Search results for: soil density

Authors: Saima Sharif Nilla, Mahmudur Rahman Khan, Anisur Rahman Khan, Ghulam Mustafa1

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The microbial quality of Indian white shrimp (Peneaus indicus) from Bagerhat, Khulna and Satkhira of southwest Bangladesh was assessed where the parameters varied with different sources and the quality was found to be poor for Satkhira shrimp samples. Shrimp samples in fresh condition were collected to perform the microbial assessment and 10 pathogenic isolates for antibiotic sensitivity test to 12 antibiotics. The results show that total bacterial count of all the samples were beyond the acceptable limit 105 cfu/g. In case of total coliform and E. coli density, no substantial difference (p<0.5) was found between the different shrimp samples from different districts and also high quantity of TC exceeding the limit (>102 cfu/g) proves the poor quality of shrimp. The FC abundance found in shrimps of Bagerhat and Satkhira was similar and significantly higher (p<0.5) than that of Khulna samples. No significant difference (p<0.5) was found among the high density of Salmonella-Shigella, Vibrio spp., and Staphylococcus spp. of the shrimp samples from the source places. In case of antibiotic sensitivity patterns, all of them were resistant to ampicillin, Penicillin and sensitive to kanamycin. Most of the isolates were frequently sensitive to ciprofloxacin and streptomycin in the sensitivity test. In case of nutritional composition, no significant difference (t-test, p<0.05) was found among protein, lipid, moisture and ash contents of shrimp samples. The findings prove that shrimp under this study was more or less contaminated and samples from Satkhira were highly privileged with food borne pathogens which confirmed the unhygienic condition of the shrimp farms as well as the presence of antibiotic resistance bacteria in shrimp fish supposed to threat food safety and deteriorate the export quality.

Keywords: food borne pathogens, satkhira, penaeus indicus, antibiotic sensitivity, southwest Bangladesh, food safety

Procedia PDF Downloads 693

Authors: Mahsa Shafaei Bajestani, Mahmoud Yazdani, Aliakbar Golshani

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Artificial lightweight aggregates have a wide range of applications in industry and engineering. Nowadays, the usage of this material in geotechnical activities, especially as backfill in retaining walls has been growing due to the specific characteristics which make it a competent alternative to the conventional geotechnical materials. In practice, a material with lower weight but higher shear strength parameters would be ideal as backfill behind retaining walls because of the important roles that these parameters play in decreasing the overall active lateral earth pressure. In this study, two types of Light Expanded Clay Aggregates (LECA) produced in the Leca factory are investigated. LECA is made in a rotary kiln by heating natural clay at different temperatures up to 1200 °C making quasi-spherical aggregates with different sizes ranged from 0 to 25 mm. The loose bulk density of these aggregates is between 300 and 700 kN/m³. The purpose of this research is to determine the stress-strain behavior, shear strength parameters, and the energy absorption of LECA materials. Direct shear tests were conducted at five normal stresses of 25, 50, 75, 100, and 200 kPa. In addition, conventional triaxial compression tests were operated at confining pressures of 50, 100, and 200 kPa to examine stress-strain behavior. The experimental results show a high internal angle of friction and even a considerable amount of nominal cohesion despite the granular structure of LECA. These desirable properties along with the intrinsic low density of these aggregates make LECA as a very proper material in geotechnical applications. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that lightweight aggregates may have high energy absorption that is excellent alternative material in seismic isolations.

Keywords: expanded clay, direct shear test, triaxial test, shear properties, energy absorption

Procedia PDF Downloads 146

Authors: Qin Zhu

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Under the background of accelerating the construction of Beautiful and Livable Park City in Chengdu, the Tianfu greenway system, as an important support system for the construction of parks in the whole region, its accessibility is one of the key indicators to measure the effectiveness of the greenway construction. In recent years, cycling has become an important transportation mode for residents to go to the greenways because of its low-carbon, healthy and convenient characteristics, and the study of greenway accessibility under cycling mode can provide reference suggestions for the optimization and improvement of greenways. Taking Jincheng Greenway in Chengdu City as an example, the Baidu Map Application Programming Interface (API) and questionnaire survey was used to improve the two-step floating catchment area (2SFCA) method from the three dimensions of search threshold, supply side and demand side, to calculate the cycling accessibility of the greenway and to explore the spatial matching relationship with the population density, the number of entrances and the comprehensive attractiveness. The results show that: 1) the distribution of greenway accessibility in Jincheng shows a pattern of "high in the south and low in the north, high in the west and low in the east", 2) the spatial match between greenway accessibility and population density of the residential area is imbalanced, and there is a significant positive correlation between accessibility and the number of selectable greenway access points in residential areas, as well as the overall attractiveness of greenways, with a high degree of match. On this basis, it is proposed to give priority to the mismatch area to alleviate the contradiction between supply and demand, optimize the greenway access points to improve the traffic connection, enhance the comprehensive quality of the greenway and strengthen the service capacity, to further improve the cycling accessibility of the Jincheng Greenway and improve the spatial allocation of greenway resources.

Keywords: accessibility, Baidu maps API, cycling, greenway, 2SFCA

Procedia PDF Downloads 64

Authors: Mogens Saberi

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This paper presents different design approaches for the design of turbine foundations. In the design process, several unknown factors must be considered such as the soil stiffness at the site. The main static and dynamic loads are presented and the results of a dynamic simulation are presented for a turbine foundation that is currently being built. A turbine foundation is an important part of a power plant since a non-optimal behavior of the foundation can damage the turbine itself and thereby stop the power production with large consequences.

Keywords: dynamic turbine design, harmonic response analysis, practical turbine design experience, concrete foundation

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Authors: Sundaram Chandrasekaran, Seung Hyun Hur

