Search results for: word formation
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 3959

Search results for: word formation

3629 Unsupervised Part-of-Speech Tagging for Amharic Using K-Means Clustering

Authors: Zelalem Fantahun

Abstract:

Part-of-speech tagging is the process of assigning a part-of-speech or other lexical class marker to each word into naturally occurring text. Part-of-speech tagging is the most fundamental and basic task almost in all natural language processing. In natural language processing, the problem of providing large amount of manually annotated data is a knowledge acquisition bottleneck. Since, Amharic is one of under-resourced language, the availability of tagged corpus is the bottleneck problem for natural language processing especially for POS tagging. A promising direction to tackle this problem is to provide a system that does not require manually tagged data. In unsupervised learning, the learner is not provided with classifications. Unsupervised algorithms seek out similarity between pieces of data in order to determine whether they can be characterized as forming a group. This paper explicates the development of unsupervised part-of-speech tagger using K-Means clustering for Amharic language since large amount of data is produced in day-to-day activities. In the development of the tagger, the following procedures are followed. First, the unlabeled data (raw text) is divided into 10 folds and tokenization phase takes place; at this level, the raw text is chunked at sentence level and then into words. The second phase is feature extraction which includes word frequency, syntactic and morphological features of a word. The third phase is clustering. Among different clustering algorithms, K-means is selected and implemented in this study that brings group of similar words together. The fourth phase is mapping, which deals with looking at each cluster carefully and the most common tag is assigned to a group. This study finds out two features that are capable of distinguishing one part-of-speech from others these are morphological feature and positional information and show that it is possible to use unsupervised learning for Amharic POS tagging. In order to increase performance of the unsupervised part-of-speech tagger, there is a need to incorporate other features that are not included in this study, such as semantic related information. Finally, based on experimental result, the performance of the system achieves a maximum of 81% accuracy.

Keywords: POS tagging, Amharic, unsupervised learning, k-means

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3628 Petrologic and Geochemical Characteristics of Marine Sand Strip in the Proterozoic Chuanlinggou Formation of the North China

Authors: Yue Feng, Chun-jiang Wang, Zhi-long Huang

Abstract:

The study of the sedimentary environment of Mesoproterozoic marine deposits in North China has attracted special attention in recent years. It is not clear that the sedimentary environment and the cause of formation of the sandstone strip and its internal carbonate cements and pyrite in the Mesoproterozoic Chuanlinggou Formation in North China. In this study, drilling core samples in North China were identified by microscopy, and their petrological characteristics such as mineral composition and structure were identified. The geochemical data of carbon and oxygen isotopes, total organic carbon (TOC) contents and total sulfur (TS) contents were obtained by processing and analyzing the samples. The samples are mainly quartz particles with low compositional maturity, combined with low value of TOC, it shows that the sedimentary environment of the sandy clastic is a sandy littoral sedimentary environment with relative strong hydrodynamic force, and then the sandstone strip in black shale are formed by the deposition of gravity flow. Analysis of TS values reflect sandstone bands formed in hypoxic environments. The carbonate cements and the pyrite in the sandstone belt are authigenic. The carbon isotope values of authigenic carbonate cements are negatively biased in comparison with the carbonate isotope of carbonate rocks in the same period, but it is more biased than the carbon isotopic values of anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) genetic carbonate rocks. Authigenic pyrite may be mainly due to the formation of HS- by the action of bacterial sulfate reduction (BSR) and Fe²⁺, their causes are in contact. This indicates that authigenic carbonate cements are mainly carbonate precipitates formed but are significantly affected by the effects of AOM. Summary, the sedimentary environment of the sandstone zone in the Chuanlinggou Formation in the North China is a shallow sea facies with iron rich and anoxic.

Keywords: sandstone strip, sedimentary environment, authigenic carbonate cements, authigenic pyrite, The Chuanlinggou group, North China

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3627 Reduction Shrinkage of Concrete without Use Reinforcement

Authors: Martin Tazky, Rudolf Hela, Lucia Osuska, Petr Novosad

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Concrete’s volumetric changes are natural process caused by silicate minerals’ hydration. These changes can lead to cracking and subsequent destruction of cementitious material’s matrix. In most cases, cracks can be assessed as a negative effect of hydration, and in all cases, they lead to an acceleration of degradation processes. Preventing the formation of these cracks is, therefore, the main effort. Once of the possibility how to eliminate this natural concrete shrinkage process is by using different types of dispersed reinforcement. For this application of concrete shrinking, steel and polymer reinforcement are preferably used. Despite ordinarily used reinforcement in concrete to eliminate shrinkage it is possible to look at this specific problematic from the beginning by itself concrete mix composition. There are many secondary raw materials, which are helpful in reduction of hydration heat and also with shrinkage of concrete during curing. The new science shows the possibilities of shrinkage reduction also by the controlled formation of hydration products, which could act by itself morphology as a traditionally used dispersed reinforcement. This contribution deals with the possibility of controlled formation of mono- and tri-sulfate which are considered like degradation minerals. Mono- and tri- sulfate's controlled formation in a cementitious composite can be classified as a self-healing ability. Its crystal’s growth acts directly against the shrinking tension – this reduces the risk of cracks development. Controlled formation means that these crystals start to grow in the fresh state of the material (e.g. concrete) but stop right before it could cause any damage to the hardened material. Waste materials with the suitable chemical composition are very attractive precursors because of their added value in the form of landscape pollution’s reduction and, of course, low cost. In this experiment, the possibilities of using the fly ash from fluidized bed combustion as a mono- and tri-sulphate formation additive were investigated. The experiment itself was conducted on cement paste and concrete and specimens were subjected to a thorough analysis of physicomechanical properties as well as microstructure from the moment of mixing up to 180 days. In cement composites, were monitored the process of hydration and shrinkage. In a mixture with the used admixture of fluidized bed combustion fly ash, possible failures were specified by electronic microscopy and dynamic modulus of elasticity. The results of experiments show the possibility of shrinkage concrete reduction without using traditionally dispersed reinforcement.

