bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Equivalent Mutants Detection Based on Weighted Software Behavior Graph
Authors: Gong Dan , Wang Tiantian , Su Xiaohong , Zhang Yanhang
Published: May 2022

The equivalent mutants problem is one of the crucial problems in mutation testing. In consequence of its existence, the effectiveness of mutation testing is underestimated. In addition, it will produce a certain amount of useless overhead. Equivalent mutants cannot be detected by any test input. The existing works mostly focus on static analysis to detect, or avoid generating, the equivalent mutants. The essence of these methods is to use prior knowledge to establish some rules of program equivalence. However, (1) it needs a lot of professional labor to sort out the equivalence rules, and (2) only a small part of the rules can be determined in advance, because of the diversity of mutation operators and mutation targets. Consequently, the best result reported so far is 50% of the equivalent mutants can be detected. Since it is generally believed that manual judgment of program equivalence is the most reliable, this paper proposes a novel method to automatically detect equivalent mutants by tracing program behavior like the professionals. The weighted software behavior graph is utilized in the detection of equivalent mutants for the first time. This method can not only figure out different execution paths, but also be sensitive to execution frequency. By comparing the weighted software behavior graphs of an alive mutant and its original program, we are able to examine more precisely whether the alive mutant is the same as the original program, in terms of the state of infection and/or the propagation. Evaluation results on an open dataset of manually evaluated equivalent mutants show that our approach can detect 77.5% of all the equivalent mutants, which is much higher than the existing static methods.
On rings which are sums of subrings and additive subgroups
Authors: Kȩpczyk Marek
Published: May 2022

We prove that if a ring [Formula: see text] is a sum of its Jacobson radical subring [Formula: see text] and additive subgroup [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text], then the ring [Formula: see text] is Jacobson radical, which answers a question asked by Kelarev and McConnell. Using this result we also show that for a semigroup [Formula: see text] the class of Jacobson radical rings is [Formula: see text]-sum closed if and only if [Formula: see text] is locally finite and all subgroups of [Formula: see text] are [Formula: see text]-groups.
Local–global property for G-invariant terms
Authors: Kazda Alexandr , Kompatscher Michael
Published: May 2022

For some Maltsev conditions [Formula: see text] it is enough to check if a finite algebra [Formula: see text] satisfies [Formula: see text] locally on subsets of bounded size in order to decide whether [Formula: see text] satisfies [Formula: see text] (globally). This local–global property is the main known source of tractability results for deciding Maltsev conditions. In this paper, we investigate the local–global property for the existence of a G-term, i.e. an [Formula: see text]-ary term that is invariant under permuting its variables according to a permutation group [Formula: see text]. Our results imply in particular that all cyclic loop conditions (in the sense of Bodirsky, Starke, and Vucaj) have the local–global property (and thus can be decided in polynomial time), while symmetric terms of arity [Formula: see text] fail to have it.
Some computational aspects in the work of Patrick Dehornoy
Authors: González-Meneses Juan
Published: May 2022

In addition to his extraordinary theoretical contributions, the computational aspects were a very important part of Patrick Dehornoy’s work. He developed algorithms and cared about their efficiency and their applications, at the same time as he was discovering the structure of the objects he was studying. In this note, I just recall some examples of this computational side of his research, that had a deep influence on me and many other researchers.
Systematic study of two-proton radioactivity half-lives using two-potential approach with different Skyrme interactions
Authors: Pan Xiao , Zou You-Tian , He Biao , Li Xiao-Hua , Wu Xi-Jun , Zhang Zhen
Published: May 2022

In this work, based on the two-potential approach, we systematically study the true two-proton([Formula: see text]) radioactivity ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], where the [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are the released energies corresponding to the two-proton and one-proton radioactivity) half-lives of nuclei near or beyond the proton drip line while the nuclear potential is obtained by using Skyrme energy density functional theory. The influence of 115 different versions of the Skyrme interactions on 2p radioactivity half-lives was systematically compared. The calculated results indicate that Skz4 Skyrme interaction gives the lowest r.m.s. deviation between the experimental half-lives and calculated ones. Moreover, we extend this model with Skz4 Skyrme interaction to predict the half-lives of 42 possible 2p radioactivity candidates whose 2p radioactivity is energetically allowed or observed but not yet quantified in NUBASE2020.The predicted results are in agreement with those obtained by using the generalized liquid drop model, the unified fission model and Gamow-like model.
Characteristics of secondary particles associated with the leading protons in n12C and p12C collisions at 3.37GeV incident energy
Authors: Olimov Kosim , Gulamov Kadyr G. , Lugovoi Vladimir V. , Lutpullaev Sagdulla L. , Bekmirzaev Rakhmatulla N. , Olimov Alisher K. , Jonzakov Azizjon A. , Olimov Khusniddin K.
Published: May 2022

