Search results for: evaluate

Authors: K. T. Sun, Y. H. Tai, H. W. Yang, H. T. Lin

Abstract:

This paper presented the technique of robot control by event-related potentials (ERPs) of brain waves. Based on the proposed technique, severe physical disabilities can free browse outside world. A specific component of ERPs, N2P3, was found and used to control the movement of robot and the view of camera on the designed brain-computer interface (BCI). Users only required watching the stimuli of attended button on the BCI, the evoked potentials of brain waves of the target button, N2P3, had the greatest amplitude among all control buttons. An experimental scene had been constructed that the robot required walking to a specific position and move the view of camera to see the instruction of the mission, and then completed the task. Twelve volunteers participated in this experiment, and experimental results showed that the correct rate of BCI control achieved 80% and the average of execution time was 353 seconds for completing the mission. Four main contributions included in this research: (1) find an efficient component of ERPs, N2P3, for BCI control, (2) embed robot's viewpoint image into user interface for robot control, (3) design an experimental scene and conduct the experiment, and (4) evaluate the performance of the proposed system for assessing the practicability.

Keywords: severe physical disabilities, robot control, event-related potentials (ERPs), brain-computer interface (BCI), brain waves

Procedia PDF Downloads 367

Authors: Shahin Farajifar, Azadeh Safadoust, Ali Akbar Mahboubi

Abstract:

A study was conducted to evaluate hydraulic properties of a sandy loam soil and corn (Zea mays L.) crop production under a short-term tillage and manure combinations field experiment carried out in west of Iran. Treatments included composted cattle manure application rates [0, 30, and 60 Mg (dry weight) ha-1] and tillage systems [no-tillage (NT), chisel plowing (CP), and moldboard plowing (MP)] arranged in a split-plot design. Soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were significantly affected by manure and tillage treatments. At any matric suction, the soil water content was in the order of MP>CP>NT. At all matric suctions, the amount of water retained by the soil increased as manure application rate increased (i.e. 60>30>0 Mg ha-1). Similar to the tillage effects, at high suctions the differences of water retained due to manure addition were less than that at low suctions. The change of SWCC from tillage methods and manure applications may attribute to the change of pore size and aggregate size distributions. Soil Ks was in the order of CP>MP>NT for the first two layers and in the order of MP>CP and NT for the deeper soil layer. The Ks also increased with increasing rates of manure application (i.e. 60>30>0 Mg ha-1). This was due to the increase in the total pore size and continuity.

Keywords: corn, manuure, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water characteristic curve, tillage

Procedia PDF Downloads 72

Authors: Sarah Vuningoma, Maria Rosa Lorini, Wallace Chigona

Abstract:

The potential of mobile phones is evident in their ability to address isolation and loneliness, support the improvement of interpersonal relations, and contribute to the facilitation of assimilation processes. Mobile phones can play a role in facilitating the integration of refugees into a new environment. This study aims to evaluate the impact of mobile phone use on helping refugees navigate the challenges posed by cultural differences in the host country. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data for the study, involving a sample size of 27 participants. Participants in the study were refugees based in South Africa, and thematic analysis was the chosen method for data analysis. The research highlights the numerous challenges faced by refugees in their host nation, including a lack of local cultural skills, the separation of family and friends from their countries of origin, hurdles in acquiring legal documentation, and the complexities of assimilating into the unfamiliar community. The use of mobile phones by refugees comes with several advantages, such as the advancement of language and cultural understanding, seamless integration into the host country, streamlined communication, and the exploration of diverse opportunities. Concurrently, mobile phones allow refugees in South Africa to manage the impact of culture shock.

Keywords: mobile phones, culture shock, refugees, South Africa

Procedia PDF Downloads 87

Authors: Maider Gómez Palmero, Ana Carrasco Pérez, Paula de la Sen de la Cruz, Francisco Javier Royo Herrer, Sonia Ascaso Malo

Abstract:

The production of bio-based products for different purposes is one of the strategies that has grown the most at European and even global levels, seeking to contribute to mitigating the impacts associated with climate change and to achieve the ambitious objectives set in this regard. However, the substitution of fossil-based products for bio-based products requires a challenging and deep transformation and adaptation of the secondary and primary sectors and, more specifically, in the latter, the agro-industries. The first step to developing a bio-based value chain focuses on the availability of a resource with the right characteristics for the substitution sought. This, in turn, requires a significant reshaping of the forestry/agricultural sector but also of the agro-industry, which has a relevant potential to be deployed as a supplier and develop a robust logistical supply chain and to market a biobased raw material at a competitive price. However, this transformation may involve a profound restructuring of its traditional business model to incorporate biorefinery concepts. In this sense, agro-industries that generate by-products in their processes that are currently not valorized, such as potato processing rejects or the starch found in washing water, constitute a potential raw material that can be used for different bio-applications. This article aims to explore this potential to evaluate the most suitable bio applications to target and identify opportunities and challenges.

