Search results for: small area variation

Authors: Taha SamadSoltani, Peyman Rezaei Hachesu, Marjan GhaziSaeedi, Maryam Zolnoori

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Introduction: Data mining defined as a process to find patterns and relationships along data in the database to build predictive models. Application of data mining extended in vast sectors such as the healthcare services. Medical data mining aims to solve real-world problems in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. This method applies various techniques and algorithms which have different accuracy and precision. The purpose of this study was to apply knowledge discovery and data mining techniques for the diagnosis of asthma based on patient symptoms and history. Method: Data mining includes several steps and decisions should be made by the user which starts by creation of an understanding of the scope and application of previous knowledge in this area and identifying KD process from the point of view of the stakeholders and finished by acting on discovered knowledge using knowledge conducting, integrating knowledge with other systems and knowledge documenting and reporting.in this study a stepwise methodology followed to achieve a logical outcome. Results: Sensitivity, Specifity and Accuracy of KNN, SVM, Naïve bayes, NN, Classification tree and CN2 algorithms and related similar studies was evaluated and ROC curves were plotted to show the performance of the system. Conclusion: The results show that we can accurately diagnose asthma, approximately ninety percent, based on the demographical and clinical data. The study also showed that the methods based on pattern discovery and data mining have a higher sensitivity compared to expert and knowledge-based systems. On the other hand, medical guidelines and evidence-based medicine should be base of diagnostics methods, therefore recommended to machine learning algorithms used in combination with knowledge-based algorithms.

Keywords: asthma, datamining, classification, machine learning

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Authors: Diego de Almeida Pereira

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The roughness index of a road is considered the most important parameter about the quality of the pavement, as it has a close relation with the comfort and safety of the road users. Such condition can be established by means of functional evaluation of pavement surface deviations, measured by the International Roughness Index (IRI), an index that came out of the international evaluation of pavements, coordinated by the World Bank, and currently owns, as an index of limit measure, for purposes of receiving roads in Brazil, the value of 2.7 m/km. This work make use of the e.IRI parameter, obtained by the Roadroid app. for smartphones which use Android operating system. The choice of such application is due to the practicality for the user interaction, as it possesses a data storage on a cloud of its own, and the support given to universities all around the world. Data has been collected for six months, once in each month. The studies begun in March 2018, season of precipitations that worsen the conditions of the roads, besides the opportunity to accompany the damage and the quality of the interventions performed. About 350 kilometers of sections of four federal highways were analyzed, BR-020, BR-040, BR-060 and BR-070 that connect the Federal District (area where Brasilia is located) and surroundings, chosen for their economic and tourist importance, been two of them of federal and two others of private exploitation. As well as much of the road network, the analyzed stretches are coated of Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA). Thus, this present research performs a contrastive discussion between comfort conditions and safety of the roads under private exploitation in which users pay a fee to the concessionaires so they could travel on a road that meet the minimum requirements for usage, and regarding the quality of offered service on the roads under Federal Government jurisdiction. And finally, the contrast of data collected by National Department of Transport Infrastructure – DNIT, by means of a laser perfilometer, with data achieved by Roadroid, checking the applicability, the practicality and cost-effective, considering the app limitations.

Keywords: roadroid, international roughness index, Brazilian roads, pavement

Procedia PDF Downloads 73

Authors: Amir Asadi, Karim Habib, Robert J. Moon, Kyriaki Kalaitzidou

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There has been considerable interest in cellulose nanomaterials (CN) as polymer and polymer composites reinforcement due to their high specific modulus and strength, low density and toxicity, and accessible hydroxyl side groups that can be readily chemically modified. The focus of this study is making lightweight composites for better fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emission in auto industries with no compromise on mechanical performance using a scalable technique that can be easily integrated in sheet molding compound (SMC) manufacturing lines. Light weighting will be achieved by replacing part of the heavier components, i.e. glass fibers (GF), with a small amount of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) in short GF/epoxy composites made using SMC. CNC will be introduced as coating of the GF rovings prior to their use in the SMC line. The employed coating method is similar to the fiber sizing technique commonly used and thus it can be easily scaled and integrated to industrial SMC lines. This will be an alternative route to the most techniques that involve dispersing CN in polymer matrix, in which the nanomaterials agglomeration limits the capability for scaling up in an industrial production. We have demonstrated that incorporating CNC as a coating on GF surface by immersing the GF in CNC aqueous suspensions, a simple and scalable technique, increases the interfacial shear strength (IFSS) by ~69% compared to the composites produced by uncoated GF, suggesting an enhancement of stress transfer across the GF/matrix interface. As a result of IFSS enhancement, incorporation of 0.17 wt% CNC in the composite results in increases of ~10% in both elastic modulus and tensile strength, and 40 % and 43 % in flexural modulus and strength respectively. We have also determined that dispersing 1.4 and 2 wt% CNC in the epoxy matrix of short GF/epoxy SMC composites by sonication allows removing 10 wt% GF with no penalty on tensile and flexural properties leading to 7.5% lighter composites. Although sonication is a scalable technique, it is not quite as simple and inexpensive as coating the GF by passing through an aqueous suspension of CNC. In this study, the above findings are integrated to 1) investigate the effect of CNC content on mechanical properties by passing the GF rovings through CNC aqueous suspension with various concentrations (0-5%) and 2) determine the optimum ratio of the added CNC to the removed GF to achieve the maximum possible weight reduction with no cost on mechanical performance of the SMC composites. The results of this study are of industrial relevance, providing a path toward producing high volume lightweight and mechanically enhanced SMC composites using cellulose nanomaterials.

Keywords: cellulose nanocrystals, light weight polymer-matrix composites, mechanical properties, sheet molding compound (SMC)

Procedia PDF Downloads 211

Authors: Levent Basayigit, Sinan Demir, Yusuf Ucar, Burhan Kara

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Many research projects require accurate delineation of the different land cover type of the agricultural area. Especially it is critically important for the definition of specific plants like cannabis. However, the complexity of vegetation stands structure, abundant vegetation species, and the smooth transition between different seconder section stages make vegetation classification difficult when using traditional approaches such as the maximum likelihood classifier. Most of the time, classification distinguishes only between trees/annual or grain. It has been difficult to accurately determine the cannabis mixed with other plants. In this paper, a mixed distribution models approach is applied to classify pure and mix cannabis parcels using Worldview-2 imagery in the Lakes region of Turkey. Five different land use types (i.e. sunflower, maize, bare soil, and cannabis) were identified in the image. A constrained Gaussian mixture discriminant analysis (GMDA) was used to unmix the image. In the study, 255 reflectance ratios derived from spectral signatures of seven bands (Blue-Green-Yellow-Red-Rededge-NIR1-NIR2) were randomly arranged as 80% for training and 20% for test data. Gaussian mixed distribution model approach is proved to be an effective and convenient way to combine very high spatial resolution imagery for distinguishing cannabis vegetation. Based on the overall accuracies of the classification, the Gaussian mixed distribution model was found to be very successful to achieve image classification tasks. This approach is sensitive to capture the illegal cannabis planting areas in the large plain. This approach can also be used for monitoring and determination with spectral reflections in illegal cannabis planting areas.

