bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Supraparticles for naked-eye H2 indication and monitoring: Improving performance by variation of the catalyst nanoparticles
Authors: Zhang Kailun , Schötz Simon , Reichstein Jakob , Groppe Philipp , Stockinger Nina , Wintzheimer Susanne , Mandel Karl , Libuda Jörg , Retzer Tanja
Published: February 2023

The recent transition to H2-based energy storage demands reliable H2 sensors that allow for easy, fast, and reliable detection of leaks. Conventional H2 detectors are based on the changes of physical properties of H2 probes induced by subsurface H-atoms to a material such as electrical conductivity. Herein, we report on highly reactive gasochromic H2 detectors based on the adsorption of H2 on the material surface. We prepared supraparticles (SPs) containing different types of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs), silica NPs, and the dye resazurin by spray-drying and tested their performance for H2 detection. The material undergoes a distinct color change due to the hydrogenation of the purple resazurin to pink resorufin and, finally, colorless hydroresorufin. The stepwise transition is fast and visible to the naked eye. To further improve the performance of the sensor, we tested the reactivity of SPs with different catalytically active NPs by means of in situ diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS). We show that the choice of the NP catalyst has a pronounced effect on the response of the H2 indicator. In addition, we demonstrate that the performance depends on the size of the NPs. These effects are attributed to the availability of reactive H-atoms on the NP surface. Among the materials studied, Pt-containing SPs gave the best results for H2 detection.
Effect of surfactants on SARS-CoV-2: Molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Domingo Marc , Faraudo Jordi
Published: February 2023

Surfactants are commonly used as disinfection agents in personal care products against bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2. However, there is a lack of understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the inactivation of viruses by surfactants. Here, we employ coarse grain (CG) and all-atom (AA) molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interaction between general families of surfactants and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. To this end, we considered a CG model of a full virion. Overall, we found that surfactants have only a small impact on the virus envelope, being inserted into the envelope without dissolving it or generating pores, at the conditions considered here. However, we found that surfactants may induce a deep impact on the spike protein of the virus (responsible for its infectivity), easily covering it and inducing its collapse over the envelope surface of the virus. AA simulations confirmed that both negatively and positively charged surfactants are able to extensively adsorb over the spike protein and get inserted into the virus envelope. Our results suggest that the best strategy for the design of surfactants as virucidal agents will be to focus on those strongly interacting with the spike protein.
Engineering interface upgrade of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 cells from PYR1(4CN)(2O2)TFSI with cyano and ether groups as dual functional pyrrolidine electrolyte
Authors: Qiu Chao , Hong Yun , Sun Yajie , Li Zhiqiang , Huang Wenzhi , Pan Jiajie , Li Junhao , Ren Jie , Zhao Wei , Qin Diancheng , Shi Kaixiang , Liu Quanbing
Published: February 2023

It is a concern that cells with lithium (Li) metal anodes and LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM 811) cathodes exhibit high energy density. However, the chemical and electrochemical properties of an original solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) film formed by the Li metal reaction are unstable, resulting in uneven plating and rapid growth of Li dendrites. Due to the high nickel content of NCM 811, Ni4+ dissolved at the electrode interface leads to side reactions and irreversible rock salt structure, forming an unstable cathodic electrolyte interphase (CEI) film. Ion liquid (IL) electrolytes provide a strategy for forming stable SEI/CEI and keeping NCM 811 structural stability, but their high viscosity has limited their electrochemical performance. Functionalize pyrrolidine with ether and cyano groups is introduced, the high flexibility of the ether group can reduce the viscosity of the IL-based electrolyte, and the oxygen atom can provide Li+ coordination sites to accelerate Li+ transport. The strong electron absorption ability of the cyano group shows the strong coordination ability with transition metal ions to inhibit the erosion of CEI by side reactions. Under the dual function of cyano and ether groups, more TFSI− participate in the formation of the SEI film, which leads to the increase in beneficial components with high ionic conductivity, further inhibiting dendrite growth and promoting uniform plating. Thus, LiǁLi cells, with 0.5 wt. % 1-cyanopropyl-1-diethyl ether pyrrolidine bisfluoromethanesulfonimide salt [PYR1(4CN)(2O2)TFSI], revealed excellent plating voltage stability for more than 450 h. After 200 cycles, the discharge specific capacity of LiǁNCM 811 cells was 123 mAh g−1 and an excellent capacity retention of 62.1% at 1 C. This work shows a strategy of improving SEI/CEI from the electrolyte with cyano and ether groups and provides a feasible horizon in the long-term cycle performance of lithium metal batteries.
Interaction of shock train with cavity shear layer in a scramjet isolator
Authors: Petha Sethuraman Vignesh Ram , Yang Yosheph , Kim Jae Gang
Published: February 2023

