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The growing interest in low-impact mobility technologies has elevated the significance of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in the automotive sector. Given the complexity of the resulting powertrain, the need for an effective energy management strategy (EMS) becomes essential to optimize efficiency and energy consumption in vehicles with diverse energy sources. Model-based control is the main approach to address the EMS in electrified vehicles. In particular, fuel cell power is commonly represented through a 1D look-up table using the current demand as input to simplify the implementation in a vehicle control unit. Uncertainties that may be implemented in maps due to simplifying hypotheses, dynamics, ageing, etc., can be propagated to powertrain control, motivating the adoption of adaptive look-up tables for FC modelling. In this study, an extended Kalman filter (EKF) is proposed to adapt the look-up table to actual FC behaviour by measuring its power and gradually correcting calibration errors, drift, and ageing. Subsequently, a standard equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) is employed to control the FCEV. The fuel cell model is calibrated with experimental data from an FCEV. The results demonstrate that the adaptive strategy outperforms the base calibration. Following an extensive simulation campaign, an improvement of 1.1% in fuel consumption was observed. Remarkably, after just one hour of operation, there was a notable 85% reduction in fuel cell power estimation error, even when the EMS was initially fed a biased look-up table. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Im November 2022 ist die Zentralbibliothek im KAP1 mit einer eigenen App an den Start gegangen. Die „Stadtbüchereien Düsseldorf App" bietet den Besucher*innen der Zentralbibliothek ein besonderes Erlebnis, indem sie den realen Ort Bibliothek mit Augmented-Reality-Technologie um virtuelle Elemente erweitert. Gut ein Jahr nach der Eröffnung der neuen Räume erhielten diese mit der App nun eine neue, virtuelle Nutzungsebene. Aufgrund der großzügigen Öffnungszeiten der neuen Zentralbibliothek, auch ohne dass das Bibliotheksteam zur Unterstützung vor Ort ist, war es von Anfang an geplant, umfangreiche digitale Self-Services anzubieten, um die Zentralbibliothek jederzeit eigenständig entdecken und sich zurechtfinden zu können. Mit dem Düsseldorfer Unternehmen und AR-Experten Exponential Dimensions hat das Team nun eine alles andere als typische Bibliotheks-App entwickelt. Der Schwerpunkt liegt, übereinstimmend mit der Leitlinie „Menschen, Bücher, Räume", ganz auf Ort und Besuchenden. Im Juni 2023 erhielt die „Stadtbüchereien Düsseldorf App" international Anerkennung. Sie erhielt den renommierten Auggie Award in der Kategorie „Best Consumer App". Die jährlichen Auggie Awards sind seit 2010 die weltweit anerkanntesten Auszeichnungen der AR- und VR-Branche. In November 2022, the central library in KAP1 launched its own app. The "Stadtbüchereien Düsseldorf App" offers visitors a special experience by adding virtual elements to the real place of the library using augmented reality technology. A year after the opening of the library, the app adds a new, virtual level of use. Due to the generous opening hours of the new central library, even without the library team being on site for support, it is designed to offer extensive digital self-services for users to discover the library independently at any time and to find their way around. With Düsseldorf-based AR experts Exponential Dimensions, a "anything but typical" library app has been developed. In keeping with the principle of "People, Books, Spaces", its focus is entirely on location and visitors. In June 2023, the "Stadtbüchereien Düsseldorf App" got international recognition. It received the prestigious Auggie Award in the category "Best Consumer App". The annual Auggie Awards have been the world's most recognized awards in the AR and VR industry since 2010. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzed the feasibility of using wax oil for vulcanization during the operation of a fixed bed residue hydrogenation unit. A certain company has adopted whole process VGO sulfurization technology for the first time to pre sulfurize fresh catalysts. Whole process sulfurization can save 16 hours of equipment operation time, reduce the amount of diesel used during equipment operation, and reduce the production of unqualified VGO by 720 tons. In the low-temperature vulcanization stage, the sulfur uptake rate of VGO sulfurization is higher and the sulfurization is more uniform. A comparative analysis was conducted on the catalytic performance of VGO sulfurization and staged sulfurization. Under the same process conditions and feedstock properties, both catalysts vulcanized in different ways have the same high impurity removal rate. The whole VGO sulfurization catalyst has the same activity as the staged sulfurization catalyst. The catalyst using whole VGO sulfurization has a relatively long operating cycle, indicating that the stability of the whole VGO sulfurization catalyst is relatively high. Whole VGO sulfurization has many advantages such as simple operation, resource conservation, and reducing activity. It has reference significance for other similar devices and provides valuable experience for optimizing pre vulcanization operations in future similar devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the need for threshing, the current energy crisis, the power