Search results for: suction or injection
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 991

Search results for: suction or injection

661 Analgesic and Anti-inflammatoryactivities of Camel Thorn in Experimental Animals

Authors: Abdelkader H. El Debani, Huda Gargoum, Awad G. Abdellatif

Abstract:

The aim of this study is to investigate analgesic and the anti-inflammatory effects Camel Thorn Extract (CTE) in rodents. Male albino mice weighing 20-25 gm. were divided into different groups each of 8 mice. The control was given normal saline i. p., the first group was given normal saline i. p. the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, groups received different doses of CTE (330, 660, and 1300 mg/kg) respectively and the 6th group received 5mg/kg of morphine i. p. All groups (except the control group) were given acetic acid 40 min after receiving the different treatment. The number of writhes was recorded 5 min after acetic acid injection for 15 min and the % of inhibition of writhing were calculated. Different groups of rats weighing 180- 220 gm., were divided into three groups each of 5 rats. At the beginning, the volumes of the right and left paw in animals were measured by using of the plethysmometer. The 1st group was given 660 mg /kg i. p. of CTE, the 2nd group received indomethacin (5 mg/kg i. p.). One hour later, edema was induced by sub planter injection of 0.1 ml of 1 % freshly prepared suspension of carrageenan into the right hind paws of the rats. The volume of the injected paws and contra-lateral paws were measured at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hours using plethysmometer. The volume of the left paw of the rat was subtracted from the volume of the right paw of the same animal. Our results showed that 330,660 and 1300 mg/kg produced 14, 49 and 84%of inhibition of writhes, indicating that CTE has a strong analgesic activity. Our data also showed that the % of inhibition of edema at 30, 60, 120, 180, and 240 min was 14,51,71,61, and 56% in the animals given camel thorn extract whereas these figures in animals given endomethacin were 14, 24, 54, 52, and 54%. These results indicate that camel thorn has anti-inflammatory activities. The mechanism of analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities needs further investigations.

Keywords: camel thorn, imdomethacin, morphine, pharmaceutical medicine

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660 Effect of Nicotine on the Reinforcing Effects of Cocaine in a Nonhuman Primate Model of Drug Use

Authors: Mia I. Allen, Bernard N. Johnson, Gagan Deep, Yixin Su, Sangeeta Singth, Ashish Kumar, , Michael A. Nader

Abstract:

With no FDA-approved treatments for cocaine use disorders (CUD), research has focused on the behavioral and neuropharmacological effects of cocaine in animal models, with the goal of identifying novel interventions. While the majority of people with CUD also use tobacco/nicotine, the majority of preclinical cocaine research does not include the co-use of nicotine. The present study examined nicotine and cocaine co-use under several conditions of intravenous drug self-administration in monkeys. In Experiment 1, male rhesus monkeys (N=3) self-administered cocaine (0.001-0.1 mg/kg/injection) alone and cocaine+nicotine (0.01-0.03 mg/kg/injection) under a progressive-ratio schedule of reinforcement. When nicotine was added to cocaine, there was a significant leftward shift and significant increase in peak break point. In Experiment 2, socially housed female and male cynomolgus monkeys (N=14) self-administered cocaine under a concurrent drug-vs-food choice schedule. Combining nicotine significantly decreased cocaine choice ED50 values (i.e., shifted the cocaine dose-response curve to the left) in females but not in males. There was no evidence of social rank differences. In delay discounting studies, the co-use of nicotine and cocaine required significantly larger delays to the preferred drug reinforcer to reallocate choice compared with cocaine alone. Overall, these results suggest drug interactions of nicotine and cocaine co-use is not simply a function of potency but rather a fundamentally distinctive condition that should be utilized to better understand the neuropharmacology of CUD and the evaluation of potential treatments.

Keywords: polydrug use, animal models, nonhuman primates, behavioral pharmacology, drug self-administration

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659 Evaluation of Nanoparticle Application to Control Formation Damage in Porous Media: Laboratory and Mathematical Modelling

Authors: Gabriel Malgaresi, Sara Borazjani, Hadi Madani, Pavel Bedrikovetsky

Abstract:

Suspension-Colloidal flow in porous media occurs in numerous engineering fields, such as industrial water treatment, the disposal of industrial wastes into aquifers with the propagation of contaminants and low salinity water injection into petroleum reservoirs. The main effects are particle mobilization and captured by the porous rock, which can cause pore plugging and permeability reduction which is known as formation damage. Various factors such as fluid salinity, pH, temperature, and rock properties affect particle detachment. Formation damage is unfavorable specifically near injection and production wells. One way to control formation damage is pre-treatment of the rock with nanoparticles. Adsorption of nanoparticles on fines and rock surfaces alters zeta-potential of the surfaces and enhances the attachment force between the rock and fine particles. The main objective of this study is to develop a two-stage mathematical model for (1) flow and adsorption of nanoparticles on the rock in the pre-treatment stage and (2) fines migration and permeability reduction during the water production after the pre-treatment. The model accounts for adsorption and desorption of nanoparticles, fines migration, and kinetics of particle capture. The system of equations allows for the exact solution. The non-self-similar wave-interaction problem was solved by the Method of Characteristics. The analytical model is new in two ways: First, it accounts for the specific boundary and initial condition describing the injection of nanoparticle and production from the pre-treated porous media; second, it contains the effect of nanoparticle sorption hysteresis. The derived analytical model contains explicit formulae for the concentration fronts along with pressure drop. The solution is used to determine the optimal injection concentration of nanoparticle to avoid formation damage. The mathematical model was validated via an innovative laboratory program. The laboratory study includes two sets of core-flood experiments: (1) production of water without nanoparticle pre-treatment; (2) pre-treatment of a similar core with nanoparticles followed by water production. Positively-charged Alumina nanoparticles with the average particle size of 100 nm were used for the rock pre-treatment. The core was saturated with the nanoparticles and then flushed with low salinity water; pressure drop across the core and the outlet fine concentration was monitored and used for model validation. The results of the analytical modeling showed a significant reduction in the fine outlet concentration and formation damage. This observation was in great agreement with the results of core-flood data. The exact solution accurately describes fines particle breakthroughs and evaluates the positive effect of nanoparticles in formation damage. We show that the adsorbed concentration of nanoparticle highly affects the permeability of the porous media. For the laboratory case presented, the reduction of permeability after 1 PVI production in the pre-treated scenario is 50% lower than the reference case. The main outcome of this study is to provide a validated mathematical model to evaluate the effect of nanoparticles on formation damage.

