Digital Commons Network^™

Influence Of Altitude On The Energy Payback Time Of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Systems: A District-Level Analysis In Himachal Pradesh, India, Aniket Sharma, Mohinder Singh

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Sustainability in Engineering Sciences

This study presents a district-level assessment of the influence of altitude on the Energy Payback Time (EPBT) of grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems in the Western Himalayan region of Himachal Pradesh, India. Although several studies have examined photovoltaic performance under different climatic conditions, systematic evaluation of altitude-sensitive EPBT using a standardized PV configuration remains limited for mountainous regions. A uniform 14.82 kWp polycrystalline PV system was simulated for twelve district headquarters representing elevations from 360 m to 3025 m above sea level using PVsyst software and Meteonorm meteorological data. Annual energy output and EPBT were evaluated under identical system configuration and …

Energy And Exergy Analysis Of Combined Cycle Power Plants: A Comprehensive Evaluation, Mohammad Ibrahim Hussein Hussein

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Sustainability in Engineering Sciences

Evaluating the thermodynamic performance of combined cycle power plants (CCPPs) requires a comprehensive understanding of both energy quantity and energy quality across highly integrated components, including the gas turbine, heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), steam turbine, and condenser. This study presents a structured critical review of recent developments in energy and exergy analysis of CCPPs, covering studies published between 2001 and 2025. Unlike previous descriptive summaries, this work introduces a comparative synthesis framework that critically evaluates component-level losses, thermodynamic irreversibilities, and system optimization strategies across conventional and advanced CCPP configurations. The review shows that the condenser is the dominant source …

Mitigating The Effects Of Poor Power Quality Conditions Using Adaptive Model Predictive Current Control, B. O. Akinloye, B. G. Ologunwa, A. A. Okubanjo

Al-Mustaqbal Journal of Sustainability in Engineering Sciences

Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSMs) are susceptible to performance degradation in applications with poor power quality, such as those found in regions with unstable electrical grids. Conventional control strategies often fail to maintain stability and efficiency under simultaneous voltage sags and harmonic distortions. This paper presents an adaptive Model Predictive Current Control (MPCC) framework designed to enhance the resilience of PMSM drives under such composite disturbances. The proposed strategy integrates three key mechanisms: a real-time voltage sag compensation module that adjusts current references and employs flux-weakening, a multivector-based harmonic mitigation technique embedded within the predictive cost function, and a thermal …

Cybersecurity Governance Of Industrial Iot In Sub-Saharan Africa: Policy Gaps, Threat Landscape, And Lessons From Comparative African Contexts, Faztudo Languisse Eng.

Journal of Cybersecurity Education, Research and Practice

The rapid deployment of Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) systems across Sub-Saharan Africa's extractive, energy, logistics, and agro-industrial sectors has introduced a cybersecurity challenge of growing urgency: industrial networks that were designed for operational efficiency are increasingly exposed to cyber threats for which neither the organizations nor the regulatory frameworks are adequately prepared. This article examines the cybersecurity governance of IIoT systems in a developing African economy, using Mozambique as a primary case study and drawing comparative lessons from South Africa, Rwanda, and Kenya. Through an integrative literature review and documentary analysis of national digital, cybersecurity, and industrial policies, the …

Ai Pedagogical Enactment Framework (Ai-Pef): A Framework For Shared Pedagogical Enactment Of Artificial Intelligence, Rashan E. Isaac

Departmental Papers (TE)

Artificital Intellegence (AI) has rapidly transformed teaching and learning for K-12 and higher education yet limitied guidence exits on how AI-grounded pedagogical enactments are devloped, observed, become sustainable, and extended over time. This paper introduces the AI Pedagogical Enactment Framework (AI-PEF) — a framework for shared pedagogical enacment of artificial intellengence. Shared pedagogical enactment is conceptualized as the process through which educators and eductional organizations developed a shared language, expectations, and practices for a given initative. AI-PEF is composed of six interconnected levers (Citation, Alignment, Application, Evaluation, Integration, and Extension), togeather providing a shared language for regnition and evalustion of …

