Search results for: toxicity investigation
Commenced in January 2007
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Edition: International
Paper Count: 5801

Search results for: toxicity investigation

4061 Adsorption and Photocatalytic Degradation of Textile Wastewater Using Green Synthesized Sequesters

Authors: Omotayo Sarafadeen Amuda, Kazeem Kolapo Salam, Oyediran Olarike Favour

Abstract:

This study carried out the physicochemical analysis of the Textile WasteWater (TWW) before and after the adsorption and photocatalytic processes. The adsorbents and catalysts that were used for this study were prepared from C. albidum seed shell activated with steam and then loaded with Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) and Copper Nanoparticles (Cu NPs), which were synthesized from green tea leaf extract and Citrus limon fruits extract, respectively. The photocatalytic activity was carried out under sunlight irradiation, and the effect of various parameters, such as catalyst dose, pH, contact time, and initial dye concentration, on the removal efficiency, were studied. The reusability of the catalyst was also observed to determine its stability and long-term efficacy. Ultra-violet visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis spectroscopy) was used to determine the dye concentration after each experiment. The adsorbents, nanoparticles, and photocatalysts were appropriately characterized for morphological, functional group, structural, and surface area using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) analysis respectively. Batch adsorption studies were carried out on the wastewater, using the composite adsorbents, to determine the effects of pH, adsorbent dose, initial dye concentration, and contact time. The batch adsorption studies were conducted based on the runs generated from the Definitive Screen Design (DSD) of the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The obtained data were subjected to the pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, and intra-particle diffusion kinetic models, the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models, and thermodynamic parameters. The findings of this study contribute to the existing knowledge by providing more insights into the identification of efficient, low-cost, and environmentally-friendly approach to textile wastewater treatment. This approach enhances the reduction of potential toxicity from the discharged textile wastewater into the environment and, thus, conforms to Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6), which ensures the sustainability of the water resources, wastewater, and ecosystems.

Keywords: adsorption, photocatalytic, textile wastewater, green synthesized sequesters, degradation

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4060 Plasma Technology for Hazardous Biomedical Waste Treatment

Authors: V. E. Messerle, A. L. Mosse, O. A. Lavrichshev, A. N. Nikonchuk, A. B. Ustimenko

Abstract:

One of the most serious environmental problems today is pollution by biomedical waste (BMW), which in most cases has undesirable properties such as toxicity, carcinogenicity, mutagenicity, fire. Sanitary and hygienic survey of typical solid BMW, made in Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia and other countries shows that their risk to the environment is significantly higher than that of most chemical wastes. Utilization of toxic BMW requires use of the most universal methods to ensure disinfection and disposal of any of their components. Such technology is a plasma technology of BMW processing. To implement this technology a thermodynamic analysis of the plasma processing of BMW was fulfilled and plasma-box furnace was developed. The studies have been conducted on the example of the processing of bone. To perform thermodynamic calculations software package Terra was used. Calculations were carried out in the temperature range 300 - 3000 K and a pressure of 0.1 MPa. It is shown that the final products do not contain toxic substances. From the organic mass of BMW synthesis gas containing combustible components 77.4-84.6% was basically produced, and mineral part consists mainly of calcium oxide and contains no carbon. Degree of gasification of carbon reaches 100% by the temperature 1250 K. Specific power consumption for BMW processing increases with the temperature throughout its range and reaches 1 kWh/kg. To realize plasma processing of BMW experimental installation with DC plasma torch of 30 kW power was developed. The experiments allowed verifying the thermodynamic calculations. Wastes are packed in boxes weighing 5-7 kg. They are placed in the box furnace. Under the influence of air plasma flame average temperature in the box reaches 1800 OC, the organic part of the waste is gasified and inorganic part of the waste is melted. The resulting synthesis gas is continuously withdrawn from the unit through the cooling and cleaning system. Molten mineral part of the waste is removed from the furnace after it has been stopped. Experimental studies allowed determining operating modes of the plasma box furnace, the exhaust gases was analyzed, samples of condensed products were assembled and their chemical composition was determined. Gas at the outlet of the plasma box furnace has the following composition (vol.%): CO - 63.4, H2 - 6.2, N2 - 29.6, S - 0.8. The total concentration of synthesis gas (CO + H2) is 69.6%, which agrees well with the thermodynamic calculation. Experiments confirmed absence of the toxic substances in the final products.

Keywords: biomedical waste, box furnace, plasma torch, processing, synthesis gas

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4059 An Investigation of Foam Glass Production from Sheet Glass Waste and SiC Foaming Agent

Authors: Aylin Sahin, Recep Artir, Mustafa Kara

Abstract:

Foam glass is a remarkable material with having incomparable properties like low weight, rigidity, high thermal insulation capacity and porous structure. In this study, foam glass production was investigated with using glass powder from sheet glass waste and SiC powder as foaming agent. Effects of SiC powders and sintering temperatures on foaming process were examined. It was seen that volume expansions (%), cellular structures and pore diameters of obtained foam glass samples were highly depending on composition ratios and sintering temperature. The study showed that various foam glass samples having with homogenous closed porosity, low weight and low thermal conductivity were achieved by optimizing composition ratios and sintering temperatures.