Keywords: starch valorisation, biorefinery, bio-based raw materials, bio-applications

Procedia PDF Downloads 45

Authors: Rong-Terng Juang

Abstract:

Autonomous vehicles offer the possibility of significant benefits to social welfare. However, fully automated cars might not be going to happen in the near further. To speed the adoption of the self-driving technologies, many governments worldwide are passing laws requiring data recorders for the testing of autonomous vehicles. Currently, the self-driving vehicle, (e.g., shuttle bus) has to be monitored from a remote control center. When an autonomous vehicle encounters an unexpected driving environment, such as road construction or an obstruction, it should request assistance from a remote operator. Nevertheless, large amounts of data, including images, radar and lidar data, etc., have to be transmitted from the vehicle to the remote center. Therefore, this paper proposes a data compression method of in-vehicle networks for remote monitoring of autonomous vehicles. Firstly, the time-series data are rearranged into a multi-dimensional signal space. Upon the arrival, for controller area networks (CAN), the new data are mapped onto a time-data two-dimensional space associated with the specific CAN identity. Secondly, the data are sampled based on differential sampling. Finally, the whole set of data are encoded using existing algorithms such as Huffman, arithmetic and codebook encoding methods. To evaluate system performance, the proposed method was deployed on an in-house built autonomous vehicle. The testing results show that the amount of data can be reduced as much as 1/7 compared to the raw data.

Keywords: autonomous vehicle, data compression, remote monitoring, controller area networks (CAN), Lidar

Procedia PDF Downloads 158

Authors: Hamid Reza Zeraatpisheh, Shamsoddin Hashemi, Farshad Negintaji

Abstract:

This study has examined the effects of the architectural anatomy of opera hall on improving the quality of place identity. By measuring the effects of place identity on the inner aspects of human which are influenced by the physical and social environments it has investigated the results of a balance between internal and external environment. To assess the anatomical effects of urban landscape, two components of subjective landscape including perception and diversity and the component of objective landscape including form and order have been measured. The current survey is descriptive and the statistical population has been Shiraz which is a city in Iran. To analyze the data the SPSS software has been used. The results have been investigated in two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics. In the inferential statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient has been used to evaluate the research hypotheses. The results of this study indicate that between the dimensions of landscape, the component of the subjective landscape has the highest impact on the place identity and in the second place, an objective landscape has the impact on the place identity. Anatomical effects have an important role on improving the quality of place identity of Shiraz citizens and in order to enhance the place identity in the urban landscape it is also required that they will be inspired and operated.

Keywords: architectural anatomy, identity, place identity, urban landscape, perception

Procedia PDF Downloads 543

Authors: Reham K. Sebaih, Afaf I. Shehata , Awatif A. Hindi, Tarek Gheith, Amal A. Hazzani Anas Al-Orjan

Abstract:

Staphylococci spp are ubiquitous gram-positive bacteria is often associated with infections, especially nosocomial infections, and antibiotic resistanceStudy pathogenic bacteria and its use as a tool in the technology of Nano biology and molecular genetics research of the latest research trends of modern characterization and definition of different multiresistant of bacteria including Staphylococci. The Staphylococci are widespread all over the world and particularly in Saudi Arabia The present work study was conducted to evaluate the effect of five different types of nanoparticles (biosynthesized zinc oxide, Spherical and rod of each silver and gold nanoparticles) and their antibacterial impact on the Staphylococcus species. Ninety-six isolates of Staphylococcus species. Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, MRSA were collected from different sources during the period between March 2011G to June 2011G. All isolates were isolated from inpatients and outpatients departments at Royal Commission Hospital in Yanbu Industrial, Saudi Arabia. High percentage isolation from males(55%) than females (45%). Staphylococcus epidermidis from males was (47%), (28%), and(25%). For Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA. Isolates from females were Staphylococcus aureus with higher percent of (47%), (30%), and (23%) for MRSA, Staphylococcus epidermidis. Staphylococcus aureus from wound swab were the highest percent (51.42%) followed by vaginal swab (25.71%). Staphylococcus epidermidis were founded with higher percentage in blood (37.14%) and wound swab (34.21%) respectively related to other. The highest percentage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)(80.77%) were isolated from wound swab, while those from nostrils were (19.23%). Staphylococcus species were isolates in highest percentage from hospital Emergency department with Staphylococcus aureus (59.37%), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (28.13%)and Staphylococcus epidermidis (12.5%) respectively. Evaluate the antibacterial property of Zinc oxide, Silver, and Gold nanoparticles as an alternative to conventional antibacterial agents Staphylococci isolates from hospital sources we screened them. Gold and Silver rods Nanoparticles to be sensitive to all isolates of Staphylococcus species. Zinc oxide Nanoparticles gave sensitivity impact range(52%) and (48%). The Gold and Silver spherical nanoparticles did not showed any effect on Staphylococci species. Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles gave bactericidal impact (25%) and bacteriostatic impact (75%) for of Staphylococci species. Detecting the association of nanoparticles with Staphylococci isolates imaging by scanning electron microscope (SEM) of some bacteriostatic isolates for Zinc Oxide nanoparticles on Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus(MRSA), showed some Overlapping Bacterial cells with lower their number and appearing some appendages with deformities in external shape. Molecular analysis was applied by Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) used for the identification of genes within Staphylococcal pathogens. A multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method has been developed using six primer pairs to detect different genes using 50bp and 100bp DNA ladder marker. The range of Molecular gene typing ranging between 93 bp to 326 bp for Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus by TSST-1,mecA,femA and eta, while the bands border were from 546 bp to 682 bp for Staphylococcus epidermidis using icaAB and atlE. Sixteen isolation of Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus were positive for the femA gene at 132bp,this allowed the using of this gene as an internal positive control, fifteen isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus were positive for mecA gene at163bp.This gene was responsible for antibiotic resistant Methicillin, Two isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus were positive for the TSST-1 gene at326bp which is responsible for toxic shock syndrome in some Staphylococcus species, None were positive for eta gene at 102bpto that was responsible for Exfoliative toxins. Six isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis were positive for atlE gene at 682 bp which is responsible for the initial adherence, three isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis were positive for icaAB gene at 546bp that are responsible for mediates the formation of the biofilm. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the ability of the detection of the genes to discriminate between infecting Staphylococcus strains and considered biological tests, they may potentiate the clinical criteria used for the diagnosis of septicemia or catheter-related infections.