Advanced Gynecology & Laparascopy Of North Jersey V. Cigna Health & Life Insurance Co

2026 Decisions

USDC for the District of New Jersey

問題を抱えた宣教師すら主役に変わる, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

困難を抱える宣教師を、個人面談などを通して少しずつ正常な状態へと導いていくことは、大きな時間と労力を要する働きです。伝道部会長は、ただでさえ多忙な職務の中で、こうした対応にかなりの時間を割かれ、伝道部全体を導くという本来の責任を果たす上で、大きな負担となっているのではないかと拝察いたします。

しかしながら、このような一対一の対応には、一つの見落とされがちな側面があるように思います。それは、支援を受ける宣教師を、常に「助けられる側」という受け身の立場に置き続けてしまうことです。その結果、本人の内側にある力が引き出されず、かえって成長の機会を狭めてしまっているのではないでしょうか。

そこで本提案では、発想を転換いたします。困難を抱える宣教師を「問題として対処する対象」としてではなく、今のありのままの状態で、他の宣教師の成長に貢献できる存在として位置づけ直すのです。他の宣教師を助けるという経験を通して、自分自身を見つめ直し、自分にも価値ある貢献ができるということを実感し、結果としてより主体的で生産的な宣教師へと成長していく――これが本提案の核にある考え方です。ここには、一人一人の宣教師の中に天与の可能性を信じる、信仰が必要とされます。

具体的なイメージとして、同じ住居に生活する４人の宣教師を例に考えてみます（もし２人だけなら、そのペア２つを電話でつなぐことも可能）。この４人全員を対象に、まずオリエンテーションを行います。その際に伝えるべき要点は次の４つであり、これらを参加者自身がしっかりと理解することが、やる気やスムーズな導入の鍵となります。一方的な説明ではなく、４人で話し合いながら共に学んでいく形を取ると、より効果的でしょう。

ここで特に大切にしたいのは、特定の一人の宣教師の「問題」に焦点を当てないことです。あくまで４人全員が互いに支え合う関係を築くことを目的とし、その中で、困難を抱えていた宣教師もまた、仲間の成長を後押しする大切な役割を担う――そのような、前向きで対等な関係性を作り出すことが、この提案の目指すところです。

When Even A Struggling Missionary Becomes The Hero, Yoshihiko Ariizumi

Learning, Teaching, & Researching Optimization

Guiding a struggling missionary back toward wellbeing—through one-on-one counseling and similar interventions—is demanding work that requires significant time and effort. I can only imagine how much of a mission president's already limited time is consumed by this kind of support, making it that much harder to fulfill the broader responsibility of leading an entire mission.

Yet this kind of one-on-one intervention has a drawback that is easy to overlook: it tends to keep the missionary receiving support permanently cast in the role of "the one being helped." As a result, the strength that already lies within that missionary often goes …

Scheduled Coal Plant Retirements In The Mountain West, 2022-2031, Kerima Awol, Sophia Booth, Ty Tan, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Environment

This fact sheet presents data on publicly announced coal-fired power plant retirements in five Mountain West states: Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah, between 2022 and 2031. The Visual Capitalist’s 2021 report, “Road to Decarbonization: U.S. Coal Plant Closures,” includes information on the location, retirement year, and electricity generation capacity of coal-fired power plants scheduled for retirement across the United States.