Keywords: nano-particles, formation damage, permeability, fines migration

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658 Animal Welfare Violations during Treatment at Different Level of Veterinary Hospitals

Authors: Aparna Datta, Mahabub Alam

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Animal welfare is comparatively new area of research in Bangladesh and welfare concern for animal is increasing day by day. The study was conducted to investigate the animal welfare violations during treatment at different level of hospitals in Bangladesh and India. This study was conducted between January and May, 2017. The recorded data (N=180) were categorized into eight major types of violation like - delay in starting treatment, non-specific treatment, surgery without anesthesia, use of unsterilized needle, rough and painful handling, fearful approach, multiple pricking during injection and use of blunt needle. Categorized groups were analyzed according to different hospitals like Upazila Veterinary Hospitals, Bangladesh (UVHs), SAQ-Teaching Veterinary Hospital, Bangladesh (SAQTVH) and Veterinary College and Research Institute, India (VCRI). Among all hospitals, violation during treatment more frequently occurred in UVH. Among all violations, surgery without anesthesia was only found in UVH (80%) and it was belong to considerable number of cases (80%). In the view of other major violations like - non-specific treatment was 69% in UVHs, 13% in SAQTVH and 5% in VCRI. Use of unsterilized instruments during treatment was also higher in UVHs (65%) than SAQTVH (5%) and VCRI (1%). But delay in starting treatment varied insignificantly and it was 26-42% across the different levels of hospitals. Although multiple pricking during injection was found 30% cases in UVH, but statistical variations with other level of hospitals were unnoticed (p>0.05). The findings of this study will help to take necessary steps to control violation against animal welfare during treatment. A comprehensive study considering all levels of hospitals including field treatment is also recommended to find out the welfare violations during treatment.

Keywords: animal welfare, treatment, veterinary hospitals, violations

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657 Investigation of Mechanical Properties and Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene/Polycarbonate Blends

Authors: Ayman M. M. Abdelhaleem, Mustafa Gamal Sadek, Kamal Reyad, Montasser M. Dewidar

Abstract:

The main objective of this research is to study the effect of adding polycarbonate (PC) to pure Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) using the injection moulding process. The PC was mixed mechanically with ABS in 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% by weight. The mechanical properties of pure ABS reinforced with PC were investigated using tensile, impact, hardness, and wear tests. The results showed that, by adding 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% wt. of PC to the pure ABS, the ultimate tensile strength increased from 55 N/mm2 for neat ABS to 57 N/mm2 (i.e. 3.63%), 60 N/mm2 (i.e. 9.09%), 63 N/mm2 (i.e. 14.54%), 66 N/mm2 (i.e. 20%), 69 N/mm2 (i.e. 25.45%) respectively. Test results also revealed nearly 5.72% improvement in young's modulus by adding 10% of PC to ABS, 16.74% improvement by adding 20%, 23.34% improvement by adding 30%, 27.75% improvement by adding 40%, and no other increase in case of 50%. The impact test results showed that with the increase of the PC content, first, the impact strength decreased and then increased gradually. The impact strength decreased rapidly when the content of PC was 0% to 10% range. As well as, in the case of 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50% PC, the impact strength is increased. The hardness test results, using the Shore D tester, showed that, as the PC particles contents increased, the hardness increased from 76 for the ABS to 80 for 10% PC, and decreased to 79 for 20% PC, and then increased to 80 in case of 30%, 40%, and 50% PC. Wear test results showed that PC improves the wear resistance of ABS/PC blends. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy showed that with an increase of PC in ABS/PC blends, a slight decrease in free volume size and an increase in the tensile strength due to good adhesion between PC and ABS matrix, which acted as an advantage in the polymer matrix.

Keywords: ABS, PC, injection molding process, mechanical properties, lifetime spectroscopy

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656 Investigation of Cavitation in a Centrifugal Pump Using Synchronized Pump Head Measurements, Vibration Measurements and High-Speed Image Recording

Authors: Simon Caba, Raja Abou Ackl, Svend Rasmussen, Nicholas E. Pedersen

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It is a challenge to directly monitor cavitation in a pump application during operation because of a lack of visual access to validate the presence of cavitation and its form of appearance. In this work, experimental investigations are carried out in an inline single-stage centrifugal pump with optical access. Hence, it gives the opportunity to enhance the value of CFD tools and standard cavitation measurements. Experiments are conducted using two impellers running in the same volute at 3000 rpm and the same flow rate. One of the impellers used is optimized for lower NPSH₃% by its blade design, whereas the other one is manufactured using a standard casting method. The cavitation is detected by pump performance measurements, vibration measurements and high-speed image recordings. The head drop and the pump casing vibration caused by cavitation are correlated with the visual appearance of the cavitation. The vibration data is recorded in an axial direction of the impeller using accelerometers recording at a sample rate of 131 kHz. The vibration frequency domain data (up to 20 kHz) and the time domain data are analyzed as well as the root mean square values. The high-speed recordings, focusing on the impeller suction side, are taken at 10,240 fps to provide insight into the flow patterns and the cavitation behavior in the rotating impeller. The videos are synchronized with the vibration time signals by a trigger signal. A clear correlation between cloud collapses and abrupt peaks in the vibration signal can be observed. The vibration peaks clearly indicate cavitation, especially at higher NPSHA values where the hydraulic performance is not affected. It is also observed that below a certain NPSHA value, the cavitation started in the inlet bend of the pump. Above this value, cavitation occurs exclusively on the impeller blades. The impeller optimized for NPSH₃% does show a lower NPSH₃% than the standard impeller, but the head drop starts at a higher NPSHA value and is more gradual. Instabilities in the head drop curve of the optimized impeller were observed in addition to a higher vibration level. Furthermore, the cavitation clouds on the suction side appear more unsteady when using the optimized impeller. The shape and location of the cavitation are compared to 3D fluid flow simulations. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental investigations. In conclusion, these investigations attempt to give a more holistic view on the appearance of cavitation by comparing the head drop, vibration spectral data, vibration time signals, image recordings and simulation results. Data indicates that a criterion for cavitation detection could be derived from the vibration time-domain measurements, which requires further investigation. Usually, spectral data is used to analyze cavitation, but these investigations indicate that the time domain could be more appropriate for some applications.

