scholarly journals Ammonia Borane: An Extensively Studied, Though Not Yet Implemented, Hydrogen Carrier

Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 3071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Umit Bilge Demirci
Keyword(s):  
Liquid State ◽  
Ammonia Borane ◽  
Solid Hydrogen ◽  
Present Review ◽  
Hydrogen Economy ◽  
Technological Readiness ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Readiness Level ◽  
Hydrogen Carrier ◽  
Key Issues

Ammonia borane H3N−BH3 (AB) was re-discovered, in the 2000s, to play an important role in the developing hydrogen economy, but it has seemingly failed; at best it has lagged behind. The present review aims at analyzing, in the context of more than 300 articles, the reasons why AB gives a sense that it has failed as an anodic fuel, a liquid-state hydrogen carrier and a solid hydrogen carrier. The key issues AB faces and the key challenges ahead it has to address (i.e., those hindering its technological deployment) have been identified and itemized. The reality is that preventable errors have been made. First, some critical issues have been underestimated and thereby understudied, whereas others have been disproportionally considered. Second, the potential of AB has been overestimated, and there has been an undoubted lack of realistic and practical vision of it. Third, the competition in the field is severe, with more promising and cheaper hydrides in front of AB. Fourth, AB has been confined to lab benches, and consequently its technological readiness level has remained low. This is discussed in detail herein.

Global perspectives on advocating for change in doctoral education

2010 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
George A. Martinez ◽  
Maresi Nerad ◽  
Elizabeth Rudd
Keyword(s):  
Graduate Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Risk Taking ◽  
Doctoral Education ◽  
Workshop Report ◽  
Global Perspectives ◽  
Task Forces ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
The University

This workshop report summarises the potentially far-reaching deliberations and results of a conference of experts in doctoral education from around the world. The conference was organised jointly by the U.S. Center for Innovation and Research in Graduate Education (CIRGE) at the University of Washington, Seattle and the German International Centre for Higher Education Research (INCHER) at the University of Kassel. Participants discussed critical issues in the globalisation of doctoral education, including global inequalities, diversity in types of students and modes of study, and intellectual risk-taking, and they sought to develop proposals for policy. The focus of the conference was on the research doctorate. This essay reports on the activities, discussions, and conclusions of the workshop. One of the task forces illustrated issues in the intellectual risk-taking faced by graduates by performing a highly realistic vignette written by a South African professor. We begin our workshop report with this vignette as a way to begin to frame the key issues.

scholarly journals Expanding the Level of Technological Readiness for a Low-Cost Vertical Hydroponic System

Inventions ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 68
Author(s):  
Juan D. Borrero
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
Agricultural Development ◽  
Food Sovereignty ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Technological Readiness ◽  
Readiness Level ◽  
And Performance

Climate and social changes are deeply affecting current agro-food systems. Unsustainable agricultural practices and the low profitability of small farmers are challenging the agricultural development of rural areas. This study aims to develop a novel, modular and low-cost vertical hydroponic farm system through reviews of the patented literature, research literature and variants of commercial products. After a detailed conceptualization process, a prototype was fabricated and tested at my university to validate its technology readiness level (TRL). The outcomes supported the usability and performance of the present utility model but highlighted several changes that are necessary before it can pass to the next TRL. This study shows that the prototype has the potential to not only solve food sovereignty but also to benefit society by advancing the innovations in food production and improving quality of life.

scholarly journals An Overview of Novel Actuators for Soft Robotics

Actuators ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 48 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pinar Boyraz ◽  
Gundula Runge ◽  
Annika Raatz
Keyword(s):  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Performance Criteria ◽  
Soft Robotics ◽  
Magnetic Actuators ◽  
Technological Readiness ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Readiness Level ◽  
Comprehensive Comparison ◽  
Electro Magnetic ◽  
Soft Actuators

In this systematic survey, an overview of non-conventional actuators particularly used in soft-robotics is presented. The review is performed by using well-defined performance criteria with a direction to identify the exemplary and potential applications. In addition to this, initial guidelines to compare the performance and applicability of these novel actuators are provided. The meta-analysis is restricted to five main types of actuators: shape memory alloys (SMAs), fluidic elastomer actuators (FEAs), shape morphing polymers (SMPs), dielectric electro-activated polymers (DEAPs), and magnetic/electro-magnetic actuators (E/MAs). In exploring and comparing the capabilities of these actuators, the focus was on eight different aspects: compliance, topology-geometry, scalability-complexity, energy efficiency, operation range, modality, controllability, and technological readiness level (TRL). The overview presented here provides a state-of-the-art summary of the advancements and can help researchers to select the most convenient soft actuators using the comprehensive comparison of the suggested quantitative and qualitative criteria.

