Search results for: traditional Sawan garment technique

Authors: B. O. Diyaolu, E. A. Okebanjo

Abstract:

Children in today’s world need attention and care even with their physique as obesity is also at the increased. Several factors can be responsible for obesity in children and adequate attention is paramount in other not to accommodate it into adolescent period. This study investigated perceived determinants of obesity among primary school pupils in Eti Osa Local Government area of Lagos State. Descriptive survey research design was used and population was all obese pupils in Eti Osa Local Government Area of Lagos State. 92 pupils were selected from randomly picked 12 primary schools while purposive sampling technique was used to pick primary 4-6 pupils. With the aid of body mass index (BMI) and age percentile chart the obese pupils were selected. The instrument for the study was a self-developed and structured questionnaire on perceived determinant of obesity. The questionnaire was divided into three sections. The Cronbach’s Alpha reliability coefficient of 0.74 was obtained. The hypotheses were tested at 0.05 significant levels. The completed questionnaire was collated coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency counts and percentage and inferential statistics of chi-square (X²). Findings of this study revealed that physical activities and parental influences were determinant of obesity. Physical activity is essential in reducing the rate of obesity in Eti Osa Local Government Area both at home and within the school environment. Primary schools need to create more playing ground for pupils to exercise themselves. Parents need to cater for their children diet ensuring not just the quantity but the quality as well.

Keywords: feeding pattern, obese pupils, parental influence, physical activities

Procedia PDF Downloads 125

Authors: Jeries J. Abou-Hanna

Abstract:

Several techniques exist for determining stress-intensity factors in linear elastic fracture mechanics analysis. These techniques are based on analytical, numerical, and empirical approaches that have been well documented in literature and engineering handbooks. However, not all techniques share the same merit. In addition to overly-conservative results, the numerical methods that require extensive computational effort, and those requiring copious user parameters hinder practicing engineers from efficiently evaluating stress-intensity factors. This paper investigates the prospects of reducing the complexity and required variables to determine stress-intensity factors through the utilization of the stress gradient and a weighting function. The heart of this work resides in the understanding that fracture emanating from stress concentration locations cannot be explained by a single maximum stress value approach, but requires use of a critical volume in which the crack exists. In order to understand the effectiveness of this technique, this study investigated components of different notch geometry and varying levels of stress gradients. Two forms of weighting functions were employed to determine stress-intensity factors and results were compared to analytical exact methods. The results indicated that the “exponential” weighting function was superior to the “absolute” weighting function. An error band +/- 10% was met for cases ranging from a steep stress gradient in a sharp v-notch to the less severe stress transitions of a large circular notch. The incorporation of the proposed method has shown to be a worthwhile consideration.

Keywords: fracture mechanics, finite element method, stress intensity factor, stress gradient

Procedia PDF Downloads 124

Authors: Wenyan Xu, Rundong Wang, Chen Li, Yonghong Hu, Zhonghua Lu

Abstract:

In the field of quantitative trading, it is common to find patterns in short-term volatile trends of the market. These patterns are known as High-Frequency (HF) risk factors, serving as effective indicators of future stock price volatility. However, in the past, these risk factors were usually generated by traditional financial models, and the validity of these risk factors is heavily based on domain-specific knowledge manually added instead of extensive market data. Inspired by symbolic regression (SR), the task of inferring mathematical laws from existing data, we take the extraction of formulaic risk factors from high-frequency trading (HFT) market data as an SR task. In this paper, we challenge the procedure of manually constructing risk factors and propose an end-to-end methodology, Intraday Risk Factor Transformer (IRFT) to directly predict the full formulaic factors, constants included. Specifically, we utilize a hybrid symbolic-numeric vocabulary where symbolic tokens denote operators/stock features and numeric tokens denote constants. Then, we train a Transformer model on the HFT dataset to directly generate complete formulaic HF risk factors without relying on the skeleton, which is a parametric function using a pre-defined list of operators – typically, the math operations (+, ×, /) and functions(√x, log x, cos x). It determines the general shape of the stock volatility law up to a choice of constants, e.g., f(x) = tan(ax+b) (x is the stock price). We further refine predicted constants(a,b) using the Broyden–Fletcher–Goldfarb–Shanno algorithm (BFGS) as informed guesses to mitigate non-linear issues. Compared to the 10 approaches in SRBench, which is a living benchmark for SR, IRFT gains a 30% excess investment return on the HS300 and S&P500 datasets, with inference times orders of magnitude faster than theirs in HF risk factor mining tasks.

Keywords: transformer, factor-mining language model, highfrequency risk factor collections

Procedia PDF Downloads 12

Authors: Khalid Bashir, Hammad Zahid

Abstract:

Most of the investors consider that economic and financial information is the most important at the time of making investment decisions. But it is not true, as in the past two decades, the Behavioral aspects and the behavioral biases have gained an important place in the decision-making process of an investor. This study is basically conducted on this fact. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of behavioral factors on the decision-making of the individual real estate investor in Pakistan. Some important behavioral factors like overconfidence, anchoring, gambler’s fallacy, home bias, loss aversion, regret aversion, mental accounting, herding and representativeness are used in this study to find their impact on the psychology of individual investors. The targeted population is the real estate investor of Pakistan, and a sample of 650 investors is selected on the basis of convenience sampling technique. The data is collected through the questionnaire with a response rate of 46.15 %. Descriptive statistical techniques and SEM are used to analyze the data by using statistical software. The results revealed the fact that some behavioral factors have a significant impact on the decision-making of investors. Among all the behavioral biases, overconfidence, anchoring, gambler’s fallacy, loss aversion and representativeness have a significant positive impact on the decision-making of the individual investor, while the rest of biases like home bias, regret aversion, mental accounting, herding have less impact on the decision-making process of an individual.

