Search results for: excess pore water pressure

Authors: Novia Dwi Prabandari, Diah Ayu Asmarani

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Soluble fiber can accelerate the metabolism of cholesterol. Pectin and gum has been used in the form of substance additive for material stabilizer and emulsifier. Pectin supplementation in laying hens can decimate the cholesterol content in egg yolk and muscle. Therefore, this laying hens’ feed is regular feed chickens enriched with soluble fiber (Pectin, Xanthan gum, and Guar gum) to produce eggs and muscle with lower cholesterol than usual.The ingredients are mixed in the ratio of concentrate 45%, corn flour 25%, soybean meal 20%, and extract of soluble fiber 10%. Once all the ingredients are mixed and then evaporated with temperature < 80 °C. Then put in the grinding machine resulting in a circular shape with holes 2-3 mm in diameter, after it dried up the water content in the feed is less than 14%. Eggs from laying hen with soluble fiber fortification feed intake will have lower cholesterol levels in eggs than regular feed. So even with the cholesterol content in the muscle, it is because chicken feed fortified with soluble fiber will accelerate the metabolism of cholesterol and cause cholesterol deposits in the chicken less. The use of this kind of laying hens feed is produce eggs with high protein content can be consumed more for people who have hypercholesterolemia.

Keywords: pectin, xanthan gum, guar gum, laying hen, cholesterol

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Authors: Alemi Asefa Wordofa

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The textile industry is among the biggest industries in the world, producing a wide variety of products. Industry plays an important role in the world economy as well as in our daily lives. In Ethiopia, this has also been aided by the country’s impressive economic growth over the years. However, Textile industries consume large amounts of water and produce colored wastewater, which results in polluting the environment. In this study, the efficiency of the electrocoagulation treatment process using Iron electrodes to treat textile wastewater containing Reactive black everzol was studied. The effects of parameters such as voltage, time of reaction, and inter-electrode distance on Chemical oxygen demand (COD) and dye removal efficiency were investigated. In addition, electrical energy consumption at optimum conditions has been investigated. The results showed that COD and dye removals were 90.76% and 97.66%, respectively, at the optimum point of input voltage of 14v, inter-electrode distance of 7.24mm, and 47.86min electrolysis time. Energy consumption at the optimum point is also 2.9*10-3. It can be concluded that the electrocoagulation process by the iron electrode is a very efficient and clean process for COD and reactive black removal from wastewater.

Keywords: iron electrode, electrocoagulation, chemical oxygen demand, wastewater

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Authors: N. A. Ahmad Zubairi, H. Takaijudin, K. W. Yusof

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Pesticides have been used widely over the world in agriculture to protect from pests and reduce crop losses. However, it affects the environment with toxic chemicals. Exceed of toxic constituents in the ecosystem will result in bad side effects. The hydrological cycle is related to the existence of pesticides and heavy metal which it can penetrate through varieties of sources into the soil or water bodies, especially runoff. Therefore, proper mechanisms of pesticide and heavy metal removal should be studied to improve the quality of ecosystem free or reduce from unwanted substances. This paper reviews the use of treatment train and its mechanisms to minimize pesticides and heavy metal from agricultural runoff. Organochlorine (OCL) is a common pesticide that was found in the agricultural runoff. OCL is one of the toxic chemicals that can disturb the ecosystem such as inhibiting plants' growth and harm human health by having symptoms as asthma, active cancer cell, vomit, diarrhea, etc. Thus, this unwanted contaminant gives disadvantages to the environment and needs treatment system. Hence, treatment train by bioretention system is suitable because removal efficiency achieves until 90% of pesticide removal with selected vegetated plant and additive.

Keywords: pesticides, heavy metal, agricultural runoff, bioretention, mechanism removal, treatment train

Procedia PDF Downloads 141

Authors: Francis Gbogbo, Angelica Ama Essandoh, Wendy Teresa Baffoe, Henry Groos, Charles Mario Boateng, Emmanuel Robert Blankson

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Baseline data on plastic landing by fishers and monitoring of this is important in evaluating the success of plastic waste management efforts. This study investigated plastic and fish landed by beach seine fishers in Ghana, together with the rate of plastic deposition on an adjoining beach. Plastic constituted 31.6% of the total catch, and 41.7% of the fish landed by weight. There were significant differences between the average weight of fish (139.58±53.6kg) and plastic (65.73±14.6kg) landed per fishing session and the catch per unit effort of fish (183.4±76.7 kg/day) and plastic (88.4±35.2 kg/day). The mean weight of plastic landed per fishing session was higher than the mean weight of each of the 26 species of fisheries. The rate of plastic deposition on the beach was 8.1±2.5 plastic items per m2 per tidal cycle or 0.35±0.11kg plastic per m2 per tidal cycle, with food packs and tableware dominating the deposited plastic. The results suggested that ongoing water sachets and plastic bottle recycling in Ghana are yielding results and calls for targeted efforts in plastic food packs and tableware management.

