bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Control of the magnetic anisotropy and Curie temperature of monolayer 1T-CrTe2 for room temperature application
Authors: Yao Mengli , Pan Jing , Xie Weifeng , Yang Zhencheng , Li Min , Wang Hui
Published: December 2023

Magnetic units with large magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) and high Curie temperature (Tc) are crucial for spintronic and quantum computing devices, which are a persisting demand for miniaturization of magnetic units. Using first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulation, it is found that monolayer 1T-CrTe2 exhibits strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with a MAE of approximately 5.29 meV and high Tc of ∼136 K. Interestingly, we find that the MAE and Tc of monolayer 1T-CrTe2 are tunable through electron/hole doping, strain, and heterostructure engineering. The magnetic easy-axis can be adjusted from out of plane to in plane, which is mainly attributed to the coupling between Te atomic orbitals (px, py). Second-order perturbation theory reveals that the spin–orbit coupling interaction between the occupied px and unoccupied py orbitals in opposite spin channel near Fermi level gives rise to negative contribution of MAE. Moreover, Tc can be enhanced to ∼230 K through super–superexchange mechanism of heterostructure due to the electron hopping between t2g/eg orbitals of Cr4+ ions and e1/a1 orbitals of Fe2+ ions. Importantly, we find that Tc can be boosted above room temperature by applying moderate strain (6%), ascribing to significant enhancement of MAE and exchange coupling constant. The present work indicates that monolayer 1T-CrTe2-based two-dimensional materials are very promising for room temperature application in magnetic storage and information processing.
Confinement effect on lateral particle migration in deoxyribonucleic acid solution
Authors: Jung Yoonyoung , Jin Daekwon , Shim Tae Soup , Lee Sung Sik , Kim Ju Min
Published: December 2023

Lateral migration and focusing of particles in viscoelastic fluids have recently been widely exploited in various microfluidic applications, such as particle counting and separation. However, there are still many unresolved problems regarding the underlying mechanisms that induce lateral migration in polymer solutions. In particular, as the sizes of particles and polymers (e.g., radius of gyration) become comparable, continuum mechanics (constitutive modeling)-based analyses are expected to fail, which has not yet been investigated. If lateral particle migration occurs only due to conventional bulk viscoelastic effects, the equilibrium particle positions are expected to remain constant when the aspect ratio (rpc) of the particle to channel dimensions is nearly fixed. In this study, we found that as the channel dimension of the cross section decreases, a transition occurs in which individual polymers (λ-deoxyribonucleic acid) behave as deformable particles, and consequently, the equilibrium positions change. This study contributes to clarifying the lateral particle migration in polymer solutions and can be applied to various applications, such as deformability-selective particle separation.
Electrothermal instability in different modes of underwater electrical wire explosion
Authors: Liu Zhigang , Li Yutai , Wang Xinxin , Zou Xiaobing
Published: December 2023

Electrothermal instability and its effect on the uniformity of discharge channels during underwater electrical wire explosions at different energy deposition rates have been investigated. According to the liquid–vapor transition mechanism, we classified underwater electrical explosion into “phase explosion mode” and “supercritical mode.” Two sets of experiments corresponding to the two modes were conducted, and the exploding wires were observed by a shadow imaging system. Results showed that a bamboo-shaped discharge channel was formed in the phase explosion mode, whereas the discharge channel in the supercritical mode was a uniform cylinder. Self-consistent magnetohydrodynamic simulation results indicated that exploding wires transfer into liquid–vapor coexistence phase in the phase explosion mode, accompanied by a rapid increase in the density perturbation and the formation of bamboo-shaped structures. Moreover, a small perturbation model was derived to analyze the electrothermal instability in different thermodynamic states. It was indicated that the density perturbation is easier to grow in the liquid–vapor coexistence state than the supercritical state, which provides a theoretical explanation for the differences between the two electrical explosion modes.
Chip-integrated optical fiber force sensing system
Authors: Fu Kang , Shi Fan , Wang Binju , Fu Jianwei , Yan Jiabin , Wang Yongjin
Published: December 2023

The quantum well diode (QWD) performs a dual role, functioning both as an emitter and a detector due to its unique feature of spectral overlap between emission and detection spectra. This dual functionality positions QWDs as promising candidates in the realm of multifunctional sensors. Furthermore, the well-established maturity of optical fiber communication, grounded in its intrinsic property of total reflection, makes it an ideal transmission medium for QWD sensing signals. Leveraging the coexisting emission and detection capabilities of QWDs, we have constructed a sensing system in this article. This system utilizes a QWD, which is stimulated to emit light, with the emitted light traveling through a specified length of optical fiber. A specialized load-bearing film, featuring an aluminum membrane on its rear to act as a mirror and an object of known weight on its front, induces deformation in the film, thereby altering the characteristics of the reflected light. This modulated light is subsequently captured by the QWD via the optical fiber, enabling the computation of the weight of the object. In this article, the QWD's emission peak is around 522 nm, and its detection range extends from 370 to 530 nm. Furthermore, by employing the appropriate approach, integrating QWD with optical fibers can be extended to sensing and measuring various physical quantities such as temperature, solution concentration, wind speed, and more. The advantages of QWDs include cost-effectiveness, multifunctionality, portability, and environmental friendliness. This technology represents a promising avenue for sensor control in the era of the Internet of Things.
Neuromuscular basis of
Drosophila
larval rolling escape behavior
Authors: Cooney Patricia C. , Huang Yuhan , Li Wenze , Perera Dulanjana M. , Hormigo Richard , Tabachnik Tanya , Godage Isuru S. , Hillman Elizabeth M. C. , Grueber Wesley B. , Zarin Aref A.
Published: December 2023