Keywords: cavitation, centrifugal pump, head drop, high-speed image recordings, pump vibration

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655 Development of Methods for Plastic Injection Mold Weight Reduction

Authors: Bita Mohajernia, R. J. Urbanic

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Mold making techniques have focused on meeting the customers’ functional and process requirements; however, today, molds are increasing in size and sophistication, and are difficult to manufacture, transport, and set up due to their size and mass. Presently, mold weight saving techniques focus on pockets to reduce the mass of the mold, but the overall size is still large, which introduces costs related to the stock material purchase, processing time for process planning, machining and validation, and excess waste materials. Reducing the overall size of the mold is desirable for many reasons, but the functional requirements, tool life, and durability cannot be compromised in the process. It is proposed to use Finite Element Analysis simulation tools to model the forces, and pressures to determine where the material can be removed. The potential results of this project will reduce manufacturing costs. In this study, a light weight structure is defined by an optimal distribution of material to carry external loads. The optimization objective of this research is to determine methods to provide the optimum layout for the mold structure. The topology optimization method is utilized to improve structural stiffness while decreasing the weight using the OptiStruct software. The optimized CAD model is compared with the primary geometry of the mold from the NX software. Results of optimization show an 8% weight reduction while the actual performance of the optimized structure, validated by physical testing, is similar to the original structure.

Keywords: finite element analysis, plastic injection molding, topology optimization, weight reduction

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654 Numerical Modelling of Immiscible Fluids Flow in Oil Reservoir Rocks during Enhanced Oil Recovery Processes

Authors: Zahreddine Hafsi, Manoranjan Mishra , Sami Elaoud

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Ensuring the maximum recovery rate of oil from reservoir rocks is a challenging task that requires preliminary numerical analysis of different techniques used to enhance the recovery process. After conventional oil recovery processes and in order to retrieve oil left behind after the primary recovery phase, water flooding in one of several techniques used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). In this research work, EOR via water flooding is numerically modeled, and hydrodynamic instabilities resulted from immiscible oil-water flow in reservoir rocks are investigated. An oil reservoir is a porous medium consisted of many fractures of tiny dimensions. For modeling purposes, the oil reservoir is considered as a collection of capillary tubes which provides useful insights into how fluids behave in the reservoir pore spaces. Equations governing oil-water flow in oil reservoir rocks are developed and numerically solved following a finite element scheme. Numerical results are obtained using Comsol Multiphysics software. The two phase Darcy module of COMSOL Multiphysics allows modelling the imbibition process by the injection of water (as wetting phase) into an oil reservoir. Van Genuchten, Brooks Corey and Levrett models were considered as retention models and obtained flow configurations are compared, and the governing parameters are discussed. For the considered retention models it was found that onset of instabilities viz. fingering phenomenon is highly dependent on the capillary pressure as well as the boundary conditions, i.e., the inlet pressure and the injection velocity.

Keywords: capillary pressure, EOR process, immiscible flow, numerical modelling

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653 Visco - Plastic Transition and Transfer of Plastic Material with SGF in case of Linear Dry Friction Contact on Steel Surfaces

Authors: Lucian Capitanu, Virgil Florescu

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Often for the laboratory studies, modeling of specific tribological processes raises special problems. One such problem is the modeling of some temperatures and extremely high contact pressures, allowing modeling of temperatures and pressures at which the injection or extrusion processing of thermoplastic materials takes place. Tribological problems occur mainly in thermoplastics materials reinforced with glass fibers. They produce an advanced wear to the barrels and screws of processing machines, in short time. Obtaining temperatures around 210 °C and higher, as well as pressures around 100 MPa is very difficult in the laboratory. This paper reports a simple and convenient solution to get these conditions, using friction sliding couples with linear contact, cylindrical liner plastic filled with glass fibers on plate steel samples, polished and super-finished. C120 steel, which is a steel for moulds and Rp3 steel, high speed steel for tools, were used. Obtaining the pressure was achieved by continuous request of the liner in rotational movement up to its elasticity limits, when the dry friction coefficient reaches or exceeds the hardness value of 0.5 HB. By dissipation of the power lost by friction on flat steel sample, are reached contact temperatures at the metal surface that reach and exceed 230 °C, being placed in the range temperature values of the injection. Contact pressures (in load and materials conditions used) ranging from 16.3-36.4 MPa were obtained depending on the plastic material used and the glass fibers content.

Keywords: plastics with glass fibers, dry friction, linear contact, contact temperature, contact pressure, experimental simulation

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652 Axillary Evaluation with Targeted Axillary Dissection Using Ultrasound-Visible Clips after Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Patients with Node-Positive Breast Cancer

Authors: Naomi Sakamoto, Eisuke Fukuma, Mika Nashimoto, Yoshitomo Koshida

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Background: Selective localization of the metastatic lymph node with clip and removal of clipped nodes with sentinel lymph node (SLN), known as targeted axillary dissection (TAD), reduced false-negative rates (FNR) of SLN biopsy (SLNB) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). For the patients who achieved nodal pathologic complete response (pCR), accurate staging of axilla by TAD lead to omit axillary lymph node dissection (ALND), decreasing postoperative arm morbidity without a negative effect on overall survival. This study aimed to investigate the ultrasound (US) identification rate and success removal rate of two kinds of ultrasound-visible clips placed in metastatic lymph nodes during TAD procedure. Methods: This prospective study was conducted using patients with clinically T1-3, N1, 2, M0 breast cancer undergoing NAC followed by surgery. A US-visible clip was placed in the suspicious lymph node under US guidance before neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Before surgery, US examination was performed to evaluate the detection rate of clipped node. During the surgery, the clipped node was removed using several localization techniques, including hook-wire localization, dye-injection, or fluorescence technique, followed by a dual-technique SLNB and resection of palpable nodes if present. For the fluorescence technique, after injection of 0.1-0.2 mL of indocyanine green dye (ICG) into the clipped node, ICG fluorescent imaging was performed using the Photodynamic Eye infrared camera (Hamamatsu Photonics k. k., Shizuoka, Japan). For the dye injection method, 0.1-0.2 mL of pyoktanin blue dye was injected into the clipped node. Results: A total of 29 patients were enrolled. Hydromark™ breast biopsy site markers (Hydromark, T3 shape; Devicor Medical Japan, Tokyo, Japan) was used in 15patients, whereas a UltraCor™ Twirl™ breast marker (Twirl; C.R. Bard, Inc, NJ, USA) was placed in 14 patients. US identified the clipped node marked with the UltraCore Twirl in 100% (14/14) and with the Hydromark in 93.3% (14/15, p = ns). Success removal of clipped node marked with the UltraCore Twirl was achieved in 100% (14/14), whereas the node marked with the Hydromark was removed in 80% (12/15) (p = ns). Conclusions: The ultrasound identification rate differed between the two types of ultrasound-visible clips, which also affected the success removal rate of clipped nodes. Labelling the positive node with a US-highly-visible clip allowed successful TAD.

