Dry Type Research Articles

The influence of coconut endosperm composition based on the maturity levels against the quality of pliek-u

Pliek-u is Acehnese’s food heritage that has potential as functional food due to its high protein and lactic acid contents. The study aimed to investigate the effect of coconut endosperm composition based on the maturity levels against the quality of pliek-u. Two levels of Tall Coconut maturities used i.e., over mature (u-riek) and mature (u-pateun). About 2kg of grated coconut endosperm was fermented in a plastic box for 7 days at 3 compositions i.e., 30% over mature and 70% mature (P1), 50% over mature and 50% mature (P2), and 70% over mature and 30% mature (P3). Each treatment had been conducted in 3 replications. Then, the coconut was dried by using solar tunnel dryer type Hohenheim Aceh for 2 days. To produce pliek-u, soon after the drying process, the warm coconut was pressed by using a hydraulic press. The parameters observed to evaluate the quality of pliek-u were moisture, fat, protein, and acidity. The consumer preferences were evaluated from 30 panellists on 4 criteria i.e., aroma, color, texture and taste by using hedonic scale from 1 to 5. Results showed that the composition of coconut endosperm at different maturity levels had influenced the quality of pliek-u significantly. The best moisture was obtained from pliek-u produced by treatment P2, while the lowest fat content, the highest protein content and the most acid taste were identified from pliek-u produced by treatment P3. However, according to consumer’s preferences, the best overall acceptance was pliek-u produced by treatment P1 and P2 at score 4.2 (like). Therefore, this study recommended the best composition of coconut endosperm in pliek-u processing at 50% over mature and 50% mature (P2).

Experimental Study on Humidification Coagulation and Removal of Fine Particles Using an Electrostatic Precipitator.

A wet electrostatic precipitator (WESP) has much higher capture rate for fine particulate matter, PM2.5, than a traditional dry type electrostatic precipitator does. In order to make full use of existing dust removal equipment and reduce the emissions of smoke and dust to zero, a combination of chemical coagulation and humidification coagulation is proposed using a WESP. The results show that the addition of chemical coagulant can promote the coagulation of coal-fired dust particles. After the addition of pectin (PG), the median diameter of dust particles increases from 28.19 μm to 45.28 μm. Water vapor humidification can promote the coagulation of dust particles. When the water vapor injection rate increases from 0 kg/h to 3.2 kg/h, the median diameter of dust particles increases from 28.19 μm to 36.45 μm. The synergistic effect of the coagulant and water vapor can enhance the chemical coagulation effect; when 1.0 × 10-2 g/L PG and 3.2 kg/h water vapor synergize, the collection efficiency reaches 98.17%, and when 1.0 × 10-2 g/L polyacrylamide (PAM) and 3.2 kg/h water vapor synergize, the collection efficiency reaches 96.68%. Both chemical coagulation and water vapor humidification can promote the condensation of coal dust, which is beneficial to improve the efficient capture of fine particles using WESP.

Isolation of Bacteria Causing Secondary Bacterial Infection In TheDry l ,esions Of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Abstract Cutaneous loishrnaniasts (CL) is a parasitic disease characterized by single or multiple lesions,. Sc ontlay bacterial infection is one of the complications of the Jiscase that Can increase the titute destruction and the resultant sear. To determine effectively the u3cidence of real tamaindary bacterial infection in the dry type, of cutaneous leishmaniasis ,we designed the current study. This was a crusts-sectional study performed in the outpatient clinic of dermatology and vencriology nt Unit Teaching Hospital. A total of 37 patients with etinica3 diagnosis of Cutaneous leishmaniasis (dry type) were, carolled in this study. Samples were taken from all patients. The skin areas surrounding the lesions were thoroughly cleaned using cotton wool moistened with alcoholic iodine. After appropriate cleaning, the samples were collected aseptically by scraping of sterile swabs of the lesions All the samples were transferred uo Mac Cunkeys agar and blood agar_ After 24 hours incubation (aerobically& en aerobically) at 37 tIC, the species atilt bacteria were determined. Then site samples were transferred to Mueller-Hinton agar or nutrient agar for sensitivity test. After 24 hours incubation at 37 °C, the diameters of the inhibition zones were measured to determined the sensitivity Among the 37 patients with Cutaneous leislununiasis the results of the culture were positive in 12 patients (32.4%). 11 of them (91.6%) have more than one lesion and 9 patients (75%) of them were less than 5 years old. and 3 patients (25%) were more than 5 years old_ Bacteria isolated from the lesions were Staph. aureus in II patients (91.6%)( and all were sensitive to Rifampicin) and E.Coli in one patient (LI%) which was sensitive to Amikacin & Norlioxacini The incidence of secondary bacterial infection with a dry type of Cl., was (32.4%), (91.6%) of them had multiple lesions, and (75%) were less than 5 years old, The most common bacterial isolate was Staphylouocus ttureus

