Advances in Multiscale and Multifield Solid Material Interfaces
Interfaces play an essential role in determining the mechanical properties and the structural integrity of a wide variety of technological materials. As new manufacturing methods become available, interface engineering and architecture at multiscale length levels in multi-physics materials open up to applications with high innovation potential. This Special Issue is dedicated to recent advances in fundamental and applications of solid material interfaces.
A Social History of Engineering, second edition
How social and economic conditions have precipitated advances in engineering. A Social History of Engineering shows how social and economic conditions in each age have precipitated advances in engineering. There are, in short, economic, political, and philosophical implications in changing technologies. While the book begins with the Stone Age, the Greeks, and the Romans, the bulk of the volume concentrates on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A Social History of Engineering reflects Professor Armytage's special subject area interests, namely nineteenth-century industrial society, radical and socialist movements, the history of professional organization, and the study of higher and technical education.
Biosensors for Diagnosis and Monitoring
Biosensor technologies have received a great amount of interest in recent decades, and this has especially been the case in recent years due to the health alert caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The sensor platform market has grown in recent decades, and the COVID-19 outbreak has led to an increase in the demand for home diagnostics and point-of-care systems. With the evolution of biosensor technology towards portable platforms with a lower cost on-site analysis and a rapid selective and sensitive response, a larger market has opened up for this technology. The evolution of biosensor systems has the opportunity to change classic analysis towards real-time and in situ detection systems, with platforms such as point-of-care and wearables as well as implantable sensors to decentralize chemical and biological analysis, thus reducing industrial and medical costs. This book is dedicated to all the research related to biosensor technologies. Reviews, perspective articles, and research articles in different biosensing areas such as wearable sensors, point-of-care platforms, and pathogen detection for biomedical applications as well as environmental monitoring will introduce the reader to these relevant topics. This book is aimed at scientists and professionals working in the field of biosensors and also provides essential knowledge for students who want to enter the field.
Engineering Pedagogy Towards Outcome-Based Education
With growing environment and consciousness of "Outcome-Based Education", importance of this subject has increased many folds. This book, in a single volume, presents recent advancements and developments in the field of Engineering Pedagogy.
Structure-Properties-Processing Relationships in Metallic Materials
In the current Special Issue of Metals, we present six contributions from academia and industry. Based on their latest research developments, and achievements in their applied research field, the contributors elucidate the effect of temperature during forming operations that were closely analyzed via texture evaluation, present the opportunities that derive from microstructure and process simulation, and show how trace elements may affect critical properties in the performance of metallic materials. Bridging the gap between academia and industry, they provide all the necessary theoretical background through basic and applied research to meet the requirements for industrial application of the new and steadily optimized materials and concepts.
Recycling of Waste Oils
The increasing demand for alternative energy feedstocks is pushing many stakeholders toward the development of new processes, technologies, regulations, as well as new production and economical models. Waste oils represent a consolidated source of valuable raw materials for many industries and, as in the case of used vegetable oils, fit well with the medium- and long-term sustainability objectives of industrialized countries. Waste oils are transversal to many value chains, such as food, the plastic industry, and fossil fuel extraction; thus, they could represent precious raw materials if properly exploited.In this context, a state of the art is provided, which covers technical, regulatory, and research aspects of the topic.
Design and Applications of Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing
Additive manufacturing (AM), more commonly known as 3D printing, has grown trememdously in recent years. It has shown its potential uses in the medical, automotive, aerospace, and spare part sectors. Personal manufacturing, complex and optimized parts, short series manufacturing, and local on-demand manufacturing are just some of its current benefits. The development of new materials and equipment has opened up new application possibilities, and equipment is quicker and cheaper to use when utilizing the new materials launched by vendors and material developers. AM has become more critical for the industry but also for academics. Since AM offers more design freedom than any other manufacturing process, it provides designers with the challenge of designing better and more efficient products.
Entropy in Image Analysis III
Image analysis can be applied to rich and assorted scenarios; therefore, the aim of this recent research field is not only to mimic the human vision system. Image analysis is the main methods that computers are using today, and there is body of knowledge that they will be able to manage in a totally unsupervised manner in future, thanks to their artificial intelligence. The articles published in the book clearly show such a future.
Indoor Environment Quality and Health in Energy-Efficient Buildings
This Special Issue addresses a topic that is of great relevance as, nowadays, in developed countries, individuals spend most of their time indoors and, depending on each person, the presence at home ranges between 60% and 90% of the day, with 30% of that time spent sleeping. Considering these data, indoor residential environments have a direct influence on human health, especially considering that, in developing countries, significant levels of indoor pollution make housing unsafe, having an impact on the health of inhabitants. Therefore, housing is a key health factor for people all over the world, and various parameters, such as air quality, ventilation, hygrothermal comfort, lighting, physical environment, and building efficiency, can contribute to healthy architecture, as well as to the conditions that can result from the poor application of these parameters. The articles in this Special Issue thus address issues concerning indoor environmental quality (IEQ), which is described, more simply, as the conditions inside a building. This includes air quality, but also access to daylight and views, pleasant acoustic conditions, and occupant control over lighting and thermal comfort. IEQ also includes the functional aspects of the space, such as whether the layout provides easy access to tools and people when needed and whether there is sufficient space for the occupants. Building managers and operators can increase building occupant satisfaction by considering all aspects of IEQ rather than focusing on temperature or air quality alone.
