Prioritization methodology of dangerous substances for water quality monitoring with scarce data

Monitoring and control of dangerous substances discharged into receiving waters have attracted more attention lately. Since it is not possible to analyze every single substance, a prioritization methodology is needed for the selection of those to be monitored. Existing well-developed models require significant amount of data for reliable outcomes. This paper presents a methodology to prioritize the dangerous substances having adverse effects on freshwaters in Turkey, where data are scarce. Such a methodology will also serve as a solid model for other countries with limited background data. The adopted methodology enabled the elimination of chemicals to generate a candidate list composed of 608 substances among more than 5000 substances. Further screening and prioritization were conducted using different assessment methods (i.e., Total Hazard Value, Total Impact Value, Combined Monitoring-based, and Modelling-based Priority Setting) to obtain a proposed Final Candidate Specific Pollutants List of 150 dangerous substances. The proposed Candidate National Pollutant List of Turkey was established by combining 45 priority pollutants of the European Union with a list of candidate specific pollutants. According to the outcomes of this study, monitoring and controlling of 195 dangerous substances in freshwaters are recommended. Further detailed studies should be conducted in order to observe the actual levels of these dangerous substances in freshwaters followed by a review of the monitoring list accordingly. Moreover, further revisions might be required in the proposed list due to some possible versatile conditions in terms of sampling points (i.e., change in the location of industries).     

An improvement of quantitative strategic planning matrix using multiple criteria decision making and fuzzy numbers

The Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) is a useful tool to prioritize strategies at any level including corporate, business and functional. The ratings and attractive scores used in QSPM, however, require judgmental decisions and should be based on expert's opinion to ensure the applicability of chosen strategies. Application of a fuzzy multi-criteria decision making method is proposed in this paper with the goal of improving the output of conventional QSPM by allowing the experts to employ linguistic terms (qualitative data) in their judgments. Namely, a multi-criteria decision making index via the technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is adapted to the fuzzy QSPM in finding the sum total attractive scores of strategies. As a case study, the proposed method has been applied for strategy prioritization in a Tile Company. The results have been verified with expert knowledge and showed an improvement compared to the non-fuzzy QSPM.     

Photoluminescence emission of nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide films prepared in phosphoric acid

The photoluminescence emission of nanoporous anodic aluminum oxide films formed in phosphoric acid is studied in order to explore their defect-based subband electronic structure. Different excitation wavelengths are used to identify most of the details of the subband states. The films are produced under different anodizing conditions to optimize their emission in the visible range. Scanning electron microscopy investigations confirm pore formation in the produced layers. Gaussian analysis of the emission data indicates that subband states change with anodizing parameters, and various point defects can be formed both in the bulk and on the surface of these nanoporous layers during anodizing.     

An overview of the environmental,economic, and material developments of the solar and wind sources coupled with the energy storage systems

There is a constant growth in energy consumption and consequently energy generation around the world. During the recent decades, renewable energy sources took heed of scientists and policy makers as a remedy for substituting traditional sources. Wind and photovoltaic (PV) are the least reliable sources because of their dependence on wind speed and irradiance and therefore their intermittent nature. Energy storage systems are usually coupled with these sources to increase the reliability of the hybrid system. Environmental effects are one of the biggest concerns associated with the renewable energy sources. This study summarizes the last and most important environmental and economic analysis of a grid‐connected hybrid network consisting of wind turbine, PV panels, and energy storage systems. Focusing on environmental aspects, this paper reviews land efficiency, shaded analysis of wind turbines and PV panels, greenhouse gas emission, wastes of wind turbine and PV panels' components, fossil fuel consumption, wildlife, sensitive ecosystems, health benefits, and so on. A cost analysis of the energy generated by a hybrid system has been discussed. Furthermore, this study reviews the latest technologies for materials that have been used for solar PV manufacturing. This paper can help to make a right decision considering all aspects of installing a hybrid system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparison on efficiency factors of F and C types of fly ashes

Fly ashes are obtained from thermal power plants and they are pozzolanic materials, which can act as partial replacement material for both portland cement and fine aggregate. With their economical advantages and potential for improving fresh and hardened concrete performance, they have some benefits for using in concrete industry. In this study, the objective was to find the efficiency factors of Turkish C and F-type fly ashes and to compare their properties. Three different cement dosages were used (260, 320, 400 kg/m³), two different ratios (10% and 17%) of cement reduced from the control concretes and three different ratios (depending on cement reduction ratio) of fly ash were added into the mixtures. At the ages of 28 and 90 days, compressive strength, modulus of elasticity and ultrasound velocity tests were carried out. From the compressive strength results, the k efficiency factors of C and F-type fly ashes were obtained. As a result, it is seen that efficiency factors of the concrete produced by the replacement of F and C type fly ashes with cement increase with the increase in cement dosage and concrete age.     

Reliability-Aware Heterogeneous 3D Chip Multiprocessor Design

Ability to stack separate chips in a single package enables three-dimensional integrated circuits (3D ICs). Heterogeneous 3D ICs provide even better opportunities to reduce the power and increase the performance per unit area. An important issue in designing a heterogeneous 3D IC is reliability. To achieve this, one needs to select the data mapping and processor layout carefully. This paper addresses this problem using an integer linear programming (ILP) approach. Specifically, on a heterogeneous 3D CMP, it explores how applications can be mapped onto 3D ICs to maximize reliability. Preliminary experiments indicate that the proposed technique generates promising results in both reliability and performance.     

L-cystein modified bentonite-cellulose nanocomposite (cellu/cys-bent) for adsorption of Cu2+, Pb2+, and Cd2+ ions from aqueous solution

In this study, L-cystein modified bentonite-cellulose (cellu/cys-bent) nanocomposite was synthesized and characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM with EDS, TGA, and TEM techniques. In order to optimize the process the effect of various operational parameters such as pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, and temperature were also investigated. The adsorption experiments were carried out in initial concentrations range of 20-100 mg L^?1and the adsorbent affinity for metal ions was found to be in order of Cu²⁺ > Pb²⁺ > Cd²⁺. The optimum pH for adsorption of Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ was observed at 5 while for Pb²⁺ it was pH 6. Based on the Langmuir model, the maximum adsorption capacity of Cu²⁺, Pb²⁺, and Cd²⁺ at 50^?C was found to be 32.36, 18.52, and 16.12 mg g^?1, respectively. The Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second order model were found to be better fitted than the other isotherms and kinetic models. The results of thermodynamic parameters confirmed the process to be endothermic and spontaneous in nature.     

Aloe vera gel: a new thickening agent for pigment printing

An attempt was made to print cotton fabric with pigments using a new thickening agent based on Aloe vera gel in combination with sodium alginate. The results were compared with the standard conventional printing recipe containing synthetic thickener, and a favourable effect of Aloe vera introduction was achieved. The results show that the properties of the printed fabric (sharpness, colour yield, overall fastness properties, softness, and water vapour transmission) are dependent on the percentage of Aloe vera gel in the thickener combination, the concentration of printing auxiliaries, and the curing conditions. Optimal printing properties were achieved by using a printing paste containing 80% Aloe vera/20% sodium alginate (700 g kg^?1), pigment (50 g kg^?1), binder (145 g kg^?1), fixer (10 g kg^?1), and ammonium sulfate (5 g kg^?1), followed by drying at 85 °C for 5 min and curing at 150 °C for 3 min. The sample printed with the new recipe showed superior rubbing fastness and handle properties, with a slightly lower colour yield, when compared with the sample printed with synthetic thickener. Finally, economic issues arising from synthetic thickener substitution are highlighted.