Resources Protection: Towards Replacement of Cotton Fiber with Polyester

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Distribution of Floods Frequency of Manafwa River, Uganda

The objective of this study was to analyse Manafwa River flood frequency in Eastern Uganda. Analysis of Manafwa River maximum annual flows from 1949-2015 was undertaken using Log Pearson 3 distribution in comparison with Gumbel, Normal and Log Normal distributions to determine frequency of occurrence and magnitude of extreme floods. Statistical analysis including goodness of fit tests of chi-square, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Anderson-Darling tests were used to generate the most suitable probability distribution model. The results show quantile magnitudes lowest for Log Normal distribution at 43.59 m3/s and highest for Log Pearson 3 distribution at 51.67 m3/s. The 5-year quantile estimates are highest for Normal and Log Pearson at 70.37 m3/s and 63.99 m3/s respectively. The 10-year quantile estimates are highest for Log Normal and lowest for Log Pearson 3 distributions at 87.57 m3/s and 75.13 m3/s respectively. The 100-year quantile estimates are lowest for Normal and highest for Log Normal distributions at 108.57 m3/s and 154.66 m3/s respectively. The 200-year quantile estimates are lowest for Normal and highest for Log Normal distributions respectively at 114.980 m3/s and 177.16 m3/s respectively. Log Pearson 3 distribution emerged as best fit for data. From the statistical analysis, LP 3 probability distribution presents the most accurate regression coefficient at 0.8486 and the most suitable distribution of goodness of best fit using A-D, K-S and Chi square tests followed by the Gumbel distribution. The tests yield 0.15666, 0.04855 and 0.88502 for A-D, K-S and Chi square tests respectively for the LP 3 distribution. There is an increasing upward trend of the discharges at Manafwa River floodplains at higher probabilities of exceedance across all the probability distributions due to varrying climatic changes and rapid landuse changes in the Manafwa catchment. Manafwa river floodplains have the capacity to accommodate and boost crop production and productivity. Any nutrients lost to leaching could be gained from subsequent fallowing and sustainable soil fertility management including; proper drainage, crop rotation, adding organic manure, cover cropping and among other

Characterizing River Manafwa Floodplain and Adjacent Soils

The objective of this study was to characterise Manafwa River floodplain and adjacent soils. Soil samples were collected from 0 - 20 cm depth in fallowed and cultivated Manafwa floodplain soils for laboratory analysis. Treatments included upland (control), floodplains fallowed for a year, floodplains fallowed for over a year, cultivated floodplains within 5 m and 50 m away from the river banks. Each treatment was replicated three times (3 blocks), and samples collected were analysed for K, Na, available P, total N, exchangeable acidity, pH, organic matter, moisture content, sand, silt, and clay. The soil sampling results were subjected to statistical Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD), and the difference between treatment means were dictated using F-, student’s t and F-LSD/pairwise comparison tests. There was statistically no significant (p > 0.05) difference among different floodplains and uplands studied. Upland soils posted 71.67% for the highest pH and 0.09%, 0.87%, 9.74 ppm, 2.23 ppm and 7.264% for the lowest available N, organic matter, Phosphorous, Sodium and Moisture Content, respectively. Cultivated floodplain soil posted highest total P at 29.16 ppm and pH at 6.39% while fallowed floodplains lowest pH at 5.34%, highest available N at 0.32%, highest organic matter at 4.02%, highest K at 21.33%, highest Na at 13.93%, highest exchangeable acidity at 2.32 Cmol/Kg, highest clay content at 14.33%, lowest sand composition at 38.00%, highest silt composition at 54.8% and highest Moisture Content of 32.472%. As depicted by soil fertility analysis results, Manafwa River floodplain and adjacent soils have the capacity to accommodate and boost crop production and productivity. Any nutrients lost to leaching could be gained from subsequent fallowing and sustainable soil fertility management, proper drainage, crop rotation, adding organic manure, and cover cropping, among other

