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Authors: Ankita Baidya, Vanishri Ganakumar, Ranveer S. Jadon, Piyush Ranjan, Rita Sood

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Septic embolism can have varied presentations and clinical considerations. Infected central venous catheters are commonly associated with septic emboli but peripheral vascular catheters are rarely implicated. We describe a rare case of septic pulmonary emboli related to infected peripheral venous cannulation caused by an unusual etiological agent. A young male presented with complaints of fever, productive cough, sudden onset shortness of breath and cellulitis in both the upper limbs. He was recently hospitalised for dengue fever and administered intravenous fluids through peripheral venous line. The patient was febrile, tachypneic and in respiratory distress, there were multiple pus filled bullae in left hand alongwith swelling and erythema involving right forearm that started at the site of cannulation. Chest examination showed active accessory muscles of respiration, stony dull percussion at the base of right lung and decreased breath sounds at right infrascapular, infraaxillary and mammary area. Other system examination was within normal limits. Chest X-ray revealed bilateral multiple patchy heterogenous peripheral opacities and infiltrates with right-sided pleural effusion. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) chest showed feeding vessel sign confirming the diagnosis as septic emboli. Venous Doppler and 2D-echocardiogarm were normal. Laboratory findings showed marked leucocytosis (22000/mm3). Pus aspirate, blood sample, and sputum sample were sent for microbiological testing. The patient was started empirically on ceftriaxone, vancomycin, and clindamycin. The Pus culture and sputum culture showed Klebsiella pneumoniae sensitive to cefoperazone-sulbactum, piperacillin-tazobactum, meropenem and amikacin. The antibiotics were modified accordingly to antimicrobial sensitivity profile to Cefoperazone-sulbactum. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was done and sent for microbiological investigations. BAL culture showed Klebsiella pneumoniae with same antimicrobial resistance profile. On day 6 of starting cefoperazone-sulbactum, he became afebrile. The skin lesions improved significantly. He was administered 2 weeks of cefoperazone–sulbactum and discharged on oral faropenem for 4 weeks. At the time of discharge, TLC was 11200/mm3 with marked radiological resolution of infection and healed skin lesions. He was kept in regular follow up. Chest X-ray and skin lesions showed complete resolution after 8 weeks. Till date, only couple of case reports of septic emboli through peripheral intravenous line have been reported in English literature. This case highlights that a simple procedure of peripheral intravenous cannulation can lead to catastrophic complication of septic pulmonary emboli and widespread cellulitis if not done with proper care and precautions. Also, the usual pathogens in such clinical settings are gram positive bacteria, but with the history of recent hospitalization, empirical therapy should also cover drug resistant gram negative microorganisms. It also emphasise the importance of appropriate healthcare practices to be taken care during all procedures.

Keywords: antibiotics, cannula, Klebsiella pneumoniae, septic emboli

Procedia PDF Downloads 160

Authors: Mahadehe Hassan

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Transport system and industries which are the main basis of industrial and socio-economic development of any country. It is mainly dependent on fossil fuels. Bangladesh has fossil fuel reserves of 9.51 TCF as of July 2023, and if no new gas fields are discovered in the next 7-9 years and if the existing gas consumption rate continues, the fossil fuel reserves will be exhausted. The demand for petroleum products in Bangladesh is increasing steadily, with 63% imported by BPC and 37% imported by private companies. 61.61% of BPC imported products are used in the transport sector and 5.49% in the industrial sector, which is expensive and harmful to the environment. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) should be considered as an alternative energy for Bangladesh based on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) criteria for sustainable, clean and affordable energy. This will not only lead to the much desired mitigation of energy famine in the country but also contribute favorably to the macroeconomic indicators. Considering the environmental and economic issues, the government has referred to CNG (compressed natural gas) as the fuel carrier since 2000, but currently due to the decline mode of gas reserves, the government of Bangladesh is thinking of new energy sources for transport and industrial sectors which will be sustainable, environmentally friendly and economically viable. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is the best choice for fueling transport and industrial sectors in Bangladesh. At present, a total of 1.54 million metric tons of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is marketed in Bangladesh by the public and private sectors. 83% of it is used by households, 12% by industry and commerce and 5% by transportation. Industrial and transport sector consumption is negligible compared to household consumption. So the purpose of the research is to find out the challenges of LPG market development in transport and industrial sectors in Bangladesh and make recommendations to reduce the challenges. Secure supply chain, inadequate infrastructure, insufficient investment, lack of government monitoring and consumer awareness in the transport sector and industrial sector are major challenges for LPG market development in Bangladesh. Bangladesh government as well as private owners should come forward in the development of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) industry to reduce the challenges of secure energy sector for sustainable development. Furthermore, ensuring adequate Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) supply in Bangladesh requires government regulations, infrastructure improvements in port areas, awareness raising and most importantly proper pricing of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) to address the energy crisis in Bangladesh.

