Search results for: aging effect

Authors: Olfat A. Fadali, Mohamed S. Mahmoud, Omnia H. Abdelraheem, Shimaa G. Mohammed

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The effect of electromagnetic field (EMF) on the removal of edible oil from oil-in-water emulsion by means of electrocoagulation was investigated in rectangular batch electrochemical cell with DC current. Iron (Fe) plate anodes and stainless steel cathodes were employed as electrodes. The effect of different magnetic field intensities (1.9, 3.9 and 5.2 tesla), three different positions of EMF (below, perpendicular and parallel to the electrocoagulation cell), as well as operating time; had been investigated. The application of electromagnetic field (5.2 tesla) raises percentage of oil removal from 72.4% for traditional electrocoagulation to 90.8% after 20 min.

Keywords: electrocoagulation, electromagnetic field, Oil-water emulsion, edible oil

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Authors: Ali Ghodsbin Jahromi, Ehsan Moradi

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In this paper, the numerical study of buried steel pipe in soil is investigated. Buried pipeline under soil weight, after embankment on the pipe leads to ovality of pipe. In this paper also it is considered the percentage of soil compaction, the soil height on the steel pipe and the external load of a mechanical excavator on the steel pipe and finally, the effect of these on the rate of pipe ovality investigated. Furthermore, the effect of the pipes’ thickness on ovality has been investigated. The results show that increasing the percentage of soil compaction has more effect on reducing percentage of ovality, and if the percentage of soil compaction increases, we can use the pipe with less thickness. Finally, ovality rate of the pipe and acceptance criteria of pipe diameter up to yield stress is investigated.

Keywords: pipe ovality, soil compaction, finite element, pipe thickness

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Authors: Minas Balyan

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Nowadays X-ray nonlinear diffraction and nonlinear effects are investigated due to the presence of the third generation synchrotron sources and XFELs. X-ray third order nonlinear dynamical diffraction is considered as well. Using the nonlinear model of the usual visible light optics the third-order nonlinear Takagi’s equations for monochromatic waves and the third-order nonlinear time-dependent dynamical diffraction equations for X-ray pulses are obtained by the author in previous papers. The obtained equations show, that even if the Fourier-coefficients of the linear and the third order nonlinear susceptibilities are zero (forbidden reflection), the dynamical diffraction in the nonlinear case is related to the presence in the nonlinear equations the terms proportional to the zero order and the second order nonzero Fourier coefficients of the third order nonlinear susceptibility. Thus, in the third order nonlinear Bragg diffraction case a nonlinear analogue of the well-known Renninger effect takes place. In this work, the 'third order nonlinear Renninger effect' is considered theoretically.

Keywords: Bragg diffraction, nonlinear Takagi’s equations, nonlinear Renninger effect, third order nonlinearity

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Authors: Tesfaye Sisay Dessalegn

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The long-term performance of concrete structures is affected by the properties and behavior of concrete at an early age. However, the fundamental mechanisms affecting the early-age behavior of concrete have not yet been fully studied. The effect of water temperature on concrete is not sufficiently studied, and at the same time, the majority of studies focused on the effect of mixing water temperature on the workability and mechanical properties of concrete. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, the effect of mixing water temperatures on plastic shrinkage cracking of concrete has not been studied yet.

Keywords: water temperature, early age concrete strength, mechanical properties of concrete, strength

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Authors: Assem Sallam, Aly Elzahaby, Ahmed Makled, Mohamed Khalil

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Change in design parameters of launch vehicle affects its overall flight path trajectory. In this paper, several design parameters are introduced to study their effect. Selected parameters are the launch vehicle mass, which is presented in the form of payload mass, the maximum allowable angle of attack the launch vehicle can withstand, the flight path angle that is predefined for the launch vehicle second stage, the required inclination and its effect on the launch azimuth and finally by changing the launch pad coordinate. Selected design parameters are studied for their effect on the variation of altitude, ground range, absolute velocity and the flight path angle. The study gives a general mean of adjusting the design parameters to reach the required launch vehicle performance.

