The established PLSR models could enable food, feed, and fuel producers to efficiently evaluate a large number of samples by predicting the required biochemical components in sorghum grains without destruction.

Keywords: FT-NIR, sorghum grains, biochemical composition, food, feed, fuel, PLSR

Procedia PDF Downloads 68

Authors: Sakeh N. Mohd, Bahari M. N. Abdul, Abdullah S. N. Akmar

Abstract:

Oil palm production generates high export earnings to many countries especially in Southeast Asian region. Infection by necrotrophic fungus, Ganoderma boninense on oil palm results in basal stem rot which compromises oil palm production leading to significant economic loss. There are no reliable disease treatments nor promising resistant oil palm variety has been cultivated to eradicate the disease up to date. Thus, understanding molecular mechanisms underlying early interactions of oil palm with Ganoderma boninense may be vital to promote preventive or control measure of the disease. In the present study, four months old oil palm seedlings were infected via artificial inoculation of Ganoderma boninense on rubber wood blocks. Roots of six biological replicates of treated and untreated oil palm seedlings were harvested at 0, 3, 7 and 11 days post inoculation. Next-generation sequencing was performed to generate high-throughput RNA-Seq data and identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during early oil palm-Ganoderma boninense interaction. Based on de novo transcriptome assembly, a total of 427,122,605 paired-end clean reads were assembled into 30,654 unigenes. DEGs analysis revealed upregulation of 173 transcription factors on Ganoderma boninense-treated oil palm seedlings. Sixty-one transcription factors were categorized as DEGs according to stringent cut-off values of genes with log2 ratio [Number of treated oil palm seedlings/ Number of untreated oil palm seedlings] ≥ |1.0| (corresponding to 2-fold or more upregulation) and P-value ≤ 0.01. Transcription factors in response to biotic stress will be screened out from abiotic stress using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Transcription factors unique to biotic stress will be verified using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The findings will help researchers to pinpoint defense response mechanism specific against Ganoderma boninense.

Keywords: Ganoderma boninense, necrotrophic, next-generation sequencing, transcription factors

Procedia PDF Downloads 265

Authors: Inayat Shah, Muhammad Omar Malik, Ghareeb Alshuwaier, Ronald H. Baxendale

Abstract:

Background: The balance between angiogenesis and angiostasis is important in growth and developmental processes in the body. Angiogenic and angiostatic mediators control this balance. Endostatin is one of the prominent angiostatic mediators. The marked angiostatic effect of endostatin includes inhibiting endothelial cell migration, proliferation and apoptosis. Physical activity decreases the risk and development of many angiogenesis related health problems including atherosclerosis and numerous cancers. Physiological influences of different physical activities on plasma endostatin concentration are controversial and not completely clear. Moreover, correlation of physical characteristics and metabolic predictors during physical activity on circulating endostatin is indistinct and poorly speculated. The study aimed to determine the effects of mild, moderate and vigorous exercise on the concentration of endostatin in plasma. Methodology: 22 participants, 16 males (age = 30.6 ± 7.8 years) and 6 females (age = 26.5 ± 5 years) were recruited. Weekly session of different intensities exercise based on the predicted maximum heart of the participants [60%(low), 70% (moderate) and 80% (vigorous)] were carried out. The duration and work rate for each participant was determined through sub-maximal exercise. Standardization of the session was done on total energy expenditure of the participants per session. One pre exercise and two post exercise samples were taken at intervals of 10 and 60 minutes. Results: Pre-exercise mean endostatin was 101 ± 20 ng/dl. Low intensity exercise insignificantly decreased the endostatin concentration in plasma at 10 and 60 minutes 97 ± 20 ng/dl (p= 0.5), 98 ± 23 ng/dl (p= 0.8)). However, moderate (p= 0.022, 0.004) and vigorous intensities (p ≤ 0.001, 0.02) increased the endostatin concentrations significantly at both 10 and 60 minutes intervals respectively. The effects were not significantly influenced by gender, exercise mode (walking vs. running), components of exercise (HR, Speed, Gradients, distance, duration) or metabolism during exercise (VO₂ max, VCO₂, RER, energy expenditure, rate of carbohydrate or fats oxidation). Conclusion: Low intensity exercises did not influence endostatin concentration. However, moderate to high intensity exercises significantly increase endostatin concentration and may have potential benefits.

