Current Micro-Computed Tomography (Micro-CT) protocols for microvasculature analysis often necessitate organ dissection and non-clearable contrast agents. We describe a non-destructive technique for achieving high-resolution images of the human coronary microvasculature. Formalin-fixed human hearts were cannulated using venogram catheters designed for balloon occlusion. Catheters were anchored at the aortic root. Hearts were placed in sealable, radiolucent containers filled with insulating polyurethane foam. Iodine potassium iodide (IKI, Lugol's solution;6.3% Potassium Iodide, 4.1% Iodide) was injected into the coronary arteries. Contrast distribution was monitored using a North Star Imaging X3000 Micro-CT scanner with low-radiation settings, followed by high-radiation scans (3600 rad, 60 kV, 900 mA). We successfully imaged two intact human hearts with chronic total coronary occlusions of the right coronary artery. The scans enabled detailed analysis of the vasa vasorum surrounding stenosed and occluded segments. After imaging, both hearts were cleared of iodine and excess polyurethane foam and then returned to their initial formalin-fixed state for indefinite storage. Conclusions: This method allows for the non-destructive, high-resolution micro-CT imaging of coronary microvasculature in intact human hearts, paving the way for 3D microvascular reconstruction in a macrovascular context.

This work presents the results regarding the synthesis of tungsten nanoparticles (W NPs) by magnetron sputtering combined with gas aggregation (MSGA) when H2 mixed with Ar is used as working gas, the amount of H2 being increased up to 82%. The results show that up to 40% H2 in discharge the synthesis rate increases over 60 times, rapidly decreasing for over 50% H2 in discharge. The W dust is still produced in H2 dominated discharge (82%), the deposition rate being small but not negligible (20 mg/hour). The obtained WNPs are isolated, with the diameter decreasing from 50 nm to 15 nm when the amount of H2 in discharge is smaller than 41%. Over this value, the particles tend to agglomerate, forming structures similar to film-like deposits. Also, the diameter of the deposited spots on substrates is dependent on the H2 content in discharge. This allows the efficient coating of substrates with dimensions up to 26 mm by translating them in front of the MSGA cluster source exit aperture. Supplementary, for 41% H2 in discharge, the influence of synthetic air leaks (0-5%) in discharge was investigated. The deposition rate decreases rapidly (ceasing for around 4% air in discharge) and the obtained nanoparticles tend to agglomerate (at 2% air content, the dust deposit has the aspect of a near continuous film). Chemical composition investigations show a pronounced tendency of oxidation, nitridation and oxynitride formation in the presence of air leaks.

We investigate solutions of the classical Mathieu-Hill (MH) equation which characterizes the dynamics of trapped ions, based on the Floquet theory and starting from a well known analytical model. The analytical model we introduce demonstrates that the equations of motion are equivalent to those of the harmonic oscillator (HO). Two independent approaches are used, based on two classes of complex solutions of the MH equation. The paper addresses both the damped HO and parametric oscillator (PO) for an ion confined in an electrodynamic (Paul) trap. Stability and instability regions for the periodic orbits associated to the MH equation which describes a HO (PO) confined in an electrodynamic trap are also discussed, depending on the values of the Floquet exponent, for very small values of the $q$ parameter. The main objective of the paper is to identify stable and bounded solutions for the dynamics of a HO levitated in an electrodynamic trap. This paper represents a follow-up of a recently published article in Photonics, 11 (6) 551.

The stability properties of the Hill equation are discussed, and especially those of the Mathieu equation that characterize ion motion in electrodynamic traps. The solutions of the Mathieu equation for a trapped ion are characterized by using the Floquet theory and Hill's Method solution, which yields an infinite system of linear and homogeneous equations whose coefficients are recursively determined. Stability is discussed for parameters $a$ and $q$ that are real. Characteristic curves are introduced naturally by the Sturm-Liouville problem for the well known even and odd Mathieu equations $ce_m(z,q)$ and $se_m(z,q)$. We illustrate the stability diagram for a combined (Paul and Penning) trap and represent the frontiers of the stability domains for axial and radial motion. In case of a Paul trap the stable solution corresponds to a superposition of harmonic motions. The problem of evaluating the maximum amplitudes of stable oscillations for the ideal conditions (taken into consideration) is also approached. Anharmonic corrections are discussed within the frame of the perturbation theory, while the frontiers of the modified stability domains are determined as a function of the chosen perturbation parameter. The results apply to 2D and 3D ion traps used for different applications in quantum engineering, among which optical clocks, quantum logic and quantum metrology, but not restricted only to these.

The review scrutinizes the currently performed research on the new methods for enhancing bituminous binder performance through radiation and radical grafting of polymer modifers of bitumen. It investigates innovative methods, including using waste polymers as modifiers, and applying radiation for polymer grafting, to overcome challenges like high costs, low aging resistance and storage stability issues, of which separation of phases polymer/bitumen is the most significant obstacle. These advanced modification techniques promise sustainability through the decrease of the carbon footprint of transportation systems by improving the properties and durability of binders. Additionally, the review discusses the parameters and mechanistic aspects from a scientific perspective, shedding light on the underlying processes that contribute to the improved performance of modified bituminous binders.

The isotopic and nuclear techniques discussed, namely: Fallout Radionuclide, Fingerprint, and Isotope Hydrology, are linked to the evaluation of soil and water degradation processes. A traditional literature review was conducted to gain the most comprehensive understanding of both the current state of the art and the subject matter, with the aim of proposing a hypothesis that integrates the synergistic convergence of these techniques in order to offer results that are more reliable. A case study is presented as a synthesis of the preceding discussion.

Patients with metastatic epidural spinal cord compression (MESCC) and favorable survival prognoses may benefit from radiation doses exceeding 10 x 3.0 Gy. In a multi-center phase 2 trial, patients receiving 15 x 2.633 Gy (41.6 Gy10) or 18 x 2.333 Gy (43.2 Gy10) were evaluated for local progression-free survival (LPFS), motor/sensory functions, ambulatory status, pain, distress, toxicity, and overall survival (OS). They were compared (propensity score adjusted Cox regression) to a historical control group (N=266) receiving 10 x 3.0 Gy (32.5 Gy10). In the phase 2-cohort, 50 (of 62 planned) patients were evaluable for LPFS. Twelve-month rates of LPFS and OS were 96.8% and 69.9%, respectively. Motor and sensory functions improved in 56% and 57.1% of patients, and 94.0% were ambulatory following radiotherapy. Pain and distress decreased in 84.4% and 78.0% of patients. Ten and two patients experienced grade 2 and 3 toxicities, respectively. Phase 2 patients showed significantly better LPFS than the control group (p = 0.039) and a trend for improved motor function (p = 0.057). Ambulatory and OS rates were not significantly different. Radiotherapy with 15 x 2.633 Gy or 18 x 2.333 Gy was well tolerated and appeared superior to 10 x 3.0 Gy.

The theory of water transport in trees, according to which the main driving force of water movement is the suction created by the evaporation of water by the meniscus (the curved surface of the capillary liquid column) on the evaporating elements, supported from below by root pressure, is flawed. The capillary effect in nature is around one meter. In the case of open-air gaps, the leaf cannot suck in the water against gravity because, in this case, the plant would not be sucking in water, but air through the open-air gap. If not, how do trees transport water? When evaporation occurs, there is no suction towards the canopy, but pressure is due to a reduction in the cross-section of the water pipe caused by heat loss through evaporation. At night, when evaporation stops, a thermal equilibration process is triggered, which restores the original cross-section of the pipe. This generates suction and draws water from the soil. As the hydrostatic pressure in the pipe is high for tall trees, the pipe is cut off. To prove my theory, I have given several examples. Water transport is not based on physical mechanical laws alone. There may be complex physiological, biochemical, and biophysical processes behind the operation of the pipe system.

Ionizing radiation exposure can cause damage to diverse tissues and organs, with the hematopoietic system being the most sensitive. However, limited information is available regarding the radiosensitivity of various hematopoietic cell populations in the bone marrow due to the high heterogeneity of the hematopoietic system. In this study, we observed that granulocyte-macrophage progenitors, hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and B cells within the bone marrow showed the highest sensitivity, exhibiting a rapid decrease in cell numbers following irradiation. Nonetheless, neutrophils, natural killer (NK) cells, T cells, and dendritic cells demonstrated a certain degree of radioresistance, with neutrophils exhibiting the most pronounced resistance. By employing single-cell transcriptome sequencing, we investigated the early responsive genes in various cell types following irradiation, revealing that distinct gene expression profiles emerged between radiosensitive and radioresistant cells. In B cells, radiation exposure led to a specific upregulation of genes associated with mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes, suggesting a connection between these complexes and cell radiosensitivity. In neutrophils, radiation exposure resulted in fewer gene alterations, indicating their potential for distinct mechanisms in radiation resistance. Collectively, this study provides insights into the molecular mechanism for the heterogeneity of radiosensitivity among the various bone marrow hematopoietic cell populations.

Medulloblastoma (MB) is one of the most common malignant pediatric brain tumors. Current therapy results in poor prognosis for high-risk SHH/p53-mutated MB, emphasizing the importance of more effective therapeutic strategies. Here, we investigated potential radiosensitizing effects of checkpoint kinase inhibitors (Chk-i) prexasertib (Chk1/2) and SAR-020106 (Chk1) in human SHH/p53-mutated MB in vitro and in vivo. UW228 and DAOY cells were treated with Chk-i and irradiation (RT). Metabolic activity, proliferation, and apoptosis was determined at d3, long-term clonogenicity at d14. DNA damage was assessed after 1, 24, and 72 h. Patient-derived SHH/p53-mutated, luciferase-transfected MB cells were implanted orthotopically into NSG mice (d0). Fractionated therapy (daily, d7-11) was applied. Body weight (BW) was documented daily, tumor growth weekly, and proliferation at d42. In vitro, Chk-i exhibited dose-dependent reduction of metabolic activity, proliferation, and clonogenicity, and enhancement of apoptosis. Combination with RT showed additive antitumor effects and enhanced residual DNA damage. In vivo, tumor growth was delayed by Chk-i alone. Low-dose prexasertib enhanced RT-induced tumor growth inhibition (37-fold) and reduced proliferating cells, high-dose prexasertib and SAR-020106 showed opposite effects (n=3, n.s.). BW assessments revealed that the treatment was well tolerated. Our data indicate a benefit of Chk-i in combination with RT in SHH/p53-mutated MB. However, high-dose Chk-i may compromise the RT effect, possibly by its anti-proliferative activity. Furthermore, we demonstrate for the first time the antitumor activity of the Chk1-specific inhibitor SAR-020106 in the murine brain.

Introduction: Lymph-nodal prostate cancer oligometastases are differently treated according to their site: pelvic are locoregional lymph-nodes, instead para-aortic lymph-nodes are considered as distant metastases. Aim of the study was a comparison between para-aortic and pelvic oligometastases treated with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). Material/methods: This is a retrospective analysis. De-novo metastatic or extra-nodal disease were excluded. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed; pattern of recurrence was evaluated too. A propensity score matching (PSM) was applied to create comparable cohorts. Primary end-point was the progression-free survival (PFS). Secondary end-points were biochemical relapse-free survival (BRFS), ADT-free survival (ADTFS), polymetastases-free survival (PMFS), local progression-free survival (LPFS) and pattern of relapse. Results: 240 lymph-nodal oligometastases in 164 patients (127 pelvic and 37 para-aortic) were treated. Median PFS was 20 and 11 months in pelvic and para-aortic patients respectively (p=0.042). The difference was not confirmed at the multivariate analysis (p=0.06). Median BRFS was 16 and 9 months respectively in pelvic and para-aortic group (p=0.07). No statistically significant differences for ADTFS or PMFS were detected. The cumulative 5-years LPFS was 90.5%. At PSM no statistically significant differences for all the study end-points were detected. Conclusions: Patients affected by para-aortic disease might have PFS comparable to pelvic disease; local control is high in both cohorts. Our results support the use of SBRT also to para-aortic metastases.

PARP inhibitors are used in tumor therapy exploiting their inhibitory role in DNA repair. Radiation therapy leads to DNA damage in the affected region comprising both tumor tissue and adjacent normal tissue. In addition, radiotherapy has long-standing effects on DNA integrity. The mechanisms for this are not well understood. We studied normal tissue damage of the lung after application of ionizing radiation (IR) in two well established rat models comprising both external (eIR) and internal (iIR) ionizing radiation. We found a nearly complete (~350-fold) loss of PARP-1 in the irradiated tissue in both models but no change in PARylated protein. This may be explained by the strong decrease in both ARH3 and PARG, both deparylating enzymes. We demonstrate, that of all these proteins are expressed in type II pneumocytes, but also in type I pneumocytes and the bronchiolar epithelium. The data suggest a severe disturbance of PARylation in these cells which may affect their major functions such as maintenance of the integrity of the alveolar wall. It is likely that the application of PARP inhibitors could have cumulative effects in radiation-damaged normal tissue.

