Search results for: treatment function

Authors: S. Curteanu, F. Leon, M. Gavrilescu, S. A. Floria

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Optimization algorithms inspired from human behavior were applied in this approach, associated with neural networks models. The algorithms belong to human behaviors of learning and cooperation and human competitive behavior classes. For the first class, the main strategies include: random learning, individual learning, and social learning, and the selected algorithms are: simplified human learning optimization (SHLO), social learning optimization (SLO), and teaching-learning based optimization (TLBO). For the second class, the concept of learning is associated with competitiveness, and the selected algorithms are sports-inspired algorithms (with Football Game Algorithm, FGA and Volleyball Premier League, VPL) and Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA). A real process, the synthesis of polyacrylamide-based multicomponent hydrogels, where some parameters are difficult to obtain experimentally, is considered as a case study. Reaction yield and swelling degree are predicted as a function of reaction conditions (acrylamide concentration, initiator concentration, crosslinking agent concentration, temperature, reaction time, and amount of inclusion polymer, which could be starch, poly(vinyl alcohol) or gelatin). The experimental results contain 175 data. Artificial neural networks are obtained in optimal form with biologically inspired algorithm; the optimization being perform at two level: structural and parametric. Feedforward neural networks with one or two hidden layers and no more than 25 neurons in intermediate layers were obtained with values of correlation coefficient in the validation phase over 0.90. The best results were obtained with TLBO algorithm, correlation coefficient being 0.94 for an MLP(6:9:20:2) – a feedforward neural network with two hidden layers and 9 and 20, respectively, intermediate neurons. Good results obtained prove the efficiency of the optimization algorithms. More than the good results, what is important in this approach is the simulation methodology, including neural networks and optimization biologically inspired algorithms, which provide satisfactory results. In addition, the methodology developed in this approach is general and has flexibility so that it can be easily adapted to other processes in association with different types of models.

Keywords: artificial neural networks, human behaviors of learning and cooperation, human competitive behavior, optimization algorithms

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Authors: Amal A. Al-Kahlawy, Heba H. El-Maghrabi

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Due to the increasing need to environment protection in real time need to energize new materials are under extensive investigations. Between others, TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs) nanocomposite with iron oxide and silver carbonate, are promising alternatives as high-efficiency visible light photocatalyst due to their unique properties and their superior charge transport properties. Our efforts in this domain aim the construction of novel nanocomposite of TiO2NT/Fe2O3@Ag2CO3. The structure, surface morphology, chemical composition and optical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and UV–vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). XRD results confirm the interaction of TiO2-NT with iron oxide. This novel nanocomposite shows remarkably enhanced performance for phenol compounds photodegradation. The experimental data shows a promising photocatalytic activity. In particular, a maximum value of 450 mg/g was removed within 60 min at solar light irradiation with degradation efficiency of 99.5%. The high photocatalytic activity of the nanocomposite is found to be related to the increased adsorption toward chemical species, enhanced light absorption and efficient charge separation and transfer. Finally, the designed TiO2NT/Fe2O3@Ag2CO3 nanocomposite has a great degree of sustainability and could has a potential application for the industrial treatment of wastewater containing toxic organic materials.

Keywords: nanocomposite, photocatalyst, solar energy, titanium dioxide nanotubes

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Authors: Padma Sree Potru

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Abstract: A co-relational descriptive study was conducted to assess the impact of cancer event on self, on family, coping strategies of cancer clients and quality of life among them in G.G.H., Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. Aim: The aim of the study was to investigate the impact of cancer events on self, on family, coping of clients and quality of life among cancer patients. Methods: 50 cancer patients were selected through random sampling technique. The data were obtained by using impact of events scale, impact on family scale, coping health inventory and WHOQOL-BREF scale. Results: The results revealed that majority (32%) of them were in the age group of 36-45 years, 72% were females, 44% were having the income of Rs. 5001-10000/- per month, 40% were working for daily wage, and 15% were newly diagnosed of cancer. Among 50 cancer patients, 65% had extreme impact of events, 61% shows extreme impact on family, 46% possess minimal coping strategies and 68% had poor quality of life. This study focuses on that there is a strong positive correlation between quality of life and coping behavior r=0.603 and also between impact of event and impact on family r=0.610, but a negative correlation existed between quality of life and impact of events r= -0.201. ANOVA test reveals that there is a significant difference between subscales of impact on family and coping behavior with f values = 3.893, 3.957 respectively. Chi-square highlights that there is a significant association between impact of events with age, occupation and impact on family with duration of illness. Conclusion: Even though cancer is a dreadful disease still there are many emerging treatment modalities and innovative procedures which are focusing on improving the standards of life among cancer clients. But all this can happen only when the clients accepts the reality, increase their willpower and confidence, desire to live, focusing on coping mechanisms and good ongoing support from the family members.

Keywords: impact of event, impact on family, coping, quality of event

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Authors: Carmen M. Gonzalez-Henriquez, Mauricio A. Sarabia-Vallejos, Juan Rodriguez-Hernandez

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DMAEMA, as a monomer, has been widely studied and used in several application fields due to their pH-sensitive capacity (tertiary amine protonation), being relevant in the biomedical area as a potential carrier for drugs focused on the treatment of genetic or acquired diseases (efficient gene transfection), among others. Additionally, the inhibition of bacterial growth and, therefore, their antimicrobial activity, can be used as dual-functional antifogging/antimicrobial polymer coatings. According to their interesting physicochemical characteristics and biocompatible properties, DMAEMA was used as a monomer to synthesize a smart pH-sensitive hydrogel, namely poly(HEMA-co-PEGDA575-co-DMAEMA). Thus, different mole ratios (ranging from 5:1:0 to 0:1:5, according to the mole ratio between HEMA, PEGDA, and DEAEMA, respectively) were used in this research. The surface patterns formed via a two-step polymerization (redox- and photo-polymerization) were first chemically studied via 1H-NMR and elemental analysis. Secondly, the samples were morphologically analyzed by using Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) techniques. Then, a particular relation between HEMA, PEGDA, and DEAEMA (0:1:5) was also characterized at three different pH (5.4, 7.4 and 8.3). The hydrodynamic radius and zeta potential of the micro-hydrogel particles (emulsion) were carried out as a possible control for morphology, exploring the effect that produces hydrogel micelle dimensions in the wavelength, height, and roughness of the wrinkled patterns. Finally, contact angle and cross-hatch adhesion test was carried out for the hydrogels supported on glass using TSM-silanized surfaces in order to measure their mechanical properties.

