Evaluating public transport performance using System Efficiency Measure. The case of minibus taxi transport in Mekelle city
Academic Paper from the year 2019 in the subject Engineering - General, Mekelle University (EiT-M), language: English, abstract: An effective evaluation of transport system efficiency is essential in establishing a sustainable development of the transport system. Even though Mekelle is a rapidly growing city of northern Ethiopia, due to the limited extent of taxi transport, the inefficiency of taxi routes and the deficiency of taxi service, people are spending more time and money on travel. Therefore, this thesis has investigated the current performance of taxi transport with regard to the efficiency parameters, identified deficiency of existing route network and suggested improvements to the route network, as well as service deficiency. To do so, direct field data collection and questioner for primary data collection were used. ArcGIS was used to analyse the area coverage of the existing and proposed taxi routes under acceptable walking distance. AutoCAD was used to draw the old and proposed taxi routes and taxi stations. Sigma plot and MS-Excel were used to draw the graphs. The analysis shows the problem with the existing taxi transport systems is, that there is less infrastructure availability, such as taxi route and minibus taxis. The available number of minibus taxi serving is only at 13.18%. Mode share of walking is 54.52%, unmodified proximity or less area coverage of the taxi system within acceptable walking distance which is only 35%, long walking distance between taxi stations, which is beyond the acceptable range. Based on those findings this thesis has calculated the number of minibus taxi or buss required for different percentages of service increment and recommended buses with a capacity of 80 passengers to be added. Even though buses with higher capacity can reduce congestion at times of low trip attraction and production passengers will be forced to lose more time inside the vehicles as the vehicles wait until they reach their capacity. New taxi
A Study on Carp Polyculture in an Earthen pond
Bachelor Thesis from the year 2022 in the subject Agrarian Studies, grade: 3.87/4, course: Aquaculture, language: English, abstract: This is a study of carp polyculture in an earthen pond. During present work the growth and production parameters of different fish species was assessed along with the regular monitoring of water quality parameters. The general objective of this study was to learn the production of carps under polyculture system in an earthen pond. Specific objectives were to access the growth and yields of different carps in polyculture system, to calculate gross margin, B: C ratio and apparent FCR of carp polyculture, to monitor the water quality parameters required for carp polyculture and to learn about the marketing of carps. "Carp Polyculture in an Earthen Pond" is an undergraduate project which was performed at fish farm of Agriculture and Forestry University, Chitwan, Nepal by Subash Yadav Ahir. It was of three month duration and involved a complete series of field as well as lab works that a required during polyculture of carp species. After the completion of project the final result was presented among all the faculty members and students through presentation and after successful thesis defence, B.Sc. Fisheries degree was awarded to me in December, 2022.
Novel Approaches for Structural Health Monitoring II
The thirty-plus years of progress in the field of structural health monitoring (SHM) have had a huge impact on our everyday lives. Be it for the monitoring of fixed- and rotary-wing aircrafts, for the preservation of the cultural and architectural heritage, or for the predictive maintenance of long-span bridges or wind farms, SHM has shaped the framework of many engineering fields. Given the current state of quantitative and principled methodologies, it is nowadays possible to rapidly and consistently evaluate the structural safety of industrial machines, modern concrete buildings, historical masonry complexes, etc., to test their capability and to serve their intended purpose. However, old unsolved problems as well as new challenges exist. Furthermore, unprecedented conditions, such as stricter safety requirements and ageing civil infrastructure, pose new challenges. Therefore, the second volume of this Special Issue series gathers the main contributions of academics and practitioners in civil, aerospace, and mechanical engineering to provide a common ground for structural health monitoring in dealing with old and new aspects of this ever-growing research field.
Advanced Technologies for Position and Navigation under GNSS Signal Challenging or Denied Environments
Currently, with the popularity of smart devices, assured Position Navigation and Time (PNT) is critical for these devices and some fundamental infrastructures, i.e., the power grid. The Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is dominant in providing PNT information due to its coverage and high accuracy. However, its signals are weak, and it is vulnerable; multipath and None-Line-Of-Signals (NLOS) are the major errors that occur with regard to the GNSS in applications in urban areas. Advanced signal processing methods are expected to improve its resilience and assurance. In addition, the GNSS is fragile to interference and spoofing, which should be emphasized for unmanned systems and smart devices.This Special Issue aimed to provide a platform for researchers to publish innovative work on the advanced technologies for position and navigation under GNSS signal-challenging or -denied environments.
IoT Multi Sensors
This reprint focuses on state-of-the-art technologies, the latest findings and current challenges in IoT with emphasis on healthcare, transportation, antenna design and disease detection. The included papers cover numerous topics of interest that include: IoT communication protocols;LPWAN for IoT (Sigfox, LoRa, etc.);Antenna design for IoT applications;Large-scale, high-density IoT networks and architectures;IoT applications and multi-sensors for transportation and traffic control;IoT convergence for Smart Health;Machine-learning/deep-learning algorithms for sensing IoT;Machine-learning-based healthcare applications and disease detection using IoT architectures;Applications and examples of use.
