bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Risk Factors for Measles Nonimmunity in Rubella-Immune Pregnant Patients
Authors: Kassir Elias , Holliman Kerry , Negi Masaru , Duong Hai-Lang , Tandel Megha D. , Kwan Lorna , Lee Gwendolyn , Silverman Neil S. , Rao Rashmi R. , Han Christina S.
Published: March 2022

Objective Measles immunity testing, unlike that for rubella, is not currently part of prenatal screening even though immunity to both is conferred by the measles–mumps–rubella (MMR) vaccine. Although endemic transmission of measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2001, outbreaks have continued to occur. Given the risks associated with measles infection during pregnancy, we sought to identify risk factors for measles nonimmunity (MNI) in rubella-immune (RI) pregnant individuals.

Methods We performed a retrospective observational cross-sectional study of patients receiving prenatal care and delivering at two university hospitals and a county hospital in Southern California from April 1, 2019 to February 1, 2021. Inclusion criteria were pregnant individuals ≥18 years old who had serological testing for rubella and measles during pregnancy. Demographic data were extracted from electronic medical records, including results of serological testing and chronic medical conditions. All subjects were rubella immune, and we compared measles-immune (MI) with MNI groups.

Results In total, 1,813 RI individuals were identified, with 1,467 (81%) MI and 346 (19%) MNI individuals. Variables associated with an increased risk of MNI included having public health insurance (adjusted relative risk [aRR]: 1.56; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.24, 1.97) and Hispanic ethnicity (aRR: 1.37; 95% CI: 1.06, 1.78). Black race was associated with a decreased risk of MNI (aRR: 0.52; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.91). Birth year before 1989 demonstrated a trend toward increased risk of MNI, but this did not reach statistical significance (aRR 1.23; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.52). No differences were seen between the two groups for medical comorbidities.

Conclusion Our study is the first to demonstrate risk factors for measles MNI in patients with documented rubella immunity. In the absence of universal measles serological screening recommendations, the risk factors identified could help guide clinicians in selective screening for those at risk of needing postpartum MMR vaccination.

Key Points
Global processes of anthropogenesis characterise the early Anthropocene in the Japanese Islands
Authors: Hudson Mark , Uchiyama Junzō , Lindström Kati , Kawashima Takamune , Reader Ian , Kawashima Tinka Delakorda , Martin Danièle , Gillam J. Christoper , Gilaizeau Linda , Bausch Ilona R. , Hoover Kara C.
Published: March 2022

Although many scholars date the onset of the Anthropocene to the Industrial Revolution or the post-1945 ‘Great Acceleration’, there is growing interest in understanding earlier human impacts on the earth system. Research on the ‘Palaeoanthropocene’ has investigated the role of fire, agriculture, trade, urbanisation and other anthropogenic impacts. While there is increasing consensus that such impacts were more important than previously realised, geographical variation during the Palaeoanthropocene remains poorly understood. Here, we present a preliminary comparative analysis of claims that pre-industrial anthropogenic impacts in Japan were significantly reduced by four factors: the late arrival of agriculture, an emphasis on wet-rice farming limited to alluvial plains, a reliance on seafood rather than domesticated animals as a primary source of dietary protein, and cultural ideologies of environmental stewardship. We find that none of these claims of Japanese exceptionalism can be supported by the archaeological and historical records. We make some suggestions for further research but conclude that the Japanese sequence appears consistent with global trends towards increased anthropogenic impacts over the course of the Palaeoanthropocene.
Spectrum evolution and chirping of laser-induced spin wave packets in thin iron films
Authors: Filatov Ia. A. , Gerevenkov P. I. , Wang M. , Rushforth A. W. , Kalashnikova A. M. , Khokhlov N. E.
Published: March 2022

We present an experimental study of ultrafast optical excitation of magnetostatic surface spin wave (MSSW) packets and their spectral properties in thin films of pure iron. As the packets leave the excitation area and propagate in space, their spectra evolve non-trivially. Particularly, low or high frequency components are suppressed at the border of the excitation area depending on the orientation of the external magnetic field with respect to the magnetocrystalline anisotropy axes of the film. The effect is ascribed to the ultrafast local heating of the film. Furthermore, the time resolution of the implemented all-optical technique allows us to extract the chirp of the MSSW packet in the time domain via wavelet analysis. The chirp is a result of the group velocity dispersion of the MSSW and, thus, is controlled by the film's magnetic parameters, magnetization and anisotropy, and external field orientation. The demonstrated tunable modulation of MSSW wave packets with femtosecond laser pulses may find application in future magnonic-photonic hybrid devices for wave-based data processing.
Thermal characterization of direct wafer bonded Si-on-SiC
Authors: Field Daniel E. , Pomeroy James W. , Gity Farzan , Schmidt Michael , Torchia Pasqualino , Li Fan , Gammon Peter M. , Shah Vishal A. , Kuball Martin
Published: March 2022

