Search results for: RNA secondary structure

Authors: Soulef Amamria, Mohamed Sadok Bensalem, Mohamed Ghanmi

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The structural and sedimentological study of fault-related- folds in the Southern Tunisian Atlas is distinguished by a special geometry of the gravitational structures. This distinct geometry is observable in the example of a flap structure in Jebel Ben Zannouch with the formation of a stuck syncline. This geometry can be explained by the mechanism of major thrusting in Orbata anticline in the occidental extremity of Gafsa chains, with asymmetrical flank dips and hinge migration kinematics. These kinematics was originally controlled by the Breakthrough structure; the study of this special geometry of gravity flap structure depends on the sedimentation domain, shortening ratios, and erosion speed. This study constitutes one of the complete examples of kinematic model validation on a field scale.

Keywords: fault-related-folds, southern Tunisian Atlas, flap structure, breakthrough

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Authors: Muqaddas Butt, Allah Bakhsh Malik

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The changing educational environment, the diverse educational needs of students, the high expectations from the public, and the policy reports demand a strong change & innovation in the curriculum. Effective change and innovation could not be possible without the involvement of two major tenants i.e. teachers and educational managers. Thus, the locus of this research was to explore the secondary school principals and teachers priorities regarding change and innovation in curriculum. The main research objectives were included to explore the secondary school teachers’ and principals’ views about existing Humanities group curriculum; to identify their priorities regarding change and innovation in curriculum and to make a comparison between the priorities of both (the teachers & principals). A total sample of 150 Secondary school teachers and 24 principals from Federal Government Secondary Schools was drawn. The data was obtained through a five point Likert scale questionnaire. The findings indicated a huge difference between principals and teachers priorities. Related to prevailed curriculum, teachers showed more satisfactory views than principals. It was also found that the principals in comparison with teachers showed more inclination towards change and innovation and emphasized on an interdisciplinary, practical and ICT Integrated curriculum. Inclusion of local environmental issues; creativity based and practical activities based curriculum; and orientation to citizenship education into curriculum were some of the aspects highly prioritized by both teachers and principals.

Keywords: curriculum change, curriculum innovation, humanities curriculum, curriculum priorities

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Authors: Angga S. Fajar, A. Aminullah, J. Kiyono, R. A. Safitri

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This paper discusses about the application of ANN for optimizing of bridge structure design. ANN has been applied in various field of science concerning prediction and optimization. The structural optimization has several benefit including accelerate structural design process, saving the structural material, and minimize self-weight and mass of structure. In this paper, there are three types of bridge structure that being optimized including PSC I-girder superstructure, composite steel-concrete girder superstructure, and RC bridge pier. The different optimization strategy on each bridge structure implement back propagation method of ANN is conducted in this research. The optimal weight and easier design process of bridge structure with satisfied error are achieved.

Keywords: bridge structures, ANN, optimization, back propagation

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Authors: Hadriana Bansi, Elizabeth Wina, Toto Toharmat

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Acacia villosa is thornless shrub legume which contents high crude protein. However, the utilization of A. villosa as ruminant feed is limited by its secondary compounds. The aim of this article is to find out the maximum of substitution A. villosa in sheep ration. The nutritional evaluation consisted of in vitro two stages, in vivo, and in vitro gas production trials. The secondary compounds of A. villosa also were analyzed. Evaluating digestibility of increasing level of substitution A. villosa replacing Pennisetum purpureum was using in vitro two stages. The substitution of 30% A. villosa was compared to 100% P. purpureum by in vitro gas production technique and in vivo digestibility. The results of two stages in vitro showed that total phenol, condensed tannin, and non-protein amino acid (NPAA) were high. Substitution 15% A. villosa reached the highest digestibility for both dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) which were 67% and 86% respectively, but it was shown that DM and CP digestibility of substitution 30% of A. villosa was still high which were 61.82% and 75-67% respectively. The pattern of gas production showed that first 8 hours total gas production substitution of 30% A. villosa was higher than 100% P. purpureum and declined after 10 hours incubation. In vivo trials showed that substitution of 30% A. villosa significantly increased CP intake, CP digestibility, and nitrogen retention. It can be concluded that substitution A. villosa until 30% still gave the good impact even though it has high secondary compounds.

