Search results for: potential availability

Authors: Tesfay Gebremicheal Reda, K. Samatha, Paul Douglas Sanasi, D. Parajuli

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Nanoparticle technology is fast progressing and is being employed in innumerable medical applications. At this time, the public's health is seriously threatened by the rise of bacterial strains resistant to several medications. Metal nanoparticles are a potential alternate approach for tackling this global concern, and this is the main focus of this study. The citrate precursor sol-gel synthesis method was used to synthesize the Niₓ Co₁₋ₓ Fe₂ O₄, (where x = 0.0:0.2:1.0) nanoparticle. XRD identified the development of the cubic crystal structure to have a preferential orientation along (311), and the average particle size was found to be 29-38 nm. The average crystallizes assessed with ImageJ software and origin 22 of the SEM are nearly identical to the XRD results. In the created NCF NPs, the FT-IR spectroscopy reveals structural examinations and the redistribution of cations between octahedral (505-428 cm⁻¹) and tetrahedral (653-603 cm⁻¹) locales. As the Co²⁺ cation is substituted with Ni²⁺, the coercive fields HC decrease from 2384 Oe to 241.93 Oe. Band gap energy rises as Ni concentration increases, which may be attributed to the fact that the ionic radii of Ni²⁺ ions are smaller than that of Co²⁺ ions, which results in a strong electrostatic interaction. On the contrary, except at x = 0.4, the dielectric constant decreases as the nickel concentration increases. According to the findings of this research work, nanoparticles are composed of Ni₀.₄ Co₀.₆ Fe₂ O₄ have demonstrated a promising value against S. aureus and E. coli, and it suggests a proposed model for their potential use as a source of antibacterial agent.

Keywords: antimicrobial, band gap, citrate precursor, dielectric, nanoparticle

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Authors: Alan Luo, Hunter N. B. Moseley

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Many macromolecular structure entries in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) have a range of regional (localized) quality issues, be it derived from x-ray crystallography, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, or other experimental approaches. However, most PDB entries are judged by global quality metrics like R-factor, R-free, and resolution for x-ray crystallography or backbone phi-psi distribution statistics and average restraint violations for NMR. Regional quality is often ignored when PDB entries are re-used for a variety of structurally based analyses. The binding of ligands, especially ligands involved in energy metabolism, is of particular interest in many structurally focused protein studies. Using a regional quality metric that provides chemically interpretable information from electron density maps, a significant number of outliers in regional structural quality was detected across x-ray crystallographic PDB entries for proteins bound to biochemically critical ligands. In this study, a series of analyses was performed to evaluate both specific and general potential factors that could promote these outliers. In particular, these potential factors were the minimum distance to a metal ion, the minimum distance to a crystal contact, and the isotropic atomic b-factor. To evaluate these potential factors, Fisher’s exact tests were performed, using regional quality criteria of outlier (top 1%, 2.5%, 5%, or 10%) versus non-outlier compared to a potential factor metric above versus below a certain outlier cutoff. The results revealed a consistent general effect from region-specific normalized b-factors but no specific effect from metal ion contact distances and only a very weak effect from crystal contact distance as compared to the b-factor results. These findings indicate that no single specific potential factor explains a majority of the outlier ligand-bound regions, implying that human error is likely as important as these other factors. Thus, all factors, including human error, should be considered when regions of low structural quality are detected. Also, the downstream re-use of protein structures for studying ligand-bound conformations should screen the regional quality of the binding sites. Doing so prevents misinterpretation due to the presence of structural uncertainty or flaws in regions of interest.

Keywords: biomacromolecular structure, coenzyme, electron density discrepancy analysis, x-ray crystallography

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Authors: Preeti Kumari, Ridhi Kapoor

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 In any communication, security is the most important issue in today’s world. In this paper, steganography is the process of hiding the important data into other data, such as text, audio, video, and image. The interest in this topic is to provide availability, confidentiality, integrity, and authenticity of data. The steganographic technique that embeds hides content with unremarkable cover media so as not to provoke eavesdropper’s suspicion or third party and hackers. In which many applications of compression, encryption, decryption, and embedding methods are used for digital image steganography. Due to compression, the nose produces in the image. To sustain noise in the image, the LSB insertion technique is used. The performance of the proposed embedding system with respect to providing security to secret message and robustness is discussed. We also demonstrate the maximum steganography capacity and visual distortion.

Keywords: steganography, LSB, encoding, information hiding, color image

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Authors: Adriana Radan Ungureanu

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The industrial landscape is changing due to the financial crises, poor availability of raw materials, new discoveries and interdisciplinary collaborations. New ideas shape the change through technologies and bring responses for a better life. The process of change is leaded by big players like states and companies, but they cannot keep their places on the market without the help of the small ones. The main tool of change is technology and the entire developed world dedicated efforts for decades in this direction. Even the expectations are not yet met, the research for finding adequate solutions is far from to be stopped. A relevant example is nanotechnology where most of discoveries still remain into laboratory and could not succeed to find the right way to the market. In front of this situation the right question could be: ”Is it worth investing in nanotechnology in the name of an uncertain future but with very little impact on present?” This paper tries to find a positive answer from a three-dimensional approach using a descriptive analyse based on available database supplied by the European case studies, reports, and literature.

