Novel Mode Of Operation Research Articles

The Automated Administrative State: A Crisis of Legitimacy

The legitimacy of the administrative state is premised on our faith in agency expertise. Despite their extra-constitutional structure, administrative agencies have been on firm footing for a long time in reverence to their critical role in governing a complex, evolving society. They are delegated enormous power because they respond expertly and nimbly to evolving conditions. In recent decades, state and federal agencies have embraced a novel mode of operation: automation. Agencies rely more and more on software and algorithms in carrying out their delegated responsibilities. The automated administrative state, however, is demonstrably riddled with concerns. Legal challenges regarding the denial of benefits and rights—from travel to disability—have revealed a pernicious pattern of bizarre and unintelligible outcomes. Scholarship to date has explored the pitfalls of automation with a particular frame, asking how we might ensure that automation honors existing legal commitments such as due process. Missing from the conversation are broader, structural critiques of the legitimacy of agencies that automate. Automation abdicates the expertise and nimbleness that justify the administrative state, undermining the very case for the existence and authority of agencies. Yet the answer is not to deny agencies access to technology that other twenty-first century institutions rely upon. This Article points toward a positive vision of the administrative state that adopts tools only when they enhance, rather than undermine, the underpinnings of agency legitimacy.

Docurity: A New Cryptographic Primitive for Collaborative Cloud Systems

Recently, there has been a sudden shift from using traditional office applications to the collaborative cloud-based office suite such as Microsoft Office 365. Such cloud-based systems allow users to work together on the same document stored in a cloud server at once, by which users can effectively collaborate with each other. However, there are security concerns unsolved in using cloud collaboration. One of the major concerns is the security of data stored in cloud servers, which comes from the fact that data that multiple users are working together cannot be stored in encrypted form because of the dynamic characteristic of cloud collaboration. In this paper, we propose a novel mode of operation, DL-ECB, for AES by which we can modify, insert, and delete the ciphertext based on changes in plaintext. Therefore, we can use encrypted data in collaborative cloud-based platforms. To demonstrate that the DL-ECB mode can preserve the confidentiality, integrity, and auditability of data used in collaborative cloud systems from adversaries, we implement and evaluate the prototype of the DL-ECB mode.

Performance enhancement of constructed wetlands for wastewater remediation by modifications and integration of technologies: A review

AbstractConstructed wetland (CW) has gained popularity as an eco‐friendly technology for ease of operation and maintenance. This article critically reviews and summarizes the research carried out to date on several approaches for integration of CW with other methods of treatment, exploring several novel modes of operation and factors, to improve the remediation capacity of the CW system. The study shows that the use of different modes of aeration, recirculation of the effluent, hydraulic retention time, and organic loading rate not only improves the removal efficiency of the treatment system but also helps in reducing the surface area required for the system in the treatment of emerging contaminants. The integrated approach analysis gives an insight into the different technologies, which can be coupled with CW for fast, sustainable, and eco‐efficient treatment systems for different types of wastewater. Anaerobic technologies and microbial fuel cell (MFC) have the added advantage of energy generation apart from wastewater treatment, which helps in reducing carbon footprints. Optimization of pollutant treatment in wastewater and electricity generation by CW‐MFC has emerged to be an upcoming area of research. The study disseminates knowledge about the latest developments in the field of intensified CW technology with a focus on modifications and integrated systems, which help in identifying the potential areas of research worth addressing in the future.

Processing Techniques for Nadir Echo Suppression in Staggered Synthetic Aperture Radar

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is a class of high-resolution imaging radar particularly suitable for satellite remote sensing with diverse applications, such as biomass and ice monitoring, generation of digital elevation models, and measuring of subsidence. Staggered SAR is a novel mode of operation under consideration for the next-generation SAR missions such as Tandem-L and NASA-ISRO SAR. It uses digital beamforming and a continuous variation of the pulse repetition interval (PRI) to achieve high azimuth resolution over a much wider, continuous swath than is traditionally possible. This PRI variation renders infeasible use of existing methods to avoid nadir echoes, which might impair the quality of staggered SAR images. This work proposes processing techniques that mitigate the impact of nadir echoes in staggered SAR through localization and thresholding-and-blanking of these echoes in range-compressed data and recovery of part of the underlying useful signal through interpolation. The performance of these processing techniques is evaluated through simulations using real TerraSAR-X data. The proposed technique can be implemented as an optional stage in the processing chain of future staggered SAR missions and leads to improved image quality at a reasonable additional computational cost.

