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environmental assessment</title> <meta name="description" content="Search results for: strategic environmental assessment"> <meta name="keywords" content="strategic environmental assessment"> <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1, minimum-scale=1, maximum-scale=1, user-scalable=no"> <meta charset="utf-8"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" rel="shortcut icon"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/bootstrap-4.2.1/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/plugins/fontawesome/css/all.min.css" rel="stylesheet"> <link href="https://cdn.waset.org/static/css/site.css?v=150220211555" rel="stylesheet"> </head> <body> <header> <div class="container"> <nav class="navbar navbar-expand-lg navbar-light"> <a class="navbar-brand" href="https://waset.org"> <img src="https://cdn.waset.org/static/images/wasetc.png" alt="Open Science Research Excellence" title="Open Science Research Excellence" 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action="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search"> <div id="custom-search-input"> <div class="input-group"> <i class="fas fa-search"></i> <input type="text" class="search-query" name="q" placeholder="Author, Title, Abstract, Keywords" value="strategic environmental assessment"> <input type="submit" class="btn_search" value="Search"> </div> </div> </form> </div> </div> <div class="row mt-3"> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Commenced</strong> in January 2007</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Frequency:</strong> Monthly</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Edition:</strong> International</div> </div> </div> <div class="col-sm-3"> <div class="card"> <div class="card-body"><strong>Paper Count:</strong> 12857</div> </div> </div> </div> <h1 class="mt-3 mb-3 text-center" style="font-size:1.6rem;">Search results for: strategic environmental assessment</h1> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">47</span> A Basic Concept for Installing Cooling and Heating System Using Seawater Thermal Energy from the West Coast of Korea</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jun%20Byung%20Joon">Jun Byung Joon</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Seo%20Seok%20Hyun"> Seo Seok Hyun</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Lee%20Seo%20Young"> Lee Seo Young</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> As carbon dioxide emissions increase due to rapid industrialization and reckless development, abnormal climates such as floods and droughts are occurring. In order to respond to such climate change, the use of existing fossil fuels is reduced, and the proportion of eco-friendly renewable energy is gradually increasing. Korea is an energy resource-poor country that depends on imports for 93% of its total energy. As the global energy supply chain instability experienced due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis increases, countries around the world are resetting energy policies to minimize energy dependence and strengthen security. Seawater thermal energy is a renewable energy that replaces the existing air heat energy. It uses the characteristic of having a higher specific heat than air to cool and heat main spaces of buildings to increase heat transfer efficiency and minimize power consumption to generate electricity using fossil fuels, and Carbon dioxide emissions can be minimized. In addition, the effect on the marine environment is very small by using only the temperature characteristics of seawater in a limited way. K-water carried out a demonstration project of supplying cooling and heating energy to spaces such as the central control room and presentation room in the management building by acquiring the heat source of seawater circulated through the power plant's waterway by using the characteristics of the tidal power plant. Compared to the East Sea and the South Sea, the main system was designed in consideration of the large tidal difference, small temperature difference, and low-temperature characteristics, and its performance was verified through operation during the demonstration period. In addition, facility improvements were made for major deficiencies to strengthen monitoring functions, provide user convenience, and improve facility soundness. To spread these achievements, the basic concept was to expand the seawater heating and cooling system with a scale of 200 USRT at the Tidal Culture Center. With the operational experience of the demonstration system, it will be possible to establish an optimal seawater heat cooling and heating system suitable for the characteristics of the west coast ocean. Through this, it is possible to reduce operating costs by KRW 33,31 million per year compared to air heat, and through industry-university-research joint research, it is possible to localize major equipment and materials and develop key element technologies to revitalize the seawater heat business and to advance into overseas markets. The government's efforts are needed to expand the seawater heating and cooling system. Seawater thermal energy utilizes only the thermal energy of infinite seawater. Seawater thermal energy has less impact on the environment than river water thermal energy, except for environmental pollution factors such as bottom dredging, excavation, and sand or stone extraction. Therefore, it is necessary to increase the sense of speed in project promotion by innovatively simplifying unnecessary licensing/permission procedures. In addition, support should be provided to secure business feasibility by dramatically exempting the usage fee of public waters to actively encourage development in the private sector. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=seawater%20thermal%20energy" title="seawater thermal energy">seawater thermal energy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=marine%20energy" title=" marine energy"> marine energy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=tidal%20power%20plant" title=" tidal power plant"> tidal power plant</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=energy%20consumption" title=" energy consumption"> energy consumption</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/158545/a-basic-concept-for-installing-cooling-and-heating-system-using-seawater-thermal-energy-from-the-west-coast-of-korea" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/158545.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">102</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">46</span> Transport Hubs as Loci of Multi-Layer Ecosystems of Innovation: Case Study of Airports </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Carolyn%20Hatch">Carolyn Hatch</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Laurent%20Simon"> Laurent Simon</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Urban mobility and the transportation industry are undergoing a transformation, shifting from an auto production-consumption model that has dominated since the early 20th century towards new forms of personal and shared multi-modality [1]. This is shaped by key forces such as climate change, which has induced a shift in production and consumption patterns and efforts to decarbonize and improve transport services through, for instance, the integration of vehicle automation, electrification and mobility sharing [2]. Advanced innovation practices and platforms for experimentation and validation of new mobility products and services that are increasingly complex and multi-stakeholder-oriented are shaping this new world of mobility. Transportation hubs – such as airports - are emblematic of these disruptive forces playing out in the mobility industry. Airports are emerging as the core of innovation ecosystems on and around contemporary mobility issues, and increasingly recognized as complex public/private nodes operating in many societal dimensions [3,4]. These include urban development, sustainability transitions, digital experimentation, customer experience, infrastructure development and data exploitation (for instance, airports generate massive and often untapped data flows, with significant potential for use, commercialization and social benefit). Yet airport innovation practices have not been well documented in the innovation literature. This paper addresses this gap by proposing a model of airport innovation that aims to equip airport stakeholders to respond to these new and complex innovation needs in practice. The methodology involves: 1 – a literature review bringing together key research and theory on airport innovation management, open innovation and innovation ecosystems in order to evaluate airport practices through an innovation lens; 2 – an international benchmarking of leading airports and their innovation practices, including such examples as Aéroports de Paris, Schipol in Amsterdam, Changi in Singapore, and others; and 3 – semi-structured interviews with airport managers on key aspects of organizational practice, facilitated through a close partnership with the Airport Council International (ACI), a major stakeholder in this research project. Preliminary results find that the most successful airports are those that have shifted to a multi-stakeholder, platform ecosystem model of innovation. The recent entrance of new actors in airports (Google, Amazon, Accor, Vinci, Airbnb and others) have forced the opening of organizational boundaries to share and exchange knowledge with a broader set of ecosystem players. This has also led to new forms of governance and intermediation by airport actors to connect complex, highly distributed knowledge, along with new kinds of inter-organizational collaboration, co-creation and collective ideation processes. Leading airports in the case study have demonstrated a unique capacity to force traditionally siloed activities to “think together”, “explore together” and “act together”, to share data, contribute expertise and pioneer new governance approaches and collaborative practices. In so doing, they have successfully integrated these many disruptive change pathways and forced their implementation and coordination towards innovative mobility outcomes, with positive societal, environmental and economic impacts. This research has implications for: 1 - innovation theory, 2 - urban and transport policy, and 3 - organizational practice - within the mobility industry and across the economy. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=airport%20management" title="airport management">airport management</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=ecosystem" title=" ecosystem"> ecosystem</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=innovation" title=" innovation"> innovation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mobility" title=" mobility"> mobility</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=platform" title=" platform"> platform</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=transport%20hubs" title=" transport hubs"> transport hubs</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/137143/transport-hubs-as-loci-of-multi-layer-ecosystems-of-innovation-case-study-of-airports" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/137143.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">181</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">45</span> Charcoal Traditional Production in Portugal: Contribution to the Quantification of Air Pollutant Emissions</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=C%C3%A1tia%20Gon%C3%A7alves">Cátia Gonçalves</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Teresa%20Nunes"> Teresa Nunes</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=In%C3%AAs%20Pina"> Inês Pina</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ana%20Vicente"> Ana Vicente</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=C.%20Alves"> C. Alves</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Felix%20Charvet"> Felix Charvet</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Daniel%20Neves"> Daniel Neves</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=A.%20Matos"> A. Matos</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The production of charcoal relies on rudimentary technologies using traditional brick kilns. Charcoal is produced under pyrolysis conditions: breaking down the chemical structure of biomass under high temperature in the absence of air. The amount of the pyrolysis products (charcoal, pyroligneous extract, and flue gas) depends on various parameters, including temperature, time, pressure, kiln design, and wood characteristics like the moisture content. This activity is recognized for its inefficiency and high pollution levels, but it is poorly characterized. This activity is widely distributed and is a vital economic activity in certain regions of Portugal, playing a relevant role in the management of woody residues. The location of the units establishes the biomass used for charcoal production. The Portalegre district, in the Alto Alentejo region (Portugal), is a good example, essentially with rural characteristics, with a predominant farming, agricultural, and forestry profile, and with a significant charcoal production activity. In this district, a recent inventory identifies almost 50 charcoal production units, equivalent to more than 450 kilns, of which 80% appear to be in operation. A field campaign was designed with the objective of determining the composition of the emissions released during a charcoal production cycle. A total of 30 samples of particulate matter and 20 gas samples in Tedlar bags were collected. Particulate and gas samplings were performed in parallel, 2 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon, alternating the inlet heads (PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅), in the particulate sampler. The gas and particulate samples were collected in the plume as close as the emission chimney point. The biomass (dry basis) used in the carbonization process was a mixture of cork oak (77 wt.%), holm oak (7 wt.%), stumps (11 wt.%), and charred wood (5 wt.%) from previous carbonization processes. A cylindrical batch kiln (80 m³) with 4.5 m diameter and 5 m of height was used in this study. The composition of the gases was determined by gas chromatography, while the particulate samples (PM₁₀, PM₂.₅) were subjected to different analytical techniques (thermo-optical transmission technique, ion chromatography, HPAE-PAD, and GC-MS after solvent extraction) after prior gravimetric determination, to study their organic and inorganic constituents. The charcoal production cycle presents widely varying operating conditions, which will be reflected in the composition of gases and particles produced and emitted throughout the process. The concentration of PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅ in the plume was calculated, ranging between 0.003 and 0.293 g m⁻³, and 0.004 and 0.292 g m⁻³, respectively. Total carbon, inorganic ions, and sugars account, in average, for PM10 and PM₂.₅, 65 % and 56 %, 2.8 % and 2.3 %, 1.27 %, and 1.21 %, respectively. The organic fraction studied until now includes more than 30 aliphatic compounds and 20 PAHs. The emission factors of particulate matter to produce charcoal in the traditional kiln were 33 g/kg (wooddb) and 27 g/kg (wooddb) for PM₁₀ and PM₂.₅, respectively. With the data obtained in this study, it is possible to fill the lack of information about the environmental impact of the traditional charcoal production in Portugal. Acknowledgment: Authors thanks to FCT – Portuguese Science Foundation, I.P. and to Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal for financial support within the scope of the project CHARCLEAN (PCIF/GVB/0179/2017) and CESAM (UIDP/50017/2020 + UIDB/50017/2020). <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=brick%20kilns" title="brick kilns">brick kilns</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=charcoal" title=" charcoal"> charcoal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=emission%20factors" title=" emission factors"> emission factors</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=PAHs" title=" PAHs"> PAHs</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=total%20carbon" title=" total carbon"> total carbon</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/147814/charcoal-traditional-production-in-portugal-contribution-to-the-quantification-of-air-pollutant-emissions" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/147814.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">142</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">44</span> Expanded Polyurethane Foams and Waterborne-Polyurethanes from Vegetable Oils</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=A.Cifarelli">A.Cifarelli</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=L.%20Boggioni"> L. Boggioni</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=F.%20Bertini"> F. Bertini</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=L.%20Magon"> L. Magon</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=M.%20Pitalieri"> M. Pitalieri</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=S.