One way to reduce the negative impact of human activity on the natural environment is to use natural, easily available and relatively cheap to produce compounds in industrial processes. One such compound is naturally occurring calcium carbonate (CaCO3). This compound has adsorption properties so that it can be an alternative to commonly used adsorbents. The aim of this work is to determine the possibility of using CaCO3 to remove pharmaceutical substances such as sulfadiazine and tetracycline from water. The CaCO3 used in this work was synthesised using our own method, which allows the production of CaCO3 particles with nanometric size. In the conducted research, calcium carbonate was used in the form of a suspension in purified solutions and as an inorganic filling of the developed membranes. The mass of pharmaceutical substances removed from their aqueous solutions was determined in the tests carried out. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that CaCO3 has the ability to adsorb both tetracycline and sulfadiazine. In suspension tests, the mass of the removed substances per unit mass of adsorbent was 1.52 mg/g and 6.85 mg/g, respectively. In turn, in the case of the process using the developed membranes, the mass of the removed substances per unit mass of adsorbent was 232 mg/m2 and 524 mg/g, which is a several times greater increase in the mass of the removed substance compared to the process using an unmodified membrane.

Configuration techniques have been used in several fields, such as the design of business process models. Sometimes these models depend on the data dependencies, being easier to describe "what" has to be done instead of "how". Configuration models enable to use a declarative representation of business processes, deciding the most appropriate work-flow in each case. Unfortunately, data dependencies among the activities and how they can affect the correct execution of the process, has been overlooked in the declarative specifications and configurable systems found in the literature. In order to find the best process configuration for optimizing the execution time of processes according to data dependencies, we propose the use of Constraint Programming paradigm with the aim of obtaining an adaptable imperative model in function of the data dependencies of the activities described declarative.

The development of accurate dynamic battery pack models for electric vehicles (EVs) is critical for the ongoing electrification of the global automotive vehicle fleet, since these serve as a key element in the energy performance of an EV powertrain system. The Equivalent Circuit Model (ECM) technique at the cell level is commonly employed for this purpose, combining accuracy and efficiency in the representation of battery operation within the broader powertrain system. In this study, a second-order ECM model of a battery cell is being developed using Modelica, an equation-based modeling language. Parameter lookup tables at multiple levels of state of charge (SoC), extracted from Li-ion battery cells with 4 different commonly used cathode materials, have been utilized. This approach allows for a representation of the battery systems that are used in a wide range of commercial EV applications. To verify the model, an integrated EV model is developed and simulation results of the FTP75 driving cycle have been compared against an equivalent application in MATLAB Simulink. The findings demonstrate a close match between the results obtained from both software across different system points. Specifically, the maximum deviation of SoC is limited to 0.08% and the maximum value of relative voltage deviation is 1.4%. The verified model enables the exploration of multiple possible architecture configurations of EV powertrains with Modelica.

The weight coefficients of the diaphragm spring depend on experiences in the traditional optimization. However, this method not only cannot guarantee the optimal solution but it is also not universal. Therefore, a new optimization target function is proposed. The new function takes the minimum of average compress force changing of the spring and the minimum force of the separation as total objectives. Based on the optimization function, the result of the clutch diaphragm spring in a car is analyzed by the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) and the solution set of Pareto is obtained. The results show that the pressing force of the diaphragm spring is improved by 4.09%by the new algorithmand the steering separation force is improved by 6.55%, which has better stability and steering portability. The problem of the weight coefficient in the traditional empirical design is solved. The pressing force of the optimized diaphragm spring varied slightly during the abrasion range of the friction film, and the manipulation became remarkably light.

As the adoption of renewable energy sources grows, ensuring a stable power balance across various time frames has become a central challenge for modern power systems. In line with the "dual carbon" objectives and the seamless integration of renewable energy sources, harnessing the advantages of various energy storage resources and coordinating the operation of long-term and short-term storage have become pivotal directions for future energy storage deployment. To address the complexities arising from the coupling of different time scales in optimizing energy storage capacity, this paper proposes a method for energy storage planning that accounts for power imbalance risks across multiple time scales. Initially, the Seasonal and Trend decomposition using the Loess (STL) decomposition method is utilized to temporally decouple actual operational data. Subsequently, power balance computations are performed based on the obtained data at various time scales to optimize the allocation of different types of energy storage capacities and assess the associated imbalance risks. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated through hourly applications using real-world data from a province in China over recent years.

Nowadays, Multi-needle electrospinning has used to be an efficient method for producing nanofiber membranes. But in the process, the fluctuation errors in electrospinning fluid flow rate have directly influence the membrane quality, which bringing instability and still have not been solved yet. For finding out the solution to the inaccurate flow control in multi-needle, it is necessary to develop a multi-stage flow runner spinneret for large-scale production of nanofiber membrane. At first, the paper uses the finite element software COMSOL to numerically simulate the polymer flow in the runner of spinneret. Based on it, the velocity field distribution curve was draw and the velocity instability coefficient of the polymer flow was attained, which are providing theoretical guidance for the optimal design of spinneret. Next, the response surface analysis method (RSM) was used to establish a regression model between the average diameter of the nanofiber membrane and the process parameters. Then, above regression model used to perform variance data processing between the average diameter and the process parameter configuration. After that, the 2D and 3D response surface profiles and the significance analysis were completed. Finally, the stability of the nanofibers production was improved, which attained the optimal adjustment of process configuration in multi-needle electrospinning.

Electrochemical methods are used for the treatment of both municipal and industrial wastewater, either independently or in conjunction with biological methods. This conjunction is used for pretreatment or posttreatment of biologically treated wastewater. In our work, we focused on the combination of these processes, where pre-electrolysis was used to produce dissolved iron before the activation process. Electrolysis was also directly introduced into the activation using either iron or carbon electrodes. The surface of one iron electrode was 32.2 cm2, the applied voltage was 21 V, and the supplied current was 270 mA. The surface of one carbon electrode was 7.54 cm2, the supplied current was 82.5 mA, and the applied voltage was 21 V. From laboratory research on the treatment of synthetic municipal wastewater using a combination of electrolysis and activation processes, it resulted that the use of iron electrodes increased the efficiency of phosphorus removal compared to its precipitation with iron salts. The electrolysis had a positive effect on the sedimentation properties of sludge and the destruction of filamentous microorganisms. Electrolysis negatively affected the respiration rates of activated sludge and the efficiency of denitrification. However, it did not have a negative impact on the nitrification activity of the sludge.

In this paper, the synthesis of two novel luminescent Eu3+ ion complexes [Eu(TFT)3(phen) (1) and Eu(TFT)3(bpy)•Hex (2)] based on the combination of 2-(2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)-1-tetralone (TFT), containing n-donor ligands (1,10-phenanthroline or 2,2'-Bipyridine) and Eu3+ ion is reported herein, and their structural features are discussed on the basis of X-ray crystallographic and thermal analyses. We observed that the ligands transfer energy effectively to the metal center by fluorescence, IR and UV spectrograms studies. The structures and properties of complexes 1-2 were optimized by the DFT theoretical calculation, and the calculation results were consistent with the experimental X-ray structure data and spectral analysis.

The strong competition in the automotive industry has required manufacturers to implement lean production, both with methods and techniques specific to Industry 4.0. At the same time, universities must provide graduates with specific skills for applying these new production methods and techniques. In this context, a Lean Learning Factory was developed in the Pitesti University Center, which allows students to learn, experiment, and research, in an environment similar to that of enterprises, the new Lean Manufacturing methods and techniques, and Industry 4.0. The research presented in this study had as its objective identifying the minimum number of repetitions necessary to train operators who serve two differently organized workstations, one classic, the other including digital techniques, but on which the same assembly operation is performed. Several indicators were considered in the analysis, such as the number of errors, the number of stops, the effective duration of the work cycle, and the percentage ratio between the standard duration of cyclical activities and the effective duration of the work cycle. The evolution of these indicators was mathematically modelled by regression functions, using the least squares method. The obtained results also highlight the usefulness of applying the DOJO method as a Lean manufacturing-specific learning technique and the efficiency of implementing digital techniques in work organization.

Lactoperoxidase system (LPS) effect on quality of raw and pasteurized milk under real conditions along the dairy value chain in Ethiopia was evaluated. A total of 250 milk samples were collected from farmers, collectors, and factories. Experimental samples were LPS-activated of morning and overnight milk. The samples were tested with several chemical and microbiological tests such as total bacterial count (TBC), total coliform count (TCC) and Escherichia coli count (EC). Results indicated that all LPS-activated milk samples had a higher quality than all the control samples. For instance, both the morning and overnight farm milk samples had a mean TBCs of 5.79 log and 6.55 log cfu/ml which is significantly (p

Reservoirs created by damming rivers significantly modify the environment and problems may arise: the storage of nutrients and organic matter in reservoirs often leads to decreased water quality due to eutrophication. Reservoirs built on lowland rivers are exposed to significant nutrient loads, often leading to eutrophication. In this article, the Sulejów Reservoir, in Central Poland, was the subject of the research, which focused on the use of Sentinel-2 remote sensing data to detect phytoplankton blooms, and on understanding the pattern of wind-driven surface currents using the CCHE2D model (a depth-averaged hydrodynamic model). The calculation of the total phosphorus load has shown that the reservoir mainly acts as nutrient storage. Still, during the low flow and intensive phytoplankton bloom, it can be a source of nutrients. The distribution of phytoplankton bloom on the Sulejów Reservoir was documented using eight Sentinel-2 satellite images from the vegetation season of 2020 and the Normalized Difference Chlorophyll Index (NDCl). Coupling remote sensing data and numerical modelling helps to interpret the hydrodynamic model results and understand nutrients and sediment dynamics within the reservoir. Hydrodynamic modelling combined with remote sensing data can be a valuable tool for selecting appropriate locations for water quality measurements at monitoring stations.

The numerical simulation of entropy generation at mixed natural free and forced convection flow in a square lid-driven cavity filled with an eletrically conducting binary fluids saturated porous media in the presence of a magnetic field is performed in this investigation. Both the top and bottom horizontal walls of the cavity are kept at constant and different temperatures while the left and right vertical walls are adiabatic and insulated. The magnetic field is applied in normal direction to the cavity. The Darcy model, including Brinkman term relative to viscous effects and Forchheimer term due to inertial forces, is used for the momentum equations, and the SIMPLER algorithm, based on the control volume finite-element method approach is used to solve the pressure –velocity coupling. The flow pattern and the heat transfer characteristics inside the cavity are presented in the form of isotherms, streamlines and isentropic lines and average Nusselt number trend. The entropy generation rate is determined for various values of Darcy number (10^-3 ≤ Da ≤ 1) and for a range of Hartmann number (0 ≤ Ha ≤ 10²). This study is limited to Pr = 7 which corresponds to water. It is observed that entropy generation is very affected by the variations of dimensionless control parameters considered.

Abstract: To describe the feeder topology and information exchange between intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) for Internet of Things (IoT), it is necessary to extend IEC 61850 and add a logical model. The feeder model described in IEC 61970 is then extended in IEC 61850 to serve as a container for the equipment along the distribution line. For the physical connections in the electrical equipment, both terminal and connectivity node logical models are added. Taking logical node XCBR as the example, its attributes for the terminals are added to the electrical equipment. The logical node LCNN is then further added in order to describe the connectivity node. By next adding the logical node LTPN to describe the topological node, and FTPA to describe the results of the topology analysis, we can efficiently describe the topology analysis results. Based on these new logical nodes, the exchange of topology information between intelligent terminals no longer relies on configuration files, but only requires logical nodes. Through the above expansion, the topology description and information exchange of medium and low voltage feeders are realized.

Extraction techniques of important bioactive molecules from the major concern of Seafood byproducts are getting emphasis for better valorization. Employing green extraction technologies for efficient and quality production of these bioactive molecules is also strictly required. Hence, understanding the extraction process parameters to effectively design an applicable optimization strategy could make this real. In this review, statistical optimization strategies applied for the extraction process parameters of bioactive molecules from Seafood byproducts are focused. The type of experimental designs, and techniques applied to criticize and validate the effects of independent variables on the extraction output was addressed. Dominant parameters studied were enzyme/substrate ratio, pH, time, temperature and power of extraction instruments. The yield of bioactive compounds, chitin and chitosan, proteins and peptides, enzymes and carotenoids (Astaxanthins) were the most studied responses. Efficiency and/or economic and quality considerations and their selected optimization strategies that favour the production of potential bioactive molecules were also reviewed.