Keywords: shrinkage, monosulphates, trisulphates, self-healing, fluidized fly ash

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3626 Sustainable Production of Tin Oxide Nanoparticles: Exploring Synthesis Techniques, Formation Mechanisms, and Versatile Applications

Authors: Yemane Tadesse Gebreslassie, Henok Gidey Gebretnsae

Abstract:

Nanotechnology has emerged as a highly promising field of research with wide-ranging applications across various scientific disciplines. In recent years, tin oxide has garnered significant attention due to its intriguing properties, particularly when synthesized in the nanoscale range. While numerous physical and chemical methods exist for producing tin oxide nanoparticles, these approaches tend to be costly, energy-intensive, and involve the use of toxic chemicals. Given the growing concerns regarding human health and environmental impact, there has been a shift towards developing cost-effective and environmentally friendly processes for tin oxide nanoparticle synthesis. Green synthesis methods utilizing biological entities such as plant extracts, bacteria, and natural biomolecules have shown promise in successfully producing tin oxide nanoparticles. However, scaling up the production to an industrial level using green synthesis approaches remains challenging due to the complexity of biological substrates, which hinders the elucidation of reaction mechanisms and formation processes. Thus, this review aims to provide an overview of the various sources of biological entities and methodologies employed in the green synthesis of tin oxide nanoparticles, as well as their impact on nanoparticle properties. Furthermore, this research delves into the strides made in comprehending the mechanisms behind the formation of nanoparticles as documented in existing literature. It also sheds light on the array of analytical techniques employed to investigate and elucidate the characteristics of these minuscule particles.

Keywords: nanotechnology, tin oxide, green synthesis, formation mechanisms

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3625 Psychological Aspects in the Doctrine of Dependent Origination

Authors: Sanjoy Barua Chowdhury

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This research is an attempt to examine psychological aspect of the Buddha’s most cardinal and fundamental doctrine of Dependent Origination (paṭiccasamuppāda) along with drawing out a clear picture of the constituents from the law of causation and analyzes the mental states and motivational factors behind each constituent among twelvefold links. Meticulous research into the doctrine of Dependent Origination reveals how the main links from the doctrine of dependent origination provide a framework for psychological analysis through volitional formation (saṅkhāra), consciousness (viññāna), mentality and materiality (nāma-rūpa), contact (phassa), feeling (vedanā), craving (tanhā) and clinging (upādāna). This paper further illustrates the notion of perception (saññā) which can be found in the function of volitional formation (saṅkhāra) - a contributing factor, according to modern psychology, in the role of understanding human (puggala) motivation. The psychological analysis of dependent origination expounds the concept of personality highlighting present existence through the inter-relationship of the five faculties (pañcaupadānakkhandhā), viz., form (rūpa), feeling (vedanā), perception (saññā), volitional formation (saṅkhārā) and consciousness (viññāṇa).

Keywords: dependent origination, perception, motivational factors, feelings

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3624 The Concept of Dharma under Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh Religions: A Comparative Analysis

Authors: Venkateswarlu Kappara

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The term ‘Dharma’ is complex and ubiquitous. It has no equivalent word in English Initially applied to Aryans. In Rig Veda, it appears in a number of places with different meanings. The word Dharma comes from the roots word ‘dhr’ (Dhri-Dharayatetiiti Dharmaha). Principles of Dharma are all pervading. The closest synonyms for Dharma in English is ‘Righteousness.’ In a holy book Mahabharata, it is mentioned that Dharma destroys those who destroy it, Dharma Protects those who protect it. Also, Dharma might be shadowed, now and then by evil forces, but at the end, Dharma always triumphs. This line embodies the eternal victory of good over evil. In Mahabharata, Lord Krishna says Dharma upholds both, this worldly and other worldly affairs. Rig Veda says, ‘O Indra! Lead us on the path of Rta, on the right path over all evils.’ For Buddhists, Dharma most often means the body of teachings expounded by the Buddha. The Dharma is one of the three Jewels (Tri Ratnas) of Buddhism under which the followers take refuge. They are: the ‘Buddha’ meaning the minds perfection or enlightenment, the Dharma, meaning the teachings and the methods of the Buddha, and the Sangha meaning those awakened people who provide guidance and support followers. Buddha denies a separate permanent ‘I.’ Buddha Accepts Suffering (Dukka). Change / impermanence (Anicca) and not– self (Annatta) Dharma in the Buddhist scriptures has a variety of meanings including ‘phenomenon’ and ‘nature’ or ‘characteristic.’ For Sikhs, the word ‘Dharma’ means the ‘path’ of righteousness’ The Sikh scriptures attempt to answer the exposition of Dharma. The main Holy Scripture of the Sikh religion is called the Guru Granth Sahib. The faithful people are fully bound to do whatever the Dharma wants them to do. Such is the name of the Immaculate Lord. Only one who has faith comes to know such a state of mind. The righteous judge of Dharma, by the Hukam of God’s Command, sits and Administers true justice. From Dharma flow wealth and pleasure. The study indicates that in Sikh religion, the Dharma is the path of righteousness; In Buddhism, the mind’s perfection of enlightenment, and in Hinduism, it is non-violence, purity, truth, control of senses, not coveting the property of others. The comparative study implies that all religions dealt with Dharma for welfare of the mankind. The methodology adapted is theoretical, analytical and comparative. The present study indicates how far Indian philosophical systems influenced the present circumstances and how far the present system is not compatible with Ancient philosophical systems. A tentative generalization would be that the present system which is mostly influenced by the British Governance may not totally reflect the ancient norms. However, the mental make-up continues to be influenced by Ancient philosophical systems.