Keywords: behavioral finance, anchoring, gambler’s fallacy, loss aversion

Procedia PDF Downloads 53

Authors: Lisa Fox, Jill Aylott

Abstract:

There is a global need to identify ways to engage doctors in non-clinical matters such as medical leadership, service improvement and health system transformation. Using the core principles of Realistic Evaluation (RE), this study examined what works, for doctors of different grades, specialities and experience in an acute NHS Hospital Trust in the UK. Realistic Evaluation is an alternative to more traditional cause and effect evaluation models and seeks to understand the interdependencies of Context, Mechanism and Outcome proposing that Context (C) + Mechanism (M) = Outcome (O). In this study, the context, mechanism and outcome were examined from within individual medical leaders to determine what enables levels of medical engagement in a specific improvement project to reduce hospital inpatient mortality. Five qualitative case studies were undertaken with consultants who had regularly completed mortality reviews over a six month period. The case studies involved semi-structured interviews to test the theory behind the drivers for medical engagement. The interviews were analysed using a theory-driven thematic analysis to identify CMO configurations to explain what works, for whom and in what circumstances. The findings showed that consultants with a longer length of service became more engaged if there were opportunities to be involved in the beginning of an improvement project, with more opportunities to affect the design. Those that are new to a consultant role were more engaged if they felt able to apply any learning directly into their own settings or if they could use it as an opportunity to understand more about the organisation they are working in. This study concludes that RE is a useful methodology for better understanding the complexities of motivation and consultant engagement in a trust wide service improvement project. The study showed that there should be differentiated and bespoke training programmes to maximise each individual doctor’s propensity for medical engagement. The RE identified that there are different ways to ensure that doctors have the right skills to feel confident in service improvement projects.

Keywords: realistic evaluation, medical leadership, medical engagement, patient safety, service improvement

Procedia PDF Downloads 199

Authors: Qinglin Liu, Zhiyong Lin, Zongheng Wei, Jianfeng Wen, Congming Yi, Hai Liu

Abstract:

The multi-channel blind rendezvous problem in distributed cognitive radio networks (DCRNs) refers to how users in the network can hop to the same channel at the same time slot without any prior knowledge (i.e., each user is unaware of other users' information). The channel hopping (CH) technique is a typical solution to this blind rendezvous problem. In this paper, we propose a quinary coding and matrix structure-based CH algorithm called QCMS-CH. The QCMS-CH algorithm can guarantee the rendezvous of users using only one cognitive radio in the scenario of the asynchronous clock (i.e., arbitrary time drift between the users), heterogeneous channels (i.e., the available channel sets of users are distinct), and symmetric role (i.e., all users play a same role). The QCMS-CH algorithm first represents a randomly selected channel (denoted by R) as a fixed-length quaternary number. Then it encodes the quaternary number into a quinary bootstrapping sequence according to a carefully designed quaternary-quinary coding table with the prefix "R00". Finally, it builds a CH matrix column by column according to the bootstrapping sequence and six different types of elaborately generated subsequences. The user can access the CH matrix row by row and accordingly perform its channel, hoping to attempt rendezvous with other users. We prove the correctness of QCMS-CH and derive an upper bound on its Maximum Time-to-Rendezvous (MTTR). Simulation results show that the QCMS-CH algorithm outperforms the state-of-the-art in terms of the MTTR and the Expected Time-to-Rendezvous (ETTR).

Keywords: channel hopping, blind rendezvous, cognitive radio networks, quaternary-quinary coding

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: Mehena Fedoul

Abstract:

This paper examines the intersection of race, gender, and disability through a Critical disability race theory and black feminist disability perspective in Keah Brown's memoir, "The Pretty One." The background of the study highlights the significance of intersectionality in understanding the multifaceted experiences of individuals who navigate multiple marginalized identities. The study contributes to the underrepresented field of disability studies from Critical race and black feminist perspectives, shedding light on the unique challenges and resilience of black disabled women. The study employs a qualitative analysis of Keah Brown's memoir as a primary text. Drawing on intersectionality theory and black feminist disability scholarship, the analysis focuses on how Brown's memoir illuminates the ways in which her race, gender, and disability intersect and shape her lived experiences. The analysis reveals how Brown's memoir challenges traditional notions of disability, beauty, and empowerment through the unapologetic celebration of her blackness, femaleness, and disability. The major findings of the study indicate that Brown's memoir provides a powerful narrative of the complexity, uniqueness and richness of the lived experiences of black disabled women. It demonstrates how the intersectionality of race, gender, and disability shapes Brown's identity, body image, relationships, and societal interactions. The paper also highlights how Brown's memoir emphasizes the importance of inclusivity and intersectionality in understanding and addressing the challenges faced by black disabled women. In conclusion, this study offers a critical analysis of the intersection of race, gender, and disability in Keah Brown's memoir, "The Pretty One," from a black feminist disability perspective. It contributes to the growing body of literature that recognizes the significance of intersectionality in understanding the experiences of marginalized individuals in the disability community. The study underscores the need for more inclusive and intersectional perspectives in disability studies and advocates for greater recognition of the voices and experiences of black disabled women in academic and societal discourse.

Keywords: disability studies, intersectionality, black feminism, Keah Brown

Procedia PDF Downloads 89

Authors: Sujan Mahamud

Abstract:

Purpose: A major challenge in radiotherapy treatment is to deliver precise dose of radiation to the tumor with minimum dose to the healthy normal tissues. Recently, gel dosimetry has emerged as a powerful tool to measure three-dimensional (3D) dose distribution for complex delivery verification and quality assurance. These dosimeters act both as a phantom and detector, thus confirming the versatility of dosimetry technique. The aim of the study is to know the application of Gel Dosimeters in Radiotherapy and find out the comparison with 1D and 2D dimensional dosimeters. Methods and Materials: The study is carried out from Gel Dosimeter literatures. Secondary data and images have been collected from different sources such as different guidelines, books, and internet, etc. Result: Analyzing, verifying, and comparing data from treatment planning system (TPS) is determined that gel dosimeter is a very excellent powerful tool to measure three-dimensional (3D) dose distribution. The TPS calculated data were in very good agreement with the dose distribution measured by the ferrous gel. The overall uncertainty in the ferrous-gel dose determination was considerably reduced using an optimized MRI acquisition protocol and a new MRI scanner. The method developed for comparing measuring gel data with calculated treatment plans, the gel dosimetry method, was proven to be a useful for radiation treatment planning verification. In 1D and 2D Film, the depth dose and lateral for RMSD are 1.8% and 2%, and max (Di-Dj) are 2.5% and 8%. Other side 2D+ ( 3D) Film Gel and Plan Gel for RMSDstruct and RMSDstoch are 2.3% & 3.6% and 1% & 1% and system deviation are -0.6% and 2.5%. The study is investigated that the result fined 2D+ (3D) Film Dosimeter is better than the 1D and 2D Dosimeter. Discussion: Gel Dosimeters is quality control and quality assurance tool which will used the future clinical application.