Keywords: multiplex polymerase chain reaction, toxic shock syndrome, Staphylococcus aureus, nosocomial infections

Procedia PDF Downloads 335

Authors: Eiman Kattan

Abstract:

This study aims to evaluate the impact of classifying labelled remote sensing images conventional neural network (CNN) architecture, i.e., AlexNet on different land cover scenarios based on two remotely sensed datasets from different point of views such as the computational time and performance. Thus, a set of experiments were conducted to specify the effectiveness of the selected convolutional neural network using two implementing approaches, named fully trained and fine-tuned. For validation purposes, two remote sensing datasets, AID, and RSSCN7 which are publicly available and have different land covers features were used in the experiments. These datasets have a wide diversity of input data, number of classes, amount of labelled data, and texture patterns. A specifically designed interactive deep learning GPU training platform for image classification (Nvidia Digit) was employed in the experiments. It has shown efficiency in training, validation, and testing. As a result, the fully trained approach has achieved a trivial result for both of the two data sets, AID and RSSCN7 by 73.346% and 71.857% within 24 min, 1 sec and 8 min, 3 sec respectively. However, dramatic improvement of the classification performance using the fine-tuning approach has been recorded by 92.5% and 91% respectively within 24min, 44 secs and 8 min 41 sec respectively. The represented conclusion opens the opportunities for a better classification performance in various applications such as agriculture and crops remote sensing.

Keywords: conventional neural network, remote sensing, land cover, land use

Procedia PDF Downloads 365

Authors: S. El Hasini, M. El Azzouzi, M. De Nobili, K. Azim, A. Zouahri

Abstract:

Soil salinization is one of the most severe environmental hazards which threaten sustainable agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions, including Morocco. In this regard the application of organic matter to saline soil has confirmed its effectiveness. The present study was aimed to examine the effect of humic acid which represent, among others, the important component of organic matter that contributes to reduce soil salinity. In fact, different composts taken from Agadir (Morocco), with different C/N ratio, were tested. After extraction and purification of humic acid, the interaction with Na2CO3 was carried out. The reduction of salinity is calculated as a value expressed in mg Na2CO3 equivalent/g HA. The results showed that humic acid had generally a significant effect on salinity. In that respect, the hypothesis proposed that carboxylic groups of humic acid create bonds with excess sodium in the soil to form a coherent complex which descends by leaching operation. The comparison between composts was based on C/N ratio, it showed that the compost with the lower ratio C/N had the most important effect on salinity reduction, whereas the compost with higher C/N ratio was less effective. The study is attended also to evaluate the quality of each compost by determining the humification index, we noticed that the compost which have the lowest C/N (20) ratio was relatively less stable, where a greater predominance of the humified substances, when the compost with C/N ratio is 35 exhibited higher stability.

Keywords: compost, humic acid, organic matter, salinity

Procedia PDF Downloads 237

Authors: Derya Yucel, Nigar Angın, Dürdane Mart, Meltem Turkeri, Volkan Catalkaya, Celal Yucel

Abstract:

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) with high protein content is a vital food, especially in under-developed and developing countries for the people who do not consume enough meat due to low-income level. The objective of the proposed study is to evaluate growing, yield and yield components of chickpea genotypes under Mediterranean condition so determine tolerance of chickpea genotypes against drought and heat stress. For this purpose, a total of 34 chickpea genotypes were used as material. The experiment was conducted according to factorial randomized complete block design with 3 reps at the Eastern Mediterranean Research Institute, Adana, TURKEY for 2014-15 growing season under three different growing conditions (Winter sowing, irrigated-late sowing and non-irrigated- late sowing). According to results of this experiment, vegetative period, flowering time, poding time, maturity time, plant height, height of first pod, seed yield and 100 seed weight were ranged between 68.33 to 78.77 days, 94.22 to 85.00 days, 94.11 to 106.44 days, 198.56 to 214.44 days, 37.18 to 64.89 cm, 18.33 to 34.83 cm, 417.1 to 1746.4 kg/ha and 14.02 to 45.02 g, respectively. Among the chickpea genotypes, the Aksu, Arda, Çakır, F4 09 (X 05 TH 21-16189), FLIP 03-108 were least affected by drought and heat stress. Therefore, these genotypes can be used as sources of drought and heat tolerance in further breeding programme for evolving the drought and heat tolerant genotypes in chickpea.

