Search results for: Optimal operation

Authors: Ajay Ivan

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This paper focuses on the cultural politics of health-promotional and disease-preventive pedagogic practices in the context of the national tobacco control programme in India. Tobacco consumption is typically problematised as a paradox: tobacco poses objective health risks such as cancer and heart disease, but its production, sale and export contribute significantly to state revenue. A blanket ban on tobacco products, therefore, is infeasible though desirable. Instead, initiatives against tobacco use have prioritised awareness creation and behaviour change to reduce its demand. This paper argues that public health communication is not, as commonly assumed, an apolitical and neutral transmission of disease-preventive information. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s concept of governmentality, it examines such campaigns as techniques of disciplining people rather than coercing them to give up tobacco use, which would be both impractical and counter-productive. At the level of the population, these programmes constitute a security mechanism that reduces risks without eliminating them, so as to ensure an optimal level of public health without hampering the economy. Anti-tobacco pedagogy thus aligns with a contemporary paradigm of health that emphasises risk-assessment and lifestyle management as tools of governance, using pedagogic techniques to teach people how to be healthy. The paper analyses the pictorial health warnings on tobacco packets and anti-tobacco advertisements in movie theatres mandated by the state, along with awareness-creation messages circulated by anti-tobacco advocacy groups in India, to show how they discursively construct tobacco and its consumption as a health risk. Smoking is resignified from a pleasurable and sociable practice to a deadly addiction that jeopardises the health of those who smoke and those who passively inhale the smoke. While disseminating information about the health risks of tobacco, these initiatives employ emotional and affective techniques of persuasion to discipline tobacco users. They incite fear of death and of social ostracism to motivate behaviour change, complementing their appeals to reason. Tobacco is portrayed as a grave moral danger to the family and a detriment to the vitality of the nation, such that using it contradicts one’s duties as a parent or citizen. Awareness programmes reproduce prevailing societal assumptions about health and disease, normalcy and deviance, and proper and improper conduct. Pedagogy thus functions as an apparatus of public health governance, recruiting subjects as volunteers in their own regulation and aligning their personal goals and aspirations to the objectives of tobacco control. The paper links this calculated management of subjectivity and the self-responsibilisation of the pedagogic subject to a distinct mode of neoliberal civic governance in contemporary India. Health features prominently in this mode of governance that serves the biopolitical obligation of the state as laid down in Article 39 of the Constitution, which includes a duty to ensure the health of its citizens. Insofar as the health of individuals is concerned, the problem is how to balance this duty of the state with the fundamental right of the citizen to choose how to live. Public health pedagogy, by directing the citizen’s ‘free’ choice without unduly infringing upon it, offers a tactical solution.

Keywords: public health communication, pedagogic power, tobacco control, neoliberal governance

Procedia PDF Downloads 65

Authors: Jen Wang, Wei-Chia Hsu, Zih-Sin Wang, Ching-Ping Chu, Bo-Shiou Guo

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In the late 19th century, the Jinguashi ore deposit in northern Taiwan was discovered, and accompanied with flourishing mining activities. However, tons of contaminants including heavy metals, sulfur dioxide, and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) were released to surroundings and caused environmental problems. Site T was one of copper smelter located on the coastal hill near Jinguashi ore deposit. In over ten years of operation, variety contaminants were emitted that it polluted the surrounding soil and groundwater quality. In order to exhaust fumes produced from smelting process, three stacks were built along the hill behind the factory. The sediment inside the stacks contains high concentration of heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, copper, etc. Moreover, soil around the discarded stacks suffered a serious contamination when deposition leached from the ruptures of stacks. Consequently, Site T (including the factory and its surroundings) was declared as a pollution remediation site that visiting the site and land-use activities on it are forbidden. However, the natural landscape and cultural attractions of Site T are spectacular that it attracts a lot of visitors annually. Moreover, land resources are extremely precious in Taiwan. In addition, Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) is actively promoting the contaminated land revitalization policy. Therefore, this study took Site T as case study for brownfield revitalization planning to the limits of activate and remediate the natural resources. Land-use suitability analysis and risk mapping were applied in this study to make appropriate risk management measures and redevelopment plan for the site. In land-use suitability analysis, surrounding factors into consideration such as environmentally sensitive areas, biological resources, land use, contamination, culture, and landscapes were collected to assess the development of each area; health risk mapping was introduced to show the image of risk assessments results based on the site contamination investigation. According to land-use suitability analysis, the site was divided into four zones: priority area (for high-efficiency development), secondary area (for co-development with priority area), conditional area (for reusing existing building) and limited area (for Eco-tourism and education). According to the investigation, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), heavy metals and TPH were considered as target contaminants while oral, inhalation and dermal would be the major exposure pathways in health risk assessment. In accordance with health risk map, the highest risk was found in the southwest and eastern side. Based on the results, the development plan focused on zoning and land use. Site T was recommended be divides to public facility zone, public architectonic art zone, viewing zone, existing building preservation zone, historic building zone, and cultural landscape zone for various purpose. In addition, risk management measures including sustained remediation, extinguish exposure and administration management are applied to ensure particular places are suitable for visiting and protect the visitors’ health. The consolidated results are corroborated available by analyzing aspects of law, land acquired method, maintenance and management and public participation. Therefore, this study has a certain reference value to promote the contaminated land revitalization policy in Taiwan.

Keywords: brownfield revitalization, land-use suitability analysis, health risk map, risk management

Procedia PDF Downloads 152

Authors: Lionel Trovalet, Lisa Liu, Dimitri Bigot, Nadia Hammami, Jean-Pierre Habas, Bruno Malet-Damour

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The MCP-iBAT1 project is carried out to study the behavior of Phase Change Materials (PCM) integrated in building envelopes in a tropical environment. Through the phase transitions (melting and freezing) of the material, thermal energy can be absorbed or released. This process enables the regulation of indoor temperatures and the improvement of thermal comfort for the occupants. Most of the commercially available PCMs are more suitable to temperate climates than to tropical climates. The case of Reunion Island is noteworthy as there are multiple micro-climates. This leads to our key question: developing one or multiple bio-based PCMs that cover the thermal needs of the different locations of the island. The present paper focuses on the numerical approach to select the PCM properties relevant to tropical areas. Numerical simulations have been carried out with two softwares: EnergyPlusTM and Isolab. The latter has been developed in the laboratory, with the implicit Finite Difference Method, in order to evaluate different physical models. Both are Thermal Dynamic Simulation (TDS) softwares that predict the building’s thermal behavior with one-dimensional heat transfers. The parameters used in this study are the construction’s characteristics (dimensions and materials) and the environment’s description (meteorological data and building surroundings). The building is modeled in accordance with the experimental setup. It is divided into two rooms, cells A and B, with same dimensions. Cell A is the reference, while in cell B, a layer of commercial PCM (Thermo Confort of MCI Technologies) has been applied to the inner surface of the North wall. Sensors are installed in each room to retrieve temperatures, heat flows, and humidity rates. The collected data are used for the comparison with the numerical results. Our strategy is to implement two similar buildings at different altitudes (Saint-Pierre: 70m and Le Tampon: 520m) to measure different temperature ranges. Therefore, we are able to collect data for various seasons during a condensed time period. The following methodology is used to validate the numerical models: calibration of the thermal and PCM models in EnergyPlusTM and Isolab based on experimental measures, then numerical testing with a sensitivity analysis of the parameters to reach the targeted indoor temperatures. The calibration relies on the past ten months’ measures (from September 2020 to June 2021), with a focus on one-week study on November (beginning of summer) when the effect of PCM on inner surface temperatures is more visible. A first simulation with the PCM model of EnergyPlus gave results approaching the measurements with a mean error of 5%. The studied property in this paper is the melting temperature of the PCM. By determining the representative temperature of winter, summer and inter-seasons with past annual’s weather data, it is possible to build a numerical model of multi-layered PCM. Hence, the combined properties of the materials will provide an optimal scenario for the application on PCM in tropical areas. Future works will focus on the development of bio-based PCMs with the selected properties followed by experimental and numerical validation of the materials. 1Materiaux ´ a Changement de Phase, une innovation pour le B ` ati Tropical

Keywords: energyplus, multi-layer of PCM, phase changing materials, tropical area

Procedia PDF Downloads 81

Authors: Shaoyi Lu

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Background: Traditional Chinese medicine has been used to treat stroke, which is a major cause of morbidity and mortality. There is, however, no clear agreement about the optimal timing, population, efficacy, and predictive prognosis factors of traditional Chinese medicine supplemental therapy. Method: In this study, we used a retrospective analysis with data collection from stroke patients in Stroke Registry In Chang Gung Healthcare System (SRICHS). Stroke patients who received traditional Chinese medicine consultation in neurology ward of Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from Jan 2010 to Dec 2014 were enrolled. Clinical profiles including the neurologic deficit, activities of daily living and other basic characteristics were analyzed. Through propensity score matching, we compared the NIHSS and Barthel index before and after the hospitalization, and applied with subgroup analysis, and adjusted by multivariate regression method. Results: Totally 115 stroke patients were enrolled with experiment group in 23 and control group in 92. The most important factor for prognosis prediction were the scores of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and Barthel index right before the hospitalization. Traditional Chinese medicine intervention had no statistically significant influence on the neurological deficit of acute stroke patients, and mild negative influence on daily activity performance of acute hemorrhagic stroke patient. Conclusion: Efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine as a supplemental therapy for acute stroke patients was controversial. The reason for this phenomenon might be complex and require more research to comprehend. Key words: traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, Stroke, NIH stroke scale, Barthel index, predictive factor. Method: In this study, we used a retrospective analysis with data collection from stroke patients in Stroke Registry In Chang Gung Healthcare System (SRICHS). Stroke patients who received traditional Chinese medicine consultation in neurology ward of Keelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital from Jan 2010 to Dec 2014 were enrolled. Clinical profiles including the neurologic deficit, activities of daily living and other basic characteristics were analyzed. Through propensity score matching, we compared the NIHSS and Barthel index before and after the hospitalization, and applied with subgroup analysis, and adjusted by multivariate regression method. Results: Totally 115 stroke patients were enrolled with experiment group in 23 and control group in 92. The most important factor for prognosis prediction were the scores of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and Barthel index right before the hospitalization. Traditional Chinese medicine intervention had no statistically significant influence on the neurological deficit of acute stroke patients, and mild negative influence on daily activity performance of acute hemorrhagic stroke patient. Conclusion: Efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine as a supplemental therapy for acute stroke patients was controversial. The reason for this phenomenon might be complex and require more research to comprehend.

