bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clinicians' Values and Preferences for Medication Adherence and Cost Clinical Decision Support in Primary Care: A Qualitative Study
Authors: Bhat Shubha , Derington Catherine Grace , Trinkley Katy E.
Published: June 2020

Background Medication nonadherence and unaffordability are prevalent, burdensome issues in primary care. In response, technology companies are capitalizing on clinical decision support (CDS) to deliver patient-specific information regarding medication adherence and costs to clinicians using electronic health records (EHRs). To maximize adoption and usability, these CDS tools should be designed with consideration of end users' values and preferences.

Objective This article evaluates primary care clinicians' values and preferences for a medication adherence and cost CDS.

Methods We conducted semistructured interviews with primary care clinicians with prescribing privileges and EHR access to identify clinicians' perceptions of and approaches to assessing medication adherence and costs, and to determine perceived values and preferences for medication adherence and cost CDS. Interviews were conducted until saturation of responses was reached. ATLAS.ti was used for thematic analysis.

Results Among 26 clinicians interviewed, themes identified included a high value, but moderate need for a medication adherence CDS and high value and need for cost CDS. Clinicians expressed the cost CDS would provide actionable solutions and greatly impact patient care. Another theme identified was a desire for medication adherence and cost CDS to be separate tools yet integrated into workflow. The majority of clinicians preferred a medication adherence CDS that integrated claims data and actively displayed data using color-coded adherence categories within patients' medication lists in the EHR. For the cost CDS, clinicians preferred medication out-of-pocket costs and a list of cheaper or payor-preferred alternatives to display within the order queue of the EHR.

Conclusion We identified valuable insights regarding clinician values and preferences for medication adherence and cost CDS. Overall, primary care clinicians feel CDS for medication adherence and cost are valuable and prefer them to be separate. These insights should be used to inform the design, implementation, and EHR integration of future medication and cost CDS tools.
Designing inter-regional engagement to inform cohesive policy making
Authors: Fears Robin , Canales Holzeis Claudia , ter Meulen Volker
Published: June 2020

The scientific advice needed to inform national and regional policies addressing the key challenges we face today must take account of disparate requirements. The complex nature of the problems addressed in this article—which encompass food and nutrition security, global health and climate change—and the multitude of their interconnections, calls for an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach that spans aspects related to the use of natural resources; the adoption of new technologies all the way to issues related to food demand and human behaviour. The scale is also important: national policies need to respond to a set of heterogeneous local conditions and requirements and should be particularly mindful of the effect on vulnerable groups of the population. At the same time, the global interconnectedness of food systems and shared natural resources also necessitates coordinated action at regional and global levels. The InterAcademy Partnership sought to develop an innovative model for integrating and analysing multidisciplinary scientific evidence to inform governments and regional policy bodies for policymaking on food and nutrition security. This approach relies on IAP’s membership of over 130 science academies grouped in four regional networks for Africa, America, Asia and Europe. Our article reviews the model, in particular with regards to interdisciplinarity, exploring examples relating to yield gap, plant breeding and food processing, and reflects on lessons learned during the project discussions and when engaging with policy-makers and other stakeholders. We propose that the framework developed can be applied to integrated assessment of other societal challenges where the scientific community can play a significant role in informing policy choices.
Message transmission over classical quantum channels with a jammer with side information: Correlation as resource, common randomness generation
Authors: Boche Holger , Cai Minglai , Cai Ning
Published: June 2020

In this paper, we analyze the capacity of a general model for arbitrarily varying classical-quantum channels (AVCQCs) when the sender and the receiver use correlation as a resource. In this general model, a jammer has side information about the channel input. We determine a single letter formula for the correlation assisted capacity. As an application of our main result, we determine the correlation assisted common randomness generation capacity. In this scenario, the two channel users have access to correlation as a resource and further use an AVCQC with an informed jammer for additional discussion. The goal is to create common randomness between the two channel users. We also analyze these capacity formulas when only a small number of signals from the correlation are available. For the correlation assisted common randomness generation capacity, we show an additional interesting property: For a sufficient amount of “public communication,” common randomness generation capacity is Turing computable; however, without this public communication constraint, the correlation assisted common randomness generation capacity is, in general, not Turing computable. Furthermore, we show that even without knowing the capacity formula of the deterministic capacity using the maximal error criterion, we can show that it is impossible to evaluate the performance algorithmically on any current or future digital computer.
Pathways to efficient neuromorphic computing with non-volatile memory technologies
Authors: Chakraborty I. , Jaiswal A. , Saha A. K. , Gupta S. K. , Roy K.
Published: June 2020

