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Authors: Ayed S. Al-Shihri, Abul Kalam, Abdullah G. Al-Sehemi, Gaohui Du, Tokeer Ahmad, Ahmad Irfan

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We report here the synthesis of nickel oxide (NiO) nanoparticles by microwave-assisted method, using a common precipitating agent followed by calcination in air at 400°C. The effect of the microwave and pH on the crystallite size, morphology, structure, energy band gap and surface area of NiO have been investigated by means of powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), ultraviolet visible spectroscopy (UV-vis) and BET surface area studies. X-ray diffraction studies showed the formation of monophasic and highly crystalline cubic NiO. TEM analysis led to decrease the average grain size of NiO nanoparticles from 16.5 nm to 14 nm on increasing the amount of NaOH. FTIR studies also confirm the formation of NiO nanoparticles. It was observed that on increasing the volume of NaOH, the optical band gap energy (2.85 eV to 2.95 eV) and specific surface area (33.1 to 39.8 m2/g) increases, however the average particles size decreases (16.5 nm to 14 nm). This method may be extended to large scale synthesis of other metal oxides nanoparticles and the present study could be used for the potential applications in water treatment and many other fields.

Keywords: BET surface area analysis, electron microscopy, optical properties, X-ray techniques

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Authors: Francisca Margarita Ocran

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Underwear, and more particularly bras and panties, are defined as intimate clothing. Strictly speaking, they enhance the place of women in the public or private satchel. Therefore, women's lingerie is a complex garment with a high involvement profile, motivating consumers to buy it not only by its functional utility but also by the multisensory experience it provides them. Customer behavior models are generally based on customer data mining, and each model is designed to answer questions at a specific time. Predicting the customer experience is uncertain and difficult. Thus, knowledge of consumers' tastes in lingerie deserves to be treated as an experiential product, where the dimensions of the experience motivating consumers to buy a lingerie product and to remain faithful to it must be analyzed in detail by the manufacturers and retailers to engage and retain consumers, which is why this research aims to identify the variables that push consumers to choose their lingerie product, based on an in-depth analysis of the types of fabrics used to make lingerie. The data used in this study comes from online purchases. Machine learning approach with the use of Python programming language and Pycaret gives us a precision of 86.34%, 85.98%, and 84.55% for the three algorithms to use concerning the preference of a buyer in front of a range of lingerie. Gradient Boosting, random forest, and K Neighbors were used in this study; they are very promising and rich in the classification of preference in the textile industry.

Keywords: consumer behavior, data mining, lingerie, machine learning, preference

Procedia PDF Downloads 74

Authors: Jayshree P. Zend, Ashatai B. Pawar

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The study was carried out in Parbhani district of Maharashtra state, India with the objectives to study environmental problems faced by flour mill workers, prevalence of work-related health hazards and the physiological cost of workers while performing work in flour mill in traditional method as well as improved method. The use of flour presser, dust controlling bag and noise and dust controlling mask developed by AICRP College of Home Science, VNMKV, Parbhani was considered as an improved method. This investigation consisted survey and experiment which was conducted in the respective locations of flour mills. Healthy, non-smoking 30 flour mill workers ranged between the age group of 20-50 yrs comprising 16 female and 14 male working at flour mill for 4-8 hrs/ day and 6 days/ week and had minimum five years experience of work in flour mill were selected for the study. Pulmonary function test of flour mill workers was carried out by trained technician at Dr. ShankarraoChavan Government Medical College, Nanded by using Electronic Spirometer. The data regarding heart rate (resting, working and recovery), energy expenditure, musculoskeletal problems and occupational health hazards and accidents were recorded by using pretested questionnaire. Scientific equipment used in the experiment were polar sport test heart rate monitor, Hygrometer, Goniometer, Dialed Thermometer, Sound Level Meter, Lux Meter, Ambient Air Sampler and Air Quality Monitor. The collected data were subjected to appropriate statistical analysis such as 't' test and correlation coefficient test. Results indicated that improved method i.e. use of noise and dust controlling mask, flour presser and dust controlling bag were effective in reducing physiological cost of work of flour mill workers. Lung function test of flour mill workers showed decreased values of all parameters, hence the results of present study support paying attention to use of personal protective noise and dust controlling mask by flour mill workers and also to the working conditions in flour mill especially ventilation and illumination level needs to be enhanced in flour mill. The study also emphasizes the need to develop some mechanism for lifting load of grains and unloading in the hopper. It is also suggested that the flour mill workers should use flour presser suitable to their height to avoid frequent bending and should use dust controlling bag to flour outlet of machine to reduce inhalable flour dust level in the flour mill.

