Search Results (60,756)

Renewable energy resources have become extremely important in the current context of air pollution and the production of significant amounts of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to global warming. One of the most important renewable energy sources that has shown the highest growth in recent years is photovoltaic (PV) systems. Due to their significance, this research presents a review of the applications in which artificial computer vision can be used in photovoltaic systems. From the results presented in this review, it will be evident that artificial vision can be applied for several different purposes. The advantages of using this technique will also be highlighted. Additionally, a systematic literature review is presented on the research associated with this topic. Through this review, it will be evident that many advanced algorithms related to image acquisition equipment have been proposed to ensure high reliability and fast results. This review does not merely focus on a specific topic or algorithms associated with image processing applied to photovoltaic systems. Rather, this work presents a broad and comprehensive review detailing all viable applications and associated computer vision technologies that can be deployed within these systems. Besides that, the review will clearly specify which work one is based on public datasets. To allow future reproducibility or research, the links to all public datasets utilized in the works based on them are included. Full article

This paper aims to present the development, challenges, and obstacles faced when creating two reduced complexity utility applications for Android mobile devices. The purpose of this paper is to present the challenges behind the development of these applications and the issues faced during their creation. The first app is a simplified gallery app that tries to be as simple as possible. It only has the functionality of a photo gallery; it loads images and videos—nothing less, nothing more. The second app is the simplified file manager app, which will perform only the basic functions of a file manager (Details, New Folder, Cut, Copy, Paste, Rename, Share, and Delete). These apps were also made because of the countless functionalities that are not even used. Full article

An important aspect of food technology is that vitamin compounds can be used for a variety of purposes, such as developing methods to enhance the nutritional value of foods. This paper discusses the synthesis and properties of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)-functionalized silver nanoparticles, and the use of the resulting β-CD-AgNP inclusion complex when loading vitamin D₃ (cholecalciferol, VD₃) molecules. β-Cyclodextrin was used as a reducing agent and a stabilizer in the production of silver nanoparticles. The preparation of VD₃-β-CD-AgNP nanocompositions was confirmed by UV spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction spectroscopy. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) revealed that the resulting β-CD-VD₃-AgNP nanocomposite was well dispersed with particle sizes ranging from 6 to 15 nm. ¹H-, ¹³C-NMR and FTIR spectroscopy showed the reduction of silver ions and the formation of β-CD-encapsulated AgNPs. The kinetic parameters of the thermal decomposition reaction of the VD₃-β-CD-AgNP nanocomposition have been determined under nonisothermal conditions that ensure the preservation of the kinetic triplet and a more accurate description of the process. The nanocomposition of VD₃ with silver nanoparticles demonstrated antibacterial activity against the used bacteria. Full article

Stormwater systems can improve public health and environmental and social conditions in cities, but their effectiveness may be blocked by fragmented project plans and lack of stakeholder support. Systems thinking and institutional analysis were used to assess how these barriers can be addressed and how stormwater systems can become agents of change to support livable and healthy cities. Projects and professional activities were studied to assess stakeholder involvement from low-to-high levels of power and interest in projects. Community stakeholders were developers and social entrepreneurs, government stakeholders included elected officials and staff, and support groups represented engineers, public agency facilitators, and urban planners. Stormwater projects and systems are a focus for engineers, but they often lose their stormwater identify when they are combined with other development projects. The workplace for such projects is the public arena, where cities seek aspirational goals by applying integration through comprehensive planning. However, development projects sometimes fail to comply with the plans. Stormwater may provide the spark for multi-purpose projects as cities must sustain conveyance corridors for connectivity of major flows. However, fragmented project development spurred by rigid capital improvement programs and lack of a path to develop stormwater system connectivity through comprehensive planning and development present barriers. Effective governance is the core issue, and most power is with elected officials, who require public support. The analysis shows need for a road map to utilize stakeholder power to promote stormwater advances by raising awareness and developing practical approaches that work in the spheres of comprehensive planning and capital improvement programming. The road map could be supported by an integrated body of knowledge to frame stormwater management as a combination of urban planning, engineering, and public administration and to encourage these communities to develop a cooperative road map through work among their professional associations. Full article

