bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Particle models from special Jordan backgrounds and spectral triples
Authors: Besnard F. , Farnsworth S.
Published: October 2022

We put forward a definition for spectral triples and algebraic backgrounds based on Jordan coordinate algebras. We also propose natural and gauge-invariant bosonic configuration spaces of fluctuated Dirac operators and compute them for general, almost-associative, Jordan, coordinate algebras. We emphasize that the theory so obtained is not equivalent with usual associative noncommutative geometry, even when the coordinate algebra is the self-adjoint part of a C*-algebra. In particular, in the Jordan case, the gauge fields are always unimodular, thus curing a long-standing problem in noncommutative geometry.
Long range correlation of molecular orientation and vibration in liquid CDCl3
Authors: Shelton David P.
Published: October 2022

The polarization dependence of hyper-Rayleigh second harmonic light scattering (SHS) and hyper-Raman light scattering (HRS) measured for liquid CDCl3 show the effect of long-range correlation of molecular orientation and vibration. HRS from the ν1, ν4, and ν5 vibration modes is polarized transverse to the scattering wavevector, whereas HRS from the ν2, ν3, and ν6 vibration modes and SHS from the ν0 orientation mode all show longitudinal polarization. The transverse polarized HRS is accounted for by long range vibration correlation due to dipole–dipole interaction for molecules at 20–400 nm separation. Longitudinal SHS and HRS are due to the combined effect of long range dipole–dipole orientation correlation and the increment in the molecular first hyperpolarizability induced by short range intermolecular interactions.
Machine learning-based inverse design for single-phase high entropy alloys
Authors: Zeng Yingzhi , Man Mengren , Ng Chee Koon , Wuu Delvin , Lee Jing Jun , Wei Fengxia , Wang Pei , Bai Kewu , Cheh Tan Dennis Cheng , Zhang Yong-Wei
Published: October 2022

In this work, we develop an inverse design framework to search for single-phase high entropy alloys (HEAs) subjected to specified phase targets and constraints. This framework is based on the fast grid search in the composition–temperature space, enabled by a highly accurate and efficient machine learning model trained by a huge amount of data. Using the framework, we search through the entire quaternary, quinary, and senary alloy systems, formed by Al, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Ti, to identify three types of HEAs: (1) the single-phase FCC HEA with the highest Al content; (2) the single-phase FCC HEA with lower equilibrium temperatures; and (3) single-phase BCC HEAs with Al as the principal element. For the first time, we reveal that the highest Al content in single-phase FCC HEAs is 0.15 in mole fraction, which is higher than the Al contents in all reported single-phase FCC HEAs. The identified HEAs for the quaternary, quinary, and senary groups are Al0.15Co0.34Cr0.16Ni0.35, Al0.15Co0.35Cr0.1Fe0.05Ni0.35, and Al0.15Co0.36Cr0.06Fe0.06Mn0.01Ni0.36, respectively. All the designed HEAs are verified by the equilibrium calculations with Thermo-Calc software and the TCHEA3 database. We further conduct Scheil–Gulliver calculations and experimental fabrications and characterizations for the designed HEAs, to verify the formation of the targeted phases at non-equilibrium conditions. This work demonstrates a viable approach to design HEAs with specified phase targets and constraints.
Single-orientation colloidal crystals from capillary-action-induced shear
Authors: Orr Nicholas H. P. , Yanagishima Taiki , Dolbnya Igor P. , Petukhov Andrei V. , Dullens Roel P. A.
Published: October 2022

We study the crystallization of colloidal dispersions under capillary-action-induced shear as the dispersion is drawn into flat walled capillaries. Using confocal microscopy and small angle x-ray scattering, we find that the shear near the capillary walls influences the crystallization to result in large random hexagonal close-packed (RHCP) crystals with long-range orientational order over tens of thousands of colloidal particles. We investigate the crystallization mechanism and find partial crystallization under shear, initiating with hexagonal planes at the capillary walls, where shear is highest, followed by epitaxial crystal growth from these hexagonal layers after the shear is stopped. We then characterize the three-dimensional crystal structure finding that the shear-induced crystallization leads to larger particle separations parallel to the shear and vorticity directions as compared to the equilibrium RHCP structure. Confocal microscopy reveals that competing shear directions, where the capillary walls meet at a corner, create differently oriented hexagonal planes of particles. The single-orientation RHCP colloidal crystals remain stable after formation and are produced without the need of complex shear cell arrangements.
Research on key joint and test platform of high-payload transporter for tokamak
Authors: Wang Yan , Wang Li , Zhong Chongfeng , Choi Chang-Hwan , Yao Damao , Wu Jiefeng
Published: October 2022

The high-payload transporter is a key part of the multipurpose deployer, which is important for realizing the remote handling of tokamaks. This paper presents an analysis of the key joint between the high-payload transporter and the design of the test platform. The kinematic, structural, and load characteristics of the main joints of a heavy-duty manipulator were analyzed according to the peculiarity of high precision, large length, and heavy load of the high-payload transporter. Joint No. 4 (J4) was determined to be the key joint of the high-payload transporter. The peak torque, bending moment, and shear force of J4 under working conditions and seismic conditions were determined via numerical simulations. The functions and key technical parameters of the test platform for J4 were determined according to the test analysis results and numerical simulation. The structure of the test platform was designed, and its working principle was described.
The importance of conserving crop wild relatives in preparing agriculture for climate change
Authors: Cockel Christopher P. , Guzzon Filippo , Gianella Maraeva , Müller Jonas V.
Published: October 2022

