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The recognition a material quality is considered as a process of finding out the constituent material present in an object and it is regarded as a vital part in various applications. Hence, it is considered as a valuable approach for the creation of a system that possesses the ability to achieve recognition of a material. In this paper, we develop a mechanism using convolutional neural networks (CNNs) for material recognition. The CNN model initially trains itself with the features extracted from the image samples. Finally, the classification is carried out with CNN model that learn the classes obtained via CNN of different category of materials. The experimental validation is conducted to test the accuracy of CNN classifiers against various deep learning classifiers. The results on various materials show that the proposed CNN classifier obtains improved recognition accuracy than other methods.

The creation and cultivation of artificial plantations of conifers largely depends on the planting material quality. The paper is devoted to the study of the relationship between the main parameters of planting material of Scots pine (Pinus silvestris L.) with inventory indices of artificial plantations. Forest trials of Scots pine in the Arkhangelsk region, created in a haircap-moss forest site type, were investigated. Seedlings of Scots pine with standard size were divided into large, medium, small according to the diameter of the root cervix in order to set the experiment, which aimed to determine the relationship between the parameters of planting material and characteristics of the forming plantations. The research purpose determined the main task, mainly, to find out from which plants the “trees of the future” (fast-growing large specimens) are laid out. Plants grown from the large seedlings are characterized by the greatest height. This position, in relation to individuals formed from medium and small planting material, is maintained and gradually increases. From the initial phases of development, a kind of mobile equilibrium is established in the studied plantation. All the trees are growing at a very fast rate, but the initial (at the time of planting on the silvicultural area) size of the planting material corresponding to the pine plants that survived in different years on the plantations continues to remain constant. It was found that, the largest number of leaders (47 % of all survived seedlings) grew of the large seedlings by the end of the 2nd age class. Therefore, high-quality soil treatment together with the use of high-quality proportionally developed planting material significantly increases the inventory indices of plants in the stand, and allows getting the target assortments15–20 years earlier. For citation: Sungurova N.R., Drochkova A.A. Biometric Parameters of Planting Material as a Test Indicator of Success of Pinus silvestris L. Plantations. Lesnoy Zhurnal [Russian Forestry Journal], 2021, no. 4, pp. 107–116. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2021-4-107-116

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects over 15% of Americans and results in an increased risk of skeletal fractures and fracture-related mortality. However, there remain great challenges in estimating fracture risk in CKD patients, as conventional metrics such as bone density assess bone quantity without accounting for the material quality of the bone tissue. The purpose of this review is to highlight the detrimental effects of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) on the structural and mechanical properties of bone, and to demonstrate the importance of including bone quality when assessing fracture risk in CKD patients. RECENT FINDINGS: Increased oxidative stress and inflammation drive the production of AGEs in CKD patients which form non-enzymatic crosslinks between type I collagen fibrils in the bone matrix. Non-enzymatic crosslinks stiffen and embrittle the bone, reducing its ability to absorb energy and resist fracture. Clinical measurement of AGEs is typically indirect and fails to distinguish the identity and properties of the various AGEs. SUMMARY: Accounting for the impact of AGEs on the skeleton in CKD patients may improve our estimation of overall bone quality, fracture risk, and treatments to improve both bone quantity and quality by reducing AGEs in patients with CKD merit investigation in order to improve our understanding of the etiology of increased fracture risk.

Detection of X- and gamma-rays is essential to a wide range of applications from medical imaging to high energy physics, astronomy, and homeland security. Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) is the most widely used material for room-temperature detector applications and has been fulfilling the requirements for growing detection demands over the last three decades. However, CZT still suffers from the presence of a high density of performance-limiting defects, such as sub-grain boundary networks and Te inclusions. Cadmium zinc telluride selenide (CZTS) is an emerging material with compelling properties that mitigate some of the long-standing issues seen in CZT. This new quaternary is free from sub-grain boundary networks and possesses very few Te inclusions. In addition, the material offers a high degree of compositional homogeneity. The advancement of CZTS has accelerated through investigations of the material properties and virtual Frisch-grid (VFG) detector performance. The excellent material quality with highly reduced performance-limiting defects elevates the importance of CZTS as a potential replacement to CZT at a substantially lower cost.