potential of solar energy, especially, many stand-alone solar installations in rural areas, and their use, a study was undertaken to develop and evaluate a solar-powered multi-crop thresher on soybean. The study was conducted in IARI- Pusa Campus, New Delhi, India aiming to assess the seasonal suitability of the solar operated thresher. The devolved prototype was evaluated on soybean crop and the operational and machine parameters were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), with central composite design (CCD). Four independent parameters, each at three levels, were taken viz, feed rate, cylinder speed, concave clearance, and spike types to evaluate their effects on three response variables, namely, threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency, and energy consumption. The response variables ranged from 96.3% to 99.9%, 86.68% to 93.05%, and 1.12 kWh q -1 to 1.74 kWh q -1, respectively, for threshing efficiency, cleaning efficiency, and energy consumption. The cylinder speed significantly affected all response variables. The optimization showed that the best operational and machine settings were 13.62 m s -1 cylinder peripheral speed, 4.3 kg min-1, feed rate, 20 mm concave clearance, and spike type 3 giving the desirability of 0.799 and the threshing of 116.64 kg hr-1 capacity. However, the season-based optimization with lower feed rates was found advantageous to increase the duration of up to 5 hours of thresher operation in thresher direct coupling mode. Hence it is recommended to adopt the lower feed rate in seasons with reduced insolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Bangladesh for spraying purposes there are two types of sprayers are used, one is hand-operated and the other is a fuel-operated sprayer. A worker can’t use the hand-operated sprayer nonstop for more than 5-6 hours and needs fuel for fuel fuel-operated sprayer which is costly, an environmental pollutant and in rural places availability of fuel is not easy. An investigation was made to fabricate a solar pesticide sprayer, evaluation the performance of the sprayer and comparing it with the hand-operated sprayer. The solar-operated pesticide sprayer consists of a 12-volt 20-watt capacity solar panel, a 12-volt DC battery, a DC motor, a pump and a 16-liter tank to hold the pesticide. The solar sprayer required 5 minutes 18 seconds to apply pesticide in 5 decimal fields. This time was almost half compared to the hand-operated sprayer. The solar sprayer worked at 4-5 bar but hand operated sprayer worked at 1.5-2 bar. The solar panel of the pesticide sprayer produced maximum voltage, current and power at 300 inclination angles and the lowest output at 600 inclination angles. The proposed sprayer’s total cost was US $ 2.13 per ha. On the other hand, the manually operated sprayer costs US $ 4.20 per ha. It was clearly shown that the solar-operated sprayer cost was half compared to the manual sprayer. In full solar intensity after 5 hours of operation, the solar pesticide sprayer can operate for 3-4 hours more which offers the spraying facility at night. This sprayer can be used at farms, gardens and other various locations also it can become more popular in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The relationship between skin-to-skin operative time and long-term complications, as well as complications requiring treatment, after deep inferior epigastric perforator (DIEP) flap breast reconstructions has not been thoroughly investigated. The study objective was to evaluate if operative time would independently prognosticate the type and number of treated complications, as well as long-term abdominal morbidity. Methods Patients who underwent bilateral DIEP flaps from 2010 to 2021 by two senior surgeons with standardized surgical and postoperative protocols were retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion required at least 1 year of postoperative follow-up. Extensive multivariable regression analyses were utilized to adjust for potential confounders, including measures of intraoperative complexity. Results Three hundred thirty-five patients were entered into multivariable analyses. After risk adjustment, there was a significant increase in the risk of all treated complications per hour. Each hour of operation increased risk of complications requiring extended hospital stay for treatment by 25%, flap-site complications requiring readmission treatment by 24%, and flap-site complications requiring extended hospital stay for treatment by 26% (all p < 0.0001). Long-term abdominal morbidity (abdominal bulge) increased by 25% per hour of operative time (p < 0.0001). The number of complications requiring treatment, abdominal donor-site complications, and complications requiring extended hospital stay for treatment had statistically significant linear relationships with the duration of surgery (all p < 0.05). Conclusion Operative time predicts long-term abdominal morbidity and complications requiring treatment, especially impacting the odds of developing abdominal bulges and complications requiring extended hospital stay for treatment or readmission treatment. This study emphasizes the importance of reducing operative time to improve DIEP flap breast reconstruction outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to present and develop a practical advertising model that minimizes transport advertisements, indiscriminate banners and flyers, and logo light installation problems with smart advertisements using projected beams. In order to develop an integrated smart