Search results for: native areas

Authors: Zewdneh Zana Zate

Abstract:

The study focuses on the evolutionary and ecological genomics of both wild and cultivated Coffea arabica L. at its center of origin, Ethiopia, aiming to uncover how this vital species may withstand future climate changes. Utilizing bioclimatic models, we project the future distribution of Arabica under varied climate scenarios for 2050 and 2080, identifying potential conservation zones and immediate risk areas. Through whole-genome resequencing of accessions from Ethiopian gene banks, this research assesses genetic diversity and divergence between wild and cultivated populations. It explores relationships, demographic histories, and potential hybridization events among Coffea arabica accessions to better understand the species' origins and its connection to parental species. This genomic analysis also seeks to detect signs of natural or artificial selection across populations. Integrating these genomic discoveries with ecological data, the study evaluates the current and future ecological and genomic vulnerabilities of wild Coffea arabica, emphasizing necessary adaptations for survival. We have identified key genomic regions linked to environmental stress tolerance, which could be crucial for breeding more resilient Arabica varieties. Additionally, our ecological modeling predicted a contraction of suitable habitats, urging immediate conservation actions in identified key areas. This research not only elucidates the evolutionary history and adaptive strategies of Arabica but also informs conservation priorities and breeding strategies to enhance resilience to climate change. By synthesizing genomic and ecological insights, we provide a robust framework for developing effective management strategies aimed at sustaining Coffea arabica, a species of profound global importance, in its native habitat under evolving climatic conditions.

Keywords: coffea arabica, climate change adaptation, conservation strategies, genomic resilience

Procedia PDF Downloads 22

Authors: Minhal Abidi, Moinuddin

Abstract:

Diabetes mellitus (DM) induced metabolic abnormalities causes oxidative stress which leads to the pathogenesis of complications associated with diabetes like retinopathy, nephropathy periodontitis etc. Combination of glycation and oxidation 'glycoxidation' occurs when oxidative reactions affect the early state of glycation products. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is prone to glycoxidative attack by sugars and methylglyoxal (MGO) being a strong glycating agent may have severe impact on its structure and consequent role in diabetes. Pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL1β and TNFα produced by the action of gram negative bacteria in periodontits (PD) can in turn lead to insulin resistance. This work discusses modifications to LDL as a result of glycoxidation. The changes in the protein molecule have been characterized by various physicochemical techniques and the immunogenicity of the modified molecules was also evaluated as they presented neo-epitopes. Binding of antibodies present in diabetes patients to the native and glycated LDL has been evaluated. Role of modified epitopes in the generation of antibodies in diabetes and periodontitis has been discussed. The structural perturbations induced in LDL were analyzed by UV–Vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism and FTIR spectroscopy, molecular docking studies, thermal denaturation studies, Thioflavin T assay, isothermal titration calorimetry, comet assay. MALDI-TOF, ketoamine moieties, carbonyl content and HMF content were also quantitated in native and glycated LDL. IL1β and TNFα levels were also measured in the type 2 DM and PD patients. We report increased carbonyl content, ketoamine moieties and HMF content in glycated LDL as compared to native analogue. The results substantiate that in hyperglycemic state MGO modification of LDL causes structural perturbations making the protein antigenic which could obstruct normal physiological functions and might contribute in the development of secondary complications in diabetic patients like periodontitis.

Keywords: advanced glycation end products, diabetes mellitus, glycation, glycoxidation, low density lipoprotein, periodontitis

Procedia PDF Downloads 174

Authors: Mandeep Singh Azad.Dibyendu Chakraborty, Vikas Vohra

Abstract:

Introduction: Poonch is one of the remotest districts of the Jammu and Kashmir (UT) and situated on international borders. This native poultry population in these areas is quite hardy and thrives well in adverse climatic conditions. Till date, no local breed from this area (Jammu Province) has been characterized thus present study was undertaken with the main objectives of molecular characterization of ChB6 gene in local native chicken of Poonch region located at international borders between India and Pakistan. The chicken B-cell marker (ChB6) gene has been proposed as a candidate gene in regulating B-cell development. Material and Method: RNA was isolated by Blood RNA Purification Kit (HiPura) and Trizol method from whole blood samples. Positive PCR products with size 1110 bp were selected for further purification, sequencing and analysis. The amplified PCR product was sequenced by Sangers dideoxy chain termination method. The obtained sequence of ChB6 gene of Poonchi chicken were compared by MEGAX software. BioEdit software was used to construct phylogenic tree, and Neighbor Joining method was used to infer evolutionary history. In order to compute evolutionary distance Maximum Composite Likelihood method was used. Results: The positively amplified samples of ChB6 genes were then subjected to Sanger sequencing with “Primer Walking. The sequences were then analyzed using MEGA X and BioEdit software. The sequence results were compared with other reported sequence from different breed of chicken and with other species obtained from the NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information). ClustalW method using MEGA X software was used for multiple sequence alignment. The sequence results of ChB6 gene of Poonchi chicken was compared with Centrocercus urophasianus, G. gallus mRNA for B6.1 protein, G. gallus mRNA for B6.2, G. gallus mRNA for B6.3, Gallus gallus B6.1, Halichoeres bivittatus, Miniopterus fuliginosus Ferringtonia patagonica, Tympanuchus phasianellus. The genetic distances were 0.2720, 0.0000, 0.0245, 0.0212, 0.0147, 1.6461, 2.2394, 2.0070 and 0.2363 for ChB6 gene of Poonchi chicken sequence with other sequences in the present study respectively. Sequencing results showed variations between different species. It was observed that AT content were higher then GC content for ChB6 gene. The lower AT content suggests less thermostable. It was observed that there was no sequence difference within the Poonchi population for ChB6 gene. The high homology within chicken population indicates the conservation of ChB6 gene. The maximum difference was observed with Miniopterus fuliginosus (Eastern bent-wing bat) followed by Ferringtonia patagonica and Halichoeres bivittatus. Conclusion: Genetic variation is the essential component for genetic improvement. The results of immune related gene Chb6 shows between population genetic variability. Therefore, further association studies of this gene with some prevalent diseases in large population would be helpful to identify disease resistant/ susceptible genotypes in the indigenous chicken population.

