Abstract: The heavy metal pollution of the soils around the mining area near Shamlugh town and related risks to human health were assessed. The investigations showed that the soils were polluted with heavy metals that can be ranked by anthropogenic pollution degree as follows: Cu>Pb>As>Co>Ni>Zn. The main sources of the anthropogenic metal pollution of the soils were the copper mining area near Shamlugh town, the Chochkan tailings storage facility and the trucks transferring ore from the mining area. Copper pollution degree in some observation sites was unallowable for agricultural production. The total non-carcinogenic chronic hazard index (THI) values in some places, including observation sites in Shamlugh town, were above the safe level (THI
Abstract: This study addresses a concept of the Sustainable Building Environmental Model (SBEM) developed to optimize energy consumption in air conditioning and ventilation (ACV) systems without any deterioration of indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The SBEM incorporates two main components: an adaptive comfort temperature control module (ACT) and a new carbon dioxide demand control module (nDCV). These two modules take an innovative approach to maintain satisfaction of the Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) with optimum energy consumption; they provide a rational basis of effective control. A total of 2133 sets of measurement data of indoor air temperature (Ta), relative humidity (Rh) and carbon dioxide concentration (CO2) were conducted in some Hong Kong offices to investigate the potential of integrating the SBEM. A simulation was used to evaluate the dynamic performance of the energy and air conditioning system with the integration of the SBEM in an air-conditioned building. It allows us make a clear picture of the control strategies and performed any pre-tuned of controllers before utilized in real systems. With the integration of SBEM, it was able to save up to 12.3% in simulation of overall electricity consumption, and maintain the average carbon dioxide concentration within 1000ppm and occupant dissatisfaction in 20%.
Abstract: Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline drug used to treat many cancer diseases. Similarly to other cytostatic drugs, DOX has serious side effects; the biggest obstacle is the cardiotoxicity. With the aim of lowering the negative side effects and to target the DOX into the tumor tissue, the different nanoparticles (NPs) are studied. The aim of this work was to synthetized different NPs and conjugated them with DOX and determine the binding capacity of the NPs. For this experiment, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene oxide (GO), fullerene (FUL) and liposomes (LIP) were used. The highest binding capacity was observed in GO (85%). Subsequently the toxicity of NPs and NPs-DOX conjugates was analyzed in in vivo system (chicken embryos). Some NPs (GO) can increase the toxicity of DOX, whereas other NPs (LIP, CNTs) decrease DOX toxicity.
Abstract: Surf is an increasingly popular sport and its performance evaluation is often qualitative. This work aims at using a smartphone to collect and analyze the GPS and inertial sensors data in order to obtain quantitative metrics of the surfing performance. Two approaches are compared for detection of wave rides, computing the number of waves rode in a surfing session, the starting time of each wave and its duration. The first approach is based on computing the velocity from the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal and finding the velocity thresholds that allow identifying the start and end of each wave ride. The second approach adds information from the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) of the smartphone, to the velocity thresholds obtained from the GPS unit, to determine the start and end of each wave ride. The two methods were evaluated using GPS and IMU data from two surfing sessions and validated with similar metrics extracted from video data collected from the beach. The second method, combining GPS and IMU data, was found to be more accurate in determining the number of waves, start time and duration. This paper shows that it is feasible to use smartphones for quantification of performance metrics during surfing. In particular, detection of the waves rode and their duration can be accurately determined using the smartphone GPS and IMU.
Abstract: Knowledge of bone mechanical properties is important
for bone substitutes design and fabrication, and more efficient
prostheses development. The aim of this study is to characterize the
viscoelastic behavior of bone specimens, through stress relaxation
and fatigue tests performed to trabecular bone samples from bovine
femoral heads. Relaxation tests consisted on preloading the samples
at five different magnitudes and evaluate them for 1020 seconds,
adjusting the results to a KWW mathematical model. Fatigue tests
consisted of 700 load cycles and analyze their status at the end of the
tests. As a conclusion we have that between relaxation stress and
each preload there is linear relation and for samples with initial
Young´s modulus greater than 1.5 GPa showed no effects due fatigue
test loading cycles.