advertisement that is convenient and inexpensive for companies operating at night, the scope of the research is determined as a practical advertisement that identifies the problems of existing bus and taxi smart advertisements and the needs of customers. The smart projected beam advertisement that the author claimed is a customized advertisement that solves the advertising problems of customers and local governments in Korea based on business hours, locational information, and big data. The projected beam outdoor advertising system developed by the author was designed to reduce environmental and resource waste, avoid unnecessary advertisement exposure for consumers, and obtain necessary information for businesses. Moreover, it was developed to reduce advertising costs for businesses. This is a very appropriate solution as an alternative to reduce the night time flyers and banners that local governments in Korea are struggling with. Consumers can avoid unnecessary advertisement exposure and obtain customized information, while advertisers who use the service can directly insert their sales information into advertisements in real-time using various media at a low cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions surrounding the labour wedge and the tax wedge in the United States are complicated by the fact that, historically, there is a lack of coherent relationship between the series of hours worked (based on standard measurements) and that of the tax wedge. This has been cited as grounds for discounting the tax wedge as a viable explanation for the behaviour of the labour wedge. In this paper, I explore an alternative measurement of labour hours in the United States in a bid to clear up some of the morass surrounding the tax wedge and hours worked. In the process, I show that, the labour wedge is rather more aligned with available labour hours over the business cycle than it does actual hours worked. Moreover, cyclical properties of the available hours series, however puzzling, are explained by the presence of a government transfer scheme which I introduce in the household side of the market. Also, the presence of the transfer scheme alters the marginal rate of substitution (MRS) between consumption and leisure, and by doing so, reverses the cyclical properties of the tax wedge. This puts the tax wedge in alignment with the labour wedge over the business cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary needle and syringe programs (NSPs) have been integral for the prevention of blood-borne virus (BBV) transmission among people who inject drugs. Despite this, many people who inject drugs face barriers accessing these services, particularly after-hours when most services are closed. To our knowledge, the St Kilda NSP, in Melbourne, Victoria, is the only primary NSP providing 24/7 dedicated stand-alone face-to-face services for people who inject drugs in Australia. We conducted an evaluation of the St Kilda NSP to assess its role and effectiveness in meeting client needs. Methods: Mixed research methods were used to conduct the evaluation. We analysed four quantitative data sets including the Victorian Needle and Syringe Program Information System data; NSP 'snapshot' survey data; and St Kilda NSP records of after-hours contacts and naloxone training events. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 20 purposively selected NSP clients, which were focused on individual needs, expectations and experiences accessing the service. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, and data were analysed thematically. A convergent research design was used to merge the five data sets. Results: St Kilda NSP had 39,898 service contacts in 2018; 72% of contacts occurred outside business hours. Similarly, of 1,185,000 sterile needles and syringes dispatched, 71% were distributed outside business hours. Participants described valuing the after-hours service because drug use patterns did not always align with standard NSP opening hours and after-hours access afforded anonymity when collecting injecting equipment. Narratives highlighted several additional benefits of the 24/7 service, including: access to safer sex equipment; material support; naloxone training; referrals to specialist services; face-to-face emotional and social support from a non-judging worker; and for women involved in sex work in particular, being able to seek refuge when feeling unsafe on the streets. Conclusions: Our study provides evidence of the social and health benefits (beyond that of preventing BBV transmission) that can be gained through the provision of 24/7 primary NSP services. Findings support the need for the establishment of after-hours primary NSPs in other areas of Australia where active street-based drug markets operate outside business hours and concentrated numbers of people who inject drugs live and spend time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, long-time operation of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) characterized by a single thin dielectric was investigated. The discharge was operated under nitrogen at atmospheric pressure in a typical filamentary regime. Electrical measurements were performed, i.e. applied voltage, current and charge were retrieved. The Lissajous figure method combined with an equivalent circuit of the DBD was used to calculate the dissipated power, estimate the gas gap voltage V g , evaluate the deposited charges Q 0 as well as the capacitances of the discharge cell. The results over a one-hour operation indicated that