Final Part Research Articles

Optimization of the extrusion rate for different layer thicknesses to achieve controlled mechanical properties in MEX 3D printing of low-alloy steel

Composite extrusion modeling is an advanced material extrusion additive manufacturing process that requires fine-tuning of printing parameters for printing injection molding feedstocks. In order to achieve comparable high-quality parts at different layer thicknesses, the parameters must be optimized for the respective layer thicknesses. In this work, the printing parameters for AISI 8740 low-alloy steel injection molding material are optimized for four different layer thicknesses. The extrusion multiplier values for each layer thickness are tuned, allowing fine adjustment of the printer's screw rotation speed at every layer thickness, resulting in all final parts' maximum densities (≥ 98 %) with high accuracies. Scanning electron microscope images, surface roughness measurements, and printing precision tests proved the good and comparable high-quality of all optimized printed parts. Young's modulus, tensile and yield strengths also raised by ∼24 %, ∼16 % and ∼15 %, respectively, compared to the non-optimized printed sintered part. The achieved tensile strength range of (∼888–947) MPa and yield strength range of (∼574–586) MPa of all optimized printed sintered parts were also higher than those provided by the feedstock manufacturer. This promising approach significantly reduces printing time and manufacturing costs without compromising the printed final parts' quality and mechanical properties. The adjusting screw rotation speed methodology allows broader applicability across diverse material extrusion processes.

Design of Radial Distribution System to Study Load-Flow and Short Circuit Analysis Using ETAP Software

This work's analysis provides information on fault analysis and load flow studies, which help to understand how radial distribution networks operate both in normal and emergency circumstances. The research explores optimization methods, describing capacitor placement, transformer size, and feeder reconfiguration in order to lower losses and increase system efficacy. Moreover, the work looks at reliability-focused maintenance techniques, stressing the need of predictive maintenance and condition monitoring in raising the dependability of radial distribution networks. Modern electrical power networks depend heavily on their radial distribution system, which effectively and dependable distributes electricity to customers. Many radial distribution system-related topics are covered in detail on this website, including analytical methods, optimization processes, and dependability enhancement strategies. Power flow, voltage control, and losses in radial networks are investigated in this paper under a range of operational situations. The last and crucial stage of a power system, the electrical distribution system makes sure that customers have a steady supply of electricity. Regretfully, because it is often neglected and exposed to environmental risks, our distribution network has a number of problems. Our distribution feeder is rigorously analyzed for load flow and short-circuits in order to overcome these challenges and find and fix problems. The main topics of this study are the load flow and short-circuit analysis of a radial distribution feeder, which is mostly constructed with (ETAP). The final and crucial part of a power system, the electrical distribution system ensures that consumers receive an uninterrupted and steady supply of electricity. Our distribution feeder undergoes a rigorous and cautious process to address these issues front on because of the uncontrollable nature and susceptibility of our network to environmental hazards. This paper delves deeply into the issues of short-circuiting and load flow in radial distribution feeders. Both symmetrical and asymmetrical faults are thoroughly investigated by mathematical computations and ETAP simulations; the results of the software simulations are contrasted with those of the mathematical analysis. These discoveries will definitely influence the development and management of our system and point us in the direction of workable and practical solutions.

A Usable Encryption Solution for File-Based Geospatial Data within a Database File System

Developing a security solution for spatial files within today’s enterprise Geographical Information System (GIS) that is also usable presents a multifaceted challenge. These files exist in “data silos” of different file server types, resulting in limited collaboration and increased vulnerability. While cloud-based data storage offers many benefits, the associated security concerns have limited its uptake in GIS, making it crucial to explore comparable alternative security solutions that can be deployed on-premise and are also usable. This paper introduces a reasonably usable security solution for spatial files within collaborative enterprise GIS. We explore a Database File System (DBFS) as a potential repository to consolidate and manage spatial files based on its enterprise document management capabilities and security features inherited from the underlying legacy DBMS. These files are protected using the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) algorithm with practical encryption times of 8 MB per second. The final part focuses on an automated encryption solution with schemes for single- and multi-user files that is compatible with various GIS programs and protocol services. Usability testing is carried out to assess the solution’s usability and focuses on effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction, with the results demonstrating its usability based on the minimal changes it makes to how users work in a collaborative enterprise GIS environment. The solution furnishes a viable means for consolidating and protecting spatial files with various formats at the storage layer within enterprise GIS.

