The emergence of drug-resistant bacterial strains has challenged the use of traditional antibiotic therapies. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel antibacterial materials or methods to effectively eradicate bacteria. Herein, we demonstrated a novel antibacterial system consisting of cupric oxide nanoparticles combined with ascorbic acid (CuO NPs/AA), which could act as a potent nanoantibiotic

Dissimilar metal welds (DMW) are used to connect the low-alloy steel (LAS) pressure vessel and austenitic stainless steel (ASS) piping in nuclear power reactors. DMWs inherently have high gradient of carbon content across fusion boundary (LAS-ASS), leading to carbon migration from LAS to ASS. Nickel-based alloy is the preferred buttering and welding consumable to minimize carbon migration. Stress-relieving

In this paper, a new method for generating multi-scroll chaotic attractors via constructing a compound hyperbolic tangent-cubic nonlinear function in canonical Chua’s circuit is presented. The basic dynamic characteristics of the system are analyzed, including equilibrium points, bifurcation diagrams, Lyapunov exponents, phase portraits, time-domain diagrams and attractive basins. What is surprising

This article presents a redesign methodology based on modularity to minimize resource consumption and reuse components, avoiding the need to replace a whole product with another with higher functional performance. The method employs two decision algorithms to modularize product families that offer the same functionality in different levels (i.e., scalable functions) based on design parameters such

Manufacturing high precision and high performance parts in aerospace, automotive and medical industries often requires machining of difficult-to-cut materials such as titanium, nickel and hardened alloyed steel alloys. Low productivity and environmental damage are major problems in cutting these materials, which vitally require optimized cooling strategies. High-pressure cutting fluid supply (HP CF)

Trust is essential in human-robot interactions, and in times where machines are yet to be fully reliable, it is important to study how robotic hardware faults can affect the human counterpart. This experiment builds on a previous research that studied trust changes in a game-like scenario with the humanoid robot iCub. Several robot hardware failures (validated in another online study) were introduced

We envision a humanoid robot to serve as a source of additional motion-support forces in assistance for frail persons. In this context, we present a control strategy for a humanoid to adaptively regulate its assistive force contribution. First, we identify a human model torque control for optimal execution of a priori known motion task from sample recordings of this task performed by a healthy individual

Among the eighteen upper ports of the ITER Tokamak, the upper ports #4, #5, #6 and #7 are located in the Neutral Beam (NB) cell. A roughing filter and an upper port plug are located inside each upper port. Vacuum Vessel (VV) in-service inspection and neutron flux monitor ports are located on the balcony area near the third Heating Neutral Beam (HNB). This paper describes the concept design of the Upper

Abstract Measurement has been an important activity for centuries. The advent of Six Sigma initiatives has increased the assessment of measurement repeatability and reproducibility using Gage R&R studies. It is common practice that, when the operator-part interaction in Gage R&R studies is statistically significant, the associated variance component is used in estimating the test method reproducibility

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor remote-handling (ITER-RH) system powered by water hydraulics is a vision of the future. The 2D servo valve is a new type of servo valve, maybe suitable for the ITER-RH system. It has many advantages, including its fast response and strong anti-pollution ability. However, steady flow force is currently considered to be one factor that impacts the

This paper presented a new method of locating the probable leakage zones in the water distribution networks. The proposed method has consisted of two steps: first, a zone with the most leakages is identified by analysing the results of the pressure metering at different parts of the network. In the second step, the leaky zone is divided into some virtual zones. According to the field pressure or flow

To identify conveniently multiphase flow regimes in subsea pipeline-risers, we study in this paper experimentally two-phase flows in a 1657 m long pipeline with an S-shaped riser to simulate field experiment, within a wide range of gas and liquid velocities. Three flow regimes, namely severe slugging, transitional flows, and stable flows, are analyzed based on three differential pressure and one pressure

