Search Results (562)

This study represents comprehensive research that arises from the advanced sorption properties of zwitterionic resin beads, which were tested on simulated mono- and multicomponent heavy metal ion (HMI)-polluted water, compared to the stream collected in the Tarnita mine area. Ionic exchange resins (IExRs) were first synthesized in cationic form from a highly crosslinked (8%) acrylic copolymer, by introducing different side groups containing amino functionalities, such as ethylenediamine, triethylenetetramine, and hydrazine hydrate. The corresponding zwitterionic form of each IExR was obtained by reacting the cationic resins with sodium chloroacetate. The structures and morphologies of the synthesized resins were characterized using scanning electron microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. Successful removal of Cu(II), Fe(II), and Mn(II) was quantified by using atomic absorption spectroscopy. Tests with multicomponent synthetic solutions revealed the following typical order of retention: Cu(II) > Fe(II) > Mn(II). In the case of water samples collected from the Tarnita area, the zwitterionic resins were able to retain approximately 93.8% Mn(II), 94.7% Fe(II), and >95.5% Cu(II); in all instances, the concentration of Fe(II) was significantly higher than that of Cu(II) and Mn(II). Additionally, sorption isotherms, kinetics, and thermodynamic parameters were studied. Wheat germination was included to test the efficiency of the batch sorption using IExRs, compared to the stream collected from Tarnita, highlighting how the water cleaning process leads to healthy plant growth. The results demonstrate that, after IExRs sorption the tested HMIs content is below the permissible maximum level for surface water, effectively mitigating the pollution of the steam near to the Tarnita closed mine area, removing the main contaminants found in it. Full article

The integration of the Scalable Service-Oriented Middleware over IP (SOME/IP) within Automotive Ethernet enables efficient, service-oriented communication in vehicles. This study presents a video stream transmission library using SOME/IP to transfer pre-recorded video data between virtual Electronic Control Units (ECUs). Implemented with vsomeip, OpenCV, and Protocol Buffers, the system handles video serialization, Ethernet transmission, and reconstruction at the receiver side. Experimental evaluation with front and rear dashboard cameras (2560 × 1440 and 1920 × 1080 px) demonstrated that video resolution and file size directly affect processing duration. Optimized 1920 × 1080 videos achieved total processing times of about 400 ms, confirming the feasibility of near-real-time video transmission. A GUI application was also developed to simulate event-based communication by sending object detection updates after video transfer. The proposed framework provides a scalable and modular architecture that can be adapted to real ECU systems, establishing a foundation for future real-time video communication in automotive networks. Full article

This study represents a preliminary proof of concept intended to demonstrate the feasibility of using a single-point LiDAR sensor for wearable gait analysis. The study presents a low-cost wearable sensor system that integrates a single-point LiDAR module and IoT connectivity to assess Gait Cycle Duration (GCD) and gait symmetry in real time. The device is positioned on the medial side of the calf to detect the contralateral limb crossing—used as a proxy for mid-stance—enabling the computation of GCD for both limbs and the derivation of the Symmetry Ratio and Symmetry Index. This was conducted under simulated walking at three cadences (slow, normal and fast). GCD estimated by the sensor was compared against the visual annotation with Kinovea^®, showing reasonable agreement, with most cycle-wise relative differences below approximately 13% and both methods capturing similar symmetry trends. The wearable system operated reliably across different speeds, with an estimated materials cost of under 100 € and wireless data streaming to a cloud dashboard for real-time visualization. Although the validation is preliminary and limited to a single healthy participant and a video-based reference, the results support the feasibility of a photonic, IoT-based approach for portable and objective gait assessment, motivating future studies with larger and clinical cohorts and gold-standard references to quantify accuracy, repeatability and clinical utility. Full article

