Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Ball-Milled Biochar From Waste Bamboo Chopsticks: A Potential Adsorbent For Methylene Blue Removal, Nguyen Trung Hiep, Hoang Thi Thuy Hoa, Thai Phuong Vu

Applied Environmental Research

Waste bamboo chopsticks encounter limited recycling. Several treatment procedures necessitate sophisticated technologies and intricate processes that need more practicality for local-scale production, leading to substantial challenges in effectively repurposing waste from disposable bamboo chopsticks. In this research, waste bamboo chopsticks were used as raw materials for the production of ball-milled biochar (BM-WBCB). FTIR, SEM, and BET were among the numerous analytical methods used to describe the BM-WBCB. The outcomes showed that the surface was made up of hollow, porous structures. In addition, the pHpzc value of the biochar was 8.7, and it had a BET-specific surface area (273.11 m2 g-1). …

Comparative Study Of Aerosol Optical Properties Along A Megacity, Ariel F. Scagliotti, Marcela V. Reale, David H. Margarit, Nadia S. Gonzalez, Guillermo A. Jorge

Applied Environmental Research

Interest in the study and characterization of aerosols has been growing given its multiple connections with air quality and climate. However, the limited ground-based stations for measurements in many countries are not enough to completely study a big city or a region. Low-cost technology arises as a viable alternative to improve the spatial resolution of measurements. This study aims to demonstrate that the properties of aerosols may change within a megacity and that is advisable to segment measurements according to their characteristics. We measured the optical properties of aerosols in the outskirts of Buenos Aires and compared the data obtained …

Consistent Monte Carlo Methods For Non-Linear Applications In Light Transport, Zackary T. Misso

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

The study of light transport focuses on describing the propagation of light from emitters to sensors through accurately describing the interactions light can undergo with everything in between. Physically-based rendering is the process of applying the laws of light transport to formulate practical algorithms which simulate the flow of light for the purpose of synthesizing images of virtual environments.

Unfortunately, there are very few interesting scene configurations which can be computed analytically. Instead, modern solutions predominantly rely on Monte Carlo integration to stochastically estimate the transfer of light since the process is both unbiased and consistent. Meaning, it is expected …

Mitigating Safety Issues In Pre-Trained Language Models: A Model-Centric Approach Leveraging Interpretation Methods, Weicheng Ma

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

Pre-trained language models (PLMs), like GPT-4, which powers ChatGPT, face various safety issues, including biased responses and a lack of alignment with users' backgrounds and expectations. These problems threaten their sociability and public application. Present strategies for addressing these safety concerns primarily involve data-driven approaches, requiring extensive human effort in data annotation and substantial training resources. Research indicates that the nature of these safety issues evolves over time, necessitating continual updates to data and model re-training—an approach that is both resource-intensive and time-consuming. This thesis introduces a novel, model-centric strategy for understanding and mitigating the safety issues of PLMs by …

Scalable Methods For Resource-Constrained Adaptive Sampling, Kizito Masaba

Dartmouth College Ph.D Dissertations

As the global community confronts the pressing issues of climate change, the importance of environment monitoring cannot be overstated. This process is essential in identifying and tracking critical environmental trends to facilitate efficient and effective conservation efforts. Traditionally, scientists perform this task using hand-held, in-situ instruments. With the recent robot advancements, this task can be fully automated by applying multi-robot systems to a task referred to as multi-robot adaptive sampling. However, the cost of purchasing and operating robot systems for this application are still prohibitive due to various environmental, technological, and logistical constraints. Some of the outstanding constraints to the …

Feedback Loops: Feedback Machines, Patrick Barry

Articles

Yes, AI raises serious concerns about bias, privacy, copyright infringement, environmental sustainability, and a whole bunch of other important topics. But if you are looking for a positive use case - and a new way to approach professional development - try asking chatgpt or some other AI chatbot for feedback, especially on something you've written.

An Optimal Culture Medium For Laccase Production And Sugar Cane Vinasse Biotreatment With Trametes Villosa Using Plackett-Burman And Central Composite Designs, Rosa Elena Caballero, Víctor Jiménez, Mónica Miranda, Dalys Rovira, Guillermo Branda, Juana Ramos Chue De Pérez

Applied Environmental Research

The optimal conditions for laccase production and vinasse biotreatment with a native strain of Trametes villosa were determined by a screening-optimization approach. Eleven factors including nutrient concentration, vinasse dilution (%v/v), inoculum volume, carbon to nitrogen ratio and initial pH, were investigated for their effects on laccase activity applying the Plackett-Burman screening design. The selected factors were optimized using a central composite design, and then evaluated on a vinasse biotreatment experiment. The factors that contributed the most to the enzymatic activity were the concentrations of MgSO4∙7H2O (A), FeSO4∙7H2O (B) and CuSO4∙5H2O (C), alongside initial pH.  After 10 days, laccase activity was …

