Search results for: flow rate measurement

Authors: María D. Groppa, Andrea Trentini, Myriam Zawoznik, Roxana Bigi, Carlos Nadra, Patricia L. Marconi

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In the present work, a remediation bioprocess based on the use of a local isolate of the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris immobilized in alginate beads is proposed. This process was shown to be effective for the reduction of several chemical and microbial contaminants present in Cildáñez stream, a water course that is part of the Matanza-Riachuelo Basin (Buenos Aires, Argentina). The bioprocess, involving the culture of the microalga in autotrophic conditions in a stirred-tank bioreactor supplied with a marine propeller for 6 days, allowed a significant reduction of Escherichia coli and total coliform numbers (over 95%), as well as of ammoniacal nitrogen (96%), nitrates (86%), nitrites (98%), and total phosphorus (53%) contents. Pb content was also significantly diminished after the bioprocess (95%). Standardized cytotoxicity tests using Allium cepa seeds and Cildáñez water pre- and post-remediation were also performed. Germination rate and mitotic index of onion seeds imbibed in Cildáñez water subjected to the bioprocess was similar to that observed in seeds imbibed in distilled water and significantly superior to that registered when untreated Cildáñez water was used for imbibition. Our results demonstrate the potential of this simple and cost-effective technology to remove urban-water contaminants, offering as an additional advantage the possibility of an easy biomass recovery, which may become a source of alternative energy.

Keywords: bioreactor, bioremediation, Chlorella vulgaris, Matanza-Riachuelo Basin, microalgae

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Authors: L. Sasikala, Bhaarathi Dhurai

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Increase in antibiotic resistance bacteria leads to the development of active wound dressings, which absorb any bodily fluid, evaporation of moisture at a certain rate and can be easily removed after healing. Natural materials like chitosan, herbs, and honey have number of active materials present in them to accelerate wound healing and to arrest wound in infections. Hence with the advantages of biomaterials, a film was prepared using chitosan and honey. There are a lot of practical considerations with respect to honey. Honey exerts many beneficial actions on the wound surface only when it remains. The attempts to hold honey on the surface of the wound remain a question because honey becomes a very runny liquid when it comes to body temperature. Hence, this research was focused on development of a new form of wound dressing, by holding honey on the wound surface in different form and also which has a combined effect of manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) honey and chitosan. Chitosan-honey film was prepared using casting technique. Films were prepared in different variations; with acetic acid and with lactic acid; with and without honey. In summary, the film produced from 2% chitosan- 1% lactic acid as a solvent, with 10% honey shows optimum inclined values in all the tests, like thickness, folding endurance, weight, water vapor transmission, tensile strength, swelling ratio and antimicrobial activity, with specific reference to wound dressings. The film has water vapor transmission of 1680 g/m²/day, water absorption of 225%, tensile strength of 39.1N/mm² and elongation of 50.3%. There is a notable inhibition zone of 29 mm against S. aureus and 24 mm against E. coli in the case of chitosan-lactic acid-honey film. The film also arrests, microbes transmitting from the outside environment to wound bed, which can be used as an effective wound dressing material.

Keywords: casting technique, chitosan, honey, film, wound dressings

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Authors: Pimpak Phumat, Sakornrat Khongkhunthian, Thomas Rades, Anette Müllertz, Siriporn Okonogi

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Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) containing 4-allylpyrocatechol (AP) extracted from Piper betle were developed to enhance water solubility of AP by using modeling and design (MODDE) program. The amount of AP in each SNEDDS formulation was determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The formulation consisted of 20% Miglyol®812N, 40 % Kolliphor®RH40, 30 % Maisine®35-1 and 10 % ethanol was found to be the best SNEDDS that provided the highest loading capacity of AP. (141.48±15.64 mg/g SNEDDS). The system also showed miscibility with water. The particle shape and size of the AP-SNEDDS after dispersing in water was investigated by using a transmission electron microscope and photon correlation spectrophotometer, respectively. The results showed that they were a spherical shape, having a particle size of 34.27 ± 1.14 nm with a narrow size distribution of 0.17 ± 0.04. The particles showed negative zeta potential with a value of -21.66 ± 2.09 mV. Antibacterial activity of AP-SNEDDS containing 1.5 mg/mL of AP was investigated against Streptococcus intermedius. The effect of this system on S. intermedius cells was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results from SEM revealed that the bacterial cells were obviously destroyed. Killing kinetic study of AP-SNEDDS was carried out. It was found that the killing rate of AP-SNEDDS against S. intermedius was dose-dependent and the bacterial reduction was 79.86 ± 0.45 % within 30 min. In comparison with chlorhexidine (CHX), AP-SNEDDS showed similar antibacterial effects against S. intermedius. It is concluded that SNEDDS is a potential system for enhancing water solubility of AP. The antibacterial study reveals that AP-SNEDDS can be a promising system to treat bacterial infection caused by S. intermedius.

Keywords: SNEDDS, 4-allylpyrocathecol, solubility, antibacterial activity, Streptococcus intermedius

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Authors: Sanjeev K. Singh, Maloy B. Mandal, Revand R.

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The physiology of baroreceptors and chemoreceptors present in large blood vessels of the heart is well known in regulation of cardiorespiratory functions. Since large blood vessels and peripheral blood vessels are of same mesodermal origin, therefore, involvement of the latter in regulation of cardiorespiratory system is expected. Role of perivascular nerves in mediating cardiorespiratory alterations produced after intra-arterial injection of a nociceptive agent (bradykinin) was examined in urethane anesthetized male rats. Respiratory frequency, blood pressure, and heart rate were recorded for 30 min after the retrograde injection of bradykinin/saline in the femoral artery. In addition, paw edema was determined and water content was expressed as percentage of wet weight. Injection of bradykinin produced immediate tachypnoeic, hypotensive and bradycardiac responses of shorter latency (5-8 s) favoring the neural mechanisms involved in it. Injection of equi-volume of saline did not produce any responses and served as time matched control. Paw edema was observed in the ipsilateral hind limb. Pretreatment with diclofenac sodium significantly attenuated the bradykinin-induced responses and also blocked the paw edema. Ipsilateral femoral and sciatic nerve sectioning attenuated bradykinin-induced responses significantly indicating the origin of responses from the local vascular bed. Administration of bradykinin in the segment of an artery produced reflex cardiorespiratory changes by stimulating the perivascular nociceptors involving prostaglandins. This is a novel study exhibiting the role of peripheral blood vessels in regulation of cardiorespiratory system.

