Important Technology Research Articles

Land use hierarchical mapping for delineation of groundwater potential zones in the Ba river basin using satellite imagery and GIS technology

Abstract The evaluation of groundwater potential is crucial for the best use and replenishment of groundwater resources, as well as for the appropriate growth and administration of a region. To study groundwater potential, it is necessary to analyze the factors that directly affect this resource. In addition to the criteria that contribute to the formation of groundwater, such as rainfall, land cover, geology, slope, etc., land use types and their infiltration capacity are also the main factors affecting the groundwater prospect. In recent years, remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) have emerged as the most important technologies in the field of groundwater research, which aid in determining groundwater potential. This paper presents a method to generate the land use hierarchical map based on the level of impact on the formation of groundwater in the Ba river basin using GIS technology and remote sensing. According to the classification result, the three classes of groundwater potential zones including “low”, “moderate”, “high” occupy 1.51%, 77.43%, and 21.06% of the study area respectively. The findings can be validated with the actual groundwater level at some locations that are evenly distributed throughout the basin. The obtained results indicate that there is an agreement between groundwater potential levels at each actual location and those depicted on the land use hierarchical map. The methodology utilized in this study is reliable, accurate and can be used to generate hierarchical maps of additional parameters. This paper will be a useful document for groundwater potential zoning in the study area

Innovative technologies in the logistics system

This article highlights the importance of the latest technologies and innovative logistics as the most effective element of the logistics activities of enterprises. The essence of the most modern and progressive technologies is described in detail, their advantages and features of implementation in real-time conditions are determined. The impact of these technologies on logistics and supply chains is analyzed. It has been established that the participants of the logistics chain are able to create a transparent and effective system of transaction recording, asset tracking and documentation management using the most promising innovative technologies in the logistics field. The effects that the subjects of the logistics chain receive from the introduction of the latest technologies are outlined. It has been proven that the use of progressive innovations in logistics can ensure the growth of the effective activity of any enterprise, reduce the total costs for the implementation of flow processes and improve the quality of customer service as a whole.

Four mutations identified in Chinese families with autosomal dominant congenital cataracts by next-generation sequencing.

Congenital cataracts, which can arise due to a combination of factors like environmental influences and genetic predisposition, significantly impact children's visual health globally. The occurrence rate of congenital cataracts varies from 0. 63 to 9.74 per 10,000 births. There are 7.4 instances per 10,000 children, with the highest occurrence seen in Asia. Symptoms of the disease include clouding of the lens and visual impairment. Timely identification of the condition plays a crucial role in the management and outlook of pediatric patients. This investigation aimed to discover causative mutations in four separate Chinese family lineages. The detailed clinical data and family history of four Chinese families with autosomal dominant congenital cataracts were carefully documented. Examination of the Whole Exome Sequencing was utilized to identify the genetic anomalies present in the familial cases. Subsequent validation of the identified mutations was carried out using PCR and Sanger sequencing. Following this, various computational predictive programs were utilized to evaluate how the mutations impact the structure and function of the protein. The sequencing results reveal four potential disease-causing mutations: c.436G > A (p.V146M) of CRYBB2 Family 1, c.26G > T (p.R9I) of GJA3 in family 2, c.227G > A (p.R76H) of GJA8 in family 3, c.-168G > T of FTL in family 4. Among them, the causative mutation in Family GJA3 is novel, and Family FTL is a rare cataract syndrome. These familial mutations showed complete co-segregation with the affected individuals, with no presence in unaffected family members or the 100 controls. Several bioinformatic prediction tools also support the likely pathogenicity of these mutations. Our findings expand the mutational and phenotypic spectrum of genes associated with congenital cataracts and provide clues to the pathogenesis of congenital cataracts. These data also demonstrate the importance of NGS technology for the molecular diagnosis of congenital cataract patients.

