Search results for: Power Amplifier

Authors: Grâce Chidikofan, François Pinta, A. Benoist, G. Volle, J. Valette

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Statement of the Problem: biomass gasification systems may be relevant for decentralized power generation from recoverable agricultural and wood residues available in rural areas. In recent years, many systems have been implemented in all over the world as especially in Cambodgia, India. Although they have many positive effects, these systems can also affect the environment and human health. Indeed, during the process of biomass gasification, black wastewater containing tars are produced and generally discharged in the local environment either into the rivers or on soil. However, in most environmental assessment studies of biomass gasification systems, the impact of these releases are underestimated, due to the difficulty of identification of their chemical substances. This work deal with the analysis of the environmental impacts of tars from wood gasification in terms of human toxicity cancer effect, human toxicity non-cancer effect, and freshwater ecotoxicity. Methodology: A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach was adopted. The inventory of tars chemicals substances was based on experimental data from a downdraft gasification system. The composition of six samples from two batches of raw materials: one batch made of tree wood species (oak+ plane tree +pine) at 25 % moisture content and the second batch made of oak at 11% moisture content. The tests were carried out for different gasifier load rates, respectively in the range 50-75% and 50-100%. To choose the environmental impacts assessment method, we compared the methods available in SIMAPRO tool (8.2.0) which are taking into account most of the chemical substances. The environmental impacts for 1kg of tars discharged were characterized by ILCD 2011+ method (V.1.08). Findings Experimental results revealed 38 important chemical substances in varying proportion from one test to another. Only 30 are characterized by ILCD 2011+ method, which is one of the best performing methods. The results show that wood species or moisture content have no significant impact on human toxicity noncancer effect (HTNCE) and freshwater ecotoxicity (FWE) for water release. For human toxicity cancer effect (HTCE), a small gap is observed between impact factors of the two batches, either 3.08E-7 CTUh/kg against 6.58E-7 CTUh/kg. On the other hand, it was found that the risk of negative effects is higher in case of tar release into water than on soil for all impact categories. Indeed, considering the set of samples, the average impact factor obtained for HTNCE varies respectively from 1.64 E-7 to 1.60E-8 CTUh/kg. For HTCE, the impact factor varies between 4.83E-07 CTUh/kg and 2.43E-08 CTUh/kg. The variability of those impact factors is relatively low for these two impact categories. Concerning FWE, the variability of impact factor is very high. It is 1.3E+03 CTUe/kg for tars release into water against 2.01E+01 CTUe/kg for tars release on soil. Statement concluding: The results of this study show that the environmental impacts of tars emission of biomass gasification systems can be consequent and it is important to investigate the ways to reduce them. For environmental research, these results represent an important step of a global environmental assessment of the studied systems. It could be used to better manage the wastewater containing tars to reduce as possible the impacts of numerous still running systems all over the world.

Keywords: biomass gasification, life cycle analysis, LCA, environmental impact, tars

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Authors: Roman Kalvin, Anam Nadeem, Shahab Khushnood

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Differential is an integral part of four wheeled vehicle, and its main function is to transmit power from drive shaft to wheels. Differential assembly allows both rear wheels to turn at different speed along curved paths. It consists of four gears which are assembled together namely pinion, ring, spider and bevel gears. This research focused on the spider gear and its static structural analysis using ANSYS. The main aim was to evaluate the distribution of stresses on the teeth of the spider gear. This study also analyzed total deformation that may occur during its working along with bevel gear that is meshed with spider gear. Structural steel was chosen for spider gear in this research. Modeling and assembling were done on SolidWorks for both spider and bevel gear. They were assembled exactly same as in a differential assembly. This assembly was then imported to ANSYS. After observing results that maximum amount of stress and deformation was produced in the spider gear, it was concluded that structural steel material for spider gear possesses greater amount of strength to bear maximum stress.

Keywords: ANSYS, differential, spider gear, structural steel

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Authors: Samaila Liman Gamba

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This paper discussed the importance of good governance and its impact on the socio-economic and political development of African countries and, conversely, its underdevelopment and consequent stagnation. The study employed the use of quantitative and descriptive methods of collecting secondary data. The system analysis approach was also adopted as the theoretical framework. It is a global system, but it is also used to analyze the place of regions and single states within it. The study showed that political leadership in Africa based on empirical observation and documented evidence since the hard-won political independence from colonial Europe has become one of Africa’s sources of problems confronting the states and their resources became the primary purpose of political contestation and the establishment of a political culture based on ethnicity and authoritarian pattern of governance. The solution is for African leaders to learn and imbibe the leadership qualities of the late Nelson Mandela, Nyerere and Kwame Nkrumah, who carried their citizens along and were devoid of ethnicity and personal aggrandizement. They sacrificed their lives for their countrymen and fought against imperialism and are counted as patriots.

