Search

The article determines main factors of the need for modern conditions of temporary setting aside trains from the traffic, which require consideration of this operation not as an emergency forced measure, the need for which arises because of operational personnel errors, but as one of the elements of the transportation process technology that require it rational organization. These factors are: formation of large unloading areas in seaports taking into account recurring difficulties in its work, technical equipment failures and traffic safety violations, daily irregularity of train operation, etc. Principles of building a rational strategy for temporary setting aside trains from traffic are considered. It makes provision for: using the capabilities of the operational area infrastructure as a whole for set aside trains, impermissibility of reducing the carrying capacity of previous sections of the difficult section below its carrying capacity as a result of set aside trains, selecting stations for set aside trains based on feasibility studies.Use of a cost-effective strategy for the temporary setting trains from traffic in the event of operational difficulties will minimize the expenses of the JSC “Russian Railways” related to the need to carry out this element of the transportation process technology.

Excessive fluoride in potable groundwater is a serious health problem in rural areas of many developing countries. The presence of a small amount of fluoride in potable water is beneficial to human health, but a high amount (>1.5 mg/L) has adverse effects. The present study is aimed to prepare a new cost-effective adsorbent of kaolin clay that can be used as a valuable defluoridating agent. Characterization of the prepared adsorbent was carried out using DSC, FTIR, TGA, and XRD. Also, the surface area of the adsorbent was measured by BET analysis. The clay was activated with concentrated H2SO4, and the effects of various experimental parameters such as temperature (25, 40, 50, and 60°C), pH (2, 4, 6, and 8), particle size (

In this technical brief, we investigate the feasibility to use a cost-effective system for the study of frictional losses in hydro- and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows. Experiments are performed in rectangular channels with different aspect ratios, whose dimensions range from 500 μm to 1.835mm. Fabrication is done with conventional technology, and characterization by commercial sensors and open-source electronic prototyping platforms. Water and GaInSn are used as working fluids. GaInSn experiments are performed for one aspect with and without external magnetic field. For these experiments, Reynolds number varies from 80 to 1000. Characterization is performed in terms of the Darcy friction factor. Uncertainty associated with this common fabrication and characterization methodology is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-sea shipping is one of the major polluters in the world. Unlike for smaller ships, there is currently no feasible and competitive alternative for deep-sea shipping. This fleet uses large, two-stroke engines running on heavy fuel oil (HFO), which in total produce more pollution than all of Germany combined. It is therefore desirable to find a better technology to power these large ships, and a thorium-based molten salt reactor (TMSR) is suggested here. Not only is this technology safe and clean, but it is also extremely powerful allowing these large vessels to run for years without refueling. The question is "What are the economics?" This paper will investigate the comparative costs of TMSR compared to the two-stroke HFO technology, including the uncertainties that exist. The purpose of the paper is to primarily provide a conceptual, economic feasibility study to provide an impetus for future research so that this power source can one day become a reality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cost-effective fabrication process is developed to improve the power performance of AlGaN/GaN High Electron Mobility Transistors (HEMTs). This process uses nitrogen ion (N+) implantation to form multiple parallel nanoribbons on AlGaN/GaN heterostructures, with a thin buffer layer (AlGaN/GaN NR-HEMTs). The stopping and range of ions in matter simulations of the N+ implantation combined with measured current-field characteristics reveal a good electrical isolation beneath the two-dimensional electron gas, resulting in substantial increase in the breakdown field of the NR-HEMTs, when compared to conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. The fabricated AlGaN/GaN NR-HEMTs performed (i) an ON/OFF current ratio more than two orders of magnitude larger and (ii) a buffer leakage current more than one order of magnitude weaker than that of the conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. The on-resistance, RON, and series resistance, RS, of AlGaN/GaN NR-HEMTs are both reduced by one order of magnitude when compared to those of the conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMTs. These have boosted the drive current density by up to 435%. Furthermore, we have found that the architecture of the AlGaN/GaN NR-HEMTs reduces the destructive impact of electron traps in the device. An optimized AlGaN/GaN NR-HEMT exhibited a better electrostatic integrity, a subthreshold slope of ∼210 mV/dec instead of 730 mV/dec for a conventional GaN HEMT. A higher linearity in the transconductance, gm, of NR-HEMTs is observed, twice of that of a conventional GaN HEMT. These results demonstrate the great interest of developed process technology of NR-HEMTs for high-power switching applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building integrated photovoltaic thermal (BIPV/T) systems offer a highly effective means of generating clean energy for both electricity and heating purposes in residential buildings. Hence, this article introduces a new BIPV/T system to optimally minimize the energy consumption of a household residential building. The meticulous design of the proposed BIPV/T system is accomplished through MATLAB/Simulink® dynamic modeling. Performance analysis for the BIPV/T system is performed under different seasonal conditions with in-depth techno-economic analyses to estimate the expected enhancement in the thermal, electrical, and economic performance of the system. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to explore the impact of various factors on the energetic and economic performances of the proposed BIPV/T system. More so, the two-layer feed-forward back-propagation artificial neural network modeling is developed to accurately predict the hourly solar radiation and ambient temperature for the BIPV/T. Additionally, a multi-objective optimization using the NSGA-II method is also conducted for the minimization of the total BIPV/T plant area and maximization of the total efficiency and net thermal power of the system as well as to estimate the optimized operating conditions for input variables across different seasons within the provided ranges. The sensitivity analysis revealed that higher solar flux levels lead to increased electric output power of the BIPV/T plant, but total efficiency decreases due to higher thermal losses. Moreover, the proposed NSGA-II shows a feasible method to attain a maximum net thermal power and optimal total efficiency of 5320 W and 63% with a minimal total plant area of 32.89 m2 that attained a very low deviation index from the ideal solution. The levelised cost of electricity is obtained as 0.10 $/kWh under the optimal conditions. Thus, these findings offer valuable insights into the potential of BIPV/T systems as a sustainable and efficient energy solution for residential applications.