This paper presents the deformation of the joined sheet after the clinch-riveting process. The DX51D steel sheet with zinc coating was used. The samples to be joined with clinch riveting technology had a thickness of 1±0.05 mm and 1.5±0.1 mm. The sheet deformation was measured before and after the joining process. The rivet was pressed in the sheets with the same dimension between the rivet axis and three sheet edges: 20, 30 and 40 mm. For fixed segments of the die, from the rivet side close to the rivet, the sheet deformation was greater than that of the area with movable segments. The movement of die sliding element caused more sheet material to flow in the space between the fixed part of the die and movable segments. Hence, the sheet deformation in these places was smaller than for the die fixed element – sheet material was less compressed. For sheets thickness 1.5 mm and width 20 mm, the bulk of the sheet was observed. For a sheets width of 20 mm, it was observed that the deformation of the upper and lower sheets in the area of the rivet is greater than for sheets width of 30 or 40 mm.

The most important plastic resins used for wire coating are Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Nylon, Polysulfone and Low-high density polyethylene (LDPE / HDPE). In this article,the coating process is performed using elastic-viscous fluid as a coating material for wire coating in a pressure type coating die. The elastic-viscous fluid is electrically conducted in the presence of an applied magnetic field. The governing non-linear equations are modeled and then solved analytically by utilizing an Adomian decomposition method (ADM). The convergence of the series solution is established. The results are also verified by Optimal Homotopy Asymptotic Method (OHAM). The effect of different emerging parameters such as non-Newtonian parameters α and β, magnetic parameter M and the Brinkman number Br on solutions (velocity and temperature profiles) are discussed through several graphs. Additionally, the current result also compares with the published work already available in the literature.

The high radio frequency polarization imaging of non-thermal emission from active galactic nuclei (AGN) is a direct way to probe the magnetic field strength and structure in the immediate vicinity of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and is crucial in testing the jet-launching scenario. To explore the the magnetic field configuration at the base of jets in blazars, we took advantage of the full polarization capabilities of the GMVA (Global Millimeter VLBI Array). With an angular resolution of ~50 micro-arcseconds at 86 GHz, one could reach scales down to ~900 Schwarzschild radii (for a 10^9 solar mass black hole). We present here the preliminary results of our study on the blazar BL Lac. Our results imply that on sub-mas scales the core and central jet of BL Lac is significantly polarized with two distinct regions of polarized intensity. We also noted a great morphological similarity between the 7mm/3mm VLBI images at very similar angular resolution.

Despite being stored at 113 K and atmospheric pressure, LNG cold potential is not exploited to reduce green ships’ energy needs. An innovative system based on three Organic Ranking Cycles integrated into the regasification equipment is proposed to produce additional power and recover cooling energy from condensers. A first-law analysis identified ethylene and ethane as suitable working fluids for the first and the second ORC making available freshwater and ice. Propane, ammonia and propylene could be arbitrarily employed in the third ORC for air-conditioning. An environmental analysis that combines exergy efficiency, ecological indices and hazard aspects for marine environment and ship’s passengers, indicated propylene as safer and more environmentally friendly. The exergy analysis confirms more than 20% of the LNG potential can be recovered from every cycle to produce a net clean power of 76 kW, whereas 270 kW can be saved by recovering condensers' cooling power to satisfy some ship needs. Assuming the sailing mode, a limitation of 162 kg in LNG consumptions was determined, avoiding the emission of 1584 kg of CO2 per day. Marine thermal pollution is reduced by 3.5 times by recovering the working fluids' condensation heat for the LNG pre-heating.

This article develops a multi-perspective view on motivations and methods for tobamovirus purification through the ages, and presents a novel efficient, easy-to-use approach that can be well-adapted to different species of native and functionalized virions. We survey the various driving forces prompting researchers to enrich tobamoviruses: from the search for the causative agents of mosaic diseases in plants to their increasing recognition as versatile nanocarriers in biomedical and engineering applications. Best practice and also rarely applied options for the serial processing steps required for successful isolation of tobamoviruses are then reviewed. Adaptations for distinct particle species, pitfalls and 'forgotten' or underrepresented technologies are considered as well. The article is topped off with our own development of a method for virion preparation, rooted in historical protocols. It combines selective re-solubilization of polyethylene glycol (PEG) virion raw precipitates with density step gradient centrifugation in biocompatible iodixanol formulations, yielding ready-to-use particle suspensions. This newly established protocol and some considerations for perhaps worthwile further developments could serve as putative stepping stones towards preparation procedures appropriate for routine practical uses of the multivalent soft-matter nanorods.

Objective: The aim of this study was to optimize the fermentation process of Radix Ranunculi ternate via microbial fermentation and analyze the changes in the contents of the main components, the antioxidant and hypoglycemic capacities of the extract before and after fermentation. Methods: The solid-state fermentation process was optimized using single-factor tests and the response surface method, with the yield of the alcohol extract of R. ternate as an evaluation index. Results: The best fermentation process was optimized using solid-state endophytic fungus fermentation technology as follows: strain addition ratio of Chaetomium globosum/Fusarium equiseti =1:1, fermentation for 5 d, sieve size of 40 mesh, liquid/material ratio of 0.8:1 mL·g−1, fermentation temperature of 31 °C, and inoculation amount of 7.5%. Under the optimized conditions, the contents of the water-soluble extract and total polysaccharides decreased by 12.71% and 12.95%, respectively, in the fermentation, The contents of ethanol-soluble-extract, flavonoids, saponins, polyphenols, organic acids, and total amino acids of fermented R. ternate increased by 19.77%, 57.14%, 79.67%, 14.29%, 17.63% and 3.82%, respectively, and the scavenging rate for DPPH, ABTS+, ·OH free radicals and inhibitory rate for α-amylase also increased by 19.02%, 14.17%, 7.53% and 34.54%, respectively, compared with unfermented R. ternate. Conclusions: Solid-state fermentation opens new avenues for the development and application of R. ternate as natural antioxidant and hypoglycemic food.

The article presents the results of cyanide leaching of gold-containing concentrate using the trichlorocyanuric acid (TCCA) oxidizer. Gold-containing concentrate obtained from a gold tailings sample from a gold recovery factory (GRF) in one of the deposits of Kazakhstan that was not previously studied for concentrability. According to X-ray phase analysis and energy dispersive spectrometry (DSM) data, the main compounds in the tailings sample under study are: pyrite FeS2, quartz SiO2, calcite CaCO3, albite NaAlSi3O8, muscovite KAl2Si3AlO10(OH)8, dolomite CaMg(CO3)2, and oxidized iron compounds. Microscopic studies have established the presence of gold grains in free form, ranging in size from 0.9-10.2 mkm Au-ultrafine and fine gold. Obtaining a gold-containg concentrate with a gold content of 15.95 g / t is possible according to the enrichment scheme, which includes centrifugal separation, classification according to the fineness class -0.05 mm, additional grinding of hydrocyclone sands to a fineness of 90.0-95.0% of the class finer than 0.050 mm, and control centrifugal separation. Since pyrite in technogenic raw materials is the main gold-containing mineral, this paper presents studies on the oxidizability of pyrite with the TCCA oxidizer. The results of studies on the oxidation of pyrite using the TCCA oxidizer show that the products of its hydrolysis oxidize pyrite with the formation of various iron compounds on its surface. Pretreatment of gold-containing concentrate with oxidizer TCCA for 3 hours before the cyanidation process (20 hours) allows to increase the recovery of gold in the solution by 5.8 %.

The Food and Drug Administration’s 2011 Process Validation Guidance and International Council for Harmonization Quality Guidelines recommend continued process verification (CPV) as a mandatory requirement for pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, and other regulated industries. As a part of product life cycle management, after process characterization in stage 1 and process qualification and validation in stage-2, CPV is performed as stage-3 validation during commercial manufacturing. CPV ensures that the process continues to remain within a validated state. CPV requires the collection and analysis of data related to critical quality attributes, critical material attributes, and critical process parameters on a minimum basis. Data is then used to elucidate process control regarding the capability to meet predefined specifications and stability via statistical process control tools. In statistical process control, control charts and Nelson rules are commonly used throughout the industry to monitor and trend data to ensure that a process remains in control. In the control chart, the mean value is taken as the center line, and 3σ limits are placed on either side of the center line. In CPV, manufactured lots are summarized, trended, and discussed at a cross-functional level at pre-defined intervals (either weekly, bi-weekly, or even monthly) based on the batch run rate. A cross-functional team assesses details regarding 1) violation frequency, 2) statistical strength of the signal, 3) violation magnitude and its impact on process or quality, and 4) any potential root causes for out-of-expectation or out-of-trend signals. The cross-functional team must analyze whether any signal identified by the control chart is reliable and must determine whether corrective action should be taken and justify the decision in the CPV meeting minutes based on statistical strength and reliability of the signal. However, basic control charts are susceptible to false alarms and nuisance alarms. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the assumptions behind control charts and the inherent false alarm rates for different Nelson rules. In this article, the authors have detailed the assumptions behind the usage of control charts, the rate of false alarms for different Nelson rules, the impact of skewness and kurtosis of a data distribution on the false alarm rate, and methods for optimizing control chart design by reducing false alarm rates and nuisance signals.

Amid the swift progression of the global automobile industry, the aspiration for lightweight vehicle design has surfaced as a crucial approach to boost fuel efficiency and curtail environmental impact. The objective of this study revolves around achieving holistic optimization of vehicle structure via detailed scrutiny of vehicle process characteristics, amalgamated with a Back Propagation neural network (BPNN) optimized by a genetic algorithm (GA) and a topology optimization (TO) method.The process initiates with an examination of the vehicle's technical characteristics, succeeded by an optimization protocol that couples GA with BPNN. This exhaustive optimization procedure derives the best-fit values of design parameters and identifies the globally optimal lightweight design approach. Subsequently, a comprehensive structural optimization is actualized by modifying the topological distribution of the structure.A simulation experiment of the conceptual car body beam skeleton is conducted as a conclusive step, and the anti-collision capacity of the car body beam skeleton is assessed by measuring deformation intrusion. The findings reveal that in the vehicle topology optimization, a comparative analysis of pre and post-optimization results indicates an improved topological density across diverse sections. The topological density of the vehicle's frontal structure escalates from 0.75 to 0.8. Following optimization, the stiffness assessment records a marginal increase (within the range of 0.02–0.05), implying that the lightweight design does not compromise the general rigidity of the structure.The optimized body structure manifests superior crashworthiness in the crash test: the deformation intrusion diminishes by 27% in front-end collisions. In side impacts, the deformation and intrusion at critical points are reduced by 13.15% to 10% respectively. The comprehensive method proposed herein proves to be an efficient strategy to actualize the lightweight design of vehicles.

In this paper, the boiling flow inside a nanochannel with 700000 argon particle has been simulated by molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. This approach has been employed to analysis the superheated flow and its heat transfer pattern as well. For all simulations an external thrust force varying from 1 PN to 12 PN is exerted on inlet nanoparticles along the channel to have the forced annular boiling flow. Computations reveal that saturation condition and superheat degree have significant impacts on the liquid-vapor interface. Furthermore, because of the major influence of surface tension throughout a nanochannel, the x-velocity of liquid film and vapor core has not considerable fluctuations and stay smooth. All provided results show the behaviors completely similar to the available outcomes in the literature.

To fulfil a need of limitation automotive emissions the reduction of vehicle weight is widely recommended and achieved in many ways, both by the construction of individual elements of the vehicle, and by the selection of light materials including Al alloys. Connecting these elements with each other and with elements made of iron alloys can be realized, inter alia, by welding or stir welding. However, the quality of the welds obtained varies widely and depends on many design, operational and environmental factors. The present study focused on a review of various welding technics used to joint both similar and dissimilar Al alloys utilized in automotive industry, the effect of various process parameters on welds quality, and phenomena appeared in such welds..

