bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Design and computer graphics in the agro-industrial complex
Authors: Mokina A , Khoronko L
Published: December 2021

Agriculture and the industry associated with it has traditionally been focused on man and his direct labour with minimal use of machinery and mechanical equipment. But gradually advanced technologies are being introduced into this area. Today, almost any labour and creative processes of human activity are closely connected with maximum informatization and visualization of information through digital technologies, including in the agro-industrial complex. The article examines the design role, computer graphics and colour in the process of creating objects and equipment for the agro-industrial complex. The task is to trace how the digital technologies’ use affects the design and imaginative solution of the object world, which colour is more often used for the agricultural machinery design, what is the reason for the particular colour choice. The issue of creating virtual interfaces for the promotion of companies engaged in the production and sale of machinery and components of the agricultural sector, on the Rostselmash example, was also touched upon. The modern computers and programs’ use in industrial design makes it possible to accelerate the process of the preparatory stage of sketching, the search for a figurative and colour solution of the future object of the spatial environment, and most importantly - to achieve a successful aesthetics and functionality collaboration.
Assessment of agricultural business activities and its contribution to the formation of food security of the country
Authors: Fedorov Vladimir , Bunchikov Oleg , Kapelist Evgeniya
Published: December 2021

The article examines the issues of agricultural production by the agrarians of the Russian Federation in the context of import substitution and their contribution to the formation of food independence in the region. The dynamics of agricultural production in such sectors as crop and livestock production has been analyzed. In recent years, thanks to new innovative technologies in crop production, there has been a positive trend towards an increase in gross harvest, as well as an increase in crop yields. So, in particular, for more than thirty years of the analyzed period of time, gross agricultural production increased by 6110.4 billion rubles, and in the sectors crop and livestock production there was an increase in production by 3276.8 billion rubles. and by 2833.8 billion rubles. These indicators were influenced by such innovative developments in crop production as binary crops, new varieties of agricultural crops, as well as a significant increase in the use of fertilizers on agricultural land.
Selection of an algorithm for automatic classification of satellite images for the study of agricultural crops on the territory of Vietnam
Authors: Olzoev B N , Huang H Z , Plastinin L A , Gagin V E , Danchenko O V
Published: December 2021

The paper is devoted to the choice of an algorithm for automatic controlled classification of multi-zone satellite images of Landsat 8 OLI for the purposes of agricultural crop research based on the analysis of various mathematical classification algorithms and comparison of the practical results of these algorithms when using the ENVI 5.4 software package. In the period from June to August 2020, a field survey was conducted by coordinating and ground-based object recognition for the purpose of compiling decryption standards based on images. The paper analyzes four frequently used popular algorithms for automatic controlled classification – maximum likelihood, minimum distance, Mahalanobis distance, parallelepiped. As a result, it is concluded that when classifying objects with very close brightness values, the maximum likelihood algorithm gives optimal and objective results. This conclusion was confirmed by the cameral method by evaluating the reliability of the classification results. The result of the study can be used for mapping agricultural crops and solving other problems of agricultural activity in Vietnam. The methodology presented in the paper can be applied when choosing controlled classification algorithms for other groups of plant complexes and objects based on remote sensing data from space.
Development of the concept of system management of the reproduction of personal potential as an element of ensuring the sustainable development of rural territories
Authors: Ivanova T , Kozina A , Chernyshova T , Prokopyev A , Anufrieva E , Smolkina Yu
Published: December 2021

This article is devoted to the concept of systemic management of personal potential reproduction as an element of ensuring sustainable development of rural areas. The concept contains structural and substantive elements substantiated by us: 1) the relevance of the formation; 2) key difficulties; 3) purpose; 4) the task; 5) expected results; 6) benefits; 7) performance criteria. The scientific significance of the development lies in determining the main components of the concept, practical - in achieving a balanced rate of reproduction of personnel potential, as a result of which the profitability and labor productivity in the industry will increase. Also, the article defines the structure of the management system for the reproduction of personal potential in agriculture. The scientific significance of the development consists in a well-grounded and structured by us set of interrelated system components, the identification of which simplifies the process of reproduction management. Applying the methodology developed by us for assessing the impact of internal and external factors on the rate of reproduction of personal potential in the industry, the structure of the system specifies the subjects that can regulate the influence of these factors, using the tools of which it is possible to achieve the target rates of balanced reproduction (for the industry, agricultural organizations and their employees).
To the development of optimal methods for licorice seeds growing (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) in irrigated lands of the Republic of Karakalpakstan
Authors: Mambetnazarov A B , Aybergenov B A , Ju Kurbaniyazova B , Jumatova R M , Sh Turimbetov M , Sabirova M G , Sabirov G
Published: December 2021