Direct bonded Si-on-SiC is an interesting alternative to silicon-on-insulator (SOI) for improved thermal management in power conversion and radio frequency applications in space. We have used transient thermoreflectance and finite element simulations to characterize the thermal properties of direct bonded Si-on-4H–SiC samples, utilizing a hydrophobic and hydrophilic bonding process. In both instances, the interface has good thermal properties resulting in TBReff values of 6 + 4/−2 m2 K GW−1 (hydrophobic) and 9 + 3/−2 m2 K GW−1 (hydrophilic). Two-dimensional finite element simulations for an equivalent MOSFET showed the significant thermal benefit of using Si-on-SiC over SOI. In these simulations, a MOSFET with a 200 nm thick, 42 μm wide Si drift region was recreated on a SOI structure (2 μm buried oxide) and on the Si-on-SiC material characterized here. At 5 W mm−1 power dissipation, the Si-on-SiC was shown to result in a >60% decrease in temperature rise compared to the SOI structure.
Pyroelectric material property considerations for x-ray generation
Authors: Yap Emily W. , Kumar Nitish , Damjanovic Dragan , Preston Rhys M. , Daniels John E.
Published: March 2022

The method of generating x-rays using the pyroelectric effect has garnered interest for applications that desire portability and low power consumption, particularly for real-time in-field and on-line analyses. However, the x-ray intensity produced by this type of x-ray generator is low and inconsistent compared to conventional x-ray tubes. The properties of several pyroelectric materials, including LiTaO3, LiNbO3, and PMN-xPT, were studied and subsequently tested on an in-house developed x-ray generator to explore their suitability for the application. The production of electrons to subsequently generate x-ray relies on the process of ferroelectric electron emission and field ionization to be dominant over charge compensation via the DC conductivity of the pyroelectric material. Given that the time of temperature change occurs faster than the material's charge relaxation time, it was found that the ratio of the pyroelectric coefficient to relative permittivity determined the performance of the x-ray generator. Thus, the x-ray count rates and end-point energies produced by LiTaO3 showed that it continues to be a strong candidate for such x-ray generation applications.
Full-f electromagnetic gyrokinetic turbulence simulations of the edge and scrape-off layer of ASDEX Upgrade with GENE-X
Authors: Michels Dominik , Ulbl Philipp , Zholobenko Wladimir , Body Thomas , Stegmeir Andreas , Eich Thomas , Griener Michael , Conway Garrard D. , Jenko Frank ,   ASDEX Upgrade Team
Published: March 2022

Understanding and predicting turbulence in the edge and scrape-off layer (SOL) is critical for the optimization of magnetic confinement fusion devices. While there has been progress along these lines, especially with the help of fluid codes, the development of full-f electromagnetic gyrokinetic codes for the edge and SOL, in general, diverted geometries, remains crucial. In this work, we present simulations of the edge and SOL of the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak with the novel grid-based gyrokinetic (continuum) code GENE-X. The presented simulations are performed at both reduced and realistic electron-to-ion mass ratios on millisecond time scales, studying profile evolution. We compare the resulting plasma profiles to experimental measurements and to previous simulations with the Braginskii fluid code GRILLIX. Furthermore, we measure and validate the SOL power falloff length λq according to the Eich fit function. Based on the results, we discuss the influence of the ion-to-electron mass ratio and collisional effects on gyrokinetic SOL turbulence.
Epsilon-near-zero enhancement of near-field radiative heat transfer in BP/hBN and BP/α-MoO3 parallel-plate structures
Authors: Hajian Hodjat , Rukhlenko Ivan D. , Erçağlar Veysel , Hanson George , Ozbay Ekmel
Published: March 2022

Black phosphorous (BP) is a well-known two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) material with in-plane anisotropy and remarkable electronic and optical properties. Here, we comprehensively analyze the near-field radiative heat transfer (NFRHT) between a pair of parallel non-rotated BP flakes that occurs due to the tunneling of the coupled anisotropic surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) supported by the flakes. It is demonstrated that the covering of the BP flakes with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) films leads to the hybridization of the BP's SPPs with the hBN's hyperbolic phonon polaritons and to the significant enhancement of the NFRHT at the hBN's epsilon-near-zero frequencies. It is also shown that the NFRHT in the BP/hBN parallel-plate structure can be actively switched between the ON and OFF states by changing the chemical potential of the BPs and that the NFRHT can be modified by altering the number of the BP layers. Finally, we replace hBN with α-MoO3 and explore how the NFRHT is spectrally and strongly modified in the BP/α-MoO3 parallel-plate structure. We believe that the proposed BP/polar-vdW-material parallel-plate structures can prove useful in the thermal management of optoelectronic devices.
Highly photo-stable, kHz-repetition-rate, diode pumped circulation-free liquid dye laser with thermal lens management
Authors: Hamja A. , Florentin R. , Chénais S. , Forget S.
Published: March 2022

