Conventional Systems Research Articles

Towards a Docker-based architecture for open multi-agent systems

<p>In open multi-agent systems (OMAS), heterogeneous agents in different environments or models can migrate from one system to another, taking their attributes and knowledge and increasing developing complexity compared to conventional multi-agent systems (MAS). Furthermore, the complexity of opening may be due to the uncertainties and dynamic behavior that the change of agents entails, needing to formulate techniques to analyze this complexity and understand the system’s global behavior. We used Docker to approach these problems and make the architecture flexible to handle distinct types of programming languages and frameworks of agents. This paper presents a Docker-based architecture to aid OMAS development, acting on agent migration between different models running in heterogeneous hardware and software scenarios. We present a simulation scenario with NetLogo’s Open Sugarscape 2 Constant Growback and JaCaMo’s Gold Miners to verify the proposal’s feasibility.</p>

Enhancing the fire resistance of light gauge steel framed floor-ceiling systems through external insulation

Light Gauge Steel Framed (LSF) floor-ceiling systems, composed of thin-walled cold-formed steel (CFS) structural components, offer a high strength-to-weight ratio and cost-effectiveness, leading to their widespread adoption in modern construction. However, research on the fire behaviour of LSF floor-ceiling systems is limited. The industry-standard approach of using two 16 mm gypsum plasterboards for ceilings achieves a maximum Fire Resistance Level (FRL) of 90 min, mainly due to the significant fall-off associated with gypsum plasterboard. Traditional methods for increasing FRL involve adding more layers of gypsum plasterboard; however, the efficacy of achieving a 120-min FRL with three 16 mm gypsum plasterboards remains uncertain. This paper addresses these issues by developing innovative LSF floor-ceiling systems that incorporate external insulation (rigid stone wool) to mitigate the impact of critical ceiling fall-off behaviour and enhance FRL. The research includes dimensional stability tests of rigid stone wool, thermal and structural finite element modelling, and load-bearing small-scale fire tests. The new LSF floor-ceiling system has been shown to achieve an FRL of 130 min, approximately 45 % higher than conventional floor-ceiling systems, offering enhanced fire resistance and increased thermal comfort as a single, integrated solution.

Smart AC-DC Coupled Hybrid Railway Microgrids Integrated with Renewable Energy Sources: Current and Next Generation Architectures

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in integrating the smart grid concept into railway networks, which has been driven by the need to enhance energy efficiency and reduce air pollution in such energy-intensive systems. Consequently, experts have actively sought innovative solutions with which to tackle these challenges. One promising strategy involves integrating renewable energy sources (RESs), energy storage systems (ESSs), and electric vehicle charging stations (EVCSs) into current electric railway systems (ERSs). This study begins by examining the concept of implementing smart grids in railway systems through bibliometric analysis. It then delves into the realization of a hybrid railway microgrid (H-RMG) designed to enhance power flow capacities, improve energy efficiency, and address power quality issues in traditional AC railway networks. This paper introduces various future AC–DC-coupled hybrid railway microgrid (ADH-RMG) architectures centered around a shared DC bus acting as a DC hub for upgrading conventional AC railway systems utilizing interfacing static converters. Through an exploration of different possible ADH-RMG configurations, this research aims to offer valuable insights and a roadmap for the modernization and reconstruction of existing railway networks using smart grid technologies. The integration of RESs and EV charging infrastructures within the ADH-RMG concept presents a promising pathway toward establishing more sustainable and environmentally friendly railway systems.

Improvement of Mechanical Properties of Compressed Earth Blocks with Stabilising Additives for Self-Build of Sustainable Housing

Earth building technologies are increasingly being used to promote a natural and sustainable construction model and to empower self-building in resource-limited areas. This work focuses on investigating the use of different types of stabilising additives in compressed earth blocks (CEBs). To this end, empirical studies and laboratory analyses of earth samples taken from different sites in Ecuador were combined. Once the most suitable earth for use as a building material was determined, four types of CEBs were produced using equipment designed ad hoc to encourage self-building: earth-based, fibre additives, cementitious additives, and additives of other origin. The panels were characterised by means of compression tests to analyse their mechanical behaviour, obtaining the most promising results for the additivated samples with the highest percentage of cement and for the sample containing ground reeds, with a compressive strength of 3.3 MPa and 0.7 MPa, respectively. These samples were then subjected to more extensive tests using digital image correlation to analyse their full field strains and cracks, where the samples stabilised with cement showed a more homogeneous and consistent behaviour. Finally, an economic and comparative study with conventional construction systems was carried out to demonstrate the feasibility of using the proposed earth materials for cleaner and more economical buildings, mainly due to cost savings and lower pollution in terms of transport when using local resources.

