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The straps of rattan bag handicraft products in Indonesia have different shapes and sizes. This can be observed from the straps of rattan shoulder bags designed to have a permanent size, leading to the lack of flexibility in increasing or decreasing the length of the bag to fit the height of the users. Therefore, this study aimed to design a standard ergonomic strap length for rattan shoulder bags in order to ensure compatibility with small, medium, and large-sized users in Indonesia. The process was conducted through the retrieval of anthropometric data for women between the ages of 17 and 45 years for calculations. The results showed that 60 cm was the appropriate length for small-sized users, 85 cm for medium, and 100 cm for large. The implication of the results was to provide support for the production of different strap length designs based on the differences in the type of bag and body size. Moreover, the results contributed to the rattan handicraft industry by providing recommendation on the standard strap lengths for shoulder bags to be produced.

This study was aimed to obtain information on pet owners understanding towards animal health control in the City of Banda Aceh. The survey was conducted by interview pet owners those visited Veterinary clinics in the City of Banda Aceh. A number of 51 pet owners were included as respondent in this study. The interview was conducted using a structure questionnaire, which contained both open and closed questions. The pet owners were interviewed for the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward animal health control. Data obtained in this study were analysed descriptively, continued with chi-square test. The results showed that most of the owners interviewed in three animal clinics in the City of Banda Aceh were keeping cats as their pet animals (98.04%), and a few proportion of them were the owner of dogs. At proportion of 60.78% of the pet owners were women, and men only 39.22%. Statistical analysis showed that there were significant association (p

Nowadays, the objective of achieving customer satisfaction has become more and more important in order to maintain organization’s competitive advantage within its industry. This study aims to identify the supplier’s performance focuses on the service quality present provided to retailers. The independent variables for this study include reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, tangible and consistency. This study was conducted among retailers in Taman Connaught, Cheras and the interview questionnaires were distributed to 5 respondents to test the degree of satisfaction in terms of the five components of service quality and consistency. The collected data was analyzed by classified the respondents into respective groups namely “satisfied retailers” and “dissatisfied retailers”. This study provides several constructive recommendations to the suppliers to improve their performance such as create a commitment, track mistakes, invest in training and development and organize quality circles.

The global expansion of industry and technology has brought various environmental issues especially in atmospheric pollution and global warming. These resulted in various R&D activities on renewable energy resources and devices. Developing high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) is one of them. Over the past decades, this research has been received the most attention for various stationary and transportation applications. This is due to inherent advantages of operation above 100 °C including improved tolerance toward CO poisoning, enhanced electrode kinetics, easier heat dissipation and water management as well as better thermodynamic quality of the produced heat. Poly (benzimidazoles)-phosphoric acid (PBI/PA) is the well-established membrane for HT-PEMFC applications replacing perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes, which operate in the temperature range of below 100 °C. Nevertheless, there have been concerns on the durability and stability of such PEMFC, which negatively affected their widespread commercialization. In this paper, problems regarding this acid-base complex membrane system and modifications as well as some techniques used to overcome these issues will be outlined.

Sumatra Island has the largest geothermal potential in Indonesia spread along the subduction zone between the Indian-Australian plate and the Eurasian plate. “AUN” geothermal field located in Sumatra Island and considered to be one of the largest potential geothermal prospects in Indonesia. This study is focused on identifying the prospect of “AUN” geothermal field using gravity method. First Horizontal Derivative (FHD) and Second Vertical Derivative (SVD) analysis were applied in order to determine a more accurate boundary of the fault. 3D inversions of gravity data were used to reconstruct subsurface model. The result show that analysis of First Horizontal Derivative (FHD) and Second Vertical Derivative (SVD) can confirm southwest-northeast fault and caldera structure as a boundary of geothermal reservoir and 3D gravity inversion can show subsurface layers with density 2.5 gr/cc to 2.8 gr/cc inside the boundary which is determined as a heat source in “AUN” geothermal field.

Green road freight transportation is at maturity stage in European countries. Many researches have been made. However, South East Asian countries had lack of study that pave way for the knowledge and application of green practices that is very shallow. However, green practices are nowadays being heard in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. Many initiatives are being taken in slow pace. This study is aimed to identify the barriers to implement green road freight transportation in Malaysia. The primary data is obtained through structured interview with professionals in the logistics industry particularly third-party logistics service providers. The primary data is collected through interviews which were held at the respondent’s office based on their convenience. There were five respondents selected for this study. The interviewees are approached used snowballing technique. A qualitative case study approach was undertaken, and the results yielded that vehicle routing, cost and technology and awareness level are the most significant inhibitors compared to policies and legislations in Malaysia.

