scholarly journals Assessment of Supercritical CO2 Extraction as a Method for Plastic Waste Decontamination

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1347 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ayah Alassali ◽  
Noor Aboud ◽  
Kerstin Kuchta ◽  
Philip Jaeger ◽  
Ahmad Zeinolebadi
Keyword(s):  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Nir Spectroscopy ◽  
Plastic Waste ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Supercritical Extraction ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
The Impact

Due to the lack of advanced methods to clean plastic waste from organic contaminants, this study aimed at evaluating supercritical extraction as a decontamination method. Oil-adhesive high-density polyethylene (HD-PE) oil containers were subjected to supercritical extraction using supercritical carbon dioxide. The extraction was conducted at 300 bar, applying various temperatures (i.e., 70, 80 and 90 °C). The study assessed the impact of temperature on the decontamination efficiency. The variation in the samples’ quality was first analyzed using near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy. An analysis of the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was followed. Samples treated at 70 and 80 °C showed higher extraction efficiencies, in spite of the lower extraction temperatures. The NIR analysis showed that the plastic specimens did not experience degradation by the supercritical decontamination method. Moreover, the NIR spectra of the extracted oil showed the presence of a wide range of compounds, some of which are hazardous. This has been confirmed by a GC-MS analysis of the extracted oil. Based on the provided assessment, the quality of the decontaminated HD-PE plastic samples—from a contamination point of view—is enhanced in comparison to untreated samples. The level of PAHs contamination decreased to be within the allowed limits defined by the REACH regulation, and also met the specifications of the German Product Safety Committee. This study proved the effectiveness of the supercritical extraction using CO2 in extracting organic contaminants from plastics, while maintaining their quality.

Banking services for SMEs' internationalization: evaluating customer satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vincenzo Formisano ◽  
Andrea Moretta Tartaglione ◽  
Maria Fedele ◽  
Ylenia Cavacece
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Kano Model ◽  
Banking Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
International Activities ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the quality of banking services provided in support of small- and medium-sized enterprises' (SMEs) internationalization from the customers' perspective.Design/methodology/approachCustomer satisfaction of 50 Italian SMEs with the banking services provided for international activities has been evaluated by adopting the Kano model's continuous and discrete analyses.FindingsResults show which banking services provided for business internationalization are necessary to satisfy customers' expectations, which services customers like having and dislike not having and which services are unexpected by customers creating a high increase in satisfaction when provided.Research limitations/implicationsThis work shows the value of the Kano model in evaluating the non-linear relationship between customer satisfaction and quality of banking services for the international activities of companies. The main limitation of this work is the limited geographical context of the investigation.Practical implicationsThis research suggests banks to transform their role in the relationship with SMEs from mere financiers to active partners committed to their growth abroad by offering a wide range of services not just financial, but also counselling and care professional, thus achieving mutual benefits.Originality/valuePrevious works on banking services and business internationalization are focussed on the transaction costs, information asymmetries and the impact of online banking. This work advances available knowledge by analysing the customer's point of view, evaluating the satisfaction of SMEs which, although more dependent on banks for their expansion abroad than large listed companies, are mostly ignored by literature.

Sensing tomato’s pathogen using Visible/Near infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis (MVDA)

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-22
Author(s):  
Nawaf Abu-Khalaf
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Multivariate Data Analysis ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Multivariate Data ◽  
Nir Spectroscopy ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Wide Range

Quality of agricultural products is a very important issue for consumers as well as for farmers in relation to price, health and flavour. One of the factors that determine the quality is the absence of pathogens that can cause diseases for products and also for consumers. An advanced method to sense pathogens and their antagonists is the use of Visible/Near Infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy. In this paper, the VIS/NIR spectroscopy, with the help of two techniques of multivariate data analysis (MVDA); namely principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM)-classification; showed very reliable results for sensing two artificially inoculated fungi (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici and Rhizoctonia solani), and two antagonistic bacteria (Bacillus atrophaeus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The two fungi cause loss of quality and quantity for tomatoes. The results showed that the lowest classification rates using VIS/NIR spectroscopy for pathogens, antagonistic and their combinations were 90%, 85% and 74%, respectively. These results open a wide range for using VIS/NIR spectroscopy sensor technology for agricultural commodities quality at quality control checkpoints.