Keywords: launch vehicle azimuth, launch vehicle trajectory, launch vehicle payload, launch pad location

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Authors: M. M. Fercan, A. S. Kipcak, O. Dere Ozdemir, M. B. Piskin, E. Moroydor Derun

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Coffee is a widely consumed beverage with many components such as caffeine, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, and minerals. Coffee consumption continues to increase due to its physiological effects, its pleasant taste, and aroma. Robusta and Arabica are two basic types of coffee beans. The coffee bean used for Turkish coffee is Arabica. There are many elements in the structure of coffee and have various effect on human health such as Sodium (Na), Boron (B), Magnesium (Mg) and Iron (Fe). In this study, the amounts of Mg, Na, Fe, and B contents in Turkish coffee are determined and effect of sugar addition is investigated for conscious consumption. The analysis of the contents of coffees was determined by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). From the results of the experiments the Mg, Na, Fe and B contents of Turkish coffee after sugar addition were found as 19.83, 1.04, 0.02, 0.21 ppm, while without using sugar these concentrations were found 21.46, 0.81, 0.008 and 0.16 ppm. In addition, element contents were calculated for 1, 3 and 5 cups of coffee in order to investigate the health effects.

Keywords: health effect, ICP-OES, sugar, Turkish coffee

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Authors: Isari Pairoa, Proud Arunrangsiwed

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Celebrity and brand mascot endorsement have been explored for more than three decades. Both endorsers can effectively transfer their reputation to corporate image and can influence the customers to purchase the product. However, there was little known about the mediators between the level of endorsement and its effect on buying behavior. The objective of the current study is to identify the gab of the previous studies and to seek possible mediators. It was found that consumer’s memory and identification are the mediators, of source credibility and endorsement effect. A future study should confirm the model of endorsement, which was established in the current study.

Keywords: product endorsement, memory, identification theory, source credibility, unintentional effect

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Authors: A. Shebani, S. Iwnicki

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Understanding the nature of wheel and rail wear in the railway field is of fundamental importance to the safe and cost effective operation of the railways. Twin disc wear testing is used extensively for studying wear of wheel and rail materials. The University of Huddersfield twin disc rig was used in this paper to examine the effect of surface conditions on wheel and rail wear measurement under a range of wheel/rail contact conditions, with and without contaminants. This work focuses on an investigation of the effect of dry, wet, and lubricated conditions and the effect of contaminants such as sand on wheel and rail wear. The wheel and rail wear measurements were carried out by using a replica material and an optical profilometer that allows measurement of wear in difficult location with high accuracy. The results have demonstrated the rate at which both water and oil reduce wheel and rail wear. Scratches and other damage were seen on the wheel and rail surfaces after the addition of sand and consequently both wheel and rail wear damage rates increased under these conditions. This work introduced the replica material and an optical instrument as effective tools to study the effect of surface conditions on wheel and rail wear.

Keywords: railway wheel/rail wear, surface conditions, twin disc test rig, replica material, Alicona profilometer

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Authors: Fatima Ghebghoub

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The solvent extraction of cobalt (II) from sulfate medium using di(2-ethylhexy1) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA, HL) at 25°C has been investigated. The influence of the following parameters was studied: the equilibrium pH, the concentration of the extractant and the nature of diluent. The effect of the diluent using polar and non-polar solvents in the extraction of nickel(II) is discussed. The extracted nickel (II species were found to be CoL2 in 1-octanol and methyl isobutyl ketone and CoL2.2HL in toluene, dichloromethane, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride and cyclohexane. The extraction constants are evaluated for the different diluents.

Keywords: liquid-liquid extraction, cobalt(II), di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid, diluent effect

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Authors: Szu-Chieh Yu, Pei-Chin Chiand, Chih-Yi Lin, Yi-Wen Chien

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UV radiation from sunlight cause numbers of acute and chronic skin damage which can result in inflammation, immune changes, physical changes and DNA damage that facilitates skin aging and the development of skin carcinogenesis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are generated by excessive solar UV radiation, resulting in oxidative damage to cellar components, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Thus, antioxidation plays an important role that protects skin against ROS-induced injury. Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) is an important Chinese medicine contained abundance flavones and hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA) which is main active ingredient. HSYA is part of quinochalcone and has unique structures of hydroxy groups that provided the antioxidant effect. In this study, the aim was to investigate the protective role of HYSA in human keratinocytes (HaCaT) against UVA-induced oxidative damage and the possible mechanism. The HaCaT cells were UVA-irradiated and the effects of HYSA on cell viability, reactive oxygen species generation, DNA fragmentation and lipid peroxidation were measured. The mRNA expression of matrix metalloproteinase Ι (MMP Ι), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were determined by RT-PCR. In this study, UVA exposure lead to decrease in cell viability and increase in reactive oxygen species generation in HaCaT cells. HYSA could effectively increase the viability of HaCaT cells after UVA exposure and protect them from UVA-induced oxidative stress. Moreover, HYSA can reduce inflammation through inhibition the mRNA expression of MMP Ι and COX-2. Our results suggest that HSYA can act as a free radical scavenger while keratinocytes were photodamaged. HYSA could be a useful natural medicine for the protection of epidermal cells from UVA-induced damage and will be developed into products for skin care.

