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The appearance of a stair can impact the safe negotiation of stair climbing. Increasing toe clearance height is a common strategy for reducing the risk of tripping when stepping onto a raised surface.Can the Müller-Lyer illusion cause people to increase their toe clearance height when walking over a stair?Indoors, 15 healthy individuals (9 women and 6 men) walked up a 3-step staircase with each step 60 cm wide, 18 cm tall, and 30.5 cm deep. Outdoors, 253 people walked up a 2-step staircase with each step 6 m wide, 15 cm tall, and 38 cm deep. Four visual conditions were displayed at both the indoor and outdoor locations: fins out, fins in, line, and control.While the fins out stairs were perceived taller than all the other displayed stair conditions, the toe clearance height was not different between display conditions when tested indoors. However, toe clearance height was greater in the fins out condition when compared to all other conditions for the outdoor stairs location.In the natural environment when walkers were oblivious to themselves being filmed and not having any knowledge of the task demand, the Müller-Lyer illusion significantly impacted their toe clearance height.

Mixed-dimensional composite structures using 0D quantum dots (QDs) and 2D transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) materials are expected to attract great interest in optoelectronics due to potential to generate new optical properties. Here, we report on the unique optical characteristics of a devices with a mixed dimensional vertically stacked structures based on WSe2/CdSeS QDs monolayer/MoS2 (2D/0D/2D). Specifically, it exhibits an ambipolar photoresponse characteristic, with a negative photoresponse observed in the 400–600 nm wavelength range and a positive photoresponse appearing at 700 nm wavelength. It resulted the high negative responsivity of up to 52.22 mA/W under 400 nm, which is 163 times higher than that of the photodetector without CdSeS QDs. We also demonstrate the negative photoresponse which could be due to increased carrier collision probability and non-radiative recombination. Device modeling and simulation reveal that Auger recombination among the types of non-radiative recombination is the main cause of negative photocurrent generation. Consequently, we have discovered ambipolar photoresponse near a specific wavelength corresponding to the energy of quantum dots. Our study reveals interesting phenomenon in the mixed low-dimensional stacked structure and paves the way to exploit it for the development of innovative photodetection materials as well as for optoelectronic applications.

We demonstrated the sensing properties and adsorption mechanism of NO2 molecules of monolayer graphene and multilayer graphene encapsulated ZnO QDs for NO2 gas adsorption. The gas response value of ZnO-multilayer graphene (ZMLG) QDs was approximately 23 % and 7.2 and 25.5 times higher than that with ZnO-monolayer graphene (ZG) and ZnO QDs, respectively. The surface potential change of ZMLG QDs increased up to 14.25 times compared to ZnO QDs and 6.33 times increased compared to ZG QDs. We proposed an accurate adsorption mechanism for the improvement of the detection behavior that is occured by covering the graphene shells into ZnO QDs by the Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and SKPM measurement. These results are expected to increase the accuracy of gas sensor characteristic analysis.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical application of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) for anterior uveitis in dogs. ANIMALS AND PROCEDURES Client-owned dogs presenting with anterior uveitis and clinically healthy dogs were enrolled in this study. Included eyes were divided into 5 groups by flare grade and 3 groups by cell grade through slit-lamp biomicroscopy. Each eye was examined using SD-OCT following slit-lamp biomicroscopy. The ratio of aqueous signal intensity to air signal intensity, which is called the aqueous-to-air relative intensity (ARI) index, was used to evaluate the flare grade. Cell number, central corneal thickness (CCT), and the presence of keratic precipitates (KPs) were analyzed on SD-OCT. The OCT parameters, including ARI index, cell number, and CCT, were compared to the slit-lamp clinical flare and cell grade. RESULTS Thirty-six eyes with anterior uveitis and 27 healthy eyes were enrolled. The ARI index showed a significant correlation with clinical flare grade (rs = 0.811, p

Objective To confirm the feasibility of visualizing upper and lower proximal lacrimal canaliculi (LC) using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). Animals studied Eight eyes of four normal Beagle dogs. Procedures To obtain an upper proximal LC image, the head was turned in the opposite direction to the eye being imaged, and the medial part of the upper eyelid was everted to expose the LC. To obtain a lower LC image, the lower eyelid was everted just below the punctum. Using "angle mode", the scan line was placed parallel on the long axis of the LC. The inlet LC width (LCW) was measured. Artificial tears (AT) were instilled, and LCW was compared before and after AT instillation. Additionally, the return time to the initial LCW inlet width was recorded. Results Before AT instillation, there was a significant difference between the mean upper and lower LCW (91.8 ± 3.2 µm and 110.1 ± 8.4 µm, respectively). After AT instillation, the mean upper and lower LCW were 236.9 ± 27.7 µm and 238.4 ± 30.4 µm, respectively. Significant differences in the LCW before and after AT instillation in both the upper and lower LCWs were observed. The mean return time of the upper and lower LCW to their initial widths after AT instillation was within 4 min. Conclusions Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography was an effective method for providing high-resolution images of the upper and lower proximal LC. This method enables observation of LC changes after instillation of eyedrops in veterinary clinical practice.