Keywords: physiological cost, energy expenditure, musculoskeletal problems

Procedia PDF Downloads 392

Authors: Alaa Koaik, Bruno Jurkiewiez, Sylvain Bel

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Recently, the use of GFRP pultruded profiles increased in the domain of civil engineering especially in the construction of sandwiched slabs and footbridges. However, under heavy loads, the risk of using these profiles increases due to their high deformability and instability as a result of their weak stiffness and orthotropic nature. A practical solution proposes the assembly of these profiles with concrete slabs to create a stiffer hybrid element to support higher loads. The connection of these two elements is established either by traditional means of steel studs (bolting in our case) or bonding technique. These two techniques have their advantages and disadvantages regarding the mechanical behavior and in-situ implementation. This paper presents experimental results of interface characterization and bending behavior of two hybrid beams, PB7 and PB8, designed and constructed using both connection techniques. The results obtained are exploited to design and build a hybrid footbridge BPBP1 which is tested within service limits (elastic domain). Analytical methods are also developed to analyze the behavior of these structures in the elastic range and the ultimate phase. Comparisons show acceptable differences mainly due to the sensitivity of the GFRP moduli as well as the non-linearity of concrete elements.

Keywords: analytical model, concrete, flexural behavior, GFRP pultruded profile, hybrid structure, interconnection slip, push-out

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Authors: Muhammad Omer Farooq Saeed

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The purpose of the proposal is to find out what time actually is! And to understand the natural phenomenon of the behavior of time and light corresponding to the motion of the bodies at relatively high speeds. The utmost concern of the paper is to deal with the possible demerits in the equations of relativity, thereby providing some valuable extensions in those equations and concepts. The idea used develops the most basic conception of the relative motion of the body with respect to space and a real understanding of time and the variation of energy of the body in different frames of reference. The results show the development of a completely new understanding of time, relative motion and energy, along with some extensions in the equations of special relativity most importantly the time dilation and the mass-energy relationship that will explain all frames of a body, all in one go. The proposal also raises serious questions on the validity of the “Principle of Equivalence” on which the General Relativity is based, most importantly a serious case of the bending light that eventually goes against its own governing concepts of space-time being proposed in the theory. The results also predict the existence of a completely new field that explains the fact just how and why bodies acquire energy in space-time. This field explains the production of gravitational waves based on time. All in all, this proposal challenges the formulas and conceptions of Special and General Relativity, respectively.

Keywords: time, relative motion, energy, speed, frame of reference, photon, curvature, space-time, time –differentials

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Authors: Gerges Samaan Henin Abdalla

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Ultra-secured methods of banking services have been introduced to the customer, such as online banking. Banks have begun to consider electronic banking (e-banking) as a way to replace some traditional branch functions by using the Internet as a distribution channel. Some consumers have at least one account at multiple banks and access these accounts through online banking. To check their current net worth, clients need to log into each of their accounts, get detailed information, and work toward consolidation. Not only is it time consuming, but it is also a repeatable activity with a certain frequency. To solve this problem, the concept of account aggregation was added as a solution. Account consolidation in e-banking as a form of electronic banking appears to build a stronger relationship with customers. An account linking service is generally referred to as a service that allows customers to manage their bank accounts held at different institutions via a common online banking platform that places a high priority on security and data protection. Consumers have at least one account at multiple banks and access these accounts through online banking. To check their current net worth, clients need to log into each of their accounts, get detailed information, and work toward consolidation. The article provides an overview of the account aggregation approach in e-banking as a new service in the area of e-banking.

Keywords: compatibility, complexity, mobile banking, observation, risk banking technology, Internet banks, modernization of banks, banks, account aggregation, security, enterprise development

Procedia PDF Downloads 36

Authors: G. M. Cappucci, C. Losi, P. Neri, M. Pini, A. M. Ferrari

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Waste treatment and many production processes cause significant emissions of odors, thus typically leading to intense debate. The introduction of odorimetric units and their units of measurement, i.e., U.O. / m3, with the European regulation UE 13725 of 2003 designates the dynamic olfactometry as the official method for odorimetric analysis. Italy has filled the pre-existing legislative gap on the regulation of odorous emissions only recently, by introducing the Legislative Decree n°183 in 2017. The concentration of the odor to which a perceptive response occurs to 50% of the panel corresponds to the odorimetric unit of the sample under examination (1 U.O. / m3) and is equal to the threshold of perceptibility of the substance (O.T.). In particular, the treatment of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) by Mechanical-Biological Treatment (MBT) plants produces odorous emissions, typically generated by aerobic procedures, potentially leading to significant environmental burdens. The quantification of odorous emissions represents a challenge within a LCA study since primary data are often missing. The aim of this study is to present the preliminary findings of an ongoing study whose aim is to identify and quantify odor emissions from the Tre Monti MBT plant, located in Imola (Bologna, Italy). Particularly, the issues faced with odor emissions in the present work are: i) the identification of the components of the gaseous mixture, whose total quantification in terms of odorimetric units is known, ii) the distribution of the total odorimetric units among the single substances identified and iii) the quantification of the mass emitted for each substance. The environmental analysis was carried out on the basis of the amount of emitted substance. The calculation method IMPact Assessment of Chemical Toxics (IMPACT) 2002+ has been modified since the original one does not take into account indoor emissions. Characterization factors were obtained by adopting a preliminary method in order to calculate indoor human effects. The impact and damage assessments were performed without the identification of new categories, thus in accordance with the categories of the selected calculation method. The results show that the damage associated to odorous emissions is the 0.24% of the total damage, and the most affected damage category is Human Health, mainly as a consequence of ammonia emission (86.06%). In conclusion, this preliminary approach allowed identifying and quantifying the substances responsible for the odour impact, in order to attribute them the relative damage on human health as well as ecosystem quality.