Keywords: HaCaT keratinocytes, hydroxysafflor yellow A (HSYA), MMP Ι, oxidative stress

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Authors: Adel Elomri

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The notion of carbon footprinting is ever more widespread as companies are becoming increasingly aware that tackling carbon emissions and being seen to do so is a key issue to face governments, customers and other stakeholders’ pressures towards delivering environmentally friendly services and activities. In this contest, many firms are taking self-initiatives to reduce their own carbon emissions while some other are constrained to obey to different regulations/policies (e.g. carbon tax or carbon Cap) designed by higher authorities targeting a low-carbon environment. Using buyer-vendor framework, this paper provides some insights on how effective are these self-initiatives and regulatory policies when only concerning firms at the individual level and not the whole supply chain they are part of. We show that when firms individually engage in reducing their direct carbon emissions either under self-initiatives or regulatory policy, an opposite expected outcome resulting in a higher global supply chain emission can occur. This effect is referred to as the carbon seesaw effect. Moreover, we show that coordinating or centralizing the supply chain -contrary to what one may think at first- is not often the appropriate solution to get rid of this effect.

Keywords: carbon emissions, supply chain coordination, EOQ, sustainable operations

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Authors: N. S. Vassilieva-Vashakmadze, R. A. Gakhokidze, I. M. Khachatryan

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In the first part of the paper it is shown that both the depolarization of the cytoplasmic membrane of rods observed in invertebrates and hyperpolarization characteristic of vertebrates on the light may activate the functioning of ion (Na+) channels of cytoplasmic membrane of rods and thus provide the emergence of nerve impulse and its transfer to the neighboring neuron etc. In the second part, using the quantum mechanical program for modeling of the molecular processes, we got a clear picture demonstrating the effect of charged phosphate groups on the protein components of α-helical subunits of the visual rhodopsin receptor. The analysis shows that the phosphorylation of terminal amino acid of seventh α-helical subunits of the visual rhodopsin causes a redistribution of electron density on the atoms, i.e. polarization of subunits, also the changing the configuration of the nuclear subsystem, which corresponds to the deformation process in the molecule. Based on the use of models it can be concluded that this system has an internal relationship between polarization and deformation processes that indicates on the allosteric effect. The allosteric effect is based on quantum-mechanical principle of the self-consistency of the molecules.

Keywords: membrane potential, ion channels, visual rhodopsin, allosteric effect

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Authors: Nayyra Zeb, Fu Qiang, Sundas Rauf

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Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is often seen as a significant factor of economic development in developing countries like Pakistan. The aim of this article is to investigate the effect of FDI on Pakistan’s economic growth during 1972–2012. Besides FDI, three other variables such as trade openness, political instability and terrorist attacks are also used in this study. The least square method has been applied to check the effect of these variables on GDP of Pakistan. The results show that FDI has a positive significant effect on economic growth of Pakistan.

Keywords: FDI inflows, trade openness, political instability, terrorist attacks

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Authors: Chia-Wen Yeh, Ting-Sheng Lin, Chih-Han Chang

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Pressure garment has been used to prevent and treat the hypertrophic scars following serious burns since 1970s. The use of pressure garment is believed to hasten the maturation process and decrease the highness of scars. Pressure garment is custom made by reducing circumferential measurement of the patient by 10%~20%, called Reduction Factor. However the exact reducing value used depends on the subjective judgment of the therapist and the feeling of patients throughout the try and error process. The Laplace Law can be applied to calculate the pressure from the dimension of the pressure garment by the circumferential measurements of the patients and the tension profile of the fabrics. The tension profile currently obtained neglects the stress relaxation and hysteresis effect within most elastic fabrics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of the tension attenuation, from stress relaxation and hysteresis effect of the fabrics. Samples of pressure garment were obtained from Sunshine Foundation Organization, a nonprofit organization for burn patients in Taiwan. The wall tension profile of pressure garments were measured on a material testing system. Specimens were extended to 10% of the original length, held for 1 hour for the influence of the stress relaxation effect to take place. Then, specimens were extended to 15% of the original length for 10 seconds, then reduced to 10% to simulate donning movement for the influence of the hysteresis effect to take place. The load history was recorded. The stress relaxation effect is obvious from the load curves. The wall tension is decreased by 8.5%~10% after 60mins of holding. The hysteresis effect is obvious from the load curves. The wall tension is increased slightly, then decreased by 1.5%~2.5% and lower than stress relaxation results after 60mins of holding. The wall tension attenuation of the fabric exists due to stress relaxation and hysteresis effect. The influence of hysteresis is more than stress relaxation. These effect should be considered in order to design and evaluate the pressure of pressure garment more accurately.

