A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) controller optimizes power harvesting in photovoltaic (PV) systems under varying conditions. The perturb and observation (P&O) algorithm is commonly used for MPP tracking, but suffers from slow response, loss of tracking direction, and entrapment. The current research proposes a neural network (NN) integrated with the P&O algorithm to enhance tracking performance during sudden variations in solar irradiance. The proposed neural network updates the duty cycle change when detecting sudden changes. It effectively estimates the duty cycle change even when trained with a small dataset. The integration between the NN and P&O significantly improves tracking performance compared with the conventional P&O algorithm, especially under sudden irradiance changes.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in bacteria is a critical global health threat, yet the impact of environmental stressors such as aerosolization on resistance remains unclear. We previously showed that aerosolization can induce antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli MG1655, a gram-negative pathogen simulant. Here, we investigated Bacillus globigii, a surrogate for the gram-positive pathogen Bacillus anthracis, to assess how aerosolization affects bacterial survival and antibiotic resistance. B. globigii vegetative cells and spores were aerosolized under varying conditions and durations (5, 10, 15, 30, and 45 min) into a sterile, airtight chamber and collected using the wetted wall cyclone (WWC) system. Samples were analyzed via antibiotic susceptibility testing, culture-based assay, and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Vegetative cells exhibited the lowest culturability after 5 and 30 min aerosolization, while spores showed reduced culturability at 15–45 min. Both vegetative cells and spores displayed lowest antibiotic susceptibility profiles after 15 min of aerosolization. Our findings suggest that aerosolization duration and bacterial state (vegetative vs. spores) can influence bacterial survival and development of antibiotic resistance. Understanding these dynamics is essential for designing strategies to mitigate the airborne spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Advanced nuclear reactors use large pool of water inventory with an immersed heat exchanger to remove decay heat especially in the case of Station Black Out (SBO). The isolation condenser (IC) immersed in Gravity Driven Water Pool (GDWP) of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is an example of such systems. Heat rejected by the IC is absorbed in the pool. As a result, water density decreases and moves towards the free surface of pool causing layers of hot water piling up over colder one giving rise to stratified water inventory. consequently, the pool at the free surface starts boiling before the grace period (7 days). In the present paper, thermal stratification has been modeled in a power to volume scaled experimental setup. The study is focused on investigating the effect of heater orientation on suppression of thermal stratification in the pool for both the cases of with and without shrouds around heat exchanger.

Advanced nuclear reactors use a large pool of water inventory with an immersed heat exchanger to remove decay heat especially in the case of Station Black Out (SBO). The isolation condenser (IC) immersed in Gravity Driven Water Pool (GDWP) of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is an example of such systems. Heat rejected by the IC is absorbed in the pool. As a result water density