Search results for: rehabilitation device

Authors: Ming-Juei Chang, Hui-Ing Ma, Tsung-Hsueh Lu

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Introduction: Because of the advance of medical care (e.g., ventilation techniques and gastrostomy feeding), more and more children with CP can live to adulthood. However, little is known about the use of health care services from children to adults who have CP. The patterns of utilization of ambulatory care are heavily influenced by insurance coverage and primary care gatekeeper regulation. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of ambulatory care utilization among individuals with CP in Taiwan, a country with universal coverage and no gatekeeper regulation. Methods: A representative sample of one million patients (about 1/23 of total population) covered by Taiwan’s National Health Insurance was used to analyze the ambulatory care utilization in individuals with CP. Data were analyzed by 3 different age groups (children, youth and adults) during 2000 to 2003. Participants were identified by the presence of CP diagnosis made by pediatricians or physicians of physical and rehabilitation medicine and stated at least three times in claims data. Results: Annual rates of outpatient physician visits were 31680 for children, 16492 for youth, and 28617 for adults with CP (per 1000 persons). Individuals with CP received over 50% of their outpatient care from hospital outpatient department. Higher use of specialist physician services was found in children (54.7%) than in the other two age groups (28.4% in youth and 18.8% in adults). Diseases of respiratory system were the most frequent diagnoses for visits in both children and youth with CP. Diseases of the circulatory system were the main reasons (24.3%) that adults with CP visited hospital outpatient care department or clinics. Conclusion: This study showed different patterns of ambulatory care utilization among different age groups. It appears that youth and adults with CP continue to have complex health issues and rely heavily on the health care system. Additional studies are needed to determine the factors which influence ambulatory care utilization among individuals with CP.

Keywords: cerebral palsy, health services, lifespan, universal coverage

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Authors: Santos Cabrera, Halbert Yesid, Moncada Nino, Alvaro Fernando, Rincon Cuta, Yeisson Alexis

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The present work evaluates the feasibility of implementing a health and use monitoring system (HUMS), based on vibration analysis as a condition-based maintenance program for the UH60L 'Blackhawk' helicopters. The mixed approach used consists of contributions from national and international experts, the analysis of data extracted from the software (Meridium), the correlation of variables derived from the diagnosis of availability, the development, and application of the HUMS system, the evaluation of the latter through of the use of instruments designed for the collection of information using the DELPHI method and data capture with the device installed in the helicopter studied. The results obtained in the investigation reflect the context of maintenance in aerial operations, a reduction of operation and maintenance costs of over 2%, better use of human resources, improvement in availability (5%), and fulfillment of the aircraft’s security standards, enabling the implementation of the monitoring system (HUMS) in the condition-based maintenance program. New elements are added to the study of maintenance based on condition -specifically, in the determination of viability based on qualitative and quantitative data according to the methodology. The use of condition-based maintenance will allow organizations to adjust and reconfigure their strategic, logistical, and maintenance capabilities, aligning them with their strategic objectives of responding quickly and adequately to changes in the environment and operational requirements.

Keywords: air transportation sustainability, HUMS, maintenance based condition, maintenance blackhawk capability

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Authors: Mabrouka Algherinai, Fatma Karkouri

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Today, Short Message Service (SMS) is an important means of communication. SMS is not only used in informal environment for communication and transaction, but it is also used in formal environments such as institutions, organizations, companies, and business world as a tool for communication and transactions. Therefore, there is a need to secure the information that is being transmitted through this medium to ensure security of information both in transit and at rest. But, encryption has been identified as a means to provide security to SMS messages in transit and at rest. Several past researches have proposed and developed several encryption algorithms for SMS and Information Security. This research aims at comparing the performance of common Asymmetric encryption algorithms on SMS security. The research employs the use of three algorithms, namely RSA, McEliece, and RABIN. Several experiments were performed on SMS of various sizes on android mobile device. The experimental results show that each of the three techniques has different key generation, encryption, and decryption times. The efficiency of an algorithm is determined by the time that it takes for encryption, decryption, and key generation. The best algorithm can be chosen based on the least time required for encryption. The obtained results show the least time when McEliece size 4096 is used. RABIN size 4096 gives most time for encryption and so it is the least effective algorithm when considering encryption. Also, the research shows that McEliece size 2048 has the least time for key generation, and hence, it is the best algorithm as relating to key generation. The result of the algorithms also shows that RSA size 1024 is the most preferable algorithm in terms of decryption as it gives the least time for decryption.

Keywords: SMS, RSA, McEliece, RABIN

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Authors: Anna Pajdak, Mateusz Kudasik, Norbert Skoczylas, Leticia Teixeira Palla Braga

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A substantial majority of gas transport and sorption researches into coal are carried out on samples that are free of stress. In natural conditions, coal occurs at considerable depths, which often exceed 1000 meters. In such conditions, coal is subjected to geostatic pressure. Thus, in natural conditions, the sorption capacity of coal subjected to geostatic pressure can differ considerably from the sorption capacity of coal, determined in laboratory conditions, which is free of stress. The work presents the results of filtration and sorption tests of gases in coal under confining pressure conditions. The tests were carried out on the author's device, which ensures: confining pressure regulation in the range of 0-30 MPa, isobaric gas pressure conditions, and registration of changes in sample volume during its gas saturation. Based on the conducted research it was found, among others, that the sorption capacity of coal relative to CO₂ was reduced by about 15% as a result of the change in the confining pressure from 1.5 MPa to 30 MPa exerted on the sample. The same change in sample load caused a significant, more than tenfold reduction in carbon permeability to CO₂. The results confirmed that a load of coal corresponding to a hydrostatic pressure of 1000 meters underground reduces its permeability and sorption properties. These results are so important that the effect of load on the sorption properties of coal should be taken into account in laboratory studies on the applicability of CO₂ Enhanced Coal Bed Methane Recovery (CO₂-ECBM) technology.