Keywords: Gaussian mixture discriminant analysis, spectral mixture model, Worldview-2, land parcels

Procedia PDF Downloads 184

Authors: Mounir Filali

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Companies use many innovative ways to reach their customers to stay ahead of the competition. Along with the growing demand for innovative business solutions is the demand for new technology. The most noticeable area of demand for business innovations is the mobile application industry. Recently, companies have recognized the growing need to integrate proprietary mobile applications into their suite of services; Companies have realized that developing mobile apps gives them a competitive edge. As a result, many have begun to rapidly develop mobile apps to stay ahead of the competition. Mobile application development helps companies meet the needs of their customers. Mobile apps also help businesses to take advantage of every potential opportunity to generate leads that convert into sales. Mobile app download growth statistics with the recent rise in demand for business-related mobile apps, there has been a similar rise in the range of mobile app solutions being offered. Today, companies can use the traditional route of the software development team to build their own mobile applications. However, there are also many platform-ready "low-code and no-code" mobile apps available to choose from. These mobile app development options have more streamlined business processes. This helps them be more responsive to their customers without having to be coding experts. Companies must have a basic understanding of mobile app architecture to attract and maintain the interest of mobile app users. Mobile application architecture refers to the buildings or structural systems and design elements that make up a mobile application. It also includes the technologies, processes, and components used during application development. The underlying foundation of all applications consists of all elements of the mobile application architecture; developing a good mobile app architecture requires proper planning and strategic design. The technology framework or platform on the back end and user-facing side of a mobile application is part of the mobile architecture of the application. In-application development Software programmers loosely refer to this set of mobile architecture systems and processes as the "technology stack."

Keywords: mobile applications, development, architecture, technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 93

Authors: Nayomi Ranathunga, Priyantha Perera, Sumal Nandasena, Nalini Sathiakumar, Anuradhini Kasthuriratne, Rajitha Wikremasinghe

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Solid fuel combustion is an important source of indoor air pollution (IAP) in developing countries that has adverse health impacts particularly in children. This study was conducted to determine the effect of IAP due to solid fuel combustion on physical growth of children under five in a Sri Lankan setting. A prospective study was conducted in a mixed population comprising urban and semi urban residents. The study included 240 children under 5 who were permanent residents of the area. Physical growth was assessed by measuring anthropometric indices based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines and standards. Exposure levels were defined according to the main type of fuel used for cooking at home: children residing in households using biomass fuel or kerosene as the main type of fuel for cooking were classified as the “high exposure” group and children resident in households using liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or electricity for cooking were classified as the “low exposure” group. Sixty percent of the children were classified as from the “high” exposure group and 40% of the children were classified as from the “low” exposure group; 54% of the children were male. At baseline, the prevalence of wasting was 17.1% and the prevalence of stunting was 10.4%; the mean z-score for weight for height was - 0.85, weight for age was - 0.46 and height for age was -0.38. At baseline, children from the “high” exposure group had a significantly lower mean weight for height z-score (p=0.02) and a mean height for age z-score (p=0.001) as compared to children from the “low” exposure group after adjusting for confounding factors such as father’s education, mother’s education and family income. Poor maternal education was significantly associated with lower height for age z-scores (p=0.04) after adjusting for exposure status. IAP due to combustion of biomass fuel leads to chronic malnutrition.

Keywords: children, growth, indoor air pollution, solid fuel

Procedia PDF Downloads 289

Authors: Meng H. Lean, Wei-Ping L. Chu

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The effects of ferroelectric nanofiller size, shape, loading, and polarization, on bipolar charge injection, transport, and recombination through amorphous and semicrystalline polymers are studied. A 3D particle-in-cell model extends the classical electrical double layer representation to treat ferroelectric nanoparticles. Metal-polymer charge injection assumes Schottky emission and Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, migration through field-dependent Poole-Frenkel mobility, and recombination with Monte Carlo selection based on collision probability. A boundary integral equation method is used for solution of the Poisson equation coupled with a second-order predictor-corrector scheme for robust time integration of the equations of motion. The stability criterion of the explicit algorithm conforms to the Courant-Friedrichs-Levy limit. Trajectories for charge that make it through the film are curvilinear paths that meander through the interspaces. Results indicate that charge transport behavior depends on nanoparticle polarization with anti-parallel orientation showing the highest leakage conduction and lowest level of charge trapping in the interaction zone. Simulation prediction of a size range of 80 to 100 nm to minimize attachment and maximize conduction is validated by theory. Attached charge fractions go from 2.2% to 97% as nanofiller size is decreased from 150 nm to 60 nm. Computed conductivity of 0.4 x 1014 S/cm is in agreement with published data for plastics. Charge attachment is increased with spheroids due to the increase in surface area, and especially so for oblate spheroids showing the influence of larger cross-sections. Charge attachment to nanofillers and nanocrystallites increase with vol.% loading or degree of crystallinity, and saturate at about 40 vol.%.

Keywords: nanocomposites, nanofillers, electrical double layer, bipolar charge transport

Procedia PDF Downloads 337

Authors: Himali N. Balasooriya, Kithsiri B. Dassanayake, Saman Seneweera, Said Ajlouni

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Increase in atmospheric CO₂ concentration [CO₂] and ambient temperature associated with changing climatic conditions will have significant impacts on agriculture crop productivity and quality. Independent effects of the above two environmental variables on the growth, yield and quality of strawberry were well documented. Higher temperatures over the optimum range (20-25ºC) lead to crop failures, while elevated [CO₂] stimulated plant growth and yield but compromised the physical quality of fruits. However, there is very limited understanding of the interaction between these variables on the plant growth, yield and quality. Therefore, this study was designed to investigate the interactive effect of high temperature and elevated [CO₂] on growth, yield and quality of strawberries. Strawberry cultivars ‘Albion’ and ‘San Andreas’ were grown under six different combinations of two temperatures (25 and 30ºC) and three [CO₂] (400, 650 and 950 µmol mol^-1) in controlled-environmental growth chambers. Plant growth measurements such as plant height, canopy area, number of flowers, and fruit yield were measured during phonological development. Photosynthesis and transpiration, the ratio of intercellular to atmospheric [CO₂] (Ci/Ca) were measured to estimate the physiological adjustment to climate stress. The impact of temperature and [CO₂] interaction on growth and yield of strawberry was significant (p < 0.05). Across both cultivars, highest fruit yields were observed at 650 µmol mol^-1 [CO₂], which was particularly clear at 25°C. The fruit yield gradually decreased at 30°C under all the treatment combinations. However, photosynthesis rates were highest at 650 µmol mol^-1 [CO₂] but no increment was found at 900 µmol mol^-1 [CO₂]. Interestingly, Ci/Ca ratio increased with increasing atmospheric [CO₂] which was predominant at high temperature. Similarly, fruit yield was substantially reduced at high [CO₂] under high temperature. Our findings suggest that increased Ci/Ca ratio at high temperature is likely reduces the photosynthesis and thus yield response to elevated [CO₂].

