Search results for: high throughput screening
5171 Neural Network-based Risk Detection for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia in Sinhala Language Speaking Children
Authors: Budhvin T. Withana, Sulochana Rupasinghe
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The problem of Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, two learning disabilities that affect reading and writing abilities, respectively, is a major concern for the educational system. Due to the complexity and uniqueness of the Sinhala language, these conditions are especially difficult for children who speak it. The traditional risk detection methods for Dyslexia and Dysgraphia frequently rely on subjective assessments, making it difficult to cover a wide range of risk detection and time-consuming. As a result, diagnoses may be delayed and opportunities for early intervention may be lost. The project was approached by developing a hybrid model that utilized various deep learning techniques for detecting risk of Dyslexia and Dysgraphia. Specifically, Resnet50, VGG16 and YOLOv8 were integrated to detect the handwriting issues, and their outputs were fed into an MLP model along with several other input data. The hyperparameters of the MLP model were fine-tuned using Grid Search CV, which allowed for the optimal values to be identified for the model. This approach proved to be effective in accurately predicting the risk of Dyslexia and Dysgraphia, providing a valuable tool for early detection and intervention of these conditions. The Resnet50 model achieved an accuracy of 0.9804 on the training data and 0.9653 on the validation data. The VGG16 model achieved an accuracy of 0.9991 on the training data and 0.9891 on the validation data. The MLP model achieved an impressive training accuracy of 0.99918 and a testing accuracy of 0.99223, with a loss of 0.01371. These results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid model achieved a high level of accuracy in predicting the risk of Dyslexia and Dysgraphia.Keywords: neural networks, risk detection system, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, deep learning, learning disabilities, data science
Procedia PDF Downloads 1155170 The Suitability of Agile Practices in Healthcare Industry with Regard to Healthcare Regulations
Authors: Mahmood Alsaadi, Alexei Lisitsa
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Nowadays, medical devices rely completely on software whether as whole software or as embedded software, therefore, the organization that develops medical device software can benefit from adopting agile practices. Using agile practices in healthcare software development industries would bring benefits such as producing a product of a high-quality with low cost and in short period. However, medical device software development companies faced challenges in adopting agile practices. These due to the gaps that exist between agile practices and the requirements of healthcare regulations such as documentation, traceability, and formality. This research paper will conduct a study to investigate the adoption rate of agile practice in medical device software development, and they will extract and outline the requirements of healthcare regulations such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and Medical Device Directive (MDD) that affect directly or indirectly on software development life cycle. Moreover, this research paper will evaluate the suitability of using agile practices in healthcare industries by analyzing the most popular agile practices such as eXtream Programming (XP), Scrum, and Feature-Driven Development (FDD) from healthcare industry point of view and in comparison with the requirements of healthcare regulations. Finally, the authors propose an agile mixture model that consists of different practices from different agile methods. As result, the adoption rate of agile practices in healthcare industries still low and agile practices should enhance with regard to requirements of the healthcare regulations in order to be used in healthcare software development organizations. Therefore, the proposed agile mixture model may assist in minimizing the gaps existing between healthcare regulations and agile practices and increase the adoption rate in the healthcare industry. As this research paper part of the ongoing project, an evaluation of agile mixture model will be conducted in the near future.Keywords: adoption of agile, agile gaps, agile mixture model, agile practices, healthcare regulations
Procedia PDF Downloads 2365169 Mathematical Modeling to Reach Stability Condition within Rosetta River Mouth, Egypt
Authors: Ali Masria , Abdelazim Negm, Moheb Iskander, Oliver C. Saavedra
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Estuaries play an important role in exchanging water and providing a navigational pathway for ships. These zones are very sensitive and vulnerable to any interventions in coastal dynamics. Almost major of these inlets experience coastal problems such as severe erosion, and accretion. Rosetta promontory, Egypt is an example of this environment. It suffers from many coastal problems as erosion problem along the coastline and siltation problem inside the inlet. It is due to lack of water and sediment resources as a side effect of constructing the Aswan High dam. The shoaling of the inlet leads to hindering the navigation process of fishing boats, negative impacts to estuarine and salt marsh habitat and decrease the efficiency of the cross section to transfer the flow during emergencies to the sea. This paper aims to reach a new condition of stability of Rosetta Promontory by using coastal measures to control the sediment entering, and causes shoaling inside the inlet. These coastal measures include modifying the inlet cross section by using centered jetties, eliminate the coastal dynamic in the entrance using boundary jetties. This target is achieved by using a hydrodynamic model Coastal Modeling System (CMS). Extensive field data collection (hydrographic surveys, wave data, tide data, and bed morphology) is used to build and calibrate the model. About 20 scenarios were tested to reach a suitable solution that mitigate the coastal problems at the inlet. The results show that 360 m jetty in the eastern bank with system of sand bypass from the leeside of the jetty can stabilize the estuary.Keywords: Rosetta promontory, erosion, sedimentation, inlet stability
Procedia PDF Downloads 5875168 Mental Disorders and Physical Illness in Geriatric Population
Authors: Vinay Kumar, M. Kishor, Sathyanarayana Rao Ts
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Background: Growth of elderly people in the general population in recent years is termed as ‘greying of the world’ where there is a shift from high mortality & fertility to low mortality and fertility, resulting in an increased proportion of older people as seen in India. Improved health care promises longevity but socio-economic factors like poverty, joint families and poor services pose a psychological threat. Epidemiological data regarding the prevalence of mental disorders in geriatric population with physical illness is required for proper health planning. Methods: Sixty consecutive elderly patients aged 60 years or above of both sexes, reporting with physical illness to general outpatient registration counter of JSS Medical College and Hospital, Mysore, India, were considered for the Study. With informed consent, they were screened with General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and were further evaluated for diagnosing mental disorders according to WHO International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria. Results: Mental disorders were detected in 48.3%, predominantly depressive disorders, nicotine dependence, generalized anxiety disorder, alcohol dependence and least was dementia. Most common physical illness was cardiovascular disease followed by metabolic, respiratory and other diseases. Depressive disorders, substance dependence and dementia were more associated with cardiovascular disease compared to metabolic disease and respiratory diseases were more associated with nicotine dependence. Conclusions: Depression and Substance use disorders among elderly population is of concern, which needs to be further studied with larger population. Psychiatric morbidity will adversely have an impact on physical illness which needs proper assessment and management. This will enhance our understanding and prioritize our planning for future.Keywords: Geriatric, mental disorders, physical illness, psychiatry