Keywords: foam glass, foaming, waste glass, silicon carbide

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4058 Building Knowledge Partnership for Collaborative Learning in Higher Education – An On-Line ‘Eplanete’ Knowledge Mediation Platform

Authors: S. K. Ashiquer Rahman

Abstract:

This paper presents a knowledge mediation platform, “ePLANETe Blue” that addresses the challenge of building knowledge partnerships for higher education. The purpose is to present, as an institutional perception, the ‘ePLANETe' idea and functionalities as a practical and pedagogical innovation program contributing to the collaborative learning goals in higher education. In consequence, the set of functionalities now amalgamated in ‘ePLANETe’ can be seen as an investigation of the challenges of “Collaborative Learning Digital Process.” It can exploit the system to facilitate collaborative education, research and student learning in higher education. Moreover, the platform is projected to support the identification of best practices at explicit levels of action and to inspire knowledge interactions in a “virtual community” and thus to advance in deliberation and learning evaluation of higher education through the engagement of collaborative activities of different sorts.

Keywords: mediation, collaboration, deliberation, evaluation

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4057 Formation and Characterization of the Epoxy Resin-Porous Glass Interphases

Authors: Aleksander Ostrowski, Hugh J. Byrne, Roland Sanctuary

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Investigation of the polymer interphases is an emerging field nowadays. In many cases interphases determine the functionality of a system. There is a great demand for exploration of fundamental understanding of the interphases and elucidation of their formation, dimensions dependent on various influencing factors, change of functional properties, etc. The epoxy applied on porous glass penetrates its pores with an extent dependent on the pore size, temperature and epoxy components mixing ratio. Developed over the recent time challenging sample preparation procedure allowed to produce very smooth epoxy-porous glass cross-sections. In this study, Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate the epoxy-porous glass interphases. It allowed for chemical differentiation between different regions at the cross-section and determination of the degree of cure of epoxy system in the porous glass.

Keywords: interphases, Raman spectroscopy, epoxy, porous glass

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4056 Speaker Recognition Using LIRA Neural Networks

Authors: Nestor A. Garcia Fragoso, Tetyana Baydyk, Ernst Kussul

Abstract:

This article contains information from our investigation in the field of voice recognition. For this purpose, we created a voice database that contains different phrases in two languages, English and Spanish, for men and women. As a classifier, the LIRA (Limited Receptive Area) grayscale neural classifier was selected. The LIRA grayscale neural classifier was developed for image recognition tasks and demonstrated good results. Therefore, we decided to develop a recognition system using this classifier for voice recognition. From a specific set of speakers, we can recognize the speaker’s voice. For this purpose, the system uses spectrograms of the voice signals as input to the system, extracts the characteristics and identifies the speaker. The results are described and analyzed in this article. The classifier can be used for speaker identification in security system or smart buildings for different types of intelligent devices.

Keywords: extreme learning, LIRA neural classifier, speaker identification, voice recognition

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4055 Mechanisms of Metals Stabilization in the Soil by Biochar Material as Affected by the Low Molecular Weight Organic Acids

Authors: Md. Shoffikul Islam, Hongqing Hu

Abstract:

Immobilizing trace elements by reducing their mobility and bioavailability through amendment application, especially biochar (BC), is a cost-effective and efficient method to address their toxicity in the soil environment. However, the low molecular weight organic acids (LMWOAs) in the rhizosphere could affect BC's efficiency to immobilize trace metals as the LMWOAs could either mobilize or fix metals in the soils. Therefore, understanding the BC's and LMWOAs' interaction mechanisms on metals stabilization in the rhizosphere is crucial. The present study examined the impact of BC derived from rice husk, tartaric acid (TA), and oxalic acid (OA), and the combination of BC and TA/OA on the changes of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) among their geochemical forms through incubation experiment. The changes of zeta potential and X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of BC and BC-amended soils to investigate the probable mechanisms of trace elements' immobilization by BC under the attacks of TA and OA were also examined. The rice husk BC at 5% (w/w) was mixed with the air-dry soil (an Anthrosols) contaminated with Cd, Pb, and Zn in the plastic pot. The TA and OA each at 2, 5, 10, and 20 mM kg-1 (w/v) were added separately into the pot. All the ingredients were mixed thoroughly with the soil. A control (CK) treatment was also prepared without BC, TA, and OA addition. After 7, 15, and 60 days of incubation with 60% (w/v) moisture level at 25 °C, the incubated soils were determined for pH and EC and were sequentially extracted to assess the metals' transformation in soil. The electronegative charges and XRD peaks of BC and BC-amended soils were also measured. The BC, low level of TA (2 mM kg-1 soil), and BC plus the low concentration of TA (BC-TA2) addition considerably declined the acid-soluble Cd, Pb, and Zn in which BC-TA2 was found to be the most effective treatment. The trends were reversed concerning the high levels of TA (>5-20 mM kg-1 soil), all levels of OA (2-20 mM kg-1 soil), and the BC plus high levels of TA/OA treatments. BC-TA2 changed the highest amounts of acid-soluble and reducible metals to the oxidizable and residual fractions with time. The most increased electronegative charges of BC-TA2 indicate its (BC-TA2) highest metals' immobilizing efficiency, probably through metals adsorption and fixation with the negative charge sites. The XRD study revealed the presence of P, O, CO32-, and Cl1- in BC, which might be responsible for the precipitation of CdCO3, pyromorphite, and hopeite concerning Cd, Pb, and Zn immobilization, respectively. The findings demonstrated that the low level of TA increased metals immobilization, while the high levels of TA and all levels of OA enhanced their mobilization. The BC-TA2 was the best treatment in stabilizing metals in soil.