When threatened by dangerous or harmful stimuli, animals engage in diverse forms of rapid escape behaviors. In
Drosophila
larvae, one type of escape response involves C-shaped bending and lateral rolling followed by rapid forward crawling. The sensory circuitry that promotes larval escape has been extensively characterized; however, the motor programs underlying rolling are unknown. Here, we characterize the neuromuscular basis of rolling escape behavior. We used high-speed, volumetric, Swept Confocally Aligned Planar Excitation (SCAPE) microscopy to image muscle activity during larval rolling. Unlike sequential peristaltic muscle contractions that progress from segment to segment during forward and backward crawling, muscle activity progresses circumferentially during bending and rolling escape behavior. We propose that progression of muscular contraction around the larva’s circumference results in a transient misalignment between weight and the ground support forces, which generates a torque that induces stabilizing body rotation. Therefore, successive cycles of slight misalignment followed by reactive aligning rotation lead to continuous rolling motion. Supporting our biomechanical model, we found that disrupting the activity of muscle groups undergoing circumferential contraction progression leads to rolling defects. We use EM connectome data to identify premotor to motor connectivity patterns that could drive rolling behavior and perform neural silencing approaches to demonstrate the crucial role of a group of glutamatergic premotor neurons in rolling. Our data reveal body-wide muscle activity patterns and putative premotor circuit organization for execution of the rolling escape response.
Batteryless implantable device with built-in mechanical clock for automated and precisely timed drug administration
Authors: Kim Min Ji , Kim Cho Rim , Park Chan Soon , Kang Hyejeong , Cho Ye Seul , Yeom Da-Hae , Kim Myoung Ju , Han Jae Hoon , Ji Han Bi , Cho Yong Chan , Min Chang Hee , Kim Do Yeon , Lee Ji Won , Lee Cheol , Lee Seung-Pyo , Choy Young Bin
Published: December 2023

Adherence to medication plays a crucial role in the effective management of chronic diseases. However, patients often miss their scheduled drug administrations, resulting in suboptimal disease control. Therefore, we propose an implantable device enabled with automated and precisely timed drug administration. Our device incorporates a built-in mechanical clock movement to utilize a clockwork mechanism, i.e., a periodic turn of the hour axis, enabling automatic drug infusion at precise 12-h intervals. The actuation principle relies on the sophisticated design of the device, where the rotational movement of the hour axis is converted into potential mechanical energy and is abruptly released at the exact moment for drug administration. The clock movement can be charged either automatically by mechanical agitations or manually by winding the crown, while the device remains implanted, thereby enabling the device to be used permanently without the need for batteries. When tested using metoprolol, an antihypertensive drug, in a spontaneously hypertensive animal model, the implanted device can deliver drug automatically at precise 12-h intervals without the need for further attention, leading to similarly effective blood pressure control and ultimately, prevention of ventricular hypertrophy as compared with scheduled drug administrations. These findings suggest that our device is a promising alternative to conventional methods for complex drug administration.
Nucleotide modifications enable rational design of TLR7-selective ligands by blocking RNase cleavage
Authors: Tong Ann-Jay , Leylek Rebecca , Herzner Anna-Maria , Rigas Diamanda , Wichner Sara , Blanchette Craig , Tahtinen Siri , Kemball Christopher C. , Mellman Ira , Haley Benjamin , Freund Emily C. , Delamarre Lélia
Published: December 2023

Toll-like receptors 7 (TLR7) and 8 (TLR8) each sense single-stranded RNA (ssRNA), but their activation results in different immune activation profiles. Attempts to selectively target either TLR7 or TLR8 have been hindered by their high degree of homology. However, recent studies revealed that TLR7 and TLR8 bind different ligands resulting from the processing of ssRNA by endolysosomal RNases. We demonstrate that by introducing precise 2′ sugar-modified bases into oligoribonucleotides (ORNs) containing known TLR7 and TLR8 binding motifs, we could prevent RNase-mediated degradation into the monomeric uridine required for TLR8 activation while preserving TLR7 activation. Furthermore, a novel, optimized protocol for CRISPR-Cas9 knockout in primary human plasmacytoid dendritic cells showed that TLR7 activation is dependent on RNase processing of ORNs and revealed a previously undescribed role for RNase 6 in degrading ORNs into TLR ligands. Finally, 2′ sugar-modified ORNs demonstrated robust innate immune activation in mice. Altogether, we identified a strategy for creating tunable TLR7-selective agonists.
Signature of Superconductivity in Pressurized La4Ni3O10
Authors: Li 李 Qing 庆 , Zhang 张 Ying-Jie 英杰 , Xiang 项 Zhe-Ning 浙宁 , Zhang 张 Yuhang 宇航 , Zhu 祝 Xiyu 熙宇 , Wen 闻 Hai-Hu 海虎
Published: December 2023