Historically, memory technologies have been evaluated based on their storage density, cost, and latencies. Beyond these metrics, the need to enable smarter and intelligent computing platforms at a low area and energy cost has brought forth interesting avenues for exploiting non-volatile memory (NVM) technologies. In this paper, we focus on non-volatile memory technologies and their applications to bio-inspired neuromorphic computing, enabling spike-based machine intelligence. Spiking neural networks (SNNs) based on discrete neuronal “action potentials” are not only bio-fidel but also an attractive candidate to achieve energy-efficiency, as compared to state-of-the-art continuous-valued neural networks. NVMs offer promise for implementing both area- and energy-efficient SNN compute fabrics at almost all levels of hierarchy including devices, circuits, architecture, and algorithms. The intrinsic device physics of NVMs can be leveraged to emulate dynamics of individual neurons and synapses. These devices can be connected in a dense crossbar-like circuit, enabling in-memory, highly parallel dot-product computations required for neural networks. Architecturally, such crossbars can be connected in a distributed manner, bringing in additional system-level parallelism, a radical departure from the conventional von-Neumann architecture. Finally, cross-layer optimization across underlying NVM based hardware and learning algorithms can be exploited for resilience in learning and mitigating hardware inaccuracies. The manuscript starts by introducing both neuromorphic computing requirements and non-volatile memory technologies. Subsequently, we not only provide a review of key works but also carefully scrutinize the challenges and opportunities with respect to various NVM technologies at different levels of abstraction from devices-to-circuit-to-architecture and co-design of hardware and algorithm.
Stochastic resonance in a single-well potential and its application in rolling bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Cheng Wei , Xu Xuemei , Ding Yipeng , Sun Kehui
Published: June 2020

In this paper, a single-well model based on the piecewise function and classical bistable stochastic resonance (CBSR) is proposed. The steady state probability density of particles and mean first passage time in the model are calculated. The output characteristics and performance of the proposed model are analyzed through numerical simulation. On the basis of CBSR and the proposed model, an adaptive system is established (ACSSR) to generate the highest gain of signal-to-noise ratio (SNRg). Finally, the effectiveness of ACSSR in weak signal detection is verified with both simulated and experimental input signals. The results indicate that the ACSSR could detect the defect signal correctly and improve the SNRg.
Effective Hamiltonian model for helically constrained quantum systems within adiabatic perturbation theory: Application to the chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect
Authors: Geyer Matthias , Gutierrez Rafael , Cuniberti Gianaurelio
Published: June 2020

The chirality-induced spin selectivity effect has been confirmed experimentally for a large class of organic molecules. Adequately modeling the effect remains a challenging task, with both phenomenological models and first-principles simulations yielding inconclusive results. Building upon a previously presented model by K. Michaeli and R. Naaman [J. Phys. Chem. C 123, 17043 (2019)], we systematically investigate an effective 1-dimensional model derived as the limit of a 3-dimensional quantum system with strong confinement and including spin–orbit coupling. Having a simple analytic structure, such models can be considered a minimal setup for the description of spin-dependent effects. We use adiabatic perturbation theory to provide a mathematically sound approximation procedure applicable to a large class of spin-dependent continuum models. We take advantage of the simplicity of the models by analyzing its structure to gain a better understanding how the occurrence and magnitude of spin polarization effects relate to the model’s parameters and geometry. The obtained spin polarization is not strongly dependent on the strength of the spin–orbit interaction, but it rather results from breaking time-reversal invariance upon selection of a given angular momentum of the incoming electrons.
A simple model for investigating the force–optical performance of LCDs
Authors: Gong Xin , Lv Guo-qiang , Hu Zi-ang , Li Jun-jun , Wang Zi , Feng Qi-bin
Published: June 2020

A simple model for investigating the optical performance of LCDs with respect to external forces is presented in this paper. Based on the continuum theory of a liquid crystal (LC) under an electric field, the simple model is established by adding the stress energy density term to Gibb’s free energy density. Besides, the change in cell gap due to external forces is also considered. The parameters in the model are determined by comparing the calculated results with the vertical tensile experiment data. After then, the tilting tensile experiment is performed to verify the simple model. In addition, the LC director distribution and optical performance changes are further discussed. The proposed model can help predict the possible change in the optical performance of LCDs in complex environments and save the product costs.
The effect of strain and filament fracture on the transport properties of ITER cable-in-conduit conductors
Authors: Xue S. , Gao P. , Jin H. , Xiao G. , Qin J. , Li J. , Zhou C.
Published: June 2020

Dedicated experimental and modeling research studies on the performance of superconducting cable-in-conduit conductor (CICC) have been massively performed and are still ongoing in order to determine the operational limits of the conductors and to optimize their design. Strand strain distribution and crack formation in the filaments after cabling and compaction, and under cooling down and electromagnetic load have been considered as the main cause for the degradation of the CICC’s transport properties. In combination with the strain maps generated by the mechanical model MULTIFIL and the electromagnetic code JackPot with the basic electrical and strain properties of the superconducting strand, the current sharing temperature (Tcs) of the CICC of the ITER Central Solenoid has been simulated and analyzed. A quantitative analysis of the Tcs degradation due to strain variation and filament fracture, respectively, is still missing. Here, the approach of analyzing the performance of CICC (e.g., the short samples tested in the SULTAN facility, or the full-size CICC used in real magnets) has been presented. Consequently, the effect of filament fracture on the cable Tcs has been investigated and turns out to be limited. Instead, the dominant mechanism behind the degradation of the transport properties of ITER type Nb3Sn CICCs is shown to be the broadening and shift in the strain distribution of the superconducting filaments.
Electrical properties tunability of large area MoS2 thin films by oxygen plasma treatment
Authors: Chamlagain Bhim , Khondaker Saiful I.
Published: June 2020

