Search results for: obesity reduction

Authors: Yong-Il Lee, Do-Yeon Hwang, Won-Seog Jeong, Duckshin Park

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Recently, because of the high-speed trains forced ventilation, it is important to control the ventilation. The ventilation is for controlling various contaminants, temperature, and humidity. The high-speed train route is straight to a destination having a high speed. And there are many mountainous areas in Korea. So, tunnel rate is higher then other country. KTX HVAC block off the outdoor air, when entering tunnel. So the high tunnel rate is an effect of ventilation in the KTX cabin. It is important to reduction rate in CO2 concentration prediction. To meet the air quality of the public transport vehicles recommend standards, the KTX cabin of CO2 concentration should be managed. In this study, the concentration change was predicted by CO2 prediction simulation in route to be opened.

Keywords: CO2 prediction, KTX, ventilation, infrastructure and transportation engineering

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Authors: Xiao Wang, Qinge Zhang

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Background: This randomized, open-label study examined the therapeutic effects of computerized cognitive training (CCT) combined with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on cognitive impairment among patients with late-life depression (LLD). Method: Study data were collected from May 5, 2021, to April 21, 2023. Outpatients who met diagnostic criteria for major depressive disorder according to the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria (i.e., a total score on the 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) ≥ 18 and a total score on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale (MOCA) <26) were randomly assigned to receive up to 12 weeks of CCT and SSRIs treatment (n=57) or SSRIs and Control treatment (n=61). The primary outcome was the change in Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) scores from baseline to week 12 between the two groups. The secondary outcomes included changes in the HAMD-17 score, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score and Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) score. Mixed model repeated measures (MMRM) analysis was performed on modified intention-to-treat (mITT) and completer populations. Results: The full analysis set (FAS) included 118 patients (CCT and SSRIs group, n=57; SSRIs and Control group, n =61). Over the 12-week study period, the reduction in the ADAS-cog total score was significant (P < 0.001) in both groups, while MMRM analysis revealed a significantly greater reduction in cognitive function (ADAS-cog total scores) from baseline to posttreatment in the CCT and SSRIs group than in the SSRI and Control group [(F (1,115) =13.65, least-squares mean difference [95% CI]: −2.77 [−3.73, −1.81], p<0.001)]. There were significantly greater improvements in depression symptoms (measured by the HAMD-17) in the CCT and SSRIs group than in the control group [MMRM, estimated mean difference (SE) between groups −3.59 [−5.02, −2.15], p < 0.001]. The least-squares mean changes in the HAMA scores and NPI scores between baseline and week 8 were greater in the CCT and SSRIs group than in the control group (all P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between groups on response rates and remission rates by using the last-observation-carried-forward (LOCF) method (all P > 0.05). The most frequent adverse events (AEs) in both groups were dry mouth, somnolence, and constipation. There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse events between the two groups. Conclusions: CCT combined with SSRIs was efficacious and well tolerated in LLD patients with cognitive impairment.

Keywords: late-life depression, cognitive function, computerized cognitive training, SSRIs

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Authors: Naima Benachour, Sabiha Chouchane, J. Paul Chopart

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The objective of this work is to determine the appropriate conditions for a Ni-Zn deposit with good nickel content. The electrodeposition of zinc-nickel on a stainless steel is carried out in a chlorinated bath NiCl2.6H2O, ZnCl2, and H3BO3), whose composition is 1.1 M; 1.8 M; 0.1 M respectively. Studies show the effect of the concentration of NH4Cl, which reveals a significant effect on the reduction and ion transport in the electrolyte. In order to highlight the influence of magnetic field on the chemical composition and morphology of the deposit, chronopotentiometry tests were conducted, the curves obtained inform us that the application of a magnetic field promotes stability of the deposit. Characterization developed deposits was performed by scanning electron microscopy coupled with EDX and specified by the X-ray diffraction.

Keywords: Zn-Ni alloys, electroplating, magnetic field, chronopotentiometry

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Authors: Mushfiqul Alam, Kashyapa Narenathreyas

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The demand for efficient transonic transport has been growing every day and may turn out to be the most pressed innovation in coming years. Oblique wing configuration was proposed as an alternative to conventional wing configuration for supersonic and transonic passenger aircraft due to its aerodynamic advantages. This paper re-demonstrates the aerodynamic advantages of oblique wing configuration using open source CFD code. The aerodynamic data were generated using Panel Method. Results show that Oblique Wing concept with elliptical wing planform offers a significant reduction in drag at transonic and supersonic speeds and approximately twice the lift distribution compared to conventional operating aircrafts. The paper also presents a preliminary conceptual aircraft sizing which can be used for further experimental analysis.

