High Efficiency Values Research Articles

SE-DEA-SVM evaluation method of ECM operational disposition scheme

Operational disposition of electronic countermeasures (ECM) is a hot topic in modern warfare research. Through fully analyzing the characteristics and shortcomings of the traditional operational disposition scheme, a super-efficient data envelopment analysis support vector machine (SE-DEA-SVM) method for evaluating the operational configuration scheme of ECM is proposed. Firstly, considering the subjective and objective factors affecting the operational disposition of ECM, the index system of operational disposition scheme is established, and we explain the solution method of terminal indexs. Secondly, the evaluation and algorithm process of SE-DEA-SVM evaluation method are introduced. In this method, the super-efficient data envelopment analysis (SE-DEA) model is used to calculate the weight of index system, and the support vector machine (SVM) method combined with the training samples of evaluation index is used to obtain the input-output model of evaluation value of combat configuration. Finally, by an example (obtaining five schemes), we verify the SE-DEA-SVM evaluation method and analyze the results. The efficiency analysis, comparison analysis, and error analysis of this method are carried out. The results show that this method is more suitable for military evaluation with small samples, and it has high efficiency, applicability, and popularization value.

EVALUATION OF ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY OF INNOVATIVE WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES OF SWIMMING POOLS AND WATER PARKS

Typical processes of water purification and water treatment of water park pools are considered. The method of economic estimation of efficiency of their application is offered. The methodology is based on the introduction of a number of indicators of the quality of the water treatment process of calculating the coefficient of “efficiency criterion” of water treatment of swimming pools. The purpose of this study was to develop an innovative technology of electrolytic-cavitation water treatment for swimming pools and water parks and to create a method of comparative evaluation of the effectiveness of modern water treatment technologies. A new technological scheme of electrolytic-cavitation water purification of public water bodies is proposed. A mathematical dependence has been created, which allows to objectively assess the effectiveness of various methods of water treatment and purification using the proposed indicator called “efficiency criterion” It is established that the proposed method of electrolytic-cavitation water purification has the highest values of efficiency from the considered water purification processes. This method is based on an organic combination of the advantages of such physical methods as electrolytic and cavitation disinfection of organic and biological water pollutants. The degree of purification and disinfection provided by him reaches 97-98%.

New D−π–D−π–A Systems Based on Phenothiazine Derivatives with Imidazole Structures for Photovoltaics

Two new compounds with an N-octyl phenothiazine core substituted at C(7) position via a triple bond with imidazole-containing butyl or dodecyl chains bearing on the opposite side at the C(7) cyanoacrylate moiety were synthesized. Photophysical and electrochemical studies were performed to evaluate the possibility of applying them in the dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The investigations were supported by density functional theory and time-dependent DFT. The synthesized dyes showed a similar absorption profile ranging from 250 to 600 nm in solvents and a high value of light-harvesting efficiency of about 0.8. It was found that its photoluminescence quantum yield was solvent-dependent, and the highest value (about 50%) was reached in DMF solution. Electrochemical measurements revealed that both compounds showed electron injection ability from the LUMO of the molecule to the TiO2 conduction band and the possibility of regeneration by an electrolyte. DSSCs sensitized with the phenothiazine derivatives differing in TiO2 thickness and the type of electrolyte (iodide and cobalt) were prepared. Additionally, transient absorption measurements in solution and solar cells were carried out to study excited-state properties and electron transfer dynamics. The influence of the hydrophobic hydrocarbon chain length of the imidazole unit in these dyes as well as TiO2 thickness and the type of electrolyte on the device performance was observed. DSSCs sensitized with phenothiazine with dodecyl chains showed higher photocurrent, open-circuit voltage, and finally the power conversion efficiency, regardless of TiO2 thickness.

A Single Subject, Feasibility Study of Using a Non-Contact Measurement to "Visualize" Temperature at Body-Seat Interface.