Keywords: Europe, KET’s, nanotechnology, technology

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Authors: Kesi Widjajanti

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To develop the growth of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), it is important to unlock potential resources that can improve their performance. Business Partnerships (BP) are currently an interesting topic of strategy to use to expand markets and maximize financial and marketing performance. However, many business partnerships have not quite a role among small and medium companies in the creative industry in the Batik Craft sector in Indonesia. This study is rooted in the Resource Advantage Theory of Competition ( RAToC), which emphasizes that the advantage of company resources can be sourced from organizational and relational resources. With the basis of this theory, SMEs can optimize the allocation of relational resources and organizational goals, improve operational efficiency, and gain a strategic advantage in the market. Companies that are able to actualize organizational and relational resources better than other market players can be used for the process of increasing their superior performance. This study explores key elements from the RAToC perspective and shows how Business Partnerships have the potential to drive SMEs' growth. By aligning visions, and organizational resources, sharing knowledge and leveraging complementary relational resources, SMEs can increase their competitiveness, enter new markets, and achieve superior performance. The theoretical contribution of RAToC in small companies is due to the role of Pro-Grow Business Partnership strength as an important antecedent for improving SMEs' performance. The benefits (scenarios) of a Business Partnership to grow together are directed at optimizing resources that can create additional value for customers so that they can outperform competitors. Furthermore, managerial implications for SMEs who wish to unlock their resource potential can encourage the role of Pro-Grow Business Partnerships, which have specific characteristics, can absorb experience/knowledge capacity and utilize this knowledge for the development of "together" business ventures.

Keywords: pro grow business partnership, performance, SMEs, resources advantage theory of competition, industry kreatif batik handycraft indonesia

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Authors: Achiraya Jiraprasertwong, Erdogan Gulari, Sumaeth Chavadej

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Among agricultural residues, sugarcane bagasse is one of the most convincing raw materials for the production of bioethanol due to its availability, and low cost through enzymatic hydrolysis and yeast fermentation. A pretreatment step is needed to enhance the enzymatic step. In this study, sugarcane bagasse (SCB), one of the most abundant agricultural residues in Thailand, was pretreated biologically with various microorganisms of white-rot fungus—Phanerochaete sordid (SK 7), Cellulomonas sp. (TISTR 784), and strain A 002 (Bacillus subtilis isolated from Thai higher termites). All samples with various microbial pretreatments were further hydrolyzed enzymatically by a commercial enzyme obtained from Aspergillus niger. The results showed that the pretreatment with the white-rot fungus gave the highest glucose concentration around two-fold higher when compared with the others.

Keywords: sugarcane bagasse, microorganisms, pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis

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Authors: B. S Kaith, K. Sharma, V. Kumar, S. Kalia

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Superabsorbent are three-dimensional networks of linear or branched polymeric chains which can uptake large volume of biological fluids. The ability is due to the presence of functional groups like –NH2, -COOH and –OH. Such cross-linked products based on natural materials, such as cellulose, starch, dextran, gum and chitosan, because of their easy availability, low production cost, non-toxicity and biodegradability have attracted the attention of Scientists and Technologists all over the world. Since natural polymers have better biocompatibility and are non-toxic than most synthetic one, therefore, such materials can be applied in the preparation of controlled drug delivery devices, biosensors, tissue engineering, contact lenses, soil conditioning, removal of heavy metal ions and dyes. Gums are natural potential antioxidants and are used as food additives. They have excellent properties like high solubility, pH stability, non-toxicity and gelling characteristics. Till date lot of methods have been applied for the synthesis and modifications of cross-linked materials with improved properties suitable for different applications. It is well known that ion beam irradiation can play a crucial role to synthesize, modify, crosslink or degrade polymeric materials. High energetic heavy ions irradiation on polymer film induces significant changes like chain scission, cross-linking, structural changes, amorphization and degradation in bulk. Various researchers reported the effects of low and heavy ion irradiation on the properties of polymeric materials and observed significant improvement in optical, electrical, chemical, thermal and dielectric properties. Moreover, modifications induced in the materials mainly depend on the structure, the ion beam parameters like energy, linear energy transfer, fluence, mass, charge and the nature of the target material. Ion-beam irradiation is a useful technique for improving the surface properties of biodegradable polymers without missing the bulk properties. Therefore, a considerable interest has been grown to study the effects of SHIs irradiation on the properties of synthesized semi-IPNs and IPNs. The present work deals with the preparation of semi-IPNs and IPNs and impact of SHI like O7+ and Ni9+ irradiation on optical, chemical, structural, morphological and thermal properties along with impact on different applications. The results have been discussed on the basis of Linear Energy Transfer (LET) of the ions.

