Today we live in a world of Hydrocarbon Energy Carriers, where Carbon is always used as a Carrier for Hydrogen 1) Biomass (CH1.44O0.66 or C6H12O6);2) Natural Gas [NG] (CH4);3) Water Gas [C+H2O];4) Gasoline (C6H12, C7H...Today we live in a world of Hydrocarbon Energy Carriers, where Carbon is always used as a Carrier for Hydrogen 1) Biomass (CH1.44O0.66 or C6H12O6);2) Natural Gas [NG] (CH4);3) Water Gas [C+H2O];4) Gasoline (C6H12, C7H18, C8H18, etc.);5) Kerosene (C17H36, C18H38, C19H40, C20H42, C21H44, C22H46, etc.) and;6) Crude Oil. The Carbon aggregates are all storable and have worthwhile, logistically manageable energy densities. But whenever recovering Energy from the Carbon molarities, CO2 gets emitted into the atmosphere, while separate use of Hydrogen Energy contents carried by the Carbon moieties would just generate water vapor. Hydrogen is also the most important intermediary in Refineries, hydrogenating lower grade Hydrocarbons into higher potencies, or for removing Sulfur by the formation of Hydrogen Sulfur, that can be dissociated after its segregation from the Hydrocarbon products. But most of the internal Hydrogen yields in Refineries today is used for onsite production of Ammonia as a basis for Energy fertilizers in high performance agriculture. Because Hydrogen is awkward to store and transport, most of it is currently used captive within large size centralized plants as a reactant for producing Hydrocarbon energy carriers, using the Carbon as a carrier for the Hydrogen moieties, to then be distributed over big enough areas for consumption of the such large scale plants’ volumes. With recently proven achievements of Hydrogen production from excess Wind & Solar Power by electrolysis, Hydrogen could become available in abundant quantities, to be distributed locally within the coverage area of the transmission grid such Wind & Solar installations are feeding into. In combination with Carbon as a reactant such abundant Hydrogen could also be synthesized into Hydrocarbon Energy Carriers and substitute fossil commodities.展开更多
Photosynthetic capacity for heritage (Taewa) and modern potato cultivars were compared at different water and nitrogenregimes in the glasshouse and field. The glasshouse was 2*2*4 factorial design with two irrigation:...Photosynthetic capacity for heritage (Taewa) and modern potato cultivars were compared at different water and nitrogenregimes in the glasshouse and field. The glasshouse was 2*2*4 factorial design with two irrigation: 100% ET and 60% ET;two applied N: 50 kg N ha-1 and 200 kg N ha-1, two Taewa (Moe Moe, Tutaekuri) and two modern potatoes (Moonlight, Agria). The 2009/2010 field experiment was a split-plot, with irrigation and rain-fed regimes as the main treatments: four potatoes above were sub-treatments. The 2010/2011 field experiment was a split-split-plot, with three water regimes as the main treatments: three cultivars (Moe Moe, Tutaekuri, and Agria) were subplots;two N rates were sub-sub-treatments. Gaseous exchange was measured by CIRAS-2 at different days from emergence. Leaf water potential was measured using pressure chamber method. Taewa achieved high photosynthetic WUE in glasshouse and 2010/2011 experiment by maintaining high An, low gs and low Ci compared to modern cultivars (p The An, gs and T increased with irrigation and N increase while decreasing Ci (p < 0.01). Water stress significantly increased VPD resulting in low An and photosynthetic WUE in Moonlight in the glasshouse. The leaf water potential for Taewa was very tolerant while modern potatoes were weakened by water stress. The study indicated that Taewa can be scheduled at partial irrigation without more detrimental effects on photosynthetic capacity while modern potatoes need full irrigation to avoid detrimental effects on photosynthetic capacity.展开更多
Every day,an NDT(Non-Destructive Testing)report will govern key decisions and inform inspection strategies that could affect the flow of millions of dollars which ultimately affects local environments and potential ri...Every day,an NDT(Non-Destructive Testing)report will govern key decisions and inform inspection strategies that could affect the flow of millions of dollars which ultimately affects local environments and potential risk to life.There is a direct correlation between report quality and equipment capability.The more able the equipment is-in terms of efficient data gathering,signal to noise ratio,positioning,and coverage-the more actionable the report is.This results in optimal maintenance and repair strategies providing the report is clear and well presented.Furthermore,when considering tank floor storage inspection it is essential that asset owners have total confidence in inspection findings and the ensuing reports.Tank floor inspection equipment must not only be efficient and highly capable,but data sets should be traceable and integrity maintained throughout.Corrosion mapping of large surface areas such as storage tank bottoms is an inherently arduous and time-consuming process.MFL(magnetic flux leakage)based tank bottom scanners present a well-established and highly rated method for inspection.There are many benefits of using modern MFL technology to generate actionable reports.Chief among these includes efficiency of coverage while gaining valuable information regarding defect location,severity,surface origin and the extent of coverage.More recent advancements in modern MFL tank bottom scanners afford the ability to scan and record data sets at areas of the tank bottom which were previously classed as dead zones or areas not scanned due to physical restraints.An example of this includes scanning the CZ(critical zone)which is the area close to the annular to shell junction weld.Inclusion of these additional dead zones increases overall inspection coverage,quality and traceability.Inspection of the CZ areas allows engineers to quickly determine the integrity of arguably the most important area of the tank bottom.Herein we discuss notable developments in CZ coverage,inspection efficiency and data integrity that combines to deliver an actionable report.The asset owner can interrogate this report to develop pertinent and accurate maintenance and repair strategies.展开更多