Keywords: traditional Chinese medicine, complementary and alternative medicine, stroke, acupuncture

Procedia PDF Downloads 349

Authors: Claudio Loconsole, Daniele Leonardis, Antonio Brunetti, Gianpaolo Francesco Trotta, Nicholas Caporusso, Vitoantonio Bevilacqua

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Unfortunately, many people still do not have access to communication, with specific regard to reading and writing. Among them, people who are blind or visually impaired, have several difficulties in getting access to the world, compared to the sighted. Indeed, despite technology advancement and cost reduction, nowadays assistive devices are still expensive such as Braille-based input/output systems which enable reading and writing texts (e.g., personal notes, documents). As a consequence, assistive technology affordability is fundamental in supporting the visually impaired in communication, learning, and social inclusion. This, in turn, has serious consequences in terms of equal access to opportunities, freedom of expression, and actual and independent participation to a society designed for the sighted. Moreover, the visually impaired experience difficulties in recognizing objects and interacting with devices in any activities of daily living. It is not a case that Braille indications are commonly reported only on medicine boxes and elevator keypads. Several software applications for the automatic translation of written text into speech (e.g., Text-To-Speech - TTS) enable reading pieces of documents. However, apart from simple tasks, in many circumstances TTS software is not suitable for understanding very complicated pieces of text requiring to dwell more on specific portions (e.g., mathematical formulas or Greek text). In addition, the experience of reading\writing text is completely different both in terms of engagement, and from an educational perspective. Statistics on the employment rate of blind people show that learning to read and write provides the visually impaired with up to 80% more opportunities of finding a job. Especially in higher educational levels, where the ability to digest very complex text is key, accessibility and availability of Braille plays a fundamental role in reducing drop-out rate of the visually impaired, thus affecting the effectiveness of the constitutional right to get access to education. In this context, the Braille Lab project aims at overcoming these social needs by including affordability in designing and developing assistive tools for visually impaired people. In detail, our awarded project focuses on a technology innovation of the operation principle of existing assistive tools for the visually impaired leaving the Human-Machine Interface unchanged. This can result in a significant reduction of the production costs and consequently of tool selling prices, thus representing an important opportunity for social entrepreneurship. The first two assistive tools designed within the Braille Lab project following the proposed approach aims to provide the possibility to personally print documents and handouts and to read texts written in Braille using refreshable Braille display, respectively. The former, named ‘Braille Cartridge’, represents an alternative solution for printing in Braille and consists in the realization of an electronic-controlled dispenser printing (cartridge) which can be integrated within traditional ink-jet printers, in order to leverage the efficiency and cost of the device mechanical structure which are already being used. The latter, named ‘Braille Cursor’, is an innovative Braille display featuring a substantial technology innovation by means of a unique cursor virtualizing Braille cells, thus limiting the number of active pins needed for Braille characters.

Keywords: Human rights, social challenges and technology innovations, visually impaired, affordability, assistive tools

Procedia PDF Downloads 251

Authors: S. J. Addinell, A. F. Grabsch, P. D. Fawell, B. Evans

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The Deep Exploration Technologies Cooperative Research Centre (DET CRC) is researching and developing a new coiled tubing based greenfields mineral exploration drilling system utilising down-hole water-powered percussive drill tooling. This new drilling system is aimed at significantly reducing the costs associated with identifying mineral resource deposits beneath deep, barren cover. This system has shown superior rates of penetration in water-rich, hard rock formations at depths exceeding 500 metres. With fluid flow rates of up to 120 litres per minute at 200 bar operating pressure to energise the bottom hole tooling, excessive quantities of high quality drilling fluid (water) would be required for a prolonged drilling campaign. As a result, drilling fluid recovery and recycling has been identified as a necessary option to minimise costs and logistical effort. While the majority of the cuttings report as coarse particles, a significant fines fraction will typically also be present. To maximise tool life longevity, the percussive bottom hole assembly requires high quality fluid with minimal solids loading and any recycled fluid needs to have a solids cut point below 40 microns and a concentration less than 400 ppm before it can be used to reenergise the system. This paper presents experimental results obtained from the research program during laboratory and field testing of the prototype drilling system. A study of the morphological aspects of the cuttings generated during the percussive drilling process shows a strong power law relationship for particle size distributions. This data is critical in optimising solids control strategies and cuttings dewatering techniques. Optimisation of deployable solids control equipment is discussed and how the required centrate clarity was achieved in the presence of pyrite-rich metasediment cuttings. Key results were the successful pre-aggregation of fines through the selection and use of high molecular weight anionic polyacrylamide flocculants and the techniques developed for optimal dosing prior to scroll decanter centrifugation, thus keeping sub 40 micron solids loading within prescribed limits. Experiments on maximising fines capture in the presence of thixotropic drilling fluid additives (e.g. Xanthan gum and other biopolymers) are also discussed. As no core is produced during the drilling process, it is intended that the particle laden returned drilling fluid is used for top-of-hole geochemical and mineralogical assessment. A discussion is therefore presented on the biasing and latency of cuttings representivity by dewatering techniques, as well as the resulting detrimental effects on depth fidelity and accuracy. Data pertaining to the sample biasing with respect to geochemical signatures due to particle size distributions is presented and shows that, depending on the solids control and dewatering techniques used, it can have unwanted influence on top-of-hole analysis. Strategies are proposed to overcome these effects, improving sample quality. Successful solids control and cuttings dewatering for water-powered percussive drilling is presented, contributing towards the successful advancement of coiled tubing based greenfields mineral exploration.

Keywords: cuttings, dewatering, flocculation, percussive drilling, solids control

Procedia PDF Downloads 230

Authors: Irmak Karaduman, Tugba Corlu, Sezin Galioglu, Burcu Akata, M. Ali Yildirim, Aytunç Ateş, Selim Acar

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Breath analysis represents a promising non-invasive, fast and cost-effective alternative to well-established diagnostic and monitoring techniques such as blood analysis, endoscopy, ultrasonic and tomographic monitoring. Portable, non-invasive, and low-cost breath analysis devices are becoming increasingly desirable for monitoring different diseases, especially asthma. Beacuse of this, NO gas sensing at low concentrations has attracted progressive attention for clinical analysis in asthma. Recently, nanomaterials based sensors are considered to be a promising clinical and laboratory diagnostic tool, because its large surface–to–volume ratio, controllable structure, easily tailored chemical and physical properties, which bring high sensitivity, fast dynamic processand even the increasing specificity. Among various nanomaterials, semiconducting metal oxides are extensively studied gas-sensing materials and are potential sensing elements for breathanalyzer due to their high sensitivity, simple design, low cost and good stability.The sensitivities of metal oxide semiconductor gas sensors can be enhanced by adding noble metals. Doping contents, distribution, and size of metallic or metal oxide catalysts are key parameters for enhancing gas selectivity as well as sensitivity. By manufacturing doping MOS structures, it is possible to develop more efficient sensor sensing layers. Zeolites are perhaps the most widely employed group of silicon-based nanoporous solids. Their well-defined pores of sub nanometric size have earned them the name of molecular sieves, meaning that operation in the size exclusion regime is possible by selecting, among over 170 structures available, the zeolite whose pores allow the pass of the desired molecule, while keeping larger molecules outside.In fact it is selective adsorption, rather than molecular sieving, the mechanism that explains most of the successful gas separations achieved with zeolite membranes. In view of their molecular sieving and selective adsorption properties, it is not surprising that zeolites have found use in a number of works dealing with gas sensing devices. In this study, the Cu doped ZnO nanostructure film was produced by SILAR method and investigated the NO gas sensing properties. To obtain the selectivity of the sample, the gases including CO,NH3,H2 and CH4 were detected to compare with NO. The maximum response is obtained at 85 C for 20 ppb NO gas. The sensor shows high response to NO gas. However, acceptable responses are calculated for CO and NH3 gases. Therefore, there are no responses obtain for H2 and CH4 gases. Enhanced to selectivity, Cu doped ZnO nanostructure film was coated with zeolite A thin film. It is found that the sample possess an acceptable response towards NO hardly respond to CO, NH3, H2 and CH4 at room temperature. This difference in the response can be expressed in terms of differences in the molecular structure, the dipole moment, strength of the electrostatic interaction and the dielectric constant. The as-synthesized thin film is considered to be one of the extremely promising candidate materials in electronic nose applications. This work is supported by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBİTAK) under Project No, 115M658 and Gazi University Scientific Research Fund under project no 05/2016-21.

Keywords: Cu doped ZnO, electrical characterization, gas sensing, zeolite

Procedia PDF Downloads 267

Authors: Olga V. Chervyakova, Elmira T. Tailakova, Vitaliy M. Strochkov, Kulyaisan T. Sultankulova, Nurlan T. Sandybayev, Lev G. Nemchinov, Rosemarie W. Hammond

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Sheep pox is a highly contagious infection that OIE regards to be one of the most dangerous animal diseases. It causes enormous economic losses because of death and slaughter of infected animals, lower productivity, cost of veterinary and sanitary as well as quarantine measures. To control spread of sheep pox infection the attenuated vaccines are widely used in the Republic of Kazakhstan and other Former Soviet Union countries. In spite of high efficiency of live vaccines, the possible presence of the residual virulence, potential genetic instability restricts their use in disease-free areas that leads to necessity to exploit new approaches in vaccine development involving recombinant DNA technology. Vaccines on the basis of recombinant proteins are the newest generation of prophylactic preparations. The main advantage of these vaccines is their low reactogenicity and this fact makes them widely used in medical and veterinary practice for vaccination of humans and farm animals. The objective of the study is to produce recombinant immunogenic proteins for development of the high-performance means for sheep pox prophylaxis. The SPV proteins were chosen for their homology with the known immunogenic vaccinia virus proteins. Assay of nucleotide and amino acid sequences of the target SPV protein genes. It has been shown that four proteins SPPV060 (ortholog L1), SPPV074 (ortholog H3), SPPV122 (ortholog A33) and SPPV141 (ortholog B5) possess transmembrane domains at N- or C-terminus while in amino acid sequences of SPPV095 (ortholog А 4) and SPPV117 (ortholog А 27) proteins these domains were absent. On the basis of these findings the primers were constructed. Target genes were amplified and subsequently cloned into the expression vector рЕТ26b(+) or рЕТ28b(+). Six constructions (pSPPV060ΔТМ, pSPPV074ΔТМ, pSPPV095, pSPPV117, pSPPV122ΔТМ and pSPPV141ΔТМ) were obtained for expression of the SPV genes under control of T7 promoter in Escherichia coli. To purify and detect recombinant proteins the amino acid sequences were modified by adding six histidine molecules at C-terminus. Induction of gene expression by IPTG was resulted in production of the proteins with molecular weights corresponding to the estimated values for SPPV060, SPPV074, SPPV095, SPPV117, SPPV122 and SPPV141, i.e. 22, 30, 20, 19, 17 and 22 kDa respectively. Optimal protocol of expression for each gene that ensures high yield of the recombinant protein was identified. Assay of cellular lysates by western blotting confirmed expression of the target proteins. Recombinant proteins bind specifically with antibodies to polyhistidine. Moreover all produced proteins are specifically recognized by the serum from experimentally SPV-infected sheep. The recombinant proteins SPPV060, SPPV074, SPPV117, SPPV122 and SPPV141 were also shown to induce formation of antibodies with virus-neutralizing activity. The results of the research will help to develop a new-generation high-performance means for specific sheep pox prophylaxis that is one of key moments in animal health protection. The research was conducted under the International project ISTC # K-1704 “Development of methods to construct recombinant prophylactic means for sheep pox with use of transgenic plants” and under the Grant Project RK MES G.2015/0115RK01983 "Recombinant vaccine for sheep pox prophylaxis".

