Digital Commons Network^™

Global Perspectives On Healthcare Waste Management And Bibliographic Mapping During The Crises Of Covid-19, Vasudeo Zambare, Bhushan Bhusare, Lew Christopher, Mohanadoss Ponraj, Nabin Narayan Munankarmi, Mohd Fadhil Md. Din

Applied Environmental Research

The lack of proper waste management of health care facilities can have a significant negative health impact on the global population. This study provides a critical view on the current state of the existing healthcare waste management practices used in healthcare facilities around the world during the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak. The increasing amount of COVID-related healthcare waste was analyzed and classified to provide justification for the urgent need to develop waste management standards that ensure safe containment and diversion of hazardous and non-hazardous wastes through recycling, reuse and repurposing. The waste handling, treatment, and disposal management of …

Assessment Of Total Petroleum Carbon And Heavy Metals Of Some Selected Plants Grown In Crude Oil Polluted Soils Using Gc-Fid, Pius O. Adah, Ndem E. Edu, Reagan B. Agbor, Henry B. Kogbara

Applied Environmental Research

This study was focused on assessing the phytoremediation potentials of some selected plant species on crude oil contaminated soils. Five plant species were cultivated in soils polluted with crude oil at 10, 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg kg-1. The results revealed that there were significant reduction in THC contents of soil ameliorated with the various plants species compared to the control group increases with increasing concentration of crude oil pollutant in soil. THC was 62.24 mg kg-1, 1,120 mg kg-1, 208.67 mg kg-1, 257.87 mg kg-1 and 2,762.79 mg kg-1 for R. simplex, P. balfouriana, K. pinnata …

Food Waste From Catering Services In Thai Hotels: A Composition Analysis And Practical Guidelines For Effective Utilization, Patranit Srijuntrapun, Patinya Sukwong

Applied Environmental Research

Food waste from the hotel sector is a significant contributor to the overall volume of food waste, particularly in restaurants and food services through various processes. However, precise data on food waste generated by the hotel industry is lacking. This study aims to quantify and characterize the food waste generated during the preparation and serving processes in hotel catering, with the goal of finding efficient solutions to reduce food waste that are appropriate for the hotel and catering sectors. The study presents novel findings that among the different types of catering, dinner-style buffets (DB) generate the highest amount of food …

Determinants Of Physicochemical Composition Of Palm Oil Mill Effluent - Implications On Environment And Bio-Digester Treatment Design, E.B. Tambe, A.U. Okonkwo, I.E. Mbuka-Nwosu, C.O. Cookey, E. Agbe, S.C. Onwusa, I.N. Ekpe, U.F. Evuen, J. Okpoghono

Applied Environmental Research

Growing need for renewable energy and addressing challenges associated with indiscriminate wastes disposal has necessitated harnessing wastes to wealth. The study investigated parameters determining the physicochemical composition of palm oil mill effluent (POME) generated at Agricultural Development Authority Palm (ADAPALM) and palm oil mills in its catchment communities, located at Ohaji/ Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria and their implications on environmental health and treatment approaches required. Survey research design was used. From a randomly sampled small-scaled mill in each community, and for the lone medium and large-scaled mills, four homogenous samples of POME were collected from sampled …

Removal Of Chromium From Aqueous System Using Nanocellulose Prepared From Defoliated Terminalia Catappa Leaves, Lopamudra Digal, Jayashree Mohanty

Applied Environmental Research

Nanocellulose is considered as a sustainable and renewable nanomaterial due to its abundant availability, biodegradability and biocompatibility characteristics. The study demonstrates the synthesis of nanocellulose from defoliated leaves of the Tropical Almond (Terminalia catappa) plant, abundantly available residual plant biomass and its subsequent use in eliminating Cr(VI) from the water system. The study demonstrates the preparation of nanocellulose by chemical means, employing NaOH and H2SO4 as chemical agents. Characterization techniques like FTIR, SEM, and XRD were used to study the chemical composition and morphology of the resulting nanocellulose. The characterization studies confirm the formation of nanocellulose from the plant biomass. …

Monitoring Of Estrone From Hospital Wastewater And Its Removal By Photocatalytic Membrane Reactor, Nicha Karnjanamit, Chongdee Thammakhet-Buranachai, Panitan Jutaporn, Watsa Khongnakorn

Applied Environmental Research

Steroid hormones, classified as endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), pose significant environmental and health concerns due to their persistence and potential adverse effects. This study investigates the presence of estrone (E1) in hospital wastewater and the efficiency of E1 removal through a photocatalytic membrane reactor (PMR). Wastewater samples were collected from two hospitals with different wastewater treatment processes. The concentration of E1 was analyzed using a combination of solid phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The PMR experimental setup involved a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane incorporated with 1 wt% titanium dioxide (PVDF/TiO2). The PMR performance was evaluated with and …

Unraveling The Effects Of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi On Plant Growth, Nutrient Content, And Heavy Metal Accumulation In The Contaminated Soil: A Meta-Analysis, Bela Putra, Anuraga Jayanegara, Irwan Susanto

Applied Environmental Research

This study evaluated the effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on plant growth, nutrient uptake, and heavy metal accumulation on polluted land using a meta-analysis approach. Data from 33 relevant studies were selected based on inclusion criteria, specifically articles in English, observational research, and investigating the role of AMF in plant growth and productivity on polluted land. The results showed that plants inoculated with AMF experienced significant accumulation of heavy metals in roots, such as Pb (p<0.01), Ni (p<0.01), Cr (p<0.01), Mn (p<0.05), Fe (p<0.05), and As (p<0.05). The AMF significantly reduced the accumulation of heavy metals such as Cr, Ni, Fe, and Cu on the upper part of fodder forage (p<0.01). Forage growth was also enhanced due to AMF. The AMF greatly increased the fresh weight, length, and phosphorus (P) content of fodder forage roots (p<0.01). It also increased the plant's biomass, fresh weight, dry weight, height, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) contents (p<0.01). In conclusion, AMF is important in increasing plant growth, nutrient uptake and reducing heavy metal accumulation in forage on polluted land.

Numerical Dose Assessment And Short-Term Radioactivity Impact On Foodstuff For Continuous Release From Of Triga Mark Ii Research Reactor, Ahmed Dahia, Amel Dadda, Amina Lyria Cheridi Deghal, Abdellah Bouam

Applied Environmental Research

This work is a contribution to the assessment of the radiological consequences of radioactivity and radiation dose for TRIGA Mark II research reactor during continuous operation. The potential release to the atmosphere of 131I, 137Cs, and 90Sr are computed in the South direction is calculated using CROM software. We have attempted to evaluate the daily concentration of radioactivity and its impact on foodstuff. The annual average dose received from internal and external irradiation by age group through the different pathways were also considered. The simulation results showed that the highest air concentration was found at 225 m distance from the …

Disentangling Cyclic Causality: An Instance-Based Framework For Causal Discovery, Chase A. Yakaboski

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Correlation does not imply causation" is one of the fundamental principles taught in science, emphasizing that associations between variables do not necessarily indicate causality. Yet, over the past three decades, extensive research has begun to challenge this perspective by developing sophisticated methods to differentiate causal from correlative relationships. This research suggests that correlations often involve a blend of confounded and causal interactions, which, given certain assumptions, can be disentangled to uncover actionable insights and deepen our understanding of physical, biological, and societal systems.

Accurately discovering causal relationships from data amidst cyclic dynamics remains a challenging open problem in causality research. …

Re–Operating The Bhumibol And Sirikit Dams Using Hybrid Neuro–Fuzzy Technique To Solve The Water Scarcity And Flooding Problems In The Chao Phraya River Basin, Khin Muyar Kyaw, Areeya Rittima, Yutthana Phankamolsil, Allan Sriratana Tabucanon, Wudhichart Sawangphol, Jidapa Kraisangka, Yutthana Talaluxmana, Varawoot Vudhivanich

Applied Environmental Research

The decision support system to reservoir re–operation using Artificial Intelligence has been broadly studied and proven in term of the operational performances for both single and multiple reservoir system, this study applied Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) technique for reservoir re–operation in Chao Phraya River Basin aiming to reduce water scarcity and flooding problems in the central region of Thailand. ANFIS is an integrated approach in which neural networks are utilized to enhance the fuzzy inference system and create fuzzy “IF–Then” reservoir operational guidelines with proper membership functions for reservoir re–operation. In this study, ANFIS operating rules were trained …

Social Return On Investment (Sroi) From The Community Waste Bank Implementation Under The Learning Center Of Systematic Waste Management Innovation According To The Circular Economy Concept, Pornpod Sridan, Pichaya Surapolchai, Thidasil Plainlaor, Apinya Tanyaim, Nuchanad Hounnaklang, Onuma Zongram, Yotwadee Hawangchu

Applied Environmental Research

This article presents the results of social return on investment (SROI) evaluation in the community’s waste bank program implemented in the Moo 7 and Moo 8 Villages of Tan Diao Subdistrict, Kaeng Khoi District, Saraburi Province during 2020–2022, which is a part of the Learning Centre of Systematic Waste Management Innovation According to the Concept of Circular Economy project. This research employed participatory action research to collect data on total cost for investment and income from selling recyclable waste through in-depth interviews and focus groups with a total of 40 stakeholders including: 25 community members, 5 community leaders, 3 representatives …

Luminescence Inhibition Of Water-Soluble Fractions Of Crude Oil, Diesel And Spent Engine Oil On Freshly Isolated Vibrio Campbellii, Beatrice Omolola Bello, Olayide Samuel Lawal, Gbenga Emmanuel Olumayede, Ogochukwu Angela Agwu, Stanley Ozoemena Agbo

Applied Environmental Research

Inhibitory effects of water-soluble fraction (WSF) of crude oil, diesel, spent engine oil, and their composite mixture on luminescent Vibrio species isolated from a tropical marine fish were assessed to determine the acute toxicity and suitability of the bacteria. This was evaluated with a slight modification of the procedure for freshly prepared luminescent marine bacteria according to the International Organization for Standardization. Toxicity was assessed following bacterial exposure to different concentrations of the WSFs. Water quality parameters and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined using standard methods. Chemical analysis revealed cumulative loads of PAHs in the WSFs of crude …

The Influence Of Chemical Fertilizers On The Effectiveness Of Biochar In Mitigating Cadmium Mobility In Soil, Chompoonut Chaiyaraksa, Navapat Sangworn

Applied Environmental Research

The focus of this study was to explore how various fertilizers influence the movement of cadmium in soil treated with biochar. The research utilized a strong acid sandy loam soil from Chanthaburi Province, naturally rich in organic matter with moderate cation exchange capacity and low nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus, sulfate, salinity and chloride levels. The soil was purposely contaminated with 50 mg kg-1 of cadmium and treated with biochar derived from water hyacinth through pyrolysis at 450°C for an hour. This biochar displayed moderate alkalinity, high organic matter, phosphorus, potassium, and cation exchange capacity, but low nitrogen content. Analytical techniques like …

A Review On Chemometrics And Climate Change: Insights From Malaysia Case Study, Ismafatin Nabilah Ismail, Mohd Khairul Amri Kamarudin, Wan Nor Azilawanie Tun Ismail, Noorjima Abd Wahab, Ahmad Shakir Mohd Saudi, Mohd Ekhwan Toriman, Firdaus Mohamad Hamzah, Septi Ariadi

Applied Environmental Research

Climate change consider as main issues and concerns in Malaysia over the decade. Chemometrics techniques have been used in many climate change issues to address the limitations of climate change monitoring studies. In climate change areas, chemometrics is a valuable tool for assessing the correlation between different climate change factors, especially in vast and intricate databases. The purpose of the review was to evaluate and summarise the available data and restrictions regarding the use of chemometrics techniques in Malaysian environmental studies. The study conducted a thorough analysis of pertinent scientific papers published between 2019 to 2023 that addressed the main …

Optimizing Tenebrio Molitor Feeding Strategy To Induce Physical Degradation Of Tires: A Novel Approach For Sustainable Waste Management, Abdussalam Topandi, Khadijah Sayyidatun Nisa, Fatimah Azizah Riyadi, Ibnu Maulana Hidayatullah, Pranata -, Firah Gustianda Ayu, Reynaldi Ivan Prasetya, Frederick Soetandar, Dimas Rafi Narawangsa, Eka Rahayu

Applied Environmental Research

Due to the increased usage of tires, the accumulation of worn tires has become a significant environmental concern and necessitates environmentally friendly waste management strategies. Conventional methods, such as tire incineration or improper disposal, contribute to environmental degradation. It is reported that organisms, such as Tenebrio molitor larvae, can degrade a wide range of polymers. This study explores the promising potential of Tenebrio molitor larvae in addressing this concern. Through a series of experiments, Tenebrio molitor larvae were fed with cut-worn tires to facilitate degradation. The larvae exhibited remarkable capabilities, surviving and thriving on tires as a sole carbon source …

Fretting Corrosion Wear Of Titanium-Based Alloy (Ti-6al-4v) In 0.9 Wt.% Nacl Solution, Chen-En Lu, Wen-Ken Li, Hung-Hua Sheu, Jeou-Long Lee, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, a high precision fretting tribo-corrosion tester used to analyze the wear and corrosion behavior of Ti alloys in a fretting motion condition. The tester, operated in a ball-on-plate mode, was employed in the fretting corrosion study of metallic bio-materials (Ti and Ti-6Al-4V) under different loads (0 and 10 N), electrolytes (0.9 wt% NaCl and SBF) and fixed displacement frequency (1 Hz). Using profilometer, optical microscope in the experimental analysis and three-body mechanism in the theoretical analysis, the fretting corrosion performances of these bio-medical metals, such as velocity accommodation characteristics, friction, wear, and scratch profile were examined in …

Evaluating The Connectivity Reliability Of The Seaborne Transportation Network Using Uncertainty Theory, Tianshou Liu, Haiyang Bian, Lin Feng, Chenyang Fan, Chaojun Ding, Grifoll Manel, Hongxiang Feng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The shipping network serves as the backbone of international trade. However, due to unstable geopolitical conditions, unexpected events have occurred frequently in recent years that have impacted the global shipping supply chain, and this has placed enormous pressure and had adverse effects on seaborne transportation. To measure the reliability of the global shipping network under unexpected events, we abstract the global shipping network into a small world network using uncertainty theory. A method is proposed for selecting (i) the optimal reliable path and (ii) the optimal reliable path with a maximum measurement under different confidence intervals. Our approach is then …

Mechanical Property Analysis And Three-Dimensional Reverse Reconstruction Based On Corrosion Pit Characteristics Of Strong Corrosion Steel Plate, Qiujun Ning, Xiaosong Lu, Jiawei Lu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

To investigate the strong corrosion effect of 36% industrial hydrochloric acid on Q370 steel for bridges at room temperature. The surface morphology variations of the Q370 steel for bridges with corrosion time were measured and analyzed using a three-dimensional non-contact scanning profilometer. Subsequently, the standard monotonic tensile test was carried out to obtain the load-displacement curve and analyze the mechanical properties of the heavily corroded steel. Moreover, the constitutive model parameters of the heavily corroded steel were optimized. Furthermore, the heavily corroded steel model base on the actual corroded surface morphology was established, employing three-dimensional reverse reconstruction technology and finite …

Sea Ice Identification And Risk Assessment For Navigation In Ice Regions Based On Shipboard Camera Images, Tsung-Hsuan Hsieh, Xuan Lu, Shengzheng Wang, Wei Liu, Jianan Luo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In order to guarantee the safe navigation of vessels in icy regions and effectively capture sea ice risk information surrounding ships, this study introduces a sea ice identification and risk assessment process utilizing shipboard camera images. Firstly, based on the distribution characteristics of sea area, a hierarchical region segmentation algorithm is proposed to precisely remove interference factors and extract the region of interest. Then, a multivariate K-means clustering algorithm is proposed to classify sea ice classes based on various characteristics, including spatial similarity, sea ice area, sea ice thickness, gray scale, and other multivariate information. Finally, a method for small …

Optimization On Container Drayage Scheduling In Stochastic Time-Dependent Network, Qi Xu, Jie Huang, Xingyue Chen, Rui Cheng, Xiangyu Yin, Zhongzhen Yang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

To ensure a reliable operation of container drayage transport system, this paper investigates the drayage scheduling problem in a stochastic time-dependent network. Based on the theory of the robust optimization, a mathematical model considering the attributes of “synchronized operation of multi machines” is built with the aim of minimization of the schedule delay in the whole system. A Simulated Annealing algorithm with Embedded Heuristics (SAEH) is designed for model solution. Comparisons between the results from the robust optimization and traditional expected value approach, and the results from the SAEH and CPLEX are conducted. Based on that, the effectiveness of our …

3d Microtissue Model Of The Aged Ovarian Tumor Microenvironment, Peyton Clark

All ETDs from UAB

Ovarian cancer is the 5th leading cause of cancer deaths for women, primarily due to treatment resistant and/or recurrent disease. Most cases of ovarian cancer are not diagnosed until distant metastases have formed, which drastically reduces overall survival. The median age at diagnosis is 63 and most cases occur in patients who are peri- and post-menopausal. There is a critical gap between the clinical presentation of ovarian cancer and the preclinical models used to study the disease. Most preclinical in vivo investigations use mice who are between 6 and 12 weeks old, which corresponds to roughly a 20-year-old human. Therefore, …

Comparative Enzymatic Analysis Of Different Isoforms Of Group A Streptococcal Bacteriophage H4489a Hyaluronidase, Urvi Prakash Rawal

All ETDs from UAB

The Hyaluronate Lyase derived from Group A streptococcal bacteriophage H4489A gene (HylP) is known for cleaving the glycosidic bonds of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid (HMWHA), a substance often overexpressed in certain types of cancer cells. This enzymatic action produces HA oligosaccharides. Previous research, conducted by our team, has demonstrated that these oligosaccharides play a significant role in reducing the invasion, migration, and proliferation of breast cancer cells. This effect occurs through the disruption of Erk1/2 activation and RhoA expression. This bacteriophage hyaluronate lyase (HylP), a 40kDa protein, possesses a unique collagen-like sequence, consisting of 30 amino acids in a …

World Spirit And The Apotheosis Of Artificial Superintelligence: A Speculative Design Proposal, Ian Gonsher

Scholarly Research

This essay puts forth a speculative design proposal for a device with affordances for talking to, and receiving responses from, God. We begin with an analysis and critique of the concept of God, framing this concept within an understanding of Hegelian Spirit (Geist) and technological evolution. In this context, Spirit, or World Spirit (Weltgeist), can be characterized as the aggregate consciousness of all people - as human consciousness itself: In the simplest terms, this immanent framing of the “mind of God” is culturally and socially constituted as the communication that people engage in with each other, in all the diverse …

Serious Game-Based Training For Improved Utilization Of A Novel Temporalis Emg Interface For Controlling Powered Wheelchairs, Calvin Macdonald

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a terminal neurodegenerative disease that leads to a lack of independent mobility. One solution uses a unilateral surface EMG (sEMG) interface on the temporalis muscle to provide autonomous control of a powered wheelchair. Limbitless Journey, an EMG-controlled serious game, intends to provide users with a virtual environment to train in before use in a real-world scenario. A recent study analyzed the effect of video game training on the use of sEMG systems on the forearm, showing significant improvement in the usage of the interface but no difference between Free Play and structured play. The study …