The research was carried out at the Nukus branch of the Tashkent State Agrarian University.The article presents the results of research on the development of optimal methods for growing licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra L.) from seeds on salinity lands of the Republic of Karakalpakstan. In particular, the optimal rates of application of potassium geohumate for soaking licorice seeds, the rate of washing during soil desalination, the rates of mineral fertilizers and irrigation have been determined. The study of the effect of potassium geohumate on seed germination showed that soaking licorice seeds in a 0.05% solution of potassium geohumate for 3 days followed by drying the seeds in the open air provided the best germination on the 30th day after sowing and amounted to 72.6%, while the germination of licorice in the variant with the use of 0.03% potassium geohumate solution was 38.6%. The germination of the control variant was only 22.3%. It has also been established that the optimal rate of mineral fertilization for licorice is the application of 300 kg/ha of superphosphate, 150 kg/ha of potassium and 100 kg/ha of ammonium nitrate for 8 irrigations with a rate of 600 m3/ha.
Possibilities of Obtaining and Controlling Virus-Free Material in the Process of Selection and Seed Production of Main Crops
Authors: Kakareka N , Volkov Y , Tolkach V , Sapotskyi M , Shchelkanov M
Published: December 2021

It is known that after being infected with phytoviruses plants do not recover. Breeding virus-resistant cultivars also does not give reliable results due to the high variability of pathogens and their diversity. And since it is impossible to obtain stable forms then one of the goals of protection a virus-free material and preventing its re-infection. To improve the health of vegetative propagated plant species, you can use the method of tissue culture of the apical meristem. In some cases true seeds can be healed by thermal or chemical treatment. The data on viruses infecting the main agricultural crops of the Russian Far East are presented; the features of their distribution and interaction with plants are described. Possible measures are given to prevent of phytoviruses spreading and re-infection of virus-free plants in the process of breeding and seed production, in gardening and landscape design.
Structure of forest litter in larch forests of Middle and Southern Siberia
Authors: Mukhortova L V , Sergeeva O V , Krivobokov L V , Osipenko Ya S
Published: December 2021

Forest litter plays a significant role in the functioning of forest ecosystems. As a product of forest and soil interaction, forest litter participates actively in the processes of soil formation and plant nutrition. We measured the total stock and analyzed difference in structure of forest litter formed in permafrost larch forests growing in the different climatic zones: in northern taiga of Central Siberia and in the mountain taiga of the Eastern Baikal region. The forest-forming species in both regions is Gmelin larch (Larix gmelinii (Rupr.) Rupr.), but climatic conditions and soil cover in these regions differ. It was found that average stock of forest litter is higher in mountain larch forests of the Eastern Baikal region in comparison with northern boreal forests. The litter composition in these larch forests is characterized by a relatively larger contribution of soft fractions (needles and leaves) in contrast to the larch forests in the northern taiga, where a higher contribution of hardly decomposable components (branches, cones, bark, semi-decomposed wood, thick roots, and moss residues) was observed. Higher stock of fermented plant residues in comparison with humified ones indicated the accumulation of incompletely decomposed plant residues on the soil surface of these northern forests.
Yield dynamics of natural pine stands in the Forest Experimental Station of the Timiryazev Agricultural Academy with 1860
Authors: Dubenok N N , Lebedev A V , Gemonov A V , Gradusov V M , Kochnev Ya V
Published: December 2021

Due to the longevity of forest vegetation, the problem of its age-related changes remains the least studied and most urgent. For 150 years, the Forest Experimental Station has been an experimental testing ground for a number of generations of foresters who have created experimental facilities to solve a number of pressing problems. On the example of natural pine stands with 1860, it was shown that in an urbanized environment, the life cycle of stands is accelerated, and their durability is reduced. At the same time, under the influence of negative factors (emissions from transport, enterprises, recreational load, etc.), a decrease in yield is observed.
The determinants of forest land prices
Authors: Pushkareva L , Pushkarev M
Published: December 2021

The authors discuss the peculiarities of price formation for forest land as a renewable plant natural resource. Forest plots are regarded as a forest resource that can be used in two ways: as a natural object and as a source of wood raw materials. The absolute forest rent for forest areas with standing trees, adjusted for economic, environmental, and social factors, serves as the pricing basis. The authors propose creating differentiated regional price lists for forest plots and methodological approaches to pricing forest plots with different types of forest use to substantiate the forest tax and tax base.
Modeling the interaction of participants in the innovation process in Ecological Sector
Authors: Tebekin A V , Chupina Zh S , Peschannikova E N , Sorokin A M , Boykov A A
Published: December 2021

As part of the innovation process, including ecological sector, the characteristics of the interaction of participants in the chain “producer-intermediary-consumer” are considered. The possible influence of companies promoting innovative products, which play the role of an intermediary and are a link between the manufacturer and the consumer, on the perception of the manufacturer’s innovative products by the end user has been evaluated. The features of the activities of specialized companies to promote innovative products to the market have been investigated. Based on the use of the theory of expectations by Viktor Vrum, a mathematical model is proposed that describes the effectiveness of interaction between the participants in the innovation process within the “producer-intermediary-consumer” chain, which makes it possible to assess the quality of the activities of specialized companies in promoting innovative products to the market including ecological and energy sector.
Features of the negative impact of modern infrastructure facilities in urbanized areas on the environment
Authors: Bespalov V I , Kotlyarova E V
Published: December 2021

