Search results for: biological control agent

Authors: Prateep Wajeetongratana

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The objective of this research is to examine the effects of internal audit innovation on firm performance effectiveness influences of financial report reliability, organizational process improvement, and risk management effectiveness. This paper drew upon the survey data collected from 400 employees survey conducted at Nonthaburi province, Thailand. The statistics utilized in this paper included percentage, mean, standard deviation, and regression analysis. The findings revealed that the majority of samples were between 31-40 years old, married, held an undergraduate degree, and had an average income between 10,000-15,000 baht. And also the results show that auditing integration has only influence on financial report reliability. Moreover, corporate risk evaluation has effect on firm performance by risk management effectiveness and control self-assessment has effect influence on firm performance by organizational process improvement and risk management effectiveness as well.

Keywords: corporate risk evaluation, firm performance effectiveness, internal audit innovation, marketing management

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Authors: Uc-Cayetano E. G., Ake-Uh O. E., Villanueva-Mena I. E., Ordonez L. C.

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Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and other graphitic nanostructures are materials with extraordinary physical, physicochemical and electrochemical properties which are being aggressively investigated for a variety of sensing applications. Thus, sensing of biological molecules such as proteins, DNA, glucose and other enzymes using either single wall or multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) has been widely reported. Despite the current progress in this area, the electrochemical response of CNTs used in a variety of sensing arrangements still needs to be improved. An alternative towards the enhancement of this CNTs' electrochemical response is to chemically (or physically) modify its surface. The influence of the decoration with iron oxide nanoparticles in different types of MWCNTs on the amperometric sensing of glucose, urea, and cholesterol in solution is investigated. Commercial MWCNTs were oxidized in acid media and subsequently decorated with iron oxide nanoparticles; finally, the enzymes glucose oxidase, urease, and cholesterol oxidase are chemically immobilized to oxidized and decorated MWCNTs for glucose, urease, and cholesterol electrochemical sensing. The results of the electrochemical characterizations consistently show that the presence of iron oxide nanoparticles decorating the surface of MWCNTs enhance the amperometric response and the sensitivity to increments in glucose, urease, and cholesterol concentration when compared to non-decorated MWCNTs.

Keywords: WCNTs, enzymes, oxidation, decoration

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Authors: Dheyaa Wajid Abbood, Ali Mohammed Tawfeeq Baqer, Eitizaz Awad Jasim

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The aim of this investigation is to confirm the activity of a sludge recycling process in trickling filter filled with limestone as an alternative biological process over conventional high-cost treatment process with regard to toxic matter reduction from marginal water. The combination system of stepped cascade weir with limestone trickling filter has been designed and constructed in the Environmental Hydraulic Laboratory, Al-Mustansiriya University, College of Engineering. A set of experiments has been conducted during the period from August 2013 to July 2014. Seven days of continuous operation with different continuous flow rates (0.4m3/hr, 0.5 m3/hr, 0.6 m3/hr, 0.7m3/hr,0.8 m3/hr, 0.9 m3/hr, and 1m3/hr) after ten days of acclimatization experiments were carried out. Results indicate that the concentrations of toxic matter were decreasing with increasing of operation time, sludge recirculation ratio, and flow rate. The toxic matter measured includes (Mineral oils, Petroleum products, Phenols, Biocides, Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and Surfactants) which are used in these experiments were ranged between (0.074 nm-0.156 nm). Results indicated that the overall reduction efficiency after 4, 28, 52, 76, 100, 124, and 148 hours of operation were (55%, 48%, 42%, 50%, 59%, 61%, and 64%) when the combination of stepped cascade weir with limestone trickling filter is used.

Keywords: Marginal water , Toxic matter, Stepped Cascade weir, limestone trickling filter

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Authors: Mohammad Khamoushi, Reza Mirmahdi

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The aim of this research was the effect of sensory integration in reduction of stereotype behaviors in autistic children. The statistical population included 55 children with the age range 2/8 – 14 in Esfahan Ordibehesht autistic center. Purposive sampling was used for selecting the sample group and 20 children with random assignment were designated in two group; experimental and control . Research project was quasi-experimental two-group with pretest and posttest. Data collection tools included repetitive behavior scale-revised with six sub-scales: stereotype behavior, self-injurious behavior, compulsive behavior, ritualistic behavior, sameness behavior, restricted behavior. Analysis of covariance was used for analyzing hypotheses. Result show that sensory integration procedure was effective in reduction of stereotype behavior, compulsive behavior and self-injurious behavior in autistic children. According to the findings, it is suggested that effect sensory integration procedure in stereotype behavior of autism children should be studied and used for treatment of other disabilities of this children.