Keywords: life cycle assessment, municipal solid waste, odorous emissions, waste treatment

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Authors: Hadi Abdollahi, Bijan Iraj, Maryam Mirpourian, Behzad Shariatifar

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Background: The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between neck circumferences (NC), as an indicator of upper body obesity, with anthropometric and cardio-metabolic factors among the first degree relatives of diabetes patients. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on first degree relatives of diabetes patients (n = 213). Weight, height, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference (HC), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and NC were measured. Laboratory data included oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) results, high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein, triglyceride (TG) and total cholesterol. Results: There was no difference in NC among different results of OGTT in men or women. Factors including weight, body mass index (BMI), WC and HC were strongly associated with NC in both genders (r = 0.420-0.711). NC was weakly associated with SBP in women (r = 0.195) and moderately with DBP in men (r = 0.314). Regarding lipid profile, HDL and TG were associated with NC only in women (r = −0.268-0.325). Conclusions: NC has a significant correlation with gender and anthropometric variables, including BMI, weight and waist and HCs in both men and women, but it does not differ significantly in patients with different status in OGTT.

Keywords: body mass index, cardiovascular, diabetes, neck circumference, obesity

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Authors: Sina Mahdavi

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Background and Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common inflammatory autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the myelination process in the CNS. Complex interactions of various "environmental or infectious" factors may act as triggers in autoimmunity and disease progression. The association between viral infections, especially the John Cunningham virus (JCV) and MS is one potential cause that is not well understood. This study aims to summarize the available data on JCV infection in MS disease progression. Materials and Methods: For this study, the keywords "Multiple sclerosis", " John Cunningham virus ", and "central nervous system" in the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, Sid, and MagIran between 2019 and 2022 were searched, and 12 articles were chosen, studied, and analyzed. Results: MS patients are candidates for natalizumab therapy, which inhibits lymphocyte migration and increases the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), a rare lytic infection of glial cells caused by JCV. Oligodendrocytes may be the target of JCV infection in the central nervous system (CNS). Conclusion: There is a high expression of JCV during the natalizumab treatment period for MS patients, suggesting that the virus may play a role in the development of MS by inducing an inflammatory state. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate anti-JCV antibody serum as an important risk factor for the development of PML before deciding on the treatment course for these patients.

Keywords: multiple sclerosis, John Cunningham virus, central nervous system, autoimmunity

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Authors: Salih Akkemik

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User Experience has a characterized perspective based on two fundamentals: the usage process and the product. Digital games can be considered as a special interactive system. This system has a very specific purpose and this is to make the player feel good while playing. At this point, Player Experience (PX) and User Experience (UX) are similar. UX focuses on the user feels good, PX focuses on the player feels good. The most important difference between the two is the action taken. These are actions of using and playing. In this study, the player experience will be examined primarily. PX may differ on different platforms. Nowadays, companies are releasing the successful and high-income games that they have developed with cross-platform support. Cross-platform is the most common expression that an application can run on different operating systems, in other words, be developed to support different operating systems. In terms of digital games, cross-platform support means that a game can be played on a computer, console or mobile device environment, more specifically, the game developed is designed and programmed to be played in the same way on at least two different platforms, such as Windows, MacOS, Linux, iOS, Android, Orbis OS or Xbox OS. Different platforms also accommodate different player groups, profiles and preferences. This study aims to examine these different player profiles in terms of player experience and to determine the effects of cross-platform support on player experience.

Keywords: cross-platform, digital games, player experience, user experience

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Authors: Oladejo S. O, Tomori W. B, Adebayo A. O

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The main objective of this research is to identify the geochemical and mineralogical characteristics potential of unexplored tailings around the gold deposit region using spatial statistics and map modeling. Some physicochemical parameters such as pH, redox potential, electrical conductivity, cation exchange capacity, total organic carbon, total organic matter, residual humidity, Cation exchange capacity, and particle size were determined from both the mine drains and tailing samples using standard methods. The physicochemical parameters of tailings ranges obtained were pH (6.0 – 7.3), Eh (−16 - 95 Mev), EC (49 - 156 µS/cm), RH (0.20-2.60%), CEC (3.64-6.45 cmol/kg), TOC (3.57-18.62%), TOM (6.15-22.93%). The geochemical oxide composition were identified using Proton Induced X-ray emission and the results indicated that SiO2>Al2O3>Fe2O3>TiO2>K2O>MgO>CaO>Na2O> P2O5>MnO>Cr2O3>SrO>K2O>P2O5. The major mineralogical components in the tailing samples were determined by quantitative X-ray diffraction techniques using the Rietveld method. Geostatistical relationships among the known points were determined using ArcGIS 10.2 software to interpolate mineral concentration with respect to the study area. The Rietveld method gave a general Quartz value of 73.73-92.76%, IImenite as 0.38-4.77%, Kaolinite group as 3.19-20.83%, Muscovite as 0.77-11.70% with a trace of other minerals. The high percentage of quartz is an indication of a sandy environment with a loose binding site.

