Search results for: soil and water treatment

Authors: Peninah Agaba, Monica Magadi, Bev Orton

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Uganda is one of the countries with high maternal mortality (336/100,000) where adolescents account for 24 percent of the total maternal deaths. Research shows that use of maternal health services may prevent some of these deaths and good provider attitudes attract adolescents to use the services. However, poor health provider’s attitudes discourage adolescents from seeking the services during the maternity period. This study explores the experiences of unmarried female adolescents at the health facilities during the maternity period. The study population is unmarried adolescent girls aged 10-19 years who were pregnant or had given birth within three years before the interview. This is a special interest group that requires attention throughout this period. Most of the pregnancies among unmarried adolescents are unwanted; as a result, many of them have been abused and neglected by parents and close family members including partners who deny fatherhood of the pregnancy/child. These adolescents hope to find comfort from health providers like being listened to during counseling, not abused and judged; unfortunately this is not the case always. The research was approved by the University of Hull, School of Education and Social Sciences ethics review committee, Mildmay Uganda Research Ethics Committee and Uganda National Council of Science and Technology. The study was carried out in Bushenyi and Kibale districts in Western Uganda. Fourteen in-depth interviews and seven focus group discussions were completed in the local languages and later transcribed to English language. Thematic analysis to identify the themes was done. Adolescents were aged 16-19 years, two had become pregnant before 15 years. Most had not completed secondary education; none had tertiary education and three of the 14 IDI adolescent participants wanted to get pregnant. Analysis shows varied experiences; most adolescents were abused verbally and physically by the health providers due to their young age of pregnancy, lack of essential items during this period (maternity dresses, children clothes, delivery kit) and fear of labour pains. Another cause for abuse was these adolescents coming for antenatal care with no partners yet the implementation of a policy on increasing male involvement in reproductive health in Uganda requires them to attend antenatal care with their partners and most of these unmarried adolescents have no partners to accompany them. Despite the above challenges, the study also identified the care some of these unmarried adolescents received during the maternity visits for example they were not abused, were provided with appropriate information and supported with child care. The study identified abuse and support the unmarried adolescents received during the maternity period. Efforts to provide adolescents with adequate information including what to expect during labour by providers and provision of basic needs are essential. Health providers should have trainings on client care especially how to embrace unmarried adolescents when they come to access maternity services. More so, the policy on improving male involvement in RH issues need to be considerate of unmarried adolescents who in most cases do not have the partners to go with to access maternity care.

Keywords: abuse, maternity care, Uganda, unmarried, adolescents

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Authors: Sadia Munir, Diana White, Aya Albahri, Pratiwi Hastania, Eltahir Mohamed, Mahmood Khan, Fathima Mohamed, Ayat Kadhi, Haila Saleem

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Preeclampsia is a major complication of pregnancy. Prediction and management of preeclampsia is a challenge for obstetricians. To our knowledge, no major progress has been achieved in the prevention and early detection of preeclampsia. There is very little known about the clear treatment path of this disorder. Preeclampsia puts both mother and baby at risk of several short term- and long term-health problems later in life. There is huge health service cost burden in the health care system associated with preeclampsia and its complications. Preeclampsia is divided into two different types. Early onset preeclampsia develops before 34 weeks of gestation, and late onset develops at or after 34 weeks of gestation. Different genetic and environmental factors, prognosis, heritability, biochemical and clinical features are associated with early and late onset preeclampsia. Prevalence of preeclampsia greatly varies all over the world and is dependent on ethnicity of the population and geographic region. To authors best knowledge, no published data on preeclampsia exist in Qatar. In this study, we are reporting the incidence of preeclampsia in Qatar. The purpose of this study is to compare the incidence and risk factors of both early onset and late onset preeclampsia in Qatar. This retrospective longitudinal cohort study was conducted using data from the hospital record of Women’s Hospital, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), from May 2014-May 2016. Data collection tool, which was approved by HMC, was a researcher made extraction sheet that included information such as blood pressure during admission, socio demographic characteristics, delivery mode, and new born details. A total of 1929 patients’ files were identified by the hospital information management when they apply codes of preeclampsia. Out of 1929 files, 878 had significant gestational hypertension without proteinuria, 365 had preeclampsia, 364 had severe preeclampsia, and 188 had preexisting hypertension with superimposed proteinuria. In this study, 78% of the data was obtained by hospital electronic system (Cerner) and the remaining 22% was from patient’s paper records. We have gone through detail data extraction from 560 files. Initial data analysis has revealed that 15.02% of pregnancies were complicated with preeclampsia from May 2014-May 2016. We have analyzed difference in the two different disease entities in the ethnicity, maternal age, severity of hypertension, mode of delivery and infant birth weight. We have identified promising differences in the risk factors of early onset and late onset preeclampsia. The data from clinical findings of preeclampsia will contribute to increased knowledge about two different disease entities, their etiology, and similarities/differences. The findings of this study can also be used in predicting health challenges, improving health care system, setting up guidelines, and providing the best care for women suffering from preeclampsia.

Keywords: preeclampsia, incidence, risk factors, maternal

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Authors: Ayse Gul Bilen

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Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are commonly prescribed antidepressants that are used clinically for the treatment of anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorders and eating disorders. The first SSRI, fluoxetine (sold under the brand names Prozac and Sarafem among others), had an adverse effect profile better than any other available antidepressant when it was introduced because of its selectivity for serotonin receptors. They have been considered almost free of side effects and have become widely prescribed, however questions about the safety and tolerability of SSRIs have emerged with their continued use. Most SSRI side effects are dose-related and can be attributed to serotonergic effects such as nausea. Continuous use might trigger adverse effects such as hyponatremia, tremor, nausea, weight gain, sleep disturbance and sexual dysfunction. Moderate toxicity can be safely observed in the hospital for 24 hours, and mild cases can be safely discharged (if asymptomatic) from the emergency department once cleared by Psychiatry in cases of intentional overdose and after 6 to 8 hours of observation. Although fluoxetine is relatively safe in terms of overdose, it might still be cardiotoxic and inhibit platelet secretion, aggregation, and plug formation. There have been reported clinical cases of seizures, cardiac conduction abnormalities, and even fatalities associated with fluoxetine ingestions. While the medical literature strongly suggests that most fluoxetine overdoses are benign, emergency physicians need to remain cognizant that intentional, high-dose fluoxetine ingestions may induce seizures and can even be fatal due to cardiac arrhythmia. Our case is a 35-year old female patient who was sent to ER with symptoms of confusion, amnesia and loss of orientation for time and location after being found wandering in the streets unconsciously by police forces that informed 112. Upon laboratory examination, no pathological symptom was found except sinus tachycardia in the EKG and high levels of aspartate transaminase (AST) and alanine transaminase (ALT). Diffusion MRI and computed tomography (CT) of the brain all looked normal. Upon physical and sexual examination, no signs of abuse or trauma were found. Test results for narcotics, stimulants and alcohol were negative as well. There was a presence of dysrhythmia which required admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). The patient gained back her conscience after 24 hours. It was discovered from her story afterward that she had been using fluoxetine due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for 6 months and that she had attempted suicide after taking 3 boxes of fluoxetine due to the loss of a parent. She was then transferred to the psychiatric clinic. Our study aims to highlight the need to consider toxicologic drug use, in particular, the abuse of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which have been widely prescribed due to presumed safety and tolerability, for diagnosis of patients applying to the emergency room (ER).

Keywords: abuse, amnesia, fluoxetine, intoxication, SSRI

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Authors: Ngabirano Levis

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One of Africa’s major environmental challenges remains air pollution. In 2017, UNICEF estimated over 400,000 children in Africa died as a result of indoor pollution, while 350 million children remain exposed to the risks of indoor pollution due to the use of biomass and burning of wood for cooking. Over time, indeed, the major causes of mortality across Africa are shifting from the unsafe water, poor sanitation, and malnutrition to the ambient and household indoor pollution, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remain a key factor in this. In addition, studies by the OECD estimated that the economic cost of premature deaths due to Ambient Particulate Matter Pollution (APMP) and Household Air Pollution across Africa in 2013 was about 215 Billion US Dollars and US 232 Billion US Dollars, respectively. This is not only a huge cost for a continent where over 41% of the Sub-Saharan population lives on less than 1.9 US Dollars a day but also makes the people extremely vulnerable to the negative climate change and environmental degradation effects. Such impacts have led to extended droughts, flooding, health complications, and reduced crop yields hence food insecurity. Climate change, therefore, poses a threat to global targets like poverty reduction, health, and famine. Despite efforts towards mitigation, air contributors like carbon dioxide emissions are on a generally upward trajectory across Africa. In Egypt, for instance, emission levels had increased by over 141% in 2010 from the 1990 baseline. Efforts like the climate change adaptation and mitigation financing have also hit obstacles on the continent. The International Community and developed nations stress that Africa still faces challenges of limited human, institutional and financial systems capable of attracting climate funding from these developed economies. By using the qualitative multi-case study method supplemented by interviews of key actors and comprehensive textual analysis of relevant literature, this paper dissects the key emissions and air pollutant sources, their impact on the well-being of the African people, and puts forward suggestions as well as a remedial mechanism to these challenges. The findings reveal that whereas climate change mitigation plans appear comprehensive and good on paper for many African countries like Uganda; the lingering political interference, limited research guided planning, lack of population engagement, irrational resource allocation, and limited system and personnel capacity has largely impeded the realization of the set targets. Recommendations have been put forward to address the above climate change impacts that threaten the food security, health, and livelihoods of the people on the continent.