Keywords: aerodynamics, asymmetric sweep, oblique wing, swing wing

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Authors: Yuwaratu Syafira, Wahyu K. Y. Putra, Kusharisupeni Djokosujono

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Background/Objective: Body Mass Index (BMI) serves various purposes, including measuring the prevalence of obesity in a population, and also in formulating a patient’s diet at a hospital, and can be calculated with the equation = body weight (kg)/body height (m)². However, the BMI of an individual with difficulties in carrying their weight or standing up straight can not necessarily be measured. The aim of this study was to form a prediction model for the BMI of young adult students of Public Health Faculty of University of Indonesia. Subject/Method: This study used a cross sectional design, with a total sample of 132 respondents, consisted of 58 males and 74 females aged 21- 30. The dependent variable of this study was BMI, and the independent variables consisted of sex and anthropometric measurements, which included ulna length, arm length, tibia length, knee height, mid-upper arm circumference, and calf circumference. Anthropometric information was measured and recorded in a single sitting. Simple and multiple linear regression analysis were used to create the prediction equation for BMI. Results: The male respondents had an average BMI of 24.63 kg/m² and the female respondents had an average of 22.52 kg/m². A total of 17 variables were analysed for its correlation with BMI. Bivariate analysis showed the variable with the strongest correlation with BMI was Mid-Upper Arm Circumference/√Ulna Length (MUAC/√UL) (r = 0.926 for males and r = 0.886 for females). Furthermore, MUAC alone also has a very strong correlation with BMI (r = 0,913 for males and r = 0,877 for females). Prediction models formed from either MUAC/√UL or MUAC alone both produce highly accurate predictions of BMI. However, measuring MUAC/√UL is considered inconvenient, which may cause difficulties when applied on the field. Conclusion: The prediction model considered most ideal to estimate BMI is: Male BMI (kg/m²) = 1.109(MUAC (cm)) – 9.202 and Female BMI (kg/m²) = 0.236 + 0.825(MUAC (cm)), based on its high accuracy levels and the convenience of measuring MUAC on the field.

Keywords: body mass index, mid-upper arm circumference, prediction model, ulna length

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Authors: S. Anwar Sathik, K. Manoj Deepak, K. Venkatachalam

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Our study is a prospective study on the use of bio absorbable pins for the treatment of osteochondral fractures after patellar dislocation.22 patients who presented with osteochondral fractures were treated in our institution. They were followed for a minimum of 12 months by regular radiological evaluation. Of the 22 patients, 2 had fragments that detached from the fracture site which was treated arthroscopically. All the patients underwent open reduction and fixation of the pins using bio absorbable crews. They were immobilized in the cast for a minimum of 6 weeks after which mobilization was started according to our protocol. Fracture consolidation was found to occur in 20 of the 22 patients. Thus, Bio absorbable screws can be used as a reliable method of fixation of the osteochondral fragments.

Keywords: osteochondral fracture, bio absorbable pins, patella dislocation, physiotherapy

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Authors: Myoung-Jin Kim, Chang-Bin Ha, Yeong-Seop Ahn, Hyoung-Kyu Song

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This paper proposes a cooperative communication scheme for improve wireless communication performance. When the receiver is located in the edge of coverage, the signal from the transmitter is distorted for various reasons such as inter-cell interference (ICI), power reduction, incorrect channel estimation. In order to improve communication performance, the proposed scheme adds the relay. By the relay, the receiver has diversity gain. In this paper, two base stations, one relay and one destination are considered. The two base stations transmit same time to relay and destination. The relay forwarding to destination and the destination detects signals.

Keywords: cooperative communication, diversity gain, OFDM, MMSE

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Authors: Neha Asthana, Vishal Krishna Prasad

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Reverse logistics and green supply chain form an interconnected and interwoven network of parameters that contribute to enhancement and incremental exchange in the triple bottom line in the consistently changing and fragmenting markets of the globalizing markets of today. Reverse logistics not only contributes to completing the supply chain in a comprehensive and synchronized manner but also contributes to a significant degree in optimizing green supply chains through procedures such as recycling, refurbishing etc. contributing to waste reduction. Carbon trading, owing to its limitations in the global context and being in a nascent stage seeks plethora of research to determine its full application in synergy with reverse logistics and green supply chain.

