Search results for: human induced loads

Authors: Abdullah Al-Mamun, Md. Nuruzzaman, Md. Noor Salleh, Muhammad Abu Eusuf, Ahmad Jalal Khan Chowdhury, Mohd. Zaki M. Amin, Norlida Mohd. Dom

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Identification of pollution sources and determination of pollution loads from all areas are very important for sustainable rehabilitation of any contaminated river. Pusu is a small river which, flows through the main campus of International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) at Gombak. Poor aesthetics of the river, which is flowing through the entrance of the campus, gives negative impression to the local and international visitors. As such, this study is being conducted to find ways to rehabilitate the river in a sustainable manner. The point and non-point pollution sources of the river basin are identified. Upper part of the 12.6 km2 river basin is covered with secondary forest. However, it is the lower-middle reaches of the river basin which is being cleared for residential development and source of high sediment load. Flow and concentrations of the common pollutants, important for a healthy river, such as Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Suspended Solids (SS), Turbidity, pH, Ammoniacal Nitrogen (AN), Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Phosphorus (TP) are determined. Annual pollution loading to the river was calculated based on the primary and secondary data. Concentrations of SS were high during the rainy day due to contribution from the non-point sources. There are 7 ponds along the river system within the campus, which are severely affected by high sediment load from the land clearing activities. On the other hand, concentrations of other pollutants were high during the non-rainy days. The main sources of point pollution are the hostels, cafeterias, sewage treatment plants located in the campus. Therefore, both pollution sources need to be controlled in order to rehabilitate the river in a sustainable manner.

Keywords: river pollution, rehabilitation, point pollution source, non-point pollution sources, pollution loading

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Authors: Kirsten Wilson, Patrick M. Brauer, Sandra Babic, Diana Golubeva, Jessica Van Eyk, Tinya Wang, Avanti Karkhanis, Tim A. Le Fevre, Andy I. Kokaji, Allen C. Eaves, Sharon A. Louis, , Nooshin Tabatabaei-Zavareh

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Long-lived plasma cells are rare, non-proliferative B cells generated from antibody-secreting cells (ASCs) following an immune response to protect the host against pathogen re-exposure. Despite their therapeutic potential, the lack of in vitro protocols in the field makes it challenging to use B cells as a cellular therapeutic tool. As a result, there is a need to establish robust and reproducible methods for the generation of B cells. To address this, we have developed a culture system for generating B cells from hematopoietic stem and/or progenitor cells (HSPCs) derived from human umbilical cord blood (CB) or pluripotent stem cells (PSCs). HSPCs isolated from CB were cultured using the StemSpan™ B Cell Generation Kit and produced CD19+ B cells at a frequency of 23.2 ± 1.5% and 59.6 ± 2.3%, with a yield of 91 ± 11 and 196 ± 37 CD19+ cells per input CD34+ cell on culture days 28 and 35, respectively (n = 50 - 59). CD19+IgM+ cells were detected at a frequency of 31.2 ± 2.6% and were produced at a yield of 113 ± 26 cells per input CD34+ cell on culture day 35 (n = 50 - 59). The B cell receptor loci of CB-derived B cells were sequenced to confirm V(D)J gene rearrangement. ELISpot analysis revealed that ASCs were generated at a frequency of 570 ± 57 per 10,000 day 35 cells, with an average IgM+ ASC yield of 16 ± 2 cells per input CD34+ cell (n = 33 - 42). PSC-derived HSPCs were generated using the STEMdiff™ Hematopoietic - EB reagents and differentiated to CD10+CD19+ B cells with a frequency of 4 ± 0.8% after 28 days of culture (n = 37, 1 embryonic and 3 induced pluripotent stem cell lines tested). Subsequent culture of PSC-derived HSPCs increased CD19+ frequency and generated ASCs from 1 - 2 iPSC lines. This method is the first report of a serum- and feeder-free system for the generation of B cells from CB and PSCs, enabling further B lineage-specific research for potential future clinical applications.

Keywords: stem cells, B cells, immunology, hematopoiesis, PSC, differentiation

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Authors: Surendra Bodakhe

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In this investigation, anticataract activity was determined using cataract formation in developing chick embryo by hydrocortisone. Lenses were evaluated firstly for the extent of opacity and secondly, for lens glutathione (GSH) levels. Betulinic acid was isolated from the chloroform fraction of the crude ethanolic extract of Bauhinia variegata bark (SBE). Fourteen days old Australorp fertilized eggs were divided into different groups of six eggs each. After 24 hrs incubation in a humidified incubator (37οC), at 15 days of age; hydrocortisone (0.25µM/0.2ml/egg) was administered to the chorioallantoic membrane of chick embryos through a small hole in the egg shell on the air sack. Ascorbic acid (standard) or Betulinic acid (test) were administered at 3, 10 and 20 hr after hydrocortisone administration at a specified dose. The puncture was sealed with a cellophane tape and eggs were incubated for 48 hrs in a humidified incubator at 37οC. After 48 hrs, the lenses were isolated for the determination of the extent of opacity and Glutathione level. The betulinic acid prevented the opacification of the chick embryo lenses induced by hydrocortisone. The betulinic acid also prevented the decline of GSH content caused by hydrocortisone. The results indicate that betulinic acid protect the cataract formation in chick embryo lenses induced by hydrocortisone.

