Parametric study on the heating values of products as via steam gasification of palm waste using CaO as sorbent material

In Malaysia, due to abundance of oil palm waste, it is a good candidate to be used as a feedstock for syngas and hydrogen production. Biomass steam gasification is one of the promising methods for syngas production. This work focuses on the steam gasification with in-situ CO2 capture using CaO as absorbent materials for hydrogen production from palm oil empty fruit bunch (EFB). Three parameters (temperature, steam/biomass ratio and sorbent/biomass ratio) has been studied on the lower heating value (LHV) and higher heating value (HHV) of product gas. The results shows that the current study gives higher value of LHV at lower temperature of 823K. The higher value of LHV is obtained due to the lower concentration of CO2 caused by using CaO as sorbent material. Furthermore, CaO materials enhanced the concentration of concentration of the CO, H2 and CH4 in the product gas. The results are also compared against published data as well

Groundwater Quality and Soil Characterization: A Case Study at Bukit Tembaga, Kuala Nerang, Kedah

Soil test can be used toanalyze soil characterization. The character of soils can reflect the quality of underground water. Nowadays groundwater can be used as an alternative to drinking water. The mineral contain in soil will give an added value to the quality of groundwater. This study extracted groundwater from lot 1981, Bukit Tembaga, Kuala Nerang Kedah which was in Padang Terap district. Generally this area is classified as hilly area and surrounded by a rubber plantation. The objective of this paper is to analyze characterization of the soil in term of oxide compound, groundwater quality and correlation between chemical concentration and groundwater quality. Chemical concentration in soil was analyzed using XRF. Groundwater quality was tested by using APHA standard 2012. The parameters for groundwater sourcewere compared with the Groundwater Standard. The correlation coefficientvalue is calculated using Pearson’s method. The results indicated that certain metals present in the soil and groundwater samples. The negative value of correlation coefficientproved that high concentration of metals in soil resulted to low concentration of metals in groundwater

Review of Cryptosporidiosis in Calves, Children and Hiv/Aids Patients

Cryptosporidiosis is among the most important protozoan parasitic diseases of animals and humans importance that commonly causes diarrheal disease in a wide range of vertebrate hosts, particularly, neonatal calves, Children, and HIV/Aids Patients. The host immune capacity is the most important factor affecting both the probability of infection and the severity of the subsequent disease. Commonly, humans and animals get an infection when they contact animal manure and consume food and drink containing Oocysts that contain four Sporozoites within this protozoan. Although the disease has occasionally been reported in adult animals and humans, the severity of the disease is common in neonatal calves, young children particularly in those < 5 years and HIV/AIDS patients. The prevalence of bovine Cryptosporidiosis ranges from 6.25 to 39.65% in different parts of the world and 2.3 to 27.8% in Ethiopia as well. Diagnosis of Cryptosporidiosis is mostly based on the detection of Oocysts from fecal samples. Animals and human sewage discharges are generally considered as the major sources of contamination. At present, there is no effective treatment and vaccines to prevent Cryptosporidiosis in either livestock farms or humans. Thus, the practice of good personal and dairy farm hygiene, prevention of environmental contamination of Oocystsare the best prevention methods in humans and animals. The objective of this paper is to review the current status of Cryptosporidiosis, the zoonotic implication of Cryptosporidiosis in both humans and animals

A planar parallel slotted circular disk passive UWB-RFID tag

The research on chipless RFID is getting popular everyday due to its ease of construction and cheap manufacturing. However, the existing dimensions reported in the open literature are still too large and the detection techniques are also complex in nature. In this paper, a new passive UWB tag structure and a corresponding relatively simple detection technique have been proposed. The structure contains a number of slots inserted in a planar circular disk. Two different tags have been designed and simulated, the first with one slot and the second with five different slots. Taconic TLX-8 has been chosen as the substrate material of structure having a dielectric constant of 2.55 and 0.5mm of height. The backscattering information from the tag has been utilized for the detection of the tag bits on board. The tag structure justification has been done by the surface current response and the detection method is employed to extract the bits. A good agreement has been found in the simulation. For five bit system, bit ‘10000’ and bit ‘11111’ have been successfully extracted. This will motivate RFID researchers to employ more bits on the tag and will provide the encoding the bits with ease.The research on chipless RFID is getting popular everyday due to its ease of construction and cheap manufacturing. However, the existing dimensions reported in the open literature are still too large and the detection techniques are also complex in nature. In this paper, a new passive UWB tag structure and a corresponding relatively simple detection technique have been proposed. The structure contains a number of slots inserted in a planar circular disk. Two different tags have been designed and simulated, the first with one slot and the second with five different slots. Taconic TLX-8 has been chosen as the substrate material of structure having a dielectric constant of 2.55 and 0.5mm of height. The backscattering information from the tag has been utilized for the detection of the tag bits on board. The tag structure justification has been done by the surface current response and the detection method is employed to extract the bits. A good agreement has been found in the simulation. For five bit system, bit ‘10000’ and bit ‘11111’ have been successfully extracted. This will motivate RFID researchers to employ more bits on the tag and will provide the encoding the bits with ease

