Search results for: results validation
13111 Characterization of Caneberry Juices Enriched by Natural Antioxidants
Authors: Jelena Vulić, Jasna Čanadanović-Brunet, Gordana Ćetković, Sonja Djilas, Vesna Tumbas Šaponjac
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Caneberries (raspberries and blackberries) are among the most popular berries in the world, which are consumed as fresh and processed to juice, jams, confitures and other products or as ingredients for different foods. These fruits are known as a rich source of phenolic compounds such as phenolic acids and anthocyanins. Antioxidant activity (AA) of caneberry juices was improved by addition of phenolic compounds which were extracted from two raspberry cultivars (Rubus idaeus, cv. 'Willamette' (RW) and 'Meeker' (RM)) and two blackberry cultivars (Rubus fruticosus, cv. 'Čačanka' (BC) and 'Thornfree' (BT)) pomace, a by-product in juice processing. The total phenolic contents in raspberry and blackberry pomace extracts were determined spectrophotometrically using the Folin-Ciocalteu reagens. The phenolic concentrations in caneberries (RW, RM, BC and BT) pomace extracts were 43.67 ± 2.13 mg GAE/g, 26.25 ± 1.18 mg GAE/g, 46.01 ± 3.26 mg GAE/g and 61.59 ± 1.14 mg GAE/g, respectively. In order to obtain enriched juices, phenolic compounds were applied at concentration of 0.05 mg GAE/ 100 ml. Antioxidant activities of caneberry juices and caneberry enriched juices were measured using stable 1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. AADPPH of RW, RM, BC and BT juices and enriched juices with addition of 0.01 µg GAE/ml, changed from 37.12% to 93.01%, 23.26% to 91.57%, 53.61% to 95.65% and 52.06% to 93.13%, respectively, while IC50 values of RW, RM, BC and BT juices and enriched juices were diminished 6.33, 19.00, 6.33 and 4.75 times, respectively. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that phenolic enriched juices were significantly more effective on DPPH radicals. Caneberry juices enriched with waste material are a good source of natural pigments and antioxidants and could be used as functional foods.Keywords: caneberry, enriched juice, phenolic antioxidant, DPPH radical
Procedia PDF Downloads 35913110 Political Behavior and Democratic Values: Framing Analysis of Political Discussion Programs in Pakistan
Authors: Umair Nadeem, Sidra Umair
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Political behavior of voters and democratic values have been observed an emerging phenomenon in recent years in Pakistan. Privatized TV news channels are taking one sided position on the political issues, corresponding with respective political parties. Since last decade, TV News Channels have undermined this monopoly. Elections 2013 were unique in Pakistan with reference to political behavior and democratic values. Partisan narratives and counter narratives have been witnessed on different TV channels, in last few years. These mediated events seem very important to study the political behavior and democratic values as the country is approaching towards elections 2018. This endeavor is an attempt to capture the framing of the parties, issues in the partisan media culture and framing effects on political behavior of voters. Data for this research come from two data set. Content analysis of selected representative talks shows broadcast on mainstream news channels provide an assessment of the framing while quantitative survey of the discussion program’s viewers from Lahore city provide an evidence of framing effects on political behavior on voters and on democratic values. Regression results help us to argue that the highly partisan shows are strong predictors of polarized views among the audience. Study also grasp the attention of scholars towards the implications of this phenomenon.Keywords: democratic values, partisan media, polarized views, political behavior
Procedia PDF Downloads 18613109 Pre-Operative Tool for Facial-Post-Surgical Estimation and Detection
Authors: Ayat E. Ali, Christeen R. Aziz, Merna A. Helmy, Mohammed M. Malek, Sherif H. El-Gohary
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Goal: Purpose of the project was to make a plastic surgery prediction by using pre-operative images for the plastic surgeries’ patients and to show this prediction on a screen to compare between the current case and the appearance after the surgery. Methods: To this aim, we implemented a software which used data from the internet for facial skin diseases, skin burns, pre-and post-images for plastic surgeries then the post- surgical prediction is done by using K-nearest neighbor (KNN). So we designed and fabricated a smart mirror divided into two parts a screen and a reflective mirror so patient's pre- and post-appearance will be showed at the same time. Results: We worked on some skin diseases like vitiligo, skin burns and wrinkles. We classified the three degrees of burns using KNN classifier with accuracy 60%. We also succeeded in segmenting the area of vitiligo. Our future work will include working on more skin diseases, classify them and give a prediction for the look after the surgery. Also we will go deeper into facial deformities and plastic surgeries like nose reshaping and face slim down. Conclusion: Our project will give a prediction relates strongly to the real look after surgery and decrease different diagnoses among doctors. Significance: The mirror may have broad societal appeal as it will make the distance between patient's satisfaction and the medical standards smaller.Keywords: k-nearest neighbor (knn), face detection, vitiligo, bone deformity
Procedia PDF Downloads 17113108 Separation, Identification, and Measuring Gossypol in the Cottonseed Oil and Investigating the Performance of Drugs Prepared from the Combination of Plant Extract and Oil in the Treatment of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Resistant to Drugs
Authors: Sara Taghdisi, M. Mirmohammadi, M. Mokhtarian
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In 2013, the World Health Organization announced the cases of Cutaneous leishmaniasis infection in Iran between 69,000 to 113,000. The most common chemical drugs for Cutaneous leishmaniasis treatment are sodium stibogluconate, and meglumine antimonate, which not only have relatively many side effects, but also some species of the Leishmania genus have become resistant to them .The most prominent compound existing in different parts of the cotton plant is a yellow polyphenol called Gossypol. Gossypol is an extremely valuable compound and has anti-cancer properties. In the current project, Gossypol was extracted with a liquid-liquid extraction method in 120 minutes in the presence of Phosphoric acid from the cotton seed oil of Golestan beach varieties, then got crystallized in darkness using Acetic acid and isolated as Gossypol Acetic acid. The efficiency of the extracted crystal was obtained at 0.12+- 1.28. the cotton plant could be efficient in the treatment of Cutaneous leishmaniasis. The extract of the green-leaf cotton boll of Jargoyeh varieties was tested as an ointment on the target group of patients suffering from Cutaneous leishmaniasis resistant to drugs esistant to drugs by our colleagues in the research team. The results showed the Pearson's correlation coefficient of 0.72 between the two variables of wound diameter and the extract use over time which indicated the positive effect of this extract on the treatment of Cutaneous leishmaniasis was resistant to drugs.Keywords: cottonseed oil, crystallization, gossypol, green-leaf