Measuring temperature changes at the body-seat interface has been drawing increased attention from both industrial and scientific fields, due to the increasingly sedentary nature from daily leisure activity to routine work. Although contact measurement is considered the gold standard, it can affect the local micro-environment and the perception of sitting comfort. A non-contact temperature measurement system was developed to determine the interface temperature using data gathered unobtrusively and continuously from an infrared sensor (IRs). System performance was evaluated regarding linearity, hysteresis, reliability and accuracy. Then a healthy participant sat for an hour on low/intermediate density foams with thickness varying from 0.5–8 cm while body-seat interface temperature was measured simultaneously using a temperature sensor (contact) and an IRs (non-contact). IRs data were filtered with empirical mode decomposition and fractal scaling indices before a data-driven artificial neural network was utilized to estimate the contact surface temperature. A strong correlation existed between non-contact and contact temperature measurement ( > 0.85) and the estimation results showed a low root mean square error (RMSE) (<0.07 for low density foam and <0.16 for intermediate density foam) and high Nash-Sutcliff efficiency (NSE) values (≈1 for both types of foam materials).

Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry: Evolution of the Cell Setup for On‐Line Investigation of Products and Screening of Electrocatalysts for Carbon Dioxide Reduction

AbstractOne of the most important current topics in the renewable and sustainable energy scenario is the CO2 electro‐reduction reaction (CO2RR), which is an alternative and important route for its conversion into various high value‐added chemicals, therefore making up a CO2 recycling process. Despite its importance and the works already developed in this field, many challenges still need to be overcome for CO2RR to reach high values of efficiency and selectivity. This is even more challenging considering that this reaction occurs with the transfer of several electrons, making the investigation and elucidation of the reaction mechanism a real need. Thus, several characterization techniques have been employed, and specially, the on‐line Electrochemical Mass Spectrometry (EC‐MS) technique emerges as a powerful tool, thus making possible to improve the understanding of reaction pathways, through the identification of products and intermediaries, and allowing the screening of electrocatalyst potentials for CO2RR. Herein, we present the evolution of adaptations of general electrochemical cell designs for the study of the CO2RR.

Ultrasound emulsification energy strategies impact the encapsulation efficiency of essential oils in colloidal systems

In the last years, high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) technology has shown consistent growth as a smart alternative for developing processes and innovative products, such as emulsified systems. However, there is still a lack of standard process protocols for designing HIUS-assisted colloidal systems, such as essential oil (EO)-based emulsions. In this work, we reported the impact of different homogenization strategies using ultrasound energy on the production of oil-in-water emulsions containing different EOs (clove, orange, and rosemary) and gum Arabic as an emulsifier. We evaluated the effect of applying a given HIUS specific energy (300 J g−1) on emulsion kinetic stability and encapsulation efficiency, using an acoustic power and process time binomial approach, analogously to conventional thermal pasteurization processes, in two ways: low power and long time (LPLT) and high power and short time (HPST). Emulsions presented kinetic stability after 72 h of storage, except for emulsions containing orange EO and high encapsulation efficiency (EE) values (81.5–100%, approximately). Furthermore, kinetic stability was associated with low droplet sizes (<1 μm). The use of different HIUS processes did not influence the kinetic stability of emulsions. However, the HPST process led to higher EE. This effect was more significant for emulsions containing clove and rosemary EOs. Additionally, different EOs resulted in emulsions with different physicochemical properties and EE. These results suggest that the way of applying ultrasound specific energy may be less significant for emulsion stabilization but might be considered for HIUS-assisted encapsulation. Therefore, the acoustic power and processing time binomial might be a useful approach for designing HIUS-assisted colloidal systems, such as EO-based emulsions.

Azulene-Containing Squaraines for Photoacoustic Imaging and Photothermal Therapy.