Keywords: reverse logistics, carbon trading, carbon emissions, green supply chain

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Authors: Fahad A. Alotaibi

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An increase in salt dissolution rate with continuous water flow is expected to lead to the progressive collapse of the soil structure. Evaluation of the relationship between soil salt dissolution and the variation of sabkha soil permeability in terms of type, rate, and quantity in order to assure construction safety in these environments. The current study investigates the relationship of soil permeability with the rate of dissolution of calcium (Ca2+), sulfate (SO4-2), chloride (CL−1), magnesium (Mg2+), sodium (Na+), and potassium (K+1) ions. Results revealed an increase in sabkha soil permeability with the rate of ions dissolution. This makes the efficiency of using a waterproofing stabilization agent in the reduction of sabkha salts dissolution the main criterion is selecting suitable stabilizing method.

Keywords: sabkha, permeability, salts, dissolution

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Authors: Kritika Bansal, Akwinder Kaur, Shruti Gujral

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In this paper, the approach of denoising is solved by using a new hybrid technique which associates the different denoising methods. Wavelet thresholding and anisotropic diffusion filter are the two different filters in our hybrid techniques. The Wavelet thresholding removes the noise by removing the high frequency components with lesser edge preservation, whereas an anisotropic diffusion filters is based on partial differential equation, (PDE) to remove the speckle noise. This PDE approach is used to preserve the edges and provides better smoothing. So our new method proposes a combination of these two filtering methods which performs better results in terms of peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), coefficient of correlation (COC) and equivalent no of looks (ENL).

Keywords: denoising, anisotropic diffusion filter, multiplicative noise, speckle, wavelets

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Authors: Mojtaba Ghodsi, Hamidreza Ziaifar, Morteza Mohammadzaheri, Payam Soltani

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In this paper, the performance of a medium power (25 kW/25 kHz) hybrid inverter with a reactive transformer is investigated. To analyze the sensitivity of the inverster, the RSM technique is employed to manifest the effective factors in the inverter to minimize current passing through the Insulated Bipolar Gate Transistors (IGBTs) (current stress). It is revealed that the ratio of the axillary inductor to the effective inductance of resonant inverter (N), is the most effective parameter to minimize the current stress in this type of inverter. In practice, proper selection of N mitigates the current stress over IGBTs by five times. This reduction is very helpful to keep the IGBTs at normal temperatures.

Keywords: analytical analysis, hybrid resonant inverter, reactive transformer, response surface method

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Authors: Fares Alsewailem

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Material recycling of thermoplastic waste offers practical solution for municipal solid waste reduction. Post-consumer plastics such as polyethylene (PE), polyethyleneterephtalate (PET), and polystyrene (PS) may be separated from each other by physical methods such as density difference and hence processed as single plastic, however one should be cautious about the contaminants presence in the waste stream inform of paper, glue, etc. since these articles even in trace amount may deteriorate properties of the recycled plastics especially the mechanical properties. furthermore, melt processing methods used to recycle thermoplastics such as extrusion and compression molding may induce degradation of some of the recycled plastics such as PET and PS. In this research, it is shown that care should be taken when processing recycled plastics by melt processing means in two directions, first contaminants should be extremely minimized, and secondly melt processing steps should also be minimum.

Keywords: Recycling, PET, PS, HDPE, mechanical

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Authors: M. Sandeep Kumar, Vasu Velagapudi, A. Venugopal

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When machining is carried out on a workpiece, residual stresses are induced in the workpiece due to nonuniform thermal and mechanical loads. These stresses play a vital role in the surface integrity of the final product or the output. Inconel 718 is commonly used in critical structural components of aircraft engines due to its properties at high temperatures. Therefore it is important to keep down the stresses induced due to machining. This can be achieved through proper lubricating conditions. In this work, experiments were carried out to check the influence of the developed nanofluid as cutting fluids on residual stresses developed during the course of machining. The results of MQL/Nanofluids were compared with MQL/Vegetable oil and dry machining lubricating condition. Results indicate the reduction in residual stress with the use of MQL/Nanofluid.

