An investigation of the drivers,barriers, and incentives for environmental management systems in the Malaysian food and beverage industry

Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy - Food production and consumption is one of the major causes of global environmental degradation. One way to address environmental impacts in the food...     

Study of specific absorption rate (SAR) induced in two child head models and in adult heads using mobile phones

This paper gives a first comparison of specific absorption rate (SAR) induced in a child-sized (CS) head and an adult head using a dual-band mobile phone. In the second study, the visible human head is considered and comparison of SAR induced in a CS or child-like (CL) head and an adult head using a dual-band mobile phone is given. All the peaks of average SAR over a mass of 10 and 1 g in the head and the power budget are determined in the two comparisons using the finite-difference time-domain method. The differences between the results for adult and CS or CL heads are given at 900 and 1800 MHz. No important differences are noted for the peak SAR averaged over 10 g (SAR10 g), between the two adult head models, as well as between the two child head models. The peak SAR10 g in the brain of the CS or CL head is slightly more significant than that for the adult one.     

Trenched‐Sinker LDMOSFET (TS‐LDMOS) Structure for 2 GHz Power Amplifiers

This paper proposes a new LDMOSFET structure with a trenched sinker for high‐power RF amplifiers. Using a low‐temperature, deep‐trench technology, we succeeded in drastically shrinking the sinker area to one‐third the size of the conventional diffusion‐type structure. The RF performance of the proposed device with a channel width of 5 mm showed a small signal gain of 16.5 dB and a maximum peak power of 32 dBm with a power‐added efficiency of 25% at 2 GHz. Furthermore, the trench sinker, which was applied to the guard ring to suppress coupling between inductors, showed an excellent blocking performance below ?40 dB at a frequency of up to 20 GHz. These results confirm that the proposed trenched sinker should be an effective technology both as a compact sinker for RF power devices and as a guard ring against coupling.     

A WDM-PON Employing Fabry–PÉrot Laser Diodes Without a Seed Light Injection

We propose and demonstrate a wavelength-division-multiplexed passive optical network by employing double-contact Fabry-Perot laser diodes (F-P LDs) without a seed light injection. To avoid the high mode partition noise at low frequency, we use a binary phase-shift keying as a modulation format at a low relative intensity noise window. An error-free transmission is achieved by compensating a lasing envelope shift due to temperature variation with the double-contact F-P LD.     

Genetic algorithm hybridized with multilayer perceptron to have an economical slope stability design

The present work aimed to evaluate and optimize the design of an artificial neural network (ANN) combined with an optimization algorithm of genetic algorithm (GA) for the calculation of slope stability safety factors (SF) in a pure cohesive slope. To make datasets of training and testing for the developed predictive models, 630 finite element limit equilibrium (FELE) analyses were performed. Similar to many artificial intelligence-based solutions, the database was involved in 189 testing datasets (e.g., 30% of the entire database) and 441 training datasets; for example, a range of 70% of the total database. Moreover, variables of multilayer perceptron (MLP) algorithm (for example, number of nodes in any hidden layer) and the algorithm of GA like population size was optimized by utilizing a series of trial and error process. The parameters in input, which were used in the analysis, consist of slope angle (β), setback distance ratio (b/B), applied stresses on the slope (F_y) and undrained shear strength of the cohesive soil (C_u) where the output was taken SF. The obtained network outputs for both datasets from MLP and GA-MLP models are evaluated according to many statistical indices. A total of 72 MLP trial and error (e.g., parameter study) the optimal architecture of 4 × 8 × 1 were determined for the MLP structure. Both proposed techniques result in a proper performance; however, according to the statistical indices, the GA–MLP model can somewhat accomplish the least mean square error (MSE) when compared to MLP. In an optimized GA–MLP network, coefficient of determination (R²) and root mean square error (RMSE) values of (0.975, and 0.097) and (0.969, and 0.107) were found, respectively, to both of the normalized training and testing datasets.