Keywords: adsorbent, gel, IPNs, semi-IPNs

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Authors: Sonia Zulfiqar, Daniele Mantione, Muhammad Ilyas Sarwar, Alexander Rothenberger, David Mecerreyes

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Climate change due to escalating carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere is an issue of paramount importance that needs immediate attention. CO2 capture and sequestration (CCS) is a promising route to mitigate climate change and adsorption is the most widely recognized technology owing to possible energy savings relative to the conventional absorption techniques. In this conference, the potential of a new family of solid sorbents for CO2 capture and separation will be presented. Novel pyridinium containing poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) were synthesized with varying anions i.e bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and hexafluorophosphate. The resulting polymers were characterized using NMR, XRD, TGA, BET surface area and microscopic techniques. Furthermore, CO2 adsorption measurements at two different temperatures were also carried out and revealed great potential of these PILs as CO2 scavengers.

Keywords: climate change, CO2 capture, poly(ionic liquid)s, CO2/N2 selectivity

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Authors: L. Bokopane, K. Kusakana, H. J. Vermaark

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The success of renewable powered electric vehicle charging station in isolated areas depends highly on the availability and sustainability of renewable resources all year round at a selected location. The main focus of this paper is to discuss the possible charging strategies that could be implemented to find the best possible configuration of an electric Tuk-Tuk charging station at a given location within South Africa. The charging station is designed, modeled and simulated to evaluate its performances. The techno-economic analysis of different feasible supply configurations of the charging station using renewable energies is simulated using HOMER software and the results compared in order to select the best possible charging strategies in terms of cost of energy consumed.

Keywords: electric tuk-tuk, renewable energy, energy Storage, hybrid systems, HOMER

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Authors: Mohsin Raza, Arne Bilberg, Thomas Ditlev Brunø, Ann-Louise Andersen, Filip SKärin

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Shifting from a dedicated or flexible manufacturing system to a reconfigurable manufacturing system (RMS) requires a significant amount of time, money, and effort. Therefore, it is vital to verify beforehand that the potential reconfigurable solution will be able to achieve the organizational objectives. Discrete event simulation offers the opportunity of assessing several reconfigurable alternatives against the set objectives. This study signifies the importance of using discrete-event simulation as a tool to verify several reconfiguration options. Two different industrial cases have been presented in the study to elaborate on the role of discrete event simulation in the implementation methodology of RMSs. The study concluded that discrete event simulation is one of the important tools to consider in the RMS implementation methodology.

Keywords: reconfigurable manufacturing system, discrete event simulation, Tecnomatix plant simulation, RMS

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Authors: Mohammad Anvari, Helen S. Joyner (Melito)

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Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz is an oilseed crop currently used for the production of biofuels. However, the low price of diesel and gasoline has made camelina an unprofitable crop for farmers, leading to declining camelina production in the US. Hence, the ability to utilize camelina byproduct (defatted meal) after oil extraction would be a pivotal factor for promoting the economic value of the plant. Camelina defatted meal is rich in proteins and polysaccharides. The great diversity in the polysaccharide structural features provides a unique opportunity for use in food formulations as thickeners, gelling agents, emulsifiers, and stabilizers. There is currently a great degree of interest in the study of novel plant polysaccharides, as they can be derived from readily accessible sources and have potential application in a wide range of food formulations. However, there are no published studies on the polysaccharide extracted from camelina meal, and its potential industrial applications remain largely underexploited. Rheological properties are a key functional feature of polysaccharides and are highly dependent on the material composition and molecular structure. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the rheological properties of the polysaccharide extracted from camelina meal at different conditions to obtain insight on the molecular characteristics of the polysaccharide. Flow and dynamic mechanical behaviors were determined under different temperatures (5-50°C) and concentrations (1-6% w/v). Additionally, the zeta potential of the polysaccharide dispersion was measured at different pHs (2-11) and a biopolymer concentration of 0.05% (w/v). Shear rate sweep data revealed that the camelina polysaccharide displayed shear thinning (pseudoplastic) behavior, which is typical of polymer systems. The polysaccharide dispersion (1% w/v) showed no significant changes in viscosity with temperature, which makes it a promising ingredient in products requiring texture stability over a range of temperatures. However, the viscosity increased significantly with increased concentration, indicating that camelina polysaccharide can be used in food products at different concentrations to produce a range of textures. Dynamic mechanical spectra showed similar trends. The temperature had little effect on viscoelastic moduli. However, moduli were strongly affected by concentration: samples exhibited concentrated solution behavior at low concentrations (1-2% w/v) and weak gel behavior at higher concentrations (4-6% w/v). These rheological properties can be used for designing and modeling of liquid and semisolid products. Zeta potential affects the intensity of molecular interactions and molecular conformation and can alter solubility, stability, and eventually, the functionality of the materials as their environment changes. In this study, the zeta potential value significantly decreased from 0.0 to -62.5 as pH increased from 2 to 11, indicating that pH may affect the functional properties of the polysaccharide. The results obtained in the current study showed that camelina polysaccharide has significant potential for application in various food systems and can be introduced as a novel anionic thickening agent with unique properties.