Keywords: biochar, immobilization, low molecular weight organic acids, trace elements contaminated soil

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4054 A Fellowship of Philosophy: Übermensch and the Will to Power in Tolkien

Authors: Ali Mirzabayati

Abstract:

This article associates Tolkien’s concept of power with Nietzsche’s Übermensch. Despite his catholic beliefs, Tolkien refuses to create religiously motivated characters, opening room for existentialist decisions. Who is an Übermensch? What Tolkienian character resembles this concept the most? To tend to these questions, the article studies the case of Adolf Hitler and Elisabeth Nietzsche, manipulating Nietzschean philosophy. An investigation of the Nazis’ misuse of philosophy, art, and myth for political advantage introduces a Nazi version of Übermensch, best reflected in Sauron and Saruman. Unlike the Nazi version, Nietzschean Übermensch is proven to emphasize internal power and seek harmony within one’s desires. Tolkien’s best candidates for Übermensch, Aragorn and Bilbo are examined through Nietzsche’s three metamorphoses of becoming a higher spirit. What is more, I will study Nietzsche’s admiration for cheer and eating, the main characteristics of the hobbits, to strengthen his bond with Tolkien.

Keywords: Tolkien, Nietzsche, literature, fantasy, history, philosophy

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4053 Corrosion Investigation of Superalloys, Molybdenum and TZM in Chloride Molten Salts

Authors: Craig Jantzen, Tim Abram, Dirk Engelberg, Hugues Lambert, Daniel Cooper

Abstract:

Molten salts are of high interest for use as coolants in nuclear reactors due to favourable high temperature and thermodynamic properties. The corrosive behaviour of molten salts however pose a materials integrity challenge. Three Ni / Ni-Fe based and two Mo based alloys have been exposed to molten eutectics (LiCl-KCl at 59.5:40.5 mol% and KCl-MgCl2 at 68:32 mol%) at 600°C and 800°C for durations up to 500hrs. Corrosion was observed to preferentially attack alloy constituents in order of their reactivity, with chromium the most vulnerable and depleted element. Alloy weight-loss per unit area was calculated to give linear corrosion rates, discounting any initial rapid corrosion of impurities. Further analysis was carried out using ICP-MS, SEM and EDX techniques to give a more detailed view of the corrosion mechanisms.

Keywords: molten salt, salt, corrosion, high temperature, licl, KCL, MgCl, molybdenum, nickel, superalloys

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4052 Investigation of Cavitation in a Centrifugal Pump Using Synchronized Pump Head Measurements, Vibration Measurements and High-Speed Image Recording

Authors: Simon Caba, Raja Abou Ackl, Svend Rasmussen, Nicholas E. Pedersen

Abstract:

It is a challenge to directly monitor cavitation in a pump application during operation because of a lack of visual access to validate the presence of cavitation and its form of appearance. In this work, experimental investigations are carried out in an inline single-stage centrifugal pump with optical access. Hence, it gives the opportunity to enhance the value of CFD tools and standard cavitation measurements. Experiments are conducted using two impellers running in the same volute at 3000 rpm and the same flow rate. One of the impellers used is optimized for lower NPSH₃% by its blade design, whereas the other one is manufactured using a standard casting method. The cavitation is detected by pump performance measurements, vibration measurements and high-speed image recordings. The head drop and the pump casing vibration caused by cavitation are correlated with the visual appearance of the cavitation. The vibration data is recorded in an axial direction of the impeller using accelerometers recording at a sample rate of 131 kHz. The vibration frequency domain data (up to 20 kHz) and the time domain data are analyzed as well as the root mean square values. The high-speed recordings, focusing on the impeller suction side, are taken at 10,240 fps to provide insight into the flow patterns and the cavitation behavior in the rotating impeller. The videos are synchronized with the vibration time signals by a trigger signal. A clear correlation between cloud collapses and abrupt peaks in the vibration signal can be observed. The vibration peaks clearly indicate cavitation, especially at higher NPSHA values where the hydraulic performance is not affected. It is also observed that below a certain NPSHA value, the cavitation started in the inlet bend of the pump. Above this value, cavitation occurs exclusively on the impeller blades. The impeller optimized for NPSH₃% does show a lower NPSH₃% than the standard impeller, but the head drop starts at a higher NPSHA value and is more gradual. Instabilities in the head drop curve of the optimized impeller were observed in addition to a higher vibration level. Furthermore, the cavitation clouds on the suction side appear more unsteady when using the optimized impeller. The shape and location of the cavitation are compared to 3D fluid flow simulations. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental investigations. In conclusion, these investigations attempt to give a more holistic view on the appearance of cavitation by comparing the head drop, vibration spectral data, vibration time signals, image recordings and simulation results. Data indicates that a criterion for cavitation detection could be derived from the vibration time-domain measurements, which requires further investigation. Usually, spectral data is used to analyze cavitation, but these investigations indicate that the time domain could be more appropriate for some applications.

