bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Memory is an interpretive action
Authors: Schiff Brian
Published: January 2023

In this essay, I aim to shore up the epistemological foundations of memory studies so that it can more
productively fulfill its promise to understand the dynamics of shared meaning-making. I argue for theoretical and, hence,
methodological, advancement toward a more precise vocabulary for describing the movement of meaning over time and space and
between persons as they engage with resources and each other in order to fix and revise shared interpretations. Drawing on the
conceptual vocabulary of narrative, I describe some of the central tenets of this “back to the phenomenon” approach to social
memory.
Expectancy-value beliefs optimize mathematics achievement and learning strategy use: a bifactor approach (Las creencias sobre los valores y las expectativas optimizan el rendimiento matemático y el uso de estrategias de aprendizaje: un enfoque bifactorial)
Authors: Wang Faming , King Ronnel B. , Leung Shing on , Jiang Chunlian
Published: January 2023

Expectancy-value theory mostly focuses on how expectancy and value beliefs are associated with academic achievement. Both expectancy and value beliefs are multidimensional and can be further decomposed into general and specific factors. However, few studies have explored the associations of these general and specific factors with academic achievement and learning strategy use. This study aimed to investigate the bifactor structure of expectancy and value beliefs and investigate the linkages between general and specific expectancy-value factors and mathematics achievement and learning strategy use. Based on the expectancy and value dimensions measured by the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ), bifactor models were used to analyse the data collected from 563 senior secondary school students in China. Three key findings emerged: (1) both expectancy and value beliefs could be disentangled into general and specific factors; (2) general factors were significantly associated with mathematics achievement and learning strategy use; and (3) the specific factors were positively associated with mathematics learning strategy use but not mathematics achievement. Methodological and practical implications are discussed.
Chromatic aberrations correction of attosecond high-order harmonic beams by flat-top spatial shaping of the fundamental beam
Authors: Veyrinas K , Plach M , Peschel J , Hoflund M , Catoire F , Valentin C , Smorenburg P , Dacasa H , Maclot S , Guo C , Wikmark H , Zaïr A , Strelkov V , Picot C , Arnold C , Eng-Johnsson P , L’Huillier A , Mével E , Constant E
Published: January 2023

Attosecond pulses created by high-order harmonic generation in gases often exhibit strong chromatic aberrations, arising from the broad bandwidth and wavelength-dependent nonlinear light–matter interaction. When the driving laser intensity varies spatially, as for Gaussian driving beams, the apparent source position of the harmonics differs significantly from one order to the next, thus affecting the achievable intensity and duration of the attosecond pulses when they are focused on a target. We show that these chromatic aberrations can be reduced by spatially shaping the fundamental beam to generate high-order harmonics with a driver having a flat-top profile inside the gas medium. By measuring both the intensity profile and wavefront for each harmonic in a plane, we access the extreme ultra-violet (XUV) beam properties and investigate these properties near focus. We observe that controlling chromatic aberrations by flat-top spatial shaping strongly reduces the variation of the XUV spectrum on the beam axis during propagation and, in return, the longitudinal sensitivity of both the temporal profiles and the temporal shifts of the focused attosecond pulses.
Enhancement of second harmonic generation from three layers hybrid dielectric/metal/dielectric nanospheres
Authors: Jafari Neamat A , Bahari Ali
Published: January 2023

Due to the significant linear and nonlinear (NL) optical properties, hybridization of high-index dielectric and plasmonic materials can result in generating NL optical phenomena with high efficiency compared to the individual nanostructures made of these materials. The efficient surface second harmonic generation (SSHG) from three layers Si/Au/Si (SAS) nanospheres are investigated by the finite element method. The resonance wavelengths are determined by the numerical calculation of the linear spectral response. Then, by calculating the SSHG from each interface of the SAS at resonance wavelengths, it is shown that the core surface (the middle interface) has the dominant contribution at shorter (longer) wavelengths to enhance the SSHG. Finally, the total SSHG is compared to individual silicon nanosphere (SNS), which shows enhancing the efficiency of SHG up to 50 times at some resonance wavelength. The results of this work can pave the way for investigating and enhancing the efficiency of nano-photonic devices such as nano-lasers and nano-sensors.
One ε-Ga2O3-based solar-blind Schottky photodetector emphasizing high photocurrent gain and photocurrent-intensity linearity
Authors: An Yue-Hua , Gao Zhen-Sen , Guo Yu , Zhang Shao-Hui , Liu Zeng , Tang Wei-Hua
Published: January 2023

The ε-Ga2O3 thin film was grown on sapphire substrate by using metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) method, and then was used to fabricate a deep-ultraviolet (DUV) photodetector (PD). The ε-Ga2O3 thin film shown good crystal quality and decent surface morphology. Irradiated by a 254-nm DUV light, the photodetector displayed good optoelectronic performance and high wavelength selectivity, such as photoresponsivity (R) of 175.69 A/W, detectivity (D*) of 2.46 × 1015 Jones, external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 8.6 × 104% and good photocurrent-intensity linearity, suggesting decent DUV photosensing performance. At 5 V and under illumination with light intensity of 800 μW/cm2, the photocurrent gain is as high as 859 owing to the recycling gain mechanism and delayed carrier recombination; and the photocurrent gain decreases as the incident light intensity increases because of the recombination of photogenerated carriers by the large photon flux.
Single-qubit quantum classifier based on gradient-free optimization algorithm
Authors: Zhang 张 Anqi 安琪 , Wang 王 Kelun 可伦 , Wu 吴 Yihua 逸华 , Zhao 赵 Sheng-Mei 生妹
Published: January 2023

