The Future of Systems, Man, and Cybernetics: Application Domains and Research Methods

Several important application areas that will dominate systems, man, and cybernetic (SMC) efforts for at least the next decade, together with the methods that will require further research and development in order to appropriately address these application domains, are considered herein. More specifically, four broad and pervasive system domains are examined: service systems, infrastructure and transportation systems, environmental and energy systems, and defense and space systems. Given the nature of these four application domains, a number of new systems [i.e., holistic-oriented, including system-of-systems (SoS)], man (i.e., decision-oriented, including decision informatics), and cybernetic (i.e., adaptive-oriented, including real-time control) methods are identified and their further development are discussed. Clearly, the IEEE Society on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics has a great future; its systems, man, and cybernetic methods are relevant for addressing challenging problems arising in system domains that are becoming dominant in this 21st century. However, the methods must be refined and expanded to meet the changing needs of the 21st century; from a system to a system-of-systems vision, from a disciplinary to a multidisciplinary outlook, from a mass production to a mass customization focus, from a steady state to a real-time perspective, and from an optimal to an adaptive approach.     

Determining flexor-tendon repair techniques via soft computing

An SC-based multi-objective decision-making method for determining the optimal flexor-tendon repair technique from experimental and clinical survey data, and with variable circumstances, was presented. Results were compared with those from the Taguchi method. Using the Taguchi method results in the need to perform ad-hoc decisions when the outcomes for individual objectives are contradictory to a particular preference or circumstance, whereas the SC-based multi-objective technique provides a rigorous straightforward computational process in which changing preferences and importance of differing objectives are easily accommodated. Also, adding more objectives is straightforward and easily accomplished. The use of fuzzy-set representations of information categories provides insight into their performance throughout the range of their universe of discourse. The ability of the technique to provide a "best" medical decision given a particular physician, hospital, patient, situation, and other criteria was also demonstrated.     

Chemical modification of titanium immersed in hydrogen peroxide using nanosecond pulsed fiber laser irradiation

This paper addresses chemical alteration of titanium using pulsed Ytterbium fiber laser irradiation. For this study, Hydrogen Peroxide (HP) is used as the medium to study its effect on increasing anatase-titania composition in titanium substrates for samples irradiated by the laser. The variation of anatasei-rutile transformation generated in HP is compared with those generated in air. X-Ray diffraction (XRD) analysis suggests that three titanium dioxide structures - brookite, anatiase, and rutile - are present in the substrates irradiated by the laser beam. Additional peaks appeared in XRD results of HP immersed samples indicating that anatase and a rare titanium oxide structure, Hongquiite, are also produced, whereas these oxides are not detected in the samples generated in air. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) analysis reveals an increase of the oxide layer on the surface of HP-treated samples.     

GaSe Formation at the Cu(In,Ga)Se2/Mo Interface–A Novel Approach for Flexible Solar Cells by Easy Mechanical Lift‐Off

Implementing photovoltaic devices based on high efficiency thin‐film technologies on cheap, light‐weight and flexible polymeric substrates is highly appealing to cut down costs in industrial production and to accelerate very large scale deployment of photovoltaics in the upcoming years. Lift‐off processes, which allow separating active layers from primary substrates and subsequent transfer onto an alternative substrate without modifying the upstream production process and without performance losses, are an emerging alternative to direct growth on polymeric substrates. This study concerns the feasibily of direct mechanical lift‐off process for high efficiency Cu(In,Ga)Se₂ (CIGS) thin film solar cells grown by coevaporation on glass/molybdenum substrates without performance losses. The study presents an in depth characterization (SEM,AFM,GIXRD,XPS) of samples leading to excellent lift‐off properties. They are explained by a specific gallium rich CIGS graded interface structure according to the interfacial sequence glass/Mo/MoSe₂/Ga_xSe_y/Ga‐rich‐CIGS. The interfacial layer, attributed to GaSe, has a layered structure and out performs the molybdenum diselenide layered layer which forms spontaneously at the interface Mo/CIGS. It allows a very easy lift‐off process at the interface GaSe/CIGS thanks to Van‐der‐Waals adhesion mechanism in GaSe. Key physical‐chemical parameters are identified and analyzed. After lift‐off, an efficiency of 14.3%, higher than the initial reference CIGS solar cell efficiency (13.8%) is measured.     

