Additional Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Offset Potential from Sugarcane Straw Recovery for Bioenergy Production in Southern Brazil

This study was designed to assess the additional greenhouse (GHG) emissions including measurements of soil CO 2 -C emissions in sugarcane areas plus emissions associated with the recovery and transport operations of straw bales up to the factory gate for electricity production, contrasting with leaving all straw on the soil surface. The total additional GHG emissions considering the main sources evaluated ( i.e ., soil CO 2 -C, diesel use and N 2 O from straw), was estimated at 1,465 kg CO 2 eq ha -1 , resulting an emission factor of 212. 6 kg CO 2 eq ton -1 of straw recovered. Applying the parameters cited in this study for electricity or 2G ethanol production (GHG balance of emission and offset potential), our results showed that straw-based for electricity production would result in additional GHG emissions of (+) 860 kg CO 2 eq ha -1 . In contrast, applying the same study parameters for 2G ethanol production replacing gasoline, an avoided GHG emission of (-) 2,316 kg CO 2 eq ha -1 could be achieved. The route of recovering around 27% of sugarcane straw through bale system for bioelectricity production using technical parameters and industrial efficiency rate of this study could not be a sustainable option because the additional emissions can be higher than its potential to offset generated emissions, based on the emission factor of Brazilian energy matrix. Applying the same experimental parameters, the option of producing ethanol 2G with around 6.89 ton DM ha -1 of sugarcane straw could offset gasoline GHG emissions, contributing with sustainable energy systems.

Optimizing Rapid Granulator Machines Utilization Using Overall Equipment Effectiveness and Capacity Measurement in Injection Molding

Low productivity can be affected by several conditions like machine downtime, operator performance, inefficient capacity planning, etc. The most effective way to find out the solution to this problem is to calculate machine utilization. The purpose of this research is to optimize Rapid Granulator machines in the injection molding area by using Day in the Life Of (DILO) observation, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), and capacity measurement. The research will analyze the suitable calculation metric to measure Rapid Granulator machines utilization by comparing machine capacity, planned run time, planned preventive maintenance, and the number of machines needed. In the last two years, the expected efficiency rate is always increasing up to 95% with the average of PT. MT Indonesia utilization rate of 85%. However, there are no standards or unified way to measure a machine’s utilization rate and due to the huge variety of machinery not all of them have the calculation metrics. Further observation shows that Rapid Granulator machines that located in the Injection Molding area of PT. MT Indonesia has never been calculated and the low utilization rate can be seen after a quick time study. A sample of 16 machines is measured with only 23% of utilization rate in one shift operation time. The result then shows that the improvement activities to reduce the number of machines from 105 to 24 will increase the utilization rate up to 87% with the OEE score increasing from 1.8% to 39%. Thus, PT. MT Indonesia can minimize cost as expected in the cost calculation and optimize Rapid Granulator machines usage.

Application of Anti-Moisture Technologies in Historical Constructions from the Perspective of Sustainability

Restoration of landmarks hit by rising moisture is in conjunction with the concept of sustainability by a very current theme. This problem needs to be addressed from a global point of view. The article discusses individual remediation technologies (invasive and non-invasive), which were applied and long-term investigated on several historical buildings within Slovakia. It describes the costs of their implementation, efficiency rate and importance from the perspective of the preservation of the nation’s cultural heritage and from the perspective of sustainability and the possibility of using these objects. From the perspective of sustainability, it is also shown that some interventions helped with remediation of the moist structure. This step results in a positive impact on the surroundings and protection of persons located in the vicinity of these buildings. It also helps to sustainability in terms of an environmental point of view because the demolition of renewed buildings is not necessary. The Article conclusion notes the level of efficiency of individual technologies. It also provides recommendations that could also be applied to many other historic buildings.

Smart and efficient system for the detection of wrong cars parking

This paper presents a smart and efficient car-parking detection system. The proposed system is comprised of two cameras connected to a mobile system that is devised with Arduino, four DC motors, and PIR sensor placed strategically to monitor parking space, especially within its painted rectangular lines of each parking lot. The mobile monitoring system is automatically responsive to any move they detected as vehicles within the parking space along the rows of parking lots. Once detected, the captured images are processed using the MATLAB software. Any improperly parked cars detected, the cameras will identify their plate numbers, and snap and record it in a database. The designed prototype of the proposed system was tested in five presumed cases. In each case, ten images were processed, thus 50 images were eventually obtained. Out of the 50 images, 48 images corresponded to correct detection whereas the other two images corresponded to wrong detection. Accordingly, the efficiency rate of the proposed smart car-parking monitoring system is 96%. This system offers suitable solution in assisting drivers to park properly within each parking lot and owners of parking area to keep it organized via remote monitoring system.