Skin and proximity effects have a considerable impact on current distribution in multi-strand cable lines. Under unfavorable heat exchange conditions some strands may be subject to excessive overheating, what may lead to serious malfunctions or even fires of the installation. The paper proposes a new criterion for a quick choice of spatial configurations, for which the effect might be minimized. A comprehensive analysis of literature cases is provided, including the recommendations of the U.S. National Code and the Canadian standard.

A co-curing resin system consisting of 9368 epoxy resin for prepreg and 6808 epoxy resin for resin transfer molding (RTM) was developed. A corresponding preparation method of novel polymer composite bolted T-joint with internal skeleton and external skin was proposed based on prepreg-RTM co-curing process, and novel T-joints were fabricated. A series of conventional configuration T-joints based on RTM process and T-joints made of 2A12 aluminum alloy were prepared simultaneously. Bending performances were studied on these T-joints experimentally. The results indicate that 9368 epoxy resin and 6808 epoxy resin exhibit good compatibility in rheological and thermophysical properties. The novel T-joints prepared with prepreg-RTM co-curing process show no obvious fiber local winding or resin-rich regions inside, and the interface quality between internal skeleton and external skin is excellent. The main failure modes of the novel T-joint under bending load include separation of skin and skeleton and fracture along the thickness on the base panel; the skeleton carries the main bending load, but there is still load transfer between external skin and internal skeleton through their interface. The internal damages of the novel T-joint are highly consistent with surface damages observed visually, facilitating the detection and timely discovery of damages. The initial stiffness, damage initiation load, and ultimate load of the novel T-joint are 1.65 times, 5.89 times, and 3.45 times that of conventional T-joint, respectively. When considering the influence of density, the relative initial stiffness and relative ultimate load of the novel T-joint are 1.44 times and 2.07 times that of aluminum alloy T-joint, respectively.

Wafer-scale blue micro-light-emitting diode (micro-LED) arrays are fabricated with a pixel size of 12 μm, a pixel pitch of 15 μm, and a pixel density of 1692 pixels per inch, achieved by optimizing the properties of e-beam-deposited and sputter-deposited indium tin oxide (ITO). Although the sputter-deposited ITO (S-ITO) films exhibit a densely packed morphology and lower resistivity compared to those of the e-beam-deposited ITO (E-ITO) films, the forward voltage (VF) values of a micro-LED with the S-ITO films are higher than those with the E-ITO films. The VF values for a single pixel and for four pixels with E-ITO films are 2.82 V and 2.83 V, respectively, while the corresponding values for S-ITO films are 3.50 V and 3.52 V. This was attributed to ion bombardment damage and nitrogen vacancies in the p-GaN layer. Surprisingly, the VF variations of a single pixel and of four pixels with the optimized E-ITO spreading layer from five different regions are only 0.09 V and 0.10 V, respectively. This extremely uniform VF variation is suitable for realizing micro-LED displays to be used in AR and VR applications, circumventing the bottleneck in the development of long-lifespan and high-brightness organic LED devices for industrial mass production.

This study assessed the hydrological performance and runoff water quality of 12 green roof (GR) modular systems located at the Universidad de los Andes campus (Bogotá, Colombia). Based on 223 rainfall events spanning a 3-year period, average rainfall retention was 85% (SD = 25%). T-tests, Welch Test, multiple linear regressions and correlation analysis were performed in order to assess the potential effect of air temperature, substrate type, vegetation cover, relative humidity, antecedent dry weather period (ADWP), rainfall duration and rainfall maximum intensity. In some cases, GR design variables (i.e. growing media and type of vegetation) were found to be significant for describing rainfall retention efficiencies and, depending on the GR type, some hydrological variables were also correlated with the rainfall retention. Rainfall and GR runoff were monitored for Total Kjeldahl Nitrogen (TKN), Nitrates, Nitrites, Ammonia, Total Phosphorus (TP), Phosphates, pH, Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Color, Turbidity, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Coliforms, metals and Poliaromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). The results obtained confirmed that GR systems have the ability to neutralize pH, but are source of the rest of the aforementioned parameters, excluding PAHs (with concentrations below detection limits), Ammonia, TSS, Se and Li, where differences with reference values (rainfall and plastic panel runoff) were not statistically significant. Substrate type, event size and rainfall regime are relevant variables for explaining runoff water quality.

From the aerial parts of Salvia ballotiflora, eleven diterpenoids were isolated, among them, four icetexanes, and one abietane (1–5), which are first reported. Their structures were established by spectroscopic means, mainly ¹H and ¹³C NMR, including 1D and 2D homo- and hetero-nuclear experiments. Most of the isolated diterpenoids were tested for their antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, and radical scavenging activities using the sulforhodamine B assay on six cancer cell lines, the TPA induced ear edema test in mice, and the reduction of the DPPH assay, respectively. Some diterpenoids showed anti-proliferative activity, these being icetexanes 6 and 3, which were the most active with IC₅₀ (µM) = 0.27 ± 0.08 and 1.40 ± 0.03, respectively, for U251 (human glioblastoma) and IC₅₀ (µM) = 0.0.46 ± 0.05, and 0.82 ± 0.06 for SKLU-1 (human lung adenocarcinoma), when compared with adriamycin (IC₅₀ (µM) = 0.08 ± 0.003, and 0.05 ± 0.003, as the positive control, respectively. Compounds 3 and 10 showed significant reduction of the induced ear edema of 37.4 ± 2.8 and 25.4 ± 3.0% (at 1.0 µmol/ear), respectively. Compound 4 was the sole active diterpenoid in the antioxidant assay (IC₅₀ = 98. 4 ± 3.3), using α-tocopherol as positive control, IC₅₀ (µM) = 31.7 ± 1.04. The diterpenoid profile found is of chemotaxonomic relevance and reinforces the evolutionary link of S. ballotiflora with other members of the section Tomentellae.

The Vu Gia - Thu Bon River Basin (VG-TB) is confronting numerous challenges related to water security (WS), particularly in the face of the impacts of climate change. These challenges manifest in salinity intrusion, altered rainfall patterns, and reduced water supply in downstream areas. To assess the current state of water security in the basin, the study employed statistical analysis methods, Process Analysis Method (PAM), SMART, and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to develop a comprehensive Assessment Framework for Water Security (AFWS) in the VG-TB. The AFWS encompasses five key dimensions, 17 indicators, and 28 variables, aligning with the UN-Water definition of water security and addressing the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG6) criteria for global water sustainability. It also adheres to the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) approach to water security assessment as outlined in the Asian Water Development Outlook (AWDO) reports. This allows for the computation of a comprehensive Water Security Index (WSI) for specific regions, serving as a foundation for decision-making and policy formulation aimed at enhancing water security in the context of climate change and facilitating sustainable basin development in the future.

Magneto-optic surface plasmon resonance (MOSPR) based sensors are highly attractive as next generation biosensors. However, these sensors suffer from oxidation leading to degradation of performance, reproducibility of the sensor surface because of the difficulty of removing adsorbed materials, and degradation of sensor surface during surface cleaning, and these limit their applications. In this paper, I propose MOSPR-based biosensors with 0 to 15 nm thick inert polycarbonate laminate plastic as a protective layer and theoretically demonstrate the practicability of our approach in water-medium for three different probing samples: ethanol, propanol, and pentanol. I also investigate microstructure and magnetic properties. The chemical composition and layered information of the sensor are investigated using X-ray reflectivity and X-ray diffraction analyses and these show distinct fcc-Au (111) phases, as dominated by the higher density of conduction electrons in Au as compared to Co. The magnetic characterization measured with the in-plane magnetic field to the sensor surface for both the as-deposited and annealed multilayers showed isotropic easy axis magnetization parallel to the multilayer interface at a saturating magnetic field of <100 Oe. The sensor showed a maximum sensitivity of 5.5 × 10⁴%/RIU for water-ethanol media and the highest detection level of 2.5 × 10⁻⁸ for water-pentanol media as the protective layer is increased from 0 to 15 nm.c

The purpose of this study is to investigate the moderating effect of technology configuration capability on the relationship between strategic flexibility and organizational performance through different stages of technological life cycle. Through the empirical research on the 439 Chinese high-tech organizations, it shows that a technological configuration capability has enhanced the effect of strategic flexibility to the organizational performance in the complex dynamic environment. However, the impact on the different stages of technological life cycle is different. In addition, this paper explored strategic flexibility on different stages of technological life cycle on the basis of empirical study.

A multimodal detection system with complementary capabilities for efficient detection was developed for impurity detection. The system consisted of a visible light camera, a multispectral camera, image correction and registration algorithms. It can obtain spectral feature and color feature at the same time, and has higher spatial resolution than a single spectral camera. This system was applied to detect impurities in Pu ’er tea to verify its high efficiency. The spectral and color features of each pixel in the images of Pu ’er tea were obtained by this system and used for pixel classification. The experimental results show that the accuracy of Support Vector Machine (SVM) model based on combined features is 93%, which is 7% higher than that based on only spectral features. By applying median filtering algorithm and contour detection algorithm to the label matrix extracted from pixel-classified images, 8 impurities except hair were detected successfully. Moreover, taking advantage of the high resolution of visible light camera, small impurities can be clearly imaged. By comparing the segmented color image with the pixel-classified image, small impurities such as hair could be detected successfully. Finally, it is proved that the system can obtain multiple images to allow a more detailed and comprehensive understanding of the detected items, and has excellent ability to detect small impurities.

Micellar Casein Concentrate (MCC) is manufactured from microfiltration (MF) of skim milk utilizing ceramic or polymeric membrane filtration. While ceramic filtration has higher efficiency, use of polymeric is cost effective and the process is familiar to several US dairy processors. The aim of the present study was to develop an optimized membrane filtration process to produce MCC using spiral wound polymeric membrane filtration (SW MF) system by systematic selection of transmembrane pressure (TMP) and level of diafiltration (DF). Using skim milk as feed material, preliminary lab-scale MF experiments were conducted using 0.5 µm polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane. Three TMP (34.5, 62.1, and 103.4 kPa) and three levels of DF (70, 100, and 150%) along with a process without DF as control were used in the study. Effect of TMP and effectiveness of DF on flux rates, SP removal, casein to total protein (CN/TKN) ratio, casein to true protein (CN/TP) ratio, rejection of casein (rej CN) and SP (rej SP) were evaluated. At all TMP values used in the study, the overall flux (O Flux) increased with the level of DF. Highest O Flux of 30.77 liter per meter square per hour (LMH) was obtained with 34.5 kPa pressure and 150% DF. The impact of DF was more pronounced at lower pressures than at the higher pressures used in the study. With controlled DF, instantaneous flux was maintained within 80% of initial flux for the entire process run. For all the experiments, casein has a rejection of 0.97 to 1.0, while serum protein has the lowest rejection of 0.10 at 34.5 kPa pressure and 150% DF level. Use of 34.5 kPa and DF level of 150 % contributed to 81.45% SP removal, and casein to true protein ratio of 0.96. SP removal data from the lab-scale experiments were fitted into a mathematical model using DF and square of TMP as factors. The model predicts SP removal within 90-95% of actual SP removal got from the pilot plant experiments.

In this work, generalized geometry of second-order tangent groups and affine configuration complexes is proposed. Initially, geometry for higher weights n=4 and weights n=5 is presented through some interesting and suitable homomorphisms, finally, this geometry is extended and generalized for any weight n.

This paper outlines our effort on optimizing Pulsed Magneto-Oscillation (PMO) design in order to improve the efficiency of ingot manufacturing under PMO. Our calculation and experiment provided optimized PMO coil design and special configuration. Our optimized PMO design offered us a device that enabled the operator to examine and operate the melt without losing the efficiency. In one of the designs, the equipment even refined the grain sizes. Our work also showed an optimized distance range between the coil and the melt surface that maximized the refinement effects.