Photocatalysis is a promising method for methylene blue (MB) degradation due to its effectiveness and environmental compatibility. Among photocatalysts, titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been widely used for MB degradation due to its exceptional photocatalytic activity. However, the wide bandgap limits the degradation efficiency of TiO2 under visible light. Herein, an interstitial nitrogen-doped TiO2 (5%NT/TiO2) used thiourea as the N source is fabricated for the visible light-derived MB degradation. 5%NT/TiO2 exhibits an extended visible light absorption range. Besides, photoelectrochemical measurement shows an improvement in photocurrent response and charge transfer behavior on N/TiO2. Thus, 5%NT/TiO2 has enhanced photocatalytic activity compared to pristine TiO2 and substitutive N-doped TiO2 (5%NAB/TiO2). The accelerated photocatalytic MB degradation process on N/TiO2 should be mainly attributed to the interstitial N doping, which causes the appearance of new energy states and extended optical properties.

Up to now in breast cancer (BC) treatment, adjuvant chemotherapy (A-CT) precedes adjuvant radiotherapy (A-RT). It’s beyond question that A-RT improves local control while A-CT improves the Disease Free Survival (DFS) due to the reduction of metastatic distant recurrences. Taken togheter these two approaches impact favourably on the reduction of breast cancer mortality. In the last twenty years, the adjuvant treatment of BC has evolved quickly due to a better knowledge of its molecular biology , genetic prohile and its α/β ratio 3 / 4 Gy for the tumor and normal tissues radiosensitivity. Thus new schedules with hypofractionated radiotherapy have been tested and third generation of A-CT have been introduced leading to a better survival rate but a further delay in A-RT starting, raising the question to rethink the sequencing between these two approaches. However the sequencing timing between these two approaches still remains unchanged with A-CT before A-RT as the standard of care. Many attempts have been provided in order to optimize this sequencing. This comprehensive review is a journey among randomised, retrospective and prospective studies which highlights the past, the current and the novelties on timing sequencing proposals between these two modalities to assess the state of art. Sequential, concomitant and sandwitch modalities of chemotherapy with conventional or hypofractionated RT schedules from the most important studies will be analysed in this review.

Sodium valproate is a established antiepileptic drug of first choice, primarily used to treat epilepsy, but also bipolar disorder and prevent migraine headaches. Valproate increases concentrations of gamma-aminobutyric acid in the brain, due to inhibition of enzymes responsible for the catabolism of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Main goal of this research consisted in the optimization and development for a new sensitive spectrophotometric quantitative analysis method of sodium valproate from tablets in the Visible field. Following the quantitative color reaction of sodium valproate with diazonium salt of alpha naphthylamine in alkaline medium, a light yellow azo dye was formed and spectrophotometrically analyzed at the wavelength of 386 nanometers. The amount of pure sodium valproate found on pharmaceutical extended-release tablet was 492.578 miligrams compared to the official declared pure amount of 500 miligrams on prolonged-release tablet. Amount found was assigned to a percentage content of 98.5156 percent pure sodium valproate in a pharmaceutical tablet. Mean average percentage error (deviation) from the officially stated value was about 1.4844 percent, which was included within normal limits, below five percent maximum limit allowed by European and Romanian Pharmacopoeias rules. Spectrophotometric method was subjected to the statistical validation procedure and was successfully validated.

There are various types of charged particles in the space environment, which can cause different types of radiation damage to materials and devices, leading to on-orbit failures and even accidents of spacecraft. Developing lightweight and efficient radiation shielding materials is an effective approach to improve the inherent protection of spacecraft. The protective performance of different materials against proton and electron spectra in the Earth’s radiation belts is evaluated by Geant4 simulation. Based on the simulation results, suitable hardening components are selected to design composite materials, and B4C/PEEK composites with different B4C content were successfully prepared. Experimental results demonstrate that the simulated and experimental results for the electron, proton and neutron shielding performance of B4C/PEEK composites are consistent. These composites exhibit excellent radiation shielding capabilities against electrons, protons and neutrons, and the radiation protection performance improves with increasing B4C content in the B4C/PEEK composite materials.

The physiological process of iodine uptake in the thyroid is used for 131I treatment of thyroid diseases. Children are more sensitive to radiation compared to adults and may react differently to 131I exposure. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects on thyroid protein expression in young and adult rats one year after 131I injection, and identify potential biomarkers related to 131I exposure, absorbed dose, and age. Twelve Sprague Dawley Rats (young and adults) were i.v. injected with 50 kBq or 500 kBq 131I and were killed twelve months later. Twelve untreated rats were used as age-matched controls. Quantitative proteomics, statistical analysis and evaluation of biological effects was performed. The effects of irradiation were most prominent in young rats. Protein biomarker candidates were proposed related to age, absorbed dose, thyroid function and cancer and a panel was proposed for 131I exposure. In conclusion, the proteome of rat thyroid was differentially regulated twelve months after low-intermediate dose exposure to 131I in both young and adult rats. Several biomarker candidates are proposed for 131I exposure, age, and many of them are known to be related to thyroid function or thyroid cancer. Further research on human samples are needed for validation.

Many of the fundamental molecules of life share extraordinary pigment-like optical properties in the long-wavelength UV-C spectral region. These include strong photon absorption and rapid (sub pico-second) dissipation of the induced electronic excitation energy into heat through peaked conical intersections. These properties have been attributed to a ``natural selection'' of molecules resistant to the dangerous UV-C light incident on Earth's surface during the Archean. In contrast, the ``thermodynamic dissipation theory for the origin of life'' argues that, far from being detrimental, UV-C light was, in fact, the thermodynamic potential driving the dissipative structuring of life at its origin. The optical properties were thus the thermodynamic ``design goals'' of microscopic dissipative structuring of organic UV-C pigments, today known as the ``fundamental molecules of life'', from common precursors under this light. This ``UV-C Pigment World'' evolved towards greater solar photon dissipation through more complex dissipative structuring pathways, eventually producing visible pigments to dissipate less energetic, but higher intensity, visible photons, up to wavelengths of the ``red-edge''. The propagation and dispersal of organic pigments, catalyzed by animals, and their coupling with abiotic dissipative processes, such as the water cycle, culminated in the apex photon dissipative structure, today's biosphere.

Surface initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) is one of the most versatile technique to modify the surface properties of material. Recent developed metal free SI-ATRP makes such technique more widely applicable. Herein photo-induced metal-free SI-ATRP of methacrylates, such as methyl methacrylate, N-isopropanyl acrylamide, and N,N- dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, on the surface of SBA-15 was reported to fabricate organic-inorganic hybrid materials. SBA-15 based polymeric composite with adjustable graft ratio was obtained. The structure evolution during the SI-ATRP modification of SBA-15 was monitored and verified by FT-IR, XPS, TGA, BET, and TEM. The obtained polymeric composite showed enhanced adsorption ability for the model compound toluene in aqueous. This procedure provides a low cost, ready availability, and facile modification way to synthesize the polymeric composites without the contamination of metal.

Background: In high-risk breast cancer patients with skin infiltration the administration of a uniform dose to superficial tissues is fundamental in order to reduce local skin relapse. A personalized bolus may prevent the potential standard bolus’ inadequate dose distribution due to air gaps between the bolus and the skin. In this pilot study, we introduced in clinical practice the use of a personalized 3D printed bolus filled with ultrasound transmission gel. Methods: Seven patients undergoing radiotherapy after mastectomy were selected. 3D printed bolus dosimetric assessment was performed with MOSFET dosimeters on an anthropomorphic phantom and subsequently on three selected cases with increasing bolus shape irregularity. Acute/late toxicity and local control was assessed. Results: Overall, for the clinical cases the percentage median difference between measured and calculated doses was -2.7% (-7.0%÷4.9%). Median follow-up was 21 months. After two years, one patient showed G2 pain, one patient manifested G1 telangiectasia, one patient showed G1 hyperpigmentation, and two patients had no relevant toxicity. Conclusions: Personalized 3D-printed bolus filled with ultrasound gel may easily reproduce the standard bolus’ consistency providing an accurate coverage of the target area with tolerable acute/late toxicity grades. This is a pilot study and further investigations are needed.

Recombinant α1-microglobulin (A1M) is proposed as protector during 177Lu-octreotate treatment of neuroendocrine tumors, which is currently limited by bone marrow and renal toxicity. Co-administration of 177Lu-octreotate and A1M could result in a more effective treatment by protecting healthy tissue, but, the radioprotecting action of A1M is not fully understood. The aim of this study was to examine the proteomic response of kidneys and bone marrow early after 177Lu-octreotate and/or A1M administration. Mice were injected with 177Lu-octreotate and/or A1M, while control mice received saline or A1M vehicle solution. Bone marrow, kidney medulla, and kidney cortex were sampled after 24 hours or 7 days. Differential protein expression was analyzed with tandem mass spectrometry. Dosimetric estimation was based on 177Lu activity in kidney. PHLDA3 was the most prominent radiation responsive protein in kidney tissue. In general, no statistically significant difference in expression of radiation-related proteins was observed between the irradiated groups. Most canonical pathways were identified in bone marrow from the 177Lu-octreotate+A1M group. Altogether, tissue-dependent proteomic response followed exposure to 177Lu-octreotate alone or together with A1M. Combining 177Lu-octreotate with A1M did not inhibit the radiation induced protein expression early after exposure, and late effects should be further studied.

The study of localized surface plasmons (LSPs) in nanoscale structures is an essential step towards identifying optimal plasmonic modes that can facilitate robust optomechanical coupling and deepen our understanding of light-matter interactions at the nanoscale. This paper investigates numerically, using the finite element method, LSPs modes in a design comprising two coupled nano-ridges deposited on a gold layer, with an interposing polymer spacer layer. Such a structure, usually referred to as particles-on-mirror, shows exquisite optical properties at the nanoscale. We first examine the LSPs modes of a single nano-ridge through the analysis of its scattering cross-section in the visible and infrared range. To enhance the plasmonic response, a thin polymer layer is placed at the middle of the ridge, which introduces additional LSPs modes confined within the former. Then, we extend the analysis to the dimer configuration, which exhibits more complex and enhanced plasmonic behavior compared to a single nano-ridge. In particular, the dimer configuration yields LSPs resonances with a quality factor enhancement of approximately threefold relative to single nano-ridge. Furthermore, the presence of the polymer layer within the ridges significantly improves plasmon field localization and quality factor. These findings underscore the potential of nano-ridge-based structures in advancing optomechanical coupling and plasmon-phonon interaction studies, offering valuable insights for the development of high-performance acousto-plasmonic devices. In particular, the proposed device could help significantly improve the design of nano-acousto-optic modulators operating in the visible or in the near infrared, that require enhanced light-photon coupling rate.

Fingerprints are essential for human identification and are valuable tools in criminal investigations. The pursuit of new materials for digital printing is expanding, with increasing interest in natural compounds such as bixin, sourced from annatto seeds. Despite its traditional use as a natural dye with medicinal properties, the potential of bixin in papilloscopy remains largely untapped. In this study, we meticulously extracted bixin from annatto seeds and meticulously developed composites incorporating zinc carbonate (bixin/ZnCO3) and kaolinite (bixin/kaolinite). UV-visible spectroscopy was used for characterization, and the extracted bixin showed absorption peaks at 429, 453, and 481 nm, which were very similar to standard peaks at 429, 457, and 487 nm. The two samples also had the same retention times (7.07 min) according to further liquid chromatography analysis. Sweat pores were easier to detect thanks to the effectiveness of the bixin/ZnCO3 and bixin/kaolinite composites in creating high contrast sebaceous and natural latent fingerprints. These results highlight the composites’ potential as novel and fascinating instruments for papilloscopy applications, which might also improve forensic investigations.

The recyclable paper based on photochromic materials not only reduces the pollution in the paper manufacture process, but also reduces the pollution caused by the use of ink, which receives wide attention. In this paper, a serial of PMoA-PWA/ZnO/PVP hybrid films which had different ratio of PMoA/PWA was prepared by the ultrasonic composite method. The results indicated that the hybrid film prepared when the ratio of PMoA to PWA was 3 had the best photochromic performance. In this system, ZnO was the photosensitizer while PMoA/PWA was the chromophore. The photochromic mechanism of PMoA-PWA/ZnO/PVP hybrid film was based on the photogenerated electron transfer mechanism. ZnO generated photoelectron under the excitation of visible light, then PMoA and PWA obtained the photoelectron and produced photoreduction reaction to generate heteropolyblue. The visible light photochromic paper was prepared by loaded PMoA-PWA/ZnO/PVP hybrid film (A3) on A4 paper. Application test showed that the prepared paper had extremely stable, excellent and reversible visible light photochromic properties, whether it was printing patterns or words and could replace the ordinary paper to realize the reuse of paper.