The discovery of high-temperature superconductivity near 80 K in bilayer nickelate La3Ni2O7 under high pressures has renewed the exploration of superconducting nickelate in bulk materials. The extension of superconductivity in other nickelates in a broader family is also essential. Here, we report the experimental observation of superconducting signature in trilayer nickelate La4Ni3O10 under high pressures. By using a modified sol-gel method and post-annealing treatment under high oxygen pressure, we successfully obtained polycrystalline La4Ni3O10 samples with different transport behaviors at ambient pressure. Then we performed high-pressure electrical resistance measurements on these samples in a diamond-anvil-cell apparatus. Surprisingly, the signature of possible superconducting transition with a maximum transition temperature (T
c) of about 20 K under high pressures is observed, as evidenced by a clear drop of resistance and the suppression of resistance drops under magnetic fields. Although the resistance drop is sample-dependent and relatively small, it appears in all of our measured samples. We argue that the observed superconducting signal is most likely to originate from the main phase of La4Ni3O10. Our findings will motivate the exploration of superconductivity in a broader family of nickelates and shed light on the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of high-T
c superconductivity in nickelates.
The effects of MS2 (M = Mo or W) substrates on electronic properties under electric fields in germanene-based field-effect transistors
Authors: Xiao M X , Lin H Y , Liu H , Song H Y , Wang S D , Xiao B B
Published: December 2023

Germanene has attracted significant attention due to its novel electronic properties and strong spin-coupling effect. However, the tiny band gap of the germanene dramatically limits its application in field-effect transistors (FETs). Inspired by the utilization of the substrates and electric fields to adjust the band gaps of two-dimensional materials, we investigated the fundamental mechanism of electric fields on the atomic structures and electronic properties of germanene supported by MS2 (M = Mo or W) substrates through first-principles calculation. The results show that the substrates can induce a symmetry breaking in the germanene sublattice via van der Waals interaction, leading to a sizable band gap at the Dirac point. In addition, the band gaps of the germanene/MS2 heterostructures can be effectively modulated by applying an external electric field. Under suitable electric fields, the considerable band gap values of CMo germanene/MoS2 and TGeL-W germanene/WS2 configurations can open the maximum band gaps with 263 and 247 meV, which satisfy the requirements of FETs at room temperature. Meanwhile, the evolutions of charge transfers under electric fields were explored to illustrate how electric fields and substrates promote the electronic properties of germanene. More interestingly, a Schottky–Ohmic transition can occur when a specific electric field is imposed on the germanene/MS2 heterostructures. Note that the hole and electron carrier mobilities of germanene/MS2 heterostructures are still significantly preserved, showing some superior electronic performances than some heterostructures. The results provide a critical theoretical guide for improving the electronic properties of germanene, and demonstrate the designed germanene/MS2 heterostructures with the tunable band gaps and higher carrier mobilities as germanene-based FETs.
Microplasma characteristics of direct-current atmospheric pressure glow discharge in dependence of gap distance and discharge current
Authors: Li Yimeng , Chang Zezhou , Xia Linghan , Guo Hongyan , Cheng Yonghong , Meng Guodong
Published: December 2023

Microplasma at atmospheric pressure has been widely used in many fields due to the lower power consumption, higher plasma density, as well as better uniformity and stability. In this work, the microplasma characteristics of direct current atmospheric pressure glow discharge, including discharge morphology and electrical properties have been investigated with various interelectrode gaps (10–600 μm) and discharge currents (1–6 mA), and simultaneously, a finite element simulation has been conducted to obtain the distribution of the electric field and particle density. The evolution of cathode layer, anode layer and Faraday dark space at this scale was captured with a higher spatial resolution (∼1 μm) for the first time, demonstrating that the cathode layer, especially the cathode sheath rather than the positive column, plays a dominant role in the transition of the microplasma. As the gap shrinks to a size less than cathode layer (∼40 μm), the cathode sheath with a high electric field is compressed, leading to a rapid decrease of the discharge voltage. The discharge voltage remains basically unchanged regardless of the discharge current, because the electric field in the cathode sheath is limited by the accumulated space charge. The experimental results are well verified and explained by the simulation results. This study provides an in-depth understanding of the glow discharge mechanism at microscale, and of the stability of glow discharge at atmospheric pressure, and benefits to future research on the atmospheric pressure large-area microplasma and its related application.
Influence of hyperon–hyperon interaction on the properties of neutron stars
Authors: Aguirre R M
Published: December 2023