Keywords: angiogenesis, exercise, endostatin, physical activity

Procedia PDF Downloads 222

Authors: Shohreh Ghasemi

Abstract:

Introduction: Managing oral and maxillofacial trauma is a multifaceted challenge, as it can have life-threatening consequences and significant functional and aesthetic impact. Navigation techniques have been introduced to improve surgical precision to meet this challenge. A machine learning algorithm was also developed to support clinical decision-making regarding treating oral and maxillofacial trauma. Given these advances, this systematic meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy of navigational techniques in treating oral and maxillofacial trauma and explore the impact of machine learning on their management. Methods: A detailed and comprehensive analysis of studies published between January 2010 and September 2021 was conducted through a systematic meta-analysis. This included performing a thorough search of Web of Science, Embase, and PubMed databases to identify studies evaluating the efficacy of navigational techniques and the impact of machine learning in managing oral and maxillofacial trauma. Studies that did not meet established entry criteria were excluded. In addition, the overall quality of studies included was evaluated using Cochrane risk of bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Results: Total of 12 studies, including 869 patients with oral and maxillofacial trauma, met the inclusion criteria. An analysis of studies revealed that navigation techniques effectively improve surgical accuracy and minimize the risk of complications. Additionally, machine learning algorithms have proven effective in predicting treatment outcomes and identifying patients at high risk for complications. Conclusion: The introduction of navigational technology has great potential to improve surgical precision in oral and maxillofacial trauma treatment. Furthermore, developing machine learning algorithms offers opportunities to improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomes. Still, further studies are necessary to corroborate these results and establish the optimal use of these technologies in managing oral and maxillofacial trauma

Keywords: trauma, machine learning, navigation, maxillofacial, management

Procedia PDF Downloads 57

Authors: S. Somerset, D. J. Hoare, P. Leighton

Abstract:

Limited participation in physical activity and sport has been linked to poorer mental and physical health in children. Studies have shown that children who participate in sports benefit from improved social skills, self-confidence, communication skills and a better quality of life. Children who participate in sport are also more likely to continue their participation into their adult life. Deaf or hard of hearing children should have the same opportunities to participate in sport and receive the benefits as their hearing peers. Anecdotal evidence suggests this isn’t always the case. This is concerning given there are 45,000 children in the UK with permanent hearing loss. The aim of this study was to understand what encourages or discourages deaf or hard of hearing children to take part in sports. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the University of Nottingham School of Medicine ethics committee. We conducted eight focus groups with deaf or hard of hearing children aged 10 to 15 years. A total of 45 children (19 male, 26 female) recruited from local schools and sports clubs took part. Information was gathered on the children’s thoughts and feelings about participation in sport. This included whether they played sports and who with, whether they did or did not like sport, and why they got involved in sport. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Several key themes were identified as being associated with levels of sports participation. These included friendships, family and communication. Deaf or hard of hearing children with active siblings had participated in more sports. Communication was a common theme throughout regardless of the type of hearing-assistive technology a child used. Children found communication easier during sport if they were allowed to use their technology and had particular difficulty during sports such as swimming. Children expressed a desire not to have to identify themselves at a club as having a hearing loss. This affected their confidence when participating in sport. Not surprisingly, children who are deaf or hard of hearing are more likely to participate in sport if they have a good support network of parents, coaches and friends. The key barriers to participation for these children are communication, lack of visual information, lack of opportunity and a lack of awareness. By addressing these issues more deaf and hard of hearing children will take part in sport and will continue their participation.