Keywords: political leadership, African development, constitutional democracy, power and resource control

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Authors: Memar Ayalew Demeke, Solomon Gebreyohans Gebru

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In Africa, Regional Economic Communities (RECs) were initially established to tackle the economic challenges of the continent. However, overtime, they expanded their mandate to deal with the security threats of the continent such as terrorism. In fact, the fight against terrorism has been internationalized following the September 9/11 terrorist attack in the U.S.A. Since then, RECs have been giving considerable attention to preventing and combating terrorism in their respective regions. Similarly, IGAD has been involved in preventing and combating terrorism. So far, however, little has been done with regard to what IGAD has performed in fighting terrorism. Therefore, this study was intended to describe and analyze the legal and practical activities carried out by IGAD in its fight against terrorism in the region general and in Somalia in particular. Both descriptive and analytical methods were employed and data were analyzed through qualitative approach. Finally, based on the findings, the study argues that, instead of over-reliance on hard power as a means of fighting terrorism, IGAD should invest more on the political and socio-economic problems of its member states so as to address the root causes.

Keywords: regional economic communities, IGAD, terrorism, treaties, conventions

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Authors: Mohammad Parvaresh, Mahdi Babaee, Bahareh Arghand, Roushanak Fahimi Hanzaee, Davood Nourmohammadi

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Today, the intelligent network of water and wastewater as one of the key steps in realizing the smart city in the world. Use of pressure relief valves in urban water networks in order to reduce the pressure is necessary in Tehran city. But use these pressure relief valves lead to waste water, more power consumption, and environmental pollution because Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Co. use a quarter of industry 's electricity. In this regard, Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Co. identified solutions to reduce direct and indirect costs in energy use in the process of production, transmission and distribution of water because this company has extensive facilities and high capacity to realize green economy and industry. The aim of this study is to analyze the new project in water and wastewater industry to reach sustainable development.

Keywords: Tehran Province Water and Wastewater Company, water network efficiency, sustainable development, International Environmental Law

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Authors: Willard Enrique R. Macaraan

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Filipino Catholics' historicized narrative in the Church of Japan is found to be marked by contestation and negotiation. This paper aims to uncover the nuances of this marginality by utilizing Loic Wacquant's theorization of urban ghettos as well as Pierre Bourdieu's field ideation. In an attempt to illustrate the dynamics of the power-play that is implicit in any situation of marginality, the paper proposes a 'diamond-quadrant' (DQ) plane that may serve as a heuristic device for analytical purposes. This study is drawn from data collected and gathered through ten-month field research in selected church communities in the Archdiocese of Tokyo, Japan employing qualitative methodologies like participant observation, interviews, and document reviews. Reconstructing their historicized struggle since the late 70s, it is discovered that the arena of contested space has shifted from the right plane of "ghettoization" tendencies in the early years towards the left plane of "deghettoization" strategies in recent years. Still, a highly negotiated space, several situational factors, and emerging trends in and outside the ecclesial grounds have led to this major shift.

Keywords: Wacquant, ghetto, migration, religion

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Authors: Tan G. K. Y., Chew M. S. J., Sajeev S., Vellasamy A.

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Injuries of the extensor hallucis longus (EHL) tendon are a rare phenomenon, with most occurring due to lacerations or penetrating injuries. Closed traumatic ruptures of the EHL are described as “Mallet injuries of the toe”. These can be classified as bony or soft mallet injuries depending on the presence or absence of a fracture at the insertion site of the EHL tendon in the distal phalanx. We present a case of a 33-year-old woman who presented with a hyperflexion injury to the left big toe with an inability to extend the big toe. Ultrasound showed a complete rupture of the EHL tendon with retraction proximal to the hallucal interphalangeal joint of the big toe. The patient was treated through transarticular pinning and repair using the Arthrex Mini Bio-Suture Tak with a 2-0 fibre wire. Six months postoperatively, the patient had symmetrical EHL power and full range of motion of the toe. The lessons to be drawn from this case report are that isolated hallux mallet injuries are rare and can be easily missed in the absence of penetrating wounds. Patients who have such injuries should be investigated early with the appropriate imaging techniques, such as ultrasound or MRI, and treated surgically.