A notched UWB microstrip patch antenna for 5G lower and FSS bands

In ASEAN countries, the fifth generation (5G) forum proposed a 5G application lower frequency band (4.5–5.5) GHz and the fixed satellite service (FSS) C-band at (3.3–4.2) GHz. Previous research works have demonstrated that the complexity of antenna design, large size and in most of the cases, active elements that were added to antenna has made the antenna costly. Therefore, this research work focused on developing a single band notched (SBN) and double band notched (DBN) antennas by creating notched bands for 5G lower band from 4.5 to 5.5 GHz and C-band 3.3 to 4.2 GHz applications in antenna UWB spectrum. An UWB antenna has been developed using low-cost FR-4 substrate with partial grounding (PG) on a rectangular patch. A single band and dual band notched UWB antennas were realized for the 5G lower band through the use of a slot at the top of the radiating patch and by adding an arc shape open loop (ASOL) on the UWB antenna. Both antennas are fabricated using the same FR-4 substrate and tested using Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). The voltage standing wave ratio (VSWR), return loss, gain, and 2-D radiation pattern of the test results prove that all antennas have excellent performance (compared to previous research works) in notched band and UWB band frequencies. Therefore, developed single notch and dual notch UWB antennas are proposed as good candidates for 5G lower band and C-band notched application environment

Mathematical modeling of temperature effect on algal growth for biodiesel application

Microalgae biomass is promising feedstock for the industrial production of biodiesel. Hence, research and development are required in various domains especially optimizations of growth conditions including temperature effect for mass scale operation (production of biomass, harvesting, extraction of lipid, etc). Since in middle east region, seasonal temperature variation and more rapid daily fluctuations are amenable to alter the growth kinetics of microalgae in outdoor culture and hence affect algae biomass production efficiency. Therefore, in this study, a mathematical model was developed to calculate how the algae sp. (Chlorella kessleri) will react at different temperatures. The model integrates Monod model and Arrhenius equation, and as such it describes the relationship of algal growth rate with culturing temperature and limiting nutrient concentration. The apparent activation energy and pre-exponential factors were calculated to be 2537 cal/mol and 0.0077 day−1, respectively. The developed models could be useful to anticipate the effective impacts of temperature on outdoor algae culture

Early versus late rehabilitation for stroke survivors: A prospective study

The aim of this study was to examine the optimum time of rehabilitation initiation after stroke in terms of disabilities, mobility and fall risk assessment. Data were collected prospectively at seven tertiary level health care centers in Bangladesh during the 36 months period from 2013 to 2016. All respondents were divided into four groups based on the initiation of rehabilitation as: a) 0-24 hours, b) 25-72 hours, c) 4-7 days and d) 8-60 days. Results show that significant improvement on stroke recovery, disabilities reduction, improvement in mobility restriction and reduction of fall risks in all the four groups but more improvement was observed in 0-24 hour’s group during follow-up after 3 and 12 weeks. On multinomial logistic regression analysis, the independent factors shows the mobility restriction and fall risk were more in the younger patients, male gender, married, hemorrhagic lesion and bilateral stroke

Knowledge, attitudes, and fear of COVID-19 during the Rapid Rise Period in Bangladesh

The study aims to determine the level of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice (KAP) related to COVID-19 preventive health habits and perception of fear towards COVID-19 in subjects living in Bangladesh. Design: Prospective, cross-sectional survey of (n = 2157) male and female subjects, 13–88 years of age, living in Bangladesh. Methods: Ethical approval and trial registration were obtained before the commencement of the study. Subjects who volunteered to participate and signed the informed consent were enrolled in the study and completed the structured questionnaire on KAP and Fear of COVID-19 scale (FCV-19S). Results: Twenty-eight percent (28.69%) of subjects reported one or more COVID-19 symptoms, and 21.4% of subjects reported one or more co-morbidities. Knowledge scores were slightly higher in males (8.75± 1.58) than females (8.66± 1.70). Knowledge was significantly correlated with age (p < .005), an education level (p < .001), attitude (p < .001), and urban location (p < .001). Knowledge scores showed an inverse correlation with fear scores (p < .001). Eighty-three percent (83.7%) of subjects with COVID-19 symptoms reported wearing a mask in public, and 75.4% of subjects reported staying away from crowded places. Subjects with one or more symptoms reported higher fear compared to subjects without (18.73± 4.6; 18.45± 5.1). Conclusion: Bangladeshis reported a high prevalence of self-isolation, positive preventive health behaviors related to COVID-19, and moderate to high fear levels. Higher knowledge and Practice were found in males, higher education levels, older age, and urban location. Fear of COVID-19 was more prevalent in female and elderly subjects. A positive attitude was reported for the majority of subjects, reflecting the belief that COVID-19 was controllable and containable

