Search results for: sample average approximation
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 10518

Search results for: sample average approximation

9168 Improving Cryptographically Generated Address Algorithm in IPv6 Secure Neighbor Discovery Protocol through Trust Management

Authors: M. Moslehpour, S. Khorsandi

Abstract:

As transition to widespread use of IPv6 addresses has gained momentum, it has been shown to be vulnerable to certain security attacks such as those targeting Neighbor Discovery Protocol (NDP) which provides the address resolution functionality in IPv6. To protect this protocol, Secure Neighbor Discovery (SEND) is introduced. This protocol uses Cryptographically Generated Address (CGA) and asymmetric cryptography as a defense against threats on integrity and identity of NDP. Although SEND protects NDP against attacks, it is computationally intensive due to Hash2 condition in CGA. To improve the CGA computation speed, we parallelized CGA generation process and used the available resources in a trusted network. Furthermore, we focused on the influence of the existence of malicious nodes on the overall load of un-malicious ones in the network. According to the evaluation results, malicious nodes have adverse impacts on the average CGA generation time and on the average number of tries. We utilized a Trust Management that is capable of detecting and isolating the malicious node to remove possible incentives for malicious behavior. We have demonstrated the effectiveness of the Trust Management System in detecting the malicious nodes and hence improving the overall system performance.

Keywords: CGA, ICMPv6, IPv6, malicious node, modifier, NDP, overall load, SEND, trust management

Procedia PDF Downloads 174
9167 Bubble Point Pressures of CO2+Ethyl Palmitate by a Cubic Equation of State and the Wong-Sandler Mixing Rule

Authors: M. A. Sedghamiz, S. Raeissi

Abstract:

This study presents three different approaches to estimate bubble point pressures for the binary system of CO2 and ethyl palmitate fatty acid ethyl ester. The first method involves the Peng-Robinson (PR) Equation of State (EoS) with the conventional mixing rule of Van der Waals. The second approach involves the PR EOS together with the Wong Sandler (WS) mixing rule, coupled with the Uniquac Ge model. In order to model the bubble point pressures with this approach, the volume and area parameter for ethyl palmitate were estimated by the Hansen group contribution method. The last method involved the Peng-Robinson, combined with the Wong-Sandler Method, but using NRTL as the GE model. Results using the Van der Waals mixing rule clearly indicated that this method has the largest errors among all three methods, with errors in the range of 3.96–6.22 %. The Pr-Ws-Uniquac method exhibited small errors, with average absolute deviations between 0.95 to 1.97 percent. The Pr-Ws-Nrtl method led to the least errors where average absolute deviations ranged between 0.65-1.7%.

Keywords: bubble pressure, Gibbs excess energy model, mixing rule, CO2 solubility, ethyl palmitate

Procedia PDF Downloads 450
9166 Study of Gait Stability Evaluation Technique Based on Linear Inverted Pendulum Model

Authors: Kang Sungjae

Abstract:

This research proposes a gait stability evaluation technique based on the linear inverted pendulum model and moving support foot Zero Moment Point. With this, an improvement towards the gait analysis of the orthosis walk is validated. The application of Lagrangian mechanics approximation to the solutions of the dynamics equations for the linear inverted pendulum does not only simplify the solution, but it provides a smooth Zero Moment Point for the double feet support phase. The Zero Moment Point gait analysis techniques mentioned above validates reference trajectories for the center of mass of the gait orthosis, the timing of the steps and landing position references for the swing feet. The stability evaluation technique are tested with a 6 DOF powered gait orthosis. The results obtained are promising for implementations.

Keywords: locomotion, center of mass, gait stability, linear inverted pendulum model

Procedia PDF Downloads 503
9165 Structural and Electronic Properties of Cd0.75V0.25S Alloy

Authors: H. Baltache, M. El Amine. Monir, R. Khenata, D. Rached, T. Seddik

Abstract:

The first principles calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) by using the full-potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) in order to investigate the structural and electronic properties of Cd1-xVxS alloy at x = 0.25 in zincblende structure. For the structural properties, we have calculated the equilibrium lattice parameters, such as lattice constant, bulk modulus and first pressure derivatives of the bulk modulus. From the electronic structure, we obtain that Cd0.75V0.25S alloy is nearly half-metallic. The analysis of the density of states (DOS) curves allow to evaluate the spin-exchange splitting energies Δx(d) and Δx(pd) that are generated by V-3d states, where the effective potential for spin-down case is attractive than for spin-up case. Calculations of the exchange constants N0α (valence band) and N0β (conduction band) are served to describe the magnetic behavior of the compounds.

Keywords: first-principles calculations, structural properties, electronic properties

Procedia PDF Downloads 346
9164 An Intercontinental Comparison of Delay Discounting for Real and Hypothetical Money and Cigarettes among Cigarette Smokers

Authors: Steven R. Lawyer, Tereza Prihodova, Katerina Prihodova

Abstract:

Delay discounting (DD) is one of the most frequently used behavioral-economic measures of impulsive choice, but there are few cross-cultural comparisons of discounting, and to the best of our knowledge, none compare patterns of DD across different commodities or compare real and hypothetical rewards across cultures. The purpose of this study was to compare patterns of DD for both real and hypothetical money and cigarettes among participants in the USA and the Czech Republic. Adult smokers from the United States and the Czech Republic completed standard measures of DD for hypothetical and real money (~$10USD) and cigarettes (1 pack, or 20 cigarettes). Contrary to data from the USA sample, Czech Republic participants discounted the value of real money steeper than hypothetical money, though this could be related to the relatively poor fit of the hyperbolic decay function to DD for hypothetical money in the Czech sample. These findings suggest that there might be cultural differences in delay discounting that warrant further attention.