Background The most commonly used conventional drying techniques causes several nutritional, physical and chemical changes which makes food unacceptable to the consumer. The increase in demand of higher retention of nutrients and physico-chemical characteristics of food products requires the development of novel drying technique. Refractance Window™ (RW™) drying has huge potential to cause minimal changes in the quality properties of food. RW™ drying uses circulating hot water to bring thermal energy to the material to be dried. Scope and approach To understand the potential opportunities of RW™ drying in food applications, it is very essential to examine it's effect on different quality characteristics. The present review article summarizes the working principle and the effect of RW™ drying on the retention of bioactive compounds and physicochemical properties of food products. Key findings and conclusions In RW™ drying, the evaporative cooling at the surface of the drying material restricts the temperature of 70 and 85 °C. At this reduced temperature material quality and heat sensitive nutritional compounds can be highly retained in the final dried product. This characteristic of RW™ drying extends its applications for high value food products. Comparison of RW™ drying with other drying process confirms that it provides more advantageous in terms of retention of heat labile compounds, retention of quality parameters and energy efficiency with reduced operating cost.

Improving material quality is essential for obtaining a high-power device. Surface trapping effects have been present in all HEMT devices, and have significantly impacted the problem of drain-current collapse. In this paper, performance of intentionally non-doped AlGaN|GaN|Si (HEMTs) before and after passivation with SiO2|SiN is investigated. Capacitance-voltage at various temperatures (C–V–T), a drain current–voltage at various gate voltages (Ids–Vds–Vgs), the gate leakage current with various temperatures (Igs–Vgs–T), and the maximum extrinsic transconductance Gmax are measured; all of these measurements show the impact of SiO2|SiN passivation on the performances of AlGaN|GaN|Si HEMTs.

The increasing number of construction companies in the construction industry, must be followed by increasing the quality of a construction project. Successful construction projects are projects that have effective time, economical costs, and achieve good quality. In the implementation of construction projects, construction failures are often encountered, which are caused by the implementation of construction that is not in accordance with the specifications, therefore, research needs to be done to identify factors that cause low quality performance that is very influential on construction projects. The purpose of this study is to identify the factors that cause the lowest quality performance that is the most dominant. The method in this study is to use descriptive statistical methods. Based on the results of questionnaires and data processing analysis, there are five factors that cause low quality performance that are very influential on construction projects, namely changes in the scope of work, poor material quality, design errors, poor equipment quality, and lack of workforce expertise.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is currently one of the most promising and advanced tools to make high-end components. For industrial acceptance of these components, there is a demand for the delivery of high quality parts, certified under recognized standards. Pre-requisites for such certified parts are the certification of the powder feed-stock and the use of qualified facilities. Such a certification and qualification project encompasses different challenges regarding both powder testing and print process stability. Today there are insufficient quantitative acceptance criteria for AM metal powders in the standards. The main challenge is determining which properties to test and how to define some key indicators that can guarantee consistent quality of the end product. To face this challenge several relevant powder properties were tested in order to link powder performance to the properties of the printed material. To guarantee process stability and repeatability, a good knowledge and control of the different process parameters and their influence on the material quality is needed. Hence, an extensive study on the homogeneity of properties over the 3D printer platform was performed. A qualification testing platform was designed to guarantee and periodically check the quality of the printed AM316L material. The proper procedures and parameter settings were determined and fixed. This methodology finally lead to the qualification of the ENGIE Laborelec Powder Lab and the ENGIE Fabricom AM printing facility and the certification of AM 316L material through a recognized external qualification body. This initiative paves the way to ensure industrial acceptance of the selective laser melting process for high quality applications.

The quality standards for Fructus Corni have been established based on the effects of the manufacturing processes. Three critical process parameters (CPPs) of extraction, filtration, and concentration to prepare Fructus Corni concentrate were identified by Plackett–Burman design with a single batch of Fructus Corni, which were heating medium temperature, extraction time, and water addition. Morroniside yield, loganin yield, and dry matter yield were process critical quality attributes (CQAs). CPPs arranged with a Box–Behnken design were applied to treat different batches of Fructus Corni. After constructing a model that included CPPs, material properties, and process CQAs, loganin content was found to be the critical material attribute (CMA). The design space was calculated with a probability method. According to the limits of process CQAs, the minimum content of loganin in Fructus Corni was calculated with an error propagation method, which was 6.92 mg·g−1. When the content of loganin in Fructus Corni reaches up to 6.92 mg·g−1, the material is considered high-quality and is most suitable for the process. High-quality material can be used for production of Fructus Corni concentrate. This method can also be used to set material quality standards for other Chinese medicines.

