Indirect Mode Research Articles

Drying Kinetics and Performance Analysis of Indirect Solar Dryer Integrated with Thermal Energy Storage Material for Drying of Wheat Seeds: An Experimental Approach

ABSTRACT This research study presents the experimental analysis of an indirect mode solar dryer with paraffin wax as a thermal energy storage material for drying wheat seeds. An equal amount of 1000 grams of wheat seeds with an initial moisture content of 20.2% (wb) were put in the lower tray, upper tray of solar dryer, and at the open sun. The recommended moisture content of dried wheat seeds was obtained as 12.8% (wb) in the lower tray in 6 hours of drying, while 13.3% (wb) in the upper tray and 14.4% (wb) in the open sun drying were obtained at the same drying time. The drying rate of the lower tray is 5.38% and 20.34% higher than that of the upper tray and open sun drying after the first hour of drying. The average value of effective moisture diffusivity for the lower tray was 1.05684 × 10−8 m2/s which was 4.31% and 22.93% greater than that for the upper tray and open sun drying, respectively. The average values of collector efficiency and drying efficiency were obtained as 55.25% and 5.42%, respectively with maximum values as 70.76% and 15.83%, respectively. The two-term model shows the best kinetic behavior for drying wheat seeds in indirect mode solar dryer. For quality of dried wheat seeds, total plate count values were obtained which shows that the growth of bacteria and fungus is very much less in wheat seed dried in solar dryer as compared to fresh wheat seeds and dried in open sun drying.

A new tuning rule for stabilized integrator controller to enhance the indirect control of incremental conductance MPPT algorithm: Simulation and practical implementation

The Incremental Conductance (IncCond) algorithm based on direct control mode is one of the highest Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms ensuring multiple performances compared to some other classical methods. Unfortunately, these performances can deteriorate, especially in the case of sudden changes in weather conditions and load variation., Preventing these drawbacks will form the basis of a new IncCond-MPPT scheme based on indirect control mode in which a smooth electrical power response generated by photovoltaic (PV) panels is well ensured, regardless of quick changes in solar irradiance, absolute temperature and load variation. The proposed MPPT approach uses two stages of control. The first one is used to provide the reference PV-module voltage. The second control loop is formulated as a transfer function that is then controlled using an appropriate Integral controller. Its integral gain is well tuned by applying the Routh’s stability criterion on the characteristic equation of the obtained closed loop transfer function. This allows providing the proposed new guideline, which represents the main contribution of this paper. The proposed IncCond-MPPT scheme is compared with the standard one in terms of MPP tracking accuracy and electrical power ratio, which exceeds 97 %, where quick changes of weather conditions and load variations are considered.

Indirect Neural-Enhanced Integral Sliding Mode Control for Finite-Time Fault-Tolerant Attitude Tracking of Spacecraft

In this article, a neural integral sliding mode control strategy is presented for the finite-time fault-tolerant attitude tracking of rigid spacecraft subject to unknown inertia and disturbances. First, an integral sliding mode controller was developed by originally constructing a novel integral sliding mode surface to avoid the singularity problem. Then, the neural network (NN) was embedded into the integral sliding mode controller to compensate the lumped uncertainty and replace the robust switching term. In this way, the chattering phenomenon was significantly suppressed. Particularly, the mechanism of indirect neural approximation was introduced through inequality relaxation. Benefiting from this design, only a single learning parameter was required to be adjusted online, and the computation burden of the proposed controller was extremely reduced. The stability argument showed that the proposed controller could guarantee that the attitude and angular velocity tracking errors were regulated to the minor residual sets around zero in a finite time. It was noteworthy that the proposed controller was not only strongly robust against unknown inertia and disturbances, but also highly insensitive to actuator faults. Finally, the effectiveness and advantages of the proposed control strategy were validated using simulations and comparisons.

Management of learner-initiated departures through teasing in adult EFL classrooms

ABSTRACT Using Conversation Analysis, this article explores the ways in which teasing is employed as an interactional tool to respond to learner-initiated departures in videotaped adult English as Foreign Language classrooms. The analysis focuses on the moments of classroom interaction where student contributions and behaviours initiate shifts from the ongoing pedagogical trajectory or the behavioural expectations of the classroom. The analyses of the focal extracts reveal that the teachers adopt either a direct or an indirect address mode in their teasing comments, where some non-verbal resources such as gaze, gestures, facial expressions, and embodied enactments are brought into use. The findings of this micro-analytic study contribute both to classroom interaction research and teacher training with an account of how embodied resources are employed for teasing in the management of learner-initiated departures.