Quantifying risks and interventions that have affected the burden of diarrhoea among children younger than 5 years : an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Many countries have shown marked declines in diarrhoea! disease mortality among children younger than 5 years. With this analysis, we provide updated results on diarrhoeal disease mortality among children younger than 5 years from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) and use the study's comparative risk assessment to quantify trends and effects of risk factors, interventions, and broader sociodemographic development on mortality changes in 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2017. Methods This analysis for GBD 2017 had three main components. Diarrhoea mortality was modelled using vital registration data, demographic surveillance data, and verbal autopsy data in a predictive, Bayesian, ensemble modelling tool; and the attribution of risk factors and interventions for diarrhoea were modelled in a counterfactual framework that combines modelled population-level prevalence of the exposure to each risk or intervention with the relative risk of diarrhoea given exposure to that factor. We assessed the relative and absolute change in diarrhoea mortality rate between 1990 and 2017, and used the change in risk factor exposure and sociodemographic status to explain differences in the trends of diarrhoea mortality among children younger than 5 years. Findings Diarrhoea was responsible for an estimated 533 768 deaths (95% uncertainty interval 477 162-593 145) among children younger than 5 years globally in 2017, a rate of 78.4 deaths (70.1-87.1) per 100 000 children. The diarrhoea mortality rate ranged between countries by over 685 deaths per 100 000 children. Diarrhoea mortality per 100 000 globally decreased by 69.6% (63.1-74.6) between 1990 and 2017. Among the risk factors considered in this study, those responsible for the largest declines in the diarrhoea mortality rate were reduction in exposure to unsafe sanitation (13.3% decrease, 11.2-15.5), childhood wasting (9.9% decrease, 9.6-10.2), and low use of oral rehydration solution (6.9% decrease, 4-8-8-4). Interpretation Diarrhoea mortality has declined substantially since 1990, although there are variations by country. Improvements in sociodemographic indicators might explain some of these trends, but changes in exposure to risk factors-particularly unsafe sanitation, childhood growth failure, and low use of oral rehydration solution-appear to be related to the relative and absolute rates of decline in diarrhoea mortality. Although the most effective interventions might vary by country or region, identifying and scaling up the interventions aimed at preventing and protecting against diarrhoea that have already reduced diarrhoea mortality could further avert many thousands of deaths due to this illness

Quantifying risks and interventions that have affected the burden of lower respiratory infections among children younger than 5 years : an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017

Background Despite large reductions in under-5 lower respiratory infection (LRI) mortality in many locations, the pace of progress for LRIs has generally lagged behind that of other childhood infectious diseases. To better inform programmes and policies focused on preventing and treating LRIs, we assessed the contributions and patterns of risk factor attribution, intervention coverage, and sociodemographic development in 195 countries and territories by drawing from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study 2017 (GBD 2017) LRI estimates. Methods We used four strategies to model LRI burden: the mortality due to LRIs was modelled using vital registration data, demographic surveillance data, and verbal autopsy data in a predictive ensemble modelling tool; the incidence of LRIs was modelled using population representative surveys, health-care utilisation data, and scientific literature in a compartmental meta-regression tool; the attribution of risk factors for LRI mortality was modelled in a counterfactual framework; and trends in LRI mortality were analysed applying changes in exposure to risk factors over time. In GBD, infectious disease mortality, including that due to LRI, is among HIV-negative individuals. We categorised locations based on their burden in 1990 to make comparisons in the changing burden between 1990 and 2017 and evaluate the relative percent change in mortality rate, incidence, and risk factor exposure to explain differences in the health loss associated with LRIs among children younger than 5 years. Findings In 2017, LRIs caused 808 920 deaths (95% uncertainty interval 747 286-873 591) in children younger than 5 years. Since 1990, there has been a substantial decrease in the number of deaths (from 2 337 538 to 808 920 deaths; 65.4% decrease, 61.5-68.5) and in mortality rate (from 362.7 deaths [3304-392.0] per 100 000 children to 118.9 deaths [109.8-128.3] per 100 000 children; 67.2% decrease, 63.5-70.1). LRI incidence dedined globally (32.4% decrease, 27.2-37.5). The percent change in under-5 mortality rate and incidence has varied across locations. Among the risk factors assessed in this study, those responsible for the greatest decrease in under-5 LRI mortality between 1990 and 2017 were increased coverage of vaccination against Haemophilus influenza type b (11.4% decrease, 0.0-24.5), increased pneumococcal vaccine coverage (6.3% decrease, 6.1-6.3), and reductions in household air pollution (8.4%, 6 8-9.2). Interpretation Our findings show that there have been substantial but uneven declines in LRI mortality among countries between 1990 and 2017. Although improvements in indicators of sociodemographic development could explain some of these trends, changes in exposure to modifiable risk factors are related to the rates of decline in LRI mortality. No single intervention would universally accelerate reductions in health loss associated with LRIs in all settings, but emphasising the most dominant risk factors, particularly in countries with high case fatality, can contribute to the reduction of preventable deaths