Search results for: building energy systems
5321 Low Cost Technique for Measuring Luminance in Biological Systems
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In this work, the relationship between the melanin content in a tissue and subsequent absorption of light through that tissue was determined using a digital camera. This technique proved to be simple, cost effective, efficient and reliable. Tissue phantom samples were created using milk and soy sauce to simulate the optical properties of melanin content in human tissue. Increasing the concentration of soy sauce in the milk correlated to an increase in melanin content of an individual. Two methods were employed to measure the light transmitted through the sample. The first was direct measurement of the transmitted intensity using a conventional lux meter. The second method involved correctly calibrating an ordinary digital camera and using image analysis software to calculate the transmitted intensity through the phantom. The results from these methods were then graphically compared to the theoretical relationship between the intensity of transmitted light and the concentration of absorbers in the sample. Conclusions were then drawn about the effectiveness and efficiency of these low cost methods.Keywords: tissue phantoms, scattering coefficient, albedo, low-cost method
Procedia PDF Downloads 2665320 Influence of Ride Control Systems on the Motions Response and Passenger Comfort of High-Speed Catamarans in Irregular Waves
Authors: Ehsan Javanmardemamgheisi, Javad Mehr, Jason Ali-Lavroff, Damien Holloway, Michael Davis
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During the last decades, a growing interest in faster and more efficient waterborne transportation has led to the development of high-speed vessels for both commercial and military applications. To satisfy this global demand, a wide variety of arrangements of high-speed crafts have been proposed by designers. Among them, high-speed catamarans have proven themselves to be a suitable Roll-on/Roll-off configuration for carrying passengers and cargo due to widely spaced demi hulls, a wide deck zone, and a high ratio of deadweight to displacement. To improve passenger comfort and crew workability and enhance the operability and performance of high-speed catamarans, mitigating the severity of motions and structural loads using Ride Control Systems (RCS) is essential.In this paper, a set of towing tank tests was conducted on a 2.5 m scaled model of a 112 m Incat Tasmania high-speed catamaran in irregular head seas to investigate the effect of different ride control algorithms including linear and nonlinear versions of the heave control, pitch control, and local control on motion responses and passenger comfort of the full-scale ship. The RCS included a centre bow-fitted T-Foil and two transom-mounted stern tabs. All the experiments were conducted at the Australian Maritime College (AMC) towing tank at a model speed of 2.89 m/s (37 knots full scale), a modal period of 1.5 sec (10 sec full scale) and two significant wave heights of 60 mm and 90 mm, representing full-scale wave heights of 2.7 m and 4 m, respectively. Spectral analyses were performed using Welch’s power spectral density method on the vertical motion time records of the catamaran model to calculate heave and pitch Response Amplitude Operators (RAOs). Then, noting that passenger discomfort arises from vertical accelerations and that the vertical accelerations vary at different longitudinal locations within the passenger cabin due to the variations in amplitude and relative phase of the pitch and heave motions, the vertical accelerations were calculated at three longitudinal locations (LCG, T-Foil, and stern tabs). Finally, frequency-weighted Root Mean Square (RMS) vertical accelerations were calculated to estimate Motion Sickness Dose Value (MSDV) of the ship based on ISO 2631-recommendations. It was demonstrated that in small seas, implementing a nonlinear pitch control algorithm reduces the peak pitch motions by 41%, the vertical accelerations at the forward location by 46%, and motion sickness at the forward position by around 20% which provides great potential for further improvement in passenger comfort, crew workability, and operability of high-speed catamarans.Keywords: high-speed catamarans, ride control system, response amplitude operators, vertical accelerations, motion sickness, irregular waves, towing tank tests.
Procedia PDF Downloads 795319 Design of Smart Urban Lighting by Using Social Sustainability Approach
Authors: Mohsen Noroozi, Maryam Khalili
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Creating cities, objects and spaces that are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable and which meet the challenge of social interaction and generation change will be one of the biggest tasks of designers. Social sustainability is about how individuals, communities and societies live with each other and set out to achieve the objectives of development model which they have chosen for themselves. Urban lightning as one of the most important elements of urban furniture that people constantly interact with it in public spaces; can be a significant object for designers. Using intelligence by internet of things for urban lighting makes it more interactive in public environments. It can encourage individuals to carry out appropriate behaviors and provides them the social awareness through new interactions. The greatest strength of this technology is its strong impact on many aspects of everyday life and users' behaviors. The analytical phase of the research is based on a multiple method survey strategy. Smart lighting proposed in this paper is an urban lighting designed on results obtained from a collective point of view about the social sustainability. In this paper, referring to behavioral design methods, the social behaviors of the people has been studied. Data show that people demands for a deeper experience of social participation, safety perception and energy saving with the meaningful use of interactive and colourful lighting effects. By using intelligent technology, some suggestions are provided in the field of future lighting to consider the new forms of social sustainability.Keywords: behavior pattern, internet of things, social sustainability, urban lighting
Procedia PDF Downloads 1885318 The Gradient Complex Protective Coatings for Single Crystal Nickel Alloys
Authors: Evgeniya Popova, Vladimir Lesnikov, Nikolay Popov
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High yield complex coatings have been designed for thermally stressed cooled HP turbine blades from single crystal alloys ZHS32-VI-VI and ZHS36 with crystallographic orientation [001]. These coatings provide long-term protection of single crystal blades during operation. The three-layer coatings were prepared as follows: the diffusion barrier layer formation on the alloy surface, the subsequent deposition of the condensed bilayer coatings consisting of an inner layer based on Ni-Cr-Al-Y systems and an outer layer based on the alloyed β-phase. The structure, phase composition of complex coatings and reaction zone interaction with the single-crystal alloys ZHS32-VI and ZHS36-VI were investigated using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The effect of complex protective coatings on the properties of heat-resistant nickel alloys was studied.Keywords: single crystal nickel alloys, complex heat-resistant coatings, structure, phase composition, properties
Procedia PDF Downloads 4135317 Analysis of Scaling Effects on Analog/RF Performance of Nanowire Gate-All-Around MOSFET
Authors: Dheeraj Sharma, Santosh Kumar Vishvakarma