Keywords: Africa, air pollution, climate change, mitigation, emissions, effective planning, institutional strengthening

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Authors: Zakir Hossain, Md. Saddam Hossain

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A nutritionally balanced diet and selection of appropriate species are important criteria in aquaculture. The present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and beta glucan containing diet on growth performance, feed utilization, maturation, immunity, early embryonic and larval development of endangered Pabdah catfish, Ompok pabda. In this study, squid extracted lipids and mushroom powder were used as the source of PUFAs and beta glucan, respectively, and formulated two isonitrogenous diets such as basal or control (CON) diet and treated (PBG) diet with maintaining 30% protein levels. During the study period, similar physicochemical conditions of water such as temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO) were 26.5±2 °C, 7.4±0.2, and 6.7±0.5 ppm, respectively in each cistern. The results showed that final mean body weight, final mean length gain, food conversion ratio (FCR), specific growth rate (SGR), food conversion efficiency (%), hepatosomatic index (HSI), kidney index (KI), and viscerosomatic index (VSI) were significantly (P<0.01 and P<0.05) higher in fish fed the PBG diet than that of fish fed the CON diet. The length-weight relationship and relative condition factor (K) of O. pabda were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the PBG diet. The gonadosomatic index (GSI), sperm viability, blood serum calcium ion concentrations (Ca²⁺), and vitellogenin level were significantly (P<0.05) higher in fish fed the PBG diet than that of fish fed the CON diet; which was used to the indication of fish maturation. During the spawning season, lipid granules and normal morphological structure were observed in the treated fish liver, whereas fewer lipid granules of liver were observed in the control group. Based on the immunity and stress resistance-related parameters such as hematological indices, antioxidant activity, lysozyme level, respiratory burst activity, blood reactive oxygen species (ROS), complement activity (ACH50 assay), specific IgM, brain AChE, plasma PGOT, and PGPT enzyme activity were significantly (P<0.01 and P<0.05) higher in fish fed the PBG diet than that of fish fed the CON diet. The fecundity, fertilization rate (92.23±2.69%), hatching rate (87.43±2.17 %) and survival (76.62±0.82%) of offspring were significantly higher (P˂0.05) in the PBG diet than in the control. Consequently, early embryonic and larval development was better in PBG treated group than in the control. Therefore, the present study showed that the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and beta glucan enriched experimental diet were more effective and achieved better growth, feed utilization, maturation, immunity, and spawning performances of O. pabda.

Keywords: polyunsaturated fatty acids, beta glucan, maturity, immunity, catfish

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Authors: C. Hall, J. Ramos, V. Ramasamy

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Hydrocarbon-based fuel vehicles are a major contributor to air pollution due to harmful emissions produced, leading to a demand for cleaner fuel types. A leader in this pursuit is hydrogen, with its application in vehicles producing zero harmful emissions and the only by-product being water. To compete with the performance of conventional vehicles, hydrogen gas must be stored on-board of vehicles in cylinders at high pressures (35–70 MPa) and have a short refueling duration (approximately 3 mins). However, the fast-filling of hydrogen cylinders causes a significant rise in temperature due to the combination of the negative Joule-Thompson effect and the compression of the gas. This can lead to structural failure and therefore, a maximum allowable internal temperature of 85°C has been imposed by the International Standards Organization. The technological solution to tackle the issue of rapid temperature rise during the refueling process is to decrease the temperature of the gas entering the cylinder. Pre-cooling of the gas uses a heat exchanger and requires energy for its operation. Thus, it is imperative to determine the least amount of energy input that is required to lower the gas temperature for cost savings. A validated universal thermodynamic model is used to identify an energy-efficient pre-cooling strategy. The model requires negligible computational time and is applied to previously validated experimental cases to optimize pre-cooling requirements. The pre-cooling characteristics include the location within the refueling timeline and its duration. A constant pressure-ramp rate is imposed to eliminate the effects of rapid changes in mass flow rate. A pre-cooled gas temperature of -40°C is applied, which is the lowest allowable temperature. The heat exchanger is assumed to be ideal with no energy losses. The refueling of the cylinders is modeled with the pre-cooling split in ten percent time intervals. Furthermore, varying burst durations are applied in both the early and late stages of the refueling procedure. The model shows that pre-cooling in the later stages of the refuelling process is more energy-efficient than early pre-cooling. In addition, the efficiency of pre-cooling towards the end of the refueling process is independent of the pressure profile at the inlet. This leads to the hypothesis that pre-cooled gas should be applied as late as possible in the refueling timeline and at very low temperatures. The model had shown a 31% reduction in energy demand whilst achieving the same final gas temperature for a refueling scenario when pre-cooling was applied towards the end of the process. The identification of the most energy-efficient refueling approaches whilst adhering to the safety guidelines is imperative to reducing the operating cost of hydrogen refueling stations. Heat exchangers are energy-intensive and thus, reducing the energy requirement would lead to cost reduction. This investigation shows that pre-cooling should be applied as late as possible and for short durations.

Keywords: cylinder, hydrogen, pre-cooling, refueling, thermodynamic model

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Authors: Tristan R. Fraser, Christopher D. Steadman, Christopher J. Boos

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Myopericarditis is an inflammation syndrome characterised by clinical diagnostic criteria for pericarditis, such as chest pain, combined with evidence of myocardial involvement, such as elevation of biomarkers of myocardial damage, e.g., troponins. It can rarely be a complication of therapeutics used for dysregulated immune-mediated diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), for example, mesalazine. The infrequency of mesalazine-induced myopericarditis adds to the challenge in its recognition. Rapid diagnosis and the early introduction of treatment are crucial. This case report follows a 24-year-old professional footballer with a past medical history of ulcerative colitis, recently started on mesalazine for disease control. Three weeks after mesalazine was initiated, he was admitted with fever, shortness of breath, and chest pain worse whilst supine and on deep inspiration, as well as elevated venous blood cardiac troponin T level (cTnT, 288ng/L; normal: <13ng/L). Myocarditis was confirmed on initial inpatient cardiac MRI, revealing the presence of florid myocarditis with preserved left ventricular systolic function and an ejection fraction of 67%. This was a longitudinal case study following the progress of a single individual with myopericarditis over four acute hospital admissions over nine weeks, with admissions ranging from two to five days. Parameters examined included clinical signs and symptoms, serum troponin, transthoracic echocardiogram, and cardiac MRI. Serial measurements of cardiac function, including cardiac MRI and transthoracic echocardiogram, showed progressive deterioration of cardiac function whilst mesalazine was continued. Prior to cessation of mesalazine, transthoracic echocardiography revealed a small global pericardial effusion of < 1cm and worsening left ventricular systolic function with an ejection fraction of 45%. After recognition of mesalazine as a potential cause and consequent cessation of the drug, symptoms resolved, with cardiac MRI performed as an outpatient showing resolution of myocardial oedema. The patient plans to make a return to competitive sport. Patients suffering from myopericarditis are advised to refrain from competitive sport for at least six months in order to reduce the risk of cardiac remodelling and sudden cardiac death. Additional considerations must be taken in individuals for whom competitive sport is an essential component of their livelihood, such as professional athletes. Myopericarditis is an uncommon, however potentially serious medical condition with a wide variety of aetiologies, including viral, autoimmune, and drug-related causes. Management is mainly supportive and relies on prompt recognition and removal of the aetiological process. Mesalazine-induced myopericarditis is a rare condition; as such increasing awareness of mesalazine as a precipitant of myopericarditis is vital for optimising the management of these patients.

Keywords: myopericarditis, mesalazine, inflammatory bowel disease, professional athlete

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Authors: Kai-Cheng Yang, Yen-Ling Chen, Er-Chieh Cho, Kuen-Chan Lee

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Titanium dioxide nanomaterials offer superior protection for human skin against the full spectrum of ultraviolet light. However, some literature reviews indicated that it might be associated with adverse effects such as cytotoxicity or reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to their nanoscale. The surface of fullerene is covered with π electrons constituting aromatic structures, which can effectively scavenge large amount of radicals. Unfortunately, fullerenes are poor solubility in water, severe aggregation, and toxicity in biological applications when dispersed in solvent have imposed the limitations to the use of fullerenes. Carboxyfullerene acts as the scavenger of radicals for several years. Some reports indicate that carboxyfullerene not only decrease the concentration of free radicals in ambience but also prevent cells from reducing the number or apoptosis under UV irradiation. The aim of this study is to decorate fullerene –C70-carboxylic acid (C70-COOH) on the surface of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (P25) for the purpose of scavenging ROS during the irradiation. The modified material is prepared through the esterification of C70-COOH with P25 (P25/C70-COOH). The binding edge and structure are studied by using Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). The diameter of P25 is about 30 nm and C70-COOH is found to be conjugated on the edge of P25 in aggregation morphology with the size of ca. 100 nm. In the next step, the FTIR was used to confirm the binding structure between P25 and C70-COOH. There are two new peaks are shown at 1427 and 1720 cm-1 for P25/C70-COOH, resulting from the C–C stretch and C=O stretch formed during esterification with dilute sulfuric acid. The IR results further confirm the chemically bonded interaction between C70-COOH and P25. In order to provide the evidence of scavenging radical ability of P25/C70-COOH, we chose pyridoxine (Vit.B6) and terephthalic acid (TA) to react with singlet oxygen and hydroxyl radicals. We utilized these chemicals to observe the radicals scavenging statement via detecting the intensity of ultraviolet adsorption or fluorescence emission. The UV spectra are measured by using different concentration of C70-COOH modified P25 with 1mM pyridoxine under UV irradiation for various duration times. The results revealed that the concentration of pyridoxine was increased when cooperating with P25/C70-COOH after three hours as compared with control (only P25). It indicates fewer radicals could be reacted with pyridoxine because of the absorption via P25/C70-COOH. The fluorescence spectra are observed by measuring P25/C70-COOH with 1mM terephthalic acid under UV irradiation for various duration times. The fluorescence intensity of TAOH was decreased in ten minutes when cooperating with P25/C70-COOH. Here, it was found that the fluorescence intensity was increased after thirty minutes, which could be attributed to the saturation of C70-COOH in the absorption of radicals. However, the results showed that the modified P25/C70-COOH could reduce the radicals in the environment. Therefore, we expect that P25/C70-COOH is a potential materials in using for antioxidant.