The interaction between the self-excited shock train flow and the cavity shear layer in a scramjet isolator is investigated numerically using detached-eddy simulations. The effect of changing the position of the shock train by controlling the back pressure ratio and the effect of changing the cavity front wall angle are analyzed using unsteady statistics and modal analysis. The propagation mechanism of the pressure disturbance was investigated by spatiotemporal cross-correlation coefficient analysis. In the present numerical study, a constant isolator section with a cavity front wall (θ = 90° and 60°) was considered, followed by a diffuser section simulated at Mach number 2.2 with three different back pressure ratios (pb/p∞ = 0.7, 5.0, and 6.0). The change in back pressure provides three different conditions (i.e., no shock train, shock train ends before the leading edge of the cavity, and shock train present above the cavity). To understand the unsteady dynamics of the interaction of the shear layer with the shock train, the spatiotemporal trajectory of the wall pressure and the centerline pressure distribution, the spatiotemporal cross-correlation coefficient, and the modal analysis by dynamic mode decomposition are obtained. The results show that the low-frequency shock train oscillation dominates the self-sustained cavity oscillation. The spatiotemporal cross-correlation between the wall surface and the center of the cavity bottom wall indicates the propagation of local disturbances originating from the separated boundary layer caused by the shock and the recirculation zone in the corners of the cavity. Dynamic mode decomposition analysis shows the shear layer at the leading edge of the cavity and the downstream propagation of large eddies from the cavity. It also shows the pairing of coherent structures between the shock train and the recirculation zone of the cavity.
Cat-state encoding of a quantum information processor module with cavity–magnon system
Authors: Zhang Feng-Yang , Zeng Ye-Xiong , Wu Qi-Cheng , Yang Chui-Ping
Published: February 2023

We propose a scheme to realize the strong coupling between two distant magnons by using coupled cavities as a data bus. This coupling strength can be adjusted by the parameters of the system. One magnon is considered as an information processor, while the other one acts as an information memorizer. This hybrid system is applied to construct a quantum information processor module. Based on the continuous-variable encoding (cat-state encoding) of logical qubits, the information can be transferred from the processor to the memorizer via one step of the operation. This model provides a promising hardware platform for robust quantum information processing.
Strong impact of crystalline twins on the amplitude and azimuthal dependence of THz emission from epitaxial NiO/Pt
Authors: Agarwal Rekha , Kumar Sandeep , Chowdhury Niru , Khan Kacho Imtiyaz Ali , Yadav Ekta , Kumar Sunil , Muduli P. K.
Published: February 2023

Ultrafast generation of spin currents involving antiferromagnets is currently attracting tremendous interest. Here, we demonstrate broadband THz emission from a [111]-oriented NiO/Pt bilayer grown on MgO and Al2O3 substrates. The NiO films are grown by pulsed laser deposition, whereas the Pt films are grown by magnetron sputtering. While we obtained epitaxial films on both substrates, NiO films on the Al2O3 substrate showed the presence of crystalline twins. We show that the existence of crystalline twins reduces the THz amplitude by an order of magnitude while simultaneously dramatically changing the azimuthal dependency of the THz amplitude. The findings have significant implications for antiferromagnetic spintronics.
Pyroelectric infrared detectors and materials—A critical perspective
Authors: Whatmore Roger W. , Ward Samuel J.
Published: February 2023

Pyroelectric infrared detectors (PIRDs) have a number of advantages over other IR sensors, including room-temperature operation, wide wavelength sensitivity, and low cost, leading to their use in many applications and a market expected to reach U.S.$68 million by 2025. Physical models that can be used to accurately predict the performances of PIRDs of different types are reviewed in detail. All polar dielectrics exhibit the pyroelectric effect, so there are many materials potentially available for use in PIRDs. Traditionally, a range of “figures-of-merit” (FoMs) are employed to aid the selection of the best material to use in a given application. These FoMs, and their utility in determining how a given pyroelectric material will behave in a PIRD, are reviewed in the light of the physical models and the availability of dielectric data, which cover the frequency ranges of greatest interest for PIRDs (0.1–100 Hz). The properties of several pyroelectric materials are reviewed, and models are derived for their dielectric properties as functions of frequency. It is concluded, first, that the availability of full-frequency dielectric data is highly desirable if accurate predictions of device performance are to be obtained from the models and that second, the FoMs have practical utility in only very limited circumstances. Thus, they must be used with considerable care and circumspection. The circumstances under which each FoM is likely to give a good prediction for utility are discussed. The properties of some recently researched pyroelectric materials, including lead-containing single crystals in the Pb[(Mg⅓Nb⅔)xTi1−x]O3 system and Na½Bi½TiO3–K½Bi½TiO3 based lead-free crystals and ceramics, are reviewed in the light of this, and their properties and potential for device applications compared with the industry-standard material, LiTaO3. It is concluded that while there is potential for significant device performance improvements by using improved materials, especially with the PMN-PT-based materials, factors such as temperature stability, uniformity, and ease-of-processing are at least as important as device performance in determining material utility. The properties reported for the new lead-free materials do not, as yet, promise a performance likely to compete with LiTaO3 for mm-scale detectors, a material that is both readily available and lead-free.
Viscous heating and instability of the adiabatic buoyant flows in a horizontal channel
Authors: Barletta A. , Celli M. , Rees D. A. S.
Published: February 2023