Keywords: barrier, children, deaf, participation, hard of hearing, sport

Procedia PDF Downloads 422

Authors: Chikwelu Edward Emenike, Ogbuagu Uchenna Fredrick

Abstract:

About 34% of the solar radiant energy reaching the earth is immediately reflected back to space as incoming radiation by clouds, chemicals, dust in the atmosphere and by the earth’s surface. Most of the remaining 66% warms the atmosphere and land. Most of the incoming solar radiation not reflect away is degraded into low-quality heat and flows into space. The rate at which this energy returns to space as low-quality heat is affected by the presence of molecules of greenhouse gases. Gaseous emission was measured with the aid of Growen gas Analyzer with a digital readout. Total measurements of eight parameters of twelve selected sample locations taken at two different seasons within two months were made. The ambient air quality investigation in Anambra State has shown the overall mean concentrations of gaseous emission at twelve (12) locations. The mean gaseous emissions showed (NO2=0.66ppm, SO2=0.30ppm, CO=43.93ppm, H2S=2.17ppm, CH4=1.27ppm, CFC=1.59ppb, CO2=316.33ppm, N2O=302.67ppb and O3=0.37ppm). These values do not conform to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) and thus contribute significantly to the global warming. Because some of these gaseous emissions (SO2, NO2) are oxidizing agents, they act as irritants that damage delicate tissues in the eyes and respiratory passages. These can impair lung function and trigger cardiovascular problems as the heart tries to compensate for lack of Oxygen by pumping faster and harder. The major sources of air pollution are transportation, industrial processes, stationary fuel combustion and solid waste disposal, thus much is yet to be done in a developing country like Nigeria. Air pollution control using pollution-control equipment to reduce the major conventional pollutants, relocating people who live very close to dumpsites, processing and treatment of gases to produce electricity, heat, fuel and various chemical components should be encouraged.

Keywords: ambient air, atmosphere, greenhouse gases, anambra state

Procedia PDF Downloads 430

Authors: Aasim Siddiqui

Abstract:

In a country where 45.6 per cent of the total population lives below the poverty line, according to the Human Development Report 2014 by UNDP, an increasing number of private companies are now dedicating their resources to remedy this situation of chronic poverty. Most corporations in Pakistan now have a separate and dedicated department for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), albeit with varying goals and hence different strategies for achieving those goals. Similarly, Marine Group of Companies (MRGC) also has a robust CSR policy which the group implements through a Non-Government Organization (NGO) called Organization for Social Development Initiatives (OSDI). This organization, which operates under the ambit of MRGC’s CSR division, has a concentrated focus on helping the poorest communities in the rural areas of Pakistan to break out of intergenerational poverty. This paper maps the theoretical strategies as well as practical activities undertaken by OSDI for poverty alleviation via rural development in Pakistan. To obtain in-depth information of demographics, livelihood and socio-economic indicators in OSDI’s focused districts; a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies was used during the course of this research. The paper highlights and explains OSDI’s unique three-pronged approach which aims at reducing poverty through income generation via the livelihood assistance program and through the provision of access to the most basic services (including health and education) via the community development and food security programs. Modeled on the concept of capacity building, OSDI’s modus operandi is centered on disbursing timely microcredit facilities to farmers who can benefit from these funds by investing in productive assets to foster financial capability for the future. With a focus on increasing the income of poor farmers, OSDI’s approach is to integrate all the socio-economic facets: education, health and sanitation and food security, to induce a sustained positive impact on their living standards.

Keywords: CSR, poverty, rural, sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 246

Authors: Chun-Fang Hsueh, Chen-Kang Chang

Abstract:

Introduction: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) could reduce cerebral uptake of tryptophan, leading to decreased synthesis of serotonin in the brain. Arginine and citrulline could reduce exercise-induced hyperammonemia by increasing nitric oxide synthesis and the urea cycle. The combination of these supplements could reduce exercise-induced central fatigue. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of BCAA, arginine, and citrulline supplementation on repeated swimming performance in teenage athletes. Methods: Eight male and eight female high school swimmers ingested 0.085 g/kg BCAA, 0.05 g/kg arginine and 0.05 g/kg citrulline (AA trial) or placebo (PL trial) in a randomized cross-over design. One hour after the ingestion, the subjects performed a 50 m sprint with their best style every 2 min for 8 times in an indoor 25 m pool. The subjects were asked to swim with their maximal effort each time. The time, stroke frequency and stroke length in each sprint were recorded. Venous blood samples were collected before and after the exercise. The time for each sprint was analyzed by 2-way analysis of variance with repeated measurement. Results: When all subjects were pooled together, total time for the AA trial was significantly faster than the PL trial (AA: 244.02 ± 22.94 s; PL: 247.55 ± 24.17 s, p < .001). Individual sprint time showed significant trial (p= .001) and trial x time (p= .004) effects. The post-hoc analysis revealed that the AA trial was significantly faster than the PL trial in the 2nd, 5th, and 6th sprint. In female subjects, there is a significant trial effect (p= .004) with the AA trial being faster in the 1st, 2nd, and 5th sprint. On the other hand, the trial effect was not significant (p= .072) in male subjects. Conclusions: The combined supplementation could improve 8 x 50 m performance in high school swimmers. The blood parameters including BCAA, tryptophan, NH₃, nitric oxide, and urea, as well as the stroke frequency and length in each sprint, are being analyzed. The results will be presented in the conference.

Keywords: central fatigue, hyperammonemia, tryptophan, urea

Procedia PDF Downloads 183

Authors: Pitsanu Poonpetpun

Abstract:

This research aimed to study opinions of Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University administrative personnel towards performance of the university council committee by addressing (1) personal characteristics of the committees; (2) duties designated by the university council; and (3) relationship between university council and university administrative personnel. The population of this study including the president, vice presidents, faculty deans, deputy deans, office heads, director of office of president, directors, deputy directors, division directors, made a total of 118 respondents. Frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were utilized in analyzing the data. The finding on opinions of the administrative personnel towards personal characteristics of the university council committees was averagely at a high level. The characteristic items were rated and revealed that the item gaining the highest mean score was the item stating that the university council committees obtained overall appropriate qualification. The items stating that the president of the teachers’ council acting as the university council committee had impartiality and good governance reported the lowest mean score. The opinions of the administrative personnel towards duty performance of the university council committees was averagely in a high level, in which the item gaining the highest mean score was the item stating that formulating rules and regulations or assigning governmental offices to do so was practiced with governance or fairness to all stakeholders, and the item stating that the president of the teachers’ council acting as the university council committee had impartiality good governance reported the lowest mean score. Moreover, the study found that the rating of opinions of the administrative personnel towards relationship between university council and university administrative personnel was averagely high. Relationship items were rated and revealed that the highest mean score was rated for the fact that the university president was empowered by the university council to manage the university with no violation of the policies. The fact that there was the integrity of policy between the university council and the university administrative personnel was rated the lowest score.

Keywords: performance, university council, education, university administrative personnel

Procedia PDF Downloads 283

Authors: Nishanthi N. S., Srikanth Vedantam

Abstract:

Intracellular delivery of materials has always proved to be a challenge in research and therapeutic applications. Usually, vector-based methods, such as liposomes and polymeric materials, and physical methods, such as electroporation and sonoporation have been used for introducing nucleic acids or proteins. Reliance on exogenous materials, toxicity, off-target effects was the short-comings of these methods. Microinjection was an alternative process which addressed the above drawbacks. However, its low throughput had hindered its adoption widely. Mechanical deformation of cells by squeezing them through constriction channel can cause the temporary development of pores that would facilitate non-targeted diffusion of materials. Advantages of this method include high efficiency in intracellular delivery, a wide choice of materials, improved viability and high throughput. This cell squeezing process can be studied deeper by employing simple models and efficient computational procedures. In our current work, we present a finite sized dissipative particle dynamics (FDPD) model to simulate the dynamics of the cell flowing through a constricted channel. The cell is modeled as a capsule with FDPD particles connected through a spring network to represent the membrane. The total energy of the capsule is associated with linear and radial springs in addition to constraint of the fixed area. By performing detailed simulations, we studied the strain on the membrane of the capsule for channels with varying constriction heights. The strain on the capsule membrane was found to be similar though the constriction heights vary. When strain on the membrane was correlated to the development of pores, we found higher porosity in capsule flowing in wider channel. This is due to localization of strain to a smaller region in the narrow constriction channel. But the residence time of the capsule increased as the channel constriction narrowed indicating that strain for an increased time will cause less cell viability.