Keywords: breast cancer, neoadjuvant chemotherapy, targeted axillary dissection, breast tissue marker, clip

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651 Induced Pulsation Attack Against Kalman Filter Driven Brushless DC Motor Control System

Authors: Yuri Boiko, Iluju Kiringa, Tet Yeap

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We use modeling and simulation tools, to introduce a novel bias injection attack, named the ’Induced Pulsation Attack’, which targets Cyber Physical Systems with closed-loop controlled Brushless DC (BLDC) motor and Kalman filter driver in the feedback loop. This attack involves engaging a linear function with a constant gradient to distort the coefficient of the injected bias, which falsifies the Kalman filter estimates of the rotor’s angular speed. As a result, this manipulation interaction inside the control system causes periodic pulsations in a form of asymmetric sine wave of both current and voltage in the circuit windings, with a high magnitude. It is shown that by varying the gradient of linear function, one can control both the frequency and structure of the induced pulsations. It is also demonstrated that terminating the attack at any point leads to additional compensating effort from the controller to restore the speed to its equilibrium value. This compensation effort produces an exponentially decaying wave, which we call the ’attack withdrawal syndrome’ wave. The conditions for maximizing or minimizing the impact of the attack withdrawal syndrome are determined. Linking the termination of the attack to the end of the full period of the induced pulsation wave has been shown to nullify the attack withdrawal syndrome wave, thereby improving the attack’s covertness.

Keywords: cyber-attack, induced pulsation, bias injection, Kalman filter, BLDC motor, control system, closed loop, P- controller, PID-controller, saw-function, cyber-physical system

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650 A Case Study: Effect of Low Carbs High Fats Diet (Also Known as LCHF Diet) Combined with Fried Foods in Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Patient with Type 2 Diabetes and Central Obesity

Authors: Cristian Baldini

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‘Diabesity’ is a term for diabetes occurring in the context of obesity. The positive effect of LCHF diets (low-carb, high-fat diets) is well documented: LCHF diets are at least as effective as other dietary strategies for reducing body weight, improving glycaemic control, and reducing both hyperinsulinaemia and blood glucose (reduction of HbA1c) in type 2 diabetes and have unique positive effects on blood lipid concentrations and cardiovascular risk factors. Also, in obese insulin-resistant women, food fried in extra-virgin olive oil significantly reduced both insulin and C-peptide responses after a meal. This case study shows that if combined, both dietary strategies produce a strong effect on blood glucose, resulting in a “forced” reduction of exogenous insulin injection to avoid the problem of hypoglycaemia. Blood tests after three months of this dietary treatment show how HbA1c, triglycerides, and blood lipid profile (LDL, HDL, Total Cholesterol) are improved despite the reduction of exogenous insulin injection of 80% with a parallel body weight decrease of 15%. For continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), the patient used FreeStyle Libre before and after the dietary treatment. In order to check general body functions and glycosuria, the patient used the urine test Multistix 10 SG Siemens.

Keywords: diabetes, obesity, diabesity, fat, fried foods

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649 Randomized, Controlled Blind Study Comparing Sacroiliac Intra-Articular Steroid Injection to Radiofrequency Denervation for Management of Sacroiliac Joint Pain

Authors: Ossama Salman

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Background and objective: Sacroiliac joint pain is a common cause for chronic axial low back pain, with up to 20% prevalence rate. To date, no effective long-term treatment intervention has been embarked on yet. The aim of our study was to compare steroid block to radiofrequency ablation for SIJ pain conditions. Methods: A randomized, blind, study was conducted in 30 patients with sacroiliac joint pain. Fifteen patients received radiofrequency denervation of L4-5 primary dorsal rami and S1-3 lateral sacral branch, and 15 patients received steroid under fluoroscopy. Those in the steroid group who did not respond to steroid injections were offered to cross over to get radiofrequency ablation. Results: At 1-, 3- and 6-months post-intervention, 73%, 60% and 53% of patients, respectively, gained ≥ 50 % pain relief in the radiofrequency (RF) ablation group. In the steroid group, at one month post intervention follow up, only 20% gained ≥ 50 % pain relief, but failed to show any improvement at 3 months and 6 months follow up. Conclusions: Radiofrequency ablation at L4 and L5 primary dorsal rami and S1-3 lateral sacral branch may provide effective and longer pain relief compared to the classic intra-articular steroid injection, in properly selected patients with suspected sacroiliac joint pain. Larger studies are called for to confirm our results and lay out the optimal patient selection and treatment parameters for this poorly comprehended disorder.

Keywords: lateral branch denervation, LBD, radio frequency, RF, sacroiliac joint, SIJ, visual analogue scale, VAS

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648 Hydro-Mechanical Behavior of Calcareous Soils in Arid Region

Authors: I. Goual, M. S. Goual, M. K. Gueddouda, Taïbi Saïd, Abou-Bekr Nabil, A. Ferhat

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This paper presents the study of hydro mechanical behavior of this optimal mixture. A first experimental phase was carried out in order to find the optimal mixture. This showed that the material composed of 80% tuff and 20% calcareous sand provides the maximum mechanical strength. The second experimental phase concerns the study of the drying- wetting behavior of the optimal mixture was carried out on slurry samples and compacted samples at the MPO. Experimental results let to deduce the parameters necessary for the prediction of the hydro-mechanical behavior of pavement formulated from tuff and calcareous sand mixtures, related to moisture. This optimal mixture satisfies the regulation rules and hence constitutes a good local eco-material, abundantly available, for the conception of pavements.

Keywords: tuff, sandy calcareous, road engineering, hydro mechanical behaviour, suction

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647 Modelling Rainfall-Induced Shallow Landslides in the Northern New South Wales

Authors: S. Ravindran, Y.Liu, I. Gratchev, D.Jeng

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Rainfall-induced shallow landslides are more common in the northern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. From 2009 to 2017, around 105 rainfall-induced landslides occurred along the road corridors and caused temporary road closures in the northern NSW. Rainfall causing shallow landslides has different distributions of rainfall varying from uniform, normal, decreasing to increasing rainfall intensity. The duration of rainfall varied from one day to 18 days according to historical data. The objective of this research is to analyse slope instability of some of the sites in the northern NSW by varying cumulative rainfall using SLOPE/W and SEEP/W and compare with field data of rainfall causing shallow landslides. The rainfall data and topographical data from public authorities and soil data obtained from laboratory tests will be used for this modelling. There is a likelihood of shallow landslides if the cumulative rainfall is between 100 mm to 400 mm in accordance with field data.