%20Losio"> S. Losio</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Nowadays, the growing environmental awareness and the dwindling of fossil resources stimulate the polyurethane (PU) industry towards renewable polymers with low carbon footprint to replace the feed stocks from petroleum sources. The main challenge in this field consists in replacing high-performance products from fossil-fuel with novel synthetic polymers derived from 'green monomers'. The bio-polyols from plant oils have attracted significant industrial interest and major attention in scientific research due to their availability and biodegradability. Triglycerides rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as soybean oil (SBO) and linseed oil (ELO), are particularly interesting because their structures and functionalities are tunable by chemical modification in order to obtain polymeric materials with expected final properties. Unfortunately, their use is still limited for processing or performance problems because a high functionality, as well as OH number of the polyols will result in an increase in cross-linking densities of the resulting PUs. The main aim of this study is to evaluate soy and linseed-based polyols as precursors to prepare prepolymers for the production of polyurethane foams (PUFs) or waterborne-polyurethanes (WPU) used as coatings. An effective reaction route is employed for its simplicity and economic impact. Indeed, bio-polyols were synthesized by a two-step method: epoxidation of the double bonds in vegetable oils and solvent-free ring-opening reaction of the oxirane with organic acids. No organic solvents have been used. Acids with different moieties (aliphatic or aromatics) and different length of hydrocarbon backbones can be used to customize polyols with different functionalities. The ring-opening reaction requires a fine tuning of the experimental conditions (time, temperature, molar ratio of carboxylic acid and epoxy group) to control the acidity value of end-product as well as the amount of residual starting materials. Besides, a Lewis base catalyst is used to favor the ring opening reaction of internal epoxy groups of the epoxidized oil and minimize the formation of cross-linked structures in order to achieve less viscous and more processable polyols with narrower polydispersity indices (molecular weight lower than 2000 g/mol⁻¹). The functionality of optimized polyols is tuned from 2 to 4 per molecule. The obtained polyols are characterized by means of GPC, NMR (¹H, ¹³C) and FT-IR spectroscopy to evaluate molecular masses, molecular mass distributions, microstructures and linkage pathways. Several polyurethane foams have been prepared by prepolymer method blending conventional synthetic polyols with new bio-polyols from soybean and linseed oils without using organic solvents. The compatibility of such bio-polyols with commercial polyols and diisocyanates is demonstrated. The influence of the bio-polyols on the foam morphology (cellular structure, interconnectivity), density, mechanical and thermal properties has been studied. Moreover, bio-based WPUs have been synthesized by well-established processing technology. In this synthesis, a portion of commercial polyols is substituted by the new bio-polyols and the properties of the coatings on leather substrates have been evaluated to determine coating hardness, abrasion resistance, impact resistance, gloss, chemical resistance, flammability, durability, and adhesive strength. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=bio-polyols" title="bio-polyols">bio-polyols</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=polyurethane%20foams" title=" polyurethane foams"> polyurethane foams</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=solvent%20free%20synthesis" title=" solvent free synthesis"> solvent free synthesis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=waterborne-polyurethanes" title=" waterborne-polyurethanes"> waterborne-polyurethanes</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/124919/expanded-polyurethane-foams-and-waterborne-polyurethanes-from-vegetable-oils" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/124919.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">129</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">43</span> WASH Governance Opportunity for Inspiring Innovation and a Circular Economy in Karnali Province of Nepal</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Nirajan%20Shrestha">Nirajan Shrestha</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Karnali is one of the most vulnerable provinces in Nepal, facing challenges from climate change, poverty, and natural calamities across different regions. In recent years, the province has been severely impacted by climate change stress such as temperature rises in glacier lake of mountainous region and spring source water shortages, particularly in hilly areas where settlements are located, and water sources have depleted from their original ground levels. As a result, Karnali could face a future without enough water for all. Deep causes of sustainable safe water supply have always been neglected in rural areas of Nepal, and communities are unfairly burdened with a challenge of keeping water facilities functioning in areas affected by frequent natural disasters where there is a substantial, well-documented funding gap between the revenues from user payments and the full cost of sustained services. The key importance of a permanent system to support communities in service delivery has been always underrated so far. The complexity of water service sustainability as a topic should be simplified to one clear indicator: the functionality rate, which can be expressed as uptime or the percentage of time that the service is delivered over the total time. For example, a functionality rate of 80% means that the water service is operational 80% of the time, while 20% of the time the system is not functioning. This represents 0.2 multiplied by 365, which equals 73 days every year, or roughly two and a half months without water. This percentage should be widely understood and used in Karnali. All local governments should report their targets and performance in improving it, and there should be a broader discussion about what target is acceptable and what can be realistically achieved. In response to these challenges, the Sustainable WASH for All (SUSWA) project has introduced innovative models and policy formulation strategies in various working local government. SUSWA’s approach, which delegates rural water supply and sanitation responsibilities to local governments, has been instrumental in addressing these issues. To keep pace with the growing demand, the province has adopted a service support center model, linking local governments with federal authorities to ensure effective service delivery to the communities By enhancing WASH governance through local governments engagement, capacity building and inclusive WASH policy frameworks, there is potential to address WASH gaps while fostering a circular economy. This strategy emphasizes resource recovery, waste minimization and the creation of local employment generation opportunities. The research highlights key governance mechanisms, innovative practices and policy interventions that can be scaled up across other regions. It also provides recommendations on how to leverage Karnali’s unique socio-economic and environmental context nature-based solutions to inspire innovation and drive sustainable WASH solutions. Key findings suggest that with strong ownership and leadership of local governments, community engagement and appropriate technology, Karnali Province can become a model for integrating WASH governance with circular economy concept, providing broader lessons for other regions in Nepal. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=vulnerable%20provinces" title="vulnerable provinces">vulnerable provinces</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=natural%20calamities" title=" natural calamities"> natural calamities</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=climate%20change%20stres" title=" climate change stres"> climate change stres</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=spring%20source%20depletion" title=" spring source depletion"> spring source depletion</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=resources%20recovery" title=" resources recovery"> resources recovery</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=governance%20mechanisms" title=" governance mechanisms"> governance mechanisms</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=appropriate%20technology" title=" appropriate technology"> appropriate technology</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=community%20engagement" title=" community engagement"> community engagement</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=innovation" title=" innovation"> innovation</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/192226/wash-governance-opportunity-for-inspiring-innovation-and-a-circular-economy-in-karnali-province-of-nepal" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/192226.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">14</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">42</span> Point-of-Decision Design (PODD) to Support Healthy Behaviors in the College Campuses</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Michelle%20Eichinger">Michelle Eichinger</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Upali%20Nanda"> Upali Nanda</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Behavior choices during college years can establish the pattern of lifelong healthy living. Nearly 1/3rd of American college students are either overweight (25 < BMI < 30) or obese (BMI > 30). In addition, overweight/obesity contributes to depression, which is a rising epidemic among college students, affecting academic performance and college drop-out rates. Overweight and obesity result in an imbalance of energy consumption (diet) and energy expenditure (physical activity). Overweight/obesity is a significant contributor to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, physical disabilities and some cancers, which are the leading causes of death and disease in the US. There has been a significant increase in obesity and obesity-related disorders such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia among people in their teens and 20s. Historically, the evidence-based interventions for obesity prevention focused on changing the health behavior at the individual level and aimed at increasing awareness and educating people about nutrition and physical activity. However, it became evident that the environmental context of where people live, work and learn was interdependent to healthy behavior change. As a result, a comprehensive approach was required to include altering the social and built environment to support healthy living. College campus provides opportunities to support lifestyle behavior and form a health-promoting culture based on some key point of decisions such as stairs/ elevator, walk/ bike/ car, high-caloric and fast foods/balanced and nutrient-rich foods etc. At each point of decision, design, can help/hinder the healthier choice. For example, stair well design and motivational signage support physical activity; grocery store/market proximity influence healthy eating etc. There is a need to collate the vast information that is in planning and public health domains on a range of successful point of decision prompts, and translate it into architectural guidelines that help define the edge condition for critical point of decision prompts. This research study aims to address healthy behaviors through the built environment with the questions, how can we make the healthy choice an easy choice through the design of critical point of decision prompts? Our hypothesis is that well-designed point of decision prompts in the built environment of college campuses can promote healthier choices by students, which can directly impact mental and physical health related to obesity. This presentation will introduce a combined health and architectural framework aimed to influence healthy behaviors through design applied for college campuses. The premise behind developing our concept, point-of-decision design (PODD), is healthy decision-making can be built into, or afforded by our physical environments. Using effective design intervention strategies at these 'points-of-decision' on college campuses to make the healthy decision the default decision can be instrumental in positively impacting health at the population level. With our model, we aim to advance health research by utilizing point-of-decision design to impact student health via core sectors of influences within college settings, such as campus facilities and transportation. We will demonstrate how these domains influence patterns/trends in healthy eating and active living behaviors among students. how these domains influence patterns/trends in healthy eating and active living behaviors among students. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=architecture%20and%20health%20promotion" title="architecture and health promotion">architecture and health promotion</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=college%20campus" title=" college campus"> college campus</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=design%20strategies" title=" design strategies"> design strategies</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=health%20in%20built%20environment" title=" health in built environment"> health in built environment</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/54484/point-of-decision-design-podd-to-support-healthy-behaviors-in-the-college-campuses" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/54484.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">222</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">41</span> Gender Mainstreaming at the Institute of Technology Tribhuvan University Nepal: A Collaborative Approach to Architecture and Design Education</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Martina%20Maria%20Keitsch">Martina Maria Keitsch</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sangeeta%20Singh"> Sangeeta Singh</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> There has been a growing recognition that sustainable development needs to consider economic, social and environmental aspects including gender. In Nepal, the majority of the population lives in rural areas, and many households do not have access to electricity. In rural areas, the difficulty of accessing energy is becoming one of the greatest constraints for improving living conditions. This is particularly true for women and children, who spent much time for collecting firewood and cooking and thus are often deprived of time for education, political- and business activities. The poster introduces an education and research project financed by the Norwegian Government. The project runs from 2015-2020 and is a collaboration between the Norwegian University of Science (NTNU) and Technology Institute of Engineering (IOE), Tribhuvan University. It has the title Master program and Research in Energy for Sustainable Social Development Energy for Sustainable Social Development (MSESSD). The project addresses engineering and architecture students and comprises several integral activities towards gender mainstreaming. The following activities are conducted; 1. Creating academic opportunities, 2. Updating administrative personnel on strategies to effectively include gender issues, 3. Integrating female and male stakeholders in the design process, 4. Sensitizing female and male students for gender issues in energy systems. The project aims to enable students to design end-user-friendly solutions which can, for example, save time that can be used to generate and enhance income. Relating to gender mainstreaming, design concepts focus on smaller-scale technologies, which female stakeholders can take control of and manage themselves. Creating academic opportunities, we have a 30% female students’ rate in each master student batch in the program with the goal to educate qualified female personnel for academia and policy-making/government. This is a very ambitious target in a Nepalese context. The rate of female students, who completed the MSc program at IOE between 1998 and January 2015 is 10% out of 180 students in total. For recruiting, female students were contacted personally and encouraged to apply for the program. Further, we have established a Master course in gender mainstreaming and energy. On an administrative level, NTNU has hosted a training program for IOE on gender-mainstreaming information and -strategies for academic education. Integrating female and male stakeholders, local women groups such as, e.g., mothers group are actively included in research and education for example in planning, decision-making, and management to establish clean energy solutions. The project meets women’s needs not just practically by providing better technology, but also strategically by providing solutions that enhance their social and economic decision-making authority. Sensitizing the students for gender issues in energy systems, the project makes it mandatory to discuss gender mainstreaming based on the case studies in the Master thesis. All activities will be discussed in detail comprising an overview of MSESSD, the gender mainstreaming master course contents’, and case studies where energy solutions were co-designed with men and women as lead-users and/or entrepreneurs. The goal is to motivate educators to develop similar forms of transnational gender collaboration. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=knowledge%20generation%20on%20gender%20mainstreaming" title="knowledge generation on gender mainstreaming">knowledge generation on gender mainstreaming</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sensitizing%20students" title=" sensitizing students"> sensitizing students</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=stakeholder%20inclusion" title=" stakeholder inclusion"> stakeholder inclusion</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=education%20strategies%20for%20design%20and%20architecture%20in%20gender%20mainstreaming" title=" education strategies for design and architecture in gender mainstreaming"> education strategies for design and architecture in gender mainstreaming</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=facilitation%20for%20cooperation" title=" facilitation for cooperation "> facilitation for cooperation </a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/84057/gender-mainstreaming-at-the-institute-of-technology-tribhuvan-university-nepal-a-collaborative-approach-to-architecture-and-design-education" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/84057.