Keywords: autism, sensory integration procedure, stereotype behavior, compulsive behavior

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Authors: Abdelhafid Zenati, Mohamed Tadjine

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The mathematical formulation of biomedical problems is an important phase to understand and predict the dynamic of the controlled population. In this paper we perform a stability analysis of a coupled model for healthy and cancerous cells dynamics in Acute Myeloid Leukemia, this represents our first aim. Second, we illustrate the effect of the interconnection between healthy and cancer cells. The PDE-based model is transformed to a nonlinear distributed state space model (delay system). For an equilibrium point of interest, necessary and sufficient conditions of global asymptotic stability are given. Thus, we came up to give necessary and sufficient conditions of global asymptotic stability of the origin and the healthy situation and control of the dynamics of normal hematopoietic stem cells and cancerous during myelode Acute leukemia. Simulation studies are given to illustrate the developed results.

Keywords: distributed delay, global stability, modelling, nonlinear models, PDE, state space

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Authors: Fury Khristianty Fitriyah

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This study aims to identify the extent of the role of the Satuan Pengawas Intern (Internal Audit Unit) in detecting and preventing fraud in public universities in West Java under the Ministry of Research, Technology and Higher Education. The research method applied was a qualitative case study approach, while the unit of analysis for this study is the Internal Audit Unit at each public university. Results of this study indicate that the Internal Audit Unit is able to detect and prevent fraud within a public university environment by means of red flags to mark accounting anomalies. These stem from inaccurate budget planning that prompts inappropriate use of funds, exacerbated by late disbursements of funds, which potentially lead to fictitious transactions, and discrepancies in recording state-owned assets into a state property management system (SIMAK BMN), which, if not conducted properly, potentially causes loss to the state.

Keywords: governance, internal control, fraud, public university

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Authors: Mona Marzouk, Nesrine Hegazi, Aliaa Ragheb, Mona El Shabrawy, Salwa Kawashty

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The whole plant of Matthiola longipetala (Brassicaceae) was extracted by 70% methanol to give the total aqueous methanol extract (AME), which was defatted by hexane yielded hexane extract (HE) and defatted AME (DAME). HE was analyzed through GC/MS assay and revealed the detection of 28 non-polar compounds. In addition, the chemical investigation of DAME led to the isolation and purification of twelve flavonoids and three chlorogenic acids. Their structures were interpreted through chemical (complete and partial acid hydrolysis) and spectroscopic analysis (MS, UV, 1D and 2D NMR). Among them, nine compounds have been isolated for the first time from M. longipetala. Moreover, LC-ESI-MS analysis of DAME was achieved to detect additional 46 metabolites, including phospholipids, organic acids, phenolic acids and flavonoids. The biological activity of AME, HE and DAME against alloxan inducing oxidative stress and diabetes in male rats was investigated. Diabetes was induced using a single dose of Alloxan (150 mg/kg b.wt.). HE and DAME significantly increased serum GSH content in rats (37.3±0.7 and 35.9±0.6 mmol/l) compared to diabetic rats (21.8±0.3) and vitamin E (36.2±1.1) at P<0.01. Also, HE, DAME and AME revealed a significant acute anti-hyperglycemic effect potentiated after four weeks of treatment with blood glucose levels of 96.2±5.4, 98.7±6.1 and 98.9±8.6 mg/dl, respectively, compared to diabetic rats (263.4±7.8) and metaformin group (81.9±2.4) at P<0.01.

Keywords: Brassicaceae, Flavonoid, LCMS/MS, Matthiola

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Authors: Saji George, Eng Khuan Seng, Christof Luda

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Nanotechnology has been recognized as an important tool for modern agriculture and has the potential to overcome some of the pressing challenges faced by aquaculture industry. A strategy for optimizing nanotechnology-based therapeutic delivery platform for immunizing farmed fish was developed. Accordingly, a compositional library of nanomaterials of natural chemistry (Halloysite (clay), Chitosan, Hydroxyapatite, Mesoporous Silica and a composite material of clay-chitosan) was screened for their toxicity and efficiency in delivering models antigens in cellular and zebrafish embryo models using high throughput screening platforms. Through multi-parametric optimization, chitosan modified halloysite (clay) nanomaterial was identified as an optimal vaccine delivery platform. Further, studies conducted in juvenile seabass showed the potential of clay-chitosan in delivering outer membrane protein of Tenacibaculum maritimum- TIMA (pathogenic bacteria) to and its efficiency in eliciting immune responses in fish. In short, as exemplified by this work, the strategy of using compositional nanomaterial libraries and their biological profiling using high-throughput screening platform could fasten the discovery process of nanomaterials with potential applications in food and agriculture.

Keywords: nanotechnology, fish-vaccine, drug-delivery, halloysite-chitosan

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Authors: Asmaa Shehata

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Prior research indicates that second language (L2) learners encounter difficulty in the distinguishing novel L2 contrasting sounds that are not contrastive in their native languages. L2 orthographic information, however, is found to play a positive role in the acquisition of non-native phoneme contrasts. While most studies have mainly involved a familiar written script (i.e., the Roman script), the influence of a foreign, unfamiliar script is still unknown. Therefore, the present study asks: Does unfamiliar L2 script play a role in creating distinct phonological representations of novel contrasting phonemes? It is predicted that subjects’ performance in the unfamiliar orthography group will outperform their counterparts’ performance in the control group. Thus, training that entails orthographic inputs can yield a significant improvement in L2 adult learners’ identification and lexical encoding of novel L2 consonant contrasts. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the type of input introduced to L2 learners to improve their language learning.

