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This article presents problems related to the storage of building material samples and discusses the related requirements and standards. Solutions for containers to store material samples were proposed and tests were performed in accordance with the EN ISO 12570 standard to demonstrate that all the water that may have condensed during the samples' transport in the self-designed, closed container evaporates from the lid when unscrewed and placed under the container during the drying process. The aim of this study was to test the tightness of self-designed containers for transporting bulk samples. The drying efficiency at elevated temperatures in moisture tests for bulk material containers was determined and, finally, the influence of ambient conditions on a sample placed in a container for bulk material transport was estimated. The results confirmed that the designed container is vapour-tight and allows the collected material to be protected against evaporation during transport from the sampling site to the laboratory. Under extreme transport conditions, the water contained in the sample in a closed container partially evaporates from the material and condenses on the lid but this is taken into account when balancing the moisture of samples in the laboratory and does not falsify the readouts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelter is one of the most basic needs that emerged with the existence of humanity and is necessary for people to continue their lives. In addition to meeting physical needs, it also has social and cultural functions. Especially in the post-disaster process, it is essential to create temporary shelter units in the face of emerging problems. Since societies can be affected simultaneously in this process, needs must be met as quickly as possible. "Flexible container designs" are seen as a solution to this problem. Flexible container designs can provide significant advantages in meeting basic needs after a disaster and in terms of rapid intervention. The study aims to present flexible model suggestions that can be used to produce temporary shelter units. Because the production of temporary shelter units is essential in terms of flexibility due to reasons such as reusability, portability, limited design periods, etc. The study discusses the designs made by the students within the scope of the Structural System Information course of the Architecture Department of Gazi University Faculty of Architecture. The students were asked to produce solutions to problems such as the emergence of shelter needs for people after disasters, bringing containers to the need area, and serving different functions. The study reveals the value of the concepts of flexibility, portability, and modularity in the design of temporary shelter units through student designs; it emphasizes the importance of these concepts in design processes in both architectural education and architectural practices. The study will contribute to the development of innovative, flexible, and portable solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important issue in container nurseries is the production of seedlings of appropriate quality. These seedlings must meet specific biometric parameters and possess traits that ensure their suitability for later use in forest cultivation. One such traitis the ease of pulling the seedling out of the container cell, characterized by the pulling resistance. This resistance depends on many factors, including theseedling parameters, substrate, and container. In this work, a prototype measuring station was used to record seedling pull-out resistance as a function of their vertical displacement. Tests were conducted on 30 seedlings of each species: pine, beech, and oak. These were grown in polystyrene containers with cell volumes of 150 cm3 for pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and 300 cm3 for beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and oak (Quercus robur L.). Significant differences were observed in seedling extraction resistance between species, as well as between resistances associated with containers of different cell volumes. The maximum pull-out resistance of pine seedlingswas the lowest at 12.4 ± 8.58 N, followed by 22.5 ± 1.87 N for beech, and 33.5 ± 18.08 N for oak (extraction speed of 2.5 cm·s−1).Similarly, the total energy required to extract pine seedlings was 0.358 ± 0.196 J, compared to 0.502 ± 0.316 J for beech and 1.479 ± 0.774 J for oak. The pattern of pull-out resistance regardingvertical displacement was consistent across all species. A correlation was found between the maximum pull-out resistance and the total energy required to extract the seedlings, along with biometric parameters such as root collar diameter, shoot height, dry mass of seedling parts, root volume, the extent of root ball overgrowth, and the volumetric density of the substrate within the cell.These relationships should be considered when designing devices for the automatic extraction of seedlings from polystyrene containers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Chinese Medical Equipment Journal is the property of Chinese Medical Equipment Journal Editorial Office and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Today, with the increasing expansion of IoT devices and the growing number of user requests, processing their demands in computational environments has become increasingly challenging.The large volume of user requests and the appropriate distribution of tasks among computational resources often result in disordered energy consumption and increased latency. The correct allocation of resources and reducing energy consumption in fog computing are still significant challenges in this field. Improving resource management methods can provide better services for users. In this article, with the aim of more efficient allocation of resources and service activation management, the metaheuristic algorithm CSO (Cat Swarm Optimization) is used. User requests are received by a request evaluator, prioritized, and efficiently executed using the container live migration technique on fog resources. The container live migration technique leads to the migration of services and their better placement on fog resources, avoiding unnecessary activation of physical resources. The proposed method uses a resource manager to identify and classify available resources, aiming to determine the initial capacity of physical fog resources. The performance of the proposed method has been tested and evaluated using six metaheuristic algorithms, namely Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Ant Colony Optimization, Grasshopper Optimization algorithm, Genetic algorithm, Cuckoo Optimization algorithm, and Gray Wolf Optimization, within iFogSim. The proposed method has shown superior efficiency in energy consumption, execution time, latency, and network lifetime compared to other algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large container ships are the main means of maritime trade transportation, and transportation safety and efficiency directly affect global economic development. The complex maritime navigation conditions make it difficult to ensure the safety and efficiency of large container ships. In order to improve the safety and transportation efficiency of large container ships sailing at sea, a Maneuvering Motion Generator (MMG) is proposed. Based on