Search results for: fatty acids profiles

Authors: Inmaculada Yuste Martinez

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Since July 5, 2014, Abubaker al Bagdadi, leader of the Islamic State since 2010 climbed the pulpit of the Great Mosque of Al Nuri of Mosul and proclaimed the Caliphate, the number of fighters who have travelled to Syria to join the Caliphate has increased as never before. Although it is true that the phenomenon of foreign fighters is not a new phenomenon, as it occurred after the Spanish Civil War, Republicans from Ireland and the conflict of the Balkans among others, it is highly relevant the fact that in this case, it has reached figures unknown in Europe until now. The approval of the resolution 2178 (2014) of the Security Council, foreign terrorist fighters placed the subject a priority position on the International agenda. The available data allow us to affirm that women have increasingly assumed operative functions in jihadist terrorism and in the activities linked to it in the development of attacks in the European Union, including minors and young adults. In the case of Spain, one in four of the detainees in 2016 were women, a significant increase compared to 2015. This contrasts with the fact that until 2014 no woman had been prosecuted in Spain for terrorist activities of a jihadist nature. It is fundamental when we talk about the prevention of radicalization and counterterrorism that we do not underestimate the potential threat to the security of countries like Spain that women from the West can assume to the global jihadist movement. This work aims to deepen the radicalization processes of these women and their profiles influencing the female inmate population. It also wants to focus on the importance of creating de-radicalization programs for these inmates since women are a crucial element in radicalization processes. A special focus it is made on young radicalized female inmate population as this target group is the most recoverable and on which it would result more fruitful to intervene. De-radicalization programs must also be designed to fit their profiles and circumstances; a sensitive environment will be prisons and juvenile centers, areas that until now had been unrelated to this problem and which are already hosting the first convicted in judicial offices in Spanish territory. A qualitative research and an empirical and analytical method has been implemented in this work, focused on the cases that took place in Spain of young women and the imaginary that the Islamic State uses for the processes of radicalization for this target group and how it does not fit with their real role in the Jihad, as opposed to other movements in which women do have a real and active role in the armed conflict as YPJ do it as a part of the armed wing of the Democratic Union Party of Syria.

Keywords: caliphate, de-radicalization, foreign fighter, gender perspective, ISIS, jihadism, recruitment

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Authors: Tarikayehu Amanuel, Abraham Mohammed

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The production of biodiesel from waste materials is becoming an increasingly important research area in the field of renewable energy. One potential waste material source is avocado, a fruit with a large seed and peel that are typically discarded after consumption. This research aims to investigate the feasibility of using avocado waste as a feedstock for the production of biodiesel. The study focuses on extracting oil from the waste material using the transesterification technique and then characterizing the properties of oil to determine its suitability for conversion to biodiesel. The study was conducted experimentally, and a maximum oil yield of 11.583% (150g of oil produced from 1.295kg of avocado waste powder) was obtained from avocado waste powder at an extraction time of 4hr. An 87% fatty acid methyl ester (biodiesel) conversion was also obtained using a methanol/oil ratio of 6:1, 1.3g NaOH, reaction time 60min, and 65°C reaction temperature. Furthermore, from 145 ml of avocado waste oil, 126.15 ml of biodiesel was produced, indicating a high percentage of conversion (87%). Conclusively, the produced biodiesel showed comparable physical and chemical characteristics to that of standard biodiesel samples considered for the study. The results of this research could help to identify a new source of biofuel production while also addressing the issue of waste disposal in the food industry.

Keywords: biodiesel, avocado, transesterification, soxhlet extraction

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Authors: Boudjelal Amel

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Arisarum vulgare, a member of the Araceae family, is an herbaceous perennial widely distributed in the Mediterranean region. A. vulgare is recognized for its medicinal properties and holds significant traditional importance in Algeria for the treatment of various human ailments, including pain, infections, inflammation, digestive disorders, skin problems, eczema, cancer, wounds, burns and gynecological diseases. Despite its extensive traditional use, scientific exploration of A. vulgare remains limited. The study aims to investigate for the first time the therapeutic potential of A. vulgare ethanolic extract obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction. The chemical composition of the extract was determined by LC-MS/MS analysis. For in vitro phytopharmacological evaluation, several assays, including DPPH, ABTS, FRAP and reducing power, were employed to evaluate the antioxidant activity. The antibacterial activity was assessed againt Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Staphylococus aureus, Enterococcus feacium by disk diffusion and microdilution methods. The possible inhibitory activity of ethanolic extract was analyzed against the cholinesterases enzymes (AChE and BChE). The DNA protection activity of A. vulgare ethanolic extract was estimated using the agarose gel electrophoresis method. The capacities of the extract to protect plasmid DNA (pBR322) from the oxidizing effects of H2O2 and UV treatment were evaluated by their DNA-breaking forms. The in vivo wound healing potential of a traditional ointment containing 5% of A. vulgare ethanolic extract was also investigated. The LC-MS/MS profiling of the extract revealed the presence of various bioactive compounds, including naringenin, chlorogenic, vanillic, cafeic, coumaric acids, trans-cinnamic and trans ferrulic acids. The plant extract presented considerable antioxidant potential, being the most active for Reducing power (0,07326±0.001 mg/ml) and DPPH (0.14±0.004 mg/ml). The extract showed the highest inhibition zone diameter against Enterococcus feacium (36±0.1 mm). The ethanolic extract of A. vulgare suppressed the growth of Staphylococus aureus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium according to the MIC values. The extract of the plant significantly inhibited both AChE and BChE enzymes. DNA protection activity of the A. vulgare extract was determined as 90.41% for form I and 51.92% for form II. The in vivo experiments showed that 5% ethanolic extract ointment accelerated the wound healing process. The topical application of the traditional formulation enhanced wound closure (95,36±0,6 %) and improved histological parameters in the treated group compared to the control groups. The promising biological properties of Arisarum vulgare revealed that the plant could be appraised as a potential origin of bioactive molecules having multifunctional medicinal uses.

