Search results for: polarization dependent loss

Authors: C. Iraklis, G. Evmiridis, A. Iraklis

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Renewable energy sources and distributed power generation units already have an important role in electrical power generation. A mixture of different technologies penetrating the electrical grid, adds complexity in the management of distribution networks. High penetration of distributed power generation units creates node over-voltages, huge power losses, unreliable power management, reverse power flow and congestion. This paper presents an optimization algorithm capable of reducing congestion and power losses, both described as a function of weighted sum. Two factors that describe congestion are being proposed. An upgraded selective particle swarm optimization algorithm (SPSO) is used as a solution tool focusing on the technique of network reconfiguration. The upgraded SPSO algorithm is achieved with the addition of a heuristic algorithm specializing in reduction of power losses, with several scenarios being tested. Results show significant improvement in minimization of losses and congestion while achieving very small calculation times.

Keywords: congestion, distribution networks, loss reduction, particle swarm optimization, smart grid

Procedia PDF Downloads 440

Authors: Jiun-Nan Hou, Tien-Huang Chen, Wei-June Chen

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Dengue viruses (DENVs) are naturally transmitted between humans by mosquito vectors. Mosquito cells usually survive DENV infection, allowing infected mosquitoes to retain an active status for virus transmission. In this study, we found that DENV2 virus infection in mosquito cells causes the unfolded protein response (UPR) that activates the protein kinase RNA-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (PERK) signal pathway, leading to shutdown of global protein translation in infected cells which was apparently regulated by the PERK signal pathway. According to observation in this study, the PERK signal pathway in DENV2-infected C6/36 cells alleviates ER stress, and reduces initiator and effector caspases, as well as the apoptosis rate via shutdown of cellular proteins. In fact, phosphorylation of eukaryotic initiation factor 2ɑ (eIF2ɑ) by the PERK signal pathway may impair recruitment of ribosomes that bind to the mRNA 5’-cap structure, resulting in an inhibitory effect on canonical cap-dependent cellular protein translation. The resultant pro-survival “byproduct” of infected mosquito cells is undoubtedly advantageous for viral replication. This finding provides insights into elucidating the PERK-mediated modulating web that is actively involved in dynamic protein synthesis, cell survival, and viral replication in mosquito cells.

Keywords: cap-dependent protein translation, dengue virus, endoplasmic reticulum stress, mosquito cells, PERK signal pathway

Procedia PDF Downloads 263

Authors: Salvatore Luongo, Carlo Luongo

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This paper discusses the implementation solutions to reduce the computational load for the Traffic Situational Awareness with Alerts (TSAA) application, based on Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology. In 2008, there were 23 total mid-air collisions involving general aviation fixed-wing aircraft, 6 of which were fatal leading to 21 fatalities. These collisions occurred during visual meteorological conditions, indicating the limitations of the see-and-avoid concept for mid-air collision avoidance as defined in the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA). The commercial aviation aircraft are already equipped with collision avoidance system called TCAS, which is based on classic transponder technology. This system dramatically reduced the number of mid-air collisions involving air transport aircraft. In general aviation, the same reduction in mid-air collisions has not occurred, so this reduction is the main objective of the TSAA application. The major difference between the original conflict detection application and the TSAA application is that the conflict detection is focused on preventing loss of separation in en-route environments. Instead TSAA is devoted to reducing the probability of mid-air collision in all phases of flight. The TSAA application increases the flight crew traffic situation awareness providing alerts of traffic that are detected in conflict with ownship in support of the see-and-avoid responsibility. The relevant effort has been spent in the design process and the code generation in order to maximize the efficiency and performances in terms of computational load and memory consumption reduction. The TSAA architecture is divided into two high-level systems: the “Threats database” and the “Conflict detector”. The first one receives the traffic data from ADS-B device and provides the memorization of the target’s data history. Conflict detector module estimates ownship and targets trajectories in order to perform the detection of possible future loss of separation between ownship and each target. Finally, the alerts are verified by additional conflict verification logic, in order to prevent possible undesirable behaviors of the alert flag. In order to reduce the computational load, a pre-check evaluation module is used. This pre-check is only a computational optimization, so the performances of the conflict detector system are not modified in terms of number of alerts detected. The pre-check module uses analytical trajectories propagation for both target and ownship. This allows major accuracy and avoids the step-by-step propagation, which requests major computational load. Furthermore, the pre-check permits to exclude the target that is certainly not a threat, using an analytical and efficient geometrical approach, in order to decrease the computational load for the following modules. This software improvement is not suggested by FAA documents, and so it is the main innovation of this work. The efficiency and efficacy of this enhancement are verified using fast-time and real-time simulations and by the execution on a real device in several FAA scenarios. The final implementation also permits the FAA software certification in compliance with DO-178B standard. The computational load reduction allows the installation of TSAA application also on devices with multiple applications and/or low capacity in terms of available memory and computational capabilities

Keywords: traffic situation awareness, general aviation, aircraft conflict detection, computational load reduction, implementation solutions, software certification

Procedia PDF Downloads 275

Authors: Oyesoji Aremu, Taiwo Williams

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This study examined some factors (academic self-efficacy, locus of control, motivation and gender) that could predict academic dishonesty among serially frustrated students in Ogun State, South West, Nigeria. Serial academically frustrated students are students who are unable to attain and meet academic expectations set by themselves or significant others. A sample of 250 undergraduate students selected from two faculties from a University in Ogun State,South West Nigeria took part in the study. Multiple regression analysis was employed to determine the joint and relative contributions of the independent variables to the prediction of the dependent variable. T-test was used to test the hypothesis determining the gender difference between the independent variables (academic self-efficacy, locus of control and motivation) and academic dishonesty of serial academically frustrated male and female students. The results of the study showed all the independent variables jointly contributed to predicting academic dishonesty, while only academic self-efficacy and motivation had relative contributions to the dependent measure. There was no significant difference in the academic self-efficacy and motivation among males and females on academic dishonesty of the serial academically frustrated students but locus of control showed a significant difference between male and female students on academic dishonesty. Implications for counseling of the findings are discussed in the study.