Keywords: cavitation, centrifugal pump, head drop, high-speed image recordings, pump vibration

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4051 The Lack of Female Representation in Senior Positions: An Exploratory Study between South Africa and India

Authors: Dina Maria Smit

Abstract:

Worldwide, it seems as if women are adequately represented in government and parliament but are almost absent from governing boards of private enterprises. The reasons for this seem to be embedded in perceptions of inadequacy, remnants of patriarchy, glass ceilings and even female choice. Direct or indirect discrimination against females have been found to be one of the reasons that female employees are found in traditionally “softer” roles, whilst the old “Boy’s Club” is still operational to keep women out of senior managerial positions, especially in the private sector. The cultural construct of Indian society, focusing on male preference, patriarchy, divorce laws and low educational levels of females as opposed to men, is indicative of a society wherein high gender inequality still exists. The position in South Africa is similar in that substantive gender equality has not been reached despite a progressive constitution and anti-discrimination laws. There is a strong push to propel women to senior positions in South Africa, but these efforts have not yet translated into females taking up senior positions in private companies. In South Africa, females still earn less than their male counterparts whilst performing doing the same jobs, are overrepresented in parliament, but do not captain the ships in the private sector. The lack of female parity in employment leads to a lack of autonomy and authority in both South Africa and India. The divide between formal and informal work, unpaid work, mainly being done by women, need to be investigated to ensure substantive gender parity. The findings will show that females are still not equal to men in employment, especially in senior private positions; mainly due to the remnants of patriarchy and glass ceilings that still need to be shattered. This article aims to set out the reasons why gender disparity still exists in India and South Africa, seen through a legal lense. Both countries are signatories to the CEDAW Convention and have constitutions that advocate for the right of equality. Although equal rights have been implemented in both countries, equality may not be well implemented. This investigation is comparative in nature and aims to contribute to the growing body of evidence on how to ensure gender parity in all occupational levels and categories. The study is in quantitative in nature. If substantive gender equality, as opposed to formative gender equality, is a key motivator to ensure gender equality, an investigation into the reasons for this disparity is warranted before suggestions can be tendered to effect lasting change. The aim of this comparative study is not to plug the legal system of one country into the other, but to take into account of the autonomy of choice, set against cultural differences and similarities in an effort to shatter the glass ceilings for women who aspire to climb the corporate ladders.

Keywords: gender inequality, glass ceilings, patriarchy, female disparity

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4050 Preliminary Prospecting on the Distribution of the Disease of Citrus Tristeza Orchards in the Province of Chlef

Authors: Ibrahim Djelloul Berkane

Abstract:

A survey was conducted to assess the presence of the virus in Citrus tristeza one of the main citrus regions of Algeria, namely the Chlef region, using the technique of Direct Tissue Print Immunoprinting Assay (DTBIA) and the Double Sandwich ELISA antibodies. A nursery citrus, lumber yards, and commercial orchards, which are the main varieties cultivated citrus were subjected to samples collected samples for laboratory analysis. 0.91% of the plants tested orchards were infected with CTV, while no positive case was detected at the nursery the yard, however, it is reported that an alarming rate of 10,5% of orchards tested at the common Chettia were infected with tristeza virus. The investigation was launched to identify the vector species tristeza revealed the presence of a vector is important Aphis gossypii.

Keywords: aphis, chlef, citrus, DAS-ELISA, DTBIA, tristeza

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4049 Investigation on Dry Sliding Wear for Laser Cladding of Stellite 6 Produced on a P91 Steel Substrate

Authors: Alain Kusmoko, Druce Dunne, Huijun Li

Abstract:

Stellite 6 was deposited by laser cladding on a chromium bearing substrate (P91) with energy inputs of 1 kW (P91-1) and 1.8 kW (P91-1.8). The chemical compositions and microstructures of these coatings were characterized by atomic absorption spectroscopy, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The microhardness of the coatings was measured and the wear mechanism of the coatings was assessed using a pin-on-plate (reciprocating) wear testing machine. The results showed less cracking and pore development for Stellite 6 coatings applied to the P91 steel substrate with the lower heat input (P91-1). Further, the Stellite coating for P91-1 was significantly harder than that obtained for P91-1.8. The wear test results indicated that the weight loss for P91-1 was much lower than for P91-1.8. It is concluded that the lower hardness of the coating for P91-1.8, together with the softer underlying substrate structure, markedly reduced the wear resistance of the Stellite 6 coating.