The new experimental data on characteristics of the secondary particles associated with the leading protons in inelastic interactions of projectile neutrons and protons with target carbon nuclei at incident momentum 4.2[Formula: see text]GeV/c (corresponds to incident kinetic energy 3.37[Formula: see text]GeV) have been presented. The dependencies of the average multiplicities of the charged pions and accompanying protons on longitudinal as well as transverse momenta of the leading protons in [Formula: see text]C and [Formula: see text]C collisions at 4.2[Formula: see text]GeV/c have been investigated. The experimental dependencies have been compared systematically with the Monte Carlo calculations using the modified FRITIOF model. On the whole, the kinematical characteristics of the leading protons in [Formula: see text]C and [Formula: see text]C collisions have proved to be practically the same, even though they are formed as a result of different processes. From a systematic comparison of the experimental data with the model calculations, we could conclude that for a realistic description of the studied experimental dependencies it is probably necessary to take into account the interaction of strings for the case when fragmentation of strings occurs not outside of the nucleus (as it is assumed in the model), but inside and, possibly, on the boundary of the nucleus in the modified FRITIOF model.
BANDGAP ENGINEERING OF PbO/PbTiO3 FOR FERROELECTRIC PHOTOVOLTAICS BY INTERFACE EFFECT
Authors: WEI LIJING , WANG YINGLONG , GUAN LI , GUO JIANXIN
Published: May 2022

It is critical to reduce the bandgap of a ferroelectric photovoltaic (FE-PV) material in order to get the optimal effect of FE-PV. The interface effect of PbO/PbTiO3 (P/PT) is used in this work to lower the bandgap of PbTiO3 via the addition of PbO. The bandgaps of (P/PT)down and [Formula: see text], which are two types of polarization structures, fall from 2.63 eV of pure PbTiO3 to 2.07 eV and 2.08 eV, respectively. Densities of states are calculated for pure PbO, pure PbTiO3, and P/PT to determine the reason of the bandgap drop. The results indicate that the PbO component of P/PT is critical for both the conduction band minimum (CBM) and valence band maximum (VBM) states. Calculations of the absorption coefficient indicate that P/PT absorbs more light over a wider range of wavelengths in the visible-light region than PbTiO3.
LASER CLADDING OF COLMONOY 6 PARTICLES ON INCONEL 625 SUBSTRATE: MICROSTRUCTURE AND CORROSION RESISTANCE
Authors: JEYAPRAKASH N. , YANG CHE-HUA , KARUPPASAMY SUNDARA SUBRAMANIAN
Published: May 2022

Inconel 625 (IN 625) is a widely recognized nickel-based superalloy due to its high tensile strength, better fabricability, capability to prevent crack formation, acceptable corrosion resistance, etc. However, during the long-term usage, the formed oxide layers are converted into dichromates which reduce the anti-corrosion behavior. This study attempts to improve the anti-corrosion characteristics of IN 625 by cladding it with Colmonoy 6 particles. Further, the corroded morphology, microstructure, hardness and roughness were analyzed. Results showed that the cladded specimens are rich in dendritic and interdendritic areas. These areas are reported to contain rich carbides and borides of Cr that are formed after cladding. These precipitates paved the way for improving the hardness of the Colmonoy-6-cladded layer (7.54 GPa) when compared with the base material (4.49 GPa). A strong and continuous passive film was reported on the cladded samples during the corrosion test which protects the cladded layer. Further, EIS study also reported that the Colmonoy-6-cladded specimens experience higher polarization resistance values due to the stable passive film and lower [Formula: see text] values from the surface roughness measurements. Among the base and cladded samples, the 27-h cladded sample provides better corrosion resistance with greater [Formula: see text] (142,940). In addition, this sample has the minimum roughness ([Formula: see text]m) value than the other samples.
FULL-ENDOSCOPIC TRANSFORAMINAL DECOMPRESSION TO TREAT A HIGH-RISK PATIENT WITH LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS AND DEGENERATIVE SPONDYLOLISTHESIS: A CASE REPORT AND LITERATURE REVIEW
Authors: Huang Pin-Yang , Wu Meng-Huang , Huang Tsung-Jen , Lee Ching-Yu
Published: May 2022

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) is prevalent in the aging population while they often have multiple comorbidities which are related to the higher risk for general anesthesia. Full-endoscopic transforaminal decompression (FETD) has been utilized under local anesthesia to remove herniated intervertebral disc, resect hypertrophic ligament and enlarged bone spur in order to decompress the affected neural structure without compromising the stability. In this study, we would present that a 71-year-old male patient, who had multiple comorbidities, underwent FETD to treat LSS with DS. We also conducted literature review to illustrate the feasibility of FETD in the treatment of LSS with DS. Reviewing 80 patients with LSS and DS in the four case-series studies, there was no difference in vertebral slippage percentage before and after operation. The overall complication rate was 3.75%, including three patients who had small dural tears which did not develop neurological sequelae during the follow-up period and did not require surgical or medical intervention. Four patients (5%) underwent reoperation due to recurrent or persistent sciatica symptoms. In conclusion, FETD can not only provide complete decompression but also maintain the original stability in treatment of LSS with DS. FETD can be an effective and safe approach to treat lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis and can be an alternative for patients with multiple comorbidities or high risks for general anesthesia.
LATEST ADVANCES IN MINIMALLY INVASIVE SPINE SURGERY FOR TREATMENT OF INFECTIOUS SPONDYLITIS
Authors: Chao Hsien , Tsai Tsung-Ting , Yeh Yu-Cheng , Chiu Ping-Yeh , Kao Fu-Cheng , Hsieh Ming-Kei , Lai Po-Liang , Fu Tsai-Sheng , Niu Chi-Chien
Published: May 2022

