bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tone mergers in Cantonese
Authors: Zhang Jingwei
Published: June 2019

This study investigates tone mergers in the Cantonese spoken in Hong Kong, Macao, and Zhuhai. From these three cities, 150 native Cantonese speakers were recruited, stratified by gender and age. Acoustic analyses show that Hong Kong Cantonese and Macao Cantonese are actively merging T2[25] and T5[23], T3[33] and T6[22], thus becoming similar to Zhuhai Cantonese in tonal inventory. The social motivations of the changes are attributed to contact among these Cantonese-speaking communities as well as their contact with Putonghua. Responses to a questionnaire on language use in different domains shows the spread of Putonghua in Hong Kong and Macao and seems to correlate with the advance of the tone mergers. More specifically, the spread of Putonghua in Hong Kong seems to be rolling back the effects of Cantonese standardization, as shown by the tone mergers in the youngest generation in Hong Kong.
Genome editing to generate nonfoam-forming sake yeast strains
Authors: Ohnuki Shinsuke , Kashima Mao , Yamada Toshikazu , Ghanegolmohammadi Farzan , Zhou Yan , Goshima Tetsuya , Maruyama Jun-Ichi , Kitamoto Katsuhiko , Hirata Dai , Akao Takeshi , Ohya Yoshikazu
Published: June 2019

Mutations frequently occur during breeding of sake yeasts and result in unexpected phenotypes. Here, genome editing tools were applied to develop an ideal nonfoam-forming sake yeast strain, K7GE01, which had homozygous awa1∆/awa1∆ deletion alleles that were responsible for nonfoam formation and few off-target mutations. High-dimensional morphological phenotyping revealed no detectable morphological differences between the genome-edited strain and its parent, while the canonical nonfoam-forming strain, K701, showed obvious morphological changes. Small-scale fermentation tests also showed differences between components of sake produced by K7GE01 and K701. The K7GE01 strain produced sake with significant differences in the concentrations of ethyl acetate, malic acid, lactic acid, and acetic acid, while K701 produced sake with more differences. Our results indicated genuine phenotypes of awa1∆/awa1∆ in sake yeast isolates and showed the usefulness of genome editing tools for sake yeast breeding.
The race chase: the colour of cricket transformation in South Africa
Authors: Desai Ashwin
Published: June 2019

South African cricket (re)entered international cricket in 1991, a few years before the country’s first democratic elections. A tour of India was a prelude to playing in the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. From the outset of ‘unity’, cricket was lauded for its transformation programme and for making a decisive break with the past. This break was epitomized by the team being called the Proteas rather than the Springboks. Despite this and on-going efforts to transform the team into a more representative one, issues of racism and racial representation have continued to haunt the game. Questions are persistently raised about racial targets and interference in selection from on high. At local level, Cricket South Africa (CSA) has now made it mandatory that franchises and semi-professional teams be obliged to include six players of colour, of whom three must be Black Africans, raising concerns about deliberate racial engineering. These apprehensions have been exacerbated by increasing calls for national teams to reflect the racial demographics of the country. This article looks at issues of race and representivity in South African cricket post-unity, seeking to probe allegations of racism, as well as how CSA has approached issues of racial representation in the form of quotas and the possible effects of this on the game.
The exocyst controls lysosome secretion and antigen extraction at the immune synapse of B cells
Authors: Sáez Juan José , Diaz Jheimmy , Ibañez Jorge , Bozo Juan Pablo , Cabrera Reyes Fernanda , Alamo Martina , Gobert François-Xavier , Obino Dorian , Bono María Rosa , Lennon-Duménil Ana-María , Yeaman Charles , Yuseff María-Isabel
Published: June 2019

B lymphocytes capture antigens from the surface of presenting cells by forming an immune synapse. Local secretion of lysosomes, which are guided to the synaptic membrane by centrosome repositioning, can facilitate the extraction of immobilized antigens. However, the molecular basis underlying their delivery to precise domains of the plasma membrane remains elusive. Here we show that microtubule stabilization, triggered by engagement of the B cell receptor, acts as a cue to release centrosome-associated Exo70, which is redistributed to the immune synapse. This process is coupled to the recruitment and activation of GEF-H1, which is required for assembly of the exocyst complex, used to promote tethering and fusion of lysosomes at the immune synapse. B cells silenced for GEF-H1 or Exo70 display defective lysosome secretion, which results in impaired antigen extraction and presentation. Thus, centrosome repositioning coupled to changes in microtubule stability orchestrates the spatial-temporal distribution of the exocyst complex to promote polarized lysosome secretion at the immune synapse.
Exploring the write-in process in molecular quantum cellular automata: a combined modeling and first-principle approach
Authors: Santana-Bonilla Alejandro , Medrano Sandonas Leonardo , Gutierrez Rafael , Cuniberti Gianaurelio
Published: June 2019