Keywords: chickpea, drought stress, heat stress, yield

Procedia PDF Downloads 223

Authors: Mohammadjavad Yaghoubi, Arul Arulrajah, Mahdi M. Disfani, Suksun Horpibulsuk, Myint W. Bo, Stephen P. Darmawan

Abstract:

This paper investigates the changes in the strength development of a high water content soft soil stabilised with alkaline activation of fly ash (FA) to use in deep soil mixing (DSM) technology. The content of FA was 20% by dry mass of soil, and the alkaline activator was sodium silicate (Na2SiO3). Samples were cured for 3, 7, 14, 28 and 56 days to evaluate the effect of curing time on strength development. To study the effect of adding slag (S) to the mixture on the strength development, 5% S was replaced with FA. In addition, the effect of the initial unit weight of samples on strength development was studied by preparing specimens with two different static compaction stresses. This was to replicate the field conditions where during implementing the DSM technique, the pressure on the soil while being mixed, increases with depth. Unconfined compression strength (UCS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) tests were conducted on the specimens. The results show that adding S to the FA based geopolymer activated by Na2SiO3 decreases the strength. Furthermore, samples prepared at a higher unit weight demonstrate greater strengths. Moreover, samples prepared at lower unit weight reached their final strength at about 14 days of curing, whereas the strength development continues to 56 days for specimens prepared at a higher unit weight.

Keywords: alkaline activation, curing time, fly ash, geopolymer, slag

Procedia PDF Downloads 336

Authors: Samuel Quashie

Abstract:

Ph.D. Construction Management methodology and mixed methods are organized to guide the researcher to assemble and assess data in the research activities. Construction management research is close to business management and social science research. It also contributes to researching the phenomenon and answering the research question, generating an integrated management system for post-disaster reconstruction in construction and related industries. Research methodology and methods drive the research to achieve the goal or goals, contribute to knowledge, or increase knowledge. This statement means the research methodology, mixed methods, aim, objectives, and processes address the research question, facilitate its achievement and foundation to conduct the study. Mixed methods use project-based case studies, interviews, observations, literature and archival document reviews, research questionnaires, and surveys, and evaluation of integrated systems used in the construction industry and related industries to address the research work. The research mixed methods (qualitative, quantitative) define the research topic and establish a more in-depth study. The research methodology is action research, which involves the collaboration of participants and service users to collect and evaluate data, studying the phenomenon, research question(s) to improve the situation in post-disaster reconstruction phase management.

Keywords: methodology, Ph.D. research, post-disaster reconstruction, mixed-methods qualitative and quantitative

Procedia PDF Downloads 225

Authors: Kenneth O. Otasowie, Matthew Ikuabe, Clinton Aigbavboa, Ayodeji Oke

Abstract:

Subcontracting has become a fundamental feature in the construction industry, particularly as most projects in South Africa (SA) are executed by subcontractors. However, the sector in SA contributes to the high level of occupational hazards and injuries recorded, despite Health and Safety (H&S) regulations being enforced in the industry. Hence, this study aims to evaluate the barriers to health and safety practices by subcontractors in SA Construction Industry. A survey design was adopted. A total number of one hundred and forty-four (144) questionnaires were administered to quantity surveyors, construction managers, construction project managers, project managers, architects, and civil and structural engineers, who are owners or work in small and medium enterprises in Guateng Province, SA and eighty-three (83) were returned and found suitable for analysis. Collected data were analysed using percentage, mean item score, standard deviation, and one-sample t-test. The findings show that lack of skilled workers, lack of safety training, and insufficient safety awareness are the most significant barriers to health and safety practices in SA Construction Industry. Therefore, the study recommends the improvement in skills of staff and adequate training for the safe execution of work be provided to all employees and supervisors in these subcontracting firms. These will mitigate the rate of accident occurrence on construction sites.

Keywords: barriers, health and safety, subcontractors, South Africa

Procedia PDF Downloads 99

Authors: Sai Hung Cheung, Zhe Shao

Abstract:

Recent earthquake-induced tsunamis in Padang, 2004 and Tohoku, 2011 brought huge losses of lives and properties. Maintaining vertical evacuation systems is the most crucial strategy to effectively reduce casualty during the tsunami event. Thus, it is of our great interest to quantify the risk to structural dynamic systems due to earthquake-induced tsunamis. Despite continuous advancement in computational simulation of the tsunami and wave-structure interaction modeling, it still remains computationally challenging to evaluate the reliability (or its complement failure probability) of a structural dynamic system when uncertainties related to the system and its modeling are taken into account. The failure of the structure in a tsunami-wave-structural system is defined as any response quantities of the system exceeding specified thresholds during the time when the structure is subjected to dynamic wave impact due to earthquake-induced tsunamis. In this paper, an approach based on a novel integration of the Subset Simulation algorithm and a recently proposed moving least squares response surface approach for stochastic sampling is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is discussed by comparing its results with those obtained from the Subset Simulation algorithm without using the response surface approach.

Keywords: response surface model, subset simulation, structural reliability, Tsunami risk

Procedia PDF Downloads 374

Authors: Taghreed Al-Khalid, Muftah El-Naas

Abstract:

As an economical and environmentally friendly technology, biological treatment has been shown to be one of the most promising approaches for the removal of numerous types of organic water pollutants such as Chlorophenols, which are hazardous pollutants commonly encountered in wastewater generated by the petroleum and petrochemical industries. This study aimed at evaluating the performance of a spouted bed bioreactor (SBBR) for aerobic biodegradation of 2, 4 dichlorophenol (DCP) by a commercial strain of Pseudomonas putida immobilized in polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) gel particles. The SBBR is characterized by systematic intense mixing, resulting in improvement of the biodegradation rates through reducing the mass transfer limitations. The reactor was evaluated in both batch and continuous mode in order to evaluate its hydrodynamics in terms of stability and response to shock loads. The SBBR was able to maintain a stable operation and recovered quickly to its normal operating mode once the shock load had been removed. In comparison to a packed bed reactor bioreactor, the SBBR proved to be more efficient and more stable, achieving a removal percentage and throughput of 80% and 1414 g/m3day, respectively. In addition, the biodegradation of chlorophenols was mathematically modeled using a dynamic modeling approach in order to assess reaction and mass transfer limitations. The results confirmed the effectiveness of the use of the PVA immobilization technique for the biodegradation of phenols.

