Search results for: visible light sensitive

Authors: Sungpil Ha, Ju Yong Kang, Sangbaek Park, Seung-Ju Lee, Soo-Won Chae

Abstract:

The growing number of obese patients in aging societies has led to an increase in the number of patients with knee medial osteoarthritis (OA). Artificial joint insertion is the most common treatment for knee medial OA. Surgery is effective for patients with serious arthritic symptoms, but it is costly and dangerous. It is also inappropriate way to prevent a disease as an early stage. Therefore Non-operative treatments such as toe-in gait are proposed recently. Toe-in gait is one of non-surgical interventions, which restrain the progression of arthritis and relieves pain by reducing knee adduction moment (KAM) to facilitate lateral distribution of load on to knee medial cartilage. Numerous studies have measured KAM in various foot progression angle (FPA), and KAM data could be obtained by motion analysis. However, variations in stress at knee cartilage could not be directly observed or evaluated by these experiments of measuring KAM. Therefore, this study applied motion analysis to major gait points (1st peak, mid –stance, 2nd peak) with regard to FPA, and to evaluate the effects of FPA on the human lower extremity, the finite element (FE) method was employed. Three types of gait analysis (toe-in, toe-out, baseline gait) were performed with markers placed at the lower extremity. Ground reaction forces (GRF) were obtained by the force plates. The forces associated with the major muscles were computed using GRF and marker trajectory data. MRI data provided by the Visible Human Project were used to develop a human lower extremity FE model. FE analyses for three types of gait simulations were performed based on the calculated muscle force and GRF. We observed the maximum stress point during toe-in gait was lower than the other types, by comparing the results of FE analyses at the 1st peak across gait types. This is the same as the trend exhibited by KAM, measured through motion analysis in other papers. This indicates that the progression of knee medial OA could be suppressed by adopting toe-in gait. This study integrated motion analysis with FE analysis. One advantage of this method is that re-modeling is not required even with changes in posture. Therefore another type of gait simulation or various motions of lower extremity can be easily analyzed using this method.

Keywords: finite element analysis, gait analysis, human model, motion capture

Procedia PDF Downloads 327

Authors: Sajmina Khatun, Monika Pebam, Aravind Kumar Rengan

Abstract:

Photothermal therapy, a subset of nanomedicine, takes advantage of light-absorbing agents to generate localized heat, selectively eradicating cancer cells. This innovative approach minimizes damage to healthy tissues and offers a promising avenue for targeted cancer treatment. Unlike conventional therapies, photothermal therapy harnesses the power of light to combat malignancies precisely and effectively, showcasing its potential to revolutionize cancer treatment paradigms. The combined strengths of nanomedicine and photothermal therapy signify a transformative shift toward more effective, targeted, and tolerable cancer treatments in the medical landscape. Utilizing natural products becomes instrumental in formulating diverse bioactive medications owing to their various pharmacological properties attributed to the existence of phenolic structures, triterpenoids, and similar compounds. Hyptis suaveolens, commonly known as pignut, stands as an aromatic herb within the Lamiaceae family and represents a valuable therapeutic plant. Flourishing in swamps and alongside tropical and subtropical roadsides, these noxious weeds impede the development of adjacent plants. Hyptis suaveolens ranks among the most globally distributed alien invasive species. The present investigation revealed that a versatile, biodegradable liposome nanosystem (HIL NPs), incorporating bioactive molecules from Hyptis suaveolens, exhibits effective bioavailability to cancer cells, enabling tumor ablation upon near-infrared (NIR) laser exposure. The components within the nanosystem, specifically the bioactive molecules from Hyptis, function as anticancer agents, aiding in the photothermal ablation of highly metastatic lung cancer cells. Despite being a prolific weed impeding neighboring plant growth, Hyptis suaveolens showcases therapeutic benefits through its bioactive compounds. The obtained HIL NPs, characterized as a photothermally active liposome nanosystem, demonstrate a pronounced fluorescence absorption peak in the NIR range and achieve a high photothermal conversion efficiency under NIR laser irradiation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and particle size analysis reveal that HIL NPs possess a spherical shape with a size of 141 ± 30 nm. Moreover, in vitro assessments of HIL NPs against lung cancer cell lines (A549) indicate effective anticancer activity through a combined cytotoxic effect and hyperthermia. Tumor ablation is facilitated by apoptosis induced by the overexpression of ɣ-H2AX, arresting cancer cell proliferation. Consequently, the multifunctional and biodegradable nanosystem (HIL NPs), incorporating bioactive compounds from Hyptis, provides valuable perspectives for developing an innovative therapeutic strategy originating from a challenging weed. This approach holds promise for potential applications in both bioimaging and the combined use of phyto-photothermal therapy for cancer treatment.

Keywords: bioactive liposome, hyptis suaveolens, photothermal therapy, lung cancer

Procedia PDF Downloads 88

Authors: B. S. Yadav, A. Mani, S. Srivastava

Abstract:

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an annual, self-pollinating, diploid (2n = 2x = 16) pulse crop that ranks second in world legume production after common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). ICC 4958 flowers approximately 39 days after sowing under peninsular Indian conditions and the crop matures in less than 90 days in rained environments. The estimated collective yield losses due to abiotic stresses (6.4 million t) have been significantly higher than for biotic stresses (4.8 million t). Most legumes are known to be salt sensitive, and therefore, it is becoming increasingly important to produce cultivars tolerant to high-salinity in addition to other abiotic and biotic stresses for sustainable chickpea production. Our aim was to identify the genes that are involved in the defence mechanism against heavy metal toxicity in chickpea and establish the biological network of heavy metal toxicity in chickpea. ICC4958 variety of chick pea was taken and grown in normal condition and 150µM concentration of different heavy metal salt like CdCl₂, K₂Cr2O₇, NaAsO₂. At 15th day leave samples were collected and stored in RNA Later solution microarray was performed for checking out differential gene expression pattern. Our studies revealed that 111 common genes that involved in defense mechanism were up regulated and 41 genes were commonly down regulated during treatment of 150µM concentration of CdCl₂, K₂Cr₂O₇, and NaAsO₂. Biological network study shows that the genes which are differentially expressed are highly connected and having high betweenness and centrality.