Keywords: delay discounting, temporal discounting, cigarette smoking, real rewards, hypothetical rewards

Procedia PDF Downloads 172
9163 Numerical Modeling of Artisanal and Small Scale Mining of Coltan in the African Great Lakes Region

Authors: Sergio Perez Rodriguez

Abstract:

Coltan Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) production from Africa's Great Lakes region has previously been addressed at large scales, notably from regional to country levels. The current findings address the unresolved issue of a production model of ASM of coltan ore by an average Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) mineworker, which can be used as a reference for a similar characterization of the daily labor of counterparts from other countries in the region. To that end, the Fundamental Equation of Mineral Production has been applied, considering a miner's average daily output of coltan, estimated in the base of gross statistical data gathered from reputable sources. Results indicate daily yields of individual miners in the order of 300 g of coltan ore, with hourly peaks of production in the range of 30 to 40 g of the mineral. Yields are expected to be in the order of 5 g or less during the least productive hours. These outputs are expected to be achieved during the halves of the eight to ten hours of daily working sessions that these artisanal laborers can attend during the mining season.

Keywords: coltan, mineral production, production to reserve ratio, artisanal mining, small-scale mining, ASM, human work, Great Lakes region, Democratic Republic of Congo

Procedia PDF Downloads 63
9162 A Study on the Optimum Shoulder Width in the Tunnel Considering Driving Safety

Authors: Somyoung Shin, Donghun Jeong, Yeoil Yun

Abstract:

South Korea continuously installed tunnels in consideration of the safety and operation efficiency, and the number of installed tunnels has doubled over the past ten years. The tunnel section is designed based on the guidelines, but the tunnel entrance becomes narrow due to dark adaptation and pressure. In fact, around 13% of traffic in expressways of Japan happens at the entrance, leading to congestion and rear-ends collision accidents. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the stability from the expansion of the shoulder width in the tunnel entrance by applying a virtual reality driving simulator in order to reduce the accidents that happen in the tunnel entrance. To compare the driving stability based on the changes in the width of the right shoulder under the same condition, a virtual reality driving simulator is used to conduct an experiment on 30 subjects in their 20s to 60s and to provide a more practical virtual reality driving environment, and an experiment map is designed based on actual roads as the background to conduct the experiment. The right shoulder is classified into 2.5m and 3.0m based on the design guidelines of the expressways and the road structure installation regulations. The experimenters' experiment order is decided randomly. As a result of analyzing the average speed, it was displayed as 100.73km/h when the shoulder width was 2.5m and 101.69km/h when the shoulder width was 3.0m and as a result of conducting t-test analysis, the p-value appeared as more than 0.05 in the significance level of 95%, so it was statistically insignificant. Also, as a result of analyzing the speed deviation between the average driving speed of the analyzed interval and the average driving speed upon entering the tunnel, it was displayed as 3.06km/h when the shoulder width was 2.5m and 1.87km/h when the shoulder width was 3.0m and as a result of conducting t-test analysis, the p-value appeared as less than 0.05 in the significance level of 95%, so it was statistically significant. This means that when the shoulder width is 3.0m, there is stability in terms of the driving stability compared to when it is 2.5m. Therefore, it is considered that when new roads are constructed in Korea, the right shoulder width should be installed as 3.0m to enhance the driving stability.

Keywords: driving stability, shoulder width, tunnel, virtual reality driving simulator

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9161 An Image Stitching Approach for Scoliosis Analysis

Authors: Siti Salbiah Samsudin, Hamzah Arof, Ainuddin Wahid Abdul Wahab, Mohd Yamani Idna Idris

Abstract:

Standard X-ray spine images produced by conventional screen-film technique have a limited field of view. This limitation may obstruct a complete inspection of the spine unless images of different parts of the spine are placed next to each other contiguously to form a complete structure. Another solution to producing a whole spine image is by assembling the digitized x-ray images of its parts automatically using image stitching. This paper presents a new Medical Image Stitching (MIS) method that utilizes Minimum Average Correlation Energy (MACE) filters to identify and merge pairs of x-ray medical images. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated in two sets of experiments involving two databases which contain a total of 40 pairs of overlapping and non-overlapping spine images. The experimental results are compared to those produced by the Normalized Cross Correlation (NCC) and Phase Only Correlation (POC) methods for comparison. It is found that the proposed method outperforms those of the NCC and POC methods in identifying both the overlapping and non-overlapping medical images. The efficacy of the proposed method is further vindicated by its average execution time which is about two to five times shorter than those of the POC and NCC methods.

