Search results for: steel hydraulic structure

Authors: Yuta Chishima, Tatsuya Murakami, Michael McKay

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Temporal focus is described as one component of an individual’s time perspective and defined as the attention individuals devote to thinking about the past, present, and future. It affects how people incorporate perceptions about past experiences, current situations, and future expectations into their attitudes, cognitions, and behavior. The 12-item Temporal Focus Scale (TFS) is comprised of three-factors (past, current and future focus). The purpose of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of TFS scores in Japanese adolescents and young adults. The TFS was translated into Japanese by a professional translator, and the original author confirmed the back translated items. Study 1 involved 979 Japanese university students aged 18-25 years old in a questionnaire-based study. The hypothesized three-factor structure (with reliability) was confirmed, although there were problems with item 10. Internal consistency estimates for scores without item 10 were over .70, and test-retest reliability was also adequate. To verify the concurrent and convergent validity, we tested the relationship between TFS scores and life satisfaction, time perspective, self-esteem, and career efficacy. Results of correlational analyses supported our hypotheses. Specifically, future focus was strongly correlated to career efficacy, while past and current focus was not. Study 2 involved 1030 Japanese junior and junior high school students aged 12-18 years old in a questionnaire-based study, and results of multigroup analyses supported the age invariance of the TFS.

Keywords: Japanese, reliability, scale, temporal focus, validity

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Authors: Iftikhar A. Tayubi, Tabrej Khan, Mansoor M. Alsubei, Fahad A. Alsaferi

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LIZTOXD provides a single source of high-quality information about proteinaceous lizard toxins that will be an invaluable resource for pharmacologists, neuroscientists, toxicologists, medicinal chemists, ion channel scientists, clinicians, and structural biologists. We will provide an intuitive, well-organized and user-friendly web interface that allows users to explore the detail information of Lizard and toxin proteins. It includes common name, scientific name, entry id, entry name, protein name and length of the protein sequence. The utility of this database is that it can provide a user-friendly interface for users to retrieve the information about Lizard, toxin and toxin protein of different Lizard species. These interfaces created in this database will satisfy the demands of the scientific community by providing in-depth knowledge about Lizard and its toxin. In the next phase of our project we will adopt methodology and by using A MySQL and Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP) which and for designing Smart Draw. A database is a wonderful piece of equipment for storing large quantities of data efficiently. The users can thus navigate from one section to another, depending on the field of interest of the user. This database contains a wealth of information on species, toxins, toxins, clinical data etc. LIZTOXD resource that provides comprehensive information about protein toxins from lizard toxins. The combination of specific classification schemes and a rich user interface allows researchers to easily locate and view information on the sequence, structure, and biological activity of these toxins. This manually curated database will be a valuable resource for both basic researchers as well as those interested in potential pharmaceutical and agricultural applications of lizard toxins.

Keywords: LIZTOXD, MySQL, PHP, smart draw

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Authors: Asmaa Tahiri, Mouktafi Amine

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A substantial number of traditional medical research has been put forward to managing and treating mental disorders. At the present time, to our best knowledge, it is believed that fundamental understanding of the underlying causes of the majority psychological disorders needs to be explored further to inform early diagnosis, managing symptoms and treatment. The emerging field of evolutionary psychology is a promising prospect to address the origin of mental disorders, potentially leading to more effective treatments. Schizophrenia as a topical mental disorder has been linked to the evolutionary adaptation of the human brain represented in the brain connectivity and asymmetry directly linked to humans higher brain cognition in contrast to other primates being our direct living representation of the structure and connectivity of our earliest common African ancestors. As proposed in the evolutionary psychology scientific literature the pathophysiology of schizophrenia is expressed and directly linked to altered connectivity between the Hippocampal Formation (HF) and Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex (DLPFC). This research paper presents the results of the use of tractography analysis using multiple open access Diffusion Weighted Imaging (DWI) datasets of healthy subjects, schizophrenia-affected subjects and primates to illustrate the relevance of the aforementioned brain regions connectivity and the underlying evolutionary changes in the human brain. Deterministic fiber tracking and streamline analysis were used to generate connectivity matrices from the DWI datasets overlaid to compute distances and highlight disconnectivity patterns in conjunction with other fiber tracking metrics; Fractional Anisotropy (FA), Mean Diffusivity (MD) and Radial Diffusivity (RD).

Keywords: tractography, evolutionary psychology, schizophrenia, brain connectivity

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Authors: B. S. Boyanov, A. B. Peltekov, K. I. Ivanov

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The ferrites of Zn, Cd, Cu, and mixed ferrites with NiO, MnO, MgO, CoO, ZnO, BaO combine the properties of dielectrics, semiconductors, ferro-magnets, catalysts, etc. The ferrites are used in an impressive range of applications due to their remarkable properties. A specific disadvantage of ferrites is that they are undesirably obtained in a lot of processes connected with metal production. They are very stable and poorly soluble compounds. The obtained ZnFe2O4 in zinc production connecting about 15% of the total zinc remains practically insoluble in dilute solutions of sulfuric acid. This decreases the degree of recovery of zinc and necessitates to further process the zinc-containing cake. In this context, the ferrites; ZnFe2O4, CdFe2O4, and CuFe2O4 are synthesized in laboratory conditions using ceramic technology. Their homogeneity and structure are proven by X-Ray diffraction analysis and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The synthesized ferrites are subjected to strong acid and high temperature leaching with solutions of H2SO4, HCl, and HNO3 (7, 10 and 15 %). The results indicate that the highest degree of leaching of Zn, Cd, and Cu from the ferrites is achieved by use of HCl. The resulting values for the degree of leaching of metals using H2SO4 are lower, but still remain significantly higher for all of the experimental conditions compared to the values obtained using HNO3. Five zinc sulfide concentrates are characterized for iron content by chemical analysis, Web-based Information System, and iron phases by Mössbauer spectroscopy. The charging was optimized using the criterion of minimal amount of zinc ferrite produced when roasting the concentrates in a fluidized bed. The results obtained are interpreted in terms of the hydrometallurgical zinc production and maximum recovery of zinc, copper and cadmium from initial zinc sulfide concentrates after their roasting.