Nowadays, minimal invasive surgery (MIS) plays an important role in the treatment of infectious spondylitis. This paper reviews the current options in MIS techniques and discusses the surgical outcomes from a series of cases at our department. Demographic characteristics and pre-operative clinical status of 21 patients with MIS for multilevel infectious spondylitis were analyzed; also, pre- and post-operative X-rays were assessed for surgical correction angles and fusion status. The results indicated that percutaneous endoscopic debridement (PEDD) and drainage has the advantages of less blood loss and shorter recovery time. Overall, percutaneous screw system can preserve paravertebral soft tissue, reduce post-operative pain, and foster early post-operative mobilization. Robot-assisted percutaneous screw placement is more accurate than using free-hand. Cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screw requires less surgical exposure while preserving adequate strength. Endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-LIF) is an alternative fusion technique to treat spondylitis because it offers better functional prognosis than minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) in the treatment of degenerative lumbar diseases. All the enrolled patients via MIS-TLIF obtained good surgical outcomes. Various minimally invasive techniques have been evolved and modified, so it is important for spine surgeon to keep up to date with advanced orthopedic knowledge and surgical techniques.
NATIONWIDE SURVEY ON INCIDENTAL DURAL TEARS DURING ENDOSCOPIC SPINE SURGERY IN JAPAN
Authors: Dezawa Akira , Sairyo Kouichi , Nakamura Hiroaki
Published: May 2022

Purpose: The Japanese Orthopedic Association has conducted a nationwide survey on the status of endoscopic spine surgery in Japan every year since 2006. This study aimed to analyze incidental dural tear.

Method:We sent questionnaires to all spine surgery hospitals in Japan and received responses from an average of 1296 hospitals (974–1746) each year. The average response rate for the questionnaire was 63.7% (45.2–85.8).

Results:The average number of facilities performing endoscopic spine surgery was 314 (222–415). The percentage of facilities performing endoscopic procures was 24.3% (20.3–27.3%). Incidental dural tear accounted for 65.4% (3113/4758) of all complications, which was significantly higher than nerve root injuries, cauda equina injuries (4.6%), and hematomas (10.0%). The number of accidents resulting in harm to patients was 154 (3.6%) for incidental dural tear which was significantly less than that for hematoma (75.5%) and for nerve root cauda equina injury (49.5%).

Conclusion:As the number of endoscopic procedures increased, the number of complications increased year by year. However, the rate of complications has remained constant, with incidental durotomy tending to be the most common endoscopic lumbar laminectomy for lumbar spinal canal stenosis.
Online Model Updating Method with Multiple Inputs Considering Realistic Boundary Conditions in Hybrid Tests
Authors: Du Chunbo , Zheng Jiayi , Tian Yingpeng , Zhang Bo , Wang Tao
Published: May 2022

The accuracy of numerical substructures is important in online hybrid tests for assessing structural seismic performance. The recently developed online model updating (OMU) technique can improve the accuracy of numerical substructures by identifying and updating parameters using measurements from physically tested substructures. However, the updated mechanical model often depends on the loading pattern, particularly for models with coupled behaviors in multiple directions. Ignoring this influence may result in a large discrepancy between the simulation results and real performance. In this paper, an OMU method with multiple inputs and considering coupled boundary conditions is proposed to identify the parameters of a complex mechanical model for laminated rubber bearings, where the horizontal performance is significantly influenced by the vertical force. In this method, the horizontal and vertical responses serve as inputs for an unscented Kalman filter to identify the parameters of the mechanical model, and the vertical response provides additional information and constraints. Realistic boundary conditions are achieved by the vertical force-displacement switching control and horizontal displacement control. One of the isolators of a six-story steel moment frame was chosen as the physical substructure. A sophisticated mechanical model was selected to simulate the remaining isolators in the numerical substructure, and the parameters were updated online. The results of the hybrid test indicate that the proposed method provides higher accuracy for estimating the post-yield stiffness ratio than the traditional method. The coefficient of variation was 50% lower, and the convergence efficiency was almost five times higher, demonstrating the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method.
Multifractal Analysis of the Impact of COVID-19 on NASDAQ, CIOPI, and WTI Crude Oil Market
Authors: Shen Na , Chen Jia Yi
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we explore the impact of COVID-19 on auto-correlations and cross-correlations among NASDAQ stock index of the USA, China iron ore price index (CIOPI), and West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil price (WTI). To find out the effect of COVID-19 on financial markets, we divide the investigated data series into two sub-periods, i.e., pre-COVID19 period and post-COVID19 period. First, multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA) of those series shows a general trend of strong multifractality after COVID-19, indicating lower market efficiency after the pandemic shock. Second, multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis (MF-DCCA) method is employed to examine cross-correlations among NASDAQ, CIOPI, and WTI. The three cross-correlations all increase in post-COVID19. The correlation between NASDAQ and CIOPI increases the most, becoming the strongest correlation among the three cross-correlations in post-COVID19. The surrogate procedure shows that the post-COVID19 cross-correlation multifractalities are mostly due to fat-tail distribution. Third, we use multi-scale multifractal analysis (MMA) to visualize the dynamic behaviors of correlations among the series. The Hurst surfaces of the three cross-correlations have more fluctuation, both at small and large scale in post-COVID19 than that of pre-COVID19. Particularly, the Hurst surface of cross-correlation between NASDAQ and CIOPI exhibits stronger multifractality during the outbreak of COVID-19 than that in both pre-COVID19 and post-COVID19. The above investigations provide helpful insights of relevant market trends.
Gold Nanoparticles as Antimicrobial Agents: A Mini-Review
Authors: Sindhu Ravinder , Sindhu Suchita , Dagar Mukhan Wati , Nagoria Savita
Published: May 2022

