Search results for: high temperature corrosion

Authors: Naim Izet Kajtazi

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Context: Frequently, the cause of raised intracranial pressure remains unresolved and rarely is related to spinal tumors, moreover less to spinal medulloblastoma without primary brain focus. Process: An 18-year-old woman had a 3-month history of headaches and impaired vision. Neurological examination revealed bilateral sixth cranial nerve palsies with bilateral papilloedema of grade III. No focal brain or spine lesion was found on imaging. Consecutive lumbar punctures showed high opening pressure and subsequent increasing protein level. The meningeal biopsy was negative. At one point, she developed an increasing headache, vomiting and back pain. Spine MRI showed diffuse nodular leptomeningeal enhancement with the largest nodule at T6–T7. Malignant cells were detected in cerebrospinal fluid. She underwent laminectomy with excisional biopsy, and pathology showed medulloblastoma WHO grade IV. Outcome: She was treated with chemotherapy and craniospinal irradiation and made a good recovery. Relevance: Primary spinal leptomeningeal medulloblastoma is extremely rare, especially without primary brain focus, but may cause increased intracranial pressure, even in the early microscopic phases, and it should be considered in the differential diagnosis if conventional and aggressive treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension fails. We assume that arachnoiditis from tumor seeding caused increased intracranial pressure. Appropriate neurosurgical intervention and surgical biopsy are mandated if a suspicious lesion is detected. Consider proper rescreening of the whole neuroaxis in refractory cases of intracranial hypertension.

Keywords: CNS infection, IIH, headache, primary spinal leptomeningeal medulloblastoma

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Authors: M. Ashaque Meah, Md. Fazlul Karim, M. Shah Noor, Nazmun Nahar Papri, M. Khalid Hossen, M. Ismoen

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Tsunami and inundation modelling due to far field tsunami propagation in a limited area is a very challenging numerical task because it involves many aspects such as the formation of various types of waves and the irregularities of coastal boundaries. To compute the effect of far field tsunami and extent of inland inundation due to far field tsunami along the coastal belts of west coast of Malaysia and Southern Thailand, a formulated boundary condition and a moving boundary condition are simultaneously used. In this study, a boundary fitted curvilinear grid system is used in order to incorporate the coastal and island boundaries accurately as the boundaries of the model domain are curvilinear in nature and the bending is high. The tsunami response of the event 26 December 2004 along the west open boundary of the model domain is computed to simulate the effect of far field tsunami. Based on the data of the tsunami source at the west open boundary of the model domain, a boundary condition is formulated and applied to simulate the tsunami response along the coastal and island boundaries. During the simulation process, a moving boundary condition is initiated instead of fixed vertical seaside wall. The extent of inland inundation and tsunami propagation pattern are computed. Some comparisons are carried out to test the validation of the simultaneous use of the two boundary conditions. All simulations show excellent agreement with the data of observation.

Keywords: open boundary condition, moving boundary condition, boundary-fitted curvilinear grids, far-field tsunami, shallow water equations, tsunami source, Indonesian tsunami of 2004

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Authors: Y. J. Lin, Y. F. Lin

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CO2 is the primary greenhouse gas which causes global warming in recent years. As the carbon capture and storage (CCS) getting maturing, the reuse of carbon dioxide which made from CCS is the important issue. In this way, the most common method is the synthesis of cyclic carbonate chemicals from the cycloaddition reaction of carbon dioxide and epoxide. The catalyst plays an important role in the CO2/epoxide cycloaddition reactions. The Lewis acid and base sites are both needed on the catalyst surface for the help of epoxide ring opening, leading to the synthesis of cyclic carbonate. Furthermore, the larger specific surface area and more active site of the catalyst are also needed to enhance the efficiency of the CO2/epoxide cycloaddition reactions. Aerogel is a mesoporous nanomaterial (pore size between 2~50 nm) with high specific surface area and porosity (at least 90%) and low density. In this study, the ternary metal oxide aerogels, Mg-doped Al2O3 aerogels, with higher specific surface area and Lewis acid and base sites on the aerogel surface are successfully prepared by using a facile sol-gel reaction. The as-prepared Mg-doped Al2O3 aerogels are also served as heterogenous catalyst for the CO2/propylene- oxide cycloaddition reaction. Compared to the pristine Al2O3 aerogels, the Mg-doped Al2O3 aerogels possessed both Lewis acid and base sites on the surface are able to enhance the efficiency of the CO2/propylene oxide cycloaddition reactions. As a result, the as-prepared Mg-doped Al2O3 aerogels are a promising and novel catalyst for the CO2/epoxide cycloaddition reactions.

Keywords: ternary, metal oxide aerogel, CO2 reuse, cycloaddition, propylene oxide

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Authors: Priyanwada I. Singhapathirana

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The public land ownership is a common phenomenon in many countries in the world however, the development approaches and the institutional structures are greatly diverse. The existing scholarship around public land development has been greatly limited to Europe and advanced Asian economies. Inferences of such studies seem to be inadequate and inappropriate to comprehend the peculiarities of public land development in developing Asian economies. The absence of critical inquiry on the public land ownership and the long-established institutional structures which govern the development has restrained these countries from institutional innovations. In this context, this research investigates the issues related to public land development and the institutional responses in Sri Lanka. This study introduces the concept of ‘Institutional Responsiveness’ in Public land development, which is conceptualized as the ability of the institutions to respond to the spatial, market and fiscal stimulus. The inquiry was carried out through in-depth interviews with five key informants from apex public agencies in order to explore the responsiveness of land institutions form decision-makers' perspectives. Further, the analysis of grey literature and recent media reports are used to supplement the analysis. As per the findings, long term abandonment of public lands and high transaction costs are some of the key issues in relation to public land development. The inability of the institutions to respond to the market and fiscal stimulus has left many potential public lands underutilized. As a result, the public sector itself and urban citizens have not been able to relish the benefits of the public lands in cities. Spatial analysis at the local scale is suggested for future studies in order to capture the multiple dimensions of the responsiveness of institutions to the development stimulus.