Keywords: betulinic acid, cataract, cloudiness, ovine

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Authors: P. Strakos, M. Jaros, T. Karasek, T. Kozubek, P. Vavra, T. Jonszta

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In medical imaging, segmentation of different areas of human body like bones, organs, tissues, etc. is an important issue. Image segmentation allows isolating the object of interest for further processing that can lead for example to 3D model reconstruction of whole organs. Difficulty of this procedure varies from trivial for bones to quite difficult for organs like liver. The liver is being considered as one of the most difficult human body organ to segment. It is mainly for its complexity, shape versatility and proximity of other organs and tissues. Due to this facts usually substantial user effort has to be applied to obtain satisfactory results of the image segmentation. Process of image segmentation then deteriorates from automatic or semi-automatic to fairly manual one. In this paper, overview of selected available software applications that can handle semi-automatic image segmentation with further 3D volume reconstruction of human liver is presented. The applications are being evaluated based on the segmentation results of several consecutive DICOM images covering the abdominal area of the human body.

Keywords: image segmentation, semi-automatic, software, 3D volumetric reconstruction

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Authors: Yujin Jeong, Youkyung Son, Myounghwan Choi, Sanghyub Lee, Sangyeol Lee, Changho Hwang, Kyo-in Koo

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Dysphasia is difficulty in swallowing food because of oral cavity impairments induced by stroke, muscle damage, tumor. Intermittent oro-esophageal (IOE) tube feeding is one of the well-known feeding methods for the dysphasia patients. However, it is hard to insert at the proper position in esophagus. In this study, we design and fabricate the IOE tube guide using 3-dimensional (3D) printer. The printed IOE tube is tested in a mannequin (Airway Management Trainer, Co., Ltd., Copenhagen, Denmark) mimicking human’s esophagus. The gag reflex point is measured as the design point in the mannequin. To avoid the gag reflex, we design various shapes of IOE tube guide. One structure is separated into three parts; biting part, part through oral cavity, connecting part to oro-esophageal. We designed 6 types of IOE tube guide adjusting length and angle of these three parts. To evaluate the IOE tube guide, it is inserted in the mannequin, and through the inserted guide, an endoscopic camera successfully arrived at the oro-esophageal. We had planned to apply this mannequin-based design experience to patients in near future.

Keywords: dysphagia, feeding method, IOE tube guide, 3-D printer

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Authors: Ana Cleide Vieira Gomes Guimbal de Aquino

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Sound communication is present in most vertebrates, from fish, mainly in species that live in murky waters, to some species of reptiles, anuran amphibians, birds, and mammals, including primates. There are, in fact, relevant similarities between human language and animal sound communication, and among these similarities are the vocalizations called calls. The first specific call in human babies is crying, which has a characteristic prosodic contour and is motivated most of the time by the need for food and by affecting the puppy-caregiver interaction, with a view to communicating the necessities and food requests and guaranteeing the survival of the species. The present work aims to articulate speech processing in the motor context with aspects of the project entitled emotional states and vocalization: a comparative study of the prosodic contours of crying in human and non-human animals. First, concepts of speech motor processing and general aspects of speech evolution will be presented to relate these two approaches to animal sound communication.

Keywords: speech motor processing, animal communication, animal behaviour, language acquisition

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Authors: Marcya Burden, Savonna Greer

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In the wake of social unrest around the world, protest movements have been captured like never before. As protest movements have evolved, so too have their visibility and sources of coverage. Long gone are the days of print media as our only glimpse into the action surrounding a protest. Now, with social networks such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat, we have access to real-time video footage of protest movements and human rights activism that can reach millions of people within seconds. This research paper investigated various social media network platforms’ statistical usage data in the areas of human rights activism and protest movements, paralleling with other past forms of media coverage. This research demonstrates that social networks are extremely important to protest movements and human rights activism. With over 2.9 billion users across social media networks globally, these platforms are the heart of most recent protests and human rights activism. This research shows the paradigm shift from the Selma March of 1965 to the more recent protests of Ferguson in 2014, Ni Una Menos in 2015, and End Sars in 2018. The research findings demonstrate that today, almost anyone may use their social networks to protest movement leaders and human rights activists. From a student to an 80-year-old professor, the possibility of reaching billions of people all over the world is limitless. Findings show that 82% of the world’s internet population is on social networks 1 in every 5 minutes. Over 65% of Americans believe social media highlights important issues. Thus, there is no need to have a formalized group of people or even be known online. A person simply needs to be engaged on their respective social media networks (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat) regarding any cause they are passionate about. Information may be exchanged in real time around the world and a successful protest can begin.

Keywords: activism, protests, human rights, networks

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Authors: S. Tehsin, S. Kausar

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The ultimate aim of machine intelligence is to explore and materialize the human capabilities, one of which is the ability to detect various text objects within one or more images displayed on any canvas including prints, videos or electronic displays. Multimedia data has increased rapidly in past years. Textual information present in multimedia contains important information about the image/video content. However, it needs to technologically testify the commonly used human intelligence of detecting and differentiating the text within an image, for computers. Hence in this paper feature set based on anatomical study of human text detection system is proposed. Subsequent examination bears testimony to the fact that the features extracted proved instrumental to text detection.

Keywords: biologically inspired vision, content based retrieval, document analysis, text extraction

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Authors: Mohamad Muqtada Ali Khan, Nor Ashikin Shaari, Donny Adriansyah bin Nazaruddin, Hafzan Eva Bt Mansoor

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Floods play a key role in landform evolution of an area. This process is likely to alter the topography of the earth’s surface. The present study area, Kota Bharu is very prone to floods extends from upstream of Kelantan River near Kemubu to the downstream area near Kuala Besar. These flood events which occur every year in the study area exhibit a strong bearing on river morphological set-up. In the present study, three satellite imageries of different time periods have been used to manifest the post-flood landform changes. The pre-processing of the images such as subset, geometric corrections and atmospheric corrections were carried-out using ENVI 4.5 followed by the analysis processes. Twenty sets of cross sections were plotted using software Erdas 9.2, ERDAS and ArcGis 10 for the all three images. The results show a significant change in the length of the cross section which suggest that the geomorphological processes play a key role in carving and shaping the river banks during the floods.

