Advanced reconfiguration framework based on game theoretical techniques in autonomic communication systems

The Autonomic Communications concept forms one promising solution to accommodate the increased complexity of legacy and emerging systems, fostering the automation and minimizing the need for human intervention. This notion implies the introduction of advanced mechanisms for autonomic decision making and self-configuration. The focus of this work is on the introduction of an advanced reconfiguration framework for the support of the following functionalities: i) efficient strategies of terminal attachment to heterogeneous wireless systems are proposed dependent on the evaluation of input stimuli from the surrounding telecom environment. ii) it is shown how to enable optimized selection and attribution of resources, iii) the application of new device configuration is examined, proposing a framework for dynamic protocol stack adaptation. It is indeed necessary to introduce a framework that will enable, policy based reconfiguration decisions supporting dynamic and optimal discovery, download and replacement of necessary protocol functionality. In this context, legacy management and control mechanisms should be enriched with such features operating in either terminal or network equipment. Namely, this contribution discusses cognitive reconfiguration management issues by introducing two basic reconfiguration units encapsulated in a unified management and control architecture: i) the component based protocol stack reconfiguration framework and ii) the resource usage optimization unit. Simulation and performance results presented in the paper prove the technical feasibility of the proposed mechanisms as well as the optimization of reconfiguration actions.     

Studies on the Authenticity of Local Wines by Spectroscopic and Chemometric Analysis

The authenticity of 91 wines produced in Cyprus from both indigenous and other vine varieties were investigated by a holistic approach, using, advanced technology such as SNIF-NMR （site-specific natural isotopic fractionation-nuclear magnetic resonance） and 1R-MS （isotope ratio-mass spectrometry） for the determination of the stable isotopes and ICP （inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy） for some heavy metals. The spectroscopic characteristics were evaluated statistically using different chemometric methods. The dependency of the D/H （deuterium/hydrogen） ratio of the methylene site in the ethanol molecule （D/H）ll and also theδ ^18O values of the wine water, were the most useful discriminators. Isotopic results allow us to have a complete idea about the regional variability of the isotopes. Among the metals, Ni followed by Pb was the ones with the highest discrimination value. The determined concentrations of Pb, Ni, Cr and Cd that are related to the safety of wines were within the acceptable limits that have been established by the OIV （international organization of vine and wine） or comparable with the results of the wines of other European countries. The study of the correlation between the load of heavy metals and isotopes in wines showed a dependence on the grape variety but not the geographical location of the vineyard. This is probably due to the close proximity of wine regions in Cyprus.     

Selection of Process Conditions for High Pressure Pasteurization of Sea Buckthorn Juice Retaining High Antioxidant Activity

Sea buckthorn berries juice is a nutritious beverage, rich in vitamin C and carotenoids with high antioxidant activity. The main requirements for a freshly squeezed sea buckthorn juice production are the cloud stability and antioxidant activity retention after processing. Appropriate process technologies and conditions have to be applied in order to inactivate pectin methyl esterase (PME), responsible for cloud loss, while maintaining the nutritional characteristics and antioxidant activity of the juice. The objectives of the present work were to study and model the effect of thermal treatment and high pressure (HP) processing on the inactivation kinetics of endogenous PME and on total antioxidant activity alteration. Thermal treatment significantly affected PME inactivation and residual antioxidant activity. Processing even at mild process conditions (60 °C for 1 min) resulted in 2.5-fold antioxidant activity reduction and 50 % PME inactivation compared to untreated sample. Pressure and temperature acted synergistically for PME inactivation that followed first-order kinetics with a residual PME activity at all pressure–temperature combinations used (200–600 MPa and 25–35 °C). The effect of temperature and pressure on the inactivation rate constants was expressed through the activation energy and activation volume, respectively. Values of 163 kJ/mol and ?17 mL/mol at reference pressure of 600 MPa and reference temperature of 35 °C were estimated, respectively. Antioxidant activity of the samples was expressed through the determination of the effective concentration (EC₅₀). A slight increase in sea buckthorn antioxidant activity when applying pressures (200–600 MPa) at ambient temperature (25 °C) was observed compared to the corresponding value of untreated juice. Processing at higher temperatures did not significantly alter the total antioxidant activity of sea buckthorn juice. For sample treated at 600 MPa–35 °C for 5 min, a 5 % reduction of total antioxidant activity was observed. These conditions are proposed as effective process conditions for sea buckthorn juice cold pasteurization, based on the higher antioxidant activity retention and simultaneous PME inactivation.     