Keywords: titanium dioxide, fullerene, radical scavenging activity, antioxidant

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Authors: Bastien Sanglard, Lou Magnat, Ligia Barna, Julian Carrey, Sébastien Lachaize

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Cooking is a primary need for humans, several techniques being used around the globe based on different sources of energy: electricity, solid fuel (wood, coal...), fuel or liquefied petroleum gas. However, all of them leads to direct or indirect greenhouse gas emissions and sometimes health damage in household. Therefore, the solar concentrated power represent a great option to lower the damages because of a cleaner using phase. Nevertheless, the construction phase of the solar cooker still requires primary energy and materials, which leads to environmental impacts. The aims of this work is to analyse the ecological impacts of a commercialaluminium parabola and to compare it with other means of cooking, taking the boiling of 2 litres of water three times a day during 40 years as the functional unit. Life cycle assessment was performed using the software Umberto and the EcoInvent database. Calculations were realized over more than 13 criteria using two methods: the international panel on climate change method and the ReCiPe method. For the reflector itself, different aluminium provenances were compared, as well as the use of recycled aluminium. For the structure, aluminium was compared to iron (primary and recycled) and wood. Results show that climate impacts of the studied parabola was 0.0353 kgCO2eq/kWh when built with Chinese aluminium and can be reduced by 4 using aluminium from Canada. Assessment also showed that using 32% of recycled aluminium would reduce the impact by 1.33 and 1.43 compared to the use of primary Canadian aluminium and primary Chinese aluminium, respectively. The exclusive use of recycled aluminium lower the impact by 17. Besides, the use of iron (recycled or primary) or wood for the structure supporting the reflector significantly lowers the impact. The impact categories of the ReCiPe method show that the parabola made from Chinese aluminium has the heaviest impact - except for metal resource depletion - compared to aluminium from Canada, recycled aluminium or iron. Impact of solar cooking was then compared to gas stove and induction. The gas stove model was a cast iron tripod that supports the cooking pot, and the induction plate was as well a single spot plate. Results show the parabolic solar cooker has the lowest ecological impact over the 13 criteria of the ReCiPe method and over the global warming potential compared to the two other technologies. The climate impact of gas cooking is 0.628kgCO2/kWh when used with natural gas and 0.723 kgCO2/kWh when used with a bottle of gas. In each case, the main part of emissions came from gas burning. Induction cooking has a global warming potential of 0.12 kgCO2eq/kWh with the electricity mix of France, 96.3% of the impact being due to electricity production. Therefore, the electricity mix is a key factor for this impact: for instance, with the electricity mix of Germany and Poland, impacts are 0.81kgCO2eq/kWh and 1.39 kgCO2eq/kWh, respectively. Therefore, the parabolic solar cooker has a real ecological advantages compared to both gas stove and induction plate.

Keywords: life cycle assessement, solar concentration, cooking, sustainability

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Authors: Sakinah Idris, Gabrine Jagersma, Bjorn Jaime Van Pelt, Kirstin Greaves-Lord

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Background: The PEERS (Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills) intervention can be considered a well-established, evidence-based intervention in the USA. However, testing the efficacy of cultural adaptations of PEERS is still ongoing. More and more, the involvement of all stakeholders in the development and evaluation of interventions is acknowledged as crucial for the longer term implementation of interventions across settings. Therefore, in the current project, teens with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), their neurotypical peers, parents, teachers, as well as clinicians were involved in the development and evaluation of the Dutch version of PEERS. Objectives: The current presentation covers (1) the formative phase and (2) the preliminary adaptation test phase of the cultural adaptation of evidence-based interventions. In the formative phase, we aim to describe the process of adaptation of the PEERS program to the Dutch culture and care system. In the preliminary adaptation phase, we will present results from the preliminary adaptation test among 32 adolescents with ASD. Methods: In phase 1, a group discussion on common vocabulary was conducted among 70 teenagers (and their teachers) from special and regular education aged 12-18 years old. This inventory concerned 14 key constructs from PEERS, e.g., areas of interests, locations for making friends, common peer groups and crowds inside and outside of school, activities with friends, commonly used ways for electronic communication, ways for handling disagreements, and common teasing comebacks. Also, 15 clinicians were involved in the translation and cultural adaptation process. The translation and cultural adaptation process were guided by the research team, and who included input and feedback from all stakeholders through an iterative feedback incorporation procedure. In phase 2, The parent-reported Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), the Test of Adolescent Social Skills Knowledge (TASSK), and the Quality of Socialization Questionnaire (QSQ) were assessed pre- and post-intervention to evaluate potential treatment outcome. Results: The most striking cultural adaptation - reflecting the standpoints of all stakeholders - concerned the strategies for handling rumors and gossip, which were suggested to be taught using a similar approach as the teasing comebacks, more in line with ‘down-to-earth’ Dutch standards. The preliminary testing of this adapted version indicated that the adolescents with ASD significantly improved their social knowledge (TASSK; t₃₁ = -10.9, p < .01), social experience (QSQ-Parent; t₃₁ = -4.2, p < .01 and QSQ-Adolescent; t₃₂ = -3.8, p < .01), and in parent-reported social responsiveness (SRS; t₃₃ = 3.9, p < .01). In addition, subjective evaluations of teens with ASD, their parents and clinicians were positive. Conclusions: In order to further scrutinize the effectiveness of the Dutch version of the PEERS intervention, we recommended performing a larger scale randomized control trial (RCT) design, for which we provide several methodological considerations.

Keywords: cultural adaptation, PEERS, preliminary testing, translation

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Authors: Ravi Raj, Louis Chiu, Deepak Marla, Aijun Huang

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Hybridization of the directed laser deposition (DLD) process using an in-situ micro-roller to impart a vertical compressive load on the deposited bead at elevated temperatures can relieve tensile residual stresses incurred in the process. To investigate this stress relief mechanism and its relationship with the in-situ rolling parameters, a fully coupled dynamic thermo-mechanical model is presented in this study. A single bead deposition of Ti-6Al-4V alloy with an in-situ roller made of mild steel moving at a constant speed with a fixed nominal bead reduction is simulated using the explicit solver of the finite element software, Abaqus. The thermal model includes laser heating during the deposition process and the heat transfer between the roller and the deposited bead. The laser heating is modeled using a moving heat source with a Gaussian distribution, applied along the pre-formed bead’s surface using the VDFLUX Fortran subroutine. The bead’s cross-section is assumed to be semi-elliptical. The interfacial heat transfer between the roller and the bead is considered in the model. Besides, the roller is cooled internally using axial water flow, considered in the model using convective heat transfer. The mechanical model for the bead and substrate includes the effects of rolling along with the deposition process, and their elastoplastic material behavior is captured using the J2 plasticity theory. The model accounts for strain, strain rate, and temperature effects on the yield stress based on Johnson-Cook’s theory. Various aspects of this material behavior are captured in the FE software using the subroutines -VUMAT for elastoplastic behavior, VUHARD for yield stress, and VUEXPAN for thermal strain. The roller is assumed to be elastic and does not undergo any plastic deformation. Also, contact friction at the roller-bead interface is considered in the model. Based on the thermal results of the bead, the distance between the roller and the deposition nozzle (roller o set) can be determined to ensure rolling occurs around the beta-transus temperature for the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. It is identified that roller offset and the nominal bead height reduction are crucial parameters that influence the residual stresses in the hybrid process. The results obtained from a simulation at roller offset of 20 mm and nominal bead height reduction of 7% reveal that the tensile residual stresses decrease to about 52% due to in-situ rolling throughout the deposited bead. This model can be used to optimize the rolling parameters to minimize the residual stresses in the hybrid DLD process with in-situ micro-rolling.

Keywords: directed laser deposition, finite element analysis, hybrid in-situ rolling, thermo-mechanical model

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Authors: Fangfang Wang, Tianjing Wang, Leyi Fu, Feng Yun, Ningning Xie, Jue Zhou, Fan Qu

