Browse Articles

Synthesis, characterization and toxicity assessment of chlorantraniliprole nanoemulsion against Helicoverpa armigera

Engineering mechanical resonances of magnetoelectric transducers

Magnetoelectric transducers are being investigated as a promising alternative for wireless power transfer in cases where small device size and/or low operation frequency are desired. To maximize the output power of such transducers, operation at their mechanical resonance frequency is imperative. However, a reduction in size along the direction of oscillation is intrinsically accompanied by an increase in resonance frequency. Here, we report on a computational shape optimization strategy to minimize the resonance frequency in magnetoelectric transducers by ≈38% within a set of given optimization constraints. We show that our algorithm can be used to guide the design of magnetoelectric transducers optimized to operate at different resonance frequencies and allows for consistent frequency spacing between transducers, thus enabling separately addressable devices and clustered operation. Finally, we propose four needle-shaped devices that could be used as bioimplants that impose minimal tissue damage upon direct insertion into tissue. The increase in resonance frequency associated with the needle shape is overcompensated by a frequency minimization step. Our work paves the way for computationally guided resonance frequency tuning in the field of magnetoelectric transducers.

Two chromatographic methods for analyzing paracetamol in spiked human plasma with its toxic metabolite, N-acetyl parabenzoquinone imine and its antidote, N-acetyl-l-cysteine

Abstract Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol (APAP), is a highly utilized pharmaceutical agent on a global scale, particularly in the field of pediatrics. Regrettably, an overdose of APAP, resulting from the predominant oxidation, has the potential to trigger acute liver injury. The study’s goal was to find an easy, accurate, and selective way to measure APAP, N-acetyl para benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) (an APAP metabolite that is harmful), and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) (an antidote). Two different chromatographic methods were used. The HPTLC method, which used silica gel 60 F254 as a stationary phase and a developing liquid made up of methanol, ethyl acetate, and glacial acetic acid (8:2:0.2, v/v/v) and a UV detection at 254 nm. The HPLC method was developed using a mobile phase consisting of water, methanol, and formic acid in a proportion of (70:30:0.15, v/v/v). The stationary phase used in the approach was a C18 column. Analytes quantification was established utilizing a UV detector operating at a wavelength of 254 nm. The present methods make it possible to measure the amount of APAP in plasma samples. When it comes to pharmacokinetics or medication levels in children’s plasma, for example, this may be also very helpful. The current methods can quantify NAPQI, which is helpful in figuring out drug concentrations in individuals with APAP intoxication diagnoses. Additionally, the current approaches can estimate NAC as an antidote; as a result, this study is a complete study because it can analyse drug, toxic metabolite, and antidote in one analytical run. Using the innovative blue applicability grade index software, which measures the practicality of procedures, both methodologies were compared with a reported methods. Additionally, the achievement of the eco-friendliness profile of the designed procedures was assessed. Both techniques passed the ICH validation tests.

Spin glass and complex magnetism in a high-entropy spinel oxide with five cations at both tetrahedral and octahedral sites

We report the stabilization and investigation of a hitherto unexplored high-entropy spinel oxide with the composition (Mg0.2Co0.2Ni0.2Cu0.2Zn0.2)(Cr0.4Mn0.4Fe0.4Al0.4Ga0.4)O4, representing the spinel compound with five distinct elements at both the tetrahedral and octahedral sites in the spinel structure. Detailed structural characterization using x-ray diffraction (and scanning electron microscopy) confirms the cubic crystal structure, while DC magnetic and AC susceptibility measurements reveal complex magnetic behavior below 150 K and spin glass state at 37 K. AC susceptibility measurements along with zero-field-cooled and field-cooled memory effect and aging effect confirm the spin glass state of the material. The power law and Vogel–Fulcher analyses confirm this material's cluster spin glass state. This work highlights the potential of entropy-driven design in tailoring multifunctional materials for advanced applications.