Sensing tomato’s pathogen using Visible/Near infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy and multivariate data analysis (MVDA)

2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-22
Author(s):  
Nawaf Abu-Khalaf
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Multivariate Data Analysis ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Multivariate Data ◽  
Nir Spectroscopy ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Sensor Technology ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Wide Range

Quality of agricultural products is a very important issue for consumers as well as for farmers in relation to price, health and flavour. One of the factors that determine the quality is the absence of pathogens that can cause diseases for products and also for consumers. An advanced method to sense pathogens and their antagonists is the use of Visible/Near Infrared (VIS/NIR) spectroscopy. In this paper, the VIS/NIR spectroscopy, with the help of two techniques of multivariate data analysis (MVDA); namely principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM)-classification; showed very reliable results for sensing two artificially inoculated fungi (Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. Lycopersici and Rhizoctonia solani), and two antagonistic bacteria (Bacillus atrophaeus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa). The two fungi cause loss of quality and quantity for tomatoes. The results showed that the lowest classification rates using VIS/NIR spectroscopy for pathogens, antagonistic and their combinations were 90%, 85% and 74%, respectively. These results open a wide range for using VIS/NIR spectroscopy sensor technology for agricultural commodities quality at quality control checkpoints.

COMBINATORIAL POLYNOMIALLY COMPUTABLE CHARACTERISTICS OF SUBSTITUTIONS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 34-41
Author(s):  
VLADIMIR NIKONOV ◽  
◽  
ANTON ZOBOV ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Expectation ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Computational Point ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Bijective Function ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Element Base ◽  
Selection Of

The construction and selection of a suitable bijective function, that is, substitution, is now becoming an important applied task, particularly for building block encryption systems. Many articles have suggested using different approaches to determining the quality of substitution, but most of them are highly computationally complex. The solution of this problem will significantly expand the range of methods for constructing and analyzing scheme in information protection systems. The purpose of research is to find easily measurable characteristics of substitutions, allowing to evaluate their quality, and also measures of the proximity of a particular substitutions to a random one, or its distance from it. For this purpose, several characteristics were proposed in this work: difference and polynomial, and their mathematical expectation was found, as well as variance for the difference characteristic. This allows us to make a conclusion about its quality by comparing the result of calculating the characteristic for a particular substitution with the calculated mathematical expectation. From a computational point of view, the thesises of the article are of exceptional interest due to the simplicity of the algorithm for quantifying the quality of bijective function substitutions. By its nature, the operation of calculating the difference characteristic carries out a simple summation of integer terms in a fixed and small range. Such an operation, both in the modern and in the prospective element base, is embedded in the logic of a wide range of functional elements, especially when implementing computational actions in the optical range, or on other carriers related to the field of nanotechnology.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Quality of Irrigation Machinery by Monitoring Changes in the Coefficients of Uniformity and Non-Uniformity of Irrigation

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1499
Author(s):  
Ján Jobbágy ◽  
Peter Dančanin ◽  
Koloman Krištof ◽  
Juraj Maga ◽  
Vlastimil Slaný
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measurements ◽  
Joint Stock Company ◽  
Stock Company ◽  
Uniformity Coefficient ◽  
Quality Of Work ◽  
Total Length ◽  
Irrigation Uniformity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Recently, the development of agricultural technology has been focused on achieving higher reliability and quality of work. The aim of the presented paper was to examine the possibilities of evaluating the quality of work of wide-area irrigation machinery by monitoring the coefficients of uniformity and non-uniformity of irrigation. The object of the research was pivot irrigation machinery equipped with sprinklers with a total length from 230 to 540 m. The commonly applied quality of work parameter for wide-range irrigators is the irrigation uniformity coefficient according to Heermann and Hein CUH. Work quality evaluations were also carried out through other parameters applicable in practice, such as irrigation uniformity coefficients calculated according to Christiansen CU, Wilcox and Swailes Cws, and our introduced parameters, the coefficient ar (derived from the degree of unevenness according to Oehler) and the degree of uniformity γr (derived from the degree of non-uniformity according to Voight). Other applied parameters for determining the quality of work of wide-range irrigation machinery were the coefficients of irrigation uniformity according to Hart and Reynolds CUhr, further according to Criddle CUcr and subsequently according to Beale and Howell CUbr. Next, the parameters of the non-uniformity coefficient according to Oehler a, the coefficient of variation according to Stefanelli Cv, the degree of non-uniformity according to Voigt γ and the degree of non-uniformity according to Hofmeister Ef were evaluated. Field tests were performed during the growing season of cultivated crops (potatoes, corn and sugar beet) in the village of Trakovice (agricultural enterprise SLOV-MART, southwest of the Slovakia) and in the district of Piešťany (Agrobiop, joint stock company). During the research, the inlet operating parameters (speed stage, inlet pressure, irrigation dose), technical parameters (number of sprayers, total length, number of chassis) and weather conditions (wind speed and temperature) were recorded. The obtained results were examined by one-way ANOVA analysis depending on the observed coefficient or input conditions and subsequently verified by Tukey and Duncan tests as needed. Irrigation uniformity values ranged from 67.58% (Cws) to 95.88% (CUbh) depending on the input conditions. Irrigation non-uniformity values ranged from 8.58 (a, Ef) to 32.42% (Cv). The results indicate a statistically significant effect of the site of interest and thus the impact of particular field conditions (p < 0.05). When evaluating the application of different coefficients of irrigation uniformity, the results showed a statistically significant effect only in the first test (p = 0.03, p < 0.05). During further repeated measurements, the quality of work increased due to the performed inspection of all sprayers and the reduction in the influence of the wind.