Keywords: Arabic, consonant contrasts, foreign script, lexical encoding, orthography, word learning

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Authors: Yaxiao Zhang, Yangzhou Chen

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This study investigate the formation problem for high-order continuous-time multi-robot with bounded symmetric time-varying delay protocol under switched directed communication topology. By using a linear transformation, the formation problem is transformed to stability analysis of a switched delay system. Under the assumption that each communication topology has a directed spanning tree, sufficient conditions are presented in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) that the multi-robot system can achieve a desired formation by the trade-off among the pre-exist topologies with the help of the scheme of average dwell time. A numeral example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results.

Keywords: multi-robot systems, formation, switched directed topology, symmetric time-varying delay, average dwell time, linear matrix inequalities (lmis)

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Authors: Sara Parker, Kay Standing

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This paper will share insights into how menstruators bodies in Nepal are viewed and controlled in Nepal due to the deeply held stigmas and taboos that exist that frame menstrual blood as impure and polluting. It draws on a British Academy Global Challenges Research (BA/GCRF) funded project, ‘Dignity Without Danger,’ that ran from December 2019 to 2022. In Nepal, beliefs and myths around menstrual related practices prevail and vary in accordance to time, generation, caste and class. Physical seclusion and/or restrictions include the consumption of certain foods, the ability to touch certain people and objects, and restricted access to water sources. These restrictions not only put women at risk of poor health outcomes, but they also promote discrimination and challenge fundamental human rights. Despite the pandemic, a wealth of field research and creative outputs have been generated to help break the silence that surrounds menstruation and also highlights the complexity of addressing the harms associated with the exclusion from sacred and profane spaces that menstruators face. Working with locally recruited female research assistants, NGOS and brining together academics from the UK and Nepal, we explore the intersecting factors that impact on menstrual experiences and how they vary throughout Nepal. WE concur with Tamang that there is no such thing as a ‘Nepali Woman’, and there is no one narrative that captures the experiences of menstruators in Nepal. These deeply held beliefs and practices mean that menstruators are denied their right to a dignified menstruation. By being excluded from public and private spaces, such as temples and religious sites, as well as from kitchens and your own bedroom in your own home, these beliefs impact on individuals in complex and interesting ways. Existing research in Nepal by academics and activists demonstrates current programmes and initiatives do not fully address the misconceptions that underpin the exclusionary practices impacting on sexual and reproductive health, a sense of well being and highlight more work is needed in this area. Research has been conducted in all 7 provinces and through exploring and connecting disparate stories, artefacts and narratives, we will deepen understanding of the complexity of menstrual practices enabling local stakeholders to challenge exclusionary practices. By using creative methods to engage with stakeholders and share our research findings as well as highlighting the wealth of activism in Nepal. We highlight the importance of working with local communities, leaders and cutting across disciplines and agencies to promote menstrual justice and dignity. Our research findings and creative outputs that we share on social media channels such as Dignity Without Danger Facebook, Instagram and you tube stress the value of employing a collaborative action research approach to generate material which helps local people take control of their own narrative and change social relations that lead to harmful practices.

Keywords: menstruation, Nepal, stigma, social norms

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Authors: Nemes Alexandra

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The aim of the research is to develop an optimum microstructure of steel coatings on aluminum surfaces for application on the crankcase cylinder bores. For the proper design of the microstructure of the coat, it is important to control the plasma gun unit properly. The maximum operating time was determined while the plasma gun could optimally work before its destruction. Objectives: The aim of the research is to determine the optimal operating time of the plasma gun between renovations (the renovation shall involve the replacement of the test components of the plasma gun: electrode, nozzle plate, powder injector. Methodology: Plasma jet and particle flux analysis with PFI (PFI is a diagnostic tool for all kinds of thermal spraying processes), CT reconstruction and analysis on the new and the used plasma guns, failure analysis of electrodes, nozzle plates, and powder injectors, microscopic examination of the microstructure of the coating. Contributions: As the result of the failure analysis detailed above, the use of the plasma gun was maximized at 100 operating hours in order to get optimal microstructure for the coat.