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">123</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">40</span> Fe Modified Tin Oxide Thin Film Based Matrix for Reagentless Uric Acid Biosensing</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kashima%20Arora">Kashima Arora</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Monika%20Tomar"> Monika Tomar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Vinay%20Gupta"> Vinay Gupta</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Biosensors have found potential applications ranging from environmental testing and biowarfare agent detection to clinical testing, health care, and cell analysis. This is driven in part by the desire to decrease the cost of health care and to obtain precise information more quickly about the health status of patient by the development of various biosensors, which has become increasingly prevalent in clinical testing and point of care testing for a wide range of biological elements. Uric acid is an important byproduct in human body and a number of pathological disorders are related to its high concentration in human body. In past few years, rapid growth in the development of new materials and improvements in sensing techniques have led to the evolution of advanced biosensors. In this context, metal oxide thin film based matrices due to their bio compatible nature, strong adsorption ability, high isoelectric point (IEP) and abundance in nature have become the materials of choice for recent technological advances in biotechnology. In the past few years, wide band-gap metal oxide semiconductors including ZnO, SnO₂ and CeO₂ have gained much attention as a matrix for immobilization of various biomolecules. Tin oxide (SnO₂), wide band gap semiconductor (Eg =3.87 eV), despite having multifunctional properties for broad range of applications including transparent electronics, gas sensors, acoustic devices, UV photodetectors, etc., it has not been explored much for biosensing purpose. To realize a high performance miniaturized biomolecular electronic device, rf sputtering technique is considered to be the most promising for the reproducible growth of good quality thin films, controlled surface morphology and desired film crystallization with improved electron transfer property. Recently, iron oxide and its composites have been widely used as matrix for biosensing application which exploits the electron communication feature of Fe, for the detection of various analytes using urea, hemoglobin, glucose, phenol, L-lactate, H₂O₂, etc. However, to the authors’ knowledge, no work is being reported on modifying the electronic properties of SnO₂ by implanting with suitable metal (Fe) to induce the redox couple in it and utilizing it for reagentless detection of uric acid. In present study, Fe implanted SnO₂ based matrix has been utilized for reagentless uric acid biosensor. Implantation of Fe into SnO₂ matrix is confirmed by energy-dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis. Electrochemical techniques have been used to study the response characteristics of Fe modified SnO₂ matrix before and after uricase immobilization. The developed uric acid biosensor exhibits a high sensitivity to about 0.21 mA/mM and a linear variation in current response over concentration range from 0.05 to 1.0 mM of uric acid besides high shelf life (~20 weeks). The Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameter (Km) is found to be relatively very low (0.23 mM), which indicates high affinity of the fabricated bioelectrode towards uric acid (analyte). Also, the presence of other interferents present in human serum has negligible effect on the performance of biosensor. Hence, obtained results highlight the importance of implanted Fe:SnO₂ thin film as an attractive matrix for realization of reagentless biosensors towards uric acid. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Fe%20implanted%20tin%20oxide" title="Fe implanted tin oxide">Fe implanted tin oxide</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=reagentless%20uric%20acid%20biosensor" title=" reagentless uric acid biosensor"> reagentless uric acid biosensor</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=rf%20sputtering" title=" rf sputtering"> rf sputtering</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=thin%20film" title=" thin film"> thin film</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/79005/fe-modified-tin-oxide-thin-film-based-matrix-for-reagentless-uric-acid-biosensing" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/79005.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">181</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">39</span> Evaluating Viability of Using South African Forestry Process Biomass Waste Mixtures as an Alternative Pyrolysis Feedstock in the Production of Bio Oil</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Thembelihle%20Portia%20Lubisi">Thembelihle Portia Lubisi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Malusi%20Ntandoyenkosi%20Mkhize"> Malusi Ntandoyenkosi Mkhize</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jonas%20Kalebe%20Johakimu"> Jonas Kalebe Johakimu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Fertilizers play an important role in maintaining the productivity and quality of plants. Inorganic fertilizers (containing nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) are largely used in South Africa as they are considered inexpensive and highly productive. When applied, a portion of the excess fertilizer will be retained in the soil, a portion enters water streams due to surface runoff or the irrigation system adopted. Excess nutrient from the fertilizers entering the water stream eventually results harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater systems, which not only disrupt wildlife but can also produce toxins harmful to humans. Use of agro-chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides has been associated with increased antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in humans as the plants are consumed by humans. This resistance of bacterial poses a threat as it prevents the Health sector from being able to treat infectious disease. Archaeological studies have found that pyrolysis liquids were already used in the time of the Neanderthal as a biocide and plant protection product. Pyrolysis is thermal degradation process of plant biomass or organic material under anaerobic conditions leading to production of char, bio-oils and syn gases. Bio-oil constituents can be categorized as water soluble (wood vinegar) and water insoluble fractions (tar and light oils). Wood vinegar (pyro-ligneous acid) is said to contain contains highly oxygenated compounds including acids, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, phenols, esters, furans, and other multifunctional compounds with various molecular weights and compositions depending on the biomass material derived from and pyrolysis operating conditions. Various researchers have found the wood vinegar to be efficient in the eradication of termites, effective in plant protection and plant growth, has antibacterial characteristics and was found effective in inhibiting the micro-organisms such as candida yeast, E-coli, etc. This study investigated characterisation of South African forestry product processing waste with intention of evaluating the potential of using the respective biomass waste as feedstock for boil oil production via pyrolysis process. Ability to use biomass waste materials in production of wood-vinegar has advantages that it does not only allows for reduction of environmental pollution and landfill requirement, but it also does not negatively affect food security. The biomass wastes investigated were from the popular tree types in KZN, which are, pine saw dust (PSD), pine bark (PB), eucalyptus saw dust (ESD) and eucalyptus bark (EB). Furthermore, the research investigates the possibility of mixing the different wastes with an aim to lessen the cost of raw material separation prior to feeding into pyrolysis process and mixing also increases the amount of biomass material available for beneficiation. A 50/50 mixture of PSD and ESD (EPSD) and mixture containing pine saw dust; eucalyptus saw dust, pine bark and eucalyptus bark (EPSDB). Characterisation of the biomass waste will look at analysis such as proximate (volatiles, ash, fixed carbon), ultimate (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, sulphur), high heating value, structural (cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin) and thermogravimetric analysis. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=characterisation" title="characterisation">characterisation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=biomass%20waste" title=" biomass waste"> biomass waste</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=saw%20dust" title=" saw dust"> saw dust</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=wood%20waste" title=" wood waste"> wood waste</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/173500/evaluating-viability-of-using-south-african-forestry-process-biomass-waste-mixtures-as-an-alternative-pyrolysis-feedstock-in-the-production-of-bio-oil" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/173500.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">68</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">38</span> Hydroinformatics of Smart Cities: Real-Time Water Quality Prediction Model Using a Hybrid Approach</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Elisa%20Coraggio">Elisa Coraggio</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Dawei%20Han"> Dawei Han</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Weiru%20Liu"> Weiru Liu</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Theo%20Tryfonas"> Theo Tryfonas</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Water is one of the most important resources for human society. The world is currently undergoing a wave of urban growth, and pollution problems are of a great impact. Monitoring water quality is a key task for the future of the environment and human species. In recent times, researchers, using Smart Cities technologies are trying to mitigate the problems generated by the population growth in urban areas. The availability of huge amounts of data collected by a pervasive urban IoT can increase the transparency of decision making. Several services have already been implemented in Smart Cities, but more and more services will be involved in the future. Water quality monitoring can successfully be implemented in the urban IoT. The combination of water quality sensors, cloud computing, smart city infrastructure, and IoT technology can lead to a bright future for environmental monitoring. In the past decades, lots of effort has been put on monitoring and predicting water quality using traditional approaches based on manual collection and laboratory-based analysis, which are slow and laborious. The present study proposes a methodology for implementing a water quality prediction model using artificial intelligence techniques and comparing the results obtained with different algorithms. Furthermore, a 3D numerical model will be created using the software D-Water Quality, and simulation results will be used as a training dataset for the artificial intelligence algorithm. This study derives the methodology and demonstrates its implementation based on information and data collected at the floating harbour in the city of Bristol (UK). The city of Bristol is blessed with the Bristol-Is-Open infrastructure that includes Wi-Fi network and virtual machines. It was also named the UK ’s smartest city in 2017.In recent times, researchers, using Smart Cities technologies are trying to mitigate the problems generated by the population growth in urban areas. The availability of huge amounts of data collected by a pervasive urban IoT can increase the transparency of decision making. Several services have already been implemented in Smart Cities, but more and more services will be involved in the future. Water quality monitoring can successfully be implemented in the urban IoT. The combination of water quality sensors, cloud computing, smart city infrastructure, and IoT technology can lead to a bright future for the environment monitoring. In the past decades, lots of effort has been put on monitoring and predicting water quality using traditional approaches based on manual collection and laboratory-based analysis, which are slow and laborious. The present study proposes a new methodology for implementing a water quality prediction model using artificial intelligence techniques and comparing the results obtained with different algorithms. Furthermore, a 3D numerical model will be created using the software D-Water Quality, and simulation results will be used as a training dataset for the Artificial Intelligence algorithm. This study derives the methodology and demonstrate its implementation based on information and data collected at the floating harbour in the city of Bristol (UK). The city of Bristol is blessed with the Bristol-Is-Open infrastructure that includes Wi-Fi network and virtual machines. It was also named the UK ’s smartest city in 2017. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=artificial%20intelligence" title="artificial intelligence">artificial intelligence</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=hydroinformatics" title=" hydroinformatics"> hydroinformatics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=numerical%20modelling" title=" numerical modelling"> numerical modelling</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=smart%20cities" title=" smart cities"> smart cities</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=water%20quality" title=" water quality"> water quality</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/105221/hydroinformatics-of-smart-cities-real-time-water-quality-prediction-model-using-a-hybrid-approach" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/105221.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">187</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">37</span> Discovering Causal Structure from Observations: The Relationships between Technophile Attitude, Users Value and Use Intention of Mobility Management Travel App </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Aliasghar%20Mehdizadeh%20Dastjerdi">Aliasghar Mehdizadeh Dastjerdi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Francisco%20Camara%20Pereira"> Francisco Camara Pereira</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The increasing complexity and demand of transport services strains transportation systems especially in urban areas with limited possibilities for building new infrastructure. The solution to this challenge requires changes of travel behavior. One of the proposed means to induce such change is multimodal travel apps. This paper describes a study of the intention to use a real-time multi-modal travel app aimed at motivating travel behavior change in the Greater Copenhagen Region (Denmark) toward promoting sustainable transport options. The proposed app is a multi-faceted smartphone app including both travel information and persuasive strategies such as health and environmental feedback, tailoring travel options, self-monitoring, tunneling users toward green behavior, social networking, nudging and gamification elements. The prospective for mobility management travel apps to stimulate sustainable mobility rests not only on the original and proper employment of the behavior change strategies, but also on explicitly anchoring it on established theoretical constructs from behavioral theories. The theoretical foundation is important because it positively and significantly influences the effectiveness of the system. However, there is a gap in current knowledge regarding the study of mobility-management travel app with support in behavioral theories, which should be explored further. This study addresses this gap by a social cognitive theory‐based examination. However, compare to conventional method in technology adoption research, this study adopts a reverse approach in which the associations between theoretical constructs are explored by Max-Min Hill-Climbing (MMHC) algorithm as a hybrid causal discovery method. A technology-use preference survey was designed to collect data. The survey elicited different groups of variables including (1) three groups of user’s motives for using the app including gain motives (e.g., saving travel time and cost), hedonic motives (e.g., enjoyment) and normative motives (e.g., less travel-related CO2 production), (2) technology-related self-concepts (i.e. technophile attitude) and (3) use Intention of the travel app. The questionnaire items led to the formulation of causal relationships discovery to learn the causal structure of the data. Causal relationships discovery from observational data is a critical challenge and it has applications in different research fields. The estimated causal structure shows that the two constructs of gain motives and technophilia have a causal effect on adoption intention. Likewise, there is a causal relationship from technophilia to both gain and hedonic motives. In line with the findings of the prior studies, it highlights the importance of functional value of the travel app as well as technology self-concept as two important variables for adoption intention. Furthermore, the results indicate the effect of technophile attitude on developing gain and hedonic motives. The causal structure shows hierarchical associations between the three groups of user’s motive. They can be explained by “frustration-regression” principle according to Alderfer's ERG (Existence, Relatedness and Growth) theory of needs meaning that a higher level need remains unfulfilled, a person may regress to lower level needs that appear easier to satisfy. To conclude, this study shows the capability of causal discovery methods to learn the causal structure of theoretical model, and accordingly interpret established associations. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=travel%20app" title="travel app">travel app</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=behavior%20change" title=" behavior change"> behavior change</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=persuasive%20technology" title=" persuasive technology"> persuasive technology</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=travel%20information" title=" travel information"> travel information</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=causality" title=" causality"> causality</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/103547/discovering-causal-structure-from-observations-the-relationships-between-technophile-attitude-users-value-and-use-intention-of-mobility-management-travel-app" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/103547.