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Dye removal from effluents is a major problem for most textile industries. At present, wastewater treatments are currently based on physico-chemical methods which are expensive, energy inefficient and of limited versatility. The aim of this work was to find a low-cost and efficient method for dye removal. To do this, we designed a combined system based on the immobilization of the ligninolytic white-rot fungus Peniophora laxitexta (BAFC 4687) on mixed supports consisting of two polyurethane foam discs and a middle layer of diverse lignocellulosic substrates: soybean hulls, wheat straw or cellulose spent casings. As a corticioid fungus, P. laxitexta was able to completely colonize the supports developing a compact and tight structure that maintained the integrity of the system after several dye removal cycles. The immobilized fungus removed between 30% and 50% of the azoic dye Xylidine and more than 50% of the anthraquinonic dye RBBR in three successive cycles, and near 90% of the triphenylmethane Malachite Green in 10 repeated cycles without any loss of efficiency. Our analysis showed that the removal of the dyes was due to the combined effect of adsorption to the supports and enzymatic decolorization by soluble laccases and enzymes associated with the mycelium. Additionally, we showed that the presence of Malachite Green induced the expression of a new laccase isoform with high decolorization capacity. Based on these results, we propose that this inoculated laminar biocarrier could be effectively used for dye removal in textile wastewater. Fil: Majul, Leonardo Matias. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Micología y Botánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Micología y Botánica; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular; Argentina Fil: Wirth, Sonia Alejandra. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Levin, Laura Noemí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Micología y Botánica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Micología y Botánica; Argentina

Insect repellent textiles are currently being investigated as a complementary tool to control disease vectors, such as mosquitoes. The application of microencapsulated biopesticides to textiles is a promising low-toxicity alternative to other control methods, as microcapsules may prolong the release of the repellent agent. In this work, microcapsules containing two biopesticides, namely citronella essential oil and citriodiol® were prepared and applied to cotton textiles using a variety of techniques. The aim of this work was to evaluate these functional textiles to select the most efficient, durable systems. Citriodiol-treated cotton presented a prolonged durability, and 100% repellency could be achieved for more than 30 days after padding onto cotton fabrics. It has to be pointed out that all these repellent textiles have been obtained by scalable, low-cost methods which would require no additional investment for textile finishing industries., Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores

WOS: 000400069000006, Silver compounds have extensive use among the antimicrobial agents in textiles. Silver particles are released into the water during washing processes in particular and they are released from the textile in time due to use. In this work, silver ion release from cotton and polyester antimicrobial fabrics which are the most widely used textiles have been studied. Two well-known silver-based commercial agents and silver-doped calcium phosphate powder-based antibacterial finishing agent which was developed in our previous work were applied to the fabric samples. The release of silver from the fabric samples during washing and incubation was determined by ICP-OES. The effects of fabric composition, time and laundering process on the silver release were studied. It was found that significant amount of silver was released from textile fabrics during washing due to the mechanical forces exerted on the fabrics. The total released silver varied from 73.43 to 92.27% for cotton fabrics and 76.49 to 89.70% for PES fabrics after 20 washing cycles. Results also showed that calcium phosphate can reduce the amount of silver release significantly. It was also found that even a smaller quantity of nanosilver particles was sufficient for strong antibacterial activity., Anadolu University Scientific Research Projects Commission [1108F128], This study was supported by Anadolu University Scientific Research Projects Commission [grant number 1108F128].

The present study deals with the non-catalytic and catalytic wet oxidation (CWO) for the removal of persistent organic compounds from the pulping effluent. Two activated carbon-supported heterogeneous catalysts (Cu/Ce/AC and Cu/Mn/AC) were used for CWO after characterization by the following techniques: temperature-programmed reduction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermo-gravimetric analysis. The oxidation reaction was performed in a batch high-pressure reactor (capacity = 0.7 L) at moderate oxidation conditions (temperature = 190°C and oxygen pressure = 0.9 MPa). With Cu/Ce/AC catalyst, the maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD), total organic carbon (TOC) and lignin removals of 79%, 77% and 88% were achieved compared to only 50% removal during the non-catalytic process. The 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) to COD ratio (a measure for biodegradability) of the pulping effluent was improved to 0.52 from an initial value of 0.16. The mass balance calculations for solid recovered after CWO reaction showed 8% and 10% deduction in catalyst mass primarily attributed to the loss of carbon and metal leaching. After the CWO process, carbon deposition was also observed on the recovered catalyst which was responsible for around 3–4% TOC reduction.

© 2020 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. This paper investigates the weighted coordinated motion of coupled harmonic oscillators over weighted cooperative–competitive interactions. First, the traditional synchronisation and containment control concepts are extended to the weighted synchronisation and weighted containment control for the new cooperative–competitive networks. Then, weighted synchronisation problem and weighted containment tracking motion are respectively solved for the coupled harmonic oscillators. Compared with some existing results, the frequency parameters of coupled harmonic oscillators are unknown in this paper and some novel networked structures are introduced in order to make the harmonic oscillator followers converge to the convex hull spanned by leaders' weighted states. Particularly, if the topologies formed by every leader group and follower group are interactively balanced and every follower is weight-product balanced, or if some leader groups are not interactively balanced but satisfy some conditions, the coupled harmonic oscillators can all realise the weighted containment tracking motion. Simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control schemes.