the existing four degree of freedom model, a six degree of freedom ship maneuvering motion model is constructed to simulate and analyze the sea maneuvering of large container ships. The results showed that the constructed model accurately simulated the changes in pitch angle and roll angle during ship navigation, and the error between roll angle and pitch angle did not exceed 0.2°. When the relative wind direction was 120°, and the wind speed was 13m/s, wind interference had the greatest impact on ship navigation. At this time, the lateral deviation was more than 120m, and the heading deviation angle was more than 4°. When the wind speed was 16m/s, the influence of wind interference on the ship's heading was significantly reduced after the ship's steering, and the deviation angle reduced from 0.3° to almost no effect. The designed simulation model for large ship maneuvering compensates for the lack of upper and lower wave states in ship maneuvering simulation, accurately simulating the sea motion state of large ships. This result helps operators make optimal decisions in strong winds and other disruptive environments, improving the safety and efficiency of large ships navigating at sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

MPSP (Multi-Port Stowage Planning) is a problem to minimize the number of reloading that consumes time resources when loading and unloading containers from container ships. It is known as an NP problem because it has to satisfy the weight balance and various constraints as a result of loading and unloading. In this paper, we present a solution to the problem under the conditions of limiting the arrangement of containers to odd * odd numbers. Our method operates based on an optimal algorithm that always maintains the weight balance when shipping containers of the same size and the same weight under the above conditions. At this time, we present an algorithm that minimizes loading. Through simulation, we compared the FILO algorithm with our SGO algorithm and showed that the SGO algorithm can reduce the number of loading by more than 27.4% on average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shelter is one of the most basic needs that emerged with the existence of humanity and is necessary for people to continue their lives. In addition to meeting physical needs, it also has social and cultural functions. Especially in the post-disaster process, it is essential to create temporary shelter units in the face of emerging problems. Since societies can be affected simultaneously in this process, needs must be met as quickly as possible. "Flexible container designs" are seen as a solution to this problem. Flexible container designs can provide significant advantages in meeting basic needs after a disaster and in terms of rapid intervention. The study aims to present flexible model suggestions that can be used to produce temporary shelter units. Because the production of temporary shelter units is essential in terms of flexibility due to reasons such as reusability, portability, limited design periods, etc. The study discusses the designs made by the students within the scope of the Structural System Information course of the Architecture Department of Gazi University Faculty of Architecture. The students were asked to produce solutions to problems such as the emergence of shelter needs for people after disasters, bringing containers to the need area, and serving different functions. The study reveals the value of the concepts of flexibility, portability, and modularity in the design of temporary shelter units through student designs; it emphasizes the importance of these concepts in design processes in both architectural education and architectural practices. The study will contribute to the development of innovative, flexible, and portable solutions.

Ensuring the efficiency of railway transport in international traffic needs the development of combined transport systems. Container transportation is the most relevant among them. Containers are usually transported by rail on platform wagons. Along with this, the lack of platform wagons in operation makes it necessary to use other types of wagons for container transportation, such as open wagons. The fastening of containers in open wagons is carried out using pneumatic bags. To study the effectiveness of applying such a fastening scheme, the load of the container during transportation in an open wagon was determined. The conducted research will contribute to creating recommendations for improving rail transport operations' efficiency.

Traditional cloud architectures struggle to effectively allocate resources to container-based workloads due to fluctuating usage patterns and potential interference among multi-tenants. Conventional scheduling methods, which primarily rely on user-specified resource requests, often lead to over-provisioning and suboptimal resource utilization. Although efforts have been made to predict container resource usage and allocate resources more tightly than the full requests, such approaches typically fall short during sudden demand spikes, thus failing to meet Service Level Objectives (SLOs). In this article, we introduce a novel cloud resource prediction engine specifically designed to differentiate between online and batch jobs. Our engine prioritizes ensuring SLOs for online jobs where immediate responsiveness is crucial. Specifically, our approach employs a combination of genetic algorithms (GA) and Bayesian neural networks (BNN) to enhance the prediction accuracy of CPU and memory resources. Trained on real-world trace data, our model significantly outperforms traditional forecasting methods like ARIMA and exponential smoothing, especially in reducing the risk of under-prediction for online jobs. This not only ensures more efficient resource utilization but also improves adherence to SLOs without compromising performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In recent years, mobile applications have proliferated across domains such as E-banking, Augmented Reality, E-Transportation, and E-Healthcare. These applications are often built using microservices, an architectural style where the application is composed of independently deployable services focusing on specific functionalities. Mobile devices cannot process these microservices locally, so traditionally, cloud-based frameworks using cost-efficient Virtual Machines (VMs) and edge servers have been used to offload these tasks. However, cloud frameworks suffer from extended boot times and high transmission overhead, while edge servers have limited computational resources. To overcome these challenges, this study introduces a Microservices Container-Based Mobile Edge Cloud Computing (MCBMEC) environment and proposes an innovative framework, Optimization Task Scheduling and Computational Offloading with Cost Awareness (OTSCOCA). This framework addresses Resource Matching, Task Sequencing, and Task Scheduling to enhance server utilization, reduce service latency, and improve service bootup times. Empirical results validate the efficacy of MCBMEC and OTSCOCA, demonstrating significant improvements in server efficiency, reduced service latency, faster service bootup times, and notable cost savings. These outcomes underscore the pivotal role of these methodologies in advancing mobile edge computing applications amidst the challenges of edge server limitations and traditional cloud-based approaches.