Nonlocal superconducting quantum interference device

Superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) that incorporate two superconductor/insulator/superconductor (SIS) Josephson junctions in a closed loop form the core of some of the most sensitive detectors of magnetic and electric fields currently available. SQUIDs in these applications are typically operated with a finite voltage which generates microwave radiation through the ac Josephson effect. This radiation may impact the system being measured. We describe here a SQUID in which the Josephson junctions are formed from strips of normal metal (N) in good electrical contact with the superconductor (S). Such SNS SQUIDs can be operated under a finite voltage bias with performance comparable or potentially better than conventional SIS SQUIDs. However, they also permit a novel mode of operation that is based on the unusual interplay of quasiparticle currents and supercurrents in the normal metal of the Josephson junction. The new method allows measurements of the flux dependence of the critical current of the SNS SQUID without applying a finite voltage bias across the SNS junction, enabling sensitive flux detection without generating microwave radiation.

Control of an over-actuated spacecraft using a combination of a fluid actuator and reaction wheels

In 2017, Technische Universität Berlin (TU Berlin) has launched the first space-rated fluid-dynamic actuator (FDA) on the TechnoSat mission. This type of actuator is unique with respect to its dynamic properties, as it offers a very high torque but limited angular momentum storage capabilities in comparison to reaction wheels (RWs). In combination with the tetrahedron RW assembly featured on the spacecraft, a unique combination of attitude control actuators has been formed. The spacecraft axis parallel to the FDA is over-actuated, featuring control actuators of contrasting nature which offers novel options in terms of spacecraft operations. However, with the camera axis on TechnoSat being aligned parallel to the actuator’s axis of rotation, there is limited operational use to this setup.In July 2019, TU Berlin launched Berlin Experimental and Educational Satellite 9 (BEESAT-9) – the first CubeSat featuring a set of three orthogonal RWs and a single picosatellite fluid-dynamic actuator (pFDA) for attitude control. The camera axis of BEESAT-9 is perpendicular to the actuator axis, and therefore allows the demonstration of the proposed novel modes of operation. Among the proposed modes is an artificial increase of the swath and the acquisition of stereo images of multiple, successive targets on the ground. Crucial to these operation scenarios is the control allocation between the RW assembly and the single pFDA.This paper first introduces the spacecraft and describes the proposed novel modes of operation that are enabled by the actuator combination realized on BEESAT-9, followed by a review of the state of the art of control allocation for over-actuated spacecraft. The main part of the paper comprises a description of the implementation of the dynamics models of the attitude control actuators and spacecraft, followed by a description of the implemented high-level control laws and control allocation methods. Finally, simulation results for the artificial swath increase and the single spacecraft stereo imaging mode are appended and discussed.

Electrochemical tap water softening: A zero chemical input approach

Electrochemical water softening was proposed as a sustainable alternative for ion exchange softening, avoiding the input of salt to drinking water and the production of a concentrated brine. Here we demonstrated two novel modes of operation combining an electrochemical cell with a fluidized bed crystallizer. The first approach relied on an electrochemical cell consisting of an anode and cathode separated by a cation or anion exchange membrane. The feed water was first directed into a crystallizer where it was blended with alkaline cathode effluent. The effluent of the crystallizer, softened water, was in part recirculated to the cathode to generate alkalinity, in part to the anode compartment, where the pH was again decreased. Average removal efficiencies for calcium and magnesium of 75–86% and 7–21% respectively, could be sustainably reached, at a specific energy consumption of 7.0–10.1 kWh kg−1 CaCO3 (0.86–1.39 kWh m−3 water). This configuration allowed reagent-free water softening, albeit with an effluent with a pH between 3.0 and 3.6. In a second mode of operation, the process influent to soften was also directed to the crystallizer and recirculated over the cathode, which was separated from the anode using an anion exchange membrane. In this mode of operation, the cathode effluent was sent through the crystallizing unit, and the anode compartment was operated in closed-loop. Average calcium and magnesium removal efficiencies of 73–78% and 40–44% were obtained at specific energy consumptions of 5.8–7.5 kWh kg−1 CaCO3 (0.77–0.88 kWh m−3 water). Although the softened water had an elevated pH (∼9.4), the advantage of this configuration is concomitant removal of anions and the formation of acids/disinfectant in the anode compartment. Both methods of operation thus showed reagent-free water softening at a relatively low specific energy consumption. These novel methods of softening could be used in remote locations where access to chemicals or discharge of ion exchange brines proves to be difficult, or in case addition of chemicals for softening is unwanted. Further research is needed to further decrease the specific energy consumption during long-term operation.