Keywords: hypertrophic scars, hysteresis, pressure garment, stress relaxation

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Authors: Florin Frunzulica, Alexandru Dumitrache, Octavian Preotu

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The Coanda effect consists of the tendency of a jet to remain attached to a sufficiently long/large convex surface. Flows deflected by a curved surface have caused great interest during last fifty years a major interest in the study of this phenomenon is caused by the possibility of using this effect to aircraft with short take-off and landing, for thrust vectoring. It is also used in applications involving mixing two of more fluids, noise attenuation, ventilation, etc. The paper proposes the numerical study of an aerodynamic configuration that can passively amplify the Coanda effect. On a wing flaps with predetermined configuration, a channel is applied between two particular zones, a low-pressure one and a high-pressure another one, respectively. The secondary flow through this channel yields a gap between the jet and the convex surface, maintaining the jet attached on a longer distance. The section altering-based active control of the secondary flow through the channel controls the attachment of the jet to the surface and automatically controls the deviation angle of the jet. The numerical simulations have been performed in Ansys Fluent for a series of wing flaps-channel configurations with varying jet velocity. The numerical results are in good agreement with experimental results.

Keywords: blowing jet, CFD, Coanda effect, circulation control

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Authors: E. Livya, G. Anitha, P. Valli

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The main objective of aircraft aerodynamics is to enhance the aerodynamic characteristics and maneuverability of the aircraft. This enhancement includes the reduction in drag and stall phenomenon. The airfoil which contains dimples will have comparatively less drag than the plain airfoil. Introducing dimples on the aircraft wing will create turbulence by creating vortices which delays the boundary layer separation resulting in decrease of pressure drag and also increase in the angle of stall. In addition, wake reduction leads to reduction in acoustic emission. The overall objective of this paper is to improve the aircraft maneuverability by delaying the flow separation point at stall and thereby reducing the drag by applying the dimple effect over the aircraft wing. This project includes both computational and experimental analysis of dimple effect on aircraft wing, using NACA 0018 airfoil. Dimple shapes of Semi-sphere, hexagon, cylinder, square are selected for the analysis; airfoil is tested under the inlet velocity of 30m/s at different angle of attack (5˚, 10˚, 15˚, 20˚, and 25˚). This analysis favours the dimple effect by increasing L/D ratio and thereby providing the maximum aerodynamic efficiency, which provides the enhanced performance for the aircraft.

Keywords: airfoil, dimple effect, turbulence, boundary layer separation

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Authors: Sami I. Jafar, Sami A. Ajeel, Zaman A. Abdulwahab

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The turbine blades used in electric power plants are made of low alloy steel type 52. These blades will be subjected to fatigue and also at other times to fatigue corrosion with aging time. Due to their continuous exposure to cyclic rotational stresses in corrosive steam environments, The current research aims to deal with this problem using the laser cladding method for low alloy steel type 52, which works to re-compose the metallurgical structure and improve the mechanical properties by strengthening the resulting structure, which leads to an increase in fatigue and wears resistance, therefore, an increase in the life of these blades is observed.

Keywords: fatigue, fatigue corrosion, turbine blades, laser cladding

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Authors: Mohammed Badereldien, Rezk Diab, Mohamoud Ali, Ayman Aboelkassem