With the development of new power systems, the protection and control tasks of distribution networks have become increasingly complex. When intelligent terminals are employed to handle these tasks, the requirements for balancing resource supply and demand have become move stringent. Therefore, a collaborative task allocation method for protection and control intelligent terminals (PCIT) in distribution networks considering elastic allocation of resources is proposed in this paper. Firstly, the technical architecture of multi-terminal collaboration is elaborated, and the container-based elastic resource model and task processing model within the terminal are established. Secondly, a two-layer model is proposed to optimize the cooperative assignment of protection control tasks among terminals and the elastic scheduling of resources. The implicit enumeration method is used to solve the model, so as to give full play to the flexibility of resources and improve the performance of task processing. Finally, the arithmetic example verifies the feasibility and advancement of the proposed method. The occupancy rate of computing resources of each intelligent terminal is reduced by about 28.85%, and the average processing delay of tasks is reduced by about 4.12%.

In the age of fast digital transformation, Docker containers have become one of the central technologies for flexible and scalable application deployment. However, this has opened a new dimension of challenges in security, which are skyrocketing with increased technology adoption. This paper discerns these challenges through a manifold approach: first, comprehensive static analysis by Trivy, and second, real-time dynamic analysis by Falco in order to uncover vulnerabilities in Docker environments pre-deployment and during runtime. One can also find similar challenges in security within the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, due to the huge number of devices connected to WiFi networks, from simple data breaches such as brute force attacks and unauthorized access to large-scale cyber attacks against critical infrastructure, which represent only a portion of the problems. In connection with this, this paper is calling for the execution of robust AWS cloud security solutions: IoT Core, CloudWatch, and GuardDuty. IoT Core provides a secure channel of communication for IoT devices, and CloudWatch offers detailed monitoring and logging. Additional security is provided by GuardDuty’s automatized threat detection system, which continuously seeks out potential threats across network traffic. Armed with these technologies, we try to build a more resilient and privacy-oriented IoT while ensuring the security of our digital existence. The result is, therefore, an all-inclusive work on security in both Docker and IoT domains, which might be considered one of the most important efforts so far to strengthen the digital infrastructure against fast-evolving cyber threats, combining state-of-the-art methods of static and dynamic analyses for Docker security with advanced, cloud-based protection for IoT devices.

Airport transshipment centers play a pivotal role in global logistics networks, enabling the swift and efficient transfer of cargo, which is essential for maintaining supply-chain continuity and reducing delivery times. The handling of irregularly shaped air cargo containers presents new constraints for automated guided vehicles (AGVs), as these shapes can complicate loading and unloading processes, directly impacting overall operational efficiency, turnaround times, and the reliability of cargo handling. This study focuses on optimizing the scheduling of AGVs to enhance cargo-handling efficiency at these hubs, particularly for managing irregular air cargo containers. A mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed, validated for feasibility with the Gurobi solver, and designed to handle large-scale operations. It incorporates a novel approach by integrating a simulated annealing optimized genetic algorithm (GA). The experimental results demonstrate that the designed algorithm can solve models of considerable size within 8 s, offering superior time efficiency compared to the solver, and an average solution quality improvement of 12.62% over the genetic algorithm, significantly enhancing both the model's efficiency and scalability. The enhanced AGV scheduling not only boosts operational efficiency but also ensures better integration within the global logistics framework. This research provides a robust foundation for future advancements in logistics technology, offering both theoretical and practical insights into optimizing complex transportation networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the flight dynamics and trajectory analysis of a parachute–payload system deployed from a C-17 aircraft. The aircraft is modeled with an open cargo door, extended flaps, and four turbo-fan engines operating at an altitude of 2000 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) and an airspeed of 150 knots. The payloads consist of simplified CONEX containers measuring either 192 inches or 240 inches in length, 9 feet in width, and 5.3 feet in height, with their mass and moments of inertia specified. At positive deck angles, gravitational forces cause these payloads to begin a gradual descent from the rear of the aircraft. For aircraft at zero deck angle, a ring-slot parachute with approximately 20% geometric porosity is utilized to extract the payload from the aircraft. This study specifically employs the CREATE-AV Kestrel simulation software to model the chute-payload system. The extraction and suspension lines are represented using Kestrel's Catenary capability, with the extraction line connected to the floating confluence points of the CONEX container and the chute. The chute and payload will experience coupled motion, allowing for an in-depth analysis of the flight dynamics and trajectory of both elements. The trajectory data obtained will be compared to that of a payload (without chute and cables) exiting the aircraft at positive deck angles. An adaptive mesh refinement technique is applied to accurately capture the engine exhaust flow and the wake generated by the C-17, chute, and payloads. Friction and ejector forces are estimated to align the exit velocity and timing with those recorded during flight testing. The results indicate that the simulation of extracted payloads aligns with expected trends observed in flight tests. Notably, higher deck angles result in longer distances from the ramp, leading to increased exit velocities and reduced payload rotation rates. All payloads exhibit clockwise rotation upon leaving the ramp. The parachute extraction method yields significantly higher exit velocities and shorter exit times, while the payload-chute acceleration correlates with the predicted drag of the chute as demonstrated in prior studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper evaluated deployment efficiency by comparing manual deployment with automated deployment through a CI/CD pipeline using Jenkins. This study involved moving from a manual deployment process to an automated system using Jenkins and experimenting with both deployment methods in a real-world environment. The results showed that the automated deployment system significantly reduced the deployment time compared to manual deployment and significantly reduced the error rate. Manual deployment required human intervention at each step, making it time-consuming and prone to mistakes, while automated deployment using Jenkins automated each step to ensure consistency and maximized time efficiency through parallel processing. Automated testing verified the stability of the code before deployment, minimizing errors. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of adopting a CI/CD pipeline and shows that automated systems can provide high efficiency in real-world production environments. It also highlights the importance of security measures to prevent sensitive information leakage during CI/CD, suggesting the use of secrecy management tools and environment variables and limiting access rights. This research will contribute to exploring the applicability of CI/CD pipelines in different environments and, in doing so, validate the universality of automated systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In container transportation by sea, it is crucial to define the transshipment design. Liner operators aim not only to reduce operational costs but also to maximize customer satisfaction. Therefore, selecting a transshipment hub port becomes paramount for achieving efficient transshipment capabilities. The study aims to propose an alternative approach to determine the best transshipment hub port for a northbound container ship entering the Eastern Mediterranean basin through the Suez Channel. The proposed model evaluates the container ports with a novel quantitative method. The choice criteria were weighted with the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method and numerical data acquired with various scientific methods regarding each criterion was used to rank the alternatives based on TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solutions). Additionally, to generate data and utilize it as a criterion a cross-sectional efficiency snapshot regarding the evaluated container ports was also taken using the bootstrap DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis). Thus, as a decision-maker, the line operator can determine the transshipment port quickly using an easily applicable method upon determining the port calls and the schedules. The findings imply that connectivity is the most important criterion for transshipment hub port choice for containerized goods. The location was also considered important for this choice, but to improve transshipment function, the proper way may be to draw beneficial strategies on maritime connectivity. Conversely, capital investments such as superstructure improvement were found to be less critical for an attractive transshipment hub. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In container clouds, application and resource scheduling has always been a key focus of cluster management. One of the active explorations in the industry is how to improve resource utilization while ensuring application service quality. This paper proposed a lightweight microservice application scheduling framework for container cloud environments. This framework designed a non-intrusive network call observation method and defined affinity, hot value (HV), and hot path(HP) based on observation and monitoring data to guide scheduling decisions. To balance resource utilization and application of QoS, the framework proposed the ESC mechanism in the vertical direction of scheduling and considered microservice affinity in the horizontal direction. Furthermore, it designed the DOAS to alleviate the QoS degradation of applications. Experimental results show that compared with the mainstream Kubernetes native scheduling tool, this framework improves resource utilization by 21% while reducing end-to-end application latency by 23%, achieving a balance between resource utilization and QoS application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archaeological work leaves material histories, from archival notes to containers that used to store artifacts. Rarely, however, are these containers preserved or valued as technologies that codified and organized archaeological information. This paper analyzes a collection of matchboxes that were formerly used as artifact containers in a 1940s excavation in Coahuila, Mexico. The matchboxes, never formally accessioned and yet still saved by collections staff, are housed In the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) Museum Support Center. By tracing the labor regimes the matchboxes passed through, the specimens they once contained, and the hands that used them in a multitude of ways, this project uses the matchboxes' microhistories to reveal how archaeological containers influenced archaeological science. This research argues for a treatment of the matchboxes as artifacts themselves, worthy of formal accession and of value for their role in the history of archaeological science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China accounted for 14.4% of the global exports of goods, ranking first in 2022, followed by the United States at 8.3%. As the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development commented, China has become a global trade titan, and its meteoric rise as perhaps one of the best stories of economic development has been both admired and questioned. This article discusses the reasons behind China becoming a global trade titan from the perspective of transport logistics by applying statistical analysis and case studies. The results show that the meteoric rise of China's trade is inseparable from China's development in transport logistics, especially investments in maritime transport construction and China Railway Express, which hugely promote the interconnectivity of transport infrastructure and reduce transportation duration and waiting time, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the imbalance of types of imports and exports in trade and the differences in infrastructure standards pose some problems. The research manages to give policy implications based on the existing problems of the current trade logistics system through case studies on Sino-US, Sino-EU and Sino-ASEAN trade relations and transport facilitation issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, mobile applications have proliferated across domains such as E-banking, Augmented Reality, E-Transportation, and E-Healthcare. These applications are often built using microservices, an architectural style where the application is composed of independently