An Optimal Linear Quadratic Regulator in Closed Loop with Boost Converter for Current Photovoltaic Application

In this paper, a steady-state output power oscillation problem is overcome using the indirect control mode based-Perturb and Observe (P&O) implementation algorithm. This can be ensured through controlling the duty cycle input of the DC-DC boost converter using the proposed Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) controller. Their parameters are optimized using the Grasshopper Optimization Algorithm (GOA) where a good tracking behavior of a desired Maximum Power Point (MPP) can be guaranteed for various sudden changes in weather conditions such as absolute temperature and solar irradiance. The desired performances and robustness of the closed-loop system can be achieved by the two following stages. In the first stage, the standard P&O algorithm based-direct control mode generates a reference current perturbation using both existing electrical power and measured PV current. Accordingly, a current error perturbation is provided through the discrepancy between reference and measured currents. In the second stage, the previous current error provided in the inner control-loop is mitigated as much as possible using the stabilized LQR controller. The current control-loop problem is addressed with a detailed analysis technique of averaging and linearization, in which the linearization of actual PV-boost converter system around the desired MPP allows determining the corresponding linear plant-model. This leads to well optimize the LQR controller parameters. The performance and robustness provided by the P&O algorithm based-indirect duty cycle control are shown for sudden changes in solar irradiance and absolute temperature as well as in a wide variation of the resistive load.

Thin Layer Modelling of Indirect and Mixed-Mode on-Farm Drying of Selected Vegetables

The thin layer drying characteristics of tomato and okra slices dried using mixed-mode on-farm solar dryer, indirect mode on-farm solar dryer and open sun drying. The tomato and okra slices dried faster when dried under the mixed-mode on-farm solar dryer. Drying time was reduced considerably using the on-farm solar dryers. The drying data were fitted into Lewis, Henderson and Pabis, and page equations. The Page model (R2=0.9365, 0.9623; X2= 0.0067, 0.0000579; RMSE= 0.0086, 0.0020 and MBE= -0.008, -0.002) gave the best prediction for the mixed-mode drying and indirect mode drying of tomato slices respectively. In the same vein Page model (R2=0.9202, 0.933o; X2= 0.00091, 0.000730; RMSE= 0.0265, 0.0244 and MBE= -0.0088, -0.0074) gave the best prediction for the mixed-mode drying and indirect mode drying of okra slices respectively. Effective moisture diffusivity of tomato slices varied between -7.4724 X 10-08 and -1.6439 X 10-07 while that of okra varied between -3.12 X 10-07 and -8.08 X 10-07. The indirect mode dryer gave the best quality of dried tomato and okra.

Hepatic glucocorticoid-induced transcriptional regulation is androgen-dependent after chronic but not acute glucocorticoid exposure.

Glucocorticoids exert their pleiotropic effects by activating the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which is expressed throughout the body. GR-mediated transcription is regulated by a multitude of tissue- and cell type-specific mechanisms, including interactions with other transcription factors such as the androgen receptor (AR). We previously showed that the transcription of canonical glucocorticoid-responsive genes is dependent on active androgen signaling, but the extent of this glucocorticoid-androgen crosstalk warrants further investigation. In this study, we investigated the overall glucocorticoid-androgen crosstalk in the hepatic transcriptome. Male mice were exposed to GR agonist corticosterone and AR antagonist enzalutamide in order to determine the extent of androgen-dependency after acute and chronic exposure. We found that a substantial proportion of the hepatic transcriptome is androgen-dependent after chronic exposure, while after acute exposure the transcriptomic effects of glucocorticoids are largely androgen-independent. We propose that prolonged glucocorticoid exposure triggers a gradual upregulation of AR expression, instating a situation of androgen dependence which is likely not driven by direct AR-GR interactions. This indirect mode of glucocorticoid-androgen interaction is in accordance with the absence of enriched AR DNA-binding near AR-dependent corticosterone-regulated genes after chronic exposure. In conclusion, we demonstrate that glucocorticoid effects and their interaction with androgen signaling are dependent on the duration of exposure and believe that our findings contribute to a better understanding of hepatic glucocorticoid biology in health and disease.

Die Kunst als Modellierungsinstanz des Körpers

Abstract Art as Formation of the Body. Pedagogical and Aesthetic Concepts Between Monism, Tectology and Biotechnology at the Beginning of the 20th Century The article focuses on various scientific reflections at the beginning of the 20th century, which converged in László Moholy-Nagy’s pedagogical theory of art to form the idea of modelling the body through art. Aspects of monism, tectology and biotechnology formed a concept that can be understood as the pedagogical influence of art on the body and consciousness with the help of its specifically indirect mode of action.