Keywords: landslides, modelling, rainfall, suction

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646 Full-Face Hyaluronic Acid Implants Assisted by Artificial Intelligence-Generated Post-treatment 3D Models

Authors: Ciro Cursio, Pio Luigi Cursio, Giulia Cursio, Isabella Chiardi, Luigi Cursio

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Introduction: Full-face aesthetic treatments often present a difficult task: since different patients possess different anatomical and tissue characteristics, there is no guarantee that the same treatment will have the same effect on multiple patients; additionally, full-face rejuvenation and beautification treatments require not only a high degree of technical skill but also the ability to choose the right product for each area and a keen artistic eye. Method: We present an artificial intelligence-based algorithm that can generate realistic post-treatment 3D models based on the patient’s requests together with the doctor’s input. These 3-dimensional predictions can be used by the practitioner for two purposes: firstly, they help ensure that the patient and the doctor are completely aligned on the expectations of the treatment; secondly, the doctor can use them as a visual guide, obtaining a natural result that would normally stem from the practitioner's artistic skills. To this end, the algorithm is able to predict injection zones, the type and quantity of hyaluronic acid, the injection depth, and the technique to use. Results: Our innovation consists in providing an objective visual representation of the patient that is helpful in the patient-doctor dialogue. The patient, based on this information, can express her desire to undergo a specific treatment or make changes to the therapeutic plan. In short, the patient becomes an active agent in the choices made before the treatment. Conclusion: We believe that this algorithm will reveal itself as a useful tool in the pre-treatment decision-making process to prevent both the patient and the doctor from making a leap into the dark.

Keywords: hyaluronic acid, fillers, full face, artificial intelligence, 3D

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645 Topical Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Eye Drops and Oral Acetazolamide for Macular Edema after Uncomplicated Phacoemulsification: Outcome and Predictors of Non-Response

Authors: Wissam Aljundi, Loay Daas, Yaser Abu Dail, Barbara Käsmann-Kellner, Berthold Seitz, Alaa Din Abdin

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Purpose: To investigate the effectiveness of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory eye drops (NSAIDs) combined with oral acetazolamide for postoperative macular edema (PME) after uncomplicated phacoemulsification (PE) and to identify predictors of non-response. Methods: We analyzed data of uncomplicated PE and identified eyes with PME. First-line therapy included topical NSAIDs combined with oral acetazolamide. In case of non-response, triamcinolone was administered subtenonally. Outcome measures included best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT). Results: 94 eyes out of 9750 uncomplicated PE developed PME, of which 60 eyes were included. Follow-ups occurred 6.4±1.8, 12.5±3.7, and 18.6±6.0 weeks after diagnosis. BCVA and CMT improved significantly in all follow-ups. 40 eyes showed response to first-line therapy at first follow-up (G1). The remaining 20 eyes showed no response and required subtenon triamcinolone (G2), of which 11 eyes showed complete regression at the second follow-up and 4 eyes at the third follow-up. 5 eyes showed no response and required intravitreal injection. Multivariate linear regression model showed that diabetes mellitus (DM) and increased cumulative dissipated energy (CDE) are predictors of non-response. Conclusion: Topical NSAIDs with acetazolamide resulted in complete regression of PME in 67% of all cases. DM and increased CDE might be considered as predictors of nonresponse to this treatment.

Keywords: postoperative macular edema, intravitreal injection, cumulative energy, irvine gass syndrome, pseudophakie

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644 OnabotulinumtoxinA Injection for Glabellar Frown Lines as an Adjunctive Treatment for Depression

Authors: I. Witbooi, J. De Smidt, A. Oelofse

Abstract:

Negative emotions that are common in depression are coupled with the activation of the corrugator supercilli and procerus muscles in the glabellar region of the face. This research investigated the impact of OnabotulinumtoxinA (BOTOX) in the improvement of emotional states in depressed subjects by relaxing the mentioned muscles. The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of BOTOX treatment for glabellar frown lines as an adjunctive therapy for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and to improve the quality of life and self-esteem of the subjects. It is hypothesized that BOTOX treatment for glabellar frown lines reduces depressive symptoms significantly and therefore augment conventional antidepressant medication. Forty-five (45) subjects diagnosed with MDD were assigned to a treatment (n = 15), placebo (n = 15), and control (n = 15) group. The treatment group received BOTOX injection, while the placebo group received saline injection into the Procerus and Corrugator supercilli muscles with follow-up visits every 3 weeks (weeks 3, 6 and 12 respectively). The control group received neither BOTOX nor saline injections and were only interviewed again on the 12th week. To evaluate the effect of BOTOX treatment in the glabellar region on depressive symptoms, the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating (MADRS) scale and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were used. The Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire-Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were used in the assessment of self-esteem and quality of life. Participants were followed up for a 12 week period. The expected primary outcome measure is the response to treatment, and it is defined as a ≥ 50% reduction in MADRS score from baseline. Other outcome measures include a clinically significant decrease in BDI scores and the increase in quality of life and self-esteem respectively. Initial results show a clear trend towards such differences. Results showed trends towards expected differences. Patients in the Botox group had a mean MADRS score of 14.0 at 3 weeks compared to 20.3 of the placebo group. This trend was still visible at 6 weeks with the Botox and placebo group scoring an average of 10 vs. 18 respectively. The mean difference in MDRS scores from baseline to 3 weeks were 9.3 and 2.0 for the Botox and placebo group respectively. Similarly, the BDI scores were lower in the Botox group (17.25) compared to the placebo group (19.43). The two self-esteem questionnaires showed expected results at this stage with the RSES 19.1 in the Botox group compared to 18.6 in the placebo group. Similarly, the Botox patients had a higher score for the Q-LES-Q-SF of 49.2 compared to 46.1 for the placebo group. Conclusions: Initial results clearly demonstrated that the use of Botox had positive effects on both scores of depressions and that of self-esteem when compared to a placebo group.