Procedia PDF Downloads 2865167 Modeling and Characterization of Organic LED
Authors: Bouanati Sidi Mohammed, N. E. Chabane Sari, Mostefa Kara Selma
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It is well-known that Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) are attracting great interest in the display technology industry due to their many advantages, such as low price of manufacturing, large-area of electroluminescent display, various colors of emission included white light. Recently, there has been much progress in understanding the device physics of OLEDs and their basic operating principles. In OLEDs, Light emitting is the result of the recombination of electron and hole in light emitting layer, which are injected from cathode and anode. For improve luminescence efficiency, it is needed that hole and electron pairs exist affluently and equally and recombine swiftly in the emitting layer. The aim of this paper is to modeling polymer LED and OLED made with small molecules for studying the electrical and optical characteristics. The first simulation structures used in this paper is a mono layer device; typically consisting of the poly (2-methoxy-5(2’-ethyl) hexoxy-phenylenevinylene) (MEH-PPV) polymer sandwiched between an anode usually an indium tin oxide (ITO) substrate, and a cathode, such as Al. In the second structure we replace MEH-PPV by tris (8-hydroxyquinolinato) aluminum (Alq3). We choose MEH-PPV because of it's solubility in common organic solvents, in conjunction with a low operating voltage for light emission and relatively high conversion efficiency and Alq3 because it is one of the most important host materials used in OLEDs. In this simulation, the Poole-Frenkel- like mobility model and the Langevin bimolecular recombination model have been used as the transport and recombination mechanism. These models are enabled in ATLAS -SILVACO software. The influence of doping and thickness on I(V) characteristics and luminescence, are reported.Keywords: organic light emitting diode, polymer lignt emitting diode, organic materials, hexoxy-phenylenevinylene
Procedia PDF Downloads 5545166 Documentation Project on Decorated Wooden Coffins From Luxor, in the Cairo Museum
Authors: Hassan Mohmed, Mohamed Ismail, Aiman Rezk
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Introduction: This project aims to document and preserve decorated wooden coffins which were discovered in Luxor by Egyptian mission at Luxor, (SR Numbers:2514,2519,2520,2521,5469).These decorated wooden coffins dates back to Egyptian New Kingdom period and has been transferred to the Cairo Museum, to be displayed at the museum. These decorated wooden coffins discovered in the cache-tomb of Bab el-gasus at Deir el-Bahari, Luxor. This site has been dictated for the burials of priests of Amun through 18th Dynasty the coffins owners held these titles, which are as follows: "the embalmer of the beautiful-house (the place of embalming)" and "the servant in the place of truth". Methodology: Methodology: The project objectives making such decorated wooden coffins more visible to visitors through the use of 3D reconstructed coffins and high resolution photos which describe the history of using the wooden coffins during the Ancient Egyptian history Especially, The Cairo Museum is going to exhibit decorated wooden coffins in New kingdom. The project goals is to document decorated wooden coffins and arrange an exhibition, where such decorated wooden coffins going to be displayed next to the Ramses 2nd coffin, This research focuses on the text analyses and the technology. Paleographic information found on these objects. Conclusion: The project shows the importance of using coffins in Ancient Egypt, and connecting their usage through Ancient Egyptian periods; the coffins had a unique Symbolized in ancient Egypt and connect the public with their kings. The Egyptian put coffins in their tombs that they hope to save their bodies’ afterlife. This research will be beneficial and useful for the heritage and ancient civilizations, Indeed this study will open a destination in order to know how to identify these collections and how to exhibit them commensurate with the natural of the ancient Egyptian history and heritage.Keywords: archaeology, decorated wooden coffins, 3D digital tools for heritage management, museums
Procedia PDF Downloads 775165 Synthesis of Fullerene Nanorods for Detection of Ethylparaben an Endocrine Disruptor in Cosmetics
Authors: Jahangir Ahmad Rather, Emad A. Khudaish, Ahsanulhaq Qurashi, Palanisamy Kannan
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Chemical modification and assembling of fullerenes are fundamentally important for the application of fullerenes as functional molecules and in molecular devices and organic electronic devices. We have synthesized fullerene nanorods C60NRs conjugate via liquid-liquid interface and the synthesized C60NRs was characterized by FTIR spectroscopy, field emission electron microscopy (FESEM) and X-ray diffraction techniques. The C60NRs were immobilized on glassy carbon electrode via surface bound diazonium salts as an impact strategy. This method involves electrografting of p–nitrophenyl to give GCE–Ph–NO2 and then the terminal nitro-group was chemically reduced to GCE–Ph–NH2 in a presence of sodium borohydride/gold–polyaniline nanocomposite (NaBH4/Au–PANI). The Au–PANI composite was synthesized and characterized by FTIR, UV-vis, SEM and EDX techniques. The C60NRs were immobilized on GCE–Ph–NH2 via amination reaction which involves N-H addition across a π-bond on [60] fullerene. The immobilized C60NRs/GCE was subjected to electrochemical reduction in 1.0 M KOH to yield ERC60NRs/GCE sensor. The developed sensor shows high electrocatalytic activity for the detection of ethylparaben (EP) over a concentration range from 0.01 to 0.52 µM with a detection limit (LOD) 3.8 nM. The amount of EP present in the nourishing repair cream (OlAY®) was determined by standard addition method at the developed ERC60NRs/GCE sensor. The total concentration of EP was found to be 0.011 µM (0.1%) and is within the permissible limit of 0.19 % EP in cosmetics according to the European scientific committee (SCCS) on consumer safety on 22 March 2011 (SCCS/1348/11).Keywords: diazonium salt reduction, ethylparaben (EP), endocrine disruptor, fullerene nanorods (C60NRs), gold–polyaniline nanocomposite (Au–PANI)
Procedia PDF Downloads 2335164 Evaluation of Fresh, Strength and Durability Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete Incorporating Bagasse Ash
Authors: Abdul Haseeb Wani, Shruti Sharma, Rafat Siddique