Keywords: Acacia villosa, digestibility, gas production, secondary compounds

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Authors: Mark Bezner, Shani Deri, Tom Trigano, Kfir Ben-Harush

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Intermediate filament (IF) proteins-based fibers are among the toughest fibers in nature, as was shown by native hagfish slime threads and by synthetic fibers that are based on type V IF-proteins, the nuclear lamins. It is assumed that their mechanical performance stems from two major factors: (1) the transition from elastic -helices to stiff-sheets during tensile load; and (2) the specific organization of the coiled-coil proteins into a hierarchical network of nano-filaments. Here, we investigated the interrelationship between these two factors by using wet-spun fibers based on C. elegans (Ce) lamin. We found that Ce-lamin fibers, whether assembled in aqueous or alcoholic solutions, had the same nonlinear mechanical behavior, with the elastic region ending at ~5%. The pattern of the transition was, however, different: the ratio between -helices and -sheets/random coils was relatively constant until a 20% strain for fibers assembled in an aqueous solution, whereas for fibers assembled in 70% ethanol, the transition ended at a 6% strain. This structural phenomenon in alcoholic solution probably occurred through the transition between compacted and extended conformation of the random coil, and not between -helix and -sheets, as cycle analyses had suggested. The different transition pattern can also be explained by the different higher order organization of Ce-lamins in aqueous or alcoholic solutions, as demonstrated by introducing a point mutation in conserved residue in Ce-lamin gene that alter the structure of the Ce-lamins’ nano-fibrils. In addition, biomimicking the layered structure of silk and hair fibers by coating the Ce-lamin fiber with a hydrophobic layer enhanced fiber toughness and lead to a reversible transition between -helix and the extended conformation. This work suggests that different hierarchical structures, which are formed by specific assembly conditions, lead to diverse secondary structure transitions patterns, which in turn affect the fibers’ mechanical properties.

Keywords: protein-based fibers, intermediate filaments (IF) assembly, toughness, structure-property relationships

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Authors: Alexandre Barbosa de Almeida, Telma Woerle de Lima Soares

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Protein structure prediction is a challenging task in the bioinformatics field. The biological function of all proteins majorly relies on the shape of their three-dimensional conformational structure, but less than 1% of all known proteins in the world have their structure solved. This work proposes a deep learning model to address this problem, attempting to predict some aspects of the protein conformations. Throughout a process of multiobjective dominance, a recurrent neural network was trained to abstract the particular bias of each individual multiobjective algorithm, generating a heuristic that could be useful to predict some of the relevant aspects of the three-dimensional conformation process formation, known as protein folding.

Keywords: Ab initio heuristic modeling, multiobjective optimization, protein structure prediction, recurrent neural network

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Authors: Mairo Musa Galadima, Phoebe Mshelia

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In Nigeria, the national policy of education stipulates that the kindergarten-primary schools and the legislature are to use the three popular Nigerian Languages namely: Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba. However, the English language seems to be preferred and this calls for this paper. Attempts were made to draw out the challenges faced by learners in understanding English speech sounds and using them to communicate effectively in English; using 5 (five) selected secondary school in Bauchi. It was discovered that challenges abound in the wrong use of stress and intonation, transfer of phonetic features from their first language. Others are inadequately qualified teachers and relevant materials including textbooks. It is recommended that teachers of English should lay more emphasis on the teaching of supra-segmental features and should be encouraged to go for further studies, seminars and refresher courses.

Keywords: stress and intonation, phonetic and challenges, teaching and learning English, secondary schools

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Authors: Asyraf Abdul Halim, Mohd Edil Abd Sukor, Obiyathulla Ismath Bacha

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This paper attempts to investigate the capital structure behavior of Shariah compliant firms of various levels as well those firms who are consistently Shariah non-compliant in Malaysia. The paper utilizes a unique dataset of firms of the heterogeneous level of Shariah-compliancy status over a 20 year period from the year 1997 to 2016. The paper focuses on the effects of dynamic forces behind capital structure variation such as the optimal capital structure behavior based on the trade-off, pecking order, market timing and firmly fixed effect models of capital structure. This study documents significant evidence in support of the trade-off theory with a high speed of adjustment (SOA) as well as for the time-invariant firm fixed effects across all Shariah compliance group.