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Background: Ferroptosis, a recently discovered form of programmed cell death characterized by iron-dependent lipid peroxidation, may be linked to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Diseases marked by iron overload have been correlated with ferroptosis. Coincidently, investigations have revealed anomalies in iron metabolism among women with PCOS; however, there were inconsistencies in the evidence. Objective and Rationale: This review aimed to comprehensively explore the potential relationship between ferroptosis and PCOS by investigating the differences in iron metabolism among women with PCOS in comparison to a control group. Additionally, a narrative synthesis was provided on the past research status regarding the association between PCOS and ferroptosis. Methods: A systematic search of the literature was performed using PubMed, Embase, Web of Science from inception up to December 2022. Search terms relating to assisted PCOS, ferroptosis, and iron metabolism were used. PRISMA guidance was followed. RevMan 5.4 was utilized for conducting the meta-analysis, wherein the investigated outcomes included iron status (ferritin, iron, transferrin saturation) and a systemic iron-regulatory hormone (hepcidin). A narrative synthesis was performed to explore the correlation between PCOS and ferroptosis. Results: In the meta-analysis comprising a total of 16 studies, significant differences in serum ferritin levels between the PCOS group and the control group were observed (15 studies, standardized mean difference (SMD): 0.41, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.59, P<0.01). This indicates elevated serum ferritin levels in PCOS patients compared to women without PCOS. The transferrin saturation in PCOS patients was significantly higher than that in the control group (3 studies, mean difference (MD): 4.39, 95% CI: 1.67 to 7.11, P<0.01). Regarding serum iron (6 studies, SMD: 0.05, 95% CI: -0.24 to 0.33, P=0.75) and serum hepcidin (4 studies, SMD: -0.44, 95% CI: -1.41 to 0.52, P=0.37), no statistically significant differences were observed between the PCOS group and the control group. Other studies have found that ferroptosis is involved in the occurrence and development of PCOS, offering valuable insights for guiding potential treatment measures and prognosis evaluation of PCOS. In addition, ferroptosis is involved in the miscarriage of PCOS-like rats; thus, controlling ferroptosis might improve pregnancy outcomes in PCOS. Conclusions: The observation of a significant elevation in serum ferritin and transferrin saturation levels in women with PCOS may suggest an underlying disturbance in iron metabolism, potentially inducing the activation of ferroptosis. Further research is imperative to elucidate the underlying pathophysiology, providing insights for potential preventive measures and therapeutic strategies. Limitation: There are some limitations as follows: First, due to limited extractable information, we excluded purely abstract publications and non-English publications. Second, the majority of original articles were case-control studies, making it difficult to determine the causal relationship between iron metabolism abnormalities and the onset of PCOS. Third, there is substantial heterogeneity in the definition of PCOS.

Keywords: polycystic ovary syndrome, ferroptosis, iron metabolism, systematic review and meta-analysis

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Authors: Virginia Venturini, Elisabet Walker, Aylen Carrasco-Millan

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Latin America stands at the front of climate change impacts, with forecasts projecting accelerated temperature and sea level rises compared to the global average. These changes are set to trigger a cascade of effects, including coastal retreat, intensified droughts in some nations, and heightened flood risks in others. In Argentina, wildfires historically affected forests, but since 2004, wetland fires have emerged as a pressing concern. By 2021, the wetlands of the Paraná River faced a dangerous situation. In fact, during the year 2021, a high-risk scenario was naturally formed in the wetlands of the Paraná River, in Argentina. Very low water levels in the rivers, and excessive standing dead plant material (fuel), triggered most of the fires recorded in the vast wetland region of the Paraná during 2020-2021. During 2008 fire events devastated nearly 15% of the Paraná Delta, and by late 2021 new fires burned more than 300,000 ha of these same wetlands. Therefore, the goal of this work is to explore remote sensing tools to monitor environmental conditions and the severity of prescribed burns in the Paraná River wetlands. Thus, two prescribed burning experiments were carried out in the study area (31°40’ 05’’ S, 60° 34’ 40’’ W) during September 2023. The first experiment was carried out on Sept. 13th, in a plot of 0.5 ha which dominant vegetation were Echinochloa sp., and Thalia, while the second trial was done on Sept 29th in a plot of 0.7 ha, next to the first burned parcel; here the dominant vegetation species were Echinochloa sp. and Solanum glaucophyllum. Field campaigns were conducted between September 8th and November 8th to assess the severity of the prescribed burns. Flight surveys were conducted utilizing a DJI® Inspire II drone equipped with a Sentera® NDVI camera. Then, burn severity was quantified by analyzing images captured by the Sentera camera along with data from the Sentinel 2 satellite mission. This involved subtracting the NDVI images obtained before and after the burn experiments. The results from both data sources demonstrate a highly heterogeneous impact of fire within the patch. Mean severity values obtained with drone NDVI images of the first experience were about 0.16 and 0.18 with Sentinel images. For the second experiment, mean values obtained with the drone were approximately 0.17 and 0.16 with Sentinel images. Thus, most of the pixels showed low fire severity and only a few pixels presented moderated burn severity, based on the wildfire scale. The undisturbed plots maintained consistent mean NDVI values throughout the experiments. Moreover, the severity assessment of each experiment revealed that the vegetation was not completely dry, despite experiencing extreme drought conditions.

Keywords: prescribed-burn, severity, NDVI, wetlands

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Authors: Aipeng Zhu, Yun Zhang

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The growing grievous environment problems together with the exhaustion of energy resources put urgent demands for developing high energy density. Considering the factors including capacity, resource and environment, Manganese-based lithium-rich layer-structured cathode materials xLi₂MnO₃⋅(1-x)LiMO₂ (M = Ni, Co, Mn, and other metals) are drawing increasing attention due to their high reversible capacities, high discharge potentials, and low cost. They are expected to be one type of the most promising cathode materials for the next-generation Li-ion batteries (LIBs) with higher energy densities. Unfortunately, their commercial applications are hindered with crucial drawbacks such as poor rate performance, limited cycle life and continuous falling of the discharge potential. With decades of extensive studies, significant achievements have been obtained in improving their cyclability and rate performances, but they cannot meet the requirement of commercial utilization till now. One major problem for lithium-rich layer-structured cathode materials (LLOs) is the side reaction during cycling, which leads to severe surface degradation. In this process, the metal ions can dissolve in the electrolyte, and the surface phase change can hinder the intercalation/deintercalation of Li ions and resulting in low capacity retention and low working voltage. To optimize the LLOs cathode material, the surface coating is an efficient method. Considering the price and stability, Al₂O₃ was used as a coating material in the research. Meanwhile, due to the low initial Coulombic efficiency (ICE), the pristine LLOs was pretreated by KMnO₄ to increase the ICE. The precursor was prepared by a facile coprecipitation method. The as-prepared precursor was then thoroughly mixed with Li₂CO₃ and calcined in air at 500℃ for 5h and 900℃ for 12h to produce Li₁.₂[Ni₀.₂Mn₀.₆]O₂ (LNMO). The LNMO was then put into 0.1ml/g KMnO₄ solution stirring for 3h. The resultant was filtered and washed with water, and dried in an oven. The LLOs obtained was dispersed in Al(NO₃)₃ solution. The mixture was lyophilized to confer the Al(NO₃)₃ was uniformly coated on LLOs. After lyophilization, the LLOs was calcined at 500℃ for 3h to obtain LNMO@LMO@ALO. The working electrodes were prepared by casting the mixture of active material, acetylene black, and binder (polyvinglidene fluoride) dissolved in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone with a mass ratio of 80: 15: 5 onto an aluminum foil. The electrochemical performance tests showed that the multiple surface modified materials had a higher initial Coulombic efficiency (84%) and better capacity retention (91% after 100 cycles) compared with that of pristine LNMO (76% and 80%, respectively). The modified material suggests that the KMnO₄ pretreat and Al₂O₃ coating can increase the ICE and cycling stability.

Keywords: Li-rich materials, surface coating, lithium ion batteries, Al₂O₃

Procedia PDF Downloads 130

Authors: Kumaran Letchmanan, Shou-Cang Shen, Wai Kiong Ng

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Postoperative implant-associated infections in soft tissues and bones remain a serious complication in orthopaedic surgery, which leads to impaired healing, re-implantation, prolong hospital stay and increase cost. Drug-loaded implants with sustained release of antibiotics at the local site are current research interest to reduce the risk of post-operative infections and osteomyelitis, thus, minimize the need for follow-up care and increase patient comfort. However, the improved drug release of the drug-loaded bone cements is usually accompanied by a loss in mechanical strength, which is critical for weight-bearing bone cement. Recently, more attempts have been undertaken to develop techniques to enhance the antibiotic elution as well as preserve the mechanical properties of the bone cements. The present study investigates the potential influence of addition of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) on the in vitro drug release kinetics of gentamicin (GTMC), along with the mechanical properties of bone cements. Simplex P was formulated with MSN and loaded with GTMC by direct impregnation. Meanwhile, Simplex P with water soluble poragen (xylitol) and high loading of GTMC as well as commercial bone cement CMW Smartset GHV were used as controls. MSN-formulated bone cements are able to increase the drug release of GTMC by 3-fold with a cumulative release of more than 46% as compared with other control groups. Furthermore, a sustained release could be achieved for two months. The loaded nano-sized MSN with uniform pore channels significantly build up an effective nano-network path in the bone cement facilitates the diffusion and extended release of GTMC. Compared with formulations using xylitol and high GTMC loading, incorporation of MSN shows no detrimental effect on biomechanical properties of the bone cements as no significant changes in the mechanical properties as compared with original bone cement. After drug release for two months, the bending modulus of MSN-formulated bone cements is 4.49 ± 0.75 GPa and the compression strength is 92.7 ± 2.1 MPa (similar to the compression strength of Simplex-P: 93.0 ± 1.2 MPa). The unaffected mechanical properties of MSN-formulated bone cements was due to the unchanged microstructures of bone cement, whereby more than 98% of MSN remains in the matrix and supports the bone cement structures. In contrast, the large portions of extra voids can be observed for the formulations using xylitol and high drug loading after the drug release study, thus caused compressive strength below the ASTM F541 and ISO 5833 minimum of 70 MPa. These results demonstrate the potential applicability of MSN-functionalized poly(methyl methacrylate)-based bone cement as a highly efficient, sustained and local drug delivery system with good mechanical properties.

