Study of Electromagnetic Radiation Sources Using Time Reversal: Application to a Power Electronic Converter

Recently, modern power electronic systems have been introduced in different applications, such as in avionics and wireless communication. The increasing technological complexity of these systems is posing serious challenges regarding electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) issues. Indeed, the radiation emitted from electronic circuits can induce harmful effects on nearby devices. Thus, several research works have been conducted using the nearfield technique to deal with electromagnetic interferences (EMI) that might occur, especially due to rapidly changing currents and voltages. In the present work, a detailed study about the characterization of the electromagnetic nearfield-radiated emissions is established using a time-domain analysis to provide an equivalent model constituted of a set of electromagnetic dipole parameters. Source reconstruction has been obtained using electromagnetic time reversal (EMTR), which has proven successful and efficient in identifying transient disturbance sources in power electronics. Experimental measurements of the magnetic nearfield have been carried out under an AC/DC flyback converter. The accuracy of the proposed method has been confirmed by visualizing measured magnetic field components, which are in good agreement with the calculated maps. The results of a reasonable computing time have shown that, particularly in transient signals with a wide frequency band, the suggested inverse method is an adequate alternative to overcome frequency domain limitations.

Anthropomorphism and the success of human tool-use

Humans anthropomorphise: as a result of our evolved ultrasociality we see the world through person-coloured glasses. In this review, I suggest that an interesting proportion of the extraordinary tool-using abilities shown by humans results from our mistakenly anthropomorphising and forming social relationships with objects and devices. I introduce the term machination to describe this error, sketch an outline of the evidence for it, tie it to intrinsic rewards for social interaction, and use it to help explain overimitation—itself posited as underpinning human technological complexity—by human children and adults. I also suggest pathways for testing the concept’s presence and limits. With its explicit focus on individual variation and cognitive overload, machination holds promise for understanding how we create and use combinatorial technology, for clarifying differences with non-human animal tool use, and for examining the human fascination with objects.

Determinants of the Intention to Use Smart Healthcare Devices: A Framework and Public Policy Implications

Healthcare industry is strongly influenced by new digital technologies. In this context, this study creates a framework and explores determinants of the intention to use smart healthcare devices. Several factors were identified, including usefulness, convenience, novelty, price, technological complexity, and perceived privacy risks of smart devices. Based on the samples from China, we find that usefulness, convenience, and novelty have positive influences on the intention to use smart healthcare devices. However, technological complexity is negatively related to the intention to use smart devices. The results further extend previous researches in the area of the healthcare industry.

Investigation of Horizontal Wells with Multi-Stage Hydraulic Fracturing Technological Efficiency in the Development of Low-Permeability Oil Reservoirs