Keywords: atmospheric CO₂ concentration, fruit yield, strawberry, temperature

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Authors: Ana Belon Hercilla

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The study is developed in “Reactivos Jeans” company, in the city of Arequipa, whose main business is the laundry of garments at an industrial level. In 2012 the company initiated actions to provide a dry cleaning service of alpaca fiber garments, recognizing that this item is in a growth phase in Peru. Additionally this company took the initiative to use a new greenwashing technology which has not yet been developed in the country. To accomplish this, a redesign of both the process and the plant layout was required. For redesigning the plant, the methodology used was the Systemic Layout Planning, allowing this study divided into four stages. First stage is the information gathering and evaluation of the initial situation of the company, for which a description of the areas, facilities and initial equipment, distribution of the plant, the production process and flows of major operations was made. Second stage is the development of engineering techniques that allow the logging and analysis procedures, such as: Flow Diagram, Route Diagram, DOP (process flowchart), DAP (analysis diagram). Then the planning of the general distribution is carried out. At this stage, proximity factors of the areas are established, the Diagram Paths (TRA) is developed, and the Relational Diagram Activities (DRA). In order to obtain the General Grouping Diagram (DGC), further information is complemented by a time study and Guerchet method is used to calculate the space requirements for each area. Finally, the plant layout redesigning is presented and the implementation of the improvement is made, making it possible to obtain a model much more efficient than the initial design. The results indicate that the implementation of the new machinery, the adequacy of the plant facilities and equipment relocation resulted in a reduction of the production cycle time by 75.67%, routes were reduced by 68.88%, the number of activities during the process were reduced by 40%, waits and storage were removed 100%.

Keywords: redesign, time optimization, industrial laundry, greenwashing

Procedia PDF Downloads 383

Authors: A. Rifa’i, Y. Takeshita, M. Komatsu

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After Yogyakarta earthquake in 2006, the main problem that occurred in the first yard of Prambanan Temple is ponding area that occurred after rainfall. Soil characterization needs to be determined by conducting several processes, especially permeability coefficient (k) in both saturated and unsaturated conditions to solve this problem. More accurate and efficient field testing procedure is required to obtain permeability data that present the field condition. One of the field permeability test equipment is Constant Discharge procedure to determine the permeability coefficient. Necessary adjustments of the Constant Discharge procedure are needed to be determined especially the value of geometric factor (F) to improve the corresponding value of permeability coefficient. The value of k will be correlated with the value of volumetric water content (θ) of an unsaturated condition until saturated condition. The principle procedure of Constant Discharge model provides a constant flow in permeameter tube that flows into the ground until the water level in the tube becomes constant. Constant water level in the tube is highly dependent on the tube dimension. Every tube dimension has a shape factor called the geometric factor that affects the result of the test. Geometric factor value is defined as the characteristic of shape and radius of the tube. This research has modified the geometric factor parameters by using empty material tube method so that the geometric factor will change. Saturation level is monitored by using soil moisture sensor. The field test results were compared with the results of laboratory tests to validate the results of the test. Field and laboratory test results of empty tube material method have an average difference of 3.33 x 10^-4 cm/sec. The test results showed that modified geometric factor provides more accurate data. The improved methods of constant discharge procedure provide more relevant results.

Keywords: constant discharge, geometric factor, permeability coefficient, unsaturated soils

Procedia PDF Downloads 281

Authors: Gabrielle O'Donoghue

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Background: Pre-operative radiographs facilitate assessment and treatment planning in minor oral surgery. Quality assurance for dental radiography advocates the As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA) principle in collecting accurate diagnostic information. Aims: To audit the quality of digital intraoral periapicals (IOPAs) taken prior to dental extractions in a metropolitan general dental practice setting. Standards: The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) guidance outlines three grades of radiograph quality: excellent (Grade 1 > 70% of total exposures), diagnostically acceptable (Grade 2 <20%), and unacceptable (Grade 3 <10%). Methodology: A study of pre-operative radiographs taken prior to dental extractions across 12 private general dental practices in a large metropolitan area by 44 practitioners. A total of 725 extractions were assessed, allowing 258 IOPAs to be reviewed in one audit cycle. Results: First cycle: Of 258 IOPAs: 223(86.4%) scored Grade 1, 27(10.5%) Grade 2, and 8(3.1%) Grade 3. The standard was met. 35 dental extractions were performed without an available pre-operative radiograph. Action Plan & Recommendations: Results were distributed to all staff and a continuous professional development evening organized to outline recommendations to improve image quality. A second audit cycle is proposed at a six-month interval to review the recommendations and appraise results. Conclusion: The overall standard of radiographs met the published guidelines. A significant improvement in the number of procedures undertaken without pre-operative imaging is expected at a six-month interval period. An investigation into undiagnostic imaging and associated adverse patient outcomes is being considered. Maintenance of the standards achieved is predicted in the second audit cycle to ensure consistent high quality imaging.

Keywords: audit, oral radiology, oral surgery, periapical radiographs, quality assurance

Procedia PDF Downloads 151

Authors: Sony, Ashok N. Bhaskarwar

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Production of hydrogen from a renewable raw material without any co-synthesis of harmful greenhouse gases is the current need for sustainable energy solutions. The sulfur-iodine (SI) thermochemical cycle, using intermediate chemicals, is an efficient process for producing hydrogen at a much lower temperature than that required for the direct splitting of water. No net byproduct forms in the cycle. Hydrogen iodide (HI) decomposition is a crucial reaction in this cycle, as the product, hydrogen, forms only in this step. It is an endothermic, reversible, and equilibrium-limited reaction. The theoretical equilibrium conversion at 550°C is just a meagre of 24%. There is a growing interest, therefore, in enhancing the HI conversion to near-equilibrium values at lower reaction temperatures and by possibly improving the rate. The reaction is relatively slow without a catalyst, and hence catalytic decomposition of HI has gained much significance. Bi-metallic Ni-Co, Ni-Mn, Co-Mn, and tri-metallic Ni-Co-Mn catalysts over zirconia support were tested for HI decomposition reaction. The catalysts were synthesized via a sol-gel process wherein Ni was 3wt% in all the samples, and Co and Mn had equal weight ratios in the Co-Mn catalyst. Powdered X-ray diffraction and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area characterizations indicated the polycrystalline nature and well-developed mesoporous structure of all the samples. The experiments were performed in a vertical laboratory-scale packed bed reactor made of quartz, and HI (55 wt%) was fed along with nitrogen at a WHSV of 12.9 hr⁻¹. Blank experiments at 500°C for HI decomposition suggested conversion of less than 5%. The activities of all the different catalysts were checked at 550°C, and the highest conversion of 23.9% was obtained with the tri-metallic 3Ni-Co-Mn-ZrO₂ catalyst. The decreasing order of the performance of catalysts could be expressed as: 3Ni-Co-Mn-ZrO₂ > 3Ni-2Co-ZrO₂ > 3Ni-2Mn-ZrO₂ > 2.5Co-2.5Mn-ZrO₂. The tri-metallic catalyst remained active till 360 mins at 550°C without any observable drop in its activity/stability. Among the explored catalyst compositions, the tri-metallic catalyst certainly has a better performance for HI conversion when compared to the bi-metallic ones. Owing to their low costs and ease of preparation, these trimetallic catalysts could be used for large-scale hydrogen production.