Advanced visual components inspired by animal eyes

Abstract Artificial vision systems pervade our daily lives as a foremost sensing apparatus in various digital technologies, from smartphones to autonomous cars and robotics. The broad range of applications for conventional vision systems requires facile adaptation under extreme and dynamic visual environments. However, these current needs have complicated individual visual components for high-quality image acquisition and processing, which indeed leads to a decline in efficiency in the overall system. Here, we review recent advancements in visual components for high-performance visual processing based on strategies of biological eyes that execute diverse imaging functionalities and sophisticated visual processes with simple and concise ocular structures. This review first covers the structures and functions of biological eyes (i.e., single-lens eyes and compound eyes), which contain micro-optic components and nanophotonic structures. After that, we focus on their inspirations in imaging optics/photonics, light-trapping and filtering components, and retinomorphic devices. We discuss the remaining challenges and notable biological structures waiting to be implemented.

Simplified correlation-domain LiDAR without long delay fiber

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) measures distance by emitting light onto targets and analyzing reflections. In addition to conventional LiDAR systems based on time-of-flight and frequency-modulated continuous-wave methods, correlation-domain LiDAR has been developed but with some challenges in miniaturization due to the use of a long delay fiber. This study addresses this issue by specifying modulation conditions and removing the delay fiber. We then demonstrate the distance measurement by this simplified correlation-domain LiDAR. This result enhances the potential of integrating correlation-domain LiDAR into various applications.

Imaging of aqueous outflow in health and glaucoma. Justifying the re-direction of aqueous.

A wave of less invasive surgical options that target or bypass the conventional aqueous outflow system has been incorporated into routine clinical practice to mitigate surgical risks associated with traditional glaucoma drainage surgery. A blanket surgical approach for open-angle glaucoma is unlikely to achieve the desired IOP reduction in an efficient or economical way. Developing a precise approach to selecting the most appropriate surgical tool for each patient is dependent upon understanding the complexities of the aqueous outflow system and how devices influence aqueous drainage. However, homoeostatic control of aqueous outflow in health and glaucoma remains poorly understood. Emerging imaging techniques have provided an opportunity to study aqueous outflow responses non-invasively in clinic settings. Haemoglobin Video Imaging (HVI) studies have demonstrated different patterns of aqueous outflow within the episcleral venous system in normal and glaucomatous eyes, as well as perioperatively after trabecular bypass surgery. Explanations for aqueous outflow patterns remain speculative until direct correlation with findings from Schlemm's canal and the trabecular meshwork are possible. The redirection of aqueous via targeted stent placement may only be justifiable once the role of the aqueous outflow system in IOP homoeostasis has been defined.

Hybrid Solar Thermal Energy System for District Heating Application

Solar district heating (SDH) systems can be good alternatives to conventional systems when they are optimized with hybrid configurations and thermal energy storage (TES). In this scope, a hybrid renewable thermal energy system (RTES) model has been built combining flat plate collector (FPC) solar system with parabolic trough collector (PTC) system via a heat exchanger and coupled with TES. To undertake the hybridization of the system, System Advisor Model (SAM) software was modified, which allowed control over configurations and more accurate modelling of heat transfer between the collectors. The model is first compared to an existing hybrid solar district heating systems (DHS) system in Taars, Denmark. The results showed a good correlation with an overestimation of only 6.4% compared to most recent heat output. Then the same system configuration was modeled in different geographic locations to investigate the impact of changes in direct normal irradiance (DNI) to the heat sink thermal output of the hybrid system. The results showed that the annual net thermal power output in California, USA can be three times more than the annual net thermal power output in Taars, Denmark. Finally, multiple hybrid configurations with varying solar field sizes were simulated based on the heat demand of two different university campuses DHS. The results showed that, retrofit applications of this hybrid DHS system coupled with TES could reduce the natural gas consumption of the existing systems between 25% and 41%. The use of hybrid RTES highlighted in this paper can be extended to many more opportunities.

