bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of the number of magnetic matrices on particle capture in high gradient magnetic separation
Authors: Tian Yu , Cao Quanliang
Published: October 2023

A comprehensive understanding of the capture process involving matrices in high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS) is crucial for the design and improvement of matrix performance. However, few existing studies have paid attention to the influence of the number of magnetic matrices on the capture process. In this work, we numerically investigate this issue in both longitudinal and transversal HGMS systems, where multiple scenarios with different particle sizes, flow rates and matrix spacing are considered. Interestingly, we show that in most cases, increasing the number of magnetic matrices along the flow direction has little to no influence on the capture radius. It has a certain effect on improving the capture radius only in a few specific cases, such as when dealing with large particles at low flow rates with closely spaced matrices or when working with small particles at high flow rates with widely spaced matrices. These phenomena are related to the appearance of repulsive magnetic forces around matrices and the distribution characteristics of magnetic forces. The obtained results indicate that, in the design of the practical HGMS system, simply increasing the number of matrices along the flow direction may not be a reasonable or effective strategy for enhancing capture performance.
Black phosphorene/SnSe van der Waals heterostructure as a promising anchoring anode material for metal-ion batteries
Authors: Ahmed Dildar , Muhammad Nisar , Ding Z J
Published: October 2023

Black phosphorene (BP) is a glowing two-dimensional semiconducting layer material for cutting-edge microelectronics, with high carrier mobility and thickness-dependent band gap. Here, based on van der Waals (vdW)-corrected first-principles approaches, we investigated stacked BP/tin selenide (BP/SnSe) vdW heterostructure as an anode material for metal ion batteries, which exhibits a significant theoretical capacity, along with relatively durable binding strength compared to the constituent BP and SnSe monolayers. Our calculations demonstrated that the Li/Na adatom favors insertion into the interlayer region of BP/SnSe vdW heterostructure owing to synergistic interfacial effect, resulting in comparable diffusivity to the BP and SnSe monolayers. Subsequently, the theoretical specific capacities for Li/Na are found to be as high as 956.30 mAhg−1 and 828.79 mAhg−1, respectively, which could be attributed to the much higher storage capacity of Li/Na adatoms in the BP/SnSe vdW heterostructure. Moreover, the electronic structure calculations reveal that a large amount of charge transfer assists in semiconductor-to-metallic transition upon lithiation/sodiation, ensuring good electrical conductivity. These simulations verify that the BP/SnSe vdW heterostructure has immense potential for application in the design of metal-ion battery technologies.
Gaussian and Gaussian-pulsed-like Fermi velocity graphene structures
Authors: García-Cervantes H , Escalera Santos G J , García-Rodríguez F J , Rodríguez-González R , Rodríguez-Vargas I
Published: October 2023

Gaussian and Gaussian-related structures are quite attractive due to its versatility to modulate the electronic transport, including its possibility as electron filters. Here, we show that these non-conventional profiles are not the exception when dealing with Fermi velocity barriers in monolayer graphene. In particular, we show that Gaussian Fermi velocity graphene barriers (G-FVGBs) and Gaussian-pulsed-like Fermi velocity graphene superlattices (GPL-FVGSLs) can serve as electron band-pass filters and oscillating conductance structures. We reach this conclusion by theoretically studying the transmission and transport properties of the mentioned structures. The study is based on the continuum model, the transfer matrix method and the Landauer–Büttiker formalism. We find nearly flat transmission bands or pass bands for G-FVGBs modulable through the system parameters. The pass bands improve as the maximum ratio of Fermi velocities (

ξ

m
a
x

) increases, however its omnidirectional range is reduced. These characteristics result in a decaying conductance (integrated transmission) with

ξ

m
a
x

. The integrated transmission remains practically unaltered with the size of the system due to the saturation of the electron pass band filtering. In the case of GPL-FVGSLs the GPL profile results in regions of high transmission probability that can merge as flat transmission minibands if the pulse fraction and the superlattice parameters are appropriately tuned. The GPL profile also results in conductance (integrated transmission) oscillations that can be multiplied or reduced in number by adjusting the pulse fraction as well as the superlattice parameters.
Quantitative assessment for tooth crack of the sun gear in a planetary gearbox
Authors: Wang Jian , Liu Xianzeng , Zhang Jun
Published: October 2023

The sun gear in a planetary gearbox is prone to generate tooth crack due to its much more severe load conditions than other gears. The cracked sun gear will evolve into distinct tooth breakages and thus may deteriorate the operation status and even cause catastrophic loss of the whole transmission system. To avoid tooth crack induced malfunction of the planetary gearbox, the tooth crack of sun gear should be accurately identified during the early stage. Therefore, a novelty quantitative assessment methodology for tooth crack damage is proposed, which is a mathematical model for crack propagation of the sun gear in planetary gearboxes based on vibration acceleration signal. Firstly, the quantitative relationship between the crack propagation parameters along the gear thickness and width directions and the time-varying mesh stiffness is analytically formulated. The analytical time-varying mesh stiffness formulation is incorporated into a translational–torsional dynamic model to reveal the effects of crack propagation on the vibration signal of internal and external meshing pairs in the planetary gearbox. Secondly, a quantitative mapping function is established by taking the cracked section area as the variable and the residual of the summed envelope spectrum amplitude of the vibration acceleration signal as the assessment index. Finally, a numerical simulation as well as an experimental test is conducted and compared to verify the correctness of the proposed assessment methodology. We believe that the established model and the corresponding index provide a physically intuitive yet mathematically quantitative reference for diagnosing tooth crack in planetary gearboxes.
Linearity and nonlinearity of silicon photodiodes for accurate absolute optical flux measurements: a review
Authors: Tanabe Minoru
Published: October 2023