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The stone surfaces of historical architectural heritage in Egypt are under threat from of various environmental factors such as temperature fluctuation, humidity, pollution, and microbes. Due to these factors, the facades of buildings are deteriorating deformation and disfiguration of external decoration and the formation of black accretion also often from the stone works. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CaCO₃ nano-particles as consolidation and protection material for calcareous stone monuments. Selected tests were carried out in order to estimate the superficial consolidating and protective effect of the treatment. When applied the nanoparticles dispersed in the acrylic copolymer; poly ethylmethacrylate (EMA)/methylacrylate (MA) (70/30, respectively) (EMA)/methylacrylate (MA) (70/30, respectively). The synthesis process of CaCO₃ nanoparticles/polymer nano-composite was prepared using in situ emulsion polymerization system. The consolidation and protection were characterized by TEM, while the penetration depth, re-aggregating effects of the deposited phase, and the surface morphology before and after treatment were examined by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). Improvement of the stones' mechanical properties was evaluated by compressive strength tests. Changes in water-interaction properties were evaluated by water absorption capillarity measurements, and colorimetric measurements were used to evaluate the optical appearance. Together the results appear to demonstrate that CaCO₃/polymer nanocomposite is an efficient material for the consolidation of limestone architecture and monuments. As compared with samples treated with pure acrylic copolymer without Calcium carbonate nanoparticles, for example, CaCO₃ nanoparticles are completely compatible, strengthening limestone against thermal aging and improving its mechanical properties.

Keywords: calcium carbonate nanoparticles, consolidation, nanocomposites, calcareous stone, colorimetric measurements, compressive strength

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Authors: Adeline Fontvieille, Hugo Parent-Roberge, Marie-France Langlois, Tamas Fulop, Michel Pavic, Eleonor Riesco

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Introduction: Total lean body mass is reduced during cancer treatment. This loss is called cancer cachexia and is accompanied by a progressive loss of fat mass. In older adults, these body composition changes can have a larger impact on metabolic health, physical autonomy, and cancer survival. Although currently untreatable, exercise training could reduce these effects. Hence, the objective of this pilot study is to investigate if 12 weeks of exercise training during cancer treatment can mitigate the loss of muscle mass and fat mass in older adults. Methods: A total of 40 older adults (65-80 years) with an ongoing treatment for a curable cancer are currently recruited and randomised in two groups: 1) Combined training (EX, n=20) and 2) Control group (CON, n=20). All variables are measured before and after 12 weeks of intervention: Anthropometry (weight, height, body mass index), body composition (total fat mass, visceral adipose tissue, total and appendicular muscle mass; DXA), metabolic profile (HDL-C and LDL-C, triglycerides, glucose and insulin levels). Results: Preliminary analyses revealed no impact of exercise training on appendicular muscle mass (p=0,31) and fat mass (p=0,31). Furthermore, total body weight, waist circumference, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, glucose and insulin levels remained unchanged (all p ≥ 0.79) after 12 weeks of training. However, statistical analyses revealed that triglyceride levels slightly increased (p=0.03), irrespective of the group. Conclusion: Preliminary analyses did not reveal any impact of aerobic and resistance exercise training on body composition in oncogeriatric patients. Furthermore, exercise training seems not efficient to prevent the cancer treatment-related triglyceride levels increase.

Keywords: muscle mass, fat mass, metabolic profile, combined training, aging, cancer

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Authors: Belouadah Rabah, Guyomar Daneil, Guiffard Benoit

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The magnetoelectric (ME) materials has dielectric polarization induced by the magnetic field or induced magnetization under an electric field. A strong ME effect requires the simultaneous presence of magnetic moments and electric dipoles. In the last decades, extensive research has been conducted on the ME effect in single phase and composite materials. This article reported the results obtained with two samples, the first is mono layer of PVDF bi-stretched and the second is the multi layer PVDF bi-stretched with the Polyurethane filled with micro particles magnetic Fe3O4 (PU+2% Fe3O4). Compare with non ME material like Alumine, a large ME polarization coefficient for the two samples was obtained. The piezoelectric properties of the PVDF and elastic proprieties of Pu+2% Fe3O4 give a big linear ME coefficient of the multi layer PVDF/(Pu+2% Fe3O4) than in the monolayer of PVDF.

Keywords: magnetoelectric effect, polymers, magnetic particles, composites, films

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Authors: Arunporn Itharat, Srisopa Ruangnoo, Pakakrong Thongdeeying

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The rhizomes of Dioscorea membranacea (DM) has long been used in Thai Traditional medicine to treat cancer and inflammatory conditions such as rheumatism. The objective of this study was to investigate anti-inflammatory activity by determining the inhibitory effect on LPS-induced TNF-α from RAW264.7 cells of crude extracts and pure isolated compounds from DM. Three known dihydrophenantrene compounds were isolated by a bioassay guided isolation method from DM ethanolic extract [2,4 dimethoxy-5,6-dihydroxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (1) and 5-hydroxy-2,4,6-trimethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene(2) and 5,6,2 -trihydroxy 3,4-methoxy, 9,10- dihydrophenanthrene (3)]. 1 showed the highest inhibitory effect on PGE2, followed by 3 and 1 (IC50 = 2.26, 4.97 and >20 μg/ml or 8.31,17.25 and > 20 µM respectively). These findings suggest that this plant showed anti-inflamatory effects by displaying an inhibitory effect on TNF-α release, hence, this result supports the usage of Thai traditional medicine to treat inflammation related diseases.