Procedia PDF Downloads 11613107 In vitro Anti-Gonococcal, Anti-Inflammatory and HIV-1 Reverse Transcriptase Activities of the Herbal Mixture
Authors: T. E. Tshikalange, B. C. Mophuting
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Traditional medicine often consists of complex ingredients prepared from a mixture of plant species. These herbal mixtures are used in the treatment of various ailments such as sexually transmitted diseases including HIV. The present study was carried out to determine the biological activities of the herbal mixture used traditionally in the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. This herbal mixture consists of four plant species from families Asteraceae, Bignoniaceae, Fabaceae, and Myrtaceae. Five crude extracts (hexane, dichloromethane, methanol, water and boiled) of the herbal mixture were investigated for anti-gonococcal, anti-inflammatory, and reverse transcriptase activities. The anti-inflammatory activity of the plant extracts was determined by measuring the extract inhibitory effect on the pro-inflammatory enzyme lipoxygenase. The extracts were also tested for anti-HIV activity against recombinant HIV-1 enzyme using non-radioactive HIV-RT colorimetric assay. The boiled extract exhibited good anti-inflammatory activity with an IC₅₀ of 87 µg/ml compared to that of the positive control quercetin (IC₅₀= 92 µg/ml). All the other extracts showed little or no activity. Hexane extract was the only extract that showed reverse transcriptase extract inhibitory effect with an IC₅₀ of 74 µg/ml. Anti-gonococcal and cytotoxicity investigations are underway. The preliminary results support the use of herbal mixture by traditional healers.Keywords: sexually transmitted diseases, lipoxygenase, anti-inflammatory, herbal mixture
Procedia PDF Downloads 28613106 Prognostic Value of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Simplified Biomarker of COVID-19 Severity in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Teklay Gebrecherkos, Mahmud Abdulkader, Tobias Rinke De Wit, Britta C. Urban, Feyissa Chala, Yazezew Kebede, Dawit Welday
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Background: C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are a reliable surrogate for interleukin-6 bioactivity that plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of cytokine storm associated with severe COVID-19. There is a lack of data on the role of CRP as a determinant of COVID-19 severity status in the African context. Methods: We determined the longitudinal kinetics of CRP levels on 78 RT-PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients (49 non-severe and 29 severe cases) and 50 PCR-negative controls. Results: COVID-19 patients had overall significantly elevated CRP at baseline when compared to PCR-negative controls [median 11.1 (IQR: 2.0-127.8) mg/L vs. 0.9 (IQR: 0.5-1.9) mg/L; p=0.0004)]. Moreover, severe COVID-19 patients had significantly higher median CRP levels than non-severe cases [166.1 (IQR: 48.6-332.5) mg/L vs. 2.4 (IQR: 1.2-7.6) mg/L; p<0.00001)]. In addition, persistently elevated levels of CRP were exhibited among those with comorbidities and higher age groups. Area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis of CRP levels distinguished PCR-confirmed COVID-19 patients from the ones with PCR-negative non-COVID-19 individuals, with an AUC value of 0.77 (95% CI: 0.68-0.84; p=0.001). Moreover, it clearly distinguished severe from non-severe COVID-19 patients, with an AUC value of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.73-0.91). After adjusting for age and the presence of comorbidities, CRP levels above 30 mg/L were significantly associated with an increased risk of developing severe COVID-19 (adjusted relative risk 3.99 (95%CI: 1.35-11.82; p=0.013). Conclusions: Determining CRP levels in COVID-19 patients in African settings may provide a simple, prompt, and inexpensive assessment of the severity status at baseline and monitoring of treatment outcomes.Keywords: CRP, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, biomarker
Procedia PDF Downloads 8613105 Energy Management Method in DC Microgrid Based on the Equivalent Hydrogen Consumption Minimum Strategy
Authors: Ying Han, Weirong Chen, Qi Li
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An energy management method based on equivalent hydrogen consumption minimum strategy is proposed in this paper aiming at the direct-current (DC) microgrid consisting of photovoltaic cells, fuel cells, energy storage devices, converters and DC loads. The rational allocation of fuel cells and battery devices is achieved by adopting equivalent minimum hydrogen consumption strategy with the full use of power generated by photovoltaic cells. Considering the balance of the battery’s state of charge (SOC), the optimal power of the battery under different SOC conditions is obtained and the reference output power of the fuel cell is calculated. And then a droop control method based on time-varying droop coefficient is proposed to realize the automatic charge and discharge control of the battery, balance the system power and maintain the bus voltage. The proposed control strategy is verified by RT-LAB hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform. The simulation results show that the designed control algorithm can realize the rational allocation of DC micro-grid energy and improve the stability of system.Keywords: DC microgrid, equivalent minimum hydrogen consumption strategy, energy management, time-varying droop coefficient, droop control
Procedia PDF Downloads 30513104 Characterization on Molecular Weight of Polyamic Acids Using GPC Coupled with Multiple Detectors
Authors: Mei Hong, Wei Liu, Xuemin Dai, Yanxiong Pan, Xiangling Ji
