bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dielectrophoretic detection of electrical property changes of stored human red blood cells
Authors: Lavi Edwin D. , Crivellari Francesca , Gagnon Zachary
Published: March 2022

The ability to transport and store a large human blood inventory for transfusions is an essential requirement for medical institutions. Thus, there is an important need for rapid and low‐cost characterization tools for analyzing the properties of human red blood cells (RBCs) while in storage. In this study, we investigate the ability to use dielectrophoresis (DEP) for measuring the storage‐induced changes in RBC electrical properties. Fresh human blood was collected, suspended in K2‐EDTA anticoagulant, and stored in a blood bank refrigerator for a period of 20 days. Cells were removed from storage at 5‐day intervals and subjected to a glutaraldehyde crosslinking reaction to “freeze” cells at their ionic equilibrium at that point in time and prevent ion leakage during DEP analysis. The DEP behavior of RBCs was analyzed in a high permittivity DEP buffer using a three‐dimensional DEP chip (3DEP) and also compared to measurements taken with a 2D quadrupole electrode array. The DEP analysis confirms that RBC electrical property changes occur during storage and are only discernable with the use of the cell crosslinking reaction above a glutaraldehyde fixation concentration of 1.0 w/v%. In particular, cytoplasm conductivity was observed to decrease by more than 75% while the RBC membrane conductance was observed to increase by more than 1000% over a period of 20 days. These results show that the presented combination of chemical crosslinking and DEP can be used as rapid characterization tool for monitoring electrical properties changes of human RBCs while subjected to refrigeration in blood bank storage.
Diffusiophoresis in suspensions of highly charged soft particles
Authors: Fan Leia , Jian Elaine , Chang Wen‐Chun , Wu Yvonne , Lin Jason , Tseng Andy , Tseng Jessica , Wan Renee , Yu Annie , Lee Eric
Published: March 2022

Diffusiophoresis phenomenon of aoft particles suspended in binary electrolyte solutions is explored theoretically in this study based on the spherical cell model, focusing on the chemiphoresis component in absence of diffusion potential. Both the electrostatic and hydrodynamic aspects of the boundary confinement, or steric effect, due to the presence of neighboring particles are examined extensively under various electrokinetic conditions. Significant local extrema are found in mobility profiles expressed as functions of the Debye length in general, synchronized with the strength of the motion‐inducing double layer polarization. Moreover, a seemingly peculiar phenomenon is observed that the soft particles may move faster in more concentrated suspensions. The competition between the simultaneous enhancement of the motion‐inducing electric driving force and the motion‐retarding hydrodynamic drag force from the boundary confinement effect of the neighboring particles is found to be responsible for it. The above findings are also demonstrated experimentally in a very recent study on the diffusiophoretic motion of soft particles through porous collagen hydrogels. The results presented here are useful in various practical applications of soft particles like drug delivery.
Trade‐off between energy density and fast‐charge capability of lithium‐ion batteries: A model‐based design study of cells with thick electrodes
Authors: Quarti Michael , Bayer Andreas , Bessler Wolfgang G.
Published: March 2022

Lithium‐ion batteries exhibit a well‐known trade‐off between energy and power, which is problematic for electric vehicles which require both high energy during discharge (high driving range) and high power during charge (fast‐charge capability). We use two commercial lithium‐ion cells (high‐energy [HE] and high‐power) to parameterize and validate physicochemical pseudo‐two‐dimensional models. In a systematic virtual design study, we vary electrode thicknesses, cell temperature, and the type of charging protocol. We are able to show that low anode potentials during charge, inducing lithium plating and cell aging, can be effectively avoided either by using high temperatures or by using a constant‐current/constant‐potential/constant‐voltage charge protocol which includes a constant anode potential phase. We introduce and quantify a specific charging power as the ratio of discharged energy (at slow discharge) and required charging time (at a fast charge). This value is shown to exhibit a distinct optimum with respect to electrode thickness. At 35°C, the optimum was achieved using an HE electrode design, yielding 23.8 Wh/(min L) volumetric charging power at 15.2 min charging time (10% to 80% state of charge) and 517 Wh/L discharge energy density. By analyzing the various overpotential contributions, we were able to show that electrolyte transport losses are dominantly responsible for the insufficient charge and discharge performance of cells with very thick electrodes.
Carbon Capture and Storage Toward Industrialization: A Novel Continuous Process for the Production of Carbon Dioxide Clathrates
Authors: Costa Marcelo F. , Teixeira Carlos M. , Lopes Armandina M. , Araújo João P. , Dias Madalena M. , Santos Ricardo J. , Lopes José Carlos B.
Published: March 2022