Keywords: transportand industries fuel, LPG consumption, challenges, economical sustainability

Procedia PDF Downloads 83

Authors: Niranjani Wickramsinghe, Mario Soares, Stuart Johnson, Ranil Cooray, Vijay Jayasena

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Tempeh is a traditional fermented soya bean food in Indonesia which is produced from de-hulled soya fermented with Rhizopusoligosporus. Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from whole soya bean seed fermentation with the bacteriaBacillus subtilis natto. Lupin is a grain legume with a low content of the phytoestrogenic isoflavones genistein and daidzein compared to soya. However due a comparable nutrition profile and increased cost effectiveness relative to soy, lupin has been substituted into various oriental fermented foods such as tempe and natto. Lupin tempeh and lupin natto were prepared using either WS or DHS. Analysis for genistein and daidzein content was conducted using HPLC for time points zero, 12h, 24h, 36h, 48h and 72h after fermentation. Results revealed that the amount of genistein and daidzein significantly increased with time in both tempeh and natto. Both isoflavones peaked at 48h in lupin tempeh and earlier at 36h in lupin natto. WS tempeh and WS natto had significantly more genistein than WHS tempe and WHS natto. Diadzeincontent of WHS tended to be higher than WS across both products. It is concluded that, fermentation time increased the amount of genistein and daidzein content in both lupin tempeh and natto and the form of lupin raw material used affected the genistein level and to some extent the daidzein content of fermented products.

Keywords: lupin, natto, soya, tempeh

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Authors: Gulnara Galeeva, Yulia Kasperskaya

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The study deals with the relevant problem related to the formation of the efficient investment portfolio of an enterprise. The structure of the investment portfolio is connected to the degree of influence of intangible assets on the enterprise’s income. This determines the importance of research on the content of intangible assets. However, intangible assets studies do not take into consideration how the enterprise state can affect the content and the importance of intangible assets for the enterprise`s income. This affects accurateness of the calculations. In order to study this problem, the research was divided into several stages. In the first stage, intangible assets were classified based on their synergies as the underlying intangibles and the additional intangibles. In the second stage, this classification was applied. It showed that the lifecycle model and the theory of abrupt development of the enterprise, that are taken into account while designing investment projects, constitute limit cases of a more general theory of bifurcations. The research identified that the qualitative content of intangible assets significant depends on how close the enterprise is to being in crisis. In the third stage, the author developed and applied the Wide Pairwise Comparison Matrix method. This allowed to establish that using the ratio of the standard deviation to the mean value of the elements of the vector of priority of intangible assets makes it possible to estimate the probability of a full-blown crisis of the enterprise. The author has identified a criterion, which allows making fundamental decisions on investment feasibility. The study also developed an additional rapid method of assessing the enterprise overall status based on using the questionnaire survey with its Director. The questionnaire consists only of two questions. The research specifically focused on the fundamental role of stochastic resonance in the emergence of bifurcation (crisis) in the economic development of the enterprise. The synergetic approach made it possible to describe the mechanism of the crisis start in details and also to identify a range of universal ways of overcoming the crisis. It was outlined that the structure of intangible assets transforms into a more organized state with the strengthened synchronization of all processes as a result of the impact of the sporadic (white) noise. Obtained results offer managers and business owners a simple and an affordable method of investment portfolio optimization, which takes into account how close the enterprise is to a state of a full-blown crisis.

Keywords: analytic hierarchy process, bifurcation, investment portfolio, intangible assets, wide matrix

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Authors: C. S. Sona, Makrand A. Khanwale, Channamallikarjun S. Mathpati

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New generation nuclear power plants are currently being developed to be highly economical, to be passive safe, to produce hydrogen. An important feature of these reactors will be the use of coolants at temperature higher than that being used in current nuclear reactors. The molten fluoride salt with a eutectic composition of 46.5% LiF - 11.5% NaF - 42% KF (mol %) commonly known as FLiNaK is a leading candidate for heat transfer coolant for these nuclear reactors. CFD simulations were carried out using large eddy simulations to investigate the flow characteristics of molten FLiNaK at 850°C at a Reynolds number of 10,500 in a cylindrical pipe. Simulation results have been validated with the help of mean velocity profile using direct numerical simulation data. Transient velocity information was used to identify and characterise turbulent structures which are important for transfer of heat across solid-fluid interface. A wavelet transform based methodology called wavelet transform modulus maxima was used to identify and characterise the singularities. This analysis was also used for flow visualisation, and also to calculate the heat transfer coefficient using small eddy model. The predicted Nusselt number showed good agreement with the available experimental data.

Keywords: FLiNaK, heat transfer, molten salt, turbulent structures

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Authors: Long Chen

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With the proliferation of E-Learning, collaborative learning becomes more and more popular in various teaching and learning occasions. Studies over the years have proved that actively participating in classroom discussion can enhance student's learning experience, consolidating their knowledge and understanding of the class content. Collaborative learning can also allow students to share their resources and knowledge by exchanging, absorbing, and observing one another's opinions and ideas. Community Question Answering (CQA) services are particularly suitable paradigms for collaborative learning, since it is essentially an online collaborative learning platform where one can get information from multiple sources for he/her to choose from. However, current CQA services have only achieved limited success in collaborative learning due to the uncertainty of answers' quality. In this paper, we predict the quality of answers in a CQA service, i.e. Yahoo! Answers, for the use of online education and distance learning, which would enable a student to find relevant answers and potential answerers more effectively and efficiently, and thus greatly increase students' user experience in CQA services. Our experiment reveals that the quality of answers is influenced by a series of factors such as asking time, relations between users, and his/her experience in the past. We also show that by modelling user's profile with our proposed personalized features, student's satisfaction towards the provided answers could be accurately estimated.

