The article examines the portrayal of a woman of colour in the novel The Subterraneans (1958), and the portrayal of a Native American woman in the novel Tristessa (1960). The two works are ...representative examples within the opus of the American writer Jack Kerouac (1922–1969), and offer suitable starting points for the reinterpretation of his attitude towards women and non-white ethnicities. The novels reveal the ethnocentric, even colonizing attitude of the dominating male narrator in relation to the dominated and subjugated social groups. Although the treated works are considered Kerouac’s “female-centred novels” (Phelan Lyke 1991, v), this syntagm is problematized here by showing that the male narrator remains the true protagonist, focused essentially on his own perceptions of the non-white romantic subject, whereas the two female characters are (mere) objects for the protagonists’ self-discovery, life experience and psychological projection. In this sense, Kerouac’s consistent presentation of women as representatives of an identity of the exotic/Other reveals his nested gender and racial prejudice.
Shared Manufacturing is a new mode of social manufacturing based on the principles of a sharing economy. This paper presents a scalable framework for blockchain-based Shared Manufacturing that ...preserves the transparency and immutability characteristics of transaction records, which is critical to building trust between entities in blockchain-based systems. We define a blockchain-based protocol for the service execution according to the design principles of the sharing economy. We present a scalable integration of blockchain technology into the concept of Shared Manufacturing by employing cross-chain solutions. We discuss existing cross chain technologies regarding the requirements of Shared Manufacturing and propose hybrid approach. We compare implementations of the proposed framework on two different blockchain networks: Ethereum public network and Xdai sidechain network. We conduct user-oriented test to explore the performance (cost and time) of the implementations in realistic situations in order to justify the use of the sidechain technology. Results indicate that the implementation on the sidechains provides greater scalability than the implementation on the public blockchain network.
•Shared Manufacturing opens up manufacturing to unused local resources•Blockchain technology enables trusted environment between entities•Using cross-chain technology increases scalability of the blockchain-based Shared Manufacturing.
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Blockchain-based Shared Additive Manufacturing Lupi, Francesco; Cimino, Mario G.C.A.; Berlec, Tomaž ...
Computers & industrial engineering,
September 2023, 2023-09-00, Volume:
183
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
•Resource pooling increases utilization in presence of unexpected circumstances.•Ontology of the problem domain for protocol developed in process language.•Smart contracts and blockchain technology ...enable advanced manufacturing.•Increased resilience of shared manufacturing system is proven by simulation.•Python code developed for simulation publicly available.
Today, globalized markets require more resilient and agile manufacturing systems, as well as customized and virtualized features. Classical self-standing manufacturing systems are evolving into collaborative networks such as Cloud Manufacturing (based on centralized knowledge and distributed resources) or Shared Manufacturing (based on fully decentralized knowledge and distributed resources) as a solution to ensure business continuity under normal as well as special circumstances. Additive Manufacturing (AM), one of the enablers of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), is a promising technology for innovative production models due to its inherent distributed capabilities, digital nature, and product customization ability. To increase the adaptivity of distributed resources using AM technology, this paper proposes a mechanism for sharing workload and resources under unexpected behaviours in the supply chain. Smart contracts and blockchain technology in this concept are used to provide decentralized, transparent, and trusted operation of such systems, which provide more resilience to disruptive factors. In this paper, the proposed Blockchain-based Shared Additive Manufacturing (BBSAM) protocol, ontology, and workflow for AM capacity pooling are discussed and analysed under special conditions such as anomalous demand. Discrete-time Python simulation on a real Italian AM market dataset, also provided, is available on GitHub.
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This paper presents an approach to integrating Blockchain and IoT technologies into modern supply chains. We propose the concept of a new logistics platform that is built as a distributed network of ...nodes and offers an alternative approach dealing with the complexity of modern supply chains by breaking them into smaller, functionally independent parts. The modular structure of the platform allows users to add their own nodes or extend the functionality of the existing ones. Nodes are communicating with the use of IoT technology, which serves as a bridge between the virtual and real worlds, making this platform truly digital. Blockchain technology is not only used for writing down agreements and for making transactions, but also as a trustworthy public listing of services and information. It connects the nodes into a public and secure system that provides reliable services of a supply chain. In this work, we describe the individual nodes and their implementation and present preliminary results of experiments using a laboratory model of a logistic chain.