Keywords: biodegradation, 2, 4 dichlorophenol, immobilization, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) gel

Procedia PDF Downloads 176

Authors: M. Linda Phooko, Phesheya E. Dlamini, Vusumuzi E. Mbanjwa, Rhandu Chauke

Abstract:

The decline of yields as a consequence of miss-informed land-use decisions poses a threat to sustainable agriculture in South Africa. The non-uniform growth pattern of wheat crop and the yields below expectations has been one of the main concerns for Timatjatji community farmers. This study was then conducted to characterize, classify, and evaluate soils of the farm for sustainable land use planning. A detailed free survey guided by surface features was conducted on a 25 ha farm to check soil variation. It was revealed that Sepane (25%), Bonheim (21%), Rensburg (18%), Katspruit (15%), Arcadia (12%) and Dundee (9%) were the dominant soil forms found across the farm. Field soil description was done to determine morphological characteristics of the soils which were matched with slope percentage and climate to assess the potential of the soils. The land capability results showed that soils were generally shallow due to high clay content in the B horizon. When the climate of the area was factored in (i.e. land potential), it further revealed that the area has low cropping potential due to heat, moisture stress and shallow soils. This implies that the farm is not suitable for annual cropping but can be highly suitable for planted pastures.

Keywords: characterization, land capability, land evaluation, land potential

Procedia PDF Downloads 196

Authors: Violina R. Angelova, Radka V. Ivanova, Givko M. Todorov, Krasimir I. Ivanov

Abstract:

A field study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of Salvia sclarea L. for phytoremediation of contaminated soils. The experiment was performed on an agricultural fields contaminated by the Non-Ferrous-Metal Works near Plovdiv, Bulgaria. The content of heavy metals in different parts of Salvia sclarea L. (roots, stems, leaves and inflorescences) was determined by ICP. The essential oil of the Salvia sclarea L. was obtained by steam distillation in laboratory conditions and was analyzed for heavy metals and its chemical composition was determined. Salvia sclarea L. is a plant which is tolerant to heavy metals and can be grown on contaminated soils. Based on the obtained results and using the most common criteria, Salvia sclarea L. can be classified as Pb hyperaccumulator and Cd and Zn accumulators, therefore, this plant has suitable potential for the phytoremediation of heavy metal contaminated soils. Favorable is also the fact that heavy metals do not influence the development of the Salvia sclarea L., as well as on the quality and quantity of the essential oil. For clary sage oil obtained from the processing of clary sage grown on highly contaminated soils, its key odour-determining ingredients meet the quality requirements of the European Pharmacopoeia and BS ISO 7609 regarding Bulgarian clary sage oil and/or have values that are close to the limits of these standards. The possibility of further industrial processing will make Salvia sclarea L. an economically interesting crop for farmers of phytoextraction technology.

Keywords: clary sage, heavy metals, phytoremediation, polluted soils

Procedia PDF Downloads 210

Authors: Nina Tsvetkova, Rumen Harizanov, Aleksandra Ivanova, Iskra Rainova, Nina Yancheva-Petrova, Dimitar Strashimirov, Raina Enikova, Mihaela Videnova, Eleonora Kaneva, Iskren Kaftandjiev, Viktoria Levterova, Ivan Simeonovski, Nikolay Yanev, Georgi Hinkov

Abstract:

The Pneumocystis jirovecii (P. jirovecii) and protozoan of the genera Acanthamoeba, Cryptosporidium, and Toxoplasma gondii are opportunistic pathogens that can cause life-threatening infections in immunocompromised patients. Aim of the study was to evaluate the coinfection rate with opportunistic protozoal agents among Bulgarian patients diagnosed with P. jirovecii pneumonia. Thirty-eight pulmonary samples were collected from 38 patients (28 HIV-infected) with P. jirovecii infection. P. jirovecii DNA was detected by real-time PCR targeting the large mitochondrial subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Acanthamoeba was determined by genus-specific conventional PCR assay. Real-time PCR for the detection of a Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium DNA fragment was used. Pneumocystis DNA was detected in all 38 specimens; 28 (73.7%) were from HIV-infected patients. Three (10,7%) of them were co-infected with T. gondii and 1 (3.6%) with Cryptosporidium. In the group of non-HIV-infected (n=10), Cryptosporidium DNA was detected in an infant (10%). Acanthamoeba DNA was not found in the tested samples. The current study showed a relatively low rate of coinfections of Cryptosporidium spp./T. gondii and P. jirovecii in the Bulgarian patients studied.

