Process Issues Research Articles

Advances in the Application of Black Phosphorus-Based Composite Biomedical Materials in the Field of Tissue Engineering.

Black Phosphorus (BP) is a new semiconductor material with excellent biocompatibility, degradability, and optical and electrophysical properties. A growing number of studies show that BP has high potential applications in the biomedical field. This article aims to systematically review the research progress of BP composite medical materials in the field of tissue engineering, mining BP in bone regeneration, skin repair, nerve repair, inflammation, treatment methods, and the application mechanism. Furthermore, the paper discusses the shortcomings and future recommendations related to the development of BP. These shortcomings include stability, photothermal conversion capacity, preparation process, and other related issues. However, despite these challenges, the utilization of BP-based medical materials holds immense promise in revolutionizing the field of tissue repair.

Recycled Brewer's Spent Grain (BSG) and Grape Juice: A New Tool for Non-Alcoholic (NAB) or Low-Alcoholic (LAB) Craft Beer Using Non-Conventional Yeasts.

Non-alcoholic beer (NAB) and low-alcoholic beer (LAB) are taking over the market with growing sales. Sustainable recycling and valorization of exhausted brewer's spent grain (BSG) coming from craft beer is a relevant issue in the brewing process. In this work, recycled BSG and BSG + GJ (supplemented with 10% grape juice) were used as a wort substrate to inoculate Lachancea thermotolerans, Wickeramhomyces anomalus, Torulaspora delbruecki and Pichia kluyveri non-conventional yeasts to produce NABLAB craft beer. Results showed that wort composed of only recycled BSG produced appreciated NAB beers (ethanol concentration from 0.12% to 0.54% v/v), while the addition of 10% grape juice produced LAB beers (ethanol concentration from 0.82 to 1.66% v/v). As expected, volatile compound production was highest with the addition of grape juice. L. thermotolerans showed lactic acid production, characterizing both worts with the production of ethyl butyrate and isoamyl acetate. T. delbrueckii exhibited relevant amounts of hexanol, phenyl ethyl acetate and β-phenyl ethanol (BSG + GJ). W. anomalus and P. kluyveri showed consistent volatile production, but only in BSG + GJ where fermentation activity was exhibited. The overall results indicated that reused BSGs, non-conventional yeasts and grape juice are suitable bioprocesses for specialty NABLAB beer.

Optimasi Seleksi Penerima Beasiswa di Sekolah Menengah Kejuruan: Pendekatan Strategis dengan Metode Simple Additive Weighting (SAW)

This study aims to address issues in the scholarship recipient selection process at vocational high schools (SMK). The main challenge lies in the limited availability of scholarships, necessitating careful selection. The objective of this research is to implement the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method as a solution to enhance the structure, efficiency, and objectivity of the selection process. The SAW method is used as the primary approach, which involves steps such as determining criteria, assigning preference weights, and ranking alternatives. The data used includes a sample of 5 scholarship candidates from SMK N 1 Hiliran Gumanti, with criteria divided into benefits and costs. The results of the selection of scholarships demonstrate the success of SAW in providing the rankings according to predefined criteria. The conclusion of this research highlights the effectiveness of the SAW method in delivering objective rankings to scholarship candidates. The final results can help the selection team determine the best scholarship recipients. The implementation of SAW is expected to create a more structured and efficient selection system at SMK, opening opportunities for improved educational access for financially needy students.

Economic feasibility study for the expansion of the Cyprus aquaculture sector: A roadmap for transition to offshore in the Mediterranean Sea

Global demand for seafood is constantly increasing, driven by population growth and rising per capita consumption. While wild-capture fisheries are facing limitations in meeting this demand, the expansion of aquaculture emerges as the only solution. This paper investigates the potential for increasing the aquaculture production in the Republic of Cyprus by transitioning towards offshore aquaculture farms. The model developed provides a valuable roadmap for offshore transitions in Mediterranean near-coast areas. The study includes a detailed economic analysis coupled with sensitivity analysis to assess the feasibility of this transition considering various expansion scenarios. The results provide valuable insights into the viability and implications of this process, highlighting economic and operational issues.