Keywords: flood induced, geomorphic imprints, Kelantan river, Malaysia

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Authors: Kaushik Sathupadi, Sandesh Achar

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Human action recognition modeling is a critical task in machine learning. These systems require better techniques for recognizing body parts and selecting optimal features based on vision sensors to identify complex action patterns efficiently. Still, there is a considerable gap and challenges between images and videos, such as brightness, motion variation, and random clutters. This paper proposes a robust approach for classifying human actions over cloud-based image data. First, we apply pre-processing and detection, human and outer shape detection techniques. Next, we extract valuable information in terms of cues. We extract two distinct features: fuzzy local binary patterns and sequence representation. Then, we applied a greedy, randomized adaptive search procedure for data optimization and dimension reduction, and for classification, we used a random forest. We tested our model on two benchmark datasets, AAMAZ and the KTH Multi-view football datasets. Our HMR framework significantly outperforms the other state-of-the-art approaches and achieves a better recognition rate of 91% and 89.6% over the AAMAZ and KTH multi-view football datasets, respectively.

Keywords: computer vision, human motion analysis, random forest, machine learning

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Authors: Osamah S. Alanazi, Mohammad G. Kotbi, Mohammed O. AlFadil

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While renewable energy technology is developing in Saudi Arabia, and the ambitious 2030 vision encourages the shift towards more efficient and clean energy usage. The research on the application of geothermal resources in residential use for the Saudi Arabian context will contribute towards a more sustainable environment. This paper is a part of an ongoing master's thesis, which its main goal is to investigate the possibility of achieving a zero-carbon house in Riyadh by applying a ground-coupled system into a current sustainable house that uses a grid-tied solar system. The current house was built and designed by King Saud University for the 2018 middle east solar decathlon competition. However, it failed to reach zero-carbon operation due to the high cooling demand. This study will redesign and validate the house using Revit and Carriers Hourly Analysis 'HAP' software with the use of ordinary least square 'OLS' regression. After that, a ground source ventilation system will be designed using the 'GCV Tool' to reduce cooling loads. After the application of the ground source system, the new electrical loads will be compared with the current house. Finally, a simple economic analysis that includes the cost of applying a ground source system will be reported. The findings of this study will indicate the possibility and feasibility of reaching a zero-carbon house in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, using a ground-coupled ventilation system. While cooling in the residential sector is the dominant energy consumer in the Gulf region, this work will certainly help in moving towards using renewable sources to meet those demands. This paper will be limited to highlight the literature review, the methodology of the research, and the expected outcome.

Keywords: renewable energy, zero-carbon houses, sustainable buildings, geothermal energy, solar PV, GCV Tool

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Authors: Radhwane Boudjelthia

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The most recent earthquakes occurred in the world have killed thousands of people and severe damage. For all the actors involved in the building process, the earthquake is the litmus test for construction. The goal we set ourselves is to contribute to the implementation of a thoughtful approach to the seismic protection of structures. For many engineers, the most conventional approach to protection works (buildings and bridges) the effects of earthquakes is to increase rigidity. This approach is not always effective, especially when there is a context that favors the phenomenon of resonance and amplification of seismic forces. Therefore, the field of earthquake engineering has made significant inroads, among others catalyzed by the development of computational techniques in computer form and the use of powerful test facilities. This has led to the emergence of several innovative technologies, such as the introduction of special devices insulation between infrastructure and superstructure. This approach, commonly known as "seismic isolation," to absorb the significant efforts without the structure is damaged and thus ensuring the protection of lives and property. In addition, the restraints to the construction by the ground shaking are located mainly at the supports. With these moves, the natural period of construction is increasing, and seismic loads are reduced. Thus, there is an attenuation of the seismic movement. Likewise, the insulation of the base mechanism may be used in combination with earthquake dampers in order to control the deformation of the insulation system and the absolute displacement of the superstructure located above the isolation interface. On the other hand, only can use these earthquake dampers to reduce the oscillation amplitudes and thus reduce seismic loads. The use of damping devices represents an effective solution for the rehabilitation of existing structures. Given all these acceleration reducing means considered passive, much research has been conducted for several years to develop an active control system of the response of buildings to earthquakes.

Keywords: earthquake, building, seismic forces, displacement, resonance, response.

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Authors: Azza A. Ali, Mona G. Khalil, Hemat A. Elariny, Shereen S. El Shaer

