Practical System Research Articles

Challenges in delivery of Bhutanese Traditional Medicine (Sowa Rigpa) services at Primary Healthcare Centres in Bhutan

Bhutanese Traditional Medicine (Sowa Rigpa) and allopathic medicine are integrated and state-funded in the three-tier healthcare system of Bhutan. Bhutanese Traditional Medicine services are available in all three levels of the healthcare system offering a range of services, from consultations to therapies and drug dispensations. Except for the National Traditional Medicine Hospital in Thimphu, all the centres across the country offer only outpatient services. Out of 81 traditional medicine centres, 55 centres are located at the primary level, serving people in different geographical areas of the country. Despite an increasing number of patients availing the traditional medicine services, the facilities at the primary level continue to face several challenges. The challenges include delayed and disruptive medicine supply chain, lack of an effective and systematic patient referral system, misconceptions and lack of awareness of traditional medicine services and inadequate infrastructure. All of these impede the provision of traditional medicine services in the communities. We recommend a technology-based drug delivery system in addition to resilient production centres, an effective patient referral system in traditional medicine practice by leveraging on the guideline and electronic patient information system, advocacies in the communities to dispel the myths and misconceptions regarding the Bhutanese Traditional Medicine, and adequate and architecturally smart infrastructure. Implementing these solutions could enhance access and utilization of traditional medicine services, leveraging the best use of this important component of the healthcare system.

Current Situation and Countermeasures of Teaching Environmental Design in Colleges and Universities

This paper takes the environmental design major in colleges and universities as the research object, and analyzes the teaching status quo of the environmental design major in colleges and universities in China, and finds that there are problems such as the curriculum is out of line with the social demand, the practical teaching resources are insufficient, the structure of the teaching staff is unreasonable, and the students' innovation ability is insufficient, and so on. Aiming at these problems, this paper puts forward a series of countermeasures and suggestions, including optimizing the curriculum and teaching content, strengthening the construction of practical teaching system, improving the overall level of the teaching staff, and stimulating students' innovative potential and practical ability. The results of the study have certain theoretical reference value for promoting the reform and development of environmental design professional education in colleges and universities in China.

UTILIZING CONVOLUTIONAL NEURAL NETWORKS TO COMPREHEND SIGN LANGUAGE AND RECOGNIZE EMOTIONS

The inability to communicate verbally is widely acknowledged as a significant disability. The primary objective of this research is to create a practical system aimed at individuals with hearing impairments, particularly those who depend on sign language as their primary means of communication. This system aims to enable deaf individuals to express themselves, communicate effectively and facilitate understanding of their language which would otherwise be challenging since most people are unfamiliar with sign language. By employing human gesture interpretation and motion capture, this technology can facilitate the translation of sign language into spoken language and vice versa. Despite the existence of various methods to convert sign language into voice, none of them currently provide an entirely intuitive user interface. Our objective is to create a system that not only translates sign language but also integrates a natural user interface, thus enhancing accessibility for individuals who are blind or have visual impairments. This system will achieve this by recognizing facial expressions and effectively conveying emotions behind words assisting visually impaired individuals in expressing themselves more effectively. Hence, in this project, we tentatively aim to build a system that can ease the lives of blind, deaf and dumb people to some extent. Normal communication like normal people do might never be possible for differently abled people but through our project, we try to provide them with a tool that can help them experience normalcy while communicating with normal people.

Forget to Learn (F2L): Circumventing plasticity–stability trade-off in continuous unsupervised domain adaptation

In continuous unsupervised domain adaptation (CUDA), deep learning models struggle with the stability-plasticity trade-off—where the model must forget old knowledge to acquire new one. This paper introduces the “Forget to Learn” (F2L), a novel framework that circumvents such a trade-off. In contrast to state-of-the-art methods that aim to balance the two conflicting objectives, stability and plasticity, F2L utilizes active forgetting and knowledge distillation to circumvent the conflict’s root causes. In F2L, dual-encoders are trained, where the first encoder – the ‘Specialist’ – is designed to actively forget, thereby boosting adaptability (i.e., plasticity) and generating high-accuracy pseudo labels on the new domains. Such pseudo labels are then used to transfer/accumulate the specialist knowledge to the second encoder—the ‘Generalist’ through conflict-free knowledge distillation. Empirical and ablation studies confirmed F2L’s superiority on different datasets and against different SOTAs. Furthermore, F2L minimizes the need for hyperparameter tuning, enhances computational and sample efficiency, and excels in problems with long domain sequences—key advantages for practical systems constrained by hardware limitations.