Keywords: Community Question Answering, Collaborative Learning, Log File, Co-Training

Procedia PDF Downloads 441

Authors: Alexander V. Spirov, David M. Holloway, Ekaterina M. Myasnikova

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Segmentation of the early Drosophila embryo results from the dynamic establishment of spatial gene expression patterns. Patterning occurs on an embryo geometry which is a 'deformed' prolate ellipsoid, with anteroposterior and dorsal-ventral major and minor axes, respectively. Patterning is largely independent along each axis, but some interaction can be seen in the 'bending' of the segmental expression stripes. This interaction is not well understood. In this report, we investigate how 3D geometrical features of the early embryo affect the segmental expression patterning. Specifically, we study the effect of geometry on formation of the Bicoid primary morphogenetic gradient. Our computational results demonstrate that embryos with a much longer ventral than dorsal surface ('bellied') can produce curved Bicoid concentration contours which could activate curved stripes in the downstream pair-rule segmentation genes. In addition, we show that having an extended source for Bicoid in the anterior of the embryo may be necessary for producing the observed exponential form of the Bicoid gradient along the anteroposterior axis.

Keywords: Drosophila embryo, bicoid morphogenetic gradient, exponential expression profile, expression surface form, segmentation genes, 3D modelling

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Authors: Amir B. Khoshnevis, Morteza Mirhosseini

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The paper deals with a sub-part of an extensive research program on the wake survey method in various Reynolds numbers and angles of attack. This research experimentally investigates the wake flow characteristics behind S823 and S822 airfoils in which designed for small wind turbines. Velocity measurements determined by using hot-wire anemometer. Data acquired in the wake of the airfoil at locations(c is the chord length): 0.01c - 3c. Reynolds number increased due to increase of free stream velocity. Results showed that mean velocity profiles depend on the angle of attack and location of data collections. Data acquired at the low Reynolds numbers (smaller than 10^5). Effects of Reynolds numbers on the mean velocity profiles are more significant in near locations the trailing edge and these effects decrease by taking distance from trailing edge toward downstream. Mean velocity profiles region increased by increasing the angle of attack, except for 7°, and also the maximum velocity deficit (velocity defect) increased. The difference of mean velocity in and out of the wake decreased by taking distance from trailing edge, and mean velocity profile become wider and more uniform.

Keywords: angle of attack, Reynolds number, velocity deficit, separation

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Authors: Andreia Garrido, Artur Conde, Ana Cunha, Ric De Vos

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Climate changes predictions point to increases in abiotic stress for crop plants in Portugal, like pronounced temperature variation and decreased precipitation, which will have negative impact on grapevine physiology and consequently, on grape berry and wine quality. Short-term mitigation strategies have, therefore, been implemented to alleviate the impacts caused by adverse climatic periods. These strategies include foliar application of kaolin, an inert mineral, which has radiation reflection proprieties that decreases stress from excessive heat/radiation absorbed by its leaves, as well as smart irrigation strategies to avoid water stress. However, little is known about the influence of these mitigation measures on grape berries, neither on the photosynthetic activity nor on the photosynthesis-related metabolic profiles of its various tissues. Moreover, the role of fruit photosynthesis on berry quality is poorly understood. The main objective of our work was to assess the effects of kaolin and irrigation treatments on the photosynthetic activity of grape berry tissues (exocarp and seeds) and on their global metabolic profile, also investigating their possible relationship. We therefore collected berries of field-grown plants of the white grape variety Alvarinho from two distinct microclimates, i.e. from clusters exposed to high light (HL, 150 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹) and low light (LL, 50 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹), from both kaolin and non-kaolin (control) treated plants at three fruit developmental stages (green, véraison and mature). Plant irrigation was applied after harvesting the green berries, which also enabled comparison of véraison and mature berries from irrigated and non-irrigated growth conditions. Photosynthesis was assessed by pulse amplitude modulated chlorophyll fluorescence imaging analysis, and the metabolite profile of both tissues was assessed by complementary metabolomics approaches. Foliar kaolin application resulted in, for instance, an increased photosynthetic activity of the exocarp of LL-grown berries at green developmental stage, as compared to the control non-kaolin treatment, with a concomitant increase in the levels of several lipid-soluble isoprenoids (chlorophylls, carotenoids, and tocopherols). The exocarp of mature berries grown at HL microclimate on kaolin-sprayed non-irrigated plants had higher total sugar levels content than all other treatments, suggesting that foliar application of this mineral results in an increased accumulation of photoassimilates in mature berries. Unbiased liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based profiling of semi-polar compounds followed by ASCA (ANOVA simultaneous component analysis) and ANOVA statistical analysis indicated that kaolin had no or inconsistent effect on the flavonoid and phenylpropanoid composition in both seed and exocarp at any developmental stage; in contrast, both microclimate and irrigation influenced the level of several of these compounds depending on berry ripening stage. Overall, our study provides more insight into the effects of mitigation strategies on berry tissue photosynthesis and phytochemistry, under contrasting conditions of cluster light microclimate. We hope that this may contribute to develop sustainable management in vineyards and to maintain grape berries and wines with high quality even at increasing abiotic stress challenges.