Keywords: friction and wear, laser cladding, P91 steel, Stellite 6 coating

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4048 Lipid Emulsion versus DigiFab in a Rat Model of Acute Digoxin Toxicity

Authors: Cansu Arslan Turan, Tuba Cimilli Ozturk, Ebru Unal Akoglu, Kemal Aygun, Ecem Deniz Kırkpantur, Ozge Ecmel Onur

Abstract:

Although the mechanism of action is not well known, Intravenous Lipid Emulsion (ILE) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of lipophilic drug intoxications. It is thought that ILE probably separate the lipophilic drugs from target tissue by creating a lipid-rich compartment in the plasma. The second theory is that ILE provides energy to myocardium with high dose free fatty acids activating the voltage gated calcium channels in the myocytes. In this study, the effects of ILE treatment on digoxin overdose which are frequently observed in emergency departments was searched in an animal model in terms of cardiac side effects and survival. The study was carried out at Yeditepe University, Faculty of Medicine-Experimental Animals Research Center Labs in December 2015. 40 Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 300-400 g were divided into 5 groups randomly. As the pre-treatment, the first group received saline, the second group received lipid, the third group received DigiFab, and the fourth group received DigiFab and lipid. Following that, digoxin was infused to all groups until death except the control group. First arrhythmia and cardiac arrest occurrence times were recorded. As no medication causing arrhythmia was infused, Group 5 was excluded from the statistical analysis performed for the comparisons of first arrhythmia and death time. According to the results although there was no significant difference in the statistical analysis comparing the four groups, as the rats, only exposed to digoxin intoxication were compared with the rats pre-treated with ILE in terms of first arrhythmia time and cardiac arrest occurrence times, significant difference was observed between the groups. According to our results, using DigiFab treatment, intralipid treatment, intralipid and DigiFab treatment for the rats exposed to digoxin intoxication makes no significant difference in terms of the first arrhythmia and death occurrence time. However, it is not possible to say that at the doses we use in the study, ILE treatment might be successful at least as a known antidote. The fact that the statistical significance between the two groups is not observed in the inter-comparisons of all the groups, the study should be repeated in the larger groups.

Keywords: arrhytmia, cardiac arrest, DigiFab, digoxin intoxication

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4047 Investigation on the Behavior of Conventional Reinforced Coupling Beams

Authors: Akash K. Walunj, Dipendu Bhunia, Samarth Gupta, Prabhat Gupta

Abstract:

Coupled shear walls consist of two shear walls connected intermittently by beams along the height. The behavior of coupled shear walls is mainly governed by the coupling beams. The coupling beams are designed for ductile inelastic behavior in order to dissipate energy. The base of the shear walls may be designed for elastic or ductile inelastic behavior. The amount of energy dissipation depends on the yield moment capacity and plastic rotation capacity of the coupling beams. In this paper, an analytical model of coupling beam was developed to calculate the rotations and moment capacities of coupling beam with conventional reinforcement.

Keywords: design studies, computational model(s), case study/studies, modelling, coupling beam

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4046 The Paralinguistic Function of Emojis in Twitter Communication

Authors: Yasmin Tantawi, Mary Beth Rosson

Abstract:

In response to the dearth of information about emoji use for different purposes in different settings, this paper investigates the paralinguistic function of emojis within Twitter communication in the United States. To conduct this investigation, the Twitter feeds from 16 population centers spread throughout the United States were collected from the Twitter public API. One hundred tweets were collected from each population center, totaling to 1,600 tweets. Tweets containing emojis were next extracted using the “emot” Python package; these were then analyzed via the IBM Watson API Natural Language Understanding module to identify the topics discussed. A manual content analysis was then conducted to ascertain the paralinguistic and emotional features of the emojis used in these tweets. We present our characterization of emoji usage in Twitter and discuss implications for the design of Twitter and other text-based communication tools.

Keywords: computer-mediated communication, content analysis, paralinguistics, sociology

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4045 Investigating the Use of Seaweed Extracts as Biopesticides

Authors: Emma O’ Keeffe, Helen Hughes, Peter McLoughlin, Shiau Pin Tan, Nick McCarthy

Abstract:

Biosecurity is emerging as one of the most important issues facing the agricultural and forestry community. This is as a result of increased invasion from new pests and diseases with the main protocol for dealing with these species being the use of synthetic pesticides. However, these chemicals have been shown to exhibit negative effects on the environment. Seaweeds represent a vast untapped resource of bio-molecules with a broad range of biological activities including pesticidal. This project investigated both the antifungal and antibacterial activity of seaweed species against two problematic root rot fungi, Armillaria mellea and Heterobasidion annosum and ten quarantine bacterial plant pathogens including Xanthomonas arboricola, Xanthomonas fragariae, and Erwinia amylovora. Four seaweed species were harvested from the South-East coast of Ireland including brown, red and green varieties. The powdered seaweeds were extracted using four different solvents by liquid extraction. The poisoned food technique was employed to establish the antifungal efficacy, and the standard disc diffusion assay was used to assess the antibacterial properties of the seaweed extracts. It was found that extracts of the green seaweed exhibited antifungal activity against H. annosum, with approximately 50% inhibition compared to the negative control. The protectant activities of the active extracts were evaluated on disks of Picea sitchensis, a plant species sensitive to infection from H. annosum and compared to the standard chemical control product urea. The crude extracts exhibited very similar activity to the 10% and 20% w/v concentrations of urea, demonstrating the ability of seaweed extracts to compete with commercially available products. Antibacterial activity was exhibited by a number of seaweed extracts with the red seaweed illustrating the strongest activity, with a zone of inhibition of 15.83 ± 0.41 mm exhibited against X. arboricola whilst the positive control (10 μg/disk of chloramphenicol) had a zone of 26.5 ± 0.71 mm. These results highlight the potential application of seaweed extracts in the forestry and agricultural industries for use as biopesticides. Further work is now required to identify the bioactive molecules that are responsible for this antifungal and antibacterial activity in the seaweed extracts, including toxicity studies to ensure the extracts are non-toxic to plants and humans.

Keywords: antibacterial, antifungal, biopesticides, seaweeds

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4044 An Investigation of How Pre-Service Physics Teachers Perceived the Results of Buoyancy Force

Authors: Ersin Bozkurt, Şükran Erdoğan

Abstract:

The purpose of the study is to explore how pre-service teachers perceive buoyancy force effecting an object in a liquid and identify their misconceptions. Pre-service teachers were interviewed to reveal their understandings of an object's floating, suspending and sinking in a liquid. In addition, they were asked about how an object -given its features- moved when it is provided with an external force and when it is released. The so-called circumstances were questioned in a different planet contexts. For this aim, focused group interview method was used. Six focused groups were formed and video recorded during the interval. Each focused group comprised of five pre-service teachers. It was found out pre-service teachers have common misunderstanding and misconceptions. In order to eliminate this conceptual misunderstandings, conceptual change texts were developed and further suggestions were made.

Keywords: computer simulations, conceptual change texts, physics education, students’ misconceptions in physics

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4043 Investigation on Flexural Behavior of Non-Crimp 3D Orthogonal Weave Carbon Composite Reinforcement

Authors: Sh. Minapoor, S. Ajeli

Abstract:

Non-crimp three-dimensional (3D) orthogonal carbon fabrics are one of the useful textiles reinforcements in composites. In this paper, flexural and bending properties of a carbon non-crimp 3D orthogonal woven reinforcement are experimentally investigated. The present study is focused on the understanding and measurement of the main bending parameters including flexural stress, strain, and modulus. For this purpose, the three-point bending test method is used and the load-displacement curves are analyzed. The influence of some weave's parameters such as yarn type, geometry of structure, and fiber volume fraction on bending behavior of non-crimp 3D orthogonal carbon fabric is investigated. The obtained results also represent a dataset for the simulation of flexural behavior of non-crimp 3D orthogonal weave carbon composite reinforcement.

Keywords: non-crimp 3D orthogonal weave, carbon composite reinforcement, flexural behavior, three-point bending

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4042 Evaluation of Radio Protective Potential of Indian Bamboo Leaves

Authors: Mansi Patel, Priti Mehta

Abstract:

Background: Ionizing radiations have detrimental effects on humans, and the growing technological encroachment has increased human exposure to it enormously. So, the safety issues have emphasized researchers to develop radioprotector from natural resources having minimal toxicity. A substance having anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunomodulatory activity can be a potential candidate for radioprotection. One such plant with immense potential i.e. Bamboo was selected for the present study. Purpose: The study aims to evaluate the potential of Indian bamboo leaves for protection against the clastogenic effect of gamma radiation. Methods: The protective effect of bamboo leaf extract against gamma radiation-induced genetic damage in human peripheral blood lymphocytes (HPBLs) was evaluated in vitro using Cytokinesis blocked micronuclei assay (CBMN). The blood samples were pretreated with varying concentration of extract 30 min before the radiation exposure (4Gy & 6Gy). The reduction in the frequency of micronuclei was observed for the irradiated and control groups. The effect of various concentration of bamboo leaf extract (400,600,800 mg/kg) on the development of radiation induced sickness and altered mortality in mice exposed to 8 Gy of whole-body gamma radiation was studied. The developed symptoms were clinically scored by multiple endpoints for 30 days. Results: Treatment of HPBLs with varying concentration of extract before exposure to a different dose of γ- radiation resulted in significant (P < 0.0001) decline of radiation induced micronuclei. It showed dose dependent and concentration driven activity. The maximum protection ~ 70% was achieved at nine µg/ml concentration. Extract treated whole body irradiated mice showed 50%, 83.3% and 100% survival for 400, 600, and 800mg/kg with 1.05, 0.43 and 0 clinical score respectively when compared to Irradiated mice having 6.03 clinical score and 0% survival. Conclusion: Our findings indicate bamboo leaf extract reduced the radiation induced cytogenetic damage. It has also increased the survival ratio and reduced the radiation induced sickness and mortality when exposed to a lethal dose of gamma radiation.

