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Autorzy: Abe K., Adrich P., Aihara H., Akutsu, R., Alekseev I., Ali A. , Ameli F., Anghel I., Anthony L. H. V., Antonova M. , Araya A., Asaoka Y., Ashida Y., Aushev V., Ballester F., Bandac I., Barbi M., Barker G. J., Barr G., Batkiewicz-Kwasniak M., Bellato M., Berardi V., Bergevin M., Bernard L., Bernardini E., Berns L., Bhadra S., Bian J., Blanchet A., Blaszczyk F. d. M., Blonde A., Boiano A., Bolognesi S., Bonavera L., Booth N., Borjabad S., Boschi, T., Bose D., Boyd S . B., Bozza C., Bravar A., Bravo-Berguño D., Bronner C., Brown L., Bubak Arkadiusz, Buchowicz A., Buizza Avanzini M., Cafagna F. S., Calabria N. F., Calvo-Mozota J. M., Cao S., Cartwright S.L., Carroll A., Catanesi M. G., Cebriàn, S., Chabera M., Chakraborty, S., Checchia C., Choi J.H., Choubey S., Cicerchia M., Coleman J., Collazuol G., Cook L., Cowan G., Cuen-Rochin, S., Danilov M., Díaz López G., De la Fuente E., de Perio P., De Rosa G., Dealtry T., Densham C. J., Dergacheva A., Deshmukh N., Devi M. M., Di Lodovico F., Di Meo, P., Di Palma I., Doyle T. A., Drakopoulou E., Drapier O., Dumarchez J., Dunne P., Dziewiecki M., Eklund L., El Hedri S., Ellis J., Emery S., Esmaili A., Esteve R., Evangelisti A., Feely M., Fedotov S., Feng J., Fernandez P., Fernández-Martinez E., Ferrario P., Ferrazzi,B., Feusels T., Finch A., Finley C., Fiorentini A., Fiorillo G., Fitton M., Frankiewicz K., Friend M., Fujii Y., Fukuda Y., Galinski G., Gao J., Garde C., Garfagnini A., Garode S., Gialanella L., Giganti C., Gomez-Cadenas J.J., Gonin M., González-Nuevo J., Gorin A., Gornea R., Gousy-Leblanc V. Gramegna F. Grassi M. Grella G. Guigue M. Gumplinger P. Hadley D.R. Harada M., Hartfiel B., Hartz M., Hassani S., Hastings N.C., Hayato Y., Hernando-Morata J.A., Herrero V., Hill J., Hiraide K., Hirota S., Holin A., Horiuchi S., Hoshina K., Hultqvist K., Iacob F., Ichikawa A.K., Idrissi Ibnsalih W., Iijima T., Ikeda M., Inomoto M., Inoue K., Insler J., Ioannisian A., Ishida T., Ishidoshiro K., Ishino H., Ishitsuka M., Ito H., Ito S., Itow Y., Iwamoto K., Izmaylov A., Izumi N., Izumiyama S., Jakkapu M., Jamieson B., Jang H.I., Jang J.S., Jenkins S.J., Jeon S.H., Jiang M., Jo H.S., Jonsson P., Joo K.K., Kajita T., Kakuno H., Kameda J., Kano Y., Kalaczynski P., Karlen D., Kasperek J., Kataoka Y., Kato A., Katori T., Kazarian N., Kearns E., Khabibullin M., Khotjantsev A., Kikawa T., Kekic M., Kim J.H., Kim J.Y., Kim S.B., Kim S.Y., King S., Kinoshita T., Kisiel Jan, Klekotko A., Kobayashi T., Koch L., Koga M., Koerich L., Kolev N., Konaka A., Kormos L.L., Koshio Y., Korzenev A., Kotsar Y., Kouzakov K.A., Kowalik K.L., Kravchuk L., Kryukov A.P., Kudenko Y., Kumita T., Kurjata R., Kutter T., Kuze M., Kwak K., La Commara M., Labarga L., Lagoda J., Lamers James J., Lamoureux M., Laveder M., Lavitola L., Lawe M., Learned J.G., Lee J., Leitner R., Lezaun V., Lim I.T., Lindner T., Litchfield R.P., Long K.R., Longhin A., Loverre P., Lu X., Ludovici L., Maekawa Y., Magaletti L., Magar K., Mahn K., Makida Y., Malek M., Malinský M., Marchi T., Maret L., Mariani C., Marinelli A., Martens K., Marti L., Martin J.F. Martin D., Marzec J., Matsubara T., Matsumoto R., Matsuno S., Matusiak M., Mazzucato E., McCarthy M., McCauley N., McElwee J., McGrew C., Mefodiev A., Medhi A., Mehta P., Mellet L., Menjo H., Mermod P., Metelko C., Mezzetto M., Migenda J., Migliozzi P., Mijakowski P., Miki S., Miller E.W., Minakata H., Minamino A., Mine S., Mineev O., Mitra A., Miura M., Moharana R., Mollo C.M., Mondal T., Mongelli M., Monrabal F., Moon D.H., Moon C.S., Mora F.J., Moriyama S., Mueller Th.A., Munteanu L., Murase K., Nagao Y., Nakadaira T., Nakagiri K., Nakahata M., Nakai S., Nakajima Y., Nakamura K., Nakamura KI., Nakamura H., Nakano Y., Nakaya T., Nakayama S., Nakayoshi K., Nascimento Machado L., Naseby C.E.R., Navarro-Garcia B., Needham M., Nicholls T., Niewczas K., Nishimura Y., Noah E., Nova F., Nugent J.C., Nunokawa H., Obrebski W., Ochoa-Ricoux J.P., O’Connor E., Ogawa N., Ogitsu T., Ohta K., Okamoto K., O’Keeffe H.M., Okumura K., Onishchuk Y., Orozco-Luna F., Oshlianskyi A., Ospina N., Ostrowski M., O’Sullivan E., O’Sullivan L., Ovsiannikova T., Oyama Y., Ozaki H., Pac M.Y., Paganini P., Palladino V., Paolone V., Pari M., Parsa S., Pasternak J., Pastore C., Pastuszak G., Patel D.A., Pavin M., Payne D., Peña-Garay C., Pidcott C., Pinzon Guerra E., Playfer S., Pointon B.W., Popov A., Popov B., Porwit Kamil, Posiadala-Zezula M., Poutissou J.M., Pozimski J., Pronost G., Prouse N.W., Przewlocki P., Quilain B., Quiroga A.A., Radicioni E., Radics B., Rajda P.J., Renner J., Rescigno M., Retiere F., Ricciardi G., Riccio C., Richards B., Rondio E., Rose H.J., Roskovec B., Roth S., Rott C., Rountree S.D., Rubbia A., Ruggeri A.C., Ruggles C., Russo S., Rychter A., Ryu D., Sakashita K., Samani S., Sánchez F., Sánchez M.L., Sanchez M.C., Sano S., Santos J.D., Santucci G., Sarmah P., Sashima I., Sato K., Scott M., Seiya Y., Sekiguchi T., Sekiya H., Seo J.W., Seo S.H., Sgalaberna D., Shaikhiev A., Shan Z., Shaykina A., Shimizu I., Shin C.D., Shinoki M., Shiozawa M., Sinnis G., Skrobova N., Skwarczynski K., Smy M.B., Sobczyk J., Sobel H.W., Soler F. J. P., Sonoda Y., Spina R., Spisso B., Spradlin B., Stankevich K.L., Stawarz L., Stellacci S.M., Stopa K., Studenikin A.I., Suárez Gómez S.L., Suganuma T., Suvorov S., Suwa Y., Suzuki A.T., Suzuki S.Y., Suzuki Y., Svirida D., Svoboda R., Taani M., Tada M., Takeda A., Takemoto Y., Takenaka A., Taketa A., Takeuchi Y., Takhistov V., Tanaka H., Tanaka H.A., Tanaka H.I., Tanaka M., Tashiro T., Thiesse M., Thompson L.F., Toledo J., Tomatani-Sánchez A.K., Tortone G., Tsui K.M., Tsukamoto T., Tzanov M., Uchida Y., Vagins M.R., Valder S., Valentino V., Vasseur G., Vijayvargi A., Vilela C., Vinning W. G. S., Vivolo D., Vladisavljevic T., Vogelaar R.B., Vyalkov M.M., Wachala T., Walker J., Wark D., Wascko M.O., Wendell R.A., Wilkes R.J., Wilking M.J., Wilson M.R., Wronka S., Xia J., Xie Z., Xin T., Yamaguchi Y., Yamamoto K., Yanagisawa C., Yano T., Yen S., Yershov N., Yeum D.N., Yokoyama M., Yonenaga M., Yoo J., Yu I., Yu M., Zakrzewski T., Zaldivar B., Zalipska J., Zaremba K., Zarnecki G., Ziembicki M., Zietara K., Zito M., Zsoldos S., Core-collapse supernovae are among the most magnificent events in the observable universe. They produce many of the chemical elements necessary for life to exist and their remnants-neutron stars and black holes-are interesting astrophysical objects in their own right. However, despite millennia of observations and almost a century of astrophysical study, the explosion mechanism of core-collapse supernovae is not yet well understood. Hyper-Kamiokande is a next-generation neutrino detector that will be able to observe the neutrino flux from the next galactic core-collapse supernova in unprecedented detail. We focus on the first 500 ms of the neutrino burst, corresponding to the accretion phase, and use a newly-developed, high-precision supernova event generator to simulate Hyper-Kamiokandeʼs response to five different supernova models. We show that Hyper-Kamiokande will be able to distinguish between these models with high accuracy for a supernova at a distance of up to 100 kpc. Once the next galactic supernova happens, this ability will be a powerful tool for guiding simulations toward a precise reproduction of the explosion mechanism observed in nature.