Keywords: climate change, grape berry tissues, metabolomics, mitigation strategies

Procedia PDF Downloads 123

Authors: Vahid Nademi

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In response to widely used wearable medical devices equipped with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump, the advanced control methods are still demanding to get the full benefit of these devices. Unlike costly clinical trials, implementing effective insulin-glucose control strategies can provide significant contributions to the patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes. This study deals with a key role of two-layer insulin-glucose regulator based on model-predictive-control (MPC) scheme so that the patient’s predicted glucose profile is in compliance with the insulin level injected through insulin pump automatically. It is achieved by iterative optimization algorithm which is called an integrated perturbation analysis and sequential quadratic programming (IPA-SQP) solver for handling uncertainties due to unexpected variations in glucose-insulin values and body’s characteristics. The feasibility evaluation of the discussed control approach is also studied by means of numerical simulations of two case scenarios via measured data. The obtained results are presented to verify the superior and reliable performance of the proposed control scheme with no negative impact on patient safety.

Keywords: blood glucose monitoring, insulin pump, predictive control, optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 136

Authors: Andrea Paltrinieri, Alberto Dreassi, Stefano Miani, Alex Sclip

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The financial crises caused a collapse in prices of most asset classes, raising the attention on alternative investments such as Sukuk, a smaller, fast growing but often misunderstood market. We study diversification benefits of Sukuk, their correlation with other asset classes and the effects of their inclusion in investment portfolios of institutional and retail investors, through a comprehensive comparison of their risk/return profiles during and after the financial crisis. We find a beneficial performance adjusted for the specific volatility together with a lower correlation especially during the financial crisis. The distribution of Sukuk returns is positively skewed and leptokurtic, with a risk/return profile similarly to high yield bonds. Overall, our results suggest that Sukuk present diversification opportunities, a significant volatility-adjusted performance and lower correlations especially during the financial crisis. Our findings are relevant for a number of institutional investors. Long term investors, such as life insurers would benefit from Sukuk’s protective features during financial crisis yet keeping return and growth opportunities, whereas banks would gain due to their role of placers, advisors, market makers or underwriters.

Keywords: sukuk, zero beta asset, asset allocation, sukuk market

Procedia PDF Downloads 477

Authors: Andrzej Kesiak

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Contemporary theology is often accused of answering questions that nobody is asking, and of employing hermetic language that has lost its communication capacity. There is also a question that theology is asking itself: how theological discourse can still be influential on other disciplines and, how to overcome the separation of theology and belief. Undoubtedly, in the wider spectrum, the theological discourse has been and will be needed. The difficulty is how to find the right model of it, the model that would help theology to enter in dialogue with culture, art, science, and politics. Presumably, there is no only one such model, theology constantly needs to seek such models, and this is probably a never-ending journey; in other words, theology should adopt a profile of ‘a restless being’ if it wants to remain influential. Music, on the other hand, has always been very close to theology; in fact, a huge part of classical music is either sacred or religious. Many composers sought inspiration in religion, liturgy, religious painting and sacred texts. This paper will argue that despite all that it seems that a proper and factual dialogue is still in a starting phase. Such a thing as a reciprocal relationship between theology and music definitely exists, but it has not yet been theoretically developed enough. Correlation between musical and theological disciplines constitutes a very broad and complex discourse. Therefore this study would rather narrow the subject and put it in a specific context: Theology and Music in the XXI. Century. This paper is a text-based study; therefore it will be based on textual-analysis with elements of the text hermeneutics.

Keywords: music, theology, reciprocal relationship between theology and music, XXI Century

Procedia PDF Downloads 158

Authors: Riccardo Zanni, Maria Galvez-Llompart, Ramon Garcia-Domenech, Jorge Galvez

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Biopesticides, such as naturally occurring chemicals, pheromones, fungi, bacteria and insect predators are often a winning choice in crop protection because of their environmental friendly profile. They are considered to have lower toxicity than traditional pesticides. After almost a century of pesticides use, resistances to traditional insecticides are wide spread, while those to bioinsecticides have raised less attention, and resistance management is frequently neglected. This seems to be a crucial mistake since resistances have already occurred for many marketed biopesticides. With an eye to the future, we present here a selection of new natural occurring chemicals as potential bioinsecticides. The molecules were selected using a consolidated mathematical paradigm called molecular topology. Several QSAR equations were depicted and subsequently applied for the virtual screening of hundred thousands molecules of natural origin, which resulted in the selection of new potential bioinsecticides. The most innovative aspect of this work does not only reside in the importance of the identification of new molecules overcoming biopesticides’ resistances, but on the possibility to promote shared knowledge in the field of green chemistry through this unique in silico discipline named molecular topology.

Keywords: green chemistry, QSAR, molecular topology, biopesticide

Procedia PDF Downloads 314

Authors: Ali H. Mahfouz, Hossam E. M. Sallam, Abdulwali Wazir, Hamod H. Kharezi

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The soil profile at site of the bridge project includes soft fine grained soil layer located between 5.0 m to 11.0 m in depth, it has high water content, low SPT no., and low bearing capacity. The clay layer induces high settlement due to surcharge application of earth embankment at ramp T1, ramp T2, and ramp T3 especially at heights from 9m right 3m. Calculated settlement for embankment heights less than 3m may be accepted regarding Saudi Code for soil and foundation. The soil and groundwater at the project site comprise high contents of sulfates and chlorides of high aggressively on concrete and steel bars, respectively. Regarding results of the study, it has been recommended to use stone column piles or new technology named PCC piles as soil improvement to improve the bearing capacity of the weak layer. The new technology is cast in-situ thin wall concrete pipe piles (PCC piles), it has economically advantageous and high workability. The technology can save time of implementation and cost of application is almost 30% of other types of piles.