Proximate and Microbial Composition of Cooking Banana Dried Using an Active Indirect Mode Solar Dryer

ABSTRACT The proximate and microbial composition of cooking banana was determined after an active indirect solar drying experiment. The study was aimed at comparing the quality of dried cooking banana with similar products like banana and plantain. Fresh samples of the product were obtained from a local market in Umudike, Nigeria. The samples were washed, peeled, and sliced to the desired thickness (4 to 20 mm), before being loaded onto the dryer. The crude protein, crude lipid, carbohydrate content, ash content, and moisture content were determined after the drying experiment. The microbial load of the dried samples was also determined. The moisture content (10.20%), crude protein (7.18%), crude lipid (3.61%), and carbohydrate (85.61%) were higher than 6.00, 3.06, 2.80, and 82.90% respectively obtained for unripe banana. The ash content (2.21%) was lower than that of unripe banana (2.95%). A total of thirty-eight (38) bacterial isolates were observed from the sample and some of which were identified as Staphylococcus sp, bacillus subillus, and micrococcus sp. Eleven (11) molds (Fungal) were isolated from the dried samples, with Asperligillusniger and Absidia sp dominant. The frequency of occurrence was observed to had been higher in fungal than bacterial isolates.

A mathematical model for tilapia lake virus transmission with waning immunity

The goal of this paper is to investigate the influence of the waning immunity on the dynamics of Tilapia Lake Virus (TiLV) transmission in wild and farmed tilapia within freshwater. We formulate a model for which susceptible individuals can contract the disease in two ways: (i) direct mode caused by contact with infected individuals; (ii) indirect mode due to the presence of pathogenic agents in the water. We obtain an age-structured model which combines both age since infection and age since recovery. We derive an explicit formula for the reproductive number and show that the disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable when, . We discuss on the form of the waning immunity parameter and show numerically that a Hopf bifurcation may occur for suitable immunity parameter values, which means that there is a periodic solution around the endemic equilibrium when, .

Mode of Attack of Microbiological Control Agents against Plant Pathogens for Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security

Plant diseases accounts for huge losses in agriculture. To ensure food security and sustainability, an agricultural yield must be improved to meet the growing world population. Due to growing awareness of the effect of pesticides and herbicides on human health and the environment, an alternative safe method of controlling phytopathogens has become a subject of intense research. Biological control of plant diseases is the use of living organisms to suppress or inhibit plant pathogens. Microbiological control agents (MBCAs) employ microorganisms to protect crops from destruction by phytopathogens through different modes of action. They may act by direct interaction with the pathogens through hyperparasitism. Indirect antagonistic interaction with the pathogen through induction of host resistance and priming is another mode of attack by MBCAs. Competition for nutrients and space is another important indirect mode of attack by which MBCAs suppress the growth of pathogens through nutrient deprivation. The MBCAs can also interact with the plant through secretion of antibiotics or antimicrobial secondary metabolites with inhibitory effect against the pathogens. A clear understanding of the mode of action of MBCAs is vital to achieving a successful biocontrol operation as well as improving the biocontrol process that is devoid of risks to humans and the environment. Such improvement could be achieved through the use of microbial consortia to enhance the stability and efficiency of the biocontrol process. Further studies on aspects of mass production and formulation to produce more effective, stable, safer and cost effective MBCAs are needed.

Fuzzy Estimator Indirect Terminal Sliding Mode Control of Nonlinear Systems Based on Adaptive Continuous Barrier Function

In this paper, the theory of control is considered on nonlinear systems. A closed-loop controller with a strong idea has been introduced to track system states and guarantee asymptotically stability. The proposed method is the indirect terminal sliding mode control technique based on adaptive and fuzzy rules, which has used the continuous barrier function as a new approach in its design to improve the performance of this controller. One of the significant challenges in the sliding mode control method is the chattering phenomenon due to the discontinuous sign function in the control law. In the proposed approach, the control law is obtained continuously and smoothly due to the mentioned continuous function and subsequently solves the chattering problem. Another feature of the proposed method is the asymptotical stability of the system dynamics within finite time, which is proved based on the Lyapunov function. The proposed Lyapunov function includes the function of fractional power of a sliding surface. On the other hand, the obtained control law using the sliding mode method is estimated using the fuzzy system. The adaptive approach adjusts the fuzzy law parameters and the unknown bound of external disturbance.