A single-qubit quantum classifier (SQC) based on a gradient-free optimization (GFO) algorithm, named the GFO-based SQC, is proposed to overcome the effects of barren plateaus caused by quantum devices. Here, a rotation gate RX
(ϕ) is applied on the single-qubit binary quantum classifier, and the training data and parameters are loaded into ϕ in the form of vector multiplication. The cost function is decreased by finding the value of each parameter that yields the minimum expectation value of measuring the quantum circuit. The algorithm is performed iteratively for all parameters one by one until the cost function satisfies the stop condition. The proposed GFO-based SQC is demonstrated for classification tasks in Iris and MNIST datasets and compared with the Adam-based SQC and the quantum support vector machine (QSVM). Furthermore, the performance of the GFO-based SQC is discussed when the rotation gate in the quantum device is under different types of noise. The simulation results show that the GFO-based SQC can reach a high accuracy in reduced time. Additionally, the proposed GFO algorithm can quickly complete the training process of the SQC. Importantly, the GFO-based SQC has a good performance in noisy environments.
Identification of key recovering node for spatial networks
Authors: Yan Zijian , Xia Yongxiang , Guo Lijun , Zhu Lingzhe , Liang Yuanyuan , Tu Haicheng
Published: January 2023

Many networks in the real world have spatial attributes, such as location of nodes and length of edges, called spatial networks. When these networks are subject to some random or deliberate attacks, some nodes in the network fail, which causes a decline in the network performance. In order to make the network run normally, some of the failed nodes must be recovered. In the case of limited recovery resources, an effective key node identification method can find the key recovering node in the failed nodes, by which the network performance can be recovered most of the failed nodes. We propose two key recovering node identification methods for spatial networks, which are the Euclidean-distance recovery method and the route-length recovery method. Simulations on homogeneous and heterogeneous spatial networks show that the proposed methods can significantly recover the network performance.
A 3-5 μm broadband YBCO high-temperature superconducting photonic crystal
Authors: Liu Gang , Li Yuanhang , Jia Baonan , Gao Yongpan , Han Lihong , Lu Pengfei , Song Haizhi
Published: January 2023

Photonic crystal structures have excellent optical properties, so they are widely studied in conventional optical materials. Recent research shows that high-temperature superconducting periodic structures have natural photonic crystal features and they are favourable candidates for single-photon detection. Considering that superconductors have completely different properties from conventional optical materials, we study the energy level diagram and mid-infrared 3 μm–5 μm transmission spectrum of two-dimensional superconducting photonic crystals in both superconducting and quenched states with the finite element method. The energy level diagram of the circular crystal column superconducting structure shows that the structure has a large band gap width in both states. At the same fill factor, the circular crystal column superconducting structure has a larger band gap width than the others structures. For lattice structures, the zero transmission point of the square lattice structure is robust to the incident angle and environmental temperature. Our research has guiding significance for the design of new material photonic crystals, photon modulation and detection.
Visualizing and witnessing first-order coherence, Bell nonlocality and purity by using a quantum steering ellipsoid in the non-inertial frame
Authors: Yang 杨 Huan 欢 , Xing 邢 Ling-Ling 玲玲 , Du 杜 Ming-Ming 明明 , Kong 孔 Min 敏 , Zhang 张 Gang 刚 , Ye 叶 Liu 柳
Published: January 2023

A quantum steering ellipsoid (QSE) is a visual characterization for bipartite qubit systems, and it is also a novel avenue for describing and detecting quantum correlations. Herein, by using a QSE, we visualize and witness the first-order coherence (FOC), Bell nonlocality (BN) and purity under non-inertial frames. Also, the collective influences of the depolarizing channel and the non-coherence-generating channel (NCGC) on the FOC, BN and purity are investigated in the QSE formalism. The results reveal that the distance from the center of the QSE to the center of the Bloch sphere visualizes the FOC of a bipartite system, the lengths of the QSE semiaxis visualize the BN, and the QSE’s shape and position dominate the purity of the system. One can capture the FOC, BN and purity via the shape and position of the QSE in the non-inertial frame. The depolarizing channel (the NCGC) gives rise to the shrinking and degradation (the periodical oscillation) of the QSE. One can use these traits to visually characterize and detect the FOC, BN and purity under the influence of external noise. Of particular note is that the condition for the QSE to achieve the center of the Bloch sphere cannot be influenced by the depolarizing channel and the NCGC. The characterization shows that the conditions for the disappearance of the FOC are invariant under the additional influences of the depolarizing channel and NCGC.
Generation of spectrally uncorrelated biphotons via fiber nonlinear quantum interference
Authors: Wei Zhengtong , Qu Chuan , Wu Tian’an , Li Yuanyuan , Li Bo , Zhang Shenghai
Published: January 2023