Gas hydrates have been potentially recognized for developing new technologies for CO2 capture and storage; however, the respective industrialization faces difficulties. Hydrate's crystallization is highly exothermic, 1.3 kJ tonne−1 of captured CO2, and it only occurs in a narrow window of temperatures, typically 1–5 °C. Previous works have systematically reported low space–time yields (STY) due to low specific heat and mass transfer rates of the technologies tested. Herein, NetMIX, a novel mixing technology, is used for the continuous production of CO2 hydrates. NetMIX is a structured mixer consisting of a network of unit cells comprising mixing chambers interconnected by channels. The device used here has specific heat transfer rates ranging from 107 to 108 . The setup proves to be capable of producing hydrates at a STY of 200 , two orders of magnitude larger than other technologies, resulting in a slurry with more than 20 wt% of CO2 inside the hydrates lattice. The solid is characterized, and a cubic structure I (sI) hydrate structure is detected, with no ice traces. Moreover, results indicate that the process is stable, and no plugging occurs, crucial for industrialization.
Combining life cycle sustainability assessment and fuzzy multicriteria decision making method for prioritizing the flare technologies in the oil, gas, and chemical plants
Authors: Fetanat Abdolvahhab , Tayebi Mohsen , Mofid Hossein
Published: March 2022

Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) of flare technologies can assist the stakeholders/decision‐makers to choose the most sustainable flare technology in life cycle outlook among multiple options. This article purposes in developing a framework of life cycle sustainability decision‐support for prioritizing the flare technologies by integrating the LCSA concepts and fuzzy multicriteria decision making (MCDM) method. A novel fuzzy MCDM (FMCDM) technique that can handle linguistic variables in the decision‐making matrix was progressed by integrating SWARA–WASPAS approach and fuzzy evaluation (fuzzy SWARA–fuzzy WASPAS). Using fuzzy SWARA is obtained the weights of the metrics for LCSA and then, fuzzy WASPAS is employed to prioritize the alternatives with considering the metrics. Finally, the findings of fuzzy SWARA show the “Production cost,” having the topmost weight with value of 0.5094, is the foremost metric that overshadows the choice of suitable and sustainable flare technology. The results obtained from the fuzzy WASPAS suggest that “Steam‐assisted flare,” is the highest prioritized and thus, the most significant alternative to employ flare technology in oil, gas, and chemical plants. The results indicate that combining LCSA and MCDM can effectively rank industrial systems and equipment under data uncertainties.
Experimental research of the effects of organic manganese‐added biodiesel produced from crambe orientalis oil on engine performance, combustion, and emissions
Authors: Uyaroğlu Ayhan , Gürü Metin , Uyumaz Ahmet , Kocakulak Tolga
Published: March 2022

The influences of organic manganese with crambe orientalis biodiesel on combustion, performance and emissions were researched experimentally. The measured in‐cylinder pressure data were handled in MATLAB/Simulink environment and obtained as a result of fuel combustion, heat release rate, start of combustion, indicated mean effective pressure, indicated thermal efficiency, maximum pressure rise rate and ignition delay. It has been concluded that indicated thermal efficiency increased 1.96% and 1.82% with CO B25 and CO B50 compared to pure diesel at 11.25 Nm. On the contrary, brake specific fuel consumption increased 0.96% and 8.2% with CO B25 and CO B50 according to pure diesel at 11.25 Nm. Besides, decreases were observed on carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon and smoke emissions with fuel blends compared that diesel.
Detailed analysis on engine operating in dual fuel mode with different energy fractions of sustainable HHO gas
Authors: Subramanian Balaji , Lakshmaiya Natrayan , Ramasamy Dhivagar , Devarajan Yuvarajan
Published: March 2022

Carbon emission and problems associated with the world have been the major concerns for the past few decades. The world governments have implemented stringent emission norms to reduce the pollution created by hydrocarbon combustion in automobiles. The use of gaseous fuels in IC engines has gained interest among the research community. In the present research work, hydrogen, and oxygen (HHO gas) are produced together in an electrolyzer unit and is fed into the engine intake manifold before the carburetor. The electrolyzer consists of an anode, cathode and five neutral plates made of 316 L SS. Electrolyser production rate was tested with four different molarity conditions of NaOH electrolyte solution ranging from 0.24 to 1 N. It was noted that a maximum of 2 LPM of HHO gas was produced with the supply of 90 A‐h current at 1 N solution concentration. The performance and emission characters of the SI engine were conducted at six different load conditions and four flow rates of HHO gas. HHO gas induction has significantly increased the thermal brake efficiency by 8% and decreased the specific fuel consumption by 20%. With the supply of 2 LPM of HHO gas, CO2, HC, and NOx emissions were reduced by 67%, 59%, and 34%, respectively.
Optimized intellectual resource scheduling using deep reinforcement Q‐learning in cloud computing
Authors: Uma J. , Vivekanandan P. , Shankar S.
Published: March 2022

Cloud computing has recently attracted both academics and industrialists in the field of research. Virtualization allows cloud service providers (CSPs) with their own data centers to supply infrastructures, resources, and services to users by converting real servers into virtual machines (VMs). Profit‐driven CSPs charge users for VM leasing and service access while reducing energy consumption to increase profits. But CSPs even face challenges like minimizing the energy cost for the data center. Several different algorithms were introduced for minimizing the energy cost by using task scheduling (TS) and/or resource provisioning. However, scalability issues were encountered, or TS with task dependencies were not considered, which is a critical factor in assuring exact parallel execution of tasks in parallel. This article introduces a novel artificial algorithm, called deep reinforcement Q‐learning for resource scheduling which integrates the features of the Q‐learning and reinforcement learning approaches. The objective of this new approach is to provide a solution to the problem of handling energy consumption in a cloud computing environment. Based on advancements in WorkflowSim, experiments are carried out comparatively by considering the variance of make‐span, time, cost analysis, deadline overflow, and load balance in resource scheduling. The proposed method tends to be effective in terms of cost, energy consumption, resource utilization, and response time. The resource reuse capability of the proposed methodology is 63% higher when compared to the modified particle swarm optimization and modified cat swarm optimization technique. The task approval rate of the proposed methodology is 54% higher than the crow search‐based load balancing algorithm and 50% higher than the task duplication‐based scheduling algorithm.
Visible light communication performance using MIMO‐ADO‐OFDM system
Authors: Hameed Samir M. , Abdulsatar Sinan M. , Sabri Atheer A.
Published: March 2022

