Search results for: rare earths elements
3506 Laryngeal Tuberculosis in a 7-Year-Old Child: A Case Report and Literature Review
Authors: Mohd Jaish Siddiqui
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Laryngeal TB is extremely rare in the pediatric population, accounting for 1% of all cases. Here, we present a case of laryngeal TB with miliary tuberculosis and tuberculous encephalitis, presented with sore throat, hoarseness, severe cough and, acute obstruction the larynx, sputum for AFB was negative, T-SPOT was positive and X-pert was positive, bronchoscopy revealed multiple nodules and edema around the larynx, epiglottis, bilateral arytenopharyngeal folds and vocal cord. Enhanced MRI revealed multiple small nodules in bilateral cerebral hemispheres and right thalamus, however CSF was negative. We reviewed the LTB cases that were published up to 2021. A total of twenty fine cases were identified in English literature. The most common manifestation was hoarseness of voice with 80% followed by stridor 40% of cases. Pulmonary involvement was found in 36% of cases, whereas, 45% of cases had no underlying TB. We did not find any case who developed tuberculous encephalitis in the literature.Keywords: laryngeal tb, treatment, tuberculous encephalitis, children
Procedia PDF Downloads 463505 Assessing Influence of End-Boundary Conditions on Stability and Second-Order Lateral Stiffness of Beam-Column Elements Embedded in Non-Homogeneous Soil
Authors: Carlos A. Vega-Posada, Jeisson Alejandro Higuita-Villa, Julio C. Saldarriaga-Molina
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This paper presents a simplified analytical approach to conduct elastic stability and second-order lateral stiffness analyses of beam-column elements (i.e., piles) with generalized end-boundary conditions embedded on a homogeneous or non-homogeneous Pasternak foundation. The solution is derived using the well-known Differential Transformation Method (DTM), and it consists simply of solving a system of two linear algebraic equations. Using other conventional approaches to solve the governing differential equation of the proposed element can be cumbersome and the solution challenging to implement, especially when the non-homogeneity of the soil is considered. The proposed formulation includes the effects of i) any rotational or lateral transverse spring at the ends of the pile, ii) any external transverse load acting along the pile, iii) soil non-homogeneity, and iv) the second-parameter of the elastic foundation (i.e., shear layer connecting the springs at the top). A parametric study is conducted to investigate the effects of different modulus of subgrade reactions, degrees of non-homogeneities, and intermediate end-boundary conditions on the pile response. The same set of equations can be used to conduct both elastic stability and static analyses. Comprehensive examples are presented to show the simplicity and practicability of the proposed method.Keywords: elastic stability, second-order lateral stiffness, soil-non-homogeneity, pile analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 2093504 Cloning and Functional Analysis of NtPIN1a Promoter Under Various Abiotic Stresses in Nicotiana Tabacum
Authors: Zia Ullah, Muhammad Asim, Shi Sujuan, Rayyan Khan, Aaqib Shaheen, LIU Haobao
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The plant-specific auxin efflux proteins PIN-FORMED (PIN) have been well depicted in many plant species for their essential roles in regulating the transport of auxins in several phases of plant growth. Little is known about the various functions of the PIN family genes in the Nicotiana tabacum (N. tabacum) species during plant growth. To define the expression pattern of the NtPIN1a gene under abiotic stresses and hormone treatment, transgenic tobacco with promoterNtPIN1a::GUS construct was employed. Comprehensive computational analyses of the NtPIN1a promoter confirmed the existence of common core promoter elements including CAAT-box, TATA-box, hormone, and abiotic stress-responsive elements such as ABRE, P-box, MYC, MYB, ARE, and GC-motifs. The transgenic plants with the promoter of NtPIN1a displayed a promising expression of β-glucuronidase (GUS) in germinating seeds, root tips, shoot-apex, and developing leaves under optimal conditions. While the differential expression of GUS in moderate salt, drought, low potassium stresses, and externally high auxin level at two different time points, suggested NtPIN1a played a key role in growth processes and the plants’ response to abiotic stresses. This analysis provides a foundation for more in-depth discoveries of the biological functions of NtPIN1a in Nicotiana species and this promoter may be employed in genetic engineering of other crops for enhanced stress tolerance.Keywords: tobacco, nicotiana tabacum, pin, promoter, GUS, abiotic stresses, auxin
Procedia PDF Downloads 953503 Extremely Large Sinus Pericranii with Involvement of the Torcular and Associated with Crouzon’s Syndrome
Authors: Felipe H. Sanders, Bryan A. Edwards, Matthew Fusco, Rod J. Oskouian, R. Shane Tubbs
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Introduction: Sinus pericranii is a rare vascular malformation that connects the intracranial dural sinuses to the extracranial venous drainage system and is caused by either trauma or congenital defects. Although the majority of these vascular structures are due to trauma, some are congenital. Case report: Herein, we report a 5-month-old patient with a very large and fluctuating subcutaneous mass over the occiput and the diagnosis of Crouzon’s syndrome. The child presented with a large midline mass that on imaging, connected to the underlying torcular and was diagnosed as a sinus pericranii. At long-term follow up and without operative intervention, the sinus pericranii resolved. This uncommon relationship is reviewed. Conclusion: Premature closure of posterior fossa sutures as part of Crouzon syndrome can present with large sinus pericranii. Such subcutaneous swellings might resolve spontaneously.Keywords: congenital, craniosynostosis, pediatric, vascular malformation
Procedia PDF Downloads 2073502 Modeling and Behavior of Structural Walls
Authors: Salima Djehaichia, Rachid Lassoued