Keywords: image stitching, MACE filter, panorama image, scoliosis

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9160 Automatic Post Stroke Detection from Computed Tomography Images

Authors: C. Gopi Jinimole, A. Harsha

Abstract:

For detecting strokes, Computed Tomography (CT) scan is preferred for imaging the abnormalities or infarction in the brain. Because of the problems in the window settings used to evaluate brain CT images, they are very poor in the early stage infarction detection. This paper presents an automatic estimation method for the window settings of the CT images for proper contrast of the hyper infarction present in the brain. In the proposed work the window width is estimated automatically for each slice and the window centre is changed to a new value of 31HU, which is the average of the HU values of the grey matter and white matter in the brain. The automatic window width estimation is based on the average of median of statistical central moments. Thus with the new suggested window centre and estimated window width, the hyper infarction or post-stroke regions in CT brain images are properly detected. The proposed approach assists the radiologists in CT evaluation for early quantitative signs of delayed stroke, which leads to severe hemorrhage in the future can be prevented by providing timely medication to the patients.

Keywords: computed tomography (CT), hyper infarction or post stroke region, Hounsefield Unit (HU), window centre (WC), window width (WW)

Procedia PDF Downloads 191
9159 Climate Change Effects and Cocoa Farmers Coping Strategies in Ilaro Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria

Authors: Irene Oluwatosin Uwabor

Abstract:

Climate change is a global phenomenon which affects the environment and undermines agricultural activities, in particular, cocoa production in Nigeria. This study, therefore, assessed the farmers ‘coping strategies to climate change effects in Ilaro Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was used to select twenty-five cocoa farmers from each of the selected six wards to make up 150 cocoa farmers as sample size for this study. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analysis were used for the data analysis. The results showed that the average age of the respondents was 43.8 years and male dominated (80.00%) cocoa production. Most of the respondents had some level of formal education (93.4%). The mean of household and year of experience in cocoa farming were eight people and 11.6 years respectively. Family and Hired labour (41.3%) was the common source of labour to the respondents and majority (86.0%) of the respondents were aware of climate change. The study concluded that respondents experienced low yield and high rate of deformed beans in the pods due to climate change. The adjustment strategies used were planting of diseases and pest resistant cocoa varieties, using of heavy mulching, diversification into other non- agricultural income generating activities and tree crops cultivation to provide shade. Also, significant relationships existed between personal characteristics (χ²= 62.24, df = 6, p = 0.00), adjustment strategies (χ²= 103.1, df = 4, p = 0.00) and effect of climate change. It is hereby recommend that extension service providers should intensify more effort and advocating for improved agronomic practices to increase cocoa productivity in the study area.

Keywords: cocoa farmers, coping strategies, climate change, ilaro

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9158 Medical/Surgical Skills Day Improves Nurse Competence and Satisfaction

Authors: Betsy Hannam

Abstract:

Background: Staff nurses felt overwhelmed to learn new skills or complete competencies during their shift. Med/Surg units need to provide dedicated, uninterrupted time to complete training and mandatory competencies and practice skills. Purpose: To improve nurse satisfaction and competence by creating a Skills Day with uninterrupted time to complete competencies, brush up on skills, and evaluate skills learned through pre- and post-tests. Methods: The USL and CNL interviewed nurses to obtain input regarding skills needing reinforcement and included mandatory competencies relevant to Med/Surg to create the Skills Day agenda. Content experts from multiple disciplines were invited to educate staff to help address knowledge gaps. To increase attendance, multiple class days were offered. Results: 2018 Skills Day was held for an inpatient unit with 95% participation (n=35 out of 37RNs). The average pretest score, comprised of content questions from topics discussed, was 57%, and post test scoresaveraged 80%. 94% of test scores improved or remained the same. RNs were given an evaluation at the end of the day, where100% of staff noted Skills Day as beneficial, and 97% requested to repeat next year. Another Med/Surg unit asked to join Skills Day in 2019. In 2019, with 89% participation (n=57 out 64 RNs), the average pretest score was 68%, and the average post test score was 85%. 97% of scores improved or remained the same. 98% reported the class as beneficial, and 96% requested to repeat next year. Skills Day 2020-2022 on hold due to COVID. Looking forward to Skills Day 2023. Conclusion: Skills Day allows nurses to maintain competencies and improve knowledge in areas of interest without the stress of a patient assignment. Having unit leaders organize Skills Day, with the involvement of content experts from multiple disciplines, showed to be a successful and innovative team approach to support professional development.

Keywords: education, competency, skills day, medical/surgical

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9157 Construction and Evaluation of Soybean Thresher

Authors: Oladimeji Adetona Adeyeye, Emmanuel Rotimi Sadiku, Oluwaseun Olayinka Adeyeye

Abstract:

In order to resuscitate soybean production and post-harvest processing especially, in term of threshing, there is need to develop an affordable threshing machine which will reduce drudgery associated with manual soybean threshing. Soybean thresher was fabricated and evaluated at Institute of Agricultural Research and Training IAR&T Apata Ibadan. The machine component includes; hopper, threshing unit, shaker, cleaning unit and the seed outlet, all working together to achieve the main objective of threshing and cleaning. TGX1835 - 10E variety was used for evaluation because of its high resistance to pests, rust and pustules. The final moisture content of the used sample was about 15%. The sample was weighed and introduced into the machine. The parameters evaluated includes moisture content, threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency, machine capacity and speed. The threshing efficiency and capacity are 74% and 65.9kg/hr respectively. All materials used were sourced locally which makes the cost of production of the machine extremely cheaper than the imported soybean thresher.