Metal nanoparticles, such as gold nanoparticles, have abundant unusual chemical and physical properties owing to the effects of their quantum size and their large surface area, in comparison with other metal atoms. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), in particular, are becoming increasingly popular due to their biocompatibility, multifunctional and aqueous solubility. Many scientific reports described the important antimicrobial properties possessed by the gold nanoparticles. Therefore, the present mini-review summarizes an overview of gold nanoparticles as broad spectrum antimicrobial agents for biomedical applications.
Effect of Online and Offline Blended Teaching of College English Based on Data Mining Algorithm
Authors: Wu Chaoqun
Published: May 2022

Blended teaching is a kind of teaching that combines online teaching with traditional teaching, which is defined as “online and offline”. Through the organic combination of these two teaching forms, students’ learning can be from shallow to deep. Therefore, based on the data mining algorithm, this paper designs the method of College English online and offline blended teaching effect. First, it collects the College English blended teaching resources, then builds the College English online and offline teaching support, debugs the College English teaching environment, and finally designs the College English blended teaching model based on the data mining algorithm, so as to realize the College English online and offline blended teaching, The experiment shows that the method designed in this paper can effectively improve the reading ability of College English, and has certain application value.
Construction and Dynamics of Efficient High-Order Methods for Nonlinear Systems
Authors: Zhanlav T. , Chun Changbum , Otgondorj Kh.
Published: May 2022

In this paper, we derive new multi-parametric families of iterative methods whose orders range from six to eight, for solving nonlinear systems. Based on a generating function method known in the literature, we construct these families in the most general way possible in order to include some well-known methods as special cases. Several applied problems are solved to check the performance of our methods and other existing ones and to verify the theoretical results. It is found that our methods are competitive in performance compared to the other methods. Moreover, the basin of attraction method is introduced for nonlinear systems to confirm our findings and to choose the best performers.
Implementation and uniformity calibration of LED array for photodynamic therapy
Authors: Wang Xu , Xiong Jiyuan , Hu Xiaoming , Li Qin
Published: May 2022

Irradiance uniformity is an important parameter for a Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) device. The calibration and verification of a LED array light source based on computer vision technology were implemented and carried out. First, the correlation coefficients between the pulse width modulate value and the irradiance were calibrated. Then, the correction of the actual light center and divergence angle were solved by image processing to reduce errors from each LED lens. Finally, uniformity was optimized according to the irradiance formula of the Lambertian source. The lowest coefficients of variation of irradiance were 4.87% in a [Formula: see text] area and 3.55% in a [Formula: see text] area within the depth range of 8–12[Formula: see text]cm when the expected irradiance was 100[Formula: see text]mW/cm2. This finding indicated that the light source can achieve a more uniform illumination and provide a better therapeutic effect for the PDT of port-wine stains.
A smartphone-based automated fluorescence analysis system for point-of-care testing of Hg(II)
Authors: Chen Yafei , Zhang Ke , Liu Yuan , Zhang Chunsun
Published: May 2022

This work demonstrates a smartphone-based automated fluorescence analysis system (SAFAS) for point-of-care testing (POCT) of Hg(II). This system consists of three modules. The smartphone module is used to provide an excitation light source, and to collect and analyze fluorescent images. The dark box module is applied to integrate the desired optical elements and offers a dark environment. The cost of the integrated dark box mainly includes the upper cover, box body, lower bottom, fixture and some optical elements which is about $109. The chip module is used for fluorescence sensing, which is composed of an upper plate, bottom plate and cloth-based chip. Due to the integration of multiple smartphone functions, the SAFAS eliminates the need for additional power sources, light sources and analysis systems. The dark box and upper and bottom plates are made by 3D printer. The cloth-based chip (about $0.005 for each chip) is fabricated using the wax screen-printing technique, with no need for expensive and complex fabrication equipments. To our knowledge, the cloth-based microfluidic fluorescence detection method combined with smartphone functions is first reported. By using optimal conditions, the designed system can realize the quantitative detection of Hg(II), which has a linear range of 0.001–100[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]g[Formula: see text]mL[Formula: see text] and a detection limit of 0.5[Formula: see text]ng[Formula: see text]mL[Formula: see text]. Additionally, the SAFAS has been successfully applied for detecting Hg(II) in actual water samples, with recoveries of 100.1%–111%, RSDs of 3.88%–9.74%, and fast detection time of about 1 min. Obviously, the proposed SAFAS has the advantages of high sensitivity, wide dynamic range, acceptable reproducibility, good stability and low cost. Therefore, it is believed that the presented SAFAS has great potential to perform the POCT of Hg(II) in different water samples.
Self-supported TiO2@P nanotube arrays as high-performance anodes for sodium-ion batteries
Authors: Sun Bingxue , Ni Jiangfeng
Published: May 2022