Technological advances and evolving demands inmedical care have led to challenges in ensuring adequate training for providers of critical care. Reliance on the traditional experience-based training model alone is insu...Technological advances and evolving demands inmedical care have led to challenges in ensuring adequate training for providers of critical care. Reliance on the traditional experience-based training model alone is insufficient for ensuring quality and safety in patient care. This article provides a brief overview of the existing educational practice within the critical care environment. Challenges to education within common daily activities of critical care practice are reviewed. Some practical evidence-based educational approaches are then described which can be incorporated into the daily practice of critical care without disrupting workflow or compromising the quality of patient care. It is hoped that such approaches for improving the efficiency and efficacy of critical care education will be integrated into training programs.展开更多
The traditional thermodynamic theory explains the reversible phenomena quite well, except that reversible phenomena are rare or even impossible in practice. Here the purpose is to propose an explanation valid for reve...The traditional thermodynamic theory explains the reversible phenomena quite well, except that reversible phenomena are rare or even impossible in practice. Here the purpose is to propose an explanation valid for reversible and also irreversible phenomena, irreversibility being common or realistic. It previously exposed points tricky to grasp, as the sign of the work exchange, the adiabatic expansion in vacuum (free expansion) or the transfer of heat between two bodies at the same temperature (isothermal transfer). After having slightly modified the concepts of heat transfer (each body produces heat according to its own temperature) and work (distinguishing external pressure from internal pressure), the previous points are more easily explained. At last, an engine efficiency in case of irreversible transfer is proposed. This paper is focused on the form of thermodynamics, on “explanations”;it does not question on “results” (except the irreversible free expansion of 1845...) which remain unchanged.展开更多
There are many reports of devices and fuel additives being able to enhance the performance of automobiles and other forms of transportation that rely upon the combustion of gasoline or diesel fuels. The claims extend ...There are many reports of devices and fuel additives being able to enhance the performance of automobiles and other forms of transportation that rely upon the combustion of gasoline or diesel fuels. The claims extend from increased mileage and power to significant reductions in toxic exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons. Progress towards more widespread applications of means of improving fuel efficiency has been impeded by the lack of a coherent explanation of the mechanism of action. Fuel combustion allows for the conversion of much of the available chemical energy in volatile hydrocarbons to mechanical energy, which moves the pistons within an engine. It is proposed that the amount of chemical energy in hydrocarbons can be increased by the absorption of an environmental force termed KELEA (kinetic energy limiting electrostatic attraction). In addition to providing greater mechanical energy with relatively less heat output, the combustion of KELEA activated fuels proceeds further with less toxic emissions of carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons from incomplete combustion. KELEA activation of fuels should become standard practice in the transportation industry, with potential additional benefits in slowing the rate of global warming.展开更多
This study investigated the effect of antioxidants on the grinding efficiency,magnetic powder characteristics,microstructure,and magnetic properties of 2:17 type SmCo permanent magnet materials.The results show that a...This study investigated the effect of antioxidants on the grinding efficiency,magnetic powder characteristics,microstructure,and magnetic properties of 2:17 type SmCo permanent magnet materials.The results show that adding antioxidants helps improve the dispersion among magnetic powders,leading to a 33.3%decrease in jet milling time and a 15.8%increase in magnet powder production yield.Additionally,adding antioxidants enhances the oxidation resistance of the magnetic powders.After being stored in a constant temperature air environment at 25C for 48 h,the O content in the powder decreased by 33%compared to samples without antioxidants.While in the magnet body,the O content decreased from 0.21 wt.%to 0.14 wt.%,which helps increase the effective Sm content and domain wall pinning uniformity in the magnet.Excellent magnetic properties were obtained in the magnet with added antioxidants:B_(r)=11.6 kGs,SF=79.6%,H_(cj)=16.8 kOe,and(BH)_(max)=32.5 MGOe.展开更多
Field trials were conducted to determine the economically optimum fertilizer rates for soybean production and for optimizing net profits in Dedza, Lilongwe and Salima Districts of Malawi. The effects of PK fertilizer ...Field trials were conducted to determine the economically optimum fertilizer rates for soybean production and for optimizing net profits in Dedza, Lilongwe and Salima Districts of Malawi. The effects of PK fertilizer rates on rain use efficiency (RUE), harvest index, agronomic use efficiency of phosphorous (AEP) and potassium (AEK), and value cost ratio (VCR) were evaluated. The applied diagnostic PK fertilizer rates significantly improved soybean grain yields, harvest index, rainwater use efficiency, AEP, AEK and returns to fertilizer use expressed as value cost ratio (VCR). However, the results differed significantly展开更多