Keywords: coinfection, opportunistic protozoal agents, Pneumocystis jirovecii, pulmonary infections

Procedia PDF Downloads 150

Authors: YingWei Tan, XueFeng Ding

Abstract:

Attention-based voice activity detection models have gained significant attention in recent years due to their fast training speed and ability to capture a wide contextual range. The inclusion of multi-head style and position embedding in the attention architecture are crucial. Having multiple attention heads allows for differential focus on different parts of the sequence, while position embedding provides guidance for modeling dependencies between elements at various positions in the input sequence. In this work, we propose an approach by considering each head as a node, enabling the application of graph neural networks (GNN) to identify correlations among the different nodes. In addition, we adopt an implementation named rotary position embedding (RoPE), which encodes absolute positional information into the input sequence by a rotation matrix, and naturally incorporates explicit relative position information into a self-attention module. We evaluate the effectiveness of our method on a synthetic dataset, and the results demonstrate its superiority over the baseline CRNN in scenarios with low signal-to-noise ratio and noise, while also exhibiting robustness across different noise types. In summary, our proposed framework effectively combines the strengths of CNN and RNN (LSTM), and further enhances detection performance through the integration of graph neural networks and rotary position embedding.

Keywords: voice activity detection, CRNN, graph neural networks, rotary position embedding

Procedia PDF Downloads 65

Authors: Sittipong Jarernprasert, Enrique Bazan-Zurita, Paul C. Rizzo

Abstract:

Currently, seismic probabilistic risk assessments (SPRA) for nuclear facilities use In-Structure Response Spectra (ISRS) in the calculation of fragilities for systems and components. ISRS are calculated via dynamic analyses of the host building subjected to two orthogonal components of horizontal ground motion. Each component is defined as the median motion in any horizontal direction. Structural engineers applied the components along selected X and Y Cartesian axes. The ISRS at different locations in the building are also calculated in the X and Y directions. The choice of the directions of X and Y are not specified by the ground motion model with respect to geographic coordinates, and are rather arbitrarily selected by the structural engineer. Normally, X and Y coincide with the “principal” axes of the building, in the understanding that this practice is generally conservative. For SPRA purposes, however, it is desirable to remove any conservatism in the estimates of median ISRS. This paper examines the effects of the direction of horizontal seismic motion on the ISRS on typical nuclear structure. We also evaluate the variability of ISRS calculated along different horizontal directions. Our results indicate that some central measures of the ISRS provide robust estimates that are practically independent of the selection of the directions of the horizontal Cartesian axes.

Keywords: seismic, directionality, in-structure response spectra, probabilistic risk assessment

Procedia PDF Downloads 408

Authors: Ming-Han Tsai, Chihpin Huang

Abstract:

Electrochemical oxidation of ammonia (AEO) is one of the highly efficient and environmentally friendly methods for NH₃ removal from wastewater. Recently, researchers have focused on non-Pt-based electrodes (n-PtE) for AEO, aiming to evaluate the feasibility of these low-cost electrodes for future practical applications. However, for most n-PtE, NH₃ is oxidized mainly to nitrate ion NO₃⁻ instead of the desired nitrogen gas N₂, which requires further treatment to remove excess NO₃⁻. Therefore, developing a high N₂ conversion electrode for AEO is highly urgent. In this study, we fabricated various Cu₂O/Ni foam (NF) electrodes by electrodeposition of Cu on NF. The Cu plating bath contained different additives, including cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTAC), sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), polyamide acid (PAA), and sodium alginate (SA). All the prepared electrodes were physically and electrochemically investigated. Batch AEO experiments were conducted for 3 h to clarify the relation between electrode structures and N₂ selectivity. The SEM and XRD results showed that crystalline platelets-like Cu₂O, particles-like Cu₂O, cracks-like Cu₂O, and sheets-like Cu₂O were formed in the Cu plating bath by adding CTAC, SDS, PAA, and SA, respectively. For electrochemical analysis, all Cu₂O/NF electrodes revealed a higher current density (2.5-3.2 mA/cm²) compared to that without additives modification (1.6 mA/cm²). At a constant applied potential of 0.95 V (vs Hg/HgO), the Cu₂O sheet (51%) showed the highest N₂ selectivity, followed by Cu₂O cracks (38%), Cu₂O particles (30%), and Cu₂O platelet (18%) after 3 h reaction. Our result demonstrated that the selectivity of N₂ during AEO was surface structural dependent.

Keywords: ammonia, electrooxidation, selectivity, cuprous oxide, Ni foam

Procedia PDF Downloads 83

Authors: Luiz Ernani Meira Jr., Antônio Prates Caldeira, Gilson Gabriel Viana Veloso, Jackson Andrade

Abstract:

Background: In Brazil, primary health care (PHC) system has developed with multidisciplinary teams in facilities located in peripheral areas, as the entrance doors for all patients. So, professionals must be prepared to deal with patients with simple and complex problems. Objective: To evaluate the knowledge and the skills of physicians and nurses of PHC on cardiorespiratory arrest (CRA) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before and after training in Basic Life Support. Methods: This is a before-and-after study developed in a Simulation Laboratory in Montes Claros, Brazil. We included physicians and nurses randomly chosen from PHC services. Written tests on CRA and CPR were carried out and performances in a CPR simulation were evaluated, based on the American Heart Association recommendations. Training practices were performed using special manikins. Statistical analysis included Wilcoxon’s test to compare before and after scores. Results: Thirty-two professionals were included. Only 38% had previous courses and updates on emergency care. Most of professionals showed poor skills to attend to CRA in a simulated situation. Subjects showed an increased in knowledge and skills about CPR after training (p-value=0.003). Conclusion: Primary health care professionals must be continuously trained to assist urgencies and emergencies, like CRA.