MoS2 thin films prepared via sulfurization of molybdenum films have attracted great attention due to their advantage for scalable synthesis with a large area coverage. However, the MoS2 thin films are typically more resistive than their exfoliated and co-evaporation chemical vapor deposition based counterparts. The ability to modulate the electrical property of MoS2 thin films will have a significant impact on scalable device applications in electronics, sensors, and catalysis. Here, we report the tuning of electrical transport properties of large area MoS2 thin films with different oxygen plasma exposure times. The electrical transport measurements of the pristine and plasma treated samples reveal that with increasing oxygen plasma treatment, the resistance of the MoS2 thin films first decreases by almost an order of magnitude and then increases again. The x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements show that the S:Mo ratio continuously decreases with increasing plasma exposure time. For a short plasma exposure time, the resistance decrease can be explained due to the creation of sulfur vacancies leaving unsaturated electrons with molybdenum (Mo) atoms which act as electron donors. With increasing plasma exposure, more sulfur vacancies and hence more Mo atoms are created, many of which get converted to insulating MoO3 resulting in an increase in the resistance of the MoS2 thin film. The results presented here are a major step forward in realizing the overreaching goals of MoS2 thin films for practical device applications.
The singular hydrodynamic interactions between two spheres in Stokes flow
Authors: Goddard B. D. , Mills-Williams R. D. , Sun J.
Published: June 2020

We study exact solutions for the slow viscous flow of an infinite liquid caused by two rigid spheres approaching each either along or parallel to their line of centers, valid at all separations. This goes beyond the applicable range of existing solutions for singular hydrodynamic interactions (HIs), which, for practical applications, are limited to the near-contact or far field region of the flow. For the normal component of the HI, by the use of a bipolar coordinate system, we derive the stream function for the flow as the Reynolds number (Re) tends to zero and a formula for the singular (squeeze) force between the spheres as an infinite series. We also obtain the asymptotic behavior of the forces as the nondimensional separation between the spheres goes to zero and infinity, rigorously confirming and improving upon the known results relevant to a widely accepted lubrication theory. Additionally, we recover the force on a sphere moving perpendicularly to a plane as a special case. For the tangential component, again by using a bipolar coordinate system, we obtain the corresponding infinite series expression of the (shear) singular force between the spheres. All results hold for retreating spheres, consistent with the reversibility of Stokes flow. We demonstrate substantial differences in numerical simulations of colloidal fluids when using the present theory compared with the existing multipole methods. Furthermore, we show that the present theory preserves positive definiteness of the resistance matrix R in a number of situations in which positivity is destroyed for multipole/perturbative methods.
Carbenium ion-mediated oligomerization of methylglyoxal for secondary organic aerosol formation
Authors: Ji Yuemeng , Shi Qiuju , Li Yixin , An Taicheng , Zheng Jun , Peng Jianfei , Gao Yanpeng , Chen Jiangyao , Li Guiying , Wang Yuan , Zhang Fang , Zhang Annie L. , Zhao Jiayun , Molina Mario J. , Zhang Renyi
Published: June 2020

Significance

Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) from photochemical oxidation of volatile organic compounds represents one of the most dominant constituents of fine particulate matter in the troposphere, with profound implications for air quality and climate. However, the fundamental chemical mechanisms leading to SOA formation remain highly uncertain. Here, we show oligomer formation from methylglyoxal with the carbenium ions as the key intermediate using quantum chemical calculations. This cationic oligomerization is demonstrated to proceed via barrierless pathways and occurs at fast rates on weakly acidic aqueous aerosols and/or cloud droplets under typical tropospheric conditions. In contrast to a previously proposed hydration mechanism, out results reveal that the carbenium ion-mediated oligomerization of methylglyoxal provides a major SOA source from anthropogenic and biogenic emissions.
Nanoparticle delivery of immunostimulatory oligonucleotides enhances response to checkpoint inhibitor therapeutics
Authors: Buss Colin G. , Bhatia Sangeeta N.
Published: June 2020

Significance

Checkpoint inhibitor (CPI) immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment of a wide array of cancers, but their utility remains limited to a subset of patients with favorable disease phenotypes. We show that the generation of peptide-based nanocomplexes carrying immunostimulatory oligonucleotides dramatically increases the potency of certain of these compounds to stimulate toll-like receptor signaling. The administration of immunostimulatory nanocomplexes carrying CpG oligonucleotides generates antitumor effects and enhances the efficacy of checkpoint inhibitor antibody therapy in mouse models of cancer, and the nanocomplex formulation enables drastic reductions in the dose required to generate therapeutic effects.
Brazilian red propolis extract enhances expression of antioxidant enzyme genesin vitroandin vivo
Authors: Hotta Sho , Uchiyama Satoshi , Ichihara Kenji
Published: June 2020

