Search results for: operational scale

Authors: Ruth Diego, Luis M. Romeo, Antonio Morán

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In the present work, a study of the coupling of a Bioelectrochemical System together with an oxy-combustion boiler is carried out; specifically, it proposes to connect the combustion gas outlet of a boiler with a microbial electrolysis cell (MEC) where the CO2 from the gases are transformed into methane in the cathode chamber, and the oxygen produced in the anode chamber is recirculated to the oxy-combustion boiler. The MEC mainly consists of two electrodes (anode and cathode) immersed in an aqueous electrolyte; these electrodes are separated by a proton exchange membrane (PEM). In this case, the anode is abiotic (where oxygen is produced), and it is at the cathode that an electroactive biofilm is formed with microorganisms that catalyze the CO2 reduction reactions. Real data from an oxy-combustion process in a boiler of around 20 thermal MW have been used for this study and are combined with data obtained on a smaller scale (laboratory-pilot scale) to determine the yields that could be obtained considering the system as environmentally sustainable energy storage. In this way, an attempt is made to integrate a relatively conventional energy production system (oxy-combustion) with a biological system (microbial electrolysis cell), which is a challenge to be addressed in this type of new hybrid scheme. In this way, a novel concept is presented with the basic dimensioning of the necessary equipment and the efficiency of the global process. In this work, it has been calculated that the efficiency of this power-to-gas system based on MEC cells when coupled to industrial processes is of the same order of magnitude as the most promising equivalent routes. The proposed process has two main limitations, the overpotentials in the electrodes that penalize the overall efficiency and the need for storage tanks for the process gases. The results of the calculations carried out in this work show that certain real potentials achieve an acceptable performance. Regarding the tanks, with adequate dimensioning, it is possible to achieve complete autonomy. The proposed system called OxyMES provides energy storage without energetically penalizing the process when compared to an oxy-combustion plant with conventional CO2 capture. According to the results obtained, this system can be applied as a measure to decarbonize an industry, changing the original fuel of the oxy-combustion boiler to the biogas generated in the MEC cell. It could also be used to neutralize CO2 emissions from industry by converting it to methane and then injecting it into the natural gas grid.

Keywords: microbial electrolysis cells, oxy-combustion, co2, power-to-gas

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Authors: A. van Staden, M. M. Coetzee

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Despite numerous efforts to increase the literacy level of South African learners, for example, through the implementation of educational policies such as the Revised National Curriculum statement, advocating mother-tongue instruction (during a child's formative years), in reality, the majority of South African children are still being educated in a second language (in most cases English). Moreover, despite the fact that a significant percentage of our country's budget is spent on the education sector and that both policy makers and educationalists have emphasized the importance of learning English in this globalized world, the poor overall academic performance and English literacy level of a large number of school leavers are still a major concern. As we move forward in an attempt to comprehend the nuances of English language and literacy development in our country, it is imperative to explore both extrinsic and intrinsic factors that contribute or impede the effective development of English as a second language. In the present study, the researchers set out to investigate how intrinsic factors such as motivation and self-concept contribute to or affect English language learning amongst high school learners in South Africa. Emanating from the above the main research question that guided this research is the following: Is there a significant relationship between high school learners' self-concept, motivation, and English second language performances? In order to investigate this hypothesis, this study utilized quantitative research methodology to investigate the interplay of self-concept and motivation in English language learning. For this purpose, we sampled 201 high school learners from various schools in South Africa. Methods of data gathering inter alia included the following: A biographical questionnaire; the Academic Motivational Scale and the Piers-Harris Self-Concept Scale. Pearson Product Moment Correlation Analyses yielded significant correlations between L2 learners' motivation and their English language proficiency, including demonstrating positive correlations between L2 learners' self-concept and their achievements in English. Accordingly, researchers have argued that the learning context, in which students learn English as a second language, has a crucial influence on students' motivational levels. This emphasizes the important role the teacher has to play in creating learning environments that will enhance L2 learners' motivation and improve their self-concepts.

Keywords: motivation, self-concept, language learning, English second language learners (L2)

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Authors: Chuang-Hung Lin, Cheng-Yuan Hsu, Jia-Yan Lin

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It is an indispensible strategy to adopt greenery approach on architectural bases so as to improve ecological habitats, decrease heat-island effect, purify air quality, and relieve surface runoff as well as noise pollution, all of which are done in an attempt to achieve sustainable environment. How we can do with plant design to attain the best visual quality and ideal carbon dioxide fixation depends on whether or not we can appropriately make use of greenery according to the nature of architectural bases. To achieve the goal, it is a need that architects and landscape architects should be provided with sufficient local references. Current greenery studies focus mainly on the heat-island effect of urban with large scale. Most of the architects still rely on people with years of expertise regarding the adoption and disposition of plantation in connection with microclimate scale. Therefore, environmental design, which integrates science and aesthetics, requires fundamental research on landscape environment technology divided from building environment technology. By doing so, we can create mutual benefits between green building and the environment. This issue is extremely important for the greening design of the bases of green buildings in cities and various open spaces. The purpose of this study is to establish plant selection and allocation strategies under different building sunshade levels. Initially, with the shading of sunshine on the greening bases as the starting point, the effects of the shades produced by different building types on the greening strategies were analyzed. Then, by measuring the PAR( photosynthetic active radiation), the relative DLI( daily light integral) was calculated, while the DLI Map was established in order to evaluate the effects of the building shading on the established environmental greening, thereby serving as a reference for plant selection and allocation. The discussion results were to be applied in the evaluation of environment greening of greening buildings and establish the “right plant, right place” design strategy of multi-level ecological greening for application in urban design and landscape design development, as well as the greening criteria to feedback to the eco-city greening buildings.