Keywords: ChB6, sequencing, ClustalW, genetic distance, poonchi chicken, SNP

Procedia PDF Downloads 48

Authors: Mohammad Jamil Abd AlGhani

Abstract:

The natural native antioxidants N,N-P-methyl phenyl acetone and N,N-phenyl acetone were isolated from the Iraqi crude oil region of Kirkuk by ion exchange and their structure was characterized by spectral and chemical analysis methods. Tetraline was used as a liquid hydrocarbon to detect the efficiency of isolated molecules at elevated temperature (393 K) that it has physicochemical specifications and structure closed to hydrocarbons fractionated from crude oil. The synthesized universal antioxidant 2,6-ditertiaryisobutyl-p-methyl phenol (Unol) with known stochiometric coefficient of inhibition equal to (2) was used as a model for comparative evaluation at the same conditions. Modified chemiluminescence method was used to find the amount of absorbed oxygen and the induction periods in and without the existence of isolated antioxidants molecules. The results of induction periods and quantity of absorbed oxygen during the oxidation process were measured by manometric installation. It was seen that at specific equal concentrations of N,N-phenyl acetone and N, N-P-methyl phenyl acetone in comparison with Unol at 393 K were with (2) and (2.5) times efficient than do Unol. It means that they had the ability to inhibit the formation of new free radicals and prevent the chain reaction to pass from the propagation to the termination step rather than decomposition of formed hydroperoxides.

Keywords: antioxidants, chemiluminescence, inhibition, Unol

Procedia PDF Downloads 185

Authors: Natascha Reich

Abstract:

In colonial Peru, the Spanish crown relied on religious orders, most notably Dominicans, Franciscans, and Jesuits, for accelerating processes of colonization. The dissemination of Christian art, architecture, and music, and most of all, the agency of indigenous people in their production played a key role in facilitating the acceptance of the new religious and political system. Current research on Peruvian colonial music culture and its role as a vehicle for colonization focus on practices in urban centers. The lack of (written) primary sources seems to turn rural areas into a less attractive research territory for musicologists. This paper advocates for a more inclusive approach. By investigating seventeenth-century pipe organs as material remains of Franciscan missionary music culture, it shows how reactions to colonial forces and Christianization in rural Andean locations could follow tendencies different from those in urban areas. Indigenous musicians in cities tried to 'fit' into the European system in order to be accepted by the ruling Spanish elite. By contrast, the indigenous-built pipe organs in the rural Peruvian Colca-Valley show distinctly native-Andean influences. This paper argues that this syncretism can be interpreted as hybridity in Homi K. Bhabha’s sense, as a means of the colonized to undermine the power of the colonizer and to advance reactionary politics. Not only will it show the necessity of considering rural Peruvian music history in modern scholarship for arriving at a more complete picture of colonial culture, but it will also evidence the advantages of a mixed-methodology approach. Historical organology, combined with concepts from ethnomusicology and post-colonial studies, proves as a useful tool in the absence or scarcity of written primary sources.

Keywords: cultural hybridity, music as reactionary politics, Latin American pipe organs, Peruvian colonial music

Procedia PDF Downloads 146

Authors: Shuaili Ji

Abstract:

The correct use of verbs is an important element of high-quality research articles, and thus for Chinese EFL learners, it is significant to master characteristics of verbs and to precisely use verbs. However, some researches have shown that there are differences in using verbs between learners and native speakers and learners have difficulty in using English verbs. This corpus-based quantitative research can enhance learners’ knowledge of English verbs and promote the quality of research article abstracts even of the whole academic writing. The aim of this study is to find the differences between learners’ and native speakers’ use of verbs and to study the factors that contribute to those differences. To this end, the research question is as follows: What are the differences between most frequently used verbs by learners and those by native speakers? The research question is answered through a study that uses corpus-based data-driven approach to analyze the verbs used by learners in their abstract writings in terms of collocation, colligation and semantic prosody. The results show that: (1) EFL learners obviously overused ‘be, can, find, make’ and underused ‘investigate, examine, may’. As to modal verbs, learners obviously overused ‘can’ while underused ‘may’. (2) Learners obviously overused ‘we find + object clauses’ while underused ‘nouns (results, findings, data) + suggest/indicate/reveal + object clauses’ when expressing research results. (3) Learners tended to transfer the collocation, colligation and semantic prosody of shǐ and zuò to make. (4) Learners obviously overused ‘BE+V-ed’ and used BE as the main verb. They also obviously overused the basic forms of BE such as be, is, are, while obviously underused its inflections (was, were). These results manifested learners’ lack of accuracy and idiomatic property in verb usage. Due to the influence of the concept transfer of Chinese, the verbs in learners’ abstracts showed obvious transfer of mother language. In addition, learners have not fully mastered the use of verbs, avoiding using complex colligations to prevent errors. Based on these findings, the present study has implications for English teaching, seeking to have implications for English academic abstract writing in China. Further research could be undertaken to study the use of verbs in the whole dissertation to find out whether the characteristic of the verbs in abstracts can apply in the whole dissertation or not.

