Control Section Research Articles

Optimizing Yarn Tension in Textile Production with Tension–Position Cascade Control Method Using Kalman Filter

The production of textiles has undergone a considerable transformation, progressing from its primitive origins in hand-weaving to the implementation of contemporary automated systems. Weaving yarn into fabric is a crucial process in the textile industry that requires meticulous attention to output quality products, particularly in the tension control section. The efficiency of the tension controller in relation to the yarn tension significantly affects the quality of the resulting fabric, as proper tension control leads to strong, uniform, and aesthetically pleasing fabric, while poor tension control can cause defects and yarn breakage, leading to production downtime and increased costs. Maintaining the desired yarn tension during textile production is crucial, although it poses several problems, such as the continuous diameter change of the unwinder and rewinder sections leading to system change. Another problem faced by the industrial operation is maintaining proper tension on the yarn while changing the roll-to-roll operation velocity. In this paper, an optimized method for controlling yarn tension through the cascade control of tension and position, incorporating feedback controllers, feedforward, and disturbance observers, has been proposed to make the system more robust and suitable for industrial use. In addition, an optimum signal processor has been designed to obtain sensor data with reduced noise and minimal phase difference.

Abundance, cover use, and clustering of brown trout spawning redds during stream habitat rehabilitation

AbstractAbundance, placement beneath cover and clustering of brown trout spawning redds were monitored throughout five spawning seasons (2016–2020) in a 4.8‐km reach of a Minnesota coldwater stream to assess the potential impacts of concurrent stream habitat rehabilitation projects. We anticipated that redd abundance (redds/100 m stream segments) and placement beneath cover (e.g. logs and branches, boulders, overhanging bank vegetation, aquatic macrophytes) would increase and redd clustering (placement within 1.5 m of other redds) would decline as stream sections were rehabilitated. Repeated redd counts were conducted for the entire stream reach during each of the five spawning seasons, and redd cover and clustering were documented. Before‐after comparison of impact (BACI) tests were used to compare redd abundances in control versus rehabilitated stream sections, and before‐after distributional tests compared redd placement beneath cover and redd clustering within rehabilitated sections. In total, 1895 brown trout spawning redds were documented within the study reach during the five spawning seasons combined. Redd abundance increased nearly fivefold throughout the 5‐year study period (from 3.5 to 15.5 redds/100 m), but no significant difference was detected in redd abundances between rehabilitated versus control stream sections. Redd placement beneath cover (63% beneath cover in total) also increased throughout the study, but at a rate nine to 45 times greater in stream sections rehabilitated during the study than in control or previously rehabilitated sections. Redd clustering remained unchanged (5‐year means = 35 to 46% of all redds clustered) in rehabilitated sections, but increased significantly through time (0% to 35%) in the control section. Stream habitat rehabilitation did not increase spawning redd abundance or reduce redd clustering in rehabilitated stream sections, but redd placement beneath cover increased after rehabilitation to levels present in other stream sections.

A smart Sustainable decision Support system for water management oF power plants in water stress regions

Power Plants (PPs) is considered as critical facilities in each region because of essential role through energy generation processes. These facilities are also depended to water availability especially in water stress areas. Due to the critical water shortage in many areas around the world, it is necessary to make an optimal condition among water consumption and the increasing demand for electricity to prevent any further conflict of interests between industry, householders and the environmental goals. There are different techniques for controlling Water Consumption (WC) in these industries. This paper develops a smart Decision Support System (DSS) for monitoring, prediction and control sections based on Artificial Intelligent (AI) and integration of the PESTEL matrix and Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods. Monitoring section comprises Fuel Consumption (FC), Atmospheric Temperature (AT), Power Plant Temperature (PPT) and Power Plant Efficiency (PPE), in which FC has the most influence on WC based on ANOVA evaluations in both cold and warm seasons. The prediction results have illustrated that Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System model is more efficient for the WC estimation with a correlation coefficient over 0.99. Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) also demonstrated that in the optimistic and pessimistic states, the most priority is linked to E3 (Establishment of evaporation control systems by contractor companies and concluding a guaranteed purchase contract with a power plant worth one and a half times the current amount of water price). In the last step of technical approaches, the smart controlling system is added for execution of water-energy nexus in the PP based on proportional–integral–derivative controller system. Finally, the performance of the DSS is approved with more than 80% agreement of experts and more than 90% precision in prediction procedure through this investigation. Application of this DSS can also be helpful for developing countries to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Field trials of unbound granular pavements treated with an insoluble dry powdered polymer