Keywords: efficiency, machine capacity, speed, soybean, threshing

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9156 A Thermographic and Energy Based Approach to Define High Cycle Fatigue Strength of Flax Fiber Reinforced Thermoset Composites

Authors: Md. Zahirul Islam, Chad A. Ulven

Abstract:

Fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites have a wide range of applications in the sectors of automotive, aerospace, sports utilities, among others, due to their high specific strength, stiffness as well as reduced weight. In addition to those favorable properties, composites composed of natural fibers and bio-based resins (i.e., biocomposites) have eco-friendliness and biodegradability. However, the applications of biocomposites are limited due to the lack of knowledge about their long-term reliability under fluctuating loads. In order to explore the long-term reliability of flax fiber reinforced composites under fluctuating loads through high cycle fatigue strength (HCFS), fatigue test were conducted on unidirectional flax fiber reinforced thermoset composites at different percentage loads of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) with a loading frequency of 5 Hz. Change of temperature of the sample during cyclic loading was captured using an IR camera. Initially, the temperature increased rapidly, but after a certain time, it stabilized. A mathematical model was developed to predict the fatigue life from the data of stabilized temperature. Stabilized temperature and dissipated energy per cycle were compared with applied stress. Both showed bilinear behavior and the intersection of those curves were used to determine HCFS. HCFS for unidirectional flax fiber reinforced composites is around 45% of UTS for a loading frequency of 5Hz. Unlike fatigue life, stabilized temperature and dissipated energy-based models are convenient to define HCFS as they have little variation from sample to sample.

Keywords: energy method, fatigue, flax fiber reinforced composite, HCFS, thermographic approach

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9155 Demographic and Socio-Economical Status of Children with Lead Exposure in Venezuela

Authors: Espinosa Carlos, Nobrega Doris

Abstract:

Children are at high risk for lead (Pb) exposure. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors that contribute to high blood lead (PbB) levels in Venezuelan children. The concentration of PbB was determined in 60 children (ages 4-9 years old), coming from the Michelena sector, Valencia District, Carabobo State. The relationship between these concentrations and socio-economical parameters (A: high quality life; B: fair quality life; C: critic poverty), Pb levels of faucet water (Pb-water) and dust Pb levels of floor (Pb-dust) of their houses, was established. Living areas were classified according to sectors and socio-economical status. Forty [40=66.7%] children resulted with PbB levels above the permissible concentration (LAPC). Average PbB was not significantly higher than the permissible levels. Odds ratio proved that children from status C are 7.28 times more likely to have LAPC of PbB than the ones coming from A or B. Thirty-four percent (34%) of the children with LAPC come from status C which could be considered the most critical status from the exposure risk point of view. The 76,3% of the sampled houses reported VSLP of Pb-water, being the Pb-water average in 35 ± 25.5 ug/L. This average significantly went superior to the permissible limit established by Venezuela and international organisms (10 ug/L). When grouping the results of PbB and Pb-water by sex, were that 50,8% of the children who presented/displayed VSLP of Pb-water and PbB. Was a significant relation (p ≤ 0.05), between masculine sex and the VSLP of PbB and Pb-water (x² = 3,672). In relation to the Pb-Dust analyses, were not statistically significant differences with respect to their permissible limit value (40 ug/pie²). This study shows that by correlating geographical and health data, we can identify 'high risk' areas, leading to a proactive public health action. The results of this study are excellent, in order to take preventive measures for the care from the health. Later studies are suggested predicting main to determine of more conclusive form of levels elevated of PbB in the investigated population.

Keywords: demographic, lead, risk, socio-economical status

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9154 The Impact of Brand Loyalty on Product Performance

Authors: Tanzeel bin Abdul Rauf Patker, Saba Mateen

Abstract:

This research investigates the impact of Brand Loyalty on the product performance and the factors those are considered more important in brand reputation. Variables selected for this research are Brand quality, Brand Equity, Brand Reputation to explore the impact of these variables on Product performance. For this purpose, primary research has been conducted. The questionnaire survey for this research study was administered among the population mainly at the shopping malls. For this research study, a sample size of 250 respondents has been taken into consideration. Customers from the shopping malls and university students constitute the sample for this research study using random sampling (non-probabilistic) used as a sampling technique for conducting the research survey. According to the results obtained from the collected data, it is interpreted that product performance shares a direct relationship with brand quality, brand quality, and brand reputation. Result also showed that brand quality and brand equity has a significant effect on product performance, whereas brand reputation has an insignificant effect on product performance.

