bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Critical Care in Guillain–Barré Syndrome
Authors: Rao G. S. Umamaheswara
Published: May 2024

Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) is an autoimmune polyneuropathy characterized by hyporeflexic neuromuscular paralysis and albuminocytologic dissociation in the cerebrospinal fluid. It is a postinfectious disorder. The most common antecedent illnesses are respiratory tract infection and Campylobacter jejuni infection. After the antecedent infection, specific antibodies are generated that cross-react with gangliosides in the host culminating in demyelination of the peripheral nerves or nerve roots. Complement activation also contributes to nerve degeneration. Bilateral symmetrical progression of the limb weakness occurs over a period of a few days followed by a plateau phase, after which a recovery phase follows. Generalized hypotonia and hyporeflexia characterize the limb weakness. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis shows albuminocytologic dissociation. About one-third of patients develop respiratory failure. Neuropathic pain is a disturbing symptom in GBS. Dysautonomia is very characteristic of GBS. Erasmus GBS respiratory insufficiency score predicts the need for mechanical ventilation. The weaning process from mechanical ventilation mainly depends on the recovery of vital capacity and inspiratory force. The definitive treatment for GBS consists of plasma exchange or intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, both of which are equally efficacious. Seasonal variation has been observed in the occurrence and recovery of GBS. Prognosis of GBS varies widely. Erasmus GBS outcome scale scoring system predicts the ability of the patient to walk independently after 6 months. Several GBS cases have been reported globally during recent pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019. Though GBS is a self-limiting disease, there are quite a few research questions that still remain to be answered.
Imaging of Benign Biliary Tract Disease
Authors: Ghuman Samarjit Singh , Buxi T.B.S. , Jain Kinshuk , Rawat Kishan S. , Yadav Anurag , Sud Seema
Published: May 2024

This review article discusses the most common benign biliary disorders and the various radiological findings on multiple modalities. A broad spectrum of diseases including various congenital disorders, infective and parasitic etiologies, immunological pathologies such as primary sclerosing cholangitis, and immunoglobulin G4-related sclerosing cholangitis are discussed along with obstructive diseases and ischemic cholangitis.

The article emphasized the imaging differential diagnosis of the above lesions as well as clinical correlates those that are most relevant to radiologists. The article briefly touched upon management and intervention where relevant.
Anastomosis after Bowel Resection for Crohn's Disease: State of the Art Review
Authors: Newton Carla , Fichera Alessandro
Published: May 2024

Recurrence after surgically induced remission in Crohn's disease remains a topic of research and debate with significant clinical implications for overall quality of life and intestinal and defecatory functions. While the surgeon continues to play a critical role in surgical prophylaxis of recurrence, optimal results will only be obtained in the setting of a true multidisciplinary team approach, following the principles of “the right surgery, on the right patient, at the right time, performed by the right surgeon, supported by the right team.” The centerpiece of surgical prophylaxis is the intestinal anastomosis. The ideal anastomosis after resection for Crohn's disease should be safe and reliable, as postoperative septic complications have been shown to increase the risk of recurrence; result in a wide lumen and a configuration that would not impede enteric flow; exclude or excise the mesentery, a known culprit in primary and recurrent disease; and preserve vascularization and innervation. This article will review the evidence supporting the above-mentioned surgical principles and the long-term results of the different anastomotic configurations.
Can he say that? Who’s going to stop him?: Liberal and conservative racial norm enforcements against Trump’s racial derogations
Authors: Yeh Jesse
Published: May 2024

Throughout his campaigns and presidency, Trump repeatedly flouted the norm prohibiting racially derogatory appeals, leading many to wonder if modern racial norms against explicit racism had eroded. Despite the centrality of the normative prohibitions against explicit racism in the scholarship of modern racisms, few examined how these racial norms operate as norms. This paper foregrounds two interventions. First, I emphasize that studies of racial norms must interrogate not only parameters of acceptable behaviors, but also mechanisms for sanction. Second, I highlight that, as all norms are simultaneously cooperative and coercive, how social actors construct the meanings of the norm itself shapes its enforcement. This paper draws from interviews with a multiracial group of 65 liberal and conservative activists to answer how they understand the acceptability of Trump's remarks and how they reasoned the actions they did or did not take as a result. I find that even enthusiastic Trump supporters recognize Trump's remarks as unacceptable. Yet, both liberals and conservatives express unwillingness to sanction Trump's behavior. This is especially the case among the understudied conservatives of color. I highlight that both liberals and conservatives refrain from sanctioning Trump and his supporters by constructing racial norms as coercive.
Operationalising University Excellence in Doctoral Education: The Case of Top-Ranked Russian Universities
Authors: Tsvetkova Elena
Published: May 2024