Visible light communications (VLC) and optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (O‐OFDM) have recently been identified as hopeful wireless techniques. Asymmetrically clipped DC‐biased O‐OFDM (ADO‐OFDM) is a modern performance enhancement technology used in VLC. This article proposes a performance improvement model using a novel approach that collaborates with ADO‐OFDM and multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) in different design scenarios. In the first scenario, the bit‐error‐rate (BER) performance improvement is examined using different setups of MIMO‐ADO‐OFDM with maximal ratio combining (MRC). 8 × 8 MIMO good performance can be attained with about 15 dB signal‐to‐noise ratio for BER = 10−4. Another scenario is to boost the spectral efficiency of MIMO‐ADO‐OFDM by employing spatial multiplexing (SMX). However, 8 × 8 MIMO with SMX can improve spectral efficiency eight times that of single‐input single‐output ADO‐OFDM by fragmenting source data into numerous independent data streams. In the last scenario, multi‐user MIMO is developed by adopting ADO‐OFDM with zero‐forcing equalisers, allowing each user to consume all available bandwidth. The proposed technologies are evaluated by comparison with other MIMO systems, different O‐OFDM, and under a non‐linear LED model.
Current perspectives regarding SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccination in chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Authors: Molica Stefano , Tam Constantine , Polliack Aaron
Published: March 2022

In immunocompetent people, the mRNA vaccines BNT162b2 and mRNA‐1273 have been shown to be safe and effective against coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID‐19). However, results of cohort studies and meta‐analyses have indicated that the degree of humoral response to SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) appears to be lower than that observed in the general population. These inadequate responses are mainly related to the disease itself and to the immunosuppressive effect of therapies administered. In the specific context of CLL, enrolling patients with sub‐optimal vaccine‐response in pivotal vaccine trials could be considered as an appropriate approach to improve response to the COVID‐19 vaccine. These clinical trials should also address the issues of regularity and timing of vaccine booster doses or re‐vaccinations, especially in patients undergoing therapy with pathway‐targeting agents and anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibodies. However, since hypogammaglobulinemia is a serious consequence of CLL, patients who do not have a detectable antibody response should be natural candidates for preventive antibody therapy.
Controls on decadal, annual, and seasonal concentration‐discharge relationships in the Sleepers River Research Watershed, Vermont, northeastern United States
Authors: Porter Veronica M. , Shanley James B. , Sebestyen Stephen D. , Liu Fengjing
Published: March 2022

Past studies on concentration‐discharge (C‐Q) relationships have focused on short‐term or low‐temporal resolution data. While advancing understanding of catchment processes, these studies provided limited insight on catchment response over time or to climate change. Using 15 solutes from 1992 to 2015 at Sleepers River Research Watershed, Vermont, we compared C‐Q relationships over decades, years, and seasons to elucidate controls on stream chemical variation. We applied end‐member mixing analysis (EMMA) to identify solute sources and flow path routing. EMMA identified three end‐members: near‐surface runoff (NSR), riparian groundwater, and hillslope hollow groundwater. Shifting mixing proportions of these end‐members accounted for the temporal variability of conservative (no chemical reaction en route from source to stream) solutes in streamflow. For example, an increase in NSR fraction, typical of high flow, caused flushing (increased concentrations) of NO3−, DOC, Al, and Fe, which were greatest in NSR, dilution of specific conductance and base cation, SO42−, Si, Sr, Ba, and Mn concentrations, which were greatest in the two groundwater end‐members. This behaviour is reflected in the b‐coefficient of the C‐Q relation (C = aQb), which indicates the strength of dilution (b < −0.1) and flushing (b > 0.1) effects. For conservative solutes, the b‐coefficient decreased significantly (p < 0.01) with an increase in the groundwater to NSR concentration ratio. Solutes that are conservative and have relatively constant concentrations in end‐members over time showed consistent annual C‐Q patterns over years and decades. Furthermore, the strength of dilution or flushing was stronger during the snowmelt period, when the NSR fraction peaked, than during the dormant and growing seasons. With shorter snowmelt periods and snow to rain shifts, the flushing or dilution power of snowmelt runoff will weaken and alter catchment response to climate change. These insights provide more tools for the interpretation of catchment processes and responses to climate change.
Patch‐based local deep feature extraction for automated skin cancer classification
Authors: Gajera Himanshu K. , Zaveri Mukesh A. , Nayak Deepak Ranjan
Published: March 2022