The accurate evaluation of linearity for an Si photodiode (PD) with respect to the incident optical flux is of great importance to determine a highly accurate range for the absolute optical flux that is more than six orders of magnitude. As such, various evaluation methods of linearity and nonlinearity have been proposed, and their feasibilities have been demonstrated. These methods can cover the flux range more than six orders of magnitude and the wavelength regions from ultraviolet to near-infrared, which are comprised in an Si PD. This paper describes previous accurate nonlinearity evaluation systems, experimentally measured nonlinearity results and their numerical analyses. The findings of this study could contribute to the accurate absolute optical flux measurements by using Si PDs.
A Gabor filter based weak crack detection method for glassivation passivation parts wafer
Authors: Lang Sizhe , Zheng Fei , Li Panyu , Meng Chao
Published: October 2023

Crack defects on the surface of glassivation passivation parts (GPP) wafers are a significant factor leading to chip functional failure. Thus, efficient and stable surface defect detection is required to ensure product quality. However, existing detection methods do not handle weak crack defects on the wafer surface with an inhomogeneous texture background effectively. To overcome this challenge, we propose a weak crack defect detection method for GPP wafers with complex backgrounds. First, a weak crack feature enhancement method is proposed based on the Gabor filter with different orientations. Then, the crack candidates are generated using the least-squares method to transform the shape-based information into a line segment and direction independence judgment. Finally, a line segment clustering method is implemented for the final crack defect recognition. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed defect detection method works effectively and robustly with inhomogeneous texture backgrounds and satisfies the requirement of a real-time detection system.
Thermodynamical and spectral phase transition for local diffeomorphisms in the circle
Authors: Bomfim Thiago , Carneiro Victor
Published: October 2023

It is known that all uniformly expanding dynamics have no phase transition with respect to Hölder continuous potentials. In this paper we show that given a local diffeomorphism f on the circle, that is neither a uniformly expanding dynamics nor invertible, the topological pressure function

ℝ
∋
t
↦

P

t
o
p

(
f
,
−
t
log
|
D
f
 
|
)

is not analytical. In other words, f has a thermodynamic phase transition with respect to geometric potential. Assuming that f is transitive and that Df is Hölder continuous, we show that there exists

t

0

∈
(
0
,
1
]

such that the transfer operator

L

f
,
−
t
log

|

D
f

|

, acting on the space of Hölder continuous functions, has the spectral gap property for all

t
<

t

0

and has not the spectral gap property for all

t
⩾

t

0

. Similar results are also obtained when the transfer operator acts on the space of bounded variations functions and smooth functions. In particular, we show that in the transitive case f has a unique thermodynamic phase transition and it occurs in t
0. In addition, if the loss of expansion of the dynamics occurs because of an indifferent fixed point or the dynamics admits an absolutely continuous invariant probability with positive Lyapunov exponent then

t
0

=
1.
Constructive proofs for localised radial solutions of semilinear elliptic systems on
Rd
Authors: Bouwe van den Berg Jan , Hénot Olivier , Lessard Jean-Philippe
Published: October 2023

Ground state solutions of elliptic problems have been analysed extensively in the theory of partial differential equations, as they represent fundamental spatial patterns in many model equations. While the results for scalar equations, as well as certain specific classes of elliptic systems, are comprehensive, much less is known about these localised solutions in generic systems of nonlinear elliptic equations. In this paper we present a general method to prove constructively the existence of localised radially symmetric solutions of elliptic systems on

R

d

. Such solutions are essentially described by systems of non-autonomous ordinary differential equations. We study these systems using dynamical systems theory and computer-assisted proof techniques, combining a suitably chosen Lyapunov–Perron operator with a Newton–Kantorovich type theorem. We demonstrate the power of this methodology by proving specific localised radial solutions of the cubic Klein–Gordon equation on

R

3

, the Swift–Hohenberg equation on

R

2

, and a three-component FitzHugh–Nagumo system on

R

2

. These results illustrate that ground state solutions in a wide range of elliptic systems are tractable through constructive proofs.
Numerical finite-gap integration of the Zabusky–Kruskal problem
Authors: Li YuQi
Published: October 2023