Keywords: academic dishonesty, serially frustrated students, academic self-efficacy, locus of control

Procedia PDF Downloads 247

Authors: Bing Lu, Shuang Li, Hongyuan Zhou

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The steel–concrete hybrid structure has been extensively employed in high–rise buildings and super high–rise buildings. The light gauge steel–concrete hybrid structure, including light gauge steel structure and concrete hybrid structure, is a new–type steel–concrete hybrid structure, which possesses some advantages of light gauge steel structure and concrete hybrid structure. The seismic behavior and loss assessment of three high–rise buildings with three different concrete hybrid structures were investigated through finite element software, respectively. The three concrete hybrid structures are reinforced concrete column–steel beam (RC‒S) hybrid structure, concrete–filled steel tube column–steel beam (CFST‒S) hybrid structure, and tubed concrete column–steel beam (TC‒S) hybrid structure. The nonlinear time-history analysis of three high–rise buildings under 80 earthquakes was carried out. After simulation, it indicated that the seismic performances of three high–rise buildings were superior. Under extremely rare earthquakes, the maximum inter–storey drifts of three high–rise buildings are significantly lower than 1/50. The inter–storey drift and floor acceleration of high–rise building with CFST‒S hybrid structure were bigger than those of high–rise buildings with RC‒S hybrid structure, and smaller than those of high–rise building with TC‒S hybrid structure. Then, based on the time–history analysis results, the post-earthquake repair cost ratio and repair time of three high–rise buildings were predicted through an economic performance analysis method proposed in FEMA‒P58 report. Under frequent earthquakes, basic earthquakes and rare earthquakes, the repair cost ratio and repair time of three high-rise buildings were less than 5% and 15 days, respectively. Under extremely rare earthquakes, the repair cost ratio and repair time of high-rise buildings with TC‒S hybrid structure were the most among three high rise buildings. Due to the advantages of CFST-S hybrid structure, it could be extensively employed in high-rise buildings subjected to earthquake excitations.

Keywords: seismic behavior, loss assessment, light gauge steel–concrete hybrid structure, high–rise building, time–history analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 174

Authors: Sungin Jeong

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This paper presents a linear oscillating generator of cylindrical type for hybrid electric vehicle application. The focus of the study is the suggestion of the optimal model and the design rule of the cylindrical linear oscillating generator with permanent magnet in the back-iron translator. The cylindrical topology is achieved using equivalent magnetic circuit considering leakage elements as initial modeling. This topology with permanent magnet in the back-iron translator is described by number of phases and displacement of stroke. For more accurate analysis of an oscillating machine, it will be compared by moving just one-pole pitch forward and backward the thrust of single-phase system and three-phase system. Through the analysis and comparison, a single-phase system of cylindrical topology as the optimal topology is selected. Finally, the detailed design of the optimal topology takes the magnetic saturation effects into account by finite element analysis. Besides, the losses are examined to obtain more accurate results; copper loss in the conductors of machine windings, eddy-current loss of permanent magnet, and iron-loss of specific material of electrical steel. The considerations of thermal performances and mechanical robustness are essential, because they have an effect on the entire efficiency and the insulations of the machine due to the losses of the high temperature generated in each region of the generator. Besides electric machine with linear oscillating movement requires a support system that can resist dynamic forces and mechanical masses. As a result, the fatigue analysis of shaft is achieved by the kinetic equations. Also, the thermal characteristics are analyzed by the operating frequency in each region. The results of this study will give a very important design rule in the design of linear oscillating machines. It enables us to more accurate machine design and more accurate prediction of machine performances.

Keywords: equivalent magnetic circuit, finite element analysis, hybrid electric vehicle, linear oscillating generator

Procedia PDF Downloads 193

Authors: Danny Manuel Calvo Velasco, Robert Sanchez Cano

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By using the transference matrix formalism, in this work, it is presented the study of the optical properties of the 1D graded structure, constructed by multiple bi-layers of dielectric and air, considering a redistribution of the material lengths following an arithmetic progression as a function of two parameters. It is presented a factorization for the transference matrices for the graded structure, which allows the interpretation of their optical properties in terms of the properties of simpler structures. It is shown that the graded structure presents new transmission peaks, which can be controlled by the parameter values located in frequencies for which a periodic system has a photonic bandgap. This result is extended to the case of a photonic crystal for which the unitary cell is the proposed graded structure, showing new transmission bands which are due to the multiple new sub-structures present in the system. Also, for the TE polarization, it is observed transmission bands' low frequencies which present low variation of its width and position with the incidence angle. It is expected that these results could guide a route in the design of new photonic devices.

Keywords: graded, material redistribution, photonic system, transference matrix

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: Ritesh Verma, Manisha Rathi, Chand Singh Dhull, Sumit Sachdeva, Jitender Phogat

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A Rathke's cleft cyst is a benign growth found on the pituitary gland in the brain, specifically a fluid-filled cyst in the posterior portion of the anterior pituitary gland. It occurs when the Rathke's pouch does not develop properly and ranges in size from 2 to 40mm in diameter. A 38-year-old male presented to the outpatient department with loss of vision in the inferior quadrant of the left eye since 15 days. Visual acuity was 6/6 in the right eye and 6/9 in the left eye. Visual field analysis by HFA-24-2 revealed an inferior field defect extending to the supero-temporal quadrant in the left eye. MRI brain and orbit was advised to the patient and it revealed a well defined cystic pituitary adenoma indenting left optic nerve near optic chiasm consistent with the diagnosis of Rathke’s cleft cyst (RCC). The patient was referred to neurosurgery department for further management. Symptoms vary greatly between individuals having RCCs. RCCs can be non-functioning, functioning, or both. Besides headaches, neurocognitive deficits are almost always present but have a high rate of immediate reversal if the cyst is properly treated or drained.