Unbound granular pavement materials deteriorate with traffic, time and water ingress. In-situ recycling of fatigued pavement layers can be cost-effective, provided that appropriate additives are chosen. The polymer additive used in this study is suitable for aggregates with clay-rich fines. It is an insoluble dry powdered polymer (DPP) and is a proprietary product. According to Australian Road Research Board’s certificate, DPP is a granular powder comprising a cationic polymer thermally bonded to fine ground limestone. Long-term field trials of two in-situ recycled road sections on semi-rural roads were established to support an ongoing laboratory investigation. The polymer was suitable for these trials due to poor site drainage and risk of flooding. Field data from the La Croix deflectograph indicated good performance of the treated sections compared to the adjacent control sections. At the first site, the average central deflection under wheel loading over five years of monitoring was 0.3 mm compared with 0.6 mm over the control section. The second site initially showed similar level of improvement (0.5 mm compared with 1.1 mm), but deterioration of the treated pavement became evident with average deflections increasing to 0.8 mm by spring of 2020. Central deflection information can be supported by deflection ratio data. Visual inspections of road conditions highlighted the need for caution with shrinkage of the material treated with DPP. Transverse shrinkage cracks between 1 and 2 mm wide were observed. Laboratory testing of one of the granular materials confirmed high levels of shrinkage.

Determinant Factors of Mortality in Pre-elderly and Elderly Patients With COVID-19 in Jakarta, Indonesia.

This study aimed to identify risk factors associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality in pre-elderly and elderly individuals in Jakarta, Indonesia. We employed a case-control study design, utilizing secondary data from the Epidemiology Surveillance, Immunization Prevention, and Disease Control Sections of the DKI Jakarta Provincial Health Office, collected from December 2020 to January 2021. The study included 188 cases and an equal number of controls. Cases were COVID-19 patients confirmed to have died, as reported by hospitals and communities and subsequently verified by healthcare workers. Control subjects were patients who completed a 14-day isolation period and had been officially declared recovered by healthcare professionals. The dependent variable was the mortality of COVID-19 patients in the January 2021 period. The independent variables consisted of demographic data (age and sex), clinical symptoms (cough, runny nose, anosmia, diarrhea, headaches, abdominal pain, muscle pain, and nausea/vomiting), and comorbidities (hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes). Multivariate analysis was conducted using multiple logistic regression. The multiple logistic regression analysis revealed several factors associated with COVID-19 fatalities in Jakarta: age of 60 years or older (odds ratio [OR], 4.84; 95% CI, 3.00 to 7.80), male (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 2.41 to 3.68), dyspnea (OR, 3.93; 95% CI, 2.04 to 7.55), anosmia (OR, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.46), and heart disease (OR, 4.38; 95% CI, 1.04 to 18.46). The control and prevention of COVID-19 among elderly individuals require particular vigilance. When a COVID-19 case is detected within this demographic, prompt treatment and medication administration are crucial to mitigate the presenting symptoms.