Keywords: capital structure, market timing, trade-off theory, equity risk premium, Shariah-compliant firms

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Authors: Joseph Osodo, Motsa Thobekani Phila

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The study investigated the impact of e-learning on the performance of history learners in Eswatini general certificate of secondary education in the Manzini region of Eswatini. The study was guided by the theory of connectivism. The study had three objectives which were to find out the significance of e-learning during the COVID-19 era in learning History subject; challenges faced by history teachers’ and learners’ in e-learning; and how the challenges were mitigated. The study used a qualitative research approach and descriptive research design. Purposive sampling was used to select eight History teachers and eight History learners from four secondary schools in the Manzini region. Data were collected using face to face interviews. The collected data were analyzed and presented in thematically. The findings showed that history teachers had good knowledge on what e-learning was, while students had little understanding of e-learning. Some of the forms of e-learning that were used during the pandemic in teaching history in secondary schools included TV, radio, computer, projectors, and social media especially WhatsApp. E-learning enabled the continuity of teaching and learning of history subject. The use of e-learning through the social media was more convenient to the teacher and the learners. It was concluded that in some secondary school in the Manzini region, history teacher and learners encountered challenges such as lack of finances to purchase e-learning gadgets and data bundles, lack of skills as well as access to the Internet. It was recommended that History teachers should create more time to offer additional learning support to students whose performance was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic effects.

Keywords: e-learning, performance, COVID-19, history, connectivism

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Authors: Shaikah Alsubayae, Gianluigi Casse, Carlos Chavez, Jon Taylor, Alan Taylor, Mohammad Alsulimane

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Achieving precise radiotherapy through carbon therapy necessitates the accurate monitoring of radiation dose distribution within the patient's body. This process is pivotal for targeted tumor treatment, minimizing harm to healthy tissues, and enhancing overall treatment effectiveness while reducing the risk of side effects. In our investigation, we adopted a methodological approach to monitor secondary proton doses in carbon therapy using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Initially, Geant4 simulations were employed to extract the initial positions of secondary particles generated during interactions between carbon ions and water, including protons, gamma rays, alpha particles, neutrons, and tritons. Subsequently, we explored the relationship between the carbon ion beam and these secondary particles. Interaction vertex imaging (IVI) proves valuable for monitoring dose distribution during carbon therapy, providing information about secondary particle locations and abundances, particularly protons. The IVI method relies on charged particles produced during ion fragmentation to gather range information by reconstructing particle trajectories back to their point of origin, known as the vertex. In the context of carbon ion therapy, our simulation results indicated a strong correlation between some secondary particles and the range of carbon ions. However, challenges arose due to the unique elongated geometry of the target, hindering the straightforward transmission of forward-generated protons. Consequently, the limited protons that did emerge predominantly originated from points close to the target entrance. Fragment (protons) trajectories were approximated as straight lines, and a beam back-projection algorithm, utilizing interaction positions recorded in Si detectors, was developed to reconstruct vertices. The analysis revealed a correlation between the reconstructed and actual positions.

Keywords: radiotherapy, carbon therapy, monitor secondary proton doses, interaction vertex imaging

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Authors: Sahar Jami, Iman Valizadeh

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The purpose of the study: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of culture on the choice of capital structure management companies are listed in the Tehran Stock Exchange. Methods: This study was a cross-document using data after the event (Retrospective) in 1394 was performed. To select a sample of elimination sampling (screening) is used to determine the sample size was 123 companies. Results: The results showed that the variables of culture, return on equity, a significant positive impact on the capital structure (ROA, QTobins) and financial leverage and firm size variables and a significant negative impact on the capital structure (ROA, QTobins).

Keywords: culture management, capital structure, ROA, QTobins, variables of culture

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Authors: N. N. Nkomo, M. L. Mayanchi

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The present study investigated various forms of disciplinary procedures or punishment used by teachers in secondary schools in Calabar Municipality, Nigera. There are agitations amongst parents and educators on the use of corporal punishment as a disciplinary measure against children. Those against the use of corporal punishment argue that this form of punishment does not teach, it only terminates behaviour temporarily and inculcates violence. Those in support are of the view that corporal punishment serves as a deterrent to others. This study sought to find out the most common measure of discipline employed by teachers in private and public schools. The study had three objectives, three research questions and two hypotheses. The design of the present study was the ex-post facto descriptive survey, since variables under study were not manipulated by the researcher. Teachers in Calabar Municipal Secondary Schools formed the population. A sample of 160 teachers was used for the study. The data collection instrument was a facts finding questionnaire titled Disciplinary Procedures Inventory. Data collected were analyzed using simple percentages and chi-square. The major findings were that physical measures such as flogging, exercise/drills, and painful postures were commonly used by teachers in secondary schools. It was also found that these measures were more often used in public schools. It was recommended that teachers should rather employ non-violent techniques of discipline than physical punishment.