Ship detection from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery is crucial for various fields in real-world applications. Numerous deep learning-based detectors have been investigated for SAR ship detection, which require a substantial amount of labeled data for training. However, SAR data annotation is time-consuming and demands specialized expertise, resulting in that deep learning-based SAR ship detectors struggle due to a lack of annotations. With limited labeled data, semi-supervised learning is a popular approach for boosting detection performance by excavating valuable information from unlabeled data. In this paper, a semi-supervised SAR ship detection network is proposed, termed as Multi-Teacher Dempster-Shafer Evidence Fusion Net-work (MTDSEFN). The MTDSEFN is an enhanced framework based on the basic teacher-student skeleton frame, comprising two branches: the Teacher Group (TG) and the Agency Teacher (AT). The TG utilizes multiple teachers to generate pseudo-labels for different augmentation versions of unlabeled samples, which are then refined to obtain high-quality pseudo-labels by using Dempster-Shafer (D-S) fusion. The AT not only serves to deliver weights of its own teacher to the TG at the end of each epoch, but also updates its own weights after each iteration, enabling the model to effectively learn rich information from unlabeled data. The combination of TG and AT guarantees both reliable pseudo-label generation and learning comprehensive diversity information from numerous unlabeled samples. Extensive experiments were performed on two public SAR ship datasets, and the results demonstrated the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed approach.

During the high-speed flight of a vehicle in the atmosphere, surface friction with the air generates aerodynamic heating. The aerodynamic heating phenomenon can create extremely high temperatures near the surface. These high temperatures impact material properties and the structure of the aircraft, so thermal deformation measurement is essential in aerospace engineering. This paper revisits high-temperature deformation measurement using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique under high-intensity blackbody radiation with a precise speckle pattern fabrication and a heat haze reduction method. The effect of speckle pattern on the DIC measurement has been thoroughly studied at room temperature, but high-temperature measurement studies have not reported such effects so far. We found that the commonly used methods to reduce the heat haze effect could produce incorrect results. Hence, we propose a new method to mitigate heat haze effects. An infrared radiation heater was employed to make an experimental setup that could heat a specimen up to 950 ℃. First, we mitigated image saturation using a short-wavelength bandpass filter with blue light illumination, a standard procedure for high-temperature DIC deformation measurement. Second, we studied how to determine the proper size of the speckle pattern under a high-temperature environment. Third, we devised a reduction method for the heat haze effect. As proof of the effectiveness of our developed experimental method, we successfully measured the deformation of stainless steel 304 specimens from 25 ℃ to 800 ℃. The results confirmed that this method can be applied to the research and development of thermal protection systems in the aerospace field.

The variation of aerosols, especially dust aerosol, in time and space plays an important role in climate forcing studies. Aerosols can effectively reduce land surface longwave emission and re-emit energy at a colder temperature, making estimation of downwelling surface longwave radiation (DSLR) with satellite data difficult. Using the latest atmospheric radiative transfer code (MODTRAN 5.0), we simulate the outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and DSLR under different land surface and atmospheric profile conditions. The results show that dust aerosol has an obvious “warming” effect to longwave radiation compared with other aerosols, that aerosol longwave radiative forcing (ALRF) increased with increasing aerosol optical depth (AOD), and that the atmospheric water vapor content (WVC) is critical to the understanding of ALRF. A method is proposed to improve the accuracy of DSLR estimation from satellite data for the skies under heavy dust aerosols. The AOD and atmospheric WVC under cloud-free conditions with a relatively simple satellite-based radiation model that yields the high accurate DSLR under heavy dust aerosol are used explicitly as model input to reduce the effects of dust aerosol on the estimation of DSLR. Validations of the proposed model with satellites data and field measurements show that it estimates the DSLR accurately under heavy dust aerosol skies. The root mean square errors (RMSEs) are 20.4 W/M² and 24.2 W/M² for Terra and Aqua satellites, respectively, at the Yingke site, and the biases are 2.7 W/M² and 9.6 W/M², respectively. For the Arvaikheer site, the RMSEs are 23.2 W/M² and 19.8 W/M² for Terra and Aqua, respectively, and the biases are 7.8 W/M² and 10.5 W/M², respectively. The proposed method is especially applicable to acquire relatively high accurate DSLR under heavy dust aerosol using MODIS data with available WVC and AOD data.

Neuroblastoma (NB) is a childhood cancer with heterogeneous characteristics, posing challenges to effective treatment. NBs express somatostatin receptors that facilitates the use of somatostatin analogs (SSTAs) as tumor-seeking agents for diagnosis and therapy. High-risk (HR) NBs often have gain-of-function mutations in the receptor tyrosine kinase anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK). Despite intensive multimodal treatment, survival rates remain below 40% for children with HR-NB. The aim of this work was to investigate the combined effect of the SSTA 177Lu-octreotide with the ALK inhibitor lorlatinib. Mice bearing human HR-NB CLB-BAR tumors were treated with lorlatinib, 177Lu-octreotide, combination of these pharmaceuticals or saline (control). Tumor volume was monitored and tumor samples were evaluated for cleaved caspase-3 and expression of 84 human genes involved in apoptosis. Combination treatment with 177Lu-octreotide and lorlatinib demonstrated synergistic antitumor effects. Increased number of cleaved caspase 3-positive cells was observed in tumors from mice treated with 177Lu-octreotide alone and in combination with lorlatinib. Modulation of Bcl-2 family gene expression was observed only in the presence of both 177Lu-octreotide and lorlatinib, with BID downregulated and HRK upregulated on days 2 and 7, respectively. The data suggests that ALK signaling pathway inhibition may contribute to radiosensitization in radionuclide therapy with 177Lu-octreotide.

This paper presents a wideband dual-polarized dipole antenna structure operating at 1.7-3.8 GHz (76.4%). For a traditional 4G dipole antenna which covers the band 1.71 GHz- 2.69 GHz, it’s difficult to maintain the satisfactory impedance matching and normal stable radiation patterns within the 5G sub-6 GHz band 3.3-3.8 GHz, which mainly due to the fixed antenna height is no longer a quarter-wavelength. To solve this, a connected-ring-shaped metasurface structure is proposed and deployed to operate as an artificial magnetic conductor (AMC). As a result, stable antenna radiation patterns are obtained within the whole band 1.7-3.8 GHz. For verification, this wideband dipole antenna using AMC is implemented and tested. The measured results show that the proposed antenna has an impedance bandwidth of 80.7% (1.7-4.0 GHz). It has an average measured in-band realized gain of 7.0±1.0 dBi and a stable 70∘±5∘ half power beam width (HPBW) within the 4G/5G-sub 6GHz bands 1710-2690 MHz and 3300-3800 MHz.

Background and Objectives: Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant brain tumor in children. In recent decades, the therapeutic landscape has undergone significant changes, with stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) emerging as a promising treatment for recurrent cases. Our study provides a comprehensive analysis of the long-term efficacy and safety of SRS in recurrent medulloblastomas across both pediatric and adult patients at a single institution. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological records of patients who underwent CyberKnife SRS for recurrent cranial medulloblastomas at our institution between 1998 and 2023. Follow-up data were available for 15 medulloblastomas in 10 patients. The cohort comprised 8 pediatric patients (ages 3-18) and 2 adult patients (ages 19-75). Median age at the time of SRS was 13 years, median tumor volume accounted for 1.9 cc, median biologically equivalent dose (BED) was 126 Gy, and single-fraction equivalent dose (SFED) was 18 Gy. The SRS was administered at 75% of the median isodose line. Results: Following a median follow-up of 39 months (range: 6-78), 53.3% of the medulloblastomas progressed, 13.3% regressed, and 33.3% remained stable. The 3-year local tumor control (LTC) rate for all medulloblastomas was 65%, with lower rates observed in the adult cohort (50%) and higher rates in pediatric patients (67%). The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate was 70%, with significantly higher rates in pediatric patients (75%) compared to adult patients (50%). The 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 58.3%, with higher rates in pediatric patients (60%) compared to adult patients (50%). Two pediatric patients developed radiation-induced edema, while two adult patients experienced radiation necrosis at the latest follow-up, with both adult patients passing away. Conclusion: Our study provides a complex perspective on the efficacy and safety of CyberKnife SRS in treating recurrent cranial medulloblastomas across pediatric and adult populations. The rarity of adverse radiation events (ARE) underscores the safety profile of SRS, reinforcing its role in enhancing treatment outcomes. The intricacies of symptomatic outcomes, intertwined with factors such as age, tumor location, and prior surgeries, emphasize the need for personalized treatment approaches. Our findings underscore the imperative for ongoing research and the development of more refined treatment strategies for recurrent medulloblastomas. Given the observed disparities in treatment outcomes, a more meticulous tailoring of treatment approaches becomes crucial.

The utilization of optical antennas for active control of far-field radiation at the subwavelength scale is crucial in various scientific and technological applications. We propose a thermally tunable disk design of indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum gallium nitride (Al0.18Ga0.82As), enabling a switch between absorption and scattering. Furthermore, the control of far-field radiation pattern can be easily realized by combining ITO and Al0.18Ga0.82As to enhance or suppress emission. Our results demonstrate that hybrid structure can be dynamically tuned with temperature variations. In the proposed design, a frequency is achieved at the epsilon-near-zero wavelength of 1240 nm. The thermal tunability of hybrid structure introduces new multifunctional possibilities for light manipulation, thereby enhancing the potential applications of new devices in the near-infrared range.

Electromagnetic interference (EMI) generated by switching operations within high voltage DC (HVDC) converter stations is an issue that has been addressed by CIGRE and methods to manage EMI should be considered in the design phase using electromagnetic modeling techniques. It is shown that method of moments-based techniques that have been used in many previous studies may not be sufficient. Here, the finite-difference time-domain method is used to study the properties of single switching events using a realistic model of an HVDC converter station with special emphasis on determining the impact of the valve hall on shielding EMI. It is shown that the valve hall does not confine high frequency electromagnetic fields to the valve hall; rather it delays them from exiting through bushings in the wall. Further, it is shown that incorporating electromagnetic absorbing material into the valve hall design can significantly reduce EMI outside the converter station.

Despite great technical capabilities, the theory of non-contact temperature measurement is usually not fully applicable to the use of measuring instruments in practice. While black body calibrations are in practice well established and easy to accomplish, this calibration protocol is never fully applicable to measurements of real objects under real conditions. Currently, the best approximation to real world radiation thermometry is grey body radiation thermometry, which is supported by most measuring instruments to date. Nevertheless, the metrological requirements necessitate traceability, therefore real body radiation thermometry is required for temperature measurements of real bodies. This article documents the current state of temperature calculation algorithms for radiation-thermometers and the creation of a traceable model for radiation thermometry of real bodies that uses a digital twin model of the system of measurement to compensate for the loss of data, caused by spectral integration, which occurs when thermal radiation is absorbed on the active surface of the sensor. To solve this problem, a hybrid model with variable scalar inputs is proposed, in which the scalar input parameters are calculated to correspond to the system of measurement. The method for calculating the effective parameters is proposed and verified with the theoretical model of non-contact thermometry. The sum of effective instrumental parameters is presented for different temperatures to show that the rule of radiation thermometry of grey bodies, according to which the sum of instrumental emissivity and instrumental reflectivity equals to 1, does not hold in radiation thermometry for real bodies. Using the derived models of radiation thermometry, the uncertainty of radiation thermometry due to the uncertainty of spectral emissivity is analysed by simulated measurements along the temperature ranges of various radiation thermometers, enabling traceable non-contact temperature measurements with known measurement uncertainty under any known conditions.

In recent years, the proliferation of digital communication systems has been fueled by the increasing use of connected devices in both consumer and industrial sectors. The predominant reliance on radio frequency communication for data transfer faces challenges due to physical limitations and regulatory restrictions on frequency ranges. Responding to these challenges, Visible Light Communication (VLC) has emerged as an innovative solution, utilising the visible light spectrum to modulate the intensity of light emitted by sources like white LEDs. This paper explores the feasibility of employing Red/Green/Blue (RGB) LEDs for three-dimensional visible light communications using off-the-shelves equipment. This type of communication is known as Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) as data is encoded in the three colour wavelength. On-Off Keying (OOK) is used as modulation on each wavelength. Afterwards, the more efficient Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) modulation scheme is explored. The implemented solution involves three emission circuits, each modulating the one colour component of the RGB LED current. The reception's side involves dichroic R/G/B colour filters and a Transimpedance Amplifier (TIA) circuit, with a Raspberry Pi 4 facilitating offline data decoding sampled by an Arduino UNO. The prototype demonstrates successful VLC communication with OOK modulation at distances up to 1.5m for red and blue LEDs and 0.75m for green LEDs, achieving data rates up to 800 bit/s.