Keywords: pituitary tumors, rathke’s cleft cyst, visual field defects, vision loss

Procedia PDF Downloads 198

Authors: Yugander Arra, Florence Auguy, Melissa Stiebner, Sophie Chéron, Michael M. Wudick, Van Schepler-Luu, Sébastien Cunnac, Wolf B. Frommer, Laurence Albar

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Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV) is one of the most important diseases affecting rice in Africa. The most promising strategy to reduce yield losses is the use of highly resistant varieties. The resistance gene RYMV2 is homolog of the Arabidopsis constitutive expression of pathogenesis related protein-5 (AtCPR5) nucleoporin gene. Resistance alleles are originating from African cultivated rice Oryza glaberrima, rarely cultivated, and are characterized by frameshifts or early stop codons, leading to a non-functional or truncated protein. Rice possesses two paralogs of CPR5 and function of these genes are unclear. Here, we evaluated the role of the two rice candidate nucleoporin paralogs OsCPR5.1 (pathogenesis-related gene 5; RYMV2) and OsCPR5.2 by CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing. Despite striking sequence and structural similarity, only loss-of-function of OsCPR5.1 led to full resistance, while loss-of-function oscpr5.2 mutants remained susceptible. Short N-terminal deletions in OsCPR5.1 also did not lead to resistance. In contrast to Atcpr5 mutants, neither OsCPR5.1 nor OsCPR5.2 knock out mutants showed substantial growth defects. Taken together, the candidate nucleoporin OsCPR5.1, but not its close homolog OsCPR5.2, plays a specific role for the susceptibility to RYMV, possibly by impairing the import of viral RNA or protein into the nucleus. Whereas gene introgression from O. glaberrima to high yielding O. sativa varieties is impaired by strong sterility barriers and the negative impact of linkage drag, genome editing of OsCPR5.1, while maintaining OsCPR5.2 activity, thus provides a promising strategy to generate O. sativa elite lines that are resistant to RYMV.

Keywords: CRISPR Cas9, genome editing, knock out mutant, recessive resistance, rice yellow mottle virus

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Authors: Daniel Barros, Carlos Mota, Raul Fangueiro, Pedro Rosa, Gonçalo Domingos, Alfredo Passanha, Norberto Almeida

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The main aim of the work was to compare the ballistic performance of developed composites using different types of fiber woven fabrics [0,90] and different layers orientation (Angle-ply). The ballistic laminate composites were developed using E-glass, S-glass and aramid fabrics impregnated with thermosetting epoxy resin and using different layers orientation (0,0)º and (0,15)º. The idea of the study is to compare the ballistic performance of each laminate produced by studying the velocity loss of the fragment fired into the laminate surface. There are present some mechanical properties for laminates produced using the different types of fiber, where tensile, flexural and impact Charpy properties were studied. Overall, the angle-ply laminates produced using orientations of (0,15)º, despite the slight loss of mechanical properties compared to the (0,0)º orientation, presents better ballistic resistance and dissipation of energy, for lower ballistic impact velocities (under 290 m/s-1). After treatment of ballistic impact results, the S-Glass with (0,15)º laminate presents better ballistic perforce compared to the other combinations studied.

Keywords: ballistic impact, angle-ply, ballistic composite, s-glass fiber, aramid fiber, fabric fiber, energy dissipation, mechanical performance

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Authors: Huang Dennis, Aurelio Aziel, Burra Venkata Durga Kumar

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Nowadays, smartphones and mobile operating systems have been popularly widespread in our daily lives. As people use smartphones, they tend to store more private and essential data on their devices, because of this it is very important to develop more secure mobile operating systems and cloud storage to secure the data. However, several factors can cause security risks in mobile operating systems such as malware, malicious app, phishing attacks, ransomware, and more, all of which can cause a big problem for users as they can access the user's private data. Those problems can cause data loss, financial loss, identity theft, and other serious consequences. Other than that, during the pandemic, people will use their mobile devices more and do all sorts of transactions online, which may lead to more victims of online scams and inexperienced users being the target. With the increase in attacks, researchers have been actively working to develop several countermeasures to enhance the security of operating systems. This study aims to provide an overview of the security and privacy issues in mobile operating systems, identifying the potential risk of operating systems, and the possible solutions. By examining these issues, we want to provide an easy understanding to users and researchers to improve knowledge and develop more secure mobile operating systems.

Keywords: mobile operating system, security, privacy, Malware

Procedia PDF Downloads 82

Authors: Baba John, Abdullahi Mohammed

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The aim of this research is to compare the analysis of biodegradation on polythene and plastics buried in fadama soil amended with Organic and Inorganic fertilizer. Physico- chemical properties of the samples were determined. Bacteria and Fungi implicated in the biodegradation were identified and enumerated. Physico- chemical properties before the analysis indicated pH range of the samples from 4.28 – 5.80 , While the percentage Organic carbon and Organic matter was highest in cow dung samples with 3.89% and 6.69% respectively. The total Nitrogen percentage was recorded to be highest in Chicken dropping (0.68), while the availability of Phosphorus (P), Sodium (Na), Pottasium (K), and Magnessium (mg) was recorded to be highest in F – soil (Control), with values to be 37ppm, 1.63 Cmolkg-1, 0.35 Cmolkg-1 and 1.18 Cmolkg-1 respectively, except for calcium which was recorded to be highest in Cow dung (5.80 Cmolkg-1). However, physico – chemical properties of the samples after analysis indicated pH range of 4.6 – 5.80, Percentage Organic carbon and Organic matter was highest in Fadama soil mixed with fertilizer, having 0.7% and 1.2% respectively. Total Percentage Nitrogen content was found to be highest (0.56) in Fadama soil mixed with poultry dropping. Availability of Sodium (Na), Pottasium (K), and Calcium (Ca) was recorded to be highest in Fadama Soil mixed with Cow dung with values to be 0.64 Cmolkg-1, 2.07 Cmolkg-1 and 3.36 Cmolkg-1 respectively. The percentage weight loss of polythene and plastic bags after nine months in fadama soil mixed with poultry dropping was 11.9% for polythene and 6.0% for plastics. Weight loss in fadama soil mixed with cow dung was 18.1% for polythene and 4.7% for plastics. Weight loss of polythene and plastic in fadama soil mixed with fertilizer (NPK) was 7.4% for polythene and 3.3% for plastics. While, the percentage weight loss of polythene and plastics after nine months of burial in fadama soil (control) was 3.5% and 0.0% respectively. The bacteria species isolated from Fadama soil, organic and inorganic fertilizers before amendments include: S. aureus, Micrococcus sp, Streptococcus. pyogenes, Psuedomonas aeruginosa Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus. The fungi species include: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium sp, Mucor sp Penicillium sp and Candida sp. The bacteria species isolated and characterized after nine months of seeding include: S. aureus, Micrococcus sp, S. pyogenes, P. aeruginosa and B. subtilis. The fungi species are: A. niger A. flavus, A. fumigatus, Mucor sp, Penicillium sp and Fusarium sp. The result of this study indicated that plastic materials can be degraded in the fadama soil irrespective of whether the soil is amended or not. The Period of composting also has a significant impact on the rate at which polythene and plastics are degraded.