Keywords: institutions, public land, responsiveness, under-utilization

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Authors: Matjaz Prek

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Impact of three different combinations of cooling and ventilation systems on the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) has been studied. Comparison of chilled ceiling cooling in combination with displacement ventilation, cooling with fan coil unit and cooling with flat wall displacement outlets was performed. All three combinations were evaluated from the standpoint of whole-body and local thermal comfort criteria as well as from the standpoint of ventilation effectiveness. The comparison was made on the basis of numerical simulation with DesignBuilder and Fluent. Numerical simulations were carried out in two steps. Firstly the DesignBuilder software environment was used to model the buildings thermal performance and evaluation of the interaction between the environment and the building. Heat gains of the building and of the individual space, as well as the heat loss on the boundary surfaces in the room, were calculated. In the second step Fluent software environment was used to simulate the response of the indoor environment, evaluating the interaction between building and human, using the simulation results obtained in the first step. Among the systems presented, the ceiling cooling system in combination with displacement ventilation was found to be the most suitable as it offers a high level of thermal comfort with adequate ventilation efficiency. Fan coil cooling has proved inadequate from the standpoint of thermal comfort whereas flat wall displacement outlets were inadequate from the standpoint of ventilation effectiveness. The study showed the need in evaluating indoor environment not solely from the energy use point of view, but from the point of view of indoor environmental quality as well.

Keywords: cooling, ventilation, thermal comfort, ventilation effectiveness, indoor environmental quality, IEQ, computational fluid dynamics

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Authors: Muhammad Adeel Arshad, Shaukat Ali Bhatti

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The study aimed to investigate the effect of bile acids and lipase supplementation in low-energy diets on growth performance and meat quality of broilers. Seven hundred day-old Cobb-500 broiler chicks with an average initial body weight of 45.9 ± 0.3 g were assigned to 5 dietary treatments, with five replications of 28 birds each in a completely randomized design. The five treatments were as follows: (i) HE: broilers received a diet with high energy content; (ii) LE: broilers received a diet with low energy content and energy content reduced by 100 kcal/kg as compared to HE; (iii) LEB: broilers received a diet similar to the LE group supplemented with 300 g/ton bile acids; (iv) LEL: broilers received a diet similar to the LE group supplemented with 180 g/ton lipase enzyme and (v) LEBL: broilers received a diet similar to the LE group supplemented with both 300 g/ton bile acids and 180 g/ton lipase enzyme. The experimental period lasted for 35 days. Broilers fed HE had a lower (P < 0.05) body weight (BW) gain and lower feed intake (1-35 d), but during finisher period (21-35 d), BW gain was similar with other treatments. Feed conversion ratio (FCR) was lower in HE and higher in LEBL group (P < 0.05), while the LE, LEB, and LEL had intermediate values. At 35 d no difference occurred between treatment for water holding capacity and pH of breast and thigh muscles (P > 0.05). The relative weight of pancreas was higher (P < 0.05) in LEB treatment but lower (P < 0.05) in LEL treatment. In conclusion, bile acids and lipase supplementation at 300 g/ton and 150g/ton of feed in low-energy diets respectively had no effect on broiler performance and meat quality. However, FCR was improved in HE treatment.

Keywords: bile acids, energy, enzyme, growth

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Authors: Donald B. Enu, Clement O. Ukpor, Abigail E. Okon

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Unreliable scoring of students’ performance by lecturers short-chains students’ assessment in terms of underequipping the school authority with facts as intended by society through the curriculum hence, the learners, the school and the society are cheated because the usefulness of testing is defeated. This study, therefore, examined lecturers’ scoring objectivity of essay items in the Department of Social Science Education, University of Calabar, Nigeria. Specifically, it assessed lecturers’ perception of the relevance of scoring rubrics and its level of application. Data were collected from all the 36 lecturers in the Department (28 members and 8 non-members adjourned to the department), through a 20-item questionnaire and checklist instruments. A case-study design was adopted. Descriptive statistics of frequency counts, weighted means, standard deviations, and percentages were used to analyze data gathered. A mean score of 2.5 and or 60 percent and above formed the acceptance or significant level in decision taking. It was found that lecturers perceived the use of scoring rubrics as a relevant practice to ensure fairness and reliable treatment of examiners scripts particularly in marking essay items and that there is a moderately high level of adherence to the application of scoring rubrics. It was also observed that some criteria necessary for the scoring objectivity of essay items were not fully put in place in the department. It was recommended strongly that students’ identities be hidden while marking and that pre-determined marking scheme should be prepared centrally and strictly adhered to during marking and recording of scores. Conference marking should be enforced in the department.

Keywords: essay items, objective scoring, scorers reliability, scoring rubrics

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Authors: Piotr Kunecki, Magdalena Wdowin

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The fly ash produced as waste in the process of conventional coal combustion was utilized in the hybrid synthesis of zeolites X and A from Faujasite (FAU) and Linde Type A (LTA) frameworks, respectively. The applied synthesis method included modification together with the crystallization stage. The sorbent modification was performed by introducing metals into the zeolite structure in order to create an ability to form stable bonds with elemental mercury (Hg0). The use of waste in the form of fly ash as a source of silicon and aluminum, as well as the proposed method of zeolite synthesis, fits the circular economy idea. The effect of zeolite modification on Hg0 removal from a simulated gas stream was studied empirically using prototype installation designed to test the effectiveness of sorption by solid-state sorbents. Both derived zeolites X and A modified with silver nitrate revealed significant mercury uptake during a 150-minute sorption experiment. The amount of elemental mercury removed in the experiment ranged from 5.69 to 6.01 µg Hg0/1g of sorbent for zeolites X and from 4.47 to 4.86 µg Hg0/1g of sorbent for zeolites A. In order to confirm the effectiveness of the sorbents towards mercury bonding, the possible re-emission effect was tested as well. Derived zeolites X and A did not show mercury re-emission after the sorption process, which confirms the stable bonding of Hg0 in the structure of synthesized zeolites. The proposed hybrid synthesis method possesses the potential to be implemented for both fly ash utilization as well as the time and energy-saving production of aluminosilicate, porous materials with high Hg0 removal efficiency. This research was supported by National Science Centre, Poland, grant no 2021/41/N/ST5/03214.

