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In this work, profiling and technical evaluation of existing agricultural warehouses in the Agusan Provinces of Caraga Region, Philippines was conducted. The study focused mainly on assessing the suitability of the warehouses in terms of technical and structural requirements based on the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards (PAES). This undertaking is vital to expedite farmers' time and effort in identifying the nearest available agricultural warehouses to store goods after harvesting or prior to processing. For this purpose, simple random sampling survey was conducted using the developed survey questionnaires categorized in to the suitability and functionality parameters. Results of the study showed that more than 90% of the existing agricultural warehouses have conformed to the structural requirements stated in the PAES. However, study also revealed that only 42% of the surveyed warehouses did not adhere with the functional requirements outlined in the PAES. Hence, suitability and functionality of the warehouses were assessed.

In this study, the unhydrolyzed solid (UHS) derived from corn stover was hydrothermally processed to generate heavy bio-oil (HBO) and hydrochar. In particular, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) was carried out in a 300 mL high temperature and high pressure reactor with the slurry of UHS in de-ionized (DI) water, and the effect of reaction temperature, initial nitrogen pressure, reaction time, and UHS to solvent ratio on hydrochar generation was investigated. HTL processed slurries were filtered to recover the solid residue, which was extracted with acetone to recover heavy bio-oil (HBO). The solid residue was thermally treated further at 400 °C to produce hydrochar, which was thoroughly characterized by BET, SEM/EDX, FTIR and Raman spectroscopy. Results indicated that as temperature of HTL process increased from 250 to 300 °C, hydrochar yield decreased. Increase in HTL temperature also resulted in decrease in BET specific surface area (SSA) and pore volume; however, increase in pore diameter. HTL parameters such as initial N2 pressure, reaction time, and UHS:water ratio was found to influence the yield, BET SSA, pore volume and pore diameter. SEM images showed porous structure whereas surface functional groups with O-H, >C C

This short essay examines the history of the Daśanāmī Giri maṭha of Bodhgaya, which has been largely ignored because of the focus on the Buddhist history of this site. Through a comparative study of nineteenth-century colonial accounts and documents, and material remains, this essay explores its claimed history and emergence as an important religio-political institution in the colonial period. In doing so, it specifically investigates network of samādhis across the villages of Gaya district and their role in establishing its position as an important zamindar.

Parental control for a child's handphone access is important to ensure online safety. This study was to determine parental control on handphone access and the usage amongst Malaysian children.A cross-sectional survey was conducted electronically between April 2017 and March 2018 among parents with children above 2 years of age, who owned a handphone. The 10-item questionnaire included questions about rules applied to the use of handphones, education on cybersafety, the characteristics and activities of their youngest children who had full-time access to a handphone, and parental perceptions of their children's usage of handphones. A total of 215 parents were included.From this, 92% controlled their children's handphones use by setting rules. The commonest rules were limiting the time of handphone usage (77%) and being aware of whom the child was communicating with (77%). The majority (94%) educated their children on cybersafety, and the commonest discussed topic was not to communicate with strangers (93%). The children's average age of first handphone ownership was 10.6 (SD: 3.6) years, and the use of the handphone averaged 17.4 (SD: 18.5) hours a week. Despite the rules and education provided, only a quarter of parents were confident of their children's capability to manage their own safety when using handphones (27%).In summary, Malaysian parents did control their children's handphone usage.

This research is motivated by the high level of carbon emission due to the dominance of non-renewable energy consumption in the use of the energy mix. This study aims to fill the gaps in previous research to support global programs in reducing carbon emission by designing scenario through a shift in consumption of non-renewable energy (fuel oil) to renewable energy (biofuel oil) in the Asia Pacific for future periods, including 2023-2030. The basic foundation of this research is the result of panel regression during the period 2006-2021. Furthermore, non-renewable energy consumption was reduced to three categories (pessimistic, moderate and optimistic), then the decrease was substituted for renewable energy so that the community’s energy needs were still met. The important finding from this research is the consumption of renewable energy and green economic growth can reduce carbon emission, while the consumption of non-renewable energy increases carbon emission. In addition, average carbon emission decreased growth in each scenario, including 15% on the pessimistic, 32% on the moderate and 66% on the optimistic. The policy for reducing carbon emission is to strengthen coordination between domestic institutional structures to develop alternative energy and also implement green economy programs in economic activities.

