The advent of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has revolutionized the manufacturing sector by integrating artificial intelligence into vision inspection systems to improve the efficiency and quality of products. Supervised-learning-based vision inspection systems have emerged as a powerful tool for automated quality control in various industries. During visual inspection or final inspection, a human operator physically inspects a product to determine its condition and categorize it based on their know-how. However, the know-how-based visual inspection process is limited in time and space and is affected by many factors. High accuracy in vision inspection is highly dependent on the quality and precision of the labeling process. Therefore, supervised learning methods of 1-STAGE DETECTION, such as You Only Look Once (YOLO), are utilized in automated inspection to improve accuracy. In this paper, we proposed a labeling method that achieves the highest inspection accuracy among labeling met... [more]

Soybean mosaic disease, caused by the soybean mosaic virus (SMV), is responsible for major losses in yield and seed quality worldwide. Although resistant cultivars are used for its prevention and control, an alternative strategy could consist of applying environmentally friendly antimicrobial agents, such as extracts and essential oils (EOs) of aromatic plants. This study assessed an extract of Achyrocline satureioides and EOs of Minthostachys verticillata, Origanum vulgare, and Thymus vulgaris in terms of their phytotoxicity in soybean. Since all the concentrations tested were found to be safe, the activity of each product against SMV was then assayed in vivo, i.e., in experimentally infected soybean plants. The parameters measured were plant height, wet weight, and virus titer. All the treated plants had a greater height and weight than those in the viral control group. The EOs of M. verticillata (0.80 mg/mL) and T. vulgaris (0.71 mg/mL) inhibited the production of viral antigens, as... [more]

Recently, Japan and the European Union have been experiencing declining petroleum demand owing to global initiatives aimed at reducing environmental impact by curtailing CO2 emissions. Consequently, alternative products and operational conditions should be developed to utilize the fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) unit. Using simulation software (Aspen Hysys), this study modeled a typical FCC unit and compared the simulation results with operational data to ensure reproducibility. Two new process models were developed to investigate two scenarios: (i) the slurry discharged from the FCC unit is utilized as a feedstock for the FCC process and (ii) the slurry and fraction obtained from the downstream absorber of the FCC unit are introduced into a delayed coker unit to facilitate carbon fixation. Within an optimum riser outlet temperature (ROT) of 520−530 °C, the yields of gasoline and liquefied petroleum gas increased up to 4%. For profit performance, although ROT of 535−545 °C yielded peak... [more]

Fiber-reinforced additive manufacturing components have been used in various industrial applications in recent years, including in the production of aerospace, automobile, and biomedical components. Compared to conventional methods, additive manufacturing (AM) methods can be used to obtainin lighter parts with superior mechanical properties with lower setup costs and the ability to design more complex parts. Additionally, the fabrication of onyx composites using the conventional method can result in delamination, which is a significant issue during composite machining. To address these shortcomings, the fabrication of onyx composites via additive manufacturing with the Mark forged 3D-composite printer was considered. Machinability tests were conducted using abrasive water jet machining (AWJM) with various drilling diameters, traverse speeds, and abrasive mass flow rates. These parameters were optimized using Taguchi analysis and then validated using the Genetic algorithm (GA) and the M... [more]

Peptide modification has emerged as an important topic in the academic community and pharmaceutical industry. However, they are primarily focused on the diversification of amines, thiols, and alcohols. Direct and chemoselective modification of acid residues in peptides is relatively underdeveloped. In this context, we report a novel and efficient method for the direct functionalization of acid residues in peptides. By using ynamides as reaction partners, the adducts are rapidly obtained in moderate to excellent yields at room temperature in water. This approach shows excellent chemoselectivity and a broad scope including dipeptides bearing unprotected Trp or Tyr residue and free Ser or Gln residue.

2,5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA) is an important monomer for manufacturing biobased plastics. Biocatalysis has been recognized as a sustainable tool in organic synthesis. To date, the efficiencies of most biocatalytic processes toward FDCA remain low. So, it is highly desired to develop efficient processes. In this work, a biocatalytic route toward FDCA was developed by integrating a cell-free extract of galactose oxidase variant M3−5 with a whole-cell biocatalyst harboring NAD+-dependent vanillin dehydrogenases and NADH oxidase, starting from 5-hydroxymethylfurfural. FDCA was produced in a concurrent mode with >90% yields within 36 h at 20 mM substrate concentration. In addition, biocatalytic synthesis of FDCA was performed on a preparative scale, with 78% isolated yield. The present work may lay the foundation for sustainable production of FDCA.