Abstract: In the immunologic sense, clinical infection is a state
of failure of the immune system to combat the pathogenic weapon of
the bacteria invading the host. A motile gram negative vibroid
organism associated with marked mono and poly nuclear cell
responses was traced during the examination of a clinical material
from an infected common carp Cyprinus carpio. On primary plate
culture, growth was shown to be pure, dense population of an
Aeromonas-like colony morphotype. The pure isolate was found to
be; Aerobic, facultatively anaerobic, non-halophilic, grew at 0C, and
37C, oxidase positive utilizes glucose through fermentative pathway,
resist 0/129 and novobiocin, produces alanine and lysine
decarboxylases but non-producing ornithine dehydrolases. Tests for
the in vitro determinants of pathogenicity has shown to be; Betahaemolytic
onto blood agar, gelatinase, casienase and amylase
producer. Three in vivo determinants of pathogenicity were tested as,
the lethal dose fifty, the pathogenesis and pathogenicity. It was
evident that 0.1 milliliter of the causal bacterial cell suspension of a
density 1 x 107 CFU/ml injected intramuscularly into an average of
100gms fish toke five days incubation period, then at the day six
morbidity and mortality were initiated. LD50 was recorded at the day
12 post-infection. Use of an LD50 doses to study the pathogenicity,
reveals mononuclear and polynuclear cell responses, on examining
the stained direct films of the clinical materials from the
experimentally infected fish. Re-isolation tests confirm that the reisolant
is same. The course of the infection in natural case was shown
manifestation of; skin ulceration, haemorrhage and descaling. On
evisceration, the internal organs were shown; congestion in the
intestines, spleen and, air sacs. The induced infection showed a
milder form of these manifestations. The grading of the virulence of
this organism was virulent causing chronic course of infections as
indicated from the pathogenesis and pathogenicity studies. Thus the
infectious bacteria were consistent with Aeromonas hydrophila, and
the infection was chronic.
Abstract: This paper addresses a cutting edge method of
business demand forecasting, based on an empirical probability
function when the historical behavior of the data is random.
Additionally, it presents error determination based on the numerical
method technique ‘propagation of errors.’ The methodology was
conducted characterization and process diagnostics demand planning
as part of the production management, then new ways to predict its
value through techniques of probability and to calculate their mistake
investigated, it was tools used numerical methods. All this based on
the behavior of the data. This analysis was determined considering
the specific business circumstances of a company in the sector of
communications, located in the city of Bogota, Colombia. In
conclusion, using this application it was possible to obtain the
adequate stock of the products required by the company to provide its
services, helping the company reduce its service time, increase the
client satisfaction rate, reduce stock which has not been in rotation
for a long time, code its inventory, and plan reorder points for the
replenishment of stock.
Abstract: To ensure targeting of apoferritin nanocarrier with
encapsulated doxorubicin drug, we used a peptide linker based on a
protein G with N-terminus affinity towards Fc region of antibodies.
To connect the peptide to the surface of apoferritin, the C-terminus of
peptide was made of cysteine with affinity to gold. The surface of
apoferritin with encapsulated doxorubicin (APODOX) was coated
either with gold nanoparticles (APODOX-Nano) or gold(III) chloride
hydrate reduced with sodium borohydride (APODOX-HAu). The
reduction with sodium borohydride caused a loss of doxorubicin
fluorescent properties and probably accompanied with the loss of its
biological activity. Fluorescent properties of APODOX-Nano were
similar to the unmodified APODOX; therefore it was more suited for
the intended use. To evaluate the specificity of apoferritin modified
with antibodies, ELISA-like method was used with the surface of
microtitration plate wells coated by the antigen (goat anti-human IgG
antibodies). To these wells, the nanocarrier was applied. APODOX
without the modification showed 5× lower affinity to the antigen than
APODOX-Nano modified gold and targeting antibodies (human IgG
antibodies).
Abstract: To mitigate the urban heat island effect has become a
global issue when we are faced with the challenge of climate change.
Through literature review, plant photosynthesis can reduce the carbon
dioxide and mitigate the urban heat island effect to a degree. Because
there are not enough open space and parks, green roof has become an
important policy in Taiwan.
We selected elementary school buildings in northern New Taipei
City as research subjects since elementary schools are asked with
priority to build green roof and important educational place to promote
green roof concept. Testo175-H1 recording device was used to record
the temperature and humidity differences between roof surface and
interior space below roof with and without green roof in the long-term.
We also use questionnaires to investigate the awareness of comfort
level of green roof and sensation of teachers and students of the
elementary schools.