The objective of this study was to convert biochar, a byproduct generated from the hydrothermal process (in oxygen-limited environment) of biomass (e.g., corn stover), into value-added product. In specific, three-dimensional (3D) biochar-containing precursor sponge, which was made by using electrospun polymer nanofibers as skeleton support, was fabricated via an innovative approach. The weight ratio of biochar to polymer (in the precursor sponge) was 2/1, and it appeared that the biochar weight ratio could be further increased. Upon heat treatments (i.e., stabilization in air and carbonization in argon), the precursor sponge was converted into carbon nanofibrous sponge that had the porosity of ~ 90 vol%, the BET surface area of ~ 51.7 m2 g− 1, and the carbon content of ~ 95 wt%; and it was mechanically elastic/resilient. The electrochemical study indicated that, the carbon nanofibrous sponge could be utilized for making supercapacitor electrode with excellent rate capability and high kinetic performance. This study would not only demonstrate a high-value application of hydrothermally generated biochar, but also provide a facile while novel approach for the fabrication of carbon nanofibrous sponge which could be potentially used for various applications (particularly the energy storage application).

Intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) is routinely used during cholecystectomy (either open or laparoscopic) in cases of cholelithiasis with history of obstructive jaundice (OJ). It is performed in such cases with no preoperative imaging that confirms the patency of biliary tree and during exploration of common bile duct. Intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) has recently become a visualizing tool for anatomy and pathology of biliary tree which is safe, faster and less invasive compared to IOC. This is a prospective controlled randomized trial, conducted on 60 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy for cholelithiasis with history of OJ, with no present OJ. It was held in the surgery department in Faculty of Medicine, Menoufia University and Theodor Bilharz Research Institute, from 2014 to 2017. Each patient underwent IOUS then, IOC during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The study compared between both imaging techniques regarding procedure time, visualization of biliary tree, detection of any common bile duct (CBD) stone, biliary or vascular anomalies, and intra-or postoperative complications in the form of obstructive jaundice or iatrogenic biliary injury. The results showed a significant difference in time of the procedure with a mean time (min) of 9.60±1.224 (3-25) in IOUS and 14.391±1.356 (5-30) in IOC. Mean CBD diameter (mm) is 5.280±0.6957 (2.8-18) in IOUS & 7.010±0.7162 (3.5-22) in IOC without significant differences. IOUS has 100% sensitivity and 96.7% specificity while IOC has 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity. A case with vascular anomaly and one with duct anomaly were detected by IOUS. The vascular anomaly could not be detected with IOC. There was no post-operative complication in the form of missed CBD stones or bile leakage.

Pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) is a prerequisite for downstream bioconversion of its cellulosic components to second-generation biofuels. Acid hydrolysis pretreatment separates most of the hemicellulose and cellulose from lignin. However, the lignin-rich acid hydrolysis residue (AHR) may contain 20–50 wt % feedstock biomass. To improve the economics of LCB-based biorefinery, the AHR needs to be valorized. In this study, we have performed hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of AHR derived from the dilute acid treatment of pinewood for H₂ and bio-oil generation. A slurry of AHR at a biomass-to-water ratio of 1:30 was hydrothermally liquefied in the presence of a homogeneous Ni(NO₃)₂ catalyst at 250, 275, and 300 °C. About 16 wt % bio-oil and 51 mL of H₂ were generated at 300 °C and 60 min into the reaction. Based on elemental analysis, the higher heating value of bio-oil was found to be 29.8 MJ/kg. The aqueous coproduct generated during the HTL reaction was treated with activated carbon and subjected to the photocatalytic reforming (PR) process in the presence of a Pt/TiO₂ catalyst that produced an additional 90 mL of H₂ at NTP conditions. Preliminary calculations were performed to understand the energy recovery in terms of the products generated based on the total energy consumed for both HTL and PR processes.

Gunshot wounds to the hand often produce complex injuries and large segmental bone defects. Bone reconstruction remains a challenge in this context. The induced membrane technique is a simple and effective procedure for reconstruction of segmental bone defects. The technique is straightforward but must be performed rigorously. Usually polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement is required for the first stage of the surgery. We describe four cases of metacarpal bone reconstruction after gunshot wounds in a limited-resource setting. Two patients were treated using the induced membrane technique with a polypropylene syringe body instead of PMMA cement, which was unavailable in this situation. A thick membrane was observed 6 weeks after spacer implantation. Bone union was achieved in all cases.

Aim To characterise tumours that involve the neural foramina in children, including prevalence, demographics, and imaging features. Material and methods This retrospective single-centre study comprised 36 boys and 34 girls who presented with spinal or paraspinal lesions involving the neural foramina. Two certified radiologists reviewed the imaging features, including the level of spinal involvement, the number of involved foramina, foraminal widening, tumour epicentre, and cord compression. Medical charts were reviewed for patients' demographics and tumour pathology. Tumours were classified as benign or malignant, and neuroblastomas were further classified as low or intermediate risk versus high risk. Results Thirty-three (47%) of the patients had neuroblastic tumours. Fourteen (20%) of the patients had sarcomas (mainly Ewing sarcoma). Other less common aetiologies included neurofibromas, germ cell tumours, Langerhans cell histiocytosis and haemangiomas. Neuroblastic tumours were particularly common in the thoraco-lumbar region, and considerably less prevalent in the sacral and cervical regions. Additional features, such as foraminal widening, the number of foramina involved, and cord compression, did not help discriminate between neuroblastic and non-neuroblastic tumours. Most tumours (80%) were malignant. Most benign tumours (>50%) were associated with a genetic predisposition syndrome. Conclusion In evaluating neoplasms that involve the neural foramina in children, neuroblastic tumours are most common. Nevertheless, other aetiologies should be considered, mainly sarcomas. Most lesions in children are malignant. When encountering a benign mass, genetic counselling should be considered.