Special steel manufacturing involves both discrete processing events and continuous physical flows, forming a representative discrete–continuous hybrid production system. However, due to the visually homogeneous surfaces of steel products, the highly dynamic production environment, and frequent disturbances or anomalies, traditional single-source tracking approaches struggle to maintain accurate and consistent material identification. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a multi-source fusion-based material tracking method tailored for discrete–continuous hybrid scenarios. First, a state–event system (SES) is constructed based on process rules, enabling interpretable reasoning of material states through event streams and logical constraints. Second, on the visual perception side, a YOLOv8-SE detection network embedded with the squeeze-and-excitation (SE) channel attention mechanism is designed, while the DeepSORT tracking framework is improved to enhance weak feature extraction and dynamic matching for visually similar targets. Finally, to handle information conflicts and cooperation in multi-source fusion, an improved Dempster–Shafer (D-S) evidence fusion strategy is developed, integrating customized anomaly handling and fault-tolerance mechanisms to boost decision reliability in conflict-prone regions. Experiments conducted on real special steel production lines demonstrate that the proposed method significantly improves detection accuracy, ID consistency, and trajectory integrity under complex operating conditions, while enhancing robustness against modal conflicts and abnormal scenarios. This work provides an interpretable and engineering-feasible solution for end-to-end material tracking in hybrid manufacturing systems, offering theoretical and methodological insights for the practical deployment of multi-source collaborative perception in industrial environments. Full article

Wireless connectivity plays a pivotal role in enabling real-time telemetry, sensor feedback, and autonomous navigation within Industry 4.0 environments. This paper presents a ROS 2-based mobile robotic platform designed to perform real-time network diagnostics across both private 5G and Wi-Fi technologies in a live smart manufacturing testbed. The system integrates high-frequency telemetry acquisition with spatial localization, multi-protocol connection analysis, and detailed performance monitoring. Metrics such as latency, packet loss, bandwidth, and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) data stream health are continuously logged and analysed. Telemetry is captured during motion and synchronously stored in an InfluxDB time-series database, enabling live visualization through Grafana dashboards. A key feature of the platform is its dual-path transmission architecture, which provides communication redundancy and allows side-by-side evaluation of network behaviour under identical physical conditions. Experimental trials demonstrate the platform’s ability to detect roaming events, characterize packet loss, and reveal latency differences between Wi-Fi and 5G networks. Results show that Wi-Fi suffered from roaming-induced instability and packet loss, whereas 5G maintained stable and uninterrupted connectivity throughout the test area. This work introduces a modular, extensible framework for mobile network evaluation in industrial settings and provides practical insights for infrastructure tuning, protocol selection, and wireless fault detection. Full article

The global challenge of food insecurity requires innovative approaches for sustainable food production and waste valorization. This study investigates the valorization of oat hulls, an abundant lignocellulosic by-product from oat manufacturing, by solid-state fermentation using edible filamentous fungi. Oat hulls sourced from oatmeal industrial side-streams were used as the sole substrate in co-cultures of Neurospora intermedia and Rhizopus oryzae. The fermentation process was optimized and upscaled, with fungal growth monitored via CO₂ efflux and modeled to assess substrate utilization. Comprehensive analyses revealed a significant increase in protein concentration (p < 0.05) in the fermented oat hulls compared to the non-fermented controls. The resulting product was successfully incorporated into granola bars, which underwent sensory evaluation and received positive feedback, demonstrating its potential as a value-added food ingredient. These findings highlight the feasibility of using edible fungi to upcycle cereal processing by-products into nutritionally enhanced alternative protein sources, supporting both food system sustainability and circular bioeconomy objectives. Full article

The method of effectiveness-number of heat transfer units (ε-NTU) is adopted to establish a design indicator prediction model for plate fin precooler (PFP), and experimental verification is conducted. The average error between the experimental heat transfer capacity and the calculated heat transfer capacity is 4.65%, and the predicted mass matches the mass computed via the commercial software SolidWorks 2020. This outcome confirms the model’s reliability. An investigation is conducted into the influences of parametric factors, including hot stream flow length, cold stream flow length, hot side number of layers, and hot side fin pitch on the heat transfer capacity and mass of the PFP. To realize the maximization of heat transfer capacity and the minimization of mass, optimization is performed on the four sensitive configuration parameters by leveraging the multi-objective grey wolf optimizer (MOGWO). This optimization can significantly reduce the mass while ensuring the stability of the heat transfer capacity. Three classes of optimal configurations were derived from Pareto optimal points. Compared to the original structure, the selected schemes exhibit an average 2.95% rise in heat transfer capacity and a 10.7% reduction in mass. These findings show that the optimization method proposed in this study is effective and provides valuable guidance for precooler design. Full article