Keywords: product performance, brand quality, brand equity, brand reputation

Procedia PDF Downloads 295
9153 Survey of Indoor Radon/Thoron Concentrations in High Lung Cancer Incidence Area in India

Authors: Zoliana Bawitlung, P. C. Rohmingliana, L. Z. Chhangte, Remlal Siama, Hming Chungnunga, Vanram Lawma, L. Hnamte, B. K. Sahoo, B. K. Sapra, J. Malsawma

Abstract:

Mizoram state has the highest lung cancer incidence rate in India due to its high-level consumption of tobacco and its products which is supplemented by the food habits. While smoking is mainly responsible for this incidence, the effect of inhalation of indoor radon gas cannot be discarded as the hazardous nature of this radioactive gas and its progenies on human population have been well-established worldwide where the radiation damage to bronchial cells eventually can be the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking. It is also known that the effect of radiation, however, small may be the concentration, cannot be neglected as they can bring about the risk of cancer incidence. Hence, estimation of indoor radon concentration is important to give a useful reference against radiation effects as well as establishing its safety measures and to create a baseline for further case-control studies. The indoor radon/thoron concentrations in Mizoram had been measured in 41 dwellings selected on the basis of spot gamma background radiation and construction type of the houses during 2015-2016. The dwellings were monitored for one year, in 4 months cycles to indicate seasonal variations, for the indoor concentration of radon gas and its progenies, outdoor gamma dose, and indoor gamma dose respectively. A time-integrated method using Solid State Nuclear Track Detector (SSNTD) based single entry pin-hole dosimeters were used for measurement of indoor Radon/Thoron concentration. Gamma dose measurements for indoor as well as outdoor were carried out using Geiger Muller survey meters. Seasonal variation of indoor radon/ thoron concentration was monitored. The results show that the annual average radon concentrations varied from 54.07 – 144.72 Bq/m³ with an average of 90.20 Bq/m³ and the annual average thoron concentration varied from 17.39 – 54.19 Bq/m³ with an average of 35.91 Bq/m³ which are below the permissible limit. The spot survey of gamma background radiation level varies between 9 to 24 µR/h inside and outside the dwellings throughout Mizoram which are all within acceptable limits. From the above results, there is no direct indication that radon/thoron is responsible for the high lung cancer incidence in the area. In order to find epidemiological evidence of natural radiations to high cancer incidence in the area, one may need to conduct a case-control study which is beyond this scope. However, the derived data of measurement will provide baseline data for further studies.

Keywords: background gamma radiation, indoor radon/thoron, lung cancer, seasonal variation

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9152 Effects of Post-Emergence Herbicides on Soil Micro-Flora and Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria in Pea Field

Authors: Ali M. Zaid, Muftah Mayouf, Yahya Said Farouj

Abstract:

The effect of post emergence herbicides on soil micro-flora and nitrogen fixing bacteria was studied in pea field. Pea (Pisum sativum) was grown and treated with one or a mixture of two of several herbicides 2 weeks after sowing. Soil samples were collected 2 weeks after herbicides application. Average number of colony forming units per gram of soil of bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi were determined. Average number of nodules per plant was obtained at the end of the growing season. The results of the study showed MCPB, Bentazon, MCPB+Fluozifop-p-butyl, Bentazon+Fluozifop-p-butyl, Metribuzin, Flouzifop-p-butyl+Metribuzin, Cycloxydin, and Sethoxydin increased the population of soil fungi, with 4 to 10 times compared with the control. The herbicides used showed no significant effects on nitrogen fixing bacteria. The effects of herbicides on soil bacteria and actinomycetes were different. The study showed the use of herbicides could influence the biological balance of soil microflora, which has an important role in soil fertility and microbial ecosystem.

Keywords: herbicides, post emergence, nitrogen fixing bacteria, environmental systems

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9151 Gastrointestinal Disturbances in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)

Authors: Chandralekha Ashangari, Amer Suleman

Abstract:

Background and Purpose: The Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) affects primarily young women. POTS is a form of dysautonomia that is estimated to impact between 1,000,000 and 3,000,000 Americans, and millions more around the world. POTS is a form of orthostatic intolerance that is associated with many Gastrointestinal disturbances. The aim of this study is to determine the Gastrointestinal disturbances in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) patients.2. Methods: 249 patients referred to our clinic from January to November with POTS. Reviewed the medical records of 249 POTS patients and gastrointestinal symptoms. Results: however out of 249 patients, 226 patients are female (90.76%; average age 32.69), 23 patients are male (9.24%; average age 27.91) Data analysis: Out of 249 patients 189 patients (76%) had vomiting or nausea, 150 patients (60%) had irritable bowel syndrome, 128 patients (51%) had bloating, 125 patients (50%) had constipation , 80 patients (32%) had abdominal pain, 56 patients (22%) had delayed gastric emptying, 24 patients (10%) had lactose intolerance, 8 patients (3%) had Gastroesophageal reflux disease, 5 patients (2%) had Iron deficiency anemia, 6 patients (2%) had Peptic ulcer disease, 4 patients (2%) had Celiac Disease. Conclusion: Patients with POTS have a very high prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms however the majority of abnormalities appear to be motility related. Motility testing should be performed be performed in POTS patients. The diagnostic yield of endoscopic procedures appears to be low.

Keywords: gastrointestinal disturbances, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), celiac disease, POTS patients

Procedia PDF Downloads 323
9150 Influence of Omani Literature in Foreign Language Classrooms on Students' Motivation in Learning English

Authors: Ibtisam Mohammed Salim Al Quraini

Abstract:

This paper examines how introducing Omani literature in foreign language classrooms can influence the students' motivation in learning the language. The data was collected through the questionnaire which was administered to two samples (A and B) of the participants. Sample A was comprised of 30 female students from English department who are specialist in English literature in college of Arts and Social Science. Sample B in contrast was comprised of 10 female students who their major is English from college of Education. Results show that each genre in literature has different influence on the students' motivation in learning the language which proves that literacy texts are powerful. Generally, Omani English teachers tend to avoid teaching literature because they think that it is a difficult method to use in teaching field. However, the advantages and the influences of teaching poetries, short stories, and plays are discussed. Recommendations for current research and further research are also discussed at the end.