Keywords: hydrometallurgy, inorganic acids, solubility, zinc ferrite

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Authors: Rong Sun, Laihong Shen

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La-based perovskite oxygen carriers, especially the doped-La(M)FeO₃, showed excellent performances during chemical looping processes. However, the mechanisms of the undoped and doped La(M)FeO₃ are not clear at present, making the mechanisms clear may help the development of chemical looping technologies. In this paper, the method based on the density function theory (DFT) was used to analysis the influence of Ca, Sr, and Ba doping of La on the electronic structure, while the CO oxidation mechanisms on the surface of LaFeO₃ and Ca-doped LaFeO₃ oxygen carriers were also analyzed. The results showed that the band gap was decreased by the doping of low valence. While the doping of low valence element Ca, Sr, and Ba at La site simultaneously resulted to the moving of the valence band toward high energy and made the valence band cross the Fermi energy level. This was resulted from the holes generated by divalent ion substitution. The holes can change the total magnetization from antiferromagnet to weakly ferromagnetism. The calculation results about the formation of oxygen vacancy showed that substitutions of Ca, Sr, and Ba caused a large drop in oxygen vacancy formation energy, indicating that the bulk oxygen transport was improved. Based on the optimized bulk of the undoped and Ca-doped LaFeO₃(010) surface, the CO adsorption was analyzed. The results indicated that the adsorption energy increased by divalent ion substitution, meaning that the adsorption stability decreased. The results can provide a certain theoretical basis for the development of perovskite oxides in chemical looping technologies.

Keywords: chemical looping technologies, lanthanum ferrate (LaFeO₃), divalent ion substitution, CO oxidation

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Authors: Icy Vinod Sanghvi

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In the light of rising modernism within the residential design industry, a significant growth of the western concepts of maximalism or minimalism is observed in the Indian housings. Although dynamism in design styles is natural due to the constant emergence of new innovations, it is imperative that local houses reflect cultural identity. This paper highlights the importance of ‘Indian Modernism’, and how to incorporate the same in residential design. Thus, helping the Indian culture to flourish and become a significant part of housing design in the future. A literature review was conducted to analyze and derive effective methods to build cultural value whilst catering to the urban and contemporary design industry. Alongside, a questionnaire survey was conducted to observe how the local houses are designed and to understand the preferences of people with regards to the design styles incorporated in their homes. In addition, their opinions on the excessive use of contemporary styles in home designs was recorded. The results of the same provided a better understanding of the local audience, their demands, and their willingness to adapt to contemporary designs. Studying color, materials, ornamentation, symbolism, detail, and structure offers an in-depth understanding of the essence of traditional Indian homes. These variables further provided effective solutions for design ideation and mockups for efficient traditional yet contemporary spaces. Design interventions like these can build a revolutionary set of practices that involve creating a balance between contemporary and traditional styles. The emergence of this synergy will not only make contemporary homes communicative but also allow India to compete within the global residential architecture industry with a strong foundation of its rich heritage.

Keywords: balance, contemporary design, cultural identity, Indian modernism

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Authors: Chuan Yang, Jing Bie, Panagiotis Psimoulis, Zhong Wang

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Modelling and understanding vehicle volume distribution over the urban network are essential for urban design and transport planning. The space syntax approach was widely applied as the main conceptual and methodological framework for contemporary vehicle volume models with the help of the statistical method of multiple regression analysis (MRA). However, the MRA model with space syntax variables shows a limitation in vehicle volume predicting in accounting for the crossed effect of the urban configurational characters and socio-economic factors. The aim of this paper is to construct models by interacting with the combined impact of the street network structure and socio-economic factors. In this paper, we present a multilevel linear (ML) and an agent-based (AB) vehicle volume model at an urban scale interacting with space syntax theoretical framework. The ML model allowed random effects of urban configurational characteristics in different urban contexts. And the AB model was developed with the incorporation of transformed space syntax components of the MRA models into the agents’ spatial behaviour. Three models were implemented in the same urban environment. The ML model exhibit superiority over the original MRA model in identifying the relative impacts of the configurational characters and macro-scale socio-economic factors that shape vehicle movement distribution over the city. Compared with the ML model, the suggested AB model represented the ability to estimate vehicle volume in the urban network considering the combined effects of configurational characters and land-use patterns at the street segment level.

Keywords: space syntax, vehicle volume modeling, multilevel model, agent-based model

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Authors: M. Kowalski, M. Brodowski, K. Dziabowska, E. Czaczyk, W. Bialobrzeska, N. Malinowska, S. Zoledowska, R. Bogdanowicz, D. Nidzworski

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Boron-doped-carbon nanowall (BCNW) electrodes are recently in much interest among scientists. BCNWs are good candidates for biosensor purposes as they possess interesting electrochemical characteristics like a wide potential range and the low difference between redox peaks. Moreover, from technical parameters, they are mechanically resistant and very tough. The production process of the microwave plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (MPECVD) allows boron to build into the structure of the diamond being formed. The effect is the formation of flat, long structures with sharp ends. The potential of these electrodes was checked in the biosensing field. The procedure of simple carbon electrodes modification by antibodies was adopted to BCNW for specific antigen recognition. Surface protein D deriving from H. influenzae pathogenic bacteria was chosen as a target analyte. The electrode was first modified with the aminobenzoic acid diazonium salt by electrografting (electrochemical reduction), next anti-protein D antibodies were linked via 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride/N-hydroxysuccinimide (EDC/NHS) chemistry, and free sites were blocked by BSA. Cyclic voltammetry measurements confirmed the proper electrode modification. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy records indicated protein detection. The sensor was proven to detect protein D in femtograms. This work was supported by the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBR) TECHMATSTRATEG 1/347324/12/NCBR/ 2017.