Climate change is widely acknowledged to have severe implications for global food production and therefore food security. Utilising crop wild relatives (CWR) to help build resilience in domesticated crops is seen as part of the solution assuming that important genetic traits can be transferred to domesticated crops and that the resulting improved crop varieties can be farmed on a sufficiently large scale. CWR can be exploited as a valuable source of alleles related to adaptive traits to counter abiotic and biotic stresses resulting from climate change, and to improve yield and nutrition. This review aims to critically analyse the degree to which CWR have been utilised by crop breeders and researchers and will draw conclusions about the importance of CWR in preparing agriculture for climate change. Examples for CWR-derived improved varieties of nine major crops and at different plant development stages are presented. However, working with CWR is often seen as ‘marginal’. It is problematic due to the complex processes involved and length of time needed for traditional crop breeding, shortage of funds, the limited availability of CWR germplasm, overcoming risk aversion among farmers, and a reluctance by the wider agricultural community to appreciate the scale of the problem and to embrace the potential benefits that could derive from using CWR in crop breeding. Given the observed lack of availability of CWR in accessible germplasm collections, additional resources must be directed towards ensuring CWR are protected
in situ
and conserved
ex situ
so they can be made available to researchers.
Smart Farming: A Review of Animal-Based Measuring Technologies for Broiler Welfare Assessment
Authors: Azarpajouh S. , Weimer S.L. , Calderón Díaz J.A. , Taheri H.
Published: October 2022

The growing world population has increased the demand for meat production and has led to a rapid growth in the scale of broiler enterprises globally. Poultry producers need to implement several changes in their production systems to supply the increasing demand for poultry products while considering farming sustainability and ensuring high standards of animal welfare. The recent advancement in technology and engineering tools and materials, such as advanced sensors and sensing devices, data processing, and machine learning methods, provides effective tools for the broiler industry to monitor broiler welfare indicators. This review paper will (a) explain smart broiler farming, (b) describe on-farm broiler welfare assessment, and (c) explore on-farm applications of smart technologies that can be used as animal-based welfare assessment tools.
Review of natural sugar substitutes and comparing their potential impacts on obesity issue
Authors: Li Jiao , Chen Taiyan , Zeng Yan , Yang Jiangang , Men Yan , Sun Yuanxia
Published: October 2022

The excessive dietary consumption of sugars is currently one of the key factors that have been associated with the development of the global obesity pandemic. To avoid high sugar intake, alternative sweeteners are of increasing interest and play an important role in food and beverage industry. Among sweeteners, natural sugar substitutes, which possess low/no calorie or intense sweetness, and various biological activities, provide ideal alternatives to caloric sugars such as sucrose and high fructose corn syrup. Therefore, this review focuses on several representative natural sweeteners: low-calorie carbohydrates (e.g., erythritol,
l
-arabinose,
d
-allulose, and
d
-tagatose) and high-potency sweet-tasting compounds (e.g., steviol glycosides, mogrosides, glycyrrhizin, and thaumatin). A comprehensive review of sugar substitutes is presented, including their characteristics and practical applications as well as a discussion on their effect on the obesity issue and emerging technologies that offer an alternative biosynthesis pathway to the traditional extraction method.
Deep reinforcement learning and its applications in medical imaging and radiation therapy: a survey
Authors: Xu Lanyu , Zhu Simeng , Wen Ning
Published: October 2022

Reinforcement learning takes sequential decision-making approaches by learning the policy through trial and error based on interaction with the environment. Combining deep learning and reinforcement learning can empower the agent to learn the interactions and the distribution of rewards from state-action pairs to achieve effective and efficient solutions in more complex and dynamic environments. Deep reinforcement learning (DRL) has demonstrated astonishing performance in surpassing the human-level performance in the game domain and many other simulated environments. This paper introduces the basics of reinforcement learning and reviews various categories of DRL algorithms and DRL models developed for medical image analysis and radiation treatment planning optimization. We will also discuss the current challenges of DRL and approaches proposed to make DRL more generalizable and robust in a real-world environment. DRL algorithms, by fostering the designs of the reward function, agents interactions and environment models, can resolve the challenges from scarce and heterogeneous annotated medical image data, which has been a major obstacle to implementing deep learning models in the clinic. DRL is an active research area with enormous potential to improve deep learning applications in medical imaging and radiation therapy planning.
On the nature of droplet production in DC glows with a liquid anode: mechanisms and potential applications
Authors: Yang Zimu , Kovach Yao , Wang Zhehui , Foster John
Published: October 2022

