Search results for: response surface method

Authors: S. Anastasiou, C. Nathanailides

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There is considerable evidence to suggest that employees participation in the decision-making process of an organisation, has a positive effect on job satisfaction and work performance of the employees. The purpose of the present work was to examine the HRM practices, demographics and the level of job satisfaction of employees in Greek Aquaculture fish farms. A survey of employees (n=86) in 6 Greek Aquaculture Firms was carried out. The results indicate that HRM practices such as recruitment of the personnel and communication between the departments did not vary between different firms. The most frequent method of recruitment was through the professional network or the personal network of the managers. The preferred method of HRM communication was through the line managers and through group meeting. The level of job satisfaction increased with work experience participation and participation in the decision making process. A high percentage of the employees (81,3%±8.39) felt that they frequently participated in the decision making process. The Aquaculture employees exhibited high level of job satisfaction (88,1±6.95). The level of job satisfaction was related with participation in the decision making process (-0.633, P<0.05) but was not related with as age or gender. In terms of the working conditions, employees were mostly satisfied with their work itself, their colleagues and mostly dissatisfied with working hours, salary issues and low prospects of pay rises.

Keywords: aquaculture, human resources, job satisfaction

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Authors: Daniel Osorio, Janneth Gonzalez, Andres Pinzon

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In this work, proteins and metabolic pathways associated with the neuroprotective response mediated by the synthetic neurosteroid tibolone under a palmitate-induced inflammatory model were identified by flux balance analysis (FBA). Three different metabolic scenarios (‘healthy’, ‘inflamed’ and ‘medicated’) were modeled over a gene expression data-driven constructed tissue-specific metabolic reconstruction of mature astrocytes. Astrocyte reconstruction was built, validated and constrained using three open source software packages (‘minval’, ‘g2f’ and ‘exp2flux’) released through the Comprehensive R Archive Network repositories during the development of this work. From our analysis, we predict that tibolone executes their neuroprotective effects through a reduction of neurotoxicity mediated by L-glutamate in astrocytes, inducing the activation several metabolic pathways with neuroprotective actions associated such as taurine metabolism, gluconeogenesis, calcium and the Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor signaling pathways. Also, we found a tibolone associated increase in growth rate probably in concordance with previously reported side effects of steroid compounds in other human cell types.

Keywords: astrocytes, flux balance analysis, genome scale metabolic reconstruction, inflammation, neuroprotection, tibolone

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Authors: Perpetua Modjadji, Sphiwe Madiba

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Background: The growth patterns of children are good nutritional indicators of their nutritional status, health, and socioeconomic level. However, the maternal factors and the belief system of the society affect the growth of children promoting undernutrition. This study determined the influence of maternal factors on growth patterns of schoolchildren in a rural site. Methods: A convergent mixed method study was conducted among 508 schoolchildren and their mothers in Dikgale Health and Demographic Surveillance System Site, South Africa. Multistage sampling was used to select schools (purposive) and learners (random), who were paired with their mothers. Anthropometry was measured and socio-demographic, obstetrical, household information, maternal influence on children’s nutrition, and growth were assessed using an interviewer administered questionnaire (quantitative). The influence of the cultural beliefs and practices of mothers on the nutrition and growth of their children was explored using focus group discussions (qualitative). Narratives of mothers were used to best understand growth patterns of schoolchildren (mixed method). Data were analyzed using STATA 14 (quantitative) and Nvivo 11 (qualitative). Quantitative and qualitative data were merged for integrated mixed method analysis using a joint display analysis. Results: Mean age of children was 10 ± 2 years, ranging from 6 to 15 years. Substantial percentages of thinness (25%), underweight (24%), and stunting (22%) were observed among the children. Mothers had a mean age of 37 ± 7 years, and 75% were overweight or obese. A depressed socio-economic status indicated by a higher rate of unemployment with no income (82.3%), and dependency on social grants (86.8%) was observed. Determinants of poor growth patterns were child’s age and gender, maternal age, height and BMI, access to water supply, and refrigerator use. The narratives of mothers suggested that the children in most of their households were exposed to poverty and the inadequate intake of quality food. Conclusion: Poor growth patterns were observed among schoolchildren while their mothers were overweight or obese. Child’s gender, school grade, maternal body mass index, and access to water were the main determinants. Congruence was observed between most qualitative themes and quantitative constructs. A need for a multi sectoral approach considering an evidence based and feasible nutrition programs for schoolchildren, especially those in rural settings and educating mothers, cannot be over-emphasized.