Keywords: Fadama, fertilizer, plastic and polythene, biodegradation

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Authors: Babarina Maria, Andropova Margarita

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Introduction: Hypoparathyroidism (HypoPT) is a rare endocrine disorder with an estimated prevalence of 0.25 per 1000 individuals. The most common cause of HypoPT is the loss of active parathyroid tissue following thyroid or parathyroid surgery. Sometimes permanent postoperative HypoPT occures, manifested by hypocalcemia in combination with low levels of PTH during 6 months or more after surgery. Cognitive impairments in patients with hypocalcemia due to chronic HypoPT are observed, and this can lead to problems and challenges in everyday living: memory loss and impaired concentration, that may be the cause of poor compliance. Clinical case: Patient K., 66 years old, underwent thyroidectomy in 2013 (at the age of 55) because of papillary thyroid cancer T1NxMx, histopathology findings confirmed the diagnosis. 5 years after the surgery, she was followed up on an outpatient basis, TSH levelsonly were monitored, and the dose of levothyroxine was adjusted. In 2018 due to, increasing complaints include tingling and cramps in the arms and legs, memory loss, sleep disorder, fatigue, anxiety, hair loss, muscle pain, tachycardia, positive Chvostek, and Trousseau signs were diagnosed during examination, also in blood analyses: total Ca 1.86 mmol/l (2.15-2.55), Ca++ 0.96 mmol/l (1.12-1.3), P 1.55 mmol/l (0.74-1.52), Mg 0.79 mmol/l (0.66-1.07) - chronic postoperative HypoPT was diagnosed. Therapy was initiated: alfacalcidol 0.5 mcg per day, calcium carbonate 2000 mg per day, cholecalciferol 1000 IU per day, magnesium orotate 3000 mg per day. During the case follow-up, hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia persisted, hypercalciuria15.7 mmol/day (2.5-6.5) was diagnosed. Dietary recommendations were given because of the high content of phosphorus rich foods, and therapy was adjusted: the dose of alfacalcidol was increased to 2.5 mcg per day, and the dose of calcium carbonate was reduced to 1500 mg per day. As part of the screening for complications of hypoPT, data for cataracts, Fahr syndrome, nephrocalcinosis, and kidney stone disease were not obtained. However, HypoPT compensation was not achieved, and therefore hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg was initiated, the dose of alfacalcidol was increased to 3 mcg per day, calcium carbonate to 3000 mg per day, magnesium orotate and cholecalciferol were continued at the same doses. Therapeutic goals were achieved: calcium phosphate product <4.4 mmol2/l2, there were no episodes of hypercalcemia, twenty-four-hour urinary calcium excretion was significantly reduced. Conclusion: Timely prescription, careful explanation of drugs usage rules, and monitoring and maintaining blood and urine parameters within the target contribute to the prevention of HypoPT complications development and life-threatening events.

Keywords: hypoparathyroidism, hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypercalciuria

Procedia PDF Downloads 100

Authors: Rohit Gupta, Ravinder Agarwal

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Surface electromyographic (sEMG) signal has the potential to identify the human activities and intention. This potential is further exploited to control the artificial limbs using the sEMG signal from residual limbs of amputees. The paper deals with the development of multichannel cost efficient sEMG signal interface for research application, along with evaluation of proposed class dependent statistical approach of the feature selection method. The sEMG signal acquisition interface was developed using ADS1298 of Texas Instruments, which is a front-end interface integrated circuit for ECG application. Further, the sEMG signal is recorded from two lower limb muscles for three locomotions namely: Plane Walk (PW), Stair Ascending (SA), Stair Descending (SD). A class dependent statistical approach is proposed for feature selection and also its performance is compared with 12 preexisting feature vectors. To make the study more extensive, performance of five different types of classifiers are compared. The outcome of the current piece of work proves the suitability of the proposed feature selection algorithm for locomotion recognition, as compared to other existing feature vectors. The SVM Classifier is found as the outperformed classifier among compared classifiers with an average recognition accuracy of 97.40%. Feature vector selection emerges as the most dominant factor affecting the classification performance as it holds 51.51% of the total variance in classification accuracy. The results demonstrate the potentials of the developed sEMG signal acquisition interface along with the proposed feature selection algorithm.