The properties of neutron stars are studied in a composite model of the strong interaction. In the regime of low to medium baryonic densities a covariant hadronic model is adopted which includes an exclusive channel for the hyperon–hyperon interaction mediated by hidden strangeness mesons, which in turn couple to other mesons through polynomial vertices. The new coupling constants are subject to phenomenological constraints. The presence of free quarks in the core of the star is considered by using the Nambu–Jona Lasinio model supplemented with a vector interaction. The deconfinement process is described by a continuous coexistence of phases. Several structure parameters of neutron stars, such as mass-radius relation, moment of inertia, tidal deformability, and the propagation of nonradial f and g-modes within the relativistic Cowling approximation are studied. The predictions of the model are in good agreement with recent observational data, in particular the maximum inertial mass is greater than the observational lower limit of two solar masses.
A model for remaining useful life prediction of rolling bearings based on the IBA-FELM algorithm
Authors: Zhang Jianyu , Dai Yang , Xiao Yong
Published: December 2023

Rolling bearings are essential supporting components for most rotating machinery and are commonly placed at great risk of sudden failure. Accurate prediction of the remaining service life of rolling bearings is essential for ensuring reliable operation and establishing an effective maintenance strategy. Focusing on the extreme learning machine (ELM) methodology, an innovative predictive model with error feedback neuron integration is established to eliminate the deficiency in model generalization capability. To further improve the predictive accuracy, an improved bat algorithm (IBA) is introduced into the FELM model, in which the Levy flight and frequency influence factor are embedded into the traditional BA algorithm to enhance the parameter searching ability. Inverse hyperbolic function-based statistical indicators are proposed and verified by comparing with the classical RMS curve of full-life data, whose cosine similarity and correlation coefficient both exceed 0.95. Two sets of accelerated life experiments were selected to validate the effectiveness of the proposed IBA-FELM model. The results show that the integrated model can obtain high prediction accuracy and satisfactorily fit the real-life data. The maximal prediction error can be reduced from 1.57 to 0.0401 for experimental Case 1, and from 0.7375 to 0.1492 for Case 2. Compared with the other machine learning models, such as SVR, CNN, and LSTM networks, the IBA-FELM model also presents stronger optimization ability, higher generalization performance, and operation stability.
Non-intrusive thermometry in water: a novel temporal method using rise time-decay time ratio of ZnO phosphorescence in comparison with RhB PLIF and ZnO spectral imagery
Authors: Subramanian Arunprasath , Berrouet Vincent , Lalizel Gildas , Dorignac Eva , Lenzi Tommaso
Published: December 2023

The temporal characteristics of ZnO phosphor emission and the possibility to obtain instantaneous and mean 2D temperature fields in fluids have been analysed in this article. Spectrometer tests have been performed by mixing ZnO micro-particles in liquid (water) to analyse the emission characteristics of the phosphor upon excitation by a 266 nm laser. Using a fast gating camera, it has been shown that 2D phosphor thermometry can be performed through temporal methods using ZnO phosphors, which were thought previously to be unachievable. Additionally, a two-camera temporal method is proposed by exploiting the rise and decay times of the ZnO phosphor emission upon excitation. Sensitivity of the metrology is proposed and compared with commonly used Rhodamine B fluorescence and ZnO spectral methods.
Remaining useful life prediction for bearing based on automatic feature combination extraction and residual multi-Head attention GRU network
Authors: He Jiawen , Zhang Xu , Zhang Xuechang , Shen Jie
Published: December 2023

Rolling bearings are indispensable parts in mechanical equipment, and predicting their remaining useful life is critical to normal operation and keep equipment in good repair. However, the complex characteristics of bearings make it difficult to describe their degradation characteristics. To address this issue, a novel method that combines an automatic feature combination extraction mechanism with a gated recurrent unit (GRU) network that has a residual multi-head attention mechanism for rolling bearing life prediction is proposed. Firstly, the automatic feature combination extraction mechanism is used to learn the degradation representation of the bearing vibration signal in the time domain, frequency domain, and time–frequency joint domain, and automatically extract the optimal bearing degradation feature combination. Then, the GRU network with residual multi-head attention mechanism is developed to weight and distinguish the learned degradation features, thereby improving the network’s attention to important bearing degradation features. In the end, the proposed method is validated on the prediction and the health management of systems dataset and compared to other advanced approaches. The experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively capture the complex and dynamic features of rolling bearings and has high accuracy and generalization ability in rolling bearing life prediction.
Formation and characterization of Group IV semiconductor nanowires
Authors: Fukata Naoki , Jevasuwan Wipakorn
Published: December 2023

To enable the application to next-generation devices of semiconductor nanowires (NWs), it is important to control their formation and tune their functionality by doping and the use of heterojunctions. In this paper, we introduce formation and the characterization methods of nanowires, focusing on our research results. We describe a top-down method of controlling the size and alignment of nanowires that shows advantages over bottom-up growth methods. The latter technique causes damage to the nanowire surfaces, requiring defect removal after the NW formation process. We show various methods of evaluating the bonding state and electrical activity of impurities in NWs. If an impurity is doped in a NW, mobility decreases due to the scattering that it causes. As a strategy for solving this problem, we describe research into core–shell nanowires, in which Si and Ge heterojunctions are formed in the diameter direction inside the NW. This structure can separate the impurity-doped region from the carrier transport region, promising as a channel for the new ultimate high-mobility transistor.
Phase transformations in single-layer MoTe2 stimulated by electron irradiation and annealing
Authors: Köster Janis , Kretschmer Silvan , Storm Alexander , Rasper Fabian , Kinyanjui Michael K , Krasheninnikov Arkady V , Kaiser Ute
Published: December 2023