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have received widespread attention because of their scalability, low cost, and environmental advantages. Whereas, the low capacity and disappointing cycle capability of anode materials are unavoidable challenges, and high-capacity electrodes are accompanied by large volume expansion and cycle decay. Herein, self-supported TiO2 nanotube array nanocomposites are rationally designed by combining the stability of TiO2 and the high capacity of [Formula: see text]. The unique nanotube structure can effectively limit the expansion of phosphorus so that this anode has excellent reversibility and cycling. It affords a reversible capacity of 0.214 mAh cm[Formula: see text] at 0.08 mA cm[Formula: see text], a rate capability of 0.146 mAh cm[Formula: see text] at 1.6 mA cm[Formula: see text], and a stable cycling up to 5000 cycles.
A hybrid machine learning model for timely prediction of breast cancer
Authors: Dalal Surjeet , Onyema Edeh Michael , Kumar Pawan , Maryann Didiugwu Chizoba , Roselyn Akindutire Opeyemi , Obichili Mercy Ifeyinwa
Published: May 2022

Breast cancer is one of the leading causes of untimely deaths among women in various countries across the world. This can be attributed to many factors including late detection which often increase its severity. Thus, detecting the disease early would help mitigate its mortality rate and other risks associated with it. This study developed a hybrid machine learning model for timely prediction of breast cancer to help combat the disease. The dataset from Kaggle was adopted to predict the breast tumor growth and sizes using random tree classification, logistic regression, XBoost tree and multilayer perceptron on the dataset. The implementation of these machine learning algorithms and visualization of the results was done using Python. The results achieved a high accuracy (99.65%) on training and testing datasets which is far better than traditional means. The predictive model has good potential to enhance early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer and improvement of treatment outcome. It could also assist patients to timely deal with their condition or life patterns to support their recovery or survival.
An Improved APF Method for Complex and Dynamic Obstacles’ Avoidance
Authors: Lin Xi , Yu Yuan-Jin , Chen Shi-Zhuang , Shi Yang-Yang
Published: May 2022

In this paper, an improved artificial potential field (APF) method combined with Bug2 is proposed for dynamic obstacle avoidance of mobile robots, which eliminates the trajectory oscillations and avoids failure when encountering a complex obstacle. First, the problems of avoidance failure and trajectory oscillations of the relative position and velocity-based APF were analyzed. Then, a Bug2-based APF method is proposed by using the M-line of Bug2 to optimize the avoidance trajectory. The proposed method makes the angle of the virtual repulsion force tangent to the obstacle, which results in avoidance that the trajectory surrounds the obstacle along with the M-line. Finally, the effectiveness and practicability of the proposed method are demonstrated by performing many simulations and experiments. The results show that the proposed method can realize safe and autonomous dynamic obstacle avoidance and significantly improve the robot’s success rate and obstacle avoidance efficiency.
Computational Modeling of the Effect of Trifluoroethanol on the Conformation of α-Synuclein Peptide
Authors: Pakzadiyan Atena , Jalili Seifollah
Published: May 2022

Alpha-Synuclein is a presynaptic neuronal protein whose masses are involved in Parkinson’s disease, a chronic and progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system. It has been observed that upon exposure to anionic surfactants, fluorinated alcohols and membranes in vitro, [Formula: see text]-synuclein adopts alpha helix structure and can be fibrillated, while in aqueous solution, the protein is intrinsically disordered and the fibrillation is undesirable. Solvent is one of the most critical environmental parameters in biological studies as well as computer simulations. In this paper, we have investigated the effect of solvent composition on the conformation of [Formula: see text]-synuclein protein using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. For this purpose, the effect of different combinations of water and trifluoroethanol (TFE) solvents on the secondary structure of a fragment of [Formula: see text]-synuclein was investigated. Moreover, thermodynamic calculations were performed through a coarse-grained (CG) model of solutions with different concentrations of [Formula: see text]-synuclein in the aqueous phase and in TFE medium. The potential of mean force (PMF) calculations was performed as a function of separation distance between the centers of masses of two peptides. The results indicated that in the presence of TFE, the secondary structures have a regular arrangement of amino acids stabilized by hydrogen bonding patterns. In addition, decreasing the TFE concentration reduces the stability of [Formula: see text]-helix structures of the protein. It seems that in diluted TFE solutions, high concentrations of water in the medium lead to the breakage of peptide–TFE hydrogen bonds. However, the hydrophobic nature of TFE and [Formula: see text]-synuclein molecules prevents further aggregation in the concentrated solutions.
Natural Source Zone Depletion (NSZD): from process understanding to effective implementation at LNAPL-impacted sites
Authors: Smith Jonathan W.N. , Davis Greg B. , DeVaull George E. , Garg Sanjay , Newell Charles J. , Rivett Michael O.
Published: May 2022

This paper describes the proceedings of a Special Session on Natural Source Zone Depletion (NSZD) at the AquaConSoil conference, held virtually in June 2021. It spans research across Europe, the United States of America and Australia.