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Exploring strategies for oxygen vacancy engineering under mild conditions and understanding the relationship between dislocations and photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell performance are challenging issues for designing high performance PEC devices. Therefore, it is very important to understand that how the oxygen vacancies (VO) or other defect states affect the performance of the photocatalyst in photoelectric transfer. So far, it has been found that defects in nano or micro crystals can have two possible significances on the PEC performance. Firstly, an electron-hole pair produced at the interface of photoelectrode and electrolyte can recombine at the defect centers under illumination of light, thereby reducing the PEC performances. On the other hand, the defects could lead to a higher light absorption in the longer wavelength region and may act as energy centers for the water splitting reaction that can improve the PEC performances. Even if the dislocation growth of ZnO has been verified by the full density functional theory (DFT) calculations and local density approximation calculations (LDA), it requires further studies to correlate the structures of ZnO and PEC performances. Exploring the hybrid structures composed of graphene oxide (GO) and ZnO nanostructures offer not only the vision of how the complex structure form from a simple starting materials but also the tools to improve PEC performances by understanding the underlying mechanisms of mutual interactions. As there are few studies for the ZnO growth with other materials and the growth mechanism in those cases has not been clearly explored yet, it is very important to understand the fundamental growth process of nanomaterials with the specific materials, so that rational and controllable syntheses of efficient ZnO-based hybrid materials can be designed to prepare nanostructures that can exhibit significant PEC performances. Herein, we fabricated various ZnO nanostructures such as hollow sphere, bucky bowl, nanorod and triangle, investigated their pH dependent growth mechanism, and correlated the PEC performances with them. Especially, the origin of well-controlled dislocation-driven growth and its transformation mechanism of ZnO nanorods to triangles on the GO surface were discussed in detail. Surprisingly, the addition of GO during the synthesis process not only tunes the morphology of ZnO nanocrystals and also creates more oxygen vacancies (oxygen defects) in the lattice of ZnO, which obviously suggest that the oxygen vacancies be created by the redox reaction between GO and ZnO in which the surface oxygen is extracted from the surface of ZnO by the functional groups of GO. On the basis of our experimental and theoretical analysis, the detailed mechanism for the formation of specific structural shapes and oxygen vacancies via dislocation, and its impact in PEC performances are explored. In water splitting performance, the maximum photocurrent density of GO-ZnO triangles was 1.517mA/cm-2 (under UV light ~ 360 nm) vs. RHE with high incident photon to current conversion Efficiency (IPCE) of 10.41%, which is the highest among all samples fabricated in this study and also one of the highest IPCE reported so far obtained from GO-ZnO triangular shaped photocatalyst.

Keywords: dislocation driven growth, zinc oxide, graphene oxide, water splitting

Procedia PDF Downloads 276

Authors: Zhanat Umarova

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Until the present time, modeling of the pores form influence on the hydraulic resistance of membranes and their permeability has not been analyzed. The aim of the given work is the theoretical consideration of the issue on the productivity of polymer membranes with the profile pores and determination of the optimum form of pores.

Keywords: modeling, polymer membranes, permeability, pore’s density

Procedia PDF Downloads 380

Authors: Ehsan Pegah, Huabei Liu

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Characterizing the deformation properties of fill materials in a wide stress range always has been an important issue in geotechnical engineering. The hyperbolic Duncan-Chang model is a very popular model of stress-strain relationship that captures the nonlinear deformation of granular geomaterials in a very tractable manner. It consists of a particular set of the model parameters, which are generally measured from an extensive series of laboratory triaxial tests. This practice is both time-consuming and costly, especially in large projects. In addition, undesired effects caused by soil disturbance during the sampling procedure also may yield a large degree of uncertainty in the results. Accordingly, non-invasive geophysical seismic approaches may be utilized as the appropriate alternative surveys for measuring the model parameters based on the seismic wave velocities. To this end, the conventional seismic refraction profiles were carried out in the test sites with the granular fill materials to collect the seismic waves information. The acquired shot gathers are processed, from which the P- and S-wave velocities can be derived. The P-wave velocities are extracted from the Seismic Refraction Tomography (SRT) technique while S-wave velocities are obtained by the Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) method. The velocity values were then utilized with the equations resulting from the rigorous theories of elasticity and soil mechanics to evaluate the Duncan-Chang model parameters. The derived parameters were finally compared with those from laboratory tests to validate the reliability of the results. The findings of this study may confidently serve as the useful references for determination of nonlinear deformation parameters of granular fill geomaterials. Those are environmentally friendly and quite economic, which can yield accurate results under the actual in-situ conditions using the surface seismic methods.

Keywords: Duncan-Chang deformation parameters, granular fill materials, seismic waves velocity, multichannel analysis of surface waves, seismic refraction tomography

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Authors: P. Selyshchev

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We consider fluctuations of defects density taking into account their interaction. Stochastic field of displacement generation rate gives random defect distribution. We determinate statistical characteristics (mean and dispersion) of random field of point defect distribution as function of defect generation parameters, temperature and properties of irradiated crystal.

Keywords: irradiation, primary defects, interaction, fluctuations

Procedia PDF Downloads 328

Authors: Noha Mohammed Ismael Awad Eladal, Aala Shoukry Emara

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Background: Wound healing after dental implant surgery is critical to the procedure's success. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of rutin+vitamin C supplementation in wound healing following the placement of dental implants. Methodology: There were 20 participants in this randomized controlled clinical trial who needed dental implants to replace missing teeth. Patients were divided into two groups, and group A received dental implants. Group B received dental implants with vitamin C administration. Follow-up appointments were performed on day 3, day 7, and day 14 post-surgery, during which soft tissue healing and pain response scores were evaluated using the visual analog scale. Postoperative digital panoramas were taken immediately after surgery, 3 months and 6 months postoperatively. Changes in bone density along with the bone-implant interface at the mesial, distal and apical sides were assessed using the digora software. Results: An independent t-test was used to compare the means of variables between the two groups. At the same time, repeated measures were employed to compare the means of variables between two groups. ANOVA was used to compare bone density for the same group at different dates. Significant increased differences were observed at the mesial, distal and apical sides Surrounding the implants of both groups per time. However, the rate of increase was significantly higher in group B The mean difference at the mesial side after 6 months was 21.99 ± 5.48 in the group B and 14.21 ± 4.95 in group A, while it read 21.74 ± 3.56 in the group B and 10.78 ± 3.90 in group A at the distal side and was 18.90 ± 5.91 in the group B and 10.39 ± 3.49 group A at the apical side. Significance was recorded at P = 0.004, P = 0.0001, and 0.001 at the mesial, distal and apical sides respectively. The mean pain score and wound healing were significantly higher in group A as compared to group B, respectively. Conclusion: The rutin c + vitamin c group significantly promoted bone healing and speeded up the osseointegration process and improved soft tissue healing.

Keywords: osseointegration, soft tissue, rutin c, dental implant

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: Valerii Dashuk

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The usage of the confidence intervals in economics and econometrics is widespread. To be able to investigate a random variable more thoroughly, joint tests are applied. One of such examples is joint mean-variance test. A new approach for testing such hypotheses and constructing confidence sets is introduced. Exploring both the value of the random variable and its deviation with the help of this technique allows checking simultaneously the shift and the probability of that shift (i.e., portfolio risks). Another application is based on the normal distribution, which is fully defined by mean and variance, therefore could be tested using the introduced approach. This method is based on the difference of probability density functions. The starting point is two sets of normal distribution parameters that should be compared (whether they may be considered as identical with given significance level). Then the absolute difference in probabilities at each 'point' of the domain of these distributions is calculated. This measure is transformed to a function of cumulative distribution functions and compared to the critical values. Critical values table was designed from the simulations. The approach was compared with the other techniques for the univariate case. It differs qualitatively and quantitatively in easiness of implementation, computation speed, accuracy of the critical region (theoretical vs. real significance level). Stable results when working with outliers and non-normal distributions, as well as scaling possibilities, are also strong sides of the method. The main advantage of this approach is the possibility to extend it to infinite-dimension case, which was not possible in the most of the previous works. At the moment expansion to 2-dimensional state is done and it allows to test jointly up to 5 parameters. Therefore the derived technique is equivalent to classic tests in standard situations but gives more efficient alternatives in nonstandard problems and on big amounts of data.