Study On Structural Characteristics And Immunomodulatory Activity Of Flammulina Velutipes Crude Polysaccharide, Wang Xinnuo, Peng Chujun, Jin Yumeng, Zhang Molan, You Lijun

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To prepare Flammulina velutipes crude polysaccharide (FVP) and evaluate its structural characteristics and immunomodulatory activity. [Methods] FVP was prepared from Flammulina velutipes using hot-water extraction and ethanol precipitation, and its structural characteristics were characterized by combining Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and high-performance size-exclusion chromatography–multi-angle laser light scattering–refractive index detection (HPSEC–MALLS–RI). The immunomodulatory activity of FVP was evaluated using RAW 264.7 macrophages and a cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppressed mouse model. [Results] The total sugar content of FVP is (51.39 ± 1.36) g/100 g. Structural characterization results show that FVP has characteristic features of a β-type pyranose ring and exhibits a multi-component …

Research Progress In Production Process And Flavor Modulation Mechanisms Of Cooking Wine, An Nan, Liu Gongliang, Bai Weidong, Tong Xing, Wang Hong

Food and Machinery

As a core condiment in traditional Chinese cuisine, the flavor modulation mechanisms of cooking wine are closely related to its production processes. This review systematically organizes the three major production systems of cooking wine, i.e., brewed, blended, and seasoned, comparing their differences in base-wine origin, flavor-formation pathways, and product stability. By integrating the latest developments in flavoromics, molecular interactions, and intelligent fermentation, it provides a systematic analysis of the relationship between production process differences and flavor formation mechanisms. The paper clarifies the multi-stage “dissolution–modification–suppression” mechanism for off-flavor removal and proposes a metabolic flux-directed process optimization pathway. Additionally, it explores the …

Trustworthiness As Inferential Accountability In Qualitative Research, Aamir Rashid, Rizwana Rasheed

Publications and Research

Trustworthiness is a cornerstone of qualitative research rigor, yet it is frequently operationalized as a procedural checklist rather than as a coherent logic for justifying qualitative knowledge claims. As a result, qualitative studies often demonstrate methodological diligence without fully explicating how empirical materials warrant the interpretations advanced or how the scope of those interpretations should be bounded. The purpose of this paper is to reconceptualize trustworthiness as inferential accountability, understood as a governing evaluative principle for qualitative inquiry that provides a coherent and contemporary framework for the justification, evaluation, and delimitation of qualitative claims. The paper adopts a conceptual and …

The Effects Of Differential Exposure To Learning Trials On Maintenance Of Behavior Analytic Terminology, Kara Adams

Doctoral Dissertations - College of Arts and Sciences

Previous research has demonstrated the efficacy of continued practice of a task beyond one correct instance on maintenance of a variety of tasks, including vocabulary, city-country pairs, and mazes. Overlearning refers to the improved maintenance of performance on a task as a result of continued practice beyond one errorless trial. The current study established behavioranalytic term definitions and evaluated the effects of differential exposure to learning trials beyond mastery on maintenance of term definitions across substantially longer intervals than previously studied. Six individuals enrolled in a graduate program in applied behavior analysis participated in this study. We systematically manipulated the …

From Research To Decision In A Uk Parliamentary Office: How Internal Communication Translates Complex Information Into Workplace Action, Donovan Singh

Faculty Curated Undergraduate Works

This project examines how internal workplace communication translates complex information into guidance that a decision-maker can use. The project uses an anonymised UK parliamentary office as a practice-based case study. The elected representative is referred to as MP A, the placement office as Parliamentary Office A, and the placement supervisor as Supervisor B. Anonymisation is necessary because the project analyses briefing practice and workplace feedback rather than the identity, political position, or internal operations of a specific office.

The research question is: How does internal communication translate complex information into clear, accurate and actionable guidance for workplace decision-makers? The project …

Fred Luthans, Unl Business Management, Positive Organizational Behavior, Mark Griep, Fred Luthans

UNL ORCA Interview Series

Fred Luthans was awarded the ORCA in 2008. He was born in Clinton, Iowa in 1939. He earned three degrees from the University of Iowa in Iowa City, located only a few miles from Clinton. His bachelor's was in mathematics in 1961, a Master’s of Business Administration in ‘62, PhD in Management and Psychology in 1965. After serving two years as a captain in the Army at West Point, where he taught psychology and leadership, he joined the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as an Associate Professor of Management. He's had a remarkable career, but I'll only mention three major distinctions. His …

