Flame retardant high-power Li-S flexible batteries enabled by bio-macromolecular binder integrating conformal fractions

Polymer binders for sulfur cathodes play a very critical role as they prerequisites for an in-situ immobilization against polysulfide shuttle and volume change, while ensuring good adhesion within active materials for ion conduction along with robust mechanical and chemical stability. Here, we demonstrate anionic surface charge facilitated bio-polymer binder for sulfur cathodes enabling excellent performance and fire safety improvement. The aqueous-processable tragacanth gum-based binder is adjusted to house high sulfur loading over 12 mg cm−2 without compromising the sulfur utility and reversibility, imparting high accessibility for Li-ions to sulfur particles about 80%. The intrinsic rod and sphere-like saccharidic conformal fraction’s multifunctional polar units act as active channels to reach the sulfur particles. As a result, the binder entraps polysulfides with 46% improvement and restrains the volume changes within 16 % even at 4 C. Moreover, the flexible Li-S battery delivers a stack gravimetric energy density of 243 Wh kg–1, demonstrating high reactivity of sulfur along with good shape conformality, which would open an avenue for the potential development of the compact and flexible high-power device.

FACE MASK DETECTION ALERT SYSTEM

In the present scenario due to Covid-19, there are no efficient face mask detection applications which are now in high demand for transportation means, densely populated areas, residential districts, large-scale manufacturers and other enterprises to ensure safety. This system can therefore be used in real-time applications which require face-mask detection for safety purposes due to the outbreak of Covid-19. This project can be integrated with embedded systems for application in airports, railway stations, offices, schools, and public places to ensure that public safety guidelines are followed. To identify the person on image/video stream wearing face mask or not. If the person doesn’t wear a mask, the notification will be sent to the respected admin with the help of Python and deep learning algorithm by using the Convolutional Neural Network, Keras Framework and OpenCV. Keywords: Computer Vision, Object Detection, Object Tracking, COVID-19, Face Masks, Safety Improvement

Reversing Poor Safety Records: Identifying Best Practices to Improve Fleet Safety

Commercial motor vehicle safety is of utmost importance, as crashes involving commercial motor vehicles often result in significant property damage, injuries, fatalities, and financial loss for fleets. However, fleet managers are often unsure what strategies other fleets have used to successfully improve safety. To identify best practices, researchers completed case studies with nine commercial motor vehicle fleets that successfully improved their safety performance. A content analysis was performed, and the successful strategies were organized into the Haddon Matrix. Results showed that there was no one single strategy that fleets used to improve safety. Instead, fleets relied on a comprehensive approach focusing on pre-crash countermeasures, including addressing hiring practices, driver training, fleet safety culture, safety technologies, scheduling, and maintenance. However, an enhanced safety culture and advanced safety technology were identified as critical components to their safety improvement. Results from this study may help fleets understand what their peers have used to successfully improve safety and which strategies may not be as helpful.

Design and Implementation of a Guideline-Based Workflow Software System for Improving the Chemotherapy Process

Background: While chemotherapy is an effective modality for the treatment of patients with cancer, it is a complex, multidisciplinary, and error-prone process. Paper-based protocols are commonly applied in chemotherapy; however, they fail to eliminate the complexity of this process. Therefore, a new guideline-based workflow software (GWS) system is needed to improve the workflow and quality of chemotherapy process. Methods: Planning was initiated 11 months before the system implementation and it involved a multidisciplinary group to analyze the current chemotherapy workflow and protocols for identifying the workflow components, analyzing paper-based protocols, developing computer-based protocols, and designing of systems based on an object-oriented analysis. To implement the GWS, we applied a system based on Python programming language and SQL language. Results: The conceptual model was developed based on need assessments and chemotherapy steps. A minimum dataset was developed for the electronic health records. We established examination forms for the patient management system (PMS), as well as specific standard forms for chemotherapy ordering, prescription verification and administration templates. Finally, developed GWS system consisted of a PMS, computerized provider order entry (CPOE), prescription verification system (PVS), and nursing administration system (NAS). Conclusions: A PMS, a PVS, a NAS, and a protocol-based clinical decision support system were integrated into the CPOE system to improve the chemotherapy process. Elimination of iterations and unnecessary steps in old chemotherapy workflow, increase of patient safety, improvement of communication and coordination between healthcare providers, and use of updated evidence-based medicine in direct chemotherapy orders justify the integration of GWS in the cancer care settings.