Keywords: coal, confining pressure, gas transport, sorption

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Authors: Ross Lee, Pritpal Singh, Andrew Jester

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As the world transitions to a more sustainable energy economy, the deployment of energy storage technologies is expected to increase to develop a more resilient grid system. However, current technologies are associated with various environmental and safety issues throughout their entire lifecycle; therefore, new battery technology is necessary for grid applications to curtail these risks. Biological cells, such as human neurons and electrolytes in the electric eel, can serve as a more sustainable design template for a new bio-inspired (i.e., biomimetic) battery. Within biological cells, an electrochemical gradient across the cell membrane forms the membrane potential, which serves as the driving force for ion transport into/out of the cell, akin to the charging/discharging of a battery cell. This work serves as the first step to developing such a biomimetic battery cell, starting with the fabrication and characterization of ion-selective membranes to facilitate ion transport through the cell. Performance characteristics (e.g., cell voltage, power density, specific energy, roundtrip efficiency) for the cell under investigation are compared to incumbent battery technologies and biological cells to assess the readiness level for this emerging technology. Using a Na⁺-Form Nafion-117 membrane, the cell in this work successfully demonstrated behavior similar to human neurons; these findings will inform how cell components can be re-engineered to enhance device performance.

Keywords: battery, biomimetic, electrolytes, human neurons, ion-selective membranes, membrane potential

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Authors: Javier Ascanio Villabona, Brayan Eduardo Tarazona Romero, Camilo Leonardo Sandoval Rodriguez, Arly Dario Rincon, Omar Lengerke Perez

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Efficient energy consumption in the housing sector in relation to refrigeration is a concern in the construction and rehabilitation of houses in tropical areas. Thermal comfort is aggravated by heat gain on the roof surface by heat gains. Thus, in the group of passive cooling techniques, one of the practices and technologies in solar control that provide improvements in comfortable conditions are thermal insulation or geometric changes of the roofs. On the other hand, methods with reflection and radiation are the methods used to decrease heat gain by facilitating the removal of excess heat inside a building to maintain a comfortable environment. Since the potential of these techniques varies in different climatic zones, their application in different zones should be examined. This research is based on the experimental study of a prototype of a roof radiator as a method of passive cooling in homes, which was developed through an experimental research methodology making measurements in a prototype built by means of the paradigm of appropriate technology, with the aim of establishing an initial behavior of the internal temperature resulting from the climate of the external environment. As a starting point, a selection matrix was made to identify the typologies of passive cooling systems to model the system and its subsequent implementation, establishing its constructive characteristics. Step followed by the measurement of the climatic variables (outside the prototype) and microclimatic variables (inside the prototype) to obtain a database to be analyzed. As a final result, the decrease in temperature that occurs inside the chamber with respect to the outside temperature was evidenced. likewise, a linearity in its behavior in relation to the variations of the climatic variables.

Keywords: appropriate technology, enveloping, energy efficiency, passive cooling

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Authors: A. Rifa’i, Y. Takeshita, M. Komatsu

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The post-rain puddles problem that occurs in the first yard of Prambanan Temple are often disturbing visitor activity. A poodle layer and a drainage system has ever built to avoid such a problem, but puddles still didn’t stop appearing after rain. Permeability parameter needs to be determined by using more simple procedure to find exact method of solution. The instrument modelling were proposed according to the development of field permeability testing instrument. This experiment used proposed Constant Discharge method. Constant Discharge method used a tube poured with constant water flow. The procedure were carried out from unsaturated until saturated soil condition. Volumetric water content (θ) were being monitored by soil moisture measurement device. The results were relationship between k and θ which drawn by numerical approach Van Genutchen model. Parameters θr optimum value obtained from the test was at very dry soil. Coefficient of permeability with a density of 19.8 kN/m3 for unsaturated conditions was in range of 3 x 10-6 cm/sec (Sr= 68 %) until 9.98 x 10-4 cm/sec (Sr= 82 %). The equipment and testing procedure developed in this research was quite effective, simple and easy to be implemented on determining field soil permeability coefficient value of sandy soil. Using constant discharge method in proposed permeability test, value of permeability coefficient under unsaturated condition can be obtained without establish soil water characteristic curve.

Keywords: constant discharge method, in situ permeability test, sandy soil, unsaturated conditions

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Authors: A. Barratt, M. H. Granat, S. Buttress, B. Roy