NSZD has been described as the ‘combination of processes that reduce the mass of LNAPL light non-aqueous phase liquid) in the subsurface’. LNAPL NSZD research and investigations have been focused on a range of hydrocarbon products, such as gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, as well as crude oil. Key NSZD processes include aerobic biodegradation, fermentation and methanogenesis of LNAPL constituents, dissolution of LNAPL constituents into groundwater and volatilization of LNAPL constituents into the unsaturated zone. In turn the generated methane, carbon dioxide and dissolved/volatilized constituents can be cycled and biodegraded in the unsaturated and saturated zones. Importantly these physical, chemical, and biological processes can act without human intervention to reduce the NAPL mass and toxicity. Over time NSZD can both reduce LNAPL mass, and change its chemical composition resulting in risk reduction, and ultimately source depletion.

Methanogenesis of organic materials has long been recognized in municipal landfills and natural anoxic environments, such as peat and wetlands. Recognition of similar processes in LNAPL source zones in the past decade along with high rates of aerobic biodegradation observed in unsaturated zones above LNAPL-impacted areas, has significantly revised the conceptual model of LNAPL source zone behaviour and persistence. Several NSZD monitoring approaches have been developed and are being applied in field studies. While the quantitative NSZD rates derived can vary between techniques, they all demonstrate that NSZD LNAPL removal can exceed that delivered by engineered LNAPL recovery techniques, particularly for mature LNAPL bodies.
Experiences of a Speech-enabled Conversational Agent for the Self-report of Well-being among People Living with Affective Disorders: An In-the-Wild Study
Authors: Maharjan Raju , Doherty Kevin , Rohani Darius Adam , Bækgaard Per , Bardram Jakob E.
Published: May 2022

The growing commercial success of smart speaker devices following recent advancements in speech recognition technology has surfaced new opportunities for collecting self-reported health and well-being data. Speech-enabled conversational agents (CAs) in particular, deployed in home environments using just such systems, may offer increasingly intuitive and engaging means of self-report. To date, however, few real-world studies have examined users’ experiences of engaging in the self-report of mental health using such devices or the challenges of deploying these systems in the home context. With these aims in mind, this article recounts findings from a 4-week “in-the-wild” study during which 20 individuals with depression or bipolar disorder used a speech-enabled CA named “Sofia” to maintain a daily diary log, responding also to the World Health Organization–Five Well-Being Index WHO-5 scale every 2 weeks. Thematic analysis of post-study interviews highlights actions taken by participants to overcome CAs’ limitations, diverse personifications of a speech-enabled agent, and unique forms of valuing of this system among users’ personal and social circles. These findings serve as initial evidence for the potential of CAs to support the self-report of mental health and well-being, while highlighting the need to address outstanding technical limitations in addition to design challenges of conversational pattern matching, filling unmet interpersonal gaps, and the use of self-report CAs in the at-home social context. Based on these insights, we discuss implications for the future design of CAs to support the self-report of mental health and well-being.
Addressing labor shortages with automation
Authors: Kugler Logan
Published: May 2022

Labor shortages have many companies turning to automation technology, but with mixed outcomes.
Involvement and detachment
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: May 2022

How detachment from your community blocks your success at leading innovations, and what to do about it.
The planning and care of data
Authors: Neville-Neil George
Published: May 2022

Rearranging buckets for no good reason.
Study of Mask Fibers for Protection Against SARS-Cov-2 Via Luminescent Aerosolized Silicon Nanoparticles
Authors: Rezk Ayman , Ashraf Juveiriah M. , Alnaqbi Wafa , Abdul Hadi Sabina , Dushaq Ghada , Alhammadi Aisha , El Kukhun Tala , Rasras Mahmood , Nusair Ahmad R. R. , Nayfeh Munir , Nayfeh Ammar
Published: May 2022

During the 2020-current COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of wearing a mask to reduce infection and spread is key. The mask works as filter for the different microorganisms. In this work the geometrical part of the filtration process of the N95 and surgical masks was studied using luminescent ultra-small silicon nanoparticles (Si-NPs) to represent the SARS-CoV-2 by spraying it on the mask using atomizer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and optical microscope were used to check the mask. The obtained images show that the Si nanoparticles to are trapped by the PE fiber network, indicating its ability to filter SARS-CoV-2. This visualization using nanotechnology can help to further improve mask designs for better filtration.
Design of “Low Stress” Post-CMP Cleaning Processes for Advanced Technology Nodes
Authors: Cahue Kiana A. , Dudek Abigail L. , Miliauskas Mantas M. , Cahue Tatiana R. , Mlynarski Amy , Keleher Jason J.
Published: May 2022

The Chemical Mechanical Planarization (CMP) process can cause various defects, and they can be classified as mechanical (i.e., scratching), chemical (i.e., corrosion), or physiochemical (i.e., adsorbed contaminants) according to the mechanism of formation. Traditionally, a contact cleaning method involving a poly-vinyl alcohol (PVA) brush is used to transfer cleaning chemistry to the substrate of interest as well as provide the necessary mechanical energy for defect removal. While this process is effective in contaminant removal its reliance on shear forces can induce secondary defect modes, such as scratching. To minimize the aforementioned induced defectivity during contact p-CMP processes, the implementation of non-contact modalities has become of the utmost importance. This work will focus on the rationale design of p-CMP cleaning systems for emerging materials such as SiC, carbon-doped oxides, and metals. “Soft” cleaning chemistry structure (i.e., shape and charge), and processes play a critical role in cleaning efficacy under low stress conditions.
Reclaim Mode Post Etch Residue Remover Solutions for Advanced Technology Nodes
Authors: Gupta Rohini , Klipp Andreas
Published: May 2022

