Stochastic behaviour of a two-unit standby system with better utilization of units

This paper obtains various measures of reliability of a two-unit redundant system with three modes. Upon partial failure of an operative unit the cold standby starts operation only when it becomes active. A single service facility is available (1) for repairing a partially or totally failed unit and (2) to activate the cold standby unit whenever required. Failure time distributions are negative exponential while repair and activating time distributions are general.     

Stochastic analysis of a two-unit parallel system with partial and catastrophic failures and preventive maintenance

This paper studies a two-unit parallel system with each unit having two types of failure and two modes of operation—normal or partial failure mode. A unit fails either due to change in operating characteristics or due to catastrophe. The system goes for preventive maintenance randomly (in time). Failure rates are constant while repair and (preventive) maintenance rates are general. Using the theory of regenerative and Markov-renewal processes several important measures of reliability are obtained.     

Outlier Detection under Interval Uncertainty: Algorithmic Solvability and Computational Complexity

In many application areas,it is important to detect outliers. The traditional engineering approach to outlier detection is that we start with some normal values x₁, ...,x_n, compute the sample average E, the sample standard variation , and then mark a value x as an outlier if x is outside the k₀-sigma interval [E – k₀ , E + k₀ ] (for some pre-selected parameter k₀).In real life,we often have only interval ranges [ ] for the normal values x₁, ...,x_n. In this case,we only have intervals of possible values for the bounds and . We can therefore identify outliers as values that are outside all k₀-sigma intervals.Once we identify a value as an outlier for a fixed k₀, it is also desirable to find out to what degree this value is an outlier, i.e., what is the largest value k₀ for which this value is an outlier.In this paper,we analyze the computational complexity of these outlier detection problems, provide efficient algorithms that solve some of these problems (under reasonable conditions), and list related open problems.     

An evolution-based analysis scheme to identify CO2/O2 specificity-determining factors for ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase

Ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCo) catalyzes a rate-limiting step in photosynthetic carbon assimilation (reacting with CO2) and its competitive photo-respiratory carbon oxidation (reacting with O2). RuBisCo enzyme with an enhanced CO2/O2 specificity would boost the ability to make great progress in agricultural production and environmental management. RuBisCos in marine non-green algae, resulting from an earlier endo-symbiotic event, diverge greatly from those in green plants and cyanobacteria and, further, have the highest CO2/O2 specificity whereas RuBisCos in cyanobacteria have the lowest. We assumed that there exist different levels of CO2/O2 specificity-determining factors, corresponding to different evolutionary events and specificity levels. Based on this assumption, we devised a scheme to identify these substrate-determining factors. From this analysis, we are able to discover different categories of the CO2/O2 specificity-determining factors that show which residue substitutions account for (relatively) small specificity changes, as happened in green plants, or a tremendous enhancement, as observed in marine non-green algae. Therefore, the analysis can improve our understanding of molecular mechanisms in the substrate specificity development and prioritize candidate specificity-determining surface residues for site-directed mutagenesis.     

Study on a twin‐bed adsorption refrigeration system using R134a‐activated carbon pair

A low capacity twin‐bed adsorption refrigeration system has been built with R134a as a refrigerant and activated carbon as the adsorbent. Simple tube‐in‐tube heat exchangers have been fabricated and have been used as the adsorber beds. Activated carbon (granular type) has been filled in the annular space of the inner tube and outer tube. A plate heat exchanger has been used as the condenser and the temperature of cooling water has been maintained between 25°C and 30°C, also the evaporator has been custom designed as per requirements. A mathematical model has also been developed and the results obtained have been found to be comparable. While operating the system in the single‐bed mode a cooling power of 250.4 W has been obtained with a coefficient of performance (COP) of 0.38 with an average evaporator temperature of 18.4°C against a predicted value of 263.7 W with a COP of 0.41. While operating in the twin‐bed mode a cooling power of 281.3 W with a COP of 0.47 with an average evaporator temperature of 17.6°C has been obtained against a predicted value of 294.5 W with a COP of 0.52.     