Keywords: Dharma, Dukka (suffering), Rakshati, righteous

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3623 Characterization of the Pore System and Gas Storage Potential in Unconventional Reservoirs: A Case of Study of the Cretaceous la Luna Formation, Middle Magdalena Valley Basin, Colombia

Authors: Carlos Alberto Ríos-Reyes, Efraín Casadiego-Quintero

Abstract:

We propose a generalized workflow for mineralogy investigation of unconventional reservoirs using multi-scale imaging and pore-scale analyses. This workflow can be used for the integral evaluation of these resources. The Cretaceous La Luna Formation´s mudstones in the Middle Magdalena Valley Basin (Colombia) inherently show a heterogeneous pore system with organic and inorganic pores. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out the integration of high resolution 2D images of mapping by conventional petrography, scanning electron microscopy and quantitative evaluation of minerals by scanning electron microscopy to describe their organic and inorganic porosity to understand the transport mechanism through pores. The analyzed rocks show several pore types, including interparticle pores, organoporosity, intraparticle pores, intraparticle pores, and microchannels and/or microfractures. The existence of interconnected pores in pore system of these rocks promotes effective pathways for primary gas migration and storage space for residual hydrocarbons in mudstones, which is very useful in this type of gas reservoirs. It is crucial to understand not only the porous system of these rocks and their mineralogy but also to project the gas flow in order to design the appropriate strategies for the stimulation of unconventional reservoirs. Keywords: mudstones; La Luna Formation; gas storage; migration; hydrocarbon.

Keywords: mudstones, La luna formation, gas storage, migration, hydrocarbon

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3622 Molecular Dynamics Simulation Studies of High-Intensity, Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Fields Induced Membrane Electroporation

Authors: Jiahui Song

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The use of high-intensity, nanosecond electric pulses has been a recent development in biomedical. High-intensity (∼100 kV/cm), nanosecond duration-pulsed electric fields have been shown to induce cellular electroporation. This will lead to an increase in transmembrane conductivity and diffusive permeability. These effects will also alter the electrical potential across the membrane. The applications include electrically triggered intracellular calcium release, shrinkage of tumors, and temporary blockage of the action potential in nerves. In this research, the dynamics of pore formation with the presence of an externally applied electric field is studied on the basis of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations using the GROMACS package. MD simulations show pore formation occurs for a pulse with the amplitude of 0.5V/nm at 1ns at temperature 316°K. Also increasing temperatures facilitate pore formation. When the temperature is increased to 323°K, pore forms at 0.75ns with the pulse amplitude of 0.5V/nm. For statistical significance, a total of eight MD simulations are carried out with different starting molecular velocities for each simulation. Also, actual experimental observations are compared against MD simulation results.

Keywords: molecular dynamics, high-intensity, nanosecond, electroporation

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3621 Scientific Interpretation of “Fertilizing Winds” Mentioned in Verse 15:22 of Al-Quran

Authors: Md. Mamunur Rashid

Abstract:

Allah (SWT) bestowed us with the Divine blessing, providing the wonderful source of water as stated in verse 15:22 of Al-Quran. Arabic “Ar-Riaaha Lawaaqiha (ٱلرِّيَـٰحَ لَوَٰقِحَ)” of this verse is translated as “fertilizing winds.” The “fertilizing winds” literally, refer the winds of having the roles: to fertilize something similar to the “zygotes” in humans and animals (formation of clouds in the sky in this case); to produce fertilizers for the plants, crops, etc.; and to pollinate the plants. In this paper, these roles of “fertilizing winds” have been validated by presenting the modern knowledge of science in this regard. Existing interpretations are mostly focused on the “formation of clouds in the sky” while few of them mention about the pollination of trees. However, production of fertilizers, in this regard, has not been considered by any translator or interpreter. It has been observed that the winds contain, the necessary components of forming the clouds; the necessary components of producing the fertilizers; and the necessary components to pollinate the plants. The Science of Meteorology gives us the clear understanding of the formation of clouds. Moreover, we know that the lightning bolts breaks the nitrogen molecules of winds and the water molecules of vapor to form fertilizers. Pollination is a common role of winds in plants fertilization. All the scientific phenomena presented here give us the better interpretations of “fertilizing winds.”

Keywords: Al-Quran, fertilizing winds, meteorology, scientific

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3620 Influence of Bacterial Motility on Biofilm Formation

Authors: Li Cheng, Zhang Yilei, Cohen Yehuda

Abstract:

Two motility mechanisms were introduced into iDynoMiCs software, which adopts an individual-based modeling method. Based on the new capabilities, along with the pressure motility developed before, influence of bacterial motility on biofilm formation was studied. Simulation results were evaluated both qualitatively through 3D structure inspections and quantitatively by parameter characterizations. It was showed that twitching motility increased the biofilm surface irregularity probably due to movement of cells towards higher nutrient concentration location whereas free motility, on the other hand, could make biofilms flatter and smoother relatively. Pressure motility showed no significant influence in this study.