Keywords: arisarum vulgare, LC-MS/MS, antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, cholinesterases enzymes inhibition, dna-damage activity, in vivo wound healing

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Authors: Muneesh Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, Sangeeta Devi

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Heavy metals are a major problem because they are toxic and tend to accumulate in living organisms. This study was carried out with the aims of studying on histopathology of Zn(SO4) toxicity on gill and liver tissues of catfish (Clarias batrachus) within the period of 96 h. Totally, 140 fishes with mean weight 50±10 g were stocked in 12 aquariums with capacity of 200 L water and divided in to 3 trails including control, 4 ppm and 8 ppm of Zn with 3 replicates. Tissue samples were fixed by bouin’s solution and sectioned in 7 μm based on histological regular method and stained with Hematoxylin and Eosin (H&E) method for microscopic study within the period of 96 h. Results showed some damaged such as hyperplasia, telangiectasis and edema, necrosis of second filaments, jerky movement, aneurism, hyperemia and fusion of second filaments in gills; and cell atrophy, necrosis, fatty degeneration, hyperemia and bile stagnation at different treatments in comparison with control. Gill and liver tissue damages were severed with the increase of Zn concentration and days. Therefore, Zn had acute toxicity effects on gill and liver tissues in Catfish at 5 and 10 ppm concentrations.

Keywords: gill, liver, histopathology, zinc, Clarias batrachus

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Authors: M. A. Sedghamiz, S. Raeissi

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This study presents three different approaches to estimate bubble point pressures for the binary system of CO2 and ethyl palmitate fatty acid ethyl ester. The first method involves the Peng-Robinson (PR) Equation of State (EoS) with the conventional mixing rule of Van der Waals. The second approach involves the PR EOS together with the Wong Sandler (WS) mixing rule, coupled with the Uniquac Ge model. In order to model the bubble point pressures with this approach, the volume and area parameter for ethyl palmitate were estimated by the Hansen group contribution method. The last method involved the Peng-Robinson, combined with the Wong-Sandler Method, but using NRTL as the GE model. Results using the Van der Waals mixing rule clearly indicated that this method has the largest errors among all three methods, with errors in the range of 3.96–6.22 %. The Pr-Ws-Uniquac method exhibited small errors, with average absolute deviations between 0.95 to 1.97 percent. The Pr-Ws-Nrtl method led to the least errors where average absolute deviations ranged between 0.65-1.7%.

Keywords: bubble pressure, Gibbs excess energy model, mixing rule, CO2 solubility, ethyl palmitate

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Authors: Nur H. Ahmad, Silvia S. Inge, Vanessa A. Julliete, A. Veraditias, Laila F. Febinda

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Abdominal obesity is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome and mostly found in adolescents. Waist circumference is related to abdominal obesity which has a significant effect on the increase of blood pressure. Inulin is one of prebiotic, that has health benefits by offering the potential for lipid management, that can be useful to decrease the risk factor of metabolic syndrome. The aim of the research is to evaluate the effect of 10 gram inulin-substituted ice cream in waist circumference and blood pressure of abdominal obesity adolescents. Inulin had the ability to produce Short Chain Fatty Acid which can improve blood pressure and waist circumference. Systolic blood pressure was significantly decreased in the treatment group (p=0.028) with the mean of reduction 7.35 ± 11.59 mmHg. However, diastolic blood pressure and waist circumference showed no significant effect. Waist circumference, systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure was decreased in control group. These results suggest that inulin-substituted ice cream used as therapeutics and prevention for the early onset of metabolic syndrome.