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Introduction: Physiotherapy is an essential part of the treatment of patients with shoulder problems. The focus of treatment is usually centred on addressing specific physiotherapy goals, ultimately resulting in the improvement in pain and function. This study investigates if computerised physiotherapy using gamification principles are as effective as standard physiotherapy. Methods: Physiotherapy exergames were created using a combination of commercially available hardware, the Microsoft Kinect, and bespoke software. The exergames used were validated by mapping physiotherapy goals of physiotherapy which included; strength, range of movement, control, speed, and activation of the kinetic chain. A multicenter, randomised prospective controlled trial investigated the use of exergames on patients with Shoulder Impingement Syndrome who had undergone Arthroscopic Subacromial Decompression surgery. The intervention group was provided with the automated sensor-based technology, allowing them to perform exergames and track their rehabilitation progress. The control group was treated with standard physiotherapy protocols. Outcomes from different domains were used to compare the groups. An important metric was the assessment of shoulder range of movement pre- and post-operatively. The range of movement data included abduction, forward flexion and external rotation which were measured by the software, pre-operatively, 6 weeks and 12 weeks post-operatively. Results: Both groups show significant improvement from pre-operative to 12 weeks in elevation in forward flexion and abduction planes. Results for abduction showed an improvement for the interventional group (p < 0.015) as well as the test group (p < 0.003). Forward flexion improvement was interventional group (p < 0.0201) with the control group (p < 0.004). There was however no significant difference between the groups at 12 weeks for abduction (p < 0.118067) , forward flexion (p < 0.189755) or external rotation (p < 0.346967). Conclusion: Exergames may be used as an alternative to standard physiotherapy regimes; however, further analysis is required focusing on patient engagement.

Keywords: shoulder, physiotherapy, exergames, gamification

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Authors: Tzu-Wen Liu, Yi-Feng Lin, Yu-Shao Chen

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CO_2 is believed to be partly responsible for changes to the global climates. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is one way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the past. Recently, how to convert the captured CO_2 into fine chemicals gets lots of attention owing to reducing carbon dioxide emissions and providing greener feedstock for the chemicals industry. A variety of products can be manufactured from carbon dioxide and the most attractive products are cyclic carbonates. Therefore, the kind of catalyst plays an important role in cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to epoxides. Magnesium oxide can be an efficiency heterogeneous catalyst for the cycloaddition of carbon dioxide to epoxides because magnesium oxide has both acid and base active sites and can provide the adsorption of carbon dioxide, promoting ring-opening reaction. Spinning disk reactor (SDR) is one of the device of high-gravity technique and has successfully used for synthesis of nanoparticles by precipitation methods because of the high mass transfer rate. Synthesis of nanoparticles in SDR has advantages of low energy consumption and easy to scale up. The aim of this research is to synthesize magnesium hydroxide nanoparticles in SDR as precursors for magnesium oxide. Experimental results showed that the calcination temperature of magnesium hydroxide to magnesium oxide, and the pressure and temperature of cycloaddition reaction had significantly effect on the conversion and selectivity of the reaction.

Keywords: magnesium oxide, catalyst, cycloaddition, spinning disk reactor, carbon dioxide

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Authors: Anita Ghai

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The present paper explores the imperative to establish disability studies as an independent area of academic inquiry in India through the establishment of specific programmes in disability studies. The case study of the efforts made by the Ambedkar University, Delhi, to develop such programs and courses shall be used to substantiate this imperative as well as to explore some of the challenges entailed. The paper shall explore the certain extent aspects of relevant scholarship in the area of disability studies in India today and critically reflect on the perspectives of disability in this scholarship. The study of disability in India has hitherto been the prerogative of special education, rehabilitation psychology, and social work departments. While instances of these departments adopting critical approaches to disability can be identified, their empirical focus has perpetuated the production of disability as the site of suffering and oppression. The complex cultural, phenomenological, historical and economic discourses within which disability is embedded can be better captured within distinctive programmes that have disability sui generis as their focus. Such programs would foreground disability as an epistemology, which universalizes the study of disability from disabled people alone to an analysis of various other groups who have been historically marginalized. It will also play an important role in recuperating disability from a state of alterity. The interdisciplinary nature of disability studies offers an opportunity to integrate perspectives from the humanities and the social sciences in the proposed programs. Some of the challenges or rather aspects of reflection that emerge in the course of developing these programs are the criteria for determining the suitability of faculty to teach these programs and the challenges in identifying faculty and in addressing any apprehensions about career prospects that prospective students might have. The manner in which these concerns are being addressed through the collaboration of expertise as well as through the interdisciplinary and flexible nature of the program shall be addressed in the course of the paper. In conclusion, the paper shall foreground the need for disability studies programs in India, the re-appropriation of existing scholarship in the process of formulation these programs, emerging concerns and the manner in which these concerns will be addressed.

Keywords: academia, disability studies, epistemology, India

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Authors: Bryan D. Llenarizas, Maria Carla F. Manzano

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The rapid growth of electricity demand has led to a pursuit of alternative energy sources with high power output and not harmful to the environment. The fuel cell is a device that generates electricity via chemical reactions between the fuel and oxidant. Fuel cells have been known for decades, but the development of high-power output and durability was still one of the drawbacks of this energy source. This study investigates the potential of layer-by-layer composite for fuel cell applications. A two-electrode electrochemical cell was used for the galvanostatic electrochemical deposition method to fabricate a Polypyrrole/rGO|Polypyrrole/ZnO layer-by-layer composite material for fuel cell applications. In the synthesis, the first layer comprised 0.1M pyrrole monomer and 1mg of rGO, while the second layer had 0.1M pyrrole monomer and variations of ZnO concentration ranging from 0.08M up to 0.12M. A constant current density of 8mA/cm² was applied for 1 hour in fabricating each layer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for the fabricated LBL material shows a globular surface with white spots. These white spots are the ZnO particles confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, indicating a successful deposition of the second layer onto the first layer. The observed surface morphology was consistent for each variation of ZnO concentrations. AC measurements were conducted to obtain the AC resistance of the fabricated film. Results show a decrease in AC resistance as the concentration of ZnO increases.