Skin cancer detection through dermoscopy images has remained challenging due to higher inter‐class uniformity and intra‐class diversity. Deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have recently obtained remarkable attention for automated skin cancer classification; however, most of these methods extract features from the global image of high resolution. One of the major drawbacks of these methods is the downscaling of input images to a low resolution, which leads to information loss. Moreover, the lack of a vast number of dermoscopy images is a concern. To overcome these issues and improve the classification accuracy, we propose a novel method using patch‐based local deep feature extraction. In the proposed method, the features are extracted from different patches of a dermoscopy image using a pre‐trained CNN model and are fused to preserve fine details. The kernel principal component analysis is then employed to select the prominent features, and a feed‐forward neural network is finally used to detect skin cancer. The approach is validated using two benchmark datasets: ISIC 2016 and ISIC 2017. The experimental results show that the suggested method achieves promising results in comparison with state‐of‐the‐art approaches. Moreover, a comparative analysis is made among contemporary pre‐trained CNN models.
A porcine cholecystic extracellular matrix conductive scaffold for cardiac tissue repair
Authors: Nair Reshma S. , Sobhan Praveen K. , Shenoy Sachin J. , Prabhu Mukund A. , Rema Aswathy M. , Ramachandran Surya , C. Geetha Surendran , V. Pratheesh Kanakarajan , Mony Manjula P. , Raj Reshmi , Anilkumar Thapasimuthu V.
Published: March 2022

Cardiac tissue engineering using cells, scaffolds or signaling molecules is a promising approach for replacement or repair of damaged myocardium. This study addressed the contemporary need for a conductive biomimetic nanocomposite scaffold for cardiac tissue engineering by examining the use of a gold nanoparticle‐incorporated porcine cholecystic extracellular matrix for the same. The scaffold had an electrical conductivity (0.74 ± 0.03 S/m) within the range of native myocardium. It was a suitable substrate for the growth and differentiation of cardiomyoblast (H9c2) as well as rat mesenchymal stem cells to cardiomyocyte‐like cells. Moreover, as an epicardial patch, the scaffold promoted neovascularisation and cell proliferation in infarcted myocardium of rats. It was concluded that the gold nanoparticle coated cholecystic extracellular matrix is a prospective biomaterial for cardiac tissue engineering.
Conquering multidrug resistant lung cancer by upconversion nanoparticles‐mediated photodynamic therapy and gene silencing
Authors: Kalluru Poliraju , Shanmugam Munusamy , Vankayala Raviraj , Chiang Chi‐Shiun , Hwang Kuo Chu
Published: March 2022

Multidrug resistance (MDR) problem is a challenging task in cancer treatments. Among various types of cancers, lung cancer is considered incurable, as it is diagnosed very often at the advanced metastatic stage, where surgical operations and radiation treatments become highly ineffective. In addition, lung cancers are multidrug resistant either intrinsically or upon continuous administration and stimulation of chemotherapeutic drugs. To conquer the difficult MDR problem, in this study, we developed a simple and effective therapeutic strategy to achieve complete destruction of multidrug resistant lung cancer by an unprecedented upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs)‐mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with effective (~70%) superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) gene silencing using ultra‐low doses (320 mW/cm2) of NIR light (980 nm) excitation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful literature example in achieving complete destruction of multidrug resistant cancers. Overall, the current work points out a new direction to the clinicians for the therapeutic design and effective treatments of multidrug resistant cancers.
Accuracy of retention model parameters obtained from retention data in liquid chromatography
Authors: Brau Tyler , Pirok Bob , Rutan Sarah , Stoll Dwight
Published: March 2022

In liquid chromatography, it is often very useful to have an accurate model of the retention factor, k, over a wide range of isocratic elution conditions. In principle, the parameters of a retention model can be obtained by fitting either isocratic or gradient retention factor data. However, in spite of many of our own attempts to accurately predict isocratic k values using retention models trained with gradient retention data, this has not worked in our hands. In the present study, we have used synthetic isocratic and gradient retention data for small molecules under reversed‐phase liquid chromatography conditions. This allows us to discover challenges associated with predicting isocratic k values without the confounding influences of experimental issues that are difficult to model or eliminate. The results indicate that it is not currently possible to consistently predict isocratic retention factors for small molecules with accuracies better than 10%, even when using synthetic gradient retention data. Two distinct challenges in fitting gradient retention data were identified: 1) a lack of ‘uniqueness’ in the parameters and 2) an inability to find the global optimum fit in a complex fitting landscape. Working with experimental data where measurement noise is unavoidable will only make the accuracy worse.
Association Between Systemic Corticosteroid Use and Mortality in Patients with Epiglottitis
Authors: Kimura Yuya , Jo Taisuke , Inoue Norihiko , Suzukawa Maho , Tanaka Goh , Kage Hidenori , Kumazawa Ryosuke , Matsui Hiroki , Fushimi Kiyohide , Yasunaga Hideo , Matsui Hirotoshi
Published: March 2022

Objectives

To clarify whether treatment with systemic corticosteroids at a certain dose was associated with better outcomes in patients with epiglottitis requiring airway management (tracheotomy or airway intubation).