There is an increasing trend that Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (UCAVs) are employed to complete different combat missions in modern wars. This paper investigates a UCAV routing problem, which simultaneously considers the decisions for the configuration of weapons carried by the UCAV subject to its capacity and the allocation of weapons to the targets subject to their destroying requirements. An integer linear programming model is developed to formulate the problem. An adaptive large neighborhood search (ALNS) heuristic is proposed to solve the problem, in which seven neighborhood structures are designed and employed. Randomly generated instances covering the small, medium and large sizes are used to test the proposed ALNS algorithm. CPLEX is also utilized to solve the small-size instances, whose results are compared with that obtained by the ALNS algorithm. And the extensive experimental results confirm the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed ALNS algorithm.

This work examines the beneficial role of an unsteady stenosis, operating without the use of any external energy source, as a means for augmenting the flow rate of a valveless pump in a hydraulic loop, including an open tank. In contrast to our previous work that the loop was horizontal, here gravity was taken into account. The stenosis neck cross-sectional area was controlled by the fluid pressure and an opposing force applied externally by a spring of adjustable tension. The pincher compressed and decompressed periodically a part of a flexible tube with frequencies from 5 Hz to 11 Hz and compression ratios Ab from 24% to 65%. The presence of the stenosis increased the net flow rate 19 times for Ab = 24%, and 6.3 times for Ab = 38%, whereas for Ab = 65%, the flow rates were comparable. The volumetric efficiency varied from 30% to 40% under the presence of the stenosis, and from 2% to 20% without the stenosis. The role of the stenosis role was to cause a unidirectional flow, opening during tube compression and closing during decompression. The pressure amplitudes along the flexible tube increased towards the rigid-flexible tube junction (as a result of the wave reflections) which were found to be significantly attenuated by the presence of the stenosis.

The standard edge crush test (ECT) allows to determine the crushing strength of the corrugated cardboard. Unfortunately, this test cannot be used to estimate the compressive stiffness, which is an equally important parameter. It is because, any attempt to determine this parameter using current lab equipment quickly ends in a fiasco. The biggest obstacle is obtaining a reliable measurement of displacements and strains in the corrugated cardboard sample. In this paper, we present a method that not only allows to reliably identify the stiffness in the loaded direction of orthotropy in the corrugated board sample, but also the full orthotropic material stiffness matrix. The proposed method uses two samples: (a) traditional, cut crosswise to the wave direction of the corrugated core, and (b) cut at an angle of 45 degrees. Additionally, in both cases, an optical system with digital image correlation (DIC) is used to measure the displacements and strains on the outer surface of samples. The use of a non-contact measuring system allows to avoid using the measurement of displacements from the crosshead, which is burdened with a large error. Apart from the new experimental configuration, the article also proposes a simple algorithm to quickly characterize all sought stiffness parameters. The obtained results are finally compared with the results obtained in the homogenization procedure of the cross-section of the corrugated board. The results were consistent in both cases.

Project portfolio configuration (PPC) is an important approach to maintain the sustainable development of enterprises and achieve organizations’ strategy. However, the synergetic efficacy of PPC which determines the degree of the project's strategic objectives achieved is a fuzzy problem and hard to be measured. To solve this problem, this paper takes the data envelopment analysis (DEA) as the tool to measure the efficacy of PPC under deterministic conditions. First, a portfolio evaluation index system which takes financial indicators and non-financial indicators into consideration is developed based on the review of the literature; Second, an evaluation model based on DEA is built to reduce the number of decision making-unit with the perspective of synergetic theory; Then, a computational experiment is studied to verify the feasibility of this proposed model. The results of this computational experiment show that this model can effectively narrow scope of decision-making, improve the decision-making level and provide a reference to decide the DEA effective project portfolio decision-making unit. To our knowledge, this study is the first time to apply the notion of synergetic efficacy and DEA to the PPC domain. It is hoped that this paper may shed lights on any further study about PPC and enterprise competitiveness of sustainable development.

In this work, an novel flow-electric field coupling configuration for enhanced Zn-Cd cementation was designed and utilized. A series of tests were conducted to explore the optimization of Zn-Cd cementation process and its mechanism.Firstly, the various characterisations of the cadmium sponge at different locations in the device were compared and it was concluded that the purity of the cadmium sponge was optimal from the anode surface. The generation and stripping of cadmium sponge was revealed for the first time by cross-sectional electron microscopy. The four stages of the apparent reaction in the system were analysed in relation to the pH, cadmium concentration and cadmium sponge flaking at each flow rate. It was proved that the separation of cadmium sponge mainly occurred in the third phase. Secondly, by comparing the morphology and specific surface area of cadmium sheep at different flow rates, the optimum flow field velocity was identified as 30 ml/s. Six flow field configurations were compared and preferred. The results demonstrate that the LCAH modulation results in a more sparse structure of the cadmium sponge, which is more easily exfoliated from the zinc anode surface by fluid impact. This was considered to be the most beneficial flow field configuration for improving the cadmium cementation rate and reducing the cost of the reaction. Further, the reaction steps of the system were analysed. The diffusion process under different flow field configurations was confirmed by calculations to follow first order kinetics. The diffusion coefficient of LACH proved to be the highest in the comparative tests and this result was also supported by the apparent experimental results.

While there are software tools available for assisting to conduct the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), such as OpenLCA, these tools lack integration with process design, simulation and optimization software. As LCA has critical role in sustainable product design, it is presented in this work a platform called EMSO_OLCA, which integrates the LCA provided by OpenLCA into the Environment for Modeling, Simulation, and Optimization (EMSO). EMSO_OLCA incorporates a database of environmental impact assessment methodologies from OpenLCA and aligns to the principles of LCA outlined in ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. Validation tests were conducted to compare the results obtained by the LCA of sugarcane ethanol using OpenLCA and EMSO_OLCA, revealing a high level of agreement. The average relative error was 0.045%, indicating a negligible discrepancy between the tools. Besides, it took only 0.3 seconds for calculation, which is desirable for using with process systems engineering tools. A second case study was applied to a steam and bioelectricity production from the combustion of sugarcane bagasse and straw in a combined heat and power system. The results show the integration of LCA with simulation and sensitivity analysis tools, thus contributing for supporting sustainable decision-making processes. EMSO_OLCA bridges the gap between LCA and process engineering, enabling a holistic approach to sustainability, design and implementation of environmentally friendly solutions.

Although composting has many advantages in the treatment of organic waste, there are still many problems and challenges associated with emissions, like NH3, VOCs, and H2S, as well as greenhouse gases such as CO2, CH4, and N2O. One promising approach to enhancing composting conditions is used of novel analytical methods bad on artificial intelligence. To predict and optimize the emissions (CO, CO2, H2S, NH3) during composting process kinetics thought mathematical models (MM) and machine learning (ML) models were utilized. Data about everyday emissions from laboratory composting with compost’s biochar with different incubation (50, 60, 70 °C) and biochar doses (0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15% d.m.) were used for MM and ML models selections and training. MM has not been very effective in predicting emissions, (R2 0.1 - 0.9), while ML models such as acritical neural network (ANN, Bayesian Regularized Neural Network; R2 accuracy CO:0,71, CO2:0,81, NH3:0,95, H2S:0,72)) and decision tree (DT, RPART; R2 accuracy CO:0,693, CO2:0,80, NH3:0,93, H2S:0,65) have demonstrated satisfactory results. For the first time the ML models to predict CO and H2S during composting were demonstrated. Further research in a semi-scale and field study composting with biochar is needed to improve the accuracy of developments models.

Kinematic control of redundant serial manipulators has been carried out for the past half century based primarily on a generalized inverse velocity formulation that is known to have mathematical deficiencies. A recently developed inverse kinematic position mapping is extended to an operational configuration space differentiable manifold formulation for kinematic control with obstacle avoidance is employed to resolve deficiencies in the generalized inverse velocity formulation. Output trajectory tracking with obstacle avoidance for four and twenty degree of redundancy manipulators is carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the differentiable manifold approach and that it resolves deficiencies of the conventional generalized inverse velocity formulation.

Background: Formation and rupture of cerebral aneurysms may be related to certain types of configuration of the circle of Willis. Analysis of their interdependence can be of great importance. Methods: A group of 114 patients treated operatively for the cerebral aneurysm rupture and a group of 56 autopsied subjects were involved in the study. Four basic types of the circle of Willis configurations were formed–two symmetric types A and C, and two asymmetric types B and D. Results: A statistically significantly higher presence of asymmetry of the circle of Willis in the group of surgically treated subjects (p=0.006) with a significant presence of asymmetric Type B in this group (p=0.017) were determined. The presence of changes in the A1 segment in the group of subjects with solitary aneurysms on the anterior communicating artery showed a statistically significant presence in the group of autopsied subjects (p=0.0004). Analyzing the presence of symmetry of the circle of Willis between the two groups, that is, the total presence of symmetric types A and C indicated their statistically significant presence in the group of autopsied patients (p=0.043). Conclusion: Changes such as hypoplasia or aplasia of A1 and the resulting asymmetry of the circle of Willis directly affect the possibility of the rupture of cerebral aneurysms. Detection of the corresponding types of the circle of Willis after diagnostic examination can be the basis for the development of a protocol for monitoring such patients.

This paper introduces a sliding mode control (SMC) based equivalent control method to a novel high output gain Cuk converter. An additional inductor and capacitor improves the efficiency and output gain of the classical Cuk converter. Classical PI controllers are widely used in DC-DC converters. However, it is a very challenging task to design a single PI controller operating in different load and disturbances. SMC based equivalent control method which achieves a robust operation in a wide operation range is also proposed. Switching frequency is kept constant in appropriate interval in different loading and disturbance conditions by implementing a dynamic hysteresis control method. Numerical simulations conducted on Matlab/Simulink confirm the accuracy of analytical analysis of high output gain modified Cuk converter. In addition, proposed equivalent control method is validated in different perturbations to demonstrate the robust operation in wide operation range.

In a dynamic production processes, mechanical degradation poses a significant challenge, impacting product quality and process efficiency. This paper explores a novel approach for monitoring degradation in the context of viscose fiber production, a highly dynamic manufacturing process. Using causal discovery techniques, our method allows domain experts to incorporate background knowledge into the creation of causal graphs. Further, it enhances the interpretability and increases the ability to identify potential problems via changes in causal relations over time. The case study employs a comprehensive analysis of the viscose fiber production process within a prominent textile industry, emphasizing the advantages of causal discovery for monitoring degradation. The results are compared with state-of-the-art methods, which are not considered to be interpretable, specifically LSTM-based autoencoders, showcasing the alignment and validation of our approach. This paper provides valuable information on degradation monitoring strategies, demonstrating the efficacy of causal discovery in dynamic manufacturing environments. The findings contribute to the evolving landscape of process optimization and quality control.

Inadequately managed agricultural waste significantly impacts the environment, health, and economy. This form of pollution arises from the underutilization, poor awareness, and insufficient treatment of agricultural waste. Fruit and vegetable wastes are valuable sources of bioactive compounds. This study aims to revalorize discarded waste from red habanero chili peppers (Capsicum chinense) by extracting bioactive compounds through different extraction processes: maceration (ME), maceration assisted by ultrasound (US), Soxhlet extraction (SE), supercritical fluid extraction (SFE), and supercritical fluid extraction with a co-solvent (SFEC). Extraction processes have significant effects on extraction efficiency and phytochemical profile (capsaicinoids and carotenoids recovery). The results indicate that the highest efficiency process is obtained with SFEC, also a high phytochemicals recovery (14.9 mg of total capsaicinoids and total carotenoids 292.09 µg per gram of sample). Concerning to phytochemical profile in the extract, the maceration process gets the highest concentration of compound followed by US and SFEC. These data reveal that the use of SFE and SFEC extraction is recommended for extraction of phytochemicals with biologically activity from red habanero chili pepper waste for diverse industries application.