Keywords: confidence set, cumulative distribution function, hypotheses testing, normal distribution, probability density function

Procedia PDF Downloads 166

Authors: Nora Mohammed Al-Kehayez

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This present investigation was performed to study the effect of low fat yogurt on serum and liver lipids profile of male albino rats (weighing 100 g+or- 5 gram) when fed balanced or high fat high cholesterol diets and given yogurt ad libitum compared with control groups. Rats were divided into 4 groups, each group contains 6 rats. The groups of rats were fed as follows: Group(1) was fed balanced diet + water(control). Group(2) was fed balanced diet + low fat yogurt. Group(3) was fed high fat high cholesterol diet + water(Control). Group(4) was fed high fat high cholesterol diet + low fat yogurt. The obtained results could be summarized as follows: When rats were given low fat yogurt and fed balanced or high fat high cholesterol diets a significantly greater weight gains resulted in comparison with the control groups given water instead of yogurt. The data on the weights of liver and heart expressed' as percentage increased the body weight in case of rats which were fed balanced diet with low fat yogurt while in case of rats which were fed high fat high cholesterol diet with low fat yogurt the increment scenes to be less. Results of serum cholesterol levels in serum of rats were given balanced or high fat high cholesterol diets and consuming low fat yogurt was showed a significant reduction values. However the low fat yogurt produced the highest significant decrease values. The values of serum cholesterol go hand in hand with serum lipoprotein fractions in rats given low fat yogurt with both balanced or high fat high cholesterol diets. An increase of high density lipoprotein HDL-C and a decrease of low density lipoprotein LDL-C values were obtained. When rats ingested low fat yogurt a significant decrease in serum and liver triglycerides content was obtained wether with balanced or high fat high cholesterol diets. Rats consuming high fat high cholesterol diets with water showed a significant increase in liver total lipids, total cholesterol and phospholipides levels in comparison with the same liver parameters in rats given balanced diet with water. Supplement with low fat yogurt significantly suppressed these effects.

Keywords: yogurt, lipids profile, albino, rats

Procedia PDF Downloads 401

Authors: Diego F. Carrillo-González, Milena Osorio, Natalia M. Cerro, Yasser Y. Lenis

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Introduction: mortality during the implantation and early embryonic development periods reach around 30% in different mammalian species. It has been described that progesterone (P4) and Arginine (Arg) play a beneficial role in establishing and maintaining early pregnancy in mammals. The combined effect between Arg and P4 on reproductive parameters in the rabbit species is not yet elucidated, to our best knowledge. Objective: to assess the effect of L-arginine and progesterone during the post-breeding period in female rabbits on the composition of the amniotic fluid, the placental structure, and the bone growth in their fetuses. Methods: crossbred female rabbits (n=16) were randomly distributed into four experimental groups (Ctrl, Arg, P4, and Arg+P4). In the control group, 0.9% saline solution was administered as a placebo, the Arg group was administered arginine (50 mg/kg BW) from day 4.5 to day 19 post-breeding, the P4 group was administered progesterone (Gestavec®, 1.5 mg/kg BW) from 24 hours to day 4 post-breeding and for the Arg+P4 group, an administration was performed under the same time and dose guidelines as the Arg and P4 treatments. Four females were sacrificed, and the amniotic fluid was collected and analyzed with rapid urine test strips, while the placenta and fetuses were processed in the laboratory to obtain histological plates. The percentage of deciduous, labyrinthine, and junctional zones was determined, and the length of the femur for each fetus was measured as an indicator of growth. Descriptive statistics were applied to identify the success rates for each of the tests. Afterwards, A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed, and a comparison of means was conducted by Tukey's test. Results: a higher density (p<0.05) was observed in the amniotic fluid for fetuses in the control group (1022±2.5g/mL) compared to the P4 (1015±5.3g/mL) and Arg+P4 (1016±4,9g/mL) groups. Additionally, the density of amniotic fluid in the Arg group (1021±2.5g/mL) was higher (p<0.05) than in the P4 group. The concentration of protein, glucose, and ascorbic acid had no statistical difference between treatments (p>0.05). The histological analysis of the uteroplacental regions, a statistical difference (p<0,05) in the proportion of deciduous zone was found between the P4 group (9.6±2.6%) when compared with the Ctrl (28.15±12.3%), and Arg+P4 (26.3±4.9) groups. In the analysis of the fetuses, the weight was higher for the Arg group (2.69±0.18), compared to the other groups (p<0.05), while a shorter length was observed (p<0.05) in the fetuses for the Arg+P4 group (25.97±1.17). However, no difference (p>0.05) was found when comparing the length of the developing femurs between the experimental groups. Conclusion: the combination of L-arginine and progesterone allows a reduction in the density of amniotic fluid, without affecting the protein, energy, and antioxidant components. However, the use of L-arginine stimulates weight gain in fetuses, without affecting size, which could be used to improve production parameters in rabbit production systems. In addition, the modification in the deciduous zone could show a placental adaptation based on the fetal growth process, however more specific studies on the placentation process are required.