Keywords: prophylactic preparation, recombinant protein, sheep pox virus, subunit vaccine

Procedia PDF Downloads 226

Authors: George Charkoftakis, Panagiotis Liosatos, Nicolas-Alexander Tatlas, Dimitrios Goustouridis, Stelios M. Potirakis

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E-maintenance is a relatively new concept, generally referring to maintenance management by monitoring assets over the Internet. One of the key links in the chain of an e-maintenance system is data acquisition and transmission. Specifically for the case of a fleet of heavy-duty vehicles, where the main challenge is the diversity of the vehicles and vehicle-embedded self-diagnostic/reporting technologies, the design of the data acquisition and transmission unit is a demanding task. This clear if one takes into account that a heavy-vehicles fleet assortment may range from vehicles with only a limited number of analog sensors monitored by dashboard light indicators and gauges to vehicles with plethora of sensors monitored by a vehicle computer producing digital reporting. The present work proposes an adaptable internet of things (IoT) sensor node that is capable of addressing this challenge. The proposed sensor node architecture is based on the increasingly popular single-board computer – expansion boards approach. In the proposed solution, the expansion boards undertake the tasks of position identification by means of a global navigation satellite system (GNSS), cellular connectivity by means of 3G/long-term evolution (LTE) modem, connectivity to on-board diagnostics (OBD), and connectivity to analog and digital sensors by means of a novel design of expansion board. Specifically, the later provides eight analog plus three digital sensor channels, as well as one on-board temperature / relative humidity sensor. The specific device offers a number of adaptability features based on appropriate zero-ohm resistor placement and appropriate value selection for limited number of passive components. For example, although in the standard configuration four voltage analog channels with constant voltage sources for the power supply of the corresponding sensors are available, up to two of these voltage channels can be converted to provide power to the connected sensors by means of corresponding constant current source circuits, whereas all parameters of analog sensor power supply and matching circuits are fully configurable offering the advantage of covering a wide variety of industrial sensors. Note that a key feature of the proposed sensor node, ensuring the reliable operation of the connected sensors, is the appropriate supply of external power to the connected sensors and their proper matching to the IoT sensor node. In standard mode, the IoT sensor node communicates to the data center through 3G/LTE, transmitting all digital/digitized sensor data, IoT device identity, and position. Moreover, the proposed IoT sensor node offers WiFi connectivity to mobile devices (smartphones, tablets) equipped with an appropriate application for the manual registration of vehicle- and driver-specific information, and these data are also forwarded to the data center. All control and communication tasks of the IoT sensor node are performed by dedicated firmware. It is programmed with a high-level language (Python) on top of a modern operating system (Linux). Acknowledgment: This research has been co-financed by the European Union and Greek national funds through the Operational Program Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation, under the call RESEARCH—CREATE—INNOVATE (project code: T1EDK- 01359, IntelligentLogger).

Keywords: IoT sensor nodes, e-maintenance, single-board computers, sensor expansion boards, on-board diagnostics

Procedia PDF Downloads 138

Authors: Liuhui Zhu, Peng Zeng

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With the rapid development in China, the urbanization has entered the transformation and promotion stage, and its direction of development has shifted to overall regional synergy. China has a large number of towns and villages, with comparative small scale and scattered distribution, which always support and provide resources to cities leading to urban-rural opposition, so it is difficult to achieve common development in a single town or village. In this context, the regional development should focus more on towns and villages to form a synergetic system, joining the regional association with cities. Thus, the paper raises the question about how to effectively organize towns and villages system to regulate the resource allocation and improve the comprehensive value of the regional area. To answer the question, it is necessary to find a suitable research unit and analysis of its present situation of towns and villages system for optimal development. By combing relevant researches and theoretical models, the county is the most basic administrative unit in China, which can directly guide and regulate the development of towns and villages, so the paper takes county as the research unit. Following the theoretical concept of ‘three structures and one network’, the paper concludes the research framework to analyse the present situation of towns and villages system, including scale structure, functional structure, spatial structure, and organization network. The analytical methods refer to the fractal theory and gravity model, using statistics and spatial data. The scale structure analyzes rank-size dimensions and uses the principal component method to calculate the comprehensive scale of towns and villages. The functional structure analyzes the functional types and industrial development of towns and villages. The spatial structure analyzes the aggregation dimension, network dimension, and correlation dimension of spatial elements to represent the overall spatial relationships. In terms of organization network, from the perspective of entity and ono-entity, the paper analyzes the transportation network and gravitational network. Based on the present situation analysis, the optimization strategies are proposed in order to achieve a synergetic relationship between towns and villages in the county area. The paper uses Suning county in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as a case study to apply the research framework and methods and then proposes the optimization orientations. The analysis results indicate that: (1) The Suning county is lack of medium-scale towns to transfer effect from towns to villages. (2) The distribution of gravitational centers is uneven, and the effect of gravity is limited only for nearby towns and villages. The gravitational network is not complete, leading to economic activities scattered and isolated. (3) The overall development of towns and villages system is immature, staying at ‘single heart and multi-core’ stage, and some specific optimization strategies are proposed. This study provides a regional view for the development of towns and villages and concludes the research framework and methods of towns and villages system for forming an effective synergetic relationship between them, contributing to organize resources and stimulate endogenous motivation, and form counter magnets to join the urban-rural integration.

Keywords: towns and villages system, organization structure, county area, fractal theory, gravity model

Procedia PDF Downloads 121

Authors: Tianfang Zhang, Luxi He, Zhengbin He, Songlin Yi

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Moso bamboo is a common non-wood forest resource in Asia that is widely used in construction, furniture, and other fields. Influenced by the heterogeneous structure and various hygroscopic groups of bamboo, the deformation occurs as moisture absorption and desorption when the environment temperature and humidity conditions change. Thermal modification is a well-established commercial technology for improving the dimensional stability of bamboo. However, the higher energy consumption and carbon emissions limit its further development. Previous studies have indicated that inorganic salt-assisted thermal modification could lead to significant reductions in moisture absorption and energy consumption. Represented by metal chlorides, it could show Lewis acid properties when dissolved in water, generating metal ion ligand complexes. In addition, ultrasonic treatment, as an efficient and environmentally friendly physical treatment method, improved the accessibility of pretreatment chemical impregnation agents and intensified mass and heat transfer during reactions. To save energy and reduce deformation, this study elucidates the influence of zinc chloride-ultrasonic treatment on the physicochemical properties of heat-treated bamboo, and the details of the bamboo deformation mechanism with Lewis acid are explained. Three sets of parameters (inorganic salt concentration, ultrasonic frequency and heat treatment temperature) were designed, and an optimized process was proposed to clarify this scientific question, that is: 5% (w/w) zinc chloride solution, 40 kHz ultrasonic waves and heat treatment at 160 °C. The samples were characterized by different means to analyze changes in their macroscopic features, pore structure, chemical structure and chemical composition. The results suggested that the maximum weight loss rate was reduced by at least 19.75%. The maximum thermal degradation peak of hemicellulose was significantly shifted forward. The hygroscopicity was reduced by 10.15%, the relative crystallinity was increased by 4.4%, the surface contact angle was increased by 25.2%, and the color change was increased by 23.60 in the optimal condition. From the electron microscope observation, the treated surface became rougher, and cracks appeared in some weaker areas, accelerating starch loss and removing granular attachments around the pits. By ion diffusion, zinc ions diffused into hemicellulose and a partial amorphous region of cellulose. Parts of the cell wall structure were subjected to swelling and degradation, leading to the broken state of parenchyma cells. From the Raman spectrum, compared to conventional thermal modifications, hemicellulose thermal degradation and lignin migration is promoted by Lewis acid under dilute acid-thermal condition. As shown in this work, the combined Lewis acid and ultrasonic pretreatment as an environmentally friendly, safe, and efficient physic-chemical combined pretreatment method improved the dimensional stability of Moso bamboo and lowered the thermal degradation conditions. This method has great potential for development in the field of bamboo heat treatment, and it might provide some guidance for making dark bamboo flooring.

Keywords: Moso bamboo, Lewis acid, ultrasound, heat treatment

Procedia PDF Downloads 58

Authors: Damiano Omari, Topirian Kerempe, Dibo Sama, Walter Wafula, Sharon Chepkoech, Chrispine Juma, Gilbert Kirui, Simon Mburu, Susan Keino

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The One Health concept was officially adopted by the international organizations and scholarly bodies in 1984. It aims at combining human, animal and environmental components to address global health challenges. Using collaborative efforts optimal health to people, animals, and the environment can be achieved. One health approach plays a significant approach role in prevention and control of zoonosis diseases. It has also been noted that 75% of new emerging human infectious diseases are zoonotic. In Kenya, one health has been embraced and strongly advocated for by One Health East and Central Africa (OHCEA). It was inaugurated on 17th of October 2010 at a historic meeting facilitated by USAID with participants from 7 public health schools, seven faculties of veterinary medicine in Eastern Africa and 2 American universities (Tufts and University of Minnesota) in addition to respond project staff. The study was conducted in Loitoktok Sub County, specifically in the Amboseli Ecosystem. The Amboseli ecosystem covers an area of 5,700 square kilometers and stretches between Mt. Kilimanjaro, Chyulu Hills, Tsavo West National park and the Kenya/Tanzania border. The area is arid to semi-arid and is more suitable for pastoralism with a high potential for conservation of wildlife and tourism enterprises. The ecosystem consists of the Amboseli National Park, which is surrounded by six group ranches which include Kimana, Olgulului, Selengei, Mbirikani, Kuku and Rombo in Loitoktok District. The Manyatta of study was Osiram Cultural Manyatta in Mbirikani group ranch. Apart from visiting the Manyatta, we also visited the sub-county hospital, slaughter slab, forest service, Kimana market, and the Amboseli National Park. The aim of the study was to identify the one health issues facing the community. This was done by a conducting a community needs assessment and prioritization. Different methods were used in data collection for the qualitative and numerical data. They include among others; key informant interviews and focus group discussions. We also guided the community members in drawing their Resource Map this helped identify the major resources in their land and also help them identify some of the issues they were facing. Matrix piling, root cause analysis, and force field analysis tools were used to establish the one health related priority issues facing community members. Skits were also used to present to the community interventions to the major one health issues. Some of the prioritized needs among the community were water scarcity and inadequate markets for their beadwork. The group intervened on the various needs of the Manyatta. For water scarcity, we educated the community on water harvesting methods using gutters as well as proper storage by the use of tanks and earth dams. The community was also encouraged to recycle and conserve water. To improve markets; we educated the community to upload their products online, a page was opened for them and uploading the photos was demonstrated to them. They were also encouraged to be innovative to attract more clients.