Keywords: fly ash, synthetic zeolites, elemental mercury removal, sorption, simulated gas stream

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Authors: Lucian Mocan, Cristian Matea, Flaviu A. Tabaran, Teodora Mocan, Cornel Iancu

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Introduction: Due to antibiotic resistance, systemic infections caused by Meticilin resistant Staphyloccocous Aureus (MRSA) are the main cause of millions of deaths each year. Development of new active biomolecules that are highly effective and refractory to antibiotic resistance may open new avenues in the field of antimicrobial therapy. In this research, we have focused on the development of a novel nanobiosystem with high affinity for MRSA microorganism to mediate its selective laser thermal ablation. Materials and Methods: Gold nanoparticles (15nm in diameter) linked to a specific antibody against MRSA surface were selectively delivered (at various concentrations and incubation times) and internalized into MRSA microorganism following the treatment these multidrug-resistant bacteria were irradiated using a 2w, 808 nm LASER. Results and Discussions: The post-irradiation necrotic rate ranged from 51.2% (for 1 mg/L) to 87.3% (for 50 mg/L) at 60 seconds (p<0.001), while at 30 minute the necrotic rate increased from 64.3% (1 mg/L) to 92.1% (50 mg/L), p value<0.001. Significantly lower apoptotic rates were obtained in irradiated MRSA treated with GNPs only (control) treated for 60 seconds and 30 minutes at concentrations ranging from 1 mg/L to 50 mg/L. We show here that the optimal LASER mediated the necrotic effect of MRSA after incubation with anti-MRSA-Ab was obtained at a concentration of 50 mg/L. Conclusion: In the presented research, we obtained a very efficacious pulse laser mode treatment of individual MRSA agents with minimal effects on the surrounding medium, providing highly localized destruction only for MRSA microorganism.

Keywords: MRSA, photothermolysis, antibiotic resistance, gold nanoparticles

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Authors: Madhuri Kanala, Geoffrey Savage

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Worldwide CO₂ levels are slowly rising, and this may have effects on the growth and nutritional composition of many food plants. The production of secondary metabolites such as oxalates has not been investigated in depth. The oxalate content of many food plants are known to have adverse nutritional effects on humans and reduction in the oxalate contents of food plants is a very positive move. Recent studies had shown that the oxalate content of the leaves of spinach and silver beet reduced when the plants were grown in an environment where CO₂ was increased. The response of amaranth and strawberry spinach leaves to changes in the high CO₂ environment have not been understood though it is known that the plants do contain appreciable oxalate contents. A study was conducted where amaranth and strawberry spinach plants were grown in identical plant growth chambers with the same environmental conditions except that one chamber was supplied with ambient air (CO₂ 405 ppm) while the other chamber had the CO₂ level increased to 650 ppm. The total and soluble oxalate content of the leaves of raw and cooked amaranth and strawberry spinach were determined by HPLC and calcium levels were determined using ICP following 6 weeks of growth. The total oxalate content of the fresh leaves of amaranth and strawberry spinach were reduced by 29.5 % and 24.6% respectively in the leaves of the plants grown in increased CO₂ conditions compared to ambient levels. The soluble oxalate content of amaranth leaves grown under ambient and increased CO₂ conditions were future reduced by 42% and 26.8% respectively following cooking as the soluble oxalate was leached into the cooking water and discarded. The reduction of the oxalate and calcium levels of raw and cooked amaranth and strawberry spinach leaves following an increase in CO₂ content in the air is an interesting positive response to an otherwise significant environmental problem.

Keywords: amaranth, calcium oxalate, enriched CO₂, oxalates, strawberry spinach

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Authors: Pimpak Phumat, Sakornrat Khongkhunthian, Thomas Rades, Anette Müllertz, Siriporn Okonogi

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Self-nanoemulsifying drug delivery systems (SNEDDS) containing 4-allylpyrocatechol (AP) extracted from Piper betle were developed to enhance water solubility of AP by using modeling and design (MODDE) program. The amount of AP in each SNEDDS formulation was determined by using high-performance liquid chromatography. The formulation consisted of 20% Miglyol®812N, 40 % Kolliphor®RH40, 30 % Maisine®35-1 and 10 % ethanol was found to be the best SNEDDS that provided the highest loading capacity of AP. (141.48±15.64 mg/g SNEDDS). The system also showed miscibility with water. The particle shape and size of the AP-SNEDDS after dispersing in water was investigated by using a transmission electron microscope and photon correlation spectrophotometer, respectively. The results showed that they were a spherical shape, having a particle size of 34.27 ± 1.14 nm with a narrow size distribution of 0.17 ± 0.04. The particles showed negative zeta potential with a value of -21.66 ± 2.09 mV. Antibacterial activity of AP-SNEDDS containing 1.5 mg/mL of AP was investigated against Streptococcus intermedius. The effect of this system on S. intermedius cells was observed by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results from SEM revealed that the bacterial cells were obviously destroyed. Killing kinetic study of AP-SNEDDS was carried out. It was found that the killing rate of AP-SNEDDS against S. intermedius was dose-dependent and the bacterial reduction was 79.86 ± 0.45 % within 30 min. In comparison with chlorhexidine (CHX), AP-SNEDDS showed similar antibacterial effects against S. intermedius. It is concluded that SNEDDS is a potential system for enhancing water solubility of AP. The antibacterial study reveals that AP-SNEDDS can be a promising system to treat bacterial infection caused by S. intermedius.