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Reinforced concrete structural walls are very efficient elements for protecting buildings against excessive early damage and against collapse under earthquake actions. It is therefore of interest to develop a numerical model which simulates the typical behavior of these units, this paper presents and describes different modeling techniques that have been used by researchers and their advantages and limitations mentioned. The earthquake of Boumerdes in 2003 has demonstrated the fragility of structures and total neglect of sismique design rules in the realization of old buildings. Significant damage and destruction of buildings caused by this earthquake are not due to the choice of type of material, but the design and the study does not congruent with seismic code requirements and bad quality of materials. For idealizing the failure of rules, a parametric study focuses on: low rate of reinforcements, type of reinforcement, resistance moderate of concrete. As an application the modeling strategy based on finite elements combined with a discretization of wall more solicited by successive thin layers. The estimated performance level achieved during a seismic action is obtained from capacity curves under incrementally increasing loads. Using a pushover analysis, a characteristic non linear force-displacement relationship can be determined. The results of numeric model are confronted with those of Algerian Para seismic Rules (RPA) in force have allowed the determination of profits in terms of displacement, shearing action, ductility.Keywords: modeling, old building, pushover analysis, structural walls
Procedia PDF Downloads 2463501 An Equivalent Circuit Model Approach for Battery Pack Simulation in a Hybrid Electric Vehicle System Powertrain
Authors: Suchitra Sivakumar, Hajime Shingyouchi, Toshinori Okajima, Kyohei Yamaguchi, Jin Kusaka
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The progressing need for powertrain electrification calls for more accurate and reliable simulation models. A battery pack serves as the most vital component for energy storage in an electrified powertrain. Hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) do not behave the same way as they age, and there are several environmental factors that account for the degradation of the battery on a system level. Therefore, in this work, a battery model was proposed to study the state of charge (SOC) variation and the internal dynamic changes that contribute to aging and performance degradation in HEV batteries. An equivalent circuit battery model (ECM) is built using MATLAB Simulink to investigate the output characteristics of the lithium-ion battery. The ECM comprises of circuit elements like a voltage source, a series resistor and a parallel RC network connected in series. A parameter estimation study is conducted on the ECM to study the dependencies of the circuit elements with the state of charge (SOC) and the terminal voltage of the battery. The battery model is extended to simulate the temperature dependence of the individual battery cell and the battery pack with the environment. The temperature dependence model accounts for the heat loss due to internal resistance build up in the battery pack during charging, discharging, and due to atmospheric temperature. The model was validated for a lithium-ion battery pack with an independent drive cycle showing a voltage accuracy of 4% and SOC accuracy of about 2%.Keywords: battery model, hybrid electric vehicle, lithium-ion battery, thermal model
Procedia PDF Downloads 2983500 Restless Leg Syndrome as the Presenting Symptom of Neuroendocrine Tumor
Authors: Mustafa Cam, Nedim Ongun, Ufuk Kutluana
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Introduction: Restless LegsSyndrome (RLS) is a common, under-recognized disorder disrupts sleep and diminishes quality of life (1). The most common conditions highly associated with RLS include renalfailure, iron and folic acid deficiency, peripheral neuropathy, pregnancy, celiacdisease, Crohn’sdiseaseandrarelymalignancy (2).Despite a clear relation between low peripheral iron and increased prevalence and severity of RLS, the prevalence and clinical significance of RLS in iron-deficientanemic populations is unknown (2). We report here a case of RLS due to iron deficiency in the setting of neuroendocrinetumor. Report of Case: A 35 year-old man was referred to our clinic with general weakness, weight loss (10 kg in 2 months)and 2-month history of uncomfortable sensations in his legs with urge to move, partially relieved by movement. The symptoms were presented very day, worsening in the evening; the discomfort forced the patient to getup and walk around at night. RLS was severe, with a score of 22 at the International RLS ratingscale. The patient had no past medical history. The patient underwent a complete set of blood analyses and the following ab normal values were found (normal limitswithinbrackets): hemoglobin 9.9 g/dl (14-18), MCV 70 fL (80-94), ferritin 3,5 ng/mL (13-150). Brain and spinemagnetic resonance imaging was normal. The patient consultated with gastroenterology clinic and gastointestinal systemendoscopy was performed for theetiology of the iron deficiency anemia. After the gastricbiopsy, results allowed us to reach the diagnosis of neuroen docrine tumor and the patient referred to oncology clinic. Discussion: The first important consideration from this case report is that the patient was referred to our clinic because of his severe RLS symptoms dramatically reducing his quality of life. However, our clinical study clearly demonstrated that RLS was not the primary disease. Considering the information available for this patient, we believe that the most likely possibility is that RLS was secondary to iron deficiency, a very well-known and established cause of RLS in theliterature (3,4). Neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) are rare epithelial neoplasms with neuroendocrine differentiation that most commonly originate in the lungs and gastrointestinal tract (5). NETs vary widely in their clinical presentation; symptoms are often nonspecific and can be mistaken for those of other more common conditions (6). 50% of patients with reported disease stage have either regional or distant metastases at diagnosis (7). Accurate and earlier NET diagnosis is the first step in shortening the time to optimal care and improved outcomes for patients (8). The most important message from this case report is that RLS symptoms can sometimes be thesign of a life-threatening condition. Conclusion: Careful and complete collection of clinical and laboratory data should be carried out in RLS patients. Inparticular, if RLS onset coincides with weight loss and iron deficieny anemia, gastricendos copy should be performed. It is known about that malignancy is a rare etiology in RLS patients and to our knowledge; it is the first case with neuro endocrine tumor presenting with RLS.Keywords: neurology, neuroendocrine tumor, restless legs syndrome, sleep
Procedia PDF Downloads 2853499 First Principal Calculation of Structural, Elastic and Thermodynamic Properties of Yttrium-Copper Intermetallic Compound
Authors: Ammar Benamrani