Triazole derivatives of fluorescein containing N,N-dimethylaminopropyl fragments and their ammonium salts were synthesized with yields of 74 - 85%. The resulting compounds exhibit fluorescent properties in the green region of the visible spectrum. The critical aggregation concentration (CAC) was estimated using a py-rene fluorescent probe corresponding to a range of 0.28 - 1.43 mM, and at concentrations above the CAC the compounds form stable aggregates ranging from 165 to 202 nm. A relative quantum yield of 5-24% has been calculated based on fluorescence and UV spectra. The best value is shown by a derivative containing a tetradecyl substituent. When studying the photocatalytic properties of synthesized compounds through the reaction between N-substituted 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline and malonic ester, the mono-tetradecyl deriva-tive demonstrated the best results. According to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) data, the conversion of the initial heterocycle reached 95%. Therefore, these resulting compounds have the potential to act as an effective photocatalysts.

Considering animal welfare, the free-range laying hen farming model is increasingly gaining attention. However, in some countries, large-scale farming still relies on the cage-rearing model, making the focus on the welfare of caged laying hens equally important. To evaluate the health status of caged laying hens, a dataset comprising visible light and thermal infrared images was established for analyses, including morphological, thermographic, comb, and behavioural as-sessments, enabling a comprehensive evaluation of the hens' health, behaviour, and population counts. To address the issue of insufficient data samples in the health detection process for indi-vidual and group hens, a dataset named BClayinghens was constructed containing 61,133 images of visible light and thermal infrared images. The BClayinghens dataset was completed using three types of devices: smartphones, visible light cameras, and infrared thermal cameras. All thermal infrared images correspond to visible light images and have achieved positional alignment through coordinate correction. Additionally, the visible light images were annotated with chicken head labels, obtaining 63,693 chicken head labels, which can be directly used for training deep learning models for chicken head object detection and combined with corresponding thermal infrared data to analyze the temperature of the chicken heads. To enable the constructed deep-learning object detection and recognition models to adapt to different breeding environ-ments, various data enhancement methods such as rotation, shearing, colour enhancement, and noise addition were used for image processing. The BClayinghens dataset is important for ap-plying visible light images and corresponding thermal infrared images in the health detection, behavioural analysis, and counting of caged laying hens under large-scale farming.

The aim of this work was to investigate a new, simple one-pot combustion synthesis technique for creating sulphur-based CuS/ZnS p-n heterojunction nanocomposite photocatalysts. The study examined the photocatalytic activity and reusability of these nanocomposites in removing rhodamine B (RhB) dye under visible light irradiation. Various methods of characterisation were employed to determine the properties of the materials, including particle morphology, crystalline phases and bandgap energy. The intrinsic reaction parameters, such as catalyst loading, pH level of the solution, and initial pollutant concentration, were varied to establish the optimal photo-degradation conditions. The results showed that a binary CuS/ZnS catalyst with a 10 gL-1 loading, at pH 5, degraded 97% of 5 ppm RhB dye after 270 minutes of visible light irradiation. Addition-ally, this composite catalyst exhibited excellent chemical stability and reusability, achieving 83% RhB dye removal after five recycling runs. Scavenger tests identified the photogenerated holes (h+) and superoxide free radicals (•O2) as the primary reactive species responsible for degradation. This study provides valuable insight into the design of highly efficient nanomaterials for removing organopollutants in wastewater, and a possible reaction mechanism is proposed.

Pretreatment of cells with proteolysis inhibitors diminished intensity and changed shape of DNICs specific EPR signal in a treatment time-dependent manner. The level of DNIC formation was significantly influenced by the presence of protein degradation products. Interestingly, formation of HMWDNICs depended on the availability of LMWDNICs. The extent of glutathione involvement in the in vivo formation of DNICs is minor yet noticeable, aligning with our prior research findings.

The month of May 2024 was characterized by solar energetic particles events directed towards the Earth, especially the big event causing a strong terrestrial geomagnetic storm during the night from 10 to 11 May 2024, with auroras observed everywhere in Europe. This was the strongest storm for the last 20 years with a Dst < -400 nT. In the present work, we show with observations of GOES, PROBA-V/EPT and MetOP/MEPED that this exceptional event was associated with the injection of energetic protons in the proton radiation belt, with important consequences for the South part of the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). In addition, the geomagnetic storm caused by the solar eruption has had tremendous impacts on the electron radiation belts. Indeed, we show that for 0.3 to 1 MeV electrons, the storm led to a long lasting four belts configuration which was not observed before with EPT launched in 2013, until a smaller geomagnetic storm on June 15 took place. Moreover, for the first time since its launch, observations of the EPT show that ultra-relativistic electrons with E>2 MeV have been injected into the inner belt until L=2.4, violating the impenetrable barrier previously estimated to be located at L=2.8.

For the first time, the effect of a significant change in the resistance of the aquatic environment of a population of protozoan microorganisms under the influence of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from cell phones has been experimentally studied. The results of the experiment demonstrate the biological nature of the changes occurring in the “water population of protozoa” system, which indicates that the impact of radiation directly affects the cell. This conclusion is confirmed by the same order of magnitude time of information exchange between individual individuals of the population in the calculation and in the experiment. An extremely low concentration of protozoa in the experiment was established, equal to 1000 pcs./liter, at which the indicated effect is observed.An unambiguous dependence of the biological effect in the “water – amoeba population” system on the average power of electromagnetic radiation of cell phones, both in standby mode and in talk mode, has been established. It is concluded that the presented method of changing the physical properties of the aquatic environment of a population of protozoa under the influence of electromagnetic fields can be a model experiment in identifying the mechanisms of interaction of biological systems with electromagnetic radiation, determining the response time of biological systems to external electromagnetic influence, and establishing the degree of influence of radiation in the 4G, 5G ranges.

The article presents the results of the γ-ray and fast neutrons impact on various rice species, in order to obtain mutant forms resistant to salinity (NaCl) and drought factors (sorbite). They are going to be used as initial forms in synthetic selection when creating varieties, adapted to the stressful conditions of, both, soil and climate in the Kazakhstan Aral Sea. The average lethal doses (LD50) of γ-rays and fast neutrons, as well as, the average NaCl and sorbite lethal concentrations were established. A distinct dependence on the effect of ionizing radiation and stress factors on the number of induced resistant mutant forms has been related to the initial rice variety. The largest number of mutant forms was obtained from the local variety Syr Suluy, followed by Leader and Aikerim varieties. Out of all varieties, only 1% of the initially irradiated by γ-rays seeds survived, while after fast neutron irradiation – 4,3%. M1 mutant plants significantly differ from the initial forms in terms of morphological features – plant height, panicle length, and grain size. They are tolerant to lodging, and have short and highly sterile panicles, indicating that they are mutants.

This review summarizes studies dedicated to the assessment of microvascular function based on microcirculatory oscillations monitored by the FMSF technique. Two approaches are presented. The first approach uses oscillatory parameters measured under normoxia conditions, expressed as flowmotion (FM), vasomotion (VM), and the normoxia oscillatory index (NOI). These parameters have been used for identification of impaired microcirculatory oscillations associated with intense physical exercise, post-COVID syndrome, psychological stress, and erectile dysfunction. The second approach involves characterization of the microcirculatory response to hypoxia based on the measurement of hypoxia sensitivity (HS). The HS parameter is used to characterize microvascular complications in diabetes, such as diabetic kidney disease and diabetic foot ulcers. Based on research conducted by the authors of this review, the FMSF parameter ranges characterizing microvascular function are presented. The diagnostic approach to assessing microvascular function based on flowmotion monitored by the FMSF technique has a wide range of applications and potential to be integrated into widespread medical practice.

A high step-up DC-to-DC converter that integrates an isolated transformer and a switched-clamp capacitor is presented in this study. The voltage stress of the main power switch should be clamped to 1/4 V by using the turn ratio and switched-clamp capacitor of an isolated transformer to achieve a high voltage gain. In addition, a passive clamp circuit is employed reduce voltage stress on the main power switch. The energy of the leakage inductor can be recycled by the clamp capacitor because of the passive clamp circuit, thereby improving the power converter efficiency. The converter consists of one isolated transformer, one main switch, three capacitors, and four diodes. Operating principle and steady-state analyses are also discussed. Finally, a 24-V-input voltage to 200-V-output voltage and a 150 W output power prototype converter are fabricated in the laboratory. The maximum efficiency of the converter is 95.1 at 60 W.

In this study, carbon-quantum-dot (CQD)-decorated TiO2 was prepared using an ultrasonic doping method and applied in the photocatalytic degradation of naphthalene under sunlight irradiation. The CQDs were synthesized from a typical macroalgae via diluted sulfuric acid pretreatment and hydrothermal synthesis using an optimal design, i.e., 3 wt% and 200 oC, respectively. The CQD/TiO2 composite remarkably enhanced the photocatalytic activity. The degradation of naphthalene under a visible light environment indicated that there is a synergistic mechanism between CQDs and TiO2, in which the generation of reactive oxygen species is significantly triggered; in addition, the N that originated from the macroalgae accelerated the photocatalytic efficiency. Kinetic analysis showed that the photo-catalytic behavior of the CQD/TiO2 composite followed a pseudo-first-order equation. Consequently, our combined experimental approach not only provides a facile pretreatment process for bio-CQDs synthesis, but also delivers a suitable TiO2 photocatalyst for up-conversion, along with critical insights into the development of harmful macroalgae resources.

Abiotic stress is responsible for significant reduction in crop plant productivity worldwide. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a natural component of sunlight and a permanent environmental stimulus. This study investigated the distinct responses of young wheat and einkorn plants to excessive UV-B radiation (180 min at λmax 312 nm) following foliar pretreatment with 1 µM synthetic cytokinin 4PU-30. Results demonstrated that UV radiation significantly amplified hydrogen peroxide levels in both wheat and einkorn, with einkorn exhibiting more pronounced increase compared to wheat. This elevation indicated the induction of oxidative stress by UV radiation in the two genotypes. Intensified antioxidant enzyme activities and increased accumulation of typical stress markers and non-enzyme protectants were evidenced. Transcriptional activity of genes encoding key antioxidant enzymes was also investigated aiming to elucidate the genetic regulation of the antioxidant systems in both wheat and einkorn seedlings. Our results suggested a role for POX1 and POX7 genes in the UV-B tolerance of the two wheat species as well as a cytokinin stimulated UV-B stress response in einkorn mediated through upregulation of the tau subfamily gene GSTU6. Based on these findings it could be concluded that 4PU-30 had the potential of alleviating oxidative stress by attenuating the symptoms of superfluous UV-B illumination in the two examined plant species.

A synopsis of current knowledge of the diversity of the New Zealand landhopper fauna is provided. A combination of morphological and molecular analysis was employed on material from across New Zealand. Thirteen new endemic genera soon to be formally described have been discovered, including four belonging to the widespread families Talitridae and Arcitalitridae. These are families that had not been previously reported from New Zealand. We document the existence of at least 48 new provisional native species. This number far exceeds the 28 species currently described. Some described species are now shown to be species complexes and a few of these are very diverse with numerous cryptic species. Six changes to the existing taxonomy are proposed. Dallwitzia simularis (Hurley, 1957) is transferred from Makawidae Myers and Lowry, 2020 to Talitridae Rafinesque, 1815; Kellyduncania hauturu (Duncan, 1994) is reinstated as a member of Dana Lowry, 2011 and Kellyduncania (Lowry and Myers, 2019) is relegated to a synonym of Dana Lowry, 2011; Kanikania Duncan, 1994 is transferred from Makawidae Myers and Lowry, 2020 to Arcitalitridae Myers and Lowry, 2020; Parorchestia longicornis is transferred to Kanikania Duncan, 1994; Waematau kaitaia (Duncan, 1994) is transferred to Kohuroa Lowry, Myers and Nakano, 2019; and Waematau unuwhao (Duncan, 1994) is transferred to Omaiorchestia Lowry and Myers, 2019. This reduces the number of described genera from 17 to 16.

The aim of this study was to investigate the physicochemical characterization and biological activities of chitosan (CH) based composite films with the incorporation of chestnut flower essential oil (CFEO). The composite films were prepared by casting method and characterized in terms of structural, morphological and mechanical properties via FT-IR, XRD, UV, SEM and TGA. The results proved the significantly increased water vapor permeability (WVP), heat resistance, antibacterial and antioxidant capabilities of CH-CFEO films. The incorporation of CH and CFEO enhanced the UV blocking, which made the film shield almost all UV light. Films with the tensile strength of 6.37 ± 0.41 MPa and elongation at break of 22.57 ± 0.35% were got with 6 mg mL-1 CFEO. Subsequently, the fruit preservation experiments also confirmed that the composite films could effectively extend the shelf life of bananas through their excellent water vapor and oxygen barrier. These desirable performances enable our newly developed composite films to be a remarkable packaging material to solve the fresh fruit preservation dilemma.