Among two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), MoTe2 is predestined for phase-engineering applications due to the small difference in free energy between the semiconducting H-phase and metallic 1T′-phase. At the same time, the complete picture of the phase evolution originating from point defects in single-layer of semiconducting H-MoTe2 via Mo6Te6 nanowires to cubic molybdenum has not yet been reported so far, and it is the topic of the present study. The occurring phase transformations in single-layer H-MoTe2 were initiated by 40–80 kV electrons in the spherical and chromatic aberration-corrected high-resolution transmission electron microscope and/or when subjected to high temperatures. We analyse the damage cross-section at voltages between 40 kV and 80 kV and relate the results to previously published values for other TMDs. Then we demonstrate that electron beam irradiation offers a route to locally transform freestanding single-layer H-MoTe2 into one-dimensional (1D) Mo6Te6 nanowires. Combining the experimental data with the results of first-principles calculations, we explain the transformations in MoTe2 single-layers and Mo6Te6 nanowires by an interplay of electron-beam-induced energy transfer, atom ejection, and oxygen absorption. Further, the effects emerging from electron irradiation are compared with those produced by in situ annealing in a vacuum until pure molybdenum crystals are obtained at temperatures of about 1000 °C. A detailed understanding of high-temperature solid-to-solid phase transformation in the 2D limit can provide insights into the applicability of this material for future device fabrication.
Immune cell receptor-specific nanoparticles as a potent adjuvant for nasal split influenza vaccine delivery
Authors: Li Xuemei , Xiu Xueliang , Su Rui , Ma Shichao , Li Zhipeng , Zhang Li , Wang Zhi , Zhu Yihan , Ma Fengsen
Published: December 2023

Mucosal delivery systems have gained much attention as effective way for antigen delivery that induces both systemic and mucosal immunity. However, mucosal vaccination faces the challenges of mucus barrier and effective antigen uptake and presentation. In particular, split, subunit and recombinant protein vaccines that do not have an intact pathogen structure lack the efficiency to stimulate mucosal immunity. In this study, poly (lactic acid-co-glycolic acid-polyethylene glycol) (PLGA-PEG) block copolymers were modified by mannose to form a PLGA-PEG-Man conjugate (mannose modified PLGA-PEG), which were characterized. The novel nanoparticles (NPs) prepared with this material had a particle size of about 150 nm and a zeta potential of −15 mV, and possessed ideal mucus permeability, immune cell targeting, stability and low toxicity. Finally, PLGA-PEG-Man nanoparticles (PLGA-PEG-Man NPs) were successfully applied for intranasal delivery of split influenza vaccine in rat for the first time, which triggered strong systemic and mucosal immune responses. These studies suggest that PLGA-PEG-Man NPs could function as competitive potential nano-adjuvants to address the challenge of inefficient mucosal delivery of non-allopathogenic antigens.
N/P co-doped MXene hollow microcapsules by surfactants assisted hydrothermal-freeze drying for adjustable permeability
Authors: Xu Zehai , Chen Yancheng , Meng Qin , Yang Asan , Zhang Honghua , Zhang Guoliang
Published: December 2023

The assembly of MXene materials into microcapsules has drawn great attentions due to their unique properties. However, rational design and synthesis of MXene-based microcapsules with specific nanostructures at the molecular scale remains challenging. Herein, we report a strategy to synthesize N/P co-doped MXene hollow flower-like microcapsules with adjustable permeability via dual surfactants assisted hydrothermal-freeze drying method. In contrast to anionic surfactants, cationic surfactants exhibited effective electrostatic interactions with MXene nanosheets during the hydrothermal process. Manipulation of dual surfactants in hydrothermal process realized N and P co-doping of MXene to improve flexibility and promoted the generation of abundant internal cavities in flower-like microcapsules. Based on the unique microstructure, the prepared hollow flower-like microcapsules showed excellent performance, stability and reusability in size-selective release of small organic molecules. Moreover, the release rate can be controlled by turning the oxidation state and type of MXene. The strategy delineates promising prospects for the design of MXene-based microcapsules with specific structures.
Changes in cerebral cortex activity during a simple motor task after MRgFUS treatment in patients affected by essential tremor and Parkinson's disease: a pilot study using functional NIRS
Authors: Gurgone Sergio , De Salvo Simona , Bonanno Lilla , Muscarà Nunzio , Acri Giuseppe , Caridi Francesco , Paladini Giuseppe , Borzelli Daniele , Brigandì Amelia , La Torre Domenico , Sorbera Chiara , Anfuso Carmelo , Di Lorenzo Giuseppe , Venuti Valentina , d’Avella Andrea , Marino Silvia
Published: December 2023