Keywords: gel dosimeters, phantom, rmsd, QC, detector

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: Esther M. Folarin, Evans Osabuohien, Ademola Onabote

Abstract:

Agriculture constitutes an important part of development and poverty mitigation in lower-middle-income countries, like Nigeria. The level of agricultural productivity in the Nigerian economy in line with the level of demand necessary to meet the desired expectation of the Nigerian populace is threatening to meeting the standard of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); This includes the SDG-2 (achieve food security through agricultural productivity). The overall objective of the study is to reveal the performance of the interaction variable in the model among other factors that help in the achievement of greater Nigerian agricultural productivity. The study makes use of Wave 4 (2018/2019) of the Living Standard Measurement Studies, Integrated Survey on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA). Qualitative analysis of the information was also used to provide complimentary answers to the quantitative analysis done in the study. The study employed human capital theory and Grossman’s theory of health Demand in explaining the relationships that exist between the variables within the model of the study. The study engages the Instrumental Variable Regression technique in achieving the broad objectives among other techniques for the other specific objectives. The estimation results show that there exists a positive relationship between female healthcare and the level of female agricultural productivity in Nigeria. In conclusion, the study emphasises the need for more provision and empowerment for greater female access to healthcare and educational attainment levels that aids higher female agricultural productivity and consequently an improvement in the total agricultural productivity of the Nigerian economy.

Keywords: agricultural productivity, education, female, healthcare, investment

Procedia PDF Downloads 64

Authors: Ayat Adnan Atwah, Muhammad A. Khan

Abstract:

Self-cleaning surfaces are getting significant attention in industrial fields. Especially for textile fabrics, it is observed that self-cleaning textile fabric surfaces are created by manipulating the surface features with the help of coatings and nanoparticles, which are considered costly and far more complicated. However, controlling the fabrication parameters of textile fabrics at the microscopic level by exploring the potential for self-cleaning has not been addressed. This study aimed to establish the context of self-cleaning textile fabrics by controlling the fabrication parameters of the textile fabric at the microscopic level. Therefore, 3D-printed textile fabrics were fabricated using the low-cost fused filament fabrication (FFF) technique. The printing parameters, such as orientation angle (O), layer height (LH), and extruder width (EW), were used to control the microscopic features of the printed fabrics. The combination of three printing parameters was created to provide the best self-cleaning textile fabric surface: (LH) (0.15, 0.13, 0.10 mm) and (EW) (0.5, 0.4, 0.3 mm) along with two different (O) of (45º and 90º). Three different thermoplastic flexible filament materials were used: (TPU 98A), (TPE felaflex), and (TPC flex45). The printing parameters were optimised to get the optimum self-cleaning ability of the printed specimens. Furthermore, the impact of these characteristics on mechanical strength at the fabric-woven structure level was investigated. The study revealed that the printing parameters significantly affect the self-cleaning properties after adjusting the selected combination of layer height, extruder width, and printing orientation. A linear regression model was effectively developed to demonstrate the association between 3D printing parameters (layer height, extruder width, and orientation). According to the experimental results, (TPE felaflex) has a better self-cleaning ability than the other two materials.

Keywords: 3D printing, self-cleaning fabric, microscopic features, printing parameters, fabrication

Procedia PDF Downloads 66

Authors: Felipe Henao, Yeny Rodriguez, Juan P. Viteri, Isaac Dyner

Abstract:

Colombia is rich in natural resources and greatly focuses on the exploitation of water for hydroelectricity purposes. Alternative cleaner energy sources, such as solar and wind power, have been largely neglected despite: a) its abundance, b) the complementarities between hydro, solar and wind power, and c) the cost competitiveness of renewable technologies. The current limited mix of energy sources creates considerable weaknesses for the system, particularly when facing extreme dry weather conditions, such as El Niño event. In the past, El Niño have exposed the truly consequences of a system heavily dependent on hydropower, i.e. loss of power supply, high energy production costs, and loss of overall competitiveness for the country. Nonetheless, it is expected that the participation of hydroelectricity will increase in the near future. In this context, this paper proposes a stochastic lineal programming model to optimize the insertion of renewable energy systems (RES) into the Colombian electricity sector. The model considers cost-based generation competition between traditional energy technologies and alternative RES. This work evaluates the financial, environmental, and technical implications of different combinations of technologies. Various scenarios regarding the future evolution of costs of the technologies are considered to conduct sensitivity analysis of the solutions – to assess the extent of the participation of the RES in the Colombian power sector. Optimization results indicate that, even in the worst case scenario, where costs remain constant, the Colombian power sector should diversify its portfolio of technologies and invest strongly in solar and wind power technologies. The diversification through RES will contribute to make the system less vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, reduce the overall system costs, cut CO2 emissions, and decrease the chances of having national blackout events in the future. In contrast, the business as usual scenario indicates that the system will turn more costly and less reliable.

Keywords: energy policy and planning, stochastic programming, sustainable development, water management

Procedia PDF Downloads 273

Authors: Suwarsono, Ario S. Baskoro, Gandjar Kiswanto, Budiono

Abstract:

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a relatively new technique for joining metal. In some cases on aluminum joining, FSW gives better results compared with the arc welding processes, including the quality of welds and produces less distortion.FSW welding process for a light structure and thin materials requires small forces as possible, to avoid structure deflection. The joining process on FSW occurs because of melting temperature and compressive forces, the temperature generation of caused by material deformation and friction between the cutting tool and material. In this research, High speed rotation of spindle was expected to reduce the force required for deformation. The welding material was Aluminum A1100, with thickness of 0.4 mm. The tool was made of HSS material which was shaped by micro grinding process. Tool shoulder diameter is 4 mm, and the length of pin was 0.6 mm (with pin diameter= 1.5 mm). The parameters that varied were the plunge speed (2 mm/min, 3 mm/min, 4 mm/min). The tool speed is fixed at 33,000 rpm. Responses of FSSW parameters to analyze were Axial Force (Z-Force), Temperature and the Shear Strength of welds. Research found the optimum µFSSW parameters, it can be concluded that the most important parameters in the μFSSW process was plunge speed. lowest plunge speed (2 mm / min) causing the lowest axial force (110.40 Newton). The increases of plunge speed will increase the axial force (maximum Z-Farce= 236.03 Newton), and decrease the shear strength of welds.