In the paper, the authors analyze the impact of modern infrastructure facilities in urbanized areas on the quality of the environment. The first stage of the study was to consider the changes in the urban environment of recent decades, which consists in the transformation of many former industrial zones into large objects of a cultural and entertainment nature, namely shopping and entertainment centers (SEC) or complexes (SECo). The authors also pay special attention to the description of the structural diagram of typical SEC or SECo, the main sources of negative environmental impact from them, as well as directly to the types of these impacts. The analysis carried out confirmed that it would be wrong to say that the quality of the environment in urbanized areas has improved due to the replacement of industrial facilities within cities with SEC or SECo. The authors consider the further task of scientific research to be the process of constructing physical models of pollution processes and reducing air pollution for individual sources for the purpose of subsequent analysis and highlighting promising directions (methods and options) for implementing a system for combating pollution.
Experimental justification of sediment recirculation application
Authors: Schutskaya Elena , Shishova Oksana
Published: December 2021

The article provides an experimental substantiation of the use of sludge as an opacifier and the use of its recirculation during sedimentation of suspended matter in horizontal sedimentation tanks. Based on the theory of agglomeration of suspended solids (Kalitsun V.N., and Laskov Yu.M.), the agglomeration coefficients can be calculated for treating water with one reagent and when using sludge recirculation for natural water purification.
Wastewater treatment from washing agricultural machinery by electroflotation and sorption on activated carbons
Authors: Smolyanichenko A , Kulik I , Yakovleva E
Published: December 2021

Wastewater from car wash stations of agricultural machinery is contaminated with mechanical impurities, oil products, pollution generated by exhaust gases, fertilizers and processing agents used in agriculture, as well as a large amount of surfactants. Purification of this wastewater to the quality required for their reuse allows organizing a circulating water supply scheme, which significantly reduces not only the negative impact on the environment, but also the need for clean tap water. This article describes the results of wastewater treatment from car wash stations of agricultural machinery on an electroflotator and post-treatment by filtration through various filter media, incl. through a sorbent made of modified rice straw - agricultural waste.
Polymer waste safe disposal by incineration in electrostatic field
Authors: Zyryanov I A , Pozolotin A P , Budin A G
Published: December 2021

Polymer waste disposal of is one of the most pressing problems of our time. The incineration method is widespread, but it has its drawbacks. Problems during the polymer waste combustion, which include low combustion efficiency, combustion products toxicity, significantly reduce the possibility of waste disposal incinerators using. In this regard, the work considers the use of an electrostatic field to optimize the combustion process. Experimental studies of the electrostatic field influence on the substances difficult for disposal (polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, rubber) combustion have been carried out. The possibility of increasing the polymer waste combustion rate, flame temperature, and combustion efficiency is shown.
Technology of three-dimensional laser scanning of real estate objects (3D modeling) in cadastral activities
Authors: Tikhonova K V , Solovyova Yu S , Geydor V S , Tikhonov D A
Published: December 2021

Laser scanning in cadastral activities is a tool for obtaining information about real estate objects in a 3D format. The purpose of the research is to obtain information that is necessary for state cadastral registration and state registration of rights, land supervision and local government oversight. Deductive, inductive, analytical, comparative-legal and other scientific methods were used for the most complete coverage of the problem. The article considers the procedure of laser scanning, shooting modes when using laser scanning and the process of a real estate object 3D model creation. The methods of scanning were studied, namely: terrestrial, airborne and mobile. The greatest attention is paid to the advantages and features of using laser scanning technologies for real property. The results of the study showed that the laser scanner can be used not only in geodesy for engineering surveys, 3D modeling of quarries, when obtaining data on the volume of rock, during mining, assessing the situation in an emergency, but it can also be used in cadastral and complex cadastral works. The main attribute of laser scanning is a three-dimensional representation of data about the object, which can be immediately used, but the high accuracy and low labor costs are no less important. Therefore, three-dimensional laser scanning technologies can be used both in the creation of models of cities, and the unified cartographic basis of the Unified State Register of Real Estate, as well as in valuation activities during the taxation of buildings and structures.
Study of Oil in the North of Russia by the Geological Committee at the End of the 19th Century – the Beginning of the 20th Century
Authors: Filippova T P
Published: December 2021