Objective. Magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound surgery (MRgFUS) is a non-invasive thermal ablation method that involves high-intensity focused ultrasound surgery (FUS) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging for anatomical imaging and real-time thermal mapping. This technique is widely employed for the treatment of patients affected by essential tremor (ET) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). In the current study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to highlight hemodynamics changes in cerebral cortex activity, during a simple hand motor task, i.e. unimanual left and right finger-tapping, in ET and PD patients. Approach. All patients were evaluated before, one week and one month after MRgFUS treatment. Main results. fNIRS revealed cerebral hemodynamic changes one week and one month after MRgFUS treatment, especially in the ET group, that showed a significant clinical improvement in tremor clinical scores. Significance. To our knowledge, our study is the first that showed the use of fNIRS system to measure the cortical activity changes following unilateral ventral intermediate nucleus thalamotomy after MRgFUS treatment. Our findings showed that therapeutic MRgFUS promoted the remodeling of neuronal networks and changes in cortical activity in association with symptomatic improvements.
Photoplethysmography-based cuffless blood pressure estimation: an image encoding and fusion approach
Authors: Liu Yinsong , Yu Junsheng , Mou Hanlin
Published: December 2023

Objective. Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a promising wearable technology that detects volumetric changes in microcirculation using a light source and a sensor on the skin’s surface. PPG has been shown to be useful for non-invasive blood pressure (BP) measurement. Deep learning-based BP measurements are now gaining popularity. However, almost all methods focus on 1D PPG. We aimed to design an end-to-end approach for estimating BP using image encodings from a 2D perspective. Approach. In this paper, we present a BP estimation approach based on an image encoding and fusion (BP-IEF) technique. We convert the PPG into five image encodings and use them as input. The proposed BP-IEF consists of two parts: an encoder and a decoder. In addition, three kinds of well-known neural networks are taken as the fundamental architecture of the encoder. The decoder is a hybrid architecture that consists of convolutional and fully connected layers, which are used to fuse features from the encoder. Main results. The performance of the proposed BP-IEF is evaluated on the UCI database in both non-mixed and mixed manners. On the non-mixed dataset, the root mean square error and mean absolute error for systolic BP (SBP) are 13.031 mmHg and 9.187 mmHg respectively, while for diastolic BP (DBP) they are 5.049 mmHg and 3.810 mmHg. On the mixed dataset, the corresponding values for SBP are 4.623 mmHg and 3.058 mmHg, while for DBP the values are 2.350 mmHg and 1.608 mmHg. In addition, both SBP and DBP estimation on the mixed dataset achieved grade A compared to the British Hypertension Society standard. The DBP estimation on the non-mixed dataset also achieved grade A. Significance. The results indicate that the proposed approach has the potential to improve on the current mobile healthcare for cuffless BP measurement.
Distribution of regional lung function in upright healthy subjects determined by electrical impedance tomography in two chest examination planes
Authors: Frerichs I , Vogt B , Deuss K , Hennig V , Schädler D , Händel C
Published: December 2023

Objective. The variation in pulmonary gas content induced by ventilation is not uniformly distributed in the lungs. The aim of our study was to characterize the differences in spatial distribution of ventilation in two transverse sections of the chest using electrical impedance tomography (EIT). Approach. Twenty adult never-smokers, 10 women and 10 men (mean age ± SD, 31 ± 9 years), were examined in a sitting position with the EIT electrodes placed consecutively in a caudal (6th intercostal space) and a cranial (4th intercostal space) chest location. EIT data were acquired during quiet breathing, slow and forced full expiration manoeuvres. Impedance variations representing tidal volume (V
T), vital capacity (VC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were calculated at the level of individual image pixels and their spatial distribution was determined using the following EIT measures: the centres of ventilation in ventrodorsal (CoVvd) and right-to-left direction (CoVrl), the dorsal and right fractions of ventilation, the coefficient of variation (CV) and the global inhomogeneity (GI) index. Main results. The sums of pixel ventilation-related impedance variations reproduced reliably the volumetric dissimilarities among V
T, VC, FEV1 and FVC, with no significant differences noted between the two examination planes. Significant differences in ventilation distribution were found between the planes during tidal breathing and slow full expiration, mainly regarding the ventrodorsal direction, with higher values of CoVvd and dorsal fraction of ventilation in the caudal plane (p < 0.01). No significant differences in the spatial distribution of FEV1 and FVC were detected between the examination planes. Significance. The spatial distribution of ventilation differed between the two examination planes only during the relaxed (quiet breathing and slow VC manoeuvre) but not during the forced ventilation. This effect is attributable to the differences in thoracoabdominal mechanics between these types of ventilation.
Energy gain of wetted-foam implosions with auxiliary heating for inertial fusion studies
Authors: Paddock R W , Li T S , Kim E , Lee J J , Martin H , Ruskov R T , Hughes S , Rose S J , Murphy C D , H Scott R H , Bingham R , Garbett W , Elisseev V V , Haines B M , Zylstra A B , Campbell E M , Thomas C A , Goffrey T , Arber T D , Aboushelbaya R , Von der Leyen M W , W Wang R H , James A A , Ouatu I , Timmis R , Howard S , Atonga E , Norreys P A
Published: December 2023