We demonstrated the thermally robust reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) papers and their application in electromagnetic interference shielding. In order to overcome the thermal durability shortcomings of electromagnetic wave shielding paper based on rGO nanomaterial, rGO/BNNT electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding paper having excellent thermal durability could be manufactured using BNNT nanomaterials having excellent chemical and thermal stability at high temperature. With the addition of a little BNNT, the durability against temperature can be increased by more than two times while there is little reduction in EMI performance.

Transition metal oxide has been attracting significant attention as a potential alternative anode materials for high-performance lithium-ion batteries. However, the materials still suffer from poor performance due to the large volume expansion during reversible electrochemical reaction between the materials and Li ions. Here, we report on successfully synthesized graphene encapsulated Co3O4 (GE-Co3O4) quantum dots (QDs) by a facile chemical reaction. We also demonstrate an improved performance in Li storage with GE/Co3O4 by suppression of volume expansion during charge/discharge processes. To evaluate the electrochemical characteristics for the lithium storage the composites were examined by cyclic voltammetry and charge/discharge process. The GE-Co3O4 showed a large reversible capacity of 820 mA h/g at a constant current density of 1000 mAg−1 even after 100 cycles and excellent rate capacity and cyclic stability compared to pristine Co3O4 QDs. The encapsulated graphene shell can obstruct the pulverization by inhibiting the volume expansion of Co3O4 QDs, which was supported by the fact that the morphology and structure of GE-Co3O4 QDs was not significantly changed after 100 cycles. We also confirmed through scanning Kelvin probe microscopy, transmittance electron microscopy, and energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer that the morphology of GE-Co3O4 QDs was maintained whereas that of Co3O4 QDs was almost fully decomposed. The encapsulation of graphene can play important roles such as suppression of volume expansion and producing a sufficient opposing force to aggregation during the cycles, resulting in a long stable life cycle.

Recently, research on the use of additives in photoactive layers to improve the efficiency of solar cells has continued to be conducted. Among them, carbon-based additives serve to increase a device's efficiency by simply and effectively improving the carrier movement. In this work, inverted polymer solar cells (iPSCs) are fabricated based on a blend of PTB7-Th:PC71BM and PTB7:PC71BM bulk heterojunction as photoactive materials using mixed additives of 4Cl-carbon-based contorted hexabenzocoronene (4Cl-cHBC). The 4Cl-cHBC additives, a kind of contorted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, added to bulk heterojunction in the iPSC devices, provide a cocrystal modifier and effective charge separation to enhance device performance. The reason for this efficiency improvement is that cocrystal is formed due to a combination between 4Cl-cHBC and the PTB7-Th:PC71BM bulk heterojunction, which reduces bimolecular recombination in the device and significantly increases short-circuit current and fill factor. The RS and RSh values of iPSCs based on PTB7-Th:PC71BM with and without the 4Cl-cHBC additives decreased from 7.0 Ω cm2 to 4.0 Ω cm2, and increased from 813 Ω cm2 to 1226 Ω cm2, respectively. The calculated average carrier lifetimes at 500 nm for PTB7-Th:PC71BM and PTB7-Th:PC71BM with 4Cl-cHBC additives are 4.46 ps and 3.06 ps, respectively. The carrier lifetimes show that the charge separation of PTB7-Th:PC71BM with 4Cl-cHBC additives is more than 45% faster. As a result, the iPSCs based on the blend of PTB7-Th:PC71BM and PTB7:PC71BM with 4Cl-cHBC additives showed maximum power conversion efficiencies of 9.46 and 8.62%, which were 20.6 and 19.95% higher than those of the reference, respectively.

Interest in meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) is growing in veterinary medicine. However, research on MGD in dogs is lacking. The aims of this study were to compare the interferometry grades, tear meniscus height (TMH) and non-invasive tear break-up time (NIBUT) grades between dogs with and without MGD.Routine ophthalmic examination, interferometry, NIBUT assessment, TMH measurement and meibography were performed. Age and Schirmer tear test-1 (STT-1) results were compared between the control and MGD groups using Student's t-test. Interferometry grades, NIBUT grades and TMH were compared between the two groups using Mann-Whitney U-test.There was no significant difference in age between the two groups (p = 0.279). STT-1 (p = 0.024), interferometry (p = 0.004) and NIBUT grades (p = 0.012) were significantly lower in the MGD group than in the control group. No significant difference in TMH values (p = 0.587) was observed between the two groups. While the control group included 18 and seven eyes in meiboscore 0 and 1, in MGD group, 12, eight, five and three eyes were included in meiboscore 0, 1, 2 and 3, respectively.Low interferometry and NIBUT grades were associated with MGD, suggesting decreased meibum and disrupted tear film quality. TMH did not differ between the two groups. Meibography could aid in the diagnosis of MGD in severe cases, although it could not detect early MGD in the dogs in this study.