Liquid dye lasers have long been considered as ideal tunable laser sources in the visible range but are bulky, expensive, and require a complex system for dye circulation. Here, we present a system that relies on a low-cost blue laser diode as the pump source and a sealed dye cell with no flowing circuitry, resulting in a device that combines the convenience and size of a solid-state device with the stability of a liquid organic laser. A very high photo-stability is obtained (up to 1.2 × 109 pulses or 12 days at 1 kHz), which is five orders of magnitude higher than a solid-state dye laser operated in similar conditions. The number of pulses obtainable at low repetition rates is found to be limited by molecular self-diffusion and, hence, related to the total cuvette volume. In contrast, the repetition rate is limited to a few kHz, which suggests that thermal effects play a bigger role than triplet population effects. Thermal effects participate in the suppression of lasing through the buildup of a strong negative thermal lens; correcting the non-aberrant part of this thermal lens by resonator design enables the repetition rate to be pushed up to 14 kHz with possible further optimization. This work shows a route for building off-the-shelf, compact, low-cost, and convenient tunable pulsed lasers in the visible range that have superior stability over organic solid-state lasers.
Deformation and acceleration of water droplet in continuous airflow
Authors: Li Wen , Wang Jingxin , Zhu Chuling , Tian Linlin , Zhao Ning
Published: March 2022

The present work investigates the deformation and acceleration of water droplets in continuous airflow. The numerical approach is based on the level set method for capturing the liquid–gas interface and the projection method for solving the three-dimensional incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. The effects of the incoming airflow velocity (10–100 m/s), initial droplet diameter (20–100 μm), and supercooling on water droplet deformation are investigated. The results indicate that the droplet enters the breakup regime at a critical Weber number of 10, which agrees with the published literature. A dimensionless deformation factor L is defined to describe the droplet deformation. The results confirm that the extreme values of L increase with increasing Weber number during droplet movement. Two models are proposed to predict the minimum deformation factor and the corresponding dimensionless time. The effect of supercooling on water droplet deformation is analyzed, and it is found that the deformation factor of supercooled droplets is lower than that of room-temperature droplets, while supercooled water droplets exhibit greater acceleration. Furthermore, based on the numerical results, a model governed by the Weber number and the Ohnesorge number is proposed for predicting droplet acceleration.
Triaxial magnetic anisotropy and Morin transition in α-Fe2O3 epitaxial films characterized by spin Hall magnetoresistance
Authors: Kan Daisuke , Moriyama Takahiro , Aso Ryotaro , Horai Shinji , Shimakawa Yuichi
Published: March 2022

We grew epitaxial thin films of hematite (α-Fe2O3) on (0 0 0 1) Al2O3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition and investigated their magnetic properties. α-Fe2O3 films grown at lower temperatures are found to undergo the Morin transition at higher temperatures, implying that lowering the growth temperature and managing lattice defects associated with strain relaxation are key to realizing Morin transition. We also characterized films' magnetic properties by spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR). We show that tri-axial magnetic anisotropy can be detected as SMR features having a 60° period with respect to in-plane magnetic field rotations. Furthermore, a large change in SMR ratio associated with Néel vector re-orientation due to Morin transition is seen. Details of SMR properties for α-Fe2O3 films and their analysis results, including the influence of the fabrication process on SMR behaviors, are discussed.
Suppression of Brillouin oscillation in transparent free-standing diamond thin films in picosecond ultrasound
Authors: Weng H. K. , Nagakubo A. , Watanabe H. , Ogi H.
Published: March 2022

Brillouin oscillation appears in picosecond ultrasonics for a transparent specimen because of backward light scattering by moving strain pulse. Its amplitude is comparable with those of other responses, such as pulse-echo signals and through-thickness resonance, obscuring these non-Brillouin-oscillation responses. We here find that Brillouin oscillation can be suppressed in a transparent free-standing film by coating both sides with a metallic thin film of appropriate thickness and that this peculiar behavior is caused by strain pulses generated on both sides with a slight phase difference. This phenomenon allowed us to fabricate a Brillouin-oscillation-free diamond free-standing film, which showed a high capability for sensor applications.
Possible quantum phase transition in partially Cu-doped ZrNi2-xCuxGa Heusler alloys
Authors: Khan Mahmud , Stillwell Kyra , Reese Brandon , Bhatt Subhash , Pathak Arjun K.
Published: March 2022

We have studied the magneto-transport properties of a series of ZrNi2-xCuxGa compounds. For all Cu concentration (x ≤ 0.5) the samples exhibited the L21 cubic structure at room temperature and demonstrated superconductivity below 2 K. A superconducting phase transition temperature of as low as ∼1 K and a critical magnetic field of 1.78 T was observed in the system. A linear extrapolation of TC to T = 0 highly indicated that a stoichiometry-dependent superconducting quantum phase transition may occur in ZrNi2-xCuxGa at xc = 0.90.
Zinc sulfate application to grass forages (oat, barley, annual ryegrass and triticale) for increasing their yield, quality and profitability
Authors: Sher Ahmad , Ul-Allah Sami , Sattar Abdul , Ijaz Muhammad , Qayyum Abdul , Manaf Abdul , Suleman Muhammad
Published: March 2022