Electroocugraphy (EOG) is a simple and non-invasive method in which biopotentials developed across the eyes are measured during various eye activities such as eye blinking, winking, and horizontal/vertical eyeball movements. The measured biopotential is called the electroculogram (EOG) signal. This paper presents a single channel EOG measurement system which is implemented on a four layer flexible polymide substrate. The EOG measurement system with its signal conditioning stages is implemented on the top layer of the flexible board whereas, the EOG measurement electrodes are printed on the bottom layer of the flexible board using gold. This eliminates the requirement of external long wires during EOG monitoring. The middle two layers of the flexible substrate are used for implementing the circuit ground plane and active shielding. The entire circuit is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion coin battery. It also uses a Bluetooth 5.0 transceiver module to send the EOG data wirelessly. The system is designed for an effective EOG signal bandwidth of 1.6 Hz to 47 Hz with an effective signal gain above 68.5 dB over the signal bandwidth. The system also has an excellent common-mode rejection ratio (CMRR) response above 70 dB. The system is validated with eight healthy subjects for the detection of different eye activities with an accuracy of 77.08 %. The mass of the entire flexible board along with its battery is only 7.7 g. Such light mass, flexible substrate, and integrated printed electrodes make this EOG monitoring prototype an ideal unit for long term monitoring of biopotentials, without causing any discomfort to the wearer.

For the last few decades, fiber optic cables not only replaced copper cables but also made drastic evolution in the technology to overcome the optoelectronic bandwidth mismatch. Light trail concept is such an attempt to minimize the optoelectronic bandwidth gap between actual WDM bandwidth and end user access bandwidth. A light trail is an optical bus that connects two nodes of an all optical WDM network. In this paper, we studied the concept of split light trail and proposed an algorithm namely Static Multi-Hop Split Light Trail Assignment (SMSLTA), which aims to minimize blocking probability, the number of static split light trails assigned and also the number of network resources used, at the same time maximizing the network throughput. Our proposed algorithm works competently with the existing algorithms and generates better performance in polynomial time complexity.

Signal amplification is ubiquitous in biology and engineering. Protein enzymes, such as DNA polymerases, can routinely achieve >106-fold signal increase, making them powerful tools for signal enhancement. Considerable signal amplification can also be achieved using nonenzymatic, cascaded nucleic acid strand exchange reactions. However, the practical application of such kinetically trapped circuits has so far proven difficult due to uncatalyzed leakage of the cascade. We now demonstrate that strategically positioned mismatches between circuit components can reduce unprogrammed hybridization reactions and therefore greatly diminish leakage. In consequence, we were able to synthesize a three-layer catalytic hairpin assembly cascade that could operate in a single tube and that yielded 3.7 × 104-fold signal amplification in only 4 h, a greatly improved performance relative to previous cascades. This advance should facilitate the implementation of nonenzymatic signal amplification in molecular diagnostics, as well as inform the design of a wide variety of increasingly intricate nucleic acid computation circuits.

Printed electronics employing flexible substrate offers prospective features for various applications such as, tactile sensing, energy harvesting, wearable electronics and acoustic wave sensors. In this work, an acoustic FPW (flexural plate wave) sensor is printed on thin and flexible PZT-PDMS (lead zirconate titanate-poly dimethyl siloxane) composite film with silver ink. The prototype FPW resonator has a resonant frequency of 22.65 MHz with an attenuation of −1.552 dBm. Gravimetric mass sensitivity of the sensor was measured by applying PDMS layers in between the input and output interdigital transducers (IDTs). The mass sensitivity was measured to be −7.8 cm2/g. The sensor is highly responsive to VOCs (volatile organic compounds) with PDMS as a sensing layer. Gas sensitivities with acetic acid and toluene concentrations were measured to be 0.66 and 160.63 kHz/ppm, respectively. The limit of detection for acetic acid and toluene were 10.9 and 0.03 ppm, respectively. Further, the sensor shows good repeatability and response time with both the VOCs. The thermal stability and high piezoelectric charge coefficient of PZT-PDMS composite compared to other piezoelectric composite and polymer substrates are advantageous for the flexible printed sensor. The reported FPW gas sensor shows potential for low concentration measurement of VOCs.

Agricultural management at field-scale is critical for improving yield to address global food security, as providing enough food for the world’s growing population has become a wicked problem for both scientists and policymakers. County- or regional-scale data do not provide meaningful information to farmers who are interested in field-scale yield forecasting for effective and timely field management. No studies directly utilized raw satellite imagery for field-scale yield prediction using deep learning. The objectives of this paper were twofold: (1) to develop a raw imagery-based deep learning approach for field-scale yield prediction, (2) investigate the contribution of in-season multitemporal imagery for grain yield prediction with hand-crafted features and WorldView-3 (WV) and PlanetScope (PS) imagery as the direct input, respectively. Four WV-3 and 25 PS imagery collected during the growing season of soybean were utilized. Both 2-dimensional (2D) and 3-dimensional (3D) convolution neural network (CNN) architectures were developed that integrated spectral, spatial, temporal information contained in the satellite data. For comparison, hundreds of carefully selected spectral, spatial, textural, and temporal features that are optimal for crop growth monitoring were extracted and fed into the same deep learning model. Our results demonstrated that (1) deep learning was able to predict yield directly using raw satellite imagery to the extent that was comparable to feature-fed deep learning approaches; (2) both 2D and 3D CNN models were able to explain nearly 90% variance in field-scale yield; (3) limited number of WV-3 outperformed multi-temporal PS data collected during entire growing season mainly attributed to RedEdge and SWIR bands available with WV-3; and (4) 3D CNN increased the prediction power of PS data compared to 2D CNN due to its ability to digest temporal features extracted from PS data.

The central role of cupric superoxide intermediates proposed in hormone and neurotransmitter biosynthesis by noncoupled binuclear copper monooxygenases like dopamine-β-monooxygenase has drawn significant attention to the unusual methionine ligation of the Cu(M) (“Cu(B)”) active site characteristic of this class of enzymes. The copper–sulfur interaction has proven critical for turnover, raising still-unresolved questions concerning Nature’s selection of an oxidizable Met residue to facilitate C–H oxygenation. We describe herein a model for Cu(M), [((TMG)N(3)S)Cu(I)](+) ([1](+)), and its O(2)-bound analog [((TMG)N(3)S)Cu(II)(O(2)(•−))](+) ([1·O(2)](+)). The latter is the first reported cupric superoxide with an experimentally proven Cu–S bond which also possesses demonstrated hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) reactivity. Introduction of O(2) to a precooled solution of the cuprous precursor [1]B(C(6)F(5))(4) (−135 °C, 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MeTHF)) reversibly forms [1·O(2)]B(C(6)F(5))(4) (UV/vis spectroscopy: λ(max) 442, 642, 742 nm). Resonance Raman studies (413 nm) using (16)O(2) [(18)O(2)] corroborated the identity of [1·O(2)](+) by revealing Cu–O (446 [425] cm(−1)) and O–O (1105 [1042] cm(−1)) stretches, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy showed a Cu–S interatomic distance of 2.55 Å. HAA reactivity between [1·O(2)](+) and TEMPO–H proceeds rapidly (1.28 × 10(−1) M(−1) s(−1), −135 °C, 2-MeTHF) with a primary kinetic isotope effect of k(H)/k(D) = 5.4. Comparisons of the O(2)-binding behavior and redox activity of [1](+) vs [2](+), the latter a close analog of [1](+) but with all N atom ligation (i.e., N(3)S vs N(4)), are presented.