Keywords: SNEDDS, 4-allylpyrocathecol, solubility, antibacterial activity, Streptococcus intermedius

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Authors: Joshua Loiselle

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This paper discusses the challenges engineering teams face in conducting Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) studies. This paper focuses on the specific topic of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of FMEA studies. Modern economic needs and increased business competition require engineers to constantly develop newer and better solutions within shorter timeframes and tighter margins. In addition, documentation requirements for meeting standards/regulatory compliance and customer needs are becoming increasingly complex and verbose. Managing open actions and continuous improvement activities across all projects, product variations, and processes in addition to daily engineering tasks is cumbersome, time consuming, and is susceptible to errors, omissions, and non-conformances. FMEA studies are proven methods for improving products and processes while subsequently reducing engineering workload and improving machine and resource availability through a pre-emptive, systematic approach of identifying, analyzing, and improving high-risk components. If implemented correctly, FMEA studies significantly reduce costs and improve productivity. However, the value of an effective FMEA is often shrouded by a lack of clarity and structure, misconceptions, and previous experiences and, as such, FMEA studies are frequently grouped with the other required information and documented retrospectively in preparation of customer requirements or audits. Performing studies in this way only adds cost to a project and perpetuates the misnomer that FMEA studies are not value-added activities. This paper discusses the benefits of effective FMEA studies, the challenges related to conducting FMEA studies, best practices for efficiently overcoming challenges via structure and automation, and the benefits of implementing those practices.

Keywords: FMEA, quality, APQP, PPAP

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Authors: A. B. Chehreh, M. Grätzel, M. Klein, J. P. Bergmann, F. Walther

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Friction stir welding (FSW) is an advantageous method in the thermal joining processes, featuring the welding of various dissimilar and similar material combinations, joining temperatures below the melting point which prevents irregularities such as pores and hot cracks as well as high strengths mechanical joints near the base material. The FSW process consists of a rotating tool which is made of a shoulder and a probe. The welding process is based on a rotating tool which plunges in the workpiece under axial pressure. As a result, the material is plasticized by frictional heat which leads to a decrease in the flow stress. During the welding procedure, the material is continuously displaced by the tool, creating a firmly bonded weld seam behind the tool. However, the mechanical properties of the weld seam are affected by the design and geometry of the tool. These include in particular microstructural and surface properties which can favor crack initiation. Following investigation compares the dynamic properties of FSW weld seams with conventional and stationary shoulder geometry based on load increase test (LIT). Compared to classical Woehler tests, it is possible to determine the fatigue strength of the specimens after a short amount of time. The investigations were carried out on a robotized welding setup on 2 mm thick EN AW 5754 aluminum alloy sheets. It was shown that an increased tensile and fatigue strength can be achieved by using the stationary shoulder concept. Furthermore, it could be demonstrated that the LIT is a valid method to describe the fatigue behavior of FSW weld seams.

Keywords: aluminum alloy, fatigue performance, fracture, friction stir welding

Procedia PDF Downloads 152

Authors: Chun-Yuan Chen, Ming-Chang Li, Xiu-Hui Wen, Yi-Ching Tu

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The objective of this study explores GPS (Global Positioning System) applied to trace construction vehicles such as trucks or cranes, help to pattern the earth-dumping stations of traffic construction in Taiwan. Traffic construction in this research is defined as the engineering of high-speed railways, expressways, and which that distance more than kilometers. Audit the location and check the compliance with regulations of earth-dumping stations is one of important tasks in Taiwan EPA. Basically, the earth-dumping station was known as one source of particulate matter from air pollution during construction process. Due to GPS data can be analyzed quickly and be used conveniently, this study tried to find out dumping stations by modeling vehicles tracks from GPS data during work cycle of construction. The GPS data updated from 13 vehicles related to an expressway construction in central Taiwan. The GPS footprints were retrieved to Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files so that can pattern the tracks of trucks by computer applications, the data was collected about eight months- from Feb. to Oct. in 2017. The results of GPS footprints identified dumping station and outlined the areas of earthwork had been passed to the Taiwan EPA for on-site inspection. Taiwan EPA had issued advice comments to the agency which was in charge of the construction to prevent the air pollution. According to the result of this study compared to the commonly methods in inspecting environment by manual collection, the GPS with KML patterning and modeling method can consumes less time. On the other hand, through monitoring the GPS data from construction vehicles could be useful for administration to development and implementation of strategies in environmental management.

Keywords: automatic management, earth-dumping station, environmental management, Global Positioning System (GPS), particulate matter, traffic construction

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Authors: Sayyed-javad Ziaolhagh, Ali-Reza Saadatifar

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Introduction: Athletes frequently perform anabolic steroid resistance exercise, but the effects of medical doses and abuse along with resistance exercise on structural damage to the Pancreases and also jujube extract are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance training on body weight and hip fractures induced by boldenone injection in male rats. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 30 male Wistar rats aged 8-12 weeks (weight 202±9.34 g) were randomly divided into five groups: control, boldenone, extract of iujuba+boldenone, boldenone+resistance training and boldenone+resistance training +extract of jujuba. The resistance training program included climbing the ladder for 8 weeks, 3 days a week, 1 session training in a day and each session consisted of the 3 sets and 5 repetitions. Injection was conducted in depth in the hamstring once a week on an appointed day. After anesthesia, autopsy was performed, and the cardiac tissue was isolated. Results: Results showed that boldenone caused tissue damage, congestion, and nuclei unclear and diffuse. In the group "resistance + Boldenone," The Pancreases tissue showed a high degree of hyperemia, and the muscle cells were somewhat abnormal. In boldenone + jujube, the appearance of the tissue was normal, and the rejuvenating effect was visible. Conclusion: Boldenone appears to cause structural damage to the Pancreases tissue. Strength training with Jujube Extract can reduce part of the pancreatic system disorders (necrosis and inflammation) caused by anabolic steroid use.