The interactions between plasma and liquid solutions give rise to the formation of chemically reactive species useful for many applications, but the mass transport in the interfacial region is usually limited and not fully understood. In this work, we report on the observation and explanation of droplet ejection at the plasma–liquid interface of a one-atmosphere glow discharge with the liquid anode. The impact of droplets emission on plasma properties is also analyzed by spectroscopy. The process, which is an efficient mass and charge transport mechanism, apparently occurs during discharge operation and thus constitutes a feedback vehicle between the discharge and the liquid. Distinctive from the well-known Talyor cone droplets associated with liquid cathodes, the observed droplets originate from the bubbles due to electrolysis and solvated air which does not require strong electric field at liquid surface. Instead, the droplets are ejected by bubble cavity rupture at the plasma–liquid interface and their size, initial speed are strongly dependent on the gravity, inertia and capillarity. The droplets emerge near the plasma attachment and are subsequently vaporized, emitting intense UV and visible light, which originated from excited OH radicals and sodium derived from the liquid electrolyte. Spectroscopy analysis confirmed that the bursting droplets generally reduce the gas temperature while their effects on electron density depend on the composition of the liquid anode. Results also show that droplets from NaCl solution increase the plasma electron density due to the lower ionization potential of sodium. These findings reveal a new mechanism for discharge maintenance and mass transport as well as suggest a simple approach to dispersing plasma-activated liquid into the gas phase and thus enhancing plasma–liquid interaction.
Chemical composition of gaseous products generated by coplanar barrier discharge in air and N2/O2 mixtures
Authors: Trunec D , Navrátil Z , Tomeková J , Mazánková V , Ďurčányová S , Zahoranová A
Published: October 2022

Absolute densities of gaseous products generated by coplanar dielectric barrier discharge in N2/O2 mixtures and in ambient air were determined using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. A theoretical model containing up to four molecular absorption cross sections was used to split the peaks overlapping in the FTIR spectra. The product densities were determined for a wide range of applied input powers (100–400 W). Ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (N2O, NO, NO2 and N2O5) were identified as the stable products of the discharge in N2/O2 mixtures, HNO2, HNO3 and CO2 were steadily present in the gas coming from the discharge in ambient air. It was found that the actual product composition strongly depends on the gas temperature. At low input power with the low gas temperature, O3 density was high and the NO and NO2 densities were very low. At a specific input power (and the gas temperature) O3 disappeared, while NO density started to increase gradually and NO2 density increased steeply. N2O5 density increased at low input power but decreased suddenly at the same temperature when O3 density decreased. The influence of the gas temperature on the discharge product composition was also confirmed by the 0D chemical kinetic model and by temperature measurement. The maximal ozone density reached approximately 2.7 × 1023 m−3 for the input power below 150 W and the gas mixture N2:O2 40:60. Density of 2.6 × 1022 m−3 was obtained for NO2 in the same gas mixture above 250 W.
Unsupervised learning of Rydberg atom array phase diagram with Siamese neural networks
Authors: Patel Zakaria , Merali Ejaaz , Wetzel Sebastian J
Published: October 2022

We introduce an unsupervised machine learning method based on Siamese neural networks (SNNs) to detect phase boundaries. This method is applied to Monte-Carlo simulations of Ising-type systems and Rydberg atom arrays. In both cases the SNN reveals phase boundaries consistent with prior research. The combination of leveraging the power of feed-forward neural networks, unsupervised learning and the ability to learn about multiple phases without knowing about their existence provides a powerful method to explore new and unknown phases of matter.
Effect of A-site Gd3+ substitution on structural, optical and electrical properties of La2−xGdxCrMnO6 double perovskites
Authors: Khan Jamshaid Alam , Ahmad Javed , Bukhari Syed Hamad , Nissar Umair
Published: October 2022

Nanocrystalline new double perovskites La2-xGdxCrMnO6 (x = 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0) have been prepared by employing auto-combustion sol-gel method. Herein, we investigate the influence of Gd3+ on structural, optical and transport properties of La2CrMnO6. The Rietveld refinement reveals that the said materials crystallize in orthorhombic structure with Pbnm space group symmetry. The vibrational phonon modes have been examined using the infrared reflectance technique and were fitted using the Lorentz oscillator model. The spectra contain various IR active phonon modes. The position and width of these modes were determined and correlated with ionic substitution at the A-site. The optical conductivity shows the semiconducting nature of the series. The Raman spectra with active modes were also studied in connection with substitution. The optical bandgap varies from (1.62–1.67 eV) which has been estimated from diffuse reflectance spectra and found to increase with substitution whereas the Urbach energy decreases with increasing Gd3+ content. A significant change has been observed in resistive response and the resistivity vary from

1.8

*

10

5

Ω
−
cm

to

(
3.5

*

10

3

Ω
−
cm
)
.