AI Applications to Power Systems
Today, the flow of electricity is bidirectional, and not all electricity is centrally produced in large power plants. With the growing emergence of prosumers and microgrids, the amount of electricity produced by sources other than large, traditional power plants is ever-increasing. These alternative sources include photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), geothermal, and biomass renewable generation plants. Some renewable energy resources (solar PV and wind turbine generation) are highly dependent on natural processes and parameters (wind speed, wind direction, temperature, solar irradiation, humidity, etc.). Thus, the outputs are so stochastic in nature. New data-science-inspired real-time solutions are needed in order to co-develop digital twins of large intermittent renewable plants whose services can be globally delivered.
Assessment of Maize Farmers' Usage of Warehousing Facilities in Ejura -Sekyedumase Municipality
Bachelor Thesis from the year 2021 in the subject Agrarian Studies, grade: 2.0, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, language: English, abstract: There are many warehouses across the world, including company stores for raw materials and components, finished goods stores, and so on. Warehousing connects the manufacturer and the consumer, and it's critical for providing the needed level of customer service while also keeping costs down. Warehousing has evolved into one of the most essential aspects of a company's logistics system. Maize producers all around the world are suffering because of modern maize storage. Because of the numerous advantages, farmers are in a better position to accept the use of modern warehouses in maize storage. Although the municipality of Ejura-Sekyedumase has some modern storage facilities, they are hardly used. The elements that impact the use of storage facilities in Ejura - Sekyedumase Municipal were investigated in this study. The study also looked at the extent of usage of these modern warehousing facilities, farmers' perceptions of the government's "One District One Warehouse" (1D1W) policy, and what farmers anticipate from newly built warehouses under the 1D1W policy to help them make decisions about whether to utilize them. The study used a survey research design with questionnaires to collect data. Maize growers in Ejura-Sekyedumase served as the study's unit. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were used to analyze the data. From the analysis, it was found that the production of maize in the Ejura-Sekyedumase Municipality is undertaken by the less educated farmers and the youths (people with ages less than 40). Also, most of the farmers in the municipality do not have access to financial support. With regards to the storage of maize in a warehouse, majority of maize farmers in the Municipal do not store their products in a warehouse because they have rooms and sheds for the storage of their produce. FBO particip
Additive Manufacturing of Bio and Synthetic Polymers
Additive manufacturing technology offers the ability to produce personalized products with lower development costs, shorter lead times, less energy consumed during manufacturing and less material waste. It can be used to manufacture complex parts and enables manufacturers to reduce their inventory, make products on-demand, create smaller and localized manufacturing environments, and even reduce supply chains. Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as fabricating three-dimensional (3D) and four-dimensional (4D) components, refers to processes that allow for the direct fabrication of physical products from computer-aided design (CAD) models through the repetitious deposition of material layers. Compared with traditional manufacturing processes, AM allows the production of customized parts from bio- and synthetic polymers without the need for molds or machining typical for conventional formative and subtractive fabrication.In this Special Issue, we aimed to capture the cutting-edge state-of-the-art research pertaining to advancing the additive manufacturing of polymeric materials. The topic themes include advanced polymeric material development, processing parameter optimization, characterization techniques, structure-property relationships, process modelling, etc., specifically for AM.
Signal Processing Using Non-invasive Physiological Sensors
Non-invasive biomedical sensors for monitoring physiological parameters from the human body for potential future therapies and healthcare solutions. Today, a critical factor in providing a cost-effective healthcare system is improving patients' quality of life and mobility, which can be achieved by developing non-invasive sensor systems, which can then be deployed in point of care, used at home or integrated into wearable devices for long-term data collection. Another factor that plays an integral part in a cost-effective healthcare system is the signal processing of the data recorded with non-invasive biomedical sensors. In this book, we aimed to attract researchers who are interested in the application of signal processing methods to different biomedical signals, such as an electroencephalogram (EEG), electromyogram (EMG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), electrocardiogram (ECG), galvanic skin response, pulse oximetry, photoplethysmogram (PPG), etc. We encouraged new signal processing methods or the use of existing signal processing methods for its novel application in physiological signals to help healthcare providers make better decisions.
Energy Harvesting and Energy Storage Systems
This book discuss the recent developments in energy harvesting and energy storage systems. Sustainable development systems are based on three pillars: economic development, environmental stewardship, and social equity. One of the guiding principles for finding the balance between these pillars is to limit the use of non-renewable energy sources.