Keywords: capsule, cell squeezing, dissipative particle dynamics, intracellular delivery, microfluidics, numerical simulations

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Fatma Koksal Cakirlar, Murat Gunaydin, Nevri̇ye Gonullu, Nuri Kiraz

Abstract:

During the last few decades, the increasing prevalence of methicillin resistant-CoNS isolates has become a common problem worldwide. Macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (MLSB) antibiotics are effectively used for the treatment of CoNS infections. However, resistance to MLSB antibiotics is prevalent among staphylococci. The aim of this study is to determine species distribution and the incidence of inducible clindamycin resistance in CoNS isolates caused nosocomial bacteremia in our hospital. Between January 2014 and October 2015, a total of 484 coagulase-negative CoNS isolates were isolated from blood samples of patients with true bacteremia who were hospitalized in intensive care units and in other departments of Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical Hospital. Blood cultures were analyzed with the BACTEC 9120 system (Becton Dickinson, USA). The identification and antimicrobial resistance of isolates were determined by Phoenix automated system (BD Diagnostic Systems, Sparks, MD). Inducible clindamycin resistance was detected using D-test. The species distribution was as follows: Staphylococcus epidermidis 211 (43%), S. hominis 154 (32%), S. haemolyticus 69 (14%), S. capitis 28 (6%), S. saprophyticus 11 (2%), S. warnerii 7 (1%), S. schleiferi 5 (1%) and S. lugdunensis 1 (0.2%). Resistance to methicillin was detected in 74.6% of CoNS isolates. Methicillin resistance was highest in S.hemoliticus isolates (89%). Resistance rates of CoNS strains to the antibacterial agents, respectively, were as follows: ampicillin 77%, gentamicin 20%, erythromycin 71%, clindamycin 22%, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole 45%, ciprofloxacin 52%, tetracycline 34%, rifampicin 20%, daptomycin 0.2% and linezolid 0.2%. None of the strains were resistant to vancomycin and teicoplanin. Fifteen (3%) CoNS isolates were D-test positive, inducible MLSB resistance type (iMLSB-phenotype), 94 (19%) were constitutively resistant (cMLSB -phenotype), and 237 (46,76%) isolates were found D-test negative, indicating truly clindamycin-susceptible MS phenotype (M-phenotype resistance). The incidence of iMLSB-phenotypes was higher in S. epidermidis isolates (4,7%) compared to other CoNS isolates.

Keywords: bacteremia, inducible MLSB resistance phenotype, methicillin-resistant, staphylococci

Procedia PDF Downloads 239

Authors: B. Mavhuru, N. S. Nethengwe

Abstract:

Human activities on land degradation have triggered several environmental problems especially in rural areas that are underdeveloped. The main aim of this study is to analyze the contribution of different land uses to gully development and sediment load on the Nzhelele River Valley in the Limpopo Province. Data was collected using different methods such as observation, field data techniques and experiments. Satellite digital images, topographic maps, aerial photographs and the sediment load static model also assisted in determining how land use affects gully development and sediment load. For data analysis, the researcher used the following methods: Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient and statistical correlation methods. The results of the research illustrate that high land use activities create negative changes especially in areas that are highly fragile and vulnerable. Distinct impact on land use change was observed within settlement area (9.6 %) within a period of 5 years. High correlation between soil organic matter and soil moisture (R=0.96) was observed. Furthermore, a significant variation (p ≤ 0.6) between the soil organic matter and soil moisture was also observed. A very significant variation (p ≤ 0.003) was observed in bulk density and extreme significant variations (p ≤ 0.0001) were observed in organic matter and soil particle size. The sand mining and agricultural activities has contributed significantly to the amount of sediment load in the Nzhelele River. A high significant amount of total suspended sediment (55.3 %) and bed load (53.8 %) was observed within the agricultural area. The connection which associates the development of gullies to various land use activities determines the amount of sediment load. These results are consistent with other previous research and suggest that land use activities are likely to exacerbate the development of gullies and sediment load in the Nzhelele River Valley.