Spectrally uncorrelated biphotons are the essential resources for achieving various quantum information processing protocols. We theoretically investigate the generation of spectrally uncorrelated biphotons emitted by spontaneous four-wave mixing from a fiber nonlinear interferometer which consists of an N-stage nonlinear gain fiber and an (N-1)-stage dispersion modulation fiber. The output biphoton states of nonlinear interference are the coherent superposition of various biphoton states born in each nonlinear fiber, and thus the interference fringe will reshape the biphoton joint spectra. As a result, resorting to Taylor expansion to first order for phase mismatching, we theoretically verify that the orientation of phase matching contours will rotate in a specific way with only varying the length of dispersion modulation fiber. The rotation in orientation of phase matching contours may result in spectrally uncorrelated biphotons and even arbitrary correlation biphotons. Further, we choose micro/nanofiber as the nonlinear gain fiber and single-mode communication fiber as dispersion modulation fiber to numerically simulate the generation of spectrally uncorrelated biphotons from spontaneous fourwave mixing. Here, due to significant frequency detuning (hundreds of THz), Raman background noise can be considerably suppressed, even at room temperature, and photons with largely tunable wavelengths can be achieved, indicating a practicability in many quantum fields. A photon mode purity of 97.2% will be theoretically attained without weakening the heralding nature of biphoton sources. We think that this fiber nonlinear interference with the flexibly engineered quantum state can be an excellent practical source for quantum information processing.
Adaptive genetic algorithm-based design of gamma-graphyne nanoribbon incorporating diamond-shaped segment with high thermoelectric conversion efficiency
Authors: Lu Jingyuan , Cui Chunfeng , Ouyang Tao , Li Jin , He Chaoyu , Tang Chao , Zhong Jianxin
Published: January 2023

The gamma-graphyne nanoribbons (γ-GYNRs) incorporating diamond-shaped segment (DSSs) with excellent thermoelectric properties are systematically investigated by combining nonequilibrium Green’s functions with adaptive genetic algorithm. Our calculations show that the adaptive genetic algorithm is efficient and accurate in the process of identifying structures with excellent thermoelectric performance. In multiple rounds, an average of 476 candidates (only 2.88% of all 16512 candidate structures) are calculated to obtain the structures with extremely high thermoelectric conversion efficiency. The room temperature thermoelectric figure of merit (ZT) of the optimal γ-GYNR incorporating DSSs is 1.622, which is about 5.4 times higher than that of pristine γ-GYNR (length 23.693 nm and width 2.660 nm). The significant improvement of thermoelectric performance of the optimal γ-GYNR is mainly attributed to the maximum balance of inhibition of thermal conductance (proactive effect) and reduction of thermal power factor (side effect). Moreover, through exploration of the main variables affecting the genetic algorithm, it is revealed that the efficiency of the genetic algorithm can be improved by optimizing the initial population gene pool, selecting a higher individual retention rate and a lower mutation rate. The results presented in this paper validate the effectiveness of genetic algorithm in accelerating the exploration of γ-GYNRs with high thermoelectric conversion efficiency, and could provide a new development solution for carbon-based thermoelectric materials.
Theoretical study of electron-impact broadening for highly charged Ar XV ion lines
Authors: Wu Chao , Gao Xiang , Zhu Yu-Hao , Han Xiao-Ying , Duan Bin , Meng Ju , Zhang Song-Bin , Yan Jun , Wu Yong , Wang Jian-Guo
Published: January 2023

Spectral line widths produced by collisions between charged particles and emitters are of special interest for precise plasma spectroscopy. The highly charged Ar XV ion is demonstrated to have strong intrashell electron interactions, which manifest as an atomic system with many resonance structures, due to the quasi-degeneracy of orbital energies. In this paper we use the relativistic R-matrix method to investigate the electron-impact broadening of highly charged Ar XV ion spectral lines under the impact approximation. It is found that the results considering resonance structures are significantly different from those of the distorted wave approach. Furthermore, we propose a new empirical formula with a correction term to take into account the effect of resonances for electron-impact widths over a relatively wide range of plasma conditions. The corresponding fitting parameters of the new empirical formula for all 47 calculated transitions are also given with an estimated accuracy within 1%, which should be convenient for practical applications. The dataset that supported the findings of this study is available in Science Data Bank, with the link https://doi.org/10.57760/sciencedb.j00113.00101.
Fast prediction of the mechanical response for layered pavement under instantaneous large impact based on random forest regression
Authors: Li Ming-Jun , Yang Lina , Wang Deng , Wang Si-Yi , Tang Jing-Nan , Jiang Yi , Chen Jie
Published: January 2023

The layered pavements usually exhibit complicated mechanical properties with the effect of complex material properties under external environment. In some cases, such as launching missiles or rockets, layered pavements are required to bear large impulse load. However, traditional methods cannot non-destructively and quickly detect the internal structural of pavements. Thus, accurate and fast prediction of the mechanical properties of layered pavements is of great importance and necessity. In recent years, machine learning has shown great superiority in solving nonlinear problems. In this work, we present a method of predicting the maximum deflection and damage factor of layered pavements under instantaneous large impact based on random forest regression with the deflection basin parameters obtained from falling weight deflection testing. The regression coefficient R
2 of testing datasets are above 0.94 in the process of predicting the elastic moduli of structural layers and mechanical responses, which indicates that the prediction results have great consistency with finite element simulation results. This paper provides a novel method for fast and accurate prediction of pavement mechanical responses under instantaneous large impact load using partial structural parameters of pavements, and has application potential in non-destructive evaluation of pavement structure.
The twisted two-dimensional ferroelectrics
Authors: Zhang Xinhao , Peng Bo
Published: January 2023