Keywords: nanofluids, MQL, residual stress, Inconel-718

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Authors: Hussein M. H. Mohamed, Hamdy M. B. Zaki

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Fresh sausage is one of the cheapest and delicious meat products that are gaining popularity all over the world. It is considered as a practice of adding value to low-value meat cuts of high fat and connective tissue contents. One of the most important characteristics of fresh sausage is the distinctive marbling appearance between lean and fatty portions, which can be achieved by using animal fat. For achieving the marbling appearance of fresh sausage, a lager amount of fat needs to be used. The use of animal fat may represent a health concern due to its content of saturated fatty acids and trans-fats, which increase the risk of heart diseases. There is a need for reducing the fat content of fresh sausage to obtain a healthy product. However, fat is responsible for the texture, flavor, and juiciness of the product. Therefore, developing reduced-fat products is a challenging process. The main objectives of the current study were to incorporate chicken skin based products (chicken skin emulsion, gelatinized chicken skin, and gelatinized chicken skin emulsion) during the formulation of fresh sausage as fat replacers and to study the effect of these products on the nutritional quality, physicochemical properties, and sensory attributes of the processed product. Three fresh sausage formulae were prepared using chicken skin based fat replacers (chicken skin emulsion, gelatinized chicken skin, and gelatinized chicken skin emulsion) beside one formula prepared using mesenteric beef fat as a control. The proximate composition, fatty acid profiles, Physico-chemical characteristics, and sensory attributes of all formulas were assessed. The results revealed that the use of chicken skin based fat replacers resulted in significant (P < 0.05) reduction of fat contents from 17.67 % in beef mesenteric fat formulated sausage to 5.77, 8.05 and 8.46 in chicken skin emulsion, gelatinized chicken skin, and gelatinized chicken skin emulsion formulated sausages, respectively. Significant reduction in the saturated fatty acid contents and a significant increase in mono-unsaturated, poly-unsaturated, and omega-3 fatty acids have been observed in all formulae processed with chicken skin based fat replacers. Moreover, significant improvements in the physico-chemical characteristics and non-significant changes in the sensory attributes have been obtained. From the obtained results, it can be concluded that the chicken skin based products can be used safely to improve the nutritional quality and physico chemical properties of beef fresh sausages without changing the sensory attributes of the product. This study may encourage meat processors to utilize chicken skin based fat replacers for the production of high quality and healthy beef fresh sausages.

Keywords: chicken skin emulsion, fresh sausage, gelatinized chicken skin, gelatinized chicken skin emulsion

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Authors: Gregory W. Smith, Paul J. Riccomini

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The goal of this empirical inquiry is to explore the effect of noise reducing headphones on the short-term memory recall of college students. Immediately following the presentation (via PowerPoint) of 12 unrelated and randomly selected one- and two-syllable words, students were asked to recall as many words as possible. Using a linear model with conditions marked with binary indicators, we examined the frequency and accuracy of words that were recalled. The findings indicate that for some students, a reduction of noise has a significant positive impact on their ability to recall information. As classrooms become more aurally distracting due to the implementation of cooperative learning activities, these findings highlight the need for a quiet learning environment for some learners.

Keywords: auditory distraction, education, instruction, noise, working memory

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Authors: Veselin Nanev, Margarita Gabrashanska, Neli Tsocheva-Gaytandzieva

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Ascaridiasis in chicks is one of the major causes for the reduction in body weights, higher mortality, and reduction in egg production, worse meat quantity, pathological lesions, blood losses, and secondary infections. It is responsible for economic losses to the poultry. Despite being economically important parasite, little work has been carried out on the role of antioxidants in the pathogenesis of ascaridiasis. Zinc is a trace elements with multiple functions and one of them is its antioxidant ability. The aim of this study was to investigate the combined effect of organic zinc compound (2Gly.ZnCl22H20) and Ascaridia galli infection on the antioxidant status of broiler chicks. The activity of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, the level of lipid peroxidation, expressed by malonyl dialdexyde and plasma zinc in chicks experimentally infected with Ascaridia galli was investigated. Parasite burden was studied as well. The study was performed on 80 broiler chicks, Cobb 500 hybrids. They were divided into four groups – 1st group – control (non-treated and non-infected, 2nd group – infected with embryonated eggs of A. galli and without treatment, 3rd group- only treated with 2Gly.ZnCl22H20 compound and gr. 4 - infected and supplemented with Zn-compound. The chicks in gr. 2 and 4 were infected orally with 450 embryonated eggs of A.galli on day 14 post infection. The chicks from gr. 3 and 4 received 40 mg Zn compound /kg of feed after the 1st week of age during 10 days. All chicks were similarly fed, managed and killed at 60 day p.i. Helminthological, biochemical and statistical methods were applied. Reduced plasma Zn content was observed in the infected chicks compared to controls. Zinc supplementation did not restored the lower Zn content. Cu, Zn-SOD was decreased significantly in the infected chicks compared to controls. The GPx – activity was significantly increased in the infected chicks than the controls. Increased GPx activity together with decreased Cu/ZnSOD activity revealed unbalanced antioxidant defense capacity. The increased MDA level in chicks and changes in the activity of the enzymes showed a development of oxidative stress during the infection with A.galli. Zn compound supplementation has been shown to influence the activity of both antioxidant enzymes (SOD, GPx) and reduced MDA in the infected chicks. Organic zinc supplementation improved the antioxidant defense and protect hosts from oxidant destruction, but without any effect on the parasite burden. The number of helminths was similar in both groups. Zn supplementation did not changed the number of parasites. Administration of oral 2Gly.ZnCl22H20 compound has been shown to be useful in chicks infected with A. galli by its improvement of their antioxidant potential.