Keywords: Dioscorea membranacea, anti-inflammatory activity, TNF-Alpha , dihidrophenantrene compound

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Authors: Melby Chacko, Jagannath Nayak

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6061 Al-SiCp composite was solutionized at 350 °C for 30 minutes and water quenched. It was then underaged at 140 °C (T6 treatment). The aging behaviour of the composite was studied using Rockwell B hardness measurement. Corrosion behaviour of the underaged sample was studied in different concentrations of acetic acid and at different temperatures. Benzimidazole at different concentrations was used for the inhibition studies. Inhibition efficiency of benzimidazole was calculated for different experimental conditions. Thermodynamic parameters were found out which suggested benzimidazole is an efficient inhibitor and it adsorbed onto the surface of composite by mixed adsorption where chemisorption is predominant.

Keywords: 6061 Al-SiCp composite, T6 treatment, corrosion inhibition, chemisorption

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Authors: M. Ekiert, T. Uhl, A. Mlyniec

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Tendons are the biological soft tissue structures composed of collagen, proteoglycan, glycoproteins, water and cells of extracellular matrix (ECM). Tendons, which primary function is to transfer force generated by the muscles to the bones causing joints movement, are exposed to many micro and macro damages. In fact, tendons and ligaments trauma are one of the most numerous injuries of human musculoskeletal system, causing for many people (particularly for athletes and physically active people), recurring disorders, chronic pain or even inability of movement. The number of tendons reconstruction and transplantation procedures is increasing every year. Therefore, studies on soft tissues storage conditions (influencing i.e. tissue aging) seem to be an extremely important issue. In this study, an atomic-scale investigation on the kinetics of decomposition of two selected tendon components – collagen type I (which forms a 60-85% of a tendon dry mass) and elastin protein (which combine with ECM creates elastic fibers of connective tissues) is presented. A molecular model of collagen and elastin was developed based on crystal structure of triple-helical collagen-like 1QSU peptide and P15502 human elastin protein, respectively. Each model employed 4 linear strands collagen/elastin strands per unit cell, distributed in 2x2 matrix arrangement, placed in simulation box filled with water molecules. A decomposition phenomena was simulated with molecular dynamics (MD) method using ReaxFF force field and periodic boundary conditions. A set of NVT-MD runs was performed for 1000K temperature range in order to obtained temperature-depended rate of production of decomposition by-products. Based on calculated reaction rates activation energies and pre-exponential factors, required to formulate Arrhenius equations describing kinetics of decomposition of tested soft tissue components, were calculated. Moreover, by adjusting a model developed for collagen, system scalability and correct implementation of the periodic boundary conditions were evaluated. An obtained results provide a deeper insight into decomposition of selected tendon components. A developed methodology may also be easily transferred to other connective tissue elements and therefore might be used for further studies on soft tissues aging.

Keywords: decomposition, molecular dynamics, soft tissue, tendons

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Authors: Zohreh Bayat, Dariush Minai-Tehrani

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Lipases constitute one of the most important groups of industrial enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of triacylglycerol to glycerol and fatty acids. Muscarinic antagonist relieves smooth muscle spasm of the gastrointestinal tract and effect on the cardiovascular system. In this research, the effect of a muscarinic antagonist on the lipase activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was studied. Lineweaver–Burk plot showed that the drug inhibited the enzyme by competitive inhibition. The IC50 value (60 uM) and Ki (30 uM) of the drug revealed the drug bound to the enzyme with high affinity. Determination of enzyme activity in various pH and temperature showed that the maximum activity of lipase was at pH 8 and 60°C both in presence and absence of the drug.