Keywords: tailings, geochemical, mineralogy, spatial

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Authors: W. Du, X. Wang, Jun Cao, H. F. Wang

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Due to the randomness and uncertainty of wind energy, modern power systems integrating large-scale wind generation will be significantly impacted in terms of system performance and technical challenges. System inertia with high wind penetration is decreasing when conventional thermal generators are gradually replaced by wind turbines, which do not naturally contribute to inertia response. The power imbalance caused by wind power or demand fluctuations leads to the instability of system frequency. Accordingly, the need to attach the supplementary virtual inertia control to wind farms (WFs) strongly arises. When multi-wind farms are connected to the grid simultaneously, the selection of which critical WFs to install the virtual inertia control is greatly important to enhance the stability of system frequency. By building the small signal model of wind power systems considering frequency regulation, the installation locations are identified by the geometric measures of the mode observability of WFs. In addition, this paper takes the impacts of grid topology and selection of feedback control signals into consideration. Finally, simulations are conducted on a multi-wind farms power system and the results demonstrate that the designed virtual inertia control method can effectively assist the frequency regulation.

Keywords: frequency regulation, virtual inertia control, installation locations, observability, wind farms

Procedia PDF Downloads 388

Authors: Qiaohui Zhong, Yiqi Kuang, Wanxun Cai, Libin Huang

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As a community public facility, the popularity and perfection of old clothes recycling products directly affect people's impression of the whole city, which is related to the happiness index of residents' lives and is of great significance to the construction of eco-civilized cities and the realization of sustainable urban development. At present, China's waste clothing is characterized by large production and a high utilization rate, but the current rate of old clothes recycling is low, and the ‘one-size-fits-all’ recycling model makes people's motivation for old clothes recycling low, and old clothes recycling is in a dilemma. Based on the two online and offline recycling modes of old clothes recycling in Chinese communities, this paper conducts an in-depth survey on the public, operators, and regulators from the aspects of activity scene analysis, crowd attributes analysis, and community space analysis summarizes the difficulties of old clothes recycling for the public - nowhere to recycle, inconvenient to recycle and unwilling to recycle, and analyzes the factors that lead to these difficulties, and gives a solution with foreign experience to solve these problems. It also analyzes the factors that lead to these difficulties and gives targeted suggestions in combination with foreign experience, exploring and proposing a set of appropriate modern old-clothes recycling modes.

Keywords: community, old clothes recycling, recycling mode, sustainable urban development

Procedia PDF Downloads 31

Authors: B. Bernabela, P. Bles, A. Bloecker, D. DeRock, M. van Es, M. Gerritse, T. de Jongh, W. Lansing, M. Martinot, J. van de Wetering

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A heated debate has been taking place concerning research and teaching at Dutch universities for the last few years. The ministry of science and education has published reports on its strategy to improve university curricula and position the Netherlands as a globally competitive knowledge economy. These reports have provoked an uproar of responses from think tanks, concerned academics, and the media. At the center of the debate is disagreement over who should determine the Dutch university curricula and how these curricula should look. Many stakeholders in the higher education system have voiced their opinion, and some have not been heard. The result is that the diversity of visions is ignored or taken for granted in the official reports. Recognizing this gap in stakeholder analysis, the aim of this paper is to bring attention to the wide range of perspectives on who should be responsible for designing higher education curricula. Based on a previous analysis by the Rathenau Institute, we distinguish five different groups of stakeholders: government, business sector, university faculty and administration, students, and the societal sector. We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with representatives from each stakeholder group, and distributed quantitative questionnaires to people in the societal sector (i.e. people not directly affiliated with universities or graduates). Preliminary data suggests that the stakeholders have different target points concerning the university curricula. Representatives from the governmental sector tend to place special emphasis on the link between research and education, while representatives from the business sector rather focus on greater opportunities for students to obtain practical experience in the job market. Responses from students reflect a belief that they should be able to influence the curriculum in order to compete with other students on the international job market. On the other hand, university faculty expresses concern that focusing on the labor market puts undue pressure on students and compromises the quality of education. Interestingly, the opinions of members of ‘society’ seem to be relatively unchanged by political and economic shifts. Following a comprehensive analysis of the data, we believe that our results will make a significant contribution to the debate on university education in the Netherlands. These results should be regarded as a foundation for further research concerning the direction of Dutch higher education, for only if we take into account the different opinions and views of the various stakeholders can we decide which steps to take. Moreover, the Dutch experience offers lessons to other countries as well. As the internationalization of higher education is occurring faster than ever before, universities throughout Europe and globally are experiencing many of the same pressures.

