91 research outputs found
Intelligent Behavior of Autonomous Vehicles in Outdoor Environment
The objective of this PhD-project has been to develop and enhance the operational behaviour of autonomous or automated conventional machines under out-door conditions. This has included developing high-level planning measures for the maximisation of machine productivity as an important element in the continued efforts of planning and controlling resource inputs in both arable and high value crops farming. The methods developed generate the optimized coverage path for any field regardless of its complexity on 2D or 3D terrains without any human intervention and in a manner that minimizes operational time, skipped and overlapped areas, and fuel consumption. By applying the developed approaches, a reduction of more than 20% in consumed fossil fuel together with a corresponding reduction in the emissions of CO2 and other greenhouses is achievable.In this work, a software package for the autonomous navigation of field robotics over 2D and 3D field terrains and the optimization of field operations and machinery systems have been developed. A web-based version of the developed software package is currently under progress
Seismic reservoir characterization and pressure depletion of the Abu Madi Formation in the NW Khilala field, onshore Nile Delta, Egypt
The Late Messinian Abu Madi Formation represents the most prospective deep reservoir target in the Nile Delta. Hydrocarbon exploration in the Nile Delta over the last few decades has been targeted to understand the Abu Madi reservoir quality and distribution. The integration of rock physics, amplitude versus angle (AVA), seismic interpretation, seismic attributes, and seismic inversion could successfully determine the characteristics of the late Messinian Abu Madi Formation in the North West Khilala (NWKh) field, which is located in the central onshore part of the Nile Delta, Egypt. The NWKh field is located on the eastern margin of the Disouq concession close to producing the West Khilala (WKh) field, with highly heterogeneous reservoir parameters. The reservoir is classified as lacustrine turbidites deposited in semi-isolated Late Messinian Basins. The Abu Madi Formation can be subdivided into upper and lower sand members. It is very common that they are separated by an intraformational shale layer. AVA analysis performed on the top of the Abu Madi reservoir suggested a class 2p. Seismic data were inverted to delineate the overall lateral extent of the reservoir. The prestack inversion process was integrated with rock physics modelling of the wells to generate high-resolution multiple rock property models to characterize the reservoir and observe or investigate different pressure depletion trends. The pressure depletion of the lower Abu Madi in the North West Khilala field was investigated laterally and vertically by the relative/full spectrum inversion and formation modular dynamic tester (MDT) pressure data, respectively. This depletion is due to communication with the West Khilala field, which was produced from the Lower Abu Madi (LAM) sand interval in 2007
The Impact of Water Price on the Financial Sustainability of the Palestinian Water Service Providers
The impactof water sales price on the performance of water service providers
is typically something of a mystery. High prices mean more revenue and
profit; but it may lead to less bills collection and encourage the illegal connections.
Yet, this argument has not been fully addressed in the Palestinian water
sector; this research evaluates the effect of average water prices on the financial
sustainability key indicators as collection efficiency, profit or loss percentage,
non-revenue water, staff productivity, daily consumption, operating,
and maintenance cost. The average price of cubic meter sold is segmented
into low, medium, and high categories. Multivariate analysis shows that there
are significant differences in profit or working ratio, daily consumption, and
operating cost based on the different price categories. Further significant differences
have been found in non-revenue water, collection efficiency, and water
production based on low and high price categories. On the other hand, no
significant difference has been found in staff productivity. The results show
high price set by Palestinian water providers, leads to an increase in the bill
collection rate and profit margin. However, negative relationship has been
found between the price on one hand, and non-revenue water, average daily
consumption, and water production on the other hand. The implication of
these findings reveal that the Palestinian water providers should increase water
prices gradually to cover operating and maintenance cost for better financial
performance and sustainability.This research paper has been made possible through the support from MEDRC
Water Research at the Sultanate of Oman. We would like to express our deepest
appreciation to MEDRC for publishing this paper. The deepest gratitude also to
Palestinian Water Authority (PWA) for valuable, effective supervision, coordination
of the scientific researches, and directing them toward finding creative
solutions for current water problems
Zooplankton community dynamics in response to water trophic state in integrated multitrophic aquaculture
Integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) is an alternative means to optimize feed usage in aquaculture which combines species of different trophic levels. The addition of substrate to IMTA has also been used to promote a lower release of phosphorus, thus minimizing eutrophication and impacts of effluents. In these aquaculture systems, the zooplankton community is important because it acts as a link in trophic chains. This study aimed to verify the dynamics and the structure of the zooplankton community in IMTA (tilapia-prawn), in response to trophic conditions in earthen ponds with different substrates. The object of the study was 12 earthen ponds organized in three treatments: no substrate (control), geotextile substrate, and bamboo substrate. Zooplankton samples were taken biweekly through a water bilge pump. Rotifers and microcrustaceans were identified and counted to determine changes in community diversity during the experiment. Eutrophication was determined through
phosphorus and chlorophyll water concentrations. There were no differences in zooplankton communities among treatments, even though increases in levels of eutrophication of the system heavily influenced this community, by altering its diversity and abundance. Small organisms were the most representative ones under polyculture eutrophic conditions
Association of Angiopoietin-Like Protein-8 Gene Variant (Rs2278426 (C/T)) in a Cohort of Egyptian Patients with Metabolic Syndrome: A Case-Control Study
Objective: This study was conducted to reveal the association of ANGPTL8 gene variant (Rs2278426 (C/T)) withmetabolic syndrome in a cohort of Egyptian patients. Materials and methods: This study is a case control study that included 150 patients with metabolic syndrome and 150 healthy control subjects. All subjects were submitted to history taking and thorough physical examination and laboratory analysis. Genomic DNA was extracted and ANGPTL8 gene SNP (rs2278426) was detected by 5’ nuclease assay. The tested genotypes included homozygous genotypes for C allele (CC), homozygous genotypes for T allele (TT) and heterozygous genotypes (CT). Results: A total of 300 subjects were included in the study; group 1 included 150 patients with metabolic syndrome. 21.3% were males and 78.7% were females, and group 2 had 150 healthy subjects. 17.3% were males, and 82.7% were females. In the current study, the metabolic syndrome group showed dysregulation of lipids and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) with a statistically significant increase in body anthropometric measures. There was no statistically significant difference in the distribution of the heterozygous genotype (C/T) relative to the wild-type genotype (C/C) in each of the two tested groups (p = 0.287 and 0.245 in the metabolic syndrome and control groups, respectively). Conclusions: There was no statistically significant difference in the genotype distribution of ANGPTL8 gene variant (Rs2278426) genotypes between the metabolic syndrome and control groups. The homozygous recessive genotype for T allele (TT) was not detected in both tested groups
3-Amino-5-(piperidin-1-yl)thiophene-2,4-dicarbonitrile
In the title compound, C11H12N4S, the thiophene ring is roughly planar, with a maximum deviation of 0.012 (1) Å for the S atom, and makes a dihedral angle of 7.89 (8)° with the mean plane of the piperidine ring, which is in a chair conformation. The crystal packing is stabilized by pairs of centrosymmetric intermolecular N—H⋯N hydrogen bonds, which results in the formation of a step-wise chain parallel to [10]
Laparoscopy in management of appendicitis in high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study.
BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Differences between high- and low-income settings in the availability of laparoscopic appendectomy, alternative management choices, and outcomes are poorly described. The aim was to identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis within low-, middle-, and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries worldwide. METHODS: This is a multicenter, international prospective cohort study. Consecutive sampling of patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over 6 months was conducted. Follow-up lasted 30 days. RESULTS: 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high-, 1540 middle-, and 507 low-HDI groups). Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33-4.99, p = 0.005) but not middle-HDI countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76-2.52, p = 0.291), compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low-HDI (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.71, p < 0.001) and SSIs (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33, p < 0.001). In propensity-score matched groups within low-/middle-HDI countries, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.11-0.44) and SSI (OR 0.21 95% CI 0.09-0.45). CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic approach is associated with better outcomes and availability appears to differ by country HDI. Despite the profound clinical, operational, and financial barriers to its widespread introduction, laparoscopy could significantly improve outcomes for patients in low-resource environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02179112
Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis
Background: There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low-and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods: Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results: Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US 73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was 75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion: For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially
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