the total dissipated power remained constant, but a decrease of the gas gap voltage with an increase of the charge deposited was also depicted. For the capacitances, both dielectric and cell capacitances variations were studied from the Lissajous figures. The dielectric capacitance showed a voltage dependency over half a period of applied voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the thermal generation dynamics in the spindle unit of a CNC milling machine. The main objective is to analyze the heat transfer from the bearings to the housing during operation, using simulations and experiments. An air-oil-cooled lubrication system is employed, which enables the airflow to dissipate some of the heat produced. Before conducting the experiment, heat generation and transfer are accurately predicted. The air-oil mixture, formed by pressurized air atomizing oil droplets, is effective in cooling high-temperature regions. A spindle ER16-80SK 24k is integrated with a CNC machine for realtime data acquisition, including parameters such as spindle speed and temperature. The results show significant temperature rises in all bearings, which reach a steady state after an hour of operation. There are noticeable differences in range, from 6.1% to 43.4%, between the experimental and simulated maximum temperatures, indicating possible real factors not considered in the simulation. The environmental impacts of oil particle emission are also discussed, which require proper ventilation management during operations. This research provides valuable insight into the thermal dynamics of CNC milling machine spindles and establishes a solid basis for further research and development in this important field of machining technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of local tensile strain in Ni(OH)2 nanosheets accelerates the Ni(OH)2-to-NiOOH transition and boosts the electrocatalytic ammonia oxidation reaction (EAOR), i.e., reducing the onset potential by 80 mV, doubling both the current density and N2 faradaic efficiency, and enabling 1000 hours of operation at 160 mA cm−2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines OneRedmond's OneEastside SPARK program, which focuses on equity in economic development by collaborating with community-based organizations. Topics discussed include the program's impact on underserved communities, challenges faced during the pandemic, and efforts to provide in-language assistance and resources to minority-owned businesses.

For renewable hydrogen production, polymer electrolyte membrane water electrolysis is the most promising technology. However, the technology is not yet competitive with conventional hydrogen production in terms of cost. The impact of cost reduction options on CAPEX and OPEX is investigated. Depending on the hours of operation, the main cost factor is the production and manufacturing of components or the price of electricity. Clearly a tremendous need to implement low‐cost electrolysis cells on a large scale to bring green hydrogen production costs to a level 1–3 € kg−1 hydrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper highlights the importance of accurately modeling the operational constraints of Combined-Cycle Gas Turbines (CCGTs) within a unit-commitment framework. In practice, in Colombia, when given an initial dispatch by the Independent System Operator, CCGT plants are operated according to the results of heuristic simulation codes. Such heuristics often omit technical operating constraints, including hot, warm, or cold startup ramps; the minimum operation hours required for a gas turbine to start a steam turbine; the relationship between the dispatched number of steam and gas turbines; the load distribution among gas turbines; and supplementary fires. Most unit-commitment models in the literature represent standard technical constraints like startup, shutdown, up/down ramps, and in some cases, supplementary fires. However, they typically overlook other real-life CCGT operating constraints, which were considered in this work. These constraints are crucial in integrated energy systems to avoid equipment damage, which can potentially put CCGT plants out of service and ultimately lead to lower operating costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Academic detailing has been used as a preferential method to increase pharmacists' awareness of naloxone; however, its impact on actual dispensing rates is not well established. Objective: The aim of this pilot study is to determine if a student‐led academic detailing on naloxone use and communication increased the amount of naloxone ordered from independent pharmacies in various geographic settings throughout Northeast Pennsylvania. Methods: Thirty‐nine independent pharmacies which utilized a single wholesaler were randomized to receive an in‐person, student‐led training about naloxone use and communication. Students attended a train‐the‐trainer presentation to ensure a universal training was provided to all pharmacies. Students were provided with intranasal naloxone demonstration devices, handouts on effective communication, and talking points for each pharmacy visit. All academic detailing sessions were held live at each pharmacy during that pharmacy's regular business hours. Topics covered included appropriate naloxone use, what to expect after giving naloxone, and evidence‐based communication methods for engaging with patients about purchasing naloxone. Devices and handouts were left behind for pharmacists to use in daily practice. Naloxone and opioid