Keywords: Dutch University curriculum, higher education, participants’ opinions, stakeholder perspectives

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Authors: Odinah Cuartero-Enteria, Aive Pecasales, Jhadly Philip Buniel, Christian Joy Vega, Shiela Estubo

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In the Philippines, Mindanao Island has the cheapest electricity because of the hydroelectric plants. Due to the rapid increase of the electricity consumption which the sources of electricity cannot support, it causes rotating brownout during summer season. This study investigated the household energy usage and practices in the rural areas of northern part of the Mindanao Island, Philippines. The questionnaire that includes the respondents’ profile and their common practices in energy consumptions was used as a tool in gathering the data. Several households were subjected to the survey. Results show energy consumption is not dependent on the profile of the respondents. It was observed that most of the families prefer to use energy saving methods of reducing electricity consumption. The main energy saving methods are unplugging unused home appliances, using of compact fluorescent bulb and energy-efficient gadgets, and using high electricity consumption appliances by schedule. Based on the results, the households in the rural areas know the practices of reducing electricity consumption. However, it is highly recommended that concern agencies should initiate information dissemination and strict implementation of well-formulated energy conservation practices all over the areas in Mindanao.

Keywords: Philippines, Mindanao island, rural areas, households, energy usages, practices

Procedia PDF Downloads 372

Authors: Jay Ananth

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The drug discovery process currently requires numerous years of clinical testing as well as money just for a single drug to earn FDA approval. For drugs that even make it this far in the process, there is a very slim chance of receiving FDA approval, resulting in detrimental hurdles to drug accessibility. To minimize these inefficiencies, numerous studies have implemented computational methods, although few computational investigations have focused on a crucial feature of drugs: lipophilicity. Lipophilicity is a physical attribute of a compound that measures its solubility in lipids and is a determinant of drug efficacy. This project leverages Artificial Intelligence to predict the impact of a drug’s lipophilicity on its performance by accounting for factors such as binding affinity and toxicity. The model predicted lipophilicity and binding affinity in the validation set with very high R² scores of 0.921 and 0.788, respectively, while also being applicable to a variety of target receptors. The results expressed a strong positive correlation between lipophilicity and both binding affinity and toxicity. The model helps in both drug development and discovery, providing every pharmaceutical company with recommended lipophilicity levels for drug candidates as well as a rapid assessment of early-stage drugs prior to any testing, eliminating significant amounts of time and resources currently restricting drug accessibility.

Keywords: drug discovery, lipophilicity, ligand-receptor interactions, machine learning, drug development

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Authors: C. Lanzerstorfer

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Liquid sprays of water are frequently used in air pollution control for gas cooling purposes and for gas cleaning. Twin-fluid nozzles with internal mixing are often used for these purposes because of the small size of the drops produced. In these nozzles the liquid is dispersed by compressed air or another pressurized gas. In high efficiency scrubbers for particle separation, several nozzles are operated in parallel because of the size of the cross section. In such scrubbers, the scrubbing water has to be re-circulated. Precipitation of some solid material can occur in the liquid circuit, caused by chemical reactions. When such precipitations are detached from the place of formation, they can partly or totally block the liquid flow to a nozzle. Due to the resulting unbalanced supply of the nozzles with water and gas, the efficiency of separation decreases. Thus, the nozzles have to be cleaned if a certain fraction of blockages is reached. The aim of this study was to provide a tool for continuously monitoring the status of the nozzles of a scrubber based on the available operation data (water flow, air flow, water pressure and air pressure). The difference between the air pressure and the water pressure is not well suited for this purpose, because the difference is quite small and therefore very exact calibration of the pressure measurement would be required. Therefore, an equation for the reference air flow of a nozzle at the actual water flow and operation pressure was derived. This flow can be compared with the actual air flow for assessment of the status of the nozzles.

Keywords: condition monitoring, dual flow nozzles, flow equation, operation data

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Authors: Tanmay Bisen, Aastha Shayla

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This study introduces an advanced approach to tree canopy detection in urban environments and a regional analysis of Northern and Central Kolkata that delves into the intricate relationship between urban development and environmental conservation. Leveraging high-resolution drone imagery from diverse urban green spaces in Kolkata, we fine-tuned the deep forest model to enhance its precision and accuracy. Our results, characterized by an impressive Intersection over Union (IoU) score of 0.90 and a mean average precision (mAP) of 0.87, underscore the model's robustness in detecting and classifying tree crowns amidst the complexities of aerial imagery. This research not only emphasizes the importance of model customization for specific datasets but also highlights the potential of drone-based remote sensing in urban forestry studies. The study investigates the spatial distribution, density, and environmental impact of trees in Northern and Central Kolkata. The findings underscore the significance of urban green spaces in met-ropolitan cities, emphasizing the need for sustainable urban planning that integrates green infrastructure for ecological balance and human well-being.