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Self-compacting concrete is an engineered concrete that flows and de-airs without additional energy input. Such concrete requires a high slump which can be achieved by the addition of superplasticizers to the concrete mix. In the present work, bagasse ash is utilised as a replacement of cement in self-compacting concrete. This serves the purpose of both land disposal and environmental concerns related to the disposal of bagasse ash. Further, an experimental program was carried out to study the fresh, strength, and durability properties of self-compacting concrete made with bagasse ash. The mixes were prepared with four percentages (0, 5, 10 and 15) of bagasse ash as partial replacement of cement. Properties investigated were; Slump-flow, V-funnel and L-box, Compressive strength, Splitting tensile strength, Chloride-ion penetration resistance and Water absorption. Compressive and splitting tensile strength tests were conducted at the age of 7 and 28 days. Rapid chloride-ion permeability test was carried at the age of 28 days and water absorption test was carried out at the age of 7 days after initial curing of 28 days. Test results showed that there is an increase in the compressive strength and splitting tensile strength of the concrete specimens having up to 10% replacement level, however, there is a slight decrease at 15% level of replacement. Resistance to chloride-ion penetration of the specimens increased as the percentage of replacement was increased. The charge passed in all the specimens containing bagasse ash was lower than that of the specimen without bagasse ash. Water absorption of the specimens decreased up to 10% replacement level and increased at 15% level of replacement. Hence, it can be concluded that optimum level of replacement of cement with bagasse ash in self-compacting concrete comes out to be 10%; at which the self-compacting concrete has satisfactory flow characteristics (as per the European guidelines), improved compressive and splitting tensile strength and better durability properties as compared to the control mix.Keywords: bagasse ash, compressive strength, self-compacting concrete, splitting tensile strength
Procedia PDF Downloads 3525163 Understanding Chromosome Movement in Starfish Oocytes
Authors: Bryony Davies
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Many cell and tissue culture practices ignore the effects of gravity on cell biology, and little is known about how cell components may move in response to gravitational forces. Starfish oocytes provide an excellent model for interrogating the movement of cell components due to their unusually large size, ease of handling, and high transparency. Chromosomes from starfish oocytes can be visualised by microinjection of the histone-H2B-mCherry plasmid into the oocytes. The movement of the chromosomes can then be tracked by live-cell fluorescence microscopy. The results from experiments using these methods suggest that there is a replicable downward movement of centrally located chromosomes at a median velocity of 0.39 μm/min. Chromosomes nearer the nuclear boundary showed more restricted movement. Chromosome density and shape could also be altered by microinjection of restriction enzymes, primarily Alu1, before imaging. This was found to alter the speed of chromosome movement, with chromosomes from Alu1-injected nuclei showing a median downward velocity of 0.60 μm/min. Overall, these results suggest that there is a non-negligible movement of chromosomes in response to gravitational forces and that this movement can be altered by enzyme activity. Future directions based on these results could interrogate if this observed downward movement extends to other cell components and to other cell types. Additionally, it may be important to understand whether gravitational orientation and vertical positioning of cell components alter cell behaviour. The findings here may have implications for current cell culture practices, which do not replicate cell orientations or external forces experienced in vivo. It is possible that a failure to account for gravitational forces in 2D cell culture alters experimental results and the accuracy of conclusions drawn from them. Understanding possible behavioural changes in cells due to the effects of gravity would therefore be beneficial.Keywords: starfish, oocytes, live-cell imaging, microinjection, chromosome dynamics
Procedia PDF Downloads 1045162 Physical and Microbiological Evaluation of Chitosan Films: Effect of Essential Oils and Storage
Authors: N. Valderrama, W. Albarracín, N. Algecira
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It was studied the effect of the inclusion of thyme and rosemary essential oils into chitosan films, as well as the microbiological and physical properties when storing chitosan film with and without the mentioned inclusion. The film forming solution was prepared by dissolving chitosan (2%, w/v), polysorbate 80 (4% w/w CH) and glycerol (16% w/w CH) in aqueous lactic acid solutions (control). The thyme (TEO) and rosemary (REO) essential oils (EOs) were included 1:1 w/w (EOs:CH) on their combination 50/50 (TEO:REO). The films were stored at temperatures of 5, 20, 33°C and a relative humidity of 75% during four weeks. The films with essential oil inclusion did not show an antimicrobial activity against strains. This behavior could be explained because the chitosan only inhibits the growth of microorganisms in direct contact with the active sites. However, the inhibition capacity of TEO was higher than the REO and a synergic effect between TEO:REO was found for S. enteritidis strains in the chitosan solution. Some physical properties were modified by the inclusion of essential oils. The addition of essential oils does not affect the mechanical properties (tensile strength, elongation at break, puncture deformation), the water solubility, the swelling index nor the DSC behavior. However, the essential oil inclusion can significantly decrease the thickness, the moisture content, and the L* value of films whereas the b* value increased due to molecular interactions between the polymeric matrix, the loosing of the structure, and the chemical modifications. On the other hand, the temperature and time of storage changed some physical properties on the chitosan films. This could have occurred because of chemical changes, such as swelling in the presence of high humidity air and the reacetylation of amino groups. In the majority of cases, properties such as moisture content, tensile strength, elongation at break, puncture deformation, a*, b*, chrome, ΔE increased whereas water resistance, swelling index, L*, and hue angle decreased.Keywords: chitosan, food additives, modified films, polymers
Procedia PDF Downloads 3675161 Application of Bacteriophages as Natural Antibiotics in Aquaculture
Authors: Chamilani Nikapitiya, Mahanama De Zoysa, Jehee Lee
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Most of the bacterial diseases are associated with high mortalities in aquaculture species and causing huge economic losses. Different approaches have been taken to prevent or control of bacterial diseases including use of vaccines, probiotics, chemotherapy, water quality management, etc. Antibiotics are widely applying as chemotherapy to control bacterial diseases, however, it has been shown that frequent use of antibiotics is favored to develop multi-drug resistance bacteria. Therefore, phages and phage encoded lytic proteins are known to be one of the most promising alternatives for antibiotics to avoid the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. We isolated and characterized the two lytic phages, namely pAh-1 and pAs-1 against pathogenic Aeromonas hydrophila and Aeromonas salmonicida, respectively. Morphological characteristics were analyzed by Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and host strain specificities were tested with Aeromonas and other closely related bacterial strains. TEM analysis revealed that both pAh-1 and pAsm-1 are composed of an icosahedral head and a segmented tail, and we suggest that, they are new members of Myoviridae family. Genome sizes of isolated phages were estimated by restriction enzyme digestion of genomic DNA using selected endonucleases followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. Estimated genome size of pAh-1 and pAs-1 were approximately 64 Kbp and 120 Kbp, respectively. Both pAh-1 and pAs-1 have shown narrow host specificity. Moreover, protective effects of phage therapy against fish pathogenic A. hydrophila were investigated in zebrafish model. The survival rate was 40% higher when zebrafish received intra-peritoneal injection (i.p.) of pAh-1 were simultaneously challenge A. hydrophila (2 x 106 CFU/fish) compared to that without phage treatment. Overall results suggest that both pAh-1 and pAs-1 can be used as a potential phage therapy to control Aeromonas infections in aquaculture.Keywords: Aeromonas infections, antibiotic resistance, bacteriophage, bio-control, lytic phage
Procedia PDF Downloads 1945160 Infused Mesenchymal Stem Cells Ameliorate Organs Morphology in Cerebral Malaria Infection
