Capability Of System Research Articles

Assessment of the causes of educational decline in the Maghreb countries

The education systems in Maghreb countries, including Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia, are experiencing significant deterioration due to a mix of internal and external factors. Internally, challenges such as outdated curricula, poor teacher training, overcrowded classrooms, and inadequate infrastructure undermine the quality of education. These issues are worsened by administrative inefficiencies and insufficient investment. Externally, socio-economic problems like high unemployment, political instability, and limited funding further strain the education sector. Additionally, the rapid pace of globalization and technological advancements outstrip the capabilities of these education systems to adapt. Cultural factors, including societal attitudes toward education, also contribute to the decline. Addressing these issues requires comprehensive reforms, such as updating curricula, investing in infrastructure and teacher training, and shifting cultural perceptions to prioritize education as a cornerstone for national development.

An integrated decision support system for ship collision avoidance

The ship encounter process is divided into the stages of free action, risk of collision, close-quarter, and immediate danger according to the four-stage theory of ship encounters. Current research on ship collision avoidance primarily focuses on the risk of collision stage, aiming to prevent ships from entering the close-quarter stage. However, various navigational equipment and environmental factors may cause ships to enter the close-quarter or immediate danger stages. Therefore, this paper establishes an integrated decision support system for the above stages to ensure that ships can handle all situations. First, the system includes a new collision risk detection module based on the ship domain model and the four-stage theory. Subsequently, in the collision avoidance strategy formulation module, two sets of avoidance strategies are established based on the convention on the COLREGs and the most effective avoidance principle for ships in different stages. Finally, in the avoidance action optimization module, a new fitness function is constructed based on ship maneuverability, and the sparrow search algorithm is introduced to solve for the optimal avoidance actions. The results demonstrate the capability of the decision support system presented in this paper to effectively avoid other ships in different stages of the encounter process.

Development and comprehensive analyses of a hybrid solar–geothermal driven polygeneration system: Thermodynamic, exergoeconomic, and emergoenvironmental aspects

The present research proposed an innovative polygeneration system that uses solar, geothermal, and natural gas energy to produce power, heat, steam, and freshwater. The system consists of a proton exchange membrane fuel cell, an organic Rankine cycle, and a multi-effect thermal desalination system. The study included thermodynamic, exergy, exergoeconomic, exergoenvironmental, emergy-based exergoeconomic, and emergy-based exergoenvironmental factors in its comprehensive evaluation of the system. Results underscored the financial aspect of the organic Rankine cycle and cogeneration system, incurring costs of 0.4518 $/s and 1.054 $/s respectively, while also highlighting the system's capability to produce 6 kg/s of freshwater. The environmental impact rates were quantified for the organic Rankine cycle and cogeneration system at 0.1417 and 0.4814 pts/s respectively, situating the system within its ecological context. Further, the study detailed the total efficiency and net power output of the organic Rankine cycle and cogeneration system, ranging between 32.45–33.51% and 43.25–45.83% for efficiency, and 56956–56322 kW and 50174–51898 kW for net power output r espectively, showcasing the system's operational capacity. A parametric analysis was also integral to the study, examining the impact of key parameters on the functionality of the proposed system, thereby providing a nuanced understanding of the system's performance under varying operational scenarios.

Emergent Model Based On Hybrid Rough Sets Systems

The development of many knowledge discovery methods provided us with a good foundation for building hybrid systems based on rough set theory for knowledge discovery in a database. The need for more effective methods of generating and maintaining global nonfunctional properties suggests an approach analogous to those of natural processes in generating emergent properties. An emergent model allows the constraints of the task to be represented more naturally and permits only pertinent task-specific knowledge to emerge in the course of solving the problem. This paper describes some basics of emergent phenomena and its implementation in the hybrid system of rough sets combined with other methods. Further, demonstrations and guidelines are presented on how to exploit emergent intelligence and extend the problem-solving capabilities of these hybrid systems.