Thermal energy storage systems applied to solar dryers: Classification, performance, and numerical modeling: An updated review

Drying is a complex process involving simultaneous heat and mass exchanges, and it is considered one of the oldest unit operations performed for preserving agricultural products. This process requires a significant amount of energy, and researchers have conducted different studies to improve energy efficiency, reduce drying time and preserve product quality. Dryers based on solar energy have gained more space, as this energy source is free and abundant. Thermal energy storage techniques can increase the reliability of solar energy for drying. These techniques allow the stored energy to be used in periods of no solar incidence. The complex processes involving each element of the solar drying process have made experiments quite expensive. Several studies have bet on the use of advanced techniques of computer simulation to minimize this problem. Studies have shown the effectiveness of using these techniques for different solar dryers, achieving satisfactory results. Therefore, this study aims to provide parameters, address different types of dryers, and emphasize the importance and methods of thermal energy storage. In addition, this study also addresses the use of computational numerical modeling to verify the phenomena of heat and mass transfer in drying systems and thermal energy storage.

Comparative study on the seismic behaviour of assembled composite walls with vertical joint rigid connections and ductility connections

To investigate the efficient dry connection type of fully assembled composite (FAC) walls, two novel vertical joint connection types, including rigid connections (box connections) and ductile connections (U-shaped plate connections), are proposed. In the experiment, three specimens were constructed and tested under in-plane reversed cyclic loading, including specimens with box connections (FAC-B) and U-shaped steel plate connections (FAC-U) and a specimen with a horizontal cast-in-place assembled composite (CAC) wall as the reference specimen. In the reversed cyclic loading test, the failure mode, hysteretic behaviour, bearing capacity, stiffness degradation and energy dissipation capacity were obtained. The test results indicated that the failure mode of all specimens was shear failure. In addition, a finite element model (FEM) of FAC-U is subsequently established and validated to further investigate the seismic performance of the plate thickness, concrete strength, compression ratio and block strength on the bearing capacity and ultimate displacement.

Investigation on the Drying of Dioscorea Schimperiana in the West Region of Cameroon

The drying method and types of agricultural dryers used by farmers in rural West Cameroon were surveyed. These are direct solar drying (predominant). Different types of dryers are associated with each of these drying methods. These are the open-air bamboo mat dryer and the collar dryer. An analysis of the actual drying needs in rural areas and an evaluation of the means available to meet them are conducted based on a survey of farmers in rural areas. The conservation of Dioscorea Schimperiana is very difficult because of the unfavorable climatic conditions during production. The local unit of measure is the basket, which weighs between 5 and 25 kilograms. The purchase price of Dioscorea Schimperiana from the producer is higher in the rainy season. The drying time varies between 1 to 2 weeks for the bamboo dryer and 3 to 4 weeks for the necklace dryer. Laboratory determination of the dry-base moisture content of the post-drying Dioscorea Schimperiana samples collected during the surveys shows that it varies from 12.1 to 19.04 % instead of 11 % which is the recommended moisture content. The range of moisture content found shows insufficient drying.