Keywords: antibiotics, biomechanical properties, bone cement, sustained release

Procedia PDF Downloads 257

Authors: Tiziana Pepe, Gerardo Manfreda, Adriana Ianieri, Aniello Anastasio

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The sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources is among the most important objectives of the EU's Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Currently, Europe imports about 65% of its fish products, indicating that domestic production does not meet consumer demand. Despite the availability of numerous commercially significant fish species, European consumption is concentrated on a limited number of products (e.g., sea bass, sea bream, shrimp). Many native species, present in large quantities in the Mediterranean Sea, are little known to consumers and are therefore considered ‘fishing by-products’. All the data presented so far indicate a significant waste of local resources and the overexploitation of a few fish stocks. It is therefore necessary to develop strategies that guide the market towards sustainable conversion. The objective of this work was to valorize underutilized fish species of the Mediterranean Sea through a multidisciplinary approach. To this end, three fish species were sampled: Atlantic Horse Mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), Bogue (Boops boops), and Common Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus). Nutritional properties (water %, fats, proteins, ashes, salts), physical/chemical properties (TVB-N, histamine, pH), and rheological properties (color, texture, viscosity) were analyzed. The analyses were conducted on both fillets and processing by-products. Additionally, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was extracted from the muscle of each species. The mtDNA was then sequenced using the Illumina NGS technique. The analysis of nutritional properties classified the fillets of the sampled species as lean or semi-fat, as they had a fat content of less than 3%, while the by-products showed a higher lipid content (2.7-5%). The protein percentage for all fillets was 22-23%, while for processing by-products, the protein concentration was 18-19% for all species. Rheological analyses showed an increase in viscosity in saline solution in all species, indicating their potential suitability for industrial processing. High-quality and quantity complete mtDNA was extracted from all analyzed species. The complete mitochondrial genome sequences were successfully obtained and annotated. The results of this study suggest that all analyzed species are suitable for both human consumption and feed production. The sequencing of the complete mtDNA and its availability in international databases will be useful for accurate phylogenetic analysis and proper species identification, even in prepared and processed products. Underutilized fish species represent an important economic resource. Encouraging their consumption could limit the phenomenon of overfishing, protecting marine biodiversity. Furthermore, the valorization of these species will increase national fish production, supporting the local economy, cultural, and gastronomic tradition, and optimizing the exploitation of Mediterranean resources in accordance with the CFP.

Keywords: mtDNA, nutritional analysis, sustainable fisheries, underutilized fish species

Procedia PDF Downloads 30

Authors: Zikun Li, Regine Talleyrand

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Negative body image is one of the most common causes of eating disorders, and it is not only happening to women. Regardless of the increasing attention that researchers and practitioners have been paying to the male population and their body image concerns, men of color have yet to be fully represented or studied. Given the consensus that the sociocultural experiences of people of color may play a significant role in their health and well-being, this study focused on assessing the mechanism through which sociocultural factors may influence men of color’s perceptions of body image. In particular, this study focused on untangling how interpersonal and media pressure, as well as ethnic-racial identities and perceptions, would impact body dissatisfaction in terms of muscularity, body fat, and height in men of color and how this mechanism is moderated across different ethnic-racial groups. The structural equation modeling approach was therefore applied to achieve the research goal. With the sample size of 181 self-identified Black, Indigenous, and People of Color male participants aged 20-50 (M=33.33, SD=6.9) through surveying on Amazon’s MTurk platform, the proposed model achieved a modestly acceptable model fit with the pooled sample, X2(836) = 1412.184, CFI = 0.900, RMSEA = 0.062 [0.056, 0.067]. And SRMR = 0.088, And it explained 89.5% of the variance in body dissatisfaction. The results showed that of all the direct effects on body dissatisfaction, interpersonal appearance pressure exhibited the strongest effect (β = 0.410***), followed by media appearance pressure (β = 0.272**) and self-hatred feeling (β = 0.245**). The ethnic-racial related factors (i.e., stereotype endorsement, ethnic-racial salience, and nationalistic assimilation) statistically influenced body dissatisfaction through the mediators of media appearance pressure and/or self-hatred feeling. Furthermore, the moderation analysis between Black/African American men and non-Black/African American men revealed the substantial differences in how ethnic/racial identity impacts one’s perception of body image, and the Black/African American men were found to be influenced by sociocultural factors at a higher level, compared with their counterparts. The impacts of demographic characteristics (i.e., SES, weight, height) on body dissatisfaction were also examined. Instead of considering interpersonal appearance pressure and media pressure as two subscales under one construct, this study considered them as two separate and distinct sociocultural factors. The good model fit to the data indicates this rationality and encourages scholars to reconsider the impacts of two sources of social pressures on body dissatisfaction. In addition, this study also provided empirical evidence of the moderation effect existing within the population of men of color, which reveals the heterogeneity existing across different ethnic-racial groups and implies the necessity to study individual ethnic-racial groups so as to better understand the mechanism of sociocultural influences on men of color’s body dissatisfaction. These findings strengthened the current understanding of the body image concerns exciting among men of color and meanwhile provided empirical evidence for practitioners to provide tailored health prevention and treatment options for this growing population in the United States.

Keywords: men of color, body image concerns, sociocultural factors, structural equation modeling

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Authors: Anthony S. Machi, Joseph Minardi

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We present a case report of left atrial myxoma diagnosed by bedside transesophageal (TEE) ultrasound. Left atrial myxoma is the most common benign cardiac tumor and can obstruct blood flow and cause valvular insufficiency. Common symptoms consist of dyspnea, pulmonary edema and other features of left heart failure in addition to thrombus release in the form of tumor fragments. The availability of bedside ultrasound equipment is essential for the quick diagnosis and treatment of various emergency conditions including cardiac neoplasms. A 48-year-old Caucasian female with a four-year history of an untreated renal mass and anemia presented to the ED with two months of sharp, intermittent, bilateral flank pain radiating into the abdomen. She also reported intermittent vomiting and constipation along with generalized body aches, night sweats, and 100-pound weight loss over last year. She had a CT in 2013 showing a 3 cm left renal mass and a second CT in April 2016 showing a 3.8 cm left renal mass along with a past medical history of diverticulosis, chronic bronchitis, dyspnea on exertion, uncontrolled hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. Her maternal family history is positive for breast cancer, hypertension, and Type II Diabetes. Her paternal family history is positive for stroke. She was a current everyday smoker with an 11 pack/year history. Alcohol and drug use were denied. Physical exam was notable for a Grade II/IV systolic murmur at the right upper sternal border, dyspnea on exertion without angina, and a tender left lower quadrant. Her vitals and labs were notable for a blood pressure of 144/96, heart rate of 96 beats per minute, pulse oximetry of 96%, hemoglobin of 7.6 g/dL, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, and multiple other abnormalities. Physicians ordered a CT to evaluate her flank pain which revealed a 7.2 x 8.9 x 10.5 cm mixed cystic/solid mass in the lower pole of the left kidney and a filling defect in the left atrium. Bedside TEE was ordered to follow up on the filling defect. TEE reported an ejection fraction of 60-65% and visualized a mobile 6 x 3 cm mass in the left atrium attached to the interatrial septum extending into the mitral valve. Cardiothoracic Surgery and Urology were consulted and confirmed a diagnosis of left atrial myxoma and clear cell renal cell carcinoma. The patient returned a week later due to worsening nausea and vomiting and underwent emergent nephrectomy, lymph node dissection, and colostomy due to a necrotic colon. Her condition declined over the next four months due to lung and brain metastases, infections, and other complications until she passed away.

Keywords: bedside ultrasound, echocardiography, emergency medicine, left atrial myxoma

Procedia PDF Downloads 329

Authors: E. Obreque-Slier, V. Contreras-Cortez, R. López-Solís

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Astringency is a drying, roughing, and sometimes puckering sensation that is experienced on the various oral surfaces during or immediately after tasting foods. This sensation has been closely related to the interaction and precipitation between salivary proteins and polyphenols, specifically flavanols or proanthocyanidins. In addition, the type and concentration of proanthocyanidin influences significantly the intensity of the astringency and consequently the protein/proanthocyanidin interaction. However, most of the studies are based on the interaction between saliva and highly complex polyphenols, without considering the effect of monomeric proanthoancyanidins present in different foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different monomeric proanthocyanidins on the diffusion and precipitation of salivary proteins. Thus, solutions of catechin, epicatechin, epigallocatechin and gallocatechin (0, 2.0, 4.0, 6.0, 8.0 and 10 mg/mL) were mixed with human saliva (1: 1 v/v). After incubation for 5 min at room temperature, 15 µL aliquots of each mix were dotted on a cellulose membrane and allowed to dry spontaneously at room temperature. The membrane was fixed, rinsed and stained for proteins with Coomassie blue. After exhaustive washing in 7% acetic acid, the membrane was rinsed once in distilled water and dried under a heat lamp. Both diffusion area and stain intensity of the protein spots were semiqualitative estimates for protein-tannin interaction (diffusion test). The rest of the whole saliva-phenol solution mixtures of the diffusion assay were centrifuged, and 15-μL aliquots from each of the supernatants were dotted on a cellulose membrane. The membrane was processed for protein staining as indicated above. The blue-stained area of protein distribution corresponding to each of the extract dilution-saliva mixtures was quantified by Image J 1.45 software. Each of the assays was performed at least three times. Initially, salivary proteins display a biphasic distribution on cellulose membranes, that is, when aliquots of saliva are placed on absorbing cellulose membranes, and free diffusion of saliva is allowed to occur, a non-diffusible protein fraction becomes surrounded by highly diffusible salivary proteins. In effect, once diffusion has ended, a protein-binding dye shows an intense blue-stained roughly circular area close to the spotting site (non-diffusible fraction) (NDF) which becomes surrounded by a weaker blue-stained outer band (diffusible fraction) (DF). Likewise, the diffusion test showed that epicatechin caused the complete disappearance of DF from saliva with 2 mg/mL. Also, epigallocatechin and gallocatechin caused a similar effect with 4 mg/mL, while catechin generated the same effect at 8 mg/mL. In the precipitation test, the use of epicatechin and gallocatechin generated evident precipitates at the bottom of the Eppendorf tubes. In summary, the flavanol type differentially affects the diffusion and precipitation of saliva, which would affect the sensation of astringency perceived by consumers.