Since the beginning of research on two-dimensional (2D) materials, a few numbers of 2D ferroelectric materials have been predicted or experimentally confirmed, but 2D ferroelectrics as necessary functional materials are greatly important in developing future electronic devices. Recent breakthroughs in 2D ferroelectric materials are impressive, and the physical and structural properties of twisted 2D ferroelectrics, a new type of ferroelectric structure by rotating alternating monolayers to form an angle with each other, have attracted widespread interest and discussion. Here, we review the latest research on twisted 2D ferroelectrics, including Bernal-stacked bilayer graphene/BN, bilayer boron nitride, and transition metal dichalcogenides. Finally, we prospect the development of twisted 2D ferroelectrics and discuss the challenges and future of 2D ferroelectric materials.
75 GHz germanium waveguide photodetector with 64 Gbps data rates utilizing an inductive-gain-peaking technique
Authors: Li Xiuli , Zhu Yupeng , Liu Zhi , Peng Linzhi , Liu Xiangquan , Niu Chaoqun , Zheng Jun , Zuo Yuhua , Cheng Buwen
Published: January 2023

High-performance germanium (Ge) waveguide photodetectors are designed and fabricated utilizing the inductive-gain-peaking technique. With the appropriate integrated inductors, the 3-dB bandwidth of photodetectors is significantly improved owing to the inductive-gain-peaking effect without any compromises to the dark current and optical responsivity. Measured 3-dB bandwidth up to 75 GHz is realized and clear open eye diagrams at 64 Gbps are observed. In this work, the relationship between the frequency response and large signal transmission characteristics on the integrated inductors of Ge waveguide photodetectors is investigated, which indicates the high-speed performance of photodetectors using the inductive-gain-peaking technique.
Electromechanical and photoelectric properties of a novel semiconducting Janus InGaSSe monolayer
Authors: Zhong Li , Li Xiaobao , Wang Wei , Xiao Xinle
Published: January 2023

In recent years, Janus two-dimensional (2D) materials have received extensive research interests because of their outstanding electronic, mechanical, electromechanical, and optoelectronic properties. In this work, we explore the structural, electromechanical, and optoelectronic properties of a novel hypothesized Janus InGaSSe monolayer by means of first-principles calculations. It is confirmed that the Janus InGaSSe monolayer indeed show extraordinary charge transport properties with intrinsic electron mobility of 48 139 cm2/(V·s) and hole mobility of 16 311 cm2/(V·s). Both uniaxial and biaxial strains can effectively tune its electronic property. Moreover, the Janus InGaSSe monolayer possesses excellent piezoelectric property along both in-plane and out-of-plane directions. The results of this work imply that the Janus InGaSSe monolayer is in fact an efficient photocatalyst candidate, and may provide useful guidelines for the discovery of other new 2D photocatalytic and piezoelectric materials.
A novel method for dynamically altering the surface area of intracranial EEG electrodes
Authors: Sindhu Kavyakantha Remakanthakurup , Ngo Duy , Ombao Hernando , Olaya Joffre E , Shrey Daniel W , Lopour Beth A
Published: January 2023

Objective. Intracranial electroencephalogram (iEEG) plays a critical role in the treatment of neurological diseases, such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease, as well as the development of neural prostheses and brain computer interfaces. While electrode geometries vary widely across these applications, the impact of electrode size on iEEG features and morphology is not well understood. Some insight has been gained from computer simulations, as well as experiments in which signals are recorded using electrodes of different sizes concurrently in different brain regions. Here, we introduce a novel method to record from electrodes of different sizes in the exact same location by changing the size of iEEG electrodes after implantation in the brain. Approach. We first present a theoretical model and an in vitro validation of the method. We then report the results of an in vivo implementation in three human subjects with refractory epilepsy. We recorded iEEG data from three different electrode sizes and compared the amplitudes, power spectra, inter-channel correlations, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of interictal epileptiform discharges, i.e. epileptic spikes. Main Results. We found that iEEG amplitude and power decreased as electrode size increased, while inter-channel correlation did not change significantly with electrode size. The SNR of epileptic spikes was generally highest in the smallest electrodes, but 39% of spikes had maximal SNR in larger electrodes. This likely depends on the precise location and spatial spread of each spike. Significance. Overall, this new method enables multi-scale measurements of electrical activity in the human brain that can facilitate our understanding of neurophysiology, treatment of neurological disease, and development of novel technologies.
Recent modeling for the ITER ion cyclotron range of frequency antennas with the TOPICA code
Authors: Milanesio D. , Helou W. , Polli V. , Durodié F. , Lamalle P. , Maquet V. , Messiaen A. , Tierens W. , Zhang W.
Published: January 2023