Comparative Evaluation of Date Palm Types (Phoenix dactylifera L.) under the Conditions of the Northern State, Sudan

This study was accomplished to assess the comparativeperformance of the dry, semi-dry and soft date palm types under theconditions of the Northern State, Sudan. Four date representativecultivars, grown in Elghaba Agricultural Scheme, were compared;.theirage ranged between 30 and 34 years. The cultivars were Barakawi andGondaila (dry), Wadkhteeb (semi-dry) and Madina (soft). Data recordedfor vegetative growth parameters were stem circumference, leaf numberand length, number of pinnae/leaf, length of pinnae, number of thorns/leafand width of leaf base. Data were also collected for number of bunches,bunch weight and yield/palm. The results indicated significant differencesbetween the four cultivars. Wadkhteeb excelled the other cultivars innumber of leaves, bunch weight and yield/palm, without being affected bythe phenomenon of alternate bearing. The superiority of Wadkhteeb inyield is indicative of the suitability of the semi-dry cultivars to theconditions of the Northern State.

An experimental case study on development the design and the performance of indirect solar dryer type for drying bananas

Due to the shortages of fossil fuels and higher prices, as well as to reduce the causes of climate change and the fuel consumption utilized in the drying procedure, more emphasis is placed on resources of solar energy, due to it is easily accessible. For these aims, the indirect solar dryer thermal performance for drying of the banana samples was experimentally investigated. Two indirect solar dryers; chimney-type and fan-type, consisting of the collector and dryer sections, were designed and fabricated. The lowest value of the banana piece moisture content was obtained in the case of the chimney-type as 10.59 %, which shows 81 % improvement in the drying procedure in comparison with the open sun solar dryer. In addition, the average collector thermal efficiencies obtained for the chimney and fan were 34.14 % and 29.54 %, respectively; thus, using the chimney with a solar collector offers the best thermal efficiency. Moreover, the average dryer thermal efficiencies obtained for the chimney and fan were 14.45 % and 12.76 %, respectively. Therefore, the experimental results illustrate that the chimney-type solar dryer performs better than the fan-type and open sun solar dryers.

The Effect of Drying–Wetting Cycles on Soil Inorganic Nitrogen Transformation in Drip-Irrigated Cotton Field Soil in Northwestern China

Drip irrigation under plastic mulch is widely used and leads to periodic drying–rewetting (DW) cycles in Xinjiang, Northwest China. However, the effect of different wet and dry alternation types on soil inorganic nitrogen transformation is not clear. Studying these issues not only provides reference for the formulation of fertilization and irrigation systems but is also of great significance for reducing non-point source pollution. An incubation experiment was conducted in 2018 in Baotou Lake farm in Korla City, Xinjiang, with drip-irrigated cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.). The treatments were designed comprising three parts: (1) DW intensity (Q100, Q90, Q80, Q70, Q60); (2) DW frequency (P3d, P5d, P7d, P9d, P11d); and (3) soil wetting time (P1m, P3m, P5m). The results revealed that the contents of the NH4+ and NO3− decreased with the increase in the DW intensity and were highest in the Q100 treatment. The rate of net N mineralization decreased with the increase in the DW intensity. The highest rate (7.02 mg kg−1 d−1) was found in the Q70 treatment in the wet to dry process and 3.03 mg kg−1 d−1 in the Q60 treatment in the dry to wet process, respectively. The contents of the NH4+ and NO3− were higher with the higher DW frequency (P3d). The rate of net N mineralization decreased with the increase in the DW frequency and was highest in the P3d treatment in the wet to dry process and the P5d treatment in the dry to wet process, respectively. The soil wetting time was longer with the content of NH4+, NO3−, and N mineralization (P5m). The rate of net N mineralization was higher with the longer soil wetting time in the wet to dry process and the shorter soil wetting time from the dry to wet process. These results demonstrate that a reasonable DW intensity, DW frequency, and soil wetting time could not only effectively promote nitrogen transformation and the absorption of nitrogen but also reduce the nitrogen losses under drip irrigation.