Re–Operating The Bhumibol And Sirikit Dams Using Hybrid Neuro–Fuzzy Technique To Solve The Water Scarcity And Flooding Problems In The Chao Phraya River Basin, Khin Muyar Kyaw, Areeya Rittima, Yutthana Phankamolsil, Allan Sriratana Tabucanon, Wudhichart Sawangphol, Jidapa Kraisangka, Yutthana Talaluxmana, Varawoot Vudhivanich

Applied Environmental Research

The decision support system to reservoir re–operation using Artificial Intelligence has been broadly studied and proven in term of the operational performances for both single and multiple reservoir system, this study applied Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) technique for reservoir re–operation in Chao Phraya River Basin aiming to reduce water scarcity and flooding problems in the central region of Thailand. ANFIS is an integrated approach in which neural networks are utilized to enhance the fuzzy inference system and create fuzzy “IF–Then” reservoir operational guidelines with proper membership functions for reservoir re–operation. In this study, ANFIS operating rules were trained …

Luminescence Inhibition Of Water-Soluble Fractions Of Crude Oil, Diesel And Spent Engine Oil On Freshly Isolated Vibrio Campbellii, Beatrice Omolola Bello, Olayide Samuel Lawal, Gbenga Emmanuel Olumayede, Ogochukwu Angela Agwu, Stanley Ozoemena Agbo

Applied Environmental Research

Inhibitory effects of water-soluble fraction (WSF) of crude oil, diesel, spent engine oil, and their composite mixture on luminescent Vibrio species isolated from a tropical marine fish were assessed to determine the acute toxicity and suitability of the bacteria. This was evaluated with a slight modification of the procedure for freshly prepared luminescent marine bacteria according to the International Organization for Standardization. Toxicity was assessed following bacterial exposure to different concentrations of the WSFs. Water quality parameters and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined using standard methods. Chemical analysis revealed cumulative loads of PAHs in the WSFs of crude …

Monetizing Social Life Cycle Assessment (Slca): A Case Study In Smes Tapioca Industry In Lampung, Indonesia, Yosep -, Unang Mulkhan, Udin Hasanudin, Dewi Agustina Iryani

Applied Environmental Research

To verify the responsible and sustainable functioning of circular economy (CE), assessing the sustainability of CE methods is essential. The consistent absence of a social aspect within the CE has been a recurring topic in research. This paper aims to pinpoint social-benefit aspects that are quantifiable in monetary values and investigate how attributing monetary significance to these elements can enhance the evaluation of social sustainability, leading to more informed decision-making processes. The methodology involves both quantitative and qualitative research methods. A quantitative research study was initiated in February 2023. Two approaches were used for sample selection. First, a case study …

Use Of Modified Blast Furnace Slag For Cadmium Removal In An Aqueous Medium, Toufik Chouchane, Mohamed Tayeb Abedghars, Sabiha Chouchane, Hazem Meradi, Atmane Boukari

Applied Environmental Research

In this work, blast furnace slag was converted to hydroxyapatite-zeolite (MS) through alkaline fusion and hydrothermal treatment, and then it was used to remove cadmium in solution by adsorption in batch mode. The process was accomplished under the influence of determining parameters, namely the contact time, mass of the adsorbent, stirring speed, pH of the medium, temperature of the solution, particle size of the slag, and initial concentration. MS consists mainly of sodium oxide, silica, alumina, lime, and phosphorus pentoxide. The Ca/P, Na/Al, and Si/Al ratios revealed that the converted slag is a hydroxyapatite-zeolite. Following the modification of the treated …

Simulated Microgravity, Indole-3-Acetyl Acid, And Cow Dung Influence On Zea Mays Plant Growth In Contaminated Soil, A. Ovenseri, A.O. Ogunkeyede, A.A. Adebayo, P. Tawari-Fufeyin, A.O. Orukpe, C. Udeochu Uche

Applied Environmental Research

This study investigated the effects of simulated microgravity, indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), and cow dung on Zea mays L. plants growing in soil contaminated with crude oil. Crude oil contamination affects plants negatively in morphology and physiology. For simulated microgravity exposure, IAA introduced and non-IAA introduced seeds of Zea mays L. were grown in a clinostat for 4days before taken to the nursery for planting. IAA was introduced to the seed by soaking in IAA solution for 90 minutes after which it was introduced to the microgravity stimulator (clinostat). After 14 days in the nursery, the seedlings were taken to the …