The stability of buoyant flows occurring in the mixed convection regime for a viscous fluid in a horizontal plane-parallel channel with adiabatic walls is investigated. The basic flow features a parallel velocity field under stationary state conditions. There exists a duality of flows, for every prescribed value of the mass flow rate across the channel cross-section, caused by the combined actions of viscous dissipation and the buoyancy force. As pointed out in a previous study, only the primary branch of the dual solutions is compatible with the Oberbeck–Boussinesq approximation. Thus, the stability analysis will be focused on the stability of such flows. The onset of the thermal instability with small-amplitude perturbations of the basic flow is investigated by assuming a very large Prandtl number, which is equivalent to a creeping flow regime. The neutral stability curves and the critical parametric conditions for the onset of instability are determined numerically.
Improved global protein homolog detection with major gains in function identification
Authors: Kilinc Mesih , Jia Kejue , Jernigan Robert L.
Published: February 2023

There are several hundred million protein sequences, but the relationships among them are not fully available from existing homolog detection methods. There is an essential need for an improved method to push homolog detection to lower levels of sequence identity. The method used here relies on a language model to represent proteins numerically in a matrix (an embedding) and uses discrete cosine transforms to compress the data to extract the most essential part, significantly reducing the data size. This PRotein Ortholog Search Tool (PROST) is significantly faster with linear runtimes, and most importantly, computes the distances between pairs of protein sequences to yield homologs at significantly lower levels of sequence identity than previously. The extent of allosteric effects in proteins points out the importance of global aspects of structure and sequence. PROST excels at global homology detection but not at detecting local homologs. Results are validated by strong similarities between the corresponding pairs of structures. The number of remote homologs detected increased significantly and pushes the effective sequence matches more deeply into the twilight zone. Human protein sequences presently having no assigned function now find significant numbers of putative homologs for 93% of cases and structurally verified assigned functions for 76.4% of these cases. The data compression enables massive searches for homologs with short search times while yielding significant gains in the numbers of remote homologs detected. The method is sufficiently efficient to permit whole-genome/proteome comparisons. The PROST web server is accessible at
https://mesihk.github.io/prost
.
Non-literal uses of proper names in XYZ constructions
Authors: Wałaszewska Ewa
Published: February 2023

The paper focuses on non-literal uses of proper names in XYZ constructions, such as the use of the personal name
Donald Trump in Boris Johnson is the Donald Trump of UK politics or ‘5G’ is the
Donald Trump of telecom, and argues that such uses can be best accounted for by relevance theory. While in their
primary use, proper names uniquely denote specific individuals and have no meaning on their own, in their secondary uses, they act
as common nouns, capable of conveying non-literal meanings. In relevance theory, such non-literal uses can be explained in terms
of lexical modulation or ad hoc concept formation. The analysis of selected examples shows that while some of the XYZ
constructions can be seen as metaphors, others are better described as category extensions, and it substantiates the
relevance-theoretic claim that there is no clear cut-off point between the two varieties of loose use.
Effects of load matched isokinetic versus isotonic blood flow restricted exercise on neuromuscular and muscle function
Authors: Rivera Paola M. , Proppe Christopher E. , Gonzalez‐Rojas David , Wizenberg Aaron , Hill Ethan C.
Published: February 2023

The purpose of this investigation was to examine neuromuscular function, muscle fatigue, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and muscle swelling between isokinetic and isotonic leg extensions with blood flow restriction (BFR). Fourteen (21 ± 2years; 160cm ± 3.8; 61kg ± 9.1) trained women performed 75 (1 × 30,3 × 15) submaximal (30% of maximal strength), unilateral, isokinetic and isotonic leg extensions with BFR (60% of total arterial occlusion pressure). Before and after exercise, subjects performed maximal voluntary isometric contractions (MVIC) and muscle thickness (MT) was assessed with ultrasound. RPE was recorded across all sets and surface electromyography (EMG) was assessed during the MVIC muscle actions. Separate repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine MVIC, MT, RPE and neuromuscular function. There were greater reductions in MVIC torque and EMG mean power frequency following isotonic (46.2 ± 17.1%; 16.4 ± 7.9%) than isokinetic (17.9 ± 10.9%;6.5 ± 6.3%). RPE was also higher during isotonic (7.5 ± 2.2), than isokinetic (5.7 ± 1.9). There were no differences in EMG amplitude or MT increases (20 ± 2.1%) between conditions. Isotonic BFR elicited greater fatigue‐induced decreases in muscular strength and greater RPE than isokinetic BFR, but similar MT and muscle excitation responses for both conditions. Therefore, both isokinetic and isotonic may induce similar acute physiological responses, but isotonic BFR was associated with greater muscle fatigue and perceived effort.
EVL and MIM/MTSS1 regulate actin cytoskeletal remodeling to promote dendritic filopodia in neurons
Authors: Parker Sara S. , Ly Kenneth Tran , Grant Adam D. , Sweetland Jillian , Wang Ashley M. , Parker James D. , Roman Mackenzie R. , Saboda Kathylynn , Roe Denise J. , Padi Megha , Wolgemuth Charles W. , Langlais Paul , Mouneimne Ghassan
Published: February 2023