CroCoDai : A Stablecoin for Cross-Chain Commerce

Decentralized Finance (DeFi), in which digital assets are exchanged without trusted intermediaries, has grown rapidly in value in recent years. Stablecoins , which are pegged to a non-volatile asset such as the US dollar, are a prominent feature of DeFi as they mitigate the risk associated with price fluctuations. However, existing stablecoin systems are tied to individual blockchain platforms, and trusted parties or complex protocols are needed to exchange stablecoin tokens between blockchains. Our goal is to design a practical stablecoin system for cross-chain commerce, and to do so we must overcome two main challenges. The first is to support a large and growing number of blockchains efficiently. The second is for the stablecoin to be resilient to blockchain platform failures and to price fluctuations that affect its collateral. We present CroCoDai to address these challenges. We demonstrate CroCoDai 's efficiency by comparing the performance of a prototype implementation to related baselines, and its resilience through an empirical analysis of historical token price data.

A Novel Delivery System for the Combined Use of Natural Ingredients: The Preparation of Berberine Hydrochloride–Matrine Liposomes and Preliminary Exploration of Their Anti-Tumor Activity

Berberine hydrochloride (BH) extracted from Coptis chinensis (CC) and Matrine (MT) separated from Sophora flavescens (SF) are alkaloids with potent anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects. Motivated by the clinical practice of using CC and SF together, we aimed to demonstrate that the synergistic application of the natural compounds BH and MT could enhance therapeutic effects and minimize side effects. Two types of liposomes, liposomes containing only BH (BH-LP) and liposomes containing both BH and MT (BH-MT-LP), were successfully prepared via the reverse evaporation method. The liposome preparation process was optimized by single-factor screening and the Box–Behnken experimental design method. The results showed that the liposomes had particle sizes in the range of 222.7 to 235.4 nm, polydispersity indicated in the range of 11.8% to 23.3%, and zeta potentials in the range of −35.9 to −31.1 mv. BH-MT-LP showed superior anti-tumor activity against MDA-MB-231, HepG-2, and HGC-27 cells in vitro. The incorporation of MT effectively promoted the anti-tumor effect of BH, while the controlled release from liposomes further enhanced the therapeutic efficacy of BH. Furthermore, based on the flow cytometry results, we speculated that BH-MT-LP might promote apoptosis by blocking the G1 phase of cells and inducing cell death. In conclusion, BH-MT-LP provides evidence for the combined use of natural compounds as a stable, safe, and practical drug delivery system for the treatment of potential cancers. Meanwhile, the successful preparation for BH-MT-LP also provides a new approach to the combined use of traditional Chinese medicine ingredients.

Robustness of internal insulation systems in practice – Role of installation, physical impact, paint types, and surface covering

Robustness of internal insulation systems in practice – Role of installation, physical impact, paint types, and surface covering

An experimental investigation on the performance of a single cylinder diesel engine at various partial loads

This study investigates various partial load characteristics of a diesel engine, including brake specific fuel consumption, torque, and power, to get insight into these performances in practice. Firstly, these characteristics were experimentally examined with approximate 25, 50, 75, and 85% fuel rack settings at 900 to 2400 rpm engine speeds. Then, more operating modes were investigated to build characteristics corresponding to constant fuel quantity per engine cycle. The results indicate that the practical partial load characteristics significantly differ from the theory of full-load characteristics since the fuel quantity per cycle varies even though the rack is fixed. Especially at low loads, the fuel quantity per cycle increases enormously with engine speed due to the significant influence of pressure waves. Hence, torque and power increase continuously, making it challenging to control the engine operation. In contrast, because the reduction in fuel viscosity and pump efficiency balances the pressure wave effects at high loads, fuel quantity per cycle remains relatively constant, making the characteristics more similar to the theory. Besides, if fuel quantity per cycle is kept constant, the trends in partial load curves follow the theory, which can be approximately predicted. These findings reveal that considering fuel quantity per cycle is significant when studying diesel engine partial loads, notably at low loads. The study contributes a vital basis for further investigating and modeling the partial characteristics of diesel engines. Also, it is a crucial reference for estimating the suitable working conditions of engine-driven systems in practice.