During recent years there is an on-going deployment of 5G base stations for radiofrequency (RF) communication in Sweden as well in many other countries. This is made without investigations on risks to human health and the environment. Since 2016 we have made several measurements of environmental exposure to RF radiation in Stockholm, Sweden, including previous generations and now also 5G. In the current study, performed in October 2023, the broadband meter Narda-550 with the probe EF-1891 was used. It gives results in the root mean square (RMS) mode, thus not peak levels. Both the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) base their guidelines on RMS levels of RF radiation. Measurements were made in similar city areas as in our previous studies. Results show that the RF radiation has increased substantially. High maximum levels were found at e.g. the Central Railway Station (3 637 191 µW/m2), and popular walking streets such as Mäster Samuelsgatan (11 613 976 µW/m2), and Drottninggatan (5 271 555 µW/m2). The peak values would be much higher. These levels are in the same magnitude or even higher than those measured in homes of persons that rapidly developed symptoms of the microwave syndrome after installation of 5G, usually in combination with 4G+, in the neighborhood. They are also substantially higher than levels that have previously been linked to cancer and the microwave syndrome in studies of people living near base stations and masts from previous generations of telecommunications.

Traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)-programs rarely include participatory components that connect CSR-activities of private companies with their local communities. However, there is an increasing demand to include citizens as well as the resources and expertise of the private sector in the design and implementation of local community planning processes. To assess the potential, opportunities, and challenges of including private companies into participatory community planning at a local level, we analyzed the experiences that we collected during the piloting phase and the commercial roll-out of the ‘Bürgercockpit’-application for citizen participation, as well as the results of a digital CSR-questionnaire that we shared with different companies in Austria. Our research indicates that most of the participating companies are interested in including local communities into their CSR-projects using a digital tool, if this tool is easy-to-use, easy-to-access, and provides a flexible structure to address specific project requirements as well as properly designed features for stakeholder communication and user feedback. The findings of both, the ‘Bürgercockpit’-pilot study and the CSR-questionnaire provided us valuable input for designing a prototype solution of a digital CSR-tool for participatory community planning at a local level as well as recommendations for future research in this topic of growing interest.

Infrared and visible image fusion technologies are used to characterize the same scene by diverse modalities. However, most existing deep learning-based fusion methods are designed as symmetric networks, which ignore the differences between modal images and lead to the source image information loss during feature extraction. In this paper, we propose a new fusion framework for the different characteristics of infrared and visible images. Specifically, we design a dual-stream asymmetric network with two different feature extraction networks to extract infrared and visible feature maps respectively. The transformer architecture is introduced in the infrared feature extraction branch, which can force the network to focus on the local features of infrared images while still obtaining their contextual information. And the visible feature extraction branch uses residual dense blocks to fully extract the rich background and texture detail information of visible images. In this way, it can provide better infrared targets and visible details for the fused image. Experimental results on multiple datasets indicate that DSA-Net outperforms state-of-the-art methods in both qualitative and quantitative evaluations. In addition, we also apply the fusion results to the target detection task, which indirectly demonstrates the fusion performances of our method.

Effective solar forecasting has become a critical topic in the scholarly literature in recent years due to the rapid growth of photovoltaic energy production worldwide and the inherent variability of this source of energy. Due to the technological and econonomic limitations of energy storage solutions, using other, mosty conventional, sources to cover energy shortfalls and at the same time utilising solar surpluses production becomes necessary. The need to optimize energy systems, ensuring power continuity, and balancing energy supply and demand has led to the development of various forecasting methods and approaches based on meteorological data or photovoltaic plant characteristics. This article presents the results of a meta-review of the solar forecasting literature, including the current state of knowledge and methodological discussion. It presents a comprehensive set of forecasting methods, evaluates current classifications, and proposes a new synthetic typology. The article emphasizes the increasing role of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques in improving forecast accuracy, alongside traditional statistical and physical models. It explores the challenges of hybrid and ensemble models, which combine multiple forecasting approaches to enhance performance. The paper addresses the emerging trends in solar forecasting research, such as the integration of big data and advanced computational tools. Additionally, from a methodological perspective, the article outlines a rigorous approach to the meta-review research procedure, addresses the scientific challenges associated with conducting bibliometric research, and highlights best practices and principles. This includes defining research questions, selecting eligibility criteria, literature search, data extraction, synthesis, and assessing bias and quality. The article contributes to the solar forecasting field by providing up-to-date knowledge, along with insights on the emerging trends, future research directions, and anticipating implications for the theory and practicce.

Microwave radiation diagnosis technology can detect thermal changes in skin tissue earlier than anatomical changes, but its detection accuracy is limited by non-target radiation interference in the measurement environment, additional measurement errors of system units, and energy scattering and transmission between skin tissues. This paper aims to address the scientific challenges of analyzing the forward and inversion modelling detection mechanism of layered accurate temperature measurement of human skin tissue based on multi-band. The study focuses on the construction of a pencil beam antenna optimization system, the optimization strategy of high-sensitivity correlated radiometer architecture, and the high-precision multi-band forward and inversion modelling detection algorithm. The key technologies include: (1) A new method of integrated modeling and multi-index optimization of antenna with high directivity and small aperture is proposed, and a priori knowledge-guided neural network of pencil beam distribution is constructed to realize the inversion model of antenna structural parameters; (2) The influence mechanism of high sensitivity correlated radiometer architecture error is analyzed, and a periodic phase shift error correction algorithm based on uniform polar circle is designed; (3) Combining deep learning theory and hyperparameter optimization framework, an iterative model is established, and the objective function modified by the penalty factor is defined to realize a new detection method combining forward and inversion. This paper presents a theoretical foundation for the industrialization of microwave radiation diagnostic technology.

The time interval set approach depends on results for radiation propagation from star sources, where properties relate to sphere like propagation surfaces, finite for any realistic event and measurement. In contrast usually applied to stationary and parallel propagation is the traditional vector and one moment time coordinate kinematic approach from Newton’s laws. A time interval only description necessarily has to start from it's own definitions, and properties since time intervals have to be defined with time intervals. In this paper studied are time interval only set properties, commutation, addition and multiplication, and derivatives, and how to define these corresponding consistently with one moment time set properties. Time development and equilibrium within the time interval description depend on the well-known ‘mean velocity theorem’ and the time interval version of the Legendre transform. Radiation propagation ‘away from’ and gravitation ‘towards’ the star source are part of the one time interval description. In the second, discussion, part the time interval only set approach with only the fundamental properties is applied to radiation. Included is a derivation of star source radiation energy for both zero and non zero wave particle mass. The time interval set is not one of the usual sets encountered and the canonical property does not apply, the approach in this paper starts from commutation properties of one moment time coordinates and of time intervals and relates to Noether charges and structure constants. These are found to be equal to the radiation wave group-velocity, for photons the light velocity c, and, different from the usual derivative to one moment time, they equal specific arguments of the time interval only set derivative.

There is a growing demand for indoor positioning systems (IPS) in a wide range of applications. However, traditional solutions such as GPS face many technical challenges. In recent years, a promising alternative has been emerging: IPS based on visible light communication (VLC), which offers a combination of which is highly accurate, low cost and energy efficient. This article presents a comprehensive review of VLC-based IPS, providing a tutorial-like overview of the system. It begins by comparing various positioning systems and providing background information on their inherent limitations. The mechanisms of VLC-based IPS are then discussed, including a comprehensive examination of their performance metrics and underlying assumptions. The complexity and efficiency of VLC-based IPS is examined by analyzing factors such as channel modeling, signal processing, and localization algorithms. To optimize the system, a variety of strategies are explored. These include the design of efficient modulation schemes, the development of advanced encoding and decoding algorithms, the implementation of adaptive power control, and the use of state-of-the-art localization algorithms. Additionally, system parameters such as LED placement, receiver sensitivity, and transmit power are carefully examined to highlight their impact on energy efficiency and localization accuracy. Altogether, this paper serves as a comprehensive guide to VLC IPS, providing in-depth insights into its vast potential and the challenges it presents.

In order to apply visible light communication systems in different scenarios, this article utilizes an excellent temperature adjustable light source mixed with RGB LEDs, and applies it in a visible light communication system. It utilizes color division multiplexing technology to achieve three-channel communication, thereby improving the communication bandwidth of the system. The communication system adopts three constant current driving circuits to control the duty cycle of Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) of each channel, thereby changing the proportion of RGB LEDs, and obtaining different color temperatures to achieve the purpose of color control for mixed color LEDs. The experimental results show that when adjusting the color temperature, the change in luminous flux is very small, with fluctuations of less than 2.24%; When adjusting the brightness, the color temperature fluctuation is within 40K, which is less than the 50K color temperature limit that the human eye can distinguish, and the average color temperature error is 0.609%; Color tolerance less than 5.5×10-3 indicates good dimming effect, and the communication performance of the system is better in the high color temperature range, which is significantly superior to the low color temperature range. When the error rate is below 3.8×10-3, the total modulation bandwidth of the three channels reaches 11.7 MHz.

Significant efforts in the past decades to teach evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation has emphasized increasing knowledge of EBP and developing interventions to support adoption to practice. These efforts have resulted in only limited sustained improvements in the daily use of evidence-based interventions in clinical practice in most health professions. Many new interven-tions with limited evidence of effectiveness are readily adopted each year - indicating openness to change is not the problem. The selection of an intervention is the outcome of an elaborate and complex cognitive process which is shaped by how they represent the problem in their mind and is mostly invisible processes to others. Therefore, the complex thinking process which support appropriate adoption of interventions should be taught more explicitly. Making the process visible to clinicians increases the acquisition of the skills required to judiciously select one in-tervention over others. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the selection process and the critical analysis that is required to appropriately decide to trial or not trial new intervention strategies with patients.

In this paper, we review a new treatment of classical radiation damping, which resolves a well-known contradiction in the Abraham-Lorentz equation that has long been a concern. This radiation damping problem has already been solved in quantum mechanics by the method introduced by Friedrichs. Based on Friedrichs’ treatment, we solved this long-standing problem by classicizing quantum mechanics by replacing the canonical commutation relation in quantum mechanics with the Poisson bracket relation in classical mechanics. As an application of our new approach, we will analyze the anomalous damping experienced by electrons undergoing cyclotron motion inside a waveguide near the cut-off frequency. This anomalous damping cannot be described using the existing Abraham-Lorentz equation.

This study addresses the challenge of treating skin cancer effectively, especially in visible areas like the face, where traditional methods may be undesirable. Current options, including surgery and radiation therapy, have limitations such as complexity, expense, and imprecise dose delivery. The proposed solution involves additively manufacturing personalized patches using diagnostic imaging data, offering a targeted and controlled dose of beta-emitting isotopes like Y-90. The patches, tailored to the tumor's shape and depth, aim to minimize damage to healthy tissues and structures. Through 3D printing technology we demonstrated the feasibility of creating individualized applicators filled with radioisotopes, that have the potential to deliver therapeutic doses while ensuring patient comfort and affordability. This innovative approach, based on radiation delivery simulations, offers a promising future alternative to conventional radiation therapy methods. Clinical trials are required to validate its efficacy and safety, but the potential for reduced radiation exposure and enhanced treatment precision positions this personalized and targeted therapy as a valuable advancement in skin cancer treatment.

Background/Objectives: To test the hypothesis that clinical tumor response after a single cycle of induction chemotherapy (ICT) can reliably differentiate between chemo-/radiosensitive and resistant tumors in the larynx preservation setting. Methods: Treatment consisted of docetaxel/cisplatin/5-fluorouracil (TPF) ICT followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) with weekly cisplatin. The response of the primary tumor was assessed by transnasal endoscopy after the first ICT cycle. Results: 37/39 (95%) patients with laryngeal (46%) or hypopharyngeal (54%) carcinoma responded to one cycle of ICT, and two patients were referred for salvage surgery. Laryngectomy-free survival at 2 and 5 years was 87% and 75%, respectively. The corresponding rates for locoregional control (and also for disease-free survival) were 79% and 70% and for overall survival 92% and 82%. Conclusions: Clinical assessment of tumor response to one cycle of TPF ICT serves as a valid and easy-to-use predictor of tumor sensitivity to platinum-based cCRT.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounting for over 85% of cases and poor prognosis in advanced stages. This study explored shifts in circulating metabolite levels in NSCLC patients versus healthy controls and examined the effects of conventionally fractionated radiation therapy (CFRT) and stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). We enrolled 91 NSCLC patients (38 CFRT and 53 SBRT) and 40 healthy controls. Plasma metabolite levels were assessed using semi-targeted metabolomics, revealing 32 elevated and 18 reduced metabolites in patients. Key discriminatory metabolites included ethylmalonic acid, maltose, 3-phosphoglyceric acid, taurine, glutamic acid, glycocolic acid, and d-arabinose, with a combined Receiver Operating Characteristics curve indicating perfect discrimination between patients and controls. CFRT and SBRT affected different metabolites, but both changes suggested a partial normalization of energy and amino acid metabolism pathways. In conclusion, metabolomics identified distinct metabolic signatures in NSCLC patients with potential as diagnostic biomarkers. The differing metabolic responses to CFRT and SBRT reflect their unique therapeutic impacts, underscoring the utility of this technique in enhancing NSCLC diagnosis and treatment monitoring.