Methods

This was a retrospective cohort study on patients hospitalized for epiglottitis requiring airway management from a nationwide inpatient database (between July 2010 and March 2019). Patients treated with systemic corticosteroids equivalent to methylprednisolone ≥40 mg/d within 2 days of admission and patients who were not treated with corticosteroids within 2 days of admission were compared after inverse probability of treatment weighting using covariate balancing propensity score. The primary outcome was all‐cause 30‐day in‐hospital mortality, and secondary outcomes included all‐cause 7‐day in‐hospital mortality, length of hospital stay, and total medical cost.

Results

There were 1986 and 1771 patients in the corticosteroid and control groups, respectively. A total of 72 of 3757 (1.9%) patients died within 30 days of admission, including 17 of 1986 (0.9%) patients in the corticosteroid group and 55 of 1771 (3.1%) in the control group (weighted odds ratio, 0.28 [95% confidence interval, 0.11–0.70]; weighted risk difference, −2.2% [−3.2% to −1.3%]). Treatment with corticosteroids was associated with lower total medical costs (weighted median, $6,187 vs. $6,587; weighted difference, $‐1,123 [−2,238 to −8]) but not all‐cause 7‐day in‐hospital mortality (weighted odds ratio, 0.63 [0.22–1.82]; weighted risk difference, −0.3% [−0.9 to 0.2]) and length of hospital stay (weighted median, 13 vs. 13 days; weighted difference, −0.2 days [−2.1 to 1.8]).

Conclusions

Systemic corticosteroids may be beneficial to patients with epiglottitis requiring airway management.

Level of Evidence

3 Laryngoscope, 133:344–349, 2023
Seasonal patterns in nutrient bioavailability in boreal headwater streams
Authors: Rulli Mayra P. D. , Bergström Ann‐Kristin , Sponseller Ryan A. , Berggren Martin
Published: March 2022

Changes in nutrient bioavailability due to increased loading of dissolved organic matter (DOM) may impact boreal freshwaters. Yet, the relative bioavailability of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) associated with terrestrial DOM remains poorly understood. We applied short‐term bioassays with natural bacterial inocula to determine seasonal variation in bioavailable organic nutrient pools from four boreal headwater streams in northern Sweden. Experiments were designed to exhaust bioavailable nutrients associated with DOM by inducing limiting conditions when all required resources except for the targeted nutrient (C, N, or P) are provided in excess. We hypothesized that the supply of different bioavailable nutrients to streams would reflect seasonal variations in terrestrial demand, hydrology, and temperature. The delivery of bioavailable DOM‐associated resources from the four streams were, on average, 2%, 11%, and 38% of the total dissolved organic C, N, and P, respectively, emphasizing the relatively low C bioavailability in these DOM‐rich waters. Bioavailable N : P ratios peaked in autumn for all sites, with lower values in winter and spring. Both in terms of relative (% of total) and absolute bioavailable organic nutrient concentrations, the seasonal pattern was characterized by systematically high values for the autumn period. Furthermore, links between bioavailable resources and temperature and hydrology varied across sites, time periods, and the different elements. Thus, elevated concentrations of bioavailable organic resources in autumn suggest the potential for leaf fall, as well as late season storms that rewet dry soils, to serve as considerable sources of C, N, and P to boreal aquatic ecosystems.
Incident‐Polarization‐Independent Spin Hall Effect of Light Reaching Half Beam Waist
Authors: Kim Minkyung , Lee Dasol , Rho Junsuk
Published: March 2022

The spin Hall effect of light (SHEL), a spin‐dependent transverse splitting of light at an optical interface, is intrinsically an incident‐polarization‐sensitive phenomenon. Recently, an approach to eliminate the polarization dependence by equalizing the reflection coefficients of two linear polarizations has been proposed, but is only valid when the beam waist is sufficiently larger than the wavelength. Here, it is demonstrated that an interface, at which the reflection coefficients of the two linear polarizations are the same and so are their derivatives with respect to the incident angle, supports the polarization‐independent spin Hall shift, even when the beam waist is comparable to the wavelength. In addition, an isotropic–anisotropic interface that exhibits the polarization‐independent spin Hall shift over the entire range of incident angles is presented. Monte‐Carlo simulations prove that spin Hall shifts are degenerate under any polarization and reach a half of beam waist under unpolarized incidence. An application of the beam‐waist‐scale SHEL as a tunable beam‐splitting device that is responsive to the incident polarization is suggested. The spin Hall shift that is independent of the incident polarization at any incident angle will facilitate a wide range of applications including practical spin‐dependent devices and active beam splitters.
Recent Progress and Future Opportunities for Hot Carrier Photodetectors: From Ultraviolet to Infrared Bands
Authors: Zhang Cheng , Luo Yu , Maier Stefan A. , Li Xiaofeng
Published: March 2022