Keywords: growth patterns, maternal factors, rural context, schoolchildren, South Africa

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Authors: Vahid Nademi

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In response to widely used wearable medical devices equipped with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump, the advanced control methods are still demanding to get the full benefit of these devices. Unlike costly clinical trials, implementing effective insulin-glucose control strategies can provide significant contributions to the patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes. This study deals with a key role of two-layer insulin-glucose regulator based on model-predictive-control (MPC) scheme so that the patient’s predicted glucose profile is in compliance with the insulin level injected through insulin pump automatically. It is achieved by iterative optimization algorithm which is called an integrated perturbation analysis and sequential quadratic programming (IPA-SQP) solver for handling uncertainties due to unexpected variations in glucose-insulin values and body’s characteristics. The feasibility evaluation of the discussed control approach is also studied by means of numerical simulations of two case scenarios via measured data. The obtained results are presented to verify the superior and reliable performance of the proposed control scheme with no negative impact on patient safety.

Keywords: blood glucose monitoring, insulin pump, predictive control, optimization

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Authors: Firoozeh Ghazanfari, Kourosh Amraei, Parisa Poorabadi

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Mild cognitive impairment is one of the neurocognitive disorders that go beyond age-related decline in cognitive functions, but in fact, it is not so severe which affects daily activities. This study aimed to investigate and compare the effectiveness of treatment with cranial electrical stimulation, brain training and their double combination on the language and verbal fluency of the elderly with mild cognitive impairment. This is a single-subject method with comparative intervention designs. Four patients with a definitive diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment by a psychiatrist were selected via purposive and convenience sampling method. Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination Scale (2017) was used to assess language and verbal fluency. Two groups were formed with different order of cranial electrical stimulation treatment, brain training by pencil and paper method and their double combination, and two patients were randomly replaced in each group. The arrangement of the first group included cranial electrical stimulation, brain training, double combination and the second group included double combination, cranial electrical stimulation and brain training, respectively. Treatment plan included: A1, B, A2, C, A3, D, A4, where electrical stimulation treatment was given in ten 30-minutes sessions (5 mA and frequency of 0.5-500 Hz) and brain training in ten 30-minutes sessions. Each baseline lasted four weeks. Patients in first group who first received cranial electrical stimulation treatment showed a higher percentage of improvement in the language and verbal fluency subscale of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination in comparison to patients of the second group. Based on the results, it seems that cranial electrical stimulation with its effect on neurotransmitters and brain blood flow, especially in the brain stem, may prepare the brain at the neurochemical and molecular level for a better effectiveness of brain training at the behavioral level, and the selective treatment of electrical stimulation solitude in the first place may be more effective than combining it with paper-pencil brain training.

Keywords: cranial electrical stimulation, treatment, brain training, verbal fluency, cognitive impairment

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Authors: Kumaresh Selvakumar, Man Young Kim

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In selective catalytic reduction (SCR) unit, the injection system is provided with unique dosing pump to govern the urea injection phenomenon. The urea based operating liquid from the AdBlue tank links up directly with the dosing pump unit to furnish appropriate high pressure for examining the flow characteristics inside the liquid pump. This work aims in demonstrating the importance of external gear pump to provide pertinent high pressure and respective mass flow rate for each rotation. Numerical simulations are conducted using immersed solid method technique for better understanding of unsteady flow characteristics within the pump. Parametric analyses have been carried out for the gear speed and mass flow rate to find the behavior of pressure fluctuations. In the simulation results, the outlet pressure achieves maximum magnitude with the increase in rotational speed and the fluctuations grow higher.

Keywords: AdBlue tank, external gear pump, immersed solid method, selective catalytic reduction

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Authors: X. Wang, J. S. Kuang

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The Fixed-angle Softened Truss Model with Tension-stiffening (FASTMT) has a superior performance in predicting the shear behaviour of reinforced concrete (RC) membrane elements, especially for the post-cracking behaviour. Nevertheless, massive computational work is inevitable due to the multiple transcendental equations involved in the stress-strain relationship. In this paper, an iterative root-finding technique is introduced to FASTMT for solving quickly the transcendental equations of the tension-stiffening effect of RC membrane elements. This fast FASTMT, which performs in MATLAB, uses the bisection method to calculate the tensile stress of the membranes. By adopting the simplification, the elapsed time of each loop is reduced significantly and the transcendental equations can be solved accurately. Owing to the high efficiency and good accuracy as compared with FASTMT, the fast FASTMT can be further applied in quick prediction of shear behaviour of complex large-scale RC structures.