Optimizing the Effective Use of Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement in Local Roadways

This study involved the construction of eight test sections in the City of Columbus, Ohio, to evaluate the effects of using different reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) contents and types of rejuvenator on the performance and properties of asphalt mixes used for local roads. The first section (control section) had a mix with 20% RAP and PG 64-22 binder. While three sections had mixes with 30%, 40%, 50% RAP, PG 64-22 binder, and Sylvaroad rejuvenator (tall oil), three other sections had mixes with the same RAP percentages and binder but used Hydrolene (aromatic extract) as the rejuvenator. Finally, the last test section was constructed using a mix with a 30% RAP and PG 64-28 binder (softer binder). Specimens were compacted in the laboratory from loose mixes that were obtained during the construction of each test section. Laboratory tests were conducted to evaluate the resistance of the prepared samples to moderate-temperature cracking, low-temperature cracking, rutting, and moisture damage. The test results showed that Hydrolene was more effective than Sylvaroad in improving the moderate-temperature cracking resistance of RAP mixes with more than 30% RAP. In addition, the tests results showed that the 30% RAP, 40% RAP, and 50% RAP mixes had similar low-temperature cracking resistance to that of the control. The laboratory test results also showed that mixes with 30% and 40% RAP had acceptable resistance to moisture damage. Furthermore, all mixes had acceptable rutting resistance. Finally, preliminary field evaluation showed that there were no observed distresses in the test sections after 7 months of construction.

TECHNOLOGICAL INDICATORS OF THE CATHODIC PROCESS IN THE REGENERATION OF USED SULFO-ACID SOLUTIONS FOR ETCHING STEEL

The current state of regeneration of sulfate solutions was analyzed, it was established that the existing physico-chemical methods do not solve the problem of regeneration of sulfuric acid, but only neutralize it, for transfer according to the standards of the MPC to neutralization and into the sewage system with subsequent disposal. It has been confirmed that it is advisable to carry out the regeneration by an electrochemical method using a three-chamber electrolyzer, when the solution is fed into the middle chamber, the concentration of regenerated sulfuric acid increases to 180-200 g/l, with simultaneous iron deposition, with a current yield of 65-70%. This method reduces waste and allows switching to a closed cycle on sulfuric acid. It was found that in the process of digestion, the concentration of sulfuric acid decreases from 2.0 to 0.5 mol·dm-3, and the concentration of iron (II) sulfate increases accordingly. Under the conditions of a decrease in the concentration of sulfuric acid, its chemical activity also decreases when interacting with iron oxides and hydroxides. To increase the reactivity of pickling solutions, an increase in the temperature of the entire process is used. The kinetic regularity of combined cathodic processes in model solutions of iron (II) sulfate with sulfuric acid was established. Platinum, copper and carbon steel were used as cathode material. The choice of the cathode material was based on the different electrochemical properties of these selected metals with respect to the hydrogen reaction. The main process at the platinum cathode is hydrogen release in a wide range of current densities. At current densities greater than 0.1 A/cm2, a sharp increase in potential was observed due to the incorporation of Fe2+ into the composition of the cathode-electrolyte interface, but Fe2+ reduction potentials were not reached. When replacing the cathode material from platinum to carbon steel, a significant inhibition of hydrogen release was observed, which made it possible to reach the potentials for the simultaneous reduction of hydrogen and iron, however, the maximum current of the rectilinear section of the electrochemical process with electrochemical control was reduced from 10 at 20 0C to 3 times at 80 0C. The use of a copper cathode made it possible to reveal the influence of the hydrogen reaction on the course of Fe2+ reduction. The release of hydrogen at the copper cathode was accompanied by a significant inhibition of the hydrogen ion discharge. When using an iron cathode, electrochemical desorption is the limiting stage, which leads to the existence of layers of adsorbed hydrogen firmly attached to the surface of the iron cathode. A comparative analysis of the voltage-current dependences for the final investigated temperatures indicates a significant effect of an increase in temperature from 20 0C to 80 0C by approximately 120-150 mV. The cathodic process at 20 0C takes place in the mode of increased kinetics for both combined processes. At 80 0С, rectilinear sections of electrochemical control of the cathodic process appear on the voltage–voltage dependences, at Fe2+ concentrations of 1.0 and 1.5 mol/dm3. These areas range from 20 to 60 mA/cm2. The concentration of iron ions and the temperature of electrolysis have a significant effect on the process of electrochemical reduction of Fe2+, which was confirmed experimentally. Since the target process in the electrochemical regeneration of spent pickling solutions is the regeneration of sulfuric acid itself, and not the removal of Fe2+ from this solution, the cathodic mode of operation of the electrode unit was determined according to the technological indicators of the anodic process.