Due to the scarcity of in situ observations, the current description of the circulation around Cuba is far from complete. For example, the structure and variability of the flow through the Windward Passage, which hosts a significant fraction of the transport from the Atlantic to the Caribbean Sea, are still unclear. In this study, we use a recent, high-resolution Copernicus product based on satellite altimeter observations to obtain new insights into the large-scale geostrophic circulation around the eastern and southern coasts of Cuba. Among other results, we uncover a robust seasonal variability of the circulation around the Windward Passage, related to the presence of a cyclone to the south of the passage. Through most of the year the cyclone, with a companion anticyclone to the west, hinders the Atlantic inflow, but in autumn a strong stream crosses the western side of the passage and deeply penetrates the northern Caribbean Sea. The last part of the work deals with the time variability of the sea level in the Caribbean. We find that an apparent change in trend advocated in the recent literature has been reabsorbed in the last decade, yielding a local average sea level trend over the last thirty years in line with that for the global ocean. Full article

In Calabria coastal regions, seaward and landward sides could be connected through the ecological role of fluvial catchments. Calabria Tyrrhenian coast shows a wilderness area, characterized by two terrestrial and marine Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) connected by the fluvial catchment of Verri stream. The bibliographic search was realized according to a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis, as a standardized method for screening the most relevant literature. The field survey, conducted in the study area, highlighted high biodiversity levels and a great natural heritage represented by 189 plant species and 130 animal ones. According to the resulting data, the basin represents a classical model of ecological corridor linking terrestrial and marine SACs, as cornerstones of Natura 2000 network, so representing the European assessment for biodiversity conservation. This paper highlights the high biological richness of a wilderness area showing the tight relationship between the continental and the marine districts of the same coastal region. The main goal of the research is to remark the fundamental role of fluvial corridors within a regional approach where riverine catchments could represent the connecting steps of the network. In Calabria it is hopeful to establish a functional connectivity amongst protected areas supported by fluvial corridors along the regional basins. Full article

The use of lactose-utilizing microalgae offers a sustainable and cost-effective approach for the bioconversion of dairy industry side-streams and the reduction in microalgae production costs. This work aims to improve the biomass productivity of the lactose-utilizing microalgal strain Graesiella emersonii MSCL 1718 in concentrated cheese whey permeate. It was demonstrated that the mixotrophic growth of the axenic G. emersonii culture resulted in a significantly higher biomass productivity in 20% permeate medium compared to the heterotrophic cultivation. Furthermore, supplementation of the permeate medium with iron, zinc, cobalt, and molybdenum resulted in 12.8%, 12.9%, 9.3%, and 28.9% significant increases (p < 0.05) in biomass synthesis, respectively, compared to the control permeate group. In the subsequent experiment, G. emersonii cultivated in molybdenum-supplemented permeate resulted in 0.34 ± 0.02 g/(L·d) biomass productivity and twofold higher lipid content (30.21 ± 1.29%) compared to the photoautotrophic control in defined synthetic medium. Analysis of the fatty acid composition revealed a twofold increase in saturated fatty acids, reaching 62.16% under mixotrophic cultivation in permeate, compared with the photoautotrophic control. Overall, concentrated cheese permeate proved to be a suitable medium for G. emersonii biomass production, supporting both enhanced growth and increased lipid accumulation. Full article

Brewers’ spent grain (BSG) is the dominant solid side stream from wort separation, generating about 20 kg wet BSG per 100 L of beer and contributing hundreds of millions of tons annually worldwide, and thus a strategic feedstock for circular solutions in the brewing sector. This study situates BSG within that sustainability context and assesses its performance for removing metal ions and organic contaminants. A critical literature review with selected techniques (SEM, NIR/MIR, TGA) has been combined. SEM reveals a rough, fibrous–lamellar microtexture with high pore density, large pore-area fractions, submicron median equivalent diameters, and elevated edge density, consistent with accessible surface and mass-transfer pathways. Compiled adsorption evidence shows that raw and engineered BSG effectively capture diverse cations, including Cu(II), Cr(III/VI), Pb(II), Mn(II), U(VI) and selected rare-earth elements (REEs), demonstrable reusability, and fixed-bed breakthrough on the order of tens to hundreds of hours. Preservation options (drying, cooling/freezing, thermal inactivation, oxygen control) that enable safe storage and logistics for deployment have also been outlined. Overall, BSG emerges as a reliable, scalable biosorbent, with SEM-derived descriptors providing practical tools for performance prediction, while spectroscopic and thermal methods support material monitoring and process integration within a brewery’s circular economy. Full article