Keywords: daily light integral, plant design, urban open space

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Authors: Hosam Abdelhady

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Filming the behaviors of individual DNA molecules in their environment when they interact with individual medicinal nano-polymers in a molecular scale has opened the door to understand the effect of the molecular shape, size, and incubation time with nanocarriers on optimizing the design of robust genetic Nano molecules able to resist the enzymatic degradation, enter the cell, reach to the nucleus and kill individual cancer cells in their environment. To this end, we will show how we applied the 4D AFM as a guide to finetune the design of genetic nanoparticles and to film the effects of these nanoparticles on the nanomechanical and morphological profiles of individual cancer cells.

Keywords: AFM, dendrimers, nanoparticles, DNA, gene therapy, imaging

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Authors: Kumud Singh, Janvin Itteera, Priti Ukarde, Sanjay Malhotra, P. PMarathe, Ayan Bandyopadhay, Rakesh Meena, Vikram Rawat, L. M. Joshi

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Application of Permanent magnet technology to high frequency miniature klystron tubes to be utilized for space applications improves the efficiency and operational reliability of these tubes. But nevertheless the task of generating magnetic focusing forces to eliminate beam divergence once the beam crosses the electrostatic focusing regime and enters the drift region in the RF section of the tube throws several challenges. Building a high quality magnet focusing lens to meet beam optics requirement in cathode gun and RF interaction region is considered to be one of the critical issues for these high frequency miniature tubes. In this paper, electromagnetic design and particle trajectory studies in combined electric and magnetic field for optimizing the magnetic circuit using 3D finite element method (FEM) analysis software is presented. A rectangular configuration of the magnet was constructed to accommodate apertures for input and output waveguide sections and facilitate coupling of electromagnetic fields into the input klystron cavity and out from output klystron cavity through coupling loops. Prototype lenses have been built and have been tested after integration with the klystron tube. We discuss the design requirements and challenges, and the results from beam transmission of the prototype lens.

Keywords: beam transmission, Brillouin, confined flow, miniature klystron

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Authors: Soukaina Motia, Nadia El Alami El Hassani, Alassane Diouf, Benachir Bouchikhi, Nezha El Bari

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Parabens are the antimicrobial molecules largely used in cosmetic products as a preservative agent. Among them, the methylparaben (MP) is the most frequently used ingredient in cosmetic preparations. Nevertheless, their potential dangers led to the development of sensible and reliable methods for their determination in environmental samples. Firstly, a sensitive and selective molecular imprinted polymer (MIP) based on screen-printed gold electrode (Au-SPE), assembled on a polymeric layer of carboxylated poly(vinyl-chloride) (PVC-COOH), was developed. After the template removal, the obtained material was able to rebind MP and discriminate it among other interfering species such as glucose, sucrose, and citric acid. The behavior of molecular imprinted sensor was characterized by Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Differential Pulse Voltammetry (DPV) and Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) techniques. Then, the biosensor was found to have a linear detection range from 0.1 pg.mL^-1 to 1 ng.mL^-1 and a low limit of detection of 0.12 fg.mL^-1 and 5.18 pg.mL^-1 by DPV and EIS, respectively. For applications, this biosensor was employed to determine MP content in four wastewaters in Meknes city and two cosmetic products (shower gel and shampoo). The operational reproducibility and stability of this biosensor were also studied. Secondly, another MIP biosensor based on tungsten trioxide (WO₃) functionalized by gold nanoparticles (Au-NPs) assembled on a polymeric layer of PVC-COOH was developed. The main goal was to increase the sensitivity of the biosensor. The developed MIP biosensor was successfully applied for the MP determination in wastewater samples and cosmetic products.

Keywords: cosmetic products, methylparaben, molecularly imprinted polymer, wastewater

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Authors: Po-Ching Wang

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Considering the notable effects of natural resource consumption and impacts on fragile ecosystems, reflection on contemporary sustainable design is critical. Nevertheless, the idea of ‘green’ has been misapplied and even abused, and, in fact, much damage to the environment has been done in its name. In 1996’s popular science fiction film Independence Day, an alien species, having exhausted the natural resources of one planet, moves on to another —a fairly obvious irony on contemporary human beings’ irresponsible use of the Earth’s natural resources in modern times. In fact, the human ambition to master nature and freely access the world’s resources has long been inherent in manifestos evinced by productions of the environmental design professions. Ron Herron’s Walking City, an experimental architectural piece of 1964, is one example that comes to mind here. For this design concept, the architect imagined a gigantic nomadic urban aggregate that by way of an insect-like robotic carrier would move all over the world, on land and sea, to wherever its inhabitants want. Given the contemporary crisis regarding natural resources, recently ideas pertinent to structuring a sustainable environment have been attracting much interest in architecture, a field that has been accused of significantly contributing to ecosystem degradation. Great art, such as Fallingwater building, has been regarded as nature-friendly, but its notion of ‘green’ might be inadequate in the face of the resource demands made by human populations today. This research suggests a more conservative and scrupulous attitude to attempting to modify nature for architectural settings. Designs that pursue spiritual or metaphysical interconnections through anthropocentric aesthetics are not sufficient to benefit ecosystem integrity; though high-tech energy-saving processes may contribute to a fine-scale sustainability, they may ultimately cause catastrophe in the global scale. Design with frugality is proposed in order to actively reduce environmental load. The aesthetic taste and ecological sensibility of design professions and the public alike may have to be reshaped in order to make the goals of environmental sustainability viable.