Keywords: discipline, non-violent punishment, physical punishment, penalties, rewards

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Authors: Buntheng Chhorn, WooYoung Jung

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Large-scale swing has been used in entertainment and performance, especially in circus, for a very long time. To increase the safety of this type of structure, a thorough analysis for displacement and bearing stress was performed for an extreme condition where a full cycle swing occurs. Different masses, ranging from 40 kg to 220 kg, and velocities were applied on the swing. Then, based on the solution of differential dynamics equation, swing velocity response to harmonic force was obtained. Moreover, the resistance capacity was estimated based on ACI steel structure design guide. Subsequently, numerical analysis was performed in ABAQUS to obtain the stress on each frame of the swing. Finally, the analysis shows that the expansion of swing structure frame section was required for mass bigger than 150kg.

Keywords: swing structure, displacement, bearing stress, dynamic loads response, finite element analysis

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Authors: Pratima Kumari, Sukha Ranjan Samadder

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This research aims to contribute to the sustainable production of graphene materials by exploring the extraction of graphite from spent primary and secondary batteries. The increasing demand for graphene materials, a versatile and high-performance material, necessitates environmentally friendly methods for its synthesis. The process involves a well-planned methodology, beginning with the gathering and categorization of batteries, followed by the disassembly and careful removal of graphite from anode structures. The use of environmentally friendly solvents and mechanical techniques ensures an efficient and eco-friendly extraction of graphite. Advanced approaches such as the modified Hummers' method and chemical reduction process are utilized for the synthesis of graphene materials, with a focus on optimizing parameters. Various analytical techniques such as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and Raman spectroscopy were employed to validate the quality and structure of the produced graphene materials. The major findings of this study reveal the successful implementation of the methodology, leading to the production of high-quality graphene materials suitable for advanced material applications. Thorough characterization using various advanced techniques validates the structural integrity and purity of the graphene. The economic viability of the process is demonstrated through a comprehensive economic analysis, highlighting the potential for large-scale production. This research contributes to the field of sustainable production of graphene materials by offering a systematic methodology that efficiently transforms spent batteries into valuable graphene resources. Furthermore, the findings not only showcase the potential for upcycling electronic waste but also address the pressing need for environmentally conscious processes in advanced material synthesis.

Keywords: spent primary batteries, spent secondary batteries, graphite extraction, advanced material synthesis, circular economy approach

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Authors: Dahiru Bawa Muhammad

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Mathematics is accorded a prime position in basic education curriculum because it is envisaged to be an important tool in preparing children for life after school as well as equipping them with skills needed for secondary and higher education. As a result of this, the subject is made compulsory from primary through secondary school and candidates are expected to offer it and pass before fulfilling the requirement for higher education. Against this backdrop, this paper overviewed the basic education programme, context of teaching and learning mathematics at basic education level in Katsina State of Nigeria, relevance of the subject to different fields of human endeavours, challenges threatening the utility of the subject as a tool for the achievement of the goals of basic education programme and concluded by recommending how teaching and learning of mathematics can be improved for even development of citizens within nation states and enhanced/mutual sustainable development of nations in the global village.

Keywords: basic education, junior secondary school education, mathematical centre

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Authors: Jimoh Abiodun Alaba

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Context: In many traditional African societies, sex education is often considered a taboo topic. However, the importance of sex education is becoming increasingly evident. This study aims to investigate the challenges faced in teaching sex education in selected secondary schools in the Akoko region of Ondo state, Nigeria. Research Aim: The aim of this study is to identify and examine the problems confronting the teaching of sex education in selected secondary schools in the Akoko region of Ondo state, Nigeria. Methodology: The study utilized a multi-stage sampling method. The first stage involved a purposive selection of ten (10) secondary schools in the Akoko region of Ondo State, while the second stage was a random selection of twenty (20) students, each in the selected secondary schools of the study area. This makes a total of two (200) hundred students that were considered for the survey. Descriptive analysis using percentages was employed to analyze the collected data. Factor analysis was also used to identify the most significant problems. Findings: The study revealed that sex education has been neglected in the sampled secondary schools due to traditional African beliefs that do not support the teaching and learning of this subject. Furthermore, there was evidence to suggest that parents also displayed reluctance towards the teaching of sex education, fearing that it might expose students to inappropriate behavior. Consequently, students were deprived of this essential aspect of education necessary for self-awareness and development. Theoretical Importance: This study contributes to the understanding of the challenges faced in teaching sex education in traditional African societies, specifically in the selected secondary schools in the Akoko region of Ondo state, Nigeria. Data Collection: Data were collected through the administration of 200 questionnaires in ten selected secondary schools. Additionally, information was gathered from federal, state, and local government authorities. Analysis Procedures: The collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis, employing percentage calculations for better interpretation. Furthermore, factor analysis was conducted to isolate the most significant problems identified. Conclusion: The study concludes that sex education in the sampled secondary schools in the Akoko region of Ondo state, Nigeria, has suffered neglect due to traditional African beliefs and parental concerns. Consequently, students are denied an important aspect of education necessary for their self-awareness and development. Recommendations are made to change the negative perception of sex education, enrich the curriculum, and employ qualified personnel for its teaching. Additionally, it is suggested that sex education should be integrated with moral instruction.