The hot carriers generated from the nonradiative decay of surface plasmons in metallic nanostructures can inject into the conduction band of a semiconductor, allowing for the sub‐bandgap photodetection under room temperature. By the controllable interfacial barrier height between the plasmonic and semiconductor/insulator materials, the hot carrier photodetectors working from ultraviolet to infrared bands are extensively demonstrated with significant progress. In this review, hot carrier dynamics are briefly discussed from generation, transport, and emission perspectives. The state‐of‐the‐art progress of hot carrier photodetectors with various configurations, material constitutions, and plasmonic nanostructures are surveyed. To further promote hot carrier extraction efficiency toward the practical applications, the thermodynamic loss analysis, and the potential strategies from the optical, electrical, and material perspectives are addressed. The performances of the developed hot carrier photodetectors are also summarized, particularly addressing the novel functionalities, challenges, and future opportunities.
Carbon Nanotubes‐Based 3D Printing Ink for Multifunctional “Artificial Epidermis” with Long‐Term Environmental Stability
Authors: Abodurexiti Ayinuer , Maimaitiyiming Xieraili
Published: March 2022

3D printing is a rapidly developing field because it has been widely used in the rapid design and manufacturing of flexible sensors to meet the needs of complex soft structures and devices. In this study, a composite hydrogel ink composed of polyvinyl alcohol, silk fibroin, conductive polymer, and carbon nanotubes is designed,and using 3D printing technology an “artificial epidermis” with long‐term environment stability and self‐healing ability is created. In addition, the “artificial epidermis” also has the multifunctional characteristics of sensing pressure, strain, temperature, and humidity. It has a wide pressure (0–165 kPa), strain (0–355%), temperature (−20–68 °C) and humidity (45–85%) sensing range and high sensitivity. While detecting the tiny movements of the human body, after self‐healing, the device can fully restore its sensing capabilities and perform accurate human monitoring. Furthermore, it can also monitor changes in temperature and humidity, distinguish between hot and cold water, and perform detection of water droplets. Customized 3D printing of flexible electronic devices has opened up new ways for the biological integration of various sensors in wearable electronic systems and the application of advanced bionic skin.
Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment of Thermoplastic Polymers for Packaging: A Review on Fundamental Principles and Applications
Authors: Banerjee Ritima , Ray Suprakas Sinha
Published: March 2022

This article presents recent developments in the use of life cycle assessment (LCA) for evaluating the sustainability of thermoplastics, including multilayer plastics packaging and comparisons with other packaging materials. Due to increasing environmental awareness, thermoplastics, despite their superior properties, are being increasingly substituted with other materials due to their fossil‐based origin and non‐biodegradability. While the use of biodegradable and bio‐based thermoplastics contributes to overcoming these limitations, there are still challenges associated with the environmental effects of the cultivation phase of agricultural resources and the infrastructure and costs required for composting. Therefore, a quantitative evaluation of the environmental performance of various thermoplastics and their packaging applications over their complete life cycle compared with other conventional materials like paper and glass, using LCA, is imperative for understanding the role of thermoplastics in sustainable development. LCA is also vital for selecting the material, process, and waste management technique best suited for sustainability without compromising the product quality. In summary, the fundamental knowledge of LCA and critical assessment of key literature on LCA of thermoplastic materials and their packaging applications, will provide direction for future advances in the field of sustainable polymeric materials and the socio‐economic aspects of sustainability.
A Smart Anticorrosive Epoxy Coating Based on Environmental‐Stimuli‐Responsive Copolymer Assemblies for Controlled Release of Corrosion Inhibitors
Authors: Cao Ying , He Jianmin , Wu Jianhua , Wang Xiaoyu , Lu Wei , Lin Jingyu , Xu Yiting , Chen Guorong , Zeng Birong , Dai Lizong
Published: March 2022

Inspired by the various applications of self‐assembled amphiphilic polymers in aqueous solution, a novel “semi‐amphiphilic” copolymer is designed, which can self‐assemble in organic systems by taking advantage of the compatibility difference between epoxy and the units with different structures in the polymer chains. A novel kind of polymer, poly(syringaldehyde methacrylate)‐co‐poly(dopamine methacrylate) is prepared by reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, which contains aldehyde groups and is further used to prepare the polymer/guanine conjugate by forming the Schiff base. The polymer/guanine conjugate is semi‐amphiphilic, since the compatibility between dopamine methacrylate unit and epoxy is better than that between syringaldehyde methacrylate and epoxy, and therefore assemblies are formed in the organic system when it is added into the epoxy resin to prepare the anti‐corrosive coating. The imine linkage is responsible for the pH‐controlled release of the corrosion inhibiters, namely guanine, from the core of the assemblies. The self‐assembled behaviors of the semi‐amphiphilic copolymer in epoxy are investigated by dynamic light scattering and scanning electron microscopy. The stable encapsule and controlled‐release of the inhibitors are confirmed by UV spectrophotometry. The properties of the smart coatings are comprehensively studied.
An axiomatic characterization of Promethee II's net flow scores based on a combination of direct comparisons and comparisons with third alternatives
Authors: Dejaegere Gilles , Boujelben Mohamed Ayman , De Smet Yves
Published: March 2022

