A0 – Stable family of single step methods for semidiscretized parabolic problems

A general family of single-step methods for use in first-order ODEs is presented. This family of methods, called SS3-methods, embraces generalized trapezoidal methods, SS21-methods, α-methods and many other well-known methods, thus providing a good basis for comparison of these methods. Corresponding parameter values of SS3 methods for these methods are presented. The analysis of SS3-methods is restricted to linear and symmetric systems. Stability, convergence, accuracy, numerical dissipation and overshoot of the methods are considered. The conditions for algorithm parameters to exhibit good characteristics in these respects are given. It is shown that the optimal subfamily of SS3-methods coincides with α-methods.     

Targeted use of LEDs in improvement of production efficiency through phytochemical enrichment

Based on available literature, ecology and economy of light emitting diode (LED) lights in plant foods production were assessed and compared to high pressure sodium (HPS) and compact fluorescent light (CFL) lamps. The assessment summarises that LEDs are superior compared to other lamp types. LEDs are ideal in luminous efficiency, life span and electricity usage. Mercury, carbon dioxide and heat emissions are also lowest in comparison to HPS and CFL lamps. This indicates that LEDs are indeed economic and eco‐friendly lighting devices. The present review indicates also that LEDs have many practical benefits compared to other lamp types. In addition, they are applicable in many purposes in plant foods production. The main focus of the review is the targeted use of LEDs in order to enrich phytochemicals in plants. This is an expedient to massive improvement in production efficiency, since it diminishes the number of plants per phytochemical unit. Consequently, any other production costs (e.g. growing space, water, nutrient and transport) may be reduced markedly. Finally, 24 research articles published between 2013 and 2017 were reviewed for targeted use of LEDs in the specific, i.e. blue range (400–500 nm) of spectrum. The articles indicate that blue light is efficient in enhancing the accumulation of health beneficial phytochemicals in various species. The finding is important for global food production. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry     

Characterization of High-Velocity Solution Precursor Flame-Sprayed Manganese Cobalt Oxide Spinel Coatings for Metallic SOFC Interconnectors

A modified high-velocity oxy-fuel spray (HVOF) thermal spray torch equipped with liquid feeding hardware was used to spray manganese-cobalt solutions on ferritic stainless steel grade Crofer 22 APU substrates. The HVOF torch was modified in such a way that the solution could be fed axially into the combustion chamber through 250- and 300-μm-diameter liquid injector nozzles. The solution used in this study was prepared by diluting nitrates of manganese and cobalt, i.e., Mn(NO₃)₂·4H₂O and Co(NO₃)₂·6H₂O, respectively, in deionized water. The as-sprayed coatings were characterized by X-ray diffraction and field-emission scanning electron microscopy operating in secondary electron mode. Chemical analyses were performed on an energy dispersive spectrometer. Coatings with remarkable density could be prepared by the novel high-velocity solution precursor flame spray (HVSPFS) process. Due to finely sized droplet formation in the HVSPFS process and the use of as delivered Crofer 22 APU substrate material having very low substrate roughness (R _a < 0.5 μm), thin and homogeneous coatings, with thicknesses lower than 10 μm could be prepared. The coatings were found to have a crystalline structure equivalent to MnCo₂O₄ spinel with addition of Co-oxide phases. Crystallographic structure was restored back to single-phase spinel structure by heat treatment.     

Power consumption benchmarking for reconfigurable platforms

Software defined radios (SDR) wideband mobile terminals must be capable of data processing while consuming low power and keeping the design and manufacturing costs as low as possible. SDR can combine high performance signal processing and flexibility, but power efficiency of SDR nodes is an issue that needs to be addressed. Analysis of power consumption for various target technologies is challenging, since each technology typically contains its own benchmarking tools and thus, results are not comparable. In this paper, we illustrate how the GroundHog2009 benchmark suite, designed to be platform independent, can be used to evaluate power dissipation of four modern FPGAs and one microcontroller. We also introduce a generic RTL library for the GroundHog2009 design cases and test bench infra-structure to make the toolset usage easy. In addition, we show that power can be saved by using clock management, available on one of the FGPA-boards. The power savings range from 38 to 1,150?%.     