Keywords: anthropocentric aesthetic, aquarium sustainability, biosphere 2, ecological aesthetic, ecological footprint, frugal design

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Authors: Arnold Sanda Layuk

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Fraud in the disclosure of financial statements by management shows that agency conflict is an important issue in the company. The conflict has consequences for the agency costs that must be borne and has an impact on the firm's performance. The effect of agency costs on firm performance is investigated in this study, as well as whether several variables such as corporate governance mechanisms can positively moderate the agency cost and firm performance relationship. The agency cost is measured by the asset utilization ratio and discretionary expenditure ratio. The firm's performance is represented by the return on equity. Data was collected from the manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange from 2015 to 2019, then regressed on the panel data using the panel corrected standard error model (PCSE). According to the findings, agency costs are negatively related to firm performance, which supports previous empirical research findings. It also found that the agency cost and firm performance relationship is significantly moderated by board size and ownership concentration as the representatives of corporate governance mechanisms. It suggests that corporate governance can become tools to reduce agency costs and increase firm performance as well. The empirical evidence adds to previous research on agency conflict, particularly in emerging markets. These findings are expected to supplement previous research and provide additional information to shareholders in order to control opportunistic management decisions that affect their investments and discretionary operational expenses.

Keywords: agency cost, corporate governance, asset utilization ratio, firm performance

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Authors: Jefrey Pilusa, Tumisang Seodigeng

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This research discusses a South African case study for the potential of utilizing refuse-derived fuel (RDF) obtained from non-burn treatment of health care risk waste (HCRW) as potential feedstock for green energy production. This specific waste stream can be destroyed via non-burn treatment technology involving high-speed mechanical shredding followed by steam or chemical injection to disinfect the final product. The RDF obtained from this process is characterised by a low moisture, low ash, and high calorific value which means it can be potentially used as high-value solid fuel. Due to the raw feed of this RDF being classified as hazardous, the final RDF has been reported to be non-infectious and can blend with other combustible wastes such as rubber and plastic for waste to energy applications. This study evaluated non-burn treatment technology as a possible solution for on-site destruction of HCRW in South African private and public health care centres. Waste generation quantities were estimated based on the number of registered patient beds, theoretical bed occupancy. Time and motion study was conducted to evaluate the logistics viability of on-site treatment. Non-burn treatment technology for HCRW is a promising option for South Africa, and successful implementation of this method depends upon the initial capital investment, operational cost and environmental permitting of such technology; there are other influencing factors such as the size of the waste stream, product off-take price as well as product demand.

Keywords: autoclave, disposal, fuel, incineration, medical waste

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Authors: Elsa Reethu, S. Karthik Babu, N. Syed

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Background: Studies in the past focused on the additional benefits of action observation in improving upper and lower limb functions and improving activities of daily living when administered along with conventional therapy. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of literature proving the effects of motor imagery of truncal exercise in improving trunk control in patients with stroke. Aims/purpose: To study the effect of motor imagery of truncal exercises on trunk function and balance in early stroke. Methods: A total of 24 patients were included in the study. 12 were included in the experimental group and 12 were included in control group Trunk function was measured using Trunk Control Test (TCT), Trunk Impairment Scale Verheyden (TIS Verheyden) and Trunk Impairment Scale Fujiwara (TIS Fujiwara). The balance was assessed using Brunel Balance Assessment (BBA) and Tinetti POMA. For the experimental group, each session was for 30 minutes of physical exercises and 15 minutes of motor imagery, once a day, six times a week for 3 weeks and prior to the exercise session, patients viewed a video tape of all the trunk exercises to be performed for 15minutes. The control group practiced the trunk exercises alone for the same duration. Measurements were taken before, after and 4 weeks after intervention. Results: The effect of treatment in motor imagery group showed better improvement when compared with control group when measured after 3 weeks on values of static sitting balance, dynamic balance, total TIS (Verheyden) score, BBA, Tinetti balance and gait with a large effect size of 0.86, 1.99, 1.69, 1.06, 1.63 and 0.97 respectively. The moderate effect size was seen in values of TIS Fujiwara (0.58) and small effect size was seen on TCT (0.12) and TIS coordination component (0.13).at the end of 4 weeks after intervention, the large effect size was identified on values of dynamic balance (2.06), total TIS score (1.59) and Tinetti balance (1.24). The moderate effect size was observed on BBA (0.62) and Tinetti gait (0.72). Conclusion: Trunk motor imagery is effective in improving trunk function and balance in patients with stroke and has a carryover effect in the aspects of mobility. The therapy gain that was observed during the time of discharge was seen to be maintained at the follow-up levels.

Keywords: stroke, trunk rehabilitation, trunk function, balance, motor imagery

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Authors: Yiannis G. Smirlis

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The classification and the prediction of efficiencies in Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is an important issue, especially in large scale problems or when new units frequently enter the under-assessment set. In this paper, we contribute to the subject by proposing a grid structure based on interval segmentations of the range of values for the inputs and outputs. Such intervals combined, define hyper-rectangles that partition the space of the problem. This structure, exploited by Interval DEA models and a dominance relation, acts as a DEA pre-processor, enabling the classification and prediction of efficiency scores, without applying any DEA models.