Disaster incidents will disrupt the daily life and cause suffering to the victims of incident. The earthquake is one of the series unpredictable incident. This incident causes the concerns of academicians, engineers, planners, decision-makers and governments to prevent and manage the disaster. The disaster threat index is analyzed with using GIS software. The data that analyzed will divide into three levels which are a lower, moderate and extreme threat. The results of the analysis on the earthquake threats in Sabah revealed that 99.9% was in the area of earthquake threats with a total area is 7 382 144 ha while areas with no earthquake threats was 0.1% with an area is 17 206 ha. From the result also, known that the high seismic hazard index is Lahad Datu with an area of 463 540 ha while the lower earthquake threat index is Tambunan with an area of 588 ha. With this result, it will indirectly facilitate various parties to prepare and plan strategies to reduce the losses and damage from the earthquake disaster. Besides that, with the result also will facilitate the responsible agency to prepare an early safety plan to reduce the loss of life and property damage.

Previous research shows that experience or academically called ‘practical intelligence’ in the field of engineering can be measured through comparing experience to the experts in the field. The expert teaches and shows the students the ways to complete some practical tasks based on their own practical intelligence, which they developed for years and becomes their behaviors. Thus after some or repeated hands-on exercises, the level of students’ practical intelligence continuously developed and close to the experiences possesses by the experts. By this way, the level of practical intelligence can be assessed if it is referring to the experts score. A measuring instrument, an ‘Automated Engineers Testing Kits’ consisted of a partially completed circuit in which a battery provides power for a flash light. This is a semi-completed circuit which requires students to diagnose why the light does not work and complete the necessary connections. The authors hypothesize that practical intelligence measured in the context of constructing simple circuits used for laboratory experiments will be correlated with performance in real constructing tasks on similar complicated electrical circuits. The results show the correlations between the level of practical intelligence and the ability to construct the circuits. The methodology is described in the paper.

The effect of flexion angle on contact stress of the knee joint still open to the debate since lack of proof shown that flexion angles does effect the contact stress of Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). Thus the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of different flexion angle on contact stress of TKA via finite element method. The TKA is simulated using ANSYS Workbench and the applied loads are 2200 N, 3200 N and 2800 N. The Finite element Analysis (FEA) results for maximum stress of current and proposed designed were then compared. For the new proposed design, the maximum stress for 15° is 12.2 MPa, 45° is 23.6 MPa and 60° is 22.5 MPa which is lower than current design. Thus, it can be concluded that the new proposed design better than current design in term of contact stress. While, the different flexion angle do gives an impact on the performance of the TKA.

Ijen geothermal area is high-temperature geothermal system located in Bondowoso regency, East Java. It is categorized as caldera-hosted geothermal system which is covered by quaternary andesitic volcanic rocks with steep topography at the surrounding. Several surface thermal manifestations are found, such as altered rocks near Mt. Kukusan and a group of Blawan hotsprings in the northern part of the caldera. Geomagnetic survey was conducted at 72 stations which is distributed inside the caldera to delineate the existence of hydrothermal activity. Magnetic anomaly was obtained by reducing total magnetic measured on the field by IGRF and diurnal variation. Reduction to pole (RTP) method was applied with geomagnetic inclination of about -32°. In general, the result shows that high magnetic anomaly is distributed at the boundary of study area, while low magnetic anomaly is observed in the centre. The low anomaly indicates demagnetized rock that probably caused by hydrothermal activity. It has a good correlation with surface alteration observed close to Mt. Kukusan as well as high temperature reservoir drilled in the centre of caldera. Accordingly, the low magnetic anomaly also presents the possibility of geothermal reservoir in Ijen geothermal area.

Seagrass meadows are important ecosystem due to their structural and functions role as a place for various nutrient cycles, feeding area, and breeding for a variety of marine species. Increased human activity in the form of shipping, sand mining, reclamation, and the development of tourism sector is reported causing disturbed seagrass condition. Therefore, spasio-temporal monitoring of the seagrass condition is important to understand the relationship between the seagrass condition and the stresses from human activity. This research was conducted to analyze the change of seagrass distribution in Banten Bay and its relation with human activity using multi temporal Landsat data from 2008 to 2018. Landsat data is processed using Depth Invariant Index method and classified using Maximum Likelihood with field data. The results of this study indicate a reduction of 74,28 ha seagrass area in the Banten Bay from 2008 to 2018 due to increased human activity.

This research is carried out to examine the influences of blue ocean leadership styles on emotional intelligence. A stratified random sampling technique is used to identify the sample for this study. Questionnaire is distributed to 120 middle to top level leaders from the selected government link companies (GLCs) which is listed in the Government Link Transformation Programme (GLTP). A partial least square structural model (PLS-SEM) approach is used to analyses the data for this study. The findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between blue ocean leadership style and emotional intelligence. This study would give practical implications where it could inform leaders that they need to have high emotional intelligence in order to lead the organization. This study also contributes to new knowledge by pointing to the leadership role of accurate attributions, where each attribution can lead to enhancing leader effectiveness.