Keywords: anti-protein D antibodies, boron-doped carbon nanowall, impedance spectroscopy, Haemophilus influenzae.

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Authors: Christiana Ene Ogwuche, Joseph Amupitan, George Ndukwe, Rachael Ayo

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Maesobotrya barteri (Baill), belonging to the family Euphorbiaceae, is a medicinal plant growing widely in tropical Africa. The Aerial plant parts of Maesobotrya barteri (Baill) were collected fresh from Orokam, Ogbadibo local Government of Benue State, Nigeria in July 2013. Taxonomical identification was done by Mallam Musa Abdullahi at the Herbarium unit of Biological Sciences Department, ABU, Zaria, Nigeria. Pulverized aerial parts of Maesobotrya barteri (960g) was exhaustively extracted successively using petroleum ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate and methanol and concentrated in the rotary evaporator at 40°C. The Petroleum ether extract had the second highest activity against test microbes from preliminary crude microbial screenings. The Petroleum ether extract was subjected to phytochemical studies, antimicrobial analysis and column chromatography (CC). The column chromatography yielded fraction PE, which was further purified using preparative thin layer chromatography to give PE1. The structure of the isolated compound was established using 1-D NMR and 2-D NMR spectroscopic analysis and by direct comparison with data reported in literature was confirmed to be a mixture, an isomer of Betulinic acid and Oleanolic acid, both with the molecular weight (C₃₀H₄₈O₃). The bioactivity of this compound was carried out using some clinical pathogens and the activity compared with standard drugs, and this was found to be comparable with the standard drug.

Keywords: Maesobotrya barteri, medicinal plant, bioactivity, petroleum spirit extract, butellinic acid, oleanilic acid

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Authors: Vladimir Vinnikov

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The paper proposes a model of an inhomogeneous rock mass with initially random distribution of microcracks on mineral grain boundaries. It describes the behavior of cracks in a medium under the effect of thermal field, the medium heated instantaneously to a predetermined temperature. Crack growth occurs according to the concept of fracture mechanics provided that the stress intensity factor K exceeds the critical value of Kc. The modeling of thermally induced acoustic emission memory effects is based on the assumption that every event of crack nucleation or crack growth caused by heating is accompanied with a single acoustic emission event. Parameters of the thermally induced acoustic emission memory effect produced by cyclic heating and cooling (with the temperature amplitude increasing from cycle to cycle) were calculated for several rock texture types (massive, banded, and disseminated). The study substantiates the adaptation of the proposed model to humidity interference with the thermally induced acoustic emission memory effect. The influence of humidity on the thermally induced acoustic emission memory effect in quasi-homogeneous and banded rocks is estimated. It is shown that such modeling allows the structure and texture of rocks to be taken into account and the influence of interference factors on the distinctness of the thermally induced acoustic emission memory effect to be estimated. The numerical modeling can be used to obtain information about the thermal impacts on rocks in the past and determine the degree of rock disturbance by means of non-destructive testing.

Keywords: crack growth, cyclic heating and cooling, rock texture, thermo acoustic emission memory effect

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Authors: Jun Wang, Chenglei Diao, Emanuele Pagone, Jialuo Ding, Stewart Williams

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As a crucial component in aircraft, landing gear systems are responsible for supporting the plane during parking, taxiing, takeoff, and landing. Given the need for high load-bearing capacity over extended periods, 300M ultra-high strength steel (UHSS) is often the material of choice for crafting these systems due to its exceptional strength, toughness, and fatigue resistance. In the quest for cost-effective and sustainable manufacturing solutions, Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) emerges as a promising alternative for fabricating 300M UHSS landing gears. This is due to its advantages in near-net-shape forming of large components, cost-efficiency, and reduced lead times. Cranfield University has conducted an extensive preliminary study on WAAM 300M UHSS, covering feature deposition, interface analysis, and post-heat treatment. Both Gas Metal Arc (GMA) and Plasma Transferred Arc (PTA)-based WAAM methods were explored, revealing their feasibility for defect-free manufacturing. However, as-deposited 300M features showed lower strength but higher ductility compared to their forged counterparts. Subsequent post-heat treatments were effective in normalising the microstructure and mechanical properties, meeting qualification standards. A 300M UHSS landing gear demonstrator was successfully created using PTA-based WAAM, showcasing the method's precision and cost-effectiveness. The demonstrator, measuring Ф200mm x 700mm, was completed in 16 hours, using 7 kg of material at a deposition rate of 1.3kg/hr. This resulted in a significant reduction in the Buy-to-Fly (BTF) ratio compared to traditional manufacturing methods, further validating WAAM's potential for this application. A "cradle-to-gate" environmental impact assessment, which considers the cumulative effects from raw material extraction to customer shipment, has revealed promising outcomes. Utilising Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM) for landing gear components significantly reduces the need for raw material extraction and refinement compared to traditional subtractive methods. This, in turn, lessens the burden on subsequent manufacturing processes, including heat treatment, machining, and transportation. Our estimates indicate that the carbon footprint of the component could be halved when switching from traditional machining to WAAM. Similar reductions are observed in embodied energy consumption and other environmental impact indicators, such as emissions to air, water, and land. Additionally, WAAM offers the unique advantage of part repair by redepositing only the necessary material, a capability not available through conventional methods. Our research shows that WAAM-based repairs can drastically reduce environmental impact, even when accounting for additional transportation for repairs. Consequently, WAAM emerges as a pivotal technology for reducing environmental impact in manufacturing, aiding the industry in its crucial and ambitious journey towards Net Zero. This study paves the way for transformative benefits across the aerospace industry, as we integrate manufacturing into a hybrid solution that offers substantial savings and access to more sustainable technologies for critical component production.

