Alternative Solution Research Articles

New Design of A Micro-Hydro Power Plant (MHPP) System In The 3T Region As Al-ternative Solution Unit Turbine Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation

New Design of A Micro-Hydro Power Plant (MHPP) System In The 3T Region As Al-ternative Solution Unit Turbine Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Simulation

A Novel Federated Learning Scheme for Generative Adversarial Networks

Generative adversarial networks (GANs) have been advancing and gaining tremendous interests from both academia and industry. With the development of wireless technologies, a huge amount of data generated at the network edge provides an unprecedented opportunity to develop GANs applications. However, due to the constraints such as bandwidth, privacy, and legal issues, it is inappropriate to collect and send all data to the cloud or servers for analysis, training, and mining. Thus, deploying and training GANs at the edge becomes a promising alternative solution. The instability of GANs introduced by non-independent and identical data (Non-IID) poses significant challenges to training GANs. To address these challenges, this paper presents a novel federated learning framework for GANs, namely, <underline xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">C</u> ollaborated g <underline xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">A</u> me <underline xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">P</u> arallel Learning (CAP). CAP supports parallel training of data and models for GANs, breaking the isolated training among generators that exists in the previous distributed algorithms, and achieving collaborative learning among cloud, edge servers, and devices. Then, to further enhance the ability of CAP-GAN for addressing Non-IID issues, we propose a Mix-Generator module (Mix-G) which divides a generator into the sharing layer and personalizing layer. The Mix-G module extracts the generic and personalization features and improves the performance of CAP-GAN on extremely personalizing datasets. Experimental results and analysis substantiate the usefulness and superiority of our proposed CAP-GAN scheme which can achieve better results in the Non-IID scenarios compared with the state-of-the-art algorithms.

Implementasi Diversi terhadap Anak yang Berkonflik

The protection and welfare of children in the criminal justice system is the main focus of efforts to find alternative solutions that do not involve children in formal legal processes, such as imprisonment, which can have a negative impact on their development. Law No. 11/2012 on Juvenile Criminal Justice System (SPPA Law) implements the concept of restorative justice through a diversion system. This study aims to understand the regulation of diversion under the SPPA Law and how it is implemented in the Batam District Court in handling children involved in legal problems. The research method used is empirical juridical. The implementation of diversion in Batam District Court aims to achieve restorative justice which emphasizes on recovery, providing opportunities, and children's awareness of their mistakes. The goal is to ensure children's growth and development rights are guaranteed by law. Although the implementation of diversion in Batam District Court is in accordance with the provisions of the SPPA Law, there are obstacles that make it less effective. From 2019 to 2022, 18 cases were eligible for diversion, but only 4 cases were successfully resolved using this method, while 14 other cases failed due to various obstacles and constraints accompanying its implementation.

European Green Deal: Satellite Monitoring in the Implementation of the Concept of Agricultural Development in an Urbanized Environment

To improve energy and environmental security in urban environments and in accordance with the requirements of the EU, the task of sustainable developing agriculture in urban agglomerations and monitoring it using satellite images becomes relevant. The aim of the work is the development of methods and means for determining stable islands of thermal energy to substantiate the optimal locations for plant growing practices in the metropolis. The research was conducted in Kyiv, the largest metropolis of Ukraine. Data from the Landsat 8 and 9 satellites were used because of the free data and they have better spatial resolution and an available archive of observation results. It was established that the temperature map of the city of Kyiv shows differences in temperature between different parts of the city, probably due to the presence of different sources of heat radiation. It is obvious that the standard deviation of the temperature in the plots depends on many factors, in particular, the season and the type of land use. It is necessary to find alternative solutions for the development of crop production in this area, taking into account the characteristics of thermal emissions. Based on software products from free satellite monitoring providers, EO Browser, a specialized software solution (web application) has been created for monitoring agricultural plantations in an urban environment. A collection of LANDSAT 8 satellite images was used. Areas with stable heat emissions were found, which are due to the operation of a modern shopping and entertainment center, and non-traditional crops for landscaping adapted to its design are proposed. As a result of research, strong heat emissions were recorded for some objects, for them the temperature exceeds the surrounding area by 4 °C, while the minimum standard deviation in January is 0.5 °C, the maximum in July is 2.8 °C, in April and October—1.7 °C and 1.2 °C, respectively.