Authors: Reva Sharan Thakur, Mrinalini Tiwari, Jyoti das
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Cerebral malaria-associated over expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines ultimately results in the up-regulation of adhesion molecules in the brain endothelium leading to sequestration of mature parasitized RBCs in the brain. The high-parasitic load subsequently results in increased mortality or development of neurological symptoms within a week of infection. Studies in the human and experimental cerebral malaria have implicated the breakdown of the integrity of blood-brain barrier during the lethal course of infection, cerebral dysfunction, and fatal organ pathologies that result in multi-organ failure. In the present study, using Plasmodium berghei Anka as a mouse model and in vitro conditions, we have investigated the effect of MSCs to attenuate cerebral malaria pathogenesis by diminishing the effect of inflammation altered organ morphology, reduced parasitemia, and increased survival of the mice. MSCs are also validated for their role in preventing BBB dysfunction and reducing malarial toxins. It was observed that administration of MSCs significantly reduced parasitemia and increased survival in Pb A infected mice. It was further demonstrated that MSCs play a significant role in reversing neurological complexities associated with cerebral malaria. Infusion of MSCs in infected mice decreased hemozoin deposition; oedema, and haemorrhagic lesions in vascular organs. MSCs administration also preserved the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and reduced neural inflammation. Taken together, our results demonstrate the potential of MSCs as an emerging anti-malarial candidate.Keywords: cerebral malaria, mesenchymal stem cells, erythropoesis, cell death
Procedia PDF Downloads 1035159 The First Fungal Identification from Mini-BAL of Critical COVID-19 Patients
Authors: Fatemeh Fallah, Ensieh Lotfali, Leila Azimi, Hannan Khodaei, Maryam Rajabnejad, Nafiseh Abdollahi, Hossein Tayebi, Saham Ansari, Saeedeh Yaghoubi, Abdollah Karimi
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Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a worldwide issue due to its high prevalence and rapid transmission. Fungal infections have been detected in COVID-19 patients, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Objectives: This study aimed to isolate Aspergillus fumigatus and Mucor spp. on mini-bronchoalveolar lavage samples obtained from children with COVID-19 hospitalized in an Iranian children’s hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on mini-bronchoalveolar lavage samples from children confirmed positive for COVID-19 admitted to ICU with a ventilator from April 2021 to February 2022. Demographic characteristics were recorded, and fungal DNA was extracted from mini-BAL samples taken from children. Nested PCR was made with two primers for Aspergillus fumigatus and Mucor spp. Results: Out of 100 children with COVID-19, all samples were negative for Aspergillus fumigatus; however, 12 cases were positive for BAL PCR for Mucor spp. Among the 12 patients, fever, shortness of breath, cough, and decreased level of consciousness were reported in 8.3% (n: 1), 16.6% (n: 2), 25% (n: 3), and 25% (n: 3), respectively. Most cases (41.7%; n: 5) suffered from heart disease, followed by underlying malignancy (33.4%; n: 4). All positive BAL PCR for Mucor spp. cases had significantly higher chest CT scan scores and spent more time under a ventilator. Conclusions: The identification of COVID-19 with Mucor spp. was observed among 12% (n: 12) of children hospitalized in a COVID-19 ICU. When dealing with pediatric COVID-19 patients, clinicians should consider the differential diagnosis of fungal co-infections and have a low threshold to begin treatment. Moreover, it is highly advisable to take prophylactic measures, such as properly using corticosteroids and shortening the intubation time.Keywords: aspergillosis, COVID-19 identification, mucormycosis, paediatrics
Procedia PDF Downloads 85158 On the Solution of Boundary Value Problems Blended with Hybrid Block Methods
Authors: Kizito Ugochukwu Nwajeri
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This paper explores the application of hybrid block methods for solving boundary value problems (BVPs), which are prevalent in various fields such as science, engineering, and applied mathematics. Traditionally, numerical approaches such as finite difference and shooting methods, often encounter challenges related to stability and convergence, particularly in the context of complex and nonlinear BVPs. To address these challenges, we propose a hybrid block method that integrates features from both single-step and multi-step techniques. This method allows for the simultaneous computation of multiple solution points while maintaining high accuracy. Specifically, we employ a combination of polynomial interpolation and collocation strategies to derive a system of equations that captures the behavior of the solution across the entire domain. By directly incorporating boundary conditions into the formulation, we enhance the stability and convergence properties of the numerical solution. Furthermore, we introduce an adaptive step-size mechanism to optimize performance based on the local behavior of the solution. This adjustment allows the method to respond effectively to variations in solution behavior, improving both accuracy and computational efficiency. Numerical tests on a variety of boundary value problems demonstrate the effectiveness of the hybrid block methods. These tests showcase significant improvements in accuracy and computational efficiency compared to conventional methods, indicating that our approach is robust and versatile. The results suggest that this hybrid block method is suitable for a wide range of applications in real-world problems, offering a promising alternative to existing numerical techniques.Keywords: hybrid block methods, boundary value problem, polynomial interpolation, adaptive step-size control, collocation methods
Procedia PDF Downloads 335157 Optimization of Digestive Conditions of Opuntia ficus-indica var. Saboten using Food-Grade Enzymes
Authors: Byung Wook Yang, Sae Kyul Kim, Seung Il Ahn, Jae Hee Choi, Heejung Jung, Yejin Choi, Byung Yong Kim, Young Tae Hahm
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Opuntia ficus-indica is a member of the Cactaceae family that is widely grown in all the semiarid countries throughout the world. Opuntia ficus-indica var. Saboten (OFS), commonly known as prickly pear cactus, is commercially cultivated as a dietary foodstuffs and medicinal stuffs in Jeju Island, Korea. Owing to high viscosity of OFS’ pad, its application to the commercial field has been limited. When the low viscosity of OFS’s pad is obtained, it is useful for the manufacture of healthy food in the related field. This study was performed to obtain the optimal digestion conditions of food-grade enzymes (Pectinex, Viscozyme and Celluclast) with the powder of OFS stem. And also, the contents of water-soluble dietary fiber (WSDF) of the dried powder prepared by the extraction of OFS stem were monitored and optimized using the response surface methodology (RSM), which included 20 experimental points with 3 replicates for two independent variables (fermentation temperature and time). A central composite design was used to monitor the effect of fermentation temperature (30-90 °C, X1) and fermentation time (1-10h, X2) on dependent variables, such as viscosity (Y1), water-soluble dietary fiber (Y2) and dietary fiber yield (Y3). Estimated maximum values at predicted optimum conditions were in agreement with experimental values. Optimum temperature and duration were 50°C and 12 hours, respectively. Viscosity value reached 3.4 poise. Yield of water-soluble dietary fiber is determined in progress.Keywords: Opuntia ficus-indica var. saboten, enzymatic fermentation, response surface methodology, water-soluble dietary fiber, viscosity
Procedia PDF Downloads 3475156 Linearization of Y-Force Equation of Rigid Body Equation of Motion and Behavior of Fighter Aircraft under Imbalance Weight on Wings during Combat