Keywords: astringency, polyphenols, tannins, tannin-protein interaction

Procedia PDF Downloads 199

Authors: Melanie Francois, Gilles Caboche, Frederic Demoisson, Francois Maeght, Maria Paola Carpanese, Lionel Combemale, Pascal Briois

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Finding new clean, and efficient way for energy production is one of the actual global challenges. Advances in fuel cell technology have shown that, for few years, Protonic Ceramic Fuel Cell (PCFC) has attracted much attention in the field of new hydrogen energy thanks to their lower working temperature, possible higher efficiency, and better durability than classical SOFC. On the contrary of SOFC, where O²⁻ oxygen ion is the charge carrier, PCFC works with H⁺ proton as a charge carrier. Consequently, the lower activation energy of proton diffusion compared to the one of oxygen ion explains those benefits and allows PCFC to work in the 400-600°C temperature range. Doped-BaCeO₃ is currently the most chosen material for this application because of its high protonic conductivity; for example, BaCe₀.₉Y₀.₁O₃ δ exhibits a total conductivity of 1.5×10⁻² S.cm⁻¹ at 600°C in wet H₂. However, BaCeO₃ based perovskite has low stability in H₂O and/or CO₂ containing atmosphere, which limits their practical application. On the contrary, BaZrO₃ based perovskite exhibits good chemical stability but lower total conductivity than BaCeO₃ due to its larger grain boundary resistance. By substituting zirconium with 20% of yttrium, it is possible to achieve a total conductivity of 2.5×10⁻² S.cm⁻¹ at 600°C in wet H₂. However, the high refractory property of BaZr₀.₈Y₀.₂O₃-δ (noted BZY20) causes problems to obtain a dense membrane with large grains. Thereby, using a synthesis process that gives fine particles could allow better sinterability and thus decrease the number of grain boundaries leading to a higher total conductivity. In this work, BaZr₀.₈Y₀.₂O₃-δ have been synthesized by classical batch hydrothermal device and by a continuous hydrothermal device developed at ICB laboratory. The two variants of this process are able to work in supercritical conditions, leading to the formation of nanoparticles, which could be sintered at a lower temperature. The as-synthesized powder exhibits the right composition for the perovskite phase, impurities such as BaCO₃ and YO-OH were detected at very low concentration. Microstructural investigation and densification rate measurement showed that the addition of 1 wt% of ZnO as sintering aid and a sintering at 1550°C for 5 hours give high densified electrolyte material. Furthermore, it is necessary to heat the synthesized powder prior to the sintering to prevent the formation of secondary phases. It is assumed that this thermal treatment homogenizes the crystal structure of the powder and reduces the number of defects into the bulk grains. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy investigations in various atmospheres and a large range of temperature (200-700°C) were then performed on sintered samples, and the protonic conductivity of BZY20 has been highlighted. Further experiments on half-cell, NiO-BZY20 as anode and BZY20 as electrolyte, are in progress.

Keywords: hydrothermal synthesis, impedance measurement, Y-doped BaZrO₃, proton conductor

Procedia PDF Downloads 137

Authors: Naiara Ozamiz Etcebarria, Sonia Ruiz De Azua Garcia, Agurtzane Ortiz Jauregi, Virginia Guillen Cañas

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Introduction: The most relevant competencies of a health professional are an adequate communication capacity, which will influence the satisfaction of professionals and patients, therapeutic compliance, conflict prevention, clinical outcomes´ improvement and efficiency of health services. The ability of Active listening , empathy, assertiveness and social skills, are important abilities to develop in all professions in which there is a relationship with other people. In the field of health, it is even more important to have adequate qualities so that the treatment with the patient will be adequate and satisfactory. We conducted a research with students of third year in the Degree of Medicine with the objectives: - to know how the active listening, empathy, assertiveness and social skills of students are. - to know if there are differences according to different demographic variables, such as sex, language, age, number of siblings and interest in the subject. Material and Methods: The students of the Third year in the Degree of Medicine (N = 212) participated voluntarily. Sociodemographic data were collected. Descriptive and comparative analysis of the averages of the students with respect to active listening, empathy, assertiveness and social skills were performed. Once the questionnaires were collected, they were entered into the SPSS 21 database. Four communicational aspects were evaluated: The active listening questionnaire, the TECA empathy questionnaire, the ACDA questionnaire and the EHS questionnaire Social Skills Scale. The active listening questionnaire assesses these factors: Listening without interruption and less contradiction, Listening with 100% attention, Listening beyond words, Listening encouraging the other to go deeper. The TECA questionnaire of cognitive and affective empathy evaluates: Adoption of perspectives, Emotional Comprehension, Emphasizing stress, Empathic joy. The EHS questionnaire Social Skills Scale: Self-expression in social situations, Defending one's own rights as a consumer, Expressing anger or dissatisfaction, Refusing to do and cutting interactions off, Making requests, Initiating positive interactions with the other sex. The ACDA questionnaire Assertiveness Assessment Scale evaluates self-assertiveness and heteroaservitivity. Applicability: To train these skills is so important for clinical practice of medical students and these capabilities that can be measured in a longitudinal way time. Ethical-legal aspects: The data were anonymous. The study was approved by the Ethics Committee. Results: The students of the Third year in the Degree of Medicine (34.4% Basque speakers and 65.6% Spanish speakers) with average age 20.93, (27.8% men and 72.2% women). There are no differences in social skills between men and women. The Basque speaker students of are more heteroactive (ACDA) than Spanish students. Active listening has a high correlation with social skills, especially with self-expression in social situations. Listening without interruption has a high correlation with self-expression in social situations and initiating positive interactions with the opposite sex. Adoption of perspectives presents a high correlation with auto- assertiveness. Emotional understanding presents a high correlation with positive interactions with the opposite sex. Empathic joy correlates with self-assertiveness, self-expression in social situations, and initiating positive interactions with the opposite sex.

Keywords: active listening, assertiveness, communicational skills, empathy, students of medicine

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Authors: Mahmut Sozmen, Alparslan Kadir Devrim, Yonca Betil Kabak, Tuba Devrim

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Acute myocardial infarction is the leading cause of deaths in the worldwide. Mature cardiomyocytes do not have the ability to regenerate instead fibrous tissue proliferate and granulation tissue to fill out. Periostin is an extracellular matrix protein from fasciclin family and it plays an important role in the cell adhesion, migration, and growth of the organism. Periostin prevents apoptosis while stimulating cardiomyocytes. The main objective of this project is to investigate the effects of the recombinant murine periostin peptide administration for the cardiomyocyte regeneration in a rat model of acute myocardial infarction. The experiment was performed on 84 male rats (6 months old) in 4 group each contains 21 rats. Saline applied subcutaneously (1 ml/kg) two times with 24 hours intervals to the rats in control group (Group 1). Recombinant periostin peptide (1 μg/kg) dissolved in saline applied intraperitoneally in group 2 on 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21. days on same dates in group 4. Isoproterenol dissolved in saline applied intraperitoneally (85mg/kg/day) two times with 24 hours intervals to the groups 3 and 4. Rats in group 4 further received recombinant periostin peptide (1 μg/kg) dissolved in saline intraperitoneally starting one day after the final isoproterenol administration on days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21. Following the final application of periostin rats continued to feed routinely with pelleted chow and water ad libitum for further seven days. At the end of 7th day rats sacrificed, blood and heart tissue samples collected for the immunohistochemical and biochemical analysis. Angiogenesis in response to tissue damage, is a highly dynamic process regulated by signals from the surrounding extracellular matrix and blood serum. In this project, VEGF, ANGPT, bFGF, TGFβ are the key factors that contribute to cardiomyocyte regeneration were investigated. Additionally, the relationship between mitosis and apoptosis (Bcl-2, Bax, PCNA, Ki-67, Phopho-Histone H3), cell cycle activators and inhibitors (Cyclin D1, D2, A2, Cdc2), the origin of regenerating cells (cKit and CD45) were examined. Present results revealed that periostin stimulated cardiomyocye cell-cycle re-entry in both normal and MCA damaged cardiomyocytes and increased angiogenesis. Thus, periostin contributes to cardiomyocyte regeneration during the healing period following myocardial infarction which provides a better understanding of its role of this mechanism, improving recovery rates and it is expected to contribute the lack of literature on this subject. Acknowledgement: This project was financially supported by Turkish Scientific Research Council- Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Research Support Group (TUBİTAK-TOVAG; Project No: 114O734), Ankara, TURKEY.