Keywords: primary health care, professional training, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, cardiorespiratory, emergency

Procedia PDF Downloads 311

Authors: Mubina Rauf

Abstract:

Critical thinking is a highly valued outcome of university education. There is an agreement in literature that it is demonstrated through the abilities to highlight issues and assumptions, find links between ideas and concepts, make correct inferences, evaluate evidence or authority and deduce conclusions (Tsui, 2002). Although Critical thinking plays a significant role in developing all academic skills, its role in developing writing skills is significant (Kurfiss, 1988). SAW (student academic writing) is an observable output of critical thinking (Wilson K. , 2016). When students apply critical thinking to their writing, they present clear, accurate, significant and logical arguments constructing their own voice in the form of an essay or dissertation (Matsuda, 2001). This presentation will show how a rubric can be used to find evidence of critical thinking in SAW. Participants will experience how evidence-based written arguments supported by background knowledge and authorial voice can develop students into efficient critical thinkers. Participants will have an opportunity to use the rubric to find the evidence of critical thinking in SAW samples. This presentation is intended for classroom teachers with or without the basic knowledge of implementing critical thinking in academic settings. Participants will also learn tips how various features of critical thinking can be developed among students. After the session, the participants will be able to use or adapt the rubric according to their needs to find evidence of critical thinking in SAW within their context.

Keywords: critical thinking, Rubric, student academic writing, argumentation, text analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 68

Authors: K. Chethana, A. S. Guru Prasad, H. N. Vikranth, H. Varun, S. N. Omkar, S. Asokan

Abstract:

This paper describes a novel application of Fiber Braggs Grating (FBG) sensors on an unstable platform to assess human postural stability and balance. The FBG sensor based Stability Analyzing Device (FBGSAD) developed demonstrates the applicability of FBG sensors in the measurement of plantar strain to assess the postural stability of subjects on unstable platforms during different stances in eyes open and eyes closed conditions on a rocker board. Comparing the Centre of Gravity (CG) variations measured on the lumbar vertebra of subjects using a commercial accelerometer along with FBGSAD validates the study. The results obtained depict qualitative similarities between the data recorded by both FBGSAD and accelerometer, illustrating the reliability and consistency of FBG sensors in biomechanical applications for both young and geriatric population. The developed FBGSAD simultaneously measures plantar strain distribution and postural stability and can serve as a tool/yardstick to mitigate space motion sickness, identify individuals who are susceptible to falls and to qualify subjects for balance and stability, which are important factors in the selection of certain unique professionals such as aircraft pilots, astronauts, cosmonauts etc.

Keywords: biomechanics, fiber bragg gratings, plantar strain measurement, postural stability analysis

Procedia PDF Downloads 569

Authors: Wangxu Xia

Abstract:

BACKGROUND BI-RADS 4 lesions raise the possibility of malignancy that warrant further clinical and radiologic work-up. This study aimed to evaluate the predictive performance of diffusion-weighted imaging(DWI) and microcalcifications on mammography for predicting malignancy of BI-RADS 4 lesions. In addition, the predictive performance of DWI combined with microcalcifications was alsocompared with the Kaiser score. METHODS During January 2021 and June 2023, 144 patients with 178 BI-RADS 4 lesions underwent conventional MRI, DWI, and mammography were included. The lesions were dichotomized intobenign or malignant according to the pathological results from core needle biopsy or surgical mastectomy. DWI was performed with a b value of 0 and 800s/mm2 and analyzed using theapparent diffusion coefficient, and a Kaiser score > 4 was considered to suggest malignancy. Thediagnostic performances for various diagnostic tests were evaluated with the receiver-operatingcharacteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS The area under the curve (AUC) for DWI was significantly higher than that of the of mammography (0.86 vs 0.71, P<0.001), but was comparable with that of the Kaiser score (0.86 vs 0.84, P=0.58). However, the AUC for DWI combined with mammography was significantly highthan that of the Kaiser score (0.93 vs 0.84, P=0.007). The sensitivity for discriminating malignant from benign BI-RADS 4 lesions was highest at 89% for Kaiser score, but the highest specificity of 83% can be achieved with DWI combined with mammography. CONCLUSION DWI combined with microcalcifications on mammography could discriminate malignant BI-RADS4 lesions from benign ones with a high AUC and specificity. However, Kaiser score had a better sensitivity for discrimination.

Keywords: MRI, DWI, mammography, breast disease

Procedia PDF Downloads 55

Authors: Panwasn Mahalawalert

Abstract:

The objective of this study was to meta-evaluation of Master Degree theses in Science Program of Evaluation Methodology at Srinakharinwirot University, published during 2008-2011. This study was summative meta-evaluation that evaluated all theses of Master Degree in Science Program of Evaluation Methodology. Data were collected using the theses characteristics recording form and the evaluation meta-evaluation checklist. The collected data were analyzed by two parts: 1) Quantitative data were analyzed by descriptive statistics presented in frequency, percentages, mean, and standard deviation and 2) Qualitative data were analyzed by content analysis. The results of this study were found the theses characteristics was results revealed that most of theses were published in 2011. The largest group of theses researcher were female and were from the government office. The evaluation model of all theses were Decision-Oriented Evaluation Model. The objective of all theses were evaluate the project or curriculum. The most sampling technique were used the multistage random sampling technique. The most tool were used to gathering the data were questionnaires. All of the theses were analysed by descriptive statistics. The meta-evaluation results revealed that most of theses had fair on Utility Standards and Feasibility Standards, good on Propriety Standards and Accuracy Standards.