Validation of DDC-3D code system for neutronics and thermal-hydraulics coupling analysis using BEAVRS benchmark

The direct whole-core calculations can provide accurate results and insights to the physics phenomena of the reactor. It can also capture the local effects of temperature and density fields on fuel depletion. However, the computational cost of the direct whole-core calculations is expensive. To compromise between computational cost and accuracy, the DDC-3D code system has been developed to perform neutronics and thermal-hydraulics coupling analysis. The DDC-3D code system couples the open-source codes DRAGON & DONJON based on two-step method and subchannel code COBRA-EN. The Picard iteration method is applied to ensure the stability of numerical calculation. Then the BEAVRS benchmark is used to validate the computational capabilities of DDC-3D code system. The critical boron concentrations, control rod worths and fission rate distributions are calculated in HZP condition. The results show a good agreement with measured data. The results demonstrate that the two-step method is applicable and valid for multiphysics simulations. For the result of HFP condition for cycle 1, the results also agree well with measured data, including the trend of the critical boron concentrations and power distributions throughout the cycle 1. Although the detailed thermal–hydraulic experimental values are not available, the thermal-hydraulics analysis of the hot fuel assemblies indicates that the calculation results are reasonable. In general, the results demonstrate the feasibility and accuracy of DDC-3D code system for neutronics and thermal-hydraulics coupling calculations and life cycle simulation of PWRs.

Selecting the Suitable Landfill Location for Efficient Waste Management in Udham Singh Nagar District, Uttarakhand: A Geospatial and Multi-Criteria Approach

The effective management process of solid waste is a pressing concern in Udham Singh Nagar district, where approximately 245 metric tons of waste is generated daily. To address this issue, it is essential to identify suitable landfill sites. This research aims to identify optimal sites for waste disposal in the district by combining the capabilities of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) techniques. A total of ten key factors were evaluated and prioritized according to their respective significance. A comprehensive analysis was conducted using theses parameters, including distance from road networks, rivers, railroads, sensitive area, geology, slope, elevation, population density, soil and land use/land cover (LULC). The study area was categorized into four suitability zones: high, moderate, low, and very low, representing 43.22%, 16.09%, 28.16%, and 12.53% of the area, respectively. The locations were selected based on the optimal distances considered for efficient waste management. The final results were validated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, which utilized a randomly selected set of 50 potential landfill site locations. The analysis demonstrated good accuracy, with the area under the curve (AUC) indicating that 84% of the results effectively validated the spatial analysis. To achieve sustainable solid waste management, planners should consider implementing alternative strategies such as source reduction, composting, sanitary landfills, and public awareness programs. The resulting map provides potential sites for landfilling waste, which can aid urban planners and authorities in implementing effective urban waste management strategies.

Interactive probes: Towards action-level evaluation for dialogue systems

Measures of ‘humanness’, ‘coherence’ or ‘fluency’ are the mainstay of dialogue system evaluation, but they don’t target system capabilities and rarely offer actionable feedback. Reviewing recent work in this domain, we identify an opportunity for evaluation at the level of action sequences, rather than the more commonly targeted levels of whole conversations or single responses. We introduce interactive probes, an evaluation framework inspired by empirical work on social interaction that can help to systematically probe the capabilities of dialogue systems. We sketch some first probes in the domains of tellings and repair, two sequence types ubiquitous in human interaction and challenging for dialogue systems. We argue interactive probing can offer the requisite flexibility to keep up with developments in interactive language technologies and do justice to the open-endedness of action formation and ascription in interaction.

Single-Shot Ultra-Widefield Polarization-Diversity Optical Coherence Tomography for Assessing Retinal and Choroidal Pathologies.