Keywords: data envelopment analysis, interval DEA, efficiency classification, efficiency prediction

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Authors: Mst Ilme Faridatul, Bo Wu

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Multi-temporal urban land cover mapping is of paramount importance for monitoring urban sprawl and managing the ecological environment. For diversified urban activities, it is challenging to map land covers in a complex urban environment. Spectral indices have proved to be effective for mapping urban land covers. To improve multi-temporal urban land cover classification and mapping, we evaluate the performance of three spectral indices, e.g. modified normalized difference bare-land index (MNDBI), tasseled cap water and vegetation index (TCWVI) and shadow index (ShDI). The MNDBI is developed to evaluate its performance of enhancing urban impervious areas by separating bare lands. A tasseled cap index, TCWVI is developed to evaluate its competence to detect vegetation and water simultaneously. The ShDI is developed to maximize the spectral difference between shadows of skyscrapers and water and enhance water detection. First, this paper presents a comparative analysis of three spectral indices using Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM), Thematic Mapper (TM) and Operational Land Imager (OLI) data. Second, optimized thresholds of the spectral indices are imputed to classify land covers, and finally, their performance of enhancing multi-temporal urban land cover mapping is assessed. The results indicate that the spectral indices are competent to enhance multi-temporal urban land cover mapping and achieves an overall classification accuracy of 93-96%.

Keywords: land cover, mapping, multi-temporal, spectral indices

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Authors: C. P. Autry, A.W. Roscoe

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Authentication protocols based on public key infrastructure (PKI) and trusted third party (TTP) are no longer adequate for industrial scale IoT networks thanks to issues such as low compute and power availability, the use of widely distributed and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) systems, and the increasingly sophisticated attackers and attacks we now have to counter. For example, there is increasing concern about nation-state-based interference and future quantum computing capability. We have examined this space from first principles and have developed several approaches to group and point-to-point authentication for IoT that do not depend on the use of a centralised client-server model. We emphasise the use of quantum resistant primitives such as strong cryptographic hashing and the use multi-factor authentication.

Keywords: authentication, enterprise IoT cybersecurity, PKI/TTP, IoT space

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Authors: Mahdi Eskandarlou, Mehrdad Taghipour

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Background: Partial-thickness skin graft is the cornerstone for scalp defect repair. Routine donor sites include abdomen, thighs, and buttocks. Given the potential side effects following harvesting from these sites and the potential advantages of harvesting from scalp (broad surface, rapid healing, and better cosmetics results), this study is trying to compare the outcomes of graft harvesting from scalp and lower limb. Methods: This clinical trial is conducted among a sample number of 40 partial thickness graft candidates (20 case and 20 control group) with scalp defect presenting to plastic surgery clinic at Besat Hospital during the time period between 2018 and 2019. Sampling was done by simple randomization using random digit table. Data gathering was performed using a designated checklist. The donor site in case group and control group was scalp and lower limb, respectively. The resultant data were analyzed using chi-squared and t-test and SPPS version 21 (SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 21.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). Results: Of the total 40 patients participating in this study, 28 patients (70%) were male, and 12 (30%) were female with and mean age of 63.62 ± 09.73 years. Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the most common comorbidities among patients with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and trauma being the most common etiology for the defects. There was a statistically meaningful relationship between two groups regarding the etiology of defect (P=0.02). The most common anatomic location of defect for case and control groups was temporal and parietal, respectively. Most of the defects were deep to galea zone. The mean diameter of defect was 24.28 ± 45.37 mm for all of the patients. The difference between diameter of defect in both groups was statistically meaningful, while no such difference between graft diameter was seen. The graft 'Take' was completely successful in both groups according to evaluations. The level of postoperative pain was lower in the case group compared to the control according to VAS scale, and the satisfaction was higher in them per Likert scale. Conclusion: Scalp can safely be used as donor site for skin graft to be used for scalp defects, which is associated with better results and lower complication rates compared to other donor sites.

Keywords: donor site, leg, partial-thickness graft, scalp

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Authors: Hamid Fallah

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Creating surveying stations is the first thing that a surveyor learns; they can use it for control and implementation in projects such as buildings, roads, tunnels, monitoring, etc., whatever is related to the preparation of maps. In this article, the method of calculation through the traverse table and by checking several examples of errors of several publishers of surveying books in the calculations of this table, we also control the results of several software in a simple way. Surveyors measure angles and lengths in creating surveying stations, so the most important task of a surveyor is to be able to correctly remove the error of angles and lengths from the calculations and to determine whether the amount of error is within the permissible limit for delete it or not.

Keywords: UTM, localization, scale factor, cartesian, traverse

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Authors: Jin-Qu Chen, Jie Liu, Yong Yin, Zi-Qi Ju, Yu-Yao Wu

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Increase in travel fare and station’s failure will have huge impact on passengers’ travel. The Urban Rail Transit (URT) station’s accessibility reliability under increasing travel fare and station failure are analyzed in this paper. Firstly, the passenger’s travel path is resumed based on stochastic user equilibrium and Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) data. Secondly, calculating station’s importance by combining LeaderRank algorithm and Ratio of Station Affected Passenger Volume (RSAPV), and then the station’s accessibility evaluation indicators are proposed based on the analysis of passenger’s travel characteristic. Thirdly, station’s accessibility under different scenarios are measured and rate of accessibility change is proposed as station’s accessibility reliability indicator. Finally, the accessibility of Hangzhou metro stations is analyzed by the formulated models. The result shows that Jinjiang station and Liangzhu station are the most important and convenient station in the Hangzhou metro, respectively. Station failure and increase in travel fare and station failure have huge impact on station’s accessibility, except for increase in travel fare. Stations in Hangzhou metro Line 1 have relatively worse accessibility reliability and Fengqi Road station’s accessibility reliability is weakest. For Hangzhou metro operational department, constructing new metro line around Line 1 and protecting Line 1’s station preferentially can effective improve the accessibility reliability of Hangzhou metro.