The deterioration of the reservoir properties of potential oil and gas bearing areas on mature and green fields, as well as the increase in the volume of hard-to-recover reserves on low-permeable reservoirs set us new challenges in searching and using effective development technologies to maintain and even increase the oil production levels. Based on successful international experience, Russian oil and gas companies use horizontal wells (HW) with multi-stage hydraulic fracturing (MSHF) for the cost-effective development of low-permeable reservoirs. Thus, since the first pilot works of drilling technologies and completion of HW with MSHF in 2011, at the beginning of 2020, over 1,200 HW with MSHF were drilled and came on stream at the fields of LLC RN-Yuganskneftegaz, about half of which are at the exploitation play AS10-12 of the northern license territory (NLT) of the Priobskoye field. In searching the best technologies and engineering solutions, the company tested different lengths of horizontal section of HW, the number of hydraulic fracturing (HF) stages and distances between hydraulic fracturing ports, as well as different specific mass of the proppant per frac port. Recently, there has been a tendency in design solutions to increase the length of the HWs and the number of hydraulic fractures with a decreasing distance between the frac ports and a decreasing specific mass of the proppant per frac port. This work studies the actual and theoretical efficiency of HW with MSHF of various designs (different lengths of horizontal section of HW and the number of HF stages) and to assess the viability of increasing the technological complexity, as well as to analyze the actual impact of loading the proppant mass per port on performing HW with MSHF. The study is based on the results of the analysis of the factual experience accumulated over the entire history of the development of the exploitation play AS10-12 of the NLT of the Priobskoye field of the Rosneft Company. In studying the viability of increasing the technological complexity, especially, increasing the length of horizontal section of HW, increasing the number of HF stages, and reducing the distance between the frac ports: we discovered the typical methodological errors made in analyzing the efficiency of wells of various designs; we developed the methodology for analysis of the actual multiplicity of indicators of wells of various designs, in particular, HW with MSHF relative to deviated wells (DW) with HF; we carried out the statistical analysis of the actual values of the multiplicity of performance indicators and completion parameters of HW with MSHF of various designs relative to the surrounding DW with HF of the exploitation play AS10-12 of the NLT of the Priobskoye field; we performed the theoretical calculation of the multiplicity of the productivity coefficient for the HW with MSHF of various designs relative to DW with HF for the standard development system of the exploitation play AS10-12 of the NLT of the Priobskoye field; we compared the actual and theoretical results. The paper also presents the results of studying the actual effect of changes of proppant's mass per port on performance indicators of HW with MSHF of the same design and with an increase in the number of fractures of the hydraulic fracturing without changing the length of horizontal section of HW. As for performance indicators, being the basis for estimating the efficiency of HW with MSHF of various designs, we used the productivity index per meter of the effective reservoir thickness and the cumulative fluid production per meter of the effective reservoir thickness per a certain period of operation. And as the completion parameters, we used the length of the horizontal section of HW, the number of HF stages, the distance between the frac ports, and the specific mass of the proppant per meter of the effective reservoir thickness per frac port. The results of this work are the determining vector of development for future design decisions in improving the efficiency of HW with MSHF.

Model-Free Predictive Current Control of Synchronous Reluctance Motor Drives for Pump Applications

Climate changes and the lack of running water across vast territories require the massive use of pumping systems, often powered by solar energy sources. In this context, simple drives with high-efficiency motors can be expected to take hold. It is important to emphasise that simplicity does not necessarily lie in the control algorithm itself, but in the absence of complex manual calibration. These characteristics are met by synchronous reluctance motors provided that the calibration of the current loops is made autonomous. The goal of the present research was the development of a current control algorithm for reluctance synchronous motors that does not require an explicit model of the motor, and that self-calibrates in the first moments of operation without the supervision of a human expert. The results, both simulated and experimental, confirm this ability. The proposed algorithm adapts itself to different motor types, without the need for any initial calibration. The proposed technique is fully within the paradigm of smarter electrical drives, which, similarly to today’s smartphones, offer advanced performance by making any technological complexity transparent to the user.

The widening rift between aesthetics and ethics in the design of computational things

In the face of massively increased technological complexity, it is striking that so many of today’s computational and networked things follow design ideals honed decades ago in a much different context. These strong ideals prescribe a presentation of things as useful tools through design and a withdrawal of aspects of their functionality and complexity. Beginning in the mid-twentieth century, we trace this ‘withdrawal program’ as it has persisted in the face of increasing computational complexity. Currently, design is in a dilemma where computational products can be seen as brilliantly designed and engaging to use yet can also be considered very problematic in how they support hidden agendas and often seem less than trustworthy. In this article, we analyse factors shaping this emergent ethical dilemma and reveal the concept of a widening rift between what computational things actually are and do and the ways in which they are presented as things for use. Against this backdrop, we argue that there is a need for a new orientation in design programs to adequately address this deepening rupture between the aesthetics and ethics in the design of computational things.