Boudouard reaction driven by thermal plasma for efficient CO2 conversion and energy storage

Abstract Conversion of CO2 into CO using plasma processing powered by renewable energy is a promising method to convert intermittent sustainable electricity into storable chemical energy. Despite extensive research efforts worldwide, there is currently no process that achieves economically viable values for both CO2 conversion fraction and energy recovery efficiency simultaneously. Here we demonstrate that a process that utilizes the Boudouard reaction, CO2 + +C → 2CO, driven by a thermal plasma allows both 95% CO2 conversion to CO and energy recovery efficiency of 70%, values far higher than seen so far. By comparing the conversion process with and without CO2 excitation by a plasma and by using optical emission spectroscopy we show that the improved performance is due to a novel mode of operation where CO2 is pyrolyzed into an active mixture of CO, O and O2 by an arc discharge which is then introduced into a fixed bed to interact with carbon material. In this way, the free oxygen in the mixture combusts with carbon to form CO, and residual plasma excited CO2 is reduced by carbon. In the overall process, the endothermic Boudouard reaction is partially replaced by an exothermic reaction, and the excess electric energy to produce CO2 plasma is reused in the carbon bed.

An initial assessment of the value of Allam Cycle power plants with liquid oxygen storage in future GB electricity system

The Allam Cycle is a novel oxy-combustion gas turbine power cycle with a reported net cycle efficiency of 58–60% LHV and near-zero operating emissions. An Allam Cycle process model is developed displaying a net cycle thermal efficiency (LHV) of 58.0%, a higher value than previously reported in the literature, due to the inclusion of a bypass stream heat source. Novel modes of operation are added to improve plant operational flexibility, including a temporary increase in cycle efficiency to 66.1%, with the use of liquid oxygen storage to shift the energy penalty of oxygen production. This facilitates decoupling oxygen and electricity production and operates as a form of energy storage. For the first time, a purpose-built Unit Commitment and Economic Dispatch (UCED) model is used to investigate the impact of Allam Cycle plants and of liquid oxygen storage on system costs and grid CO2 intensities, taking the illustrative case of the GB electricity system. Over a representative winter week with high net demand, a fleet of 5–15 Allam Cycle plants operates with a capacity factor of, respectively 97%-90%, reducing system costs by 2.6%–6.7% and reducing electricity grid average CO2 intensity by 7.9%–19.0%. Adding oxygen storage to these plants allows surplus renewable energy generation to be stored, thus avoiding wind curtailment. Our initial findings indicate that oxygen storage can be valuable to both to plant operators and the system operators, but also that further work is required to evaluate non-energy revenue streams from the ancillary service market to determine whether the capital expenditure of liquid oxygen storage could be justified without financial incentives.

Partial-Duplex Amplify-and-Forward Relaying: Spectral Efficiency Analysis Under Self-Interference

We propose a novel mode of operation for amplify-and-forward relays in which the spectra of the relay input and output signals partially overlap. This partial-duplex relaying mode encompasses half- and full-duplex as particular cases. By viewing the partial-duplex relay as a bandwidth-preserving linear periodically time-varying system, a spectral efficiency analysis under self-interference is developed. In contrast with previous works, self-interference is regarded as a useful information-bearing component rather than simply assimilated to noise. This approach reveals that previous results regarding the impact of self-interference on (full-duplex) relay performance are overly pessimistic. Based on a frequency-domain interpretation of the effect of self-interference, a number of suboptimal decoding architectures at the destination node are also discussed. It is found that the partial-duplex relaying mode may provide an attractive tradeoff between spectral efficiency and receiver complexity.

Reduction in energy for electrochemical disinfection of E. coli in urine simulant

We report the development of novel modes of operation for electrochemical disinfection of E. coli in human urine simulant with an aim to minimize the energy required for disinfection. The system employs boron-doped diamond electrodes and will be part of an energy neutral, water and additive free outdoor toilet being developed for use in developing countries. Disinfection had been previously demonstrated with voltage being continuously applied to the electrode until disinfection was achieved. In the present study, a new pulsed mode of operation is investigated. This includes a continuous on mode, where oxidants are generated until disinfection is achieved, a single cycle mode, where oxidants are generated for a fixed time and the water is circulated so allow already generated oxidants to disinfect, and a pulsed mode with different duty cycles, which is like the single cycle mode but with multiple cycles. Disinfection was achieved with pulsed mode operation with a 68% energy reduction compared to the continuous on mode. Energy saving was most likely achieved by lengthening the contact time of the disinfectant with the bacteria and increased generation of non-chlorine disinfecting oxidants.Graphical abstract