Reducing the Proportion of Single-source Procurement Management Application

Procurement plays a crucial role in modern enterprise management, where the level of procurement management has become a key component of the core competitive advantage for businesses. Enterprises need to tap into the third source of profit, which is the procurement cost of materials, and achieve the goal of increasing profits through procurement management and cost reduction. The article enumerates the reasons for the significant proportion of single-source procurement, emphasizing the theoretical basis and innovations introduced by the Materials Management Center. The establishment of a task force dedicated to addressing challenges in single-source procurement demonstrates the commitment to resolving issues in the procurement process. The article provides a detailed overview of the working methods employed by the Materials Management Center, with a special focus on compliance procurement. It describes the standardization of centralized review processes, overcoming difficulties associated with single-source procurement, and the implementation of annual plans and standardized specifications. Data reveals a consistent decline in the proportion of single-source procurement over the years, accompanied by a continuous increase in procurement efficiency and substantial savings in procurement funds.

An Optimized Hybrid Approach for Feature Selection Based on Chi-Square and Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithms

Feature selection is a significant issue in the machine learning process. Most datasets include features that are not needed for the problem being studied. These irrelevant features reduce both the efficiency and accuracy of the algorithm. It is possible to think about feature selection as an optimization problem. Swarm intelligence algorithms are promising techniques for solving this problem. This research paper presents a hybrid approach for tackling the problem of feature selection. A filter method (chi-square) and two wrapper swarm intelligence algorithms (grey wolf optimization (GWO) and particle swarm optimization (PSO)) are used in two different techniques to improve feature selection accuracy and system execution time. The performance of the two phases of the proposed approach is assessed using two distinct datasets. The results show that PSOGWO yields a maximum accuracy boost of 95.3%, while chi2-PSOGWO yields a maximum accuracy improvement of 95.961% for feature selection. The experimental results show that the proposed approach performs better than the compared approaches.

Effects of Sinter-HIP Temperature on Microstructure and Properties of WC–12Co Produced Using Binder Jetting

This study investigates the influence of different sinter-HIP temperatures and binder saturation levels on the microstructure and properties of WC–12Co cemented carbide, produced using binder jetting. The sinter-HIP process was performed at 1400 °C, 1460 °C, and 1500 °C and binder saturation levels of 60% and 75% were selected during printing. The binder saturation proved to affect the repeatability of the manufacturing process and the sturdiness of the green models. The increase of the sintering temperature from 1400 °C to 1460 °C is correlated with an increase in the density. Nonetheless, a further raise in temperature to 1500 °C leads to significant grain coarsening without clear advantages in terms of porosity reduction. Both the transverse rupture strength and Vickers hardness increase when the sinter-HIP temperature rises from 1400 °C to 1460 °C, where the typical results for traditionally manufactured WC–12Co are met, with a comparable grain size. The transverse rupture strength and Vickers hardness then decrease for samples treated at 1500 °C. Finally, potential issues in the manufacturing process are identified and correlated with the defects in the final components.

Improved Dynamic Performance of Average-Value Modelled Active Front-End Rectifiers

Active front-end (AFE) rectifiers have become widely employed in power systems to achieve unity power factor and harmonic mitigations. The typical modeling approaches applied for AFE rectifiers in the literature mostly relied on two baselines: the detailed model and the time-average model. The former approach deals with the switching element model (SEM), which leads to significant harmonics in currents with distorted waveforms. The latter approach uses the average-value model (AVM) to overcome the currents’ harmonics as well as provide fast responses. However, even the AVM baseline has shown problems during the starting stage (lack of control signals) and over the dead-time periods, which causes serious issues in the implementation process. This paper presents an improved dynamic AVM for AFE rectifiers by precisely considering the issues mentioned above, along with the practical starting procedure and desirable initialization. The studied AFE rectifier is developed using the voltage-oriented control (VOC) technique based on the different modeling methodologies, including SEM, Conventional AVM, and the proposed AVM. The performance of all models is analyzed and compared using simulation results with MATLAB/Simulink R2023a Function blocks for all the algorithm parts and SimScape elements for the electrical circuit model. The simulation results illustrate that the performance of the proposed AVM approach can closely resemble the behavior of the SEM baseline with low harmonic distortion. To evaluate the performance of the proposed model, several case studies are investigated to verify the AFE rectifier operation, regarding mostly the total harmonic distortion (THD) wherein the THD percentages are improved to 4.78 and 2.5 from 5.14 and 2.78 for low- and high-power loads, respectively.