An effective control approach of hybrid energy storage system based on moth flame optimization

In modern days, renewable sources increase the independence of urban energy infrastructures from remote sources and grids. In renewable energy systems (RES) systems, batteries are frequently used to close the power gap between the power supply and the load demand. Due to the variable behavior of RES and the fluctuating power requirements of the load, batteries frequently experience repeated deep cycles and uneven charging patterns. The battery's lifespan would be shortened by these actions, and increase the replacement cost. This research provides an effective control method for a solar-wind model with a battery-supercapacitor hybrid energy storage system in order to extend battery’s lives expectancy by lowering intermittent strain and high current need. Unlike traditional techniques, the suggested control scheme includes a low-pass filter (LPF) and a fuzzy logic controller (FLC). To begin, LPF reduces the fluctuating aspects of battery consumption. FLC lowers the battery's high current need while continuously monitoring the supercapacitor's level of charge. The moth flame optimization (MFO) optimizes the FLC's membership functions to get the best peak current attenuation in batteries. The proposed model is compared to standard control procedures namely rule based controller and filtration-based controller. When compared to the conventional system, the suggested method significantly reduces peak current and high power of the battery. Furthermore, when compared to standard control procedures, the suggested solution boosts supercapacitor utilization appreciably.

Energy saving and economic competitiveness of solar desiccant cooling technology – A case study of the Moroccan Kingdom

As many countries in the world, Morocco is vulnerable to climate change having direct impacts on its main economic sectors highly dependent on natural resources. This is exemplified, among other things, by long periods of drought, increase of average temperatures and successive heat waves. These circumstances have increased the demand for cooling energy, particularly in tertiary building where centralized air conditioning systems still predominant. Currently, the installed power capacity seems to be insufficient to respond effectively to this increasing demand. In this context, sustainable alternatives to traditional cooling systems such as solar air conditioning systems can be a suitable option for energy efficiency and security. Solar desiccant cooling systems present a great opportunity since they do not use any ozone-depleting coolants. This study discusses the techno-economic feasibility of solar desiccant systems in tertiary building, in particular a conference room, compared to a conventional air handling unit. Besides the use of air solar collectors to heat up the regeneration air, the particularity of the studied system is the use of exhaust air leaving the desiccant wheel and purge zone to preheat regeneration air. Accordingly, simulations were performed in three climatic regions with different enthalpy loads. The main result of this work is that solar desiccant cooling system can be an attractive investment if appropriate economic conditions are met with a substantial governmental support, since a significant energy-saving of about 77% can be achieved compared to conventional systems.

PHARMACOGNOSTIC AND PHARMACEUTICAL EVALUATION OF YASHTIMADHU (GLYCYRRHIZA GLABRA LINN.)

Background: Yashtimadhu, botanically identified as Glycyrrhiza glabra L., is a well-known herb in Ayurveda. It is cultivated in India, mainly in Punjab and sub-Himalayan tracts. Root and stolon have been widely used in different formulations. Pancha Vidha Kashaya Kalpanas (Pharmaceutics) are mentioned primarily to achieve the maximum efficacy of the drug and to upgrade its palatability. Some kalpanas are also made to increase the shelf-life of a drug. In the conventional system, dosage forms are mainly preferred based on the solubility of a drug to enhance its bioavailability. Yashtimadhu, as per the literature, have been used in 22 dosage forms. Churna (powder), Kashaya (decoction), Phanta (infusion), Ksheerapaka (milk-based preparation), Taila (Oil-based preparation) and Gritha (ghee-based preparation) are mainly used to enhance its therapeutic utility. Aim: To analyse the pharmacognostic changes; this study evaluated Yashtimadhu and its pharmaceutics for its characteristic features. Method: The formulations were prepared using the classical methods and analysed based on the standard parameters. Result: The evaluation showed that the parameters were comparable to the standard references. Conclusion: The genuine authenticity and shelf-life of a drug remain an essential criterion for a drug to be fit for therapeutic consumption. Evaluation of Yashtimadhu in its different forms for various parameters revealed its significance.