A Load Modulated Balanced Amplifier for Telecom Applications

This paper presents the design and characterization of a load modulated balanced amplifier for telecom base station applications adopting a novel mode of operation. The theory of operation is described explaining the main differences compared to Doherty amplifiers, in particular the RF bandwidth advantages and, on the other hand, the intrinsic nonlinear behavior. The specific design strategy that adopts prematching for back-off broadband matching is explained in detail. A prototype, based on 25-W GaN packaged devices, has been fabricated and measured with single tone CW and modulated signal stimulus. For CW conditions, on the 1.7–2.5-GHz band, the peak output power is between 63 and 78 W, with power added efficiency higher than 48%, 43%, and 39% at saturation, 6- and 8-dB output power back-off, respectively. With a modulated signal for Long Term Evolution the amplifier provides an average output power of around 10 W, with efficiency higher than 40%, and can be linearized by adopting a low complexity predistorter. If compared to previously published power amplifiers targeting similar power and bandwidth, the measurement shows very good performance, demonstrating the potential of this novel technique in the field of efficiency enhanced transmitters.

Measurement of the dynamic moisture buffering potential of fabrics

In non-stationary wear conditions, characterized by intermittent pulses of moderate or heavy sweating, a garment with a good moisture buffering action can improve comfort. This is consistent with the common consumer belief that clothing manufactured from hygroscopic natural fibers (e.g., wool or cotton) provides better breathability. The current work describes a new approach for measuring dynamic moisture buffering potential using the sweating guarded hotplate instrument in a novel mode of operation. A fabric test sample is placed on the hotplate following the normal procedure for dry mode testing but with the relative humidity of the surrounding environment set to a low value (45%). After equilibration, the relative humidity is rapidly increased to a high value (85%). In the case of hygroscopic samples, a transient reduction in the heat required to maintain the hotplate at its fixed temperature is observed. It is demonstrated that the area of this transient peak is a measure of the water vapor absorbed during this transition, that is, the moisture buffering potential of the test specimen. A key to this new approach is that the heat of sorption per gram of water vapor absorbed is approximately the same for a wide range of natural and synthetic fibers commonly used in clothing. Using matched knitted fabrics manufactured from wool, cotton or polyester, the technique detected the heat released from light weight fabrics and the performance of the different fiber types is clearly distinguished.

Zeeman deceleration beyond periodic phase space stability

In Zeeman deceleration, time-varying spatially inhomogeneous magnetic fields are used to create packets of translationally cold, quantum-state-selected paramagnetic particles with a tuneable forward velocity, which are ideal for cold reaction dynamics studies. Here, the covariance matrix adaptation evolutionary strategy is adopted in order to optimise deceleration switching sequences for the operation of a Zeeman decelerator. Using the optimised sequences, a 40% increase in the number of decelerated particles is observed compared to standard sequences for the same final velocity, imposing the same experimental boundary conditions. Furthermore, we demonstrate that it is possible to remove up to 98% of the initial kinetic energy of particles in the incoming beam, compared to the removal of a maximum of 83% of kinetic energy with standard sequences. Three-dimensional particle trajectory simulations are employed to reproduce the experimental results and to investigate differences in the deceleration mechanism adopted by standard and optimised sequences. It is experimentally verified that the optimal solution uncovered by the evolutionary algorithm is not merely a local optimisation of the experimental parameters—it is a novel mode of operation that goes beyond the standard periodic phase stability approach typically adopted.

A novel mode of operation of SLC22A11: Membrane insertion of estrone sulfate versus translocation of uric acid and glutamate

Estrone sulfate alias estrone-3-sulfate (E3S) is considerably larger and much more hydrophobic than typical substrates of SLC22 transporters. It is puzzling that many otherwise unrelated transporters have been reported to transport E3S. Here we scrutinized the mechanism of transport of E3S by SLC22A11 (alias OAT4), by direct comparison with uric acid (UA), an important physiological substrate. Heterologous expression of SLC22A11 in human 293 cells gave rise to a huge unidirectional efflux of glutamate (Glu) and aspartate, as determined by LC–MS/MS. The uptake of E3S was 20-fold faster than the uptake of UA. Yet, the outward transport of Glu was inhibited by extracellular E3S, but not by UA. The release of E3S after preloading was trans-stimulated by extracellular dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), but neither by UA nor 6-carboxyfluorescein (6CF). The equilibrium accumulation of E3S was enhanced 3-fold by replacement of chloride with gluconate, but the opposite effect was observed for UA. These results establish that SLC22A11 provides entirely different transport mechanisms for E3S and UA. Therefore, E3S must not be used as a substitute for UA to assay the function of SLC22A11. In equilibrium accumulation experiments, the transporter-mediated uptake was a linear function of the concentration of UA and 6CF. By contrast, in the same concentration range the graph for E3S was hyperbolic. This suggests that SLC22A11 inserts E3S into a small volume with limited capacity, the plasma membrane. Our data support the notion that the reverse process, extraction from the membrane, is also catalyzed by the carrier.