Keywords: urban greenery, advanced spatial distribution analysis, drone imagery, deep learning, tree detection

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Authors: C. F. Popoola, P. Osho, S. B. Babarinde

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This study examined economic indicators as correlates of inward FDI. An exploratory research design was used to obtained annual published data on inflation rate, market size, exchange rate, political instability, human development, and infrastructure from Central Bank of Nigeria, National Bureau of Statistics, Nigerian Capital Market, Nigeria Institute of Social and Economic Research, and UNCTAD. Data generated were analyzed using Pearson correlation, analysis of variance and regression. The findings of the study revealed that market size (r = 0.852, p < 0.001), infrastructure (r = 0.264, p < 0.001), human development (r = 0.154, p < 0.01) and exchange rate ( r= 0.178, p < 0.05) correlate positively with inward FDI, while inflation rate (r = -0.88, p < 0.001), and political instability (r= -0.102, p < 0.05) correlate negatively with inward FDI. Findings also revealed that the economic indicators significantly predicted inward FDI (R2 = 0.913; F(1,19) = 29.40; p < 0.05) for Nigeria. It was concluded that exchange rate, market size, human development, and infrastructure positively related to inward FDI while the high level of inflation and political instability negatively related to inward FDI. Therefore, it was suggested that policy makers and government agencies should readdress steps and design policies that would encourage more FDI into the country.

Keywords: exchange rate, foreign direct investment, human development, inflation rate, infrastructure, market size, political instability

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Authors: David A. Swanson, Lucky M. Tedrow

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Taylor’s Law is a widely observed empirical pattern that relates variances to means in sets of non-negative measurements via an approximate power function, which has found application to human mortality. This study adds to this research by showing that Taylor’s Law leads to a model that reasonably describes the relationship between life expectancy at birth (e0, which also is equal to mean age at death in a life table) and variance at age of death in seven World Bank regional life tables measured at two points in time, 1970 and 2000. Using as a benchmark a non-random sample of four Japanese female life tables covering the period from 1950 to 2004, the study finds that the simple linear model provides reasonably accurate estimates of variance in age at death in a life table from e0, where the latter range from 60.9 to 85.59 years. Employing 2017 life tables from the Human Mortality Database, the simple linear model is used to provide estimates of variance at age in death for six countries, three of which have high e0 values and three of which have lower e0 values. The paper provides a substantive interpretation of Taylor’s Law relative to e0 and concludes by arguing that reasonably accurate estimates of variance in age at death in a period life table can be calculated using this approach, which also can be used where e0 itself is estimated rather than generated through the construction of a life table, a useful feature of the model.

Keywords: empirical pattern, mean age at death in a life table, mean age of a stationary population, stationary population

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Authors: Robin Becker, Nane Roetmann, Manfred Helmus

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The construction industry faces a significant challenge due to a shortage of skilled work-ers, especially in construction management, despite an increase in graduates. This is main-ly because the job is associated with high stress, long hours, and poor work-life balance. A survey revealed that the profession is unattractive to students, who prioritize personal growth, flexibility, and digitalization in their careers. To address this issue, companies can consider implementing various work modules like "working time documentation," "home office," "job sharing," and "time off." These modules can improve control, work-life bal-ance, and efficiency if tailored to the company's framework. They offer a way to make the field more appealing to future employees while benefiting existing staff, provided that both employers and employees are flexible and considerate of project-specific conditions and teams. The feasibility of these models depends on the company's overall framework, with potential for cost-neutral implementation and positive effects on efficiency and men-tal health. However, their success also relies on the specific context of the company, and more data is needed to assess their full impact.

Keywords: modern construction management, construction industry, work modules, shortage of junior staff, sustainable personnel management, making construction management more attractive, working time model

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Authors: Abhishek Pandey

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Capping and lamination are the most common tablet defects with poorly compressible drugs the common example of that Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen. Generally both these drugs are compressed by wet granulation method which is very time consuming process Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen is widely used as prescription & non-prescription medicine. Ibuprofen mainly used in the treatment of mild to moderate pain related to headache, migraine, postoperative condition and in the management of spondylitis, osteoarthritis Acetaminophen used as an analgesic and antipyretic drug. Ibuprofen having high tendency of sticking to punches of tablet punching machine while Acetaminophen is not ordinarily compressible to tablet formulation because Acetaminophen crystals are very hard and brittle in nature and fracture very easily when compressed producing capping and laminating tablet defects therefore wet granulation method is used to make them compressible. The aim of study was to prepare Ibuprofen and Acetaminophen tablets by direct compression technique and their evaluation. In this Investigation tablets were prepared by using directly compressible grade excipients. Dibasic calcium phosphate, lactose anhydrous (DCL21), microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel PH 101). In order to obtain best or optimize formulation nine different formulations were generated among them batch F5, F6, F7 shows good results and within the acceptable limit. Formulation (F7) selected as optimize product on the basis of evaluation parameters.

Keywords: capping, lamination, tablet defects, direct compression

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Authors: Mukesh Kumar Shah, Tushar Gupta

Abstract:

An Upgraded Cuckoo Search Algorithm is proposed here to solve optimization problems based on the improvements made in the earlier versions of Cuckoo Search Algorithm. Short comings of the earlier versions like slow convergence, trap in local optima improved in the proposed version by random initialization of solution by suggesting an Improved Lambda Iteration Relaxation method, Random Gaussian Distribution Walk to improve local search and further proposing Greedy Selection to accelerate to optimized solution quickly and by “Study Nearby Strategy” to improve global search performance by avoiding trapping to local optima. It is further proposed to generate better solution by Crossover Operation. The proposed strategy used in algorithm shows superiority in terms of high convergence speed over several classical algorithms. Three standard algorithms were tested on a 6-generator standard test system and the results are presented which clearly demonstrate its superiority over other established algorithms. The algorithm is also capable of handling higher unit systems.