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We present a detailed analysis of analog and radiofrequency (RF) performance with different gate lengths for nanowire cylindrical gate (CylG) gate-all-around (GAA) MOSFET. CylG GAA MOSFET not only suppresses the short channel effects (SCEs), it is also a good candidate for analog/RF device due to its high transconductance (gm) and high cutoff frequency (fT ). The presented work would be beneficial for a new generation of RF circuits and systems in a broad range of applications and operating frequency covering the RF spectrum. For this purpose, the analog/RF figures of merit for CylG GAA MOSFET is analyzed in terms of gate to source capacitance (Cgs), gate to drain capacitance (Cgd), transconductance generation factor gm = Id (where Id represents drain current), intrinsic gain, output resistance, fT, maximum frequency of oscillation (fmax) and gain bandwidth (GBW) product.Keywords: Gate-All-Around MOSFET, GAA, output resistance, transconductance generation factor, intrinsic gain, cutoff frequency, fT
Procedia PDF Downloads 3905316 Impact of Keeping Drug-Addicted Mothers and Newborns Together: Enhancing Bonding, Interoception Learning, and Thriving for Newborns with Positive Effects on Attachment and Child Development
Authors: Poteet Frances, Glovinski Ira
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INTRODUCTION: The interoceptive nervous system continuously senses chemical and anatomical changes and helps you recognize, understand, and feel what’s going on inside your body so it is important for energy regulation, memory, affect, and sense of self. A newborn needs predictable routines rather than confusion/chaos to make connections between internal experiences and emotions. AIM: Current legal protocols of removing babies from drug-addicted mothers impact the critical window of bonding. The newborn’s brain is social and the attachment process influences a child’s development which begins immediately after birth through nourishment, comfort, and protection. DESCRIPTION: Our project aims to educate drug-addicted mothers, and medical, nursing, and social work professionals on interoceptive concepts and practices to sustain the mother/newborn relationship. A mother’s interoceptive knowledge predicts children’s emotion regulation and social skills in middle childhood. CONCLUSION: When mothers develop an awareness of their inner bodily sensations, they can self-regulate and be emotionally available to co-regulate (support their newborn during distressing emotions and sensations). Our project has enhanced relationship preservation (mothers understand how their presence matters) and the overall mother/newborn connection.Keywords: drug-addiction, interoception, legal, mothers, newborn, self-regulation
Procedia PDF Downloads 565315 Numerical Investigation of Nanofluid Based Thermosyphon System
Authors: Kiran Kumar K., Ramesh Babu Bejjam, Atul Najan
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A thermosyphon system is a heat transfer loop which operates on the basis of gravity and buoyancy forces. It guarantees a good reliability and low maintenance cost as it does not involve any mechanical pump. Therefore it can be used in many industrial applications such as refrigeration and air conditioning, electronic cooling, nuclear reactors, geothermal heat extraction, etc. But flow instabilities and loop configuration are the major problems in this system. Several previous researchers studied that stabilities can be suppressed by using nanofluids as loop fluid. In the present study a rectangular thermosyphon loop with end heat exchangers are considered for the study. This configuration is more appropriate for many practical applications such as solar water heater, geothermal heat extraction, etc. In the present work, steady-state analysis is carried out on thermosyphon loop with parallel flow coaxial heat exchangers at heat source and heat sink. In this loop nano fluid is considered as the loop fluid and water is considered as the external fluid in both hot and cold heat exchangers. For this analysis one-dimensional homogeneous model is developed. In this model, conservation equations like conservation of mass, momentum, energy are discretized using finite difference method. A computer code is written in MATLAB to simulate the flow in thermosyphon loop. A comparison in terms of heat transfer is made between water and nano fluid as working fluids in the loop.Keywords: heat exchanger, heat transfer, nanofluid, thermosyphon loop
Procedia PDF Downloads 4705314 Fine-Scale Modeling the Influencing Factors of Multi-Time Dimensions of Transit Ridership at Station Level: The Study of Guangzhou City
Authors: Dijiang Lyu, Shaoying Li, Zhangzhi Tan, Zhifeng Wu, Feng Gao
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Nowadays, China is experiencing rapidly urban rail transit expansions in the world. The purpose of this study is to finely model factors influencing transit ridership at multi-time dimensions within transit stations’ pedestrian catchment area (PCA) in Guangzhou, China. This study was based on multi-sources spatial data, including smart card data, high spatial resolution images, points of interest (POIs), real-estate online data and building height data. Eight multiple linear regression models using backward stepwise method and Geographic Information System (GIS) were created at station-level. According to Chinese code for classification of urban land use and planning standards of development land, residential land-use were divided into three categories: first-level (e.g. villa), second-level (e.g. community) and third-level (e.g. urban villages). Finally, it concluded that: (1) four factors (CBD dummy, number of feeder bus route, number of entrance or exit and the years of station operation) were proved to be positively correlated with transit ridership, but the area of green land-use and water land-use negative correlated instead. (2) The area of education land-use, the second-level and third-level residential land-use were found to be highly connected to the average value of morning peak boarding and evening peak alighting ridership. But the area of commercial land-use and the average height of buildings, were significantly positive associated with the average value of morning peak alighting and evening peak boarding ridership. (3) The area of the second-level residential land-use was rarely correlated with ridership in other regression models. Because private car ownership is still large in Guangzhou now, and some residents living in the community around the stations go to work by transit at peak time, but others are much more willing to drive their own car at non-peak time. The area of the third-level residential land-use, like urban villages, was highly positive correlated with ridership in all models, indicating that residents who live in the third-level residential land-use are the main passenger source of the Guangzhou Metro. (4) The diversity of land-use was found to have a significant impact on the passenger flow on the weekend, but was non-related to weekday. The findings can be useful for station planning, management and policymaking.Keywords: fine-scale modeling, Guangzhou city, multi-time dimensions, multi-sources spatial data, transit ridership
Procedia PDF Downloads 1385313 Multi-Criteria Decision Making Network Optimization for Green Supply Chains
Authors: Bandar A. Alkhayyal