Keywords: APS, air plasma spray, failure analysis, electrode, nozzle plate, powder injector

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Authors: Fatemeh Nokhodchi Bonab

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Bioinformatics, in its broad sense, involves application of computer processes to solve biological problems. A wide range of computational tools are needed to effectively and efficiently process large amounts of data being generated as a result of recent technological innovations in biology and medicine. A number of computational tools have been developed or adapted to deal with the experimental riches of complex and multivariate data and transition from data collection to information or knowledge. These bioinformatics tools are being evaluated and applied in various medical areas including early detection, risk assessment, classification, and prognosis of cancer. The goal of these efforts is to develop and identify bioinformatics methods with optimal sensitivity, specificity, and predictive capabilities. The recent flood of data from genome sequences and functional genomics has given rise to new field, bioinformatics, which combines elements of biology and computer science. Bioinformatics is conceptualizing biology in terms of macromolecules (in the sense of physical-chemistry) and then applying "informatics" techniques (derived from disciplines such as applied maths, computer science, and statistics) to understand and organize the information associated with these molecules, on a large-scale. Here we propose a definition for this new field and review some of the research that is being pursued, particularly in relation to transcriptional regulatory systems.

Keywords: methods, applications, transcriptional regulatory systems, techniques

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Authors: Vasudev Das

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In a global survey of more than 5,000 participants in 99 territories, PwC found a loss of $42 billion through fraud in the last 24 months. The specific problem is that private and public organizational leaders often do not understand the importance of sonic therapeutic intervention in preventing financial fraud. The study aimed to explore sonic therapeutic intervention practitioners' lived experiences regarding the value of sonic therapeutic intervention in preventing financial fraud. The data collection methods were semi-structured interviews of purposeful samples and documentary reviews, which were analyzed thematically. Four themes emerged from the analysis of interview transcription data: Sonic therapeutic intervention enabled self-control, pro-spiritual values, consequentiality mindset, and post-conventional consciousness. The itemized four themes helped non-engagement in financial fraud. Implications for positive social change include enhanced financial fraud management, more significant financial leadership, and result-oriented decision-taking in the financial market. Also, the study results can improve the increased de-escalation of anxiety/stress associated with defrauding.

Keywords: consciousness, consequentiality, rehabilitation, reintegration

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Authors: Luís Pina

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The conservation of marine biodiversity keeps ecosystems in balance and ensures the sustainable use of resources. In this context, technological resources have been used for monitoring marine species to allow biologists to obtain data in real-time. There are different mobile applications developed for data collection for monitoring purposes, but these systems are designed to be utilized only on third-generation (3G) phones or smartphones with Internet access and in rural parts of the developing countries, Internet services and smartphones are scarce. Thus, the objective of this work is to develop a system to monitor marine turtles using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD), which users can access through basic mobile phones. The system aims to improve the data collection mechanism and enhance the effectiveness of current systems in monitoring sea turtles using any type of mobile device without Internet access. The system will be able to report information related to the biological activities of marine turtles. Also, it will be used as a platform to assist marine conservation entities to receive reports of illegal sales of sea turtles. The system can also be utilized as an educational tool for communities, providing knowledge and allowing the inclusion of communities in the process of monitoring marine turtles. Therefore, this work may contribute with information to decision-making and implementation of contingency plans for marine conservation programs.

Keywords: GSM, marine biology, marine turtles, unstructured supplementary service data (USSD)

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Authors: Barbora Chmelova, Radek Sachl

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Gangliosides are amphipathic membrane lipids. Due to the composition of bulky oligosaccharide chains containing one or more sialic acids linked to the hydrophobic ceramide base, gangliosides are classified among glycosphingolipids. This unique structure induces a high self-aggregating tendency of gangliosides and, therefore, the formation of nanoscopic clusters called nanodomains. Gangliosides are preferentially present in an extracellular membrane leaflet of all human tissues and thus have an impact on a huge number of biological processes, such as intercellular communication, cell signalling, membrane trafficking, and regulation of receptor activity. Defects in their metabolism, impairment of proper ganglioside function, or changes in their organization lead to serious health conditions such as Alzheimer´s and Parkinson´s diseases, autoimmune diseases, tumour growth, etc. This work mainly focuses on ganglioside organization into nanodomains and their dynamics within the plasma membrane. Current research investigates static ganglioside nanodomains characterization; nevertheless, the information about their diffusion is missing. In our study, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy is implemented together with stimulated emission depletion (STED-FCS), which combines the diffraction-unlimited spatial resolution with high temporal resolution. By comparison of the experiments performed on model vesicles containing 4 % of either GM1, GM2, or GM3 and Monte Carlo simulations of diffusion on the plasma membrane, the description of ganglioside clustering, diffusion of nanodomains, and even diffusion of ganglioside molecules inside investigated nanodomains are described.