Keywords: iDynoMics, biofilm structure, bacterial motility, motility mechanisms

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3619 The Effect of Different Surface Cleaning Methods on Porosity Formation and Mechanical Property of AA6xxx Aluminum Gas Metal Arc Welds

Authors: Fatemeh Mirakhorli

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Porosity is the main issue during welding of aluminum alloys, and surface cleaning has a critical influence to reduce the porosity level by removing the oxidized surface layer before fusion welding. Developing an optimum and economical surface cleaning method has an enormous benefit for aluminum welding industries to reduce costs related to repairing and repeating welds as well as increasing the mechanical properties of the joints. In this study, several mechanical and chemical surface cleaning methods were examined for butt joint welding of 2 mm thick AA6xxx alloys using ER5556 filler metal. The effects of each method on porosity formation and tensile properties are evaluated. It has been found that, compared to the conventional mechanical cleaning method, the use of chemical cleaning leads to an important reduction in porosity level even after a significant delay between cleaning and welding. The effect of the higher porosity level in the fusion zone to reduce the tensile strength of the welds is shown.

Keywords: gas metal arc welding (GMAW), aluminum alloy, surface cleaning, porosity formation, mechanical property

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3618 Corporate Social Responsibility the New Route to Competitive Advantage: An Applied Study on Telecommunication Sector in Egypt

Authors: Rania Sherif Abd El-Azim

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The role of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in business has evolved and led to an era where industry leaders can no longer overlook the importance of being participative corporate citizens. This is not only because of the media’s skeptical attitude toward whether or not companies’ CSR efforts are sincere but also due to key stakeholders’ ability to hold companies to a higher standard than ever before as companies can gain competitive advantage through CSR. These programs result in addressing global challenges, such as climate, and poverty, or simply improving employee retention, so it has become increasingly clear that CSR is not just the new trend for companies but a necessary tool that organizations must integrate into their overall business strategies to build a stronger reputation as well as to also increase credibility among their key audience and enhance customers’ willingness to repurchase, pay premium price and enhancing positive word of mouth. According to the literature review, the link between CSR and competitive advantage at the firm level has long been an important topic for both CSR researchers and practitioners. Thus CSR can play an important role in enhancing the firm's competitive advantage, which seems an attractive area to investigate specially in Egypt. So, this paper will investigate the role of corporate social responsibility in enhancing the firm competitive advantage.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, competitive advantage, corporate reputation, customers' willingness to repurchase, willingness to pay premium price, positive word of mouth

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3617 Description of Anthracotheriidae Remains from the Middle and Upper Siwaliks of Punjab, Pakistan

Authors: Abdul M. Khan, Ayesha Iqbal

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In this paper, new dental remains of Merycopotamus (Anthracotheriidae) are described. The specimens were collected during field work by the authors from the well dated fossiliferous locality 'Hasnot' belonging to the Dhok Pathan Formation, and from 'Tatrot' village belonging to Tatrot Formation of the Potwar Plateau, Pakistan. The stratigraphic age of the Neogene deposits around Hasnot is 7 - 5 Ma; whereas the age of the Tatrot Formation is from 3.4 - 2.6 Ma. The newly discovered material when compared with the previous records of the genus Merycopotamus from the Siwaliks led us to identify all the three reported species of this genus from the Siwaliks of Pakistan. As the sample comprises only the dental remains so the identification of the specimens is solely based upon the morpho-metric analysis. The occlusal pattern of the upper molar in Merycopotamus dissimilis is different from Merycopotamus medioximus and Merycopotamus nanus in having a mesostyle fully divided, forming two prominent cusps, while mesostyle in M. medioximus is partly divided and small lateral crests are present on the mesostyle. A continuous loop like mesostyle is present in Merycopotamus nanus. The entoconid fold is present in Merycopotamus dissimilis on the lower molars whereas it is absent in Merycopotamus medioximus and Merycopotamus nanus. The hypoconulid in M. dissimilis is relatively simple but a loop like hypoconulid is present in M. medioximus and M. nanus. The results of the present findings are in line with the previous records of the genus Merycopotamus, with M. nanus, M. medioximus and M. dissimilis in the Late Miocene – Early Pliocene Dhok Pathan Formation, and M. dissimilis in the Late Pliocene Tatrot sediments of Pakistan.

Keywords: Dhok Pathan, late miocene, merycopotamus, pliocene, Tatrot

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3616 Interaction of Steinernema Glaseri, an Entomopathogenic Nematode with a Predatory Fungus Arthrobotrys Superba on Different Nutrient Media

Authors: Varsha Baweja

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Steinernema glaseri is known to be the most potent biocontrol agent against a number of insect pests of various orders and of diverse habitats under laboratory conditions. But in nature many micro pathogens may affect the efficacy of such entomopathogenic nematodes. Keeping this in view, the interaction of Steinernema glaseri with a predatory fungus Arthrobotrys superba was assessed on eight different nutrient media. The activity of A.superba was evaluated in terms of trap formation, conidiophore formation, and number of adhesive cells formed in the presence and absence of nematodes. The fungus failed to form any trap on any of the culture media in the absence of nematodes. However, in the presence of nematodes, the trap formation by the test fungus was increased but the number of conidiophores decreased with increase in dilution of Corn Meal Agar from 5% to 2%. Higher number of chlamydospores were observed in phenylalanine treated medium which indicates the inhibiting effect of phenylalanine on the growth of A. superba. Our results suggest that care should be taken during release of entomopathogenic nematodes in an agroecosystem for managing various insect pests in a more efficient manner.

Keywords: Entomopathogenic Nematode , Steinernema Glaseri, Predatory Fungus, Arthrobotrys Superba

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3615 Geoelectric Survey for Groundwater Potential in Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria

Authors: Ibrahim Mohammed, Suleiman Taofiq, Muhammad Naziru Yahya

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Geoelectrical measurements using Schlumberger Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) method were carried out in Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria, with the aim of determining the groundwater potential in the area. Twelve (12) Vertical Electric Sounding (VES) data were collected using Terrameter (ABEM SAS 300c) and analyzed using computer software (IPI2win), which gives an automatic interpretation of the apparent resistivity. The results of the interpretation of VES data were used in the characterization of three to five geo-electric layers from which the aquifer units were delineated. Data analysis indicated that water bearing formation exists in the third and fourth layers having resistivity range of 312 to 767 Ωm and 9.51 to 681 Ωm, respectively. The thickness of the formation ranges from 14.7 to 41.8 m, while the depth is from 8.22 to 53.7 m. Based on the result obtained from the interpretation of the data, five (5) VES stations were recommended as the most viable locations for groundwater exploration in the study area. The VES stations include VES A4, A5, A6, B1, and B2. The VES results of the entire area indicated that the water bearing formation occurs at maximum depth of 53.7 m at the time of this survey.