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Polyamic acid (PAA) is the precursor of polyimide (PI) prepared by a two-step method, its molecular weight and molecular weight distribution not only play an important role during the preparation and processing, but also influence the final performance of PI. However, precise characterization on molecular weight of PAA is still a challenge because of the existence of very complicated interactions in the solution system, including the electrostatic interaction, hydrogen bond interaction, dipole-dipole interaction, etc. Thus, it is necessary to establisha suitable strategy which can completely suppress these complex effects and get reasonable data on molecular weight. Herein, the gel permeation chromatography (GPC) coupled with differential refractive index (RI) and multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS) detectors were applied to measure the molecular weight of (6FDA-DMB) PAA using different mobile phases, LiBr/DMF, LiBr/H3PO4/THF/DMF, LiBr/HAc/THF/DMF, and LiBr/HAc/DMF, respectively. It was found that combination of LiBr with HAc can shield the above-mentioned complex interactions and is more conducive to the separation of PAA than only addition of LiBr in DMF. LiBr/HAc/DMF was employed for the first time as a mild mobile phase to effectively separate PAA and determine its molecular weight. After a series of conditional experiments, 0.02M LiBr/0.2M HAc/DMF was fixed as an optimized mobile phase to measure the relative and absolute molecular weights of (6FDA-DMB) PAA prepared, and the obtained Mw from GPC-MALLS and GPC-RI were 35,300 g/mol and 125,000 g/mol, respectively. Particularly, such a mobile phase is also applicable to other PAA samples with different structures, and the final results on molecular weight are also reproducible.Keywords: Polyamic acids, Polyelectrolyte effects, Gel permeation chromatography, Mobile phase, Molecular weight
Procedia PDF Downloads 5913103 Knowledge, Attitudes and Preventive Practices of Indigenous Adolescents on Dog Associated Zoonotic Infections
Authors: Fairuz Fadzilah Rahim
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Introduction: Indigenous adolescents are at higher risk of dog associated zoonotic infections (DAZI) as they live closely with free-roaming dogs and have limited access to veterinary care. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of health education interventions towards knowledge, attitudes, and preventive practices (KAP) of adolescents on DAZI. Methods: This one-group pre-and post-intervention study in 5 months period was conducted among Jahai adolescents aged 12 years and above. Jahai is one of the three major tribes of indigenous people in Peninsular Malaysia. Health education intervention programs using posters, slide presentations, comics, video clips, and discussion on DAZI were employed. Repeated measures of within-subjects analysis were used to identify the pre- and post- KAP of the adolescents. Results: There were 54 adolescents participated in this study with a mean age of 15.72 (SD: 2.49) and equal proportions of males (50%) and females (50%). Among the adolescents, 22.2% were married, 5.6% were illiterate, and 44.4% not continuing education at the time of data collection. The majority of them keep dogs as pets (64.8%), and few used dogs for hunting (11.1%). There was significant increase in mean scores of knowledge (F = 40.92, p < 0.001) and attitudes (F = 6.43, p = 0.014) of the adolescents. However, the preventive practices towards DAZI showed non-significant improvement on the intervention. Conclusions: The health education intervention programs showed to be effective in improving the attitudes and practices related to dog associated zoonotic infections. Emphasis on sustained health education programs is important to foster good health and wellbeing of the indigenous community.Keywords: adolescent health, dog associated infection, zoonotic, KAP, indigenous
Procedia PDF Downloads 17013102 Exergy Based Analysis of Parabolic Trough Collector Using Twisted-Tape Inserts
Authors: Atwari Rawani, Suresh Prasad Sharma, K. D. P. Singh
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In this paper, an analytical investigation based on energy and exergy analysis of the parabolic trough collector (PTC) with alternate clockwise and counter-clockwise twisted tape inserts in the absorber tube has been presented. For fully developed flow under quasi-steady state conditions, energy equations have been developed in order to analyze the rise in fluid temperature, thermal efficiency, entropy generation and exergy efficiency. Also the effect of system and operating parameters on performance have been studied. A computer program, based on mathematical models is developed in C++ language to estimate the temperature rise of fluid for evaluation of performances under specified conditions. For numerical simulations four different twist ratio, x = 2,3,4,5 and mass flow rate 0.06 kg/s to 0.16 kg/s which cover the Reynolds number range of 3000 - 9000 is considered. This study shows that twisted tape inserts when used shows great promise for enhancing the performance of PTC. Results show that for x=1, Nusselt number/heat transfer coefficient is found to be 3.528 and 3.008 times over plain absorber of PTC at mass flow rate of 0.06 kg/s and 0.16 kg/s respectively; while corresponding enhancement in thermal efficiency is 12.57% and 5.065% respectively. Also the exergy efficiency has been found to be 10.61% and 10.97% and enhancement factor is 1.135 and 1.048 for same set of conditions.Keywords: exergy efficiency, twisted tape ratio, turbulent flow, useful heat gain
Procedia PDF Downloads 17913101 Application Potential of Forward Osmosis-Nanofiltration Hybrid Process for the Treatment of Mining Waste Water
Authors: Ketan Mahawer, Abeer Mutto, S. K. Gupta
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The mining wastewater contains inorganic metal salts, which makes it saline and additionally contributes to contaminating the surface and underground freshwater reserves that exist nearby mineral processing industries. Therefore, treatment of wastewater and water recovery is obligatory by any available technology before disposing it into the environment. Currently, reverse osmosis (RO) is the commercially acceptable conventional membrane process for saline wastewater treatment, but consumes an enormous amount of energy and makes the process expensive. To solve this industrial problem with minimum energy consumption, we tested the feasibility of forward osmosis-nanofiltration (FO-NF) hybrid process for the mining wastewater treatment. The FO-NF process experimental results for 0.029M concentration of saline wastewater treated by 0.42 M sodium-sulfate based draw solution shows that specific energy consumption of the FO-NF process compared with standalone NF was slightly above (between 0.5-1 kWh/m3) from conventional process. However, average freshwater recovery was 30% more from standalone NF with same feed and operating conditions. Hence, FO-NF process in place of RO/NF offers a huge possibility for treating mining industry wastewater and concentrates the metals as the by-products without consuming an excessive/large amount of energy and in addition, mitigates the fouling in long periods of treatment, which also decreases the maintenance and replacement cost of the separation process.Keywords: forward osmosis, nanofiltration, mining, draw solution, divalent solute