Role of Flaxseed Meal Feeding for Different Durations in the Lipid Deposition and Meat Quality in Broiler Chickens

This study investigated the role of flaxseed meal (FSM), a rich terrestrial source of ω-3 fatty acids, in the alteration of the fatty acid profile and metabolism, health indices, physicochemical properties, and sensory quality of broiler chicken meat. The broiler chickens were fed 100 g FSM kg⁻¹ diet for different time periods (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 weeks). The results revealed that 100 g FSM feeding in broiler chickens for at least 3 weeks increased (P < 0.01) the EPA, DHA, MUFA, PUFA, ω-3 PUFA, and ω-6 PUFA of broiler chicken meat with the corresponding decrease in palmitic acid, stearic acid, and SFA content. 100 g FSM feeding up to 3 weeks has increased the Δ⁹-desaturases (P < 0.05), thioesterase index (P < 0.01), and Δ⁵-desaturase + Δ⁶-desaturase activity (P < 0.01) along with an improvement in health indices (P < 0.01) of chicken meat. Similarly, a reduction in meat cholesterol and fat content of thigh meat (P < 0.01) was observed by feeding 100 g FSM for at least 3 weeks with no effect on the pH, color scores, and sensory evaluation of broiler chicken meat. The water-holding capacity (WHC) and extract release volume (ERV) decreased, whereas, drip loss of meat increased (P < 0.01) due to the feeding of 100 g FSM beyond 3 weeks. Thus, this study concluded that 100 g FSM feeding for 3 weeks in broiler chickens significantly improves the fatty acid profile, lipid metabolism, and health indices of meat, without compromising the physicochemical properties of broiler chicken meat.     

Catalytic ozonation of propanal using wood fly ash and metal oxide nanoparticle impregnated carbon

Catalytic ozonation of propanal at ambient temperatures (23-25 degrees C) was investigated by varying propanal and ozone concentrations and catalyst type. The catalysts tested included wood fly ash (WFA), magnetically separated ash, synthetic hematite and magnetite, and metal oxide nanoparticle impregnated activated carbon and peanut hull char. A power law model independent of ozone concentration for WFA (r(w), moles g(-1) s(-1)) and magnetite (r(m)) were, respectively, r(w) = k'(w) C(R(0.89)) and r(m) = k'(m)C(R(1.55)), where kw, and k'(m) were 2.36 x 10(-6) g(-1) s(-1) (moles)(-0.11) (m3)(0.89) and 6.5 x 10(-4) g(-1) s(-1) (moles)(-0.55) (m3)(1.55), respectively (5-15 ppmv). Magnetite and hematite present in the WFA were theorized to be the primary active sites, since magnetically separated WFA had a significantly higher reaction rate (approximately 12x, mol m(-2) s(-1)) than that of WFA. X-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated a qualitative increase in magnetite and hematite in the magnetically separated ash, and synthetic magnetite and hematite had reaction rates >80x and 200x that of WFA or activated carbon (surface area basis). Supercritical deposition of hematite on/in peanut hull char successfully generated a porous, pelleted catalystfrom an agricultural residue capable of oxidizing propanal at rates 12x activated carbon and similar to commercially available catalysts (per mass basis). Water vapor significantly increased the propanal reaction rate when using wood fly ash and activated carbon.     

PlasticGAN: Holistic generative adversarial network on face plastic and aesthetic surgery

Multimedia Tools and Applications - By embracing Generative Adversarial Networks (GAN), several face-related applications have significantly benefited and achieved unparalleled success. Inspired by...     

Effect of ball milling on the thermal conductivity and viscosity of Indian coal fly ash nanofluid

The present study investigates the effect of ball milling on thermal conductivity and viscosity of stable nanofluid of fly ash from Indian coal. The particle size of fly ash decreased from micron size to 89, 55.5, and 11.5 nm with reduction by 55, 90, and 434 times, respectively, due to ball milling for 30, 40, and 60 hours. The surfactant Triton X-100 was used to attain stability of 0.1% and 0.5% volume concentration of fly ash nanofluid. The samples were characterized by using scanning electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering, and zeta potential analysis. The outcome reveals that the thermal conductivity of fly ash nanofluid increases with temperature, volume concentration, and reduction in particle size. A maximum enhancement in thermal conductivity of 11.9% with 11.5-nm nanofluid sample and 5.4% with 89-nm nanofluid sample for 0.5% concentration at 60°C is observed. The viscosity of fly ash nanofluid increases with concentration and varies inversely with particle size and temperature. A difference of 1.6% in viscosity is observed between the values obtained with 11.5 and 89 nm nanofluid samples for 0.5% concentration at 30°C.     

An optimized hybrid deep learning model using ensemble learning approach for human walking activities recognition

The Journal of Supercomputing - Recent advancements in edge computing devices motivate us to develop a sustainable and reliable technique for multiple gait activities recognition using wearable...