Keywords: WAAM, aircraft landing gear, microstructure, mechanical performance, life cycle assessment

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Authors: Maulik L. Sisodia, Tirth K. Raval, Aarsh S. Mistry

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This paper summarizes the ongoing researches about the defects in both flexible and rigid pavement and the maintenance in both flexible and rigid pavements. Various defects in pavements have been identified since the existence of both flexible and rigid pavement. Flexible Pavement failure is defined in terms of decreasing serviceability caused by the development of cracks, ruts, potholes etc. Flexible Pavement structure can be destroyed in a single season due to water penetration. Defects in flexible pavements is a problem of multiple dimensions, phenomenal growth of vehicular traffic (in terms of no. of axle loading of commercial vehicles), the rapid expansion in the road network, non-availability of suitable technology, material, equipment, skilled labor and poor funds allocation have all added complexities to the problem of flexible pavements. In rigid pavements due to different type of destress the failure like joint spalling, faulting, shrinkage cracking, punch out, corner break etc. Application of correction in the existing surface will enhance the life of maintenance works as well as that of strengthening layer. Maintenance of a road network involves a variety of operations, i.e., identification of deficiencies and planning, programming and scheduling for actual implementation in the field and monitoring. The essential objective should be to keep the road surface and appurtenances in good condition and to extend the life of the road assets to its design life. The paper describes lessons learnt from pavement failures and problems experienced during the last few years on a number of projects in India. Broadly, the activities include identification of defects and the possible cause there off, determination of appropriate remedial measures; implement these in the field and monitoring of the results.

Keywords: Flexible Pavements, Rigid Pavements, Defects, Maintenance

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Authors: Raed Alsufyani, Hissam Tawfik, Victor Chang, Muthu Ramachandran

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This study investigates the factors that influence the decision by players in the healthcare sector to embrace Cloud Business Intelligence Technology with a focus on healthcare organizations in Saudi Arabia. To bring this matter into perspective, this study primarily considers the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework and the Human Organization-Technology (HOT) fit model. A survey was hypothetically designed based on literature review and was carried out online. Quantitative data obtained was processed from descriptive and one-way frequency statistics to inferential and regression analysis. Data were analysed to establish factors that influence the decision to adopt Cloud Business intelligence technology in the healthcare sector. The implication of the identified factors was measured, and all assumptions were tested. 66.70% of participants in healthcare organization backed the intention to adopt cloud business intelligence system. 99.4% of these participants considered security concerns and privacy risk have been the most significant factors in the adoption of cloud Business Intelligence (CBI) system. Through regression analysis hypothesis testing point that usefulness, service quality, relative advantage, IT infrastructure preparedness, organization structure; vendor support, perceived technical competence, government support, and top management support positively and significantly influence the adoption of (CBI) system. The paper presents quantitative phase that is a part of an on-going project. The project will be based on the consequences learned from this study.

Keywords: cloud computing, business intelligence, HOT-fit model, TOE, healthcare and innovation adoption

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Authors: Mariam Alsharifi, Hussein Znad, Ming Ang

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Considering the environmental issues and the shortage in the conventional fossil fuel sources, biodiesel has gained a promising solution to shift away from fossil based fuel as one of the sustainable and renewable energy. It is synthesized by transesterification of vegetable oils or animal fats with alcohol (methanol or ethanol) in the presence of a catalyst. This study focuses on synthesizing a high efficient Li/TiO2 heterogeneous catalyst for biodiesel production from canola oil. In this work, lithium immobilized onto TiO2 by the simple impregnation method. The catalyst was evaluated by transesterification reaction in a batch reactor under moderate reaction conditions. To study the effect of Li concentrations, a series of LiNO3 concentrations (20, 30, 40 wt. %) at different calcination temperatures (450, 600, 750 ºC) were evaluated. The Li/TiO2 catalysts are characterized by several spectroscopic and analytical techniques such as XRD, FT-IR, BET, TG-DSC and FESEM. The optimum values of impregnated Lithium nitrate on TiO2 and calcination temperature are 30 wt. % and 600 ºC, respectively, along with a high conversion to be 98 %. The XRD study revealed that the insertion of Li improved the catalyst efficiency without any alteration in structure of TiO2 The best performance of the catalyst was achieved when using a methanol to oil ratio of 24:1, 5 wt. % of catalyst loading, at 65◦C reaction temperature for 3 hours of reaction time. Moreover, the experimental kinetic data were compatible with the pseudo-first order model and the activation energy was (39.366) kJ/mol. The synthesized catalyst Li/TiO2 was applied to trans- esterify used cooking oil and exhibited a 91.73% conversion. The prepared catalyst has shown a high catalytic activity to produce biodiesel from fresh and used oil within mild reaction conditions.