Keywords: bacteria, inhibition, kinetics, lipase

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Authors: S. Daneshi, G. Shahcheraghi, F. Ghaffarinejad

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Back ground: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people around the world during the aging process. Knee joint proprioception sense decrease with OA and Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) surgery may affect them. We investigated two parameters of proprioception sense (the joint position sense and kinesthesia) and standing balance in affected limbs before and after TKA, in patient with Knee OA. Methods and Materials: In this Analytic study, 10 patients who were candidate for TKA during two months in Dena Hospital of Shiraz, selected for further analysis. All of cases were female in range of 55-70 years old. Participants assessed before and two weeks after TKA using three instruments: electrogoniometer and continuous passive motion (CPM) to assess Knee joint position sense and kinesthesia in 20 and 45 degrees; and chronometer to assess duration of standing balance on affected leg with open and closed eyes. Results: To examine differences between before and after of TKA scorings Willcoxon Signed Rank and Mann-Whitney was performed which indicated no significant differences between knee joint position sense and kinesthesia in 20 and 45 degrees (P>0.05) and no significant differences between Standing Balance in a patient with knee OA before and after TKA (P>0.05). Conclusion: The study indicates that, OA can affect proprioception sense and standing balance but TKA doesn’t have any effect on these parameters. Intra articular structures such as cruciate ligaments and mines are responsible for proprioception sense in normal knee joint. Since in severe knee OA the number of mechanoreceptors in these intra articular structures decrease and their function reduce more than normal knee joint, so the anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) become defected, thus after TKA surgery which this ligament is removed no significant change was found in proprioception sense. As a result of involving proprioception sense, muscles strength and the function of vestibular system in balance, standing balance did not show significant difference before and after TKA.

Keywords: knee joint, proprioception sense, standing balance, rehabilitation sciences

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Authors: Farhad Azadi, Mohammad Mahdi Mohammadi, Mohsen Vahedi, Zahra Mahdiin

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Context: The aging population is growing all over the world and maintaining physical activity is essential for healthy aging. However, fear of falling is a major obstacle to physical activity among the elderly. The aim of this study is to investigate and compare the relationship between fear of falling and physical activity in Iranian urban and rural elderly. Research Aim: The main aim of this cross-sectional analytical study is to investigate and compare the relationship between fear of falling and physical activity in Iranian rural and urban elderly. Methodology: The study used simple non-probability sampling to select 350 participants aged 60 years and older from rural and urban areas of Konarak, Sistan and Baluchistan provinces in Iran. The Persian versions of the Falls Efficacy Scale - International, Rapid Physical Activity Assessment, Activities of Daily Living, and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living questionnaires were used to assess fear of falling and physical activity. The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation tests. Findings: The study found a statistically significant negative correlation between fear of falling and physical activity, as measured by ADL, IADL, and RAPA1(aerobic ), in all elderly and rural and urban elderly (p<0.001). Fear of falling was higher in rural areas, while physical activity levels measured by ADL and RAPA1 were higher in urban areas. No significant difference was found between the two groups in IADL and RAPA2 (strength and flexibility) scores. Theoretical Importance: This study highlights the importance of considering the fear of falling as a significant obstacle to proper physical activity, especially among the elderly living in rural areas. Furthermore, the study provides insight into the difference between rural and urban elderly people in terms of fear of falling and physical activity. Data Collection and Analysis Procedures: Data was collected through questionnaires and analyzed using Pearson correlation tests. Questions Addressed: The study attempted to answer the following questions: Is there a relationship between fear of falling and physical activity in Iranian urban and rural elderly people? Is there a difference in fear of falling and physical activity between rural and urban elderly? Conclusion: Fear of falling is a major obstacle to physical activity among the elderly, especially in rural areas. The study found a significant negative correlation between fear of falling and physical activity in all elderly and rural and urban elderly. In addition, urban and rural elderly have differences in aerobic activity levels, but they do not differ in terms of flexibility and strength. Therefore, proper interventions are required to ensure that the elderly can maintain physical activity, especially in rural and deprived areas.

Keywords: aged, fear of falling, physical activity, urban population, rural population

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Authors: Zeynep Karacor, Rahime Hulya Ozturk

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In recent years, the rise of population density and the problem of aging population took attention to the health expenditures. In Turkey, some regulations and infrastructure changes in health sector have occurred. These changes are called Health Transformation Program. The productivity of health services, patient satisfaction, quality of services are tried to be improved with this program. Some radical changes are applied in Turkish economy in this context. The aim of this paper is to present the effects of Health Transformation Program on health expenditures. In the first part of the paper, some information’s about health system and applications in Turkey are discussed. In the second part, the aims of Health Transformation Program are explained. And in the third part the effects of Health Transformation Program on health expenditures are examined.