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Background: Aluminium (Al) is very abundant metal in the earth’s crust. It is a constituent of cooking utensils, medicines, cosmetics, some foods and food additives. Salts of Al are widely used in the treatment of drinking water for purification purposes. Excessive and prolonged exposure to Al causes oxidative stress and impairment of many physiological functions. Its accumulation in liver and kidney causes hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. Social isolation (SI) or Protein malnutrition (PM) also increases oxidative stress and may enhance the toxicity of Al as well as the degeneration in liver and kidney. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is the most abundant catechin in green tea and has strong antioxidant as well as anti-inflammatory activities and can protect against oxidative stress-induced degenerations. Objective: To study the influence of stress or PM on Al-induced nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity in rats, as well as on the potential role of EGCG in providing protection. Methods: Rats received daily AlCl3 (70 mg/kg, IP) for three weeks (Al-toxicity groups) except one normal control group received saline. Al-toxicity groups were divided into four treated and four untreated groups; treated rats received EGCG (10 mg/kg, IP) together with AlCl3. One group of both treated and untreated rats served as control for each of them, and the others were subjected to either stress (mild using isolation or high using electric shock) or to PM (10% casein diet). Specimens of liver and kidney were used for assessment of levels of inflammatory mediators as TNF-α, IL6β, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), oxidative stress (MDA, SOD, TAC, NO), Caspase-3 and for DNA fragmentation as well as for histopathological examinations. Biochemical changes were also measured in the serum as total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, proteins, bilirubin, creatinine and urea as well as the level of Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate deshydrogenase (LDH). Results: Nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity induced by Al were enhanced in rats exposed to stress and to PM. The influence of stress was more pronounced than PM. Al-toxicity was indicated by the increase in liver and kidney MDA, NO, TNF-α, IL-6β, NF-κB, caspase-3, DNA fragmentation and in ALT, AST, ALP, LDH and total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, proteins, bilirubin, creatinine and urea levels, together with the decrease in total proteins, SOD, TAC. EGCG provided protection against hazards of Al as indicated by the decrease in MDA, NO, TNF-α, IL-6β, NF-κB, caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation as well as in levels of ALT, AST, ALP, LDH and total lipids, cholesterol, triglycerides, glucose, proteins, bilirubin, creatinine and urea in liver and kidney, together with the increase in total proteins, SOD, TAC and confirmed by histopathological examinations. It provided more pronounced protection in high stressful conditions than in mild one than in PM. Conclusion: Stress have a bad impact on Al-induced nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity more than PM. Thus it can clarify and maximize the role of EGCG in providing protection. Consequently, administration of EGCG is advised with excessive Al-exposure to avoid nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity especially in populations more subjected to stress or PM.

Keywords: aluminum, stress, protein malnutrition, nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, rats

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Authors: Prerna Kalra, Surender Singh

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Cisplatin is the most common chemotherapeutic agent used in different solid tumors, but its main limiting factor is dose-dependent nephrotoxicity by generating reactive oxygen species, by stimulating inflammatory and apoptotic pathways. Additional adjuvant therapies to decrease the toxicity of this chemotherapeutic drug are essential. This study was designed to evaluate the protective role of Emblica officinalis Geartn (Indian gooseberry) against cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity. Emblica officinalis was orally administered to Wistar rats (n=6) for 10 days in 50, 100 and 200mg/kg body weight. On day 7, 8mg/kg of cisplatin was administered intra-peritoneally to rats in all groups. Serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen and antioxidant levels were measured on day10. The renal damage was evaluated by histopathological and transmission electron microscopy. We found that 200mg/kg dose of Emblica officinalis significantly inhibited the elevation of biochemical parameters i.e. serum creatinine, blood urea nitrogen, oxidant stress marker (malondialdehyde) and increased the reduced levels of antioxidant marker (endogenous glutathione and superoxide dismutase). Cisplatin treated rats have shown acute tubular necrosis and infiltration of inflammatory cells in rat kidney which was reversed after treating the animals with Emblica officinalis in the treatment group. In ultrastructural changes cisplatin treated group showed the damaged mitochondria (M) with dissolved cristae and large number of lysosomes (L) and vacuole (V) formation in tubular epithelial cells. EOE administered group showed visible cristae formation and sign of autophagy vacuoles at a dose of 200mg/kg. Further in-silico studies revealed that ellagic acid is responsible for its nephroprotective effect. The above findings conclude that the Emblica officinalis may be used as an adjuvant therapy in cisplatin induced nephrotoxicity.

Keywords: antioxidant, cisplatin, Emblica officinalis, in silico, nephrotoxicity

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Authors: Andres Bautista, Alicia Porras, Juan P. Casas, Maribel Silva

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The Colombian aeronautical industry has stimulated research in the mechanical behavior of materials under different loading conditions aircrafts are generally exposed during its operation. The Calima T-90 is the first military aircraft built in the country, used for primary flight training of Colombian Air Force Pilots, therefore, it may be exposed to adverse operating situations such as hard landings which cause impact loads on the aircraft that might produce the impact fatigue phenomenon. The Calima T-90 structure is mainly manufactured by composites materials generating assemblies and subassemblies of different components of it. The main method of bonding these components is by using adhesive joints. Each type of adhesive bond must be studied on its own since its performance depends on the conditions of the manufacturing process and operating characteristics. This study aims to characterize the typical adhesive joints of the aircraft under usual loads. To this purpose, the evaluation of the effect of adhesive thickness on the mechanical performance of the joint under quasi-static loading conditions, constant amplitude fatigue and cyclic impact fatigue using single lap-joint specimens will be performed. Additionally, using a double cantilever beam specimen, the influence of the thickness of the adhesive on the crack growth rate for mode I delamination failure, as a function of the critical energy release rate will be determined. Finally, an analysis of the fracture surface of the test specimens considering the mechanical interaction between the substrate (composite) and the adhesive, provide insights into the magnitude of the damage, the type of failure mechanism that occurs and its correlation with the way crack propagates under the proposed loading conditions.