Excessive fluoride in potable groundwater is a serious health problem in rural areas of many developing countries. The presence of a small amount of fluoride in potable water is beneficial to human health, but a high amount (>1.5 mg/L) has adverse effects. The present study is aimed to prepare a new cost-effective adsorbent of kaolin clay that can be used as a valuable defluoridating agent. Characterization of the prepared adsorbent was carried out using DSC, FTIR, TGA, and XRD. Also, the surface area of the adsorbent was measured by BET analysis. The clay was activated with concentrated H2SO4, and the effects of various experimental parameters such as temperature (25, 40, 50, and 60°C), pH (2, 4, 6, and 8), particle size (<0.075, 0.075–0.15, and 0.15–0.30 mm), contact time (30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 min), and dose of the adsorbents (0.5, 1, 1.5, 2.0, and 2.5 g) were investigated using a batch adsorption method. The specific surface area of raw and activated clay was found to be 10.598 m2/g and 5.258 m2/g, respectively. The optimum fluoride removal by both adsorbents was obtained at pH 4, temperature 50°C, particle size 0.075 mm, and 60 min. In both adsorbents, the degree of fluoride removal was increased with a decrease in the particle size of the adsorbent and increased contact time and dosage of the adsorbent. In all parameters, adsorption by activated clay was better than raw kaolin clay for retaining fluoride. The obtained data were well fitted with Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel arrangement for an electro-Fenton reactor aimed to treat neutral wastewater is presented. The arrangement consists on three-compartments in series, two of them packed with a cation exchange resin and one positioned between these, containing a polarized activated carbon column where the electrochemical generation of the Fenton reagent takes place. While the hydroxyl radicals electrochemically produced in-situ , react with the pollutant species adsorbed on the activated carbon cathode, the resin compartments administrate and collect the iron cation and the hydrated proton species in alternating flow direction cycles. The resulting process is a system that does not require acid or iron chemical addition to the process while at the same time, renders decontaminated water free of iron-dissolved species at neutral pH. The proposed electrochemical reactor arrangement is therefore the basis for the design of commercially viable electro-Fenton reactors in which the addition and subsequent removal of acid and iron chemicals is avoided; two of the currently most limiting features for the development of electro-Fenton technology for treating wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing demand for energy has led to the popularity of building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems. However, photovoltaic (PV) system efficiency decreases as the temperature increases. To address this issue, a study was conducted on a BIPV thermal (BIPVT) system, which can generate both thermal and electrical energy, to enhance its efficiency. In this study, for the cold weather in Tabriz city in Iran, BIPV and BIPVT systems are compared with each other in terms of energy, economy, exergy, and environment (4E) and the goal is to fully supply the thermal and electrical load of the desired building. The studied criteria are electrical power and heat recovery, payback time (PBT), exergy efficiency, and saved carbon dioxide (SCD) from the energy, economic, exergy, and environmental point of view, respectively. Finally, it is concluded that in cold weather, the BIPVT system can achieve a 7.15% improvement in produced power compared to the BIPV system and 52.2% of the building’s heating needs are provided. It also causes the exergy efficiency to improve by an average of 1.69% and saves 34.98 ton of carbon dioxide. The PBT of this study is calculated as 5.77 years for the BIPV system and 4.78 years for the BIPVT system.