Keywords: academic writing abstracts, Chinese EFL learners, corpus-based, data-driven, verbs

Procedia PDF Downloads 310

Authors: Muhammad Kamran Hanif Khan, Fahad Mushtaq

Abstract:

Background: In both developed and underdeveloped countries, coronary artery disease (CAD) is a serious cause of death and disability. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is becoming more prevalent in emerging countries like Pakistan due to the spread and acceptance of Western lifestyles. Material and Methods: An observational cross-sectional investigation was conducted, and data collection relied on a random cluster sampling method. The sample size for this cross-sectional study was calculated using the following factors: estimated true proportion of 17.5%, desired precision of 2%, and confidence interval of 95%. The data for this study was collected from a sample of 1387 adults. Results: The average age of those living in rural areas is 55.24 years, compared to 52.60 years for those living in urban areas. The mean fasting blood glucose of the urban participants is 105.28 mg/dL, which is higher than the mean fasting blood glucose of the rural participants, which is 102.06 mg/dL. The mean total cholesterol of the urban participants is 192.20 mg/dL, which is slightly higher than the mean total cholesterol of the rural participants, which is 191.97 mg/dL. CAD prevalence is greater in urban areas than in rural areas. ECG abnormalities prevalence is 16.1% in females compared to 12.5% in men. Conclusion: The prevalence of CAD is more common in urban areas than in rural ones for all of the measures of CAD used in the study.

Keywords: CVD prevalence, CVD risk factors, rural area, urban area

Procedia PDF Downloads 57

Authors: Sonia Bedhiaf-Romdhani

Abstract:

The sheep (Ovis aries) was domesticated, approximately 11,000 years ago (YBP), in the Fertile Crescent from Asian Mouflon (Ovis Orientalis). The Northern African (NA) sheep is 7,000 years old, represents a remarkable diversity of sheep populations reared under traditional and low input farming systems (LIFS) over millennia. The majority of small ruminants in developing countries are encountered in low input production systems and the resilience of local communities in rural areas is often linked to the wellbeing of small ruminants. Regardless of the rich biodiversity encountered in sheep ecotypes there are four main sheep breeds in the country with 61,6 and 35.4 percents of Barbarine (fat tail breed) and Queue Fine de l’Ouest (thin tail breed), respectively. Phoenicians introduced the Barbarine sheep from the steppes of Central Asia in the Carthaginian period, 3000 years ago. The Queue Fine de l’Ouest is a thin-tailed meat breed heavily concentrated in the Western and the central semi-arid regions. The Noire de Thibar breed, involving mutton-fine wool producing animals, has been on the verge of extinction, it’s a composite black coated sheep breed found in the northern sub-humid region because of its higher nutritional requirements and non-tolerance of the prevailing harsher condition. The D'Man breed, originated from Morocco, is mainly located in the southern oases of the extreme arid ecosystem. A genetic investigation of Tunisian sheep breeds using a genome-wide scan of approximately 50,000 SNPs was performed. Genetic analysis of relationship between breeds highlighted the genetic differentiation of Noire de Thibar breed from the other local breeds, reflecting the effect of past events of introgression of European gene pool. The Queue Fine de l’Ouest breed showed a genetic heterogeneity and was close to Barbarine. The D'Man breed shared a considerable gene flow with the thin-tailed Queue Fine de l'Ouest breed. Native small ruminants breeds, are capable to be efficiently productive if essential ingredients and coherent breeding schemes are implemented and followed. Assessing the status of genetic variability of native sheep breeds could provide important clues for research and policy makers to devise better strategies for the conservation and management of genetic resources.

Keywords: sheep, farming systems, diversity, SNPs.

Procedia PDF Downloads 128

Authors: Tekle Olbamo, Tegegn Tesfaye, Dikaso Unbushe, Belete Jorga

Abstract:

Bovine trypanosomosis is a haemoprotozoan parasitic disease, mostly transmitted by the tsetse fly (Glossina species) and poses significant losses to the livestock industry in pastoral and agro-pastoral areas. Therefore, the current study was aimed to determine the prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis and its vectorial density in some selected tsetse suppression and non-tsetse suppression areas of South Omo Zonefrom December 2018- November 2019. Dark phase contrast buffy coat, hematocrit techniques, and thin blood smear method were used for determination of prevalence and packed cell volume of trypanosomosis infection, respectively. For entomological investigation, 96 NGU traps were deployed (64 traps in tsetse suppression areas, 32 traps in tsetse non-suppression areas) in vector breeding areas. The overall prevalence of bovine trypanosomosis was 11.05% (142/1284), and overall seasonal prevalence of disease was 14.33% (92/642) and 7.78% (50/642) for dry and wet seasons, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference (P <0.05) in disease prevalence between the two seasons. Trypanosomacongolensewas the dominant parasite species; 80% and 71.64%, followed by Trypanosomavivax. Overall mean packed cell volume indicated parasitaemic animals (23.57±3.13) had significantly lower PCV than aparasitaemic animals (27.80±4.95), and animals examined during dry season (26.22±4.37) had lower mean PCV than animals examined during wet season with the significant association. Entomological study result revealed a total of 2.64 F/T/D and 2.03 F/T/D respectively from tsetse suppression areas and tsetse non-suppression areas during dry season and 0.42 F/T/D and 0.56 F/T/D during the wet season. Glossinapallidipes was the only cyclical vectors collected and identified from current study areas along with numerous mechanical vectors of genus Tabanus, Stomoxys, and Haematopota. Therefore integrated and safe control and prevention effort should be engaged to uphold cattle production and productivity in the area.