Keywords: boldenone, Jujube extract, pancreases tissue, resistance training

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Authors: Roshanak Farjad, Amirhossein Hosseini

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Fecal incontinence (FI) is a stressful condition for children and their parents that may affect the patient’s psychological well-being. Evaluating the patients’ psychological status may help physicians manage the disease effectively. This study aimed to assess the emotional and behavioral disturbances in children with FI who were referred to the pediatric gastroenterology clinic in Mofid Children’s Hospital from April 2021 to 2022. This cross-sectional study included children (over four years old) with chronic constipation and fecal incontinence. The diagnosis of chronic constipation and FI were made according to Rome-IV criteria. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) evaluated patients’ emotional, behavioral, and social problems. One hundred one patients with a mean age of 7.96 years were enrolled in the study; 67.32% were males. According to CBCL, 12% (12 patients) indicated emotional and behavioral problems, with CBCL scores in the clinical or at-risk range. We detected anxious/depressed problems in five (4.95%), withdrawn/depressed problems in eight (7.92%), somatic complaints in seven (6.93%), social problems in eight (7.92%), thought problems in nine (8.91%), attention problems in seven (6.93%), rule-breaking behavior in two (1.98%), and aggressive behavior in nine (8.91%) patients. The risk of internalizing and externalizing disorders was reported in four (3.96%) and five (4.95%) patients. Also, eight (7.92%) and seven (6.93%) patients had clinical symptoms of internalizing and externalizing disorders, respectively. There was no significant relationship between patients’ age and gender with the CBCL scores in any subscales. However, there was a significant difference in the total score among the age groups (P = 0.04). The relatively high prevalence of emotional, behavioral, and social problems in our study corroborates the importance of psychological screening of children with FI during the treatment process.

Keywords: chronic constipation, child behavior checklist (CBCL), fecal incontinence, rome-IV criteria

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Authors: Elvira Hörandl

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The term “Geographical parthenogenesis” describes the phenomenon that asexual organisms usually occupy larger and more northern distribution areas than their sexual relatives and tend to colonize previously glaciated areas. Several case studies in flowering plants confirm the geographical pattern, but the causal factors behind the phenomenon are still unclear. Previous authors regarded predominant polyploidy in asexual (apomictic) plants as the main factor. However, the geographical pattern is not the rule for sexual polyploids. Recent research confirmed a previous hypothesis of the author that a combination of factors is acting: Although uniparental reproduction provides better colonization abilities, it is most efficient in combination with polyploidy. I will present results on case studies in the genus Ranunculus of both autopolyploid and allopolyploid species and species complexes reproducing via facultative apomixis. Polyploidy seems to contribute mainly to a better tolerance of colder climates and temperate extremes, whereby epigenetic flexibility, changes in gene expression, and phenotypic plasticity play an important role in occupying ecological niches under harsh conditions. Phylogenomic studies entangle complex hybrid origins of asexual taxa, which increases intragenomic heterozygosity of asexual plants. Interestingly, our results suggest an association of sexuality with abiotic stresses, specifically with light stress, which might explain that still, most plants in high altitudes and in southern areas retain sexual reproduction despite other climatic conditions that would favor apomictic plants. We conclude that geographical parthenogenesis results from the complex interplay of the genomic constitution, mode of reproduction and environmental factors.

Keywords: apomixis, polyploidy, hybridization, abiotic stress, epigenetics, phylogenomics

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Authors: Shian-Ling Keng, Onn Siong Yim, Poh San Lai, Soo Chong Chew, Anne Chong, Richard Ebstein

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Research has demonstrated a positive association between mindfulness meditation and physical health. Little work, however, has examined the association between trait mindfulness and leukocyte telomere length (LTL), an emerging marker of cellular aging. The present study aimed to examine whether facets of trait mindfulness are correlated with longer LTL in a Singaporean Han Chinese sample and whether these facets may mediate the association between psychological symptoms and LTL. 158 adults (mean age = 27.24 years) completed measures assessing trait mindfulness and psychological symptoms (i.e., depression and stress) and provided blood samples for analyses of LTL using qPCR. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between facets of trait mindfulness and LTL. Bootstrapping-based mediational analyses were run to examine the role of trait mindfulness as a mediator of the association between psychological symptoms and LTL. Of five facets of trait mindfulness (describe, act with awareness, observe, nonreactivity, and nonjudging), nonreactivity was significantly associated with LTL, after controlling for the effects of age, gender, and education, β = .21, p = .006. Further, there was a trend for overall trait mindfulness, β = .15, p = .06, and nonjudging, β = .13, p = .095, to each predict longer LTL. Nonreactivity significantly mediated the association between depression and LTL, BCa 95% CI [-.004, -.0004], p=.03, as well as the association between stress and LTL, BCa 95% CI [-.004, -.0004], p=.04. The results provide preliminary evidence for a positive association between selected facets of trait mindfulness and slower cellular aging, indexed by LTL. The findings suggest that individuals who are high on equanimity may experience slower aging at the cellular level, presumably through engaging in more effective coping mechanisms and modulation of stress. The findings also highlight the role of nonreactivity as a potential mechanism that underlies the association between LTL and psychological symptoms.

Keywords: depression, mindfulness, stress, telomere length

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Authors: Rachel K. Cremona

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Forty years ago, Vila Autodromo was a small fishing settlement in southwest Rio de Janeiro. By 2012, Vila Autodromo had established itself into a working class neighborhood – certainly not a slum, but nonetheless designated as a ‘favela’ as a consequence of its history as an illegal settlement that was thus never provided with public services. Vila Autodromo sits on a large lagoon, adjacent to the Olympic Park being constructed for the 2016 Olympic Games to be held in Rio, and looks out over the expensive high rise condominiums that have sprouted across the water. In 2009, when Rio submitted their bid for the Olympic games, there were approximately 900 families that called Vila Autodromo home, and the original plans for the games clearly show their homes remaining in place. Today, only a handful of these homes remain. This paper will utilize the case study of Vila Autodromo to examine the broader issue of Favelas in 21st century Rio de Janeiro. While race and poverty have become synonymous with Brazil’s inegalitarian social order – and personified by the thousands of favelas scattered in and around large cities like Rio and Sao Paulo – much less attention has been given to the political status of the nation’s invisible majority. In particular, this research will examine the question of citizenship and argue that the most fundamental problem of inequality in Brazil is not simply a product of history, race and social order, but more specifically a problem of ‘personhood’. The political marginalization of Brazil’s poor does not simply reinforce their social marginalization, it institutionalizes it in a way that makes it almost impossible to escape. The story of Vila Autodromo captures this problem in a way that not only illustrates the clear (though ambiguous) role of the state in the perpetuation of Brazil’s underclass, but also the human resilience that it has fostered.