Background: Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a leading ocular imaging modality, known for delivering high-resolution volumetric morphological images. However, conventional OCT systems are limited by their narrow field-of-view (FOV) and their reliance on scattering contrast, lacking molecular specificity. Methods: To address these limitations, we developed a custom-built 105∘ ultra-widefield polarization-diversity OCT (UWF PD-OCT) system for assessing various retinal and choroidal conditions, which is particularly advantageous for visualizing peripheral retinal abnormalities. Patients with peripheral lesions or pigmentary changes were imaged using the UWF PD-OCT to evaluate the system's diagnostic capabilities. Comparisons were made with conventional swept-source OCT and other standard clinical imaging modalities to highlight the benefits of depolarization contrast for identifying pathological changes. Results: The molecular-specific contrast offered by UWF PD-OCT enhanced the detection of disease-specific features, particularly in the peripheral retina, by capturing melanin distribution and pigmentary changes in a single shot. This detailed visualization allows clinicians to monitor disease progression with greater precision, offering more accurate insights into retinal and choroidal pathologies. Conclusions: Integrating UWF PD-OCT into clinical practice represents a major advancement in ocular imaging, enabling comprehensive views of retinal pathologies that are difficult to capture with current modalities. This technology holds great potential to transform the diagnosis and management of retinal and choroidal diseases by providing unique insights into peripheral retinal abnormalities and melanin-specific changes, critical for early detection and timely intervention.

Performance of a Novel Electronic Nose for the Detection of Volatile Organic Compounds Relating to Starvation or Human Decomposition Post-Mass Disaster.

There has been a recent increase in the frequency of mass disaster events. Following these events, the rapid location of victims is paramount. Currently, the most reliable search method is scent detection dogs, which use their sense of smell to locate victims accurately and efficiently. Despite their efficacy, they have limited working times, can give false positive responses, and involve high costs. Therefore, alternative methods for detecting volatile compounds are needed, such as using electronic noses (e-noses). An e-nose named the 'NOS.E' was developed and has been used successfully to detect VOCs released from human remains in an open-air environment. However, the system's full capabilities are currently unknown, and therefore, this work aimed to evaluate the NOS.E to determine the efficacy of detection and expected sensor response. This was achieved using analytical standards representative of known human ante-mortem and decomposition VOCs. Standards were air diluted in Tedlar gas sampling bags and sampled using the NOS.E. This study concluded that the e-nose could detect and differentiate a range of VOCs prevalent in ante-mortem and decomposition VOC profiles, with an average LOD of 7.9 ppm, across a range of different chemical classes. The NOS.E was then utilized in a simulated mass disaster scenario using donated human cadavers, where the system showed a significant difference between the known human donor and control samples from day 3 post-mortem. Overall, the NOS.E was advantageous: the system had low detection limits while offering portability, shorter sampling times, and lower costs than dogs and benchtop analytical instruments.

Expanding SafeSU capabilities by leveraging security frameworks for contention monitoring in complex SoCs

The increased performance requirements of applications running on safety-critical systems have led to the use of complex platforms with several CPUs, GPUs, and AI accelerators. However, higher platform and system complexity challenge performance verification and validation since timing interference across tasks occurs in unobvious ways, hence defeating attempts to optimize application consolidation informedly during design phases and validating that mutual interference across tasks is within bounds during test phases.In that respect, the SafeSU has been proposed to extend inter-task interference monitoring capabilities in simple systems. However, modern mixed-criticality systems are complex, with multilayered interconnects, shared caches, and hardware accelerators. To that end, this paper proposes a non-intrusive add-on approach for monitoring interference across tasks in multilayer heterogeneous systems implemented by leveraging existing security frameworks and the SafeSU infrastructure.The feasibility of the proposed approach has been validated in an RTL RISC-V-based multicore SoC with support for AI hardware acceleration. Our results show that our approach can safely track contention and properly break down contention cycles across the different sources of interference, hence guiding optimization and validation processes.

Teaching Reform of RFID Principles and Application Course with Information Industry Integration for System Capability Cultivation

The rapid development of the domestic information industry ecosystem has put forward higher requirements for the quality of computer talent training in colleges and universities. In response to the current issues of outdated course content and lagging teaching strategies in RFID principles and application courses at applied undergraduate institutions, measures have been proposed to promote the cultivation of talent for the autonomous and controllable RFID industry, taking the system capability as the main line. Under the guidance of the engineering education certification standards, based on the Tyler curriculum development model, domestic RFID platforms are introduced into the classroom. Through innovative reforms of the objectives, content, methods, and evaluation system of the RFID principles and application courses, the integration into the information industry ecosystem is actively promoted, enhancing the effective integration of the education chain, industry chain, innovation chain, and talent chain, contributing to the national strategy of independent control.