The study revealed the development of cost effective technology utilized as a practical tool for treatment of seasonal torrent and addressing erosion problems and land use planning. Technology was implemented in a small agricultural watershed located in foot hill of Shivalik, India, to assess its prediction capacity of runoff, peak runoff flow and sediment yield. Cost effective technology was evaluated at the event scale by using a database of hydrological, geomorphologic and land use data collected during a two-year period. In the catchment, the gullies which are small to medium in size were treated with gully plugging by erecting loose boulder check dams and erected with different species of plants. Different types of spur were constructed with vegetative reinforcement for channelization of stream flow. The sediments deposited in the first year at downstream was recorded 0.09-81.0 tons, while in the second year it was reduced up to 0.07-16.7 tons. Similarly, up stream sediment deposition was recorded 1.0-72.0 tons and 0.37-13.1 tons in two consecutive years. The D-50 analysis of sediment deposited was carried in three different places of torrent and it was found that deposited particle size material decreased after treatment undertaken in the torrent bed. Therefore, the mechanical as well as vegetative measures helped in the channelization of water course towards the central line with the tune of 10-100 m, stabilization of torrent bed and reclamation of degraded land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for high-frequency (HF) measurements is a cutting-edge technology that has recently attracted attention. The measurements of far and near fields of antennas, mobile network tests, direction finding, and locating the sources of interference as well as radio-frequency (RF) imaging are a few of the HF applications of UAVs. In this article, we discuss the advantages and capabilities of UAVs for HF measurements as well as some recent progress in the use of UAVs for related types of applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Sweet sorghum is regarded as a very promising energy crop for ethanol production because it not only supplies grains and sugar, but also offers lignocellulosic resource. Cost-competitive ethanol production requires bioconversion of all carbohydrates in stalks including of both sucrose and lignocellulose hydrolyzed into fermentable sugars. However, it is still a main challenge to reduce ethanol production cost and improve feasibility of industrial application. An integration of the different operations within the whole process is a potential solution. Results An integrated process combined advanced solid-state fermentation technology (ASSF) and alkaline pretreatment was presented in this work. Soluble sugars in sweet sorghum stalks were firstly converted into ethanol by ASSF using crushed stalks directly. Then, the operation combining ethanol distillation and alkaline pretreatment was performed in one distillationreactor simultaneously. The corresponding investigation indicated that the addition of alkali did not affect the ethanol recovery. The effect of three alkalis, NaOH, KOH and Ca(OH)2 on pretreatment were investigated. The results indicated the delignification of lignocellulose by NaOH and KOH was more significant than that by Ca(OH)2, and the highest removal of xylan was caused by NaOH. Moreover, an optimized alkali loading of 10% (w/w DM) NaOH was determined. Under this favorable pretreatment condition, enzymatic hydrolysis of sweet sorghum bagasse following pretreatment was investigated. 92.0% of glucan and 53.3% of xylan conversion were obtained at enzyme loading of 10 FPU/g glucan. The fermentation of hydrolyzed slurry was performed using an engineered stain, Zymomonas mobilis TSH-01. A mass balance of the overall process was calculated, and 91.9 kg was achieved from one tonne of fresh sweet sorghum stalk. Conclusions A low energy-consumption integrated technology for ethanol production from sweet sorghum stalks was presented in this work. Energy consumption for raw materials preparation and pretreatment were reduced or avoided in our process. Based on this technology, the recalcitrance of lignocellulose was destructed via a cost-efficient process and all sugars in sweet sorghum stalks lignocellulose were hydrolysed into fermentable sugars. Bioconversion of fermentable sugars released from sweet sorghum bagasse into different products except ethanol, such as butanol, biogas, and chemicals was feasible to operate under low energy-consumption conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the article titled "Development of Kaolin Clay as a Cost-Effective Technology for Defluoridation of Groundwater" [[1]], Dr. Hayat Mohammed Kebede was missing from the author list, who contributed to conceiving, designing, and planning the study, in addition to obtaining, analyzing, and interpreting the data. The corrected author list is shown above. [Extracted from the article]

The Arctic region is greatly affected by climate change, with evident alterations in both physical and biological processes: temperatures are changing at a rate that is twice the global average and phytoplankton productivity is directly affected by ice melting. The continuous monitoring of this ecosystem is fundamental to understand the impact of changes on the natural environment, but the Global Ocean Observing System has a lack of coverage in these extreme areas, which are particularly difficult to reach. Technological progresses in oceanographic measurement capabilities are indispensable for the implementation of marine observatories, especially in these remote regions. In this context in the last years autonomous systems and cost-effective technologies have proved to be valuable tools for increasing the spatial and temporal coverage of data. In particular the innovative ArLoC (Artic Low-Cost) probe was designed and developed to be easily integrated into various types of platforms, enabling continuous measurement of temperature, pressure and fluorescence of chlorophyll a. This work reports the results of two scientific campaigns carried out in the Kongsfjorden (Svalbard Islands) in 2017 and 2018 in the framework of the UVASS (Unmanned Vehicles for Autonomous Sensing and Sampling) research project. The ArLoC probe was integrated onboard the PROTEUS (Portable RObotic TEchnology