An effective approach to fabricate large-scale of conducting polyaniline (PANI) by an in situ anodic electrochemical polymerization on the nickel foam, which coated by a novel aryl diazonium salt (ADS)-functionalized graphene (ADS-G). In present work, ADS-G was used as a high surface area support material for electrochemical polymerization of PANI. Electrochemical performances of the ADS-G/PANI composites exhibited better suitability as supercapacitor electrode materials than that of the PANI. The ADS-G/PANI composites achieved the specific capacitance of 528 F g-1, which was higher than that of PANI (266 F g-1) due to the excellent electrode-electrolyte interaction and synergistic effect of electrical conductivity between ADS-G and PANI in the composites. These findings suggested that the ADS-G/PANI composites were a suitable composite for the potential supercapacitor applications.

Due to increased energy intensive human activities resulting accelerated demand for electric power coupled with occurrence of natural disasters with increased frequency, intensity, and duration, it becomes essential to explore and advance renewable energy technology for sustainability of the society. Addressing the stated problem and providing a radical solution has been attempted in this study. To harvest the renewable energy, among variety of solar cells reported, a composite a-Si/CZTS photovoltaic devices has not yet been investigated. The calculated parameters for solar cell based on the new array of layers consisting of a-Si/CZTS are reported in this study. The variation of i) solar cell efficiency as a function of CZTS layer thickness, temperature, acceptor, and donor defect concentration; ii) variation of the open circuit current density as a function of temperature, open circuit voltage; iii) variation of open circuit voltage as a function of the thickness of the CZTS layer has been determined. There has been no reported study on a-Si/CZTS configuration-based solar cell, analysis of the parameters, and study to address the challenges imped efficiency of the photovoltaic device and the same has been discussed in this work. The value of the SnO2/a-Si/CZTS solar cells obtained from the simulation is 23.9 %.

This paper reports design of a 2 × 4 hybrid multimode interferometer-Mach-zehnder interferometer (MMI-MZI) configuration and compact thermo-optical switch consisting of slab waveguides on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI), platform. The device consisted of two identical MMIs as power splitters and couplers that are connected with two identical MMI-based phase shifters, and linear tapers at both ends of the MMIs to minimize the power coupling loss. A thin Al pad is used as a heating element, and a trench is created around this pad to prevent heat from spreading and to minimize loss. The calculated average thermo-optical switching power consumption, excess loss, and power imbalance are 1.4 mW, 0.9 dB, and 0.1 dB, respectively. The overall footprint of the device is 6 × 304 μm². The new heating method has advantages of compact size, ease of fabrication on SOI platform with the current CMOS technology, and offers low excess loss and power consumption as demanded by devices based on SOI technology. The device can act as two independent optical switches in one structure.

This paper describes the state of the art and future opportunities for process design and sustainable development. In the Introduction the main global megatrends and European Union's response to two of them, the European Green Deal, are presented. The organization of professionals in the field, their conferences and publications support the two topics. A brief analysis of the published documents in the two most popular databases shows that the environmental dimension predominates, followed by an economic one, while the social pillar of sustainable development is undervalued. The main design tools for sustainability are described. As an important practical case, the European chemical and process industries are analyzed and their achievements in sustainable development are highlighted; in particular, their strategies are presented in more detail. The conclusions cover the most urgent future development areas of the process industries, carbon capture with utilization or storage, process analysis, simulation, synthesis and optimization tools; zero waste, circular economy and resource efficiency already play an important role. However, more profound changes are needed in the coming decades, including a shift away from growth with changes in habits, lifestyles and business models. Lifelong education for sustainable development will play a very important role in the growth of democracy and happiness instead of consumerism and neoliberalism.

Landscape configuration and forest structure assume an increasing importance as determinants of animal communities. This paper focused on nocturnal lepidoptera inhabiting alder patches in the Sila National Park, Italy. According to their shape, patches were divided into linear and compact ones to disentangle the role of forest structure and landscape configuration in determining the composition of nocturnal lepidopteran communities at different observation scales. We used the Mann-Whitney test for medians to Shannon diversity, Equitability, Fisher’s alpha, and nestedness to test differences among moth communities. We found that compact patches inhabit richer and more abundant communities. The abundance-based Correspondence Analysis showed moth communities clustered according to woodlot shape, except a compact woodlot having a linear-like moth community because entirely surrounded by grasslands. Percentage of forested area and abundance and composition of communities are positively correlated at 50 and 200 m buffers, while correlations are absent at smaller and larger buffers. Our results demonstrated that a width of 50 m may not be sufficient to give proper functionality to the wooded area, at least for moths. As consequence, planning of forest restorations should consider the importance to increase structural habitat continuity at larger scales.

Coaxial rotors can be found in multirotor vehicles for the added thrust compared to independent rotors while keeping similar area footprints but, performance losses should be considered. This experimental study analyzes the effects of varying motor throttle and propeller pitch values in motor-propeller systems with two to four coaxial rotors. The results show that in a two-rotor coaxial system, to lessen the adverse effects of a front rotor’s backwash and to operate at the maximum performance, only the back motor should be operated initially up to 75% duty cycle before using the front motor up to its 75% duty cycle. Additional thrust requirements should be generated from the back rotor and then from the front rotor up to their maximum duty cycles. In two, three, and four-rotor coaxial setups, total thrust output generated is 1.6, 2.1, and 2.5 times the thrust output at system thrust performance of 86%, 76%, and 66%, respectively of that of an isolated rotor. In a four-rotor coaxial setup, maximum system performance is achieved when the propeller pitch values are gradually increased from the first to the last rotor. The gradual increments in propeller pitch values also result in more uniform thrust sharing among rotors.

Microgrid is one of the promising green transition technologies that will provide enormous benefit to the seaport, as a solution to the major concerns in this sector, namely energy crisis, economical and environmental pollution. However, finest design of the microgrid is a challenging task considering different objectives, constraints and uncertainties involved. To ensure the optimal operation of the system, determining the right configuration framework and size for each component in the seaport microgrid at the minimum cost is a vital decision at the design stage. This paper aims to design a hybrid system of seaport microgrid with optimally sized component .The selected case study is the Port of Aalborg, Denmark. The proposed grid-connected structure consists of renewable energy sources (photovoltaic system and wind turbines), an energy storage system and cold ironing as seaport’ loads. The architecture is then optimized by utilizing HOMER to meet the maximum load demand by considering a few parameters such as solar global horizontal irradiance, temperature and wind resources. Then, the best configuration framework is analyzed in terms of economic feasibility, energy reliability and environmental impact.

The performance consistency of an RF MEMS switch matrix is a crucial metric, which directly impacts its operational lifespan. An improved crossbar-based RF MEMS switch matrix topology, the SR-Crossbar, was investigated in this article. An optimized port configuration scheme was proposed for the RF MEMS switch matrix. Both the utilization probability of individual switch nodes and path lengths in the switch matrix achieve best consistency simultaneously under the proposed port configuration scheme. One significant advantage of this scheme lies in that it only adjusts positions of input and output ports, with topology and individual switch nodes kept unchanged. This grants it a high level of generality and feasibility, and also introduces an additional degree of freedom for optimizations. The article also constructed a universal utilization probability function of single nodes, and formulated an optimization objective function for the SR-Crossbar RF MEMS switch matrix, which provides a convenient approach to directly solving the optimized port configuration scheme for practical applications.

Predictive maintenance (PM) algorithms are widely applied for detecting operational anomalies on industrial processes to trigger maintenance before a possible breakdown; however, much less focus has been devoted to the use of such PM predictions as feedback in automated process control mechanisms. They usually integrate preventive solutions to protect the machines, usually causing downtimes. The premise of this study is to develop a holistic adaptive process scheduling mechanism that incorporates PM analysis as a safety component to optimize the operation mode of an industrial process toward preventing breakdowns while maintaining its availability and operational state, thereby reducing downtimes. As PM is largely a data-driven approach; hence, relies on the setup, we first compare different PM approaches and identify a one-class support vector machine (OCSVM) as the best performing option for the anomaly detection on our setup. Then, we propose a novel pipeline to integrate maintenance predictions into a real-time adaptive process scheduling mechanism. It schedules for the most suitable operation, i.e., optimizing for machine health and process efficiency, according to the abnormal readings. To demonstrate the pipeline on action, we implement our approach on a small-scale conveyor belt system utilizing our Internet of Things (IoT) framework. The results show that our PM-based adaptive process control provides an efficient process with less or no downtime. We also conclude that a PM approach does not provide sufficient efficiency without its integration into an autonomous planning process.

This study addresses the challenge of treating skin cancer effectively, especially in visible areas like the face, where traditional methods may be undesirable. Current options, including surgery and radiation therapy, have limitations such as complexity, expense, and imprecise dose delivery. The proposed solution involves additively manufacturing personalized patches using diagnostic imaging data, offering a targeted and controlled dose of beta-emitting isotopes like Y-90. The patches, tailored to the tumor's shape and depth, aim to minimize damage to healthy tissues and structures. Through 3D printing technology we demonstrated the feasibility of creating individualized applicators filled with radioisotopes, that have the potential to deliver therapeutic doses while ensuring patient comfort and affordability. This innovative approach, based on radiation delivery simulations, offers a promising future alternative to conventional radiation therapy methods. Clinical trials are required to validate its efficacy and safety, but the potential for reduced radiation exposure and enhanced treatment precision positions this personalized and targeted therapy as a valuable advancement in skin cancer treatment.

Two beneficial characteristics of aircraft generators are having armature windings and PM excitation sources placed on the stator side (maintenance and thermal management) and having a clear-cut rotor without permanent magnets or excitation windings (vulnerable at high speeds due to associated centripetal mechanical stresses). Within this framework, a doubly-salient permanent magnet (DSPM) generator was conceived by optimizing the stator size and rotor structure to minimize the torque ripple and maximize the RMS voltage value per turn of each generator phase. A Multi-Objective Design Strategy based on a 2D finite element analysis was used, being set to have characteristics closest to optimal for a Boeing 767 turbine, that is, the necessary electromotive force for a required power of 90 kW at 3000 rpm, feeding a simplified Boeing 767 electrical power distribution system. The results show that the machine could not deliver the required power at 3000 rpm since the 2D finite elements analysis demonstrates that the 2D model gives optimistic results when compared with the 3D FEM model. However, with a 3D finite element analysis of the machine feeding the aircraft load, it was seen that the machine’s efficiency is 92%, suggesting this machine can be a plausible solution.

Abstract: Chemical investigation of the leaves from Ageratina glabrata yielded four new thymol derivatives, namely: 10-Benzoyloxy-8,9-dehydro-6-hydroxythymol isobutyrate (4), 10-benzoyloxy-8,9-dehydro thymol (5), 10-benzoyloxythymol (6) and 10-benzoyloxy-6,8-dihydroxy-9-isobutyryloxythymol (7). In addition, (8S)-10-benzoyloxy-8,9-epoxy-6-hydroxythymol isobutyrate (1), together with other two already known thymol derivatives identified as: 10-benzoyloxy-8,9-epoxy-6-methoxythymol isobutyrate (2) and 10-benzoyloxy-8,9-epoxythymol isobutyrate (3). In this paper, we wish to publish the structures and complete assignments of ¹H and ¹³C NMR data of compounds 1 – 7, and the absolute configuration for compound 1, unambiguously established by single crystal X-ray diffraction, and evaluation of the Flack parameter. The in vitro antiprotozoal assay showed that compound 1 and its derivative 1a were the most potent antiamoebic and antigiardial compounds. Both compounds showed selectivity and good antiamoebic activity like emetine and metronidazole, respectively, two antiprotozoal drugs used as positive controls. In relation of anti-propulsive effect, compound 1 and 1a showed moderate inhibitory activity, their activities were comparable to quercetin and compound 9, respectively, two natural antipropulsive compounds used as positive controls. These data suggest that compound 1 may play an important role in antidiarrheal properties of Ageratina glabrata.

