bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Method Development and Syntheses Examples of Isotopically Labeled Compounds to Foster Operational Excellence in Pharma Industry
Authors: Derdau Volker , Sib Anna
Published: December 2023

The different topics and synthetic approaches in an isotope chemistry laboratory of a pharma company are described. Besides the challenges in the synthesis of long-lived isotopes such as 3H or 14C, short-lived isotopes such as 68Ga and stable isotopes such as 15N, 13C or 2H approaches for the isotopic labeling are also demonstrated. Furthermore, method development with emphasis on collaborations with academic groups to tackle the future challenges are discussed.

1 Introduction

2 Isotopic Labeling with Hydrogen Isotopes Deuterium (2H, D) and Tritium (3H, T)

2.1 Deuterium Labeling for MS Standards

2.1.1 Labeled Nitrosamines – The Hunt to Quantify Hazardous Impurities

2.1.2 Deuterated Drugs, an Approach To Improve Existing Drugs or To Find Opportunities in Drug Discovery

2.2 Tritium-Labeling Methods – The Fast Approach to Radioactively Labeled Compounds

2.2.1 Hydrogen Isotope Exchange by Iridium Catalysis

2.2.2 Ruthenium-Catalyzed HIE

2.2.3 Nanoparticles as Catalysts in HIE

2.2.4 Photoredox-Catalyzed HIE

2.2.5 HIE via Classical Radical Mechanism

2.2.6 Beyond HIE – Halogen–Tritium Exchange

3 Challenges in 14C-Synthesis Projects

4 Short-Lived Isotopes – The Need for Speed

5 Beyond Isotope Science – Late-Stage Functionalization

5.1 Examples of Late-Stage Functionalization for Peptides

5.2 Examples of Catalyst-Controlled Late-Stage Functionalization

6 Conclusion
How Radioactive Iodine Treatment Affects the Retina
Authors: Gürez Ceren , Özen Aynur , Ekmekçioğlu Özgül
Published: December 2023

Objective The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess the macular and retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses in patients with hyperthyroidism and thyroid cancer undergoing radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy.

Study Design This prospective study was conducted in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Bagcilar Training and Research Hospital Clinical Research Ethics Committee. Written informed consent was obtained from the patients following a detailed explanation of the study objectives and protocol. Patient selection was randomized. Patients scheduled for RAI treatment in the Nuclear Medicine Clinic were referred to the ophthalmology clinic, respectively. Patients without additional ocular pathology were included in the study.

Methods All patients had received RAI therapy using Iodine-131 for hyperthyroidism or thyroid cancer. A complete ophthalmological examination and measurement of macular and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness using optical coherence tomography were performed on all patients before and at the first and sixth months and in first year after RAI treatment. The results were prospectively evaluated.

Results The study included 80 eyes of 40 patients. The hyperthyroid group was group 1, and the thyroid cancer group was group 2. There were 25 patients in group 1 and 15 patients in group 2. The mean age was 43.76 ± 11.85 years (range: 22–65 years) in group 1 and 39.87 ± 9.13 years (range: 30–58 years) in group 2. There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding age and sex (p > 0.05). In both groups, no significant difference was found in the macular thickness and retinal nerve fiber layer thicknesses values obtained in both eyes before and after the RAI treatment.

Conclusion As a result of our study, we observed that RAI intake did not harm the retinal layer.
Cell Junctions in Periodontal Health and Disease: An Insight
Authors: Puzhankara Lakshmi , Rajagopal Anjale , Kedlaya Madhurya N. , Karmakar Shaswata , Nayak Namratha , Shanmugasundaram Shashikiran
Published: December 2023

Cells are the building blocks of all living organisms. The presence of cell junctions such as tight junctions, gap junctions, and anchoring junctions between cells play a role in cell-to-cell communication in periodontal health and disease. A literature search was done in Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science to gather information about the effect of cell junctions on periodontal health and disease. The presence of tight junction in the oral cavity helps in cell-to-cell adhesiveness and assists in the barrier function. The gap junctions help in controlling growth and development and in the cell signaling process. The presence of desmosomes and hemidesmosomes as anchoring junctions aid in mechanical strength and tissue integrity. Periodontitis is a biofilm-induced disease leading to the destruction of the supporting structures of the tooth. The structures of the periodontium possess multiple cell junctions that play a significant role in periodontal health and disease as well as periodontal tissue healing. This review article provides an insight into the role of cell junctions in periodontal disease and health, and offers concepts for development of therapeutic strategies through manipulation of cell junctions.
Natural Materials' Potential as Alternative Teeth Remineralization Agents: A Scoping Review
Authors: Irmaleny Irmaleny , Fatriadi Fajar , Christovher Christovher
Published: December 2023

Dental caries is one of the world's major oral health issues. According to The Burden of Disease Study (2016), almost half of the world's population suffers oral health issues, particularly dental caries (3.58 billion individuals). Dental caries treatment through teeth remineralization can be conducted naturally or using remineralization agents. The aim of this study was to map the scientific evidence of natural materials' potential as teeth remineralization agents. The method utilized in this study was the scoping review following the guideline of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Review, that is, article searching using search strategies, article screening, data extraction, and conclusion constructing. The searching process was through PubMed, EBSCOhost, and ScienceDirect using keywords and following the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty articles were found and further analyzed. All articles provided the natural materials' potencies in the perspective of antibacterial, increasing saliva pH, remineralization ability, and increasing the hardness of teeth surface. It can be concluded that natural materials can potentially be alternative teeth remineralization agents.
Resultados de la técnica de sauvé-kapandji asistida por artroscopia con estabilización ulnar proximal
Authors: Lucas Francisco J. , Carratalá Vicente , Guisasola Eva , Miranda Ignacio , Miranda Francisco J.
Published: December 2023