Dendritic spines are the postsynaptic compartment of a neuronal synapse and are critical for synaptic connectivity and plasticity. A developmental precursor to dendritic spines, dendritic filopodia (DF), facilitate synapse formation by sampling the environment for suitable axon partners during neurodevelopment and learning. Despite the significance of the actin cytoskeleton in driving these dynamic protrusions, the actin elongation factors involved are not well characterized. We identified the Ena/VASP protein EVL as uniquely required for the morphogenesis and dynamics of DF. Using a combination of genetic and optogenetic manipulations, we demonstrated that EVL promotes protrusive motility through membrane-direct actin polymerization at DF tips. EVL forms a complex at nascent protrusions and DF tips with MIM/MTSS1, an I-BAR protein important for the initiation of DF. We proposed a model in which EVL cooperates with MIM to coalesce and elongate branched actin filaments, establishing the dynamic lamellipodia-like architecture of DF.
Antagonism between Prdm16 and Smad4 specifies the trajectory and progression of pancreatic cancer
Authors: Hurwitz Eric , Parajuli Parash , Ozkan Seval , Prunier Celine , Nguyen Thien Ly , Campbell Deanna , Friend Creighton , Bryan Allyn Austin , Lu Ting-Xuan , Smith Steven Christopher , Razzaque Mohammed Shawkat , Xu Keli , Atfi Azeddine
Published: February 2023

The transcription factor Prdm16 functions as a potent suppressor of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling, whose inactivation is deemed essential to the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Using the KrasG12D-based mouse model of human PDAC, we surprisingly found that ablating Prdm16 did not block but instead accelerated PDAC formation and progression, suggesting that Prdm16 might function as a tumor suppressor in this malignancy. Subsequent genetic experiments showed that ablating Prdm16 along with Smad4 resulted in a shift from a well-differentiated and confined neoplasm to a highly aggressive and metastatic disease, which was associated with a striking deviation in the trajectory of the premalignant lesions. Mechanistically, we found that Smad4 interacted with and recruited Prdm16 to repress its own expression, therefore pinpointing a model in which Prdm16 functions downstream of Smad4 to constrain the PDAC malignant phenotype. Collectively, these findings unveil an unprecedented antagonistic interaction between the tumor suppressors Smad4 and Prdm16 that functions to restrict PDAC progression and metastasis.
A review of pressure manipulating structure and performance in thermoelectrics
Authors: Zhang He , Zhang Cunyin , Gregory Duncan H , Yin Zhanxiang , Wang Yaqiang , He Pan , Guo Xin
Published: February 2023

Pressure is a fundamental thermodynamic variable that can create exotic materials and modulate transport properties, motivating prosperous progress in multiple fields. As for inorganic thermoelectric materials, pressure is an indispensable condition during the preparation process, which is employed to compress raw powders into the specific shape of solid-state materials for performing properties characterization. In addition to this function, the extra influence of pressure on thermoelectric performance is frequently underestimated and even overlooked. In this review, we summarize recent progress and achievements of pressure-induced structure and performance in thermoelectrics, emphatically involving the modulation of pressure on crystal structure, electrical transport properties, microstructure, and thermal conductivity. According to various studies, the modulated mechanism of pressure on these items above has been discussed in detail, and the perspectives and strategies have been proposed with respect to applying pressure to improve thermoelectric performance. Overall, the purpose of the review is supposed to enrich the understanding of the mechanisms in pressure-induced transport properties and provide a guidance to rationally design a structural pattern to improve thermoelectric performance.
A tunable sub-wavelength acoustic imaging planar metalens
Authors: Zuo Gang , Huang Zhen , Ma Fuyin
Published: February 2023

Acoustic metamaterials can be used to fabricate metalenses that can achieve sub-wavelength imaging resolution, but the reported devices are often passive and cannot adapt to changes in working frequency. To this end, we propose a dynamic tunable acoustic imaging planar metalens by introducing a telescopic tube between two sets of perforated Fabry–Pérot resonant metamaterial lenses to adjust the combined length of the imaging hole. Since the working frequency of the Fabry–Pérot resonant structure is directly related to the thickness of the metalens, continuous adjustment of the working frequency can be achieved by continuously changing the length of the imaging hole. This Fabry–Pérot resonant perforated structure belongs to an acoustic metamaterial unit, which can be resonantly coupled with evanescent waves to enhance the evanescent waves carrying detailed information of objects, thereby realizing high-resolution imaging. Relying on the resonance tunneling effect of the imaging hole, high acoustic transmittance can be obtained at the working frequency, ensuring excellent imaging quality. Through numerical calculation and experimental measurement results, the imaging performance and tunability of the tunable sub-wavelength acoustic imaging metalens are demonstrated. The proposed tunable acoustic planar metalens overcomes the shortcomings of the fixed working frequency of passive metalenses and has potential applications in the fields of ultrasound imaging and medical diagnosis.
Proton-neutron entanglement in the nuclear shell model
Authors: Johnson Calvin W , Gorton Oliver C
Published: February 2023