Keywords: vasosensory reflex, cardiorespiratory changes, nociceptive agent, bradykinin, VR1 receptors

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Authors: Hossein Askarinejad, Manicka Dhanasekar

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In railway tracks, two adjacent rails are either welded or connected using bolted jointbars. In recent years the number of bolted rail joints is reduced by introduction of longer rail sections and by welding the rails at location of some joints. However, significant number of bolted rail joints remains in railways around the world as they are required to allow for rail thermal expansion or to provide electrical insulation in some sections of track. Regardless of the quality and integrity of the jointbar and bolt connections, the bending stiffness of jointbars is much lower than the rail generating large deflections under the train wheels. In addition, the gap or surface discontinuity on the rail running surface leads to generation of high wheel-rail impact force at the joint gap. These fundamental weaknesses have caused high rate of failure in track components at location of rail joints resulting in significant economic and safety issues in railways. The mechanical behavior of railway track at location of joints has not been fully understood due to various structural and material complexities. Although there have been some improvements in the methods for analysis of track at jointed rails in recent years, there are still uncertainties concerning the accuracy and reliability of the current methods. In this paper the current methods in analysis of track with a rail joint are critically evaluated and the new advances and recent research outcomes in this area are discussed. This research is part of a large granted project on rail joints which was defined by Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for Rail Innovation with supports from Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) and Queensland Rail (QR).

Keywords: jointed rails, railway mechanics, track dynamics, wheel-rail interaction

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Authors: Omolara Lade, David Oloke

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Ibadan City suffers serious water supply problems; cases of dry taps are common in virtually every part of the City. The scarcity of piped water has made communities find alternative water sources; groundwater sources being a ready source. These wells are prone to pollution due to the close proximity of septic tanks to wells, disposal of solid or liquid wastes in pits, abandoned boreholes or even stream channels and landfills. Storms and floods in Ibadan have increased with consequent devastating effects claiming over 120 lives and displacing 600 people on August 2011 alone. In this study, an analysis of the water demand and sources of supply for the city was carried out through questionnaire survey and collection of data from City’s main water supply - Water Corporation of Oyo State (WCOS), groundwater sources were explored and 30 years rainfall data were collected from Meteorological station in Ibadan. 1067 questionnaire were administered at household level with a response rate of 86.7 %. A descriptive analysis of the survey revealed that 77.1 % of the respondents did not receive water at all from WCOS while 83.8 % depend on groundwater sources. Analysis of data from WCOS revealed that main water supply is inadequate as < 10 % of the population water demand was met. Rainfall intensity is highest in June with a mean value of 188 mm, which can be harvested at community—based level and used to complement the population water demand. Rainwater harvesting if planned, and managed properly will become a valuable alternative source of managing urban flood and alleviating water scarcity in the city.

Keywords: Ibadan, rainwater harvesting, sustainable water, urban flooding

Procedia PDF Downloads 182

Authors: Huong M. T. Nguyen, Hoa A. P. Nguyen, Mai P. T. Nguyen, Ngoc D. Ngo, Van T. Ta, Hai T. Le, Chi V. Phan

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Wilson’s disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of the copper metabolism, which is caused by a mutation in the copper-transporting P-type ATPase (ATP7B). The mechanism of this disease is the failure of hepatic excretion of copper to bile, and leads to copper deposits in the liver and other organs. The ATP7B gene is located on the long arm of chromosome 13 (13q14.3). This study aimed to investigate the gene mutation in the Vietnamese patients with WD, and make a presymptomatic diagnosis for their familial members. Forty-three WD patients and their 65 siblings were identified as having ATP7B gene mutations. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples; 21 exons and exon-intron boundaries of the ATP7B gene were analyzed by direct sequencing. We recognized four mutations ([R723=; H724Tfs*34], V1042Cfs*79, D1027H, and IVS6+3A>G) in the sum of 20 detectable mutations, accounting for 87.2% of the total. Mutation S105* was determined to have a high rate (32.6%) in this study. The hotspot regions of ATP7B were found at exons 2, 16, and 8, and intron 14, in 39.6 %, 11.6 %, 9.3%, and 7 % of patients, respectively. Among nine homozygote/compound heterozygote siblings of the patients with WD, three individuals were determined as asymptomatic by screening mutations of the probands. They would begin treatment after diagnosis. In conclusion, 20 different mutations were detected in 43 WD patients. Of this number, four novel mutations were explored, including [R723=; H724Tfs*34], V1042Cfs*79, D1027H, and IVS6+3A>G. The mutation S105* is the most prevalent and has been considered as a biomarker that can be used in a rapid detection assay for diagnosis of WD patients. Exons 2, 8, and 16, and intron 14 should be screened initially for WD patients in Vietnam. Based on risk profile for WD, genetic testing for presymptomatic patients is also useful in diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: ATP7B gene, mutation detection, presymptomatic diagnosis, Vietnamese Wilson’s disease

Procedia PDF Downloads 380

Authors: Amenah Galo, Mohammed Farid, Kareem Alsharkawy, Robert Warner, Karthikeyan Srinivasan, Haitham Khalil, Ruth Waters

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Introduction: The cessation of elective surgery, particularly breast reconstruction, continue to be affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The restructuring of medical services and staff redeployment severely affected the ability to return to normality for surgical specialties. The aim of this study is to determine the decline in breast reconstruction affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in a tertiary center. Methods: A retrospective review of breast reconstruction cases (autologous, non-autologous) or mastectomies Pre- COVID (March 2019-March 2020) and during COVID (March 2020- March 2021) at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, were collated. Data included patient demographics, BMI, previous and recent reconstruction, length of hospital stay, and mastectomies, including risk-reducing. Results: The number of patients who had breast reconstruction was significantly lower during COVID (n=62) compared to pre-COVID (n=199). The mean age (pre-COVID 51, COVID 59 years), BMI (Pre-COVID and COVID = 27), previous reconstruction (pre-COVID n=101, 51%, COVID n=33, 53%) and length hospital stay was less during COVID (3 days) compared to Pre-COVID (4 days). The proportion of risk-reducing mastectomies and reconstruction during COVID (32%, n=20) were higher than pre-COVID (21%, n=41). A higher proportion rate of autologous reconstruction (DIEP 56, TRAM 17) Pre-COVID compared to COVID (DIEP 22, TRAM 7). Implant reconstructions were higher during COVID (n=19, 31%) than pre-COVID (n=31, 16%). Conclusion: The lack of regular provision for breast reconstruction continues to decline during the pandemic. This will have a tremendous impact on waiting lists without a timeline for reconstruction to offer patients. An international survey highlights the disparities in offering breast reconstruction and strategies to rectify this issue.

Keywords: breast reconstruction, COVID-19 pandemic, mastectomy, autologous, implant

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Authors: Feng Huang, Carlos G. Ochoa, Haitao Zhao

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Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, is located at the middle-lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin. It has great value in socioeconomic development and is internationally recognized as an important lacustrine and wetland ecosystem with abundant biodiversity. Impacted by ongoing climate change and anthropogenic activities, especially the regulation of the Three Gorges Reservoir since 2003, Poyang Lake has experienced significant water regime evolution, resulting in challenges for the management of water resources and the environment. Quantifying the contribution of hydrologic and topographic changes to water regime alteration is necessary for policymakers to design effective adaption strategies. Long term hydrologic data were collected and the back-propagation neural networks were constructed to simulate the lake water level. The impacts of hydrologic and topographic changes were differentiated through scenario analysis that considered pre-impact and post-impact hydrologic and topographic scenarios. The lake water regime was characterized by hydrologic indicators that describe monthly water level fluctuations, hydrologic features during flood and drought seasons, and frequency and rate of hydrologic variations. The results revealed different contributions of hydrologic and topographic changes to different features of the lake water regime.Noticeable changes were that the water level declined dramatically during the period of reservoir impoundment, and the drought was enhanced during the dry season. The hydrologic and topographic changes exerted a synergistic effect or antagonistic effect on different lake water regime features. The findings provide scientific reference for lacustrine and wetland ecological protection associated with water regime alterations.