The results indicated that the temperature of roof without greening
was higher than that with greening by about 2°C. But sometimes
during noontime, the temperature of green roof was higher than that of
non-green roof probably because of the character of the accumulation
and dissipation of heat of greening. The temperature of the interior
space below green roof was normally lower than that without green
roof by about 1°C, showing that green roof could lower the
temperature. The humidity of the green roof was higher than the one
without greening also indicated that green roof retained water better.
Teachers liked to combine green roof concept in the curriculum,
and students wished all classes can take turns to maintain the green
roof. Teachers and students whose school had integrated green roof
concept in the curriculum were more willing to participate in the
maintenance work of green roof. Teachers and students who may have
access to and touch the green roof can be more aware of the green roof
benefit. We suggest architects to increase the accessibility and
visibility of green roof, such as use it as a part of the activity space.
This idea can be a reference to the green roof curriculum design.
Abstract: In a practical power system, the power plants are not
located at the same distance from the center of loads and their fuel
costs are different. Also, under normal operating conditions, the
generation capacity is more than the total load demand and losses.
Thus, there are many options for scheduling generation. In an
interconnected power system, the objective is to find the real and
reactive power scheduling of each power plant in such a way as to
minimize the operating cost. This means that the generator’s real and
reactive powers are allowed to vary within certain limits so as to meet
a particular load demand with minimum fuel cost. This is called
optimal power flow problem. In this paper, Economic Load Dispatch
(ELD) of real power generation is considered. Economic Load
Dispatch (ELD) is the scheduling of generators to minimize total
operating cost of generator units subjected to equality constraint of
power balance within the minimum and maximum operating limits of
the generating units. In this paper, genetic algorithms are considered.
ELD solutions are found by solving the conventional load flow
equations while at the same time minimizing the fuel costs.
Abstract: Authenticity in advertising is the cornerstone of
modern marketing. Despite research advances related to the role of
authenticity in marketing, it remains unclear why customers respond to
authentic brand stories. The results show that different personality
traits will moderate the influence of different authenticity on the levels
of emotion. Whether indexically authentic or iconically authentic
advertisements were shown to extroverts, open people and agreeable
people, they will evoke more positive emotions. When neurotic people
and conscientious people see the iconically authentic advertising
rather than the indexically authentic advertising, they will produce
more negative emotions. In addition, the emotion evoked by
advertising had significant positive impact on brand attitude evoked by
advertising had significant negative impact on brand attitude. These
findings provide some managerial implications and directions for
further research.
Abstract: Cooperative spectrum sensing is a crucial challenge in
cognitive radio networks. Cooperative sensing can increase the
reliability of spectrum hole detection, optimize sensing time and
reduce delay in cooperative networks. In this paper, an efficient
central capacity optimization algorithm is proposed to minimize
cooperative sensing time in a homogenous sensor network using OR
decision rule subject to the detection and false alarm probabilities
constraints. The evaluation results reveal significant improvement in
the sensing time and normalized capacity of the cognitive sensors.
Abstract: Roles of the vegetation to mitigate the erosion of the
stream bed or to facilitate the deposition of the fine sediments by the
species of the aquatic plants were presented. Field investigation on the
estimation of the change of the bed level and the estimation of the flow
characteristics were performed. The results showed that Phragmites
japonica has the mitigation function of 0.3m-0.4m of the erosion in the
range of higher than 1.0m/s of flow velocity at the vegetated region.
Phragmites communis has the mitigation function of 0.2m-0.3m of the
erosion in the range of higher than 0.7m/s of flow velocity at the
vegetated region. Salix gracilistyla has greater role than Phragmites
japonica and Phragmites communis to sustain the stable channel. It
has the mitigation function of 0.4m-0.5m of the erosion in the range of
higher than 1.4m/s of flow velocity. Miscanthus sacchariflorus has a
weak role compared with that of Phragmites japonica and Salix
gracilistyla, but it has still function for sustaining the stable bed. From
these results, the vegetation has effective roles to mitigate the erosion
or to facilitate the deposition of the stream bed.
Abstract: On the basis of the theory of nonlinear elasticity, the
effect of homogeneous stress on the propagation of Lamb waves in
an initially isotropic hyperelastic plate is analysed. The equations
governing the propagation of small amplitude waves in the prestressed
plate are derived using the theory of small deformations
superimposed on large deformations. By enforcing traction free
boundary conditions at the upper and lower surfaces of the plate,
acoustoelastic dispersion equations for Lamb wave propagation are
obtained, which are solved numerically. Results are given for an
aluminum plate subjected to a range of applied stresses.