Procedia PDF Downloads 12113100 Improving the Dimensional Stability of Medium-Density Fiberboard with Bio-Based Additives
Authors: Reza Hosseinpourpia, Stergios Adamopoulos, Carsten Mai
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Medium density fiberboard (MDF) is a common category of wood-based panels that are widely used in the furniture industry. Fine lignocellulosic fibres are combined with a synthetic resin, mostly urea formaldehyde (UF), and joined together under heat and pressure to form panels. Like solid wood, MDF is a hygroscopic material; therefore, its moisture content depends on the surrounding relative humidity and temperature. In addition, UF is a hydrophilic resin and susceptible to hydrolysis under certain conditions of elevated temperatures and humidity, which cause dimensional instability of the panels. The latter directly affect the performance of final products such as furniture, when they are used in situations of high relative humidity. Existing water-repellent formulations, such as paraffin, present limitations related to their non-renewable nature, cost and highest allowed added amount. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to test the suitability of renewable water repellents as alternative chemicals for enhancing the dimensional stability of MDF panels. A small amount of tall oil based formulations were used as water-repellent agents in the manufacturing of laboratory scale MDF. The effects on dimensional stability, internal bond strength and formaldehyde release of MDF were tested. The results indicated a good potential of tall oil as a bio-based substance of water repellent formulations for improving the dimensional stability of MDF.Keywords: dimensional stability, medium density fiberboard, tall oil, urea formaldehyde
Procedia PDF Downloads 24313099 Optimization of Highly Oriented Pyrolytic Graphite Crystals for Neutron Optics
Authors: Hao Qu, Xiang Liu, Michael Crosby, Brian Kozak, Andreas K. Freund
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The outstanding performance of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) as an optical element for neutron beam conditioning is unequaled by any other crystalline material in the applications of monochromator, analyzer, and filter. This superiority stems from the favorable nuclear properties of carbon (small absorption and incoherent scattering cross-sections, big coherent scattering length) and the specific crystalline structure (small thermal diffuse scattering cross-section, layered crystal structure). The real crystal defect structure revealed by imaging techniques is correlated with the parameters used in the mosaic model (mosaic spread, mosaic block size, uniformity). The diffraction properties (rocking curve width as determined by both the intrinsic mosaic spread and the diffraction process, peak and integrated reflectivity, filter transmission) as a function of neutron wavelength or energy can be predicted with high accuracy and reliability by diffraction theory using empirical primary extinction coefficients extracted from a great amount of existing experimental data. The results of these calculations are given as graphs and tables permitting to optimize HOPG characteristics (mosaic spread, thickness, curvature) for any given experimental situation.Keywords: neutron optics, pyrolytic graphite, mosaic spread, neutron scattering, monochromator, analyzer
Procedia PDF Downloads 14513098 Two-stage Robust Optimization for Collaborative Distribution Network Design Under Uncertainty
Authors: Reza Alikhani
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This research focuses on the establishment of horizontal cooperation among companies to enhance their operational efficiency and competitiveness. The study proposes an approach to horizontal collaboration, called coalition configuration, which involves partnering companies sharing distribution centers in a network design problem. The paper investigates which coalition should be formed in each distribution center to minimize the total cost of the network. Moreover, potential uncertainties, such as operational and disruption risks, are considered during the collaborative design phase. To address this problem, a two-stage robust optimization model for collaborative distribution network design under surging demand and facility disruptions is presented, along with a column-and-constraint generation algorithm to obtain exact solutions tailored to the proposed formulation. Extensive numerical experiments are conducted to analyze solutions obtained by the model in various scenarios, including decisions ranging from fully centralized to fully decentralized settings, collaborative versus non-collaborative approaches, and different amounts of uncertainty budgets. The results show that the coalition formation mechanism proposes some solutions that are competitive with the savings of the grand coalition. The research also highlights that collaboration increases network flexibility and resilience while reducing costs associated with demand and capacity uncertainties.Keywords: logistics, warehouse sharing, robust facility location, collaboration for resilience
Procedia PDF Downloads 7313097 A Study on Effect of Dynamic Loading Speed on the Fracture Toughness of Equivalent Stress Gradient (ESG) Specimen
Authors: Moon Byung Woo, Seok Chang-Sung, Koo Jae-Mean, Kim Sang-Young, Choi Jae Gu, Huh Nam-Su
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Recently, the occurrence of the earthquake has increased sharply and many of the casualties have occurred worldwide, due to the influence of earthquakes. Especially, the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident which was caused by the earthquake in 2011 has significantly increased the fear of people and the demand for the safety of the nuclear power plant. Thus, in order to prevent the earthquake accident at nuclear power plant, it is important to evaluate the fracture toughness considering the seismic loading rate. To obtain fracture toughness for the safety evaluation of nuclear power plant, it is desirable to perform experiments with a real scale pipe which is expensive and hard to perform. Therefore, many researchers have proposed various test specimens to replicate the fracture toughness of a real scale pipe. Since such specimens have several problems, the equivalent stress gradient (ESG) specimen has been recently suggested. In this study, in order to consider the effects of the dynamic loading speed on fracture toughness, the experiment was conducted by applying five different kinds of test speeds using an ESG specimen. In addition, after we performed the fracture toughness test under dynamic loading with different speeds using an ESG specimen and a standard specimen, we compared them with the test results under static loading.Keywords: dynamic loading speed, fracture toughness, load-ratio-method, equivalent stress gradient (ESG) specimen