Livestock is a major component of agriculture, and a continuous supply of nutritious forage/fodder is necessary for sustainable livestock production. Zinc (Zn) deficiency is a global concern for human as well as animal health, but Zn fertilisation for productivity and biofortification of forages is not well understood. Therefore, a 2-year field study was conducted to investigate the influence of soil-applied ZnSO4 on morphological traits, yield, nutritional quality and Zn biofortification in four forages. The grass forages (oat, barley, annual ryegrass and triticale) were factorially combined with four levels of soil-applied ZnSO4 (0, 5, 10 and 15 kg ha−1) and two harvesting stages (booting and 50% heading). The treatments were arranged in a triplicate randomised complete block design with a split–split plot arrangement where grass forage species were kept in main plots, ZnSO4 application in subplots and harvest stage in subsub plots. ZnSO4 fertilisation significantly improved morphological traits, dry-matter yield, crude protein, acid detergent fibre (ADF) and shoot Zn concentration in all grass forages at both harvesting stages. Best performance for yield, quality traits, and Zn contents across all crops was observed where ZnSO4 was applied at 15 kg ha−1 and harvested at 50% heading stage. The highest economic returns were provided by triticale and annual ryegrass with 15 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 harvested at 50% heading. In conclusion, for a profitable forage production with good nutritional quality and Zn biofortification, triticale and annual ryegrass may be recommended with a 15 kg ZnSO4 ha−1 fertilisation.
Nociception and hypersensitivity involve distinct neurons and molecular transducers in
Drosophila
Authors: Gu Pengyu , Wang Fei , Shang Ye , Liu Jingjing , Gong Jiaxin , Xie Wei , Han Junhai , Xiang Yang
Published: March 2022

Significance

Functional plasticity of the nociceptive circuit is a remarkable feature and is of clinical relevance. As an example, nociceptors lower their threshold upon tissue injury, a process known as allodynia that would facilitate healing by guarding the injured areas. However, long-lasting hypersensitivity could lead to chronic pain, a debilitating disease not effectively treated. Therefore, it is crucial to dissect the mechanisms underlying basal nociception and nociceptive hypersensitivity. In both vertebrate and invertebrate species, conserved transient receptor potential (Trp) channels are the primary transducers of noxious stimuli. Here, we provide a precedent that in
Drosophila
larvae, heat sensing in the nociception and hypersensitivity states is mediated by distinct heat-sensitive neurons and TrpA1 alternative isoforms.
Tongan honorifics and their underlying concepts ofmanaandtapu
Authors: Völkel Svenja
Published: March 2022

The Tongan language has honorific registers, called a ‘language of respect’ (Churchward 1953). These are two limited sets of lexemes used to refer to people of chiefly and kingly rank and thus honour the societal stratification. Anthropological-linguistic research reveals that these honorifics are atapu-motivated linguistic practice. The Polynesian concept oftapu(source of the loanwordtaboo) means that entities with moremana(‘supernatural power’) such as persons of higher rank and their personal belongings are ‘sacred’, and it is ‘forbidden’ to get in physical touch with them. The respectful terminology (hou‘eikiandtu‘i) is restricted to suchtapuentities (signifiers), and its generic character shows that direct verbal contact with the commonkakaisignifier is avoided. Thus, the honorific registers function as a verbal taboo in its emic sense.
Investigation on the Genetic-Inconsistent Paternity Cases Using the MiSeq FGx System
Authors: Chen Anqi , Tao Ruiyang , Li Chengtao , Zhang Suhua
Published: March 2022

Mutations might challenge the paternity index calculation in forensic identification. While many studies have focussed on the autosomal short tandem repeats (A-STR), the mutation status of sex chromosomes and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) remain blank. Next generation sequencing (NGS), known as high throughput and large sequence polymorphism, is a promising tool for forensic genetics. To describe the mutation landscapes in the paternity cases with genetic inconsistencies, a total of 63 parentage confirmed paternity cases contained at least one mismatched locus have been collected. The mutations were subsequently evaluated using Verogen’s MPS ForenSeqTM DNA Signature Kit and a microsatellite instability (MSI) detection kit. The result showed 98.41% (62/63) of the cases had no additional autosomal mutations even when the number of A-STRs increased to 27. As for the sex chromosomes, about 11.11% (7/63) of the cases exhibited either X-STR or Y-STR mutations. D2S1338, FGA and Penta E were the most frequent altered STRs, which suggested they might be the mutation hotspots. In addition, a male with sex chromosome abnormality was observed accidently, whose genotype might be 47, XXY, rather than MSI. Nearly 56.90% of the STR loci possessed isoalleles, which might result in higher STR polymorphisms. No Mendelian incompatibility was detected among the SNP markers, which indicated that SNP was a more reliable genetic marker in the genetic-inconsistent paternity cases.
Validity and reliability study for the Turkish adaptation of the Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire with Neonatal Hearing Screening Programs
Authors: Cekic Sule , Arslan Meltem
Published: March 2022

Purpose

To adapt the Parent Satisfaction Questionnaire with Neonatal Hearing Screening Programs (PSQ-NHSP) into the Turkish language and to measure the parents’ satisfaction with the NHSP in a public hospital in Turkey.

Materials and methods

One hundred ninety-three parents of newborns participated in this study. Parents completed Turkish translations of PSQ-NHSP after the hearing screening process. Parents’ satisfaction with the NHSP was measured in four dimensions: information about the NHSP, staff responsible for the hearing test, appointment schedule, and overall satisfaction.

Results

Overall, 75% of parents were satisfied with the NHSP. The corresponding satisfaction levels of parents in the specific dimensions were as follows: 68% for information, 75% for personnel responsible for the hearing test, 74% for the appointment schedule, and 78% reported overall satisfaction. The psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the PSQ-NHSP showed acceptable internal consistency reliability (a = 0.78).