Keywords: blood pressure, inulin, metabolic syndrome, waist circumference

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Authors: Sirous Eydivandi

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Diacylglycerol-O-acyltransferase (DGAT1) gene encodes diacylglycerol transferase enzyme that plays an important role in glycerol lipid metabolism. DGAT1 is considered to be the key enzyme in controlling the synthesis of triglycerides in adipocytes. This enzyme catalyzes the final step of triglyceride synthesis (transform triacylglycerol (DAG) into triacylglycerol (TAG). A total of 20 DGAT1 gene sequences and corresponding amino acids belonging to 4 species include cattle, goats, sheep and yaks were analyzed, and the differentiation within and among the species was also studied. The length of the DGAT1 gene varies greatly, from 1527 to 1785 bp, due to deletion, insertion, and stop codon mutation resulting in elongation. Observed genetic diversity was higher among species than within species, and Goat had more polymorphisms than any other species. Novel amino acid variation sites were detected within several species which might be used to illustrate the functional variation. Differentiation of the DGAT1 gene was obvious among species, and the clustering result was consistent with the taxonomy in the National Center for Biotechnology Information.

Keywords: DGAT1gene, bioinformatic, ruminnants, biotechnology information

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Authors: Erhan Çetin, Ali Kurşun, Şafak Aksoy, Merve Tunay Çetin

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The closed form study deal with elastic stress analysis of annular bi-material discs with variable thickness subjected to the mechanical and termomechanical loads. Those discs have many applications in the aerospace industry, such as gas turbines and gears. Those discs normally work under thermal and mechanical loads. Their life cycle can increase when stress components are minimized. Each material property is assumed to be isotropic. The results show that material combinations and thickness profiles play an important role in determining the responses of bi-material discs and an optimal design of those structures. Stress distribution is investigated and results are shown as graphs.

Keywords: bi-material discs, elastic stress analysis, mechanical loads, rotating discs

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Authors: Jian-Li Shao

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Using Molecular Dynamic (MD) simulations, we simulated the microjet from the metal surface under decaying shock loading. The microjetting processes under release melting conditions are presented in detail, and some properties on the microjet mass and velocity are revealed. The phased increase of microjet mass with shock pressure is found. For all cases, the ratio of the maximal jetting velocity to the surface velocity approximately keeps a constant for liquid state. In addition, the temperature of the microjet can be always above the melting point. When introducing slow decaying profiles, the microjet mass begins to increase with the decay rate, which is dominated by the deformation of the bubble during pull-back. When the decay rate becomes fast enough, the microspall occurs as expected, meanwhile, the microjet appears to reduce because of the shock energy reduction.

Keywords: microjetting, shock, metal, molecular dynamics

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Authors: Ghazi Faisal Najmuldeen, Noridah Abdullah, Mimi Sakinah

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Bioethanol is an alcohol made by fermentation, mostly from carbohydrates, Cellulosic biomass, derived from non-food sources, such as castor shell waste, is also being developed as a feedstock for ethanol production Cellulose extracted from biomass sources is considered the future feedstock for many products due to the availability and eco-friendly nature of cellulose. In this study, castor shell (CS) biowaste resulted from the extraction of Castor oil from castor seeds was evaluated as a potential source of cellulose. The cellulose was extracted after pretreatment process was done on the CS. The pretreatment process began with the removal of other extractives from CS, then an alkaline treatment, bleaching process with hydrogen peroxide, and followed by a mixture of acetic and nitric acids. CS cellulose was analysed by infrared absorption spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The result showed that the overall process was adequate to produce cellulose with high purity and crystallinity from CS waste. The cellulose was then hydrolyzed to produce glucose and then fermented to bioethanol.

Keywords: bioethanol, castor shell, cellulose, biowaste

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Authors: Gheorghiţa Mitran, Adriana Urdă, Mihaela Florea, Octavian Dumitru Pavel, Florentina Neaţu