The article draws attention to the study of the historical experience of Russian science in the development of the Arctic and northern territories of Russia. Based on a wide range of archival and published sources, the role of the Geological Committee in the scientific study of the Ukhta oil-bearing region is analyzed. The chronological framework of the study covers the period of the organization’s activity from 1882 to 1929. The field studies carried out by the Geological Committee which started during this period in the Ukhta region are considered in detail. As a result of this activity, this territory was comprehensively studied for the first time, including a detailed geological survey, the search for oil deposits, and an assessment of its industrial potential. It has been determined that as a result of the surveys of the Geological Committee, new information about the features of the geological and orographic structure of the region was obtained and the oil-bearing potential was proved. It has been concluded that the research of the scientists of the committee laid a fundamental basis for the study of the Ukhta oil-bearing region and predetermined its further development history and great significance for the state.
Efficient Thermal Energy Management of Hollow Pin Fin Heat Sinks with and without Phase Change Material
Authors: Ong K. S. , Lim C.H. , Munusamy Y. , Choo K.C. , Chai G. J. , Saii Patmashini , Naghavi S.
Published: December 2021

Electronic devices need to be cooled efficiently. Phase change material (PCM) could be incorporated into a conventional fin heat sink (FHS) for such a purpose. This paper reports experimental results obtained on the thermal performances of four FHSs fabricated with different arrays and numbers of hollow aluminium pin fins with various lengths and diameters. Tests were conducted with and without filling them with PCM. Heat input was kept on for 2 hours and varied from 1W, 5W and 10W. Transient heating surface temperatures were recorded on a data logger and plotted every 5 minutes. The results showed that the PCM-filled FHS resulted in faster cooling rates and lower heating surface temperatures. Long and large diameter pins performed better than small and short pins. Efficient fin heat sinks for electronic cooling are essential in view of the weight and size of the component. Hence the findings of this paper would be beneficial for electronic cooling and useful to the electronic industry for efficient thermal energy management.
Synthesis of Titanium Dioxide/Cellulose Derived from Banana Peel for Sonocatalytic Degradation of Methylene Blue
Authors: Tan Hui Wun , Pang Yean Ling , Lim Steven
Published: December 2021

Banana peel was used as the source of cellulose and titanium dioxide (TiO2)/cellulose composites with different weight ratios were successfully synthesised by using sol-gel method. The composites were then characterised by using the scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The synthesised TiO2 was found to be in anatase phase. TiO2 particles were spherical in shape and consisted of both titanium (Ti) and oxygen (O) elements only. Meanwhile, the morphology of extracted cellulose was found to have a rough surface. TiO2 particles were found to be covering the cellulose surface when preparing the composite samples and clusters of agglomerated TiO2 particles on cellulose surface could be observed. FTIR results indicated that the absorption peaks intensity of cellulose slowly reduced as compared to the composite materials. The sonocatalytic degradation of methylene blue in the presence of TiO2/cellulose at weight ratio of 1:2 showed the highest degradation efficiency of 74.14 % at the optimum conditions (initial dye concentration of 10 ppm, catalyst dosage of 1.0 g/L and solution pH of 8). Study on the degradation kinetics of methylene blue at different solution pH proved that the reaction kinetics fitted well into pseudo first-order. Additionally, a chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal of 94.44 % was also achieved after 30 minutes of ultrasonic irradiation under the prescribed optimum conditions.
Evaluation of various preparation methods of oil palm fiber (OPF) biochar for ammonia-nitrogen (NH3-N) removal
Authors: Ahmad Tanveer , Sethupathi Sumathi , Bashir Mohammed J K , Tan Sin Ying
Published: December 2021

The aim of this study is to develop a oil palm based biochar for the selective removal of NH3-N in low concentration from aquaculture wastewater. In this study, three different preparation methods of biochar were evaluated for the adsorption of NH3-N from synthetic aquaculture wastewater. The three methods are pyrolysis, activation with acid before pyrolysis and activation after pyrolysis with numerous oxidizing agents. In the 1st method, various biochars have been prepared at different pyrolysis temperatures (300 – 500 °C) and holding time (0.5 – 2 hr). The maximum removal efficiency of 50 % was achieved at preparation condition of 300 °C and 2 hr. In the 2nd method, the acid activated raw OPF was pyrolyze at 300 °C, 1 hr. The maximum removal was lower compared to the 1st method without acid treatment. In the 3rd Method, the optimized biochar from the 1st method was activated with different activating agents such as, HNO3, HCl, H3PO4, H2SO4, CH3COOH and H2O2 at 100 °C for 2 hr. It was noticed that activation after pyrolysis did not show any improvement in the removal of NH3-N from synthetic aquaculture wastewater. Characterization of optimized samples were carried out to investigate the adsorption mechanism process of NH3-N. The 1st method (pyrolysis) was the best which reported the highest (50 %) removal of NH3-N. Pyrolyzed OPF is a potential adsorbent for NH3-N.
Development of Statistically Downscaled Regional Climate Model based on Representative Concentration Pathways for Ipoh, Subang and KLIA Sepang in Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Seng Chin Kah , Weng Tan Kok , Nakayama Akihiko
Published: December 2021