Keywords: aquifer, depth, groundwater, resistivity, Schlumberger

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3614 Socio Economic Impact and Status of the Islamic Perspective of Veil

Authors: Shagufta Jahangir, Nadeemullah, Yaqoob, Raisa Jahangir

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The Persian language word ‘Purdah’ and in Arabic ‘Hajab’ is used for veil. Veil has been used by women for being escaped from men. In one way or the other veil has been continuously used in ancient as well as modern civilizations by women. Developed nations have blamed the use of veil an obstacle in the process of development. Therefore, modern nations have struggled to get rid of the use of veil. They argue that it is a sign of slavery for women and it is an obstacle in the path of development. The modern secular Muslims considered veil as the biggest obstacle for social and economic development. It makes a woman helpless, as being zanjir in her feet. It has become an obstacle in the process of development for women. It is also considered as a tool for segregation among men and women. The so called Muslims of the modern era are trying to introduce changes in religion by imitation the modern nations of the world. In particular ways for Muslim woman use of veil in Islam is must. It is a right provided her by religion. It provides her strength. In the Holy Quran word ‘Hajab’ is used 5 times. Islam is against domination and forceful practice of veil, as a part of teaching of Islam it is being adopted by women as a protection. This article aims at: (1) historical background of veil (2) Its existence in civilizations, (3) Meaning and interpretation of veil in Islamic context, (4) Economic impact of it on women (5) Discussion on its practice in Islamic (eastern) and other (European) circles and conclusions followed by concerted bibliography.

Keywords: veil, economic development, civilizations, obstacle, secular Muslims, segregation

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3613 Beijerinckia indica Extracellular Extract Mediated Green Synthesis of Silver Nanoparticles with Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities against Clinical Pathogens

Authors: Gopalu Karunakaran, Matheswaran Jagathambal, Nguyen Van Minh, Evgeny Kolesnikov, Denis Kuznetsov

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This work investigated the use of Beijerinckia indica extracellular extract for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles using AgNO3. The formation of nanoparticles was confirmed by different methods, such as UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy, XRD, FTIR, EDX, and TEM analysis. The formation of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was confirmed by the change in color from light yellow to dark brown. The absorbance peak obtained at 430 nm confirmed the presence of silver nanoparticles. The XRD analysis showed the cubic crystalline phase of the synthesized nanoparticles. FTIR revealed the presence of groups that acts as stabilizing and reducing agents for silver nanoparticles formation. The synthesized silver nanoparticles were generally found to be spherical in shape with size ranging from 5 to 20 nm, as evident by TEM analysis. These nanoparticles were found to inhibit pathogenic bacterial strains. This work proved that the bacterial extract is a potential eco-friendly candidate for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles with promising antibacterial and antioxidant properties. 

Keywords: antioxidant activity, antimicrobial activity, Beijerinckia indica, characterisation, extracellular extracts, silver nanoparticles

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3612 Detection the Ice Formation Processes Using Multiple High Order Ultrasonic Guided Wave Modes

Authors: Regina Rekuviene, Vykintas Samaitis, Liudas Mažeika, Audrius Jankauskas, Virginija Jankauskaitė, Laura Gegeckienė, Abdolali Sadaghiani, Shaghayegh Saeidiharzand

Abstract:

Icing brings significant damage to aviation and renewable energy installations. Air-conditioning, refrigeration, wind turbine blades, airplane and helicopter blades often suffer from icing phenomena, which cause severe energy losses and impair aerodynamic performance. The icing process is a complex phenomenon with many different causes and types. Icing mechanisms, distributions, and patterns are still relevant to research topics. The adhesion strength between ice and surfaces differs in different icing environments. This makes the task of anti-icing very challenging. The techniques for various icing environments must satisfy different demands and requirements (e.g., efficient, lightweight, low power consumption, low maintenance and manufacturing costs, reliable operation). It is noticeable that most methods are oriented toward a particular sector and adapting them to or suggesting them for other areas is quite problematic. These methods often use various technologies and have different specifications, sometimes with no clear indication of their efficiency. There are two major groups of anti-icing methods: passive and active. Active techniques have high efficiency but, at the same time, quite high energy consumption and require intervention in the structure’s design. It’s noticeable that vast majority of these methods require specific knowledge and personnel skills. The main effect of passive methods (ice-phobic, superhydrophobic surfaces) is to delay ice formation and growth or reduce the adhesion strength between the ice and the surface. These methods are time-consuming and depend on forecasting. They can be applied on small surfaces only for specific targets, and most are non-biodegradable (except for anti-freezing proteins). There is some quite promising information on ultrasonic ice mitigation methods that employ UGW (Ultrasonic Guided Wave). These methods are have the characteristics of low energy consumption, low cost, lightweight, and easy replacement and maintenance. However, fundamental knowledge of ultrasonic de-icing methodology is still limited. The objective of this work was to identify the ice formation processes and its progress by employing ultrasonic guided wave technique. Throughout this research, the universal set-up for acoustic measurement of ice formation in a real condition (temperature range from +240 C to -230 C) was developed. Ultrasonic measurements were performed by using high frequency 5 MHz transducers in a pitch-catch configuration. The selection of wave modes suitable for detection of ice formation phenomenon on copper metal surface was performed. Interaction between the selected wave modes and ice formation processes was investigated. It was found that selected wave modes are sensitive to temperature changes. It was demonstrated that proposed ultrasonic technique could be successfully used for the detection of ice layer formation on a metal surface.