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">141</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">36</span> A Compact Standing-Wave Thermoacoustic Refrigerator Driven by a Rotary Drive Mechanism</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kareem%20Abdelwahed">Kareem Abdelwahed</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ahmed%20Salama"> Ahmed Salama</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ahmed%20Rabie"> Ahmed Rabie</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ahmed%20Hamdy"> Ahmed Hamdy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Waleed%20Abdelfattah"> Waleed Abdelfattah</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ahmed%20Abd%20El-Rahman"> Ahmed Abd El-Rahman</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Conventional vapor-compression refrigeration systems rely on typical refrigerants, such as CFC, HCFC and ammonia. Despite of their suitable thermodynamic properties and their stability in the atmosphere, their corresponding global warming potential and ozone depletion potential raise concerns about their usage. Thus, the need for new refrigeration systems, which are environment-friendly, inexpensive and simple in construction, has strongly motivated the development of thermoacoustic energy conversion systems. A thermoacoustic refrigerator (TAR) is a device that is mainly consisting of a resonator, a stack and two heat exchangers. Typically, the resonator is a long circular tube, made of copper or steel and filled with Helium as a the working gas, while the stack has short and relatively low thermal conductivity ceramic parallel plates aligned with the direction of the prevailing resonant wave. Typically, the resonator of a standing-wave refrigerator has one end closed and is bounded by the acoustic driver at the other end enabling the propagation of half-wavelength acoustic excitation. The hot and cold heat exchangers are made of copper to allow for efficient heat transfer between the working gas and the external heat source and sink respectively. TARs are interesting because they have no moving parts, unlike conventional refrigerators, and almost no environmental impact exists as they rely on the conversion of acoustic and heat energies. Their fabrication process is rather simpler and sizes span wide variety of length scales. The viscous and thermal interactions between the stack plates, heat exchangers' plates and the working gas significantly affect the flow field within the plates' channels, and the energy flux density at the plates' surfaces, respectively. Here, the design, the manufacture and the testing of a compact refrigeration system that is based on the thermoacoustic energy-conversion technology is reported. A 1-D linear acoustic model is carefully and specifically developed, which is followed by building the hardware and testing procedures. The system consists of two harmonically-oscillating pistons driven by a simple 1-HP rotary drive mechanism operating at a frequency of 42Hz -hereby, replacing typical expensive linear motors and loudspeakers-, and a thermoacoustic stack within which the energy conversion of sound into heat is taken place. Air at ambient conditions is used as the working gas while the amplitude of the driver's displacement reaches 19 mm. The 30-cm-long stack is a simple porous ceramic material having 100 square channels per square inch. During operation, both oscillating-gas pressure and solid-stack temperature are recorded for further analysis. Measurements show a maximum temperature difference of about 27 degrees between the stack hot and cold ends with a Carnot coefficient of performance of 11 and estimated cooling capacity of five Watts, when operating at ambient conditions. A dynamic pressure of 7-kPa-amplitude is recorded, yielding a drive ratio of 7% approximately, and found in a good agreement with theoretical prediction. The system behavior is clearly non-linear and significant non-linear loss mechanisms are evident. This work helps understanding the operation principles of thermoacoustic refrigerators and presents a keystone towards developing commercial thermoacoustic refrigerator units. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=refrigeration%20system" title="refrigeration system">refrigeration system</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=rotary%20drive%20mechanism" title=" rotary drive mechanism"> rotary drive mechanism</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=standing-wave" title=" standing-wave"> standing-wave</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=thermoacoustic%20refrigerator" title=" thermoacoustic refrigerator"> thermoacoustic refrigerator</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/60417/a-compact-standing-wave-thermoacoustic-refrigerator-driven-by-a-rotary-drive-mechanism" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/60417.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">368</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">35</span> Renewable Energy Micro-Grid Control Using Microcontroller in LabVIEW</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Meena%20Agrawal">Meena Agrawal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Chaitanya%20P.%20Agrawal"> Chaitanya P. Agrawal</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The power systems are transforming and becoming smarter with innovations in technologies to enable embark simultaneously upon the sustainable energy needs, rising environmental concerns, economic benefits and quality requirements. The advantages provided by inter-connection of renewable energy resources are becoming more viable and dependable with the smart controlling technologies. The limitation of most renewable resources have their diversity and intermittency causing problems in power quality, grid stability, reliability, security etc. is being cured by these efforts. A necessitate of optimal energy management by intelligent Micro-Grids at the distribution end of the power system has been accredited to accommodate sustainable renewable Distributed Energy Resources on large scale across the power grid. All over the world Smart Grids are emerging now as foremost concern infrastructure upgrade programs. The hardware setup includes NI cRIO 9022, Compact Reconfigurable Input Output microcontroller board connected to the PC on a LAN router with three hardware modules. The Real-Time Embedded Controller is reconfigurable controller device consisting of an embedded real-time processor controller for communication and processing, a reconfigurable chassis housing the user-programmable FPGA, Eight hot-swappable I/O modules, and graphical LabVIEW system design software. It has been employed for signal analysis, controls and acquisition and logging of the renewable sources with the LabVIEW Real-Time applications. The employed cRIO chassis controls the timing for the module and handles communication with the PC over the USB, Ethernet, or 802.11 Wi-Fi buses. It combines modular I/O, real-time processing, and NI LabVIEW programmable. In the presented setup, the Analog Input Module NI 9205 five channels have been used for input analog voltage signals from renewable energy sources and NI 9227 four channels have been used for input analog current signals of the renewable sources. For switching actions based on the programming logic developed in software, a module having Electromechanical Relays (single-pole single throw) with 4-Channels, electrically isolated and LED indicating the state of that channel have been used for isolating the renewable Sources on fault occurrence, which is decided by the logic in the program. The module for Ethernet based Data Acquisition Interface ENET 9163 Ethernet Carrier, which is connected on the LAN Router for data acquisition from a remote source over Ethernet also has the module NI 9229 installed. The LabVIEW platform has been employed for efficient data acquisition, monitoring and control. Control logic utilized in program for operation of the hardware switching Related to Fault Relays has been portrayed as a flowchart. A communication system has been successfully developed amongst the sources and loads connected on different computers using Hypertext transfer protocol, HTTP or Ethernet Local Stacked area Network TCP/IP protocol. There are two main I/O interfacing clients controlling the operation of the switching control of the renewable energy sources over internet or intranet. The paper presents experimental results of the briefed setup for intelligent control of the micro-grid for renewable energy sources, besides the control of Micro-Grid with data acquisition and control hardware based on a microcontroller with visual program developed in LabVIEW. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=data%20acquisition%20and%20control" title="data acquisition and control">data acquisition and control</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=LabVIEW" title=" LabVIEW"> LabVIEW</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=microcontroller%20cRIO" title=" microcontroller cRIO"> microcontroller cRIO</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Smart%20Micro-Grid" title=" Smart Micro-Grid"> Smart Micro-Grid</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/58537/renewable-energy-micro-grid-control-using-microcontroller-in-labview" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/58537.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">333</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">34</span> Project Management Practices and Operational Challenges in Conflict Areas: Case Study Kewot Woreda North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Rahel%20Birhane%20Eshetu">Rahel Birhane Eshetu</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> This research investigates the complex landscape of project management practices and operational challenges in conflict-affected areas, with a specific focus on Kewot Woreda in the North Shewa Zone of the Amhara region in Ethiopia. The study aims to identify essential project management methodologies, the significant operational hurdles faced, and the adaptive strategies employed by project managers in these challenging environments. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, the research combines qualitative and quantitative data collection. Initially, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to establish a theoretical framework. This was followed by the administration of questionnaires to gather empirical data, which was then analyzed using statistical software. This sequential approach ensures a robust understanding of the context and challenges faced by project managers. The findings reveal that project managers in conflict zones encounter a range of escalating challenges. Initially, they must contend with immediate security threats and the presence of displaced populations, which significantly disrupt project initiation and execution. As projects progress, additional challenges arise, including limited access to essential resources and environmental disruptions such as natural disasters. These factors exacerbate the operational difficulties that project managers must navigate. In response to these challenges, the study highlights the necessity for project managers to implement formal project plans while simultaneously adopting adaptive strategies that evolve over time. Key adaptive strategies identified include flexible risk management frameworks, change management practices, and enhanced stakeholder engagement approaches. These strategies are crucial for maintaining project momentum and ensuring that objectives are met despite the unpredictable nature of conflict environments. The research emphasizes that structured scope management, clear documentation, and thorough requirements analysis are vital components for effectively navigating the complexities inherent in conflict-affected regions. However, the ongoing threats and logistical barriers necessitate a continuous adjustment to project management methodologies. This adaptability is not only essential for the immediate success of projects but also for fostering long-term resilience within the community. Concluding, the study offers actionable recommendations aimed at improving project management practices in conflict zones. These include the adoption of adaptive frameworks specifically tailored to the unique conditions of conflict environments and targeted training for project managers. Such training should focus on equipping managers with the skills to better address the dynamic challenges presented by conflict situations. The insights gained from this research contribute significantly to the broader field of project management, providing a practical guide for practitioners operating in high-risk areas. By emphasizing sustainable and resilient project outcomes, this study underscores the importance of adaptive management strategies in ensuring the success of projects in conflict-affected regions. The findings serve not only to enhance the understanding of project management practices in Kewot Woreda but also to inform future research and practice in similar contexts, ultimately aiming to promote stability and development in areas beset by conflict. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=project%20management%20practices" title="project management practices">project management practices</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=operational%20challenges" title=" operational challenges"> operational challenges</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=conflict%20zones" title=" conflict zones"> conflict zones</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=adaptive%20strategies" title=" adaptive strategies"> adaptive strategies</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/193485/project-management-practices-and-operational-challenges-in-conflict-areas-case-study-kewot-woreda-north-shewa-zone-amhara-region-ethiopia" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/193485.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">15</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">33</span> Biocellulose as Platform for the Development of Multifunctional Materials</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Junkal%20Gutierrez">Junkal Gutierrez</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Hernane%20S.%20Barud"> Hernane S. Barud</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sidney%20J.%20L.%20Ribeiro"> Sidney J. L. Ribeiro</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Agnieszka%20Tercjak"> Agnieszka Tercjak</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Nowadays the interest on green nanocomposites and on the development of more environmental friendly products has been increased. Bacterial cellulose has been recently investigated as an attractive environmentally friendly material for the preparation of low-cost nanocomposites. The formation of cellulose by laboratory bacterial cultures is an interesting and attractive biomimetic access to obtain pure cellulose with excellent properties. Additionally, properties as molar mass, molar mass distribution, and the supramolecular structure could be control using different bacterial strain, culture mediums and conditions, including the incorporation of different additives. This kind of cellulose is a natural nanomaterial, and therefore, it has a high surface-to-volume ratio which is highly advantageous in composites production. Such property combined with good biocompatibility, high tensile strength, and high crystallinity makes bacterial cellulose a potential material for applications in different fields. The aim of this investigation work was the fabrication of novel hybrid inorganic-organic composites based on bacterial cellulose, cultivated in our laboratory, as a template. This kind of biohybrid nanocomposites gathers together excellent properties of bacterial cellulose with the ones displayed by typical inorganic nanoparticles like optical, magnetic and electrical properties, luminescence, ionic conductivity and selectivity, as well as chemical or biochemical activity. In addition, the functionalization of cellulose with inorganic materials opens new pathways for the fabrication of novel multifunctional hybrid materials with promising properties for a wide range of applications namely electronic paper, flexible displays, solar cells, sensors, among others. In this work, different pathways for fabrication of multifunctional biohybrid nanopapers with tunable properties based on BC modified with amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide-b-propylene oxide-b-ethylene oxide) (EPE) block copolymer, sol-gel synthesized nanoparticles (titanium, vanadium and a mixture of both oxides) and functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles will be presented. In situ (biosynthesized) and ex situ (at post-production level) approaches were successfully used to modify BC membranes. Bacterial cellulose based biocomposites modified with different EPE block copolymer contents were developed by in situ technique. Thus, BC growth conditions were manipulated to fabricate EPE/BC nanocomposite during the biosynthesis. Additionally, hybrid inorganic/organic nanocomposites based on BC membranes and inorganic nanoparticles were designed via ex-situ method, by immersion of never-dried BC membranes into different nanoparticle solutions. On the one hand, sol-gel synthesized nanoparticles (titanium, vanadium and a mixture of both oxides) and on the other hand superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION), Fe2O3-PEO solution. The morphology of designed novel bionanocomposites hybrid materials was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). In order to characterized obtained materials from the point of view of future applications different techniques were employed. On the one hand, optical properties were analyzed by UV-vis spectroscopy and spectrofluorimetry and on the other hand electrical properties were studied at nano and macroscale using electric force microscopy (EFM), tunneling atomic force microscopy (TUNA) and Keithley semiconductor analyzer, respectively. Magnetic properties were measured by means of magnetic force microscopy (MFM). Additionally, mechanical properties were also analyzed. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=bacterial%20cellulose" title="bacterial cellulose">bacterial cellulose</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=block%20copolymer" title=" block copolymer"> block copolymer</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=advanced%20characterization%20techniques" title=" advanced characterization techniques"> advanced characterization techniques</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=nanoparticles" title=" nanoparticles"> nanoparticles</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/56612/biocellulose-as-platform-for-the-development-of-multifunctional-materials" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/56612.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">229</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">32</span> Psoriasis Diagnostic Test Development: Exploratory Study</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Salam%20N.%20Abdo">Salam N. Abdo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Orien%20L.%20Tulp"> Orien L. Tulp</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=George%20P.