Climate change is one of the challenging global issues that our world is facing and it is intensely debated on the international agenda. It is a fact that climate change has brought about many disastrous events on a global scale which affect our livelihoods. Climate models are commonly used by researchers to study the magnitude of the changing climate and to simulate future climate projections. Most climate models are developed based on various interactions among the Earth’s climate components such as the land surface, oceans, atmosphere and sea-ice. In this study, the second-generation Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) was statistically downscaled to develop a regional climate model (RCM) based on three representative concentration pathways (RCPs): RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5. The RCM will be used to simulate the average minimum and maximum temperatures and average precipitation for Ipoh, Subang and KLIA Sepang in Peninsular Malaysia for the years 2006 to 2100. The simulated data were bias corrected using the historical observation data of monthly average minimum and maximum temperatures and monthly average rainfall retrieved from the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MMD). The different trends of the simulated data for all the three locations based on the RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 were evaluated for future climate projection.
Comparison of Segmentation Performance of Activated Sludge Flocs Using Bright-Field and Phase-Contrast Microscopy at Different Magnifications
Authors: Tan Der Sheng , Mahmood Danyal , Nisar Humaira , Yeap Kim Ho , Dakulagi Veerendra , Elaraby Ahmed
Published: December 2021

Activated sludge (AS) is a type of process which is commonly used for the treatment of sewage and industrial wastewater. In this treatment process, the settling of the sludge flocs is important to ensure the normal functioning of the system, while sludge bulking has become a common and long-term problem that greatly affects floc settleability. Thus, methods based on image processing and analysis are introduced for monitoring AS wastewater treatment plants. However, the effectiveness of using image processing methods heavily depends on the performance of segmentation algorithms. The AS wastewater plant can be monitored through microscopic images of the flocs and filaments. Water samples are taken from the aeration tank of the wastewater plants and then observed using bright field and phase-contrast microscopy to compare the segmentation accuracy at different magnifications i.e., 4x, 10x, 20x, 40x. In this paper, three methods to segment and quantify the flocs in bright field and phase-contrast microscopy images have been analyzed. The first method is image segmentation using Bradley local thresholding method, the second method is texture segmentation using range filtering and Otsu’s thresholding and the third method is Gaussian Mixture Method based segmentation. The experimental results show that Gaussian Mixture Model Method gives the best segmentation accuracy for bright-field microscopy and 10x magnification gives the best results.
The Exhaust Emission Characteristics of a Spark-Ignition Engine Fuelled with Gasoline and Synthesized Biogas from Non-Thermal Plasma
Authors: Tzeng Lim Mook , Vijayakumar Sureiyn Nimellnair a/l , Aros Ridzwan Bin Tajol
Published: December 2021

This study synthesizes biogas with low methane contents (<50%) to hydrocarbons that form a combustible synthesis gas (syngas) mixture. Conventional methods used for reforming biogas has limitations in terms of fabrication, maintenance, and cost. This is especially true when the biogas’ composition fluctuates. Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is an alternative method to produce combustible syngas for power generation. Thus, the exhaust emissions from a 2 kWe spark ignition (SI) engine fuelled with gasoline and NTP-synthesized biogas is investigated with respect to the type of NTP reactor, plasma power consumption and biogas composition. Two types of NTP reactors are used: a cylindrical reactor where the gas flow path is linear, and a cyclonic reactor where the gas flow path is a curvature, similar to that of a gas-solid cyclone separator. The results show that the NTP reactors produced additional hydrocarbons, decreasing flue gas temperatures by 4°C and reducing NOx emissions by 35%.
Synthesis of Z-scheme BiOCI/CuFe2O4 Composite with Enhanced Visible Light Photodegradation of Palm Oil Mill Effluent
Authors: Tan Jin Han , Sin Jin Chung , Lam Sze Mun
Published: December 2021

The palm oil industry generated thick brownish liquid waste known as POME (palm oil mill effluent). POME is one of the wastes that can seriously threaten the survival of aquatic life if discharged untreated. In this study, efficient photocatalytic degradation of POME by CuFe2O4 decorated on BiOCl (BiOCl/CuFe2O4) was reported. The Z-scheme BiOCl/CuFe2O4 composite was successfully fabricated via a precipitation-hydrothermal method. The fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) result clearly displayed the presence of BiOCl and CuFe2O4 in the composite photocatalyst. Compared to pure BiOCl, the composite photocatalyst demonstrated a redshift in the wavelength absorption and great visible light absorbing ability. The photodegradation experiments indicated that the BiOCl/CuFe2O4 demonstrated exceptional POME degradation and decolourization efficiencies of 60% and 68%, respectively after 720 min illumination when compared to the single-phase component photocatalysts. The photocatalytic enhancement of BiOCl/CuFe2O4 can be attributed to the efficient charge carrier separation via the Z-scheme heterojunction.
Synthesis and applications of zinc oxide for removal of various pollutants: A review
Authors: Pang Chee Yung , Issabayeva Gulnaziya , Ning Kelly Low Yee , Mee Chu Wong
Published: December 2021