A novel advanced hybrid fuzzy MPPT controllers for renewable energy systems

At present, the availability of nonrenewable sources and their usage for electric vehicle technology is reducing gradually because of their disadvantages are more environmental pollution, direct effect on human health, less reliability, and taking more time to start functioning. So, in this article, the proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is considered for the automotive application because of its advantages quick startup, more power density, more safety to handle, high efficiency, and capability of operating at very low operational temperature conditions. However, the drawback of PEMFC is very difficult to identify the accurate MPP position of the fuel system. Here, the improved variable step genetic algorithm is added with the adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system for tracking the operational point of the proposed system with high efficiency. These hybrid MPPT controller features are easy to understand, more accurate, have a better dynamic response, and have low design complexity. The evaluated proposed MPPT controller operational efficiency, and settling time of the converter voltage at different fuel stack temperature conditions are 98.7402%, and 0.01607 s respectively. Finally, the boost converter is used in this work to enhance the voltage supply capability of the entire system. The proposed system is investigated by applying the MATLAB tool.

- PODCAST ROOM RESERVATION APPLICATION USING EXTREME PROGRAMMING METHOD

In the era of globalization, information technology has become crucial in enhancing the productivity of information processing across various industries. Data management ensures smooth operations and informed decision-making. Podcasts have emerged as significant mediums for information consumption and entertainment, with an increasing number of listeners seeking high-quality content. Producing quality podcasts requires adequate facilities such as advanced recording equipment and acoustically suitable studio spaces. Development methodologies like Extreme Programming emphasize improving functionality and technical implementation. Reservations for podcast studios play a crucial role in scheduling recordings, with online booking systems enabling easy and efficient reservations, albeit requiring intensive individualized services. The capability of reservation systems to provide quick, accurate, and precise information can influence customer experiences and purchasing decisions. The integration of information technology and online reservations is key to optimizing podcast production and distribution, enhancing operational efficiency for service providers, while providing a satisfying experience for listeners. Although the system has yet to be fully implemented, it is designed to streamline booking processes and reduce manual intervention, which is anticipated to lead to significant improvements in both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Barriers and facilitators to bridging the healthcare digital divide for the older adults: A qualitative research from patients in China.

The aim of this study was to explore the barriers and facilitators underlying the healthcare digital divide by using qualitative methodologies, integrated with the Capabilities, Opportunities, Motivations, and Behaviors (COM-B) as well as the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) theoretical frameworks. To conduct a thorough analysis, semi-structured，in-depth interviews were orchestrated among a cohort of older patients who had experiences with digital healthcare systems. Data were meticulously analyzed via Colaizzi's seven-step methodological procedure. Nine barriers were elucidated, including physical limitation, inadequate training and support, self-imposed denial, failure to rebuild the digital healthcare environment, equipment constraints, deficits in communication and feedback, skepticism regarding data accuracy and validity, sense of social deprivation, and network information boycott. Conversely, eleven facilitators were identified, encompassing peer modeling, availability of training and support, reconstructive efforts toward the digital healthcare environment, mandatory usage, familial influence, media impact, scientific publicity and education, enhancement of self-efficacy, sense of social participation, perceived convenience, and access to healthful information. Based on the COM-B and BCW models, healthcare organizations may be able to improve their digital healthcare support systems (capabilities), technical design, network speed, and equipment configuration (opportunities), as well as focus on "human-computer integration," the parallel existence of digital technology and humanistic care, and taking into account the issues of information security, accuracy, and human rights equality (motivation) while benefiting the patients, in order to bridge the healthcare digital divide for the older adults.