Analysis on the Control Strategies of Hip Exoskeletons and Exosuits

Lower limb exoskeleton has been proven to be effective in gait training and locomotion assistance. Specifically, control strategies of exoskeletons play the most important role in safe and effective interaction between the user, the exoskeleton, and the environment. In this paper, an analysis on the control strategies of hip exoskeletons and exosuits is performed. The controls are divided into three levels: high, medium, and low. The definition of high-level control as well as the corresponding control methods are listed and the principle of each is explained. Then, the mid-level control section is divided between detection and action layer and each control that belongs to one of the two categories is analyzed. The definition of low-level control and its control methods are then explained. At last, according to the results of various studies, the advantages and potential disadvantages of each method are put forward. The purpose of this paper is to provide reference and guidance for future researchers who hope to develop new controls or improve existing control strategies for hip exoskeletons and exosuits.

The Effect of Vestibular Rehabilitation on Balance and Quality of Life in Patients with Bilateral Vestibular Hypofunction.

This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation on balance, dynamic visual acuity, and quality of life in patients with bilateral vestibular hypofunction (BVH). 20 patients diagnosed by videonystagmography were included in the study. Balance tests, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), testing of Dynamic Visual Acuity (DVA), Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Computer-modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction in Balance (m-CTSIB), and Limits of Stability Test were applied before and 3 and 6months after the treatment. Physiotherapy sessions were given at two-week intervals. According to the development of the patients, they were asked to perform a home exercise program with 10 repetitions 3 times a day. After 6months of vestibular rehabilitation, improvements in balance and quality of life parameters were observed in the patients. VAS, DVA, DHI, all static balance parameters except Romberg, Semi-tandem eyes open were significant (p < 0.005). In computerized M-CTSIB, while no significant results were obtained on the hard surface with the eyes open (p = 0.126), statistically significant improvement was observed on the hard surface with the eyes closed and on a foam surface with eyes open and close. LOS results showed significant improvement in velocity, reaching the endpoint, and maximal deviation in all directions except the right posterior. While significant results were found in the right, posterior, left anterior, and left posterior directions in the reaction time section, there was no statistical significance in any of the direct control sections (p < 0.005). Trial registration number:NCT05231109, Date of registration:27/01/2022 (Retrospectively registered).

Dynamic Response of Curved Tunnels under Vertical Incidence of Transversal SV Waves

Long tunnels often have curved sections when alignment designs are influenced by topography, adverse geology, and environmental factors. When the transversal SV wave is incident vertically, the curved section of the tunnel is subject to a connection between longitudinal and transversal loads, which are asymmetrical about the tunnel longitudinal axis. Compared to straight tunnels, curved tunnels are more complex in terms of forces and deformations and may become a key control section limiting the seismic safety of curved tunnels. To investigate the seismic response of curved tunnels, numerical simulations of curved tunnels with different radii of curvature under transversal SV seismic waves were carried out in this study. Local artificial boundaries were programmed and used for the 3D rock tunnel interaction system model to simulate semi-infinite rock and to eliminate fake reflections of seismic waves on local boundaries. The results show that longitudinal deformation and cross-sectional deformation occurred simultaneously in curved tunnels when the transversal SV wave was incident vertically. As the curvature increased, the longitudinal deformation of the curved tunnel increased. The cross-section of the tunnel was in oblique compression, and the cross-sectional internal force showed significant asymmetry. When the radius of curvature was 250 m, the difference in bending moment between the left and right haunch was 35.2%. These characteristics differ from those of straight tunnels and should be paid attention in the seismic design of curved tunnels.