Keywords: economic dispatch, gaussian selection operator, prohibited operating zones, ramp rate limits

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Authors: Yunhui Chen, Damon Kent, Matthew Dargusch

Abstract:

Synthetic scaffolds are a highly promising new approach to replace both autografts and allografts to repair and remodel damaged bone tissue. Biocompatible porous titanium scaffold was manufactured through a powder metallurgy approach. Magnesium powder was used as space holder material which was compacted with titanium powder and removed during sintering. Evaluation of the porosity and mechanical properties showed a high level of compatibility with human bone. Interconnectivity between pores is higher than 95% for porosity as low as 30%. The elastic moduli are 39 GPa, 16 GPa and 9 GPa for 30%, 40% and 50% porosity samples which match well to that of natural bone (4-30 GPa). The yield strengths for 30% and 40% porosity samples of 315 MPa and 175 MPa are superior to that of human bone (130-180 MPa). In-vitro cell culture tests on the scaffold samples using Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs) demonstrated their biocompatibility and indicated osseointegration potential. The scaffolds allowed cells to adhere and spread both on the surface and inside the pore structures. With increasing levels of porosity/interconnectivity, improved cell proliferation is obtained within the pores. It is concluded that samples with 30% porosity exhibit the best biocompatibility. The results suggest that porous titanium scaffolds generated using this manufacturing route have excellent potential for hard tissue engineering applications.

Keywords: scaffolds, MG-63 cell culture, titanium, space holder

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Authors: Gloria Inés Martínez Domínguez, Lina María Martínez Sánchez, María de los Ángeles Rodríguez Gázquez, Juan Guillermo Jiménez Jiménez, Johan Sebastián Lopera Valle, Natalia Vargas Grisales, Sara Rojas Jiménez, Alejandra Uribe Ocampo, Sara Correa Pérez, Natalia Perilla Hernández, Juan Sebastián Marín Cárdenas

Abstract:

The relationship between diet and chronic or degenerative diseases has led to the development of functional foods such as nutraceuticals. Objective: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of consumption of nutraceuticals in undergraduate students. Methodology: Cross-sectional study. It was a simple random sampling with the Statcalc EpiInfo software vr 6.04. It was designed an instrument for collection of demographic data and consumption of nutraceuticals. Statistical analysis used the SPSS program. Results: 427 students, average age 20.8 years (SD 3.1), 56.1% were women. The life prevalence of nutraceuticals consumption was 66.3% and the annual 51.8%. The main reasons for consumption were as food complement 32.8% and prevent diseases 20.1%. Conclusion: The high prevalence of nutraceuticals observed is comparable to that reported in the literature, which suggests an increasing trend in the habit of consumption of dietary supplement which have a preventive or protective effect on health.

Keywords: dietary supplements, food, health, functional food, Colombia

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Authors: Salhi Nesrine, Salama M. El-Darier, Halilat M. El-Taher

Abstract:

The present study aimed to investigate the effect of two type of soil (clay and sandy soils) in the potential allelopathic effects of Artemisia herba-alba, Oudneya africana crude powder on some growth parameters and phytomass of two weeds (Bromus tectorum and Melilotus indica) under laboratory conditions (pot experiment). The experimental findings have reported that the donor species crude powder concentrations were suppressing to shoot length (SL), root length (RL), fresh and dry weight of shoot and root (SFw, RFw, SDw and RDw, respectively and the leaf number (LN)) in both soil types and caused a gradual reduction particularly when they are high. However, the reduction degree was varied and species, concentration dependent. The suppressive effect of all the eight donors on the two weedy species was in the following order Bromus tectorum> Melilotus indica. Generally, the growth parameters of two recipient species were significantly decreased with the increase of each of the donor species crude powder concentration levels. Concerning the type of sol the t-test indicated that the difference was insignificant between clay and sandy soils.

Keywords: allelopathy, soil, Artemisia herba-alba, Oudneya africana, growth, weeds

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Authors: R. Domínguez, A. Castro, N. Fernandez, F. Hidalgo, F. Ortiz

Abstract:

Aims: Study musculoskeletal disorders produced by excess physical exertion in marines Introduction: Musculoskeletal injuries during military training are an important medical problem faced by military organizations throughout the world. Military occupations are physically demanding, which represents a high risk of injury "and subsequent disability, these injuries represent important risk factors for hospitalization, disability, and discharge Methodology: This is a causal correlational study in which data were collected in order to find a cause-effect relationship between the physical effort in marines during their career in the Chilean Navy and the musculoskeletal disorders that occur in some from them. Results:100% had experienced musculoskeletal pain in some part of the body and 73.52% of the respondents had experienced limitations in the ability to work, as a consequence forced to change jobs due to musculoskeletal pain. The neck, shoulders and the lumbar dorsal region were the regions with the highest prevalence of pain, as well as pain that limit the ability to work. Conclusion: Musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses related to injuries are common in marines, both in those who operate in campus Charles, as in another operational unit due to the nature of the work. Many of these injuries occur during physical training and sports and various studies have dealt with the descriptive epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries in military personnel.