Keywords: education, plays, short stories, poems

Procedia PDF Downloads 367
9149 A Proposed Training Program for the Development of the Kindergarten Teacher According To Her Contemporary Professionàĺ Needs

Authors: Abdulhakim Ali Mosleh Alzubidy

Abstract:

The study's aim was to establish a proposed training program for kindergarten teachers according to their modern professional demands so that they could effectively teach children through movement education and play. The sample, which consisted of (46) teachers and administrators selected at random from the Ibb governorate, represented the study population of kindergarten teachers and administrators. The researcher developed three survey forms as a tool for data collection, and the forms were used with the research sample. The researcher used the descriptive method due to its applicability and the nature of the study, and he also used the appropriate statistical treatment of the data, which is to extract the percentage and the percentage of agreement. The study came to the following conclusions: ● The proposed program is of great importance in preparing the kindergarten teacher in an appropriate manner that keeps pace with modern developments in this field. ● The field of movement education is a necessity for the kindergarten teacher, through which she will be able to prepare the child physically and kinetically and teach him effectively the principles of reading, writing, and numerical and arithmetic concepts.

Keywords: training program, professional needs, kindergarten, kindergarten teacher

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9148 Fault Diagnosis in Induction Motors Using Discrete Wavelet Transform

Authors: K. Yahia, A. Titaouine, A. Ghoggal, S. E. Zouzou, F. Benchabane

Abstract:

This paper deals with the problem of stator faults diagnosis in induction motors. Using the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) for the current Park’s vector modulus (CPVM) analysis, the inter-turn short-circuit faults diagnosis can be achieved. This method is based on the decomposition of the CPVM signal, where wavelet approximation and detail coefficients of this signal have been extracted. The energy evaluation of a known bandwidth detail permits to define a fault severity factor (FSF). This method has been tested through the simulation of an induction motor using a mathematical model based on the winding-function approach. Simulation, as well as experimental, results show the effectiveness of the used method.

Keywords: Induction Motors (IMs), inter-turn short-circuits diagnosis, Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), Current Park’s Vector Modulus (CPVM)

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9147 Physical Properties of Uranium Dinitride UN2 by Using Density Functional Theory (DFT and DFT+U)

Authors: T. Zergoug, S. E. H. Abaidia, A. Nedjar, M. Y. Mokeddem

Abstract:

Physical properties of uranium di-nitride (UN2) were investigated in detail using first principles calculations based on density functional theory. To treat the strong correlation effects caused by 5f Uranium valence electrons, on-site Coulomb interaction correction via the Hubbard-like term, U (DFT+U) was employed. The UN2 structural, mechanical and thermodynamic properties were calculated within DFT and Various U of DFT+U approach. The Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE.5.2) version of the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) is used to describe the exchange-correlation with the projector-augmented wave (PAW) pseudo potentials. A comparative study shows that results are improved by using the Hubbard formalism for a certain U value correction like the structural parameter. For some physical properties the variation versus Hubbard U is strong like Young modulus but for others it is weakly noticeable such as the density of state (DOS) or bulk modulus. We noticed also that up from U=7.5 eV, elastic results become not conform to the cubic cell elastic criteria since the C44 values turn out to be negative.

Keywords: uranium diNitride, UN2, DFT+U, elastic properties

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9146 Drip Irrigation Timing and Its Effect on Tomato Yield for a Two-Day Schedule

Authors: T. Kizza, M. Muyinda

Abstract:

Irrigation schedules are normally given in terms of frequency (irrigation days). Specific timings within a given day are not usually included. This study examined the effect of irrigation timing for a two-day irrigation schedule of a surface drip-irrigated tomato field on yield. It was carried out for three dry seasons; July-Sept 2016, Jan-April 2017 and Jan-March 2018, at MuZARDI research station. Four irrigation treatments; T1 morning (8.00hrs), T2 noon (12:00hrs), T3 evening (17:00hr) and T4, a combination of morning and evening, were evaluated. The irrigation duration was one hour for T1-T3 and split into 30 minutes for T4. First season results indicated noon watering as having the best yield over other treatments at 51.59t/ha followed closely by morning watering at 50.6t/ha. Plants watered at noon had the highest number of fruits at 19/plant with an average weight of 94g/fruit. Plants watered in the morning had fruits with the highest average weight at 111.2g/fruit but they were the lowest number at 16 fruits/plant. The three-season data indicated the highest yield at 45.9t/ha for morning watering, followed by noon watering at 44.3t/ha and the least yield was for evening watering at 40.9t/ha. Watering tomatoes in the morning will give optimum yields for a two-day irrigation schedule.

Keywords: drip irrigation, irrigation schedule, irrigation timing, tomato yield

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9145 How can Introducing Omani Literature in Foreign Language Classrooms Influence students' Motivation in Learning the Language?