Photoacoustic imaging (PAI) guided photothermal therapy (PTT) can realize real-time diagnosis and in situ treatment of cancer at the same time. Absorption in the near-infrared (NIR) region with large molar extinction coefficient (ε) and high value of photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) are key prerequisites for photothermal agents (PTAs) to realize dual PAI and PTT treatments. Squaraines have stable quinoid structures with strong planarity and rigidity, in favor of the NIR absorption and high ε values. On the other hand, azulene derivatives mostly have very faint fluorescence emission, which is beneficial for photothermal transformation. Herein, two azulene-containing squaraines Az-SQ-1 and Az-SQ-2 are synthesized as high-performance PTAs. In comparison with Az-SQ-1, Az-SQ-2 possesses larger εmax of 3 × 105 M-1 cm-1 at 780 nm in organic solution and higher PCE of 53.2% in the form of nanoparticles under 808 nm laser irradiation. Accordingly, Az-SQ-2 NPs present stronger photoacoustic signals (about 15.1-times the background signal) and more efficient suppression of tumor growth. Our research indicates that the introduction of azulene unit to traditional NIR dyes is a simple but effective approach to obtain outstanding PTAs in the aspect of phototheranostics.

Efficient Plasma Technology for the Production of Green Hydrogen from Ethanol and Water

This study concerns the production of hydrogen from a mixture of ethanol and water. The process was conducted in plasma generated by a spark discharge. The substrates were introduced in the liquid phase into the reactor. The gaseous products formed in the spark reactor were hydrogen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, acetylene, and ethylene. Coke was also produced. The energy efficiency of hydrogen production was 27 mol(H2)/kWh, and it was 36% of the theoretical energy efficiency. The high value of the energy efficiency of hydrogen production was obtained with relatively high ethanol conversion (63%). In the spark discharge, it was possible to conduct the process under conditions in which the ethanol conversion reached 95%. However, this entailed higher energy consumption and reduced the energy efficiency of hydrogen production to 8.8 mol(H2)/kWh. Hydrogen production increased with increasing discharge power and feed stream. However, the hydrogen concentration was very high under all tested conditions and ranged from 57.5 to 61.5%. This means that the spark reactor is a device that can feed fuel cells, the power load of which can fluctuate.

The Effect of Suction Refrigerant Pressure Changes on the Performance of the Freeze-Drying System

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of pressure changes on the performance of the freeze-drying refrigeration system. This research method is to vary the suction pressure of 10psi, 20psi, and 30psi on the performance of the freeze dryer cooling system where the type of refrigerant used is R404A with a compressor capacity of 1.5PK. Based on the test of this tool, the performance of the freeze-drying system produces Actual COP values at various pressures of 10psi, 20psi pressure, and 30psi pressure with values of 2.13, 2.44, 2.50, respectively. While the Carnot COP values for the variation of refrigerant suction pressure are 2.77, 3.03, and 3.10, respectively. While the efficiency values for pressure variations are 76.84%, 78.90%, and 82.25% of these values, it can be said that the highest efficiency value is at 30psi pressure. so it can be concluded that the freeze-drying machine that we make will work well at a pressure of 30 psi

Formulation and Evaluation of Hybrid Niosomal In Situ Gel for Intravesical Co-Delivery of Curcumin and Gentamicin Sulfate.

The current study describes the elaboration of a hybrid drug delivery platform for an intravesical application based on curcumin/gentamicin sulfate simultaneously loaded niosomes incorporated into thermosensitive in situ gels. Series of niosomes were elaborated via the thin film hydration method, evaluating the impact of non-ionic surfactants’, cholesterol’s, and curcumin’s concentration. The formulation composed of equimolar ratio of Span 60, Tween 60, and 30 mol% cholesterol was selected as the optimal composition, due to the high entrapment efficiency values obtained for both drugs, and appropriate physicochemical parameters (morphology, size, PDI, and zeta potential), therefore, was further incorporated into Poloxamers (407/188) and Poloxamers and chitosan based in situ gels. The developed hybrid systems were characterized with sol to gel transition in the physiological range, suitable rheological and gelling characteristics. In addition, the formed gel structure at physiological temperatures determines the retarded dissolution of both drugs (vs. niosomal suspension) and sustained release profile. The conducted microbial studies of selected niosomal in situ gels revealed the occurrence of a synergetic effect of the two compounds when simultaneously loaded. The findings indicate that the elaborated thermosensitive niosomal in situ gels can be considered as a feasible platform for intravesical drug delivery.