A Review On Water Security In Dhaka City, Bangladesh: Calling For Ensuring Sustainability, Wasim Akram, Wilailuk Niyommaneerat, Athit Phetrak, Suthirat Kittipongvises

Applied Environmental Research

Dhaka is currently facing a number of significant challenges, and one of them is the protection of water resources. The city is experiencing rapid depletion of groundwater as well as substantial pollution of its surface water. This article aims to highlight a review of the literature on the challenges of water security in Dhaka. The sustainability issues of water resources were elaborated in terms of management, quantity, and quality aspects. Having reviewed, it has been found that groundwater is depleting drastically over the years, which may have environmental, economic, and social consequences in the near future. Due to the rapid …

Effect Of Operating Parameters On Photocatalytic Treatment Of Synthetic Wastewater Using Catio3, Shilpa Mishra, Rekha Dom, Baranidharan Sundaram

Applied Environmental Research

Photocatalysis is thought to be a long-term, environmentally friendly, economically feasible, and promising technique for treating wastewater. The development of semiconductor nanoparticles has generated a great deal of interest in the treatment of wastewater. To break down complex contaminants found in wastewater into simpler compounds, including H2O and CO2, several UV/visible light excitable nanomaterials have been explored as photocatalysts. Their effectiveness can be managed by adjusting several reaction-related parameters like the intensity of light, irradiance time, pH, catalyst dose, temperature, doping, etc. The performance of the photocatalyst in the photodegradation of contaminants is greatly affected by these parameters. The main …

Using Neural Networks For Sustainable Land Use Prediction In Sumbawa Regency, Indonesia, Muhammad Ramdhan, Rudhy Akhwady, Taslim Arifin, Dini Purbani, Yulius -, Dino G. Pryambodo, Rinny Rahmania, Olivia Maftukhaturrizqoh, Abdul Asyiri, Syamsul Hidayat, Arya Ningsih, Sadad -

Applied Environmental Research

Agriculture is vital to Sumbawa Regency's economy, with key activities such as rice cultivation, corn production, onion farming, and cattle rearing. This study applies artificial neural networks (ANN) to predict land cover changes, focusing on agricultural land expansion. Using land cover datasets from ESRI, digital elevation model, and topographical maps, we analyzed land cover changes from 2017 to 2023 and generated future projections for 2050 with the MOLUSCE plugin in qGIS. The predictive model achieved an 85% accuracy rate when comparing 2023 actual data with predictions. Results indicate a significant increase in agricultural land cover by 2050. The key finding …

Screening, Isolation And Hydrocarbon Degradation Characteristics Of Yeasts From Mangrove Sediments Of Kerala, Vidya Pothayi, Sreedevi N Kutty, Sebastian Chempakassery Devasia

Applied Environmental Research

The aim of the present work was to examine the hydrocarbon degradation potential of yeasts isolated from the mangrove sediments. Mangrove sediments around the world were considered to be heavily polluted with oil contaminants and the microbes dwelling in them were believed to be highly active in metabolizing and detoxifying the oil fractions. In the present study, 70 yeast isolates were screened for their lipolytic activity qualitatively and 35 of them which showed comparatively higher lipolysis were tested for their crude oil degradation ability. Screening of hydro-carbon utilizing isolates was performed on Bushnell Haas agar media overlaid with 1% crude …

Application Of Remote Sensing In Analyzing Mangrove Forest Changes And Drivers In Mui Ca Mau National Park, Vietnam, Nguyen Thi Huyen, Le Hoang Tu, Phan Thi Ha, Nguyen Kim Duyet, Nguyen Kim Loi

Applied Environmental Research

Mangroves are vital in coastal ecology and for sustaining and securing coastal communities. However, several factors such as human activities and climate change have changed mangroves' quantity and quality. This research analyses land-use/land cover (LULC) changes focusing on mangroves in Mui Ca Mau National Park (MCMNP) from 1995-2022. Collected Landsat imagery in 1995, 2003, and 2022 were applied to perform this research. Overall accuracy and Kappa of land cover classification were 88.5% and 0.86 in 2003, and 87.6% and 0.85 in 2022, respectively. The classified results showed that the mangrove area had increased significantly from 4,316.1 hectares in 1995 to …

Establishing Optimal Machine Learning Models For Monitoring Water Quality In Vietnam’S Upper Ma River, Thanh-Son Ngo, Duc-Loc Nguyen