Keywords: friction stir spot welding, aluminum A1100, plunge speed, axial force, shear strength

Procedia PDF Downloads 299

Authors: Moaine Jebara, Lionel Boillereaux, Sofiane Belhabib, Michel Havet, Alain Sarda, Pierre Mousseau, Rémi Deterre

Abstract:

Energy consumption efficiency is a major concern for the material processing industry such as thermoforming process and molding. Indeed, these systems should deliver the right amount of energy at the right time to the processed material. Recent technical development, as well as the particularities of the heating system dynamics, made the Model Predictive Control (MPC) one of the best candidates for thermal control of several production processes like molding and composite thermoforming to name a few. The main principle of this technique is to use a dynamic model of the process inside the controller in real time in order to anticipate the future behavior of the process which allows the current timeslot to be optimized while taking future timeslots into account. This study presents a procedure based on a predictive control that brings balance between optimality, simplicity, and flexibility of its implementation. The development of this approach is progressive starting from the case of a single zone before its extension to the multizone and/or multisource case, taking thus into account the thermal couplings between the adjacent zones. After a quadratic formulation of the MPC criterion to ensure the thermal control, the linear expression is retained in order to reduce calculation time thanks to the use of the ARMAX linear decomposition methods. The effectiveness of this approach is illustrated by experiment and simulation.

Keywords: energy efficiency, linear decomposition methods, model predictive control, mold heating systems

Procedia PDF Downloads 257

Authors: Munirah Alaboudi

Abstract:

This paper discusses a research project carried out with 12 first-year graduate students enrolled in research methods course prior to undertaking a graduate thesis during the academic year 2019. The research was designed for the objective of creating research methods course structure that embraces an individualized and activity-based approach to learning in a highly engaging group environment. This approach targeted innovating the traditional research methods lecture-based, theoretical format where students reported less engagement and limited learning. This study utilized action research methodology in developing a different approach to research methods course instruction where student performance indicators and feedback were periodically collected to assess the new teaching method. Student learning was achieved through utilizing the flipped classroom approach where students learned the material at home and classroom activities were designed to implement and experiment with the newly acquired information, with the guidance of the course instructor. Student learning in class was practiced through a series of activities based on different research methods. With the goal of encouraging student engagement, a wide range of activities was utilized including workshops, role play, mind-mapping, presentations, peer evaluations. Data was collected through an open-ended qualitative questionnaire to establish whether students were engaged in the material they were learning, and to what degree were they engaged, and to test their mastery level of the concepts discussed. Analysis of the data presented positive results as around 91% of the students reported feeling more engaged with the active learning experience and learning research by “actually doing research, not just reading about it”. The students expressed feeling invested in the process of their learning as they saw their research “gradually come to life” through peer learning and practice during workshops. Based on the results of this study, the research methods course structure was successfully remodeled and continues to be delivered.

Keywords: research methods, higher education instruction, flipped classroom, graduate education

Procedia PDF Downloads 88

Authors: Abdulrahman Abdulhamid Arabo, Raji Arabi Bamanga, Mujiburrahman Fadilu, Musa Abubakar, Fatima Abdullahi Shehu, Hafeez Muhammad Yakasai, Nasiru Abdullahi

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify biosurfactant-producing and diesel alkanes degrading bacteria. For this reason, bacteria isolated from the diesel-contaminated site were screened for their potential to produce biosurfactants and degrade diesel alkanes. Primary selection of diesel degraders was carried out by using the conventional enrichment culture technique, where 12 bacterial strains were isolated based on their ability to grow on minimal media supplemented with diesel as the sole carbon source, which was followed by qualitative screening methods for potential biosurfactant production. Isolate B11 was the only candidate that showed positive signs for drop collapse, foaming, hemolytic test, oil displacement of more than 22 ± 0.05 mm, and emulsification (E24) of 14 ± 0.30%. The effect of various culture parameters (incubation time, diesel concentration, nitrogen source, pH and temperature) on the biodegradation of diesel was evaluated. The optimum incubation time was confirmed to be 120 days for isolate B11, and the optimum PH was confirmed as 8.0 for the isolate; similarly, the optimum temperature was confirmed as 35oC. In addition, diesel oil was used as the sole carbon source for the isolates. The favorable diesel concentration was 12.5 % (v/v) for the isolate. The isolate has shown degradative ability towards Tridecane (C13), dodecane, 2, 6, 10-trimethyl- (C15), Tetradecane (C14), 2,6,10-Trimethyltridecane (C16), Pentadecane (C15). It degraded between 0.27% - 9.65% of individual diesel oil alkanes. The strain has exhibited the potential of degrading diesel oil n-alkanes and was identified as Alcaligenes species strain B11 (MZ027604) using the 16S rRNA. Sequencing.

Keywords: diesel oil, biosurfactant, Alcaligenes sp, biodegradation

Procedia PDF Downloads 86

Authors: Tuji Jemal Ahmed

Abstract:

Fresh produce is an essential component of a healthy diet. However, it can also be a potential source of pathogenic microorganisms that can cause foodborne illnesses. Traditional disinfection methods, such as washing with water and chlorine, have limitations and may not effectively remove or inactivate all microorganisms. This has led to the development of alternative/new methods of fresh produce disinfection, including physical and chemical methods. In this paper, we explore the physical and chemical new methods of fresh produce disinfection, their advantages and disadvantages, and their suitability for different types of produce. Physical methods of disinfection, such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation and high-pressure processing (HPP), are crucial in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce. UV radiation uses short-wavelength UV-C light to damage the DNA and RNA of microorganisms, and HPP applies high levels of pressure to fresh produce to reduce the microbial load. These physical methods are highly effective in killing a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi. However, they may not penetrate deep enough into the product to kill all microorganisms and can alter the sensory characteristics of the product. Chemical methods of disinfection, such as acidic electrolyzed water (AEW), ozone, and peroxyacetic acid (PAA), are also important in ensuring the microbiological safety of fresh produce. AEW uses a low concentration of hypochlorous acid and a high concentration of hydrogen ions to inactivate microorganisms, ozone uses ozone gas to damage the cell membranes and DNA of microorganisms, and PAA uses a combination of hydrogen peroxide and acetic acid to inactivate microorganisms. These chemical methods are highly effective in killing a wide range of microorganisms, but they may cause discoloration or changes in the texture and flavor of some products and may require specialized equipment and trained personnel to produce and apply. In conclusion, the selection of the most suitable method of fresh produce disinfection should take into consideration the type of product, the level of microbial contamination, the effectiveness of the method in reducing the microbial load, and any potential negative impacts on the sensory characteristics, nutritional composition, and safety of the produce.