Numerous countries have implemented excellence initiatives designed to establish world-class universities, boost research productivity, build up staff capacity, and thereby reform doctoral education systems as part of this agenda. To date, the relationship between excellence-driven initiatives and leading universities’ doctoral education enhancement remains understudied in Russia. This study seeks to examine how seven top-ranked Russian universities responded to the Excellence Initiatives (5-100 Project and Priority 2030) at the institutional strategy level from 2012 till 24 February 2022. To explore this relationship and change in research education, documentary research was applied to a corpus of institutional strategies for excellence accompanied with governmental texts. Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) was adopted and complemented with analytical lenses to understand and examine how university excellence is recontextualised and operationalised in doctoral education structures across these strategies. This CDA was enhanced with theoretical lenses to research how multiple forces behind governmental policies for globalisation, innovation, and international competitiveness shape this change in Russian doctoral education in relation to global trends, national priorities, and local needs. The paper presents and discusses emergent processes (with mechanisms and practices) and the universities’ meaning-making behind the normative and performative ‘enhancement’ in doctoral education constructed with the state’s dominant understandings of university excellence.
Navigating complexity: looking at the potential contribution of a boundary organisation in Portugal to evidence-informed policy
Authors: Sobral Susana , de Wit Fronika , Carrilho Rita , Cabete Dora , Barbosa António , Vala Filipa
Published: May 2024

Governments deal increasingly with multidimensional problems involving high levels of complexity. These so-called wicked problems, such as climate change, demand coordinated and coherent government action, as well as multi-stakeholder approaches. Boundary Organisations (BO), working at the knowledge-interface of the science–policy–society nexus may contribute substantially to both ends. This paper considers the potential contribution of the recently created Competence Centre for Planning, Policy, and Foresight of the Public Administration (PlanAPP), a Portuguese BO at the centre of government, to evidence-informed policy. To this goal, we focus on two streams of literature, Policy Coordination and Coherence (PCC) and Knowledge Governance (KG). An analytical framework with two dimensions is proposed: the first dimension considers if and how PlanAPP engages in boundary work; the second dimension looks at the activities that PlanAPP implements and their potential for PCC and KG. Our results support the idea that PlanAPP is promoting work on the knowledge-interface for public policy, with the potential to become a main player in supporting governments to address policy issues, including wicked problems, whilst potentially triggering a shift to knowledge governance in Portugal’s public administration. Nevertheless, PlanAPP could further intensify boundary activities, especially by increasing civil society participation and producing shared outputs that all actors involved recognise as legitimate, increasing trust in policy and institutions. This study’s methodology may be replicated to improve understanding of BOs and their contribution to policymaking in other contexts.
Io was always extremely volcanic, evidence indicates
Authors: Lopatka Alex
Published: May 2024

The Jovian moon’s abundance of a heavy sulfur isotope is higher than that of any other object in the solar system.
Identification of potent pan-ephrin receptor kinase inhibitors using DNA-encoded chemistry technology
Authors: Madasu Chandrashekhar , Liao Zian , Parks Sydney E. , Sharma Kiran L. , Bohren Kurt M. , Ye Qiuji , Li Feng , Palaniappan Murugesan , Tan Zhi , Yuan Fei , Creighton Chad J. , Tang Suni , Masand Ramya P. , Guan Xiaoming , Young Damian W. , Monsivais Diana , Matzuk Martin M.
Published: May 2024

EPH receptors (EPHs), the largest family of tyrosine kinases, phosphorylate downstream substrates upon binding of ephrin cell surface–associated ligands. In a large cohort of endometriotic lesions from individuals with endometriosis, we found thatEPHA2andEPHA4expressions are increased in endometriotic lesions relative to normal eutopic endometrium. Because signaling through EPHs is associated with increased cell migration and invasion, we hypothesized that chemical inhibition of EPHA2/4 could have therapeutic value. We screened DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DECL) to rapidly identify EPHA2/4 kinase inhibitors. Hit compound, CDD-2693, exhibited picomolar/nanomolar kinase activity against EPHA2 (Ki: 4.0 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.81 nM). Kinome profiling revealed that CDD-2693 bound to most EPH family and SRC family kinases. Using NanoBRET target engagement assays, CDD-2693 had nanomolar activity versus EPHA2 (IC50: 461 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 40 nM) but was a micromolar inhibitor of SRC, YES, and FGR. Chemical optimization produced CDD-3167, having picomolar biochemical activity toward EPHA2 (Ki: 0.13 nM) and EPHA4 (Ki: 0.38 nM) with excellent cell-based potency EPHA2 (IC50: 8.0 nM) and EPHA4 (IC50: 2.3 nM). Moreover, CDD-3167 maintained superior off-target cellular selectivity. In 12Z endometriotic epithelial cells, CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 significantly decreased EFNA5 (ligand) induced phosphorylation of EPHA2/4, decreased 12Z cell viability, and decreased IL-1β-mediated expression of prostaglandin synthase 2 (PTGS2). CDD-2693 and CDD-3167 decreased expansion of primary endometrial epithelial organoids from patients with endometriosis and decreased Ewing’s sarcoma viability. Thus, using DECL, we identified potent pan-EPH inhibitors that show specificity and activity in cellular models of endometriosis and cancer.
Performances of transparency
Authors: Storch Anne
Published: May 2024

The names by which luxury items are marketed are often interpreted as names that trigger forms of mimesis. By considering the connections made through naming, products such as perfumes seem to be powerful metaphors for a particular lifestyle, wealth, and specific identity constructions, thereby obviously suggesting the possibility that through owning and using such products, clients can – for a while – become what is promised on the package. The names of perfumes and fragrances in postcolonial contexts, however, are semantically more complex. They refer to various locations, languages, and narratives, serving different purposes. This contribution examines the meanings of names in African perfumery practices in order to shed light on the different connections and relations they symbolize, the ritual contexts in which they are used, and the memory-making associated with both language and sensory experience.
Inverse stable reconstruction of 3 coefficients for the heterogeneous Maxwell equations by finite number of partial interior observations
Authors: Cristofol Michel , Yamamoto Masahiro
Published: May 2024