Keywords: African traditional belief, sex, sex education, sexual misdemeanor, morality

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Authors: A. Olusegun Egunjobi, Samson Sunday Adekunte

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This study investigated the teachers’ and learners’ ICT-readiness assessment for agricultural science instruction in secondary schools in Ogun State, Nigeria. However, the sample population of 6 and 120 agricultural science teachers and learners were randomly selected respectively from 3 public and 3 private senior secondary schools in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria. Descriptive survey design of ex post-facto type was adopted for the study. Two structured questionnaires tagged Teachers’ and Learners’ Questionnaires on ICT-Readiness for Agricultural Science Instruction TQICTRASI and LQICTRASI respectively were used for data collection. The two questionnaires were subjected to Cronbach alpha coefficient with the results 0.86 and 0.82 respectively. Five research hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that teachers in private senior secondary school (SSS) were more ready and prepared than their counterparts in public SSS with the result t-value = 4.25 greater than t-critical = 2.77, df = 4 at p<0.05. Also, learners in private SSS were more prepared and ready for the utilisation of ICT-facilities for agricultural science instruction with the result t-value = 3.51 greater than t-critical = 1.98, df = 118 at p<0.05. However, male and female learners in both private and public SSS were equally prepared and ready for the ICT-facilities utilisation for agricultural science instruction, thus, there were no significant differences in their ICT-readiness. Therefore, the study proffered that, both male and female teachers and learners should be more ICT-compliant and always ready to upgrade their skills and knowledge in ICT-facilities, utilisation for agricultural science instruction and even for other school subjects particularly in Ogun State and in generally in Nigeria.

Keywords: ICT-readiness, teachers’ and learners’ assessment, private and public senior secondary schools, agricultural science instruction

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Authors: Adewole Taiwo Adelabu

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The study investigated the factors militating the organization of intramural sports programs in secondary schools in Ekiti State, Nigeria. The purpose of the study was to identify the factors affecting the organization of sports in secondary schools and also to proffer possible solutions to these factors. The study employed the inferential statistics of chi-square (x2). Five research hypotheses were formulated. The population for the study was all the students in the government-owned secondary schools in Ekiti West Local Government of Ekiti State Nigeria. The sample for the study was 60 students in three schools within the local government selected through simple random sampling techniques. The instrument used for the study was a self-developed questionnaire by the researcher for data collection. The instrument was presented to experts and academicians in the field of Human Kinetics and Health Education for construct and content validation. A reliability test was conducted which involves 10 students who are not part of the study. The test-retest coefficient of 0.74 was obtained which attested to the fact that the instrument was reliable enough for the study. The validated questionnaire was administered to the students in their various schools by the researcher with the help of two research assistants; the questionnaires were filled and returned to the researcher immediately. The data collected were analyzed using the descriptive statistics of frequency count, percentage and mean to analyze demographic data in section A of the questionnaire, while inferential statistics of chi-square was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 alpha level. The results of the study revealed that personnel, fund, schedule (time) were significant factors that affect the organization of intramural sport programs among students in secondary schools in Ekiti West Local Government Area of the State. The study also revealed that organization of intramural sports programs among students of secondary schools will improve and motivate students’ participation in sports beyond the local level. However, facilities and equipment is not a significant factor affecting the organization of intramural sports among secondary school students in Ekiti West Local Government Area.

Keywords: challenge, intramural sport, militating, programmes

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Authors: HoYoung Son, DongHoon Shin, WooYoung Jung

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This study presented the seismic fragility framework of concrete weir structure subjected to strong seismic ground motions and in particular, concrete aging condition of the weir structure was taken into account in this study. In order to understand the influence of concrete aging on the weir structure, by using probabilistic risk assessment, the analytical seismic fragility of the weir structure was derived for pre- and post-deterioration of concrete. The performance of concrete weir structure after five years was assumed for the concrete aging or deterioration, and according to after five years’ condition, the elastic modulus was simply reduced about one–tenth compared with initial condition of weir structures. A 2D nonlinear finite element analysis was performed considering the deterioration of concrete in weir structures using ABAQUS platform, a commercial structural analysis program. Simplified concrete degradation was resulted in the increase of almost 45% of the probability of failure at Limit State 3, in comparison to initial construction stage, by analyzing the seismic fragility.