Keywords: hallux mallet, extensor hallucis longus tendon, extensor hallucis longus

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Authors: Hamida Y. Mostafa, Ghada E. Khedr, Dina M. Abd El-Aty

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Sulfur compound removal from petroleum fractions is a critical component of environmental protection demands. Solvent extraction, oxidative desulfurization, or hydro-treatment techniques have traditionally been used as the removal processes. While all methods were capable of eliminating sulfur compounds at moderate rates, they had some limitations. A major problem with these routes is their high running expenses, which are caused by their prolonged operation times and high energy consumption. Therefore, new methods for removing sulfur are still necessary. In the current study, a simple assisted desulfurization system for gas oil fraction has been successfully developed using acetonitrile and methanol as a solvent under microwave irradiation. The key variables affecting sulfur removal have been studied, including microwave power, irradiation time, and solvent to gas oil volume ratio. At the conclusion of the research that is being presented, promising results have been found. The results show that a microwave-assisted extractive desulfurization method had remove sulfur with a high degree of efficiency under the suitable conditions.

Keywords: extractive desulfurization, microwave assisted extraction, petroleum fractions, acetonitrile and methanol

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Authors: Vladimir Smirnov, Roman Tominov, Vadim Avilov, Oleg Ageev

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The creation of a new generation micro- and nanoelectronics elements opens up unlimited possibilities for electronic devices parameters improving, as well as developing neuromorphic computing systems. Interest in the latter is growing up every year, which is explained by the need to solve problems related to the unstructured classification of data, the construction of self-adaptive systems, and pattern recognition. However, for its technical implementation, it is necessary to fulfill a number of conditions for the basic parameters of electronic memory, such as the presence of non-volatility, the presence of multi-bitness, high integration density, and low power consumption. Several types of memory are presented in the electronics industry (MRAM, FeRAM, PRAM, ReRAM), among which non-volatile resistive memory (ReRAM) is especially distinguished due to the presence of multi-bit property, which is necessary for neuromorphic systems manufacturing. ReRAM is based on the effect of resistive switching – a change in the resistance of the oxide film between low-resistance state (LRS) and high-resistance state (HRS) under an applied electric field. One of the methods for the technical implementation of neuromorphic systems is cross-bar structures, which are ReRAM cells, interconnected by cross data buses. Such a structure imitates the architecture of the biological brain, which contains a low power computing elements - neurons, connected by special channels - synapses. The choice of the ReRAM oxide film material is an important task that determines the characteristics of the future neuromorphic system. An analysis of literature showed that many metal oxides (TiO2, ZnO, NiO, ZrO2, HfO2) have a resistive switching effect. It is worth noting that the manufacture of nanocomposites based on these materials allows highlighting the advantages and hiding the disadvantages of each material. Therefore, as a basis for the neuromorphic structures manufacturing, it was decided to use ZnₓTiᵧHfzOᵢ nanocomposite. It is also worth noting that the ZnₓTiᵧHfzOᵢ nanocomposite does not need an electroforming, which degrades the parameters of the formed ReRAM elements. Currently, this material is not well studied, therefore, the study of the effect of resistive switching in forming-free ZnₓTiᵧHfzOᵢ nanocomposite is an important task and the goal of this work. Forming-free nanocomposite ZnₓTiᵧHfzOᵢ thin film was grown by pulsed laser deposition (Pioneer 180, Neocera Co., USA) on the SiO2/TiN (40 nm) substrate. Electrical measurements were carried out using a semiconductor characterization system (Keithley 4200-SCS, USA) with W probes. During measurements, TiN film was grounded. The analysis of the obtained current-voltage characteristics showed a resistive switching from HRS to LRS resistance states at +1.87±0.12 V, and from LRS to HRS at -2.71±0.28 V. Endurance test shown that HRS was 283.21±32.12 kΩ, LRS was 1.32±0.21 kΩ during 100 measurements. It was shown that HRS/LRS ratio was about 214.55 at reading voltage of 0.6 V. The results can be useful for forming-free nanocomposite ZnₓTiᵧHfzOᵢ films in neuromorphic systems manufacturing. This work was supported by RFBR, according to the research project № 19-29-03041 mk. The results were obtained using the equipment of the Research and Education Center «Nanotechnologies» of Southern Federal University.