Introducción La artropatía radiocubital distal produce gran limitación funcional con dolor y pérdida de fuerza durante la pronosupinación del antebrazo. El objetivo de nuestro trabajo fue describir la técnica quirúrgica del procedimiento de Sauvé-Kapandji artroscópico con estabilización tendinosa proximal, así como sus resultados, complicaciones y ventajas.

Material y método Se estudiaron 11 pacientes de forma retrospectiva intervenidos con la técnica de Sauvé-Kapandji artroscópica con estabilización tendinosa proximal por el mismo equipo de cirujanos. Se evaluaron la movilidad, fuerza de prensa, DASH, EVA y Mayo Wrist Score.

Resultados 10 pacientes eran varones y 1 mujer con una edad media de 39.1 años. El seguimiento mínimo fue de 12 (12-36) meses. Se observaron mejorías significativas en la flexión (preoperatoria 48° / postoperatoria 74°), extensión (pre 34°/post 48°), pronación (pre 28°/post 88°) y supinación (pre 19°/post 88°), el dolor (EVA pre 7.1/ post 0.4), la fuerza de prensión (pre 19/ post 45 kg) y en las escalas QuickDash (pre 54/ post 2) y Mayo Wrist Score (pre 46/ post 91). Todos los pacientes estuvieron satisfechos con el procedimiento al final del seguimiento.

Discusión El procedimiento de S-K es la técnica de elección en la artrosis radiocubital distal y puede realizarse con asistencia artroscópica, restaurando la movilidad de la muñeca, la estabilidad y la fuerza de prensa. La técnica artroscópica tiene una serie de ventajas como son preservar los estabilizadores secundarios articulares, mejorar la cruentación y la colocación anatómica de la articulación, provocar menos daño vascular y permitir una rehabilitación más precoz lo que favorece la menor incidencia de pseudoartrosis y con un mejor resultado estético.

Conclusión La técnica de Sauvé-Kapandji artroscópica con estabilización tendinosa proximal ofrece unos resultados mejores que las técnicas abiertas a corto plazo, con una recuperación funcional más rápida y confortable, además de permitir una resección y reducción más precisa.
Protocolo de tratamiento en terapia de mano tras la reconstrucción artroscópica del ligamento escafosemilunar basado en la patomecánica y control neuromuscular de la articulación escafosemilunar
Authors: Esplugas Mireia , Artigau Josep Maria Sole
Published: December 2023

Resúmen

Objetivo Evaluar la eficacia de un protocolo de tratamiento en terapia de mano tras la reconstrucción artroscópica del ligamento escafosemilunar dorsal, siguiendo la técnica de Corella.

Métodos Implementamos un protocolo de menos de 3 meses de duración escalonado en 7 fases terapéuticas basadas en la patomecánica y el control neuromuscular de la articulación escafosemilunar. Ofrecemos directrices claras para la evaluación clínica del paciente intervenido.

Resultados Observamos una mejora significativa de las medidas de dolor, fuerza y movilidad en todos los pacientes estudiados, a los 6 meses postoperatorios.

Conclusiones El protocolo secuencial propuesto se muestra como una estrategia efectiva para la rehabilitación de la mano tras la reconstrucción artroscópica del ligamento escafosemilunar. Ello tiene implicaciones positivas para la práctica clínica y podría considerarse un nuevo estándar en la terapia de mano.
Kinetic Study of the Acylation Reaction of Dibutylcarbamyl Chloride and Dibutylamine
Authors: Zhou Yi-Bo , Zhu Rui , Zhou Han-Qi , Li Jun-Hua , Liu Feng-Fan
Published: December 2023

Tetrabutylurea (TBU) is mainly used as a working liquid in the preparation of hydrogen peroxide via the anthraquinone process. It is reported that dibutylamine (A) reacts with dibutylcarbamyl chloride (B) to produce TBU in the presence of triphosgene, which is the decisive step of the reaction. In this study, we aimed to investigate the reaction kinetics of the decisive step to gain more insight into the reaction. The reaction order as well as the pre-exponential factors (A) and the activation energies (E
a) were determined. The kinetic study suggested that the total order of the reaction is second. E
a = 5.4 × 104 J/mol, A = 1.5257 × 107 L/(mol × min), calculated through a second-order kinetics model. The accuracy and applicability of the kinetic model were verified by serval experiments, showing that enhancing reaction temperature could shorten the reaction time and increase the conversion rate.
Organisationsanalyse: Mit Organisationsentwicklung den Einkauf optimieren
Authors: Krupski Karina
Published: December 2023