A primary investigation on variational mode decomposition (VMD) technique extended as a grid synchronizer for power converters in emerging electric grids with nonlinear characteristics is presented. Number of modes and data-fidelity parameter of VMD are tailored to achieve finer separation of the fundamental frequency in spite of the spectral band variations and minor frequency deviations of the grid voltage signals. The test cases are formulated based on CIGRE and IEEE Task Force 1159.2 repository on the foreseen power quality issues in the emerging power utilities. Two statistical indices viz. absolute error in percentage and RMS error are chosen to assess the compliance of extracted fundamental frequency signals with the applied values at cycle as well as sample level. A significant reduction in the tracking time across all the test conditions has been observed in simulation when compared to the conventional grid synchronizers. Appreciable accuracy levels are obtained in tracking the required signal attributes of the input signals even with multiple power quality issues. The frequency decomposition approach of VMD synchronizer exhibited an immunity toward random transient events like voltage surges, zero crossing disorders, phase and frequency jump, etc. Further, the validation in hardware has been conducted with emulated grid signals that represented mulitple power quality issues and wide range of transient events, and the results are analyzed and compared with those of the simulation.

Hydro-ecological models are important tools used to estimate streamflow from mountainous watersheds as driven by precipitation and snowmelt under the influence of different spatially variable hydro-ecological response variables. These models enable us to gain insight into hydrological and ecological processes occurring in the watershed. In the present study, a hydro-ecological model, Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System (RHESSys) was set up for a small representative watershed in Eastern Himalayan region of Arunachal Pradesh to investigate spatial variation in saturation deficit during snow depletion period. RHESSys model is capable of estimating variations in evaporation, transpiration, streamflow, overland flow, saturation deficit, etc. from the landscape. Studies related to hydrological and ecological sustainability of the Eastern Himalayan Rivers are limited, although a major part of the region is covered with evergreen forests, where ecological parameters may have a great impact on watershed hydrology. Nuranang watershed, which is located in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh, India, was selected as the study area. The hydro-meteorological data from 2004 to 2008 were collected from Central Water Commission (CWC). Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with 30 m spatial resolution was downloaded from NASA website. Calibration of the RHESSys model was performed for the depletion period of 2004 (13th April–21st August) and 2005 (17th April–4th September) and the model was validated for the years 2008 (17th April–20th September) and 2009 (13th April–23rd September) using observed streamflow at the watershed outlet. Comparison plot of the actual and log values of observed and simulated daily discharges showed that the model captured the variations in total observed discharge and subsurface flows reasonably well for both the calibration and validation years. Daily time-series outputs of various hydrological variables, i.e., subsurface flow, overland flow, streamflow, saturation deficit, and percentage saturated area, were obtained for both calibration and validation simulation. For simulation years, overland flow dominated stream discharge in all the months, and contributed around 60% of the total streamflow, whereas subsurface flow contributed around 40% in all the months. Comparatively, saturation deficit was more in the month of April due to less precipitation and it was reduced in the month of May because of pre-monsoon rainfall. It increased again in the month of June as the precipitation in the month was less compared to May. Then, it decreased again in the subsequent months of July and August due to high rainfall during the monsoon season and increased in the month of September. Average saturation deficit was estimated to be 389.69 mm and average percentage saturated area was estimated as 9.52%. The number of saturated pixels was found to be minimum in the month of April, while a maximum number of saturated pixels were observed in the month of August indicating the existence of inverse relationship between precipitation and saturation deficit for the study area.

Oxidative-denitrogenation (ODN) of indole (IND) and methyl-substituted INDs (methyl-INDs), representative neutral nitrogen-containing compounds (NCCs), was carried out with TiO2@C and H2O2 as heterogeneous catalyst and oxidant, respectively, under ultrasound irradiation. The oxidation of INDs progressed through radical formation, as evidenced by electron spin resonance and radical scavenger experiments. The oxidized position of INDs in the ODN process was checked via characterization of the obtained products. It was observed that the oxidation finally occurred on the carbon rather than on the nitrogen atom of INDs, unlike the oxidation of basic NCCs (e.g., oxidation on the nitrogen atom, as respective N-oxides were formed) and sulfur-containing compounds. To understand the relative reactivity and oxidation position, electron density (ED) on the nitrogen atom of the studied INDs and relative stability of representative intermediates/products were calculated. It could be confirmed that ED on the nitrogen atom of the INDs is very important in the oxidation of INDs since the ODN reactivity of INDs was enhanced with increasing ED on the nitrogen atom of the investigated INDs. Moreover, theoretical analyses of the relative stability of substrate and intermediates/products (especially for IND) can explain the route for the observed final products in ODN. In other words, oxygen on the nitrogen atom, obtained via the first step of oxidation (electrophilic addition of an active oxygen atom on nitrogen), moves to the nearby carbon atom, because of the relative stability of the intermediates and products.

Lead zirconate titanate and polydimethylsiloxane (PZT–PDMS) thin films are an attractive choice for a flexible piezoelectric substrate. In this work, the surface modification of the PZT–PDMS compos...

Natural bone is a complex material with a well-designed architecture. To achieve successful bone integration and regeneration, the constituents and structure of bone-repairing scaffolds need to be flexible and biocompatible. Hydroxyapatite (HAp), the main constituent of bone minerals, has excellent biocompatibility, while carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), comprised of a three-dimensional network, has high flexibility. Therefore, CMC/HAp composites have attracted attention for the advancement of bone tissue engineering. In this work, a carboxymethyl cellulose/hydroxyapatite (Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2; HAp) composite has been developed as a three dimensional scaffold for bone tissue engineering. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that the CMC/Hap composite had a sheet like structure. These results revealed that the amount of precipitated HAp in the CMC/HAp composites was affected by the amount of CMC used during preparation. Properties of composites can be improved at optimal filler content compared to the pure Hap in the perspective of various biomedical applications. We have characterized the surface morphology of the composite using SEM image and having with the observed well dispersion of Hap in the Cmc phase.

The nearest active radio galaxy Centaurus (Cen) A is a gamma-ray emitter in GeV to TeV energy scale. The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) and non-simultaneous Fermi-LAT observation indicate an unusual spectral hardening above few GeV energies in the gamma-ray spectrum of Cen A. Very recently the H.E.S.S. observatory resolved the kilo parsec (kpc)-scale jets in Centaurus A at TeV energies. On the other hand, the Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) detects a few ultra high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) events from Cen-A. The proton blazar inspired model, which considers acceleration of both electrons and hadronic cosmic rays in AGN jet, can explain the observed coincident high energy neutrinos and gamma rays from Ice-cube detected AGN jets. Here we have employed the proton blazar inspired model to explain the observed GeV to TeV gamma-ray spectrum features including the spectrum hardening at GeV energies along with the PAO observation on cosmic rays from Cen-A. Our findings suggest that the model can explain consistently the observed electromagnetic spectrum in combination with the appropriate number of UHECRs from Cen A., Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures

In this research work, we improved the sensing response of the organic-based co-planar humidity sensors using tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) gallium (Gaq3) nanofibers as a dielectric material. The humidity sensor was fabricated by a drop-casting solution in the gap between pre-deposited silver (Ag) electrodes to form Ag/Gaq3/Ag-based capacitive-type humidity sensor. The morphology of the Gaq3 films has been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). At room temperature, the capacitive response of the sensor is evaluated in the range of 0 to 95%RH at 120 Hz & 1 kHz. Notably, at 1 kHz frequency, the sensor shows fast response, good sensitivity, and low hysteresis. The response & recovery times were found to be 6 s each, which are way smaller than those reported in the literature. Such features demonstrate that Gaq3 nanofibers are an up-and-coming candidate for making very sensitive and fast humidity sensors.