Authors: Jawad Zakir, Syed Irtiza Ali Shah, Rana Shaharyar, Sidra Mahmood
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Y-force equation comprises aerodynamic forces, drag and side force with side slip angle β and weight component along with the coupled roll (φ) and pitch angles (θ). This research deals with the linearization of Y-force equation using Small Disturbance theory assuming equilibrium flight conditions for different state variables of aircraft. By using assumptions of Small Disturbance theory in non-linear Y-force equation, finally reached at linearized lateral rigid body equation of motion; which says that in linearized Y-force equation, the lateral acceleration is dependent on the other different aerodynamic and propulsive forces like vertical tail, change in roll rate (Δp) from equilibrium, change in yaw rate (Δr) from equilibrium, change in lateral velocity due to side force, drag and side force components due to side slip, and the lateral equation from coupled rotating frame to decoupled rotating frame. This paper describes implementation of this lateral linearized equation for aircraft control systems. Another significant parameter considered on which y-force equation depends is ‘c’ which shows that any change bought in the weight of aircrafts wing will cause Δφ and cause lateral force i.e. Y_c. This simplification also leads to lateral static and dynamic stability. The linearization of equations is required because much of mathematics control system design for aircraft is based on linear equations. This technique is simple and eases the linearization of the rigid body equations of motion without using any high-speed computers.Keywords: Y-force linearization, small disturbance theory, side slip, aerodynamic force drag, lateral rigid body equation of motion
Procedia PDF Downloads 4975155 Combining Transcriptomics, Bioinformatics, Biosynthesis Networks and Chromatographic Analyses for Cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. Defense Volatiles Study
Authors: Ronald Villamar-Torres, Michael Staudt, Christopher Viot
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Cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. is one of the most important industrial crops, producing the world leading natural textile fiber, but is very prone to arthropod attacks that reduce crop yield and quality. Cotton cultivation, therefore, makes an outstanding use of chemical pesticides. In reaction to herbivorous arthropods, cotton plants nevertheless show natural defense reactions, in particular through volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions. These natural defense mechanisms are nowadays underutilized but have a very high potential for cotton cultivation, and elucidating their genetic bases will help to improve their use. Simulating herbivory attacks by mechanical wounding of cotton plants in greenhouse, we studied by qPCR the changes in gene expression for genes of the terpenoids biosynthesis pathway. Differentially expressed genes corresponded to higher levels of the terpenoids biosynthesis pathway and not to enzymes synthesizing particular terpenoids. The genes were mapped on the G. hirsutum L. reference genome; their global relationships inside the general metabolic pathways and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were visualized with iPath2. The chromatographic profiles of VOCs emissions indicated first monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes emissions, dominantly four molecules known to be involved in plant reactions to arthropod attacks. As a result, the study permitted to identify potential key genes for the emission of volatile terpenoids by cotton plants in reaction to an arthropod attack, opening possibilities for molecular-assisted cotton breeding in benefit of smallholder cotton growers.Keywords: biosynthesis pathways, cotton, mechanisms of plant defense, terpenoids, volatile organic compounds
Procedia PDF Downloads 3745154 A Study Problem and Needs Compare the Held of the Garment Industries in Nonthaburi and Bangkok Area
Authors: Thepnarintra Praphanphat
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The purposes of this study were to investigate garment industry’s condition, problems, and need for assistance. The population of the study was 504 managers or managing directors of garment establishments finished apparel industrial manager and permission of the Department of Industrial Works 28, Ministry of Industry until January 1, 2012. In determining the sample size with the opening of the Taro Yamane finished at 95% confidence level is ± 5% deviation was 224 managers. Questionnaires were used to collect the data. Percentage, frequency, arithmetic mean, standard deviation, t-test, ANOVA, and LSD were used to analyze the data. It was found that most establishments were of a large size, operated in a form of limited company for more than 15 years most of which produced garments for working women. All investment was made by Thai people. The products were made to order and distributed domestically and internationally. The total sale of the year 2010, 2011, and 2012 was almost the same. With respect to the problems of operating the business, the study indicated, as a whole, by- aspects, and by-items, that they were at a high level. The comparison of the level of problems of operating garment business as classified by general condition showed that problems occurring in business of different sizes were, as a whole, not different. In taking aspects into consideration, it was found that the level of problem in relation to production was different; medium establishments had more problems in production than those of small and large sizes. According to the by-items analysis, five problems were found different; namely, problems concerning employees, machine maintenance, number of designers, and price competition. Such problems in the medium establishments were at a higher level than those in the small and large establishments. Regarding business age, the examination yielded no differences as a whole, by-aspects, and by-items. The statistical significance level of this study was set at .05.Keywords: garment industry, garment, fashion, competitive enhancement project
Procedia PDF Downloads 1885153 The Nutritional Status and the Kidney Function in Older Patients
Authors: Magdalena Barbara Kaziuk, Waldemar Kosiba
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Background: Obesity, particularly abdominal type, lead to accelerated progress of atherosclerosis and thus affects the functioning of various human organs. Non-HDL cholesterol includes residual risk of the cardiovascular diseases which persists in patients after achieved recommended level of LDL cholesterol. The maintenance of normal body mass index plays a particularly important role in both the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. Materials and Methods: The study covered 96 patients (55 females, 42 males, age 66,9 +/-10,2 years). The nutritional status was determined with the Waist to Height Ratio (WHtR) and the Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR). A function of the kidney was evaluated by calculating the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using the MDRD formula. Non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL) is simply the difference between the total cholesterol concentration and the HDL cholesterol concentration. Results: The higher was level of non-HDL cholesterol, the lower eGFR had studied subjects (p<0.001). Significant correlation was found between higher WHtR and lower the eGFR (p=0.002). Also underweight (30% of patient) led to obtaining lower values of eGFR in subjects over 65 years old. The poorer nutrition the lower was glomerular filtration rate. Conclusions: Nutritional statuses of patients have a significant impact on the level of kidney function. Not only accumulated excess fat in the abdominal area, but also its deficiency affects the deterioration in renal filtration. Higher level of non-HDL not only raises the residual risk of the heart disease but also influences on kidney by worsening eGFR. Proper diet in connection with physical activity should lead to achieving good nutrition in these patients and protect their kidney function.Keywords: nutrition, non-HDL cholesterol, glomerular filtration rate, lifestyle