The SBA-15 loaded with methylene blue was successfully prepared by sample adsorption of methylene blue in SBA-15 and is characterized by an XRD, SEM, FTIR, and BET. The photocatalytic activity for methyl orange (MO) degradation was investigated under visible light irradiation under LEDs. Experimental results demonstrate that the SBA-15-MB exhibited higher photocatalytic activity than SBA-15 under visible light irradiation. The degradation efficiency of MO (50 ppm) by SBA-15-MB could reach 80% within 180 min under 25W LED visible light. The photocatalytic activity of SBA-15 could be attributed to the excitation of methylene blue by visible light, the transfer of electrons from methylene blue to SBA-15, and the production of radicals at the surface of SBA-15.

Macromolecular crystallography at cryogenic temperatures has so far provided the majority of the experimental evidence that underpins the determination of the atomic structures of proteins and other biomolecular assemblies by means of single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments. One of the core limitations of the current methods is that crystal samples degrade as they are subject to X-rays, and two broad groups of effects are observed: global and specific damage. While the currently successful approach is to operate outside the range where global damage is observed, specific damage is not well understood and may lead to poor interpretation of the chemistry and biology of the system under study. In this work, we present a phenomenological model in which specific damage is understood as the result of a single process, the steady excitation of crystal electrons caused by X-ray absorption, which acts as a trigger for the bulk effects that manifest themselves in the form of global damage and obscure the interpretation of chemical information from XFEL and synchrotron structural research.

In this research, first a binary nanocomposite of magnetic recyclable photocatalyst Fe₃O₄/TiO₂, was synthesized by sol gel technique. Then, in order to enhance the photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanocomposite, it was deposited by silver nanoparticles for using in degradation of organic pollutants 2, 4-dichlorophenol (2, 4-DCP) under visible light. A range of analytical techniques including XRD, FESEM/EDX, DRS, VSM and N₂ physisorption were employed to reveal the crystal structure, morphology and property of the nanocomposites. We obtained 32% and 55% degradation of 2, 4-DCP under visible light after 180 min irradiation in the presence of Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ and Fe₃O₄/TiO₂/Ag respectively. Thus, the excellent visible light photocatalytic activity of Fe₃O₄/TiO₂/Ag sample can be attributed to the surface plasmon resonance effect of Ag nanoparticles deposited on Fe₃O₄/TiO₂ nanocomposite.

The phenomena of light absorption, fluorescence and laser emission are accounted for within a unique picture. The atomic dipole is dealt with in a quantum framework, whereas the electromagnetic field is assumed to be a classical sine-wave. The on and off resonance cases are investigated. This is achieved owing to a novel application of Poynting's theorem. Observable predictions are made, regarding absorption of the electromagnetic energy and the frequency bandwidth of light emitted either by fluorescence or laser effect.

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted human health and daily life. Meteorological factors play a crucial role in virus transmission. Understanding these factors is critical for pandemic control, yet debates continue due to variations in research methods and data. This study uses a global dataset and focuses on administrative units smaller than 10,000 km². The relationship between daily COVID-19 incidence rates and meteorological factors—including temperature, relative humidity (RH), ultraviolet radiation (UVR), and diurnal temperature range (DTR)—was analyzed across 173 units in 62 countries. The results revealed significant nonlinear responses and lag effects between incidence rates and the meteorological factors. Key inflection points were observed at 0°C and 24°C for temperature, 63% for RH, 102 KJ/m² for UVR, and 15°C for DTR. Below 0°C, infection risk increased with rising temperatures; from 0°C to 24°C, risk decreased; and above 24°C, risk escalated rapidly. RH below 63% correlated inversely with infection risk, while above 63%, the correlation was positive. Infection risk decreased with UVR below 102 KJ/m² but increased beyond this threshold. These nonlinear responses are primarily driven by the differential effects of these factors on virus survival, transmission, and human immunity. Conditions around 24°C, 63% RH, 102 KJ/m² UVR, and DTR below 15°C appear optimal for human immunity, correlating with lower infection risk. High temperature and low UVR prompted immediate infection responses, while low temperatures, high UVR, and larger DTR showed delayed effects. These findings provide new, more reliable evidence for understanding the mechanisms driving COVID-19 pandemic dynamics and for preventing the future normalization of the epidemic.

Abstract: This brief policy is written after experience treating COVID-19 positive radiation therapy patients to reduce risk to therapy staff and patients in radiation oncology department. It is important to prioritize the safety of staff and non-infected patients while ensuring the continuation of radiation oncology services. Radiation therapists have sustained contact with covid-19 patients in an enclosed vault. Protocols for correct disinfecting of equipment and room and therapists following methods for less transmission of virus is crucial. This policy covers prevention methods from COVID-19 transmission from patient to patient, patient to staff, staff to patient and staff to staff as follows A.Risk reduction by screening and preparing staff and rooms B.Radiation Therapist Policy for COVID-19 positive patient with CCC (Critical Cancer Care)

This review explores the nuanced decision-making surrounding postoperative radiotherapy for diffuse low-grade glioma (DLGG) patients, emphasizing the need for personalized treatment to balance the benefits of tumor control with the risks of long-term side effects. Radiotherapy is a cornerstone of DLGG treatment, offering significant improvements in progression-free survival, but its potential for cognitive decline and vascular lesions necessitates careful consideration of individual patient factors. The review delves into the complexities of radiotherapy timing, revealing that while early radiotherapy enhances progression-free survival, it does not significantly impact overall survival and may lead to earlier onset of cognitive decline. Conversely, delayed radiotherapy may mitigate cognitive decline but may result in shorter progression-free survival and the onset of neurological symptoms. The review advocates for a patient-centered approach, emphasizing the importance of weighing individual risks and benefits, and highlights the potential of artificial intelligence in predicting cognitive decline and the need to revisit previous research findings in light of the 2021 WHO (World Health Organization) classification update, underscoring the evolving nature of DLGG treatment and the ongoing quest for optimal therapeutic strategies.

Materials based on platinum metals with very good catalytic activity were tested in the reduction of p–nitrophenol (pNP) to p–aminophenol (pAP). The majority of presented catalytic materials are based on the adsorption of p–nitrophenol on the surface of the catalyst simultaneously with molecular hydrogen, coming from sodium borohydride in an aqueous medium, which reduces it. In the present paper, a catalytic material based on osmium dispersed in n–decanol or n–dodecanol is presented, which also works as an emulsion membrane, for the absorption of p–nitrophenol and molecular hydrogen at the n–alcohol aqueous solution interface. The hydrogenation of p–nitrophenol is carried out in a reaction and separation column in which the acid receiving phase emulsion is dispersed in the osmium nanodispersion, in n–alcohols. This emulsion circulates from the base of the column to its upper part in co-current or counter-current with the source phase consisting of p–nitrophenol and sodium borohydride. Experiments show that the circulation of counter-current phases is superior to that in co-current, and the emulsion based on n–decanol is more efficient than the one based on n–dodecanol. The increase in the pH difference between the source and receiving phases leads to the increase in the conversion of p–nitrophenol to p–aminophenol. The efficiency of separation of the reaction product in the receiving phase is lower than the conversion at the same operating time. The apparent catalytic rate constant (kapp) of the new catalytic material based on the emulsion membrane with nanodispersion of osmium nanoparticles (0.1×10−3 for n–dodecanol and 0.9×10−3 for n-decanol) is lower by an order of magnitude compared to those based on adsorption on catalysts from platinum metal group. The advantage of the tested membrane catalytic material is that it extracts p–aminophenol in the acid receiving phase. The paper proposes a mechanism of the studied reduction system.

Infrared and visible light image fusion technology integrates image feature information from two different modalities to generate an image that integrates complementary information from the source images. However, in low-light scenarios, the degradation of lighting in visible light images leads to existing fusion methods being unable to effectively extract texture detail information from the scene. At this time, the target prominence information provided by infrared images alone is far from sufficient. To address this challenge, this paper proposes a lightweight infrared and visible light image fusion method based on low-light enhancement, named LLE-Fuse. Firstly, the method improves the MobileOne Block by embedding the Sobel operator in the Edge-MobileOne Block to perform feature extraction and downsampling on the source images. Then, intermediate features of different scales are obtained and fused through a cross-modal attention fusion module, followed by image reconstruction using a decoder with upsampling. Next, the CLAHE algorithm is used for image enhancement of infrared and visible light images, and the enhanced loss guides the network model to learn the capability of low-light enhancement. Finally, upon completion of the network training, the method optimizes the Edge-MobileOne Block into the direct connection structure of MobileNetV1 through structural re-parameterization, effectively reducing the computational resource consumption of the model network. Through extensive experimental comparisons, this paper's method demonstrates excellent performance in both visual appeal and evaluation metrics, providing satisfactory fusion results even in low-light scenarios.

Genetic engineering and directed evolution are effective methods to address the low yield and poor industrialization level of microbial target products. The current research focus is on how to efficiently and rapidly screen beneficial mutants from constructed large-scale mutation libraries. Traditional screening methods such as plate screening and well plate screening are severely limited in their development and application due to their low efficiency and high costs. In the past decade, microfluidic technology has become an important high-throughput screening technology due to its fast speed, low cost, high automation, and high screening throughput, and it has developed rapidly. Droplet-based microfluidic high-throughput screening has been widely used in various fields such as strain/enzyme activity screening, pathogen detection, single-cell analysis, drug discovery, and chemical synthesis, and has been widely applied in industries such as materials, food, chemicals, textiles, and biomedicine. In particular, in the field of enzyme research, droplet-based microfluidic high-throughput screening has shown excellent performance in discovering enzymes with new functions, improved catalytic efficiency or stability, acid-base tolerance, etc. Currently, droplet-based microfluidic high-throughput screening technology has achieved high-throughput screening of enzymes such as glycosidase, lipase, peroxidase, protease, amylase, oxidase, and transaminase, as well as high-throughput detection of products such as riboflavin, coumarin, 3-dehydroquinate, lactic acid, and ethanol. This article reviews the application of droplet-based microfluidics in high-throughput screening, with a focus on high-throughput screening strategies based on UV, visible, and fluorescence spectroscopy, including labeled optical signal detection screening, as well as label-free electrochemical detection, mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, etc. Furthermore, the research progress and development trends of droplet-based microfluidic technology in enzyme modification and strain screening are also introduced.

The result of the multidisciplinary collaboration of researchers from different areas of knowledge to validate a solar radiation model is presented. The MAPsol is a 3D local-scale adaptive solar radiation model that allows to estimate direct, diffuse and reflected irradiance for clear sky conditions. The model includes the adaptation of the mesh to complex orography and albedo, and considers the shadows cast by the terrain and buildings. The surface mesh generation is based on surface refinement, smoothing and parameterisation techniques and allows the generation of high quality adapted meshes with a reasonable number of elements. Another key aspect of the paper is the generation of a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM). This high-resolution DEM is constructed from LiDAR data and its resolution if two times more accurate than the publicly available DEMs. The validation process uses direct and global solar irradiance data obtained from pyranometers at the University of Salamanca located in an urban area affected by systematic shading from nearby buildings. This work provides an efficient protocol for studying solar resources, with particular emphasis on areas of complex orography and dense buildings where shadows can potentially make solar energy production facilities less efficient.

Microlens arrays (MLAs) which are increasingly popular micro-optical elements in compact integrated optical systems were fabricated by femtosecond direct laser write (fs-DLW) technique in the low-shrinkage SZ2080TM photoresist. High fidelity definition of 3D surfaces on IR transparent CaF2 substrates allowed to achieve ∼ 50% transmittance at chemical fingerprinting spectral region 2-5 μm wavelengths since MLAs were only ∼ 10 μm high corresponding to the numerical aperture of 0.3 (the lens height is comparable with the IR wavelength). To combine diffractive and refractive capabilities in miniaturised optical setup, a graphene oxide (GO) grating acting as a linear polariser was also fabricated by fs-DLW by ablation of a 1 μm-thick GO thin film. Such an ultra-thin GO polariser can be integrated with the fabricated MLA to add dispersion control at the focal plane. Pairs of MLAs and GO polarisers were characterised throughout visible-IR spectral window and numerical modeling was used to simulate their performance. Good match between experimental results of MLA focusing and simulations was achieved.

Being able to ascertain the physiological condition of the buds on a young apple tree before bud burst could help farmers manage their orchards more efficiently, especially if they could do so without destroying the buds in the process. The experiments carried out in this study were conducted with the aim of distinguishing shoot from non-shoot buds before bud burst using a visible/near-infrared spectrometer, a device that does not destroy the buds being tested. Tests on spring-planted (April 30, 2021) trees were conducted to check shoot and non-shoot bud physiology and the winter dormancy of young ‘Jonagold’, ‘Miyabi Fuji’ and ‘Orin’ apple trees. The light absorbance of the shoot buds before bud burst was much lower than the light absorbance of the non-shoot buds as checked on the visible/near-infrared spectrometer. The highest first factor effect was determined by a PCA test conducted on shoot and non-shoot ‘Jonagold’ buds (99.9%) at a range of 640-652 nm, ‘Miyabi Fuji’ buds (99.7%) at 654-680 nm and ‘Orin’ buds (99.6%) at 704-766 nm seven days before bud burst. We also found that the highest level of accuracy, using the Classifier analysis, between shoot and non-shoot ‘Jonagold’ buds (76.6%) was one day before bud burst, for ‘Miyabi Fuji’ buds (82.1%) it was three days before and for ‘Orin’ buds (76.3%) it was two days before. These findings suggest that growers can more effectively manage the development of the young trees in their orchards with a visible/near-infrared spectrometer.