Guest Editors’ Introduction

In H.264/AVC, a deblocking filter improves visual quality by reducing the presence of blocking artifacts in decoded video frames. The deblocking filter accounts for one third of the computational complexity of the decoder. This paper exploits the scalability on the hardware and the algorithmic level to synergize the performance and to reduce the computational complexity. First, we propose a modular deblocking filter architecture which can be scaled to adapt to the required computing capability for various bit-rates, resolutions, and frame rate of video sequences. The scalable architecture is based on FPGA using dynamic partial reconfiguration. This desirable feature of FPGAs makes it possible for different hardware configurations to be implemented during run-time. The proposed design can be scaled to filter up to four different edges simultaneously, resulting in significant reduction of total processing time. Secondly, our experiments show that significant reduction in computational complexity can be achieved by the increased presence of skipped macroblocks at lower bit-rates, thus, avoiding redundant filtering operations. The implemented architecture is evaluated using the Xilinx Virtex-4 ML410 FPGA board. The design operates at a maximum frequency of 103 MHz. The reconfiguration is done through Internal Configuration Access Port (ICAP) to achieve maximum performance needed by real time applications.     

中国及欧洲液态奶包装现状简析

近年来，乳品行业中液态奶的发展特别引人注目，并已成为较大和增长较快的品种。当然液态奶的发展离不开包装技术的进步和创新。液态奶包装主要包括用于超高温灭菌奶包装的利乐包和康美盒、超高温瞬时灭菌奶包装的利乐枕、微菌奶包装的屋脊包，     

Release of Impurities from Melting Snow Made from Treated Municipal Wastewater

To make snow from treated municipal wastewater is one possible polishing treatment method that can be used in cold climates. In this study, the behavior of an artificial snow pile made from treated wastewater was studied. The primary focus of the study was the release of residual contaminants into the meltwaters. It was found that the first meltwaters of the snow pack are the most concentrated with contaminants. The first 30% of the meltwaters from the snow storage area included 50% of all the impurities held in the snow pack.     

Measuring resistivity of silicon nanowire using pseudo-random binary sequence injection

Nanostructures can show mechanical and electrical properties that differ from their bulk forms, and thus, precise experimental evaluation is needed when the structures are used in nanoelectronic devices or nanoelectromechanical systems. Ohm?s law does not apply for nanostructures due to the various effects of size. It has been shown that due to surface scattering, the resistivity of the wire increases when the size decreases. This paper extends the studies and investigates how the resistive characteristics vary as the wire is stretched. An electrostatic actuating tensile device is applied and the resistive characteristics are evaluated in the frequency domain by means of maximum-length pseudo-random binary sequence (MLBS). The results reveal unreported characteristics of the applied nanowire; the resistance is increased as a function of stretching force.     

Revisiting Private Water Proposals and Concessions of the 1870 and 1880s in Finland

Abstract

The paper questions the ethics of buying and reselling the concessions of water undertakings at the expense of consumer-owners. In Tampere, in 1866, an industrialist proposed a concession which would have provided him a good guaranteed return with the town assuming all risks. In Helsinki, in 1871, a concession of 75 years was signed with a private businessman. He did not even try to start operations but sold the concession further to a German company making a fortune. Due to the European-wide recession, the city bought back the concession. In 1885, the same entrepreneur got the horse-driven tram concession—tried this time to operate it but was unsuccessful. Some 110 years later several donors started to promote the idea of water concessions and other private operating contracts as a “new innovation.” By the early 21^st century, it became clear that private water multinationals are not willing to take the risk of making such investments in developing and transition economies. Before making such strategic decisions cities should make proper feasibility studies and compare the pros and cons of various options.