Lean Thinking has successfully challenged mass production practices, by providing 'leaner' processes and supply chains, i.e. with less waste. Industry 4.0 has become an important strategic approach in the technological change of manufacturing and others. It aims to connect the physical and virtual worlds in industrial production. With such automation associated with Industry 4.0, questions arise about the synergy between this approach and the role of Lean in this ongoing industrial revolution. Therefore, a systematic literature review was carried out in order to identify the role of Lean in this scenario. The review was conducted from 2011 to 2019 timeframe and resulted in a total of 33 papers. This review demonstrated this as an emerging research area with most of the studies published in recent years (2017-2019). A deep analysis was undertaken to understand the Lean effect as a trigger for Industry 4.0. Main findings from a 15 out of the 33 papers revealed elements and facts found in sentences of such papers that act as this trigger. Additionally, a words count indicated that management, processes and people were the most cited words by the 15 papers, reinforcing the role of these key players in the companies' transformation., This work was supported by the Fundaçãoo para a Ciênncia e a Tecnologia.

Sis, Seyit Ahmet (Balikesir Author), Flux pipe couplers are compact coils used in wireless power transfer (WPT) applications. The first part of this paper investigates the effect number of sub-coils on the magnetic characteristics. Flux pipe couplers with more than two sub-coils exhibit higher coupling coefficient as compared to traditional flux pipe couplers with two sub-coils. Furthermore, multi sub-coil flux pipe couplers better distribute the magnetic flux inside the core, making them attractive in high power applications. The second part presents an experimental WPT system employing multi sub-coil flux pipe couplers with three sub-coils. More than 82% power transfer efficiency is observed when couplers are separated with 100 mm vertical gap. Lateral misalignments up to 200 mm are then applied, and meantime, the separation between sub-coils is varied for achieving maximum efficiency. A near-constant efficiency is obtained up to 150 mm misalignment. Therefore, this paper announces another potential use of flux pipe couplers realizing an adaptive WPT system.

Decades-old steel bridges have to endure an unfavourable environment that causes the ageing and deterioration of material properties. Moreover, railway bridges in particular are exposed to a large number of stress ranges that may lead to fatigue damage. The combination of both phenomena has a significant impact on the condition of bridges and their remaining service life. In such cases, appropriate maintenance or even removal of the deteriorated structure is necessary; however, a lack of funds often makes this difficult. The subject of this paper is the development of methodology for the assessment of remaining service life of existing steel bridges considering the fatigue and corrosion effects. Using MATLAB (R) software, a program for the prediction of the remaining fatigue life has been developed. The results of earlier experiments and numerical simulations were integrated into this tool. Various scenarios regarding the future maintenance of bridges were included in the program, thus making it possible to calculate the remaining service life of bridges, including corresponding costs. The second half of the paper presents a case study demonstrating the application of the methodology and the calculation program., This work was supported by the NAKI II project of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic: "The methods for achieving the sustainability of industrial heritage steel bridges" [grant number DG18P02OVV033].

KUCUKTOPCU, ERDEM/0000-0002-8708-2306 WOS: 000431521400003 In this paper, the daily reference evapotranspiration (ET0) for Bulawayo Goetz was estimated from climatic data using neuro computing techniques. The region lacks reliable weather data and experiences inconsistencies in the measuring process due to inadequate and obsolete measuring equipment. This paper aims to propose neuro computing techniques as an alternative methodology to estimating evapotranspiration. Firstly, ET0 was calculated using FAO-56 Penman-Monteith (PM) equation from available climatic data. Data was divided into training, testing and validation for neuro computing purposes. The study also investigated the effect of different normalisation techniques on neuro computing ET0 estimation accuracy. In another application, neuro-computing ET0 estimates were compared against those obtained using empirical methods and their calibrated versions. The Z-score normalisation technique for all data sets gave best results with a Multi-layer perceptron (5-5-1) model having RMSE, MAE and R-2 values in the range 0.12-0.25mm day(-1), 0.08-0.15mm day(-1) and 0.94-0.99 respectively. There were no significant differences in ET0 estimation accuracy by neuro computing techniques due to normalisation technique. The Neuro computing techniques were superior to empirical methods in ET0 estimation for Bulawayo Goetz. The Neuro computing techniques are recommended for use in cases of limited climatic data at Bulawayo Goetz.

In this paper we provide two significant extensions to the recently developed parameter estimation-based observer design technique for state-affine systems. First, we consider the case when the full state of the system is reconstructed in spite of the presence of unknown, time-varying parameters entering into the system dynamics. Second, we address the problem of reduced order observers with finite convergence time. For the first problem, we propose a simple gradient-based adaptive observer that converges asymptotically under the assumption of generalised persistent excitation. For the reduced order observer we invoke the advanced dynamic regressor extension and mixing parameter estimator technique to show that we can achieve finite convergence time under the weak interval excitation assumption. Simulation results that illustrate the performance of the proposed adaptive observers are given. This include, an unobservable system, an example reported in the literature and the widely popular, and difficult to control, single-ended primary inductor converter.