The molecular quantum cellular automata paradigm (m-QCA) offers a promising alternative framework to current CMOS implementations. A crucial aspect for implementing this technology concerns the construction of a device which effectively controls intramolecular charge-transfer processes. Tentative experimental implementations have been developed in which a voltage drop is created generating the forces that drive a molecule into a logic state. However, important factors such as the electric field profile, its possible time-dependency and the influence of temperature in the overall success of charge-transfer are relevant issues to be considered in the design of a reliable device. In this work, we theoretically study the role played by these processes in the overall intramolecular charge-transfer process. We have used a Landau–Zener (LZ) model, where different time-dependent electric field profiles have been simulated. The results have been further corroborated employing density functional tight-binding method. The role played by the nuclear motions in the electron-transfer process has been investigated beyond the Born-Oppenheimer approximation by computing the effect of the external electric field in the behavior of the potential energy surface. Hence, we demonstrate that the intramolecular charge-transfer process is a direct consequence of the coherent LZ nonadiabatic tunneling and the hybridization of the diabatic vibronic states which effectively reduces the trapping of the itinerant electron at the donor group.
Entropy production for coarse-grained dynamics
Authors: Busiello D M , Hidalgo J , Maritan A
Published: June 2019

Systems out of equilibrium exhibit a net production of entropy. We study the dynamics of a stochastic system represented by a Master equation (ME) that can be modeled by a Fokker–Planck equation in a coarse-grained, mesoscopic description. We show that the corresponding coarse-grained entropy production contains information on microscopic currents that are not captured by the Fokker–Planck equation and thus cannot be deduced from it. We study a discrete-state and a continuous-state system, deriving in both the cases an analytical expression for the coarse-graining corrections to the entropy production. This result elucidates the limits in which there is no loss of information in passing from a ME to a Fokker–Planck equation describing the same system. Our results are amenable of experimental verification, which could help to infer some information about the underlying microscopic processes.
Simulation of the influence of imperfections on dynamical decoupling of a superconducting qubit*
Authors: Zhang Ying-Shan , Liu Jian-She , Zhao Chang-Hao , He Yong-Cheng , Xu Da , Chen Wei
Published: June 2019

Dynamical decoupling is widely used in many quantum computing systems to combat decoherence. In a practical superconducting quantum system, imperfections can plague decoupling performance. In this work, imperfections in a superconducting qubit and its control system are modeled via modified Hamiltonian and collapse operator. A master equation simulation is carried out on the qubit under 1/f environment noise spectrum. The average dephasing rate of qubit is extracted to characterize the impact of different imperfections on the decoupling from dephasing. We find that the precision of pulse position, on–off ratio, and filtering effect are most critical. Bounded pulses have weaker impact, while variation in pulse width and qubit relaxation are insignificant. Consequently, alternative decoupling protocols, jitter mitigation, cascaded mixers, and pulse shaping can be conducive to the performance of decoupling. This work may assist the analysis and optimization of dynamical decoupling on noisy superconducting quantum systems.
Spin squeezing in Dicke-class of states with non-orthogonal spinors
Authors: Akhilesh K S , Mallesh K S , Sudha  , Hegde Praveen G
Published: June 2019

The celebrated Majorana representation is exploited to investigate spin squeezing in different classes of pure symmetric states of N qubits with two distinct spinors, namely the Dicke-class of states. On obtaining a general expression for spin squeezing parameter, the variation of squeezing for different configurations is studied in detail. It is shown that the states in the Dicke-class, characterized by two-distinct non-orthogonal spinors, exhibit squeezing.
Entropy squeezing for three-level atom interacting with a single-mode field*
Authors: Liu Fei-Fan , Fang Mao-Fa , Xu Xiong
Published: June 2019

The entropy squeezing for a three-level atom interacting with a single-model field is studied. A general definition of entropy squeezing for three-level atom is given according to entropic uncertainty relation of three-level system, and the calculation formalism of entropy is derived for a cascade three-level atom. By using numerical calculation, the entropy squeezing properties of a cascade three-level atom are examined. Our results show that, three-level atom can generate obvious entropy squeezing effect via choosing appropriate superposition state of three-level atom. Our results are meaningful for preparing three-level system information resources with ultra-low quantum noise.
Investigation of copper sulfate pentahydrate dehydration by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy*
Authors: Ma Yuan-Yuan , Huang Hao-Chong , Hao Si-Bo , Tang Wei-Chong , Zheng Zhi-Yuan , Zhang Zi-Li
Published: June 2019

Copper sulfate pentahydrate is investigated by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. It is shown that the terahertz absorption coefficients are correlated with the particle size of the samples, as well as the heating rates of the ambient temperature. Furthermore, the water molecules of copper sulfate pentahydrate can be quantitatively characterized due to the high sensitivity of the terahertz wave to water molecules. Based on such results, the status of water incorporated in mineral opal is also characterized using terahertz time-domain spectroscopy. It indicates that terahertz technology can be considered as an efficient method to detect the dehydration of minerals.
Digitally calibrated broadband dual-comb gases absorption spectral measurements*
Authors: Chen Xinyi , Zhang Weipeng , Wei Haoyun , Li Yan
Published: June 2019

From the perspective of error compensation in the sampling process, a digital calibration algorithm was studied for the processing of spectral data in dual-comb spectroscopy. In this algorithm, dynamic adaptation to phase fluctuations maintained constant measurement results of spectral line positions and intensities. A mode-resolved broadband absorption spectrum was obtained over the full-spectral range of the comb with a Hertz linewidth of radio frequency comb mode. The measured spectrum spanned over 10 THz, which covered the multiplexed absorption regions of mixed gases, such as CO2 and N2O. The calibrated interferograms were also capable of direct coherent averaging in the time domain. The transmittance obtained deviated from the theoretical calculation by no more than 2% in the whole spectral span.
Negativity of Wigner function and phase sensitivity of an SU(1,1) interferometer*
Authors: Liu Chun-Li , Guo Li-Li , Zhang Zhi-Ming , Yu Ya-Fei
Published: June 2019