Exploring The Role Of Community Leaders In Building Community Resilience Against Climate Disasters: A Case Study Of A Rural Climate Vulnerable Community, Daniel Tinyogtaa Adama

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Community resilience is widely recognized as a participatory approach to managing climate disasters. However, limited empirical research specifically examines how community leaders carry out the work of building that resilience in rural, climate-vulnerable communities. This qualitative case study addressed that issue by exploring the role of community leaders in building resilience against climate disasters in a rural, climate-vulnerable Midwestern community with a history of such events. Guided by three research questions, the study investigated how leaders identified and leveraged local assets and social networks, the strategies they used to promote collaboration, communication, and shared decision-making, and how their roles and …

An Automated Surrogate-Assisted Optimization Framework For Rapid Microfluidic Channel Design Of Point-Of-Care Diagnostic Devices, Ronald Jose, Yunjian Qiu, Lin Jiang, Yun Wang

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Saliva-based point-of-care diagnostic devices provide accessible, non-invasive health monitoring but face engineering challenges in ensuring reliable, cost-effective performance outside laboratory settings. Traditional design approaches rely heavily on repeated cycles of simulation, design, and prototyping, creating computational bottlenecks that slow innovation. This work introduces an automated surrogate-assisted optimization framework that integrates multiphysics simulation data, surrogate modeling, and multi-objective optimization to accelerate microchannel design. Synthetic datasets generated through multiphysics simulations are used to train a neural network surrogate model capable of predicting flow performance metrics, including the Dean number and pressure drop. This trained model achieved a mean squared error of 0.000012 …

From Literacy To Behavioral Intention: A Survey Of Soon-To-Graduate Students’ Intention To Use Generative Ai For Job Search Through The Technology Acceptance Model, Huai Yu Chen, Yu Chi

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This study examines the factors associated with soon-to-graduate college students’ intention to use generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in the context of job searching, guided by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). An online survey of US undergraduates expected to graduate within 12 months ( N = 300) showed that GenAI literacy significantly predicted perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. Findings from PROCESS Model 6 indicated an indirect association between GenAI literacy and intention to use through perceived usefulness. Relative weight analysis revealed creative application as the strongest contributor to intention to use and perceived usefulness, while communication proficiency most strongly …

Differential Pro-Tumorigenic Effects Of Helicobacter Pylori And Streptococcus Anginosus On Ags Cells: Contact-Dependent Versus Metabolite-Driven Mechanisms, Luan Luan, Xiuling Song, Yunfei Zeng, Yunyun Xie, Yongxuan Hong, Jiawei Tang, Cong Ma, Bing Gu, Liang Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Gastric cancer remains a major global health burden, ranking fifth worldwide in both incidence and mortality. While Helicobacter pylori is a well-established Group I carcinogen, increasing evidence suggests that non-H. pylori bacteria, including Streptococcus anginosus, may also contribute to gastric carcinogenesis. However, their comparative pathogenic roles and interactions remain poorly defined. In this study, public databases showed stage-dependent abundance changes of H. pylori and S. anginosus but no significant correlation during gastric cancer progression. We further quantified both bacteria in gastric fluid samples collected from 500 individuals using a non-invasive gastric string test and in fecal samples from an independent …

Sources And Potential Risks Of Micro- And Nanoplastics In Foods, Zhao Xinlong, Li Wei, Zhang Mengling, Xing Liwen, Tian Huafeng

Food and Machinery

Plastics are widely used in food packaging, storage, processing, and other food-related applications, playing a vital role in extending food shelf life, reducing material loss, and promoting food circulation. However, these plastic products that come into direct or indirect contact with foods can release micro- and nanoplastics through various physical and chemical processes. These micro- and nanoplastics can accumulate in the human body through bioaccumulation and other pathways and have become one of the emerging contaminants threatening food safety and human health. This review provides a comprehensive summary of the research progress on the generation pathways, release mechanisms, potential health …

Prediction Model Of Green Grape Water Loss Rate Based On Multi-Model Soft Voting Fusion, Fan Gai, Jing Min, Ji Feng, Ma Maosen, Yao Xiaomin