Advanced Manufacturing Technology and Systems
Advanced manufacturing technology and systems cover a broad scope involving manufacturing processes, machine tool design, system optimization, smart and flexible manufacturing, theoretical study and metrology. This reprint comprises 19 original papers concerning recent advances in the research and development of AMTSs. Specifically, there are many research fields that are covered: machining processes (six papers), micro-/nano-precision fabrication (four papers), and system optimization (eight papers), in addition to one review.
Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys
The Special Issue "Fatigue and Fracture of Metals and Alloys: Numerical and Experimental Study" includes 19 articles covering problems in fatigue and fracture mechanics from different parts of the scientific world. The issue includes articles presenting theoretical, numerical, statistical and experimental approaches to fatigue life estimation. The influence of technological processes, state of stress, or the environment on steel and aluminum alloys is presented. The subjects of the articles of interest, as they present solutions to common practical problems in the industry.
Advanced Eco-Friendly Wood-Based Composites II
The ongoing twin transition of the wood-based panel industry towards a green, digital, and more resilient bioeconomy is essential for a successful transformation to decarbonize the sector and implement a circular development model, transforming linear industrial value chains to minimize pollution and waste generation, and providing more sustainable growth and jobs. This green transition represents an opportunity to place the wood-based panel industry on a new path of more sustainable and inclusive growth, tackling climate change and reducing its dependence on fossil-derived raw materials, thus improving the industry's resource efficiency and security. It provides examples of the most recent advances and technological developments in the design, production, characteristics, and current and future applications of sustainable, eco-friendly wood and wood-based composites with enhanced properties and a reduced carbon footprint. It is intended for material scientists, wood scientists, environmental scientists, graduate and postgraduate students in Wood Science and Technology, as well as wood-based panel industry professionals. In addition, the content is relevant to government authorities and stakeholders working in the domain of sustainable wood value chains, aimed at achieving Sustainable Development Goals and enhanced contribution of the forest-based sector to long-term climate change mitigation.
Broadband Terahertz Devices and Communication Technologies
The remarkable explosion of wireless devices and bandwidth-consuming Internet applications has boosted the demand for wireless communications with ultra-high data rates. The wireless traffic volume is foreseen to match or even surpass the wired services by 2030, and high-precision wireless services will need to be guaranteed with a peak data rate of well beyond 100 Gbit/s, eventually reaching 1 Tbit/s. To meet the exponentially increasing traffic demand, new regions in the radio spectrum are being explored. The terahertz band, which is sandwiched between microwave frequencies and optical frequencies, is considered the next breakthrough point to revolutionize communication technology due to its rich spectrum resources. It is recognized as a promising candidate for future rate-greedy applications, such as 6G communications. At the World Radio Communication Conference 2019 (WRC-19), it was announced that the identification of frequency bands in the frequency range of 275 GHz-450 GHz is permitted for land-mobile and fixed service applications, indicating potential standardization of the low-frequency window of terahertz band for near-future wireless communications. Motivated by the potential of terahertz wireless communications, this reprint reports on recent critical technological breakthroughs in terms of broadband terahertz devices and communications, as well as novel technologies at other frequency bands that can also motivate terahertz research.
Fatigue and Fracture Mechanics of Marine Structures
Fatigue and fracture are important design criteria for marine structures subjected to static and cyclic loading. In particular, the ability to ensure structural integrity under all design conditions is of the utmost importance for the safety of humans and the environment. Many efforts have been made to develop fatigue and fracture mechanics methods in recent decades; however, discrepancies between predicted and actual strength remain due to various reasons. Hence, this Special Issue aims to collect descriptions of fatigue and fracture mechanical behaviour of marine structures. Studies demonstrating novel methods (either analytical, empirical or numerical), as well as presentations of case studies or innovative test studies, were invited. This includes considerations of parameters which have a large influence on fatigue and fracture behaviour of materials, welded joints or structural components, such as loading conditions, scale effects, etc.
Image and Video Processing and Recognition Based on Artificial Intelligence
This book focuses on challenging issues in the field of AI-based image and video processing and recognition, including the topics of AI-based image processing, understanding, recognition, compression, and reconstruction; AI-based video processing, understanding, recognition, compression, and reconstruction; computer vision based on AI; AI-based biometrics; AI-based object detection and tracking; approaches that combine AI techniques and conventional methods for image and video processing and recognition; explainable AI (XAI) for image and video processing and recognition; generative adversarial network (GAN)-based image and video processing and recognition; and approaches that combine AI techniques and blockchain methods for image and video processing and recognition.
Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0
Existing competitiveness between companies in the global market requires a high degree of proactivity, with an aim of reducing costs, increasing quality, and providing the market with innovative products that are in line with the natural evolution of customer demands. The concepts of the Toyota Production System, which have led to the adoption of lean manufacturing, have helped industrial managers to implement tools and practices that eliminate or substantially reduce wastes that normally exist in conventional production lines. However, the need for successive increase in flexibility necessitates a more favorable evolution with technological advancements in the programming of equipment and devices, along with the use of robotics and the integration of information throughout the product manufacturing cycle using the IoT or powerful networks. This concept, usually referred to as Industry 4.0, is in line with the principles of lean manufacturing, although it can only be supported by a true technological revolution involving remote programming of machines, integration of manufacturing processes, and real-time control of the work performed through an entire production cycle. This Special Issue showcases important contributions in the area of lean manufacturing and Industry 4.0, with innovative concepts that will certainly enthuse and strengthen readers' knowledge.