Objective To evaluate the clinical relevance of intraocular pressure (IOP) measured with three different rebound tonometers in an ex vivo analysis and clinical trials in dogs. Animals and procedures Ex vivo analysis and clinical trials were performed separately. For the ex vivo analysis, eight enucleated eyes were obtained from four Beagle dogs. IOP values measured with TONOVET® (TV‐IOP), TONOVET‐Plus® (TVP‐IOP), and SW‐500® (SW‐IOP) were compared with manometric IOPs. For clinical trials, each tonometer was evaluated separately, depending on whether TVP‐IOP was higher or lower than 14 mm Hg. One‐way repeatedmeasures analysis of variance, simple linear regression analysis, and Bland‐Altman plots were used for statistical analyses. Results In ex vivo analysis, TV‐IOP and TVP‐IOP were not significantly different from manometric IOP. However, SW‐IOP underestimated IOP compared to manometry. Higher discrepancy was observed in TV‐IOP and SW‐IOP with an increase in manometric IOP. In clinical trials, no significant difference was observed between TV‐IOP (9.73 ± 2.92) and TVP‐IOP (11.36 ± 2.23) when TVP‐IOP was lower than 14 mm Hg, but SW‐IOP (8.70 ± 3.03) was significantly lower than TVP‐IOP. TV‐IOP (15.96 ± 6.47) and SW‐IOP (13.09 ± 3.72) were significantly lower than TVP‐IOP (20.08 ± 6.60) when the IOP was higher than 14 mm Hg of TVP‐IOP. Conclusions This study demonstrates that the TONOVET® and TONOVET‐Plus® provide a useful approach for ex vivo analysis. In clinical trials, results of TV‐IOP and SW‐IOP were significantly lower than of TVP‐IOP when IOP was higher than 14 mm Hg of TVP‐IOP. The characteristics of rebound tonometers should be considered in clinical settings.

Environmentally friendly metal oxide quantum dot (QD) nanostructures have become attractive alternative materials for replacing QDs containing toxic elements of Cd and Pb. Although many attempts have been proposed for optoelectronic applications of hybrid metal oxide QDs with tailored opto-electronic properties, the fabrication of heterogeneous QD–fullerene hybrids as an emissive material has been studied little for optoelectronic devices. Herein, we report the preparation of ZnO–fullerene C70 (ZnO–C70) QDs by a facile chemical reaction with a zero length linker and demonstrate whitish light-emitting diodes by fullerene induced multicolor emission from the ZnO–C70 QD heterostructure. The electroluminescence (EL) is attributed to three new emission features in the visible region that originate from the electron transitions from three split lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels of C70 molecules to the valence band of ZnO QDs. Compared with photoluminescence, the EL emission was red-shifted by 50–130 meV due to the interaction between ZnO–C70 QDs in the solid state. The energy levels of C70 were also suitably aligned to those of ZnO QDs with a lower electron transfer barrier of 0.22 eV, which offers an advantageous route for electron transport. Consequently, the environmentally friendly ZnO–C70 QDs with extraordinary properties promise great potential for use as novel encapsulating materials in the field of opto-electronic applications adopting QDs.

Background Dry eye disease (DED) cannot be diagnosed by a single test because it is a multifactorial disorder of the ocular surface. Although studies on various dry eye tests (DETs) in dogs have been reported, standard criteria have not been established except for the Schirmer tear test 1 (STT-1). Objectives To establish reference values for DETs in dogs with normal STT-1 values (≥ 15 mm/min) and to analyze the correlation between DETs. Methods The STT-1 was performed in 10 healthy Beagle dogs (20 eyes). After 20 min, interferometry (IF) for estimating the lipid layer thickness (LLT) of the tear film, tear meniscus height (TMH), non-invasive tear breakup time (NIBUT), and meibomian gland loss rate of the upper eyelid (MGLRU) and lower eyelid (MGLRL), were measured using an ocular surface analyzer. Results Mean values for STT-1, TMH, and NIBUT were as follows: 21.7 ± 3.4 mm/min, 0.41 ± 0.21 mm, and 19.1 ± 9.5 sec, respectively. The most frequent LLT range, measured by IF, was 30-80 nm (11 eyes), followed by 80 nm (5 eyes) and 80-140 nm (4 eyes). MGLRU ≤ 25% was measured in 11 eyes and 26%-50% in 9 eyes; MGLRL ≤ 25% in 8 eyes and 26%-50% in 12 eyes. Besides positive correlation between TMH and NIBUT (P = 0.038), there were no significant associations between DETs. Conclusions Data obtained in this study provided normative references that could be useful for diagnosing DED and for further research into correlation between DETs in dogs with DED.