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are a category of persistent, non-degradable pollutants that are widespread in the environment and in humans. They have attracted considerable attention due to their high bioaccumulation, multiple toxicities, long-term stability, and, in particular, their effects on human health. Therefore, there is an urgent need for highly efficient technologies and systematic mechanisms for the degradation of PFOS and PFOA. Therefore, we summarize four mainstream technologies for the degradation of PFOS and PFOA in water and their research progress in this review, namely adsorption, advanced oxidation processes, microbial treatment, and membrane separation. Among them, adsorption technology is the earliest and relatively mature, the advanced oxidation process has relatively high treatment efficiency, there are deep and broad development prospects for microbial treatment in the future, and membrane separation technology can recycle ra... [more]

Proper working conditions must be one of the employers’ main concerns in any type of company but particularly in work locations where the employees are chronically exposed to hazardous compounds, like factories and production lines. Regarding this challenge, the present research addresses the mapping of a car factory painting line to possibly toxic volatile organic compounds emitted by all the coatings and chemicals used during the work shifts for the future evaluation of employees’ exposure. For the first time, a Gas Chromatography−Ion Mobility Spectrometry device was employed for the in situ detection of volatile organic compounds in an automotive factory. A total of 26 analytes were detected at nine different locations, of which 15 VOCs were accurately identified. Pure chemical-grade substances were used for the development of the VOC database. Although quantitative analysis was not the goal of this study, a calibration model was presented to one analyte for exemplificative purposes... [more]

The volatility and uncertainty introduced by increasingly integrated renewable energy pose challenges to the reliable and stable operation of the power system. To mitigate the operation risks, a two-stage optimal preventive control model that incorporates transient stability constraints and considers uncertainties from multiple resources is proposed. First, the uncertainties of different re-sources are modeled, with which the non-sequential Monte Carlo sampling method is used to correspondingly generate the scenarios. Thereafter, a two-stage control model that balances operational safety and economy and realizes preventive control and emergency control is built. The operation schedule from the preventive control stage aims to minimize the transient stability probability and operation costs. If any faults destabilize the system, the emergency control stage will be activated immediately to help the system recover stability with minimal control costs. To expedite the solving of the two-st... [more]

The paper presents a novel charging load prediction model for electric vehicles that takes into account traffic conditions and ambient temperature, which are often overlooked in conventional EV load prediction models. Additionally, the paper investigates the impact of disordered charging on distribution networks. Firstly, the paper creates a traffic road network topology and speed-flow model to accurately simulate the driving status of EVs on real road networks. Next, we calculate the electric vehicle power consumption per unit kilometer by considering the effects of temperature and vehicle speed on electricity consumption. Then, we combine the vehicle’s main parameters to create a single electric vehicle charging model, use the Monte Carlo method to simulate electric vehicle travel behavior and charging, and obtain the spatial and temporal distribution of total charging load. Finally, the actual traffic road network and typical distribution network in northern China are used to analyz... [more]

The ocean economy plays a critical role in global economic growth, yet it confronts substantial environmental risks. This study employs topic modeling of South Korean news articles to analyze the evolving trends of environmental risks and sustainability in ocean economy. A dataset comprising 50,213 articles from 2008 to 2022 is examined, revealing prevalent environmental concerns that have persisted over the years. The findings demonstrate an increasing emphasis on sustainability and marine environmental issues, as evidenced by prominent keywords related to construction, safety, plastic pollution, and ecosystem conservation. Through Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) in topic modeling, 10 distinct themes are identified, encompassing sustainable fisheries management, accident and disaster response, polar environment, carbon neutrality, microplastic pollution, habitat ecosystems, cruise tourism development, nuclear power plant pollution, and infectious diseases. The outcomes highlight the... [more]

In recent years, cellular communication systems have continued to develop in the direction of intelligence. The demand for cellular networks is increasing as they meet the public’s pursuit of a better life. Accurate prediction of cellular network traffic can help operators avoid wasting resources and improve management efficiency. Traditional prediction methods can no longer perfectly cope with the highly complex spatiotemporal relationships of the current cellular networks, and prediction methods based on deep learning are constantly growing. In this paper, a spatial-temporal parallel prediction model based on graph convolution combined with long and short-term memory networks (STP-GLN) is proposed to effectively capture spatial-temporal characteristics and to obtain accurate prediction results. STP-GLN is mainly composed of a spatial module and temporal module. Among them, the spatial module designs dynamic graph data based on the principle of spatial distance and spatial correlation... [more]

Flow pattern monitoring of gas−liquid−solid mixed flow has great significance to enhance the quality and efficiency of material mixing, and the material transport mechanism and dynamic control strategy are faced with significant challenges. To solve these problems, a computational fluid mechanics and discrete element method (CFD-DEM) coupling modeling and solving approach based on soft sphere and porous models is presented to explore material transport mechanisms. The user-defined function (UDF) is adopted to perform data communication, and the porosity of the porous model is calculated to achieve the bidirectional calculation of Eulerian fluid and Lagrange particle phases. Material transport processes of gas−liquid−solid mixed flows are discussed to explore material transport mechanisms of particle flow and the flow pattern evolution laws under the inflation control are obtained. The results show that the particles are not evenly distributed under the synergistic action of impeller ro... [more]