Keywords: nanotechnology, nanocomposites, neuromorphic systems, RRAM, pulsed laser deposition, resistive switching effect

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Authors: Autumn Tooms Cypres

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Throughout the 2016 presidential campaign, Republican nominee Donald Trump, capitalizing on his reputation for blunt and brash comments, created a political brand based on unedited statements and sweeping promises. While he vowed to 'Make America Great Again,' for many, the candidate’s discourse invoked legacies of marginalization and exclusion. As a result, this discussion focuses on Trump’s anti-immigration discourse (one of the primary foci of his campaign platform) and its influence across educational settings. The purpose of this effort is to demonstrate the power of political discourses relative to educational settings and to discuss the resulting everyday leadership challenges and opportunities. Discourse analysis frameworks are used to unpack the socio-political implications of the presidential campaign. In particular, they examine a serious of emails that a university administrator received post-election. The discussion concludes that leaders in education have a critical role to maintaining democratic institutions and ensuring inclusivity and belonging for all educational stakeholders.

Keywords: educational managment, politics, immigration, discourse

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Authors: D. Subedi, D. Sharma

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Current transformers (CTs) are used to transform large primary currents to a small secondary current. Since most standard equipment’s are not designed to handle large primary currents the CTs have an important part in any electrical system for the purpose of Metering and Protection both of which are integral in Power system. Now a days due to advancement in solid state technology, the operation times of the protective relays have come to a few cycles from few seconds. Thus, in such a scenario it becomes important to study the transient response of the current transformers as it will play a vital role in the operating of the protective devices. This paper shows the steady state and transient behavior of current transformers and how it changes with change in connected burden. The transient and steady state response will be captured using the data acquisition software LabVIEW. Analysis is done on the real time data gathered using LabVIEW. Variation of current transformer characteristics with changes in burden will be discussed.

Keywords: accuracy, accuracy limiting factor, burden, current transformer, instrument security factor

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Authors: L. J. de Bessa Neto, V. S. Filho, J. V. Ferreira Nunes, G. C. Bergamo

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There are many situations in which human activities have significant effects on the environment. Damage to the ozone layer is one of them. The objective of this work is to use the Least Squares Method, considering the linear, exponential, logarithmic, power and polynomial models of the second degree, to analyze through the coefficient of determination (R²), which model best fits the behavior of the chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-142b) in parts per trillion between 1992 and 2018, as well as estimates of future concentrations between 5 and 10 periods, i.e. the concentration of this pollutant in the years 2023 and 2028 in each of the adjustments. A total of 809 observations of the concentration of HCFC-142b in one of the monitoring stations of gases precursors of the deterioration of the ozone layer during the period of time studied were selected and, using these data, the statistical software Excel was used for make the scatter plots of each of the adjustment models. With the development of the present study, it was observed that the logarithmic fit was the model that best fit the data set, since besides having a significant R² its adjusted curve was compatible with the natural trend curve of the phenomenon.

Keywords: chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-142b), ozone, least squares method, regression models

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Authors: Sarka Keprdova, Jiri Bydzovsky

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This article describes to what extent the addition of energy by-products into the structures of the technical hemp filling materials influence their properties. The article focuses on the changes in physical-mechanical and thermal technical properties of materials after the addition of ash or FBC ash or slag in the binding component of material. Technical hemp filling materials are made of technical hemp shives bonded by the mixture of cement and dry hydrate lime. They are applicable as fillers of vertical or horizontal structures or roofs. The research used eight types of energy by-products of power or heating plants in the Czech Republic. Secondary energy products were dispensed in three different percentage ratios as a replacement of cement in the binding component. Density, compressive strength and determination of the coefficient of thermal conductivity after 28, 60 and 90 days of curing in a laboratory environment were determined and subsequently evaluated on the specimens produced.

Keywords: ash, binder, cement, energy by-product, FBC ash (fluidized bed combustion ash), filling materials, shives, slag, technical hemp

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Authors: Ahmad Taghinia, Negar Gholamishaker

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GaAs (gallium arsenide) solar cells have gained significant attention for their use in space applications. These solar cells have the potential for efficient energy conversion and are being explored as potential power sources for electronic devices, satellites, and telecommunication equipment. In this study, the aim is to investigate the effect of adding a window layer and a back surface field (BSF) layer made of InₓGa₍₁₋ₓ₎P material to a GaAs single junction solar cell. In this paper, we first obtain the important electrical parameters of a single-junction GaAs solar cell by utilizing a two-dimensional simulator software for virtual investigation of the solar cell; then, we analyze the impact of adding a window layer and a back surface field layer made of InₓGa₍₁₋ₓ₎P on the solar cell. The results show that the incorporation of these layers led to enhancements in Jsc, Voc, FF, and the overall efficiency of the solar cell.