Keywords: sulfur-iodine cycle, hydrogen production, hydrogen iodide decomposition, bi-, and tri-metallic catalysts

Procedia PDF Downloads 171

Authors: Thelma Maria Melo Pinheiro, Guilherme Raposo Diniz Vieira, Sidney Matos da Silva, Leonardo Mendonça de Oliveira Queiroz, Mateus Sousa Pinheiro, Danyllo Wenceslau de Oliveira Lopes

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The present article has the objective to describe the regulatory impact analysis (RIA) of the contracting efficiency of the Brazilian transmission system usage. This contracting is made by users connected to the main transmission network and is used to guide necessary investments to supply the electrical energy demand. Therefore, an inefficient contracting of this energy amount distorts the real need for grid capacity, affecting the sector planning accuracy and resources optimization. In order to provide this efficiency, the Brazilian Electricity Regulatory Agency (ANEEL) homologated the Normative Resolution (NR) No. 666, from July 23th of 2015, which consolidated the procedures for the contracting of transmission system usage and the contracting efficiency verification. Aiming for a more efficient and rational transmission system contracting, the resolution established economic incentives denominated as Inefficiency installment for excess (IIE) and inefficiency installment for over-contracting (IIOC). The first one, IIE, is verified when the contracted demand exceeds the established regulatory limit; it is applied to consumer units, generators, and distribution companies. The second one, IIOC, is verified when the distributors over-contract their demand. Thus, the establishment of the inefficiency installments IIE and IIOC intends to avoid the agent contract less energy than necessary or more than it is needed. Knowing that RIA evaluates a regulatory intervention to verify if its goals were achieved, the results from the application of the above-mentioned normative resolution to the Brazilian transmission sector were analyzed through indicators that were created for this RIA to evaluate the contracting efficiency transmission system usage, using real data from before and after the homologation of the normative resolution in 2015. For this, indicators were used as the efficiency contracting indicator (ECI), excess of demand indicator (EDI), and over-contracting of demand indicator (ODI). The results demonstrated, through the ECI analysis, a decrease of the contracting efficiency, a behaviour that was happening even before the normative resolution of 2015. On the other side, the EDI showed a considerable decrease in the amount of excess for the distributors and a small reduction for the generators; moreover, the ODI notable decreased, which optimizes the usage of the transmission installations. Hence, with the complete evaluation from the data and indicators, it was possible to conclude that IIE is a relevant incentive for a more efficient contracting, indicating to the agents that their contracting values are not adequate to keep their service provisions for their users. The IIOC also has its relevance, to the point that it shows to the distributors that their contracting values are overestimated.

Keywords: contracting, electricity regulation, evaluation, regulatory impact analysis, transmission power system

Procedia PDF Downloads 107

Authors: Rajish Shil, Amal Alduhoori, Vipin Thomachan, Jamal Teir, Radhakrishnan Renganathan

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Background: Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) has a broad spectrum of thrombotic and non-thrombotic clinical manifestations. We present a case of APS presenting with seizure, stroke, and atrial mass. Case Description: A 38-year-old male presented with headache of 10 days duration and tonic-clonic seizure. The neurological examination was normal. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain showed small acute right cerebellar infarct. Magnetic resonance angiography of brain and neck showed a focal narrowing in the origin of the internal carotid artery bilaterally. Electroencephalogram was normal. He was started on aspirin, atorvastatin, and carbamazepine. Transthoracic and trans-esophageal echocardiography showed a pedunculated and lobular atrial mass, measuring 1 X 1.5 cm, which was freely mobile across mitral valve opening across the left ventricular inflow. Autoimmune screening showed positive Antiphospholipid antibodies in high titer (Cardiolipin IgG > 120 units/ml, B2 glycoprotein IgG 90 units/mL). Anti-nuclear antibody was negative. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels were normal. Platelet count was low (111 x 109/L). The patient underwent successful surgical removal of the mass, which looked like a thrombotic clot, and Histopathological analysis confirmed it as a fibrinous clot, with no evidence of tumor cells. The patient was started on full anticoagulation treatment and was followed up regularly in the clinic, where our patient did not have any further complications from the disease. Discussion: Our patient was diagnosed to have APS based on the features of high positive anticardiolipin antibody IgG and B2 glycoprotein IgG levels, Stroke, thrombocytopenia, and abnormal echo findings. Thrombotic vegetation can mimic an atrial myxoma on echo. Conclusion: APS can present with neurological and cardiac manifestations, and therefore a high index of suspicion is necessary for a diagnosis of the disease as it can affect both short and long term treatment plans and prognosis. Therefore, in patients presenting with neurological symptoms like seizures, weakness and radiological diagnosis of stroke in a young patient, where atrial masses could be thought to be the cause of stroke, they should be screened for any concomitant findings of thrombocytopenia and/or activated partial thromboplastin time prolongation, which should raise the suspicion of vasculitis, specifically APS to be the primary cause of the clinical presentation.

Keywords: antiphospholipid syndrome, seizures, atrial mass, stroke

Procedia PDF Downloads 101

Authors: Ayedun Hassan, Ayadi Odunayo Peter

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The ancient city of Abeokuta has been supplied with pipe borne water since 1911, yet, a continuous increase in population and unplanned city expansion makes water a very precious and scarce commodity. The government reserved areas (GRA’s) are well planned, and public water supply is available; however, the sub-urban areas consist of scattered structures with individuals trying to source water by digging wells and boreholes. The geology of the city consists of basement rock which makes digging wells and boreholes very difficult. The present study was conducted to assess the risk arising from the consumption of toxic elements in the groundwater of Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria. Forty-five groundwater samples were collected from nine different areas of Abeokuta and analyzed for physicochemical parameters and toxic elements. The physicochemical parameters were determined using standard methods, while the toxic elements were determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP/MS). Ninety-six percent (96%) of the water sample has pH < 6.5, and 11% has conductivity > 250 µSCm⁻¹ limits in drinking water as recommended by WHO. Seven percent (7%) of the samples have Pb concentration >10 µgL⁻¹ while 75% have Al concentration >200 µgL⁻¹ recommended by WHO. The order for risk of cancer from different area of Abeokuta are Cd²⁺ > As³⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Cr⁶⁺ for Funaab, Camp and Obantoko; As³⁺ > Cd²⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Cr⁶⁺ for Ita Osin, Isale Igbein, Ake and Itoku; Cd²⁺ >As > Cr⁶⁺ > Pb²⁺ for Totoro; Pb²⁺ > Cd²⁺ > As³⁺ > Cr⁶⁺ for Idiaba. The order of non-cancer hazard index (HI) calculated for groundwater of Abeokuta City are Cd²⁺ > As³⁺ > Mn²⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Ni²⁺ and were all greater than one, which implies susceptibility to other illnesses. The sources of these elements are the rock and inappropriate waste disposal method, which leached the elements into the groundwater. A combination of sources from food will accumulate these elements in the human body system. Treatment to remove Al and Pb is necessary, while the method of water distribution should be reviewed to ensure access to potable water by the residents.