Keywords: physical effort, marines, musculoskeletal disorders produced (MSD), training

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Authors: E. O. Fakoya, B. G. Abiona, W. O. Oyediran, A. M. Omoare

Abstract:

This study examined the socio-economic effects of micro-credit on small scale poultry farmers’ livelihood in Ado Odo-Ota Local Government area of Ogun State. Purposive sampling method was used to select eighty (80) small scale poultry farmers that benefited in micro credit. Interview guide was used to obtain information on the respondents’ socio-economic characteristic, sources of micro-credit and the effects of micro-credit on their livelihood. The results revealed that most of the respondents (77.50 %) were males while half (40.00%) of the respondents were between the ages of 31-40 years. A high proportion (72.50%) of the respondents had formal education. The major sources of micro credit to small scale poultry farmers were cooperative society (47.50%) and personal savings (20.00%). The findings also revealed that micro-credit had positive effect on the assets and livelihoods of small scale poultry farmers’ livelihood. Results of t-test analysis showed a significant difference between the effects before and after micro-credit on small-scale poultry farmers’ Livelihood at p < 0.05. The study recommends that formal lending institution should be given necessary support by government to enable poultry farmers have access to credit facilities in the study area.

Keywords: micro-credit, effects, livelihood, poultry farmers, socio-economic, small scale

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Authors: Pablo Lopez Hurtado, Antroine Rouilly, Virginie Vandenbossche

Abstract:

Cellulose fibre insulation is an eco-friendly building material made from recycled paper fibres, treated with borates for fungal and fire resistance. It is comparable in terms of thermal and acoustic performance to mineral wool insulation and other insulation materials based on non-renewable resources. The main method of application consists in separating and blowing the fibres in attics or closed wall cavities. Another method, known as the “wet spray method” is gaining interest. With this method the fibres are projected with pulverized water, which stick to the wall cavities. The issue with the wet spray technique is that the water dosage could be difficult to control. A high water dosage implies not only a longer drying time, depending on ambient conditions, but also a change in the performance of the material itself. In our work we studied the thermal and mechanical properties of wet spray-cellulose insulation in order to understand how water dosage could affect these properties. The material was first characterized to study the chemical and physical properties of the fibres. Then representative samples of wet sprayed cellulose with varying applied water dosage were subject to thermal conductivity and compression testing in order to better understand how changes in the fibres induced by drying can affect these properties.

Keywords: cellulose fibre, recycled paper, moisture sorption, thermal insulation

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Authors: Scarlet Tabot Enanga Longsti

Abstract:

Community-Based Health Insurance (CBHI) schemes have been proposed as a possible means to achieve affordable health care in low-and lower-middle-income countries. The existing evidence provides mixed results on the impact of CBHI schemes on healthcare utilisation and out -of-pocket payments (OOPP) for healthcare. Over 900 CBHI schemes have been implemented in underdeveloped countries, and these schemes have undergone different modifications over the years. Prior reviews have suggested that different designs of CBHI schemes may result in different outcomes. Objectives: This review sought to determine the interventions that affect the impact of CBHI schemes on OOPP and health service utilisation. Interventions in this study referred to any action or modification in the design of a CBHI scheme that affected the impact of the scheme on OOPP and/or healthcare utilization. Methods: Any CBHI study that was done in a lower middle-income country, that used an experimental design, that included OOPP or health care utilisation as outcome variables, and that was published in either English or French was included in this study. Studies were searched for in MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, EconLit, IBSS, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Global Index Medicus from July to August 2023. Bias was assessed using Joanna Brigs Institute tools for quality assessment for randomized control trials and quasi experimental studies. A narrative synthesis was done. Results: 12 studies were included in the review, with a total of 69 villages, 13,653 households, and 62,786 participants. Average premium collection was 4.8 USD/year. Most CBHI schemes had flat rates. The study revealed that a range of interventions impact OOPP and health care utilisation. Five categories of interventions were identified. The intervention with the highest impact on OOPP and utilisation was “Audit visits”. Next in line came external funds, training scheme workers, and engaging community leaders and village heads to advertise the scheme. Free healthcare led to a significant increase in utilisation of health services, a significant reduction in Catastrophic health expenditure, but an insignificant effect on OOPP among insured compared with uninsured. Conclusions: Community-Based Health Insurance could pave the way for Universal Health Care in low and middle-income countries. However, this can only be possible if careful thought is given to how schemes are designed. Due to the heterogeneity of studies and results on CBHI schemes, there is need for further research for more effective designs to be developed.

Keywords: community based health insurance, developing countries, health service utilisation, out of pocket payment

Procedia PDF Downloads 55