Keywords: arginine, progesterone, rabbits, reproduction

Procedia PDF Downloads 71

Authors: Ion Robu, Claudiu Mazilu, Radu Deju

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Natural aggregates (gravel and crushed) are essential non-renewable resources which are used for infrastructure works and civil engineering. In European Union member states from Southeast Europe, it is estimated that the construction industry will grow by 4.2% thereafter complicating aggregate supply management. In addition, a significant additional problem that can be associated to the aggregates industry is wasting potential resources through waste dumping of inert waste, especially waste from construction and demolition activities. In 2012, in Romania, less than 10% of construction and demolition waste (including concrete) are valorized, while the European Union requires that by 2020 this proportion should be at least 70% (Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, transposed into Romanian legislation by Law 211/2011). Depending on the efficiency of waste processing and the quality of recycled aggregate concrete (RCA) obtained, poor quality aggregate can be used as foundation material for roads and at the high quality for new concrete on construction. To obtain good quality concrete using recycled aggregate is necessary to meet the minimum requirements defined by the rules for the manufacture of concrete with natural aggregate. Properties of recycled aggregate (density, granulosity, granule shape, water absorption, weight loss to Los Angeles test, attached mortar content etc.) are the basis for concrete quality; also establishing appropriate proportions between components and the concrete production methods are extremely important for its quality. This paper presents a study on the use of recycled aggregates, from a concrete of specified class, to acquire new cement concrete with different percentages of recycled aggregates. To achieve recycled aggregates several batches of concrete class C16/20, C25/30 and C35/45 were made, the compositions calculation being made according NE012/2007 CP012/2007. Tests for producing recycled aggregate was carried out using concrete samples of the established three classes after 28 days of storage under the above conditions. Cubes with 150mm side were crushed in a first stage with a jaw crusher Liebherr type set at 50 mm nominally. The resulting material was separated by sieving on granulometric sorts and 10-50 sort was used for preliminary tests of crushing in the second stage with a jaw crusher BB 200 Retsch model, respectively a hammer crusher Buffalo Shuttle WA-12-H model. It was highlighted the influence of the type of crusher used to obtain recycled aggregates on granulometry and granule shape and the influence of the attached mortar on the density, water absorption, behavior to the Los Angeles test etc. The proportion of attached mortar was determined and correlated with provenance concrete class of the recycled aggregates and their granulometric sort. The aim to characterize the recycled aggregates is their valorification in new concrete used in construction. In this regard have been made a series of concrete in which the recycled aggregate content was varied from 0 to 100%. The new concrete were characterized by point of view of the change in the density and compressive strength with the proportion of recycled aggregates. It has been shown that an increase in recycled aggregate content not necessarily mean a reduction in compressive strength, quality of the aggregate having a decisive role.

Keywords: recycled concrete aggregate, characteristics, recycled aggregate concrete, properties

Procedia PDF Downloads 195

Authors: BoSheng Liu

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The research goal is to re-image a locally-sourced waste product as abuilding material. The author aims to contribute to the compressed stabilized earth block (CSEB) by investigating the promising role of dredged material as an alternative building ingredient in the production of bricks and tiles. Dredged material comes from the sediment deposited near the shore or downstream, where the water current velocity decreases. This sediment needs to be dredged to provide water transportation; thus, there are mounds of the dredged material stored at bay. It is the interest of this research to reduce the filtered un-organic soil in the production of CSEB and replace it with locally dredged material from the Atchafalaya River in Morgan City, Louisiana. Technology and mechanical innovations have evolved the traditional adobe production method, which mixes the soil and natural fiber into molded bricks, into chemically stabilized CSEB made by compressing the clay mixture and stabilizer in a compression chamber with particular loads. In the case of dredged material CSEB (DM-CSEB), cement plays an essential role as the bending agent contributing to the unit strength while sustaining the filtered un-organic soil. Each DM-CSEB unit is made in a compression chamber with 580 PSI (i.e., 4 MPa) force. The research studied the cement content from 5% to 10% along with the range of dredged material mixtures, which differed from 20% to 80%. The material mixture content affected the DM-CSEB's strength and workability during and after its compression. Results indicated two optimal workabilities of the mixture: 27% fine clay content and 63% dredged material with 10% cement, or 28% fine clay content, and 67% dredged material with 5% cement. The final product of DM-CSEB emitted between 10 to 13 times fewer carbon emissions compared to the conventional fired masonry structure. DM-CSEB satisfied the strength requirement given by the ASTM C62 and ASTM C34 standards for construction material. One of the final evaluations tested and validated the material performance by designing and constructing an architectural, conical tile-vault prototype that was 28" by 40" by 24." The vault utilized a computational form-finding approach to generate the form's geometry, which optimized the correlation between the vault geometry and structural load distribution. A series of scaffolding was deployed to create the framework for the tile-vault construction. The final tile-vault structure was made from 2 layers of DM-CSEB tiles jointed by mortar, and the construction of the structure used over 110 tiles. The tile-vault prototype was capable of carrying over 400 lbs of live loads, which further demonstrated the dredged material feasibility as a construction material. The presented case study of Dredged Material Compressed Stabilized Earth Block (DM-CSEB) provides the first impression of dredged material in the clayey mixture process, structural performance, and construction practice. Overall, the approach of integrating dredged material in building material can be feasible, regionally sourced, cost-effective, and environment-friendly.

Keywords: dredged material, compressed stabilized earth block, tile-vault, regionally sourced, environment-friendly

Procedia PDF Downloads 99

Authors: Kim H. K. Choy, Oliva H. K. Chu, W. Y. Keung, B. Lim, Winnie P. Y. Tang

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Background: The prevalence of workplace obesity is rising worldwide; therefore, the workplace is an ideal venue to implement weight control intervention. This pilot randomized controlled trial aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a nutritional wellness program for obese health care providers working in a hospital. Methods: This hospital-based nutritional wellness program was an 8-week pilot randomized controlled trial for obese health care providers. The primary outcomes were body weight and body mass index (BMI). The secondary outcomes were serum fasting glucose, fasting cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density (HDL) and low-density (LDL) lipoprotein, body fat percentage, and body mass. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 20) or control (n = 22) group. Participants in both groups received individual nutrition counselling and nutrition pamphlets, whereas only participants in the intervention group were given mobile phone text messages. Results: 42 participants completed the study. In comparison with the control group, the intervention group showed approximately 0.98 kg weight reduction after two months. Participants in intervention group also demonstrated clinically significant improvement in BMI, serum cholesterol level, and HDL level. There was no improvement of body fat percentage and body mass for both intervention and control groups. Conclusion: The nutritional wellness program for obese health care providers was feasible in hospital settings. Health care providers demonstrated short-term weight loss, decrease in serum fasting cholesterol level, and HDL level after completing the program.

Keywords: weight management, weight control, health care providers, hospital

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Authors: L. Shafiq, A. Rigby

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All polyethylene processes are highly exothermic, and the safe removal of the heat of reaction is a fundamental issue in the process design. In slurry and gas processes, the velocity of the polymer particles in the reactor and external coolers can be very high, and under certain conditions, this can lead to static charging of these particles. Such static charged polymer particles may start building up on the reactor wall, limiting heat transfer, and ultimately leading to severe reactor fouling and forced reactor shut down. Statsafe™ is an FDA approved anti-fouling additive currently used around the world for polyolefin production as an anti-fouling additive. The unique polymer chemistry aids static discharge, which prevents the build-up of charged polyolefin particles, which could lead to fouling. Statsafe™ is being used and trailed in gas, slurry, and a combination of these technologies around the world. We will share data to demonstrate how the use of Statsafe™ allows more stable operation at higher solids level by eliminating static, which would otherwise prevent closer packing of particles in the hydrocarbon slurry. Because static charge generation depends also on the concentration of polymer particles in the slurry, the maximum slurry concentration can be higher when using Statsafe™, leading to higher production rates. The elimination of fouling also leads to less downtime. Special focus will be made on the impact anti-static additives have on catalyst performance within the polymerization process and how this has been measured. Lab-scale studies have investigated the effect on the activity of Ziegler Natta catalysts when anti-static additives are used at various concentrations in gas and slurry, polyethylene and polypropylene processes. An in-depth gas phase study investigated the effect of additives on the final polyethylene properties such as particle size, morphology, fines, bulk density, melt flow index, gradient density, and melting point.