The Zabusky–Kruskal problem (ZKP) is well-known ever since Zabusky and Kruskal performed their famous numerical experiment. It has become a benchmark for testing numerical schemes. However, the solution of the ZKP has no analytical expression and its long-time numerical integration is notoriously difficult. Now, after decades of effort both to develop new algorithms and to improve their performance, the best existing algorithm approaches machine accuracy for moderate evolution time. Here we solve the ZKP with high accuracy using the method of numerical finite-gap integration. The windfalls of the high accuracy are abundant: Many new analytical properties are discovered from the numerical results. The algorithms presented here can be regarded as a paradigm for high-accuracy numerical integration of large-genus algebro-geometric solutions.
Mechanical properties prediction of ferrite ductile iron via machine learning
Authors: Gu Shiyu , Yao Zhixuan , Li Mingwei , Qu Nan , Bu Erjun , Bai Xinshe , Liu Yong , Lai Zhonghong , Zhu Jingchuan
Published: October 2023

The rapid development of the wind power industry requires ductile iron to maintain high toughness while improving strength. Machine learning offers the possibility to accelerate various aspects of material development and performance optimization. In this paper, we established a composition-property dataset for ferritic ductile iron, and a variety of machine learning algorithms are compared to construct a composition-property model for ferritic ductile iron finally. The composition is chosen as the model input, and the outputs are four properties: tensile strength, Brinell hardness, yield strength and elongation. The correlation coefficients of the models constructed are above 0.96, and the mean absolute percentage errors are below 5%. The mean relative error between the model predictions and the experimental values is 4.43%, which effectively verifies the reliability of the composition-properties model of ductile iron constructed. This paper also uses the machine learning model to predict the effect law of each element content on the mechanical properties of ductile iron, and uses thermodynamic prediction of phase composition to verify the reliability of the machine learning method to predict the mechanical properties of ductile iron, which provides strong guidance for the design of new ductile iron with high strength and high plasticity at room temperature.
Generation of 1 GB full entropy random numbers with the enhanced-NRBG method
Authors: Aggarwal Deepika , Balaji R Karthick , Ghatikar Rohit , Chennuri Sruthi , Banerjee Anindita
Published: October 2023

Random numbers have significant applications in fundamental science, high-level scientific research, cryptography and several other areas where there is a pressing need for high-quality random numbers. We present an experimental demonstration of a non-deterministic random bit generator from a quantum entropy source and a deterministic random bit generator mechanism to provide high quality random numbers of 1 GB data size. Quantum entropy is realized by a series of quantum chips based on radioactive isotope Americium-241. The extracted raw random numbers are further post-processed to generate a high-entropy seed for the hash based deterministic random bit generator. We discuss the implementation of randomness extraction algorithm and Hash-DRBG algorithm in detail. The random numbers pass all the randomness measures provided in standard statistical test suites.
Probing the effect of lightly doped Iron in Bi2S3 nanostructures on Physiochemical properties and efficacy in anti-microbial activity
Authors: Darji Vaishnaviben , Desai Prachi , Deshpande M P , Chaki SH , Sathe Vasant , Bhatt Bhupesh S , Dabhi Ravi A , Soni Heni , Sutariya Pinkesh G
Published: October 2023

In this study, Bi2S3 nanostructures doped with Iron (Fe) at various concentrations i.e., FexBi2-xS3 (x = 0.0, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 wt%) were synthesized using the reverse micelle method. EDAX (Energy Dispersive Analysis of x-rays) has shown that the prepared samples are in stoichiometry without any kind of impurities. Rietveld refinement XRD (x-ray diffraction) pattern confirmed the orthorhombic crystal structure and showed good crystallinity of all the samples with increase in Fe content. The unit cell volume is found to be varied from 12.34 nm to 19.39 nm. HRTEM (High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy) has shown that the prepared nanostructures are nanorods and nanocylinders with high crystallinity and corroborates with our XRD results. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy analysis indicated that the band gap has increased from 1.550 eV for pure Bi2S3 to 1.592 eV for Fe0.08Bi1.92S3 nanostructures reflecting the blue shift compared to bulk sample. The photoluminescence spectra (PL) recorded with 250 nm excitation wavelength for powder samples has shown that with increase in Iron concentration the intensity of 440 nm peak increases whereas the peaks at 470 nm and 510 nm decreases. The PL spectra is also recorded for nanostructures dispersed in liquid media and has shown that the peaks at 501 nm is observed while rest of the two peaks are quenched. Raman spectra dependent on temperature is obtained for FexBi2-xS3 (x = 0.0, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 wt%) samples in pellet form in the range of 80 K to 280 K. All samples have shown B1g and Ag phonon modes with higher intensity. The Gruneisen parameter determined for B1g mode varies from 1.21 to 14.13 whereas for Ag mode it varies from 0.60 to 7.91 with the exception of a negative value of −3.10 for Fe0.06Bi1.94S3 sample. VSM (vibrating sample magnetometer) showed the diamagnetic behavior of Bi2S3 and ferromagnetic behaviour of FexBi2-xS3 (x = 0.0, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 wt%) samples. The saturation magnetization is found to be reaching to a value of 127.5 emu gm−1 for 0.6 wt% of Fe doping in Bi2S3 and then decreases drastically to 40.34 emu gm−1 for 0.8 wt% Fe doping. The antibacterial efficacy showed that as Fe concentration increases, the MIC (minimal inhibitory concentration) fluctuates between 60 to 70 μg ml−1 and is found to be maximum for Fe0.08Bi1.92S3 sample. It is also found that Fe0.04Bi1.96S3 nanostructures show the lowest MIC value for Gram +ve and Gram –ve bacteria in comparison to Bi2S3 nanostructures.
Optical enhancement in perovskite thin films using moth-eye anti-reflection film
Authors: Zahri Zulfa , Rashid Mohd Marzaini Mohd , Pakhuruddin Mohd Zamir
Published: October 2023