Assessment of clinical performance of universal adhesives versus other adhesive systems: A systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials

Universal adhesives (UAs) often exhibit comparable or even superior bond strength to traditional adhesive systems, ensuring reliable and long-lasting adhesion between the resin composite and the tooth structure. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the clinical performance of UAs compared to other adhesive systems in direct resin composite restorations through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Two reviewers executed a literature search in five electronic databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and Scielo. Clinical trials comparing the clinical evaluation of resin composite restorations in Class I, Class II, or Class V cavities placed with an universal adhesive (UA) system against resin composite restorations placed with another non-UA system were included in the review. An analysis was carried out using Review Manager software version 5.3.5 (London, England, United Kingdom). Standardized effect sizes with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to allow comparisons between different interventions and different outcomes. The methodological quality of each study was assessed using the Cochrane RoB2 tool for randomized clinical trials. A total of 2331 potentially relevant studies were identified. After title and abstract examination, 14 studies remained in the systematic review. From these, a total of 11 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The retention rates of resin composite restorations after 6 months showed no significant difference between total-etch (TE, p=0.83), or self-etch (SE, p=0.78) adhesives and UAs applied in TE and SE modes (p>0.05). However, UAs applied in selective-enamel etching (SEE) mode demonstrated superior clinical performance compared to other adhesives (p=0.01), particularly TE adhesives (p=0.02). Similarly, after >12 months of follow-up, there were no significant differences in retention rates among different adhesive modes (p>0.05). Additionally, the incidence of secondary caries did not significantly differ across adhesive modes at both 6-month and >12-month evaluations (p>0.05). This systematic review and meta-analysis suggested that UAs demonstrate comparable clinical performance to TE and SE adhesive systems in direct resin composite restorations, particularly in terms of restoration retention rates and the incidence of secondary caries. UAs applied in SEE mode exhibited superior clinical outcomes compared to other adhesive systems. These findings indicate that UAs can be considered a viable alternative to traditional adhesive systems in clinical practice, offering flexibility in application while maintaining comparable long-term outcomes.

Laminar burning characteristics of ammonia and hydrogen blends at elevated initial pressures up to 2.5 MPa

Ammonia is a highly promising alternative fuel, and blending it with hydrogen can mitigate its poor combustion performance. However, the combustion mechanism of ammonia-hydrogen mixtures requires further validation through measurements of laminar burning velocity, particularly under high-pressure conditions relevant to practical combustors. Experimental data at high initial pressures (>1.0 MPa) are notably scarce. In this study, experiments were conducted using an outwardly propagating spherical flame in a high-pressure, high-temperature, constant-volume combustion chamber to determine the laminar burning velocities of ammonia-hydrogen blends at elevated initial pressures. The effects of different equivalence ratios (0.6 ∼ 1.4), volumetric hydrogen ratios (0.1 ∼ 0.6), and initial pressures (0.1 ∼ 2.5 MPa) were evaluated. Chemical kinetics of ammonia and hydrogen combustion was investigated at high pressures. The experimental results were compared with the simulation results under a wide range of conditions using several existing mechanisms to evaluate their applicability. The results show that the laminar burning velocity increases first and then decreases as the equivalence ratio (ϕ) increases and reaches a maximum value around ϕ of 1.1. The laminar burning velocity increases non-linearly with the volumetric hydrogen ratio, with more pronounced acceleration at higher hydrogen ratios. In contrast, the laminar burning velocity decreases non-linearly with the increasing initial pressure, and this reduction becomes progressively slower as the initial pressure rises. The predictive performance of the mechanisms by Okafor et al. and Gotama et al. is relatively satisfactory under certain conditions, but further optimization based on experimental data is necessary. Additionally, reaction pathway analysis of ammonia-hydrogen combustion indicates that introducing hydrogen increases the concentration of active radicals such as OH, O, and H, thereby enhancing ammonia combustion. Sensitivity analysis of the laminar burning velocity identified the critical elementary reactions across varying pressures, providing strong support for optimizing ammonia-hydrogen chemical kinetics models and developing simulation models for practical combustion systems.