Keywords: bamboo leaf extract, Cytokinesis blocked micronuclei (CBMN) assay, ionizing radiation, radio protector

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4041 Programming Systems in Implementation of Process Safety at Chemical Process Industry

Authors: Maryam Shayan

Abstract:

Programming frameworks have been utilized as a part of chemical industry process safety operation and configuration to enhance its effectiveness. This paper gives a brief survey and investigation of the best in class and effects of programming frameworks in process security. A study was completed by talking staff accountable for procedure wellbeing practices in the Iranian chemical process industry and diving into writing of innovation for procedure security. This article investigates the useful and operational attributes of programming frameworks for security and endeavors to sort the product as indicated by its level of effect in the administration chain of importance. The study adds to better comprehension of the parts of Information Communication Technology in procedure security, the future patterns and conceivable gaps for innovative work.

Keywords: programming frameworks, chemical industry process, process security, administration chain, information communication technology

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4040 Influence of the Eccentricity of a Concentrated Load on the Behavior of Multilayers Slabs

Authors: F. Bouzeboudja, K. Ait-Tahar

Abstract:

The method of strengthening of concrete works by composite materials is a practice which knows currently an important development. From this perspective, we propose to make a contribution to the analysis of the behavior of concrete slabs reinforced with composite fabrics, arranged in parallel folds according to the thickness of the slab. The analysis of experimentally obtained modes of failure confirms, generally, that the ruin of the structure occurs essentially by punching. Accordingly, our work is directed to the analysis of the behavior of reinforced slabs towards the punching. An experimental investigation is realized. For that purpose, a set of trial specimens was made. The reinforced specimens are subjected to an essay of punching, by making vary the direction of the eccentricity. The first experimental results show that the ultimate loads, as well as the transition from the flexion failure mode to the punching failure mode, are governed essentially by the eccentricity.

Keywords: composites, concrete slabs, failure, laminate, punching

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4039 Investigation of the Effects of Simple Heating Processes on the Crystallization of Bi₂WO₆

Authors: Cisil Gulumser, Francesc Medina, Sevil Veli

Abstract:

In this study, the synthesis of photocatalytic Bi₂WO₆ was practiced with simple heating processes and the effects of these treatments on the production of the desired compound were investigated. For this purpose, experiments with Bi(NO₃)₃.5H₂O and H₂WO₄ precursors were carried out to synthesize Bi₂WO₆ by four different combinations. These four combinations were grouped in two main sets as ‘treated in microwave reactor’ and ‘directly filtrated’; additionally these main sets were grouped into two subsets as ‘calcined’ and ‘not calcined’. Calcination processes were conducted at temperatures of 400ᵒC, 600ᵒC, and 800ᵒC. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) analyses were performed in order to investigate the crystal structure of powdered product synthesized with each combination. The highest crystallization of produced compounds was observed for calcination at 600ᵒC from each main group.

Keywords: bismuth tungstate, crystallization, microwave, photocatalysts

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4038 Investigation of Various Variabilities of Attitudes toward Teaching as a Profession Levels of Physical Education and Sports School Students

Authors: Turan Cetinkaya, Abdurrahman Kırtepe

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to determine the relation of the level attitudes toward teaching as a profession to various variables of the students in physical education and sports departments. 277 students who are studying at the departments of physical education and sports teaching, sports management and coaching in Ahi Evran University, College of Physical Education and Sports participated to the research. Personal information tool and teaching profession scale consisting 34 items were used as data collection tool in the research. Distribution, frequency, t test and anova test were used in comparison of the related data. As a result of statistical analysis, attitudes toward teaching as a profession levels do not differ according to gender, but significant differences were detected in the exercise regularly and department.

Keywords: teaching profession, attitude, physical education and sports students, university students

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4037 Simulation and Experimentation Investigation of Infrared Non-Destructive Testing on Thermal Insulation Material

Authors: Bi Yan-Qiang, Shang Yonghong, Lin Boying, Ji Xinyan, Li Xiyuan

Abstract:

The heat-resistant material has important application in the aerospace field. The reliability of the connection between the heat-resisting material and the body determines the success or failure of the project. In this paper, lock-in infrared thermography non-destructive testing technology is used to detect the stability of the thermal-resistant structure. The phase relationship between the temperature and the heat flow is calculated by the numerical method, and the influence of the heating frequency and power is obtained. The correctness of the analysis is verified by the experimental method. Through the research, it can provide the basis for the parameter setting of heat flux including frequency and power, improve the efficiency of detection and the reliability of connection between the heat-resisting material and the body.