Keywords: biodiesel, canola oil, environment, heterogeneous catalyst, impregnation method, renewable energy, transesterification

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Authors: Rahim Sarvar, Bahram Azadbakht, Samira Safaee

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The leading goal of all planning is to attain sustainable development, regional balance, suitable distribution of activities, and maximum use of environmental capabilities in the process of development of regions. Intensive concentration of population and activities in one or some limited geographical locality is of main characteristics of most developing countries, especially Iran. Not considering the long-term programs and relying on temporary and superficial plans by people in charge of decision-making to attain their own objectives causes obstacles, resulting in unbalance development. The basic reason for these problems is to establish the development planning while economic aspects are merely considered and any attentions are not paid to social and regional feedbacks, what have been ending up to social and economic inequality, unbalanced distribution of development among the regions as well. In addition to study of special planning and structure of the county of Malekan, this research tries to achieve some other aims, i.e. recognition and introduction of approaches in order to utilize resources optimally, to distribute the population, activities, and facilities in optimum fashion, and to investigate and identify the spatial development potentials of the County. Based on documentary, descriptive, analytical, and field studies, this research employs maps to analyze the data, investigates the variables, and applies SPSS, Auto CAD, and Arc View software. The results show that the natural factors have a significant influence on spatial layout of settlements; distribution of facilities and functions are not equal among the rural districts of the county; and there is a spatial equivalence in the region area between population and number of settlements.

Keywords: development, entropy index, Malekan City, planning, regional equilibrium

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Authors: Mamoona Rasheed, Salman Iqbal, Muhammad Abdullah

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Organizational capability, in terms of employees’ knowledge is valuable, and difficult to reproduce; and help to build sustainable competitive advantages. Knowledge capability is linked with human resource (HR) practices of an organization. This paper investigates the relationship between HR practices, knowledge management and organization capability. In an organization, employees play key role for the effective organizational performance by sharing their knowledge with management and co-workers that contributes towards organization capability. Pakistan being a developing country has different HR practices and culture. The business opportunities give rise to the discussion about the effect of HR practices on knowledge management and organization capability as innovation performance. An empirical study is conducted through questionnaires form the employees in private banks of Lahore, Pakistan. The data is collected via structured questionnaire with a sample of 120 cases. Data is analyzed using Structure Equation Modeling (SEM), and results are depicted using AMOS software. Results of this study are tabulated, interpreted and crosschecked with other studies. Findings suggest that there is a positive relationship of training & development along with incentives on knowledge management. On the other hand, employee’s participation has insignificant association with knowledge management. In addition, knowledge management has also positive association with organization capability. In line with the previous research, it is suggested that knowledge management is important for improving the organizational capability such as innovation performance and knowledge capacity of firm. Organization capability may improve significantly once specific HR practices are properly established and implemented by HR managers. This Study has key implications for knowledge management and innovation fields theoretically and practically.

Keywords: employee participation, incentives, knowledge management, organization capability, training and development

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Authors: M. Abdullah Al Faruque, Rechana Remadevi, Abu Naser M. Ahsanul Haque, Joselito Razal, Xungai Wang, Maryam Naebe

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Generally, the colouration of textile fibres is performed by using synthetic colourants in dope dyeing or conventional dyeing methods. However, the toxic effect of some synthetic colorants due to long-term exposure can cause several health threats including cancer, asthma and skin diseases. Moreover, in colouration process, these colourants not only consume a massive amount of water but also generates huge proportion of wastewater to the environment. Despite having the environmentally friendly characteristics, current natural colourants have downsides in their yield and need chemical extraction processes which are water consuming as well. In view of this, the present work focuses to develop a chemical-free biocompatible and natural pigment based colouration technique to colour regenerated fibres. Waste alpaca fibre was used as a colourant and the colour properties, as well as the mechanical properties, of the regenerated fibres were investigated. The colourant from waste alpaca was fabricated through mechanical milling process and it was directly applied to the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) dope solution in different ratios of alpaca: PAN (10:90, 20:80, 30:70). The results obtained from the chemical structure characterization suggested that all the coloured regenerated fibres exhibited chemical functional groups of both PAN and alpaca. Furthermore, the color strength was increased gradually with the increment of alpaca content and showed excellent washing fastness properties. These results reveal a potential new pathway for chemical-free dyeing technique for fibres with improved properties.

Keywords: alpaca, chemical-free coloration, natural colorant, polyacrylonitrile, water consumption, wet spinning

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Authors: Diego A. Romero Espinosa

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Thermal simulations are used to evaluate comfort and energy consumption of buildings. However, the performance of different urban forms cannot be assessed precisely if an environmental control system and user schedules are considered. The outcome of such analysis would lead to conclusions that combine the building use, operation, services, envelope, orientation and density of the urban fabric. The influence of these factors varies during the life cycle of a building. The orientation, as well as the surroundings, can be considered a constant during the lifetime of a building. The structure impacts the thermal inertia and has the largest lifespan of all the building components. On the other hand, the building envelope is the most frequent renovated component of a building since it has a great impact on energy performance and comfort. Building services have a shorter lifespan and are replaced regularly. With the purpose of addressing the performance, an urban form, a specific orientation, and density, a thermal simulation method were developed. The solar irradiation is taken into consideration depending on the outdoor temperature. Incoming irradiation at low temperatures has a positive impact increasing the indoor temperature. Consequently, overheating would be the combination of high outdoor temperature and high irradiation at the façade. On this basis, the indoor temperature is simulated for a specific orientation of the evaluated urban form. Thermal inertia and building envelope performance are considered additionally as the materiality of the building. The results of different thermal zones are summarized using the 'Degree day method' for cooling and heating. During the early phase of a design process for a project, such as Masterplan, conclusions regarding urban form, density and materiality can be drawn by means of this analysis.