Keywords: bisection method, FASTMT, iterative root-finding technique, reinforced concrete membrane

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Authors: Khalid Ahmed Eldwaib

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In this study, Al-Mg alloy 5052 was used as the testing material. Corrosion fatigue life was studied for the alloy in 3.5% NaCl (pH=1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11), and 3.5% NaCl (pH=1) with inhibitors. The compound inhibitors were composed mainly of phosphate (PO4³-), adding a certain proportion of other nontoxic inhibitors so as to select alternatives to environmentally hazardous chromate (Cr2O7²-). The inhibitors were sodium dichromate Na2Cr2O7, sodium phosphate Na3PO4, sodium molybdate Na2MoO4, and sodium citrate Na3C6H5O7. The total amount of inhibiting pigments was at different concentrations (250,500,750, and 1000 ppm) in the solutions. Corrosion fatigue behavior was studied by using plane-bending corrosion fatigue machine with stress ratio R=0.5 and under the constant frequency of 13.3 Hz. Results show that in 3.5% NaCl the highest fatigue life (number of cycles to failure Nf) is obtained at pH=5 where the oxide film on aluminum has very low solubility, and the lowest number of cycles is obtained at pH=1, where the media is too aggressive (extremely acidic). When the concentration of inhibitor increases the cycles to failure increase. The surface morphology and fracture section of the specimens had been characterized through scanning electron microscope (SEM).

Keywords: Al-Mg alloy 5052, corrosion, fatigue, inhibitors

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Authors: Maghsoud Nader Pilehroud, Mohmmad Alizadeh, Soheila Golipour, Sedigeh Tajabadipour

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Aim: in terms of importance, sexual issues are of the highest priority in married life issues and sexual compatibility is of the most important reasons of success in married life and consequently marital satisfaction.the present research was conducted with the aim of The role of sexual satisfaction sexual satisfaction in marital satisfaction married men. Study Design: this research is descriptive and is of correlation type.Method: The statistical population includes all the married men of Ardebil city out of which, 60 men were chosen using random sampling as the research samples. The research instruments were ENRICH couple scale and Hudson sexual satisfaction scale. The findings were analyzed using descriptive statistics method (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson's correlation and regression) and SPSS-16 software. Results: the results showed that sexual satisfaction has a positive and significant relationship with marital satisfaction and all of its components, and that sexual satisfaction can predict marital satisfaction. The results also showed that sexual and marital satisfaction, are not significantly related to any of the variables of education level, duration of marriage and number of children. conclusion: according to the results, it can be claimed that sexual skills training for couples can be influential at increasing their martial satisfaction, and that also, sexual satisfaction has an important role in marital satisfaction.

Keywords: sexual satisfaction, marital satisfaction, married men, Iran

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Authors: G. Rajyalakhmi, C. Karthik, Gerson Desouza, Rimmie Duraisamy

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In this present work, metal matrix composites with combination of aluminium with (Sic/Al2O3) were fabricated using stir casting technique. The objective of the present work is to optimize the process parameters of Wire Electric Discharge Machining (WEDM) composites. Pulse ON Time, Pulse OFF Time, wire feed and sensitivity are considered as input process parameters with responses Material Removal Rate (MRR), Surface Roughness (SR) for optimization of WEDM process. Taguchi L18 Orthogonal Array (OA) is used for experimentation. Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) is coupled with Taguchi technique for multiple process parameters optimization. ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) is used for finding the impact of process parameters individually. Finally confirmation experiments were carried out to validate the predicted results.

Keywords: parametric optimization, particulate reinforced metal matrix composites, Taguchi-grey relational analysis, WEDM

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Authors: Amy Claridge, Tishra Beeson

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Background: Maternal depression is a serious health concern impacting between 10-16% of birthing persons. It is associated with difficulty in emotional interaction and the formation of attachment bonds between parent and infant. Longitudinally, maternal depression can have severe, lasting impacts on both parent and child, increasing the risk for mental, social, and physical health issues. Rates of prenatal depression have been higher among individuals who were pregnant during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pregnant persons are considered a high-risk group for poor clinical outcomes from COVID-19 infection and may also have faced or continue to face additional stressors such as financial burdens, loss of income or employment, and the benefits accompanying employment, especially among those in the United States (U.S.). It is less clear whether individuals who gave birth during the pandemic continue to experience high levels of depressive symptoms or whether symptoms have been reduced as a pandemic response has shifted. The current study examined longitudinal reports of depressive symptoms among individuals in the U.S. who gave birth between March 2020 and September 2021. Methods: This mixed-method study involved surveys and interviews with birthing persons (18-45 years old) in their third trimester of pregnancy and at 8 weeks postpartum. Participants also completed a follow-up survey at 12-18 months postpartum. Participants were recruited using convenience methods via an online survey. Survey participants included 242 U.S. women who self-reported depressive symptoms (10-item Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) at each data collection wave. A subset of 23 women participated in semi-structured prenatal and 8-week postpartum qualitative interviews. Follow-up interviews are currently underway and will be integrated into the presentation. Preliminary Results: Prenatal depressive symptoms were significantly positively correlated to 8-week and 12-18-month postpartum depressive symptoms. Participants who reported clinical levels of depression prenatally were 3.29 times (SE = .32, p < .001) more likely to report clinical levels of depression at 18 months postpartum. Those who reported clinical depression at 8-weeks postpartum were 6.52 times (SE = .41, p < .001) more likely to report clinical levels of depression at 18 months postpartum. Participants who gave birth earlier in the pandemic reported significantly higher prenatal (t(103) = 2.84, p < .01) and 8-week postpartum depressive symptoms (t(126) = 3.31, p < .001). Data from qualitative interviews contextualize the findings. Participants reported negative emotions during pregnancy, including sadness, grief, and anxiety. They attributed this in part to their experiences of pregnancy during the pandemic and uncertainty related to the birth experience and postpartum period. Postpartum interviews revealed some stressors specific to childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, most women reflected on positive experiences of birth and postpartum. Conclusions: Taken together, findings reveal a pattern of persistent depressive symptoms among U.S. parents who gave birth during the pandemic. Depressive symptoms are of significant concern for the health of parents and children, and the findings of this study suggest a need for continued mental health intervention for parents who gave birth during the pandemic. Policy and practice implications will be discussed.