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This work investigates the equation of state parameters, elastic constants, and several other physical properties of (B2-type) Yttrium-Copper (YCu) rare earth intermetallic compound using the projected augmented wave (PAW) pseudopotentials method as implemented in the Quantum Espresso code. Using both the local density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), the finding of this research on the lattice parameter of YCu intermetallic compound agree very well with the experimental ones. The obtained results of the elastic constants and the Debye temperature are also in general in good agreement compared to the theoretical ones reported previously in literature. Furthermore, several thermodynamic properties of YCu intermetallic compound have been studied using quasi-harmonic approximations (QHA). The calculated data on the thermodynamic properties shows that the free energy and both isothermal and adiabatic bulk moduli decrease gradually with increasing of the temperature, while all other thermodynamic quantities increase with the temperature.Keywords: Yttrium-Copper intermetallic compound, thermo_pw package, elastic constants, thermodynamic properties
Procedia PDF Downloads 1493498 Designing Entrepreneurship Education Contents for Entrepreneurial Intention Building among Undergraduates in India
Authors: Sumita Srivastava
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Despite several measures taken by the Government of India, entrepreneurship is still not perceived as a viable career option by the young generation. Although the rate of startups has improved a little after the penetration of e portals as business platforms, still the numbers are not very significant. It is also important to note that entrepreneurial initiatives are mostly taken up by graduates of premier institutions of India like Indian Institute of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Management (IIMs). The scenario is not very satisfactory amongst the masses graduating from mainstream universities of the country. Indian youth at large are not attracted towards entrepreneurship as a career choice. The reason probably lies in the social fabric of the country and inappropriate education system which does not support the entrepreneurship at large amongst youth in the country. Education is critical to the development of an economy from the poverty level to the level of self-sustenance and development. The current curriculum in the majority of business schools in India prepares the average graduate to become employed by the available firms or business owners in society. For graduates in other streams, employment opportunities are very limited. The aim of this study was to identify and design entrepreneurship education contents to encourage undergraduates to pursue entrepreneurship as a career choice. This comprehensive study was conducted in multiple stages. Extensive research was conducted at each stage with an appropriate methodology. These stages of the project study were interconnected with each other, and each preceding stage provided inputs for the following stage of the study. In the first stage of the study, an empirical analysis was conducted to understand the current state of entrepreneurial intentions of undergraduates of Agra city. Various stakeholders were contacted at the stage, including students (n = 500), entrepreneurs (n = 20) and academicians and field experts (n = 10). At the second stage of the project study, a systems science technique, Nominal Group Technique (NGT) was used to identify the critical elements of entrepreneurship education in India based upon the findings of stage 1. The application of the Nominal Group Technique involved a workshop format; 15 domain experts participated in the workshop. Throughout the process, a democratic process was followed to avoid individual dominance and premature focusing on a single idea. The study obtained 63 responses from experts for effective entrepreneurship education in India. The responses were reduced to seven elements after a few thematic iterations. These elements were then segregated into content (knowledge, skills and attitude) and learning interaction on the basis of experts’ responses. After identifying critical elements of entrepreneurship education in the previous stage, the course was designed and validated at stage 3 of the project. Scientific methods were used at this stage to validate the curriculum contents and training interventions experimentally. The educational and training interventions designed through this study would not only help in developing entrepreneurial intentions but also creating skills relevant to the local entrepreneurial opportunities in the vicinity.Keywords: curriculum design, entrepreneurial intention, entrepreneuship education, nominal group technique
Procedia PDF Downloads 1303497 Dental Implant Survival in Patients with Osteoporosis
Authors: Mohammad ASadian, Samira RajiAsadabadi
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Osteoporosis is very common, particularly in post-menopausal women and is characterized by a decrease in bone mass and strength. Osteoporosis also affects the jawbone and it is considered a potential contraindication to the placement of dental implants. The present paper reviews the literature regarding the effect of osteoporosis on the osseointegration of implants. Experimental models have shown that osteoporosis affects the process of osseointegration, which can be reversed by treatment. However, studies in subjects with osteoporosis have shown no differences in the survival of the implants compared to healthy individuals. Therefore, osteoporosis cannot be considered a contraindication for implant placement. Oral bisphosphonates are the most commonly used pharmacological agents in the treatment of osteoporosis. Although there have been cases of osteonecrosis of the jaw in patients treated with bisphosphonates, they are very rare and it is more usually associated with intravenous bisphosphonates in patients with neoplasms or other serious diseases. Nevertheless, patients treated with bisphosphonates must be informed in writing about the possibility of this complication and must give informed consent. Ceasing to use of bisphosphonates before implant placement does not seem to be necessary.Keywords: Osteoporosis, dental implant, bisphosphonates, survival
Procedia PDF Downloads 963496 Expert Based System Design for Integrated Waste Management
Authors: A. Buruzs, M. F. Hatwágner, A. Torma, L. T. Kóczy
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Recently, an increasing number of researchers have been focusing on working out realistic solutions to sustainability problems. As sustainability issues gain higher importance for organisations, the management of such decisions becomes critical. Knowledge representation is a fundamental issue of complex knowledge based systems. Many types of sustainability problems would benefit from models based on experts’ knowledge. Cognitive maps have been used for analyzing and aiding decision making. A cognitive map can be made of almost any system or problem. A fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) can successfully represent knowledge and human experience, introducing concepts to represent the essential elements and the cause and effect relationships among the concepts to model the behavior of any system. Integrated waste management systems (IWMS) are complex systems that can be decomposed to non-related and related subsystems and elements, where many factors have to be taken into consideration that may be complementary, contradictory, and competitive; these factors influence each other and determine the overall decision process of the system. The goal of the present paper is to construct an efficient IWMS which considers various factors. The authors’ intention is to propose an expert based system design approach for implementing expert decision support in the area of IWMSs and introduces an appropriate methodology for the development and analysis of group FCM. A framework for such a methodology consisting of the development and application phases is presented.Keywords: factors, fuzzy cognitive map, group decision, integrated waste management system