Die Organisationsentwicklung im Krankenhauseinkauf dient zur Analyse und Verbesserung der Einkaufsprozesse und -strukturen in einem Krankenhaus. Ihr Ziel ist es, unter den aktuellen Rahmenbedingungen den Einkaufsprozess effizienter zu gestalten und eine optimale Versorgung mit Waren und Dienstleistungen zu gewährleisten. Um dieses Ziel umzusetzen, bedarf es verschiedener Maßnahmen.
Kostenentwicklung in der Lebensmittelbeschaffung: Mehr Preisstabilität in der Verpflegung durch Regio- und Bio-Produkte?
Authors: Wolf Andreas
Published: December 2023

Der Einsatz von Regio- und Bio-Produkten in der Klinikversorgung trägt zu mehr Nachhaltigkeit bei und soll die Genesung unterstützen. Das Isar Klinikum präsentiert sein Versorgungskonzept und beleuchtet die Preisentwicklung sowie Maßnahmen zur Kostenbegrenzung bei der Beschaffung von Lebensmitteln.
Exploring the evolving landscape of COVID-19 interfaced with livelihoods
Authors: Li Tong , Wang Yanfen , Cui Lizhen , Singh Ranjay K. , Liu Hongdou , Song Xiufang , Xu Zhihong , Cui Xiaoyong
Published: December 2023

The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the evolving landscape of research on the intricate relationship between COVID-19 and livelihoods, while also identifying research gaps and directions. To achieve this aim, a systematic review methodology was adopted, and metadata was developed using VOSviewer and R software. A total of 1988 relevant articles on COVID-19 and livelihoods were collected since the outbreak of the pandemic. However, after applying exclusion criteria and conducting thorough reviews, only 1503 articles were deemed suitable for analysis. The data was analyzed in relation to three phases of COVID-19 impacts: the early stage of COVID, the middle stages during the outbreak, and the post-recovery phase. We examined the distribution of research disciplines, regions, authors, institutions, and keywords across these phases. The findings revealed that coping strategies, food security, public health, mental health, social vulnerability, and regional differences were extensively researched areas in relation to COVID-19 and livelihoods. It was found that the United States had the highest volume of research on COVID-19 and livelihoods. Additionally, the top 1.28% of journals published 18.76% of the literature, with a predominantly focused on the environmental category. This study offers valuable perspectives into the vulnerability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts on livelihoods. Furthermore, it provides lessons learned, outlines potential future research pathways to understand the dynamics between environmental factors (like COVID-19) and livelihood stress, and includes a comparison of traditional livelihoods research.
The effects of war, displacement, and trauma on child development
Authors: Hazer Livia , Gredebäck Gustaf
Published: December 2023

In this paper, we review how refugee children’s psychological development is impacted by experiencing war, displacement, and trauma. As the Syrian conflict has resulted in the largest refugee crisis in modern history, we focus on Syrian refugees, but comparisons to other current major conflicts (Myanmar, Afghanistan, and Yemen) are done for reference, making this review relevant, not only for the Syrian conflict but war-affected children in general. The potentially traumatic events (PTEs) experienced by families and children vary depending on current and past migration experiences. During the premigration phase, there is a high risk of war-related PTEs whereas lack of shelter, high insecurity, and exploitation are common during the perimigration phase. Common PTEs during postmigration include uncertain legal status, changed family dynamics, downward mobility, and lack of social support. A high number of PTEs, low mental health, and permanent postmigration stress are evident across conflicts. In addition to these PTEs that impact all family members, there are additional long-lasting child-specific interpersonal PTEs related to parental practices and lack of support. These cumulative stressors are associated with poor mental health and developmental delays in several domains including cognitive functioning, emotion regulation, affective processing, and prospective control. At the same time, some studies demonstrate a high degree of resilience, and normative development, or report a lack of association between the psychological development of children and levels of PTEs. The number of studies assessing child development in this context is limited and more research is required in order to fill knowledge-gaps related to the mechanisms, and causal relations, behind these developmental outcomes.
Chinese universities’ social education: a historical perspective (1912–1945)
Authors: Wang Xiaoxuan , Liu Jinrong
Published: December 2023

During the Republican period, all fields of Chinese society were impacted by advanced Western ideas, society was exposed to numerous problems, and school education was incapable of assuming the responsibility of cultivating talents, so social education was highly emphasized. This study takes the policy decrees related to social education issued by the Ministry of Education from 1912 to 1945 as an entry point, and takes universities that promoted social education as a medium to explore the historical process of universities serving the society in the context of China’s political change and cultural integration. During the Republican period, social education was carried out under four different concepts, namely, common education, Civilian education, mass education, and anti-Japanese War Education, and universities played an active role in promoting the cause of social education. Studying the whole process of university social education from a historical macro perspective, it is found that it provides the opportunity for the out-of-school group to relearn and improves the level of popular culture and knowledge. At the same time, it provides valuable Chinese experience in building a learning society and realizing lifelong education worldwide, and is of practical significance to countries with similar problems.
Ultrahigh vacuum Raman spectroscopy for the preparation of III–V semiconductor surfaces
Authors: Khelifi Wijden , Canneson Damien , Berthe Maxime , Legendre Sébastien , Coinon Christophe , Desplanque Ludovic , Wallart Xavier , Biadala Louis , Grandidier Bruno , Capiod Pierre
Published: December 2023