Keywords: Amboseli ecosystem, community interventions, community needs assessment and prioritization, one health issues

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Authors: Mohammadreza Kashizadeh, Mohammadamin Hashemi

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Solymorph, a kinetic building facade designed for optimal energy capture and architectural expression, is explored in this paper. The system integrates photovoltaic panels with soft robotic actuators for precise solar tracking, resulting in enhanced electricity generation compared to static facades. Driven by the growing interest in dynamic building envelopes, the exploration of novel facade systems is necessitated. Increased energy generation and regulation of energy flow within buildings are potential benefits offered by integrating photovoltaic (PV) panels as kinetic elements. However, incorporating these technologies into mainstream architecture presents challenges due to the complexity of coordinating multiple systems. To address this, Solymorph leverages soft robotic actuators, known for their compliance, resilience, and ease of integration. Additionally, the project investigates the potential for employing Large Language Models (LLMs) to streamline the design process. The research methodology involved design development, material selection, component fabrication, and system assembly. Grasshopper (GH) was employed within the digital design environment for parametric modeling and scripting logic, and an LLM was experimented with to generate Python code for the creation of a random surface with user-defined parameters. Various techniques, including casting, 3D printing, and laser cutting, were utilized to fabricate the physical components. Finally, a modular assembly approach was adopted to facilitate installation and maintenance. A case study focusing on the application of Solymorph to an existing library building at Politecnico di Milano is presented. The facade system is divided into sub-frames to optimize solar exposure while maintaining a visually appealing aesthetic. Preliminary structural analyses were conducted using Karamba3D to assess deflection behavior and axial loads within the cable net structure. Additionally, Finite Element (FE) simulations were performed in Abaqus to evaluate the mechanical response of the soft robotic actuators under pneumatic pressure. To validate the design, a physical prototype was created using a mold adapted for a 3D printer's limitations. Casting Silicone Rubber Sil 15 was used for its flexibility and durability. The 3D-printed mold components were assembled, filled with the silicone mixture, and cured. After demolding, nodes and cables were 3D-printed and connected to form the structure, demonstrating the feasibility of the design. Solymorph demonstrates the potential of soft robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) for advancements in sustainable building design and construction. The project successfully integrates these technologies to create a dynamic facade system that optimizes energy generation and architectural expression. While limitations exist, Solymorph paves the way for future advancements in energy-efficient facade design. Continued research efforts will focus on cost reduction, improved system performance, and broader applicability.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, energy efficiency, kinetic photovoltaics, pneumatic control, soft robotics, sustainable building

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Authors: Dionyssia Lyra, Shoaib Ismail

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Salinization of natural resources constitutes a significant component of the degradation force that leads to depletion of productive lands and fresh water reserves. The global extent of salt-affected soils is approximately 7% of the earth’s land surface and is expanding. The problems of excessive salt accumulation are most widespread in coastal, arid and semi-arid regions, where agricultural production is substantially hindered. The use of crops that can withstand high saline conditions is extremely interesting in such a context. Salt-loving plants or else ‘halophytes’ thrive when grown in hostile saline conditions, where traditional crops cannot survive. Salicornia bigelovii, a halophytic crop with multiple uses (vegetable, forage, biofuel), has demonstrated remarkable adaptability to harsh climatic conditions prevailing in dry areas with great potential for its expansion. Since 2011, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) with Masdar Institute (MI) and King Abdul Aziz University of Science & Technology (KAUST) to look into the potential for growing S. bigelovii under hot and dry conditions. Through the projects undertaken, 50 different S. bigelovii genotypes were assessed under high saline conditions. The overall goal was to select the best performing S. bigelovii populations in terms of seed and biomass production for future breeding. Specific objectives included: 1) evaluation of selected S. bigelovii genotypes for various agronomic and growth parameters under field conditions, 2) seed multiplication of S. bigelovii using saline groundwater and 3) acquisition of inbred lines for further breeding. Field trials were conducted for four consecutive years at ICBA headquarters. During the first year, one Salicornia population was evaluated for seed and biomass production at different salinity levels, fertilizer treatments and planting methods. All growth parameters and biomass productivity for the salicornia population showed better performance with optimal biomass production in terms of both salinity level and fertilizer application. During the second year, 46 Salicornia populations (obtained from KAUST and Masdar Institute) were evaluated for 24 growth parameters and treated with groundwater through drip irrigation. The plant material originated from wild collections. Six populations were also assessed for their growth performance under full-strength seawater. Salicornia populations were highly variable for all characteristics under study for both irrigation treatments, indicating that there is a large pool of genetic information available for breeding. Irrigation with the highest level of salinity had a negative impact on the agronomic performance. The maximum seed yield obtained was 2 t/ha at 20 dS/m (groundwater treatment) at 25 cm x 25 cm planting distance. The best performing Salicornia populations for fresh biomass and seed yield were selected for the following season. After continuous selection, the best performing salicornia will be adopted for scaling-up options. Taking into account the results of the production field trials, salicornia expansion will be targeted in coastal areas of the Arabian Peninsula. As a crop with high biofuel and forage potential, its cultivation can improve the livelihood of local farmers.

Keywords: biosaline agriculture, genotypes selection, halophytes, Salicornia bigelovii

Procedia PDF Downloads 389

Authors: Dmitriy Berillo, Areej K. A. Al-Jwaid, Jonathan L. Caplin, Andrew Cundy, Irina Savina

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Chlorophenols (CPs) are used as a precursor in the production of higher CPs and dyestuffs, and as a preservative. Contamination by CPs of the ground water is located in the range from 0.15-100mg/L. The EU has set maximum concentration limits for pesticides and their degradation products of 0.1μg/L and 0.5μg/L, respectively. People working in industries which produce textiles, leather products, domestic preservatives, and petrochemicals are most heavily exposed to CPs. The International Agency for Research on Cancers categorized CPs as potential human carcinogens. Existing multistep water purification processes for CPs such as hydrogenation, ion exchange, liquid-liquid extraction, adsorption by activated carbon, forward and inverse osmosis, electrolysis, sonochemistry, UV irradiation, and chemical oxidation are not always cost effective and can cause the formation of even more toxic or mutagenic derivatives. Bioremediation of CPs derivatives utilizing microorganisms results in 60 to 100% decontamination efficiency and the process is more environmentally-friendly compared with existing physico-chemical methods. Microorganisms immobilized onto a substrate show many advantages over free bacteria systems, such as higher biomass density, higher metabolic activity, and resistance to toxic chemicals. They also enable continuous operation, avoiding the requirement for biomass-liquid separation. The immobilized bacteria can be reused several times, which opens the opportunity for developing cost-effective processes for wastewater treatment. In this study, we develop a bioremediation system for CPs based on macroporous materials, which can be efficiently used for wastewater treatment. Conditions for the preparation of the macroporous material from specific bacterial strains (Pseudomonas mendocina and Rhodococus koreensis) were optimized. The concentration of bacterial cells was kept constant; the difference was only the type of cross-linking agents used e.g. glutaraldehyde, novel polymers, which were utilized at concentrations of 0.5 to 1.5%. SEM images and rheology analysis of the material indicated a monolithic macroporous structure. Phenol was chosen as a model system to optimize the function of the cryogel material and to estimate its enzymatic activity, since it is relatively less toxic and harmful compared to CPs. Several types of macroporous systems comprising live bacteria were prepared. The viability of the cross-linked bacteria was checked using Live/Dead BacLight kit and Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy, which revealed the presence of viable bacteria with the novel cross-linkers, whereas the control material cross-linked with glutaraldehyde(GA), contained mostly dead cells. The bioreactors based on bacteria were used for phenol degradation in batch mode at an initial concentration of 50mg/L, pH 7.5 and a temperature of 30°C. Bacterial strains cross-linked with GA showed insignificant ability to degrade phenol and for one week only, but a combination of cross-linking agents illustrated higher stability, viability and the possibility to be reused for at least five weeks. Furthermore, conditions for CPs degradation will be optimized, and the chlorophenol degradation rates will be compared to those for phenol. This is a cutting-edge bioremediation approach, which allows the purification of waste water from sustainable compounds without a separation step to remove free planktonic bacteria. Acknowledgments: Dr. Berillo D. A. is very grateful to Individual Fellowship Marie Curie Program for funding of the research.