The new type of gold cone filter cartridge has dual functions of increasing filter area and enhancing pulsed-jet cleaning, but the issue of patchy cleaning remains to be addressed. This study further enhances the pulsed-jet cleaning performance of cone filter cartridges by employing a porous diffusion nozzle. The temporal and spatial distributions of pulse jet velocity and pressure under the condition of porous nozzles were investigated through numerical modeling. The variation law of pressure on the side wall of the filter cartridge was analyzed. The influence of jet distance of porous nozzles on pulsed-jet pressure and pulsed-jet uniformity was experimentally investigated. Dust filtration and cleaning experiments were conducted, and the filtration pressure drop, dust emission concentration, and comprehensive filtration performance were compared. It was found that the airflow jetted by the porous diffusion nozzle is more divergent than that of the common round nozzle. This results in a larger entrainment of the jet stream, a milder collision of the jet stream with the cartridge cone, and a slower overall velocity reduction. More airflow is generated into the filter cartridge and accumulated; the accumulated static pressure covers a larger range of the upper section of the filter cartridge, with a longer duration of static pressure. In the online dust filtration and cleaning experiment, compared with the condition of the common round nozzle, the porous nozzle can reduce the residual pressure drop by 27.0%, increase the filtration cleaning interval by a factor of 3.80, reduce the average dust emission concentration by 45.2%, and increase the comprehensive performance index Q_F by 5.2%. The research conclusions can provide references for the design and optimization of industrial filter cartridge dust collectors. Full article

Accurate demand forecasting contributes to improved energy efficiency and the development of short-term strategies. Predictive management of energy storage using redox flow batteries is presented as a robust solution for optimizing the operation of microgrids from the demand side. This study proposes an intelligent architecture that integrates demand forecasting models based on artificial neural networks and active management strategies based on the instantaneous production of renewable sources within the microgrid. The solution is supported by a real-time monitoring platform capable of analyzing data streams using continuous evaluation algorithms, enabling dynamic operational adjustments and active methods for predicting the storage system’s state of charge. The model’s effectiveness is validated using performance indicators such as RMSE, MAPE, and MSE, applied to experimental data obtained in a specialized microgrid laboratory. The results also demonstrate substantial improvements in energy planning and system operational efficiency, positioning this proposal as a viable strategy for distributed and sustainable environments in modern electricity systems. Full article

Filtrate from dewatering anaerobically digested biosolids is a side-stream of wastewater treatment that contains high concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds that can serve as nutrients for cultivating microalgae biomass as biofilms for bioproduct production at Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs). One system used to cultivate attached microalgae biofilms is the rotating algal biofilm reactor (RABR). A pilot RABR with 72 m² growth surface area, 11.5 m² footprint area, and a liquid volume of 11,500 L was operated in an outdoor environment at the largest WRRF in Utah, U.S.A, the Central Valley Water Reclamation Facility (CVWRF). The configuration of the RABR was altered from the previous configuration with regard to temperature and duty cycle with the goal to maximize biomass productivity. Results included an increase in dry biomass productivity on a footprint basis from 8.8 g/m²/day to 26.8 g/m²/day (205%) while power requirements changed from 28.3 W to 91 W. The increase in biomass productivity has direct benefits for bioproducts including bioplastic, biofertilizer, and the extraction of lipids for conversion to biofuels. Full article

As the demand for high-quality video streaming applications continues to rise, multi-access edge computing (MEC)-assisted streaming schemes have emerged as a viable solution within the context of HTTP adaptive streaming (HAS). These schemes aim to enhance both quality of experience (QoE) and utilization of network resources. HAS faces a significant challenge when applied to mobile cellular networks. Designing a HAS scheme that fairly allocates bitrates to users ensures a high QoE and optimizes bandwidth utilization remains a challenge. To this end, we designed an MEC- and client-assisted adaptation framework for HAS, facilitating collaboration between the edge and client to enhance users’ quality of experience. The proposed framework employs fuzzy logic at the user end to determine the upper limit for the video streaming rate. On the MEC side, we developed an integer nonlinear programming (INLP) optimization model that collectively enhances the QoE of video clients by considering the upper limit set by the client. Due to the NP-hardness of the problem, we utilized a greedy algorithm to efficiently solve the quality adaptation optimization problem. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework, on average, (i) improves users’ QoE by 30%, (ii) achieves a fair allocation of bitrates by 22.6%, and (iii) enhances network utilization by 4.2% compared to state-of-the-art approaches. In addition, the proposed approach prevents playback interruptions regardless of the client’s buffer size and video segment duration. Full article