Ml-Based User Identification Through Mouse Dynamics, Rakshit Gupta

Master's Projects

User authentication and identification plays a crucial role in ensuring the security and integrity of digital systems. Traditional authentication methods, such as passwords and biometrics, have inherent limitations that can compromise system security. This research proposes a novel approach to user authentication by leveraging machine learning techniques and behavioral biometrics, specifically mouse dynamics. The primary objective is to develop a sophisticated framework that can accurately identify individuals based on their unique mouse behavior patterns. The study explores and compares multiple deep learning architectures, including Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory networks (LSTM), and Transformer models, to generate embeddings from …

Automatic Detection Of Birds In Images Acquired With Remotely Piloted Aircraft For Managing Wildlife Strikes To Civil Aircraft, Maurycio Rodrigues Oviedo, Flavio A. C. Mendonca Ph.D., Jose Cabrera, Cole A. Mcnall, Raymond Ayres, Ricardo Luís Barbosa, Rodrigo Gallis

International Journal of Aviation, Aeronautics, and Aerospace

Wildlife strikes represent a significant threat to aviation safety and economics, as evidenced by notable incidents such as the emergency landing of US Airways Flight 1549 in 2009. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) acknowledges this growing concern, as evidenced by its report on Wildlife Strikes to Civil Aircraft in the United States from 1990 to 2019.To address the need for improved risk management, airports conduct Wildlife Hazard Assessments (WHA), a laborious process typically relying on visual identification by Qualified Airport Wildlife Biologists (QAWB). However, technological advancements, such as Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and machine learning (ML), offer promising solutions to …

Lightweight Neural Network Pipeline Model For Drone Collision Prediction System Using Limited Computing Resources, Rifqi Nabila Zufar

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis focuses on developing a drone collision prediction algorithm by adapting the Neural Network Pipeline (NNP) for use in limited computing resources devices. While NNP is effective with sufficient computation, its performance in constrained environments remains untested. To address this issue, an adaptation of NNP using post-training quantization is developed. This method effectively compresses the model by reducing the precision of the 32-bit floating point. This adaptation aims at reducing model complexity and offers significant benefits in terms of reduced model size, increased processing speed, and reduced power consumption. It results in the expense of prediction accuracy. The MobileNetV3Small …

Small Object Detection Techniques In Remote Sensing Images Using Aam And Raspp, Farhan Iqbal

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Remote sensing technology has advanced substantially, with significant research focused on identifying and recognizing small, distant objects within large-scale scenes. Despite these strides, the task remains difficult due to limitations in image resolution, varied object scales, dense object distribution, and diverse orientations. Current object detection methods often struggle to maintain the fine detail essential for small object detection, resulting in the loss of critical information. To address this, we introduce an Advanced Attention Mechanism (AAM) that combines a novel Combined Channel and Spatial Attention (CCSA) approach with Residual Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (RASSP). This integration enhances detection accuracy by preserving …

Characterization Of Size Distribution And Source Contribution To Airborne Particles In Buddhist Religious Places In Bangkok, Sopannha Chy

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Ultrafine particles, defined as particles with diameter below 100 nm, present high health risks but presently remain unknown in air quality management in Thailand. To better understand ultrafine particles, the appropriate quantification must be by aerosol numbers in a size-resolved manner in addition to the mass-based information currently used. This study investigated the particle number concentration and size distribution as well as estimating the source emission rate from incense burning in 3 temples and 1 shrine located in Bangkok, Thailand on peak days and normal day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) and the …

Effect Of Zeolite Support Of Nickel-Copper Catalyst On Conversion Of Palm Oil To Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Natnicha Ritmun

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is increasingly recognized as a critical alternative for reducing the environmental impact of the aviation industry, which is a significant source of global greenhouse gas emissions. SAF production primarily utilizes vegetable oils as feedstock rather than biomass, due to their low functional group content and chemical structure that closely resembles that of fossil fuels. This research focuses on the development of bimetallic catalysts made from nickel, with copper as promoters, supported on various zeolites including SAPO-11, Zeolite Y, and Zeolite ZSM-5. The chemical and physical properties of these catalysts were analyzed using several techniques, including X-ray …