Procedia PDF Downloads 2763495 Joubert Syndrome: A Rare Genetic Disorder Reported in Kurdish Family
Authors: Aran Abd Al Rahman
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Joubert syndrome regards as a congenital cerebellar ataxia caused by autosomal recessive carried on X chromosome. The disease diagnosed by brain imaging—the so-called molar tooth sign. Neurological signs were present from the neonatal period and include hypotonia progressing to ataxia, global developmental delay, ocular motor apraxia, and breathing dysregulation. These signs are variably associated with multiorgan involvement, mainly of the retina, kidneys, skeleton, and liver. 30 causative genes have been identified so far, all of which encode for proteins of the primary cilium or its apparatus, The purpose of our project was to detect the mutant gene (INPP5E gene) which cause Joubert syndrome. There were many methods used for diagnosis such as MRI and CT- scan and molecular diagnosis by doing ARMS PCR for detection of mutant gene that we were used in this research project. In this research for individual family which reported, the two children with parents, the two children were affected and were carrier.Keywords: Joubert syndrome, genetic disease, Kurdistan region, Sulaimani
Procedia PDF Downloads 1413494 Simulating Elevated Rapid Transit System for Performance Analysis
Authors: Ran Etgar, Yuval Cohen, Erel Avineri
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One of the major challenges of transportation in medium sized inner-cities (such as Tel-Aviv) is the last-mile solution. Personal rapid transit (PRT) seems like an applicable candidate for this, as it combines the benefits of personal (car) travel with the operational benefits of transit. However, the investment required for large area PRT grid is significant and there is a need to economically justify such investment by correctly evaluating the grid capacity. PRT main elements are small automated vehicles (sometimes referred to as podcars) operating on a network of specially built guideways. The research is looking at a specific concept of elevated PRT system. Literature review has revealed the drawbacks PRT modelling and simulation approaches, mainly due to the lack of consideration of technical and operational features of the system (such as headways, acceleration, safety issues); the detailed design of infrastructure (guideways, stations, and docks); the stochastic and sessional characteristics of demand; and safety regulations – all of them have a strong effect on the system performance. A highly detailed model of the system, developed in this research, is applying a discrete event simulation combined with an agent-based approach, to represent the system elements and the podecars movement logic. Applying a case study approach, the simulation model is used to study the capacity of the system, the expected throughput of the system, the utilization, and the level of service (journey time, waiting time, etc.).Keywords: capacity, productivity measurement, PRT, simulation, transportation
Procedia PDF Downloads 1663493 Two Lessons Learnt in Defining Intersections and Interfaces in Numerical Modeling with Plaxis
Authors: Mahdi Sadeghian, Somaye Sadeghian, Reza Dinarvand
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This paper is going to discuss two issues encountered in using PLAXIS. Both issues were monitored during application of PLAXIS to estimate the excavation-induced displacement. Column Soil Mixing (CSM) was applied to stabilise the excavation. It was understood that the estimated excavation induced deformation at the top of the CSM blocks highly depends on the material type defining pavement material adjacent to the CSM blocks. Cohesive material for pavement will result in the unrealistic connection between pavement and CSM even by defining an interface element. To find the most realistic approach, the interface defined in three different manners (1) no interface elements were applied (2) a non-cohesive soil layer was defined between pavement and CSM block to represent the friction between these materials (3) built-in interface elements in PLAXIS was used to define the boundary between the pavement and the CSM block. The result showed that the option 2 would result in more realistic results. The second issue was in the modelling of the contact line between the CSM block and an inclined layer underneath. The analysis result showed that the excavation-induced deformation highly depends on how the PLAXIS user defines the contact area. It was understood that if the contact area had defined as a point in which CSM block had intersected the layer underneath the estimated lateral displacement of CSM block would be unrealistically lower than the model in which the contact area was defined as a line.Keywords: PLAXIS, FEM, CSM, Excavation-Induced Deformation
Procedia PDF Downloads 1623492 Laser Ultrasonic Imaging Based on Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique Algorithm
Authors: Sundara Subramanian Karuppasamy, Che Hua Yang
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In this work, the laser ultrasound technique has been used for analyzing and imaging the inner defects in metal blocks. To detect the defects in blocks, traditionally the researchers used piezoelectric transducers for the generation and reception of ultrasonic signals. These transducers can be configured into the sparse and phased array. But these two configurations have their drawbacks including the requirement of many transducers, time-consuming calculations, limited bandwidth, and provide confined image resolution. Here, we focus on the non-contact method for generating and receiving the ultrasound to examine the inner defects in aluminum blocks. A Q-switched pulsed laser has been used for the generation and the reception is done by using Laser Doppler Vibrometer (LDV). Based on the Doppler effect, LDV provides a rapid and high spatial resolution way for sensing ultrasonic waves. From the LDV, a series of scanning points are selected which serves as the phased array elements. The side-drilled hole of 10 mm diameter with a depth of 25 mm has been introduced and the defect is interrogated by the linear array of scanning points obtained from the LDV. With the aid of the Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique (SAFT) algorithm, based on the time-shifting principle the inspected images are generated from the A-scan data acquired from the 1-D linear phased array elements. Thus the defect can be precisely detected with good resolution.Keywords: laser ultrasonics, linear phased array, nondestructive testing, synthetic aperture focusing technique, ultrasonic imaging