shipping data for 3 months prior to and 3 months post‐intervention were compared. Results: Naloxone ordered in the pre‐intervention period was 21 vs. 26 (intervention vs. control) (p = 0.59) and 31 vs. 29 post‐intervention (p = 0.25). There was no statistically significant difference in the number of pharmacies which ordered more naloxone pre vs. post‐intervention or in the total amount of opioids ordered pre vs. post‐intervention. Conclusion: While pharmacies which received academic detailing did order more naloxone than pharmacies which did not, the difference did not rise to a level of statistical significance. As the population of this pilot study was small, expanding this approach to academic detailing to a larger population is warranted to possibly see more robust results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates a low-temperature three-circuit cooling system for a 55 kW industrial electric motor. The cooling system provides an increase of the power-to-dimension ratio by 63%, together with an improvement in motor performance. The three-circuit cooling system includes water cooling of the housing and stator and air-cooling of the motor's interior. The test results show that the motor efficiency was maintained in the range between 92.5 and 94.5%, with respect to the motor's power. With power increases up to 90 kW, a winding temperature of 67 °C was observed during three hours of operation. This advancement is particularly valuable for vehicles, ships, and aircraft applications, where maximizing power within limited space is crucial. An analysis of the experimental data showed that the cooling system operates at an average efficiency of 79.2%, indicating that roughly 20% of heat was accumulated in the rotor. This leads to a gradual temperature rise, particularly in the rotor, posing a risk of overheating and failure during motor overloads above 90 kW. Enhancing the cooling efficiency within the motor's interior can be achieved by incorporating extra heat exchangers, implementing evaporative heat transfer, and employing water-cooling circuits at lower temperatures. This, in turn, can boost the electric motor's power-to-dimension ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Antimicrobial resistance rates are continuously increasing, driving the need for rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (RAST) results, especially in the treatment of bloodstream infections. The EUCAST RAST method performed directly from positive blood cultures with incubation times from 4 to 8 h was developed in 2018 and is now used in many laboratories. To increase the practicality of the method, an extended incubation time of 16 and 20 h was evaluated in this study. Method Blood culture bottles were spiked with clinical isolates (n  = 325) of the seven most important sepsis pathogens. The EUCAST RAST method was performed, extending the incubation time to 16 and 20 h. Broth microdilution (BMD) was used as a reference, except for screening tests where standard disc diffusion or presence of resistance genes was used. Results Inhibition zones were possible to read for all species–agent combinations. For 16 and 20 h, the MIC zone diameter correlations were sufficiently similar to allow establishment of common breakpoints for the time interval of 16–20 h. The proportion of isolates in the area of technical uncertainty was, on average, 6% for all species and the number of errors were low, with <1% false-resistant and <0.5% false-susceptible results. Conclusions This study shows that, for EUCAST RAST, prolonging the recommended incubation to 16–20 h is possible and can be used as a complement when the intended shorter incubation is not possible to achieve. The introduction of the prolonged incubation will increase the usefulness of the EUCAST RAST method in clinical laboratories with limited opening hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electrochemical reduction of CO to value-added products, especially C2 products, provides a potential approach to achieve carbon neutrality and overcome the energy crisis. Herein, we report a metal–azolate framework (CuBpz) with dicopper active sites as an electrocatalyst for the electrochemical CO reduction reaction (eCORR). As a result, CuBpz achieved an impressive faradaic efficiency (FE) of 47.8% for yielding acetate with a current density of −200 mA cm−2, while no obvious degradation was observed over 60 hours of continuous operation at a current density of −200 mA cm−2. Mechanism studies revealed that the dicopper site can promote C–C coupling between two C1 intermediates, thereby being conducive to the generation of the key *CH2COOH intermediate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solvent effect plays an important role in catalytic reaction, but there is little research and attention on it in electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction (eCO2RR). Herein, we report a stable covalent‐organic framework (denoted as PcNi‐im) with imidazole groups as a new electrocatalyst for eCO2RR to CO. Interestingly, compared with neutral conditions, PcNi‐im not only showed high Faraday efficiency of CO product (≈100 %) under acidic conditions (pH ≈ 1), but also the partial current density was increased from 258 to 320 mA cm−2. No obvious degradation was observed over 10 hours of continuous operation at the current density of 250 mA cm−2. The mechanism study shows that the imidazole group on the framework can be protonated to form an imidazole cation in acidic media, hence reducing the surface work function and charge