There has been tremendous progress in the development and application of nanotechnology in the past ten years. There are a plethora of nanoparticles and nanomaterials that have been developed and used to improve the biosensors’ overall performance. Nanocomposites integrate several nanomaterials inside a matrix to improve their structural and functional characteristics, resulting in enhanced biosensor efficacy. This review covers the achievements in nanocomposites containing metal, polymer, inorganic, carbon-based, or gold nanoparticles as new biosensors for detecting a wide range of (bio)molecules with improved sensitivity, selectivity, and a low limit of detection. The purpose is to give an overview of current advances and applications in the field of nanocomposites utilized in biosensors’ design. Emphasis will be placed on the possible uses of these nanocomposites in biosensing across a range of industries, medication delivery, food safety, healthcare, and environmental monitoring. Full article

The modern coinage industry ensures dimensional and weight precision, as well as improved surface quality, for its products. The speed of coin mass production requires increased performance for used machines and tools. Despite these, error incidence cannot be excluded. Some of these errors are recorded inside the punching machine and generate clipped blank disks; on their turn, those malformed disks lead to the clipped coins. In the first part, the paper presents the premises underlying the appearance of clipped blanks. There are some exemplified coins having different types of clips: curved, straight, and ragged. The literature review in the coinage field covers the following subjects: coin and die behavior under the striking load, viewpoints on 3D modeling, and finite element method (FEM) analysis, insights on various striking errors, with most of them more or less valued as collection metal pieces. The paper’s main purpose is outlined as follows: to study, using the available modern techniques, the particularities of different clipped coin types. In the second part of the paper, we introduced the adequate tridimensional (3D) model, for parts such as the die, collar, and the coin. It follows the assembled model corresponding to each studied case, which consists of the obverse and reverse striking dies and the collar, having inside them the coin. For each of the models, based on the initial conditions, the finite element analysis was performed. The paper’s last part presents the analysis’ results, the discussions, and the conclusions. Full article

Magnetic gear transmissions are promising alternatives to mechanical ones due to their contactless power transfer, reduced acoustic noise and vibration, inherent overload protection, and improved reliability. However, their design requires fast but accurate tools. While three-dimensional finite-element models offer good accuracy, their complexity hinders their use for design purposes. Two-dimensional representations, on the other hand, tend to overestimate performance due to the lack of end effects in the axial direction. This paper proposes a hybrid design and optimization framework for coaxial magnetic gears that couples a two-dimensional optimizer based on a genetic algorithm with a three-dimensional parametric model. The former model helps identify promising combinations in the design variable space. Then, specific selections are refined through the three-dimensional model. Numerical results show that both approaches exhibit consistent parameter trends, with a resulting prototype yielding a torque density of 213 Nm/L in an envelope contained within 90 mm of diameter and 16.57 mm of active length. Full article

The SCS-CN (Soil Conservation Service Curve Number) model is important for flood forecasting as it provides a relatively simple and widely used methodology for estimating the amount of surface runoff from a rainfall event, which is a crucial input in predicting flood volumes and peaks in ungauged or data-scarce watersheds. Thus, the authors developed a hydrological model based on the SCS-CN curve methodology and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) to estimate the flood hydrograph in the upper parts of the Biała Lądecka River basin in Poland. The numerical model was calibrated based on the data available from the Polish Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW). The output of the model demonstrates the effect in the flood hydrograph at the town of Lądek-Zdrój. Additionally, hydraulic routing calculations were included to analyze the possible causes of the dam failure of the Stronie Śląskie reservoir in the year 2024. The main purpose of this study is to corroborate the influence of climate change on flood events and their consequences, as well as to assist in forecasting future catastrophic hydrological events and thus earlier adaptation and reinforce the infrastructure in our territories against future flooding. Full article