Keywords: abiotic stress, biological network, chickpea, microarray

Procedia PDF Downloads 188

Authors: Sulasmi Sudirman, Rachmadanty Mujah Hartika

Abstract:

Traffic violence is currently a big issue in Indonesia. However, the road users perceived risk that is caused by traffic violence is low. The lack of safety driving awareness is one of the factors that road users committed to traffic violence. There are several lists of common traffic violence in Indonesia such as lack of physical fitness, not wearing helmet, unfasten seatbelt, breaking through the traffic light, not holding a driving license, and some more violence. This research sought to explore the perception of road users toward traffic violence. The participants were road users in Makassar, Indonesia who were using cars and motorbikes. The method of the research was a qualitative approach by using a personal interview to collect data. The research showed that there three main ideas of perceiving traffic violence which are motives, environment that supported traffic violence, and reinforcement. The road users committed traffic violence had particular motive, for example, rushing. The road users committed to traffic violence when other road users and significant other did the same. The road users committed traffic violence when the police were not there to give a ticket. It can be concluded that the perception of road users toward traffic violence determined by internal aspect, the social aspect, and regulation.

Keywords: perception, road users, traffic, violence

Procedia PDF Downloads 217

Authors: Mohammed Abdullah Alrajhi

Abstract:

The rapid growth in the number of mobile phone subscribers has resulted in an increased number of mobile base stations all over the world. Generally, mobile base stations are existing in huge numbers in populated areas than in non-populated ones to serve the largest number of users. The total number of mobile subscriptions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia reached around 50 million at the end of 2014, with a penetration rate of 165.1% according to the quarterly electronic newsletter issued by the Communications and Information Technology Commission. The current investigation was conducted primarily to measure the level of electromagnetic fields emitted from 400 mobile base stations for the purpose of environmental safety and radiation protection in light of national guidelines for public exposure as well as the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The outcomes of this investigation provide valuable comments and recommendation for safety and protection of electromagnetic fields emitted from mobile base stations.

Keywords: electromagnetic fields, mobile, safety, protection, ICNIRP

Procedia PDF Downloads 414

Authors: Si Yin Tee

Abstract:

Bimetallic nanostructures have received tremendous interests as a new class of nanomaterials which may have better technological usefulness with distinct properties from those of individual atoms and molecules or bulk matter. They excelled over the monometallic counterparts because of their improved electronic, optical and catalytic performances. The properties and the applicability of these bimetallic nanostructures not only depend on their size and shape, but also on the composition and their fine structure. These bimetallic nanostructures are potential candidates for bio-applications such as biosensing, bioimaging, biodiagnostics, drug delivery, targeted therapeutics, and tissue engineering. Herein, gold-incorporated copper (Cu/Au) nanostructures were synthesized through the controlled disproportionation of Cu⁺-oleylamine complex at 220 ºC to form copper nanowires and the subsequent reaction with Au³⁺ at different temperatures of 140, 220 and 300 ºC. This is to achieve their synergistic effect through the combined use of the merits of low-cost transition and high-stability noble metals. Of these Cu/Au nanostructures, Cu/Au nanotubes display the best performance towards electrochemical non-enzymatic glucose sensing, originating from the high conductivity of gold and the high aspect ratio copper nanotubes with high surface area so as to optimise the electroactive sites and facilitate mass transport. In addition to high sensitivity and fast response, the Cu/Au nanotubes possess high selectivity against interferences from other potential interfering species and excellent reproducibility with long-term stability. By introducing gold into copper nanostructures at a low level of 3, 1 and 0.1 mol% relative to initial copper precursor, a significant electrocatalytic enhancement of the resulting bimetallic Cu/Au nanostructures starts to occur at 1 mol%. Overall, the present fabrication of stable Cu/Au nanostructures offers a promising low-cost platform for sensitive, selective, reproducible and reusable electrochemical sensing of glucose.

Keywords: bimetallic, electrochemical sensing, glucose oxidation, gold-incorporated copper nanostructures

Procedia PDF Downloads 515

Authors: Muccifora S., Rinallo C., Bellani L.

Abstract:

Calcium (Ca²+) is an element essential to the plant being involved in plant growth and development. At high concentrations, it is toxic and can influence every stage, process and cellular activity of plant life. Given its toxicity, cells implement mechanisms to compartmentalize calcium in a vacuole, endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria, plastids and cell wall. One of the most effective mechanisms to reduce the excess of calcium, thus avoiding cellular damage, is its complexation with oxalic acid to form calcium oxalate crystals that are no longer osmotically or physiologically active. However, the sequestered calcium can be mobilized when the plant needs it. Calcium crystals can be accumulated in the vacuole of specialized sink-cells called idioblasts, with different crystalline forms (druse, raphyde and styloid) of diverse physiological meanings. Actinidia deliciosa cv. Hayward presents raphydes and styloid localized in idioblasts in cells of photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic tissues. The purpose of this work was to understand if there is a relationship between the age of Actinidia leaves and the presence, distribution, dimension and shape of oxalate crystals by means of light, fluorescent, polarized and transmission electron microscopy. Three vines from female plants were chosen at the beginning of the season and used throughout the study. The leaves with petioles were collected at various stages of development from the bottom to the shoot of the plants monthly from April to July. The samples were taken in corresponding areas of the central and lateral parts of the leaves and of the basal portion of the petiole. The results showed that in the leaves, the number of raphyde idioblasts decreased with the progress of the growing season, while the styloid idioblasts increased progressively, becoming very numerous in the upper nodes of July. In June and in July samples, in the vacuoles of the highest nodes, a portion regular in shape strongly stained with rubeanic acid was present. Moreover, the chlortetracycline (CTC) staining for localization of free calcium marked the wall of the idioblasts and the wall of the cells near vascular bundles. In April petiole samples, moving towards the youngest nodes, the raphydes idioblast decreased in number and in the length of the single raphydes. Besides, crystals stained with rubeanic acid appeared in the vacuoles of some cells. In June samples, numerous raphyde idioblasts oriented parallel to vascular bundles were evident. Under the electron microscope, numerous idioblasts presented not homogeneous electrondense aggregates of material, in which a few crystals (styloids) in the form of regular holes were scattered. In July samples, an increase in the number of styloid idioblasts in the youngest nodes and little masses stained with CTC near styloids were observed. Peculiar cells stained with rubeanic acid were detected and hypothesized to be involved in the formation of the idioblasts. In conclusion, in Actinidia leaves and petioles, it seems to confirm the hypothesis that the formation of styloid idioblasts can be correlated to increasing calcium levels in growing tissues.

Keywords: calcium oxalate crystals, actinidia deliciosa, light and electron microscopy, idioblasts

Procedia PDF Downloads 78

Authors: L. Mentar, O. Baka, A. Azizi

Abstract:

Zinc oxide as a wide band semiconductor materials, especially nanostructured materials, have potential applications in large-area such as electronics, sensors, photovoltaic cells, photonics, optical devices and optoelectronics due to their unique electrical and optical properties and surface properties. The feasibility of ZnO for these applications is due to the successful synthesis of diverse ZnO nanostructures, including nanorings, nanobows, nanohelixes, nanosprings, nanobelts, nanotubes, nanopropellers, nanodisks, and nanocombs, by different method. Among various synthesis methods, electrochemical deposition represents a simple and inexpensive solution based method for synthesis of semiconductor nanostructures. In this study, the electrodeposition method was used to produce zinc oxide (ZnO) nanostructures on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO)-coated conducting glass substrate as TCO from chloride bath. We present a systematic study on the effects of the concentration of chloride anion on the properties of ZnO. The influence of KCl concentrations on the electrodeposition process, morphological, structural and optical properties of ZnO nanostructures was examined. In this research electrochemical deposition of ZnO nanostructures is investigated using conventional electrochemical measurements (cyclic voltammetry and Mott-Schottky), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques. The potentials of electrodeposition of ZnO were determined using the cyclic voltammetry. From the Mott-Schottky measurements, the flat-band potential and the donor density for the ZnO nanostructure are determined. SEM images shows different size and morphology of the nanostructures and depends greatly on the KCl concentrations. The morphology of ZnO nanostructures is determined by the corporated action between [Zn(NO3)2] and [Cl-].Very netted hexagonal grains are observed for the nanostructures deposited at 0.1M of KCl. XRD studies revealed that the all deposited films were polycrystalline in nature with wurtzite phase. The electrodeposited thin films are found to have preferred oriented along (002) plane of the wurtzite structure of ZnO with c-axis normal to the substrate surface for sample at different concentrations of KCl. UV-Visible spectra showed a significant optical transmission (~80%), which decreased with low Cl-1 concentrations. The energy band gap values have been estimated to be between 3.52 and 3.80 eV.

Keywords: electrodeposition, ZnO, chloride ions, Mott-Schottky, SEM, XRD

Procedia PDF Downloads 287

Authors: Amira Zatir, Abderahmane Mokhtari, Amina Foufa, Sara Zatir

Abstract:

It exists in several regions in the world, of numerous historic monuments, buildings and housing environment, built in traditional ways which survive for earthquakes, even in zones where the seismic risk is particularly raised. These constructions, stemming from vernacular architecture, allow, through their resistances in the time earthquakes, to identify the various sismo-resistant "local" techniques. Through the examples and the experiences presented, the remark which can be made, is that in the traditional built, two major principles in a way opposite, govern the constructions in earthquake-resistant. It is about the very big flexibility, whom answer very light constructions, like the Japanese wooden constructions, Turkish and even Chinese; that of the very big rigidity to which correspond constructions in masonry in particular stone, more or less heavy and massive, which we meet in particular in the Mediterranean Basin, and in the historic sanctuary of Machu Pacchu. In it sensible and well-reflected techniques of construction are added, of which the use of the humble materials such as the earth and the adobe. The ancient communities were able to face the seismic risks, thanks to them know-how reflected in their intelligently designed constructions, testifying of a local seismic culture.

Keywords: earthquake, architecture, traditional, construction, resistance

Procedia PDF Downloads 417

Authors: Marcos Fabris

Abstract:

The flaccidity of the contemporary art production, its banality and incapacity of raising social and political relevant issues, and its ubiquitous connection to an ever prospering art market have become a trite, prosaic mantra, a thought-terminating cliché repeated by many, at least in the academic circles, who constantly lament the absence of pressing issues, artistically articulated from a Marxist perspective. This ‘resignation’ or crystalized insistence to consider Contemporary Art as a monolithic block – insufficiently critical – seems to be part of a pattern in Art History, not excluding its leftist wings: the idea that Modernism was, too, a homogeneous movement, one that despite its attempts to establish meaningful connections between art and society are now part of a museological past. This post-mortem attributed to a ‘flat’ modernism disregards it’s highly contradictory character and diverging tendencies, in permanent conflict between themselves and part of a larger movement that questioned Capitalism – as a system. The aim of this presentation is to shed light on some of the most radical modern tendencies, how they articulated ways to figure the uneven and combined development, and how this ‘Alternative Modernism’ may inform, inspire, and make us advance critically in our struggles against the returns of Capitalism.