Keywords: adhesive, composites, crack propagation, fatigue

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Authors: Chittapon Jantararussamee, Malai Taweechotipatr, Udomsri Showpittapornchai, Wisuit Pradidarcheep

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Hepatic fibrosis is characterized by collagen accumulation in hepatic lobules following wound healing process. If lefts untreated, it could progress into hepatic cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and liver failure. Probiotics comprise of lactic acid bacteria which are crucial components of the intestinal microflora and possess many beneficial properties. The objective of this study is to investigate the hepatoprotective effects of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (mixture of Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus casei, and Lactobacillus confusus at a ratio of 1: 1: 1) on thioacetamide-induced liver fibrotic rats in term of histomorphology study. Twenty-four male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups with 6 rats each: (A) control, (B) fibrotic, (C) fibrotic+probiotic, and (D) probiotic. Group (A) received daily oral administration of distilled water. Group (B and C) were induced by intraperitoneal injection of thioacetamide (TAA) (200 mg/kg BW) 3 times per week for consecutive 8 weeks. In probiotic-treated group (C and D), the number of a mixture of the viable microbial cells at 10⁹ CFU/ml was administered orally daily. After sacrifice, liver tissues were collected and processed for routine histological technique and stained with Sirius red. It was found that the fibrotic rats showed hepatic injury marked by area of inflammation, hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes, and accumulation of myofibroblast-like cells. The collagen fibers were substantially accumulated in the hepatic lobules. Moreover, probiotic-treated group significantly reduced the accumulation of collagen in rats treated by TAA. The liver damage was found to be lesser in the probiotic-treated group. It was noted that the liver tissues of control and probiotics groups were shown to be normal. Administration with probiotic lactic acid bacteria could improve the histomorphology in fibrotic liver and be useful for prevention of hepatic disorders.

Keywords: liver fibrosis, probiotics, lactic acid bacteria, thioacetamide

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Authors: Malika Yaici, Soraya Aloui, Sara Semchaoui

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This paper deals with human activity recognition from sensor data. It is an active research area, and the main objective is to obtain a high recognition rate. In this work, a recognition system based on expert systems is proposed; the recognition is performed using the objects, object states, and gestures and taking into account the context (the location of the objects and of the person performing the activity, the duration of the elementary actions and the activity). The system recognizes complex activities after decomposing them into simple, easy-to-recognize activities. The proposed method can be applied to any type of activity. The simulation results show the robustness of our system and its speed of decision.

Keywords: human activity recognition, ubiquitous computing, context-awareness, expert system

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Authors: Tanakrit Doltanakarn

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Introduction: These days, cannabis is being accepted in many countries due to the fact that cannabis could be use in medical. The medical cannabis is used to treat and reduce the pain many diseases. For example, neuropathic pain, Parkinson, autism disorders, cancer pain reduce the adverse effect of chemotherapy, diabetes, and migraine. Active ingredients in cannabis that modulate patients' perceptions of their conditions include Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD), flavonoids, and terpenes. However, there is an adverse effect of cannabis, cardiovascular effects, psychosis, schizophrenia, mood disorder, and cognitive alternation. These effects are from the THC and CBD ingredients in the cannabis. The metabolize processes of delta-9 THC to 11-OH-delta 9 -THC (inactive form), THC were cause of adverse effects. Interestingly, the distributions of CYP2C9 gene (CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3, poor metabolizer) that might affect incidences of adverse effects in patients who treated with medical cannabis. Objective: The aim of this study we want to investigate the association between genetic polymorphism of CYP2C9 frequency and Thai patients who treated with medical cannabis. Materials and Methods:We recruited sixty-five unrelated Thai patients from the College of Pharmacy, Rangsit University. DNA were extracted using Genomic DNA Mini Kit. Genotyping of CYP2C9*2 (430C>T, rs1799853) and CYP2C9*3 (1075A>C, rs1057910) were genotyped by the TaqMan Real-time PCR assay. Results: Among these 31 medicals cannabis-induced ADRs patients, they were diagnosed with 22 (33.85%) tachycardia and 3 (4.62%) arrhythmia. There were 34 (52.31%) medical cannabis-tolerant controls who were included in this study.40 (61.53%) Thai patients were female, and 25 (38.46%) were male, with median age of 57 (range 27 – 87) years. In this study, we found none of the medical cannabis-induced ADRs carried CYP2C9*2 variant along with medical cannabis-tolerant control group. CYP2C9*3 variant (intermediate metabolizer, IM) was found just only one of thirty-one (3.23%) in the medical cannabis-induced ADRs and two of thirty-fourth (5.88%) in the tolerant controls. Conclusions: Thus, the distribution of CYP2C9 alleles offer a comprehensive view of pharmacogenomics marker in Thai population that could be used as a reference for worldwide to investigate the pharmacogenomics application.

Keywords: medical cannabis, adverse effect, CYP2C9, thai patients

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Authors: Pedro Llanos, Diego García

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Spaceflight is considered the last frontier in terms of science, technology, and engineering. But it is also the next frontier in terms of human physiology and performance. After more than 200,000 years humans have evolved under earth’s gravity and atmospheric conditions, spaceflight poses environmental stresses for which human physiology is not adapted. Hypoxia, accelerations, and radiation are among such stressors, our research involves suborbital flights aiming to develop effective countermeasures in order to assure sustainable human space presence. The physiologic baseline of spaceflight participants is subject to great variability driven by age, gender, fitness, and metabolic reserve. The objective of the present study is to characterize different physiologic variables in a population of STEM practitioners during an aerobatic flight. Cardiovascular and pulmonary responses were determined in Science Astronaut Candidates (SACs) during unusual attitude aerobatic flight indoctrination. Physiologic data recordings from 20 subjects participating in high-G flight training were analyzed. These recordings were registered by wearable sensor-vest that monitored electrocardiographic tracings (ECGs), signs of dysrhythmias or other electric disturbances during all the flight. The same cardiovascular parameters were also collected approximately 10 min pre-flight, during each high-G/unusual attitude maneuver and 10 min after the flights. The ratio (pre-flight/in-flight/post-flight) of the cardiovascular responses was calculated for comparison of inter-individual differences. The resulting tracings depicting the cardiovascular responses of the subjects were compared against the G-loads (Gs) during the aerobatic flights to analyze cardiovascular variability aspects and fluid/pressure shifts due to the high Gs. In-flight ECG revealed cardiac variability patterns associated with rapid Gs onset in terms of reduced heart rate (HR) and some scattered dysrhythmic patterns (15% premature ventricular contractions-type) that were considered as triggered physiological responses to high-G/unusual attitude training and some were considered as instrument artifact. Variation events were observed in subjects during the +Gz and –Gz maneuvers and these may be due to preload and afterload, sudden shift. Our data reveal that aerobatic flight influenced the breathing rate of the subject, due in part by the various levels of energy expenditure due to the increased use of muscle work during these aerobatic maneuvers. Noteworthy was the high heterogeneity in the different physiological responses among a relatively small group of SACs exposed to similar aerobatic flights with similar Gs exposures. The cardiovascular responses clearly demonstrated that SACs were subjected to significant flight stress. Routine ECG monitoring during high-G/unusual attitude flight training is recommended to capture pathology underlying dangerous dysrhythmias in suborbital flight safety. More research is currently being conducted to further facilitate the development of robust medical screening, medical risk assessment approaches, and suborbital flight training in the context of the evolving commercial human suborbital spaceflight industry. A more mature and integrative medical assessment method is required to understand the physiology state and response variability among highly diverse populations of prospective suborbital flight participants.