Keywords: fresh produce, pathogenic microorganisms, foodborne illnesses, disinfection methods

Procedia PDF Downloads 58

Authors: Yogesh Kumar Tiwari

Abstract:

Chhattisgarh has realized the fundamental role of information and communication technology in the globalized world where knowledge is at the top for the growth and intellectual development. They are spreading so widely that one feels lagging behind if not using them. The influence of these radiating and technological tools has encompassed all aspects of the educational, business, and economic sectors of our world. Undeniably the computer has not only established itself globally in all walks of life but has acquired a fundamental role of paramount importance in the educational process also. This role is getting all pervading and more powerful as computers are being manufactured to be cheaper, smaller in size, adaptable and easy to handle. Computers are becoming indispensable to teachers because of their enormous capabilities and extensive competence. This study aims at observing the effect of using computer based software program of English language on the achievement of undergraduate level students studying in tribal area like Sarguja Division, Chhattisgarh, India. To testify the effect of an innovative teaching in the graduate classroom in tribal area 50 students were randomly selected and separated into two groups. The first group of 25 students were taught English grammar i.e., passive voice/narration, through traditional method using chalk and blackboard asking some formal questions. The second group, the experimental one, was taught English grammar i.e., passive voice/narration, using computer, projector with power point presentation of grammatical items. The statistical analysis was done on the students’ learning capacities and achievement. The result was extremely mesmerizing not only for the teacher but for taught also. The process of the recapitulation demonstrated that the students of experimental group responded the answers of the questions enthusiastically with innovative sense of learning. In light of the findings of the study, it was recommended that teachers and professors of English ought to use self-made instructional program in their teaching process particularly in tribal areas.

Keywords: achievement computer assisted language learning, use of instructional program

Procedia PDF Downloads 136

Authors: Wenfen Bi, Zeng Lin

Abstract:

As a developing country, China is badly in need of capital and talents to develop the socialist country with Chinese characteristics. However, a large proportion of high income people with know-how technique, wealth and management experience have immigrated or plan to immigrate to other countries. Of course, this phenomenon has attracted the attention from both the government and researchers. One explanation might be that these high-income people lack confidence in China’s social development. Based on the data on W city’s comprehensive social situation surveyed by center for the social survey research of Wuhan university (CSSR) in 2014, this paper employed the structural equation model (SEM) to evaluate whether personal income affects social confidence, via the mediating effect of the sense of social equity (sense of right equity and sense of distributive equity). Bootstrap mediation analysis revealed that after controlling Demographic variables, personal income had a significant negative influence on sense of right equity and in turn, sense of rights equity can significantly positively predict social confidence. While personal income had no significant effect on sense of distributive equity, and sense of distributive equity did not significantly affect macro social confidence. Also, the direct effects of personal income on social confidence became not significant. These findings revealed the inner mechanism of the relationship between the personal income and social confidence in contemporary China, which was caused by mediating effect of sense of rights equity. That is, the higher the personal income, the lower the sense of rights equity, the lower the social confidence. Thus, the boost of the social confidence, especially for the rich, does not only depend on the equitable distribution of material wealth, but also on the right equity and making people feel rights equally in common life.

Keywords: personal income, sense of right equity, sense of social equity, social confidence

Procedia PDF Downloads 372

Authors: Suminar Pratapa, Agus Riyanto, Silmi Machmudah, Sri Yani Purwaningsih

Abstract:

The objective of this study was to investigate the optical properties of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and its prospective applications by adding crystalline silica which is usually used as a reinforcing agent. To do this, we synthesized and evaluated PVA-based composites reinforced with silica crystals, namely cristobalite, derived from rice husk. The experimental procedure involved the production of SiO2 particles using rice husk precursors, which were subsequently subjected to calcination at a rate of 10 °C/min for a duration of 3 hours. This process primarily resulted in the formation of SiO2 crystals in the cristobalite phase, according to X-ray diffraction (XRD). Following this, the crystals were incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) via a casting technique, resulting in the formation of composite sheets. The SiO2 contents in the composites were 0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.%. XRD and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) techniques provided confirmation of the composites' successful synthesis, i.e., it did not yield any indications of chemical bonding between polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and silicon dioxide (SiO2), indicating that the interaction was limited to interfacial reactions. The incorporation of SiO2 crystals resulted in a notable enhancement in UV-vis light absorption and a decrease in the optical band gap. Addition of 2.5, 5.0, and 10.% SiO2, for example, decreases the direct optical band gap of the composites form 5.37, 5.19, and 5.02 eV respectively, while the indirect band gaps of the samples were 4.44, 4.84, and 4.48 eV, correspondingly. These findings emphasize the efficacy of rice husk-derived SiO2 crystals as both reinforcement agents and modifiers of optical properties in the polymer composites, showcasing their significant potential to modify the composite's structural and optical characteristics.

Keywords: rice husk, cristaline SiO₂, PVA-based composites, structural characteristics, optical properties.