Keywords: wrinkled patterns, smart pH-sensitive hydrogels, hydrogel micelle diameter, adhesion tests

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Authors: Ying Zhu, Ning Wu, Hai-Dong Huang, Yu-Chao Dong, Qin-Ying Sun, Wei Zhang, Qin Wang, Qiang Li

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Background and study aims: Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TO) is an uncommon disease of the tracheobronchial system that leads to narrowing of the airway lumen from cartilaginous and/or osseous submucosal nodules. The aim of this study is to perform a detailed review of this rare disease in a large cohort of patients with TO proven by fiberoptic bronchoscopy from China. Patients and Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed on 41,600 patients who underwent bronchoscopy in the Department of Respiratory Medicine of Changhai Hospital between January 2005 and December 2012. Cases of TO were identified based on characteristic features during bronchoscopic examination. Results: 22 cases of bronchoscopic TO were identified. Among whom one-half were male and the mean age was 47.45 ±10.91 years old. The most frequent symptoms at presentation were chronic cough (n=14) and increased sputum production (n=10). Radiographic abnormalities were observed in 3/18 patients and findings on computed tomography consistent with TO such as beaded intraluminal calcifications and/or increased luminal thickenings were observed in 18/22 patients. Patients were classified into the following categories based on the severity of bronchoscopic findings: Stage I (n=2), Stage II (n=6) and Stage III(n=14). The result that bronchoscopic improvement was observed in 2 patients administered with inhaled corticosteroids suggested that resolution of this disease is possible. Conclusions: TO is a benign disease with slow progression, which could be roughly divided into 3 stages on the basis of the characteristic endoscopic features and histopathologic findings. Chronic inflammation was thought to be more important than the other existing plausible hypotheses in the course of TO. Inhaled corticosteroids might have some impact on patients at Stage I/II.

Keywords: airway obstruction, bronchoscopy, etiology, Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TO), treatment

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Authors: Daniel Thompson, Sophie Cerutti, Muhammad Peerbux, Hansraj Bookun

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Introduction: Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause end stage renal failure in Australia, responsible for 36% of cases. Patients who require dialysis may be suitable for haemodialysis through an arteriovenous fistula (AVF), and preoperatively careful planning is required to select suitable vessels for a long-lasting fistula that provides suitable dialysis access. Due to high levels of vascular disease in diabetic patients, we sought to investigate whether there is a difference in the types of autologous AVFs created for diabetic patients in renal failure compared to their non-diabetic counterparts. Method: Data was collected from the Australasian Vascular Audit, for all vascular surgery completed at St. Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne between 2011-2020. Patients were selected by operative type, creation of AVF, and compared in two groups, diabetic patients and patients without diabetes. Chi-squared test was utilised to determine significance. Results: Data analysis is ongoing and will be complete with updated abstract in time for the conference. Discussion: Diabetic nephropathy is the cause for roughly a third of end stage renal failure in Australia. Diabetic patients present with a unique set of challenges when it comes to dialysis access due to increased risk of peripheral vascular disease and arterial calcification. Care must be taken in the creation of fistulas to minimise complications and increase the chance of long-lasting access. Our study investigates the difference in autologous AVFs between diabetics and non-diabetics, and results may be used to influence location of fistula creation. Further research may be used to investigate patency rates of fistulas in diabetics vs non-diabetics which would further influence treatment decisions.

Keywords: dialysis, diabetes, renal access, fistula

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Authors: Harukuni Tokuda, Takanari Arai, Xu FengHao, Nobutaka Suzuki

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In our continuous search for anti-tumor promoting, chemopreventive active potency from natural source material, a kind of healthy tea, Gromwell seed (Coix lachryma-jobi) ext., and including compounds Monoolein and Trilinolein have been screened using the in vitro synergistic assay indicated by inhibitory effects on the induction of Epstein-Barr virus early antigen (EBV-EA) by TPA. In assay, Gromwell seed aqueous extract and hot aqueous extract exhibited the potential inhibitory effects on EBV-EA activation without strong cytotoxicity on Raji cells. In our experimental system, the inhibitory effects of both Gromwell extracts and compounds were greater than that of beta-carotene, which is known anti-tumor promoting agent and/or chemopreventive agent. These compounds were evaluated for their in vitro inhibitory effect on EBV-EA activation induced by TPA. The percentages of the inhibition of TPA-induced EBV-EA activation for these materials were 60% and 30% at concentration 100 μg. Based on the results obtained in vitro, we studied the inhibitory effect of compounds, in an in vivo two-stage carcinogenesis test of mouse skin papilloma using DMBA as an initiator and TPA as a potential promoter. The control animals showed a 100% incidence of papilloma at 20 weeks after DMBA-TPA tumor promotion, while treatment with compounds reduced the percentage of number of tumor to 60 % after 20 weeks. Results from in vitro and in vivo studies showing chemopreventive activity against TPA promoting stage and these data support the effective potency of carcinogenic stage in clinical evaluation of integrative oncology.

Keywords: gromwell seed, medicinal plant, chemoprevention, pharmaceutical medicine

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Authors: Arundhuti Devi, Gitumani Devi, Krishna G. Bhattacharyya

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The goal of this study was to assess the characteristics of the airborne dust created by opencast coal mining and its relation to population hospitalization risk for skin and lung diseases in Margherita Coalfield, Assam, India. Air samples were collected for 24 h in three 8-h periods. For the collection of particulate matter (PM10) and total suspended particulate matter (SPM) samples, respiratory dust samplers with glass microfiber filter papers were used. PM10 was analyzed for Cu, Cd, Cr, Mn, Zn, Ni, Fe and Pb with Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (FAAS). SPM and PM10 concentrations were respectively found to be as high as 1,035 and 265.85 μg/m³ in work zone air. The concentration of metals associated with PM10 showed values higher than the permissible limits. It was observed that the average concentrations of the metals Fe, Pb, Ni, Zn, and Cu were very high during the winter month of December, those of Cd and Cr were high during the month of May and Mn was high during February. The morphology of the particles studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) gave significant results. Due to opencast coal mining, the air in the work zone, as well as the general ambient air, was found to be highly polluted with respect to dust. More than 8000 patient records maintained by the hospital authority were collected from three hospitals in the area. The highest percentage of people suffering from lung diseases are found in Margherita Civil Hospital (~26.77%) whereas most people suffering from skin diseases reported for treatment in the ESIC hospital (47.47%). Both PM10 and SPM were alarmingly high, and the results were in conformity with the high incidence of lung and other respiratory diseases in the study area.