Keywords: infrared non-destructive, thermal insulation material, reliability, connection

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4036 Enhancement and Characterization of Titanium Surfaces with Sandblasting and Acid Etching for Dental Implants

Authors: Busra Balli, Tuncay Dikici, Mustafa Toparli

Abstract:

Titanium and its alloys have been used extensively over the past 25 years as biomedical materials in orthopedic and dental applications because of their good mechanical properties, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. It is known that the surface properties of titanium implants can enhance the cellular response and play an important role in Osseo integration. The rate and quality of Osseo integration in titanium implants are related to their surface properties. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of sandblasting and acid etching on surface morphology, roughness, the wettability of titanium. The surface properties will be characterized by scanning electron microscopy and contact angle and roughness measurements. The results show that surface morphology, roughness, and wettability were changed and enhanced by these treatments.

Keywords: dental implant, etching, surface modifications, surface morphology, surface roughness

Procedia PDF Downloads 492
4035 Investigation of Building Pounding during Earthquake and Calculation of Impact Force between Two Adjacent Structures

Authors: H. Naderpour, R. C. Barros, S. M. Khatami

Abstract:

Seismic excitation is naturally caused large horizontal relative displacements, which is able to provide collisions between two adjacent buildings due to insufficient separation distance and severe damages are occurred due to impact especially in tall buildings. In this paper, an impact is numerically simulated and two needed parameters are calculated, including impact force and energy absorption. In order to calculate mentioned parameters, mathematical study needs to model an unreal link element, which is logically assumed to be spring and dashpot to determine lateral displacement and damping ratio of impact. For the determination of dynamic response of impact, a new equation of motion is theoretically suggested to evaluate impact force and energy dissipation. In order to confirm the rendered equation, a series of parametric study are performed and the accuracy of formula is confirmed.

Keywords: pounding, impact, dissipated energy, coefficient of restitution

Procedia PDF Downloads 359
4034 Pet Bearing Bio-Based Moities

Authors: Majdi Abid

Abstract:

During the last few decades, great efforts have been made for the development of innovative materials using vegetal biomass. This strategy is understandable for different reasons including the predictable dwindling of the petrochemical feedstock and their price increase as well as the counterbalancing of the environmental problems. As novel bio-based monomers used in polyesters synthesis, two families, namely 1,4:3,6-dianhydrohexitols and furanics were prepared for saccharidic renewable resources. The present work deals with a detail investigation on the synthesis of poly(ethylene-co-isosorbide terephthalate-co-furoate) (PEITF) by melt polycondensation of dimethylterephtalate (DMT), 5,5’-isopropylidene-bis (ethyl 2-furoate) (DEF) ethan-1,2-diol (ED) and isosorbide (IS). Polycondensationwas achieved in two steps: (i) the formation of a hydroxyethylterminated oligomer by reaction of starting diester mixture with excess ED and, (ii) a polycondensation step with elimination of ED was used to obtain high molar mass copolyesters. Copolymers of various compositions were synthesized and characterized by 1H NMR, SEC, DSC and TGA. The resulting materials are amorphous polymers (Tg = 104–127 °C) with good thermal stability.

Keywords: bio-based monomers, furan, isosrbide, polycondensation

Procedia PDF Downloads 287
4033 Polypropylene/Red Mud Polymer Composites: Effects of Powder Size on Mechanical and Thermal Properties

Authors: Munir Tasdemir

Abstract:

Polymer/clay composites have received great attention in the past three decades owing to their light weight coupled with significantly better mechanical and barrier properties than the corresponding neat polymer resins. An investigation was carried out on the effects of red mud powder size and ratio on the mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene /red mud polymer composites. Red mud, in four different concentrations (0, 10, 20 and 30 wt %) and three different powder size (180, 63 and 38 micron) were added to PP to produce composites. The mechanical properties, including the elasticity modulus, tensile & yield strength, % elongation, hardness, Izod impact strength and the thermal properties including the melt flow index, heat deflection temperature and vicat softening point of the composites were investigated. The structures of the composites were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and compared to mechanical and thermal properties as a function of red mud powder content and size.

Keywords: polypropylene, powder, red mud, mechanical properties

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4032 Packet Analysis in Network Forensics: Insights, Tools, and Case Study

Authors: Dalal Nasser Fathi, Amal Saud Al-Mutairi, Mada Hamed Al-Towairqi, Enas Fawzi Khairallah

Abstract:

Network forensics is essential for investigating cyber incidents and detecting malicious activities by analyzing network traffic, with a focus on packet and protocol data. This process involves capturing, filtering, and examining network data to identify patterns and signs of attacks. Packet analysis, a core technique in this field, provides insights into the origins of data, the protocols used, and any suspicious payloads, which aids in detecting malicious activity. This paper explores network forensics, providing guidance for the analyst on what to look for and identifying attack sites guided by the seven layers of the OSI model. Additionally, it explains the most commonly used tools in network forensics and demonstrates a practical example using Wireshark.

Keywords: network forensic, packet analysis, Wireshark tools, forensic investigation, digital evidence

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