Reframing videotelephony through coexistence and empathy in the third space

ABSTRACT Predicated on the telephone, the history of videotelephony has continually adopted a two-way model of communication between ‘newsreader’ participants, confined to boxes on a screen. This article identifies philosophical approaches and practical solutions to overcome this ‘horseless-carriage’ syndrome using a phenomenological methodology to reframe the concept of videotelephony as a third space encounter through the author’s telematic art practice. By reflecting on audience participation in the Installations Telematic Dreaming (1992) and Telematic Vision (1993) participants interact through a third-person self-image and transcend their physical vulnerabilities and self-conscious inhibitions to engage and identify through coexistence and empathy. These observations draw on analogies between Martin Heidegger’s ‘hammer’ and the television screen, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s ‘extension of bodily synthesis’ and the telepresent image of self. By drawing on these phenomenological approaches, the author’s AHRC research project Telepresence Stage (2022) responded to the mass entrapment of two-way videoconference apps during the COVID-19 lockdown, and the inevitable Zoom fatigue, to provide alternative fit-for-purpose telepresence solutions for the performing arts sector. The project exposes the flaws and misconceptions of conventional videotelephony by employing open-source resources and practical green-screen techniques to embody a shared third space between remote performers, arriving at alternative telepresence solutions for future coexistence.

Light-Activatable Photocaged UNC2025 for Triggering TAM Kinase Inhibition in Bladder Cancer.

Photopharmacology is an emerging field that utilizes photo-responsive molecules to enable control over the activity of a drug using light. The aim is to limit the therapeutic action of a drug at the level of diseased tissues and organs. Considering the well-known implications of protein kinases in cancer and the therapeutic issues associated with protein kinase inhibitors, the photopharmacology is seen as an innovative and alternative solution with great potential in oncology. In this context, we developed the first photocaged TAM kinase inhibitors based on UNC2025, a first-in-class small molecule kinase inhibitor. These prodrugs showed good stability in biologically relevant buffer and rapid photorelease of the photoremovable protecting group upon UV-light irradiation (<10 min.). These light-activatable prodrugs led to a 16-fold decrease to a complete loss of kinase inhibition, depending on the protein and the position at which the coumarin-type phototrigger was introduced. The most promising candidate was the N,O-dicaged compound, showing the superiority of having two photolabile protecting groups on UNC2025 for being entirely inactive on TAM kinases. Under UV-light irradiation, the N,O-dicaged compound recovered its inhibitory potency in enzymatic assays and displayed excellent antiproliferative activity in RT112 cell lines.

Branislav Radeljić and Carlos González-Villa: Researching Yugoslavia and its Aftermath. Sources, Prejudices and Alternative Solutions

Branislav Radeljić and Carlos González-Villa: <i>Researching Yugoslavia and its Aftermath. Sources, Prejudices and Alternative Solutions</i>

A Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of GGBS-Based Geopolymer Concrete Activated by a Rice Husk Ash-Synthesised Sodium Silicate Solution and Sodium Hydroxide