Keywords: Camelina meal, polysaccharide, rheology, zeta potential

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Authors: R. Stalin, D. Karthick, H. Haseena Banu, T. P. Sachidanandam, P. Shanthi

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Background: Breast cancer is emerging as one of the leading cause of cancer related deaths and hence there arises the need to look out for drugs which are more targets specific with minimal side effects. In recent times, there is a shift towards alternative medicine due to low cost and less side effects. Siddha system of medicine is one the oldest system of medicine practiced against various ailments. Tridham (TD) is a herbal formulation prepared in our laboratory consisting of Terminalia chebula, Elaeocarpus ganitrus and Prosopis cineraria in a definite ratio (TD) and its anticancer potential is evaluated in terms of induction of apoptosis. Objective: The present study was designed to investigate the anti proliferative effect of TD and 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-galloyl-b-D-glucose (PGG), a pure compound isolated from TD on human mammary carcinoma cell line (MCF-7). Materials and Methods: Cell viability was studied using MTT analysis and trypan blue staining. Mitochondrial membrane potential was studied using DAPI staining. The protein and mRNA expressions of pro-apoptotic and anti- apoptotic markers namely Bax, Bad, Bcl-2 and caspases were also assessed by Western Blotting and RT PCR. Results: Viability studies of TD and PGG treated MCF-7 cells showed an inhibition in cell growth in time and dose dependent manner. The alteration in mitochondrial membrane potential was restored through treatment with TD and PGG which was confirmed by DAPI staining. The protein and mRNA expression of pro-apoptotic markers was found to be significantly increased in TD and PGG treated cells with a concomitant decrease in anti-apoptotic markers. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that TD and PGG exhibit their anticancer effect through its membrane stabilizing property and activation of apoptotic cascade in MCF-7 cells.

Keywords: apoptosis, mammary carcinoma, MCF-7, penta galloyl glucose, Tridham

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Authors: Usman Mahmood, Khawaja M. U. Suleman

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A peer-to-peer storage system has challenges like; peer availability, data protection, churn rate. To address these challenges different redundancy, replacement and repair schemes are used. This paper presents a hybrid scheme of redundancy using replication and erasure coding. We calculate and compare the storage, access, and maintenance costs of our proposed scheme with existing redundancy schemes. For realistic behaviour of peers a trace of live peer-to-peer system is used. The effect of different replication, and repair schemes are also shown. The proposed hybrid scheme performs better than existing double coding hybrid scheme in all metrics and have an improved maintenance cost than hierarchical codes.

Keywords: erasure coding, P2P, redundancy, replication

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Authors: Jurijs Salijevs, Katrina Bolocko

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The integration of artificial intelligence and neural networks has significantly changed full-body imaging and high-resolution 3D mapping systems, and this paper reviews research in these areas. With an emphasis on their use in the early identification of melanoma and other disorders, the goal is to give a wide perspective on the current status and potential future of these medical imaging technologies. Authors also examine methodologies such as machine learning and deep learning, seeking to identify efficient procedures that enhance diagnostic capabilities through the analysis of 3D body scans. This work aims to encourage further research and technological development to harness the full potential of AI in disease diagnosis.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, neural networks, 3D scan, body scan, 3D mapping system, healthcare

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Authors: Gikunda Aloise, Mjema Saida, Barasa Herbert, Wanyungu John, Kimani Maureen

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Background: Community Health Workforce (CHW) is health care providers at the community level (Level 1) and serves as a bridge between the community and the formal healthcare system. This human resource has enormous potential to extend healthcare services and ensures that the vulnerable, marginalized, and hard-to-reach populations have access to quality healthcare services at the community and primary health facility levels. However, these cadres are neither recognized, remunerated, nor in most instances, registered in a master list. Management and supervision of CHWs is not easy if their individual demographics, training capacity and incentives is not well documented through a centralized registry. Description: In February 2022, Amref supported the Kenya Ministry of Health in developing a community health workforce database called Community Health Workers Master List Registry (CHWML), which is hosted in Kenya Health Information System (KHIS) tracker. CHW registration exercise was through a sensitization meeting conducted by the County Community Health Focal Person for the Sub-County Community Health Focal Person and Community Health Assistants who uploaded information on individual demographics, training undertaken and incentives received by CHVs. Care was taken to ensure compliance with Kenyan laws on the availability and use of personal data as prescribed by the Data Protection Act, 2019 (DPA). Results and lessons learnt: By June 2022, 80,825 CHWs had been registered in the system; 78,174 (96%) CHVs and 2,636 (4%) CHAs. 25,235 (31%) are male, 55,505 (68%) are female & 85 (1%) are transgender. 39,979. (49%) had secondary education and 2500 (3%) had no formal education. Only 27 641 (34%) received a monthly stipend. 68,436 CHVs (85%) had undergone basic training. However, there is a need to validate the data to align with the current situation in the counties. Conclusions/Next steps: The use of CHWML will unlock opportunities for building more resilient and sustainable health systems and inform financial planning, resource allocation, capacity development, and quality service delivery. The MOH will update the CHWML guidelines in adherence to the data protection act which will inform standard procedures for maintaining, updating the registry and integrate Community Health Workforce registry with the HRH system.