Keywords: drainage basin, geomorphological processes, gully development, land degradation, riparian land use and sediment load

Procedia PDF Downloads 305

Authors: Mohammed Seyam, Faridah Othman, Ahmed El-Shafie

Abstract:

The early warning of high stream flow events (HSF) and floods is an important aspect in the management of surface water and rivers systems. This process can be performed using either process-based models or data driven-based models such as artificial intelligence (AI) techniques. The main goal of this study is to develop efficient AI-based model for predicting the real-time hourly stream flow (Q) and apply it as early warning tool of HSF and floods in the downstream area of the Selangor River basin, taken here as a paradigm of humid tropical rivers in Southeast Asia. The performance of AI-based models has been improved through the integration of the lag time (Lt) estimation in the modelling process. A total of 8753 patterns of Q, water level, and rainfall hourly records representing one-year period (2011) were utilized in the modelling process. Six hydrological scenarios have been arranged through hypothetical cases of input variables to investigate how the changes in RF intensity in upstream stations can lead formation of floods. The initial SF was changed for each scenario in order to include wide range of hydrological situations in this study. The performance evaluation of the developed AI-based model shows that high correlation coefficient (R) between the observed and predicted Q is achieved. The AI-based model has been successfully employed in early warning throughout the advance detection of the hydrological conditions that could lead to formations of floods and HSF, where represented by three levels of severity (i.e., alert, warning, and danger). Based on the results of the scenarios, reaching the danger level in the downstream area required high RF intensity in at least two upstream areas. According to results of applications, it can be concluded that AI-based models are beneficial tools to the local authorities for flood control and awareness.

Keywords: floods, stream flow, hydrological modelling, hydrology, artificial intelligence

Procedia PDF Downloads 247

Authors: M. A. Ferhat, M. N. Boukhatem, F. Chemat

Abstract:

Eucalyptus essential oil is extracted from Eucalyptus globulus of the Myrtaceae family and is also known as Tasmanian blue gum or blue gum. Despite the reputation earned by aromatic and medicinal plants of Algeria. The objectives of this study were: (i) the extraction of the essential oil from the leaves of Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Myrtaceae grown in Algeria, and the quantification of the yield thereof, (ii) the identification and quantification of the compounds in the essential oil obtained, and (iii) the determination of physical and chemical properties of EGEO. The chemical constituents of Eucalyptus globulus essential oil (EGEO) of Blida origin has not previously been investigated. Thus, the present study has been conducted for the determination of chemical constituents and different physico-chemical properties of the EGEO. Chemical composition of the EGEO, grown in Algeria, was analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. The chemical components were identified on the basis of Retention Time and comparing with mass spectral database of standard compounds. Relative amounts of detected compounds were calculated on the basis of GC peak areas. Fresh leaves of E. globulus on steam distillation yielded 0.96% (v/w) of essential oil whereas the analysis resulted in the identification of a total of 11 constituents, 1.8 cineole (85.8%), α-pinene (7.2%), and β-myrcene (1.5%) being the main components. Other notable compounds identified in the oil were β-pinene, limonene, α-phellandrene, γ-terpinene, linalool, pinocarveol, terpinen-4-ol, and α-terpineol. The physical properties such as specific gravity, refractive index and optical rotation and the chemical properties such as saponification value, acid number and iodine number of the EGEO were examined. The oil extracted has been analyzed to have 1.4602-1.4623 refractive index value, 0.918-0.919 specific gravity (sp.gr.), +9 - +10 optical rotation that satisfy the standards stipulated by European Pharmacopeia. All the physical and chemical parameters were in the range indicated by the ISO standards. Our findings will help to access the quality of the Eucalyptus oil which is important in the production of high value essential oils that will help to improve the economic condition of the community as well as the nation.