We consider an inverse problem of determining the isotropic inhomogeneous electromagnetic coefficients of the non-stationary Maxwell’s equations in a bounded domain of

R

3

by means of a finite number of interior data of as less as possible components of the solutions. Our main result is a Lipschitz stability estimate for the inverse problem and our proof relies on a Carleman estimate for the heterogeneous Maxwell’s equations.
Mn derived growth of CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets for stable and bright orange emission
Authors: He Jinchan , Xie Cong , Wang Bo , Yang Ping
Published: May 2024

Mn-doped perovskites have been extensively studied in optics, magnetism, and electronics due to their orange emission. However, successful Mn doping required a high Mn/Pb feed ratio. In this paper, Mn-doped CsPbBr3 nanoplatelets (NPLs) with bright orange emission were prepared by a two-step slow thermal injection synthesis. The slow injection of precursors effectively slow-down the crystal growth kinetic process and controls the growth of undoped CsPbBr3 NPLs. This process also significantly improves Mn doping efficiency. Mn doping induced the generation of numerous precursor clusters during the growth of CsPbBr3 NPLs, and the formation of these clusters was crucial for enhancing the doping efficiency. The maximum amount of Mn precursor in CsPb0.83Mn0.17Br3 was 50% of Pb precursors. The photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) of CsPb0.94Mn0.06Br3 NPLs reached up to 80.6%, which was 3.1 times of that of CsPbBr3 NPLs. The PL properties of Mn-doped CsPbBr3 NPLs were significantly enhanced compared with pure CsPbBr3 NPLs. The growth process and luminescence mechanism of Mn-doped CsPbBr3 NPLs were discussed. High PLQYs and efficient Mn doping supplied an ideal approach for the preparation of various CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, and I) NCs for commercial applications.
Secondary electron emission reduction from boron nitride composite ceramic surfaces by the artificial microstructures and functional coating
Authors: Lian Zhuoxi , Xu Yanan , Meng Xiangchen , Wang Dan , Chen Jixin , Qi Kangcheng , He Yongning
Published: May 2024

Boron nitride-silicon dioxide (BN–SiO2) composite ceramic is a typical Hall thruster wall material, and its secondary electron emission (SEE) property dominates the sheath characteristics inside the thrusters. Lowering the SEE yield (SEY) of the wall surface can remarkably improve the sheath stability of Hall thrusters. To accomplish the SEY reduction for BN–SiO2, artificial surface microstructure and surface coating technologies are employed. The morphology analysis demonstrated the shape and feature sizes of the microstructure could be largely controlled by adjusting the laser etching parameters. Then we realized an increasingly significant SEY reduction for BN–SiO2 as the average aspect ratio of the microhole increases. The microstructures showed a remarkable SEY reduction when the laser power was 10 W and the scanning cycle was 50. In this case, the SEY peak values (δ
m) of the two BN–SiO2 samples with mass ratios of 7:3 and 6:4 decrease from 2.62 and 2.38 to 1.55 and 1.46 respectively. For a further SEY reduction, a sputtering process was employed to deposit TiN film on the microstructures. The results showed that the TiN coating of 246 nm thickness reduced the δ
m values of the two samples from 1.55 and 1.46 to 0.82 and 0.76, which achieved a notable SEY reduction compared to the original surface. Via simulation work, the SEY reduction achieved by microstructures was theoretically interpreted. Besides, by considering the effect of surface charging, the results of SEY converged to 1 with the irradiation pulse increasing presented. The research demonstrated a remarkable SEY reduction for BN–SiO2 ceramic by constructing surface microstructure and depositing TiN coating, which has application sense for low SEY engineering in specific working scenarios.
Influence of adhesion on oscillatory indentations of viscoelastic biomaterials by a rigid cone
Authors: Chen Shi-Wen , Liang Xuan-Ming , Wang Gang-Feng
Published: May 2024

Steady-state responses in oscillatory indentation tests are widely adopted to evaluate the viscoelastic behavior of cells and tissues. In such tests, the adhesion of biomaterials is commonly neglected, which leads to significant inaccuracy in extracting the mechanical properties. In this article, by introducing the interfacial adhesion described by Lennard–Jones potential, we develop a finite element method to simulate the oscillatory indentation on a viscoelastic half-space. Under a sinusoidal displacement excitation by a rigid cone, it is found that the reaction force evolves sinusoidally at the same frequency but having some phase shift. Interfacial adhesion magnifies the amplitude of force vibration while lowers the average repulsive force. The phase shift is eased in the case of weak adhesion, but turns aggravated once the strength of adhesion exceeds a critical value. The present study can provide guidance for the development of oscillatory indentation tests on viscoelastic materials, and extract more precisely their mechanical properties.
Study of rutile TiO2(110) single crystal by transient absorption spectroscopy in the presence of Ce4+ cations in aqueous environment. Implication on water splitting
Authors: Katsiev K , Idriss H
Published: May 2024