Keywords: weir, FEM, concrete, fragility, aging

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Authors: Bing Lu, Shuang Li, Hongyuan Zhou

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The steel–concrete hybrid structure has been extensively employed in high–rise buildings and super high–rise buildings. The light gauge steel–concrete hybrid structure, including light gauge steel structure and concrete hybrid structure, is a new–type steel–concrete hybrid structure, which possesses some advantages of light gauge steel structure and concrete hybrid structure. The seismic behavior and loss assessment of three high–rise buildings with three different concrete hybrid structures were investigated through finite element software, respectively. The three concrete hybrid structures are reinforced concrete column–steel beam (RC‒S) hybrid structure, concrete–filled steel tube column–steel beam (CFST‒S) hybrid structure, and tubed concrete column–steel beam (TC‒S) hybrid structure. The nonlinear time-history analysis of three high–rise buildings under 80 earthquakes was carried out. After simulation, it indicated that the seismic performances of three high–rise buildings were superior. Under extremely rare earthquakes, the maximum inter–storey drifts of three high–rise buildings are significantly lower than 1/50. The inter–storey drift and floor acceleration of high–rise building with CFST‒S hybrid structure were bigger than those of high–rise buildings with RC‒S hybrid structure, and smaller than those of high–rise building with TC‒S hybrid structure. Then, based on the time–history analysis results, the post-earthquake repair cost ratio and repair time of three high–rise buildings were predicted through an economic performance analysis method proposed in FEMA‒P58 report. Under frequent earthquakes, basic earthquakes and rare earthquakes, the repair cost ratio and repair time of three high-rise buildings were less than 5% and 15 days, respectively. Under extremely rare earthquakes, the repair cost ratio and repair time of high-rise buildings with TC‒S hybrid structure were the most among three high rise buildings. Due to the advantages of CFST-S hybrid structure, it could be extensively employed in high-rise buildings subjected to earthquake excitations.

Keywords: seismic behavior, loss assessment, light gauge steel–concrete hybrid structure, high–rise building, time–history analysis

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Authors: Luthfi Assholam Solamat

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Nowadays many people do not know the soil failure pattern as an important part in planning the under structure caused by the loading occurs. This is because the soil is located under the foundation, so it cannot be seen directly. Based on this study, the idea occurs to do a study for testing the soil failure pattern, especially the type of sand soil under the foundation. The necessity of doing this to the design of building structures on the land which is the initial part of the foundation structure that met with waves/vibrations during an earthquake. If the underground structure is not strong it is feared the building thereon more vulnerable to the risk of building damage. This research focuses on the search of soil failure pattern, which the most applicable in the field with the loading periodic re-testing of a particular time with the help of the integrated video visual observations performed. The results could be useful for planning under the structure in an effort to try the upper structure is minimal risk of the earthquake.

Keywords: soil failure pattern, earthquake, under structure, sand soil testing method

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Authors: Logaiswari Indiran, Zainab Khalifah, Kamariah Ismail

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Business incubators have now been recognized as effective tools in providing business assistance to start-up firms. In both developed and developing countries, the number of incubators is growing tremendously. As the birth rate of incubators increases, so do its challenges. Malaysia, as one of the developing countries in the Asian continent, has also established a number of business incubators to breed and foster the growth and survival of start-up firms. Thus, this study discusses the incubation model applied in Malaysia and the challenges faced by these incubators using secondary data including policies, previous literature, and reports related to Malaysian incubators. The findings of this study call the government to rethink the key role of incubator managers and staffs, internal structure of the incubator concept and process, intellectual properties management, strategic alliances with universities-industries and funding supports in enhancing the support provided by the business incubators in Malaysia. The key challenges highlighted in this study signal important policy lessons for other developing countries that aim to create and map an effective business incubator ecosystem.

Keywords: business incubators, incubation challenges, funding support, incubator managers, internal structure, start-up firms

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Authors: Suresh Narayana, Chaitanya Akkannavar

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Assessment of behavior of reinforced concrete structures subjected to fire load, and its behavior for the multi-floor fire have been presented in this paper. This research is the part of the study to evaluate the performance of ten storied RC structure when it is subjected to fire loads at multiple floors and to evaluate the post-fire effects on structure such as deflection and stresses occurring due to combined effect of static and thermal loading. Thermal loading has been assigned to different floor levels to estimate the critical floors that initiate the collapse of the structure. The structure has been modeled and analyzed in Solid Works and commercially available Finite Element Software ABAQUS. Results are analyzed, and particular design solution has been suggested.