Commercial sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and sodium silicate (SS) are commonly used as alkaline activators in geopolymer concrete production despite concerns about their availability and associated CO2 emissions. This study employs an alternative alkaline activator (AA) synthesized from a sodium silicate alternative (SSA) solution derived from rice husk ash (RHA) and a 10 M sodium hydroxide solution. The initial phase established an optimal water-to-binder (W/B) ratio of 0.50, balancing workability and structural performance. Subsequent investigations explored the influence of the alkali/precursor (A/P) ratio on geopolymer concrete properties. A control mix uses ordinary Portland cement (OPC), while ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS)-based geopolymer concrete—GPC mixes (GPC1, GPC2, GPC3, GPC4) vary the A/P ratios (0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8) with a 1:1 ratio of sodium silicate to sodium hydroxide (SS: SH). The engineering performance was evaluated through a slump test, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) and tensile splitting (TS) tests in accordance with the appropriate standards. The geopolymer mixes, excluding GPC3, offer suitable workability; UCS and TS, though lower than the control mix, peak at an A/P ratio of 0.4. Despite lower mechanical strength than OPC, geopolymers’ environmental benefits make them a valuable alternative. GPC2, with a 0.4 A/P ratio and 0.5 W/B (water to binder) ratio, is recommended for balanced workability and structural performance. Future research should focus on enhancing the mechanical properties of geopolymer concrete for sustainable, high-performance mixtures.

Implementation of the AHP Method in Determining the Completion of Logistics Warehouse Stock Buildup Using the Expert Choice Application

The development of logistics services that are increasing has caused an increase in customers of PT. Astrans Putra Logistik also increased, this resulted in the logistics warehouse capacity experiencing a buildup of goods that almost filled the warehouse capacity which made operational activities disrupted, and many complaints from customers. Resolution to overcome this warehouse problem needs to be done so that the company’s operational efficiency is not disrupted and warehouse stock capacity becomes better. This study aims to find out the best solution of warehouse problems that occur through a decision making support system design using the AHP method assisted by the use of the Expert Choice 11 application. In making this decision, 4 stages are carried out, namely Intelligence, Design, Choice, and Analysis of Assessment Result which in the process have a 4 kinds of criteria and 4 kinds of alternative solutions. From the calculation of the AHP method assisted by the use of the Expert Choice 11 application, the weight of each criterion was obtained, namely Increased Operational Efficiency getting a weight of 0,259, Number of Items that can be Accommodated getting a weight of 0,086, Company Income getting a weight of 0,495, and Company Expense getting a weight of 0,160. From the calculation of alternative settlements, it was also found that The Addition of a New Departure Fleet got a weight of 0,385, The Construction of Branch Goods Warehouse got a weight of 0,279, Upgrading Small Trucks to Large Trucks got a weight of 0,187, and The Application of a Pre-order system for customers got a weight of 0,149.

Is Africa Ready to Use Phycoremediation to Treat Domestic Wastewater as an Alternative Natural Base Solution? A Case Study

This review outlines the potential of phycoremediation as a natural, cost-effective solution for domestic wastewater treatment in Africa, particularly focusing on its application in less densely populated and rural areas. The urgency of improving sanitation access, a key objective in both the Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015) and the Sustainable Development Goals (2015–2030), is underscored by the fact that half of Africa’s population suffers from diseases linked to inadequate water and sanitation facilities. South Africa, a focal point of this study, faces significant challenges in wastewater management. These include the limited capacity of wastewater treatment plants to handle the burgeoning wastewater volumes due to population growth, unregulated discharges causing fluctuating pollution levels, and high operational costs leading to improper sludge disposal and odor issues. Compounding these problems are frequent power outages, financial constraints impacting wastewater treatment plant operations and maintenance across Africa, and a lack of skilled personnel to manage these facilities.

Light Fidelity-based Home Automation System with Arduino

Arduino based home automation system is envisage in this work using the principle of light fidelity. Light Fidelity (Li-Fi) is the fastest means of wireless communication which uses visible light to transmit data/signals between devices and is one such concept that is gaining momentum to become the possible alternative solution for overcoming the crowded radio spectrum for wireless communication system. In this paper a simple prototype of arduino Li-Fi based transmitter and receiver was designed and implemented. The Arduino transmitter processes and sends out visible light signal emitted from white LED bulb when a functional pushbutton is pressed and the arduino receiver receives and process the signal and acts to switch ON or OFF the connected household appliances. The system was made using readily available materials and the transmitter and receiver can communicate up to a maximum distance of 41cm.