This paper examines economic growth in 52 African countries for 1961–2016 and seeks to find if there is common growth. As all African countries have their particular features, concerning climate, h...

Organo-modified nanoclay has got considerable attention in recent years to improve the performance of asphalt binders. However, various aspects such as rutting performance using Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) test, fatigue performance using Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS) test and ageing resistivity potential using advanced rheological parameter are still unexplored for better rheological characterisation. The present study deals with rutting, ageing resistivity potential and fatigue performance of asphalt binder (AC-10) modified with organo-modified nanoclay (CL-30B). Different percentages (0, 2, 4 and 6% by weight of binder) of CL-30B were mixed with AC-10 using a high-shear mixer. Different rheological studies, such as Brookfield viscosity, Superpave performance grading, time-temperature sweep, MSCR and LAS tests, were conducted on CL-30B-modified asphalt binders. Effects of CL-30B on performance were observed to be predominant in intermediate to high-temperature range as obtained from the master curve. The ageing resistivity of asphalt binder increased with the addition of CL-30B. The Superpave rutting parameter (G*/Sin delta) increased and non-recoverable creep compliance (J(nr)) estimated from MSCR decreased with inclusion of CL-30B, indicating a better rutting performance of asphalt binders. The number of cycles to fatigue estimated from the LAS test showed improvement in fatigue performance of asphalt binder with addition of CL-30B. The high-temperature performance grade of CL-30B-modified binder was found to be higher compared to virgin binder. The relationship between J(nr) and G*/Sin delta, and recovery (R) and storage modulus (G') parameters are presented in this paper. In addition, ranking of asphalt binder based on various parameters (i.e. G*/Sin delta, AI, J(nr), R, N-f) is discussed in this paper.

This paper considers a low-level unit-load warehouse employing single-deep storage lanes and a single-command manual storage and retrieval policy. Analytical travel distance models are developed for class-based and full turnover storage policies under across-aisle, within-aisle and a newly proposed hybrid product placement schemes. Our computational studies show that the analytical models developed in this paper are very accurate as compared to simulation results and a comparative study with a real-world warehouse case. Hybrid storage policies proposed in this paper outperform all other traditional storage policies. The paper also presents insights and simple design rules to warehouse practitioners.

Climate change impact search methodologies, for a single hydro-meteorological record, are based mostly on probabilistic, statistical and stochastic processes. The application of these methodologies requires some restrictive assumptions for their validation, which may not be embedded in the structure of the record. Either transformations or approximations are taken into consideration, with idealization and simplification assumptions. In this paper, a series of conceptual trend polygon methodologies are presented without mathematical expression or restrictive assumptions. These are serial, cross- and double polygonal trend methods, in addition to trend star graphs. They help in identifying, interpreting and calculating monthly shifts, producing useful scientific information that cannot be obtained by the classical monotonic trend identification approaches. The methodology is applied to hydro-meteorological series from different regions of the world including precipitation and discharge records.

In this paper, laser-induced hyperthermia therapy of cancer is treated as a state estimation problem and solved with a particle filter method, namely the Auxiliary Sampling Importance Resampling algorithm. In state estimation problems, the available measured data are used together with prior knowledge about the physical phenomena, in order to sequentially produce estimates of the desired dynamic variables. Although the hyperthermia treatment of cancer has been addressed in the literature by different computational methods, these usually involved deterministic analyses. On the other hand, state space representation of the problem in a Bayesian framework allows for the analyses of uncertainties present in the mathematical formulation of the problem, as well as in the measured data of observable variables that might be eventually available. Two physical problems are considered in this paper, involving the irradiation with a laser in the near infrared range of a non-homogeneous cylindrical medium representing either a soft-tissue phantom or a skin model, both containing a tumour. The region representing the tumour is assumed to be loaded with nanoparticles in order to enhance the hyperthermia effects and to limit such effects to the tumour. The light propagation problem is coupled with the bioheat transfer equation in the present study. Simulated transient temperature measurements are used in the inverse analysis. Fil: Lamien, Bernard. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil Fil: Orlande, Helcio Rangel Barreto. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; Brasil Fil: Elicabe, Guillermo Enrique. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales; Argentina

The paper presents in a chronological and systematic way the development of the hybrid method for seismic vulnerability assessment of structures, which combines the use of empirical databases of earthquake damage with the results of nonlinear analysis of representative structural models. The key concepts and milestones in the development of the method are identified, and selected examples of its application are summarised. The first part of the paper focuses on the derivation of hybrid damage probability matrices and the second one with the derivation of fragility curves for reinforced concrete and masonry buildings. Finally, some general conclusions are drawn and directions of future research on the hybrid approach are suggested.

The paper presents a fast and efficient method for the detection and characterisation of delamination in photovoltaic (PV) modules by using active infrared thermography approach. A discrete part of PV module was irradiated by step heating and its thermal image sequence was used to detect and analyse delamination. Different types of heating source for thermal excitation for this application have been studied. An electro-thermal model was developed to simulate the active thermography approach for the characterisation of delamination in PV module by equivalent resistance-capacitance (RC) network using a circuit simulator. This simulation approach was used to estimate the extent of delamination in the module and to determine the optimum parameters for the characterisation of delamination. Different applications based on front and backsides of heating the module were also proposed in this paper. The proposed method has the potential to be employed for the quality check of PV modules during inline production as well as for the predictive maintenance of outdoor PV plants.