EM-Gait: Gait recognition using motion excitation and feature embedding self-attention

Gait recognition, which can realize long-distance and contactless identification, is an important biometric technology. Recent gait recognition methods focus on learning the pattern of human movement or appearance during walking, and construct the corresponding spatio-temporal representations. However, different individuals have their own laws of movement patterns, simple spatial–temporal features are difficult to describe changes in motion of human parts, especially when confounding variables such as clothing and carrying are included, thus distinguishability of features is reduced. To this end, we propose the Embedding and Motion (EM) block and Fine Feature Extractor (FFE) to capture the motion mode of walking and enhance the difference of local motion rules. The EM block consists of a Motion Excitation (ME) module to capture the changes of temporal motion and an Embedding Self-attention (ES) module to enhance the expression of motion rules. Specifically, without introducing additional parameters, ME module learns the difference information between frames and intervals to obtain the dynamic change representation of walking for frame sequences with uncertain length. By contrast, ES module divides the feature map hierarchically based on element values, blurring the difference of elements to highlight the motion track. Furthermore, we present the FFE, which independently learns the spatio-temporal representations of human body according to different horizontal parts of individuals. Benefiting from EM block and our proposed motion branch, our method innovatively combines motion change information, significantly improving the performance of the model under cross appearance conditions. On the popular dataset CASIA-B, our proposed EM-Gait is better than the existing single-modal gait recognition methods.

Design, analysis and optimisation of a novel adiabatic-isothermal CAES system with coupled stepped phase change energy storage unit

Compressed air energy storage (CAES) technology is one of the important technologies to address the instability of renewable energy sources. To further make full use of the system heat of compression and reduce the problem of energy grade dissipation inside the accumulator, this paper proposes a novel CAES system coupled with a graded phase change thermal energy storage unit (SP-TES) and near isothermal compression of a liquid piston. A combination of adiabatic compression and near-isothermal compression is used to reduce the generation of compression heat, while the graded storage of compression heat through SP-TES reduces the reduction of energy grade. The design of the proposed SP-TES is carried out through the binary eutectic theory, and a one-dimensional transient entransy dissipation model, a thermodynamic model and an economic model are developed to analyze the 4E performance (energy, exergy, entransy, and exergoeconomic) of the proposed SP-TES. Further, the effect patterns of key node parameters on the proposed system are investigated by developing system related models and the system is optimized with multiple objectives from the point of view of economic and thermodynamic performances. The results show that the 4E performance of SP-TES is in between that of high and low temperature single-stage accumulators, and that SP-TES combines the advantages of higher economic performance of single-stage low-temperature accumulators and higher thermal performance of single-stage high-temperature accumulators. The SP-TES with a temperature range of 350 K-451 K is gradually stabilized with the number of charging and discharging, and the efficiency of the system in the stabilization stage is 73.24 %. The SP-TES with a temperature range of 407 K-440 K has the best economic performance with exergoeconomic parameter of 360.05 kJ/USD. The thermal storage performance and power output of the SP-TES decreases with the increase in the number of stages. The multi-objective optimization results show that the new CAES system efficiency is 63.03 % and the design is optimal when the unit energy cost is 0.2217 $/kWh.

Low‐carbon economic schedule of the H2DRI‐EAF steel plant integrated with a power‐to‐hydrogen system driven by blue hydrogen and green hydrogen

AbstractHydrogen direct reduction iron coupled with electronic arc furnace (H2DRI‐EAF) technology, as an important technology for decarbonisation in the iron and steel industry, has the advantages of high electrification and low carbon emissions. However, the large demand for hydrogen in this technology relies significantly on the production of electrolytic hydrogen, leading to a substantial increase in power consumption in the steel production process. Moreover, the use of an unclean power source in electrolytic hydrogen production leads to increases in indirect carbon emissions, reducing the low‐carbon attributes of the technology. This study investigates the integrated flexible operation mode of a steel plant. An illustrating method is utilised for modelling the entire steel production process and power to hydrogen (PtH2) process in detail for the H2DRI‐EAF steel plant, which includes natural gas, photovoltaic, wind power self‐provided power plants, and carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model is developed for the comprehensive scheduling of the steel mill. The results of the case studies indicate that by reliably integrating the production of renewable energy and natural gas power plants, the PtH2 system can fully consume the renewable energy output while ensuring the smooth progress of steel production and maximising the reduction of carbon emissions from hydrogen production and the total cost of steel production.