The discharge coefficients of 59 small diameter toroidal throat Venturi critical nozzles were measured by the static gravimetric method. The throat diameter is from 0.014 mm to 2.35 mm and the Reynolds number is 4 × 102 to 2 × 105. These nozzles were manufactured by the normally processing method base on the same design drawing, but their discharge coefficients were scattered widely. The purpose of

This paper proposes a level set-based topology optimization method for acoustic metasurfaces consisting of multiple types of unit cells. As a type of acoustic metasurface, we focus on a two-layered metasurface, where each layer contains various types of unit cell designs. To handle this metasurface, we first propose a two-scale homogenization method based on previous studies targeting metasurfaces

A key factor in the success of a technology is its use by target users. Therefore, the effectiveness of mobile learning depends on student acceptance. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to analyze the factors that influence university students’ acceptance of mobile learning. This study is based on Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Thus, the study covered

Recently, deep-learning (DL)-based soft sensor has been widely applied to industrial processes, which plays a vital role for process monitoring, control, and optimization. However, most existing soft sensor models are established for only one quality variable or multiple quality variables with the same sampling rate. There are very few models focusing on prediction for multirate quality variables,

To improve the reliability of the conventional vibration-based wind turbine drivetrain gearbox fault diagnosis system, this article proposes a novel fault diagnosis method by fusing the information from gearbox vibration and generator current signals. First, the fault features contained in the gearbox vibration signals and the generator current signals are analyzed, respectively. Second, a multiclass

Most of the published research studies for detecting induction motor broken bar faults (BBFs) use a time–frequency $(t\,\,-\,\,f)$ decomposition tool to characterize the fault-related components. However, the identification and the assessment of these components in $(t\,\,-\,\,f)$ domain require skilled user or powerful pattern recognition technique. Moreover, a relatively long starting duration is

The 3-D model of workpieces plays a significant role in robotic spray painting, which needs the geometry and shape information for painting-path planning or pose estimation. However, the models are rarely provided beforehand, even if they are available, random pose changes during workpiece conveying on the spray-painting pipeline also necessitates the usage of real-time 3-D reconstruction. In this

Spectral-computed tomography (CT) has been demonstrating its great advantages in lesion detection, tissue characterization, and material decomposition. However, the quality of images is often significantly corrupted with various noises, which brings a great challenge for its applications. Because the channel-wise images from different energy interval share similar structure and physical message, the

Metal surface defect segmentation can play an important role in dealing with the issue of quality control during the production and manufacturing stages. There are still two major challenges in industrial applications. One is the case that the number of metal surface defect samples is severely insufficient, and the other is that the most existing algorithms can only be used for specific surface defects

In this article, a detection method based on microwave technique is proposed to detect the internal defects of composite insulators. Based on this method, an automatic detection system is developed for full-size composite insulator. In the experiments with 110-kV composite insulators, three types of defects, namely the air-gap defect, carbonization defect, and conductive defect, are artificially made

This article presents an accurate and robust method to calculate the phase offset of a reference waveform, usually produced by a digital-to-analog converter (DAC) in IEC Std 61850-9-2 calibration systems. The phase offset is defined with respect to the rising edge of a reference clock signal, locked to the Global Positioning System (GPS). The proposed method relies on the synchronous acquisition of

Continuous overnight vital signs monitoring would be ideal for patients suffering from epilepsy, where life-threatening hypoxemias can occur during sleep. However, the existing physiological monitoring systems suffer from limitations in terms of usability factors and/or limited information of the signals being acquired. The body location of the monitoring system is a crucial consideration, seldom addressed

A fast numerical modeling approach based on network characteristic mode analysis (CMA) is presented and investigated for analyzing electrical layouts in miniature RF filters, such as surface acoustic wave filters. In this approach, a generalized eigenvalue decomposition is performed on the Z-parameters of an electrical layout at one or two sampling frequencies that can be computed and extracted with

Kriging has been more and more widely used as a method to construct surrogate models in a variety of areas within the engineering field. The universal Kriging is less appealing than the ordinary Kriging in the case that an informed decision could be hardly made to select the variables for capturing the global trends in responses. The Penalized Blind Kriging (PBK) systematically carries out model selection