This paper documents the analysis of the ITER ion cyclotron resonance heating (ICRF) launcher using the TOPICA code, throughout recent years’ design activities. The ability to simulate the detailed geometry of an ICRF antenna in front of a realistic plasma and to obtain the antenna input parameters, the electric currents on conductors and the radiated field distribution next to the antenna is of significant importance to evaluate and predict the overall system performances. Starting from a reference geometry, we first investigated the impact of some geometrical and numerical factors, such as the Faraday Screen geometry or the mesh quality. Then a final geometry was the object of a comprehensive analysis, varying the working frequency, the plasma conditions and the poloidal and toroidal phasings between the feeding lines. The performance of the antenna has been documented in terms of input parameters, power coupled to plasma and electric fields. Eventually, the four-port junction has also been included in TOPICA models.
Influence of pre-bottleneck diversion devices on pedestrian flow
Authors: Wang Lu , Ding Saizhe , Yu Hang , Li Xudong , Zhang Jun , Song Weiguo
Published: January 2023

The existence of bottlenecks often leads to the stagnation of pedestrian gatherings, which seriously affects the efficiency of traffic and reduces the flow of pedestrians. Some studies have shown that setting devices in front of bottlenecks can promote pedestrian evacuation under certain conditions. In this paper, the effect of setting diversion devices in front of the exit on pedestrian flow is studied. From our observation, these diversion devices can form a buffer zone before the exit and affect pedestrian behaviors. The evacuation times are found to decrease as the devices become farther away from the exit. In our experiments, it is found that the effect of shunt piles on evacuation is better than in the case of safety barriers and without device conditions. Under the condition of setting up safety barriers approximately 1 m and 3 m in front of the exit, the evacuation times are extended by 0.88% and 2.67%. For shunt piles, the evacuation times are 11.53% and 14.96% shorter than that of those without a device regarding the different distances to exit (1 m and 3 m, respectively). In addition, setting up shunt piles reduces the time interval between two consecutive pedestrians. To sum up, in our experimental settings, the diversion devices can effectively improve the average speed ahead of the exit and promote evacuation to become more orderly, which reduces the congestion in the later period of evacuation. In other words, this study demonstrates that a reasonable layout of facilities can not only meet the daily functional requirements but also improve the efficient use of space in emergencies, reducing the probability of crowd conventions and jams.
On-line Monitoring of Instantaneous Over-voltage Intelligent Monitoring of EMUs
Authors: Sun Zhongjiang , Liu Suyue , Yang Zhiming , Xu Shuangfeng
Published: January 2023

Since high-speed EMUs have high requirements for the reliability of the traction power supply system and the safety of train operation, the online monitoring and analysis of transient over-voltage are of great significance. By analyzing and comparing the characteristics of the existing power grid over-voltage online monitoring devices at home and abroad, and due to the difficulty in detecting the power grid voltage on the high-speed train, a new type of over-voltage online monitoring using the broadband transmission characteristics of the equipment is proposed for the high-speed train. The principle of the scheme is to reconstruct the real-time voltage waveform of the primary side of the transformer by convolving the secondary side voltage waveform of the vehicle-mounted voltage transformer through the fast Fourier transform with the transformer-specific transmission parameter model and to correlate the relevant data, such as power, voltage fluctuation, harmonic distortion, etc. Simultaneously, simulation and experiments are carried out to verify the validity and stability of the scheme algorithm. The experimental results show that the system has good response characteristics, high measurement accuracy, and stable and reliable working conditions. The system achieves the expected design goals, and it has been successfully applied to the online monitoring equipment of EMU power quality. While monitoring the over-voltage of the power grid, this system provides data support for the research on the aging and life of the onboard high-voltage electrical equipment.
Design optimization of X-ray security scanner based on dual-energy transmission imaging with variable tube voltage
Authors: Park Junsung , An Geunyoung , Seo Hee
Published: January 2023

At airports and ports, X-ray security scanners based on dual-energy transmission imaging have been operated to prevent importation of contraband articles including weapons, narcotics, and explosives. Security scanners currently operated by the Korea Customs Service use a fixed tube voltage (i.e., 160 kVp); hence, it has a limitation in detecting thinly-coated and/or low-density organic contraband articles. Tube voltage lower than 160 kVp affords an advantage in terms of enhanced contrast for organic materials, albeit at the cost of penetration power, and vice versa. Therefore, a security scanner with variable tube voltage that is adjustable according to the physical/chemical properties of the object to be inspected, has the potential to improve detection probability for contraband articles. In the present study, security scanner design optimization specifically in terms of the X-ray generator and the dual-energy detector was performed by Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. Then, the performance of the designed system was evaluated using a simple phantom to demonstrate the advantages of the variable tube voltage application. Additionally, the standard kits were used for performance evaluation in terms of simple penetration and wire display, which are the two parameters specified in Korean law.
Design of an analog monolithic pixel sensor prototype in TPSCo 65 nm CMOS imaging technology
Authors: Deng W. , Aglieri Rinella G. , Aresti M. , Baudot J. , Benotto F. , Beole S. , Bialas W. , Borghello G. , Bugiel S. , Campbell M. , Carnesecchi F. , Charbon E. , Cecconi L. , Colledani C. , de Melo J.L.A. , Dorda Martin A. , Dorokhov A. , Ferrero C. , Hasenbichler J. , Hong G.H. , Hu C. , Huang G. , Kluge A. , Kugathasan T. , La Rocca P. , Mager M. , Marras D. , Martinengo P. , Munker M. , Perciballi S. , Piro F. , Prino F. , Rebane K. , Reidt F. , Sanna I. , Sarritzu V. , Savino U. , Snoeys W. , Suljic M. , Termo G. , Triffiro A. , Turcato A. , Usai G. , Wu Y.
Published: January 2023