Stationary thermal-gas-dynamics of flows in the cylinder and exhaust system of a piston engine

THE PURPOSE. To evaluate the influence of the exhaust manifold design on gas dynamics and heat transfer of stationary, turbulent gas flows in the cylinder and the exhaust system of a reciprocating internal combustion engine for different boundary conditions based on physical and mathematical modeling.METHODS. The study of gas dynamics and heat transfer of flows was carried out using the CFD approach in specialized Russian-made software. The simulation was performed for a pressure drop from 0.15 to 40 kPa (the flow velocity at the outlet of the system was 10-130 m/s). The k-e turbulence model was used for modeling. The computational grid consisted of 610,000 cells. The design change consisted in the use of profiled channels with cross sections in the form of a circle (diameter 30 mm), a square (side 30 mm) and a triangle (side 52 mm).RESULTS. The article describes the mathematical model, the studied geometry of the exhaust system and the analysis of the obtained data. The velocity field, isolines of equal velocities, and tangential velocity vectors were chosen as the gas-dynamic characteristics of the flow. The gas dynamics in the longitudinal section of the exhaust system and the valve, as well as the visualization of the flow structure in 4 control sections along the length of the exhaust system, were analyzed. The heat transfer coefficient in the exhaust system was used to evaluate the heat transfer characteristics of the flow. Qualitative and quantitative differences in gas dynamics and heat transfer processes are shown.CONCLUSION. It has been established that there are common gas-dynamic effects during the flow of gas in different elements of the exhaust system. The evolution of the flow structure along the length of the exhaust system is shown based on the change in the velocity field, isolines of equal velocities, and tangential velocity vectors. The vortex structures formed in the valve assembly and the corners of the profiled channels are revealed. It has been established that the use of profiled channels in the exhaust system leads to a decrease in the heat transfer coefficient by 5 to 12%.

In-Service Performance Evaluation of Flexible Pavement with Lightweight Cellular Concrete Subbase

The objective of engineers to improve the long-term performance of road infrastructure in changing global climate has led to the development of alternate materials for pavement construction. Lightweight cellular concrete (LCC) is a viable option for colder climates where pavements undergo several freeze-thaw cycles each year, resulting in faster deterioration of pavements. This is due to LCCs’ excellent freeze-thaw resistance, ease of placement, and potential sustainability benefits such as reduced use of virgin material and industrial by-products. However, there is a need to quantify these benefits and develop unified specifications for using LCC in the pavement structure. Therefore, this study examined the performance of flexible pavement sections that included a subbase layer, unbound granular materials for the control section, and three LCC densities (400, 475, and 600 kg/m3) for the LCC sections. Post-construction evaluation of pavement stiffness and roughness were evaluated using a Lightweight deflectometer and SurPro equipment. The results showed that LCC subbase thickness ≥ 250 mm produced over 22% smoother riding surfaces than unbound granular pavements while increasing pavement stiffness by up to 21%. Finally, this study recommends that LCC subbase thickness should not be thinner than 250 mm when using densities below 475 kg/m3 over weak subgrades.

The Effect Of Work Performance, Work Loyalty And Work Discipline On The Promotion Of Employee Positions In The Quality Control Section At PT Sas Kreasindo Utama Tegal

This study aims to determine the influence of work performance, work loyalty and work discipline on promotion at PT SAS Kreasindo Utama Tegal. This study used quantitative methods, obtained primary data from the distribution of questionnaires to 46 employees in the qu ality control section using saturated sampling techniques or census methods. data tested for validity, reliability test, analysis of the Consecutive Interval Method (MSI), classical assumption test consisting of normality test, multicholinearity test, hetero scedasticity test, multiple regression analysis, T test, F test, coefficient of determination test (R2), then processed using the SPSS 22 program. From the results of this study, work performance affects employee promotion , work loyalty and work discipline do not affect employee promotion. There is a simultaneous influence of work performance, work loyalty and labor discipline on the promotion of employees

Eternal-thing 2.0: Analog-Trojan-resilient Ripple-less Solar Harvesting System for Sustainable IoT