Keywords: heavy metals, open cast coal mining, PM10, respiratory diseases

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Authors: Katalin Szöllősi, László Szabó

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Introduction and purpose: Even though female sexual dysfunctions are common among women in the postpartum period, the profile of these disturbances has not been well investigated in Hungary yet. The aim of the study was to evaluate the postpartum female sexual functions in Hungary. This research sought to investigate the possible predictor factors which can influence postpartum female sexual functions. Method and sample: This was a cross-sectional study, including patients from two maternity clinics in Budapest. 113 women were recruited into our study 3 months after their childbirth. 53 had vaginal birth, 60 had a caesarian section. Data were collected from medical reports in addition by using self-developed questions and validated questionnaires in order to measure important predictors which may be responsible for postpartum sexual dysfunctions such as mode of delivery, parity, urinary incontinence and body image. Sexual functions were evaluated by the Hungarian version of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). The Hungarian version of Body Image Questionnaire-Short Form14 (BSQ-SF14) was applied for assessing body image. Results: 82,3% of the participants began to have sexual intercourse within three months postpartum. 53,98% of the participants reported sexual dysfunctions (cut-off FSFI score 26,55). According to our results mode of delivery, parity, hemorrhoids, time of intercourse, resumption was not associated with female sexual dysfunctions. We found correlation at a tendential level between urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunctions (p=0,003, R=0,26). We found a negative correlation at a tendential level between the total score of BSQ-SF14 and FSFI (p=0,03, R=-0,269). Only 32,74% of women reported discussing sexual life with health care professionals. However, 67,25% of them would have had the need to be asked about their postpartum health issues. Conclusions and recommendations: The prevalence of female sexual dysfunctions were relatively high after childbirth. We found that incontinence and body image was associated with sexual dysfunctions; other risk factors remained unknown. Despite regular contact with health care professionals, women rarely get any information about postpartum sexual health issues. The high prevalence of dysfunctions indicates the need for further investigation to address other risk factors and proper counselling of women after childbirth.

Keywords: body image, postpartum, sexual dysfunction, urinary incontinence

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Authors: Vincent A. Adzika, Franklin N. Glozah, Collins S. K. Ahorlu

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Background: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is of major public-health concern globally, with majority of patients living in Africa. Despite its relevance, there is a dearth of research to determine the socio-demographic distribution and psychosocial impact of SCD in Africa. The objective of this study therefore was to examine the socio-demographic distribution and psychosocial consequences of SCD among patients in Ghana and to assess their quality of life and coping mechanisms. Methods: A cross-sectional research design was used, involving the completion of questionnaires on socio-demographic characteristics, quality of life of individuals, anxiety and depression. Participants were 387 male and female patients attending a sickle cell clinic in a public hospital. Results: Results showed no gender and marital status differences in anxiety and depression. However, there were age and level of education variances in depression but not in anxiety. In terms of quality of life, patients were more satisfied by the presence of love, friends, relatives as well as home, community and neighbourhood environment. While pains of varied nature and severity were the major reasons for attending hospital in SCD condition, going to the hospital as well as having Faith in God was the frequently reported mechanisms for coping with an unbearable SCD attacks. Multiple regression analysis showed that some socio-demographic and quality of life indicators had strong associations with anxiety and/or depression. Conclusion: It is recommended that a multi-dimensional intervention strategy incorporating psychosocial dimensions should be considered in the treatment and management of SCD.

Keywords: anxiety, depression, sickle cell disease, socio-demographic quality of life, characteristics, Ghana

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Authors: Hrudaya Kamasani

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The cultural prevalence of vigilante justice is sustained through the social sanction for foregoing a judicial trial to determine guilt. Precisely due to its roots in social sanction, it has repercussions as more than just being symptomatic of cultural values that condone violence. In the long term, the practice of vigilante justice as a response to incidents of sexual violence, while veiled in civic discontent over the standards of women’s security in society, can adversely affect the discourse on sexual violence. To illustrate the impact that acts of vigilante justice can have in prematurely ending a budding discourse on sexual violence, the paper reviews three cases of heinous crimes committed against women in India that gained popular attention in the discursive spaces. The 2012 Nirbhaya rape and murder case in Delhi demonstrates how the criminal justice system can spur a social movement and can result in legislative changes and a discourse that challenged a wide range of socio-cultural issues of women’s security and treatment. The paper compares it with two incidents of sexual violence in India that ended with the suspects being killed in the name of vigilante justice that had wide social sanction. The two cases are the 2019 extrajudicial killing of Priyanka Reddy rape and murder case suspects in Hyderabad and the 2015 mob lynching of an accused in a rape case in Dimapur. The paper explains why the absence of judicial trials in sexual violence cases results in ending any likelihood of the instances inspiring civic engagement with the discourse on sexual violence.

Keywords: sexual violence, vigilante justice, extrajudicial killing, cultural values of violence, Nirbhaya rape case, mob violence

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Authors: Jiaqian Yin, Ruoling Chen, David Churchill, Huijuan Zou, Peipei Guo, Chunmei Liang, Xiaoqing Peng, Zhikang Zhang, Weiju Zhou, Yunxia Cao

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Purpose: This study aimed to explore the interaction of male and female age on implantation failure from in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments in couples following their first cycles using the Anhui Maternal-Child Health Study (AMCHS). Methods: The AMCHS recruited 2042 infertile couples who were physically fit for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment at the Reproductive Centre of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between May 2017 to April 2021. This prospective cohort study analysed the data from 1910 cohort couples for the current paper data analysis. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the effect of male and female age on implantation failure after controlling for confounding factors. Male age and female age were examined as continuous and categorical (male age: 20-<25, 25-<30, 30-<35, 35-<40, ≥40; female age: 20-<25, 25-<30, 30-<35, 35-<40, ≥40) predictors. Results: Logistic regression indicated that advanced maternal age was associated with increased implantation failure (P<0.001). There was evidence of an interaction between maternal age (30-<35 and ≥ 35) and paternal age (≥35) on implantation failure. (p<0.05). Only when the male was ≥35 years of increased maternal age was associated with the risk of implantation failure. Conclusion: In conclusion, there was an additive effect on implantation failure with advanced parental age. The impact of advanced maternal age was only seen in the older paternal age group. The delay of childbearing in both men and women will be a serious public issue that may contribute to a higher risk of implantation failure in patients needing assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Keywords: parental age, infertility, cohort study, IVF

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Authors: Huiqiang Yang, Domingo Santana

