Copolymerization of Acrylamide with Acrylic acid

Low conversion copolymerization of acrylamide AM (monomer-1) have been conducted with acrylic acid AA in dry benzene at 70°C , using Benzoyl peroxide BPO as initiator . The copolymer composition has been determined by elemental analysis. The monomer reactivity ratios have been calculated by the Kelen-Tudos and Finman-Ross graphical procedures. The derived reactivity ratios (r1, r2) are: (0.620, 0.996) for (AM / AA) systems , and found that the reactivity of the monomer AA is more than the monomer AM in the copolymerization of (AA/AM) system. The reactivity ratios values were used for microstructures calculation

Computer Application for Maintenance Planning and Scheduling of Industrial Plant

Plant maintenance involves all activities carried out on a machine to ensure a zero downtime of operation. Maintenance activities vary from one industry to the other but the basic maintenance activities are mainly to ensure continuous operations of equipment, plant and machineries. Over the past few decades, the various industrial work activities and maintenance operations are performed without a concrete plan (schedule) or are performed via manual paper work. Industrial operations are usually complex and recurrent activities. Analysis has shown that lack or insufficient maintenance coordination, has accounted for the poor performances and inefficiencies of many industries. Thus, it is pertinent to deduce a planned maintenance organizer or a computer aided design for the planning and scheduling of industrial work activities. This becomes important as computer has revolutionalized industrial activities with the development of modern high level computer programming languages such as visual basic by Microsoft among others

BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF UNTREATED RETAIL RAW MILK COLLECTED FROM RANDOM SUPPLIERS AT DOHUK GOVERNORATE – KURDISTAN REGION – IRAQ

Milk is a high nutritional food and extremely sensitive to bacterial contamination. The current study aimed to assess the presence and density of bacteria in local raw milk. Eighty raw milk samples were collected from four distanced geographical locations at Dohuk Governorate, Kurdistan Region-Iraq. For each geographical site, two private farms were randomly chosen for collecting milk samples. A batch of 10 raw milk samples was obtained from each farm for bacterial availability analysis. All samples were incubated with aeration at 37 °C for 24-48h on specific bacteriological media. Aerobic bacteria were observed in all sheep raw milk samples. The mean counts of total aerobic bacterial in samples from all farms were from 1.0 x 104 to more than 3.0 x 106 cfu/mL. Staphylococcus aureus was found in 37.5% (n=30); 50% (n=10); for B, D, and K groups, no S. aureus was observed in Z group. S. aureus density was from 1 x 103 to 4.0 x 104 cfu/mL (B Group); 2.7 x 104 to 3.0 x 104 cfu/mL (D Group); and 2.7 x 104 to 3.0 x 104 cfu/mL (K group). Escherichia coli was found in 23.75% (n=19); 40% (n=8), 50% (n=10), and 5% (n=1) of the raw milk samples for B, D, and K groups respectively as Z group was free of E. coli. E. coli contaminated samples produced bacterial growth from 6.0 x 103 to 7.6 x 104 cfu/mL (B Group); and 1.0 x 103 to 6.0 x 103 cfu/mL (D group) and only one sample from K group was contaminated with E. coli (7.4 x 104 cfu/mL). Klebsiella spp were observed in 57.5% (n=46) of the raw-milk samples; Z group 40% (n=8), B group 80% (n=16), D group 50% (n=10), and K group 60% (n =12). Bacterial abundance was from 2.6 x 104 to 1.88 x 105 cfu/mL (Z group); 1.3 x 104 to 1.51 x 105 cfu/mL (B group); 6.0 x 103 to 1.8 x 104 cfu/mL (D group); and from 2.4 x 105 to 1.24 x 106 cfu/mL (K group). Shigella raw milk positive samples were observed in 48.75% (n=39); Z group 100% (n=20), B group 45% (n=9), D group 50% (n=10), while K group was free of Shigella spp. Bacterial density was from 1.9 x 104 to 2.37 x 105 cfu/ mL (Z group), from 5.0 x 103 to 4.8 x 104 cfu/ mL (B group), and from 5.0 x 103 to 2.3 x104 (D group). All sheep raw-milk samples of this work were completely free of any species of Salmonella rods. However, 72 out of 80 examined samples of this study exceeded the total aerobic bacterial count according to the European recommended standards. Good hygienic practices, transporting milk in cold and clean containers, and regular medical checkup for sheep are suggested

A new approach for enhancing LSB steganography using bidirectional coding scheme

This paper proposes a new algorithm for embedding private information within a cover image. Unlike all other already existing algorithms, this one tends to employ the data of the carrier image more efficiently such that the image looks less distorted. As a consequence, the private data is maintained unperceived and the sent information stays unsuspicious.  This task is achieved by dividing the least significant bit plane of the cover image into fixed size blocks, and then embedding the required top-secret message within each block using one of two opposite ways depending on the extent of similarity of each block with the private information needed to be hidden. This technique will contribute to lessen the number of bits needed to be changed in the cover image to accommodate the private data, and hence will substantially reduce the   amount of distortion in the stego-image when compared to the classic LSB image steganography algorithms