Dynamic inversion (DI) is a controller technique by which existing undesirable dynamics are cancelled out and changed by desirable dynamics. The application of induction motor drives with sinusoidal input currents a matrix converter combined with DI is used which directly connects a three-phase input voltage source to a three-phase (AC-AC converter) without dc-link components. This paper presents a novelty of using nonlinear dynamic inverse controller with matrix converter topologies on three phase induction motor. The efficiency of the converter and their modulation techniques for the implementation of the strategies is increased. The speed response tracking and torque ripple minimization is achieved. The robustness of the proposed method has been confirmed from simulation and experimental model.

Design of the Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell system is still developed and improved to achieve performance and efficiency optimal. Improvement of PEM fuel cell performance can be achieved by knowing the effect of system parameters based on thermodynamics on voltage and current density. Many parameters affect the performance of PEM fuel cell, one of which is the relative humidity of the reactants that flow in on the anode and cathode sides. The results of this study show that the increase in relative humidity value on the cathode side (RHC) causes a significant increase in current density value when compared to the increase of relative humidity value on the anode side (RHA). The performance of single cells with high values is found in RHC is from 70% to 90%. The maximum current density generated at RHA is 70% and RHC is 90% with PEM operating temperature of 363 K and pressure of 1 atm

The quantity of electricity produced from the photovoltaic (PV) system is depends on the PV panel’s performance itself. Recently, the challenges in the PV system have been greatly discussed by researchers and environmentalists. The non-uniform PV output power, partial shading conditions and high operating temperature of PV cells are the challenges that always known to reduce the PV system’s performance. This paper provides a literature review on the challenges and methods to mitigate the challenges. The future works involving of modelling and computational techniques also has been proposed to overcome the problems, hence, enhancing the PV system’s performance.

The Blawan-Ijen volcanic complex is located in Bondowoso regencies, East Java province. The complex is expected to have geothermal system which is indicated by the occurrence of Blawan hotspring, acid lake on Ijen Crater and alterations. In 2017, measurements of gravity and magnetic methods have been conducted for the first time through the PITTA 2017 program. In 2018, further measurements are carried out to infill the previous data in order to strengthen the interpretation results. There are 151 stations obtained from each method until 2018. In this study, gravity method is used to detect the contrast density of an anomalous body while magnetic method is applied to discover the location of demagnetization zone. This paper presents the integration of both methods in geothermal exploration to determine the geothermal prospect area. The result of CBA and residual gravity indicated the existence of high gravity anomaly in the center to the southwest of the study area. Moreover, after processing RTP on magnetic data, there is the presence of low magnetic anomaly usually associated with demagnetization zone. Generally, the overall results supported one each other and pointed out the occurrence of the geothermal prospect possibly around the center of the study area.

The adsorption of lead ion from palm oil mill effluent produced directly from the mill was investigated using mixed adsorbents that were used to prepare the composite. Experiments were carried out under predetermined conditions of pH, shaking speed, contact time and particle size. Equilibrium study was carried out to determine the adsorption capacity of the mixed media. The reduction of the lead ion was effective on the adsorbent materials. The Temkin and Freundlich models were applied to describe the adsorption pattern on the mixed media. The experimental data fitted well to the Temkin isotherm with a correlation coefficient of 1, this was used to indicate the level of interaction of the adsorbent-adsorbate and also the energy utilized in the adsorption process. The hydrophobic behaviour of the activated coconutshell and cow bone carbons was observed for average contact angle of 105° and 95° for the coconut shell and cow bone respectively. The influence of the hydrophobic materials in the mixed media and the zeolite assisted in the ion exchange and in the adsorption of the heavy metal.

Cannulated Pedicle Screw (CPS) is the instrumentation that has been introduced in Biomedical field in order to stabilize the spine structure and also to enhance the pullout strength in osteoporotic patient. The cement is injected through the CPS which is flow from the screw head to the radial hole and then distributed around the CPS to give higher performance of pullout strength. However, the fracture still reported to happened around the radial hole. This paper is aim to focus on the effect of the position and different diameter of radial hole on the CPS. Three designs were constructed using SolidWork software where two of it are the current models whereas the third was the proposed design which the radial holes were position differently (skewed to each other) and its size is smaller than the current model, 1.0 mm and 1.5mm respectively. The software used for Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is Ansys workbench 16.0. The Finite Element Models were verified with FEA result of the previous research. The FEA results of torsional stress for current and proposed design were then compared to obtain the maximum torque that both designs are able to resist before fracture. It can be concluded that the performance of CPS can be improved by the proposed design which is 2 radial hole skewed to each other and smaller radial hole diameter (1.0mm) than the current cannulated pedicle screw (1.5mm).