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Modern supply chains are typically linear, transforming virgin raw materials into products for end consumers, who then discard them after use to landfills or incinerators. Nowadays, there are major efforts underway to create a circular economy to reduce non-renewable resource use and waste. One important aspect of these efforts is the development of Green Supply Chain (GSC) systems which enables a reverse flow of used products from consumers back to manufacturers, where they can be refurbished or remanufactured, to both economic and environmental benefit. This paper develops novel multi-objective optimization models to inform GSC system design at multiple levels: (1) strategic planning of facility location and transportation logistics; (2) tactical planning of optimal pricing; and (3) policy planning to account for potential valuation of GSC emissions. First, physical linear programming was applied to evaluate GSC facility placement by determining the quantities of end-of-life products for transport from candidate collection centers to remanufacturing facilities while satisfying cost and capacity criteria. Second, disassembly and remanufacturing processes have received little attention in industrial engineering and process cost modeling literature. The increasing scale of remanufacturing operations, worth nearly $50 billion annually in the United States alone, have made GSC pricing an important subject of research. A non-linear physical programming model for optimization of pricing policy for remanufactured products that maximizes total profit and minimizes product recovery costs were examined and solved. Finally, a deterministic equilibrium model was used to determine the effects of internalizing a cost of GSC greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions into optimization models. Changes in optimal facility use, transportation logistics, and pricing/profit margins were all investigated against a variable cost of carbon, using case study system created based on actual data from sites in the Boston area. As carbon costs increase, the optimal GSC system undergoes several distinct shifts in topology as it seeks new cost-minimal configurations. A comprehensive study of quantitative evaluation and performance of the model has been done using orthogonal arrays. Results were compared to top-down estimates from economic input-output life cycle assessment (EIO-LCA) models, to contrast remanufacturing GHG emission quantities with those from original equipment manufacturing operations. Introducing a carbon cost of $40/t CO2e increases modeled remanufacturing costs by 2.7% but also increases original equipment costs by 2.3%. The assembled work advances the theoretical modeling of optimal GSC systems and presents a rare case study of remanufactured appliances.Keywords: circular economy, extended producer responsibility, greenhouse gas emissions, industrial ecology, low carbon logistics, green supply chains
Procedia PDF Downloads 1585312 A Critical Look on Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats Method Based on Different Mechanisms
Authors: R. Sulakshana, R. Lakshmi
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Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats, CRISPR associate (CRISPR/Cas) is an adaptive immunity system found in bacteria and archaea. It has been modified to serve as a potent gene editing tool. Moreover, it has found widespread use in the field of genome research because of its accessibility and low cost. Several bioinformatics methods have been created to aid in the construction of specific single guide RNA (sgRNA), which is highly active and crucial to CRISPR/Cas performance. Various Cas proteins, including Cas1, Cas2, Cas9, and Cas12, have been used to create genome engineering tools because of their programmable sequence specificity. Class 1 and 2 CRISPR/Cas systems, as well as the processes of all known Cas proteins (including Cas9 and Cas12), are discussed in this review paper. In addition, the various CRISPR methodologies and their tools so far discovered are discussed. Finally, the challenges and issues in the CRISPR system along with future works, are presented.Keywords: gene editing tool, Cas proteins, CRISPR, guideRNA, programmable sequence
Procedia PDF Downloads 985311 Design and Development of Graphene Oxide Modified by Chitosan Nanosheets Showing pH-Sensitive Surface as a Smart Drug Delivery System for Control Release of Doxorubicin
Authors: Parisa Shirzadeh
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Drug delivery systems in which drugs are traditionally used, multi-stage and at specified intervals by patients, do not meet the needs of the world's up-to-date drug delivery. In today's world, we are dealing with a huge number of recombinant peptide and protean drugs and analogues of hormones in the body, most of which are made with genetic engineering techniques. Most of these drugs are used to treat critical diseases such as cancer. Due to the limitations of the traditional method, researchers sought to find ways to solve the problems of the traditional method to a large extent. Following these efforts, controlled drug release systems were introduced, which have many advantages. Using controlled release of the drug in the body, the concentration of the drug is kept at a certain level, and in a short time, it is done at a higher rate. Graphene is a natural material that is biodegradable, non-toxic, and natural compared to carbon nanotubes; its price is lower than carbon nanotubes and is cost-effective for industrialization. On the other hand, the presence of highly effective surfaces and wide surfaces of graphene plates makes it more effective to modify graphene than carbon nanotubes. Graphene oxide is often synthesized using concentrated oxidizers such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid, and potassium permanganate based on Hummer 1 method. In comparison with the initial graphene, the resulting graphene oxide is heavier and has carboxyl, hydroxyl, and epoxy groups. Therefore, graphene oxide is very hydrophilic and easily dissolves in water and creates a stable solution. On the other hand, because the hydroxyl, carboxyl, and epoxy groups created on the surface are highly reactive, they have the ability to work with other functional groups such as amines, esters, polymers, etc. Connect and bring new features to the surface of graphene. In fact, it can be concluded that the creation of hydroxyl groups, Carboxyl, and epoxy and in fact graphene oxidation is the first step and step in creating other functional groups on the surface of graphene. Chitosan is a natural polymer and does not cause toxicity in the body. Due to its chemical structure and having OH and NH groups, it is suitable for binding to graphene oxide and increasing its solubility in aqueous solutions. Graphene oxide (GO) has been modified by chitosan (CS) covalently, developed for control release of doxorubicin (DOX). In this study, GO is produced by the hummer method under acidic conditions. Then, it is chlorinated by oxalyl chloride to increase its reactivity against amine. After that, in the presence of chitosan, the amino reaction was performed to form amide transplantation, and the doxorubicin was connected to the carrier surface by π-π interaction in buffer phosphate. GO, GO-CS, and GO-CS-DOX characterized by FT-IR, RAMAN, TGA, and SEM. The ability to load and release is determined by UV-Visible spectroscopy. The loading result showed a high capacity of DOX absorption (99%) and pH dependence identified as a result of DOX release from GO-CS nanosheet at pH 5.3 and 7.4, which show a fast release rate in acidic conditions.Keywords: graphene oxide, chitosan, nanosheet, controlled drug release, doxorubicin
Procedia PDF Downloads 1175310 Development of a Data Security Model Using Steganography
Authors: Terungwa Simon Yange, Agana Moses A.