Applied Environmental Research

This study aims to establish the optimal regression model for predicting total suspended solids (TSS) and Turbidity based on in situ data and spectral regions of Sentinel-2 images. Various machine learning models were evaluated, including Multilayer Perceptron Regression (MLPR), Random Forest Regression (RFR), AdaBoost Regression (ABR), Multiple Linear Regression (MLR), and K-Nearest Neighbors Regression (KNNR). These models were applied to different band combinations of spectral regions: visible (VIS), near-infrared (NIR), shortwave-infrared (SWIR), VIS+NIR (VNIR), and VIS+NIR+SWIR (VNIR+SWIR). The study results revealed that the MLR model, while not the best performer during training (R2 = 0.89 for TSS and R2 = …

Fretting Corrosion Wear Of Titanium-Based Alloy (Ti-6al-4v) In 0.9 Wt.% Nacl Solution, Chen-En Lu, Wen-Ken Li, Hung-Hua Sheu, Jeou-Long Lee, Hung-Bin Lee

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, a high precision fretting tribo-corrosion tester used to analyze the wear and corrosion behavior of Ti alloys in a fretting motion condition. The tester, operated in a ball-on-plate mode, was employed in the fretting corrosion study of metallic bio-materials (Ti and Ti-6Al-4V) under different loads (0 and 10 N), electrolytes (0.9 wt% NaCl and SBF) and fixed displacement frequency (1 Hz). Using profilometer, optical microscope in the experimental analysis and three-body mechanism in the theoretical analysis, the fretting corrosion performances of these bio-medical metals, such as velocity accommodation characteristics, friction, wear, and scratch profile were examined in …

A New-Type Deep Learning Model Based On Shapley Regulation For Containerized Freight Index Prediction, Yen-Chang Shih, Ming-Shue Lin, Taih-Cherng Lirn, Jih-Gau Juang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In this study, we have crafted an innovative methodology that represents a groundbreaking synthesis of deep learning techniques with cooperative game theory. In this study, we use the accuracy of data prediction by different LSTM models as a measurement index and assign different LSTM models corresponding weights through the Shapley value calculation method to construct a more accurate predictive analysis model. We use this improved Shapley regulation model to calibrate a long short-term memory (LSTM) neural network by using historical freight data to predict the China Container Freight Index (CCFI), the leading export container freight index commonly used in China. …

Applicability Of Reducing Valve Timing Overlap For Diesel Engines Under High Exhaust Back Pressure, Chien-Cheng Chen, Yuan-Liang Jeng, Shun-Chang Yen

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The exhaust back pressure of diesel engines becomes increasing higher nowadays. As an example, the De-NOx system and DE-SOx system necessitated by the increasingly stringent emission standards, would result in increased exhaust back pressure for those diesel engines adopting such systems. Some ships adopt underwater exhaust system to save space on the working deck and to reduce noise and air pollution, while the hydrostatic pressure under water level has made the exhaust back pressure of diesel engines getting much higher. Under high exhaust back pressure, to keep discharging exhaust unhindered and operating smoothly for diesel engine, it often results in …

Elimination Of Noise In A Ship Cabin Using Multi-Layered Acoustic Boards: An Apso And Sa Approach, Min-Chie Chiu, Ho-Chih Cheng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

A high level of noise, combined with pure tones, is often encountered in ship's cabins, leading to severe psychological and physiological issues for the crew. To address this problem, an indoor noise abatement solution becomes necessary that utilizes efficient acoustic boards integrated with resonators, positioned along the inner walls of the cabin. However, the thickness of the acoustic boards must be strictly limited due to maintenance and operational considerations. This limitation results in insufficient sound absorption capabilities and a restricted range of tuned frequencies, as the resonating frequency of a standard Helmholtz resonator is closely tied to its cavity. A …

Numerical Study On The Aerodynamic Performance Of Four Flettner Rotors By Varying Distance And Spin Ratio, Janghoon Seo, Dong-Woo Park

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The Flettner rotor is a wind-assisted propulsion system applied in eco-friendly ship to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As the requirements of international regulations on greenhouse gas emissions become increasingly strict, multiple Flettner rotors are being applied, necessitating the evaluation of their performance with varying design parameters. The present study focuses on the aerodynamic performances of four Flettner rotors with variable design parameters of distance and spin ratio. Distances and spin ratios, including relative spin ratios, are considered. The drag and lift coefficients and lift-to-drag ratio of Flettner rotors are determined using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and the associated flow fields …

Underwater Image Enhancement Algorithm For Dual Color Spaces, Xingsheng Shen, Yalin Song, Shichang Li, Xiaoshu Hu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