Both the negativity of Wigner function and the phase sensitivity of an SU(1,1) interferometer are investigated in this paper. In the case that the even coherent state and squeezed vacuum state are input into the interferometer, the Heisenberg limit can be approached with parity detection. At the same time, the negativity volume of Wigner function of detection mode comes entirely from the input state and varies periodically with the encoding phase. In addition, the negativity volume of Wigner function is positively correlated with the phase sensitivity of the SU(1,1) interferometer. The positive correlation may mean that the non-classicality indicated by negative Wigner function is a kind of resource that can verify some related research results of phase estimation.
Photoelectron imaging of resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization and above-threshold ionization of ammonia molecules in a strong 800-nm laser pulse*
Authors: Song Le-Le , Sun Ya-Nan , Wang Yan-Hui , Wang Xiao-Chun , He Lan-Hai , Luo Si-Zuo , Hu Wen-Hui , Tong Qiu-Nan , Ding Da-Jun , Liu Fu-Chun
Published: June 2019

In this work, we mainly investigate the NH3 molecular multiphoton ionization process by using the photoelectron velocity map imaging technique. Under the condition of femtosecond laser (wavelength at 800 nm), the photoelectron images are detected. The channel switching and above-threshold ionization (ATI) effect are also confirmed. The kinetic energy spectrum (KES) and the photoelectron angular distributions (PADs) are obtained through the anti-Abel transformation from the original images, and then three ionization channels are confirmed successfully according to the Freeman resonance effect in a relatively low laser intensity region. In the excitation process, the intermediate resonance Rydberg states are

C

∼

A

1

′

1

(6 + 2 photons process),

B

∼

E

″

1

(6 + 2 photons process) and

C

∼

A

1

′

1

(7 + 2 photons process), respectively. At the same time, we also find that the photoelectron angular distributions are independent of laser intensity. In addition, the electrons produced by different processes interfere with each other and they can produce a spider-like structure. We also find ac-Stark movement according to the Stark-shift-induced resonance effect when the laser intensity is relatively high.
Hydrogen sulphide detection using near-infrared diode laser and compact dense-pattern multipass cell*
Authors: Tian Xing , Cao Yuan , Chen Jia-Jin , Liu Kun , Wang Gui-Shi , Gao Xiao-Ming
Published: June 2019

Sub-ppmv level detection of hydrogen sulphide (H2S) using a 1.578-

μ
m

distributed feedback tunable diode laser combining with wavelength modulation spectroscopy and second harmonic detection scheme is reported. A home-developed novel compact dense-pattern multipass gas cell with an effective optical path length of 29.37 m is used to improve sensitivity and reduce sample volume. Detection parameters are optimized, including modulation frequency and amplitude. The analysis of Allan variance shows that a minimum detectable concentration 60 ppbv is obtained with a lock-in time constant of 10 ms, and a detection limit of 13 ppbv can be achieved by average in 300 s. The demonstrated H2S sensor has a strong penitential application in natural gas process for regulating and controlling H2S concentration.
Fast Fourier single-pixel imaging based on Sierra–Lite dithering algorithm*
Authors: Liang Zhen-Yu , Cheng Zheng-Dong , Liu Yan-Yan , Yu Kuai-Kuai , Hu Yang-Di
Published: June 2019

The single-pixel imaging (SPI) technique is able to capture two-dimensional (2D) images without conventional array sensors by using a photodiode. As a novel scheme, Fourier single-pixel imaging (FSI) has been proven capable of reconstructing high-quality images. Due to the fact that the Fourier basis patterns (also known as grayscale sinusoidal patterns) cannot be well displayed on the digital micromirror device (DMD), a fast FSI system is proposed to solve this problem by binarizing Fourier pattern through a dithering algorithm. However, the traditional dithering algorithm leads to low quality as the extra noise is inevitably induced in the reconstructed images. In this paper, we report a better dithering algorithm to binarize Fourier pattern, which utilizes the Sierra–Lite kernel function by a serpentine scanning method. Numerical simulation and experiment demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is able to achieve higher quality under different sampling ratios.
Fe:ZnSe laser pumped by a 2.93-

μ
m

Cr, Er:YAG laser*
Authors: Li Ying-Yi , Dai Tong-Yu , Duan Xiao-Ming , Guo Chun-Fa , Xu Li-Wei , Ju You-Lun
Published: June 2019

We demonstrated an Fe:ZnSe laser pumped by a 2.93-

μ
m

Cr, Er:YAG laser at liquid nitrogen and room temperature in single-shot free-running operation for the first time. The xenon flash lamp pumped Cr, Er:YAG laser had a maximum single pulse energy of 1.414 J, and the threshold and slope efficiency were 141.70 J and 0.70% which were respectively reduced by 29.3% and increased by 52.2% compared with the Er:YAG laser. At liquid nitrogen temperature of 77 K, the maximum single pulse energy of the Fe:ZnSe laser was 197.6 mJ, corresponding to a slope efficiency of 13.4%. The central wavelength and full width at half maximum (FWHM) linewidth were 4037.4 nm and 122.0 nm, respectively. At room temperature, the laser generated a maximum single pulse energy of 3.5 mJ at the central wavelength of 4509.6 nm with an FWHM linewidth of 171.5 nm.
Energetic few-cycle pulse compression in gas-filled hollow core fiber with concentric phase mask*
Authors: Zhao Yu , Huang Zhi-Yuan , Zhao Rui-Rui , Wang Ding , Leng Yu-Xin
Published: June 2019