Authors: Ibtisam Mohammed Al-Quraini

Abstract:

This paper examines how introducing Omani literature in foreign language classrooms can influence the students' motivation in learning the language. The data was collected through the questionnaire which was administered to two samples (A and B) of the participants. Sample A was comprised of 30 female students from English department who are specialist in English literature in college of Arts and Social Science. Sample B in contrast was comprised of 10 female students who their major is English from college of Education. Results show that each genre in literature has different influence on the students' motivation in learning the language which proves that literacy texts are powerful. Generally, Omani English teachers tend to avoid teaching literature because they think that it is a difficult method to use in teaching field. However, the advantages and the influences of teaching poetries, short stories, and plays are discussed. Recommendations for current research and further research are also discussed at the end.

Keywords: education, foreign language, English, Omani literature, poetry, story, play

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9144 Generation Transcritical Flow Influenced by Dissipation over a Hole

Authors: Mohammed Daher Albalwi

Abstract:

The transcritical flow of a stratified fluid over an obstacle for negative forcing amplitude (hole) that generation upstream and downstream, connected by an unsteady solution, is examined. In the weakly nonlinear, weakly dispersive regime, the problem is formulated in the forced Korteweg-de Vries–Burgers framework. This is done by including the influence of the viscosity of the fluid beyond the Korteweg–de Vries approximation. The results show that the influence of viscosity is crucial in determining various wave properties, including the amplitudes of solitary waves in the upstream and downstream directions, as well as the widths of the bores. We focused here on weak damping, and the results are presented for transcritical, supercritical, and subcritical flows. In general, the outcomes are not qualitatively similar to those from the forced Korteweg-de–Vries equation when the value of the viscous is small, interesting differences emerge as the magnitude of the value of viscous increases.

Keywords: Korteweg–de Vries–Burgers equation, soliton, transcritical flow, viscous flow

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9143 Delivery System Design of the Local Part to Reduce the Logistic Costs in an Automotive Industry

Authors: Alesandro Romero, Inaki Maulida Hakim

Abstract:

This research was conducted in an automotive company in Indonesia to overcome the problem of high logistics cost. The problem causes high of additional truck delivery. From the breakdown of the problem, chosen one route, which has the highest gap value, namely for RE-04. Research methodology will be started from calculating the ideal condition, making simulation, calculating the ideal logistic cost, and proposing an improvement. From the calculation of the ideal condition, box arrangement was done on the truck; the average efficiency was 97,4 % with three trucks delivery per day. Route simulation making uses Tecnomatix Plant Simulation software as a visualization for the company about how the system is occurred on route RE-04 in ideal condition. Furthermore, from the calculation of logistics cost of the ideal condition, it brings savings of Rp53.011.800,00 in a month. The last step is proposing improvements on the area of route RE-04. The route arrangement is done by Saving Method and sequence of each supplier with the Nearest Neighbor. The results of the proposed improvements are three new route groups, where was expected to decrease logistics cost Rp3.966.559,40 per day, and increase the average of the truck efficiency 8,78% per day.

Keywords: efficiency, logistic cost, milkrun, saving methode, simulation

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9142 The Psychological Impact of Acute Occupational Hand Trauma

Authors: Michelle Roesler, Ian Glendon, Francis O'Callaghan

Abstract:

This study expands on recent findings and offers a new perspective on recovery from injury and return to work (RTW) after an acute traumatic occupational hand injury. Recovery is a complex medical and psychosocial process. A number of predictor variables were studied simultaneously to identify the bio-psychosocial variables that impede recovery. An unexpected phenomenon to emerge from this study was the high incidence of complications within the hand-injured patient sample. Twenty six percent (n = 71) of the total sample (N = 263) required a second operation due to complications. This warranted further investigation. Results confirmed that complications not only significantly delayed the RTW outcome but also had a profound psychological impact on the individuals affected. Research has found that surgical complications are usually the result of incorrect early assessment and management. A strategic plan needs to be implemented to ensure the optimal level of surgical care is provided for managing acute traumatic hand injuries to avoid such complications.

Keywords: occupational hand trauma, psychological recovery, return to work, psychology

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9141 Self-Stigma Regarding Mental Illness: An Empirical Study

Authors: Linta Koka

Abstract:

Aim: The way people with severe mental disorders deal with self-stigma and how it affects their self-esteem is a problem that has gained much attention in recent years. The primary aim of this study was to empirically explore the link between self-stigma and self-esteem of individuals with the presence of a mental illness, offering a novel perspective by exploring the same variables amongst a sample without a mental illness. Methods: This study utilized a cross-sectional study. Participants with (N=85) and without (N=75) a mental health issue were included from Darlingdon's Mind organization. Participants completed two scales, one of Self-Stigma of Mental Illness Scale and one of Self-Esteem, following some demographics questions. Results: According to the primary hypothesis, self-stigma significantly correlates with self-esteem in the clinical population. Furthermore, gender and ethnicity, above all the demographics, positively correlates to the relationship of self-stigma with self-esteem in people who endure a mental health issue. Limitations: A significant limitation is that of the size of the sample of participants conducted in this study. The clinical population was limited to 85 participants, and the control group consisted of 76 participants. Since the sample was not representative. The small size used did not allow any comparisons between the group with mental illness and the control group. There was a restricted time to approach the participants since the online survey was released by the end of May. Conclusions: Individuals suffering from mental illnesses may internalize stigmatizing stereotypes on an explicit level. Efforts should be made to lessen the harmful impact stigma may have on mentally ill people, such as worsening symptoms or delays in receiving care. Further study is needed within this small research topic to improve awareness and regulate mental health among the general population. Undoubtedly, people with mental disorders are stigmatized; therefore, more research is required to explore all factors contributing to mentally ill patients' devaluation.