Keywords: fishig, landing, plastic waste, intertidal area, fishing effort

Procedia PDF Downloads 67

Authors: Ahmed G. Mahgoub, Dahlia H. Hafez, Mostafa A. Abu Kiefa

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The Cone Penetration Test (CPT) is a common in-situ test which generally investigates a much greater volume of soil more quickly than possible from sampling and laboratory tests. Therefore, it has the potential to realize both cost savings and assessment of soil properties rapidly and continuously. The principle objective of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility and efficiency of using artificial neural networks (ANNs) to predict the soil angle of internal friction (Φ) and the soil modulus of elasticity (E) from CPT results considering the uncertainties and non-linearities of the soil. In addition, ANNs are used to study the influence of different parameters and recommend which parameters should be included as input parameters to improve the prediction. Neural networks discover relationships in the input data sets through the iterative presentation of the data and intrinsic mapping characteristics of neural topologies. General Regression Neural Network (GRNN) is one of the powerful neural network architectures which is utilized in this study. A large amount of field and experimental data including CPT results, plate load tests, direct shear box, grain size distribution and calculated data of overburden pressure was obtained from a large project in the United Arab Emirates. This data was used for the training and the validation of the neural network. A comparison was made between the obtained results from the ANN's approach, and some common traditional correlations that predict Φ and E from CPT results with respect to the actual results of the collected data. The results show that the ANN is a very powerful tool. Very good agreement was obtained between estimated results from ANN and actual measured results with comparison to other correlations available in the literature. The study recommends some easily available parameters that should be included in the estimation of the soil properties to improve the prediction models. It is shown that the use of friction ration in the estimation of Φ and the use of fines content in the estimation of E considerable improve the prediction models.

Keywords: angle of internal friction, cone penetrating test, general regression neural network, soil modulus of elasticity

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Authors: Dalal Tarfaoui, Salah Zkim

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Today, environmental sustainability is everyone’s concern as it contributes in many aspects to a country's development. Morocco is also aware of the increasing threats to its natural resources. Accordingly, many projects and research have been discussed pointing mainly to water security, pollution, desertification, and land degradation, but few studies bothered to dig into the human demeanor to disclose its ecological behavior. Human behavior is accountable for environment deterioration in the first place, but we keep fighting the symptoms instead of limiting the root causes. In the conceptual framework highlighted in the present article, semi-structured interviews have been conducted using a grounded theory approach. Initially this study will serve as a pilot study and a cornerstone to approve a bigger project now in progress. Beyond the existing general ecological measures (GEM), this study has chosen the grounded theory approach to bring out firsthand insights, and probe to which extent an ecological dimension exists in Morocco as a developing country. The discourse of the ecological behavior within the Moroccan context is seen in more realist, social, and community philosophy. The study has revealed an appreciative ecological behavior that is unfortunately repressed by variables beyond people’s control, which would prevent the people’s environmental good intentions to be translated into real ecological actions.

Keywords: ecological behavior, ecological dimension, variables beyond people’s control, Morocco

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Authors: Olalekan Lawrence Ojo

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Designing microwave terrestrial propagation networks requires a thorough evaluation of the severity of multipath fading, especially at frequencies below 10 GHz. In nations like Nigeria, without a large enough databases to support the existing empirical models, the mistakes in the prediction technique intended for the evaluation may be severe. The need for higher bandwidth for various satellite applications makes the investigation of the effects of radio refractivity, fading due to multipath, and Geoclimatic factors on satellite propagation links more important. One of the key elements to take into account for the best functioning of microwave frequencies is the clear air effects. This work has taken into account the geographical distribution of radio refractivity and fades depth over a number of stations in Nigeria. Data from five locations in Nigeria—Akure, Enugu, Jos, Minna, and Sokoto—based on five-year (2017–2021) measurement methods of atmospheric pressure, relative, and humidity temperature—at two levels (ground surface and 100 m heights)—are studied to deduced their effects on signals propagated through a µwave communication links. The assessments included considerations for µwave communication systems as well as the impacts of the dry and wet components of radio refractivity, the effects of the fade depth at various frequencies, and a 20 km link distance. The results demonstrate that the percentage occurrence of the dry terms dominated the radio refractivity constituent at the surface level, contributing a minimum of about 78% and a maximum of about 92%, while at heights of 100 meters, the percentage occurrence of the dry terms dominated the radio refractivity constituent, contributing a minimum of about 79% and a maximum of about 92%. The spatial distribution reveals that, regardless of height, the country's tropical rainforest (TRF) and freshwater swampy mangrove (FWSM) regions reported the greatest values of radio refractivity. The statistical estimate shows that fading values can differ by as much as 1.5 dB, especially near the TRF and FWSM coastlines, even during clear air conditions. The current findings will be helpful for budgeting Earth-space microwave links, particularly for the rollout of Nigeria's 5G and 6G projected microcellular networks.

Keywords: fade depth, geoclimatic factor, refractivity, refractivity gradient

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Authors: Mohamad Javad Shakouri, Hamid Tavakkolipour, Mahdis Jamshidi Tehranian

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The inclination toward using food coatings is increasing daily, due to containing natural elements and not producing environmental pollution. Food coatings are uniform and thin layers of natural substances that cover the food product and act as a barrier against moisture, oxygen, and substances dissolved in food. Using food coatings on fruits and vegetables can delay water dissipation, losing aroma, decolorization, and improve the appearance of the product, and in general, preserve and protect the quality of fresh produce. When fruits and vegetables grow, they are equipped with a natural shield, called cuticle– a layer of wax. Washing the products, after harvest, the cuticle – this protective coating – is removed. In order to replace the cuticle, we can use an edible protective coating. This coating delays dehydration and deterioration and hence increases the life of the product while keeping its moisture. In this study, it was concluded that using food coatings, such as corn zein, carrageenan, and starch can have a substantial effect on the quantitative and qualitative preservation of food products, such as fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms.