Keywords: adjunctive therapy, depression, glabellar area, OnabotulinumtoxinA

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643 Identification of Failures Occurring on a System on Chip Exposed to a Neutron Beam for Safety Applications

Authors: S. Thomet, S. De-Paoli, F. Ghaffari, J. M. Daveau, P. Roche, O. Romain

Abstract:

In this paper, we present a hardware module dedicated to understanding the fail reason of a System on Chip (SoC) exposed to a particle beam. Impact of Single-Event Effects (SEE) on processor-based SoCs is a concern that has increased in the past decade, particularly for terrestrial applications with automotive safety increasing requirements, as well as consumer and industrial domains. The SEE created by the impact of a particle on an SoC may have consequences that can end to instability or crashes. Specific hardening techniques for hardware and software have been developed to make such systems more reliable. SoC is then qualified using cosmic ray Accelerated Soft-Error Rate (ASER) to ensure the Soft-Error Rate (SER) remains in mission profiles. Understanding where errors are occurring is another challenge because of the complexity of operations performed in an SoC. Common techniques to monitor an SoC running under a beam are based on non-intrusive debug, consisting of recording the program counter and doing some consistency checking on the fly. To detect and understand SEE, we have developed a module embedded within the SoC that provide support for recording probes, hardware watchpoints, and a memory mapped register bank dedicated to software usage. To identify CPU failure modes and the most important resources to probe, we have carried out a fault injection campaign on the RTL model of the SoC. Probes are placed on generic CPU registers and bus accesses. They highlight the propagation of errors and allow identifying the failure modes. Typical resulting errors are bit-flips in resources creating bad addresses, illegal instructions, longer than expected loops, or incorrect bus accesses. Although our module is processor agnostic, it has been interfaced to a RISC-V by probing some of the processor registers. Probes are then recorded in a ring buffer. Associated hardware watchpoints are allowing to do some control, such as start or stop event recording or halt the processor. Finally, the module is also providing a bank of registers where the firmware running on the SoC can log information. Typical usage is for operating system context switch recording. The module is connected to a dedicated debug bus and is interfaced to a remote controller via a debugger link. Thus, a remote controller can interact with the monitoring module without any intrusiveness on the SoC. Moreover, in case of CPU unresponsiveness, or system-bus stall, the recorded information can still be recovered, providing the fail reason. A preliminary version of the module has been integrated into a test chip currently being manufactured at ST in 28-nm FDSOI technology. The module has been triplicated to provide reliable information on the SoC behavior. As the primary application domain is automotive and safety, the efficiency of the module will be evaluated by exposing the test chip under a fast-neutron beam by the end of the year. In the meantime, it will be tested with alpha particles and electromagnetic fault injection (EMFI). We will report in the paper on fault-injection results as well as irradiation results.

Keywords: fault injection, SoC fail reason, SoC soft error rate, terrestrial application

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642 Double-Spear 1-H2-1 Oncolytic-Immunotherapy for Refractory and Relapsing High-Risk Human Neuroblastoma and Glioma

Authors: Lian Zeng

Abstract:

Double-Spear 1-H2-1 (DS1-H2-1) is an oncolytic virus and an innovative biological drug candidate. The chemical composition of the drug product is a live attenuated West Nile virus (WNV) containing the human T cell costimulator (CD86) gene. After intratumoral injection, the virus can rapidly self-replicate in the injected site and lyse/kill the tumor by repeated infection among tumor cells. We also established xenograft tumor models in mice to evaluate the drug candidate's efficacy on those tumors. The results from preclinical studies on transplanted tumors in immunodeficient mice showed that DS1-H2-1 had significant oncolytic effects on human-origin cancers: it completely (100%) shrieked human glioma; limited human neuroblastoma growth reached as high as 95% growth inhibition rate (%TGITW). The safety data of preclinical animal experiments confirmed that DS1-H2-1 is safe as a biological drug for clinical use. In the preclinical drug efficacy experiment, virus-drug administration with different doses did not show abnormal signs and disease symptoms in more than 300 tested mice, and no side effects or death occurred through various administration routes. Intravenous administration did not cause acute infectious disease or other side effects. However, the replication capacity of the virus in tumor tissue via intravenous administration is only 1% of that of direct intratumoral administration. The direct intratumoral administration of DS1-H2-1 had a higher rate of viral replication. Therefore, choosing direct intratumoral injection can ensure both efficacy and safety.

Keywords: oncolytic virus, WNV-CD86, immunotherapy drugs, glioma, neuroblastoma

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641 The Effect of Jujube Extract and Resistance Training on the Reduction of Complications Caused by the Induction of Anabolic Steroid Boldenone on the Histopathological Changes of Pancreatic Tissue of Male Wistar Rats

Authors: Sayyed-javad Ziaolhagh, Ali-Reza Saadatifar

Abstract:

Introduction: Athletes frequently perform anabolic steroid resistance exercise, but the effects of medical doses and abuse along with resistance exercise on structural damage to the Pancreases and also jujube extract are unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resistance training on body weight and hip fractures induced by boldenone injection in male rats. Materials and methods: In this experimental study, 30 male Wistar rats aged 8-12 weeks (weight 202±9.34 g) were randomly divided into five groups: control, boldenone, extract of iujuba+boldenone, boldenone+resistance training and boldenone+resistance training +extract of jujuba. The resistance training program included climbing the ladder for 8 weeks, 3 days a week, 1 session training in a day and each session consisted of the 3 sets and 5 repetitions. Injection was conducted in depth in the hamstring once a week on an appointed day. After anesthesia, autopsy was performed, and the cardiac tissue was isolated. Results: Results showed that boldenone caused tissue damage, congestion, and nuclei unclear and diffuse. In the group "resistance + Boldenone," The Pancreases tissue showed a high degree of hyperemia, and the muscle cells were somewhat abnormal. In boldenone + jujube, the appearance of the tissue was normal, and the rejuvenating effect was visible. Conclusion: Boldenone appears to cause structural damage to the Pancreases tissue. Strength training with Jujube Extract can reduce part of the pancreatic system disorders (necrosis and inflammation) caused by anabolic steroid use.

Keywords: boldenone, Jujube extract, pancreases tissue, resistance training

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640 Effect of Blade Shape on the Performance of Wells Turbine for Wave Energy Conversion

Authors: Katsuya Takasaki, Manabu Takao, Toshiaki Setoguchi

Abstract:

Effect of 3-dimensional (3D) blade on the turbine characteristics of Wells turbine for wave energy conversion has been investigated experimentally by model testing under steady flow conditions in the study, in order to improve the peak efficiency and the stall characteristics. The aim of the use of 3D blade is to prevent flow separation on the suction surface near the tip. The chord length is constant with radius and the blade profile changes gradually from mean radius to tip. The proposed blade profiles in the study are NACA0015 from hub to mean radius and NACA0025 at the tip. The performances of Wells turbine with 3D blades has been compared with those of the original Wells turbine, i.e. the turbine with 2-dimensional (2D) blades. As a result, it was concluded that although the peak efficiency of Wells turbine can be improved by the use of the proposed 3D blade, its blade does not overcome the weakness of stalling.

