Combining a new baseboard radiator with a fan coil system for improving heating performance and reduce energy consumption

In the present work, the heating performance of a new system combined with a new modified baseboard radiator and fan coil is investigated. Using longitudinal fins with special geometry and also forced airflow at the end of the system causes that at the lower inlet water temperature compared with the conventional models, higher heat output rate be obtained. The heat output rate of the new modified system is obtained by experimental metrology based on the European Standard No. EN-442. Temperature and velocity distribution in the room space is done by simulation of the modified system in the Flovent software. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) results are validated against experimental results and there is a good agreement between them. Also, the energy consumption of the system during the winter season is calculated in TRANSYS software. Experimental results show that the heat output rate of a new modified heating system with inlet water temperature in the range of 45–55°C is on average 4.17 times higher compared with the conventional model. CFD simulation also showed that the combined system provides good thermal comfort conditions. Energy consumption of the new system reduced about 13% compared with conventional models.     

Firs-principles investigation of ZrCo and its hydrides

The electronic structures of Zr₈Co₈ and its hydrides have been systematically investigated using the first-principles calculation based on density functional theory. Additionally, the influence of the Ti and Hf doping on the atomic bonding properties of Zr₈Co₈ and its hydrides (Zr₇HfCo₈, Zr₇HfCo₈H, Zr₁₆Co₁₅HfH₄₈, Zr₇TiCo₈, Zr₇TiCo₈H, and Zr₁₆Co₁₅TiH₄₈ compounds) were also studied to provide new insights into the hydrogenation of Zr₈Co₈. The Ti and Hf atoms were occupied the Zr position in the ZrCo alloy, while they were occupied the Co position in the Zr₁₆Co₁₆H₄₈ system. Ti and Hf doping could achieve the purpose of anti-disproportionation. Ti and Hf could weak the Zr–Co bond for the improvement of the hydrogenation performance of Zr₈Co₈, and the covalence of the Co–H bond was higher than that of the Zr–H bond. The existence of a Co–H covalent bond in the crystal is conducive to the hydrogen absorption of Zr₈Co₈ to form Zr₁₆Co₁₆H₄₈. Inhibition of Co–H interaction during Zr₈Co₈ hydrogenation can accelerate the formation of Zr₈Co₈H for the improvement of its hydrogenation performance.     

Cognitive and affective processes for learning science in immersive virtual reality

As immersive virtual reality (IVR) systems proliferate in classrooms, it is important to understand how they affect learning outcomes and the underlying affective and cognitive processes that may cause these outcomes. Proponents argue that IVR could improve learning by increasing positive affective and cognitive processing, thereby supporting improved performance on tests of learning outcome, whereas opponents of IVR contend that it could hurt learning by increasing distraction, thereby disrupting cognitive learning processes and leading to poorer learning outcomes. In a media comparison study, students viewed a biology lesson either as an interactive animated journey in IVR or as a slideshow on a desktop monitor. Those who viewed the IVR lesson performed significantly worse on transfer tests, reported higher emotional arousal, reported more extraneous cognitive load and showed less engagement based on EEG measures than those who viewed the slideshow lesson, with or without practice questions added to the lessons. Mediational analyses showed that the lower retention scores for the IVR lesson were related to an increase in self-reported extraneous cognitive load and emotional arousal. These results support the notion that immersive environments create high affective and cognitive distraction, which leads to poorer learning outcomes than desktop environments.     

High performance H2 sensor based on rGO-wrapped SnO2–Pd porous hollow spheres

Hydrogen (H₂) sensors based on metal oxide semiconductors (MOS) are promising for many applications such as a rocket propellant, industrial gas and the safety of storage. However, poor selectivity at low analyte concentrations, and independent response on high humidity limit the practical applications. Herein, we designed rGO-wrapped SnO₂–Pd porous hollow spheres composite (SnO₂–Pd@rGO) for high performance H₂ sensor. The porous hollow structure was from the carbon sphere template. The rGO wrapping was via self-assembly of GO on SnO₂-based spheres with subsequent thermal reduction in H₂ ambient. This sensor exhibited excellently selective H₂ sensing performances at 390 °C, linear response over a broad concentration range (0.1–1000 ppm) with recovery time of only 3 s, a high response of ～8 to 0.1 ppm H₂ in a minute, and acceptable stability under high humidity conditions (e. g. 80%). The calculated detection limit of 16.5 ppb opened up the possibility of trace H₂ monitoring. Furthermore, this sensor demonstrated certain response to H₂ at the minimum concentration of 50 ppm at 130 °C. These performances mainly benefited from the special hollow porous structure with abundant heterojunctions, the catalysis of the doped-PdO_x, the relative hydrophobic surface from rGO, and the deoxygenation after H₂ reduction.     