Keywords: gangliosides, nanodomains, STED-FCS, flourescence microscopy, membrane diffusion

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Authors: Babatunde Oluwole Ogunsile, Omosola Monisola Fasoranti

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High costs and toxicological hazards associated with the physicochemical methods of producing nanoparticles have limited their widespread use in clinical and biomedical applications. An ethically sound alternative is the utilization of plant bioresources as a low cost and eco–friendly biological approach. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized from aqueous leaf extract of Tithonia diversifolia plant. The UV-Vis Spectrophotometer was used to monitor the formation of the AgNPs at different time intervals and different ratios of plant extract to the AgNO₃ solution. The biosynthesized AgNPs were characterized by FTIR, X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). Antimicrobial activities of the AgNPs were investigated against ten human pathogens using agar well diffusion method. The AgNPs yields were modeled using a second-order factorial design. The result showed that the rate of formation of the AgNPs increased with respect to time while the optimum ratio of plant extract to the AgNO₃ solution was 1:1. The hydroxyl group was strongly involved in the bioreduction of the silver salt as indicated by the FTIR spectra. The synthesized AgNPs were crystalline in nature, with a uniformly distributed network of the web-like structure. The factorial model predicted the nanoparticles yields with minimal errors. The nanoparticles were active against all the tested pathogens and thus have great potentials as antimicrobial agents.

Keywords: antimicrobial activities, green synthesis, silver nanoparticles, Tithonia diversifolia

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Authors: Emine Yilmaz, Ismail Yilmaz, Harun Uran

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Food-borne problems have been placed among the most leading problems of the society especially in recent years. This state arises as a problem which affects the society wholly such as the supply of food stuffs that are necessary for an individual to perform his physiological and biological functions, their amount, compound, their effects on health and distribution by individuals. This study was conducted in order to determine the sensitivities and criteria of people, who have different socio-economic backgrounds and live in Süleymanpasa Town of Tekirdag City, in their preference of food stuffs. The research data were collected by means of Interview Technique with individuals within the scope of the study (300) and applying surveys with convenience sampling. According to the research results, quality appears in the first rank among the factors by which consumers are affected while buying food stuffs. Consumers stated that they try to be careful with not buying food sold outdoors. The most preferred food among the ones being sold outdoor were found to be breakfast food. Also, food stuff which consumers become the most selective for while buying was determined to be meat and meat products. Due to general knowledge about the food stuff consumed in human nutrition may affect their health negatively; consumers expressed that they are very relevant with their diets and this circumstances affects their purchase preferences.  

Keywords: consumption, food safety, consumer behaviour, purchase preferences

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Authors: H. S. Youm, S. G. Hong

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This paper presents the test results on 5 slab-column connection specimens with Ultra High Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (UHPFRC) overlay including 1 control specimen to investigate retrofitting effect of UHPFRC overlay on the punching shear capacity. The test parameters were the thickness of the UHPFRC overlay and the amount of steel re-bars in it. All specimens failed in punching shear mode with abrupt failure aspect. The test results showed that by adding a thin layer of UHPFRC over the Reinforced Concrete (RC) substrates, considerable increases in global punching shear resistance up to 82% and structural rigidity were achieved. Furthermore, based on the cracking patterns the composite systems appeared to be governed by two failure modes: 1) diagonal shear failure in RC section and 2) debonding failure at the interface.

Keywords: punching shear strength, retrofit, slab-column connection, UHPFRC, UHPFRC overlay

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Authors: Jacques M. Berner, Lehlogonolo Maloma

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Context: Glyphosate, a widely used herbicide, has raised concerns about its impact on various crops. Amaranthus cruentus, an important grain crop species, is particularly susceptible to glyphosate. Understanding the specific disruptions caused by glyphosate on the photosynthetic process in Amaranthus cruentus is crucial for assessing its effects on crop productivity and ecological sustainability. Research Aim: This study aimed to investigate the dose-dependent impact of glyphosate on the photochemical efficiency of Amaranthus cruentus using the OJIP transient analysis. The goal was to assess the specific disruptions caused by glyphosate on key parameters of photosystem II. Methodology: The experiment was conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment. Amaranthus cruentus plants were exposed to different concentrations of glyphosate, including half, recommended, and double the recommended application rates. The photochemical efficiency of the plants was evaluated using non-invasive chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements and subsequent analysis of OJIP transients. Measurements were taken on 1-hour dark-adapted leaves using a Hansatech Handy PEA+ chlorophyll fluorimeter. Findings: The study's results demonstrated a significant reduction in the photochemical efficiency of Amaranthus cruentus following glyphosate treatment. The OJIP transients showed distinct alterations in the glyphosate-treated plants compared to the control group. These changes included a decrease in maximal fluorescence (FP) and a delay in the rise of the fluorescence signal, indicating impairment in the energy conversion process within the photosystem II. Glyphosate exposure also led to a substantial decrease in the maximum quantum yield efficiency of photosystem II (FV/FM) and the total performance index (PItotal), which reflects the overall photochemical efficiency of photosystem II. These reductions in photochemical efficiency were observed even at half the recommended dose of glyphosate. Theoretical Importance: The study provides valuable insights into the specific disruptions caused by glyphosate on the photochemical efficiency of Amaranthus cruentus. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: Data collection involved non-invasive chlorophyll a fluorescence measurements using a chlorophyll fluorimeter on dark-adapted leaves. The OJIP transients were then analyzed to assess specific disruptions in key parameters of photosystem II. Statistical analysis was conducted to determine the significance of the differences observed between glyphosate-treated plants and the control group. Question Addressed: The study aimed to address the question of how glyphosate exposure affects the photochemical efficiency of Amaranthus cruentus, specifically examining disruptions in the photosynthetic electron transport chain and overall photochemical efficiency. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that glyphosate severely impairs the photochemical efficiency of Amaranthus cruentus, as indicated by the alterations in OJIP transients. Even at half the recommended dose, glyphosate caused significant reductions in photochemical efficiency. These findings highlight the detrimental effects of glyphosate on crop productivity and emphasize the need for further research to evaluate its long-term consequences and ecological implications in agriculture. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support from North-West University for making this research possible.