Constitutions of the Chapter of Samogitian Cathedral: Letter, Spirit, Life

The aim of the paper is to examine implementation of the laws of the cathedral chapter of the diocese of Samogitia according to the acts of the general sessions of the chapter (for the period from 1613 to 1913). The corpus of the constitutions, or statutes of the chapter was created in 1561–62 by the famous mid-16th century Lithuanian lawyers, Canon Pedro Ruiz de Moros (Petrus Roysius) and Bishop Joannes Domanowski. Despite the fact that already in 1637 Bishop Georgius Tyszkiewicz added some new constitutions (published in the annex of the paper), and there were subsequent attempts to ‘modernize’ the old corpus of the constitutions in the late 18th – early 19th century, the Roysian statutes retained their validity and exceptional authority in the life of the Samogitian cathedral chapter as long as 1925 when the old statutes were fundamentally revised.The constitutions predominantly influenced decisions of the chapter via hearing and memory. Due to the limited copies of the text which had to be not too much multiplicated in order to preserve secrecy, majority of canons were aware of the contents of the constitutions from reading aloud (usually, in fragments than in extenso) during the general sessions of the chapter. Perhaps this could explain occasional cases of erroneous allusion to the text of the constitutions in the decisions of the chapter. In some other cases, aspiration to ground the decisions of the chapter with solid arguments could inspire canons to invoke hardly definable ‘spirit’ (mens) of the constitutions. However, usually the constitutions were quoted correctly; the cases of clear reference to specific articles of the constitutions found in the acts of the general sesssions of the chapter are listed and described in the final part of the paper.

The origins and work of the Scottish Law Commission, and the problem of the codification of Scottish private law

The subject covered in the paper is the origins, structure and workings of the Scottish Law Commission created, along with its English counterpart, under the Law Commissions Act of 1965. The author of the article outlines the course of conceptual and legislative work to constitute the new commission, the extent of its relationship with and dependence on public authorities, as well as the key differences between the legal position of the two commissions, symbolically highlighted by the English commission’s gaining a stronger mandate under the 2009 Law Commission Act. The final part of the paper is devoted to an attempt to assess the achievements of the Commission to date, the reasons for the failure of the premise of the grand codification endeavour, and the successes that the Commission claim in terms of reforming specific institutions and branches of law.

Sensitivity of a Process for Heating Thin Metal Film Described by the Dual-Phase Lag Equation with Temperature-Dependent Thermophysical Parameters to Perturbations of Lag Times

In the paper, an equation with two delay times (dual-phase lag Equation (DPLE)) in a version that takes into account the dependence of thermophysical parameters (volumetric specific heat and thermal conductivity) on temperature is considered. In particular, an analysis of the sensitivity of transient temperature field in relation to disturbances in delay times (the relaxation and thermalization times) is performed. The sensitivity model concerns the process of heating an ultrathin metal layer with a laser beam. First, the equation with two delay times in the case of temperature-dependent thermophysical parameters is presented. Next, the sensitivity equations with respect to delay times are derived using the direct method. The algorithms for solving the basic and sensitivity tasks are also briefly presented. At the stage of computations, an authorial program based on the implicit scheme of a finite-difference method is developed. In the final part of the paper, examples of numerical solutions (for layers made from gold and nickel) are presented. The research conducted here shows that disturbances in the temperature field are clearly visible and depend, on the one hand, on the thermophysical parameters of the material, and on the other hand, on the intensity of heating with an external heat source.

Carbon nanotube filled rubber nanocomposites

Rubber (elastomer) based polymer nanocomposites have attracted wide range of attention from industries and other fields due to its exceptionally good mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. One of the promising candidates of this category is CNT filled rubber nanocomposites. This review throws light on the historical trajectory of development of CNT filled rubber nanocomposites. Various fabrication methods, detailed explanation of reinforcement mechanism in CNT/rubber nanocomposites and the relationship between the structure and properties are reviewed. The next part of the review discusses about the morphological and interface characteristics. An attempt to investigate the versatile mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties also included in the review. The final part of the review includes the applications of CNT filled rubber nanocomposites. Major applications in fields like electronics, sustainable biomedical and EMI shielding are discussed in detail. The review also focuses on the key challenges that arises while incorporating CNTs into rubber matrices.

N-Lüders channels: A novel class of rebit channels, their properties and applications

Abstract In a very recent paper, the complete classification of rebit channels has been achieved. Here, we exploit that result to show how the classification can be used to perform an exhaustive analyze a novel class of rebit channels induced by effects called n-Lüders channels. In the final part of the paper we propose a concrete application of these channels within the mathematical framework of a quantum theory of color perception that originated the interest about a rebit channels classification.