Keywords: soft foundation soil, bearing capacity, bridge ramps, soil improvement, geogrid, PCC piles

Procedia PDF Downloads 399

Authors: S. Kampeephat, P. Krachodnok, R. Wongsan

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The conventional rectangular horn has been used for microwave antenna a long time. Its gain can be increased by enlarging the construction of horn to flare exponentially. This paper presents a study of the shaped woodpile Electromagnetic Band Gap (EBG) to improve its gain for conventional horn without construction enlargement. The gain enhancement synthesis method for shaped woodpile EBG that has to transfer the electromagnetic fields from aperture of a horn antenna through woodpile EBG is presented by using the variety of shaped woodpile EBGs such as planar, triangular, quadratic, circular, gaussian, cosine, and squared cosine structures. The proposed technique has the advantages of low profile, low cost for fabrication and light weight. The antenna characteristics such as reflection coefficient (S11), radiation patterns and gain are simulated by utilized A Computer Simulation Technology (CST) software. With the proposed concept, an antenna prototype was fabricated and experimented. The S11 and radiation patterns obtained from measurements show a good impedance matching and a gain enhancement of the proposed antenna. The gain at dominant frequency of 10 GHz is 25.6 dB, application for X- and Ku-Band Radar, that higher than the gain of the basic rectangular horn antenna around 8 dB with adding only one appropriated EBG structures.

Keywords: conventional rectangular horn antenna, electromagnetic band gap, gain enhancement, X- and Ku-band radar

Procedia PDF Downloads 278

Authors: Pawel Twardowski, Tadeusz Chwalczuk, Szymon Wojciechowski

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Inconel 718 is a material characterized by the unique mechanical properties, high temperature strength, high thermal conductivity and the corrosion resistance. However, these features affect the low machinability of this material, which is usually manifested by the intense tool wear and low surface finish. Therefore, this paper is focused on the evaluation of surface roughness during hybrid machining of Inconel 718. The primary aim of the study was to determine the relations between the vibrations generated during hybrid turning and the formed surface roughness. Moreover, the comparison of tested machining techniques in terms of vibrations, tool wear and surface roughness has been made. The conducted tests included the face turning of Inconel 718 with laser assistance in the range of variable cutting speeds. The surface roughness was inspected with the application of stylus profile meter and accelerations of vibrations were measured with the use of three-component piezoelectric accelerometer. The carried out research shows that application of laser assisted machining can contribute to the reduction of surface roughness and cutting vibrations, in comparison to conventional turning. Moreover, the obtained results enable the selection of effective cutting speed allowing the improvement of surface finish and cutting dynamics.

Keywords: hybrid machining, nickel alloys, surface roughness, turning, vibrations

Procedia PDF Downloads 324

Authors: S. Mamoucha, N.Tsafantakis, T. Ioannidis, S. Chatzipanagiotou, C. Nikolaou, L. Skaltsounis, N. Fokialakis, N. Christodoulakis

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Introduction: Pistacia lentiscus L. (well known as Mastic tree) is an evergreen sclerophyllous shrub that extensively thrives in the eastern Mediterranean area yet only the trees cultivated in the southern region of the Greek island Chios produces mastic resin. Different parts of P. lentiscus L. var. chia have been used in folk medicine for various purposes, such as tonic, aphrodisiac, antiseptic, antihypertensive and management of dental, gastrointestinal, liver, urinary, and respiratory tract disorders. Several studies have focused on the antibacterial activity of its resin (gum) and its essential oil. However, there is no study combining anatomy of the plant organs, phytochemical profile, and antibacterial screening of the plant. In our attempt to discover novel bioactive metabolites from the mastic tree, we screened its antibacterial activity not only against ATCC strains but also against clinical, resistant strains. Materials-methods: Leaves were investigated using Transmission (ΤΕΜ) and Scanning Εlectron Microscopy (SEM). Histochemical tests were performed on fresh and fixed tissue. Extracts prepared from dried, powdered leaves using 3 different solvents (DCM, MeOH and H2O) the waste water obtained after a hydrodistillation process for essential oil production were screened for their phytochemical content and antibacterial activity. Μetabolite profiling of polar and non-polar extracts was recorded by GC-MS and LC-HRMS techniques and analyzed using in-house and commercial libraries. The antibacterial screening was performed against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC25923, Escherichia coli ATCC25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC27853 and against clinical, resistant strains Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), Carbapenem-Resistant Metallo-β-Lactamase (carbapenemase) P. aeruginosa (VIM), Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemases (KPCs) and Acinetobacter baumanii resistant strains. The antibacterial activity was tested by the Kirby Bauer and the Agar Well Diffusion method. The zone of inhibition (ZI) of each extract was measured and compared with those of common antibiotics. Results: Leaf is compact with inosclereids and numerous idioblasts containing a globular, spiny crystal. The major nerves of the leaf contain a resin duct. Mesophyll cells showed accumulation of osmiophillic metabolites. Histochemical treatments defined secondary metabolites in subcellular localization. The phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of a large number of secondary metabolites, belonging to different chemical groups, such as terpenoids, phenolic compounds (mainly myricetin, kaempferol and quercetin glycosides), phenolic, and fatty acids. Among the extracts, the hydrostillation wastewater achieved the best results against most of the bacteria tested. MRSA, VIM and A. baumanii were inhibited. Conclusion: Extracts from plants have recently been of great interest with respect to their antimicrobial activity. Their use emerged from a growing tendency to replace synthetic antimicrobial agents with natural ones. Leaves of P. lentiscus L. var. chia showed a high antimicrobial activity even against drug - resistant bacteria. Future prospects concern the better understanding of mode of action of the antibacterial activity, the isolation of the most bioactive constituents and the clarification if the activity is related to a single compound or to the synergistic effect of several ones.