The compression of high-energy, linearly polarized pulses in a gas-filled hollow core fiber (HCF) by using a concentric phase mask is studied theoretically. Simulation results indicate that using a properly designed concentric phase mask, a 40-fs input pulse centered at 800 nm with energy up to 10.0 mJ can be compressed to a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of less than 5 fs after propagating through a neon-filled HCF with a length of 1 m and diameter of

500

μ
m

with a transmission efficiency of 67%, which is significantly higher than that without a concentric phase mask. Pulses with energy up to 20.0 mJ can also be efficiently compressed to less than 10 fs with the concentric phase mask. The higher efficiency due to the concentric phase mask can be attributed to the redistribution of the transverse intensity profile, which reduces the effect of ionization. The proposed method exhibits great potential for generating few-cycle laser pulse sources with high energy by the HCF compressor.
Internal and near-surface fields for a chiral sphere under arbitrary laser beam illumination*
Authors: Su Bi-Da , Wang Ming-Jun , Peng Yue , Yang Su-Hui , Zhang Hua-Yong
Published: June 2019

A general scheme for the investigation of scattering by a chiral sphere under arbitrary monochromatic laser beam illumination is presented. The scattered and internal fields are expanded by using appropriate spherical vector wave functions, and their expansion coefficients are determined by the boundary conditions and the projection method. Targeting multiple incidence forms such as Gaussian beam, Hermite–Gaussian beam, doughnut mode beam and zero-order Bessel beam, the influence and propagation of near-surface intensity field for a chiral sphere are analyzed. These properties are very important for studying the properties of chiral media, and for manipulating the optical tweezers and super-resolution imaging of particles.
Three-dimensional thermal illusion devices with arbitrary shape*
Authors: Zhang Xingwei , He Xiao , Wu Linzhi
Published: June 2019

Since the concept of invisible cloak was proposed by Pendry and Leonhardt in 2006, many researchers have applied the theory of coordinate transformation to thermodynamics and overcome the complexity of inhomogeneous and anisotropic of material parameters. However, only two-dimensional (2D) thermal illusion devices are researched recently. According to this situation, our study focuses on three-dimensional (3D) thermal illusion devices including shrinker (or invisible cloak), concentrator, amplifier, reshaper, and rotator with arbitrary shape in a general way. In this paper, the corresponding material parameters of thermal illusion devices mentioned above are derived based on the theory of transformation thermodynamics and the simulated results agree well with the theoretical derivations. In addition, the conventional invisible cloak just controls the temperature gradient rather than the temperature value which is more concerned in physical applications. Here, we find that the temperature value of the cloaked object can be controlled by adjusting the location of the original point of the coordinate system.
Studies of flow field characteristics during the impact of a gaseous jet on liquid–water column*
Authors: Wang Jian , Ruan Wen-Jun , Wang Hao , Zhang Li-Li
Published: June 2019

Both experimental and numerical studies were presented on the flow field characteristics in the process of gaseous jet impinging on liquid–water column. The effects of the impinging process on the working performance of rocket engine were also analyzed. The experimental results showed that the liquid–water had better flame and smoke dissipation effect in the process of gaseous jet impinging on liquid–water column. However, the interaction between the gaseous jet and the liquid–water column resulted in two pressure oscillations with large amplitude appearing in the combustion chamber of the rocket engine with instantaneous pressure increased by 17.73% and 17.93%, respectively. To analyze the phenomena, a new computational method was proposed by coupling the governing equations of the MIXTURE model with the phase change equations of water and the combustion equation of propellant. Numerical simulations were carried out on the generation of gas, the accelerate gas flow, and the mutual interaction between gaseous jet and liquid–water column. Numerical simulations showed that a cavity would be formed in the liquid–water column when gaseous jet impinged on the liquid–water column. The development speed of the cavity increased obviously after each pressure oscillation. In the initial stage of impingement, the gaseous jet was blocked due to the inertia effect of high-density water, and a large amount of gas gathered in the area between the nozzle throat and the gas–liquid interface. The shock wave was formed in the nozzle expansion section. Under the dual action of the reverse pressure wave and the continuously ejected high-temperature gas upstream, the shock wave moved repeatedly in the nozzle expansion section, which led to the flow of gas in the combustion chamber being blocked, released, re-blocked, and re-released. This was also the main reason for the pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber.
The universal characteristic water content of aqueous solutions*
Authors: Huang Xiao , Cao Ze-Xian , Wang Qiang
Published: June 2019