Perovskite solar cells represent an emerging photovoltaic technology. With the latest record efficiencies exceeding 25% coupled with low fabrication cost and tunable transparency, perovskite solar cells demonstrate promising applications as solar windows. For these applications, the perovskite solar cells need to be semi-transparent to allow incident light to pass through the windows while generating electricity. However, semi-transparency compromises light absorption in the solar cells. In this work, optical enhancement in perovskite thin films using moth-eye anti-reflection (AR) film is investigated. Perovskite thin films with different thicknesses are used and the thickness is controlled by varying the spin speeds during the deposition of the perovskite precursor. The optical effects in the perovskite films without and with moth-eye AR film are studied. From the findings, the reflection loss is reduced by maximum of ∼4%, which contributes to a higher light absorption in the perovskite layer, due to the AR effect of the moth-eye structure. These results imply that the moth-eye film can be a promising and facile alternative for developing a highly efficient and semi-transparent perovskite solar cell with a thin absorber layer.
Isotropic exact solutions via Noether symmetries in f(R, T, R

μ
ν

T

μ
ν
) gravity
Authors: Nawazish Iqra , Sharif M
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we study cosmic evolutionary stages in the background of modified theory admitting non-minimal coupling between Ricci scalar, trace of the energy-momentum tensor, contracted Ricci and energy-momentum tensors. For dust distribution, we consider isotropic, homogeneous and flat cosmic model to determine symmetry generators, conserved integrals and exact solutions using Noether symmetry scheme. We find maximum symmetries for non-minimally interacting Ricci scalar and trace of the energy-momentum tensor but none of them correspond to any standard symmetry. For rest of the models, we obtain scaling symmetry with conserved linear momentum. The graphical analysis of standard cosmological parameters, squared speed of sound, viability conditions suggested by Dolgov-Kawasaki instability and state-finder parameters identify realistic nature of new models compatible with Chaplygin gas model, quintessence and phantom regions. The fractional densities relative to ordinary matter and dark energy are found to be consistent with Planck 2018 observational data. It is concluded that the constructed non-minimally coupled models successfully explore cosmic accelerated expansion.
Quantum games with separated entanglements
Authors: Wang Nengfa , Yang Zhe
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we propose quantum games with continuous-variable strategies and separated entanglements, and analyze the outcomes of quantum games with respect to entanglement levels. We find that the entanglement level of own environment has a positive role in own quantum equilibrium supply quantities, and the properties of quantum equilibrium utilities are determined by the entanglement levels of two environments. Finally, we provide some numerical evidences to explain quantum games with separated entanglements.
Structural, optical, and dielectric properties of hydrothermally synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles, Cu/SnO2, and Fe/SnO2 nanocomposites
Authors: Sedky A , Afify Naser , Hakamy A , Abd-Elnaiem Alaa M
Published: October 2023

The structural and optical properties, as well as dielectric characteristics at various frequencies (0.1 Hz—20 MHz) and temperatures, T (300–400 K), of hydrothermally synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles, Cu/SnO2, and Fe/SnO2 composites have been investigated. The crystal structure is mostly formed of a tetragonal SnO2 phase, with a second phase of monoclinic CuO or rhombohedral Fe2O3 detected in Cu/SnO2, and Fe/SnO2 composites, respectively. The direct optical band gap, residual dielectric constant, and density of charge carriers are increased, while ac conductivity (σ
ac) and dielectric constant decreased in Cu/SnO2 and Fe/SnO2. The value of σ
ac was decreased while the electric Q-factor was increased by increasing T. SnO2 obeyed the hole-conduction mechanism for 400 ≥ T (K) ≥ 300, while Cu/SnO2 and Fe/SnO2 obeyed the electronic-conduction mechanism for 400 ≥ T (K) > 300. The binding energy is independent of T for SnO2, whereas it increases with rising T for Cu/SnO2 and Fe/SnO2 composites. F-factor and electronic polarizability are improved by a rise of T for SnO2 and Cu/SnO2 meanwhile are decreased for Fe/SnO2. The electrical impedance of the grains and their boundaries as well as equivalent capacitance are increased by increasing T and have higher values for Fe/SnO2 at T > 300 K. The obtained results recommend the synthesized Cu/SnO2 and Fe/SnO2 composites to be used as catalysts for water purification, anodes for lithium batteries, supercapacitors, and solar cell applications amongst others.
A Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) Sensing Method Enhanced by All-metal Metasurface
Authors: Lin Guanzhou , Yang Bingquan , Zhang Chenglong , Zhu Jia , Wang Yang , Li Liye , Xiong Shisong , Zhang Jinwen , Qi Zhimei , Wu Wengang
Published: October 2023