Keywords: food coating, corn zein, button and oyster mushrooms, ascorbic and citric acids

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Authors: E. A. Krasikov

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As a main barrier against radioactivity outlet reactor pressure vessel (RPV) is a key component in terms of NPP safety. Therefore, present-day demands in RPV reliability enhance have to be met by all possible actions for RPV in-service embrittlement mitigation. Annealing treatment is known to be the effective measure to restore the RPV metal properties deteriorated by neutron irradiation. There are two approaches to annealing. The first one is so-called ‘dry’ high temperature (~475°C) annealing. It allows obtaining practically complete recovery, but requires the removal of the reactor core and internals. External heat source (furnace) is required to carry out RPV heat treatment. The alternative approach is to anneal RPV at a maximum coolant temperature which can be obtained using the reactor core or primary circuit pumps while operating within the RPV design limits. This low temperature «wet» annealing, although it cannot be expected to produce complete recovery, is more attractive from the practical point of view especially in cases when the removal of the internals is impossible. The first RPV «wet» annealing was done using nuclear heat (US Army SM-1A reactor). The second one was done by means of primary pumps heat (Belgian BR-3 reactor). As a rule, there is no recovery effect up to annealing and irradiation temperature difference of 70°C. It is known, however, that along with radiation embrittlement neutron irradiation may mitigate the radiation damage in metals. Therefore, we have tried to test the possibility to use the effect of radiation-induced ductilization in ‘wet’ annealing technology by means of nuclear heat utilization as heat and neutron irradiation sources at once. In support of the above-mentioned conception the 3-year duration reactor experiment on 15Cr3NiMoV type steel with preliminary irradiation at operating PWR at 270°C and following extra irradiation (87 h at 330°C) at IR-8 test reactor was fulfilled. In fact, embrittlement was partly suppressed up to value equivalent to 1,5 fold neutron fluence decrease. The degree of recovery in case of radiation enhanced annealing is equal to 27% whereas furnace annealing results in zero effect under existing conditions. Mechanism of the radiation-induced damage mitigation is proposed. It is hoped that «wet » annealing technology will help provide a better management of the RPV degradation as a factor affecting the lifetime of nuclear power plants which, together with associated management methods, will help facilitate safe and economic long-term operation of PWRs.

Keywords: controlling, embrittlement, radiation, steel, wet annealing

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Authors: Aicha Assal, El Mostapha Lotfi

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According to data from the Directorate General of Meteorology (DGM), the average amount of precipitation recorded nationwide between September 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022, is 38.8 millimeters. This is well below the climatological normal of 106.8 millimeters for the same period between 1981 and 2010. This situation is becoming increasingly worrying, particularly for farmers who are finding it difficult to irrigate their land and feed their livestock. Drought is greatly influenced by the effects of climate change, mainly caused by pollution and greenhouse gases (GHGs). The aim of this work is to contribute to the purification of wastewater (considered as polluting) in order to reuse it for irrigation in agricultural areas or for livestock watering. This will be achieved once physico-chemical treatment tests on these waters have been carried out and validated. The main parameters analyzed in this study, after carrying out discoloration tests on domestic wastewater, include COD (chemical oxygen demand), BOD5 (biochemical oxygen demand), pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, suspended solids (SS), phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and ammonium ions, faecal and total coliforms, as well as monitoring heavy metal concentrations. This work is also aimed at reclaiming the sludge produced by the decantation process, which will enable the waste to be transformed and reused as compost in agriculture and gardening.

Keywords: wastewater, irrigation, COD, COB, SS

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Authors: Mustafa M. Donma, Orkide Donma

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Obesity is defined as a severe chronic disease characterized by a low-grade inflammatory state. Therefore, inflammatory markers gained utmost importance during the evaluation of obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS), a disease characterized by central obesity, elevated blood pressure, increased fasting blood glucose and elevated triglycerides or reduced high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) values. Some inflammatory markers based upon complete blood cell count (CBC) are available. In this study, it was questioned which inflammatory marker was the best to evaluate the differences between various obesity groups. 514 pediatric individuals were recruited. 132 children with MetS, 155 morbid obese (MO), 90 obese (OB), 38 overweight (OW) and 99 children with normal BMI (N-BMI) were included into the scope of this study. Obesity groups were constituted using age- and sex-dependent body mass index (BMI) percentiles tabulated by World Health Organization. MetS components were determined to be able to specify children with MetS. CBC were determined using automated hematology analyzer. HDL-C analysis was performed. Using CBC parameters and HDL-C values, ratio markers of inflammation, which cover neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (dNLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR), monocyte-to-HDL-C ratio (MHR) were calculated. Statistical analyses were performed. The statistical significance degree was considered as p < 0.05. There was no statistically significant difference among the groups in terms of platelet count, neutrophil count, lymphocyte count, monocyte count, and NLR. PLR differed significantly between OW and N-BMI as well as MetS. Monocyte-to HDL-C value exhibited statistical significance between MetS and N-BMI, OB, and MO groups. HDL-C value differed between MetS and N-BMI, OW, OB, MO groups. MHR was the ratio, which exhibits the best performance among the other CBC-based inflammatory markers. On the other hand, when MHR was compared to HDL-C only, it was suggested that HDL-C has given much more valuable information. Therefore, this parameter still keeps its value from the diagnostic point of view. Our results suggest that MHR can be an inflammatory marker during the evaluation of pediatric MetS, but the predictive value of this parameter was not superior to HDL-C during the evaluation of obesity.