Keywords: automatic fare collection data, AFC, station’s accessibility reliability, stochastic user equilibrium, urban rail transit, URT

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Authors: Xiaohong Xu, Tianchu Zhang, Yangfan Chen, Rongtai Tan

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In Canada, Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) is a scale designed to help residences understand the impact of air quality on human health. In Ontario, Canada, AQHI was implemented in June 2015. This study investigated temporal variability of daily AQHI and impact of regional transport on AQHI in Windsor, Ontario, Canada from 2016 to 2019. During 2016–2019, 1428 daily AQHIs were recorded in Windsor Downtown Station. Among those, the AQHIs were at the low health risk level (AQHI = 1, 2 or 3) in 82% of days, only a few days at high risk level (AQHI = 7), the rest were at moderate health risk level (AQHI = 4, 5, 6), indicating air quality in Windsor was fairly good with relatively low health risk. The annual mean AQHI value decreased from 2.95 in 2016 to 2.81 in 2019, demonstrating the improvement of air quality. Half of the days, AQHI were 3 regardless of season. AQHI was higher in the warm season (3.1) than in the cold season (2.6) due to more frequent moderate risk days (27%, AQHI = 4) in warm season and more frequent low risk days (42%, AQHI = 2) in the cold season. Among the three pollutants considered in AQHI calculation, O3 was the most frequently reported dominant contributor to daily AQHI (88% of days), followed by NO2 (12%), especially in the cold season, with small contribution from PM2.5 (<1%). In the past two decades, NO2 concentrations had decreased significantly and O3 concentrations had increased, resulting in daily AQHI being less reliance on NO2 (from 51% of days being the primary contributor during 2003–2010 to 12% during 2016–2019) and more on O3 concentrations (49% to 88%). Trajectory analysis found that AQHI ≤ 3 days were closely associated with air masses from the north and northwest, whereas AQHI > 3 days were closely associated with air masses from the west and southwest. This is because northerly flows brought in clear air mass owing to less industrial facilities, while polluted air masses were transported from the south of Windsor, where several industrial states of the US were located. Overall, O3 concentrations dictate the daily AQHI values, the seasonal variability of AQHI, and the impact of regional transport on AQHI in Windsor. This makes further reductions of AQHI challenging because O3 concentrations are likely to continue increasing due to weakened consumption of O3 by NO owing to decreasing NO emissions and more hot days because of climate change. The predominant and increasing contribution of O3 to AQHI calls for more effective control measures to mitigate O3 pollution and its impact on human health and the environment.

Keywords: air quality, Air Quality Health Index (AQHI), hysplit, regional transport, windsor

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Authors: Bilal Ahmed, Muhammad Rafiq, Choongjae Im

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The tech-savvy Gen Z's transfer towards interactive concept learning is hammering the demand for online collaborative learning environments, renovating conventional education approaches. The authors propose a novel approach to enhance learning outcomes to improve retention in 3D interactive education by connecting virtual reality (VR) and non-VR devices in the classroom and distance learning. The study evaluates students' experiences with VR interconnectivity devices in human anatomy lectures using real-time 3D interactive data visualization. Utilizing the renowned "Guo & Pooles Inventory" and the "Flow for Presence Questionnaires," it used an experimental research design with a control and experimental group to assess this novel connecting strategy's effectiveness and significant potential for in-person and online educational settings during the sessions. The experimental group's interactions, engagement levels, and usability experiences were assessed using the "Guo & Pooles Inventory" and "Flow for Presence Questionnaires," which measure their sense of presence, engagement, and immersion throughout the learning process using a 5-point Likert scale. At the end of the sessions, we used the "Perceived Usability Scale" to find our proposed system's overall efficiency, effectiveness, and satisfaction. By comparing both groups, the students in the experimental group used the integrated VR environment and VR to non-VR devices, and their sense of presence and attentiveness was significantly improved, allowing for increased engagement by giving students diverse technological access. Furthermore, learners' flow states demonstrated increased absorption and focus levels, improving information retention and Perceived Usability. The findings of this study can help educational institutions optimize their technology-enhanced teaching methods for traditional classroom settings as well as distance-based learning, where building a sense of connection among remote learners is critical. This study will give significant insights into educational technology and its ongoing progress by analyzing engagement, interactivity, usability, satisfaction, and presence.

Keywords: interactive learning environments, human-computer interaction, virtual reality, computer- supported collaborative learning

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Authors: Elene Tatunashvili, Bun Chan, Philippe E. Nashar, Christopher S. P. McErlean

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The reduction of aryl diazonium salts is one of the most efficient ways to generate aryl radicals for use in a wide range of transformations, including Sandmeyer-type reactions, Meerwein arylations of olefins and Gomberg-Bachmann-Hey arylations of heteroaromatic systems. The aryl diazonium species can be reduced electrochemically, by UV irradiation, inner-sphere and outer-sphere single electron transfer processes (SET) from metal salts, SET from photo-excited organic catalysts or fragmentation of adducts with weak bases (acetate, hydroxide, etc.). This paper details an approach for the metal-free reduction of aryl diazonium salts, which facilitates the efficient synthesis of various aromatic compounds under exceedingly mild reaction conditions. By measuring the oxidation potential of a number of organic molecules, a series of nucleophiles were identified that reduce aryl diazonium salts via the addition-fragmentation mechanism. This approach leads to unprecedented operational simplicity: The reactions are very rapid and proceed in the open air; there is no need for external irradiation or heating, and the process is compatible with a large number of radical reactions. We illustrate these advantages by using the addition-fragmentation strategy to regioselectively arylate a series of heterocyclic compounds, to synthesize ketones by arylation of silyl enol ethers, and to synthesize benzothiophene and phenanthrene derivatives by radical annulation reactions.