Brazilian red propolis reportedly has reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging effects in vitro, but the cellular mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, the effects of an ethanol extract of Brazilian red propolis (EERP) on the Nrf2-ARE intracellular antioxidant pathway were examined in vitro and in vivo. EERP and its constituents transactivated the reporter gene through the ARE sequence and enhanced the expression of Nrf2-regulated genes in HEK293 cells. It also increased Nrf2 protein in the nucleus, which was partially inhibited by kinase inhibitors. Furthermore, EERP suppressed ROS generation and cytotoxicity induced by tert-butyl hydroperoxide. In vivo, orally administered EERP increased the expression of Nrf2-regulated genes in mice liver. These results suggest that EERP is a potential resource for preventing oxidative stress-related diseases as an Nrf2 inducer.
Non-metric construction of spacetime defects
Authors: Queiruga Jose
Published: June 2020

We describe a spacetime endowed with a non-metricity tensor which effectively serves as a model of a spacetime foam. We explore the consequences of the non-metricity in several f(R) theories.
An in situ diagnostic method for monitoring of fuel retention on the first wall under long-pulse operation of experimental advanced superconducting tokamak
Authors: Li Cong , Sun Liying , Hu Zhenhua , Zhao Dongye , Liu Jiamin , Gierse Niels , Nicolai Dirk , Wu Ding , Hai Ran , Ding Fang , Luo Guang-Nan , Brezinsek Sebastijan , Linsmeier Christian , Liang Yunfeng , Ding Hongbin
Published: June 2020

Plasma-wall interaction (PWI) research is an active field of study in long-pulse operation in current magnetic confinement fusion devices, such as the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). It is an urgent requirement to be able to investigate several key PWI issues, such as fuel retention, by in situ diagnostic methods. In this work, an in situ diagnostic method of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) combined with optical emission spectroscopy (OES) is developed. The whole system is applied to study PWI and fill the research gap concerning the correlation between fuel retention and edge plasma conditions during long-pulse plasma operation conditions in EAST. The fuel retention intensity from LIBS on the first wall and the edge plasma condition from OES are monitored simultaneously during the long-pulse plasma operation in EAST. The results indicate that the deuterium (D) retention amount increases as the local edge D particle fluence increases. The results effectively demonstrate the potential of the LIBS method for in situ investigation of the fuel retention for PWI study in upcoming long-pulse fusion devices such as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
Reconstruction of D0 meson in d+Au collisions at

sNN

= 200 GeV by the STAR experiment
Authors: Kramárik for the STAR collaboration Lukáš
Published: June 2020

Owing to their large masses, charm quarks are predominantly produced through initial hard scatterings in heavy-ion collisions. Therefore, they can serve as penetrating probes to study the intrinsic properties of the hot medium created in heavy-ion collisions. However, Cold Nuclear Matter effects can also affect the charm quark production in nuclear collisions with respect to p + p collisions. These effects can be measured in small collision systems such as d/p+Au. In these proceedings, D0 meson reconstruction in d+Au collisions at

s

NN

=
200

GeV

at the STAR experiment is described. Thanks to the excellent impact parameter resolution provided by the Heavy Flavor Tracker detector, D0(

D

0

¯

) mesons are topologically reconstructed from their hadronic decay channel D0 (

D

0

¯

)

→

K

−

π

+

(

K

+

π

−

). The Boosted Decision Trees machine learning algorithm from the TMVA package is applied in order to improve signal/background separation.
A simple method for theoretical determination of the radius- and time-dependent electron temperatures in nanosecond pulsed longitudinal discharges in helium and neon assuming a bi-Maxwellian electron energy distribution function
Authors: Temelkov K A , Slaveeva S I , Chernogorova T P
Published: June 2020

Assuming a bi-Maxwellian electron energy distribution function, the temporal and radial distribution of the electron temperature is determined in nanosecond pulsed longitudinal discharges used for excitation of two prospective high-power gas-discharge lasers, namely, a deep ultraviolet Cu+ Ne-H2-CuBr laser and a He-Sr+ recombination laser. For this purpose, the parameters of the set of nonstationary heat-conduction equations for the two groups of electrons, namely, the electrical power density and the specific heat capacity, are determined for each group. A 2D(r,t) numerical model is also developed in order to solve the set of the equations.
Electromagnetically induced absorption resonances in Hanle-configuration prepared in a paraffin coated 87Rb cell
Authors: Taskova E , Alipieva E , Andreeva C , Brazhnikov D
Published: June 2020

We present an experimental investigation of electromagnetically-induced absorption (EIA) at the D1 line of 87Rb contained in an anti-relaxation coated vacuum optical cell. The configuration includes a pump and a probe beam propagating in opposite directions and having mutually orthogonal linear polarizations; the probe beam absorption is registered depending on the value of a magnetic field scanned around zero and applied collinearly to the laser beams. The advantages of this scheme have been recently evidenced in vapor cells filled with a buffer gas. In the present work we studied the width and the contrast of the EIA resonances obtained in a coated cell for different values of the pump power. The results are compared with those obtained in a buffer gas cell for the same transition of 87Rb. The theoretical calculations are in good agreement with the experiment.
PMMA resist profile and proximity effect dependence on the electron-beam lithography process parameters
Authors: Kostic I , Vutova K , Koleva E , Bencurova A
Published: June 2020