A Clinical Prognostic Index (CPI) for improved patient selection for stereotactic liver-directed radiotherapy (SBRT) was developed. Using a large single-center database, 195 patients treated with SBRT for local control, including 66 with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 129 with metastatic liver disease, were analyzed. Only patients ineligible for alternative treatments were included. Overall survival was 11.9 months and 9.4 months in the HCC group and metastatic groups, respectively. In the combined dataset, Child-Pugh Score (CPS) (p=0.002), serum albumin (p=0.039) and presence of extrahepatic disease (p=0.012) were significant predictors of early death on multivariable analysis and were included in the CPI (total score 0 to 5). Median survival was 23.8, 9.1, 4.5 and 2.6 months for patients with 0, 1-2, 3 and 4-5 points, respectively. In the HCC dataset, CPS (p&lt;0.001) and gross tumor volume (p=0.013) were predictive of early death. In the metastatic dataset, serum albumin (p&lt;0.001) and primary disease site (p=0.003) were predictive of early death. The AUC for the combined, HCC, and metastatic datasets are 0.78, 0.84, 0.80 respectively. Poor liver function (defined by CPS and serum albumin) and extrahepatic disease were most predictive of early death, providing clinically important expected survival information for patients and caregivers.

The shape memory alloys belong to the smart materials thanks to their thermomechanical proprieties' reply to thermal or to mechanical loading. These materials can change shape, stiffness, displacement, natural frequency, and many mechanical characteristics in response to stress or to heat such as conduction, convection or radiation. However, heating by convection or conduction are the most useful and studied methods unlike radiation. Therefore, this paper aims to study the radiation effect on the shape memory alloy behavior

A dual-platform colorimetric and ratiometric chemosensor, namely 6-(2-hydroxynaphthalen)-N-n-butyl-naphthalimide (HNA), based on Schiff base constructed from N-n-butyl-4-amino-1,8-naphthalimide and 2-hydroxy-1-naphthaldehyde has been designed and fabricated for detecting fluoride anion (F−) in DMSO solution. HNA is a colorimetic and ratiometric probe with superior selectivity and sensitivity. The color changes of HNA from yellow to purple was observed by the naked eyes in the presence of F−. The absorbance in the UV-Vis spectra of HNA was decreasing in 422 nm, while gradually increasing in 583 nm by adding F−. The limit of detection (LOD) of HNA for detecting F− is low to 0.61 μM and the binding model of HNA and F− is in 3:2 stoichiometry. Meanwhile, HNA can be used to detect F− in real samples. Finally, the mechanism of HNA for the detection of F− was investigated. The present work indicated that HNA would be a superior potential chemosensor in monitoring F− selectively and sensitively.

Thermal infrared imagery provides temperature information on target objects, and has been widely applied in non-destructive testing. However, thermal infrared imagery is not always able to display detailed textures of inspected objects, which hampers the understanding of geometric entities consisting of temperature information. Although some commercial software has been developed for 3D thermal model displays, the software requires the use of expensive specific thermal infrared sensors. This study proposes a cost-effective method for 3D thermal model reconstruction based on image-based modeling. Two smart phones and a low-cost thermal infrared camera are employed to acquire visible images and thermal images, respectively, that are fused for 3D thermal model reconstruction. The experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method is able to effectively reconstruct a 3D thermal model which extremely approximates its corresponding entity. The total computation time for the 3D thermal model reconstruction is intensive while generating dense points required for the creation of a geometric entity. Future work will improve the efficiency of the proposed method in order to expand its potential applications to in-time monitoring.

FLASH-RT represents a novel therapeutic radiation modality that holds remarkable potential for mitigating radiation therapy’s adverse side effects. This cutting-edge technology allows for the sparing of healthy tissue while precisely targeting cancerous cells by administering an ultra-high dose-rates of typically between 10 and 30 Gy in less than a few hundred milliseconds. FLASH-RT has demonstrated impressive results in small-animal models, prompting scientists to adapt and advance existing technologies to make it a viable treatment option for humans. However, producing the ultra-high-dose-rate radiation required for the therapy remains a significant challenge. Several radiation sources, such as very high energy electrons (VHEEs), low energy electrons, x-rays, and protons, have been studied for their ability to deliver the necessary dose. Among them, FLASH-x-ray has gained the most attention owing to its capacity to penetrate deeply seated tumours. Despite the complexity of the process, the potential advantages of FLASH-RT make it an exciting area of research. To achieve the FLASH effect, high-frequency, pulsed irradiated accelerator technology can be employed. Sparing healthy tissue, it may allow for more aggressive and effective cancer treatments, leading to a better quality of life for patients. Ongoing research and development will be necessary to refine and optimize this approach to radiation therapy.

Transparent and high-hardness materials have become the object of wide interest. Most notably, it concerns technical glasses and crystals. A notable example is a sapphire – one of the most rigid materials having impressive mechanical stability and good optical properties. Nonetheless, using this material for 3D micro-fabrication is not straightforward due to its brittle nature. On the microscale, selective laser etching (SLE) technology is an appropriate approach for such media. Therefore, we present our research on c-cut crystalline sapphire microprocessing by using femtosecond radiation-induced SLE. Here we demonstrate a comparison between different wavelength radiation (1030 nm, 515 nm, 343 nm) usage for modification inscription and various etchants (Hydrofloridic acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide and Sulphuric and Phosphoric acid mixture) comparison. We show that regular SLE etchants such as Hydrofluoric acid or Potassium Hydroxide are unsuitable materials for selective sapphire laser etching. Meanwhile, a 78% sulphuric and 22% phosphoric acid mixture at 270°C temperature is a good alternative for this process. We present the changes in the material after the separate processing steps. Finally, a protocol for advanced sapphire structure formation and a few exemplary structures are presented.

This study aims to evaluate the patient’s dose exposure from Computed Tomography Pulmonary Angiography (CTPA) examination and to estimates the cancer risk induced from the examinations based on the patient’s size. One hundred patients were recruited, and data information was collected retrospectively. A multi-detector (MDCT) (Philips Brilliance 128, USA) scanner were utilized for the CTPA examination, and dose data were obtained from the system. The effective diameter of each subjects’ image was measured for the Size-specific dose estimates (SSDEs). All subjects divided into Group 1 (19 – 25 cm), Group 2 (25-28 cm) and Group 3 (28-38 cm), where the association between gender were analysed. Effective dose (E), SSDE, organ dose and cancer risk of each group were evaluated and compared statistically using independent t-test and one-way ANOVA. The range of mean CTDI_vol, DLP and E values were (6.44 – 17.42 mGy), (239 – 631 mGy), (5.19 – 13.90 mSv), respectively. In respective with the patient’s effective diameter, the mean SSDE value for Group 1, Group 2 and Group 3 were 9.93 ± 3.89 mGy, 13.70 ± 9.04 mGy and 22.29 ± 7.35 mGy. The organ dose and cancer risk attained for breast, lung and liver were 17.05 ± 10.40 mGy (194 per one million procedure), 17.55 ± 10.86 mGy (192 per one million procedure) and 15.04 ± 9.75 mGy (53 per one million procedure), respectively. Lung and breast with more massive patient’s effective diameter received the highest dose exposure which increases the probability of the cancer risk. CTDI_vol was found to be underestimated, and SSDE provides more accurate in describing the radiation dose and cancer risk. Body effective diameter found to be significant on the estimation except for gender. Therefore, it is essential to apply optimised protocols in order to reduce patient’s exposure during CTPA examination.

The LED light source is an important light source for indoor visible light communication. It has the characteristics of a large divergence angle and a high transmission rate. Therefore, using LED as the light source for visible light full-duplex communication can not only satisfy the lighting requirements but also transmit information at high speed. To analyze the factors that affect the optical power of the indoor single-light source visible light communication uplink receiving end, an indoor visible light communication model was established, and mathematical calculation formulas were derived based on the model establishment, and the maximum movable range formula of the retroreflective end under specific conditions was derived; The reliability of the formula was verified with the help of Zemax simulation software. Theoretical analysis and experimental results show that increasing the movement range of the retroreflective end can be achieved by increasing the lens diameter, reducing the focal length, and increasing the link distance.

The ternary Bi2MoO6-reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-TiO2 catalyst were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal method. The improvement of the photocatalytic decomposition efficiency of Bi2MoO6-rGO-TiO2 composite is 92.3% than the pure and binary photocatalyst. The effects of operational parameters like catalyst ratio, the different catalyst, different ratio rGO and different pH, have been analyzed. As prepared ternary photocatalyst is low Photoluminescence and high photocurrent density responsible, it exhibited that photon-induced electron and hole-recombination were suppressed and also charged separation is effective. The present study shows the rGO is an excellent electron transfer performance and enhanced the photocatalytic reaction stability.

Tantalum doped ZnO structures (ZnO:Ta) were synthesized and some of their characteristics were studied. ZnO material was deposited on silicon substrates by using a hot filament chemical vapor deposition (HFCVD) reactor. The raw materials were a pill made of a mixture of ZnO and Ta₂O₅ powders, and molecular hydrogen was used as a reactant gas. Percentage of tantalum was varied from 0 to 500 mg by varying the percentage of tantalum oxide in the mixture of the pill source, by holding a fixed amount of 500 mg of ZnO in all experiments. X-ray diffractograms confirmed the presence of zinc oxide in the wurtzite phase and metallic zinc with a hexagonal structure, and no other phase was detected. Displacements to lower angles of reflection peaks, compared with those from samples without contamination, were interpreted as the inclusion of the Ta atoms in the matrix of the ZnO. This fact was confirmed by EDS and XRD measurements. From SEM images from undoped samples exhibited mostly micro sized semi-spherical structures while doped samples displayed a trend to grown as nanocrystalline rods. The presence of tantalum during the synthesis affects the way of the growth. Green photoluminescence at naked eye was observed when Ta doped samples were illuminated by ultraviolet radiation and confirmed by PL spectra. PL intensity on Ta doped ZnO varied from those undoped samples up to 8 times.

A highly crystallized monoclinic-scheelite type BiVO4 powders were successfully synthesized by solvothermal method. The as-synthesized BiVO4 powders were characterized by XRD, FE-SEM, Raman spectroscopy, UV-vis DRS spectroscopy and TA-PL. From the XRD data and Raman spectra, the monoclinic-scheelite phase BiVO4 sample can be obtained at higher solvothermal synthesis temperature more than 140 oC. The preparation conditions such as, the Bi/V molar ratio and synthesis temperature, have significantly effects on the morphologies of the BiVO4 samples. BVO2 sample shows the highest PL peak, which has the highest formation rate of OH radicals and the highest photocatalytic activity. This result suggests that the formation rate of OH radicals shows a good correlation with the photocatalytic activity.

The Chang’e-4 (CE-4) lunar rover, equipped with The Visible and Near-IR Imaging Spectrometer(VNIS) which based on acousto-optic tunable filter spectroscopy, was launched to the far side of the moon on December 8, 2018. The detection band of VNIS ranges from 0.45 to 2.4μm. Because of the weak reflection of infrared radiation from the lunar surface, a static electronic phase-locked acquisition method is adopted in the infrared channel for signal amplification. In this paper, full-link simulations and modeling are conducted of the infrared channel information flow of the instrument. The signal/noise characteristics of VNIS are analyzed in depth, and the signal-to-noise(SNR) ratio prediction and laboratory verification are presented. On January 4, 2019, the VNIS started working successfully and acquired high-resolution spectrum data of the far side of the moon for the first time. Through analysis, the SNR ratio is in line with predictions, and the data obtained by VNIS in orbit are consistent with the information model proposed in this paper.

Gastric cancer is the 5th most common disease in the world and the 4th most common cause of death. It is diagnosed through esophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsy, however there are limitations in finding lesions in the early stages. Recently, research has been actively conducted to use liquid biopsy to diagnose various cancers, including gastric cancer. Various substances derived from cancer are reflected in the blood. By analyzing these substances, it was expected that not only the presence or absence of cancer but also the type of cancer can be diagnosed. However, the amount of these substances is extremely small, and even these have various variables depending on the characteristics of the individual or the characteristics of the cancer. To overcome these, we collected methylated DNA fragments using MeDIP and compared them with normal plasma to characterize gastric cancer tissue or patient’s plasma. And we attempted to diagnose gastric cancer using the characteristics of cancer reflected in the blood through the cancer tissue and patient’s plasma. As a result, we confirmed that the consistency of common methylated fragments between tissue and plasma was approximately 41.2%, and found the possibility of diagnosing and characterizing cancer using the characteristics of the fragments through SFR and 5'end-motif analysis.