Keywords: citizenship, poverty, displacement, favela

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Authors: Monique Joyce L. Disamburum, Nicole C. Faustino, Ashley Angela A. Fazon, Jessie F. Rubonal

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Traditional jeepneys contribute significantly to air pollution in the Philippines, negatively affecting both the environment and people. In response, the researchers investigated Sphagnum moss which has high adsorbent properties and can be used as a filter. Therefore, this research aims to create a muffler filter additive to reduce the smoke density emitted by traditional jeepneys. Various materials, such as moss, cornstarch, a metal pipe, bolts, and a papermaking screen frame, were gathered. The moss underwent a blending process with a cornstarch mixture until it achieved a pulp-like consistency, subsequently molded using a papermaking screen frame and left for sun drying. Following this, a metal prototype was created by drilling holes around the tumbler and inserting bolts. The mesh wire containing the filter was carefully placed into the hole, secured by two bolts. In the final phase, there were three setups, each undergoing one trial in the LTO emission testing. Each trial consisted of six rounds of purging, and after that the average smoke density was measured. According to the findings of this study, the filter aided in lowering the average smoke density. The one layer setup produced an average of 1.521, whereas the two layer setup produced an average of 1.082. Using One-Way Anova, it was demonstrated that there is a significant difference between the setups. Furthermore, the Tukey HSD Post Hoc test revealed that Setups A and C differed significantly (p = 0.04604), with Setup C being the most successful in reducing smoke density (mean difference -1.4128). Overall, the researchers came to the conclusion that employing Sphagnum moss as a filter can lower the average smoke density released by traditional jeepneys.

Keywords: sphagnum moss, Jeepney filter, smoke density, Jeepney emission

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Authors: Huong M. T. Nguyen, Hoa A. P. Nguyen, Mai P. T. Nguyen, Ngoc D. Ngo, Van T. Ta, Hai T. Le, Chi V. Phan

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Wilson’s disease (WD) is an autosomal recessive disorder of the copper metabolism, which is caused by a mutation in the copper-transporting P-type ATPase (ATP7B). The mechanism of this disease is the failure of hepatic excretion of copper to bile, and leads to copper deposits in the liver and other organs. The ATP7B gene is located on the long arm of chromosome 13 (13q14.3). This study aimed to investigate the gene mutation in the Vietnamese patients with WD, and make a presymptomatic diagnosis for their familial members. Forty-three WD patients and their 65 siblings were identified as having ATP7B gene mutations. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples; 21 exons and exon-intron boundaries of the ATP7B gene were analyzed by direct sequencing. We recognized four mutations ([R723=; H724Tfs*34], V1042Cfs*79, D1027H, and IVS6+3A>G) in the sum of 20 detectable mutations, accounting for 87.2% of the total. Mutation S105* was determined to have a high rate (32.6%) in this study. The hotspot regions of ATP7B were found at exons 2, 16, and 8, and intron 14, in 39.6 %, 11.6 %, 9.3%, and 7 % of patients, respectively. Among nine homozygote/compound heterozygote siblings of the patients with WD, three individuals were determined as asymptomatic by screening mutations of the probands. They would begin treatment after diagnosis. In conclusion, 20 different mutations were detected in 43 WD patients. Of this number, four novel mutations were explored, including [R723=; H724Tfs*34], V1042Cfs*79, D1027H, and IVS6+3A>G. The mutation S105* is the most prevalent and has been considered as a biomarker that can be used in a rapid detection assay for diagnosis of WD patients. Exons 2, 8, and 16, and intron 14 should be screened initially for WD patients in Vietnam. Based on risk profile for WD, genetic testing for presymptomatic patients is also useful in diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: ATP7B gene, mutation detection, presymptomatic diagnosis, Vietnamese Wilson’s disease

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Authors: Ian N. Robertson

Abstract:

Alkali Silica Reaction (ASR) occurs in concrete when the alkali hydroxides (Na, K and OH) from the cement react with unstable silica, SiO2, in some types of aggregate. The gel that forms during this reaction will expand when it absorbs water, potentially leading to cracking and overall expansion of the concrete. ASR has resulted in accelerated deterioration of concrete highways, dams and other structures that are exposed to moisture during their service life. Concrete aggregates available in Hawaii have not demonstrated a history of ASR, however, accelerated laboratory tests using ASTM 1260 indicated a potential for ASR with some aggregates. Certain clients are now requiring import of aggregates from the US mainland at great expense. In order to assess the accuracy of the laboratory test results, a long-term field study of the potential for ASR in concretes made with Hawaiian aggregates was initiated in 2011 with funding from the US Federal Highway Administration and Hawaii Department of Transportation. Thirty concrete specimens were constructed of various concrete mixtures using aggregates from all Hawaiian aggregate sources, and some US mainland aggregates known to exhibit ASR expansion. The specimens are located in an open field site in Manoa valley on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, exposed to relatively high humidity and frequent rainfall. A weather station at the site records the ambient conditions on a continual basis. After two years of monitoring, only one of the Hawaiian aggregates showed any sign of expansion. Ten additional specimens were fabricated with this aggregate to confirm the earlier observations. Admixtures known to mitigate ASR, such as fly ash and lithium, were included in some specimens to evaluate their effect on the concrete expansion. This paper describes the field evaluation program and presents the results for all forty specimens after four years of monitoring.