deployable services focusing on specific functionalities. Mobile devices cannot process these microservices locally, so traditionally, cloud-based frameworks using cost-efficient Virtual Machines (VMs) and edge servers have been used to offload these tasks. However, cloud frameworks suffer from extended boot times and high transmission overhead, while edge servers have limited computational resources. To overcome these challenges, this study introduces a Microservices Container-Based Mobile Edge Cloud Computing (MCBMEC) environment and proposes an innovative framework, Optimization Task Scheduling and Computational Offloading with Cost Awareness (OTSCOCA). This framework addresses Resource Matching, Task Sequencing, and Task Scheduling to enhance server utilization, reduce service latency, and improve service bootup times. Empirical results validate the efficacy of MCBMEC and OTSCOCA, demonstrating significant improvements in server efficiency, reduced service latency, faster service bootup times, and notable cost savings. These outcomes underscore the pivotal role of these methodologies in advancing mobile edge computing applications amidst the challenges of edge server limitations and traditional cloud-based approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the age of fast digital transformation, Docker containers have become one of the central technologies for flexible and scalable application deployment. However, this has opened a new dimension of challenges in security, which are skyrocketing with increased technology adoption. This paper discerns these challenges through a manifold approach: first, comprehensive static analysis by Trivy, and second, real-time dynamic analysis by Falco in order to uncover vulnerabilities in Docker environments pre-deployment and during runtime. One can also find similar challenges in security within the Internet of Things (IoT) sector, due to the huge number of devices connected to WiFi networks, from simple data breaches such as brute force attacks and unauthorized access to large-scale cyber attacks against critical infrastructure, which represent only a portion of the problems. In connection with this, this paper is calling for the execution of robust AWS cloud security solutions: IoT Core, CloudWatch, and GuardDuty. IoT Core provides a secure channel of communication for IoT devices, and CloudWatch offers detailed monitoring and logging. Additional security is provided by GuardDuty's automatized threat detection system, which continuously seeks out potential threats across network traffic. Armed with these technologies, we try to build a more resilient and privacy-oriented IoT while ensuring the security of our digital existence. The result is, therefore, an all-inclusive work on security in both Docker and IoT domains, which might be considered one of the most important efforts so far to strengthen the digital infrastructure against fast-evolving cyber threats, combining state-of-the-art methods of static and dynamic analyses for Docker security with advanced, cloud-based protection for IoT devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Electric Power Engineering Technology is the property of Editorial Department of Electric Power Engineering Technology and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Summary: Los Alamos National Laboratory has deployed (over the last year and a half) a pair of Cray Shasta machines—a development testbed named Guaje and and production machine named Chicoma, which will soon comprise the bulk of LANL's open science research computing portfolio. In the process, we have encountered a number of problems and challenges in several realms—authentication and authorization, cluster health management, image management, and configuration management. Both independently and in collaboration with Cray/HPE, we have found solutions and brought the system into stable production. The presentation will discuss the solutions and how they came about, and issues we are working to resolve in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The closed architecture of modern control systems impedes them from further development in the environment of the industrial IoT. The open control system is proposed to tackle this issue. Numerous open control prototypes have been proposed, but they do not reach high openness. According to the definition and criteria of open control systems, this paper suggests that the independence between control tasks and the independence between control tasks and infrastructures are the keys to the open control system under the industrial IoT. Through the control domain's formal description and control task virtualization to deal with the keys, this paper proposes a new method to implement open control systems under the industrial IoT. Specifically, given the hybrid characteristic of the control domain, a hierarchical semantic formal based on an extended finite state machine and a dependency network model with the time property is designed to describe the control domain. Considering the infrastructure's heterogeneity in the industrial IoT, a hybrid virtualization approach based on containers and WebAssembly is designed to virtualize control tasks. The proposed open control system implementation method is illustrated by constructing an open computer numerical control demonstration and compared to current open control prototypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a containerized development platform suitable for developing and validating advanced microgrids (MGs). Through a collaborative effort involving the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) within the technical-scientific research project titled Minirrede Oasis-UFMG and the State and Federal government, the Tesla containerized MG emerges as a physical simulation tool on advanced MG projects in both islanded and grid-connected operating modes. Installed at the Tesla Laboratory located in the UFMG School of Engineering, Brazil, Tesla MG is composed of (i) eleven distributed energy resources (DERs), which supply around 33 kW; (ii) one single-phase gas-driven synchronous generator (SG), with a power rating of 11 kW; (iii) one 7.5 kW three-phase diesel-driven SG; and (iv) 30 kVA 4-quadrant programmable AC load and source. All these devices are commercially available off-the-shelf equipment. Photovoltaic modules and different battery technologies are installed outside and inside the container, respectively, with cabling extending to the container to connect these components to the inverters. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platforms for real-time simulations (i.e., Opal RT OP5700 and Typhoon HILs 402 and 604) are also available to support MG research. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the capabilities of the Tesla MG, specifically focusing on inverter features, power dispatchability in grid-connected mode, and proper operation in islanded mode.