Keywords: community health registry, community health volunteers (CHVs), community health workers masters list (CHWML), data protection act

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Authors: C. P. Chukwuka, E. V. Chukwuka, F. Ukwadi

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This paper focuses on the advancement and societal impact of artificial intelligence (AI) systems. It explores the need for a theoretical framework in corporate governance, specifically in the context of 'hybrid' companies that have a mix of private and government ownership. The paper emphasizes the potential of AI to address challenges faced by these companies and highlights the importance of the less-explored state model in corporate governance. The aim of this research is to enhance AI systems for global impact and positive societal outcomes. It aims to explore the role of AI in refining corporate governance in hybrid companies and uncover nuanced insights into complex ownership structures. The methodology involves leveraging the capabilities of AI to address the challenges faced by hybrid companies in corporate governance. The researchers will analyze existing theoretical frameworks in corporate governance and integrate AI systems to improve problem-solving and understanding of intricate systems. The paper suggests that improved AI systems have the potential to shape a more informed and responsible corporate landscape. AI can uncover nuanced insights and navigate complex ownership structures in hybrid companies, leading to greater efficacy and positive societal outcomes. The theoretical importance of this research lies in the exploration of the role of AI in corporate governance, particularly in the context of hybrid companies. By integrating AI systems, the paper highlights the potential for improved problem-solving and understanding of intricate systems, contributing to a more informed and responsible corporate landscape. The data for this research will be collected from existing literature on corporate governance, specifically focusing on hybrid companies. Additionally, data on AI capabilities and their application in corporate governance will be collected. The collected data will be analyzed through a systematic review of existing theoretical frameworks in corporate governance. The researchers will also analyze the capabilities of AI systems and their potential application in addressing the challenges faced by hybrid companies. The findings will be synthesized and compared to identify patterns and potential improvements. The research concludes that AI systems have the potential to enhance corporate governance in hybrid companies, leading to greater efficacy and positive societal outcomes. By leveraging AI capabilities, nuanced insights can be uncovered, and complex ownership structures can be navigated, shaping a more informed and responsible corporate landscape. The findings highlight the importance of integrating AI in refining problem-solving and understanding intricate systems for global impact.

Keywords: advancement, artificial intelligence, challenges, societal impact

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Authors: Ioana Neamtu

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This paper investigates the potential for demand-side management for the system price in the Nordic electricity market and the price effects of introducing wind-power into the system. The model proposed accounts for the micro-structure of the Nordic electricity market by modeling each hour individually, while still accounting for the relationship between the hours within a day. This flexibility allows us to explore the differences between peak and shoulder demand hours. Preliminary results show potential for demand response management, as indicated by the price elasticity of demand as well as a small but statistically significant decrease in price, given by the wind power penetration. Moreover, our study shows that these effects are stronger during day-time and peak hours,compared to night-time and shoulder hours.

Keywords: structural model, GMM estimation, system of equations, electricity market

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Authors: Dhea Kothari

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There is an extensive amount of research that has examined the positive relationship between creativity and hypomania in terms of creative accomplishments, eminence, behaviors, occupations. Previous research had recruited participants based on creative occupations or stages of hypomania or bipolar disorder. This thesis focused on the relationship between hypomania and creative cognitive potential, such as divergent thinking and insight problem-solving. This was examined at an undergraduate educational level by recruiting students majoring in art, majoring in natural sciences (NSCI) and those double majoring in arts and NSCI. Participants were given a modified Alternate Uses Task (AUT) to measure divergent thinking and a set of rebus puzzles to measure insight problem-solving. Both tasks involved a level of overcoming functional fixedness. A negative association was observed between hypomania and originality of responses on the AUT when an object with low functional fixedness was given to all participants. On the other hand, a positive association was found between hypomania and originality of responses on the AUT when an object with high functional fixedness was given to the participants majoring in NSCI. Therefore, the research suggests that an increased ability to overcome functional fixedness might be central to individuals with hypomania and individuals with higher creative cognitive potential.

Keywords: creative cognition, convergent thinking, creativity, divergent thinking, insight, major type, problem-solving

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Authors: Omkar Gaonkar, Indumathi Nambi, Suresh G. Kumar

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The functional and morphological aspects of soil structure determine the soil quality. The dispersion of colloidal soil particles, especially the clay fraction and rupture of soil aggregates, both of which play an important role in soil structure development, lead to degradation of soil quality. The main objective of this work was to determine the effect of the behaviour of soil colloids on the agricultural soil structure and quality. The effect of commercial humic acid and soil natural organic matter on the electrical and structural properties of the soil colloids was also studied. Agricultural soil, belonging to the sandy loam texture class from northern part of India was considered in this study. In order to understand the changes in the soil quality in the presence and absence of humic acids, the soil fabric and structure was analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). Electrical properties of natural soil colloids in aqueous suspensions were assessed by zeta potential measurements at varying pH values with and without the presence of humic acids. The influence of natural organic matter was analyzed by oxidizing the natural soil organic matter with hydrogen peroxide. The zeta potential of the soil colloids was found to be negative in the pH range studied. The results indicated that hydrogen peroxide treatment leads to deflocculation of colloidal soil particles. In addition, the humic acids undergoes effective adsorption onto the soil surface imparting more negative zeta potential to the colloidal soil particles. The soil hydrophilicity decreased in the presence of humic acids which was confirmed by surface free energy determination. Thus, it can be concluded that the presence of humic acids altered the soil fabric and structure, thereby affecting the soil quality. This study assumes significance in understanding soil aggregation and the interactions at soil solid-liquid interface.