Promethee ii is a multi‐criteria decision aid method working as follows: firstly, all alternatives are compared two by two to form a pairwise comparison matrix. Then the net flow score procedure is applied on this matrix to assign a score to each alternative according to which they are ranked. Methods of the Promethee family may suffer from rank reversal occurrences. The legitimacy of methods suffering from this phenomenon has been largely debated in the literature. The aim of this work is to provide a characterization of the Promethee ii net flow scores as a combination between two distinct methods based on different hypotheses. The first one is based on the direct pairwise comparison of the two considered alternatives while the second is based on the comparison with respect to all the other alternatives of the problem. This combination highlights the dependence on third alternatives as an inherent characteristic of the Promethee ii method.
Model‐based comparative study of magnetohydrodynamics unsteady hybrid nanofluid flow between two infinite parallel plates with particle shape effects
Authors: Chu Yu‐Ming , Bashir Seemab , Ramzan Muhammad , Malik Muhammad Yousaf
Published: March 2022

The present study examines the impact of unsteady viscous flow in a squeezing channel. Silver–gold hybrid nanofluid particles with different shapes are inserted in the base fluid engine oil. Flow and heat transfer mechanism is detected in the presence of magnetohydrodynamics between the two parallel infinite plates. The thermal conductivity models, that is, Yamada–Ota and Hamilton–Crosser models are used to investigate various shapes (Blade, platelet, cylinder, and brick) of hybrid nanoparticles. The model is made up of paired high nonlinear partial differential equations that are then transformed into ordinary differential equations which are coupled and strong nonlinear using the boundary layer approximation. The MATLAB solver bvp4c package is used to solve the numerical solution of this coupled system. The influence of different parameters on the physical quantities is addressed via graphs. A comparison with already reported results is given in order to confirm the current findings. The analysis shows that surprisingly the Yamada–Ota model of the Hybrid nanofluid gains high temperature and velocity profile than the Hamilton–Crosser model of the hybrid nanofluid. Also, both the models show increasing trends toward increasing the volume fraction rate of silver‐gold hybrid nanoparticles. It is also inferred that the hybrid‐nanoparticles performance is far better than the common nanofluids.
Advances in differential photoacoustic spectroscopy for trace gas detection
Authors: Zhang Le , Liu Lixian , Liu Yanyan , Zhang Xueshi , Huan Huiting , Yin Xukun , Xi Teli , Shao Xiaopeng
Published: March 2022

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS), as a nondestructive method, permits high sensitivity and selectivity in trace gas detection fields. Advances in differential PAS configurations have dramatically suppressed the background noise and triggered the detectivity improvement. A detailed review on the development of differential photoacoustic gas sensors is presented: using two identical cavity differential cells and optical path types provides good performance for coherent noise suppression, and differential mode excitation technique, which evaluates the signal ratios with two frequency excitations, suppresses the common mode noise and signal drifts generated by the light power or the responsivity of the PA system. An overview of the latest developments of the differential PAS sensors is reported. Distinguished results in terms of sensitivity, selectivity, and miniaturization are presented. The advantages and limitations of differential sensors with different photoacoustic sensing technologies are discussed.
Remote dose imaging from Cherenkov light using spatially resolved CT calibration in breast radiotherapy
Authors: Hachadorian Rachael L. , Bruza Petr , Jermyn Michael , Gladstone David J. , Zhang Rongxiao , Jarvis Lesley A. , Pogue Brian W.
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Imaging Cherenkov light during radiotherapy allows the visualization and recording of frame‐by‐frame relative maps of the dose being delivered to the tissue at each control point used throughout treatment, providing one of the most complete real‐time means of treatment quality assurance. In non‐turbid media, the intensity of Cherenkov light is linear with surface dose deposited, however the emission from patient tissue is well‐known to be reduced by absorbing tissue components such as hemoglobin, fat, water, and melanin, and diffused by the scattering components of tissue. Earlier studies have shown that bulk correction could be achieved by using the patient planning computed tomography (CT) scan for attenuation correction.

Methods

In this study, CT maps were used for correction of spatial variations in emissivity. Testing was completed on Cherenkov images from radiotherapy treatments of post‐lumpectomy breast cancer patients (n = 13), combined with spatial renderings of the patient radiodensity (CT number) from their planning CT scan.

Results

The correction technique was shown to provide a pixel‐by‐pixel correction that suppressed many of the inter‐ and intra‐patient differences in the Cherenkov light emitted per unit dose. This correction was established from a calibration curve that correlated Cherenkov light intensity to surface‐rendered CT number ( and ). The corrected Cherenkov intensity per unit dose standard error was reduced by nearly half (from ∼30% to ∼17%).

Conclusions

This approach provides evidence that the planning CT scan can mitigate some of the tissue‐specific attenuation in Cherenkov images, allowing them to be translated into near surface dose images.
Fiducial marker recovery and detection from severely truncated data in navigation‐assisted spine surgery
Authors: Fan Fuxin , Kreher Björn , Keil Holger , Maier Andreas , Huang Yixing
Published: March 2022

Purpose

Fiducial markers are commonly used in navigation‐assisted minimally invasive spine surgery and they help transfer image coordinates into real‐world coordinates. In practice, these markers might be located outside the field‐of‐view (FOV) of C‐arm cone‐beam computed tomography (CBCT) systems used in intraoperative surgeries, due to the limited detector sizes. As a consequence, reconstructed markers in CBCT volumes suffer from artifacts and have distorted shapes, which sets an obstacle for navigation.