%20Einstein"> George P. Einstein</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The purpose of this exploratory study was to gather the insights into psoriasis etiology, treatment, and patient experience, for developing psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis diagnostic test. Data collection methods consisted of a comprehensive meta-analysis of relevant studies and psoriasis patient survey. Established meta-analysis guidelines were used for the selection and qualitative comparative analysis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis research studies. Only studies that clearly discussed psoriasis etiology, treatment, and patient experience were reviewed and analyzed, to establish a qualitative data base for the study. Using the insights gained from meta-analysis, an existing psoriasis patient survey was modified and administered to collect additional data as well as triangulate the results. The hypothesis is that specific types of psoriatic disease have specific etiology and pathophysiologic pattern. The following etiology categories were identified: bacterial, environmental/microbial, genetic, immune, infectious, trauma/stress, and viral. Additional results, obtained from meta-analysis and confirmed by patient survey, were the common age of onset (early to mid-20s) and type of psoriasis (plaque; mild; symmetrical; scalp, chest, and extremities, specifically elbows and knees). Almost 70% of patients reported no prescription drug use due to severe side effects and prohibitive cost. These results will guide the development of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis diagnostic test. The significant number of medical publications classified psoriatic arthritis disease as inflammatory of an unknown etiology. Thus numerous meta-analyses struggle to report any meaningful conclusions since no definitive results have been reported to date. Therefore, return to the basics is an essential step to any future meaningful results. To date, medical literature supports the fact that psoriatic disease in its current classification could be misidentifying subcategories, which in turn hinders the success of studies conducted to date. Moreover, there has been an enormous commercial support to pursue various immune-modulation therapies, thus following a narrow hypothesis/mechanism of action that is yet to yield resolution of disease state. Recurrence and complications may be considered unacceptable in a significant number of these studies. The aim of the ongoing study is to focus on a narrow subgroup of patient population, as identified by this exploratory study via meta-analysis and patient survey, and conduct an exhaustive work up, aiming at mechanism of action and causality before proposing a cure or therapeutic modality. Remission in psoriasis has been achieved and documented in medical literature, such as immune-modulation, phototherapy, various over-the-counter agents, including salts and tar. However, there is no psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis diagnostic test to date, to guide the diagnosis and treatment of this debilitating and, thus far, incurable disease. Because psoriasis affects approximately 2% of population, the results of this study may affect the treatment and improve the quality of life of a significant number of psoriasis patients, potentially millions of patients in the United States alone and many more millions worldwide. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=biologics" title="biologics">biologics</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=early%20diagnosis" title=" early diagnosis"> early diagnosis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=etiology" title=" etiology"> etiology</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=immune%20disease" title=" immune disease"> immune disease</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=immune%20modulation%20therapy" title=" immune modulation therapy"> immune modulation therapy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=inflammation%20skin%20disorder" title=" inflammation skin disorder"> inflammation skin disorder</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=phototherapy" title=" phototherapy"> phototherapy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=plaque%20psoriasis" title=" plaque psoriasis"> plaque psoriasis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriasis" title=" psoriasis"> psoriasis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriasis%20classification" title=" psoriasis classification"> psoriasis classification</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriasis%20disease%20marker" title=" psoriasis disease marker"> psoriasis disease marker</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriasis%20diagnostic%20test" title=" psoriasis diagnostic test"> psoriasis diagnostic test</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriasis%20marker" title=" psoriasis marker"> psoriasis marker</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriasis%20mechanism%20of%20action" title=" psoriasis mechanism of action"> psoriasis mechanism of action</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriasis%20treatment" title=" psoriasis treatment"> psoriasis treatment</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriatic%20arthritis" title=" psoriatic arthritis"> psoriatic arthritis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriatic%20disease" title=" psoriatic disease"> psoriatic disease</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriatic%20disease%20marker" title=" psoriatic disease marker"> psoriatic disease marker</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriatic%20patient%20experience" title=" psoriatic patient experience"> psoriatic patient experience</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=psoriatic%20patient%20quality%20of%20life" title=" psoriatic patient quality of life"> psoriatic patient quality of life</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=remission" title=" remission"> remission</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=salt%20therapy" title=" salt therapy"> salt therapy</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=targeted%20immune%20therapy" title=" targeted immune therapy"> targeted immune therapy</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/105073/psoriasis-diagnostic-test-development-exploratory-study" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/105073.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">118</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">31</span> Organic Tuber Production Fosters Food Security and Soil Health: A Decade of Evidence from India</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=G.%20Suja">G. Suja</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=J.%20Sreekumar"> J. Sreekumar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=A.%20N.%20Jyothi"> A. N. Jyothi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=V.%20S.%20Santhosh%20Mithra"> V. S. Santhosh Mithra</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Worldwide concerns regarding food safety, environmental degradation and threats to human health have generated interest in alternative systems like organic farming. Tropical tuber crops, cassava, sweet potato, yams, and aroids are food-cum-nutritional security-cum climate resilient crops. These form stable or subsidiary food for about 500 million global population. Cassava, yams (white yam, greater yam, and lesser yam) and edible aroids (elephant foot yam, taro, and tannia) are high energy tuberous vegetables with good taste and nutritive value. Seven on-station field experiments at ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Thiruvananthapuram, India and seventeen on-farm trials in three districts of Kerala, were conducted over a decade (2004-2015) to compare the varietal response, yield, quality and soil properties under organic vs conventional system in these crops and to develop a learning system based on the data generated. The industrial, as well as domestic varieties of cassava, the elite and local varieties of elephant foot yam and taro and the three species of Dioscorea (yams), were on a par under both systems. Organic management promoted yield by 8%, 20%, 9%, 11% and 7% over conventional practice in cassava, elephant foot yam, white yam, greater yam and lesser yam respectively. Elephant foot yam was the most responsive to organic management followed by yams and cassava. In taro, slight yield reduction (5%) was noticed under organic farming with almost similar tuber quality. The tuber quality was improved with higher dry matter, starch, crude protein, K, Ca and Mg contents. The anti-nutritional factors, oxalate content in elephant foot yam and cyanogenic glucoside content in cassava were lowered by 21 and 12.4% respectively. Organic plots had significantly higher water holding capacity, pH, available K, Fe, Mn and Cu, higher soil organic matter, available N, P, exchangeable Ca and Mg, dehydrogenase enzyme activity and microbial count. Organic farming scored significantly higher soil quality index (1.93) than conventional practice (1.46). The soil quality index was driven by water holding capacity, pH and available Zn followed by soil organic matter. Organic management enhanced net profit by 20-40% over chemical farming. A case in point is the cost-benefit analysis in elephant foot yam which indicated that the net profit was 28% higher and additional income of Rs. 47,716 ha-1 was obtained due to organic farming. Cost-effective technologies were field validated. The on-station technologies developed were validated and popularized through on-farm trials in 10 sites (5 ha) under National Horticulture Mission funded programme in elephant foot yam and seven sites in yams and taro. The technologies are included in the Package of Practices Recommendations for crops of Kerala Agricultural University. A learning system developed using artificial neural networks (ANN) predicted the performance of elephant foot yam organic system. Use of organically produced seed materials, seed treatment in cow-dung, neem cake, bio-inoculant slurry, farmyard manure incubated with bio-inoculants, green manuring, use of neem cake, bio-fertilizers and ash formed the strategies for organic production. Organic farming is an eco-friendly management strategy that enables 10-20% higher yield, quality tubers and maintenance of soil health in tuber crops. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=eco-agriculture" title="eco-agriculture">eco-agriculture</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=quality" title=" quality"> quality</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=root%20crops" title=" root crops"> root crops</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=healthy%20soil" title=" healthy soil"> healthy soil</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=yield" title=" yield"> yield</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/45474/organic-tuber-production-fosters-food-security-and-soil-health-a-decade-of-evidence-from-india" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/45474.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">335</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">30</span> Facies Analysis and Depositional Environment of the Late Carboniferous (Stephanian) Souss Basin, Morocco</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Abouchouaib%20Belahmira">Abouchouaib Belahmira</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Joerg%20W.%20Schneider"> Joerg W. Schneider</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Hafid%20Saber"> Hafid Saber</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sara%20Akboub"> Sara Akboub</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The lithofacies analyzed herein were reported from the interbedded fluvial and lacustrine deposits of the Oued Issene and El Menizla formations. These formations are part of the sedimentary fill of the Carboniferous (Stephanian) submontaneous Souss basin. The latter is situated in the western High Atlas Mountains, south-central Morocco, about 50km east of Agadir. The Souss basin started as a single basin but was separated into sub-basins called Ida Ou Zal and Ida Ou Ziki by sinistral displacement along the west branch of the Tizi N'Test Fault during the end of the Mauritanid phase of the Variscan orogeny in Morocco, after the early Stephanian (Kasimovian) and before the late middle Permian (Capitanian). The studied succession is a monotonous finning-upward sequence of 1800 m thick. It consists of fine-grained sandstone, finely bedded siltstone and thinly laminated claystone, and black shale. Herein we provide a detailed characterization of lithofacies of the upper El Menizla and Oued Issène formations, with a focus on the prevailing overbank to flood plain fine-grained lithofacies. The studied facies are capping the Stephanian alluvial fan basal clast-supported conglomerates that are intercalated bedded coarse-grained sandstones of Ikhourba Formation in the Ou Zal subbasin and Tajgaline Formation in the Ida Ou Ziki subbasin, respectively. Within the fluvial elements, only two main facies have been observed. It comprises channel-fill and channel-bar deposits, mostly occur as lenticular –shape sand bodies or sheet-like sand greenish to gray fine-to medium (Fm), massive internally structureless, or very locally exhibits a medium to large scale trough-cross bedding medium to coarse sandstone (St), observable in relatively thicker bed. These facies are laterally extensive, with a thickness varying from a few to several meters. Finer-grained sediments such as mud can be present as drapes over bedforms. Whilst the fluvial association FA1, the overbank elements are represented by a relatively wide range of 5 facies. This exhibit mostly a cm scale horizontally bedded greenish fine- to medium sand and silt, and mm scale fossiliferous thinly laminated dark gray- black Corganic-rich clays to siltstone associated with black shale. Thus, FA2 includes flood plain fines (Fh, R) associated with the paleosols and back swamp coaly clay facies (C). The floodplain lake element comprises only laminated organic-rich dark gray facies of claystone, black shale, and graded siltstone. Bedsets are dm to several meters thick (typically < 1 m thick). They are intercalated between several m-thick fluvial sandstone, extend over a few meters, and are poorly bioturbated. The lacustrine facies described in this study have been divided into two sub-facies (Fl, B) based on field observations that indicate differing environmental conditions of formation. Thus, the thorough analysis of the lithofacies of the Souss basin units allows us to reconstruct the original environment that was interpreted as a typical fluvial-dominated braided to anastomosing wide distributary channel system and surrounding deep to shallow freshwater floodplain lakes and back swamps. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Souss" title="Souss">Souss</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=carboniferous" title=" carboniferous"> carboniferous</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=facies" title=" facies"> facies</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=depositional%20setting" title=" depositional setting"> depositional setting</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/161080/facies-analysis-and-depositional-environment-of-the-late-carboniferous-stephanian-souss-basin-morocco" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/161080.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">98</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">29</span> The Routes of Human Suffering: How Point-Source and Destination-Source Mapping Can Help Victim Services Providers and Law Enforcement Agencies Effectively Combat Human Trafficking</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Benjamin%20Thomas%20Greer">Benjamin Thomas Greer</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Grace%20Cotulla"> Grace Cotulla</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mandy%20Johnson"> Mandy Johnson</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing international crimes and human rights violations in the world. The United States Department of State (State Department) approximates some 800,000 to 900,000 people are annually trafficked across sovereign borders, with approximately 14,000 to 17,500 of these people coming into the United States. Today’s slavery is conducted by unscrupulous individuals who are often connected to organized criminal enterprises and transnational gangs, extracting huge monetary sums. According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), human traffickers collect approximately $32 billion worldwide annually. Surpassed only by narcotics dealing, trafficking of humans is tied with illegal arms sales as the second largest criminal industry in the world and is the fastest growing field in the 21st century. Perpetrators of this heinous crime abound. They are not limited to single or “sole practitioners” of human trafficking, but rather, often include Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCO), domestic street gangs, labor contractors, and otherwise seemingly ordinary citizens. Monetary gain is being elevated over territorial disputes and street gangs are increasingly operating in a collaborative effort with TCOs to further disguise their criminal activity; to utilizing their vast networks, in an attempt to avoid detection. Traffickers rely on a network of clandestine routes to sell their commodities with impunity. As law enforcement agencies seek to retard the expansion of transnational criminal organization’s entry into human trafficking, it is imperative that they develop reliable trafficking mapping of known exploitative routes. In a recent report given to the Mexican Congress, The Procuraduría General de la República (PGR) disclosed, from 2008 to 2010 they had identified at least 47 unique criminal networking routes used to traffic victims and that Mexico’s estimated domestic victims number between 800,000 adults and 20,000 children annually. Designing a reliable mapping system is a crucial step to effective law enforcement response and deploying a successful victim support system. Creating this mapping analytic is exceedingly difficult. Traffickers are constantly changing the way they traffic and exploit their victims. They swiftly adapt to local environmental factors and react remarkably well to market demands, exploiting limitations in the prevailing laws. This article will highlight how human trafficking has become one of the fastest growing and most high profile human rights violations in the world today; compile current efforts to map and illustrate trafficking routes; and will demonstrate how the proprietary analytical mapping analysis of point-source and destination-source mapping can help local law enforcement, governmental agencies and victim services providers effectively respond to the type and nature of trafficking to their specific geographical locale. Trafficking transcends state and international borders. It demands an effective and consistent cooperation between local, state, and federal authorities. Each region of the world has different impact factors which create distinct challenges for law enforcement and victim services. Our mapping system lays the groundwork for a targeted anti-trafficking response. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=human%20trafficking" title="human trafficking">human trafficking</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=mapping" title=" mapping"> mapping</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=routes" title=" routes"> routes</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=law%20enforcement%20intelligence" title=" law enforcement intelligence"> law enforcement intelligence</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/22072/the-routes-of-human-suffering-how-point-source-and-destination-source-mapping-can-help-victim-services-providers-and-law-enforcement-agencies-effectively-combat-human-trafficking" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/22072.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">381</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">28</span> Tangible Losses, Intangible Traumas: Re-envisioning Recovery Following the Lytton Creek Fire 2021 through Place Attachment Lens</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Tugba%20Altin">Tugba Altin</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> In an era marked by pronounced climate change consequences, communities are observed to confront traumatic events that yield both tangible and intangible repercussions. Such events not only cause discernible damage to the landscape but also deeply affect the intangible aspects, including emotional distress and disruptions to cultural landscapes. The Lytton Creek Fire of 2021 serves as a case in point. Beyond the visible destruction, the less overt but profoundly impactful disturbance to place attachment (PA) is scrutinized. PA, representing the emotional and cognitive bonds individuals establish with their environments, is crucial for understanding how such events impact cultural identity and connection to the land. The study underscores the significance of addressing both tangible and intangible traumas for holistic community recovery. As communities renegotiate their affiliations with altered environments, the cultural landscape emerges as instrumental in shaping place-based identities. This renewed understanding is pivotal for reshaping adaptation planning. The research advocates for adaptation strategies rooted in the lived experiences and testimonies of the affected populations. By incorporating both the tangible and intangible facets of trauma, planning efforts are suggested to be more culturally attuned and emotionally insightful, fostering true resonance with the affected communities. Through such a comprehensive lens, this study contributes enriching the climate change discourse, emphasizing the intertwined nature of tangible recovery and the imperative of emotional and cultural healing after environmental disasters. Following the pronounced aftermath of the Lytton Creek Fire in 2021, research aims to deeply understand its impact on place attachment (PA), encompassing the emotional and cognitive bonds individuals form with their environments. The interpretive phenomenological approach, enriched by a hermeneutic framework, is adopted, emphasizing the experiences of the Lytton community and co-researchers. Phenomenology informed the understanding of 'place' as the focal point of attachment, providing insights into its formation and evolution after traumatic events. Data collection departs from conventional methods. Instead of traditional interviews, walking audio sessions and photo elicitation methods are utilized. These allow co-researchers to immerse themselves in the environment, re-experience, and articulate memories and feelings in real-time. Walking audio facilitates reflections on spatial narratives post-trauma, while photo voices captured intangible emotions, enabling the visualization of place-based experiences. The analysis is collaborative, ensuring the co-researchers' experiences and interpretations are central. Emphasizing their agency in knowledge production, the process is rigorous, facilitated by the harmonious blend of interpretive phenomenology and hermeneutic insights. The findings underscore the need for adaptation and recovery efforts to address emotional traumas alongside tangible damages. By exploring PA post-disaster, the research not only fills a significant gap but advocates for an inclusive approach to community recovery. Furthermore, the participatory methodologies employed challenge traditional research paradigms, heralding potential shifts in qualitative research norms. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=wildfire%20recovery" title="wildfire recovery">wildfire recovery</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=place%20attachment" title=" place attachment"> place attachment</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=trauma%20recovery" title=" trauma recovery"> trauma recovery</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=cultural%20landscape" title=" cultural landscape"> cultural landscape</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=visual%20methodologies" title=" visual methodologies"> visual methodologies</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/175916/tangible-losses-intangible-traumas-re-envisioning-recovery-following-the-lytton-creek-fire-2021-through-place-attachment-lens" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/175916.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">91</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">27</span> Genetic Diversity of Exon-20 of the IIS6 of the Voltage Gated Sodium Channel Gene from Pyrethroid Resistant Anopheles Mosquitoes in Sudan Savannah Region of Jigawa State</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Asma%27u%20Mahe">Asma'u Mahe</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Abdullahi%20A.%20Imam"> Abdullahi A. Imam</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Adamu%20J.%20Alhassan"> Adamu J. Alhassan</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Nasiru%20Abdullahi"> Nasiru Abdullahi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Sadiya%20A.%20Bichi"> Sadiya A. Bichi</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Nura%20Lawal"> Nura Lawal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kamaluddeen%20Babagana"> Kamaluddeen Babagana</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Malaria is a disease with global health significance. It is caused by parasites and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Increase in insecticide resistance threatens the disease vector control. The strength of selection pressure acting on a mosquito population in relation to insecticide resistance can be assess by determining the genetic diversity of a fragment spanning exon- 20 of IIS6 of the voltage gated sodium channel (VGSC). Larval samples reared to adulthood were identified and kdr (knock down resistance) profile was determined. The DNA sequences were used to assess the patterns of genetic differentiation by determining the levels of genetic variability between the Anopheles mosquitoes. Genetic differentiation of the Anopheles mosquitoes based on a portion of the voltage gated sodium channel gene was obtained. Polymorphisms were detected; sequence variation and analysis were presented as a phylogenetic tree. Phylogenetic tree of VGSC haplotypes was constructed for samples of the Anopheles mosquitoes using the maximum likelihood method in MEGA 6.0 software. DNA sequences were edited using BioEdit sequence editor. The edited sequences were aligned with reference sequence (Kisumu strain). Analyses were performed as contained in dnaSP 5.10. Results of genetic parameters of polymorphism and haplotype reconstruction were presented in count. Twenty sequences were used for the analysis. Regions selected were 1- 576, invariable (monomorphic) sites were 460 while variable (polymorphic) sites were 5 giving the number of total mutations observed in this study. Mutations obtained from the study were at codon 105: TTC- Phenylalanine replaces TCC- Serine, codon 513: TAG- Termination replaces TTG- Leucine, codon 153, 300 and 553 mutations were non-synonymous. From the constructed phylogenetic tree, some groups were shown to be closer with Exon20Gambiae Kisumu (Reference strain) having some genetic distance, while 5-Exon20Gambiae-F I13.ab1, 18-Exon20Gambiae-F C17.ab1, and 2-Exon20Gambiae-F C13.ab1 clustered together genetically differentiated away from others. Mutations observed in this study can be attributed to the high insecticide resistance profile recorded in the study areas. Haplotype networks of pattern of genetic variability and polymorphism for the fragment of the VGSC sequences of sampled Anopheles mosquitoes revealed low haplotypes for the present study. Haplotypes are set of closely linked DNA variation on X-chromosome. Haplotypes were scaled accordingly to reflect their respective frequencies. Low haplotype number, four VGSC-1014F haplotypes were observed in this study. A positive association was previously established between low haplotype number of VGSC diversity and pyrethroid resistance through kdr mechanism. Significant values at (P < 0.05) of Tajima D and Fu and Li D’ were observed for some of the results indicating possible signature of positive selection on the fragment of VGSC in the study. This is the first report of VGSC-1014F in the study site. Based on the results, the mutation was present in low frequencies. However, the roles played by the observed mutations need further investigation. Mutations, environmental factors among others can affect genetic diversity. The study area has recorded increase in insecticide resistance that can affect vector control in the area. This finding might affect the efforts made against malaria. Sequences were deposited in GenBank for Accession Number. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=anopheles%20mosquitoes" title="anopheles mosquitoes">anopheles mosquitoes</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=insecticide%20resistance" title=" insecticide resistance"> insecticide resistance</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=kdr" title=" kdr"> kdr</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=malaria" title=" malaria"> malaria</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=voltage%20gated%20sodium%20channel" title=" voltage gated sodium channel"> voltage gated sodium channel</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/183431/genetic-diversity-of-exon-20-of-the-iis6-of-the-voltage-gated-sodium-channel-gene-from-pyrethroid-resistant-anopheles-mosquitoes-in-sudan-savannah-region-of-jigawa-state" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/183431.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">63</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">26</span> Amphiphilic Compounds as Potential Non-Toxic Antifouling Agents: A Study of Biofilm Formation Assessed by Micro-titer Assays with Marine Bacteria and Eco-toxicological Effect on Marine Algae</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=D.%20Malouch">D. Malouch</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=M.%20Berchel"> M. Berchel</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=C.%20Dreanno"> C. Dreanno</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=S.%20Stachowski-Haberkorn"> S. Stachowski-Haberkorn</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=P-A.%20Jaffres"> P-A. Jaffres</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Biofilm is a predominant lifestyle chosen by bacteria. Whether it is developed on an immerged surface or a mobile biofilm known as flocs, the bacteria within this form of life show properties different from its planktonic ones. Within the biofilm, the self-formed matrix of Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) offers hydration, resources capture, enhanced resistance to antimicrobial agents, and allows cell-communication. Biofouling is a complex natural phenomenon that involves biological, physical and chemical properties related to the environment, the submerged surface and the living organisms involved. Bio-colonization of artificial structures can cause various economic and environmental impacts. The increase in costs associated with the over-consumption of fuel from biocolonized vessels has been widely studied. Measurement drifts from submerged sensors, as well as obstructions in heat exchangers, and deterioration of offshore structures are major difficulties that industries are dealing with. Therefore, surfaces that inhibit biocolonization are required in different areas (water treatment, marine paints, etc.) and many efforts have been devoted to produce efficient and eco-compatible antifouling agents. The different steps of surface fouling are widely described in literature. Studying the biofilm and its stages provides a better understanding of how to elaborate more efficient antifouling strategies. Several approaches are currently applied, such as the use of biocide anti-fouling paint6 (mainly with copper derivatives) and super-hydrophobic coatings. While these two processes are proving to be the most effective, they are not entirely satisfactory, especially in a context of a changing legislation. Nowadays, the challenge is to prevent biofouling with non-biocide compounds, offering a cost effective solution, but with no toxic effects on marine organisms. Since the micro-fouling phase plays an important role in the regulation of the following steps of biofilm formation7, it is desired to reduce or delate biofouling of a given surface by inhibiting the micro fouling at its early stages. In our recent works, we reported that some amphiphilic compounds exhibited bacteriostatic or bactericidal properties at a concentration that did not affect eukaryotic cells. These remarkable properties invited us to assess this type of bio-inspired phospholipids9 to prevent the colonization of surfaces by marine bacteria. Of note, other studies reported that amphiphilic compounds interacted with bacteria leading to a reduction of their development. An amphiphilic compound is a molecule consisting of a hydrophobic domain and a polar head (ionic or non-ionic). These compounds appear to have interesting antifouling properties: some ionic compounds have shown antimicrobial activity, and zwitterions can reduce nonspecific adsorption of proteins. Herein, we investigate the potential of amphiphilic compounds as inhibitors of bacterial growth and marine biofilm formation. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of four synthetic phospholipids that features a cationic charge (BSV36, KLN47) or a zwitterionic polar-head group (SL386, MB2871) to prevent microfouling with marine bacteria. We also study the toxicity of these compounds in order to identify the most promising compound that must feature high anti-adhesive properties and a low cytotoxicity on two links representative of coastal marine food webs: phytoplankton and oyster larvae. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=amphiphilic%20phospholipids" title="amphiphilic phospholipids">amphiphilic phospholipids</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=bacterial%20biofilm" title=" bacterial biofilm"> bacterial biofilm</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=marine%20microfouling" title=" marine microfouling"> marine microfouling</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=non-toxic%20antifouling" title=" non-toxic antifouling"> non-toxic antifouling</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/144633/amphiphilic-compounds-as-potential-non-toxic-antifouling-agents-a-study-of-biofilm-formation-assessed-by-micro-titer-assays-with-marine-bacteria-and-eco-toxicological-effect-on-marine-algae" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/144633.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">147</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">25</span> Impact of Elevated Temperature on Spot Blotch Development in Wheat and Induction of Resistance by Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Jayanwita%20Sarkar">Jayanwita Sarkar</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Usha%20Chakraborty"> Usha Chakraborty</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Bishwanath%20Chakraborty"> Bishwanath Chakraborty</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Plants are constantly interacting with various abiotic and biotic stresses. In changing climate scenario plants are continuously modifying physiological processes to adapt to changing environmental conditions which profoundly affect plant-pathogen interactions. Spot blotch in wheat is a fast-rising disease in the warmer plains of South Asia where the rise in minimum average temperature over most of the year already affecting wheat production. Hence, the study was undertaken to explore the role of elevated temperature in spot blotch disease development and modulation of antioxidative responses by plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) for biocontrol of spot blotch at high temperature. Elevated temperature significantly increases the susceptibility of wheat plants to spot blotch causing pathogen Bipolaris sorokiniana. Two PGPR Bacillus safensis (W10) and Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense (IP8) isolated from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and blady grass (Imperata cylindrical L.) rhizophere respectively, showing in vitro antagonistic activity against Bipolaris sorokiniana were tested for growth promotion and induction of resistance against spot blotch in wheat. GC-MS analysis showed that Bacillus safensis (W10) and Ochrobactrum pseudogrignonense (IP8) produced antifungal and antimicrobial compounds in culture. Seed priming with these two bacteria significantly increase growth, modulate antioxidative signaling and induce resistance and eventually reduce disease incidence in wheat plants at optimum as well as elevated temperature which was further confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay using polyclonal antibody raised against Bipolaris sorokiniana. Application of the PGPR led to enhancement in activities of plant defense enzymes- phenylalanine ammonia lyase, peroxidase, chitinase and β-1,3 glucanase in infected leaves. Immunolocalization of chitinase and β-1,3 glucanase in PGPR primed and pathogen inoculated leaf tissue was further confirmed by transmission electron microscopy using PAb of chitinase, β-1,3 glucanase and gold labelled conjugates. Activity of ascorbate-glutathione redox cycle related enzymes such as ascorbate peroxidase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione reductase along with antioxidants such as carotenoids, glutathione and ascorbate and osmolytes like proline and glycine betain accumulation were also increased during disease development in PGPR primed plant in comparison to unprimed plants at high temperature. Real-time PCR analysis revealed enhanced expression of defense genes- chalcone synthase and phenyl alanineammonia lyase. Over expression of heat shock proteins like HSP 70, small HSP 26.3 and heat shock factor HsfA3 in PGPR primed plants effectively protect plants against spot blotch infection at elevated temperature as compared with control plants. Our results revealed dynamic biochemical cross talk between elevated temperature and spot blotch disease development and furthermore highlight PGPR mediated array of antioxidative and molecular alterations responsible for induction of resistance against spot blotch disease at elevated temperature which seems to be associated with up-regulation of defense genes, heat shock proteins and heat shock factors, less ROS production, membrane damage, increased expression of redox enzymes and accumulation of osmolytes and antioxidants. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=antioxidative%20enzymes" title="antioxidative enzymes">antioxidative enzymes</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=defense%20enzymes" title=" defense enzymes"> defense enzymes</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=elevated%20temperature" title=" elevated temperature"> elevated temperature</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=heat%20shock%20proteins" title=" heat shock proteins"> heat shock proteins</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=PGPR" title=" PGPR"> PGPR</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Real-Time%20PCR" title=" Real-Time PCR"> Real-Time PCR</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=spot%20blotch" title=" spot blotch"> spot blotch</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=wheat" title=" wheat"> wheat</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/85977/impact-of-elevated-temperature-on-spot-blotch-development-in-wheat-and-induction-of-resistance-by-plant-growth-promoting-rhizobacteria" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/85977.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">171</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">24</span> Implementation of Green Deal Policies and Targets in Energy System Optimization Models: The TEMOA-Europe Case</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Daniele%20Lerede">Daniele Lerede</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Gianvito%20Colucci"> Gianvito Colucci</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Matteo%20Nicoli"> Matteo Nicoli</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Laura%20Savoldi"> Laura Savoldi</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> The European Green Deal is the first internationally agreed set of measures to contrast climate change and environmental degradation. Besides the main target of reducing emissions by at least 55% by 2030, it sets the target of accompanying European countries through an energy transition to make the European Union into a modern, resource-efficient, and competitive net-zero emissions economy by 2050, decoupling growth from the use of resources and ensuring a fair adaptation of all social categories to the transformation process. While the general purpose to allow the realization of the purposes of the Green Deal already dates back to 2019, strategies and policies keep being developed coping with recent circumstances and achievements. However, general long-term measures like the Circular Economy Action Plan, the proposals to shift from fossil natural gas to renewable and low-carbon gases, in particular biomethane and hydrogen, and to end the sale of gasoline and diesel cars by 2035, will all have significant effects on energy supply and demand evolution across the next decades. The interactions between energy supply and demand over long-term time frames are usually assessed via energy system models to derive useful insights for policymaking and to address technological choices and research and development. TEMOA-Europe is a newly developed energy system optimization model instance based on the minimization of the total cost of the system under analysis, adopting a technologically integrated, detailed, and explicit formulation and considering the evolution of the system in partial equilibrium in competitive markets with perfect foresight. TEMOA-Europe is developed on the TEMOA platform, an open-source modeling framework totally implemented in Python, therefore ensuring third-party verification even on large and complex models. TEMOA-Europe is based on a single-region representation of the European Union and EFTA countries on a time scale between 2005 and 2100, relying on a set of assumptions for socio-economic developments based on projections by the International Energy Outlook and a large technological dataset including 7 sectors: the upstream and power sectors for the production of all energy commodities and the end-use sectors, including industry, transport, residential, commercial and agriculture. TEMOA-Europe also includes an updated hydrogen module considering its production, storage, transportation, and utilization. Besides, it can rely on a wide set of innovative technologies, ranging from nuclear fusion and electricity plants equipped with CCS in the power sector to electrolysis-based steel production processes and steel in the industrial sector – with a techno-economic characterization based on public literature – to produce insightful energy scenarios and especially to cope with the very long analyzed time scale. The aim of this work is to examine in detail the scheme of measures and policies for the realization of the purposes of the Green Deal and to transform them into a set of constraints and new socio-economic development pathways. Based on them, TEMOA-Europe will be used to produce and comparatively analyze scenarios to assess the consequences of Green Deal-related measures on the future evolution of the energy mix over the whole energy system in an economic optimization environment. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=European%20Green%20Deal" title="European Green Deal">European Green Deal</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=energy%20system%20optimization%20modeling" title=" energy system optimization modeling"> energy system optimization modeling</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=scenario%20analysis" title=" scenario analysis"> scenario analysis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=TEMOA-Europe" title=" TEMOA-Europe"> TEMOA-Europe</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/152239/implementation-of-green-deal-policies-and-targets-in-energy-system-optimization-models-the-temoa-europe-case" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/152239.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">105</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">23</span> Smart Interior Design: A Revolution in Modern Living</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Fatemeh%20Modirzare">Fatemeh Modirzare</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Smart interior design represents a transformative approach to creating living spaces that integrate technology seamlessly into our daily lives, enhancing comfort, convenience, and sustainability. This paper explores the concept of smart interior design, its principles, benefits, challenges, and future prospects. It also highlights various examples and applications of smart interior design to illustrate its potential in shaping the way we live and interact with our surroundings. In an increasingly digitized world, the boundaries between technology and interior design are blurring. Smart interior design, also known as intelligent or connected interior design, involves the incorporation of advanced technologies and automation systems into residential and commercial spaces. This innovative approach aims to make living environments more efficient, comfortable, and adaptable while promoting sustainability and user well-being. Smart interior design seamlessly integrates technology into the aesthetics and functionality of a space, ensuring that devices and systems do not disrupt the overall design. Sustainable materials, energy-efficient systems, and eco-friendly practices are central to smart interior design, reducing environmental impact. Spaces are designed to be adaptable, allowing for reconfiguration to suit changing needs and preferences. Smart homes and spaces offer greater comfort through features like automated climate control, adjustable lighting, and customizable ambiance. Smart interior design can significantly reduce energy consumption through optimized heating, cooling, and lighting systems. Smart interior design integrates security systems, fire detection, and emergency response mechanisms for enhanced safety. Sustainable materials, energy-efficient appliances, and waste reduction practices contribute to a greener living environment. Implementing smart interior design can be expensive, particularly when retrofitting existing spaces with smart technologies. The increased connectivity raises concerns about data privacy and cybersecurity, requiring robust measures to protect user information. Rapid advancements in technology may lead to obsolescence, necessitating updates and replacements. Users must be familiar with smart systems to fully benefit from them, requiring education and ongoing support. Residential spaces incorporate features like voice-activated assistants, automated lighting, and energy management systems. Intelligent office design enhances productivity and employee well-being through smart lighting, climate control, and meeting room booking systems. Hospitals and healthcare facilities use smart interior design for patient monitoring, wayfinding, and energy conservation. Smart retail design includes interactive displays, personalized shopping experiences, and inventory management systems. The future of smart interior design holds exciting possibilities, including AI-powered design tools that create personalized spaces based on user preferences. Smart interior design will increasingly prioritize factors that improve physical and mental health, such as air quality monitoring and mood-enhancing lighting. Smart interior design is revolutionizing the way we interact with our living and working spaces. By embracing technology, sustainability, and user-centric design principles, smart interior design offers numerous benefits, from increased comfort and convenience to energy efficiency and sustainability. Despite challenges, the future holds tremendous potential for further innovation in this field, promising a more connected, efficient, and harmonious way of living and working. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=smart%20interior%20design" title="smart interior design">smart interior design</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=home%20automation" title=" home automation"> home automation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=sustainable%20living%20spaces" title=" sustainable living spaces"> sustainable living spaces</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=technological%20integration" title=" technological integration"> technological integration</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=user-centric%20design" title=" user-centric design"> user-centric design</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/172468/smart-interior-design-a-revolution-in-modern-living" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/172468.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">70</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">22</span> Geospatial and Statistical Evidences of Non-Engineered Landfill Leachate Effects on Groundwater Quality in a Highly Urbanised Area of Nigeria</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=David%20A.%20Olasehinde">David A. Olasehinde</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Peter%20I.%20Olasehinde"> Peter I. Olasehinde</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Segun%20M.%20A.%20Adelana"> Segun M. A. Adelana</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Dapo%20O.%20Olasehinde"> Dapo O. Olasehinde</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> An investigation was carried out on underground water system dynamics within Ilorin metropolis to monitor the subsurface flow and its corresponding pollution. Africa population growth rate is the highest among the regions of the world, especially in urban areas. A corresponding increase in waste generation and a change in waste composition from predominantly organic to non-organic waste has also been observed. Percolation of leachate from non-engineered landfills, the chief means of waste disposal in many of its cities, constitutes a threat to the underground water bodies. Ilorin city, a transboundary town in southwestern Nigeria, is a ready microcosm of Africa’s unique challenge. In spite of the fact that groundwater is naturally protected from common contaminants such as bacteria as the subsurface provides natural attenuation process, groundwater samples have been noted to however possesses relatively higher dissolved chemical contaminants such as bicarbonate, sodium, and chloride which poses a great threat to environmental receptors and human consumption. The Geographic Information System (GIS) was used as a tool to illustrate, subsurface dynamics and the corresponding pollutant indicators. Forty-four sampling points were selected around known groundwater pollutant, major old dumpsites without landfill liners. The results of the groundwater flow directions and the corresponding contaminant transport were presented using expert geospatial software. The experimental results were subjected to four descriptive statistical analyses, namely: principal component analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, scree plot analysis, and Ward cluster analysis. Regression model was also developed aimed at finding functional relationships that can adequately relate or describe the behaviour of water qualities and the hypothetical factors landfill characteristics that may influence them namely; distance of source of water body from dumpsites, static water level of groundwater, subsurface permeability (inferred from hydraulic gradient), and soil infiltration. The regression equations developed were validated using the graphical approach. Underground water seems to flow from the northern portion of Ilorin metropolis down southwards transporting contaminants. Pollution pattern in the study area generally assumed a bimodal pattern with the major concentration of the chemical pollutants in the underground watershed and the recharge. The correlation between contaminant concentrations and the spread of pollution indicates that areas of lower subsurface permeability display a higher concentration of dissolved chemical content. The principal component analysis showed that conductivity, suspended solids, calcium hardness, total dissolved solids, total coliforms, and coliforms were the chief contaminant indicators in the underground water system in the study area. Pearson correlation revealed a high correlation of electrical conductivity for many parameters analyzed. In the same vein, the regression models suggest that the heavier the molecular weight of a chemical contaminant of a pollutant from a point source, the greater the pollution of the underground water system at a short distance. The study concludes that the associative properties of landfill have a significant effect on groundwater quality in the study area. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=dumpsite" title="dumpsite">dumpsite</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=leachate" title=" leachate"> leachate</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=groundwater%20pollution" title=" groundwater pollution"> groundwater pollution</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=linear%20regression" title=" linear regression"> linear regression</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=principal%20component" title=" principal component"> principal component</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/110552/geospatial-and-statistical-evidences-of-non-engineered-landfill-leachate-effects-on-groundwater-quality-in-a-highly-urbanised-area-of-nigeria" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/110552.