Raman measurements at room temperature reveal a characteristic concentration for a series of aqueous solutions of electrolytes, through which O–H stretching vibration of H2O or dilute HDO obviously changes their concentration dependence. This characteristic concentration is very consistent with another, through which the solutions undergo an abrupt change in their glass-forming ability. Interestingly, the molar ratio of water to solute at these two consistent concentration points is almost solute-type independent and about twice the hydration number of solutes. We suggest that just when the concentration increases above this characteristic concentration, bulk-like free water disappears in aqueous solutions and all water molecules among closely-packed hydrated solutes exhibit the characteristics of confined water.
Nanosheet-structured B4C with high hardness up to 42 GPa*
Authors: Wang Chang-Chun , Song Le-Le
Published: June 2019

High-quality bulk boron carbide (B4C) is successfully prepared at high pressure and high temperature (HPHT) by using B4C powder as a precursor. The as-synthesized B4C possesses a nanosheet structure with a thickness value of 15 nm and a length of several dozen micrometers. Its Vickers hardness value and fracture toughness value are 42.4 GPa and

4.51

MPa
·

m

1

/

2

, respectively, which are superior to those of B4C obtained from spark plasma sintering due to its high densification and nanosheet structure. Additionally, it shows good property of oxidation resistance. In air, its oxidation resistance temperature is 1100 °C which is higher than that of diamond under the same test condition.
Calculation of the infrared frequency and the damping constant (full width at half maximum) for metal organic frameworks
Authors: Kurt M , Yurtseven H , Kurt A , Aksoy S
Published: June 2019

The ρ(NH2) infrared (IR) frequencies and the corresponding full width at half maximum (FWHM) values for (CH3)2NH2FeIII
M
II(HCOO)6 (DMFeM, M = Ni, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mg) are analyzed at various temperatures by using the experimental data from the literature. For the analysis of the IR frequencies of the ρ(NH2) mode which is associated with the structural phase transitions in those metal structures, the temperature dependence of the mode frequency is assumed as an order parameter and the IR frequencies are calculated by using the molecular field theory. Also, the temperature dependence of the IR frequencies and of the damping constant as calculated from the models of pseudospin (dynamic disorder of dimethylammonium (DMA+) cations)–phonon coupling (PS) and of the energy fluctuation (EF), is fitted to the observed data for the wavenumber and FWHM of the ρ(NH2) IR mode of the niccolites studied here. We find that the observed behavior of the IR frequencies and the FWHM of this mode can be described adequately by the models studied for the crystalline structures of interest. This method of calculating the frequencies (IR and Raman) and FWHM of modes which are responsible for the phase transitions can also be applied to some other metal organic frameworks.
Pressure-induced isostructural phase transition in α-Ni(OH)2 nanowires*
Authors: Ma Xin , Li Zhi-Hui , Jing Xiao-Ling , Gu Hong-Kai , Tian Hui , Dong Qing , Wang Peng , Liu Ran , Liu Bo , Li Quan-Jun , Yao Zhen , Liu Bing-Bing
Published: June 2019

High pressure structural phase transition of monoclinic paraotwayite type α-Ni(OH)2 nanowires with a diameter of 15 nm–20 nm and a length of several micrometers were studied by synchrotron x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra. It is found that the α-Ni(OH)2 nanowires experience an isostructural phase transition associated with the amorphization of the H-sublattice of hydroxide in the interlayer spaces of the two-dimensional crystal structure at 6.3 GPa–9.3 GPa. We suggest that the isostructural phase transition can be attributed to the amorphization of the H-sublattice. The bulk moduli for the low pressure phase and the high pressure phase are 41.2 (4.2) GPa and 94.4 (5.6) GPa, respectively. Both the pressure-induced isostructural phase transition and the amorphization of the H-sublattice in the α-Ni(OH)2 nanowires are reversible upon decompression. Our results show that the foreign anions intercalated between the α-Ni(OH)2 layers play important roles in their structural phase transition.
Nonlocal effect on resonant radiation force exerted on semiconductor coupled quantum well nanostructures*
Authors: Zhang Jin-Ke , Zhang Ting-Ting , Zhang Yu-Liang , Wang Guang-Hui , Deng Dong-Mei
Published: June 2019

Based on the microscopic nonlocal optical response theory, the resonant radiation force exerted on a semiconductor-coupled quantum well nanostructure (CQWN), induced by the nonlocal interaction between lasers and electrons in conduction bands, is investigated for two different polarized states. The numerical results show that the spatial nonlocality of optical response can cause a radiation shift (blue-shift) for the spectrum of the resonant radiation force, which is dependent on the CQWN width ratio, the barrier height, and polarized states sensitively. It is also confirmed that the resonant radiation force is steerable by the incident and polarized directions of incident light. This work may provide an advantageous method for detecting internal quantum properties of nanostructures, and open novel and raising possibilities for optical manipulation of nano-objects using laser-induced radiation force.
Time-dependent first-principles study of optical response of BaTiO3 quantum dots coupled with silver nanowires*
Authors: Han Bo-Xun , Zhang Hong
Published: June 2019