In an impact, a structure is rarely subjected to pure axially loading. Load endured by an axially loaded column has been analytically derived by previous researchers, whereas it is very limited works on predicting the obliquely loaded column performance. In this study, the force response curve of the obliquely loaded empty aluminum column is analyzed and compared to its axially loaded column. Theoretical formula to calculate the axial mean force has been applied to obliquely loaded column, and it has yields a largely deviated value. Thus, a modified equation to cater for obliquely loaded column has been proposed.

This paper proposes a compact antenna design for wireless communication system that can operate at dual band frequencies which are 24.25 GHz and 38 GHz. The antenna with an overall size of 6.3 mm X 6.0 mm is printed on RogersRT5880 type of substrate with a thickness of 0.787 mm. The simulated reflection coefficient result is < -10 dB for both frequencies which makes it suitable for 5G applications. The proposed antenna has a stable gain value of 7.23 dBi at 24.25 GHz and 3.69 dBi at 38 GHz. All the simulation result was performed by using CST Microwave Studio Software. The result shows the feasibility of this antenna to be applied for future 5G application.

Bones are the main structural components of a skeleton in our body. They run as a special role in the body providing its shape maintenance, protection of internal organs and transmission of forces. Their structural integrity is essential for the quality of life. Unfortunately, bones can only sustains loads until it reach a certain limit. Understanding fracture behaviour of bone is necessary for prevention and diagnosis of trauma. This paper aims to review and update readers on current published research explicitly related to bone fracture analysis conducted by three point bending test. Past studies have shown that most analysis have been done on fracture mechanism and how to find fracture toughness of the bone. Besides using an experimental approached, some of the research used Finite Element (FE) as a tool to investigate the fracture mechanism.

Seismic waves split in an anisotropic medium, instead of rotating horizontal component to principal direction, Radon-Fourier is derived to observe the signature of shear wave reflection. Synthetic model with fracture is built and discretized using finite difference scheme for spatial and time domain. Common depth point (CDP) with single shot gives traces and automatic gain is preprocessed before Radon Transform (RT), a filtering technique gives radon domain. It makes easier to observe fractures at specific incidence and improves its quality in some way by removing the noise. A comparison of synthetic data and BF-data is performed on the basis of root means square error (RMS) values. The RMS error is minimum at the 10th trace in radon domain.

The project focuses on thorough experimentally studies of the optimum design of Multi-function Robot Arm Gripper for varying shape green product. The purpose of this project is to design a few of robot arm gripper for multi-functionally grip a green product with varying shape. The main character of the gripper is that it can automated adjust its finger to suit with the shape of the product. An optimum design of multi-function robot arm gripper is verified through experimental study. The expected result is a series of analytical results on the proposal of gripper design and material that will be selected for the gripper. The analysis of the gripper design proposal by using ANSYS and CATIA software is described in detail in this paper.

This study presents the comparison of impact duration between experiment and theory from impact signal through a Charpy test. Recently, the number of accidents on the highway has been increased and it depends on the impact duration of material that have the ability to provide adequate protection to passengers from harmful and improve occupant survivability during crash event. Charpy impact test was implemented on different material and thickness but at the same striker velocity. Impact signal is obtained through the strain gauge that has been installed to striker hammer and connected to frequency data acquisition system. Collected signal is then analysed to identify the time period during impact before fractured. Result from both experiment and theory shows an increment to the impact duration as thickness is increased. Charpy test shows that aluminium 6061-T6 has a higher impact duration compared to carbon steel 1050.

The study presented in this report is regarding on the conceptual design of the grater machine which meant to shred food wastes into small and fine size particle. This study will focus on the waste management factor of the food waste produced in the home kitchen. A study is conducted to compare the most suitable material and geometric shape of the grating blades by comparing with similar existing devices in the market. The chosen material and blade design are to be evaluated for its characteristics and performance by using the FEM method. The analysis is taking all the constraints regarding the design as well as its advantages are to be considered in designing a new grating blade for the optimum end product making. This design derived through in the consideration for the home application rather than domestic use. This brings the meaning that the compact and small size design. With the detailed evaluation of the stress reaction on the blades to provide the safety and sustainability factor of the device as well as the people that is using the device.

This project is related to design of sorting facility for reducing, reusing, recycling green waste material, and in particular to invent an automatic system to distinguish household waste in order to separate them from the main waste stream. The project focuses on thorough analysis of the properties of green household waste. The method of identification is using capacitive sensor where the characteristic data taken on three different sensor drive frequency. Three types of material have been chosen as a medium of this research, to be separated using the selected method. Based on capacitance characteristics and its ability to penetrate green object, optimum identification method is expected to be recognized in this project. The output capacitance sensor is in analogue value. The results demonstrate that the information from the sensor is enough to recognize the materials that have been selected.