We compute the proton-neutron entanglement entropy in the interacting nuclear shell model for a variety of nuclides and interactions. Some results make intuitive sense, for example, that the shell structure, as governed by single-particle and monopole energies, strongly affects the energetically available space and thus the entanglement entropy. We also find a surprising result: that the entanglement entropy at low excitation energy tends to decrease for nuclides when N ≠ Z. While we provide evidence this arises from the physical nuclear force by contrasting with random two-body interactions which shows no such decrease, the exact mechanism is unclear. Nonetheless, the low entanglement suggests that in models of neutron-rich nuclides, the coupling between protons and neutrons may be less computationally demanding than one might otherwise expect.
Nonlinear Hall effect in monolayer phosphorene with broken inversion symmetry
Authors: Yar Abdullah , Sultana Rifat
Published: February 2023

Nonlinear Hall effect (NLHE), a new member of the family of Hall effects, in monolayer phosphorene is investigated. We find that phosphorene exhibits pronounced NLHE, arising from the dipole moment of the Berry curvature induced by the proximity effect that breaks the inversion symmetry of the system. Remarkably, the nonlinear Hall response exhibits central minimum with a width on the order of the band gap, followed by two resonance-like peaks. Interestingly, each resonance peak of the Hall response shifts in the negative region of the chemical potential which is consistent with the shift of valence and conduction bands in the energy spectrum of monolayer phosphorene. It is observed that the two peaks are asymmetric, originated from anisotropy in the band structure of phosphorene. It is shown that the NLHE is very sensitive to the band gap and temperature of the system. Moreover, we find that a phase transition occurs in the nonlinear Hall response and nonlinear spin Hall conductivity of the system under the influence of spin–orbit interaction, tuned by the strength of interaction and band gap induced in the energy spectrum of monolayer phosphorene with broken inversion symmetry.
Improved sparse low-rank model via periodic overlapping group shrinkage and truncated nuclear norm for rolling bearing fault diagnosis
Authors: Zhang Qian , Li Xinxin , Mao Hanling , Huang Zhenfeng , Xiao Yanan , Chen Wenxian , Xiang Jiangshu , Bi Yiwen
Published: February 2023

The early faults of rolling bearings are the common causes of rotating machinery failures. Rolling bearings with local faults usually generate periodic shocks during operation, but the pulse information is easily masked by a large number of random shocks and noise. To effectively diagnose the early fault information of rolling bearings, a dual-dimensional sparse low-rank (DDSLR) model is proposed in this paper, which can simultaneously extract the sparsity within and across groups and periodic self-similarity of fault signal. In the DDSLR model, a newly developed dimension transformation operator is used to transform the fault signal between one-dimensional vector and low-rank matrix, and the periodic overlapping group shrinkage and truncated nuclear norm are used to improve the traditional sparse low-rank model. In addition, the setting rules of periodic prior and parameters in the DDSLR model are discussed, so that the DDSLR model has certain adaptive ability. Finally, the DDSLR model is proved to be a multi-convex optimization problem, and its solution algorithm is derived by using soft threshold operator and majorization-minimization algorithm under the framework of block coordinate descent method. The results of simulation analysis and experiments show that the proposed DDSLR model has higher fault signal estimation accuracy and better fault feature extraction performance than some classical sparse noise reduction models.
A tri-IMUs pedestrian positioning system based on single-lower-limb kinematic constraints
Authors: Zhang Chuankun , Xu Xiangbo , Guo Ningyan , Li Zhe , Wang Huaijin , Yu Zhibin , Wang Tongjiao
Published: February 2023

Single-sensor zero-velocity-update (ZUPT)-aided pedestrian inertial navigation system (PINS) is a conventional method. However, the single-sensor systematic error still causes imprecise estimation of step length and high drift of orientation. In this study, three magnetometers and inertial measurement units are mounted on single-leg toe, shank, and thigh, respectively. Gaits are divided into two phases: stance and swing. Based on the biomechanical characteristics of a human lower limb, a velocity-position estimation algorithm is proposed. The positions of the three sensors are fused by dynamic geometric relationships, which are formulated through the natural lower-limb model and attitude estimation. A velocity-difference constraint is proposed to suppress the divergence of velocity, and Coriolis-based velocity correction is designed to observe velocities of the toe, shank, and thigh at the stance phase. A MAHONY-linear-Kalman framework separately estimates attitudes, velocities, and positions to reduce calculations. The proposed method is compared with foot-mounted, shank-mounted, and thigh-mounted ZUPT-aided PINS as well as a dual-sensor foot-to-foot algorithm through experiments. In the flat terrain experiment, compared with the errors of the Shank-mounted INS, the Thigh-mounted INS, the Foot-mounted INS, the Foot-to-Foot Constraint Method, the root mean squared error (RMSE) of the proposed method can be reduced by 40.34%, 71.85%, 29.53%, and 7.08%, respectively. In the slope experiment, compared with the other four methods, the RMSE of the proposed method can be reduced by 80%, 86.74%, 67.54%, and 61.86%, respectively. In the natural terrain experiment, compared with the other four methods, the RMSE of the proposed method can be reduced by 81.63%, 96.27%, 70%, and 60.87% respectively. The results show that the proposed method greatly suppresses the positioning and orientation errors in different scenes.
Skyrmion based majority logic gate by voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy in a nanomagnetic device
Authors: Paikaray Bibekananda , Kuchibhotla Mahathi , Haldar Arabinda , Murapaka Chandrasekhar
Published: February 2023