Application of wireless energy delivery system in automobile charging

With the popularity of electric vehicles, wireless charging technology has become a key area to address the convenience of charging electric vehicles. The aim of this study is to explore the principles of wireless energy transfer technology and its application in the field of electric vehicles. We first provide a background introduction to the field of electric vehicles, emphasising the importance of wireless charging technology. Subsequently, we delve into the charging and discharging characteristics of power batteries to better understand the need for energy transfer. Then, we carefully selected wireless charging methods suitable for electric vehicles and developed a corresponding wireless charging system architecture. In this paper, we also provide theoretical analyses of two major wireless energy transfer technologies, including electromagnetic coupled wireless energy transfer and resonant wireless energy transfer, as well as exploring the principles of RF wireless energy transfer technology. Finally, we propose an architecture for a static wireless charging system including five modules: pre-processing, transmission, reception, charging control and battery load. The contribution of this study is to provide an in-depth research and a comprehensive theoretical foundation for wireless charging technology in the field of electric vehicles, which helps to improve the charging efficiency and convenience of electric vehicles.

The Importance of Surveyors and GPS Technology in Systematic Land Registration in Georgia: A Study of the Challenges and Opportunities

The purpose of this work is to explore the historical and contemporary importance of land registration, focusing on the crucial role played by Georgia’s surveyors. The paper concentrates on the combination of GIS-based state systems with GPS PlateTalk map registrations to resolve conflicting cadastral information as well as for accurate ownership record keeping. The Georgian absence of a unified legal and administrative framework significantly complicates land boundary delineation leading to disputes among surveyors. To standardize surveying practices and improve accuracy, an all-encompassing legal framework must be put in place. The study adopts historical, comparative legal, and hermeneutic research methods using examples from Germany and Holland that demonstrate how such advanced technologies as drones, LiDAR, and blockchain can enhance the precision, speed, and security of survey practice. Furthermore, professional education investment must be increased in both teachers and attorneys who are also informed about Geoinformation Systems (GIS), thus enabling them to perform their functions properly when it comes to law matters concerning land registers. Conclusions urge policy-makers to invest in modern technological gadgets as well as engage in legislative reforms that would make their cadastral systems stronger. That would result in the creation of robust cadastral systems by investing in modern technology as well as carrying out legal reforms that would modernize their existing cadastral systems.

The application of green hydrogen in iron ore smelting under the target of carbon neutralization

Currently, green development and sustainable development have become a global consensus. In March 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the sixth comprehensive assessment report Climate Change 2023, which pointed out that greenhouse gas emissions are currently at the highest level in human history, and the global temperatures has been about 1.1 higher than that before industrialization. In July, 2023, the government of China also emphasized that the construction of ecological civilization in China has entered a critical period with carbon emission reduction as the focus. According to the survey, the steel industry in China has the highest carbon emission in manufacturing industry, and it is also one of the most important areas for China to deal with climate change. Based on the basic principle of blast furnace iron making, this paper first analyzes the causes of high emissions in the steel industry, and draws the conclusion that hydrogen metallurgy technology must be developed to achieve low-carbon development; Then, depending on different energy endowments, the differences in metallurgical technology between China and other countries are analyzed, and brief conclusions and suggestions are given on the basis of analyzing the challenges faced by low-carbon development of Chinas steel industry. This study provides insights into the importance of hydrogen metallurgy technology and enhance our understanding of how to achieve low-carbon development in Chinas iron and steel industry.

Experimental study on improving the performance of imitation earthen site soil in carbon dioxide environment