Keywords: glyphosate, amaranthus cruentus, ojip transient analysis, pitotal, photochemical efficiency, chlorophyll fluorescence, weeds

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Authors: Miksusanti, Herlina, Wiwin

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The research about modification uwi starch (Dioscorea alata L) by using propylene oxide has been done. Concentration of propylene oxide were 6%(v/w), 8%(v/w), and 10%(v/w). The amilograf parameters after modification were characteristic breakdown viscosity 43 BU and setback viscosity 975 BU. The modification starch have edible properties according to FDA (Food and Drug Administration) which have degree of modification < 7%, degree of substitution < 0,1 and propylene oxide concentration < 10%(v/w). The best propylene oxide in making of edible film was 8 %( v/w). The starch control can be made into edible film with thickness 0,136 mm, tensile strength 20,4605 MPa and elongation 22%. Modification starch of uwi can be made into edible film with thickness 0,146 mm, tensile strength 25, 3521 Mpa, elongation 30% and water vapor transmission 7, 2651 g/m2/24 hours. FTIR characterization of uwi starch showed the occurrence of hydroxypropylation. The peak spectrum at 2900 cm-1 showed bonding of C-H from methyl group, which is characteristic for modification starch with hydroxypropyl. Characterization with scanning electron microscopy showed that modification of uwi starch has turned the granule of starch to be fully swallon.

Keywords: uwi starch, edible film, propylen oxide, modification

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Authors: R. H. Bustos, L. Martinez, J. García, F. Suárez

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MRP1 (Multi-drug resistance associated protein 1) and MRP2 (Multi-drug resistance associated protein 2) are two proteins belonging to the transporters of ABC (ATP-Binding Cassette). These transporter proteins are involved in the efflux of several biological drugs and xenobiotic and also in multiple physiological, pathological and pharmacological processes. Evidence has been found that there is a correlation among different polymorphisms found and their clinical implication in the resistance to antiepileptic, chemotherapy and anti-infectious drugs. In our study, exonic regions of MRP1/ABCC1 y MRP2/ABCC2 were studied in the Colombian population, specifically in the region of the central Savannah (Cundinamarca) to determinate SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms) and determinate its allele frequency and its genomics frequency. Results showed that for our population, SNP are found that have been previously reported for MRP1/ABCC1 (rs200647436, rs200624910, rs150214567) as well as for MRP2/ABCC2 (rs2273697, rs3740066, rs142573385, rs17216212). In addition, 13 new SNP were identified. Evidences show an important clinic correlation for polymorphisms rs3740066 and rs2273697. The study object population displays genetic variability as compared to the one reported in other populations.

Keywords: ATP-binding cassette (ABCC), Colombian population, multidrug-resistance protein (MRP), pharmacogenetic, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)

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Authors: A. Abubakar, A. Parsa, S. Walker

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Despite advances made in the diagnosis and management of drug-sensitive tuberculosis (TB) over the past decades, treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) remains challenging and complex particularly in high burden countries including Nigeria. Treatment of MDR-TB is cost-prohibitive with success rate generally lower compared to drug-sensitive TB and if care is not taken it may become the dominant form of TB in future with many treatment uncertainties and substantial morbidity and mortality. Addressing these challenges requires collaborative efforts thorough sustained researches to evaluate the current treatment guidelines, particularly in high burden countries and prevent progression of resistance. To our best knowledge, there has been no research exploring the acceptability, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness of community-based-MDR-TB treatment model in Nigeria, which is among the high burden countries. The previous similar qualitative study looks at the home-based management of MDR-TB in rural Uganda. This research aimed to explore patient’s views and acceptability of community-based-MDR-TB treatment model and to evaluate and compare the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of community-based versus hospital-based MDR-TB treatment model of care from the Nigerian perspective. Knowledge of patient’s views and acceptability of community-based-MDR-TB treatment approach would help in designing future treatment recommendations and in health policymaking. Accordingly, knowledge of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness are part of the evidence needed to inform a decision about whether and how to scale up MDR-TB treatment, particularly in a poor resource setting with limited knowledge of TB. Mixed methods using qualitative and quantitative approach were employed. Qualitative data were obtained using in-depth semi-structured interviews with 21 MDR-TB patients in Nigeria to explore their views and acceptability of community-based MDR-TB treatment model. Qualitative data collection followed an iterative process which allowed adaptation of topic guides until data saturation. In-depth interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative data on treatment outcomes were obtained from medical records of MDR-TB patients to determine the effectiveness and direct and indirect costs were obtained from the patients using validated questionnaire and health system costs from the donor agencies to determine the cost-effectiveness difference between community and hospital-based model from the Nigerian perspective. Findings: Some themes have emerged from the patient’s perspectives indicating preference and high acceptability of community-based-MDR-TB treatment model by the patients and mixed feelings about the risk of MDR-TB transmission within the community due to poor infection control. The result of the modeling from the quantitative data is still on course. Community-based MDR-TB care was seen as the acceptable and most preferred model of care by the majority of the participants because of its convenience which in turn enhanced recovery, enables social interaction and offer more psychosocial benefits as well as averted productivity loss. However, there is a need to strengthen this model of care thorough enhanced strategies that ensure guidelines compliance and infection control in order to prevent the progression of resistance and curtail community transmission.