Back-end-of-line (BEOL) processing for creation of vias and trenches in advanced technology node semiconductor manufacturing warrants a wet chemistry capable of removing post-etch residues (PERR), titanium nitride hardmask (TiN HM) and etch stop layer (ESL), while being compatible with metals, such as copper, tungsten and cobalt. In accordance with BASF’s core competency of innovating sustainable solutions with minimal environmental impact, our reclaim mode BEOL PERR chemistries allow semiconductor manufacturers to minimize not only their cost of ownership (COO) but also their waste footprint. BASF’s reclaim mode PERR chemistries, when mixed with appropriate amount of hydrogen peroxide, facilitate oxidative wet etching of TiN HM. In this paper, we demonstrate that optimization of formulation chemistry and spiking protocol extends the bath lifetime of reclaim mode PERR chemistries beyond 24hr, which is a significant improvement vis-à-vis current industry standard of single use (drain mode) chemistries. Beaker-level bath lifetime investigation of BASF’s formulation confirms that TiN etch rate (ER) and bath pH are stable for 48hr when bath is loaded with commensurate amount of Ti ions. Beaker-level performance was also corroborated by 300mm wafer level assessment. BASF’s reclaim mode PERR chemistries with bath lifetime greater than 8hr offer progressively favorable cost of ownership (COO) vis-à-vis drain mode chemistry.
Effect of N2-Anneal Temperature on Silicon Nitride Film: (I) Time-Dependent Dielectric Breakdown and ESR Evaluations
Authors: Kurita Hisatsugu , Nakamura Masataka , Miyagawa Hayato , Kamigaki Yoshiaki
Published: May 2022

Silicon Nitride (SiN) film has been used as insulating material in many electronic devices such as capacitors and memories. This report electrically evaluated the effect of N2 annealing temperature on accidental charge breakdown (Qbd) of LP-CVD SiN film using the time-dependent dielectric breakdown (TDDB) test method. The variation and number of the defects, existing in the SiN film, in the oxide layer between SiN film and Si substrate, and at the SiN film/Si interface, were investigated using an electron spin resonance (ESR) to reveal the defect behavior related to triggering Qbd. At Si surface (Pb center), dangling bond density reached a maximal peak at an annealing temperature of 900°C, and those in SiO2 film (E′ center) and SiN film (K center) were increased with increasing temperature above 1000°C. These two types of phenomena showed good agreement with the Qbd occurrence dependency on the annealing temperature, as the detected by TDDB.
Characterization Of Gallium Oxide With A Novel Non-Contact Electrical Metrology, CnCV, For Wide Bandgap Semiconductors
Authors: Wilson Marshall , Marinskiy Dmitriy , Savtchouk Alexandre , Almeida Carlos , Schrayer Bret , Lagowski Jacek
Published: May 2022

Cost savings and short feedback time are significant advantages of the corona non-contact capacitance voltage (CnCV) technique, recently introduced for wide bandgap SiC, GaN, and AlGaN/GaN as a replacement for C-V measurements on fabricated electrical test structures. The goal of this work is to verify the basic applicability and effectiveness of CnCV in characterization of Ga2O3. The results demonstrate excellent measurement conditions on Ga2O3 epitaxial and bulk grown wafers, enabling the determination of important electrical properties such as the dopant concentration profile, initial surface charge, electron affinity and depletion current.
(Digital) Oxygen Reduction Reaction on Waste Tire Derived Carbon Material and Synthesized Non-Platinum Group Metal Catalysts in Alkaline Solution
Authors: Laanemäe Joel , Jäger Rutha , Teppor Patrick , Volobujeva Olga , Lust Enn
Published: May 2022

A carbon material was pyrolyzed from waste tire granules and used to synthesize non-platinum group metal (NPGM) catalysts via dry ball-milling and wet synthesis methods using Fe or Co salts and 2,2’-bipyridine as precursors. These materials were studied with HR-SEM, SEM-EDX, and N2 sorption analysis methods as well as the rotating disk electrode method in alkaline solution (0.1 M KOH). All materials exhibited a heterogeneous morphology as well as low porosity and low specific surface area (92 < S
BET < 150 m2 g-1). Although the carbon support itself did not show significant activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction (E
onset = -0.24 V vs Hg/HgO), the modified NPGM materials had a considerably higher onset potential (∆E
onset ~150 mV). It was shown that active NPGM catalysts can be synthesized from waste tire derived carbon materials.
A Feasibility Study of Placing a Heated Turbulence Grid in Front of an Air-Cooled Fuel Cell Stack in Freezing Conditions
Authors: Martinho Diogo , Hansen Jóhannes , Yin Chungen , Berning Torsten
Published: May 2022