for Unmanned Surveys) unmanned semi-submersible vehicle which allowed to collect important data in the stretches of sea near the glacier fronts. The acquired data showed some fundamental effects of glacier melting such as: extreme temperature and salinity gradients that cause a strong variation on water masses stratification; increasing of turbidity and chlorophyll a concentrations that directly affects the primary productivity and the trophic chain. During the surveys ArLoC demonstrated to be an easily integrable and very reliable instrument that permitted to investigate, at high spatial resolution, ecological processes during glaciers melting as never studied before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we report a novel and powerful approach developed to lower the manufacturing costs of PSCs and make them powerful and cost-effective technology through identifying more efficient and low-cost dopant-free hole-transport materials (HTMs) for PSCs by avoiding the shotgun approach of synthesizing hundreds or thousands of HTMs, fabricate devices and characterize them to identify the best performing candidate(s). With these in mind, the primary objective of this study is to develop a machine learning model extracted from automated-quantitative structure–property relationship (autoQSPR) models that could accurately predict various photovoltaic properties, including power conversion efficiency (PCE), open-circuit photovoltage (VOC), and short-circuit photocurrent (JSC), of dopant-free HTM-based PSCs. High-efficacy AutoQSPR models capable of accurately predicting photovoltaic properties were developed by considering experimental photovoltaic property data sets from dopant-free HTMs used in the fabrication of PSCs with different architectures, e.g., conventional (n–i–p) and inverted (p–i–n), which are fabricated using methyl ammonium lead halides (MALHs) or mixed cation lead halides, were used to develop high efficacy autoQSPR models capable of accurate predictions of photovoltaic properties. The Schrodinger Suite was utilized to build autoQSPR models to predict PCE, VOC, and JSC utilizing different kinds of molecular descriptors such as 2D binary fingerprints, one dimensional (1D), two dimensional (2D), and three dimensional (3D). Notably, 2D binary fingerprint descriptors generate models that outperform 1D, 2D, and 3D molecular descriptors calculated using the well-known PaDEL calculator. The developed autoQSPR models were improved when the PSC configurations were considered and a significant predictive ability (test set Q2 > 0.5) was achieved for all autoQSPR models that involved the use of 2D binary fingerprint descriptors. The model confidence was validated by the utilization of dopant-free HTMs that were not present in the original dataset used to build the models. Furthermore, the most efficient models were used to propose potential HTM candidates to benefit the scientific community and scholars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chili fruits are a potential source of phytochemicals and nutrients for food and reconstituted products. Due to its high nutritional and bioactive components, the current study focused on developing chili instant food products employing hot-air drying method. The effect of the hot-air drying method on physicochemical properties, microbiological quality, retention of bioactive components, phytochemicals, antioxidant properties, and sensory quality of green and red chilies reconstitution products were investigated. HPLC quantification unveiled that fresh red chili product had retained the highest capsaicin (2703.14 µg/g) and dihydrocapsaicin (1518 µg/g) content on the 0th day. Furthermore, UPLC-MS confirmed the presence of eleven phenolic compounds such as gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, syringic acid, p-coumaric acid, protocatechuic acid, trans-cinnamic acid, ferulic acid, catechin, rutin, and quercetin. Among all, ferulic acid (382.91 µg/g) was the most abundant phenolic compound in fresh green chili products, followed by trans-cinnamic acid (73.19 µg/g) in green chili reconstituted and catechin (65.66 µg/g) in green and red chili reconstituted products. The chili products retained reasonable amounts of bioactive components and antioxidants during storage without microbial growth. The correlation analysis revealed a significant correlation between capsaicinoids, phenolic compounds, and antioxidant properties, which are linearly related in green chili products. This study offers manufacturers a cost-effective technology for producing high-quality chili-reconstituted products rich in essential nutrients and health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Managing defects in agricultural fruit processing is crucial for maintaining quality and sustainability in the fruit market. This study explores the use of edge devices, web applications, and machine vision algorithms to improve defect reporting and classification in the strawberry processing sector. A software solution was developed to utilize edge devices for detecting and managing strawberry defects by integrating web applications and machine vision algorithms. The study shows that integrating built-in cameras and machine vision algorithms leads to improved fruit quality and processing efficiency, allowing for better identification and response to defects. Tested in small organic and conventional strawberry processing enterprises, this solution digitizes defect-reporting systems, enhances defect management practices, and offers a user-friendly, cost-effective technology suitable for wider industry adoption. Ultimately, implementing this software enhances the organization and efficiency of fruit production, resulting in better quality control practices and a more sustainable fruit processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Adding unwanted toxic substances to water and soil degrades the quality of food and nutrients. The main cause of pollution on land and water surfaces is industrial discharge. Heavy metals found in industrial effluents include aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd). Chromium is considered one of the most perilous, poisonous, and carcinogenic heavy metals among them. The continuous use of these metals causes harm to the agro-biological system. Though the physical and chemical approaches are extremely