Targeting issues related to low contrast, blurring, and loss of detail prevalent in underwater image enhancement algorithms, we propose a dual-color space multiscale residual network (DMR-SCNet) based on SCNet. First, we introduce the HSV color space feature extraction module, which aims to optimize the color representation and saturation of underwater images. Subsequently, we propose the RGB color space denoising module, which focuses on repairing the content and structure of underwater images to enhance their clarity and visual quality. Finally, by designing the residual attention (RAB) module, we aim to further refine the detailed representation and feature extraction of underwater images. …

A Novel Identity Authentication Mechanism For Unmanned Maritime Vessels Communication Based On Mitre Att&Ck Framework, Junxian He, Shih-Hao Chang

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

With the development of the smart shipping industry, unmanned vessel technology is rapidly evolving, accompanied by a demand for robust Internet of Things (IoT) communication security practices. Key communication technologies for the operation of unmanned vessels include external vessel communication. One crucial aspect is the verification of the identities of the parties involved in these communication systems, as this ensures secure and trusted interactions between unmanned vessels and port management authorities. Identity authentication plays a vital role in ensuring the secure communication of unmanned vessels.This paper aims to analyze potential risks related to identity authentication technology in unmanned vessel communication …

Corrigendum To “Applicability Of Reducing Valve Timing Overlap For Diesel Engines Under High Exhaust Back Pressure”

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

No abstract provided.

Distribution And Population Structure Of Corallivorous Drupella Snails In The Coral Reefs Of Kenting In Taiwan, Chih-Jui Tan, Dun-Ru Kang, Li-Lian Liu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The corallivorous Drupella snails are common predators of living hard corals in the Indo-Pacific Ocean, and they can significantly threaten coral reef ecosystems when outbreaks occur. In Taiwan, a Drupella outbreak, which resulted in the dramatic decline of Acropora and Montipora corals, was reported in Penghu in 2002 – 2009. However, the Drupella species involved was not identified, and no further research has been conducted. To obtain current knowledge on the predation pressure of corallivorous snails on hard corals, we investigated benthic communities and the distribution and population structure of Drupella snails in the coral reefs of Kenting, Taiwan. The …

Evaluating The Connectivity Reliability Of The Seaborne Transportation Network Using Uncertainty Theory, Tianshou Liu, Haiyang Bian, Lin Feng, Chenyang Fan, Chaojun Ding, Grifoll Manel, Hongxiang Feng

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

The shipping network serves as the backbone of international trade. However, due to unstable geopolitical conditions, unexpected events have occurred frequently in recent years that have impacted the global shipping supply chain, and this has placed enormous pressure and had adverse effects on seaborne transportation. To measure the reliability of the global shipping network under unexpected events, we abstract the global shipping network into a small world network using uncertainty theory. A method is proposed for selecting (i) the optimal reliable path and (ii) the optimal reliable path with a maximum measurement under different confidence intervals. Our approach is then …

Mechanical Property Analysis And Three-Dimensional Reverse Reconstruction Based On Corrosion Pit Characteristics Of Strong Corrosion Steel Plate, Qiujun Ning, Xiaosong Lu, Jiawei Lu

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

To investigate the strong corrosion effect of 36% industrial hydrochloric acid on Q370 steel for bridges at room temperature. The surface morphology variations of the Q370 steel for bridges with corrosion time were measured and analyzed using a three-dimensional non-contact scanning profilometer. Subsequently, the standard monotonic tensile test was carried out to obtain the load-displacement curve and analyze the mechanical properties of the heavily corroded steel. Moreover, the constitutive model parameters of the heavily corroded steel were optimized. Furthermore, the heavily corroded steel model base on the actual corroded surface morphology was established, employing three-dimensional reverse reconstruction technology and finite …

Sea Ice Identification And Risk Assessment For Navigation In Ice Regions Based On Shipboard Camera Images, Tsung-Hsuan Hsieh, Xuan Lu, Shengzheng Wang, Wei Liu, Jianan Luo

Journal of Marine Science and Technology–Taiwan

In order to guarantee the safe navigation of vessels in icy regions and effectively capture sea ice risk information surrounding ships, this study introduces a sea ice identification and risk assessment process utilizing shipboard camera images. Firstly, based on the distribution characteristics of sea area, a hierarchical region segmentation algorithm is proposed to precisely remove interference factors and extract the region of interest. Then, a multivariate K-means clustering algorithm is proposed to classify sea ice classes based on various characteristics, including spatial similarity, sea ice area, sea ice thickness, gray scale, and other multivariate information. Finally, a method for small …