Keywords: classifiers, feature selection, locomotion, sEMG

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Authors: Nazmin Akter, Tariqul Islam, Abu Sayed

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Food loss and waste have become critical global issues, with approximately one-third of the world's food production being wasted. Among the various food products, horticultural fruits and vegetables are especially susceptible to loss due to their relatively short shelf lives. Litchi (Litchi chinensis) is one of Bangladesh's most important horticultural fruits. But the problem with this fruit is its short shelf life by losing weight faster after harvest. The experiment was carried out at Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University, Dinajpur-5200 Bangladesh during 2020-2021. The objective of this experiment was to see the impact of nutrients viz., urea (1%), calcium chloride (1%), borax (1%), and their combinations on fruit quality and shelf life of litchi cv. Bombai. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with 7 treatments and 3 replications. Two sprays of each treatment were applied from the last week of May to June (at 20-day intervals). The results indicated that all the treatments significantly improved the quality parameters of litchi fruits as compared to the control. In terms of physicochemical characteristics fruit weight (20.30g), fruit volume (20m ml), and pulp percent (17.14) were found maximum with minimum stone percent (11.09) with the application of urea 1% + borax 1%+ calcium chloride 1%. Maximum TSS (19.62oBrix), TSS/acidity ratio (24.57), maximum ascorbic acid (45.19 mg/100 g pulp), and minimum acidity (0.80%) were reported with the application of T6 (Urea 1% + borax 1%+ calcium chloride 1%) treatments whereas fruits treated with urea 1% + borax 1% gave maximum total sugars (26.64%) and reducing sugars (19.19%) as compared to control. In the case of storage characters, application of Urea 1% + borax 1%+ calcium chloride 1% resulted in a minimum physiological loss in weight (6.11%), (8.41%), and (10.65%) for 2 days, 4 days, and 6 days respectively. In conclusion, to obtain better quality and increased storage period of litchi fruits, two sprays of urea, borax, and calcium chloride (1%) could be used during the fruit growth and development period at fortnightly intervals.

Keywords: litchi chinensis, preharvest, quality, shelf life, postharvest

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Authors: Abul Hashem

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The experiment was conducted to find out the effect of different levels of Moringa oleifiera leaf extract and synthetic antioxidant (Beta Hydroxyl Anisole) on fresh and preserved beef meatballs. For this purpose, ground beef samples were divided into five treatment groups. They are treated as control, synthetic antioxidant, 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% Moringa oleifera leaf extract as T1, T2, T3, T4 and T5, respectively. Five kinds of meatballs were made and biscuit crushed and egg albumin was mixed with beef meatballs and cooking was practiced properly. Proximate analysis, sensory tests (color, flavor, tenderness, juiciness, overall acceptability), cooking loss, pH value, free fatty acids (FFA), thiobarbituric acid values (TBARS), peroxide value(POV) and microbiological examination were determined in order to evaluate the effect of Moringa oleifiera leaf extract as natural antioxidant & antimicrobial activities in comparing to BHA (Beta Hydroxyl Anisole) at first day before freezing and for maintaining meatballs qualities on the shelf life of beef meat balls stored for 60 days under frozen condition. Freezing temperature was -20˚C. Days of intervals of experiment were on 0, 15th, 30th, and 60th days. Dry matter content of all the treatment groups differ significantly (p<0.05). On the contrary, DM content increased significantly (p<0.05) with the advancement of different days of intervals. CP content of all the treatments were increased significantly (p<0.05) among the different treatment groups. EE content at different treatment levels differ significantly (p<0.05). Ash content at different treatment levels was also differ significantly (p<0.05). FFA values, TBARS, POV were decreased significantly (p<0.05) at different treatment levels. Color, odor, tenderness, juiciness, overall acceptability, raw PH, cooked pH were increased at different treatment levels significantly (p<0.05). The cooking loss (%) at different treatment levels were differ significantly (p<0.05). TVC (logCFU/g), TCC (logCFU/g) and TYMC (logCFU/g) was decreased significantly (p<0.05) at different treatment levels comparison to control. Considering CP, tenderness, juiciness, overall acceptability, cooking loss, FFA, POV, TBARS and microbial parameters it can be concluded that Moringa oleifera leaf extract at 0.1%, 0.2% and 0.3% can be used instead of 0.1% synthetic antioxidant BHA in beef meatballs.

Keywords: antioxidant, beef meatball, BHA, moringa leaf extract, quality

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Authors: Prejily Thomas John

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Flooding of urban areas often has an adverse impact on the dense population residing in cities. The vulnerable areas are the most affected due to flooding, which even results in loss of life. The increasing trend of urban floods is a universal phenomenon and leads to a vital loss in the physical, economic, social, and environmental dimensions. The shift from floods being natural disasters to man-made disasters due to unplanned urban growth is evident from national and international reports. Thiruvalla, bordered by the Manimala River in the Pathanamthitta district, is an important urban node and a drainage point of various estuaries. The city is often faced with flash floods and overflow from rivers since it is a low-lying land. The need for urban flood resilience for planned urban development is a necessity for livability in consideration of the topography. The paper focuses on developing an urban design framework in everyday urban spaces through the principles of resilient urbanism. The principles guide the creation of flood-resilient spaces and productive urban landscapes for the city to enable better and safer living conditions. A flood-resilient city not only prepares the city for disasters but also improves the ecological and economic conditions.

Keywords: everyday urban spaces, flood resilience, resilient urbanism, productive urban landscapes

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: V. K. Srivastava

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Graphene has recently attracted an increasing attention in nanocomposites applications because it has 200 times greater strength than steel, making it the strongest material ever tested. Graphene, as the fundamental two-dimensional (2D) carbon structure with exceptionally high crystal and electronic quality, has emerged as a rapidly rising star in the field of material science. Graphene, as defined, as a 2D crystal, is composed of monolayers of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycombed network with six-membered rings, which is the interest of both theoretical and experimental researchers worldwide. The name comes from graphite and alkene. Graphite itself consists of many graphite-sheets stacked together by weak van der Waals forces. This is attributed to the monolayer of carbon atoms densely packed into honeycomb structure. Due to superior inherent properties of graphene nanoplatelets (GnP) over other nanofillers, GnP particles were added in epoxy resin with the variation of weight percentage. It is indicated that the DMA results of storage modulus, loss modulus and tan δ, defined as the ratio of elastic modulus and imaginary (loss) modulus versus temperature were affected with addition of GnP in the epoxy resin. In epoxy resin, damping (tan δ) is usually caused by movement of the molecular chain. The tan δ of the graphene nanoplatelets/epoxy resin composite is much lower than that of epoxy resin alone. This finding suggests that addition of graphene nanoplatelets effectively impedes movement of the molecular chain. The decrease in storage modulus can be interpreted by an increasing susceptibility to agglomeration, leading to less energy dissipation in the system under viscoelastic deformation. The results indicates the tan δ increased with the increase of temperature, which confirms that tan δ is associated with magnetic field strength. Also, the results show that the nanohardness increases with increase of elastic modulus marginally. GnP filled epoxy resin gives higher value than the epoxy resin, because GnP improves the mechanical properties of epoxy resin. Debonding of GnP is clearly observed in the micrograph having agglomeration of fillers and inhomogeneous distribution. Therefore, DMA and nanohardness studies indiacte that the elastic modulus of epoxy resin is increased with the addition of GnP fillers.