expensive, ineffective and unsuitable for our environment but still are in use for getting rid of heavy metals. Research Method: The current analysis focuses on existing knowledge in the form of research papers available on google scholar and Scopus, issues associated with chromium pollution, such as its environmental, plant development, and human health toxicity as well as its prompt eradication through ornamental plants with high accumulation potential and contamination acceptance. Findings: There is a necessity for green and cost-effective technology for polluted soil and industrial wastewater. Phytoremediation has been considered the most encouraging and suitable green technique to remove contaminants in recent decades due to its low cost and environmental friendliness. Originality/ Value: Ornamental plants appear to be more viable options than edible crops and therapeutic plants as they provide several benefits, including heavy metal pollution removal, environmental embellishment with revenue generation and rare connection in the food chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventional electronic circuit wiring methods involve subtractive processes such as etching the copper foils, and thus are inefficient and cause serious environmental problems. Printed electronics technology is expected to be more environmentally benign and have lower cost, due to its additive characteristics. In this paper, we present a simple and efficient strategy to fabricate high performance copper metal fine circuits by a galvanic replacement deposition method. Zinc nanoparticles filled epoxy resin paste is printed onto the substrate film as the seed layer; with a subsequent simple galvanic replacement reaction between Zn and Cu2+, we can obtain a conductive Cu layer that can be further thickened by electroplating. The as-prepared circuits show bulk Cu conductivity, excellent flexibility, adhesion strength and pattern resolution. By adjusting the processing parameters, this technology is suitable for various practical applications, such as flexible circuit boards, RFID tags, touch panels, membrane switches, and photovoltaics, making it a promising solution for low-cost and environmentally friendly fabrication for flexible electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cloud computing is a popular, flexible, scalable, and cost-effective technology in the modern world that provides on-demand services dynamically. The dynamic execution of user requests and resource-sharing facilities require proper task scheduling among the available virtual machines, which is a significant issue and plays a crucial role in developing an optimal cloud computing environment. Round Robin is a prevalent scheduling algorithm for fair distribution of resources with a balanced contribution in minimized response time and turnaround time. This paper introduced a new enhanced round-robin approach for task scheduling in cloud computing systems. The proposed algorithm generates and keeps updating a dynamic quantum time for process execution, considering the available number of process in the system and their burst length. Since our method dynamically runs processes, it is appropriate for a real-time environment like cloud computing. The notable part of this approach is the capability of scheduling tasks with asymmetric distribution of burst time, avoiding the convoy effect. The experimental result indicates that the proposed algorithm has outperformed the existing improved round-robin task scheduling approaches in terms of minimized average waiting time, average turnaround time, and number of context switches. Comparing the method against five other enhanced round robin approaches, it reduced average waiting times by 15.77% and context switching by 20.68% on average. After executing the experiment and comparative study, it can be concluded that the proposed enhanced round-robin scheduling algorithm is optimal, acceptable, and relatively better suited for cloud computing environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. The low and middle‐income countries (LMICs) cover a major share of the global cancer burden; however, most of the LMICs including Nepal still lack national cancer control and prevention strategies. Since 1st January 2018, the Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC) started the population‐based cancer registry (PBCR) in urban, suburban, and rural regions to support evidence‐based cancer control intervention in each geographical region. Methods. Data regarding incidence and mortality was collected by the PBCR in Nepal. Indirect and direct methods were used to collect data from health facilities and communities, respectively. Registered cases of incidence and mortality from 1st January 2019 to 31st December 2019 were used. Each case was verified for correctness and duplication followed by residence confirmation via phone call. Guidelines and principles of the International Association of Cancer Registry were followed for the overall registration process including data quality control. Ethical approval was taken from the Ethical Review Board of the NHRC. Result. Age‐adjusted incidence (AAR) and mortality rates in Nepal were found 65.6 and 29 per 100,000 people, respectively. Every 1 in 14 men and 1 in 13 women were at risk of getting, and 1 in 28 men and 1 in 33 women were dying of cancer before age 75 in Nepal. The highest risk was found for lung cancer (1 in 80) followed by stomach and mouth among men, and in women, breast cancer (1 in 76) was the commonest among all followed by lung and cervix. Conclusion. Cancer has been growing as one of the major public health burdens in Nepal. Screening with cost‐effective technology, awareness, and vaccination against HPV should be a government priority including revision of treatment protocols for cancers that have higher mortality to prevent further preventable life loss from malignancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital elevation models (DEMs), which can provide an accurate description of planetary surface elevation changes, play an important role in scientific tasks such as long-distance path planning, terrain analysis, and planetary surface reconstruction. However, generating high-precision planetary DEMs currently relies on expensive equipment together with complex remote sensing technology, thus increasing the cost and