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Researchers in the field of smart manufacturing have recognized the benefits of blockchain technology, which solves the trust problem in the open network without relying on any trusted third party. ...Blockchain technology enables interaction between otherwise competing manufacturing entities to satisfy increasing customer demands in a trustful way. However, existing blockchain networks are facing limitations, which are defined by the trade-off between scalability, decentralization, and security. The scalability of the blockchain network is defined as the ability of the network to support an increasing load of transactions and it is lower compared to the non-blockchain systems. In order to omit the effects of the limitations, scalability solutions are being presented. This research reviews the literature in the field of blockchain-supported manufacturing concerning scalability solutions. The selected literature has been reviewed and classified according to the type of scalability solution. For each type of scalability solution, the main features of the concepts and connection between blockchain technology and manufacturing system are highlighted and discussed. The main findings of the study are that Layer 1 scalability solutions are better represented in the literature and are predominating in the case of general smart manufacturing systems, whereas Layer 2 scalability solutions are better represented in the case of specific smart manufacturing systems. Based on insights obtained from the presented analysis, future directions and open issues regarding the scalability limitations and solutions in blockchain-supported manufacturing are presented.
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This study investigates the effects of blockchain technology scalability limitations on the performance of Blockchain-Based Shared Manufacturing (BBSM), an innovative smart-manufacturing paradigm ...aimed at enhancing the utilization of global manufacturing resources via peer-to-peer (P2P) collaboration of self-organized manufacturing assets. Despite the prevalence of research highlighting blockchain technology’s scalability limitations as the main barrier for adoption, few studies have explored their effects on the operation of blockchain-based systems. The primary goal of the presented research work is to explore the implications of blockchain technology scalability limitations on the BBSM system’s performance and user behavior. To obtain realistic behavior, an experiment is conducted using an online game played by human participants. Analysis of the players’ strategy is used for implementation of a multi-agent simulation model, which is then employed to assess the influence of varying blockchain network configurations on the BBSM concept’s performance. Preliminary experimental findings reveal that a congested blockchain network leads to increased transaction costs and reduced service prices, consequently devaluing the manufacturing role in the BBSM system and causing underutilization of existing maximum production capacities. Moreover, allocating funds to financial activities rather than manufacturing activities yields superior outcomes for system users. Simulation results indicate that the BBSM system’s response to alterations in blockchain network throughput is contingent upon the production function. The findings of this study reveal that the scalability limitations of blockchain technology impair the performance of the BBSM system and affect user behavior in the system, underscoring the necessity for future research to concentrate on incorporating scalable solutions within blockchain-based manufacturing systems.
In order to expand the use of titania indoor as well as to increase its overall performance, narrowing the band gap is one of the possibilities to achieve this. Modifying with rare earths (REs) has ...been relatively unexplored, especially the modification of rutile with rare earth cations. The aim of this study was to find the influence of the modification of TiO₂ with rare earths on its structural, optical, morphological, and photocatalytic properties. Titania was synthesized using TiOSO₄ as the source of titanium via hydrothermal synthesis procedure at low temperature (200 °C) and modified with selected rare earth elements, namely, Ce, La, and Gd. Structural properties of samples were determined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and the phase ratio was calculated using the Rietveld method. Optical properties were analyzed by ultraviolet and visible light (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) was used to determine the morphological properties of samples and to estimate the size of primary crystals. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to determine the chemical bonding properties of samples. Photocatalytic activity of the prepared photocatalysts as well as the titania available on the market (P25) was measured in three different setups, assessing volatile organic compound (VOC) degradation, NO
abatement, and water purification. It was found out that modification with rare earth elements slows down the transformation of anatase and brookite to rutile. Whereas the unmodified sample was composed of only rutile, La- and Gd-modified samples contained anatase and rutile, and Ce-modified samples consisted of anatase, brookite, and rutile. Modification with rare earth metals has turned out to be detrimental to photocatalytic activity. In all cases, pure TiO₂ outperformed the modified samples. Cerium-modified TiO₂ was the least active sample, despite having a light absorption tail up to 585 nm wavelength. La- and Gd-modified samples did not show a significant shift in light absorption when compared to the pure TiO₂ sample. The reason for the lower activity of modified samples was attributed to a greater Ti
/Ti
ratio and a large amount of hydroxyl oxygen found in pure TiO₂. All the modified samples had a smaller Ti
/Ti
ratio and less hydroxyl oxygen.