Keywords: humic acids, natural organic matter, zeta potential, soil quality

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Authors: Bylhah Mugotitsa, Jim Todd, Agnes Kiragga, Jay Greenfield, Evans Omondi, Lukoye Atwoli, Reinpeter Momanyi

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The INSPIRE network aims to build an open, ethical, sustainable, and FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) data science platform, particularly for longitudinal mental health (MH) data. While studies have been done at the clinical and population level, there still exists limitations in data and research in LMICs, which pose a risk of underrepresentation of mental disorders. It is vital to examine the existing longitudinal MH data, focusing on how FAIR datasets are. This landscape analysis aimed to provide both overall level of evidence of availability of longitudinal datasets and degree of consistency in longitudinal studies conducted. Utilizing prompters proved instrumental in streamlining the analysis process, facilitating access, crafting code snippets, categorization, and analysis of extensive data repositories related to depression, anxiety, and psychosis in Africa. While leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), we filtered through over 18,000 scientific papers spanning from 1970 to 2023. This AI-driven approach enabled the identification of 228 longitudinal research papers meeting inclusion criteria. Quality assurance revealed 10% incorrectly identified articles and 2 duplicates, underscoring the prevalence of longitudinal MH research in South Africa, focusing on depression. From the analysis, evaluating data and metadata adherence to FAIR principles remains crucial for enhancing accessibility and quality of MH research in Africa. While AI has the potential to enhance research processes, challenges such as privacy concerns and data security risks must be addressed. Ethical and equity considerations in data sharing and reuse are also vital. There’s need for collaborative efforts across disciplinary and national boundaries to improve the Findability and Accessibility of data. Current efforts should also focus on creating integrated data resources and tools to improve Interoperability and Reusability of MH data. Practical steps for researchers include careful study planning, data preservation, machine-actionable metadata, and promoting data reuse to advance science and improve equity. Metrics and recognition should be established to incentivize adherence to FAIR principles in MH research

Keywords: longitudinal mental health research, data sharing, fair data principles, Africa, landscape analysis

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Authors: Mouhammad Alkasassbeh, Mohammad Almseidin

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Network security engineers work to keep services available all the time by handling intruder attacks. Intrusion Detection System (IDS) is one of the obtainable mechanisms that is used to sense and classify any abnormal actions. Therefore, the IDS must be always up to date with the latest intruder attacks signatures to preserve confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the services. The speed of the IDS is a very important issue as well learning the new attacks. This research work illustrates how the Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (or Knowledge Discovery in Databases) KDD dataset is very handy for testing and evaluating different Machine Learning Techniques. It mainly focuses on the KDD preprocess part in order to prepare a decent and fair experimental data set. The J48, MLP, and Bayes Network classifiers have been chosen for this study. It has been proven that the J48 classifier has achieved the highest accuracy rate for detecting and classifying all KDD dataset attacks, which are of type DOS, R2L, U2R, and PROBE.

Keywords: IDS, DDoS, MLP, KDD

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Authors: Alireza Javed, Keivan Jamshidi

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Reactive amyloidosis is a condition that complicates a long list of chronic inflammation, chronic infectious, malignant, and hereditary disorders. In the present study the potential effects of two amyloidogenic substances: ie. AgNO3 and Freund's Adjuvant (AF) with that of vitamin free casein, on spatio-temporal pattern of experimental amyloidosis in mice, were compared. For this purpose, a total of 40 male Swees mice, obtained from Pasteur Institute Tehran, after being weighted were randomly divided into 4 groups including 2 treatments, 1 control (vitamin free casein) and 1 positive control (normal saline). At the end of 3rd, 5th and 7th weeks of experiment 3 mice were randomly selected and euthnised. Spleen sample of each animal obtained and preserved in 10% neutral buffer formalin. Sample were then processed through different stages of dehydration, clearing and impregnation and finally embedded in paraffin blocks. Sections of 5µm thickness then cut and stained by alkaline Congo red techniques. Spleen weights and the data obtained from the microscopic quantitative analysis did show no significant differences between groups A and B, A and C, and B and C. However, significant differences were observed between groups A and D, B and D, and C and D respectively. It is concluded that two compounds ie; AgNO3 and Freund's Adjuvant have the same potential, as does vitamin free casein have, in spatio – temporal pattern of experimental amyloidosis in mice.