Charged Nanoparticles Quench the Propulsion of Active Janus Colloids

Active colloidal particles regularly interact with surfaces in applications ranging from microfluidics to sensing. Recent work has revealed the complex nature of these surface interactions for active particles. Herein, we summarize experiments and simulations that show the impact of charged nanoparticles on the propulsion of an active colloid near a boundary. Adding charged nanoparticles not only decreased the average separation distance of a passive colloid because of depletion attraction as expected but also decreased the apparent propulsion of a Janus colloid to near zero. Complementary agentbased simulations considering the impact of hydrodynamics for active Janus colloids were conducted in the range of separation distances inferred from experiment. These simulations showed that propulsion speed decreased monotonically with decreasing average separation distance. Although the trend found in experiments and simulations was in qualitative agreement, there was still a significant difference in the magnitude of speed reduction. The quantitative difference was attributed to the influence of charged nanoparticles on the conductivity of the active particle suspension. Follow-up experiments delineating the impact of depletion and conductivity showed that both contribute to the reduction of speed for an active Janus particle. The experimental and simulated data suggests that it is necessary to consider the synergistic effects between various mechanisms influencing interactions experienced by an active particle near a boundary

Charged Nanoparticles Quench the Propulsion of Active Janus Colloids

Active colloidal particles regularly interact with surfaces in applications ranging from microfluidics to sensing. Recent work has revealed the complex nature of these surface interactions for active particles. Herein, we summarize experiments and simulations that show the impact of charged nanoparticles on the propulsion of an active colloid near a boundary. Adding charged nanoparticles not only decreased the average separation distance of a passive colloid because of depletion attraction as expected but also decreased the apparent propulsion of a Janus colloid to near zero. Complementary agentbased simulations considering the impact of hydrodynamics for active Janus colloids were conducted in the range of separation distances inferred from experiment. These simulations showed that propulsion speed decreased monotonically with decreasing average separation distance. Although the trend found in experiments and simulations was in qualitative agreement, there was still a significant difference in the magnitude of speed reduction. The quantitative difference was attributed to the influence of charged nanoparticles on the conductivity of the active particle suspension. Follow-up experiments delineating the impact of depletion and conductivity showed that both contribute to the reduction of speed for an active Janus particle. The experimental and simulated data suggests that it is necessary to consider the synergistic effects between various mechanisms influencing interactions experienced by an active particle near a boundary

A Novel Neuro-Fuzzy Model to Detect Human Emotions Using Different Set of Vital Factors with Performance Index Measure

A novel optimization algorithm is proposed for detecting human emotions(responses) using artificial intelligence techniques such as exhaustive search, fuzzy logic and neural networks. Previous models for detecting human emotions have used fourteen measurable physical and physiological input factors to detect twenty two human emotions. This paper presents an optimization method to reduce the number of input factors required to detect a set of emotions. The proposed method utilizes twelve optimization procedures (cases) each one has unique error values, and different input factors. Optimization is sought to reduce the cost and complexity of implementing human emotion detection systems. A performance measure index is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model. This study shows that using less than half of the factors (6-8 factors) is the most cost effective set of input parameters for the human emotions detection system

A Novel Neuro-Fuzzy Model to Detect Human Emotions Using Different Set of Vital Factors with Performance Index Measure

A novel optimization algorithm is proposed for detecting human emotions(responses) using artificial intelligence techniques such as exhaustive search, fuzzy logic and neural networks. Previous models for detecting human emotions have used fourteen measurable physical and physiological input factors to detect twenty two human emotions. This paper presents an optimization method to reduce the number of input factors required to detect a set of emotions. The proposed method utilizes twelve optimization procedures (cases) each one has unique error values, and different input factors. Optimization is sought to reduce the cost and complexity of implementing human emotion detection systems. A performance measure index is used to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model. This study shows that using less than half of the factors (6-8 factors) is the most cost effective set of input parameters for the human emotions detection system

Carriage of linezolid-resistant enterococci (LRE) among humans and animals in Nigeria: coexistence of the cfr, optrA, and poxtA genes in Enterococcus faecium of animal origin

Objectives: In contrast to increasing reports of the emergence of linezolid-resistant enterococci (LRE) emanating from many countries in Europe, Asia, and North America, data on its status and dissemination from the African continent remain scarce, with the information available limited to countries in North Africa. This study investigated the carriage of LRE and the genetic mechanism of resistance among Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis strains recovered from humans and animals in Makurdi, Nigeria. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study between June 2020 and July 2021 during which 630 nonduplicate human and animal faecal samples were collected and processed for the recovery of LRE. The genetic mechanisms for resistance were investigated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Sanger sequencing. Results: Linezolid-resistant enterococci were recovered from 5.87% (37/630; 95% CI: 4.17–8.00) of the samples, with the prevalence in animals and humans being 6.22% [(28/450); 95% CI: 4.17–8.87] and 5.00% [(9/180); 95% CI: 2.31–9.28], respectively. All isolates remained susceptible to vancomycin. No known point mutation mediating linezolid resistance was detected in the 23S rRNA and ribosomal protein genes; however, acquisition of one or more potentially transferable genes (cfr, optrA, and poxtA) was observed in 26 of the 37 LRE isolates. Co-existence of all three transferable genes in a single isolate was found in four E. faecium strains of animal origin. Conclusion: This study provides baseline evidence for the emergence and active circulation of LRE driven majorly by the acquisition of the optrA gene in Nigeria. To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to report a co-carriage of all three transferable linezolid resistance determinants in E. faecium. Active LRE surveillance is urgently required to understand the extent of LRE spread across sub-Saharan Africa and to develop tailored mitigation strategies