Keywords: aggregate, alkali silica reaction, concrete durability, field exposure

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Authors: MyungGu Yeo, JongHan Ha, Gi-Hoon Yang, JaeYoon Lee, SeungHyun Ahn, Hyeongjin Lee, HoJun Jeon, YongBok Kim, Minseong Kim, GeunHyung Kim

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Tissue engineering is a rapidly growing interdisciplinary research area that may provide options for treating damaged tissues and organs. As a promising technique for regenerating various tissues, this technology requires biomedical scaffolds, which serve as an artificial extracellular matrix (ECM) to support neotissue growth. Electrospun micro/nanofibers have been used widely in tissue engineering because of their high surface-area-to-volume ratio and structural similarity to extracellular matrix. However, low mechanical sustainability, low 3D shape-ability, and low cell infiltration have been major limitations to their use. In this work, we propose new hybrid scaffolds interlayered with cell-laden electrospun micro/nano fibers and poly(caprolactone) microstructures. Also, we applied various concentrations of alginate and electric field strengths to determine optimal conditions for the cell-electrospinning process. The combination of cell-laden bioink (2 ⅹ 10^5 osteoblast-like MG63 cells/mL, 2 wt% alginate, 2 wt% poly(ethylene oxide), and 0.7 wt% lecithin) and a 0.16 kV/mm electric field showed the highest cell viability and fiber formation in this process. Using these conditions and PCL microstructures, we achieved mechanically stable hybrid scaffolds. In addition, the cells embedded in the fibrous structure were viable and proliferated. We suggest that the cell-embedded hybrid scaffolds fabricated using the cell-electrospinning process may be useful for various soft- and hard-tissue regeneration applications.

Keywords: bioink, cell-laden scaffold, micro/nanofibers, poly(caprolactone)

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Authors: Ginevra Addis

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The possibility of reproducing physical artifacts in a digital format is one of the opportunities offered by the technological advancements in information and communication most frequently promoted by museums. Indeed, the study and conservation of our cultural heritage have seen significant advancement due to the three-dimensional acquisition and modeling technology. A variety of laser scanning systems has been developed, based either on optical triangulation or on time-of-flight measurement, capable of producing digital 3D images of complex structures with high resolution and accuracy. It is necessary, however, to explore the challenges and opportunities that this practice brings within museums. The purpose of this paper is to understand what change is introduced by digital techniques in those museums that are hosting digital masterpieces. The methodology used will investigate three distinguished Italian exhibitions, related to the territory of Milan, trying to analyze the following issues about museum practices: 1) how digitizing art masterpieces increases the number of visitors; 2) what the need that calls for the digitization of artworks; 3) which techniques are most used; 4) what the setting is; 5) the consequences of a non-publication of hard copies of catalogues; 6) envision of these practices in the future. Findings will show how interconnection plays an important role in rebuilding a collection spread all over the world. Secondly how digital artwork duplication and extension of reality entail new forms of accessibility. Thirdly, that collection and preservation through digitization of images have both a social and educational mission. Fourthly, that convergence of the properties of different media (such as web, radio) is key to encourage people to get actively involved in digital exhibitions. The present analysis will suggest further research that should create museum models and interaction spaces that act as catalysts for innovation.

Keywords: digital masterpieces, education, interconnection, Italian museums, preservation

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Authors: Stefan Gruden, Charlott Brunmark, Bo Holmqvist, Erwin D. Brenndorfer, Martin Johansson, Jian Liu, Ying Zhao, Niklas Axen, Moustapha Hassan

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Aim: The study was designed to evaluate the ability of the calcium sulfate-based NanoZolid® drug delivery technology to locally release the epidermal growth factor (EGF) protein while maintaining its biological activity. Methods: NanoZolid-formulated EGF protein labelled with a near-infrared dye (EGF-NIR) depots or EGF-NIR dissolved in PBS were injected subcutaneously into mice bearing EGF receptor (EGFR) positive human A549 lung cancer tumors inoculated subcutaneously. The release and biodistribution of the EGF-NIR were investigated in vivo longitudinally up to 96 hours post-administration, utilizing whole-body fluorescence imaging. In order to confirm the in vivo findings, histological analysis of tumor cryosections was performed to investigate EGF-NIR fluorescent signal and EGFR expression level by immunofluorescence labelling. Results: The in vivo fluorescence imaging showed a controlled release profile of the EGF-NIR loaded in the NanoZolid depots compared to free EGF-NIR. Histological analysis of the tumors further demonstrated a prevailing distribution of EGF-NIR in regions with high levels of EGFR expression. Conclusion: Calcium sulfate based depots can be used to formulate EGF while maintaining its biological activity, e.g., receptor binding capability. This may have good clinical potential for local delivery of biomolecules to enhance treatment efficacy and minimize systemic adverse effects.

Keywords: bioresorbable, calcium sulfate, controlled release, NanoZolid

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Authors: Siew Ming Thang, Wong Hoo Keat, Chee Hao Sue, Fung Lan Loo, Ahju Rosalind

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There are numerous studies that explored young learners’ literacy skills in Malaysia but none that uses the eye-tracking device to track their cognitive processes when reading picture storybooks. This study used this method to investigate two groups of prereaders’ cognitive processes in four conditions. (1) A congruent picture was presented, and a matching narration was read aloud by a recorder; (2) Children heard a narration telling about the same characters in the picture but involves a different scene; (3) Only a picture with matching text was present; (4) Students only heard the reading aloud of the text on the screen. The two main objectives of this project are to test which content of pictures helps the prereaders (i.e., young children who have not received any formal reading instruction) understand the narration and whether children try to create a coherent mental representation from the oral narration and the pictures. The study compares two groups of children from two different kindergartens. Group1: 15 Chinese children; Group2: 17 Malay children. The medium of instruction was English. An eye-tracker were used to identify Areas of Interest (AOI) of each picture and the five target elements and calculate number of fixations and total time spent on fixation of pictures and written texts. Two mixed factorial ANOVAs with the storytelling performance (good, average, or weak) and vocabulary level (low, medium, high) as between-subject variables, and the Areas of Interests (AOIs) and display conditions as the within-subject variables were performedon the variables.