Keywords: amyloidosis, mice, AgNO3, Freund's Adjuvant

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Authors: M. A. Ahmed, Sidra A. Shaik

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Global and diffuse solar radiation on horizontal surface over seven cities of Sindh namely Karachi, Hyderabad, Chore, Padidan, Nawabshah, Rohri and Jacobabad were carried out using sunshine hour data of the area to assess the feasibility of solar energy utilization at Sindh province. The result obtained shows a variation of direct and diffuse component of solar radiation in summer and winter months in southern Sindh (50% direct and 50% diffuse for Karachi, and Hyderabad) where there is a large variation in direct and diffuse component of solar radiation in summer and winter months in northern region (80% direct and 20% diffuse for Rohri and Jacobabad). In southern Sindh, the contribution of diffuse solar radiation is higher during the monsoon months (July and August). The sky remains clear during September to June. In northern Sindh (Rohri and Jacobabad) the contribution of diffuse solar radiation is low even in monsoon months i,e in July and August. The Kt value for northern Sindh indicates a clear sky. In northern part of the Sindh percentage of diffuse radiation does not exceed more than 20%. The appearance of cloud is rare. From the point of view of power generation, the estimated values indicate that northern part of Sindh has high solar potential while the southern part has low solar potential.

Keywords: global and diffuse solar radiation, solar potential, Province of Sindh, solar radiation studies for power generation

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Authors: Ankush M. Dewle, Suditi Bhattacharya, Prachi R. Abhang, Savita Datar, Ajay J. Jog, Rupesh K. Srivastava, Geetanjali Tomar

Abstract:

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) obtained from ageing gingival tissues, in order to suggest their potential role in autologous stem cell therapy for old individuals. Methods: MSCs were isolated from gingival tissues of young (18-45 years) and old (above 45 years) donors by enzymatic digestion. MSCs were analysed for cfu-f, surface marker expression by flow-cytometry and multilineage differentiation potential. The angiogenic potential was compared in a chick embryo yolk sac membrane model. The aging and differentiation markers including SA-β-galactosidase and p21 respectively were analysed by staining and flow-cytometry analysis. Additionally, osteogenic markers such as glucocorticoid receptor (GR), vitamin D receptor (VDR) were measured by flow-cytometry and RT-qPCR was performed for quantification of osteogenic gene expression. Alizarin Red S and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity were also quantitated. Results: Gingival MSCs (GMSCs) from both the age groups were similar in their morphology and displayed cfu-f. They had similar expression of MSC surface markers and p21, comparable rate of proliferation and differentiated to all the four lineages. GMSCs from young donors had a higher adipogenic differentiation potential as compared to the old GMSCs. Moreover, these cells did not display a significant difference in ALP activity probably due to comparable expression of GR, VDR, and osteogenic genes. Conclusions: Ageing of GMSCs occurs at a much slower rate than stem cells from other sources. Thus we suggest GMSCs as an excellent candidate for autologous stem cell therapy in degenerative diseases of elderly individuals. Clinical Significance: GMSCs could help overcome the setbacks in clinical implementation of autologous stem cell therapy for regenerative medicine in all age group of patient.

Keywords: bone regeneration, cell therapy, senescence, stem cell

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Authors: Pardeep Gupta

Abstract:

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study on TPM implementation methodology and to highlight the benefits achieved after TPM in an engineering industry XYZ Ltd. (name changed) situated in Mohali, Punjab. The improvements in key performance indicators (PQCDSM) after implementing the TPM proved that its implementation helped the company significantly to achieve higher productivity, customer satisfaction, morale, and profits. The manufacturing cost reduced by 30%, overall equipment efficiency increased from 63% in 2010 to 84% after three years and productivity improved by 67%. The Company has won the TPM Excellence Award, Category-A in 2013 and after that continued implementing second phase of TPM. The findings of the study govern that the strategic TPM implementation can significantly contribute for the realization of operational excellence in almost all types of industry.

Keywords: total productive maintenance, overall equipment efficiency, continuous improvement, manufacturing excellence, availability, TPM initiatives, productivity

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Authors: Eman Alhajjar, Albatool Jamjoom, Fatmah Bugshan

Abstract:

This research aims to investigate the artificial intelligence (AI) application Jung GPT and how helpful it is, as a therapy AI, to users. Jung GPT has the potential to make mental health care more accessible and cheaper while also providing tailored support and advice. However, it is not intended to be a substitute for human therapists. Jung GPT is instructed to understand a wide range of concepts, including emojis, sensitive subjects, and various languages. Furthermore, participants were asked to fill out a survey based on their experience with Jung GPT. Additionally, analysis of the responses indicated that Jung GPT was helpful in identifying and exploring challenges, and the use of Jung GPT by participants in the future is highly possible. The results demonstrate that Jung GPT does help in recognizing challenges or problems within the users. On this basis, it is recommended that individuals use Jung GPT to explore their thoughts, feelings, and challenges. Moreover, further research is needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of Jung GPT.