Procedia PDF Downloads 1343491 Simulation of Nonlinear Behavior of Reinforced Concrete Slabs Using Rigid Body-Spring Discrete Element Method
Authors: Felix Jr. Garde, Eric Augustus Tingatinga
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Most analysis procedures of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs are based on elastic theory. When subjected to large forces, however, slabs deform beyond elastic range and the study of their behavior and performance require nonlinear analysis. This paper presents a numerical model to simulate nonlinear behavior of RC slabs using rigid body-spring discrete element method. The proposed slab model composed of rigid plate elements and nonlinear springs is based on the yield line theory which assumes that the nonlinear behavior of the RC slab subjected to transverse loads is contained in plastic or yield-lines. In this model, the displacement of the slab is completely described by the rigid elements and the deformation energy is concentrated in the flexural springs uniformly distributed at the potential yield lines. The spring parameters are determined from comparison of transverse displacements and stresses developed in the slab obtained using FEM and the proposed model with assumed homogeneous material. Numerical models of typical RC slabs with varying geometry, reinforcement, support conditions, and loading conditions, show reasonable agreement with available experimental data. The model was also shown to be useful in investigating dynamic behavior of slabs.Keywords: RC slab, nonlinear behavior, yield line theory, rigid body-spring discrete element method
Procedia PDF Downloads 3243490 Towards a Balancing Medical Database by Using the Least Mean Square Algorithm
Authors: Kamel Belammi, Houria Fatrim
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imbalanced data set, a problem often found in real world application, can cause seriously negative effect on classification performance of machine learning algorithms. There have been many attempts at dealing with classification of imbalanced data sets. In medical diagnosis classification, we often face the imbalanced number of data samples between the classes in which there are not enough samples in rare classes. In this paper, we proposed a learning method based on a cost sensitive extension of Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm that penalizes errors of different samples with different weight and some rules of thumb to determine those weights. After the balancing phase, we applythe different classifiers (support vector machine (SVM), k- nearest neighbor (KNN) and multilayer neuronal networks (MNN)) for balanced data set. We have also compared the obtained results before and after balancing method.Keywords: multilayer neural networks, k- nearest neighbor, support vector machine, imbalanced medical data, least mean square algorithm, diabetes
Procedia PDF Downloads 5323489 The Analysis of the Effect of Brand Image on Creating Brand Loyalty with the Structural Equation Model: A Research Study on the Sports Equipment Brand Users
Authors: Murat Erdoğdu, Murat Koçyiğit
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Brand image and brand loyalty are among the most important relational marketing elements for brand owners to be able to set up long – term relationships with their customers and to maintain these relationships. Brand owners improve their brand images with the positive perceptions remaining in the consumers’ minds. In addition, they try to find the customers that are both emotionally and behaviourally faithful to themselves in order to set up long – term relationships. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyse the effects of the brand image that has a very important role among relational marketing elements on the brand loyalty in terms of the variables such as the perceived value, the trust in brand and the brand satisfaction. In this context, a conceptual model was created to determine the effect of the brand image on the brand loyalty thanks to the Structural Equation Model (SEM). According to this aim and this model, the study was carried out in the scope of the data collected through the questionnaires in Konya with the method of convenience sampling. The results of the research showed that the brand image has positive significant effects on the perceived value and the trust in brand and that the trust in brand has positive significant effects on the brand satisfaction, and that the brand satisfaction has positive significant effects on the brand loyalty. Thus, the hypotheses that the brand image has direct effects on the perceived value and the trust in brand and that the trust in brand has direct effects on the brand satisfaction and that the brand satisfaction has direct effects on the brand loyalty were supported. In addition, the findings about whether the perceived value has a significant effect on the brand satisfaction were also acquired.Keywords: brand image, brand loyalty, perceived value, satisfaction, trust
Procedia PDF Downloads 4403488 Characterization of Mineralogy, Geochemical and Origin of Nephelinitic Jurf Ed-darawish Volcano in Western Central Jordan
Authors: Hassan Farhan Alfugha
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the cenozoic volcanism in westt central jordan which show homohgenous lava from upper mantle.es represented by basaltic scoria cones and flows and covers approximately 10 km. fourtten nephelinitic rock samples were collected at jurf ed-darawish volcanism to analyze major minor and trace elements by using XRF.. geochemical parameters of these samp;es such as MG/MG+FE+2, the ratio range from 0.41 to 0.45 and high ti contents 3.09-3.28wt % indicate that the corresponding magmas are nearly of primary origin . this magma show low variable abundances of compatible and incompatible trace elements reflecting a homogenous source. the studied volcanic rocks, which are mainly nephlinites, belong to the alkaline rocks series containing 4.38-5.95wt% alkali oxides they are usually undersaturated in regard it the silica content, which ranges between 39.88-41.50wt.%.value compared to other jordanien basaltic rocks majorminor and trace elementes data as well as mantel xenoliths entrained in the volcanic rocks are spinel iherzolites that suggest the lithospheric mantle as the source for the pleistocene volcanism these xenoliths resided at shallow mantle depths (45 km ) because a geothermobarometric analysis yielded p-t conditions close to 15 kbar and 1100c the mantle nodules did not equilibrate with the melts indicating a fast transport from the mantle to the surface and a mgma >65 km deeper source area of the melts.Keywords: nephelinite plestocene western central jordan, western central jordan, volcano in western central jordan, central jordan