     

Nonlinear evolutionary swarm intelligence of grasshopper optimization algorithm and gray wolf optimization for weight adjustment of neural network

Engineering with Computers - The advent of new data-mining techniques and, more recently, swarm-based optimization algorithms have antiquated traditional models in the field of energy performance...     

Applications of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Skin Regeneration and Rejuvenation

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent stem cells derived from adult stem cells. Primary MSCs can be obtained from diverse sources, including bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord blood. Recently, MSCs have been recognized as therapeutic agents for skin regeneration and rejuvenation. The skin can be damaged by wounds, caused by cutting or breaking of the tissue, and burns. Moreover, skin aging is a process that occurs naturally but can be worsened by environmental pollution, exposure to ultraviolet radiation, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and undernourishment. MSCs have healing capacities that can be applied in damaged and aged skin. In skin regeneration, MSCs increase cell proliferation and neovascularization, and decrease inflammation in skin injury lesions. In skin rejuvenation, MSCs lead to production of collagen and elastic fibers, inhibition of metalloproteinase activation, and promote protection from ultraviolet radiation-induced senescence. In this review, we focus on how MSCs and MSC-derived molecules improve diseased and aged skin. Additionally, we emphasize that induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived MSCs are potentially advanced MSCs, which are suitable for cell therapy.     

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) nanocomposite fibers comprising different organoclays: Thermomechanical properties and morphology

Poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) nano composites were synthesized by in situ polymerization at high temperature with two thermally stable organoclays: 1,2‐dimethylhexadecylimidazolium‐montmorillonite (IMD‐MMT) and dodecyltriphenyl phosphonium‐MMT (C₁₂PPh‐MMT). PTT hybrid fibers with various organoclay contents were melt‐spun at various draw ratios (DRs) to produce monofilaments. The thermomechanical properties and morphologies of the PTT hybrid fibers were characterized using differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric analysis, wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and mechanical tensile properties analysis. The nanostructure of the hybrid fibers was observed by both scanning and transmission electron microscopy, which showed that the clay layers were well dispersed into the matrix polymer, although some clusters or agglomerated particles were also detected. Unlike the hybrids containing IMD‐MMT, the clay layers of the C₁₂PPh‐MMT hybrid fiber were more dispersed into the matrix polymer. The thermal stability and tensile properties of the hybrid fibers increased with increasing clay content for DR = 1. However, as DR increased from 1 to 9 the ultimate strength and initial modulus of the hybrid fibers with IMD‐MMT increased slightly whereas those of C₁₂PPh‐MMT hybrid fibers decreased slightly. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 102: 4535–4545, 2006     

Preparation of poly(ethylene terephthalate) nanocomposite fibers incorporating a thermally stable organoclay

Summary A series of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) nanocomposites containing organically-modified mica (HB-Mica) were prepared by in-situ interlayer polymerization of dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol. The PET nanocomposites, which contained organoclay loadings of 0 to 2 wt %, were melt-spun to produce monofilaments with various draw ratios. Some of the clay particles appeared well dispersed within the PET matrix, while others were found to form agglomerates with sizes greater than 20 nm. The addition of a small amount of organoclay was sufficient to improve the thermo-mechanical properties of the PET hybrid fibers. Both the thermal stability and the mechanical tensile properties increased with increasing clay content for draw ratios of 1–16.     

Polyurethane–poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymer dispersions through polyurethane macroiniferters

Polyurethane macroiniferter/poly(methyl methacrylate) block copolymer dispersions with inverse core‐shell morphologies were obtained from 1,1,2,2,‐tetraphenylethane‐1,2‐diol, dimethylol propionic acid, 4,4′‐diphenylmethane diisocyanate, and poly(propylene glycol) via a living radical mechanism. Molecular weight, particle size and dispersion viscosity, and thermal, mechanical, and dynamic mechanical properties of the dispersion cast films are reported as a function of copolymerization time. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 88: 1971–1975, 2003