Procedia PDF Downloads 31313096 Firm Performance and Stock Price in Nigeria
Authors: Tijjani Bashir Musa
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The recent global crisis which suddenly results to Nigerian stock market crash revealed some peculiarities of Nigerian firms. Some firms in Nigeria are performing but their stock prices are not increasing while some firms are at the brink of collapse but their stock prices are increasing. Thus, this study examines the relationship between firm performance and stock price in Nigeria. The study covered the period of 2005 to 2009. This period is the period of stock boom and also marked the period of stock market crash as a result of global financial meltdown. The study is a panel study. A total of 140 firms were sampled from 216 firms listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE). Data were collected from secondary source. These data were divided into four strata comprising the most performing stock, the least performing stock, most performing firms and the least performing firms. Each stratum contains 35 firms with characteristic of most performing stock, most performing firms, least performing stock and least performing firms. Multiple linear regression models were used to analyse the data while statistical/econometrics package of Stata 11.0 version was used to run the data. The study found that, relationship exists between selected firm performance parameters (operating efficiency, firm profit, earning per share and working capital) and stock price. As such firm performance gave sufficient information or has predictive power on stock prices movements in Nigeria for all the years under study.. The study recommends among others that Managers of firms in Nigeria should formulate policies and exert effort geared towards improving firm performance that will enhance stock prices movements.Keywords: firm, Nigeria, performance, stock price
Procedia PDF Downloads 48113095 Prediction of Flow Around a NACA 0015 Profile
Authors: Boukhadia Karima
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The fluid mechanics is the study of fluid motion laws and their interaction with solid bodies, this project leads to illustrate this interaction with depth studies and approved by experiments on the wind tunnel TE44, ensuring the efficiency, accuracy and reliability of these tests on a NACA0015 profile. A symmetric NACA0015 was placed in a subsonic wind tunnel, and measurements were made of the pressure on the upper and lower surface of the wing and of the velocity across the vortex trailing downstream from the tip of the wing. The aim of this work is to investigate experimentally the scattered pressure profile in a free airflow and the aerodynamic forces acting on this profile. The addition of around-lateral edge to the wing tip was found to eliminate the secondary vortex near the wing tip, but had little effect on the downstream characteristics of the trailing vortex. The increase in wing lift near the tip because of the presence of the trailing vortex was evident in the surface pressure, but was not captured by circulation-box measurements. The circumferential velocity within the vortex was found to reach free-stream values and produce core rotational speeds. Near the wing, the trailing vortex is asymmetric and contains definite zones where the stream wise velocity both exceeds and falls behind the free-stream value. When referenced to the free stream velocity, the maximum vertical velocity of the vortex is directly dependent on α and is independent of Re. A numerical study was conducted through a CFD code called FLUENT 6.0, and the results are compared with experimental.Keywords: CFD code, NACA Profile, detachment, angle of incidence, wind tunnel
Procedia PDF Downloads 41413094 Postoperative Emergence Delirium in Children: An Incomprehensible Scenario For Parents’
Authors: Jenny Ringblom, Marie Proczkowska, Laura Korhonen, Ingrid Wåhlin
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Background: Emergence delirium is a well-known behaviour of perceptual disturbances that may occur after general anaesthesia in children. Children with emergence delirium are often confused; they cry, are involuntarily physically active and are almost impossible to console. The prevalence varies considerably between about 13% and 53%. Research has mainly focused on how different medication accents affect the incidence of emergence delirium, but less is known about parents’ experiences of emergence delirium during the recovery process. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe parents’ experiences and reflections during their child's emergence delirium behaviour when recovering from anaesthesia. Method: The study has a qualitative design, and the data has been analyzed using thematic analysis. A total of 16 parents were interviewed at two county hospitals in Sweden. Results: When the parents reunited with their child at the recovering unit, they felt as if they were encountering an incomprehensible scenario. When watching their child demonstrating emergence delirium, they experienced fear and insecurity and had feelings of powerlessness and guilt. Information and previous experience turned out to offer relief and being seen by the healthcare staff when they, in their vulnerability, failed to reach or console their child gave hope and energy. Conclusion: Emergence delirium must be extensively considered in children undergoing general anaesthesia. Healthcare staff needs to be aware of the parental difficulties it may cause. There is also important to know what parents experience as relieving, such as receiving information and when staff members are being available, responsive and supportive during the wake-up period.Keywords: emergence delirium, experiences, pediatrics, parents, postoperative care
Procedia PDF Downloads 13313093 Bioremediation of Disposed X-Ray Film for Nanoparticles Production
Authors: Essam A. Makky, Siti H. Mohd Rasdi, J. B. Al-Dabbagh, G. F. Najmuldeen