Novel Approaches for Nondestructive Testing and Evaluation
Nondestructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) is one of the most important techniques for determining the quality and safety of materials, components, devices, and structures. NDT&E technologies include ultrasonic testing (UT), magnetic particle testing (MT), magnetic flux leakage testing (MFLT), eddy current testing (ECT), radiation testing (RT), penetrant testing (PT), and visual testing (VT), and these are widely used throughout the modern industry. However, some NDT processes, such as those for cleaning specimens and removing paint, cause environmental pollution and must only be considered in limited environments (time, space, and sensor selection). Thus, NDT&E is classified as a typical 3D (dirty, dangerous, and difficult) job. In addition, NDT operators judge the presence of damage based on experience and subjective judgment, so in some cases, a flaw may not be detected during the test. Therefore, to obtain clearer test results, a means for the operator to determine flaws more easily should be provided. In addition, the test results should be organized systemically in order to identify the cause of the abnormality in the test specimen and to identify the progress of the damage quantitatively.
Catalytic Processes for CO2 Utilization
In addition to the avoidance and long-term storage (CCS) of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, the utilization of CO2 for the production of usable products is discussed as a possible method of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The associated technologies are summarized under the term "Carbon Capture and Utilization" (CCU). CCU technologies have gained increasing attention in science and industry over the last decade and are considered essential for meeting the reduction goals of the Paris Agreement. The selection of research papers in this book, mostly focused on Power-to-X technologies and the catalytic conversion of CO2, are related to the most recent advancements in CCU technologies.
Sustainability in Geotechnics
Implementing environmentally friendly and cost-effective solutions is a pressing need to fulfill the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set to be achieved by 2030. Thus, the requirement to execute the design, construction and maintenance of civil engineering structures and infrastructures as sustainably as possible are big challenges currently faced by civil and geotechnical engineers. This book, compiling the papers published during the 2020-2021 biennium in the Topical Collection, "Sustainability in Geotechnics: The Use of Environmentally Friendly Materials", is intended help tackle those challenges.Several topics are covered by the 23 papers published herein, including: sustainable ground improvement techniques; replacement of raw materials such as soils and aggregates by recycled materials; soil reinforcement with alternative materials; sustainable solutions using geosynthetics; low-carbon solutions for stabilization of contaminated soils; and bioengineering techniques to prevent soil erosion.The Guest Editor expects that this book can be very useful towards the achievement of more environmentally friendly solutions, in particular in the field of geotechnical engineering.
Multi-Robot Systems
This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue entitled "Multi-Robot Systems: Challenges, Trends, and Applications" that was published in Applied Sciences. This Special Issue collected seventeen high-quality papers that discuss the main challenges of multi-robot systems, present the trends to address these issues, and report various relevant applications. Some of the topics addressed by these papers are robot swarms, mission planning, robot teaming, machine learning, immersive technologies, search and rescue, and social robotics.
Nanostructural Materials with Rare Earth Ions
This Special Issue of "Nanostructural Materials with Rare Earth Ions: Synthesis, Physicochemical Characterization, Modification and Applications" is related to studies of nanometer-sized materials doped and co-doped with rare earth ions and the creation of periodically ordered nanostructures based on single nanoparticles. A small particle size implies a high sensitivity and selectivity. These new effects and possibilities are mainly due to the quantum effects resulting from the increasing ratio of surface-to-volume atoms in low-dimensional systems. An important factor in this context is the design and fabrication of nanocomponents displaying new functionalities and characteristics for the improvement of existing materials, including photonic materials, conductive materials, polymers and biocomposites. With this concept in mind, the aim of the Special Issue is to publish research on innovative materials and their applications. Topics to be covered in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following: - Technology and applications of nanomaterials with rare earth ions;- Advanced physicochemical properties, characterization and modification of nanomaterials with rare earth ions;- Novel active materials, especially organic and inorganic materials, nanocrystalline materials, nanoceramics doped and co-doped with rare-earth ions with bio-related and emerging applications;- Magnetic properties of nano-sized rare-earth compounds;- Applications of nano-sized rare-earth-doped and co-doped optical materials.
Science for Governing Japan's Population
Twenty-first-century Japan is known for the world's most aged population. Faced with this challenge, Japan has been a pioneer in using science to find ways of managing a declining birth rate. Science for Governing Japan's Population considers the question of why these population phenomena have been seen as problematic. What roles have population experts played in turning this demographic trend into a government concern? Aya Homei examines the medico-scientific fields around the notion of population that developed in Japan from the 1860s to the 1960s, analyzing the role of the population experts in the government's effort to manage its population. She argues that the formation of population sciences in modern Japan had a symbiotic relationship with the development of the neologism, 'population' (jinkō), and with the transformation of Japan into a modern sovereign power. Through this history, Homei unpacks assumptions about links between population, sovereignty, and science. This title is also available as Open Access.