Summary We apply a rigorous systems-engineering process to develop a new marine vibrator. Thorough requirements engineering, incorporating wide-ranging operational scenarios, ensures that our stakeholders’ needs are fully addressed. We assess the requirements’ technical feasibility iteratively in our architectural design and advanced development activities to define an optimized system. We then launch full-scale engineering development and will methodically integrate and test the resulting design. Throughout the process, we make extensive use of modeling and simulation to provide insight and reduce risk.

In the present work, 6061Al matrix reinforced with 9wt. % B4C particle size of 88 microns is produced by liquid metallurgy method. During processing, K2TiF6 and B4C in the ratios of 0.2 were preheated and added to Al melt at 750°C with continuous stirring to obtain uniform distribution of B4C in 6061Al matrix. The casted composites were subjected T4 and T6 type heat treatments with quenching medium as water at room temperature. Microstructure characterization was done for both the heat treated and un-heat treated specimens using optical microscope/XRD. The presence of Mg2Si was confirmed through XRD studies. High temperature wear tests were conducted using Pin-On-Disc apparatus. Wear test samples were prepared as per ASTM G99 standards and slide against stainless steel disc (32HRC) with constant sliding velocity of 2.51m/sand constant sliding distance of 1000m by varying the load ranging from 9.81N to 39.24N at test temperatures of 150°C. Results of wear tests suggest that wear resistance increases in the order of matrix, composite without aging and composite with aging. The worn surface morphology showed that heat treated Al-B4C composites have more wear resistance capacity than as cast 6061Al.

Summary The marine vibrator will provide two main benefits. The first one being to reduce environmental impact and the second to improve operational efficiency, as enabled by new acquisiton and processing techniques. We have applied systematic processes to develop a new marine-vibrator system. We have tested our third-generation transducer, and concluded that our transducer has sufficient output – especially at low frequencies – to achieve our design goals and fulfill all operational scenarios. We are currently developing the full system, resulting in a modular, field-configurable marine-vibrator system that supports the full range of operational scenarios with five to eight transducers.

Fires in underground mines can create dangerous conditions for personnel and cause severe damage to property. Because of the confined nature of the underground environment, these effects can escalate rapidly. In underground mines, air ducts/bags are used for ventilating narrow blind headings; these consist of combustible materials that have not been investigated thoroughly in terms of their fire potential and gas emissions. The primary objective of this study is to investigate the fire potential and emission factors for these ducts. A preliminary investigation was performed using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analysis. These tests provide crucial information for duct samples including the melting point which is used for designing a novel experimental setup for combustion analysis. This setup was used to perform a combustion experiment at 350 °C, so that all specimens can achieve complete combustion. Furthermore, the heat release rate and emission factors were calculated; it was observed that heat release rate for all the specimens was identical because of similar oxygen consumption during the experiment. Sample B has the lowest emission factor among the four samples (A, B, C, D) tested in this study. Keywords: Auxiliary ventilation, Heat release rate, Emission factor, Differential scanning calorimetry, Thermogravimetric analysis

Microsurgery is an unusual procedure in the theatres of military operations. We sought to analyze the state of microsurgical practices in the French medical treatment facilities (MTFs) deployed around the world in the 21st century. A retrospective study was conducted among all patients who were operated on in French forward surgical facilities between 2003 and 2015. Those who underwent microsurgical procedures for nerve injury, vascular injury, or extremity reconstruction were included. Only early vascular results were assessed. Among the 2589 patients operated on for an extremity injury during the study period, 56 (2.1%) were included, with the group composed of 29 patients with isolated nerve injuries, 28 patients with nerve and arterial injuries, and two patients with isolated arterial injuries, mostly at the hand level. Nerve procedures predominantly consisted of direct suturing, although autografting and nerve transfers were also performed. Thirteen microvascular repairs were carried out, including nine cases of proximal or digital revascularization; revascularization was successful in six of the nine cases. These procedures were completed by orthopedic surgeons trained in microsurgery, mostly under loupes magnification. Routine nerve repair in the field seems to be specific to French MTFs. Salvage of amputated or devascularized fingers in the combat zone had never been reported before. Such emphasizes the need to train deployed orthopedic surgeons to perform microsurgical procedures and to equip all MTFs with basic microsurgical sets and magnification means.