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected spin textures and they are suitable for future logic-in-memory applications for energy-efficient, high-speed information processing and computing technologies. In this work, we have demonstrated skyrmion-based 3 bit majority logic gate using micromagnetic simulations. The skyrmion motion is controlled by introducing a gate that works on voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy. Here, the inhomogeneous magnetic anisotropy behaves as a tunable potential barrier/well that modulates the skyrmion trajectory in the structure for the successful implementation of the majority logic gate. In addition, several other effects such as skyrmion–skyrmion topological repulsion, skyrmion-edge repulsion, spin–orbit torque and skyrmion Hall effect have been shown to govern the logic functionalities. We have systematically presented the robust logic operations by varying the current density, magnetic anisotropy, voltage-controlled gate dimension and geometrical parameters of the logic device. The skyrmion Hall angle is monitored to understand the trajectory and stability of the skyrmion as a function of time in the logic device. The results demonstrate a novel method to achieve majority logic by using voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy which further opens up a new route for skyrmion-based low-power and high-speed computing devices.
Fe-doped V2O5 layered nanowire cathode material with high lithium storage performance
Authors: Peng Xiaoxiao , Zou Zhengguang , Ling Wenqin , Liang Fangan , Geng Jing , Zhang Shuchao , Zhong Shenglin
Published: February 2023

As a lithium-ion battery cathode material with high theoretical capacity, the application of V2O5 is limited by its unstable structure and low intrinsic conductivity. In this paper, we report a Fe doped V2O5 nanowire with a layered structure of 200–300 nm diameter prepared by electrostatic spinning technique. The 3Fe-V2O5 electrode exhibited a superb capacity of 436.9 mAh g−1 in the first cycle when tested in the voltage range of 2.0–4.0 V at current density of 100 mA g–1, far exceeding its theoretical capacity (294 mAh g−1), and the high capacity of 312 mAh g−1 was still maintained after 50 cycles. The superb performance is mainly attributed to its unique layered nanowire structure and the enhanced electrical conductivity as well as optimized structure brought by Fe-doping. This work made the homogeneous doping and nanosizing of the material easily achieved through electrostatic spinning technology, leading to an increase in the initial capacity of the V2O5 cathode material and the cycling stability compared to the pure V2O5, which is an extremely meaningful exploration.
Biofabricated copper ferrite nanoparticles: a potential nanosorbent for the removal of Pb (II) ions from aqueous media
Authors: Pillai Reshma R , Sreelekshmi P B , Meera A P
Published: February 2023

In the present study, we describe a facile strategy for the easy removal of the heavy metal ion, Pb (II) using biosynthesized copper ferrite (CuFe2O4) Nanoparticles (Nps) prepared via a cost-effective and eco-friendly method using Pimenta dioica leaf extract. The structural characterization was performed using UV–Visible, FT-IR, XRD, XPS, TG, SEM - EDS and TEM techniques. Various characterization techniques showed that the biosynthesized CuFe2O4 nanoparticles have spherical shape with minimum aggregation and possess a size range between 7 and 16 nm. Batch experiments were carried out to analyze the adsorption efficiency of CuFe2O4 Nps by varying different experimental conditions such as pH, adsorbent dose and initial metal ion concentration. From the atomic absorption spectroscopy results, the optimum removal efficiency (99.69%) occurred at a contact time of 90 min in the solution having pH 6 with 0.06 g of nanoadsorbent. The experimental data were analyzed using adsorption isotherm and fitted with kinetic models. In the present study, we report the the highest removal efficiency of 99.69% for Pb (II) ions with minimum experimental parameters which is greater than other similar reported studies. The novel CuFe2O4 nanosorbent synthesized in the present study is highly effective in eliminating toxic pollutants. They also possess outstanding recycling characteristics for the effective removal of Pb (II) ions from aqueous media.This cost-effective and ecofriendly strategy could be utilized for addressing the emerging water contamination.
Impact of fibroglandular tissue distribution and breast shape in voxelized breast models for dosimetry in mammography
Authors: Ferrauche Gabriel , Tramontin Giovanna , Massera Rodrigo T , Tomal Alessandra
Published: February 2023