Keywords: back-propagation neural network, scenario analysis, water regime, Poyang Lake

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Authors: Marek Pawlikowski, Krzysztof Jankowski, Konstanty Skalski, Anna Makuch

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Nanoindentation or depth-sensing indentation (DSI) technique has proven to be very useful to measure mechanical properties of various tissues at a micro-scale. Bone tissue, both trabecular and cortical one, is one of the most commonly tested tissues by means of DSI. Most often such tests on bone samples are carried out to compare the mechanical properties of lamellar and interlamellar bone, osteonal bone as well as compact and cancellous bone. In the paper, a relation between stress and strain for human trabecular bone is presented. The relation is based on the results of nanoindentation tests. The formulation of a constitutive model for human trabecular bone is based on nanoindentation tests. In the study, the approach proposed by Olivier-Pharr is adapted. The tests were carried out on samples of trabecular tissue extracted from human femoral heads. The heads were harvested during surgeries of artificial hip joint implantation. Before samples preparation, the heads were kept in 95% alcohol in temperature 4 Celsius degrees. The cubic samples cut out of the heads were stored in the same conditions. The dimensions of the specimens were 25 mm x 25 mm x 20 mm. The number of 20 samples have been tested. The age range of donors was between 56 and 83 years old. The tests were conducted with the indenter spherical tip of the diameter 0.200 mm. The maximum load was P = 500 mN and the loading rate 500 mN/min. The data obtained from the DSI tests allows one only to determine bone behoviour in terms of nanoindentation force vs. nanoindentation depth. However, it is more interesting and useful to know the characteristics of trabecular bone in the stress-strain domain. This allows one to simulate trabecular bone behaviour in a more realistic way. The stress-strain curves obtained in the study show relation between the age and the mechanical behaviour of trabecular bone. It was also observed that the bone matrix of trabecular tissue indicates an ability of energy absorption.

Keywords: constitutive model, mechanical behaviour, nanoindentation, trabecular bone

Procedia PDF Downloads 222

Authors: Truong H. Le, Ngoc M. To, Quang N. Tran, Luu T. Cao, Chi V. Le

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Introduction: In Vietnam, the current monitoring and treatment for ordinary diabetic patient mostly based on glucose monitoring with HbA1c test for every three months (recommended goal is HbA1c < 6.5%~7%). For diabetes in pregnant women or Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), glycemic control until the time of delivery is extremly important because it could reduce significantly medical implications for both the mother and the child. Besides, GDM requires continuos glucose monitoring at least every two weeks and therefore an alternative marker of glycemia for short-term control is considering a potential tool for the healthcare providers. There are published studies have indicated that the glycosylated serum protein is a better indicator than glycosylated hemoglobin in GDM monitoring. Based on the actual practice in Vietnam, this study was designed to evaluate the role of serum fructosamine as a monitoring tool in GDM treament and its correlations with fasting blood glucose (G0), 2-hour postprandial glucose (G2) and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Methods: A cohort study on pregnant women diagnosed with GDM by the 75-gram oralglucose tolerance test was conducted at Endocrinology Department, Cho Ray hospital, Vietnam from June 2014 to March 2015. Cho Ray hospital is the final destination for GDM patient in the southern of Vietnam, the study population has many sources from other pronvinces and therefore researchers belive that this demographic characteristic can help to provide the study result as a reflection for the whole area. In this study, diabetic patients received a continuos glucose monitoring method which consists of bi-weekly on-site visit every 2 weeks with glycosylated serum protein test, fasting blood glucose test and 2-hour postprandial glucose test; HbA1c test for every 3 months; and nutritious consultance for daily diet program. The subjects still received routine treatment at the hospital, with tight follow-up from their healthcare providers. Researchers recorded bi-weekly health conditions, serum fructosamine level and delivery outcome from the pregnant women, using Stata 13 programme for the analysis. Results: A total of 500 pregnant women was enrolled and follow-up in this study. Serum fructosamine level was found to have a light correlation with G0 ( r=0.3458, p < 0.001) and HbA1c ( r=0.3544, p < 0.001), and moderately correlated with G2 ( r=0.4379, p < 0.001). During study timeline, the delivery outcome of 287 women were recorded with the average age of 38.5 ± 1.5 weeks, 9% of them have macrosomia, 2.8% have premature birth before week 35th and 9.8% have premature birth before week 37th; 64.8% of cesarean section and none of them have perinatal or neonatal mortality. The study provides a reference interval of serum fructosamine for GDM patient was 112.9 ± 20.7 μmol/dL. Conclusion: The present results suggests that serum fructosamine is as effective as HbA1c as a reflection of blood glucose control in GDM patient, with a positive result in delivery outcome (0% perinatal or neonatal mortality). The reference value of serum fructosamine measurement provided a potential monitoring utility in GDM treatment for hospitals in Vietnam. Healthcare providers in Cho Ray hospital is considering to conduct more studies to test this reference as a target value in their GDM treatment and monitoring.

Keywords: gestational diabetes mellitus, monitoring tool, serum fructosamine, Vietnam

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Authors: M. Y. Abubakar, M. Yunisa, A. N. Muhammad

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Constraining the production Clarias gariepinus and Oreochromis niloticus culture is the prohibitive cost of feed. We assess the performance of the species fingerlings on diets substituted with composite. Four dietary treatments (0%, 25%, 45%, and 75%) for C. gariepinus and five (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and whole food composite) for O. niloticus were formulated and each fed to 15 fingerlings for C. gariepinus and 10 fingerlings for O. niloticus stocked in 75ltrs plastic bowls, replicated trice in a completely randomized design. The experiment lasted 56 days. Percent survival rate was significantly (p < 0.05) higher (57.78 ± 9.69) in C. gariepinus fed diet III. The growth and nutrient utilization indices were least in the fish fed diet IV, which was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than in other treatments. Fish fed dietary treatment III, recorded the best in growth and nutrient utilization indices and was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than those fed dietary treatments I & II which were non-significant (p > 0.05) and higher than those fed 75% substitution. Better profit index was in the fish fed diet with 50% substitution level. For O. niloticus, the survival (172.62 ± 39.03) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in those fed 25% substituted diet. For growth indices, the least performed were those fed whole composite while other treatments were non-significant (p > 0.05) different from each other. In terms of nutrient utilization, fish fed diet substituted at 0%, 25%, 50% and 75% food composite had similar food conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio. However, there was no significant difference in the profit index among the whole treatment. It can be concluded that food composite from Sokoto house-holds can optimally replace groundnut cake up to 50% level as a protein source in the diets of Clarias gariepinus and O. niloticus fingerlings without adverse effects on survival, growth, and nutrient utilization.