The Effect of 1'-acetoxychavicol Acetate on A549 Human Non-small Cell Lung Cancer

Lung cancer, a global leading cause of cancer mortality, requires safer and more effective treatments. 1'-acetoxychavicol acetate (ACA) is notable for its wide-ranging therapeutic properties, spanning anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and anti-obesity effects. While its efficacy has been explored in various cell lines, its potential against lung cancer remains few reported. This research aimed to investigate the impact of ACA on cytotoxicity, anti-proliferation, and antimigration potential in A549 human non-small cell lung cell lines. The investigation utilized MTT assays to assess cell viability and determined the IC50 values of ACA at 24, 48, and 72 hours to be 50.42 µM, 33.22 µM, and 21.66 µM, respectively. These results reveal a concentration- and time-dependent reduction in cell viability following ACA treatment. In addition, anti-proliferation was performed using colony-forming assays, and ACA showed notable efficacy in significantly decreasing colony formation, highlighting its strong impact on cell proliferation and viability. In the final part, ACA had promising inhibitory effects on migration, which varied depending on the dose used in the scratch assay. In conclusion, ACA highlighted cytotoxic and anti-proliferation properties of A549 cell line, supporting its potential role in lung cancer therapy pending further investigation and development.

Morphological structure and mechanical properties of a nucleated Polyoxymethylene (POM) homopolymer resin processed under conventional injection molding conditions

When injection molding semi-crystalline polymers, it is known that the resulting morphological and mechanical properties are strongly dependent on the processing conditions. Selectively influencing the performance of the final part as early as during processing is of great interest for industrial applications. To investigate the processing-structure-property correlation for a POM hompolymer resin, tensile specimens were manufactured under conventional injection molding conditions following a Design of Experimets (DoE). Morphological characterization was carried out by microscopy and X-ray measurements. Crystallinity was also measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Additionally, the (fracture) mechanical behaviour of the samples was assessed. Influences of the processing parameters on the crystalline structure and orientations within the material were identified. Furthermore, tensile tests were found to be sensitive to changes in morphology and processing, whereas the fracture behaviour did not change significantly despite the structural changes within the samples.

Prehistory, anti-Cartesianism, and the first-person viewpoint

AbstractThe concept of mind is widely used in today’s debates on the lives, behavior, and cognition of prehistoric hominins. It is therefore presumably an important concept. Yet it is very rarely defined, and in most cognitive-archaeological literature, it does not seem to point to anything distinctive. In recent years, talk of minds has also been criticized as being internalistic and dualistic, in supposed contrast to new materialistic and externalistic approaches. In this paper, I aim to defend a different concept of mind which can be used in theorizing about prehistoric hominin cognition. In short, my concept is simply that of the first-person viewpoint, understood in a naturalized manner, and as characterized by intentionality. The discussion proceeds by examining what I perceive to be three prevailing misconceptions about minds, which I derive mainly from the archaeological literature. I use this discussion to outline my own concept of mind, as well as to defend it against the frequently heard criticisms of dualism and internalism. In the final parts, I briefly discuss some potential practical applications of an intentional approach to past minds. Here I focus on certain conceptual problems in debates on symbolic cognition.

Integracja systemów płatniczych w IoE oraz metaverse – wyzwania i przyszłość e-commerce w wirtualnym świecie

In the era of the burgeoning metaverse, integration of payment systems is becoming a key element to enable seamless and secure transactions in virtual environments. This paper focuses on an analysis of current payment solutions in the metaverse, as well as their challenges and future prospects. The first part of the paper discusses existing payment systems available in the metaverse, including cryptocurrencies, tokens and traditional payment methods, highlighting their impact on transaction dynamics and the perception of value in the virtual world. The main challenges of integrating these systems are then presented, such as data security, identity verification, complex processes for exchanging currencies (crypto and traditional), and interoperability issues between different virtual environments. In the final part of the paper we focus on the future of e-commerce in the metaverse, considering what technological innovations may affect the shape and nature of commerce in the virtual world, and what opportunities lie ahead for entrepreneurs and developers in terms of creating new business models. The conclusions of this publication highlight the importance of proper integration of payment systems in the metaverse for achieving sustainable and balanced e-commerce development in virtual environments, as well as underscoring the need for further research and innovation in this field to meet users’ growing expectations and provide them with secure and efficient payment methods.