Outstanding Challenges in Scientific Research on Mindfulness and Meditation

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard J. Davidson ◽  
Cortland J. Dahl
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Contemplative Practices ◽  
Large N ◽  
Key Points ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Future Work ◽  
Made In

Van Dam et al. raise a number of critical issues in contemporary research on mindfulness and meditation and offer a prescriptive agenda for future work in this area. While we agree with all of the key points made in their article, there are a number of important issues omitted that are central to a comprehensive agenda for future research in this area. This commentary highlights five key points: (a) Many of the key methodological issues the article raises are not specific to research on mindfulness; (b) contemplative practices are varied, and the landscape of modern scientific research has evolved to focus almost exclusively on one or two types of practice to the exclusion of other forms of practice that are potentially highly impactful; (c) mindfulness and related contemplative practices were not originally developed to treat disease; (d) key issues of duration, intensity and spacing of practice, and the extent to which formal meditation practice is required or whether practice can be piggybacked onto other non–cognitively demanding activities of daily living (e.g., commuting) remain as among the most important practical questions for disseminating these practices more widely, yet have received scant serious research attention; and (e) the use of mobile technology in both disseminating contemplative training and assessing its impact is going to be required to solve some of the key methodological challenges in this area including standardizing training across sites and addressing individual differences (which will require very large- N studies).

Ammonia borane–polyethylene oxide composite materials for solid hydrogen storage

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (7) ◽  
pp. 3683-3691 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. Nathanson ◽  
A. R. Ploszajski ◽  
M. Billing ◽  
J. P. Cook ◽  
D. W. K. Jenkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Composite Materials ◽  
Hydrogen Storage ◽  
Melting Temperature ◽  
Polyethylene Oxide ◽  
Incubation Time ◽  
Ammonia Borane ◽  
Solid Hydrogen ◽  
Hydrogen Release ◽  
Crystal Phase ◽  
Oxide Composite

Co-electrospinning ammonia borane (AB) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) has created a unique crystal phase that promotes faster hydrogen release from AB below its melting temperature with no incubation time.

scholarly journals Dairy foods and bone health throughout the lifespan: a critical appraisal of the evidence

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 763-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Iuliano ◽  
Tom R. Hill
Keyword(s):  
Food Consumption ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Bone Health ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Dairy Food ◽  
Dairy Foods ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Randomised Controlled

AbstractThe consumption of high-Ca, high-protein dairy foods (i.e. milk, cheese, yogurt) is advocated for bone health across the lifespan to reduce the risk of low-trauma fractures. However, to date, the anti-fracture efficacy of dairy food consumption has not been demonstrated in randomised controlled trials but inferred from cross-sectional and prospective studies. The anti-fracture efficacy of dairy food consumption is plausible, but testing this requires a robust study design to ensure outcomes are suitably answering this important public health question. The evidence of skeletal benefits of dairy food consumption is equivocal, not because it may not be efficacious but because the study design and execution are often inadequate. The key issues are compliance with dietary intervention, dropouts, sample sizes and most importantly lack of deficiency before intervention. Without careful appraisal of the design and execution of available studies, precarious interpretations of outcomes may be made from these poorly designed or executed studies, without consideration of how study design may be improved. Dairy food interventions in children are further hampered by heterogeneity in growth: in particular sex and maturity-related differences in the magnitude, timing, location and surface-specific site of bone accrual. Outcomes of studies combining children of different sexes and maturity status may be masked or exaggerated by these differences in growth, so inaccurate conclusions are drawn from results. Until these critical issues in study design are considered in future dairy food interventions, the anti-fracture efficacy of dairy food consumption may remain unknown and continue to be based on conjecture.

Innovative Implementation of Private Finance Initiative (PFI) Procurement: Challenges and Key Issues in Pre-Construction Stage

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamsida Saidan Khaderi ◽  
Ani Saifuza Abd Shukor
Keyword(s):  
Publishing House ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Expert Group ◽  
Construction Stage ◽  
Private Finance Initiative ◽  
Private Finance ◽  
Critical Issues ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
International Publishing

Private Finance Initiative (PFI) has been successfully implemented across the globe, however regarding the implementation process; the PFI arrangements are not similar from country to country. Based on the circumstances, this paper investigates the key issues and challenges of PFI implementation in a pre-construction stage in Malaysia compare to other countries. This paper will present the results from a semi-structured interview conducted on key PFI expert group with interesting outcome include the critical issues of relationship and financing. The findings will promote an innovative PFI implementation in pre-construction stage and also innovate industry players in making best decisions.© 2016. The Authors. Published for AMER ABRA by e-International Publishing House, Ltd., UK. Peer–review under responsibility of AMER (Association of Malaysian Environment-Behaviour Researchers), ABRA (Association of Behavioural Researchers on Asians) and cE-Bs (Centre for Environment-Behaviour Studies), Faculty of Architecture, Planning & Surveying, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia.Keywords: Private Finance Initiative; Implementation; Relationship; Innovation. 

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