Fuels change quickly after California drought and bark beetle outbreaks with implications for potential fire behavior and emissions

BackgroundAn extreme drought from 2012–2016 and concurrent bark beetle outbreaks in California, USA resulted in widespread tree mortality. We followed changes in tree mortality, stand structure, and surface and canopy fuels over four years after the peak of mortality in Sierra mixed conifer and pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla) forests to examine patterns of mortality, needle retention after death, and snag fall across tree species. We then investigated how the tree mortality event affected surface and canopy fuel loading and potential impacts on fire hazard and emissions.ResultsDrought and beetle-related tree mortality shifted mortality patterns to be more evenly distributed across size classes and concentrated in pines. Substantial changes to surface fuel loading, stand density, canopy fuel loads, and potential wildfire emissions occurred within four years following peak levels of tree mortality, with the largest changes related to increases in coarse woody debris. Nearly complete needle fall occurred within four years of mortality for all species except red fir (Abies magnifica). Pine species and incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) snags fell more quickly than fir species. Potential fire behavior modelling suggested that crowning and torching hazard decreased as trees dropped dead needles and fell, but as canopy fuels were transferred to surface fuels, potential for smoldering combustion increased, causing greater emissions.ConclusionsOur study increases understanding of how extreme tree mortality events caused by concurrent disturbances alter canopy and surface fuel loading and have the potential to affect fire behavior and emissions in two compositionally different seasonally dry forest types. After a major tree mortality event, high canopy fuel flammability may only last a few years, but surface fuels can increase considerably over the same time period in these forest types. The accumulation of coarse woody surface fuels resulting from multi-year drought and concurrent bark beetle outbreaks combined with the increasing frequency of drought in the western U.S. have the potential to lead to heavy and dry fuel loads that under certain weather conditions may result in more extreme fire behavior and severe effects, particularly in forest types where decades of successful fire suppression has caused forest densification.

Study of Novel Oil-Immersed Torque Motor for Two-Dimensional Valve

The electro-mechanical converters of valves are mostly dry type, which cannot work for a long time under high currents due to heat dissipation. This paper presents a novel oil-immersed torque motor (OTM) that can carry out the 2D motion. The OTM has a separate wet working chamber and heat dissipation structure, and the coil is external to prevent oil contamination from causing short circuits. The equations of motion were established based on the equivalent magnetic circuit (EMC) method and its own characteristics, and the effect of oil damping in the working chamber on the dynamic characteristics of the novel OTM was studied. After analyzing its working principle and dynamic and static characteristics by finite element and numerical analysis software, a prototype was designed and machined, which could be operated in dry and immersed mode by adding parts. In addition, a dynamic and static test bench and a temperature rise test bench were established, and comparison experiments with a conventional dry-type torque motor (CDTM) were conducted. Experimental results showed that the prototype had a good thermal resolution in immersed mode, and when the coil was fully loaded (2.4 A), it still worked in the safe temperature range. The prototype had good current-torque characteristics and hysteresis linearity at a coil magnetomotive force (MMF) of 0–450 A. The output torque could reach 0.7 Nm when MMF exceeds 1000 A. The prototype had an approximately 4% faster step response in immersed mode and about 17.8% wider bandwidth than in dry mode, while the torque motor system was more stable due to the increased damping ratio. The measured open-loop dynamic and static characteristics met the requirements of the electro-mechanical converter of 2D servo valves.

Optimization of heat removal and radiation protection of dry cask storage for MTR spent nuclear fuel

To provide a solution for the limited storage space in wet-type storage in Indonesia's material testing reactor (MTR) spent nuclear fuel (SNF) storage, a study on dry cask storage for MTR SNF is needed. This study designed, simulated, and experimentally calculated the safety parameters and the manufacturing cost of dry cask storage simultaneously. The optimization results were validated and analyzed using experimental data from a dry cask storage prototype. Decision variables and constraints were provided as inputs into the MATLAB software to obtain three optimized conditions: safety, cost, and multi-objective optimized conditions. The multi-objective optimization results demonstrated that the thickness of dry storage design concrete and lead (Pb) are 0.06 and 0.51 m, respectively. The height and width of the vent are 0.15 and 0.5 m, respectively, and the vent elevation difference is 2.43 m. For five variables, the optimum value for the canister surface temperature is 66.8 °C and the cost required to manufacture this dry storage is USD 147,827. Moreover, MicroShield validation revealed that the dry cask storage surface exposure is 104.8 mR/h, which is lower than the safe limit of the maximum value specified as 160 mR/h. The simulation of the canister surface temperature using ANSYS Fluent showed that the surface temperature value is close to the calculations performed in MATLAB. Temperature validation of experimental data from the dry storage prototype indicated that the temperature obtained via theoretical and experimental calculations is relatively close: 45.2 and 51.3 °C. This research can be developed to other types of dry storage design by changing the value of the decision variables that is appropriate for the dry storage type to be designed.