In this study, we developed a simple surface-enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS) composite substrate, composed of an all-metal metasurface and on-surface random distributing silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), to enhance the performance of SERS sensing. The metasurface is made up of gold (Au) nanopillars array on aluminum (Al), it can localize the electromagnetic field energy with a resonant absorption peak near the 630 nm wavelength, which contributes to the SERS performance of AgNPs deposited into the structure. The composite substrate can significantly improve the sensing performance, and the SERS Enhancement Factor (EF) reaches 2.81 × 106. The substrate also has good stability and reproducibility. The research is based on the combination of Localized Surface Plasmon Resonance (LSPR) and SERS effects, providing a method and idea for improving the sensitivity of SERS detection, and achieving the trace detection of Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and Thiram at 10−10 M, respectively.
Unusual isospectral factorizations of shape invariant Hamiltonians with Scarf II potential
Authors: Acar Yiğit Can , Acevedo Lorena , Kuru Şengül
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we search the factorizations of the shape invariant Hamiltonians with Scarf II potential. We find two classes: one of them is the standard real factorization which leads us to a real hierarchy of potentials and their energy levels; the other one is complex and it leads us naturally to a hierarchy of complex Hamiltonians. We will show some properties of these complex Hamiltonians: they are not parity-time (or PT) symmetric, but their spectrum is real and isospectral to the Scarf II real Hamiltonian hierarchy. The algebras for real and complex shift operators (also called potential algebras) are computed; they consist of su(1, 1) for each of them and the total potential algebra including both hierarchies is the direct sum su(1, 1) ⊕ su(1, 1).
New spherically symmetric wormhole solutions in f(Q)-gravity theory
Authors: Kiroriwal Sweeti , Kumar Jitendra , Maurya S K , Chaudhary Sourav
Published: October 2023

In this study, we examine the new spherically symmetric wormhole solutions in modified symmetric teleparallel (f(Q)) gravity theory. Using the Morris-Thorne method, we construct traversable wormholes with a physically reasonable energy condition and investigate their stability under small perturbations. We discuss two wormhole geometries under the linear functional form of f(Q) with two distinct shape functions. Our results show that the violations of energy conditions in f(Q) gravity provide a viable framework for the study of wormholes. We analyze the properties of wormholes and their behavior under different conditions such as energy conditions, equilibrium conditions, and volume integral quantifiers to check the stability of wormholes. By using the anisotropy parameter, we observed that model-I is attractive in nature and model-II is attractive and repulsive both varying according to the value of r and constant parameters.
High-throughput design of cultured tissue moulds using a biophysical model: optimising cell alignment
Authors: Hague James P , Andrews Allison E , Dickinson Hugh
Published: October 2023

The technique presented here identifies tethered mould designs, optimised for growing cultured tissue with very highly-aligned cells. It is based on a microscopic biophysical model for polarised cellular hydrogels. There is an unmet need for tools to assist mould and scaffold designs for the growth of cultured tissues with bespoke cell organisations, that can be used in applications such as regenerative medicine, drug screening and cultured meat. High-throughput biophysical calculations were made for a wide variety of computer-generated moulds, with cell-matrix interactions and tissue-scale forces simulated using a contractile network dipole orientation model. Elongated moulds with central broadening and one of the following tethering strategies are found to lead to highly-aligned cells: (1) tethers placed within the bilateral protrusions resulting from an indentation on the short edge, to guide alignment (2) tethers placed within a single vertex to shrink the available space for misalignment. As such, proof-of-concept has been shown for mould and tethered scaffold design based on a recently developed biophysical model. The approach is applicable to a broad range of cell types that align in tissues and is extensible for 3D scaffolds.
Numerical simulation of coherent mid-infrared supercontinuum generation based on carbon chloride core tapered photonic crystal fibers
Authors: Zhang Hong-Ping , Zhao Bin , Ma Rong-Ze , Li Zhen-Rui , Wang Peng-Fei
Published: October 2023

We numerically studied coherent mid-infrared (MIR) supercontinuum (SC) generated by filling carbon chloride (CCl4, C2Cl4) into the tapered photonic crystal fiber (PCF). The mechanism involves nonlinear soliton compression, Raman soliton self-frequency shift and dispersive wave generated in a carbon chloride core tapered PCF pumped by a 1.98 μm femtosecond laser. Numerical solution of the generalized nonlinear Schrodinger equation shows that 1.15–5.5 μm (CCl4-core tapered PCF) and 1.15–5.7 μm (C2Cl4-core tapered PCF) coherent MIR-SC sources can be realized. Our results show that the above liquid-core tapered PCFs are promising nonlinear media for constructing broadband coherent MIR-SC light sources.
Measurement-device-independent quantum secure multiparty summation based on entanglement swapping
Authors: Sun Xiao-Feng , Fan Ling , Cao Cong , Yu Wen-Sheng
Published: October 2023

