Highly localized electromagnetic field distributions near the “shadow-side” surface of certain transparent mesoscale bodies illuminated by light waves are called photonic jets. We demonstrated ...formation of three-dimensional (3D) tunable photonic jets in terahertz regime (terajets, TJs) by dielectric micro-objects -including spheres, cylinders, and cubes-coated with a bulk Dirac semimetal (BDS) layer, under uniform beam illumination. The optical characteristics of the produced TJs can be modulated dynamically through tuning the BDS layer’s index of refraction via changing its Fermi energy. It is demonstrated that the Fermi energy of BDS layer has a significant impact on tuning the optical characteristics of the produced photonic jets for both TE and TM polarizations. A notable polarization dependency of the characteristics of the TJs was also observed. The impact of obliquity of the incident beam was studied as well and it was demonstrated that electromagnetic field distributions corresponding to asymmetric photonic jets can be formed in which the intensity at the focal region is preserved in a wide angular range which could find potential application in scanning devices. It was found that the maximum intensity of the TJ occurs at a non-trivial morphology-dependent source-angle.
Abstract The mass and volume of Rosa roxburghii fruits are essential for fruit grading and consumer selection. Physical characteristics such as dimension, projected area, mass, and volume are ...interrelated. Image-based mass and volume estimation facilitates the automation of fruit grading, which can replace time-consuming and laborious manual grading. In this study, image processing techniques were used to extract fruit dimensions and projected areas, and univariate (linear, quadratic, exponential, and power) and multivariate regression models were used to estimate the mass and volume of Rosa roxburghii fruits. The results showed that the quadratic model based on the criterion projected area ( CPA ) estimated the best mass (R 2 = 0.981) with an accuracy of 99.27%, and the equation is M = 0.280 + 0.940 CPA + 0.071 CPA 2 . The multivariate regression model based on three projected areas ( PA 1 , PA 2 , and PA 3 ) estimated the best volume (R 2 = 0.898) with an accuracy of 98.24%, and the equation is V = − 8.467 + 0.657 PA 1 + 1.294 PA 2 + 0.628 PA 3 . In practical applications, cost savings can be realized by having only one camera position. Therefore, when the required accuracy is low, estimating mass and volume simultaneously from only the dimensional information of the side view or the projected area information of the top view is recommended.
: In 2018, the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) published a clinical guideline for adults with neurological conditions, which included recommendations for the Five-Repetition Sit-to-Stand ...test (5STSt). According to the APTA, a standard-height chair should be used, but there is no recommendation regarding seat depth. In addition, the APTA recommended the use of one trial of the test, based on expert opinion.
: (1) Compare the 5STSt scores of patients post-stroke and healthy-matched controls using two types of chairs (one standardized and one adjusted to the individual's anthropometric characteristics); and (2) Verify whether different numbers of trial affect the 5STSt scores.
: Eighteen patients post-stroke and 18 healthy-matched controls performed three trials of the 5STSt for each type of chair. ANOVA was used for analysis (α = 0.05).
: No significant interaction between groups and chairs was found. Patients post-stroke showed worsened performances in 5STSt when using both chairs compared to the healthy controls (
= .001). In both groups, the 5STSt scores were lower when using a standardized chair than an adjusted chair (
< .003) and different numbers of trials provided similar 5STSt scores (0.44 ≤
≤ 0.98).
: The 5STSt scores were affected by the physical characteristics of the chair, and an adjusted chair should be used. The APTA recommendation for one trial of the 5STSt is supported by the present results.
Advanced kirigami/origami provides an automated technique for modulating the mechanical, electrical, magnetic and optical properties of existing materials, with remarkable flexibility, diversity, ...functionality, generality, and reconfigurability. In this paper, we review the latest progress in kirigami/origami on the microscale/nanoscale as a new platform for advanced 3D microfabrication/nanofabrication. Various stimuli of kirigami/origami, including capillary forces, residual stress, mechanical stress, responsive forces, and focussed-ion-beam irradiation-induced stress, are introduced in the microscale/nanoscale region. These stimuli enable direct 2D-to-3D transformations through folding, bending, and twisting of microstructures/nanostructures, with which the occupied spatial volume can vary by several orders of magnitude compared to the 2D precursors. As an instant and direct method, ion-beam irradiation-based tree-type and close-loop nano-kirigami is highlighted in particular. The progress in microscale/nanoscale kirigami/origami for reshaping the emerging 2D materials, as well as the potential for biological, optical and reconfigurable applications, is briefly discussed. With the unprecedented physical characteristics and applicable functionalities generated by kirigami/origami, a wide range of applications in the fields of optics, physics, biology, chemistry and engineering can be envisioned.
Due to unique photo-physical characteristics, rare earth (RE) complexes play important roles in many fields, for example, telecommunications, life science, and organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). ...Especially, thanks to narrow emission bandwidth and 100% theoretical internal quantum efficiency (IQE), the study of RE complexes in the electroluminescence field has been a hot research topic in recent 30 years. As a leading technology in solid-state light source fields, OLEDs have attracted great interest from academic researchers and commercial endeavors. In the last decades, OLED-based products have trickled into the commercial market and developed quickly into portable display devices. Here, we briefly introduce the luminescent characteristics and electroluminescent (EL) study of RE complexes in material synthesis and device design. Moreover, we emphatically reveal the innovative application of RE complexes as sensitizers in OLEDs. Through experimental validation, the application of RE complexes as sensitizers can realize the complementary advantages of RE complexes and transition metal complexes, leading to significantly improved performances of OLEDs. The application of RE complexes as sensitizers provides a new strategy for designing and developing novel high performances OLEDs.