OBJECTIVE To compare the measurements of iridocorneal angle parameters between spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) and ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) in dogs. ANIMALS STUDIED AND PROCEDURES A total of 47 eyes of dogs were scanned at the temporal limbus using SD-OCT and UBM. Iridocorneal angle (ICA) and angle opening distance (AOD) were measured from the obtained images accordingly. The intra-observer and inter-observer reproducibility were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient. To evaluate intra-observer reproducibility, measurements of the first and second grading from the first examiner were compared. To evaluate inter-observer reproducibility, measurements between the two examiners were compared. Agreement between ICA and AOD for SD-OCT and UBM was evaluated using Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS In the first grading, the mean ICA and AOD for SD-OCT were 31.4 ± 6.4° and 641.4 ± 270.8 µm, respectively. The mean ICA and AOD for UBM were 32.0 ± 4.8° and 700.4 ± 238.8 µm, respectively. For ICA and AOD measurements, intra-observer reproducibility was excellent for both devices, whereas inter-observer reproducibility was excellent for SD-OCT and good for UBM. The mean difference in ICA between SD-OCT and UBM was 0.6° with a limit of agreement (LoA) span of 18.9°. The mean difference in AOD between SD-OCT and UBM was 58.9 µm with a LoA span of 804.4 µm. CONCLUSIONS Spectral domain optical coherence tomography is an effective non-contact imaging modality for the evaluation of canine iridocorneal angle parameters in a clinical setting. Reproducibility of measurements obtained is comparable or superior to UBM, but values obtained by SD-OCT and UBM for AOD are not interchangeable between devices.

This study was aimed to evaluate the prophylactic anti-glaucoma effect of topical 5% betaxolol (BTX) and 2% dorzolamide (DRZ) on the second eye in dogs with unilateral primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG). Medical records of 60 dogs with unilateral PACG who received prophylactic anti-glaucoma eyedrops in the second eye, from 2016 to 2021, were reviewed. The duration of prophylactic effects of BTX only and DRZ after BTX failure was calculated. The prophylactic effects of BTX were maintained on 28/60 (46.7%) eyes until last visit and BTX failure was observed on median 510 (range, 53-1,927) days in 32/60 (53.3%) eyes. After DRZ instillation in BTX failure eyes, the prophylactic effects were extended at median 610 (range, 157-2,270) days in 21/32 (65.6%) eyes. DRZ failure eyes (17/21, 81.0%) eyes required chemical ablation or surgical intervention due to uncontrolled intraocular pressure. The duration of prophylactic effects was decreased with aging (R² = 0.334, p = 0.006). The predominant breeds were Shih-Tzu (41.9%) and American Cocker Spaniel (30.6%) with no significant differences in survival curves (p = 0.210). The average prophylactic effects of BTX persisted more than 1.5 year and could be selected the first prophylactic eye drop in unilateral PACG. Also, early surgical intervention should be considered in prophylactic medications failure cases.

Objective To investigate the relationship between topical administration of flurbiprofen plus corticosteroids versus corticosteroids alone following phacoemulsification and the development of postoperative glaucoma in dogs. Animal studied Thirty-eight/eighty-three (45.8%) eyes were prescribed topical flurbiprofen plus corticosteroids immediately postop while 45/83 (54.2%) eyes received topical corticosteroids alone. Procedures Logistic regression models were performed to analyze the relationship between topical flurbiprofen and development of glaucoma and to predict potential risk factors for postoperative glaucoma occurrence. Results Eighty-three eyes (65 dogs) were included. The mean age at surgery was 8.2 years, with even gender distribution. Increasing age at the time of surgery significantly increased the probability of postoperative glaucoma occurrence (odds ratio [OR] = 1.344, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.093-1.652; p = 0.005). Glaucoma occurred in 17/83 (20.5%) eyes; of these, 15/38 (39.5%) and 2/45 (4.4%) eyes were prescribed topical flurbiprofen plus corticosteroids and topical corticosteroids alone, respectively. Immediate postoperative use of topical flurbiprofen was significantly associated with an increased probability of postoperative glaucoma occurrence (OR = 19.183 [95% CI 3.367-109.286], p = 0.001). Conclusions Immediate postoperative use of topical flurbiprofen was a potential predisposing risk factor for the development of glaucoma following phacoemulsification. Restriction of postoperative use of topical flurbiprofen might decrease the possibility of postoperative glaucoma development in dogs.