Several major studies require that students understand and master the concepts and procedures of mathematics. More specifically, an area of mathematics such as algebra requires students to be able to simplify, operate with, or solve fractions. Many students entering university show numerous shortcomings and errors, especially when simplifying algebraic fractions. This is why we conducted a study using eye-tracking techniques to better understand how students process these types of exercises in attentional terms, comparing students who can handle them successfully against those who show errors in their procedures. For this purpose, we evaluated the eye movements of 64 students from different university majors to characterize the attentional–visual strategies they use to simplify four different algebraic fraction exercises. We found that each type of simplification exercise needs a specific strategy where some parts of the rational algebraic expressions are cognitively relevant. Students with correct answers tend to allocate attention to these elements. Students with incorrect answers tend to find similar expressions with the intention to cancel them out, without applying any metacognitive thinking. The rational algebraic expression needs to be taught in a more conceptual manner than procedural. Full article

To develop an effective strategy for in vitro mRNA production, it is crucial to evaluate the efficiency of the in vitro transcription platform. This can be accomplished using reporter genes, such as the luciferase-encoding gene. Luciferase activity assays provide a reliable means to assess the translation efficiency of in vitro transcribed mRNAs and to explore molecular dynamics associated with untranslated regions, capping, nucleotide analog incorporation, polyadenylation, and codon usage optimization. In this study, we propose a novel approach to performing the luciferase assay, offering a simpler, faster, and high-throughput method for evaluating in vitro generated transcripts to be employed for veterinary and human vaccine purposes as well as mRNA therapeutics Full article

Lack of leadership succession planning in South African public hospitals places nursing leadership at great risk instead of improving healthcare. There is a significant demand for nurse managers in the Free State Province; therefore, leadership succession planning is important. The re-advertising of unfilled leadership roles, the projected volume of nurse managers who will be retiring, and the number of professional nurses opting for better international opportunities indicate the need for effective succession planning. The study aims to determine leadership succession planning for professional nurses in a selected public hospital in the Mangaung District, Free State Province. A qualitative, explorative, and descriptive research design will be used. Non-probability purposive sampling will be adopted to explore the leadership succession planning. The research participants will consist of professional nurses who are currently permanently employed within the Mangaung district, Free State Province. The sample size will be determined by data saturation. An estimated sample size of ±20 participants will be expected. Data collection will be performed through in-depth, unstructured interviews to answer the research question. A central place for interviews will be organised, and appointments will be made with participants as per their schedule or availability. Data will be analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic method. The conclusion and the recommendations will be based on the findings of the study. Full article

Ensuring optimal food hygiene is essential for food safety and preventing foodborne illness, although the importance of food hygiene is often overlooked in the household kitchen setting. Adequate, good hygiene practices in the domestic environment are equally important as their implementation in any other food preparation environment, like in the food industry. The current review encompasses research data on the prevalence and isolation of major foodborne pathogenic bacteria (Campylobacter, Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli pathotypes, and Clostridium perfringens) from household kitchen equipment, as well as food cleaning utensils used in the kitchen, such as sponges, brushes, dishcloths, and hand towels. The most common bacterial pathogen present in the domestic environment is S. aureus. The latter can be transmitted orally, either via direct hand contact with contaminated kitchen surfaces and/or cleaning utensils, or indirectly through the consumption of contaminated food due to cross-contamination during food preparation (e.g., portioning prepared meat on the same cutting board surface and with the same knife previously used to cut fresh leafy vegetables). Moreover, research findings on the hygiene of food cleaning utensils demonstrate that (i) sponges have the highest microbial load compared to all other cleaning utensils, (ii) brushes are less contaminated and more hygienic than sponges, thus safer for cleaning cutlery and kitchen utensils, and (iii) kitchen dishcloths and hand towels positively contribute to cross-contamination since they are frequently used for multiple purposes at the same time (e.g., drying hands and wiping/removing excess moisture from dishes). Finally, the present review clearly addresses the emerging issue of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacterial pathogens and the role of the domestic kitchen environment in AMR dissemination. These issues add complexity to foodborne risk management, linking household practices to broader AMR stewardship initiatives. Full article

