Sharif Digital Repository

This study presents a rapid method for detecting and authenticating intact saffron stigma through its packaging using visible-short wavelength near-infrared (Vis-SWNIR) hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in conjunction with chemometrics. A dataset containing 38 authentic saffron samples was utilized, and HSI images were captured within the spectral range of 400–950 nm. Multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) was used to obtain pure spatial and spectral profiles of the components. The resolved spatial profiles were then subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) to identify potential patterns in the authentic samples. Binary mixtures of pooled saffron samples and... 

Graphene oxide-polyvinylidene composite membranes were fabricated via the phase inversion technique. Then, GO-PVDF membrane with highest water flux was achieved via surface modification with 2-D MXene and 2-D MXene /protonated 2-D g-C₃N₄ nanosheets hybrid via vacuum filtration of an aqueous dispersion of MXene and MXene-protonated g-C₃N₄ nanosheets hybrid, respectively, on GO-PVDF membrane support to improve filtration efficiency and antifouling properties. The membranes were designated as MXene/GO-PVDF (M2) and MXene-protonated g-C₃N₄/GO-PVDF(M3). XRD, SEM, and FTIR analysis were used for characterization. The results showed that the performance of both MXene /GO-PVDF and MXene-... 

Smart grids help local distribution companies (LDCs) facilitate the communication between grid operators and residential prosumers. While the prosumers are striving to optimize their daily load profile by home energy management systems (HEMSs) deployment, the LDCs attempt to enhance the operation of the grid in an efficient way and decrease network losses. This paper attempts to develop a new bi-level probabilistic optimization framework wherein an HEMS optimizes its respective daily load profile, and determines its flexibility provision, which is communicated to an LDC. In the proposed framework, a decentralized approach is used to achieve the flexibility product, which is the modulation of... 

Curcumin (CUR) is among the most appropriate and natural-based anticancer drugs that can be applied effectively treat different classes of cancers. However, CUR suffers from a low half-life and stability in the body, which has restricted the efficacy of its delivery applications. This study is dedicated to introducing the pH-sensitive nanocomposite of chitosan (CS)/gelatin (GE)/carbon quantum dots (CQDs) as an applicable nanocarrier for enhancing CUR half-life and its delivery restrictions. The CS/GE hydrogel was synthesized by the physical crosslinking method, which improves the biocompatibility of this hydrogel. Moreover, the water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion approach is... 

With the high penetration of Renewable Energy Resources (RERs) into power systems, distribution systems are facing various challenges due to their intermittency and uncertainty. One of the ways to cope with uncertainty and variability of the RERs is utilizing flexibility by market tools to enable active system management. Local Flexibility Markets (LFMs) provide opportunities to trade flexibility among distribution system operators and other participants (e.g., aggregators) in an economically efficient way. This research proposes an interactive framework for prosumers by a market-based platform to utilize and trade flexibility. The suggested framework comprises a novel flexibility allocation... 

With the current focus on energy and the environment, efficient integration of renewable energies, especially solar energy into power systems, is becoming indispensable. Moreover, to fully capture solar potentials and to recognize the unique characteristics associated with solar energy in power systems reliability assessment, a profound investigation is needed. Accordingly, this paper attempts to establish a comprehensive analytical approach for modeling the reliability of a hybrid system (Photovoltaic (PV) system with Energy Storage System (ESS)). To this end, the output of the PV system is modeled by a multi-state model, and the ESS system is modeled as a two-state Markov model. Moreover,... 

Modification of photocatalysts to improve their adsorption and photocatalytic activity in the oxidative desulfurization of liquid fuels has been reported by many investigators. In this study, Pt-decorated carbon-doped TiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized by hydrothermal and photo-deposition techniques and were subsequently used in photocatalytic oxidative desulfurization of dibenzothiophene (DBT) in n-heptane as a simulated liquid fuel with methanol as the extracting solvent. Carbon-doped TiO2 was first synthesized by a simple self-doping method. Pt was then loaded by a photo-deposition technique. The synthesized photocatalysts (labeled as YPt-CT where Y is percent Pt loading) were... 

Learning a foreign language encompasses a process of trial and error that can lead to the progression of the learner's interlanguage, meaning that the learners make use of their language knowledge that receives feedback and brings about progress through diagnosis of the problems and being corrected by the teacher. Therefore, there exists a need to analyze the underlying reasons causing the students to remain taciturn with a low willingness to communicate (WTC) during a language class. There has been much work done investigating the role of the learner's stable personal characteristics (traits) along with their situational changes at a specific time (states) that influence the student's... 

Accurate system identification (SI) is essential for flight controller design of unmanned aerial vehicles and microaerial vehicles (MAVs). SI can be performed either in frequency or time domain using flight test data. As flight testing is often costly and may even lead to catastrophic events before some flight stability analysis is at hand, a low-cost 5 degree-of-freedom free motion platform (FMP) is designed and used for initial identification of MAVs via wind tunnel testing. A typical MAV is constructed as a test case and equipped with inertial sensors for testing and validation purposes. The proposed FMP allows for both rotational as well as translational motions that in turn provide for... 

Using 3-D scanned data to analyze and extract pore network plays a vital role in investigation of porous media's characteristics. In this paper, a new simple method is developed to detect pores and throats for analyzing the connectivity and permeability of the network. This automated method utilizes some of the common and well-known image processing functions which are widely accessible by researchers and this has led to an easy algorithm implementation. In this method, after polishing and quality control of images, using city-block distance function and watershed segmentation algorithm, pores and throats are detected and 3-D network is produced. This method can also be applied on 2-D images... 

In this paper, we try to recognize and distinguish different groups of arrhythmia using novel features which have been obtained from the heart rate's phase space in recent years. For this purpose, we used Triangular Phase Space Mapping (TPSM) and Parabolic Phase Space Mapping (PPSM). For recognition, we used three groups of 15 subjects using the Physionet database (Arrhythmia, Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), and Atrial Fibrillation (AF)) with Normal Sinus Rhythm (NSR). The obtained features discriminate arrhythmia from NSR by p