Objective. This work proposes to study the impact of different voxelized heterogeneous breast models (gaussian centered - GaussC; gaussian lower - GaussL; and fitted equation patient-based on 3D realistic distribution (Fedon et al 2021) - FitPB) for dosimetry in mammography compared to a well-established homogeneous approximation. Influence of breast outer shape also was investigated by comparing semicylindric and anthropomorphic breasts. Approach. By using the PENELOPE (v. 2018) + penEasy (v. 2020) MC code, simulations were performed to evaluate the normalized glandular dose (DgN) and the glandular depth dose (GDD(z)) for different breast characteristics and x-ray beam spectra. Main results. The average DgN overestimation caused by homogeneous tissue approximation was 33.0%, with the highest values attributed to GaussL and FitPB models, where fibroglandular tissue is concentrated deeper in the breast. The observed variation between anthropomorphic and semicylindrical breast shapes was, on average, 5.6%, legitimizing the latter approximation for breast dosimetry. Thicker breasts and lower energy beams resulted in larger overestimation caused by the homogeneous approach, while variations in DgN values among different heterogeneous models were higher for thinner breast and lower energy beams. Moreover, the depth where differences between GDD(z) for different breast models became maximum depends on the axial variation of fibroglandular tissue concentration between each model. The GDD(z) dependence results in a significant variation of the contribution of each breast depth to mean glandular dose (MGD) among the breast models studied. Significance. Intercomparison between different breast models for dosimetry can be useful for estimating more accurate MGD values for population-based dosimetry, for exploring the use of 1D gaussian distribution for breast dosimetry, and for understanding the dose distributions inside the fibroglandular tissues, which could be a novel source of information for risk estimations.
Real-time imaging of traumatic brain injury using magnetic induction tomography
Authors: Jiao Yang , Zhang Tao , Fan Chao , Cao Haiyan , Chao Min , Han Liying , Zhang Weirui , Mao Lei , Liu Ruigang , Xu Canhua , Wang Liang
Published: February 2023

Objective. Early diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is crucial for its prognosis; however, traditional computed tomography diagnostic methods rely on large medical devices with an associated lag time to receive results. Therefore, an imaging modality is needed that provides real-time monitoring, can easily be carried out to assess the extent of TBI damage, and thus guides treatment. Approach. In the present study, an improved magnetic induction tomography (MIT) data acquisition system was used to monitor TBI in an animal model and distinguish the injury level. A pneumatically controlled cortical impactor was used to strike the parietal lobe of anesthetized rabbits two or three times under the same parameter mode to establish two different rabbit models of TBI. The MIT data acquisition system was used to record data and continuously monitor the brain for one hour without intervention. Main results. A target with increased conductivity was clearly observed in the reconstructed image. The position was relatively fixed and accurate, and the average positioning error of the image was 0.013 72 m. The normalized mean reconstruction value of all images increased with time. The slope of the regression line of the normalized mean reconstruction value differed significantly between the two models (p < 0.0001). Significance. This indicates that in the animal model, the unique features of MIT may facilitate the early monitoring of TBI and distinguish different degrees of injuries, thereby reducing the risk and mortality of associated complications.
Rydberg ions in coherent motional states: a new method for determining the polarizability of Rydberg ions
Authors: Niederländer Marie , Vogel Jonas , Schulze-Makuch Alexander , Gély Bastien , Mokhberi Arezoo , Schmidt-Kaler Ferdinand
Published: February 2023

We present a method for measuring the polarizability of Rydberg ions confined in the harmonic potential of a Paul trap. For a highly excited electronic state, the coupling between the electronic wave function and the trapping field modifies the excitation spectra depending on the motional state of the ion. This interaction strongly depends on the polarizability of the excited state and manifests itself in the state-dependent secular frequencies of the ion. We initialize a single trapped 40Ca+ ion from the motional ground state into coherent states with

|

α

|

up to 12 using electric voltages on the trap segments. The internal state, firstly initialised in the long-lived 3D

5

/

2

state, is excited to a Rydberg S

1

/

2

-state via the 5P

3

/

2

state in a two-photon process. We probe the depletion of the 3D

5

/

2

state owing to the Rydberg excitation followed by a decay into the internal ground 4S

1

/

2

state. By analysing the obtained spectra we extract the polarizability of Rydberg states which agree with numerical calculations. The method is applicable to different Rydberg states regardless of their principal or angular quantum numbers. An accurate value of the state polarizability is needed for quantum gate operations with Rydberg ion crystals.
High-precision time–frequency synchronization in Ethernet communication networks
Authors: Shi Jiawen , Yang Fei , Cao Kang , Sun Yanguang , Cai Haiwen , Chen Weibiao
Published: February 2023

Currently, many applications require not only high-speed communication, but also high-precision time–frequency synchronization. However, the simultaneous transmission and exchange of digital time signals with continuous analog frequency signals face challenges in large-scale Ethernet networks. Here we report a method to converge high-precision time–frequency synchronization and communication in fiber-optic distributed Ethernet networks. The time–frequency signals are multiplexed by wavelength division to the communication data with different optical wavelengths. The transmission error of the time–frequency signals was measured and controlled using a round-trip method. Network switching is implemented by add-drop multiplexing with a continuous wavelength selector switch and IP packets for the frequency signal and communication data, respectively. Experimental verification is carried out in a five-node network. In this network, high-precision time–frequency synchronization in Ethernet communication networks is realized. The frequency instability is less than 3 × 10−14@1 s, and the time synchronization offset is less than 70 ps with the communication rate of 1.25 Gbps. These results demonstrate the broad application prospects of the proposed method in distributed coherent detection fields with multiple nodes.
Ultrasensitive detection of methamphetamine by antibody-modified transistor assay
Authors: Cao Banpeng , Dai Changhao , Wang Xuejun , Wei Dacheng
Published: February 2023