Procedia PDF Downloads 2775152 The Financial and Metallurgical Benefits of Niobium Grain Refined As-Rolled 460 MPa H-Beam to the Construction Industry in SE Asia
Authors: Michael Wright, Tiago Costa
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The construction industry in SE Asia has been relying on S355 MPa “as rolled” H-beams for many years now. It is an easily sourced, metallurgically simple, reliable product that all designers, fabricators and constructors are familiar with. However, as the Global demand to better use our finite resources gets stronger, the need for an as-rolled S460 MPa H-Beam is becoming more apparent. The Financial benefits of an “as-rolled” S460 MPa H-beam are obvious. The S460 MPa beam which is currently available and used is fabricated from rolled strip. However, making H-beam from 3 x 460 MPa strips requires costly equipment, valuable welding skills & production time, all of which can be in short supply or better used for other purposes. The Metallurgical benefits of an “as-rolled” S460 MPa H-beam are consistency in the product. Fabricated H-beams have inhomogeneous areas where the strips have been welded together - parent metal, heat affected zone and weld metal all in the one body. They also rely heavily on the skill of the welder to guarantee a perfect, defect free weld. If this does not occur, the beam is intrinsically flawed and could lead to failure in service. An as-rolled beam is a relatively homogenous product, with the optimum strength and ductility produced by delivering steel with as fine as possible uniform cross sectional grain size. This is done by cost effective alloy design coupled with proper metallurgical process control implemented into an existing mill’s equipment capability and layout. This paper is designed to highlight the benefits of bring an “as-rolled” S460 MPa H-beam to the construction market place in SE Asia, and hopefully encourage the current “as-rolled” H-beam producers to rise to the challenge and produce an innovative high quality product for the local market.Keywords: fine grained, As-rolled, long products, process control, metallurgy
Procedia PDF Downloads 3005151 Multivariate Data Analysis for Automatic Atrial Fibrillation Detection
Authors: Zouhair Haddi, Stephane Delliaux, Jean-Francois Pons, Ismail Kechaf, Jean-Claude De Haro, Mustapha Ouladsine
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Atrial fibrillation (AF) has been considered as the most common cardiac arrhythmia, and a major public health burden associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Nowadays, telemedical approaches targeting cardiac outpatients situate AF among the most challenged medical issues. The automatic, early, and fast AF detection is still a major concern for the healthcare professional. Several algorithms based on univariate analysis have been developed to detect atrial fibrillation. However, the published results do not show satisfactory classification accuracy. This work was aimed at resolving this shortcoming by proposing multivariate data analysis methods for automatic AF detection. Four publicly-accessible sets of clinical data (AF Termination Challenge Database, MIT-BIH AF, Normal Sinus Rhythm RR Interval Database, and MIT-BIH Normal Sinus Rhythm Databases) were used for assessment. All time series were segmented in 1 min RR intervals window and then four specific features were calculated. Two pattern recognition methods, i.e., Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Learning Vector Quantization (LVQ) neural network were used to develop classification models. PCA, as a feature reduction method, was employed to find important features to discriminate between AF and Normal Sinus Rhythm. Despite its very simple structure, the results show that the LVQ model performs better on the analyzed databases than do existing algorithms, with high sensitivity and specificity (99.19% and 99.39%, respectively). The proposed AF detection holds several interesting properties, and can be implemented with just a few arithmetical operations which make it a suitable choice for telecare applications.Keywords: atrial fibrillation, multivariate data analysis, automatic detection, telemedicine
Procedia PDF Downloads 2685150 Assessment of Air Pollution in Kindergartens due to Indoor Radon Concentrations
Authors: Jana Djounova
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The World Health Organization proposes an average annual reference level of 100 Bq/m³ to minimize health risks due to radon exposure in buildings. However, if this cannot be achieved under the country's specific conditions, the chosen reference level should not exceed 300 Bq/m³. The World Health Organization recognized the relationship between indoor radon exposure and lung cancer, even at low doses. Radon in buildings is one of the most important indoor air pollutants, with harmful effects on the health of the population and especially children. This study presents the assessment of indoor radon concentration as air pollution and analyzes the exposure to radon of children and workers. Assessment of air pollution and exposure to indoor radon concentrations under the National Science Fund of Bulgaria, in the framework of grant No КП-06-Н23/1/07.12.2018 in kindergartens in two districts of Bulgaria (Razgrad and Silistra). Kindergartens were considered for the following reasons: 1these buildings are generally at the ground and/or the first floor, where radon concentration is generally higher than at upper floors; 2these buildings are attended by children, a population generally considered more sensitive to ionizing radiation, although little data is available for radon exposure. The measurements of indoor radon concentrations were performed with passive methods (CR-39 track detectors) for the period from February to May 2015. One hundred fifty-six state kindergartens on the territories of two districts in Bulgaria have been studied. The variations of radon in the children's premises vary from 9 to 1087 Bq/m³. The established arithmetic mean value of radon levels in the kindergartens in Silistra is 139 Bq/m³ and in Razgrad 152 Bq/m³, respectively. The percentage of kindergarteners, where the radon in premises exceeds the Bulgarian reference level of 300 Bq/m³, was 19%. The exposure of children and workers in those kindergartens is high, so remediation measures of air pollution had been recommended. The difference in radon concentration in kindergartens in two districts was statistically analyzed to assess the influence of geography and geology and the differenceKeywords: air pollution, radon, kindergartens, detectors
Procedia PDF Downloads 2005149 Designing of Nano-materials for Waste Heat Conversion into Electrical Energy Thermoelectric generator
Authors: Wiqar Hussain Shah
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The electrical and thermal properties of the doped Tellurium Telluride (Tl10Te6) chalcogenide nano-particles are mainly characterized by a competition between metallic (hole doped concentration) and semi-conducting state. We have studied the effects of Sn doping on the electrical and thermoelectric properties of Tl10-xSnxTe6 (1.00 ≤x≤ 2.00), nano-particles, prepared by solid state reactions in sealed silica tubes and ball milling method. Structurally, all these compounds were found to be phase pure as confirmed by the x-rays diffractometery (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis. Additionally crystal structure data were used to model the data and support the findings. The particles size was calculated from the XRD data by Scherrer’s formula. The EDS was used for an elemental analysis of the sample and declares the percentage of elements present in the system. The thermo-power or Seebeck co-efficient (S) was measured for all these compounds which show that S increases with increasing temperature from 295 to 550 K. The Seebeck coefficient is positive for the whole temperature range, showing p-type semiconductor characteristics. The electrical conductivity was investigated by four probe resistivity techniques revealed that the electrical conductivity decreases with increasing temperature, and also simultaneously with increasing Sn concentration. While for Seebeck coefficient the trend is opposite which is increases with increasing temperature. These increasing behavior of Seebeck coefficient leads to high power factor which are increases with increasing temperature and Sn concentration except For Tl8Sn2Te6 because of lowest electrical conductivity but its power factor increases well with increasing temperature.Keywords: Sn doping in Tellurium Telluride nano-materials, electron holes competition, Seebeck co-efficient, effects of Sn doping on Electrical conductivity, effects on Power factor