Procedia PDF Downloads 31

Authors: J. W. Choi, S. Y. Cho, H. J. Lee, W. Z. Oh, S. J. Choi

Abstract:

Ionic liquids (ILs), which is alternative to conventional organic solvent, were used for extraction of Cs ions. ILs, as useful environment friendly green solvents, have been recently applied as replacement for traditional volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in liquid/liquid extraction of heavy metal ions as well as organic and inorganic species and pollutants. Thus, Ionic liquids were used for extraction of Cs ions from the liquid radioactive waste. In most cases, Cs ions present in radioactive wastes in very low concentration, approximately less than 1ppm. Therefore, unlike established extraction system the required amount of ILs as extractant is comparatively very small. This extraction method involves cation exchange mechanism in which Cs ion transfers to the organic phase and binds to one crown ether by chelation in exchange of single ILs cation, IL_cation+, transfer to the aqueous phase. In this extraction system showed solid-liquid separation in which the Ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonly)imide (C2mimTf2N) and the crown ether Dicyclohexano-18-crown-6 (DCH18C6) both were used here in very little amount as solvent and as extractant, respectively. 30 mM of CsNO3 was used as simulated waste solution cesium ions. Generally, in liquid-liquid extraction, the molar ratio of CE:Cs+:ILs was 1:5~10:>100, while our applied molar ratio of CE:Cs+:ILs was 1:2:1~10. The quantity of CE and Cs ions were fixed to 0.6 and 1.2 mmol, respectively. The phenomenon of precipitation showed two kinds of separation: solid-liquid separation in the ratio of 1:2:1 and 1:2:2; solid-liquid-liquid separation (3 phase) in the ratio of 1:2:5 and 1:2:10. In the last system, 3 phases were precipitate-ionic liquids-aqueous. The precipitate was verified to consist of Cs+, DCH18C6, Tf2N- based on the cation exchange mechanism. We analyzed precipitate using scanning electron microscopy with X-ray microanalysis (SEM-EDS), an elemental analyser, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The experimental results showed an easy extraction method and confirmed the composition of solid precipitate. We also obtained information that complex formation ratio of Cs+ to DCH18C6 is 0.88:1 regardless of C2mimTf2N quantities.

Keywords: extraction, precipitation, solid-liquid seperation, ionic liquid, precipitate

Procedia PDF Downloads 404

Authors: P. S. Percin, O. Inanli, S. Karakaya

Abstract:

Bitter melon (Momordica charantia) is a medicinal vegetable, which is used traditionally to remedy diabetes. Bitter melon contains several classes of primary and secondary metabolites. In traditional Turkish medicine bitter melon is used for wound healing and treatment of peptic ulcers. Nowadays, bitter melon is used for the treatment of diabetes and ulcerative colitis in many countries. The main constituents of bitter melon, which are responsible for the anti-diabetic effects, are triterpene, protein, steroid, alkaloid and phenolic compounds. In this study total phenolics, total carotenoids and β-carotene contents of mature and immature bitter melons were determined. In addition, in vitro α-amylase and α-glucosidase activities of mature and immature bitter melons were studied. Total phenolic contents of immature and mature bitter melon were 74 and 123 mg CE/g bitter melon respectively. Although total phenolics of mature bitter melon was higher than that of immature bitter melon, this difference was not found statistically significant (p > 0.05). Carotenoids, a diverse group of more than 600 naturally occurring red, orange and yellow pigments, play important roles in many physiological processes both in plants and humans. The total carotenoid content of mature bitter melon was 4.36 fold higher than the total carotenoid content of immature bitter melon. The compounds that have hypoglycaemic effect of bitter melon are steroidal saponins known as charantin, insulin-like peptides and alkaloids. α-Amylase is one of the main enzymes in human that is responsible for the breakdown of starch to more simple sugars. Therefore, the inhibitors of this enzyme can delay the carbohydrate digestion and reduce the rate of glucose absorption. The immature bitter melon extract showed α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities in vitro. α-Amylase inhibitory activity was higher than that of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity when IC50 values were compared. In conclusion, the present results provide evidence that aqueous extract of bitter melon may have an inhibitory effect on carbohydrate breakdown enzymes.

Keywords: bitter melon, in vitro antidiabetic activity, total carotenoids, total phenols

Procedia PDF Downloads 230

Authors: Karen Jacob

Abstract:

Over the last decades, there has been a rise in the use of CLIL (content and language integrated learning) methodology as a way of reinforcing FL (foreign language) acquisition. CLIL techniques have also been transferred to the formal instruction-based FL classroom where through content-based lessons and project work it can very often say that teachers are ‘clilling’ in the FL classroom. When it comes to motivating students to acquire an FL, we have to take into account that English is not your run-of-the-mill FL: English is an international language (EIL). Consequently, this means that EFL students should be able to use English as an international medium of communication. This leads to the assumption that along with FL competence, speakers of EIL will need to become competent international citizens with knowledge of other societies, both contextually and geographically, and be flexible, open-minded, respectful and sensitive towards other world groups. Rather than ‘intercultural’ competence we should be referring to ‘transcultural’ competence. This paper reports the implementation of a content- and task-based approach to EFL teaching which was applied to two groups of 15 year-olds from two schools on the Spanish island of Mallorca during the school year 2015-2016. Students worked on three units of work that aimed at ‘internationalising’ the classroom by introducing topics that would encourage them to become transculturally aware of the world in which they live. In this paper we discuss the feedback given by the teachers and students on various aspects of the approach in order to answer the following research questions: 1) To what extent were the students motivated by the content and activities of the classes?; 2) Did this motivation have a positive effect on the students’ overall results for the subject; 3) Did the participants show any signs of becoming transculturally aware. Preliminary results from qualitative data show that the students enjoyed the move away from the more traditional EFL content and, as a result, they became more competent in speaking and writing. Students also appeared to become more knowledgeable and respectful towards the ‘other’. The EFL approach described in this paper takes a more qualitative approach to research by describing what is really going on in the EFL classroom and makes a conscious effort to provide real examples of not only the acquisition of linguistic competence but also the acquisition of other important communication skills that are of utmost importance in today's international arena.

Keywords: CLIL, content- and task-based learning, internationalisation, transcultural competence

Procedia PDF Downloads 231

Authors: Mehdi Abbasi, Shadan Navid, Mohammad Pourahmadi, M. Majidi Zolbin

Abstract:

We have recently reported that melatonin as antioxidant enhances the efficacy of colonization of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Melatonin as an antioxidant plays a vital role in the development of SSCs in vitro. This study aimed to investigate evaluation of sertoli cells and melatonin simultaneously on SSC proliferation following transplantation to testis of adult mouse busulfan-treated azoospermia model. SSCs and sertoli cells were isolated from the testes of three to six-day old male mice.To determine the purity, Flow cytometry technique using PLZF antibody were evaluated. Isolated testicular cells were cultured in αMEM medium in the absence (control group) or presence (experimental group) of sertoli cells and melatonin extract for 2 weeks. We then transplanted SSCs by injection into the azoospermia mice model. Higher viability, proliferation, and Id4, Plzf, expression were observed in the presence of simultaneous sertoli cells and melatonin in vitro. Moreover, immunocytochemistry results showed higher Oct4 expression in this group. Eight weeks after transplantation, injected cells were localized at the base of seminiferous tubules in the recipient testes. The number of spermatogonia and the weight of testis were higher in the experimental group relative to control group. The results of our study suggest that this new protocol can increase the transplantation of these cells can be useful in the treatment of male infertility.