Analysis of the Effect of Thematic Irrigation Schemes on Soil and Water Quality in Butaleja, Uganda

Irrigation processes have been at the forefront of reasons for increased food production. However, the soil and water parameters are areas of focus when considering irrigation. The study aimed to assess the effect of irrigation on soil and water parameters in the Doho irrigation scheme in Eastern Uganda. The methodology used was generally quantitative, following experimental designs. Water and soil samples were picked from randomly selected blocks for experiments conducted directly in the field and in the laboratories. Parameters tested include the pH, Electrical conductivity, salinity, Ca, K and Na among others. Findings revealed that irrigation affected all the parameters either negatively or positively regarding soil and water considerations. Irrigation increased salinity (0.1 – 0.2), electrical conductivity (1.49 – 4.2) and sodium (0.75 – 1.53) levels in soil and water, while prolonged irrigation lowered calcium (2.8 – 3.25) and potassium (0.45 – 0.76) levels. There was no considerable effect on water and soil pH. A variation was recorded in water and soil parameters where the highest concentrations were recorded in water samples. Prolonged irrigation affects water and soil parameters because it causes leaching of soil, causing a high concentration of ions in down layers of soil. Furthermore, the equipment that is often used to construct these schemes is often heavy compacting soil, and resulting oil spills alter physical and chemical properties. The study recommends that there should be continuous assessment of chemical and physical properties for water and soil parameters in Doho and other similar irrigation projects around the glob

Applications of Silk in Biomedical and Healthcare Textiles

Global trends are shifting towards environmental friendly materials and manufacturing methods. Therefore, natural fiber applications are gaining traction globally. Silk, a natural protein fiber is one of the textile fibers that have recently received more attention due to the new frontiers brought about by technological advancement that has expanded the use of silk fiber beyond the conventional textile industry. The simple and versatile nature of silk fibroin process-ability has made silk appealing in wide range of applications. Silk is biocompatible, biodegradable, easy to functionalize and has excellent mechanical properties, in addition to optical transparency. This review chapter explores the use of silk in biomedical applications and healthcare textiles. Future trends in silk applications are also highlighted

Fit evaluation of virtual garment try-on by learning from digital pressure data

Presently, garment fit evaluation mainly focuses on real try-on, and rarely deals with virtual try-on. With the rapid development of E-commerce, there is a profound growth of garment purchases through the internet. In this context, fit evaluation of virtual garment try-on is vital in the clothing industry. In this paper, we propose a Naive Bayes-based model to evaluate garment fit. The inputs of the proposed model are digital clothing pressures of different body parts, generated from a 3D garment CAD software; while the output is the predicted result of garment fit (fit or unfit). To construct and train the proposed model, data on digital clothing pressures and garment real fit was collected for input and output learning data respectively. By learning from these data, our proposed model can predict garment fit rapidly and automatically without any real try-on; therefore, it can be applied to remote garment fit evaluation in the context of e-shopping. Finally, the effectiveness of our proposed method was validated using a set of test samples. Test results showed that digital clothing pressure is a better index than ease allowance to evaluate garment fit, and machine learning-based garment fit evaluation methods have higher prediction accuracies

An Improved Systematic Management Model for CCTV Footage in Police Criminal Investigations. A Case Study of Uganda Police Force

Criminal investigations with CCTV footage are still having a lot of challenges being faced most especially in relation to footage management. A qualitative comparative study involving getting opinions from the experienced CCTV management team and the investigation team has been conducted to gather some information regarding the current CCTV management model. These findings were compared with the challenges reported by several media and individuals. The study revealed inadequate CCTV system audits, unauthorised footage recordings with personal devices by staff, footage leakages to social media, insufficient training for some staff, low coordination between Uganda Police Force CCTV management and stakeholders involved in road constructions, water supply constructions, billboard installations and electricity supply operations that interrupts CCTV camera operations in case of unexpected occurrences of their related activities. An improved model that involves cloud-based system audits, footage automated shutdown up-on detection of recording devices, cloud-based footage analysis and automated system backups have been incorporated into the current CCTV management model. The system computerisation procedure for the improved model have as well been outlined