Stagnating yield and declining input use efficiency in irrigated wheat of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) coupled with diminishing availability of water for agriculture is a major concern of food security in South Asia....Stagnating yield and declining input use efficiency in irrigated wheat of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) coupled with diminishing availability of water for agriculture is a major concern of food security in South Asia. The objective of our study was to establish an understanding of how wheat yield and input use efficiency can be improved and how land leveling and crop establishment practices can be modified to be more efficient in water use through layering of precision-conservation crop management techniques. The “precision land leveling with raised bed” planting can be used to improve crop yield, water and nutrient use efficiency over the existing “traditional land leveling with flat” planting practices. We conducted a field experiment during 2002-2004 at Modipuram, India to quantify the benefits of alternate land leveling (precision land leveling) and crop establishment (furrow irrigated raised bed planting) techniques alone or in combination (layering precision-conservation) in terms of crop yield, water savings, and nutrient use efficiency of wheat production in IGP. The wheat yield was about 16.6% higher with nearly 50% less irrigation water with layering precision land leveling and raised bed planting compared to traditional practices (traditional land leveling with flat planting). The agronomic (AE) and uptake efficiency (UE) of N, P and K were significantly improved under precision land leveling with raised bed planting technique compared to other practices.展开更多
This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled “The static and dynamic criteria of building an investment asset portfolio” presented at International Conference on Applied Economics (ICOAE, 2014), ...This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled “The static and dynamic criteria of building an investment asset portfolio” presented at International Conference on Applied Economics (ICOAE, 2014), Chania, 3-5 July 2014 and published at Procedia Economics and Finance, Volume 14, Pages 575-584 (2014) [1]. At the previous research, it showed the significance to go beyond the scope of selecting one or another metric of static efficiency. And the attention was paid to the dynamic efficiency criteria. The ICOAE 2015 research gives brief results of that work, which is only one of applied areas of polydimensional efficiency measurement model (PEMM). Research work on PEMM conceptual and methodical elaboration has been started in the author’s dissertation study [2] and continued in the practical activity and materialized in Innovative LLC (limited liability company) creating project. The research is concentrating on the real economic benefit of 3D PEMM (thee criterial PEMM version) implementation. In the first part of ICOAE 2015 empirical study, the dynamic component of 3D PEMM on the industrial level was tested. Next, the company economic profit changes and dynamic-market 3D PEMM components correlation was estimated. Finally, the economic benefit of 3D PEMM functional operationalization in the framework of management systems development was calculated.展开更多
The study focuses on estimating the input power of a power plant from available data, using the theoretical inverter efficiency as the key parameter. The paper addresses the problem of missing data in power generation...The study focuses on estimating the input power of a power plant from available data, using the theoretical inverter efficiency as the key parameter. The paper addresses the problem of missing data in power generation systems and proposes an approach based on the efficiency formula widely documented in the literature. In the absence of input data, this method makes it possible to estimate the plant’s input power using data extracted from the site, in particular that provided by the Ministry of the Environment. The importance of this study lies in the need to accurately determine the input power in order to assess the overall performance of the energy system.展开更多
Effective calcium(Ca)management is crucial for optimizing oil palm cultivation and enhancing crop yield.This study aimed to gain insights into the dynamics of Ca concentration,accumulation,exportation,immobilization,a...Effective calcium(Ca)management is crucial for optimizing oil palm cultivation and enhancing crop yield.This study aimed to gain insights into the dynamics of Ca concentration,accumulation,exportation,immobilization,and recycling in various oil palm organs relative to plant age.The experiment was conducted at the Agropalma enterprise site in the northeastern region of Para State,Brazil,evaluating seven plant age treatments:2,3,4,5,6,7,and 8 years old.Employing a completely randomized design with four replications.The results demonstrated an age-related increase in Ca concentration in petioles,rachis,arrows,male inflorescences,peduncles,and fruits.Furthermore,Ca accumulation exhibited an upward trend in all organs with progressing plant age.Notably,the study revealed an enhanced Ca use efficiency across all plant organs in correlation with the age of oil palm cultivation.These findings underscore the dynamic nutritional demands of oil palm,influencing Ca immobilization,cycling,and export throughout its developmental stages.展开更多
This paper brings the comparison of performances of CO_(2)conversion by plasma and plasma-assisted catalysis based on the data collected from literature in this field,organised in an open access online database.This t...This paper brings the comparison of performances of CO_(2)conversion by plasma and plasma-assisted catalysis based on the data collected from literature in this field,organised in an open access online database.This tool is open to all users to carry out their own analyses,but also to contributors who wish to add their data to the database in order to improve the relevance of the comparisons made,and ultimately to improve the efficiency of CO_(2)conversion by plasma-catalysis.The creation of this database and database user interface is motivated by the fact that plasma-catalysis is a fast-growing field for all CO_(2)conversion processes,be it methanation,dry reforming of methane,methanolisation,or others.As a result of this rapid increase,there is a need for a set of standard procedures to rigorously compare performances of different systems.However,this is