Geometrical modification of three electrode Clark sensor is performed to enhance the sensing amperometric current. Two types of implantable microsensors are designed and characterized for measuring dissolved oxygen (DO 2 ). For type I sensor, the area of the reference electrode (RE) conventionally sandwiched between working electrode (WE) and counter electrode (CE), is optimized. In contrast to the conventional Clark sensors, the CE is sandwiched between WE and RE in type II sensor. Both type microsensors are fabricated using simple processes of silicon-based microfabrication technology. Electrochemical characterizations are performed on both sensors. For 96% DO 2 , type I and type II microsensors demonstrate a sensing current of -0.87 μA and -2.35 μA as compared to a sensing current of -0.27 μA for the conventional Clark microsensor of same size. A sensitivity of 0.0094 μA/%DO 2 and 0.024 μA/%DO 2 are achieved with type I and type II microsensor, respectively in contrast to a sensitivity of 0.0027 μA/%DO 2 of the conventional Clark microsensor of same size. The sensors show a lifetime of 48 hours. With its miniature size and enhanced sensing current the sensors have potentials for clinical and biomedical applications.

The Covid-19 is a highly contagious disease which becomes a serious global health concern. The residents living in areas with high population density, such as big or metropolitan cities, have a higher probability to come into close contact with others and consequently any contagious disease is expected to spread rapidly in dense areas. However, recently, after analyzing Covid-19 cases in the USA researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, London school of economics, and IZA—Institute of Labour Economics conclude that the spread of Covid-19 is not linked with population density. Here, we investigate the influence of population density on Covid-19 spread and related mortality in the context of India. After a detailed correlation and regression analysis of infection and mortality rates due to Covid-19 at the district level, we find moderate association between Covid-19 spread and population density.

A unique α-amination approach using various anilines has been developed for arylacetic acids via adaptation as benzazoles. The reaction proceeds through a single electron transfer mechanism utilizing an iron-based catalyst system to access α-(N-arylamino)acetic acid equivalents. Modification of approved drugs, facile cleavage of the benzazole auxiliary, and tolerance of amide linkage forming conditions constitute the potential applicability of this strategy.

Spaceborne data with Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) bands have been used worldwide in discriminating different clay minerals. Howe...

Studies of networked phenomena, such as interactions in online social media, often rely on incomplete data, either because these phenomena are partially observed, or because the data is too large or expensive to acquire all at once. Analysis of incomplete data leads to skewed or misleading results. In this paper, we investigate limitations of learning to complete partially observed networks via node querying. Concretely, we study the following problem: given (i) a partially observed network, (ii) the ability to query nodes for their connections (e.g., by accessing an API), and (iii) a budget on the number of such queries, sequentially learn which nodes to query in order to maximally increase observability. We call this querying process Network Online Learning and present a family of algorithms called NOL*. These algorithms learn to choose which partially observed node to query next based on a parameterized model that is trained online through a process of exploration and exploitation. Extensive experiments on both synthetic and real world networks show that (i) it is possible to sequentially learn to choose which nodes are best to query in a network and (ii) some macroscopic properties of networks, such as the degree distribution and modular structure, impact the potential for learning and the optimal amount of random exploration.

The ability to assess the respiratory rate reliably is vital in the application of remote health monitoring. A newly developed pulmonary monitoring system based on diaphragm wall motion tracking is evaluated under human physical activity. Diaphragm excursions are tracked by a designed ultrasound sensory system utilizing three ultrasound PZT5 piezo transducers. We assess the accuracy and reliability of this system in monitoring the diaphragmatic function and its contribution to the respiratory workload. We also examine inertial and pulse-oximetry sensors as two alternative methods. Measurements are compared to a spirometer as the gold standard. The tests are designed in this study to investigate the performance of employed sensors in both the stationary and non-stationary human body situations. We conclude that by the direct tracking of the diaphragm motion, the proposed ultrasound system is fundamentally robust to motion artifacts. Outstanding results were obtained for the proposed system from six subjects in six different test models with an average sensitivity, specificity and false alarm of 89.7%, 93.1%, and 6.3%, respectively.

In this paper, Lead Zirconate-Titanate (PZT)/Poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) based composite is fabricated and characterized for its potential application as a flexible piezoelectric material. Thin films of the composite are prepared by dispersing different volume percentage of PZT particles in cross-linked PDMS matrix. Corona poling of the films is performed to increase the piezoelectric charge constant. X-ray diffraction results indicate that poling aligns the randomly oriented ferroelectric domains in the PZT particles along the poling axis. Piezoelectric voltage response and piezoelectric charge constant values before and after the poling show the improvement in piezoelectricity due to poling. The piezoelectric charge constant, d33 and magnitude of relative permittivity of the films increase and flexibility of the films decrease with the increase of PZT particle volume percentage in the composite. Results show that for 28 v% PZT composite poled film a d33 of 78.33 pC/N was achieved with a Young’s modulus of around 10 MPa and magnitude of relative permittivity of 10. The film demonstrates effectiveness for tactile sensing by generating charges across the film proportional to the finger pressure applied on them. The easy fabrication process makes the composite a promising candidate to build flexible low cost tactile sensing devices.

A new approach is proposed to enhance sensing amperometric current in three-electrode Clark dissolved oxygen (DO2) Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors. In the proposed approach, the counter electrode (CE) in a conventional concentric three-electrode sensor is modified to admit a large ratio of static electric current in an electrochemical solution. The typically large CE of a conventional sensor is replaced with an array of narrow-width electrodes. The modified CE is expected to reduce the inductive coupling and simultaneously increase the capacitive coupling of the structure. The overall changes of inductive and capacitive couplings are shown to enhance the sensing amperometric current of the sensor. Two μ-sensors are developed and fabricated based on MEMS technology including a conventional, as the reference and a new modified μ-sensors. The experimental results confirm an enhancement of 3.2:1 (0.352 μA:0.112 μA for 23% of DO2) in the sensing amperometric current of the developed MEMS μ-sensor compared to the conventional same-sized counterpart.

In urban environments, humans are a part of an interaction network of several species, impacting them directly or indirectly. The positive, negative and neutral components of such impact can be assessed by studying human-animal interactions in various habitats. While studies have shown animals’ reactions to specific human social cues, information is lacking on how animals respond to such cues in the presence and absence of conspecifics. We investigated the behavioural responses of free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) towards various human social cues (neutral, friendly, low- and high-impact threatening) when presented to groups. We used previously published data on dogs’ reactions to identical cues when presented solitarily, and compared them with the group-level responses. Our results strengthen the idea of situation-relevant responsiveness in free-ranging dogs. Dogs in groups exhibited higher approach and less avoidance towards the unfamiliar human experimenter, especially towards the threatening cues, compared to dogs tested alone.

Cyanide (both HCN and CN- are represented by CN) has multiple industrial applications, is commonly found in some foods, and is a component of fire smoke. Upon exposure, CN blocks production of adenosine triphosphate, causing cellular hypoxia and cytotoxic anoxia, which can eventually result in death. Considering CN's quick onset of action and the long analysis times associated with current techniques, the objective of this study was to develop and validate a rapid and field-portable sensor to detect blood CN concentrations focusing on both concentration and diagnostic accuracy. The sensor takes advantage of the chemical properties of CN by converting it exclusively to HCN via acidification of whole blood. High-speed headspace transfer is used to deliver HCN to a capture solution where it is reacted with naphthalene dialdehyde and taurine to produce a fluorescent β-isoindole product. Simple spectrofluorometric analysis of the product provides quantitative analysis of CN from whole blood in 60s and requires only 25μL of blood (obtainable via fingerstick). A limit of detection of 5μM, a linear range of 10-200μM (with ≥15μM considered CN exposed), and excellent accuracy (100±15%) and precision (≤15.2% relative standard deviation) were obtained. To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the sensor, rabbit blood samples (N=190, including 24 blinded samples) were analyzed by both the sensor and a lab-based spectrophotometric method. An excellent positive correlation was obtained between the sensor and the lab-based method (R2 ˃ 0.995) confirming the concentration accuracy of the CN sensor. Moreover, the sensor produced no false positives or negatives when diagnosing CN poisoning.