Keywords: maternal mental health, perinatal depression, postpartum depression, covid-19 pandemic

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Authors: Ashish Kumar Jain, Deepak Mishra

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The objective of the present investigation was to prepare and evaluate a vesicular dual drug delivery system for effective management of mucosal ulcer. Inner encapsulating and Double liposomes were prepared by glass bead and reverse phase evaporation method respectively. The formulation consisted of inner liposomes bearing Ranitidine Bismuth Citrate (RBC) and outer liposomes encapsulating Amoxicillin trihydrate (AMOX). The optimized inner liposomes and double liposomes were extensively characterized for vesicle size, morphology, zeta potential, vesicles count, entrapment efficiency and in vitro drug release. In vitro, the double liposomes demonstrated a sustained release of AMOX and RBC viz 91.4±1.8% and 77.2±2.1% respectively at the end of 72 hr. Furthermore binding specificity and targeting propensity toward H. pylori (SKP-56) was confirmed by agglutination and in situ adherence assay. Reduction of the absolute alcohol induced ulcerogenic index from 3.01 ± 0.25 to 0.31 ± 0.09 and 100% H. pylori clearance rate was observed. These results suggested that double liposomes are potential vector for the development of dual drug delivery for effective treatment of H. pylori-associated peptic ulcer.

Keywords: double liposomes, H. pylori targeting, PE liposomes, glass-beads method, peptic ulcers

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Authors: Gregor Kosec

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Simple and robust numerical approach for solving flow problems is presented, where involved physical fields are represented through the local approximation functions, i.e., the considered field is approximated over a local support domain. The approximation functions are then used to evaluate the partial differential operators. The type of approximation, the size of support domain, and the type and number of basis function can be general. The solution procedure is formulated completely through local computational operations. Besides local numerical method also the pressure velocity is performed locally with retaining the correct temporal transient. The complete locality of the introduced numerical scheme has several beneficial effects. One of the most attractive is the simplicity since it could be understood as a generalized Finite Differences Method, however, much more powerful. Presented methodology offers many possibilities for treating challenging cases, e.g. nodal adaptivity to address regions with sharp discontinuities or p-adaptivity to treat obscure anomalies in physical field. The stability versus computation complexity and accuracy can be regulated by changing number of support nodes, etc. All these features can be controlled on the fly during the simulation. The presented methodology is relatively simple to understand and implement, which makes it potentially powerful tool for engineering simulations. Besides simplicity and straightforward implementation, there are many opportunities to fully exploit modern computer architectures through different parallel computing strategies. The performance of the method is presented on the lid driven cavity problem, backward facing step problem, de Vahl Davis natural convection test, extended also to low Prandtl fluid and Darcy porous flow. Results are presented in terms of velocity profiles, convergence plots, and stability analyses. Results of all cases are also compared against published data.

Keywords: fluid flow, meshless, low Pr problem, natural convection

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Authors: J. R. Wang, H. T. Lin, Y. S. Tseng, W. Y. Li, H. C. Chen, S. W. Chen, C. Shih

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TRACE is developed by U.S. NRC for the nuclear power plants (NPPs) safety analysis. We focus on the establishment and application of TRACE/FRAPTRAN/SNAP models for Chinshan NPP (BWR/4) spent fuel pool in this research. The geometry is 12.17 m × 7.87 m × 11.61 m for the spent fuel pool. In this study, there are three TRACE/SNAP models: one-channel, two-channel, and multi-channel TRACE/SNAP model. Additionally, the cooling system failure of the spent fuel pool was simulated and analyzed by using the above models. According to the analysis results, the peak cladding temperature response was more accurate in the multi-channel TRACE/SNAP model. The results depicted that the uncovered of the fuels occurred at 2.7 day after the cooling system failed. In order to estimate the detailed fuel rods performance, FRAPTRAN code was used in this research. According to the results of FRAPTRAN, the highest cladding temperature located on the node 21 of the fuel rod (the highest node at node 23) and the cladding burst roughly after 3.7 day.