Conclusions

The Turkish version of the PSQ-NHSP is valid and reliable in measuring parent satisfaction with the NHSP, and the parents were generally satisfied with the NHSP in Turkey.
The electric potential of an infinite conducting cylinder with an n-cusped hypocycloidal cross-section
Authors: Romero-Abad David , Suárez-Córdova Roberto
Published: March 2022

Generally, during a course in electromagnetism, boundary conditions are used in conjunction with the Laplace equation to determine the electric potential of a system of objects in regions of space free of electric charges. However, for objects with unconventional geometries such as the hypocycloid, this is not an easy task. In the case where the problem can be reduced to two dimensions, there are simpler approximations such as complex-variable with conformal transformation. In this work, we use the last approach, to calculate analytically the electric potential of an infinite conducting cylinder with an n-cusped hypocycloidal cross-section and charge Q per unit length. In addition, we verify some of the results using numerical methods. The target readers of the paper are students pursuing physics at the introductory undergraduate level.
The basis set, scattering wavefunction and Schwinger variational principle: an application for low energy positron-atom scattering
Authors: Seidel Eliton Popovicz , Arretche Felipe
Published: March 2022

The quality of the positron wavefunction produced by applying the Schwinger variational principle (SVP) is scrutinized. An optical potential formalism is applied considering a semiempirical polarization potential. The positron wavefunction is expanded into a basis set formed by hydrogen-like atom eigenfunctions. Two different forms for the ansatz are tested out. The model is applied to positron scattering and annihilation by hydrogen, and by argon atoms as examples. The results are compared to the ones obtained through the direct integration of the Schrödinger equation. We found that the positron wavefunction generated by the SVP is of good quality only if the basis functions are mainly located inside the potential range. We also found that to provide the best scattering amplitude possible, the SVP may produce intentional deviations all along the positron wavefunction to compensate for local basis set deficiencies. We proposed a criterion based on the Lippmann–Schwinger equation to evaluate the accuracy of the positron wavefunction.
Seebeck effect and Joule heating in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB-based perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with low resistance area product
Authors: Lv Hua , Fidalgo Joao , Kampfe Thomas , Langer Juergen , Wrona Jerzy , Ocker Berthold , Freitas Paulo P , Cardoso Susana
Published: March 2022

Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions (p-MTJs) have attracted great interest due to their excellent performance in spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memories (STT-MRAMs). Here, the resistance states can be manipulated by an applied current in the order of 109–1010 A m−2, yet the appearance of a heating influence must be understood. In this work, we systematically study the Seebeck effect in nano scale p-MTJs induced due to Joule heating by the tunneling current. The CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB-based p-MTJs were nanofabricated and the current-induced switching was characterized. We find a sign change of the thermovoltage (ΔV) between AP (positive) and P (negative) states, indicating a significant dependence of the Seebeck effect on the magnetic state of the p-MTJ. The temperature distribution in the stack was simulated, by which the Seebeck coefficient (S) and the tunnel magneto-Seebeck ratio were calculated. Our further study indicates that the thermal STT can reduce the switching currents, showing the possibility to re-use this dissipative heating energy. To improve the efficiency of the energy re-use, a method is proposed through the materials optimization of the non-magnetic layers but still retaining high tunneling magnetoresistance effect. Our study shows that the magneto-Seebeck effect plays an important role in the p-MTJs, which can be crucial and must be considered in the design of the high performance p-STT-MRAMs and thermal-assisted MRAMs.
Ferroelectric composite artificially-structured functional material: multifield control for tunable functional devices
Authors: Wang Jun , Lou Jing , Wang Jia Fu , Qu Shao Bo , Du Hong Liang , Cui Tie Jun
Published: March 2022

Artificially-structured functional materials (AFMs) are artificial media that combine the advantages of nature materials and artificial structures to produce excellent and unexpected properties. Ferroelectric materials have key features in possessing spontaneous polarizations, which can be switched by using electric field, temperature, and strain. This review article attempts to provide a comprehensive insight into the current development of ferroelectric composite AFMs, and to introduce a developing subject in realizing multifield controls for tunable functional devices. Some typical ferroelectric materials and their multifield tunable mechanisms are summarized in detail. The incorporation of ferroelectric materials can yield various designs of AFMs to modulate electromagnetic waves. Recent progress of typical designs with different tuning strategies for active AFMs are illustrated and compared, including the metamaterials, metasurfaces, heterojunctions, superlattices, and their hybrid designs. This scientific subject involves interesting research topics of electromagnetism, electronics, optoelectronics, and ferroelectrics, which is significant to bring novel functionalities via multifield controls.
Vortex dynamics simulation for pinning structure optimization in the applications of high-temperature superconductors
Authors: Rivasto E , Huhtinen H , Hynninen T , Paturi P
Published: March 2022

We introduce a molecular dynamics based simulation model that enables the efficient optimization of complex pinning structures in unpresented wide magnetic field and angular ranges for high-temperature superconductor applications. The fully three-dimensional simulation allows the modeling of the critical current and the associated anisotropy in the presence of any kinds of defects despite their size and orientation. Most prominently, these include artificial defects such as nanorods along with intrinsic weak-links or ab-plane oriented stacking faults, for example. In this work, we present and analyze the most fundamental results of the simulation model and compare them indirectly with a wide range of previous experimental and computational observations. With the provided validation for the proposed simulation model, we consider it to be an extremely useful tool in particular for pushing the limits of ampacity in the coated conductor industry.
Effect of hole doping on the 120 degree order in the triangular lattice Hubbard model: a Hartree–Fock revisit
Authors: Qin Mingpu
Published: March 2022