Keywords: agglomeration, elastic modulus, epoxy resin, graphene nanoplatelet, loss modulus, nanohardness, storage modulus

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Authors: Yasser M. Abd-elrhman, Mohamed A. Gepreel, Kiochi Nakamura, Ahmed Abd El-Moneim, Sengo Kobayashi, Mervat M. Ibrahim

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Titanium alloys are known as highly bio compatible metallic materials due to their high strength, low elastic modulus, and high corrosion resistance in biological media. Besides other important material features, the corrosion parameters and corrosion products are responsible for limiting the biological and chemical bio compatibility of metallic materials that produce undesirable reactions in implant-adjacent and/or more distant tissues. Electrochemical corrosion behaviors of novel beta titanium alloys, Ti-4.7Mo-4.5Fe, Ti-3Mo-0.5Fe, and Ti-2Mo-0.5Fe were characterized in naturally aerated Ringer’s solution at room temperature compared with common used biomedical titanium alloy, Ti-6Al-4V. The corrosion resistance of titanium alloys were investigated through open circuit potential (OCP), potentiodynamic polarization measurements and optical microscope (OM). A high corrosion resistance was obtained for all alloys due to the stable passive film formed on their surfaces. The new present alloys are promising metallic biomaterials for the future, owing to their very low elastic modulus and good corrosion resistance capabilities.

Keywords: titanium alloys, corrosion resistance, Ringer’s solution, electrochemical corrosion

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Authors: Adrian Sebastian, Chris Gillespie

Abstract:

We describe a case of diffuse rectal involvement with cap polyposis, manifesting with a protein-losing colopathy and occurring in the setting of advanced mechanical pelvic floor dysfunction. A 59-year-old male with a 5-year history of persistent excessive flatulence, defecatory difficulties, and diarrhea. He had extensive cap polyposis of the entire rectum endoscopically. His symptoms progressed to severe fecal incontinence with mucus leakage, pelvic pain, weight loss, and hypoalbuminemia. Clinical examination exhibited severe perineal descent, a large rectocele, poor anal squeeze, and a poor defecatory technique. After a trial of nonoperative therapies addressing his defecatory dysfunction, and Helicobacter pylori eradication, surgical resection was offered due to severe symptoms with ongoing incontinence and protein loss with no other reasonable options. A robotic abdominoperineal resection with a permanent colostomy was performed, followed by an uncomplicated recovery. Our observation of coexisting mechanical pelvic floor changes in this patient lends weight to the concept of a prolapse-related phenomenon in the pathophysiology of this rare condition.

Keywords: cap polyposis, pelvic dysfunction, fecal incontinence, case report

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Authors: K. S. Sruthi

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Antennas are one of the most important parts of a communication chain. They are used for both communication and calibration purposes. New developments in probe technologies have enabled near-field probes with much larger bandwidth. The objective of this paper is to design, simulate and fabricate a dual polarized wide band inverted quad ridged shape horn antenna which can be used as measurement probe for near field measurements. The inverted quad-ridged horn antenna probe not only provides measurement in the much wider range but also provides dual-polarization measurement thus enabling antenna developers to measure UWB, UHF, VHF antennas more precisely and at lower cost. The antenna is designed to meet the characteristics such as high gain, light weight, linearly polarized with suppressed side lobes for near-field measurement applications. The proposed antenna is simulated with commercially available packages such as Ansoft HFSS. The antenna gives a moderate gain over operating range while delivering a wide bandwidth.

Keywords: near-field antenna measurement, inverted quad-ridge horn antenna, wideband Antennas, dual polarized antennas, ansoft HFSS

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Authors: Salim Yusif

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Fiber optic technology has revolutionized telecommunications and data transmission, providing unmatched speed, bandwidth, and reliability. This paper presents the latest advancements in fiber optic technology, focusing on innovations in fiber materials, transmission techniques, and network architectures that enhance the performance of high-speed data transmission systems. Key advancements include the development of ultra-low-loss optical fibers, multi-core fibers, advanced modulation formats, and the integration of fiber optics into next-generation network architectures such as Software-Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV). Additionally, recent developments in fiber optic sensors are discussed, extending the utility of optical fibers beyond data transmission. Through comprehensive analysis and experimental validation, this research offers valuable insights into the future directions of fiber optic technology, highlighting its potential to drive innovation across various industries.

Keywords: fiber optics, high-speed data transmission, ultra-low-loss optical fibers, multi-core fibers, modulation formats, coherent detection, software-defined networking, network function virtualization, fiber optic sensors

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Authors: Kamolvara Sirisuksakulchai, Soamwadee Chaianansutcharit, Kazunori Sato