Keywords: cardiotoxicity, immunohistochemistry, isoproterenol, periostin

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Authors: Deepti Kumari, Upamanyu Hore

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Cities are an example of a human-modified environment with few fragments of urban green spaces, which are widely considered for urban biodiversity. The study aims to address the avifaunal diversity in urban parks based on the park size and their urbanization intensity. Also, understanding the key factors affecting species composition and structure as birds are a good indicator of a healthy ecosystem, and they are sensitive to changes in the environment. A 50 m-long line-transect method is used to survey birds in 39 urban parks in Delhi, India. Habitat variables, including vegetation (percentage of non-native trees, percentage of native trees, top canopy cover, sub-canopy cover, diameter at breast height, ground vegetation cover, shrub height) were measured using the quadrat method along the transect, and disturbance variables (distance from water, distance from road, distance from settlement, park area, visitor rate, and urbanization intensity) were measured using ArcGIS and google earth. We analyzed species data for diversity and richness. We explored the relation of species diversity and richness to habitat variables using the multi-model inference approach. Diversity and richness are found significant in different park sizes and their urbanization intensity. Medium size park supports more diversity, whereas large size park has more richness. However, diversity and richness both declined with increasing urbanization intensity. The result of CCA revealed that species composition in urban parks was positively associated with tree diameter at breast height and distance from the settlement. On the model selection approach, disturbance variables, especially distance from road, urbanization intensity, and visitors are the best predictors for the species richness of birds in urban parks. In comparison, multiple regression analysis between habitat variables and bird diversity suggested that native tree species in the park may explain the diversity pattern of birds in urban parks. Feeding guilds such as insectivores, omnivores, carnivores, granivores, and frugivores showed a significant relation with vegetation variables, while carnivores and scavenger bird species mainly responded with disturbance variables. The study highlights the importance of park size in urban areas and their urbanization intensity. It also indicates that distance from the settlement, distance from the road, urbanization intensity, visitors, diameter at breast height, and native tree species can be important determining factors for bird richness and diversity in urban parks. The study also concludes that the response of feeding guilds to vegetation and disturbance in urban parks varies. Therefore, we recommend that park size and surrounding urban matrix should be considered in order to increase bird diversity and richness in urban areas for designing and planning.

Keywords: diversity, feeding guild, urban park, urbanization intensity

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Authors: Sameerah A. Al-Hariri Al-Zahrani

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The current study aims at getting acquainted with the impact of the use of some multiple intelligence-based teaching strategies on developing moral intelligence and inferential jurisprudential thinking among secondary school female students. The study has endeavored to answer the following questions: What is the impact of the use of some multiple intelligence-based teaching strategies on developing inferential jurisprudential thinking and moral intelligence among first-year secondary school female students? In the frame of this main research question, the study seeks to answer the following sub-questions: (i) What are the inferential jurisprudential thinking skills among first-year secondary school female students? (ii) What are the components of moral intelligence among first year secondary school female students? (iii) What is the impact of the use of some multiple intelligence‐based teaching strategies (such as the strategies of analyzing values, modeling, Socratic discussion, collaborative learning, peer collaboration, collective stories, building emotional moments, role play, one-minute observation) on moral intelligence among first-year secondary school female students? (iv) What is the impact of the use of some multiple intelligence‐based teaching strategies (such as the strategies of analyzing values, modeling, Socratic discussion, collaborative learning, peer collaboration, collective stories, building emotional moments, role play, one-minute observation) on developing the capacity for inferential jurisprudential thinking of juristic rules among first-year secondary school female students? The study has used the descriptive-analytical methodology in surveying, analyzing, and reviewing the literature on previous studies in order to benefit from them in building the tools of the study and the materials of experimental treatment. The study has also used the experimental method to study the impact of the independent variable (multiple intelligence strategies) on the two dependent variables (moral intelligence and inferential jurisprudential thinking) in first-year secondary school female students’ learning. The sample of the study is made up of 70 female students that have been divided into two groups: an experimental group consisting of 35 students who have been taught through multiple intelligence strategies, and a control group consisting of the other 35 students who have been taught normally. The two tools of the study (inferential jurisprudential thinking test and moral intelligence scale) have been implemented on the two groups as a pre-test. The female researcher taught the experimental group and implemented the two tools of the study. After the experiment, which lasted eight weeks, was over, the study showed the following results: (i) The existence of significant statistical differences (0.05) between the mean average of the control group and that of the experimental group in the inferential jurisprudential thinking test (recognition of the evidence of jurisprudential rule, recognition of the motive for the jurisprudential rule, jurisprudential inferencing, analogical jurisprudence) in favor of the experimental group. (ii) The existence of significant statistical differences (0.05) between the mean average of the control group and that of the experimental group in the components of the moral intelligence scale (sympathy, conscience, moral wisdom, tolerance, justice, respect) in favor of the experimental group. The study has, thus, demonstrated the impact of the use of some multiple intelligence-based teaching strategies on developing moral intelligence and inferential jurisprudential thinking.

Keywords: moral intelligence, teaching, inferential jurisprudential thinking, secondary school

Procedia PDF Downloads 159

Authors: Paritosh Goel

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The conservation of historic buildings and historic Centre’s over recent years has become fully encompassed in the planning of built-up areas and their management following climate changes. The approach of the world of restoration, in the Indian context on integrated urban regeneration and its strategic potential for a smarter, more sustainable and socially inclusive urban development introduces, for urban transformations in general (historical centers and otherwise), the theme of sustainability. From this viewpoint, it envisages, as a primary objective, a real “green, ecological or environmental” requalification of the city through interventions within the main categories of sustainability: mobility, energy efficiency, use of sources of renewable energy, urban metabolism (waste, water, territory, etc.) and natural environment. With this the concept of a “resilient city” is also introduced, which can adapt through progressive transformations to situations of change which may not be predictable, behavior that the historical city has always been able to express. Urban planning on the other hand, has increasingly focused on analyses oriented towards the taxonomic description of social/economic and perceptive parameters. It is connected with human behavior, mobility and the characterization of the consumption of resources, in terms of quantity even before quality to inform the city design process, which for ancient fabrics, and mainly affects the public space also in its social dimension. An exact definition of the term “smart city” is still essentially elusive, since we can attribute three dimensions to the term: a) That of a virtual city, evolved based on digital networks and web networks b) That of a physical construction determined by urban planning based on infrastructural innovation, which in the case of historic Centre’s implies regeneration that stimulates and sometimes changes the existing fabric; c) That of a political and social/economic project guided by a dynamic process that provides new behavior and requirements of the city communities that orients the future planning of cities also through participation in their management. This paper is a preliminary research into the connections between these three dimensions applied to the specific case of the fabric of ancient cities with the aim of obtaining a scientific theory and methodology to apply to the regeneration of Indian historical Centre’s. The Smart city scheme if contextualize with heritage of the city it can be an initiative which intends to provide a transdisciplinary approach between various research networks (natural sciences, socio-economics sciences and humanities, technological disciplines, digital infrastructures) which are united in order to improve the design, livability and understanding of urban environment and high historical/cultural performance levels.

Keywords: historical cities regeneration, sustainable restoration, urban planning, smart cities, cultural heritage development strategies

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Authors: M. V. Rane, Tareke Tekia

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Liquid desiccant based fresh air dehumidifiers can be gainfully deployed for air-conditioning, agro-produce drying and in many industrial processes. Regeneration of liquid desiccant can be done using direct firing, high temperature waste heat or solar energy. Solar energy is clean and available in abundance; however, it is costly to collect. A two stage liquid desiccant fresh air dehumidification system can offer Coefficient of Performance (COP), in the range of 1.6 to 2 for comfort air conditioning applications. High COP helps reduce the size and cost of collectors required. Performance tests on high temperature regenerator of a two stage liquid desiccant fresh air dehumidifier coupled with seasonally tracked flat plate like solar collector will be presented in this paper. The two stage fresh air dehumidifier has four major components: High Temperature Regenerator (HTR), Low Temperature Regenerator (LTR), High and Low Temperature Solution Heat Exchangers and Fresh Air Dehumidifier (FAD). This open system can operate at near atmospheric pressure in all the components. These systems can be simple, maintenance-free and scalable. Environmentally benign, non-corrosive, moderately priced Potassium Formate, KCOOH, is used as a liquid desiccant. Typical KCOOH concentration in the system is expected to vary between 65 and 75%. Dilute liquid desiccant at 65% concentration exiting the fresh air dehumidifier will be pumped and preheated in solution heat exchangers before entering the high temperature solar regenerator. In the solar collector, solution will be regenerated to intermediate concentration of 70%. Steam and saturated solution exiting the solar collector array will be separated. Steam at near atmospheric pressure will then be used to regenerate the intermediate concentration solution up to a concentration of 75% in a low temperature regenerator where moisture vaporized be released in to atmosphere. Condensed steam can be used as potable water after adding a pinch of salt and some nutrient. Warm concentrated liquid desiccant will be routed to solution heat exchanger to recycle its heat to preheat the weak liquid desiccant solution. Evacuated glass tube based seasonally tracked solar collector is used for regeneration of liquid desiccant at high temperature. Temperature of regeneration for KCOOH is 133°C at 70% concentration. The medium temperature collector was designed for temperature range of 100 to 150°C. Double wall polycarbonate top cover helps reduce top losses. Absorber integrated heat storage helps stabilize the temperature of liquid desiccant exiting the collectors during intermittent cloudy conditions, and extends the operation of the system by couple of hours beyond the sunshine hours. This solar collector is light in weight, 12 kg/m2 without absorber integrated heat storage material, and 27 kg/m2 with heat storage material. Cost of the collector is estimated to be 10,000 INR/m2. Theoretical modeling of the collector has shown that the optical efficiency is 62%. Performance test of regeneration of KCOOH will be reported.