Keywords: art criticism, art history, contemporary art, modernism

Procedia PDF Downloads 250

Authors: Chia-Yung Chou, Che-Chuan Cheng, Chin Chi Hsu, Chun-Hui Wu

Abstract:

This study investigates the fluid of boundary layer flow as it flows through the superhydrophobic surface. The superhydrophobic surface will be assembled into an observation channel for fluid experiments. The fluid in the channel will be doped with visual flow field particles, which will then be pumped by the syringe pump and introduced into the experimentally observed channel through the pipeline. Through the polarized light irradiation, the movement of the particles in the channel is captured by a high-speed camera, and the velocity of the particles is analyzed by MATLAB to find out the particle velocity field changes caused on the fluid boundary layer. This study found that the superhydrophobic surface can effectively increase the velocity near the wall surface, and the faster with the flow rate increases. The superhydrophobic surface also had longer the slip length compared with the plan surface. In the calculation of the drag coefficient, the superhydrophobic surface produces a lower drag coefficient, and there is a more significant difference when the Re reduced in the flow field.

Keywords: hydrophobic, boundary layer, slip length, friction

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Vaibhav V. Dixit, Shubham Ajay Karwa

Abstract:

Diabetic foot ulcers speak to a critical medical problem. Right now, clinicians and medical caretakers primarily construct their injury evaluation in light of visual examination of wound size and mending status, while the patients themselves rarely have a chance to play a dynamic part. Henceforth, love quantitative and practical examination technique that empowers the patients and their parental figures to take a more dynamic part in every day wound care possibly can quicken wound recuperating, spare travel cost and diminish human services costs. Considering the commonness of cell phones with a high-determination computerized camera, evaluating wounds by breaking down pictures of ceaseless foot ulcers is an alluring choice. In this paper, we propose a novel injury picture examination framework actualized using feature extraction and color segmentation. Here we are using the Normalized minimum distance classifier for classifying the output.

Keywords: diabetic, Gabor wavelet, normalized minimum distance classifier, quantiable parameters

Procedia PDF Downloads 263

Authors: Ayoub. El Bourtali, Abdessamed.Najine, Amrou Moussa. Benmoussa

Abstract:

One of the main goals of river engineering is river training, which is defined as controlling and predicting the behavior of a river. It is taking effective measurements to eliminate all related risks and thus improve the river system. In some rivers, the riverbed continues to erode and degrade; therefore, equilibrium will never be reached. Generally, river geometric characteristics and riverbed erosion analysis are some of the most complex but critical topics in river engineering and sediment hydraulics; riverbank erosion is the second answering process in hydrodynamics, which has a major impact on the ecological chain and socio-economic process. This study aims to integrate the new computer technology that can analyze erosion and hydraulic problems through computer simulation and modeling. Choosing the right model remains a difficult and sensitive job for field engineers. This paper makes use of the 5.0.4 version of the HEC-RAS model. The river section is adopted according to the gauged station and the proximity of the adjustment. In this work, we will demonstrate how 2D hydraulic modeling helped clarify the design and cover visuals to set up depth and velocities at riverbanks and throughout advanced structures. The hydrologic engineering center's-river analysis system (HEC-RAS) 2D model was used to create a hydraulic study of the erosion model. The geometric data were generated from the 12.5-meter x 12.5-meter resolution digital elevation model. In addition to showing eroded or overturned river sections, the model output also shows patterns of riverbank changes, which can help us reduce problems caused by erosion.

Keywords: 2D hydraulics model, erosion, floodplain, hydrodynamic, HEC-RAS, riverbed erosion, river morphology, resolution digital data, sediment

Procedia PDF Downloads 184

Authors: Zhichao Song, Swanand Vaidya

Abstract:

Nowadays, most portable (e.g., smartphones) and wearable (e.g., smartwatches and earphones) consumer hardware are designed to be dustproof following IP5 or IP6 ratings to ensure the product is able to handle potentially dusty outdoor environments. On the other hand, the design guideline is relatively vague for indoor devices (e.g., smart displays and speakers). While it is generally believed that the indoor environment is much less dusty, in certain circumstances, dust ingression is still able to cause functional failures, such as microphone frequency response shift and camera black spot, or cosmetic dissatisfaction, mainly the dust build up in visible pockets and gaps which is hard to clean. In this paper, we developed a simulation methodology to analyze dust settlement and ingression into known ports of a device. A closed system is initialized with dust particles whose sizes follow Weibull distribution based on data collected in a user study, and dust particle movement was approximated as a settlement in stationary fluid, which is governed by Stokes’ law. Following this method, we simulated dust ingression into MEMS microphone through the acoustic port and protective mesh. Various design and environmental parameters are evaluated including mesh pore size, acoustic port depth-to-diameter ratio, mass density of dust material and inclined angle of microphone port. Although the dependencies of dust resistance on these parameters are all monotonic, smaller mesh pore size, larger acoustic depth-to-opening ratio and more inclined microphone placement (towards horizontal direction) are preferred for dust resistance; these preferences may represent certain trade-offs in audio performance and compromise in industrial design. The simulation results suggest the quantitative ranges of these parameters, with more pronounced effects in the improvement of dust resistance. Based on the simulation results, we proposed several design guidelines that intend to achieve an overall balanced design from audio performance, dust resistance, and flexibility in industrial design.