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This paper studied steganography and designed a simplistic approach to a steganographic tool for hiding information in image files with the view of addressing the security challenges with data by hiding data from unauthorized users to improve its security. The Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM) was used in this work. The system was developed using Java Development Kit (JDK) 1.7.0_10 and MySQL Server as its backend. The system was tested with some hypothetical health records which proved the possibility of protecting data from unauthorized users by making it secret so that its existence cannot be easily recognized by fraudulent users. It further strengthens the confidentiality of patient records kept by medical practitioners in the health setting. In conclusion, this work was able to produce a user friendly steganography software that is very fast to install and easy to operate to ensure privacy and secrecy of sensitive data. It also produced an exact copy of the original image and the one carrying the secret message when compared with each.Keywords: steganography, cryptography, encryption, decryption, secrecy
Procedia PDF Downloads 2565309 Existence Theory for First Order Functional Random Differential Equations
Authors: Rajkumar N. Ingle
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In this paper, the existence of a solution of nonlinear functional random differential equations of the first order is proved under caratheodory condition. The study of the functional random differential equation has got importance in the random analysis of the dynamical systems of universal phenomena. Objectives: Nonlinear functional random differential equation is useful to the scientists, engineers, and mathematicians, who are engaged in N.F.R.D.E. analyzing a universal random phenomenon, govern by nonlinear random initial value problems of D.E. Applications of this in the theory of diffusion or heat conduction. Methodology: Using the concepts of probability theory, functional analysis, generally the existence theorems for the nonlinear F.R.D.E. are prove by using some tools such as fixed point theorem. The significance of the study: Our contribution will be the generalization of some well-known results in the theory of Nonlinear F.R.D.E.s. Further, it seems that our study will be useful to scientist, engineers, economists and mathematicians in their endeavors to analyses the nonlinear random problems of the universe in a better way.Keywords: Random Fixed Point Theorem, functional random differential equation, N.F.R.D.E., universal random phenomenon
Procedia PDF Downloads 4925308 Brand Resonance Strategy For Long-term Market Survival: Does The Brand Resonance Matter For Smes? An Investigation In Smes Digital Branding (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram And Blog) Activities And Strong Brand Development
Authors: Noor Hasmini Abd Ghani
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Brand resonance is among of new focused strategy that getting more attention in nowadays by larger companies for their long-term market survival. The brand resonance emphasizing of two main characteristics that are intensity and activity able to generate psychology bond and enduring relationship between a brand and consumer. This strong attachment relationship has represented brand resonance with the concept of consumer brand relationship (CBR) that exhibit competitive advantage for long-term market survival. The main consideration toward this brand resonance approach is not only in the context of larger companies but also can be adapted in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as well. The SMEs have been recognized as vital pillar to the world economy in both developed and emergence countries are undeniable due to their economic growth contributions, such as opportunity for employment, wealth creation, and poverty reduction. In particular, the facts that SMEs in Malaysia are pivotal to the well-being of the Malaysian economy and society are clearly justified, where the SMEs competent in provided jobs to 66% of the workforce and contributed 40% to the GDP. As regards to it several sectors, the SMEs service category that covers the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector is one of the high-potential industries in Malaysia. For that reasons, SMEs strong brand or brand equity is vital to be developed for their long-term market survival. However, there’s still less appropriate strategies in develop their brand equity. The difficulties have never been so evident until Covid-19 swept across the globe from 2020. Since the pandemic began, more than 150,000 SMEs in Malaysia have shut down, leaving more than 1.2 million people jobless. Otherwise, as the SMEs are the pillar of any economy for the countries in the world, and with negative effect of COVID-19 toward their economic growth, thus, their protection has become important more than ever. Therefore, focusing on strategy that able to develop SMEs strong brand is compulsory. Hence, this is where the strategy of brand resonance is introduced in this study. Mainly, this study aims to investigate the impact of CBR as a predictor and mediator in the context of social media marketing (SMM) activities toward SMEs e-brand equity (or strong brand) building. The study employed the quantitative research design concerning on electronic survey method with the valid response rate of 300 respondents. Interestingly, the result revealed the importance role of CBR either as predictor or mediator in the context of SMEs SMM as well as brand equity development. Further, the study provided several theoretical and practical implications that can benefit the SMEs in enhancing their strategic marketing decision.Keywords: SME brand equity, SME social media marketing, SME consumer brand relationship, SME brand resonance
Procedia PDF Downloads 555307 Exploring the Availability and Distribution of Public Green Spaces among Riyadh Residential Neighborhoods
Authors: Abdulwahab Alalyani, Mahbub Rashid
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Public green space promotes community health including daily activities, but these resources may not be available enough or may not equitably be distributed. This paper measures and compares the availability of public green spaces (PGS) among low, middle, and high-income neighborhoods in the Riyadh city. Additionally, it compares the total availability of PGS to WHO standard and Dubai availability of PGS per person. All PGS were mapped using geographical information systems, and total area availability of PGS compared to WHO and Dubai standards. To evaluate the significant differences in PGS availability across low, medium, and high-income Riyadh neighborhoods, we used a One-way ANOVA analysis of covariance to test the differences. As a result, by comparing PGS of Riyadh neighborhoods to WHO and Dubai-availability, it was found that Riyadh PGS were lower than the minimum standard of WHO and as well as Dubai. Riyadh has only 1.13 m2 per capita of PGS. The second finding, the availability of PGS, was significantly different among Riyadh neighborhoods based on socioeconomic status. The future development of PGS should be focused on increasing PGS availability and should be given priority to those low-income and unhealthy communities.Keywords: spatial equity, green space, quality of life, built environment