Keywords: back surface field layer, solar cell, GaAs, InₓGa₍₁₋ₓ₎P, window layer

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Authors: Samir Assal

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This paper considers an international sample of venture capital and private equity funds to assess the role of law, corruption and culture in setting fund manager fees in terms of their fixed management fees, carried interest performance fees, clawbacks of fees and cash versus share distributions of fees. The data highlight a role of legal conditions in shaping fees paid to fund managers. In countries with better legal conditions, fixed fees are lower, carried interest fees are higher, clawbacks are less likely, and share distributions are more likely. These findings suggest legal conditions help to align the interests of managers and shareholders. More specifically, we examine which element of legal conditions matter most, and discover that corruption levels play a pronounced role in shaping fund manager fee contracts. We also show that cultural forces such as Hofstede’s measures of power distance and uncertainty avoidance likewise play a role in influencing fees.

Keywords: managerial compensation, incentive contracts, private equity, law and finance

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Authors: M. Chaichanyut, S. Tungjitkusolmun

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This paper is concerned with microwave (MW) ablation for a liver cancer tissue by using helix antenna. The antenna structure supports the propagation of microwave energy at 2.45 GHz. A 1½ turn spiral catheter-based microwave antenna applicator has been developed. We utilize the three-dimensional finite element method (3D FEM) simulation to analyze where the tissue heat flux, lesion pattern and volume destruction during MW ablation. The configurations of helix antenna where Helix air-core antenna and Helix Dielectric-core antenna. The 3D FEMs solutions were based on Maxwell and bio-heat equations. The simulation protocol was power control (10 W, 300s). Our simulation result, both helix antennas have heat flux occurred around the helix antenna and that can be induced the temperature distribution similar (teardrop). The region where the temperature exceeds 50°C the microwave ablation was successful (i.e. complete destruction). The Helix air-core antenna and Helix Dielectric-core antenna, ablation zone or axial ratios (Widest/length) were respectively 0.82 and 0.85; the complete destructions were respectively 4.18 cm³ and 5.64 cm³.

Keywords: liver cancer, Helix antenna, finite element, microwave ablation

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Authors: Edwin Cartledge, Jack Clark, Mazaher Molaei-Chalchooghi

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The mixing in the crystallization step of active pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers was studied via advanced modeling tools to enable a successful scale-up. A virtual representation of the vessel was created, and computational fluid dynamics were used to simulate multiphase flow and, thus, the mixing environment within this vessel. The study identified a significant dead zone in the vessel underneath the impeller and found that increasing the impeller speed and power did not improve the mixing. A series of sensitivity analyses found that to improve mixing, the vessel had to be redesigned, and found that optimal mixing could be obtained by adding two extra cylindrical baffles. The same two baffles from the simulated environment were then constructed and added to the process vessel. By identifying these potential issues before starting the manufacture and modifying the vessel to ensure good mixing, this study mitigated a failed crystallization and potential batch disposal, which could have resulted in a significant loss of high-value material.

Keywords: active pharmaceutical ingredient, baffles, computational fluid dynamics, mixing, modelling

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Authors: Y. Benabid, K. Benfriha, V. Rieuf, J. F. Omhover

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This paper describes an approach to create custom concepts for innovative products; this approach describes relations between innovation tools and Computer Aided Design environment (use creativity session and design tools). A model for the design process is proposed and explored in order to describe the power tool used to create and ameliorate an innovative product all based upon a range of data (cloud points) in this study. Comparison between traditional method and innovative method we help to generate and put forward a new model of the design process in order to create a custom Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) in a CAD environment in order to ameliorate and controlling the motion. The custom concept needs big development in different environments; the relation between these environments is described. The results can help the surgeons in the upstream treatment phases. CAD models can be applied and accepted by professionals in the design and manufacture systems. This development is based on the anatomy of the population of North Africa.