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The synthesis of silver nano particles (SNPs) extensively studied by using chemical and physical methods. Here, the biological methods were used and give benefits in research field in the aspect of very low cost (from waste to wealth) and safe time as well. The study aims to isolate and exploit the microbial power in the production of industrially important by-products in nano-size with high economic value, to extract highly valuable materials from hazardous waste, to quantify nano particle size, and characterization of SNPs by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) analysis. Disposal X-ray films were used as substrate because it consumes about 1000 tons of total silver chemically produced worldwide annually. This silver is being wasted when these films are used and disposed. Different bacterial isolates were obtained from various sources. Silver was extracted as nano particles by microbial power degradation from disposal X-ray film as the sole carbon source for ten days incubation period in darkness. The protein content was done and all the samples were analyzed using XRD, to characterize of silver (Ag) nano particles size in the form of silver nitrite. Bacterial isolates CL4C showed the average size of SNPs about 19.53 nm, GL7 showed average size about 52.35 nm and JF Outer 2A (PDA) showed 13.52 nm. All bacterial isolates partially identified using Gram’s reaction and the results obtained exhibited that belonging to Bacillus sp.Keywords: nanotechnology, bioremediation, disposal X-ray film, nanoparticle, waste, XRD
Procedia PDF Downloads 48613092 Anxiety and Change in Eating Habits and Health Behaviors among Adult Women during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown in Alexandria, Egypt
Authors: Heba Ahmed Abdelaziz, Doaa Tawfik Mohamed Ibrahim
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Background: COVID-19 pandemic is the major health problem facing the world recently, causing variable effects on mental health and eating behavior. Aim of the study: Identifying changes in eating patterns and other health behaviors in relation to the anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in adult females in Alexandria, Egypt. Method: 344 adult females (20+ years old), were included in online self-administered questionnaire. Results: Severe anxiety symptoms was among 34.6% of the studied females especially; those aged 25-40 years, married, non-working or student females, females who had change in their work routine (half or full time from home). Homemade pastries and bakery product then beverages followed by fresh fruits and vegetables were frequently consumed by the studied females than before lockdown while fast foods were decreased during lockdown. Overweight and obesity were high among most of the participants with different grades of anxiety symptoms. Females with moderate and severe anxiety symptoms reported increase in appetite and body weight with irregular sleeping during lockdown. Conclusion: the current study concluded that stressful situations like lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic is associated with anxiety (severe, moderate, mild then minimal, respectively) along with changes in eating habits, physical activity, sleeping pattern and smoking.Keywords: COVID-19, lockdown, females, anxiety, eating, stress, lifestyle
Procedia PDF Downloads 19213091 Evaluation of PV Orientation Effect on Mismatch between Consumption Load and PV Power Profiles
Authors: Iyad M. Muslih, Yehya Abdellatif, Sara Qutishat
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Renewable energy and in particular solar photovoltaic energy is emerging as a reasonable power generation source. The intermittent and unpredictable nature of solar energy can represent a serious challenge to the utility grids, specifically at relatively high penetration. To minimize the impact of PV power systems on the grid, self-consumption is encouraged. Self-consumption can be improved by matching the PV power generation with the electrical load consumption profile. This study will focus in studying different load profiles and comparing them to typical solar PV power generation at the selected sites with the purpose of analyzing the mismatch in consumption load profile for different users; residential, commercial, and industrial versus the solar photovoltaic output generation. The PV array orientation can be adjusted to reduce the mismatch effects. The orientation shift produces a corresponding shift in the energy production curve. This shift has a little effect on the mismatch for residential loads due to the fact the peak load occurs at night due to lighting loads. This minor gain does not justify the power production loss associated with the orientation shift. The orientation shift for both commercial and industrial cases lead to valuable decrease in the mismatch effects. Such a design is worth considering for reducing grid penetration. Furthermore, the proposed orientation shift yielded better results during the summer time due to the extended daylight hours.Keywords: grid impact, HOMER, power mismatch, solar PV energy
Procedia PDF Downloads 60813090 Assessment of Transverse Abdominis Activation during Three Different Exercises in Low Back Pain Patients: Measurement with Real-Time Ultrasonography
Authors: Venus Pagare, Amit Kharat, Dhaval K. Thakkar, Tushar J. Palekar
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Introduction: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a major public health problem and is the leading musculoskeletal cause of disability. Altered neuromuscular control of core muscles, particulary transverses abdominis (TrA) is thought to be a contributing factor for the development of CLBP. Therefore, various exercises targeting the TrA are commonly incorporated into the rehabilitation. Objectives: To investigate the effects of 3 different core exercises on activation capacity of TrA muscle in individuals with CLBP as compared with healthy controls. Methodology: Thickness of TrA muscle was measured by ultrasound imaging in 30 patients with CLBP and 30 healthy controls. Measurements were taken during 3 different TrA activation exercises i.e Abdominal drawing in maneuver (ADIM), Abdominal drawing in with straight leg raise (ADSLR) and breathe hold at maximum expiration (ME). Thickness of the muscle at rest (at the end of normal tidal expiration) was taken as a baseline measure. Results: There was a significant difference between the healthy subjects and patients with low back pain with regard to the thickness of TrA at rest and thickness during contraction. ADIM produced a significant increase in the thickness of TrA compared to ADSLR and ME (p<0.001). Also, increase in thickness of TrA was more in the control group than patients with low back pain. Conclusion: CLBP patients exhibited atrophy of TrA muscle with delayed activation. Also, of the various core exercises, ADIM can be an effective method for activation of TrA.Keywords: LBP, CLBP, ADSLR, ADIM
Procedia PDF Downloads 31813089 Gingival Tissue Appearance Changes According Hormonal Oscillations at Female Patients
Authors: Ilma Robo, Saimir Heta, Vera Ostreni, Elsaida Agrushi, Eduart Kapaj