Advances in Ironmaking and Steelmaking Processes
In recent years, ironmaking and steelmaking have witnessed the incorporation of various new processes and technologies that can be operated and organized in different combinations depending on the properties of raw materials and the required quality of the final products. Indications from the steel industry and local and global government institutions suggest that the breakthrough technologies for decarbonization will be based on new fuels and energy vectors. For CO2-lean process routes, three major solutions have been identified: decarbonizing, whereby coal would be replaced by hydrogen or electricity in the hydrogen reduction or electrolysis of iron ore processes; the introduction of CCS technology; and the use of sustainable biomass.Today, hydrogen-based steelmaking is a potential low-carbon and economically attractive route, especially in countries where natural gas is cheap. By considering systems for increasing energy efficiency and reducing the environmental impact of steel production, CO2 emissions may be greatly reduced by hydrogen-based steel production if hydrogen is generated by means of carbon-free and renewable sources. Currently, the development of the hydrogen economy has received a great deal of attention in that H2 is considered a promising alternative to replace fossil fuels. Based on hydrogen, the "hydrogen economy" is a promising clean energy carrier for decarbonized energy systems if the hydrogen used is produced from renewable energy sources or coupled with carbon capture and storage (CCS) or nuclear energy.
Technology in Southeast Asian History
Explores the role of technology in the larger political and economic fabric of Southeast Asia.In Technology in Southeast Asian History, Suzanne Moon explores the profound entanglement of technology with Southeast Asian politics, social life, economics, and culture over its long history. Moon offers a unique framework for understanding the place of technology in this region and its pivotal role in the emergence of the modern technological world.Synthesizing scholarship from the fields of history, archaeology, and anthropology, Moon examines and links technological stories from prehistory to the mid-twentieth century. She uses analytics in the history of technology--such as circulation, coproduction, and assemblage--to highlight the processes and evolving patterns of technological dynamism that characterize the region. Drawing on research focused on specific technologies, including temple construction, rice agriculture, weaving, and shipbuilding, Moon investigates the interconnectedness of these technologies within the larger political and economic fabric of Southeast Asian history. In contrast with portrayals of Southeast Asia as technologically deficient, Moon demonstrates the richness of this region's technological cultures. She rejects polarizing binaries such as traditional and modern or indigenous and foreign, instead underscoring Southeast Asia's role as a dynamic cocreator of the modern technological world. Technology has contributed to the creation and disruption of social and political orders; shaped engagements across barriers of distance, culture, and language; and produced and reproduced diverse cultures in this region. This narrative of technological change offers students, scholars, and readers critical new perspectives on both technological history and Southeast Asian history.
What distinguishes food insecurity in Dryland areas in Ethiopia from the highlands?
Academic Paper from the year 2022 in the subject Agrarian Studies, grade: 3.97, course: Graduate seminar, language: English, abstract: Food security and insecurity are terms used to describe whether or not households have access to sufficient quality and quantity of food. Food insecurity is a condition in which people lack the basic food intake necessary to provide them with the energy and nutrients required for fully productive lives. It can either be temporary (transitory food insecurity) or continuous (chronic food insecurity). Like many developing countries, Ethiopian farmers in the highlands predominantly practice subsistence farming and are often subject to food insecurity. The main objective of the seminar is to review the status of household food insecurity in Ethiopia with a special focus on dryland areas. A review of the status of household food insecurity is vital because it provides information that will enable effective measures to be undertaken to prove food security status and bring the success of food security development programs. The result of the empirical review indicated, especially in dryland areas of Ethiopia, the majority of households were food insecure. Drought risks, desert locus, the spread of corona varies, protracted impacts of past poor seasons, conflict, poor household income, cost of nutritious food, and knowledge of nutritious food factors are the major drivers of food insecurity. International non-governmental organizations, local organizations, the private sector, and the government should continue to work together to adopt drought-risk-friendly modern technologies and design new production-oriented and commercialization policies to improve food security. The data for this review was used from secondary data sources by conducting an intensive reading of published and unpublished journals, articles, and books. Also, this paper is going to review the Causes, indicators, coping mechanisms, and Policy options to minimize hou
Engineering Research Methods. Research Proposal, Structure of a Paper, Data Collection and Analysis
Document from the year 2023 in the subject Engineering - General, South Eastern Kenya University, Kitui Campus, language: English, abstract: "Engineering Research Methods" is a text book intended for students and instructors in University or higher education for postgraduate students undertaking Engineering and related applied Sciences. Some of the fields which this text is relevant include Agricultural Engineering, Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Hydraulics Engineering and Electrical Engineering. Other related Physical and Applied Sciences Field may include General Agriculture, Agricultural Education and Extension, Horticulture sciences The content of this text book has been presented in a coherent style, arranged in logical sequence that adheres to University and higher education curriculum as it is customized to the postgraduate research that take place in Engineering and Applied Sciences. This makes the book suitable for every postgraduate student. For proper illustrations, some examples have been quoted especially in research problem and research objectives to help postgraduate researchers to grasp knowledge and skills on research problem identification. Each chapter is well formulated with relevant diagrams and illustration for the readers to easily comprehend the details presented. For the purpose of improvement, any criticism from students, trainers and practitioners will be thankfully received by the author.
