1,354,101 research outputs found
Effect of temperature and soluble solids on the pH kinetics of date juice
No full textDate juice was extracted from two varieties of palm date (Sefri and Khudari).
The pH changes during storage period were measured for the two types of juice at
concentrations 17, 22 and 29% of soluble solids. The test temperatures were set at
four levels (5, 25, 35 and 45 ˚C). The pH of date juice was declining during storage
period. The kinetics of pH changes of the two varieties of date juice were determined
and a first order model can be applied to describe the pH changes over a period of
time up to 120 hours. Results reviled that date juice has to be stored at temperature
5˚C or less to minimize chemical changes. The pH decreases from about 5.5 down to
3.5, where the maximum changes on pH occurred at 35 ˚C and low concentration
(17%) for both varieties. The rate of pH changes on Sefri was higher than that for
Khudari, where the maximum rate constant was 0.0122 and 0.0037 [hr-1] for Sefri and
Khudari respectively. The effect of temperature on the rate constant can be estimated
by applying Arrhenius relation for the temperature range 5 to 35 ˚C; however, above
this temperature the rate constant decreased as the temperature increased. The
activation energy for the Sefri was lower than that for Khudari. The highest activation
energy occurs at low soluble solids concentration (17%) for both varieties.Corresponding Author:
Dr. A.M. Assiry, Agricultural Engineering Department, College of Agriculture,
King Saud University, P.O. Box 2460 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Email: [email protected]
Risk perception of sars-cov-2 infection and implementation of various protective measures by dentists across various countries
No full textObjective: Healthcare workers in general are at a high risk of potential infections with COVID-19, especially those who work with aerosol generating procedures. Dentists fall in this category, as not only do they operate with aerosol generating procedures but also operate within a face-to-face contact area. Methods: A structured self-administered questionnaire was developed at Najran University and provided to the participants for data collection. The data collected included information on risk perception and incorporation of measures for protection against COVID-19 to gauge the attitude of dentists during this period. Also, clinical implementation of various protective measures was reviewed. Results: Of the n = 322 dentists that answered the questions, 50% were general dentists and 28.9% were dentists working at specialist clinics, while the remaining 21.1% of dentists were employed in academic institutions. Among the newer additions to the clinic, 36.3% of dentists answered that they had added atomizers to their practices, followed by 26.4% of dentists that had incorporated the use of UV lamps for sterilization. We found that 18.9% dentists were using HEPA filters in their clinics, while 9.9% of dentists were making use of fumigation devices to control the risk of infection. One-way ANOVA was also carried out to demonstrate that there was a statistically significant difference (p = 0.049) between groups of dentists utilizing HEPA filters, UV lamps, atomizers, and fumigation devices to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV2 across their workplaces. Conclusion: Dentists are aware of recently updated knowledge about the modes of transmission of COVID-19 and the recommended infection control measures in dental settings. A better understanding of the situation and methods to prevent it will ensure that the dental community is able to provide healthcare services to patients during the pandemic
Herbal Medications in Endodontics and Its Application—A Review of Literature
No full textHerbal products are gaining popularity in dental and medical practice nowadays due to their biocompatibility, higher antimicrobial activity, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Herbal medicine has experienced rapid growth in recent years due to its beneficial properties, ease of availability, and lack of side effects. As pathogenic bacteria become more resistant to antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents, researchers are becoming more interested in alternative products and treatment choices for oral diseases. As a result, natural phytochemicals separated from plants and utilized in traditional medicine are suitable substitutes for synthetic chemicals. The aim of this review article is to list and understand several herbal alternatives that are currently accessible for use as efficient endodontic medicaments. The herbal products used in endodontics have several advantages, including safety, ease of use, increased storability, low cost, and a lack of microbial tolerance. However, preclinical and clinical testing and interactions with other materials and adverse effects are required for these herbal products
The Thursday Murder Club: Launching a megabrand author - a publishing case study
No full textIn 2020, the Christmas book charts in the UK made headlines: Barack Obama’s eagerly awaited autobiography, The Promised Land, was beaten to the top spot by The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, a debut cosy crime novel set in a retirement village. Not only did Osman’s book beat the former US president’s expected bestseller, it also broke records, becoming the fastest-selling debut crime novel of all time. Although Osman has a certain level of fame in the UK from his TV appearances on shows such as Pointless, his celebrity status does not entirely explain the novel’s huge sales. This article tracks the acquisition, publication, and promotion journey of The Thursday Murder Club in order to understand the industry and cultural context of its success and to interrogate the role of celebrity in the creation of author brands. The findings suggest that the unexpected scale of the success of the book owed to a number of factors, including in-depth editing by the novel’s agent, editor, and author to tighten up the plot, an extensive and strategic promotional campaign, the pandemic (which drove interest in the book’s genre and themes), and the quality of the writing. We find that the book’s success was accentuated by Osman’s celebrity status rather than being entirely reliant on it. This research adds to the growing scholarship on celebrity authorship by means of an in-depth case study and provides insight into the processes behind publishing a ‘celebrity’ book and launching a megabrand author
Detection of weak stochastic forces in a parametrically stabilized micro-optomechanical system