Keywords: Abeokuta, groundwater, Nigeria, risk

Procedia PDF Downloads 78

Authors: J. N. Nackler, K. Saleh Pascha, W. Winter

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WHISCERS™ (Whole House In-Situ Carbon and Energy Reduction Solution) is an innovative process for Internal Wall Insulation (IWI) for energy-efficient retrofitting of heritage building, which uses laser measuring to determine the dimensions of a room, off-site insulation board cutting and rapid installation to complete the process. As part of a multinational investigation consortium the Austrian part adapted the WHISCERS system to local conditions of Vienna where most historical buildings have valuable stucco facades, precluding the application of an external insulation. The Austrian project contribution addresses the replacement of commonly used extruded polystyrene foam (XPS) with renewable materials such as wood and wood products to develop a more sustainable IWI system. As the timber industry is a major industry in Austria, a new innovative and more sustainable IWI solution could also open up new markets. The first approach of investigation was the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to define the performance of wood fibre board as insulation material in comparison to normally used XPS-boards. As one of the results the global-warming potential (GWP) of wood-fibre-board is 15 times less the equivalent to carbon dioxide while in the case of XPS it´s 72 times more. The hygrothermal simulation program WUFI was used to evaluate and simulate heat and moisture transport in multi-layer building components of the developed IWI solution. The results of the simulations prove in examined boundary conditions of selected representative brickwork constructions to be functional and usable without risk regarding vapour diffusion and liquid transport in proposed IWI. In a further stage three different solutions were developed and tested (1 - glued/mortared, 2 - with soft board, connected to wall with gypsum board as top layer, 3 - with soft board and clay board as top layer). All three solutions presents a flexible insulation layer out of wood fibre towards the existing wall, thus compensating irregularities of the wall surface. From first considerations at the beginning of the development phase, three different systems had been developed and optimized according to assembly technology and tested as small specimen in real object conditions. The built prototypes are monitored to detect performance and building physics problems and to validate the results of the computer simulation model. This paper illustrates the development and application of the Internal Wall Insulation system.

Keywords: internal insulation, wood fibre, hygrothermal simulations, monitoring, clay, condensate

Procedia PDF Downloads 205

Authors: Saddam Hussain, Ghadeer Mohsen Albadrani

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Pakistan is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. Being a country where 23% of the country’s GDP relies on agriculture, this is a serious cause of concern. Introducing industrial hemp in Pakistan can help build climate resilience in the agricultural sector of the country, as hemp has recently emerged as a sustainable, eco-friendly, resource-efficient, and climate-resilient crop globally. Hemp has the potential to absorb huge amounts of CO₂, nourish the soil, and be used to create various biodegradable and eco-friendly products. Hemp is twice as effective as trees at absorbing and locking up carbon, with 1 hectare (2.5 acres) of hemp reckoned to absorb 8 to 22 tonnes of CO₂ a year, more than any woodland. Along with its high carbon-sequestration ability, it produces higher biomass and can be successfully grown as a cover crop. Hemp can grow in almost all soil conditions and does not require pesticides. It has fast-growing qualities and needs only 120 days to be ready for harvest. Compared with cotton, hemp requires 50% less water to grow and can produce three times higher fiber yield with a lower ecological footprint. Recently, the Government of Pakistan has allowed the cultivation of industrial hemp for industrial and medicinal purposes, making it possible for hemp to be reinserted into the country’s economy. Pakistan’s agro-climatic and edaphic conditions are well-suitable to produce industrial hemp, and its cultivation can bring economic benefits to the country. Pakistan can enter global markets as a new exporter of hemp products. The production of hemp in Pakistan can be most exciting to the workforce, especially for farmers participating in hemp markets. The minimum production cost of hemp makes it affordable to small holding farmers, especially those who need their cropping system to be as highly sustainable as possible. Dr. Saddam Hussain is leading the first pilot project of Industrial Hemp in Pakistan. In the past three years, he has been able to recruit high-impact research grants on industrial hemp as Principal Investigator. He has already screened the non-toxic hemp genotypes, tested the adaptability of exotic material in various agroecological conditions, formulated the production agronomy, and successfully developed the complete value chain. He has developed prototypes (fabric, denim, knitwear) using hemp fibre in collaboration with industrial partners and has optimized the indigenous fibre processing techniques. In this lecture, Dr. Hussain will talk on hemp agronomy and its complete fibre value chain. He will discuss the current progress, and will highlight the major challenges and future research direction on hemp research.

Keywords: industrial hemp, agricultural sustainability, agronomic evaluation, hemp value chain

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Authors: Sunday Nanosi Ndovi, Patrick Albert Chikumba

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In Malawi, smallholder dairy farmers transport unprocessed milk to sell at Milk Bulking Groups (MBGs). MBGs store and chill the milk while awaiting collection by processors. The farmers deliver milk using various modes of transportation such as foot, bicycle, and motorcycle. As a perishable food, milk requires timely transportation to avoid deterioration. In other instances, some farmers bypass the nearest MBGs for facilities located further away. Untimely delivery worsens quality and results in rejection at MBG. Subsequently, these rejections lead to revenue losses for dairy farmers. Therefore, the objective of this study was to optimize routes when transporting milk by selecting the shortest route using time as a cost attribute in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A spatially organized transport system impedes milk deterioration while promoting profitability for dairy farmers. A transportation system was modeled using Route Analysis and Closest Facility network extensions. The final output was to find the quickest routes and identify the nearest milk facilities from incidents. Face-to-face interviews targeted leaders from all 48 MBGs in the study area and 50 farmers from Namahoya MBG. During field interviews, coordinates were captured in order to create maps. Subsequently, maps supported the selection of optimal routes based on the least travel times. The questionnaire targeted 200 respondents. Out of the total, 182 respondents were available. Findings showed that out of the 50 sampled farmers that supplied milk to Namahoya, only 8% were nearest to the facility, while 92% were closest to 9 different MBGs. Delivering milk to the nearest MBGs would minimize travel time and distance by 14.67 hours and 73.37 km, respectively.

Keywords: closest facility, milk, route analysis, spatial transport

Procedia PDF Downloads 37

Authors: Nisa Mohan

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Adverse drug event (ADE) related hospital admissions are common among older people. The first step in prevention is accurately estimating the prevalence of ADE admissions. Clinical coding is an efficient method to estimate the prevalence of ADE admissions. The objective of the study is to estimate the rate of under-coding of ADE admissions in older people in New Zealand and to explore how clinical coders decide whether or not to code an admission as an ADE. There has not been any research in New Zealand to explore these areas. This study is done using a mixed-methods approach. Two common and serious ADEs in older people, namely bleeding and hypoglycaemia were selected for the study. In study 1, eight hundred medical records of people aged 65 years and above who are admitted to hospital due to bleeding and hypoglycemia during the years 2015 – 2016 were selected for quantitative retrospective medical records review. This selection was made to estimate the proportion of ADE-related bleeding and hypoglycemia admissions that are not coded as ADEs. These files were reviewed and recorded as to whether the admission was caused by an ADE. The hospital discharge data were reviewed to check whether all the ADE admissions identified in the records review were coded as ADEs, and the proportion of under-coding of ADE admissions was estimated. In study 2, thirteen clinical coders were selected to conduct qualitative semi-structured interviews using a general inductive approach. Participants were selected purposively based on their experience in clinical coding. Interview questions were designed in a way to investigate the reasons for the under-coding of ADE admissions. The records review study showed that 35% (Cl 28% - 44%) of the ADE-related bleeding admissions and 22% of the ADE-related hypoglycemia admissions were not coded as ADEs. Although the quality of clinical coding is high across New Zealand, a substantial proportion of ADE admissions were under-coded. This shows that clinical coding might under-estimate the actual prevalence of ADE related hospital admissions in New Zealand. The interviews with the clinical coders added that lack of time for searching for information to confirm an ADE admission, inadequate communication with clinicians, along with coders’ belief that an ADE is a small thing might be the potential reasons for the under-coding of the ADE admissions. This study urges the coding policymakers, auditors, and trainers to engage with the unconscious cognitive biases and short-cuts of the clinical coders. These results highlight that further work is needed on interventions to improve the clinical coding of ADE admissions, such as providing education to coders about the importance of ADEs, education to clinicians about the importance of clear and confirmed medical records entries, availing pharmacist service to improve the detection and clear documentation of ADE admissions and including a mandatory field in the discharge summary about external causes of diseases.