This study aims to explore the performance of lime-treated soil for repairing the lime soil of the earthen city wall of Kaifeng and to standardize the construction technology of lime-treated soil. The research comprehensively considered factors such as carbonation time, lime particle size, aging conditions, and lime content, and conducted various tests and analyses including triaxial mechanical properties, surface crack analysis, particle size distribution, pH measurement, composition analysis, and electron microscopy on different samples. The results indicate that the significant effect of high-concentration CO2 carbonation enhances the chemical reactions of lime soil, and an appropriate carbonation process can strengthen the bonding and density between soil particles. Under the maintenance condition of 5 % CO2, with increasing carbonation time, the crack ratio, average crack length, and average crack width of the samples decreased. Cohesion and internal friction angle of the samples exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease, while shear strength of the samples increased by 22.93 %–75.09 %. The lime particle size has a critical impact on the formation of cracks in lime soil. With increasing lime particle size, the crack ratio, average crack length, and average crack width of the samples increased. Cohesion and internal friction angle of the samples gradually increased with increasing lime content. The increase in crack ratio, average crack length, and average crack width during natural curing of lime-treated soil samples was proportional to the lime content. Appropriate carbonation time, smaller lime particle size, and curing conditions with 5 % CO2 contribute to improving the particle size distribution of lime-treated soil samples, reducing surface cracks, and enhancing performance. However, prolonged carbonation may lead to larger lime particle size, resulting in rough and loose particles, disorganized arrangement of CaCO3 crystals, and the inability to form a cross-linked network skeleton, causing a reduction in shear strength of the samples. These research findings provide important theoretical basis and construction technology guidance for the application of lime-treated soil combined with CO2 carbonation in repairing earthen city walls.

Commercial application in solar PV

Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has been widely used in the past decades due to its potential for sustainability and energy supply. With the continuous strengthening of peoples awareness of environmental protection, solar PV energy has become an important renewable energy technology recognized in the world after years of development. However, the use of solar PV technology has presented several detrimental flaws, including high startup costs, inefficient material usage, and inconsistency. This paper is going to introduce the application of this technology, including electric vehicles, off-grid and grid-tied solar PV systems used in homes. We will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using solar PV panels in residential buildings. The results suggest that the implementation of off-gridic Solar PV systems for power generation at residential buildings being highly significant. In addition, a Grid-Tied Solar PV system also allows the household to sell electricity back to the grid in surpluses, which may bring a monumental leap toward more sustainable and energy-efficient living. In addition, the installation and maintenance of grid-Tied Solar PV systems are also important. In this context, solar PV energy stands out as one of the most promising solutions as a renewable energy.

Network Intrusion Detection Based on Deep Belief Network Broad Equalization Learning System

Network intrusion detection systems are an important defense technology to guarantee information security and protect a network from attacks. In recent years, the broad learning system has attracted much attention and has been introduced into intrusion detection systems with some success. However, since the traditional broad learning system is a simple linear structure, when dealing with imbalanced datasets, it often ignores the feature learning of minority class samples, leading to a poorer recognition rate of minority class samples. Secondly, the high dimensionality and redundant features in intrusion detection datasets also seriously affect the training time and detection performance of the traditional broad learning system. To address the above problems, we propose a deep belief network broad equalization learning system. The model fully learns the large-scale high-dimensional dataset via a deep belief network and represents it as an optimal low-dimensional dataset, and then introduces the equalization loss v2 reweighing idea into the broad learning system and learns to classify the low-dimensional dataset via a broad equalization learning system. The model was experimentally tested using the CICIDS2017 dataset and fully validated using the CICIDS2018 dataset. Compared with other algorithms in the same field, the model shortens the training time and has a high detection rate and a low false alarm rate.

Thermal management in grinding of superalloys – A critical review

PurposeThis paper is supposed to provide a critical review of current research progress on thermal management in grinding of superalloys, and future directions and challenges. By understanding the current progress and identifying the developing directions, thermal management can be achieved in the grinding of superalloys to significantly improve the grinding quality and efficiency.Design/methodology/approachThe relevant literature is collected from Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, Google scholar, etc. A total of 185 literature is analyzed, and the findings in the literature are systematically summarized. In this case, the current development and future trends of thermal management in grinding of superalloys can be concluded.FindingsThe recent developments in grinding superalloys, demands, challenges and solutions are analyzed. The theoretical basis of thermal management in grinding, the grinding heat partition analysis, is also summarized. The novel methods and technologies for thermal management are developed and reviewed, i.e. new grinding technologies and parameter optimization, super abrasive grinding wheel technologies, improved lubrication, highly efficient coolant delivery and enhanced heat transfer by passive thermal devices. Finally, the future trends and challenges are identified.Originality/valueSuperalloys have excellent physical and mechanical properties, e.g. high thermal stability, and good high-temperature strength. The superalloys have been broadly applied in the aerospace, energy and automobile industries. Grinding is one of the most important precision machining technologies for superalloy parts. Owing to the mechanical and physical properties of superalloys, during grinding processes, forces are large and a massive heat is generated. Consequently, the improvement of grinding quality and efficiency is limited. It is important to conduct thermal management in the grinding of superalloys to decrease grinding forces and heat generation. The grinding heat is also dissipated in time by enhanced heat transfer methods. Therefore, it is necessary and valuable to holistically review the current situation of thermal management in grinding of superalloys and also provide the development trends and challenges.