Applying Model-Driven Engineering to Stimulate the Adoption of DevOps Processes in Small and Medium-Sized Development Organizations

Microservice architecture (MSA) denotes an increasingly popular architectural style in which business capabilities are wrapped into autonomously developable and deployable software components called microservices. Microservice applications are developed by multiple DevOps teams each owning one or more services. In this article, we explore the state of how DevOps teams in small and medium-sized organizations (SMOs) cope with MSA and how they can be supported. We show through a secondary analysis of an exploratory interview study comprising six cases, that the organizational and technological complexity resulting from MSA poses particular challenges for small and medium-sized organizations (SMOs). We apply model-driven engineering to address these challenges. As results of the second analysis, we identify the challenge areas of building and maintaining a common architectural understanding, and dealing with deployment technologies. To support DevOps teams of SMOs in coping with these challenges, we present a model-driven workflow based on LEMMA—the Language Ecosystem for Modeling Microservice Architecture. To implement the workflow, we extend LEMMA with the functionality to (i) generate models from API documentation; (ii) reference remote models owned by other teams; (iii) generate deployment specifications; and (iv) generate a visual representation of the overall architecture. We validate the model-driven workflow and our extensions to LEMMA through a case study showing that the added functionality to LEMMA can bring efficiency gains for DevOps teams. To develop best practices for applying our workflow to maximize efficiency in SMOs, we plan to conduct more empirical research in the field in the future.

Could Avatar Therapy Enhance Mental Health in Chronic Patients? A Systematic Review

The use of avatars in the psychological treatment of some chronic diseases is in their infancy, and it represents a growing field of research with many possibilities for innovation. However, there is a lack of studies seeking to determine if avatar-based therapies could improve mental health in chronic care settings. In fact, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review addressing this research topic. The objectives of this study were to review the scientific literature on those studies involving avatar-based therapies for chronic patients, as well as different ways to develop them and their efficacy on mental health outcomes. Two main questions were addressed: (1) Are avatar-based strategies useful to improve mental health in chronic patients? (2) Which is the best way to develop avatar-based strategies regarding chronic diseases? A systematic review of the peer-reviewed literature was conducted in March 2021. The results were, not only useful for establishing suitable ways to develop avatar-based strategies to improve mental health in chronic care, but also for providing an ad hoc taxonomy regarding this research topic. Five modalities were established according to technological complexity and avatar presentation. Most of the studies were effective (61.1%) in enhancing mental health in chronic care.

The Effect of Technological Complexity (KT) and Compatibility (KOM) on The Sustainability of The Green and Smart Port Concept (CTU): TAM Extended Approach Case Study at Teluk Lamong Terminal, A Subsidiary of PT Pelindo III

This study examines and analyzes the relationship between the technological complexity (KT) and compatibility (KOM), to a continuance to use (CTU) of green and smart port concepts using TAM theory extended. Adding technological complexity and compatibility as an external factor into TAM in terms of perceived usefulness (PU) and perceived ease of use (PEOU) that affect continuance to use green and smart concepts. This study uses a survey method. It is distributed to owners/operational/invoicing managers of Terminal Teluk Lamong (TTL) Customers (Shipping Company, Forwarding, Trucking Company) in Surabaya, Indonesia. The sampling technique is using Slovin's formula with 304 respondents. The data analysis technique uses SEM (Structural Equation Modelling) with SMART PLS 3.0. Both KT and KOM have a significant effect on PU and PEOU. Both PU and PEOU have a significant effect on CTU, and PEOU has a significant effect on PU. This research was conducted at TTL, the only terminal in Indonesia that uses the green and smart port concept. There is no comparison with other terminals in Indonesia on the implementation of the green and smart port concept. Especially for shipping companies, respondents cannot reach owner/principal/shareholders due to Indonesian government policy that international Shipping Companies are not allowed to open branches independently. However, they have to cooperate with local companies (agents). Port Industries (TTL) can develop an appropriate marketing strategy based on this research's results. Technological complexity and compatibility have a significant effect on the continuance to use GSP. Management of TTL has to consider technology and operational systems development with a low-level complexity and according to customer's needs. This research contributes to enrichment and extending TAM theory in terms of green and smart port concept sustainability. Not only affected by PU and PEOU but technological complexity (KT) and Compatibility (KOM) factors are important.