Keywords: adverse drug events, bleeding, clinical coders, clinical coding, hypoglycemia

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Authors: Sawsen Jarray, Tahani Hallek, Mabrouk Montacer

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The tectonically damaged terrain in Tunisia's Northwest is seen in the country's numerous oil leaks. Finding a genetic link between these oil seeps and the area's putative source rocks is the goal of this investigation. Here, we use aliphatic biomarkers assessed by GC-MS to describe the organic geochemical data of 18 oil seeps samples and 4 source rocks (M'Cherga, Fahdene, Bahloul, and BouDabbous). In order to establish correlations between oil and oil and oil and source rock, terpanes, hopanes, and steranes biomarkers were identified. The source rocks under study were deposited in a marine environment and were suboxic, with minor signs of continental input for the M'Cherga Formation. There is no connection between the Fahdene and Bahloul source rocks and the udied oil seeps. According to the biomarkers C27 18-22,29,30trisnorneohopane (Ts) and C27 17-22,29,30-trisnorhopane (Tm), these source rocks are mature and have reached the oil window. Regarding oil seeps, geochemical data indicate that, with the exception of four samples that showed some continental markings, the bulk of samples were deposited in an open marine environment. These most recent samples from oil seeps have a unique lithology (marl) that distinguishes them from the others (carbonate). There are two classes of oil seeps, according to statistical analysis of relationships between oil and oil and oil and source rocks. The first comprised samples that showed a positive connection with carbonate-lithological and marine-derived BouDabbous black shales. The second is a result of M'Cherga source rock and is made up of oil seeps with remnants of the terrestrial environment and a lithology with a marl trend. The Fahdene and Bahloul source rocks have no connection to the observed oil seeps. There are two different types of hydrocarbon spills depending on their link to tectonic deformations (oil seeps) and outcropping mature source rocks (oil impregnations), in addition to the existence of two generations of hydrocarbon spills in Northwest Tunisia (Lower Cretaceous/Ypresian).

Keywords: petroleum seeps, source rocks, biomarkers, statistic, Northern Tunisia

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Authors: Saeid Gharechelou, Stuart Green, Fiona Cawkwell

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Hedgerow has an important role for a wide range of ecological habitats, landscape, agriculture management, carbon sequestration, wood production. Hedgerow detection accurately using satellite imagery is a challenging problem in remote sensing techniques, because in the special approach it is very similar to line object like a road, from a spectral viewpoint, a hedge is very similar to a forest. Remote sensors with very high spatial resolution (VHR) recently enable the automatic detection of hedges by the acquisition of images with enough spectral and spatial resolution. Indeed, recently VHR remote sensing data provided the opportunity to detect the hedgerow as line feature but still remain difficulties in monitoring the characterization in landscape scale. In this research is used the TerraSAR-x Spotlight and Staring mode with 3-5 m resolution in wet and dry season in the test site of Fermoy County, Ireland to detect the hedgerow by acquisition time of 2014-2015. Both dual polarization of Spotlight data in HH/VV is using for detection of hedgerow. The varied method of SAR image technique with try and error way by integration of classification algorithm like texture analysis, support vector machine, k-means and random forest are using to detect hedgerow and its characterization. We are applying the Shannon entropy (ShE) and backscattering analysis in single and double bounce in polarimetric analysis for processing the object-oriented classification and finally extracting the hedgerow network. The result still is in progress and need to apply the other method as well to find the best method in study area. Finally, this research is under way to ahead to get the best result and here just present the preliminary work that polarimetric image of TSX potentially can detect the hedgerow.

Keywords: TerraSAR-X, hedgerow detection, high resolution SAR image, dual polarization, polarimetric analysis

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Authors: Y. S. Lin, H. L. Lin

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Climate change and land-use change caused by urban expansion increase the frequency of urban flooding. To mitigate the increase in runoff volume, low-impact development (LID) is a green approach for reducing the area of impervious surface and managing stormwater at the source with decentralized micro-scale control measures. However, the current benefit assessment and practical application of LID in Taiwan is still tending to be development plan in the community and building site scales. As for urban design, site-based moisture-holding capacity has been common index for evaluating LID’s effectiveness of urban design, which ignore the diversity, and complexity of the urban built environments, such as different densities, positive and negative spaces, volumes of building and so on. Such inflexible regulations not only probably make difficulty for most of the developed areas to implement, but also not suitable for every different types of built environments, make little benefits to some types of built environments. Looking toward to enable LID to strength the link with urban design to reduce the runoff in coping urban flooding, the research consider different characteristics of different types of built environments in developing LID strategy. Classify the built environments by doing the cluster analysis based on density measures, such as Ground Space Index (GSI), Floor Space Index (FSI), Floors (L), and Open Space Ratio (OSR), and analyze their impervious surface rates and runoff volumes. Simulate flood situations by using quasi-two-dimensional flood plain flow model, and evaluate the flood mitigation effectiveness of different types of built environments in different low-impact development strategies. The information from the results of the assessment can be more precisely implement in urban design. In addition, it helps to enact regulations of low-Impact development strategies in urban design more suitable for every different type of built environments.

Keywords: low-impact development, urban design, flooding, density measures

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Authors: Barry Majeed, Eka Febriana, Seto Julianto

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Kepulauan Seribu National Parks is a marine preservation region in Indonesia. It is located in 5°23' - 5°40' LS, 106°25' - 106°37' BT North of Jakarta City. Covered with area 107,489 ha, Kepulauan Seribu has a lot of tourism spots such as cluster islands, fringing reef and many more. Kepulauan Seribu is also nominated as Strategic Tourism Region In Indonesia (KSPN). So, these islands have a lot of potential sides more than preservation function as a national park, hence the development of sustainable geotourism. The aim of this study is for enhancing the development of eco-geotourism in Kepulauan Seribu. This study concern for three main aspect of eco-geotourism such as tourism, form and process. Study for the tourism aspect includes attractions, accommodations, tours, activities, interpretation, and planning & management in Kepulauan Seribu. Study for the form aspect focused on the carbonate platform situated between two islands. Primarily in carbonate reef such as head coral, branchy coral, platy coral that created the carbonate sequence in Kepulauan Seribu. Study for the process aspect primarily discussed the process of forming of carbonate from carbonate factory later becomes Kepulauan Seribu. Study for the regional geology of Kepulauan Seribu has been conducted and suggested that Kepulauan Seribu lithologies are mainly quarternary limestone. In this study, primary data was taken from an observation of quarternary carbonate platform between two islands from Hati Island, Macan Island, Bulat Island, Ubi Island and Kelapa Island. From this observation, the best routes for tourist have been made from Island to Island. Qualitative methods such as depth interview to the local people in purposive sampling also have been made. Finally, this study also giving education about geological site – carbonate sequence - in Kepulauan Seribu for the local wisdom so that this study can support the development of sustainable eco-geotourism in Kepulauan Seribu.