Keywords: bovine trypanosomiasis, South Omo, tsetse fly density, epidemiological study

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Liuhui Zhu, Peng Zeng

Abstract:

The rural revitalization strategy means to take the country and the city on the same level, and achieve urban-rural integration and comprehensive development of rural areas. Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei rural areas have always been the weak links in the region, with prominently uneven development between urban and rural areas. The rural areas need to join the overall regional synergy. Based on the analysis of the characteristics and problems of rural development in the region from the perspective of production-living-ecology space, the paper proposes the township as the basic unit for rural revitalization according to the overall requirements of the rural revitalization strategy. The basic unit helps to realize resource arrangement, functional organization, and collaborative governance organized by the production-living-ecology spatial network. The paper summarizes the planning strategies for the basic unit. Through spatial cognition and spatial reconstruction, the three space is networked through the base, nodes, and connections to improve the comprehensive value of rural areas and achieve the multiple goals of rural revitalization.

Keywords: rural revitalization, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, township level, production-living-ecology spatial network

Procedia PDF Downloads 176

Authors: Jin Chuhao, Chen Xiang

Abstract:

In recent years, due to the rapid development of Chinese urbanization, a great deal of rural population surge into urban to make a living. This fact causes the vicious circulation of rural development including sharp decrease of agricultural labor force in rural area, the obvious increase of rural land price, the shrinking of traditional agriculture and the bigger gap between Chinese urban and rural areas. With the improvement of living condition and ideological level of the Chinese people, the use and renewal of the traditional villages are gaining more and more attention, thus agricultural cultural and creative industries appears. Basing on the investigation of practical projects, this paper discusses how the agricultural cultural and creative industries promote the sustainable development of Chinese rural areas.

Keywords: sustainable design, Chinese rural areas, renewal, agricultural cultural and creative industries

Procedia PDF Downloads 501

Authors: Benjamin Anabaraonye, Okafor Joachim Chukwuma, Olamire James

Abstract:

The impacts of climate change are greatly felt on Nigeria’s agricultural sector which in turn affects the economy of the nation. There is an urgent need to educate farmers and fishermen in rural areas in Nigeria on climate change adaptation and mitigation for sustainable development. Through our literature and participant observation, it has been discovered that many farmers and fishermen in rural areas in Nigeria have little or no knowledge about climate change adaptation and mitigation. This paper seeks to draw the attention of policy makers in government, private sectors, non-governmental organizations and interested individuals to the need to seek for innovative ways of educating farmers and fishermen in rural areas about climate change adaptation and mitigation for global sustainability. This study also explores the effective methods of bridging the communication gaps through efficient information dissemination, intensive awareness outreach, use of climate change poems and blogs, innovative loan scheme to farmers and fishermen, etc. to help ensure that farmers and fishermen in rural areas in Nigeria are adequately educated about climate change adaptation and mitigation for global sustainability.

Keywords: agriculture, climate change, farmers, fishermen

Procedia PDF Downloads 220

Authors: Jing Zhang, Yvonne Reinwald, Nick Poulson, Alicia El Haj, Chung See, Mike Somekh, Melissa Mather

Abstract:

Biomedical imaging of native tissue using light offers the potential to obtain excellent structural and functional information in a non-invasive manner with good temporal resolution. Image contrast can be derived from intrinsic absorption, fluorescence, or scatter, or through the use of extrinsic contrast. A major challenge in applying optical microscopy to in vivo tissue imaging is the effects of light attenuation which limits light penetration depth and achievable imaging resolution. Recently Selective Plane Illumination Microscopy (SPIM) has been used to map the 3D distribution of fluorophores dispersed in biological structures. In this approach, a focused sheet of light is used to illuminate the sample from the side to excite fluorophores within the sample of interest. Images are formed based on detection of fluorescence emission orthogonal to the illumination axis. By scanning the sample along the detection axis and acquiring a stack of images, 3D volumes can be obtained. The combination of rapid image acquisition speeds with the low photon dose to samples optical sectioning provides SPIM is an attractive approach for imaging biological samples in 3D. To date all implementations of SPIM rely on the use of fluorescence reporters be that endogenous or exogenous. This approach has the disadvantage that in the case of exogenous probes the specimens are altered from their native stage rendering them unsuitable for in vivo studies and in general fluorescence emission is weak and transient. Here we present for the first time to our knowledge a label-free implementation of SPIM that has downstream applications in the clinical setting. The experimental set up used in this work incorporates both label-free and fluorescent illumination arms in addition to a high specification camera that can be partitioned for simultaneous imaging of both fluorescent emission and scattered light from intrinsic sources of optical contrast in the sample being studied. This work first involved calibration of the imaging system and validation of the label-free method with well characterised fluorescent microbeads embedded in agarose gel. 3D constructs of mammalian cells cultured in agarose gel with varying cell concentrations were then imaged. A time course study to track cell proliferation in the 3D construct was also carried out and finally a native tissue sample was imaged. For each sample multiple images were obtained by scanning the sample along the axis of detection and 3D maps reconstructed. The results obtained validated label-free SPIM as a viable approach for imaging cells in a 3D gel construct and native tissue. This technique has the potential use in a near-patient environment that can provide results quickly and be implemented in an easy to use manner to provide more information with improved spatial resolution and depth penetration than current approaches.