All-inorganic perovskite quantum dots (QDs) have drawn much attention due to their prominent quantum-size effects and highly tunable optical properties. Tuning the size of perovskite QDs is attractive for many potential applications. For instance, smaller QDs exhibit more evident quantum properties than larger QDs, but present a blue-shifted spectrum, which limits their applications. Here, we conduct a systematically theoretical analysis about the optical response and plasmon resonance of comparatively small barium titanate quantum dots (BTO–QDs) coupled with silver (Ag) nanowires based on time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). Our results show that the silver nanowires can induce an intense optical response respectively in the infrared and visible region to eliminate the spectrum-shift. Furthermore, the absorption spectrum and plasmon resonance can be effectively modified by either altering the position of the silver nanowires or changing the thickness of the BTO–QDs. More importantly, these two methods can act simultaneously, this maybe provide a new approach to implementing the quantum control.
Method of evaluating interface traps in Al2O3/AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors*
Authors: Bao Si-Qin-Gao-Wa , Ma Xiao-Hua , Chen Wei-Wei , Yang Ling , Hou Bin , Zhu Qing , Zhu Jie-Jie , Hao Yue
Published: June 2019

In this paper, the interface states of the AlGaN/GaN metal–insulator–semiconductor (MIS) high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) with an Al2O3 gate dielectric are systematically evaluated. By frequency-dependent capacitance and conductance measurements, trap density and time constant at Al2O3/AlGaN and AlGaN/GaN interface are determined. The experimental results reveal that the density of trap states and the activation energy at the Al2O3/AlGaN interface are much higher than at the AlGaN/GaN interface. The photo-assisted capacitance-voltage measurements are performed to characterize the deep-level traps located near mid-gap at the Al2O3/AlGaN interface, which indicates that a density of deep-level traps is lower than the density of the shallow-level states.
Gradient refractive structured NiCr thin film absorber for pyroelectric infrared detectors*
Authors: Lian Yunlu , Yu He , Liang Zhiqing , Dong Xiang
Published: June 2019

A gradient refractive structured NiCr film that has a high extinction coefficient at far infrared range (8-

μ
m

–

24

μ
m

) is presented as an absorber for pyroelectric infrared detectors. The absorber features high absorption efficiency due to the low reflection off the structured surface and high absorption across the film thickness. The refractive index and extinction coefficient are extracted using spectroscopic ellipsometry. It is found that the single NiCr film exhibits an increasing refractive index as the gas atmosphere pressure increases, hence the three-layer gradient NiCr absorber can be fabricated by adjusting the gas atmosphere pressure during sputtering deposition. Essential Macleod software has been used to generate an efficient film structure design and the calculations show similar absorptance trend compared to the experimental measurement result. The results indicate that the gradient refractive structured metal thin film absorber can provide high absorption for applications in thermal sensing.
Structural stability and vibrational characteristics of CaB6 under high pressure*
Authors: Liu Mingkun , Tian Can , Huang Xiaoli , Li Fangfei , Huang Yanping , Liu Bingbing , Cui Tian
Published: June 2019

In situ Raman spectroscopy and x-ray diffraction measurements are used to explore the structural stability of CaB6 at high pressures and room temperature. The results show no evidence of structural phase transitions up to at least 40 GPa. The obtained equation of state with smooth pressure dependencies yields a zero-pressure isothermal bulk modulus B
0 = 170 (5) GPa, which agrees well with the previous measurements. The frequency shifts for A1g, Eg, and T2g vibrational modes of polycrystalline CaB6 are obtained with pressure uploading. As the pressure increases, all the vibration modes have smooth monotonic pressure dependence. The Grüneisen parameter of Eg modes is the largest, indicating its largest dependence on the volume of a crystal lattice.
Fluorescence spectra of colloidal self-assembled CdSe nano-wire on substrate of porous Al2O3/Au nanoparticles*
Authors: Zhang Xin , Shao Li-Ping , Peng Man , Bai Zhong-Chen , Zhang Zheng-Ping , Qin Shui-Jie
Published: June 2019

We present a self-assembly method to prepare array nano-wires of colloidal CdSe quantum dots on a substrate of porous Al2O3 film modified by gold nanoparticles. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra of nanowires are in situ measured by using a scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) probe tip with 100-nm aperture on the scanning near-field optical microscope. The results show that the binding sites from the edge of porous Al2O3 nanopores are combined with the carboxyl of CdSe quantum dots’ surface to form an array of CdSe nanowires in the process of losing background solvent because of the gold nanoparticles filling the nano-holes of porous Al2O3 film. Compared with the area of non-self-assembled nano-wire, the fluorescence on the Al2O3/Au/CdSe interface is significantly enhanced in the self-assembly nano-wire regions due to the electron transfer conductor effect of the gold nanoparticles’ surface. In addition, its full width at half maximum (FWHM) is also obviously widened. The method of enhancing fluorescence and energy transfer can widely be applied to photodetector, photocatalysis, optical display, optical sensing, and biomedical imaging, and so on.
Development of 0.5-V Josephson junction array devices for quantum voltage standards*
Authors: Wang Lanruo , Li Jinjin , Cao Wenhui , Zhong Yuan , Zhang Zhonghua
Published: June 2019

The design, fabrication, and the characterization of a 0.5-V Josephson junction array device are presented for the quantum voltage standards in the National Institute of Metrology (NIM) of China. The device consists of four junction arrays, each of which has 1200 3-stacked Nb/Nb
x
Si1−x
/Nb junctions and an on-chip superconducting microwave circuit which is mainly a power divider enabling each Josephson array being loaded with an equal amount of microwave power. A direct current (dc) quantum voltage of about 0.5 V with a ∼1-mA current margin of the 1st quantum voltage step is obtained. To further prove the quality of NIM device, a comparison between the NIM device with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) programmable Josephson voltage standard (PJVS) system device is conducted. The difference of the reproduced 0.5-V quantum voltage between the two devices is about 0.55 nV, which indicates good agreement between the two devices. With the homemade device, we have realized a precise and applicable 0.5-V applicable-level quantum voltage.
Dark count rate and band to band tunneling optimization for single photon avalanche diode topologies
Authors: Haddadifam Taha , Azim Karami Mohammad
Published: June 2019