cycle of the task. Therefore, it is crucial to develop a cost-effective technology that can produce high-quality DEMs on the surfaces of planets. In this work, we propose a global attention-based DEM generation network (GADEM) to convert satellite imagery into DEMs. The network uses the global attention mechanism (GAM) together with a multi-order gradient loss function during training to recover precise terrain. The experimental analysis on lunar and Martian datasets not only demonstrated the effectiveness and accuracy of GADEM in bright regions, but also showed its promising reconstruction ability in shadowed regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the GPS (Global Positioning System) and related advances have made it possible to conceive of an outdoor positioning system with great accuracy; however, for indoor positioning, more efficient, reliable, and cost-effective technology is required. There are a variety of techniques utilized for indoor positioning, such as those that are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, infrared, ultrasound, magnetic, and visual-marker-based. This work aims to design an accurate position estimation algorithm by combining raw distance data from ultrasonic sensors (Marvelmind Beacon) and acceleration data from an inertial measurement unit (IMU), utilizing the extended Kalman filter (EKF) with UDU factorization (expressed as the product of a triangular, a diagonal, and the transpose of the triangular matrix) approach. Initially, a position estimate is calculated through the use of a recursive least squares (RLS) method with a trilateration algorithm, utilizing raw distance data. This solution is then combined with acceleration data collected from the Marvelmind sensor, resulting in a position solution akin to that of the GPS. The data were initially collected via the ROS (Robot Operating System) platform and then via the Pixhawk development card, with tests conducted using a combination of four fixed and one moving Marvelmind sensors, as well as three fixed and one moving sensors. The designed algorithm is found to produce accurate results for position estimation, and is subsequently implemented on an embedded development card (Pixhawk). The tests showed that the designed algorithm gives accurate results with centimeter precision. Furthermore, test results have shown that the UDU-EKF structure integrated into the embedded system is faster than the classical EKF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Naphthalene is one of the priority pollutants in the environment which can effectively managed through bioremediation approach. Here fungal remediation of PAHs may be cost-effective technology. In present research study, biodegradation of naphthalene at varying concentrations in laboratory scale was investigated using Fusarium proliferatum WC416 isolated from refinery effluent. Degradation of naphthalene was computed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography -mass spectroscopy (GC–MS). The results show that Fusarium proliferatum WC416 has effectively degraded the naphthalene to salicylamide and salicylic acid. The highest degradation achieved was 83% for the concentration of 100 ppm followed 74% and 63% for the concentration of 250 ppm and 500 ppm respectively. The intermediates confirmed by GC–MS were salicylic acid (m/z identification 138) and salicylamide (m/z identification 137). During the study, fungal growth, COD, pH, and surface tension have been monitored, which show the continuous variation that indicates progressive biodegradation of naphthalene. The qualitative assessment of extracellular enzymes shows positive activity for lipase, manganese peroxidase, and laccase. The present study also assessed the biosurfactant production by fungus which was characterized as sophorolipid in nature. The study suggests that Fusarium proliferatum WC416 would be an efficient degrader of naphthalene for environmental clean-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strut-free retaining walls are an efficient and cost-effective technology for large-scale excavations, but their application at excavation depths of more than 10 m in soft soils has rarely been reported. An innovative multibench retaining system composed of an inclined–vertical framed retaining wall (IVFRW) and a cantilever wall with anchors was used in a 14.7-m-deep excavation in soft clay in Tianjin, China. To analyze the pile–soil interaction considering the influence of the second stepped excavation, indicators were monitored to provide comprehensive measured data. Field measurements included the lateral deflection and vertical displacement of the retaining wall, the ground water level variation, the ground settlement, and the axial force of the piles within the IVFRW. The measured results indicated that the wall displacements and the ground movements caused by the excavations were small in comparison to those of previous projects and empirical formulas. The influence of the second stepped excavation on the soil|structure interaction and its influence on the axial force of the IVFRW were analyzed. The optimal values of the first stepped excavation depth (H1) for different site conditions were further investigated. This case study reports an application of multibench excavation with IVFRW in a 14.7-m excavation in soft soil area. Compared with propped excavations, the multibench excavation with IVFRW has comparable wall deflection while greatly reducing the material consumption and the construction duration. In addition, the amount of pile wall and pile wall length is greatly reduced in comparison to conventional multibench excavations in similar soil condition and excavation depths. This case history provides an economic and efficient strategy for professional engineers to integrate a similar solution in design. During the excavation process, the compressive stress accumulated on the inclined piles within IVFRW restricting the displacement of retaining structure. Due to the second stepped excavation affecting the development of the axial force of the inclined piles, the optimal excavation depth H1/He varies. In engineering design, a width of earth berm should be first determined according to the available workspace. An optimal stepped excavation depth can then be chosen based on this study to achieve the best deformation performance or a