Keywords: bioimaging, optics, selective plane illumination microscopy, tissue imaging

Procedia PDF Downloads 226

Authors: Enrico Porfido

Abstract:

The paper aims to investigate the relation between landscape and tourism, with a special focus on coastal protected areas of Albania. The relationship between tourism and landscape is bijective: There is no tourism without landscape attractive features and on the other side landscape needs economic resources to be conserved and protected. The survival of each component is strictly related to the other one. Today, the Albanian protected areas appear as isolated islands, too far away from each other to build an efficient network and to avoid waste in terms of energy, economy and working force. This study wants to stress out the importance of cooperation in terms of common strategies and the necessity of introducing a touristic sustainable model in Albania. Comparing the protection system laws of the neighbor countries of the Adriatic-Ionian region and through a desk review on the best practices of protected areas that benefit from touristic activities, the study proposes the creation of the Albanian Riviera Landscape Park. This action will impact positively the whole southern Albania territory, introducing a sustainable tourism network that aims to valorize the local heritage and to stop the coastal exploitation processes. The main output is the definition of future development scenarios in Albania with the establishment of new protected areas and the introduction of touristic initiatives.

Keywords: Adriatic-Ionian region, protected areas, tourism for landscape, sustainable tourism

Procedia PDF Downloads 261

Authors: Pomila Sharma

Abstract:

Rajasthan is among regions with greatest climate sensitivity and lowest adaptive capabilities. In many parts of the Rajasthan surface water which can be highly turbid and contaminated with fecal coliform bacteria is used for drinking purposes. The majority rely almost exclusively upon traditional sources of highly turbid and untreated pathogenic surface water for their domestic water needs. In many parts of rural areas of Rajasthan, it is still difficult to obtain clean water, especially remote habitations with no groundwater due to quality issues or depletion and limited feasibility to connect with surface water schemes due to low density of population in these areas to justify large infrastructure investment. The most viable sources are rain water harvesting, community managed open wells, private wells, ponds and small-scale irrigation reservoirs have often been the main traditional sources of rural drinking water. Turbidity is conventionally removed by treating the water with expensive chemicals. This study has to investigate the use of crushed seeds from the tree Moringa oleifera (drumstick) as a natural alternative to conventional coagulant chemicals. The use of Moringa oleifera seed powder can produce potable water of higher quality than the original source. Moringa oleifera a native species of northern India, the tree is now grown extensively throughout the tropics and found in many countries of Africa, Asia & South America. The seeds of tree contains significant quantities of low molecular weight, water soluble proteins which carries the positive charge when the crushed seeds are added to water. This protein binds in raw water with negatively charged turbid water with bacteria, clay, algae, etc. Under proper mixing, these particles make flocks, which may be left to settle by gravity or be removed by filtration. Using Moringa oleifera as a replacement coagulation in such surface sources of arid and semi-arid areas can meet the need for water purification in remote places of Rajasthan state of India. The present study accesses to find out laboratory based investigation of the effect of seeds of Moringa tree on its coagulation effectiveness (purification) using turbid water samples of surface source of the Rajasthan state. In this study, moringa seed powder showed that filtering with seed powder may diminish water pollution and bacterial counts. Results showed Moringa oleifera seeds coagulate 90-95% of turbidity and color efficiently leading to an aesthetically clear supernatant & reduced about 85-90% of bacterial load reduction in samples.

Keywords: bacterial load, coagulant, turbidity, water purification

Procedia PDF Downloads 120

Authors: Purva Mishra, Rajesh Potlia, Kuljeet Singh Sandhu

Abstract:

The role of glycyl residues in the protein structure has lingered within the research community for the last several decades. Glycyl residue is the only amino acid that is achiral due to the lack of a side chain and can, therefore, exhibit Ramachandran conformations that are disallowed for L-amino acids. The structural and functional significance of glycyl residues with L-disallowed conformation, however, remains obscure. Through statistical analysis of various datasets, we found that the glycyls with L-disallowed conformations are over-represented at disease-associated sites and tend to be evolutionarily conserved. The mutations of L-disallowed glycyls tend to destabilize the native conformation, reduce protein solubility, and promote inter-molecular aggregations. We uncovered a structural motif referred to as “β-crescent” formed around the L-disallowed glycyl, which prevents β-sheet aggregation by disrupting the alternating pattern of β-pleats. The L-disallowed conformation of glycyls also holds predictive power to infer the pathogenic missense variants. Altogether, our observations highlight that the L-disallowed conformation of glycyls is selected to facilitate native folding and prevent inter-molecular aggregations. The findings may also have implications for designing more stable proteins and prioritizing the genetic lesions implicated in diseases.

Keywords: Ramachandran plot, β-sheet, protein stability, protein aggregation

Procedia PDF Downloads 43

Authors: K. Ilicic, D. Smoljan

Abstract:

The purpose of the paper is to present and verify a methodology of decreasing water losses by introducing and managing District Metered Areas (DMA) and Pressure Management Areas (PMA) by analyzing the results of the application of the methodology to the water supply system of the city of Zagreb. Since it is a relatively large system that has been expanding rapidly, approach to addressing water losses was possible only by splitting the system to smaller flow and pressure zones. Besides, the geographical and technical limitations had imposed the necessity of high pressure in the system that needed to be reduced to the technically optimal level. Results of activities were monitored on a general and local level by establishing, monitoring, and controlling indicators that had been established by the International Water Association (IWA), among which the most recognizable were non-revenue water, water losses and real losses as presented in the paper.