Developing ”Smartness” in Emerging Environments and Applications with Focus on the Internet of Things (IoT)
This reprint focusses on Smartness, a multidisciplinary topic, which is examined from four perspectives: Sensors, IoT, and Data Generation; Data and Information Processing; Actuation; and Digital Systems and Infrastructure. We see smartness in the way sensing is embedded in a system, the way data and information are processed, how a system interacts internally and with its environment, and whether a system is ubiquitous or limited by space (cloud-based or edge-enabled). This reprint contains a total of 14 chapters, which are grouped according to their areas of application: mobility and transportation, healthcare, industrial environments, and other urban infrastructures. This book covers a range of topics, including mobility; healthcare; image analysis; permeable pavements; solid-waste management; sensor node and gateway architectures; cloud, fog, and edge computing; air-quality monitoring; thermal anomalies and smart helmets in industrial environments; smart airports; smart districts; smart travel choices; sensor cities; artificially intelligent cities; platform urbanism; and more.
Performance evaluation of rigid and flexible pavement in Addis Ababa City Road Authority Projects
Academic Paper from the year 2022 in the subject Engineering - Civil Engineering, Ambo University (Technology), course: Construction Engineering and Management, language: English, abstract: Transportation plays a vital role in facilitating economic development of a country. In particular, road transport acts as a means for the movement of people and agricultural products. Addis Ababa City Roads Authority executed both, constructing new roads as well as rehabilitate and maintain the existing road pavement. Therefore, a good pavement performance is essential for economic prosperity and industrial development. In recent days, Addis Ababa City Roads Authority is working on increasing the city roads coverage, but the biggest issue is the loss of performance and becoming a problem for the users in various aspects. The purpose of this study is to assess purposely-selected road stretches that are rigid and flexible pavement type work on defect type extent and severity of the defects in detail and to perform Pavement condition Index calculations. According to ASTM D 6433 - 07, the results from this study show, that the pavement condition rating is considered as a serious case. The study shows, that flexible pavement has lots of potholes and alligator cracking with different severity, but the majority of the area is having active construction of multipurpose mixed-use buildings and the waste of the structure including concrete and other materials is disposed to the main road. Because of this, the manhole inlets cause stagnant water on the pavement and lead to deterioration of the pavement. The side roads are used as business areas, the plots don't have parking area and almost all the drainages are blocked by the shop owners for the case of bad smell. For the case of the rigid pavement, only cracking and patching small parts is seen on site and comparatively the rigid pavement does not have that much defect. Addis Ababa city roads Authority practiced pavement making from f
Eco-Friendly Materials for Civil Construction
The papers published in the Special Issue "Eco-Friendly Materials for Civil Construction: Utilization and Advantages" are now collected as a reprint supporting sustainability for changing our planet lifestyle of increasing consumerist and predatory actions. Indeed, this reprint serves as a warning that the traditional linear economy entails the generation of huge amounts of wastes and, consequently, a negative impact on the environment. Therefore, emphasis on sustainable action is mandatory for the required transition from a linear to a circular economy.The collection of papers comprising this reprint are intended to contribute to advance and understanding on the role of eco-friendly construction materials. They could not only promote saving in energy but also reduce pollution by incorporating urban, agricultural, and industrial wastes.
Intelligent Digital Ecosystems
Turn Technology from a Threat into a Limitless Opportunity."From examining the omnipresence of data and algorithms in our daily lives to the potential dangers that human ambition has already unleashed, Intelligent Digital Ecosystems is a visionary, timely, and essential primer for the future." - Self-Publish Review"An fascinating and original work full of fresh insights and perspectives." - Tristan Gooley, Natural NavigatorThe way you are using technology today is wrong. It is hurting your mental and physical health while damaging the environment and the economy. It is limiting your potential. But there is a better way.Drawing inspiration from the human microbiome, entrepreneur and CTO Janak Alford illustrates a compelling new world of human and technological potential. Using simple language and rich visuals, Alford offers a blueprint for how to rebuild your digital life from the ground up. By replacing your operating systems, apps, and personal devices with intelligent ecosystems, he shows how you can use this template to grow your personal agency and become a powerhouse in the digital domain.Intelligent Digital Ecosystems is an inquiry into a universe where technology becomes a symbiotic partner capable of expanding human intelligence in new and powerful ways. Navigating the many numerous opportunities and pitfalls ahead, this generation-spanning exploration challenges our understanding of intelligence, culture, and creativity while providing a conceptual glimpse into the humans we might become tomorrow.Take control of your life, amplify your intelligence, and become the architect of tomorrow's possibilities. Don't wait any longer - pick up your own copy to embark on this transformative journey today!