Keywords: anode, composite material, electropolymerization, fuel cell, galvanostatic, polypyrrole

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Authors: Mohamed Eftal Bin Mohamed Ebrahim, Alexander Varey

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Aim: Topical negative pressure has been shown to enhance angiogenesis during wound healing, both for open and closed wounds. Since angiogenesis is a key requirement for successful fat grafting, there may be a role for topical negative pressure as a means of enhancing the take rate during autologous fat grafting to breasts. Here we present a systematic review of the literature on this topic. Methods: Ovid and Embase were utilized, with searches ranging between 1960 – 2019. Terms (“Liposculpting” OR “Fat grafting” OR “Lipofilling” OR “Lipograft” OR “Fat transfer”) AND (“Negative Pressure” OR “Brava” OR “Kiwi”) AND (“Breast”) were merged as keywords. Inclusion criteria were females, autologous fat graft to breast with topical negative pressure prior to the procedure. Studies were excluded if there was no primary endpoint or non-original article. Results: Upon reviewing 219 articles, 2 met inclusion criteria. A total of 565 and 46 breasts in each article were treated respectively using the negative pressure device BRAVA®, with each cohort having different pre-and post-operative pressure settings. Khouri et al. cohort had higher graft survival (79%) compared to Del Vecchio et al. cohort (64%); however, the latter had fewer complications compared to Khouri’s cohort, e.g., fat necrosis, pneumothorax and infection. Conclusion: There is limited evidence regarding the use of topical negative pressure for fat grafting to the breasts. However, in the two studies published, the reported rates of success are high, suggesting there may be a benefit. Consequently, a randomized controlled trial on this area is required.

Keywords: fat grafting, lipograft, negative pressure, breast, breast augmentation, brava

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Authors: T. P. Singh, Vijay Gautam

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Gladiolus is an important cash crop and is grown mainly for its elegant spikes. Traditionally the gladiolus corms are planted manually which is very tedious, time consuming and labor intensive operation. So far, there is no planter available for planting of gladiolus corms. With a view to mechanize the planting operation of this horticultural crop, a prototype of 4-row gladiolus planter was developed and its performance was evaluated in-situ condition. Cup-chain type metering device was used to singulate the gladiolus corms while planting. Three levels of corm spacing viz 15, 20 and 25 cm and four levels of forward speed viz 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 km/h was taken as evaluation parameter for the planter. The performance indicators namely corm spacing in each row, coefficient of uniformity, missing index, multiple index, quality of feed index, number of corms per meter length, mechanical damage to the corms etc. were determined during the field test. The data was statistically analyzed using Completely Randomized Design (CRD) for testing the significance of the parameters. The result indicated that planter was able to drop the corms at required nominal spacing with minor variations. The highest deviation from the mean corm spacing was observed as 3.53 cm with maximum coefficient of variation as 13.88%. The highest missing and quality of feed indexes were observed as 6.33% and 97.45% respectively with no multiples. The performance of the planter was observed better at lower forward speed and wider corm spacing. The field capacity of the planter was found as 0.103 ha/h with an observed field efficiency of 76.57%.

Keywords: coefficient of uniformity, corm spacing, gladiolus planter, mechanization

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Authors: Zheng Sun, Weiwei Cui, Xiaodong Ma, Hongxin Jin, Dongpao Hong, Jinsong Yang, Jingyi Sun

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With the improvement of the performance and complexity of modern equipment, automatic test system (ATS) becomes widely used for condition monitoring and fault diagnosis. However, the conventional ATS mainly works in a serial mode, and lacks the ability of testing several equipments at the same time. That leads to low test efficiency and ATS redundancy. Especially for a large majority of equipment under test, the conventional ATS cannot meet the requirement of efficient testing. To reduce the support resource and increase test efficiency, we propose a method of design for the parallel test based on the embedded system in this paper. Firstly, we put forward the general framework of the parallel test system, and the system contains a central management system (CMS) and several distributed test subsystems (DTS). Then we give a detailed design of the system. For the hardware of the system, we use embedded architecture to design DTS. For the software of the system, we use test program set to improve the test adaption. By deploying the parallel test system, the time to test five devices is now equal to the time to test one device in the past. Compared with the conventional test system, the proposed test system reduces the size and improves testing efficiency. This is of great significance for equipment to be put into operation swiftly. Finally, we take an industrial control system as an example to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. The result shows that the method is reasonable, and the efficiency is improved up to 500%.

Keywords: parallel test, embedded system, automatic test system, automatic test system (ATS), central management system, central management system (CMS), distributed test subsystems, distributed test subsystems (DTS)

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Authors: Zhuohan Li, Jing Yang, Yaoyuan Cui

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The gut-brain axis (GBA), a communication network between gut microbiota and the brain, benefits for investigation of brain diseases. Currently, organ chips are considered one of the potential tools for GBA research. However, most of the available GBA chips have limitations in replicating the three-dimensional (3D) growth environment of cells and lack the required cell types for barrier function. In the present study, a microfluidic chip was developed for GBA interaction. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) module was prepared with HBMEC, HBVP, U87 cells and decellularized matrix (dECM). Intestinal epithelial barrier (IEB) was prepared with Caco-2 and vascular endothelial cells and dECM. GBA microfluidic device was integrated with IEB and BBB modules using 3D printing interconnecting microchannel scaffolds. BBB and IEB interaction on this GBA chip were evaluated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exposure. The present GBA chip achieved multicellular three-dimensional cultivation. Compared with the co-culture cell model in the transwell, fluorescein was absorbed more slowly by 5.16-fold (IEB module) and 4.69-fold (BBB module) on the GBA chip. Accumulation of Rhodamine 123 and Hoechst33342 was dramatically decreased. The efflux function of transporters on IEB and BBB was significantly increased on the GBA chip. After lipopolysaccharide (LPS) disrupted the IEB, and then BBB dysfunction was further observed, which confirmed the interaction between IEB and BBB modules. These results demonstrated that this GBA chip may offer a promising tool for gut-brain interaction study.