Keywords: ankle foot orthosis, CAD, reverse engineering, sketch

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Authors: C. G. Jinimole, A. Harsha

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One of the key problems facing in the analysis of Computed Tomography (CT) images is the poor contrast of the images. Image enhancement can be used to improve the visual clarity and quality of the images or to provide a better transformation representation for further processing. Contrast enhancement of images is one of the acceptable methods used for image enhancement in various applications in the medical field. This will be helpful to visualize and extract details of brain infarctions, tumors, and cancers from the CT image. This paper presents a comparison study of five contrast enhancement techniques suitable for the contrast enhancement of CT images. The types of techniques include Power Law Transformation, Logarithmic Transformation, Histogram Equalization, Contrast Stretching, and Laplacian Transformation. All these techniques are compared with each other to find out which enhancement provides better contrast of CT image. For the comparison of the techniques, the parameters Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Mean Square Error (MSE) are used. Logarithmic Transformation provided the clearer and best quality image compared to all other techniques studied and has got the highest value of PSNR. Comparison concludes with better approach for its future research especially for mapping abnormalities from CT images resulting from Brain Injuries.

Keywords: computed tomography, enhancement techniques, increasing contrast, PSNR and MSE

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Authors: Leone Sherman

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While the democratic rights of a citizen may be very clearly outlined in a country’s constitution, it’s not uncommon for political elite to undermine those rights and gain more power and control over a country than it is allowed by this constitution. Moreover, while such a change in some smaller states may not have a substantial impact on the international community, the same change in countries with vast resources and political influence, such as Russia, is always a considerable factor for the world policy. This article aims to research the weaknesses of the Russian democratic system and their effect on the international policy through the three key aspects: The Russian people’s ability to produce the required political will to control their government’s decisions, the current development of the Russian political environment, and the affection of this environment on the world community as a whole during the recent years. The used methodology is a narrative analysis of recent political events, official statistics, international investigations and media statements. As a result, the ever-widening gap between the people and the government becomes evidently seen, as well as the challenges it imposes on the political world arena, both current and those that still lie ahead of us.

Keywords: Russia, political analysis, democratic weaknesses, international society

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Authors: Adeyemi Kamil Hamzah, Abayomi Nathaniel Oyesikun

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Throughout modern history internal strife has burdened Africa most populous nation, Nigeria. The country encompassed more than four hundred ethnic and sub ethnic groups with the different background and identities. This group has not fussed themselves together to emerge as a nation what we have are mere ethnic and religious groups i.e. Hausa/Fulani Igbo Yoruba Ijaw, Ibibio, christian, and Muslim. The source of problematic Nigeria is linked to colonial policy of segmentation, discontent to religion, faith, and ethnicity. The wave of spiral killing among the major ethnic entities with different religious affiliation has brought the process of good governance in the country to its kneel. This paper will place insecurity in Nigeria in context by reviewing the root and rise of ethnic militia. In doing so it will evaluate how the West Africa power house arrive at the point where it is today with all unprecedented unrest from regions that formed Nigeria. Both primary and secondary sources were applied for the quality of this paper. The effects of ethnic militia in realizing and actualizing political stability are equally discussed, recommendations proffered and conclusion given.

Keywords: ethnic, militia, violence, insecurity, democracy

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Authors: Mishak Rahul, Naveen Kumar, Bharath Kumar

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Conceived as a high-end engine to revolutionise sustainable agri-food production, the intelligent crop circle (ICC) aims to incorporate the Internet of Things (IoT), blockchain technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster resource efficiency and prevent waste, increase the volume of production and bring about sustainable solutions with long-term ecosystem conservation as the guiding principle. The operating principle of the ICC relies on bringing together multidisciplinary bottom-up collaborations between producers, researchers and consumers. Key elements of the framework include IoT-based smart sensors for sensing soil moisture, temperature, humidity, nutrient and air quality, which provide short-interval and timely data; blockchain technology for data storage on a private chain, which maintains data integrity, traceability and transparency; and AI-based predictive analysis, which actively predicts resource utilisation, plant growth and environment. This data and AI insights are built into the ICC platform, which uses the resulting DSS (Decision Support System) outlined as help in decision making, delivered through an easy-touse mobile app or web-based interface. Farmers are assumed to use such a decision-making aid behind the power of the logic informed by the data pool. Building on existing data available in the farm management systems, the ICC platform is easily interoperable with other IoT devices. ICC facilitates connections and information sharing in real-time between users, including farmers, researchers and industrial partners, enabling them to cooperate in farming innovation and knowledge exchange. Moreover, ICC supports sustainable practice in agriculture by integrating gamification techniques to stimulate farm adopters, deploying VR technologies to model and visualise 3D farm environments and farm conditions, framing the field scenarios using VR headsets and Real-Time 3D engines, and leveraging edge technologies to facilitate secure and fast communication and collaboration between users involved. And through allowing blockchain-based marketplaces, ICC offers traceability from farm to fork – that is: from producer to consumer. It empowers informed decision-making through tailor-made recommendations generated by means of AI-driven analysis and technology democratisation, enabling small-scale and resource-limited farmers to get their voice heard. It connects with traditional knowledge, brings together multi-stakeholder interactions as well as establishes a participatory ecosystem to incentivise continuous growth and development towards more sustainable agro-ecological food systems. This integrated approach leverages the power of emerging technologies to provide sustainable solutions for a resilient food system, ensuring sustainable agriculture worldwide.