Keywords: district metered area, pressure metered area, active leakage control, water losses

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Janis Matvejs

Abstract:

Visual representation of a city creates unique perspectives that allow to interpret the urban environment and enable to understand a space that is culturally created and territorially organized. Residential complexes are an essential part of cities and cinema is a specific representation form of these areas. There has been very little research done on exploring how these areas are depicted in the Thai movies. The aim of this research is to interpret the discourse of residential areas of Bangkok throughout the 20th and 21st centuries and to examine essential changes in the residential structure. Specific cinematic formal techniques in relation to the urban image were used. The movie review results were compared with changes in Bangkok’s residential development. Movie analysis displayed that residential areas are frequently used in Thai cinematography and they make up an integral part of the urban visual perception.

Keywords: Bangkok, cinema, residential area, representation, visual perception

Procedia PDF Downloads 172

Authors: Naoya Ozaki, Takuya Watanabe, Ryosuke Matsumoto, Noriko Fukasawa

Abstract:

In the metropolitan areas in Japan, in many stations, shopping areas are set up, and escalators and elevators are installed to make the stations be barrier-free. Further, many areas around the stations are being redeveloped. Railway business operators want to know how much effect these circumstances have on attractiveness of the station or number of passengers using the station. So, we performed a questionnaire survey of the station users in the metropolitan areas for finding factors to affect the attractiveness of stations. Then, based on the analysis of the survey, we developed a method to quantitatively evaluate attractiveness of the stations. We also developed an estimation method for number of passengers based on combination of attractiveness of the station quantitatively evaluated and the residential and labor population around the station. Then, we derived precise linear regression models estimating the attractiveness of the station and number of passengers of the station.

Keywords: attractiveness of the station, estimation method, number of passengers of the station, redevelopment around the station, renovation of the station

Procedia PDF Downloads 269

Authors: Frida Carrillo Morales, Maria Maricela Carrasco Yépez, Saúl Rojas Hernández

Abstract:

Naegleria fowleri is the causative agent of primary amebic meningoencephalitis, this disease is acute and fulminant that affects humans. It has been reported that despite the existence of therapeutic options against this disease, its mortality rate is 97%. Therefore, the need arises to have vaccines that confer protection against this disease and, in addition to developing adjuvants to enhance the immune response. In this regard, in our work group, we obtained a peptide designed from the membrane protein MP2CL5 of Naegleria fowleri called Smp145 that was shown to be immunogenic; however, it would be of great importance to enhance its immunological response, being able to co-administer it with a non-toxic adjuvant. Therefore, the objective of this work was to carry out the bioinformatic design of a peptide of the Naegleria fowleri membrane protein MP2CL5 conjugated with a non-toxic modified adjuvant from the native A1 structure of Cholera Toxin. For which different bioinformatics tools were used to obtain a model with a modification in amino acid 61 of the A1 subunit of the CT (CTA1), to which the Smp145 peptide was added and both molecules were joined with a 13-glycine linker. As for the results obtained, the modification in CTA1 bound to the peptide produces a reduction in the toxicity of the molecule in in silico experiments, likewise, the prediction in the binding of Smp145 to the receptor of B cells suggests that the molecule is directed in specifically to the BCR receptor, decreasing its native enzymatic activity. The stereochemical evaluation showed that the generated model has a high number of adequately predicted residues. In the ERRAT test, the confidence with which it is possible to reject regions that exceed the error values was evaluated, in the generated model, a high score was obtained, which determines that the model has a good structural resolution. Therefore, the design of the conjugated peptide in this work will allow us to proceed with its chemical synthesis and subsequently be able to use it in the mouse meningitis protection model caused by N. fowleri.

Keywords: immunology, vaccines, pathogens, infectious disease

Procedia PDF Downloads 67

Authors: Yili Liu, Honghao Ren, Mariko Kondo

Abstract:

In the field of second language (L2) speech learning, it is well-known that that learner’s first language (L1) phonetic and phonological characteristics will be transferred into their L2 production and perception, which lead to foreign accent. For L1 Mandarin learners of Japanese, the confusion of /u/ and /o/ in /CjV/ sequences has been observed in their utterance frequently. L1 transfer is considered to be the cause of this issue, however, other factors which influence the identification of /Cju/ and /Cjo/ sequences still under investigation. This study investigates the perception of Japanese /Cju/ and /Cjo/ units by L1 Mandarin learners of Japanese. It further examined whether learners’ proficiency, syllable position, phonetic features of preceding consonants and background noise affect learners’ performance in perception. Fifty-two Mandarin-speaking learners of Japanese and nine native Japanese speakers were recruited to participate in an identification task. Learners were divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced level according to their Japanese proficiency. The average correct rate was used to evaluate learners’ perceptual performance. Furthermore, the comparison of the correct rate between learners’ groups and the control group was conducted as well to examine learners’ nativelikeness. Results showed that background noise tends to pose an adverse effect on distinguishing /u/ and /o/ in /CjV/ sequences. Secondly, Japanese proficiency has no influence on learners’ perceptual performance in the quiet and in background noise. Then all learners did not reach a native-like level without the distraction of noise. Beginner level learners performed less native-like, although higher level learners appeared to have achieved nativelikeness in the multi-talker babble noise. Finally, syllable position tends to affect distinguishing /Cju/ and /Cjo/ only under the noisy condition. Phonetic features of preceding consonants did not impact learners’ perception in any listening conditions. Findings in this study can give an insight into a further understanding of Japanese vowel acquisition by L1 Mandarin learners of Japanese. In addition, this study indicates that L1 transfer is not the only explanation for the confusion of /u/ and /o/ in /CjV/ sequences, factors such as listening condition and syllable position are also needed to take into consideration in future research. It also suggests the importance of perceiving speech in a noisy environment, which is close to the actual conversation required more attention to pedagogy.