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Introduction: Cyclic hormonal fluctuations are known from literature to have a clinically visible effects on gingival tissue reactions, to the diagnosed processes of gingival inflammation. Materials and methods: At a total of 47 female patients, ad-hock presented at the University Clinic, were recorded data on effect of hormonal oscillations at periodontal treatment protocol. Oral examination was performed on soft tissue of gingiva and the oral mucous membrane, always respecting the air-drying procedure and then checking with free eye differences in oral mucosal relief. After the patients were informed about the study protocol, the purpose of the study and the ongoing procedure, verbal consensus was required. Results: The study was conducted in a total of 47 patients, out of which 13 patients were under the gingivitis classification, and 24 patients under the periodontal classification. Patients included in the study are divided by age, cycle week respectively 1,2,3 and 4.The younger age of female patients is more prone to the appearance of gingivitis, which is further aggravated by the effects of sexual hormones and the effect of the controlled or non-regulated fluctuations of the latter. Conclusions: The healing process is more fuel-intensive in the absence of high hormone levels, as they are these pro-inflammatory hormones, both in or near the ho Younger women are more open to volunteering in studies that record individual and study data that may last in time.Keywords: gingiva, hormonal oscillations, female patients, mucosa, periodontal non-surgical treatment
Procedia PDF Downloads 8413088 Development of Cationic Gelatin Nanoparticles as an Antigen-Carrier for Mucosal Immunization
Authors: Ping-Lun Jiang, Hung-Jun Lin, Shen-Fu Lin, Mei-Yin Chien, Ting-Wei Li, Chun-Han Lin, Der-Zen Liu
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Mucosal vaccine induces both mucosal (secretory IgA) and systemic immune responses and it is considered an ideal vaccination strategy for prevention of infectious diseases. One important point to be considered in mucosal vaccination is effective antigen delivery system which can manage effective delivery of antigen to antigen-presenting cells (APCs) of mucosal. In the present study, cationic gelatin nanoparticles were prepared as ideal carriers for more efficient antigen delivery. The average diameter of cationic gelatin nanoparticle was approximate 190 nm, and the zeta potential was about +45 mV, then ovalbumin (OVA) was physically absorbed onto cationic gelatin nanoparticle. The OVA absorption rate was near 95% the zeta potential was about +20 mV. We show that cationic gelatin nanoparticle effectively facilitated antigen uptake by mice bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (mBMDCs) and RAW264.7 cells and induced higher levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. C57BL/6 mice twice immunized intranasally with OVA-absorbed cationic gelatin nanoparticle induced high levels of OVA-specific IgG in the serum and IgA in their in the nasal and lung wash fluid. These results indicate that nasal administration of cationic gelatin nanoparticles induced both mucosal and systemic immune responses and cationic gelatin nanoparticles might be a potential antigen delivery carrier for further clinical applications.Keywords: antigen delivery, antigen-presenting cells, gelatin nanoparticle, mucosal vaccine
Procedia PDF Downloads 36213087 Modeling the Effect of Thermal Gradation on Steady-State Creep Behavior of Isotropic Rotating Disc Made of Functionally Graded Material
Authors: Tania Bose, Minto Rattan, Neeraj Chamoli
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In this paper, an attempt has been made to study the effect of thermal gradation on the steady-state creep behavior of rotating isotropic disc made of functionally graded material using threshold stress based Sherby’s creep law. The composite discs made of aluminum matrix reinforced with silicon carbide particulate have been taken for analysis. The stress and strain rate distributions have been calculated for the discs rotating at elevated temperatures having thermal gradation. The material parameters of creep vary radially and have been estimated by regression fit of the available experimental data. Investigations for discs made up of linearly increasing particle content operating under linearly decreasing temperature from inner to outer radii have been done using von Mises’ yield criterion. The results are displayed and compared graphically in designer friendly format for the above said disc profile with the disc made of particle reinforced composite operating under uniform temperature profile. It is observed that radial and tangential stresses show minor variation and the strain rates vary significantly in the presence of thermal gradation as compared to disc having uniform temperature.Keywords: creep, isotropic, steady-state, thermal gradation
Procedia PDF Downloads 23713086 Estimation of a Finite Population Mean under Random Non Response Using Improved Nadaraya and Watson Kernel Weights
Authors: Nelson Bii, Christopher Ouma, John Odhiambo
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Non-response is a potential source of errors in sample surveys. It introduces bias and large variance in the estimation of finite population parameters. Regression models have been recognized as one of the techniques of reducing bias and variance due to random non-response using auxiliary data. In this study, it is assumed that random non-response occurs in the survey variable in the second stage of cluster sampling, assuming full auxiliary information is available throughout. Auxiliary information is used at the estimation stage via a regression model to address the problem of random non-response. In particular, the auxiliary information is used via an improved Nadaraya-Watson kernel regression technique to compensate for random non-response. The asymptotic bias and mean squared error of the estimator proposed are derived. Besides, a simulation study conducted indicates that the proposed estimator has smaller values of the bias and smaller mean squared error values compared to existing estimators of finite population mean. The proposed estimator is also shown to have tighter confidence interval lengths at a 95% coverage rate. The results obtained in this study are useful, for instance, in choosing efficient estimators of the finite population mean in demographic sample surveys.Keywords: mean squared error, random non-response, two-stage cluster sampling, confidence interval lengths
Procedia PDF Downloads 14413085 Performance Management in Serbian Banks: Balanced Scorecard Approach
Authors: Nela Milosevic, Sladjana Barjaktarovic Rakocevic, Sladjana Benkovic, Nemanja Milanovic