Keywords: TRACE, FRAPTRAN, BWR, spent fuel pool

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Authors: Bella Llego

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This research aims to study on “ASEAN Citizenship in the Internationalization of Thai Higher Education.” The purposes of this research are (1) to examine the Thai academics and scholars defined in the concept of internationalization of higher education, (2) to know how Thailand tries to fulfill its internationalization on education goal, (3) to find out the advantages and disadvantages of Thailand hub for higher education in Asia. Sequential mixed methods, qualitative and quantitative research methods were utilized to gather the data collected. By using a qualitative method (individual interviews from key Thai administrators and educators in the international higher education sector), a quantitative method (survey) was utilized to draw upon and to elaborate the recurring themes present during the interviews. The study found that many aspects of Thai international higher education programs received heavy influence from both the American and European higher education systems. Thailand’s role and leadership in the creation and launch of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) by 2015 gives its unique context for its internationalization efforts. English is being designated as the language of all Thai international programs; its influence further strengthened being the current language of academia, international business, and the internet, having global influence.

Keywords: ASEAN citizenship, internationalization, Thai higher education, academics

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Authors: Ihtisham Bukhari

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In the current study, we enrolled a 46, XY phenotypically female patient bearing testes in her inguinal canal. DNA sequencing of the AR gene detected a missense mutation C.1715A > G (p. Y572C) in exon 2 which is already known to cause Complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS). We further studied the effects of this mutation on the testicular histopathology of the patient. No spermatocytes were seen in the surface spreading of testicular tissues while H&E staining showed that seminiferous tubules predominantly have only Sertoli cells. To confirm this meiotic failure is likely due to the current AR mutation we performed mRNA expression of genes associated with AR pathway, expression and location of the associated proteins in testicular tissues. Western blot and real-time PCR data showed that the patient had high levels of expression of AMH, SOX9, and INNB in testis. Tubules were stained with SOX9 and AMH which revealed Sertoli cell maturation arrest. Therefore, we suggest that AR mutation enhances AMH expression which ultimately leads to failure in the maturation of Sertoli cells and failure in spermatogenesis.

Keywords: androgen receptor, spermatogenesis, infertility, Sertoli cell only syndrome

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Authors: Abidi Myriam, Ben Amor Rim, Gueddari Moncef

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Understanding ecosystem response to the restoration project is essential to assess its rehabilitation. Indeed, the time elapsed after restoration is a critical indicator to shows the real of the restoration success. In this order, the south lagoon of Tunis, a shallow Mediterranean coastal area, has witnessed several pollutions. To resolve this environmental problem, a large restoration project of the lagoon was undertaken. In this restoration works, the main changes are the decrease of the residence time of the lagoon water and the nutrient concentrations. In this paper, we attempt to evaluate the trophic state of lagoon water for evaluating the risk of eutrophication after almost 16 years of its restoration. To attend this objectives water quality monitoring was untaken. In order to identify and to analyze the natural and anthropogenic factor governing the nutrients concentrations of lagoon water geochemical methods and multivariate statistical tools were used. Results show that nutrients have duel sources due to the discharge of municipal wastewater of Megrine City in the south side of the lagoon. The Carlson index shows that the South lagoon of Tunis Lagoon Tunis is eutrophic, and may show limited summer anoxia.

Keywords: geochemistry, nutrients, statistical analysis, the south lagoon of Tunis, trophic state

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Authors: Shah Abbas

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Rheumatoid arthritis is a systemic, inflammatory autoimmune disease, affecting an overall 1% of the global population. Despite being tremendous efforts by scientists, early diagnosis of RA still has not been achieved. In the current study, a Graphene oxide (GO) based electrochemical sensor has been developed for early diagnosis of RA through Cyclic voltammetry. Chitosan (CHI), a CPnatural polymer has also been incorporated along with GO in order to enhance the biocompatibility and functionalization potential of the biosensor. CCPs are known antigens for Anti Citrullinated Peptide Antibodies (ACPAs) which can be detected in serum even 14 years before the appearance of symptoms, thus they are believed to be an ideal target for the early diagnosis of RA. This study has yielded some promising results regarding the binding and detection of ACPAs through changes in the electrochemical properties of biosensing material. The cyclic voltammogram of this biosensor reflects the binding of ACPAs to the biosensor surface, due to its shifts observed in the current flow (cathodic current) as compared to the when no ACPAs bind as it is absent in RA negative patients.

Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, peptide sensor, graphene oxide, anti citrullinated peptide antibodies, cyclic voltammetry

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Authors: Huma Aly, M. Asir Ajmal, Maryam F Munir

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The present study explored the role of caste system in determining and understanding the positive and negative impact of within caste marriages. It analyzed various rituals and concept of dowry system across castes. Reasons for the emphasis on within caste marriage were identified. Qualitative research method was used and for this purpose semi structured interviews were conducted across four castes namely Arains, Jutts, Sayyads, and Kakezais. The sample consisted of eight individuals including a male and female from each caste. Grounded theory method was used to analyze the results. Codes, categories and themes were formulated. Findings revealed that rriage mrituals and dowry system varied across biradries. Parents and grandparents still feel reluctant to marry outside their own caste. One major reason which appeared was that while marrying across castes, individuals feel reluctant to marry in Jutts and Kakezais. On the contrary, modernization, education and urbanization is changing the mindset of new generation and some of them want to eradicate the negative aspects of this system. This study will play a significant part in changing the traditional viewpoint of majority of elders of our society who still have immense association with the caste they belong to.

Keywords: caste, codes, categories, themes, Pakistan

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Authors: Mona Lisa M. Oliveira, Nara A. Policarpo, Ana Luiza B. P. Barros, Carla A. Silva

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Selective catalytic reduction systems for nitrogen oxides reduction by ammonia has been the chosen technology by most of diesel vehicle (i.e. bus and truck) manufacturers in Brazil, as also in Europe. Furthermore, at some conditions, over-stoichiometric ammonia availability is also needed that increases the NH₃ slips even more. Ammonia (NH₃) by this vehicle exhaust aftertreatment system provides a maximum efficiency of NOx removal if a significant amount of NH₃ is stored on its catalyst surface. In the other words, the practice shows that slightly less than 100% of the NOx conversion is usually targeted, so that the aqueous urea solution hydrolyzes to NH₃ via other species formation, under relatively low temperatures. This paper presents a model based on neural networks integrated with a road vehicle simulator that allows to estimate NH₃-slip emission factors for different driving conditions and patterns. The proposed model generates high NH₃slips which are not also limited in Brazil, but more efforts needed to be made to elucidate the contribution of vehicle-emitted NH₃ to the urban atmosphere.

Keywords: ammonia slip, neural-network, vehicles emissions, SCR-NOx

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Authors: Kavitha Thamadharan, Nurazean Maarop

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The implementation of e-assessment as tool to support the process of teaching and learning in university has become a popular technological means in universities. E-Assessment provides many advantages to the users especially the flexibility in teaching and learning. The e-assessment system has the capability to improve its quality of delivering education. However, there still exists a drawback in terms of security which limits the user acceptance of the online learning system. Even though there are studies providing solutions for identified security threats in e-learning usage, there is no particular model which addresses the factors that influences the acceptance of e-assessment system by lecturers from security perspective. The aim of this study is to explore security aspects of e-assessment in regard to the acceptance of the technology. As a result a conceptual model of secure acceptance of e-assessment is proposed. Both human and security factors are considered in formulation of this conceptual model. In order to increase understanding of critical issues related to the subject of this study, interpretive approach involving convergent mixed method research method is proposed to be used to execute the research. This study will be useful in providing more insightful understanding regarding the factors that influence the user acceptance of e-assessment system from security perspective.

Keywords: secure technology acceptance, e-assessment security, e-assessment, education technology

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Authors: F. N. U. Abdullah, A. M. H. Ibrahim, Shuyu Liu

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Hybrid wheat root system is the major plant organ for water and nutrient acquisition. An initial wheat root study with Winrhizo scanner showed that entries with high root surface area but narrow root angle are associated with past drought tolerance in Texas, while those with wide angle can perform best under normal growing conditions. In a hybrid field experiment, commercial heterosis up to 8.3% in grain yield was obtained from diverse parents selected from male and female diverse groups. These hybrids showed promising yield at Greenville and McGregor, Texas, with grain yield up to 4412 Kg ha⁻¹ as compared to best performing commercial varieties ‘TAM-304’ (4075 Kg ha⁻¹) and ‘Gallagher’ (3981 Kg ha⁻¹). Among 130 hybrids produced, a subset of 50 better-performing hybrids and parents was subjected to one-month-old plant root studies scanned with Winrhizo. The results showed a significant positive correlation of grain yield with initial root angle and a negative correlation with root length.

Keywords: hybrids, root studies, heterosis, wheat breeding

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Authors: Ghaem Zamani, Farveh Aghaye Nezhad, Amin Barari