In this paper, we propose a measurement-device-independent (MDI) quantum secure multiparty summation protocol based on entanglement swapping. The protocol is capable of providing a secure modulo-2 summation method for n parties. Our protocol uses Bell states as the information vehicle and establishes encryption through entanglement swapping, and each party encodes the information orderly to complete the summation process through the simple single-qubit operation. In contrast to previous protocols, there is no pre-shared private key sequence and key storage process in our protocol, which helps to reduce the possibility of information leakage in transmission. Our protocol supports multiple summations by n participants, which improves quantum resource utilization. The protocol can be implemented with linear-optical devices. Furthermore, it can resist multiple attack modes including the intercept-resend attack, entangle-and-measure attack, dishonest third-party attack, and parties’ attack. Most significantly, the protocol enables to eliminate all side-channel attacks against detectors based on the MDI principle. Therefore, the protocol has advantages of high security, high efficiency, and good feasibility.
Economic distortion as an indicator to measure the impact of legal metrology activities
Authors: Filho Bruno Amado Rodrigues , Soratto Alexandre Nixon Raulino , Nunes Léssio Lourenço , Afonso Carlos Otávio de Almeida
Published: October 2023

The economic distortion represents the monetary unit involved in measurement deviations in trade. The greater are the deviations of measuring instruments used in the market, the greater are the money under uncertainty in the economy. That market asymmetry can be reduced by legal metrology processes, decreasing losses to both seller and buyers, ensuring trust. The Brazilian National Metrology Institute, Inmetro, in 2021, introduced the economic distortion as one of the indicator to evaluate the performance of legal metrology services. The preliminary results were obtained for the fuel market, showing that the economic distortion in 2019 and 2020, represented R$ 87.3 million for the final demand.
Risk analysis in conformity assessment of positive displacement flowmeter
Authors: Chacon I T , Oliveira J T G S B , Ozanan R O , Costa-Félix R P B
Published: October 2023

Volume measurement of manufactured liquids and liquid raw materials carried out by road tankers (RT) is usual and has economic relevance, justifying the need to ensure metrological reliability. It requires some actions, including choosing suitable standards. In this scenario and considering the practice for type evaluation of measuring instruments, the article proposes a case study, analyzing performance data from a positive displacement meter, a measurement principle widely used as a standard in RT verifications. Current criteria of legal metrology were used: for the 0.3 accuracy class, the maximum permissible error (MPE) is 0.2%. The meter was tested with three different fluids (with different viscosities), and measurement errors were contrasted with the MPE specification, being considered compliant in all situations. On the other hand, risk analysis tools for conformity assessment were incorporated (JCGM 106) based on the different consumer risks, the formulated decision rule, and the measurement uncertainty. Even though, when including the risk analysis, the flowmeter was considered non-compliant, showing the need for a better basis decision using measurement uncertainty in legal metrology actions.
Correlation between ultrasonic velocity and strength in the early ages of concrete from a metrological approach
Authors: Dourado T C , Santos F S , Santos E W J , Gaiofatto R L , Costa-Felix R P B
Published: October 2023

The correlation between ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV) and the quality of concrete parts is a resource that has been explored for decades. However, the significant variability of production of these constructive materials tends to require more robust techniques for better reliability of results. This work adopts a metrological approach in the correlation of the ultrasonic pulse velocity and the respective compressive strength values through destructive tests, evaluated in the first ages (7, 14, 30, and 90 days). For this analysis, three different concrete mixes were moulded into cylindrical shapes, using different proportions of the inputs that make up this material. After undergoing statistical and metrological treatment, the results obtained allowed to identify a similar behaviour of UPV growth with the strengths of the concrete samples, especially when analysing the measurement uncertainty bars. However, it is noteworthy that it is necessary to expand the tests in a more significant number of concrete mixtures. It is expected that the improvement of these tests can help reduce costs and execution times of concrete structures where stripping depends on the strength achieved.
pH measurements hydrous ethanol fuel
Authors: Atilio N C , Fertonani F L , de Oliveira E C
Published: October 2023

The pH is one of the quality parameters of hydrous ethanol fuel (HEF), being established by Brazilian standard ABNT NBR 10891 and by American standard ASTM D 6423. The present work aims to compare the measurement systems proposed by the standards for measuring pH in hydrous ethanol fuel and compare them with the pH range found from pH indicators, considered as a standard measurement. The results reveal that the pH values obtained by the different systems used are statistically different from each other and different from the range found by the indicators.
Comparison between methods of electric current generation applied to intermediary checking for electrometers calibration
Authors: Machado L , Barbosa R.A.
Published: October 2023

The Intermediary Checking of the calibration the electrometers, to ensure that the calibration factor of a given instrument is valid for a longer time, has been developed at LNMRI-IRD since 2019. It works with three of the methods for generating electric current of small values (pA): capacitance, resistance (Ohm) and ionization current (radiation sources). In this article, we will evaluate the performance of electrometers using the ionization current method and we will make a comparison between the results obtained by this method with the results that uses the Ohm method. From this comparison, we could see that the method using radiation sources had a better performance of the electrometers, however, in terms of cost-benefit, the Ohm method better serves the intermediary checking of the calibration the electrometers.
Digitalization of an Electrical Metrology Laboratory: Hybrid-remote calibrations
Authors: Geronymo Gean Marcos
Published: October 2023