Assessing Shear Strength of Unsaturated Soil Using Non-Experiment Methods
Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2022 in the subject Engineering - Mining Engineering, language: English, abstract: This study used non-experimental approaches to evaluate the shear strength of unsaturated soil. Numerous reasons exist for considering non-experimental approaches acceptable for determining the shear strength of unsaturated soils. One of the primary reasons why non-experimental techniques might be regarded a viable option is because performing tests to determine the shear soils is a complicated and time-consuming operation. Typically, the technique entails a number of operations that need specialized equipment and the execution of methodical stages. If the findings are required quickly, the time necessary to obtain them might be harmful to the entire operation. Due to the fact that engineering processes frequently need fast results, experimental approaches may not be effective in certain circumstances.
Circular Economy in Low-Carbon Transition
The circular economy, as a new business model that is different from the economy, can achieve the reuse and recycling of waste for waste minimization, improve the efficiency of resource utilization, and mitigate carbon emissions. It is no doubt that promoting the development of the circular economy can facilitate the transition to low-carbon processes and carbon-neutral development. However, there are still several questions that need to be answered: (1) How can the circular economy contribute to a low-carbon transition? (2) How do we address the fact that the circular economy model may also cause some new environmental problems, and how should we identify what the most environmentally friendly solution is among multiple alternatives for the circular economy? (3) Governmental regulation, policies and incentives play a significant role in promoting the development of the circular economy, so what are the policy instruments that can contribute to its development? (4) How can technological progress and solutions contribute to the circular economy? (5) How can environmental impact assessments contribute to the circular economy? (6) How can we achieve a circular economy or low-carbon transition through changes in consumption behaviors? In order to answer the above-mentioned questions, we launched a Special Issue in Energies. There are a total of six papers published in this Special Issue. This e-book collects these papers to build a platform for sharing advanced concepts, tools and methods for the users to take actions to achieve a circular economy.
Particles Separation in Microfluidic Devices, Volume II
Microfluidic platforms are increasingly being used for separating a wide variety of particles based on their physical and chemical properties. In the past two decades, many practical applications have been found in chemical and biological sciences, including single cell analysis, clinical diagnostics, regenerative medicine, nanomaterials synthesis, environmental monitoring, etc. In this Special Issue, we invited contributions to report state-of-the-art developments in the fields of micro- and nanofluidic separation, fractionation, sorting, and purification of all classes of particles, including, but not limited to, active devices using electric, magnetic, optical, and acoustic forces; passive devices using geometries and hydrodynamic effects at the micro/nanoscale; confined and open platforms; label-based and label-free technology; and separation of bioparticles (including blood cells), circulating tumor cells, live/dead cells, exosomes, DNA, and non-bioparticles, including polymeric or inorganic micro- and nanoparticles, droplets, bubbles, etc. Practical devices that demonstrate capabilities to solve real-world problems were of particular interest.
Gas-Liquid Two-Phase Flow in the Pipe or Channel
The main goal of this Special Issue was to contribute to, highlight and discuss topics related to various aspects of two-phase gas-liquid flows, which can be used both in fundamental sciences and practical applications, and we believe that this main goal was successfully achieved. This Special Issue received studies from Russia, China, Thailand, ROC-Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan. We were very grateful to see that all the papers presented findings characterized as unconventional, innovative, and methodologically new. We hope that the readers of the journal Water can enjoy and learn about the experimental and numerical study of two-phase flows from the published material, and share these results with the scientific community, policymakers and stakeholders. Last but not least, we would like to thank Ms. Aroa Wang, Assistant Editor at MDPI, for her dedication and willingness to publish this Special Issue. She is a major supporter of the Special Issues, and we are indebted to her.
Recent Advances in Thermoelectric Materials for High Efficiency Energy Conversion and Refrigeration
Thermoelectricity is a well-known phenomenon that enables the conversion of heat into electric energy without moving parts. Its exploitation has been widely considered to contribute to the increasing need for energy along with the concerns about the environmental impact of traditional fossil energy sources. In the last few years, significant improvements in the performance of thermoelectric materials have been achieved through chemical doping, solid solution formation, and nanoengineering approaches. Furthermore, the feasibility of flexible, stretchable, and conformable thermoelectric harvesters has been demonstrated and has attracted the interest of an audience from many different fields. However, the path for practical applications of thermoelectrics is still a long one. This Special Issue of Materials intends to bridge the gap between materials science and applications of thermoelectric materials. Many topics are welcome: new thermoelectric compounds; the correlation between material structure and thermoelectric properties; bulk thermoelectric ceramics, oxides, and chalcogenides; bulk thermoelectric alloys and intermetallics; organic and polymeric thermoelectrics; thermoelectric thin films, multilayers, and nanocomposites; theory and modeling; thermal transport and thermal conductivity; applications and devices based on thermoelectric materials; standardization and metrology; and more.