Keywords: fluid machinery, ocean engineering, stall, wave energy conversion, wells turbine

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639 Association Between Advanced Parental Age and Implantation Failure: A Prospective Cohort Study in Anhui, China

Authors: Jiaqian Yin, Ruoling Chen, David Churchill, Huijuan Zou, Peipei Guo, Chunmei Liang, Xiaoqing Peng, Zhikang Zhang, Weiju Zhou, Yunxia Cao

Abstract:

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the interaction of male and female age on implantation failure from in vitro fertilisation (IVF)/ intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatments in couples following their first cycles using the Anhui Maternal-Child Health Study (AMCHS). Methods: The AMCHS recruited 2042 infertile couples who were physically fit for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) treatment at the Reproductive Centre of the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University between May 2017 to April 2021. This prospective cohort study analysed the data from 1910 cohort couples for the current paper data analysis. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify the effect of male and female age on implantation failure after controlling for confounding factors. Male age and female age were examined as continuous and categorical (male age: 20-<25, 25-<30, 30-<35, 35-<40, ≥40; female age: 20-<25, 25-<30, 30-<35, 35-<40, ≥40) predictors. Results: Logistic regression indicated that advanced maternal age was associated with increased implantation failure (P<0.001). There was evidence of an interaction between maternal age (30-<35 and ≥ 35) and paternal age (≥35) on implantation failure. (p<0.05). Only when the male was ≥35 years of increased maternal age was associated with the risk of implantation failure. Conclusion: In conclusion, there was an additive effect on implantation failure with advanced parental age. The impact of advanced maternal age was only seen in the older paternal age group. The delay of childbearing in both men and women will be a serious public issue that may contribute to a higher risk of implantation failure in patients needing assisted reproductive technology (ART).

Keywords: parental age, infertility, cohort study, IVF

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638 Protective Effects of Genistein against Cyclophosphamide-Induced Hepatotoxicity in Rats: Involvement of Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Activities

Authors: Dina F. Mansour, Dalia O. Saleh, Rasha E. Mostafa

Abstract:

Cyclophosphamide (CP), the most commonly used chemotherapeutic agent, was reported to cause many side effects including urotoxicity, cardiotoxicity, gonadotoxicity, and hepatotoxicity; this limits its clinical practice. In the present study, the protective effect of genistein (GEN), the major phytoestrogen in soy products that possesses various pharmacological activities, has been investigated against CP-induced acute liver damage in rats. Forty adult Sprague-Dawley rats were allocated into five groups. The first group received the vehicles and act as normal control. In the other groups, rats were injected with a single dose of CP (200 mg/kg, i.p). The last three groups were pretreated with subcutaneous GEN at doses of 0.5, 1 and 2 mg/kg/day, respectively, for 15 consecutive days prior CP injection. Forty-eight hours following CP injection, rats of all groups were investigated for the serum levels of alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase, as well as the liver contents of reduced glutathione, malondialdehyde, nitrite, interleukin-1β, and myeloperoxidase. Histopathological examination of liver tissues was also conducted. CP resulted in acute liver damage in rats as evidenced by alteration of liver function biomarkers, oxidative stress, and inflammatory markers; that was confirmed by the histopathological outcomes. Pretreatment of rats with GEN significantly protected against CP-induced deterioration of liver function and showed marked anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that were demonstrated by the biochemical and histopathological findings. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrated the protective effects of GEN against CP-induced liver damage and suggested role of its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities.

Keywords: cyclophosphamide, genistein, inflammation, interleukin-1β, liver, myeloperoxidase, oxidative stress

Procedia PDF Downloads 276
637 Heat Transfer Enhancement through Hybrid Metallic Nanofluids Flow with Viscous Dissipation and Joule Heating Effect

Authors: Khawar Ali

Abstract:

We present the numerical study of unsteady hydromagnetic (MHD) flow and heat transfer characteristics of a viscous incompressible electrically conducting water-based hybrid metallic nanofluid (containing Cu-Au/ H₂O nanoparticles) between two orthogonally moving porous coaxial disks with suction. Different from the classical shooting methodology, we employ a combination of a direct and an iterative method (SOR with optimal relaxation parameter) for solving the sparse systems of linear algebraic equations arising from the FD discretization of the linearized self similar nonlinear ODEs. Effects of the governing parameters on the flow and heat transfer are discussed and presented through tables and graphs. The findings of the present investigation may be beneficial for the electronic industry in maintaining the electronic components under effectiveand safe operational conditions.

Keywords: heat transfer enhancement, hybrid metallic nanofluid, viscous dissipation and joule heating effect , Two dimensional flow

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636 Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation on Heat Transfer of Hot Air Bubble Injection into Water Column

Authors: Jae-Yeong Choi, Gyu-Mok Jeon, Jong-Chun Park, Yong-Jin Cho, Seok-Tae Yoon

Abstract:

When air flow is injected into water, bubbles are formed in various types inside the water pool along with the air flow rate. The bubbles are floated in equilibrium with forces such as buoyancy, surface tension and shear force. Single bubble generated at low flow rate maintains shape, but bubbles with high flow rate break up to make mixing and turbulence. In addition to this phenomenon, as the hot air bubbles are injected into the water, heat affects the interface of phases. Therefore, the main scope of the present work reveals how to proceed heat transfer between water and hot air bubbles injected into water. In the present study, a series of CFD simulation for the heat transfer of hot bubbles injected through a nozzle near the bottom in a cylindrical water column are performed using a commercial CFD software, STAR-CCM+. The governing equations for incompressible and viscous flow are the continuous and the RaNS (Reynolds- averaged Navier-Stokes) equations and discretized by the FVM (Finite Volume Method) manner. For solving multi-phase flow, the Eulerian multiphase model is employed and the interface is defined by VOF (Volume-of-Fluid) technique. As a turbulence model, the SST k-w model considering the buoyancy effects is introduced. For spatial differencing the 3th-order MUSCL scheme is adopted and the 2nd-order implicit scheme for time integration. As the results, the dynamic behavior of the rising hot bubbles with the flow rate injected and regarding heat transfer mechanism are discussed based on the simulation results.