Intelligent Digital Ecosystems
Turn Technology from a Threat into a Limitless Opportunity."From examining the omnipresence of data and algorithms in our daily lives to the potential dangers that human ambition has already unleashed, Intelligent Digital Ecosystems is a visionary, timely, and essential primer for the future." - Self-Publish Review"An fascinating and original work full of fresh insights and perspectives." - Tristan Gooley, Natural NavigatorThe way you are using technology today is wrong. It is hurting your mental and physical health while damaging the environment and the economy. It is limiting your potential. But there is a better way.Drawing inspiration from the human microbiome, entrepreneur and CTO Janak Alford illustrates a compelling new world of human and technological potential. Using simple language and rich visuals, Alford offers a blueprint for how to rebuild your digital life from the ground up. By replacing your operating systems, apps, and personal devices with intelligent ecosystems, he shows how you can use this template to grow your personal agency and become a powerhouse in the digital domain.Intelligent Digital Ecosystems is an inquiry into a universe where technology becomes a symbiotic partner capable of expanding human intelligence in new and powerful ways. Navigating the many numerous opportunities and pitfalls ahead, this generation-spanning exploration challenges our understanding of intelligence, culture, and creativity while providing a conceptual glimpse into the humans we might become tomorrow.Take control of your life, amplify your intelligence, and become the architect of tomorrow's possibilities. Don't wait any longer - pick up your own copy to embark on this transformative journey today!
Modification of Hydrogels and Their Applications in Biomedical Engineering
This is a reprint of articles from the Special Issue published online in the open access journal Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This reprint focuses on the modification of hydrogels and their applications in biomedical engineering, aiming to provide a reference for scholars in related fields. It mainly involves the applications of hydrogels in biomedical fields such as phantoms, wound healing, skin, cartilage, muscle, and drug loading. We believe this reprint can provide a valuable reference for scientific and technological workers in the fields of materials science, tissue engineering, biological manufacturing, biomedical engineering, and so on.
Performance and Modification of Wood and Wood-Based Materials
This reprint contains 12 high-quality original research papers by 74 authors from 17 countries on 3 continents: Asia (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Russia), Europe (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom), and North America (USA). These papers were published in a Special Issue, "Performance and Modification of Wood and Wood-Based Materials", of the journal Forests. They provide examples concerning conventional and novel modification processes of wood and wood-based materials, their improved/modified properties, and their relevant applications.
Recent Advances in Machine Learning and Computational Intelligence
Machine learning and computational intelligence have been applied to various areas and witnessed many successes. The research in this publication explorse many intelligent algorithms which are characterized by computational adaptability, robustness, and high performance. These algorithms facilitate intelligent behavior in complex and dynamic environments and the development of technology that enables machines to think, behave, or act in a more humanesque fashion. This reprint aims to present and discuss the most recent innovations, trends, concerns, challenges, solutions, and application fields in the areas of machine learning and computational intelligence.
Feature Papers in Materials Simulation and Design
The title of the current Special Issue, "Feature Papers in Materials Simulation and Design", has identified the aims of this collection since its opening: the gathering of research works and comprehensive review papers that advance the understanding and prediction of material behavior at different scales, from atomistic to macroscopic, through innovative modeling and simulation.In this context, interdisciplinary researches that tackled challenging and complex material problems where the governing phenomena might span different scales of material behavior, with an emphasis on the development of quantitative approaches to explain and predict experimental observations, have been collected. Similarly, particular attention has been given to homogenization techniques for the evaluation of the mechanical properties of new materials and multi-phase composites. Innovative numerical approaches for the mechanical analysis, highlighting their accuracy, reliability, and stability features, have been also welcomed. Significant space has been also given to advanced and sustainable technologies. From the aforementioned topics, it is evident that this Special Issue represents the ideal forum for disseminating excellent research findings, as well as sharing innovative ideas in this significant field.Throughout the several months of activity, this Special Issue has been able to attract much interesting research. Its success is proven by the sixteen papers collected and published.
Advances in Industrial Robotics and Intelligent Systems
Robotics and intelligent systems often appear to be linked, as they take advantage of the best abilities of each other towards a common goal. In industry, it is common to see robotic systems aided by machine learning and vice versa and in applications spanning from robot navigation, grasping, human-robot interaction/collaboration, safety, and team management, among others. Achievements targeting the industrial domain can be directly applied in robotic systems operating in other domains. While the advancements in the last few years have been enormous, industrial robotics and intelligent systems face several scientific and technological challenges related to their integration with other systems, interaction with humans, safety, flexibility, reconfigurability, and autonomy. These challenges are especially relevant when robots operate in unstructured industrial environments and share their workspaces with human co-workers and other robots. This reprint collects research and technological achievements related to advanced intelligent robotic systems. The contributions cover the coordination of multiple robots navigating on the factory floor, path planning strategies, human-robot interaction, robot redundancy and kinematics, systems integration, grasping, and manipulation.
Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)
This Special Issue on "Carbon Dioxide Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS)" features invited articles on the latest technologies and developments in CCUS, including but not limited to pre-combustion carbon capture; post-combustion carbon capture; oxyfuel or chemical cycle combustion; conversion of CO2 to synthetic fuels; biomass thermal conversion; CO2 storage; BECCUS; and other abatement technologies.
Science and Power in the Nineteenth-Century Tasman World
The contentious science of phrenology once promised insight into character and intellect through external 'reading' of the head. In the transforming settler-colonial landscapes of nineteenth-century Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, popular phrenologists - figures who often hailed from the margins - performed their science of touch and cranial jargon everywhere from mechanics' institutions to public houses. In this compelling work, Alexandra Roginski recounts a history of this everyday practice, exploring how it featured in the fates of people living in, and moving through, the Tasman World. Innovatively drawing on historical newspapers and a network of archives, she traces the careers of a diverse range of popular phrenologists and those they encountered. By analysing the actions at play in scientific episodes through ethnographic, social and cultural history, Roginski considers how this now-discredited science could, in its own day, yield fleeting power and advantage, even against a backdrop of large-scale dispossession and social brittleness.