Herein, we demonstrate that two-dimensional (2D) CdSeS quantum dot monolayers (QDM) can strongly influence efficient charge transport and charge separation, improving the performance of inverted polymer solar cells (iPSCs). Also, for the first time we report the electronic band structure of CdSeS and CdSeS@ZnS QDs and an effective approach to apply the 2D QDM as an effective electron transport layer in iPSCs from work function studies. The iPSCs with the 2D CdSeS QDM showed maximum power conversion efficiencies of 8.83%, which were 26% higher than the reference. Ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurements were performed to confirm the charge separation and electron transport behavior in the iPSCs with 2D QDMs. The PL decay time of the iPSCs with the CdSeS QDM at 720 nm was ∼60 ps, which is much faster than that of the iPSCs without the 2D QDM. The enhanced photovoltaic performance of the iPSCs with the 2D CdSeS QDM can be attributed to the effective charge separation and electron transport performance due to the high built-in voltage and fast exciton decay time from the 2D QDM.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) has been extensively used as a hole transport layer in many inverted polymer solar cell devices. However, its potential as an electron transport layer in a solar cell device has rarely been reported. In this paper, we demonstrate an iPSC with enhanced photovoltaic performance by the introduction of a MoS2 nanosheet (NS) interlayer. Herein, MoS2 NS thin films were uniformly deposited on a polyethylenimine ethoxylated polymer by an electrostatic interaction. The MoS2 NS interlayer in the iPSC device plays important roles as a sub-photo sensitizer and an electron transport layer and provides effective charge separation for the enhancement of device performance. iPSCs with MoS2 NSs based on bulk heterojunction active materials such as P3HT:PC60BM, PTB7:PC71BM and PTB7-Th:PC71BM showed maximum power conversion efficiencies of 3.54%, 8.12%, and 9.08%, respectively, which were 27%, 11%, and 15% higher than those of the reference, respectively. Furthermore, the enhanced photovoltaic performance and electron transport mechanism of the iPSCs with the MoS2 NSs were confirmed experimentally using finite-difference-time-domain modeling and time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurements. The computational simulation results showed that the light absorption of the iPSCs with the MoS2 NS interlayer was slightly better than that of the iPSCs without the MoS2 NS interlayer. The electron decay time of PTB7:PC71BM with the MoS2 NS interlayer at a wavelength of 700 nm was reduced to 60 ps from 100 ps of PTB7:PC71BM without the MoS2 NS interlayer. The efficient light absorption and electron transfer characteristics of MoS2 NSs significantly improved the photovoltaic conversion performance of the iPSC devices.

Epoxy adhesive was analyzed under long term thermal aging and mechanical properties and chemical degradation were observed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Long term thermal exposure of epoxy causes a noticeable reduction in adhesive properties. We developed a predictive model of temperature and time dependent aging. The temperature dependent aging behavior of epoxy adhesive shows good agreement with conventional Arrhenius equations. Using XPS analysis, we also discovered a correlation between chemical degradation and the adhesive properties. Decay of C–C bonding ratio induced chain-scission of epoxy adhesive; increase of total numbers of C–O and C═O induced oxidation of epoxy adhesive during thermal exposure.

The aggregation of zinc oxide nanoparticles leads to an increased absorbance in the ultraviolet-visible region by an induced light scattering effect. Herein, we demonstrate the inhibition of photoconversion activity in ZnO-graphene core-shell quantum dots (QD) (ZGQDs) agglomerated by 4-aminophenol (4-AP) used as a linker. The ZnO-graphene quantum dots (QD) aggregates (ZGAs) were synthesized using a facile solvothermal process. The ZGAs revealed an increased absorbance in the wavelengths between 350 and 750 nm as compared with the ZGQDs. Against expectation, the calculated average photoluminescence lifetime of ZGAs was 7.37 ns, which was 4.65 ns longer than that of ZGQDs and was mainly due to the high contribution of a slow (&tau, 2, &tau, 3) component by trapped carriers in the functional groups of graphene shells and 4-AP. The photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells and photodetectors (PDs) were fabricated to investigate the influence of ZGAs on the photoconversion activity. The photocurrent density of PEC cells with ZGAs was obtained as 0.04 mA/cm2 at 0.6 V, which was approximately 3.25 times lower than that of the ZGQDs. The rate constant value of the photodegradation value of rhodamine B was also decreased by around 1.4 times. Furthermore, the photoresponsivity of the PDs with ZGAs (1.54 &mu, A&middot, mW&minus, 1) was about 2.5 times as low as that of the PDs with ZGQDs (3.85 &mu, 1). Consequently, it suggests that the device performances could be degraded by the inhibition phenomenon of the photoconversion activity in the ZGAs due to an increase of trap sites.

Johnston, Benton, and Nishida (2003, Last but not least - Golfers may have to overcome a persistent visuospatial illusion. Perception, 32(9), 1151-1154) reported that when standing sideways to hit a golf ball, it becomes very difficult to see the veridical line of putt to the target and it creates a bias to misread the direction to the right of target. The purpose of the study was to determine if this perceptual aiming bias also impacts putting. A group of expert (N = 24) and novice (N = 24) players performed a perception task of aligning a line on the golf ball towards the target hole and an action task of putting a ball to the target hole located 1 m and 4 m away. Novice players showed large perceptual aiming bias and small action aiming bias of putting. Yet, expert players showed neither bias in perceptual aiming nor in putting. This replicates earlier work (van Lier, van der Kamp,Savelsbergh, 2011 Perception action in golf putting: Skill differences reflect calibration. Journal of SportExercise Psychology, 33(3), 349-369) and was explained by the two-visual-pathway hypothesis. Despite the results showing some favorable support for the two-visual-pathway hypothesis, possible limitations are discussed.