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Oxidative dehydrogenation and hydrogenation reactions of L-malic acid are interesting ways for its transformation into valuable products, including oxaloacetic, pyruvic and malonic acids but also 1,4-butanediol and 1,2,4-butanetriol. Keto acids have a range of applicationsin many chemical syntheses as pharmaceuticals, food additives and cosmetics. 3-Hydroxybutyrolactone and 1,2,4-butanetriol are used for the synthesis of chiral pharmaceuticals and other fine chemicals, while 1,4-butanediol can be used for organic syntheses, such as polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), and for production of tetrahydrofuran (THF). L-malic acid is a non-toxic and natural organic acid present in fruits, and it is the main component of wine alongside tartaric acid representing about 90% of the wine total acidity. Iron oxides dopped with cobalt (CoxFe3-xO4; x= 0; 0.05; 0.1; 0.15) were studied as catalysts in these reactions. There is no mention in the literature of non-noble transition metal catalysts for these reactions. The method used for catalysts preparation was coprecipitation, whileBET XRD, XPS, FTIR and UV-VIS spectroscopy were used for the physicochemical properties evaluation.TheXRD patterns revealed the presence of α-Fe2O3 rhombohedral hematite structure, with cobalt atoms well dispersed and embedded in this structure. The studied samples are highly crystalline, with a crystallite size ranged from 58 to 65 nm. The optical absorption properties were investigated using UV-Vis spectroscopy, emphasizing the presence of bands that correspond with the reported hematite nanoparticle. Likewise, the presence of bands corresponding to lattice vibration of hexagonal hematite structurehas been evidenced in DRIFT spectra. Oxidative dehydrogenation of malic acid was studied using as solvents for malic acid ethanol or water(2, 5 and 10% malic acid in 5 mL solvent)at room temperature, while the hydrogenation reaction was evaluated in water as solvent (5%), in the presence of 1% catalyst. The oxidation of malic acid into oxaloacetic acid is the first step, after that, oxaloacetic acid is rapidly decarboxylated to malonic acid or pyruvic acid, depending on the active site. The concentration of malic acid in solution, it, in turn, has an influence on conversionthis decreases when the concentration of malic acid in the solution is high. The spent catalysts after the oxidative dehydrogenation of malic acid in ethanol were characterized by DRIFT spectroscopy and the presence of oxaloacetic, pyruvic and malonicacids, along with unreacted malic acidwere observed on the surface. The increase of the ratio of Co/Fe on the surface has an influence on the malic acid conversion and on the pyruvic acid yield, while the yield of malonic acid is influenced by the percentage of iron on the surface (determined from XPS). Oxaloacetic acid yield reaches a maximumat one hour of reaction, being higher when ethanol is used as a solvent, after which it suddenly decreases. The hydrogenation of malic acid occurs by consecutive reactions with the production of 3-hydroxy-butyrolactone, 1,2,4-butanetriol and 1,4-butanediol. Malic acid conversion increases with cobalt loading increasing up to Co/Fe ratio of 0.1, after which it has a slight decrease, while the yield in 1,4-butanediol is directly proportional to the cobalt content.

Keywords: malic acid, oxidative dehydrogenation, hydrogenation, oxaloacetic acid

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Authors: Chetna Dhand, Venkatesh Mayandi, Silvia Marrero Diaz, Roger W. Beuerman, Seeram Ramakrishna, Rajamani Lakshminarayanan

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Sturdy Insect Cuticle Sclerotization, Incredible Substrate independent Mussel’s bioadhesion, Tanning of Leather are some of catechol(amine)s mediated natural processes. Chemical contemplation spots toward a mechanism instigated with the formation of the quinone moieties from the respective catechol(amine)s, via oxidation, followed by the nucleophilic addition of the amino acids/proteins/peptides to this quinone leads to the development of highly strong, cross-linked and water-resistant proteinacious structures. Inspired with this remarkable catechol(amine)s chemistry towards amino acids/proteins/peptides, we attempted to design highly stable and water-resistant antifungal wound dressing mats with exceptional durability using collagen (protein), dopamine (catecholamine) and antifungal drugs (Amphotericin B and Caspofungin) as the key materials. Electrospinning technique has been used to fabricate desired nanofibrous mat including Collagen (COLL), COLL/Dopamine (COLL/DP) and calcium incorporated COLL/DP (COLL-DP-Ca2+). The prepared protein-based scaffolds have been studied for their microscopic investigations (SEM, TEM, and AFM), structural analysis (FT-IR), mechanical properties, water wettability characteristics and aqueous stability. Biocompatibility of these scaffolds has been analyzed for dermal fibroblast cells using MTS assay, Cell TrackerTM Green CMFDA and confocal imaging. Being the winner sample, COLL-DP-Ca2+ scaffold has been selected for incorporating two antifungal drugs namely Caspofungin (Peptide based) and Amphotericin B (Non-Peptide based). Antifungal efficiency of the designed mats has been evaluated for eight diverse fungal strains employing different microbial assays including disc diffusion, cell-viability assay, time kill kinetics etc. To confirm the durability of these mats, in term of their antifungal activity, drug leaching studies has been performed and monitored using disc diffusion assay each day. Ex-vivo fungal infection model has also been developed and utilized to validate the antifungal efficacy of the designed wound dressings. Results clearly reveal dopamine mediated crosslinking within COLL-antifungal scaffolds that leads to the generation of highly stable, mechanical tough, biocompatible wound dressings having the zone of inhabitation of ≥ 2 cm for almost all the investigated fungal strains. Leaching studies and Ex-vivo model has confirmed the durability of these wound dressing for more than 3 weeks and certified their suitability for commercialization. A model has also been proposed to enlighten the chemical mechanism involved for the development of these antifungal wound dressings with exceptional robustness.