currently not possible because the fundamental mechanisms of plasma-catalysis are still too poorly understood to define these standard procedures.Fortunately however,the accumulated data within the CO_(2)plasma-catalysis community has become large enough to warrant so-called“big data”studies more familiar in the fields of medicine and the social sciences.To enable comparisons between multiple data sets and make future research more effective,this work proposes the first database on CO_(2)conversion performances by plasma-catalysis open to the whole community.This database has been initiated in the framework of a H_(2)0_(2)0 European project and is called the“PIONEER Data Base”.The database gathers a large amount of CO_(2)conversion performance data such as conversion rate,energy efficiency,and selectivity for numerous plasma sources coupled with or without a catalyst.Each data set is associated with metadata describing the gas mixture,the plasma source,the nature of the catalyst,and the form of coupling with the plasma.Beyond the database itself,a data extraction tool with direct visualisation features or advanced filtering functionalities has been developed and is available online to the public.The simple and fast visualisation of the state of the art puts new results into context,identifies literal gaps in data,and consequently points towards promising research routes.More advanced data extraction illustrates the impact that the database can have in the understanding of plasma-catalyst coupling.Lessons learned from the review of a large amount of literature during the setup of the database lead to best practice advice to increase comparability between future CO_(2)plasma-catalytic studies.Finally,the community is strongly encouraged to contribute to the database not only to increase the visibility of their data but also the relevance of the comparisons allowed by this tool.展开更多
Low-affinity nitrate transporter genes have been identified in subfamilies 4-8 of the rice nitrate transporter 1(NRT1)/peptide transporter family(NPF),but the OsNPF3 subfamily responsible for nitrate and phytohormone ...Low-affinity nitrate transporter genes have been identified in subfamilies 4-8 of the rice nitrate transporter 1(NRT1)/peptide transporter family(NPF),but the OsNPF3 subfamily responsible for nitrate and phytohormone transport and rice growth and development remains unknown.In this study,we described OsNPF3.1 as an essential nitrate and phytohormone transporter gene for rice tillering and nitrogen utilization efficiency(NUtE).OsNPF3.1 possesses four major haplotypes of its promoter sequence in 517 cultivars,and its expression is positively associated with tiller number.Its expression was higher in the basal part,culm,and leaf blade than in other parts of the plant,and was strongly induced by nitrate,abscisic acid(ABA)and gibberellin 3(GA_3)in the root and shoot of rice.Electrophysiological experiments demonstrated that OsNPF3.1 is a pH-dependent low-affinity nitrate transporter,with rice protoplast uptake assays showing it to be an ABA and GA_3 transporter.OsNPF3.1 overexpression significantly promoted ABA accumulation in the roots and GA accumulation in the basal part of the plant which inhibited axillary bud outgrowth and rice tillering,especially at high nitrate concentrations.The NUtE of OsNPF3.1-overexpressing plants was enhanced under low and medium nitrate concentrations,whereas the NUtE of OsNPF3.1 clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)plants was increased under high nitrate concentrations.The results indicate that OsNPF3.1 transports nitrate and phytohormones in different rice tissues under different nitrate concentrations.The altered OsNPF3.1 expression improves NUtE in the OsNPF3.1-overexpressing and CRISPR lines at low and high nitrate concentrations,respectively.展开更多
Increasing the urban tree cover percentage(TCP) is widely recognized as an efficient way to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The cooling efficiency of urban trees can be either enhanced or attenuated on hotter d...Increasing the urban tree cover percentage(TCP) is widely recognized as an efficient way to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The cooling efficiency of urban trees can be either enhanced or attenuated on hotter days, depending on the physiological response of urban trees to rising ambient temperature. However, the response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature remains poorly quantified for China's cities. In this study, we quantify the response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature at noontime [~1330 LT(local time), LT=UTC+8] in 17summers(June, July, and August) from 2003–19 in 70 economically developed cities of China based on satellite observations. The results show that urban trees have stronger cooling efficiency with increasing temperature, suggesting additional cooling benefits provided by urban trees on hotter days. The enhanced cooling efficiency values of urban trees range from 0.002 to 0.055℃ %-1 per 1℃ increase in temperature across the selected cities, with larger values for the lowTCP-level cities. The response is also regulated by background temperature and precipitation, as the additional cooling benefit tends to be larger in warmer and wetter cities at the same TCP level. The positive response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature is explained mainly by the stronger evapotranspiration of urban trees on hotter days.These results have important implications for alleviating urban heat risk by utilizing urban trees, particularly considering that extreme hot days are becoming more frequent in cities under global warming.展开更多