Keywords: Ascaridia galli, antioxidants, broiler chicks, zinc supplementation

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Authors: Bouziane Mohamed Tewfik

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In order to improve the understanding of the influence of rainfall intensity on infiltration and deformation behaviour of unsaturated soil slopes, numerical 2D analyses are carried out by a three phase elasto-viscoplastic seepage-deformation coupled method. From the numerical results, it is shown that regardless of the saturated permeability of the soil slope, the increase in the pore water pressure (reduction in suction) during rainfall infiltration is localized close to the slope surface. In addition, the generation of the pore water pressure and the lateral displacement are mainly controlled by the ratio of the rainfall intensity to the saturated permeability of the soil.

Keywords: unsaturated soil, slope stability, rainfall infiltration, numerical analysis

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Authors: Zhenyu Du, Ed Collings, James Meredith

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The high cost of composite materials versus conventional materials remains a major barrier to uptake in the transport sector. This is exacerbated by a shortage of skilled labour which makes the labour content of a hand laid composite component (~40 % of total cost) an obvious target for reduction. Automation is a method to remove labour cost and improve quality. This work focuses on the challenges and benefits to automating the manufacturing process from raw fibre to trimmed component. It will detail the experimental work required to complete an automation cell, the control strategy used to integrate all machines and the final benefits in terms of throughput and cost.

Keywords: automation, low cost technologies, processing and manufacturing technologies, resin transfer moulding

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Authors: Michelangelo Sofo, Giuseppe Labianca

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In recent years, the scientific community's interest in the exploratory analysis of biomedical data has increased exponentially. Considering the field of research of nutritional biologists, the curative process, based on the analysis of clinical data, is a very delicate operation due to the fact that there are multiple solutions for the management of pathologies in the food sector (for example can recall intolerances and allergies, management of cholesterol metabolism, diabetic pathologies, arterial hypertension, up to obesity and breathing and sleep problems). In this regard, in this research work a system was created capable of evaluating various dietary regimes for specific patient pathologies. The system is founded on a mathematical-numerical model and has been created tailored for the real working needs of an expert in human nutrition using the human-centered design (ISO 9241-210), therefore it is in step with continuous scientific progress in the field and evolves through the experience of managed clinical cases (machine learning process). DietAdhoc® is a decision support system nutrition specialists for patients of both sexes (from 18 years of age) developed with an agile methodology. Its task consists in drawing up the biomedical and clinical profile of the specific patient by applying two algorithmic optimization approaches on nutritional data and a symbolic solution, obtained by transforming the relational database underlying the system into a deductive database. For all three solution approaches, particular emphasis has been given to the explainability of the suggested clinical decisions through flexible and customizable user interfaces. Furthermore, the system has multiple software modules based on time series and visual analytics techniques that allow to evaluate the complete picture of the situation and the evolution of the diet assigned for specific pathologies.

Keywords: medical decision support, physiological data extraction, data driven diagnosis, human centered AI, symbiotic AI paradigm

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Authors: Karthikeyan M., Paul M. J.

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This abstract describes a case of central pancreatectomy (CP) for a 50-year-old woman with a neuroendocrine tumor in the mid-body of the pancreas. CP, a parenchyma-sparing surgical option, preserves the distal pancreas and spleen, reducing the risk of pancreatic endocrine and exocrine insufficiency compared to traditional resections. The patient, initially misdiagnosed with transient ischemic attack, presented with hypoglycemic symptoms and was found to have a pancreatic lesion. Post-operative results were positive, with a reduction in pancreatic drain volume and normalization of blood sugar levels. This case highlights CP's efficacy in treating centrally located pancreatic lesions while maintaining pancreatic function.