L-Proline and GelMA hydrogel complex：An efficient antifreeze system for cell cryopreservation

Cryopreservation of biological samples is an important technology for expanding their applications in the biomedical field. However, the quality and functionality of samples after rewarming are limited by the toxicity of commonly used cryoprotectant agents (CPAs). Here, we developed a novel preservation system by combining the natural amino acid l-proline (L-Pro) with gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels. Compared with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), L-Pro and GelMA demonstrated excellent biocompatibility when co-culturing with cells. Cryopreservation procedures were optimized using 3T3 as model cells. The results showed that rapid cooling was the most suitable cooling procedure for L-Pro and GelMA among the three cooling procedures. Co-culturing with cells for 3 h before cryopreservation, 6 % L-Pro +7 % GelMA had the highest survival rate, reaching up to 80 %. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) analysis showed that 6 % L-Pro + 7 % GelMA lowered the freezing point of the solution to −4.2 °C and increased the unfrozen water content to 20 %. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of cell cryopreservation using a combination of L-Pro and GelMA hydrogels, which provides a new strategy for improving cell cryopreservation.

The diversification of energy resources and equipment imports in the European Union

Efforts to reduce dependence on energy imports and increase domestic energy generation are often linked to imports of energy-generation equipment, which may lead to security issues. This study analyses the European Union's imports of energy and energy technologies in 2013–2023 using a common methodology based on a set of indicators. The analysis encompasses both well-established import diversification indicators and an extended version of the Herfindahl–Hirschman index (HHI), which considers the political stability of import sources. The results indicate that, while the diversification of energy imports has increased in recent years (the extended HHI for imports of the generalised group of energy and fuel products decreased from 0.16 in 2017 to 0.1 in 2022), imports of energy equipment are becoming increasingly concentrated (the extended HHI for energy technology imports into the EU increased from 0.16 in 2017 to 0.55 in 2022). This trend is particularly evident in the case of solar and energy storage technologies, which represent a significant vulnerability in the context of technology imports. Import dependency may have adverse consequences for the EU's ambitious energy transformation agenda.

The Impact of Digital Communication Technology on Education in the Post-Crisis Period of the Covid-19 Pandemic

This study investigates the impact of digital communication technology in the education sector of Indonesia following the Covid-19 crisis. The rapid spread of the pandemic necessitated a shift towards digital communication tools in educational institutions. However, challenges such as limited access due to concurrent usage were encountered. This qualitative research employs a post-positivist paradigm and utilizes in-depth interviews with purposefully selected informants to collect data. The findings reveal that the adoption of online media technologies, including eLearning platforms, Zoom, Google Meet, WhatsApp, Classroom, and YouTube, has significantly enhanced technological literacy among students and lecturers. Moreover, it has facilitated effective communication both offline and online, demonstrating potential for future outcome-based education. This study emphasizes the importance of appropriate technology in post-crisis education, underscoring its value as an asset in the learning process. The findings contribute to the existing body of knowledge on digital communication technology in the educational context, specifically in the Indonesian setting.

Fundamentals, Synthetic Strategies and Applications of Non-Covalently Imprinted Polymers.

Molecular imprinting has emerged as an important and practical technology to create economical and stable synthetic mimics of antibodies and enzymes. It has already found a variety of important applications, such as affinity separation, chemical/biological sensing, disease diagnostics, proteomics, bioimaging, controlled drug release, and catalysis. In the past decade, significant breakthroughs have been made in non-covalently imprinted polymers, from their synthesis through to their applications. In terms of synthesis, quite a few versatile and facile imprinting approaches for preparing MIPs have been invented, which have effectively solved some key issues in molecular imprinting. Additionally, important applications in several areas, such as sensors, proteomics and bioimaging, have been well demonstrated. In this review, we critically and comprehensively survey key recent advances made in the preparation of non-covalently imprinted polymers and their important applications. We focus on the state-of-art of this technology from three different perspectives: fundamentals, synthetic strategies, and applications. We first provide a fundamental basis for molecular imprinting technologies that have been developed, which is extremely helpful for establishing a sound understanding of the challenges in molecular imprinting. Then, we discuss in particular the major breakthroughs within the last ten years (2014-2024), with emphasis on new imprinting approaches, what strengths the breakthroughs can provide, and which new applications the properties of the prepared non-covalently imprinted polymers are fit for.