In these changing times, Industry 4.0 technologies are being adopted in many parts of the world. These technologies are used to develop smart materials, smart factories, smart logistics, smart warehousing and smart supply chains. In the business aspect, it has the potential to solve complex manufacturing problems. This paper provides a thorough study of various Industry 4.0 technologies for improving the material quality and manufacturing systems. We have listed out various available technologies, their characteristics, and benefits of effective management in the upcoming industries. Digital technologies help companies optimize their material wastage and inventory which ends up in cost reductions. With remote collaboration, on-site and off-site employees can easily collaborate as and when needed. These technologies ultimately reduce communication gaps and help them stay up to date with the information. Smart predictive analysis will help to properly monitor the equipment in the industries using Industry 4.0 technologies. Faults in materials can be detected and resolved at an early stage. Further, this provides transparency in the systems and processes and fulfills the required expectation of the customer. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Second International Conference on Aspects of Materials Science and Engineering (ICAMSE 2021).

CONSPECTUS: Two-dimensional (2D) compound materials are promising materials for use in electronics, optoelectronics, flexible devices, etc. because they are ultrathin and cover a wide range of properties. Among all methods to prepare 2D materials, chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is promising because it produces materials with a high quality and reasonable cost. So far, much efforts have been made to produce 2D compound materials with large domain size, controllable number of layers, fast-growth rate, and high quality features, etc. However, due to the complicated growth mechanism like sublimation and diffusion processes of multiple precursors, maintaining the controllability, repeatability, and high quality of CVD grown 2D binary and ternary materials is still a big challenge, which prevents their widespread use. Here, taking 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) as examples, we review current progress and highlight some promising growth strategies for the growth of 2D compound materials. The key technology issues which affect the CVD process, including non-metal precursor, metal precursor, substrate engineering, temperature, and gas flow, are discussed. Also, methods in improving the quality of CVD-grown 2D materials and current understanding on their growth mechanism are highlighted. Finally, challenges and opportunities in this field are proposed. We believe this review will guide the future design of controllable CVD systems for the growth of 2D compound materials with good controllability and high quality, laying the foundations for their potential applications.

The binocular fusion of two center-surround configurations, where one center is brighter, the other darker than the common surround, leads to a strong impression of luster in the central patch. Without reversed contrast polarities of the center patches, this impression is much weaker or even absent. However, we observed that in the latter case the perceived luster can be considerably enhanced by enclosing both centers with a thin ring of fixed luminance. Compared to the standard stimulus, this center-ring-surround configuration shows much less binocular rivalry and the luster has also a different, more glass-like material quality. In a psychophysical experiment, we examined how the magnitude of the lustrous response depends on the width of the ring, both in stimuli with reversed and consistent contrast polarities. It has been proposed that binocular luster results from a neuronal conflict between ON and OFF visual pathways. To test this hypothesis with respect to our data, we developed a simple model to estimate the amount of interocular conflict resulting from a given binocular stimulus pair and applied it to all stimuli used in the experiment. We found strong correlations between the interocular conflict measure and the strength of luster observed in the experiment, suggesting that a common low-level mechanism determines the magnitude of the lustrous response. Regarding the differences in the perceived material quality of the lustrous impressions, we discuss evidence indicating that high-level processes are involved that promote the visual system's interpretation of the ring-stimuli as a certain depth-segmented 3D scene.

The abundance of forest products in the form of areca nut and plantation products in the formof lime fruit in the district of Sumpur Kudus are local potentials that need to be processed toprevent price declines and maintain material quality. The purpose of this empowerment is toprovide information and training on how to process forest products (areca nut) and gardenproducts (lime fruit) into good quality food and drinks. Participants in this activity are theTanjung Bonai Aur village, Sumpur Kudus sub-district, Sijunjung Regency, a maximum of 30(thirty) people. The Stages of the Workshop are as follows: Techniques to make syrup from limejuice, Techniques to process young areca nut into health drinks, Techniques to process Cassavainto snacks that have high economic value. The lecture and question and answer method werechosen to provide an explanation of how to make syrup, process betel nuts and process cassava. This practice method is given to the trainees to provide opportunities to practice the trainingmaterial obtained. Evaluation of activities is carried out during the process and at the end ofthe training, on aspects of achieving training objectives and also organizing training. Theresults of empowerment can be seen that the enthusiasm of the community is very high duringthe empowerment takes place