Procedia PDF Downloads 793487 Numerical Analysis of the Aging Effects of RC Shear Walls Repaired by CFRP Sheets: Application of CEB-FIP MC 90 Model
Authors: Yeghnem Redha, Guerroudj Hicham Zakaria, Hanifi Hachemi Amar Lemiya, Meftah Sid Ahmed, Tounsi Abdelouahed, Adda Bedia El Abbas
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Creep deformation of concrete is often responsible for excessive deflection at service loads which can compromise the performance of elements within a structure. Although laboratory test may be undertaken to determine the deformation properties of concrete, these are time-consuming, often expensive and generally not a practical option. Therefore, relatively simple empirically design code models are relied to predict the creep strain. This paper reviews the accuracy of creep and shrinkage predictions of reinforced concrete (RC) shear walls structures strengthened with carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets, which is characterized by a widthwise varying fibre volume fraction. This review is yielded by CEB-FIB MC90 model. The time-dependent behavior was investigated to analyze their static behavior. In the numerical formulation, the adherents and the adhesives are all modelled as shear wall elements, using the mixed finite element method. Several tests were used to dem¬onstrate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed method. Numerical results from the present analysis are presented to illustrate the significance of the time-dependency of the lateral displacements.Keywords: RC shear walls strengthened, CFRP sheets, creep and shrinkage, CEB-FIP MC90 model, finite element method, static behavior
Procedia PDF Downloads 3093486 An Extremely Rare Anatomical Vascular Variant of Lower Limb Arterial System - Duplication of Superficial Femoral Artery
Authors: Manik Sharma
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Understanding the anatomy and normal anatomical variations of the lower limb arterial system is undeniably important not only to understand the pathology involving the vessels of the lower limb but also as a part of endovascular intervention and surgical planning in cases that demand them as a part of treatment. There have been very few cases of duplication of SFA cited in the literature, close to six worldwide and this being the seventh case in the world and first to be reported in the Indian population. We incidentally came across this normal variant during US lower limb (US-LL) duplex scan in a patient with claudicating pain in bilateral lower limbs hence suspected of having peripheral vascular disease. It was confirmed on CT-Peripheral Angiography (CT-PA), which was done successively.Keywords: peripheral vascular disease, claudicating pain, normal anatomical variants, endovascular intervention, duplication, CT-peripheral angiography, duplex scan, Iohexol
Procedia PDF Downloads 1693485 The Missing Link in Holistic Health Care: Value-Based Medicine in Entrustable Professional Activities for Doctor-Patient Relationship
Authors: Ling-Lang Huang
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Background: The holistic health care should ideally cover physical, mental, spiritual, and social aspects of a patient. With very constrained time in current clinical practice system, medical decisions often tip the balance in favor of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in comparison to patient's personal values. Even in the era of competence-based medical education (CBME), when scrutinizing the items of entrustable professional activities (EPAs), we found that EPAs of establishing doctor-patient relationship remained incomplete or even missing. This phenomenon prompted us to raise this project aiming at advocating value-based medicine (VBM), which emphasizes the importance of patient’s values in medical decisions. A true and effective doctor-patient communication and relationship should be a well-balanced harmony of EBM and VBM. By constructing VBM into current EPAs, we can further promote genuine shared decision making (SDM) and fix the missing link in holistic health care. Methods: In this project, we are going to find out EPA elements crucial for establishing an ideal doctor-patient relationship through three distinct pairs of doctor-patient relationships: patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (relatively young but with grave disease), patients undergoing surgery (facing critical medical decisions), and patients with terminal diseases (facing forthcoming death). We’ll search for important EPA elements through the following steps: 1. Narrative approach to delineate patients’ values among 2. distinct groups. 3.Hermeneutics-based interview: semi-structured interview will be conducted for both patients and physicians, followed by qualitative analysis of collected information by compiling, disassembling, reassembling, interpreting, and concluding. 4. Preliminarily construct those VBM elements into EPAs for doctor-patient relationships in 3 groups. Expected Outcomes: The results of this project are going to give us invaluable information regarding the impact of patients’ values, while facing different medical situations, on the final medical decision. The competence of well-blending and -balanced both values from patients and evidence from clinical sciences is the missing link in holistic health care and should be established in future EPAs to enhance an effective SDM.Keywords: value-based medicine, shared decision making, entrustable professional activities, holistic health care
Procedia PDF Downloads 1213484 A Rare Neck Trauma by Bicycle Handlebar in Road Traffic Accident
Authors: Parthasarathi Pramanik
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Paediatric blunt abdominal trauma associated with superficial bruise, hematoma, or laceration and internal organ damage secondary to bicycle handlebar is widely documented in the literature. In this article, we have presented a case of bicycle handlebar inflicted fatal neck laceration in a road accident. The deceased sustained a horizontally placed laceration injury over the front and both sides of the middle third of neck (13 cm x 5-8 cm x 2-3.5 cm).The margins of the wound were irregular and focally abraded. The right corner of the injury was pointed whereas the left one was ended with a skin flap. Multiple graze abrasions, contusions and lacerations were found on different parts of body. Autopsy findings and other circumstantial evidences revealed that the victim died due to exsanguination because of severance of carotid artery and jugular vein of both sides. Analysis of the wound suggests the decease sustained the wound by the revolving bicycle handle bar while he had lost the balance.Keywords: bicycle handle bar, neck injury, lacerated injury, road acident
Procedia PDF Downloads 3173483 Medical Advances in Diagnosing Neurological and Genetic Disorders