This paper aims to better understand the temperature profile of a turbulence inducing grid if pre-heating of the incoming air in the cathode channel is required when the stack is operating under freezing conditions. The goal of this study is to design the grid by changing its thickness and the number of pores. A three-dimensional, steady-state computational fluid dynamic model was developed and validated for a baseline case of a single cathode channel of an air-cooled cell. The computational domain consists of the cathode flow channel, a gas diffusion layer, and the turbulence inducing grid. Four different grid designs were analyzed and compared, and in the best case heating of the turbulence grid was achieved where the temperature of the grid will be 236 °C and the power consumption will be around 30 % of the total power produced by the fuel cell stack. It is concluded that 2 mm thickness is not sufficient, leading to too high temperatures, and a multitude of staggered grids might be required.
Hemin-Modified Halloysite Nanotube as Electrocatalyst for the Enhanced Electrochemical Determination of Nitrite
Authors: Ranjani B. , Pandian K. , Gopinath Subash C. B.
Published: May 2022

Halloysite is naturally occurring nanotubular clay with a phyllosilicate structure and widely used as solid support to modify various redox mediators. We prepared a hemin modified halloysite (Hemin/HNT) by a simple impregnation method, in which a known amount of halloysite was dispersed in ethanolic solution of 1% hemin and reacted for 12 h. The resulting pure Hemin/HNT was employed as electrocatalyst for the electrochemical oxidation of nitrite by cyclic voltammetry. The coverage of hemin molecule over the nanotubular halloysite was confirmed by TGA, FT-IR, XRD and XPS studies. The electron transfer behavior of Hemin/HNT was studied by CV and EIS. It was noted that hemin/HNT modified GCE showed two-fold enhanced oxidation peak current for nitrite with a peak potential of + 0.8 V vs Ag/AgCl in 0.1 M PBS. For a quantitative electrochemical analysis of nitrite ion at the trace levels the differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) and amperometry methods were used based on hemin/HNT modified GCE. A linear calibration plot was constructed by plotting the peak current against the concentrations of nitrite in the ranges of 0.6 × 10−6 M to 24.6 × 10−5 M, (R2 = 0.9968) and 0.6 × 10−8 to 43.3 × 10−7 M (R2 = 0.9996) and the detection limit was found to be 42 and 43 nM with a sensitivity of 23.55 and 22.96 μA.μM−1.cm−2 by DPV and amperometry, respectively. The repeatability of the proposed sensor evaluated in terms of relative standard deviation of 1.7% for 5 measurements (3.3 × 10−6 M) nitrite. The inference effect of various anions and cations on nitrite oxidation peak current was studied by amperometry method. A stable and reliable current response was obtained for nitrite analysis in water samples.
Review—Recent Developments in the Applications of 2D Transition Metal Dichalcogenides as Electrocatalysts in the Generation of Hydrogen for Renewable Energy Conversion
Authors: Sukanya Ramaraj , da Silva Alves Daniele C. , Breslin Carmel B.
Published: May 2022

There has never been a more pressing need to develop sustainable energy systems as dramatic climate changes emerge across the World. Some of these effects can be alleviated by the development of efficient devices that are capable of producing hydrogen gas in an environmentally acceptable manner, which in turn can be employed as a clean fuel. In this context, the splitting of water is especially attractive. However, this technology requires the design of new cost-effective electrocatalytic materials. In this review, the progress made in the development of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and their composites as electrocatalysts for both acidic and alkaline electrolysis cells and as photocatalysts for the formation of hydrogen is described and discussed. Following a short introduction to the mechanisms of the electrochemical hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions and the photoelectrochemical generation of hydrogen, an introduction to TMDs, their relevant general properties and the methods used in their synthesis are described. Then, the performance of various TMD-based materials in the electrochemical splitting of water is discussed, with a final brief overview of the application of TMDs in photoelectrochemical devices. Although challenges clearly remain, TMD-based materials are emerging as promising electrocatalysts and photoelectrocatalysts for the production of hydrogen.
Voltage Dependence of Nanopattern Morphology and Size in Electropolished Monocrystalline Aluminum: An Experimental Study
Authors: Yuan Yuan , Zhang Dan , Zhang Guoxu , Zhang Peng , Zhang Feihu , Yang Chunhui , Gan Yang
Published: May 2022

The crystallographic orientation dependence of nanopattern morphology and size of electropolished Al at a fixed voltage (40 V) has been revealed and established. However, systematic experimental studies, with samples’ crystallographic orientation exactly determined, on the effects of voltage on nanopattern morphology and size has been largely lacking. Here, miscut monocrystalline Al samples are electropolished in a common electrolyte at voltages 20–60 V. Various nanopatterns (pits, pits plus stripes, stripes, dots) with distinct morphologies emerge with increasing voltage. The findings that morphologies transform gradually with misorientation angle were explained from the perspective of surface structure sensitivity. Nanopattern sizes remain largely constant with misorientation angles but increase with voltages till about 40 V, level off and decrease at higher voltage. A reported model was reexamined to explain the observed voltage dependence of nanopattern size by considering the overlooked effects of voltage on dissolution and adsorption. These findings reveal the voltage and crystallographic orientation dependence of nanopattern morphology and size, and provide critical data for theoretical investigation into the nanopattern formation mechanism of electropolished Al.