In vivo study of anti‐epidermal growth factor receptor antibody‐based iron oxide nanoparticles (anti‐EGFR‐SPIONs) as a novel MR imaging contrast agent for lung cancer (LLC1) cells detection

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) conjugated with anti‐epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody (anti‐EGFR‐SPIONs) were characterised, and its cytotoxicity effects, ex vivo and in vivo studies on Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC1) cells in C57BL/6 mice were investigated. The broadband at 679.96 cm⁻¹ relates to Fe–O, which verified the formation of the anti‐EGFR‐Mab with SPIONs was obtained by the FTIR. The TEM images showed spherical shape 20 and 80 nm‐sized for nanoparticles and the anti‐EGFR‐SPIONs, respectively. Results of cell viability at 24 h after incubation with different concentrations of nanoprobe showed it has only a 20% reduction in cell viabilities. The synthesised nanoprobe administered by systemic injection into C57BL/6 mice showed good Fe tumour uptake and satisfied image signal intensity under ex vivo and in vivo conditions. A higher concentration of nanoprobe was achieved compared to non‐specific and control, indicating selective delivery of nanoprobe to the tumour. It is concluded that the anti‐EGFR‐SPIONs was found to be as an MR imaging contrast nanoagent for lung cancer (LLC1) cells detection.Inspec keywords: toxicology, biomedical MRI, lung, magnetic particles, biomedical materials, nanofabrication, nanomagnetics, transmission electron microscopy, nanomedicine, superparamagnetism, nanoparticles, iron compounds, proteins, cellular biophysics, molecular biophysics, cancer, tumours, Fourier transform infrared spectraOther keywords: MR imaging contrast agent, LLC1, superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, Lewis lung carcinoma cells, ex vivo conditions, cell viability, antiepidermal growth factor receptor antibody‐based iron oxide nanoparticles, antiEGFR‐SPION, lung cancer cell detection, antiepidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody, cytotoxicity effects, C57BL‐6 mice, antiEGFR‐Mab, FTIR spectra, TEM, spherical shape, incubation, nanoprobe concentrations, systemic injection, Fe tumour uptake, image signal intensity, in vivo conditions, time 24.0 hour, Fe₃ O₄      

Study on the chemical stability of the synthesized TiCx in Ti-Al-C system after immersion in the HF + H2O2 solution

The aim of this study is to investigate the phase stability of the prepared TiC_x in Ti-Al-C system after immersion in the mixture of hydrofluoric acid (HF) and H₂O₂. The powders were immersed in the solution for different period times of 24, 48 and 96?h. The phase change of powders after different immersion times was studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The morphology evolution was detected by the field-emission scanning electron (FESEM). Moreover, atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analysis was employed to study the changes in the chemical composition of solutions. The XRD results showed that by increasing the immersion time, gradually, the TiC_x decomposed. It was also found that the selection oxidation aluminum occurred and the Al₂O₃ was the main final product of treatments. The FESEM images also confirmed the XRD results and after immersion of the powders into the solutions the rod-like and sheet-like morphology of the Al₂O₃ particles were obtained.     

ANFIS modeling of carbon dioxide capture from gas stream emissions in the petrochemical production units

Amino acid salt, especially sodium glycinate, was known as a new class of environment-friendly solution that is now being studied as a favorable alternative to amines. In the present collaboration, the Adaptive Network-based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) was employed to estimate CO₂ loading capacity in the presence of aqueous sodium glycinate solution under broad ranges of temperature and pressure. The outcomes of suggested ANFIS model indicated their brilliant agreement with corresponding experimental values. The calculated values of mean relative error and R-squared were 2.93 and 0.988, respectively. Our suggested model can be of huge value for process engineers to have a simple and accurate tool in order to have rapid estimations of CO₂ solubility as a function of temperature, pressure, and mass composition of sodium glycinate solution.