Keywords: chemical composition, essential oil, eucalyptol, gas chromatography

Procedia PDF Downloads 327

Authors: Ali Ilter Akdag, Pratima Ray

Abstract:

Background:This acute gastroenteritis viruses such as rotavirus, astrovirus, and adenovirus are mainly responsible for diarrhea in children below < 5 years old. Molecular detection of these viruses is crucially important to the understand development of the effective cure. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of common these viruses in children < 5 years old presented with diarrhea from Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College (LLRM) centre (Meerut) North India, India Methods: Total 312 fecal samples were collected from diarrheal children duration 3 years: in year 2014 (n = 118), 2015 (n = 128) and 2016 (n = 66) ,< 5 years of age who presented with acute diarrhea at the Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial Medical College (LLRM) centre(Meerut) North India, India. All samples were the first detection by EIA/RT-PCR for rotaviruses, adenovirus and astrovirus. Results: In 312 samples from children with acute diarrhea in sample viral agent was found, rotavirus A was the most frequent virus identified (57 cases; 18.2%), followed by Astrovirus in 28 cases (8.9%), adenovirus in 21 cases (6.7%). Mixed infections were found in 14 cases, all of which presented with acute diarrhea (14/312; 4.48%). Conclusions: These viruses are a major cause of diarrhea in children <5 years old in North India. Rotavirus A is the most common etiological agent, follow by astrovirus. This surveillance is important to vaccine development of the entire population. There is variation detection of virus year wise due to differences in the season of sampling, method of sampling, hygiene condition, socioeconomic level of the entire people, enrolment criteria, and virus detection methods. It was found Astrovirus higher then Rotavirus in 2015, but overall three years study Rotavirus A is mainly responsible for causing severe diarrhea in children <5 years old in North India. It emphasizes the required for cost-effective diagnostic assays for Rotaviruses which would help to determine the disease burden.

Keywords: adenovirus, Astrovirus, hospitalized children, Rotavirus

Procedia PDF Downloads 139

Authors: Mohammad Zafar-ul Islam

Abstract:

The breeding programme of Houbara bustard was started in Saudi Arabia in 1986 to undertake the restoration of native species such as Houbara through a programme of re-introduction, involving the release of captive-bred birds in the wild. Two sites were selected for houbara re-introduction, i.e., Mahazat as-Sayd and Saja Umm Ar-Rimth protected areas in 1988 and 1998 respectively. Both the areas are fenced fairly level, sandy plain with a few rock outcrops. Captive bred houbara have been released in Mahazat since 1992 by NWRC and those birds have been successfully breeding since then. The nesting season of the houbara at Mahazat recorded from February to May and on an average 20-25 nests are located each year but no nesting recorded in Saja. Houbara are monitored using radio transmitters through aerial tracking technique and also a vehicle for terrestrial tracking. Total population of houbara in Mahazat is roughly estimated around 300-400 birds, using the following: N = n1+n2+n3+n4+n5 (n1 = released or wild-born, radio, regularly monitored/checked; n2 = radio tagged missing; n3 = wild born chicks not recorded; n4 = wild born chicks, recorded but not tagged; n5 = immigrants). However, in Saja only 4-7 individuals of houbara have been survived since 2001 because most of the birds are predated immediately after the release. The mean annual home was also calculated using Kernel and Convex polygons methods with Range VII software. The minimum density of houbara was also calculated. In order to know the houbara movement or their migration to other regions, two captive-reared male houbara that were released into the wild and one wild born female were fitted with Platform Transmitter Terminals (PTT). The home range shows that wild-born female has larger movement than two males. More areas need to be selected for reintroduction programme to establish the network of sites to provide easy access to move these birds and mingle with the wild houbara. Some potential sites have been proposed which require more surveys to check the habitat suitability.

Keywords: re-introduction, survival rate, home range, Saudi Arabia

Procedia PDF Downloads 412