Protection des ressources : vers le remplacement du coton par du polyester

La demande annuelle de coton augmente en raison de la croissance démographique mondiale et de l’évolution des comportements d’achat des consommateurs. D'autres options de fibres naturelles telles que la laine, le lin et la soie, entre autres, sont produites dans des proportions très maigres. Le polyester (poly (téréphtalate d’éthylène) (PET) présente des qualités qui pourraient répondre à cette préoccupation pour les vêtements. Malheureusement, les consommateurs hésitent à porter des vêtements 100% polyester, principalement en raison d’un confort sensoriel inférieur, du toucher et parfois de leur apparence. Cette étude visait à améliorer le tissu en PET caractéristiques afin de réduire l'écart entre la perception humaine et la performance hydrophile du coton par rapport au PET Pour déterminer la disparité existant entre le coton et les tissus tissés en PET, une étude multisensorielle a été réalisée à l'aide d'un panel de 12 juges formés sur 11 descripteurs sensoriels. Des algorithmes de Monte Carlo, des algorithmes génétiques et la technique de Borda Count (BK) ont été utilisés pour la fusion de rangs .L'analyse en composantes principales (PCA) et la classification hiérarchique par agglomération (AHC) ont été utilisées pour créer des profils sensoriels. Tissus en PET et en coton (p = 0,05). Il a été déduit que l’aspect visuel et esthétique peut être utilisé pour distinguer le PET du tissus de coton. Pour remplacer le coton par du PET via cette approche sensorielle, la modification de la rigidité des tissus en polyester a été judicieusement réalisée à l'aide de NaOH et d'un adoucissant en silicium, avec une pré-oxydation au plasma atmosphérique. Les tissus en PET traités avec NaOH et l’adoucissant en silicone ont été perçus comme étant doux, lisses, moins nets et moins raides par rapport à certains tissus en coton et en PET non traité. Le profilage des tissus indique que les tissus en PET conventionnels peuvent être distingués des tissus en coton conventionnels en utilisant une évaluation à la fois subjective et objective. Il est également avancé que la perception sensorielle humaine sur textile ne peut être directement représentée par des mesures instrumentales. La dernière partie de l’étude compare le potentiel hydrophile et l’efficacité de deux monomères vinyliques: le poly- (éthylène glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) et le chlorure de [2- (méthacryloyloxy) éthyl] triméthylammonium (METAC) radicalement photo-greffé sur la surface de Tissu en PET. Une étude de surface utilisant la spectroscopie photoélectronique à rayons X (XPS) et la spectroscopie à dispersion d'énergie (EDS) a confirmé le greffage. Les tests d'humidité indiquent que PEGDA et METAC induisent un mouillage complet du PET à des concentrations de 0,1 à 5% (V: V). Les mesures colorimétriques (K/S et CIELAB/CH) et la stabilité de la couleur sur les tissus teints en PET suggèrent que les deux monomères améliorent considérablement l'efficacité de la teinture du PET. Il est suggéré que PEGDA et METAC génèrent des groupes hydrophiles sur le PET; les macroradicaux sont sous la forme de structures vinyliques qui forment des greffes à chaîne courte et démontrent une fonction hydrophile. Les résultats de cette recherche peuvent jouer un rôle directeur pratique dans la conception des tissus, la conception des propriétés sensorielles et contribuer au développement de tissus en polyester de type coton.There is increasing annual demand for cotton due to world population growth and changes in consumers’ purchasing behavior. Other natural fiber options such as wool, linen and silk among others, are produced in very meager proportions. Polyester (poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) has qualities that could address this concern for apparel. Unfortunately, consumers are reluctant to wear 100% polyester clothing mainly due to inferior sensory comfort, touch and sometimes appearance. This study sought to improve PET fabric characteristics in order to decrease the gap between human perception and hydrophilic performance of cotton vs. PET. To determine the disparity between cotton and PET woven fabrics, a multisensory study was undertaken using a panel of 12 trained judges against 11 sensory descriptors. Cross-entropy Monte Carlo algorithms, Genetic algorithms, and the Borda Count (BK) technique were used for rank fusion. Principle component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) were used to create sensory profiles. The descriptor crisp accounted for the highest variability between PET and cotton fabrics (p˂0.05). It was deduced that visual and aesthetics can be used to distinguish between PET and cotton fabrics. To replace cotton with PET via this sensory approach, the modification of stiffness of polyester fabrics was judiciously carried out using NaOH and a silicon softener, with atmospheric air plasma pre-oxidation. PET fabrics treated with NaOH and the silicon softener were perceived soft, smooth, less crisp, and less stiff compared to some cotton and untreated PET fabrics. The profiling of fabrics indicates that conventional PET fabrics can be distinguished from conventional cotton fabrics using both subjective and objective evaluation. It is also argued that textile human sensory perception cannot be directly represented by instrumental measurements. The final part of the study compares the hydrophilic potential and efficacy of two vinyl monomers: Poly-(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) and [2-(methacryloyloxy) ethyl]-trimethylammonium chloride (METAC) radically photo-grafted on the surface of PET fabric. Surface study using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the grafting. Moisture tests indicate that PEGDA and METAC induce complete wetting of PET at concentrations 0.1-5% (V:V). Colorimetric measurements (K/S and CIELAB/CH) and colorfastness on dyed PET fabrics suggest that both monomers greatly improve the dyeing efficiency of PET. It is suggested that PEGDA and METAC generate hydrophilic groups on PET; the macroradicals are in a form of vinyl structures which form short chain grafts and demonstrate hydrophilic function. The results of this research can play a practical guiding role in the design of fabrics, sensory property design and contribute to the development of cotton-like polyester fabrics