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This paper proposes a novel configuration which introduces a natural draft dry cooling tower system in a molten salt power tower. A three-dimensional numerical modeling was developed based on the novel configuration. A plan of building 20 new concentrating solar power plants has been announced by Chinese government in September 2016, and among these 20 new plants, most of them are located in regions with long winter and harsh winter climate. The innovative configuration proposed includes an external receiver concrete tower at the center, a natural draft dry cooling tower which is surrounding the external receiver concrete tower and whose shell is fixed on the external receiver concrete tower, and a power block (including a steam generation system, a steam turbine system and hot/cold molten salt tanks, and water treatment systems) is covered by the roof of the natural draft dry cooling tower. Heat exchanger bundles are vertically installed at the furthest edge of the power block. In such a way, all power block equipment operates under suitable environmental conditions through whole year operation. The monthly performance of the novel configuration is simulated as compared to a standard one. The results show that the novel configuration is much more efficient in each separate month in a typical meteorological year. Moreover, all systems inside the power block have less thermal losses at low ambient temperatures, especially in harsh winter climate. It is also worthwhile mentioning that a photovoltaic power plant can be installed on the roof of the cooling tower to reduce the parasites of the molten salt power tower.

Keywords: molten salt power tower, natural draft dry cooling, commercial scale, power block, harsh winter climate

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Authors: Okafor Joan, Nwodo Uchechukwu

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Klebsiella pneumoniae (K. pneumoniae) is a significant pathogen responsible for opportunistic and nosocomial infection. One of the most significant antibiotic resistance mechanisms in K. pneumoniae isolates is efflux pumps. Our current study identified efflux genes (AcrAB, OqxAB, MacAB, and TolC) and regulatory genes (RamR and RarA) in multidrug-resistant (MDR) K. pneumoniae isolated from hospital effluents and investigated their relationship with antibiotic resistance. The sum of 145 K. pneumoniae isolates was established by PCR and screened for antibiotic susceptibility. PCR detected efflux pump genes, and their link with antibiotic resistance was statistically examined. However, 120 (83%) of the confirmed isolated were multidrug-resistant, with the largest percentage of resistance to ampicillin (88.3%) and the weakest rate of resistance to imipenem (5.5%). Resistance to the other antibiotics ranged from 11% to 76.6%. Molecular distribution tests show that AcrA, AcrB, MacA, oqxB oqxA, TolC, MacB were detected in 96.7%, 85%, 76.7%, 70.8%, 55.8%, 39.1%, and 29.1% respectively. However, 14.3% of the isolates harboured all seven genes screened. Efflux pump system AcrAB (83.2%) was the most commonly detected in K. pneumonia isolated across all the antibiotics class-tested. In addition, the frequencies of RamR and RarA were 46.2% and 31.4%, respectively. AcrAB and OqxAB efflux pump genes were significantly associated with fluoroquinolone, beta-lactam, carbapenem, and tetracycline resistance (p<0.05). The high rate of efflux genes in this study demonstrated that this resistance mechanism is the dominant way in K. pneumoniae isolates. Appropriate treatment must be used to reduce and tackle the burden of resistant Klebsiella pneumonia in hospital wastewater effluents.

Keywords: Klebsiella pneumonia, efflux pumps, regulatory genes, multidrug-resistant, hospital, PCR

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Authors: Mostafa Sarabzadeh, Masoumeh Helalizadeh, Seyyed Mahmoud Hejazi

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Multiple Sclerosis is considered as diseases related to central nerve system, the chronic and progressive disease impress on sensory and motor function of people. Due to equilibrium problems in this patients that related to disorder of nerve conduction transmission from central nerve system to organs and the nature of elastic bands that can make changes in neuromuscular junctions and momentary actions, the aim of this research is evaluate elastic training effect by reactionary ropes on nerve conduction velocity (in lower and upper limb) and functional balance in female patients with Multiple Sclerosis. The study was a semi-experimental study that was performed based on pre and post-test method, The statistical community consisted of 16 women with MS in the age mean 25-40yrs, at low and intermediate levels of disease EDSS 1-4 (Expanded Disability Status Scale) that were divided randomly into elastic and control groups, so the training program of experimental group lasted six weeks, 3 sessions per week of elastic exercises with reactionary ropes. Electroneurography parameters (nerve conduction velocity- latency) of Upper and lower nerves (Median, Tibial, Sural, Peroneal) along with balance were investigated respectively by the Electroneurography system (ENG) and Timed up and go (TUG) functional test two times in before and after the training period. After that, To analyze the data were used of Dependent and Independent T-test (with sig level p<0.05). The results showed significant increase in nerve conduction velocity of Sural (p=0.001), Peroneal (p=0.01), Median (p=0.03) except Tibial and also development Latency Time of Tibial (p= 0), Peroneal (p=0), Median (p=0) except Sural. The TUG test showed significant decreases in execution time too (p=0.001). Generally, based on what the obtained data can indicate, modern training with elastic bands can contribute to enhanced nerve conduction velocity and balance in neurosis patients (MS) so lead to reduce problems, promotion of mobility and finally more life expectancy in these patients.

Keywords: balance, elastic bands, multiple sclerosis, nerve conduction, velocity

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Authors: Mouktafi Amine, Tahiri Asmaa

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A substantial number of traditional medical research has been put forward to managing and treating mental disorders. At the present time, to our best knowledge, it is believed that a fundamental understanding of the underlying causes of the majority of psychological disorders needs to be explored further to inform early diagnosis, managing symptoms and treatment. The emerging field of evolutionary psychology is a promising prospect to address the origin of mental disorders, potentially leading to more effective treatments. Schizophrenia as a topical mental disorder has been linked to the evolutionary adaptation of the human brain represented in the brain connectivity and asymmetry directly linked to humans' higher brain cognition in contrast to other primates being our direct living representation of the structure and connectivity of our earliest common African ancestors. As proposed in the evolutionary psychology scientific literature, the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is expressed and directly linked to altered connectivity between the Hippocampal Formation (HF) and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). This research paper presents the results of the use of tractography analysis using multiple open access Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) datasets of healthy subjects, schizophrenia-affected subjects and primates to illustrate the relevance of the aforementioned brain regions' connectivity and the underlying evolutionary changes in the human brain. Deterministic fiber tracking and streamline analysis were used to generate connectivity matrices from the DWI datasets overlaid to compute distances and highlight disconnectivity patterns in conjunction with other fiber tracking metrics: Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Mean Diffusivity (MD) and Radial Diffusivity (RD).