Keywords: dust settlement, numerical simulation, microphone design, Weibull distribution, Stoke's equation

Procedia PDF Downloads 103

Authors: Sheetal Sharma

Abstract:

Runoff,decreasing water levels and recharge in urban areas have been a complex issue now a days pointing defective urban design and increasing demography as cause. Very less has been discussed or analysed for water sensitive Urban Master Plans or local area plans. Land use planning deals with land transformation from natural areas into developed ones, which lead to changes in natural environment. Elaborated knowledge of relationship between the existing patterns of land use-land cover and recharge with respect to prevailing soil below is less as compared to speed of development. The parameters of incompatibility between urban functions and the functions of the natural environment are becoming various. Changes in land patterns due to built up, pavements, roads and similar land cover affects surface water flow seriously. It also changes permeability and absorption characteristics of the soil. Urban planners need to know natural processes along with modern means and best technologies available,as there is a huge gap between basic knowledge of natural processes and its requirement for balanced development planning leading to minimum impact on water recharge. The present paper analyzes the variations in land use land cover and their impacts on surface flows and sub-surface recharge in study area. The methodology adopted was to analyse the changes in land use and land cover using GIS and Civil 3d auto cad. The variations were used in  computer modeling using Storm-water Management Model to find out the runoff for various soil groups and resulting recharge observing water levels in POW data for last 40 years of the study area. Results were anlayzed again to find best correlations for sustainable recharge in urban areas.

Keywords: geology, runoff, urban planning, land use-land cover

Procedia PDF Downloads 310

Authors: Baoubadi Atozou, Koffi Akakpo

Abstract:

Since the decade 2000, the use of foodstuffs such as corn, wheat, and soybeans in biofuel production has been growing sharply in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Thus, prices for these agricultural products are rising in the world market. These cereals are the most important source of calorific energy for West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) countries members’ population. These countries are highly dependent on imports of most of these products. Thereby, rising prices can have an important impact on import levels and consequently on food security in these countries. This study aims to analyze the interrelationship between the prices of these commodities and their volatilities, and their effects on imports of these agricultural products by each WAEMU ’country member. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model, the GARCH Multivariate model, and the Granger Causality Test are used in this investigation. The results show that import levels are highly and significantly sensitive to price changes as well as their volatility. In the short term as well as in the long term, there is a significant relationship between the prices of these products. There is a positive relationship in general between price volatility. And these volatilities have negative effects on the level of imports. The market characteristics affect food security in these countries, especially access to food for vulnerable and low-income populations. The policies makers must adopt viable strategies to increase agricultural production and limit their dependence on imports.

Keywords: price volatility, import of agricultural products, food safety, WAEMU

Procedia PDF Downloads 185

Authors: Babatunde Kolawole

Abstract:

This paper embarks on an exploration of the compelling interplay between documentary filmmaking and activism, delving into their symbiotic relationship and profound impact on advocacy and social justice causes. Through an in-depth analysis of diverse case studies, it seeks to illuminate the instances where documentary films have emerged as potent tools for effecting social change and advancing the principles of justice. This research underscores the vital role played by documentary filmmakers in harnessing the medium's unique capacity to engage, educate, and mobilize audiences while advocating for societal transformation. The primary focus of this study is on a selection of compelling case studies spanning various topics and causes, each exemplifying the marriage between documentary filmmaking and activism. These case studies encompass a broad spectrum of subjects, from environmental conservation and climate change to civil rights movements and human rights struggles. By examining these real-world instances, this paper endeavors to provide a comprehensive understanding of the strategies, challenges, and ethical considerations that underpin the practice of documentary filmmaking as a form of activism. Throughout the paper, it becomes evident that the potency of documentary filmmaking lies in its ability to blend artistry with social impact. The selected case studies vividly demonstrate how documentary filmmakers, armed with cameras and a passion for change, have emerged as critical agents of societal transformation. Whether it be exposing environmental atrocities, shedding light on systemic inequalities, or giving voice to marginalized communities, these documentaries have played a pivotal role in pushing the boundaries of advocacy and social justice. One of the key themes explored in this paper is the evolving nature of documentary filmmaking as a tool for activism. It delves into the shift from traditional observational documentaries to more participatory and immersive approaches, highlighting the dynamic ways in which filmmakers engage with their subjects and audiences. This evolution is exemplified in case studies where filmmakers have collaborated with the communities they document, fostering a sense of agency and empowerment among those whose stories are being told. Furthermore, this research underscores the ethical considerations inherent in the intersection of documentary filmmaking and activism. It scrutinizes questions surrounding representation, objectivity, and the responsibility of filmmakers in portraying complex social issues. By dissecting ethical dilemmas faced by documentary filmmakers in these case studies, this paper encourages a critical examination of the ethical boundaries and obligations in the realm of advocacy-driven filmmaking. In conclusion, this paper aims to shed light on the remarkable potential of documentary filmmaking as a catalyst for activism and social justice. Through the lens of compelling case studies, it illustrates the transformative power of the medium in effecting change, amplifying underrepresented voices, and mobilizing global audiences. It is hoped that this research will not only inform the discourse on documentary activism but also inspire filmmakers, scholars, and advocates to continue leveraging the cinematic art form as a formidable force for a more just and equitable world.