A series of monolithic active pixel sensor prototypes (APTS chips) were manufactured in the TPSCo 65 nm CMOS imaging process in the framework of the CERN-EP R&D on monolithic sensors and the ALICE ITS3 upgrade project. Each APTS chip contains a 4 × 4 pixel matrix with fast analog outputs buffered to individual pads. To explore the process and sensor characteristics, various pixel pitches (10 µm–25 µm), geometries and reverse biasing schemes were included. Prototypes are fully functional with detailed sensor characterization ongoing. The design will be presented with some experimental results also correlating to some transistor measurements.
First characterization results of ARCADIA FD-MAPS after X-ray irradiation
Authors: Neubüser C. , Corradino T. , Dalla Betta G.-F. , Mattiazzo S. , Pancheri L.
Published: January 2023

The ARCADIA collaboration is developing fully-depleted (FD) Monolithic Active Pixel Sensors (MAPS) in a 110 nm CMOS process in collaboration with LFoundry. The sensor design incorporates an n+ collection node within a n-type epi-layer on top of a high-resistivity n-type substrate and p+ backside. Thus, the pn-junction sits on the backside and through an applied backside bias, the full substrate gets depleted. The targeted applications of this technology range from future high energy physics experiments to space applications, and medical and industrial scanners. Together, these applications set the minimum requirements on the detector: data collection at hit rates of (10–100) MHz/cm2, full signal processing within (1–10) μs, maximum power consumption (5–20) mW/cm2 and radiation tolerances of up to 3.4 Mrad or 6.2 × 1012 1 MeV neutron equivalent fluence. In order to proof the performance of the technology, a demonstrator chip of 512 × 512 pixels with 25 μm pitch was designed and fabricated in a first engineering run in 2021, together with additional test structures of pixel and strip arrays with different pitches and sensor geometries. The production run has produced functional passive and active pixel matrices. Earlier studies have shown that positive oxide charges and traps at the Si-SiO2 interface, introduced by ionising radiation, affect the depletion region around the collection electrode, increasing the pixel capacitance. By varying the gap size between collection node and pwells, the geometry can be optimised to keep the capacitance low also after irradiation. To study the performance after irradiation, of the optimised diode designs, the passive pixel matrices were irradiated with doses up to 10 Mrad (SiO2) using a X-ray tube with a Tungsten anode. The measurements are complemented by TCAD simulations. The maximum capacitance increase after irradiation was found to reach 6 and 12 fF/pixel for pixel pitches of 25 and 50 μm, respectively. The relative capacitance increase after irradiation has hereby been found to reach up to 250% after a dose of 10 Mrad.
Timing and synchronization of the DUNE neutrino detector
Authors: Barcock A. , Cussans D. , Lindebaum D. , Newbold D. , Paramesvaran S. , Trilov S.
Published: January 2023

The DUNE neutrino experiment far detector has a fiducial mass of 40 kt. The O(1M) readout channels are distributed over the four 10 kt modules and need to be synchronized with respect to each other to a precision of O(10 ns). The entire system needs to be synchronized with respect to GPS time to O(100 ns). The system needs to be reliable, simple and affordable. Clock and synchronization information are encoded on the same fibre using a protocol based on duty cycle shift keying (DCSK) with 8b10b encoding to ensure DC-balance. The use of DCSK allows the clock to be recovered directly by PLL based clock generators without needing to use a separate clock and data recovery (CDR) device. Small scale tests show a timing jitter at the endpoint of ≈10 ps with respect to the timing master.
Performance of ALTIROC2 readout ASIC with LGADs for ATLAS HGTD picosecond MIP timing detector
Authors: Morenas M.
Published: January 2023

ALTIROC2 is a 225-channel ASIC designed in CMOS 130 nm to read out a 15 × 15 matrix of 1.3 mm × 1.3 mm Low Gain Avalanche Diodes (LGAD) for the ATLAS HGTD (High Granularity Timing Detector). The targeted combined time resolution of the sensor and its readout electronics range from 35 ps/hit (initial) to 65 ps/hit (end of operational lifetime). Each ASIC channel integrates a high-speed preamplifier followed by a high speed discriminator and two TDCs for Time-of-Arrival and Time-Over-Threshold measurements as well as a local memory. This front-end must exhibit a small jitter while keeping a challenging power consumption of less than 4.5 mW per channel. This conference proceeding summarizes the ASIC architecture, its measured performances compared to simulation, along with the requirements for the ATLAS HGTD experiments.
Construction of precision sMDT detector for the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer upgrade
Authors: Amidei D. , Anderson N. , Chen A. , Carpenter E. , Cooperrider L. , Dai T. , Diehl E. , Ferretti C. , Guo Y. , Li J. , Meng X. , Nelson K. , Pillsbury V. , Salzer E. , Schwarz T. , Simpson L. , Wang Z. , Weaverdyck C. , Wei C. , Yang Z. , Yuan M. , Zhou B. , Zhu J.
Published: January 2023