Keywords: tractography, diffusion weighted imaging, schizophrenia, evolutionary psychology

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Authors: Zaki Abiza, Miguel Chavez, David M. Holman, Ruddy Brionnaud

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In this paper, the prediction of the aerodynamic behavior of the flow around a Finned Projectile will be validated using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solution, XFlow, based on the Lattice-Boltzmann Method (LBM). XFlow is an innovative CFD software developed by Next Limit Dynamics. It is based on a state-of-the-art Lattice-Boltzmann Method which uses a proprietary particle-based kinetic solver and a LES turbulent model coupled with the generalized law of the wall (WMLES). The Lattice-Boltzmann method discretizes the continuous Boltzmann equation, a transport equation for the particle probability distribution function. From the Boltzmann transport equation, and by means of the Chapman-Enskog expansion, the compressible Navier-Stokes equations can be recovered. However to simulate compressible flows, this method has a Mach number limitation because of the lattice discretization. Thanks to this flexible particle-based approach the traditional meshing process is avoided, the discretization stage is strongly accelerated reducing engineering costs, and computations on complex geometries are affordable in a straightforward way. The projectile that will be used in this work is the Army-Navy Basic Finned Missile (ANF) with a caliber of 0.03 m. The analysis will consist in varying the Mach number from M=0.5 comparing the axial force coefficient, normal force slope coefficient and the pitch moment slope coefficient of the Finned Projectile obtained by XFlow with the experimental data. The slope coefficients will be obtained using finite difference techniques in the linear range of the polar curve. The aim of such an analysis is to find out the limiting Mach number value starting from which the effects of high fluid compressibility (related to transonic flow regime) lead the XFlow simulations to differ from the experimental results. This will allow identifying the critical Mach number which limits the validity of the isothermal formulation of XFlow and beyond which a fully compressible solver implementing a coupled momentum-energy equations would be required.

Keywords: CFD, computational fluid dynamics, drag, finned projectile, lattice-boltzmann method, LBM, lift, mach, pitch

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Authors: Henry Lau, Dilupa Nakandala, Li Zhao

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All along the length of the supply chain, fresh food firms face the challenge of managing both product quality, due to the perishable nature of the products, and product cost. This paper develops a method to assist logistics managers upstream in the fresh food supply chain in making cost optimized decisions regarding transportation, with the objective of minimizing the total cost while maintaining the quality of food products above acceptable levels. Considering the case of multiple fresh food products collected from multiple farms being transported to a warehouse or a retailer, this study develops a total cost model that includes various costs incurred during transportation. The practical application of the model is illustrated by using several computational intelligence approaches including Genetic Algorithms (GA), Fuzzy Genetic Algorithms (FGA) as well as an improved Simulated Annealing (SA) procedure applied with a repair mechanism for efficiency benchmarking. We demonstrate the practical viability of these approaches by using a simulation study based on pertinent data and evaluate the simulation outcomes. The application of the proposed total cost model was demonstrated using three approaches of GA, FGA and SA with a repair mechanism. All three approaches are adoptable; however, based on the performance evaluation, it was evident that the FGA is more likely to produce a better performance than the other two approaches of GA and SA. This study provides a pragmatic approach for supporting logistics and supply chain practitioners in fresh food industry in making important decisions on the arrangements and procedures related to the transportation of multiple fresh food products to a warehouse from multiple farms in a cost-effective way without compromising product quality. This study extends the literature on cold supply chain management by investigating cost and quality optimization in a multi-product scenario from farms to a retailer and, minimizing cost by managing the quality above expected quality levels at delivery. The scalability of the proposed generic function enables the application to alternative situations in practice such as different storage environments and transportation conditions.

Keywords: cost optimization, food supply chain, fuzzy sets, genetic algorithms, product quality, transportation

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Authors: Tamara Zappaterra

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The Learning Difficulties have an evolutionary nature. The international research has focused its analysis on the characteristics of Learning Difficulties in childhood, but we are still far from a thorough understanding of the nature of such disorders in adolescence and adulthood. Such issues become even more urgent in the university context. Spelling, meaning, and appropriate use of the specific vocabulary of the various disciplines represent an additional challenge for the dyslexic student. This paper explores the characteristics of Learning Difficulties in adulthood and the impact with the university teaching. It presents the results of an interdisciplinary project (educational, medical and engineering area) at University of Florence. The purpose of project is to design of a protocol for usability of teaching and individual study at university level. The project, after a first reconnaissance of user needs that have been reached with the participation of the very same protagonists, is at the stage of guidelines drafting for inclusion and education, to be used by teachers, students and administrative staff. The methodologies used are a questionnaire built on purpose and a series of focus groups with users. For collecting data during the focus groups it was decided to use a method typical of the Quality Function Deployment, a tool originally used for quality management, whose versatility makes it easy to use in a number of different context. The paper presents furthermore the findings of the project, the most significant elements of the guidelines for teaching, i.e. the section for teachers, whose aim is to implement a Learning Difficulties-friendly teaching, even at the university level, in compliance with italian Law 170/2010. The Guidelines for the didactic and inclusion of Learning Difficulties students of the University of Florence are articulated around a global and systemic plan of action, meant to accompany and protect the students during their study career, even before enrolling at the University, with different declination: the logistical, relational, educational, and didactic levels have been considered. These guidelines in Italy received the endorsement of the CNUDD. It is a systemic intervention plan for Learning Difficulties students, which roused and keeps rousing the interest of all the university system, with a radical consideration on academic teaching. Since while we try to provide the best Learning Difficulties-friendly didactic in compliance with the rules, no one can be exempted from a wider consideration on the nature and the quality of university teaching offered to all students.

Keywords: didactic tools, learning difficulties, special and inclusive education, university teaching

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Authors: Rithika Sriram, Kiran M. Bhojwani

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Introduction : Tuberculosis of the head and neck has proved to be a diagnostic challenge for otorhinolarynologists around the world. These lesions are often misdiagnosed as cancer. So in order to contribute to a better understanding of these lesions, we have conducted our study among patients affected by TB in the head and neck region with the objective of assessing the various manifestations, presentations, diagnostic techniques, risk factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption, coexisting illnesses and treatment modalities. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study conducted over a three year period (2012-2014) in 2 hospitals affliated to Kasturba Medical College in Mangalore, South India. A semi structured proforma was used to capture information from the medical records pertaining to the various objectives of the study such as clinical features and history of smoking. Data was analysed using SPSS version 16.0 and results obtained were depicted as percentages. Chi square test was used to find association between the variables and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: 104 patients were found to have TB of the head and neck and among them,the most common manifestation was found to be Tubercular Lymphadenitis (86.53%), followed by laryngeal TB (4.8%), submandibular gland TB (3.8%), deep neck space abscess(3.8%) and adenotonsillar TB. FNAC was found to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of TB disease of the lymph node.26% of the patients had coexisting HIV infection and 16.3% of the patients had associated pulmonary TB. More than 20% of the patients were smokers. Most patients were treated using ATT. Conclusion: Tuberculosis affecting regions of head and neck is no longer uncommon. Sufficient knowledge and appropriate diagnostic means is required while dealing with these lesions and must be included in the differential diagnosis of pathological lesions of head and neck.

