Carbon assessment for cocoa cropping systems in Lampung, Indonesia

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) production plays a key role in the economics of Indonesia, the world’s fourth largest cocoa bean producing country. With more than 1.6 million hectares of land planted with cocoa, small improvements in emissions efficiencies or carbon sequestration opportunities can have a relatively large mitigating effect on emissions from agroforestry and land use. The carbon assessment in Lampung, Sumatra was done to evaluate environmental impacts of cocoa as a commodity through estimation of carbon stock and carbon footprint, GHG emissions during the cultivation of cocoa in different cropping systems. Segmentation of cropping systems along density of intercropping, inputs use intensity and residue management practices identify opportunities for climate smart practices tailored to each segment

Knowledge Creation And Green Entrepreneurship: A Study Of Two Vietnamese Green Firms

This paper aims to advance the understanding and practice of knowledge-based management in Vietnam by studying two Vietnamese agricultural companies. It provides illustrative examples of how knowledge-based management, pursuing a vision that fosters creativity and innovation by employees, could ultimately fulfil the profitability objective of the business and at the same time add value to the community’s quality of life. Using the SECI model as the parameter for analysis, we found that knowledge creation processes were affected by a combination of leadership, teamwork and Ba, corporate culture, and human resource management. Our conclusion emphasises the need for future research to further examine the practice of knowledge-based management in cross-industry segments in Vietnam and in other countries with similar conditions

Automatic detection of AutoPEEP during controlled mechanical ventilation.

International audienceABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Dynamic hyperinflation, hereafter called AutoPEEP (auto-positive end expiratory pressure)with some slight language abuse, is a frequent deleterious phenomenon in patients undergoingmechanical ventilation. Although not readily quantifiable, AutoPEEP can be recognized onthe expiratory portion of the flow waveform. If expiratory flow does not return to zero beforethe next inspiration, AutoPEEP is present. This simple detection however requires the eye ofan expert clinician at the patient's bedside. An automatic detection of AutoPEEP should behelpful to optimize care. METHODS: In this paper, a platform for automatic detection of AutoPEEP based on the flow signalavailable on most of recent mechanical ventilators is introduced. The detection algorithms aredeveloped on the basis of robust non-parametric hypothesis testings that require no priorinformation on the signal distribution. In particular, two detectors are proposed: one is basedon SNT (Signal Norm Testing) and the other is an extension of SNT in the sequentialframework. The performance assessment was carried out on a respiratory system analog andex-vivo on various retrospectively acquired patient curves. RESULTS: The experiment results have shown that the proposed algorithm provides relevant AutoPEEPdetection on both simulated and real data. The analysis of clinical data has shown that theproposed detectors can be used to automatically detect AutoPEEP with an accuracy of 93%and a recall (sensitivity) of 90%. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed platform provides an automatic early detection of AutoPEEP. Such functionalitycan be integrated in the currently used mechanical ventilator for continuous monitoring of thepatient-ventilator interface and, therefore, alleviate the clinician task

Stochastic control for optimal power flow in islanded microgrid

The problem of optimal power flow (OPF) in an islanded mircrogrid (MG) for hybrid power system is described. Clearly, it deals with a formulation of an analytical control model for OPF. The MG consists of wind turbine generator, photovoltaic generator, and diesel engine generator (DEG), and is in stochastic environment such as load change, wind power fluctuation, and sun irradiation power disturbance. In fact, the DEG fails and is repaired at random times so that the MG can significantly influence the power flow, and the power flow control faces the main difficulty that how to maintain the balance of power flow? The solution is that a DEG needs to be scheduled. The objective of the control problem is to find the DEG output power by minimizing the total cost of energy. Adopting the Rishel’s famework and using the Bellman principle, the optimality conditions obtained satisfy the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation. Finally, numerical examples and sensitivity analyses are included to illustrate the importance and effectiveness of the proposed model

The maximum power point tracking based-control system for small-scale wind turbine using fuzzy logic

This paper presents the research on small-scale wind turbine systems based on the Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithm. Then propose a new structure of a small-scale wind turbine system to simplify the structure of the system, making the system highly practical. This paper also presented an MPPT-Fuzzy controller design and proposed a control system using the wind speed sensor for small-scale wind turbines. Systems are simulated using Matlab/Simulink software to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed controller. As a result, the system with the MPPT-Fuzzy controller has much better quality than the traditional control system

A hierarchical architecture for increasing efficiency of large photovoltaic plants under non-homogeneous solar irradiation