It is well-known that the primal quadratic growth condition of the classical augmented Lagrangian around a local minimizer can be obtained under the second-order sufficient optimality condition. In this paper, we show that those conditions are indeed equivalent. Moreover, we prove that the primal quadratic growth condition of the sharp augmented Lagrangian around a local minimizer is in fact equivalent to the weak second-order sufficient optimality condition. In addition, we present some secondary results involving the sharp augmented Lagrangian. Fil: Fernández Ferreyra, Damián Roberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Centro de Investigación y Estudios de Matemática. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Centro de Investigación y Estudios de Matemática; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina

This paper presents an exploratory study on the knowledge and importance of integrating Lean Education in curricula from the Academy perspective. The study was based on the analysis of participants' outcomes of workshops settled in international conferences. These workshops were used to promote Lean Education as a fundamental content and competency to be taught to the new professionals, independently of their future activity. Having in their DNA Lean content and competency, professionals will be thinkers adopting whole system-thinking, a sustainable conscious and ethical behaviour prepared to face Fourth industrial revolution demands. The authors believe that Lean Education provides such competencies to the new professionals and have been settling and operationalized such workshops in different contexts, involving more than 100 participants (mainly, academics) with teaching responsibilities in training the future workforce. Workshops outcomes were obtained from participants' active discussions and through a satisfaction assessment questionnaire filled by all participants at the end of the workshop. Results show that Lean Education is valuable by academics (more than 50% of the participants gave a high score to the practicality, value, and timeliness of the workshop contents). Nevertheless, a small percentage (12%) knows what Lean Education is or teaches Lean in the classes (10%)., This work has been supported by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT) within the Project Scope: UID/CEC/00319/2019.

In this paper a data base of L band backscattering simulations, based on the application of a discrete scattering model and detailed ground truth collected over Argentinean wheat fields, is tested....

This paper reflects on multisensorial and multimodal processes by considering spatial design differently through three case studies in Canada and Belgium that involved persons with visual impairments. Our research provokes alternative ways of ‘seeing’ and ‘being’ in the world and we assert that the normative ways that designers think, act, and design for/with people who have disabilities can be shifted when considering ableism and techné together. Our studies and methods differ from other design processes and methods, in that we situate design within an understanding of ableism and techné, where we encourage designers to reflect upon their ability biases in order to break assumptions about the abilities and disabilities of users and/or codesigners. Through exploring, observing and creating, nuanced examinations into ability and techné are revealed that support an intimate bond and an empathic response towards shaping the designers’ understanding of participants embodied and practical knowledge. Our case study research expands the ways of knowing and doing in codesign through ableism and techné with people who are visually impaired, to create inspiring and meaningful designs through multisensorial processes that are inclusive of ‘seeing’ in order to spatialise differently. This work was supported by the Killam Trusts [Cornerstone Grant]; Institute for the Promotion of Innovation through Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-Vlaanderen/ FWO Flanders) [Grant]; Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada [Doctoral Fellowship].

In this paper we discuss some of the major strengths and limitations of an application programming interfaces (API)-based approach to studying accessibility in transport networks. To this end, we p...

Warehouse operations are vital for the success of a supply chain. This paper explores fit among warehouse management structure and the context in which the warehouse operates as an important driver of warehouse performance. Warehouse management structure has been operationalised as the extensiveness by which warehouse operations are planned and controlled, and the complexity of the decision rules used for optimisation of the operations. Warehouse performance is measured using data envelopment analysis (DEA). Hypotheses are developed and tested in a survey study among 111 distribution warehouses in the Netherlands and Belgium. Our results show that indeed warehouse management structure should be adapted to context. In order to obtain high warehouse performance more complex warehouse tasks require more and more complex decision rules, and warehouses with more unpredictable demand require fewer tactical plans. These results can help warehouse managers to structure their warehouse management contingent on the context in which the warehouse operates.

E-commerce companies often use manual order-picking systems in their warehouses since these systems can provide the required flexibility and scalability. Manual systems have been widely studied, but the operating policies may require significant changes for e-commerce settings. First, to maintain consumers' loyalty, it is important to maintain delivery reliability even on the busiest days. When the number of order pickers in an area increases, however, more delays due to interactions may occur. For example, travel speed may need to be lowered when order pickers pass each other in narrow aisles. Second, many products sold through e-commerce are returned by consumers. Before these returned products can be sold again, they must be reintegrated in the stock. This paper presents hybrid genetic algorithms to determine routes for simultaneous pickup of products in response to consumers' orders and delivery of returned products to storage locations. Furthermore, interactions between the order pickers are considered in the routing decisions. The developed algorithms use specific warehouse problem characteristics. We identify the mix of pickups and deliveries to realise the highest savings in practice. It is shown that order-picker interactions can be a significant cause for delay and should be accounted for in the routing.