Delving into biomarkers and predictive modeling for CVD mortality: a 20-year cohort study

A simple method to find temporal overlap between THz and x-ray pulses using x-ray-induced carrier dynamics in semiconductors

X-ray-induced carrier dynamics in silicon and gallium arsenide were investigated through intensity variations of transmitted terahertz (THz) pulses in the pico- to microsecond timescale with x-ray free-electron laser and synchrotron radiation. We observed a steep reduction in THz transmission with a picosecond scale due to the x-ray-induced carrier generation, followed by a recovery on a nano- to microsecond scale caused by the recombination of carriers. The rapid response in the former process is applicable to a direct determination of temporal overlap between THz and x-ray pulses for THz pump–x-ray probe experiments with an accuracy of a few picoseconds.

Forsythia suspensa leaf fermented tea extracts attenuated oxidative stress in mice via the Ref-1/HIF-1α signal pathway and modulation of gut microbiota

Perspective on phase change composites in high-efficiency solar-thermal energy storage

To clarify future research directions, this study first analyzes the heat transfer process of solar-thermal conversion and then reviews solar-thermal phase change composites for high-efficiency harnessing solar energy. The focus is on enhancing heat absorption and conduction while aiming to suppress reflection, radiation, and convection. Most advancements have concentrated on improving absorption and thermal conductivity, while reducing the aforementioned unfavorable processes remains less explored. In the current research, the best results show that the solar-thermal conversion efficiency has approached the theoretical limit (100%), and a typical thermal conductivity has reached 33.5 W/(m·K). However, further enhancement of the absorption and conduction remains a challenge, highlighting the need for structural modifications and grafting. Other factors hindering conversion efficiency have received limited attention and warrant further in-depth investigation, with the potential to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Identification of new ClpC1-NTD binders for Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug development

Coupling and propagation of strong-field THz waves on tungsten wires

Free-space strong-field terahertz (THz) radiation has significant applications in non-equilibrium quantum matter modulation, all-optical electron acceleration and manipulation, THz biomedical effects, and so on. However, certain applications like THz endoscopes, strong-field THz near-field nonlinear optics, and THz high-power devices require a deep understanding of strong-field THz–matter interaction mechanisms. Therefore, improving the manipulation of strong-field THz coupling and propagation characteristics, particularly through the use of metal wire waveguides, is crucial. To this end, we systematically investigate the coupling and propagation characteristics of strong-field THz waves on the surface of tungsten wires and implement two effective coupling methods: two-wire coupling and crossover coupling. This allows for a propagation distance of up to 100 mm along the tungsten surface as THz surface waves. This effective control of strong-field THz waves using metal wires enables the guidance of THz waves from free space into transmission lines and waveguides, which holds significant value for various specific applications.

Enhancing depression recognition through a mixed expert model by integrating speaker-related and emotion-related features

Sputter epitaxy of ScAlN films on GaN high electron mobility transistor structures

ScAlN has emerged as a promising material for GaN-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) due to its unique piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties, which can significantly enhance electronic performance. This study investigated the epitaxial growth of ScAlN films on AlGaN/GaN HEMT structures using a sputtering method, focusing on the structural and electrical characteristics of the heterostructures. ScAlN films with varying Sc compositions (5%–20%) were grown on AlGaN/AlN/GaN/SiC template substrates. High-resolution x-ray diffraction and reciprocal space mapping revealed the coherent growth of ScAlN, and the increase in the c-axis lattice constant increases with Sc composition. Hall effect measurements of the Sc0.06Al0.94N/AlGaN/AlN/GaN HEMT structures showed an increase in sheet carrier density compared to structures prior to the growth of ScAlN, highlighting its potential for improved electrical performance. These findings underscore the value of ScAlN as a barrier layer material of GaN HEMTs, enhancing device efficiency and output power.