It is commonly recognized that non-uniformity of as-constructed Portland Cement Concrete (PCC) pavement may negatively affect long-term pavement performance. Conventional wisdom states that PCC thickness deficiency is the most important factor causing premature pavement failures. To address it, transportation agencies often impose strict penalties for not meeting the designed slab thickness requirements, thus contractors build slightly thicker slabs to avoid fines. However, other aspects of construction variability on pavement performance are mostly ignored by studies because conventional methods for construction uniformity assessment fail to provide sufficient information to quantify their effect. This study utilized a non-destructive ultrasonic test to evaluate in-situ pavement construction variability. To investigate the correlation between construction variability and surface distresses, a combination of non-destructive ultrasonic thickness measurements and visual distress surveys were performed in highways prior to rehabilitation. PCC slab thicknesses and shear wave velocities were computed from recorded ultrasound signals. An in-depth statistical analysis was performed to investigate possible relations between thickness or shear wave velocity and distresses using various pavement performance parameters. The main results of this analysis illustrate the importance of material quality and uniformity control during construction, since alterations in material properties significantly influence the presence of distresses. Shear wave velocity variations significantly correlate to cracked and broken slab panels in two sections, and, more importantly, to any type of distress in all tested pavement sections.

Introduction: The quality of the material used to build-up the cores of the treated and restored teeth with fiberglass posts affect the location of fracture, as it plays an important role in the durability and durability of the coronary root restoration under different oral environment conditions. The aim of the study: Study of the effect of the core building-up material quality of three different materials on the location of fracture for a group of lower premolars after treating the core and restoring them with fiberglass posts. Research materials and methods: The research sample consisted of (30) lower first laughs, as these teeth were extracted in the course of orthodontic treatment (free from any defects) and stored with distilled water. The clinical crowns of these teeth were cut so that a coronary tissue was kept 2mm high above the enamel-cemento junction. These teeth were treated with pulp and restored with fiberglass posts. The research sample was divided into three groups, each consisting of (10) premolars, according to the type of core building-up material. 1. Composite Resin (IVOCLAR, T-Econom, Liechtenstein) Group T. 2. Flow composite resin (IVOCLAR, Titric N-Flow, Liechtenstein) Group F. 3. Resin Reinforced Glass Ionomer Cement (3M ESPE, Vitermer, USA) Group G. The teeth were crowned with Nickel-Chrome crowns and then an oblique force was applied at an angle of 45 to the tooth axis using a general mechanical testing device at a speed of 1mm / min until failure occur. Results: It was found that group T premolars restored with composite resin had nine Cervical Fracture states and once in middle while the locations of fracture fore premolars restored with Flow resin had eight Cervical Fracture states and twice in Middle, and locations of fracture for premolars Restored with Glass ionomer cement had ten Cervical Fracture, and significant differences were observed between groups (P =1). Conclusion: As it turns out, there is no correlation to the core building-up material in the failure model.

This study aimed to develop the feasibility of the Mahârah al-Istimâ’ test instrument for electronic-based Arabic students using the Kahoot! application at UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. The method used in this research is the research and development of Borg and Gall model through analysis, design, and testing. Eligibility is based on the expert validator test and the final operation field test. The results of the study can be concluded that: 1) Preparation of the Test Instrument refers to the 5 objectives or indicators of Mahmud Kamil an-Naqah into 50 questions in product design using the Kahoot! application, 2) From the results of the expert validator it is known that the results of the material quality are obtained by an average 5.37 and the media quality of the application is obtained by an average of 4.75 (very feasible), 3) After being obtained from the main field test to 20 students there are 6 questions or 12% that are not feasible because they are invalid and have not discrimination index, then the author revise and test the revision results to 70 students with 100% valid results and are suitable for use.

The paper is focused on the research of pollutants in dredged material and water in the watershed of the Sigord reservoir (Eastern Slovakia), which is influenced by anthropogenic activity. The monitored area extends to the cadastral area of ​​Zlatá Baňa, which has been used for a long time and intensively for mining of gold, antimony and mercury. After the end of mining activities (at the beginning of the 20th century) the territory remained devastated by numerous remains of mining activities and no attention has been paid to this area in terms of scientific research. Therefore, the monitoring of dredged sediment and water quality has been carried out. The results show that the limit values ​​of selected heavy metals (such as Sb, As, Hg, Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni, Fe and Al) are exceeded in both sediments and water in the reservoir watershed, as a result of the former mining activities around Sigord.