Abstract: Advanced treatments such as forward osmosis (FO)
can be used to separate or reject nutrients from secondary treated
effluents. Forward osmosis uses the chemical potential across the
membrane, which is the osmotic pressure gradient, to induce water to
flow through the membrane from a feed solution (FS) into a draw
solution (DS). The performance of FO is affected by the membrane
characteristics, composition of the FS and DS, and operating
conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the optimum
velocity and temperature for nutrient rejection and water flux
performance in FO treatments. MgCl2 was used as the DS in the FO
process. The results showed that higher cross flow velocities yielded
higher water fluxes. High rejection of nutrients was achieved by using
a moderate cross flow velocity at 0.25 m/s. Nutrient rejection was
insensitive to temperature variation, whereas water flux was
significantly impacted by it. A temperature of 25°C was found to be
good for nutrient rejection.
Abstract: Phthalates are ubiquitous environmental pollutants
well known because of their endocrine disrupting activity in human
organism. The aim of our study was, by biological monitoring,
investigate exposure to phthalates of Roma ethnicity group i.e.
children and adults from 5 families (n=29, average age 11.8 ± 7.6
years) living in western Slovakia. Additionally, we analysed some
associations between anthropometric measures, questionnaire data
i.e. socio-economic status, eating and drinking habits, practise of
personal care products and household conditions in comparison with
concentrations of phthalate metabolites. We used for analysis of urine
samples high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass
spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) to determine concentrations of
phthalate metabolites monoethyl phthalate (MEP), mono-n-butyl
phthalate (MnBP), mono-iso-butyl phthalate (MiBP), mono(2-ethyl-
5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (5OH-MEHP), mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl)
phthalate (5oxo-MEHP) and mono(2-etylhexyl) phthalate (MEHP).
Our results indicate that ethnicity, lower socioeconomic status and
different housing conditions in Roma population can affect urinary
concentration of phthalate metabolites.
Abstract: To understand the friction stir welding process, it is
very important to know the nature of the material flow in and around
the tool. The process is a combination of both thermal as well as
mechanical work i.e. it is a coupled thermo-mechanical process.
Numerical simulations are very much essential in order to obtain a
complete knowledge of the process as well as the physics underlying
it. In the present work a model based approach is adopted in order to
study material flow. A thermo-mechanical based CFD model is
developed using a Finite Element package, Comsol Multiphysics.
The fluid flow analysis is done. The model simultaneously predicts
shear strain fields, shear strain rates and shear stress over the entire
workpiece for the given conditions. The flow fields generated by the
streamline plot give an idea of the material flow. The variation of
dynamic viscosity, velocity field and shear strain fields with various
welding parameters is studied. Finally the result obtained from the
above mentioned conditions is discussed elaborately and concluded.
Abstract: This paper analyses the heat transfer performance and
fluid flow using different nanofluids in a square enclosure. The
energy equation and Navier-Stokes equation are solved numerically
using finite volume scheme. The effect of volume fraction
concentration on the enhancement of heat transfer has been studied
icorporating the Brownian motion; the influence of effective thermal
conductivity on the enhancement was also investigated for a range of
volume fraction concentration. The velocity profile for different
Rayleigh number. Water-Cu, water AL2O3 and water-TiO2 were
tested.
Abstract: This work studied the isomerization of 1-butene over
hydrotalcite catalyst. The experiments were conducted at various gas
hourly space velocity (GHSV), reaction temperature and feed
concentration. No catalyst deactivation was observed over the
reaction time of 16 hours. Two major reaction products were trans-2-
butene and cis-2-butene. The reaction temperature played an
important role on the reaction selectivity. At high operating
temperatures, the selectivity of trans-2-butene was higher than the
selectivity of cis-2-butene while it was opposite at lower reaction
temperature. In the range of operating condition, the maximum
conversion of 1-butene was found at 74% when T = 673 K and GHSV
= 4 m3/h/kg-cat with trans- and cis-2-butene selectivities of 54% and
46%, respectively. Finally, the kinetic parameters of the reaction
were determined.
Abstract: This study investigated the behavior of improved soft soils through the vibro replacement technique by considering their settlements and consolidation rates and the applicability of this technique in various types of soils and settlement and bearing capacity calculations.