This paper will describe a proposed design and approaches to the future provision of laboratory experience using communication and control technology. This approach provides broad access for students who can not attend conventional laboratory to laboratory work. The experimental system online (e-Lab) is under development for the students to carry out various experiments in engineering and technology education assessment system. In the field of engineering technology, one important element is laboratory work, although there are limitations in terms of space laboratories, distance learning provision. UniMAP e-Lab project aims to address many of the existing constraints. Beyond the educational goals, UniMAP e-Lab system enables experimental knowledge in a particular field of engineering technology and experimental results of the research are disseminated and exploited effectively. Solution design of hardware and software as well as the characteristics of education discussed.

Performance of REITs have been largely measured using benchmark from the stock market indices (S&P500, Sharpe ratio, KLCI, etc) or correlation studies. The real world of REIT shows that both economic and environmental factors exert influence on REIT performance on a simultaneous nature. Adopting quantitative method, where secondary data were statistically analysed. We proposed the use of multivariate regression where REIT performance (Y) is the independent variable to be predicted by predictor variables of internal and external factors (X1–Xn). We equally proposed a possibility of REIT financing real estate project, against the existing regulations which prohibit such, using average return method of portfolio analysis on assumed numerical data. The study finds that economic factors jointly have a significant effect on REIT performance at P =0.044 while none of the factors has significant contribution individually. A benchmark REIT return of 5.3% is predicted. The study recommends a linear regression model analysis for REITs benchmark based on past performance for return measurement. REIT can only finance real estate project in the countries where there is acute shortage of fund and property stock. We suggest a modification of REIT laws to accommodate real estate financing by REITs.

Rice Bran Oil (RBO)is an abundant food source in Indonesia. RBO contains high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids and rich in antioxidants. However, clinical trials on this material are still very limited. This research aims to assess the differences of effect of rice bran oil (RBO) and olive oil (OO) on lipid profile alteration of hypercholesterolemiajunior high school teachers. This study used a quasi-experimental method with a non-randomized pretest and post-test design. A total of 28 junior high school teachers in the Tamalanrea District of Makassar City who experienced hypercholesterolemia were recruited in this study and were divided into 2 groups. The two groups were at different research locations and received different interventions. The intervention group was given rice bran oil (30 ml/day) while the control group was given olive oil (30 ml/day) for 30 days. The pair t test was used to determine the difference in lipid profile before and after giving RBO and OO. The analysis was continued by comparing the results in the two groups using the independent t test. The level of confidence was set at 95% with a significance value less than 0.05 (p <0.05). After giving RBO for 30 days, the results were a decrease in total cholesterol by 4.59%, triglycerides by 15.8%, LDL by 4.87%, but HDL levels also decreased, although in insignificant amounts (3.41%). Meanwhile, giving OO as a control reduced total cholesterol by 5.04% and triglycerides by 28.2%. In addition, there was also a slight increase in HDL levels by 0.45%, in contrast to LDL levels which did not show any difference at all. At the end of the study of the four lipid profile parameters observed, significant improvements were observed in the reduction of total cholesterol and triglyceride levels significantly after administration of RBO and OO (p <0.05). The results also showed that there was no significant difference between RBO and OO on changes in lipid profile (p> 0.05). From this study, we can conclude that rice bran oil and olive oil have the same effect in improving lipid profiles by significantly lowering total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to analyse the epidemiology of gastrointestinal helminths among local and exotic breeds of chickens in Borno State, Northeastern Nigeria. Fresh faecal samples (n=800) were collected from birds at live poultry markets (Maiduguri metropolis, Jere and Bama Local Government Areas) and Veterinary Hospitals. They were processed according to standard parasitological techniques. A total of 438 samples had one or more helminths, giving an overall prevalence of 54.8% (95%CI: 51.3 – 58.2). These included five nematodes, Ascaridia galli (14.6%), Heterakis gallinarum (9.8%), Capillaria spp. (5.5%), Strongyloides avium (4.1%), Subulura brumpti and three cestodes, Raillietina tetragona (6.6%), Raillietina echinobothrida (3.5%), Davainea proglottina (2.1%). Ascaridia galli were the most common helminths and Davainea proglottina were the least common. Epidemiological variables, such as sex (female), age (adults > 5mo), season (rainy), health status (clinically sick birds), breed (local birds) and study location (Veterinary Hospitals) had a significantly high impact (p

Despite the incidence of breast cancer among women, mammography and anatomopathology investigations are still the gold standard method for preventive screening and diagnosis. Several criteria are used to diagnose precisely the severity of the pathology like the distribution and shape of breast microcalcifications (BMCs). However, the link between the different chemical phases of BMCs and the cancer stage remains unclear. As BMCs physicochemical speciation has the potential to help clinicians during their diagnosis, this study aims to propose a methodology using advanced spectroscopical analysis techniques to finely characterize BMCs and uncover the relationship between mineralization processes and breast cancer. A state of the art in the domain is first proposed to highlight the role of BMCs and the importance of extensive analytical analysis using electron microscopy and vibrational techniques. Secondly, a detailed methodology for BMCs multiscale analysis is proposed and the relevance of each technique illustrated through the study of a biopsy from a patient suffering of an infiltrating low-grade ductal carcinoma: scanning electron microscopy analysis was used for the morphological description of BMCs, infrared micro and nanospectroscopy techniques for their chemical speciation at the micrometric and sub-micrometric scales.