Applied data science in patient-centric healthcare: Adaptive analytic systems for empowering physicians and patients

We define the emerging research field of applied data science as the knowledge discovery process in which analytic systems are designed and evaluated to improve the daily practices of domain experts. We investigate adaptive analytic systems as a novel research perspective of the three intertwining aspects within the knowledge discovery process in healthcare: domain and data understanding for physician- and patient-centric healthcare, data preprocessing and modelling using natural language processing and (big) data analytic techniques, and model evaluation and knowledge deployment through information infrastructures. We align these knowledge discovery aspects with the design science research steps of problem investigation, treatment design, and treatment validation, respectively. We note that the adaptive component in healthcare system prototypes may translate to data-driven personalisation aspects including personalised medicine. We explore how applied data science for patient-centric healthcare can thus empower physicians and patients to more effectively and efficiently improve healthcare. We propose meta-algorithmic modelling as a solution-oriented design science research framework in alignment with the knowledge discovery process to address the three key dilemmas in the emerging “post-algorithmic era” of data science: depth versus breadth, selection versus configuration, and accuracy versus transparency.     

The benefits of integrated eye tracking with airborne image recorders in the flight deck: A rejected landing case study

Aircraft accident investigation has played a pivotal role in improving the safety of aviation. Advances in recorder technology, specifically Cockpit Voice Recorders (CVRs) and Flight Data Recorders (FDR) have made a huge contribution to the understanding of occurrences for accident investigators. However, even these recorders have limitations such as the evidence they provide about pilots' situation awareness or behaviours. Supplementing audio and data recordings with video has been discussed for many years and whilst there continues to be debate among regulators, operators, manufacturers and pilot unions, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has mandated Airborne Image Recorders (AIR) from 2023. The purpose of installing such systems is to provide evidence of crew operational behaviours in terms of both human-human and human-computer interactions (HCI) on the flight deck. Video alone is unlikely to provide sufficient evidence for investigators. This study examines the additional value that eye-tracking technology may provide through the case study of an accident involving an Airbus A330-300 aircraft which experienced a rejected landing. Currently, the investigation of such events, where crew interaction with automation is critical to their situation awareness, relies heavily on interview data. Such data may be unavailable (in the case of serious injury) or unreliable (based on hindsight bias). By integrating eye tracking technology into an AIR, accident investigators will potentially gain a better understanding of pilots’ visual scan patterns across flight deck instrumentation. This has implications for flight deck and procedural design as well as training and simulation.     

The control of paracetamol particle size and surface morphology through crystallisation in a spray dryer

The parameters governing the crystallisation of paracetamol using various conventional techniques has been extensively studied, however the factors influencing the drug crystallisation using spray drying is not as well understood. The aim of this work was to investigate the crystallisation of an active pharmaceutical ingredient through evaporative crystallisation using a spray dryer to study the physicochemical properties of the drug and to use semi-empirical equations to gain insight into the morphology and particle size of the dried powder. Paracetamol solutions were spray dried at various inlet temperatures ranging from 60 °C to 120 °C and also from a series of inlet feed solvent compositions ranging from 50/50% v/v ethanol/water to 100% ethanol and solid-state characterisation was done. The size and morphology of the dried materials were altered with a change in spray drying parameters, with an increase in inlet temperature leading to an increase in particle Sauter mean diameter (from 3.0 to 4.4 µm) and a decrease in the particle size with an increase in ethanol concentration in the feed (from 4.6 to 4.4 µm) as a result of changes in particle density and atomised droplet size. The morphology of the dried particles consisted of agglomerates of individual crystallites bound together into larger semi-spherical agglomerates with a higher tendency for particles having crystalline ridges to form at higher ethanol concentrations of the feed.