WOS: 000470591700001, In the present paper, a theoretically study of the non-resonant laser field effect on the optical response, such as nonlinear optical rectification (NOR), second (SHG) and third harmonic generation (THG) coefficients in double finite oscillator potential (DFO) quantum wells is performed in the framework of the effective mass approximation. The obtained results reveal that, energy states and optical response is significantly affected by the non-resonant intense laser field (ILF) intensity and symmetry of the structure. Also it was found that the laser field is more effective on the optical response in the DFO potential when the asymmetric character of the confinement potential is strong. Thus, the NOR, SHG and THG coefficients with designated values can be obtained by using a properly adjusted ILF intensity and symmetry parameter of confinement potential.

0000-0001-5333-5750, WOS: 000477771800005, C120 steel sections are the most widely used post shapes in European guardrail designs. The design length of these posts is determined based on guardrail containment level and engineering judgment. The soil properties where these posts are embedded are usually not considered in design. It is a well-known fact that the crash test performance of soil embedded posts depends mostly on post-soil interaction and post embedment depth (PED). In this study, a series of field impact tests were performed on soil embedded C120 posts to determine optimum PED for three different soil conditions. Seven different PED varied from 650 to 900mm was used for each soil type. Based on these findings a full-scale crash test is performed on a guardrail to verify optimum PED for hard soil conditions. With the use of optimum length guardrail posts considerable amount of installation time, labor and material savings are expected., TUBITAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey)Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [213M516], The work presented in this paper was carried out with funding from TUBITAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey), Grant number 213M516. Their support to this study is gratefully acknowledged.

EgeUn###, This paper will investigate wavelet packet transform of acoustic emission (AE) signal processing in order to identify failure mechanisms of unidirectional carbon/epoxy composites. For this purpose, carbon/epoxy composites were tested in tensile test by two different loading conditions. For the first specimen, the load was applied through fiber direction (T0) and for the second specimen, the load was applied perpendicular to the fiber direction (T90), AE signals were collected during experimental test procedure and the signal's waveforms were decomposed into various wavelet levels that each includes details and approximations so-called. Each data is related to a specific frequency range. The results show that type and percentage of failure mechanisms in various loadings are different. In T0, four micro-failure mechanisms of matrix cracking, fiber/matrix debonding, fiber pull-out and fiber breakage were observed and Fiber pull-out was determined as main inter-phase failure mechanism. Debonding were dominant failure micro mechanisms of T90. The results were verified with scanning electron microscopic observations.

0000-0003-1555-6426 WOS: 000482944000001 Accurate prediction of surface subsidence due to the extraction of underground coal seams becomes a significant challenge in engineering. For a projected longwall coal mining operation, conditions of weak cover rock and thick coal seams (6-12 m) in Turgut basin in Yatagan-Turkey are described and discussed based on the field data, using surface deformation prediction system software. This paper aims at predicting the subsidence values only numerically by evaluating the influence of subsidence on irrigation pipeline structure to be built on the ground for the cases with pillars left in the coal seam.

WOS: 000457020400005, This paper investigates the electricity-growth nexus of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member countries from 1980 to 2014. To achieve the goal of this research, both panel cointegration and causality approaches are utilised to examine the long-term and causal relationships between variables. Empirical results confirm the presence of cointegration between variables. Moreover, this study finds that electricity consumption affects the long-term economic growth. Given that GCC member countries are energy-dependent economies, policies that aim to conserve energy consumption may jeopardise economic growth.

ELKOCA, OKTAY/0000-0002-0007-0741 WOS: 000494015900001 This paper presents an experimental study on the mechanical properties of ultra-high-strength steels at elevated temperatures. Tensile tests were carried out at 300-600 degrees C on Docol 1200M and Docol 1400M steel samples. The results indicate that as the temperature increases Young's Modulus, yield strength (YS) and ultimate tensile strength (UTS) display a decrease. YS/UTS ratios at 300 degrees C are lower than those at room temperature, they make peaks at 400 and 500 degrees C for Docol 1400M and Docol 1200M, respectively, and then decrease again beyond those temperatures. While total elongation continuously increases, uniform elongation slightly decreases with increasing temperature. Present carbides in tempered matrix continue to grow and new carbides are observed at the grain boundaries. Considering all roll forming parameters, 300 degrees C seems the most convenient temperature for warm forming. In this sense, the warm roll forming has a potential for forming complex-shaped parts by reconciling strength with formability. Duzce University Research FundDuzce University [2016.06.05.457] The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided by the Duzce University Research Fund (project no.: 2016.06.05.457).

HELHEL, SELCUK/0000-0002-1401-3297 WOS: 000451611800004 Reflection coefficient measurement is one of those fundamental methods for determining the performance of radar absorber materials, and reflections due to these measurements are originated from the discontinuities in the measurement system and they result in error. In this paper, a new technique for the calibration of the scalar reflection coefficient measurements in the frequency range of 3-18 GHz in a portable two-sectioned metallic chamber is being proposed for use in quick laboratory tests with reasonable error (redacted error). Calibration measurements are performed by two calibration standards in frequency domain and transformed to time domain for further calculation. Proposed technique exhibits a good agreement with the theoretical values for especially in compact chambers where plane-wave conditions are not fully satisfied, and it is not in need of any complex time gating process. Furthermore, it does not require considering the phase differences which occurs at the measurement plane, providing a cheap and faster solution, reducing time and complexity in characterization of radar absorber materials. This technique with the mentioned test set-up could supply scalar reflection coefficient measurements with overall 0.55 dB error level and useful for practical applications where high level of accuracy is not required. Devlet Planlama Orgutu [2007K120530-DPT] This work was supported by the Devlet Planlama Orgutu [2007K120530-DPT].