The study reveals the influence of the electron-beam lithography parameters (such as the exposure dose, resist thickness, depth) on the resist profile shape in the case of the PMMA (polymethyl-methacrylate) positive resist. The experiments are performed using an Elphy Quantum (Raith) e-beam lithography control system installed on an Inspect F50 (FEI) scanning electron microscope with a field emission cathode and a Gaussian intensity distribution. Profiles developed in the PMMA using the MIBK:IPA 1:3 developer and simulation results based on measurements along the resist profile depth for the case of 30-keV electron energy are presented and discussed. The results contribute to the knowledge on electron scattering in the resist/substrate in electron-beam lithography and assist in the development and approval of simulation tools for prediction and control of resist profiles in thick PMMA layers for lift-off nanopatterning.
Evaluation of the accuracy of the optical scanners used in the modern dental practice
Authors: Galeva H , Uzunov T , Sofronov Y , Todorov G
Published: June 2020

The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of the laboratory optical scanning method used in modern dental practice in a CAD/CAM workflow. The assessment was made using the most common case in practice – tooth prepared for a metal-ceramic crown. An acrylic resin tooth was prepared for the metal-ceramic crown according to standard guidelines. The master matrix was scanned by an extraoral Ceramill Map 400 digital scanner. The scanned data of the prepared tooth was processed to an STL model and a digital copy was created. The same sample was measured by a high-precision contact coordinate measuring machine (CMM) and a second digital model was created. The two scans were aligned in one coordinate system and compared. Comparative analysis was used to evaluate the accuracy of the optical scanning method and the advantages and disadvantages of such equipment were highlighted. The conclusion was drawn that the comparative analysis with the results of contact CMM scanning is a very appropriate approach to validating the accuracy of the digital extraoral scanners, whose significance in the modern dental medical practice is expected to grow rapidly.
Morphological features and optical properties of nanosized ZrO2 films prepared by sol-gel spin coating
Authors: Dimitrov O , Stambolova I , Vassilev S , Lazarova K , Babeva T
Published: June 2020

Homogeneous thin ZrO2 films were prepared by spin coating. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed the presence of a mixture of monoclinic and tetragonal ZrO2 polycrystalline phases with nanosized crystallites. The samples were smooth and crack-free with a ganglia-like microstructure and had transmittance of about 80% in the UV-visible range. We established that adding polyethylene glycol (PEG) to the precursor affects the phase composition, morphology and optical properties of the films. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of the samples revealed a broad violet emission. Some of the PEG-modified films exhibited about twice as intense PL emission as the non-modified films. Their emission bands were more complex, consisting of several additional peaks after deconvolution.
Effect of TiN/TiO2 multilayer coatings on the properties of stainless steel for biomedical applications
Authors: Hikov T , Nikolova M , Petrov P
Published: June 2020

A large number of research studies have been focused recently on possible methods for surface modification of metals and alloys. Titanium nitride (TiN) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) films deposited on different substrates have found many applications because of their good mechanical properties, resistance to corrosion, and biocompatibility. The substrates for coating can consist of various kinds of metals and alloys used for manufacturing implants, and endodontic or rotary dental instruments. In this study, stainless steel 304L substrates and endodontic files were coated by a DC-magnetron-sputtered TiN/TiO2 multilayer; the mechanical and biocompatible properties of the newly deposited films were explored.

The structure of the coatings was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), whereas the hardness was investigated by nanoindentation. The corrosion resistance was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization tests in Ringer solution. Each endodontic file coated with TiN/TiO2 was used for mechanical preparation of five root canals and, afterwards, their surface morphology was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM).

Our results confirmed that the TiN/TiO2 multilayer coatings prepared had good stoichiometry and corrosion resistance. Moreover, the pre-coated instruments had a smoother surface and less debris and defects after mechanical preparation of five root canals compared to the non-coated ones. This indicated the usefulness of the coating formed in dental applications.
Thermal vacuum evaporation of thin Cu(I)Br films for photovoltaic application
Authors: Gergova R , Dikov Hr , Popkirov G , Vitanov P , Ganchev M
Published: June 2020

In the present study, thermally evaporated thin copper (I) bromide films were investigated as a potential hole-transport material for hybrid perovskite solar cells in a standard configuration. The films were deposited on top of glass substrates; the measured transparency was 80 %. The structural and morphological analyses revealed a dense polycrystalline structure of γ-CuBr. The analysis of the surface chemical composition demonstrated that copper was in a Cu1+ state and the films were stoichiometric. Electrical measurements were performed with deposited planar silver or copper electrodes. The layers were highly resistive; however, a current increasing with the time was observed when the samples were biased by a dc voltage of 20 V for two hours, which we speculate might be due to a possible new conduction mechanism.
Soot as electrode coating for supercapacitor prototypes
Authors: Petrov M , Lovchinov K , Valkov S , Tyutyundzhiev N
Published: June 2020

Black powders were prepared from chimney soot by means of treatment with different solvents and drying. The powders were used to prepare inks, which were deposited on copper foils. The as prepared electrodes were assembled as supercapacitor structures with KOH as electrolyte. The charge-discharge characteristics were measured to evaluate the electrical capacitance and to compare the technology for soot treatment. The soot was studied as a source before and after treatment using IR spectroscopy, XRD and SEM EDX.
Characterization of multilayer nano-absorbers
Authors: Dankov P , Levcheva V , Kolev S , Koutzarova T
Published: June 2020

Full characterization of thin nano-carbon and nano-ferrite absorbers was performed in the frequency range 5-40 GHz by a combination of two microwave methods – a resonance one using a pair of cylindrical resonators with different excited modes, and a broadband one, where the samples cover a 50-ohm microstrip line. The results show a reliable extraction of the complex dielectric and magnetic parameters of 20-60-μm thick absorber layers by the resonance method considered (including the anisotropy of these parameters) and a successful verification of their values in the wide frequency range.
Investigation of the microstructure and the thermal processes in a Ti6Al4V alloy surface-modified by scanning electron beam
Authors: Ormanova M , Nikolova M , Angelov V , Petrov P
Published: June 2020

We present a study of the microstructure, the microhardness and the thermal processes taking place in a Ti6Al4V alloy (Ti64) surface-modified by means of a scanning electron beam. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and optical metallography were used to characterize the structure and morphology of the samples. A heat model based on solving the heat-transfer equation by Green functions was applied to calculate the temperature fields and depth of the structural changes in the titanium alloy. In particular, the effect was assessed of the scanning beam current during the process of surface modification on the structure and morphology of the layers.
Overview of the CMD-3 recent results
Authors: Ryzhenenkov A E , Akhmetshin R R , Amirkhanov A N , Anisenkov A V , Aulchenko V M , Banzarov V Sh , Bashtovoy N S , Berkaev D E , Bondar A E , Bragin A V , Eidelman S I , Epifanov D A , Epshteyn L B , Erofeev A L , Fedotovich G V , Gayazov S E , Grancagnolo F J , Grebenuk A A , Gribanov S S , Grigoriev D N , Ignatov F V , Ivanov V L , Karpov S V , Kasaev A S , Kazanin V F , Koop I A , Korobov A A , Kozyrev A N , Kozyrev E A , Krokovny P P , Kuzmenko A E , Kuzmin A S , Logashenko I B , Lukin P A , Lysenko A P , Mikhailov K Yu , Okhapkin V S , Perevedentsev E A , Pestov Yu N , Popov A S , Razuvaev G P , Ruban A A , Ryskulov N M , Semenov A V , Shatunov Yu M , Shebalin V E , Shemyakin D N , Shwartz B A , Shwartz D B , Sibidanov A L , Solodov E P , Timoshenko M V , Talyshev A A , Tolmachev S S , Vorobiov A I , Yudin Yu V
Published: June 2020

The CMD-3 detector started data taking at the electron-positron collider VEPP-2000 in December 2010 with a goal to collect about 1 fb−1. The collected data sample corresponds to an integrated luminosity of 200 pb−1 in the center-of-mass energy range from 0.32 up to 2 GeV. This paper reports recent results on the hadronic cross sections measurements with the CMD-3 detector.
Isospin-breaking contributions to ε
′/ε
Authors: Cirigliano V , Gisbert H , Pich A , Rodríguez-Sánchez A
Published: June 2020

We present an updated analysis of isospin-violating corrections to ε
′/ε in the framework of chiral perturbation theory, taking advantage of the currently improved knowledge on quark masses and nonperturbative parameters. The role of the different ingredients entering into the analysis is carefully assessed. Our final result is

Ω

eff

=

0.110

−
0.088

+
0.090

[1].
Structural and Optical Properties of Ba0.7Dy0.3Fe11.4Cr0.6O19/Polyaniline (PANI) Nanocomposites for Optoelectronics
Authors: Tchouank Tekou Carol T. , Mohammed J. , Mukhtar G. , Halilu N. , Getso R. S. , Abdullahi Z. H. , Basandrai D. , Srivastava A. K.
Published: June 2020

M-type hexaferrites have found considerable application in microwave absorption and magnetic recording. Sol-gel auto-combustion technique was utilized to prepare Ba0.7Dy0.3Fe11.4Cr0.6O19 nano-sized particles which were sintered at 1000 °C for 6 hours. XRD patterns of the prepared sample show magnetoplumbite phase of M-type hexaferrite along with the presence of hematite (α-Fe2O3) and polyaniline. Two specific bands in the range 400-600 cm−1 were observed in the FTIR spectra signifying the formation of hexaferrites structure. The peaks corresponding to polyaniline are also present in the FTIR spectra in the range 800-1600 cm−1. FESEM analysis shows grains with shape similar to hexagonal plate embedded on the surface of polyaniline. The band gap was found to decrease from 1.96 eV to 1.59 eV.
Synthesis and characterization of polyaniline-nickel chloride composites
Authors: Prasher Sangeeta , Kumar Mukesh , Kaur Updesh , Tyagi Sachin
Published: June 2020

NiCl2/polyaniline composites with varying NiCl2 concentration have been synthesized and characterized for structural and optical modifications in polyaniline with the addition of NiCl2, and to explore the effect of addition of NiCl2 on the electrical properties of polyaniline. FTIR spectral peaks attributed to various entities present in polyaniline have been shifted towards longer wavelengths with the addition of NiCl2. The d-spacing for the two x-ray diffraction peaks at 20.30° and 26.22° has been determined by using the Bragg’s relation and found to decrease with the addition of NiCl2. The SEM images of the composites indicate the uniform dispersal of the salt in the polymeric conformation. The band edge of UV-VIS spectra of the composites has been found to blue shift indicating increase in the band gaps with the increased NiCl2 concentration except for a concentration of 5%. The capacitance has been found to decrease with increase in frequency and the increase in the NiCl2 content. The resistance has been found to increase with the addition of NiCl2 thus establishing a positive correlation between the optical band gap and variations of resistance with the addition of NiCl2 to the polyaniline.
Synthesis of biotin caped Mn2+ activated ZnS quantum dots with their structural stability and modulation of opto-electronic properties
Authors: Goel Anshika , Keshari Ashish K , Kumar Mukesh
Published: June 2020

Mn2+ activated ZnS (ZnS:Mn2+) nanoparticles biotin matrix have been synthesized by chemical co-precipitation route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirmed single phase zinc blend structure with crystallite sizes ranging from 1.5 to 1.9 nm. The small particle sizes are believed to have single domain crystallites because of quantum confinement of particles in the biotin matrix. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis shows smooth and polygon shape potato like morphology having cluster size varying from 77μm to 182μm. Optical measurement shows the band gap of 3.85 eV which has been blue shifted and is accredit to the quantum size effect. The particle size estimated for this gap is to be 2.03 nm and is good agreement with sizes obtained from XRD. The luminescence feature of the as synthesized sample was also reported. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra shows two wide peaks centred at 408 nm and 520 nm respectively. The first emission at 408 nm with short time is attributed to the defects of ZnS while another peak at 520 nm attributed in green emission due to the elemental sulphur species on the surface of zinc sulphide. The both emissions are blue shifted and are attributed to the small particle sizes. The well known manganese related orange-red emission peak cantered at 590 nm has not been observed and is completely quenched that confirmed that the Mn2+ ions have been allocated outside the ZnS crystals. A new emission at 338 nm appears to have radiative transitions from the defect level to the acceptor levels. Thus, by using suitable activator and capping molecule, we are able to stabilize the growth of nanoparticles at room temperature, thereby enhance the structural and opto-electronic properties.
Synthesis and Ultrasonic Investigation of Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanosuspension with Water
Authors: Jain Alok , Kaur Parminder , Juglan K.C.
Published: June 2020

Synthesis of Graphene Oxide (GO) was done using Original Hummer’s Method. The prepared GO specimen was reduced further with Hydrazine monohydrate to create Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO). RGO were evaluated using characterization techniques such as FESEM, EDS, FTIR, XRD, and Raman. These techniques help to confirm the production of GO and conversion of GO into RGO. Suspension of RGO in double-distilled Water with different concentrations was produced using ultrasonication for 24 hours. This suspension was further tested with the help of the UV-Vis technique to confirm the presence of RGO in the suspension. DLS was done to confirm the nano dimensions of RGO particles in the water solution. Ultrasonic velocity, density, and viscosity were measured for all prepared nanosuspensions. The acoustical parameter such as adiabatic compressibility, intermolecular length, and acoustical impedance was calculated from experimental data.
Third Harmonic Generation of Hermite-cosh-Gaussian laser Beam
Authors: Sharma Vinay , Thakur Vishal , Kant Niti
Published: June 2020

In present study we have investigated the third harmonic generation (THG) of self-focused Hermite-cosh-Gaussian (HchG) laser beam, propagating through plasma. When intense short pulse laser propagates through plasma results ponderomotive force on electrons due to which electrons move away from the axial region, creating a low density plasma region. Due to electrostatic force, electrons gain oscillatory velocity and results density perturbation. Density oscillations at frequency 2ω1couple with oscillatory velocity of electrons, at the fundamental frequency of incident laser result THG. Due to phase mismatch with the incident pulse, the third harmonic pulse is of smaller amplitude. Wiggler field satisfy the resonance condition by providing additional momentum to the photon of third harmonic pulse and this result increase in the normalized amplitude of third harmonic pulse. In the present study the study of beam width parameter with normalized propagation distance at optimum values of different laser parameters has been studied. We derived the coupled differential equation for the normalized amplitude,A'30/A10, of third harmonic pulse. We analysed the efficiency of third harmonic pulse withξat optimum values of normalized intensity of fundamental laser.
FP-LAPW calculations on electronic and thermoelectric properties of Mn2CoCr Heusler compound
Authors: Srivastava Vipul , Kaur Navdeep , Dar Sajad A
Published: June 2020

Heusler compounds have been remarkable among the materials due to their fascinating properties. These materials are also important in terms of applications in thermoelectric device formation. The Mn2CoCr is one of the Heusler compounds investigated in reference to its band structure and thermo-electric properties by using density functional theory. Mn2CoCr crystallizes in Fm-3m (space group 225) phase and ferromagnetically stable under ambient conditions. We have calculated its bulk modulus, first order pressure derivative of bulk modulus, band structure, density of states, Seebeck coefficient and power factor.
Determination of terrestrial radionuclides and related radiological risks in the soils from Pangi Valley of Chamba, Himachal Pradesh, India
Authors: Kumari Punam , Kumar Gulshan , Prasher Sangeeta , Kumar Mukesh , Mehra Rohit , Kaur Sarabjot
Published: June 2020

The present study has been aimed to analyze the concentration activities of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K in soil samples collected from Pangi valley, Himachal Pradesh by means of gamma spectrometry with NaI(TI) detector and has been found to vary between 39.61 to 79.72 Bqkg−1 with average of 57.66 Bqkg−1, 32.8 to 66.57 Bqkg−1 with average of 49.69 Bqkg−1 and 495.62 to 653.85 Bqkg−1 with average of 579.41 Bqkg−1, respectively. Radium equivalent activity in these samples has also been determined and observed lower than the maximum permissible value 370 Bqkg−1, acceptable for the safe use. The average absorbed dose rate in air at 1 m height from the ground level has been found 81.43 nGyh−1, while the average outdoor and indoor annual effective dose rate has been calculated as 0.099 and 0.40 mSvy−1 respectively. The estimation of excess life time cancer risk assessments suggests about 13 out of 10000 persons may get affected by carcinogenic diseases due to indoor effective dose. The calculated external and internal hazard indices have been found to be less than unity.
Numerical study of nonlinear current density produced by beating of two chirped lasers in plasma with density-ripple
Authors: Mehta Alka , Kant Niti , Thakur Vishal , Rajput Jyoti
Published: June 2020

In the present model, a detailed theoretical investigation of the nonlinear current density produced by beating of chirped pulse lasers in plasma having spatial ripple density is conducted. In our mechanism, we consider two Gaussian lasers with electric fields

E
→

1

and

E
→

2

propagating along

z
^

, polarized along ŷ direction. The lasers have a linear frequency chirp and the frequency Ω1 and Ω2can be chosen as the required frequency range. A transverse nonlinear ponderomotive force is experienced by the plasma electrons due to the lasers beating in plasma. As a consequence, plasma electrons get an oscillatory velocity that paired with the density ripple to generate a stronger transient transverse nonlinear current. Our theoretical simulation unveil that by optimizing the chirp parameter a prominent change in nonlinear oscillating current is depicted.
Nanofluids rheology for viscoelastic Oldroyd-B fluid: a revised model
Authors: Gupta Urvashi , Kaur Jeevanpreet
Published: June 2020

A revised model is used to study Rayleigh-Bénard convection of a viscoelastic Oldroyd-B nanofluid layer with physically realistic boundary condition i.e. the flux of nanoparticle volume fraction is zero on the boundaries. Combined behaviours of thermophoretic effects and Brownian motions due to the presence of nanoparticles is emphasized. It is found that for the case of Oldroyd-B nanofluids oscillatory convection sets in before stationary convection. For stationary convection viscoelastic nanofluid acts just as a Newtonian nanofluid due to the absence of viscoelastic parameters in the expression of thermal Rayleigh number. Interestingly, oscillatory motions come into existence due to viscoelasticity of the Oldroyd-B fluid. Further, the stress relaxation parameter hastens the onset of oscillatory convection while strain retardation parameter has the effect of postponing it. Behaviour of parameters under consideration is numerically seen using the software Mathematica. The critical frequency of oscillation as a function of strain retardation parameter for various values of physical parameters is computed and its effect on the stability of the system is depicted graphically.
rw*-closed sets in Alexandroff Spaces
Authors: Bhardwaj N , Sharma P
Published: June 2020

This paper explained and defined the notion of regular weakly-star closed (briefly known as rw*-closed) sets in alexandroff spaces in which every point has a minimal neighbourhood. We discuss the characterizations and study their properties based on set theory along with the notion of rw*-open sets.
An efficient intuitionistic fuzzy approach for location selection to install the most suitable energy power plant
Authors: Kaur Gurpreet , Yadav Rakesh , Majumder Arunava
Published: June 2020

This paper develops a decision support system for multi-factor based energy plant installation in various locations. As, the conditions to implement an energy plant in different locations varies a lot, therefore, based on these conditions specific type of power generation plant should be installed. But, because of environmental sustainability, social, and economical issues, some restrictions are imposed in building all types of power plants in every location which may create difficulties to satisfy the demand of energy for those locations. Thus, there must be a suitable methodology to decide the most appropriate power generation plant to be installed in the most appropriate place. In this respect, this paper develops an efficient process for building the most appropriate energy production plant based on intuitionistic fuzzy logic. The study is inspired by Sanchez's approach which was initiated to diagnose some medical conditions. The Sanchez's method is adopted here and utilized to obtain the degree of membership functions to choose the proper location for the proper plant. The entire methodology was illustrated with the algorithm and flowchart. To validate the model, data of seven Indian states are collected from several sources. The study concluded that the proposed methodology can obtain the degrees of appropriateness which specifies how much a specific power plant is suitable to be implemented in a particular location.