Keywords: collapse mechanism, fire analysis, RC structure, stress vs temperature

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Authors: Fateh Adhnouss, Husam El-Asfour, Kenneth McIsaac, AbdulMutalib Wahaishi, Idris El-Feghia

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Conceptualization is an essential component of semantic ontology-based approaches. There have been several approaches that rely on extensional structure and extensional reduction structure in order to construct conceptualization. In this paper, several limitations are highlighted relating to their applicability to the construction of conceptualizations in dynamic and open environments. These limitations arise from a number of strong assumptions that do not apply to such environments. An intensional structure is strongly argued to be a natural and adequate modeling approach. This paper presents a conceptualization structure based on property relations and propositions theory (PRP) to the model ontology that is suitable for open environments. The model extends the First-Order Logic (FOL) notation and defines the formal representation that enables interoperability between software systems and supports semantic integration for software systems in open, dynamic environments.

Keywords: conceptualization, ontology, extensional structure, intensional structure

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Authors: A. Bruce Janati, Muhammad Umair Khan, Naif Alghassab, Ibrahim Alzeir, Assem Mahmoud, M. Sammour

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Rationale: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome(LGS) is an electro-clinical syndrome composed of the triad of mental retardation, multiple seizure types, and the characteristic generalized slow spike-wave complexes in the EEG. In this article, we report on two patients with LGS whose brain MRI showed dysgenesis of corpus callosum(CC). We review the literature and stress the role of CC in the genesis of secondary bilateral synchrony(SBS). Method: This was a clinical study conducted at King Khalid Hospital. Results: The EEG was consistent with LGS in patient 1 and unilateral slow spike-wave complexes in patient 2. The MRI showed hypoplasia of the splenium of CC in patient 1, and global hypoplasia of CC combined with Joubert syndrome in patient 2. Conclusion: Based on the data, we proffer the following hypotheses: 1-Hypoplasia of CC interferes with functional integrity of this structure. 2-The genu of CC plays a pivotal role in the genesis of secondary bilateral synchrony. 3-Electrodecremental seizures in LGS emanate from pacemakers generated in the brain stem, in particular the mesencephalon projecting abnormal signals to the cortex via thalamic nuclei. 4-Unilateral slow spike-wave complexes in the context of mental retardation and multiple seizure types may represent a variant of LGS, justifying neuroimaging studies.

Keywords: EEG, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, corpus callosum , MRI

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Authors: E. Ateia, L. M. Salah, A. H. El-Bassuony

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Physical properties of nanocrystalline Ni1-xZnxCryFe2-yO4, (x=0.3, 0.5 and y=0.0, 0.1) with estimated crystallite size of 16.4 nm have been studied. XRD pattern of all prepared systems shows that, the nanosamples without Cr3+ have a cubic spinel structure with the appearance of small peaks designated as a secondary phase. Magnetic constants such as saturation magnetization, (MS) remanent magnetization (Mr) and coercive field (Hc) were obtained and reported. The obtained data shows that, the addition of Cr3+ (0.1mol) decreases the saturation magnetization. This is due to the decrease of magnetic moment of Cr3+ ion (3.0 μB) with respect to Fe3+ ion (5.85 μB). The electrical properties of the investigated samples were also investigated.

Keywords: electrical conductivity, ferrites, grain size, sintering

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Authors: Asif Bilal, Fouzia Tanvir, Sibtain Ahmad