This article investigates the dynamic relationship between technology and AI(artificial intelligence)and the role that societal requirements play in pushing AI research and adoption.Technology has advanced dramaticall...This article investigates the dynamic relationship between technology and AI(artificial intelligence)and the role that societal requirements play in pushing AI research and adoption.Technology has advanced dramatically throughout the years,providing the groundwork for the rise of AI.AI systems have achieved incredible feats in various disciplines thanks to advancements in computer power,data availability,and complex algorithms.On the other hand,society’s needs for efficiency,enhanced healthcare,environmental sustainability,and personalized experiences have worked as powerful accelerators for AI’s progress.This article digs into how technology empowers AI and how societal needs dictate its progress,emphasizing their symbiotic relationship.The findings underline the significance of responsible AI research,which considers both technological prowess and ethical issues,to ensure that AI continues to serve the greater good.展开更多
文摘Today we live in a world of Hydrocarbon Energy Carriers, where Carbon is always used as a Carrier for Hydrogen 1) Biomass (CH1.44O0.66 or C6H12O6);2) Natural Gas [NG] (CH4);3) Water Gas [C+H2O];4) Gasoline (C6H12, C7H18, C8H18, etc.);5) Kerosene (C17H36, C18H38, C19H40, C20H42, C21H44, C22H46, etc.) and;6) Crude Oil. The Carbon aggregates are all storable and have worthwhile, logistically manageable energy densities. But whenever recovering Energy from the Carbon molarities, CO2 gets emitted into the atmosphere, while separate use of Hydrogen Energy contents carried by the Carbon moieties would just generate water vapor. Hydrogen is also the most important intermediary in Refineries, hydrogenating lower grade Hydrocarbons into higher potencies, or for removing Sulfur by the formation of Hydrogen Sulfur, that can be dissociated after its segregation from the Hydrocarbon products. But most of the internal Hydrogen yields in Refineries today is used for onsite production of Ammonia as a basis for Energy fertilizers in high performance agriculture. Because Hydrogen is awkward to store and transport, most of it is currently used captive within large size centralized plants as a reactant for producing Hydrocarbon energy carriers, using the Carbon as a carrier for the Hydrogen moieties, to then be distributed over big enough areas for consumption of the such large scale plants’ volumes. With recently proven achievements of Hydrogen production from excess Wind & Solar Power by electrolysis, Hydrogen could become available in abundant quantities, to be distributed locally within the coverage area of the transmission grid such Wind & Solar installations are feeding into. In combination with Carbon as a reactant such abundant Hydrogen could also be synthesized into Hydrocarbon Energy Carriers and substitute fossil commodities.
文摘Photosynthetic capacity for heritage (Taewa) and modern potato cultivars were compared at different water and nitrogenregimes in the glasshouse and field. The glasshouse was 2*2*4 factorial design with two irrigation: 100% ET and 60% ET;two applied N: 50 kg N ha-1 and 200 kg N ha-1, two Taewa (Moe Moe, Tutaekuri) and two modern potatoes (Moonlight, Agria). The 2009/2010 field experiment was a split-plot, with irrigation and rain-fed regimes as the main treatments: four potatoes above were sub-treatments. The 2010/2011 field experiment was a split-split-plot, with three water regimes as the main treatments: three cultivars (Moe Moe, Tutaekuri, and Agria) were subplots;two N rates were sub-sub-treatments. Gaseous exchange was measured by CIRAS-2 at different days from emergence. Leaf water potential was measured using pressure chamber method. Taewa achieved high photosynthetic WUE in glasshouse and 2010/2011 experiment by maintaining high An, low gs and low Ci compared to modern cultivars (p The An, gs and T increased with irrigation and N increase while decreasing Ci (p < 0.01). Water stress significantly increased VPD resulting in low An and photosynthetic WUE in Moonlight in the glasshouse. The leaf water potential for Taewa was very tolerant while modern potatoes were weakened by water stress. The study indicated that Taewa can be scheduled at partial irrigation without more detrimental effects on photosynthetic capacity while modern potatoes need full irrigation to avoid detrimental effects on photosynthetic capacity.
文摘Every day,an NDT(Non-Destructive Testing)report will govern key decisions and inform inspection strategies that could affect the flow of millions of dollars which ultimately affects local environments and potential risk to life.There is a direct correlation between report quality and equipment capability.The more able the equipment is-in terms of efficient data gathering,signal to noise ratio,positioning,and coverage-the more actionable the report is.This results in optimal maintenance and repair strategies providing the report is clear and well presented.Furthermore,when considering tank floor storage inspection it is essential that asset owners have total confidence in inspection findings and the ensuing reports.Tank floor inspection equipment must not only be efficient and highly capable,but data sets should be traceable and integrity maintained throughout.Corrosion mapping of large surface areas such as storage tank bottoms is an inherently arduous and time-consuming process.MFL(magnetic flux leakage)based tank bottom scanners present a well-established and highly rated method for inspection.There are many benefits of using modern MFL technology to generate actionable reports.Chief among these includes efficiency of coverage while gaining valuable information regarding defect location,severity,surface origin and the extent of coverage.More recent advancements in modern MFL tank bottom scanners afford the ability to scan and record data sets at areas of the tank bottom which were previously classed as dead zones or areas not scanned due to physical restraints.An example of this includes scanning the CZ(critical zone)which is the area close to the annular to shell junction weld.Inclusion of these additional dead zones increases overall inspection coverage,quality and traceability.Inspection of the CZ areas allows engineers to quickly determine the integrity of arguably the most important area of the tank bottom.Herein we discuss notable developments in CZ coverage,inspection efficiency and data integrity that combines to deliver an actionable report.The asset owner can interrogate this report to develop pertinent and accurate maintenance and repair strategies.