Keywords: catecholamine chemistry, electrospinning technique, antifungals, wound dressings, collagen

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Authors: Jyh Jyh Chen, Fu H. Yang, Chen W. Wang, Yu M. Lin

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In this work, a reaction chamber is reciprocated among three temperature regions by using an oscillatory thermal cycling machine. Three cartridge heaters are collocated to heat three aluminum blocks in order to achieve PCR requirements in the reaction chamber. The effects of various chamber moving speeds among different temperature regions on the chamber temperature profiles are presented. To solve the evaporation effect of the sample in the PCR experiment, the mineral oil and the cover lid are used. The influences of various extension times on DNA amplification are also demonstrated. The target fragments of the amplification are 385-bp and 420-bp. The results show when the forward speed is set at 6 mm/s and the backward speed is 2.4 mm/s, the temperature required for the experiment can be achieved. It is successful to perform the amplification of DNA fragments in our device.

Keywords: oscillatory, polymerase chain reaction, reaction chamber, thermal cycling machine

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Authors: Farman Ali, Asif Mahmood

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The utilization of genetic markers in prostate cancer management represents a significant advance in personalized medicine, offering the potential for more precise diagnosis and tailored treatment strategies. This paper explores the pivotal role of genetic markers in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, emphasizing their contribution to the identification of individual risk profiles, tumor aggressiveness, and response to therapy. By integrating current research findings, we discuss the application of genetic markers in developing targeted therapies and the implications for patient outcomes. Despite the promising advancements, challenges such as accessibility, cost, and the need for further validation in diverse populations remain. The paper concludes with an outlook on future directions, underscoring the importance of genetic markers in revolutionizing prostate cancer care.

Keywords: prostate cancer, genetic markers, personalized medicine, BRCA1 and BRCA2

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Authors: Maria Reichenber Arcilla

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Objective: To determine the risk factors for maternal and neonatal complications associated with operative vaginal deliveries. Methods: A retrospective chart review of 435 patients who underwent operative vaginal deliveries was done. Patient profiles – age, parity, AOG, duration of labor – and outcomes – birthweight, maternal and neonatal complications - were tabulated and multivariable analysis and logistic regression were performed using SPSS® Statistics Base. Results and Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the incidence of maternal and neonatal complications between those that underwent vacuum and forceps extraction. Among the variables analysed, parity and duration of labor reached statistical significance. The odds of maternal complications were 3 times higher among nulliparous patients. Neonatal complications were seen in those whose labor lasted more than 9 hours.

Keywords: operative vaginal deliveries, maternal, neonatal, morbidity

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Authors: Misarah Abdelaziz, L Djenidi, Mergen H. Ghayesh, Rey Chin

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Measurements of a turbulent boundary layer over 3D sinusoidal roughness are performed for friction Reynolds numbers ranging from 650 < Reτ < 2700. This surface was fabricated by a Multicam CNC Router machine of an acrylic sheet to have an amplitude of k/2 = 0.8 mm and an equal wavelength of 8k in both streamwise and spanwise directions, a 0.6 mm stepover and 12 mm ball nose cutter was used. Single hotwire anemometry measurements are done at one location x=1.5 m downstream at different freestream velocities under zero-pressure gradient conditions. As expected, the roughness causes a downward shift on the wall-unit normalised streamwise mean velocity profile when compared to the smooth wall profile. The shift is increasing with increasing Reτ, 1.8 < ∆U+ < 6.2. The coefficient of friction is almost constant at all cases Cf = 0.0042 ± 0.0002. The results show a gradual reduction in the inner peak of profiles with increasing Reτ until fully destruction at Reτ of 2700.

Keywords: hotwire, roughness, TBL, ZPG

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Authors: Hariti Rafika, Fekih Malika, Saighi Mohamed

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Heat transfer by natural convection in storage tanks for LNG is extremely related to heat gains through the walls with thermal insulation is not perfectly efficient. In this paper, we present the study of natural convection in the unsteady regime for natural gas in aware phase using the fluent software. The gas is just on the surface of the liquid phase. The CFD numerical method used to solve the system of equations is based on the finite volume method. This numerical simulation allowed us to determine the temperature profiles, the stream function, the velocity vectors and the variation of the heat flux density in the vapor phase in the LNG storage tank volume. The results obtained for a general configuration, by numerical simulation were compared to those found in the literature.