Keywords: central pancreatectomy without anastomosis, no endocrine deficiency on follow-op, less post-op hospital stay, less post-op complications

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Authors: Kwok Tak Kit

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Construction and demolition (C&D) waste generated in the process of urbanization which only contribute to approx. 25–35 per cent of municipal solid waste (MSW), and the action to reduce the generation of other MSW is considered more critical. Developed and cities produce a higher percentage of inorganic waste rather than organic waste. Most of the MSW was disposed in landfill, and a large number of the landfills are not effectively and efficiently operated to receive the untreated incoming waste. It is also a global problem that the demands for enhancement of basic infrastructure for waste collection, treatment, and disposal, including rehabilitation of the dump sites, is the urgent priority. This paper is to review the factors taken into consideration of waste management development in relation to circular economy development on development countries and green recovery in the post-pandemic era for further researches use.

Keywords: waste management, waste reduction, circular economy, developed countries, sustainable design goals

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Authors: Trevor N. Haas, Alexander Koen

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Columns have traditionally been constructed of reinforced concrete or structural steel. Much attention was allocated to estimate the axial capacity of the traditional column sections to the detriment of other forms of construction. Other forms of column construction such as Concrete Filled Double Skin Tubes received little research attention, and almost no attention when subjected to eccentric loading. This paper investigates the axial capacity of columns when subjected to eccentric loading. The experimental axial capacities are compared to other established theoretical formulae on concentric loading to determine a possible relationship. The study found a good correlation between the reduction in axial capacity for different column lengths and hollow section ratios.

Keywords: CSDST, CFST, axial capacity, hollow section ratios

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Authors: Eman A. Al-Hilo, Hawraa H. Al-Waelly

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In this work, fractal compression (FIC) technique is introduced based on using moment features to block indexing the zero-mean range-domain blocks. The moment features have been used to speed up the IFS-matching stage. Its moments ratio descriptor is used to filter the domain blocks and keep only the blocks that are suitable to be IFS matched with tested range block. The results of tests conducted on Lena picture and Cat picture (256 pixels, resolution 24 bits/pixel) image showed a minimum encoding time (0.89 sec for Lena image and 0.78 of Cat image) with appropriate PSNR (30.01dB for Lena image and 29.8 of Cat image). The reduction in ET is about 12% for Lena and 67% for Cat image.

Keywords: fractal gray level image, fractal compression technique, iterated function system, moments feature, zero-mean range-domain block

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Authors: Ashis Pradhan, Mohan P. Pradhan

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Pattern Matching is useful for recognizing character in a digital image. OCR is one such technique which reads character from a digital image and recognizes them. Line segmentation is initially used for identifying character in an image and later refined by morphological operations like binarization, erosion, thinning, etc. The work discusses a recognition technique that defines a set of morphological operators based on its orientation in a character. These operators are further categorized into groups having similar shape but different orientation for efficient utilization of memory. Finally the characters are recognized in accordance with the occurrence of frequency in hierarchy of significant pattern of those morphological operators and by comparing them with the existing database of each character.

Keywords: binary image, morphological patterns, frequency count, priority, reduction data set and recognition

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Authors: Mahmoud M. Othman, Y. G. Hegazy, A. Y. Abdelaziz

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This paper proposes a novel heuristic algorithm that aims to determine the best size and location of distributed generators in unbalanced distribution networks. The proposed heuristic algorithm can deal with the planning cases where power loss is to be optimized without violating the system practical constraints. The distributed generation units in the proposed algorithm is modeled as voltage controlled node with the flexibility to be converted to constant power factor node in case of reactive power limit violation. The proposed algorithm is implemented in MATLAB and tested on the IEEE 37 -node feeder. The results obtained show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Keywords: distributed generation, heuristic approach, optimization, planning

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Authors: Douglas N. Simoes, Michele Pittol, Vanda F. Ribeiro, Daiane Tomacheski, Ruth M. C. Santana