Unveiling Mechanobiology: A Compact Device for Uniaxial Mechanical Stimulation on Nanofiber Substrates and Its Impact on Cellular Behavior and Nanoparticle Distribution.

Biotechnology and its allied sectors, such as tissue culture, regenerative medicine, and personalized medicine, primarily rely upon extensive studies on cellular behavior and their molecular pathways for generating essential knowledge and innovative strategies for human survival. Most such studies are performed on flat, adherent, plastic-based surfaces and use nanofiber and hydrogel-like soft matrices from the past few decades. However, such static culture conditions cannot mimic the immediate cellular microenvironment, where they perceive or generate a myriad of different mechanical forces that substantially affect their downstream molecular pathways. Including such mechanical forces, still limited to specialized laboratories, using a few commercially available or noncommercial technologies are gathering increasing attention worldwide. However, large-scale consideration and adaptation by developing nations have yet to be achieved due to the lack of a cost-effective, reliable, and accessible solution. Moreover, investigations on cellular response upon uniaxial mechanical stretch cycles under more in vivo mimetic conditions are yet to be studied comprehensively. In order to tackle these obstacles, we have prepared a compact, 3D-printed device using a microcontroller, batteries, sensors, and a stepper motor assembly that operates wirelessly and provides cyclic mechanical attrition to any thin substrate. We have fabricated water-stable and stretchable nanofiber substrates with different fiber orientations by using the electrospinning technique to investigate the impact of mechanical stretch cycles on the morphology and orientation of C2C12 myoblast-like cells. Additionally, we have examined the uptake and distribution properties of BSA-epirubicin nanoparticles within cells under mechanical stimulation, which could act as fluorescently active drug-delivery agents for future therapeutic applications. Consequently, our research offers a comprehensive analysis of cellular behavior when cells are subjected to uniaxial stretching on various nanofiber mat architectures. Furthermore, we present a cost-effective alternative solution that addresses the long-standing requirement for a compact, user-friendly, and tunable device, enabling more insightful outcomes in mechanobiology.

Magnetic Shielding Implementation in the Small Satellite Reaction Wheel

Low Earth orbit satellites face challenges from Earth's magnetic field, causing attitude disturbances. Attaining a magnetic-dipole-free satellite is crucial. Layout optimization and in-orbit dipole compensation are common methods, but layout optimization can be impractical. In contrast, in-orbit dipole compensation struggles with rapidly changing magnetic dipoles like those from reaction wheel motors. This research proposes an alternative solution using Mu-metal, known for shielding against magnetic exposure. This shield can be applied to trap the magnetic field generated by the motors. Ground tests evaluated this approach. First, it determined the minimum distance between the magnetometer and the shield for accurate measurements with minimal interference, with the result of 10 cm as the least affected distance, particularly important for small satellite layout design. Second, it assessed the shield's effectiveness in trapping the motor-generated magnetic field. Tests showed a significant reduction in magnetic field magnitude and up to a 95% reduction in field fluctuations when the motor is activated. This research offers a practical solution for small satellite layout design, addressing the challenges posed by their compact dimensions. Mu-metal shielding proves effective for mitigating rapidly changing magnetic dipoles and enhancing magnetic cleanliness in low Earth orbit.

Disruption of Communication: Recent Advances in Antibiofilm Materials with Anti-Quorum Sensing Properties.

Biofilm contamination presents a significant threat to public health, the food industry, and aquatic/marine-related applications. In recent decades, although various methods have emerged to combat biofilm contamination, the intricate and persistent nature of biofilms makes complete eradication challenging. Therefore, innovative alternative solutions are imperative for addressing biofilm formation. Instead of solely focusing on the eradication of mature biofilms, strategically advantageous measures involve the delay or prevention of biofilm formation on surfaces. Quorum sensing, a communication system enabling bacteria to coordinate their behavior based on population density, plays a pivotal role in biofilm formation for numerous microbial species. Materials possessing antibiofilm properties that target quorum sensing have gained considerable attention for their potential to prevent biofilm formation. This Review consolidates recent research progress on the utilization of materials with antiquorum sensing properties for combating biofilm formation. These materials can be categorized into three distinct types: (i) antibiofilm nanomaterials, (ii) antibiofilm surfaces, and (iii) antibiofilm hydrogels with antiquorum sensing capabilities. Finally, the Review concludes with a brief discussion of current challenges and outlines potential avenues for future research.