Keywords: FNAC, Mangalore, smoking, tuberculosis

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Authors: Hadas Sopher, Davide Schaumann, Yehuda E. Kalay

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This paper addresses the shortcomings of architectural computation tools in representing human behavior in built environments, prior to construction and occupancy of those environments. Evaluating whether a design fits the needs of its future users is currently done solely post construction, or is based on the knowledge and intuition of the designer. This issue is of high importance when designing complex buildings such as hospitals, where the quality of treatment as well as patient and staff satisfaction are of major concern. Existing computational pre-occupancy human behavior evaluation methods are geared mainly to test ergonomic issues, such as wheelchair accessibility, emergency egress, etc. As such, they rely on Agent Based Modeling (ABM) techniques, which emphasize the individual user. Yet we know that most human activities are social, and involve a number of actors working together, which ABM methods cannot handle. Therefore, we present an event-based model that manages the interaction between multiple Actors, Spaces, and Activities, to describe dynamically how people use spaces. This approach requires expanding the computational representation of Actors beyond their physical description, to include psychological, social, cultural, and other parameters. The model presented in this paper includes cognitive abilities and rules that describe the response of actors to their physical and social surroundings, based on the actors’ internal status. The model has been applied in a simulation of hospital wards, and showed adaptability to a wide variety of situated behaviors and interactions.

Keywords: agent based modeling, architectural design evaluation, event modeling, human behavior simulation, spatial cognition

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Authors: Vincenzo Piemonte

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The liver is a complex, large-scale biochemical reactor which plays a unique role in the human physiology. When liver ceases to perform its physiological activity, a functional replacement is required. Actually, liver transplantation is the only clinically effective method of treating severe liver disease. Anyway, the aforementioned therapeutic approach is hampered by the disparity between organ availability and the number of patients on the waiting list. In order to overcome this critical issue, research activities focused on liver support device systems (LSDs) designed to bridging patients to transplantation or to keep them alive until the recovery of native liver function. In recirculating albumin dialysis devices, such as MARS (Molecular Adsorbed Recirculating System), adsorption is one of the fundamental steps in albumin-dialysate regeneration. Among the albumin-bound toxins that must be removed from blood during liver-failure therapy, bilirubin and tryptophan can be considered as representative of two different toxin classes. The first one, not water soluble at physiological blood pH and strongly bounded to albumin, the second one, loosely albumin bound and partially water soluble at pH 7.4. Fixed bed units are normally used for this task, and the design of such units requires information both on toxin adsorption equilibrium and kinetics. The most common adsorptive media used in LSDs are activated carbon, non-ionic polymeric resins and anionic resins. In this paper, bilirubin adsorption isotherms on different adsorptive media, such as polymeric resin, albumin-coated resin, anionic resin, activated carbon and alginate beads with entrapped albumin are presented. By comparing all the results, it can be stated that the adsorption capacity for bilirubin of the five different media increases in the following order: Alginate beads < Polymeric resin < Albumin-coated resin < Activated carbon < Anionic resin. The main focus of this paper is to provide useful guidelines for the optimization of liver support devices which implement adsorption columns to remove albumin-bound toxins from albumin dialysate solutions.

Keywords: adsorptive media, adsorption equilibrium, artificial liver devices, bilirubin, mathematical modelling

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Authors: Radoslav Stojchevski, Leonid Poretsky, Dimiter Avtanski

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Proinflammatory cytokines play an important role in cancer initiation and progression by mediating the intracellular communication between the cancer cells and tumor microenvironment. Increased tumor growth causing reduced oxygen concentration and oxygen pressure commonly result in hypoxia. Mechanistically, hypoxia is characterized by stabilization and nuclear translocation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) followed by propagation of molecular pathway cascade involving multiple downstream targets. Cobalt(II) chloride (CoCl₂) is commonly used to mimic hypoxia in experimental conditions since it directly induces the expression of HIF-1α. The aim of the present study was to investigate the in vitro effects and the molecular mechanisms by which hypoxia regulates the cytokine secretory profile of breast cancer cells. As a model for this study, we used several breast cancer cell lines bearing various molecular characteristics and metastatic potential (MDA-MB-231 (clauding low, ER-/PR-/HER²⁻), MCF-7 (luminal A, ER⁺/PR⁺/HER²⁻), and BT-474 (liminal B, ER⁺/PR⁺/HER²⁺)). We demonstrated that breast cancer cells secrete numerous cytokines and cytokine ligands, including interleukins, chemokines, and growth factors. Treatment with CoCl₂significantly modulated the breast cancer cells' cytokine expression in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. These effects were mediated via activation of several signaling pathways (JNK/SAPK1, NF-κB, STAT5A/B, and Erk/MAPK1/2). Taken together, the present data define some of the molecular mechanisms by which hypoxia affects the breast cancer cells' cytokine secretory profile, thus contributing to the development of novel therapies for metastatic breast cancer.

Keywords: breast cancer, cytokines, cobalt(II) chloride (CoCl₂), hypoxia

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Authors: A. Maciejak, M. Kiliszek, G. Opolski, D. Tulacz, A. Segiet, K. Matlak, S. Dobrzycki, G. Sygitowicz, B. Burzynska, M. Gora

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Introduction and aims: Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the most severe cardiovascular diseases affecting millions of patients each year worldwide. An early and accurate diagnosis of AMI is essential for optimal treatment. Therefore, new approaches that can complement and improve current strategies for AMI diagnosis are urgently needed. Recent studies have revealed the presence of stable circulating myocardial-derived microRNAs (miRNAs) in human peripheral blood, suggesting that such miRNAs could serve as potential biomarkers of infarction. The present study aimed to identify differentially expressed circulating miRNAs in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Materials and methods: miRNA expression profile analysis was performed using Exiqon Serum/Plasma Focus microRNA PCR panel in plasma samples of n=16 patients on the first day of AMI (admission) and in samples from the same patients collected six months after AMI. Selected miRNAs were validated by RT-qPCR using serum samples from an independent set of n=14 AMI patients. Results: The profiling study identified 46 species of plasma miRNAs that were differentially expressed (p < 0.05) on admission compared to six months after AMI. The validation in the independent group of patients confirmed that miR-133b and miR-22-5p were significantly up-regulated upon AMI. Conclusions: Our results suggest that miRNA expression profiling provides better understanding of the changes that occur in the acute phase of MI in the myocardium and could be useful in determination of the potential role of extracellular miRNAs as paracrine signaling molecules. miR-22-5p represents a novel promising biomarker for the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction.