Ce4+ cations are commonly used as electron acceptors during the water oxidation to O2 reaction over Ir- and Ru-based catalysts. They can also be reduced to Ce3+ cations by excited electrons from the conduction band of an oxide semiconductor with a suitable energy level. In this work, we have studied their interaction with a rutile TiO2(110) single crystal upon band gap excitation by femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy (TAS) in solution in the 350–900 nm range and up to 3.5 ns. Unlike excitation in the presence of water alone the addition of Ce4+ resulted in a clear ground-state bleaching (GSB) signal at the band gap energy of TiO2 (ca. 400 nm) with a time constant t = 4–5 ps. This indicated that the Ce4+ cations presence has quenched the e-h recombination rate when compared to water alone. In addition to GSB, two positive signals are observed and are attributed to trapped holes (in the visible region, 450–550 nm) and trapped electrons in the IR region (>700 nm). Contrary to expectation, the lifetime of the positive signal between 450 and 550 nm decreased with increasing concentrations of Ce4+. We attribute the decrease in the lifetime of this signal to electrostatic repulsion between Ce4+ at the surface of TiO2(110) and positively charged trapped holes. It was also found that at the very short time scale (<2–3 ps) the fast decaying TAS signal of excited electrons in the conduction band is suppressed because of the presence of Ce4+ cations. Results point out that the presence of Ce4+ cations increases the residence time (mobility) of excited electrons and holes at the conduction band and valence band energy levels (instead of being trapped). This might provide further explanations for the enhanced reaction rate of water oxidation to O2 in the presence of Ce4+ cations.
Improved multiscale coded dispersion entropy: a novel quadratic-coded health indicator of rolling bearings
Authors: Fan Yanxi , Yuan Rui , Lv Yong , Dang Zhang , Song Hao , Zhu Weihang
Published: May 2024

Dispersion entropy (DE) is widely used to quantify the complexity of nonlinear time series. In order to improve the ability to capture fault characteristics, a novel approach called coded dispersion entropy (CDE) has been introduced in recent years. CDE aims to expand the number of possible dispersion patterns and enhance the encoding of similar dispersion patterns. However, the coding method of CDE ignores the amplitude differences between dispersion elements and average elements, resulting in the inaccurate assignment of samples. Additionally, CDE is unable to extract effective information from other time scales. These limitations hinder the ability of CDE to effectively characterize faults. This paper proposes an improved multiscale coded dispersion entropy (IMCDE) to solve these limitations. The method introduces the interval scaling factor

R

and utilizes the sum and difference between the mean element and R as new coding boundaries. This approach addresses the sensitivity issue of the CDE coding mode towards smaller amplitude differences by the reasonable quadratic coding mode. Additionally, a composite coarse-graining process is introduced to rearrange the first coarse-grained point in sequence, resulting in multiple sets of sequences. The average probability of the same dispersion pattern at each scale is calculated to correct the entropy error. The experimental results from two sets of bearing faults demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in extracting critical features associated with faulty bearings. Furthermore, the method showed higher classification accuracy compared to multiscale dispersion entropy (MDE) and multiscale coded dispersion entropy (MCDE). Additionally, it exhibited smaller classification error than MDE and MCDE.
Nanoarchitectonics of an acetogenin-enriched nanosystem mediated by an aqueous extract of Annona cherimola Mill with anti-inflammatory and proapoptotic activity against HepG2 cell line
Authors: González-Reyna M A , Aguilar-Villalva Ricardo , Lopez-Miranda J L , Rodríguez-Torres Angelina , Molina Gustavo A , Juarez-Moreno Karla , Esparza Rodrigo , Estevez Miriam
Published: May 2024

For the first time, this study shows the nanoarchitectonic process to obtain an acetogenin-enriched nanosystem (AuNPs-Ac) using an aqueous extract from Annona cherimola Mill (ACM) composed of gold nanoparticles embedded in an organic matrix that acts as stabilizing agent and presents anti-inflammatory activity and cytotoxical effect against HepG2 cell line, promoting apoptosis. The synthesis of AuNPs-Ac was confirmed by x-ray diffraction analysis, showing metallic gold as the only phase, and the scanning transmission microscope showed an organic cap covering the AuNPs-Ac. Fourier-transformed infrared suggests that the organic cap comprises a combination of different annonaceous acetogenins, alkaloids, and phenols by the presence of bands corresponding to aromatic rings and hydroxyl groups. High-Performance Liquid Chromatography has demonstrated the presence of annonacin, a potent acetogenin, in the extract of ACM. An in vitro anti-inflammatory activity of the extract of ACM and the AuNPs-Ac was performed using the albumin denaturation method, showing a nonlinear response, which is better than sodium diclofenac salt in a wide range of concentrations that goes from 200 to 400 μg ml−1 with both samples. The viability assay was studied using trypan blue, treating IMR90 and HepG2 at different concentrations of AuNPs-Ac. The results defined a median lethal dose of 800 μg ml−1 against HepG2 through apoptosis according to the ratio of caspase-cleaved 9/alpha-tubulin evaluated. It was also demonstrated that the nanosystem presents a higher cytotoxic effect on the HepG2 cell line than in IMR90, suggesting a targeted mechanism. In addition, the nanosystem performs better than using only the extract of ACM in the anti-inflammatory or antiproliferative test, attributed to their higher surface area.
Ag-modified enhance the performances of ZnO@CFs based omnidirectional photoelectrochemical ultraviolet detectors
Authors: Zhang Xinmiao , Li Hongye , Wang Gang , Wang Shimin , Li Jiang , Song Jianqiao , Jin Mengjing , Zhou Jinyuan , Chang Peng , Pan Xiaojun
Published: May 2024