Ox-Ethnio: Blockchain E-Voting System

Abstract: In comparison to conventional paper-based systems, electronic voting, or e-voting, offers many benefits, including increased efficiency and fewer mistakes. It has developed into many different forms. However, gaining public approval of these systems remains a constant problem, especially when it comes to making them more resilient to possible weaknesses. With its potential to increase the overall resilience of electronic voting systems, blockchain technology is emerging as a market disruptor. With the use of blockchain technology, this project aims to create an efficient e-voting infrastructure by using its transparency and cryptographic underpinnings. The proposed technique satisfies the essential requirements for electronic voting systems and offers end-to-end variabilities essay delves into the planned e-voting mechanism and its actual implementation on the Multichain platform in great depth. Furthermore, Electronic voting systems, when applied in elections, need to uphold legality, accuracy, security, and convenience. Nevertheless, the potential challenges associated with digital voting methods can impede their widespread adoption. Blockchain technology has emerged as a promising solution to address these concerns, offering decentralized networks for electronic voting. Its main appeal lies in the ability to provide end-to-end verification, making it a preferred choice for developing electronic voting systems.

Optoelectronic Torque Measurement System Based on SAPSO-RBF Algorithm.

The torque is a significant indicator reflecting the comprehensive operational characteristics of a power system. Thus, accurate torque measurement plays a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and stability of the system. However, conventional torque measurement systems predominantly rely on strain gauges adhered to the shaft, often leading to reduced accuracy, poor repeatability, and non-traceability due to the influence of strain gauge adhesion. To tackle the challenge, this paper introduces a photoelectric torque measurement system. Quadrants of photoelectric sensors are employed to capture minute deformations induced by torque on the rotational axis, converting them into measurable voltage. Subsequently, the system employs the radial basis function neural network optimized by simulated annealing combined with particle swarm algorithm (SAPSO-RBF) to establish a correlation between measured torque values and standard references, thereby calibrating the measured values. Experimental results affirm the system's capability to accurately determine torque measurements and execute calibration, minimizing measurement errors to 0.92%.

Enhancing Solar Thermal Efficiency: PCM Integration for Compact Energy Storage Systems

The optimal utilization of solar energy presents a challenge in meeting round-the-clock hot water demands while accommodating limited space in modern architectural designs. Solar collectors, operating solely during daylight hours and weather-dependent, necessitate efficient energy storage to meet evening and morning peak hot water consumption in households. Current architectural trends, marked by smaller boiler rooms, further compound the challenge of integrating conventional solar tanks, emphasizing the critical need for compact energy storage solutions. Addressing this challenge, this paper proposes a ground-breaking solution: a solar tank infused with phase change material (PCM). This innovative tank design not only boasts smaller dimensions but also significantly higher heat capacity compared to conventional counterparts. Crucially, the PCM solar tank enables solar collectors to operate at lower temperatures, potentially elevating the overall efficiency of the solar collector system. The proposed storage system comprises two synergistic heat-absorbing units: a solar water heater and a PCM-based heat storage unit. While the solar water heater fulfills the daytime hot water supply, the PCM storage unit accumulates and retains heat throughout the day, ensuring continuous hot water availability during night hours and overcast periods. Leveraging small cylinders filled with paraffin, serving as the PCM, integrated with solar collectors maximizes solar energy absorption and storage. This paper meticulously compares the performance of the PCM-based thermal energy storage system with conventional sensible heat storage systems, presenting insightful conclusions derived from the comparative analysis. The findings underscore the remarkable efficiency and efficacy of the PCM-based solution in meeting the challenges posed by solar energy intermittency and limited space constraints, offering a promising avenue for sustainable and efficient solar energy utilization in residential settings.