Recently, harvesting natural energy is gaining more attention than other conventional approaches for sustainable IoT. System on chip power requirement for the internet of things (IoT) and generating higher voltages on chip is a massive challenge for on-chip peripherals and systems. In this article, an on-chip reliable energy-harvesting system (EHS) is designed for IoT with an inductor-free methodology. The control section monitors the computational load and the recharging of the battery/super-capacitor. An efficient maximum power point tracking algorithm is also used to avoid quiescent power consumption. The reliability of the proposed EHS is improved by using an aging tolerant ring oscillator. The effect of Trojan on the performance of energy-harvesting system is analyzed, and proper detection and mitigation mechanism is proposed. Finally, the proposed ripple mitigation techniques further improves the performance of the aging sensor. The proposed EHS is designed and simulated in CMOS 90-nm technology. The output voltage is in the range of 3–3.55 V with an input 1–1.5 V with a power throughput of 0–22 μW. The EHS consumes power under the ultra-low-power requirements of IoT smart nodes.

Сultivation experiment of Origanum vulgare L. in Northern Kazakhstan using nitrogen fertilizer

The purpose of the research is to determine the effect of ammonium nitrate fertilizer on the growth and yield of Origanum vulgare L. essential oil grown in Northern Kazakhstan. One-factor analysis proved that the introduction of ammonium nitrate positively affected the growth and yield of O. vulgare L., the yield of essential oil and the content of its individual components. Plant height increased by 19.3%, bush size – by 17.4%, yield – by 11.8%. Essential oil output of O. vulgare L. at the experimental site, compared to the control site, increased by 20% and the yield of extraction reached 0.60% and 0.48%, respectively. The largest number of components was related to monoterpenes (52.57% in the experimental section, -50.10% in the control section), the most common were γ-Terpinene, β-Sabinene, Carvacrol and trans-β-Ocimene. Sesquiterpene content in the experimental sample was 37.19%, compared to 38.5250% in the control sample, in which Germacrene D and Caryophyllene were the most common components. Cluster analysis showed that the essential oil composition of O. vulgare L. from Kazakhstan is similar to the composition of the essential oil of plants from Moldova, Poland, Turkey (Anatolia), Latvia and Russia. Germacrene D, Carvacrol and β-Sabinene were the binding components of plants from Kazakhstan and Moldova. The similarity between plants from Kazakhstan and other countries in the same cluster was due to the Germacrene D content (cluster’s average value was 10.1%) and the content of Spathulenol (4.9%).

Изменение количества отступлений рельсовой колеи после укладки геосинтетических материалов в подшпальное основание

Purpose: To consider the effect of laying geosynthetic materials in the foot-plate on the geometry of the rail track. Methods: The paper uses methods for evaluating the geometry of the rail track by track measuring cars. For the extra-curricular high speed line St. Petersburg — Moscow and for the heavy-duty line Moscow — Smolensk — Minsk, the parameters of the rail track geometry were evaluated for sections with geosynthetic materials and con-trol sections laid in the construction of the base. The summative indicator of the geometry state was the indicator of the reduced amount of deviations (PSO). Results: In the first year or two after repair, regardless of the pres-ence of geosynthetic material, the stabilization of the track is proceeding at the same pace and by the third year of operation, the level of PSO is on av-erage 4.9 pcs/km. Further, the standard design shows an increase in PSO, and by the 6th year reaches a value of 6.9 pcs/km, and then decreases, which is explained by the average repair during this period. For the rail track with geosynthetic material, the level of PSO is steadily decreasing and by the 7th — 10th year reaches a value of 3.45 pcs/km. After the fourth year of opera-tion, the average score for sections reinforced with geomaterials is no more than 85% of the average score for sections of the track without reinforce-ment. Practical significance: Stabilization of the track base with geosynthet-ic materials makes it possible to achieve uniformity of precipitation in the longitudinal axis of the path, which naturally will not lead to a significant distortion of the longitudinal profile and of course will reduce the cost of the current maintenance of the rail track by reducing the number of track rea-ligning by about half.