Exploring the anticancer potential of Hewittia malabarica through phytochemical analysis and molecular docking study

Construction of Ni–P/TiO2 Schottky heterojunction via photo-deposition to enhance photocatalytic hydrogen evolution activity

Photocatalytic hydrogen evolution (PHE) is sustainable and environmentally friendly. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is commonly chosen as a photocatalyst of PHE due to its non-toxicity, robust stability, and superior photocatalytic activity. However, the efficacy of TiO2 is restricted by rapid electron–hole pair recombination, limited electron mobility, and sluggish surface reactions. To address these issues, we have synthesized a Ni–P alloy onto the surface of TiO2 (Ni–P/TiO2) using a safe and efficient photo-deposition method, thereby constructing a Schottky heterojunction photocatalyst. The construction of the heterojunction significantly reduces the recombination rates of photoinduced electron–hole pairs and enhances the charge transfer rates within the photocatalyst. Additionally, the incorporation of the Ni–P alloy increases the density of oxygen vacancies, providing abundant active sites for the reduction reaction. The metallic properties of the Ni–P alloy improve the overall light absorption capacity. As a result, Ni–P/TiO2 exhibits exceptional photocatalytic hydrogen production capability. When the mass ratio of the Ni–P alloy to TiO2 is 12 wt. %, the hydrogen evolution rate reaches its maximum value at 1654.2 μmol g−1 h−1. Furthermore, density functional theory calculations substantiate that the formation of an internal electric field between the Ni–P alloy and TiO2 facilitates electron migration and carrier separation. This investigation provides a promising strategy for constructing TiO2-based Schottky heterojunctions to improve the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution performance.

Efficacy of 3D-printed patient specific implant for orbital wall fracture repair in a series of 40 patients

Electro-chemo-mechanical deterioration of high-dose electron irradiated Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 electrolyte

Solid-state electrolytes (SSEs) hold promises for aerospace and satellite applications, owing to their high-voltage and low-temperature stability. However, concerns about electrochemical degradation under high-energy radiation hinder their widespread use in space. To this end, a NASICON-type Li1.3Al0.3Ti1.7(PO4)3 (LATP) electrolyte with high ionic conductivity at room temperature was selected, and the effects of high-dose electron irradiation on the microstructure as well as electrochemical and mechanical properties of electrolyte were investigated by using neutron powder diffraction (NPD), NPD stress analysis, micro-computed tomography, nanoindentation, and XRD residual stress test. It was confirmed that LATP SSEs held good resistance to irradiation at absorbed doses of 1 and 2 MGy with negligibly performance degradation, while irradiation at high doses induced a rapid decrease in the Young modulus and hardness of SSEs and introduced a tensile stress of 65.79 MPa at up to 10 MGy absorbed dose, which increased the cracking tendency and the risk of lithium dendrite growth in the solid-state electrolyte. NPD revealed that the reduction of lithium vacancies at the M1 site of the irradiated SSEs was the critical factor for the ion transport performance degradation. This is evidenced by a significant increase in impedance, up to 453 Ω, and an increase in the activation energy for ion transport to 0.501 eV.

An algorithm for cardiac disease detection based on the magnetic resonance imaging

Abstract In experiments to detect heart disease on cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) medical images, existing object detection models face several challenges including low accuracy and unreliable detection results. To tackle these issues, this article proposes an innovative method for Object Detection in cardiac MRI medical images called SA-YOLO. This method is based on the YOLOv8 model but introduces several key modifications. Firstly, the standard Spatial Pyramid Pooling Fast module is replaced with a Multi-Channel Spatial Pyramid Pooling module. Secondly, an attention mechanism combining the ideas of Squeeze-Excitation and Coordinate Attention designed, and integrated into the Neck part of the baseline model. Subsequently, the bounding box regression loss function CIoU loss of the model was replaced with the iSD-IoU loss that combines shape loss and distance loss. Finally, comparative experiments were conducted on the Automated Cardiac Diagnosis Challenge cardiac MRI image dataset where it was found that SA-YOLOv8 achieved better results in detecting cardiac pathologies, and improvement of 7.4% in mAP0.5 value and 5.1% in mAP0.5-0.95 value compared to the baseline model.