Combined systems for power production and thermally activated cooling have a high potential for improving the efficiency and utilisation of thermal systems. In this regard, various configurations have been proposed and are comprehensively reviewed. They are primarily based on absorption systems and the implementation of multiple levels of complexity and flexibility. The configuration of the absorption power and cooling combined cycle proposed herein has wide commercial applicability owing to its simplicity. The configuration of the components is not new. However, the utilisation of aqueous salt solutions, the comparison with ammonia chiller and with absorption power cycles, the focus on parameters that are important for real-life applications, and the comparison of the performances for constant heat input and waste heat recovery are novel. The proposed cycle is also compared with a system based on the organic Rankine cycle and vapour compression cycle. An investigation of its performance proves that the system is suitable for a given range of boundary conditions from a thermodynamic standpoint, as well as in terms of system complexity and technical feasibility. New possibilities with regard to added power production have the potential to improve the economics and promote the use of absorption chiller systems.

To understand functions of biomolecules such as proteins, not only structures but their conformational change and kinetics are important to be characterized but its atomistic details are hard to obtain both experimentally and computationally. We review our recent computational studies using novel enhanced sampling techniques for conformational sampling of biomolecules and calculations of their kinetics. For efficiently characterizing the free energy landscape of a biomolecule, we introduce the multiscale enhanced sampling method, which uses a combined system of atomistic and coarse-grained models. Based on the idea of Hamiltonian replica exchange, we can recover the statistical properties of the atomistic model without any biases. We next introduce the string method as a path search method to calculate the minimum free energy pathways along a multidimensional curve in high dimensional space. Finally we introduce novel methods to calculate kinetics of biomolecules based on the ideas of path sampling: One is the Onsager-Machlup action method, and the other is the weighted ensemble method. Some applications of above methods to biomolecular systems are also discussed and illustrated.

The time’s arrow of macroscopic physical phenomenon is reflected by irreversible physical process, which essentially occurs from small probability state to high probability state. In this paper, simplified models are proposed to understand the macroscopic physical process. In order to describe the information of a physical system, we defined the full self-information as "information height" to describe the complexity or difficulty of a macrostate of physical system. In this way, the direction of macroscopic physical process is from high information height to low information height. We can judge the direction of physical process by the information height. If we want the macroscopic physical process to evolve from the low information height state to the high information height state, the system need to add extra information and corresponding energy to increase the information height.

Marine renewable energy is emerging as one of the fast-growing industry in the last decades, as modern society pushes for technologies that can convert energy contained from winds, waves, tides and stream flows. The implementation of renewable energy technologies impose high demands on both structural and environmental engineering, as the energy converters have to work under extreme conditions where parameters such as sea-bottom configuration, water transparency and depth, sea-states and prevailing winds are harsh. Constant monitoring of the marine environment is crucial in order to keep this sector reliable. Active acoustics is becoming a standard tool to collect multi-dimensional data from physical, geological and biological properties of the marine environment. The Div. of Electricity of Uppsala University have been developing an environmental monitoring platform based on sonar (Sound Navigation And Raging) systems. This platform aims to monitor the installation, operation and decommissioning of marine renewable energy converters. The focus will be given the observations of behaviours of marine animals in vicinity of energy converters but also structural inspection and monitoring of MRETs. This paper describes how this multifunctional environmental monitoring platform come to existence from the design to the deployment phase.

This study presents application of demand response strategy in a standalone wind-solar-battery hybrid energy system (HES). Inputs for the designed HES are wind speed, solar radiation, temperature and load demand which is variable with time. In this study, hourly values of meteorological data and hourly load demand are considered in one year. An improved gravitational search algorithm (IGSA) is used to optimize the configuration of the standalone wind-solar-battery hybrid power system. The optimal objectives of the system are cost of the system in life cycle, the loss of power supply probability（LPSP）and the energy excess percentage（EXC）.The effect of demand response on economic benefit and energy storage allocation of the standalone wind-solar-battery system is studied. The obtained optimal configuration of the proposed HES can provide minimal energy cost with excellent performance and reduced waste and unmet load.

In this paper, I present a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) measurements in both solution and thin film setups, focusing on electromagnetic enhancement principles. Two prevalent types of SERS substrates found in the literature are investigated: plasmonic colloidal particles, including spherical and spheroid nanoparticles, nanoparticle diameters, and thin-film-based SERS substrates like ultra-thin substrates, bundled nanorods, plasmonic, and porous thin films. The investigation explores the impact of analyte adsorption, orientation, and the polarization of the excitation laser on effective SERS enhancement factors. Notably, it considers the impact of analyte size on the SERS spectrum, by examining scenarios where the analyte is significantly smaller or larger than the hot-spot dimensions. The analysis also incorporates optical attenuations arising from the optical properties of the analyte and the SERS substrates. The findings provide possible explanations for many observations made in SERS measurements, such as variations in relative peak intensities during SERS assessments, reductions in SERS intensity at high analyte concentrations, and the occurrence of significant baseline fluctuations. The study offers valuable guidance for optimizing SERS substrate design, enhancing SERS measurements, and improving the quantification of SERS detection.

The switched inertance hydraulic system (SIHS) is a novel high-bandwidth and energy-efficient digital device which can adjust or control flow and pressure by a means that does not rely on throttling the flow and dissipation of power. An SIHS can provide an efficient step-up or step-down of pressure or flow rate by using a digital control signal. In this article, analytical models of an SIHS in a four-port high-speed switching valve configuration are proposed, and the system dynamics and performance are investigated theoretically and experimentally. The flow responses, system characteristics and power consumption can be predicted effectively and accurately by using the proposed models, which were validated by comparing with experiments and with numerical simulation. The four-port configuration is compared with the three-port configuration, and it is concluded that the former one is less efficient for valves of the same size, but provides a bi-direction control capability. As bi-direction control is a common requirement, this constitutes an important contribution to the development of efficient digital hydraulics.

.(1) Background: Groundwater resources management in dry lands, characterized by climate var-iability and population growth, is difficult. Exploration and exploitation of groundwater, due to inadequate surface water is very costly. The present study employed Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and GIS to identify Ground-Water Potential (GWP) areas in a semi-arid region of Nigeria; (2) Methods: Land-use-land-cover, drainage density, slope, rainfall, static water level, soil media, vadose media and aquifer media were selected for GWP analysis. Parameters weights were de-termined using AHP and ranked based on their contribution to GWP by experts. The parameters were then integrated using weighted overlay tool in ArcGIS 10.5 to produce GWP map of the study area. Boreholes yield data from 245 wells were collected to determine the model accuracy and model validation; (3) Results: Results classified the study area into very high GWP (1.9%), high GWP (8.8%), moderate GWP (62%), low GWP (20.70%) and very low GWP (6.6%). Validation of the AHP model with boreholes yield data shows a correlation coefficient of 71.3% giving a good prediction; (4) Conclusions: AHP and GIS can be used to successfully map GWP areas which could serve as an exploration guide for sustainable management of groundwater resources in semi-arid areas.

The paper describes a model of subjective goal-oriented semantics extending standard "view-from-nowhere" approach. Generalization is achieved by using a spherical vector structure essentially supplementing the classical bit with circular dimension, organizing contexts according to their subjective causal ordering. This structure, known in quantum theory as qubit, is shown to be universal representation of contextual-situated meaning at the core of human cognition. Subjective semantic dimension, inferred from fundamental oscillation dynamics, is discretized to six process-stage prototypes expressed in common language. Predicted process-semantic map of natural language terms is confirmed by the open-source word2vec data.

Credit rationing, especially prevalent for smaller firms, impedes economic growth. A Central Bank aligned “not for profit” managed business to business “Stable-Coin” (“Synthetic Central Bank Digital Currency”) providing trade debt liquidity can lower small firm credit rationing. It raises growth by reducing monetary transmission imperfections consequent upon asymmetric information, commercial bank underwriting restrictions, market power dynamics and regulatory distortion. A simple framework is developed to contextualise small firm credit rationing and associated monetary transmission imperfections with broader credit flows into both the real and monetary sectors. Evidence is presented regarding US monetary transmission efficacy to firms, paving the way to proposing a trade debt business to business focused stable-coin to help close credit rationing gaps. Designed to minimise “moral hazard”, the proposed stable-coin provides an additional monetary transmission channel that supplies interest free trade debt funding to firms to support economic activity and raise growth. In addition to helping close the small firm financing gap, the stable-coin provides policy makers with an additional contra-cyclical monetary transmission instrument to minimise real economic disruption consequent upon financial system crises and liquidity events.

The electron Transport layer (ETL) plays a crucial role in solar cell technology, particularly in perovskite solar cells (PSCs), where nanostructured TiO2 films have been investigated as superior ETL’s compared to compact TiO2. In this study we explore the nanocolumnal growth of TiO2 in the anatase phase, for bilayer thin films by magnetron sputtering (MS) technique and glancing angle deposition (GLAD). By optimizing the growth parameters, we achieved the formation of TiO2 nanocolumns with a cross-sectional diameter ranging from 50 to 75 nm. The average thickness of the films exceeded 12.71 ± 0.5µm , while the filaments exhibited an inclination angle close to 70◦ , corresponding to the deposition angle. Furthermore, we observed a correlation between the quality of the initial layer and enhanced growth of the TiO2 nanocolumns.

Bistable rhodopsins have two stable forms which can be interconverted by light. Due to their ability to act as photoswitches, these proteins are considered as ideal candidates for applica-tions such as optogenetics. In this work we analyze a recently crystalized bistable rhodopsin, namely the jumping spider rhodopsin-1 (JSR1). This rhodopsin exhibits identical absorption maxima for the parent and the photoproduct form, which impedes its broad application. We have performed hybrid QM/MM simulations to study three isomers of the retinal chromo-phore: the 9-cis, 11-cis and all-trans configurations. The main aim was to gain insight into the specific interactions of each isomer and their impact on the absorption maximum in JSR1. The absorption spectra were computed using sampled snapshots from a QM/MM molecular dy-namics trajectory and compared to experimental counterparts. The chromophore-protein in-teractions were analyzed by visualizing the electrostatic potential of the protein and projecting it onto chromophore. It was found that the distance between a nearby tyrosine (Y126) residue plays a larger role in the predicted absorption maximum than the primary counterion (E194). Geometric differences between the isomers were also noted including a structural change in the polyene chain of the chromophore as well as changes in the nearby hydrogen bond network.

In this paper, a new probe-fed wideband antenna with a circular patch and a coupled stacked ring is proposed. This antenna can be implemented by using suspended microstrip technique with total thickness of about 0.09 of center frequency wavelength. By using a novel feeding technique, in this antenna about 40 % reduction in area compared to similar works can be achieved. The obtained bandwidth in this antenna according to simulation results satisfying VSWR<2 is about 27.5 % from 5 to 6.6 GHz using two resonant frequencies. Also a comprehensive theoretical and parametric study is done in order to facilitate its designing in various frequency bands.

The future power equipment tends to take hydrogen or middle/low heat-value syngas as fuel for low emission. The heat transfer of film cooled turbine blade shall be influenced more by radiation. Its characteristic of conjugate heat transfer is studied experimentally and numerically in the paper by considering radiation heat transfer, multi-composition gas and TBC. The Weighted Sum of Gray Gases spectral model and Discrete Transfer Model are utilized to solve the radiative heat transfer in the multi-composition field, while validated against the experimental data for the studied cases. It is shown that the plate temperature increases significantly when considering the radiation and the temperature gradient of the film cooled plate becomes larger. It is also shown that increasing percentage of steam in gas composition results in increased temperature on the film-cooled plate. The normalized temperature of the film-cooled plate decreases about 0.02, as the total percentage of steam in hot gas increases per 7%. As for the TBC effect, it can smooth out the the temperature distribution and insulate the heat to a greater extent when the radiative heat transfer becomes significant.

Atmospheric correction is the processes of converting radiance measured at a spectral 1 sensor to the reflectance of the materials in a multispectral or hyperspectral image. This is an 2 important step for detecting or identifying the materials present in the pixel spectra. We present 3 two machine learning models for atmospheric correction trained and tested on 100,000 batches of 40 4 reflectance spectra converted to radiance using MODTRAN, so the machine learning model learns 5 the radiative transfer physics from MODTRAN. We created a theoretically interpretable Bayesian 6 Gaussian process model and a deep learning autoencoder treating the atmosphere as noise. We 7 compare both methods for estimating gain in the correction model to the well-know QUAC method 8 of assuming a constant mean endmember reflectance. Prediction of reflectance using the Gaussian 9 process model outperforms the other methods in terms of both accuracy and reliability.