minimum material consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have become a popular and cost-effective technology in urban scenarios, encompassing applications such as material transportation, aerial photography, remote sensing, and disaster relief. However, the execution of prolonged tasks poses a heightened challenge owing to the constrained endurance of UAVs. This paper proposes a model to accurately represent urban scenarios and an unmanned system. Restricted zones, no-fly zones, and building obstructions to the detection range are introduced to make sure the model is realistic enough. We also introduced an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) into the model to solve the endurance of the UAVs in this long-time task scenario. The UGV and UAVs constituted a heterogeneous unmanned system to collaboratively solve the path-planning problem in the model. Building upon this model, this paper designs a Three-stage Alternating Optimization Algorithm (TAOA), involving two crucial steps of prediction and rolling optimization. A three-stage scheme is introduced to rolling optimization to effectively address the complex optimization process for the unmanned system. Finally, the TAOA was experimentally validated in both synthetic scenarios and scenarios modeled based on a real-world location to demonstrate their reliability. The experiments conducted in the synthetic scenarios aimed to assess the algorithm under hypothetical conditions, while the experiments in the scenarios based on real-world locations provided a practical evaluation of the proposed methods in more complex and authentic environments. The consistent performance observed across these experiments underscores the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed approaches, supporting their potential applicability in various real-world scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continued industrial growth along with population growth is putting pressure on clean water supplies. Photocatalysis is an eco-friendly and cost-effective technology that can treat polluted water. As a visible-light-responsive photocatalyst, polymeric carbon nitride (CN) has shown significant potential for photocatalytic pollutant degradation. However, the fast charge recombination, slow charge transport and relatively large band gap restrict its photocatalytic performance. To overcome these challenges and develop a highly efficient photocatalyst, CN with robust visible-light photoactivity was solvothermally synthesised through defect engineering by carbon doping and surface vacancy modification. The additional carbon induces charge delocalization for enhancing charge tranfer and broadens the wavelength range of absorbance. The introduction of surface cyano functionality (–C≡N) not only enhances charge separation but also serves as electron-rich sites, thereby facilitating the generation of superoxide radicals. The controlled introduction of the C dopant and surface cyano group by simply introducing citric acid and varying the LiOH volume during synthesis demonstrated their synergy in optimising the electronic structure and the charge transport. As a consequence, there was a substantial generation of superoxide radicals when exposed to visible light (wavelengths > 420 nm), facilitating the efficient photodegradation of pollutants, such as tetracycline and Rhodamine B. Furthermore, the defect-engineered CN exhibited exceptional performance in the degradation of real-world wastewater. These findings underscore the promising potential of engineered CN for the advancement of visible-light-driven water purification technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor and indoor atmospheric pollution is one of the major problems that humanity continues to face. As a mitigation pathway, numerous technologies have been developed for air purification, including the use of fibrous filters. In this study, the particle capture efficiencies and pressure drops of air filters manufactured with cellulose pulp extracted from banana pseudostems were studied across three particle size ranges (PM10, PM2.5, and PM1). Two pretreatments were applied, alkaline with soda-antraquinone (alkali-treated pulp) and a subsequent bleaching process (bleached pulp), and four manufacturing processes were tested: crushing, freeze-drying, vacuum filtration, and pressing. In addition, a study varying filter grammage (70, 100, and 160 g·m−2) and pressing pressures (2, 4, 6, and 8 t) was also performed. After conducting these particle tests, the filter manufactured with bleached pulp, having a grammage of 160 g·m−2 and pressed at 4 t, was deemed the optimal individual solution. It demonstrated high particle retention efficiencies across all particle size ranges (with values exceeding 80%), a moderate pressure drop below 1000 Pa, and high thermal stability (degradation above 220 °C). However, combining freeze-drying and two-ton pressing processes yielded improved results (83% for the smallest particles and 89% for others) with approximately half the pressure drop. Based on these results, this study stands as a noteworthy contribution to waste valorization and the advancement of environmentally friendly materials for particle air filters. This is achieved through the adoption of simple and cost-effective technology, coupled with the utilization of 100% natural agricultural waste as the primary manufacturing material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon sequestration in forests has increasingly captured the attention of scientists as a strategy for climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability. In this era of huge carbon emissions, being a low-carbon and cost-effective technology, the economic analysis of forest carbon sequestration holds higher importance for the successful implementation and intended outcomes. This study elucidates a scientometric view of the research structure and thematic evolution of economic studies on forest carbon sequestration based on 1439 articles over the time slice of 2001–2021. The bibliographic data have been retrieved from the Dimensions database, which accommodates a large coverage of research publications and also provides easy access to essential scholarly data and information. Vosviewer and Biblioshiny software tools have opted for visualisation and evaluation purposes of bibliometric