Keywords: bioremediation, cross-linking agents, cross-linked microbial cell, chlorophenol degradation

Procedia PDF Downloads 201

Authors: Ho-Ting Wu, Kai-Wei Ke, Bo-Yu Huang, Liang-Lin Yan, Chun-Ting Lin

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With the advances in advanced technology, wireless sensor network (WSN) has become one of the most promising candidates to implement the wireless industrial internet of things (IIOT) architecture. However, the legacy IEEE 802.15.4 based WSN technology such as Zigbee system cannot meet the stringent QoS requirement of low powered, real-time, and highly reliable transmission imposed by the IIOT environment. Recently, the IEEE society developed IEEE 802.15.4e Time Slotted Channel Hopping (TSCH) access mode to serve this purpose. Furthermore, the IETF 6TiSCH working group has proposed standards to integrate IEEE 802.15.4e with IPv6 protocol smoothly to form a complete protocol stack for IIOT. In this work, we develop key network technologies for IEEE 802.15.4e based wireless IIoT architecture, focusing on practical design and system implementation. We realize the OpenWSN-based wireless IIOT system. The system architecture is divided into three main parts: web server, network manager, and sensor nodes. The web server provides user interface, allowing the user to view the status of sensor nodes and instruct sensor nodes to follow commands via user-friendly browser. The network manager is responsible for the establishment, maintenance, and management of scheduling and topology information. It executes centralized scheduling algorithm, sends the scheduling table to each node, as well as manages the sensing tasks of each device. Sensor nodes complete the assigned tasks and sends the sensed data. Furthermore, to prevent scheduling error due to packet loss, a schedule inspection mechanism is implemented to verify the correctness of the schedule table. In addition, when network topology changes, the system will act to generate a new schedule table based on the changed topology for ensuring the proper operation of the system. To enhance the system performance of such system, we further propose dynamic bandwidth allocation and distributed scheduling mechanisms. The developed distributed scheduling mechanism enables each individual sensor node to build, maintain and manage the dedicated link bandwidth with its parent and children nodes based on locally observed information by exchanging the Add/Delete commands via two processes. The first process, termed as the schedule initialization process, allows each sensor node pair to identify the available idle slots to allocate the basic dedicated transmission bandwidth. The second process, termed as the schedule adjustment process, enables each sensor node pair to adjust their allocated bandwidth dynamically according to the measured traffic loading. Such technology can sufficiently satisfy the dynamic bandwidth requirement in the frequently changing environments. Last but not least, we propose a packet retransmission scheme to enhance the system performance of the centralized scheduling algorithm when the packet delivery rate (PDR) is low. We propose a multi-frame retransmission mechanism to allow every single network node to resend each packet for at least the predefined number of times. The multi frame architecture is built according to the number of layers of the network topology. Performance results via simulation reveal that such retransmission scheme is able to provide sufficient high transmission reliability while maintaining low packet transmission latency. Therefore, the QoS requirement of IIoT can be achieved.

Keywords: IEEE 802.15.4e, industrial internet of things (IIOT), scheduling mechanisms, wireless sensor networks (WSN)

Procedia PDF Downloads 142

Authors: Alebiosu Olugbenga Shadrak, Victor Victoria

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Honey bees exhibit preferences in their foraging behaviour on pollen and nectar for food and honey production, respectively. Melissopalynology is the study of pollen in honey and other honey products. Several work have been conducted on the palynological studies of honeys from the southern parts of Nigeria but with relatively scant records from the Northern region of the country. This present study aimed at revealing the favourably visited plants by honey bees, Apis melifera var. adansonii, at some apiaries in Northern Nigeria, as well as determining the quality of honeys produced. Honeys were harvested and collected from four apiaries of the region, namely: Sarkin Dawa missionary bee farm, Taraba State; Eleeshuwa Bee Farm, Keffi, Nassarawa State, Bulus Beekeeper Apiaries, Kagarko, Kaduna State and Mai Gwava Bee Farm, Kano State. These honeys were acetolysed for palynological microscopic analysis and subjected to standard treatment methods for the determination of their proximate composition and sugar profiling. Fresh anthers of two dominantly represented plants in the honeys were then collected for the quantification of their pollen protein contents, using the micro-kjeldhal procedure. A total of 30 pollen types were identified in the four honeys, and some of them were common to the honeys. A classification method for expressing pollen frequency class was employed: Senna cf. siamea, Terminalia cf. catappa, Mangifera indica, Parinari curatelifolia, Vitellaria paradoxa, Elaeis guineensis, Parkia biglobosa, Phyllantus muellerianus and Berlina Grandiflora, as “Frequent” (16-45%); while the others are either Rare (3-15%) or Sporadic (less than 3 %). Pollen protein levels of the two abundantly represented plants, Senna siamea (15.90mg/ml) and Terminalia catappa (17.33mg/ml) were found to be considerably lower. The biochemical analyses revealed varying amounts of proximate composition, non-reducing sugar and total sugar levels in the honeys. The results of this study indicate that pollen and nectar of the “Frequent” plants were preferentially foraged by honeybees in the apiaries. The estimated pollen protein contents of Senna same and Terminalia catappa were considerably lower and not likely to have influenced their favourable visitation by honeybees. However, a relatively higher representation of Senna cf. siamea in the pollen spectrum might have resulted from its characteristic brightly coloured and well scented flowers, aiding greater entomophily. Terminalia catappa, Mangifera indica, Elaeis guineensis, Vitellaria paradoxa, and Parkia biglobosa are typical food crops; hence they probably attracted the honeybees owing to the rich nutritional values of their fruits and seeds. Another possible reason for a greater entomophily of the favourably visited plants are certain nutritional constituents of their pollen and nectar, which were not investigated in this study. The nutritional composition of the honeys was observed to fall within the safe limits of international norms, as prescribed by Codex Alimentarius Commission, thus they are good honeys for human consumption. It is therefore imperative to adopt strategic conservation steps in ensuring that these favourably visited plants are protected from indiscriminate anthropogenic activities and also encourage apiarists in the country to establish their bee farms more proximally to the plants for optimal honey yield.

Keywords: honeybees, melissopalynology, preferentially foraged, nutritional, bee farms, proximally

Procedia PDF Downloads 262

Authors: Kakali Roy, Sahana P. Raju, Subhra Dhar, Sandipan Dhar

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Introduction: Xeroderma pigmentosa (XP) is a rare inherited (autosomal recessive) disease resulting from impairment in DNA repair that involves recognition and repair of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) induced DNA damage in the nucleotide excision repair pathway. Which results in increased photosensitivity, UVR induced damage to skin and eye, increased susceptibility of skin and ocular cancer, and progressive neurodegeneration in some patients. XP is present worldwide, with higher incidence in areas having frequent consanguinity. Being extremely rare, there is limited literature on XP and associated complications. Here, the clinico-pathological experience (spectrum of clinical presentation, histopathological findings of malignant skin lesions, and progression) of managing 8 cases of XP is presented. Methodology: A retrospective study was conducted in a pediatric tertiary care hospital in eastern India during a ten-year period from 2013 to 2022. A clinical diagnosis was made based on severe sun burn or premature photo-aging and/or onset of cutaneous malignancies at early age (1st decade) in background of consanguinity and autosomal recessive inheritance pattern in family. Results: The mean age of presentation was 1.2 years (range of 7month-3years), while three children presented during their infancy. Male to female ratio was 5:3, and all were born of consanguineous marriage. They presented with dermatological manifestations (100%) followed by ophthalmic (75%) and/or neurological symptoms (25%). Patients had normal skin at birth but soon developed extreme sensitivity to UVR in the form of exaggerated sun tanning, burning, and blistering on minimal sun exposure, followed by abnormal skin pigmentation like freckles and lentiginosis. Subsequently, over time there was progressive xerosis, atrophy, wrinkling, and poikiloderma. Six patients had varied degree of ocular involvement, while three of them had severe manifestation, including madarosis, tylosis, ectropion, Lagopthalmos, Pthysis bulbi, clouding and scarring of the cornea with complete or partial loss of vision, and ophthalmic malignancies. 50% (n=4) cases had skin and ocular pre-malignant (actinic keratosis) and malignant lesions, including melanoma and non melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) like squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in their early childhood. One patient had simultaneous occurrence of multiple malignancies together (SCC, BCC, and melanoma). Subnormal intelligence was noticed as neurological feature, and none had sensory neural hearing loss, microcephaly, neuroregression, or neurdeficit. All the patients had been being managed by a multidisciplinary team of pediatricians, dermatologists, ophthalmologists, neurologists and psychiatrists. Conclusion: Although till date there is no complete cure for XP and the disease is ultimately fatal. But increased awareness, early diagnosis followed by persistent vigorous protection from UVR, and regular screening for early detection of malignancies along with psychological support can drastically improve patients’ quality of life and life expectancy. Further research is required on formulating optimal management of XP, specifically the role and possibilities of gene therapy in XP.

Keywords: childhood malignancies, dermato-pathological findings, eastern India, Xeroderma pigmentosa

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Authors: Marit D. Murry, Amy K. Marks

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The transition to college is a critical period that affords abundant opportunities for growth in conjunction with novel challenges for emerging adults. During this time, emerging adults are garnering experiences and acquiring hosts of new information that they are required to synthesize and use to inform life-shaping decisions. This stage is characterized by instability and exploration, which necessitates a diverse set of coping skills to successfully navigate and positively adapt to their evolving environment. However, important sociocultural factors result in differences that occur developmentally for minority emerging adults (i.e., emerging adults with an identity that has been or is marginalized). While the transition to college holds vast potential, not all are afforded the same chances, and many individuals enter into this stage at varying degrees of readiness. Understanding the nuance and diversity of student preparedness for college and contextualizing these factors will better equip systems to support incoming students. Emerging adulthood for ethnic, racial minority students presents itself as an opportunity for growth and resiliency in the face of systemic adversity. Ethnic, racial identity (ERI) is defined as an identity that develops as a function of one’s ethnic-racial group membership. Research continues to demonstrate ERI as a resilience factor that promotes positive adjustment in young adulthood. Adaptive coping responses (e.g., engaging in help-seeking behavior, drawing on personal and community resources) have been identified as possible mechanisms through which ERI buffers youth against stressful life events, including discrimination. Additionally, trait mindfulness has been identified as a significant predictor of general psychological health, and mindfulness practice has been shown to be a self-regulatory strategy that promotes healthy stress responses and adaptive coping strategy selection. The current study employed a person-centered approach to explore emerging patterns across ethnic identity development and psychological well-being criterion variables among college freshmen. Data from 283 incoming college freshmen at Northeastern University were analyzed. The Brief COPE Acceptance and Emotional Support scales, the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, and MIEM Exploration and Affirmation measures were used to inform the cluster profiles. The TwoStep auto-clustering algorithm revealed an optimal three-cluster solution (BIC = 848.49), which classified 92.6% (n = 262) of participants in the sample into one of the three clusters. The clusters were characterized as ‘Mixed Adjustment’, ‘Lowest Adjustment’, and ‘Moderate Adjustment.’ Cluster composition varied significantly by ethnicity X² (2, N = 262) = 7.74 (p = .021) and gender X² (2, N = 259) = 10.40 (p = .034). The ‘Lowest Adjustment’ cluster contained the highest proportion of students of color, 41% (n = 32), and male-identifying students, 44.2% (n = 34). Follow-up analyses showed higher ERI exploration in ‘Moderate Adjustment’ cluster members, also reported higher levels of psychological distress, with significantly elevated depression scores (p = .011), psychological diagnoses of depression (p = .013), anxiety (p = .005) and psychiatric disorders (p = .025). Supporting prior research, students engaging with identity exploration processes often endure more psychological distress. These results indicate that students undergoing identity development may require more socialization and different services beyond normal strategies.