Effective detection of methamphetamine (Met) requires a fast, sensitive, and cheap testing assay. However, commercially available methods require expensive instruments and highly trained operators, which are time-consuming and labor-intensive. Herein, an antibody-modified graphene transistor assay is developed for sensitive and minute-level detection of Met in complex environments. The anti-Met probe captured charged targets within 120 s, leading to a p-doping effect near the graphene channel. The limit of detection reaches 50 aM (5.0 × 10−17 M) Met in solution. The graphene transistor would be a valuable tool for Met detection effective prevention of drug abuse.
Biofunctionalized semiconductor quantum dots for virus detection
Authors: Liang Yingqi , Mao Guobin , Dai Junbiao , Ma Yingxin
Published: February 2023

Virus is a kind of microorganism and possesses simple structure and contains one nucleic acid, which must be replicated using the host cell system. It causes large-scale infectious diseases and poses serious threats to the health, social well-being, and economic conditions of millions of people worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop novel strategies for accurate diagnosis of virus infection to prevent disease transmission. Quantum dots (QDs) are typical fluorescence nanomaterials with high quantum yield, broad absorbance range, narrow and size-dependent emission, and good stability. QDs-based nanotechnology has been found to be effective method with rapid response, easy operation, high sensitivity, and good specificity, and has been widely applied for the detection of different viruses. However, until now, no systematic and critical review has been published on this important research area. Hence, in this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive coverage of various QDs-based virus detection methods. The fundamental investigations have been reviewed, including information related to the synthesis and biofunctionalization of QDs, QDs-based viral nucleic acid detection strategies, and QDs-based immunoassays. The challenges and perspectives regarding the potential application of QDs for virus detection is also discussed.
Plasma heating by electron cyclotron wave and the temperature effects on lower hybrid current drive on EAST
Authors: Li M.H. , Xu H.D. , Wang X.J. , Wang M. , Ding B.J. , Wu C.B. , Yan G.H. , Liu L. , Zhao L.M. , Wu Z.G. , Xu W.Y. , Wu D.J. , Zhang L.Y. , Tang Y.Y. , Li H. , Wallace G.M. , Baek S.G. , Bonoli P.T. , Zang Q. , Lin S.Y. , Meng L.Y. , Zhao H.L. , Xu L.Q. , Wang M.R. , Zhang X.J. , Huang J. , Qian J.P. , Gong X.Z.
Published: February 2023

This paper presents the progress in the long—pulse operation of the electron cyclotron (EC) system and the achievements in high—electron temperature plasmas by the combined EC and lower hybrid (LH) waves heating since the EC system was built in 2015. An electron temperature of up to 12 keV with a duration over 100 s was realized by the simultaneous heating of EC and LH waves at the line-averaged density

n
ˉ

e

∼ 1.8 × 1019 m−3. The plasma heating effect strongly depends on the location of EC power deposition. H-mode plasmas with solely EC wave auxiliary heating have been obtained on EAST for the first time. These H-mode discharges show an enhanced confinement factor H
98(y,2) around 1.0, which is higher than the previous H-mode using LH power alone (Xu et al 2011 Nucl. Fusion
51 072001). The total heating power is very close to the threshold value for L–H transition according to the international tokamak scaling. In addition to the temperature effects inside the separatrix, higher electron temperature produced by EC wave is found to reduce the LH power loss in the scrape-off layer due to collisional absorption, which is beneficial to further increase the LH current drive efficiency. Ray-tracing/Fokker–Planck modeling results indicate that higher electron temperature can shorten the LH wave propagation on EAST in a multiple-pass regime, thus decreasing the collisional dissipation.
DFT-continuum characterization of third-order elasticity of sI methane hydrates under pressure
Authors: Zhu Xiaodan , Guerra André , Servio Phillip , Rey Alejandro D
Published: February 2023

Methane gas hydrates (GHs) are polyhedral crystalline guest-host materials found under high pressure and low-temperature conditions, which can serve as an energy source. Previous work on methane GH material physics was limited to simple linear models, which only involves second-order elasticity. However, this is not fully suited to high-stress load conditions in technological applications and fundamental material physics. For other material systems, it has been demonstrated that third-order elasticity and pressure derivatives of second-order elasticity have a strong and hence significant correlation. To narrow a critical theory-simulation gap in gas hydrates materials research, in this work we expand prior work from second-order elastic constants (SOECs) to third-order elastic constants (TOECs). By using the open-source Python tool Elastic3rd and the DFT calculation software Vienna Ab initio Simulation Package (VASP), we found that the non-linear fitting involving TOECs gave a better overall prediction and a smaller root-mean-square deviation on pressure-strain evaluation when compared with linear fitting. In addition, the non-linear fitting provides robust results on the piezo-effect on the shear constant C44 and the ductile-to-brittle transition (P = −0.5 GPa). These results are not achievable from previous work based on a linear model and these findings prove that non-linear models, including TOECs, are needed under high pressures. In addition, this research includes a detailed analysis of the calculation of TOECs and mechanical properties to study pressure stability limits and ductile-brittle transitions. Together the results, findings, and analyses from this work are a novel and significant contribution to the material physics knowledge of gas hydrates and hydrogen-bonded crystalline materials.