A model-free method based on RDPG for fiber diameter steady control

Optical fibers have made outstanding contributions to optical instruments such as micro-channel plates (MCPs) and micro-pore optics (MPOs). As the stricter performance requirements for the MCP and MPO, traditional diameter control methods are incapable. Additionally, the partial observation issue of fiber drawing process further limits the outcome of the existing control approaches. Innovative control algorithms are vital for the diameter precision enhancement. We investigate the significance of recurrent deterministic policy gradient (RDPG) on diameter control. RDPG consists of deep deterministic policy gradient (DDPG) and recurrent neural network (RNN) where DDPG is a model-free reinforcement learning algorithm for continuous control and RNN for addressing partial observation. The impact of RNN variants selection on control performance is further discussed. Results illustrate that the application of RNN substantially solves the partial observation and varying RNN variants play a positive role in diameter control, but bidirectional gated recurrent unit (BiGRU) reaches the best accuracy. Comparison experiment results indicate that RDPG is able to learn reasonable control strategies and achieves significantly more accurate and robust diameter control in contrast with the existing methods.

Thermodynamic cycle analysis of the fuel precooled multi-mode turbine engine mode transition process: Why? When? How?

The fluctuation of engine thrust during the mode transition process is a critical concern that poses a significant risk to aircraft safety. In order to address this issue, a thermodynamic model for mode transition in a dual fuel precooled multi-mode turbine engine is established, and three key issues in the mode transition process are comprehensively examined from the perspectives of steady-state analysis and dynamic process optimization: Why? When? How? Firstly, the basis for mode transition under high Mach number conditions is proposed for the first time from exergy efficiency. The engine exergy efficiency and combustion exergy efficiency in the turbofan mode decrease as the Mach number increases, while the turbojet mode exhibits superior combustion exergy efficiency. To achieve efficient operation, it is imperative to switch from the turbofan mode to the turbojet mode. Subsequently, a novel approach is proposed for determining the mode transition range based on bidirectional cyclic correction, which effectively addresses the limitation of large thrust fluctuations at the mode transition point determined by the conventional maximum state thrust continuous method. The mode transition envelope that can achieve a smooth transition between thrust and airflow rate is determined. Finally, a mode transition method is newly put forward by integrating directional adjustment and offline optimization. Throughout the entire mode transition envelope, the maximum thrust fluctuation during the process remains below 1 %, while the maximum airflow rate change stays within 3 %, which exhibits excellent efficacy in achieving smooth transitions.

Understanding the drivers of rural household scaling up of integrated crop-livestock-forestry systems. A systematic review and bibliometric analysis

This literature review focuses on the drivers of Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems (ICLFS) adoption by small farmers. It has enabled us to identify current trends and analyze the various drivers of adoption and knowledge gaps. According to the PRISMA literature review protocol, 1,352 scientific publications have been selected and analyzed after a Scopus database search. Data analysis was carried out in two steps. A systematic review was performed with the metadata of scientific publications using the Biblioshiny package of R 4.3.1 software. Then, the 42 most relevant publications were used for a brief narrative synthesis. The results showed that between 2003 and 2023, publications were made in 587 different sources. 73% of publications were scientific articles. 91% of publications were written by an average of 05 co-authors. The effectiveness of Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems (ICLFS) practices, the production of organic matter and the effects on farmers’ livelihoods are the research topics considered. Five categories of factors were identified to facilitate the adoption of ICLFS by small farmers: (i) farmer profile, (ii) farm characteristics, (iii) economic factors, (iv) institutional factors and (v) biophysical factors. Policy orientations are the most decisive of all the factors identified, followed by the establishment of extension systems and social networks between farmers. This paper makes three main recommendations. Firstly, it recommends the implementation of collaborative research frameworks between West African researchers and those from East Africa, Asia and South America, who have more experience in this area. In addition, this study suggests that future research on the adoption of ICLFS should take into account herd mobility issues in the adoption process. Finally, it suggests that ICLFS should be taken into account in development policies and implemented through action research projects, mostly in West Africa.

The CO2 Capture System with a Swing Temperature Moving Bed

Abstract The reduction in CO2 emissions is now a very popular topic. According to the International Energy Agency, CO2 emitted in 2021 was 6% more than that emitted in 2020. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is gaining popularity as a possible solution to climate change. Experts estimate that industry and power plants will be responsible for 19% of total CO2 emissions by 2050. This paper presents the design of a semi-industrial-scale system for CO2 capture based on the moving bed temperature swing adsorption technology. According to the results of laboratory tests conducted by the SINTEF industry, this technology demonstrates high capture efficiency (>85%). The CO2 capture medium involved in adsorption is activated carbon passing through individual sections (cooling, heating, adsorption), where CO2 is bonded and then released. The heat and mass transfer processes are realised on the developed stand. The heat exchangers use steam and water as the heating/cooling medium. The paper reviews the existing solutions and describes the developed in-house design of heat exchangers that will ensure heat transfer conditions being a trade-off between economic and efficiency-related issues of the CO2 capture process. The designed test stand will be installed in a Polish power plant and is expected to meet the method energy intensity target, set at ≤ 2.7 MJ/kg CO2, with a capture efficiency exceeding 85%. The aim of the work was to develop and solve technical problems that would lead to the construction of a CO2 capture station with parameters mentioned above. This stand uses an innovative method where CO2 is captured by contacting the fluid (gases) with solid particles. The heat exchange associated with the heating and cooling of the adsorbent had to be solved. For this purpose, heat exchangers were designed with high thermal efficiency and to prevent the formation of mounds.