Keywords: anti-static additives, catalyst performance, FDA approved anti-fouling additive, polymerisation

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Authors: Niharika Keot, Manabendra Sarma

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A thorough investigation of Ln3+ complexes with more than one inner-sphere water molecule is crucial for designing high relaxivity contrast agents (CAs) used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This study accomplished a comparative stability analysis of two hexadentate (H3cbda and H3dpaa) and two heptadentate (H4peada and H3tpaa) ligands with Ln3+ ions. The higher stability of the hexadentate H3cbda and heptadentate H4peada ligands has been confirmed by the binding affinity and Gibbs free energy analysis in aqueous solution. In addition, energy decomposition analysis (EDA) reveals the higher binding affinity of the peada4− ligand than the cbda3− ligand towards Ln3+ ions due to the higher charge density of the peada4− ligand. Moreover, a mechanistic overview of water exchange kinetics has been carried out based on the strength of the metal–water bond. The strength of the metal–water bond follows the trend Gd–O47 (w) > Gd–O39 (w) > Gd–O36 (w) in the case of the tris-aquated [Gd(cbda)(H2O)3] and Gd–O43 (w) > Gd–O40 (w) for the bis-aquated [Gd(peada)(H2O)2]− complex, which was confirmed by bond length, electron density (ρ), and electron localization function (ELF) at the corresponding bond critical points. Our analysis also predicts that the activation energy barrier decreases with the decrease in bond strength; hence kex increases. The 17O and 1H hyperfine coupling constant values of all the coordinated water molecules were different, calculated by using the second-order Douglas–Kroll–Hess (DKH2) approach. Furthermore, the ionic nature of the bonding in the metal–ligand (M–L) bond was confirmed by the Quantum Theory of Atoms-In-Molecules (QTAIM) and ELF along with energy decomposition analysis (EDA). We hope that the results can be used as a basis for the design of highly efficient Gd(III)-based high relaxivity MRI contrast agents for medical applications.

Keywords: MRI contrast agents, lanthanide chemistry, thermodynamic stability, water exchange kinetics

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Authors: Neha Devi, P. K. Joshi

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Fire fuel map is one of the most critical factors for planning and managing the fire hazard and risk. One of the most significant forms of global disturbance, impacting community dynamics, biogeochemical cycles and local and regional climate across a wide range of ecosystems ranging from boreal forests to tropical rainforest is wildfire Assessment of fire danger is a function of forest type, fuelwood stock volume, moisture content, degree of senescence and fire management strategy adopted in the ground. Remote sensing has potential of reduction the uncertainty in mapping fuels. Hyperspectral remote sensing is emerging to be a very promising technology for wildfire fuels characterization. Fine spectral information also facilitates mapping of biophysical and chemical information that is directly related to the quality of forest fire fuels including above ground live biomass, canopy moisture, etc. We used Hyperion imagery acquired in February, 2016 and analysed four fuel characteristics using Hyperion sensor data on-board EO-1 satellite, acquired over the Shiwalik Himalayas covering the area of Champawat, Uttarakhand state. The main objective of this study was to present an overview of methodologies for mapping fuel properties using hyperspectral remote sensing data. Fuel characteristics analysed include fuel biomass, fuel moisture, and fuel condition and fuel type. Fuel moisture and fuel biomass were assessed through the expression of the liquid water bands. Fuel condition and type was assessed using green vegetation, non-photosynthetic vegetation and soil as Endmember for spectral mixture analysis. Linear Spectral Unmixing, a partial spectral unmixing algorithm, was used to identify the spectral abundance of green vegetation, non-photosynthetic vegetation and soil.

Keywords: forest fire fuel, Hyperion, hyperspectral, linear spectral unmixing, spectral mixture analysis

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Authors: Bipin Popat Sonawane

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After 1988 Electron muon Collaboration (EMC) announcement of measurement of spin dependent structure function, it has been found that it has become a need to understand spin structure of a hadron. In the study of three-dimensional spin structure of a proton, we need to understand the foundation of quantum field theory in terms of electro-weak and strong theories using rigorous mathematical theories and models. In the process of understanding the inner dynamical stricture of proton we need understand the mathematical formalism in perturbative quantum chromodynamics (pQCD). In QCD processes like proton-proton collision at high energy we calculate cross section using conventional collinear factorization schemes. In this calculations, parton distribution functions (PDFs) and fragmentation function are used which provide the information about probability density of finding quarks and gluons ( partons) inside the proton and probability density of finding final hadronic state from initial partons. In transverse momentum dependent (TMD) PDFs and FFs, collectively called as TMDs, take an account for intrinsic transverse motion of partons. The TMD factorization in the calculation of cross sections provide a scheme of hadronic and partonic states in the given QCD process. In this study we review Transverse Momentum Dependent (TMD) factorization scheme using Collins-Soper-Sterman (CSS) Formalism. CSS formalism considers the transverse momentum dependence of the partons, in this formalism the cross section is written as a Fourier transform over a transverse position variable which has physical interpretation as impact parameter. Along with this we compare this formalism with improved CSS formalism. In this work we study the TMD evolution schemes and their comparison with other schemes. This would provide description in the process of measurement of transverse single spin asymmetry (TSSA) in hadro-production and electro-production of J/psi meson at RHIC, LHC, ILC energy scales. This would surely help us to understand J/psi production mechanism which is an appropriate test of QCD.

Keywords: QCD, PDF, TMD, CSS

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Authors: Bahieddine. Bouabdellah, Benameur. Amiri, Abdelkader.nouri

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Europium-doped gallium nitride (EuGaN) is a promising material for optoelectronic and thermoelectric devices. This study investigates its optical properties using density functional theory (DFT) with the FP-LAPW method and MBJ+U correction. The simulation substitutes a gallium atom with europium in a hexagonal GaN lattice (6% doping). Distinct absorption peaks are observed in the optical analysis. These results highlight EuGaN's potential for various applications and pave the way for further research on rare earth-doped materials.