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Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) compounds are used in a wide range of applications, like home appliances, automotive components, medical devices, footwear, and others. These materials are susceptible to microbial attack, causing a crack in polymer chains compounds based on SEBS copolymers, poly (styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene, are a class of TPE, largely used in domestic appliances like refrigerator seals (gaskets), bath mats and sink squeegee. Moisture present in some areas (such as shower area and sink) in addition to organic matter provides favorable conditions for microbial survival and proliferation, contributing to the spread of diseases besides the reduction of product life cycle due the biodegradation process. Zinc oxide (ZnO) has been studied as an alternative antibacterial additive due its biocidal effect. It is important to know the influence of these additives in the properties of the compounds, both at the beginning and during the life cycle. In that sense, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of accelerated aging in oven on antibacterial and mechanical properties of ZnO loaded SEBS based TPE compounds. Two different comercial zinc oxide, named as WR and Pe were used in proportion of 1%. A compound with no antimicrobial additive (standard) was also tested. The compounds were prepared using a co-rotating double screw extruder (L/D ratio of 40/1 and 16 mm screw diameter). The extrusion parameters were kept constant for all materials, screw rotation rate was set at 226 rpm, with a temperature profile from 150 to 190 ºC. Test specimens were prepared using the injection molding machine at 190 ºC. The Standard Test Method for Rubber Property—Effect of Liquids was applied in order to simulate the exposition of TPE samples to detergent ingredients during service. For this purpose, ZnO loaded TPE samples were immersed in a 3.0% w/v detergent (neutral) and accelerated aging in oven at 70°C for 7 days. Compounds were characterized by changes in mechanical (hardness and tension properties) and mass. The Japan Industrial Standard (JIS) Z 2801:2010 was applied to evaluate antibacterial properties against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). The microbiological tests showed a reduction up to 42% in E. coli and up to 49% in S. aureus population in non-aged samples. There were observed variations in elongation and hardness values with the addition of zinc The changes in tensile at rupture and mass were not significant between non-aged and aged samples.

Keywords: antimicrobial, domestic appliance, sebs, zinc oxide

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Authors: Xiaoqian Zhang, Ping Zou, Pengcheng Li

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Salt stress is one of the most serious abiotic stresses, and it can lead to the reduction of agricultural productivity. High salt concentration makes it more difficult for roots to absorb water and disturbs the homeostasis of cellular ions resulting in osmotic stress, ion toxicity and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Compared with the normal physiological conditions, salt stress could inhibit the photosynthesis, break metabolic balance and damage cellular structures, and ultimately results in the reduction of crop yield. Therefore it is vital to develop practical methods for improving the salt tolerance of plants. Chitooligomers (COS) is partially depolymerized products of chitosan, which is consisted of D-glucosamine and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. In agriculture, COS has the ability to promote plant growth and induce plant innate immunity. The bioactivity of COS closely related to its degree of polymerization (DP) and acetylation (DA). However, most of the previous reports fail to mention the function of COS with different DP and DAs in improving the capacity of plants against salt stress. Accordingly, in this study, chitooligomers (COS) with different degrees of DAs were used to test wheat seedlings response to salt stress. In addition, the determined degrees of polymerization (DPs) COS(DP 4-12) and a heterogeneous COS mixture were applied to explore the relationship between the DP of COSs and its effect on the growth of wheat seedlings in response to salt stress. It showed that COSs, the exogenous elicitor, could promote the growth of wheat seedling, reduce the malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration, and increase the activities of antioxidant enzymes. The results of mRNA expression level test for salt stress-responsive genes indicated that COS keep plants away from being hurt by the salt stress via the regulation of the concentration and the increased antioxidant enzymes activities. Moreover, it was found that the activities of COS was closely related to its Das and COS (DA: 50%) displayed the best salt resistance activity to wheat seedlings. The results also showed that COS with different DP could promote the growth of wheat seedlings under salt stress. COS with a DP (6-8) showed better activities than the other tested samples, implied its activity had a close relationship with its DP. After treatment with chitohexaose, chitoheptaose, and chitooctaose, the photosynthetic parameters were improved obviously. The soluble sugar and proline contents were improved by 26.7%-53.3% and 43.6.0%-70.2%, respectively, while the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) was reduced by 36.8% - 49.6%. In addition, the antioxidant enzymes activities were clearly activated. At the molecular level, the results revealed that they could obviously induce the expression of Na+/H+ antiporter genes. In general, these results were fundamental to the study of action mechanism of COS on promoting plant growth under salt stress and the preparation of plant growth regulator.

Keywords: chitooligomers (COS), degree of polymerization (DP), degree of acetylation (DA), salt stress

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Authors: Sarah Alamolhoda, Kevin J. Smith, Xiaotao Bi, Naoko Ellis

Abstract:

For millennials, biomass has been the most important source of fuel used to produce energy. Energy derived from biomass is renewable by re-growth of biomass. Various technologies are used to convert biomass to potential renewable products including combustion, gasification, pyrolysis and fermentation. Gasification is the incomplete combustion of biomass in a controlled environment that results in valuable products such as syngas, biooil and biochar. Syngas is a combustible gas consisting of hydrogen (H₂), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and traces of methane (CH₄) and nitrogen (N₂). Cleaned syngas can be used as a turbine fuel to generate electricity, raw material for hydrogen and synthetic natural gas production, or as the anode gas of solid oxide fuel cells. In this work, syngas as a product of woody biomass gasification in British Columbia, Canada, was introduced to two consecutive fixed bed reactors to perform a catalytic water gas shift reaction followed by a catalytic methanation reaction. The water gas shift reaction is a well-established industrial process and used to increase the hydrogen content of the syngas before the methanation process. Catalysts were used in the process since both reactions are reversible exothermic, and thermodynamically preferred at lower temperatures while kinetically favored at elevated temperatures. The water gas shift reactor and the methanation reactor were packed with Cu-based catalyst and Ni-based catalyst, respectively. Simulated syngas with different percentages of CO, H₂, CH₄, and CO₂ were fed to the reactors to investigate the effect of operating conditions in the unit. The water gas shift reaction experiments were done in the temperature of 150 ˚C to 200 ˚C, and the pressure of 550 kPa to 830 kPa. Similarly, methanation experiments were run in the temperature of 300 ˚C to 400 ˚C, and the pressure of 2340 kPa to 3450 kPa. The Methanation reaction reached 98% of CO conversion at 340 ˚C and 3450 kPa, in which more than half of CO was converted to CH₄. Increasing the reaction temperature caused reduction in the CO conversion and increase in the CH₄ selectivity. The process was designed to be renewable and release low greenhouse gas emissions. Syngas is a clean burning fuel, however by going through water gas shift reaction, toxic CO was removed, and hydrogen as a green fuel was produced. Moreover, in the methanation process, the syngas energy was transformed to a fuel with higher energy density (per volume) leading to reduction in the amount of required fuel that flows through the equipment and improvement in the process efficiency. Natural gas is about 3.5 times more efficient (energy/ volume) than hydrogen and easier to store and transport. When modification of existing infrastructure is not practical, the partial conversion of renewable hydrogen to natural gas (with up to 15% hydrogen content), the efficiency would be preserved while greenhouse gas emission footprint is eliminated.

Keywords: renewable natural gas, methane, hydrogen, gasification, syngas, catalysis, fuel

Procedia PDF Downloads 118

Authors: Eric Beyegue, Boris Azantza, Judith Laure Ngondi, Julius E. Oben

Abstract:

Background: Insulin resistance (IR) and oxidative stress are associated with obesity, diabetes mellitus, and other cardio metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Coula edulis extracts (CEE) on insulin resistance and oxidative stress markers in high-fat/high sucrose diet-induced insulin resistance in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty male rats were divided into 6 groups of 5 rats each fed, received daily oral administration of CE extracts for 8 weeks as follows: Group 1 or negative control group, fed with standard diet (SD); Group 2 fed with high-fat/high sucrose diet (HFHS) only; Group3 fed with HFHS + CEAq 200; Group 4 fed with HFHS + CEAq 400; Group 5 fed with HFHS + CEEt 200; Group 6 fed with HFHS + CEEt 400. At the end of the experiment (8 weeks), animals were sacrificed plasma lipid profile, glucose, insulin, oxidative marker and digestive enzyme activities were measured. The homeostasis model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was determined. Results: Feedings with HFHS significantly (p < 0.01) induced plasma hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinaemia, increased triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein levels, decreased high-density lipoprotein levels, alterations of α amylase, and glucose-6-phosphatase activities, and oxidative stress. Daily oral administration with CEE for eight weeks after insulin resistance induction had a hypolipidaemic action, antioxidative activities and modulated metabolic markers. Ethanolic extract at the higher dose had the best effect on body weight gain and insulin resistance, whereas aqueous extract showed the better activity on hyperlipidemia. Conclusion: These results suggest that CEAq and CEEt at 400mg/kg are promising complementary supplements that can be used to protect better from metabolic disorders associated with HFHS.

Keywords: Coula edulis Baill, high-fat / high sucrose diet, insulin resistance, oxidative stress

Procedia PDF Downloads 306

Authors: Karel Borovec, Jerzy Gorecki, Tadeas Ochodek

Abstract:

Combustion of solid fuels is one of the main sources of mercury in the environment. To reduce the amount of mercury emitted to the atmosphere, it is necessary to modify or optimize old purification technologies or introduce the new ones. Effective reduction of mercury level in the flue gas requires the use of speciation systems for mercury form determination. This paper describes tests and provides comparison of two industrial portable and continuous systems for mercury speciation in the flue gas: Durag HM-1400 TRX with a speciation module and the Portable Continuous Mercury Speciation System based on the SGM-8 mercury speciation set, made by Nippon Instruments Corporation. Additionally, the paper describes a few analytical problems that were encountered during a two-year period of using the systems.

Keywords: continuous measurement, flue gas, mercury determination, speciation

Procedia PDF Downloads 196