We revisit the unrestricted Hartree Fock study on the evolution of the ground state of the Hubbard model on the triangular lattice with hole doping. At half-filling, it is known that the ground state of the Hubbard model on triangular lattice develops a 120 degree coplanar order at half-filling in the strong interaction limit, i.e., in the spin 1/2 anti-ferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the triangular lattice. The ground state property in the doped case is still in controversy even though extensive studies were performed in the past. Within Hartree Fock theory, we find that the 120 degree order persists from zero doping to about 0.3 hole doping. At 1/3 hole doping, a three-sublattice collinear order emerges in which the doped hole is concentrated on one of the three sublattices with antiferromagnetic Neel order on the remaining two sublattices, which forms a honeycomb lattice. Between the 120 degree order and 1/3 doping region, a phase separation occurs in which the 120 degree order coexists with the collinear anti-ferromagnetic order in different regions of the system. The collinear phase extends from 1/3 doping to about 0.41 doping, beyond which the ground state is paramagnetic with uniform electron density. The phase diagram from Hartree Fock could provide guidance for the future study of the doped Hubbard model on triangular lattice with more sophisticated many-body approaches.
Radiation dose to nuclear medicine technologists when operating PET/MR compared with PET/CT
Authors: Soret Marine , Maisonobe Jacques-Antoine , Payen Stéphane , Gaubert Adèle , Brunel Sandrine , Bergeret Sébastien , Berenbaum Arnaud , Hubert Emilie , Kas Aurélie
Published: March 2022

Since 2010, positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) has been increasingly used as clinical routine in nuclear medicine departments. One advantage of PET/MR over PET/computed tomography (CT) is the lower dose of ionising radiation delivered to patients. However, data on the radiation dose delivered to staff operating PET/MR compared with the new generation of PET/CT equipment are still lacking. Our aim was to compare the radiation dose to nuclear medicine technologists performing routine PET/MR and PET/CT in the same department. We retrospectively measured the daily radiation dose received by PET technologists over 13 months by collecting individual dosimetry measurements (from electronic personal dosimeters). Data were analysed taking into account the total number of studies performed with each PET modality (PET/MR with Signa 3T, General Electric Healthcare versus PET/CT with Biograph mCT flow, Siemens), the type of exploration (brain versus whole-body PET), the 18F activity injected per day and per patient as well as the time spent in contact with patients after tracer injection. Our results show a significantly higher whole-body exposure to technologists for PET/MR compared with PET/CT (10.3 ± 3.5 nSv versus 4.7 ± 1.2 nSv per 18F injected MBq, respectively; p < 0.05). This difference was related to prolonged contact with injected patients during patient positioning with the PET/MR device and MR coil placement, especially in whole-body studies. For an equal injected activity, radiation exposure to PET technologists for PET/MR was twice that of PET/CT. To minimise the radiation dose to staff, efforts should be made to optimise patient positioning, even in departments with extensive PET/CT experience.
Development of a low-cost method for quantifying microplastics in soils and compost using near-infrared spectroscopy
Authors: Wander L , Lommel L , Meyer K , Braun U , Paul A
Published: March 2022

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is a promising candidate for low-cost, nondestructive, and high-throughput mass quantification of microplastics in environmental samples. Widespread application of the technique is currently hampered mainly by the low sensitivity of NIR spectroscopy compared to thermoanalytical approaches commonly used for this type of analysis. This study shows how the application of NIR spectroscopy for mass quantification of microplastics can be extended to smaller analyte levels by combining it with a simple and rapid microplastic enrichment protocol. For this purpose, the widely used flotation of microplastics in a NaCl solution, accelerated by centrifugation, was chosen which allowed to remove up to 99% of the matrix at recovery rates of 83%–104%. The spectroscopic measurements took place directly on the stainless-steel filters used to collect the extracted particles to reduce sample handling to a minimum. Partial least squares regression models were used to identify and quantify the extracted microplastics in the mass range of 1–10 mg. The simple and fast extraction procedure was systematically optimized to meet the requirements for the quantification of microplastics from common polyethylene-, polypropylene-, and polystyrene-based packaging materials with a particle size <1 mm found in compost or soils with high natural organic matter content (>10% determined by loss on ignition). Microplastics could be detected in model samples at a mass fraction of 1 mg g−1. The detectable microplastic mass fraction is about an order of magnitude lower compared to previous studies using NIR spectroscopy without additional enrichment. To emphasize the cost-effectiveness of the method, it was implemented using some of the cheapest and most compact NIR spectrometers available.
Natural ore molybdenite as a high-capacity and cheap anode material for advanced lithium-ion capacitors
Authors: Li Lingyao , Wang Huanwen , Liang Tian , Cao Jun-Ming , Yan Chunjie , Wu Xing-Long
Published: March 2022