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Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) have been considered as one of the most efficient large unit power generators for household and industrial applications. The efficiency of an electronic cell depends mainly on the electrochemical reactions in the anode. The development of anode materials has been intensely studied to achieve higher kinetic rates of redox reactions and lower internal resistance. Recent studies have introduced an efficient cermet (ceramic-metallic) material for its ability in fuel oxidation and oxide conduction. This could expand the reactive site, also known as the triple-phase boundary (TPB), thus increasing the overall performance. In this study, a bimetallic catalyst Ni₀.₇₅Co₀.₂₅Oₓ was combined with Gd₀.₁Ce₀.₉O₁.₉₅ (GDC) to be used as a cermet anode (NiCo-GDC) for an anode-supported type SOFC. The synthesis of Ni₀.₇₅Co₀.₂₅Oₓ was carried out by ball milling NiO and Co3O4 powders in ethanol and calcined at 1000 °C. The Gd₀.₁Ce₀.₉O₁.₉₅ was prepared by a urea co-precipitation method. Precursors of Gd(NO₃)₃·6H₂O and Ce(NO₃)₃·6H₂O were dissolved in distilled water with the addition of urea and were heated subsequently. The heated mixture product was filtered and rinsed thoroughly, then dried and calcined at 800 °C and 1500 °C, respectively. The two powders were combined followed by pelletization and sintering at 1100 °C to form an anode support layer. The fabrications of an electrolyte layer and cathode layer were conducted. The electrochemical performance in H₂ was measured from 800 °C to 600 °C while for CH₄ was from 750 °C to 600 °C. The maximum power density at 750 °C in H₂ was 13% higher than in CH₄. The difference in performance was due to higher polarization resistances confirmed by the impedance spectra. According to the standard enthalpy, the dissociation energy of C-H bonds in CH₄ is slightly higher than the H-H bond H₂. The dissociation of CH₄ could be the cause of resistance within the anode material. The results from lower temperatures showed a descending trend of power density in relevance to the increased polarization resistance. This was due to lowering conductivity when the temperature decreases. The long-term stability was measured at 750 °C in CH₄ monitoring at 12-hour intervals. The maximum power density tends to increase gradually with time while the resistances were maintained. This suggests the enhanced stability from charge transfer activities in doped ceria due to the transition of Ce⁴⁺ ↔ Ce³⁺ at low oxygen partial pressure and high-temperature atmosphere. However, the power density started to drop after 60 h, and the cell potential also dropped from 0.3249 V to 0.2850 V. These phenomena was confirmed by a shifted impedance spectra indicating a higher ohmic resistance. The observation by FESEM and EDX-mapping suggests the degradation due to mass transport of ions in the electrolyte while the anode microstructure was still maintained. In summary, the electrochemical test and stability test for 60 h was achieved by NiCo-GDC cermet anode. Coke deposition was not detected after operation in CH₄, hence this confirms the superior properties of the bimetallic cermet anode over typical Ni-GDC.

Keywords: bimetallic catalyst, ceria-based SOFCs, methane oxidation, solid oxide fuel cell

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Authors: Douglas MacCutcheon, Florian Pausch, Robert Ljung, Lorna Halliday, Stuart Rosen

Abstract:

Contemporary classrooms are increasingly inclusive of children with mild to moderate disabilities and children from different language backgrounds (bilinguals, multilinguals), but classroom environments and standards have not yet been adapted adequately to meet these challenges brought about by this inclusivity. Additionally, classrooms are becoming noisier as a learner-centered as opposed to teacher-centered teaching paradigm is adopted, which prioritizes group work and peer-to-peer learning. Challenging listening conditions with distracting sound sources and background noise are known to have potentially negative effects on children, particularly those that are prone to struggle with speech perception in noise. Therefore, this research investigates two groups vulnerable to these environmental effects, namely children with a mild to moderate hearing loss (MMHLs) and sequential bilinguals learning in their second language. In the MMHL study, this group was assessed on speech-in-noise perception, and a number of receptive language and cognitive measures (auditory working memory, auditory attention) and correlations were evaluated. Speech reception thresholds were found to be predictive of language and cognitive ability, and the nature of correlations is discussed. In the bilinguals study, sequential bilingual children’s listening comprehension, speech-in-noise perception, listening effort and release from masking was evaluated under a number of different ecologically valid acoustic scenarios in order to pinpoint the extent of the ‘native language benefit’ for Swedish children learning in English, their second language. Scene manipulations included target-to-distractor ratios and introducing spatially separated noise. This research will contribute to the body of findings from which educational institutions can draw when designing or adapting educational environments in inclusive schools.

Keywords: sequential bilinguals, classroom acoustics, mild to moderate hearing loss, speech-in-noise, release from masking

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Authors: Awais Ali, Hesham Ali

Abstract:

The absence of teeth through either premature loss or developmental absence is a common condition with potentially severe impact on affected individuals. Management of these cases presents a clinical challenge which may be difficult to resolve given the effects of tooth loss or hypodontia over the course of a patient’s lifetime. Treatment of such cases is often best provided by a multi-disciplinary team, where the patient’s expectations and care delivery can be optimally managed. Orthodontic treatment is often used to prepare the dentition in advance of restorative replacement of missing teeth. Conversely, the placement of implants may precede the delivery of orthodontic treatment and indeed may function as an adjunctive orthodontic procedure. We discuss the use of both approaches here and illustrate their clinical implementation with two case reports. The first case demonstrates the use of fixed appliances to prepare the mouth for an opposing implant-retained complete denture. A second case demonstrates the use of implant-retained crowns to provide orthodontic anchorage in a partially dentate patient. We propose that complex cases such as these should always be planned and treated by a multi-disciplinary team in order to optimise the delivery of care, patient experience, and treatment outcome. The presented cases add to the body of evidence in this area.

Keywords: orthodontics, dental implantology, hypodontia, multi-disciplinary

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Authors: M. Sajjadnejad, H. Karimi Abadeh

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In this research, zinc coatings were fabricated by electroplating process in a sulfate solution under direct and pulse current conditions. In direct and pulse current conditions, effect of maximum current was investigated on the coating properties. Also a comparison was made between the obtained coatings under direct and pulse current. Morphology of the coatings was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Corrosion behavior of the coatings was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization test. In pulse current conditions, the effect of pulse frequency and duty cycle was also studied. The effect of these conditions and parameters were also investigated on morphology and corrosion behavior. All of DC plated coatings are showing a distinct passivation area in -1 to -0.4 V range. Pulsed current coatings possessed a higher corrosion resistance. The results showed that current density is the most important factor regarding the fabrication process. Furthermore, a rise in duty cycle deteriorated corrosion resistance of coatings. Pulsed plated coatings performed almost 10 times better than DC plated coatings.