Keywords: solar, liquid desiccant, dehumidification, air conditioning, regeneration

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Authors: Vanessa G. P. Severino, Eliangela Cristina Candida Costa, Nubia Alves Mariano Teixeira Pires Gomides, Lucilia Kato, Afif Felix Monteiro, Maria Anita Lemos Vasconcelos Ambrosio, Carlos Henrique Gomes Martins

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One of the biomes present in Brazil is known as Cerrado, which is a vast tropical savanna ecoregion, particularly in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Tocantins and Minas Gerais. Many species of plants are characterized as endemic and they have therapeutic value for a large part of the population, especially to the rural communities. Given that, the southeastern region of the state of Goiás contains about 21 rural communities, which present a form of organization based on the use of natural resources available. One of these rural communities is named of Coqueiros, where the knowledge about the medicinal plants was very important to this research. Thus, this study focuses on the ethnobotanical survey of this community on the use of Kielmeyera coriacea to treat diseases. From the 37 members interviewed, 76% indicated this species for the treatment of intestinal infection, leukemia, anemia, gastritis, gum pain, toothache, cavity, arthritis, arthrosis, healing, vermifuge, rheumatism, antibiotic, skin problems, mycoses and all kinds of infections. The medicinal properties attributed during the interviews were framed in the body system (disease categories), adapted from ICD 10; thus, 20 indications of use were obtained, among five body systems. Therefore, the root of this species was select to chemical and biological (antioxidant and antimicrobial) studies. From the liquid-liquid extraction of ethanolic extract of root (EER), the hexane (FH), ethyl acetate (FAE), and hydro alcoholic (FHA) fractions were obtained. The chemical profile study of these fractions was performed by LC-MS, identifying major compounds such as δ-tocotrienol, prenylated acylphoroglucinol, 2-hydroxy-1-methoxyxanthone and quercitrin. EER, FH, FAE and FHA were submitted to biological tests. FHA presented the best antioxidant action (EC50 201.53 μg mL-1). EER inhibited the bacterial growth of Streptococcus pyogenes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, microorganisms associated with rheumatism, at Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of 6.25 μg mL-1. In addition, the FH-10 subfraction, obtained from FH fractionation, presented MIC of 1.56 μg mL-1 against S. pneumoniae; EER also inhibited the fungus Candida glabrata (MIC 7.81 μg mL- 1). The FAE-4.7.3 fraction, from the fractionation of FAE, presented MIC of 200 μg mL-1 against Lactobacillus casei, which is one of the causes of caries and oral infections. By the correlation of the chemical and biological data, it is possible to note that the FAE-4.7.3 and FH-10 are constituted 4-hydroxy-2,3-methylenedioxy xanthone, 3-hydroxy-1,2-dimethoxy xanthone, lupeol, prenylated acylphoroglucinol and quercitrin, which could be associated with the biological potential found. Therefore, this study provides an important basis for further investigations regarding the compounds present in the active fractions of K. coriacea, which will permit the establishment of a correlation between ethnobotanical survey and bioactivity.

Keywords: biological activity, ethnobotanical survey, Kielmeyera coriacea Mart., LC-MS profile

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Authors: Wang Shuai, Su Rong, K. J.Tseng, V. Viswanathan, S. Ramakrishna

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The More-Electric-Aircraft concept in aircraft industry levies an increasing demand on the embedded starter/generators (ESG). The high-speed and high-temperature environment within an engine poses great challenges to the operation of such machines. In view of such challenges, squirrel cage induction machines (SCIM) have shown advantages due to its simple rotor structure, absence of temperature-sensitive components as well as low torque ripples etc. The tight operation constraints arising from typical ESG applications together with the detailed operation principles of SCIMs have been exploited to derive the mathematical interpretation of the ESG-SCIM design process. The resultant non-linear mathematical treatment yielded unique solution to the SCIM design problem for each configuration of pole pair number p, slots/pole/phase q and conductors/slot zq, easily implemented via loop patterns. It was also found that not all configurations led to feasible solutions and corresponding observations have been elaborated. The developed mathematical procedures also proved an effective framework for optimization among electromagnetic, thermal and mechanical aspects by allocating corresponding degree-of-freedom variables. Detailed 3D FEM analysis has been conducted to validate the resultant machine performance against design specifications. To obtain higher power ratings, electrical machines often have to increase the slot areas for accommodating more windings. Since the available space for embedding such machines inside an engine is usually short in length, axial air gap arrangement appears more appealing compared to its radial gap counterpart. The aforementioned approach has been adopted in case studies of designing series of AFIMs and RFIMs respectively with increasing power ratings. Following observations have been obtained. Under the strict rotor diameter limitation AFIM extended axially for the increased slot areas while RFIM expanded radially with the same axial length. Beyond certain power ratings AFIM led to long cylinder geometry while RFIM topology resulted in the desired short disk shape. Besides the different dimension growth patterns, AFIMs and RFIMs also exhibited dissimilar performance degradations regarding power factor, torque ripples as well as rated slip along with increased power ratings. Parametric response curves were plotted to better illustrate the above influences from increased power ratings. The case studies may provide a basic guideline that could assist potential users in making decisions between AFIM and RFIM for relevant applications.

Keywords: axial flux induction machine, electrical starter/generator, finite element analysis, squirrel cage induction machine

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Authors: Thaís T. Valério Caetano, João Máximo De Siqueira, Carlos Alexandre Carollo, Arthur Ladeira Macedo, Vanessa C. Stein

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Nicotiana glauca, commonly known as wild tobacco or tobacco bush, belongs to the Solanaceae family. It is native to South America but has become naturalized in various regions, including Australia, California, Africa, and the Mediterranean. N. glauca is listed in the Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) and the Invasive Species Compendium (CABI). It is known for producing pyridine alkaloids, including anabasine, which is highly toxic. Anabasine is predominantly found in the leaves and can cause severe health issues such as neuromuscular blockade, respiratory arrest, and cardiovascular problems when ingested. Mistaken identity with edible plants like spinach has resulted in food poisoning cases in Israel and Brazil. Anabasine, a minor alkaloid constituent of tobacco, may contribute to tobacco addiction by mimicking or enhancing the effects of nicotine. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the production pattern of anabasine and its relationship to the developmental stages of the plant. This study aimed to establish the relationship between the phenological plant age, cultivation place, and the increase in anabasine concentration, which can lead to human intoxication cases. In this study, N. glauca plants were collected from three different rural areas in Brazil for a year to examine leaves at various stages of development. Samples were also obtained from cultivated plants in Marilândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, as well as from Divinópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. In vitro cultivated plants on MS medium were included in the study. The collected leaves were dried, powdered, and stored. Alkaloid extraction was performed using a methanol and water mixture, followed by liquid-liquid extraction with chloroform. The anabasine content was determined using HPLC-DAD analysis with nicotine as a standard. The results indicated that anabasine production increases with the plant's development, peaking in adult leaves during the reproduction phase and declining afterward. In vitro, plants showed similar anabasine production to young leaves. The successful adaptation of N. glauca in new environments poses a global problem, and the correlation between anabasine production and the plant's developmental stages has been understudied. The presence of substances produced by the plant can pose a risk to other species, especially when mistaken for edible plants. The findings from this study shed light on the pattern of anabasine production and its association with plant development, contributing to a better understanding of the potential risks associated with N. glauca and the importance of accurate identification.

Keywords: nicotiana glauca graham, global invasive species database, alkaloids, toxic

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Authors: Fentie Bishaw Wagayie

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This study was carried out with the objective of studying the response of Farta sheep in feed intake and live weight change when fed on hay supplemented with noug seed cake (NSC), wheat bran (WB), and their mixtures. The digestibility trial of 7 days and 90 days of feeding trial was conducted using 25 intact male Farta sheep with a mean initial live weight of 16.83 ± 0.169 kg. The experimental animals were arranged randomly into five blocks based on the initial live weight, and the five treatments were assigned randomly to each animal in a block. Five dietary treatments used in the experiment comprised of grass hay fed ad libitum (T1), grass hay ad libitum + 300 g DM WB (T2), grass hay ad libitum + 300 g DM (67% WB: 33% NSC mixture) (T3), grass hay ad libitum + 300 g DM (67% NSC: 33% WB) (T4) and 300 g DM/ head/day NSC (T5). Common salt and water were offered ad libitum. The supplements were offered twice daily at 0800 and 1600 hours. The experimental sheep were kept in individual pens. Supplementation of NSC, WB, and their mixtures significantly increased (p < 0.01) the total dry matter (DM) (665.84-788 g/head/day) and (p < 0.001) crude protein (CP) intake. Unsupplemented sheep consumed significantly higher (p < 0.01) grass hay DM (540.5g/head/day) as compared to the supplemented treatments (365.8-488 g/h/d), except T2. Among supplemented sheep, T5 had significantly higher (p < 0.001) CP intake (99.98 g/head/day) than the others (85.52-90.2 g/head/day). Supplementation significantly improved (p < 0.001) the digestibility of CP (66.61-78.9%), but there was no significant effect (p > 0.05) on DM, OM, NDF, and ADF digestibility between supplemented and control treatments. Very low CP digestibility (11.55%) observed in the basal diet (grass hay) used in this study indicated that feeding sole grass hay could not provide nutrients even for the maintenance requirement of growing sheep. Significant final and daily live weight gain (p < 0.001) in the range of 70.11-82.44 g/head/day was observed in supplemented Farta sheep, but unsupplemented sheep lost weight by 9.11g/head/day. Numerically, among the supplemented treatments, sheep supplemented with a higher proportion of NSC in T4 (201 NSC + 99 g WB) gained more weight than the rest, though not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The absence of statistical difference in daily body weight gain between all supplemented sheep indicated that the supplementation of NSC, WB, and their mixtures had similar potential to provide nutrients. Generally, supplementation of NSC, WB, and their mixtures to the basal grass hay diet improved feed conversion ratio, total DM intake, CP intake, and CP digestibility, and it also improved the growth performance with a similar trend for all supplemented Farta sheep over the control group. Therefore, from a biological point of view, to attain the required level of slaughter body weight within a short period of the growing program, sheep producer can use all the supplement types depending upon their local availability, but in the order of priority, T4, T5, T3, and T2, respectively. However, based on partial budget analysis, supplementation of 300 g DM/head /day NSC (T5) could be recommended as profitable for producers with no capital limitation, whereas T4 supplementation (201 g NSC + 99 WB DM/day) is recommended when there is capital scarcity.

Keywords: weight gain, supplement, Farta sheep, hay as basal diet

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