Keywords: film, filmmaker, documentary, human right

Procedia PDF Downloads 49

Authors: Rama Bhargava, Surabhi Nishad

Abstract:

The infusion of nanofluids has dramatically enhanced the heat-carrying capacity of the fluids, applicable to many engineering and medical process where the temperature below freezing is required. Cryosurgery is an efficient therapy for the treatment of cancer, but sometimes the excessive cooling may harm the nearby healthy cells. Efforts are therefore done to develop a model which can cause to generate the low temperature as required. In the present study, a mathematical model is developed based on the bioheat transfer equation to simulate the heat transfer from the probe on a tumor (with irregular domain) using the hybrid technique consisting of element free Galerkin method with αα-family of approximation. The probe is loaded will nano-particles. The effects of different nanoparticles, namely Al₂O₃, Fe₃O₄, Au on the heat-producing rate, is obtained. It is observed that the temperature can be brought to (60°C)-(-30°C) at a faster freezing rate on the infusion of different nanoparticles. Besides increasing the freezing rate, the volume of the nanoparticle can also control the size and growth of ice crystals formed during the freezing process. The study is also made to find the time required to achieve the desired temperature. The problem is further extended for multi tumors of different shapes and sizes. The irregular shape of the frozen domain and the direction of ice growth are very sensitive issues, posing a challenge for simulation. The Meshfree method has been one of the accurate methods in such problems as a domain is naturally irregular. The discretization is done using the nodes only. MLS approximation is taken in order to generate the shape functions. Sufficiently accurate results are obtained.

Keywords: cryosurgery, EFGM, hybrid, nanoparticles

Procedia PDF Downloads 117

Authors: Somayeh Komeylian

Abstract:

The direction of arrival (DoA) estimation is the crucial aspect of the radar technologies for detecting and dividing several signal sources. In this scenario, the antenna array output modeling involves numerous parameters including noise samples, signal waveform, signal directions, signal number, and signal to noise ratio (SNR), and thereby the methods of the DoA estimation rely heavily on the generalization characteristic for establishing a large number of the training data sets. Hence, we have analogously represented the two different optimization models of the DoA estimation; (1) the implementation of the decision directed acyclic graph (DDAG) for the multiclass least-squares support vector machine (LS-SVM), and (2) the optimization method of the deep neural network (DNN) radial basis function (RBF). We have rigorously verified that the LS-SVM DDAG algorithm is capable of accurately classifying DoAs for the three classes. However, the accuracy and robustness of the DoA estimation are still highly sensitive to technological imperfections of the antenna arrays such as non-ideal array design and manufacture, array implementation, mutual coupling effect, and background radiation and thereby the method may fail in representing high precision for the DoA estimation. Therefore, this work has a further contribution on developing the DNN-RBF model for the DoA estimation for overcoming the limitations of the non-parametric and data-driven methods in terms of array imperfection and generalization. The numerical results of implementing the DNN-RBF model have confirmed the better performance of the DoA estimation compared with the LS-SVM algorithm. Consequently, we have analogously evaluated the performance of utilizing the two aforementioned optimization methods for the DoA estimation using the concept of the mean squared error (MSE).

Keywords: DoA estimation, Adaptive antenna array, Deep Neural Network, LS-SVM optimization model, Radial basis function, and MSE

Procedia PDF Downloads 94

Authors: Sepideh Khavarinezhad, Paolo Pietro Biancone

Abstract:

This paper sheds light on how gender entrepreneurship is influenced by economic freedom in OECD countries. Our study empirically explores the interaction of financial institutions and its effect of both motivations on total entrepreneurial activities (TEA) of women and men in these countries and to discuss the differences between women and men in this field, which is always a hot topic in entrepreneurship. Employing a dynamic method, we conducted panel data analysis in the time frame from 2012-2015. In this regard, we evaluate the relationship between the Index of Economic Freedoms and its three years, and both indicators of Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) on supportive financial institutions. We investigate that economic liberalization tends to persuade men and women entrepreneurs to start their businesses or to reduce motivation entrepreneurship. In particular, our paper demonstrates that motivation entrepreneurship seems to benefit from government support and fade barriers in legal structure in business, while we expect to confirm that free trade and economic freedom stimulate the entrepreneur’s motivation and their participation to start own business.

Keywords: economic freedom, gender entrepreneurship, financial institutions, OECD countries

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: Fangyan Li, Lin Min Lee, Hui Zhu Peh, Shoet Harn Chan

Abstract:

Advantame, a derivative of aspartame, is the latest addition to a family of low caloric and high potent dipeptide sweeteners which include aspartame, neotame and alitame. The use of advantame as a high-intensity sweetener in food was first accepted by Food Standards Australia New Zealand in 2011 and subsequently by US and EU food authorities in 2014, with the results from toxicity and exposure studies showing advantame poses no safety concern to the public at regulated levels. To our knowledge, currently there is barely any detailed information on the analytical method of advantame in food matrix, except for one report published in Japanese, stating a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography/ mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method with a detection limit at ppm level. However, the use of acid in sample preparation and instrumental analysis in the report raised doubt over the reliability of the method, as there is indication that stability of advantame is compromised under acidic conditions. Besides, the method may not be suitable for analyzing food matrices containing advantame at low ppm or sub-ppm level. In this presentation, a simple, specific and sensitive method for the determination of advantame in food is described. The method involved extraction with water and clean-up via solid phase extraction (SPE) followed by detection using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) in negative electrospray ionization mode. No acid was used in the entire procedure. Single laboratory validation of the method was performed in terms of linearity, precision and accuracy. A low detection limit at ppb level was achieved. Satisfactory recoveries were obtained using spiked samples at three different concentration levels. This validated method could be used in the routine inspection of the advantame level in food.

Keywords: advantame, food, LC-MS/MS, sweetener

Procedia PDF Downloads 468

Authors: Mais Khader, Xingjie Wei

Abstract:

This research sheds light on female entrepreneurs by providing new insights on the survival predictions of companies led by females in the UK. This study aims to build a predictive machine learning model of the survival of female-led & co-led small & medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK over the period 2000-2020. The predictive model built utilised a combination of financial and non-financial features related to both companies and their directors to predict SMEs' survival. These features were studied in terms of their contribution to the resultant predictive model. Five machine learning models are used in the modelling: Decision tree, AdaBoost, Naïve Bayes, Logistic regression and SVM. The AdaBoost model had the highest performance of the five models, with an accuracy of 73% and an AUC of 80%. The results show high feature importance in predicting companies' survival for company size, management experience, financial performance, industry, region, and females' percentage in management.