Keywords: decellularized matrix, gut-brain axis, organ-on-chip, three-dimensional printing.

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Authors: Radhwane Boudjelthia

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The most recent earthquakes that occurred in the world and particularly in Algeria, have killed thousands of people and severe damage. The example that is etched in our memory is the last earthquake in the regions of Boumerdes and Algiers (Boumerdes earthquake of May 21, 2003). For all the actors involved in the building process, the earthquake is the litmus test for construction. The goal we set ourselves is to contribute to the implementation of a thoughtful approach to the seismic protection of structures. For many engineers, the most conventional approach protection works (buildings and bridges) the effects of earthquakes is to increase rigidity. This approach is not always effective, especially when there is a context that favors the phenomenon of resonance and amplification of seismic forces. Therefore, the field of earthquake engineering has made significant inroads among others catalyzed by the development of computational techniques in computer form and the use of powerful test facilities. This has led to the emergence of several innovative technologies, such as the introduction of special devices insulation between infrastructure and superstructure. This approach, commonly known as "seismic isolation" to absorb the significant efforts without the structure is damaged and thus ensuring the protection of lives and property. In addition, the restraints to the construction by the ground shaking are located mainly at the supports. With these moves, the natural period of construction is increasing, and seismic loads are reduced. Thus, there is an attenuation of the seismic movement. Likewise, the insulation of the base mechanism may be used in combination with earthquake dampers in order to control the deformation of the insulation system and the absolute displacement of the superstructure located above the isolation interface. On the other hand, only can use these earthquake dampers to reduce the oscillation amplitudes and thus reduce seismic loads. The use of damping devices represents an effective solution for the rehabilitation of existing structures. Given all these acceleration reducing means considered passive, much research has been conducted for several years to develop an active control system of the response of buildings to earthquakes.

Keywords: earthquake, building, seismic forces, displacement, resonance, response

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Authors: Kusuma Urs M. B., Navakant Bhat, Vinayak B. Kamble

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Metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) are known to be excellent candidates for solid-state gas sensor devices. However, in spite of high sensitivities, their high operating temperatures and lack of selectivity is a big concern limiting their practical applications. A lot of research has been devoted so far to enhance their sensitivity and selectivity, often empirically. Some of the promising routes to achieve the same are reducing dimensionality and formation of heterostructures. These heterostructures offer improved sensitivity, selectivity even at relatively low operating temperatures compared to bare metal oxides. Thus, a combination of n-type and p-type metal oxides leads to the formation of p-n junction at the interface resulting in the diffusion of the carriers across the barrier along with the surface adsorption. In order to achieve this and to study their sensing mechanism, we have designed and lithographically fabricated a suspended nanobeam of NiO, which is a p-type semiconductor. The response of the same has been studied for various gases and is found to exhibit selective response towards hydrogen gas at room temperature. Further, the same has been radially coated with TiO₂ shell of varying thicknesses, in order to study the effect of radial p-n junction thus formed. Subsequently, efforts have been made to study the effect of shell thickness on the space charge region and to shed some light on the basic mechanism involved in gas sensing of MOS sensors.

Keywords: gas sensing, heterostructure, metal oxide semiconductor, space charge region

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Authors: A. Ras, I. Nait Zerrad, N. Benmouna, N. Boumechra

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Use of base isolators in the seismic design of structures has attracted considerable attention in recent years. The major concern in the design of these structures is to have enough lateral stability to resist wind and seismic forces. There are different systems providing such isolation, among them there are friction- pendulum base isolation systems (FPS) which are rather widely applied nowadays involving to both affordable cost and high fundamental periods. These devices are characterised by a stiff resistance against wind loads and to be flexible to the seismic tremors, which make them suitable for different situations. In this paper, a 3D numerical investigation is done considering the seismic response of a twelve-storey steel building retrofitted with a FPS. Fast nonlinear time history analysis (FNA) of Boumerdes earthquake (Algeria, May 2003) is considered for analysis and carried out using SAP2000 software. Comparisons between fixed base, bearing base isolated and braced structures are shown in a tabulated and graphical format. The results of the various alternatives studies to compare the structural response without and with this device of dissipation energy thus obtained were discussed and the conclusions showed the interesting potential of the FPS isolator. This system may to improve the dissipative capacities of the structure without increasing its rigidity in a significant way which contributes to optimize the quantity of steel necessary for its general stability.

Keywords: energy dissipation, friction-pendulum system, nonlinear analysis, steel structure

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Authors: Quan Li, Dongcai Shen, Zhengting Xiao, Xin Liu Mingrui Wu, Licheng Liu, Qin Li, Xianguo Li, Wentai Wang

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Direct electrocatalytic nitrogen oxidation (NOR) provides a promising alternative strategy for synthesizing high-value-added nitric acid from widespread N₂, which overcomes the disadvantages of the Haber-Bosch-Ostwald process. However, the NOR process suffers from the limitation of high N≡N bonding energy (941 kJ mol− ¹), sluggish kinetics, low efficiency and yield. It is a prerequisite to develop more efficient electrocatalysts for NOR. Herein, we synthesized double-shelled CeO₂ hollow spheres (D-CeO₂) and further modified with Ti₃C₂ MXene quantum dots (MQDs) for electrocatalytic N₂ oxidation, which exhibited a NO₃− yield of 71.25 μg h− ¹ mgcat− ¹ and FE of 31.80% at 1.7 V. The unique quantum size effect and abundant edge active sites lead to a more effective capture of nitrogen. Moreover, the double-shelled hollow structure is favorable for N₂ fixation and gathers intermediate products in the interlayer of the core-shell. The in-situ infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy confirmed the formation of *NO and NO₃− species during the NOR reaction, and the kinetics and possible pathways of NOR were calculated by density functional theory (DFT). In addition, a Zn-N₂ reaction device was assembled with D-CeO₂/MQDs as anode and Zn plate as cathode, obtaining an extremely high NO₃− yield of 104.57 μg h− ¹ mgcat− ¹ at 1 mA cm− ².

Keywords: electrocatalytic N₂ oxidation, nitrate production, CeO₂, MXene quantum dots, double-shelled hollow spheres

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Authors: Saleh Alharbi

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This study investigates the term "The West" as a linguistic and cultural construct, delving into its historical origins and the racial and religious contexts that have shaped its meaning over time. It highlights how the term functions as a rhetorical device imbued with cultural and civilizational biases, reinforcing Western dominance in intellectual, political, and social spheres. The research traces the historical evolution of "The West," from its early references in classical and Greco-Roman literature as a geographic distinction between East and West to its transformation into a political and religious identity linked to the Western Church and European Christian heritage. The analysis then explores the racial and religious underpinnings of the term, emphasizing its role in constructing collective and individual identities through a dichotomy of "us" versus "the other." Furthermore, the study underscores the colonial dimensions of "The West," where it served to legitimize colonialism and propagate Western values as universal benchmarks for progress and civilization. Attention is also given to the implications of the uncritical use of the term in academic and media contexts, demonstrating how it perpetuates stereotypes and sustains Western hegemony. Examples from contemporary political and media narratives are examined to illustrate these dynamics. The paper concludes with recommendations for critically engaging with the term "The West" in scholarly and cultural discussions, advocating for a reexamination of its usage to promote a more inclusive and equitable understanding of cultural and civilizational diversity.

Keywords: The West, cultural discourse, hegemony, bias, colonialism, identity

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Authors: Azeez Balogun

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Inexperienced building score practices are continually evolving and vary across areas. Yet, a few middle ideas stay steady, such as website selection, design, energy efficiency, water and material conservation, indoor environmental great, operational optimization, and waste discount. The essence of green building lies inside the optimization of 1 or more of those standards. This paper conducts a comparative analysis of 7 extensively recognized sustainable score structures—BREEAM, CASBEE, green GLOBES, inexperienced superstar, HK-BEAM, IGBC green homes, and LEED—based totally on the perceptions and opinions of stakeholders in Nigeria certified in green constructing rating systems. The purpose is to pick out and adopt an appropriate green building rating device for Nigeria. Numerous components of those systems had been tested to determine the high-quality health of the Nigerian built environment. The findings imply that LEED, the important machine within the USA and Canada, is the most suitable for Nigeria due to its sturdy basis, extensive funding, and confirmed blessings. LEED obtained the highest rating of eighty out of one hundred points on this assessment.

Keywords: structure, built surroundings, inexperienced building score gadget, Nigeria Inexperienced Constructing Council, sustainability

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Authors: Song Hyok Choe

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This study presented a method to determine the optimum design parameters based on a mathematical model of the operating process in a manual electromagnetic hammer using solenoid electromagnets. The operating process of the electromagnetic hammer depends on the circuit scheme of the power controller. Mathematical modeling of the operating process was carried out by considering the energy transfer process in the forward and reverse windings and the electromagnetic force acting on the impact and brake pistons. Using the developed mathematical model, the initial design data of a manual electromagnetic hammer proposed in this paper are encoded and analyzed in Matlab. On the other hand, a measuring experiment was carried out by using a measurement device to check the accuracy of the developed mathematical model. The relative errors of the analytical results for measured stroke distance of the impact piston, peak value of forward stroke current and peak value of reverse stroke current were −4.65%, 9.08% and 9.35%, respectively. Finally, it was shown that the mathematical model of the operating process of an electromagnetic hammer is relatively accurate, and it can be used to determine the design parameters of the electromagnetic hammer. Therefore, the design parameters that can provide the required impact energy in the manual electromagnetic hammer were determined using a mathematical model developed. The proposed method will be used for the further design and development of the various types of percussion rock drills.

Keywords: solenoid electromagnet, electromagnetic hammer, stone processing, mathematical modeling

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Authors: N. Hatraf, l. Merabeti, M. Abbas

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The interest in air conditioning using renewable energies is increasing. The Thermal energy produced from the solar energy can be transformed to useful cooling and heating through the thermo chemical or thermo physical processes by using thermally activated energy conversion system. Solid desiccant conditioning systems can represent a reliable alternative solution compared with other thermal cooling technologies. Their basic characteristics refer to the capability to regulate both temperature and humidity of the conditioned space in one side and to its potential in electrical energy saving in the other side. The ambient air contains so much water that very high dehumidification rates are required. For a continuous dehumidification of the process air the water adsorbed on the desiccant material has to be removed, which is done by allowing hot air to flow through the desiccant material (regeneration). Basically, solid desiccant cooling system transfers moisture from the inlet air to the silica gel by using two processes: absorption process and the regeneration process; The silica gel in the desiccant wheel which is the most important device in the system absorbs the moisture from the incoming air to the desiccant material in this case the silica gel, then it changes the heat with an rotary heat exchanger, after that the air passes through an humidifier to have the humidity required before entering to the local. The main aim of this paper is to study how the dehumidification rate, the generation temperature and many other factors influence the efficiency of a solid desiccant system by using TRNSYS software.