Keywords: children, complete blood cell count, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, obesity

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Authors: Seiied Taghi Seiied Safavian, Ebrahim Fataei, Taghi Ebadi

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Urbanized population increasing has been a major driving force for physical development and expansion. In this regard, selecting optimal management strategies for sustainable development of cities as the most important population centers has gotten more attention by the city managers. One of the most important issues in planning a sustainable development is environmental sustainability. In this research, identifying the optimal physical development strategies of Ardabil city in the future condition have been investigated based on land-use planning principles and regularities. Determination of suitable lands of urban development was conducted through natural variables comprised of slope, topography, geology, distance from fault, underground water's depth, land-use strategies and earth shape using hierarchical process method (AHP) in Geographical information system (GIS). Region's potential capabilities and talents were estimated by environmental elements extraction and its measurement based on environmental criteria. Consequently, specified suitable areas for Ardabil city development were introduced. Results of this research showed that the northern part of the Ardabil city is the most suitable sites for physical development of this city regarding the environmental sustainability criteria.

Keywords: urban development, environmental sustainability, Ardabil city, AHP, GIS

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Authors: Veerapat Kitsawat, Muenduen Phisalaphong

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Green natural rubber (NR) composites reinforced with synthetic graphite, using alginate as thickening and dispersing agent, were developed to improve mechanical properties and electrical conductivity. The film fabrication was performed using a latex aqueous microdispersion process. The research found that up to 60 parts per hundred rubbers (phr) of graphite could be successfully integrated into the NR matrix without causing agglomeration and phase separation. Accordingly, the mechanical properties, in terms of tensile strength and Young’s modulus of the composite films, were significantly increased, while the elongation at break decreased with higher graphite loading. The reinforcement strongly improved the hydrophilicity of the composite films, resulting in a higher water absorption rate compared to the neat NR film. Moreover, the incorporation of synthetic graphite significantly improved the chemical resistance of the composite films when exposed to toluene. It is demonstrated that the electrical conductivity of the composite films was considerably enhanced with graphite loading. According to the obtained properties, the developed composites offer potential for further development as conductive substrate for electronic applications.

Keywords: alginate, composite, graphite, natural rubber

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Authors: Justyna Moskwa, Patryk Nowakowski, Sylwia K. Naliwajko, Renata Markiewicz-Zukowska, Krystyna Gromkowska-Kepka, Anna Puscion-Jakubik, Konrad Mielcarek, Maria H. Borawska

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For centuries, mushrooms have been used in folk medicine; however, knowledge of the composition and properties of fungi comes from the last twenty years. Mushrooms show antibacterial, antioxidant, antitumor and immune-stimulating properties; however, there is a lack of reports, on anticancer treatment of brain gliomas. The aim of this study was to examine influence of Chanterelle mushroom (Cantharellus Adans. ex Fr.) ethanolic (CHE) and water (CHW) extracts, on glioblastoma multiforme cell line (U87MG). Anti-proliferative activity of CHE and CHW in concentration (50-1000 µg/mL) was determined by a cytotoxicity test and DNA binding by [³H]-thymidine incorporation after 24, 48 and 72h of incubation with U87MG glioblastoma cell line. The statistical analysis was performed using Statistica v. 13.0 software. Significant differences were assumed for p < 0.05. We examined that CHE extracts in all the tested concentrations (50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 µg/mL) after all hours of incubation significantly decreased cell viability (p < 0.05) on U87MG cell line, which was confirmed by the significant (p < 0.05) reduction of DNA synthesis. Our results suggest that only CHE extract a cytotoxic and anti-proliferation activities on U87MG cell line.

Keywords: anticancer, food, glioblastoma, mushroom

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Authors: B. S. Choudri

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Introduction: Climate change is a major threat to rural livelihoods and to food security in the developing world, including Oman. The aim of this study is to provide a basis for policymakers and researchers in order to understand the impacts of climate change on agriculture and developing adaptation strategies in Oman. Methodology: The data was collected from different agricultural areas across the country with the help of a questionnaire survey among farmers, discussion with community, and observations at the field level. Results: The analysis of data collected from different areas within the country shows a shift in the sowing period of major crops and increased temperatures over recent years. Farmer community is adopting through diversification of crops, use of heat-tolerant species, and improved measures of soil and water conservation. Agriculture has been the main livelihood for most of the farmer communities in rural areas in the country. Conclusions: In order to reduce the effects of climate change at the local and farmer communities, risk reduction would be important along with an in-depth analysis of the vulnerability. Therefore, capacity building of local farmers and providing them with scientific knowledge, mainstreaming adaptation into development activities would be essential with additional funding and subsidies.