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The influence of the reaction conditions during the transformation of hydrogen titanate nanoribbons to TiO2 nanoribbons on the phase composition, the morphology, the appearance of the nanoribbon ...surfaces and their optical properties was investigated. The transformations were performed (i) through a heat treatment in oxidative and reductive atmospheres in the temperature range of 400-650 °C, (ii) through a hydrothermal treatment in neutral and basic environments at 160 °C, and (iii) through a microwave-assisted hydrothermal treatment in a neutral environment at 200 °C. Scanning electron microscopy investigations showed that the hydrothermal processing significantly affected the nanoribbon surfaces, which became rougher, while the transformations based on calcination in either oxidative or reductive atmospheres had no effect on the morphology or on the surface appearance of the nanoribbons. The transformations performed in the reductive atmosphere, an NH3(g)/Ar(g) flow, and in the ammonia solution led to nitrogen doping. The nitrogen content increased with an increasing calcination temperature, as was determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. According to electron paramagnetic resonance measurements the calcination in the reductive atmosphere also resulted in a partial reduction of Ti(4+) to Ti(3+). The photocatalytic performance of the derived TiO2 NRs was estimated on the basis of the photocatalytic oxidation of isopropanol. After calcinating in air, the photocatalytic performance of the investigated TiO2 NRs increased with an increased content of anatase. In contrast, the photocatalytic performance of the N-doped TiO2 NRs showed no dependence on the calcination temperature. An additional comparison showed that the N-doping significantly suppressed the photocatalytic performance of the TiO2 NRs, i.e., by 3 to almost 10 times, in comparison with the TiO2 NRs derived by calcination in air. On the other hand, the photocatalytic performance of the hydrothermally derived TiO2 NRs was additionally improved by a subsequent heat treatment in air.
Unihedge is a decentralized platform for prediction markets with a novel approach. Using Harberger Tax (HTAX) economic policies a new type of prediction market, named HTAX prediction market, was ...build. HTAX prediction market derivates from Dynamic PariMutuel (DPM) type of prediction markets thus offering its users an unlimited liquidity for any preferred time horizon. It tries to solve some problems of DPM by introducing a new incentive mechanism to support early information incorporation and a protection against share readjustment for hedgers. In the paper also implementation of platform on Ethereum Virtual Machine (EVM) is presented with the usage of Decentralized Exchange (DEX) as an price discovery mechanism for prediction market resolutions.
The photocatalytic properties of TiO2 are primarily determined by its crystallinity and crystalline phase ratios. To improve the photocatalytic properties of TiO2, greater control over the formation ...of crystalline and amorphous phases during synthesis is therefore required. In this study, we demonstrate how the addition of minute amounts of three organic compounds (isopropanol, acetone and acetic acid) during hydrothermal treatment affects the amorphous and crystalline phase ratios: the addition of isopropanol or acetone accelerates the phase transition from anatase and brookite to rutile, whereas the addition of acetic acid inhibits the transformation of anatase to rutile, increasing the content of amorphous phase compared to samples where no organic compound was added. We show that the combination of the organic compound added, along with the duration of the hydrothermal treatment, can be used to tailor the phase composition of TiO2, so as to obtain either: i) TiO2 with a high content of both rutile and amorphous phase, ii) TiO2 with a high rutile content and iii) TiO2 with different ratios of all four phases, when the duration of synthesis is short (2–4 h). The materials synthesized exhibited high photocatalytic activity (in most cases higher than P25), which is attributed to the beneficial phase composition and high specific surface area.
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