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Estrogen receptor alpha, also known as estrogen receptor-1, is highly involved in risk of mammary carcinoma. The objectives of this study were to identify non-synonymous SNPs of estrogen receptor and their association with breast cancer and to identify the chemotherapeutic responses of phytochemicals against it via in-silico study design. For this purpose, different online tools. to identify pathogenic SNPs the tools were SIFT, Polyphen, Polyphen-2, fuNTRp, SNAP2, for finding disease associated SNPs the tools SNP&GO, PhD-SNP, PredictSNP, MAPP, SNAP, MetaSNP, PANTHER, and to check protein stability Mu-Pro, I-Mutant, and CONSURF were used. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) were detected by Musitedeep, Protein secondary structure by SOPMA, protein to protein interaction by STRING, molecular docking by PyRx. Seven SNPs having rsIDs (rs760766066, rs779180038, rs956399300, rs773683317, rs397509428, rs755020320, and rs1131692059) showing mutations on I229T, R243C, Y246H, P336R, Q375H, R394S, and R394H, respectively found to be completely deleterious. The PTMs found were 96 times Glycosylation; 30 times Ubiquitination, a single time Acetylation; and no Hydroxylation and Phosphorylation were found. The protein secondary structure consisted of Alpha helix (Hh) is (28%), Extended strand (Ee) is (21%), Beta turn (Tt) is 7.89% and Random coil (Cc) is (44.11%). Protein-protein interaction analysis revealed that it has strong interaction with Myeloperoxidase, Xanthine dehydrogenase, carboxylesterase 1, Glutathione S-transferase Mu 1, and with estrogen receptors. For molecular docking we used Asiaticoside, Ilekudinuside, Robustoflavone, Irinoticane, Withanolides, and 9-amin0-5 as ligands that extract from phytochemicals and docked with this protein. We found that there was great interaction (from -8.6 to -9.7) of these ligands of phytochemicals at ESR1 wild and two mutants (I229T and R394S). It is concluded that these SNPs found in ESR1 are involved in breast cancer and given phytochemicals are highly helpful against breast cancer as chemotherapeutic agents. Further in vitro and in vivo analysis should be performed to conduct these interactions.

Keywords: breast cancer, ESR1, phytochemicals, molecular docking

Procedia PDF Downloads 45

Authors: S. Ziaran, M. Musil, M. Cekan, O. Chlebo

Abstract:

The paper analyzes the response of buildings and industrially structures on seismic waves (low frequency mechanical vibration) generated by blasting operations. The principles of seismic analysis can be applied for different kinds of excitation such as: earthquakes, wind, explosions, random excitation from local transportation, periodic excitation from large rotating and/or machines with reciprocating motion, metal forming processes such as forging, shearing and stamping, chemical reactions, construction and earth moving work, and other strong deterministic and random energy sources caused by human activities. The article deals with the response of seismic, low frequency, mechanical vibrations generated by nearby blasting operations on a residential home. The goal was to determine the fundamental natural frequencies of the measured structure; therefore it is important to determine the resonant frequencies to design a suitable modal damping. The article also analyzes the package of seismic waves generated by blasting (Primary waves – P-waves and Secondary waves S-waves) and investigated the transfer regions. For the detection of seismic waves resulting from an explosion, the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and modal analysis, in the frequency domain, is used and the signal was acquired and analyzed also in the time domain. In the conclusions the measured results of seismic waves caused by blasting in a nearby quarry and its effect on a nearby structure (house) is analyzed. The response on the house, including the fundamental natural frequency and possible fatigue damage is also assessed.

Keywords: building structure, seismic waves, spectral analysis, structural response

Procedia PDF Downloads 371

Authors: Rishi Sharma, S. N. Maiti

Abstract:

The non-isothermal crystallization kinetics of PP/SEBS-g-MA blends up to 0-50% concentration of copolymer was studied by differential scanning calorimetry at four different cooling rates. Crystallization parameters were analyzed by Avrami and Jeziorny models. Primary and secondary crystallization processes were described by Avrami equation. Avrami model showed that all types of shapes grow from small dimensions during primary crystallization. However, three-dimensional crystal growth was observed during the secondary crystallization process. The crystallization peak and onset temperature decrease, however

Keywords: crystallization kinetics, non-isothermal, polypropylene, SEBS-g-MA

Procedia PDF Downloads 592

Authors: Cheng Zeng, Xia Luo

Abstract:

Passenger organization has always been an essential part of China's metro operation and management. Facing the massive passenger flow, stations need to improve their intelligence and automation degree by an appropriate integrated system. Based on the existing integrated supervisory control system (ISCS) and simulation software (Anylogic), this paper designs an intelligent passenger organization system (IPOS) for metro stations. Its primary function includes passenger information acquisition, data processing and computing, visualization management, decision recommendations, and decision response based on interlocking equipment. For this purpose, the logical structure and intelligent algorithms employed are particularly devised. Besides, the structure diagram of information acquisition and application module, the application of Anylogic, the case library's function process are all given by this research. Based on the secondary development of Anylogic and existing technologies like video recognition, the IPOS is supposed to improve the response speed and address capacity in the face of emergent passenger flow of metro stations.

Keywords: anylogic software, decision-making support system, intellectualization, ISCS, passenger organization

Procedia PDF Downloads 144