Raman spectroscopy is well-suited for the characterization of semiconductor materials. However, due the weakness of the Raman signal, the studies of thin semiconductor layers in complex environments, such as ultrahigh vacuum, are rather scarce. Here, we have designed a Raman apparatus based on the use of a fiber optic probe, with a lens collecting the backscattered light directly inserted in ultrahigh vacuum. The solution has been tested for the preparation of III–V semiconductor surfaces, which requires the recovery of their atomic reconstruction. The surfaces were either protected with a thin As amorphous layer or covered with a native oxide prior to their treatment. The analysis of the Raman spectra, which was correlated with the study of the surfaces with low temperature scanning tunneling microscopy at the end of the cleaning process, shows the high potential of Raman spectroscopy for monitoring the cleanliness of III–V semiconductor heterostructures in situ.
High-density quasi-monoenergetic proton beam generation from vacuum sandwiched target
Authors: Rahman Obaydur , Sheng Zheng-Mao
Published: December 2023

An efficient scheme has been proposed for generating a high-density proton beam by enhancing the accelerating field from the interaction of an intense laser with a vacuum sandwiched target. The prime role of the vacuum gap is to reduce the effect of the sudden shock, exerted by the front edge of the intense laser, on the hydrogen layer. It is shown that the accelerated proton beam quality could be significantly enhanced due to the presence of the vacuum gap. We found that the total number of the accelerated protons is about 17.5 (1.7) and the proton beam peak is about 6.5 (3.7) times higher as compared to the single (double) layer target case. The dependence of the proton acceleration on the different layer thickness, density, and laser pulse intensity has also been studied.
High-sensitivity humidity and temperature sensor by cascading a polyimide coated long period fiber grating and a polydimethylsiloxane wrapped Mach–Zehnder interferometer
Authors: Jiang Wenbo , Sun Simei , Song Jiao , Gao Jiawei , Hu Chuanju , Li Li , Deng Longfeng , Chen Fulin
Published: December 2023

Two different structures, long period fiber grating (LPFG) and a Mach–Zehnder interferometer (MZI), were cascaded to fabricate a sensor for sensing humidity and temperature simultaneously. Due to the humidity sensitive characteristic of polyimide (PI) and the temperature sensitive characteristic of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), the LPFG was coated with PI and the MZI was wrapped in PDMS to improve the humidity and temperature sensitivities, respectively. Humidity and temperature experiments and the stability and repeatability of the proposed sensors were performed. The sensor shows humidity and temperature sensitivities of ∼164 pm/%RH and 183 pm/°C in the humidity and temperature increasing experiments, respectively. Combining increasing, decreasing, and repeatable experiments of temperature and humidity, the proposed sensor shows stable performance in humidity sensitivity of ∼159 pm/%RH and temperature sensitivity of ∼175 pm/°C, with good linearity of ∼0.994. The structure of the proposed sensor has the advantages of low implementation cost, easy fabrication, and good stability.
Tensor characteristics of forward Brillouin sensors in bare and coated fibers
Authors: Bernstein Alon , Zehavi Elad , London Yosef , Hen Mirit , Suna Rafael , Ben-Ami Shai , Zadok Avi
Published: December 2023

Forward Brillouin scattering fiber sensors can detect and analyze media outside the cladding of standard fibers, where guided light does not reach. Nearly all such sensors reported to-date have relied on the radially symmetric guided acoustic modes of the fiber. Wave motion in these modes is strictly dilatational. However, forward Brillouin scattering also takes place through torsional–radial guided acoustic modes of the fiber. Torsional–radial modes exhibit more complex tensor characteristics, and they consist of both dilatational and shear wave contributions. In this work, we show that forward Brillouin sensing through torsional–radial acoustic modes is qualitatively different from processes based on the radial ones. While dilatational wave components may dissipate toward liquids outside the fiber cladding, shear waves do not. Consequently, the effect of outside liquids varies among torsional–radial modes. Those modes that are dominated by their dilatational components undergo faster decay rates, whereas other modes with large shear contributions decay at much slower rates in the same liquid. The difference in decay rates may reach a factor of seven. Experimental observations are well supported by the analysis. The differences among modes are also found with liquid outside specific coating layers. Large changes in decay rates are observed when a phase transition between solid and liquid occurs outside the cladding boundary. The monitoring of multiple mode categories provides more complete assessment of outside media and enhances the capabilities of forward Brillouin scattering fiber sensors.
Generation of microbubbles via a tapered capillary
Authors: Lu Wei , Li Er-Qiang , Gao Peng
Published: December 2023

We propose a novel method for efficient production of microbubbles based on a tapered capillary with an interiorly attached filament. When gas–liquid displacement driven by an input pressure occurs in the capillary, the gas cone ruptures close to the orifice of the capillary. The generated microbubbles can be pushed out of the capillary and collected by a liquid tank when the pressure is appropriately selected. A liquid column is employed in the straight part of the capillary, which can sustain the liquid film near the capillary orifice and hence the bubble generation by transporting liquid along the filament. Within the working pressure range, increasing the input air pressure leads to a decrease in the microbubble diameter. The minimum diameter of the microbubbles is approximately equal to the orifice diameter of the tapered capillary. In our experiments, microbubbles with a minimum diameter of 1.56 μm can be realized. Theoretically, we derive a one-dimensional unsteady lubrication equation describing the evolution of the gas–liquid interface in a tapered tube. The bubble pinch-off is justified by the numerical solution of the lubrication equation. In particular, the predicted bubble diameters are in agreement with the experimental measurements.
Waves and plasma emissions excited by ring-beam energetic electrons interacting with weakly magnetized plasmas
Authors: Zhang Zilong , Chen Yao , Li Chuanyang , Ni Sulan , Ning Hao , Li Yaokun , Li TangMu , Kong Xiangliang
Published: December 2023