The crossover behaviour at ∼

400
K

from variable range hopping to small polaron hopping has been observed.
Molecular dynamics simulations of Mo nanoparticles sputtering under irradiation
Authors: Panetier C , Ruiz-Moreno A , Rossi F , Roubille T , Zerovnik G , Plompen A , Moncoffre N , Pipon Y
Published: October 2022

99Mo is an essential isotope in nuclear medicine, but the nuclear reactors used for their production reaching their end of life, problems of supply arise and new methods of production need to be considered. Here we study the possibility of using gamma and neutron irradiation of Mo nanoparticles (NPs) in suspension and use the separation of the isotopes escaping the nanoparticle by primary recoil to evaluate the efficiency of the process for 99Mo production. Molecular Dynamics simulations with empirical potential of Ackland and Thetford were used to obtain information about the 99Mo escape yield from the NPs and the resulting sputtering depending on NPs sizes and recoil energy. Results show that the best yield is obtained for 5 nm NPs irradiated with gamma particles. These results are used to guide accelerator irradiation experiments led in parallel in order to evaluate the possibility of using accelerators instead of nuclear reactors for the production of 99Mo.
Novel biosensors based on Weyl semimetals
Authors: Oskoui Abdol Somayeh , Abdollahipour Babak
Published: October 2022

We introduce two novel optical biosensors based on the combination of a Weyl semimetal and a finite one-dimensional photonic crystal to diagnose different analytes such as Jurkat cancer cells. Weyl semimetals are new emerging topological materials recently purposed for employment in optical devices due to their intriguing properties. We demonstrate that hybrid Tamm and surface plasmon polaritons can be excited in these structures under the circumstance of attenuated total reflection. In particular, we find that adjusting parameters of the first biosensor to excite Tamm plasmon polaritons leads to higher sensing performance, while in the second biosensor excitation of the surface plasmon polaritons provides higher functionality of this biosensor. According to our results, biosensors based on the Weyl semimetals can be used for sensitive and accurate recognition of different analytes, and they may form a new platform for high-performance biosensors.
Low redshift calibration of the Amati relation using galaxy clusters
Authors: Govindaraj Gowri , Desai Shantanu
Published: October 2022

In this work, we use the angular diameter distances of 38 galaxy clusters with joint X-ray/SZE observation to circumvent the circularity problem in the Amati relation for Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs). Assuming the validity of cosmic-distance duality relation, we obtain the luminosity distance from the cluster angular diameter distance and use that to calculate the isotropic equivalent energy of two different GRB datasets, after restricting the GRB redshift range toz< 0.9. We then use these GRB datasets to test the Amati relation at the low redshifts using the galaxy cluster distances. Our best-fit Amati relation parameters are consistent with a previous estimate for the same dataset. The intrinsic scatter which we obtain for the two datasets is about 45% and 15%, and is comparable with that found by other distance anchors used to study the Amati relation.
Consistency test of the fine-structure constant from the whole ionization history
Authors: Wang Ke , Chen Lu
Published: October 2022

In cosmology, the fine-structure constant can affect the whole ionization history. However, the previous works confine themselves to the recombination epoch and give various strong constraints on the fine-structure constant. In this paper, we also take the reionization epoch into consideration and do a consistency test of the fine-structure constant from the whole ionization history.
From the data combination of Planck 2018, BAO data, SNIa samples, SFR density from UV and IR measurements, and the Q
HII constraints, we find the constraint on the fine-structure constant during the recombination epoch is α
rec/α
EM = 1.001494+0.002041
-0.002063 and its counterpart during the reionization epoch is α
rei/α
EM = 0.854034+0.031678
0.027209 at 68% C.L.. They are not consistent with each other by 4.64σ.
A conservative explanation for such a discrepancy is that there are some issues in the data we used.
We prefer a calibration of some important parameters involved in reconstructing the reionization history.
Statefinder analysis of scale-dependent cosmology
Authors: Alvarez Pedro D. , Koch Benjamin , Laporte Cristobal , Canales Felipe , Rincón Ángel
Published: October 2022

We study the statefinder parameters of a cosmological model based on scale-dependent gravity. The effective Einstein field equations come from an average effective action. From the dynamical system, we derive analytical expressions that improve the convergence of the numerical solutions. We determine the statefinder parameters for moderate redshift and compare them with well-known alternatives to ΛCDM.
Infrared LiF ridge waveguide fabricated by carbon ion irradiation
Authors: Cheng Yazhou , Song Hongxiao , Li Shuhui
Published: October 2022

We report on the fabrication of an optical ridge waveguide in lithium fluoride crystal using the method of C5+ ion irradiation with precise diamond blade dicing. The guiding properties of the waveguide at the infrared wavelengths of 1064 nm, 2200 nm and 4000 nm are investigated in detail. All the near-field modal profiles exhibit single-mode guidance and the minimum propagation losses of the ridge waveguide after annealing are reduced to 0.7 dB cm−1 (λ = 1064 nm), 0.4 dB cm−1 (λ = 2200 nm) and 0.2 dB cm−1 (λ = 4000 nm), respectively. The Raman spectroscopy of the waveguide shows that the ion irradiation does not obviously change the lattice structure of the crystal.
Quantifying visual acuity for pre-clinical testing of visual prostheses
Authors: Spencer Martin , Kameneva Tatiana , Grayden David B , Burkitt Anthony N , Meffin Hamish
Published: October 2022