Keywords: background noise, Chinese learners of Japanese, /Cju/ and /Cjo/ sequences, second language perception

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Mustapha Kamel Mihoubi, Reda Madi

Abstract:

The problem of natural disasters in general and flooding in particular is a topic which marks a memorable action in the world and specifically in cities and large urban areas. Torrential floods and faster flows pose a major problem in urban area. Indeed, a better management of risks of floods becomes a growing necessity that must mobilize technical and scientific means to curb the adverse consequences of this phenomenon, especially in the Saharan cities in arid climate. The aim of this study is to deploy a basic calculation approach based on a hydrologic and hydraulic quantification for locating the black spots in urban areas generated by the flooding and to locate the areas that are vulnerable to flooding. The principle of flooding method is applied to the city of Ghardaia to identify vulnerable areas to inundation and to establish maps management and prevention against the risks of flooding.

Keywords: Alea, Beni Mzab, cartography, HEC-RAS, inundation, torrential, vulnerability, wadi

Procedia PDF Downloads 282

Authors: B.Shukir, H.Woo, P.Barzo, D.Kis

Abstract:

Preoperative brain mapping in tumors involving the speech areas has an important role to reduce surgical risks. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is the gold standard method to localize cortical speech areas preoperatively, but its availability in clinical routine is difficult. Diffusion MRI based probabilistic tractography is available in head MRI. It’s used to segment cortical subregions by their structural connectivity. In our study, we used probabilistic tractography to localize the frontal and temporal cortical speech areas. 15 patients with left frontal tumor were enrolled to our study. Speech fMRI and diffusion MRI acquired preoperatively. The standard automated anatomical labelling atlas 3 (AAL3) cortical atlas used to define 76 left frontal and 118 left temporal potential speech areas. 4 types of tractography were run according to the structural connection of these regions to the left arcuate fascicle (FA) to localize those cortical areas which have speech functions: 1, frontal through FA; 2, frontal with FA; 3, temporal to FA; 4, temporal with FA connections were determined. Thresholds of 1%, 5%, 10% and 15% applied. At each level, the number of affected frontal and temporal regions by fMRI and tractography were defined, the sensitivity and specificity were calculated. At the level of 1% threshold showed the best results. Sensitivity was 61,631,4% and 67,1523,12%, specificity was 87,210,4% and 75,611,37% for frontal and temporal regions, respectively. From our study, we conclude that probabilistic tractography is a reliable preoperative technique to localize cortical speech areas. However, its results are not feasible that the neurosurgeon rely on during the operation.

Keywords: brain mapping, brain tumor, fMRI, probabilistic tractography

Procedia PDF Downloads 136

Authors: Gevher Sayar, Dicle Aydın

Abstract:

The need for shelter which is one of the essential requirement of humanity has emerged for different type of dwelling needs depend on upon different culture and location. Almost all dwellings as an element of the public improvements effect the physical appearance of the city. Dwelling zones create part of whole in terms of urban area use. Whereas in traditional texture merger of parcels create city blocks, in new settlement area city blocks become a part, so the property of each part differs. The perspective of this study is part-to-whole relationship of residential areas and diversified residential areas are illustrated. The purpose of this study is that dwelling applications which have constructed quickly as gated community in the last 20 years in new settlement area of Konya (Turkey) have compared traditional texture in terms of part-to-whole relationship. According to the perception of traditional neighborhood in Konya, the relationship of houses between street pattern and each other are suited for city culture and location. In contrast, new settlement areas cannot become integrated another part of city, they have become restricted areas, so new settlement areas have not integrated, they have separated. The perception of part forms whole has changed, roads provide the relationship of growing parts with one another and walls of gated communities has disjunctive feature. In this study, by using visual analysis photographs and technical drawings are used. Traditional texture and current dwelling have compared.

Keywords: dwelling, residential area, urban part, urban whole

Procedia PDF Downloads 240

Authors: Alia Alghosoun, Michael Herty, Mohammed Seaid

Abstract:

We present a new class of numerical techniques to solve shallow water flows over dry areas including run-up. Many recent investigations on wave run-up in coastal areas are based on the well-known shallow water equations. Numerical simulations have also performed to understand the effects of several factors on tsunami wave impact and run-up in the presence of coastal areas. In all these simulations the shallow water equations are solved in entire domain including dry areas and special treatments are used for numerical solution of singularities at these dry regions. In the present study we propose a new method to deal with these difficulties by reformulating the shallow water equations into a new system to be solved only in the wetted domain. The system is obtained by a change in the coordinates leading to a set of equations in a moving domain for which the wet/dry interface is the reconstructed using the wave speed. To solve the new system we present a finite volume method of Lax-Friedrich type along with a modified method of characteristics. The method is well-balanced and accurately resolves dam-break problems over dry areas.