Ring-beam energetic electrons can drive two different kinetic instabilities, including the bump-on-tail instability by the beam component and the electron cyclotron maser instability by the ring component. It is critical to understand how the two instabilities develop and interact, and how their competition for free energy affects the wave modes and further plasma emission process. Here, we present fully kinetic particle-in-cell simulations of the ring-beam interaction with weakly magnetized plasmas of coronal conditions. We found that both the beam-Langmuir (BL) mode and the upper-hybrid (UH) mode can be excited efficiently, along with significant fundamental and harmonic plasma emissions. In comparison with the corresponding pure-beam case, in the ring-beam case, the BL mode has a suppressed range of k⊥, slower damping and thus stronger intensity, and the fundamental emission is considerably stronger, while the harmonic emission has comparable intensity yet being more directional. We further investigated the effect of the pitch angle (α) of the ring-beam distribution, found that the (1) BL mode is more limited in the range of k⊥ with larger α and (2) the UH mode is excited in localized blobs that can be clustered with a straight line whose slope is ∼cot α. Most of these intriguing results can be interpreted with the linear kinetic theory.
A simple and low-cost paper-based device for simultaneous determination of hematocrit and hemoglobin levels in point-of-care settings
Authors: Ram Rishi , Kumar Dharmendra , Paik Pradip , Sarkar Arnab
Published: December 2023

Hematocrit and hemoglobin levels are common blood tests used to assess the overall health status of patients as well as the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. The gold-standard technologies to determine the hematocrit and hemoglobin levels are precise and fast, but they are not pragmatic in extreme point-of-care settings due to the prohibitive cost, process complexity, and sophisticated facilities. Therefore, here, we report the development of a microfluidic paper-based analytical device to determine hematocrit and hemoglobin levels simultaneously. This device exploits the area of the stain formed by a spreading drop of 20 μl of whole blood on Whatman filter paper immobilized with sodium chloride and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid for hematocrit level, whereas for hemoglobin concentration, it utilizes the gray color intensity of a 20 μl droplet of a mixture of blood and de-ionized water. The performance of the device is verified by comparing with gold-standard results of the automated hematology analyzer, showing a high degree of correlation (R2) of 0.9651 and 0.9701 for hematocrit and hemoglobin levels, respectively. The bias and standard deviation of the differences between the two measurements for hematocrit determination are 0.002 and 1.005, respectively, while the bias and standard deviation of differences between the two methods for hemoglobin determination are 0.065 and 0.398, respectively. This device is likely to provide a simple, fast, disposable, and inexpensive tool to determine the hematocrit and hemoglobin levels in resource-constraint settings.
Machine learning assisted multifrequency AFM: Force model prediction
Authors: Elsherbiny Lamiaa , Santos Sergio , Gadelrab Karim , Olukan Tuza , Font Josep , Barcons Victor , Chiesa Matteo
Published: December 2023

Multifrequency atomic force microscopy (AFM) enhances resolving power, provides extra contrast channels, and is equipped with a formalism to quantify material properties pixel by pixel. On the other hand, multifrequency AFM lacks the ability to extract and examine the profile to validate a given force model while scanning. We propose exploiting data-driven algorithms, i.e., machine learning packages, to predict the optimum force model from the observables of multifrequency AFM pixel by pixel. This approach allows distinguishing between different phenomena and selecting a suitable force model directly from observables. We generate predictive models using simulation data. Finally, the formalism of multifrequency AFM can be employed to analytically recover material properties by inputting the right force model.
Facile deposition of Cu2O/ZnO heterostructures on carbon fibers by plasma–liquid interaction toward enhanced piezoelectric performance
Authors: Zhong Ziyang , Huang Hao , Gao Ming , Zhang Quanzhi , Zhang Yun-Ge , Xiong Zilan , Huang Yifan
Published: December 2023

In this study, a facile and effective approach for the preparation of Cu2O/ZnO heterostructures on flexible carbon materials to enhance the piezoelectric performance is reported. The Cu2O/ZnO heterostructures are deposited directly on carbon fibers (CFs) by a two-step method using plasma–liquid interaction strategy. The Cu2O microparticles are first deposited on the surface of CFs, and then, the ZnO nanostructures are grown on the surface of Cu2O microparticles and CFs. The as-prepared CFs show an improved piezoelectric response of d33 = 7.95 pm/V compared to intrinsic CFs (d33 = 2.64 pm/V), which is based on the nano-heterostructures principle. This work demonstrates a simple and feasible approach to prepare flexible carbon materials with enhanced piezoelectric performance, which may provide an ecologically friendly option for the deposition of semiconductor heterostructures.
Life cycle thermodynamic analysis for photovoltaic modules: A comparative study
Authors: AL-Zoubi Omar H. , Ahmad M Y Turabi , Abbas Jamal K. , Smaisim Ghassan Fadhil , Shahab Sana , Kareem Anaheed Hussein , Arjomandi Morteza
Published: December 2023