Objective. Visual prostheses currently restore only limited vision. More research and pre-clinical work are required to improve the devices and stimulation strategies that are used to induce neural activity that results in visual perception. Evaluation of candidate strategies and devices requires an objective way to convert measured and modelled patterns of neural activity into a quantitative measure of visual acuity. Approach. This study presents an approach that compares evoked patterns of neural activation with target and reference patterns. A d-prime measure of discriminability determines whether the evoked neural activation pattern is sufficient to discriminate between the target and reference patterns and thus provides a quantified level of visual perception in the clinical Snellen and MAR scales. The magnitude of the resulting value was demonstrated using scaled standardized ‘C’ and ‘E’ optotypes. Main results. The approach was used to assess the visual acuity provided by two alternative stimulation strategies applied to simulated retinal implants with different electrode pitch configurations and differently sized spreads of neural activity. It was found that when there is substantial overlap in neural activity generated by different electrodes, an estimate of acuity based only upon electrode pitch is incorrect; our proposed method gives an accurate result in both circumstances. Significance. Quantification of visual acuity using this approach in pre-clinical development will allow for more rapid and accurate prototyping of improved devices and neural stimulation strategies.
Approximation of average run length on extended EWMA control chart for autoregressive process with explanatory variables using numerical integral equation method
Authors: Muangngam T , Areepong Y , Sukparungsee S
Published: October 2022

The objective of this research is to study numerical integral equation method (NIE) using five quadrature rules namely, composite midpoint rule, composite trapezoidal rule, composite Simpson’s rule, composite Boole’s rule and Gauss-Legendre rule for approximating the average run length on extended exponentially weighted moving average (extended EWMA) control chart for autoregressive process with explanatory variables when white noise follows an exponential distribution. Furthermore, the comparison on performance of classical EWMA and extended EWMA control chart had been conducted. The results show that extended EWMA control chart can detect changes quicklier than EWMA control chart for all conditions.
Measurements of thermal fields in view of heat losses determination in the smart building
Authors: Krawczyk Natalia , Dębska Luiza , Starzomska Mariola
Published: October 2022

Smart (also called “intelligent”) buildings become more and more common in the world due to higher levels of comfort, which they offer. They are more expensive to build than transitional facilities, because of more advanced systems of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, lighting, BMS and etc. as well as typically higher requirements regarding their construction. The present paper is focused on the assessment of thermal insulation of the smart building “Energis” of Kielce University of Technology (Poland) using an infrared camera. The study has been performed both from the outside and the inside of the building and thermographic images have been obtained and analysed in detail. The measurements have been performed on the winter day, when the temperature difference between the outside and inside air was about 20K. The infrared images enabled to determine the performance of the thermal insulation, mostly of the walls – especially in the areas of joining various elements with each other. The study provides valuable information on the heat losses analysis in the smart buildings.
Progress in Laser Surface Modification Technology of Titanium Alloy
Authors: Di Jing , Yao Jiani , Li Meng , Zhou Shuo , Wen Yuxian , Sun Haobin , Zhang Hua , Li Changye , Zhao Chengliang , Si Shouji , Yao Haibin , Yu Huijun , Chen Chuanzhong
Published: October 2022

Titanium alloys have limited application in friction and wear environments due to their low surface hardness and poor wear resistance. By preparing a coating that improves wear resistance and high temperature oxidation resistance on the surface of the titanium alloy, the wear and corrosion resistance of the titanium alloy can be significantly enhanced, thereby greatly broadening its application fields and reducing production costs. Starting from the process, this paper systematically explained the current research status of surface laser modification technology at home and abroad, discussed the existing problems and corresponding solutions, and predicted the future development trend of the technology.
Design and operation of the PandaX-4T high speed ultra-high purity xenon recuperation system
Authors: Wang Zhou , Ma Wenbo , Zhang Tao , Zhao Li , Li Shuaijie , Cui Xiangyi , Liu Jianglai , Fu Changbo , Ju Yonglin , Lin Qing , Chen Xiaohua , Wang Xiuli
Published: October 2022

In order to recuperate the ultra-high purity xenon from
PandaX-4T dark matter detector to high-pressure gas cylinders in
emergency or at the end-of-run situation, a high speed ultra-high
purity xenon recuperation system is designed and developed. This
system includes a diaphragm pump, the heat management system, the
main recuperation pipeline, the reflux pipeline, the auxiliary
recuperation pipeline and the automatic control system. The liquid
xenon in the detector is vaporized by the heat management system,
and the gaseous xenon is compressed to 6 MPa at the flow rate of
200 standard litres per minute (SLPM) using the diaphragm
compressor. The high-pressure xenon is filled into 128 gas cylinders
via the main recuperation pipeline. During the recuperation, the low
pressure and temperature conditions of 2 ∼ 3 atmospheres and
178 ∼ 186.5 K in PandaX-4T dark matter detector are kept by
the cooperation of the main recuperation pipeline, reflux pipeline
and the auxiliary recuperation pipeline to guarantee the safety, and
the purity of the recuperated xenon gas is measured to ensure no
contamination happened. The development of the high speed ultra-high
purity xenon recuperation system is important for the operation of
large-scale dark matter detectors with the requirements of strict
temperature and pressure environment and low background.
Investigations of an organic–inorganic nanotheranostic hybrid for pancreatic cancer therapy using cancer-in-a-dish and in vivo models
Authors: David Karolyn Infanta , Ravikumar T S , Sethuraman Swaminathan , Krishnan Uma Maheswari
Published: October 2022