Novel Nano-Engineered Biomaterials for Bone Tissue Engineering
This book highlights novel nano-engineering advances that enable enhanced bone formation at the implant/biomaterial and bone tissue interface, towards bone tissue engineering applications. Spanning a variety of biomaterial categories, from nanofibrous scaffolds (natural and synthetic) to the nanoscale modification of metallic implants, novel bioactive and therapeutic modifications have made it possible to enhance new bone formation, which could be particularly useful for the management of compromised sites.
Heat Transfer in Engineering
The advancements in research related to heat transfer has gathered much attention in recent decades following the quest for efficient thermal systems, interdisciplinary studies involving heat transfer, and energy research. Heat transfer, a fundamental transport phenomenon, has been considered one of the critical aspects for the development and advancement of many modern applications, including cooling, thermal systems which contain symmetry analysis, energy conservation and storage, and symmetry-preserving discretization of heat transfer in a complex turbulent flow. The objective of this book is to present recent advances, as well as up-to-date progress in all areas of heat transfer in engineering and its influence on emerging technologies.
Thermal Flows
Flows of thermal origin and heat transfer problems are central in a variety of disciplines and industrial applications. The present book entitled Thermal Flows consists of a collection of studies by distinct investigators and research groups dealing with different types of flows relevant to both natural and technological contexts. Both reviews of the state-of-the-art and new theoretical, numerical and experimental investigations are presented, which illustrate the structure of these flows, their stability behavior, and the possible bifurcations to different patterns of symmetry and/or spatiotemporal regimes. Moreover, different categories of fluids are considered (liquid metals, gases, common fluids such as water and silicone oils, organic and inorganic transparent liquids, and nanofluids). This information is presented under the hope that it will serve as a new important resource for physicists, engineers and advanced students interested in the physics of non-isothermal fluid systems; fluid mechanics; environmental phenomena; meteorology; geophysics; and thermal, mechanical and materials engineering.
Rotary Wing Aerodynamics
This book contains state-of-the-art experimental and numerical studies showing the most recent advancements in the field of rotary wing aerodynamics and aeroelasticity, with particular application to the rotorcraft and wind energy research fields.
British Airships, Past, Present, and Future
This book has been considered important throughout the human history, and so that this work is never forgotten we have made efforts in its preservation by republishing this book in a modern format for present and future generations. This whole book has been reformatted, retyped and designed. These books are not made of scanned copies and hence the text is clear and readable.
The Future in the Present
This revealing book by futurist Tony Tan is your primer to the incredible world of artificial intelligence (AI) and what it will do in the near future. Co-founder and CEO of Imperium Solutions, Tony will share the integral relationship between human and machine and how it can help us innovate, improve, and advance at an exponential rate. All these advances must come with a corresponding development of our own thought and consciousness so that they remain tools for helping people live longer, healthier, and better lives. Through his own experiences and those of revered thought leaders in Asia, he delivers answers to burning AI questions-including whether they'll replace humans at work; how they'll shape life in the future in the home, in medicine, and other areas; and the cybersecurity issues that will grow ever more important with time. With Tony as your tour guide, you'll come away more informed, inspired, and knowledgeable about the ever-changing world of tomorrow.
Postharvest Management of Fruits and Vegetables
All articles in the presented collection are high-quality examples of both basic and applied research. The publications collectively refer to apples, bananas, cherries, kiwi fruit, mango, grapes, green bean pods, pomegranates, sweet pepper, sweet potato tubers and tomato and are aimed at improving the postharvest quality and storage extension of fresh produce. The experimental works include the following postharvest treatments: 1-methylcycloprpene, methyl jasmonate, immersion in edible coatings (aloe, chitosan, plant extracts, nanoemulsions, ethanol, ascorbic acid and essential oils solutions), heat treatments, packaging, innovative packaging materials, low temperature, low O2 and high CO2 modified atmosphere, and non-destructible technique development to measure soluble solids with infra- and near infra-red spectroscopy. Preharvest treatments were also included, such as chitosan application, fruit kept on the vine, and cultivation under far-red light. Quality assessment was dependent on species, treatment and storage conditions in each case and included evaluation of color, bruising, water loss, organoleptic estimation and texture changes in addition to changes in the concentrations of sugars, organic acids, amino acids, fatty acids, carotenoids, tocopherols, phytosterols, phenolic compounds and aroma volatiles. Gene transcription related to ethylene biosynthesis, modification of cell wall components, synthesis of aroma compounds and lipid metabolism were also the focus of some of the articles.