Keywords: acceptability, cost-effectiveness, multidrug-resistant TB treatment, community and hospital approach

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Authors: Amessis-Ouchemoukh Nadia, Salhi Rim, Ouchemoukh Salim, Ayad Rabha, Sadou Dyhia, Guenaoui Nawel, Hamouche Sara, Madani Khodir

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The cooking method is a key factor influencing the quality of vegetables. In this study, the effect of the most common cooking methods on the nutritional composition, phenolic content, pigment content and antioxidant activities (evaluated by DPPH, ABTS, CUPRAC, FRAP, reducing power and phosphomolybdene method) of fresh, steamed, and boiled red beet was investigated. The fresh samples showed the highest nutritional and bioactive composition compared to the cooked ones. The boiling method didn’t lead to a significant reduction (p< 0.05) in the content of phenolics, flavonoids, flavanols and DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, CUPRAC, phosphomolybdeneum and reducing power capacities. This effect was less pronounced when steam cooking was used, and the losses of bioactive compounds were lower. As a result, steam cooking resulted in greater retention of bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity compared to boiling. Overall, this study suggests that steam cooking is a better method in terms of retention of pigments and bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of beetroot.

Keywords: beta vulgaris, cooking methods, bioactive compounds, antioxidant activities

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Authors: Jhu-Wei Ji, Fa-Shian Chang, Lih-Tyng Hwang, Chih-Feng Liu, Jeng-Nan Lee, Shun-Min Wang, Kai-Yi Cho

Abstract:

This paper presents a tracked robot with blade arms powered to assist movement in difficult environments. As a result, the tracked robot is able to pass a ramp or climb stairs. The main feature is a pair of blade arms on both sides of the vehicle body working in collaboration with previously validated transformable track system. When the robot encounters an obstacle in a terrain, it enlists the blade arms with power to overcome the obstacle. In disaster areas, there usually will be terrains that are full of broken and complicated slopes, broken walls, rubbles, and ditches. Thereupon, a robot, which is instructed to pass through such disaster areas, needs to have a good off-road capability for such complicated terrains. The robot with crawling-assisting blade arms would overcome the obstacles along the terrains, and possibly become to be a rescue robot. A prototype has been developed and built; experiments were carried out to validate the enhanced crawling capability of the robot.

Keywords: tracked robot, rescue robot, blade arm, crawling ability, control system

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Authors: Yun-Xuan Tang, Pei-Yuan Liu, Kun-Mu Lu, Min-Tsung Tseng, Liang-Kuang Chen, Yuh-Feng Tsai, Ching-Wen Lee, Jay Wu

Abstract:

Breast cancer is predominant of malignant tumors in females. The increase in the glandular density increases the risk of breast cancer. BI-RADS is a frequently used density indicator in mammography; however, it significantly overestimates the glandularity. Therefore, it is very important to accurately and quantitatively assess the glandularity by mammography. In this study, 20%, 30% and 50% glandularity phantoms were exposed using a mammography machine at 28, 30 and 31 kVp, and 30, 55, 80 and 105 mAs, respectively. The regions of interest (ROIs) were drawn to assess the gray level. The relationship between the glandularity and gray level under various compression thicknesses, kVp, and mAs was established by the multivariable linear regression. A phantom verification was performed with automatic exposure control (AEC). The regression equation was obtained with an R-square value of 0.928. The average gray levels of the verification phantom were 8708, 8660 and 8434 for 0.952, 0.963 and 0.985 g/cm3, respectively. The percent differences of glandularity to the regression equation were 3.24%, 2.75% and 13.7%. We concluded that the proposed method could be clinically applied in mammography to improve the glandularity estimation and further increase the importance of breast cancer screening.

Keywords: mammography, glandularity, gray value, BI-RADS

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Authors: G. L. Rithika, Arvind B. S., Akash R., Ananda Vinayak, Hema M. S.