This paper proposes two optimal designs of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs) minimizing dark count rate (DCR). The first structure is introduced as p+/pwell/nwell, in which a specific shallow pwell layer is added between p+ and nwell layers to decrease the electric field below a certain threshold. The simulation results show on average 19.7% and 8.5% reduction of p+/nwell structure’s DCR comparing with similar previous structures in different operational excess bias and temperatures respectively. Moreover, a new structure is introduced as

n

+

/nwell/pwell, in which a specific shallow nwell layer is added between n+ and pwell layers to lower the electric field below a certain threshold. The simulation results show on average 29.2% and 5.5% decrement of

p

+

/nwell structure’s DCR comparing with similar previous structures in different operational excess bias and temperatures respectively. It is shown that in higher excess biases (about 6 volts), the n+/nwell/pwell structure is proper to be integrated as digital silicon photomultiplier (dSiPM) due to low DCR. On the other hand, the p+/pwell/nwell structure is appropriate to be utilized in dSiPM in high temperatures (above 50 °C) due to lower DCR value.
Warehouse Layout Designing of Slab Using Dedicated Storage and Particle Swarm Optimization
Authors: Muharni Y , Kulsum  , Khoirunnisa M
Published: June 2019

Warehouse is a supporting facility and has the important role in the production system. Goods warehouse arrangement is an activity based on related/rationale reason. There are several policies in random storage, fixed or dedicated storage, and class-based storage. We conducted this study in XYZ Company which the main business is producing steel. In this research, dedicated storage and particle swarm optimization will be used in the layout design of slab raw material warehouse to obtain the best layout to minimize material handling cost. Based on the result of the research, particle swarm optimization method gives the best layout result with the least material handling cost compared to the existing layout and layout using dedicated storage method.
Graphical Analysis Springs Dampers System on the A Freight Cars
Authors: Arifianto Indrawan , Alamtaha Rahmat , Syahriar Ary , Astharini Dwi
Published: June 2019

In mechanical system where spring and damper are used often create unwanted vibration, due to external forces. Unwanted vibration may cause further noise and other damages such as engine break, etc. To reach system stability, we model of coupling series of freight car and analyze them using root loci and plot waves. From the result we can analyze what is the maximum stability by altering spring and damper constant. It is found when the spring and damper constant increase, the stability will be fast.
Two-Stage Algorithm for the Open Vehicle Routing Problem
Authors: Imran A
Published: June 2019

Open Vehicle Routing Problem (OVRP) is a problem that is often found in transportation/distribution problems. On this issue it is known that some consumers are served by several homogeneous vehicles that depart from the depot where after visiting the last consumer the vehicle does not go back to the depot as in the OVRP the vehicle is not possessed by the company. The distribution cost is calculated from the depot until delivery to the last consumer. OVRP will be solved using the 2-stage method. The first stage is the initial construction phase of the solution while the second stage is the quality improvement phase of the solution. The Nearest Neighbor and 2-Opt algorithm are applied to generate the initial solution. The second stage uses Multi-Level Algorithm. The algorithm is equipped with four local searches. The data set from the literature is used to test the algorithm.
Effect of adhesive thickness on the strength of steel-composite joints aged in wet environment
Authors: Sugiman S , Salman S , Setyawan P D , Sulardjaka S
Published: June 2019

This paper presents the effect of adhesive layer thickness on the static strength of adhesively bonded steel-glass fiber-reinforced unsaturated polyester resin (GFRP) lap joints after being aged in water at a temperature of 60°C for 15 days. The adhesive thickness was varied from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm. It was found that for the dry joints, the static strength increased with the increase of adhesive thickness. However, in wet condition, water really had a significant detrimental effect on the strength of the joints, as most of the strengths of wet joints were much lower than those of the dry joints. In dry condition, mode of failure changed from interfacial (at the adhesive thickness of 0.1 mm) to mix failure; however, for the wet joints; most of failures were at the interface of adhesive/steel.
Effect of fiber length on the mechanical properties and water absorption of bamboo fiber/polystyrene-modified unsaturated polyester composites
Authors: Sugiman S , Setyawan P D , Anshari B
Published: June 2019

The paper presents the effect of fiber length on the mechanical properties and water absorption of bamboo fiber/polystyrene-modified unsaturated polyester composites. The fiber length varied from 2.5 mm to 15 mm at the fiber volume fraction of 0.2, 0.25 and 0.3. For water absorption, the specimens were immersed in distilled water at temperature of 40°C. The results showed that for all volume fractions, the tensile, flexural, and the impact properties tended to increase with the increase of fiber length; however, there was an optimum fiber length for the tensile and flexural properties. The water uptake increased with the increase of both fiber length and volume fraction. In wet condition, for all volume fractions, the flexural properties degraded, whereas, the impact strength did not indicate degradation, even; it significantly increased for all fiber lengths.
Single stage dimethyl ether plant model based on gasification of palm empty fruit bunch
Authors: Heryadi R , Uyun A S , Yandri E , Nur S M , Abdullah K
Published: June 2019