This contribution underlines the key role of physicochemical characterisation techniques in the area of medical research. The starting point centres on the Mid-InfraRed platform located at the Tenon hospital and dedicated to multidisciplinary functional investigations. In the last two decades, we have enhanced this platform by creating a network combining researchers from varied disciplines such as physicists, chemists, and clinicians. The resultant research dynamism is underscored by metrics such as 71 references in Pubmed and 129 in Web of Science, and the high impact of the journals in which we have published (New England Journal of Medicine, Kidney International, Chemical Review...). It is of paramount importance to disseminate these physicochemical techniques among young doctors, and to establish collaborations with appropriate private companies.

Morpho-constitutional analysis of gallstones revealed significant differences between sickle cell patients and other gallbladder stone formers. As expected, pigment stones, mainly composed of calcium bilirubinates, were the most common type of stones in the former (74.7 versus 22.5%, $p

This contribution aims to define an analysis procedure for abnormal deposits in human tissues starting from in vivo characterization, down to the nanoscale using major instrumentation. Such an integrated approach is based on recent literature, but particularly on our research over the last twenty years on pathological calcifications. To this end, we begin by describing four successive analytical steps, on the injury site or physician’s surgery, at the hospital, at a typical physicochemical laboratory, and finally at a large scale (possibly multinational) facility. For the first step, we present various techniques which can be implemented on portable instruments. For the second step, commercial analytical setups are used. In a physicochemical laboratory, prototype or commercial setups are used and finally on large scale instruments, characterization techniques with better spatial resolution and/or higher sensitivity or techniques specific to synchrotron radiation are employed.

Epidermal necrolysis (EN) is a rare life-threatening condition, usually drug-induced and characterised by a diffuse epidermal and mucosal detachment. Calcinosis cutis is reported in various skin diseases, occurring preferentially with tissue damage, but has never been described in EN. Clinical, biological and histopathological characteristics of three patients were retrospectively obtained from medical charts. Immunohistochemistry of classical osteogenic markers was used to explore the pathogenesis of the calcifications; their chemical composition was determined by $\mu $Fourier transform infra-red ($\mu $FTIR) spectroscopy and their localization and morphology by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). In a recent letter, part of the results of this investigation has been already presented. In this contribution, we have added original data to this previous letter. We have investigated a set of biopsies corresponding to patients who presented atypical healing retardation due to calcinosis cutis. Through FE-SEM observations at the nanometre scale, we describe different areas where are present voluminous calcifications at the surface, submicrometre spherical entities within the papillary dermis and then large “normal” fibres. FE-SEM observations show clearly that “large” calcifications are the result of an agglomeration of small spherical entities. Moreover, micrometre scale spherical entities are the results of an agglomeration of nanometer scale spherical entities. Finally, the last set of data seems to show that the starting point of the calcifications process is “distant” from the epidermis in part of the dermis which appears undamaged. Regarding the chemical composition of large calcifications, different $\mu $FTIR maps which underlined the presence of calcium-phosphate apatite have been gathered. Moreover, histopathology indicates that these pathological calcifications are not induced following a trans-differentiation of the skin cells into an osteochondrogenic phenotype. The association of caspofungin administration, known to induce in vitro intracellular calcium influx, and inflammation, induced by EN, known to favor dystrophic calcifications in various inflammatory skin diseases, could explain this never-before reported occurrence of calcinosis cutis.