Keywords: food composite, nutrient utilization, C. gariepinus, O. niloticus household, substitution levels

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Authors: Fei Jia, Xingjian Bai, Xiaowei Zhang, Wenjie Yan, Ruitong Dai, Xingmin Li, Jozef Kokini

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Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a Gram-negative, aerobic, opportunistic human pathogen that is present in the soil, water, and food. This microbe has been recognized as a representative food-borne spoilage bacterium that can lead to many types of infections. Considering the casualties and property loss caused by P. aeruginosa, the development of a rapid and reliable technique for the detection of P. aeruginosa is crucial. The whole-cell aptasensor, an emerging biosensor using aptamer as a capture probe to bind to the whole cell, for food-borne pathogens detection has attracted much attention due to its convenience and high sensitivity. Here, a low-field magnetic resonance imaging (LF-MRI) aptasensor for the rapid detection of P. aeruginosa was developed. The basic detection principle of the magnetic relaxation switch (MRSw) nanosensor lies on the ‘T₂-shortening’ effect of magnetic nanoparticles in NMR measurements. Briefly speaking, the transverse relaxation time (T₂) of neighboring water protons get shortened when magnetic nanoparticles are clustered due to the cross-linking upon the recognition and binding of biological targets, or simply when the concentration of the magnetic nanoparticles increased. Such shortening is related to both the state change (aggregation or dissociation) and the concentration change of magnetic nanoparticles and can be detected using NMR relaxometry or MRI scanners. In this work, two different sizes of magnetic nanoparticles, which are 10 nm (MN₁₀) and 400 nm (MN₄₀₀) in diameter, were first immobilized with anti- P. aeruginosa aptamer through 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide (EDC)/N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) chemistry separately, to capture and enrich the P. aeruginosa cells. When incubating with the target, a ‘sandwich’ (MN₁₀-bacteria-MN₄₀₀) complex are formed driven by the bonding of MN400 with P. aeruginosa through aptamer recognition, as well as the conjugate aggregation of MN₁₀ on the surface of P. aeruginosa. Due to the different magnetic performance of the MN₁₀ and MN₄₀₀ in the magnetic field caused by their different saturation magnetization, the MN₁₀-bacteria-MN₄₀₀ complex, as well as the unreacted MN₄₀₀ in the solution, can be quickly removed by magnetic separation, and as a result, only unreacted MN₁₀ remain in the solution. The remaining MN₁₀, which are superparamagnetic and stable in low field magnetic field, work as a signal readout for T₂ measurement. Under the optimum condition, the LF-MRI platform provides both image analysis and quantitative detection of P. aeruginosa, with the detection limit as low as 100 cfu/mL. The feasibility and specificity of the aptasensor are demonstrated in detecting real food samples and validated by using plate counting methods. Only two steps and less than 2 hours needed for the detection procedure, this robust aptasensor can detect P. aeruginosa with a wide linear range from 3.1 ×10² cfu/mL to 3.1 ×10⁷ cfu/mL, which is superior to conventional plate counting method and other molecular biology testing assay. Moreover, the aptasensor has a potential to detect other bacteria or toxins by changing suitable aptamers. Considering the excellent accuracy, feasibility, and practicality, the whole-cell aptasensor provides a promising platform for a quick, direct and accurate determination of food-borne pathogens at cell-level.

Keywords: magnetic resonance imaging, meat spoilage, P. aeruginosa, transverse relaxation time

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Authors: Farzad Doostishoar, Abdolreza Hasanzadeh, Seyed Amin Ayatolahi Mousavi

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Introduction and Goals: Deuterium has different action from its isotopes hydrogen in chemical reactions and biochemical processes. It is not a significant difference in heavier atoms between the behavior of heavier isotope and the lighter One but for very lighter atoms it is significant . According to that most of the weight of all creatures body is water natural rate can be significant. In this article we want to study the effect of reduced deuterium on the fungus cell. If we saw the dependence of deuterium concentration of environment on the cells growth we can test this in invivo models too. Methods: First we measured deuterium concentration of the distillated water this analyze was operated by Arak’s heavy water company. Then the deuterium was diluted to ½ ¼ 1/8 1/16 by adding water free of deuterium for making media. In tree of samples the deuterium concentration was increased by adding D2O up to 10,50,100 times more concentrated. For candida albicans growth we used sabor medium and for aspergillus fomigatis growth we used sabor medium containing chloramphenicol. After culturing the funguses species we put the mediums for each species in the shaker incubator for 10 days in 25 centigrade. In different days and times the plates were studied morphologically and some microscopic characteristics were studied too. This experiments and cultures were repeated 3 times. Results: Statistical analyzes by paired-sample T test showed that aspergilus fomigatoos growth was decreased in concentration of 72 ppm( half deuterium concentration of negative control) significantly. In deuterium concentration reduction the growth reduce into the negative control significantly. The project results showed that candida albicans was sensitive to reduce and decrease of the deuterium in all concentrations.

Keywords: deuterium, cancer cell, growth, candida albicans

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Authors: Nabil Ahmed Kamal Badawy, Ali Falah Alhajraf, Mawaheb Falah Alsamdan

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Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of self-medication with over-the-counter pain relievers (acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin) among Kuwaiti citizens above the age of 16 years old and describe their patterns of use, perceived awareness of, and concerns about the drugs’ potential side effects. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey. Setting: Samples were selected from the six Kuwaiti governorates. Subjects: The data were collected over a four-month period in 2012, from 850 subjects who identified as Kuwaiti citizens. These subjects were recruited using stratified random sampling. Results: Overall, a 67% response rate was obtained. In total, 68% (573) of the respondents reported the use of over-the-counter pain relievers. Women, middle-aged or single individuals, and those who had completed higher education used these drugs more than any other subgroup (p<0.05). We found evidence of inappropriate use of these drugs, with 15% (88) of the consumers using them almost daily. Further, 19% (111) of the consumers exceeded the recommended dosage at least once. Not only were 81% of the consumers unaware of the potential side effects, but also more than 61% were not concerned about them. Women were more knowledgeable than men regarding the maximum dose (p=0.036, OR 1.49, CI 1.03–2.17). Consumers with higher levels of education did not show distinct knowledge regarding the maximum allowed dose of the drugs (p=0.252, OR 1.71, CI 0.68-4.25). Conclusion: The results showed a high prevalence of self-medication with over-the-counter pain relievers among Kuwaiti citizens. The subjects showed marked unawareness and a lack of concern regarding the potential complications resulting from the inappropriate use of these analgesics. This demonstrates the need for educational interventions directed toward both patients and health care workers.