Spatial Distribution of Bioavailable Inorganic Nitrogen From Thawing Permafrost

AbstractArctic permafrost contains large amounts of nitrogen (N), which may be bioavailable upon permafrost thaw. Here, we have compiled inorganic N data from published studies on the active layer and permafrost layers combined with new data to quantify the spatial variability of bioavailable inorganic N in permafrost‐affected ecosystems across the Northern Hemisphere. Ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) are typically extracted from samples using different agents and strength. The results of an extraction experiment are here used to recalculate published concentrations on NH4+ and NO3− to a “water extractable fraction.” The results show that upper permafrost across all sites and samples contains significantly more NH4+ compared to the root zone and was significantly and positively correlated with an increasing water/ice content despite a surprisingly high variation within and between sites. Based on the average reported permafrost thaw rates (0.4–0.8 cm y−1) for wet and dry landscape types, the average release of inorganic N (NH4+ and NO3−) from wet tundra ecosystems was calculated to be 2.0 [1.13–2.61] kg N ha−1 decade−1 and 1.3 [0.78–1.81] kg N ha−1 decade−1 for dry ecosystems. This brings permafrost‐derived inorganic N on the same order of magnitude as biological nitrogen fixation in relatively dry tundra ecosystems but only marginally compared to nitrogen fixation in wet ecosystems. These landscape‐specific variations highlight the need for improving the understanding of N mobilization linked to permafrost thawing, but also that N transfer from well‐drained slopes to lower parts of the landscape can be important for the potential plant growth (greening) downslope from surrounding landscape types with faster permafrost thawing.

COLONIZATION OF PATHOGENIC AEROBIC BACTERIA IN THE EXTERNAL EAR AND EFFECTS OF CERUMEN TYPES, AGE, AND GENDER ON COLONIZATION

Aims: The study aimed to study the prevalence of pathogenic aerobic bacteria colonization in the outer ear and to determine the prevalence of cerumen types among different ages and sex of selected individuals in Sana'a city. Also determined the effects of cerumen types, age, and sex on the incidence of pathogenic aerobic bacterial colonization. Methods: The current study was carried out in the Department of Medical Microbiology and ENT Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana’a University. The study proposal was permitted by the ethics committee of the Faculty. Written informed consent was taken from the chosen participants. Families of the study sample members residing in the various sectors of Sana'a city were visited at home in which participants were randomly selected from all age groups and sexes. Households were reviewed on time and clinical examination of the ear was done and results were recorded and ear swab samples were collected. The rapid visual identification of cerumen was performed. The culture samples were collected and transferred to the laboratory then culture and bacterial growth was identified by standard bacteriological methods. Results: The study included 246 healthy persons, 33.3% of them male and 66.7% were females. The age ranged from 1 -80 years with mean age equal to 34.2±18.7 years, 96.3% of the study subjects have the wet type and only 3.7% have the dry type of cerumen, 2.03% had impacted cerumen. The most prevalent isolate from the outer ear was Staphylococcus aureus with 35 strains (14.2%), followed by Psedumonas aureginosa with 14 strains (5.7%). Klebsiella spp, Streptococcus pyogenes and Hemophilus influenzae isolates were less frequent with 7 (2.8%), 6 (2.4%) and 5 (2.03%) isolates, respectively. Positive growth for bacterial pathogens was significantly associated with males (OR=1.8, p=0.03), ≤15 years group (OR=2.5, p=0.01), and dry-type cerumen (OR=8.9, p=0.001). Conclusion: There are two distinct and specific types of cerumen, wet and dry, of which the wet type appears to be the most common in Yemen, and of the subspecies of the wet type, honey brown was dominant. The present study concluded that some pathogenic bacteria that can cause otitis externa are naturally present in the normal external auditory canal. The most prevalent isolate was Staphylococcus aureus, followed by Psedumonas aureginosa, Klebsiella spp, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Hemophilus influenzae. Hence clinicians must find a history of any predisposing factors before interpreting laboratory culture reports. Peer Review History: Received: 4 November 2022; Revised: 8 December; Accepted: 5 January 2023, Available online: 15 January 2023 Academic Editor: Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Indonesia, ahmad.najib@umi.ac.id Received file: Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10 Reviewers: Dr. George Zhu, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, sansan4240732@163.com Dr. A.A. Mgbahurike, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria, amaka_mgbahurike@yahoo.com