Purpose: To describe structural and systemic barriers to ophthalmic care experienced by underserved patients, particularly those facing language obstacles, immigration-related constraints, limited insurance coverage, financial hardship, and navigation challenges in an urban setting, and to examine these barriers through a complexity-informed lens. Methods: We conducted a narrative literature review focused on healthcare disparities, patient navigation, complexity in care delivery, and time-sensitive prioritization frameworks in ophthalmology. Findings were integrated with case vignettes drawn from Eyes on Wheels (EOW), a mobile eye care initiative that provides no-cost examinations at Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) and free clinics. Cases were identified through routine clinical documentation and used to illustrate how structural barriers described in the literature manifest in real-world care pathways. Results: Three recurring system-level issues were identified across EOW encounters: (A) misclassification of medically necessary, time-sensitive ophthalmic care as “non-urgent”; (B) patient disengagement driven by cumulative structural and logistical barriers; and (C) failures that arise when the healthcare system, functioning as a complex adaptive system (CAS), is unable to adapt to patients’ and systems’ changing circumstances. A review of the literature confirmed that these patterns reflect widely documented challenges faced by underserved urban populations. Three EOW case vignettes, selected from seven patients identified in 2024, are presented as illustrative examples of these systemic patterns. Conclusions: Addressing inequities in eye care requires an approach that recognizes how many parts of the healthcare system interact and affect a patient’s ability to receive timely treatment. Vision loss is often the preventable result of systems that are rigid, fragmented, or unable to adapt to a patient’s circumstances. Improving outcomes will require flexible care models, such as mobile clinics, paired with strong institutional support, patient-centered navigation, and consistent assessment of social needs and barriers to care. Sustained progress will depend on collaboration across organizations, adaptable leadership, and policies that respond to the real-world situations in which patients live. Full article

Polyurea coatings as a possible structural reinforcement system is a research project involving the investigation of the potential of using polyurea coatings to improve the performance characteristics of structures (steel, concrete, timber and others used in construction). This study, which is part of the aforementioned project, focuses on evaluating the effect of polyurea coating application on the strength and deformability parameters of reinforced concrete elements. For the purposes of this publication, nonlinear cross-sectional analyses were carried out using a layered model, and the model was then calibrated and verified against experimental results. The study was supplemented by a numerical analysis of a reinforced concrete beam coated with polyurea, and the adopted numerical model was calibrated and verified using experimental results. For the calibration and verification of the computational models, experimental tests of reinforced concrete beams with a low degree of reinforcement (0.7%), were used. The results of the numerical analyses are consistent with those of the experimental studies, and an increasing effect of the polyurea coating is demonstrated with thicker layers of its application. Numerical analysis shows that the reinforcement ratio had a strong influence on the effectiveness of the polyurea coating. Full article

In 2022, Korea became the first country to introduce a climate change impact assessment (CCIA) system that requires prior analysis and evaluation of climate impacts for major development projects, delivering a relevant analysis and management framework for such purposes. This study reviews Korea’s CCIA system from a policy perspective, organizing its structural components, assessment procedures, and reporting methods according to the domains of greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation and climate crisis adaptation. The system’s characteristics and assessment procedures of this system are also analyzed via a case study review of urban development projects. In the GHG mitigation category, emissions and absorptions should be investigated at each project stage and quantitative reduction amounts and targets established based on scientific and statistical evidence. Regarding climate crisis adaptation, regional climate risks should be analyzed and adaptation strategies for priority management areas developed based on impact prediction results. CO₂ concentrations recorded in Seoul’s central and background areas confirmed spatial differences in city-level GHG concentrations, proposing the CCIA’s potential practical use for enhancing future monitoring frameworks. To enhance the effectiveness of the CCIA and its consequences for future sustainability, the opinions of various stakeholders and linking the system with existing environmental impact (EIA) assessment frameworks are paramount. Full article