Controller design and optimal sizing of battery energy storage system for frequency regulation in a multi machine power system

Frequency regulation is one of the key components needed to keep the power grid stable and reliable in the case of an imbalance between generation and load. This study looks at several control techniques for Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) to keep the frequency stable in the power system during generation/load disruptions. This research aims to build several BESS controllers, including the proportional-integral (PI), proportional integral derivative (PID), and Tilt-Integral Derivative (TID) controllers. Also, the BESS controller parameters are optimized and compared by using metaheuristics based particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the BAT algorithm. However, for practical power systems with high MVA ratings, the size of the battery energy storage systems has to be increased considerably to offset frequency deviations. Additionally, by utilizing PSO to reduce the frequency deviations within prescribed limits, this work presents the optimal BESS sizing for multimachine power systems. Furthermore, the research study examines the impact of BESS connected to various voltage levels, such as LV, MV, and HV subgrids. It also examines BESS's role in frequency management, which is an area of expertise that needs further investigation and is anticipated to have a big influence on the frequency stability of the system. Time domain simulations are carried out, which shows that the PSO based controller design is capable of stabilizing the system frequency with superior performance as well as the BESS's capability to participate effectively in frequency regulation. Additionally, this paper also implements the experimental verification through Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) simulations to validate the performance and robustness of the proposed control system. The WSCC 9-bus test system is used to demonstrate the BESS's efficacy. The system is modelled and simulated using the DIgSILENT PowerFactory software.

Passive Beamforming for Practical RIS-Assisted Communication Systems With Non-Ideal Hardware

Passive Beamforming for Practical RIS-Assisted Communication Systems With Non-Ideal Hardware

Multiple lubricated joints with long and short bearings in multibody mechanical systems - Modeling, simulation, and performance analysis

This study examines the effect of multiple lubricated imperfect long and short bearings on the performance of a multibody mechanical system. Unlike the typical assumption of a single perfect or imperfect lubricated joint due to modeling difficulties, this research considers the practical impacts of clearances in multiple joints. While unlubricated joints generally cause significant performance issues, lubricants reduce these effects, creating more localized peaks. The findings show that as the number of lubricated joints increases, both the magnitude and frequency of these peaks rise. In systems with multiple journal bearings, torque peaks become more noticeable due to the additional degrees of freedom introduced by the clearances. These degrees of freedom amplify acceleration, leading to higher lubricant reaction forces, which in turn require greater motor torque peaks to maintain the system's kinematics. Shorter lubricated joints exhibit more severe peaks than longer ones, mainly due to side leakage causing axial pressure variation and reduced damping capacity. The study highlights the need to replace idealized joints with imperfect ones for more accurate modeling of practical systems.

Wafer-Scale Semitransparent MoS2/WS2 Heterojunction Catalyst on a Silicon Photocathode for Efficient Hydrogen Evolution.

The development of catalysts that are optically transparent, electrically charge-transferable, and capable of protecting underlying photoactive semiconductors is crucial for efficient photoelectrochemical (PEC) hydrogen production. However, meeting all these requirements simultaneously poses significant challenges. In this study, the fabrication of a wafer-scale transparent bilayer MoS2/WS2 catalyst is presented with a staggered heterojunction, optimized for photon absorption, extraction of photogenerated charge carriers, and surface passivation of p-Si photocathode. The MoS2 and WS2 monolayers are grown via metal-organic chemical vapor deposition, followed by sequential transfer and stacking onto the p-Si photocathode. The resulting type-II heterojunction film establishes a strong built-in electric field for rapid charge carrier transport and effectively protects the Si surface from oxidation and corrosion. The fabricated MoS2/WS2/p-Si photocathode demonstrates outstanding PEC performance, achieving a high photocurrent density of -25mAcm-2 at 0V versus reversible hydrogen electrode, along with enhanced stability compared to monolayer MoS2/p-Si. This work provides promising strategies for developing optically transparent, electrically active, and protective catalysts for practical PEC energy conversion systems.