The workload control literature highlights the importance of balancing the shop floor workload, but also acknowledges that this can conflict with processing the most urgent orders – hence, there is a trade-off. In practice, shops contain many complexities, e.g. simultaneous batching and sequence-dependent set-up times that may conflict with processing the most urgent orders and require other solutions than workload balancing to avoid capacity losses. This adds to the trade-off dilemma, which traditionally only considers timing and balancing. This paper develops a framework that determines whether to address a complexity through order release or dispatching. It comprises two dimensions: (i) the typical position of a complexity in the routing of an order and (ii) the criticality of the complexity. A case study is presented, which demonstrates the framework’s utility and illustrates the development of specific solutions designed to handle the complexities. Most complexities present in the case require handling at the order release stage. The challenges of handling multiple complexities at this decision level are evaluated. Finally, the implications for managers and future research are outlined.

International audience; Self-storage warehousing is a rapidly growing industry where consumers or companies can rent storage space for personal or company use, over a certain horizon. This paper addresses the question of how to design the facilities so that revenue can be maximized over a nite horizon, considering multiple demand requirements with respect to size, pricing, location within the facility, climate control, security, or outside access, among others. Using a customer choice model to specify the probability of purchase for each fare product as a function of the set of fare products offered, we propose methods to design self-storage warehouses while allowing different customer choice behaviors. We model the problem as a mixed-integer program and solve it using column generation and branch-and-price algorithms. In addition, we study the impact of re-layout and methods to modify facility layout, since self-storage facilities are relatively fexible in layout and individual storage compartments can be adapted to changes in demand. We validate our model using the data of four self-storage warehouses, and show our method can improve the expected revenue by nearly 11% on average for these cases.

© 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. To estimate the central tendency or location of a sample of interval-valued data, a standard statistic is the interval-valued sample mean. Its strong sensitivity to outliers or data changes motivates the search for more robust alternatives. In this respect, a more robust location statistic is studied in this paper. This measure is inspired by the concept of spatial median and makes use of the versatile generalized Bertoluzza's metric between intervals, the so-called dθ distance. The problem of minimizing the mean dθ distance to the values the random interval takes, which defines the spatial-type dθ-median, is analysed. Existence and uniqueness of the sample version are shown. Furthermore, the robustness of this proposal is investigated by deriving its finite sample breakdown point. Finally, a real-life example from the Economics field illustrates the robustness of the sample dθ-median, and simulation studies show some comparisons with respect to the mean and several recently introduced robust location measures for interval-valued data. ispartof: STATISTICS vol:52 issue:3 pages:479-502 status: published

Spare parts management is a function of maintenance management that aims to support maintenance activities, giving real-time information on the available quantities of each spare part and adopting the inventory policies that ensure their availability when required, minimizing costs. The classification of spare parts is crucial to control the vast number of parts that have different characteristics and specificities. Spare parts management involves mainly two areas, maintenance and logistics. Therefore, the integration of both input information is recommended to make decisions. This paper presents a multi-criteria classification methodology combining maintenance and logistics perspectives that intends to differentiate and group spare parts to, subsequently, define the most appropriate stock management policy for each group. The methodology was developed based on a case study carried out in a multinational manufacturing company and is intended to be included in its computerized maintenance management system to support decision-making., This work was supported by European Structural and Investment Funds in the FEDER component, through the Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Programme (COMPETE 2020) [Project no 002814; Funding Reference: POCI-01-0247-FEDER-002814].

In this paper, four immittance function simulators consisting of a single modified current follower with single Z- terminal and a minimum number of passive components are proposed. The first proposed circuit can provide +L parallel with +R and the second proposed one can realise -L parallel with -R. The third proposed structure can provide +L series with +R and the fourth proposed one can realise -L series with -R. However, all the proposed immittance function simulators need a single resistive matching constraint. Parasitic impedance effects on all the proposed immittance function simulators are investigated. A second-order current-mode (CM) high-pass filter derived from the first proposed immittance function simulator is given as an application example. Also, a second-order CM low-pass filter derived from the third proposed immittance function simulator is given as an application example. A number of simulation results based on SPICE programme and an experimental test result are given to verify the theory. © 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Prediction of cargo volumes is important for authorities such as port administrations and port operators, as cargo throughput affects port planning and operation. The forecasting results help planners and policy-makers to take decisions on issues such as port investment, port development, berth location selection, port operation, and freight rate. The success of the port operation policy depends on the accuracy of the cargo forecast. This paper presents an improved model known as dynamic regression (DR) model to forecast cargo demand simultaneously for ports within a port system; the model is applied to forecast cargo demand at major seaports in India. Past cargo flow data from years 1980-1981 to 2013-2014 at 11 major ports in India are used for estimating the proposed model. Average prediction error is found to be within 10% for most of the ports. The DR model is used to produce forecasts up to 2019-2020 for all the ports studied. The model forecast is compared with the projections of the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. This study is intended to provide guidance to planners in taking decisions on issues related to port infrastructure development, such as construction of new terminals and improvement of access roads to ports for the major ports in India. The study will also be beneficial to shipping agencies for their investment strategies in the Indian ports sector.