Analisis Efisiensi Pengelolaan Zakat dengan Metode Super Efisiensi Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) pada LAZ Mizan Amanah

Zakat Organizations have important roles in creating the goals of Zakat Management as stated in Law No. 23 of year 2011, namely to increase the effectiveness and efficiency zakat management for improving social welfare and poverty alleviation. The goal of this research is to analyze the efficiency of zakat management in LAZ Mizan Amanah 2012-2019 period. The research uses descriptive quantitative and qualitative methods with a case study approach. Meanwhile, the analysis technique used is Super Efficiency Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The input variables used are personnel costs, socialization costs, and operational costs. Whereas the output variables are the amount of zakat received and the amount of zakat distribution. The results showed that 5 (five) of the 8 (eight) DMU observed were efficient. The first rank with the highest efficiency value was obtained by DMU Mizan 2015. The inefficiency that occurs in DMU is caused by high personnel costs and operational costs, as well as the nonoptimal zakat’s accumulation and distribution.

Impact on discharge modelling using different spatial and temporal resolution scenarios in South of Chile

Despite ungauged basins exist across countries of a wide range of incomes, assessing water resource availability is an essential issue in low-income zones with less dense hydrologic measurement networks. In a megadrought context, hydrological resources availability is critical in the central south of Chile, leading to water scarcity problems for the population. We develop a one-way coupled discharge model using the Weather and Research Forecast (WRF) and Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC)/routing model to estimate surface water availability along the basin and subbasins. We studied the Biobío basin in Chile (∼37° S) because of its low spatial density discharge measurements as a case of study. We compare discharge variations simulated between two datasets and in-situ high temporal resolution measurements between the years 2005–2006. Our results show that discharge is unsuitable for a mid-scale basin using atmospheric products over 12 km of spatial resolution. However, our simulations showed high efficiency (Nash Sutcliffe over 0.75) and low RMSE values (less than 40 m3s-1 in most cases) in daily and tri-hourly simulations at 4-km spatial resolution. The percentual root mean square error (pRMSE) improved from the worst scenario (110% in SC1) up to 37% in the best scenario (SC3), showing that the coupled approach is suitable for basins in the south of Chile. These results provide a temporal-spatial basis for improving water resources management in poorly gauged basins in the south of Chile, as is common in South America. Our analysis will contribute to a real-time flow modeling system development for the Biobio basin. Future developments will contribute to surface water availability in a water scarcity context.

Study of a new receiver-reactor cavity system with multiple mobile redox units for solar thermochemical water splitting

Solar thermochemical redox cycles could be a path to efficient, large-scale renewable hydrogen production. A new receiver-reactor concept is presented that combines characteristics of the most successful receiver-reactor systems to date, with features of concepts showing the highest efficiency potential. The key features of the system are movable reactive structures in combination with linear transportation systems and dedicated oxidation reactors. The application of several of these units allows the continuous operation of the receiver-reactor and permits the implementation of a solid–solid heat recovery system. Both of these characteristics are important to increase the system efficiency beyond the current state of technology. A numerical model is developed to simulate a basic cubic design version of the new concept and to analyse its performance. Parameter variations are studied amongst others for different cavity sizes, solar concentration factors and numbers of movable reactive structures. By avoiding the cyclic heating of the inert reactor vessel, the model predicts high efficiency values above 14% even for non-optimized designs. Furthermore, the basic concept of the heat recovery system is modelled with heat recovery rates of up to 20% in its most simple implementation. The new concept has the features required for highly performant systems and opens up a large parameter space for reactor design and operation optimization.