Keywords: awareness of side effects, concern, patterns of use, prevalence

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Authors: Jae-Yong Park, Gwancheol Seo, Young-Ho Kim

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Microvoids, sometimes called Kikendall voids, generally form in the interfaces between Sn-based solders and Cu and degrade the mechanical and electrical properties of the solder joints. The microvoid formation is known as the rapid interdiffusion between Sn and Cu and impurity content in the Cu. Cu electroplating from the acid solutions has been widely used by microelectronic packaging industry for both printed circuit board (PCB) and integrated circuit (IC) applications. The quality of electroplated Cu that can be optimized by the electroplating conditions is critical for the solder joint reliability. In this paper, the influence of electroplating conditions on the microvoid growth in the interfaces between Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu (SAC) solder and Cu layer was investigated during isothermal aging. The Cu layers were electroplated by controlling the additive of electroplating bath and current density to induce various microvoid densities. The electroplating bath consisted of sulfate, sulfuric acid, and additives and the current density of 5-15 mA/cm2 for each bath was used. After aging at 180 °C for up to 250 h, typical bi-layer of Cu6Sn5 and Cu3Sn intermetallic compounds (IMCs) was gradually growth at the SAC/Cu interface and microvoid density in the Cu3Sn showed disparities in the electroplating conditions. As the current density increased, the microvoid formation was accelerated in all electroplating baths. The higher current density induced, the higher impurity content in the electroplated Cu. When the polyethylene glycol (PEG) and Cl- ion were mixed in an electroplating bath, the microvoid formation was the highest compared to other electroplating baths. On the other hand, the overall IMC thickness was similar in all samples irrespective of the electroplating conditions. Impurity content in electroplated Cu influenced the microvoid growth, but the IMC growth was not affected by the impurity content. In conclusion, the electroplated conditions are properly optimized to avoid the excessive microvoid formation that results in brittle fracture of solder joint under high strain rate loading.

Keywords: electroplating, additive, microvoid, intermetallic compound

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Authors: D. P. Lawrence, T. M. M. D. Ariyarathna, W. N. K. De Silva, M. D. S. C. De Silva, Lasantha Abeysiri, Pradeep Abeygunawardhna

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Safari traveling is one of the most famous hobbies all over the world. In Sri Lanka, 'Yala' is the second-largest national park, which is a better place to go for a safari. Many number of local and foreign travelers are coming to go for a safari in 'Yala'. But 'Yala' does not have a mobile application that is made to facilitate the traveler with some important features that the traveler wants to achieve in the safari experience. To overcome these difficulties, the proposed mobile application by adding those identified features to make travelers, guiders, and administration's works easier. The proposed safari traveling guidance mobile application is called 'SMART SAFARI' for the 'Yala' National Park in Sri Lanka. There are four facilities in this mobile application that provide for travelers as well as the guiders. As the first facility, the guider and traveler can view the created map of the park, and the guider can add temporary locations of animals and special locations on the map. This is a Geographic Information System (GIS) to capture, analyze, and display geographical data. And as the second facility is to generate optimal paths according to the travelers' requirements through the park by using machine learning techniques. In the third part, the traveler can get information about animals using an animal identification system by capturing the animal. As in the other facility, the traveler will be facilitated to add reviews and a rate and view those comments under categorized sections and pre-defined score range. With those facilities, this user-friendly mobile application provides the user to get a better experience in safari traveling, and it will probably help to develop tourism culture in Sri Lanka.

Keywords: animal identification system, geographic information system, machine learning techniques, pre defined score range

Procedia PDF Downloads 133

Authors: Andrew Couch, Nicholas Loyd, Nathan Tenhundfeld

Abstract:

The rapid emergence of technology observably induces disruptive effects that carry implications for internal organizational dynamics as well as external market opportunities, strategic pressures, and threats. An examination of the historical tendencies of technology innovation shows that the body of managerial knowledge for addressing such disruption is underdeveloped. Fundamentally speaking, the impacts of innovation are unique and situationally oriented. Hence, the appropriate managerial response becomes a complex function that depends on the nature of the emerging technology, the posturing of internal organizational dynamics, the rate of technological growth, and much more. This research considers a particular case of mismanagement, the BP Texas City Refinery explosion of 2005, that carries notable discrepancies on the basis of human factors principles. Moreover, this research considers the modern technological climate (shaped by Industry 4.0 technologies) and seeks to arrive at an appropriate conceptual lens by which human factors principles and Industry 4.0 may be favorably integrated. In this manner, the careful examination of these phenomena helps to better support the sustainment of human factors principles despite the disruptive impacts that are imparted by technological innovation. In essence, human factors considerations are assessed through the application of principles that stem from usability engineering, the Swiss Cheese Model of accident causation, human-automation interaction, signal detection theory, alarm design, and other factors. Notably, this stream of research supports a broader framework in seeking to guide organizations amid the uncertainties of Industry 4.0 to capture higher levels of adoption, implementation, and transparency.

Keywords: Industry 4.0, human factors engineering, management, case study

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Authors: O. Squillace, R. L. Thompson

Abstract:

Migration of small molecules to, and across the surface of polymer matrices is a little-studied problem with important industrial applications. Tackifiers in adhesives, flavors in foods and binding agents in paints all present situations where the function of a product depends on the ability of small molecules to migrate through a polymer matrix to achieve the desired properties such as softness, dispersion of fillers, and to deliver an effect that is felt (or tasted) on a surface. It’s been shown that the chemical and molecular structure, surface free energies, phase behavior, close environment and compatibility of the system, influence the migrants’ motion. When differences in behavior, such as occurrence of segregation to the surface or not, are observed it is then of crucial importance to identify and get a better understanding of the driving forces involved in the process of molecular migration. In this aim, experience is meant to be allied with theory in order to deliver a validated theoretical and computational toolkit to describe and predict these phenomena. The systems that have been chosen for this study aim to address the effect of polarity mismatch between the migrants and the polymer matrix and that of a second migrant over the first one. As a non-polar resin polymer, polyvinyl acetate is used as the material to which more or less polar migrants (sorbitol, carvone, octanoic acid (OA), triacetin) are to be added. Through contact angle measurement a surface excess is seen for sorbitol (polar) mixed with PVAc as the surface energy is lowered compare to the one of pure PVAc. This effect is increased upon the addition of carvon or triacetin (non-polars). Surface micro-structures are also evidenced by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Ion beam analysis (Nuclear Reaction Analysis), supplemented by neutron reflectometry can accurately characterize the self-organization of surfactants, oligomers, aromatic molecules in polymer films in order to relate the macroscopic behavior to the length scales that are amenable to simulation. The nuclear reaction analysis (NRA) data for deuterated OA 20% shows the evidence of a surface excess which is enhanced after annealing. The addition of 10% triacetin, as a second migrant, results in the formation of an underlying layer enriched in triacetin below the surface excess of OA. The results show that molecules in polarity mismatch with the matrix tend to segregate to the surface, and this is favored by the addition of a second migrant of the same polarity than the matrix. As studies have been restricted to materials that are model supported films under static conditions in a first step, it is also wished to address the more challenging conditions of materials under controlled stress or strain. To achieve this, a simple rig and PDMS cell have been designed to stretch the material to a defined strain and to probe these mechanical effects by ion beam analysis and atomic force microscopy. This will make a significant step towards exploring the influence of extensional strain on surface segregation, flavor release in cross-linked rubbers.