Evaluating Different Track Sub-Ballast Solutions Considering Traffic Loads and Sustainability

The railway industry is seeking high-performance and sustainable solutions for sub-ballast materials, particularly in light of increasing cargo transport demands and climate events. The meticulous design and construction of track bed geomaterials play a crucial role in ensuring an extended track service life. The global push for sustainability has prompted the evaluation of recycling ballast waste within the railway sector, aiming to mitigate environmental contamination, reduce the consumption of natural resources, and lower costs. This study explores materials for application and compaction using a formation rehabilitation machine equipped with an integrated ballast recycling system designed for heavy haul railways. Two recycled ballast-stabilised soil materials underwent investigation, meeting the necessary grain size distribution for the proper compaction and structural conditions. One utilised a low-bearing-capacity silty sand soil stabilised with recycled ballast fouled waste (RFBW) with iron ore at a 3:7 weight ratio, while the second was stabilised with 3% cement. Laboratory tests were conducted to assess their physical, chemical, and mechanical properties, and a non-linear elastic finite element numerical model was developed to evaluate the potential of these alternative solutions for railway sub-ballast. The findings indicate the significant potential of using soils stabilised with recycled fouled ballast as sub-ballast for heavy haul tracks, underscoring the advantages of adopting sustainable sub-ballast solutions through the reuse of crushed deteriorated ballast material.

Alternative Solutions to the Problems of Islamic Education (Ontological Problems of Islamic Education)

Education is part of an investment in the future, a societal investment as well as a national investment aimed at advancing and enlightening the nation's life. Therefore, to achieve these goals, education is continually directed towards addressing several issues related to national and communal matters. Problem Formulation: What are the ontological problems in Islamic education and what are the alternative solutions to these ontological problems in Islamic education. Problem Objectives: To understand the ontological problems in Islamic education and explore alternative solutions to these issues. The research method employed is literature review. Results and Discussion: This paper discusses the ontological issues in Islamic education. Ontology is a branch of philosophy that deals with the essence of life. The problems in Islamic education that concern ontology necessitate the establishment of foundations, life principles, and a pattern of human thinking in the administration of Islamic education.

CFD investigation on wind power harvesting from small-scale wind turbines for powering residential buildings in New Zealand

ABSTRACT As an alternative solution, wind power could be harnessed by designing and implementing small-scale wind turbines for distributed power generation. In this work, 3-dimensional time-domain numerical simulations, based on the Reynolds-Average Navier-Strokes (RANS) model, are conducted for two categories of small-scale wind turbines, i.e. drag force- (Savonius) and lift force-driven (Darrieus) ones, while placing them at a flat surface and a step height, respectively. The present results confirmed that placing a small-scale wind turbine at a step height can improve the maximum power output, respectively, approximately 219.2% for the Savonius wind turbine and 121.0% for the Darrieus wind turbine operating at their optimum stage; moreover, the corresponding peak power spectral density of the turbine torque is improved by 173.9% and 83.6%, respectively. In addition, the power generated from the wind flow could reduce the CO2 emission. It has been observed that the Savonius turbine could reduce the annual CO2 emission by 3,738.9–19,857.8 kg and that of Darrieus turbines by 4,919.6–26,128.8 kg. This study demonstrated the benefits of adopting forward facing steps to improve wind turbine performance in a typical urban environment.