Understanding the physico-chemistry related to cristalline pathologies constitutes a challenge in several medical specialities such as nephrology, dermatology or oncology. Regarding nephrology, the chemical diversity of concretions such as kidney stones calls for characterization techniques to determine the chemical composition of concretions. The starting point of this contribution is given by Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy which is routinely used at the hospital to determine the chemical composition of kidney stones as well as ectopic calcifications present in kidney biopsy. For kidney stones, the quantity of sample is sufficient to perform a significant analysis through classical FTIR. For ectopic calcifications, $\mu $FTIR can be inefficient in the case of $\mu $calcification in the tissue when their size is less than 10 $\mu $m. For such samples, Optical PhotoThermal IR (OPT-IR) spectroscopy may constitute a way to overcome this experimental difficulty through the acquisition of IR spectrum with a spatial resolution close to 500 nm.To illustrate such opportunity, we first compare the IR spectrum acquired with a classical experimental set-up related to classical IR spectroscopy to IR spectrum collected with a OPT-IR one for different compounds namely calcium oxalate monohydrate, calcium oxalate dehydrate, calcium phosphate apatite and magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate. Such comparison helps us to assess specificity of OPT-IR. Then, we consider several pathological calcifications associated to hyperoxaluria, adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) deficiency or the presence of Randall’s plaque. We will see that the nanometer spatial resolution constitutes a major advantage versus a micrometre one. Also, in the case of Randall’s plaque, we show that OPT-IR can determine the chemical composition of microscopic concretion without any kind of preparation. Such experimental fact is clearly a major advantage. Finally, we also extended this first investigation in nephrology by considering breast calcifications. In that case, if the number of chemical phases is quite low compared to the number of chemical phases identified in ectopic calcifications present in kidney (four instead of 24), the challenge is related to the possibility to distinguish between the different calcium phosphate namely amorphous carbonated calcium phosphate, CA and whitlockite.The complete set of data indicates the limitations and the advantages of OPT-IR spectroscopy.

In this contribution, we have characterized for the first time (to the best of our knowledge), microcalcifications present in fine needle aspiration (FNA) smears of thyroid nodules. Abnormal deposits were analysed through $\mu $Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy ($\mu $FTIR) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) in order to obtain their chemical composition as well as their morphology at the micrometer scale. Thirty-one samples coming from 13 patients were investigated comprising five cases of papillary carcinoma, two of Graves’ disease, and six of adenomatous goitre. The smears were also stained for analysis of the cellular characteristics of these lesions for classifying according to the Bethesda classification. Two mineral species, amorphous and nanocrystallised apatite calcium phosphate, have been identified with very different morphologies. Moreover, FE-SEM observations at the micrometer scale underline the presence of different kinds of abnormal deposits.

This contribution emphasizes the chemical complexity of abnormal cartilaginous deposits. First, we briefly describe some key techniques used to precisely describe their physicochemical characteristics. Then, we present the main chemical and structural characteristics of these two chemical phases, of either biological or synthetic origins. Finally, we discuss selected examples of calcification characterization.

Palm oil mill effluent (POME) is a by-product of palm oil processing, which poses a significant risk to environmental integrity due to its high production volume and pollutant content. Therefore, this research offers the POME treatment process using electrocoagulation, a case study in a palm oil processing factory in Meulaboh, West Aceh Regency. Specifically, this study aims to investigate the effect of voltage variation on the removal efficiency of key parameters such as BOD, COD, pH and TSS. The electrode used is made of aluminium (Al) plate with a gap of 2 cm, and the electrolysis time is 60 minutes. The results show that the higher the applied voltage, the greater the parameter removal efficiency, with the best voltage in this result being 25 volts. However, overall, these results have only two parameters that meet wastewater quality standards, which are COD and pH. Further optimization is required to achieve acceptable BOD and TSS levels, highlighting the importance of extended electrolysis times and proper parameter control.

This article endeavors to showcase the seamless integration of cutting-edge technologies into the agricultural sector, with a specific emphasis on their application within biotechnology laboratories specializing in in vitro cultivation. The pioneering technology at the heart of this project centers on the automated detection of viral symptoms in micro-cut rootstocks grown in nutrient-rich substrates. Furthermore, we will delve into a comparative analysis, contrasting laboratories equipped with automated processes against those devoid of such advancements, specifically in the context of in vitro cultivation of subject-rooted plants in identical nutrient-rich environments. The anticipated annual financial gains stemming from the incorporation of an automated system into the in vitro laboratory are projected to reach an impressive 1.8 million Russian rubles.

Examination of stone morphologies shows a great potential for the etiological diagnosis of stone disease. Endoscopic Stone Recognition (ESR) can thereby provide essential morpho-constitutional analysis of stones in-situ, and becomes a method of choice for an effective management of patients with kidney stones.Here, we show that both visual and automatic ESR can be performed within a LASER-induced spraying session. ESR may therefore be beneficial to still apply an etiological approach in lithiasis. We discuss the added value of Artificial Intelligence in the entire patient care process. Prospects and requirements for widespread applications of ESR in a clinical practice are evaluated.