density of the active metal center. As a result, CO poisoning effect is weakened and the key intermediate *COOH is also stabilized, thus accelerating the catalytic reaction rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of the simulation studies concerning the impact of random production interruptions on the efficiency of multi-spindle machining centers. Four different machining center configuration models were developed using a dedicated class of stochastic Petri nets. In addition to the number of machine spindles, the number of simultaneously mounted parts, loading time of parts, their machining time, and reliability parameters regarding the frequency of machine interruptions caused by random factors were also taken into account as model parameters. A series of virtual tests was carried out for machining processes over a period of 1000 hours of operation. Analysis of the results confirmed the purpose of conducting simulation tests prior to making a decision regarding the purchase of a multispindle milling center. This work fills the existing research gap, as there are no examples in the technical literature of evaluating the effectiveness of multi-spindle machining centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While rarely recognized as such by labor scholars, these decisions were an important part of the deregulatory push of the neoliberal era, as they put increasing numbers of workers outside the protection of labor and employment laws and into the far more employer-friendly terrain of contract law and a new big business-friendly antitrust law. Keywords: antitrust; fissured workplace; labor; law; policy EN antitrust fissured workplace labor law policy 50 58 9 09/11/23 20230901 NES 230901 Graph: The little boy [common people] and the big boys [trusts] prepare for the baseball season. B I ... [A]ntitrust policy in recent decades has had a decidedly mixed record with respect to workers. i b Labor unions, worker centers, and other worker organizations have a chance to seize the opening created by antitrust enforcers' newfound interest in worker welfare to shape the direction of reform. Second, Taft-Hartley excluded independent contractors from the National Labor Relations Act, denying taxi drivers and similar workers access to collective bargaining, and made the misclassification of workers as independent contractors an attractive tactic for employers. [Extracted from the article]

Research background: The Bangladeshi government has set a plan to generate one-tenth of its electricity from solar and other renewable sources by 2030. Solar adoption surged in Bangladesh up until 2015, setting a global precedent for electrifying areas that were previously unconnected. The enhanced lighting offered by solar systems provides immediate benefits, including additional hours for household and business activities and extended study hours for school-going children. Purpose of the article: This study seeks to identify the determinants and welfare gains of solar adoption in rural areas by analysing three rounds of the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey from 2011-12, 2015, and 2018-19. In addition to presenting new estimates of economic, environmental, and educational welfare gains, our research offers insights into how solar adoption relates to rural employment and the nutrition of children under five. Methods: We utilized both ordinary least squares and propensity score matching techniques to estimate the welfare effects of solar adoption. Only households that do not use electricity as their primary lighting source, such as those relying on solar or kerosene, are considered in our sample. Findings & value added: We have discovered that adopting solar is linked to higher income, increased expenditure, and growth in asset value. Additionally, there is a significant reduction in kerosene expenditure among adopters compared to non-adopters. Other observations reveal that households with solar setups tend to transition from sharecropping to trading and poultry farming. Children in these households also benefit from solar adoption in terms of education and nutrition. This study illustrates how solar energy can effectively address various welfare concerns in areas where the government cannot supply electricity. Given that recent global events have rendered underdeveloped countries more vulnerable to providing consistent electricity to their entire populations, this research suggests solar energy as a resilient electrification solution during crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new type of dynamic bus lane not only ensures the strategy of bus priority but also significantly improves the spatiotemporal utilization of road resources and reduces the conflicting demands of buses and social vehicles on road resources. Firstly, the heterogeneity of bus arrival time is analysed according to the process of aggregation and dissipation of vehicle queues at intersections. Considering the correlation between the operating states of social vehicles and buses, a dynamic control strategy for bus lane based on the insertable interval of social vehicles is established. Secondly, combining the setting conditions of the intermittent bus lane control area with the correlation scenario of signal control at intersections and then according to the HCM 2010 vehicle delay equation and the BPR function, the associated optimized control model with the minimum total travel time consumption of the road section as the objective function is constructed. The global optimal control