Procedia PDF Downloads 1265306 Effect of Plasma Treatment on UV Protection Properties of Fabrics
Authors: Sheila Shahidi
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UV protection by fabrics has recently become a focus of great interest, particularly in connection with environmental degradation or ozone layer depletion. Fabrics provide simple and convenient protection against UV radiation (UVR), but not all fabrics offer sufficient UV protection. To describe the degree of UVR protection offered by clothing materials, the ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) is commonly used. UV-protective fabric can be generated by application of a chemical finish using normal wet-processing methodologies. However, traditional wet-processing techniques are known to consume large quantities of water and energy and may lead to adverse alterations of the bulk properties of the substrate. Recently, usage of plasmas to generate physicochemical surface modifications of textile substrates has become an intriguing approach to replace or enhance conventional wet-processing techniques. In this research work the effect of plasma treatment on UV protection properties of fabrics was investigated. DC magnetron sputtering was used and the parameters of plasma such as gas type, electrodes, time of exposure, power and, etc. were studied. The morphological and chemical properties of samples were analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Furrier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), respectively. The transmittance and UPF values of the original and plasma-treated samples were measured using a Shimadzu UV3101 PC (UV–Vis–NIR scanning spectrophotometer, 190–2, 100 nm range). It was concluded that, plasma which is an echo-friendly, cost effective and dry technique is being used in different branches of the industries, and will conquer textile industry in the near future. Also it is promising method for preparation of UV protection textile.Keywords: fabric, plasma, textile, UV protection
Procedia PDF Downloads 5135305 Continuous Wave Interference Effects on Global Position System Signal Quality
Authors: Fang Ye, Han Yu, Yibing Li
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Radio interference is one of the major concerns in using the global positioning system (GPS) for civilian and military applications. Interference signals are produced not only through all electronic systems but also illegal jammers. Among different types of interferences, continuous wave (CW) interference has strong adverse impacts on the quality of the received signal. In this paper, we make more detailed analysis for CW interference effects on GPS signal quality. Based on the C/A code spectrum lines, the influence of CW interference on the acquisition performance of GPS receivers is further analysed. This influence is supported by simulation results using GPS software receiver. As the most important user parameter of GPS receivers, the mathematical expression of bit error probability is also derived in the presence of CW interference, and the expression is consistent with the Monte Carlo simulation results. The research on CW interference provides some theoretical gist and new thoughts on monitoring the radio noise environment and improving the anti-jamming ability of GPS receivers.Keywords: GPS, CW interference, acquisition performance, bit error probability, Monte Carlo
Procedia PDF Downloads 2555304 Heat Pipe Production and Life Performance Tests in Geosynchronous Telecom Satellites
Authors: Erkam Arslantas
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Heat pipes one of the thermal control elements are used in communication satellites. A selection of the heat pipes of satellite thermal design will be emphasized how important and effective it is. In this article, manufacturing and performance control tests of heat pipes are reviewed from the current literature. The heat pipe is expected to function efficiently during all missions of the spacecraft from Beginning of Life (BOL) to End of Life (EOL). There are many parameters that are evaluated in manufacturing and performance control tests of the heat pipes which are used in satellites. These parameters are pressure design, leakage, noncondensable gas level (N.C.G), sine vibration, shock and static load capabilities, aging, bending, proof, final test etc. These parameters will be explained separately for the heat pipes in this review article and young researches working on the thermal control system of Geosynchronous Satellites systems can find easily related information in this article.Keywords: communication satellite, heat pipe, performance test, thermal control
Procedia PDF Downloads 1585303 Determination of Morphological Characteristics of Brassica napus, Sinapis arvensis, Sinapis alba and Camelina sativa
Authors: Betül Gıdık, Fadul Önemli
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The Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) is an important family of plants that include many economically important vegetable production, industrial oilseed, spice, fodder crop species and energy production. Canola and mustard species that are in Brassicaceae family have too high contribution to world herbal production. In this study, genotypes of two kinds of (Caravel and Excalibul) canola (Brassica napus), wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis), white mustard (Sinapis alba) and Camelina (Camelina sativa) were grown in the experimental field, and their morphological characteristics were determined. According to the results of the research; plant length was varied between 76.75 cm and 151.50 cm, and the longest plant was belonging to species of Sinapis arvensis. The number of branches varied from 3.75 piece/plant to 17.75 piece/plant and the most numerous branch was counted in species of Sinapis alba. It was determined that the number of grains in one capsule was between 3.75 piece/capsule and 35.75 piece/capsule and the largest amount of grains in the one capsule was in the Excalibul variety of species of Brassica napus. In our research, it has been determined that the plant of Sinapis arvensis is a potential plant for industrial of oil production; such as Brassica napus, Sinapis alba and Camelina (Camelina sativa).Keywords: Brassica napus, Camelina sativa, canola, Sinapis alba, Sinapis arvensis, wild mustard
Procedia PDF Downloads 1905302 Antibacterial Activity and Cytotoxicity of Silver Nanoparticles Synthesized by Moringa oleifera Extract as Reducing Agent
Authors: Temsiri Suwan, Penpicha Wanachantararak, Sakornrat Khongkhunthian, Siriporn Okonogi
