Volume 26 Issue 5 2026

This paper presents the design and experimental comparison of a magnetically levitated vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). The proposed system utilizes permanent magnets to reduce friction between rotating components. A prototype model was constructed and tested under controlled airflow conditions. Comparative analysis was performed with and without magnetic levitation to evaluate differences in electrical output and rotational performance. Experimental results indicate that the magnetically levitated configuration generates approximately 2.8 V, while the conventional configuration produces around 1 V under similar conditions. The study demonstrates that magnetic levitation can significantly improve the performance of small-scale wind energy systems by reducing frictional losses.

We measured the free and plasma concentrations of total Mycophenolic acid (MPA) after single and multiple oral doses of Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) in 24 glomerular disease patients with different renal function. Clinical characteristics and genetic polymorphisms of UGTs, MRP2, MDR1 and OATP8 were further investigated. After a single oral dose, those patients carrying the MDR1 3435CC allele had a 40.81% higher mean AUC0-24 of total MPA compared to MDR1 3435T carriers, and the difference was more significant in patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60mL/min/1.73m2. After repeat doses, MDR1 C3435T genotype in coordination with the MRP2C-24T allele elevated the total MPA level, and serum albumin level were positively correlated with free MPA exposure. Furthermore, there were strong negative correlations between eGFR and AUC6–12/AUC0–12 for both free and total MPA. In conclusion, these factors should be evaluated to keep drug safety and guide proper therapy of MMF in patient with glomerular diseases.

Millet and guineacorn husks were pretreated with 3 %, 4 % and 5 % hydrochloric acid concentrations at 30 oC, 40 oC and 50 oC for 20, 25 and 30 minutes prior to bioethanol production over a seven day period using Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zymomonas mobilis and the combination of the two organisms as the fermentative organisms. High reducing sugar yields (4.6 %) were obtained from millet husk hydrolysates at all the temperature regimes used (30 oC, 40 oC and 50 oC), most importantly at 4 % acid concentration. Also, the result revealed that the combination of S. cerevisiae and Z. mobilis produced a yield of 0.44 % after the seventh day period of fermentation from guineacorn husk. This indicated that dilute acid pretreatment could be a suitable option for freeing fermentable sugars from lignocellulosic wastes.

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of aqueous extract of sun-dried neem (Azadirachta indica ) leaves on the wheat and wheat weeds (Phalaris minor and Avena fatua). The effect of aqueous leaf extract of neem on the germination of wheat and wheat weeds were not significant while it had the significant effect on shoot and root growth of wild oat seedlings, fresh weight of root/ shoot growth of Dumbi sitti seedlings. The root and shoot growth of wheat seedlings showed significant results. Nonsignificant effect on the root, shoot length and dry weight of wheat weeds at different concentrations (0%,25% 50%,75% and 100%) of aqueous extracts of sun dried neem leaves.

This study employs a combined solution approach-Explicit for DD (DD) and Static/General for springback recovery-within finite element simulations to form six square cups from SUS304 stainless steel sheets using Abaqus/CAE. The research simultaneously addresses three critical issues: material thinning, residual stress, and springback along the forming depth. Thinning was analyzed through Abaqus/Explicit, while die release, residual stress, and springback were evaluated using Abaqus/Static/General to ensure accuracy in elastic recovery. Results at forming depths of HOZ = 4075 mm indicate that maximum thinning occurs at the cup corners and increases with depth; residual stress is unevenly distributed, with tensile stress concentrated at corners, compressive stress at the bottom, and mixed stress along walls and rims; springback alters cup geometry after die release. Greater forming depths intensify plastic deformation, particularly at square corners due to biaxial stretching and friction. A safe forming threshold (HOZ ≤ 55 mm) was identified, where thinning remains below 20% of sheet thickness and residual stress and springback are within acceptable tolerances. The findings provide a quantitative dataset for predicting crack initiation and geometric deviation, offering practical guidance in selecting forming depth and optimizing die design or intermediate drawing steps. This work is directly applicable to the manufacturing of SUS304 square cup/box components in kitchenware, electronic casings, and automotive parts requiring high strength and corrosion resistance.