of the intermittent bus lane is realized through the computational experiment. Finally, the setting conditions and benefits of three lane organization schemes (including intersect (i.e., no bus priority), parallel, and intermittent bus lanes) are compared and analysed through case study. The results indicate that the intermittent priority bus lanes have opening hours, which can not only ensure bus priority but also expand the right way for social vehicles and make full use of road space resources, thus improving the overall traffic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, a stable metal‐azolate framework with cyclic trinickel(II) clusters, namely [Ni3(μ3‐O)(BTPP)(OH)(H2O)2] (Ni‐BTPP, H3BTPP=1,3,5‐tris((1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl)phenylene)benzene), achieved a current density of 50 mA cm−2 at a cell voltage of 1.8 V in 1.0 M KOH solution, while the current density of 20%Pt/C@NF||IrO2@NF is just 35.8 mA cm−2 at 2.0 V under the same condition. Moreover, no obvious degradation was observed over 12 hours of continuous operation at a large current density of 50 mA cm−2. Theoretical calculations revealed that the μ3‐O atom in the cyclic trinickel(II) cluster serves as hydrogen‐bonding acceptor to facilitate the dissociation of a H2O molecule adsorbed on the adjacent Ni(II) ion, giving a lower energy barrier of H2O dissociation compared with Pt/C; meanwhile, the μ3‐O atom can also participate in the water oxidation reaction to couple with the adjacent *OH adsorbed on Ni(II) ion, providing a low‐energy coupling pathway, thus Ni‐BTPP achieves a high performance for overall water splitting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Vaccine procurement costs comprise a significant share of immunization program costs in low- and middle-income countries, yet not all procured vaccines are administered. Vaccine wastage occurs due to vial breakage, excessive heat or freezing, expiration, or when not all doses in a multidose vial are used. Better estimates of vaccine wastage rates and their causes could support improved management of vaccine stocks and reduce procurement costs. This study examined aspects of wastage for four vaccines at service delivery points in Ghana (n = 48), Mozambique (n = 36), and Pakistan (n = 46). We used prospective data from daily and monthly vaccine usage data entry forms, along with cross-sectional surveys, and in-depth interviews. The analysis found that estimated monthly proportional open-vial wastage rates for vaccines in single-dose vials (SDV) or in multi-dose vials (MDV) that can be kept refrigerated up to four weeks after opening ranged from 0.08 % to 3 %. For MDV where remaining doses are discarded within six hours after opening, the mean wastage rates ranged from 5 % to 33 %, with rates being highest for measles containing vaccine. Despite national-level guidance to open a vaccine vial even when only one child is present, vaccines in MDV that are discarded within six hours of opening are sometimes offered less frequently than vaccines in SDV or in MDV where remaining doses can be used for up to 4 weeks. This practice can lead to missed opportunities for vaccination. While closed-vial wastage at service delivery points (SDPs) was relatively rare, individual instances can result in large losses, suggesting that monitoring closed-vial wastage should not be neglected. Health workers reported insufficient knowledge of vaccine wastage tracking and reporting methods. Improving reporting forms would facilitate more accurate reporting of all causes of wastage, as would additional training and supportive supervision. Globally, decreasing doses per vial could reduce open-vial wastage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Office buildings, characterized by high internal heat gains, represent a major share of energy use, mainly due to HVAC systems, especially in commercial facilities. Such energy use becomes more significant in locations with harsh climatic conditions. The careful design, selection, and operation of HVAC and energy systems, however, can contribute to major reductions in the energy use in buildings. In this paper, we present the outcomes of a study conducted to assess the impact of HVAC operational strategies on energy use in office buildings in the hot and humid climate of Saudi Arabia. The study utilized detailed building-energy simulation coupled with utility-use data. The results revealed annual electrical energy savings ranging from an average of 1.9% for each 1°C increase in the thermostat setpoint temperature up to 42.4%, when limiting HVAC system operation to occupied hours only. On an average, there was about a 1.4% penalty in the annual energy for each hour of increase in the HVAC system start-up time. However, this penalty should not be avoided at the expense of compromising thermal comfort. In summary, a combination of appropriate HVAC operational strategies can have a significant impact on a building's annual energy savings, as demonstrated in the presented case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a tribological system is operated for the first time, the first hours of operation are of the utmost importance as the surfaces of the contacting elements mate to each other, involving significant wear processes until the surfaces reach stable topological characteristics. This initial phase in a combustion engine is known as running-in and is of critical importance in the study of friction and wear phenomena. Despite this, there is little information in the literature