Keywords: colonization, melatonin, spermatogonial stem cell, transplantation

Procedia PDF Downloads 158

Authors: D. Castillo T., Luis F. Jimenez

Abstract:

The compressed earth blocks (CEBs) constitute an alternative as a constructive element for building homes in regions with high levels of poverty and marginalization. Such is the case of Southeastern Mexico, where the population, predominantly indigene, build their houses with feeble materials like wood and palm, vulnerable to extreme weather in the area, because they do not have the financial resources to acquire concrete blocks. There are several advantages that can provide BTCs compared to traditional vibro-compressed concrete blocks, such as the availability of materials, low manufacturing cost and reduced CO2 emissions to the atmosphere for not be subjected to a burning process. However, to improve its mechanical properties and resistance to adverse weather conditions in terms of humidity and temperature of the sub-humid climate zones, it requires the use of a chemical stabilizer; in this case we chose Ca(OH)2. The stabilization method Eades-Grim was employed, according to ASTM C977-03. This method measures the optimum amount of lime required to stabilize the soil, increasing the pH to 12.4 or higher. The minimum amount of lime required in this experiment was 1% and the maximum was 10%. The employed material was clay unconsolidated low to medium plasticity (CL type according to the Unified Soil Classification System). Based on these results, the CEBs manufacturing process was determined. The obtained blocks were from 10x15x30 cm using a mixture of soil, water and lime in different proportions. Later these blocks were put to dry outdoors and subjected to several physical and mechanical tests, such as compressive strength, absorption and drying shrinkage. The results were compared with the limits established by the Mexican Standard NMX-C-404-ONNCCE-2005 for the construction of housing walls. In this manner an alternative and sustainable material was obtained for the construction of rural households in the region, with better security conditions, comfort and cost.

Keywords: calcium hydroxide, chemical stabilization, compressed earth blocks, sub-humid warm weather

Procedia PDF Downloads 390

Authors: Xuewei Li, Jingfeng Yuan, Jianliang Zhou

Abstract:

The 21st century has been called the century of human exploitation of underground space. Due to the characteristics of large quantity, tight schedule, low safety reserve and high uncertainty of deep foundation pit engineering, accidents frequently occur in deep foundation pit engineering, causing huge economic losses and casualties. With the successful application of information technology in the construction industry, building information modeling has become a research hotspot in the field of architectural engineering. Therefore, the application of building information modeling (BIM) and other information communication technologies (ICTs) in construction safety management is of great significance to improve the level of safety management. This research summed up the mechanism of the deep foundation pit engineering accident through the fault tree analysis to find the control factors of deep foundation pit engineering safety management, the deficiency existing in the traditional deep foundation pit construction site safety management. According to the accident cause mechanism and the specific process of deep foundation pit construction, the hazard information of deep foundation pit engineering construction site was identified, and the hazard list was obtained, including early warning information. After that, the system framework was constructed by analyzing the early warning information demand and early warning function demand of the safety management system of deep foundation pit. Finally, the safety management system of deep foundation pit construction site based on BIM through combing the database and Web-BIM technology was developed, so as to realize the three functions of real-time positioning of construction site personnel, automatic warning of entering a dangerous area, real-time monitoring of deep foundation pit structure deformation and automatic warning. This study can initially improve the current situation of safety management in the construction site of deep foundation pit. Additionally, the active control before the occurrence of deep foundation pit accidents and the whole process dynamic control in the construction process can be realized so as to prevent and control the occurrence of safety accidents in the construction of deep foundation pit engineering.

Keywords: Web-BIM, safety management, deep foundation pit, construction

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: C. C. Chima, C. J. M. Anumaka

Abstract:

This study evaluates environmental disclosures on the financial performance of quoted industrial goods manufacturing sectors in Nigeria. The study employed a quasi-experimental research design to establish the relationship that exists between the environmental disclosure index and financial performance indices (return on assets - ROA, return on equity - ROE, and earnings per share - EPS). A purposeful sampling technique was employed to select five (5) industrial goods manufacturing sectors quoted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Secondary data covering 2011 to 2020 financial years were extracted from annual reports of the study sectors using a content analysis method. The data were analyzed using SPSS, Version 23. Panel Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression method was employed in estimating the unknown parameters in the study’s regression model after conducting diagnostic and preliminary tests to ascertain that the data set are reliable and not misleading. Empirical results show that there is an insignificant negative relationship between the environmental disclosure index (EDI) and the performance indices (ROA, ROE, and EPS) of the industrial goods manufacturing sectors in Nigeria. The study recommends that: only relevant information which increases the performance indices should appear on the disclosure checklist; environmental disclosure practices should be country-specific; and company executives in Nigeria should increase and monitor the level of investment (resources, time, and energy) in order to ensure that environmental disclosure has a significant impact on financial performance.