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The installation process of caissons has usually been a challenging step in the design phase, especially in the case of suction-assisted installation. The engineering practice for estimating the caisson penetration resistance is primarily controlled by the resistance governed by inner and outer skirt friction and the tip resistance. Different methods have been proposed in the literature to evaluate the above components, while the CPT-based methodology has attained notable popularity among others. In this method, two empirical coefficients are suggested, k𝒻 and kp, which relate the frictional resistance and tip resistance to the cone penetration resistance (q𝒸), respectively. A series of jacking installation and uninstallation experiments for different soil densities were carried out in the offshore geotechnical laboratory of Aalborg University, Denmark. The main goal of these tests was to find appropriate values for empirical coefficients of the CPT-based method for the buckets with large embedment ratio (i.e., d/D=1, where d is the skirt length and D is the diameter) and increased tip area penetrated into dense sand deposits. The friction resistance effects were isolated during the pullout experiments; hence, the k𝒻 was back-measured from the tests in the absence of tip resistance. The actuator force during jacking installation equals the sum of frictional resistance and tip resistance. Therefore, the tip resistance of the bucket is calculated by subtracting the back-measured frictional resistance from penetration resistance; hence the relevant coefficient kp would be achieved. The cone penetration test was operated at different points before and after each installation attempt to measure the cone penetration resistance (q𝒸), and the average value of q𝒸 is used for calculations. The experimental results of the jacking installation tests indicated that a larger friction area considerably increased the penetration resistance; however, this effect was completely diminished when foundation suction-assisted penetration was used. Finally, the values measured for the empirical coefficient of the CPT-based method are compared with the highest expected and most probable values suggested by DNV(1992) for uniform thickness buckets.

Keywords: suction caisson, offshore geotechnics, cone penetration test, wind turbine foundation

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Authors: Zhenzhen Zhang

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As major human activity places, buildings consume a large amount of energy, and residential buildings are very important part of it. An extensive research work had been conducted to research how to achieve low energy goals, vernacular dwellings and contemporary technologies are two prime parameters among them. On one hand, some researchers concentrated on vernacular dwellings which were climate-response design and could offer a better living condition without mechanic application. On the other hand, a series concepts appeared based on modern technologies, surplus energy house, bioclimatic architecture, etc. especially thermodynamic architecture which integrates the micro-climate, human activity, thermal comfort, and energy efficiency into design. How to blend the two parameters is the key research topic now, which would act as the key to how to integrate the ancient design wise and contemporary new technologies. By several cases study, this paper will represent the evolution of thermodynamic architecture and then try to develop one methodology about how to produce a typical thermodynamic prototype for one area by blending the ancient building wise and contemporary concepts to achieve both low energy consumption and surplus energy.

Keywords: vernacular dwelling, thermodynamic architecture, bioclimatic architecture, thermodynamic prototype, surplus energy

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Authors: Yu-Lin Shen, Ming-Kuen Chang

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In addition to a considerable amount of machinery and equipment, intricacies of the transmission pipeline exist in Petrochemical plants. Long term corrosion may lead to pipeline thinning and rupture, causing serious safety concerns. With the advances in non-destructive testing technology, more rapid and long-range ultrasonic detection techniques are often used for pipeline inspection, EMAT without coupling to detect, it is a non-contact ultrasonic, suitable for detecting elevated temperature or roughened e surface of line. In this study, we prepared artificial defects in pipeline for Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducer Testing (EMAT) to survey the relationship between the defect location, sizing and the EMAT signal. It was found that the signal amplitude of EMAT exhibited greater signal attenuation with larger defect depth and length.. In addition, with bigger flat hole diameter, greater amplitude attenuation was obtained. In summary, signal amplitude attenuation of EMAT was affected by the defect depth, defect length and the hole diameter and size.

Keywords: EMAT, artificial defect, NDT, ultrasonic testing

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Authors: Kellen Sharp

Abstract:

This study explores the phenomenon of ‘Passport Bros’, a subset within the manosphere responding to perceived crises in masculinity amidst changing gender dynamics. Focusing on a computational analysis of the passport bro community, the research addresses normative beliefs, deviations from MGTOW ideology, and discussions on nationality, race, and gender. Originating from the MGTOW movement, passport bros engage in a neocolonial approach by seeking traditional, non-Western women, attributing this pursuit to dissatisfaction with modern Western women. The paper examines how hetero pessimism within MGTOW shapes the emergence of passport bros, leading to the adoption of red pill ideologies and ultimately manifesting in the form of sex tourism. Analyzing data collected from passport bro forums through computer-assisted content analysis, the study identifies key discourses such as questions and answers, money, attitudes towards Western and traditional women, and discussions about the movement itself. The findings highlight the nuanced intersection of gender, race, and global power dynamics within the passport bro community, shedding light on their motivations and impact on neocolonial legacies.

Keywords: toxic online community, manosphere, gender and media, neocolonialism

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Authors: Shoujia Fang, Guoqing Ding, Xin Chen

Abstract:

The quality of press-fit assembly is closely related to reliability and safety of product. The paper proposed a keypoint detection method based on convolutional neural network to improve the accuracy of keypoint detection in press-fit curve. It would provide an auxiliary basis for judging quality of press-fit assembly. The press-fit curve is a curve of press-fit force and displacement. Both force data and distance data are time-series data. Therefore, one-dimensional convolutional neural network is used to process the press-fit curve. After the obtained press-fit data is filtered, the multi-layer one-dimensional convolutional neural network is used to perform the automatic learning of press-fit curve features, and then sent to the multi-layer perceptron to finally output keypoint of the curve. We used the data of press-fit assembly equipment in the actual production process to train CNN model, and we used different data from the same equipment to evaluate the performance of detection. Compared with the existing research result, the performance of detection was significantly improved. This method can provide a reliable basis for the judgment of press-fit quality.