dedicated to running-in and, therefore, data improving its understanding is greatly anticipated. In this work, a novel wear debris detection system measuring in real time was employed to investigate the running-in of an inline 4-cylinder gasoline engine; it consists primarily of an optical sensor with the capability of detecting very small particles from 4 μ m. For the tests, the engine was mounted on a test bench and operated under stationary working conditions. The results of the wear debris measurements showed interesting insights into the engine running-in process; although in general, the results followed the expected trend, they also showed an unexpected behavior: it was expected to obtain the highest amounts of wear debris at the beginning of the running-in, but instead the number of debris stagnated and only started to increase after about 20 h to then decrease again. The best operating conditions to run-in the engine were identified at the middle of the running-in period, without the presence of large wear debris that could lead to severe wear. Finally, it was found that the engine running-in was not finished until at least 75 h of operation, although commonly, a running-in time of 10 h is used in the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools transitioned face-to-face (F2F) classes online in spring 2020 due to COVID-19. This paper reports on changes in study hours of business majors at a public university amid this transition. The analysis by enrollment type of quantitative data collected from 250 students shows an overall significant difference in study hours per class for all students. However, the difference is between students enrolled in online and F2F classes before the transition. F2F-only or online-only students did not significantly have a change in study hours after the transition. This report discusses these results and explores suggestions for helping students transition to online learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to address two major issues: (1) the spread of epidemics such as COVID-19 due to long waiting times caused by a large number of waiting for customers, and (2) excessive energy consumption resulting from the elevator patterns used by various customers. The first issue is addressed through the development of a mobile application, while the second issue is tackled by implementing two strategies: (1) determining optimal stopping strategies for elevators based on registered passengers and (2) assigning passengers to elevators in a way that minimizes the number of floors the elevators need to stop at. The mobile application serves as an input parameter for the optimization toolbox, which employs the exact method and multi-objective variable neighborhood strategy adaptive search (M-VaNSAS) to find the optimal plan for passenger assignment and elevator scheduling. The proposed method, which adopts an even-odd floor strategy, outperforms the currently practiced procedure and leads to a 42.44% reduction in waiting time and a 29.61% reduction in energy consumption. Computational results confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electroreduction of CO2 (CO2R) to formate enables the storage of renewable electricity in liquid chemical bonds in an efficient manner. However, hydrogen evolution competes with CO2R, decreasing Faradaic efficiency (FE) and energy efficiency (EE) for formate production, particularly under acidic and neutral conditions. The deterioration of the catalysts during CO2R further hinders long‐term and effective operation. To overcome these challenges, we fabricate nanostructured Sn/SnO2 through physical evaporation and wet‐chemical etching, improving the CO2‐to‐formate conversion with finely tuned *OCHO adsorption. The in‐situ formation of Sn/SnO2 surfaces during CO2R stabilizes the active sites for reliable formate production across a broad range of electrolyte pH from base to neutral. Our results show a 94 % CO2R‐to‐formate FE and a 58 % formate cathodic EE at 100 mA cm−2 in 1 M KOH over 70 hours of continuous operation. Under neutral conditions (pH=7), the CO2‐to‐formate conversion remains stable for 100 h with a selectivity of >90 %. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective On-line gas chromatograph is the key analysis equipment to realize natural gas energy measurement. It is of great significance to carry out the research on the adaptability of domestic on-line gas chromatograph, and to break the technical barriers of imported on-line gas chromatograph and to realize the localization of instruments and equipment. Method The gas standard material was analyzed by on-line gas chromatograph and the field application test was carried out, analyze and evaluate the effectiveness, separation degree, reproducibility, accuracy and stability of the prototype. Results The prototype can effectively analyze the content of N2, CO2, C1-C6 hydrocarbon components in the gas, and the analysis period is not more than 2 min; resolution R=2.0 for iC4 and nC4, quantitative repeatability RSD≤1.0% for nC4; the stability of the prototype operation for 4 hours is 3.0%; the relative deviation from the actual natural gas samples obtained by imported on-line gas chromatograph is not more than 0.1%. Conclusions The developed prototype can basically meet the needs of natural gas energy measurement, which provides a technical reference for the comprehensive implementation of natural gas energy measurement and the localization of on-line gas chromatograph in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]