Methanol Production in the Brayton Cycle

This article presents the concept of renewable methanol production in the gas turbine cycle. As part of the work, an analysis was performed, including the impact of changing the parameters in the methanol reactor on the obtained values of power, yield and efficiency of the reactor, and chemical conversion. The aim of this research was to investigate the possibility of integrating the system for the production of renewable methanol and additional production of electricity in the system. The efficiency of the chemical conversion process and the efficiency of the methanol reactor increases with increasing pressure and decreasing temperature. The highest efficiency values, respectively η = 0.4388 and ηR = 0.3649, are obtained for parameters in the reactor equal to 160 °C and 14 MPa. The amount of heat exchanged in all exchangers reached the highest value for 14 MPa and 160 °C and amounted to Q˙ = 2.28 kW. Additionally, it has been calculated that if an additional exchanger is used before the expander (heating the medium to 560 °C), the expander’s power will cover the compressor’s electricity demand.

Sustainable processing of electrodes for membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI)

Membrane capacitive deionization has been explored as an alternative desalination technique which can lower the voltage requirement and the ability to regenerate the electrodes. Traditional materials used in electrode processing can lead to various environmental problems related to toxicity, biodegradability and depletion of natural resources. Herein the use of sustainable alternatives to electrode components is reported, focusing on the implementation of bio–derived and F–free binders and green solvents, respectively. These sustainably processed electrodes display improved hydrophilicity (water contact angles of between 6° and 36°), higher values for internal surface area (between 1640 m2g–1 and 2025 m2g–1) and improved gravimetric capacitance (up to 82 Fg–1) compared to activated carbon electrodes prepared with polyvinylidene fluoride binder. Green solvents such as γ-valerolactone and Agnique AMD 3L (N,N-dimethyl lactamide) were able to produce stable dispersions, demonstrating the feasibility of replacement of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone solvent in electrode processing. The resultant electrodes were successfully employed in membrane capacitive deionization using various cell configurations, achieving high values of salt adsorption capacity (0.0147) and charge efficiency (94%). The implementation of cellulose acetate, carboxymethyl cellulose and polyacrylic acid binders, prepared in green solvents, has shown potential to increase salt removal and decrease the energy consumption of membrane capacitive deionization.

STABILITAS NANOSTRUCTURED LIPID CARRIER COENZYME Q10 DENGAN VARIASI WAKTU PENGADUKAN

ABSTRACTCoenzyme Q10 (Co-Q10) or Ubiquinone is an antioxidant that is unstable to light and is highly lipophilic causing instability during storage, so a Nanostructured Lipid Carrier (NLC) delivery system is needed that can improve stability. The manufacture of NLC uses the emulsification method by melting two types of lipids, namely solid lipid cetyl palmitate and liquid lipid alpha tocopherol with the help of stirring using a magnetic stirrer. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristics and stability of NLC Co-Q10 at various stirring times. The results of testing the characteristics NLC Co-Q10, that stirring for 6 and 9 minutes, obtained pH values of 6,64 and 6,62 with particle sizes of 215.03 nm and 188.25 nm, the entrapment efficiency values were 75.57% and 77.96%, respectively. Increasing the speed and duration of stirring in the manufacture of the NLC Co-Q10 system will obtain high trapping efficiency values and be more stable in storage at room temperature for 28 days.Keywords: coenzyme Q10, emulsification, nanostructured lipid carriers, stability.

Vectorcardiographic Ventricular Gradient with Constituents, and Myocardial Action Potential Parameter Distribution

AbstractTheoretical grounds of integral vectors of ventricular depolarization and repolarization and their sum, i.e., the spatial ventricular gradient, have been studied. A systematic description and biophysical interpretation of these parameters are presented based on the distribution of cardiomyocyte action potential parameters in the inhomogeneous bidomain model of the myocardium. Recent medical studies have shown high efficiency and predictive value of the ventricular gradient, its constituents and related parameters, such as the angle between the con-stituents, the acceleration of repolarization, etc. Simple examples for a myocardial strip clarify the relationship between the action potential parameters and the resulting ventricular gradient. An explanation with graphic illustration is given for the very informative decartogram of repolarization acceleration. The results obtained here are useful in the modeling of vectorcardiograms for various pathological conditions of the heart ventricles and for various characteristics of the cardiomyocyte action potential, which determine its shape.