Keywords: agriculture, climate change, vulnerability, adaptation

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Authors: Maryam Tijjani Kolo

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Lack of refuse dumping points has made the residents of Shagari low-cost well armed with some health and environmental related hazards. These studies investigate the effect of household refuse on the resident of Shagari low-cost. A well structured questionnaire was administered to elicit views of the respondent in the study area through adopting cluster sampling method. A total of 100 questionnaires were selected and divided into 50, each to both sections of the study area. Interview was conducted to each household head. Data obtained were analyzed using simple parentages to determine the major hazard in the area. Result showed that majority of the household are civil servant and traders, earning reasonable monthly income. 68% of the respondent has experienced the effect of living close to waste dumping areas, which include unpleasant smell and polluted smoke when refuse is burnt, which causes eye and respiratory induction, human injury from broken bottles or sharp objects as well as water, insect and air borne diseases. Hence, the need to urgently address these menace before it overwhelms the capacities of the community becomes paramount. Thus, the community should be given more enlightenment and refuse dumping sites should be created by the local government area.

Keywords: household, refuse, refuse dumping points, Shagari low-cost

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Authors: Hidayatul Fitri, Petr Šařec

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The use of organic fertilizer is increasing nowadays, and the application must be conducted accurately to provide the right benefits for plants and maintain soil health. Improper application of fertilizers can cause problems for both plants and the environment. This study investigated the liquid organic fertilizer application, particularly digestate, varied into different application doses concerning mitigation of adverse environmental impacts, improving water infiltration ability, and crop yields. The experiment was established into eight variants with different digestate doses, conducted on emission monitoring and soil physical properties. As a result, the digestate application with shallow injection (5 cm in depth) was confirmed as an appropriate technique for applying liquid fertilizer into the soil. Gas emissions resulted in low concentration and declined gradually over time, obviously proved from the experiment conducted under two measurements immediately after application and the next day. Applied various doses of liquid digestate fertilizer affected the emission concentrations of NH3 volatilization, differing significantly and decreasing about 40% from the first to second measurement. In this study, winter wheat crop production significantly increases under digestate application with additional N fertilizer. This study suggested the long-term application of digestate to obtain more alteration of soil properties such as bulk density, penetration resistance, and hydraulic conductivity.

Keywords: liquid organic fertilizer, digestate, application, ammonia, emission

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Authors: Esther Eduzor, Charles A. Negbenebor, Helen O. Agu

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Smoking of meat enhances the taste and look of meat, it also increases its longevity, and helps preserve the meat by slowing down the spoilage of fat and growth of bacteria. The Lean meat from the forequarter of beef carcass was obtained from the Maiduguri abattoir. The meat was cut into four portions with weight ranging from 525-545 g. The meat was cut into bits measuring about 8 cm in length, 3.5 cm in thickness and weighed 64.5 g. Meat samples were washed, cured with various concentration of sodium chloride, sodium nitrate, citric acid and clove for 30 min, drained and smoked in a smoking kiln at a temperature range of 55-600°C, for 8 hr a day for 3 days. The products were stored at ambient temperature and evaluated microbiologically and organoleptically. In terms of processing and storage there were increases in pH, free fatty acid content, a decrease in water holding capacity and microbial count of the cured smoked meat. The panelists rated control samples significantly (p < 0.05) higher in terms of colour, texture, taste and overall acceptability. The following organisms were isolated and identified during storage: Bacillus specie, Bacillus subtilis, streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Aspergillus niger, Candida and Penicillium specie. The study forms a basis for new product development for meat industry.

Keywords: citric acid, cloves, smoked meat, bioengineering

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Authors: Sudipto Sarkar

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Capital is the primary fuel for starting and running a business. Since capital is crucial for every business, entrepreneurs must successfully acquire adequate capital for executing their projects. Sources for the necessary capital for entrepreneurs include their own personal funds from existing bank accounts, or lines of credit or loans from banks or financial institutions, or equity funding from investors. The most commonly selected source of capital is a bank loan. However, acquiring a loan by any entrepreneur requires adhering to strict guidelines, conditions and norms. Because not only they have to show evidence for viability of the project, but also the means to return the acquired loan. On the bank’s part, it requires that every loan officer performs a thorough credit appraisal of the prospective borrowers and makes decisions about whether or not to lend money, how much to lend, and what conditions should be attached to it. Moreover, these credit decisions in general were often based on biases, analytical techniques, or prior experience. A loan can either turn out to be good or poor, irrespective of what type of credit decisions were followed. However, based on prior experience, the loan officers seem to differentiate between a good and a bad loan by examining the borrower’s credit history, pattern of borrowing, volume of borrowing, frequency of borrowing, and reasons for borrowing. As per an article written by Maureen Wallenfang on postcrescent.com dated May 10, 2010, it is observed that borrowers with good credit, solid business plans and adequate collateral security were able to procure loans very easily in the Fox Valley region. Since loans are required to run businesses, and also with the propensity of loans to become bad, loan officers tend to be very critical and cautious before approving and disbursing the loans. The pressure to be critical and cautious, at least partly, is a result of increased scrutiny by the Securities and Exchange Commission. As per Wall Street Journal (Sidel & Eaglesham, March, 3 2011, online), the Securities and Exchange Commission scrutinized banks that have restructured troubled loans in order to make them appear healthier than they really are. Therefore, loan officers’ loan criteria are of immense importance for entrepreneurs and banks alike.