This paper describes the small-diameter monitored drift-tube detector construction at the
University of Michigan as a contribution to the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer upgrade for the
high-luminosity Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Measurements of the first 30 chambers built at
Michigan show that the drift tube wire position accuracy meets the specification of 20 μm.
The positions of the platforms for alignment and magnetic field sensors are all installed well
within the required precision. The cosmic ray test measurements show single wire tracking
resolution of 100 ± 7 μm with an average detection efficiency above 99%.
The infrastructure, tooling, techniques, and procedures for chamber production are described in
detail. The results from the chamber quality control tests of the first 30 constructed chambers
are reported.
Towards Living Machines: current and future trends of tactile sensing, grasping, and social robotics
Authors: Vouloutsi Vasiliki , Cominelli Lorenzo , Dogar Mehmet , Lepora Nathan , Zito Claudio , Martinez-Hernandez Uriel
Published: January 2023

The development of future technologies can be highly influenced by our deeper understanding of the principles that underlie living organisms. The Living Machines conference aims at presenting (among others) the interdisciplinary work of behaving systems based on such principles. Celebrating the 10 years of the conference, we present the progress and future challenges of some of the key themes presented in the robotics workshop of the Living Machines conference. More specifically, in this perspective paper, we focus on the advances in the field of biomimetics and robotics for the creation of artificial systems that can robustly interact with their environment, ranging from tactile sensing, grasping, and manipulation to the creation of psychologically plausible agents.
pH and GSH dual-responsive drug-controlled nanomicelles for breast cancer treatment
Authors: Xu Jingjing , Tang Xianjiao , Yang Xiaojing , Zhao Mei-Xia
Published: January 2023

We developed a pH/glutathione (GSH) dual-responsive smart nano-drug delivery system to achieve targeted release of a chemotherapeutic drug at breast tumor site. Doxorubicin (DOX) was linked to polyethylene glycol (PEG) through cis-aconitic anhydride (CA) and disulfide bonds (SS) to obtain the PEG-SS-CA-DOX prodrug, which spontaneously assembled into nanomicelles with a particle size of 48 ± 0.45 nm. PEG-SS-CA-DOX micelles achieved an efficient and rapid release of DOX under dual stimulation by weak acidic pH and high GSH content of tumors, with the release amount reaching 88.0% within 48 h. Cellular uptake experiments demonstrated that PEG-SS-CA-DOX micelles could efficiently transport DOX into cells and rapidly release it in the tumor microenvironment. In addition, in vivo antitumor experiments showed that PEG-SS-CA-DOX had a high inhibition rate of 70% against 4T1 breast cancer cells along with good biosafety. In conclusion, dual-responsive smart nanomicelles can achieve tumor-targeted drug delivery and specific drug release, thus improving therapeutic efficacy of drugs.
TiO2 nanotubes induce early mitochondrial fission in BMMSCs and promote osseointegration
Authors: Jia Xuelian , Wang Le , Chen Yicheng , Ning Xiaona , Zhang Zhouyang , Xin He , Lv Qian-xin , Hou Yan , Liu Fuwei , Kong Liang
Published: January 2023

Nanotopography can promote osseointegration, but how bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) respond to this physical stimulus is unclear. Here, we found that early exposure of BMMSCs to nanotopography (6 h) caused mitochondrial fission rather than fusion, which was necessary for osseointegration. We analyzed the changes in mitochondrial morphology and function of BMMSCs located on the surfaces of NT100 (100 nm nanotubes) and ST (smooth) by super-resolution microscopy and other techniques. Then, we found that both ST and NT100 caused a significant increase in mitochondrial fission early on, but NT100 caused mitochondrial fission much earlier than those on ST. In addition, the mitochondrial functional statuses were good at the 6 h time point, this is at odds with the conventional wisdom that fusion is good. This fission phenomenon adequately protected mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and respiration and reduced reactive oxygen species. Interestingly, the MMP and oxygen consumption rate of BMMSCs were reduced when mitochondrial fission was inhibited by Mdivi-1(Inhibition of dynamin-related protein 1 fission) in the early stage. In addition, the effect on osseointegration was significantly worse, and this effect did not improve with time. Taken together, the findings indicate that early mitochondrial fission plays an important role in nanotopography-mediated promotion of osseointegration, which is of great significance to the surface structure design of biomaterials.
The effects of nano-hydroxyapatite/polyamide 66 scaffold on dog femoral head osteonecrosis model: a preclinical study
Authors: Lou Pengqiang , Deng Xiaolei , Hou Decai
Published: January 2023

The lack of mechanical support in the bone tunnel formed after CD often results in a poor therapeutic effect in ONFH. The n-HA/P66 has excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties and has been widely used in bone regeneration. The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of n-HA/P66 scaffold treatment in a dog model of ONFH. A FEA was performed to analyze the mechanical changes in the femoral head after CD and n-HA/P66 scaffold or tantalum rod implantation. Fifteen male beagles were selected to establish the model of ONFH by liquid nitrogen freezing method, and the models were identified by x-ray and MRI 4 weeks after modeling and randomly divided into three groups. Nine weeks later, femoral head samples were taken for morphology, micro-CT, and histological examination. The FEA showed that the n-HA/P66 scaffold proved the structural support in the bone tunnel, similar to the tantalum rod. The morphology showed that the femoral head with n-HA/P66 implantation is intact, while the femoral heads in the model group and CD group are collapsing. Moreover, the micro-CT results of the n-HA/P66 scaffold group were better than the model group and the CD group, and the interface between the n-HA/P66 scaffold and bone tissue is blurred. Furthermore, the histological result also verifies the alterations in micro-CT, and bone tissue grows in the bone tunnel with n-HA/P66 scaffold implanted while few in the CD group. The CD results in a lack of mechanical support in the femoral head subchondral bone and bone tunnel high stress. The n-HA/P66 scaffold implantation can provide mechanical support and relieve high stress induced by CD. The n-HA/P66 scaffold can treat femoral head necrosis and provide the bone tissue growth scaffold for the femoral head after CD to promote bone tissue regeneration.
An interplay of matrix stiffness, dimensionality and adhesivity on cellular behavior
Authors: Singh Archana , Dalal Neha , Tayalia Prakriti
Published: January 2023