Enhancing Data Warehouse Security: An Encrypted Cued-Click-Points Authentication Approach

Text passwords and other traditional security measures have been the mainstay of current data warehouse content security techniques. Due to the growing computational capability of information systems, security requirements, especially for the selection of secure text passwords, have changed throughout time. Because database administrators are either unaware of these changes or are overburdened by the magnitude of the adjustments necessary to remedy them, these vulnerabilities are typically invisible to them. As a result, research on usable authentication schemes have picked up steam, with the goal of developing a secure authentication method using cued click points and encryption techniques for accessing a hybrid data warehouse. This scheme aims to enhance the security of data access by combining the unique characteristics of cued click points with encryption to create a robust authentication system. The project will involve designing and implementing the authentication scheme, testing its effectiveness in a hybrid data warehouse environment, and evaluating its performance in terms of security and usability. Overall, the project aims to provide a secure and user-friendly authentication solution for accessing sensitive data in a hybrid data warehouse setting. This scheme utilizes a combination of encryption techniques and user-specific click points to verify user identity and access to the data warehouse. It also discusses the potential benefits of this authentication scheme in terms of data security and user experience.

WP1.15 - Advances in remote electronic monitoring of patient-reported outcomes following discharge after surgery: a systematic review

Abstract Aims Standardising post-discharge care is critical to improving surgical recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic caused major changes to in-person visits and surgical follow-up. An earlier review examined the pre-pandemic capture of electronic patient-reported outcomes (ePRO) post-discharge after surgery. This updated review explores how the pandemic has influenced the use of ePRO systems. Methods Databases (Medline/Embase/PsycINFO/CINAHL/Cochrane) were searched from July 2019-August 2023 using terms for ‘patient-reported outcomes’, ‘electronic’, ‘surgery’ and ‘at home’. Primary research studies collecting ePROs in adult surgical patients post-discharge were included. Data extraction/analyses characterised study design, patient characteristics, ePRO system features, the scope within which ePROs are used post-discharge, what PRO data is collected, adherence to ePRO monitoring, impact on primary/secondary outcomes and the patient and clinician experience of using ePRO systems. Results 12,805 articles were identified, of which 81 were included. Emerging findings indicate an increase in research examining ePRO systems in the post-discharge care of surgical patients, with ∼20 articles/year published post-pandemic, compared to ∼3/year in the 5 years pre-pandemic. Usage of ePROs seems to be most prevalent in orthopaedic and gastrointestinal surgery. Full findings will be available for presentation at the conference. Conclusions Interest in using ePROs to support post-discharge care of surgical patients is growing, in response to service provision changes. Important advances in the capabilities of ePRO systems include real-time clinician feedback and integration with hospital electronic records. The findings of this review will highlight important directions for improving the design of ePRO systems and future research examining the effectiveness of ePRO systems at improving post-surgical recovery.

Simulation of Inhomogeneous Refractive Index Fields Induced by Hot Tailored Forming Components

For effective quality control in hot forming applications, it is imperative that optical geometry reconstruction is conducted while the workpiece remains in its hot state to ensure the early detection of material distortion effects. This requirement is especially vital in the fabrication of hybrid bulk metal components with locally adapted properties, which are essential to address current challenges and demands on components, as well as to conserve resources. The utilization of hybrid materials results in differing thermal expansion coefficients, which significantly impact the shrinkage behavior of the component. Furthermore, the formation of these components involves exposure to high‐temperature gradients up to 1100 °C, causing the surrounding air to heat up and result in density variations. These variations generate an inhomogeneous refractive index field (IRIF), which substantially affects the surface reconstruction capabilities of optical measurement systems. Understanding the formation and dynamics of these refractive index fields is crucial to minimize uncertainties in optical measurements. This study aims to provide a comprehensive simulation model for the IRIF generated by hot‐forged tailored forming components. Utilizing this model, a priori information on the propagation characteristics of the IRIF can be obtained, thereby facilitating optimized positioning of the measurement system and minimizing reconstruction errors.