The Gas Mask in Interwar Germany
Exploring the history of the gas mask in Germany from 1915 to the eve of the Second World War, Peter Thompson traces how chemical weapons and protective technologies like the gas mask produced new relationships to danger, risk, management and mastery in the modern age of mass destruction. Recounting the apocalyptic visions of chemical death that circulated in interwar Germany, he argues that while everyday encounters with the gas mask tended to exacerbate fears, the gas mask also came to symbolize debates about the development of military and chemical technologies in the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. He underscores how the gas mask was tied into the creation of an exclusionary national community under the Nazis and the altered perception of environmental danger in the second half of the twentieth century. As this innovative new history shows, chemical warfare and protection technologies came to represent poignant visions of the German future.
Biometrics Fingerprint Attendance Management
Biometric fingerprint technology has revolutionized how many companies approach attendance management. By using biometric technology, a company can significantly maximize efficiency and reduce costs by eliminating the need to manage employee attendance manually. Biometric technology also ensures accurate records and reduces the possibility of time abuse or fraud in the workplace. Not only does it streamline the process, but it also offers employers the ability to increase security for their employees and their workplace. With this kind of technology, employers now have an easier way to track attendance data, and employees can feel more secure knowing their identity is protected from any potential misuse of their data. This new approach to attendance management has allowed many companies to drastically save on costs associated with manual control while still ensuring accurate records are kept and a secure environment is maintained in the office.
Economic efficiency in wheat production. Analysis of the case of Angecha District, Southern Ethiopia
Scientific Study from the year 2023 in the subject Agrarian Studies, course: Agricultural Economics research, language: English, abstract: Production improvement through the use of improved technologies and increasing efficiency of inputs in cereal production in general and wheat production in particular might be an important alternative to settle food security problem in Ethiopia. Wheat is the first cash crop produced in Angecha District, kembata Tambaro zone, with a total area covered of 4567.5ha. But, the efficiency of producers that they could not use available resources on hand was taken as a great attention. So this study was aimed to analyze the levels of technical, allocative and economic efficiencies of wheat producers; and determining factors for inefficiency in farmers' wheat production by using cross sectional data from randomly selected 123 households in 2018/19 production year. The study used both primary and secondary data sources and stochastic production frontier approach was used to estimate the level of efficiencies. Ordinary least square estimation was used to identify factors that affect inefficiencies of sample farmers' in study area. The regression model result indicated that input variables like land and seed were the significant variables to increase the yield of wheat output. 55.63%, 55.47% and 30.85% were the estimated mean values of technical, allocative and economic efficiencies respectively, which indicate the presence of inefficiency in wheat production in the study area. Model result indicated that technical inefficiency positively and significantly affected by sex of the household head, and negatively affected by age, farm experience, land fragmentation, credit access and total livestock unit. Similarly, allocative inefficiency positively and significantly affected by sex and negatively by credit access and total livestock holdings. In addition, economic inefficiency negatively and significantly affected by credit access and tot
Automatic Detection of Accretion for Glaucoma Eye
Glaucoma is one of the diseases that deal with the loss of vision without warning or symptoms. Some of the alarming facts about Glaucoma are the leading cause of blindness, no cure for Glaucoma yet, everyone is at risk and There may be no symptoms. When Glaucoma is understood and managed, humans can continue to live their life fully. Considering all these issues the projected work in this book has been addressed with closed-angle glaucoma, for immediate medical attention, with feature detection of the human eye using medical image processing techniques.
Microbial Biocatalysis
Biocatalysis is a sustainable alternative for the chemical industry in manufacturing, monitoring, and waste management. Biocatalytic processes perform with isolated enzymes or whole cells as biocatalysts. Whole-cell biocatalysts offer some unique advantages of cascade reactions catalyzed by multienzymes as well as a single bioredox reaction with cofactor regeneration in a single strain. Therefore, whole-cell biocatalysts are widely applied for biosynthesis/biotransformation to produce value-added chemicals as well as the complete mineralization of organic pollutants.Biological catalytic processing using whole-cell biocatalysts includes biocatalyst engineering, bio-reaction engineering, and downstream processing. In addition to the traditional screening of microbial strains and immobilized whole-cell biocatalysts, modern genetic engineering, metabolic engineering, and synthetic biology make tailored whole-cell biocatalysts possible. At the same time, some integrated processes have successfully been applied in the catalytic processing using living whole-cell biocatalysts, such as harnessing biocompatible chemistry to interface with the microbial metabolism as well as using various separation techniques for in situ product removal.This reprint on "Microbial Biocatalysis" provides a comprehensive overview of the recent developments of catalyst discovery, catalyst modification, and process intensification for whole cell catalysis in fermentation, biotransformation or biodegradation processes.