The incidence of highly aggressive pancreatic cancer is increasing across the globe and is projected to increase to 18.6% by 2050. The mortality rate for this form of cancer is very high and the 5 y relative survival rate is only about 9%–10%. The 3D pancreatic cancer microenvironment exerts a major influence on the poor survival rate. A key factor is the prevention of the penetration of the chemotherapeutic drugs in the three-dimensional (3D) microenvironment leading to the development of chemoresistance which is a major contributor to the survival rates. Hence, in vitro studies using 3D cultures represent a better approach to understand the effect of therapeutic formulations on the cancer cells when compared to conventional 2D cultures. In the present study, we have explored three different conditions for the development of a 3D pancreatic tumour spheroid model from MiaPaCa-2 and PanC1 cells cultured for 10 days using Matrigel matrix. This optimized spheroid model was employed to evaluate a multi-functional nanotheranostic system fabricated using chitosan nanoparticles co-encapsulated with the chemotherapeutic agent gemcitabine and gold-capped iron oxide nanoparticles for multimodal imaging. The effect of the single and multiple-dose regimens of the theranostic system on the viability of 3D spheroids formed from the two pancreatic cancer cell lines was studied. It was observed that the 3D tumour spheroids cultured for 10 days exhibited resistance towards free gemcitabine drug, unlike the 2D culture. The administration of the multifunctional nanotheranostic system on alternate days effectively reduced the cancer cell viability after five doses to about 20% when compared with other groups. The repeated doses of the nanotheranostic system were found to be more effective than the single dose. Cell line-based differences in internalization of the carrier was also reflected in their response to the nanocarrier with PanC1 showing better sensitivity to the treatment. In vivo studies revealed that the combination of gemcitabine and magnetic field induced hypothermia produced superior regression in cancer when compared with the chemotherapeutic agent alone by a combination of activating the pro-apoptotic pathway and heat-induced necrosis. Our results reveal that this multi-functional system holds promise to overcome the current challenges to treat pancreatic cancers.
Analysis of different buffer layers on CuO based solar cells using SCAPS-1D
Authors: Mishra Varun , Tiwari Chandni , Chauhan Rahul
Published: October 2022

We have used SCAPS-1D to do simulations on CuO based solar cells using ZnO, TiO2, CdS and ZnSe as buffer layers. The solar cell characteristics are analysed by varying different material properties. The CuO/ZnO based solar cell showed highest efficiency ~20%. The interface defect however impacts the efficiency of this solar cell significantly. The interface defect and buffer layer thickness has shown little impact on the TiO2 and ZnSe buffer layer based solar cell. Further, we have optimized the impact of absorber layer thickness, carrier concentration and absorber defect as well. The effect of buffer layer thickness and electron affinity has also been investigated. Further, we have tried to understand the effect of temperature on the performance of these solar cells. The increase in temperature has resulted in decreased efficiency attributing to increased recombination rate.
Review on Recycling of Microplastics in Cigarette Butts
Authors: George Mary , Khadtar Rupali
Published: October 2022

It’s a lesser-known fact that the cigarette filter is made of cellulose acetate, a kind of non-biodegradable plastic and it takes almost 10 years for this ingredient to completely decompose. Cigarette smoking is on the rise throughout the world. Ever since tobacco smoking began there are both opponents and proponents for the same. Instead of getting into a discussion as to whether one should smoke or not; would like to focus on cigarette butts which a micro plastic that is harmful to the environment and needs to be disposed of in an appropriate manner to conserve the environment and human health. As the trend is today, cigarette smoking is on the increase. And in light of this event recycling cigarette butts give rise to a sustainable material.

This paper will cover how cigarette butts can be collected and recycled to tackle the unfriendly and unsightly remains of cigarettes after smoking.
Performance Evaluation of Water Treatment Plant of Kekri, Rajasthan, India
Authors: Sinsinwar R S , Verma M
Published: October 2022

Drinking water is a sole element of human life. The rapidly growing population is adding to the excessive demand for water. Increasing demand for drinking water is rising the over-exploitation of water. Raw water sources require water treatment with a high production capacity of treatment. Present research provides a case study of the water treatment plant of Kekri, Rajasthan, India. In these two water treatment plants water purification efficiency is good as compared to conventional water treatment plants. Adding poly aluminum Chloride as a coagulant increases water treatment efficiency. Many parts of the water treatment plant add coagulation-flocculation, filtration, and disinfection by using poly aluminum chloride. Two water treatment plants with the capacity of 142 MLD and 132 MLD are having the net purifying capacity to remove the turbidity and Color. In this research, it has been found that turbidity removal of 142 MLD and 132 MLD WTP was found about 83.4 and 74.1% respectively. Total dissolved solid of surface reservoir Bisalpur dam found within acceptable limits. Total dissolved solids in Bisalpur dam surface water such as Chloride, Fluoride, and Nitrates were found of 60 mg/l, 0.3 mg/l, and 2 mg/l respectively. The pH value of surface water was found of 7.90 and remains almost constant with the seasonal variation impact. Turbidity and color reduction were found within the acceptable limit according to Indian standard 10500-2012.
An Investigation of Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) affecting the health of occupants in Western Maharashtra, India.
Authors: Pawar Amol , Agarwal Anil , Rajput Babalu , Kore Sudarshan
Published: October 2022