Iron decreases the antioxidant capacity of red wine under conditions of in vitro digestion

The hypothesis that iron and phenolics interact in the lumen during digestion and, consequently, decrease the antioxidant capacity of phenolics, was investigated in vitro. Mixtures of red wine, iron, and three dietary factors that may reduce or chelate iron in the lumen, namely ascorbic acid, meat and casein, were subjected to a simulated gastrointestinal digestion. The process involved incubation of samples for 4.5 h at 37 °C, at different pHs, in the presence of peptic enzymes and fractionation of digests through a dialysis membrane. Antioxidant capacity (FRAP assay), iron concentration (ferrozine assay) and total phenolic content (Folin-Ciocalteau assay) were measured in the in vitro digests. Iron decreased the antioxidant capacity and the total phenolic concentration of red wine. Ascorbic acid increased, while meat and casein decreased, the antioxidant capacity of red wine. Based on these results, it was concluded that protein and iron interact with red wine phenolics during the in vitro digestion and decrease their antioxidant capacity, supporting the initial hypothesis.     

Technical assessment of LNG based polygeneration systems for non-interconnected island cases using SOFC

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is one of the most promising fuels with high calorific value and low specific GHG emissions that offers several advantages as an energy carrier for power generation. In this paper, a novel polygeneration concept based on LNG fired plant for power, cooling and drinking water production in island systems is presented. Two Solid Oxide Fuel Cell based energy systems (one simple SOFC and another hybrid concept of SOFC combined with GT) are modelled in Aspen Plus and compared with two conventional combustion based technologies (internal combustion engine and Gas Turbine Combined Cycle) in terms of overall efficiency. Furthermore, a Low Temperature Multi-Effect Distillation (LT-MED) plant was modelled and coupled with the energy systems to evaluate the waste heat recovery potential for desalinated water production. Moreover, three concepts for cold recovery from the LNG regasification plant were presented and modelled. Process simulations results revealed that the hybrid SOFC-GT plant is the best solution in terms of energy efficiency and the heat recovery of the exhaust gas in a LT-MED unit is a promising option for drinking water production with almost no energy cost. Last, from exergetic point of view, the cryogenic energy storage (CES) via the production of liquid air was evaluated as the best option for waste cold utilization during LNG regasification.     

The Implementation of Governance,Risk, and Compliance IS: Adoption Lifecycle and Enterprise Value

Governance, Risk, and Compliance has become an emerging field within the IS academic community. Motivated by this research direction, the study capitalizes on the theoretical background of enterprise systems and extends the focus on governance, risk, and compliance systems’ implementation (enterprise value and lifecycle). Building upon expert views on governance, risk, and compliance IS implementation projects, the analysis indicates that the three value drivers of integration, optimization, and information should be considered throughout the whole governance, risk, and compliance IS implementation lifecycle.     

Thermophysical and radiative properties of pressureless sintered SiC and ZrB2-SiC laminates

The evaluation of thermal and radiative properties of materials to be used as a hot part of thermal protection systems is a key issue for the design process of the HTC and UHTC components. Ceramic laminates with composition 100?vol%SiC and 80?vol%ZrB₂-20?vol%SiC were prepared by the tape casting technique and pressureless sintered. Thermal properties such as the thermal expansion coefficient, specific heat, thermal diffusivity and conductivity were measured; in addition the total emissivity was evaluated. A comparison of the thermal behavior of these two kinds of laminates is made. Moreover their possible integration in a unique structure is discussed.     

Co-Cultivation of Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei Enables Efficient Production of Enzymes for the Hydrolysis of Wheat Bran

Agro-residues like wheat bran may be a useful carbon source for fermentation processes. However, due to their composition, hydrolysis appears complex. A co-cultivation process was established with the two fungi A. niger and T. reesei for the production of an adapted mixture of enzymes for hydrolysis. This enzyme solution reached a higher space-time yield of sugars during the hydrolysis of wheat bran compared to enzymes from respective monocultures, demonstrating the potential of this co-culture for the production of complementary enzyme mixtures for the hydrolysis of wheat bran.