Pinus pinaster bark, an abundant by-product from the timber industry, has been studied as a potential low-cost adsorbent for the removal of Congo red (CR) dye from wastewaters. Surface morphological ...and physico-chemical characteristics of pine bark were analysed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), determination of the point of zero charge (pH
) and elemental analysis. Assays were performed to determine the wavelength for the maximum absorbance and the stability with time of CR solutions depending on concentration and/or pH, which resulted to be a very significant parameter. Adsorption studies were conducted on batch mode to study the effect of contact time (till 7 days), pH (2-9), adsorbent dosage (1-10 g L
) and temperature (25-60 °C). The bark adsorption capacity at equilibrium varied between 0.3 and 1.6 mg g
and the equilibrium adsorption percentage between 23.4 and 100% depending on adsorbent dosage, temperature and pH at an initial CR concentration of 5 mg L
. Kinetic data for the removal of CR by pine bark were best fitted by the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The equilibrium data fitted well with the Freundlich model. Thermodynamic analysis indicated that the adsorption process is exothermic and spontaneous.
Hispanic collyria seals in the Roman empire Perez‐Cambrodì, Rafael J.
Acta ophthalmologica (Oxford, England),
December 2022, 2022-12-00, 20221201, Letnik:
100, Številka:
S275
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Roman seals associated with collyria (Latin expression for eye drops /washes and lotions for eye maintenance) provide valuable information about eye care in the antiquity. These small, usually ...stone‐made pieces bore engravings with the names of eye doctors and also the collyria used to treat eye diseases. The collyria seals have been found all over the Roman Empire and Celtic territories in particular and were usually associated with military camps. Thus, it seems that they were rather specific for doctors working in the Roman army.
In Hispania (Iberian Peninsula), only three collyria seals have been found. These findings inform about eye care in this ancient Roman province as well as about of the life of the time. The main aim of this communication is to take a look at the morphological characteristics, the utilities and social significance of the collyria seals and seeks to give an insight through the ophthalmological practice in the Roman Empire.
Two new Keratinophyton species, K. kautmanovae sp. nov. and K. keniense sp. nov., isolated from soil samples originating from two different geographical and environmental locations (Africa and ...Europe) are described and illustrated. Phylogenetically informative sequences obtained from the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and the nuclear large subunit (LSU) rDNA, as well as their unique phenotype, fully support novelty of these two fungi for this genus. Based on ITS and LSU combined phylogeny, both taxa are resolved in a cluster with eight accepted species, including K. alvearium, K. chongqingense, K. hubeiense, K. durum, K. lemmensii, K. siglerae, K. submersum, and K. sichuanense. The new taxon, K. kautmanovae, is characterized by clavate, smooth to coarsely verrucose conidia, absence of arthroconidia, slow growth at 25 °C, and no growth at 30 °C, while K. keniense is morphologically unique with a high diversity of conidial shapes (clavate, filiform, globose, cymbiform and rhomboid). Both species are described based on their asexual, a chrysosporium-like morph. While the majority of hitherto described Keratinophyton taxa came from Europe, India and China, the new species K. keniense represents the first reported taxonomic novelty for this genus from Africa.
Abstract Carbon dioxide (CO $$_2$$ 2 ) trapping in capillary networks of reservoir rocks is a pathway to long-term geological storage. At pore scale, CO $$_2$$ 2 drainage displacement depends on ...injection pressure, temperature, and the rock’s interaction with the surrounding fluids. Modeling this interaction requires adequate representations of both capillary volume and surface. For the lack of scalable representations, however, the prediction of a rock’s CO $$_2$$ 2 storage potential has been challenging. Here, we report how to represent a rock’s pore space by statistically sampled capillary networks (ssCN) that preserve morphological rock characteristics. We have used the ssCN method to simulate CO $$_2$$ 2 drainage within a representative sandstone sample at reservoir pressures and temperatures, exploring intermediate- and CO $$_2$$ 2 -wet conditions. This wetting regime is often neglected, despite evidence of plausibility. By raising pressure and temperature we observe increasing CO $$_2$$ 2 penetration within the capillary network. For contact angles approaching 90 $$^\circ$$ ∘ , the CO $$_2$$ 2 saturation exhibits a pronounced maximum reaching 80 $$\%$$ % of the accessible pore volume. This is about twice as high as the saturation values reported previously. For enabling validation of our results and a broader application of our methodology, we have made available the rock tomography data, the digital rock computational workflows, and the ssCN models used in this study.
Abstract Circulating amyloid-beta 1–40 (Αb40) has pro-atherogenic properties and could serve as a biomarker in atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). However, the association of Ab40 levels ...with morphological characteristics reflecting atherosclerotic plaque echolucency and composition is not available. Carotid atherosclerosis was assessed in consecutively recruited individuals without ASCVD ( n = 342) by ultrasonography. The primary endpoint was grey scale median (GSM) of intima-media complex (IMC) and plaques, analysed using dedicated software. Vascular markers were assessed at two time-points (median follow-up 35.5 months). In n = 56 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy, histological plaque features were analysed. Plasma Αb40 levels were measured at baseline. Ab40 was associated with lower IMC GSM and plaque GSM and higher plaque area at baseline after multivariable adjustment. Increased Ab40 levels were also longitudinally associated with decreasing or persistently low IMC and plaque GSM after multivariable adjustment ( p < 0.05). In the histological analysis, Ab40 levels were associated with lower incidence of calcified plaques and plaques without high-risk features. Ab40 levels are associated with ultrasonographic and histological markers of carotid wall composition both in the non-stenotic arterial wall and in severely stenotic plaques. These findings support experimental evidence linking Ab40 with plaque vulnerability, possibly mediating its established association with major adverse cardiovascular events.
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