Green extraction techniques are more and more relevant due to major sustainable goals set by the United Nations. Greener extraction processes are being designed through the use of unconventional extraction techniques and green solvents, resulting in less hazardous processes which, consequently, reduces environmental impacts. This is also in line with the main principles of green chemistry. Additionally, greener extraction techniques intend to solve different drawbacks that are often related to conventional extraction techniques such as the high environmental impact. Biorefineries are a major player in developing greener extraction processes. These facilities take full advantage of several biomass sources, such as food waste, microalgae, and lignocellulosic biomass, in order to create high-value products, energy, alternative fuels, and bioactive compounds. Herein, a state-of-the-art review is presented, focused on presenting the greenest and least hazardous extraction processes that hav... [more]

This study focuses on the specific topic of assessing the negative visual impacts associated with renewable energy infrastructure that may prevent their wider deployment in energy mix. The main objective of the paper is to quantify the perception of the visual impact of renewable energy infrastructure and to estimate potential changes in the visitation of a location after the construction of power plants. The research was conducted using a questionnaire survey in which 449 respondents evaluated edited photographic materials of seven locations with a fictitious power plant. The collected data served as input for the statistical testing of eight defined hypotheses using the U-Mann−Whitney test. The results confirmed trends regarding the influence of age, educational level, and power plant proximity on the overall acceptance of renewable energy infrastructure. Landscape-forming factors affecting the acceptance rate of power plants were also defined at the local level.

Temporary plugging and diversion fracturing (TPDF) is a common method to increase production and efficiency in shale gas reservoirs, but the growth law of diversion fractures and the temporary plugging mechanism are still unclear, which restricts the further optimization of temporary plugging fracturing schemes. Therefore, in this study, a series of simulation experiments of TPDF in a horizontal well with multi-clusters were carried out for the Longmaxi Shale outcrop by using a large true triaxial fracturing system. The laboratory method of “inner-fracture + inner-segment” TPDF with multiple clusters of perforation in horizontal wells was proposed, and the fracture initiation law and control factors, including the number of clusters and the method of perforating, were investigated. The experimental results show that the peak pressures of inner-fracture temporary plugging (IFTP) and inner-segment temporary plugging (ISTP) stages are higher, and the number of diversion fractures and the... [more]

The progress of the textile industry has led to a severe increase in the discharge of colored effluents, polluted with dyes and metal ions (non-biodegradable, carcinogenic to humans and environmental hazards). The implementation of effective methodologies and materials for the treatment of wastewater has become an urgent requirement. The present work describes the application of two samples of mineral materials—Ghidirim diatomite and modified diatomite—as adsorbents for the removal of dyes—Acid Blue 350, Methylene Blue, Basic Red 2—and of metal ions—copper, zinc, and lead—from aqueous solutions. In order to determine the optimal working conditions by which to ensure maximum removal efficiency, the influence of the nature and amount of the sorbent, the initial concentration of pollutant, and the temperature were studied. Working under normal conditions (room temperature, solution pH) efficiencies greater than 80% were obtained for the removal of dyes and metal ions. The adsorption fitte... [more]

During the multistage fracturing in shale oil and gas wells with tieback and liner, one of the major challenges is the wellbore temperature variation due to the high-rate fracturing. In such a case, the axial shrinkage trend of the casing string could be caused due to the sudden drop in temperature, but the actual axial length of the casing string would not change due to the cement constraints. Therefore, this could lead to cementation damage between the casing and cement due to excessive load from the casing string. A wellbore seal that is out of control often leads to irreversible consequences, even well abandonment. In order to study the mechanism of casing deformation in shale oil and gas wells with tieback and liner quantitatively, in this paper, take LS1 well (a typical shale oil and gas well with tieback and liner, and casing deformation is caused) for example, the transient changes of temperature and pressure in the whole wellbore during multistage fracturing are studied. Moreo... [more]

Increasing production of poultry litter, and its associated problems, stimulates the need for generating useful energy in an environmentally friendly and efficient energy system, such as the use of shell-and-tube heat exchangers (STHE) in a fluidized-bed combustion (FBC) system. A holistic approach which involves the integration of the First Law of Thermodynamics (FLT) and Second Law of Thermodynamics (SLT) is required for conducting effective assessment of an energy system. In this study, the STHE designed by the CAESECT research group, which was integrated into the lab-scale FBC, was investigated to determine the maximum available work performed by the system and account for the exergy loss due to irreversibility. The effects of varying operating parameters and configuration of the space heaters connected to the STHE for space heating purposes were investigated in order to improve the thermal efficiency of the poultry litter-to-energy conversion process. Exergy and energy analysis pe... [more]