Hybrid lithium-ion capacitors (LICs) receive special interests because they work by combining the merits of high-capacity lithium-ion batteries and high-rate capacitors in a Li salt containing electrolyte, so as to bridge the gap between the two devices. One of main challenges for LICs is to develop inexpensive and superior anode materials at high rates. In this work, natural molybdenite was utilized as precursor to achieve the scalable production of cheap MoS2/carbon composites. This molybdenite-derived MoS2/carbon electrode can not only exhibit excellent Li+-storage performances including ultrahigh specific capacity (1427 mAh g–1 after 1000 cycles at 1 A g–1) and rate capability (554 mAh g–1 at 10 A g–1), but also possess four-times higher tap density than that of commercial graphite. By employing MoS2/carbon as the anode and activated carbon as the cathode, the as-assembled LIC device delivers both high energy//high power density and long cycle lifespan. Furthermore, the price is nearly 200 orders of magnitude lower than the traditional high-purity chemicals, which can be easily scaled up to achieve high-throughput production.
Enhanced current rectification in graphene nanoribbons: effects of geometries and orientations of nanopores
Authors: Majhi Joydeep , Maiti Santanu K , Ganguly Sudin
Published: March 2022

We discuss the possibility of getting rectification operation in graphene nanoribbon (GNR). For a system to be a rectifier, it must be physically asymmetric and we induce the asymmetry in GNR by introducing nanopores. The rectification properties are discussed for differently structured nanopores. We find that shape and orientation of the nanopores are critical and sensitive to the degree of current rectification. As the choice of Fermi energy is crucial for obtaining significant current rectification, explicit dependence of Fermi energy on the degree of current rectification is also studied for a particular shape of the nanopore. Finally, the role of nanopore size and different spatial distributions of the electrostatic potential profile across the GNR are explored. The stability of the nanopores is also discussed with a possible solution. Given the simplicity of the proposed method and promising results, the present proposition may lead to a new route of getting current rectification in different kinds of materials where nanopores can be formed selectively.
Brain tumor magnetic resonance image segmentation by a multiscale contextual attention module combined with a deep residual UNet (MCA-ResUNet)
Authors: Cao Tianyi , Wang Guanglei , Ren Lili , Li Yan , Wang Hongrui
Published: March 2022

Background and Objective. Automatic segmentation of MRI brain tumor area is a key step in the diagnosis and treatment of brain tumor. In recent years, the improved network based on UNet encoding and decoding structure has been widely used in brain tumor segmentation. However, due to continuous convolution and pooling operations, some spatial context information in existing networks will be discontinuous or even missing. It will affect the segmentation accuracy of the model. Therefore, the method proposed in this paper is to alleviate the lack of spatial context information and improve the accuracy of the model. Approach. This paper proposes a context attention module (multiscale contextual attention) to capture and filter out high-level features with spatial context information, which solves the problem of context information loss in feature extraction. The channel attention mechanism is introduced into the decoding structure to realize the fusion of high-level features and low-level features. The standard convolution block in the encoding and decoding structure is replaced by the pre-activated residual block to optimize the network training and improve the network performance. Results. This paper uses two public data sets (BraTs 2017 and BraTs 2019) to evaluate and verify the proposed method. Experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively alleviate the lack of spatial context information, and the segmentation performance is better than other existing methods. Significance. The method improves the segmentation performance of the model. It will assist doctors in making accurate diagnosis and provide reference basis for tumor resection. As a result, the proposed method will reduce the operation risk of patients and the postoperative recurrence rate.
Field output correction factors and electron fluence perturbation of the microSilicon and microSilicon X detectors
Authors: Delbaere Alexia , Younes Tony , Simon Luc , Khamphan Catherine , Vieillevigne Laure
Published: March 2022

Objective. The aim of this study was to determine field output correction factors

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and electron fluence perturbation for new PTW unshielded microSilicon and shielded microSilicon X detectors. Approach.

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factors were calculated for 6 and 10 MV with and without flattening filter beams delivered by a TrueBeam STx. Correction factors were determined for field sizes ranging from 0.5 × 0.5 cm2 to 3 × 3 cm2 using both experimental and numerical methods. To better understand the underlying physics of their response, total electron (+positron) fluence spectra were scored in the sensitive volume considering the various component-dependent perturbations. Main results. The microSilicon and microSilicon X detectors can be used down to the smallest studied field size by applying corrections factors fulfilling the tolerance of 5% recommended by the IAEA TRS483. Electron fluence perturbation in both microSilicon detectors was greater than that in water but to a lesser extent than their predecessors. The main contribution of the overall perturbation of the detectors comes from the materials surrounding their sensitive volume, especially the epoxy in the case of unshielded diodes and the shielding for shielded diodes. This work demonstrated that the decrease in the density of the epoxy for the microSilicon led to a decrease in the electron fluence perturbation. Significance. A real improvement was observed regarding the design of the microSilicon and microSilicon X detectors compared to their predecessors.
Effect of inclusion of pitch-angle dependence on a simplified model of RF deposition in tokamak plasma
Authors: Taylor D M A , Mantsinen M J , Gallart D , Manyer J , Sirén P
Published: March 2022