Keywords: diazonium salts, hantzsch esters, oxygen, radical reactions, synthetic methods

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Authors: A. J. Babajanyan, T. A. Abrahamyan, H. A. Minasyan, K. V. Nerkararyan

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Optical radiation emitted from a metal-coated fiber tip apex at liquid-air interface was measured. The intensity of the output radiation was strongly depending on the relative position of the tip to a liquid-air interface and varied with surface fluctuations. This phenomenon permits in-situ real-time investigation of nano-metric vibrations of the liquid surface and provides a basis for development of various origin ultrasensitive vibration detecting sensors. The described method can be used for detection of week seismic vibrations.

Keywords: fiber-tip, liquid-air interface, nano vibration, opto-mechanical sensor

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Authors: Dorothea Voß, Tobias Esser, Michael Huber, Jakob Albert

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The growing world population and the associated increase in demand for energy and consumer goods, as well as increasing waste production, requires the development of sustainable processes. In addition, the increasing environmental awareness of our society is a driving force for the requirement that processes must be as resource and energy efficient as possible. In this context, the use of polyoxometalate catalysts (POMs) has emerged as a promising approach for the development of green processes. POMs are bifunctional polynuclear metal-oxo-anion cluster characterized by a strong Brønsted acidity, a high proton mobility combined with fast multi-electron transfer and tunable redox potential. In addition, POMs are soluble in many commonly known solvents and exhibit resistance to hydrolytic and oxidative degradation. Due to their structure and excellent physicochemical properties, POMs are efficient acid and oxidation catalysts that have attracted much attention in recent years. Oxidation processes with molecular oxygen are worth mentioning here. However, the fact that the POM catalysts are homogeneous poses a challenge for downstream processing of product solutions and recycling of the catalysts. In this regard, nanofiltration membranes have gained increasing interest in recent years, particularly due to their relative sustainability advantage over other technologies and their unique properties such as increased selectivity towards multivalent ions. In order to establish an efficient downstream process for the highly selective separation of homogeneous POM catalysts from aqueous solutions using nanofiltration membranes, a laboratory-scale membrane system was designed and constructed. By varying various process parameters, a sensitivity analysis was performed on a model system to develop an optimized method for the recovery of POM catalysts. From this, process-relevant key figures such as the rejection of various system components were derived. These results form the basis for further experiments on other systems to test the transferability to serval separation tasks with different POMs and products, as well as for recycling experiments of the catalysts in processes on laboratory scale.

Keywords: downstream processing, nanofiltration, polyoxometalates, homogeneous catalysis, green chemistry

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Authors: Adrian Keith Caamino, Sina Shakibania, Lena Sunqvist-Öqvist, Jan Rosenkranz, Yousef Ghorbani

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Feldspar minerals are one of the main components of the earth’s crust. They are tectosilicate, meaning that they mainly contain aluminum and silicon. Besides aluminum and silicon, they contain either potassium, sodium, or calcium. Accordingly, feldspar minerals are categorized into three main groups: K-feldspar, Na-feldspar, and Ca-feldspar. In recent years, the trend to use K-feldspar has grown tremendously, considering its potential to produce potash and alumina. However, the feldspar minerals, in general, are difficult to decompose for the dissolution of their metallic components. Several methods, including intensive milling, leaching under elevated pressure and temperature, thermal pretreatment, and the use of corrosive leaching reagents, have been proposed to improve its low dissolving efficiency. In this study, as part of the POTASSIAL EU project, to overcome the low dissolution efficiency of the K-feldspar components, mechanical activation using intensive milling followed by leaching using hydrochloric acid (HCl) was practiced. Grinding operational parameters, namely time, rotational speed, and ball-to-sample weight ratio, were studied using the Taguchi optimization method. Then, the mineralogy of the grinded samples was analyzed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with automated quantitative mineralogy. After grinding, the prepared samples were subjected to HCl leaching. In the end, the dissolution efficiency of the main elements and impurities of different samples were correlated to the mineralogical characterization results. K-feldspar component dissolution is correlated with ore mineralogy, which provides insight into how to best optimize leaching conditions for selective dissolution. Further, it will have an effect on purifying steps taken afterward and the final value recovery procedures

Keywords: K-feldspar, grinding, automated mineralogy, impurity, leaching

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Authors: Diana Santiago, Tania Lisboa, Sophie Lee, Alexander P. Demos, Monica C. S. Vasconcelos