The versatility of zinc oxide applications in the removal of various pollutants has attracted a wide interest of researchers in the past decade. Numerous studies reported on zinc oxide synthesis pathways and resulting nanoparticle morphologies, applications, formation mechanisms and synthesis parameters. In this review the reported zinc oxide synthesis methods are classified into chemical, physical and biological routes; they are evaluated in terms of the required chemicals, synthesis conditions and the resulting morphologies and properties of zinc oxide. The chemical route of zinc oxide synthesis covers precipitation, micro-emulsion, solgel, solvothermal and hydrothermal paths. The physical route includes laser ablation and high energy ball milling, while the biological route covers plant extracts and microbe mediated synthesis. The mechanisms of zinc oxide formation of the mentioned routes are based on one or more of the following processes: particle nucleation, diffusional growth, Ostwald ripening, particle aggregation and sintering. The most influencing synthesis parameters overall are temperature, drying duration and additives’ effect. Higher temperatures (>200°C) commonly produce larger particles of zinc oxide (> 80 nm); the prolong duration (> 60 min) often results in the agglomeration and sintering of zinc oxide particles. However, additives may mitigate agglomeration extent. Overall, the chemical route is more preferable due to its flexibility that is also linked to the greater variability of zinc oxide particles. The physical method produces more consistent zinc oxide particles but requires higher energy inputs. The biological method is very promising and associated with low chemicals consumptions and good quality of zinc oxide.
Research Progress and Prospect of Constructed Wetland-microbial Fuel Cell Coupling System
Authors: Shi Yucui , Tang Gang , Ye Yanchao , Luo Xinyi , You Shaohong
Published: December 2021

Constructed wetland-microbial fuel cell coupling system is a new type of bioelectrochemical system that couples constructed wetland and microbial fuel cell. The system plays an important role in biological power generation and sewage purification. The principle is that the bottom of the constructed wetland bed (low ORP) serves as the anode of the microbial fuel cell. The organic matter in the water is degraded under the action of the electricity-producing microorganisms and released during the degradation process. The electrons are transferred along the external circuit to the biocathode on the surface of the bed (higher ORP) to complete the redox reaction. This article summarizes the research progress of the microbial fuel cell-constructed wetland coupling system from two aspects: system structure and factors affecting system operation. The system structure includes electrode materials, substrates, wetland plants and microorganisms. The influencing factors include HRT, DO, organic matter concentration and wastewater composition, electrode structure. Finally, the problems and research directions of the microbial fuel cell-constructed wetland coupling system are summarized, and the research potential of the system is prospected.
Thermal Management of Hybrid Photovoltaic Systems
Authors: Yeang Jonathan Yong Kai , Baharand Rubina , Boon Ooi Jong
Published: December 2021

Photovoltaic cells can be quite sensitive to the change in temperature, as the entire system’s performance will be affected mainly by an increase in temperature. This is due to the degradation occurring in the solar panel when heat is absorbed, thus producing lesser electricity with the same amount of solar irradiance absorbed. Wind can provide additional cooling on the system; it is too unreliable to consider since wind can come unpredictably. For the design proposed, heat generated is carried away via the water channel underneath each collector’s glass panel. In order to utilize the removed heat, two subsystems are combined to the solar thermal collector. The primary subsystem uses heat to raise the temperature of the hot water storage tank. It can be further heated to the required temperature for the hot water used in the shower. The secondary subsystem consists of an absorption refrigeration system that will provide additional space cooling circulating the house. Based on the available data for maximum solar irradiance, the hot water storage tank can deliver up to 43.8 °C. Additional power of 2.28 kWh is required to raise the temperature to 50 °C. For space cooling, a coefficient of performance of about 2.2 is obtained at maximum solar irradiance. A breakeven point is also estimated to be approximately one year, even though the initial fixed cost for the system is way higher than the installation of conventional products.
Investigation on Heat Transfer and Pressure Drop Performance Utilizing GNP-based Colloidal Suspension Flow in Finned Conduit
Authors: Wang Yanru , Oon Cheen Sean , Tran Manh-Vu , An Joshua Yap Kee
Published: December 2021