Keywords: antibacterial screening, leaf anatomy, phytochemical profile, Pistacia lentiscus var. chia

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Authors: Paul Kenneth D. Luzon, Maria Antonia N. Tanchuling

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The Quezon City Controlled Dumping facility also known as Payatas produces leachate which can contaminate soil and water environment in the area. The goal of this study is to quantify the leachate produced by the QCCDF using the Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance (HELP) model. Results could be used as input for groundwater contaminant transport studies. The HELP model is based on a simple water budget and is an essential “model requirement” used by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Annual waste profile of the QCCDF was calculated. Based on topographical maps and estimation of settlement due to overburden pressure and degradation, a total of 10M m^3 of waste is contained in the landfill. The input necessary for the HELP model are weather data, soil properties, and landfill design. Results showed that from 1988 to 2011, an average of 50% of the total precipitation percolates through the bottom layer. Validation of the results is still needed due to the assumptions made in the study. The decrease in porosity of the top soil cover showed the best mitigation for minimizing percolation rate. This study concludes that there is a need for better leachate management system in the QCCDF.

Keywords: help model, landfill, payatas trash slide, quezon city controlled dumping facility

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Authors: M. S. Gadala, Khaled Ahmed, Elasadig Mahdi

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In this paper, we introduced a gradient-based inverse solver to obtain the missing boundary conditions based on the readings of internal thermocouples. The results show that the method is very sensitive to measurement errors, and becomes unstable when small time steps are used. The artificial neural networks are shown to be capable of capturing the whole thermal history on the run-out table, but are not very effective in restoring the detailed behavior of the boundary conditions. Also, they behave poorly in nonlinear cases and where the boundary condition profile is different. GA and PSO are more effective in finding a detailed representation of the time-varying boundary conditions, as well as in nonlinear cases. However, their convergence takes longer. A variation of the basic PSO, called CRPSO, showed the best performance among the three versions. Also, PSO proved to be effective in handling noisy data, especially when its performance parameters were tuned. An increase in the self-confidence parameter was also found to be effective, as it increased the global search capabilities of the algorithm. RPSO was the most effective variation in dealing with noise, closely followed by CRPSO. The latter variation is recommended for inverse heat conduction problems, as it combines the efficiency and effectiveness required by these problems.

Keywords: inverse analysis, function specification, neural net works, particle swarm, run-out table

Procedia PDF Downloads 240

Authors: Lasha Kamashidze

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COVID19 has already become one of the biggest challenges in the modern world. The virus has also had a significant impact on the world economy, which has faced a major crisis. Each crisis and challenge creates new opportunities. Changes in the world have allowed us to see business in a new light. The aim of the article is to explore new opportunities in the business that have arisen as a result of the Corona virus. Now, organizations with a service profile are working to meet the rapidly changing needs of their staff and customers. Due to the situation created by the pandemic, it became necessary to make some changes in people's daily lives. It became necessary to adapt to the new reality. The changes caused by Coronavirus require in-depth research and analysis in the world economy, as the current situation is not ruled out to be repeated in the future. Many companies have resorted to remote work methods, which require organizational changes. The form of remote work is not new to the Georgian reality. In Georgia, as well as in the rest of the world, the business sector has undergone changes. It will be beneficial for many Georgian companies to make organizational changes that will allow them to work remotely. The current situation has shown the managers of both Georgian and other companies to have "weak points" in organizing modern business. A survey was conducted (online survey), as a result of which it received important information about the problems of remote work in Georgia.

Keywords: organizational change, coronomics, remote work, management

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Authors: Nieves M. C. Talavera-Prieto, Abel G. M. Ferreira, António T. G. Portugal, Rui J. Moreira, Jaime B. Santos

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The knowledge of biodiesel density over large ranges of temperature and pressure is important for predicting the behavior of fuel injection and combustion systems in diesel engines, and for the optimization of such systems. In this study, cottonseed oil was transesterified into biodiesel and its density was measured at temperatures between 288 K and 358 K and pressures between 0.1 MPa and 30 MPa, with expanded uncertainty estimated as ±1.6 kg.m^-3. Experimental pressure-volume-temperature (pVT) cottonseed data was used along with literature data relative to other 18 biodiesels, in order to build a database used to test the correlation of density with temperarure and pressure using the Goharshadi–Morsali–Abbaspour equation of state (GMA EoS). To our knowledge, this is the first that density measurements are presented for cottonseed biodiesel under such high pressures, and the GMA EoS used to model biodiesel density. The new tested EoS allowed correlations within 0.2 kg•m-3 corresponding to average relative deviations within 0.02%. The built database was used to develop and test a new full predictive model derived from the observed linear relation between density and degree of unsaturation (DU), which depended from biodiesel FAMEs profile. The average density deviation of this method was only about 3 kg.m-3 within the temperature and pressure limits of application. These results represent appreciable improvements in the context of density prediction at high pressure when compared with other equations of state.