Keywords: acute myocardial infarction, circulating microRNAs, microRNA expression profiling, miR-22-5p

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Authors: Young Nam Chun, Mun Sup Lim, Byeo Ri Jeong

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Sewage sludge is regarded as the residue produced by the waste water treatment process, during which liquids and solids are being separated. Thermal treatments are interesting techniques to stabilize the sewage sludge for disposal. Among the thermal treatments, pyrolysis and/or gasification has been being applied to the sewage sludge. The final goal of our NRF research is to develop a microwave In-line Drying-Pyrolysis-Gasification (IDPG) technology for the dewatered sewage sludge for the bio-waste to energy conversion. As a first step, the pyrolysis characteristics in a bench scale electric furnace was investigated at 800℃ for the dewatered sludge and dried sludge samples of which moisture contents are almost 80% and 0%, respectively. Main components of producer gas are hydrogen and carbon dioxide. Particularly, higher hydrogen for the dewatered sludge is shown as 75%. The hydrogen production for the dewatered sludge and dried sludge are 56% and 32%, respectively. However, the pyrolysis for the dried sludge produces higher carbon dioxide and other gases, while higher methane and carbon dioxide are given to 74% and 53%, respectively. Tar also generates during the pyrolysis process, showing lower value for case of the dewatered sludge. Gravimetric tar is 195 g/m3, and selected light tar like benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, pyrene are 9.4 g/m3, 2.1 g/m3, 0.5 g/m3, 0.3 g/m3, respectively. After the pyrolysis process, residual char for the dewatered sludge and dried sludge remain 1g and 1.3g, showing weight reduction rate of 93% and 57%, respectively. Through the results, this could be known that the dewatered sludge can be used to produce a clean hydrogen-rich gas fuel without the drying process. Therefore, the IDPG technology can be applied effectively to the energy conversion for dewater sludge waste without a drying pretreatment. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea(NRF) grant funded by the Korea government(MSIP) (No. 2015R1A2A2A03003044).

Keywords: pyrolysis, gasification, sewage sludge, tar generation, producer gas, sludge char, biomass energy

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Authors: Solomon Assefa Huluka

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Wounds account for severe morbidity, socioeconomic distress, and mortality around the globe.For several years, various herbal products are used to expediteand augment the innate wound healing process. In Ethiopian folkloricmedicine, Verbascum sinaiticum L. (V. sinaiticum) is commonlyapplied as a wound-healing agent. The present study investigated the potential wound healing and antioxidant properties of hydroalcoholic leaf extract of V. sinaiticum. The 80% methanol extract, formulated as 5% (w/w) and 10% (w/w) ointments, was evaluated in excision and incision wound models using nitrofurazone and simple ointment as positive and negative controls, respectively. Parameters such as wound contraction, period of epithelialization, and tensile strength were determined. Moreover, its in vitro antioxidant property was evaluated using a DPPH assay. In the excision model, both doses (5% and 10% w/w) of the extract showed a significant (p<0.001) wound healing efficacy compared to the negative control, as evidenced by enhanced wound contraction rate and shorter epithelialization time records. In the incision model, the lower dose (5% w/w) ointment formulation of the extract exhibited the maximum increment in tensile strength (85.6%) that was significant (p<0.001)compared to negative and untreated controls. Animals treated with 5% w/wointment, furthermore, showed a significantly (p < 0.05) higher percentage of tensile strength than nitrofurazone treated ones. Moreover, the hydroalcoholic extract of the plant showed a noticeable free radical scavenging property. The result of the present study upholds the folkloric use of V. sinaiticum in the treatment of wounds.

Keywords: wound healing, antioxidant, excision wound model, incision wound model, verbascum sinaiticum

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Authors: Mustafa M. Donma, Orkide Donma

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A well-defined insulin resistance (IR) is one of the requirements for the good understanding and evaluation of metabolic syndrome (MetS). However, underlying causes for the development of IR are not clear. Endothelial dysfunction also participates in the pathogenesis of this disease. IR indices are being determined in various obesity groups and also in diagnosing MetS. Components of MetS have been well established and used in adult studies. However, there are some ambiguities particularly in the field of pediatrics. The aims of this study were to compare the performance of fasting blood glucose (FBG), one of MetS components, with some other IR indices and check whether FBG may be replaced by some other parameter or ratio for a better evaluation of pediatric MetS. Five-hundred and forty-nine children were involved in the study. Five groups were constituted. Groups 109, 40, 100, 166, 110, 24 children were included in normal-body mass index (N-BMI), overweight (OW), obese (OB), morbid obese (MO), MetS with two components (MetS2) and MetS with three components (MetS3) groups, respectively. Age and sex-adjusted BMI percentiles tabulated by World Health Organization were used for the classification of obesity groups. MetS components were determined. Aside from one of the MetS components-FBG, eight measures of IR [homeostatic model assessment of IR (HOMA-IR), homeostatic model assessment of beta cell function (HOMA-%β), alanine transaminase-to-aspartate transaminase ratio (ALT/AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), insulin (INS), insulin-to-FBG ratio (INS/FBG), the product of fasting triglyceride and glucose (TyG) index, McAuley index] were evaluated. Statistical analyses were performed. A p value less than 0.05 was accepted as the statistically significance degree. Mean values for BMI of the groups were 15.7 kg/m², 21.0 kg/m², 24.7 kg/m², 27.1 kg/m², 28.7 kg/m², 30.4 kg/m² for N-BMI, OW, OB, MO, MetS2, MetS3, respectively. Differences between the groups were significant (p < 0.001). The only exception was MetS2-MetS3 couple, in spite of an increase detected in MetS3 group. Waist-to-hip circumference ratios significantly differed only for N-BMI vs, OB, MO, MetS2; OW vs MO; OB vs MO, MetS2 couples. ALT and ALT/AST did not differ significantly among MO-MetS2-MetS3. HOMA-%β differed only between MO and MetS2. INS/FBG, McAuley index and TyG were not significant between MetS2 and MetS3. HOMA-IR and FBG were not significant between MO and MetS2. INS was the only parameter, which showed statistically significant differences between MO-MetS2, MO-MetS3, and MetS2-MetS3. In conclusion, these findings have suggested that FBG presently considered as one of the five MetS components, may be replaced by INS during the evaluation of pediatric morbid obesity and MetS.