Low convergence ratio implosions (where wetted-foam layers are used to limit capsule convergence, achieving improved robustness to instability growth) and auxiliary heating (where electron beams are used to provide collisionless heating of a hotspot) are two promising techniques that are being explored for inertial fusion energy applications. In this paper, a new analytic study is presented to understand and predict the performance of these implosions. Firstly, conventional gain models are adapted to produce gain curves for fixed convergence ratios, which are shown to well-describe previously simulated results. Secondly, auxiliary heating is demonstrated to be well understood and interpreted through the burn-up fraction of the deuterium-tritium fuel, with the gradient of burn-up with respect to burn-averaged temperature shown to provide good qualitative predictions of the effectiveness of this technique for a given implosion. Simulations of auxiliary heating for a range of implosions are presented in support of this and demonstrate that this heating can have significant benefit for high gain implosions, being most effective when the burn-averaged temperature is between 5 and 20 keV.
A parallel quantum eigensolver for quantum machine learning
Authors: Yang Fan , Zhao Dafa , Wei Chao , Chen Xinyu , Wei Shijie , Wang Hefeng , Long Guilu , Xin Tao
Published: December 2023

Eigensolvers have a wide range of applications in machine learning. Quantum eigensolvers have been developed for achieving quantum speedup. Here, we propose a parallel quantum eigensolver (PQE) for solving a set of machine learning problems, which is based on quantum multi-resonant transitions that simultaneously trigger multiple energy transitions in the systems on demand. PQE has a polylogarithmic cost in problem size under certain circumstances and is hardware efficient, such that it is implementable in near-term quantum computers. As a verification, we utilize it to construct a collaborative filtering quantum recommendation system and implement an experiment of the movie recommendation tasks on a nuclear spin quantum processor. As a result, our recommendation system accurately suggests movies to the user that he/she might be interested in. We further demonstrate the applications of PQE in classification and image completion. In the future, our work will shed light on more applications in quantum machine learning.
One approach for selection of materials available for 3D printing of a dosimetry pelvic phantom: numerical simulation
Authors: Grigorieva A A , Bulavskaya A A , Bushmina E A , Kuyvalaynen V A , Miloichikova I A , Stuchebrov S G
Published: December 2023

Pelvic organ tumors are a serious problem in the field of oncology and account for one-third of the total number of the most common locations of neoplasms. Radiation therapy is often used to treat these types of cancer. A necessary procedure in the application of radiation therapy is the verification of the dosimetric plan to ensure maximum accuracy of radiation and minimize the negative effects of overexposure. To achieve these goals, dosimetry phantoms are used to mimic the structure and properties of biological tissues. Additive technologies can be an effective method for manufacturing such phantoms due to their high-precision ability to replicate both body geometry and anatomical structures. Today, the search and development of materials suitable for both additive technologies and assessing the interaction of ionizing radiation with matter is a relevant task. In this study, models of biological tissues and organs, as well as materials for 3D printing, were created. The features of Co-60 photon beam interaction with these materials were analyzed by numerical simulation. The calculated results demonstrated the suitability of plastic materials based on polylactide for simulating individual biological tissues and human organs from the point of view of interaction with ionizing radiation.
Study of the Development of Sound Waves Generated by Shock Waves
Authors: Harutyunyan V G , Aramyan A R , Aramyan G R , Alexanyan H A , Sargsyan N H , Khachikyan L E , Harutyunyan G A
Published: December 2023

The work is devoted to studies of the time development of sound waves generated by shock waves. It is shown that the shock wave, propagating, generates an acoustic wave whose frequency changes over time. That change is related to the change in the speed of propagation of the shock wave.
Dynamical behaviour of phase transitions in liquid crystals under ultrasound field
Authors: Bezhanova L S , Vasilyan M S , Atanesyan A K
Published: December 2023

The study investigates the influence of an acoustic field on the process of interface formation, phase boundary propagation kinetics, and isotropic phase nucleation in a nematic liquid crystal (NLC) during the NLC → isotropic liquid (IL) phase transition. Experimental studies were conducted using acoustically "rigid" drops and both "rigid" and "soft" cells of sandwich type, with one substrate being a piezo quartz’s X-cut plate. The thickness of the investigated LC layers with planar and homotropic orientations was 20, 50, and 100 μm. The frequency of the ultrasonic field ranged from 3.77 to 4 MHz. Additionally, we computed the values of isotropic germ’s radius in NLC during the NLC → IL phase transition both without and under the ultrasonic field. The obtained data indicate an increased probability of forming a germ of an isotropic phase during the NLC → IL phase transition under the influence of ultrasound. These findings align well with the experimentally observed trends in the changes of phase transition temperature, specifically with the depression of the NLC → IL phase transition temperature in the presence of an ultrasound field.
Generator of Monodisperse Droplets and Some Applications
Authors: Harutyunyan S H , Khachikyan L E , Harutyunyan G A , Margaryan A L , Baghdasaryan D E , Muradyan T R
Published: December 2023