Keywords: adjustment, coping, college, emerging adulthood, ethnic-racial identity, psychological well-being, resilience

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Authors: Simon Komesker, Achim Wagner, Martin Ruskowski

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In times of volatile markets with fluctuating demand and the uncertainty of global supply chains, flexible production systems are the key to an efficient implementation of a desired production program. In this publication, the authors present a holistic information concept taking into account various influencing factors for operating towards the global optimum. Therefore, a strategy for the implementation of multi-level planning for a flexible, reconfigurable production system with an alternative production concept in the automotive industry is developed. The main contribution of this work is a system structure mixing central and decentral planning and control evaluated in a simulation framework. The information system structure in current production systems in the automotive industry is rigidly hierarchically organized in monolithic systems. The production program is created rule-based with the premise of achieving uniform cycle time. This program then provides the information basis for execution in subsystems at the station and process execution level. In today's era of mixed-(car-)model factories, complex conditions and conflicts arise in achieving logistics, quality, and production goals. There is no provision for feedback loops of results from the process execution level (resources) and process supporting (quality and logistics) systems and reconsideration in the planning systems. To enable a robust production flow, the complexity of production system control is artificially reduced by the line structure and results, for example in material-intensive processes (buffers and safety stocks - two container principle also for different variants). The limited degrees of freedom of line production have produced the principle of progress figure control, which results in one-time sequencing, sequential order release, and relatively inflexible capacity control. As a result, modularly structured production systems such as modular production according to known approaches with more degrees of freedom are currently difficult to represent in terms of information technology. The remedy is an information concept that supports cross-system and cross-level information processing for centralized and decentralized decision-making. Through an architecture of hierarchically organized but decoupled subsystems, the paradigm of hybrid control is used, and a holonic manufacturing system is offered, which enables flexible information provisioning and processing support. In this way, the influences from quality, logistics, and production processes can be linked holistically with the advantages of mixed centralized and decentralized planning and control. Modular production systems also require modularly networked information systems with semi-autonomous optimization for a robust production flow. Dynamic prioritization of different key figures between subsystems should lead the production system to an overall optimum. The tasks and goals of quality, logistics, process, resource, and product areas in a cyber-physical production system are designed as an interconnected multi-agent-system. The result is an alternative system structure that executes centralized process planning and decentralized processing. An agent-based manufacturing control is used to enable different flexibility and reconfigurability states and manufacturing strategies in order to find optimal partial solutions of subsystems, that lead to a near global optimum for hybrid planning. This allows a robust near to plan execution with integrated quality control and intralogistics.

Keywords: holonic manufacturing system, modular production system, planning, and control, system structure

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Authors: Utkarsh A. Mishra, Ankit Bansal

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At high temperature, radiative heat transfer is the dominant mode of heat transfer. It is governed by various phenomena such as photon emission, absorption, and scattering. The solution of the governing integrodifferential equation of radiative transfer is a complex process, more when the effect of participating medium and wavelength properties are taken into consideration. Although a generic formulation of such radiative transport problem can be modeled for a wide variety of problems with non-gray, non-diffusive surfaces, there is always a trade-off between simplicity and accuracy of the problem. Recently, solutions of complicated mathematical problems with statistical methods based on randomization of naturally occurring phenomena have gained significant importance. Photon bundles with discrete energy can be replicated with random numbers describing the emission, absorption, and scattering processes. Photon Monte Carlo (PMC) is a simple, yet powerful technique, to solve radiative transfer problems in complicated geometries with arbitrary participating medium. The method, on the one hand, increases the accuracy of estimation, and on the other hand, increases the computational cost. The participating media -generally a gas, such as CO₂, CO, and H₂O- present complex emission and absorption spectra. To model the emission/absorption accurately with random numbers requires a weighted sampling as different sections of the spectrum carries different importance. Importance sampling (IS) was implemented to sample random photon of arbitrary wavelength, and the sampled data provided unbiased training of MC estimators for better results. A better replacement to uniform random numbers is using deterministic, quasi-random sequences. Halton, Sobol, and Faure Low-Discrepancy Sequences are used in this study. They possess better space-filling performance than the uniform random number generator and gives rise to a low variance, stable Quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) estimators with faster convergence. An optimal supervised learning scheme was further considered to reduce the computation costs of the PMC simulation. A one-dimensional plane-parallel slab problem with participating media was formulated. The history of some randomly sampled photon bundles is recorded to train an Artificial Neural Network (ANN), back-propagation model. The flux was calculated using the standard quasi PMC and was considered to be the training target. Results obtained with the proposed model for the one-dimensional problem are compared with the exact analytical and PMC model with the Line by Line (LBL) spectral model. The approximate variance obtained was around 3.14%. Results were analyzed with respect to time and the total flux in both cases. A significant reduction in variance as well a faster rate of convergence was observed in the case of the QMC method over the standard PMC method. However, the results obtained with the ANN method resulted in greater variance (around 25-28%) as compared to the other cases. There is a great scope of machine learning models to help in further reduction of computation cost once trained successfully. Multiple ways of selecting the input data as well as various architectures will be tried such that the concerned environment can be fully addressed to the ANN model. Better results can be achieved in this unexplored domain.

Keywords: radiative heat transfer, Monte Carlo Method, pseudo-random numbers, low discrepancy sequences, artificial neural networks

Procedia PDF Downloads 207

Authors: Albert W. K. Tan

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This research consolidates a comprehensive array of publications from peer-reviewed journals, case studies, and seminar reports focused on reverse logistics and network design. By synthesizing this secondary knowledge, our objective is to identify and articulate key decision factors crucial to reverse logistics network design for e-commerce. Through this exploration, we aim to present a refined mathematical model that offers valuable insights for companies seeking to optimize their reverse logistics operations. The primary goal of this research endeavor is to develop a comprehensive framework tailored to advising organizations and companies on crafting effective networks for their reverse logistics operations, thereby facilitating the achievement of their organizational goals. This involves a thorough examination of various network configurations, weighing their advantages and disadvantages to ensure alignment with specific business objectives. The key objectives of this research include: (i) Identifying pivotal factors pertinent to network design decisions within the realm of reverse logistics across diverse supply chains. (ii) Formulating a structured framework designed to offer informed recommendations for sound network design decisions applicable to relevant industries and scenarios. (iii) Propose a mathematical model to optimize its reverse logistics network. A conceptual framework for designing a reverse logistics network has been developed through a combination of insights from the literature review and information gathered from company websites. This framework encompasses four key stages in the selection of reverse logistics operations modes: (1) Collection, (2) Sorting and testing, (3) Processing, and (4) Storage. Key factors to consider in reverse logistics network design: I) Centralized vs. decentralized processing: Centralized processing, a long-standing practice in reverse logistics, has recently gained greater attention from manufacturing companies. In this system, all products within the reverse logistics pipeline are brought to a central facility for sorting, processing, and subsequent shipment to their next destinations. Centralization offers the advantage of efficiently managing the reverse logistics flow, potentially leading to increased revenues from returned items. Moreover, it aids in determining the most appropriate reverse channel for handling returns. On the contrary, a decentralized system is more suitable when products are returned directly from consumers to retailers. In this scenario, individual sales outlets serve as gatekeepers for processing returns. Considerations encompass the product lifecycle, product value and cost, return volume, and the geographic distribution of returns. II) In-house vs. third-party logistics providers: The decision between insourcing and outsourcing in reverse logistics network design is pivotal. In insourcing, a company handles the entire reverse logistics process, including material reuse. In contrast, outsourcing involves third-party providers taking on various aspects of reverse logistics. Companies may choose outsourcing due to resource constraints or lack of expertise, with the extent of outsourcing varying based on factors such as personnel skills and cost considerations. Based on the conceptual framework, the authors have constructed a mathematical model that optimizes reverse logistics network design decisions. The model will consider key factors identified in the framework, such as transportation costs, facility capacities, and lead times. The authors have employed mixed LP to find the optimal solutions that minimize costs while meeting organizational objectives.

Keywords: reverse logistics, supply chain management, optimization, e-commerce

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Authors: K. Kamal

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Structural sandwich panels with core of Advanced Composites Laminates l Honeycombs / PU-foams are used in aerospace applications and are also fabricated for use now in some civil engineering applications. An all Advanced Composites Foot Over Bridge (FOB) system, designed and developed for pedestrian traffic is one such application earlier, may be cited as an example here. During development stage of this FoB, a profile of its decks was then spurred as a single corrugate sheet core sandwiched between two Glass Fibre Reinforced Plastics(GFRP) flat laminates. Once successfully fabricated and used, these decks did prove suitable also to form other structure on assembly, such as, erecting temporary shelters. Such corrugated sheet core profile sandwiched panels were then also tried using the construction materials but any conventional method of construction only posed certain difficulties in achieving the required core profile monolithically within the sandwiched slabs and hence it was then abended. Such monolithic construction was, however, subsequently eased out on demonstration by dispensing building materials mix through a suitably designed multi-dispenser system attached to a 3D Printer. This study conducted at lab level was thus reported earlier and it did include the fabrication of a 3D printer in-house first as ‘3DcMP’ as well as on its functional operation, some required sandwich core profiles also been 3D-printed out producing panels hardware. Once a number of these sandwich panels in single corrugated sheet core monolithically printed out, panels were subjected to load test in an experimental set up as also their structural behavior was studied analytically, and subsequently, these results were correlated as reported in the literature. In achieving the required more depths and also to exhibit further the stronger and creating sandwiched decks of better structural and mechanical behavior, further more complex core configuration such as stack corrugate sheets core with a flat mid plane was felt to be the better sandwiched core. Such profile remained as an outcome that turns out merely on stacking of two separately printed out monolithic units of single corrugated sheet core developed earlier as above and bonded them together initially, maintaining a different orientation. For any required sequential understanding of the structural behavior of any such complex profile core sandwiched decks with special emphasis to study of the effect in the variation of corrugation orientation in each distinct tire in this core, it obviously calls for an analytical study first. The rectangular,simply supported decks have therefore been considered for analysis adopting the ‘Advanced Composite Technology(ACT), some numerical results along with some fruitful findings were obtained and these are all presented here in this paper. From this numerical result, it has been observed that a mid flat layer which eventually get created monolethically itself, in addition to eliminating the bonding process in development, has been found to offer more effective bending resistance by such decks subjected to UDL over them. This is understood to have resulted here since the existence of a required shear resistance layer at the mid of the core in this profile, unlike other bending elements. As an addendum to all such efforts made as covered above and was published earlier, this unique stack corrugate sheet core profile sandwiched structural decks, monolithically construction with ease at the site itself, has been printed out from a 3D Printer. On employing 3DcMP and using some innovative building construction materials, holds the future promises of such research & development works since all those several aspects of a 3D printing in construction are now included such as reduction in the required construction time, offering cost effective solutions with freedom in design of any such complex shapes thus can widely now be realized by the modern construction industry.