Keywords: heat transfer, hot bubble injection, eulerian multiphase model, flow rate, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics)

Procedia PDF Downloads 130
635 On Board Measurement of Real Exhaust Emission of Light-Duty Vehicles in Algeria

Authors: R. Kerbachi, S. Chikhi, M. Boughedaoui

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The study presents an analysis of the Algerian vehicle fleet and resultant emissions. The emission measurement of air pollutants emitted by road transportation (CO, THC, NOX and CO2) was conducted on 17 light duty vehicles in real traffic. This sample is representative of the Algerian light vehicles in terms of fuel quality (gasoline, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas) and the technology quality (injection system and emission control). The experimental measurement methodology of unit emission of vehicles in real traffic situation is based on the use of the mini-Constant Volume Sampler for gas sampling and a set of gas analyzers for CO2, CO, NOx and THC, with an instrumentation to measure kinematics, gas temperature and pressure. The apparatus is also equipped with data logging instrument and data transfer. The results were compared with the database of the European light vehicles (Artemis). It was shown that the technological injection liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) has significant impact on air pollutants emission. Therefore, with the exception of nitrogen oxide compounds, uncatalyzed LPG vehicles are more effective in reducing emissions unit of air pollutants compared to uncatalyzed gasoline vehicles. LPG performance seems to be lower under real driving conditions than expected on chassis dynamometer. On the other hand, the results show that uncatalyzed gasoline vehicles emit high levels of carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides. Overall, and in the absence of standards in Algeria, unit emissions are much higher than Euro 3. The enforcement of pollutant emission standard in developing countries is an important step towards introducing cleaner technology and reducing vehicular emissions.

Keywords: on-board measurements of unit emissions of CO, HC, NOx and CO2, light vehicles, mini-CVS, LPG-fuel, artemis, Algeria

Procedia PDF Downloads 253
634 Hypotensive effect of Cardiospermum halicacabum Linn. in Anesthetized Rats

Authors: Huma Shareef, Ghazala H. Rizwani, Ahsana Dar

Abstract:

In traditional medicine Cardiospermum halicacabum L. (Sapindeaceae) is used against various ailments. In current investigation searching a new remedy that will available easily, non expensive, able to lower hypertension and standardize blood pressure, made us to develop an herbal medicine. Crude ethanol extract of C. halicacabum and its various fractions ethyl acetate and butanol showed a dose-dependent hypotensive effect in anaesthetized rats. The trachea was exposed and freed from connective tissue and incubated by cannula to facilitate spontaneous respiration. The right carotid artery and left jugular vein were cannulated with polyethylene tubing PE-50 for monitoring blood pressure changes via pressure transducer (Gould P23 ID) connected to a Grass model 79D polygraph and for i.v. injection, respectively. Drugs or the plant extracts were administered at a constant volume of 0.5 ml/kg, followed by injection of 0.2 ml of saline that flushed the cannula. Systolic, diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) was measured in mm Hg and heart rate in beats/min. Ethanol extract of C. halicacabum showed a significant activity at 50 mg/kg dose. Ethyl acetate fraction (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 mg/kg) induced dose dependent fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate of rats. At 10-30 mg/kg the hypotensive effect was non significantly reduced by 10 -15%. However, the extract at 40 mg/kg induced significant hypotensive effect calculated as 30.95±3.2% MABP and this effect persists till 50 mg/kg. The higher polar fraction (butanol) of the whole plant failed to produce any significant response against MABP at all the tested doses (10-50 mg/kg). C. halicacabum lowers blood pressure, exerts a dose-dependent hypotensive effect, can be used as hypotensor.

Keywords: cardiospermum halicacabum, calcium channel blocker, hypotensive, various extracts

Procedia PDF Downloads 469
633 Hydro-Mechanical Behavior of a Tuff and Calcareous Sand Mixture for Use in Pavement in Arid Region

Authors: I. Goual, M. S. Goual, M. K. Gueddouda, Taïbi Saïd, Abou-Bekr Nabil, A. Ferhat

Abstract:

The aim of the paper is to study the hydro-mechanical behavior of a tuff and calcareous sand mixture. A first experimental phase was carried out in order to find the optimal mixture. This showed that the material composed of 80% tuff and 20% calcareous sand provides the maximum mechanical strength. The second experimental phase concerns the study of the drying-wetting behavior of the optimal mixture was carried out on slurry samples and compacted samples at the MPO. Experimental results let to deduce the parameters necessary for the prediction of the hydro-mechanical behavior of pavement formulated from tuff and calcareous sand mixtures, related to moisture. This optimal mixture satisfies the regulation rules and hence constitutes a good local eco-material, abundantly available, for the conception of pavements.

Keywords: tuff, sandy calcareous, road engineering, hydro mechanical behaviour, suction

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632 Opioid Administration on Patients Hospitalized in the Emergency Department

Authors: Mani Mofidi, Neda Valizadeh, Ali Hashemaghaee, Mona Hashemaghaee, Soudabeh Shafiee Ardestani

Abstract:

Background: Acute pain and its management remained the most complaint of emergency service admission. Diagnostic and therapeutic procedures add to patients’ pain. Diminishing the pain increases the quality of patient’s feeling and improves the patient-physician relationship. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes and side effects of opioid administration in emergency patients. Material and Methods: patients admitted to ward II emergency service of Imam Khomeini hospital, who received one of the opioids: morphine, pethidine, methadone or fentanyl as an analgesic were evaluated. Their vital signs and general condition were examined before and after drug injection. Also, patient’s pain experience were recorded as numerical rating score (NRS) before and after analgesic administration. Results: 268 patients were studied. 34 patients were addicted to opioid drugs. Morphine had the highest rate of prescription (86.2%), followed by pethidine (8.5%), methadone (3.3%) and fentanyl (1.68). While initial NRS did not show significant difference between addicted patients and non-addicted ones, NRS decline and its score after drug injection were significantly lower in addicted patients. All patients had slight but statistically significant lower respiratory rate, heart rate, blood pressure and O2 saturation. There was no significant difference between different kind of opioid prescription and its outcomes or side effects. Conclusion: Pain management should be always in physicians’ mind during emergency admissions. It should not be assumed that an addicted patient complaining of pain is malingering to receive drug. Titration of drug and close monitoring must be in the curriculum to prevent any hazardous side effects.

Keywords: numerical rating score, opioid, pain, emergency department

Procedia PDF Downloads 401