PROCES USKLADNENIA KRVNEJ PLAZMY A OVERENIE JEHO OPTIMALIZÁCIE ZA POMOCI PRVKOV SIMULÁCIE

Purpose of the article It optimized and improved efficiency in processing blood plasma into card form for its separation. A simulation was used to verify and plan a change in the current production process of this product. Based on it, a change in the production process was planned and the volume of future output was also verified. Methodology/methods Analysis of the initial state of the issue in the production process. Creating a digital model using the collected data from the analysis. Design and testing of variants for optimization design. Scientific aim Bring closer the methodology of application of simulation in various industries and production processes. Digitization tools such as simulation are most used in mass production and have the largest share in the automotive field. The contribution aims to bring closer the possibilities of using these resources to other areas as well and is the basis of the methodology for their application not only in homogeneous but also in heterogeneous production processes. Findings Based on the initial analysis of the subject process and its subsequent transformation into a digital form, the original production process was innovated and its properties improved as well as the volume of production output. Simulation models can still be edited, and in the case of adding some resources to the simulation models, as well as directly to the production stations, it is possible to reach and subsequently use the resources of the digital twin technology.. Conclusions (limits, implications etc.) The result of the entire digitization process is a convergence with current trends and standards common within Industry 4.0. The benefit of using a digital simulation model, but any production process, is the possibility to test its changes without the need to stop ongoing physical processes and the implementation of changes that can be adjusted in advance in digital form and physical form, the process of their deployment is shorter and more effective than it was with innovations in the past.

Modern high school handbook: analysis of sexism and gender stereotype

The article is focusing on one of the most important problems of gender studies — the creation of modern methodological and curricular support for the educational process in higher education. The author analyses the experience of teaching the elective course ‘Gender Studies’ for Bachelor’s students majoring in Primary Education at the Faculty of Pedagogical Education of Borys Grinchenko Kyiv Metropolitan University. This course is practice-based and aims to prepare pre-service teachers to address gender issues in the educational process. Teaching this course raised questions about the content of higher education textbooks and their analysis concerning sexism and gender stereotypes. The author recognizes that textbooks on gender issues are currently linked to certain courses: gender psychology, gender sociology, gender pedagogy, gender journalism, etc. However, according to the author, a modern textbook should be comprehensive and based on the latest scientific research, deep interdisciplinary connections, and contemporary practice. The article defines the main characteristics of a modern textbook in general and gender studies, in particular: it should be comprehensive in terms of analysis when it comes to sexism and gender stereotypes, regardless of the specialty; the content of any textbook should be based on scholarly research in the field of gender studies; the textbook should show deep interdisciplinary connections; the formation of critical thinking of students is the main goal of any modern textbook, regardless of the specialty it is written for; without the use of interactive teaching methods, it is impossible to create a modern textbook. The article also discusses approaches and methods for analyzing textbooks for sexism and gender stereotypes. The author pays special attention to hidden discrimination in the curricula on gender equality of students and schoolchildren

Правовые основы применения цифровых технологий при регистрации прав на природные ресурсы

Currently, digital technologies and artificial intelligence are increasingly being used in our country to solve public administration issues. One of the tasks of public administration is to control registration activities in the registration of ownership and use rights to natural resources. The current registration procedure is characterized by time costs, paper turnover, corruption risks, and the possibility of falsification of documents. The purpose of this article is to analyze the registration process of registration of real rights to natural resources and formulate proposals for improving this process through the prism of digital transformation. In this study, we have determined that electronic registration is a positive phenomenon that solves many negative issues of the current registration process, simplifying it and making it more open and accessible; however it does not fully satisfy the current needs of society in the field of legal rights registration. The authors of the article substantiate the need to use digital technologies in the registration process through the use of the block chain process. The importance of this study lies in the fact that it formulates the idea of moving from "electronic registration" to "digital registration", with specific proposals for changing legislation in this area.