文摘Technological advances and evolving demands inmedical care have led to challenges in ensuring adequate training for providers of critical care. Reliance on the traditional experience-based training model alone is insufficient for ensuring quality and safety in patient care. This article provides a brief overview of the existing educational practice within the critical care environment. Challenges to education within common daily activities of critical care practice are reviewed. Some practical evidence-based educational approaches are then described which can be incorporated into the daily practice of critical care without disrupting workflow or compromising the quality of patient care. It is hoped that such approaches for improving the efficiency and efficacy of critical care education will be integrated into training programs.
文摘The traditional thermodynamic theory explains the reversible phenomena quite well, except that reversible phenomena are rare or even impossible in practice. Here the purpose is to propose an explanation valid for reversible and also irreversible phenomena, irreversibility being common or realistic. It previously exposed points tricky to grasp, as the sign of the work exchange, the adiabatic expansion in vacuum (free expansion) or the transfer of heat between two bodies at the same temperature (isothermal transfer). After having slightly modified the concepts of heat transfer (each body produces heat according to its own temperature) and work (distinguishing external pressure from internal pressure), the previous points are more easily explained. At last, an engine efficiency in case of irreversible transfer is proposed. This paper is focused on the form of thermodynamics, on “explanations”;it does not question on “results” (except the irreversible free expansion of 1845...) which remain unchanged.
文摘There are many reports of devices and fuel additives being able to enhance the performance of automobiles and other forms of transportation that rely upon the combustion of gasoline or diesel fuels. The claims extend from increased mileage and power to significant reductions in toxic exhaust emissions of carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons. Progress towards more widespread applications of means of improving fuel efficiency has been impeded by the lack of a coherent explanation of the mechanism of action. Fuel combustion allows for the conversion of much of the available chemical energy in volatile hydrocarbons to mechanical energy, which moves the pistons within an engine. It is proposed that the amount of chemical energy in hydrocarbons can be increased by the absorption of an environmental force termed KELEA (kinetic energy limiting electrostatic attraction). In addition to providing greater mechanical energy with relatively less heat output, the combustion of KELEA activated fuels proceeds further with less toxic emissions of carbon monoxide and unburnt hydrocarbons from incomplete combustion. KELEA activation of fuels should become standard practice in the transportation industry, with potential additional benefits in slowing the rate of global warming.
基金the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2021YFB3803003)the Youth Innova-tion Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.2023311)+1 种基金Zhejiang Public Welfare Technology Application Research Project(Grant No.LGG22E010013)Class III Peak Discipline of Shanghai-Materials Science and Engineering(High-Energy Beam Intelligent Processing and Green Manufacturing).
文摘This study investigated the effect of antioxidants on the grinding efficiency,magnetic powder characteristics,microstructure,and magnetic properties of 2:17 type SmCo permanent magnet materials.The results show that adding antioxidants helps improve the dispersion among magnetic powders,leading to a 33.3%decrease in jet milling time and a 15.8%increase in magnet powder production yield.Additionally,adding antioxidants enhances the oxidation resistance of the magnetic powders.After being stored in a constant temperature air environment at 25C for 48 h,the O content in the powder decreased by 33%compared to samples without antioxidants.While in the magnet body,the O content decreased from 0.21 wt.%to 0.14 wt.%,which helps increase the effective Sm content and domain wall pinning uniformity in the magnet.Excellent magnetic properties were obtained in the magnet with added antioxidants:B_(r)=11.6 kGs,SF=79.6%,H_(cj)=16.8 kOe,and(BH)_(max)=32.5 MGOe.