Keywords: children, insulin resistance indices, metabolic syndrome, obesity

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Authors: Aneta Binkowska, Grzegorz Michalak, Slawomir Pilip, Lukasz Bondaruk, Daniel Celinski, Robert Slotwinski

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Post-traumatic mortality rates are still very high and show an increasing tendency. Early identification of patients at high risk of severe complications has a significant impact on treatment outcomes. The aim of the study was to better understand the early pathological inflammatory response to injury and infection and to determine the usefulness of the assessment of TNF-α and sTNFR1 concentrations in the peripheral blood as early indicators of severe post-traumatic complications. The study was carried out in a group of 51 patients after trauma treated in the ED, including 32 patients that met inclusion criteria for immunological analysis. Patients were divided into two groups using the ISS scale (group A with ISS ≥20, group B with ISS <20). Serum levels of TNF-α and sTNFR1 were determined after admission to the ED and after 3, 6, 12 and 24 hours. The highest TNF-α and sTNFR1 concentrations in both groups were recorded at admission and were significantly higher in group A compared to group B (A vs B TNF-α 2.46 pg/ml vs 1.78 pg/ml; sTNFR1 1667.5 pg/ml vs 875.2 p<0.005). The concentration of sTNFR1 in patients with severe complications was significantly higher compared to patients without complications and preceded clinical symptoms of complications ( C+ vs C- 1561.5 pg/ml vs 930.6 pg/ml). Spearman's correlation showed a statistically significant positive correlation between the baseline concentrations of IL-6 (r=0.38, p<0.043) and sTNFR1 (r=0.59, p=0.001) and the ISS scores. The high diagnostic sensitivity calculated from the ROC (receiver operating characteristic) curves was found for the concentrations of both cytokines: TNF α (AUC=0.91, p=0.004) and sTNFR1 (AUC=0.86, p=0.011). Elevated levels of sTNFR1, determined in the peripheral blood shortly after injury, is significantly associated with the occurrence of later complications, which in some patients lead to death. In contrast, high levels of TNF-α shortly after injury are associated with high mortality.

Keywords: cytokine, SIRS, MODS, trauma

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Authors: Z. Arabshahi, I. Afara, A. Oloyede, H. Moody, J. Kashani, T. Klein

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Articular cartilage is a fluid-swollen tissue of synovial joints that functions by providing a lubricated surface for articulation and to facilitate the load transmission. The biomechanical function of this tissue is highly dependent on the integrity of its ultrastructural matrix. Any alteration of articular cartilage matrix, either by injury or degenerative conditions such as osteoarthritis (OA), compromises its functional behaviour. Therefore, the assessment of articular cartilage is important in early stages of degenerative process to prevent or reduce further joint damage with associated socio-economic impact. Therefore, there has been increasing research interest into the functional assessment of articular cartilage. This study developed a characterization parameter for articular cartilage assessment based on the response of cartilage surface to loading/unloading. This is because the response of articular cartilage to compressive loading is significantly depth-dependent, where the superficial zone and underlying matrix respond differently to deformation. In addition, the alteration of cartilage matrix in the early stages of degeneration is often characterized by PG loss in the superficial layer. In this study, it is hypothesized that the response of superficial layer is different in normal and proteoglycan depleted tissue. To establish the viability of this hypothesis, samples of visually intact and artificially proteoglycan-depleted bovine cartilage were subjected to compression at a constant rate to 30 percent strain using a ring-shaped indenter with an integrated ultrasound probe and then unloaded. The response of articular surface which was indirectly loaded was monitored using ultrasound during the time of loading/unloading (deformation/recovery). It was observed that the rate of cartilage surface response to loading/unloading was different for normal and PG-depleted cartilage samples. Principal Component Analysis was performed to identify the capability of the cartilage surface response to loading/unloading, to distinguish between normal and artificially degenerated cartilage samples. The classification analysis of this parameter showed an overlap between normal and degenerated samples during loading. While there was a clear distinction between normal and degenerated samples during unloading. This study showed that the cartilage surface response to loading/unloading has the potential to be used as a parameter for cartilage assessment.

Keywords: cartilage integrity parameter, cartilage deformation/recovery, cartilage functional assessment, ultrasound

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Authors: Mahmoud Mourad, Ahmad Hamza H. Ali, S.Ookawara, Ali Kamel Abdel-Rahman, Nady M. Abdelkariem

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The energy consumption of a house can be affected simultaneously by many building design factors related to its main architectural features, building elements and materials. This study focuses on the impact of passive design factors on the annual energy consumption of a suggested prototype house for single-family detached houses of 240 m2 in two floors, each floor of 120 m2 in new Egyptian cities located in (Alexandria - Cairo - Siwa - Assuit – Aswan) which resemble five different climatic zones (Northern coast – Northern upper Egypt - dessert region- Southern upper Egypt – South Egypt) respectively. This study present the effect of the passive design factors affecting the building energy consumption as building orientation, building material (walls, roof and slabs), building type (residential, educational, commercial), building occupancy (type of occupant, no. of occupant, age), building landscape and site selection, building envelope and fenestration (glazing material, shading), and building plan form. This information can be used to estimate the approximate saving in energy consumption, which would result on a change in the design datum for the future houses development, and to identify the major design problems for energy efficiency. To achieve the above objective, this paper presents a study for the factors affecting on the building energy consumption in the hot arid area in new Egyptian cities in five different climatic zones , followed by defining the energy needs for different utilization in this suggested prototype house. Consequently, a detailed analysis of the available Renewable Energy utilizations technologies used in the suggested home, and a calculation of the energy as a function of yearly distribution that required for this home will presented. The results obtained from building annual energy analyses show that architecture passive design factors saves about 35% of the annual energy consumption. It shows also passive cooling techniques saves about 45%, and renewable energy systems saves about 40% of the annual energy needs for this proposed home depending on the cities location on the climatic zones.

Keywords: architecture passive design factors, energy efficient homes, Egypt new cites, renewable energy technologies

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