This paper highlights the problems caused due to lack of planning in designing the building envelope for a building. In recent years, as construction technology advances, designers are focusing on decreasing the weight of buildings for high-rise constructions. Also, the trends in the market are to plan buildings with extensive use of mechanical ventilation systems. So, in this regard, a study was done to find out the symptoms that are found in such types of buildings by restoring to more mechanical ventilation. It is a structured questionnaire-based study to discover the common symptoms of sick building syndrome (SBS). The locations which we chose for the survey included mixed environments like Dry climate, humid climate, hot climate, etc. Regions such as Karad, Kolhapur, and Vita had dry climates, while areas like Lonavala, Mumbai, and Airoli, had humid climates. Commonly found symptoms affected by the occupants were headaches, difficulty breathing, and concentration. The most significant factors are dust, glare, and light. Also, complaints of hay fever were given by the occupants. Headache, Difficulties in concentration, fatigue and cough are the prominent factors observed in the three months by the occupants. So it can be concluded that the mechanical ventilation should be aided with good recovery of the natural air inflow. Also, location-wise climatic conditions should be considered when planning the ventilation systems.
Quality Assessment of Composts from different Organic sources
Authors: Parihar Parveen , Choudhary Rakesh
Published: October 2022

Currently, environmental pollution is a global issue that is directly or indirectly related to human activities. Uses of chemical fertilizer also cause long-term environmental pollution. Concerning this, the composting technique for the management of organic waste is a good deal. This method or technique is better than chemical fertilizers as it is eco-friendly and environmentally friendly. The use of compost depends on its different quality parameters. The presented study shows the comparative analysis of three types of compost which were prepared by windrow type of composting. Composts were differentiated based on their organic matter source. Analysis of compost quality was done based on their macronutrient – Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium and the physical composition of compost. The result shows that all three types of composts match the quality standard of the Indian Fertilizer Control Order-1985. Compost from vegetable waste contains more nutrients as compared to others. All three were very less different in their nutrient composition. By comparing the composting time duration fruit waste is converted into compost earlier than others. This shows that vegetable waste gives high-quality compost that can be used as organic fertilizer. Fruits and farm waste are also useful but vegetable wastes give better quality compost concerning macronutrients.
Phase and structural investigations of the content of natural radionuclides in rock and inorganic building materials
Authors: Serafimova Ekaterina , Petkova Vilma , Kaljuvee Tiit
Published: October 2022

The population living in areas rich in granites, minerals and soils with high concentrations of natural radionuclides is exposed to higher external radiation. Significant part of a person's time resides in buildings where he lives and works. The walls, floors and roofs of the buildings shield (weaken) the external gamma background. The aim of the work is to determine the content of natural radionuclides in rock and inorganic materials used as building materials of samples taken from different buildings in Southern Bulgaria by analysing the samples and measuring their natural radioactivity, then to compare the results with the maximum concentrations of activity in common building materials. also used in the EU.

The data obtained from the analyzes do not give grounds to expect the generation of radionuclides from natural and conventional inorganic building materials used in the studied areas.
Self-propagating fabrication of SiO
x
@rGO film with superior cycling stability and rate performance as anode for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Liu Zhenqiang , Tian Xue , Zhu Qizhen , Xu Bin
Published: October 2022

With high theoretical capacity and suitable operating potential, SiO
x
is regarded as one of the most promising anode materials for high-energy density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but it suffers from large volume change during charge/discharge and low electronic conductivity, leading to poor cycling stability and rate capability. To overcome these problems, a SiO
x
@ reduced graphene oxide (rGO) film with porous structure is prepared through vacuum filtration and self-propagation reduction method, which can be directly used as a free-standing anode for LIBs. The self-propagation process of graphene oxide to graphene can be completed rapidly within 1 s, and endows the film with developed pores due to the instantaneous release of substantial gases. The porous structure is beneficial for exposing massive active sites, facilitating fast ion transport and buffering the volume change of the SiO
x
during charge/discharge. Moreover, the rGO sheets construct a conductive framework for rapid electron transfer in the film. As a result, the SiO
x
@rGO film exhibits high lithium storage capacity (1189.7 mAh g−1 at 0.1 A g−1), excellent cycling stability (81.1% capacity retention after 100 cycles) and good rate capability (349.2 mAh g−1 at 3.2 A g−1). This study not only provides a high-performance film anode material for LIBs, but also develops a simple and efficient method for constructing porous film electrodes for various energy storage devices.
The random first-order transition theory of active glass in the high-activity regime
Authors: Mandal Rituparno , Nandi Saroj Kumar , Dasgupta Chandan , Sollich Peter , Gov Nir S
Published: October 2022