Keywords: dam-break problems, finite volume method, run-up waves, shallow water flows, wet/dry interfaces

Procedia PDF Downloads 126

Authors: Festus Adedoyin, Nana Mbeah Otoo, Sofia Meacham

Abstract:

Hypertension is one of the main health issues in Ghana, where prevalence is higher in rural than in urban areas. This is due to the challenges rural areas have in accessing technology and healthcare services for hypertension control. This study's goal is to create a digital healthcare solution to alleviate this inequality. Through an analysis of current technology and problems, using the ring onion methodology, the study determined the needs for the intervention and evaluated healthcare disparities. An online application with teleconsultation capabilities, reminder mechanisms, and clinical decision support is part of the suggested solution. In outlying areas, mobile clinics in containers with the required equipment will be established. Heuristic evaluation and think-aloud sessions were used to assess the prototype's usability and navigational problems. This study highlights the need to develop digital health interventions to help manage hypertension in rural locations and decrease healthcare disparities. To develop and improve digital healthcare solutions for rural areas worldwide and in Ghana, this study might be used as a tool for future research.

Keywords: digital health, health inequalities, hypertension management, rural areas

Procedia PDF Downloads 86

Authors: Hifzur Ansary

Abstract:

The aim and scope of the present research are to delve into the form of geminates and the process of gemination with special reference to Indic Languages. This work presents the results of a cross-linguistic investigation of word-medial geminate consonants. This study is a theoretical as well as experimental, that is, it is based not only on impressionistic data from Indic languages but also on an instrumental analysis of the data. The primary data have been collected from the native speakers. The secondary data have been collected from printed materials such as journals, grammar books and other published articles. The observations made in this study have been checked with a number of educated native speakers of Bangla and Telugu. The study focuses on geminates and gemination in Bangla (Indo-Aryan Language Family) and Telugu (Dravidian Language family) exhaustively. Thus this study also attempts to posit the valid geminates in Bangali and Telugu and provides an account of gemination in these languages. It also makes a comparison of singletons and geminated consonants. It describes the distribution of geminate phonemes and non-geminate phonemes of Bangla and Telugu. The present research would also investigate the vowel lengthening in Bangla with respect to gemination. The study also explains how gemination processes present in Indian Languages are transferred to Indian English.

Keywords: geminate consonant, singleton-geminate contrast, different types of assimilation, gemination derives from borrowed words

Procedia PDF Downloads 258

Authors: Rosna Mat Taha, Sakinah Abdullah, Sadegh Mohajer, Asmah Awal

Abstract:

Lycium barbarum L. (Goji) belongs to Solanaceae family and native to some areas of China. Ethnobotanical studies have shown that this plant has been consumed by the Chinese since ancient times. It has been used as medicine in providing excellent effects on cardiovascular system and cholesterol level, besides contains high antioxidant and antidiabetic properties. In the present study, some tissue culture work has been carried out to induce callus, in vitro regeneration from various explants of Goji and also some acclimatization protocols were followed to transfer the regenerated plants to soil. The main aims being to establish high efficient regeneration system for mass production and commercialization for future uses, since the growth of this species is very limited in Malaysia. The optimum hormonal regime and the most suitable and responsive explants were identified. It was found that leaves and stems gave good responses. Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/L NAA and 0.5 mg/L BAP was the best for callus induction and MS media fortified with 1.0 mg/L NAA and 1.0 mg/L BAP was optimum for in vitro regeneration. The survival rates of plantlets after acclimatization was 63±1.5 % on black soil and 50±1.3 % on mixed soil (combination of black and red soil at a ratio of 2 to 1), respectively.

Keywords: callus, acclimatization, in vitro culture, regeneration

Procedia PDF Downloads 429

Authors: Skiker Kaoutar, Mounir Maouene

Abstract:

Neuroimaging studies indicate that a large fronto-parieto-temporal network support nouns and their features, with some areas store semantic knowledge (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory,…), other areas store lexical representation and other areas are implicated in general semantic processing. However, it is not well understood how this fronto-parieto-temporal network can be modulated by different semantic tasks and different semantic relations between nouns. In this study, we combine a behavioral semantic network, functional MRI studies involving object’s related nouns and brain network studies to explain how different semantic tasks and different semantic relations between nouns can modulate the activity within the brain network of nouns and their features. We first describe how nouns and their features form a large scale brain network. For this end, we examine the connectivities between areas recruited during the processing of nouns to know which configurations of interaction areas are possible. We can thus identify if, for example, brain areas that store semantic knowledge communicate via functional/structural links with areas that store lexical representations. Second, we examine how this network is modulated by different semantic tasks involving nouns and finally, we examine how category specific activation may result from the semantic relations among nouns. The results indicate that brain network of nouns and their features is highly modulated and flexible by different semantic tasks and semantic relations. At the end, this study can be used as a guide to help neurosientifics to interpret the pattern of fMRI activations detected in the semantic processing of nouns. Specifically; this study can help to interpret the category specific activations observed extensively in a large number of neuroimaging studies and clinical studies.

Keywords: nouns, features, network, category specificity

Procedia PDF Downloads 499

Authors: Cansu Kılıç, Ferhat Altunsoy

Abstract:

In this study, a total of 82 species belonging to the families Staphylinidae, Histeridae, Dermestidae, Silphidae and Cleridae within Coleptera were detected which are collected from 24 pig carrion for a duration of one year. While 12 of the carrions have been placed in rural areas, other 12 have been placed in urban areas in Eskişehir province. The distribution of these species according to months and the period that they exist on different stages of decomposition were determined. Furthermore, Coleoptera species attracted to the pig carrions both in rural and urban areas were detected and their similarities and differences were presented.

Keywords: forensic entomology, Coleoptera, succession, Turkey, rural, urban

Procedia PDF Downloads 292