A Natural Bare-Hand Interaction Method With Augmented Reality for Constraint-Based Virtual Assembly

Traditional virtual assembly methods have a high requirement in hand-eye coordination because of the separation of feedback and operation regions. These methods are inconsistent with human interaction habits and lack of naturalness because of limited interaction space and indirect interaction mode. Therefore, we propose a natural bare-hand interaction method for virtual assembly, enabling operators to interact with virtual objects by using natural gestures even while in motion. The Leap Motion controller (LMC) fixed on the Augmented Reality (AR) glasses is used to track hands of the operator and the mobility of the interactive device relieves the location limitation of assembly processes. Furthermore, AR allows operators to perform bare-hand assembly in a realistic situation. The interval Kalman filter (IKF) is applied to estimate hands’ positions to improve the accuracy of measured gesture data. Moreover, constraint assisted technology is introduced to aid operators in learning and completing assembly tasks quickly and accurately, and the assembly sequence is generated to assist the decision-making process during the interaction. Experimental results show that the proposed method can be used by non-professional operators for assembly tasks and can potentially improve assembly efficiency. Based on operator ratings about assembly experience and significant difference analysis, the proposed method performed better at providing better interactive experiences.

Perception of interns regarding influence of dressing on professional performance at workplace in dentistry.

In a health-care setup, interpersonal communication plays a pivotal role in the attainment of professional outcomes. Dressing is an indirect mode of communication. Since ancient times, it is assumed that doctor's clothing have a positive effect on the minds of patients. This survey evaluates the perception of interns from dental sciences regarding the impact of dressing on professional performance at workplace. A self-designed questionnaire was distributed among a batch of interns who were willing to participate in the survey. Seventy-six interns returned the responses which were complete without any duplication. All the survey forms were scrutinized and the data were collated. Qualitative analysis of the assembled data was performed to evaluate intern's perception about the association between dressing and professional performance at workplace. Results of the survey demonstrated that 81.6% of the participants dress up to work as per their temperament. About 65.8% of the participants believed that dental professionals should choose formal wear for workplace settings. Majority of the participants, i.e., 67.1%, believed that dressing affects perception on personality traits such as dignity and character of a professional. A wide number of interns perceived that dressing alters the behavior of self, patients, and colleagues (55.3%, 71.1%, and 68.4%, respectively). The result of this survey also showed a positive correlation between dressing and professional traits such as confidence, responsibility, and efficiency (75.0%, 63.2%, and 63.2%, respectively). Notably, 55.3% opined against enforcing a dress code for dental institutions/dental offices. The result of the study represents the positive influence of dressing on professional performance at workplace in dentistry as perceived by interns from the faculty of dental sciences.

Experimental investigation and exergy and energy analysis of a forced convection solar fish dryer integrated with thermal energy storage

<abstract> <p>Drying is an effective means of reducing post-harvest losses which increases the shelf life of products by reducing their moisture content to a safe storage level. An indirect mode forced convection solar dryer integrated with thermal energy storage was designed, developed and experimentally tested by drying fish. The components of the dryer are a double pass solar air heater, a paraffin wax-based shell and tube for latent heat thermal energy storage, a drying chamber and a blower. A maximum temperature of 69 ℃ was obtained at the outlet of the solar air heater, and the energy and exergy efficiencies were 25% and 1.5%, respectively. The latent heat storage reduces the fluctuations in the outlet temperature of the solar air heater and extends the drying process for two extra hours per day. The average energy and exergy efficiencies of the energy storage were 41.9% and 15.6%, respectively, whereas average energy and exergy efficiencies of the drying chamber were 35% and 52%, respectively. Moreover, 5 kg of fresh fish was effectively dried in the dryer within 21 hrs, reducing the moisture content of the fish from 75% to 12.5% by removing 3.57 kg of moisture. The specific energy consumption of the dryer was 7.3 kWh per kilogram of moisture, and the power consumed by the blower was 0.6 kWh per kilogram of moisture, which is 8.3% of the total energy consumption. The remaining 91.7% of the energy is harvested from the sun, and the overall efficiency of the drying system is 9.4%.</p> </abstract>

Elusive empowerment: characteristics of indirectly elected women chairpersons of district councils in Uttar Pradesh, India

The 73rd Amendment to the Constitution of India was introduced with a stated legislative intent of reserving not less than a third of seats for women in institutions of local self-government, the three-tier panchayati raj institutions. That amendment is considered a milestone in India’s project of empowerment of women. This paper evaluates the power and prestige of the post of an adhyaksha (chairperson) of a zila (district) panchayat (council) in general, and in particular the status of women elected to the post during 2016 in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP). Analysing the candidature, electoral success, electoral practices and subsequent functioning of zila panchayat adhyakshas (ZPAs), the authors argue that despite seats being reserved for women, no meaningful political empowerment of women has occurred in UP. The paper questions the efficacy of the indirect mode of election of ZPAs in bringing about empowerment of women, arguing that indirect elections enable powerful ruling elites to use women as proxies, subverting the legislative intent of the 73rd Amendment. The paper therefore proposes electoral reforms.