Nanomaterials for Chemical Engineering
Scientists and engineers have emphasized the study of nanomaterials in recent decades. By having superior properties, nanomaterials are helping to greatly improve and even revolutionize the development of various technology and industry sectors. Despite many advantages, there are challenges present in the control and design of nanomaterials with specific properties (e.g., morphology, size, porosity, conductivity, optical property, photoelectric property, chemical activity, etc.) to meet with their functional aims. The main applications of nanomaterials in the chemical engineering area are catalyst, coating, adsorption, sensor, drug delivery, etc., which all have fascinating yet challenging research topics.This reprint collects original research papers and comprehensive review papers that cover the topics of development of novel nanomaterials and synthesis methods, experimental characterization and computational modelling studies, as well as exploitation in devices and practical applications, hoping to bring new insights into the chemical engineering area.
Novel Hybrid Intelligence Techniques in Engineering
The focus of this reprint is the development of novel intelligence techniques for solving various problems in engineering. These techniques, due to their ability to create complex relationships between dependent and independent variables, can be implemented in a faster and more reliable way. Such techniques utilise algorithms/approaches such as artificial neural networks, fuzzy logic, evolutionary theory, learning theory, and probabilistic theory, making them a suitable and useful fit for real-life complex problems. This reprint introduces the process of selecting, applying, and developing such techniques in different engineering designs and applications. In addition, the validation process of intelligence systems as an alternative is discussed in this reprint. Overall, this reprint forms an excellent introduction to these systems for engineers who are not familiar with them.
Sensor Networks
This special issue book presents a collection of original research and survey articles that tackle the practical challenges in large-scale and rapid deployment of sensors for diverse applications as well as the resulting Big Data processing. The complexity of the generated data ranges from large-scale sensor networks to smartphone-enabled citizen sensing data from social networks and personal health devices, which requires advanced data processing, mining and fusion methods. Solutions listed in this book include those that address issues of the interoperability of IoT solutions and data fragmentation through crawling, indexing and searching IoT data sources and the predictive maintenance of sensors. Social networks are also in scope, through a visualisation system for the analysis of anomalies in social graphs, detecting context-aware sociability patterns and assessing the effectiveness of fine tuning and pretrained word embedding in generating interpretable topics from short texts in social networks. Applications in scope include smart tourism, fall detection through personal health sensors and an energy management expert assistant.
Age of Information
The concept of information freshness has developed over the last few years into an active and rapidly growing area of research. It has become known as the Age of Information (AoI). After its initial formal introduction, it became clear that it was very relevant (if not crucial) for numerous applications, ranging from autonomous vehicle systems, the Internet of Things, real-time computing to database access, caching, and wireless communications. More importantly, the combination of the transmission delay and sampling rate that are involved in the formulation of the AoI concept has made it clear that there are far-reaching consequences in the relationship between signal processing, information theory, and control theory at a fundamental level.In this Special Issue, we received contributions that span the full range of applications and theoretical foundations of the AoI concept, which, in fact, is also a performance metric and an analysis tool. Of special interest is the role of AoI in bridging different disciplines and the use of AoI in the analysis and optimization involved in important applications.
Advances in UAV Detection, Classification and Tracking
"Advances in UAV Detection, Classification and Tracking" is a comprehensive book that explores the latest techniques and advancements in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) detection, classification, and tracking. As UAV technology continues to evolve and become more accessible, there is a growing need for effective methods to detect, identify, and track these devices in various scenarios. This reprint provides a thorough overview of the state-of-the-art approaches for UAV detection, classification, and tracking, covering both theoretical and practical aspects.The reprint begins by introducing the basics of UAVs and their various applications, followed by a detailed overview of the challenges associated with UAV detection, classification, and tracking. The authors then present the latest techniques and algorithms used in the field, including machine-learning-based approaches, computer vision techniques, and sensor fusion techniques. The reprint also covers the challenges of real-world applications, such as dealing with occlusions, sensor noise, and environmental factors.With contributions from leading experts in the field, "Advances in UAV Detection, Classification and Tracking" is an essential resource for researchers, engineers, and practitioners working on UAV detection, classification, and tracking. It is also a valuable reference for graduate students and anyone interested in the latest advancements in this rapidly evolving field.
Progress in Power-to-Gas Energy Systems
The broad field of hydrogen and power-to-gas promises us renewable energy storage and use in molecular forms-either gaseous or liquid-to decarbonise all energy sectors that currently depend on fossil fuels. We have recently witnessed a number of technical developments, trends and advancements that have enabled us to stand where we stand today. We find ourselves at a crossroads between theoretical groundwork and the actual, large-scale technical implementation of the energy transition.This reprint brings together current research findings from highly diverse disciplines, all of which can make a valuable contribution to the success of the energy transition. The research results yield insights into possible partial solutions that can be implemented in national, regional or even local energy systems at different implementation levels and detail, depending on boundary conditions and specific demands.The first contribution in this reprint is an editorial summarising the ten following research articles. It contains a table of the articles including research fields, titles, and methods. The reader can use it as a quick overview before turning to the detailed articles. The overarching themes covered here are: combustion research, electro catalysis, energy economy, energy storage, mobility, energy system analyses and finally, energy law and regulation.Enjoy reading "Progress in Power-to-Gas Energy Systems" to receive your personal update on this exciting research field.