By only producing electricity and contributing to the provision of electricity, photovoltaic cells are limited in their function. There are numerous ways to evaluate the performance of photovoltaic cells. The electrical and thermal performance of such cells must typically be examined for cells that utilize thermal energy as well. The performance of a photovoltaic cell has been examined and assessed in this article from an energy and exergy standpoint. For modeling and calculating the electrical attributes of the system, such as open-circuit voltage, short circuit current, system resistances, maximum power point qualities, and characteristic curves, a computer code has been developed. The model’s results have been compared with data provided by the manufacturer and other sources in order to validate the model. This panel’s daytime energy efficiency is typically 13.19%. The instantaneous energy efficiency during the experiment ranged from 11.22% to 13.94%, with 13.94% being the highest number.
Spectrometer-less refractive index sensor based on the spatial weighted variance of metasurface-generated vortex beams
Authors: Li Hongliang , Kim Jin Tae , Kim Jin-Soo , Choi Duk-Yong , Li Jinke , Lee Sang-Shin
Published: December 2023

As a promising technology, refractive index (RI) sensing has been developed for biosensing and chemosensing applications as well as for multiple industrial applications. Nevertheless, conventional RI sensors are confined by their operating principle or detection devices in terms of high sensitivity or a wide detection range. This study experimentally demonstrates metasurface-based spectrometer-free RI sensing through a spatial weighted variance (SWV)-based analysis of metasurface-generated vortex beams. The proposed liquid-immersed metasurface device creates a focused vortex beam at a single wavelength of 1550 nm, whose focusing effect varies according to the surrounding medium. The images, captured by a position-fixed near-infrared camera, exhibit divergent beam profiles determined by certain RI values. The SWV is used to assess the degree of divergence and is calculated based on the recorded beam images to quantify the variation of the RI. Thus, the proposed RI sensing scheme concurrently achieves high sensitivity (113 598/RIU), wide detection range (1.3164–1.3825), and high resolution (8.8 × 10−6 RIU). The proposed image-based spectrometer-less RI sensing methods overcome the constraints of instruments that are unavoidable in conventional detection techniques. Compared to the existing methods, the proposed strategy is simpler, less costly, more user-friendly, and usable in a broader range of sensing applications.
Corrigendum to: Salt tolerance in Brassicaceae crops: physiological responses and molecular mechanisms
Authors: Wang Tenghui , Yang Xuyan , Fan Zhenyu , Wang Yushu
Published: December 2023

Soil salinisation is a growing threat to global agriculture, reducing crop yields. Brassicaceae crops are vital vegetables and cash crops. Salt stress significantly affects the growth and development of Brassicaceae crops. A better understanding of the molecular and physiological mechanisms of salt tolerance is of theoretical and practical importance to improve Brassicaceae crop’s salt tolerance and crop quality. Combined with previous research results, we discuss recent advances in research on salt stress response and salt tolerance in Brassicaceae crops. We summarised recent research progress on the physiological and molecular mechanisms of ionic homeostasis, antioxidant regulation, hormonal regulation and accumulation of osmotic-adjustment substances. We also discussed the molecular mechanism of Brassicaceae crop salt tolerant varieties from the perspective of differentially expressed genes, differentially expressed proteins and metabolites through transcriptome, proteome and metabonomic analysis methods. This paper summarises the molecular mechanisms in the perspective of differentially expressed genes, differentially expressed proteins, and metabolites through transcriptomic, proteome and metabolomics analysis. The review provides abundant data for accelerating the breeding of salt-tolerant Brassicaceae and laid a foundation for understanding the mechanism of salt tolerance of Brassicaceae crops and breeding salt-tolerance varieties.
Defect segmentation with local embedding in industrial 3D point clouds based on transformer
Authors: Jing Junfeng , Wang Huaqing
Published: December 2023

Three-dimensional (3D) defect detection provides an effective method for improving industrial production efficiency. However, the 3D dataset is scarce, which is valuable for the industrial production field. This study proposes a new approach for detecting defect point clouds, which can provide an end-to-end 3D defect detection model. A self-attention mechanism is used to enrich the semantic relationships between local neighborhood features and global features based on the connection between them. Through adding multi-channel features, the rich structural features of the target point cloud are obtained, and the defect areas are accurately segmented to finally complete the 3D point cloud defect detection task. Furthermore, the multi-feature fusion in the model makes the segmented defect regions closer to the ground truth. Our method outperforms four state-of-the-art point cloud segmentation methods in terms of both segmentation region accuracy and defect detection point cloud accuracy. In the field of 3D defect detection, it provides an effective method to detect 3D information of industrial products.
Multi-scale ultrasonic imaging of sub-surface concrete defects
Authors: Zhang Tonghao , Zhang Lu , Ozevin Didem , Attard Thomas
Published: December 2023