Keywords: building envelope, density, masterplanning, urban form

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Authors: Natcha Wattanaprapa, Alongkorn Taengtong, Phachaya Chaiwchan

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This study investigates and promotes the distribution of community enterprise products of Samut Songkhram province by using e-commerce web technology to help distribute the products. This study also aims to develop the information system to be able to operate on multiple platforms and promote the easy usability on smartphones to increase the efficiency and promote the distribution of community enterprise products of Samut Songkhram province in three areas including Baan Saraphi learning center, the learning center of Bang Noi Floating market as well as Bang Nang Li learning center. The main structure consists of spreading the knowledge regarding the tourist attraction in the area of community enterprise, e-commerce system of community enterprise products, and Chatbot. The researcher developed the system into an application form using the software package to create and manage the content on the internet. Connect management system (CMS) word press was used for managing web pages. Add-on CMS word press was used for creating the system of Chatbot, and the database of PHP My Admin was used as the database management system. The evaluation by the experts and users in 5 aspects, including the system efficiency, the accuracy in the operation of the system, the convenience and ease of use of the system, the design, and the promotion of product distribution in Samut Songkhram province by using questionnaires revealed that the result of evaluation in the promotion of product distribution in Samut Songkhram province was the highest with the mean of 4.20. When evaluating the efficiency of the developed system, it was found that the result of system efficiency was the highest level with a mean of 4.10.

Keywords: community enterprise, digital commerce, promotion of product distribution, Samut Songkhram province

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Authors: Gabriel K. Nzulu, Lina Rostorm, Hans Högberg, Jun Liu, per Eklund, Lars Hultman, Martin Magnuson

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Altered and gangue quartz in hydrothermal veins from the Kubi Gold deposit in Dunkwa on Offin in the central region of Ghana are investigated for possible Au associated pathfinder minerals and to provide understanding and increase the knowledge of the mineral hosting and alteration processes in quartz. X-ray diffraction, air annealing furnace, differential scanning calorimetry, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy have been applied on different quartz types outcropping from surface and bed rocks at the Kubi Gold Mining to reveal the material properties at different temperatures. From the diffraction results of the fresh and annealed quartz samples, we find that the samples contain pathfinder and the impurity minerals FeS₂, biotite, TiO₂, and magnetite. These minerals, under oxidation process between 574-1400 °C temperatures experienced hematite alterations and a transformation from α-quartz to β-quartz and further to cristobalite as observed from the calorimetry scans for hydrothermally exposed materials. The energy dispersive spectroscopy revealed elemental species of Fe, S, Mg, K, Al, Ti, Na, Si, O, and Ca contained in the samples and these are attributed to the impurity phase minerals observed in the diffraction. The findings also suggest that during the hydrothermal flow regime, impurity minerals and metals can be trapped by voids and faults. Under favorable temperature conditions the trapped minerals can be altered to change color at different depositional stages by oxidation and reduction processes leading to hematite alteration which is a useful pathfinder in mineral exploration.

Keywords: quartz, hydrothermal, minerals, hematite, x-ray diffraction, crystal-structure, defects

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Authors: Giuseppe Timperio, Robert De Souza

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The combination of factors such as temperamental climate change, rampant urbanization of risk exposed areas, political and social instabilities, is posing an alarming base for the further growth of number and magnitude of humanitarian crises worldwide. Given the unique features of humanitarian supply chain such as unpredictability of demand in space, time, and geography, spike in the number of requests for relief items in the first days after the calamity, uncertain state of logistics infrastructures, large volumes of unsolicited low-priority items, a proactive approach towards design of disaster response operations is needed to achieve high agility in mobilization of emergency supplies in the immediate aftermath of the event. This paper is an attempt in that direction, and it provides decision makers with crucial strategic insights for a more effective network design for disaster response. Decision sciences and ICT are integrated to analyse the robustness and resilience of a prepositioned network of emergency strategic stockpiles for a real-life case about Indonesia, one of the most vulnerable countries in Asia-Pacific, with the model being built upon a rich set of quantitative data. At this aim, a network optimization approach was implemented, with several what-if scenarios being accurately developed and tested. Findings of this study are able to support decision makers facing challenges related with disaster relief chains resilience, particularly about optimal configuration of supply chain facilities and optimal flows across the nodes, while considering the network structure from an end-to-end in-country distribution perspective.

Keywords: disaster preparedness, humanitarian logistics, network optimization, resilience

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Authors: Saeed Asiri, Yousuf Z. AL-Zahrani

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A new class of support structures, called periodic structures, is introduced in this paper as a viable means for isolating the vibration transmitted from the sea waves to offshore platform structures through its legs. A passive approach to reduce transmitted vibration generated by waves is presented. The approach utilizes the property of periodic structural components that creates stop and pass bands. The stop band regions can be tailored to correspond to regions of the frequency spectra that contain harmonics of the wave frequency, attenuating the response in those regions. A periodic structural component is comprised of a repeating array of cells, which are themselves an assembly of elements. The elements may have differing material properties as well as geometric variations. For the purpose of this research, only geometric and material variations are considered and each cell is assumed to be identical. A periodic leg is designed in order to reduce transmitted vibration of sea waves. The effectiveness of the periodicity on the vibration levels of platform will be demonstrated theoretically. The theory governing the operation of this class of periodic structures is introduced using the transfer matrix method. The unique filtering characteristics of periodic structures are demonstrated as functions of their design parameters for structures with geometrical and material discontinuities; and determine the propagation factor by using the spectral finite element analysis and the effectiveness of design on the leg structure by changing the ratio of step length and area interface between the materials is demonstrated in order to find the propagation factor and frequency response.