Have you ever questioned why do we almost always use vector calculus and differential equations in electromagnetics? Are these the only tools at our disposal for studying and modelling electromagnetic problems? Well, the answer is no and this paper is about an alternative approach to model electromagnetic problems using algebraic topology. This approach has a few advantages compared to the familiar differential formulation-based methods in modelling electromagnetic and multiphysics problems. In differential formulation we need one of the several numerical methods like finite difference, finite element, method of moments and spectral methods to obtain approximate solution to the electromagnetic problem. In contrast, algebraic topology-based method leads directly to discrete formulation using global quantities. Furthermore, in the case of electromagnetics, all underlying global quantities are scalars. Hence, there is no need for vector calculus. In addition, we also avoid interpolating local vector field quantities as required in several numerical methods. Though algebraic topology offers powerful and elegant tools for solving various engineering problems, many applied physicists and engineers are not familiar with this subject. This is partly due to the fact that most publications on this topic burden us with complicated mathematical analysis filled with convoluted jargons. If one can introduce the key ideas of algebraic topology using familiar concepts, computational and applied physics, and engineering community can appreciate and benefit from its advantages over methods based on differential formulation. With this goal, we present the main ideas of algebraic topology applied to electromagnetics problems.

WOS: 000393880000002, The newly synthesised Ba2Sb4GeS10 compound is notable because of the interesting features of the quaternary Sb-containing materials. The first principle method has been used to determine the physical properties of this compound. In particular, the electronic structure has been analysed using both conventional GGA-PBE and HSE06 functional. The values of the band gap for PBE and HSE06 calculations were 1.324 and 1.84 eV, respectively. The calculated elastic constants were used to predict polycrystalline mechanical properties. The estimated Vickers hardness (2.7 GPa) values show that Ba2Sb4GeS10 is soft matter. Moreover, the vibrational properties of the compound have been studied. The calculation of the elastic constants and phonon dispersion curves indicates that the Ba2Sb4GeS10 compound is stable both mechanically and dynamically. Furthermore, the minimum thermal conductivity and optical properties, such as dielectric functions and energy loss function, have also been discussed in detail in this paper.

A single mode laser based on novel deep etched V-notch reflectors is presented in this paper. The reported device has a stable single mode operation and a side mode suppression ratio of 37 dB. The laser is widely tunable and it can be fine-tuned. Moreover, the laser cavity is monolithically integrated with an active multimode interference reflector, and has a total length of 860μm.

Delamination significantly affects the performance and reliability of photovoltaic (PV) modules. Recently, an active infrared thermography approach using step heating has been exploited for the detection and characterisation of delamination in PV modules. However, step heating takes longer observation time and causes overheating problems. This paper presents the effects of different thermal excitation waveforms namely rectangular, half-sine and short pulse, on the detection and characterisation of delamination in PV module by experiments and simulations. For simulation, a 3-dimensional electro-thermal model of heat conduction, based on resistance-capacitance network approach, has been exploited to study the variation in maximum thermal contrast and peak contrast time with the delamination thickness and heating parameters. Results show that the rectangular waveform provides better detection of delamination due to higher absolute contrast, while the half-sine waveform allows better characterisation of delamination in the PV modules with low-cost and low-power heat source. The high-energy short pulse enabled quick visualisation of delamination, but has limited practical implementation. The advantages and limitations of each waveform have been highlighted to assess the specific requirement for appropriate choice in the non-destructive thermographic inspection of delamination in PV modules at the manufacturing units or outdoor fields.

This paper proposes a proportional derivative (PD)-like controller applied to the delayed bilateral teleoperation of wheeled robots with force feedback in face of asymmetric and varying-time delays. In contrast to bilateral teleoperation of manipulator robots, in these systems, there is a mismatch between the models of the master and slave (mobile robot), problem that is approached in this work, where the system stability is analysed. From this study, it is possible to infer the control parameters, depending on the time delay, necessary to assure stability. Finally, the performance of the delayed teleoperation system is evaluated through tests where a human operator drives a 3D simulator as well as a mobile robot for pushing objects. Fil: Slawiñski, Emanuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Automática. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; Argentina Fil: Mut, Vicente Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Automática. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; Argentina Fil: Santiago, Diego Daniel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Juan. Instituto de Automática. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ingeniería. Instituto de Automática; Argentina

Three phase 3-leg inverters are the most common interfaces for forming distributed generation and microgrids. However, in low voltage systems, loads are often 3-phase, 4-wire with frequent unbalances. The question of unbalanced loads on stand-alone microgrids can be handled in two ways. First, unbalanced load compensators can be provided near each unbalanced load. Second, unbalanced loads can be fed by 4-leg inverter interfaces with a 4-wire microgrid. This paper is concerned with the second approach. The design of closed-loop system for 4-leg inverter interface for microgrid with unbalanced loads is carried out. Detailed analysis of power flow dynamics and stability for a 3-phase, 4-wire microgrid with 4-leg inverters catering to unbalanced loads is reported. The analysis is supported by simulations and laboratory experiments. The proposed microgrid shows stable operation and maintains balanced voltages at unbalanced load terminals without any load compensators.