Keywords: health transformation program, Turkey, health services, health expenditures

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Authors: Yadnyavalkya Patil, Ravi Gooneratne, Xiang-Hong Ju

Abstract:

Heat stress (HS) negatively affects the physiology of pigs. In this study, 6 pigs will be subjected to temperatures of 35 ± 2℃ for 12 hrs/day for a duration of 21 days. The changes in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) microbiota will be observed by analyzing the freshly collected faeces on days 1, 3, 7, 14 and 21. The changes will be compared to faeces from a set of 6 control pigs kept simultaneously at temperatures of 26 ± 2℃ for the same duration of 21 days. Different types of stresses such a weaning have a detrimental effect on GIT microflora. Similarly, HS is expected to have a harmful effect on the microbial diversity of the GIT. How these changes affect the immune system of the pigs will be studied and therapeutics to reduce the negative effects of HS will be developed.

Keywords: GIT microbiota, heat stress, immune system, therapeutics

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Authors: Rendong Cai, Bei Peng, Yanping Dong

Abstract:

In risk decision making, individuals are found to be susceptible to 'frames': people tend to be risk averse when the choice is described in terms of potential 'gains' (gain frame), whereas they tend to be risk seeking when the same choice is described in terms of potential 'losses' (loss frame); this effect is termed the framing effect. The framing effect has been well documented and some studies even find a developmental reversal in the framing effect: The more experience an individual has in a certain field, the easier for him to be influenced by the frame relevant to the field, resulting in greater decision inconsistency. Recent studies reported that using a foreign language can reduce the framing effect. However, it is not clear whether foreign language use can overcome the developmental reversal in the framing effect. The present study investigated three potential factors that may influence the developmental reversal in the framing effect: specialized knowledge of the participants, the language in which the problem is presented, and the types of problems. The present study examined the decision making behavior of 188 Chinese-English bilinguals who majored in Finance, with a group of 277 English majors as the control group. They were asked to solve a financial problem (experimental condition) and a life problem (control condition). Each problem was presented in one of the following four versions: native language-gain frame, foreign language-gain frame, native language-loss frame, and foreign language-loss frame. Results revealed that for the life problem, under the native condition, both groups were affected by the frame; but under the foreign condition, this framing effect disappeared for the financial majors. This confirmed that foreign language use modulates framing effects in general decision making, which served as an effective baseline. For the financial problem, under the native condition, only the financial major was observed to be influenced by the frame, which was a developmental reversal; under the foreign condition, however, this framing effect disappeared. The results provide further empirical evidence for the universal of the developmental reversal in risky decision making. More importantly, the results suggest that using a foreign language can overcome such reversal, which has implications for the reduction of decision biases in professionals. The findings also shed new light on the complex interaction between general decision-making and bilingualism.

Keywords: the foreign language effect, developmental reversals, the framing effect, bilingualism

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Authors: Nacéra Benoussaid, Lehalali Meriem, Benchabane Messaoud

Abstract:

Our work focuses on the production of compound antibiotic effect of volatile nature namely hydrogen cyanide and the production and identification of molecules phénazinique by some strains of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp isolated from the rhizosphere of some trees for a possible use as bio pesticides antifungal effect and/or antibiotic. We tested the production of hydrogen cyanide of 21 strains of Pseudomonas spp. fluorescent among them 19 strains (90, 47%) showed a positive cyanogenesis.The antagonism test executed in vitro showed that Pseudomonas strains have a higher anti fungal effect relative to their antibacterial effect with diameters of inhibition zones up to 3, 9 cm recorded by the strain F48 against Coleosporiumsp compared with recorded results against bacteria with a maximum inhibition of 1, 26 cm among this antagonistic strain.Three strains were selected by testing for producing phénazines namely PI9, BB9 and F20. The effect of the antimicrobial activity was performed on different culture media (GN, King B, ISP2 and PDA). The results of our study allowed us to retain the King B medium as ideal medium for the production of secondary metabolite. The produced phenazinique compounds was extracted from various organic solvents, and after the results of antibiographie against germs - targets, the extracts of ethyl acetate gave the best results compared to dichloromethane and hexane.The Analysis of these compounds of antibiotic phenazinique effect within layer chromatography (CCM) and high performance liquid chromatography( HPLC) indicate that both strains PI9 and F20 are productive of phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA). The BB9 strain is suspected to be productive of another phenazinique compound.

Keywords: Pseudomonas ssp. fluorescents, antagonism in vitro, secondary metabolite, phenazines, biopesticide.

Procedia PDF Downloads 490