Keywords: eugan, fp-lapw, dft, wien2k, mbj hubbard

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Authors: Martins A. Adefisoye, Mpaka Lindelwa, Fadare Folake, Anthony I. Okoh

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Evolution and rapid dissemination of antibiotic resistance from one ecosystem to another has been responsible for wide-scale epidemic and endemic spreads of multi-drug resistance pathogens. This study assessed the prevalence of Enterobacteriaceae in different environmental samples, including river water, hospital effluents, abattoir wastewater, animal rectal swabs and faecal droppings, soil, and vegetables, using standard microbiological procedure. The identity of the isolates were confirmed using matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrophotometry (MALDI-TOF) while the isolates were profiled for resistance against a panel of 16 antibiotics using disc diffusion (DD) test, and the occurrence of resistance genes (ARG) was determined by polymerase chain reactions (PCR). Enterobacteriaceae counts in the samples range as follows: river water 4.0 × 101 – 2.0 × 104 cfu/100 ml, hospital effluents 1.5 × 103 – 3.0 × 107 cfu/100 ml, municipal wastewater 2.3 × 103 – 9.2 × 104 cfu/100 ml, faecal droppings 3.0 × 105 – 9.5 × 106 cfu/g, animal rectal swabs 3.0 × 102 – 2.9 × 107 cfu/ml, soil 0 – 1.2 × 105 cfu/g and vegetables 0 – 2.2 × 107 cfu/g. Of the 700 randomly selected presumptive isolates subjected to MALDI-TOF analysis, 129 (18.4%), 68 (9.7%), 67 (9.5%), 41 (5.9%) were E. coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., and Citrobacter spp. respectively while the remaining isolates belong to other genera not targeted in the study. The DD test shows resistance ranging between 91.6% (175/191) for cefuroxime and (15.2%, 29/191) for imipenem The predominant multiple antibiotic resistance phenotypes (MARP), (GM-AUG-AP-CTX-CXM-CIP-NOR-NI-C-NA-TS-T-DXT) occurred in 9 Klebsiella isolates. The multiple antibiotic resistance indices (MARI) the isolates (range 0.17–1.0) generally showed >95% had MARI above the 0.2 thresholds, suggesting that most of the isolates originate from high-risk environments with high antibiotic use and high selective pressure for the emergence of resistance. The associated ARG in the isolates include: bla TEM 61.9 (65), bla SHV 1.9 (2), bla OXA 8.6 (9), CTX-M-2 8.6 (9), CTX-M-9 6.7 (7), sul 2 26.7 (28), tet A 16.2 (17), tet M 17.1 (18), aadA 59.1 (62), strA 34.3 (36), aac(3)A 19.1 (20), (aa2)A 7.6 (8), and aph(3)-1A 10.5 (11). The results underscore the need for preventative measures to curb the proliferation of antibiotic-resistant bacteria including Enterobacteriaceae to protect public health.

Keywords: enterobacteriaceae, antibiotic-resistance, MALDI-TOF, resistance genes, MARP, MARI, public health

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Authors: Vaibhav Baliyan, Shweta Mehrotra, S. S. Parihar

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The agricultural productivity is challenged by climate change and depletion in natural resources, including water and land, which significantly affects the crop yield. Wheat is a thermo-sensitive crop and is prone to heat stress. High temperature decreases crop duration, yield attributes, and, subsequently, grain yield and biomass production. Terminal heat stress affects grain filling duration, grain yield, and yield attributes, thus causing a reduction in wheat yield. A field experiment was conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, for two consecutive rabi seasons (2017-18 and 2018-19) on six varieties of wheat (early sown - HD 2967, HD 3086, HD 2894 and late sown - WR 544, HD 3059, HD 3117 ) with three moisture regimes (100%, 80%, and 60% ETc, and no irrigation) and six sowing dates in three replications to investigate the effect of different moisture regimes and sowing dates on growth, yield and water use efficiency of wheat for development of best management practices for mitigation of terminal heat stress. HD3086 and HD3059 gave higher grain yield than others under early sown and late sown conditions, respectively. Maximum soil moisture extraction was recorded from 0-30 cm soil depth across the sowing dates, irrigation regimes, and varieties. Delayed sowing resulted in reducing crop growth period and forced maturity, in turn, led to significant deterioration in all the yield attributing characters and, there by, reduction in yield, suggesting that terminal heat stress had greater impact on yield. Early sowing and irrigation at 80% ETc resulted in improved growth and yield attributes and water use efficiency in both the seasons and helped to some extent in reducing the risk of terminal heat stress of wheat grown on sandy loam soils of semi-arid regions of India.

Keywords: sowing, irrigation, yield, heat stress

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Authors: Afzaal Bashir, Sunaina Afzaal

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Background: Facial contour deformities associated with pigmentary changes are of major concern for plastic surgeons, both being important and difficult in treating such issues. No definite ideal treatment option is available to simultaneously address both the contour defect as well as related pigmentation. Objectives: The aim of the current study is to compare the long-term effects of conventional adipose tissue grafting and ex-vivo expanded Mesenchymal Stem Cells enriched adipose tissue grafting for the treatment of contour deformities with pigmentary changes on the face. Material and Methods: In this study, eighty (80) patients with contour deformities of the face with hyperpigmentation were recruited after informed consent. Two techniques i.e., conventional fat grafting (C-FG) and fat grafts enriched with expanded adipose stem cells (FG-ASCs), were used to address the pigmentation. Both techniques were explained to patients, and enrolled patients were divided into two groups i.e., C-FG and FG-ASCS, per patients’ choice and satisfaction. Patients of the FG-ASCs group were treated with fat grafts enriched with expanded adipose stem cells, while patients of the C-FGs group were treated with conventional fat grafting. Patients were followed for 12 months, and improvement in face pigmentation was assessed clinically as well as measured objectively. Patient satisfaction was also documented as highly satisfied, satisfied, and unsatisfied. Results: Mean age of patients was 24.42(±4.49), and 66 patients were females. The forehead was involved in 61.20% of cases, the cheek in 21.20% of cases, the chin in 11.20% of cases, and the nose in 6.20% of cases. In the GF-ASCs group, the integrated color density (ICD) was decreased (1.08×10⁶ ±4.64×10⁵) as compared to the C-FG group (2.80×10⁵±1.69×10⁵). Patients treated with fat grafts enriched with expanded adipose stem cells were significantly more satisfied as compared to patients treated with conventional fat grafting only. Conclusion: Mesenchymal stem cell-enriched autologous fat grafting is a preferred option for improving the contour deformities related to increased pigmentation of face skin.