Keywords: earnings per share, environmental disclosures, return on assets, return on equity

Procedia PDF Downloads 71

Authors: A. Rajesh Kanna, G. Suresh Kumar, Sathyanaryana N. Gummadi

Abstract:

There are various sources of energies available worldwide and among them, crude oil plays a vital role. Oil recovery is achieved using conventional primary and secondary recovery methods. In-order to recover the remaining residual oil, technologies like Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) are utilized which is also known as tertiary recovery. Among EOR, Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) is a technique which enables the improvement of oil recovery by injection of bio-surfactant produced by microorganisms. Bio-surfactant can retrieve unrecoverable oil from the cap rock which is held by high capillary force. Bio-surfactant is a surface active agent which can reduce the interfacial tension and reduce viscosity of oil and thereby oil can be recovered to the surface as the mobility of the oil is increased. Research in this area has shown promising results besides the method is echo-friendly and cost effective compared with other EOR techniques. In our research, on laboratory scale we produced bio-surfactant using the strain Pseudomonas putida (MTCC 2467) and injected into designed simple sand packed column which resembles actual petroleum reservoir. The experiment was conducted in order to determine the efficiency of produced bio-surfactant in oil recovery. The column was made of plastic material with 10 cm in length. The diameter was 2.5 cm. The column was packed with fine sand material. Sand was saturated with brine initially followed by oil saturation. Water flooding followed by bio-surfactant injection was done to determine the amount of oil recovered. Further, the injection of bio-surfactant volume was varied and checked how effectively oil recovery can be achieved. A comparative study was also done by injecting Triton X 100 which is one of the chemical surfactant. Since, bio-surfactant reduced surface and interfacial tension oil can be easily recovered from the porous sand packed column.

Keywords: bio-surfactant, bacteria, interfacial tension, sand column

Procedia PDF Downloads 393

Authors: Nurliani, Ida Rosada

Abstract:

The national rice consumption keeps increasing along with raising income of the households and the rapid growth of population. However, food availability, particularly rice, is limited. Impacts of rice-field conversion have run cumulatively, as we can see on potential losses of rice and crops production, as well as work opportunity that keeps increasing year-by-year. Therefore, it requires policy recommendation to control rice-field conversion through economic, social, and ecological approaches. The research was a survey method intended to: (1) Identify internal factors; quality and productivity of the land as the cause of land conversion, (2) Identify external factors of land conversion, value of the rice-field and the competitor’s land, workforce absorption, and regulation, as well as (3) Formulate strategies in controlling rice-field conversion. Population of the research was farmers who applied land conversion at Pangkep Regency, South Sulawesi. Samples were determined using the incidental sampling method. Data analysis used productivity analysis, land quality analysis, total economic value analysis, and SWOT analysis. Results of the research showed that the quality of rice-field was low as well as productivity of the grains (unhulled-rice). So that, average productivity of the grains and quality of rice-field were low as well. Total economic value of rice-field was lower than the economic value of the embankment. Workforce absorption value on rice-field was higher than on the embankment. Strategies in controlling such rice-field conversion can be done by increasing rice-field productivity, improving land quality, applying cultivation technique of specific location, improving the irrigation lines, and socializing regulation and sanction about the transfer of land use.

Keywords: land conversion, quality of rice-field, productivity, land economic value.

Procedia PDF Downloads 261

Authors: Natalie Delia

Abstract:

This academic paper investigates the transformative potential of incorporating alternative ways of knowing within the framework of Critical Studies departments. Traditional academic paradigms often prioritize empirical evidence and established methodologies, potentially limiting the scope of critical inquiry. In response to this, our research seeks to illuminate the benefits and challenges associated with integrating alternative epistemologies, such as indigenous knowledge systems, artistic expressions, and experiential narratives. Drawing upon a comprehensive review of literature and case studies, we examine how alternative ways of knowing can enrich and diversify the intellectual landscape of Critical Studies departments. By embracing perspectives that extend beyond conventional boundaries, departments may foster a more inclusive and holistic understanding of critical issues. Additionally, we explore the potential impact on pedagogical approaches, suggesting that alternative ways of knowing can stimulate alternative way of teaching methods and enhance student engagement. Our investigation also delves into the institutional and cultural shifts necessary to support the integration of alternative epistemologies within academic settings. We address concerns related to validation, legitimacy, and the potential clash with established norms, offering insights into fostering an environment that encourages intellectual pluralism. Furthermore, the paper considers the implications for interdisciplinary collaboration and the potential for cultivating a more responsive and socially engaged scholarship. By encouraging a synthesis of diverse perspectives, Critical Studies departments may be better equipped to address the complexities of contemporary issues, encouraging a dynamic and evolving field of study. In conclusion, this paper advocates for a paradigm shift within Critical Studies departments towards a more inclusive and expansive approach to knowledge production. By embracing alternative ways of knowing, departments have the opportunity to not only diversify their intellectual landscape but also to contribute meaningfully to broader societal dialogues, addressing pressing issues with renewed depth and insight.

Keywords: critical studies, alternative ways of knowing, academic department, Wallerstein

Procedia PDF Downloads 48

Authors: Chick Loveline Ayoh Epse Ndi

Abstract:

Our cultural stance has deep implications for the psychological and physical well-being of the old. Cameroon is still rooted on the traditional belief that stipulates that; the aged are best catered for in the family setting where the children and grandchildren are supposed to give in return for services invested on them by the former. This is why up till date, there are no “Rest Homes” or “Convalescent hospitals” despite the rising challenges faced by the aged in this context. Beside the special measure set aside to cater for the aged, such as “Rest Homes” for the healthy, “Convalescent hospitals” are created set to cater for the health of the aged in the Western context with other facilities such as geriatric units. The health care practitioners are aware of aging diseases and have trained human resources like Gerontologists to cater for the aged and aging diseases. Meanwhile, in Africa and Cameroon in particular, such infrastructural and human resources are still to be considered in the health care system. It can be assumed that the aged and aging diseases are still to be considered in the health care system in this context. This is why we talk of therapeutic nihilism, where the aged are mixed up with other categories of patients with no special attention given to them. This qualitative study carried out in the Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon, with their best referent hospitals, reveal that; the aged and aging diseases are still a myth in this context. Data collected in both private and public health institutions show that there is only one public institution in Cameroon that has a geriatric unit with no specialists. Patients who aretreated in this unit are considered as aged with terminal diseases that need palliative care and not intensive care. Cameroon is still lacking in terms of health care to the aged and ageing diseases. Like other patients, the aged are treated with a lot of laxity and no value. There is an emergency to create special health care units for geriatrics and and train gerontologist. Mentally or physically ill aged faced medical rational with psychodynamic treatment considered as waste of time. The aged are less likely to be regarded salvageable when they enter a hospital in serious conditions due to the lack of specialists and geriatric units for them. The implication of this study is to sensitization the stake holders for an urgent need to extend special care units for the aged and aging diseases in this context.

Keywords: challeng, therapy, agtng, diseases cameroon

Procedia PDF Downloads 78