Keywords: g force, aerobatic maneuvers, suborbital flight, hypoxia, commercial astronauts

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Authors: Ramin Hosseinnezhad, Iurii Vozniak, Andrzej Galeski

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Shear-induced crystallization, originated from orientation of chains along the flow direction, is an inevitable part of most polymer processing technologies. It plays a dominant role in determining the final product properties and is affected by many factors such as shear rate, cooling rate, total strain, etc. Investigation of the shear-induced crystallization process become of great importance for preparation of nanocomposite, which requires crystallization of nanofibrous sheared inclusions at higher temperatures. Thus, the effects of shear time, shear rate, and also thermal condition of cooling on crystallization of two aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters have been investigated. This was performed using Linkam optical shearing system (CSS450) for both Ecoflex® F Blend C1200 produced by BASF and synthesized copolyester of butylene terephthalate and a mixture of butylene esters: adipate, succinate, and glutarate, (PBASGT), containing 60% of aromatic comonomer. Crystallization kinetics of these biodegradable copolyesters was studied at two different conditions of shearing. First, sample with a thickness of 60µm was heated to 60˚C above its melting point and subsequently subjected to different shear rates (100–800 sec-1) while cooling with specific rates. Second, the same type of sample was cooled down when shearing at constant temperature was finished. The intensity of transmitted depolarized light, recorded by a camera attached to the optical microscope, was used as a measure to follow the crystallization. Temperature dependencies of conversion degree of samples during cooling were collected and used to determine the half-temperature (Th), at which 50% conversion degree was reached. Shearing ecoflex films for 45 seconds with a shear rate of 100 sec-1 resulted in significant increase of Th from 56˚C to 70˚C. Moreover, the temperature range for the transition of molten samples to crystallized state decreased from 42˚C to 20˚C. Comparatively low shift of 10˚C in Th towards higher temperature was observed for PBASGT films at shear rate of 600 sec-1 for 45 seconds. However, insufficient melt flow strength and non-laminar flow due to Taylor vortices was a hindrance to reach more elevated Th at very high shear rates (600–800 sec-1). The shift in Th was smaller for the samples sheared at a constant temperature and subsequently cooled down. This may be attributed to the longer time gap between cessation of shearing and the onset of crystallization. The longer this time gap, the more possibility for crystal nucleus to re-melt at temperatures above Tm and for polymer chains to recoil and relax. It is found that the crystallization temperature, crystallization induction time and spherulite growth of aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters are dramatically influenced by both the cooling rate and the shear imposed during the process.

Keywords: induced crystallization, shear rate, aliphatic-aromatic copolyester, ecoflex

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Authors: Geraldine Landon, Enora Clero, Jean-Rene Jourdain

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In 2005, the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN, France) launched a research program named EPICE (acronym for 'Evaluation of Pathologies potentially Induced by CaEsium') to collect scientific information on non-cancer effects possibly induced by chronic exposures to low doses of ionizing radiation with the view of addressing a question raised by several French NGOs related to health consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear accident in children. The implementation of the program was preceded by a pilot phase to ensure that the project would be feasible and determine the conditions for implementing an epidemiological study on a population of several thousand children. The EPICE program focused on childhood cardiac arrhythmias started in May 2009 for 4 years, in partnership with the Russian Bryansk Diagnostic Center. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias in the Bryansk oblast (depending on the contamination of the territory and the caesium-137 whole-body burden) and to assess whether caesium-137 was or not a factor associated with the onset of cardiac arrhythmias. To address these questions, a study bringing together 18 152 children aged 2 to 18 years was initiated; each child received three medical examinations (ECG, echocardiography, and caesium-137 whole-body activity measurement) and some of them were given with a 24-hour Holter monitoring and blood tests. The findings of the study, currently submitted to an international journal justifying that no results can be given at this step, allow us to answer clearly to the issue of radiation-induced childhood arrhythmia, a subject that has been debated for many years. Our results will be certainly helpful for health professionals responsible for the monitoring of population exposed to the releases from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant and also useful for future comparative study in children exposed to ionizing radiation in other contexts, such as cancer radiation therapies.