scholarly journals Textile Recognition and Sorting for Recycling at an Automated Line Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Recycling ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Kirsti Cura ◽  
Niko Rintala ◽  
Taina Kamppuri ◽  
Eetta Saarimäki ◽  
Pirjo Heikkilä
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Nir Spectroscopy ◽  
Automated Recognition ◽  
Textile Materials ◽  
Input Material ◽  
Adequate Quality ◽  
Automated Line

In order to add value to recycled textile material and to guarantee that the input material for recycling processes is of adequate quality, it is essential to be able to accurately recognise and sort items according to their material content. Therefore, there is a need for an economically viable and effective way to recognise and sort textile materials. Automated recognition and sorting lines provide a method for ensuring better quality of the fractions being recycled and thus enhance the availability of such fractions for recycling. The aim of this study was to deepen the understanding of NIR spectroscopy technology in the recognition of textile materials by studying the effects of structural fabric properties on the recognition. The identified properties of fabrics that led non-matching recognition were coating and finishing that lead different recognition of the material depending on the side facing the NIR analyser. In addition, very thin fabrics allowed NIRS to penetrate through the fabric and resulted in the non-matching recognition. Additionally, ageing was found to cause such chemical changes, especially in the spectra of cotton, that hampered the recognition.

scholarly journals Evidence of contamination by oil and oil products in the Santos-São Vicente estuary, São Paulo, Brazil

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Souza Azevedo ◽  
Belisandra Lopes ◽  
Alberto Katsumiti ◽  
Elisabete Santis Braga ◽  
Helené Roche ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aromatic Hydrocarbons ◽  
Aromatic Compounds ◽  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Brazilian Coast ◽  
Industrial Complex ◽  
Pah Metabolites ◽  
Polycyclic Aromatic ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Oil And Oil Products

Different components of the mixed function oxidase (MFO) system and the levels of fluorescent aromatic compounds in bile (FACs) were measured in Cathorops spixii in order to assess the impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Fish were sampled in an estuary (Santos/São Vicente) with a history of contamination by PAHs, mainly due to the presence of the industrial complex of Cubatão city and of another of low anthropogenic influence (Cananéia) on the Brazilian coast. FACs were higher in fish from the polluted site, and the PAH 5 and 6-ring metabolites were the most frequent - with 14% and 15%, respectively. Levels of the different components of the MFO system showed the same variation profile as the FACs for both estuaries. Therefore, the values found for somatic indexes and biomarkers with data of bile PAH metabolites indicate the presence of organic contaminants, especially in the area subject to the influence of the industrial complex on the Santos/São Vicente estuary.

scholarly journals Prototype of the Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Expert System for Particleboard Identification

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Anna Sandak ◽  
Jakub Sandak ◽  
Dominika Janiszewska ◽  
Salim Hiziroglu ◽  
Marta Petrillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Control ◽  
Expert System ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
System Development ◽  
Nir Spectroscopy ◽  
Original System ◽  
Adhesive System ◽  
Type Composition ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Panel Type