Fabrication of a stable light-activated and p/n type AgVO3/V2O5-TiO2 heterojunction for pollutants removal and photoelectrochemical water splitting

In this study, TiO2 nanorod arrays (TiO2) was fabricated and modified with the AgVO3 quantum dots (QDs) decorate on interfacing few-layer V2O5 to form a heterojunction material for removal pollutants and photoelectrochemical (PCE) water splitting. The AgVO3/V2O5-TiO2 nanorod arrays (AgVO3/V2O5-TiO2) synthesized by the secondary hydrothermal method were loaded with conductive glass, which facilitated the formation of one-dimensional (1D) nanorod and p-n junction structures. Through instrumentations, to investigate the structural, morphological, optical, photocatalytic and PCE characteristics of the materials. The TiO2 modified by AgVO3 and V2O5 can significantly improve the visible light optical absorption, the reduce the electron-hole pair binding rate and shorten the band gap (3.07-1.41eV) of TiO2. The resulting photocurrent density (116uA/cm2 ) and photodegradation efficiency (rate constant, k = 0.025min− 1) of AgVO3/V2O5-TiO2 are approximately 20 (6uA/cm2) and 5 times (0.005min− 1) higher than those of bare TiO2, respectively. The AgVO3/V2O5-TiO2 achieved a current density of 10mA at an overpotential of 246.2mV and exhibited excellent oxygen evolution reaction (OER) performance. The systematic PEC experiments concluded that the optimized of the TiO2 interface by AgVO3 and V2O5 could promote the separation and transport of charge carriers.

Efficient Reversible Data Hiding Scheme for AMBTC-Compressed Images

Reversible data hiding has attracted significant attention from researchers because it can extract an embedded secret message correctly and recover a cover image without distortion. In this paper, a novel, efficient reversible data hiding scheme is proposed for absolute moment block truncation code (AMBTC) compressed images. The proposed scheme is based on the high correlation of neighboring values in two mean tables of AMBTC-compressed images to further losslessly encode these values and create free space for containing a secret message. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed scheme obtained a high embedding capacity and guaranteed the same PSNRs as the traditional AMBTC algorithm. In addition, the proposed scheme achieved a higher embedding capacity and higher efficiency rate than those of some previous schemes while maintaining an acceptable bit rate.

Predicting Effectiveness of Drug from Patient’s Review

In this paper, we have made multiple reviews and finally made a comparative studyof machine learning and deep learning to predict the effectiveness of drugs. Wehave used both approaches and found that deep learning approaches are providingbetter results than machine learning approaches. We have made two types ofclassifications (good and bad) and got an efficiency rate with the help of aconfusion matrix of more than 80% in the case of deep learning and less than 80%in the case of machine learning approaches.

Dietary Lysine Requirements of Colossoma Macropomum (Cuvier, 1818) Based on Growth Performance, Hepatic and Intestinal Morphohistology and Plasma Biochemistry

This study aimed to determine the dietary lysine requirements of juvenile Colossoma macropomum tambaqui based on growth performance. We also evaluated gut and hepatic histomorphometry as well as blood metabolites in accordance with the increased levels of dietary lysine. The juveniles (33.88 ± 2.47 g) were fed until apparent satiation with diets containing 6.60, 9.72, 12.84, 15.96, 19.08 and 22.20 g/kg of lysine. Fish were randomly distributed in groups of 10 fish per tank and assays were performed in triplicate, during 90 days. Tambaqui fed with 15.96 g/kg dietary lysine showed higher final weight (p = 0.001) and optimized feed conversion ratio (p = 0.001). Morphohistological modifications were present in livers of fish fed with low levels of lysine. In the proximal intestine, mucosa layer density was greater at the level of 15.96 g/kg (p = 0.001). In the middle intestine, height (p = 0.001) and perimeter (p = 0.001) of the villi were greater at low levels of lysine (respectively, 9.72 and 12.84 g/kg dietary lysine). Tambaqui fed with 15.96 g/kg of lysine achieved higher plasma protein concentrations (p = 0.01). Using the second-order polynomial regression analysis as support, and based on protein efficiency rate and body weight gain, dietary lysine requirement for juvenile tambaqui was calculated as 15.4–15.6 g/kg of diet (5.7–5.8% of dietary protein).

Efficiency of Human Resources in Public Hospitals: An Example from the Czech Republic

Healthcare is a highly sophisticated segment of the public sector, which requires not only highly professional and competent staff, but also a properly set ratio of healthcare professionals. In the Czech Republic, the state, as the main guarantor of health care, applied strong control through price and volume control. The aim of the paper is to define the differences in the technical efficiency of public hospitals, with regard to the size of hospitals and partial types of human resources. An input-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis model (DEA model) was chosen for modeling the technical efficiency of 47 public hospitals. The personnel performance concept of the evaluation of technical efficiency was further implemented in eight specific models, from the perspective of individual input variables relative to output variables and according to different assumptions regarding the character of economies of scale. The results of technical efficiency were analyzed using correlation, regression analysis, and the Bootstrap method. The least efficient hospitals in terms of hospital size are large hospitals, and the most balanced results have been achieved by medium-sized hospitals. The average efficiency rate in models that include all selected input and output variables is highest in medium-sized hospitals, with a value of 0.866 for CRS and an efficiency rate of 0.926 for VRS. The rationalization of human resources should be implemented in order not to reduce the quality of care provided.