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">117</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">21</span> Molecular Signaling Involved in the 'Benzo(a)Pyrene' Induced Germ Cell DNA Damage and Apoptosis: Possible Protection by Natural Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Antagonist and Anti-Tumor Agent</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Kuladip%20Jana">Kuladip Jana</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P] is an environmental toxicant present mostly in cigarette smoke and car exhaust, is an aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) ligand that exerts its toxic effects on both male and female reproductive systems. In this study, the effect of B(a)P at different doses (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 5 mg /kg body weight) was studied on male reproductive system of rat. A significant decrease in cauda epididymal sperm count and motility along with the presence of sperm head abnormalities and altered epididymal and testicular histology were documented following B(a)P treatment. B(a)P treatment resulted apoptotic sperm cells as observed by TUNEL and Annexin V-PI assay with increased ROS, altered sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) with a simultaneous decrease in the activity of antioxidant enzymes and GSH status. TUNEL positive apoptotic cells also observed in testis as well as isolated germ and Leydig cells following B(a)P exposure. Western Blot analysis revealed the activation of p38MAPK, cytosolic translocation of cytochrome-c, up-regulation of Bax and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) with cleavage of PARP and down-regulation of BCl2 in testis upon B(a)P treatment. The protein and mRNA levels of testicular key steroidogenesis regulatory proteins like StAR, cytochrome P450 IIA1 (CYPIIA1), 3β HSD, 17β HSD showed a significant decrease in a dose dependent manner while an increase in the expression of cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1), Aryl hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR), active caspase- 9 and caspase- 3 following B(a)P exposure. We conclude that exposure of benzo(a)pyrene caused testicular gamatogenic and steroidogenic disorders by induction of oxidative stress, inhibition of StAR and other steroidogenic enzymes along with activation of p38MAPK and initiated caspase-3 mediated germ and Leydig cell apoptosis.The possible protective role of naturally occurring phytochemicals against B(a)P induced testicular toxicity needs immediate consideration. Curcumin and resveratrol separately were found to protect against B(a)P induced germ cell apoptosis, and their combinatorial effect was more significant. Our present study in isolated testicular germ cell population from adult male Wistar rats, highlighted their synergistic protective effect against B(a)P induced germ cell apoptosis. Curcumin-resveratrol co-treatment decreased the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins like cleaved caspase 3,8,9, cleaved PARP, Apaf1, FasL, tBid. Curcumin-resveratrol co-treatment decreased Bax/Bcl2 ratio, mitochondria to cytosolic translocation of cytochrome c and activated the survival protein Akt. Curcumin-resveratrol decreased the expression of p53 dependent apoptotic genes like Fas, FasL, Bax, Bcl2, Apaf1.Curcumin-resveratrol co-treatment thus prevented B(a)P induced germ cell apoptosis. B(a)P induced testicular ROS generation and oxidative stress were significantly ameliorated with curcumin and resveratrol. Curcumin-resveratrol co-treatment prevented B(a)P induced nuclear translocation of AhR and CYP1A1 production. The combinatorial treatment significantly inhibited B(a)P induced ERK 1/2, p38 MAPK and JNK 1/2 activation. B(a)P treatment increased the expression of p53 and its phosphorylation (p53 ser 15). Curcumin-resveratrol co-treatment significantly decreased p53 level and its phosphorylation (p53 ser 15). The study concludes that curcumin-resveratrol synergistically modulated MAPKs and p53, prevented oxidative stress, regulated the expression of pro and anti-apoptotic proteins as well as the proteins involved in B(a)P metabolism thus protected germ cells from B(a)P induced apoptosis. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=benzo%28a%29pyrene" title="benzo(a)pyrene">benzo(a)pyrene</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=germ%20cell" title=" germ cell"> germ cell</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=apoptosis" title=" apoptosis"> apoptosis</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=oxidative%20stress" title=" oxidative stress"> oxidative stress</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=resveratrol" title=" resveratrol"> resveratrol</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=curcumin" title=" curcumin"> curcumin</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/53640/molecular-signaling-involved-in-the-benzoapyrene-induced-germ-cell-dna-damage-and-apoptosis-possible-protection-by-natural-aryl-hydrocarbon-receptor-antagonist-and-anti-tumor-agent" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/53640.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">260</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">20</span> The Ecuador Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food-EPI)</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Samuel%20Escand%C3%B3n">Samuel Escandón</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Mar%C3%ADa%20J.%20Pe%C3%B1aherrera-V%C3%A9lez"> María J. Peñaherrera-Vélez</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Signe%20Vargas-Rosvik"> Signe Vargas-Rosvik</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Carlos%20Jerves%20C%C3%B3rdova"> Carlos Jerves Córdova</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ximena%20V%C3%A9lez-Calvo"> Ximena Vélez-Calvo</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Ang%C3%A9lica%20Ochoa-Avil%C3%A9s"> Angélica Ochoa-Avilés</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Overweight and obesity are considered risk factors in childhood for developing nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. In Ecuador, 35.4% of 5- to 11-year-olds and 29.6% of 12- to 19-year-olds are overweight or obese. Globally, unhealthy food environments characterized by high consumption of processed/ultra-processed food and rapid urbanization are highly related to the increasing nutrition-related non-communicable diseases. The evidence shows that in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), fiscal policies and regulatory measures significantly reduce unhealthy food environments, achieving substantial advances in health. However, in some LMICs, little is known about the impact of governments' action to implement healthy food-environment policies. This study aimed to generate evidence on the state of implementation of public policy focused on food environments for the prevention of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents in Ecuador compared to global best practices and to target key recommendations for reinforcing the current strategies. After adapting the INFORMAS' Healthy Food Environment Policy Index (Food‐EPI) to the Ecuadorian context, the Policy and Infrastructure support components were assessed. Individual online interviews were performed using fifty-one indicators to analyze the level of implementation of policies directly or indirectly related to preventing overweight and obesity in children and adolescents compared to international best practices. Additionally, a participatory workshop was conducted to identify the critical indicators and generate recommendations to reinforce or improve the political action around them. In total, 17 government and non-government experts were consulted. From 51 assessed indicators, only the one corresponding to the nutritional information and ingredients labelling registered an implementation level higher than 60% (67%) compared to the best international practices. Among the 17 indicators determined as priorities by the participants, those corresponding to the provision of local products in school meals and the limitation of unhealthy-products promotion in traditional and digital media had the lowest level of implementation (34% and 11%, respectively) compared to global best practices. The participants identified more barriers (e.g., lack of continuity of effective policies across government administrations) than facilitators (e.g., growing interest from the Ministry of Environment because of the eating-behavior environmental impact) for Ecuador to move closer to the best international practices. Finally, within the participants' recommendations, we highlight the need for policy-evaluation systems, information transparency on the impact of the policies, transformation of successful strategies into laws or regulations to make them mandatory, and regulation of power and influence from the food industry (conflicts of interest). Actions focused on promoting a more active role of society in the stages of policy formation and achieving more articulated actions between the different government levels/institutions for implementing the policy are necessary to generate a noteworthy impact on preventing overweight and obesity in children and adolescents. Including systems for internal evaluation of existing strategies to strengthen successful actions, create policies to fill existing gaps and reform policies that do not generate significant impact should be a priority for the Ecuadorian government to improve the country's food environments. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=children%20and%20adolescents" title="children and adolescents">children and adolescents</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=food-EPI" title=" food-EPI"> food-EPI</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=food%20policies" title=" food policies"> food policies</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=healthy%20food%20environment" title=" healthy food environment"> healthy food environment</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/172816/the-ecuador-healthy-food-environment-policy-index-food-epi" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/172816.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">64</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">19</span> Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Actinobacteria Isolated from the Pollen of Pinus sylvestris Grown on the Lake Baikal Shore </h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Denis%20V.%20Axenov-Gribanov">Denis V. Axenov-Gribanov</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Irina%20V.%20Voytsekhovskaya"> Irina V. Voytsekhovskaya</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Evgenii%20S.%20Protasov"> Evgenii S. Protasov</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Maxim%20A.%20%20Timofeyev"> Maxim A. Timofeyev</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Isolated ecosystems existing under specific environmental conditions have been shown to be promising sources of new strains of actinobacteria. The taiga forest of Baikal Siberia has not been well studied, and its actinobacterial population remains uncharacterized. The proximity between the huge water mass of Lake Baikal and high mountain ranges influences the structure and diversity of the plant world in Siberia. Here, we report the isolation of eighteen actinobacterial strains from male cones of Pinus sylvestris trees growing on the shore of the ancient Lake Baikal in Siberia. The actinobacterial strains were isolated on solid nutrient MS media and Czapek agar supplemented with cycloheximide and phosphomycin. Identification of actinobacteria was carried out by 16S rRNA gene sequencing and further analysis of the evolutionary history. Four different liquid and solid media (NL19, DNPM, SG and ISP) were tested for metabolite production. The metabolite extracts produced by the isolated strains were tested for antibacterial and antifungal activities. Also, antiradical activity of crude extracts was carried out. Strain Streptomyces sp. IB 2014 I 74-3 that active against Gram-negative bacteria was selected for dereplication analysis with using the high-yield liquid chromatography with mass-spectrometry. Mass detection was performed in both positive and negative modes, with the detection range set to 160–2500 m/z. Data were collected and analyzed using Bruker Compass Data Analysis software, version 4.1. Dereplication was performed using the Dictionary of Natural Products (DNP) database version 6.1 with the following search parameters: accurate molecular mass, absorption spectra and source of compound isolation. Thus, in addition to more common representative strains of Streptomyces, several species belonging to the genera Rhodococcus, Amycolatopsis, and Micromonospora were isolated. Several of the selected strains were deposited in the Russian Collection of Agricultural Microorganisms (RCAM), St. Petersburg, Russia. All isolated strains exhibited antibacterial and antifungal activities. We identified several strains that inhibited the growth of the pathogen Candida albicans but did not hinder the growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several isolates were active against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. Moreover, extracts of several strains demonstrated high antioxidant activity. The high proportion of biologically active strains producing antibacterial and specific antifungal compounds may reflect their role in protecting pollen against phytopathogens. Dereplication of the secondary metabolites of the strain Streptomyces sp. IB 2014 I 74-3 was resulted in the fact that a total of 59 major compounds were detected in the culture liquid extract of strain cultivated in ISP medium. Eight compounds were preliminarily identified based on characteristics described in the Dictionary of Natural Products database, using the search parameters Streptomyces sp. IB 2014 I 74-3 was found to produce saframycin A, Y3 and S; 2-amino-3-oxo-3H-phenoxazine-1,8-dicarboxylic acid; galtamycinone; platencin A4-13R and A4-4S; ganefromycin d1; the antibiotic SS 8201B; and streptothricin D, 40-decarbamoyl, 60-carbamoyl. Moreover, forty-nine of the 59 compounds detected in the extract examined in the present study did not result in any positive hits when searching within the DNP database and could not be identified based on available mass-spec data. Thus, these compounds might represent new findings. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=actinobacteria" title="actinobacteria">actinobacteria</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Baikal%20Lake" title=" Baikal Lake"> Baikal Lake</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=biodiversity" title=" biodiversity"> biodiversity</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=male%20cones" title=" male cones"> male cones</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=Pinus%20sylvestris" title=" Pinus sylvestris"> Pinus sylvestris</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/55755/antimicrobial-and-antioxidant-activities-of-actinobacteria-isolated-from-the-pollen-of-pinus-sylvestris-grown-on-the-lake-baikal-shore" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/55755.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">PDF</a> <span class="bg-info text-light px-1 py-1 float-right rounded"> Downloads <span class="badge badge-light">232</span> </span> </div> </div> <div class="card paper-listing mb-3 mt-3"> <h5 class="card-header" style="font-size:.9rem"><span class="badge badge-info">18</span> Nigeria Rural Water Supply Management: Participatory Process as the Best Option</h5> <div class="card-body"> <p class="card-text"><strong>Authors:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=E.%20O.%20Aluta">E. O. Aluta</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=C.%20A.%20Booth"> C. A. Booth</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=D.%20G.%20Proverbs"> D. G. Proverbs</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=T.%20Appleby"> T. Appleby</a> </p> <p class="card-text"><strong>Abstract:</strong></p> Challenges in the effective management of potable water have attracted global attention in recent years and remain many world regions’ major priorities. Scarcity and unavailability of potable water may potentially escalate poverty, obviate democratic expression of views and militate against inter-sectoral development. These challenges contra-indicate the inherent potentials of the resource. Thus, while creation of poverty may be regarded as a broad-based problem, it is capable of reflecting life-span reduction diseases, the friction of interests manifesting in threats and warfare, the relegation of democratic principles for authoritarian definitions and Human Rights abuse. The challenges may be identified as manifestations of ineffective management of potable water resource and therefore, regarded as major problems in environmental protection. In reaction, some nations have re-examined their laws and policies, while others have developed innovative projects, which seek to ameliorate difficulties of providing sustainable potable water. The problems resonate in Nigeria, where the legal framework supporting the supply and management of potable water has been criticized as ineffective. This has impacted more on rural community members, often regarded as ‘voiceless’. At that level, the participation of non-state actors has been identified as an effective strategy, which can improve water supply. However, there are indications that there is no pragmatic application of this, resulting in over-centralization and top-down management. Thus, this study focuses on how the participatory process may enable the development of participatory water governance framework, for use in Nigeria rural communities. The Rural Advisory Board (RAB) is proposed as a governing body to promote proximal relationships, institute democratisation borne out of participation, while enabling effective accountability and information. The RAB establishes mechanisms for effectiveness, taking into consideration Transparency, Accountability and Participation (TAP), advocated as guiding principles of decision-makers. Other tools, which may be explored in achieving these are, Laws and Policies supporting the water sector, under the direction of the Ministries and Law Courts, which ensure non-violation of laws. Community norms and values, consisting of Nigerian traditional belief system, perceptions, attitude and reality (often undermined in favour of legislations), are relied on to pave the way for enforcement. While the Task Forces consist of community members with specific designation of duties, which ensure compliance and enforceability, a cross-section of community members are assigned duties. Thus, the principle of participation is pragmatically reflected. A review of the literature provided information on the potentials of the participatory process, in potable water governance. Qualitative methodology was explored by using the semi-structured interview as strategy for inquiry. The purposive sampling strategy, consisting of homogeneous, heterogeneous and criterion techniques was applied to enable sampling. The samples, sourced from diverse positions of life, were from the study area of Delta State of Nigeria, involving three local governments of Oshimili South, Uvwie and Warri South. From the findings, there are indications that the application of the participatory process is inhered with empowerment of the rural community members to make legitimate demands for TAP. This includes the obviation of mono-decision making for the supply and management of potable water. This is capable of restructuring the top-down management to a top-down/bottom-up system. <p class="card-text"><strong>Keywords:</strong> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=participation" title="participation">participation</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=participatory%20process" title=" participatory process"> participatory process</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=participatory%20water%20governance" title=" participatory water governance"> participatory water governance</a>, <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/search?q=rural%20advisory%20board" title=" rural advisory board"> rural advisory board</a> </p> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/45886/nigeria-rural-water-supply-management-participatory-process-as-the-best-option" class="btn btn-primary btn-sm">Procedia</a> <a href="https://publications.waset.org/abstracts/45886.pdf" target="_blank" class="btn btn-primary 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