There are several prospective applications for omnidirectional ultraviolet (UV) detectors and underwater detection detectors in optical systems and optical fields. In this work, ZnO nanorods arrays were grown on carbon fibers (CFs). An appropriate amount of Ag nanoparticles (NPs) was deposited on the surface of ZnO nanorods by photochemical deposition. This improved the performance of photoelectrochemical (PEC) based UV detectors. Under 365 nm and 10 mW cm−2 UV irradiation, the photocurrent density of the 30s-Ag/ZnO@CFs based PEC UV detector can reach 1.28 mA cm−2, which is about 7 times that of the ZnO@CFs based PEC UV detector, and the rising time is shortened from 0.17 to 0.10 s. The reason is that increased absorption of ultraviolet light induced by the localized surface plasmon resonance. In addition, the detector exhibits a good flexibility and remains flexible after hundreds of bends and twists. Moreover, the detector is responsive in the range of rotation angle from 0° to 360°. It provides an insight to improve the photoelectric performance and underwater omnidirectional detection ability of the PEC UV detector.
Shaping single crystalline BaTiO3 nanostructures by focused neon or helium ion milling
Authors: Olaniyan I I , Schmitt S W , Albert J , Garcia Fernandez J , Marcelot C , Cours R , Deshpande V , Cherkashin N , Schamm-Chardon S , Kim D J , Dubourdieu C
Published: May 2024

The realization of perovskite oxide nanostructures with controlled shape and dimensions remains a challenge. Here, we investigate the use of helium and neon focused ion beam (FIB) milling in an ion microscope to fabricate BaTiO3 nanopillars of sub-500 nm in diameter starting from BaTiO3 (001) single crystals. Irradiation of BaTiO3 with He ions induces the formation of nanobubbles inside the material, eventually leading to surface swelling and blistering. Ne-FIB is shown to be suitable for milling without inducing surface swelling. The resulting structures are defect-free single crystal nanopillars, which are enveloped, on the top and lateral sidewalls, by a point defect-rich crystalline region and an outer Ne-rich amorphous layer. The amorphous layer can be selectively etched by dipping in diluted HF. The geometry and beam-induced damage of the milled nanopillars depend strongly on the patterning parameters and can be well controlled. Ne ion milling is shown to be an effective method to rapidly prototype BaTiO3 crystalline nanostructures.
Comment on ‘Modeling for predicting survival fraction of cells after ultra-high dose rate irradiation’
Authors: Liew Hans , Mairani Andrea
Published: May 2024

We comment on the recently published study ‘Modeling for predicting survival fraction of cells after ultra-high dose rate irradiation’ by Shiraishi et al. While the general approach of the study may be appropriate, we wish to comment on its limitations and point out issues concerning their choice of the benchmarking and fitting data. The approach by the authors could become viable in an extended form once more comprehensive data is available.
Fabrication of Al doped α-GaOOH nanorod arrays on FTO for self-powered photoelectrochemical solar-blind UV photodetectors
Authors: Zheng Zhi-Yuan , Fan Ming-Ming
Published: May 2024

Al doped α-GaOOH nanorod arrays were grown on FTO via hydrothermal processes by using gallium nitrate and aluminum nitrate mixed aqueous solutions with fixed 1:1 mole ratio as precursors. With increasing the gallium nitrate precursor concentrations, the Ga/Al atom ratios in nanorod arrays increase from 0.36 to 2.08, and the length becomes much longer from 650 nm to 1.04 μm. According to the binding energy difference between Ga 2p3/2 core level and its background in x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, the bandgap is estimated to be around 5.3 ± 0.2 eV. Al doped α-GaOOH nanorod array/FTO photoelectrochemical photodetectors show enhanced self-powered solar-blind UV photodetection properties, with the decrease of Ga precursor concentrations. The maximum responsivity at 255 nm is 0.09 mA W−1, and the fastest response time can reach 0.05 s. The improved photoresponse speed is ascribed from much shorter transportation route, accelerated carrier recombination by recombination centers, and smaller charge transfer resistance at the α-GaOOH/electrolyte interface with decreasing the gallium nitrate precursor concentrations. The stability and responsivity should be further improved. Nevertheless, this work firstly demonstrates the realization of self-powered solar-blind UV photodetection for α-GaOOH nanorod arrays on FTO via Al doping.
Pixelated large area rGO on silicon based x-ray detector
Authors: G Anshika , V Koushal , G Baishali , V Radhakrishna , S Kruthika , G Shruthi , K Saara
Published: May 2024

In this work, the possibility of using reduced Graphene oxide for x-ray detection has been explored. A highly conductive reduced Graphene Oxide (rGO) synthesized using a hybrid method was used to fabricate a pixelated Si/SiO2 bottom gate field effect transistor. The fabricated device is a 3×3 pixelated large area detector and was tested for its response to x-rays at room temperature and low temperatures by irradiating it with x-rays from top. Significant change in resistance of rGO is observed during irradiation which shows its sensitivity to x-rays.
Optimizing the synthesis of ZnFe2O4 through chemical and physical methods: effects of the synthesis route on the phase purity, inversion, and magnetic properties of spinel zinc ferrite
Authors: Hejazi Afnan S , Al-Hunaiti Afnan H , Bsoul Ibrahim , Mohaidat Qassem , Mahmood Sami H
Published: May 2024