Primary hyperoxaluria is the most severe stone disease responsible for multiple stone recurrence and impairment of kidney function. It is a rare inherited disease with an autosomal transmission. Due to the high proportion of consanguineous marriages by comparison to other areas in the world, this pathology is more frequent in North Africa. Stones are made of calcium oxalate monohydrate, which is not unique to the disease and cannot help physicians for the diagnosis. By contrast, stone morphology may be a useful marker of the pathology. We report our experience based on 614 stones from Moroccan children analyzed by infrared spectroscopy and examined by stereomicroscopy for the determination of their morphological type. Our results show that 85 stones (13.8%) exhibit a type Ic morphology, strongly suggestive of the disease in children patients. It was confirmed in all subjects of a subgroup of 43 patients who benefited from urinary biochemical explorations revealing whewellite crystalluria and a very high oxalate to creatinine ratio.

Most papers on kidney stones arising from infection concentrate on the mineral struvite. In this contribution, we would like to call attention to other mineral phases such as highly carbonated calcium phosphate apatite, ammonium urate, and whitlockite, by presenting clinical and chemical data. We start with epidemiological data which emphasize the increase in the prevalence of kidney stones related to infection. Then we present a statistical analysis of more than 85,000 stones which have been analysed at the Laboratoire des Lithiases of Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris which gives insights regarding the link between urinary tract infection and struvite, carbonated calcium phosphate apatite (carbapatite), and also surprisingly whitlockite. Some information regarding the pathogenesis of kidney stones linked to infection, the nature of the bacteria which have been identified, and the approach to precisely analyse infrared spectra to identify struvite, carbapatite, and whitlockite, conclude this first part. To complete this clinical description, we describe the crystallographic structure and the chemistry of three relevant compounds namely carbonated calcium phosphate, struvite, and whitlockite. To conclude this second part, the dependence of crystallite morphology of struvite on pH and on the presence, or absence, of bacteria, is described. Based on clinical and chemical data, it is becoming clear that struvite is not the only mineral intimately related to renal infectious processes, but that whitlockite and carbapatite with a high carbonation rate are strongly associated with urinary tract infection as well.

Although numerous pathologies are associated with abnormal skin deposits, these remain poorly described, as accurate characterization continues to present a challenge for dermatologists. Their submicrometer size as well as their diverse chemistry require various characterization tools. We aim to exemplify characterization of endogenous and exogenous skin deposits in some selected skin diseases using different physico-chemical techniques. We begin with a presentation of selected diseases associated with skin deposits. We then present those of our results which show their variety of structure, location and chemical composition, obtained with various tools: Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy coupled with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, vibrational spectroscopies, as well as techniques specific to synchrotron radiation. Our results constitute a real opportunity to improve diagnosis, and to understand the pathogenesis of many skin diseases, and opportunities for therapeutic intervention.

Millions of poor people who live in rural areas and rely on agriculture for a living need secure access to productive land. Gender disparities in access to productive resources, such as agricultural land, remain a major concern, especially in Nigeria. This study therefore, investigated the impact of land access and ownership on farm production across gender in Southwest Nigeria. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select a total of 480 respondents comprising of 240 male headed households and 240 female headed households across the three states in Southwest Nigeria. Cross-sectional data were obtained through structured questionnaire and subjected to statistical analysis such as propensity score matching (PSM), inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA), and instrumental variable (IV) regression approach to control for possible endogeneity that could arise from the data collected. Farm yield of household heads was used as indicator to estimate the impact of land access and land ownership. Results show that most (56.7%) of male and 46.4% of female headed households acquired land through family inheritance. The significant difference existed between farm yield gained by male and female headed households due to their level of land access and land ownership at 5%. The size of the estimated treatment effect indicates a high improvement in the farm yield outcome of male headed households compared their female counterparts. Also, findings show that marital status, level of education, access to credit, and membership of association all had a positive and statistically significant relationship with both male and female headed households’ access to land and land ownership at various levels. This study thus, conclude that there were gender differences in land accessibility and ownership in the study area as male headed households were found to have more access to farm land than their female counterparts. Reliable data on male and female headed households’ access to land and land ownership are critical for providing an accurate picture of female headed households’ land tenure arrangement, improving policy formulation and monitoring progress towards the attainment of gender equality in land access is hence encouraged. Also, group formation and membership should be promoted and encouraged especially among female headed households to enhance their purchasing power through access to credit, and common voice in accessing communal lands.

Here is a case of bladder stone of average size dated to the Late Neolithic period, found in the multiple burial of the B1S passage-grave in Chenon (Charente, France). Chemical analysis showed a mixed composition. The core, intermediate and surface envelopes consist in calcium phosphate apatite associated with whitlockite and amorphous carbonated calcium phosphate, all clarified by Fourier Transform InfraRed spectroscopy. Calcium phosphatic stones are characteristic of communities, such as those of the Neolithic period, where the diet was rich in cereal carbohydrates and poor in animal proteins. The excavation of such extra-skeletal objects is an event that is particularly interesting as it provides documents on the history of diseases and diets in ancient populations. The complete set of data suggests that this bladder stone was formed during a urinary tract infection with a germ possessing a very active urease.