Three column intermittent simulated moving bed chromatography: 1. Process description and comparative assessment

The three column intermittent simulated moving bed (3C-ISMB) process is a new type of multi-column chromatographic process for binary separations and can be regarded as a modification of the I-SMB process commercialized by Nippon Rensui Corporation. In contrast to conventional I-SMB, this enables the use of only three instead of four columns without compromising product purity and throughput. The novel mode of operation is characterized by intermittent feeding and product withdrawal as well as by partial recycling of the weakly retained component from section III to section I.Due to the smaller number of columns with respect to conventional I-SMB, higher internal flow rates can be applied without violating pressure drop constraints. Therefore, the application of 3C-ISMB allows for a higher throughput whilst using a smaller number of columns. As a result, we expect that the productivity given in terms of throughput per unit time and unit volume of stationary phase can be significantly increased.In this contribution, we describe the new process concept in detail and analyze its cyclic steady state behavior through an extensive simulation study. The latter shows that 3C-ISMB can be easily designed by Triangle Theory even under highly non-linear conditions. The simple process design is an important advantage to other advanced SMB-like processes. Moreover, the simulation study demonstrates the superior performance of 3C-ISMB, namely productivity increases by roughly 60% with respect to conventional I-SMB without significantly sacrificing solvent consumption.

Singular value decomposition using an array of CORDIC processors

This paper describes a novel mode of operation of an array of CORDIC processors whereby a pair of complex vectors is made orthogonal using a simple, direct procedure in which rotation angles do not need to be evaluated. By this means, singular value decomposition (SVD) of a complex matrix can be achieved using the one-sided Jacobi method described by Hestenes. The procedure provides an efficient and economical implementation of SVD for use in MIMO precoding and other real-time signal processing tasks involving small matrices of complex elements.

Semicontinuous Discharge of Non‐Newtonian Filter Cakes in Electrofiltration

AbstractA novel mode of operation for electrofiltration is presented. The newly developed operation procedure allows for cake removal without disassembling the chamber. Highly viscous filter cakes are discharged from the filtration chamber by inserting air which permits a rapid restart of the process. The cleaning time could be reduced from about 10 min to a few seconds. The semicontinuous operation is liable to full automation and allows for cake discharge and filtration in a short period of time. In successive cycles was proved that the process efficiency is maintained using the same membrane. A fully continuous system can be accomplished by assembling several units in parallel in a single filtration press.

UAVSAR: New NASA Airborne SAR System for Research

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is currently building a reconfigurable, polarimetric L-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR), specifically designed to acquire airborne repeat track SAR data for differential interferometric measurements. Differential interferometry can provide key deformation measurements, important for studies of earthquakes, volcanoes, and other dynamically changing phenomena. Using precision real-time GPS and a sensor controlled flight management system, the system will be able to fly pre-defined paths with great precision. The expected performance of the flight control system will constrain the flight path to be within a 10 m diameter tube about the desired flight track. The radar will be designed to be operable on a Unpiloted Arial Vehicle (UAV) but will initially be demonstrated on a NASA Gulfstream III. The radar will be fully polarimetric, with a range bandwidth of 80 MHz (2 m range resolution), and will support a 16 km range swath. The antenna will be electronically steered along track to assure that the antenna beam can be directed independently, regardless of the wind direction and speed. Other features supported by the antenna include elevation monopulse and pulse-to-pulse re-steering capabilities that will enable some novel modes of operation. The system will nominally operate at 45,000 feet (13,800 m). The program began as an Instrument Incubator Project (IIP) funded by NASA Earth Science and Technology Office (ESTO).

A Lambek Automaton

We define an automata-theoretic counterpart of (type-logical) grammars based on the (associative) Lambek-calculusL, a prominent formalism in computational linguistics. While the usual push-down automaton (PDA) has the same weak generative power as the L-based grammars (Pentus, 1995), there is no direct relationship between the computations of a PDA for some language L and the derivations of an L-based grammar for L. In the Lambek-automaton, on the other hand, there is a tight relation (1-1) between automaton computations and grammar derivations. The automaton exhibits a novel mode of operation, using hypothetical steps, directly inspired by the hypothetical reasoning embodied by L.