This paper gives a summary of the recent improvements in the digitalization process of the Electrical Standardization Metrology Laboratory (Lampe) of Inmetro and presents a solution for hybrid-remote calibrations with remote control of calibration systems from anywhere using the Internet.
Evaluation of the effects of leakage current in the calibration of standard resistors between two dc resistance bridges and a digital sampling impedance bridge
Authors: da Silva Márcio Cândido , Geronymo Gean Marcos
Published: October 2023

This article discusses calibrations results of standard resistors performed with two commercially available equipment and a digital sampling impedance bridge developed at Inmetro. One of the commercial bridges uses the current comparison method and the other the potentiometric method with a binary voltage divider. Calibration was performed with standard resistors of 10 kΩ and 100 kΩ with significant leakage current. This study showed divergent results between each methodology. A specific methodology was used to estimate the leakage resistance of these resistors. This study contributes to establish criteria for correction and/or inclusion of uncertainty components in resistors calibrated in these methodologies.
Next steps in high-repetition-rate laser development for Thomson scattering
Authors: Den Hartog D.J. , Holly D.J. , Thomas M.A.
Published: October 2023

Design of a next generation high-rep-rate laser system is underway, aiming for a maximum rep rate of 100 kHz for 1 ms. This will be a “pulse-burst” laser, which is a type of heat-capacity laser. Heat-capacity laser operation is characterized by a burst of pulses of limited duration, with burst length ≤100 ms and pulse rep rate ≥1 kHz. Waste heat accumulates in the laser rod during the burst. This heat is deposited evenly throughout the rod volume, with very little heat removed during the burst, such that temperature rises evenly across the rod radius. Thus beam distortion due to thermal gradients is small.
Heat is removed from the rod
after the burst, with typically tens of seconds between bursts. Pulse-burst operation of flashlamp pumped Nd:YAG lasers is a cost-effective route to high-rep-rate capability. Pulse-burst laser systems with “fast burst” rep rates in the range of 10–20 kHz have been built for the Thomson scattering diagnostics on MST, NSTX-U, and LHD. For Thomson scattering diagnostic application, the typical requirements are 1064 nm, 1–2 J/pulse, ≤30 ns FWHM pulse, with a top-hat beam profile. A major requirement for this next generation laser system is flexibility in burst sequence programs, ranging from 1 kHz for 100 ms to 100 kHz for 1 ms, and a variety of scenarios in between so that operation can be tailored to plasma experiment requirements. Flashlamp pumping will be used for this next generation laser because it is inexpensive and flexible. A new switch-regulated flashlamp driver will provide improved flashlamp control at lower cost. Additional design issues such as the optimum flashlamp pumping spectrum and optimum Nd doping will be addressed. The use of commercial off-the-shelf components will be maximized in this laser system so that pulse-burst systems can be developed and built by others for new applications.
Environmental Compatibility of the Suggested New Cities Study Area -Samawah New City
Authors: Alzaidy Shahad Saady , Al-Musawi Nawar O.
Published: October 2023

The research presented the experience of creating a new sustainable city, and this experience of establishing an Eco-City (Environmentally friendly) is considered the first experience in Iraq. The current study stressed the importance of the need for environmental planning in the early stages of planning new cities based on realism in planning, design and implementation. Subsequently, that aims to preserve the ecosystem, which is difficult to compensate if degraded or polluted. The research incorporated environmental planning indicators within sustainable urban planning (Reliance on generating electric power that is based on clean and renewable energy sources, Availability of public transport services and pedestrian paths, providing green and open areas, approval the principle of mixed use of urban land; reuse of treated wastewater for various urban usages, as well as an interest in solid waste management and recycling residual wastes. Community participation, intensification and compactness within urban areas are evaluating by indicators conducting statistical analysing, and discussing results within methods and strategies of sustainable urban planning and their compatibility for implementation in new cities in Iraq. The main research contribution was to plan a new Eco-City integrated and comprehensive, healthy and liveable city that provides comfort and luxury to residents, taking into account environmental planning. Another contribution is presenting by eliminating informal housing and reducing pressure on social and technical services within the existing Samawah city, especially study area is adjacent to Samawah existing city.
Geospatial Analysis of Emergency Services of The City of Hillah Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
Authors: Alyasiri Elaf Amer Majeed , Hamza Ameera Mouhammad Ali , Kadhim Ameen Awad
Published: October 2023

This research study analyzed the accessibility of the transportation system of the City of Hillah for reaching emergency hospitals and fire stations to provide safety and health to the injured. Evaluating the distribution of the fire station and hospital through some criteria and variables such as population density, hospital distribution, and fire station distribution by applying the Euclidean Distance (ED) tool that cercal the distance around the target. The result suggested that; increase the number of points of emergency on the main streets, opening streets for the work of civil defense centers in areas with high population density, and building a wide database on organizing the work of fire stations and emergency hospitals by increasing the number of research and studies in this regard. As well as open means of communication between them.
Monitoring the land surface temperature for Al-Ahdab oil field in 2022 using R.S and GIS techniques
Authors: Salih Haya Q. , Khanjer Ebtisam F.
Published: October 2023