Reconstructing Maritime Incidents and Accidents Using Causal Models for Safety Improvement: Based on a Case Study

No advance in navigation has yet to prevent the occurrence of accidents (incidents are always implied when we discuss accidents) at sea. At the same time, advances in accident models are possible, and may provide the basis for investigations and analyses to help prevent future adverse events and improve the safety of marine transport systems. In such complex socio-technical systems models that treat accidents as the result of a chain or sequence of events are used most commonly. Such models are well suited to damage caused by failure of physical components in relatively simple systems. Although these often include methods for modeling human error, they do not cover broader aspects related to the management of the organization using the means of transport itself (shipowners) nor errors that may occur in the design phase. In particular, they do not cover changes in the systems over time. The paper presents accident investigation approaches and uses a modified causal model to analyze an incident that occurred in January 2019 on the city ferry in Świnoujście. The results of the analysis were used to provide guidelines for increasing safety at the crossing and to evaluate the accident analysis model used. Additionally, incidentally, through the study of this case we uncovered a problem in communication among stakeholders that unnecessarily complicates the models for the models for the improvement of safety.

Numerical Analysis of Dynamic Characteristics of Thermowell Based on Two-Way Thermo-Fluid-Solid Coupling

Because thermowells are prone to fatigue damage in petroleum cracking gas pipelines, in this paper, the LES method is used to simulate the flow around thermowells through two-way thermal-fluid-solid coupling, the internal causes of thermowell damage are explored, and measures for improving the thermowell safety are proposed. According to this study, when high-speed, high-temperature gas passes the thermocouple bushing, the main factors affecting the structural safety of the thermocouple bushing are the alternating stress caused by the vortex falling off, the thermal stress cycle due to the temperature gradient, and the pressure gradient impacted by the gas. Furthermore, this paper proposes improving the thermowell safety by installing the interference devices and optimizing the installation angle. The improvement measures were studied by conducting a two-way thermal fluid-structure coupling simulation. The results of this study show that after installing the interference device and optimizing the installation angle the displacement deformation of the thermowell and the equivalent stress is reduced by 57.2% and 72.1%, respectively, which indicates the safety improvement of the thermowell structure and the effectiveness of the method. The research contents of this paper can provide guidance for the installation and use of thermocouple bushing.

Road Safety Resource Allocation Using Interactive Multiobjective Optimization

A model is proposed for allocating safety resources to various hazard sites. Due to budget constraints, allocation of resources for necessary countermeasures is a critical issue in safety improvement programs. Therefore, the Decision Maker needs a tool that can prioritize the identified countermeasures looking at several objectives, the most important of which are: reducing the number of accidents and minimizing the costs. A number of countermeasures could be implemented simultaneously in the same location and this was considered, so that the solution that best optimizes the objectives was selected. Since the considered objectives are not commensurable, a new methodology with interactive multi-objective optimization in the case of 0-1 integer variables was proposed, based on the application of a logical preference model built using dominance-based Rough Set Approach (IMO-DRSA). Finally, an application of the methodology is presented considering a sample of Italian urban intersections and a set of mutually exclusive alternatives at each location.

Transparency- and Repellency-Enhanced Acrylic-Based Binder for Stimuli-Responsive Road Paint Safety Improvement Technology

In the current study, an acrylic polymer binder applicable to road signs was successfully developed by mixing various acrylic, acrylate-type, and photoinitiator-based monomer species at different acrylate series/silicone acrylate ratios. An amorphous acrylic monomer was used, and the distance between the polymers was increased to improve transparency. The binder was designed with the purpose of reducing the yellowing phenomenon due to resonance by excluding the aromatic ring structure, which is the main cause of yellowing. The optical properties of the binder were determined according to the content of n-butyl methacrylate/methyl methacrylate and the composition of the crosslinking agent in the formulation. Allyl glycidyl ether and dilauroyl peroxide were used to improve the yellowing problem of benzoyl peroxide, an aromatic photoinitiator. Adding a silicone-based trivalent acrylic monomer, 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (TMSPMA), was also found to have a significant effect on the transparency, shear properties, and water resistance of the binder. When 15 wt% TMSPMA was added, the best water repellency and mechanical properties were exhibited. The surface morphology of the improved binder and the peeling part were confirmed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The acrylic polymer developed in this study can be applied in the coating and adhesive industries.