Methods

In this work, we propose two fiducial marker detection methods: direct detection from distorted markers (direct method) and detection after marker recovery (recovery method). For direct detection from distorted markers in reconstructed volumes, an efficient automatic marker detection method using two neural networks and a conventional circle detection algorithm is proposed. For marker recovery, a task‐specific data preparation strategy is proposed to recover markers from severely truncated data. Afterwards, a conventional marker detection algorithm is applied for position detection. The networks in both methods are trained based on simulated data. For the direct method, 6800 images and 10 000 images are generated, respectively, to train the U‐Net and ResNet50. For the recovery method, the training set includes 1360 images for FBPConvNet and Pix2pixGAN. The simulated data set with 166 markers and four cadaver cases with real fiducials are used for evaluation.

Results

The two methods are evaluated on simulated data and real cadaver data. The direct method achieves 100% detection rates within 1 mm detection error on simulated data with normal truncation and simulated data with heavier noise, but only detect 94.6% markers in extremely severe truncation case. The recovery method detects all the markers successfully in three test data sets and around 95% markers are detected within 0.5 mm error. For real cadaver data, both methods achieve 100% marker detection rates with mean registration error below 0.2 mm.

Conclusions

Our experiments demonstrate that the direct method is capable of detecting distorted markers accurately and the recovery method with the task‐specific data preparation strategy has high robustness and generalizability on various data sets. The task‐specific data preparation is able to reconstruct structures of interest outside the FOV from severely truncated data better than conventional data preparation.
Robust attitude control of a quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicles using optimized disturbance observer
Authors: Jong‐Nam Yun , Yong‐Il Kim , Su‐Yong Paek , Yong‐Sim Ri , Hae‐Yong Kim
Published: March 2022

This article proposes a method of realizing robust attitude stabilization control of a quadrotor UAV using the disturbance observer (DOB), where Q–filter is optimally designed considering performances of attenuating disturbance and estimation noise, and robust stability against parameter variations and sampling duration delay due to discrete time control in microcontroller. Disturbance rejection performance mainly depends on the bandwidth determined by cut‐off frequency of DOB's Q–filter. However, extension of the Q–filter's bandwidth must be restricted due to the requirement of robust stability against parameter uncertainty and sampling duration delay in onboard microcontroller for flight control of quadrotor. In order to optimize the disturbance rejection performance under the restriction of bandwidth, an norm minimization problem is defined considering the frequency bands of disturbance and noise. The optimization problem is transformed into standard control design problem by pseudo loop factorization method so as to resolve the structural constraint of Q–filter. Then, stability of the discrete time system configured by digital controller is tested in relation with the time constant of the designed DOB's Q–filter under different inertia moment values. The comparisons between simulation results by different control methods validate that the robust control method using proposed DOB provides a better performance of disturbance attenuation than that using conventional DOB.
Influence of silver nanoparticles on mechanical, thermal and antibacterial properties of poly (vinyl alcohol)/rice hull powder hybrid biocomposite films
Authors: Ganesh Babu A. , Saravanakumar S. S. , Sai Balaji M. A.
Published: March 2022

Earth produces 2.12 billion tons of total wastes annually and nearly 2 million tons of petroleum‐based synthetic polymers each day. The majority of synthetic polymers were obtained by packaging applications. Biodegradable films(biofilms) can be a good alternative for pollution‐creating synthetic polymers. Rice hull powder (RHP) as reinforcing fillers, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as matrix along with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were used to prepare the biofilms. By using the solution casting method, five samples of PVA/RHP (1–5 mM) AgNPs biofilms were fabricated and characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), X‐Ray Diffraction Analysis (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry beyond testing for their mechanical and antibacterial activities. The small spherical shape elements in the FESEM images clarify the presence of AgNPs. The intensities of observed peaks in the FT‐IR spectrum keep decreasing with the inclusion of AgNPs. The X‐ray diffractogram confirms the strong peaks at 2θ = 38.2°, 49.1°, 60.8°, & 78.3° due to the presence of the AgNPs. The tensile strength and tensile modulus reached a maximum value of 35.5 and 871 MPa respectively. The presence of heat‐stable metallic silver made the biofilms thermally stable up to 371°C and also improved the antibacterial activity exhibited by a better inhibition zone. The improved results clarified that biofilms can be suggested for packaging applications.
The industrial process for virucidal plasma coatings on textiles: From idea to upscaling
Authors: Borek‐Donten J. , Nisol B. , Filimon M. , Lopes M. , Collard D. , Chassaing M. , Cauchie H.‐M. , Heyberger R.
Published: March 2022

In the context of the current pandemic, there has been a growing interest in “smart” personal protective equipment and face masks. Current types of face masks rely mostly on mechanical filtration of air‐ or bioaerosol‐borne pathogen agents. Using MPG's proprietary technology, which enables optimized and highly controlled cold atmospheric plasmas, several types of virucidal coatings were successfully deposited on a range of sensitive substrates. The so‐treated material does not act only as a simple “mechanical barrier” to pathogen agents but can effectively prevent cross‐contamination and the spread of pathogens. The additional functional layer offers active, fast virucidal properties while being harmless to the user. This study reports some key aspects in the development toward an industrial solution.