Today, there is an increasing interest in antioxidants, especially to prevent the known harmful effects of free radicals in human metabolism and their deterioration during processing and storage of fatty foods. In both cases, natural-source antioxidants are preferred over synthetic antioxidants. So, there has been a parallel increase in the use of assays to estimate antioxidant efficacy in human metabolism and food systems. Today, there are many bioanalytical methods that measure the antioxidant effect. Of these, the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazil (DPPH) removing assay is the most putative, popular, and commonly used method to determine antioxidant ability. In this review, a general approach to the DPPH radical scavenging assay has been taken. In this context, many studies, including attempts to adapt the DPPH radical scavenging method to different analytes, search for the highest antioxidant activity values, and optimize the method of measurement, have previously been performed. Theref... [more]

The evolution of the variance and entropy of granule size in the fluidized bed agglomeration process using two different aggregation kernels is examined. The first is a constant kernel (aggregation is independent of both time and granule size) and permits the most unconstrained agglomeration process that can occur where granules in any size class (up to a maximum size) can be formed at any point in time. This gives the fastest and largest increase in the variance and entropy of the resulting granule size distribution. The second kernel is a mechanistic kernel including a granule growth-limiting mechanism, in this case implemented by the consideration that not all collisions result in coalescence. This markedly changes the evolution of the variance and entropy of the distribution and reduces both significantly. Quantifying the entropy of the distribution provides another perspective on the change in the size distribution in an agglomeration process. It is shown that entropy can provide... [more]

Large-energy microseismic events, coal bursts, and other abnormal mine stress are often observed in spatial isolated island areas in the roof water-rich gob-side working face during mining operations. In view of this problem, numerical simulation and on-site microseismic monitoring are employed to study the advance abutment stress and strata fracture structure in the spatial island area formed by ‘roof drainage + goaf’ during mining and the method of eliminating the spatial island area. The results show that the lateral stress is distributed in a step-like pattern, and the drainage area and goaf are superimposed to form a high-stress space island area before the mining of the working face along the goaf. The distribution pattern of the advance abutment stress in the spatial island area changes from ‘C’ type to ‘S’ type during the mining process. The strata structure of the roof water-rich gob-side working face is either a single-peak arch or double-peak arch, and the arch peak correspo... [more]

Airfoil fin printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHEs) have broad application prospects in the naval, aerospace, electric power, and petrochemical industries. The channel structure is a critical factor affecting their thermal-hydraulic characteristics. In this study, a novel PCHE channel structure with staggered NACA 0025 airfoil-shaped fins was proposed; accordingly, the thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the novel channel structure using carbon dioxide as the working fluid at different fin heights under different operating conditions (trans-, near-, and far-critical) were investigated. The results indicated that the thermal-hydraulic performance of the PCHE under the trans-critical operating condition was better than that under the near-critical and far-critical operating conditions. Compared with conventional airfoil fin channels, the novel airfoil fin channel attained comparable comprehensive performance while reducing the fin volume by 50%, thus achieving a more lightweight PCHE de... [more]

Acerola is considered a superfruit, rich in vitamin C, phenolics, and carotenoids, and having a high antioxidant capacity. However, it is poor in oligosaccharides. Ultrasound technology can improve the bioavailability of several bioactive compounds, improving the nutritional content of several fruit juices. This work evaluated the use of ultrasound processing on acerola juice supplemented with fructooligosaccharides (FOS; 1% w/w) and its effects on the availability of vitamins, carotenoids, and phenolic content. The antioxidant capacity of the juice was correlated with its bioactive contents. The study evaluated the effects of important sonication parameters, such as ultrasonic power density, processing time, and processing temperature. The application of ultrasound was efficient in increasing the availability of some vitamins. As a result, ultrasound application increased the availability of vitamins B1, B3, B5, C, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. This improvement increased the an... [more]

There is an increasing demand to improve the overall sustainability of the biopharmaceutical industry. A barrier to improvement has been the limited research undertaken in the area of environmental impact of key design decisions. The aim of this study was to perform a comprehensive evaluation of the impact of buffer management strategy and technology selection on overall process efficiency using process mass intensity (PMI) as a metric for comparison. The environmental impact of buffer management has yet to be fully understood, despite buffers being one of the most resource-intensive aspects of biopharmaceutical manufacturing. A detailed process model was used to evaluate the impact of buffer management on a monoclonal antibody (MAB) process at the 2000 L scale. This was achieved by means of a non-replicated full factorial design composed of six variables: product titre, quantity of unique buffers, preparation frequency, single-use threshold and equipment cleaning duration with two lev... [more]