Keywords: carbonate factory, carbonate platform, geotourism, Kepulauan Seribu

Procedia PDF Downloads 171

Authors: Maria Toader, Gheorghe Valentin Roman, Alina Maria Ionescu

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Crops diversity and maintaining and enhancing the fertility of agricultural lands are basic principles of organic farming. With a wider range of crops in agroecosystem can improve the ability to control weeds, pests and diseases, and the performance of crops rotation and food safety. In this sense, the main objective of the research was to study the productivity and chemical composition of some alternative crops and their adaptability to soil and climatic conditions of the agricultural area in Southern Romania and to cultivation in the organic farming system. The alternative crops were: lentil (7 genotypes); five species of grain legumes (5 genotypes); four species of oil crops (5 genotypes). The seed production was, on average: 1343 kg/ha of lentil; 2500 kg/ha of field beans; 2400 kg/ha of chick peas and blackeyed peas; more than 2000 kg/ha of atzuki beans, over 1250 kg/ha of fenugreek; 2200 kg/ha of safflower; 570 kg/ha of oil pumpkin; 2150 kg/ha of oil flax; 1518 kg/ha of camelina. Regarding chemical composition, lentil seeds contained: 22.18% proteins, 3.03% lipids, 33.29% glucides, 4.00% minerals, and 259.97 kcal energy values. For field beans: 21.50% proteins, 4.40% lipids, 63.90% glucides, 5.85% minerals, 395.36 kcal energetic value. For chick peas: 21.23% proteins, 4.55% lipids, 53.00% glucides, 3.67% minerals, 348.22 kcal energetic value. For blackeyed peas: 23.30% proteins, 2.10% lipids, 68.10% glucides, 3.93% minerals, 350.14 kcal energetic value. For adzuki beans: 21.90% proteins, 2.60% lipids, 69.30% glucides, 4.10% minerals, 402.48 kcal energetic value. For fenugreek: 21.30% proteins, 4.65% lipids, 63.83% glucides, 5.69% minerals, 396.54 kcal energetic value. For safflower: 12.60% proteins, 28.37% lipids, 46.41% glucides, 3.60% minerals, 505.78 kcal energetic value. For camelina: 20.29% proteins, 31.68% lipids, 36.28% glucides, 4.29% minerals, 526.63 kcal energetic value. For oil pumpkin: 29.50% proteins, 36.92% lipids, 18.50% glucides, 5.41% minerals, 540.15 kcal energetic value. For oil flax: 22.56% proteins, 34.10% lipids, 27.73% glucides, 5.25% minerals, 558.45 kcal energetic value.

Keywords: adaptability, alternative crops, chemical composition, organic farming productivity

Procedia PDF Downloads 502

Authors: Barbara Bialecka, Zdzislaw Adamczyk, Magdalena Cempa

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In the work, the results of investigations into the hydrothermal zeolitization of fly ash from hard coal combustion in one of Polish Power Station have been presented. The chemical composition of the ash was determined by the method of X-ray fluorescence (XRF), whereas the phases of both fly ash and the products after synthesis were identified using microscopic observations, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD) as well as electron scanning microscopy with measurements of the chemical compositions in micro areas (SEM/EDS). The synthesis was carried out with various concentrations of NaOH solution (3M, 4M and 6M) in the following conditions: synthesis temperature – 80ᵒC, synthesis time – 16 hours, volume of NaOH solution – 350ml, fly ash mass – 14g. The main chemical components of fly ash were SiO₂ and Al₂O₃, the contents of which reached 51.62 and 28.14%mas., respectively. The input ash contained mainly such phases as mullite, quarz, magnetite, and glass. The research results indicate that the phase composition of products after zeolitization was differentiated. The material after synthesis in 3M NaOH solution was found to contain mullite, quarz, magnetite, and Na-LSX zeolite. The products of synthesis in 4M NaOH solution were very similar to those in 3M solution (mullite, quarz, magnetite, Na-LSX zeolite), but they additionally contained hydrosodalite. The material after synthesis in 6M NaOH solution contains mullite, quarz, magnetite (similarly to synthesis in 3M and 4M NaOH solition) and additionally hydrosodalite. Therefore, the products of synthesis contain relic components from the fly ash input sample in the form of mullite, quarz, and magnetite, as well as new phases, which are Na-LSX zeolite and hydrosodalite. It should be noted that the products of synthesis in the case of 4M NaOH solution contained both new phases (Na-LSX zeolite and hydrosodalite), while the products from the extreme concentration of NaOH solutions (3M and 6M) contained only one of them. Observations in the scanning electron microscope revealed the new phases’ morphology. It was found that Na-LSX zeolite formed cubic crystals, whereas hydrosodalite formed characteristic aggregations. The results of investigations into the chemical composition in the micro area of phase grains in the products after synthesis reveal some dependencies, among others a characteristic increase in the content of sodium, related to the increased concentration of NaOH solution.

Keywords: Na-LSX, fly ash, hydrosodalite, zeolite

Procedia PDF Downloads 150

Authors: Joshna Rani S., Ahmadi Banu

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Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a significant task to carry out in the medical care contributions of things to come. As AI, it is the essential capacity behind the advancement of accuracy medication, generally consented to be a painfully required development in care. Albeit early endeavors at giving analysis and treatment proposals have demonstrated testing, we anticipate that AI will at last dominate that area too. Given the quick propels in AI for imaging examination, it appears to be likely that most radiology, what's more, pathology pictures will be inspected eventually by a machine. Discourse and text acknowledgment are now utilized for assignments like patient correspondence and catch of clinical notes, and their utilization will increment. The best test to AI in these medical services areas isn't regardless of whether the innovations will be sufficiently skilled to be valuable, but instead guaranteeing their appropriation in day by day clinical practice. For far reaching selection to happen, AI frameworks should be affirmed by controllers, coordinated with EHR frameworks, normalized to an adequate degree that comparative items work likewise, instructed to clinicians, paid for by open or private payer associations, and refreshed over the long haul in the field. These difficulties will, at last, be survived, yet they will take any longer to do as such than it will take for the actual innovations to develop. Therefore, we hope to see restricted utilization of AI in clinical practice inside 5 years and more broad use inside 10 years. It likewise appears to be progressively evident that AI frameworks won't supplant human clinicians for a huge scope, yet rather will increase their endeavors to really focus on patients. Over the long haul, human clinicians may advance toward errands and work plans that draw on remarkably human abilities like sympathy, influence, and higher perspective mix. Maybe the lone medical services suppliers who will chance their professions over the long run might be the individuals who will not work close by AI

Keywords: artificial intellogence, health care, breast cancer, AI applications

Procedia PDF Downloads 167

Authors: Muñiz-Lino Marcos A.