Abstract:

Cryptocurrencies were first launched in the year 2009 and have been a great asset to own. Cryptocurrencies are a representation of a completely distinct decentralization model for money. They also contribute to the elimination of currency monopolies and the liberation of money from control. The fact that no government agency can determine a coin's value or flow is what cryptocurrency advocates believe makes them safe and secure. The aim of this paper is to analyze the economic implications of cryptocurrency and how it would disrupt traditional financial systems. This paper analyses the growth of Cryptocurrency over the years and the potential threats of cryptocurrency to financial systems. Our analysis shows that although the DeFi design, like the traditional financial system, may have the ability to lower transaction costs, there are multiple layers where rents might build up because of endogenous competition limitations. The permissionless and anonymous design of DeFi poses issues for ensuring tax compliance, anti-money laundering laws and regulations, and preventing financial misconduct.

Keywords: cryptocurrencies, bitcoin, blockchain technology, traditional financial systems, decentralisation, regulatory framework

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Authors: Biswabandhu Bankura, Srikanta Guria, Madhusudan Das

Abstract:

Purpose: Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones. We aimed to identify the spectrum of mutations in the TPO gene leading to hypothyroidism in the population of West Bengal to establish the genetic etiology of the disease. Methods: 200 hypothyroid patients (case) and their corresponding sex and age matched 200 normal individuals (control) were screened depending on their clinical manifestations. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples and TPO gene (Exon 7 to Exon 14) was amplified by PCR. The PCR products were subjected to sequencing to identify mutations. Results: Single nucleotide changes such as Glu 641 Lys, Asp 668 Asn, Thr 725 Pro, Asp 620 Asn, Ser 398 Thr, and Ala 373 Ser were found. Changes in the TPO were assayed in vitro to compare mutant and wild-type activities. Five mutants were enzymatically inactive in the guaiacol and iodide assays. This is a strong indication that the mutations are present at crucial positions of the TPO gene, resulting in inactivated TPO. Key Findings: The results of this study may help to develop a genetic screening protocol for goiter and hypothyroidism in the population of West Bengal.

Keywords: thyroid peroxidase, hypothyroidism, mutation, in vitro assay, transfection

Procedia PDF Downloads 331

Authors: Biswabandhu Bankura, Srikanta Guria, Madhusudan Das

Abstract:

Purpose: Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is the key enzyme in the biosynthesis of thyroid hormones. We aimed to identify the spectrum of mutations in the TPO gene leading to hypothyroidism in the population of West Bengal to establish the genetic etiology of the disease. Methods: 200 hypothyroid patients (case) and their corresponding sex and age matched 200 normal individuals (control) were screened depending on their clinical manifestations. Genomic DNA was isolated from peripheral blood samples and TPO gene (Exon 7 to Exon 14) was amplified by PCR. The PCR products were subjected to sequencing to identify mutations. Results: Single nucleotide changes such as Glu 641 Lys, Asp 668 Asn, Thr 725 Pro, Asp 620 Asn, Ser 398 Thr, and Ala 373 Ser were found. Changes in the TPO were assayed in vitro to compare mutant and wild-type activities. Five mutants were enzymatically inactive in the guaiacol and iodide assays. This is a strong indication that the mutations are present at crucial positions of the TPO gene, resulting in inactivated TPO. Key Findings: The results of this study may help to develop a genetic screening protocol for goiter and hypothyroidism in the population of West Bengal.

Keywords: thyroid peroxidase, hypothyroidism, mutation, in vitro assay, transfection

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Authors: Akhmadjon Sultanov, Eun-Ho Lee, Hye-Jin Park, Young-Je Cho

Abstract:

This study tested the anti-inflammatory effect of wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria) root in Raw 264.7 cells. We prepared two extracts of B. tinctoria; one in water and the other in 50% ethanol. Then we evaluated the toxicities of the B. tinctoria root extracts at 10 to 100 mg mL-1 concentrations in raw 264.7 cells and observed 80% cell viability. The anti-inflammatory effect of B. tinctoria root extract in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated Raw 264.7 cells were observed with concentrations at 10, 30, and 50 μg mL-1. The results showed that 77.27-66.82% of nitric oxide (NO) production was inhibited by 50 μg mL-1 B. tinctoria root extract. The protein expression of Inducible NO synthase (iNOS) expression dramatically decreased by 93.14% and 52.65% in raw 264.7 cells treated with water and ethanol extracts of B. tinctoria root, respectively. Moreover, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein expression decreased by 42.85% and 69.70% in raw 264.7 cells treated with water and ethanol extracts of B. tinctoria root, respectively. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory markers, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and prostaglandin E synthase 2, was significantly suppressed in a concentration-dependent manner. Additionally, the B. tinctoria root extracts effectively inhibited enzymes involved in physiological activities. The B. tinctoria root extracts showed excellent anti-inflammatory effects and can be used as a functional material for biological activities.

Keywords: cytokine, macrophage, pro-inflammatory, protein expression, real-time PCR

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