Unravelling the factors shaping microbial community structure across plant holobiont is required to promote plant health and crop productivity. We compared microbial communities in soils and plant compartments of two contrasting quinoa cultivars, grown in low-input cropping systems along an elevation gradient in northwest Yunnan plateau, China. With a compartment-dependent effect, alpha-diversity (Shannon and Chao1 indices) of both bacterial and fungal communities generally increased with increasing elevation. Both bacterial and fungal diversities decreased in the order of rhizosphere> root > leaf, but no significant difference was found between two plant genotypes or between bulk soil and rhizosphere. Representing a unique niche for microbial communities, leaf had a much stronger selection effect than root. With insignificant effect of plant genotype, local environmental filtering (i.e. climate, edaphic and plant traits) could have played an important role in structuring soil microbial communities, but they were weak for root and leaf endophytes, except for root fungi. The relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in bacterial or fungal communities varied with the elevational scale, showing contrasting patterns within each plant-associated compartment, except for leaf (determinism). The revealed distinct drives in determining the community assembly in quinoa-associated microbes are thought to be essential for underpinning plant–microbe interactions.

The motivation of this work is to develop an efficient and relatively inexpensive material architecture using titanium oxide nanotubes for hydrogen generation. Hydrogen is an environment friendly energy carrier used in the field of transport, power generation, and in various domestic applications. Nano scale materials have many peculiar properties than the bulk ones and have led to break troughs in various fields of science and technology. Titanium oxide nanotubes have attracted much interest in research because of its functional properties such as large surface area. The titanium oxide nanotubes structures are grown and fabricated by electrochemical anodization method at constant DC voltage at different anodization time. Titanium oxide nanotubes formed is characterized by FEG-SEM and the dimensions are analysed. For the first 15 mins of anodization the Nano pores are formed and by increasing the anodization time the size of pores gradually increases. Then finally the titanium oxide nanotubes of 500 nm diameter and length of 50 nm are obtained.

This article examines the impact of the use of traditional cooking fuels on health using India Human Development Survey and National Sample Survey Organisation health expenditure data. Analyses reveal that the use of traditional fuel is significantly associated with the prevalence of short-term and long-term ailments. Subsequently, probit estimation is used to measure how the socio-economic and demographic factors influence the prevalence of short-term and long-term ailments due to the use of cooking fuels. It was found that if a household has a separate kitchen, the possibility of its members suffering diseases is lower than the households which do not have a separate one. Further, if a household uses improved chulha with the traditional fuel, the prevalence of diseases will be lesser vis-à-vis the usage of traditional chulha with the traditional fuel.

The charge-conjugation and parity-reversal (CP) symmetry of fundamental particles is a symmetry between matter and antimatter. Violation of this CP symmetry was first observed in 19641, and CP violation in the weak interactions of quarks was soon established2. Sakharov proposed3 that CP violation is necessary to explain the observed imbalance of matter and antimatter abundance in the Universe. However, CP violation in quarks is too small to support this explanation. So far, CP violation has not been observed in non-quark elementary particle systems. It has been shown that CP violation in leptons could generate the matter–antimatter disparity through a process called leptogenesis4. Leptonic mixing, which appears in the standard model’s charged current interactions5, 6, provides a potential source of CP violation through a complex phase δCP, which is required by some theoretical models of leptogenesis7, 8, 9. This CP violation can be measured in muon neutrino to electron neutrino oscillations and the corresponding antineutrino oscillations, which are experimentally accessible using accelerator-produced beams as established by the Tokai-to-Kamioka (T2K) and NOvA experiments10, 11. Until now, the value of δCP has not been substantially constrained by neutrino oscillation experiments. Here we report a measurement using long-baseline neutrino and antineutrino oscillations observed by the T2K experiment that shows a large increase in the neutrino oscillation probability, excluding values of δCP that result in a large increase in the observed antineutrino oscillation probability at three standard deviations (3σ). The 3σ confidence interval for δCP, which is cyclic and repeats every 2π, is [−3.41, −0.03] for the so-called normal mass ordering and [−2.54, −0.32] for the inverted mass ordering. Our results indicate CP violation in leptons and our method enables sensitive searches for matter–antimatter asymmetry in neutrino oscillations using accelerator-produced neutrino beams. Future measurements with larger datasets will test whether leptonic CP violation is larger than the CP violation in quarks., ニュートリノの「CP位相角」を大きく制限することに成功 --粒子と反粒子の振る舞いの違いの検証に大きく前進--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-04-17., T2K Results Restrict Possible Values of Neutrino CP Phase. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2020-04-21.