In this study, the dynamic response of a semi-buried steel vessel under a near-surface explosion shock load was investigated through full-scale model tests. A three-dimensional precise numerical simulation model of the semi-buried steel vessel structure was established, and the dynamic response and damage consequences under different load conditions were analyzed. The influence of the thickness of corrugated steel on the dynamic damage and antiknock properties of the structure was studied. The results show that the weak part of the rectangular steel vessel structure is mainly located at the connection between the blast-facing panel and the beam column under near-surface explosion conditions. The peak stress and displacement of the blasting surface decrease with the increase in the horizontal angle of the incident wave, whilst/while increase with the height of the explosion. Under the same explosive yield, the main failure mode of the structure is the tearing of the plate and beam under plastic deformation. Increasing the thickness of the corrugated steel can significantly restrain the plastic deformation and acceleration of the plate. When the thickness is increased from 2 mm to 6 mm, the antiknock performance is significantly improved. However, when the thickness is increased from 6 mm to 8 mm, the improvement in antiknock performance slows down. Increasing the height of the enclosing soil can also effectively improve the explosion-proof performance of the structure, with full burial providing the best effect. The research results provide a theoretical basis for the application of rectangular steel vessel structures in the field of protection engineering.

This paper contributes to the literature by deriving upper and lower bounds on the fuel consumption in container shipping. The bounds are derived from sailing distances, port times, and the possible arrival times at ports/ the berth windows negotiated between the ocean carrier and the port operators. Crucially, the derived bounds can be used in conjunction with any of the common fuel consumption functions proposed in the literature. This latter is especially important since currently there is no consensus on a specific functional form for the fuel consumption function. The behavior of the bounds will be illustrated with numerical examples.

Abstract As the demand for container technology and platforms increases due to the efficiency of IT resources, various workloads are being containerized. Although there are efforts to integrate various workloads into Kubernetes, the most widely used container platform today, the nature of containers makes it challenging to support persistence for memory-centric workloads like in-memory databases. In this paper, we discuss the drawbacks of one of the persistence support methods used for in-memory databases in a Kubernetes environment, namely, the data snapshot. To address these issues, we propose a compromise solution of using container checkpoints. Through this approach, we can perform checkpointing without incurring additional memory usage due to CoW, which is a problem in fork-based data snapshots during snapshot creation. Additionally, container checkpointing induces up to 7.1 times less downtime compared to the main process-based data snapshot. Furthermore, during database recovery, it is possible to achieve up to 11.3 times faster recovery compared to the data snapshot method.

As the demand for container technology and platforms increases due to the efficiency of IT resources, various workloads are being containerized. Although there are efforts to integrate various workloads into Kubernetes, the most widely used container platform today, the nature of containers makes it challenging to support persistence for memory-centric workloads like in-memory databases. In this paper, we discuss the drawbacks of one of the persistence support methods used for in-memory databases in a Kubernetes environment, namely, the data snapshot. To address these issues, we propose a compromise solution of using container checkpoints. Through this approach, we can perform checkpointing without incurring additional memory usage due to CoW, which is a problem in fork-based data snapshots during snapshot creation. Additionally, container checkpointing induces up to 7.1 times less downtime compared to the main process-based data snapshot. Furthermore, during database recovery, it is possible to achieve up to 11.3 times faster recovery compared to the data snapshot method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare (AHAW) was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the use of high‐expansion foam for stunning and killing pigs and poultry. A dossier was provided by the applicant as the basis for an assessment of the extent to which the method is able to provide a level of animal welfare at least equivalent to that ensured by the currently allowed methods for pigs and poultry. According to legislation, to be approved in the EU, new stunning methods must ensure (1) the absence of pain, distress or suffering until the onset of unconsciousness, and (2) that the animal remains unconscious until death. An ad hoc Working Group set up by EFSA performed the assessment as follows: (1) The data provided were checked against the criteria laid down in the EFSA Guidance (EFSA, 2018), and was found to partially fulfil those criteria; (2) extensive literature search; (3) data extraction for quantitative assessment; (4) qualitative exercise based on non‐formal expert elicitation. The assessment led to conclude that it is more likely than not (certainty > 50%–100%) that high‐expansion foam for stunning and killing pigs and poultry, named NEFS in container (Nitrogen Expansion Foam Stunning in container), provides a level of welfare at least equivalent to one or more of the currently allowed methods listed in Annex I of Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009. The overall assessment of EFSA is valid only under the technical conditions described in this Opinion for laying hens, broiler chickens of all age and pigs weighing 15–41 kg in situations other than slaughter. The overall assessment of EFSA is that NEFS can be suitable for depopulation using containers for pig and poultry farms respecting the technical conditions and the categories and types of animals defined in this Scientific Opinion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, with the development of science and technology, as well as the increase of important data and transactions, maintaining these data and transactions has become a big challenge. On the one hand, their maintenance cost is a very important issue for organizations and companies, and on the other hand, their security and safety is a very important and sensitive issue because the occurrence of software faults, especially Byzantine faults, hardware faults and cyber-attacks, threaten data and transactions and the safety of