Authors: Simon B. N. Thompson
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Retinoblastoma is a rare type of childhood genetic cancer that affects children worldwide. The diagnosis is often missed due to lack of education and difficulty in presentation of the tumor. Frequently, the tumor on the retina is noticed by photography when the red-eye flash, commonly seen in normal eyes, is not produced. Instead, a yellow or white colored patch is seen or the child has a noticeable strabismus. Early detection can be life-saving though often results in removal of the affected eye. Remaining functioning in the healthy eye when the child is young has resulted in super-vision and high or above-average intelligence. Technological advancement of cameras has helped in early detection. Brain imaging has also made possible early detection of neurological diseases and, together with the monitoring of cortisol levels and yawning frequency, promises to be the next new early diagnostic tool for the detection of neurological diseases where cortisol insufficiency is particularly salient, such as multiple sclerosis and Cushing’s disease.Keywords: cortisol, neurological disease, retinoblastoma, Thompson cortisol hypothesis, yawning
Procedia PDF Downloads 3863482 New Active Dioxin Response Element Sites in Regulatory Region of Human and Viral Genes
Authors: Ilya B. Tsyrlov, Dmitry Y. Oshchepkov
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A computational search for dioxin response elements (DREs) in genes of proteins comprising the Ah receptor (AhR) cytosolic core complex was performed by highly efficient tool SITECON. Eventually, the following number of new DREs in 5’flanking region was detected by SITECON: one in AHR gene, five in XAP2, eight in HSP90AA1, and three in HSP90AB1 genes. Numerous DREs found in genes of AhR and AhR cytosolic complex members would shed a light on potential mechanisms of expression, the stoichiometry of unliganded AhR core complex, and its degradation vs biosynthesis dynamics resulted from treatment of target cells with the AhR most potent ligand, 2,3,7,8-TCDD. With human viruses, reduced susceptibility to TCDD of geneencoding HIV-1 P247 was justified by the only potential DRE determined in gag gene encoding HIV-1 P24 protein, whereas the regulatory region of CMV genes encoding IE gp/UL37 has five potent DRE, 1.65 kb/UL36 – six DRE, pp65 and pp71 – each has seven DRE, and pp150 – ten DRE. Also, from six to eight DRE were determined with SITECON in the regulatory region of HSV-1 IE genes encoding tegument proteins, UL36 and UL37, and of UL19 gene encoding bindingglycoprotein C (gC). So, TCDD in the low picomolar range may activate in human cells AhR: Arnt transcription pathway that triggers CMV and HSV-1 reactivation by binding to numerous promoter DRE within immediate-early (IE) genes UL37 and UL36, thus committing virus to the lytic cycle.Keywords: dioxin response elements, Ah receptor, AhR: Arnt transcription pathway, human and viral genes
Procedia PDF Downloads 1043481 Investigation on the Physical Conditions of Façade Systems of Campus Buildings by Infrared Thermography Tests
Authors: N. Türkmenoğlu Bayraktar, E. Kishalı
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Campus buildings are educational facilities where various amount of energy consumption for lighting, heating, cooling and ventilation occurs. Some of the new universities in Turkey, where this investigation takes place, still continue their educational activities in existing buildings primarily designed for different architectural programs and converted to campus buildings via changes of function, space organizations and structural interventions but most of the time without consideration of appropriate micro climatic conditions. Reducing energy consumption in these structures not only contributes to the national economy but also mitigates the negative effects on environment. Furthermore, optimum thermal comfort conditions should be provided during the refurbishment of existing campus structures and their building envelope. Considering this issue, the first step is to investigate the climatic performance of building elements regarding refurbishment process. In the context of the study Kocaeli University, Faculty of Design and Architecture building constructed in 1980s in Anıtpark campus located in the central part of Kocaeli, Turkey was investigated. Climatic factors influencing thermal conditions; the deteriorations on building envelope; temperature distribution; heat losses from façade elements observed by thermography were presented in order to improve strategies for retrofit process for the building envelope. Within the scope of the survey, refurbishment strategies towards providing optimum climatic comfort conditions, increasing energy efficiency of building envelope were proposed.Keywords: building envelope, IRT, refurbishment, non-destructive test
Procedia PDF Downloads 3843480 Applying Serious Game Design Frameworks to Existing Games for Integration of Custom Learning Objectives
Authors: Jonathan D. Moore, Mark G. Reith, David S. Long
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Serious games (SGs) have been shown to be an effective teaching tool in many contexts. Because of the success of SGs, several design frameworks have been created to expedite the process of making original serious games to teach specific learning objectives (LOs). Even with these frameworks, the time required to create a custom SG from conception to implementation can range from months to years. Furthermore, it is even more difficult to design a game framework that allows an instructor to create customized game variants supporting multiple LOs within the same field. This paper proposes a refactoring methodology to apply the theoretical principles from well-established design frameworks to a pre-existing serious game. The expected result is a generalized game that can be quickly customized to teach LOs not originally targeted by the game. This methodology begins by describing the general components in a game, then uses a combination of two SG design frameworks to extract the teaching elements present in the game. The identified teaching elements are then used as the theoretical basis to determine the range of LOs that can be taught by the game. This paper evaluates the proposed methodology by presenting a case study of refactoring the serious game Battlespace Next (BSN) to teach joint military capabilities. The range of LOs that can be taught by the generalized BSN are identified, and examples of creating custom LOs are given. Survey results from users of the generalized game are also provided. Lastly, the expected impact of this work is discussed and a road map for future work and evaluation is presented.Keywords: serious games, learning objectives, game design, learning theory, game framework
Procedia PDF Downloads 1153479 Influential Elements Shaping Intra-Regional Migration Within the Higher Education Landscape of Kashmir
Authors: Tasaduk Musood