Cell-based assays are essential in vitro tools for understanding basic cell biology, pathophysiology of diseases and mechanism of drug actions most cancer studies have utilized two-dimensional (2D) cell culture methods, which have their shortcomings including lack of cell- extracellular matrix interactions and three-dimensional (3D) geometry, and inaccurate representation of cell polarity. Hence, 3D matrices are being increasingly used to study the effect of 3D niche on cell behavior. Till date, very few systematic studies have been done to show comparison of cell behavior when seeded on the surface and encapsulated inside the matrix. In this study, we fabricated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and gelatin-based matrices using UV mediated photo-polymerization to establish 2D and 3D cell culture methods using breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells. We have found that the adhesion and spreading of cells on the gel surface is different from that when embedded in gels. The stiffness of poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA)-gelatin methacryloyl (GelMA) hydrogels with lower concentration of GelMA is lower than that with higher GelMA; further, those with higher overall concentration of polymers (>5%) retain their mechanical integrity and do not degrade even after 7 d. Physical characterization of these matrices demonstrate their optimal pore size, mechanical stiffness and degradation, which are further tunable for tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, drug delivery and cancer studies. Additionally, these semi-synthetic PEGDA-GelMA matrices are transparent in nature, thereby, allowing easy imaging of cells in 3D. The system developed here can be used for short and long term cell culture and can be potentially explored for cell migration and metastasis studies.
Transparency, traceability and deforestation in the Ivorian cocoa supply chain
Authors: Renier Cécile , Vandromme Mathil , Meyfroidt Patrick , Ribeiro Vivian , Kalischek Nikolai , Zu Ermgassen Erasmus K H J
Published: January 2023

Cocoa production has been identified as a major global driver of deforestation, but its precise contribution to deforestation dynamics in West Africa remains unclear. It is also unknown to what degree companies and international markets are able to trace their cocoa imports, and satisfy their sustainable sourcing commitments. Here, we use publicly-available remote-sensing and supply chain data for Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s largest cocoa producer, to quantify cocoa-driven deforestation and trace 2019 cocoa exports and the associated deforestation from their department of origin, via trading companies, to international markets. We find 2.4 Mha of cocoa deforestation and degradation over 2000–2019, i.e. 125 000 ha y−1, representing 45% of the total deforestation and forest degradation over that period. Only 43.6% (95% CI: 42.6%–44.7%) of exports can be traced back to a specific cooperative and department. The majority of cocoa (over 55%) thus remains untraced, either indirectly sourced from local intermediaries by major traders (23.9%, 95% CI: 22.9%–24.9%), or exported by untransparent traders—who disclose no information about their suppliers (32.4%). Traceability to farm lags further behind, and is insufficient to meet the EU due-diligence legislation’s proposed requirement for geolocation of product origins. We estimate that trading companies in the Cocoa and Forests Initiative have mapped 40% of the total farms supplying them, representing only 22% of all Ivorian cocoa exports in 2019. We identify 838 000 hectares of deforestation over 2000–2015 associated with 2019 EU imports, 56% of this arising through untraced sourcing. We discuss issues of company- and state-led traceability systems, often presented as solutions to deforestation, and stress the need for transparency and for the sector to work beyond individual supply chains, at landscape-level, calling for collaboration, stronger regulatory policies, and investments to preserve the remaining stretches of forests in West Africa.
Empirical quantification of methane emission intensity from oil and gas producers in the Permian basin
Authors: Hmiel Benjamin , Lyon David R , Warren Jack D , Yu Jevan , Cusworth Daniel H , Duren Riley M , Hamburg Steven P
Published: January 2023

Methane (CH4) emissions from the oil and natural gas (O&G) supply chain have been demonstrated to be one of the largest anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission sources ripe for mitigation to limit near-term climate warming. In recent years, exploration and production (E&P) operators have made public commitments to reducing their greenhouse gas emission intensity, yet little empirical information has been made available in the public domain to allow an accurate comparison of their emissions performance. In this study, we utilize a series of aircraft surveys of large CH4point source emissions (∼101–104kg CH4hr−1) related to O&G production in the Permian Basin to enable comparison of company-level production-sector emission intensities. We calculate gas and total energy production normalized emission intensities for several of the largest E&P operators in the Permian Basin accounting for ∼85% of production within the flight region. We find differences of more than an order of magnitude in emission intensity across operators, with nearly half demonstrating a ⩾50% improvement in performance from 2019 to 2021. With the availability of such publicly attributed emissions data anticipated to increase in the future, we provide methodological insights and cautions to developing operator metrics from future empirical datasets.