Development and testing of novel photovoltaic-thermal collector-based solar dryer for green tea drying application

A sustainable solar based PVT tea drying system has been developed to minimize the dependency on the non-renewable commercial tea drying system. In this work, the effect of operating conditions on the performance of a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) collector-based solar dryer is investigated under sunny and cloudy weather conditions for three different cases- Case-I (natural convection), Case-II (forced convection with an air velocity of 0.096 m/s), and Case-III (forced convection with an air velocity of 0.014 m/s). Firstly, energy performance of the PVT system has been evaluated for all the three cases under sunny and cloudy days, which show that the energy performance has been enhanced to a maximum value of 58.71% and 53.95% for sunny days and cloudy days, respectively, and these are obtained in case of case-III. Then the drying of green tea under mixed-mode drying (MMD) and indirect mode drying (IMD) are presented under sunny days for each of the three cases and compared with open sun drying (OSD) and shade drying (SD). The moisture content has been reduced from 2.95 (d.b.) to 0.14 (d.b.) in all the cases of drying modes. Further, the drying kinetics of green tea leaves is compared using existing models, and a new drying model is proposed, which is found to predict the moisture ratio better. The maximum PVT dryer efficiency, moisture effective diffusivity, and specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) are 26.37%, 4.97 × 10−9 m2/s, and 0.6125 kg/kWh, respectively, for MMD process.

Social Media and the Transformation of the Physician-Patient Relationship: Viewpoint.

As many as 80% of internet users seek health information online. The social determinants of health (SDoH) are intimately related to who has access to the internet and health care as a whole. Those who face more barriers to care are more likely to benefit from accessing health information online, assuming the information they are retrieving is accurate. Virtual communities on social media platforms are beginning to serve as venues for seeking health information online because peers have been shown to influence health behavior more than almost anything else. As a positive mediator of health, social media can be used as a direct or indirect mode of communication between physicians and patients, a venue for health promotion and health information, and a community support network. However, false or misleading content, social contagion, confirmation bias, and security and privacy concerns must be mitigated to realize the full potential of social media as a positive mediator of health. This paper presents the shifting dynamics of how such communities are affecting physician-patient relationships. With the intersections between the SDoH, social media, and health evolving, physicians must take into consideration these factors when establishing their relationships with patients. We argue a paradigm shift in the physician-patient relationship is warranted, one where physicians acknowledge the impacts of the SDoH on information-seeking behavior, recognize the positive and negative roles of social media as a mediator of health through the lens of the SDoH, and use social media to catalyze positive changes in the physician-patient relationship. We discuss how the physician-patient relationship must evolve to accommodate for the ever-increasing role of social media in health and to best use social media as a tool to improve health outcomes. Finally, we present a fluid and multicomponent diagram that we believe will assist in framing future research in this area. We conclude that it is ineffective and even counterproductive for physicians to ignore the relationship between social media, the SDoH and health, their impact on one another, and the effect it has on designing the medical encounter and the delivery of care under the definition of precision medicine.

Adam Grener. Improbability, Chance, and the Nineteenth-Century Realist Novel.

Adam Grener. <i>Improbability, Chance, and the Nineteenth-Century Realist Novel</i>.

Anti-Logophoricity and Indirect Mode in Mabaan

In Mabaan, a Western Nilotic language, indirect speech is characterised by the following three features. Firstly, verbs are inflected in a special way, having an indirect mode as opposed to the direct mode of direct speech. Secondly, in pronominal morphemes a distinction is made between forms that refer to a third person reported speaker (third person forms) and forms which have other third person referents (fourth person forms), a distinction which is coextensive with the use of the indirect mode. Thirdly, third person pronominal forms are identical to the third person pronominal forms used in direct speech, while fourth person pronominal forms are different and, thus, anti-logophoric. Taken together, these features make Mabaan typologically unusual.