Keywords: advance composite technology(ACT), corrugated laminates, 3DcMP, foot over bridge (FOB), sandwiched deck units

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Authors: Hyohun Kim, Dongwha Shin, Yeonseok Kim, Ji-Su Ahn, Kensuke Nakamura, Dongeun Choi, Byung-Woo Hong

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Artefacts are commonly encountered in the imaging process of clinical computed tomography (CT) where the artefact refers to any systematic discrepancy between the reconstructed observation and the true attenuation coefficient of the object. It is known that CT images are inherently more prone to artefacts due to its image formation process where a large number of independent detectors are involved, and they are assumed to yield consistent measurements. There are a number of different artefact types including noise, beam hardening, scatter, pseudo-enhancement, motion, helical, ring, and metal artefacts, which cause serious difficulties in reading images. Thus, it is desired to remove nuisance factors from the degraded image leaving the fundamental intrinsic information that can provide better interpretation of the anatomical and pathological characteristics. However, it is considered as a difficult task due to the high dimensionality and variability of data to be recovered, which naturally motivates the use of machine learning techniques. We propose an image restoration algorithm based on the deep neural network framework where the denoising auto-encoders are stacked building multiple layers. The denoising auto-encoder is a variant of a classical auto-encoder that takes an input data and maps it to a hidden representation through a deterministic mapping using a non-linear activation function. The latent representation is then mapped back into a reconstruction the size of which is the same as the size of the input data. The reconstruction error can be measured by the traditional squared error assuming the residual follows a normal distribution. In addition to the designed loss function, an effective regularization scheme using residual-driven dropout determined based on the gradient at each layer. The optimal weights are computed by the classical stochastic gradient descent algorithm combined with the back-propagation algorithm. In our algorithm, we initially decompose an input image into its intrinsic representation and the nuisance factors including artefacts based on the classical Total Variation problem that can be efficiently optimized by the convex optimization algorithm such as primal-dual method. The intrinsic forms of the input images are provided to the deep denosing auto-encoders with their original forms in the training phase. In the testing phase, a given image is first decomposed into the intrinsic form and then provided to the trained network to obtain its reconstruction. We apply our algorithm to the restoration of the corrupted CT images by the artefacts. It is shown that our algorithm improves the readability and enhances the anatomical and pathological properties of the object. The quantitative evaluation is performed in terms of the PSNR, and the qualitative evaluation provides significant improvement in reading images despite degrading artefacts. The experimental results indicate the potential of our algorithm as a prior solution to the image interpretation tasks in a variety of medical imaging applications. This work was supported by the MISP(Ministry of Science and ICT), Korea, under the National Program for Excellence in SW (20170001000011001) supervised by the IITP(Institute for Information and Communications Technology Promotion).

Keywords: auto-encoder neural network, CT image artefact, deep learning, intrinsic image representation, noise reduction, total variation

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Authors: Marco F. Benaglia, Mei H. Chen, Kune M. Tsai, Chia H. Hung

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As societal and family structures, consumer dietary habits, and awareness about food safety and quality continue to evolve in most developed countries, the demand for refrigerated and frozen foods has been growing, and the issues related to their preservation have gained increasing attention. A well-established cold chain logistics system is essential to avoid any temperature abuse; therefore, assessing potential disruptions in the operational processes of cold chain logistics centers becomes pivotal. This study preliminarily employs HACCP to find disruption factors in cold chain logistics centers that may cause temperature abuse. Then, concept mapping is applied: selected experts engage in brainstorming sessions to identify any further factors. The panel consists of ten experts, including four from logistics and home delivery, two from retail distribution, one from the food industry, two from low-temperature logistics centers, and one from the freight industry. Disruptions include equipment-related aspects, human factors, management aspects, and process-related considerations. The areas of observation encompass freezer rooms, refrigerated storage areas, loading docks, sorting areas, and vehicle parking zones. The experts also categorize the disruption factors based on perceived similarities and build a similarity matrix. Each factor is evaluated for its impact, frequency, and investment importance. Next, multiple scale analysis, cluster analysis, and other methods are used to analyze these factors. Simultaneously, key disruption factors are identified based on their impact and frequency, and, subsequently, the factors that companies prioritize and are willing to invest in are determined by assessing investors’ risk aversion behavior. Finally, Cumulative Prospect Theory (CPT) is applied to verify the risk patterns. 66 disruption factors are found and categorized into six clusters: (1) "Inappropriate Use and Maintenance of Hardware and Software Facilities", (2) "Inadequate Management and Operational Negligence", (3) "Product Characteristics Affecting Quality and Inappropriate Packaging", (4) "Poor Control of Operation Timing and Missing Distribution Processing", (5) "Inadequate Planning for Peak Periods and Poor Process Planning", and (6) "Insufficient Cold Chain Awareness and Inadequate Training of Personnel". This study also identifies five critical factors in the operational processes of cold chain logistics centers: "Lack of Personnel’s Awareness Regarding Cold Chain Quality", "Personnel Not Following Standard Operating Procedures", "Personnel’s Operational Negligence", "Management’s Inadequacy", and "Lack of Personnel’s Knowledge About Cold Chain". The findings show that cold chain operators prioritize prevention and improvement efforts in the "Inappropriate Use and Maintenance of Hardware and Software Facilities" cluster, particularly focusing on the factors of "Temperature Setting Errors" and "Management’s Inadequacy". However, through the application of CPT theory, this study reveals that companies are not usually willing to invest in the improvement of factors related to the "Inappropriate Use and Maintenance of Hardware and Software Facilities" cluster due to its low occurrence likelihood, but they acknowledge the severity of the consequences if it does occur. Hence, the main implication is that the key disruption factors in cold chain logistics centers’ processes are associated with personnel issues; therefore, comprehensive training, periodic audits, and the establishment of reasonable incentives and penalties for both new employees and managers may significantly reduce disruption issues.

Keywords: concept mapping, cold chain, HACCP, cumulative prospect theory

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Authors: C. Bel, J. Nevado, F. Ciceri, M. Ropacki, T. Hoffmann, P. Lapunzina, C. Buesa

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Background: The Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a genetic disorder caused by the deletion of the terminal region of chromosome 22 or mutation of the SHANK3 gene. Shank3 disruption in mice leads to dysfunction of synaptic transmission, which can be restored by epigenetic regulation with both Lysine Specific Demethylase 1 (LSD1) inhibitors. PMS subjects result in a variable degree of intellectual disability, delay or absence of speech, autistic spectrum disorders symptoms, low muscle tone, motor delays and epilepsy. Vafidemstat is an LSD1 inhibitor in Phase II clinical development with a well-established and favorable safety profile, and data supporting the restoration of memory and cognition defects as well as reduction of agitation and aggression in several animal models and clinical studies. Therefore, vafidemstat has the potential to become a first-in-class precision medicine approach to treat PMS patients. Aims: The goal of this research is to perform an observational trial to psychometrically characterize individuals carrying deletions in SHANK3 and build a foundation for subsequent precision psychiatry clinical trials with vafidemstat. Methodology: This study is characterizing the clinical profile of 20 to 40 subjects, > 16-year-old, with genotypically confirmed PMS diagnosis. Subjects will complete a battery of neuropsychological scales, including the Repetitive Behavior Questionnaire (RBQ), Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Escala de Observación para el Diagnostico del Autismo (Autism Diagnostic Observational Scale) (ADOS)-2, the Battelle Developmental Inventory and the Behavior Problems Inventory (BPI). Results: By March 2021, 19 patients have been enrolled. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering of the results obtained so far identifies 3 groups of patients, characterized by different profiles of cognitive and behavioral scores. The first cluster is characterized by low Battelle age, high ADOS and low Vineland, RBQ and BPI scores. Low Vineland, RBQ and BPI scores are also detected in the second cluster, which in contrast has high Battelle age and low ADOS scores. The third cluster is somewhat in the middle for the Battelle, Vineland and ADOS scores while displaying the highest levels of aggression (high BPI) and repeated behaviors (high RBQ). In line with the observation that female patients are generally affected by milder forms of autistic symptoms, no male patients are present in the second cluster. Dividing the results by gender highlights that male patients in the third cluster are characterized by a higher frequency of aggression, whereas female patients from the same cluster display a tendency toward higher repetitive behavior. Finally, statistically significant differences in deletion sizes are detected comparing the three clusters (also after correcting for gender), and deletion size appears to be positively correlated with ADOS and negatively correlated with Vineland A and C scores. No correlation is detected between deletion size and the BPI and RBQ scores. Conclusions: Precision medicine may open a new way to understand and treat Central Nervous System disorders. Epigenetic dysregulation has been proposed to be an important mechanism in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and autism. Vafidemstat holds exciting therapeutic potential in PMS, and this study will provide data regarding the optimal endpoints for a future clinical study to explore vafidemstat ability to treat shank3-associated psychiatric disorders.