Keywords: biodiesel density, correlation, equation of state, prediction

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Authors: Atitallah Sofien, Bouyahia Olfa, Hadj Salah Ibrahim, Ben Saleh Foued, Missaoui Nada, Ben Rabeh Rania, Yahyaoui Salem, Mazigh Sonia, Boukthir Samir

Abstract:

Introduction: Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a common pathology responsible for high morbidity and mortality worldwide. Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the epidemiological profile of CO poisoning as well as its clinical, paraclinical, therapeutic, and evolutionary aspects. Methods: Our study included observations of CO poisoning in children hospitalized in the pediatric department C of the Children's Hospital in Tunis over a period of 3 years. Results: We have collected 199 cases of CO poisoning in children. The average age was 5.43 years, with a sex ratio of 0.98. The source of CO was inside the home in 73.2% of cases, and it was the gas bath heater in 68.8% of cases. The intoxication was collective in 93.5% of the cases, and it occurred during the month of January in 35.8% of the cases. The clinical manifestations were headaches in 69.5% of cases. The rate of carboxyhemoglobin was pathological in 73.9% of cases. All patients received normobaric oxygen therapy, and only 3.6% of patients had a hyperbaric oxygen therapy session. We did not deplore any case of death in our study. Conclusion: CO poisoning remains a public health problem in Tunisia with high morbidity. The risk of secondary complications, particularly neuropsychiatric, requires clinical and possibly neuroradiological monitoring of these victims.

Keywords: poisoning, carbon monoxide, children, hyperbaric oxygenation

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Authors: E. Karacabey, Ş. G. Özçelik, M. S. Turan, C. Baltacıoğlu, E. Küçüköner

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Changes in textural properties of zucchini slices under effects of frying conditions were investigated. Frying time and temperature were interested process variables like slice thickness. Slice thickness was studied at three levels (2, 3, and 4 mm). Frying process was performed at two temperature levels (160 and 180 °C) and each for five different process time periods (1, 2, 3, 5, 8 and 10 min). As frying oil sunflower oil was used. Before frying zucchini slices were thermally processes in boiling water for 90 seconds to inactivate at least 80% of plant’s enzymes. After thermal process, zucchini slices were fried in an industrial fryer at specified temperature and time pairs. Fried slices were subjected to textural profile analysis (TPA) to determine textural properties. In this extent hardness, elasticity, cohesion, chewiness, firmness values of slices were figured out. Statistical analysis indicated significant variations in the studied textural properties with process conditions (p < 0.05). Hardness and firmness were determined for fresh and thermally processes zucchini slices to compare each others. Differences in hardness and firmness of fresh, thermally processed and fried slices were found to be significant (p < 0.05). This project (113R015) has been supported by TUBITAK.

Keywords: sunflower oil, hardness, firmness, slice thickness, frying temperature, frying time

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Authors: Ivan Tolj

Abstract:

Water produced during electrochemical reaction in Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell can be used for internal humidification of reactant gases; hydrogen and air. On such a way it is possible to eliminate expensive external humidifiers and simplify fuel cell balance-of-plant (BoP). When fuel cell operates at constant temperature (usually between 60 °C and 80 °C) relatively cold and dry ambient air heats up quickly upon entering channels which cause further drop in relative humidity (below 20%). Low relative humidity of reactant gases dries up polymer membrane and decrease its proton conductivity which results in fuel cell performance drop. It is possible to maintain such temperature profile throughout fuel cell cathode channel which will result in close to 100 % RH. In order to achieve this, passive heat exchanger was designed using commercial CFD software (ANSYS Fluent). Such passive heat exchanger (with variable surface area) is suitable for small scale PEM fuel cells. In this study, passive heat exchanger for single PEM fuel cell segment (with 20 x 1 cm active area) was developed. Results show close to 100 % RH of air throughout cathode channel with increased fuel cell performance (mainly improved polarization curve) and improved durability.

Keywords: PEM fuel cell, passive heat exchange, relative humidity, thermal management

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Authors: Artiya Sopharak, Tosaphol Ratniyomchai, Thanatchai Kulworawanichpong

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This paper presents an energy-saving study of Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) using an optimal train coasting operation. For the dynamic train movement with four modes of operation, including accelerating mode, constant speed or cruising mode, coasting mode, and braking mode are considered in this study. The acceleration rate, the deceleration rate, and the starting coasting point are taken into account the optimal train speed profile during coasting mode with considering the energy saving and acceptable travel time comparison to the based case with no coasting operation. In this study, the mathematical method as a Quadratic Search Method (QDS) is conducted to carry out the optimization problem. A single train of MRT services between two stations with a distance of 2 km and a maximum speed of 80 km/h is taken to be the case study. Regarding the coasting mode operation, the results show that the longer distance of costing mode, the less energy consumption in cruising mode and the less braking energy. On the other hand, the shorter distance of coasting mode, the more energy consumption in cruising mode and the more braking energy.