In performance-oriented architectural design, the use of advanced computational simulation tools may provide valuable insight during design. However, the use of such tools is often a bottleneck in the design process, given that computational requirements are usually high. This is a fact that mostly affects the early conceptual stage of design, where crucial decisions mainly occur, and available time is limited. In order to deal with this, decision-makers frequently resort to drawing conclusions from experience, and, as such, valuable insight that advanced computational methods have to offer is lost. This paper explores an alternative approach, which builds on machine-learning algorithms that inductively learn from simulation-derived data, yielding models that approximate to a good degree and are orders of magnitude faster. We focus on visual comfort of office spaces. This is a type of space that specifically requires visual comfort more than others. Three machine-learning methods are compared with respect...

WOS: 000377049700011, Electronic structure and optical properties of the CdXO3 and ZnXO3 (XGe, Sn) compounds have been investigated based on density functional theory. According to the predictive results, reveal that the CdXO3 and ZnXO3 would be candidates for a high performance lead free optical crystal, which will avoid the environmental toxicity problem of the lead-based materials., project DPT-HAMIT; project DPT-FOTON; project NATO-SET [193]; project TUBITAK [113E331, 109A015, 109E301]; Turkish Academy of Sciences, This work is supported by the projects DPT-HAMIT, DPT-FOTON, NATO-SET-193 and TUBITAK under Project Nos., 113E331, 109A015, 109E301. One of the authors (Ekmel Ozbay) also acknowledges partial support from the Turkish Academy of Sciences. The numerical calculations reported in this paper were fully performed at Aksaray University, Science and Technology Application and Research Center.

In the analysis of soil loss equation, the researchers have suggested two methods of deriving the slope steepness parameter. One method is having percentage slope term, while the other method is having sinθ as its term. In this paper, both the methods were analysed and compared in soil loss computation using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, over a Gangapur catchment area in India, having steep slopes. The soil loss rates derived were 0.98 million tonnes per year in case of steepness parameter derived by sinθ and 1.226 million tonnes per year in case of steepness parameter derived by percentage slope term. The observed rate of soil loss is 1.23 million tonnes per year. This methodology of soil loss estimation was also validated with similar catchment of Punegaon dam. It is concluded that for medium to steep terrain, percentage slope method estimates more accurate soil loss than other empirical methods for slope steepness estimation.

This paper investigates the robust stability problem for dynamical neural networks in the presence of time delays and norm-bounded parameter uncertainties with respect to the class of non-decreasing, non-linear activation functions. By employing the Lyapunov stability and homeomorphism mapping theorems together, a new delay-independent sufficient condition is obtained for the existence, uniqueness and global asymptotic stability of the equilibrium point for the delayed uncertain neural networks. The condition obtained for robust stability establishes a matrix-norm relationship between the network parameters of the neural system, which can be easily verified by using properties of the class of the positive definite matrices. Some constructive numerical examples are presented to show the applicability of the obtained result and its advantages over the previously published corresponding literature results. Publisher's Version

WOS; International audience; The modelling of the non-linear behaviour of ductile adhesives requires a large experimental database in order to represent accurately the strains which are strongly dependent on the tensile-shear loading combination. Various pressure-dependent constitutive models can be found in the literature, but only a few experimental results are available, for instance, to represent accurately the initial yield surface taking into account the two stress invariants, hydrostatic stress, and von Mises equivalent stress. This paper presents the possibility of combining the use of tests on bulk specimens and tests on bonded assemblies, which strongly limit the influence of the edge effects, with a pressure vessel especially designed to study the influence of hydrostatic stress. The latter allows pressures up to 100 MPa to be applied during mechanical testing. For a given strain rate of the adhesive, experimental results using various stress paths are presented in order to analyse the influence of the hydrostatic stress on the mechanical behaviour of an adhesive. The analysis of the results focuses herein on the modelling of the initial yield surface, but such results are also useful for the development of the flow rules in the case of 3D pressure-dependent models.

In this paper, we discuss a Birnbaum–Saunders distribution with an unknown shift parameter and apply it to wind energy modeling. We describe structural aspects of this distribution including properties, moments, mode and hazard and shape analyses. We also discuss estimation, goodness of fit and diagnostic methods for this distribution. A computational implementation in R language of the obtained results is provided. Finally, we apply such results to two unpublished real wind speed data from Chile, which allows us to show the characteristics of this statistical distribution and to model wind energy flux.

This paper presents a numerical study for the seismic assessment of a Portuguese building masonry typology - “Gaioleiro”. Numerical analysis was performed using a finite element model calibrated with experimental results obtained in 1:3 reduced scale tests carried out in the LNEC 3D shaking table. Non-linear dynamic analysis with time integration and pushover analysis are carried out. Using nonlinear dynamic analysis it was verified that the buildings of “gaioleiro” type with appropriate floor-wall connections are in the limit of their loading capacity. The pushover analyses performed in this study were incapable of simulating correctly the damage of the structure under seismic action., The authors are grateful to the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering for providing the experimental data for the shaking table tests. The present work is partly funded by FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), through project POCI/ECM/61671/2004, "Seismic vulnerability reduction of old masonry buildings'' and PhD grant SFRH/BD/32190/2006.