Keywords: meta-evaluation, evaluation, master degree theses, Srinakharinwirot University

Procedia PDF Downloads 531

Authors: Vikas Sharma, V. K. Dixit

Abstract:

Anacyclus pyrethrum (A. pyrethrum) has been used as Vajikaran Rasayana (aphrodisiac) in traditional Indian ayurvedic medicine to treat male sexual dysfunction, including infertility. Aphrodisiac activity may be due to an increase in the production or effect of androgens, so this study sought to evaluate the androgenic and spermatogenic potential of the alkylamide-rich ethanol solution extract. Male Wistar strain rats weighing between 150 and 180 g were completely randomized divided into five groups. The ethanol solution extract of A. pyrethrum was administered to groups of rats in 50, 100, and 150 mg/kg doses for a period of 28 days, and the action was compared with control and testosterone-treated rats. Thirteen N-alkylamides were detected in the extract by using HPLC/UV/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry method. Extract administration at all the doses produced significant increase in body weight, sperm count, motility, and viability along with serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone concentrations. Histoarchitecture of testis revealed increased spermatogenic activities. Seminal fructose content was also significantly increased after 28 days of treatment. Our results suggest that the ethanol solution extract of the roots of A. pyrethrum has androgenic potential and may improve male fertility by enhancing spermatogenesis.

Keywords: N-alkylamides, testosterone, Anacyclus pyrethrum, androgen

Procedia PDF Downloads 474

Authors: Xiaoling Dai

Abstract:

Many Chinese artists have used digital photography to create works with features of Chinese landscape paintings since the 20th century. The ‘New Mountains and Water’ works created by digital techniques reflect the fusion of photographic techniques and traditional Chinese aesthetic thoughts. Borrowing from Chinese landscape paintings in the Song Dynasty, the Chinese photographer Yao Lu uses digital photography to reflect contemporary environmental construction in his series New Landscapes. By portraying a variety of natural environments brought by urbanization in the contemporary period, Lu deconstructs traditional Chinese paintings and reconstructs contemporary photographic practices. The primary object of this study is to investigate how Chinese photographer Yao Lu redefines and re-interprets the relationship between tradition and contemporaneity. In this study, Yao Lu’s series work New Landscapes is used for photo elicitation, which seeks to broaden understanding of the development of Chinese landscape photography. Furthermore, discourse analysis will be used to evaluate how Chinese social developments influence the creation of photographic practices. Through visual and discourse analysis, this study aims to excavate the relationship between tradition and contemporaneity in Lu’s works. According to New Landscapes, the study argues that in Lu’s interpretations of landscapes, tradition and contemporaneity are seen to establish a new relationship. Traditional approaches to creation do not become obsolete over time. On the contrary, traditional notions and styles of creation can shed new light on contemporary issues or techniques.

Keywords: Chinese aesthetics, Yao Lu, new landscapes, tradition, contemporaneity

Procedia PDF Downloads 74

Authors: Azzeddine Atibi, Khadija El Kababi, Salim Ahmed, Mohamed Radid

Abstract:

Teaching and learning occupy a significant position globally, as the sustainable development of all sectors is intrinsically linked to the improvement of the educational system. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the learning process is not optional but essential, and that proficiency in computer tools is an asset that will enhance pedagogy and ensure the continuity of learning under any circumstances. The objective of our study is to evaluate the impact of introducing computer tools on the quality of learning and the realization of conceptual change in learners. To this end, a learning situation was meticulously prepared, targeting first-year baccalaureate students in experimental sciences at a public high school, "Khadija Oum Almouminin," focusing on the chapter on glycemia regulation in the Moroccan Life and Earth Sciences (LES) curriculum. The learning situation was implemented with a pilot group that utilized computer tools and a control group that studied the same chapter without using ICT. The analysis and comparison of the results allowed us to verify the research question posed and to propose perspectives to ensure conceptual change in learners.

Keywords: information and communication technology, conceptual change, continuity of learning, life and earth sciences, glycemia regulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 33

Authors: Kong Ngai Pei

Abstract:

The argument scheme approach to argumentation has two components. One is to identify the recurrent patterns of inferences used in everyday discourse. The second is to devise critical questions to evaluate the inferences in these patterns. Although this approach is intuitive and contains many insightful ideas, it has been noted to be not free of problems. One is that due to its disavowing the probability calculus, it cannot give the exact strength of an inference. In order to tackle this problem, thereby paving the way to a more complete normative account of argument strength, it has been proposed, the most promising way is to combine the scheme-based approach with Bayesian networks (BNs). This paper pursues this line of thought, attempting to combine three common schemes, Appeal to Ignorance, Composition, and Division, with BNs. In the first part, it is argued that most (if not all) formulations of the critical questions corresponding to these schemes in the current argumentation literature are incomplete and not very informative. To remedy these flaws, more thorough and precise formulations of these questions are provided. In the second part, how to use graphical idioms (e.g. measurement and synthesis idioms) to translate the schemes as well as their corresponding critical questions to graphical structure of BNs, and how to define probability tables of the nodes using functions of various sorts are shown. In the final part, it is argued that many misuses of these schemes, traditionally called fallacies with the same names as the schemes, can indeed be adequately accounted for by the BN models proposed in this paper.

Keywords: appeal to ignorance, argument schemes, Bayesian networks, composition, division

Procedia PDF Downloads 282