High performance BAW resonators with improved AlN thin films quality based on BaF2 buffer layer

The quality of AlN thin films has an important effect on the performance of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) resonators. In this work, the low lattice mismatch of BaF2 buffer layer with AlN thin films was employed to improve the crystalline quality of AlN thin films. Furthermore, an ethanol assisted epitaxial liftoff (ethanol-ELO) technique based on the BaF2 buffer layer was proposed to lift off AlN thin films from Si substrate, which reduced surface roughness scattering. The ELO technology reduced the damage of AlN thin films and Si wafer during the ELO process due to the selective etching of AlN and BaF2. Utilizing the BaF2 buffer layer, the as-prepared BAW resonators, based on single-crystalline AlN, displayed Q-factor up to 2857, which was 47% higher than that without the BaF2 buffer layer. This study highlights the significant role of the BaF2 buffer layer in enhancing BAW resonators' performance and reducing fabrication costs.

Insights from serial cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging show early progress in diastolic dysfunction relates to impaired right ventricular deformation

Abstract Latent pulmonary vascular disease is a distinct feature already in the early pathophysiology of masked heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and associated with reduced right ventricular (RV) functional reserve. We hypothesized that serial real-time cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging at rest and during exercise-stress may detect early progress in pathophysiological alterations in HFpEF. Patients presenting with exertional dyspnoea and signs of diastolic dysfunction (E/e’>8, left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction > 50%) were prospectively enrolled in the HFpEF Stress Trial (NCT03260621). Rest and exercise-stress echocardiography, CMR and right heart catheterisation were performed at baseline. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) was used for classification of HFpEF (≥ 15/25mmHg at rest/during exercise-stress) and non-cardiac dyspnoea (NCD). Repeat rest and exercise-stress CMR was performed in median 2.94 years after recruitment during which timeframe some HFpEF patients had undergone interatrial shunt device (IASD) implantation. Cardiovascular events were assessed after 4 years.Serial CMR scans were available for NCD n  = 10, HFpEF n  = 10 and HFpEF with IASD implantation following baseline diagnosis n  = 6. RV long axis strain at rest and during exercise-stress decreased in HFpEF ( p  = 0.007 for both) but neither in NCD nor HFpEF with IASD. In contrast, in NCD, an improvement in LA LAS during exercise-stress ( p  = 0.028) was noted. There were no functional alterations in HFpEF patients who had undergone IASD implantation. RV functional deterioration may be a pathophysiological feature during early-stage disease progress in HFpEF. In this observational study RV functional deterioration was detected in HFpEF patients only but not patients with NCD and patients with HFpEF that were treated with IASD placement. These findings should next be explored in adequately powered future research trials. Clinicaltrials.gov : NCT03260621 (First posted date 24/08/2017).

A flexible multi-gate organic electrochemical synaptic transistor for image processing

In this study, a P3HT-based multi-gate frequency-dependent synaptic transistor is fabricated, which demonstrates significant advantages in mimicking the transmission characteristics of biological synaptic activities. The proposed device simulates outputs related to frequency and gate voltage modulation. This device can respond differently to inputs ranging from 0.75 to 11.11 Hz, and at the same input frequency, it exhibits different responses by varying the control gate voltage from 0 to −0.8 V. This innovative design can dynamically adjust the cutoff frequency, enhancing edge feature processing in images, thereby significantly improving the recognition accuracy of information in blurry images that can be difficult for humans to distinguish. Our results provide a hardware edge-computing image processing method, overcoming the limitations of traditional single-gate transistors that typically have fixed parameters. The recognition accuracy of information in blurry images preprocessed by this device improved significantly from 80% to 100%. Combined with the multi-gate design, this synaptic device excels not only in edge enhancement and image processing but also offers robust hardware support for future neuromorphic electronics.