The impact of the U.S. export controls on Chinese firms' innovation: Evidence from Chinese high-tech firms

Using a sample of Chinese high-tech firms from 2007 to 2020, this study investigates the impact of U.S. export control regulations (ECRs) on Chinese high-tech firms' innovation. The results reveal that U.S. ECRs force Chinese firms to increase their R&D inputs and outputs. Moreover, the findings illustrate that technology dependence and import competition act as mechanisms to mediate such trade effects. Our cross-sectional analyses indicate that the positive relationship between U.S. ECRs and Chinese firms' innovation strengthens in firms importing more high-tech products, with better innovation accumulation, with fewer financial constraints, or with more financial subsidies. Fundamentally, this study complements the literature on the U.S.-China trade war and offers policy implications for the Chinese government.

THE EFFECTIVENESS OF USING A THEORETICAL COMMUNICATIVE MODEL TO OVERCOME A CRISIS IN COMPARISON WITH THE PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF BUILDING A COMMUNICATIVE FIELD DURING A CRISIS: THE EXPERIENCE OF UKRAINE

The relevance of effective communication during crisis situations cannot be overestimated, as it determines society’s ability to respond to challenges and maintain stability. The importance of communication and communication technologies from a sociological point of view lies in their influence on social cohesion, mobilization of resources and maintenance of social order.The article considers the correspondence of the components of the model of communication strategies in crisis situations in practice, in particular during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the war in Ukraine, with the theoretical structural components of communication models. Theoretical models of crisis communication, such as SCCT (Situational Crisis Communication Theory), identify key principles that ensure effective communication: transparency, timeliness, credibility, consistency and empathy.This study analyzes how these theoretical principles are applied in practice in the conditions of war in Ukraine. Special attention is paid to communication strategies used by the Ukrainian government. Addressing the nation, informing the public through social media and international support campaigns are seen as key elements of successful communication.The analysis of cases made it possible to determine the correspondence of theoretical models to practical actions, confirmed the universality of the SCCT model, and also made it possible to formulate recommendations for further research on related topics. The results of the study confirm the importance of including each of the aspects for a successful exit from the crisis, as well as maintaining a stable situation in the communicative space of society during the crisis. Thus, the study emphasizes that effective communication not only contributes to the prompt resolution of crisis situations, but also ensures social cohesion and support of the nation’s morale in the face of challenges.

E-commerce and rural women entrepreneurship ——Based on the quasi-natural experiment of “comprehensive demonstration policy” for E-commerce in rural areas

The importance of information and communication technology in rural areas has gradually become prominent, and rural e-commerce has emerged as a crucial driver for promoting agricultural and rural development. This paper takes the comprehensive demonstration policy for e-commerce in rural areas as a quasi-natural experiment. It is based on five-period panel data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) and employs the staggered difference-in-differences method to examine the impact of e-commerce on rural women entrepreneurship and its mechanisms. The research results indicate that the implementation of the comprehensive demonstration policy for e-commerce in rural areas significantly increases the probability of rural women engaging in entrepreneurship by 1.6 %. The entrepreneurial promotion effect of this demonstration policy is more pronounced for rural women in the central and western regions and those with lower educational levels, demonstrating the inclusiveness of e-commerce in rural development. Additionally, this promotion effect is also significantly influenced by marital heterogeneity. Mechanism analysis results suggest that the comprehensive demonstration policy for e-commerce in rural areas can stimulate the use of information and communication technology by rural women, leverage the crucial role of non-traditional education in skill development, alleviate financial and social capital constraints for rural women, and inspire a wave of rural women entrepreneurship. The paper argues that the construction of rural e-commerce has the potential to empower rural women entrepreneurship.