Keywords: Caesium-137, cardiac arrhythmia, Chernobyl, children

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Authors: Sana Abbasa, Shahzad Bhattiab, Nadir Khan

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Sargassum siliquastrum is brown seaweed with traditional claims for some medicinal properties. This research was done to investigate the methanol extract of S. siliquastrum for antiproliferative activity against human cervical cancer cell line, HeLa and its mode of cell death. From methylene blue assay, S. siliquastrum exhibited antiproliferative activity on HeLa cells with IC50 of 3.87 µg/ml without affecting non-malignant cells. Phase contrast microscopy indicated the confluency reduction in HeLa cells and changes on the cell shape. Nuclear staining with Hoechst 33258 displayed the formation of apoptotic bodies and fragmented nuclei. S. siliquastrum also induced early apoptosis event in HeLa cells as confirmed by FITC-Annexin V/propidium iodide staining by flow cytometry analysis. Cell cycle analysis indicated growth arrest of HeLa cells at G1/S phase. Protein study by flow cytometry indicated the increment of p53, slight increase of Bax and unchanged level of Bcl-2. In conclusion, S. siliquastrum demonstrated an antiproliferative activity in HeLa cell by inducing G1/S cell cycle arrest via p53-mediated pathway.

Keywords: sargassum siliquastrum, cervical cancer, P53, antiproleferation

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Authors: Emma Serwaa Obobisa, Winifred Essaah

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Significant worldwide trends including urbanization, industrialization, globalization, and the impending digitization have all contributed to human prosperity. However, the majority of these advancements fail to take sustainability into account, which caused the earth to manifest its retaliation in many forms. Since the world is already well-advanced, mankind needs a mature development that instills sustainability in its acts. As a result, the United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which set forth guidelines for human behavior to ensure that the ecosystem and mankind coexist as a unified, autonomous system. The study investigates the role of eco-innovation, renewable energy consumption, human capital, environmental tax, and natural resources in achieving European Union countries' sustainable development goals. The results show that eco-innovation, renewable energy consumption, human capital, and environmental tax have a negative relationship with consumption-based CO₂ emissions but a positive relationship with natural resources. These findings suggest that governments in European Union countries commit to encouraging environmentally friendly technology advances and green investment. It also stresses the need to enforce regulations that regulate the activities of polluting firms in the region with strictness.

Keywords: sustainable development, Eco-innovation, renewable energy, CO₂ emissions

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Authors: Piotr Żabicki, Paweł Skutta

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The project of a glider with an electric motor charged by solar power is an step toward the future of Polish gliding. Due to the popularity of the SZD-50-3 glider and its type of usage, the project was developed based on this model. By placing an auxiliary engine in the glider, the pilot is guaranteed a safe return to the airport. Since it is a training glider, and routes are mainly flown by student pilots and instructors, the guarantee of returning to the airport allows flights in more challenging thermal conditions, which contributes to better pilot training. In case of worsening weather, the pilot has a reliable return option, which prevents time loss due to field landings and saves money by avoiding delays in training. The glider uses the NOVA 15 LW engine, a solar installation, and technical modifications to reduce the glider's weight. This includes the Misztal spar solution, previously used in the PZL 19 aircraft. Additionally, the use of lighter coverings and materials that handle loads from pulling, straining, and sharing improves the aerodynamic performance of the glider, enhancing its overall efficiency. Every component added to the glider's construction (battery, engine, etc.) has been placed to avoid shifting loads along the axis, thus preventing unintended spins and flat spins. Safety concerns were also addressed. In the event of a battery or engine fire, the pilot's cabin is designed as a detachable part of the structure and is made of composites covered with non-flammable resin. The batteries are also enclosed in separate boxes located in the former "luggage" compartment. Access to the installation connecting the engine, panel, and battery is convenient due to the detachable cabin from the structure and the fact that the entire installation runs under the structure. The batteries also have easy access due to the current closed hatch. Cooling for the battery is provided this way.

Keywords: engineering, girder, glider, solar, spar

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Authors: Shanmugasundaram Selvadurai, Amal Chandran

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Small satellites have become an alternative low-cost solution for several missions to accomplish specific missions such as Earth imaging, Technology demonstration, Education, and other commercial purposes. Small satellite missions focusing on Infrared imaging applications require lower temperature for scientific instruments and such low temperature can be achieved only using external cryocoolers but the disadvantage is that they generate a large amount of waste heat. Existing passive thermal control techniques are not capable to handle such large thermal loads and hence one of the traditional active Thermal Control System (TCS) is studied for a small satellite configuration. This work aims to downscale the existing Mechanically Pumped Fluid Loop (MPFL) TCS to a 27U CubeSat platform for an imaginary scientific instrument. The temperature-sensitive detector in the instrument considered to be maintained between 130K and 150K to reduce dark current noise and increase the data quality. A Single-Phase fluid based MPFL is chosen for this system-level study and this TCS consists of a microfluid pump, a micro-cryocooler, a fluid accumulator, external heaters, flow regulators, and sensors. This work also explains the thermal control system architecture with a conceptual design, arrangement of all the components, and thermal analysis for different low orbit conditions. Sizing and extensive trade studies for the components are conducted and the results have shown that the Single-phase MPFL system is able to handle the given thermal loads and maintain the satellite’s interface temperature within the desired limit.

Keywords: active thermal control system, satellite thermal, mechanically pumped fluid loop system, cryogenics, cryocooler

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Authors: Deepa Gandhi, Pravin K. Naoghare, Amit Bafana, Krishnamurthi Kannan, Saravanadevi Sivanesana

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Oxidative stress is known to depreciate normal functioning of osteoblast cells. Present study reports oxidative/inflammatory signatures in fluoride exposed human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells and its possible association with the genes involved in bone developmental pathway. Microarray analysis was performed to understand the possible molecular mechanisms of stress-mediated bone lose in HOS cells. Cells were chronically exposed with sub-lethal concentration of fluoride. Global gene expression is profiling revealed 34 up regulated and 2598 down-regulated genes, which were associated with several biological processes including bone development, osteoblast differentiation, stress response, inflammatory response, apoptosis, regulation of cell proliferation. Microarray data were further validated through qRT-PCR and western blot analyses using key representative genes. Based on these findings, it can be proposed that chronic exposure of fluoride may impair bone development via oxidative and inflammatory stress. The present finding also provides important biological clues, which will be helpful for the development of therapeutic targets against diseases related bone.