Dėl vienos lietuvių kalbos tikslo sakinio konstrukcijos

The article deals with the use of the Lithuanian anteriority converb in -us in a certain type of purpose clauses whose implicit subject is coreferential with the (often also implicit) main clause subject or agent (as in kad veltui neišmetus pinigų ‘in order not to throw money away’). The article offers a historical account for its rise based on internal reconstruction. It is argued that the anteriority converb was introduced as a pseudo-conditional strategy used to avoid a factive reading in constructions with evaluative predicates (as in gerai būtų suradus... = gerai būtų, jeigu surastume... ‘it would be a good thing if we found…’). From evaluative constructions the converb then spread to optative clauses with kad tik ‘if only’ (gerai būtų suradus ‘it would be a good thing to find…’ → kad tik suradus... ‘if only one could find…’). Apart from a semantic shift (from evaluative to desiderative/deontic) this also involved a process of syntactic insubordination. In a subsequent process of resubordination, constructions with the anteriority converb finally came to function as adverbial purpose clauses. In the final part of the article it is argued that the negative view prescriptivist sources take of purpose clauses with the anteriority converb might be up for a revision.

The Evolution of Cinemas in Prague from the Second Half of the Twentieth Century: A Contemporary Perspective

The article approaches the situation of Prague cinemas in the second half of the 20th century from the end of the Second World War to the Velvet Revolution within the socio-historical background from the point of view of an architect and a cinephile. The entire text is arranged chronologically in four paragraphs reflecting the contemporary political and social situation. It approximates the post-war period full of ideological ideals, when the construction of a dense network of cinemas became a key element of national renewal, not only in large cities but also in the regions. The following decade brought a paradigmatic shift, when local single-screen cinemas gave way to large cultural houses with multifunctional use (film, theatre, gallery, restaurant, sports facilities, etc.). It deals with the socially relaxed sixties, reflecting the synergy of various artistic disciplines, thanks to which Czechoslovakia presented to the world new artistic disciplines based precisely on film projection – “polyekran” (polyscreen) and “laterna magika” (a combination of projection and performance with live actors). The imaginary culmination of the new wave period was the opening of the luxury cinema 64 U Hradeb, which is given more attention in the text below. Furthermore, the text outlines the situation of cinemas in large Prague housing estates and deals with Czech brutalism in the context of foreign architecture and with the only brutalist cinema still operating today – the Dlabačov cinema. The final part of this article gives a brief overview of the total number of cinemas established in this period in the territory of Prague and a comparison with other European metropolises with a similar socio-cultural background. The research has the ambition to understand and approach how to integrate valuable cinema buildings on the territory of Prague into the daily life of contemporary Prague residents through the investigation of the cinema phenomenon, and the development of cinematography and cinema architecture as such, from its inception to the present day. The general logical processing methods are historical and socio-cultural analysis, architectural and urban research including architectural drawings, photographic documentation and a study of the urban development of the appearance of individual cinemas, comparison and deduction.

Digital Transformation of Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) —A Mini-Review on the Case of Romanian Court of Accounts (RCA)

The present endeavor compellingly addresses the issue of the necessity and importance of IT support for the control and audit activities of the Romanian Court of Accounts (RCA), making reference to the institution's operations in the context of the digitization of central public administration and the implications for the conducted control/audit. Subsequently, we highlight the most significant strategic elements recently established regarding the digitization of the RCA' activities, as well as the potential advantages. The final part is dedicated to conclusions, the limitations of our research, and future research directions, focusing on addressing issues that have been inadequately addressed so far. The paper is intended for specialists in the field, audit professionals, the academic community, etc. In addressing the topic, we considered relevant literature, including our previous research, as well as bibliographic material provided by the RCA, indicated in the „References” section.

Towards robotic disassembly: A comparison of coarse-to-fine and multimodal fusion screw detection methods

To accelerate the transition towards a more circular economy it is believed essential to increase the economic viability and hence the adoption of de- and remanufacturing processes. For this, industry 4.0 technologies, including robotization, computer vision and artificial intelligence, are commonly considered as the main enablers to reduce costs while boosting performances of de- and remanufacturing processes. However, the essential step in de- and remanufacturing of screw detection for robotic disassembly is still confronted with various challenges, such as false negatives due to deep screw holes and false positives caused by similar patterns and colors, e.g. letters in labels. Previous studies improved the detection accuracy by capturing images of only a fine part of the product and neglected the negative impact of this imaging approach on the overall time efficiency of the disassembly process. Therefore, two of the most distinct approaches are evaluated in the presented research: 1. A Coarse-to-Fine detection method, where potential screws across the entire product are detected by an area camera in the coarse stage to generate an optimal unscrewing path and screw types and locations are further refined in a second instance, the fine stage. 2. A multimodal fusion detection method, where a combination of a high-resolution color line and 3D triangulation line camera system captures full-product images allowing a single run screw detection in the RGB, Intensity and Depth (RGBID) images. Furthermore, a pooling-based aligned fusion module (PAlign) is introduced to improve the feature representation and mitigate the encountered spatial misalignment of different modality branches. Two industrially representative datasets comprising images of laptops and hard disk drives are collected for the training and evaluation of the screw detection and unscrewing task. Experimental results show that the RGBID fusion method with PAlign module achieves an unscrewing success rate of 80.4 % with an average detection and unscrewing speed of 2.27 s per screw, which is almost double the speed when compared to the Coarse-to-Fine approach. Through a detailed analysis comparing these most distinct screw detection methods in terms of imaging approach, lighting and camera hardware (1/2, area/line, low/high resolution, RGB/RGBID, 600/25.000€), this study provides concrete insights and recommendations aimed at enhancing the efficiency of disassembly systems for sustainable demanufacturing.