systems. Therefore, researchers are trying to provide solutions that can provide the best service at the lowest cost according to the pay-as-you-go law and can maintain the security and health of data in the event of a fault. One of the most important techniques presented to increase fault tolerance in distributed systems is the use of replication methods, which besides being costly, have many problems. In this article, blockchain technology is used to achieve goals such as increasing reliability and availability, reducing resources, reducing costs, and increasing fault tolerance, especially Byzantine faults, and has achieved very good results compared to other methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bohai Rim region constitutes the third prominent "growth pole" in China's economic landscape, wherein the Bohai Rim multi-port system, encompassing Tianjin Port, Dalian Port, and Qingdao Port, engages in intense competition to establish itself as the foremost shipping hub in northern China. This study compares the ternary diagram method and employs the comprehensive concentration index (CCI), Lerner index (LI), and spatial shift-share analysis (SSSA) methods to delve into the intricacies of concentration, inequality, and evolving competitive dynamics within the Bohai Rim multi-port system over the four decades spanning from 1981 to 2023. The aim is to analyze the evolutionary trajectory and underlying dynamic mechanisms of this multipartite port system. The analysis delineates the development trajectory of the system into three stages: the dominant stage of Tianjin Port from 1981 to 1990, the efficiency competition stage from 1991 to 1996, and the ascendancy of Qingdao Port from 1997 to 2023. The results indicate that: (i) the Bohai Rim multi-port system exhibits a relatively low level of concentration, ensuring balanced growth within a non-monopolistic competitive environment; (ii) the internal competitiveness of the Bohai Rim multi-port system has gradually shifted from Tianjin Port to Qingdao Port, with Dalian Port experiencing steady development in its container transport capabilities. (iii) Dalian Port has witnessed a decline in container throughput since 2015, indicating a weakening competitive posture. These revelations suggest that Qingdao Port is a viable candidate for development into the northern China shipping center, leveraging its increasing competitiveness and strategic location. The method applied in this study may also prove beneficial for similar multi-port systems elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent development in cloud computing has introduced serverless technology, enabling the convenient and flexible management of cloud-native applications. Typically, the Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) solutions rely on serverless backend solutions, such as Kubernetes (K8s) and Knative, to leverage the advantages of resource management for underlying containerized contexts, including auto-scaling and pod scheduling. To take the advantages, recent cloud service providers also deploy self-hosted serverless services by facilitating their on-premise hosted FaaS platforms rather than relying on commercial public cloud offerings. However, the lack of standardized guidelines on K8s abstraction to fairly schedule and allocate resources on auto-scaling configuration options for such on-premise hosting environment in serverless computing poses challenges in meeting the service level objectives (SLOs) of diverse workloads. This study fills this gap by exploring the relationship between auto-scaling behavior and the performance of FaaS workloads depending on scaling-related configurations in K8s. Based on comprehensive measurement studies, we derived the logic as to which workload should be applied and with what type of scaling configurations, such as base metric, threshold to maximize the difference in latency SLO, and number of responses. Additionally, we propose a methodology to assess the scaling efficiency of the related K8s configurations regarding the quality of service (QoS) of FaaS workloads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aiming at the problem that the existing trusted container framework lacks key protection, a trusted container hierarchical key management (TCKM) method based on the trusted platform module is proposed. The hardware TPM and the container key block are bound by the hierarchical key management mechanism to protect the security of the generation and storage stage of the container key block. When the key is used, the container attribute is verified through the key authorization value, so that only the specified container that meets certain attributes can obtain and use the key, preventing the theft of the container key block, and realizing the secure use of the key. Finally, the encryption method combining kernel and hardware TPM is adopted to improve the efficiency of data protection based on TCKM key management method. The TCKM key management method is implemented and evaluated based on Docker18.09. The results show that the mechanism can effectively protect the security of the key and the confidentiality of the file data in the container. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While athletes are at increased risk for developing disordered eating, there is little consensus on the most effective treatment. While behavioral and cognitive behavioral approaches are most commonly used, we propose that psychoanalysis has the potential to revolutionize treatment for athletes with eating disorders (EDs). In this paper, we use the theories of Winnicott and Bion to frame our arguments, proposing that psychic overwhelm resulting from impingement as well as failures in containment may drive an individual to concretize their emotional and relational experiences through the body via EDs and sport. While historically sport and athletic involvement have been thought to perpetuate and maintain EDs, we propose that sport participation may also provide a unique path to ED recovery for athletes, a claim that is consistent with recent recommendations. Sport involvement may serve as a bridge to facilitate the process of emotion regulation, psychic symbolization, and self-reflection that is necessary for ED recovery. Through the facilitative function of a containing, therapeutic relationship, one may feel safe enough to practice curiosity and creatively explore the metaphor and meaning behind one's concrete relationship to food and sport, paving the way to recovery from EDs for athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing environmental and economic concerns necessitate the research for peat moss alternatives, aiming to balance ecological sustainability with cost-effectiveness. This study assessed whether biochar (BC) and hydrafiber (HF) could be a partial replacement for peat moss as substrate components. Twelve substrates were formulated by either mixing BC (20%, 40%, and 60%, by vol.) with HF (20%, 40%, and 60%, by vol.), with the remaining being peat moss or mixing BC (0%, 20%, 40%, and 60%, by vol.) with the commercial substrates (CS) to grow zinnia (Zinnia elegans) and snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) plants in containers. The physical properties of the substrates, including container capacity, total porosity, air space, bulk density, and chemical properties including leachate pH and electrical conductivity (EC) were measured. Plant growth parameters including growth index (GI) and leaf greenness (indicated with SPAD), biomass, and number of flowers were measured biweekly. The results showed all the substrate mixes had similar air space, bulk density, and SPAD. Treatment with 20% BC and 80% CS yielded the highest GI, biomass, and numbers of flowers in both zinnia and snapdragon. In conclusion, BC could be used to partially (20%) replace commercial substrate mix for container-grown zinnia and snapdragon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of establishing fruit orchards has traditionally been attributed to the vigor of the nursery plant used. This study aimed to evaluate the post-transplant survival, canopy growth and fruit productivity of two sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.) cultivars ('Lapins'/'Colt' and 'Regina'/'Gisela 12') with different radicular basal volumes of 100%, 50% and 25% and nursery plant types: (i) bare root (BR) or (ii) bagged (B). The initial stem diameter of the plants ranged from 12 to 19 mm, and their height ranged from 1.4 to 1.8 m. Plants grafted onto 'Colt' rootstock exhibited twice the initial root volume compared to those grafted onto 'Gisela 12'. Evaluations were carried out in three commercial orchards during three seasons in the Central Valley of Chile. The results indicated that root volume and nursery type did not affect plant survival and productivity. For 'Regina'/'Gisela 12', only the bag treatment resulted in less trunk cross-sectional area (TCSA) and shoot length, and for 'Lapins'/'Colt', the BR25 treatment showed a lower initial TCSA than other treatments, although without a negative effect on yield. Hence, the presumption about the influence of root volume and plant type on the successful establishment of a sweet cherry on 'Colt' and 'Gisela 12' rootstock can be discarded. The survival, growth and precocity of the orchard depend more on post-planting conditions and water management than on the number or type of nursery plant roots. It is important to prioritize proper post-planting care and water management for optimal orchard health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) and spent nuclear fuel (SF) presents a unique challenge for the prediction of the long-term performance of corrodible structures since HLW/SF containers are expected, in some cases, to have lifetimes of one million years or longer. Various empirical and deterministic models have been developed over the past 45 years for making predictions of long-term corrosion behaviour, including models for uniform and localised corrosion, environmentally assisted cracking, microbiologically influenced corrosion, and radiation-induced corrosion. More recently, fracture-mechanics-based approaches have been developed to account for joint mechanical–corrosion degradation modes. Regardless of whether empirical or deterministic models are used, it is essential to be able to demonstrate a thorough mechanistic understanding of the corrosion processes involved. In addition to process models focused on specific corrosion mechanisms, there is also a need for performance-assessment models as part of the overall demonstration of the safety of a deep geological repository. Performance-assessment models are discussed in Part 2 of this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The unbridled growth of industrial fields and civil construction has caused serious environmental impacts, which can be mitigated and repaired with the aim of raising awareness among the population about environmental conservation. Civil construction has a direct influence on natural resources and, therefore, is a subject to be studied to improve the quality of life. Sustainable Construction has been the focus of many studies due to global concern regarding the environment. Cargo containers are a versatile material for use in a variety of applications. Due to their low cost, durability, quick construction, portability and ease of assembly, they are widely used to build post-disaster houses, military operations and conventional homes. These structures are seen as a sustainable architectural alternative, as they are recyclable, but the vast majority end up being discarded in port warehouses even though their useful life has not been exhausted, as sending them back to their place of origin is more expensive than purchasing new ones. a new. The general objective was to describe the efficiency of container housing, with a view to sustainable development. This study was carried out through an integrative review. The results indicate that this construction is fast, clean and sustainable, reducing the amount of construction waste and having less impact on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application-layer distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks incapacitate systems by using up their resources, causing service interruptions, financial losses, and more. Consequently, advanced deep-learning techniques are used to detect and mitigate these attacks in cloud infrastructures. However, in mobile edge computing (MEC), it becomes economically impractical to equip each node with defensive resources, as these resources may largely remain unused in edge devices. Furthermore, current methods are mainly concentrated on improving the accuracy of DDoS attack detection and saving CPU resources, neglecting the effective allocation of computational power for benign tasks under DDoS attacks. To address these issues, this paper introduces SecEG, a secure and efficient strategy against DDoS attacks for MEC that integrates container-based task isolation with lightweight online anomaly detection on edge nodes. More specifically, a new model is proposed to analyze resource contention dynamics between DDoS attacks and benign tasks. Subsequently, by employing periodic packet sampling and real-time attack intensity predicting, an autoencoder-based method is proposed to detect DDoS attacks. We leverage an efficient scheduling method to optimize the edge resource allocation and the service quality for benign users during DDoS attacks. When executed in the real-world edge environment, our experimental findings validate the efficacy of the proposed SecEG strategy. Compared to conventional methods, the service rate of benign requests increases by 23% under intense DDoS attacks, and the CPU resource is saved up to 35%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]