Keywords: eye-tracking, cognitive processes, literacy skills, prereaders, visual attention

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Authors: D. A. S. Gamage, B. F. A. Basnayake, W.A.J.M. De Costa

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Rice is the staple food of Sri Lankans thus; rice cultivation is the major agricultural activity of the country. The application of inorganic fertilizer has become a burden to the country. The excessive application of organic and inorganic fertilizers can potentially lead to deterioration of the quality of water. In mixing both urea and rice husk charcoal and rice straw compost in soils causes a slow release of nitrogen fertilizer, thus reducing the cost of importations of nitrogen based fertilizers per unit area of cultivation. Objective of this study was to evaluate rice husk charcoal coated urea as a slow releasing fertilizer and compare the total N,P, K, organic matter in soil and yield of rice production. Five treatments were used for twenty pots (pot size 30 cm diameter and 45 cm height) each replicated four times as: inorganic fertilizer only (Urea, TSP and MOP) (Treatment 1); rice husk charcoal coated urea, TSP and MOP (Treatment 2); inorganic fertilizer (Urea, TSP and MOP) with rice straw compost only (Treatment 3); rice husk charcoal urea, TSP and MOP with rice straw compost (Treatment 4); and no fertilizer as the control (Treatment 5). Rice grain yield was significantly higher in treatment 4 where rice husk charcoal coated urea, TSP and MOP with rice straw compost. The lowest yield was observed in control (treatment 5). The lower the value of the nitrogen to phosphorous ratio in soil, it indicates higher uptake of phosphorous. Charcoal can be used as a soil amendment and organic fertilizer, but adjustment of pH was required at high application rates. K content of soil of treatment 3 and 4 were the highest with compared to the treatment 1. Rice husk charcoal coated urea can potentially be used as a slow releasing nitrogen fertilizer.

Keywords: charcoal, rice husk, nitrogen to phosphorous ratio, soil amendment

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Authors: Hongbo Zhang, Xinlu Tang, Jiangwei Li, Chi Yan

Abstract:

Home zone parking pilot (HPP) is a fast-growing segment in low-speed autonomous driving applications. It requires the car automatically cruise around a parking lot and park itself in a range of up to 100 meters inside a recurrent home/office parking lot, which requires precise parking lot mapping and localization solution. Although Lidar is ideal for SLAM, the car OEMs favor a low-cost fish-eye camera based visual SLAM approach. Recent approaches have employed segmentation models to extract semantic features and improve mapping accuracy, but these AI models are memory unfriendly and computationally expensive, making deploying on embedded ADAS systems difficult. To address this issue, we proposed a new method that utilizes object detection models to extract robust and accurate parking lot features. The proposed method could reduce computational costs while maintaining high accuracy. Once combined with vehicles’ wheel-pulse information, the system could construct maps and locate the vehicle in real-time. This article will discuss in detail (1) the fish-eye based Around View Monitoring (AVM) with transparent chassis images as the inputs, (2) an Object Detection (OD) based feature point extraction algorithm to generate point cloud, (3) a low computational parking lot mapping algorithm and (4) the real-time localization algorithm. At last, we will demonstrate the experiment results with an embedded ADAS system installed on a real car in the underground parking lot.

Keywords: ADAS, home zone parking pilot, object detection, visual SLAM

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Authors: F. Yılmaz, Y. Saylan, A. Derazshamshir, S. Atay, A. Denizli

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Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), high-resolution mass-sensing technique, measures changes in mass on oscillating quartz crystal surface by measuring changes in oscillation frequency of crystal in real time. Protein adsorption techniques via hydrophobic interaction between protein and solid support, called hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC), can be favorable in many cases. Some nanoparticles can be effectively applied for HIC. HIC takes advantage of the hydrophobicity of proteins by promoting its separation on the basis of hydrophobic interactions between immobilized hydrophobic ligands and nonpolar regions on the surface of the proteins. Lysozyme is found in a variety of vertebrate cells and secretions, such as spleen, milk, tears, and egg white. Its common applications are as a cell-disrupting agent for extraction of bacterial intracellular products, as an antibacterial agent in ophthalmologic preparations, as a food additive in milk products and as a drug for treatment of ulcers and infections. Lysozyme has also been used in cancer chemotherapy. The aim of this study is the synthesis of hydrophobic nanoparticles for Lysozyme detection. For this purpose, methacryoyl-L-phenylalanine was chosen as a hydrophobic matrix. The hydrophobic nanoparticles were synthesized by micro-emulsion polymerization method. Then, hydrophobic QCM nanosensor was characterized by Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy (AFM) and zeta size analysis. Hydrophobic QCM nanosensor was tested for real-time detection of Lysozyme from aqueous solution. The kinetic and affinity studies were determined by using Lysozyme solutions with different concentrations. The responses related to a mass (Δm) and frequency (Δf) shifts were used to evaluate adsorption properties.

Keywords: nanosensor, HIC, lysozyme, QCM

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Authors: Achim Kampker, Heiner Hans Heimes, Nemanja Sarovic, Jan-Philip Ganser, Saskia Wessel, Christoph Lienemann

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The electrification of the power train is a fundamental technical transition in the automotive industry and poses a major challenge for established car companies. Providing the traction energy, requiring an ever greater amount of space within the car and having a high share of value-add the lithium-ion battery is a central component of the electric power train and a completely new component to car manufacturers at the same time. Being relatively new to the automotive industry, the current design of the product architecture and production process (including manufacturing and assembling processes) of lithium-ion battery modules do not allow for an easy and cost-efficient disassembly or product design change. Yet these two requirements will increase in importance with rising sales volumes of electric cars in the near future and need to be addressed for the electric car to be competitive with conventional power train systems. This paper focuses on the current product architecture and production process of common automotive battery modules from prismatic lithium-ion battery cells to derive impacts for a remanufacturing concept. The information necessary for this purpose were gathered by literature research, patent inquiries, industry expert interviews and first-hand experiences of the authors. On the basis of these results, the underlying causes for the design´s lack of remanufacturability and flexibility with regards to product design changes are examined. In all, this paper gives an extensive and detailed overview of the state of the art of the product architecture and production process of lithium-ion battery modules from prismatic battery cells, identifies its deficiencies and derives improvement measures.

Keywords: battery module, prismatic lithium-ion battery cell, product architecture, production process, remanufacturing, flexibility

Procedia PDF Downloads 266