Using the PION ICRH modelling code and comparisons against JET tokamak experiments, the effect of including pitch angle dependence within the RF diffusion operator on the fast ion particle distribution functions is quantified. It is found to be of greatest importance in cases of higher harmonic heating and lower heating ion mass, resulting in faster drop-off of the distribution’s high energy tail. We see differences of several orders of magnitude in the high-energy range and significant non-linear alterations by several tens of percent to ion species power partition. ITER scenario operational parameters are also considered, and this improved treatment is shown to benefit anticipated ITER scenarios with second harmonic hydrogen heating, according to our predictions. PION’s combination of benchmarked simplified wave physics and Fokker-Planck treatment offers modelling advantages. Since including the pitch angle dependence in the RF diffusion operator has not led to a significant increase in the required computing time when modelling different ICRF schemes in JET discharges, it has been made available within the production code.
Comment on ‘Single particle nonlocality with completely independent reference states’
Authors: Das Tamoghna , Karczewski Marcin , Mandarino Antonio , Markiewicz Marcin , Woloncewicz Bianka , Żukowski Marek
Published: March 2022

We comment on the purported violation of local realism, by a single photon induced correlations between homodyne detectors, which one can find in: (2008) New J. Phys.
10 113024 [arXiv:0807.0109]. The claim is erroneous, due to a calculational mistake. As the result is the basis of other claims in the paper, they are unsubstantiated.
Local tensor-network codes
Authors: Farrelly Terry , Tuckett David K , Stace Thomas M
Published: March 2022

Tensor-network codes enable the construction of large stabilizer codes out of tensors describing smaller stabilizer codes. An application of tensor-network codes was an efficient and exact decoder for holographic codes. Here, we show how to write some topological codes, including the surface code and colour code, as simple tensor-network codes. We also show how to calculate distances of stabilizer codes by contracting a tensor network. The algorithm actually gives more information, including a histogram of all logical coset weights. We prove that this method is efficient in the case of stabilizer codes encoded via local log-depth circuits in one dimension and holographic codes. Using our tensor-network distance calculator, we find a modification of the rotated surface code that has the same distance but fewer minimum-weight logical operators by ‘doping’ the tensor network, i.e., we break the homogeneity of the tensor network by locally replacing tensors. For this example, this corresponds to an improvement in successful error correction of almost 2% against depolarizing noise (in the perfect-measurement setting), but comes at the cost of introducing three higher-weight stabilizers. Our general construction lets us pick a network geometry (e.g., a Euclidean lattice in the case of the surface code), and, using only a small set of seed codes (constituent tensors), build extensive codes with the potential for optimisation.
Long-range surface plasmon resonance biosensors with cytop/Al/Perovskite and cytop/Al/MoS2 configurations
Authors: Kumar Mohit , Thapa Khem B. , Singh Pawan
Published: March 2022

In this paper, long range surface plasmon resonance (LRSPR) biosensors with cytop/Al/Perovskite and cytop/Al/MoS2 configurations have been theoretically investigated and compared with standard LRSPR biosensor with cytop/Al/graphene configuration. To calculate the optical properties of considered configurations for the desired application, transfer matrix method for TM mode has been used to obtain reflectance. The sensitivity of the considered configurations for designed biosensors has been investigated with variation of optical parameters of the structure. A new configuration of LRSPR biosensors based on Al- MoS2 or Al-Perovskite has been proposed to enhance sensitivity, detection accuracy, and efficiency. The maximum value of sensitivity of the proposed Al-Perovskite based LRSPR biosensor is found to be 4847 RIU−1. Moreover, the sensitivity of Al-MoS2 and Al-Peroskite based LRSPR biosensors show nearly 10% and nearly 30% more optical responses respectively than the Al-graphene based LRSPR biosensor.
Some experimental studies on the UV spark pin-array pre-ionization in TEA CO2 laser
Authors: Torabi Reza , Salmani Nejhad Hamid , Kazemi Babak , Sarshogh Mohammad Hossein
Published: March 2022

The output characteristics of a UV pin array pre-ionized transversely excited atmospheric CO2 laser have been experimentally studied in detail. The effects of the applied voltage and capacitance of the main capacitors on the laser performance was investigated. By increasing the voltage at a constant capacitance, not only the laser output energy increases, but also the pulse build-up time, width and tail length decrease. Also, the stability conditions of the discharge were investigated and the cross section of the laser output beam at different input energies was compared.
Spectrum1k — integrated circuit for medical imaging designed in CMOS 40 nm
Authors: Kmon P. , Szczygieł R. , Kłeczek R. , Górni D. , Węgrzyn G. , Niedzielska A. , Sitko K. , Drwal P.
Published: March 2022

We present a multichannel integrated circuit of pixel architecture designed in CMOS 40 nm technology. The chip is composed of 40 × 24 pixels of 75 µm pitch working in the single photon counting mode, each built of front-end amplifier, peak and hold detector, 6-bit analog to digital converter, and memory composed of 64 × 12-bit counters. Thanks to the proposed functionality it is possible to store in each pixel separately information of incoming particles energy spectrum. The chip is dedicated to operating with both electrons and holes of 2.2 ke−–35 ke− energy range. The IC occupies an area of 2 × 4.5 mm2, is already back from fabrication, and is under preliminary measurements.