Biomass from empty fruit bunch (EFB) is considered as potential renewable energy sources to be developed in Indonesia. EFB can be efficiently converted into valuable and useful fuel products through gasification. Gasification is a process of biomass conversion into syngas. Syngas is a raw material for most other chemical products, such as Methanol, Ammonia, and DME. One of the biomasses that has big potential to be utilized is palm EFB waste. Research about DME synthesis from various biomass has been done, though little research about DME production based on EFB gasification. The aim of this research is to simulate single stage DME Plant Model based on gasification of EFB by assuming that the gasification reaction and DME synthesis reaction are under equilibrium condition. Method encompasses step to perform simulation of the model and DME plant design. The model predicts yield of DME product in agreement with published real DME plant operation. The result shows flow rate of DME produced is 50% of EFB feed flowrate and 73% energy efficiency obtained for pre-treated EFB. Electric power requirement has been investigated at 4096 kW and can be fulfilled by DME Plant through steam generation cycle and internal combustion engine fuelled by DME product. The model developed will be used as a basis for techno-economic analysis of DME plant based on EFB gasification.
Agronomic character of several local genotypes of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor l.) at East Java
Authors: Sulistyawati  , Roeswitawati Dyah , Ibrahim Jabal Tarik , Maftuchah
Published: June 2019

Sorghum classified as an annual crop that is very easy to be cultivated but its production until now classified as lagging compared to rice, corn and other cereals. In an effort to increase the fulfillment of food needs, sorghum plants can be developed in Indonesia as an alternative to local food other than rice. The development of sorghum plants is considered capable of supporting government programs to prevent the policy of importing rice and wheat.

This study aims to determine the character of several genotypes of local sorghum East Java grown on paddy fields in Purutrejo Village, Purworejo Sub-District, Pasuruan City at an altitude of 5 m ASL with alluvial soil type. The average temperature is 29°C - 34°C with an average rainfall of 1430 mm / year. The study was conducted from June to August 2017. The experiments were arranged in a Randomized Block Design, using nine local sorghum genotypes replicated three times. Nine genotypes of local sorghum are Pasuruan, Lamongan 1, Lamongan 2, Tuban, Sampang 1, Sampang 2, Tulungagung 1, Tulungagung 2 and Jombang.

The results showed that nine characterized genotypes had various agronomic characteristics on plant height, leaf number, stem diameter, panicle length, number of seeds per panicle, seed weight per panicle and 100 seed weight.
Utilization of Cocopeat And Goat of Dirt In Marking of Solid Organic Fertilizer To Quality Macro Nutrient (NPK)
Authors: Kurniawan E , Ishak  , Suryani
Published: June 2019

Fertilizer is a material that can provide nutrients for plants. Organic fertilizers are fertilizers composed of living creatures that are processed through decomposition by decomposers, such as weathering the remains of plants, animals, and humans. The purpose of this research is to see the effect of fermentation time and influence of EM4 composition on nutrient quality in solid organic fertilizer. The results obtained based on the length of time of fermentation and Volume Efective Microorganism 4 EM4 then obtained the best results at 60 ml EM4 volume and 16th days fermentation time with 0.90% nitrogen content, 0.93% phosphorus, and potassium levels of 1.48%. The longer and more EM4 volume the more nutrients it gets.
Single cell protein production by a local Aspergillus niger in solid state fermentation using rice straw pulp as carbon source: effects of fermentation variables
Authors: Said S D , Zaki M , Asnawi T M , Novita E
Published: June 2019

In this study, solid-state fermentation was carried out to produce single cell protein by local Aspergillus niger. Rice straw pulp produced from the pretreatment by liquid hot water at temperature 121 °C for 60 minutes of cooking time was used as carbon source. The effects of nitrogen sources, initial medium pH, C/N ratios of substrates and fermentation time on SCP production were evaluated in these experiments. The single cell protein was measured as crude protein content in the fermentation product by the Kjeldahl analysis method. The maximum crude protein of 18.9 % (w/w) contained in the fermentation product occurred at the fermentation condition with C/N ratio 30:1, the initial medium pH 4, temperature 30 °C, moisture content 75 % and relative humidity 95 %.
An experimental study on thermal catalytic decomposition of inulin to 5 hydroxymethylfurfural and levulinic acid and the effect of C6 on furfural during the decomposition process
Authors: Fachri B A
Published: June 2019

The attractive biobased platform chemicals, 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and Levulinic Acid (LA), are commonly produced by the conversion of monomeric sugars. Nevertheless, a polymeric sugar such as inulin shows promising. This work reports the study on the thermal catalytic decomposition of inulin to HMF and LA. This work also investigated the effect of furfural during the process. The decomposition reactions were conducted in a batch reactor in a temperature (153-187)°C, an inulin loading (0.03- 0.12) g mL−1 and reaction times (18 -74 minutes) using a central composite experimental design. Furthermore, to study the effect of fructose and glucose on furfural, some additional experiments were also performed in the batch system. The decomposition process gained 35 wt% yield of HMF and 13 wt % yield of LA. The HMF and the LA model were statistically formulated and showed a good fit to the experimental data. The fructose particularly plays a role in furfural disappearance during the process.