Keywords: corrosion, duty cycle, pulsed current, zinc

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Authors: Muhammad Arsalan Khan Sherwani

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The use of Volatile Corrosion Inhibitors (VCI) to protect Aboveground Storage Tank (AST) bottom plates against soil-side corrosion is one of the emerging corrosion prevention methods, specifically for tanks constructed on oily sand pad. Oily sand pad and the presence of air gaps underneath the bottom plates lead to severe corrosion and high metal thickness loss. In such cases, the cathodic protection cannot be fully considered as effective due to Cathodic Protection (CP) current shielding. These situations sometimes result in serious failures on multiple fronts, such as; containment losses, system shutdowns, extensive repairs, environmental impact and safety concerns in case of flammable fluids. Recently, East West Pipeline Department (EWPD) of Saudi Aramco has deployed this technology to one of the crude oil storage tanks, which showed high metal thickness loss during its out of service inspection. Soil-side corrosion rustled in major repairs of bottom plates and ultimately caused enormous unplanned activities in term of time as well as cost. This paper mainly focuses on the methodology of VCI installation, corrosion monitoring system and the expected results of protection.

Keywords: Vapor Corrosion Inhibitor, Soil Side Corrosion, External Corrosion, Above Grade Storage Tank

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Authors: Anju Batta Sehgal

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Climate change is a major challenge in terms of agriculture, food security and rural livelihood for thousands of people especially the poor in Himachal, which falls in North-Western Himalayas. Agriculture contributes over 45 per cent to net state domestic product. It is the main source of income and employment. Over 93 per cent of population is dependent on agriculture which provides direct employment to 71 percent of its people. Area of operation holding is about 9,79 lakh hectares owned by 9.14 lakh farmers. About 80 per cent area is rain-fed and farmers depend on weather gods for rains. Region is a home of diverse ethnic communities having enormous socio-economic and cultural diversities, gifted with range of farming systems and rich resource wealth, including biodiversity, hot spots and ecosystems sustaining millions of people living in the region. But growing demands of ecosystem goods and services are posing threats to natural resources. Climate change is already making adverse impact on the indigenous people. The rural populace is directly dependent for all its food, shelter and other needs on the climate. Our aim should be to shift the focus to indigenous people as primary actors in terms of global climate change monitoring, adaptations and innovations. Objective of this paper is to identify the climate change related threats and vulnerabilities associated with agriculture as a sector and agriculture as people’s livelihood. Broadly it analyses the connections between the nature and rural consumers the ethnic groups.

Keywords: climate change, agriculture, indigenous people, Himachal Pradesh

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Authors: Mas Rahmah

Abstract:

Indonesia is the most populous Southeast Asian nations, as Indonesia`s population is constantly growing, food security has become a crucial trending issue. Although Indonesia has more than enough natural resources and agricultural products to ensure food security for all, Indonesia is still facing the problem of food security because of adverse weather conditions, increasing population, political instability, economic factors (unemployment, rising food prices), and the dependent system of agriculture. This paper will analyze that Geographical Indication (GI) can aid in transforming Indonesian agricultural-dependent system by tapping the unique product attributes of their quality products since Indonesia has a lot of agricultural products with unique quality and special characteristic associated with geographical factors such as Toraja Coffee, Alor Vanili, Banda Nutmeg, Java Tea, Deli Tobacco, Cianjur Rise etc. This paper argues that the reputation and agricultural products and their intrinsic quality should be protected under GI because GI will provide benefit supporting the food security program. Therefore, this paper will expose the benefit of GI protection such as increasing productivity, improving the exports of GI products, creating employment, adding economic value to products, and increasing the diversity of supply of natural and unique quality products, etc. that can contribute to food security. The analysis will finally conclude that the scenario of promoting GI may indirectly contribute to food security through adding value by incorporating territory specific cultural, environmental and social qualities into production, processing and developing of unique local, niche and special agricultural products.

Keywords: geographical indication, food security, agricultural product, Indonesia

Procedia PDF Downloads 364

Authors: Peder O. Laugen Heggdal, Oyvind Nordvik, Jonas Brannstrom, Flemming Vassbotn, Anne Kari Aarstad, Hans Jorgen Aarstad

Abstract:

Background: Hearing loss (HL) affect people of all ages and stages in life. To author's best knowledge, if patients with an HL have reduced Generic Quality of life (QoL), has yet not been answered. Aim: The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between HL and generic and disease-specific Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in adult patients (aged 18–78 years) with an HL, seeking Hearing Aid (HA). Material and Methods: 158 adult (aged 18-78 years) patients with HL, referred for HA fitting at Haukeland University Hospital in western Norway, participated in the study. Both first-time users, as well as patients referred for HA renewals, were included. First-time users had been pre-examined by an Ear Nose and Throat specialist. The questionnaires were answered before the actual HA fitting procedure. The pure-tone average (PTA; frequencies 0.5, 1, 2 and 4 kHz) was determined for each ear. The generic European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Quality of Life Questionnaire general part and a shortened version of the Abbreviated Profile of Hearing Aid Benefit (APHAB) were answered. In addition, EORTC HRQoL answers from a general population and patients with former head and neck cancer served as comparison. Results: In general, no lowered HRQoL scores were determined among HL patients compared to the general population. Patients with unilateral HL to some extent showed lower HRQoL than those with bilateral HL (social function and fatigue). The APHAB scores correlated significantly with the EORTC HRQoL scores. By stepwise linear regression analysis, the APHAB scores were scored secondary to PTA (best ear), cognitive and physical function. Conclusion: HRQoL scores in HL patients, in general, seems to be at the population level, but the unilateral HL patients scored to some extent lower than the bilateral HI patients. APHAB and generic QoL scores levels are associated. Both HRQoL and APHAB scores are generated more complexly than anticipated.

Keywords: quality of life, hearing loss, hearing impairment, distress, depression, anxiety, hearing aid

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