Phase field model for multi-material shape optimization of inextensible rods

We derive a model for the optimization of the bending and torsional rigidities of non-homogeneous elastic rods. This is achieved by studying a sharp interface shape optimization problem with perimeter penalization, that treats both rigidities as objectives. We then formulate a phase field approximation of the optimization problem and show the convergence to the aforementioned sharp interface model via $\Gamma$-convergence. In the final part of this work we numerically approximate minimizers of the phase field problem by using a steepest descent approach and relate the resulting optimal shapes to the development of the morphology of plant stems.

Цифровые технологии в образовательном процессе: потенциальные риски

Digital technologies are becoming an integral part of the modern world, constantly intersecting with various areas of our lives, including the field of education. At the same time, digital technologies have a certain impact on the educational process and, accordingly, on the quality of education in universities. In this article, the author analyzes this impact in the context of forecasting the occurrence of possible negative consequences. The pos-sible risks associated with the automation of the learning process, as well as the risks associated with an over-abundance of the introduction of digital platforms into the educational process, are considered. Further, the possibility of the emergence of some psychological problems as a result of prolonged contact with the digital space, such as a decrease in creative thinking, attention, memory, as well as the emergence of technological dependence, is discussed. Particular attention is paid to the problem of students completing tasks using artifi-cial intelligence technology. The final part of the article contains conclusions and recommendations concerning the optimal limit of digital technologies’ applicability in the educational process. The author emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to the use of digital technologies, taking into account their potential risks to the psychological health and self-development of students.

Decentralized Intestacy Distribution: Exploring Autonomous Systems Leveraging Blockchain Technology

Intestate succession is a considerable issue in different judicial systems across the globe, which frequently gives rise to intricate and time-consuming processes of inheritance among heirs. With the advent of blockchain technology, there emerge opportunities for the development of an autonomous system that eliminates the needle barriers in the intestacy distribution process. This paper aims to explore the possibilities of applying decentralized autonomous systems for the revolution of intestacy distribution bringing insights into the design parameters, legal implications, and implementation problems. Having performed a comprehensive literature review, we analyze historical solutions for intestate succession and show how blockchain technology has advanced in the legal context, and review relevant case studies and projects. Our research presents a framework for a decentralized system of intestacy distribution, outlining the role of smart contracts, ledger technology, and identity authentication procedures. We talk about the legal and ethical concerns, implementation processes, and evaluation methods for determining the system's functionality. In the final part of the article, decentralized automated inheritance systems are a whole new paradigm in the area of intestacy laws giving less complicated, transparent, and secure options. Yet, a successful application means overcoming technical, cultural, and legal obstacles with the purpose of creating innovative and standard ways of the future. Keywords—Decentralized Systems, Intestacy Distribution, Blockchain Technology, Autonomous Systems, Smart Contracts, Legal Framework, Implementation Challenges, Ethical Considerations

Gaining More Insights from Synchrotron-Based X-ray Spectroscopy for Alkali Ion Rechargeable Batteries.

Alkali ion rechargeable batteries play a significant part in portable electronic devices and electronic vehicles. The rapid development of renewable energy technology nowadays demands batteries with even higher energy density for grid storage. To fulfill such demand, extensive research efforts have been devoted to optimizing electrochemical properties as well as developing novel energy storage schemes and designing new systems. In the investigation process, synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy plays a vital role in investigating the detailed degradation mechanism and developing novel energy storage schemes. Herein, we critically review the applications of synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy in battery research in recent years. This review begins with a discussion of the different scientific issues in alkali ion rechargeable batteries within various time and space scales. Subsequently, the principle of synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy is introduced, and the characteristics of various characterization techniques are summarized and compared. Typical application cases of synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy are then introduced into battery investigations. The final part presents perspectives in the development direction of both alkali ion rechargeable battery systems and synchrotron-based X-ray spectroscopy in the future.