In this work, ZnFe2O4 ferrites were prepared by chemical (coprecipitation) and ceramic (ball-milling) methods. The effects of the synthesis route on the phase purity, crystallinity, particle size distribution, and magnetic properties were investigated to identify the most appropriate conditions for the synthesis of high-quality ferrites. The samples were examined by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The XRD patterns revealed that a high-purity spinel phase was obtained by coprecipitation at pH ≥ 7 by calcining the pristine powder at T ≥ 900 °C, whereas a single spinel phase was obtained at T ≥ 700 °C in the ball-milling method. The crystallite size of the spinel phase exhibited general increasing trends with the increase of the pH value under the same heat-treatment conditions and with the increase of the calcination temperature. Additionally, the mean physical particle size exhibited an increasing trend with the increase of the calcination temperature. The VSM measurements revealed a noticeable degree of inversion in the spinel ferrites prepared by coprecipitation (exhibiting the highest degree at pH = 10) and an insignificant degree of inversion in the spinel ferrites prepared by the ceramic method. However, calcining the powder exhibiting the highest degree of inversion (prepared by coprecipitation at pH = 10) at 1100 °C resulted in ordering the zinc ions at tetrahedral sites of the spinel structure. Mössbauer spectra for representative zinc ferrite samples prepared by the two methods revealed a major central doublet (with a small magnetic sextet corresponding to the α-Fe2O3 phase in the sample at pH = 7). The hyperfine parameters of the doublet observed in the Mössbauer spectra of the samples, and the corresponding magnetization behavior revealed a higher degree of ionic disorder in the spinel ferrite prepared by coprecipitation.
Theoretical study on photoelectric properties of ferroelectric photovoltaic perovskite CsGeBr3 based on first-principle calculations
Authors: Zhong Chun-Jie , Luo Jun , Pan Ling-Yu , Liu Biao , Yang Junliang , Cai Meng-Qiu
Published: May 2024

Ferroelectric photovoltaic materials have attracted great attention because of their unique photoelectric conversion mechanism, high photo-generated voltage, and adjustable polarization intensity. Traditional ferroelectric oxide perovskites such as BaTiO3, BiFeO3, and Pb(ZrTi)O3 have attracted much attention but they are not suitable as light absorbing layers in solar cells, due to the large optical bandgap, low light absorption rate, and small photogenerated current. Therefore, it is necessary to seek prominent materials with both ferroelectric and suitable band gaps. Recently, the evidence of ferroelectricity in the typical three-dimensional all-inorganic halide perovskites CsGeX3, with band gaps of 1.6 eV to 2.3 eV has been confirmed. However, the spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric perovskite CsGeX3 is ∼10 to 20 μc cm−2 which is weaker than that of ABO3 (∼26 to 75 μc cm−2). Strain engineering has a significant influence on the properties of semiconductor materials by controlling the lattice scaling and the internal atomic spacing. Hence, in this work, strain engineering is introduced to adjust the ferroelectric polarization and the photoelectric properties of ferroelectric perovskite CsGeBr3. The calculated results show that when the applied compressive strain increases from 0% to −4%, the spontaneous polarization of ferroelectric perovskite CsGeBr3 increases from 14.23 μc cm−2 to 51.61 μc cm−2, and the band gap reduces from 2.3631 eV to 1.5310 eV. The effective mass of electrons and holes gradually reduces, exciton binding energies decrease from 48 meV to 5 meV, and the optical absorption coefficient is strongly enhanced from 3 × 105 cm−1 to 5 × 105 cm−1 in the visible range. Besides, the power conversion efficiency(PCE) of CsGeBr3 is significantly increased from 16.95% to 26.77%. Therefore, the results indicate that the application of compressive strain can increase the ferroelectric polarization and enhance the original photovoltaic performance of ferroelectric perovskite CsGeBr3. Our theoretical calculations can provide useful insights and beneficial guidance into experimental studies of ferroelectric perovskites in photoelectric applications.
Correlations between the optical phase modulation and the optical frequency and phase shifts in ultrasound-modulated optical tomography
Authors: Weng Cuncheng
Published: May 2024

In ultrasound-modulated optical tomography, ultrasound causes the phase of incident light to vary periodically with ultrasound. The periodic variation in phase is known as phase modulation. The phase modulation causes the modulated light intensity to vary periodically with the ultrasound, which is called ultrasonic modulation of light. As is well known, incident light is shifted in frequency and phase by ultrasound in acousto-optic effect, and the tomography is based on the effect. However, the correlations between the phase modulation and the frequency and phase shifts in the ultrasonic modulation of light have been ignored. In this paper, the correlations are investigated theoretically and experimentally in detail. Studies reveal that the modulated light is phase-modulated by the frequency and phase shifts, and the frequency shift is the fundamental cause for the ultrasonic modulation of light. Studies show that the frequency shift, rather than the phase shift, causes the modulated light intensity to vary periodically with the ultrasound. Additionally, the modulated light intensity signal is composed of cosine signals with frequencies Ω, 2Ω, 3Ω, etc, and the amplitude of the cosine signals depends on the amplitude of the phase modulation. Then, the modulated light intensity signal contains relatively more cosine signals with high frequency as the amplitude of the phase modulation increases. At last, for the ultrasound with lower power, the amplitude ratio of cosine signals with frequencies of 2Ω and Ω increases as the scattering coefficient of turbid media increases. Studies find that both the frequency-shifted light and the amplitude ratio can be used to image turbid media.
Electromagnetic transition rates in the nucleus 136
58Ce
Authors: Gladnishki K A , Atanasova L , Blazhev A , Djongolov M , Georgiev G , Ivanov N , Kalaydjieva D , Kocheva D , Lozeva R , Rainovski G , Stoyanova M , Stoychev K
Published: May 2024