This paper introduces a new method for creating the ultrasonic image of concrete that utilizes both linear and nonlinear wave properties in a single measurement. Linear ultrasonic imaging relies on wave velocity. The resolution of linear ultrasonics for various inclusion sizes and inclusion-to-base material ratios is numerically and experimentally studied. The nonlinear ultrasonic testing (NLUT) image is based on the acoustic nonlinearity coefficient, calculated using inputs of the first and second harmonic amplitudes, wave number, and the distance between the transmitter and receiver. The ultrasonic waveform is decomposed into its harmonics using wavelet transform. Their wave velocities, wave numbers, and amplitudes are extracted to calculate the linear wave velocity and the acoustic nonlinearity coefficient. Four calibration samples with different inclusions are tested to evaluate the effectiveness of combining two imaging methods: pure concrete, concrete with small foam inserts simulating air inclusions, and two concrete samples with larger foam inclusions. The angle dependence of acoustic nonlinearity coefficient is shown. The results show that constructing both linear and nonlinear ultrasonic imaging is necessary when the defect’s properties are unknown.
Electrical properties of ultra-high-performance concrete with various reinforcing fibers
Authors: Qin Hanyao , Ding Siqi , Qiu Liangsheng , Han Baoguo
Published: December 2023

Understanding the electrical properties of ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is of paramount importance in the realm of smart concrete as it unlocks the potential for creating advanced, intelligent, and resilient infrastructure systems. This study focused on systematically assessing the electrical behaviors of UHPC with two commonly-used reinforcing conductive fillers, i.e. carbon fibers (CFs) and steel fibers (SFs). The effects of fiber type, fiber length, fiber content, and curing age on the alternating current (AC) resistivities and AC electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (AC-EIS) spectra of fiber-reinforced UHPC were investigated, and the equivalent circuit models of fiber-reinforced UHPC were established. Experimental results showed that the AC resistivities of UHPC with CFs and with SFs both exhibited a faster growth rate during the 14–28 d of curing, but subsequently decelerated after the completion of hydration, and stabilized at 90–120 d. Compared with the control sample, the addition of both CFs and SFs resulted in a reduction of the electrical resistivity of UHPC, with a more pronounced decrease observed with higher fiber content. In particular, the addition of SFs demonstrated a more significant reduction in UHPC’s AC resistivity in relative to CFs, with the addition of 4 vol.% copper-plated end-hook SFs remarkably lowering the resistivity by up to 87.5%. Furthermore, the introduction of different types of fibers caused remarkably different AC-EIS topologies of UHPC. The proposed equivalent circuit models reveal that compared to the control sample, the introduction of fibers can provide the fiber-fiber conductive paths and fiber-wrapped hydration products (Q
F
R
F) within UHPC matrix. The role of UHPC matrix (Q
1
(R
1
W
1) in the conductive path of SFs-reinforced UHPC is weakened compared to that of CFs-reinforced UHPC as reflected by the differences in the impedance values of Nyquist plots.
Blow-up for semilinear parabolic equations in cones of the hyperbolic space
Authors: Monticelli D D , Punzo F
Published: December 2023

We investigate existence and nonexistence of global in time nonnegative solutions to the semilinear heat equation, with a reaction term of the type

e

μ
t

u
p

(
μ
∈

R

,
p
>
1
)
,

posed on cones of the hyperbolic space. Under a certain assumption on µ and p, related to the bottom of the spectrum of

−
Δ

in

H

n

, we prove that any solution blows up in finite time, for any nontrivial nonnegative initial datum. Instead, if the parameters µ and p satisfy the opposite condition we have: (a) blow-up when the initial datum is large enough, (b) existence of global solutions when the initial datum is small enough. Hence our conditions on the parameters µ and p are optimal. We see that blow-up and global existence do not depend on the amplitude of the cone. This is very different from what happens in the Euclidean setting (Bandle and Levine 1989 Trans. Am. Math. Soc.
316 595–622), and it is essentially due to a specific geometric feature of

H

n

.
Effect of extrusion temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of hot-extruded ZK60 magnesium alloy
Authors: Ma Luosheng , Ma Lili , Chen Ming , Zhou Jilan , Feng Xinya , Jia Lei
Published: December 2023

ZK60 magnesium alloy was prepared by the hot-pressed sintering combined with the hot-extruded technique. The microstructure and mechanical properties evolution of ZK60 alloy with a reduced extrusion temperature from 350 °C to 250 °C were investigated in detailed. The extruded alloy was mainly composed of fine α-Mg grains and MgZn2 phase. The grains size gradually decreased with a reduction in extrusion temperature, and the yield strength obviously increased accordingly. The alloy extruded at 250 °C exhibited the smallest average grain size of 2.5 μm and the best combination of strength and plasticity, with a yield strength of 279 MPa and fracture strain of 18.1% in compressive condition, and 263 MPa and 13.7% in tensile condition, as well as a tension-compression yield asymmetry of 0.94. Both the fine grains formed by the continuous and twin induced dynamic crystallization mechanism and the precipitation strengthening contributed to the strength improvement.
Enabling attractive-repulsive potentials in binary-collision-approximation monte-carlo codes for ion-surface interactions
Authors: Drobny Jon T , Curreli Davide
Published: December 2023