A literature-derived dataset on risk factors for dry eye disease

Dry eye disease (DED) is a common disease associated with disorder of tear secretion. Research on risk factors for DED, such as depression, arthritis, thyroid disease, stroke and diabetes, is important to facilitate its diagnosis and prognosis. We created a dataset on risk factors for DED (DrDED) with public access that can provide up-to-date and validated data acquired from systematically searched and screened, high-quality studies. The established DrDED contained 119 studies published between 2000 and 2022. The range of the study sample size was from 43 to 4,871,504. The study types were, as follows: cross-sectional (n = 92), retrospective cohort (n = 9), prospective cohort (n = 10), and case-control (n = 8) studies. Data from eligible studies were collected and presented for the present study, including the publication information, study characteristics, definition and prevalence of the disease, and risk factors for DED, together with the strength of association. With the publication of new relevant studies, the DrDED will be updated, and the data will be made accessible to the users.Design Type(s)Dataset creation objectiveMeasurement Type(s)Patient outcome • scientific publication • risk factors • dry eye diseaseTechnology Type(s)Digital curation • documenting • meta-analysisFactor Type(s)Depression • arthritis • thyroid disease • stroke disease • diabetesSample Characteristic(s)Homo sapiens • dry eye disease • global

EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE BEHAVIOR OF POTATO SQUEEZE DURING DIFFERENT TYPES OF DRYING

Drying is one of the processes used in the food industry to preserve and maintain food quality for a certain period. Drying, which removes most moisture in food, has been the oldest canning method since ancient times. Removing water from food materials prevents the growth and reproduction of microorganisms, slows enzymes, and minimizes many physical and chemical reactions. Various methods, such as solar drying, contact drying, convection drying, radiation drying, dielectric drying, vacuum drying, freeze drying, and osmotic drying, currently carry out the product drying process. The drying efficiency of potatoes depends on the dry matter content in percent of the original. The potato is the second most produced and consumed product globally, with 1.3 billion people consuming it as their primary food crop (more than 50 kg per person per year). The organoleptic characteristics of potatoes, such as taste, color, and aroma, change during cooking, mainly due to changes in the composition of the tubers. Dry matter (D.M.) content is one of the leading quality indicators of potatoes, along with starch, reducing sugars and proteins. Therefore, they are one of the first factors determining the quality of tubers and affect the final yield of products from processed tubers. The study aims to study the content of dry matter in potatoes in different types of drying: in a drying cabinet, in an infrared dryer, and in a dehydrator, and to identify the optimal equipment for drying potatoes at 60°C to the moisture content of 10%. Potato drying temperature was the same for all types of equipment and was equal to 60°C.

Kinetics of contact ultrasonic drying of thick woolen fabric

The article is devoted to an experimental research of the effectiveness of continuous contact ultrasonic drying of dense woolen fabrics. For drying, an experimental stand was created in the form of a small-sized continuous-action drying machine. In the process, the dried fabric is rewound from reel to reel, through the zone of ultrasonic (150 W) and thermal (at temperatures of 50 °C and 80 °C) exposure. It has been established that ultrasonic action (together with thermal) provides a reduction in drying time from 18% to 28%. Moreover, at a lower temperature, the contribution of ultrasonic vibrations to the reduction of drying time is higher. The drying schedules were approximated by a formula expressing the dependence of the moisture content of the material on temperature and the presence of ultrasonic exposure. The resulting approximation formula can be used to analyze the curves of convective drying of dense woolen fabrics, taking into account the temperature of the drying agent and the presence of ultrasonic exposure, including predicting the duration of such types of drying.