Basic mechanisms of laser interaction with synthetic diamond are reviewed. The features of the major regimes of diamond surface etching are considered. Besides well-known graphitization and ablation processes, the nanoablation and accumulative graphitization, which attracted the attention relatively recently, are described in detail. The focus is placed on femtosecond (fs) laser exposure which provides a formation of dense cold electron-hole plasma in focal zone and a minimum overheating in surrounding area. This potentially opens the way to develop unique laser-based technologies combining physical and chemical processes for precise surface treatment and functionalization. The physical limitations determining how precisely the diamond surface can be treated by short-pulsed laser radiation and possible pathways to overcome them with the end to remove ultra-thin layers of the material are discussed. Particular attention is devoted to the novel possibility to induce local formation of point active defects - nitrogen vacancy (NV) complexes in the laser-irradiated zone. Both the regimes of NV centers generation with and without graphitization of diamond lattice are reviewed. It is thus shown that intensive pulse laser radiation is a perfect tool for processing of synthetic diamonds on the micro, nano and even on an atomic level that can be well controlled and managed.

Rapid search and localization for nuclear sources can be an important aspect in preventing human harm from illicit material in dirty bombs or from contamination. In the case of a single mobile radiation detector, there are numerous challenges to overcome such as weak source intensity, multiple sources, background radiation, and the presence of obstructions, i.e., a non-convex environment. In this work, we investigate the sequential decision making capability of deep reinforcement learning in the nuclear source search context. A novel neural network architecture (RAD-A2C) based on the actor critic (A2C) framework and a particle filter gated recurrent unit for localization is proposed. Performance is studied in a randomized 20 x 20 m convex and non-convex environment across a range of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)s for a single detector and single source. RAD-A2C performance is compared to both an information-driven controller that uses a bootstrap particle filter and to a gradient search (GS) algorithm. We find that the RAD-A2C has comparable performance to the information-driven controller across SNR in a convex environment and at lower computational complexity per action. The RAD-A2C far outperforms the GS algorithm in the non-convex environment with greater than 95% median completion rate for up to seven obstructions.

In this study, we present comprehensive climatologies of effective ultraviolet (UV) quantities and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) over Cyprus for the period 2004 to 2023, leveraging the synergy of earth observation (EO) data and radiative transfer model simulations. The EO dataset, encompassing satellite and re-analysis data for aerosols, total ozone column, and water vapor, alongside cloud modification factors, to capture the nuanced dynamics of Cyprus's atmospheric conditions. With a temporal resolution of 15 minutes and a spatial of 0.05°x0.05°, these climatologies undergo rigorous validation against established satellite datasets and are further evaluated through comparisons with ground-based global horizontal irradiance measurements provided by the Meteorological Office of Cyprus. This dual-method validation approach not only underscores the models' accuracy but also highlights their proficiency in capturing intra-daily cloud coverage variations. Our analysis extends to investigating the long-term trends of these solar radiation quantities, examining their interplay with changes in cloud attenuation, aerosol optical depth (AOD), and total ozone column (TOC). Significant decreasing trends in the noon ultraviolet index (UVI), of -2 to -4% per decade have been found in Autumn, especially marked on the island’s Northeastern part, mainly originating from the (significant) positive trends in TOC. The significant decreasing trends in TOC, of -2 to -3% per decade that were found in Spring do not result in correspondingly significant positive trends in the noon UVI since variations in cloudiness and aerosols also have a strong impact on the UVI in this season. The seasonal trends in the Daylight Integral (DLI) were generally not significant. These insights provide a valuable foundation for further studies aimed at developing public health strategies and enhancing agricultural productivity, highlighting the critical importance of accurate and high-resolution climatological data.

Background: Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an emerging radiotherapy. There are ongoing efforts to develop a Canadian accelerator-based BNCT center. However, it remains unclear how Canadian radiation oncologists (RO), medical physicists (MP), and their trainees perceive BNCT and its impact on radiation oncology as a discipline. Methods: A survey was created to explore knowledge of BNCT, its clinical role, and support for Canadian research. It was distributed through the Canadian Association of Radiation Oncology (CARO) and Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP). Results: We received 118 valid responses from all 10 provinces, from 70 RO (59.3%) and 48 MP (40.7%), including 9 residents. Most knew of BNCT and its indications (60.2%). Although many were unaware of reasons behind early failures (44.1%), common reasons were lack of clinical trials and inaccessibility of neutron sources (42.4%) and reactor unsuitability (34.7%). Additionally, 90.6% showed definite (66.9%) or possible (23.7%) support for Canadian BNCT research, while 89% indicated definite (56.8%) or possible (32.2%) willingness for BNCT referrals. Conclusions: Most RO and MP supported Canadian BNCT research and would refer patients. However, limited awareness and lack of experiences remain a challenge. Educational sessions are needed to realize this innovative cancer treatment in Canada.

When earthquake damage occurs, it is extremely important to quickly identify the presence or absence of such damage. In this study, we developed and evaluated a new remote sensing index to automatically determine "damage" by image analysis when damage greater than partial destruction of a house by an earthquake or tsunami occurs. The accuracy of the houses estimated as "damaged" was high and sufficient for the initial assessment of damage. The results of this research are expected to be utilized for more rapid damage assessment after a disaster.

Seeing atomic configuration of single organic nanoparticles at sub-Å spatial resolution by transmission electron microscopy has been so far prevented by the high sensitivity of soft matter to radiation damage. The difficulty is related to the need to irradiate the particle with a total dose of few electrons/Å2, not compatible with the electron beam density necessary to search the low-contrast nanoparticle, to control its drift, to finely adjust the electro-optical conditions and particle orientation, and to finally acquire an effective atomic resolution image. On the other hand, the capability to study individual pristine nanoparticles, such as proteins, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and polymers, with peculiar sensitivity to the variation of the local structure, defects, and strain, would provide advancements in many fields, including materials science, medicine, biology, and pharmacology. Here we report direct sub-ångström resolution imaging at room temperature of pristine unstained crystalline polymer-based nanoparticles. This result is obtained by combining low-dose in-line electron holography and phase-contrast imaging on state-of-the-art equipment, providing an effective tool for the quantitative sub-angstrom imaging of soft matter.

The utilization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a photocatalyst for the treatment of wastewater has attracted significant attention in the environmental field. Herein, we have prepared a NH2-MIL-125-derived TiO2@N-doped C Visible Light Catalyst through an in-situ calcination method. The nitrogen element in the organic connector is released through calcination, simul-taneously doping into the sample, thereby enhancing its spectral response to cover the visible region. The as-prepared TiO2@N-doped C catalyst exhibited preserved cage structure even after calcination, thereby alleviating the optical shielding effect and further augmenting its photo-catalytic performance by increasing the reaction sites between the catalyst and pollutants. The calcination time of the TiO2@N-doped C-450 °C catalyst was optimized to achieve a balance be-tween the TiO2 content and nitrogen doping level, ensuring efficient degradation rates for basic fuchsin (99.7%), Rhodamine B (89.9%), and tetracycline hydrochloride (93%) within 90 minutes.

The novel ternary composites, BiOBr-TiO2-attapulgite (BTA), were synthesized using a simple hydrothermal and water-bath method, exhibiting excellent photocatalytic performance to mul-tiple xanthates. For BTA photocatalyst, TiO2 and BiOBr were uniformly loaded on the surface of acid-activated attapulgite. As a widely used collector in mining processes, sodium ethyl-xanthate (SEX) was selected as the target pollutant due to its high toxicity. The BTA ternary photocatalyst demonstrated significantly higher adsorption and photocatalytic degradation performance compared to TiO2 nanoparticles, BiOBr nanosheets, and BiOBr-TiO2 heterojunction. Structural characterization and experimental results indicated that the exceptional photocatalytic degrada-tion efficiency of BTA was mainly attributed to the formation of heterojunction between BiOBr and TiO2, as well as the presence of additional active adsorption sites provided by attapulgite. Free radical scavenging experiments and EPR results confirmed that the photogenerated holes were the predominant active species to photodegrade SEX throughout the entire experiment. The LC-MS results provided insight into potential degradation pathways of SEX. This research demonstrates that BTA, as a novel triple composite material, achieves rapid and complete degradation to 20 mg/L SEX within 20 min. This work presents a novel approach to synthesize mineral-based photo-catalysts, which have broad prospects for application in flotation wastewater treatment.

Low separation efficiency of photogenerated carriers and inefficient utilization of visible light limit the application of g-C3N4 nanosheets (CNNs) in the field of photocathodic protection (PCP). Therefore, this work considered indium zinc sulfide (ZnIn2S4, ZIS) as a visible photosensitizer and an electronic donor to promote its PCP performance. ZIS nanolayers with nano-leaf structures were fabricated on CNNs by a simple hydrothermal method. The synthesized 30% ZIS@CNNs composites significantly enhanced the PCP performance for 316 stainless steel (SS) compared with pure CNNs. Under visible light illumination, the 30% ZIS@CNNs photoelectrode exhibited the largest photoinduced current density of 17.30 μA cm−2 and a photoinduced potential drop of 0.37 V, which was approximately 4 and 7.5 times higher than that of pure CNNs, respectively. The improved protection performance may be attributed to the significant increase in visible light absorption and the great enhancement in the separation efficiency of

A distributed bragg reflector is designed to get an optical reflectance on visible electromagnetic spectrum i.e. ~800 nm in this work. Device is realized based on Abele’s matrix for TE mode.

There is an urgent demand worldwide for the development of highly selective adsorbents and sensors of heavy metal ions and other organic pollutants. Within these environmental and public health frameworks, we are combining the salient features of clays and chelatant polymers to design selective metal ion adsorbents. Towards this end, the ion imprinting approach has been used to develop a novel nanohybrid material for the selective separation of Cu2+ ions in aqueous solution. The Cu2+-imprinted polymer/ montmorillonite nanocomposite (IIP/Mt) and non-imprinted polymer/montmorillonite nanocomposite (NIP/Mt) were prepared by radical photopolymerization process in the visible light. Ion imprinting was indeed important as the recognition of copper ions by IIP/Mt was significantly superior to that of NIP/Mt that is the nanocomposite synthesized in the same way but in the absence of Cu2+ ions. The adsorption process as batch study was investigated under the experimental condition affecting same parameters such as contact time, concentration of ions metals and pH. The adsorption capacity of Cu2+ ions is maximized at pH 5. Removal of Cu2+ ion achieved equilibrium within 15 minutes; the results obtained were found to be fitted by the pseudo-second order kinetics model. The equilibrium process was well described by the Langmuir isothermal model and the maximum adsorption capacity was found to be 23.6 mg/g.

Histone deacetylases inhibitors (HDACi) have shown promising therapeutic outcomes in haematological malignancies such as leu-kaemia, multiple myeloma and lymphoma, with dis-appointing results in solid tumours when used as monotherapy. As a result, combination therapies either with radiation or other deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damaging agents have been suggested as ideal strategy to improve their efficacy in solid tumours. Numerous in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated that HDACi can sensitise malignant cells to both electromagnetic and particle types of radiation by inhibiting DNA damage repair. Although the radiosensitising ability of HDACi has been reported as early as 1990s, the mechanisms of radiosensitisation are yet to be fully understood. This review brings forth the various protocols used to sequence the administration of radiation and HDACi treatments in the different studies. The possible contribution of these various protocols on the ambiguity that surrounds the mechanisms of radiosensitisation is also highlighted.

Patient derived model systems are important tools for studying novel anti-cancer therapies. Patient derived xenografts (PDXs) have gained favor over the last 10 years as newer mouse strains have improved the success rate of establishing PDXs from patient biopsies. PDXs can be engrafted from head and neck cancer (HNC) samples across a wide range of cancer stages, retain the genetic features of their human source, and can be treated with both chemotherapy and radiation, allowing for clinically relevant studies. Not only do PDXs allow for study of patient tissues in an in vivo model, they can also provide a renewable source of cancer cells for organoid cultures. Herein, we review the uses of HNC patient derived models for radiation research including approaches to establishing both orthotopic and heterotopic PDXs, approaches and potential pitfalls to delivering chemotherapy and radiation to these animal models, biological advantages and limitations, and alternatives to animal studies that still use patient-derived tissues.

In this paper, we investigate the Hawking radiation process by using the quantum tunneling phenomenon of massive spin-1 (W-bosons) and spin-0 particles from (2+1) dimensional Black Hoke with quintessential and magnetic field. For this purpose, using Hamilton-Jacobi ansatz, we apply the WKB approximation to the field equations of massive charged vector particles. We get the required tunneling rate of radiated particles and obtain their corresponding Hawking temperature $T_h$. In order to study the quantum gravity effects, we utilize the generalized Proca and Klein-Gordan equations incorporating the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) and recover the accompanying quantum corrected temperature $T'_{h}$.