Heat exchangers have been widely used in various engineering applications. It is important to develop a highly efficient heat transfer equipment to reduce carbon footprint. In the current research, the effect of 0.025wt% CGNP/water nanofluid on convective heat transfer and pressure drop performance is investigated numerically in finned conduits with circular and square geometry. ANSYS FLUENT is used to analyze the turbulent flow inside the conduits with Reynolds number ranging from 7360 to 28011 and constant heat flux 12254.90W/m2 and 9615.38W/m2 in circular and square geometry, respectively. Only 1/8 of the pipe was constructed in the simulation as the geometry is symmetrical. The numbers of mesh elements are 465488 and 469144 for circular and square conduits. SST k-omega viscous model, SIMPLEC scheme and second-order upwind solvers are used in this model, where SST k-omega viscous model is good at solving turbulence parameters in the near wall boundary regions. It is found that the use of CGNP/water nanofluid can increase convective heat transfer coefficient without increasing pressure drop compared with water. Besides, the circular pipe shows higher heat transfer enhancement compared with square pipe. Furthermore, the increase in Reynolds number enhances the Nusselt number and heat transfer coefficient in both circular and square geometries. It is recommended that circular finned pipe and CGNP/water colloidal suspension could be applied in low turbulence flow setting heat exchanger.
Investigation of heat transfer enhancement in an annular conduit with angled fins using functionalized GNP colloidal suspension
Authors: Nair Sayshar Ram , Oon Cheen Sean , Tan Ming Kwang , Kazi S.N.
Published: December 2021

Heat exchangers are important equipment with various industrial applications such as power plants, HVAC industry and chemical industries. Various fluids that are used as working fluid in the heat exchangers such as water, oil, and ethylene glycol. Researchers have conducted various studies and investigations to improve the heat exchanger be it from material or heat transfer point of view. There have been attempts to create mixtures with solid particles suspended. This invention had some drawbacks since the pressure drop was compromised, on top of the occurrence of sedimentation or even erosion, which incurs higher maintenance costs. A new class of colloidal suspension fluid that met the demands and characteristics of a heat exchanger was then created. This novel colloidal suspension mixture was then and now addressed as “nanofluid”. In this study, the usage of functionalized graphene nanoplatelet (GNP) nanofluids will be studied for its thermal conductivity within an annular conduit with angled fins, which encourage swirling flows. The simulation results for the chosen GNP nanofluid concentrations have shown an enhancement in thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient compared to the corresponding base fluid thermal properties. The data from this research is useful in industrial applications which involve heat exchangers with finned tubes.
Fire Performance of Fly Ash-Based Geopolymer Concrete: Effect of Burning Temperature
Authors: Razak Siti Nooriza Abd , Shafiq Nasir , Guillaumat Laurent , Wahab Mohamed Mubarak Abdul , Farhan Syed Ahmad , Husna Nadzhratul , Ismail Fouad Ismail
Published: December 2021

Geopolymer concrete (GEO) is a cementless concrete produced from the reaction of an aluminosilica-rich material, in particular, fly ash, with an alkaline solution, which can either be sodium or potassium-based. In light of the potential of fly ash-based GPC as an alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC)-based concrete as a green building material, an investigation on the fire performance of GEO, in comparison to OPC-based concrete, is essential. The results of an experimental study on the fire performance of fly ash-based GEO that was subjected to a flame test using a methane burner torch, after 28 days of curing, to simulate a real fire event, are presented. Concrete specimens were exposed to a fire flame at 500 °C and 1200 °C for two hours and subsequently cooled to the ambient temperature, prior to testing. Visual inspection was performed on the specimens to observe for any cracking, spalling and change in colour. Losses of mass and residual compressive strength were measured. The results were compared with those of OPC-based reference specimens. The findings revealed that, in contrast to OPC-based concrete, the strength of GPC increased when exposed to fire at 500 °C. GEO also suffered a smaller loss of mass as compared to OPC-based concrete due to the smaller amount of loss in moisture from burning. It was also observed that no spalling had occurred on the GEO, with less cracking on the exposed surface in relation to OPC-based concrete, hence indicating that the structural integrity of GEO was successfully maintained.
Recent development of chemically complex metallic glasses: from accelerated compositional design, additive manufacturing to novel applications
Authors: Zhang J Y , Zhou Z Q , Zhang Z B , Park M H , Yu Q , Li Z , Ma J , Wang A D , Huang H G , Song M , Guo B S , Wang Q , Yang Y
Published: December 2021

Metallic glasses (MGs) or amorphous alloys are an important engineering material that has a history of research of about 80–90 years. While different fast cooling methods were developed for multi-component MGs between 1960s and 1980s, 1990s witnessed a surge of research interest in the development of bulk metallic glasses (BGMs). Since then, one central theme of research in the metallic-glass community has been compositional design that aims to search for MGs with a better glass forming ability, a larger size and/or more interesting properties, which can hence meet the demands from more important applications. In this review article, we focus on the recent development of chemically complex MGs, such as high entropy MGs, with new tools that were not available or mature yet until recently, such as the state-of-the-art additive manufacturing technologies, high throughput materials design techniques and the methods for big data analyses (e.g. machine learning and artificial intelligence). We also discuss the recent use of MGs in a variety of novel and important applications, from personal healthcare, electric energy transfer to nuclear energy that plays a pivotal role in the battle against global warming.
Stakeholder Engagement in Management Studies: Current and Future Debates
Authors: Sachs Sybille , Kujala Johanna
Published: December 2021