Keywords: vibrations, periodic structures, offshore, platforms, transfer matrix method

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Authors: Anton V. Bourdine, Vladimir A. Burdin, Oleg R. Delmukhametov

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This work presents a fast and simple method for the design of large core silica optical fibers with differential mode delay (DMD) management. Some results are reported concerned with refractive index profile optimization for 42 µm core 16-LP-mode optical fiber for next-generation optical networks. Here special refractive index profile form provides total DMD reducing over all mode staff under desired enhanced mode effective area. Method for the simulation of 'real manufactured' few-mode optical fiber (FMF) core geometry differing from the desired optimized structure by core non-symmetrical ellipticity and refractive index profile deviation including local fluctuations is proposed. Results of the following analysis of optimized FMF with inserted geometry distortions performed by earlier on developed modification of rigorous mixed finite-element method showed strong DMD degradation that requires additional higher-order mode management. In addition, this work also presents a method for design mode division multiplexer channel precision spatial positioning scheme at FMF core end that provides one of the potentiality solutions of described DMD degradation problem concerned with 'distorted' core geometry due to features of optical fiber manufacturing techniques.

Keywords: differential mode delay, few-mode optical fibers, nonlinear Shannon limit, optical fiber non-circularity, ‘real manufactured’ optical fiber core geometry simulation, refractive index profile optimization

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Authors: Yao Wu

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In the context of financial globalization, China has put forward the policy goal of high-quality development, and the digital economy, with its advantage of information resources, is driving China's export trade to achieve high-quality development. Due to the long-standing financing constraints of small and medium-sized export enterprises, how to expand the export scale of small and medium-sized enterprises has become a major threshold for the development of China's export trade. This paper firstly adopts the hierarchical analysis method to establish the evaluation system of high-quality development of China's export trade; secondly, the panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2011 to 2018 are selected for empirical analysis to establish the impact model of digital inclusive finance on the high-quality development of China's export trade; based on the analysis of heterogeneous enterprise trade model, a mediating effect model is established to verify the mediating role of credit constraint in the development of high-quality export trade in China. Based on the above analysis, this paper concludes that inclusive digital finance, with its unique digital and inclusive nature, alleviates the credit constraint problem among SMEs, enhances the binary marginal effect of SMEs' exports, optimizes their export scale and structure, and promotes the high-quality development of regional and even national export trade. Finally, based on the findings of this paper, we propose insights and suggestions for inclusive digital finance to promote the high-quality development of export trade.

Keywords: digital inclusive finance, high-quality development of export trade, fixed effects, binary marginal effects

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Authors: Hanane Belayachi, Sarra Bourahla, Amel Belayachi, Fadela Nemchi, Mostefa Belhakem

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The most used techniques to remove pollutants from wastewater are adsorption onto activated carbon (AC) and oxidation using a photocatalyst slurry. The aim of this work is to eliminate such drawbacks by combining AC and titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in a photocatalytically Regenerative Activated Carbon. Anatase titania was deposited on powder-activated carbon made from grape seeds by the impregnation method, and then the composite photocatalyst was employed for the removal of reactive black 5, which is an anionic azo dye, from water. The AGS/TiO₂ was characterized by BET, MEB, RDX and optical absorption spectroscopy. The BET surface area and the pore structure of composite photocatalysts (AGS/TiO₂) and activated grape seeds (AGS) were evaluated from nitrogen adsorption data at 77 K in relation to process conditions. Our results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of AGS/TiO₂ was much higher than single-phase titania. The adsorption equilibrium of reactive black 5 from aqueous solutions on the examined materials was investigated. Langmuir, Freundlich, and Redlich–Petersen models were fitted to experimental equilibrium data, and their goodness of fit is compared. The degradation kinetics fitted well to the Langmuir-Hinselwood pseudo first order rate low. The photocatalytic activity of AGS/TiO₂ was much higher than virgin TiO₂. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal was measured at regular intervals to quantify the mineralization of the dye. Above 96% mineralization was observed. These results suggest that UV-irradiated TiO₂ immobilized on activated carbon may be considered an adequate process for the treatment of diluted colored textile wastewater.

Keywords: activated carbon, pollutant, catalysis, TiO₂

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Authors: Jaan Lellep, Shahid Mubasshar

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A numerical solution is developed for simply supported nanoarches based on the non-local theory of elasticity. The nanoarch under consideration has a step-wise variable cross-section and is weakened by crack-like defects. It is assumed that the cracks are stationary and the mechanical behaviour of the nanoarch can be modeled by Eringen’s non-local theory of elasticity. The physical and thermal properties are sensitive with respect to changes of dimensions in the nano level. The classical theory of elasticity is unable to describe such changes in material properties. This is because, during the development of the classical theory of elasticity, the speculation of molecular objects was avoided. Therefore, the non-local theory of elasticity is applied to study the vibration of nanostructures and it has been accepted by many researchers. In the non-local theory of elasticity, it is assumed that the stress state of the body at a given point depends on the stress state of each point of the structure. However, within the classical theory of elasticity, the stress state of the body depends only on the given point. The system of main equations consists of equilibrium equations, geometrical relations and constitutive equations with boundary and intermediate conditions. The system of equations is solved by using the method of separation of variables. Consequently, the governing differential equations are converted into a system of algebraic equations whose solution exists if the determinant of the coefficients of the matrix vanishes. The influence of cracks and steps on the natural vibration of the nanoarches is prescribed with the aid of additional local compliance at the weakened cross-section. An algorithm to determine the eigenfrequencies of the nanoarches is developed with the help of computer software. The effects of various physical and geometrical parameters are recorded and drawn graphically.