Design and Sensitivity Analysis of Mechanically Actuated Digital Radial Piston Pumps

One major challenge in fluid power is the improvement and optimization of the efficiency of mobile hydraulic systems. Conventional fluid power systems often exhibit relatively low overall efficiencies caused by inefficiencies in the various components, such as a prime mover, variable displacement pump, valves, fittings, hoses, and actuators. While each component contributes to the losses in the overall system, the pump converts the mechanical shaft energy from the prime mover to energy transmitted hydraulically and is one of the most crucial components impacting overall system efficiency. Using on/off technologies, new pump architectures have enabled the opportunity to increase the efficiency over conventional designs using positive sealing valves in place of conventional port plate designs. This work proposes, investigates, and assesses the development and optimization of a digital variable displacement pump using a novel cam actuation technique on radial piston pumps. The novelty of this work is the development and parameter optimization of a mechanically actuated digital radial piston pump that can achieve high efficiencies from minimum to maximum displacement compared to common conventional variable displacement pump technologies. In this study, a sensitivity analysis is conducted to study the parameters of the system to optimize the pump. The parameters assessed in this study include: the valve bore size, cam transition and compression angles, piston diameter, and dead volume in the pumping chamber. The simulation results show that after optimizing the parameters of the system, the pump in design could reach a maximum efficiency of approximately 93% and was capable of upholding efficiencies above 80% between 30–100% displacement.

Impact of Collaborative Nursing Care Delivery on Patient Safety Events in an Emergency Intensive Care Unit: A Retrospective Observational Study.

Patient safety events (PSEs) have detrimental consequences for patients and healthcare staff, highlighting the importance of prevention. Although evidence shows that nurse staffing affects PSEs, the role of an appropriate nursing care delivery system remains unclear. The current study aimed to investigate whether nursing care delivery systems could prevent PSEs. This retrospective study was conducted in Japan. The study examined the collaborative 4:2 nursing care delivery system in which 2 nurses are assigned to care for 4 patients, collaborating to perform tasks, and provide care. The cohort receiving care from a collaborative 4:2 nursing care delivery system was labeled the postintervention, whereas the cohort receiving care from a conventional individualized system, in which one nurse provides care for 2 patients, was labeled the preintervention. The primary outcome was the occurrence of PSEs. The preintervention and postintervention comprised 561 and 401 patients, respectively, with the latter consisting of a younger and more critically ill population. The number of PSEs per 1000 patient-days was not significantly different between the 2 groups (10.3 [95% confidence interval, 7.1-13.5] versus 6.0 [95% confidence interval, 3.2-8.9], P = 0.058). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the collaborative 4:2 nursing care delivery system was significantly associated with PSEs (adjusted odds ratio, 0.53; 95% confidence interval, 0.29-0.95; P = 0.037). These findings suggest that in an emergency intensive care unit, a collaborative nursing care delivery system was associated with a decrease in PSEs.

A Transferable Deep Learning Framework for Improving the Accuracy of Internet of Things Intrusion Detection

As the size of the IoT solutions and services market proliferates, industrial fields utilizing IoT devices are also diversifying. However, the proliferation of IoT devices, often intertwined with users’ personal information and privacy, has led to a continuous surge in attacks targeting these devices. However, conventional network-level intrusion detection systems with pre-defined rulesets are gradually losing their efficacy due to the heterogeneous environments of IoT ecosystems. To address such security concerns, researchers have utilized ML-based network-level intrusion detection techniques. Specifically, transfer learning has been dedicated to identifying unforeseen malicious traffic in IoT environments based on knowledge distillation from the rich source domain data sets. Nevertheless, since most IoT devices operate in heterogeneous but small-scale environments, such as home networks, selecting adequate source domains for learning proves challenging. This paper introduces a framework designed to tackle this issue. In instances where assessing an adequate data set through pre-learning using transfer learning is non-trivial, our proposed framework advocates the selection of a data set as the source domain for transfer learning. This selection process aims to determine the appropriateness of implementing transfer learning, offering the best practice in such scenarios. Our evaluation demonstrates that the proposed framework successfully chooses a fitting source domain data set, delivering the highest accuracy.