A 3D-Printed Bionic Membrane with Autonomously Passive Unidirectional Liquid Transfer Capability for Water Condensation, Collection, and Purification.

Interfacial solar vapor generation is a promising technology for alleviating the current global water crisis, and the evaporation rate and efficiency have approached the theoretical limit. In a practical interfacial evaporation water purification system, the collection rate of purified water is typically lower than the evaporation rate. Passive collection devices based on gravity are susceptible to environmental influences and exhibit low collection efficiency, while active collection devices consuming external energy suffer from complex device systems and extra energy consumption. Given that both collection devices are nonselective and unable to distinguish contaminants mixed in the vapor, bionic membranes with autonomously passive and unidirectional water transfer capacity are developed through 3D printing for efficient water collection. More importantly, the bionic membranes are capable of high-speed water transportation without the need for external energy or gravity drive and liquid-selective transportation for separating oily pollutants from the collected products. The directional transport property facilitates the modular assembly of the bionic membrane, extending its application to practical large-scale solar-driven seawater desalination systems.

Integration of renewable energy-powered cold storage solutions for reducing post-harvest food waste in rural agricultural areas

Post-harvest food loss remains a critical challenge in rural agricultural areas, exacerbated by inadequate storage facilities and unreliable energy access. This study develops and optimizes an advanced renewable energy-powered cold storage system tailored for rural settings, integrating solar and wind energy with phase change materials (PCMs) for efficient energy storage. The system incorporates Internet of Things (IoT)-based sensors and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven energy management to maintain optimal storage conditions and enhance energy efficiency. Field trials conducted in Lincolnshire, UK, and Appalachian regions of the US demonstrated significant reductions in post-harvest food loss by an average of 43.5%, extensions in produce shelf-life by up to 300%, and increased income for smallholder farmers by approximately 43%. The system also achieved an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional diesel-powered systems. Economic analyses revealed a shorter payback period and higher return on investment, confirming the system's viability. High user satisfaction and adoption rates indicate the system's practicality and potential for widespread implementation. The findings suggest that integrating renewable energy with smart technologies in cold storage solutions offers a scalable and sustainable approach to enhancing food security, promoting economic growth in rural areas, and supporting environmental objectives globally.

Research on the Cultivation Path of Practical Ability for Tourism Management Students

This paper aims to explore the cultivation path of practical ability for tourism management students. By analyzing the current situation and problems of practical ability cultivation in tourism management, it proposes strategies such as constructing a diversified practical teaching system, strengthening school-enterprise cooperation, and improving the evaluation mechanism of practical teaching. The implementation of these strategies is intended to enhance students' practical abilities and meet the demand for talents in the tourism industry. This study not only provides theoretical support for the teaching reform of tourism management majors in universities but also serves as a reference for cultivating high-quality tourism management talents.

Enhancing software engineering practices with generative AI: A framework for automated code synthesis and refactoring

This paper is based on how software development has been revolutionized using AI in automation, mainly dealing with code synthesis and rewrite frameworks. While there is no focused definition for software development with AI technologies, their application in development processes is unlikely to remain marginal as they mature and provide higher productivity, improved code quality, and enhanced ability for automating repetitive tasks in development. Automating coding means that predefined tools can bring code suggestions, show and apply refactoring features, and enforce coding standards so developers can devote their efforts to other aspects of software development. The following paper describes the practical systems that should be adopted before AI can be incorporated into software development. It also covers essential factors such as ethical, security, and quality aspects regarding the proper use of artificial intelligence. Lastly, the paper focuses on the direction and innovations in the future, including domain-specific AI models, better explainability of the AI solutions, and collaborative tools that can work according to improved and modified development practices. The framework is intended to balance machine learning with human experience to help developers utilize the benefits that an AI-Based Software Development Framework can render.