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Nowadays, performance measurement systems play a key role in evaluating the strategic performances of an organization. On the other hand, there has been a shift towards the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), which has been recognized as a valuable managerial approach. The main goal of this paper is to analyze the main performances of Serbian banks measured at the branches level, through the usage of the Balanced Scorecard framework. Although an extensive number of practitioners have an interest in the Balanced Scorecard approach, little empirical research has been conducted on the implementation of its concept in the service sector like banks, especially within developing countries. From the beginning of August till the end of September 2015, authors have been conducting in-depth interviews among a number of experts from the most successful banks in Serbia. The results show that the non-financial measures, especially, customer oriented indicators and product/ service oriented indicators, seem to be very important factors for improving not only the financial situation within the bank, but also overall business performances. Additionally, the findings prove that there is the cause-effect relationship between non-financial and financial dimensions of the Balanced Scorecard. Having in mind that the banks are still using outdated performance evaluation systems, such as annual, quarterly and monthly reports, we hope that this paper will contribute to the knowledge of how banks in Serbia may apply the Balanced Scorecard approach to evaluate their performance on the most efficient and effective way.Keywords: balanced scorecard approach, bank management, performance measurement systems, strategic performances
Procedia PDF Downloads 34313084 The Role of Foreign Investment in Fostering Economic Growth in Post War Countries
Authors: Khadija Amin
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The significant contribution of foreign investment in promoting economic recovery, especially in countries recovering from conflict, is generally recognized. This study examines the influence of foreign investment on the economic development of countries that have had long-lasting internal conflicts. The study examines the complex correlation between foreign investment and economic progress using the production function framework based on endogenous growth theory. In addition to foreign investment, the research considers a range of factors that affect economic growth, such as trade dynamics, the spread of information, attempts to promote peace, changes in the labor market, and the accumulation of domestic capital. The study challenges common beliefs by revealing a statistically negligible negative association between GDP growth and foreign investment (FI) inflows in post-war economies. The existing literature highlights the positive impact of trade and foreign investment on economic growth. However, this study emphasizes that these impacts are complex and depend on various contextual factors such as trade policies, infrastructure development, domestic investment levels, human capital development, and macroeconomic stability. The results emphasize the crucial significance of foreign investment in stimulating development while also drawing attention to the intricacies of precisely assessing its economic consequences. Measuring the economic impact of foreign investment is a difficult task that requires detailed analysis considering many contextual elements and changing socioeconomic conditions.Keywords: economic grouths, foreign investment, trade policies, domestic investment
Procedia PDF Downloads 4313083 Child Trafficking for Adoption Purposes: A Study into the Criminogenic Factors of the German Intercountry Adoption System
Authors: Elvira Loibl
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In Western countries, the demand for adoptable children, especially healthy babies, has been considerably high for several years. Rising infertility rates, liberal abortion politics, the widespread use of contraception, and the increasing acceptance of unmarried motherhood are factors that have decreased the number of infants available for domestic adoption in the U.S. and Europe. As a consequence, many involuntarily childless couples turn to intercountry adoption as a viable alternative to have a child of their own. However, the demand for children far outpaces the supply of orphans with the desired characteristics. The imbalance between the number of prospective adopters and the children available for intercountry adoption results in long waiting lists and high prices. The inordinate sums of money involved in the international adoption system have created a commercial ‘underbelly’ where unethical and illicit practices are employed to provide the adoption market with adoptable children. Children are being purchased or abducted from their families, hospitals or child care institutions and then trafficked to receiving countries as ‘orphans’. This paper aims to uncover and explain the factors of the German adoption system that are conducive to child trafficking for adoption purposes. It explains that the tension between money and integrity as experienced by German adoption agencies, blind trust in the authorities in the sending countries as well as a lenient control system encourage and facilitate the trafficking in children to Germany.Keywords: child trafficking, intercountry adoption, market in adoptable babies, German adoption system
Procedia PDF Downloads 29613082 Wound Healing Potential and Comparison of Mummy Substance Effect on Adipose and Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Co-Cultured with Human Fibroblast
Authors: Sepideh Hassanpour Khodaei
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Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of mummy substances on two issues of proliferation and production of matrix protein synthesis in wound healing. Methods: The methodology used for this aim involves isolating mesenchymal stem cells and human fibroblasts procured at Pastor Institute, Iran. The cells were treated with mummy substances separately and co-cultured between ASCs and WJSCs, and fibroblasts. Proliferation was assessed by Ki67 method in monolayer conditions. Synthesis of components of extracellular matrix (ECM) such as collagen type I, type III, and fibronectin 1 (FN1) was determined by qPCR. Results: The effects of adipocyte stem cells (ASCs), Wharton Jelly Stem Cells (WJSCs), and Mummy material on fibroblast proliferation and migration were evaluated. The present finding underlined the importance of Mummy material, ASCs, and WJSCs in the proliferation and migration of fibroblast cells. Furthermore, the expression of collagen I, III, and FN1 was increased in the presence of the above material and cells. Conclusion: This study presented an effective in vitro method for the healing process. Hence, the prospect of utilizing Mummy material and stem cell-based therapies in wound healing as a therapeutic approach is promising.Keywords: mummy material, wound healing, adipose tissue, Wharton’s jelly
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