Keywords: ice formation processes, ultrasonic GW, detection of ice formation, ultrasonic testing

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3611 Effect of Milling Parameters on the Characteristics of Nanocrystalline TiAl Alloys Synthesized by Mechanical Alloying

Authors: Jinan B. Al-Dabbagh, Rozman Mohd Tahar, Mahadzir Ishak

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TiAl alloy nano-powder was successfully produced by a mechanical alloying (MA) technique in a planetary ball mill. The influence of milling parameters, such as the milling duration, rotation speed, and balls-to-powder mass ratio, on the characteristics of the Ti50%Al powder, including the microstructure, crystallite size refinement, and phase formation, were investigated. It was found that MA of elemental Ti and Al powders promotes the formation of TiAl alloys, as Ti (Al) solid solution was formed after 5h of milling. Milling without the addition of process control agents led to a dramatic decrease in the crystallite size to 17.8 nm after 2h of milling. Higher rotation energy and a higher ball-to-powder weight ratio also accelerated the reduction in crystallite size. Subsequent heating up to 850°C resulted in the formation of a new intermetallic phase with a dominant TiAl3 phase plus minor γ-TiAl or α2-Ti3Al phase or both. A longer milling duration also exhibited a better effect on the micro-hardness of Ti50%Al powders.

Keywords: TiAl alloys, nanocrystalline materials, mechanical alloying, materials science

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3610 Molecular Portraits: The Role of Posttranslational Modification in Cancer Metastasis

Authors: Navkiran Kaur, Apoorva Mathur, Abhishree Agarwal, Sakshi Gupta, Tuhin Rashmi

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Aim: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and resistance to the current therapeutics, often concurrently, is an increasing clinical challenge. Glycosylation of proteins is one of the most important post-translational modifications. It is widely known that aberrant glycosylation has been implicated in many different diseases due to changes associated with biological function and protein folding. Alterations in cell surface glycosylation, can promote invasive behavior of tumor cells that ultimately lead to the progression of cancer. In breast cancer, there is an increasing evidence pertaining to the role of glycosylation in tumor formation and metastasis. In the present study, an attempt has been made to study the disease associated sialoglycoproteins in breast cancer by using bioinformatics tools. The sequence will be retrieved from UniProt database. A database in the form of a word document was made by a collection of FASTA sequences of breast cancer gene sequence. Glycosylation was studied using yinOyang tool on ExPASy and Differential genes expression and protein analysis was done in context of breast cancer metastasis. The number of residues predicted O-glc NAc threshold containing 50 aberrant glycosylation sites or more was detected and recorded for individual sequence. We found that the there is a significant change in the expression profiling of glycosylation patterns of various proteins associated with breast cancer. Differential aberrant glycosylated proteins in breast cancer cells with respect to non-neoplastic cells are an important factor for the overall progression and development of cancer.

Keywords: breast cancer, bioinformatics, cancer, metastasis, glycosylation

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3609 Effect of B2O3 Addition on Sol-gel Synthesized 45S5 Bioglass

Authors: P. Dey, S. K. Pal

Abstract:

Ceramics or glass ceramics with the property of bone bonding at the nearby tissues and producing possible bone in growth are known to be bioactive. The most extensively used glass in this context is 45S5 which is a silica based bioglass mostly explored in the field of tissue engineering as scaffolds for bone repair. Nowadays, the borate based bioglass are being utilized in orthopedic area largely due to its superior bioactivity with the formation of bone bonding. An attempt has been made, in the present study, to observe the effect of B2O3 addition in 45S5 glass and perceive its consequences on the thermal, mechanical and biological properties. The B2O3 was added in 1, 2.5, and 5 wt% with simultaneous reduction in the silica content of the 45S5 composition. The borate based bioglass has been synthesized by the means of sol-gel route. The synthesized powders were then thermally analyzed by DSC-TG. The as synthesized powders were then calcined at 600ºC for 2hrs. The calcined powders were then pressed into pellets followed by sintering at 850ºC with a holding time of 2hrs. The phase analysis and the microstructural analysis of the as synthesized and calcined powder glass samples and the sintered glass samples were being carried out using XRD and FESEM respectively. The formation of hydroxyapatite layer was performed by immersing the sintered samples in the simulated body fluid (SBF) and mechanical property has been tested for the sintered samples by universal testing machine (UTM). The sintered samples showed the presence of sodium calcium silicate phase while the formation of hydroxyapaptite takes place for SBF immersed samples. The formation of hydroxyapatite is more pronounced in case of borated based glass samples instead of 45S5.

Keywords: 45S5 bioglass, bioactive, borate, hydroxyapatite, sol-gel synthesis

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3608 Effects of Different Thermal Processing Routes and Their Parameters on the Formation of Voids in PA6 Bonded Aluminum Joints

Authors: Muhammad Irfan, Guillermo Requena, Jan Haubrich

Abstract:

Adhesively bonded aluminum joints are common in automotive and aircraft industries and are one of the enablers of lightweight construction to minimize the carbon emissions during transportation for a sustainable life. This study is focused on the effects of two thermal processing routes, i.e., by direct and induction heating, and their parameters on void formation in PA6 bonded aluminum EN-AW6082 joints. The joints were characterized microanalytically as well as by lap shear experiments. The aging resistance of the joints was studied by accelerated aging tests at 80°C hot water. It was found that the processing of single lap joints by direct heating in a convection oven causes the formation of a large number of voids in the bond line. The formation of voids in the convection oven was due to longer processing times and was independent of any surface pretreatments of the metal as well as the processing temperature. However, when processing at low temperatures, a large number of small-sized voids were observed under the optical microscope, and they were larger in size but reduced in numbers at higher temperatures. An induction heating process was developed, which not only successfully reduced or eliminated the voids in PA6 bonded joints but also reduced the processing times for joining significantly. Consistent with the trend in direct heating, longer processing times and higher temperatures in induction heating also led to an increased formation of voids in the bond line. Subsequent single lap shear tests revealed that the increasing void contents led to a 21% reduction in lap shear strengths (i.e., from ~47 MPa for induction heating to ~37 MPa for direct heating). Also, there was a 17% reduction in lap shear strengths when the consolidation temperature was raised from 220˚C to 300˚C during induction heating. However, below a certain threshold of void contents, there was no observable effect on the lap shear strengths as well as on hydrothermal aging resistance of the joints consolidated by the induction heating process.

Keywords: adhesive, aluminium, convection oven, induction heating, mechanical properties, nylon6 (PA6), pretreatment, void

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3607 A Dynamic Model for Assessing the Advanced Glycation End Product Formation in Diabetes

Authors: Victor Arokia Doss, Kuberapandian Dharaniyambigai, K. Julia Rose Mary

Abstract:

Advanced Glycation End (AGE) products are the end products due to the reaction between excess reducing sugar present in diabetes and free amino group in protein lipids and nucleic acids. Thus, non-enzymic glycation of molecules such as hemoglobin, collagen, and other structurally and functionally important proteins add to the pathogenic complications such as diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, vascular changes, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and chronic heart failure. The most common non-cross linking AGE, carboxymethyl lysine (CML) is formed by the oxidative breakdown of fructosyllysine, which is a product of glucose and lysine. CML is formed in a wide variety of tissues and is an index to assess the extent of glycoxidative damage. Thus we have constructed a mathematical and computational model that predicts the effect of temperature differences in vivo, on the formation of CML, which is now being considered as an important intracellular milieu. This hybrid model that had been tested for its parameter fitting and its sensitivity with available experimental data paves the way for designing novel laboratory experiments that would throw more light on the pathological formation of AGE adducts and in the pathophysiology of diabetic complications.

Keywords: advanced glycation end-products, CML, mathematical model, computational model

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3606 An Experimental Study of the Influence of Flow Rate on Formation Damage at Different pH

Authors: Khabat M. Ahmad

Abstract:

This experiment focuses on the reduction of permeability (formation damage) as a result of fines migration by changing pH and flow rate on core plugs selected from sandstone reservoir of Pannonian basin (Upper Miocene, East Hungary). The main objective of coreflooding experiments was to investigate the influence of both high and low pH fluids and the flow rate on stability of clay minerals. The selected core samples were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) for bulk mineralogical and clay mineral composition. The shape, position, distribution and type of clay minerals within the core samples were diagnosed by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM- EDS). The basic petrophysical properties such as porosity and initial permeability were determined prior to experiments. The special core analysis (influence of pH and flow rate) on permeability reduction was examined through a series of laboratory coreflooding experiments, testing for acidic (3) and alkaline (11) solutions at different flow rates (50, 100 and 200 ml/h). Permeability in continuously reduced for pH 11 to more than 50 % of initial permeability. However, at pH 3 after a slow decrease, a significant increase is observed, to more than 40 % of initial permeability. The variation is also influenced by flow rate.

Keywords: flow rate, pH, permeability, fine migration, formation damage, XRD, SEM- EDS

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3605 Electrochemical Regeneration of GIC Adsorbent in a Continuous Electrochemical Reactor

Authors: S. N. Hussain, H. M. A. Asghar, H. Sattar, E. P. L. Roberts

Abstract:

Arvia™ introduced a novel technology consisting of adsorption followed by electrochemical regeneration with a graphite intercalation compound adsorbent that takes place in a single unit. The adsorbed species may lead to the formation of intermediate by-products products due to incomplete mineralization during electrochemical regeneration. Therefore, the investigation of breakdown products due to incomplete oxidation is of great concern regarding the commercial applications of this process. In the present paper, the formation of the chlorinated breakdown products during continuous process of adsorption and electrochemical regeneration based on a graphite intercalation compound adsorbent has been investigated.

Keywords: GIC, adsorption, electrochemical regeneration, chlorphenols

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3604 Changes in Global DNA Methylation and DNA Damage in Two Tumor Cell Lines Treated with Silver and Gold Nanoparticles

Authors: Marcin Kruszewski, Barbara Sochanowicz, Sylwia Męczyńska-Wielgosz, Maria Wojewódzka, Lucyna Kapka-Skrzypczak

Abstract:

Metallic NPs are widely used in a number of applications in industry, science and medicine. Among metallic NPs foreseen to be widely used in medicine are gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) due to their low toxicity, and silver NPs (AgNPs) due to their strong antimicrobial activity. In this study, we compared an effect of AgNPs and gold NPs (AuNPs) on the formation of DNA damage and global DNA methylation and in A2780 and 4T1 cell lines, widely used models of human ovarian carcinoma and murine mammary carcinoma, respectively. The cells were treated with AgNPs coated with citrate (AgNPs(cit) or PEG (AgNPs(PEG), or AuNPs. A global DNA methylation was investigated with ELISA, whereas the formation of DNA damage was investigated by a comet +/- FPG. AgNPs decreased global DNA methylation and increased the formation of DNA lesions in both cell lines. The effect was dependent on the type of NPs used, it's coating, and cell line used. In conclusion, the epigenetic and genotoxic effects of NPs strongly depends on NP nature and cellular context. Epigenetic changes observed upon the action of AgNPs may play a crucial role in NPs-induced changes in protein expression.