Stakeholder engagement refers to the aims, practices, and impacts of stakeholder relations in businesses and other organizations. According to a general framework, stakeholder engagement has four dimensions: examining stakeholder relations, communicating with stakeholders, learning with (and from) stakeholders, and integrative stakeholder engagement. Stakeholder engagement is increasingly used in areas like strategic management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), and sustainability management, while stakeholder-engagement research in marketing, finance, and human resources (HR) is still less common. Two main camps in the stakeholder-engagement literature exist: the strategic and the normative. To foster an inclusive understanding of stakeholder engagement, future research in both camps is needed. While the strategic camp necessitates a relational view, including both the firm and the stakeholder perspectives, the normative camp requires novel philosophical underpinnings, such as humanism and ecocentrism. Furthermore, there is constant debate about the argument that stakeholder engagement is, and should be, most importantly, practical. Stakeholder-engagement research should focus on solving real-life problems with practical consequences intended to make people’s lives better.
Pay Transparency: Conceptualization and Implications for Employees, Employers, and Society as a Whole
Authors: Bamberger Peter A.
Published: December 2021

Pay transparency refers to the degree to which pay communication policies and practices governing employee pay knowledge facilitate or restrict the sharing of pay-related information. While relatively few enterprises have adopted transparent pay-communication practices, a variety of institutional factors, such as government regulations and social norms, are driving employers to provide their employees with greater pay knowledge. Consensus has emerged around the existence of three main dimensions or forms of pay transparency, namely pay-outcome transparency, pay-process transparency, and pay-communication transparency. Research findings indicate that pay-outcome transparency, which relates to the degree to which pay rate information is disclosed by the employer, has both beneficial and problematic consequences, depending on the outcome. For example, while pay-outcome transparency has been consistently found to be associated with enhanced individual task performance and reduced gender-based pay discrepancies, it has also been associated with higher levels of envy, diminished helping, heightened levels of counterproductive work behavior, and pay compression (which could elicit negative sorting effects). In contrast, pay-process transparency, which relates to the degree to which employees are informed about the parameters underlying reward-related decisions, has been found to have largely beneficial consequences and few unintended negative consequences. Finally, while it is least studied, pay-communication transparency, capturing the degree to which restrictions are placed on employees’ ability to share pay knowledge with others, is positively associated with employee perceptions of employer fairness and trustworthiness and can have significant implications for employee retention.
Coming-Out Narratives in Audiovisual Culture
Authors: Cameron-Gardos Paris S.
Published: December 2021

The rejection of coming out as a linear narrative must be accompanied by an alternative to the formulas of confession, disclosure, and identity adoption that have pervaded the current representations of coming out in the West. The appearance of coming out in film narratives provides important opportunities to observe how elements such as repetition, rehearsal, and, above all, contrasts are incorporated into the stories that are recounted. Conventional coming-out films have relied so heavily on the restrictive nature of the genre’s narrative structure that the potential for alternative, or queered, realities of coming out is erased. The continual reappearance and adaptations of coming out will enable a better understanding of the ways in which the act is presented as a moment that is never finished and that often evades a final, perfected, and polished performance.

Four specific narratives from queer film—Beautiful Thing (1996), Summer Storm(2004), Brotherhood (2009), and North Sea Texas (2011)—will be presented to offer counter models for coming out. In Beautiful Thing, the visual narrative demonstrates the importance of the reiterative, adaptable, and unanticipated representation of the act in visual media. In Summer Storm, the audience witnesses how coming out occurs in a world of competitive sports and where the teenage athletes reveal secrets that everyone already knows. In Brotherhood, the act of coming out is transformed into a moment when identities are instantaneously accepted and rejected within a homophobic, neo-Nazi subculture. In North Sea Texas, the script of coming out is reimagined by two characters who ambiguously decline any opportunity to define their identities. Coming out in visual narratives must be understood through an elaboration of Janet Harbord’s belief that the audience gravitates toward particular visual narratives where a comfort zone is created. These films have authored reiterative and adaptable approaches to the act of coming out that both comfort and challenge the audience.
Rhetoric and Critical Affect Theory
Authors: Ritchie Marnie
Published: December 2021

Critical affect theory continues to hold promise for rhetorical theory and criticism. This article revisits the so-called affective turn in rhetoric and addresses subsequent critiques of the idea of a turn. Accounting for scholarship published since 2010, this article then groups critical affect work into six subareas of research in rhetorical studies: feminist, queer, trans, and crip affects; race and affect; Black women’s affective labor; affective publics and counterpublics; new materialism, materiality, and affect; and affective economics. This article outlines affective methodologies in rhetorical studies and highlights the affective dimensions of “theories of the flesh” in rhetorical inquiry. It ends by considering what is critical about affect theory in rhetoric.