文摘Field trials were conducted to determine the economically optimum fertilizer rates for soybean production and for optimizing net profits in Dedza, Lilongwe and Salima Districts of Malawi. The effects of PK fertilizer rates on rain use efficiency (RUE), harvest index, agronomic use efficiency of phosphorous (AEP) and potassium (AEK), and value cost ratio (VCR) were evaluated. The applied diagnostic PK fertilizer rates significantly improved soybean grain yields, harvest index, rainwater use efficiency, AEP, AEK and returns to fertilizer use expressed as value cost ratio (VCR). However, the results differed significantly
文摘Stagnating yield and declining input use efficiency in irrigated wheat of the Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) coupled with diminishing availability of water for agriculture is a major concern of food security in South Asia. The objective of our study was to establish an understanding of how wheat yield and input use efficiency can be improved and how land leveling and crop establishment practices can be modified to be more efficient in water use through layering of precision-conservation crop management techniques. The “precision land leveling with raised bed” planting can be used to improve crop yield, water and nutrient use efficiency over the existing “traditional land leveling with flat” planting practices. We conducted a field experiment during 2002-2004 at Modipuram, India to quantify the benefits of alternate land leveling (precision land leveling) and crop establishment (furrow irrigated raised bed planting) techniques alone or in combination (layering precision-conservation) in terms of crop yield, water savings, and nutrient use efficiency of wheat production in IGP. The wheat yield was about 16.6% higher with nearly 50% less irrigation water with layering precision land leveling and raised bed planting compared to traditional practices (traditional land leveling with flat planting). The agronomic (AE) and uptake efficiency (UE) of N, P and K were significantly improved under precision land leveling with raised bed planting technique compared to other practices.
文摘This paper is a revised and expanded version of a paper entitled “The static and dynamic criteria of building an investment asset portfolio” presented at International Conference on Applied Economics (ICOAE, 2014), Chania, 3-5 July 2014 and published at Procedia Economics and Finance, Volume 14, Pages 575-584 (2014) [1]. At the previous research, it showed the significance to go beyond the scope of selecting one or another metric of static efficiency. And the attention was paid to the dynamic efficiency criteria. The ICOAE 2015 research gives brief results of that work, which is only one of applied areas of polydimensional efficiency measurement model (PEMM). Research work on PEMM conceptual and methodical elaboration has been started in the author’s dissertation study [2] and continued in the practical activity and materialized in Innovative LLC (limited liability company) creating project. The research is concentrating on the real economic benefit of 3D PEMM (thee criterial PEMM version) implementation. In the first part of ICOAE 2015 empirical study, the dynamic component of 3D PEMM on the industrial level was tested. Next, the company economic profit changes and dynamic-market 3D PEMM components correlation was estimated. Finally, the economic benefit of 3D PEMM functional operationalization in the framework of management systems development was calculated.
文摘The study focuses on estimating the input power of a power plant from available data, using the theoretical inverter efficiency as the key parameter. The paper addresses the problem of missing data in power generation systems and proposes an approach based on the efficiency formula widely documented in the literature. In the absence of input data, this method makes it possible to estimate the plant’s input power using data extracted from the site, in particular that provided by the Ministry of the Environment. The importance of this study lies in the need to accurately determine the input power in order to assess the overall performance of the energy system.
文摘Effective calcium(Ca)management is crucial for optimizing oil palm cultivation and enhancing crop yield.This study aimed to gain insights into the dynamics of Ca concentration,accumulation,exportation,immobilization,and recycling in various oil palm organs relative to plant age.The experiment was conducted at the Agropalma enterprise site in the northeastern region of Para State,Brazil,evaluating seven plant age treatments:2,3,4,5,6,7,and 8 years old.Employing a completely randomized design with four replications.The results demonstrated an age-related increase in Ca concentration in petioles,rachis,arrows,male inflorescences,peduncles,and fruits.Furthermore,Ca accumulation exhibited an upward trend in all organs with progressing plant age.Notably,the study revealed an enhanced Ca use efficiency across all plant organs in correlation with the age of oil palm cultivation.These findings underscore the dynamic nutritional demands of oil palm,influencing Ca immobilization,cycling,and export throughout its developmental stages.
基金funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No.813393partially funded by the Portuguese FCT-Funda??o para a Ciência e a Tecnologia,under projects UIDB/50010/2020,UIDP/50010/2020 and PTDC/FIS-PLA/1616/2021。
文摘This paper brings the comparison of performances of CO_(2)conversion by plasma and plasma-assisted catalysis based on the data collected from literature in this field,organised in an open access online database.This tool is open to all users to carry out their own analyses,but also to contributors who wish to add their data to the database in order to improve the relevance of the comparisons made,and ultimately to improve the efficiency of CO_(2)conversion by plasma-catalysis.The creation of this database and database user interface is motivated by the fact that plasma-catalysis is a fast-growing field for all CO_(2)conversion processes,be it methanation,dry reforming of methane,methanolisation,or others.As a result of this rapid increase,there is a need for a set of standard procedures to rigorously compare performances of different systems.However,this is currently not possible because the fundamental mechanisms of plasma-catalysis are still too poorly understood to define these standard procedures.Fortunately however,the accumulated data within the CO_(2)plasma-catalysis community has become large enough to warrant so-called“big data”studies more familiar in the fields of medicine and the social sciences.To enable comparisons between multiple data sets and make future research more effective,this work proposes the first database on CO_(2)conversion performances by plasma-catalysis open to the whole community.This database has been initiated in the framework of a H_(2)0_(2)0 European project and is called the“PIONEER Data Base”.The database gathers a large amount of CO_(2)conversion performance data such as conversion rate,energy efficiency,and selectivity for numerous plasma sources coupled with or without a catalyst.Each data set is associated with metadata describing the gas mixture,the plasma source,the nature of the catalyst,and the form of coupling with the plasma.Beyond the database itself,a data extraction tool with direct visualisation features or advanced filtering functionalities has been developed and is available online to the public.The simple and fast visualisation of the state of the art puts new results into context,identifies literal gaps in data,and consequently points towards promising research routes.More advanced data extraction illustrates the impact that the database can have in the understanding of plasma-catalyst coupling.Lessons learned from the review of a large amount of literature during the setup of the database lead to best practice advice to increase comparability between future CO_(2)plasma-catalytic studies.Finally,the community is strongly encouraged to contribute to the database not only to increase the visibility of their data but also the relevance of the comparisons allowed by this tool.
