Peertechz
Not a member yet
4919 research outputs found
Sort by
Wood-cement-steatite panels used in replacement of gypsum boards in residential and commercial buildings: contribution to the thermal mass
No full textThis article reports the results of a study carried out to evaluate the influence of wood-cement-steatite partitions on the thermal performance of a small building. The interior walls of two identical 2.0 × 2.5 × 3.0 m experimental wooden frame huts (tiny houses, with one door and one window), designed and built following the National Building Code of Canada, were covered with standard gypsum boards in one case (GB hut) and a combination of gypsum boards and wood-cement-steatite panels in the other case (WCSP hut). The thermal behavior of both huts, located on the campus of Laval University, in Québec (QC), Canada was monitored over a testing period extending from mid-march to the first week of July 2019. Depending on the moment during that period (cold weather, mild weather) and the characteristics being evaluated, the temperature inside the huts was conditioned or not with an electric heater. The following parameters were recorded: outdoor temperature, the temperature inside the two huts, and, when applicable, their electricity consumption. In cold weather, the wood-cement-steatite panels contributed to reducing the electricity consumption by 5.2% over that of the reference GB hut. In mild weather, wood-cement-steatite panels were found to improve the comfort inside the test hut by leveling off the temperature variations, with reductions ranging from 0.3 °C to 3.8 °C. Both the differences in electricity consumption and indoor temperature variations were determined to be statistically significant, with p - values inferior to 0.005. The results generated in this part of the study further strengthen the potential of WCSP as a real alternative to gypsum boards for drywall partitioning in residential and commercial buildings. In addition to their many advantageous constructive properties, such as water resistance, flexural strength, screw withdrawal resistance, and fire resistance, the improvements they could yield in energy efficiency and thermal comfort make it a quite promising partitioning option.</p
The use of underwater active and passive acoustics to locate and study fishes
No full textThis paper describes how fish can be located using sound, especially in the sea, but also in rivers and lakes. It describes the use of sound detections, including both passive and active acoustics, and it reviews each of these technologies and shows how they can be used to understand the distribution of sound-producing species and to examine information on the spawning habitats of fishes, and their spawning behavior, and also their movement patterns. Sounds generated by humans can have detrimental effects upon fishes, and some stocks of fishes are exploited close to their safe biological limits, requiring restrictions upon those human activities that may harm them. There is a need to regulate those human activities that have adverse effects on fish.</p
The effect of adsorbent-antioxidant vaginal gel on high-risk HPV clearance
No full textBackground: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of an adsorbent-antioxidant vaginal gel, which contains micronized silicon dioxide and antioxidant deflamin, on high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) clearance within the follow-up periods specified in the guidelines.Methods: In the study, the data of 52 patients infected with hr-HPV using vaginal gel for 3 months and 115 patients who were not using vaginal gel were analyzed retrospectively. Demographic characteristics, Liquid-Based Cytology (LBC) at the time of presentation, colposcopy findings, and cervical biopsy results of both groups were investigated. After the LBC and hr-HPV results were evaluated at the end of the control period, both groups were compared in terms of hr-HPV clearance. The level of statistical significance was taken as 0.05 in all tests.Results: The two groups had similar demographic data, cytological findings, colposcopy findings, and cervical biopsy results (p > 0.05). During similar follow-up periods (13.6 ± 3.2 vs. 14.1 ± 3.4 months; p > 0.05), there was no significant difference in terms of hr-HPV clearance (46.2% vs. 51.3%; p > 0.05). Furthermore, the initial and follow-up cytology results of the patients were similar (p > 0.05).Conclusions: A significant effect of the absorbent antioxidant vaginal gel on hr-HPV clearance at approximately 1-year follow-up could not be demonstrated.</p
Effect of the replacement levels of soya bean meal by water Hyacinth flour (<i>Eichhornia Crassipes</i>) as a source of protein on the survival and some zootechnical performances of Clarias Gariepinus fry in concrete tanks
No full textIn order to contribute to the increase of table fish production in the world in general and particularly in Cameroon through an optimal valorization of local by-products, the zootechnical performance of Clarias gariepinus fry was evaluated in concrete tanks according to the replacement levels of soya bean meal by water hyacinth flour (Eichhornia crassipes). For this purpose, a trial was conducted at the Logbaba Intensive Aquaculture Pilot Unit (LN: 4°02’ and 4°34’; LE: 9°41’ and 9°18’). A total of 240 Clarias gariepinus fry of initial mean weight 5 ± 0.22 g were divided into 12 batches of 20 fry each into 0.5 m3 baits in concrete tanks in a completely randomized device. These fries were fed for 56 days. The feed rations consisted of 4 iso-protein feeds with 47% protein. Either T0+ (positive proof) an imported food (Coppens), T0- (Negative proof) local food without soya bean meal and two other experimental foods whose soya bean meal has been replaced at 5% (T5) and 10% (T10) by Eichhornia crassipes flour. The results obtained showed that the highest survival rate (98.33% ± 2.88%) was recorded with the imported feed T0+ and lower (93.33% ± 2.76%) with the food containing 5% water hyacinth powder. The final mean weight and daily weight gain were significantly (P < 0.05) higher (26.08 ± 1.25 g and 1.49 ± 0.08 g/d respectively) with the T0+ diet and lower with the T1 local food (11, 92 ± 0, 90; 48 ± 0,06 g/d respectively). The average daily gain was comparable between the T5 and T10 diets (0.67 ± 0.14 g/d; 0.93 ± 0.12 g/d respectively). The specific growth rate (P < 0.05) and consumption index (P < 0.05) were significantly higher (2.87 % ± 0.08% g/d and 0.34 ± 0.04 respectively) compared to treatments containing 5% (T5) and 10% (T10) of water hyacinth powder (1.83 ± 0.24 g/d; 2.24 ± 0.17% g/d) and 1.08 ± 0.31; 0.66 ± 0.14) respectively. Thus, water hyacinth flour can be used to replace the soya bean meal as a protein source in the diet of Clarias gariepinus fry for optimal growth.</p