Keywords: numerical simulation, natural convection, heat gains, storage tank, liquefied natural gas

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Authors: Orkide Donma, Mustafa M. Donma

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Obesity, a disease associated with a low-grade inflammation, is a risk factor for the development of metabolic syndrome (MetS). So far, MetS risk factors such as parameters related to glucose and lipid metabolisms as well as blood pressure were considered for the evaluation of this disease. There are still some ambiguities related to the characteristic features of MetS observed particularly in pediatric population. Hormonal imbalance is also important, and quite a lot information exists about the behaviour of some hormones in adults. However, the hormonal profiles in pediatric metabolism have not been cleared yet. The aim of this study is to investigate the profiles of cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones in children with MetS. The study population was composed of morbid obese (MO) children without (Group 1) and with (Group 2) MetS components. WHO BMI-for age and sex percentiles were used for the classification of obesity. The values above 99 percentile were defined as morbid obesity. Components of MetS (central obesity, glucose intolerance, high blood pressure, high triacylglycerol levels, low levels of high density lipoprotein cholesterol) were determined. Anthropometric measurements were performed. Ratios as well as obesity indices were calculated. Insulin, cortisol, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free T₃ and free T₄ analyses were performed by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Data were evaluated by statistical package for social sciences program. p<0.05 was accepted as the degree for statistical significance. The mean ages±SD values of Group 1 and Group 2 were 9.9±3.1 years and 10.8±3.2 years, respectively. Body mass index (BMI) values were calculated as 27.4±5.9 kg/m² and 30.6±8.1 kg/m², successively. There were no statistically significant differences between the ages and BMI values of the groups. Insulin levels were statistically significantly increased in MetS in comparison with the levels measured in MO children. There was not any difference between MO children and those with MetS in terms of cortisol, T₃, T₄ and TSH. However, T₄ levels were positively correlated with cortisol and negatively correlated with insulin. None of these correlations were observed in MO children. Cortisol levels in both MO as well as MetS group were significantly correlated. Cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones are essential for life. Cortisol, called the control system for hormones, orchestrates the performance of other key hormones. It seems to establish a connection between hormone imbalance and inflammation. During an inflammatory state, more cortisol is produced to fight inflammation. High cortisol levels prevent the conversion of the inactive form of the thyroid hormone T₄ into active form T₃. Insulin is reduced due to low thyroid hormone. T₃, which is essential for blood sugar control- requires cortisol levels within the normal range. Positive association of T₄ with cortisol and negative association of it with insulin are the indicators of such a delicate balance among these hormones also in children with MetS.

Keywords: children, cortisol, insulin, metabolic syndrome, thyroid hormones

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Authors: Liang Zhou, Xiaojing Zhu, Yin Lu

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Danshen can induce the angiogenesis in advanced ischemic heart disease while inhibiting the angiogenesis in cancer. Additionally, Danshen mainly contains two groups of ingredients: the hydrophilic phenolic acids (danshensu, caffeic acid and salvianolic acid B), and the lipophilic tanshinones (dihydrotanshinone I, tanshinone II A, and cryptotanshinone). The lipophilic tanshinones reduced the VEGF- and bFGF-induced proliferation of HUVECs in dose-dependent manner, but cannot perform in others. Conversely, caffeic acid and salvianolic acid B had the opposite effect. Danshensu inhibited the VEGF- and bFGF-induced migration of HUVECs, and others were not. Most of them interrupted the forming capillary-like structures of HUVECs, except the danshensu and caffeic acid. Oppositely, caffeic acid enhanced the ability of forming capillary-like structures of HUVECs. Ultimately, the lipophilic tanshinones, danshensu and salvianolic acid B inhibited the angiogenesis, whereas the caffeic acid induced the angiogenesis. These data provide useful information for the classification of ingredients of Danshen for angiogenesis.

Keywords: angiogenesis, Danshen, HUVECs, ingredients

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Authors: Fang Bo Yu, Li Bo Guan

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Biogas slurry is a low-cost source of crop nutrients and can offer extra benefits to soil fertility and fruit quality. However, its current utilization mode and low content of active ingredients limit its application scale. In this report, one growing season field research was conducted to assess the effects of concentrated biogas slurry on soil property, tomato fruit quality, and composition of the microflora in both non-rhizosphere and rhizosphere soils. The results showed that application of concentrated slurry could cause significant changes to tomato cultivation, including increases in organic matter, available N, P, and K, total N, and P, electrical conductivity, and fruit contents of amino acids, protein, soluble sugar, β-carotene, tannins, and vitamin C, together with the R/S ratios and the culturable counts of bacteria, actinomycetes, and fungi in soils. It could be concluded as the application is a practicable means in tomato production and might better service the sustainable agriculture in the near future.

Keywords: concentrated slurry, fruit quality, soil fertility, sustainable agriculture

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Authors: A. B. Amna, M. A. E. Samia, A. K. Hassan

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The clinical, pathological, hematological and biological changes in Newzealand rabbits groups given daily oral doses of 0.1,0.25 and 0.5 ml/kg body weight/day of Cpmbopogon proximus oil extract were investigated in an experiment durated for 21 days. Other than the dose co-related mortality rates, the clinical signs were observed daily after dosing to be low appetite and nervous signs including restlessness and increased consciousness. Pulmonary excretion of the oil extract led to bloody spots on the lungs, lymphocyte infiltration, congestion and edema. Renal glumeruli manifested lymphocyte infiltration in addition to shrinkages and easinophilic material in the medulla, if considered with the corticomedullary generalized necrosis and the significant changes in urea, they can explain the renal dysfunction. Hepatic malfunction was manifested by significant changes in serum alkaline phosphatase and aspartate transferases accompanied by the congested, fatty changed livers. The direct physical effect of the extracted oil was detected by the catarrhal inflammation of the intestines.There was no significant haematological change except for the slight changes in RBCs and MCVs in rabbits given the highest dose. Future work for Cpmbopogon proximus oil extract was forwarded and practical implications of the result were highlighted.

Keywords: toxicity, cymbopogon proximus (maharaib), oil extract, Newzealand rabbits

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Authors: Rik van Leeuwen, Ger Koole

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Within hospitality, marketing departments use segmentation to create tailored strategies to ensure personalized marketing. This study provides a data-driven approach by segmenting guest profiles via hierarchical clustering based on an extensive set of features. The industry requires understandable outcomes that contribute to adaptability for marketing departments to make data-driven decisions and ultimately driving profit. A marketing department specified a business question that guides the unsupervised machine learning algorithm. Features of guests change over time; therefore, there is a probability that guests transition from one segment to another. The purpose of the study is to provide steps in the process from raw data to actionable insights, which serve as a guideline for how hospitality companies can adopt an algorithmic approach.

Keywords: hierarchical cluster analysis, hospitality, market segmentation

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Authors: Unnop Panpuang

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The objectives of this project are to study on the work efficiency of the employees, sorted by their profiles, and to study on the relation between job attributes and work efficiency of employees of Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University. The samples used for this study are 292 employees. The statistics used in this study are frequencies, standard deviations, One-way ANOVA and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Majority of respondent were male with an undergraduate degree, married and lives together. The average age of respondents was between 31-41 years old, married and the educational background are higher than bachelor’s degree. The job attribute is correlated to the work efficiency with the statistical significance level of .01. This concurs with the predetermined hypothesis. The correlation between the two main factors is in the moderate level. All the categories of job attributes such as the variety of skills, job clarity, job importance, freedom to do work are considered separately.

Keywords: employees, job attributes, work efficiency, university

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Authors: Johan Buermans, Kristel Crombé, Niek Desmet, Laura Dittrich, Andrei Goriaev, Yurii Kovtun, Daniel López-Rodriguez, Sören Möller, Per Petersson, Maja Verstraeten

Abstract:

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) will rely on three sources of external heating to produce and sustain a plasma; Neutral Beam Injection (NBI), Ion Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ICRH), and Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH). ECRH is a way to heat the electrons in a plasma by resonant absorption of electromagnetic waves. The energy of the electrons is transferred indirectly to the ions by collisions. The electron cyclotron heating system can be directed to deposit heat in particular regions in the plasma (https://www.iter.org/mach/Heating). Electron Cyclotron Resonance Heating (ECRH) at the fundamental resonance in X-mode is limited by a low cut-off density. Electromagnetic waves cannot propagate in the region between this cut-off and the Upper Hybrid Resonance (UHR) and cannot reach the Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) position. Higher harmonic heating is hence preferred in heating scenarios nowadays to overcome this problem. Additional power deposition mechanisms can occur above this threshold to increase the plasma density. This includes collisional losses in the evanescent region, resonant power coupling at the UHR, tunneling of the X-wave with resonant coupling at the ECR, and conversion to the Electron Bernstein Wave (EBW) with resonant coupling at the ECR. A more profound knowledge of these deposition mechanisms can help determine the optimal plasma production scenarios. Several ECRH experiments are performed on the TOroidally MAgnetized System (TOMAS) to identify the conditions for Electron Bernstein Wave (EBW) heating. Density and temperature profiles are measured with movable Triple Langmuir Probes in the horizontal and vertical directions. Measurements of the forwarded and reflected power allow evaluation of the coupling efficiency. Optical emission spectroscopy and camera images also contribute to plasma characterization. The influence of the injected power, magnetic field, gas pressure, and wave polarization on the different deposition mechanisms is studied, and the contribution of the Electron Bernstein Wave is evaluated. The TOMATOR 1D hydrogen-helium plasma simulator numerically describes the evolution of current less magnetized Radio Frequency plasmas in a tokamak based on Braginskii’s legal continuity and heat balance equations. This code was initially benchmarked with experimental data from TCV to determine the transport coefficients. The code is used to model the plasma parameters and the power deposition profiles. The modeling is compared with the data from the experiments.