Keywords: entrepreneur, loans, marketing, banks

Procedia PDF Downloads 247

Authors: Christopher Meyer, Laima Gerlitz

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European ports are facing high political pressure through the implementation of initiatives such as the European Green Deal or IMO's 2030 targets (Fit for 55). However, small and medium-sized ports face even higher challenges compared to bigger ones due to lower capacities in various fields such as investments, infra-structure, Human Resources, and funding opportunities. Small and Medium-Sized Ports (SMPs) roles in economic systems are various depending on their specific functionality in maritime ecosystems. Depending on their different situations, being an actor in multiport gateways, aligned to core ports, regional nodes in peripheries for the hinterland, specialized cluster members, or logistical nodes, different strategic business models may be applied to increase SMPs' competitiveness among other bigger ports. Additionally, SMPs are facing more challenges for future development in terms of digital and green transition of their operations. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate the own strategical position and apply management strategies alongside the regional growth and innovation strategies for diversification or specialisation of own port businesses. The research uses inductive perspectives to set up a transferable framework based on case studies to be analysed. In line with particular research and document analysis, qualitative approaches were considered. The research is based on a deep literature review on SMPs as well as theories on diversification and specialisation. Existing theories from different fields are evaluated on their application for the port sector and these specific maritime actors, paying respect to enabling innovation incorporation to enhance digital and environmental transition with fu-ture perspectives for SMPs. The paper aims to provide a decision-making matrix for the strategic positioning of SMPs in Europe, including opportunities to get access to particular EU funds for future development alongside the Regional In-novation Strategies on Smart Specialisation.

Keywords: strategic planning, sustainability transition, competitiveness portfolio, EU green deal

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Authors: Nihad Chakri, Btissam El Amrani, Faouzi Berrada, Fouad Amraoui

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In Morocco, water scarcity requires the exploitation of non-conventional resources. Rural areas are under-equipped with sanitation infrastructure, unlike urban areas. Decentralized and low-cost solutions could improve the quality of life of the population and the environment. In this context, the Faculty of Sciences Ain Chock "FSAC" has undertaken an integrated project to treat part of its wastewater using a decentralized compact system. The project will propose alternative solutions that are inexpensive and adapted to the context of peri-urban and rural areas in order to treat the wastewater generated and use it for irrigation, watering, and cleaning. For this purpose, several tests were carried out in the laboratory in order to develop a liquid waste treatment system optimized for local conditions. Based on the results obtained at the laboratory scale of the different proposed scenarios, we designed and implemented a prototype of a mini wastewater treatment plant for the Faculty. In this article, we will outline the steps of dimensioning, construction, and monitoring of the mini-station in our Faculty.

Keywords: wastewater, purification, optimization, vertical filter, MBBR process, sizing, decentralized pilot, reuse, irrigation, sustainable development

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Authors: Mousa Keshavarz, Abdul-Reza Dabbagh, Maryam Soyuf Jahromi

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The diversity of mangrove macrobenthos assemblages at mudflat and mangrove ecosystems of Port Khamir, Iran were investigated for one year. During this period, we measured physicochemical properties of water temperature, salinity, pH, DO and the density and distribution of the macrobenthos. We sampled a total of 9 transects, at three different topographic levels along the intertidal zone at three stations. Assemblages at class level were compared. The five most diverse and abundant classes were Foraminifers (54%), Gastropods (23%), Polychaetes (10%), Bivalves (8%) & Crustaceans (5%), respectively. Overall densities were 1869 ± 424 ind/m2 (26%) in spring, 2544 ± 383 ind/m2(36%) in summer, 1482 ± 323 ind/m2 (21%) in autumn and 1207 ± 80 ind/m2 (17%) in winter. Along the intertidal zone, the overall relative density of individuals at high, intermediate, and low topographic levels was 40, 30, and 30% respectively. Biodiversity indices were used to compare different classes: Gastropoda (Shannon index: 0.33) and Foraminifera (Simpson index: 0.28) calculated the highest scores. It was also calculated other bio-indices. With the exception of bivalves, filter feeders were associated with coarser sediments at higher intertidal levels, while deposit feeders were associated with finer sediments at lower levels. Salinity was the most important factor acting on community structure, while DO and pH had little influence.