Food and Machinery

[Objective] This study aims to achieve rapid and non-destructive detection of the water loss rate in green grapes, control losses, and ensure quality. Based on an LED-induced fluorescence spectroscopy system, a prediction method combining collected spectral data with a multi-model soft voting fusion approach was proposed for green grape water loss rate estimation. [Methods] Spectral data from 100 green grape samples were collected. Preprocessing was performed using multivariate scatter correction (MSC), standard normal variate transformation (SNV), normalization, and Savitzky–Golay (SG) filtering. Feature wavelength selection was carried out using the successive projections algorithm. Based on this, prediction models for the green …

Screening Of Weizmannia Coagulans With High Stress Tolerance, Xiao Xue, Yu Wendi, Hu Yuanliang, Zhang Xicai, Yu Xiang

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To isolate and screen novel Weizmannia coagulans strains with high stress tolerance. [Methods] Using commercially fermented pickle brine as the sample, W. coagulans strains were isolated, purified, and identified by selective culture medium methods, morphological observation, physiological and biochemical characterization, and 16S rDNA sequencing. Taking survival rate as the evaluation index, the stress tolerance of the isolated strains and three laboratory-preserved W. coagulans strains was determined under high-temperature (80–100 ℃), acidic (pH 2.0–3.0), and bile salt (0.1%–0.5%) conditions. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to comprehensively assess the stress tolerance of the tested strains. [Results] Two W. coagulans strains, …

Effects Of Pretreatment Methods On Volatile Compounds And Active Ingredients In Flaxseed Oil, Zhu Lijun, Chen Fengzhen, Zhang Chengshuang, Zhao Baoyi, Meng Lingjun

Food and Machinery

[Objective] This paper aims to investigate the effects of microwave and roasting pretreatment methods on volatile compounds and active ingredients in flaxseed oil. [Methods] Flaxseeds were pretreated by microwave (720 W, 2–8 min) and roasting (140–200 ℃, 30 min), and then flaxseed oil was prepared by cold pressing. Using untreated cold-pressed flaxseed oil as a control, the differences in volatile compounds were analyzed by headspace gas chromatography–ion mobility spectrometry (HS-GC-IMS) and an electronic nose. Additionally, the contents of tocopherols, phytosterols, and total phenolics were determined. [Results] A total of 72 volatile compounds are identified by HS-GC-IMS analysis, including aldehydes (20 …

Strategy For Linear Range Broadening Of Elisa Based On Antibody Synergistic Combination, Guo Cuili, Peng Juan, Lai Weihua, Xing Keyu, Gan Bei

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To broaden the linear range of ELISA for deoxynivalenol detection. [Methods] This paper obtains three antibodies with different sensitivities via mouse immunization, cell fusion and screening, ascites preparation, and antibody purification. By optimizing the working concentration and composition ratio of the antibody synergistic combination, the optimal antibody synergistic combination ratio is applied to ELISA to determine the linear range. [Results] The optimal reaction conditions for the ic-ELISA based on synergistic antibodies are as follows: the optimal working concentrations of the coating antigen and antibody are 0.3 and 0.1 μg/mL, respectively. The linear range of the synergistic antibody is obviously …

Quantitative Analysis Of Sorghum Starch Using Machine Learning And Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Li Ke, Ouyang Runkun, Dai Yijie, Li Jie, Hou Aixiang, Yang Yu, Li Zongjun

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To establish a model for the rapid quantification of sorghum starch based on near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning algorithms. [Methods] Brewing sorghum was used as the raw material. Near-infrared diffuse reflectance spectra were collected using a near-infrared spectrometer. The Isolation Forest algorithm was employed to remove outlier samples and optimize the dataset. Subsequently, multiple preprocessing methods and regression models were compared using various modeling software to analyze and establish a quantitative model for sorghum starch. [Results] After preprocessing with the Isolation Forest algorithm, the partial least squares regression (PLSR) model exhibited the best performance, with a coefficient of determination …