Правовые основы применения цифровых технологий при регистрации прав на природные ресурсы

Currently, digital technologies and artificial intelligence are increasingly being used in our country to solve public administration issues. One of the tasks of public administration is to control registration activities in the registration of ownership and use rights to natural resources. The current registration procedure is characterized by time costs, paper turnover, corruption risks, and the possibility of falsification of documents. The purpose of this article is to analyze the registration process of registration of real rights to natural resources and formulate proposals for improving this process through the prism of digital transformation. In this study, we have determined that electronic registration is a positive phenomenon that solves many negative issues of the current registration process, simplifying it and making it more open and accessible; however it does not fully satisfy the current needs of society in the field of legal rights registration. The authors of the article substantiate the need to use digital technologies in the registration process through the use of the block chain process. The importance of this study lies in the fact that it formulates the idea of moving from "electronic registration" to "digital registration", with specific proposals for changing legislation in this area.

O potrzebie zmiany zasadniczego podziału terytorialnego państwa – wokół pojęcia metropolii

Following the revival of the institution of local self-government, a new basic territorial division of the state was introduced by the Act of 24 July 1998, which includes: communes, districts and voivodeships. This division, has been the subject of numerous discussions between representatives of doctrine and practitioners, local government officials. The subject of the article is a reflection on the basic territorial division of the state in the light of the institution of the metropolitan association and its possible modification. The discussion on the directions of changes to the legal status of the Polish metropolitan association is a key factor in the changes to the three-tier fundamental territorial division of the state. It also touches on the issue of the possible process of abolishing poviats and introducing the categorisation of communes.

Recent advances in novel materials for photocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction

AbstractThe conversion of CO2 into chemical fuels, which can be stored and utilized through photocatalysis, represents an effective, environmentally friendly, and sustainable means to address both environmental concerns and energy shortages. CO2, as a stable oxidation product, poses challenges for reduction through light energy alone, necessitating the use of catalysts. Thus, a crucial aspect of CO2 photocatalytic reduction technology lies in the development of effective photocatalysts. Based on the basic principle of PCRR (photocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction), the review provides a detailed introduction to the core issues in PCRR process, including the relationship between band gap and catalyst reduction performance, effective utilization of photogenerated carriers, product selectivity, and methods for product analysis. Then, the recent research progresses of various photocatalysts are reviewed in the form of research examples combined with the above basic principles. Finally, this review summarizes and provides insights into the effective techniques for enhancing the photocatalytic activity of CO2, while also offering future prospects in this field.

Assessing the assessors: investigating the process of marking essays.

Pressure for accountability, transparency, and consistency of the assessment process is increasing. For assessing complex cognitive achievements, essays are probably the most familiar method, but essay scoring is notoriously unreliable. To address issues of assessment process, accountability, and consistency, this study explores essay marking practice amongst examiners in a UK dental school using a qualitative approach. Think aloud interviews were used to gain insight into how examiners make judgements whilst engaged in marking essays. The issues were multifactorial. These interviews revealed differing interpretations of assessment and corresponding individualised practices which contributed to skewing the outcome when essays were marked. Common to all examiners was the tendency to rank essays rather than adhere to criterion-referencing. Whether examiners mark holistically or analytically, essay marking guides presented a problem to inexperienced examiners, who needed more guidance and seemed reluctant to make definitive judgements. The marking and re-marking of scripts revealed that only 1 of the 9 examiners achieved the same grade category. All examiners awarded different scores corresponding to at least one grade difference; the magnitude of the difference was unrelated to experience examining. This study concludes that in order to improve assessment, there needs to be a shared understanding of standards and of how criteria are to be used for the benefit of staff and students.

Regional differences, distributional dynamics and convergence of multidimensional food security levels in China.

Food security is one of the important issues in the current world development process. The article takes 31 provinces (districts and cities) in China as the research object and constructs a multidimensional food security level evaluation index system from four dimensions: quantitative security, nutritional security, ecological security, and capacity security. Using the entropy method, China's food security index was calculated for the ten-year period from 2013 to 2022. Overall, China's food security level showed an upward trend during the decade, with the provinces of Shandong, Heilongjiang, and Henan having the highest level of security. The distribution dynamics of food security and its spatiotemporal evolution in the seven regions were examined using the Dagum Gini coefficient and its decomposition, and the absolute and conditional convergence of food security in the different areas was verified. The results of the study show that the provinces within East China have the largest gap in food security levels between them, and there is absolute β-convergence. Looking at China as a whole, the development of its food security level is characterized by significant convergence, which means that provinces with a low level of food security will have a faster rate of growth than those with a high level of food security, resulting in a gradual narrowing of the gap in food security levels between provinces.