Keywords: macrobenthos, biodiversity, mangrove forest, Khamir Port

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Authors: Akbar Rahmani Nejad, Pejman Rahmani Nejad, Ahmad Rahmani Nejad

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we proposed the arresting of atmospheric lightning and passing the electrical current of lightning-bolts through underground water tanks to produce Hydrogen and restoring Hydrogen in reservoirs to be used later as clean and sustainable energy. It is proposed to implement this method for storage of extra electrical power (instead of lightning energy) during low energy demand periods to produce hydrogen as a clean energy source to store in big reservoirs and later generate electricity by burning the stored hydrogen at an appropriate time. This method prevents the complicated process of changing the output power of nuclear power plants. It is possible to pass an electric current through sodium chloride solution to produce chlorine and sodium or human waste to produce Methane, etc. however atmospheric lightning is an accidental phenomenon, but using this free energy just by connecting the output of lightning arresters to the output of power plant during low energy demand period which there is no significant change in the design of power plant or have no cost, can be considered completely an economical design

Keywords: hydrogen gas, lightning energy, power plant, resistive element

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Authors: Faezeh Zaefarian1, Sajedeh Golmohammadzadeh, Mohammad Rezvani

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Weed management decisions for weed species can be derived from knowledge of seed germination biology. Experiments were conducted in laboratory and greenhouse to determine the effects of light, temperature, salt and water stress, seed burial depth on seed germination and seedling emergence of Papaver rhoeas and P.dubium and to assay the response of these species to commonly available POST herbicides. Germination of the Papaver seeds was influenced by the tested temperatures (day/night temperatures of 20 and 25 °C) and light. The concentrations of sodium chloride, ranging from 0 to 80 mM, influence germination of seeds. The osmotic potential required for 50% inhibition of maximum germination of P. rhoeas was -0.27 MPa and for P. dubium species was 0.25 MPa. Seedling emergence was greatest for the seeds placed at 1 cm and emergence declined with increased burial depth in the soil. No seedlings emerged from a burial depth of 6 cm. The herbicide 2,4-D at 400 g ai ha-1 provided excellent control of both species when applied at the four-leaf and six-leaf stages. However, at the six-leaf stage, percent control was reduced. The information gained from this study could contribute to developing components of integrated weed management strategies for Papaver species.

Keywords: germination, papaver species, planting depth, POST herbicides

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Authors: Mahbuba Kaneez Hasna

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Introductory Statement outlining the background: Little has been written about political ecology of urban gardening, such as a network of knowledge generation, technologies of food production and distribution, food consumption practices, and the regulation of ‘agricultural activities. For urban food gardens to sustain as a long-term food security enterprise, we will need to better understand the anthropological, ecological, political, and institutional factors influencing their development, management, and ongoing viability. Significance of the study: Dhaka as one of the fastest growing city. There are currently no studies regards to Bangladesh on how urban slum dwellerscope with the changing urban environment in the city, where they overcome challenges, and how they cope with the urban ecological cycle of food and vegetable production. It is also essential to understand the importance of their access to confined spaces in the slums they apply their indigenous knowledge. These relationships in nature are important factors in community and conservation ecology. Until now, there has been no significant published academic work on relationships between urban and environmental anthropology, urban planning, geography, ecology, and social anthropology with a focus on urban agriculture and how this contributes to the moral economies, indigenous knowledge, and government policies in order to improve the lives and livelihoods of slum dwellers surrounding parks and open spaces in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Methodology: it have applied participant observation, semi-structured questionnaire-based interviews, and focus group discussions to collect social data. Interviews were conducted with the urban agriculture practitioners who are slum dwellers who carry out their urban agriculture activities. Some of the interviews were conducted with non-government organisations (NGOs) and local and state government officials, using semi-structured interviews. Using these methods developed a clearer understanding of how green space cultivation, local economic self-reliance, and urban gardening are producing distinctive urban ecologies in Dhaka and their policy-implications on urban sustainability. Major findings of the study: The research provided an in-depth knowledge on the challenges that slum dwellers encounter in establishing and maintaining urban gardens, such as the economic development of the city, conflicting political agendas, and environmental constraints in areas within which gardening activities take place. The research investigated (i) How do slum dwellers perform gardening practices from rural areas to open spaces in the city? (ii) How do men and women’s ethno-botanical knowledge contribute to urban biodiversity; (iii) And how do slum dwellers navigate complex constellations of land use policy, competing political agendas, and conflicting land and water tenures to meet livelihood functions provided by their gardens. Concluding statement: Lack of infrastructure facilities such as water supply and sanitation, micro-drains and waste disposal areas, and poor access to basic health care services increase the misery of people in the slum areas. Lack of environmental health awareness information for farmers, such as the risks from the use of chemical pesticides in gardens and from grazing animals in contaminated fields or cropping and planting trees or vegetable in contaminated dumping grounds, can all cause high health risk to humans and their environment.

Keywords: gender, urban agriculture, ecosystem health, urban slum systems

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Authors: C. Benhamideche

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Fluoroaluminate glasses have been reported as the earliest heavy metal fluoride glasses. By comparison with flurozirconate glasses, they offer a set of similar optical features, but also some differences in their elastic and chemical properties. In practice they have been less developed because their stability against devitrification is smaller than that of the most stable fluoroziconates. The purpose of this study was to investigate glass formation in systems AlF3-YF3-PbF2-MgF2-MF2 (M= Li, Na, K). Synthesis was implemented at room atmosphere using the ammonium fluoride processing. After fining, the liquid was into a preheated brass mold, then annealed below the glass transition temperature for several hours. The samples were polished for optical measurements. Glass formation has been investigated in a systematic way, using pseudo ternary systems in order to allow parameters to vary at the same time. We have chosen the most stable glass compositions for the determination of the physical properties. These properties including characteristic temperatures, density and proprieties elastic. Glass stability increases in multicomponent glasses. Bulk samples have been prepared for physical characterization. These glasses have a potential interest for passive optical fibers because they are less sensitive to water attack than ZBLAN glass, mechanically stronger. It is expected they could have a larger damage threshold for laser power transmission.