Keywords: self-stigma, mental illness, self-esteem, clinical population, non-clinical population

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9140 Clinical Advice Services: Using Lean Chassis to Optimize Nurse-Driven Telephonic Triage of After-Hour Calls from Patients

Authors: Eric Lee G. Escobedo-Wu, Nidhi Rohatgi, Fouzel Dhebar

Abstract:

It is challenging for patients to navigate through healthcare systems after-hours. This leads to delays in care, patient/provider dissatisfaction, inappropriate resource utilization, readmissions, and higher costs. It is important to provide patients and providers with effective clinical decision-making tools to allow seamless connectivity and coordinated care. In August 2015, patient-centric Stanford Health Care established Clinical Advice Services (CAS) to provide clinical decision support after-hours. CAS is founded on key Lean principles: Value stream mapping, empathy mapping, waste walk, takt time calculations, standard work, plan-do-check-act cycles, and active daily management. At CAS, Clinical Assistants take the initial call and manage all non-clinical calls (e.g., appointments, directions, general information). If the patient has a clinical symptom, the CAS nurses take the call and utilize standardized clinical algorithms to triage the patient to home, clinic, urgent care, emergency department, or 911. Nurses may also contact the on-call physician based on the clinical algorithm for further direction and consultation. Since August 2015, CAS has managed 228,990 calls from 26 clinical specialties. Reporting is built into the electronic health record for analysis and data collection. 65.3% of the after-hours calls are clinically related. Average clinical algorithm adherence rate has been 92%. An average of 9% of calls was escalated by CAS nurses to the physician on call. An average of 5% of patients was triaged to the Emergency Department by CAS. Key learnings indicate that a seamless connectivity vision, cascading, multidisciplinary ownership of the problem, and synergistic enterprise improvements have contributed to this success while striving for continuous improvement.

Keywords: after hours phone calls, clinical advice services, nurse triage, Stanford Health Care

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9139 Concrete Compressive Strengths of Major Existing Buildings in Kuwait

Authors: Zafer Sakka, Husain Al-Khaiat

Abstract:

Due to social and economic considerations, owners all over the world desire to keep and use existing structures, including aging ones. However, these structures, especially those that are dear, need accurate condition assessment, and proper safety evaluation. More than half of the budget spent on construction activities in developed countries is related to the repair and maintenance of these reinforced concrete (R/C) structures. Also, periodical evaluation and assessment of relatively old concrete structures are vital and imperative. If the evaluation and assessment of structural components of a particular aging R/C structure reveal that repairs are essential for these components, these repairs should not be delayed. Delaying the repairs has the potential of losing serviceability of the whole structure and/or causing total failure and collapse of the structure. In addition, if repairs are delayed, the cost of maintenance will skyrocket as well. It can also be concluded from the above that the assessment of existing needs to receive more consideration and thought from the structural engineering societies and professionals. Ten major existing structures in Kuwait city that were constructed in the 1970s were assessed for structural reliability and integrity. Numerous concrete samples were extracted from the structural systems of the investigated buildings. This paper presents the results of the compressive strength tests that were conducted on the extracted cores. The results are compared for the buildings’ columns and beams elements and compared with the design strengths. The collected data were statistically analyzed. The average compressive strengths of the concrete cores that were extracted from the ten buildings had a large variation. The lowest average compressive strength for one of the buildings was 158 kg/cm². This building was deemed unsafe and economically unfeasible to be repaired; accordingly, it was demolished. The other buildings had an average compressive strengths fall in the range 215-317 kg/cm². Poor construction practices were the main cause for the strengths. Although most of the drawings and information for these buildings were lost during the invasion of Kuwait in 1990, however, information gathered indicated that the design strengths of the beams and columns for most of these buildings were in the range of 280-400 kg/cm². Following the study, measures were taken to rehabilitate the buildings for safety. The mean compressive strength for all cores taken from beams and columns of the ten buildings was 256.7 kg/cm². The values range was 139 to 394 kg/cm². For columns, the mean was 250.4 kg/cm², and the values ranged from 137 to 394 kg/cm². However, the mean compressive strength for the beams was higher than that of columns. It was 285.9 kg/cm², and the range was 181 to 383 kg/cm². In addition to the concrete cores that were extracted from the ten buildings, the 28-day compressive strengths of more than 24,660 concrete cubes were collected from a major ready-mixed concrete supplier in Kuwait. The data represented four different grades of ready-mix concrete (250, 300, 350, and 400 kg/cm²) manufactured between the year 2003 and 2018. The average concrete compressive strength for the different concrete grades (250, 300, 350 and 400 kg/cm²) was found to be 318, 382, 453 and 504 kg/cm², respectively, and the coefficients of variations were found to be 0.138, 0.140, 0.157 and 0.131, respectively.

Keywords: concrete compressive strength, concrete structures, existing building, statistical analysis.

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