Keywords: electron Bernstein wave, Langmuir probe, plasma characterization, TOMAS

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Authors: M. Raissy, M. Shahrani

Abstract:

The present study was done to evaluate the presence of tetracycline resistance genes in Lactococcus garvieae isolated from cultured rainbow trout, West Iran. The isolates were examined for antimicrobial resistance using disc diffusion method. Of the 49 strains tested, 19 were resistant to tetracycline (38.7%), 32 to enrofloxacin (65.3%), 21 to erythromycin (42.8%), 20 to chloramphenicol and trimetoprim-sulfamethoxazole (40.8%). The strains were then characterized for their genotypic resistance profiles. The results revealed that all 49 isolates contained at least one of the tetracycline resistance genes. Tet (A) was found in 89.4% of tetracycline resistant isolates and the frequency of other gene were as follow: tet (E) 42.1%, tet (B) 47.3%, tet (D) 15.7%, tet (L) 26.3%, tet (K) 52.6%, tet (G) 36.8%, tet (34) 21%, tet (S) 63.1%, tet (C) 57.8%, tet (M) 73.6%, tet (O) 42.1%. The results revealed high levels of antibiotic resistance in L. garvieae strains which is a potential danger for trout culture as well as for public health.

Keywords: Lactococcus garvieae, tetracycline resistance genes, rainbow trout, antimicrobial resistance

Procedia PDF Downloads 517

Authors: Manfred F. Maute, Olga Naumenko, Raymond T. Kong

Abstract:

Using data from a nationally representative financial panel of Canadian households, this study develops a psychographic segmentation of the customers of a value-expressive credit card service and tests for effects on relational response differences. The variety of segments elicited by agglomerative and k means clustering and the familiar profiles of individual clusters suggest that the face validity of the psychographic segmentation was quite high. Segmentation had a significant effect on customer satisfaction and relationship depth. However, when socio-demographic characteristics like household size and income were accounted for in the psychographic segmentation, the effect on relational response differences was magnified threefold. Implications for the segmentation of financial services markets are considered.

Keywords: customer satisfaction, financial services, psychographics, response differences, segmentation

Procedia PDF Downloads 331

Authors: Safwan Kanan, Jonathan Dewsbury, Gregory Lane-Serff

Abstract:

A salinity gradient solar pond is a free energy source system for collecting, converting and storing solar energy as heat. In this paper, the principles of solar pond are explained. A mathematical model is developed to describe and simulate heat and mass transfer behavior of salinity gradient solar pond. Matlab codes are programmed to solve the one dimensional finite difference method for heat and mass transfer equations. Temperature profiles and concentration distributions are calculated. The numerical results are validated with experimental data and the results are found to be in good agreement.

Keywords: finite difference method, salt-gradient solar-pond, solar energy, transient heat and mass transfer

Procedia PDF Downloads 369

Authors: Leyla Esfandiari

Abstract:

Rapid, sensitive detection of nucleic acid (NA) molecules of specific sequence is of interest for a range of diverse health-related applications such as screening for genetic diseases, detecting pathogenic microbes in food and water, and identifying biological warfare agents in homeland security. Sequence-specific nucleic acid detection platforms rely on base pairing interaction between two complementary single stranded NAs, which can be detected by the optical, mechanical, or electrochemical readout. However, many of the existing platforms require amplification by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), fluorescent or enzymatic labels, and expensive or bulky instrumentation. In an effort to address these shortcomings, our research is focused on utilizing the cutting edge nanotechnology and microfluidics along with resistive pulse electrical measurements to design and develop a cost-effective, handheld and highly-sensitive nanopore-based sensor for point-of-care medical diagnostics.

Keywords: diagnostics, nanopore, nucleic acids, sensor

Procedia PDF Downloads 462

Authors: Wirot Likittrakulwong, Pisit Poolprasert, Tossaporn Incharoen

Abstract:

Germinated paddy rice (GPR) has the potential to be used as a feed ingredient. However, their properties have not been fully investigated. This paper examined the nutrient digestibility and the relationship to immune activity in Roman hens fed with GPR. It was found that true and apparent metabolizable energy (ME) values of GPR were 3.20 and 3.28 kcal/g air dry, respectively. GPR exhibited high content of phytonutrients, especially GABA. GPR showed similar protein profiles in comparison to non-germinated paddy rice. For immune activity, the feed with GPR enhanced the immune activity of Roman hens under high stocking density stress as evidenced by the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and lysozyme activity. In this study, GPR is proved to be a good source of functional ingredient for chicken feed.

Keywords: germinated paddy rice, nutrient digestibility, immune activity, functional property

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Authors: Murtala Marafa

Abstract:

This research is on socio-economic contributions of the Kanuri migrant community in Sokoto City during the 20th century. Kanuri migrants have been one of the major migrant groups who played and still playing positive role in the development of Sokoto city. The research will make an attempt to examine both the push and pulls factors responsible for Kanuri migration to Sokoto City. It is in the light of this that the research will examine and capture profiles of select prominent Kanuri migrants within the Sokoto city, in order to identify their major economic contributions to the development of Sokoto City. It is hoped that the study will show in the final analysis that the migration of Kanuri to Sokoto city have impacted positively to the socio-economic development of Sokoto city.

Keywords: development, economy, Kanuri, migration

Procedia PDF Downloads 265