A device for generation of monodisperse droplets with adjustable size and generation frequency is presented. The solid particles are formed by usage of drying techniques of droplets of different solutions in the glass tube. Experimental investigation are performed in order to create periodical structures (particularly photonic crystals) using these solid particles. For focusing and “trapping” of particles thermo-phoretic force is applied. For fabrication of opal photonic crystals self-assembly techniques is used.
Remote Sensing Image Segmentation of Wetlands in Macau Based on Machine Learning
Authors: Li Cheng , Cui Hanwen , Tian Xiaolin
Published: December 2023

Wetlands are essential components of our natural ecosystems, performing critical functions that contribute to biodiversity conservation, water purification, climate regulation, and shoreline protection. Remote sensing classification of wetlands, wetland resource surveys and other wetland research is booming, for the development of environmental protection policies continue to provide reliable data. Macau is a coastal city with rich wetland resources, but there is no relevant research on wetlands in Macau. In this paper, we use the high spatial resolution remote sensing data from Gaofen-2 satellite to extract the wetlands of Macau SAR to fill the gap of related research. This paper used two distinct machine learning classifiers, including Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM), to analyse the high spatial resolution remote sensing data of GF-2 satellite in order to extract wetlands in Macau Special Region Area. In this research, the accuracy of RF model is much higher than that of SVM model, comparing the indexes of overall accuracy (OA) and Kappa coefficient. After analysing the resultant images generated after segmentation, the image segmentation result of RF model is better than that of SVM model. As for the RF model, the overall accuracy (OA) is 0.9941 and Kappa coefficient is 0.9899.
Based on Zabbix-Prometheus Group Classification Alarm System
Authors: Ling Chen , Xiaoming Wang , Ping Xue , Yong Zhang , Xuezhi Zhao , Xianzhou Cheng , Mengyao Fan , Yueqi Gu , Shuang Xiao
Published: December 2023

The efficient operation of the system is the foundation for improving business level in the rapid development of information technology. Based on the data integration of the Zabbix-Prometheus system, it achieves information data storage, data collection, grouping and classification linkage alarm functions. The Zabbix-Prometheus grouping and classification alarm integration system can effectively solve the problems of a large amount of redundant alarm information, no priority of alarm information, and inability to silence. It has established a multi-platform integrated alarm service system. It has implemented linkage alarm functions such as email, SMS, and WeChat.
Research on Temperature Control of Plastic Laser Welding Based on Improved Snake Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Zhou Keliang , Xiong Juntao , Yang Caihong
Published: December 2023

Aiming at the nonlinear and time-varying characteristics of plastic laser welding temperature control system, and the problems of low accuracy and large overshoot when using the traditional proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, an improved snake optimization (ISO) is proposed to optimize the PID parameters. Firstly, the elite reverse learning strategy is introduced into the snake optimization (SO) to generate the reverse solution, and new individuals are generated through comparison to improve the convergence speed of the algorithm; Simultaneously introducing the water wave dynamic adaptive factor to enhance the algorithm’s iterative optimization ability. By iterating the algorithm, a set of suitable PID parameters are obtained to control the temperature control system. The simulation results show that compared to traditional PID controllers, ISO-PID reduces the adjustment time by approximately 0.42 seconds and does not cause overshoot.
Online Rolling Optimization for Energy Efficiency in Smart Homes
Authors: Zhukui Tan , Shengyong Feng , Ruifeng Zhang , Cheng Yang , Bin Liu
Published: December 2023

To cope with the variability of electricity consumption patterns, this study proposes an online rolling optimization-based energy efficiency management strategy for smart homes, which considers user preferences on energy saving and electricity comfort. A weight parameter is used to balance these two objectives and users can set them according to their own electricity preferences. The strategy employs predictive models based on historical data and future inputs to forecast system outputs, and applies feedback correction to compensate prediction errors. In order to better express the power consumption satisfaction of users, two measures of user satisfaction are introduced: utility comfort and temperature comfort. Finally, the simulation result shows that the proposed method achieves an average energy reduction rate of 13.97%, which demonstrates that our strategy can achieve significant reductions in power consumption while enhancing user satisfaction.
Booster-Driven Consistency Training Framework for Semi-Supervised Learning
Authors: Ma Menghao , Xiong Feng , Xu Ye , Gao Luxiong , Yang Huafang , Zou Bingyu
Published: December 2023

The paper proposes an inductive semi-supervised learning method, called Booster-Driven Consistency Training (BDCT). In our work, we extend consistency training by designing a “booster” module for aggregating multi-view information, preventing the networks from collapsing into each other, and constructing better targets in parallel with the existing consistency training method. By booster, we mean that the one network is treated as the booster to help the training of the other two co-trained and superior networks, “spacecraft”. Furthermore, BDCT integrates smoothness enforcing into the designed fast feedback loop to ensure the effectiveness and the robustness of training. Meanwhile, adversarial examples are exploited to maintain the diversity among the networks that are learned to be smooth on the low dimensional manifold. BDCT demonstrates satisfactory performance in comparison with state-of-the-art semi-supervised deep learning methods and extensive experiments validate the effectiveness of the “booster” module.