Binary Collision Approximation (BCA) codes for ion-material interactions, such as SRIM, Tridyn, F-TRIDYN, and SDtrimSP, have historically been limited to screened Coulomb potentials even at low energies due to the difficulty in numerically solving the Distance of Closest Approach (DOCA) problem for attractive-repulsive potentials. Techniques such as direct n-body simulation or modifications to Newton’s method are either prohibitively costly or not guaranteed to work for all potentials. Advanced rootfinding techniques, such as companion matrix solvers, offer a solution. For many attractive-repulsive potentials, however, a companion matrix cannot be used directly, because there is no way to put the associated functions into a monomial basis form. A complementary technique is proxy rootfinding—by finding the best-fit polynomial approximant of a function, the zeros of the approximant can be guaranteed to be close to the zeros of the function. Using the Chebyshev basis and grid offers additional guarantees with regards to the quality of the approximation, the speed of convergence, and the avoidance of Runge’s phenomenon. By finding Chebyshev interpolants and using the Chebyshev-Frobenius companion matrix, the zeros of any real function on a bounded domain can be found. Here we show that using an Adaptive Chebyshev Proxy Rootfinder with Automatic Subdivision (ACPRAS) with appropriate scaling functions, numerical issues presented by attractive-repulsive potentials, including those of scale, can be handled. Using these techniques, we show that it is possible to include any physically reasonable interatomic potential in a BCA code, and to guarantee correctness of the resulting scattering angle calculations.
Harnessing the antimicrobial potential of natural starch and mint extract in PVA-based biodegradable films against staphylococcus aureus bacteria
Authors: Rashid Iqra Abdul , Faisal Mohd , Ahmad Ahsan , Afzal Ayesha , Khaliq Zubair , Ashraf M Sahaam , Shakir H M Fayzan , Tariq Asra , Qadir Muhammad Bilal , Irfan Muhammad , Harraz Farid A , Jalalah Mohammed
Published: December 2023

Sustainable packaging solutions are of paramount importance in addressing the environmental challenges posed by conventional non-biodegradable materials. This study addresses this critical need by introducing a novel approach to crafting antimicrobial biodegradable polymer films. Leveraging the benefits of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a base material, combined with corn-starch (CS) and mint extract (ME), these films offer a compelling synergy of eco-friendliness, antimicrobial efficacy, and mechanical strength. The antimicrobial property was imparted by adding mint extract, and boric acid (BA) was added as a cross-linker for better mechanical properties. All process was done by solution casting method followed by mechanical stirring. After 7 days, starch-PVA blend showed 50% weight loss; however, after adding mint extract, the action of microbes was reduced, and a 50% reduction in weight was observed after 12 days. The excellent mechanical properties were achieved by adding 10% aqueous solution of BA as a cross-linker. The confirmation of BA in the blend was done by the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to check the thermal properties of the films. Antimicrobial results showed that mint extract was resistant to staphylococcus aureus bacteria. These biodegradable films offer a multifaceted solution, aligning with sustainability objectives, showcasing antimicrobial potential, and demonstrating mechanical robustness. As such, they hold promise for a diverse array of applications, particularly in the realm of environmentally conscious food packaging. In the pursuit of greener alternatives, these films stand as a testament to innovative materials engineering that harmonizes functionality with ecological responsibility.
Analysis of dose distribution reproducibility based on a fluence map of in vivo transit dose using an electronic portal imaging device
Authors: Tardi Didin , Fitriandini Aninda , Fauziah Annisa Rahma , Wibowo Wahyu Edy , Siswantining Titin , Pawiro Supriyanto Ardjo
Published: December 2023

Morphological changes can affect distribution of dose in patients. Determination of the dose distribution changes for each fraction radiotherapy can be done by relative in vivo dosimetry (IVD). This study analysed the distribution of doses per fraction based on the fluence map recorded by the electronic portal imaging device (EPID) of the patient’s transit dose. This research examined cases involving the cervix, breast, and nasopharynx. Transit dose analysis was performed by calculating the gamma index (GI) with composite and field-by-field methods. The gamma passing rate (GPR) value was assessed for its correlation with the subject’s body weight. In the case of the nasopharynx, breast, and cervix, the GPR value decreased as the fraction increased. In the case of the nasopharynx, the correlation between the GPR and fraction radiotherapy showed no difference when using either composite or field-by-field methods. However, in cases involving the cervix and breast, there was a difference in the correlation values between the composite and field-by-field methods, where the subject had a significant correlation (p < 0.05) when it was done using a field-by-field method. In addition, the nasopharynx had the highest number of subjects with significant correlation (p < 0.05) between GPR and body weight, followed by the cervix and breast. In the nasopharynx, breast, and cervix, the reproducibility of the dose distribution decreased. This decreased reproducibility was associated with changes in body weight.
Certification of non-Gaussian Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen steering
Authors: Tian Mingsheng , Zou Zihang , Zhang Da , Barral David , Bencheikh Kamel , He Qiongyi , Sun Feng-Xiao , Xiang Yu
Published: December 2023

Non-Gaussian quantum states are a known necessary resource for reaching a quantum advantage and for violating Bell inequalities in continuous variable systems. As one kind of manifestation of quantum correlations, Einstein–Podolsky–Rosen steering enables verification of shared entanglement even when one of the subsystems is not characterized. However, how to detect and classify such an effect for non-Gaussian states is far from being well understood. Here, we present an efficient non-Gaussian steering criterion based on the high-order observables and conduct a systematic investigation into the hierarchy of non-Gaussian steering criteria. Moreover, we apply our criterion to three experimentally-relevant non-Gaussian states under realistic conditions and, in particular, propose a feasible scheme to create multi-component cat states with tunable size by performing a suitable high-order quadrature measurement on the steering party. Our work reveals the fundamental characteristics of non-Gaussianity and quantum correlations, and offers new insights to explore their applications in quantum information processing.