In Vitro Efficacy of Curcumin-Loaded Amine-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles against MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

Purpose: Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have drawn substantial interest as drug nanocarriers for breast cancer therapy. Nevertheless, because of the hydrophilic surfaces, the loading of well-known hydrophobic polyphenol anticancer agent curcumin (Curc) into MSNs is usually very low. Methods: For this purpose, Curc molecules were loaded into amine-functionalized MSNs (MSNs-NH2 -Curc) and characterized using thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR), field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET). MTT assay and confocal microscopy, respectively, were used to determine the cytotoxicity and cellular uptake of the MSNs-NH2 - Curc in the MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Besides, the expression levels of apoptotic genes were evaluated via quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and western blot. Results: It was revealed that MSNs-NH2 possessed high values of drug loading efficiency and exhibited slow and sustained drug release compared to bare MSNs. According to the MTT findings, while the MSNs-NH2 -Curc were nontoxic to the human non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells at low concentrations, it could considerably decrease the viability of MCF-7 breast cancer cells compared to the free Curc in all concentrations after 24, 48 and 72 hours exposure times. A cellular uptake study using confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed the higher cytotoxicity of MSNs-NH2 -Curc in MCF-7 cells. Further, it was found that the MSNs-NH2 -Curc could drastically affect the mRNA and protein levels of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase 3, caspase 9, and hTERT relative to the free Curc treatment. Conclusion: Taken together, these preliminary results suggest the amine-functionalized MSNs-based drug delivery platform as a promising alternative approach for Curc loading and safe breast cancer treatment.

EVALUATION OF THE EFFICIENCY OF THE DRYERS IN THERMOPLASTIC VULCANIZATE EXTRUSION PRODUCTION LINES WITH THE ENERGY AND EXERGY ANALYSIS METHOD

In this study, energy and exergy analysis of the drying process in producing a sealing profile with extrusion in Manisa, using real operational data was conducted. The drying system was analysed in regards to changes in ambient temperature (0-30°C) and drying air temperature (75-105°C). The energy efficiency of the system was in the range of 80.79%-88.24% and the exergy efficiency was in the range of 15.88%-41.94%. As a result of the analysis, it can be concluded that the drying conditions with the highest efficiency values were at 0°C outdoor temperature and 75°C drying air.

Development and in vivo evaluation of lipid-based nanocarriers containing Jatropha isabellei dry extract from the dichloromethane fraction intended for oral treatment of arthritic diseases

In this study, a dichloromethane fraction dry extract from the underground parts of Jatropha isabellei (DFJi) was used to prepare lipid nanocarriers (LNCJi) aimed at providing the oral delivery of terpenic compounds in the treatment of arthritis. The lipid nanocarriers were prepared by the spontaneous emulsification method. The lipid nanocarriers displayed sizes ranging from 180 to 200 nm and zeta potential values of around -18 mV. A high value of entrapment efficiency (> 90%) was obtained for jatrophone, which was used as the chemical marker of DFJi. LNCJi stored at 4°C were demonstrated to be stable through measurements of transmitted light after analytical centrifugation of the samples. In vitro drug release studies conducted in biorelevant dissolution media demonstrated that jatrophone release was faster from LNCJi than from free DFJi. When tested in an acute arthritis model, the LNCJi exhibited antinociceptive properties after oral administration of a 50 mg/kg dose, unlike the free DFJi, although no reduction in articular diameter was observed. These results suggest that an increase in the oral absorption of DFJi constituents may have occurred through the carrying of this fraction in LNCJi, thus improving the antinociceptive activity of this compound.