基金supported by the the Guizhou Provincial Excellent Young Talents Project of Science and Technology,China(YQK(2023)002)the Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Projects,China((2022)Key 008)+2 种基金the Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Support Plan,China((2022)Key 026)the Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding for Grain and Oil Crops in Guizhou Province,China((2023)008)the Key Laboratory of Functional Agriculture of Guizhou Provincial Higher Education Institutions,China((2023)007)。
文摘Low-affinity nitrate transporter genes have been identified in subfamilies 4-8 of the rice nitrate transporter 1(NRT1)/peptide transporter family(NPF),but the OsNPF3 subfamily responsible for nitrate and phytohormone transport and rice growth and development remains unknown.In this study,we described OsNPF3.1 as an essential nitrate and phytohormone transporter gene for rice tillering and nitrogen utilization efficiency(NUtE).OsNPF3.1 possesses four major haplotypes of its promoter sequence in 517 cultivars,and its expression is positively associated with tiller number.Its expression was higher in the basal part,culm,and leaf blade than in other parts of the plant,and was strongly induced by nitrate,abscisic acid(ABA)and gibberellin 3(GA_3)in the root and shoot of rice.Electrophysiological experiments demonstrated that OsNPF3.1 is a pH-dependent low-affinity nitrate transporter,with rice protoplast uptake assays showing it to be an ABA and GA_3 transporter.OsNPF3.1 overexpression significantly promoted ABA accumulation in the roots and GA accumulation in the basal part of the plant which inhibited axillary bud outgrowth and rice tillering,especially at high nitrate concentrations.The NUtE of OsNPF3.1-overexpressing plants was enhanced under low and medium nitrate concentrations,whereas the NUtE of OsNPF3.1 clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats(CRISPR)plants was increased under high nitrate concentrations.The results indicate that OsNPF3.1 transports nitrate and phytohormones in different rice tissues under different nitrate concentrations.The altered OsNPF3.1 expression improves NUtE in the OsNPF3.1-overexpressing and CRISPR lines at low and high nitrate concentrations,respectively.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (Grant No. BK20240170)Open fund by Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control (KHK2203)+2 种基金the Jiangsu Meteorological Bureau Youth Fund (KQ202314)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2024300330)Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Climate Change。
文摘Increasing the urban tree cover percentage(TCP) is widely recognized as an efficient way to mitigate the urban heat island effect. The cooling efficiency of urban trees can be either enhanced or attenuated on hotter days, depending on the physiological response of urban trees to rising ambient temperature. However, the response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature remains poorly quantified for China's cities. In this study, we quantify the response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature at noontime [~1330 LT(local time), LT=UTC+8] in 17summers(June, July, and August) from 2003–19 in 70 economically developed cities of China based on satellite observations. The results show that urban trees have stronger cooling efficiency with increasing temperature, suggesting additional cooling benefits provided by urban trees on hotter days. The enhanced cooling efficiency values of urban trees range from 0.002 to 0.055℃ %-1 per 1℃ increase in temperature across the selected cities, with larger values for the lowTCP-level cities. The response is also regulated by background temperature and precipitation, as the additional cooling benefit tends to be larger in warmer and wetter cities at the same TCP level. The positive response of urban trees' cooling efficiency to rising urban temperature is explained mainly by the stronger evapotranspiration of urban trees on hotter days.These results have important implications for alleviating urban heat risk by utilizing urban trees, particularly considering that extreme hot days are becoming more frequent in cities under global warming.
文摘This article investigates the dynamic relationship between technology and AI(artificial intelligence)and the role that societal requirements play in pushing AI research and adoption.Technology has advanced dramatically throughout the years,providing the groundwork for the rise of AI.AI systems have achieved incredible feats in various disciplines thanks to advancements in computer power,data availability,and complex algorithms.On the other hand,society’s needs for efficiency,enhanced healthcare,environmental sustainability,and personalized experiences have worked as powerful accelerators for AI’s progress.This article digs into how technology empowers AI and how societal needs dictate its progress,emphasizing their symbiotic relationship.The findings underline the significance of responsible AI research,which considers both technological prowess and ethical issues,to ensure that AI continues to serve the greater good.