Process optimization of extruded noodles from Cocoyam (Colocasia Esculenta) and Bambara groundnut (Vigna Subterranea) flour
No full textA noodle is a thin, long strip of spaghetti or a similar flour paste consumed with a sauce or taken with warm water with sugar and milk added as desired. In this regard, a modified noodle was produced from cocoyam with Bambara ground nut added to enhance the nutritional composition of the noodle. Central Composite Design (CCD) using Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used in the optimization procedure. The aim was to develop the best mix of procedure variables that can give optimum formulation with a high protein. The process variables were feed composition (X1), barrel temperature (X2), and feed moisture composition (X3). The responses were moisture, protein, fat, and fiber. Regression models and residual plots were generated and adequacy was tested with regression coefficient (R2) and the lack of fit test. Results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that the process variables had a significant effect on the protein (p < 0.05). Results for regression coefficients prove a fair fit of the model. The optimum noodle had 60g of Bambara ground nut, 120 oC barrel temperature, and 16% moisture content. Its responses were 10.66 mg/100g protein, 0.95 mg/100g fat, 1.60 mg/100g ash, and 1.75 mg/100g fiber. The optimized recipe shows improve nutrients.</p
Public diplomacy and construction of communicational spaces. The Cuban experience
No full textGlobal events, such as climate change, the food crisis, or the advance of the COVID-19 pandemic, show that the world needs new integrated dynamic processes. In dealing with the pandemic, exchanges between the scientific community, trained personnel, and the training of professionals, as well as the strengthening of local capacities to deal with the health crisis, the dispatch of health material, medical personnel, etc., have been very useful. </p
The role of interleukin-17 in spondyloarthropathies and systemic lupus erythematosus: Two clinical cases in real
No full textSpondyloarthropathies are known to affect the interleukin (IL)-17 activation pathway as a basis of their pathology, as is apparent from the literature. Recent studies established the vital role of IL-17 in the treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). This article aims to demonstrate the efficacy and safety of IL-17 in the treatment of both spondyloarthropathies and SLE by presenting two cases.The first case concerns a 30-year-old woman who was initially diagnosed with SLE. In the course of the disease, she developed spondyloarthritis and genital psoriasis. She was initially medicated with secukinumab but maintained severe genital psoriasis, the reason it was changed to ixekizumab with great improvement.The second case refers to a 40-year-old woman who previously had spondyloarthropathy with D12 enthesitis and sacroiliitis. Initial treatment with adalimumab led to a lupus-like syndrome, with persistent high systemic inflammatory response syndrome and extreme fatigue. Because of the recrudescence of axial complaints, secukinumab was started and the patient evolved with a global clinical response.Thus, the authors present two cases of spondyloarthropathy and SLE that document the efficacy and safety of IL- 17 blockers, which can lead to the incorporation of these agents in the treatment of SLE.</p
COVID-19 and diabetes mellitus patients
No full textCoronavirus (COVID-19) is an encapsulated virus with a self-positive-sense RNA genome that is proven to cause respiratory disease in humans. Coronaviruses (COVID-19) are a type of virus that infects the respiratory tract [1]. In most immunocompetent individuals, infection with human COVID-19 results in a moderate upper respiratory infection in the majority of cases. The outbreaks of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in Guangdong province, China, in 2003 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in Middle Eastern countries a decade later were caused by two highly virulent COVID-19. </p
Totally implantable venous access port infection with Listeria monocytogenes: 2 case reports at a tertiary center and literature review
No full textListeria monocytogenes infection in humans is mostly asymptomatic in immunocompetent patients. It rarely can cause self-limiting febrile gastroenteritis, bacteremia, meningoencephalitis, and maternal-neonatal infections. The latter three manifestations are the most common, especially among immunocompromised patients. We present two cases of Listeria monocytogenes bacteremia in cancer patients, a 79-year-old man and a 70-year-old woman in whom the source of bacteremia was identified to be the implantable venous access port (TIVAP). In both cases, the TIVAP has been removed after “positive control cultures the following readmission to the hospital despite targeted therapy with ampicillin and gentamicin”. Removal of TIVAP was warranted to control the infection. </p
Eye safety awareness and visual impairment prevention for computer users
No full textThe paper presents an etiologic approach to visual and ocular alterations caused by intensive computer usage, with the aim of carrying out the risk factors and presenting the preventive measures that are to be applied. The prevalence of computer-induced eye problems is constantly growing and will remain so as long as humanity is dependent on most activities on electronic devices. The eye care burden is exclusively in charge of the user and the multitude of intrinsic, environmental, professional, and ergonomic factors with specific preventive measures are quite difficult to manage. In more developed communities there is an emphasis on eye health education, periodic ophthalmological examinations, and ergonomic organization of the computer workspace, but an important subjective risk factor remains nevertheless uncontrolled: the proximity to the screen during work. For this matter, it is presented one solution for visual impairment prevention among computer users, consisting of a simple automated system (OptoGuard) for warning persons when working too close to the screen, exceeding the eye safety proximity interval (which is measured through the webcam). The preliminary results, obtained for the Euclidean distance measurement, as the webcam currently allows, had an average error of 4%, the warning message appearing on the screen every time the user’s proximity fell below 38 cm. Further developments aim at expanding the visual area monitoring to asses several levels of the other factors that lead to computer-related health problems: posture, angle of viewing, and brightness of the screen. </p