Developing methods and strategies to reduce the impact of rumble strips (RS) on pavement performance

ABSTRACT Despite numerous research studies inspecting the safety benefits of centreline and shoulder rumble strips (RS) on pavements, there has been limited exploration into the impact on pavement durability due to the installation of RS. The RS milling process creates micro-cracks in the pavement structure that could propagate to macro cracks over time with freeze and thaw, moisture damage, and traffic loading, thereby decreasing the lifespan of the pavements. The primary objective of this study was to develop testing procedures for RS samples as well as analysis methods to determine the impact of potential controlling factors such as permeability and resulting moisture damage; freeze–thaw; the presence of microcracks; surface layer sealants (chip seal); RS size, depth, type, and RS location in relation to the longitudinal construction joint. The flexural beam fatigue test suggests that sinusoidal rumble strips had 38% increased fatigue cracking resistance. Moreover, the sinusoidal rumble strip resulted in 41% improved cracking and structural performance in the Hamburg Wheel Tracking Test (HWTT) tests. Also, the rutting performance of sinusoidal rumble strips was similar to the control section without rumble strips. In addition, 0% moisture infiltration was observed in sinusoidal rumble strip specimens.

Using the SLIPTA checklist to assess laboratory readiness for Joint Commission International accreditation.

The Stepwise Laboratory Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) helps prepare laboratories in low- and middle-income countries to achieve international accreditation aligned with the ISO 15189:2012 standards. Accreditation by the Joint Commission International (JCI) is among the highest sought by hospitals worldwide. While the readiness of laboratories with a five-star SLIPTA score to undergo ISO 15189:2012 accreditation was recently assessed, the compliance of the SLIPTA checklist with JCI is still unknown. The study evaluated the SLIPTA checklist's utility in assessing laboratories to meet the JCI standards. We conducted a detailed gap analysis between SLIPTA and JCI laboratory standards from January 2021 to January 2022. We cross-matched the JCI standard requirements to SLIPTA clauses and categorised each standard into 'met', 'partially met', and 'not met'. We highlighted similarities, discrepancies, and improvement areas. A total of 109 JCI standards were included. The SLIPTA checklist completely met 61 standards, partially met four, but did not meet 44. The unmet JCI standards focused on the quality planning, control, and improvement sections. Healthcare organisation management and quality control processes, including selecting an accredited reference laboratory, collecting quality management data, creating of post-analytical policies and procedures, and validating monitoring systems, constitute the basis of this preparation. The SLIPTA checklist covers major quality management system elements of the JCI standards for laboratories. However, some components should be addressed to assure readiness for JCI accreditation. This study identified additional areas not covered by the SLIPTA checklist that are required for JCI accreditation.

An android based home automation system with Internet of Things

Home automation is the introduction of technology within the environment to provide convenience, comfort, security and energy efficiency to its occupants. The management and control of our home appliances is germane to living and having a better quality of life, hence the need to design a system that automates the control of home appliances to ease the stress of having to manually control household appliances. An Android based home automation system with Internet of Things (IOT) was designed and implemented to control electrical appliances The hardware module consists of the power and control sections. The system draws power from the mains outlet and is converted to 5V by the AC-DC converter circuit. The software section comprises of the ESP8266 WiFi Microcontroller code, the Android application which controls the microcontroller wirelessly, the web server and WiFi connection. The designed home automation system was effective in remotely controlling electrical appliances. It also displays the weather information in the application in digital format. The system is portable and practicable due to its compact size. The system can be used to ensure efficient usage of electrical energy as well as maintain a good atmospheric condition.

International green construction code (IgCC)/ASHRAE 189.1: History and use of acoustical control section

This seminar will provide historical context on the current Acoustical Control section 801.3.3 in the International Code Council's International Green Construction Code (IgCC) is based on the ASHRAE Standard 189.1 Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings. This includes a detailed review of the current language and application, and guidance on the best way to design and commission to this standard.