The half-life of the first 6+ state in 136Ce has been measured as T
1/2 = 41(12) ps using the γ-ray fast-timing technique with the ν-ball spectrometer at the ALTO Tandem Accelerator, Orsay, France. The states of interest in 136Ce have been populated via the 128Te(12C,4nγ) fusion-evaporation reaction. A comparison is made between the value obtained for the reduced transition probability

B
(
E
2
;

6

1

+

→

4

1

+

)

= 0.55(21) W.u. and the systematics of the region. In this work, half-lives for the

5

1

−

,

7

1

−

and

6

2

+

states in 136Ce were also determined.
A novel approaches to 6th-order delay differential equations in toxic plant interactions and soil impact: beyond newton-raphson
Authors: Dipesh  , Kumar Pankaj
Published: May 2024

This paper focuses on investigating a 6th-order delay differential equation root within the context of toxic interactions between competing plant populations and their impact on soil dynamics. The study introduces a novel approach for approximating solutions to nonlinear delay differential equations, drawing inspiration from the fundamental principles of Newton-Raphson’s method. This technique leverages the complex root theorem to ensure stability, enabling it to effectively handle widely dispersed roots within dynamic systems. Consequently, this approach holds considerable potential for a diverse array of applications. The analysis introduces time delay into a nonlinear dynamical system and explores the system’s threshold value. At this threshold, the dynamical system’s stability undergoes fluctuations, and observations of hopf bifurcation phenomena are made. The study also successfully identifies both real and complex roots of the dynamical system. Visualization of the dynamic system is accomplished using MATLAB-generated graphical representations. Moreover, this research’s implications extend to the realm of climate action and terrestrial ecosystems, underscoring its significance for promoting a sustainable environment and fostering healthy life on land.
Quantum fidelity and Von Neumann entropy of a Bose-Fermi mixture in 1D double well potential
Authors: Avella R , Rubio JP , Grajales D
Published: May 2024

The time evolution of probability density, the ground-state fidelity and the entanglement of a Bose-Fermi mixture in a 1D double well potential, are studied through the two-mode approximation. We found that the behavior of the quantum return probability shows three distinct regions. The first region is characterized by a complete miscibility, and correlated tunneling of bosons and fermion. The second region is characterized by correlated sequential tunneling and in the last region we found an increase in the tunneling frequency of the two species. Through the Von Neumann entropy, we found that the boson-fermion coupling allows a maximum entanglement of quantum correlations of bosons and fermions in the same value. Finally, Considering variations in the interaction between pairs of fermions λ

FF
, pairs of bosons λ

BB
, and variations in the interaction between particles of different species λ

BF
, we calculated the fidelity in the λ

FF
− λ

BF
and λ

BB
− λ

BF
planes and we found that the drop of the two fidelities becomes deeper and deeper as the boson-fermion interaction decreases.
Exact solution of the propagation of ON-OFF signals by dispersive waves
Authors: Yamamoto Ken
Published: May 2024

The propagation of ON-OFF signals with dispersive waves is examined in this study. An integral-form exact solution for a simple ON-OFF switching event is derived, which holds for any dispersion relation. The integral can be exactly calculated for two types of dispersion relations. Further, the analysis of these solutions shows that the ON-OFF signal propagates with the group velocity and that the boundary thickness of the signal increases with time, typically at a rate proportional to the square root of time, owing to dispersion. Additionally, an approximate solution for a general dispersion relation is derived, and for a higher-complexity ON-OFF switching pattern is constructed.
Design of ultra-thin multi-band sub-terahertz metamaterial absorber using three concentric ring resonators with same opening direction
Authors: Zhao Qian , Qin Xuefeng , Xu Chongyang , Zhou Haiquan , Wang Ben-Xin
Published: May 2024

In this paper, an ultra-thin sub-terahertz multi-band terahertz metamaterial absorber is proposed, its cell consists of three concentric ring resonators with the same opening direction, which can realize three discrete absorption peaks in the sub-terahertz frequency domain. The absorption peaks are mainly formed when the three open circular resonators interact with each other, and the superposition of the three discrete peaks creates a three-band absorption. The physical mechanisms of three-band absorption are illustrated by the electric fields and surface current distributions of three absorption peaks. Adjustment of the absorption effect could be obtained by altering the dimensions of the cleft circular resonator. By fixing the dimensions and changing the opening direction, these resonators will couple to each other and play an important role in regulating the frequency, intensity, and number of absorption peaks. Moreover, the multi-band metamaterial structure could be combined with vanadium dioxide, a phase change material, to actively modulate the absorption. In addition, the three-band metamaterial absorber has the characteristics of polarization-sensitive and wide-angle, which has extensive applications in the domains of security detection, biomedicine and communication.
Development of functionally gradient Cu-Fe based sintered brake pad materials
Authors: Kasi Rajesh Kannan , Murugesan Nithin Kumaar , Jeyakanapathy Aishwarya , Ramalingam Vaira Vignesh , Myilsamy Govindaraju
Published: May 2024