Authors: K. Abe,56 N. Akhlaq,45 R. Akutsu,57 A. Ali,32 C. Alt,11 C. Andreopoulos,54,34 L. Anthony,21 M. Antonova,19 S. Aoki,31 A. Ariga,2 T. Arihara,59 Y. Asada,69 Y. Ashida,32 E. T. Atkin,21 Y. Awataguchi,59 S. Ban,32 M. Barbi,46 G. J. Barker,66 G. Barr,42 D. Barrow,42 M. Batkiewicz-Kwasniak,15 A. Beloshapkin,26 F. Bench,34 V. Berardi,22 L. Berns,58 S. Bhadra,70 S. Bienstock,53 S. Bolognesi,6 T. Bonus,68 B. Bourguille,18 S. B. Boyd,66 A. Bravar,13 D. Bravo Berguño,1 C. Bronner,56 S. Bron,13 A. Bubak,51 M. Buizza Avanzini ,10 T. Campbell,7 S. Cao,16 S. L. Cartwright,50 M. G. Catanesi,22 A. Cervera,19 D. Cherdack,17 N. Chikuma,55 G. Christodoulou,12 M. Cicerchia,24,† J. Coleman,34 G. Collazuol,24 L. Cook,42,28 D. Coplowe,42 A. Cudd,7 A. Dabrowska,15 G. De Rosa,23 T. Dealtry,33 S. R. Dennis,34 C. Densham,54 F. Di Lodovico,30 N. Dokania,39 S. Dolan,12 T. A. Doyle,33 O. Drapier,10 J. Dumarchez,53 P. Dunne,21 A. Eguchi,55 L. Eklund,14 S. Emery-Schrenk,6 A. Ereditato,2 A. J. Finch,33 G. Fiorillo,23 C. Francois,2 M. Friend,16,‡ Y. Fujii,16,‡ R. Fujita,55 D. Fukuda,40 R. Fukuda,60 Y. Fukuda,37 K. Fusshoeller,11 C. Giganti,53 M. Gonin,10 A. Gorin,26 M. Guigue,53 D. R. Hadley,66 J. T. Haigh,66 P. Hamacher-Baumann,49 M. Hartz,62,28 T. Hasegawa,16,‡ S. Hassani,6 N. C. Hastings,16 Y. Hayato,56,28 A. Hiramoto,32 M. Hogan,8 J. Holeczek,51 N. T. Hong Van,20,27 T. Honjo,41 F. Iacob,24 A. K. Ichikawa,32 M. Ikeda,56 T. Ishida,16,‡ M. Ishitsuka,60 K. Iwamoto,55 A. Izmaylov,26 N. Izumi,60 M. Jakkapu,16 B. Jamieson,67 S. J. Jenkins,50 C. Jesús-Valls,18 M. Jiang,32 P. Jonsson,21 C. K. Jung,39,§ X. Junjie,57 P. B. Jurj,21 M. Kabirnezhad,42 A. C. Kaboth,48,54 T. Kajita,57,§ H. Kakuno,59 J. Kameda,56 D. Karlen,63,62 S. P. Kasetti,35 Y. Kataoka,56 Y. Katayama,69 T. Katori,30 Y. Kato,56 E. Kearns,3,28,§ M. Khabibullin,26 A. Khotjantsev,26 T. Kikawa,32 H. Kikutani,55 H. Kim,41 S. King,30 J. Kisiel,51 A. Knight,66 T. Kobata,41 T. Kobayashi,16,‡ L. Koch,42 T. Koga,55 A. Konaka,62 L. L. Kormos,33 Y. Koshio,40,§ A. Kostin,26 K. Kowalik,38 H. Kubo,32 Y. Kudenko,26,∥ N. Kukita,41 S. Kuribayashi,32 R. Kurjata,65 T. Kutter,35 M. Kuze,58 L. Labarga,1 J. Lagoda,38 M. Lamoureux,24 D. Last,43 M. Lawe,33 M. Licciardi,10 R. P. Litchfield,14 S. L. Liu,39 X. Li,39 A. Longhin,24 L. Ludovici,25 X. Lu,42 T. Lux,18 L. N. Machado,23 L. Magaletti,22 K. Mahn,36 M. Malek,50 S. Manly,47 L. Maret,13 A. D. Marino,7 L. Marti-Magro,56,28 T. Maruyama,16,‡ T. Matsubara,16 K. Matsushita,55 V. Matveev,26 C. Mauger,43 K. Mavrokoridis,34 E. Mazzucato,6 N. McCauley,34 J. McElwee,50 K. S. McFarland,47 C. McGrew,39 A. Mefodiev,26 C. Metelko,34 M. Mezzetto,24 A. Minamino,69 O. Mineev,26 S. Mine,5 M. Miura,56,§ L. Molina Bueno,11 S. Moriyama,56,§ Th. A. Mueller,10 L. Munteanu,6 S. Murphy,11 Y. Nagai,7 T. Nakadaira,16,‡ M. Nakahata,56,28 Y. Nakajima,56 A. Nakamura,40 K. Nakamura,28,16,‡ S. Nakayama,56,28 T. Nakaya,32,28 K. Nakayoshi,16,‡ C. E. R. Naseby,21 T. V. Ngoc,20,¶ K. Niewczas,68 K. Nishikawa,16,* Y. Nishimura,29 E. Noah,13 T. S. Nonnenmacher,21 F. Nova,54 P. Novella,19 J. Nowak,33 J. C. Nugent,14 H. M. O’Keeffe,33 L. O’Sullivan,50 T. Odagawa,32 T. Ogawa,16 R. Okada,40 K. Okumura,57,28 T. Okusawa,41 S. M. Oser,4,62 R. A. Owen,45 Y. Oyama,16,‡ V. Palladino,23 V. Paolone,44 M. Pari,24 W. C. Parker,48 S. Parsa,13 J. Pasternak,21 M. Pavin,62 D. Payne,34 G. C. Penn,34 L. Pickering,36 C. Pidcott,50 G. Pintaudi,69 C. Pistillo,2 B. Popov,53,** K. Porwit,51 M. Posiadala-Zezula,64 A. Pritchard,34 B. Quilain,10 T. Radermacher,49 E. Radicioni,22 B. Radics,11 P. N. Ratoff,33 C. Riccio,39 E. Rondio,38 S. Roth,49 A. Rubbia,11 A. C. Ruggeri,23 C. Ruggles,14 A. Rychter,65 K. Sakashita,16,‡ F. Sánchez,13 G. Santucci,70 C. M. Schloesser,11 K. Scholberg,9,§ M. Scott,21 Y. Seiya,41,†† T. Sekiguchi,16,‡ H. Sekiya,56,28,§ D. Sgalaberna,11 A. Shaikhiev,26 A. Shaykina,26 M. Shiozawa,56,28 W. Shorrock,21 A. Shvartsman,26 M. Smy,5 J. T. Sobczyk,68 H. Sobel,5,28 F. J. P. Soler,14 Y. Sonoda,56 S. Suvorov,26,6 A. Suzuki,31 S. Y. Suzuki,16,‡ Y. Suzuki,28 A. A. Sztuc,21 M. Tada,16,‡ M. Tajima,32 A. Takeda,56 Y. Takeuchi,31,28 H. K. Tanaka,56,§ H. A. Tanaka,52,61 S. Tanaka,41 Y. Tanihara,69 N. Teshima,41 L. F. Thompson,50 W. Toki,8 C. Touramanis,34 T. Towstego,61 K. M. Tsui,34 T. Tsukamoto,16,‡ M. Tzanov,35 Y. Uchida,21 M. Vagins,28,5 S. Valder,66 Z. Vallari,39 D. Vargas,18 G. Vasseur,6 W. G. S. Vinning,66 T. Vladisavljevic,54 V. V. Volkov,26 T. Wachala,15 J. Walker,67 J. G. Walsh,33 Y. Wang,39 D. Wark,54,42 M. O. Wascko,21 A. Weber,54,42 R. Wendell,32,§ M. J. Wilking,39 C. Wilkinson,2 J. R. Wilson,30 K. Wood,39 C. Wret,47 K. Yamamoto,41,†† C. Yanagisawa,39,‡‡ G. Yang,39 T. Yano,56 K. Yasutome,32 N. Yershov,26 M. Yokoyama,55,§ T. Yoshida,58 M. Yu,70 A. Zalewska,15 J. Zalipska,38 K. Zaremba,65 G. Zarnecki,38 M. Ziembicki,65 E. D. Zimmerman,7 M. Zito,53 S. Zsoldos,30 and A. Zykova26 (T2K Collaboration), This paper reports the first simultaneous measurement of the double differential muon neutrino chargedcurrent cross section on oxygen and carbon without pions in the final state as a function of the outgoing muon kinematics, made at the ND280 off-axis near detector of the T2K experiment. The ratio of the oxygen and carbon cross sections is also provided to help validate various models’ ability to extrapolate between carbon and oxygen nuclear targets, as is required in T2K oscillation analyses. The data are taken using a neutrino beam with an energy spectrum peaked at 0.6 GeV. The extracted measurement is compared with the prediction from different Monte Carlo neutrino-nucleus interaction event generators, showing particular model separation for very forward-going muons. Overall, of the models tested, the result is best described using local Fermi gas descriptions of the nuclear ground state with RPA suppression.

The electron (anti-)neutrino component of the T2K neutrino beam constitutes the largest background in the measurement of electron (anti-)neutrino appearance at the far detector. The electron neutrino scattering is measured directly with the T2K off-axis near detector, ND280. The selection of the electron (anti-)neutrino events in the plastic scintillator target from both neutrino and anti-neutrino mode beams is discussed in this paper. The flux integrated single differential charged-current inclusive electron (anti-)neutrino cross-sections, dσ/dp and dσ/d cos(θ), and the total cross-sections in a limited phase-space in momentum and scattering angle (p > 300 MeV/c and θ ≤ 45°) are measured using a binned maximum likelihood fit and compared to the neutrino Monte Carlo generator predictions, resulting in good agreement., Journal of High Energy Physics, 2020 (10), ISSN:1126-6708, ISSN:1029-8479

Electron antineutrino appearance is measured by the T2K experiment in an accelerator-produced antineutrino beam, using additional neutrino beam operation to constrain parameters of the Pontecorvo-Maki-Nakagawa-Sakata (PMNS) mixing matrix. T2K observes 15 candidate electron antineutrino events with a background expectation of 9.3 events. Including information from the kinematic distribution of observed events, the hypothesis of no electron antineutrino appearance is disfavored with a significance of 2.40 σ and no discrepancy between data and PMNS predictions is found. A complementary analysis that introduces an additional free parameter which allows non-PMNS values of electron neutrino and antineutrino appearance also finds no discrepancy between data and PMNS predictions., Physical Review Letters, 124 (16), ISSN:0031-9007, ISSN:1079-7114

Recently the MAGIC telescope observed three TeV gamma-ray extended sources in the galactic plane in the neighborhood of radio SNR G24.7+0.6. Among them, the PWN HESS J1837-069 was detected earlier by the HESS observatory during its first galactic plane survey. The other two sources, MAGIC J1835-069 and MAGIC J1837-073 are detected for the first time at such high energies. Here we shall show that the observed gamma-rays from the SNR G24.7+0.6 and the HESS J1837-069 can be explained in terms of hadronic interactions of the PWN/SNR accelerated cosmic rays with the ambient matter. We shall further demonstrate that the observed gamma-rays from the MAGIC J1837$-$073 can be interpreted through hadronic interactions of runaway cosmic-rays from PWN HESS J1837-069 with the molecular cloud at the location of MAGIC J1837-073. No such association has been found between MAGIC J1835$-$069 and SNR G24.7+0.6 or PWN HESS J1837$-$069. We have examined the maximum energy attainable by cosmic-ray particles in the SNR G24.7+0.6/ PWN HESS J1837-069 and the possibility of their detection with future gamma-ray telescopes. The study of TeV neutrino emissions from the stated sources suggests that the HESS J1837$-$069 should be detected by IceCube Gen-2 neutrino telescope in a few years of observation., 9 pages, 6 figures

Recently, the so-called Hubble Tension, i.e. the mismatch between the local and the cosmological measurements of the Hubble parameter, has been resolved when non-particle dark matter is considered which has a negative equation of state parameter ($\omega \approx -0.01$). We investigate if such a candidate can successfully describe the galactic flat rotation curves. It is found that the flat rotation curve feature puts a stringent constraint on the dark matter equation of state parameter $\omega$ and $\omega \approx -0.01$ is not consistent with flat rotational curves, observed around the galaxies. However, a dynamic $\omega$ of non-particle dark matter may overcome the Hubble tension without affecting the flat rotation curve feature., Comment: 6 pages, 1 figure, Accepted for publication in EPJC

This paper reports the first T2K measurement of the transverse kinematic imbalance in the single-$\pi^+$ production channel of neutrino interactions. We measure the differential cross sections in the muon-neutrino charged-current interaction on hydrocarbon with a single $\pi^+$ and at least one proton in the final state, at the ND280 off-axis near detector of the T2K experiment. The extracted cross sections are compared to the predictions from different neutrino-nucleus interaction event generators. Overall, the results show a preference for models which have a more realistic treatment of nuclear medium effects including the initial nuclear state and final-state interactions.