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In the present study, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were synthesized by green synthesis approach using Moringa oleifera aqueous extract (ME) as a reducing agent and silver nitrate as a precursor. The obtained AgNPs were characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy (UV-Vis), dynamic light scattering (DLS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffractometry (XRD). The results from UV-Vis revealed that the maximum absorption of AgNPs was at 430 nm and the EDX spectrum confirmed Ag element. The results from DLS indicated that the amount of ME played an important role in particle size, size distribution, and zeta potential of the obtained AgNPs. The smallest size (62.4 ± 1.8 nm) with narrow distribution (0.18 ± 0.02) of AgNPs was obtained after using 1% w/v of ME. This system gave high negative zeta potential of -36.5 ± 2.8 mV. SEM results indicated that the obtained AgNPs were spherical in shape. Antibacterial activity using dilution method revealed that the minimum inhibitory and minimum bactericidal concentrations of the obtained AgNPs against Streptococcus mutans were 0.025 and 0.1 mg/mL, respectively. Cytotoxicity test of AgNPs on adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549) indicated that the particles impacted against A549 cells. The percentage of cell growth inhibition was 87.5 ± 3.6 % when only 0.1 mg/mL AgNPs was used. These results suggest that ME is the potential reducing agent for green synthesis of AgNPs.Keywords: antibacterial activity, Moringa oleifera extract, reducing agent, silver nanoparticles
Procedia PDF Downloads 1055301 Nature of Maritime Dispute Resolution by Arbitration: USA as a Reference Point
Authors: Thusitha B. Abeysekara, M. A. Nihal Chandrathilake
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The aim of this research is to examine the legal mechanism of resolving maritime disputes by arbitration, and it would be a reference point on the analysis of USA approaches. In doing so, the research aims to analyse the relevant legal principles in the context of current maritime arbitration practices in selected jurisdictions. The research also aims to analyse the advantages and applicability of arbitration in maritime dispute settlements over the litigation and further approaches the role of specialist maritime arbitration institutes in the USA and the position of international merchant organizations in maritime arbitration. Further, research values the legislative aspects of maritime arbitration. The study would evaluate the contemporary issues in maritime arbitration practices in the USA and further analyses the statistical information on maritime arbitration. Finally, the research made remarks to often parallel consequence in USA legal systems in maritime arbitration and despite the fundamental divergences of the applicable principles and practices of maritime arbitration. The research finally suggests the doctrine should reshape with equitable remedies and international maritime arbitration practices with its institutional impact rather than using as statutory rules related maritime arbitration.Keywords: arbitration, international shipping, maritime dispute, New York convention
Procedia PDF Downloads 2175300 AM/E/c Queuing Hub Maximal Covering Location Model with Fuzzy Parameter
Authors: M. H. Fazel Zarandi, N. Moshahedi
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The hub location problem appears in a variety of applications such as medical centers, firefighting facilities, cargo delivery systems and telecommunication network design. The location of service centers has a strong influence on the congestion at each of them, and, consequently, on the quality of service. This paper presents a fuzzy maximal hub covering location problem (FMCHLP) in which travel costs between any pair of nodes is considered as a fuzzy variable. In order to consider the quality of service, we model each hub as a queue. Arrival rate follows Poisson distribution and service rate follows Erlang distribution. In this paper, at first, a nonlinear mathematical programming model is presented. Then, we convert it to the linear one. We solved the linear model using GAMS software up to 25 nodes and for large sizes due to the complexity of hub covering location problems, and simulated annealing algorithm is developed to solve and test the model. Also, we used possibilistic c-means clustering method in order to find an initial solution.Keywords: fuzzy modeling, location, possibilistic clustering, queuing
Procedia PDF Downloads 3885299 Qatari Licensure System: Giving Voice to Educators at Government-Funded Schools
Authors: Abdullah Abu-Tineh, Hissa Sadiq, Fatma Al-Mutawah, Youmen Chabaan
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The current study examined the experiences of educators in Qatar with the licensure process currently implemented at government schools. Using a survey study design, a total of 1,669 participants expressed their perceptions on the strengths and weaknesses of the licensure system, the professional standards, and the professional portfolio. Findings included participants’ beliefs on the importance of the licensure system in improving their performance, the necessity of using the professional standards as tools for professional growth and development, the importance of refining the professional portfolio for authenticity and reliability, and the inclusion of multiple sources of evidence, such as classroom observations, interviews, student learning outcomes, and surveys. Documenting teachers’ and school leaders’ voices was fundamental in finding ways to successfully drive future developments of the licensure system. The findings may also provide implications for other countries interested in developing or refining their own appraisal systems.Keywords: licensure system, educator voice, professional standards, professional portfolio
Procedia PDF Downloads 1945298 Numerical Simulation of Von Karman Swirling Bioconvection Nanofluid Flow from a Deformable Rotating Disk
Authors: Ali Kadir, S. R. Mishra, M. Shamshuddin, O. Anwar Beg
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Motivation- Rotating disk bio-reactors are fundamental to numerous medical/biochemical engineering processes including oxygen transfer, chromatography, purification and swirl-assisted pumping. The modern upsurge in biologically-enhanced engineering devices has embraced new phenomena including bioconvection of micro-organisms (photo-tactic, oxy-tactic, gyrotactic etc). The proven thermal performance superiority of nanofluids i.e. base fluids doped with engineered nanoparticles has also stimulated immense implementation in biomedical designs. Motivated by these emerging applications, we present a numerical thermofluid dynamic simulation of the transport phenomena in bioconvection nanofluid rotating disk bioreactor flow. Methodology- We study analytically and computationally the time-dependent three-dimensional viscous gyrotactic bioconvection in swirling nanofluid flow from a rotating disk configuration. The disk is also deformable i.e. able to extend (stretch) in the radial direction. Stefan blowing is included. The Buongiorno dilute nanofluid model is adopted wherein Brownian motion and thermophoresis are the dominant nanoscale effects. The primitive conservation equations for mass, radial, tangential and axial momentum, heat (energy), nanoparticle concentration and micro-organism density function are formulated in a cylindrical polar coordinate system with appropriate wall and free stream boundary conditions. A mass convective condition is also incorporated at the disk surface. Forced convection is considered i.e. buoyancy forces are neglected. This highly nonlinear, strongly coupled system of unsteady partial differential equations is normalized with the classical Von Karman and other transformations to render the boundary value problem (BVP) into an ordinary differential system which is solved with the efficient Adomian decomposition method (ADM). Validation with earlier Runge-Kutta