Computational Intelligence and Soft Computing
The delicate balance of resource intensity and efficiency of a solution for a very complex problem raises the issue of how these aspects constitute a symmetrical or asymmetrical system. Computational Intelligence (CI) offers a plethora of efficient tools for the potential and rather good quality solution of highly complex, often mathematically intractable problems. This "toolbox" is one of the best examples for the study of the above mentioned issue, namely, how to find the best balance, how to establish a symmetry of weights or costs in a particular field, for a particular problem. This special issue presents a number of interesting novel applications of CI for the tackling of a wide variety of difficult problems. The Introduction gives a short insight into the symmetry and asymmetry aspect of the topic.
Data/Knowledge-Driven Behaviour Analysis for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships
Maritime traffic data (e.g., radar data, AIS data, and CCTV data) provide designers, officers on watch, and traffic operators with extensive information about the states of ships at present and in history, representing a treasure trove for behavior analysis. Additionally, navigation rules and regulations (i.e., knowledge) offer valuable prior knowledge about ship manners at sea. Combining multisource heterogeneous big data and artificial intelligence techniques inspires innovative and important means for the development of MASS. This reprint collects twelve contributions published in "Data-/Knowledge-Driven Behavior Analysis of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships" Special Issue during 2021-2022, aiming to provide new views on data-/knowledge-driven analytical tools for maritime autonomous surface ships, including data-driven behavior modeling, knowledge-driven behavior modeling, multisource heterogeneous traffic data fusion, risk analysis and management of MASS, etc.
Recent Progression in Metal-Organic Frameworks
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are ideal porous candidates where judicial changes in their structure can bring in different chemical reactivity. In recent years, it has been amply demonstrated both experimentally as well as theoretically, the fine-tuning of geometrical stature can influence the physicochemical and chemical properties of MOFs. Such fine modulation at the molecular level would confer a new environment that could be utilized to solve numerous challenges in chemistry such as achieving desirable catalytic properties, facilitation of gas sequestration at ambient conditions, harnessing unprecedented optical/magnetic response, thermal properties, etc. To this end, the porous nature of MOF can host several molecules or can integrate with various molecules such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes, carbon dots, dye, etc. to elucidate the fascinating chemistry occurring in the confined state. The reader of this book will gain an up-to-date account of what has been done in recent times by various researchers around the world. This book is a valuable reference for chemists, material scientists and engineers as well as researchers in both academia and industry. It is also a beneficial resource for postgraduate university students in chemical, polymer and materials disciplines, along with interdisciplinary streams to design his/her own research directions. For more details, please visit https: //centralwestpublishing.com
Management and Security of a computer park
The use of a good security policy and the implementation of different protection mechanisms against different attacks have become, for a few years, essential solutions to network security. In this end-of-study project, we studied the case of the GEC'S firm's computer park and we adopted an architecture that meets its needs. A software of management of the park GLPI as well as various servers were installed namely the Web server LMAP, the file servers SAMBA and NFS, the FTP server and the DHCP server. This architecture is secured by the implementation of a firewall, a Proxy server and an SSH server.
Physiologie du go羶t
Physiologie du go羶t, a 矇t矇 consid矇r矇e comme importante tout au long de l'histoire de l'humanit矇. Dans un effort pour s'assurer que ce travail ne soit jamais perdu, nous avons pris des mesures pour assurer sa pr矇servation en republiant ce livre dans un format moderne pour les g矇n矇rations actuelles et futures. Ce livre complet a 矇t矇 retap矇, remani矇 et reformat矇. Comme ces livres ne sont pas des scans des publications originales des auteurs, le texte est lisible et clair.
Characterisation and Modelling of Manufacturing
This reprint is a collection of papers published in a Special Issue that collected the recent advances within and investigations of the research fields of manufacturing and the characterisations or modelling of materials. The variety and quality of all these papers are addressed to both academic and industrial researchers who are looking for new information that can contribute to the advancement of future research in these highly challenging fields.
Le T矇l矇phone, le Microphone et le Phonographe
Le T矇l矇phone, le Microphone et le Phonographe, a 矇t矇 consid矇r矇e comme importante tout au long de l'histoire de l'humanit矇. Dans un effort pour s'assurer que ce travail ne soit jamais perdu, nous avons pris des mesures pour assurer sa pr矇servation en republiant ce livre dans un format moderne pour les g矇n矇rations actuelles et futures. Ce livre complet a 矇t矇 retap矇, remani矇 et reformat矇. Comme ces livres ne sont pas des scans des publications originales des auteurs, le texte est lisible et clair.
Fractal and Fractional in Geomaterials
This reprint focuses on the recent progress on fractal and fractional methods in characterizing the physical and mechanical behaviors of geomaterials. Special attention is given to the fractal laws for contact networks/pore structures in soft and granular soils, numerical and theoretical aspects of fractional mechanics for geomaterial with local/nonlocal deformation, anomalous diffusion and conduction phenomena, among others.
Recent Developments in Eco-Friendly Wood-Based Composites II
This reprint contains 12 high-quality original research and reviews papers by 62 authors from 10 countries on 3 continents: Asia (China, India, Indonesia, and Malaysia), Europe (Austria, Czech Republic, Portugal, Romania, and Ukraine), and Africa (South Africa). These papers were published in a Special Issue, "Recent Developments in Eco-Friendly Wood-Based Composites II", of the journal Polymers. These papers provide examples of the most recent developments in eco-friendly wood-based composites.