Intermediate band (IB) solar cells hold the promise of efficiency as high as triple-junction solar cells with much simpler cell design, containing only two semiconductor material interfaces. Although several IB materials have been demonstrated, no cells have shown promising efficiencies. Many of the fundamental required properties of IB materials are well known; they need strong subgap absorption, long carrier lifetimes, and good carrier mobilities. The tradeoffs between these properties, however, are not well understood. We present the first results using a new coupled Poisson/drift-diffusion model designed for IB materials, called Simudo. We compare the results from Simudo to a simpler semianalytic model for IB device performance, highlighting where they agree well. Using both of these models, we perform a systematic study of a figure of merit for IB materials $\nu$ . We consider the standard p-IB-n architecture with a high-density IB, in which two depletion junctions are formed. Considering materials with identical electron and hole properties, we show that $\nu$ is well correlated with device efficiency. We show for the first time a threshold behavior, where the efficiency of the IB device exceeds that of the standard p-n-junction only for sufficiently high-quality material. We show that $\nu$ is similarly predictive of device performance as an equivalent figure of merit is for standard solar cells. These results both give guidance for experiments regarding required IB material properties and demonstrate how detailed device modeling can aid in the design of IB devices, for example, by choosing layer thicknesses optimally.

Modern electronics have been geared toward exploring novel electronic materials that can encompass a broad set of unusual functionalities absent in conventional platforms. In this regard, two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) semiconductors are highly promising, owing to their large mechanical resilience coupled with superior transport properties and van der Waals (vdW) attraction-enabled relaxed assembly. Moreover, 2D TMD heterolayers based on chemically distinct constituent layers exhibit even more intriguing properties beyond their mono-component counterparts, which can materialize only when they are manufactured on a technologically practical wafer-scale. This mini-review provides a comprehensive overview of recent progress in exploring wafer-scale 2D TMD heterolayers of various kinds. It extensively surveys a variety of manufacturing strategies and discusses their scientific working principles, resulting 2D TMD heterolayers, their material properties, and device applications. Moreover, it offers extended discussion on remaining challenges and future outlooks toward further improving the material quality of 2D TMD heterolayers in both material and manufacturing aspects.

The methanol content is an important indicator in determining the quality of wine. The effects of material quality, fermentation conditions and storage containers on the formation of methanol and other substances in winemaking process were studied. The methanol content in spine grape wine was observed to increase as the fermentation temperature increased. Extending maceration time and the increasing addition of pectinase also increased the methanol content. No significant change in methanol content was observed with various yeasts added. The methanol content in wine that is stored in oak barrels was the lowest compared to that in other containers. The optimal conditions to control the methanol content in spine grape wine should be as follows: ferment wine with high-quality materials under 25–26°C for 3–6 d, with a pectinase of 15–20 mg/L and yeast added; and store the wine in oak barrels.

Composite materials are an attractive material choice as they enable lightweight, low-maintenance products with a long lifespan. Recycling these materials, however, remains a challenge. Homogeneous material composition and the use of thermoset matrices complicate reprocessing, and result in low-grade recyclate. This means that closing the loop for these materials in a circular economy remains challenging, especially for glass fibre-reinforced thermoset composites. For a circular economy, products need to be designed to preserve product functionality, material properties, and economic value for as long as possible. However, recovery strategies, design aspects and their interconnectedness are currently largely unexplored for products containing fibre-reinforced polymers. The aim of this study was to identify circular strategies and determine design aspects for products containing composites. To achieve this, we conducted a systematic literature review and consulted experts. The circular strategies are largely similar to generic circular economy strategies as far as product integrity is concerned. However, on a material level, we identified additional approaches, the most notable of which is structural reuse, which preserves the material quality and thereby value. The design aspects were clustered and positioned along the product design process to support implementation. Finally, the strategies and design aspects we identified were brought together in a framework to support product design and design research for products containing composite materials in the context of a circular economy.

Material recycling is the most common strategy in various circular economy concepts. However, material quality generally degrades during recycling because materials get contaminated or some substances dissipate. This translates to that materials are instead recycled in an open loop, or in other words, in a cascade. Current quantitative performance measurement approaches insufficiently address a clear distinction between closed-loop and open-loop recycling. To effectively preserve material quality, a different measurement approach is required to assess the ability of product and service design to retain material quality during material recycling. Such a metric is introduced here with the fitness for closed-loop material recycling indicator Θ. This kind of quality assessment requires a criterion based on the elemental composition of the materials. The concept is illustrated in a case study on metals embodied in a residential gas heating appliance showing that the closed-loop recycling potential of such an appliance is only 1%., Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 190, ISSN:0921-3449, ISSN:1879-0658