ABSTRACT Effect of acidification on advanced oxidation performance of ozone-electrolysis was explored by experimental and theoretical approaches. A series of experiments revealed that ozone-electrolysis had a synergistic effect on 1,4-dioxane removal. Two radical production pathways, namely ozone self-decomposition and one-electron reduction of ozone, are involved in ozone-electrolysis. A series of

ABSTRACT In this study, the performance of the ozonation process was investigated in the removal of antibiotics (Cephalexin, Ciprofloxacin, and Clarithromycin) from medical laboratory wastewater. Central composite design, one of the response surface methodologies, was applied to optimize process parameters and to develop a mathematical model. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to analyze the

Intermediate-level radioactive waste (ILW) is not subject to legal approval for cave disposal in Korea. To solve this problem, a spent resin treatment device that separates 14C-containing resin from zeolite/activated carbon and desorbs 14C through a microwave device has been developed. In this study, we evaluated the radiological safety of the operators performing repair work in the event of a failure

If safety injection systems (SISs) do not work in the event of a loss-of-coolant accident (LOCA), the accident can progress to a severe accident in which the reactor core is exposed and the reactor vessel fails. Therefore, it is considered that a technology that provides recoverable maximum time for SIS actuation is necessary to prevent this progression. In this study, the corresponding time was defined

Workers’ safety from radiological exposure in a 1 ton/day capacity spent resin treatment facility was evaluated according to the operating times and outflow rate due to process related leakages. The conservative annual dose based on the operating times of the workers exceeded the dose limit by at least 7.38E+01 mSv for close work. The realistic dose range was derived as 1.62E+01 mSv–6.60E+01 mSv. The

Background Cardiovascular simulations for patients with single ventricles undergoing the Fontan procedure can assess patient-specific hemodynamics, explore surgical advances, and develop personalized strategies for surgery and patient care. These simulations have not yet been broadly accepted as a routine clinical tool owing to a number of limitations. Numerous approaches have been explored to seek

Polygeneration has gained increased attention since it embraces efficient energy utilization while contributing to alleviate environmental pollution. The fossil-fuel dependence of trigeneration/cogeneration systems presses for maximizing energy conversion rates. Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) from natural gas engine exhaust represents a significant opportunity to improve fuel utilization. This study presents

This paper presents a comprehensive approach to elucidate the mechanical and thermal aspects of coating layers integrated with organic-based PCMs. In that respect, three sets of cement mortars were studied experimentally to underline the significance of PCMs proportion. From a mechanical point of view, the strength of specimens cured at 20 °C resulted to be superior compared to 40 °C, with a more evident

The aim of the present work is to investigate the situation of solid waste management in Tehran and compare it with Beijing. This paper presents the electricity production potential of methane from waste collected and greenhouse gas assessment in 16 districts from Beijing and 22 districts from Tehran in 20 years (2019–2038) using landfill gas to electricity system. Evaluation of economic feasibility

The energy sector currently faces growing challenges related to increasing demand, efficiency, a lack of analytics required for optimal management, and changing supply and demand patterns. Renewable energy technologies such as Energy forecasting, energy efficiency, and energy accessibility are the key factors that incorporate Artificial intelligence. In this paper, the Artificial Intelligence-based

Integrating distributed generators (DGs) in radial distribution networks plays a vital role in improving the system performance via enhancing the bus voltage and minimizing the system losses. Nonetheless, uncoordinated DGs integration may cause technical issues if they are not efficiently planned, controlled, and operated. Therefore, this paper proposes a new methodology based on the recent metaheuristic

Integrated Energy System (IES), which covers electricity/gas/heat and other different energy sources, is an integral source of energy and Fault Detection in dynamic processing. Some key Challenges, such as collaborative planning, tracking optimization, threat review, state assessment, situational awareness, and general demand-side management, are addressed and discussed in this paper. Further, the

Due to reduction of feed in tariff, the exploration of design solutions for smart cost-effective energy system is required to enable the consumers to select the optimum capacity of renewable energy system. This study investigates an innovative reward-penalty mechanism which is specifically designed to promote net zero energy buildings and net zero energy communities. Two different strategies (i.e.