Keywords: company survival, entrepreneurship, females, machine learning, SMEs

Procedia PDF Downloads 94

Authors: Sayed Kifayat Shah, Tang Zhongjun, Mohammad Ahmad, Sohaib Mostafa

Abstract:

This article investigates consumer’s intention to shift to 5G in the light of disruptive technology innovation. To switch from 4G (Existing) technology to 5G (Disruptive) technology requires not just economic benefits and costs but involves other values too, which aren't yet experienced in the framework of technology innovation. This study extended the valued adaptation (VAM) model by proposing the sustainability values (SVs) construct. The model was examined on data from 361 Chinese consumers using the partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) technique. The outcomes prove the significant correlation of sustainability values (SVs) which influences consumer’s switching intentions toward 5G disruptive technology. The findings of this research will be helpful to telecoms firms in developing consumer retention strategies. Some limitations and the importance of the research for scholars and managers are also discussed.

Keywords: value adaptation model (VAM), sustainability values (SVs), disruptive 5G technology, switching intentions (SI), partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM)

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: Akinwale Adeyinka

Abstract:

Critical natural resources such as clean ground water, fertile topsoil, and biodiversity are diminishing at an exponential rate, orders of magnitude above that at which they can be regenerated. Based on news on world population record, over 6 billion people on earth, and almost a quarter million added each day, the scale of human activity and environmental impact is unprecedented. Soaring human population growth over the past century has created a visible challenge to earth’s life support systems. In addition, the world faces an onslaught of other environmental threats including degenerated global climate change, global warming, intensified acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion and health threatening pollution. Overpopulation and the use of deleterious technologies combine to increase the scale of human activities to a level that underlies these entire problems. These intensifying trends cannot continue indefinitely, hopefully, through increased understanding and valuation of ecosystems and their services, earth’s basic life-support system will be protected for the future.To say the fact, human civilization is now the dominant cause of change in the global environment. Now that our relationship to the earth has change so utterly, we have to see that change and understand its implication. These are actually 2 aspects to the challenges which we should believe. The first is to realize that our power to harm the earth can indeed have global and even permanent effects. Second is to realize that the only way to understand our new role as a co-architect of nature is to see ourselves as part of a complex system that does operate according to the same simple rules of cause and effect we are used to. So understanding the physical/biological dimension of earth system is an important precondition for making sensible policy to protect our environment. Because we believe Sustainable Development Is a matter of reconciling respect for the environment, social equity and economic profitability. Also, we strongly believe that environmental protection is naturally about reducing air and water pollution, but it also includes the improvement of the environmental performance of existing process. That is why we should always have it at the heart of our business that the environmental problem is not our effect on the environment so much as our relationship with the environment. We should always think of being environmental friendly in our operation.

Keywords: Stratospheric ozone depletion ion , Climate Change, global warming, social equity and economic profitability

Procedia PDF Downloads 334

Authors: Khadidja Mebarki, Naceur Boussouar, Nabila Ihaddadene, M. Akermi

Abstract:

Food products are particularly sensitive, since they concern the health of the consumer, whether it’s be from the health point of view or commercial, this kind of product must be subjected to rigorous controls, in order to prevent any fraud. Quality and safety are essential for food security, public health and economic development. The strengthening of food security is essential to increase food security which is considered reached when all individuals can at any time access safe and nutritious food they need to lead healthy and active lives. The objective of this project is to initiate a quality approach in the laboratories of the quality control and the repression of fraud. It will be directed towards the application of good laboratory practices, traceability, management of quality documents (quality, procedures and specification manual) and quality audits. And to prepare the ground for a possible accreditation by ISO 17025 standard of BECHAR laboratory’s. The project will take place in four main stages: 1- Preparation of an audit grid; 2- Realization of a quality audit according to the method of 5 M completed by a section on quality documentation; 3- Drafting of an audit report and proposal for recommendations; 4- Implementation of corrective actions on the ground. This last step consisted in the formalization of the cleaning disinfection plan; work on good hygiene practices, establishment of a mapping of processes and flow charts of the different processes of the laboratory, classifying quality documents and formalizing the process of document management. During the period of the study within the laboratory, all facets of the work were almost appreciated, as we participated in the expertise performed in within it.

Keywords: quality, management, ISO 17025 accreditation, GLP

Procedia PDF Downloads 509

Authors: Suantak Demkhosei Vaiphei

Abstract:

Mental illness is still considered as an illness not to be treated, resulting India becoming the most depressed country in the world. At present, 150 million Indians are suffering from mental illness and desperately in need of immediate care assessment for their mental health condition. However, only 0.06 per cent of India’s health budget is devoted to mental health treatment, in which the available data suggests that the state of spending the sanctioned budget in this regard is abysmal. Lack of awareness, ignorance, social stigma, and discriminations becomes the underlying factors for worsening the individual mental health conditions. Unfortunately, India becomes the most depressed country in the world, which is hugely affected by anxiety, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder followed by China and USA as per the latest World Health Organization report. The National Care of Medical Health stated that at least 6.5 per cent of the Indian populations are under serious mental disorder both in the rural and the urban areas’Mental health is the integral part of health and can be affected by a range of psychosocial-economic factors that need comprehensive strategically approach for promotion, prevention, treatment, and recovery. In a low- and middle-income country like India, the advance progress in mental health service is visible consistently slow and minimal. Some of the major barriers can be seen in the existing public health priorities and its influence on funding; challenges to delivery of basic mental health care in the primary care settings; the minimal numbers of well-trained professionals in the area of mental health care; and lack of mental health perspective in public-health leadership. The existing barriers according to WHO (2007) are; lack of funding for mental health services is the core barrier in implementing quality mental health services, including inadequate coordinated and consensus based national mental health advocacy and plans, the absence of mental health in major donor priorities, marketing of expensive pharmaceuticals by industry, cost-effectiveness information on mental health services that is unknown to senior decision-makers and social stigma among others. Moreover, lack of strong mental health advocacy in countries to increase resources for mental health services and the role of social stigma and the view that mental health is a private responsibility are also the two barriers to mental health.