Two-Stage Hyperelliptic Kalman Filter-Based Hybrid Fault Observer for Aeroengine Actuator under Multi-Source Uncertainty

An aeroengine faces multi-source uncertainty consisting of aeroengine epistemic uncertainty and the control system stochastic uncertainty during operation. This paper investigates actuator fault estimation under multi-source uncertainty to enhance the fault diagnosis capability of aero-engine control systems in complex environments. With the polynomial chaos expansion-based discrete stochastic model quantification, the optimal filter under multi-source uncertainty, the Hyperelliptic Kalman Filter, is proposed. Meanwhile, by treating actuator fault as unknown input, the Two-stage Hyperelliptic Kalman Filter (TSHeKF) is also proposed to achieve optimal fault estimation under multi-source uncertainty. However, considering that the biases of the model are often fixed for the individual, the TSHeKF-based fault estimation is robust and leads to inevitable conservativeness. By adding the additional estimation of the unknown deviation in state function caused by probabilistic system parameters, the hybrid fault observer (HFO) is proposed based on the TSHeKF and realizes conservativeness-reduced estimation for actuator fault under multi-source uncertainty. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness and optimality of the proposed HFO in state estimation, output prediction, and fault estimation for both single and multi-fault modes, when considering multi-source uncertainty. Furthermore, Monte Carlo experiments have demonstrated that the HFO-based optimal fault estimation is less conservative and more accurate than the Two-stage Kalman Filter and TSHeKF, providing better safety and more reliable aeroengine operation assurance.

A hierarchical frequency stability control strategy for distributed energy resources based on ADMM

With the large-scale distributed energy resources (DERs) interfaced by power electronic converters connected to the power grid, the traditional synchronous generation is gradually replaced, and the inertia and primary frequency regulation capability of the power system is weakened, which seriously threatens the frequency security of the power grid. In view of the above problems, a hierarchical control strategy by coordinating the distributed wind turbine (WT) and photovoltaic (PV) is presented to improve the transient frequency (TF) and steady-state frequency (SSF). For the system control level, the optimal frequency regulation coefficients of multiple WTs and PVs clustering systems are determined by the optimal control principle with minimum frequency regulation energy, while considering the constraints of TF and SSF. For the WT/PV control level, the frequency regulation coefficients of WTs and PVs are solved by the model predictive controller (MPC) and alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), with the minimum control cost of WT and PV. It achieves the optimal allocation of frequency regulation power and improves the computing efficiency. Finally, the validity of the proposed method is tested in the modified IEEE 10-machine 39-bus system.

An innovative 3D wave channel design for boosting the dynamic response of proton exchange membrane fuel cell stack

The dynamic response of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) is a crucial metric for evaluating these systems in vehicular applications. The forced convection effect can significantly enhance the dynamic response capabilities of proton exchange membrane fuel cells. In this study, we propose the application of the forced convection effect within a parallel flow field. This approach retains the advantages of low pressure drop at the inlets and outlets of the parallel flow field and facilitates rapid distribution of reaction gases, while simultaneously enhancing the dynamic response of actual PEMFC stacks without compromising drainage efficiency. we propose an innovative 3D wave channel design for PEMFC. Specifically, we design and assemble a stack optimized for performance. The proposed design is tested against the traditional 2D straight channel stack, with the 3D wave channel stack demonstrating an increase in peak power density by 8.05% to 33.92% across a relative humidity range of 20% to 100%. This novel design outperforms the 2D straight channel design in terms of gas distribution uniformity, and enhancedmass transfer to the diffusion layer, as well as reduction of concentration polarization in the PEMFC. It also enhances self-humidification under low humidity conditions. Most importantly, the 3D wave channel stack exhibits a superior dynamic response, with voltage fluctuations after current loading being 74.36% to 91.15% lower than those of the 2D straight channel stack. Furthermore, the 3D wave channel stack maintains superior voltage stability under starvation conditions. The findings from this study contribute significantly to optimizing the dynamic response capability of PEMFC systems, highlighting the potential of the 3D wave channel design in enhancing PEMFC performance.