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In the dynamic landscape of higher education, intra-regional migration within Kashmir represents a complex interplay of influential elements. This qualitative research study aims to explore and analyze the multifaceted factors that significantly shape the patterns and motivations driving students' migration within the region. The study employed a qualitative research approach. The research is carried out with a sample of 60 participants, consisting of 30 male and 30 female students selected from various higher education institutions in the Punjab region. Through self-structured interviews and thematic analysis, the research unravels the underlying drivers, aspirations, challenges, and opportunities that underpin the phenomenon of intra-regional migration in the Kashmiri higher education landscape. The results of this study are expected to offer valuable insights for policymakers, educational institutions, and stakeholders to better understand, address, and potentially enhance the experiences and outcomes of shareholders of students engaged in intra-regional mobility within Kashmir's higher education domain. This study's findings aim to contribute significantly to the existing body of knowledge surrounding intra-regional migration within Kashmir's higher education landscape, offering a nuanced understanding of the drivers behind student mobility. Ultimately, this research endeavors to facilitate more informed and effective decision-making in addressing the evolving dynamics of intra-regional migration in Kashmir's higher education sector.Keywords: intra-regional migration, student migration patterns, student mobility, higher education, kashmir
Procedia PDF Downloads 793478 Translation as a Cultural Medium: Understanding the Mauritian Culture and History through an English Translation
Authors: Pooja Booluck
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This project seeks to translate a chapter in Le Silence des Chagos by Shenaz Patel a Mauritian author whose work has never been translated before. The chapter discusses the attempt of the protagonist to return to her home country Diego Garcia after her deportation. The English translation will offer an historical account to the target audience of the deportation of Chagossians to Mauritius during the 1970s. The target audience comprises of English-speaking translation scholars translation students and African literature scholars. In light of making the cultural elements of Mauritian culture accessible the translation will maintain the cultural items such as food and oral discourses in Creole so as to preserve the authenticity of the source culture. In order to better comprehend the cultural elements mentioned the target reader will be provided with detailed footnotes explaining the cultural and historical references. This translation will also address the importance of folkloric songs in Mauritius and its intergenerational function in Mauritian communities which will also remain in Creole. While such an approach will help to preserve the meaning of the source text the borrowing technique and the foreignizing method will be employed which will in turn help the reader in becoming more familiar with the Mauritian community. Translating a text from French to English while maintaining certain words or discourses in a minority language such as Creole bears certain challenges: How does the translator ensure the comprehensibility of the reader? Are there any translation losses? What are the choices of the translator?Keywords: Chagos archipelagos in Exile, English translation, Le Silence des Chagos, Mauritian culture and history
Procedia PDF Downloads 3173477 Unpredictable Territorial Interiority: Learning the Spatiality from the Early Space Learners
Authors: M. Mirza Y. Harahap
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This paper explores the interiority of children’s territorialisation in domestic space context by looking at their affective relations with their surroundings. Examining its spatiality, the research focuses on the interactions that developed between the children and the things which exist in their house, specifically those which left traces, indicating the very arena of their territory. As early learners, the children whose mind and body are still in the development stage are hypothetically distinct in the way they territorialise the space. Rule, common sense and other form of common acceptances among the adults might not be relevant with their way on territorialising the space. Unpredictability-ness, inappropriateness, and unimaginableness hypothetically characterise their unique endeavour when territorialising the space. The purpose might even be insignificant, expressing their very development which unrestricted. This indicates how the interiority of children’s territorialisation in a domestic space context actually is. It would also implicate on a new way of seeing territory since territorialisation act has natural purpose: to aim the space and regard them as his/her own. Aiming to disclose the above territorialisation characteristics, this paper addresses a qualitative study which covers a comprehensive analysis as follow: 1) Collecting various territorial traces left from the children activities within their respective houses. Further within this stage, the data is categorised based on the territorial strategy and tactic. This stage would particularly result in the overall map of the children’s territorial interiority which expresses its focuses, range and ways; 2) Examining the interactions occurred between the children and the spatial elements within the house. Stressing on the affective relations, this stage revealed the immaterial aspect of the children’s territorialisation, thus disclosed the unseen spatial aspect of territorialisation; and 3) Synthesising the previous two stages. Correlating the results from the two stages would then help us to understand the children’s unpredictable, inappropriate and unimaginable territorial interiority. This would also help us to justify how the children learn the space through territorialisation act, its importance and its position in interiority conception. The discussed relation between the children and the houses that cover both its physical and imaginary entity as part of their overall dwelling space would also help us to have a better understanding towards specific spatial elements which are significant and undeniably important for children’s spatial learning process. Particularly for this last finding, it would also help us to determine what kind of spatial elements which are necessary to be existed in a house, thus help for design development purpose. Overall, the study in this paper would help us to broaden our mindset regarding the territory, dwelling, interiority and the overall interior architecture conception, promising a chance for further research within interior architecture field.Keywords: children, interiority, relation, territory
Procedia PDF Downloads 139