Keywords: autism, epigenetics, LSD1, personalized medicine

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Authors: Marcos Perez, Christian Dumont, Olivier Nodin, Sebastien Nouveau

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Nickel superalloys are used to manufacture high-temperature rotary engine parts such as high-pressure disks in gas turbine engines. High strength at high operating temperatures is required due to the levels of stress and heat the disk must withstand. Therefore it is necessary parts made from materials that can maintain mechanical strength at high temperatures whilst remain comparatively low in cost. A manufacturing process referred to as the triple melt process has made the production of cast and wrought (C&W) nickel superalloys possible. This means that the balance of cost and performance at high temperature may be optimized. AD730TM is a newly developed Ni-based superalloy for turbine disk applications, with reported superior service properties around 700°C when compared to Inconel 718 and several other alloys. The cast ingot is converted into billet during either cogging process or open die forging. The semi-finished billet is then further processed into its final geometry by forging, heat treating, and machining. Conventional ingot-to-billet conversion is an expensive and complex operation, requiring a significant amount of steps to break up the coarse as-cast structure and interdendritic regions. Due to the size of conventional ingots, it is difficult to achieve a uniformly high level of strain for recrystallization, resulting in non-recrystallized regions that retain large unrecrystallized grains. Non-uniform grain distributions will also affect the ultrasonic inspectability response, which is used to find defects in the final component. The main aim is to analyze the recrystallization behavior and microstructural evolution of AD730 at subsolvus temperatures from a semi-finished product (billet) under conditions representative of both cogging and hot forging operations. Special attention to the presence of large unrecrystallized grains was paid. Double truncated cones (DTCs) were hot forged at subsolvus temperatures in hydraulic press, followed by air cooling. SEM and EBSD analysis were conducted in the as-received (billet) and the as-forged conditions. AD730 from billet alloy presents a complex microstructure characterized by a mixture of several constituents. Large unrecrystallized grains present a substructure characterized by large misorientation gradients with the formation of medium to high angle boundaries in their interior, especially close to the grain boundaries, denoting inhomogeneous strain distribution. A fine distribution of intragranular precipitates was found in their interior, playing a key role on strain distribution and subsequent recrystallization behaviour during hot forging. Continuous dynamic recrystallization (CDRX) mechanism was found to be operating in the large unrecrystallized grains, promoting the formation intragranular DRX grains and the gradual recrystallization of these grains. Evidences that hetero-epitaxial recrystallization mechanism is operating in AD730 billet material were found. Coherent γ-shells around primary γ’ precipitates were found. However, no significant contribution to the overall recrystallization during hot forging was found. By contrast, strain presents the strongest effect on the microstructural evolution of AD730, increasing the recrystallization fraction and refining the structure. Regions with low level of deformation (ε ≤ 0.6) were translated into large fractions of unrecrystallized structures (strain accumulation). The presence of undissolved secondary γ’ precipitates (pinning effect), prior to hot forging operations, could explain these results.

Keywords: AD730 alloy, continuous dynamic recrystallization, hot forging, γ’ precipitates

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Authors: G. K. Viswanadh, B. Rajasekhar, G. Venkata Ramana

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Water distribution networks play a vital role in ensuring a reliable supply of clean water to urban areas. However, they face several challenges, including pressure control, pump speed optimization, and burst event detection. This paper combines insights from two studies to address these critical issues in Water distribution networks, focusing on the specific context of Kapra Municipality, India. The first part of this research concentrates on optimizing pressure control and pump speed in complex Water distribution networks. It utilizes the EPANET- MATLAB Toolkit to integrate EPANET functionalities into the MATLAB environment, offering a comprehensive approach to network analysis. By optimizing Pressure Reduce Valves (PRVs) and variable speed pumps (VSPs), this study achieves remarkable results. In the Benchmark Water Distribution System (WDS), the proposed PRV optimization algorithm reduces average leakage by 20.64%, surpassing the previous achievement of 16.07%. When applied to the South-Central and East zone WDS of Kapra Municipality, it identifies PRV locations that were previously missed by existing algorithms, resulting in average leakage reductions of 22.04% and 10.47%. These reductions translate to significant daily Water savings, enhancing Water supply reliability and reducing energy consumption. The second part of this research addresses the pressing issue of burst event detection and localization within the Water Distribution System. Burst events are a major contributor to Water losses and repair expenses. The study employs wireless sensor technology to monitor pressure and flow rate in real time, enabling the detection of pipeline abnormalities, particularly burst events. The methodology relies on transient analysis of pressure signals, utilizing Cumulative Sum and Wavelet analysis techniques to robustly identify burst occurrences. To enhance precision, burst event localization is achieved through meticulous analysis of time differentials in the arrival of negative pressure waveforms across distinct pressure sensing points, aided by nodal matrix analysis. To evaluate the effectiveness of this methodology, a PVC Water pipeline test bed is employed, demonstrating the algorithm's success in detecting pipeline burst events at flow rates of 2-3 l/s. Remarkably, the algorithm achieves a localization error of merely 3 meters, outperforming previously established algorithms. This research presents a significant advancement in efficient burst event detection and localization within Water pipelines, holding the potential to markedly curtail Water losses and the concomitant financial implications. In conclusion, this combined research addresses critical challenges in Water distribution networks, offering solutions for optimizing pressure control, pump speed, burst event detection, and localization. These findings contribute to the enhancement of Water Distribution System, resulting in improved Water supply reliability, reduced Water losses, and substantial cost savings. The integrated approach presented in this paper holds promise for municipalities and utilities seeking to improve the efficiency and sustainability of their Water distribution networks.

Keywords: pressure reduce valve, complex networks, variable speed pump, wavelet transform, burst detection, CUSUM (Cumulative Sum), water pipeline monitoring

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Authors: Gousilin Leandra Rocha Da Silva, Stéfani T. A. Dantas, Bruna F. Rossi, Erika R. Bonsaglia, Ivana G. Castilho, Terue Sadatsune, Ary Fernandes Júnior, Vera l. M. Rall

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Kidney failure causes decreased diuresis and accumulation of nitrogenous substances in the body. To increase patient survival, hemodialysis is used as a partial substitute for renal function. However, contamination of the water used in this treatment, causing bacteremia in patients, is a worldwide concern. The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc), a group of bacteria with more than 20 species, is frequently isolated from hemodialysis water samples and comprises opportunistic bacteria, affecting immunosuppressed patients, due to its wide variety of virulence factors, in addition to innate resistance to several antimicrobial agents, contributing to the permanence in the hospital environment and to the pathogenesis in the host. The objective of the present work was to characterize molecularly and phenotypically Bcc isolates collected from the water and dialysate of the Hemodialysis Unit and from the blood of patients at a Public Hospital in Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil, between 2019 and 2021. We used 33 Bcc isolates, previously obtained from blood cultures from patients with bacteremia undergoing hemodialysis treatment (2019-2021) and 24 isolates obtained from water and dialysate samples in a Hemodialysis Unit (same period). The recA gene was sequenced to identify the specific species among the Bcc group. All isolates were tested for the presence of some genes that encode virulence factors such as cblA, esmR, zmpA and zmpB. Considering the epidemiology of the outbreak, the Bcc isolates were molecularly characterized by Multi Locus Sequence Type (MLST) and by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). The verification and quantification of biofilm in a polystyrene microplate were performed by submitting the isolates to different incubation temperatures (20°C, average water temperature and 35°C, optimal temperature for group growth). The antibiogram was performed with disc diffusion tests on agar, using discs impregnated with cefepime (30µg), ceftazidime (30µg), ciprofloxacin (5µg), gentamicin (10µg), imipenem (10µg), amikacin 30µg), sulfametazol/trimethoprim (23.75/1.25µg) and ampicillin/sulbactam (10/10µg). The presence of ZmpB was identified in all isolates, while ZmpA was observed in 96.5% of the isolates, while none of them presented the cblA and esmR genes. The antibiogram of the 33 human isolates indicated that all were resistant to gentamicin, colistin, ampicillin/sulbactam and imipenem. 16 (48.5%) isolates were resistant to amikacin and lower rates of resistance were observed for meropenem, ceftazidime, cefepime, ciprofloxacin and piperacycline/tazobactam (6.1%). All isolates were sensitive to sulfametazol/trimethoprim, levofloxacin and tigecycline. As for the water isolates, resistance was observed only to gentamicin (34.8%) and imipenem (17.4%). According to PFGE results, all isolates obtained from humans and water belonged to the same pulsotype (1), which was identified by recA sequencing as B. cepacia¸, belonging to sequence type ST-767. By observing a single pulse type over three years, one can observe the persistence of this isolate in the pipeline, contaminating patients undergoing hemodialysis, despite the routine disinfection of water with peracetic acid. This persistence is probably due to the production of biofilm, which protects bacteria from disinfectants and, making this scenario more critical, several isolates proved to be multidrug-resistant (resistance to at least three groups of antimicrobials), turning the patient care even more difficult.

Keywords: hemodialysis, burkholderia cepacia, PFGE, MLST, multi drug resistance

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Authors: Yannick Willemin

Abstract:

Carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) offers outstanding value. However, like all materials, CFRP also has its challenges. Many forming processes are largely manual and hard to automate, making it challenging to control repeatability and reproducibility (R&R); they generate significant scrap and are too slow for high-series production; fibre costs are relatively high and subject to supply and cost fluctuations; the supply chain is fragmented; many forms of CFRP are not recyclable, and many materials have yet to be fully characterized for accurate simulation; shelf life and outlife limitations add cost; continuous-fibre forms have design limitations; many materials are brittle; and small and/or thick parts are costly to produce and difficult to automate. A majority of small structural parts are metal due to high CFRP fabrication costs for the small-size class. The fact that CFRP manufacturing processes that produce the highest performance parts also tend to be the slowest and least automated is another reason CFRP parts are generally higher in cost than comparably performing metal parts, which are easier to produce. Fortunately, business is in the midst of a major manufacturing evolution—Industry 4.0— one technology seeing rapid growth is additive manufacturing/3D printing, thanks to new processes and materials, plus an ability to harness Industry 4.0 tools. No longer limited to just prototype parts, metal-additive technologies are used to produce tooling and mold components for high-volume manufacturing, and polymer-additive technologies can incorporate fibres to produce true composites and be used to produce end-use parts with high aesthetics, unmatched complexity, mass customization opportunities, and high mechanical performance. A new hybrid manufacturing process combines the best capabilities of additive—high complexity, low energy usage and waste, 100% traceability, faster to market—and post-consolidation—tight tolerances, high R&R, established materials, and supply chains—technologies. The platform was developed by Zürich-based 9T Labs AG and is called Additive Fusion Technology (AFT). It consists of a design software offering the possibility to determine optimal fibre layup, then exports files back to check predicted performance—plus two pieces of equipment: a 3d-printer—which lays up (near)-net-shape preforms using neat thermoplastic filaments and slit, roll-formed unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced thermoplastic tapes—and a post-consolidation module—which consolidates then shapes preforms into final parts using a compact compression press fitted with a heating unit and matched metal molds. Matrices—currently including PEKK, PEEK, PA12, and PPS, although nearly any high-quality commercial thermoplastic tapes and filaments can be used—are matched between filaments and tapes to assure excellent bonding. Since thermoplastics are used exclusively, larger assemblies can be produced by bonding or welding together smaller components, and end-of-life parts can be recycled. By combining compression molding with 3D printing, higher part quality with very-low voids and excellent surface finish on A and B sides can be produced. Tight tolerances (min. section thickness=1.5mm, min. section height=0.6mm, min. fibre radius=1.5mm) with high R&R can be cost-competitively held in production volumes of 100 to 10,000 parts/year on a single set of machines.

Keywords: additive manufacturing, composites, thermoplastic, hybrid manufacturing

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