Keywords: fluoride glass, aluminium fluoride, thermal properties, density, proprieties elastic

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Authors: Mohamed Y. M. Mohsen

Abstract:

The viability of utilising mixed-oxide fuel (MOX) ((U₀.₉, rgPu₀.₁) O₂) as an accident-tolerant fuel (ATF) has been thoroughly investigated. MOX fuel provides the best example of a nuclear waste recycling process. The MCNPX 2.7 code was used to determine the main neutronic features, especially the radial power distribution, to identify the hot channel on which the thermal-hydraulic (TH) study was performed. Based on the computational fluid dynamics technique, the simulation of the rod-centered thermal-hydraulic subchannel model was implemented using COMSOL Multiphysics. TH analysis was utilised to determine the axially and radially distributed temperatures of the fuel and cladding materials, as well as the departure from the nucleate boiling ratio (DNBR) along the coolant channel. COMSOL Multiphysics can simulate reality by coupling multiphysics, such as coupling between heat transfer and solid mechanics. The main solid structure parameters, such as the von Mises stress, volumetric strain, and displacement, were simulated using this coupling. When the neutronic, TH, and solid structure performances of UO₂ and ((U₀.₉, rgPu₀.₁) O₂) were compared, the results showed considerable improvement and an increase in safety margins with the use of ((U₀.₉, rgPu₀.₁) O₂).

Keywords: mixed-oxide, MCNPX, neutronic analysis, COMSOL-multiphysics, thermal-hydraulic, solid structure

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Authors: Chidambaram Thamaraiselvan, Carlos Dosoretz

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This work will explore the influence of low voltage electric field, both alternating (AC) and direct (DC) currents, on biofouling control to highly electrically conductive self-supporting carbon nanotubes (CNT) membranes at conditions which encourage bacterial growth. A mutant strain of Pseudomonas putida S12 was used a model bacterium. The antibiofouling studies were performed with flow-through mode connecting an electric circuit in resistive mode. Major emphasis was placed on AC due to its ability of repulsing and inactivating bacteria. The observations indicate that an AC potential >1500 mV, 1 kHz frequency, 100 Ω external resistance on ground side and pulse wave above the offset (+0.45) almost completely prevented attachment of bacteria (>98.5%) and bacterial inactivation (95.3±2.5%). Findings suggest that at the conditions applied, direct electron transfer might be dominant in a decrease of cell viability. AC resulted more effective than DC, both in terms of biofouling reduction compared to cathodic DC and in terms of cell inactivation compared to anodic DC. This electrically polarized CNT membranes offer a viable antibiofouling strategy to hinder biofouling and simplify membrane care during filtration.

Keywords: bacterial attachment, biofouling control, low electric potential, water treatment

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Authors: Fabian Velasquez, John Espitia, Henry Hernadez, Sebastian Escobar, Jader Rodriguez

Abstract:

Non-centrifuged cane sugar (NCS) is a concentrated product obtained through the evaporation of water contain from sugarcane juice inopen heat exchangers (OE). The heat supplied to the evaporation stages is obtained from the cane bagasse through the thermochemical process of combustion, where the thermal energy released is transferred to OE by the flue gas. Therefore, the optimization of energy usage becomes essential for the proper design of the production process. For optimize the energy use, it is necessary modeling and simulation of heat transfer between the combustion gases and the juice and to understand the major mechanisms involved in the heat transfer. The main objective of this work was simulated heat transfer phenomena between the flue gas and open heat exchangers using Computational Fluid Dynamics model (CFD). The simulation results were compared to field measured data. Numerical results about temperature profile along the flue gas pipeline at the measurement points are in good accordance with field measurements. Thus, this study could be of special interest in design NCS production process and the optimization of the use of energy.

Keywords: mathematical modeling, design variables, computational fluid dynamics, overall thermal efficiency

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Authors: Eman Alzahrani

Abstract:

Date palm trees are abundant and cheap natural resources in Saudi Arabia. In this study, an activated carbon was prepared from palm trunks by chemical processes. The chemical activation was performed by impregnation of the raw materials after grinding with H3PO4 solution (63%), followed by placing of the sample solution on a muffle furnace at 400ºC for 30 min, and then at 800ºC for 10 min. The morphology of the fabricated material was checked using scanning electron microscopy that showed the rough surfaces on the carbon samples. The use of fabricated activated carbon for removal of eosin dye from aqueous solutions at different contact time, initial dye concentration, pH and adsorbent doses was investigated. The experimental results show that the adsorption process attains equilibrium within 20 min. The adsorption isotherm equilibrium was studied by means of the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, and it was found that the data fit the Langmuir isotherm equation with maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 126.58 mg g-1. The results indicated that the home made activated carbon prepared from palm trunks has the ability to remove eosin dye from aqueous solution and it will be a promising adsorbent for the removal of harmful dyes from waste water.

Keywords: activated carbon, date palm trunks, H3PO4 activation, adsorption, dye removal, eosin dye, isotherm

Procedia PDF Downloads 350