Magnetoelectric Sensor Systems and Applications
In the field of magnetic sensing, a wide variety of different magnetometer and gradiometer sensor types, as well as the corresponding read-out concepts, are available. Well-established sensor concepts such as Hall sensors and magnetoresistive sensors based on giant magnetoresistances (and many more) have been researched for decades. The development of these types of sensors has reached maturity in many aspects (e.g., performance metrics, reliability, and physical understanding), and these types of sensors are established in a large variety of industrial applications. Magnetic sensors based on the magnetoelectric effect are a relatively new type of magnetic sensor. The potential of magnetoelectric sensors has not yet been fully investigated. Especially in biomedical applications, magnetoelectric sensors show several advantages compared to other concepts for their ability, for example, to operate in magnetically unshielded environments and the absence of required cooling or heating systems. In recent years, research has focused on understanding the different aspects influencing the performance of magnetoelectric sensors. At Kiel University, Germany, the Collaborative Research Center 1261 "Magnetoelectric Sensors: From Composite Materials to Biomagnetic Diagnostics", funded by the German Research Foundation, has dedicated its work to establishing a fundamental understanding of magnetoelectric sensors and their performance parameters, pushing the performance of magnetoelectric sensors to the limits and establishing full magnetoelectric sensor systems in biological and clinical practice.
New Frontiers in Cementitious and Lime-Based Materials and Composites
Cement and lime currently are the most common binders in building materials. However, alternative materials and methods are needed to overcome the functional limitations and environmental footprint of conventional products. This Special Issue dedicated to "New frontiers in cementitious and lime-based materials and composites" gathers selected reviews and experimental articles that showcase the most recent trends in this multidisciplinary field. Authoritative contributions from all around the world provide important insights into all areas of research related to cementitious and lime-based materials and composites, spanning from structural engineering to geotechnics, including materials science and processing technology. This Topical Collection is intended to foster innovation and help researchers and developers to identify new solutions for a more sustainable and functional built environment.
Industrial Applications
This book reprints articles from the Special Issue "Industrial Applications: New Solutions for the New Age" published online in the open-access journal Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This book consists of twelve published articles. This special edition belongs to the "Mechatronic and Intelligent Machines" section.
Selected Papers from Experimental Stress Analysis 2020
This Special Issue consists of selected papers from the Experimental Stress Analysis 2020 conference. Experimental Stress Analysis 2020 was organized with the support of the Czech Society for Mechanics, Expert Group of Experimental Mechanics, and was, for this particular year, held online in 19-22 October 2020. The objectives of the conference included identification of current situation, sharing professional experience and knowledge, discussing new theoretical and practical findings, and the establishment and strengthening of relationships between universities, companies, and scientists from the field of experimental mechanics in mechanical and civil engineering. The topics of the conference were focused on experimental research on materials and structures subjected to mechanical, thermal-mechanical, and dynamic loading, including damage, fatigue, and fracture analyses. The selected papers deal with top-level contemporary phenomena, such as modern durable materials, numerical modeling and simulations, and innovative non-destructive materials' testing.
Advances in Mobile Mapping Technologies
Mobile mapping is applied widely in society, for example, in asset management, fleet management, construction planning, road safety, and maintenance optimization. Yet, further advances in these technologies are called for. Advances can be radical, such as changes to the prevailing paradigms in mobile mapping, or incremental, such as the state-of-the-art mobile mapping methods. With current multi-sensor systems in mobile mapping, laser-scanned data are often registered in point clouds with the aid of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) positioning or simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) techniques and then labeled and colored with the aid of machine learning methods and digital camera data. These multi-sensor platforms are beginning to undergo further advancements via the addition of multi-spectral and other sensors and via the development of machine learning techniques used in processing this multi-modal data. Embedded systems and minimalistic system designs are also attracting attention, from both academic and commercial perspectives.This book contains the accepted publications of the Special Issue 'Advances in Mobile Mapping Technologies' of the Remote Sensing journal. It consists of works introducing a new mobile mapping dataset ('Paris CARLA 3D'), system calibration studies, SLAM topics, and multiple deep learning works for asset detection. We, the Guest Editors, Ville Lehtola from University of Twente, Netherlands, Andreas N羹chter from University of W羹rzburg, Germany, and Fran癟ois Goulette from Mines Paris- PSL University, France, wish to thank all the authors who contributed to this collection.
Numerical and Experimental Analysis of the Fracture Behaviour of Heterogeneous Welded Structures
In this book, modern trends in testing and simulating heterogeneous welded joints, including multi-scale approaches, resulting in appropriate flaw assessment procedures, are highlighted and discussed. The eleven research papers presented in this book give some overview of recent analytical, numerical, and experimental investigations in the field of yield strength mismatched welded joint behaviour. The papers cover several important issues to more accurately characterise the fracture mechanics behaviour and structural integrity assessments.