Keywords: hyperpigmentation, color density, enriched adipose tissue graft, fat grafting, contour deformities, Image J

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Authors: Julian Sandoval, Philipp Schober

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Lahar sand (lahars) is a material that originates from volcanic debris flows. During and after a volcano eruption, the lahars can move at speeds up to 22 meters per hour or more, so they can easily cover extensive areas and destroy any structure in their path. Mount Pinatubo eruption (1991) brought lahars to its vicinities, and its use has been a matter of research ever since. Lahars are often disposed of for land reclamation projects in the Manila Bay, Philippines. After reclamation, some deep loss deposits may still present and they are prone to liquefaction. To mitigate the risk of liquefaction of such deposits, Vibro compaction has been proposed and used as a ground improvement technique. Cone penetration testing (CPT) campaigns are usually initiated to monitor the effectiveness of the ground improvement works by vibro compaction. The CPT cone resistance is used to analyses the in-situ relative density of the reclaimed sand before and after compaction. Available correlations between the CPT cone resistance and the relative density are only valid for non-crushable sands. Due to the partially crushable nature of lahars, the CPT data requires to be adjusted to allow for a correct interpretation of the CPT data. The objective of this paper is to characterize the chemical and mechanical properties of the lahar sands used for an ongoing project in the Port of Manila, which comprises reclamation activities using lahars from the east of Mount Pinatubo, it investigates their effect in the proposed correction factor. Additionally, numerous CPTs were carried out in a test trial and during the execution of the project. Based on this data, the influence of the grid spacing, compaction steps and the holding time on the compaction results are analyzed. Moreover, the so-called “aging effect” of the lahars is studied by comparing the results of the CPT testing campaign at different times after the vibro compaction activities. A considerable increase in the tip resistance of the CPT was observed over time.

Keywords: vibro compaction, CPT, lahar sands, correction factor, chemical composition

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Authors: K. S. Al-Mugren, A. Yahya, S. Alodah, R. Alharbi, S. H. Almsaid , A. Alqahtani, H. Jaber, A. Basaqer, N. Alajra, N. Almoghati, A. Alsalman, Khalid Alharbi

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Context: The production of biofertilizers from naturally occurring microorganisms is an area of research that aims to enhance agricultural practices by utilizing local resources. This research project focuses on isolating and screening indigenous microorganisms with PK-fixing and phosphate solubilizing characteristics from local sources. Research Aim: The aim of this project is to develop a biofertilizer product using indigenous microorganisms and composted agro waste as a carrier. The objective is to enhance crop productivity and soil fertility through the application of biofertilizers. Methodology: The research methodology includes several key steps. Firstly, indigenous microorganisms will be isolated from local resources using the ten-fold serial dilutions technique. Screening assays will be conducted to identify microorganisms with phosphate solubilizing and PK-fixing activities. Agro-waste materials will be collected from local agricultural sources, and composting experiments will be conducted to convert them into organic matter-rich compost. Physicochemical analysis will be performed to assess the composition of the composted agro-waste. Gamma and X-ray irradiation will be used to sterilize the carrier material. The sterilized carrier will be tested for sterility using the ten-fold serial dilutions technique. Finally, selected indigenous microorganisms will be developed into biofertilizer products. Findings: The research aims to find suitable indigenous microorganisms with phosphate solubilizing and PK-fixing characteristics for biofertilizer production. Additionally, the research aims to assess the suitability of composted agro waste as a carrier for biofertilizers. The impact of gamma irradiation sterilization on pathogen elimination will also be investigated. Theoretical Importance: This research contributes to the understanding of utilizing indigenous microorganisms and composted agro waste for biofertilizer production. It expands knowledge on the potential benefits of biofertilizers in enhancing crop productivity and soil fertility. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: The data collection process involves isolating indigenous microorganisms, conducting screening assays, collecting and composting agro waste, analyzing the physicochemical composition of composted agro waste, and testing carrier sterilization. The analysis procedures include assessing the abilities of indigenous microorganisms, evaluating the composition of composted agro waste, and determining the sterility of the carrier material. Conclusion: The research project aims to develop biofertilizer products using indigenous microorganisms and composted agro waste as a carrier. Through the isolation and screening of indigenous microorganisms, the project aims to enhance crop productivity and soil fertility by utilizing local resources. The research findings will contribute to the understanding of the suitability of composted agro waste as a carrier and the efficacy of gamma irradiation sterilization. The research outcomes will have theoretical importance in the field of biofertilizer production and agricultural practices.

Keywords: biofertilizer, microorganisms, agro waste, nuclear technologies

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Authors: Jung-Soo Lee, Ujjal Kumar Nath, IllSup Nou, Dulal Chandra

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Leaf lettuce is one of the most important leafy vegetables that is used as raw for salad and part of everyday dishes in many parts of the world including Asian countries. Since it is used as fresh, its quality maintenance is crucial which depends on several pre- and postharvest factors. In order to investigate the effects of pre-fix factors on the postharvest quality, the interaction of pre-fix factors such as growing conditions and fixed factor like cultivars were evaluated. Four Korean leaf lettuce cultivars ‘Cheongchima’, ‘Cheongchuckmyeon’, ‘Geockchima’ and ‘Geockchuckmyeon’ were grown under natural condition (as control) and altered growing condition (green house) with excess soil water and 50% shading to monitor their postharvest qualities. Several growth parameters like plant height, number of leaves, leaf thickness, fresh biomass yield as well as postharvest qualities like fresh weight loss, respiration rate, changes in color and shelf-life were measured in lettuce during storage up to 36 days at 5°C. Plant height and the number of leaves were affected by both pre-fix growing conditions as well as the cultivars. However, fresh biomass yield was affected by only growing condition, whereas leaf thickness was affected by cultivars. Additionally, the degrees of fresh weight loss and respiration rate of leaf lettuce at postharvest stages were influenced by pre-fix growing conditions and cultivars. However, changes in color of leaves during storage were less remarkable in samples harvested from of ‘Cheongchima’ and ‘Cheongchuckmyeon’ cultivars grown in excess watering with 50% shade than that grown in control condition. Consequently, these two cultivars also showed longer shelf-life when they were grown in excess watering with 50% shade than other cultivars or samples were grown in control condition. Based on the measured parameters, it can be concluded that postharvest quality of leaf lettuce might be accelerated by growing lettuce under excess soil water with 50% shading.

Keywords: cultivar, growing condition, leaf lettuce, postharvest quality, shelf-life

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Authors: Wen-Ting Wang, Wei-An Tsai, Rong-Hong Hsieh

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Long term taking high fat diet can lead to over production of energy, result in accumulation of body fat, dyslipidemia and increased lipid metabolism in the body. Over metabolism of lipid results in excessive reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress, may also cause mitochondrial dysfunction and cell death. Krill oil, fish oil and linseed oil are good sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The present study investigated the effect of high fat diet and various oil rich of n-3 fatty acids on mitochondrial function and cell membrane composition. Six-weeks old male Spraque-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 8 groups including: control group, high fat diet group, low dosage and high dosage krill oil group, low dosage and high dosage fish oil group, and low dosage and high dosage linseed oil group. After 12 weeks of experimental period, the low dosage krill oil, fish oil group and linseed oil group with different dosage prevented mitochondrial dysfunction caused by high fat diet. The supplementation of different oils increased plasma, erythrocyte and mitochondrial n-3/n-6 ratio and further increased the proportion of PUFA in erythrocyte and mitochondrial membrane. It also decreased serum triglyceride (TG) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentration. However, there was no significant change in serum total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), biomarker of liver function, glucose, insulin, homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and plasma malonadialdehyde (MDA) concentration when compared with high fat diet group. The supplementation of different sources of n-3 PUFA can maintain mitochondrial function and modulate cell membrane fatty acid composition in high fat diet conditions, and there is a positive relationship between mitochondrial function and mitochondrial membrane composition.