Dense active matter, in the fluid or amorphous-solid form, has generated intense interest as a model for the dynamics inside living cells and multicellular systems. An extension of the random first-order transition theory (RFOT) to include activity was developed, whereby the activity of the individual particles was added to the free energy of the system in the form of the potential energy of an active particle, trapped by a harmonic potential that describes the effective confinement by the surrounding medium. This active-RFOT model was shown to successfully account for the dependence of the structural relaxation time in the active glass, extracted from simulations, as a function of the activity parameters: the magnitude of the active force (f
0) and its persistence time (τ

p
). However, significant deviations were found in the limit of large activity (large f
0 and/or τ

p
). Here we extend the active-RFOT model to high activity using an activity-dependent harmonic confining potential, which we solve self-consistently. The extended model predicts qualitative changes in the high activity regime, which agree with the results of simulations in both three-dimensional and two-dimensional models of active glass.
Sustainable biodiesel from flex-mix feedstock and its combustion in a VCR-CRDI engine with variable exhaust gas recirculation and injection pressure
Authors: Sharma Vikas , Hossain Abul K , Duraisamy Ganesh , Thomas Justin Jacob
Published: October 2022

Biodiesel produced from single feedstocks has many challenges due to variations in the oil properties. The flex-mix approach is a long-term solution for turning mixed feedstock into high-quality biodiesels. In this investigation, a pre-mixed used cooking oil and animal fat (pig fat) mixture (from 20% to 80%) was transesterified to produce flex-mix methyl ester (FMME). The FMME fuel characteristics were tested and compared to biodiesel standards. Generally, biodiesel emits higher oxides of nitrogen (NO
x
) gas due to the presence of highly unsaturated compounds and oxygen. The present study aims to address this issue by adopting the flex-mix approach in combination with fuel injection strategies (400, 500 and 600 bar), exhaust gas recirculation (EGR 10%, 20% and 30%) and variable compression ratio (CR 17.5:1, 20:1 and 22:1). At a CR of 22 and an injection pressure (P
inj) of 600 bar, the FMME fuel without EGR shows a minimum reduction in brake thermal efficiency of 0.15% when compared to diesel. Nitric oxide gas emissions decreased by nearly 50% for all P
inj and EGR values, but they rose when the compression ratio was increased to 20 and 22. Smoke and hydrocarbon emissions also increased with the exhaust gas proportion. The engine performance with FMME fuel was found to be equivalent to that with fossil diesel fuel. According to the findings, the flex-mix approach could be a long-term alternative to producing renewable fuel for off-road diesel engine application.
A Translanguaging Perspective on Teacher Contingency in Hong Kong English Medium Instruction History Classrooms
Authors: Tai Kevin W H
Published: October 2022

A growing number of studies have explored the ways how teachers contingently respond to students’ unexpected responses or a lack of student responses in second language classrooms. From a sociocultural perspective, teacher contingency involves a departure from the lesson plan in local response to the unexpected or unforeseeable actions in the classroom interactions (van Lier, 2001). This study adopts translanguaging as an analytical perspective in order to examine how a teacher employs various resources to contingently respond to students’ initiatives and reformulate his utterances in order to prompt student participation. The data are based on a larger linguistic ethnographic project in a Hong Kong English-Medium-Instruction secondary history classroom. This paper reconceptualizes the notion of teacher contingency and argues that the process of how the teacher contingently responds to the unexpected outcomes that arise in real-time interactions is a process of translanguaging. Such a process requires the teacher in orchestrating the available linguistic and multimodal resources to construct pedagogical actions on the spot, instead of being planned in advance.
A novel pipeline for computerized mouse spermatogenesis staging
Authors: Lu Haoda , Zang Min , Marini Gabriel Pik Liang , Wang Xiangxue , Jiao Yiping , Ao Nianfei , Ong Kokhaur , Huo Xinmi , Li Longjie , Xu Eugene Yujun , Goh Wilson Wen Bin , Yu Weimiao , Xu Jun
Published: October 2022

Motivation

Differentiating 12 stages of the mouse seminiferous epithelial cycle is vital towards understanding the dynamic spermatogenesis process. However, it is challenging since two adjacent spermatogenic stages are morphologically similar. Distinguishing Stages I–III from Stages IV–V is important for histologists to understand sperm development in wildtype mice and spermatogenic defects in infertile mice. To achieve this, we propose a novel pipeline for computerized spermatogenesis staging (CSS).

Results

The CSS pipeline comprises four parts: (i) A seminiferous tubule segmentation model is developed to extract every single tubule; (ii) A multi-scale learning (MSL) model is developed to integrate local and global information of a seminiferous tubule to distinguish Stages I–V from Stages VI–XII; (iii) a multi-task learning (MTL) model is developed to segment the multiple testicular cells for Stages I–V without an exhaustive requirement for manual annotation; (iv) A set of 204D image-derived features is developed to discriminate Stages I–III from Stages IV–V by capturing cell-level and image-level representation. Experimental results suggest that the proposed MSL and MTL models outperform classic single-scale and single-task models when manual annotation is limited. In addition, the proposed image-derived features are discriminative between Stages I–III and Stages IV–V. In conclusion, the CSS pipeline can not only provide histologists with a solution to facilitate quantitative analysis for spermatogenesis stage identification but also help them to uncover novel computerized image-derived biomarkers.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/jydada/CSS.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.