An Ai-Driven Safety Traceability And Monitoring System For Food Cold Chain, Zeng Xiaoqing, Zhang Yuyue, Xie Wenqing, Zhou Jianhua

Food and Machinery

Targeting the three major obstacles—information fragmentation, delayed risk response, and ambiguous accountability—in food cold chain safety governance, this study constructs an integrated cold chain safety traceability and monitoring system centered on artificial intelligence technology and incorporating the Internet of Things and blockchain. On the basis of a comprehensive risk analysis of the entire food cold chain process, and drawing on theoretical frameworks including supply chain resilience theory, information asymmetry theory, HACCP, and ISO 22000 food safety standards, this study designs a system architecture organized around five functional modules: multi-source data collection and traceability, dynamic food quality assessment, risk prediction and …

Terminal Control Method Of Parallel Food Sorting Robot With Multi-Algorithm Fusion, He Qing, Wu Tianfeng, Zhao Yini

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To address the problems of low trajectory tracking accuracy, delayed dynamic response, poor adaptability to external disturbances, and difficulty in meeting the requirements of high-speed and high-precision food sorting in the existing end-effector control of parallel food sorting robots. [Methods] A food sorting system based on a DELTA parallel robot was developed, and an end-effector control strategy integrating an improved whale optimization algorithm, adaptive fuzzy control, and nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode control was designed. Adaptive fuzzy control was used to adjust the output gain in real time to enhance controller tracking accuracy. The improved whale optimization algorithm was …

Effect Of Double-Bin Plansifter Motion Parameters On Sieving Efficiency, Li Shuang, Wang Fengcheng, Deng Xiangzhi, Li Xinze, Zhang Baowei, Fu Yunfeng, Xue Chunzhi

Food and Machinery

[Objective] The aim is to explore the effect of double-bin plansifter motion parameters on the material sieving efficiency of different systems after wheat milling. [Methods] The milled materials produced by the break system, tailing roll, and scratch system, obtained from a typical milling production line, were selected as raw materials. The double-bin plansifter was used to sieve different materials to investigate the variations in residence time inside the sieve body and in sieving performance under different motion parameters of milled materials in each system. The motion parameters with the optimal sieving performance for the milled materials from each system were …

Extraction Optimization For Polyphenols From Clausena Anisum-Olens Kernel , As Well As Their Antioxidant And Antibacterial Activities, Liao Jianhong, Su Xiufang, Zheng Guangjin, Li Ganghui

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To optimize the extraction process of polyphenols from Clausena anisum-olens kernel, and to analyze their in vitro antioxidant and antibacterial activities. [Methods] With ultrasonic temperature, power, time, as well as solid–liquid ratio and ethanol volume fraction as experimental factors, the response surface method was employed to optimize the ultrasonic extraction process of polyphenols from C. anisum-olens kernel. Furthermore, the in vitro antioxidant activity of the polyphenols was investigated via free radical scavenging assays, and the antibacterial activity was determined using the well diffusion method. [Results] The optimal extraction process is an ultrasonic power of 94 W, an ultrasonic time …

A Multi-Defect Detection System Based On Improved Yolov 8s And Morphological Features For Fragrant Pear Grading, Wang Jinkai, Wu Chenchen, Cheng Rouxin, Wu Rentao

Food and Machinery

[Objective] To address the high missed detection rate of defective fruits and poor grading accuracy in current post-harvest fragrant pear sorting. [Methods] On the basis of an existing visual inspection system for fragrant pears, a machine vision detection system integrating an improved YOLOv8s algorithm and multi-dimensional morphological features is designed. An ECA attention module is introduced to enhance the model sensitivity to subtle defects, enabling fast and precise localization and segmentation of pears. Conventional morphological feature extraction is employed to conduct multi-dimensional shape analysis for identifying and rejecting defective fruits. Pressure-sensitive sensors are then used to grade the remaining qualified …