The skin temperature of the earth’s surface is referred to as the Land Surface Temperature (LST). the availability of long-term and high-quality temperature records is important for various uses that affect people’s lives and livelihoods. Much valid information was provided to this research from remote sensing technology by using Landsat 8 (L8) imagery to estimate LST for Al-Ahdab oil field in Wasit city in Iraq. The aim of this research is to analyze LST variations based on Landsat 8 data for 2022 (January, April, July, and October). ArcMap 10.8 was used to estimate LST results. The results values ranged from (about 10 C in January to about 46 C in July). The results show that LST by Landsat 8 data increased significantly during the months of the study Until October when they start to decline, and it was also noted that the areas of drilling sites are the highest temperature in the study area and for all months.
Modification of the neck-linker of KIF18A alters Microtubule subpopulation preference
Authors: Queen Katelyn A. , Cario Alisa , Berger Christopher L. , Stumpff Jason
Published: October 2023

Kinesins support many diverse cellular processes, including facilitating cell division through mechanical regulation of the mitotic spindle. However, how kinesin activity is controlled to facilitate this process is not well understood. Interestingly, posttranslational modifications have been identified within the enzymatic region of all 45 mammalian kinesins, but the significance of these modifications has gone largely unexplored. Given the critical role of the enzymatic region in facilitating nucleotide and microtubule binding, it may serve as a primary site for kinesin regulation. Consistent with this idea, a phosphomimetic mutation at S357 in the neck-linker of KIF18A alters the localization of KIF18A within the spindle from kinetochore microtubules to nonkinetochore microtubules at the periphery of the spindle. Changes in localization of KIF18A-S357D are accompanied by defects in mitotic spindle positioning and the ability to promote mitotic progression. This altered localization pattern is mimicked by a shortened neck-linker mutant, suggesting that KIF18A-S357D may cause the motor to adopt a shortened neck-linker-like state that decreases KIF18A accumulation at the plus-ends of kinetochore microtubules. These findings demonstrate that posttranslational modifications in the enzymatic region of kinesins could be important for biasing their localization to particular microtubule subpopulations.
A systematic review of reviews on the psychometric properties of measures of older persons’ ability to build and maintain social relationships
Authors: Julião Pedro Lobo , Fernandes Óscar Brito , Alves Janice P , Amuthavalli Thiyagarajan Jotheeswaran , Mikton Christopher , Diaz Theresa , Pais Sandra
Published: October 2023

Background

Within the scope of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) world report on ageing and health and how healthy ageing was conceptualised, the WHO has been working with academia towards producing reviews of the psychometric properties of instruments that measure different domains of functional ability. This study aimed to conduct a review of reviews to examine existing and validated instruments measuring the ability of older persons to build and maintain social relationships and to evaluate the psychometric properties of these instruments.

Methods

We searched for studies published in the English, Spanish and Portuguese languages. No restrictions were placed on the year of publication. The following databases were searched: PubMed, Embase, Psyinfo and Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature. Titles and abstracts were screened and selected articles were screened and reviewed independently by two reviewers.

Results

A total of 3,879 records were retrieved, of which 39 records were retrieved for full-text analysis. None of the reviews met the inclusion criteria, thus resulting in an empty review.

Conclusions

Considering the current definition of older persons’ functional ability to build and maintain social relationships, this review did not identify instruments that can measure both constructs simultaneously. We suggest the development of an instrument that simultaneously assesses the ability of older persons to build and maintain relationships.
Measures of perceived mobility ability in community-dwelling older adults: a systematic review of psychometric properties
Authors: Beauchamp Marla , Hao Qiukui , Kuspinar Ayse , Alder Gésine , Makino Keitaro , Nouredanesh Mina , Zhao Yunli , Mikton Christopher , Thiyagarajan Jotheeswaran Amuthavalli , Diaz Theresa , Raina Parminder
Published: October 2023

Objectives

The objective of this systematic review was to synthesise the psychometric properties of measures of perceived mobility ability and related frameworks used to define and operationalise mobility in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods

We registered the review protocol with PROSPERO (CRD42022306689) and included studies that examined the psychometric properties of perceived mobility measures in community-dwelling older adults. Five databases were searched to identify potentially relevant primary studies. We qualitatively summarised psychometric property estimates and related operational frameworks. We conducted risk of bias and overall quality assessments, and meta-analyses when at least three studies were included for a particular outcome. The synthesised results were compared against the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments criteria for good measurement properties.

Results

A total of 36 studies and 17 measures were included in the review. The Late-Life Function and Disability Index: function component (LLFDI-FC), lower extremity functional scale (LEFS), Mobility Assessment Tool (MAT)-short form (MAT-SF) or MAT-Walking, and Perceived Driving Abilities (PDA) Scale were identified with three or more eligible studies. Most measures showed sufficient test–retest reliability (moderate or high), while the PDA scale showed insufficient reliability (low). Most measures had sufficient or inconsistent convergent validity (low or moderate) or known-groups validity (low or very low), but their predictive validity and responsiveness were insufficient or inconsistent (low or very low). Few studies used a conceptual model.

Conclusion

The LLFDI-FC, LEFS, PDA and MAT-SF/Walking can be used in community-dwelling older adults by considering the summarised psychometric properties. No available comprehensive mobility measure was identified that covered all mobility domains.