shooting computations in the literature is also conducted. Extensive computations are presented (with the aid of MATLAB symbolic software) for radial and circumferential velocity components, temperature, nanoparticle concentration, micro-organism density number and gradients of these functions at the disk surface (radial local skin friction, local circumferential skin friction, Local Nusselt number, Local Sherwood number, motile microorganism mass transfer rate). Main Findings- Increasing radial stretching parameter decreases radial velocity and radial skin friction, reduces azimuthal velocity and skin friction, decreases local Nusselt number and motile micro-organism mass wall flux whereas it increases nano-particle local Sherwood number. Disk deceleration accelerates the radial flow, damps the azimuthal flow, decreases temperatures and thermal boundary layer thickness, depletes the nano-particle concentration magnitudes (and associated nano-particle species boundary layer thickness) and furthermore decreases the micro-organism density number and gyrotactic micro-organism species boundary layer thickness. Increasing Stefan blowing accelerates the radial flow and azimuthal (circumferential flow), elevates temperatures of the nanofluid, boosts nano-particle concentration (volume fraction) and gyrotactic micro-organism density number magnitudes whereas suction generates the reverse effects. Increasing suction effect reduces radial skin friction and azimuthal skin friction, local Nusselt number, and motile micro-organism wall mass flux whereas it enhances the nano-particle species local Sherwood number. Conclusions - Important transport characteristics are identified of relevance to real bioreactor nanotechnological systems not discussed in previous works. ADM is shown to achieve very rapid convergence and highly accurate solutions and shows excellent promise in simulating swirling multi-physical nano-bioconvection fluid dynamics problems. Furthermore, it provides an excellent complement to more general commercial computational fluid dynamics simulations.Keywords: bio-nanofluids, rotating disk bioreactors, Von Karman swirling flow, numerical solutions
Procedia PDF Downloads 1535297 Challenges and Recommendations for Medical Device Tracking and Traceability in Singapore: A Focus on Nursing Practices
Authors: Zhuang Yiwen
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The paper examines the challenges facing the Singapore healthcare system related to the tracking and traceability of medical devices. One of the major challenges identified is the lack of a standard coding system for medical devices, which makes it difficult to track them effectively. The paper suggests the use of the Unique Device Identifier (UDI) as a single standard for medical devices to improve tracking and reduce errors. The paper also explores the use of barcoding and image recognition to identify and document medical devices in nursing practices. In nursing practices, the use of barcodes for identifying medical devices is common. However, the information contained in these barcodes is often inconsistent, making it challenging to identify which segment contains the model identifier. Moreover, the use of barcodes may be improved with the use of UDI, but many subsidized accessories may still lack barcodes. The paper suggests that the readiness for UDI and barcode standardization requires standardized information, fields, and logic in electronic medical record (EMR), operating theatre (OT), and billing systems, as well as barcode scanners that can read various formats and selectively parse barcode segments. Nursing workflow and data flow also need to be taken into account. The paper also explores the use of image recognition, specifically the Tesseract OCR engine, to identify and document implants in public hospitals due to limitations in barcode scanning. The study found that the solution requires an implant information database and checking output against the database. The solution also requires customization of the algorithm, cropping out objects affecting text recognition, and applying adjustments. The solution requires additional resources and costs for a mobile/hardware device, which may pose space constraints and require maintenance of sterile criteria. The integration with EMR is also necessary, and the solution require changes in the user's workflow. The paper suggests that the long-term use of Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) as a supporting terminology to improve clinical documentation and data exchange in healthcare. SNOMED CT provides a standardized way of documenting and sharing clinical information with respect to procedure, patient and device documentation, which can facilitate interoperability and data exchange. In conclusion, the paper highlights the challenges facing the Singapore healthcare system related to the tracking and traceability of medical devices. The paper suggests the use of UDI and barcode standardization to improve tracking and reduce errors. It also explores the use of image recognition to identify and document medical devices in nursing practices. The paper emphasizes the importance of standardized information, fields, and logic in EMR, OT, and billing systems, as well as barcode scanners that can read various formats and selectively parse barcode segments. These recommendations could help the Singapore healthcare system to improve tracking and traceability of medical devices and ultimately enhance patient safety.Keywords: medical device tracking, unique device identifier, barcoding and image recognition, systematized nomenclature of medicine clinical terms
Procedia PDF Downloads 705296 Attachment and Emotion Regulation among Adults with versus without Somatic Symptom Disorder
Authors: Natalia Constantinescu
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This cross-sectional study aims to explore the differences among adults with somatic symptom disorder (SSD) versus adults without SSD in terms of attachment and emotion regulation strategies. A total sample of 80 participants (40 people with SSD and 40 healthy controls), aged 20-57 years old (M = 31.69, SD = 10.55), were recruited from institutions and online groups. They completed the Romanian version of the Experiences in Close Relationships Scale – Short Form (ECR-S), Regulation of Emotion Systems Survey (RESS), Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) and Somatic Symptom Disorder – B Criteria Scale (SSD-12). The results indicate significant differences between the two groups in terms of attachment and emotion regulation strategies. Adults with SSD have a higher level of attachment anxiety and avoidance compared to the nonclinical group. Moreover, people with SSD are more prone to use rumination and suppression and less prone to use reevaluation compared to healthy people. Implications for SSD prevention and treatment are discussed.Keywords: adult attachment, emotion regulation strategies, psychosomatic disorders, somatic symptom disorder
Procedia PDF Downloads 2495295 Designing a Method to Control and Determine the Financial Performance of the Real Cost Sub-System in the Information Management System of Construction Projects
Authors: Alireza Ghaffari, Hassan Saghi
