Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) Approach On Inappropriate Construction Equipment Delay Factors

The advancement of construction equipment is a trend in the construction industry, with numerous benefits. However, using inappropriate construction equipment causes delays in construction projects, affecting the firm's reputation. A number of research studies on overall delay have been conducted globally. Even so, there is a lack of research on construction delays caused by inappropriate construction equipment. The aim of this paper is to investigate the inappropriate construction equipment delay factors and their effects on the firm's reputation. Based on the issues identified in the focus group interviews and the literature survey, a questionnaire survey was conducted to assess the impact of these factors on the progress of Indian construction projects. The primary constraint was that all 300 responses were collected in person from construction professionals to avoid lethargic responses that could skew the results. Pearson correlation coefficients were used to determine the positive strength of each factor's relationship. A t-test was used to see if there was a significant difference between the respondents' firm categories. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to validate the effective relationship between the causes of delays due to inappropriate construction equipment and its impact on company's reputation. All of the factors examined by the SEM analysis evidenced that the inappropriate construction equipment factors are correlated among themselves and combined to impact the reputation of the company. Recommendations are made to overcome the inappropriate equipment delay factors. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091717 Full Text: PD

Application of QUASAR Modelling in the uppanar river of Cuddalore District of Tamil Nadu, India

Quality simulation along river system (QUASAR) is a water quality and flow model for river networks. This paper presents the study on the determination of the physicochemical parameters of the water sample in the Uppanar River, Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India at 3 different points from November 2009 to July 2010 and application of QUASAR software modeling. From the analysis of various physicochemical parameters that exceeded the permissible limits of the Indian Council for Medical and Research, the river was said to be moderately polluted. In this paper, the measured data of dissolved oxygen (DO), biological oxygen demand (BOD) and pH along the three sampling stations was used for QUASAR modelling. The average percentage error values obtained for station I, II, and III regarding DO were 3.49%, 2.38%, and 2.26%, for BOD 1.2%, 5.9%, and 1.98%, and for pH 2.57%, 2.41%, and 1.51%, respectively. It was observed that ther

Streptomyces sp. MUM273b: A mangrove‐derived potential source for antioxidant and UVB radiation protectants

Microbial natural products serve as a good source for antioxidants. The mangrove-derived Streptomyces bacteria have been evidenced to produce antioxidative compounds. This study reports the isolation of Streptomyces sp. MUM273b from mangrove soil that may serve as a promising source of antioxidants and UV-protective agents. Identification and characterization methods determine that strain MUM273b belongs to the genus Streptomyces. The MUM273b extract exhibits antioxidant activities, including DPPH, ABTS, and superoxide radical scavenging activities and also metal-chelating activity. The MUM273b extract was also shown to inhibit the production of malondialdehyde in metal-induced lipid peroxidation. Strong correlation between the antioxidant activities and the total phenolic content of MUM273b extract was shown. In addition, MUM273b extract exhibited cytoprotective effect on the UVB-induced cell death in HaCaT keratinocytes. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry analysis detected phenolics, pyrrole, pyrazine, ester, and cyclic dipeptides in MUM273b extract. In summary, Streptomyces MUM273b extract portrays an exciting avenue for future antioxidative drugs and cosmeceuticals development. © 2019 The Authors. MicrobiologyOpen published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd