bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microplastic contamination and earthworms: Current trends and research needs
Authors: Sanchez-Hernandez Juan C.
Published: September 2024

Microplastic pollution in agricultural soils is a growing global concern that demands an urgent understanding of its effects on soil function and ecosystem services. Soil-dwelling earthworms exhibit strong subsoil bioturbation, which contributes to processes associated with many ecosystem services such as water regulation, nutrient cycling, biomass production, pollution control and remediation, among others. This functional association between earthworms and soil has made these organisms suitable candidates for assessing microplastic pollution in agricultural soils. However, based on the literature systematically reviewed here, current knowledge of microplastic toxicity in earthworms mainly derives from a recurrent methodological pattern, which implies lab-scale standardised toxicity testing.Eisenia fetidaandE. andreihave been the model earthworm species (86% of screened publications), leading to the risk of biased data. Additionally, the ecological characteristics ofEiseniaspp. raise uncertainties about the environmental and agronomic meaning of microplastic toxicity testing outcomes. These species are absent in agricultural lands and inhabit the soil surface, avoiding the ingestion of mineral soil. Accordingly, a more environmentally realistic assessment of microplastic pollution is needed, which involves field soil, native earthworm species as possible and aged microplastics from the environment. This review identifies specific knowledge gaps regarding the use ofEiseniaspecies in the environmental risk assessment of microplastic pollution, and suggests moving ecotoxicity assessment towards a retrospective approach, which involves complex setups (field-simulated and ex-situ microcosms) and microplastic interactions with biomolecules and other environmental contaminants (e.g. protein corona and eco-corona) that may modulate microplastic toxicity.
Review of farmer-centered AI systems technologies in livestock operations
Authors: Taiwo Gbadegesin Adetayo , Alameer Ali , Mansouri Taha
Published: September 2024

The assessment of livestock welfare aids in keeping an eye on the health, physiology, and environment of the animals in order to prevent deterioration, detect injuries, stress, and sustain productivity. Because it puts more consumer pressure on farming industries to change how animals are treated to make them more humane, it has also grown to be a significant marketing tactic. Common visual welfare procedures followed by experts and vets could be expensive, subjective, and need specialized staff. Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) integrated with farmers’ expertise have aided in the creation of novel and cutting-edge livestock biometrics technologies that extract important physiological data linked to animal welfare. A thorough examination of physiological, behavioral, and health variables highlights AI's ability to provide accurate, rapid, and impartial assessments. Farmer-focused strategy: an emphasis on the crucial role that farmers play in the skillful adoption and prudent application of AI and sensor technologies, as well as conversations about developing logical, practical, and affordable solutions that are specific to the needs of farmers.
Interrelation of macroscopic mechanical properties and molecular scale thermal relaxation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable polymers
Authors: Bhatt Shipra , Bagchi Debjani
Published: September 2024

Comparative analysis of macroscopic mechanical properties of a biodegradable polymer polypropylene carbonate (PPC) is carried out concerning two most commonly used, non-biodegradable synthetic polymers–high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Responses of the films of these polymers when subjected to mechanical and thermal stresses are analyzed. Response to tensile stress reveals the highest elongation at break (EB) in PPC films (396 ± 104 mm), compared to HDPE (26 ± 0.5 mm) and LLDPE (301 ± 143 mm), although the elastic modulus (YM) of PPC is around 50 ± 6 MPa, 3-fold lesser than LLDPE (YM = 153 ± 7 MPa) and 6-fold lesser than HDPE (YM = 305 ± 32 MPa). The plastic deformation response of PPC is intermediate to that of HDPE and LLDPE; initial strain softening is followed by strain hardening in LLDPE, a plateau region in PPC, and prolonged strain softening in HDPE. Crystalline domains in HDPE produce restriction on molecular motion. Crystallinity abruptly decreases by 70% in HDPE following a thermal quench, showing the possibility of free chain molecular mobility during plastic deformation. High correlation among Raman modes for all polymers reveals cooperative relaxation processes after thermal quench; C-C stretching modes and C-H bending, CH2 wagging modes have Pearson’s correlation coefficient 0.9. The integrated peak intensity and width of the C-C stretching Raman mode is 3-fold higher in PPC than HDPE after a thermal quench, showing enhanced molecular mobility and contributing modes in PPC. The peak width of this mode shows a strong negative correlation of −0.7 with the YM and a strong positive correlation of 0.6 with EB, showing that higher amorphicity leads to enhanced molecular mobility and EB at the cost of YM. This study reveals importance of molecular-scale response in governing the macroscopic properties of polymers.
A practitioners view on the ICRP review of the system of radiological protection—feedback from SRP 2023 workshop
Authors: Bryant Peter A , Bannon Amber , Castle Matthew , Jeffries Cameron , Nisbet Anne , Hondros Jim , Humphries Jennifer
Published: September 2024

In 2018 the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) initiated a review and revision of the System of Radiological Protection which will lay the foundation for radiation protection (RP) standards, regulations, guidance and practice worldwide for the next 40 years. On the 25 April 2023 the Society for Radiological Protection ran a workshop at their Annual Conference presenting the current status and progress in the ICRP Review and Revision, along with inviting a number of panellist’s across different areas of the profession and wider audience to share their thoughts. The outputs of the workshop are summarised in this paper showing the views from a variety of practitioners working across the RP sectors on the key factors to be considered in the review.
A fault diagnosis method for bearings and gears in rotating machinery based on data fusion and transfer learning
Authors: Zhang Yi , Yan Xiaoxiang , Xiao Ping , Zou Jialing , Hu Ling
Published: September 2024

Rotating machinery is a crucial component of industrial equipment, and the fault diagnosis of bearings and gears, as vital elements of rotating machinery, is essential since they often fail under harsh working conditions, leading to significant property losses and serious personal safety problems. However, fault data for gears and bearings are often sparse in actual condition, and it is a challenge to ensure the reliability and stability of fault diagnosis results by extracting the features of a single data. To solve the above problems, this paper proposes a fault diagnosis method that combines Transfer Learning and data fusion techniques. Firstly, in this method, two kinds of fault signals are transformed into Gramian Angular Difference Fields and Recurrence Plot. Next, a U-shaped feature fusion dual discriminator generative adversarial network is used to fuse two-dimensional images from multiple sensor data. Its feature fusion module deeply integrates the features of the two images, thereby solving the impact of single data on the reliability and stability of fault diagnosis. Moreover, open-source datasets are used for Transfer Learning training to tackle the small sample problem. Finally, a decision-level information fusion classifier, the Dual-Branch Dempster-Shafer Classifier (DB-DSC), classifies the fused images. This classifier incorporates an improved soft threshold function and D-S evidence theory to achieve adaptive gradient changes and improve the robustness and accuracy of classification results. The experimental results show the effectiveness and stability of the proposed method, and the generated images get high score in several metrics. The average classification accuracy of the classification network reaches 93% and 92.5% on the two datasets, Therefore, the proposed method exhibits strong fault diagnosis capabilities under the small sample conditions of bearings and gears.
Research on abnormal object detection network of computer room inspection robot based on depth vision
Authors: Zhao Bin , Li Ziheng , Wu Chengdong , Zhang Xuejiao , Du Zhenjun
Published: September 2024

This paper investigates a deep learning-based anomaly object detection network for identifying and alerting on abnormal items within computer room. First, the framework of the data center inspection robot system is outlined, and the anomaly detection task is decomposed. Next, a dataset of abnormal objects based on data center environmental information is established, and augmentation operations are performed on the created dataset. Subsequently, a SqueezeNet network model based on Residual Squeeze Excitation and Atrous Spatial Pyramid Pooling (RSE-ASPP) is proposed to optimize and improve the SqueezeNet network model. Finally, this paper employs transfer learning to address the issue of insufficient data volume. By pre-training on a large-scale dataset and fine-tuning on the constructed dataset, the accuracy and stability of abnormal object recognition can be significantly enhanced. Ultimately, the proposed RSE-ASPP-SqueezeNet network achieves high-precision detection of abnormal items in the data center inspection robot’s anomaly detection task.
Characterization of identical lithium-ion battery electrodes before and after charge/discharge cycles via in-plane large-area polishing
Authors: Cho Mingi , Park So yeon , Jung Heechul , Kim Seong Heon
Published: September 2024

As an effective method to fabricate a large-area cross-sectional sample for lithium-ion battery electrodes, we perform in-plane polishing of LiNi0.8Co0.15Al0.05O2 (NCA) cathode samples and obtain a large cross-sectional area with a diameter of 1.5 mm. The polished cross-sections of NCA cathode particles are sufficiently flat to perform the atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements on each cathode particle. Following AFM-based Kelvin probe force microscopy and scanning spreading resistance microscopy measurements, an identical in-plane polished NCA sample is assembled into a coin cell for the charge and discharge processes. After 90 charge/discharge cycles, the in-plane-polished sample is successfully disassembled from the coin cell without causing critical damage. In addition, a microcrack structure, which is a typical degradation feature of the cycles of NCA particles, is observed for the identical in-plane polished NCA sample. This indicates that the in-plane polishing method is effective for investigating identical NCA electrode samples before and after the charge/discharge process. Furthermore, the in-plane polishing method can be successfully applied to the large-area polishing of a Si-based anode which is a mixture of Si carbon complexes and graphite particles. This study presents a novel methodology for analyzing the degradation of lithium-ion battery electrode materials.
Analysis of coupling effect between TID and SET in SOI Tri-Gate nanowire field-effect transistors
Authors: Zhou Xilong , Yin Chenyu , Liu Hongxia , Chen Shupeng , Wang Shulong , Huang Junjie , Yan Zhanpeng , Liu Chang
Published: September 2024

This study investigates the response of nanowire field-effect transistors (NWFETs) to total ionizing dose (TID), single-event transient (SET), and their coupling effects in junctionless (JL), inversion (IM), and junctionless accumulation (AC) modes. The degradation of the three modes under irradiation and the effect of device bias configuration on the electrical properties of NWFETs are analyzed, and the different effects of SET on the three modes are compared. On this basis, the influence of TID on SET current generation and the charge collection mechanism are studied, and the changes in peak current, pulse width, and collected charge of transient current under different TIDs are compared. The results show that JL mode has the worst resistance to TID and SET coupling effects, followed by IM and AC modes.
BP-diff: a conditional diffusion model for cuffless continuous BP waveform estimation using U-Net
Authors: Liu Yinsong , Yu Junsheng , Mou Hanlin
Published: September 2024

Objective. Continuous monitoring of blood pressure (BP) is crucial for daily healthcare. Although invasive methods provide accurate continuous BP measurements, they are not suitable for routine use. Photoplethysmography (PPG), a non-invasive technique that detects changes in blood volume within the microcirculation using light, shows promise for BP measurement. The primary goal of this study is to develop a novel cuffless method based on PPG for accurately estimating continuous BP. Approach. We introduce BP-Diff, an end-to-end method for cuffless continuous BP waveform estimation utilizing a conditional diffusion probability model combined with a U-Net architecture. This approach takes advantage of the stochastic properties of diffusion models and the strong feature representation capabilities of U-Net. It integrates the continuous BP waveform as the initial status and uses the PPG signal and its derivatives as conditions to guide the training and sampling process. Main results. BP-Diff was evaluated using both uncalibrated and calibrated schemes. The results indicate that, when uncalibrated, BP-Diff can accurately track BP dynamics, including peak and valley positions, as well as timing. After calibration, BP-Diff achieved highly accurate BP estimations. The mean absolute error of the estimated BP waveforms, along with the systolic BP, diastolic BP, and mean arterial pressure from the calibrated BP-Diff model, were 2.99 mmHg, 2.6 mmHg, 1.4 mmHg, and 1.44 mmHg, respectively. Consistency tests, including Bland–Altman analysis and Pearson correlation, confirmed its high reliability compared to reference BP. BP-Diff meets the American Association for Medical Instrumentation standards and has achieved a Grade A from the British Hypertension Society. Significance. This study utilizes PPG signals to develop a novel cuffless continuous BP measurement method, demonstrating superiority over existing approaches. The method is suitable for integration into wearable devices, providing a practical solution for continuous BP monitoring in everyday healthcare.
Delamination and thrust force mitigation during drilling of unidirectional carbon fibre-reinforced plastic laminate using magnetorheological elastomer
Authors: Patel Punit , Chaudhary Vijaykumar , Patel Dipal , Upadhyay Ramesh , Mazlan Saiful Amri , Nordin Nurazmah , Johari Mohd Aidy Faizal
Published: September 2024

In new improvements to the aviation industry, carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) is a buoyant material due to its noteworthy and application-friendly properties. The behaviour of transversely isotropic CFRP, which prompts drilling-induced delamination, causes critical damage that leads to the rejection of the final product. The cause of the delamination damage is the thrust force generated by the drilling tool during the machining operation. The present work proposes an indigenous approach to suppress delamination significantly using magnetorheological elastomer (MRE). The thrust force generated by the drilling tool is recorded for varying magnetic field strengths. Delamination damage was computed using the MATLAB script. Meanwhile, specific focus was given to studying the interlaminar mechanics of a drilled hole through scanning electron microscopy. The results show that nearly 45% of the thrust force is reduced using this MRE at a maximum field strength of 0.4T compared to a conventional one. The results are further supported by a 22% and 30% smoothening of the delamination at the hole’s entry and exit, respectively. Thus, this approach helps to reduce delamination during drilling.
Bi-intercalated epitaxial graphene on SiC(0001)
Authors: Wolff Susanne , Hutter Mark , Schädlich Philip , Yin Hao , Stettner Monja , Wenzel Sabine , Stefan Tautz F , Bocquet François C , Seyller Thomas , Kumpf Christian
Published: September 2024

The intercalation of graphene with suitable atomic species is one of the most frequently applied methods to decouple the graphene layer from the substrate in order to establish the classical electronic properties of graphene. In this context, we studied the bismuth (Bi) intercalation of the

(
6

3

×
6

3

)

R

30
∘

reconstructed so-called ‘zeroth layer graphene’ on SiC

(
0001
)

. As reported earlier by Sohn et al (2021 J. Korean Phys. Soc.
78 157) two phases are formed depending on the amount of intercalated Bi, which in turn is controlled by the annealing temperature: The α phase, showing a

(
1
×
1
)

periodicity with respect to the substrate, and, at higher temperatures, the

(

3

×

3

)

reconstructed β phase. We characterise both phases and the transformation from the α to the β phase by photoelectron spectroscopy, normal incidence x-ray standing waves, electron diffraction and electron microscopy. We clearly see an almost complete intercalation of the graphene layers in both phases, with strong (covalent) interaction between the topmost Si atoms of the substrate and the Bi intercalant, but only weak (van der Waals) interaction between Bi and the graphene layer. The n-doping of the graphene found for the α phase decreases continuously during the phase transformation, in agreement with a reduced density of the Bi intercalating layer. Missing core level shifts of the surface species as well as the normal incidence x-ray standing waves results indicate that all surface Si atoms remain saturated during the transition and no dangling bonds are formed. Low energy electron microscopy and diffraction reveal the coexistance of both phases after annealing to intermediate temperatures and allow a quantitative analysis of island sizes and numbers.
Exploration of time-fractional cancer tumor models with variable cell killing rates via hybrid algorithm
Authors: Qayyum Mubashir , Ahmad Efaza
Published: September 2024

Cancer is marked by abnormal cell growth that invades healthy tissues, potentially spreading throughout the body through bloodstream or lymphatic system. It arises when body cells show irregularities in the genes that control cell growth. To treat and minimize the growth of these abnormal cells, different models have been proposed to predict and analyze cancer-tumor. The current study contains analysis of fractional cancer-tumor with different uncertain conditions. To include the uncertainties in the model, Pentagonal fuzzy numbers (PFNs) approach is utilized. A hybrid mechanism, combining homotopies with perturbation technique and a generalized integral transform, is proposed to efficiently handle fractional derivatives with fuzzified conditions. The validity of obtained solutions is checked by calculating residual errors. Graphical analysis assesses the impact of important parameters on the solution profiles, and confirms the reliability of the proposed methodology for complex fractional tumor models and other intricate physical phenomena.
Numerical simulation and neural network model for hydromagnetic nanofluid convection in a porous wavy channel with thermal non-equilibrium model
Authors: Rani H P , B Shilpa , V Leela , Gangadhara Reddy R
Published: September 2024

The present study aims to analyze the nanofluid MHD convective heat transfer in a porous wavy channel with a local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) model. Such a model finds applications related to enhancement in thermal performance, increasing the heat transfer coefficient in the compact design of heat exchangers for the aerospace and automotive industries and elevation in the efficiency of the solar collector. A sinusoidal porous wavy LTNE channel containing nanofluid and subjected to the induced and applied magnetic fields is considered. A uniform magnetic field is applied orthogonal to the channel and the induced magnetic field effects are considered due to the large magnetic Reynolds number. The momentum, continuity, energy, and nanoparticle volume fraction equations constitute the coupled nonlinear system of differential equations and are solved using the Galerkin finite element method. The reliability of the technique is assessed by comparing the proposed procedure with the results from earlier sources. A detailed analysis is presented to determine the effects of different physical parameters arising in the system on temperature, nanoparticle concentration, and velocity profiles. As an illustration, the findings exhibit that increasing the modified diffusivity ratio increases the values of the nanoparticle volume fraction whereas, reducing the modified diffusivity ratio enhances the temperature distribution. A higher value of thermal Rayleigh number presents a significant involvement of buoyancy forces, potentially resulting in the development of convective currents. A higher Nield number indicates more effective heat transport from the solid surface to the nanofluid. Consequently, there is a minimal thermal difference between the solid surface and the bulk nanofluid. Effective heat transmission enhances the nanofluid ability to absorb heat and generates a more consistent dispersion of temperature inside the fluid. The performance of the designed algorithms of the artificial neural network, namely, the Levenberg—Marquardt algorithm, in the problem under consideration is evaluated and the methodology is found reasonably precise with the matching of order around 6 to 7 decimal places of accuracy.
Oblique propagation of dust acoustic solitary waves in a magnetized plasma in the presence of cairns-tsallis distributed ions
Authors: Benmadani Yanis , Kechidi Ziane , Rabia Amour , Ibrir Miloud
Published: September 2024

We investigate the effects of non-extensivity (q), non-thermality (α), obliqueness (l

z
), the strength of the magnetic field (ω

c
), and dust grain temperature (σ

d
) on the basic features (viz., amplitude, width, velocity, and soliton energy) of obliquely propagating dust-acoustic solitary waves (DASWs) in a magnetized dusty plasma, which consists of highly negatively charged dust grains, Boltzmann-distributed electrons, and nonthermal non-extensive Cairns-Tsallis(C-T)-distributed ions. First, we derived the expression of the C-T polarization force and analyzed the combined effects of the ions’ non-extensivity (q) and non-thermality (α) parameters on the magnitude (R) of this polarization force. Our results show that R strongly depends on both the q-parameter and the α-parameter. Specifically, for q < 1, the ions’ non-extensivity and non-thermality weaken the polarization force, whereas for q > 1, R shifts toward higher values. Thus, the obliquely propagating DASWs are more likely to form in a magnetized non-extensive plasma rather than in a magnetized extensive plasma q = 1. Subsequent key findings are as follows: The wave phase velocity increases linearly as the obliquity (l

z
) decreases. This implies that a reduced obliqueness results in faster soliton motion and spikier solitary structures. Moreover, the amplitude (width) of DASWs decreases (increases) with increasing l

z
. An increase in the magnetic field magnitude (ω

c
) affects only the width of the DASWs. The amplitude (width) of DASWs decreases (increases) with higher dust grain temperature (σ

d
). This indicates that dust temperature significantly affects wave excitation. Specifically, at higher dust temperatures, dispersion dominates over nonlinear effects, resulting in smoother solitary structures. The soliton’s energy increases with α and becomes more pronounced as q decreases (from 1 to 0.75). It increases also with higher ω

c
and dust temperature (σ

d
), especially in the presence of nonthermal energetic particles. This investigation provides valuable insights into the propagation mechanisms of nonlinear DASWs in both space and laboratory plasmas containing non-extensive, nonthermal C-T-distributed ions and dust grains.
Gravitational wave signatures of post-fragmentation reheating
Authors: Garcia Marcos A.G. , Pierre Mathias
Published: September 2024

After cosmic inflation, coherent oscillations of the inflaton field about a monomial
potential V(ϕ) ∼ ϕ

k
result in an expansion phase characterized by a stiff
equation-of-state w ≃ (k-2)/(k+2). Sourced by the oscillating inflaton condensate, parametric
(self)resonant effects can induce the exponential growth of inhomogeneities eventually
backreacting and leading to the fragmentation of the condensate. In this work, we investigate
realizations of inflation giving rise to such dynamics, assuming an inflaton weakly coupled to its
decay products. As a result, the transition to a radiation-dominated universe, i.e. reheating,
occurs after fragmentation. We estimate the consequences on the production of gravitational waves
by computing the contribution induced by the stiff equation-of-state era in addition to the signal
generated by the fragmentation process for k = 4,6,8,10. We find that the signal generated during
the fragmentation process gives a larger contribution than the one induced by the stiff
equation-of-state era in given frequency ranges for all values of k. Our results are independent
of the reheating temperature provided that reheating is achieved posterior to fragmentation. Our
work shows that the dynamics of such weakly-coupled inflaton scenario can actually result in
characteristic gravitational wave spectra with frequencies from Hz to GHz, in the reach of future
gravitational wave observatories, in addition to the complementarity between upcoming detectors in
discriminating (post)inflation scenarios. We advocate the need of developing high-frequency
gravitational wave detectors to gain insight into the dynamics of inflation and reheating.
Towards testing the general bounce cosmology with the CMB B-mode auto-bispectrum
Authors: Akama Shingo , Orlando Giorgio , Delgado Paola C.M.
Published: September 2024

It has been shown that a three-point correlation function of tensor perturbations from a bounce model in general relativity with a minimally-coupled scalar field is highly suppressed, and the resultant three-point function of cosmic microwave background (CMB) B-mode polarizations is too small to be detected by CMB experiments. On the other hand, bounce models in a more general class with a non-minimal derivative coupling between a scalar field and gravity can predict the three-point correlation function of the tensor perturbations without any suppression, the amplitude of which is allowed to be much larger than that in general relativity. In this paper, we evaluate the three-point function of the B-mode polarizations from the general bounce cosmology with the non-minimal coupling and show that a signal-to-noise ratio of the B-mode auto-bispectrum in the general class can reach unity for ℓ
max=100 in the full-sky case, with and without the lensing B-mode added to cosmic variance. Considering additionally the LiteBIRD experimental noise, we obtain a SNR smaller than unity.
Relativistic two-fluid hydrodynamics with quantized vorticity from the nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation
Authors: Xiong Chi , Huang Kerson
Published: September 2024

We consider a relativistic two-fluid model of superfluidity, in which the superfluid is described by an order parameter that is a complex scalar field satisfying the nonlinear Klein–Gordon equation (NLKG). The coupling to the normal fluid is introduced via a covariant current–current interaction, which results in the addition of an effective potential, whose imaginary part describes particle transfer between superfluid and normal fluid. Quantized vorticity arises in a class of singular solutions and the related vortex dynamics is incorporated in the modified NLKG, facilitating numerical analysis which is usually very complicated in the phenomenology of vortex filaments. The dual transformation to a string theory description (Kalb–Ramond) of quantum vorticity, the Magnus force, and the mutual friction between quantized vortices and normal fluid are also studied.
Average coherence and its monogamy in a two-dimensional XY model
Authors: Wei Xiu-Qin , Xie Yu-Xia
Published: September 2024

The critical behaviors of average coherence (AC) in a two-dimensional XY model are investigated by using the renormalization group method. It is found that there is an extremum for the AC of the renormalized blocks at the critical point of quantum phase transition (QPT), and a finite-scaling analysis shows that in the thermodynamic limit, there is a divergence for the AC susceptibility at the QPT point. Furthermore, by considering the bipartite division of the renormalized blocks, it is found that the AC is monogamous and the average correlated coherence is polygamous, and the corresponding monogamy score is also a reliable indicator of QPT. Some constraints on the shareability of AC among the renormalized blocks are also obtained.
Epidural spinal cord recordings (ESRs): sources of neural-appearing artifact in stimulation evoked compound action potentials
Authors: Deshmukh Ashlesha , Settell Megan , Cheng Kevin , Knudsen Bruce , Trevathan James , LaLuzerne Maria , Blanz Stephan , Skubal Aaron , Verma Nishant , Romanauski Ben , Brucker-Hahn Meagan , Lam Danny , Lavrov Igor , Suminski Aaron , Weber Douglas , Fisher Lee , Lempka Scott , Shoffstall Andrew , Park Hyunjoo , Ross Erika , Zhang Mingming , Ludwig Kip
Published: September 2024

Objective. Evoked compound action potentials (ECAPs) measured during epidural spinal cord stimulation (SCS) can help elucidate fundamental mechanisms for the treatment of pain and inform closed-loop control of SCS. Previous studies have used ECAPs to characterize neural responses to various neuromodulation therapies and have demonstrated that ECAPs are highly prone to multiple sources of artifact, including post-stimulus pulse capacitive artifact, electromyography (EMG) bleed-through, and motion artifact. However, a thorough characterization has yet to be performed for how these sources of artifact may contaminate recordings within the temporal window commonly used to determine activation of A-beta fibers in a large animal model. Approach. We characterized sources of artifacts that can contaminate the recording of ECAPs in an epidural SCS swine model using the Abbott Octrode™ lead. Main results. Spinal ECAP recordings can be contaminated by capacitive artifact, short latency EMG from nearby muscles of the back, and motion artifact. The capacitive artifact can appear nearly identical in duration and waveshape to evoked A-beta responses. EMG bleed-through can have phase shifts across the electrode array, similar to the phase shift anticipated by propagation of an evoked A-beta fiber response. The short latency EMG is often evident at currents similar to those needed to activate A-beta fibers associated with the treatment of pain. Changes in CSF between the cord and dura, and motion induced during breathing created a cyclic oscillation in all evoked components of recorded ECAPs. Significance. Controls must be implemented to separate neural signal from sources of artifact in SCS ECAPs. We suggest experimental procedures and reporting requirements necessary to disambiguate underlying neural response from these confounds. These data are important to better understand the framework for epidural spinal recordings (ESRs), with components such as ECAPs, EMG, and artifacts, and have important implications for closed-loop control algorithms to account for transient motion such as postural changes and cough.
Anti-aromaticity Increases Single-Molecule Junction Conductance
Authors: Zhang Hanjun , Zhao Shuang , Zheng Yonghao
Published: September 2024

Using a scanning tunneling microscope-based break-junction technique, we assessed the conductance of single-molecule junctions formed with three distinct molecular wires, each featuring a cyclic five-membered ring: furan, cyclopentanone or cyclopentadiene. We found that the conductance of these three wires correlates with their aromaticity; the non-aromatic cyclopentadienone derivative exhibits the highest conductance, while the most aromatic furan in this series displays the lowest conductance. Additionally, the lower HOMO-LUMO gap of anti-aromatic compounds may also contribute to this effect. This discovery aids in understanding the influence of molecular structure on conductive properties and provides crucial insights for the design and optimization of molecular electronic devices.
Study on the Destruction Law and Main Controlling Factors of Corrosion Product Film in H2S-CO2 Coexistence System
Authors: Zhang Guodong , Yang Na , Zhou Xiaohu , Xiao Mao , Lu Yu , Shi Xuezhi
Published: September 2024

The failure law and main controlling factors of corrosion product film in this corrosion environment were studied according to the characteristics of H2S-CO2 coexistence in a gas field pipeline, so as to provide guidance for corrosion prevention and control of gas field pipeline. Sediment effects of sand particles in the pipeline on corrosion, the influence of flow rate, dissolved oxygen and sediment on corrosion products were analyzed by conducting corrosion experiments at 0.5m/s, 1m/s and 2m/s, corrosion experiments without oxygen and aerobic conditions. The destruction law of corrosion product film in pipeline and the main controlling factors of corrosion product film in single well pipeline and gathering and transportation line were determined. The results show that high flow rate will cause local damage of corrosion product film and promote pitting corrosion, dissolved oxygen will destroy the integrity of corrosion product film, and sediment is one of the factors causing local corrosion and perforation of pipeline inner wall. The corrosion product film structure of the gas field pipeline will be destroyed and pitting corrosion under the condition of high flow rate, oxygen and sand deposition. Meanwhile, the main control factor affecting the corrosion product film destruction of the gas field single well pipeline is dissolved oxygen, and the main control factor affecting the corrosion product film destruction of the gas field gathering and transportation main line is sediment.
Energy calibration of LaBr3 detectors using inherent radioactivity
Authors: Dombrowski Harald , Stenger Jörn
Published: September 2024

In general, the energy calibration of gamma-ray detectors is carried out by using radioactive sources with well-known emission lines. The fact that the scintillator material LaBr3 includes natural radioactivity is often taken advantage of to perform an energy calibration without the need to handle an external radioactive source. For this purpose, the emission energy of photons to be detected in peaks has to be well known. Though the energies of the emission lines of the relevant isotope 138La and further information on radioactive contaminations are published with high precision, there are inconsistencies in the literature concerning the effective energies of observed photon peaks caused by inherent radioactivity. In this article, the actual peak positions are published as a result of high-precision measurements. The potential and limitations of an energy calibration of LaBr3 detectors based on the inherent radioactivity are discussed, as the emission lines of 138La are detected in clusters rather than single, clearly defined lines.
Evaluation of photoconductor and scintillator hybrid dosimeters for radiation therapy quality assurance
Authors: Han M.J. , Kang S.W. , Cho W. , Kim J.S. , Kim I.A. , Chung J.B.
Published: September 2024

Radiation detectors have two main detection mechanisms:
direct conversion, which utilises a photoconductor to directly
convert radiation into an electrical signal, and indirect
conversion, which utilises a scintillator to convert radiation into
visible light, which is subsequently converted into an electrical
signal. The photoconductor material, mercury (II) iodide (HgI2)
sensitive to visible light, has the property of gradually decreasing
signal for repeated irradiation beams. Therefore, this study aimed
to improve the signal magnitude and stability to repeated
measurements of polycrystalline HgI2 by mixing 0, 4, 6, 8, 10,
and 20 weight percent (wt%) of terbium-doped gadolinium oxysulfide
(GOS:Tb), a scintillator material that emits visible light. The
performance of these dosimeters was evaluated with a focus on
dosimetric parameters such as signal quantity, short-term
repeatability, dose-response linearity, and dose-rate dependence to
assess their potential application in radiotherapy quality assurance
(QA). The results from the dosimeters were compared with those from
a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET)
dosimeter and an ionisation chamber. Peak was found for the
dosimeter with 8 wt% GOS:Tb but decreased for the dosimeters with
10 and 20 wt% GOS:Tb. The standard deviations of short-term
repeatability were 1.45%, 0.86%, 1.18%, 1.51%, 131%, and 4.48%
for dosimeters with 0, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 20 wt% GOS:Tb,
respectively. The dosimeters with 4 and 6 wt% GOS:Tb had better
standard deviations of repeatability than the MOSFET (1.35%), but
not better than the ionization chamber (0.5%). All dosimeters, the
MOSFET, and the ion chamber demonstrated excellent dose-response
linearity for monitor unit (MU) values ranging from 2 to 500, with
R
2 values exceeding 0.9997. The sensitivity analysed using the
linear slope was the highest for the dosimeter with 6 wt% GOS:Tb
(0.103) and the MOSFET (0.0103) among all dosimeters. The dosimeter
with 6 wt% GOS:Tb and the MOSFET exhibited deviations of 4.64%
and 3.31%, respectively, at a dose rate of 100 cGy/min, thus
failing to meet the evaluation standard of within 2%. The ion
chamber, however, achieved compliance with a deviation of 0.15%.
Therefore, it is necessary to apply correction factors to each dose
rate when using hybrid dosimeters for QA. The optimal mixing ratio
of GOS:Tb for manufacturing the hybrid dosimeter was determined to
be 6 wt%, suggesting signal amplification through visible light
and a potential improvement in operational stability through pore
filling of the material.
Quasicondensation and off-diagonal long-range order of hard-core bosons during a free expansion
Authors: Takács A , Scopa S , Calabrese P , Vidmar L , Dubail J
Published: September 2024

Quasicondensation in one dimension is known to occur for equilibrium systems of hard-core bosons (HCBs) at zero temperature. This phenomenon arises due to the off-diagonal long-range order in the ground state, characterized by a power-law decay of the one-particle density matrix

g
1

(
x
,
y
)
∼

|

x
−
y

|

−
1

/

2

—a well-known outcome of Luttinger liquid theory. Remarkably, HCBs, when allowed to freely expand from an initial product state (i.e. characterized by initial zero correlation), exhibit quasicondensation and demonstrate the emergence of off-diagonal long-range order during nonequilibrium dynamics. This phenomenon has been substantiated by numerical and experimental investigations in the early 2000s. In this work, we revisit the dynamical quasicondensation of HCBs, providing a fully analytical treatment of the issue. In particular, we derive an exact asymptotic formula for the equal-time one-particle density matrix by borrowing ideas from the framework of quantum Generalized Hydrodynamics. Our findings elucidate the phenomenology of quasicondensation and of dynamical fermionization occurring at different stages of the time evolution, as well as the crossover between the two.
Removal of Congo red and tartrazine binary mixture using Leucaena leucocephala seed’s extract as natural coagulant
Authors: Christian  , Putra M J B , Kristianto H , Prasetyo S , Sugih A K , Arbita A A
Published: September 2024

The textile industry is one of the industries that produces wastewater with complex contents and has the potential to pollute the environment. Consequently, wastewater treatment is required to prevent this problem. The utilization of natural coagulants to treat dye wastewater has been carried out by various researchers. However, most of the research only uses a single dye as the wastewater model, despite the complex nature of the real wastewater. Therefore, in this study crude extract of Leucaena leucocephala seed was used to coagulate single and binary dye mixtures with Congo red and Tartrazine as the model substance. The coagulation was carried out by varying the initial pH (3−9), dose of coagulant (50−1150 mg eq BSA/L) and the initial dye concentration (50−100 mg/L). It was found that Leucaena crude extract has successfully removed 99.54% of the Congo red (pH 3; dose 650 mg eq BSA/L) and 53.2% (pH 3; dose 1150 mg eq BSA/L) of Tartrazine at 50 mg/L single dye wastewater. The removal of 50 mg/L binary mixture was 94.4 and 54.6% for Congo red and Tartrazine, respectively, at pH 3 and coagulant dose 1050 mg eq BSA/L.
Risk assessment of arsenic exposure to occupational disease artisanal and small-scale gold mining sites, Bombana Area, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia
Authors: Basri  , Muthaher A A , Sakakibara M , Sera K , Komatsu S , Alkamalia W
Published: September 2024

Anthropogenic activities can lead to heavy metal accumulation in the body, causing heavy metal poisoning and occupational diseases. This study investigated the impact of Arsenic exposure on artisanal gold miners in Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia. The study focused on miners at two Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining sites in Bombana area. The study sample comprises 63 individuals, with 54 individuals representing miners from the Rarowatu and North Rarowatu regions constituting the exposed group and 9 individuals representing non-miners from the Rumbia region forming the control group. Medical examinations and questionnaires were used to identify symptoms of occupational diseases. The As concentrations in human hair samples revealed that miners with over ten years of experience had significantly higher As concentrations (2.67 μg/g) than those exposed to less than ten years of durations (1.26 μg/g). The As concentration in the exposed group (1.61 μg/g) exceeds the World Health Organization guidelines (1 μg/g) and is higher than that of the control group (0.87 μg/g), although not statistically significant (p<0.05). Additionally, there were no significant differences in As concentrations between sick and healthy workers with various symptoms (neurological, respiratory, musculoskeletal, degenerative, and others) (p-values: 0.08, 0.32, 0.69, 0.36, and 0.67, respectively). Long-term Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining miners had higher As exposure, but this study found no clear association between As concentrations and specific occupational diseases.
Solvothermal synthesis of Zr-based MOFs with mixed linker as adsorbent for methyl orange in water
Authors: Jannah M , Putra Hidayat A R , Martak F , Ediati R
Published: September 2024

UiO-66 is one type of Zr-based MOF consisting of ZrO4(OH)4 polyhedral. Synthesis of materials UiO-66 mixed linker with additional acetic acid modulator was successfully carried out by the solvothermal method at 120°C. UiO-66 modified with mixed linker can improve stability in water that has systematically and functionally modulated pores. When the concentration of each linker increases, the linkers merge in one place and produce cluster defects. UiO-66 mixed linker was synthesized with a ratio of adding H2BDC and NH2BDC of 3:1 to moles of ligand. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of the synthesized material have the same pattern with the peak characteristics of UiO-66 and UiO-66-NH2. The synthesized material has a spherical morphology with a rough surface. The performance of the materials as an adsorbent for methyl orange (MO) dyes in water reached a maximum adsorption capacity of 202.82 mg/g for materials UiO-66 mixed linker (75% H2BDC and 25% NH2BDC). The adsorption results for all the synthesized materials followed the apparent pseudo-second-order kinetics and Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption mechanism between the adsorbent and methyl orange dyes consists of π-π interactions, hydrogen bonds, and electrostatic interactions.
Facile synthesis of MIL-100(Fe)-supported zinc oxide quantum dots (ZnO/MIL-100(Fe)) for enhanced Malachite green removal
Authors: Kulsum U , Karelius K , Faaizatunnisa N , Ediati R
Published: September 2024

In the present study, a synthesis route for ZnO/MIL-100(Fe) composites is proposed through a one-pot synthesis at room temperature with 25% ZnO QDs, where ZnO QDs were prepared in a soft chemical route by aging process. The X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) results indicated that there is a suitability between MIL-100(Fe) and ZnO/MIL-100(Fe). Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image for the composite undergoing a change due to the presence of ZnO QDs. The materials were then utilized as adsorbents and photocatalysts for the removal of Malachite Green (MG) from aqueous solutions. As a result, the adsorption and photocatalytic process of ZnO/MIL-100(Fe) and MIL-100(Fe) fitted well with the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. More specifically, ZnO/MIL-100(Fe) showed better photocatalytic activity than MIL-100(Fe) towards the degradation of these dyes under irradiation with 92% removal. This indicates that the increased photocatalytic performance of ZnO/MIL-100(Fe) is a benefit of the synergistic effect between the semiconductor ZnO QDs and MIL-100(Fe).
Thermal properties and FTIR spectroscopy: Edible film of chitosan-glycerol utilizes gamma irradiation
Authors: Syahputra A R , Yunus A L , Nilatany A , Oktaviani O , Nuryanthi N
Published: September 2024

As chitosan and glycerol are mixed, they form a polymer blend that can be processed into edible films, or other plastic-like materials. Chitosan-glycerol mixing generates properties of edible, which means it can break down into non-toxic components over time through natural processes, reducing its environmental impact. In this work, edible film is contained chitosan-glycerol edible films were prepared by evaporation casting from its solution. Edible films were placed on the polyethylene packages and irradiated by Co-60 gamma rays on various radiation doses. After gamma irradiation process, edible films were stored at ambient temperature. To conduct a more in-depth analysis, the edible films undergo characterization using fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Additionally, effects of gamma irradiation are shown in shifts of C-O stretching shifted to 1045-1080 cm−1. The N-H and O-H bond became narrow after irradiation of edible films as a higher gamma irradiation dose. Gamma irradiation increased the melting point of chitosan-glycerol mixtures from 173.4 °C to 190.2 °C endothermic peak. The findings revealed that gamma radiation led to enhanced molecular interaction between chitosan and glycerol, thereby influencing the thermal properties of edible films.