Keywords: blockchain, internet of things, artificial intelligence, decision support system, virtual reality, gamification, traceability, sustainable agriculture

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Authors: Hamid Aslani, Ahmed Radwan

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In this paper, a single element microstrip antenna is presented for UWB applications by using techniques as partial ground plane and modified the shape of the patch. The antenna is properly designed to have a compact size and constant gain against frequency. The simulated results have done using two EM software and show good agreement with the measured results for the fabricated antenna. Then a designing of two elements patch antenna array for UWB in the frequency band of 3.1-10 GHz is presented in this paper. The array is constructed by means of feeding two omni-directional modified circular patch elements with a modified power divider. Experimental results show that the array has a stable radiation pattern and low return loss over a broad bandwidth of 64% (3.1–10 GHz). Due to its planar profile, physically compact size, wide impedance bandwidth, directive performance over a wide bandwidth proposed antenna is a good candidate for portable UWB applications and other UWB integrated circuits.

Keywords: ultra wide band, radiation performance, microstrip antenna, size miniaturized antenna

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Authors: Arya Pirooz

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The effects of different fuels (DME, RME B100, and SME B100) on barrel engines were studied as a general, single dimensional investigation for characterization of these types of engines. A base computational model was created as reference point to be used as a point of comparison with different cases. The models were computed using the commercial computational fluid dynamics program, Diesel-RK. The base model was created using basic dimensions of the PAMAR-3 engine with inline unit injectors. Four fuel cases were considered. Optimized models were also considered for diesel and DME cases with respect to injection duration, fuel, injection timing, exhaust and intake port opening, CR, angular offset. These factors were optimized for highest BMEP, combined PM and NOx emissions, and highest SFC. Results included mechanical efficiency (eta_m), efficiency and power, emission characteristics, combustion characteristics. DME proved to have the highest performing characteristics in relation to diesel and RME fuels for this type of barrel engine.

Keywords: DME, RME, Diesel-RK, characterization, inline unit injector

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Authors: Victoria Scarratt

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Couples involved in age-gap relationships generally evoke negative stereotypes, opinions, and social disapproval. This research seeks to examine whether financial disparities in age-discrepant relationships cause negative attitudes in study participants. It was hypothesized that an age-gap couple (29 year difference) would receive a greater degree of societal disapproval when the couple also had a large salary gap compared to a similarly aged couple (1 year difference) with a salary gap. Additionally, there would be no significant difference between age-gap couples without a salary-gap compared to a similarly aged couple without a salary gap. To test the hypothesis, participants were given one of four scenarios regarding a couple in a romantic relationship.Then they were asked to respond to nine Likert scale questions. Results indicated that participants perceived age-gap relationships with a salary disparity to be less equitable in regard to a power imbalance between the couple and the financial and general gain that one partner will receive. A significant interaction was also detected for evoking feelings of disgust in participants and how morally correct it is for the couple to continue their relationship.

Keywords: age gap relationships, love, financial disparities, societal stigmas, relationship dynamics

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Authors: Leila Ayat, Afak Meftah

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Amorphous-silicon alloys have great promise as low cost solar cell materials. They have excellent photo-conductivity and high optical absorption to sunlight. Now PIN a-Si:H based solar cells are widely used in power generation modules. However, to improve the performance of these cells further, a better fundamental under-standing of the factors limiting cell performance in the homo junction PIN structure is necessary. In this paper we discuss the sensitivity of light J-V characteristics to various device and material parameters in PIN homo junction solar cells. This work is a numerical simulation of the output parameters of a PIN a-Si:H solar cell under AM1.5 spectrum. These parameters are the short circuit current (Jsc), the open circuit voltage (Voc), the fill factor (FF), the conversion efficiency. The simulation was performed with SCAPS-1D software version 3.3 developed at ELIS in Belgium by Marc Burgelman et al. The obtained results are in agreement with experiment. In addition, the effect of the thickness, doping density, capture cross sections of the gap states and the band microscopic mobilities on the output parameters of the cell are also presented.