The world is seeking a sustainable co-existence with nature to preserve the balance of our ecosystem. This has opened a wider market for green and renewable forms of energy to realize the energy requirements of global countries. Among the various renewable energy sources, harnessing the kinetic energy of the wind through a turbine to generate electricity has seen an ardent growth. Wind turbines, in general, function between 2 m s−1 and 25 m s−1 wind speed. When the winds cross the cut-out speed (25 m s−1) or during the maintenance of wind turbine components, the brakes are implemented. The primary aerodynamic and secondary mechanical brakes comprise the wind turbine braking system. The mechanical brake pads are fixed to the brake caliper. On braking, the brake caliper pushes the brake pads against the brake disc. This recurring action gradually wears the brake material. The presence of ceramic particles in the traditionally used bulk composite pads imparts poor joint properties between the brake pad and caliper. These mandate frequent replacement of the brake pads. The current research work developed a functionally gradient brake pad through the powder metallurgy technique. The microstructure, microhardness, and tribological properties of the fabricated brake pads are tested and analyzed. Microstructural analysis revealed a homogeneous distribution of the reinforcements in the metal matrix. COF was observed to be within the desired range of between 0.3 and 0.4. The brake pad exhibited a combination of adhesive-abrasive-oxidative wear.
Planck constraints on cosmic birefringence and its cross-correlation with the CMB
Authors: Zagatti G. , Bortolami M. , Gruppuso A. , Natoli P. , Pagano L. , Fabbian G.
Published: May 2024

Cosmic birefringence is the in-vacuo, frequency independent rotation of the polarization plane of linearly polarized radiation, induced by a parity-violating term in the electromagnetic Lagrangian. We implement a harmonic estimator for the birefringence field that only relies on the CMB E to B mode cross-correlation, thus suppressing the effect of cosmic variance from the temperature field. We derive constraints fromPlanckpublic releases 3 and 4, revealing a cosmic birefringence power spectrum consistent with zero at about 2σup to multipoleL= 1500. Moreover, we find that the cross-correlations of cosmic birefringence with the CMB T-, E- and B-fields are also well compatible with null. The latter two cross-correlations are provided here for the first time up toL= 1500.
Using axion miniclusters to disentangle the axion-photon coupling and the dark matter density
Authors: Dandoy Virgile , Jaeckel Joerg , Montoya Valentina
Published: May 2024

Dark matter direct (and indirect) detection experiments usually can only determine a specific combination of a power of the coupling and the dark matter density. This is also true for axion haloscopes which are sensitive to the product g
2

aγγρ
DM, the combination of axion-photon coupling squared and the dark matter density. In this note we show, that in the lucky case when we intersect with a so-called axion minicluster of a suitable size, we can utilize the spectral information available in haloscopes to determine the gravitational potential of the minicluster. We can then use this to measure separately the coupling and the density of the minicluster.
Notes on emergent conformal symmetry for black holes
Authors: Xue Yesheng , Jiang Jie , Zhang Ming
Published: May 2024

We examine the motion of the massless scalar field and nearly bound null geodesics in the near-ring region of a black hole, which may possess either acceleration or a gravitomagnetic mass. Around such black holes, the photon ring deviates from the equatorial plane. In the large angular momentum limit, we demonstrate that the massless scalar field exhibits an emergent conformal symmetry in this near-ring region. Additionally, in the nearly bound limit, we observe the emergence of a conformal symmetry for the null geodesics that constitute the photon ring in the black hole image. These findings suggest that the hidden conformal symmetry, associated with the Lie algebra 𝔰𝔩(2, ℝ), persists even for black holes lacking north-south reflection symmetry, thereby broadening the foundation of photon ring holography. Finally, we show that the conformal symmetry also emerges for nearly bound timelike geodesics and scalar fields in proximity to the particle ring, and with specific mass around a Schwarzschild black hole.
Symmetry breaking due to multi-angle matter-neutrino resonance in neutron star merger remnants
Authors: Padilla-Gay Ian , Shalgar Shashank , Tamborra Irene
Published: May 2024

Neutron star merger remnants are unique sites for exploring neutrino flavor conversion in dense media. Because of the natural excess of ν̅e
over νe
, the neutrino-neutrino potential can cancel the matter potential, giving rise to matter-neutrino resonant flavor conversion. Under the assumption of two (anti)neutrino flavors and spatial homogeneity, we solve the neutrino quantum kinetic equations to investigate the occurrence of the matter-neutrino resonance within a multi-angle framework. We find that isotropy is broken spontaneously, regardless of the mass ordering. Relying on a hydrodynamical simulation of a binary neutron star merger remnant with a black hole of 3 M
⊙ and an accretion torus of 0.3 M
⊙, we find that complete flavor conversion caused by the matter-neutrino resonance is unlikely, although the matter and neutrino potentials cancel at various locations above the disk. Importantly, the matter-neutrino resonant flavor conversion crucially depends on the shape of the neutrino angular distributions. Our findings suggest that an accurate modeling of the neutrino angular distributions is necessary to understand flavor conversion physics in merger remnants, its implications on the disk physics and synthesis of the elements heavier than iron.