This paper reports an experimental study of sediment particle velocity in the Hydraulic Engineering Laboratory at the University of Arizona. The experiments were performed in a rectangular channel filled with a layer of coarse sand or gravel. The instantaneous particle velocity was measured by using the images captured with a commercial camera. An innovative image processing technique was developed for tracking individual particle motion, which leads to the determination of instantaneous particle velocity vector. Both the mean particle velocity and the distribution of particle velocities were analyzed. It was found that the instantaneous bed shear stress dominated the particle velocity as well as the probability density function of its distribution. This observation is consistent with the theoretically derived equations for particle velocity and its distribution. Furthermore, the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test confirmed the agreement between the distribution of experimental data and that obtained from th...

We report on the in-situ chemical growth of unique core-shell quantum dots (QDs) with single layer graphene on the surface of CuO QDs and their structural, optical and electrical properties. The CuO/graphene QDs were synthesized through a simple and hydrothermal technique. In order to enhance performance electrochemical energy storages, we have developed core (active material)/shell (conductive material) type CuO/graphene QDs as electrode materials using the combined electrolytes (KOH + LiCl). As a result, the performance of electrochemical energy storages exhibits specific capacitance of 154 F g−1 at current density of 1 A g−1 and cycling stability with 84% capacitance retention after 3,000 cycles.

Hybrid organic-Red-Green-Blue (RGB) color quantum dots were incorporated into consolidated p(polymer)-i(RGB quantum dots)-n(small molecules) junction structures to fabricate a single active layer for a light emitting diode device for white electroluminescence. The semiconductor RGB quantum dots, as an intrinsic material, were electrostatically bonded between functional groups of the p-type polymer organic material core surface and the n-type small molecular organic material shell surface. The ZnCdSe/ZnS and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots distributed uniformly and isotropically surrounding the polymer core which in turn was surrounded by small molecular organic materials. In the present study, we have identified the mechanisms of chemical synthesis and interactions of the p-i-n junction nanocell structure through modeling studies by DFT calculations. We have also investigated optical, structural and electrical properties along with the carrier transport mechanism of the light emitting diodes which have a single active layer of consolidated p-i-n junction nanocells for white electroluminescence.

Transparent human hair-based textiles, which are founded on a natural resource, have been fabricated by an electrospinning technique. Transparent human hair-based textiles are very useful for transparent wearable electronics because they have unique optical properties in the visible light region such as transparency of over ∼85%. In order to apply wearable electronic devices with transparent textiles, we fabricated sandwich structures with transparent flexible light emitting diodes (LEDs) embedded in transparent nanofiber textile utilizing ZnO@graphene quantum dots (ZGQDs) and demonstrated the fabrication process and characterization of ZGQD LEDs with textiles. We believe that these results will inspire new methods in wearable electronics and raise the hope of achieving even higher efficiencies by means of development and control of transparent textile ordering.

The characteristics of a flexible write-once-read-many-times (WORM) memory fabricated with monolayered 0-dimensional (0D) CdSe–ZnS quantum dots (QDs) layers sandwiched between two insulating 2-dimensional (2D) hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) multilayers were investigated by electrical measurement method. The hBN/QDs monolayer/hBN structure was fabricated in a vertical stacked structure using a technique which control the formation of the QDs monolayer. QDs monolayer was formed by electrostatic interaction between the negative charge group on the CdSe–ZnS QDs surface and the positive charge group on the hBN surface. The device has a WORM characteristic due to the presence of QDs in the current-voltage (I–V) measurement. When a bias is applied, carriers were initially trapped by tunneling due to the QDs and then a conductive filament was formed in the hBN, which were not detrapped and exhibit characteristics of write-once-read-many-times memory. The maximum ON/OFF ratio of the current for the devices was as large as 4 × 10, and the endurance was 5 × 104 cycles, and a retention time was larger than 1 × 105 s. In order to explain the carrier transport mechanism and conductive filament of the WORM memory device caused by QDs, it through various methods such as I–V fitting data, simulation, and conductive AFM. Unlike the conventional conductive filament mechanism, through random diffusion such as Ag filament, the Au/hBN/QD/hBN/ITO/PET structures implemented a consistent conductive filament using Au metal and QDs active layer.

Seawater desalination generates concentrated brine, which may pose a threat to marine ecosystems upon discharge into the ocean. This study was conducted to evaluate possibility possible novel approach for electrochemical post-treatment of seawater reverse osmosis (SWRO) discharge brine and reuse without further additional brine enrichment processes. A synthetic brine and real brine from a SWRO plant were electrolyzed under controlled conditions to obtain a mild alkaline solution using a diaphragm-type chlor-alkali cell. Under a 100 mA/cm2 current density and 37.5–45 min of hydraulic retention time (HRT), a maximum NaOH concentration of 3.3 wt% was obtained from real SWRO brine (initially 1.7–1.9 times the salinity of seawater) with 63% chloride removal via electrolysis. In electrolyzed brine reuse, a solid alkali-activated slag (AAS) product resulted from mixing 3.5 and 2.0 wt% NaOH alkali effluents (as an alkaline activator of slag) produced via electrolysis of synthetic brine and ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) from steelworks. For the specimens cured for 3–28 days, relatively high compressive strengths of 12.9–15.3 MPa and 9.8–11 MPa, respectively, were obtained.