Keywords: polymers, surface segregation, thin films, molecular migration

Procedia PDF Downloads 132

Authors: Ju Young Kim, Mohammad Zahirul Islam, Mahmuda Akter Mele, Su Jeong Han, Hyuk Sung Yoon, In-Lee Choi, Ho-Min Kang

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Strawberry and tomato fruits were harvested at the red ripens maturity stage in the Republic of Korea. The fruits were dipped in fungi solution and afterwards were sterilized with sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) and chlorine dioxide (ClO2) gas. Some fruits were dipped in 150μL/L NaOCl solution for 10 minutes, and others were treated with 5μL/L ClO2 gas for 12 hours and packed with 20,000 cc OTR (oxygen transmission rate) film, the rest were packed in 10,000 cc OTR film inserted with 5μL/L ClO2 gas. 5μL/L ClO2 gas insert treatment showed the lowest carbon dioxide and ethylene, and the highest oxygen concentration was on the final storage day (15th day) in both strawberry and tomato fruits. Tomato fruits showed the lowest fresh weight loss in 5μL/L ClO2 gas insert treatment. The visual quality as well as shelf life showed the highest in 5μL/L ClO2 gas insert treatment of both strawberry and tomato fruits. In addition, the fungal incidence of strawberry and tomato fruits were the most suppressed in 5μL/L ClO2 gas insert treatment. 5μL/L ClO2 gas insert treatment showed higher firmness and soluble solids in both strawberry and tomato fruits. So, 5μL/L ClO2 gas insert treatment may be useful to prevent the fungal incidence as well as retaining the postharvest quality, and increase the shelf life of strawberry and tomato fruits for long term storage. This study was supported by Export Promotion Technology Development Program (314027-03), IPET, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Republic of Korea.

Keywords: chlorine dioxide, ethylene, fungi, sodium hypochlorite

Procedia PDF Downloads 366

Authors: Shedy Maharani Nariswari, Prima Agustia Nova, I. Made Kariasa

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Background. Heart Failure (HF) is a chronic and progressive condition associated with significant morbidity, mortality, health care expenditures, and a high readmission rate over the years. Self‐care is essential to manage chronic heart failure in the long term, and it is related to better outcomes and can enhance the quality of life. Objective. The aims of this study were to describe the relationship between self-care behavior and quality of life among heart failure patients in East Jakarta, Indonesia. Methods. This study used a correlational-descriptive design with a cross-sectional study, the sampling method used purposive sampling method. Self-care was measured using Self-care Heart Failure Index version 6.2, and quality of life was measured using The Minnesota Living with Heart Failure. Pearson correlation and Spearman-rho correlations are used to analyze the data. Results. We recruited 103 patients with HF in both outpatient and inpatient ward: mean age 59.26 ± 11.643 years, 63.1% male. Patients with higher levels of education were associated with higher self-care maintenance (p= 0.007). The patient's average quality of life is quite high, with a score of 72,07 ± 16,89. There were a significant relationship among self-care maintenance (r=0,305, p=0,001), self-care management (r=0,330, p=0,001), and self-care confidence (r=0,335, p=0,001) towards the quality of life. Most participants have inadequate self-care maintenance, self-care management, and self-care confidence (score < 70), while the score of quality of life is categorized as poor. Conclusion. The self-care behaviors were limited among patients living with HF in Indonesia yet was associated with better quality of life. It is necessary to promote health related to knowledge and adherence to self-care behavior so that it can improve the quality of life of heart failure patients. This study can be used as a reference to promote self-care among patients with heart failure, it can help to enhance their quality of life.

Keywords: heart failure, self-care maintenance, self-care management, self-care confidence, quality of life

Procedia PDF Downloads 106

Authors: Odey Moses Ogah, Felix Terhemba Ikyereve

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The study was carried out to analyzed risks in financing agriculture by agricultural cooperatives in Benue State, Nigeria. The study made use of research questionnaires for data collection. A multistage sampling technique was used to select a sample of 210 respondents from 21 agricultural cooperatives. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were employed in data analysis. Loan defaulting (66.7%) and reduction in savings by members (51.4%) were the major causes of risks faced by agricultural cooperatives in financing agriculture in the study area. Other causes include adverse changes in commodity prices (48.6%), disaster (45.7%), among others. It was found that risks adversely influence the profitability and competition of agricultural cooperatives (82.9%). Multiple regression analysis results showed that the coefficient of multiple determinations was 0.67, implying that the explanatory variables included in the model accounted for 67% of the variation in the level of profitability of agricultural cooperatives. The number of loans, average amount of loan and the interest rate were significant and important determinants of profitability of the cooperatives. The majority of the respondents (88.6%) made use of loan guarantors as a strategy of managing loan default/no repayment. It was found that the majority (70%) of the respondents were faced with the challenge of lack of insurance cover. The study recommends that agricultural cooperative officials should be encouraged to undergo formal training and education to easily acquire administrative skills in the management of agricultural loans; Farmer's loan size should be increased and released on time to enable them to use it effectively. Policies that enhance insuring farm activities should be put in place to discourage farmers from risk aversion.

Keywords: agriculture, analysis, cooperative, finance, risks

Procedia PDF Downloads 113

Authors: Mthiyane Pretty, Mitsui Toshiake, Aycan Murat, Nagano Hirohiko

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Methane (CH₄) is one of the most dangerous greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere by terrestrial ecosystems, with a global warming potential (GWP) 25-34 times that of CO2 on a centennial scale. Paddy rice cultivations are a major source of methane emission and is the major driving force for climate change. Thus, it is necessary to find out GHG emissions mitigation strategies from rice cultivation. A study was conducted at Niigata University. And the prime objective of this research was to determine the effects of rice varieties CH4 lowland (NU1, YNU, Nipponbare, Koshihikari) and upland (Norin 1, Norin 24, Hitachihatamochi) japonica rice varieties using different growth media which was paddy field soil and artificial soil. The treatments were laid out in a split plot design. The soil moisture was kept at 40-50% and 70%, respectively. The CH₄ emission rates were determined by collecting air samples using the closed chamber technique and measuring CH₄ concentrations using a gas chromatograph. CH₄ emission rates varied with the growth, growth media type and development of the rice varieties. The soil moisture was monitored at a soil depth of 5–10 cm with an HydraGO portable soil sensor system every three days for each pot, and temperatures were be recorded by a sensitive thermometer. The lowest cumulative CH4 emission rate was observed in Norin 24, particularly under 40 to 50% soil moisture. Across the rice genotypes, 40-50% significantly reduced the cumulative CH4 , followed by irrigation of 70% soil moisture. During the tillering stage, no significant variation in tillering and plant height was observed between and 70% soil moisture. This study suggests that the cultivation of Norin 24 and Norin 1 under 70% soil irrigation could be effective at reducing the CH4 in rice fields.