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Project management is more complex than managing the day-to-day affairs of an organization. When the project dimensions are broad and multiple projects have to be monitored in different locations, the integrated management becomes even more complicated. One of the main concerns of project managers is the integrated project management, which is mainly rooted in the lack of accurate and accessible information from different projects in various locations. The collection of dispersed information from various parts of the network, their integration and finally the selective reporting of this information is among the goals of integrated information systems. It can help resolve the main problem, which is bridging the information gap between executives and senior managers in the organization. Therefore, the main objective of this study is to design and implement an important subset of a project management information system in order to successfully control the cost of construction projects so that its results can be used to design raw software forms and proposed relationships between different project units for the collection of necessary information.Keywords: financial performance, cost subsystem, PMIS, project management
Procedia PDF Downloads 1025294 Optimization of Supercritical CO2 Power Cycle for Waste Heat Recovery from Gas Turbine with Respect to Cooling Condition
Authors: Young Min Kim, Jeong Lak Sohn, Eui Soo Yoon
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This study describes the optimization of supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO2) power cycle for recovering waste heat from a gas turbine. An S-CO2 cycle that recovers heat from small industrial and aeroderivative gas turbines can outperform a steam-bottoming cycle despite its simplicity and compactness. In using S-CO2 power cycles for waste heat recovery, a split cycle was studied to maximize the net output power by incorporating the utilization efficiency of the waste heat (lowering the temperature of the exhaust gas through the heater) along with the thermal efficiency of the cycle (minimizing the temperature difference for the heat transfer, exergy loss). The cooling condition of the S-CO2 WHR system has a great impact on the performance and the optimum low pressure of the system. Furthermore, the optimum high pressure of the S-CO2 WHR systems for the maximum power from the given heat sources is dependent on the temperature of the waste heat source.Keywords: exergy loss, gas turbine, optimization, supercritical CO2 power cycle, split cycle, waste heat recovery
Procedia PDF Downloads 3435293 Quantifying Processes of Relating Skills in Learning: The Map of Dialogical Inquiry
Authors: Eunice Gan Ghee Wu, Marcus Goh Tian Xi, Alicia Chua Si Wen, Helen Bound, Lee Liang Ying, Albert Lee
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The Map of Dialogical Inquiry provides a conceptual basis of learning processes. According to the Map, dialogical inquiry motivates complex thinking, dialogue, reflection, and learner agency. For instance, classrooms that incorporated dialogical inquiry enabled learners to construct more meaning in their learning, to engage in self-reflection, and to challenge their ideas with different perspectives. While the Map contributes to the psychology of learning, its qualitative approach makes it hard to track and compare learning processes over time for both teachers and learners. Qualitative approach typically relies on open-ended responses, which can be time-consuming and resource-intensive. With these concerns, the present research aimed to develop and validate a quantifiable measure for the Map. Specifically, the Map of Dialogical Inquiry reflects the eight different learning processes and perspectives employed during a learner’s experience. With a focus on interpersonal and emotional learning processes, the purpose of the present study is to construct and validate a scale to measure the “Relating” aspect of learning. According to the Map, the Relating aspect of learning contains four conceptual components: using intuition and empathy, seeking personal meaning, building relationships and meaning with others, and likes stories and metaphors. All components have been shown to benefit learning in past research. This research began with a literature review with the goal of identifying relevant scales in the literature. These scales were used as a basis for item development, guided by the four conceptual dimensions in the “Relating” aspect of learning, resulting in a pool of 47 preliminary items. Then, all items were administered to 200 American participants via an online survey along with other scales of learning. Dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the “Relating” scale was assessed. Data were submitted to a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), revealing four distinct components and items. Items with lower factor loadings were removed in an iterative manner, resulting in 34 items in the final scale. CFA also revealed that the “Relating” scale was a four-factor model, following its four distinct components as described in the Map of Dialogical Inquiry. In sum, this research was able to develop a quantitative scale for the “Relating” aspect of the Map of Dialogical Inquiry. By representing learning as numbers, users, such as educators and learners, can better track, evaluate, and compare learning processes over time in an efficient manner. More broadly, this scale may also be used as a learning tool in lifelong learning.Keywords: lifelong learning, scale development, dialogical inquiry, relating, social and emotional learning, socio-affective intuition, empathy, narrative identity, perspective taking, self-disclosure
Procedia PDF Downloads 1395292 Fabrication and Characterization of Cu50 (Zr50-xNix) 50 Nanocrystalline Coating by Cold Spray Technique for Potential Antibiofilm Application
Authors: Ahmad Alazemi, M. Sherif El-Eskandrany, Mohamad Kishk, Thanyan AlOnaizi, Ahmad Alduweesh, Shorouq Abdullaleel
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Arc melting technique followed by top-down approach, using a high-energy ball milling technique were employed to synthesize nanocrystalline of Cu50(Zr50-xNix)50 (x = 0, 10, 20 and 30 at.%) powder particles. The end-products of the alloy powders obtained after 50 h of the ball milling time were uniform in composition and had spherical-like morphology with an average particle size of 0.75 µm in diameter. The powders, which consisted of nanocrystalline grains with an average grain size of 10 nm in diameter, were used as feedstock materials for double face coating of stainless (SUS304) sheets, using cold spraying process. The coating materials enjoyed nanocrystalline structure and uniform composition. Biofilms were grown on 20-mm2 SUS304 sheets coated coupons inoculated with 1.5 × 108 CFU ml−1 E. coli. Significant biofilm inhibition was recorded in the nanoparticles coated coupons in comparison to non-coated SUS304 coupon. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that formation of biofilms can be significantly inhibited by Cu-based alloys especially in case of high (Ni) content. The inhibition of biofilm formation by nanocrystalline powders of Cu-based provides a practical approach to achieve the inhibition of biofilms formed by an emerging pathogen.Keywords: biofilm, Cu, E.coli, FE-HRTEM/EDS, nanomaterials, nanocrystalline
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