Burying and burrowing are promising rodent-typical behaviors to model neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS). However, the original tests could be insufficient to conclude which NPS are modeled. Here, we propose methodological modifications such as the two-zone configuration and dual analysis in the Marble Burying Test (MB). Also, a new Brief Burrowing Test (BB), a 20 min brief version of the Deacon’s Burrowing Test (DB). We comprehensively studied these behaviors in 12-month-old male and female mice with normal and Alzheimer’s disease (AD)-pathological aging. The results: 1) confirm our precedent report of sexual dimorphism, with enhanced burying in male 3xTg-AD mice; 2) describe for the first time burrowing behavior in 3xTg-AD mice and its sex dependence; 3) regardless of the pattern, MB and BB reflected a goal-directed rather than an indiscriminate digging; 4) using the MB and BB to model anxiety-like behavior it’s not recommended; 5) burying and burrowing represent a repetitive rather than a stereotyped-like or perseverative behavior. In addition: 1) burying and burrowing behavioral patterns are alike, connected by several correlations; 2) the two-zones configuration is a useful tool to assess the intentionality of the burying and burrowing behaviors and to perform a more accurate screening of the NPS modeled by them.

The potential of metallic lithium to become the anode material for next-generation batteries is hampered by significant challenges, chief among which is dendrite growth during battery charging. These dendritic structures not only impair battery performance but also pose safety risks. Among the non-destructive analytical techniques in battery research, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) stands out as a promising tool. However, the direct imaging of lithium by 7Li MRI is hindered by its low sensitivity and spatial resolution, making its use for of dendritic growth imaging very difficult. Instead, a recently introduced indirect imaging approach based on 1H MRI of the electrolyte was used in this study. This method was used for sequential 3D imaging to monitor the charging process of lithium metal symmetric cells in three different electrical circuits: single cell, four cells in parallel, four cells in series. The measured sequential images allowed measurement of dendrite growth in each cell using volumetric analysis. The growth results confirmed the theoretical expectation that growth across cells is uneven in a parallel circuit and even in a series circuit. The methods presented in this study can be applied also to many other dendrite-related issues in batteries.

Water reuse for irrigation is increasingly recognized as an essential and economical strategy in areas with water scarcity. A simple, low-cost, low-maintenance, and highly efficient Pond-In-Pond (PIP) treatment system can be used for wastewater reuse. PIP is a treatment technology in which two types of ponds -- anaerobic and aerobic -- are combined into a single pond and consist of a deeper inner section entirely submerged within the outer pond. Previous studies on PIPs and PIP-like systems have reinforced the potential for reuse through promising performance results with BOD removal over 80% and a reduction in land area requirements by approximately 40%. Yet, no prior efforts have been made to understand the performance mechanism of such systems. This study makes use of two, 2-D modeling tools in developing a fundamental understanding of PIP flow dynamics and the expected performance. The modeling results showed that the PIP configuration offers improved flow diversion along with reduced flow velocity. Additionally, the PIP retained approximately 17% more (p<0.05) particles than the traditional pond with most of the particles concentrated within the inner pond. Lower velocity and the higher solids retention in the PIP thus allowed for better treatment performance compared to traditional ponds. The findings from this study can be used as preliminary data for future in-depth investigations of the PIP system leading toward effective and optimal designs. This will help address the major societal concern of water scarcity with low-cost and effective wastewater treatment.

The automation of welding processes requires the use of automated systems and equipment, in many cases industrial robotic systems, to carry out welding processes that previously required human intervention. Automation in the industry offers numerous advantages, such as increased efficiency and productivity, cost reduction, improved product quality, increased flexibility and safety, and greater adaptability of companies to market changes. The field of welding automation is currently undergoing a period of profound changes due to a combination of technological, regulatory, and economic factors worldwide. Nowadays, the most relevant aspect of the welding industry is to meet customer requirements by satisfying their needs. To achieve this, the automation of the welding process through sensors and control algorithms ensures the quality of the parts and prevents errors such as porosity, unfused areas, deformations, excessive heat, etc. This paper proposes an intelligent and adaptive system based on the measurement of welding joints using laser scanning and the subsequent analysis of the obtained point cloud to adapt the welding trajectories.

There are many pollution and environment problem in the human ecosystem. There are different methods are used to removal of sulfur from sour gases for example Basic Claus process and Modified Claus process . There are different chemical software are used for simulation and optimization of Claus process for example Aspen Plus and Chemcad ECT. The Gibbs free energy method is introduced and model of Claus process. There are new parameter are introduced in reaction furnace to reduce the error from 33% to 7 %. The waste heat boiler is installed at the reaction furnace in which high pressure stream is produced and study the decomposition the hydrogen sulphide. The new rate of reaction is introduced of the enhancement of H2 production in chemical process. The simulation of reaction furnace in Aspen plus software is the maximum utilization of process. Due to suitable operating condition of reaction furnace is caused the maximum destruction of ammonia gas in the reactor. When we are increasing the oxygen concentration and temperature of feed is causing decreasing the ammonia production in reaction furnace. It is below than acceptance value of ammonia is 150 ppm in the reaction furnace. The presence of oxygen components, Sulfur oxide, hydroxide components are effect on decreasing the amount of ammonia in furnace and temperature is about at 1350⁰C. It is noted that when the production of sulfur recovery is decrease in Claus process and the production of carbon monoxide is increase in the thermal section at the existence. Now we are work on parametric studies of furnace that could be causes the production of ammonia destruction and CO emission in the Claus process. Due to optimize the reaction furnace parameter are help to get large of sulfur production, ammonia gas destruction, increased the catalyst life and decreased of dangerous gases.

A overview on application of CO2 in the ironmaking and steelmaking process is presented. Study on resource utilization of CO2 is significant for the reduction of CO2 emissions and the coping with global warming. The paper introduces the research progress of CO2 utilization in the sintering, Blast Furnace, Converter, secondary refining, Continuous Casting and smelting process of stainless steel in recent years in China. According to the foreign and domestic research and application status, the paper analyzes the feasibility and metallurgical effects of the CO2 utilization in the ferrous metallurgy process. The paper mainly introduces such new techniques as 1) flue gas circulating sintering, 2) blowing CO2 through Blast Furnace tuyere and CO2 as a pulverized coal carrier gas, 3) top and bottom blowing CO2 in the converter, 4) Ladle Furnace and Electric Arc Furnace bottom blowing CO2, 5) CO2 as Continuous Casting shielding gas, 6) CO2 for stainless steel smelting, and 7) CO2 circulation combustion. CO2 has a very wide application prospect in ferrous metallurgy process and the quantity of CO2 utilization is expected to be 100kg per ton of steel. It will effectively facilitate the progress of metallurgical technology and strongly promote the energy conservation of metallurgical industry.

Process simulation represents an important tool for plant design and optimisation, either applied to well established or to newly developed processes. Suitable thermodynamic packages should be selected in order to properly describe the behaviour of reactors and unit operations and to precisely define phase equilibria. Moreover, a detailed and representative kinetic scheme should be available to predict correctly the dependence of the process on its main variables. This review points out some models and methods for kinetic analysis specifically applied to the simulation of catalytic processes, as a basis for process design and optimisation. Attention is paid also to microkinetic modelling and to the methods based on first principles, to elucidate mechanisms and calculate thermodynamic and kinetic parameters. Different case histories support the discussion. At first, we have selected two basic examples from the industrial chemistry practice, e.g. ammonia and methanol synthesis, which may be described through a relatively simple reaction pathway. Then, a more complex reaction network is deeply discussed to define the conversion of bioethanol into syngas/hydrogen or into building blocks, such as ethylene.

Process (or business process) management systems fulfill defining, executing, monitoring and managing process models deployed on process-aware enterprises. Accordingly, the functional formation of the systems is made up of three subsystems such as modeling subsystem, enacting subsystem and mining subsystem. In recent times, the mining subsystem has been becoming an essential subsystem. Many enterprises have successfully completed the introduction and application of the process automation technology through the modeling subsystem and the enacting subsystem. According as the time has come to the phase of redesigning and reengineering the deployed process models, from now on it is important for the mining subsystem to cooperate with the analyzing subsystem; the essential cooperation capability is to provide seamless integrations between the designing works with the modeling subsystem and the redesigning work with the mining subsystem. In other words, we need to seamlessly integrate the discovery functionality of the mining subsystem and the analyzing functionality of the modeling subsystem. This integrated approach might be suitable very well when those deployed process models discovered by the mining subsystem are complex and very large-scaled, in particular. In this paper, we propose an integrated approach for seamlessly as well as effectively providing the mining and the analyzing functionalities to the redesigning work on very large-scale and massively parallel process models that are discovered from their enactment event logs. The integrated approach especially aims at analyzing not only their structural complexity and correctness but also their animation-based behavioral properness, and becomes concretized to a sophisticated analyzer. The core function of the analyzer is to discover a very large-scale and massively parallel process model from a process log dataset and to validate the structural complexity and the syntactical and behavioral properness of the discovered process model. Finally, this paper writes up the detailed description of the system architecture with its functional integration of process mining and process analyzing. And more precisely, we excogitate a series of functional algorithms for extracting the structural constructs as well as for visualizing the behavioral properness on those discovered very large-scale and massively parallel process models. As experimental validation, we apply the proposed approach and analyzer to a couple of process enactment event log datasets available on the website of the 4TU.Centre for Research Data.

(1) Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for patients and healthcare providers, especially for those working with obesity and related health problems. E-health has emerged as a crucial tool for the follow-up of users undergoing bariatric surgery during this period, allowing remote monitoring of users' health status and providing access to virtual consultation with health professionals. This study aims to analyze the impact of the use of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic on the results of bariatric surgery and user satisfac-tion with this follow-up. (2) Method: Observational study with retrospective data collection. The variables were divided into several groups: health data, associated comorbidities, quality of life, quality of sleep and satisfaction with telemedicine monitoring. (3) Results: Surgery significantly affected weight loss, in general more than 75% loss of excess weight. Comorbidities, like the qual-ity of life, were reversed over time, with 50% of subjects maintaining excellent levels. Although most users were satisfied with the monitoring, the variables had no relationship. (4) Conclusions: The follow-up assured by telemedicine did not alter the results of bariatric surgery, which may allow us to infer that it may be an option to consider for regular monitoring of the post-bariatric surgery process.

This paper evaluates the potential of solar concentration technologies—compound parabolic collector (CPC), linear Fresnel collector (LFC) and parabolic trough collector (PTC)—as an alternative to conventional sources of energy for industrial processes in Latin America, where high levels of solar radiation and isolated areas without energy supply exist. The analysis is addressed from energy, economic and environmental perspective. A specific application for Argentina in which fourteen locations are analyzed is considered. Results show that solar concentration technologies can be an economically and environmentally viable alternative. Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) ranges between 2.5 and 16.9 c€/kWh/m² and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided range between 33 and 348 kgCO₂/(m²·year). CPC technology stands out as the most recommendable technology when the working fluid temperature ranges from 373K to 423K. As the working fluid temperature increases the differences between the LCOE values of the CPC and LFC technologies decrease. When 523K is reached LFC technology is the one which presents the lowest LCOE values for all analyzed sites, while the LCOE values of PTC technology are close to CPC technology values. Results show that solar concentration technologies have reached economic and environmental competitiveness levels under certain scenarios, mainly linked to solar resource available, thermal level requirements and solar technology cost.

A modular approach to the construction of electric machines, drive systems, power supply systems is a new direction of modern technology development. Especially, the modular approach is promising for electric vehicles due to such positive aspects as increased efficiency, fault tolerance, overall reliability, safety, enhanced control capabilities, etc. In this work, the modular approach is comprehensively applied to an EV powertrain system, which includes a dual three-phase (DTP) BLDC motor with two machine modules of an asymmetric configuration, two battery modules and a supercapacitor module (SCM). The proposed H–H configuration of modular EV powertrain system includes four voltage source inverters that combine the power modules with the open ends of the windings (OEW) of the module machine armature, and provide control of their operation. Based on the developed mode system of the OEW machine module operation for EV traction and braking, a general control algorithm for the proposed configuration of the modular EV powertrain system has been developed. It combines the control of the operating modes with the functions of maintaining the required SOC level of the SCM and equalizing the SOCs of the two battery modules. The conducted simulation and experimental studies confirmed the workability and effectiveness of the proposed solutions.