Keywords: keypoint detection, curve feature, convolutional neural network, press-fit assembly

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Authors: Kyung Jin Kim, Jiwon Kwak, Jae-Hoon Lee, Soo Suk Lee

Abstract:

MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of endogenous, single-stranded, small, and non-protein coding RNA molecules typically 20-25 nucleotides long. They are thought to regulate the expression of other genes in a broad range by binding to 3’- untranslated regions (3’-UTRs) of specific mRNAs. The detection of miRNAs is very important for understanding of the function of these molecules and in the diagnosis of variety of human diseases. However, detection of miRNAs is very challenging because of their short length and high sequence similarities within miRNA families. So, a simple-to-use, low-cost, and highly sensitive method for the detection of miRNAs is desirable. In this study, we demonstrate a novel bi-directional extension (BDE) assay. In the first step, a specific linear RT primer is hybridized to 6-10 base pairs from the 3’-end of a target miRNA molecule and then reverse transcribed to generate a cDNA strand. After reverse transcription, the cDNA was hybridized to the 3’-end which is BDE sequence; it played role as the PCR template. The PCR template was amplified in an SYBR green-based quantitative real-time PCR. To prove the concept, we used human brain total RNA. It could be detected quantitatively in the range of seven orders of magnitude with excellent linearity and reproducibility. To evaluate the performance of BDE assay, we contrasted sensitivity and specificity of the BDE assay against a commercially available poly (A) tailing method using miRNAs for let-7e extracted from A549 human epithelial lung cancer cells. The BDE assay displayed good performance compared with a poly (A) tailing method in terms of specificity and sensitivity; the CT values differed by 2.5 and the melting curve showed a sharper than poly (A) tailing methods. We have demonstrated an innovative, cost-effective BDE assay that allows improved sensitivity and specificity in detection of miRNAs. Dynamic range of the SYBR green-based RT-qPCR for miR-145 could be represented quantitatively over a range of 7 orders of magnitude from 0.1 pg to 1.0 μg of human brain total RNA. Finally, the BDE assay for detection of miRNA species such as let-7e shows good performance compared with a poly (A) tailing method in terms of specificity and sensitivity. Thus BDE proves a simple, low cost, and highly sensitive assay for various miRNAs and should provide significant contributions in research on miRNA biology and application of disease diagnostics with miRNAs as targets.

Keywords: bi-directional extension (BDE), microRNA (miRNA), poly (A) tailing assay, reverse transcription, RT-qPCR

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Authors: Hassan Mohammad Karimi, Ali Salehzade Nobari, Hosein Shahverdi

Abstract:

With the advancement of technology and the decreasing weight of aerial structures, there is a growing demand for alternative energy sources. Structural vibrations can now be utilized to power low-power sensors for monitoring structural health and charging small batteries in drones. Research on extracting energy from flutter using piezoelectric has been extensive in recent years. This article specifically examines the use of a single-jointed beam with a free surface attached to its free end and a bimorph piezoelectric patch connected to the joint, providing two degrees of torsional and bending freedom. The study investigates the voltage harvested at various wind speeds and bending and twisting stiffness in a wind tunnel. The results indicate that as flutter speed increases, the output voltage also increases to some extent. However, at high wind speeds, the limited cycle created becomes unstable, negatively impacting the harvester's performance. These findings align with other research published in reputable scientific journals.

Keywords: energy harvesting, piezoelectric, flutter, wind tunnel

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Authors: hassan gheisari

Abstract:

Ferro silicate calcium nano particles are prepared through the sol-gel method using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a chelating agent. The powder, as prepared, is annealed at three different temperatures (900 ºC, 1000 ºC, and 1100 ºC) for 3 h. The XRD patterns of the samples indicate broad peaks, and the full width at half maximum decreased with increasing annealing temperature. FTIR spectra of the samples confirm the presence of metal - oxygen complexes within the structure. The average particle size obtained from PSA curve demonstrates ultrafine particles. SEM micrographs indicate the particles synthesized have spherical morphology. The saturation magnetization (Ms) and remnant magnetization (Mr) of the samples show dependence on particle size and crystallinity of the samples. The highest saturation magnetization is achieved for the sample annealed at 1100 ºC having maximum average particle size. The high saturation magnetization of the samples suggests the present method is suitable for obtaining nano particles magnetic ferro bioceramic, which is desirable for practical applications such as hyperthermia bone cancer therapy.

Keywords: hyperthermia, bone cancer, bio ceramic; magnetic materials; sol– gel, silicate calcium

Procedia PDF Downloads 71