Keywords: desiccation, dehumidification, TRNSYS, efficiency

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Authors: Carolina Pereira Lobato Costa, Cristina Pascual-González, Monica Echeverry, Javier LLorca, Carlos Gonzáléz, Juan Pedro Fernández-Bláquez

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Although the potential of PLA self-reinforced composites for bone applications, not much literature addresses optimal manufacturing conditions. In this regard, this paper describes the woven self-reinforced PLA composites manufacturing processes: the commingling of yarns, weaving, and hot pressing and characterizes the manufactured laminates. Different structures and properties can be achieved by varying the hot compaction process parameters (pressure, holding time, and temperature). The specimens manufactured were characterized in terms of thermal properties (DSC), microstructure (C-scan optical microscope and SEM), strength (tensile test), and biocompatibility (MTT assays). Considering the final device, 155 ℃ for 10 min at 2 MPa act as the more appropriate hot pressing parameters. The laminate produced with these conditions has few voids/porosity, a tensile strength of 30.39 ± 1.21 MPa, and a modulus of 4.09 ± 0.24 GPa. Subsequently to the tensile testing was possible to observe fiber pullout from the fracture surfaces, confirming that this material behaves as a composite. From the results, no single laminate can fulfill all the requirements, being necessary to compromise in function of the priority property. Further investigation is required to improve materials' mechanical performance. Subsequently, process parameters and materials configuration can be adjusted depending on the place and type of implant to suit its function.

Keywords: woven fabric, self-reinforced polymer composite, poly(lactic acid), biodegradable

Procedia PDF Downloads 196

Authors: Arben Murtezani, Shefqet Mrasori, Vančo Spirov, Bukurije Rama, Oliver Dimitrovski, Visar Bunjaku

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Overview: Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are chronic musculoskeletal pain conditions. Clinical indicators of discomfort are related to the use of the joint stiffness during first motions after extended rest and restricted joint range of motion can cause substantial pain and disability. There is little evidence that physical therapy methods of management cause long-lasting reduction in signs and symptoms. Exercise programs premeditated to improve physical fitness have beneficial effects on chronic pain and disability of the musculoskeletal system. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of physical therapy interventions in the management of temporomandibular disorders. Materials and Methods: A prospective comparative study with a 2-month follow-up period was conducted between April 2016 and June 2016 at the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic in Prishtina. Forty six patients with TMDs, (more than three months duration of symptoms) were randomized into two groups: the TENS therapy group (n=24) and combination of active exercise and manual therapy group (n=22). The TENS therapy group patients were treated with twelve sessions of TENS. The treatment period of both groups was 3 weeks at an outpatient clinic. Following main outcome measures were evaluated: (1) pain at rest (2) pain at stress (3) impairment (4) mouth opening at base-line, before and after treatment and at 3 month follow-up. Results: Significant reduction in pain was observed in both treatment groups. In the TENS group 73% (16/22) achieved at least 80% improvement from baseline in TMJ pain at 2 months compared with 54% (13/24) in the exercise group (difference of 19%; 95% confidence interval 220 to 30%). Active and passive maximum mouth opening has been greater in the TENS group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Exercise therapy in combination with TENS seems to be useful in the treatment of temporomandibular disorders.

Keywords: temporomandibular joint disorders, TENS, manual therapy, exercise

Procedia PDF Downloads 233

Authors: Abdessalam Hijab, Eric Henry, Hafida Boulekbache

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The complexity of the city makes sustainable management of the urban environment more difficult. Managers are required to make significant human and technical investments, particularly in household waste collection (focus of our research). The aim of this communication is to propose a collaborative geographic multi-actor device (MGCD) based on the link between information and communication technologies (ICT) and geo-web tools in order to involve urban residents in household waste collection processes. Our method is based on a collaborative/motivational concept between the city and its residents. It is a geographic collaboration dedicated to the general public (citizens, residents, and any other participant), based on real-time allocation and geographic location of topological, geographic, and multimedia data in the form of local geo-alerts (location-specific problems) related to household waste in an urban environment. This contribution allows us to understand the extent to which residents can assist and contribute to the development of household waste collection processes for a better protected urban environment. This suggestion provides a good idea of how residents can contribute to the data bank for future uses. Moreover, it will contribute to the transformation of the population into a smart inhabitant as an essential component of a smart city. The proposed model will be tested in the Lamkansa sampling district in Casablanca, Morocco.

Keywords: information and communication technologies, ICTs, GeoWeb, geo-collaboration, city, inhabitant, waste, collection, environment

Procedia PDF Downloads 129

Authors: Waddah Abdelbagi Talha, Mohammed Abdullah Elmaleeh, John Ojur Dennis

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This paper focuses on the simulation and implementation of a resonator micro-sensor for low magnetic field sensing based on a U-shaped cantilever and piezoresistive configuration, which works based on Lorentz force physical phenomena. The resonance frequency is an important parameter that depends upon the highest response and sensitivity through the frequency domain (frequency response) of any vibrated micro-scale of an electromechanical system (MEMS) device. And it is important to determine the direction of the detected magnetic field. The deflection of the cantilever is considered for vibrated mode with different frequencies in the range of (0 Hz to 7000 Hz); for the purpose of observing the frequency response. A simple electronic circuit-based polysilicon piezoresistors in Wheatstone's bridge configuration are used to transduce the response of the cantilever to electrical measurements at various voltages. Microcontroller-based Arduino program and PROTEUS electronic software are used to analyze the output signals from the sensor. The highest output voltage amplitude of about 4.7 mV is spotted at about 3 kHz of the frequency domain, indicating the highest sensitivity, which can be called resonant sensitivity. Based on the resonant frequency value, the mode of vibration is determined (up-down vibration), and based on that, the vector of the magnetic field is also determined.