Urbanization induced land use land cover (LULC) changes intensify the urban heat island effects. It magnifies the risk of urban dwellers and sometimes causes the loss of human life, defined as heat-related health risk (HRHR). Hence, urban LULC planning plays a crucial role. Present study analyses the impact of composition and configuration of urban LULC defined as urban landscape metric (ULM) on HRHR in Delhi at the ward level. Firstly, the HRHR is measured by using satellite thermal and other digital data. Then, measured HRHR is validated by conducting a rapid field survey. Thirdly, ULM measured at ward level using Fragstat 4 software. Finally, both, HRHR and ULM linked with bi-variate Moran's I and impacts of ULM are assessed using ordinary least square (OLS) and spatial error (SE) regression. The result indicates the high risk is found as clustered in north-east, central and middle of south-west Delhi. Built-up density intensifies HRHR and abundance of vegetation reduce it; however, it is not similar for all vegetation patches. Larger vegetation patches surrounded by dense built-up might not able to reduce the risk as much as a large vegetation patch could in other regions. Findings can be helpful for heat resilient city planning.

In the discussion on environmental policies, the notion of eco-efficiency is often used. Eco-efficiency is defined as the delivery of products and services with competitive values, while reducing the ecological impacts and satisfying human needs. In an environment of great competitiveness in which the companies operate, the improvements in the productive process is one of the differentiating factors for guaranteeing a strong competition. Also it is essential rationalizing energy consumption and natural resources. For this it is necessary to understand the main operations and dynamics of the company. This work presents an empirical study of a Portuguese company in the industrial sector. The problematic here presented is based on the company’s growing concern to reduce the amount of scrap produced. From the literature research that was performed, a strong dependence relation between the different variables in the extrusion process was found. The main objective of this work is to model the aluminium extrusion process, with the aim of minimizing the production of scrap. For this several variables involved in the process are taking into account. Using statistical techniques, in particular multiple linear regressions, it was possible to identify the importance of the variables under study for the scrap production.

Product Development Process is widely known among industry and automobile companies. With the advance of technology and the need to improve product efficiency, many companies have been applying Lean Thinking principles. Their benefits lead those companies to implement their concepts and tools, like Value Stream Design in Indirect Areas, Obeya, Just-in-time (JIT) which is based on the production control system developed and implemented by Toyota. This article describes the case study of the implementation of Lean Product &amp; Process Development (LPPD) on the current Product Development Process (PDP) in an automotive company. The PDP was created by the organization and adapted from Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP). The main findings were a Value Stream Design model of an improved PDP as a useful and successfully contribution for the company. These improvements reduced the product development lead time from 700 days to 369 days. The process efficiency increased from 68% to 85%. The communication and transparency between the cross-functional team (CFT) was improved and show promise for achieving a successful launch of new products.

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a fast growing field inside Business Process Automation (BPA). RPA deals with software robots that use human application interface to do some repetitive tasks like starting programs, filling the forms, clicking on buttons etc. Some RPA software tools like Blue Prism, Rapise and UiPath became popular during last years but there are still some problems with them starting with their high price and difficulties to adapt to the real use cases. On the other hand, Optoklik is a relatively small RPA tool developed to be highly adaptable to the real cases and still easy to use. This paper presents the main functions of Optoklik and discusses its usage in automation of different actions that use human application interface.

This paper reports 2 × 4 hybrid Mach-zehnder interferometer (MZI) - multi-mode interferometers (MMI) based compact thermo-optical switch consisting of slab waveguides on silicon-on-insulator, SOI, platform. The device consists of two identical MMIs, each of 6 μm wide and 140 μm long connected with two phase shifters MMIs each with 2 μm wide and 8 μm long and linear tappers each 4 μm long, connected at both ends of the MMIs to minimize the power coupling loss. The loss for linear taper is found to be below 0.02dB. The footprint of the whole device is six 6 μm × 324 μm. This structure is based on unique multimode region shape, which leads optical switch to have less coupling loss and reduced cross-talk. The average thermo-optical switching power consumption is 1.4 mW, the excess losses are 0.8 dB, and the imbalances are 0.1 dB. Aluminum is used as a heating pad, and a trench is created around this pad to prevent from spreading of heat and reduce power loss almost by a factor of 2 to the adjacent phase shifter. Our new heating method has advantages of compact size and ease of fabrication with the current CMOS technology.

This article describes the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method which can be calculated by several methods. The AHP method is essential for the managerial decision-making to recognize which method is efficient for the calculation and to determine the proper order of criteria. In the article there are included methods that can be used in order to calculate the matrix in the AHP process for setting criteria such as Geometric mean, Arithmetic mean, Row sum of the adjusted the Saaty matrix, Reverse sums of the Saaty matrix columns and Row sums of the Saaty matrix. The paper is focused on the accuracy of the methods used. The results show that the most accurate method is the Saaty method, and the second most accurate method is the geometric mean in order to determine the ranking. This method is easier to use when the same order is achieved as in the Saaty method, followed by Geometric mean, which is favourable for fast and easy determination of alternatives using in the AHP process. The survey carried out among managers graduated from Universities and Colleges in Slovakia showed that the respondents considered the Saaty method as the most complex and also the most difficult method and the geometric mean average method the simplest method. 44% of respondents stated that they are capable to use a program to calculate the AHP. 46% of respondents said they had experience with some method related to the managerial decision-making process. 72% of managers regarded as important to manage some method for decision-making in their managerial position.

Configurable process models are frequently used to represent business workflows and other discrete event systems among different branches of large organizations: they unify commonalities shared by all branches and describe their differences, at the same time. The configuration of such models is usually done manually, which is challenging. On the one hand, when the number of configurable nodes in the configurable process model grows, the size of the search space increases exponentially. On the other hand, the person performing the configuration may lack the holistic perspective to make the right choice for all configurable nodes at the same time, since choices influence each other. Nowadays, information systems that support the execution of business processes create event data reflecting how processes are performed. In this article, we propose three strategies (based on exhaustive search, genetic algorithms, and greedy heuristic) that use event data to automatically derive a process model from a configurable process model that better represents the characteristics of the process in a specific branch. These strategies have been implemented in our proposed framework, and tested in both business-like event logs as recorded in a higher educational ERP system, and a real case scenario involving a set of Dutch municipalities.

Extruded polystyrene (XPS) is frequently used in the construction of many different structures. It is therefore necessary to appropriately characterize its mechanical properties to ensure the safety of said structures. Among the available characterization tests, static bending tests are simple and easy to perform; owing to these characteristics, they should be performed more frequently than other tests. However, in static bending tests on XPS, there are several challenges owing to the high flexibility of XPS, and the chosen testing method and sample configuration affect the accuracy of characterization. In this study, three bending properties (Young’s modulus, proportional limit stress, and bending strength) of samples cut from an XPS panel were determined using three-point bending (TPB), four-point bending (FPB), and compression bending (CB) tests with varying sample span/depth ratios, and statistical analyses were performed to determine the relevance of the tests. The experimental results suggest that the TPB and CB tests were more feasible than the FPB test when the span/depth ratio was appropriately determined. However, clear differences were observed in the sample bending properties determined in these tests. In light of these findings, further studies should be conducted to elucidate these differences.

: One of the challenges facing operations management is the design, choice and imple-mentation of action plans adapted to the magnitude of the deviations of the variables of an industrial process. Making conscious and quick decisions is crucial to achieving im-provements in productivity. This will be achieved if the organization's internal and external communication model is strategically designed, considering specific cultural factors and the symmetry or asymmetry required in the communication model. However, how do we organize ourselves and through what channels do we communicate within a production process to generate Big Data that combines data from technologies and the perception, comprehension and projection of experienced humans? Our purpose is to create an operations management model that facilitates the incorporation of technology, allows a prompt response to failures, and promotes the sustainability of processes, without losing sight of its alignment with the organizational strategy. The developed model was implemented in an operations management team, following the guidelines of an action researcher methodology. This resulted in the design of an operations management model and a detailed methodology for its implementation, achieving sig-nificant improvements in the metrics of the current process, making it a success story.

Background: The concept of Quality of Work Life (QWL) has been built multidimensionally through social reproduction; it is impacted by the perceptions of each individual and by the relationship between workers and the work environment. Objective: to analyze the Work Process and QWL of assisting nurses in public health. Methods: Research in a critical paradigm, descriptive, exploratory with a qualitative approach. The population corresponds to Nurses who work in care work. Semi-structured guiding questions were applied and were analyzed with content analysis. Results: seven participants declared female; all Chilean; seven are young adults; six singles; only one has children, and one has a person dependent on her care; six are heads of household, and five receive help with housework. All have a nursing degree, five have a diploma, but none have a postgraduate. Work Process has three subcategories: work object, instrument, organization, and work conditions; the QWL category has six subcategories: definition and perception of QWL, QWL potentiating factors, QWL exhausting factors, QWL improvement strategies, the emotional burden associated with QWL, and Health problems. Conclusions: In this way, the lifestyle built by the assistance in the health area has repercussions on the quality of life and health in general.

Porous ceramics can be realized by different methods and are used for manifold applications, like cross-flow-membranes or wall-flow-filters, porous burners, solar receivers, structural design elements or catalytic supports. Within this paper three different alternative process routes are presented, which can be used to manufacture porous ceramic components with different properties or even graded porosity. The first process route bases on additive manufacturing (AM) of macro porous ceramic components, the second on AM of a polymeric template, which is used to manufacture porous ceramic components via replica technique. Finally, the third process route bases on an AM technology, which allows the manufacturing of multi-material or multi-property ceramic components, like components with dense and porous volumes in one complex shaped component.

In this study, an experimentally validated computational model was developed to investigate the hydrodynamics in a rotor-stator vortex RVR agglomeration reactor having a rotating disc at the centre with two shrouded outer plates. A numerical simulation was performed using a simplified form of the reactor geometry to compute the 3D flow field in batch mode operations. Thereafter, the model was validated using data from a 2D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) flow analysis performed during the design of the reactor. Using different operating speeds—70, 90, 110 and 130 rpm, the flow fields were computed numerically followed by a comprehensive data analysis. The simulation results showed separated boundary layers on the rotating disc and the stator. The flow field within the reactor is characterized by a rotational plane circular forced vortex flow in which the streamlines are concentric circles with a rotational vortex. Overall, the results of the numerical simulation demonstrate a fairly good agreement between the CFD model and the experimental data as well as the available theoretical predictions. The swirl ratio β was found to be approximately 0.4044, 0.4038, 0.4044 and 0.4043 for operating speeds of N=70, 90, 110 and 130 rpm respectively. In terms of the spatial distribution, the turbulence intensity and kinetic energy are concentrated on the outer region of the reactor while the axial velocity showed a decreasing intensity towards the shroud. However, a comparison of the CFD and experimental predictions of the tangential velocity and the vorticity amplitude profiles shows that these parameters were under-predicted by the experimental analysis which could be attributed to some of the experimental limitations rather than the robustness of the CFD model or numerical code.

Motivated by the PEACOC project on metal recovery from solid wastes, an innovative magnetic density separation (MDS) process has been developed for granular material sorting. It has intrinsic advantages over the existing industrialized MDS by eliminating fluid turbulence and particle jamming problems. The new MDS applies an inclined planar magnet and a horizontal basin containing a static magnetic fluid as the separation medium. A particle sliding phenomenon is identified as a feature of the process which could help the separation. The MDS successfully sorted shredded PCBAs to concentrate valuable metals and sorted shredded wires to reduce metallic contaminants in the plastic fractions. A pilot scale facility is introduced to show the design to achieve continuous production and to reduce the consumption of ferrofluid.