This paper presents the design, development, and simulation-based evaluation of an electrically actuated knee-assist exoskeleton aimed at supporting lower-limb movement, especially in rehabilitation settings. The motivation for this project came from observing how existing exoskeleton designs often struggle with issues like actuator inefficiency, structural instability, and poor synchronization with natural human gait — problems that make these devices hard to actually use in practice. To tackle these challenges, we took a comprehensive approach that combined mechanical design, actuation strategy, and basic control considerations into one coherent framework. The system we designed uses electrically driven actuation paired with biomechanically aligned structural components to ensure efficient torque delivery and reasonable user comfort. We used kinematic modeling to understand joint motion relationships, and simulation-based structural analysis to check how the design holds up under different loading conditions. Our results show that the exoskeleton stays well within the elastic deformation range — peak strains were on the order of 10⁻³ and maximum displacements were between roughly 1.15 mm and 1.21 mm, which confirms adequate structural stiffness. That said, we did find stress concentrations at the knee joint and motor interface, with Von Mises stress values hitting around 400–409 MPa, which points to areas where reinforcement would be a good idea. Overall, this work contributes a design framework that balances mechanical robustness, some degree of control precision, and user-centered thinking. It also gives some useful pointers for improving assistive device performance in rehabilitation contexts. We acknowledge that our study has real limitations — mainly that we only did static simulations and didn't carry out extensive clinical validation — so future work should definitely incorporate dynamic gait analysis and actual human trials.

The study presents a comprehensive investigation into the experimental and numerical assessment of geopolymer concrete (GPC) formulated with fly ash class F and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBS). This research encompasses three distinct mixtures: conventional concrete (CC), GPC-1A (comprising 70% fly ash and 30% GGBS), and GPC-1B (comprising 60% fly ash and 40% GGBS). The evaluation of these mixtures is conducted through an analysis of their fresh properties, mechanical characteristics, and durability, alongside an examination of their flexural behaviour. This is achieved through various tests, including slump tests, compressive strength assessments, flexural strength evaluations, modulus of elasticity measurements, water absorption tests, and resistance tests against acid and sulphate, as well as reinforced concrete (RC) beam testing. The GPC mixtures demonstrated a workability range of 70-to-72mm. Notably, the compressive strength exhibited a marked enhancement, with GPC-1A achieving 43.55 MPa and GPC-1B reaching 45.62 MPa, representing increases of approximately 46% and 53% over the CC, which recorded a strength of 29.85 MPa. Furthermore, both the flexural strength and modulus of elasticity indicated improved stiffness and enhanced load-bearing capacity. In terms of durability, the mixtures displayed reduced water absorption and superior resistance to acid and sulphate ingress, attributed to the dense matrix structure. In conclusion, the GPC mixtures based on fly ash and GGBS demonstrated exceptional performance, establishing them as a viable and sustainable alternative to traditional concrete.

The transition of additive manufacturing from prototyping to continuous production is hindered by inherent geometric constraints and operational inefficiencies in conventional Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) systems. This research proposes a novel design of a continuous belt-type 3D printer featuring a fixed 90° print head configuration, enabling theoretically infinite build length and automated part ejection. Unlike traditional systems, the proposed architecture integrates a conveyor-driven build surface with synchronized kinematic transformation, eliminating volumetric limitations and minimizing human intervention. The study focuses on detailed mechanical design, kinematic modeling, belt dynamics, thermal management, and control system architecture. Analytical models are developed to evaluate force distribution, belt tension, motor torque requirements, and thermal energy balance. The presented design establishes a scalable and autonomous manufacturing framework suitable for industrial applications such as long structural components, mass customization, and distributed production systems.