Advanced CMOS Integrated Circuit Design and Application
The recent development of various application systems and platforms, such as 5G, B5G, 6G, and IoT, is based on the advancement of CMOS integrated circuit (IC) technology that enables them to implement high-performance chipsets. In addition to development in the traditional fields of analog and digital integrated circuits, the development of CMOS IC design and application in high-power and high-frequency operations, which was previously thought to be possible only with compound semiconductor technology, is a core technology that drives rapid industrial development. This book aims to highlight advances in all aspects of CMOS integrated circuit design and applications without discriminating between different operating frequencies, output powers, and the analog/digital domains. Specific topics in the book include: - Next-generation CMOS circuit design and application;- CMOS RF/microwave/millimeter-wave/terahertz-wave integrated circuits and systems;- CMOS integrated circuits specially used for wireless or wired systems and applications such as converters, sensors, interfaces, frequency synthesizers/generators/rectifiers, and so on;- Algorithm and signal-processing methods to improve the performance of CMOS circuits and systems.
The Future in the Present
This revealing book by futurist Tony Tan is your primer to the incredible world of artificial intelligence (AI) and what it will do in the near future. Co-founder and CEO of Imperium Solutions, Tony will share the integral relationship between human and machine and how it can help us innovate, improve, and advance at an exponential rate. All these advances must come with a corresponding development of our own thought and consciousness so that they remain tools for helping people live longer, healthier, and better lives. Through his own experiences and those of revered thought leaders in Asia, he delivers answers to burning AI questions-including whether they'll replace humans at work; how they'll shape life in the future in the home, in medicine, and other areas; and the cybersecurity issues that will grow ever more important with time. With Tony as your tour guide, you'll come away more informed, inspired, and knowledgeable about the ever-changing world of tomorrow.
A Christian Field Guide to Technology for Engineers and Designers
Our technology shapes the way we live, interact, work, play, and even worship. Technology and its power are both old and new-as is the wisdom we need to envision, design, build, and use it well. For Christians passionate about developing technology, it's not always clear how their faith and work intersect. How can designing and using technology actually be a way of loving God and our neighbors?Veteran engineers and teachers Ethan Brue, Derek Schuurman, and Steve VanderLeest provide a field guide for fellow explorers working with technology. Using numerous case studies, historical examples, and personal stories, they explore issues such as: biblical themes and passages that relate to technologythe ethics and norms involved in technology designhow engineering and technology tap into human dreams for a better worldAlong the way they acknowledge the challenges arising from technology but also point to the wonderful possibilities it offers us and its ability to contribute to the common good.For Christians studying and working in engineering, computer science, technical design, architecture, and related fields, this book is packed with wisdom and practical guidance. By sharing what they have learned, the authors encourage readers to ask harder questions, aspire to more noble purposes, and live a life consistent with their faith as they engage with technology.
Reliability Assessment of Safety and Production Systems
Overview of the Book.- Introduction.- Background.- Reliability Study Overview.- Basic Core Concepts.- Introduction to Production Availability Calculations.- Introduction to SIL Calculations.- Risk Identification and Qualitative Analyses.- Inductive Methods.- Preliminary Hazard Analyses.- HAZOP.- FMECA.- Additional Methods.- Comparison of Inductive Approaches.- Modelling of Static Systems.- Boolean Methods.- Introduction to the Boolean Methods.- Main Assumptions and Mathematical Bases.- Reliability Block Diagrams.- Fault Tree Analysis.- Qualitative Analyses.- Extension to Non-coherent RBDs and FTs.- Basic Probability Calculations.- Semi-Quantitative Analysis.- Basic Probability Calculations for Large Systems.- Time Dependent Calculations.- Common Cause Failure Analysis.- Importance Factors.- Uncertainty Propagation.- Sequential Analysis.- Combination with Other Methods.- Belief Networks.- Limits and Conclusions.- Stochastic Processes and Dynamic Systems.- Introduction.- Markovian Modelling.- Monte-Carlo Calculations.- Petri Net Modelling.- Conclusions.- Production Availability and SIL Calculations.- Extension to Production Availability Calculations.- Extension to SIL Calculations.- Conclusion.
Optical Gas Sensing
Optical gas sensing is one of the fastest developing research areas in laser spectroscopy. Continuous development of new coherent light sources operating especially in the Mid-IR spectral band (QCL-Quantum Cascade Lasers, ICL-Interband Cascade Lasers, OPO-Optical Parametric Oscillator, DFG-Difference Frequency Generation, optical frequency combs, etc.) stimulates new, sophisticated methods and technological solutions in this area. The development of clever techniques in gas detection based on new mechanisms of sensing (photoacoustic, photothermal, dispersion, etc.) supported by advanced applied electronics and huge progress in signal processing allows us to introduce more sensitive, broader-band and miniaturized optical sensors. Additionally, the substantial development of fast and sensitive photodetectors in MIR and FIR is of great support to progress in gas sensing. Recent material and technological progress in the development of hollow-core optical fibers allowing low-loss transmission of light in both Near- and Mid-IR has opened a new route for obtaining the low-volume, long optical paths that are so strongly required in laser-based gas sensors, leading to the development of a novel branch of laser-based gas detectors. This Special Issue summarizes the most recent progress in the development of optical sensors utilizing novel materials and laser-based gas sensing techniques.