A series of experiments were conducted in a flume to study bed-load transport. The motion of bed-load particles was captured by a series of images taken by a high-speed camera.A novelparticle motion tracking method was developed to automatically detect all the moving particles and calculate the instantaneous particle velocities. The instantaneous bed load transport rate was calculated based on particle velocity and the volume of moving particles. To verify this method, bed load transport rate based on the image processing technique was compared to the manually measured ones as well as data from other experiments. Results showed that the new technique made it possible to quantify the spatial and temporal variations of bed load transport rate at the individual particle scale.

Optoelectronic devices with dual-function consisting of LEDs and OBDs, both containing ZnO QDs dispersed in a hybrid poly N-vinylcarbazole (PVK) and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) polymer layer, were fabricated on indium-tin-oxide (ITO)-coated glass substrates using a simple spin-coating technique. Transmission electron microscopy images showed that the ZnO QDs were distributed around the PVK and the PMMA. The laminated devices showed the electroluminescence of LEDs and the electrical bistabilities of OBDs. To make the OBDs into the LEDs, a PEDOT:PSS hole injection layer and a PVK hole transport layer were inserted between the active layers and the electrodes, respectively. Luminescence mechanisms of the LEDs and operating mechanisms of the OBDs are described on the basis of the experimental results.

Both the Royal and Ancient (R&A) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) have announced a ban against the use of anchored putters that went into effect at the start of the 2016 season. However, the benefit of an anchored putter has been debated but never tested. The purpose of this study was to determine if the anchored putter aids players in making more accurate putts. Twenty-four (9 male and 15 female) novice and 14 expert male participants putted with both a standard length putter and a long belly anchored putter 1 m and 4 m away from the hole. Novices produced a shorter back swing and controlled the putter head velocity more accurately with the belly putter compared with the standard putter. Therefore, while long term practice effect is yet to be determined, a short-term benefit of using a belly putter was found.

We have developed a new and versatile three-dimensional (3D) porous and the conductive carbon spun fabric (CSF) structure and applied it to the current collector for advanced lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). The 3D porous CSF are manufactured from recycled oxidized polyacrylonitrile (Oxi-PAN) staple fibers via the spinning, the knitting, stabilization, and carbonization process in order. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the conductive T-shirts and gloves and investigated the structural, electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the CSF through various analytical methods including Joule heating simulation as well as the deformation simulation. The CSF with its 3D porous structure is applied as a current collector for advanced lithium batteries in order to replace the conventionally used metal-based current collector. During battery performances, the porous 3D network structure of the CSF provides effective diffusion pathway for lithium ions during the charge/discharge processes. Consequently, the CSF shows not only the improved cycling stability than that of the conventional aluminum current collector but also demonstrating high-rate performances at high percentage loading of active materials in the current collector. The pouch-type LIBs with the CSF/LiFePO4 composites electrode exhibits excellent mechanical stability and flexibility with showing a discharge capacity of 148.7 mA h g−1 at 2 C over 250 cycles over the 1200 times bending with a radius of 12 mm.

A new way to simultaneously grow carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and ultrathin graphite on copper (Cu) foils has been investigated. This one-step growth process yields three-dimensional networks of CNTs on graphitic layers (3D CNTs/G) on Cu foils. Their synthesis conditions and growth mechanism are discussed in detail taking their structural properties into account. Individual CNTs and the 3D CNTs/G networks by means of an in-situ conductive atomic force microscope inside a scanning electron microscope are electrically characterized. Time-resolved photoluminescence demonstrated fast charge transfer and high carrier collection efficiency superior to two-dimensional ultrathin graphite only. Their facile and tunable growth and excellent electrical properties show that the 3D CNTs/G are strongly attractive for various applications such as solar cells, sensors, supercapacitors, photovoltaics, power generation, and optoelectronics. ispartof: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS vol:9 issue:1 ispartof: location:England status: published

The purpose of this study was to develop effective dental hygiene chews for cats based on the anatomical features of the dentition and patterns of chewing motion. All cats were volunteered for dental prophylaxis followed by dental impressions using yellow stone and alginate under general anesthesia. Twenty parameters related to dentition were defined in order to compare dental impressions using digital caliper. For the chewing motion study, patterns of chewing motion were identified based on recordings made with a digital camera. Ten cats (4 domestic shorthairs, 2 Russian blues, 1 American shorthair, 1 Persian, 1 Turkish Angora, and 1 Devon Rex) were recruited for the study. The parameters related to teeth and oral size were similar among the studied cats. Chewing motion can be described as more of a guillotine-like motion rather than a crushing motion, with cats chewing 3-7 times before swallowing. The chewing pattern of cats involves shearing for a short period of time followed by immediate swallowing. Therefore, the overall size of the dental hygiene chew could be determined based on the measurement of the oral size for inducing chewing. The surface details of the dental hygiene chew could be designed for prevention and removal of dental calculus and plaque in cats considering the anatomical teeth parameters. Dental hygiene chews customized for cats considering the different anatomical features of their teeth might be effective for oral care.