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Memorization has long been recognized as an arduous and anxiety-evoking task for musicians, and yet, it is an essential aspect of performance. Research shows that musicians are often not taught how to memorize. While memorization and practice strategies of professionals have been studied, little research has been done to examine how student musicians learn to practice and memorize music in different cultural settings. We present the process of developing and testing a questionnaire of music memorization and musical practice for student musicians in the UK and Brazil. A survey was developed for a cross-cultural research project aiming at examining how young orchestral musicians (aged 7–18 years) in different learning environments and cultures engage in instrumental practice and memorization. The questionnaire development included members of a UK/US/Brazil research team of music educators and performance science researchers. A pool of items was developed for each aspect of practice and memorization identified, based on literature, personal experiences, and adapted from existing questionnaires. Item development took the varying levels of cognitive and social development of the target populations into consideration. It also considered the diverse target learning environments. Items were initially grouped in accordance with a single underlying construct/behavior. The questionnaire comprised three sections: a demographics section, a section on practice (containing 29 items), and a section on memorization (containing 40 items). Next, the response process was considered and a 5-point Likert scale ranging from ‘always’ to ‘never’ with a verbal label and an image assigned to each response option was selected, following effective questionnaire design for children and youths. Finally, a pilot study was conducted with young orchestral musicians from diverse learning environments in Brazil and the United Kingdom. Data collection took place in either one-to-one or group settings to facilitate the participants. Cognitive interviews were utilized to establish response process validity by confirming the readability and accurate comprehension of the questionnaire items or highlighting the need for item revision. Internal reliability was investigated by measuring the consistency of the item groups using the statistical test Cronbach’s alpha. The pilot study successfully relied on the questionnaire to generate data about the engagement of young musicians of different levels and instruments, across different learning and cultural environments, in instrumental practice and memorization. Interaction analysis of the cognitive interviews undertaken with these participants, however, exposed the fact that certain items, and the response scale, could be interpreted in multiple ways. The questionnaire text was, therefore, revised accordingly. The low Cronbach’s Alpha scores of many item groups indicated another issue with the original questionnaire: its low level of internal reliability. Several reasons for each poor reliability can be suggested, including the issues with item interpretation revealed through interaction analysis of the cognitive interviews, the small number of participants (34), and the elusive nature of the construct in question. The revised questionnaire measures 78 specific behaviors or opinions. It can be seen to provide an efficient means of gathering information about the engagement of young musicians in practice and memorization on a large scale.

Keywords: cross-cultural, memorization, practice, questionnaire, young musicians

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Authors: Fally Titikpina, Abderafi Charki, Antoine Caucheteux, David Bigaud

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The building sector is one of the largest energy consumer with about 40% of the final energy consumption in the European Union. Ensuring building energy performance is of scientific, technological and sociological matter. To assess a building energy performance, the consumption being predicted or estimated during the design stage is compared with the measured consumption when the building is operational. When valuing this performance, many buildings show significant differences between the calculated and measured consumption. In order to assess the performance accurately and ensure the thermal efficiency of the building, it is necessary to evaluate the uncertainties involved not only in measurement but also those induced by the propagation of dynamic and static input data in the model being used. The evaluation of measurement uncertainty is based on both the knowledge about the measurement process and the input quantities which influence the result of measurement. Measurement uncertainty can be evaluated within the framework of conventional statistics presented in the \textit{Guide to the Expression of Measurement Uncertainty (GUM)} as well as by Bayesian Statistical Theory (BST). Another choice is the use of numerical methods like Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). In this paper, we proposed to evaluate the uncertainty associated to the use of a simplified model for the estimation of the energy consumption of a given building. A detailed review and discussion of these three approaches (GUM, MCS and BST) is given. Therefore, an office building has been monitored and multiple sensors have been mounted on candidate locations to get required data. The monitored zone is composed of six offices and has an overall surface of 102 $m^2$. Temperature data, electrical and heating consumption, windows opening and occupancy rate are the features for our research work.

Keywords: building energy performance, uncertainty evaluation, GUM, bayesian approach, monte carlo method

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Authors: Marcelo Sifuentes López

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Strategic performance definition and follow-up processes have to be clear in order to provide value in today’s competitive world. Customer expectations must be linked to internal organization strategic objectives leading to profitability and supported by visibility and flexibility among others.By taking a whole picture of the supply chain, the executive, and its team will define the current supply chain situation and an insight into potential opportunities to improve processes and provide value to main stakeholders. A systematic performance evaluation process based on operational and financial indicators defined by customer requirements needs to be implemented and periodically reviewed in order to mitigate costs and risks on time.Supplier long term relationship and collaboration plays a key role using resources available, real-time communication, innovation and new ways to capitalize global opportunities like emerging markets; efforts have to focus on the reduction of uncertainties in supply and demand. Leadership has to promote consistency of communication and execution involving suppliers, customers, and the entire organization through the support of a strategic sourcing methodology that assure the targeted competitive strategy and sustainable growth. As customer requirements and expectations are met, results could be captured in a casual picture like a “selfie”; where outcomes could be perceived from any desired angle by them; or like most “selfies”, can be taken with a camera held at arm's length by a third party company rather than using a self-timer.

Keywords: supply chain management, competitive advantage, value creation, collaboration and innovation, global marketplace

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Authors: Mohamed H. Sorour, Hayam F. Shaalan, Heba A. Hani, Eman S. Sayed

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Ion exchange adsorption has a long standing history of success for seawater softening and selective ion removal from saline sources. Strong, weak and mixed types ion exchange systems could be designed and optimized for target separation. In this paper, different types of adsorbents comprising zeolite 13X and kaolin, in addition to, poly acrylate/zeolite (AZ), poly acrylate/kaolin (AK) and stand-alone poly acrylate (A) hydrogel types were prepared via microwave (M) and ultrasonic (U) irradiation techniques. They were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The developed adsorbents were evaluated on bench scale level and based on assessment results, a composite bed has been formulated for performance evaluation in pilot scale column investigations. Owing to the hydrogel nature of the partially crosslinked poly acrylate, the developed adsorbents manifested a swelling capacity of about 50 g/g. The pilot trials have been carried out using magnesium enriched Red Seawater to simulate Red Seawater desalination brine. Batch studies indicated varying uptake efficiencies, where Mg adsorption decreases according to the following prepared hydrogel types AU>AM>AKM>AKU>AZM>AZU, being 108, 107, 78, 69, 66 and 63 mg/g, respectively. Composite bed adsorbent tested in the up-flow mode column studies indicated good performance for Mg uptake. For an operating cycle of 12 h, the maximum uptake during the loading cycle approached 92.5-100 mg/g, which is comparable to the performance of some commercial resins. Different regenerants have been explored to maximize regeneration and minimize the quantity of regenerants including 15% NaCl, 0.1 M HCl and sodium carbonate. Best results were obtained by acidified sodium chloride solution. In conclusion, developed cation exchange adsorbents comprising clay or zeolite support indicated adequate performance for Mg recovery under saline environment. Column design operated at the up-flow mode (approaching expanded bed) is appropriate for such type of separation. Preliminary cost indicators for Mg recovery via ion exchange have been developed and analyzed.