Активність і залишкове енерговиділення ядерного палива під час експлуатації і зберігання

General information on the amount of accumulated spent nuclear fuel (SNF) at NPPs in the world is presented. An analysis of the rates of SNF accumulation was carried out, and forecasts of SNF accumulation in the world and in Ukraine for the next decade were made. Information is given on the technologies for SNF handling, as well as some characteristics of SNF storage systems of wet and dry types. Radiation characteristics of SNF — radioactivity and residual energy release of nuclear fuel — largely determine both possible accident scenarios and possible radiation consequences of accidents at nuclear facilities. The article presents the results of modeling in the SCALE program code of changes in radioactivity and residual energy release of VVER-1000 nuclear fuel after period of operation of the fuel assembly in the VVER-1000 core. The model of VVER-1000 fuel assembly with 4.4% enrichment, which is used in the mode of stationary refueling, was chosen for simulation. The simulation results were compared with the data given in the relevant reference books regarding the change in the radiation characteristics of nuclear fuel during its operation in the VVER-1000. The results of comparison of the radiation characteristics of VVER-1000 fuel assemblies with the same burnup, but with different fuel loading schedules in the last year of operation are presented for a four-year fuel campaign. A significant influence on the radiation characteristics (radioactivity and residual energy release) of the fuel assembly load mode has been demonstrated. The simulation results show that the specific radioactivity and, accordingly, the total radioactivity of nuclear fuel in the VVER-1000 cores at the Zaporizhzhia NPP after ~1 year of forced outage decreased by ~100 times. Therefore, the possible radiation consequences in case of damage of nuclear fuel located in the core or unloaded into the spent fuel pools will be much lower than in the case of an accident at an operating reactor. The same applies to comparisons of the consequences of a possible accident at the ZNPP with the consequences of the accident at the Chornobyl NPP in 1986, which occurred at a working reactor with the release of at least ~3–5 % of nuclear fuel.

An empirical analysis of structural breaks in world dry bulk shipping market

Dry bulk shipping is an important element of international trade. However, as dry bulk shipping market is always influenced by unanticipated economic, financial or political events, structural breaks exist in vessel price volatility, while the price volatility characteristics under structural breaks have not been well identified. This paper aims to investigate the vessel price volatility under structural breaks caused by external events. The modified ICSS algorithm is applied to detect the structural break points and GARCH model incorporating structural breaks is used to examine the volatility of newbuilding and second-hand vessel prices of four dry bulk vessel types using monthly data from January 2002 to November 2012. Results show that the price volatility's persistence effect and clustering effect decrease when structural breaks in variance are accounted. The findings may contribute to the literature in vessel price volatility modelling under structural breaks and may be helpful for practitioners.

Experimental evaluation of concrete shrinkage deformation under the influence of foehn wind in vietnam

Foehn wind or foehn effect is a hot dry wind type blowing down from the mountains. It appears in the middle of Vietnam from early April to mid-September every year. The foehn effect has characteristic humidity drops deeply while the temperature rises. This has affected the concrete shrinkage deformation in the work construction. This paper presented an experimental study to evaluate the concrete shrinkage deformation under the influence of the Foehn wind in Vietnam. The experiment was performed in a simulated environment with temperatures high and humidity down, which is intended to simulate the phenomenon of foehn wind and climate change in the middle of Vietnam. The datasets obtained from this experiment were tested with previous results, it was highly accurate and reliable. The research obtained results have reflected that the concrete shrinkage deformation in foehn wind conditions has a significant effect compared to normal conditions in both the value and speed. In addition, this test also shows that the concrete shrinkage deformation with Ca(OH)2 added to in the mixture is smaller than concrete without Ca(OH)2.