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The ectomesenchymal tissues involved in tooth development and their remnants are the origin of different odontogenic lesions, including tumors and cysts of the jaws, with a wide range of clinical behaviors. A dentigerous cyst (DC) represents approximately 20% of all cases of odontogenic cysts, and it has been demonstrated that it can develop benign and malignant odontogenic tumors. DC is characterized by bone destruction of the area surrounding the crown of a tooth that has not erupted and contains liquid. The treatment of odontogenic tumors and cysts usually involves a partial or total removal of the jaw, causing important secondary co-morbidities. However, molecules implicated in DC pathogenesis, as well as in its development into odontogenic tumors, remain unknown. A cellular model may be useful to study these molecules, but that model has not been established yet. Here, we reported the establishment of a cell culture derived from a dentigerous cyst. This cell line was named DeCy-1. In spite of its ectomesenchymal morphology, DeCy-1 cells express epithelial markers such as cytokeratins 5, 6, and 8. Furthermore, these cells express the ODAM protein, which is present in odontogenesis and in dental follicles, indicating that DeCy-1 cells are derived from odontogenic epithelium. Analysis by electron microscopy of this cell line showed that it has a high vesicular activity, suggesting that DeCy-1 could secrete molecules that may be involved in DC pathogenesis. Thus, secreted proteins were analyzed by PAGE-SDS where we observed approximately 11 bands. In addition, the capacity of these secretions to degrade proteins was analyzed by gelatin substrate zymography. A degradation band of about 62 kDa was found in these assays. Western blot assays suggested that the matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) is responsible for this protease activity. Thus, our results indicate that the establishment of a cell line derived from DC is a useful in vitro model to study the biology of this odontogenic lesion and its participation in the development of odontogenic tumors.

Keywords: dentigerous cyst, ameloblastoma, MMP-2, odontogenic tumors

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Authors: Adrián P. Gómez Mañas

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Autonomous vehicles have already transformed urban policies and cities. This is the main assumption of our research, which aims to understand how the representations of the possible arrival of autonomous vehicles already transform priorities or actions in transport and more largely, urban policies. This research is done within the framework of a Ph.D. doctorate directed by Professor Xavier Desjardins at the Sorbonne University of Paris. Our hypotheses are: (i) the perspectives, representations, and imaginaries on autonomous vehicles already affect the stakeholders of urban policies; (ii) the discourses on the opportunities or threats of autonomous vehicles reflect the current strategies of the stakeholders. Each stakeholder tries to integrate a discourse on autonomous vehicles that allows them to change as little as possible their current tactics and strategies. The objective is to eventually make a comparison between three different cases: Paris, United Arab Emirates, and Bogota. We chose those territories because their contexts are very different, but they all have important interests in mobility and innovation, and they all have started to reflect on the subject of self-driving mobility. The main methodology used is to interview actors of the metropolitan area (local officials, leading urban and transport planners, influent experts, and private companies). This work is supplemented with conferences, official documents, press articles, and websites. The objective is to understand: 1) What they know about autonomous vehicles and where does their knowledge come from; 2) What they expect from autonomous vehicles; 3) How their ideas about autonomous vehicles are transforming their action and strategy in managing daily mobility, investing in transport, designing public spaces and urban planning. We are going to present the research and some preliminary results; we will show that autonomous vehicles are often viewed by public authorities as a lever to reach something else. We will also present that speeches are very influenced by local context (political, geographical, economic, etc.), creating an interesting balance between global and local influences. We will analyze the differences and similarities between the three cases and will try to understand which are the causes.

Keywords: autonomous vehicles, self-driving mobility, urban planning, urban mobility, transport, public policies

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Authors: Noemi Schneider, Richard Blaese, Pietro Morandi, Brigitte Liebig

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While women are increasingly frequent among the founders of innovative companies and advanced researchers in many university research institutes today, they are still an exception among initiators of research-based spin-offs. This also applies to countries such as Switzerland, which does have a leading position in international innovation rankings. Starting from a gender-sensitive neo-institutionalist perspective, this paper examines formal and non-formal institutional framework conditions for academic spin-offs at Swiss universities of applied sciences. This field, which stresses vocational education and practice-oriented research, seems to conserve the gender gap in the area of establishing research-based spin-offs spin-off rates strongly. The analysis starts from a survey conducted in 2017 and 2018 at all seven public universities of applied sciences in Switzerland as well as on an evaluation of expert interviews performed with heads of start-up centers, where also spin-offs from universities of applied sciences get support. The results show the mechanisms, which contribute to gender gaps in academic entrepreneurship in higher education. University's female employees have hardly been discovered as target groups. Thus, only 10.5% of universities of applied sciences offer specific support measures for women in academia. And only 1 out of 7 universities of applied sciences offer mentoring programs for female entrepreneurs while in addition there are no financial resources available to support female founders in academia. Moreover, the awareness of the gender gap in academic entrepreneurship is low among founding commissioners. A consistent transfer strategy might be key for bringing in line the formal and non-formal preconditions relevant for the formation of research-based spin-offs and for providing an effective incentive structure to promote women.

Keywords: gender, science-based spin-off, universities of applied sciences, knowledge transfer strategy

Procedia PDF Downloads 137

Authors: Burcu Ileri, Deniz Sanliyuksel Yucel, Onder Ayyildiz

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The oxidation of pyrite in water results in the formation of acid mine drainage, which typically forms extremely acid mine lake (AML) in the depression areas of abandoned Etili open-pit coal mine site, Northwest Turkey. Nine acid mine lakes of various sizes have been located in the Etili coal mine site. Hayirtepe AML is one of the oldest lake having a mean pH value of 2.9 and conductivity of 4550 μS/cm, and containing elevated concentrations of Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, and Zn. The water quality of the lake has been deteriorated due to its high chemical composition, in particular, increasing heavy metal pollution. In this study, fly ash (FA), a coal combustion by-product from fluidized bed thermal power plant in the northwestern part of Turkey, was used as an adsorbent for the treatment of Hayirtepe AML. The FA is a relatively abundant and cost effective material, but its use in adsorption processes usually require excessive adsorbent doses. To increase adsorption efficiency and lower the adsorbent dose, we modified the FA by means of ultrasonic treatment (20 kHz and 40 kHz). The images of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have demonstrated that ultrasonic treatment not only decreased the size of ash particles but also created pits and cracks on their surfaces which in turn led to a significant increase in the BET surface area. Both FA and modified fly ash were later tested for the removal of heavy metals from the AML. The effect of various operating parameters such as ultrasonic power, pH, ash dose, and adsorption contact time were examined to obtain the optimum conditions for the treatment process. The results have demonstrated that removal of heavy metals by ultrasound-modified fly ash requires much shorter treatment times and lower adsorbent doses than those attained by the unmodified fly ash. This research was financially supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK), (Project no: 116Y510).

Keywords: acid mine lake, heavy metal, modified fly ash, ultrasonic treatment

Procedia PDF Downloads 185