Human Selective Matting

Existing human matting methods are incapable of accurately estimating the alpha mattes of arbitrarily selected humans from a group photo. An alternative solution is to apply them to the corresponding cropped image patches. However, this option obtains an inaccurate alpha estimation due to the interference of the body parts of the neighboring humans. In addition, these methods are only trained on finely annotated synthetic data, which causes poor performance in real-world scenarios due to the domain shift. To address these problems, we propose human selective matting (HSMatt), which performs matting for arbitrarily selected humans from a group photo given only a simple bounding box as guidance. Specifically, we design a global–local context network to extract both local and global semantic context features. A human-aware trimap network is then proposed to generate human-aware trimaps for the selected humans, which adopts stacked bidirectional inference modules with intermediate supervision to progressively refine the estimated trimap. Finally, a partially supervised matting network is introduced to estimate the alpha matte, which uses a sample-varying loss to train the network on both the finely annotated synthetic data and coarsely annotated real-world data, resulting in high accuracy and good generalization. To evaluate the proposed HSMatt, we construct the first human selective matting dataset, named HSM-200K, which contains over 200,000 human images with instance-level alpha matte annotations. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed HSMatt outperforms state-of-the-art methods.

Microplastics affect membrane biofouling and microbial communities during gravity-driven membrane filtration of primary wastewater

Recently, gravity-driven membrane (GDM) filtration has been adopted as an alternative solution for decentralized wastewater treatment due to easy installation and maintenance, reduced energy and operation cost, and low global warming impact. This study investigated the influence of microplastic size (0.5–0.8 μm and 40–48 μm) and amount (0.1 and 0.2 g/L) on the membrane performance and microbial community in GDM systems for primary municipal wastewater treatment. The results showed that dosing microplastics in the GDM systems led to 9–54% lower permeate flux than that in the control. This was attributed to more cake formation (up to 6.4-fold) with more deposition of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS, up to 1.5-fold) and divalent cations (up to 2.1-fold) in the presence of microplastics, especially with increasing microplastic amount or size. However, the dosed microplastics promoted formation of heterogeneous cake layers with more porous nature, possibly because microplastics created void space in the cake and also tended to bind with divalent cations to reduce EPS-divalent cations interactions. In the biofilm of the GDM systems, the presence of microplastics could lower the number of total species, but it greatly enhanced the abundance of certain dominant prokaryotes (Phenylobacterium haematophilum, Planctomycetota bacterium, and Flavobacteriales bacterium), eukaryotes (Stylonychia lemnae, Halteria grandinella, and Paramicrosporidium saccamoebae), and virus (phylum Nucleocytoviricota), as well as amino acid and lipid metabolic functions. Especially, the small-size microplastics at a higher dosed amount led to more variations of microbial community structure and microbial metabolic functions.

A Theoretical Review: Globalization and Preventing Premarital Sex

Background: Globalization is a double-edged sword since it improves human efficiency and effectiveness along with the development of technology. However, the negative impacts of globalization hit developing countries hard, such as the fading of traditional culture and people's tendency to be dependent on developed countries, or people imitate the negative behavior of those living in developed countries. Aims: This paper conceptualizes premarital sex behavior, which is a problem in the social environment that occurs in Indonesian society and generally in Islamic countries. The author will reveal sexual problems experienced by adolescents in terms of social phenomena in modern times. In addition, the impact of adolescent sexual behavior before marriage will also be discussed in this article, both in social, cultural, and religious settings. The author also offers alternative solutions to prevent premarital sex behavior in adolescents by looking at the role of the family, social environment, and educational institutions. Method: We use the Theory of Planned Behavior and Social Learning Theory approaches to explore the direction of adolescent behavior in making decisions. Results: As a result, our model can contribute to future research to research adolescent premarital sex behavior, especially in countries affected by globalization. In addition, we also offer a research model by formulating several propositions that will be a guide for further research. Conclusion: Globalization is very influential and we feel it in everyday life. Conditions such as promiscuity, negative internet, premarital sex, etc. can be found in social life. This condition cannot be avoided, which is something that should happen and needs to be addressed wisely by the whole community, especially parents who have teenage children. Several alternatives are offered to overcome this problem, among others, through educational institutions, the role of the family, and the social environment. These three factors are an alternative to preventing adolescent associations that lead to premarital sex.