Keywords: fish oil, linseed oil, mitochondria, n-3 PUFA

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Authors: Nurul Aliaa Idris, David A. Collings

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Phi thickenings are specialized secondary cell wall thickenings that are found in the cortex of the roots in a wide range of plant species, including orchids. The role of phi thickenings in the root is still under debate through research have linked environmental conditions, particularly abiotic stresses such as water stress, heavy metal stress and salinity to their induction in the roots. It has also been suggested that phi thickenings may act as a barrier to regulate solute uptake, act as a physical barrier against fungal hyphal penetration due to its resemblance to the Casparian strip and play a mechanical role to support cortical cells. We have investigated phi thickening function in epiphytic orchids of the genus Miltoniopsis through induction experiment against factors such as soil compaction and water stress. The permeability of the phi thickenings in Miltoniopsis was tested through uptake experiments using the fluorescent tracer dyes Calcofluor white, Lucifer yellow and Propidium iodide then viewed with wide-field or confocal microscopy. To test whether phi thickening may prevent fungal colonization in the root cell, fungal re-infection experiment was conducted by inoculating isolated symbiotic fungus to sterile in vitro Miltoniopsis explants. As the movement of fluorescent tracers through the apoplast was not blocked by phi thickenings, and as phi thickenings developed in the roots of sterile cultures in the absence of fungus and did not prevent fungal colonization of cortical cells, the phi thickenings in Miltoniopsis do not function as a barrier. Phi thickenings were found to be absent in roots grown on agar and remained absent when plants were transplanted to moist soil. However, phi thickenings were induced when plants were transplanted to well-drained media, and by the application of water stress in all soils tested. It is likely that phi thickenings stabilize the root cortex during dehydration. Nevertheless, the varied induction responses present in different plant species suggest that the phi thickenings may play several adaptive roles, instead of just one, depending on species.

Keywords: abiotic stress, Miltoniopsis, orchid, phi thickening

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Authors: G. Olamiti; TK. Takalani; D. Beswa, AIO Jideani

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The study investigated the effects of malting and fermentation times on some chemical, functional properties and microstructural behaviour of Agrigreen, Babala pearl millet cultivars and sorghum flours using response surface methodology (RSM). Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) was performed on two independent variables: malting and fermentation times (h), at intervals of 24, 48, and 72, respectively. The results of dependent parameters such as pH, titratable acidity (TTA), Water absorption capacity (WAC), Oil absorption capacity (OAC), bulk density (BD), dispersibility and microstructural behaviour of the flours studied showed a significant difference in p < 0.05 upon malting and fermentation time. Babala flour exhibited a higher pH value at 4.78 at 48 h malted and 81.9 fermentation times. Agrigreen flour showed a higher TTA value at 0.159% at 81.94 h malted and 48 h fermentation times. WAC content was also higher in malted and fermented Babala flour at 2.37 ml g-1 for 81.94 h malted and 48 h fermentation time. Sorghum flour exhibited the least OAC content at 1.67 ml g-1 at 14 h malted and 48 h fermentation times. Agrigreen flour recorded the least bulk density, at 0.53 g ml-1 for 72 h malted and 24 h fermentation time. Sorghum flour exhibited a higher content of dispersibility, at 56.34%, after 24 h malted and 72 h fermented time. The response surface plots showed that increased malting and fermentation time influenced the dependent parameters. The microstructure behaviour of malting and fermentation times of pearl millet varieties and sorghum flours showed isolated, oval, spherical, or polygonal to smooth surfaces. The optimal processing conditions, such as malting and fermentation time for Agrigreen, were 32.24 h and 63.32 h; 35.18 h and 34.58 h for Babala; and 36.75 h and 47.88 h for sorghum with high desirability of 1.00. The validation of the optimum processing malting and fermentation times (h) on the dependent improved the experimented values. Food processing companies can use the study's findings to improve food processing and quality.

Keywords: Pearl millet, malting, fermentation, microstructural behaviour

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Authors: Melese Wondatir

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Flooding ranks among the most destructive natural disasters, impacting millions of individuals globally and resulting in substantial economic, social, and environmental repercussions. This study's objective was to create a comprehensive model that assesses the Nile River basin's susceptibility to flood damage and improves existing flood risk management strategies. Authorities responsible for enacting policies and implementing measures may benefit from this research to acquire essential information about the flood, including its scope and susceptible areas. The identification of severe flood damage locations and efficient mitigation techniques were made possible by the use of geospatial data. Slope, elevation, distance from the river, drainage density, topographic witness index, rainfall intensity, distance from road, NDVI, soil type, and land use type were all used throughout the study to determine the vulnerability of flood damage. Ranking elements according to their significance in predicting flood damage risk was done using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and geospatial approaches. The analysis finds that the most important parameters determining the region's vulnerability are distance from the river, topographic witness index, rainfall, and elevation, respectively. The consistency ratio (CR) value obtained in this case is 0.000866 (<0.1), which signifies the acceptance of the derived weights. Furthermore, 10.84m2, 83331.14m2, 476987.15m2, 24247.29m2, and 15.83m2 of the region show varying degrees of vulnerability to flooding—very low, low, medium, high, and very high, respectively. Due to their close proximity to the river, the northern-western regions of the Nile River basin—especially those that are close to Sudanese cities like Khartoum—are more vulnerable to flood damage, according to the research findings. Furthermore, the AUC ROC curve demonstrates that the categorized vulnerability map achieves an accuracy rate of 91.0% based on 117 sample points. By putting into practice strategies to address the topographic witness index, rainfall patterns, elevation fluctuations, and distance from the river, vulnerable settlements in the area can be protected, and the impact of future flood occurrences can be greatly reduced. Furthermore, the research findings highlight the urgent requirement for infrastructure development and effective flood management strategies in the northern and western regions of the Nile River basin, particularly in proximity to major towns such as Khartoum. Overall, the study recommends prioritizing high-risk locations and developing a complete flood risk management plan based on the vulnerability map.

Keywords: analytic hierarchy process, Blue Nile Basin, geospatial techniques, flood vulnerability, multi-criteria decision making

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