Achieving perfect light absorption at a subwavelength-scale thickness has various advantageous in terms of cost, flexibility, weight, and performance for many different applications. However, obtaining perfect absorbers covering a wide range of wavelengths regardless of incident angle and input polarization without a complicated patterning process while maintaining a small thickness remains a challenge. In this paper, we demonstrate flat, lithography-free, ultrahigh omnidirectional, polarization-independent, broadband absorbers through effective dispersion engineering. The proposed absorbers show day-integrated solar energy absorption up to 96%, which is 32% better than with lossy semiconductor/metal absorbers. The proposed simple yet effective method can be applied to light absorption thin film structures based on various types of highly lossy semiconductor materials, including emerging 2D materials.

The olfactory bulb (OB) shows special characteristics in its phylogenetic cortical structure and synaptic pattern. In the OB, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), as an inhibitory neurotransmitter, is secreted from GABAergic neurons which contain parvalbumin (a calcium-binding protein). Many studies on the distribution of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in the rodent OB have been published but poorly reported in the avian OB. Therefore, in this study, we compared the structure of the OB and distribution of parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in the OB between the rat and pigeon using cresyl violet staining and immunohistochemistry for parvalbumin, respectively. Fundamentally, the pigeon OB showed layers like those of the rat OB; however, some layers were not clear like in the rat OB. Parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons in the pigeon OB were predominantly distributed in the external plexiform layer like that in the rat OB; however, the neurons did not have long processes like those in the rat. Furthermore, parvalbumin-immunoreactive fibres were abundant in some layers; this finding was not shown in the rat OB. In brief, parvalbumin-immunoreactive neurons were found like those in the rat OB; however, parvalbumin-immunoreactive fibres were significantly abundant in the pigeon OB compared to those in the rat OB.

Electrospinning used to fabricate eco-friendly, transparent, human hair-based nanofibers (NFs) using natural resources such as keratin (which is found in hair, wool, feather, nails, and horns). These NF-based textiles are very useful in making transparent, wearable electronics, as they possess unique optical properties in the visible light regions, such as transparency exceeding 85%. The resulting environmentally friendly, hair-based NFs were investigated through various methods. In order to study transparent property of optically transparent NFs for applying transparent wearable devices, we fabricated transparent flexible consolidated sandwich structures embedded in NF textiles with polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). The devices exhibit the fabrication process and characterization of consolidated textiles and PLEDs by using various color emission type of polymer. Also, we investigated a comparison between PLEDs without textiles and consolidated PLEDs with textile. When used white, red, and yellow polymer in this consolidated textile/LEDs/textile structures, the performances of device was obtained from a spectrally white, red, and yellow color light with a maximum luminance of 2781, 2430, and 6305 cd/m 2 at 13, 11, and 10 V, respectively. The LED characteristics of the consolidated PLEDs with textile maintained similar device efficiencies of PLEDs without textiles.

This work reports on the in-situ chemical synthesis and their properties of multilayer graphene (MLG) shells, made by unzipping single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), on the surface of Zinc oxide (ZnO) core nanoparticles (NPs). The stable oxygen bridge bonds between the ZnO core and the oxygen-related functional groups on the MLG shells facilitate the efficient photoinduced charge separation. This charge separation mechanism is confirmed experimentally using time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurements. The calculated average carrier lifetimes of the ZnO@MLG NPs are approximately 102 times faster than those for the bare ZnO NPs. The efficient electron transfer between the ZnO core and the MLG shell resulted in the significant improvement of the photocatalytic activity and the photoelectrochemical response. Simultaneously, the photocorrosion of ZnO was prevented by having the oxygen bridge bonds between the ZnO and MLG which suppressed the photo-generated holes oxidizing the surface oxygen atoms on ZnO, and in turn the holes are consumed by photocatalytic reaction. The 4.3 times enhanced photocurrent density at 0.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl (pH 6.9) and around 10 times higher rate constant value of photodegradation of rhodamine B were achieved by ZnO@MLG NPs in comparison with those of bare ZnO NPs.

Seawater desalination technology is important for solving water shortage problems. RO desalination is the most frequently used process for obtaining fresh water from salt water. Electrolysis is also one way of reusing the enriched brine. Alkali-activated products can be made by producing NaOH after electrolysis. There are three kinds of brine electrolysis methods including diaphragm, membrane, and mercury methods. This study was conducted using a 200 mL electrolysis diaphragm cell. Tedlar bags were used in order to gather gases such as Cl2, O2, and H2. The head was less than 10 mm when a diaphragm with a 10 μm pore size was used. The data in this study was collected to analyze the relationships between concentration, chloride removal, and current density (CD). Our results showed that pore size influenced the head at the anode. Chloride removal was not high even when a high CD was applied. When the CD was 200 mA/cm2, the maximum NaOH concentration was 1.85%. However, the NaOH concentration was just...