K. Abe, N. Akhlaq, R. Akutsu, A. Ali, C. Alt, C. Andreopoulos, M. Antonova, S. Aoki, T. Arihara, Y. Asada, Y. Ashida, E. T. Atkin, Y. Awataguchi, G. J. Barker, G. Barr, D. Barrow, M. Batkiewicz-Kwasniak, A. Beloshapkin, F. Bench, V. Berardi, L. Berns, S. Bhadra, A. Blanchet, A. Blondel, S. Bolognesi, T. Bonus, B. Bourguille, S. B. Boyd, A. Bravar, D. Bravo Berguno, C. Bronner, S. Bron, M. Buizza Avanzini, S. Cao, S. L. Cartwright, M. G. Catanesi, A. Cervera, J. Chakrani, D. Cherdack, G. Christodoulou, M. Cicerchia, J. Coleman, G. Collazuol, L. Cook, D. Coplowe, A. Cudd, G. De Rosa, T. Dealtry, C. C. Delogu, S. R. Dennis, C. Densham, A. Dergacheva, F. Di Lodovico, S. Dolan, D. Douqa, T. A. Doyle, J. Dumarchez, P. Dunne, A. Eguchi, L. Eklund, S. Emery-Schrenk, A. Ereditato, A. J. Finch, G. Fiorillo, C. Francois, M. Friend, Y. Fujii, R. Fukuda, Y. Fukuda, K. Fusshoeller, C. Giganti, M. Gonin, E. A. G. Goodman, A. Gorin, M. Grassi, M. Guigue, D. R. Hadley, P. Hamacher-Baumann, D. A. Harris, M. Hartz, T. Hasegawa, S. Hassani, N. C. Hastings, Y. Hayato, A. Hiramoto, M. Hogan, N. T. Hong Van, T. Honjo, F. Iacob, A. K. Ichikawa, M. Ikeda, T. Ishida, M. Ishitsuka, K. Iwamoto, A. Izmaylov, N. Izumi, M. Jakkapu, B. Jamieson, S. J. Jenkins, C. Jesus-Valls, J. J. Jiang, P. Jonsson, C. K. Jung, P. B. Jurj, M. Kabirnezhad, H. Kakuno, J. Kameda, S. P. Kasetti, Y. Kataoka, Y. Katayama, T. Katori, E. Kearns, M. Khabibullin, A. Khotjantsev, T. Kikawa, H. Kikutani, S. King, T. Kobata, T. Kobayashi, L. Koch, A. Konaka, L. L. Kormos, Y. Koshio, A. Kostin, K. Kowalik, Y. Kudenko, S. Kuribayashi, R. Kurjata, T. Kutter, M. Kuze, L. Labarga, J. Lagoda, M. Lamoureux, D. Last, M. Laveder, M. Lawe, S.-K. Lin, R. P. Litchfield, S. L. Liu, A. Longhin, L. Ludovici, X. Lu, T. Lux, L. N. Machado, L. Magaletti, K. Mahn, M. Malek, S. Manly, L. Maret, A. D. Marino, L. Marti-Magro, T. Maruyama, T. Matsubara, K. Matsushita, C. Mauger, A. Maurel, K. Mavrokoridis, E. Mazzucato, N. McCauley, J. McElwee, K. S. McFarland, C. McGrew, A. Mefodiev, G. D. Megias, L. Mellet, M. Mezzetto, A. Minamino, O. Mineev, S. Mine, M. Miura, L. Molina Bueno, S. Moriyama, Th. A. Mueller, D. Munford, L. Munteanu, Y. Nagai, T. Nakadaira, M. Nakahata, Y. Nakajima, A. Nakamura, H. Nakamura, K. Nakamura, Y. Nakano, S. Nakayama, T. Nakaya, K. Nakayoshi, C. E. R. Naseby, T. V. Ngoc, V. Q. Nguyen, K. Niewczas, Y. Nishimura,K. Nishizaki, E. Noah, T. S. Nonnenmacher, F. Nova, J. Nowak, J. C. Nugent, H. M. O’Keeffe, L. O’Sullivan, T. Odagawa, T. Ogawa, R. Okada, K. Okumura, T. Okusawa, R. A. Owen, Y. Oyama,,† V. Palladino, V. Paolone, M. Pari, W. C. Parker, J. Parlone, S. Parsa, J. Pasternak, M. Pavin, D. Payne, G. C. Penn, D. Pershey, L. Pickering, C. Pidcott, G. Pintaudi, C. Pistillo, B. Popov, M. Posiadala-Zezula, A. Pritchard, B. Quilain, T. Radermacher, E. Radicioni, B. Radics, P. N. Ratoff, M. Reh, C. Riccio, E. Rondio, S. Roth, A. Rubbia, A. C. Ruggeri, C. A. Ruggles, A. Rychter, L. S. M. Lakshmi, K. Sakashita, F. Sanchez, G. Santucci, C. M. Schloesser, K. Scholberg, M. Scott , Y. Seiya, T. Sekiguchi, H. Sekiya, D. Sgalaberna, A. Shaikhiev, A. Shaykina, M. Shiozawa, W. Shorrock, A. Shvartsman, K. Skwarczynski, M. Smy, J. T. Sobczyk, H. Sobel, F. J. P. Soler, Y. Sonoda, R. Spina, S. Suvorov, A. Suzuki, S. Y. Suzuki, Y. Suzuki, A. A. Sztuc, M. Tada,, M. Tajima, A. Takeda, Y. Takeuchi, H. K. Tanaka, Y. Tanihara, M. Tani, N. Teshima, N. Thamm, L. F. Thompson, W. Toki, C. Touramanis, T. Towstego, K. M. Tsui, T. Tsukamoto, M. Tzanov, Y. Uchida, M. Vagins, S. Valder, D. Vargas, G. Vasseur, C. Vilela, W. G. S. Vinning, T. Vladisavljevic, T. Wachala, J. Walker, J. G. Walsh, Y. Wang, L. Wan, D. Wark, M. O. Wascko, A. Weber, R. Wendell, M. J. Wilking, C. Wilkinson, J. R. Wilson, K. Wood, C. Wret, J. Xia, Y.-h. Xu, K. Yamamoto, C. Yanagisawa, G. Yang, T. Yano, K. Yasutome, N. Yershov, M. Yokoyama, T. Yoshida, Y. Yoshimoto, M. Yu, R. Zaki, A. Zalewska, J. Zalipska, K. Zaremba, G. Zarnecki, M. Ziembicki, M. Zito, S. Zsoldos

Isothermal nucleic acid amplification tests (iNATs), such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), are good alternatives to PCR-based amplification assays, especially for point-of-care and low-resource use, in part because they can be carried out with relatively simple instrumentation. However, iNATs can often generate spurious amplicons, especially in the absence of target sequences, resulting in false-positive results. This is especially true if signals are based on non-sequence-specific probes, such as intercalating dyes or pH changes. In addition, pathogens often prove to be moving, evolving targets and can accumulate mutations that will lead to inefficient primer binding and thus false-negative results. Multiplex assays targeting different regions of the analyte and logical signal readout using sequence-specific probes can help to reduce both false negatives and false positives. Here, we describe rapid conversion of three previously described SARS-CoV-2 LAMP assays that relied on a non-sequence-specific readout into individual and multiplex one-pot assays that can be visually read using sequence-specific oligonucleotide strand exchange (OSD) probes. We describe both fluorescence-based and Boolean logic-gated colorimetric lateral flow readout methods and demonstrate detection of SARS-CoV-2 virions in crude human saliva. IMPORTANCE One of the key approaches to treatment and control of infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, is accurate and rapid diagnostics that is widely deployable in a timely and scalable manner. To achieve this, it is essential to go beyond the traditional gold standard of quantitative PCR (qPCR) that is often faced with difficulties in scaling due to the complexity of infrastructure and human resource requirements. Isothermal nucleic acid amplification methods, such as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), have been long pursued as ideal, low-tech alternatives for rapid, portable testing. However, isothermal approaches often suffer from false signals due to employment of nonspecific readout methods. We describe general principles for rapidly converting nonspecifically read LAMP assays into assays that are read in a sequence-specific manner by using oligonucleotide strand displacement (OSD) probes. We also demonstrate that inclusion of OSD probes in LAMP assays maintains the simplicity of one-pot assays and a visual yes/no readout by using fluorescence or colorimetric lateral-flow dipsticks while providing accurate sequence-specific readout and the ability to logically query multiplex amplicons for redundancy or copresence. These principles not only yielded high-surety isothermal assays for SARS-CoV-2 but might also aid in the design of more sophisticated molecular assays for other analytes.