Keywords: amorphous silicon p-i-n junctions, thin film, solar cells, sensitivity

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Authors: Aghoutane Basma, Naama Amal, Talbi Hayat, El Manfalouti Hanae, Kartah Badreddine

Abstract:

Aromatic and medicinal plants are used by man for different needs, including food and medicinal needs for their biological properties attributed mainly to phenolic compounds and for their antioxidant capacity. In our study, the aim is to compare three extraction solvents by evaluating the contents of phenolic compounds, the contents of flavonoids, and the antioxidant activities of extracts from different methods of extracting the aerial part of an endemic medicinal plant from Morocco. This activity was also confirmed by three methods (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), antioxidant reducing power of iron (FRAP), and total antioxidant capacity (CAT)). The results showed that this plant is rich in polyphenols and flavonoids, as well as it has a very important antioxidant capacity in whatever the solvent or the extraction method. This suggests the importance of using extracts from this plant as a new natural source of food additives and potent antioxidants in the food industry.

Keywords: endemic plant of Morocco, phenolic compound, solvent, extraction technique, antioxidant activity

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Authors: Juan Portoviejo Brito, Daniel Icaza Alvarez, Christian Castro Samaniego

Abstract:

In this article, we present the modeling, simulations, and energy conversion analysis of the solar-wind system for the Quingeo Heritage Center in Ecuador. A numerical model was constructed based on the 19 equations, it was coded in MATLAB R2017a, and the results were compared with the experimental data of the site. The model is built with the purpose of using it as a computer development for the optimization of resources and designs of hybrid systems in the Parish of Quingeo and its surroundings. The model obtained a fairly similar pattern compared to the data and curves obtained in the field experimentally and detailed in manuscript. It is important to indicate that this analysis has been carried out so that in the near future one or two of these power generation systems can be exploited in a massive way according to the budget assigned by the Parish GAD of Quingeo or other national or international organizations with the purpose of preserving this unique colonial helmet in Ecuador.

Keywords: hybrid system, wind turbine, modeling, simulation, Smart Grid, Quingeo Azuay Ecuador

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Authors: Ugochukwu D. Abasilim, Aize I. Obayan, Adedayo J. Odukoya, Godwyns Agube, Power A. I. Wogu, Nchekwube Excellence-Oluye

Abstract:

This paper examines the effect of transformational leadership style on organizational commitment among Private University employees in Nigeria. A quantitative methodology was adopted for this study. A structured Multi-factor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ) developed by Bass and Avolio (1997) and Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ) developed by Meyer and Allen (1997) were the major instruments used for data collection. Simple linear regression was used for testing the hypothesis. The results indicated that there was no significant positive effect of transformational leadership style on organizational commitment among employees of the Nigerian private university studied. Though the respondents rated their leaders high on transformational leadership style, their organizational commitment rating was average for majority, which implies that employees’ level of commitment could be accounted for by transformational leadership style existing in the institution. This finding is antithetical to the common submission in literature that transformational leadership style has a significant effect on organizational commitment. It was therefore recommended that further studies may want to further explore the reasons for this variance.

Keywords: leadership style, Nigeria, organizational, commitment, transformational leadership

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Authors: Henni Mansour Abdelwaheb

Abstract:

This study discusses the design of a bounded position/force feedback controller developed to ensure position and force tracking for bilateral teleoperation arms operating with variable delay, and actuator saturation. Also, an adaptive robust Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network is used to estimate the environment torque. The parameters of the environment torque are then sent from the slave site to the master site as a non-power signal to avoid passivity problems. Moreover, a nonlinear function is applied to each controller term as a smooth saturation function, providing a bounded control signal and preserving the system’s actuators. Lastly, the Lyapunov approach demonstrates the global stability of the controlled system, and numerical experiment results further confirm the validity of the presented strategy.

Keywords: teleoperation manipulators system, time-varying delay, actuator saturation, adaptive robust rbf neural network approximation, uncertainties

Procedia PDF Downloads 76