data. This study employs various measures of bibliometric analysis like co-authorship, bibliographic coupling, citation and keyword analysis to find out the principal articles, authors, journals, most frequent keywords and highest publishing countries and institutions in this field, and the results show that the number of publications has escalated substantially in the last five years, the most cited article and most productive author are Popp A, 2017 (305 citations) and André P C Faaij (11 documents), respectively, Bradford's law calculates 21 core journals out of total 503 journals, among which Forest Policy and Economics is at the top, and the most productive country and institution are the USA and University of Florida, respectively. The study also investigates key publishing subject categories, and the number of publications covered under each of the Sustainable Development Goals. The overall outcome of this bibliometric study confers an in-depth understanding of the various dimensions of economic analysis on forest carbon sequestration and its development pattern in the last 21 years and also provides emerging themes for future reference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation Transcriptomic long-read (LR) sequencing is an increasingly cost-effective technology for probing various RNA features. Numerous tools have been developed to tackle various transcriptomic sequencing tasks (e.g. isoform and gene fusion detection). However, the lack of abundant gold-standard datasets hinders the benchmarking of such tools. Therefore, the simulation of LR sequencing is an important and practical alternative. While the existing LR simulators aim to imitate the sequencing machine noise and to target specific library protocols, they lack some important library preparation steps (e.g. PCR) and are difficult to modify to new and changing library preparation techniques (e.g. single-cell LRs). Results We present TKSM, a modular and scalable LR simulator, designed so that each RNA modification step is targeted explicitly by a specific module. This allows the user to assemble a simulation pipeline as a combination of TKSM modules to emulate a specific sequencing design. Additionally, the input/output of all the core modules of TKSM follows the same simple format (Molecule Description Format) allowing the user to easily extend TKSM with new modules targeting new library preparation steps. Availability and implementation TKSM is available as an open source software at https://github.com/vpc-ccg/tksm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers and barriers of climate change mitigation strategies (CCMS), their linkages and impact in Indian Iron and Steel Industry (IISI) in light of ninth sustainable development goal (building resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation). Design/methodology/approach: To identify relevant drivers and barriers, a thorough literature review and opinions of industry experts were obtained. Utilizing Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM), the selected drivers and barriers were modeled separately along with Cross Impact Matrix-multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC). Findings: Pragmatic and cost-effective technology, less supply chain complexity, robust policy and legal framework were found to have the highest driving power over all the other drivers. Findings suggest political pressure as the most critical barrier in this study. The results from TISM and MICMAC analysis have been used to elucidate a framework for the understanding of policymakers and achieve top management commitment. Practical implications: This paper will help researchers, academicians, industry analysts and policymakers in developing a systems approach in prioritizing CCMS in energy-intensive (coal dependent) iron and steel plants. The model outcomes of this work will aid operational research to understand the working principles in other industries as well. Originality/value: To the best of authors' knowledge, there is paucity of reported literature for the drivers and barriers of CCMS in iron and steel industry. This paper can be considered a unique, first attempt to use data from developing nations like India to develop a model and explain relationships of the existing drivers and barriers of CCMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germination is a simple and cost-effective technology that enhances the technological, sensory, and nutritional potential of grains, making them more attractive for use in the food industry. Germinating indigenous seeds is an alternative to increase noticeability and add value to these grains, which hold social and economic significance in the regions where they are cultivated, such as creole purple pericarp corn (PPCC) from the Couto Magalhães de Minas region in Brazil. This study aimed to optimize the germination parameters of time (24–96 h) and temperature (18–32 °C) for PPCC to produce water-soluble extracts and bread. Endogenous enzymes resulting from the germination process significantly enhanced (p < 0.10) the technological (total reducing sugars, total soluble solids, and soluble proteins) and biological properties (γ-aminobutyric acid, total soluble phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity) of the water-soluble extracts. The optimum point for obtaining the extracts was found to be at 85.3 h at 30.46 °C (with desirability of 90.42%), and this was statistically validated. The incorporation of germinated PPCC flours into bread was also promising (p < 0.10) and had a positive impact on the dough property (dough volume increase) and the final product, especially in terms of instrumental texture (springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience), resulting in a softer texture (lower firmness and hardness). The addition of PPCC flours did not alter instrumental color parameters, which may lead to greater consumer acceptance due to imperceptible differences in color to untrained individuals, with the optimized point at 96 h at 29.34 °C, with a desirability of 92.60%. Therefore, germinated PPCC shows promise for use as a base for obtaining water-soluble extracts and in bread as a replacement for commercial flour improvers, while also adding value to a raw material that is part of the local culture and agrobiodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]