Behavioural responses of beef cattle to different grazing systems and the influence of these responses on water productivity of livestock in a tropical savannah

Environmental conditions and available forage on pastures greatly differ between different farming systems, which can affect the behaviour of grazing cattle. The interplay between environment-, forage-, and animal-related variables may affect the use of feed and water resources in grazing-based systems. Hence, our objectives were (i) to study the differences between grazing-based systems and seasons in environment- and pasture-related variables as well as the behaviour, feed intake, performance, and water productivity of Nellore heifers, and (ii) to understand the interrelationships between these variables. The measurements were performed in a conventional grazing system (CON), an integrated crop-livestock (ICL), and a crop-livestock-forestry (ICLF) systems in the Brazilian Cerrado during the rainy and dry seasons. Ambient temperature and relative air humidity were hourly measured in both seasons. Forage biomass and sward height were determined every month. Forage samples were taken to determine the proportions of alive leaves, alive stems, and dead plant material and to analyse their nutritive value. Forage intake, drinking water intake, and liveweight changes were quantified in 12 Nellore heifers per system and season. Feeding behaviour was recorded by chewing sensors on nine continuous days in each season. Drinking water intake was measured by water meters attached to drinking water troughs, whereby trial cameras at the troughs recorded the frequency of drinking events of individual animals. Feed conversion efficiency and water productivity were estimated. The ICLF reduced the exposure time to high ambient temperatures so that heifers even grazed during the hottest hours. Forage biomass in ICL and CON had greater proportions of stem and dead plant material than in ICLF. Forage intake rate was greater and grazing events were longer for animals in ICLF than those in CON, whereas the daily number of grazing events was greater in CON. Feed conversion efficiency and water productivity were greater in integrated systems than in CON. Amongst studied variables, thermal environment and forage canopy structure with its proportions of dead plant material are the main driving factors for animal behaviour, forage intake rate, and animal performance. These variables reduce feed conversion efficiency and water productivity in grazing cattle. Further research should analyse strategies for promoting thermal comfort for the animals, increasing the proportions of alive biomass, and enhancing the nutritional value of pastures for more efficient use of forage and water resources in grazing-based systems.

Seismic performance of rocking braced frames with double base plate connections

This paper presents a rocking system for concentrically braced frames (CBFs) to mitigate the seismic demands induced by seismic motions. The proposed system incorporates double base plate connections (DBPCs) at the base of the braced-bay columns, enabling them to uplift and initiate a rocking motion. The DBPC comprised two base plates: the upper one is thin, connected to the column and designed to yield under uplift loading, while the lower one primarily distributes compressive loads to the foundation. The DBPC was modeled using a combination of spring and gap elements in SAP2000 software. A comparative study was performed to investigate the seismic performance of the proposed rocking system against a conventional CBF system. Key parameters such as the thickness of the upper base plate and the arrangement of anchor rods were considered. Four prototype frames of different heights (3, 6, 9, and 12 stories) were investigated under the Sylmar-x record using the nonlinear time history analysis. The results demonstrated that utilizing rocking braced frames with double base plate connections can remarkably mitigate the base shear force by softening the structural response, decreasing the seismic damage experienced by the structure. The upper base plate acted similarly to a footing damper, absorbing a substantial amount of energy by yielding. Importantly, the residual drifts caused by the plastic deformations of the upper base plate remained within the acceptable performance limits for self-centering systems. Moreover, the self-centering mechanism was achieved solely through the structure’s self-weight, eliminating the need for additional re-centering devices.

Synthesis of Nanocube‐Shaped Cobalt Tin Hydroxides for the Preconcentration of Lead in Environmental Seawater Collected from Antarctic Region

AbstractHere, a simple/efficient analytical strategy based on dispersive solid phase extraction was developed using CoSn(OH)6 nanocubes for lead ions from environmental water samples by FAAS (flame atomic absorption spectrometry). CoSn(OH)6 was synthesized as an adsorbent using the co‐precipitation method and characterized. The characterization studies proved the cube‐shaped morphology and uniform size distribution. The optimal experimental conditions were found by optimization studies and, the limit of quantification (LOQ), limit of detection (LOD), linear dynamic range were recorded as 37.6 μg/L, 11.3 μg/L, and 40–600 μg/L, respectively. The enhancement factor of the presented method was calculated as 158.7‐folds compared to the LOD of the conventional FAAS system. Recovery experiments were performed to check the method's applicability/accuracy and the percent recovery results varied from 89.0 % to 112.9 %. According to these findings, the developed method was successfully applied for the quantitative determination of the target analyte in a seawater sample matrix.