Approximation-based adaptive two-bit-triggered bipartite tracking control for nonlinear networked MASs subject to periodic disturbances

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the problem of adaptive bipartite tracking control in nonlinear networked multi-agent systems (MASs) under the influence of periodic disturbances. It considers both cooperative and competitive relationships among agents within the MASs. Design/methodology/approach In response to the inherent limitations of practical systems regarding transmission resources, this paper introduces a novel approach. It addresses both control signal transmission and triggering conditions, presenting a two-bit-triggered control method aimed at conserving system transmission resources. Additionally, a command filter is incorporated to address the problem of complexity explosion. Furthermore, to model the uncertain nonlinear dynamics affected by time-varying periodic disturbances, this paper combines Fourier series expansion and radial basis function neural networks. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through simulation results. Findings Based on neural networks and command filter control method, an adaptive two-bit-triggered bipartite control strategy for nonlinear networked MASs is proposed. Originality/value The proposed control strategy effectively addresses the challenges of limited transmission resources, nonlinear dynamics and periodic disturbances in networked MASs. It guarantees the boundedness of all signals within the closed-loop system while also ensuring effective bipartite tracking performance.

Screening for subclinical atherosclerosis in patients clinically diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia and determination of imaging-guided patient management strategy

Abstract Introduction Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a monogenic dyslipidemia characterized by elevated plasma LDL-C levels, leading to early cardiovascular disease. The Dutch Lipid Clinic Network (DLCN) score is the most widely used clinical scoring system in current practice. Subclinical atherosclerosis is defined as the detection of atheromatous plaques in arterial territories, such as coronary, carotid or iliofemoral, before a symptom or event occurs. It is an early indicator of atherosclerotic burden. In this study, we investigated the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in FH patients with a definite or probable clinical diagnosis according to DLCN score. We also tried to identify independent predictors of subclinical atherosclerosis. Methods This study is a single-center, prospective, and cross-sectional investigation involving a cohort of 215 FH patients. These patients are primary prevention patients and among them, 120 patients received a definite clinical diagnosis, while 95 patients received a probable clinical diagnosis based on the DLCN score. Carotid USG and Femoral USG were performed to screen for subclinical atherosclerosis and CAC score was calculated by non-contrast CT. Apo A-I, Apo B and Lp (a) measurements were analyzed by immunonephelometric method. Results The study population consisted of 136 (63%) women and 79 (37%) men. The mean age was 54 years (43-62) and the stigmata rate was 18%. Initially, 17% of patients were on aspirin, and 32% were receiving statin treatment; however, following subclinical atherosclerosis screening, these proportions significantly increased (aspirin usage to %32 and statin usage to %96) within the population. 148 patients (69%) had subclinical atherosclerosis in at least one site. Upon regional analysis, subclinical atherosclerosis rates were 48% in the coronary arteries, 47.5% in the carotid bifurcation region, and 40.5% in the femoral bifurcation region. Additionally, 25% of patients had atherosclerosis at one site, 27% at two sites, and 17% at all three sites. Age, male gender, pretreatment LDL-C level, Apo A-I/Apo B ratio and DM were identified as independent predictors of the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in the FH patients. Furthermore age, male gender, pretreatment nonHDL-C level, Lp (a) ≥ 30 mg/dl and presence of femoral plaque were identified as independent predictors of coronary atherosclerosis. Conclusion Subclinical atherosclerosis is prevalent among FH patients, and this study has identified independent predictors associated with presence of subclinical atherosclerosis. However, despite this heightened risk, medication utilization among these patients remains below optimal levels and only a small proportion of the population has achieved their treatment goals. Our study highlights the influence of subclinical atherosclerosis on treatment approaches, as demonstrated by the notable rise in statin and aspirin utilization observed after screening.Clinical and biochemical characteristicsSubclinical Atherosclerosis Rates