The need to combat the increase in global warming is well taken by solar energy lead renewable energy resources. The techno-economic feasibility of solar systems in the form of photovoltaic (PV) generation is highly dependent upon its operating conditions. The nonlinear control problem is further worsened by partial shading (PS) environment causing major power losses. Bio-inspired maximum power point

Micro-seismic events within a mine have the potential to disturb planned daily operations as unpredictable events can lead to safety concerns. Mines are typically large-scale underground endeavours which cannot easily be modelled on the macro scale. One increasingly popular technique for simulating activity in mines is the material point method (MPM) which is a numerical algorithm designed for analysing

Cutting force prediction of the Stinger PDC cutter is a critically important work for the hybrid PDC bit design, which will directly affect the working stability and rock-breaking efficiency of drill bits. Thermal stress caused by drilling fluid cooling high temperature rock has significant influence on cutting force in geothermal drilling. However, to our best knowledge, the investigation of thermal

This paper proposes a new stochastic optimizer called the Colony Predation Algorithm (CPA) based on the corporate predation of animals in nature. CPA utilizes a mathematical mapping following the strategies used by animal hunting groups, such as dispersing prey, encircling prey, supporting the most likely successful hunter, and seeking another target. Moreover, the proposed CPA introduces new features

Research on the mechanical properties of brain tissue has received extensive attention. However, most of the current studies have been conducted at the phenomenological level. In this study, the indentation method was used to explore the difference in local mechanical properties among different regions of the porcine cerebral cortex. Further, hematoxylin-eosin and immunofluorescence staining methods

Goal: Create a semi-automated, graphical, stand-alone application that uses clinically available asynchronous pressure and Doppler velocity captures to rapidly calculate, display, and interpret the pulmonary vascular impedance (PVZ) spectra. Methods: MATLAB-based software was written to analyze PVZ by creating a composite PVZ (cPVZ) spectra comprised of asynchronous screen captures of pulmonary arterial

The current Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA) has several drawbacks, such as slow convergence, low solution accuracy and easy to fall into the local optimal solution. To overcome these drawbacks, an improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (IWOA) is proposed in this study. IWOA can enhance the global search capability by two measures. First, the crossover and mutation operations in Differential Evolutionary

In order to satisfy the needs of different applications and more complex intelligent devices, smart control of surface wettability will be necessary and desirable, which gradually become a hot spot and focus in the field of interface wetting. Herein, we review interfacial wetting states related to switchable wettability on superwettable materials, including several classical wetting models and liquid

The replacement of synthetic foam materials using natural biological ones is of great significance for saving energy/resources and reducing environmental pollutions. Here we characterized the microstructure and mechanical properties of natural cornstalk pith, which has a large annual output yet lacks an effective exploitation, and evaluated its feasibility for applications as a substitute for synthetic

In a biomimetic approach the feasibility of liquid flow actuation by vibrating protruding structures excited via guided acoustic waves is investigated. Inspired by periodically beating cilia the loop part of a punched metallic hook-and-loop tape with tilted protruding loops was used as a waveguide for plate waves in water. Such waves were excited in the frequency range of 110 Hz to 220 Hz by directly

Mimicking compositional and constructional features of the extracellular matrix (ECM) is an effective parameter in improving the biological response of biomaterials. In this regard, carbon nanotube (CNT) and gelatin were added to magnesium-calcium phosphate cement (CNG) to mimic fibrillar construction and organic composition of ECM, respectively, besides the CNG performance was compared with the plain

3D printing has made remarkable progress in soft tissue reconstruction enabling the custom design of complex material implants with patient specific geometry. The aim of this study was to inkjet print mechanically reinforced biocompatible hydrogels. Here, we developed a double crosslinked ink by optimizing the rheological properties of solutions of sodium alginate (NaAlg), NaAlg/transglutaminase (TG)