Procedia PDF Downloads 455148 A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Factors Associated with Virological Non-Suppression among HIV-Positive Adult Patients on Antiretroviral Therapy in Woliso Town, Oromia, Ethiopia
Authors: Teka Haile, Behailu Hawulte, Solomon Alemayehu
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Background: HIV virological failure still remains a problem in HV/AIDS treatment and care. This study aimed to describe the prevalence and identify the factors associated with viral non-suppression among HIV-positive adult patients on antiretroviral therapy in Woliso Town, Oromia, Ethiopia. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted among 424 HIV-positive patient’s attending antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Woliso Town during the period from August 25, 2020 to August 30, 2020. Data collected from patient medical records were entered into Epi Info version 2.3.2.1 and exported to SPSS version 21.0 for analysis. Logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors associated with viral load non-suppression, and statistical significance of odds ratios were declared using 95% confidence interval and p-value < 0.05. Results: A total of 424 patients were included in this study. The mean age (± SD) of the study participants was 39.88 (± 9.995) years. The prevalence of HIV viral load non-suppression was 55 (13.0%) with 95% CI (9.9-16.5). Second-line ART treatment regimen (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 8.98, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 2.64, 30.58) and routine viral load testing (AOR = 0.01, 95% CI: 0.001, 0.02) were significantly associated with virological non-suppression. Conclusion: Virological non-suppression was high, which hinders the achievement of the third global 95 target. The second-line regimen and routine viral load testing were significantly associated with virological non-suppression. It suggests the need to assess the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs for epidemic control. It also clearly shows the need to decentralize third-line ART treatment for those patients in need.Keywords: virological non-suppression, HIV-positive, ART, Woliso town, Ethiopia
Procedia PDF Downloads 1505147 Characterization and Pcr Detection of Selected Strains of Psychrotrophic Bacteria Isolated From Raw Milk
Authors: Kidane workelul, Li xu, Xiaoyang Pang, Jiaping Lv
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Dairy products are exceptionally ideal media for the growth of microorganisms because of their high nutritional content. There are several ways that milk might get contaminated throughout the milking process, including how the raw milk is transported and stored, as well as how long it is kept before being processed. Psychrotrophic bacteria are among the one which can deteriorate the quality of milk mainly their heat resistance proteas and lipase enzyme. For this research purpose 8 selected strains of Psychrotrophic bacteria (Entrococcus hirae, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas azotoformans, Pseudomonas putida, Exiguobacterium indicum, Pseudomonas paralactice, Acinetobacter indicum, Serratia liquefacients)are chosen and try to determine their characteristics based on the research methodology protocol. Thus, the 8 selected strains are cultured, plated incubate, extracted their genomic DNA and genome DNA was amplified, the purpose of the study was to identify their Psychrotrophic properties, lipase hydrolysis positive test, their optimal incubation temperature, designed primer using the noble strain P,flourescens conserved region area in target with lipA gene, optimized primer specificity as well as sensitivity and PCR detection for lipase positive strains using the design primers. Based on the findings both the selected 8 strains isolated from stored raw milk are Psychrotrophic bacteria, 6 of the selected strains except the 2 strains are positive for lipase hydrolysis, their optimal temperature is 20 to 30 OC, the designed primer specificity is very accurate and amplifies for those strains only with lipase positive but could not amplify for the others. Thus, the result is promising and could help in detecting the Psychrotrophic bacteria producing heat resistance enzymes (lipase) at early stage before the milk is processed and this will safe production loss for the dairy industry.Keywords: dairy industry, heat-resistant, lipA, milk, primer and psychrotrophic
Procedia PDF Downloads 645146 Optimization of Solar Rankine Cycle by Exergy Analysis and Genetic Algorithm
Authors: R. Akbari, M. A. Ehyaei, R. Shahi Shavvon
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Nowadays, solar energy is used for energy purposes such as the use of thermal energy for domestic, industrial and power applications, as well as the conversion of the sunlight into electricity by photovoltaic cells. In this study, the thermodynamic simulation of the solar Rankin cycle with phase change material (paraffin) was first studied. Then energy and exergy analyses were performed. For optimization, a single and multi-objective genetic optimization algorithm to maximize thermal and exergy efficiency was used. The parameters discussed in this paper included the effects of input pressure on turbines, input mass flow to turbines, the surface of converters and collector angles on thermal and exergy efficiency. In the organic Rankin cycle, where solar energy is used as input energy, the fluid selection is considered as a necessary factor to achieve reliable and efficient operation. Therefore, silicon oil is selected for a high-temperature cycle and water for a low-temperature cycle as an operating fluid. The results showed that increasing the mass flow to turbines 1 and 2 would increase thermal efficiency, while it reduces and increases the exergy efficiency in turbines 1 and 2, respectively. Increasing the inlet pressure to the turbine 1 decreases the thermal and exergy efficiency, and increasing the inlet pressure to the turbine 2 increases the thermal efficiency and exergy efficiency. Also, increasing the angle of the collector increased thermal efficiency and exergy. The thermal efficiency of the system was 22.3% which improves to 33.2 and 27.2% in single-objective and multi-objective optimization, respectively. Also, the exergy efficiency of the system was 1.33% which has been improved to 1.719 and 1.529% in single-objective and multi-objective optimization, respectively. These results showed that the thermal and exergy efficiency in a single-objective optimization is greater than the multi-objective optimization.Keywords: exergy analysis, genetic algorithm, rankine cycle, single and multi-objective function
Procedia PDF Downloads 1475145 Molecular Epidemiology of Anthrax in Georgia
Authors: N. G. Vepkhvadze, T. Enukidze