Keywords: batch and dynamic magnesium separation, seawater, polyacrylate hydrogel, cost evaluation

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Authors: Gabrielle Peck, Ryan Hayes

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This research presents the design and creation of a drone gas analyser, aimed at addressing the need for independent data collection and analysis of gas emissions during large-scale fires, particularly wasteland fires. The analyser drone, comprising a lightweight gas analysis system attached to a remote-controlled drone, enables the real-time assessment of smoke toxicity and the monitoring of gases released into the atmosphere during such incidents. The key components of the analyser unit included two gas line inlets connected to glass wool filters, a pump with regulated flow controlled by a mass flow controller, and electrochemical cells for detecting nitrogen oxides, hydrogen cyanide, and oxygen levels. Additionally, a non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) analyser is employed to monitor carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and hydrocarbon concentrations. Thermocouples can be attached to the analyser to monitor temperature, as well as McCaffrey probes combined with pressure transducers to monitor air velocity and wind direction. These additions allow for monitoring of the large fire and can be used for predictions of fire spread. The innovative system not only provides crucial data for assessing smoke toxicity but also contributes to fire prediction and management. The remote-controlled drone's mobility allows for safe and efficient data collection in proximity to the fire source, reducing the need for human exposure to hazardous conditions. The data obtained from the gas analyser unit facilitates informed decision-making by emergency responders, aiding in the protection of both human health and the environment. This abstract highlights the successful development of a drone gas analyser, illustrating its potential for enhancing smoke toxicity analysis and fire prediction capabilities. The integration of this technology into fire management strategies offers a promising solution for addressing the challenges associated with wildfires and other large-scale fire incidents. The project's methodology and results contribute to the growing body of knowledge in the field of environmental monitoring and safety, emphasizing the practical utility of drones for critical applications.

Keywords: fire prediction, drone, smoke toxicity, analyser, fire management

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Authors: Rajendra Kumar Dubey

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Einstein’s field equations with variable cosmological term Λ are considered in the presence of viscous fluid for Bianchi type I space time. Exact solutions of Einstein’s field equations are obtained by assuming cosmological term Λ Proportional to (R is a scale factor and m is constant). We observed that the shear viscosity is found to be responsible for faster removal of initial anisotropy in the universe. The physical significance of the cosmological models has also been discussed.

Keywords: bianchi type, I cosmological model, viscous fluid, cosmological constant Λ

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Authors: Srinivasan Chandrasekaran, Thailammai Chithambaram, Shihas A. Khader

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The early-stage damage detection in offshore structures requires continuous structural health monitoring and for the large area the position of sensors will also plays an important role in the efficient damage detection. Determining the dynamic behavior of offshore structures requires dense deployment of sensors. The wired Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) systems are highly expensive and always needs larger installation space to deploy. Wireless sensor networks can enhance the SHM system by deployment of scalable sensor network, which consumes lesser space. This paper presents the results of wireless sensor network based Structural Health Monitoring method applied to a scaled experimental model of offshore structure that underwent wave loading. This method determines the serviceability of the offshore structure which is subjected to various environment loads. Wired and wireless sensors were installed in the model and the response of the scaled BLSRP model under wave loading was recorded. The wireless system discussed in this study is the Raspberry pi board with Arm V6 processor which is programmed to transmit the data acquired by the sensor to the server using Wi-Fi adapter, the data is then hosted in the webpage. The data acquired from the wireless and wired SHM systems were compared and the design of the wireless system is verified.

Keywords: condition assessment, damage detection, structural health monitoring, structural response, wireless sensor network

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Authors: Shivaram P. Arunachalam, Mustafa Y. Sir, Andy Boggust, David M. Nestler, Thomas R. Hellmich, Kalyan S. Pasupathy

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Emergency departments (EDs) provide urgent care to patients throughout the day in a complex and chaotic environment. Real-time location systems (RTLS) are increasingly being utilized in healthcare settings, and have shown to improve safety, reduce cost, and increase patient satisfaction. Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) data in an ED has been shown to compute variables such as patient-provider contact time, which is associated with patient outcomes such as 30-day hospitalization. These variables can provide avenues for improving ED operational efficiency. A major challenge with ED financial operations is under-coding of critical care services due to physicians’ difficulty reporting accurate times for critical care provided under Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes 99291 and 99292. In this work, the authors propose a framework to optimize ED critical care billing using RFID data. RFID estimated physician-patient contact times could accurately quantify direct critical care services which will help model a data-driven approach for ED critical care billing. This paper will describe the framework and provide insights into opportunities to prevent under coding as well as over coding to avoid insurance audits. Future work will focus on data analytics to demonstrate the feasibility of the framework described.

Keywords: critical care billing, CPT codes, emergency department, RFID

Procedia PDF Downloads 119