Keywords: resonant frequency, sensitivity, Wheatstone bridge, UNO-microcontroller

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Authors: Martha Wilson

Abstract:

With the peak of Computer-Assisted Language Learning slowly coming to pass and Mobile-Assisted Language Learning, at times, a bit lacking in the communicative department, we are now faced with a challenging question: How can we engage the interest of our digital native students and, most importantly, sustain it? As previously mentioned, our classrooms are now experiencing an influx of “digital natives” – people who have grown up using and having unlimited access to technology. While modernizing our curriculum and digitalizing our classrooms are necessary in order to accommodate this new learning style, it is a huge financial burden and a massive undertaking for language institutes. Instead, opting for a more compact, simple, yet multidimensional pedagogical tool may be the solution to the issue at hand. This paper aims to give a brief overview into an existing device referred to as Student Response Systems (SRS) and to expand on this notion to include a new prototype of response system that will be designed as a mobile application to eliminate the need for costly hardware and software. Additionally, an analysis into recent attempts by other institutes to develop the Mobile Response System (MRS) and customer reviews of the existing MRSs will be provided, as well as the lessons learned from those projects. Finally, while the new model of MRS is still in its infancy stage, this paper will discuss the implications of incorporating such an application as a tool to support and to enrich traditional techniques and also offer practical classroom applications with the existing response systems that are immediately available on the market.

Keywords: app, clickers, mobile app, mobile response system, student response system

Procedia PDF Downloads 372

Authors: Jared Cheves, Amanda DeChent, Joyce Pan

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Total knee replacements (TKAs) are one of the most common but painful surgical procedures performed in the United States. Currently, the gold standard for postoperative pain management is the utilization of opioids. However, in the wake of the opioid epidemic, the healthcare system is attempting to reduce opioid consumption by trialing innovative opioid sparing analgesic techniques such as continuous peripheral nerve blocks (CPNB) and continuous periarticular infiltration (CPAI). The alleviation of pain, particularly during the first 72 hours postoperatively, is of utmost importance due to its association with delayed recovery, impaired rehabilitation, immunosuppression, the development of chronic pain, the development of rebound pain, and decreased patient satisfaction. While both CPNB and CPAI are being used today, there is limited evidence comparing the two to the current standard of care or to each other. An extensive literature review was performed to explore the safety profiles and effectiveness of CPNB and CPAI in reducing reported pain scores and decreasing opioid consumption. The literature revealed the usage of CPNB contributed to lower pain scores and decreased opioid use when compared to opioid-only control groups. Additionally, CPAI did not improve pain scores or decrease opioid consumption when combined with a multimodal analgesic (MMA) regimen. When comparing CPNB and CPAI to each other, neither unanimously lowered pain scores to a greater degree, but the literature indicates that CPNB decreased opioid consumption more than CPAI. More research is needed to further cement the efficacy of CPNB and CPAI as standard components of MMA in TKA procedures. In addition, future research can also focus on novel catheter-free applications to reduce the complications of continuous catheter analgesics.

Keywords: total knee arthroplasty, continuous peripheral nerve blocks, continuous periarticular infiltration, opioid, multimodal analgesia

Procedia PDF Downloads 98

Authors: Nino Kupatadze, Shorena Tskhadadze, Mzevinar Bedinashvili, David Tugushi, Ramaz Katsarava

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Surgical device-associated infection and biofilm formation are some of the major problems in biomedicine for today. The losing protection ability of conventional antimicrobial-drugs leads to the challenges in the current antibiotic therapy, the most serious of which is antibiotic resistance. Our strategy to overcome the biofilm formation consists in coating devices with polymeric film containing nanosilver(AgNPs) as a bactericidal agent. Such bionanocomposites are also promising as wound dressing materials. For this purpose, we have developed a new generation of AgNPs containing polymeric composites in which amino acid based biodegradable poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) were served as both matrices and AgNPs stabilizers. The AgNPs were formed by photochemical (daylight) reduction of AgNO3 in ethanol solution. The formation of AgNPs was monitored by coloring the solution in brownish-red and appearance of the absorption maximum at 420-430 nm in UV spectrum. Comparative studies of PEAs with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as particle stabilizers were carried out. It was found that PVP is better stabilizer in terms of particles yield and stability. Therefore, in subsequent experiments blends of PEAs and PVP were used as stabilizers for fabricating AgNPs. As expected, PVP increased the stabilizing effect and this apparently observed in the UV spectrum of the samples after 7 h daylight irradiation: for pure PVP λmax = 430 nm, D = 2.03, for pure PEA λmax= 420 nm, D = 0.65, and for the blend of PVP and PEA λmax = 435 nm, D = 1.88. Further study of the obtained nanobiocomposites is in progress now.

Keywords: biodegradation, bionanocompositions, polymer, nanosilver

Procedia PDF Downloads 343