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Anthrax is a fatal disease caused by strains of Bacillus anthracis, a spore-forming gram-positive bacillus that causes the disease anthrax in animals and humans. Anthrax is a zoonotic disease that is also well-recognized as a potential agent of bioterrorism. Infection in humans is extremely rare in the developed world and is generally due to contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. Testing of this zoonotic disease began in 1907 in Georgia and is still being tested routinely to provide accurate information and efficient testing results at the State Laboratory of Agriculture of Georgia. Each clinical sample is analyzed by RT-PCR and bacteriology methods; this study used Real-Time PCR assays for the detection of B. anthracis that rely on plasmid-encoded targets with a chromosomal marker to correctly differentiate pathogenic strains from non-anthracis Bacillus species. During the period of 2015-2022, the State Laboratory of Agriculture (SLA) tested 250 clinical and environmental (soil) samples from several different regions in Georgia. In total, 61 out of the 250 samples were positive during this period. Based on the results, Anthrax cases are mostly present in Eastern Georgia, with a high density of the population of livestock, specifically in the regions of Kakheti and Kvemo Kartli. All laboratory activities are being performed in accordance with International Quality standards, adhering to biosafety and biosecurity rules by qualified and experienced personnel handling pathogenic agents. Laboratory testing plays the largest role in diagnosing animals with anthrax, which helps pertinent institutions to quickly confirm a diagnosis of anthrax and evaluate the epidemiological situation that generates important data for further responses.Keywords: animal disease, baccilus anthracis, edp, laboratory molecular diagnostics
Procedia PDF Downloads 875144 The Determination of the Phosphorous Solubility in the Iron by the Function of the Other Components
Authors: Andras Dezső, Peter Baumli, George Kaptay
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The phosphorous is the important components in the steels, because it makes the changing of the mechanical properties and possibly modifying the structure. The phosphorous can be create the Fe3P compounds, what is segregated in the ferrite grain boundary in the intervals of the nano-, or microscale. This intermetallic compound is decreasing the mechanical properties, for example it makes the blue brittleness which means that the brittle created by the segregated particles at 200 ... 300°C. This work describes the phosphide solubility by the other components effect. We make calculations for the Ni, Mo, Cu, S, V, C, Si, Mn, and the Cr elements by the Thermo-Calc software. We predict the effects by approximate functions. The binary Fe-P system has a solubility line, which has a determinating equation. The result is below: lnwo = -3,439 – 1.903/T where the w0 means the weight percent of the maximum soluted concentration of the phosphorous, and the T is the temperature in Kelvin. The equation show that the P more soluble element when the temperature increasing. The nickel, molybdenum, vanadium, silicon, manganese, and the chromium make dependence to the maximum soluted concentration. These functions are more dependent by the elements concentration, which are lower when we put these elements in our steels. The copper, sulphur and carbon do not make effect to the phosphorous solubility. We predict that all of cases the maximum solubility concentration increases when the temperature more and more high. Between 473K and 673 K, in the phase diagram, these systems contain mostly two or three phase eutectoid, and the singe phase, ferritic intervals. In the eutectoid areas the ferrite, the iron-phosphide, and the metal (III)-phospide are in the equilibrium. In these modelling we predicted that which elements are good for avoid the phosphide segregation or not. These datas are important when we make or choose the steels, where the phosphide segregation stopping our possibilities.Keywords: phosphorous, steel, segregation, thermo-calc software
Procedia PDF Downloads 6255143 The Use of Manipulative Strategies: Machiavellianism among the University Students
Authors: Karla Hrbackova, Anna Petr Safrankova, Jakub Hladik
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Machiavellianism as social phenomenon reveals certain methods of communication that man puts in contact with other people in both personal and working life (and work with clients). Especially at the helping-profession students is honesty, openness or low motivation for personal benefit important part of the profession. The aim of a study is to expose intercultural differences influence of Machiavellianism between Czech and Slovak university students and to determine whether these differences manifest themselves differently among students focusing on management and social profession (by helping degrees). The research involved 1120 university students from the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. The measurement of Machiavellianism used a test Mach IV. The test contained 20 statements divided into four central dimensions of Machiavellianism: flattery, deception and falsehood, immorality and cynicism. We found out, that Czech and Slovak's student expressed a similar attitude toward Machiavellianism as a means of manipulation in the interpersonal relationship, but this is not true in all dimensions. Czech and Slovak's students perceive differently flattery, deception and falsehood and cynicism too. In addition to specific features of cultural conditionality, we found out differences depending on the helping profession. Students focusing on managerial occupation (lower level of helping) tend towards greater acceptance of the use flattery as a means of communication than students specializing in the social profession (high-grade assisting). If they are an intercultural and interdisciplinary influences combined and effect on the perception of Machiavellianism together, then their significant importance for the perception of flattery and cynicism. The result will help us to reveal certain specific traits that students apply communication and with whom we can continue to work during their training.Keywords: use of manipulative strategies, Machiavellianism, helping-profession students, professional training of students
Procedia PDF Downloads 3835142 The Contribution of Hip Strategy in Dynamic Balance in Recurrent Ankle Sprain
Authors: Radwa Talaat Mohammed El-Shorbagy, Alaa El-Din Balbaa, Khaled Ayad, Waleed Red
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Introduction: Ankle sprain is a common lower limb injury that is complicated by high recurrence rate. The cause of recurrence is not clear; however, changes in motor control have been postulated. Objective: To determine the contribution of proximal hip strategy to dynamic balance control in patients with recurrent ankle sprain. Methods: Fifteen subjects with recurrent ankle sprain (group A) and fifteen healthy control subjects (group B) participated in this study. Abductor-adductors as well as flexor-extensor hip musculatures control was abolished by fatigue using the Biodex Isokinetic system. Dynamic balance was measured before and after fatigue by the Biodex Balance system Results: Repeated measures MANOVA was used to compare between and within group differences. In group A fatiguing of hip muscles (flexors-extensors and abductors-adductors) increased overall stability index (OASI), anteroposterior stability index (APSI) and mediolateral stability index (MLSI) significantly (p=0.00) whereas; in group B fatiguing of hip flexors-extensors increased significantly OASI and APSI only (p= 0.017, 0.010; respectively) while fatiguing of hip abductors-adductors has no significant effect on these variables. Moreover, patients with ankle sprain had significantly lower dynamic balance after hip muscles fatigue compared to the control group. Specifically, after hip flexor-extensor fatigue, the OASI, APSI and MLSI were increased significantly than those of the control values (p=0.002, 0.011, and 0.003, respectively) whereas fatiguing of hip abductors-adductors increased significantly in OASI and APSI only (p=0.012, 0.026, respectively). Conclusion: To maintain dynamic balance, patients with recurrent ankle sprain seem to relay more on the hip strategy.Keywords: ankle sprain, hip muscles fatigue, dynamic balance
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