Keywords: DNA damage, gold nanoparticles, methylation, silver nanoparticles

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3603 A Phenomenological Expression for Self-Attractive Energy of Singlelayer Graphene Sheets

Authors: Bingjie Wu, C. Q. Ru

Abstract:

The present work studies several reasonably expected candidate integral forms for self-attractive potential energy of a free monolayer graphene sheet. The admissibility of a specific integral form for ripple formation is verified, while all others most of the candidate integral forms are rejected based on the non-existence of stable periodic ripples. Based on the selected integral form of self-attractive potential energy, some mechanical behavior, including ripple formation and buckling, of a free monolayer grapheme sheet are discussed in details

Keywords: graphene, monolayer, ripples, van der Waals energy

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3602 An Automatic Speech Recognition of Conversational Telephone Speech in Malay Language

Authors: M. Draman, S. Z. Muhamad Yassin, M. S. Alias, Z. Lambak, M. I. Zulkifli, S. N. Padhi, K. N. Baharim, F. Maskuriy, A. I. A. Rahim

Abstract:

The performance of Malay automatic speech recognition (ASR) system for the call centre environment is presented. The system utilizes Kaldi toolkit as the platform to the entire library and algorithm used in performing the ASR task. The acoustic model implemented in this system uses a deep neural network (DNN) method to model the acoustic signal and the standard (n-gram) model for language modelling. With 80 hours of training data from the call centre recordings, the ASR system can achieve 72% of accuracy that corresponds to 28% of word error rate (WER). The testing was done using 20 hours of audio data. Despite the implementation of DNN, the system shows a low accuracy owing to the varieties of noises, accent and dialect that typically occurs in Malaysian call centre environment. This significant variation of speakers is reflected by the large standard deviation of the average word error rate (WERav) (i.e., ~ 10%). It is observed that the lowest WER (13.8%) was obtained from recording sample with a standard Malay dialect (central Malaysia) of native speaker as compared to 49% of the sample with the highest WER that contains conversation of the speaker that uses non-standard Malay dialect.

Keywords: conversational speech recognition, deep neural network, Malay language, speech recognition

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3601 Preparation of 1D Nano-Polyaniline/Dendritic Silver Composites

Authors: Wen-Bin Liau, Wan-Ting Wang, Chiang-Jen Hsiao, Sheng-Mao Tseng

Abstract:

In this paper, an interesting and easy method to prepare one-dimensional nanostructured polyaniline/dendritic silver composites is reported. It is well known that the morphology of metal particle is a very important factor to influence the properties of polymer-metal composites. Usually, the dendritic silver is prepared by kinetic control in reduction reaction. It is not a thermodynamically stable structure. It is the goal to reduce silver ion to dendritic silver by polyaniline polymer via kinetic control and form one-dimensional nanostructured polyaniline/dendritic silver composites. The preparation is a two steps sequential reaction. First step, the polyaniline networks composed of nano fibrillar polyaniline are synthesized from aniline monomers aqueous with ammonium persulfate as the initiator at room temperature. In second step, the silver nitrate is added into polyaniline networks dispersed in deionized water. The dendritic silver is formed via reduction by polyaniline networks under the kinetic control. The formation of polyaniline is discussed via transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Nanosheets, nanotubes, nanospheres, nanosticks, and networks are observed via TEM. Then, the mechanism of formation of one-dimensional nanostructured polyaniline/dendritic silver composites is discussed. The formation of dendritic silver is observed by TEM and X-ray diffraction.

Keywords: 1D nanostructured polyaniline, dendritic silver, synthesis

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3600 A Study in the Formation of a Term: Sahaba

Authors: Abdul Rahman Chamseddine

Abstract:

The Companions of the Prophet Muhammad, the Sahaba, are regarded as the first link between him and later believers who did not know him or learn from him directly. This makes the Sahaba a link in the chain between God and the ummah (community). Apart from their role in spreading the Prophet’s teachings, they came to be regarded as role models, representing the Islamic ideal of life as prescribed by the Prophet himself. According to Hadith, the Prophet had promised some Sahaba unqualified admission to paradise. It is commonly agreed that the Sahaba have the following attributes in common: God is well pleased with them; they will surely go to paradise; they are perfectly trustworthy; and they are the authorities from whom Muslims can learn all matters related to their religion. No other generation of Muslims has received the attention received by the Companions of the Prophet. In spite of the importance of the Sahaba in Islam, we still know comparatively little about them. There are at least two reasons for this. First, there is the overall scarcity of information surviving from the early period. At the death of the Prophet, it is said, there were more than 100,000 Companions. As we shall see, this is a complex issue, involving the definition of the term Sahaba. However, only few Companions of the Prophet are known to us. Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani, who wrote in the fifteenth century A.D., was only able to collect facts about 11,000 of them (including those whose status as Sahaba was disputed). Ibn Sa‘d, Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr and Ibn al-Athir, all of whom lived earlier than Ibn Hajar, included in their respective works fewer lives of Sahaba than he did. If we consider Ibn Hajar’s Isaba as the most complete biographical account of the Sahaba that remains available, we have information, presumably, on approximately one tenth of them. The remaining nine tenths are apparently lost from the historical record. Second, discussion of the Sahaba tends to focus on those considered the most important among them such as ‘Uthman, ‘Ali and Mu‘awiya, while others, who together number in the thousands, are less well-known. This paper will try to study the origins of the term Sahaba that became exclusive to the Companions of the Prophet and not a synonym of the word companions in general.

Keywords: companions, Hadith, Islamic history, Muhammad, Sahaba, transmission

Procedia PDF Downloads 387