Keywords: methane, paddy fields, rice varieties, soil moisture

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: Buğra Sinmez

Abstract:

In some countries, such as China, Turkey, andseveralEuropeanUnionnations, the therailwaypavementstructuralsystem has recently undergonerapid growth as a vital element of the transportation infrastructure, particularlyfortheuse of high-speed trains. It is vitaltoconsiderthe High-SpeedInfrastructureDemandwhendevelopingandconstructingtherailwaypavementstructure. HSRL can create more substantial ldifficultiestotheballastorbaselayer of regularlyusedballastedrailwaypavementsthanstandardrailwaytrains. The deterioration of the theballastorbaselayermayleadtosubstructuredegradation, which might lead to safety concerns and catastrophicincidents. As a result, the efficiency of railways will be impactedbylargecargoesorhigh-speed trains. A railwaypavement construction can be strengthened using geosyntheticmaterials in theballastorfoundationlayer as a countermeasure. However, there is still a need in the literature to quantifytheinfluence of geosynthetic materials, particularlygeogrid, on the mechanical responses of railwaypavementstructuresto HSRL loads which is essential knowledge in supporting the selection of appropriate material and geogridinstallationposition. As a result, the purpose of this research is to see how a geogridreinforcementlayermayaffectthekeyfeatures of a ballastedrailwaypavementstructure, with a particular focus on the materialtypeandgeogridplacementpositionthatmayassistreducethe rate of degradation of the therailwaypavementstructuresystem. Thisstudyusesnumericalmodeling in a genuinerailwaycontexttovalidatethebenefit of geogrid reinforcement. The usage of geogrids in the railway system has been thoroughly researched in the technical literature. Three distinct types of geogrid installed at two distinct positions (i.e.,withintheballastlayer, betweentheballastandthesub-ballast layer) within a railwaypavementconstructionwereevaluatedunder a variety of verticalwheelloadsusing a three-dimensional (3D) finite element model. As a result, fouralternativegeogridreinforcementsystemsweremodeledtoreflectdifferentconditions in the ballastedrailwaysystems (G0: no reinforcement; G1: reinforcedwithgeogridhavingthelowestdensityandYoung'smodulus; G2: reinforcedwithgeogridhavingtheintermediateYoung'smodulusanddensity; G3: reinforcedwithgeogridhavingthegreatestdensityandYoung'smodulus). Themechanicalreactions of the railway, such as verticalsurfacedeflection, maximumprimarystressandstrain, andmaximumshearstress, werestudiedandcomparedbetweenthefourgeogridreinforcementscenariosandfourverticalwheelloadlevels (i.e., 75, 100, 150, and 200 kN). Differences in the mechanical reactions of railwaypavementconstructionsowingtotheuse of differentgeogridmaterialsdemonstratethebenefits of suchgeosynthetics in ballast. In comparison to a non-reinforcedrailwaypavementconstruction, thereinforcedconstructionsfeaturedecreasedverticalsurfacedeflection, maximum shear stress at the sleeper-ballast contact, and maximum main stress at the bottom of the ballast layer. As a result, addinggeogridtotheballastlayerandbetweentheballastandsub-ballast layer in a ballastedrailwaypavementconstruction has beenfoundtolowercriticalshearand main stresses as well as verticalsurfacedeflection.

Keywords: geosynthetics, geogrid, railway, transportation

Procedia PDF Downloads 181

Authors: Anam Layla, Qamar Abbas Syed, Tahir Zahoor, Muhammad Shahid

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Brassicaceae sprouts are promising candidates for functional food because of their unique phytochemistry and high nutrient density compared to their seeds and matured vegetables. Despite being admired for their health-promoting properties, white cabbage sprouts have been least explored for their nutritional significance and behavior to lactic acid fermentation. This study aimed to investigate the role of lactic acid fermentation i.e., inoculum vs. spontaneous, in reducing intrinsic toxicants load and improving nutrients delivering potential of the white cabbage sprouts. White cabbage sprouts with a 5 – 7 cm average size were processed as raw, blanched, Lactiplantibacillus plantarum inoculated fermentation and spontaneous fermentation. Plant material was dehydrated at 40˚C and evaluated for microbiological quality, macronutrients, minerals, and anti-nutrient contents. The results indicate L. plantarum inoculum fermentation of blanched cabbage sprouts (IF-BCS) to increase lactic acid bacteria count of the sprouts from 0.97 to 8.47 log CFU/g. Compared with the raw cabbage sprouts (RCS), inoculum fermented-raw cabbage sprouts (IF-RCS), and spontaneous fermented-raw cabbage sprouts (SF-RCS), the highest content of Ca (447 mg/ 100g d.w.), Mg (204 mg/100g d.w.), Fe (9.3 mg/100g d.w.), Zn (5 mg/100g d.w.) and Cu (0.5 mg/100g d.w.) were recorded in IF-BCS. L. plantarum led fermentation of BCS demonstrated a reduction in phytates, tannins, and oxalates contents at a rate of 42%, 66%, and 53%, respectively, while standalone lactic acid fermentation of the raw sprouts reduced the burden of anti-nutrients in a range between 32 to 56%. The results suggest L. plantarum led lactic acid fermentation coupled with sprouts blanching is the most promising way to improve the nutritional quality and safety of the white cabbage sprouts.

Keywords: lactic acid fermentation, anti-nutrients, mineral content, nutritional quality

Procedia PDF Downloads 58

Authors: Abdolreza Farhadian, Anh Phan, Zahra Taheri Rizi, Elaheh Sadeh

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The utilization of solidified gas technology based on hydrates exhibits considerable promise for carbon capture, storage, and natural gas transportation applications. The pivotal factor impeding the industrial implementation of hydrates lies in the need for efficient and non-foaming promoters. In this study, a biosurfactant with sulfonate, amide, and carboxyl groups (BS) was synthesized as a methane hydrate formation promoter, replicating the chemical characteristics of amino acids and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The synthesis of BS follows a simple, three-step process that is amenable to industrial scale production. The first two steps of the process are solvent-free, which helps reduce potential environmental impacts and makes scaling up more feasible. Additionally, the final step utilizes a water-isopropanol mixture, which is an easily accessible and cost-effective solvent system for large-scale production. High-pressure autoclave experiments demonstrated a significant enhancement in methane hydrate formation kinetics with low BS concentrations. 50 ppm of BS yielded a maximum water-to-hydrate conversion of 66.9%, equivalent to a storage capacity of 119.9 v/v in distilled water. With increasing BS concentration to 500 ppm, the conversion degree and storage capacity reached 97% and 162.6 v/v, respectively. Molecular dynamic simulation revealed that BS molecules acted as collectors for methane molecules, augmenting hydrate growth rate and increasing the number of hydrate cavities. Additionally, BS demonstrated a biodegradability exceeding 60% within 28 days.