CLASSIFICATION AND MEASURE OF QUANTITATIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POLYESTER AND COTTON FABRICS BASED ON SENSORY ANALYSIS

In this study we compare cotton and polyester (Polyethylene terephthalate) (PET) sensory attributes, as a precursor for sensory modification of polyester, for cotton replacement. We systematically identify the key sensory attributes that distinguish cotton from polyester fabrics. Rank Aggregation, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Agglomerative Hierarchical Clustering (AHC), and the measure of distances are used to process elicited dat

Antimicrobial potential of essential oil from Pinus caribaea var. hondurensis (P. caribaea) sap

Abstract The majority of hand sanitizers now in use include synthetic fragrances and chemical additives that pose substantial risks to human health and the environment. Ingredients like triclosan are linked to carcinogenesis, endocrine disruption, allergies, and antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to determine the constituents in pine (Pinus caribaea (P. caribaea) var. hondurensis sap and extract essential oil to be assessed for its bioactive components and antibacterial potential. Phytochemical screening of the sap was done using a qualitative method and the sap was found to contain flavonoids and alkaloids while tannins, anthraquinones and saponins were absent. Essential oil was obtained from the P. caribaea sap using the hydro-distillation process. In the GC–MS analysis that was carried out on the essential oil, it was found that the oil contained 23 bioactive compounds with the highest concentration being Sabinen (34.24%), β-Pinene (24.82%) and α-Thujene (11.5%). Other compounds such as Anethole, Linalool, Isolongifolol acetate, Camphene, Cyclopentene, γ-Terpinen, Fenchol, allo-Ocimene, Isopulegol, Levomenthol, Borneol, Citronellol, α-Longipinene and Caryophyllene were present in relatively small amounts. Assessment of the agar plates revealed that the essential oil did not show inhibitory activity to Escherichia coli (wild), E. coli (ATCC 25,922), Staphylococcus aureus (wild), S. aureus (ATCC 25,923), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (wild) and P. aeruginosa (ATCC 27,853). Whereas the essential oil did not show inhibitory activity, more studies should be carried out to evaluate the potential of essential oil from Pinus sap in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical sectors