Innovations and Perspectives of Industrial and Bioenergy Crops for Bioeconomy Development
The production of industrial and bioenergy crops has been the subject of scientific research for many years; however, the implementation of previously proposed solutions for commercial production is still at an early stage. It should be emphasized that when developing the production of industrial and bioenergy crops on agricultural lands, it is important to avoid land-use competition with the production of food and feed. It is well justified, for initiating the sustainable production of industrial and bioenergy crops, to promote efficient species for growing on marginal lands, which are unsuitable or less suitable for food or feed production. Another important point is that industrial and bioenergy crops should include nonfood and nonfeed crops and generate agricultural products categorized as commodities and/or raw materials for industrial goods and bioenergy. These industrial and bioenergy crops can become an important source of biomass. Of course, the concept of their cultivation for nonfood (and/or nonfeed) uses is not new but, despite considerable investment in research and development, little progress has been made with regard to the introduction of such crops and their products into the market. Therefore, the papers focus on innovations and perspectives regarding sustainable industrial and bioenergy crops production, logistic chains, biomass quality, utilization and cascade biomass use for bioeconomy, socio-economic and energy analyses, etc.
Actuators for Intelligent Electric Vehicles
This book details the advanced actuators for IEVs and the control algorithm design. In the actuator design, the configuration four-wheel independent drive/steering electric vehicles is reviewed. An in-wheel two-speed AMT with selectable one-way clutch is designed for IEV. Considering uncertainties, the optimization design for the planetary gear train of IEV is conducted. An electric power steering system is designed for IEV. In addition, advanced control algorithms are proposed in favour of active safety improvement. A supervision mechanism is applied to the segment drift control of autonomous driving. Double super-resolution network is used to design the intelligent driving algorithm. Torque distribution control technology and four-wheel steering technology are utilized for path tracking and adaptive cruise control. To advance the control accuracy, advanced estimation algorithms are studied in this book. The tyre-road peak friction coefficient under full slip rate range is identified based on the normalized tyre model. The pressure of the electro-hydraulic brake system is estimated based on signal fusion. Besides, a multi-semantic driver behaviour recognition model of autonomous vehicles is designed using confidence fusion mechanism. Moreover, a mono-vision based lateral localization system of low-cost autonomous vehicles is proposed with deep learning curb detection. To sum up, the discussed advanced actuators, control and estimation algorithms are beneficial to the active safety improvement of IEVs.
MOFs for Advanced Applications
Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) are a class of porous materials with a modular structure. This allows for very wide structural diversity and the possibility of synthesizing materials with tailored properties for advanced applications. Thus, MOF materials are the subject of intense research, with strong relevance to both science and technology. MOFs are formed by the assembly of two components: cluster or metal ion nodes, which are also called secondary building units (SBUs), and organic linkers between the SBUs, usually giving rise to crystalline structures with an open framework and significant porous texture development. The main aim of this Special Issue of Catalysts (ISSN 2073-4344) is to present the most relevant and recent insights in the field of the synthesis and characterization of MOFs and MOF-based materials for advanced applications, including adsorption, gas storage/capture, drug delivery, catalysis, photocatalysis, and/or chemical sensing.
High-Density Solid-State Memory Devices and Technologies
This Special Issue aims to examine high-density solid-state memory devices and technologies from various standpoints in an attempt to foster their continuous success in the future. Considering that broadening of the range of applications will likely offer different types of solid-state memories their chance in the spotlight, the Special Issue is not focused on a specific storage solution but rather embraces all the most relevant solid-state memory devices and technologies currently on stage. Even the subjects dealt with in this Special Issue are widespread, ranging from process and design issues/innovations to the experimental and theoretical analysis of the operation and from the performance and reliability of memory devices and arrays to the exploitation of solid-state memories to pursue new computing paradigms.
Recent Trends in Computational Research on Diseases
Summary of the Special Issue: Recent advances in information technology have brought forth a paradigm shift in science, especially in the biology and medical fields. Statistical methodologies based on high-performance computing and big data analysis are now indispensable for the qualitative and quantitative understanding of experimental results. In fact, the last few decades have witnessed drastic improvements in high-throughput experiments in health science, for example, mass spectrometry, DNA microarray, next generation sequencing, etc. Those methods have been providing massive data involving four major branches of omics (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics). Information about amino acid sequences, protein structures, and molecular structures are fundamental data for the prediction of bioactivity of chemical compounds when screening drugs. On the other hand, cell imaging, clinical imaging, and personal healthcare devices are also providing important data concerning the human body and disease. In parallel, various methods of mathematical modelling such as machine learning have developed rapidly. All of these types of data can be utilized in computational approaches to understand disease mechanisms, diagnosis, prognosis, drug discovery, drug repositioning, disease biomarkers, driver mutations, copy number variations, disease pathways, and much more. In this special issue, we have published 8 excellent papers dedicated to a variety of computational problems in the biomedical field from the genomic level to the whole-person physiological level.
