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The recent advancements in Artificial Intelligence have paved the way for remarkable achievements in tasks that have traditionally posed challenges even for humans [...]

As we delve into the era of intelligence, the importance of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) education has become increasingly evident [...]

Supplementing the diet of ruminants with agro-industrial by-products is a common practice. In this study, we applied an untargeted lipidomics approach to study the changes in the milk lipid metabolite profiles linked to the addition of different doses of spent coffee grounds (SCG) to the diet of lactating goats. The carryover of caffeine from feed to milk was also studied. Compared to controls, the milk of goats on the SCG diet showed higher levels of cholesteryl esters, sphingomyelins, and phospholipids, while nonesterified fatty acids were downregulated. After 12 h from the last SCG dose, the carry-over of caffeine was, on average, 3%. Collectively, our results establish that SCG supplementation induces changes in the milk levels of complex lipid molecules and causes the transfer of caffeine and caffeine metabolites from feed to milk.

When selecting a design for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the choice of the propulsion system is vital in terms of mission requirements, sustainability, usability, noise, controllability, reliability and technology readiness level (TRL). This study analyses the various propulsion systems used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), paying particular focus on the closed-cycle propulsion systems. The study also investigates the feasibility of using helium closed-cycle gas turbines for UAV propulsion, highlighting the merits and demerits of helium closed-cycle gas turbines. Some of the advantages mentioned include high payload, low noise and high altitude mission ability; while the major drawbacks include a heat sink, nuclear hazard radiation and the shield weight. A preliminary assessment of the cycle showed that a pressure ratio of 4, turbine entry temperature (TET) of 800 °C and mass flow of 50 kg/s could be used to achieve a lightweight helium closed-cycle gas turbine design for UAV mission considering component design constraints.

The achievement of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, related to energy and resource use, is a critical issue for small and insulated communities. In many minor islands, solar energy is not correctly exploited, and electrical heaters are connected to weak grids with very a high share of generation by fossil fuels. As a consequence, there is the necessity to assess the potential and the suitability of diffusion of alternative systems to avoid dependency on the electrical grid and reduce carbon emissions. This paper aims to evaluate the technical and economic performances of some alternative systems exploiting renewable energy for domestic hot water production. Four different systems were simulated and studied: a heat pump connected to the grid, a heat pump coupled with a photovoltaic plant, a heat pump combined with a solar thermal collector, and a solar thermal plant. Moreover, heat and electricity storages were studied for reducing impacts on the distribution network. The work presents data gathered for a study on energy-retrofit strategies on Lampedusa Island (Italy, 35°30′56″ north (N), 568 degree-days). Finally, to select the most cost-effective plant, an economic analysis of the chosen systems was carried out. This analysis shows that the best net present values are associated with the heat pump (HP) coupled with a stand-alone PV system and a small battery and solar thermal-assisted HP. The shortest payback time was calculated for the solar thermal system.

Over recent years, the number of signals of a different type that can be acquired from the human body has increased extraordinarily [...]

In this work, a vibro-acoustic numerical and experimental analysis was carried out for the chain cover of a low powered four-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine, belonging to the FPT (FCA Power Train) family called SDE (Small Diesel Engine). By applying a methodology used in the acoustic optimization of new FPT engine components, firstly a finite element model (FEM) of the engine was defined, then a vibration analysis was performed for the whole engine (modal analysis), and finally a forced response analysis was developed for the only chain cover (separated from the overall engine). The boundary conditions applied to the chain cover were the accelerations experimentally measured by accelerometers located at the points of connection among chain cover, head cover, and crankcase. Subsequently, a boundary element (BE) model of the only chain cover was realized to determine the chain cover noise emission, starting from the previously calculated structural vibrations. The numerical vibro-acoustic outcomes were compared with those experimentally observed, obtaining a good correlation. All the information thus obtained allowed the identification of those critical areas, in terms of noise generation, in which to undertake necessary improvements.

Gas bearings are widely employed in high-precision devices and in high-speed applications, such as in micro turbomachinery and micro machining tools [...]