Keywords: solidified methane, gas storage, gas hydrates, green surfactant, gas hydrate promoter, computational simulation, sustainability

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Authors: Soudeh Tabashi, Mohammadreza Moshari, Parisa Sezari

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Introduction: Postoperative analgesia in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation (OLT) surgery is challenging for anesthesiologists. Although OLT is one of the most extensive abdominal operations, it seems that patients don’t suffer from severe post operative pain. On the other hands drug metabolism is unpredictable due to unknown graft function. The aim of this study was to compare intraoperative infusion of remifentanil versus fentanyl in postoperative opioid demand in patients with OLT and evaluating the complications in two groups. Method: In this double-blind clinical trial 34 patients who had OLT were included. They divided randomly in two groups of Remifentanil (R) and Fentanyl (F). Patients in group R and F received infusion of Remifentanil 0.3-1 µg/Kg/min and Fentanyl 0.3-1 µg/Kg/min during maintenance of anesthesia. Post operative pain were measured in 6, 12, 18, 24 hours and second and third days after surgery with Numeric Rate Scale (NRS). Patients had received intravenous acetaminophen as rescue therapy with NRS of 3 or more. In addition to demographic information, post operative opioid consumption were recorded as the primary outcome. Intraoperative blood transfusion, intraoperative inotropic drugs consumption, weaning time and intensive care unit stay were also evaluated. Results: Total dose of acetaminophen consumption in first 3 days after surgery did not have significant difference between two groups (Pvalue=0.716). intraoperative inotrope consumption, blood transfusion and post operative weaning time and ICU stay were also similar in both groups. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that intraoperative infusion of remifentanil in OLT have the same effect on post operative pain management as fentanyl. Despite the complications of operation were not increased by remifentanil.

Keywords: liver transplantation, postoperative pain, remifentanil, fentanyl

Procedia PDF Downloads 68

Authors: Ali Christian Chinedu, Asogwa Vincent Chidindu, Ejiofor Toochukwu Eleazar, Okadi Ashagwu Ojang

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The increasing rate of Boko Haram insurgency, farmer-herder clashes, and kidnapping in Nigeria has resulted in food shortages and high cost of protein sources like beef and fish. This challenge could be curbed with the production of edible insects, which contain several nutritional benefits like calories, protein, fat, vitamins, and minerals, depending on their species, metamorphic stage, and diet. Unfortunately, the benefits and competencies in producing, preserving, and marketing edible insects are still unknown to the public, including prospective farmers in Nigeria. Hence, this study determined teachers’ perception of integrating edible insects into the Animal Husbandry Curriculum in Senior Secondary Schools in Nigeria to equip the future generation with the relevant competencies for alternative sustainable protein supply. The study was carried out in Enugu State, Nigeria. The participants for the study comprised 162 agricultural science teachers. A questionnaire titled: Edible Insects Integration in Animal Husbandry Curriculum Questionnaire (EIIAHCQ) was used to collect data using a descriptive survey research design. We conducted data collection with the help of six research assistants. The study identified 11 objectives, 11 contents, 10 teaching methods, and 9 evaluation methods that could be integrated into the existing curriculum of animal husbandry in Nigeria. Among others, the Ministry of Education should integrate the finding of this study into the curriculum of Animal Husbandry in Nigeria to enhance the protein supply and curb food insecurity now and in the future.

Keywords: animal husbandry curriculum, edible insects, entomophagy, integration, secondary school, Nigeria

Procedia PDF Downloads 92

Authors: Ferhati Ahmed, Fillali Ahmed, Oulhadj Younsi

Abstract:

delimitation of the perimeters of protection in the catchment area of the city of Adrar, which are established around the sites for the collection of water intended for human consumption of drinking water, with the objective of ensuring the preservation and reducing the risks of point and accidental pollution of the resource (Continental Intercalar groundwater of the Northern Sahara of Algeria). This wellfield is located in the northeast of the city of Adrar, it covers an area of 132.56 km2 with 21 Drinking Water Supply wells (DWS), pumping a total flow of approximately 13 Hm3/year. The choice of this wellfield is based on the favorable hydrodynamic characteristics and their location in relation to the agglomeration. The vulnerability to pollution of this slick is very high because the slick is free and suffers from the absence of a protective layer. In recent years, several factors have been introduced around the field that can affect the quality of this precious resource, including the presence of a strong centre for domestic waste and agricultural and industrial activities. Thus, its sustainability requires the implementation of protection perimeters. The objective of this study is to set up three protection perimeters: immediate, close and remote. The application of the Wyssling method makes it possible to calculate the transfer time (t) of a drop of groundwater located at any point in the aquifer up to the abstraction and thus to define isochrones which in turn delimit each type of perimeter, 40 days for the nearer and 100 days for the farther away. Special restrictions are imposed for all activities depending on the distance of the catchment. The application of this method to the Adrar city catchment field showed that the close and remote protection perimeters successively occupy areas of 51.14 km2 and 92.9 km2. Perimeters are delimited by geolocated markers, 40 and 46 markers successively. These results show that the areas defined as "near protection perimeter" are free from activities likely to present a risk to the quality of the water used. On the other hand, on the areas defined as "remote protection perimeter," there is some agricultural and industrial activities that may present an imminent risk. A rigorous control of these activities and the restriction of the type of products applied in industrial and agricultural is imperative.

Keywords: continental intercalaire, drinking water supply, groundwater, perimeter of protection, wyssling method

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Authors: Noori Shafiqullah

Abstract:

Millions of people reside downstream of river basins that heavily rely on snowmelt originating from the Hindu Kush (HK) region. Snowmelt plays a critical role as a primary water source in these areas. This study aimed to evaluate snowfall and snowmelt characteristics in the HK region across altitudes ranging from 2019m to 4533m. To achieve this, the study employed a combination of remote sensing techniques and the Snow Model (SM) to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of Snow Water Equivalent (SWE). By integrating the simulated Snow-cover Area (SCA) with data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the study optimized the Precipitation Gradient (PG), snowfall assessment, and the degree-day factor (DDF) for snowmelt distribution. Ground observed data from various elevations were used to calculate a temperature lapse rate of -7.0 (°C km-1). Consequently, the DDF value was determined as 3 (mm °C-1 d-1) for altitudes below 3000m and 3 to 4 (mm °C-1 d-1) for higher altitudes above 3000m. Moreover, the distribution of precipitation varies with elevation, with the PG being 0.001 (m-1) at lower elevations below 4000m and 0 (m-1) at higher elevations above 4000m. This study successfully utilized the SM to assess SCA and SWE by incorporating the two optimized parameters. The analysis of simulated SCA and MODIS data yielded coefficient determinations of R2, resulting in values of 0.95 and 0.97 for the years 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017, respectively. These results demonstrate that the SM is a valuable tool for managing water resources in mountainous watersheds such as the HK, where data scarcity poses a challenge."

Keywords: improved MODIS, experiment, snow water equivalent, snowmelt

Procedia PDF Downloads 69