Keywords: energy saving, coasting mode, mass rapid transit, quadratic search method

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Authors: Philippa C. Ojimelukwe, Felix C. Okpalanma, Emmanuel A. Mazi

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The carotenoid content, vitamins (ascorbic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, niacin and vitamin K) and mineral contents (K, Ca, Mg, Zn and Fe) of raw, cooked (moist heat treatment) and stored Gnetum africanum and Pterocarpus mildbraedii leaves were investigated in the present research. Raw G. africanum contained higher total carotenoids (246.93µg/g edible portion) than P. mildbraedii (83.53µg/g edible portion) However, moist heat treatment significantly improved the total carotenoid content of P. mildbraedii. The carotenoid profiles of P. mildbraedii and G. africanum showed improved contents of beta cryptoxanthin , 9-cis, 11-cis and 13 cis beta carotenes due to moist heat treatment. Lutein contents of the two green leafy vegetables were quite high in raw, heat treated and stored samples. The two green leafy vegetables were good sources of vitamin K (118-120 µg). Moist heat treatment significantly (p < 0.05) increased the mineral contents of P.mildbraedii and G. africanum. The vitamin contents were reduced. Storage at ambient temperature (30oC) in the dark led to good retention of the minerals but not the vitamins.

Keywords: Gnetum africanum, Pterocarpus mildbraedii, carotenoid profile, vitamins, minerals

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Authors: S. Mohamadi, T. Boudina, A. Rouabeh, A. Seridi

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Equivalent linear and non-linear ground response analyses are conducted at many representative sites at the mosque of Algeria, to compare the free field acceleration spectra with local code of practice. Spectral Analysis of Surface Waves (SASW) technique was adopted to measure the in-situ shear wave velocity profile at the representative sites. The seismic movement imposed on the rock is the NS component of Keddara station recorded during the earthquake in Boumerdes 21 May 2003. The site-specific elastic design spectra for each site are determined to further obtain site specific non-linear acceleration spectra. As a case study, the results of site-specific evaluations are presented for two building sites (site of minaret and site of the prayer hall) to demonstrate the influence of local geological conditions on ground response at Algerian sites. A comparison of computed response with the standard code of practice being used currently in Algeria for the seismic zone of Algiers indicated that the design spectra is not able to capture site amplification due to local geological conditions.

Keywords: equivalent linear, non-linear, ground response analysis, design response spectrum

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Authors: Muhammad Zubair Akbar Qureshi, Abdul Bari Farooq

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The intention of the current study to analyze the significance of nano-layer in incompressible magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) flow of a Newtonian nano-fluid consisting of carbon nano-materials has been considered through an absorbent channel with moving porous walls. Using applicable similarity transforms, the governing equations are converted into a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations which are solved by using the 4th-order Runge-Kutta technique together with shooting methodology. The phenomena of nano-layer have also been modeled mathematically. The inspiration behind this segment is to reveal the behavior of involved parameters on velocity and temperature profiles. A detailed table is presented in which the effects of involved parameters on shear stress and heat transfer rate are discussed. Specially presented the impact of the thickness of the nano-layer and radius of the particle on the temperature profile. We observed that due to an increase in the thickness of the nano-layer, the heat transfer rate increases rapidly. The consequences of this research may be advantageous to the applications of biotechnology and industrial motive.

Keywords: carbon nano-tubes, magneto-hydrodynamics, nano-layer, thermal conductivity

Procedia PDF Downloads 128

Authors: Amine Benmoussa, Mohamed Bouanini, Mebrouk Rebhi

Abstract:

Stirring is one of the unifying processes which form part of the mechanical unit operations in process technology such chemical, biotechnological, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, cosmetic, and food processing. Therefore determining the level of mixing and overall behavior and performance of the mixing tanks are crucial from the product quality and process economics point of views. The most fundamental needs for the analysis of these processes from both a theoretical and industrial perspective are the knowledge of the hydrodynamic behavior and the flow structure in such tanks. Depending on the purpose of the operation carried out in mixer, the best choice for geometry of the tank and agitator type can vary widely. Initially, a local and global study namely the velocity and power number on a typical agitation system agitated by a mobile-type two-blade straight (d/D=0.5) allowed us to test the reliability of the CFD, the result were compared with those of experimental literature, a very good concordance was observed. The stream function, the velocity profile, the velocity fields and power number are analyzed. It was shown that the hydrodynamics is modified by the curvature of the mobile which plays a key role.

Keywords: agitated vessels, curved blade agitator, laminar flow, finite volume method

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Authors: Patricia Abigail B. Miranda, Imelda A. Luna

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Introduction: COVID-19 infection is a novel viral illness that began as a local epidemic in December 2019 in Wuhan, China which quickly emerged into a pandemic by February 2020. The virus causes a spectrum of signs and symptoms, ranging from mild upper respiratory symptoms to acute respiratory distress syndrome, which may lead to death. Among children and neonates, those afflicted with the disease may present asymptomatically or with mild symptoms. To date, there has been limited local data that describes the outcomes of the growing number of COVID-19 cases, specifically in neonates. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the outcomes of neonates born to COVID-19 Positive Mothers from March 2020 until June 2022. The prevalence of COVID-19 among these neonates was also determined. Results: COVID-positive prevalence after 24 hours of life is at 8%, while prevalence after 48 hours among those who still underwent testing was at 13.51%. Moreover, among those COVID-19-negative neonates who had symptoms, they mostly presented with tachypnea (5.7%). The prevalence of complications among COVID-19-negative neonates delivered to COVID-19-positive mothers is 22.7%. Conclusion: Neonates born to COVID-19-positive mothers who yielded positive COVID-19 results are generally asymptomatic. Moreover, there are no associated mortalities among those who yielded positive results.

Keywords: COVID-19, neonates, outcomes, clinical profile

Procedia PDF Downloads 82