Keywords: bone, HOS cells, microarray, stress

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Authors: Gayatri Kanwar

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The purpose of this research paper is to explore the power of myth in changing human lives; it establishes patterns in the human psyche, affects the way of thinking, as myths unveil various subjects, ideas, and challenges. Through mythological stories one comes to understand the images behind the emotions and feelings, they influence him as it changes his thought patterns, their therapeutic sets the individual on the path of healing and transforms human lives. Every civilization in the olden times had a vast source of myths which they lived by. They were not ordinary stories of everyday life, but exemplary cases narrated through oral traditions in a sacred manner revealed the 'way to live life'. The mythical stories have a spiritual touch which brought him to the acceptance of suffering or finding a solution to his life problems. In modern times, the significance of the age old myth has lost their touch. Each one of us bears countless stories inside ourselves of our own lives and all its happenings. Therefore, each being is a natural narrator. Everybody tells stories about their lives; hence, one tends to know oneself as well as seeks understanding of others through them. When one remembers their stories they speak in narratives. As stated by Jung, these narratives grow into a personal mythology one lives by. Nonetheless, there are times when one becomes stuck in their own stories or myths. Hence, mythology can change one’s perception and can open pathways to other ways of discovering, feeling and experiencing one’s lives.

Keywords: Power of Myths, Significance of myths in modern times, Transforming human lives, Benefits to Society

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Authors: Seyed-Ali Sadegh-Zadeh, Mahboobe Bahrami, Sahar Ahmadi, Seyed-Yaser Mousavi, Hamed Atashbar, Amir M. Hajiyavand

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This paper presents an investigation into the concept of neural reshaping, which is crucial for achieving strong artificial intelligence through the development of AI algorithms with very high plasticity. By examining the plasticity of both human and artificial neural networks, the study uncovers groundbreaking insights into how these systems adapt to new experiences and situations, ultimately highlighting the potential for creating advanced AI systems that closely mimic human intelligence. The uniqueness of this paper lies in its comprehensive analysis of the neural reshaping process in both human and artificial intelligence systems. This comparative approach enables a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles of neural plasticity, thus shedding light on the limitations and untapped potential of both human and AI learning capabilities. By emphasizing the importance of neural reshaping in the quest for strong AI, the study underscores the need for developing AI algorithms with exceptional adaptability and plasticity. The paper's findings have significant implications for the future of AI research and development. By identifying the core principles of neural reshaping, this research can guide the design of next-generation AI technologies that can enhance human and artificial intelligence alike. These advancements will be instrumental in creating a new era of AI systems with unparalleled capabilities, paving the way for improved decision-making, problem-solving, and overall cognitive performance. In conclusion, this paper makes a substantial contribution by investigating the concept of neural reshaping and its importance for achieving strong AI. Through its in-depth exploration of neural plasticity in both human and artificial neural networks, the study unveils vital insights that can inform the development of innovative AI technologies with high adaptability and potential for enhancing human and AI capabilities alike.

Keywords: neural plasticity, brain adaptation, artificial intelligence, learning, cognitive reshaping

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Authors: Yogendar Singh, Parasmani Rajput, Pawan Kumar Kulriya

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Understanding the radiation response of the pyrochlore structured ceramics in the nuclear reactor core-like environment is of quite an interest for their utilization as host matrices. Electronic excitation (100 MeV I7+) induced crystalline to amorphous phase transition in Nd2Zr2O7 pyrochlore synthesized through three steps solid-state sintering method was investigated. The x-ray diffraction, along with Raman spectroscopy and x-ray absorption spectroscopy experiments conducted on pristine and irradiated pyrochlore, showed an increase in the rate of amorphization with ion fluence. XRD results indicate that specimen is completely amorphized on irradiation at the highest fluence of 5×1013 ions/cm2. The EXAFS spectra of the K-Zr edge and the Nd LIII edge confirmed a significant change in the chemical environment of Nd upon swift heavy ion irradiation. Observation of a large change in the intensity of K-Zr pre-edge spectra is also a good indicator of the phase transition from pyrochlore to the amorphous phase, which is supported by the FT modulus of the LIII-Nd edge. However, the chemical environment of Zr is less affected by irradiation, but it clearly exhibits an increase in the degree of disorder.

Keywords: nuclear host matrices, swift heavy ion irradiation, x-ray absorption spectroscopy, pyrochlore oxides

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Authors: John Davodi, Maryam Davodi-Far

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The human body is the most elaborate of all machines and technologies on Earth, while the human mind is the interdependent source that expels and absorbs the five senses: touch, smell, sight, sound, and taste. Meditation is an ancient form of mind power that has many variations. In fact, those who practice meditation may bring about a positive change in their five senses, depending on the aim of the practitioner. This paper examines the research related to meditation and its effects on individuals suffering from chronic pain. Moreover, consideration is given to whether perceptions of pain can be changed by the practice of meditation as well as whether meditation can have a noticeable and long-term positive effect on the human body. Lastly, the paper examines the type of meditation that is best suited to minimize pain sensations for those who suffer from chronic pain.

Keywords: meditation, pain, relaxation, suffering

Procedia PDF Downloads 80