Under non-homogeneous solar irradiation, photovoltaic (PV) panels receive different solar irradiance, resulting in a decrease in efficiency of the PV generation system. There are a few technical options to fix this issue that goes under the name of mismatch. One of these is the reconfiguration of the PV generation system, namely changing the connections of the PV panels from the initial configuration to the optimal one. Such technique has been widely considered for small systems, due to the excessive number of required switches. In this paper, the authors propose a new method for increasing the efficiency of large PV systems under non-homogeneous solar irradiation using Series-Parallel (SP) topology. In the first part of the paper, the authors propose a method containing two key points: a switching matrix to change the connection of PV panels based on SP topology and the proof that the SP-based reconfiguration method can increase the efficiency of the photovoltaic system up to 50%. In the second part, the authors propose the extension of the method proposed in the first part to improve the efficiency of large solar generation systems by means of a two-levels architecture to minimize the cost of fabrication of the switching matrix

Preparing for the Next Global Threat: A Call for Targeted, Immediate Decisive Action in Southeast Asia to Prevent the Next Pandemic in Africa

Global investments have had great impact on malaria—these are now at risk of being reversed. Cambodia is where drug resistance historically emerges and spreads globally to drive resulting pandemics—we are currently watching history repeat itself. Despite large investments and recent success in driving down overall rates of malaria, high levels of resistance to nearly all antimalarial drugs are now widespread in Cambodia. Malaria cases are again rising in both Cambodia and Vietnam. Nearly incurable malaria in this region is a real and present threat. Critical actions to prevent further spread of the emerging incurable parasites are: (1) Commitment and real sense of urgency through declaration of a “Public Health Emergency of International Concern” or a similar set of directives; (2) Establish leadership with sufficient authority, respect, expertise and operational funding; (3) Engage affected security forces to stop disease transmission and support elimination operations; (4) Utilize surveillance as a core intervention with result-based funding targeting malaria transmission foci with rapid and effective action. Immediate decisive action is needed in Southeast Asia to prevent the next malaria pandemic. This chapter highlights persistent gaps in the region with methods to address them. In 2015–2016, our collaboration with NIMPE pilot tested tools to intervene in actual forest transmission foci. Our study district saw a 96% decrease in malaria from 2014 to 2017, with the entire province seeing the largest decrease in Central Vietnam in this same timeframe. We describe methods to tackle transmission foci, with both an integrated prevention and treatment package. We call on all stakeholders to make changes to current investments to address this critical challenge

Efficient Generation of Coherent Stokes Field in Hydrogen Gas-Filled Hollow Core Photonic Crystal Fibres

In this paper, we study of the coherent Stokes generation in a transient Raman regime by Hydrogen gas-filled hollow-core photonic crystal fibres (HC-PCFs) configuration. The temporal and spatial evolution of the pump and Stokes field envelopes as well as the coherence and population inversion is numerically observed. The influence of the pump pulse width and gas pressure on the energy exchange along fiber and Stokes generation efficiency is investigated

Nucleotide variation at the methionine synthase locus in an endangered tree species, Fokienia hodginsii (Cupressaceae) in Vietnam

Nucleotide variation at the methionine synthase (MetE) locus within and among populations of an endangered forest tree Fokienia hodginsii in Vietnam was investigated in the present study. A total of 12 populations were sampled across Vietnam. The length of the sequenced locus varied from 1567 to 1559 bp. A total of 42 polymorphic sites were detected among samples. Overall, nucleotide diversity was estimated to be 0.00499 and 0.00692 at the total (ðtot) and silent sites (ðsilent) in the pool, respectively. Nucleotide diversity within populations varied from 0.00300 to 0.00521 at the total and 0.00357 to 0.00666 at silent sites. The estimates of nucleotide diversity were lower in the 4 populations located in central and southern Vietnam (0.00300 to 0.00380) in comparison with the northern populations (ranging from 0.00399 to 0.00543). Overall estimates of genetic differentiation among 12 populations were low (FST = 0.093 and KST* = 0.078), even though both values were highly significant (P < 0.001). Pairwise analysis among 12 populations showed significant genetic differentiation as evaluated by FST and Snn but not significant as evaluated by KST*. Analysis of genetic clustering using BAPS provided the best support for all 144 sequences belonging to the same genetic cluster. The implication of the results revealed in this study in the genetic conservation of F. hodginsii was discussed.Key words: Population genetics, conservation, forest, methionine synthase (MetE), structure

STUDY ON REMOVING COLOR IN THE EXTRACT SOLUTION FROM VEGETABLES FOR ANALYZING ORGANOCHLORIDE PESTICIDES RESIDUE IN HANOI MARKETS

Joint Research on Environmental Science and Technology for the Eart