The overall goal of this work was to develop a prototype expert system assisting quality control and traceability of particleboard panels on the production floor. Four different types of particleboards manufactured at the laboratory scale and in industrial plants were evaluated. The material differed in terms of panel type, composition, and adhesive system. NIR spectroscopy was employed as a pioneer tool for the development of a two-level expert system suitable for classification and traceability of investigated samples. A portable, commercially available NIR spectrometer was used for nondestructive measurements of particleboard panels. Twenty-five batches of particleboards, each containing at least three independent replicas, was used for the original system development and assessment of its performance. Four alternative chemometric methods (PLS-DA, kNN, SIMCA, and SVM) were used for spectroscopic data classification. The models were developed for panel recognition at two levels differing in terms of their generality. In the first stage, four among twenty-four tested combinations resulted in 100% correct classification. Discrimination precision with PLS-DA and SVMC was high (>99%), even without any spectra preprocessing. SNV preprocessed spectra and SVMC algorithm were used at the second stage for panel batch classification. Panels manufactured by two producers were 100% correctly classified, industrial panels produced by different manufacturing plants were classified with 98.9% success, and the experimental panels manufactured in the laboratory were classified with 63.7% success. Implementation of NIR spectroscopy for wood-based product traceability and quality control may have a great impact due to the high versatility of the production and wide range of particleboards utilization.

scholarly journals An Adaptive Bitrate Switching Algorithm for Speech Applications in Context of WebRTC

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Mohannad Alahmadi ◽  
Peter Pocta ◽  
Hugh Melvin
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Quality Of Experience ◽  
End User ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Switching Algorithm ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) combines a set of standards and technologies to enable high-quality audio, video, and auxiliary data exchange in web browsers and mobile applications. It enables peer-to-peer multimedia sessions over IP networks without the need for additional plugins. The Opus codec, which is deployed as the default audio codec for speech and music streaming in WebRTC, supports a wide range of bitrates. This range of bitrates covers narrowband, wideband, and super-wideband up to fullband bandwidths. Users of IP-based telephony always demand high-quality audio. In addition to users’ expectation, their emotional state, content type, and many other psychological factors; network quality of service; and distortions introduced at the end terminals could determine their quality of experience. To measure the quality experienced by the end user for voice transmission service, the E-model standardized in the ITU-T Rec. G.107 (a narrowband version), ITU-T Rec. G.107.1 (a wideband version), and the most recent ITU-T Rec. G.107.2 extension for the super-wideband E-model can be used. In this work, we present a quality of experience model built on the E-model to measure the impact of coding and packet loss to assess the quality perceived by the end user in WebRTC speech applications. Based on the computed Mean Opinion Score, a real-time adaptive codec parameter switching mechanism is used to switch to the most optimum codec bitrate under the present network conditions. We present the evaluation results to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach when compared with the default codec configuration in WebRTC.

scholarly journals The importance of anemia and health-related quality of life in the elderly

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Raditya Wratsangka ◽  
Rully Ayu Nirmalasari Haryadi Putri
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hemoglobin Concentration ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
World Population ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Anemia is a global health problem with an extremely high prevalence and occurring in nearly 25% of the world population, particularly in the elderly group. Currently Indonesia is facing a rapid growth of the elderly population, with around 21 million elderly (8.2% of the total population), that is projected to increase to 33.7 million (11.8%) in the year 2025. Anemia in the elderly is frequently neglected, although the facts show that low hemoglobin concentration is an important marker of physiological decline and functional limitations. Although the factor of intrinsic aging may cause low hemoglobin concentration, anemia in the elderly is known to have a wide range w88ith regard to etiology, underlying disorders, and  possible mechanisms, such that it should be clinically followed up. Whatever its causes or underlying pathophysiological, anemia in the elderly has been proven to play a role in their morbidity and mortality, and may decrease their quality of life, that comprises all aspects of physical, mental, and social health, known as health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The impact of anemia on HRQoL has been studied in various populations, and most studies report the presence of an association between HRQoL and anemia in elderly individuals, which on the subscale level is particularly associated with physical health. Early diagnosis of anemia is important to prevent aggravation of the condition, to retard the progress of the disease, and to improve the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the patient. Prior to determining the treatment plan, the primary diagnosis and the comorbidities, especially treatable disorders, had better be identified first. The available data show that the overall prognosis will improve for anemia in patients with well-managed and corrected chronic disorders.

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