Keywords: mental health, depression, stigma, barriers

Procedia PDF Downloads 65

Authors: Kwame Sarkodie, William Cheung, Andrew R. Fergursson

Abstract:

The characterization of multiphase flow has gained enormous attention for most petroleum and chemical industrial processes. In order to fully characterize fluid phases in a stream or containment, there needs to be a profound knowledge of the existing composition of fluids present. This introduces a problem for real-time monitoring of fluid dynamics such as fluid distributions, and phase fractions. This work presents a simple technique of correlating absorbance spectrums of water, oil and air bubble present in containment. These spectra absorption outputs are derived by using an Fourier Infrared spectrometer. During the testing, air bubbles were introduced into static water column and oil containment and with light absorbed in the infrared regions of specific wavelength ranges. Attenuation coefficients are derived for various combinations of water, gas and oil which reveal the presence of each phase in the samples. The results from this work are preliminary and viewed as a build up to the design of a multiphase flow rig which has an infrared sensor pair to be used for multiphase flow characterization.

Keywords: attenuation, infrared, multiphase, spectroscopy

Procedia PDF Downloads 364

Authors: Marija Knez, James C.R. Stangoulis, Manja Zec, Zoran Pavlovic, Jasmina D. Martacic, Mirjana Gurinovic, Maria Glibetic

Abstract:

Background: Zinc is an essential micronutrient for humans with important physiological functions. A sensitive and specific biomarker for assessing Zn status is still needed. Objective: The major aim of this study was to examine if the changes in the content of plasma phospholipid LA, DGLA and LA: DGLA ratio can be used to efficiently predict the dietary Zn intake and plasma Zn status of humans. Methods: The study was performed on apparently healthy human volunteers. The dietary Zn intake was assessed using 24h recall questionnaires. Plasma phospholipid fatty acid analysis was done by gas chromatography and plasma analysis of minerals by atomic absorption spectrometry. Biochemical, anthropometrical and hematological parameters were assessed. Results: No significant relationship was found between the dietary and plasma zinc status (r=0.07; p=0.6). There is a statistically significant correlation between DGLA and plasma Zn (r=0.39, p=0.00). No relationship was observed between the linoleic acid and plasma Zn, while there was a significant negative correlation between LA: DGLA ratio and plasma Zn status (r=-0.35, p=0.01). Similarly, there were statistically significant difference in DGLA status (p=0.004) and LA: DGLA ratio (p=0.042) between the Zn formed groups. Conclusions: This study is an initial step in evaluating LA: DGLA ratio as a biomarker of Zn status in humans. The results are encouraging as they show that concentration of DGLA is decreased and LA: DGLA ratio increased in people with lower dietary Zn intake. However, additional studies are needed to fully examine the sensitivity of this biomarker.

Keywords: dietary Zn intake Zinc, fatty acid composition, LA: DGLA, healthy population, plasma Zn status, Zn biomarker

Procedia PDF Downloads 265

Authors: Mohammed M. Ibrahim, A. A. Yusuf, Manuel Du, Fiona Mumoki

Abstract:

The traditional honey bee species of Sudan is Apis mellifera, but in 1985, the dwarf bee Apis florea was introduced to the country, so now there are two species present. However, there are conflicting assessments regarding the subspecies of Apis mellifera colonies in Sudan. Likewise, it is unclear if, in the 40 years since its introduction, Apis florea has already developed regional differences or ecotypes. To shed light on these questions, we performed a morphology study on Sudanese honeybees. Samples of 10 to 20 honeybee workers per colony of the two species were collected from 16 locations, spanning different climatic zones in Sudan during 2021. Measurements were taken from 16 morphometric characteristics using a stereo-microscope equipped with an Image Analysis System (Moticam Image Plus 5.0 Digital Microscope Camera) to study their variability. The results indicate that in both species, the general means of various characters showed significant differences (p < 0.05) within a species between different locations, indicating that there might indeed be regional differences. However, more taxonomic investigation and, ideally also, molecular studies are needed in order to confirm the proper identification of subspecies and their ecotypes.

Keywords: Apis, subspecies, morphology, Sudan

Procedia PDF Downloads 97

Authors: Iraj Musa Dawaari

Abstract:

Australia and Singapore signed the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP) agreement on 29th June 2015. This agreement aims to strengthen security, defense, diplomatic, economic, education, and innovation cooperation, as well as people-to-people relations between the two states. The purpose of this study is to examine rationales underpinning the (2015 CSP) agreement in order to better understand the national and foreign policy priorities of both Australia and Singapore in the period leading up to the signing of the agreement and in the period since. This research project will seek to establish how both countries’ national and foreign policy priorities have developed in recent years in the light of growing tensions between China and the US in the Indo-Pacific region and how the CSP agreement has influenced these priorities. This project also seeks to better understand and analyse why both states signed the CSP agreement in 2015.

Keywords: Australia, Singapore, foreign policy, partnership, USA, China, Indo-Pacific Region

Procedia PDF Downloads 129