No full textMeasuring a weak force is an important task for micromechanical systems, both when using devices as sensitive detectors and, particularly, in experiments of quantum mechanics. The optimal strategy for resolving a weak stochastic signal force on a huge background (typically given by thermal noise) is a crucial and debated topic, and the stability of the mechanical resonance is a further, related critical issue. We introduce and analyze the parametric control of the optical spring, which allows us to stabilize the resonance and provides a phase reference for the oscillator motion, yet conserving a free evolution in one quadrature of the phase space. We also study quantitatively the characteristics of our micro-optomechanical system as detector of stochastic force for short measurement times (for quick, high-resolution monitoring) as well as for the longer-term observations that optimize the sensitivity. We compare a simple strategy based on the evaluation of the variance of the displacement which is a widely used technique) with an optimal Wiener-Kolmogorov data analysis. We show that, due to the parametric stabilization of the effective susceptibility, we can more efficiently implement Wiener filtering, and we investigate how this strategy improves the performance of our system. We finally demonstrate the possibility to resolve stochastic force variations well below 1% of the thermal noise.MicroelectronicsElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
A principal in transition: an autoethnography
No full textThis research represents a highly personalized account of the complexities,
interpretations, and reflections of a principal in transition from one elementary school to
another elementary school in the same district. Using myself as the subject and the
researcher in the social context of an elementary school provided the impetus for this
self-study. Through an insider's vantage point, I have chronicled and traced the
experiences of my own administrative transition using the qualitative methodology of
autoethnography. This genre of qualitative research brings the reader closer to the
subculture studied through the experiences of the author. While every campus and
district has its own unique culture and environment, the introspection and evaluation
provided by the methodology of autoethnography greatly facilitates an understanding of
the processes of transition. The experiences I have encountered, the problems I face, and
the interpretations derived from them will strengthen my own practice as a public school
administrator and provide insight into the ever-changing administrative position called
the principalship. Data gathering consisted of a reflexive journal, my personal calendar, faculty
agendas, staff memos, and reflective analysis. At the completion of the school year
common strands, key attributes, and coding of the data served to provide retrospective
insights. These research tools were used to capture the experiences of my administrative
transition.
The results of this study were expressed in a personal narrative that comprises
Chapters IV through VI. Chapters I through III present a traditional dissertation model
that includes the introduction, review of literature, and research methodology. Chapter
VII offers recommendations, a discussion of the findings and concluding remarks
"Y'all come and have fun": discovering a New Jersey country and western music scene in a box of postcards
No full textSeveral years ago, Rutgers University's Special Collections and University Archives was given a checkbox containing fifty-six postcards advertising country and western music shows at venues around New Jersey. The postcards, primarily from the 1960s, promoted shows featuring Grand Ole Opry stars like Wanda Jackson, Hank Thompson, and Elton Britt. Preliminary research revealed that the postcards touted performances by regional and local musicians, as well. A closer look at the cards began to expose how a small, hyper-local ephemeral collection could bring to light and contribute to a larger history; in this case, a once thriving but little explored New Jersey country and western music scene. The research that forms this article focuses on one venue, the Copa Club in the city of Secaucus, and its owners, brothers and musicians Shorty and Smokey Warren, as a specific case study. This collection of postcards, like so much ephemeral material in archives, could have remained undervalued and under-researched. In this case, a close consideration set forth a journey that included research in local archives and interviews with scene participants. As a result, this article explores the past of an important musical genre that evolved along with social changes in the United States. This piece contributes to the scholarship around uses and value of ephemera, as well as scholarship that continues to challenge the southern origin story of country music and examine vital locales of country music outside the South.Peer reviewe
Author, publisher and bookseller : a tripartite synergy in Nigerian book industry
No full textThis work is about the roles of Author, Publisher and Bookseller in Book development in
Nigeria. The paper started by delving into the history of Book Publishing in Nigeria after
which it proceeded by defining who an author, a publisher, and a bookseller is and
expatiated on the indispensable roles of these key actors in Nigerian Book Industry and in
the emerging Information Society. Furthermore, the various constraints to book
development were identified while the paper advised on how the Book Industry can be
further promoted in Nigeria. However, the paper concluded and made recommendations
on how the Book sector can help in enhancing scholarship in the country
\u27Letters Full of Love\u27: Wayne Booth\u27s Theories of the Implied Author and Reader in Brad Marsh\u27s WWII Correspondence
No full textThis project consists of a qualitative study of the WWII correspondence of Captain Brad Marsh from the collection of letters donated by his daughter on April 26, 2013. I draw from the narrative theory and works of Wayne Booth to examine Marsh’s construction of self as an implied author by examining how he presents his experiences and portrays his emotions. I also examine how Marsh constructs his implied self by paying attention to details such as the information he shares with Lynn and how he presents it. I explore the nature of the implied author and reader in the correspondence and also how the relationship between the implied writer and reader influences the understanding of an unintended audience
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