Keywords: crack, nanoarches, natural frequency, step

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Authors: Tamrat Tesfaye, Bruce Sithole, Deresh Ramjugernath

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Worldwide, the poultry–processing industry generates large quantities of feather by-products that amount to 40 billion kilograms annually. The feathers are considered wastes although small amounts are often processed into valuable products such as feather meal and fertilizers. The remaining waste is disposed of by incineration or by burial in controlled landfills. Improper disposal of these biological wastes contributes to environmental damage and transmission of diseases. Economic pressures, environmental pressures, increasing interest in using renewable and sustainable raw materials, and the need to decrease reliance on non-renewable petroleum resources behove the industry to find better ways of dealing with waste feathers. A closer look at the structure and composition of feathers shows that the whole part of a chicken feather (rachis and barb) can be used as a source of a pure structural protein called keratin which can be exploited for conversion into a number of high-value bio products. Additionally, a number of technologies can be used to convert other biological components of feathers into high value added products. Thus, conversion of the waste into valuable products can make feathers an attractive raw material for the production of bio products. In this review, possible applications of chicken feathers in a variety of technologies and products are discussed. Thus, using waste feathers as a valuable resource can help the poultry industry to dispose of the waste feathers in an environmentally sustainable manner that also generates extra income for the industry. Their valorisation can result in their sustainable conversion into high-value materials and products on the proviso of existence or development of cost-effective technologies for converting this waste into the useful products.

Keywords: biodegradable product, keratin, poultry waste, feathers, valorisation

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Authors: Elizabeth Bourgeois

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During social distancing, fashion and self-expression have been pushed further into virtual environments. In VR spaces, identities can be curated easily, untethered from the necessities of life and work. Personal styles reach a wider audience and follow new rules. Digital platforms leave some, but not all, 'real world' clothing constraints behind. Virtual aesthetics are set by the user and the software. Gen Z is a native user, applying face filters on Instagram and Snapchat and styling outfits and skins in apps like Gacha Life, Roblox, and Fortnite. These games cultivate space for community and personal style. Loosely tied to human forms, each app has physical aesthetics, with clear vernacular dress defining it. There are ecosystems of makers, consumers, and critics. Designer-modelers create original assets, brands, and luxury items. Fashion and beauty are ephemeral but always reflect the idealization of form and self. Online communities have already established new beauty ideals that impact live fashion trends. Fashion houses develop AR filters, gaming hairstyles challenge real-world colorists, and musicians perform virtual concerts in their avatar forms. In these times, social media and gaming communities promote the expression of public identity. The online dress is no longer tied to 'real' bodies or cloth. In virtual worlds, there are still tribes, status symbols, gender identities, and roles, but free of fabric, form, and static social structure, there is room for fantastic invention.

Keywords: virtual reality, fashion, Gen Z, social media, gaming

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Authors: Aroma Elmina Martha

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Environment affects the continuity of life and human well-being and the bodies of other living. Environmental quality is very closely related to the quality of life. Sustainability must be protected from damage due to the use of natural resources, such as tin mining in Bangka island. This research is a descriptive study, which identifies the environmental damage caused by mining land and sea in Bangka district. The approach used is juridical, social and economic. The study uses primary legal materials, secondary, and tertiary, equipped with field research. The analysis technique used is qualitative analysis. The impacts of mining on land among other physical and chemical damage, erosion and widening the depth of the river, a pool of micro-climate, the quality and feasibility, vegetation, wildlife and biodiversity, land values, social and economic. This mining causes damage to the soil structure, and puddles in the former digs which were not backfilled again. The impact of mining on the ocean such as changes in current surge, erosion and abrasion basic coastal waters, shoreline change, marine water quality changes, and changes in marine communities. The findings of the research show that tin mining in the sea also potentially have a significant impact on the life of the reef, populations of marine organisms. However, mining on land needs to consider the impact of the damage, so that the damage can be minimized. In the recovery process needs to be pursued by exploiting the rest of the pile of tin. Thus, mining activities should take into account the distance of beach sediment size, wave height, wave length, wave period, and the acceleration of gravity. The process of the tin washing should be done in a fairly safe area, thus avoiding damage to the coral reefs that will eventually reduce the population of marine life.

Keywords: abration, environmental damage, mining, shoreline

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Authors: Martin H¨ausl, Maximilian Auch, Johannes Forster, Peter Mandl, Alexander Schill

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In order to survive on the market, companies must constantly develop improved and new products. These products are designed to serve the needs of their customers in the best possible way. The creation of new products is also called innovation and is primarily driven by a company’s internal research and development department. However, a new approach has been taking place for some years now, involving external knowledge in the innovation process. This approach is called open innovation and identifies customer knowledge as the most important source in the innovation process. This paper presents a concept of using social media posts as an external source to support the open innovation approach in its initial phase, the Ideation phase. For this purpose, the social media posts are semantically structured with the help of an ontology and the authors are evaluated using graph-theoretical metrics such as density. For the structuring and evaluation of relevant social media posts, we also use the findings of Natural Language Processing, e. g. Named Entity Recognition, specific dictionaries, Triple Tagger and Part-of-Speech-Tagger. The selection and evaluation of the tools used are discussed in this paper. Using our ontology and metrics to structure social media posts enables users to semantically search these posts for new product ideas and thus gain an improved insight into the external sources such as customer needs.

Keywords: idea ontology, innovation management, semantic search, open information extraction

Procedia PDF Downloads 172