Keywords: Jung GPT, artificial intelligence, therapy, mental health, AI application

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Authors: Sulayman Adrees Mohammed, Ahmed Faraj Abd Alsameea

Abstract:

The ongoing hindrance for Libyan oil and gas companies is the persistent challenge of eradicating maintenance program failures that result in exorbitant costs and production setbacks. Accordingly, this research is prompted to introduce the concept of lean philosophy in maintenance, which aims to eliminate waste and enhance productivity in maintenance procedures through the identification and differentiation of value-adding (VA) and non-value-adding (NVA) activities. The purpose of this paper was to explore and describe the benefits that can be gained by adopting the Lean philosophy towards the enhancement of maintenance programs' efficiency from theoretical perspectives. The oil industry maintenance community in Libya now has an introduced tool by which they can effectively evaluate their maintenance program functionality and reduce the areas of non-value added activities within maintenance, thereby enhancing the availability of the equipment and the capacity of the oil and gas facilities.

Keywords: efficiency, lean philosophy, Libyan oil and gas scenario, maintenance programs

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Authors: A. Ribeiro, N. Pacheco, M. Soares, N. Valério, L. Nascimento, A. Silva, C. Vilarinho, J. Carvalho

Abstract:

Hydrogen will play a key role in changing the current global energy paradigm, associated with the high use of fossil fuels and the release of greenhouse gases. This work intended to identify and quantify the potential of Solid Recovered Fuels (SFR) existing in Portugal and project the cost of hydrogen, produced through its steam gasification in different scenarios, associated with the size or capacity of the plant and the existence of carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems. Therefore, it was performed a techno-economic analysis simulation using an ASPEN base model, the H2A Hydrogen Production Model Version 3.2018. Regarding the production of SRF, it was possible to verify the annual production of more than 200 thousand tons of SRF in Portugal in 2019. The results of the techno-economic analysis simulations showed that in the scenarios containing a high (200,000 tons/year) and medium (40,000 tons/year) amount of SFR, the cost of hydrogen production was competitive concerning the current prices of hydrogen. The results indicate that scenarios 1 and 2, which use 200,000 tons of SRF per year, have lower hydrogen production values, 1.22 USD/kg H2 and 1.63 USD/kg H2, respectively. The cost of producing hydrogen without carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems in an average amount of SFR (40,000 tons/year) was 1.70 USD/kg H2. In turn, scenarios 5 (without CCS) and 6 (with CCS), which use only 683 tons of SFR from urban sources, have the highest costs, 6.54 USD/kg H2 and 908.97 USD/kg H2, respectively. Therefore, it was possible to conclude that there is a huge potential for the use of SRF for the production of hydrogen through steam gasification in Portugal.

Keywords: gasification, hydrogen, solid recovered fuels, techno-economic analysis, waste-to-energy

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Authors: Abdulrahman Nami Almutairi

Abstract:

In the face of escalating climate change concerns, the concept of smart cities emerges as a promising approach to mitigate carbon emissions and move towards carbon neutrality. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the role of Natural Gas in achieving carbon neutrality. Natural gas has often been seen as a transitional fuel in the context of reducing carbon emissions. Its main role stems from being cleaner than coal and oil when burned for electricity generation and industrial processes. The urgent need to address this global issue has prompted a global shift towards cleaner energy sources and sustainable practices. In this endeavor, natural gas has emerged as a pivotal player, hailed for its potential to mitigate carbon emissions, and facilitate the transition to a low-carbon economy. With its lower carbon intensity compared to conventional fossil fuels, natural gas presents itself as a promising alternative for meeting energy demands while reducing environmental impact. As the world stands at a critical juncture in the fight against climate change, exploring the potential of natural gas as a transitional fuel offers insights into pathways towards a more sustainable and resilient future. By critically evaluating its opportunities and challenges, we can harness the potential of natural gas as a transitional fuel while advancing towards a cleaner, more resilient energy system. Through collaborative efforts and informed decision-making, we can pave the way for a future where energy is not only abundant but also environmentally sustainable and socially equitable.

Keywords: natural gas, clean fuel, carbon emissions, global warming, environmental protection

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Authors: Amirreza Heidari, Akram Avami, Ehsan Heidari

Abstract:

Evaporative cooling systems are known as energy efficient cooling systems, with much lower electricity consumption than conventional vapor compression systems. A serious limitation of these systems, however, is that they are not applicable in humid regions. Combining a desiccant wheel with these systems, known as desiccant-based evaporative cooling systems, makes it possible to use evaporative cooling in humid climates. This paper evaluates the performane of a cooling system combining desiccant wheel, direct and indirect evaporative coolers (called desiccant-based indirect-direct evaporative cooling (DIDE) system) and then evaluates the energy saving potential of this system over the conventional vapor compression cooling and drying system. To illustrate the system ability of providing comfort conditions, a dynamic hourly simulation of this system is performed for a typical 60 m² building in Sydney, Australia. To evaluate the energy saving potential of this system, a conventional cooling and drying system is also simulated for the same cooling capacity. It has been found that the DIE system is able to provide comfort temperature and relative humidity in a subtropical humid climate like Sydney. The electricity and natural gas consumption of this system are respectively 39.2% and 2.6% lower than that of conventional system over a week. As the research has demonstrated, the innovative DIDE system is an energy efficient cooling system for subtropical humid regions.

Keywords: desiccant, evaporative cooling, dehumidification, indirect evaporative cooler

Procedia PDF Downloads 137