An alternate synthetic route to the important anticancer drug suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) from its α,ß-didehydro derivative is described. The didehydro derivative is obtained through a cross metathesis reaction between a suitable terminal alkene and N-benzyloxyacrylamide. Some of the didehydro derivatives of SAHA were preliminarily evaluated for anticancer activity towards HeLa cells. The administration of the analogues caused a significant decrease in the proliferation of HeLa cells. Furthermore, one of the analogues showed a maximum cytotoxicity with a minimum GI50 value of 2.5 µg/mL and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as some apoptotic features.

The dioxygen reactivity of a series of TMPA-based copper(I) complexes (TMPA=tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine), with and without secondary-coordination-sphere hydrogen-bonding moieties, was studied at -135 °C in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (MeTHF). Kinetic stabilization of the H-bonded [( (X1)(X2) TMPA)CuII (O2.- )]+ cupric superoxide species was achieved, and they were characterized by resonance Raman (rR) spectroscopy. The structures and physical properties of [( (X1)(X2) TMPA)CuII (N3- )]+ azido analogues were compared, and the O2.- reactivity of ligand-CuI complexes when an H-bonding moiety is replaced by a methyl group was contrasted. A drastic enhancement in the reactivity of the cupric superoxide towards phenolic substrates as well as oxidation of substrates possessing moderate C-H bond-dissociation energies is observed, correlating with the number and strength of the H-bonding groups.

A cuprous chelate bearing a secondary sphere hydrogen bonding functionality, [(PV-tmpa)CuI]+, transforms •NO(g) to N2O(g) in high-yields in methanol. Ligand derived proton transfer facilitates N–O bond cleavage of a putative hyponitrite intermediate releasing N2O(g), underscoring the crucial balance between H-bonding capabilities and acidities in (bio)chemical •NO(g) coupling systems.

The reaction of p-cyano-N,N-dimethylaniline N-oxide, an O-atom donor, with different copper(I) complexes (at room temperature and in acetone) indicates the formation via O-atom transfer of a high-v...

Ag nanoparticles cause interesting modifications to the electronic and optical properties of amorphous silica scaffold that is used in optical fibers. The present study is first of its kind to implement first principles based calculation of large amorphous dielectric host with metal inclusions in it. Ground state structural parameters and equilibrium geometries of amorphous ( SiO 2 ) n clusters (n = 8,16,24,32,40) with Ag atoms doped inside the interstitial space of the scaffold have been calculated using DMol3 DFT program. We have shown that the configuration of small Ag clusters depend strongly on the structural characteristics of the scaffold. This creates a unique opportunity to control the microscopic properties of small metal clusters via Ag impregnation. Our study reveals that small sized silica clusters have lower level of absorption due to self-purification effect and Ag absorption efficiency depends on the nature of amorphicity of clusters having different geometries but same number of atoms. The nature of amorphicity of two different geometries of equal sized silica clusters has been verified via two independent approaches viz. (a) pair correlation and bond length/angle distributions plot of Si atoms and (b) the quasi-entropy calculated using USPEX code. More amorphous network of host leads to incorporation of more number of Ag atoms. The effect of host silica matrix on the structures of Ag nanoclusters are evaluated and the results show that bond distances in Ag clusters increase when encapsulated in silica matrix. The effect of doped Ag atoms on the structural characteristics of silica clusters are also evaluated and correlated with the shift in frequencies and change in Raman spectral intensities.

A novel approach to α-chalcogenation of aliphatic carboxylic acids has been developed by means of transforming them as the corresponding benzazoles. The catalyst system, consisting of CuI, DMSO, and a base, operates through a unique mechanism to access a range of practically significant thio- and selenoethers that are otherwise challenging to achieve. The applicative potentials have been exemplified by utilizing the resultant chalcogenated compounds as the precursor for the synthesis of biologically pertinent molecules and synthetic intermediates.

The increase in demand for continuous and real-time monitoring of permeation of biomolecules is addressed by using highly selective ultrathin silicon nanoporous membranes (SNMs) combined with detection using ultraviolet absorption. The membranes, with an average pore size of 8.8 nm, are fabricated using semiconductor batch processes including chemical vapor deposition and rapid thermal annealing. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) of a concentration of $250~\mu \text{g}$ /ml is used as the test molecule. The concentration of BSA diffused through the membrane is measured using optical transduction based in-house developed sensor. The photocurrent obtained from the sensor is measured every 15 min and compared with the standard Bradford assay at the same time-stamp. The concentration estimated by the sensor is found to agree with the Bradford assay with a standard deviation of 1.4%. The throughput of the membrane is increased by fabricating an array of SNMs, which showed an increase in diffusion rate by 3.8 times with respect to the single SNM. The clogging of pores by the biomolecules is analyzed using ionic conductivity experiments. The structural integrity of BSA diffused through the SNM is also analyzed.

Porous carbons have been considered very important for a long time because of various possible applications. In this review, we summarize the current progress in the field of porous carbons, especially N-enriched carbons, obtained from the carbonization of MOFs with or without additional N-containing compounds. Moreover, metal- or metal oxide-loaded N-doped carbons are also dealt with. Not only the preparation but also the applications in adsorption and catalysis are summarized. More importantly, research ideas or trends will be suggested for further development of these fields. Finally, this study summarizes a number of methods for the preparation of N-enriched carbons (with or without metal or metal oxide) and their efficiencies in various potential applications, including adsorption (liquid-/gas-phase) and organo-/photo-/electro-catalyses, based on their physicochemical properties.

Mutualism is a very special and rare kind of natural cooperative behavior. A tradition practiced in some parts of sub-Saharan Africa is an interesting case of mutualism between two very unlikely partners — birds and humans. Some species of honeyguides have developed a mutualistic relationship with the African honey-hunters. Both species use a set of ritualistic calls to communicate with each other. The birds guide the men to honeybee nests and get rewarded in return as the honey-hunters leave behind parts of the honeycombs for their friends. This mutualism has been reported by several authors and has recently been tested rigorously using robust scientific methods. This article provides an overview of this interesting behavior that has evolved and continues to be practiced in the forests of sub-Saharan Africa by tribes like the Hadza, Boran. and Yao.

We develop a new estimator of the inverse covariance matrix for high-dimensional multivariate normal data using the horseshoe prior. The proposed graphical horseshoe estimator has attractive properties compared to other popular estimators, such as the graphical lasso and graphical Smoothly Clipped Absolute Deviation (SCAD). The most prominent benefit is that when the true inverse covariance matrix is sparse, the graphical horseshoe provides estimates with small information divergence from the true sampling distribution. The posterior mean under the graphical horseshoe prior can also be almost unbiased under certain conditions. In addition to these theoretical results, we also provide a full Gibbs sampler for implementing our estimator. MATLAB code is available for download from github at http://github.com/liyf1988/GHS. The graphical horseshoe estimator compares favorably to existing techniques in simulations and in a human gene network data analysis., Comment: 29 pages, 3 figures

The changing temperature, directly and indirectly, has significant effect on the agricultural production and economy of the country which necessitates detailed study of the spatial and temporal variability of temperature. This paper focuses on the spatio-temporal trend analysis of minimum and maximum temperature over India. Daily gridded temperature data with spatial resolution of 1° × 1° for the period of 1969–2005 were analysed using Mann-Kendall (MK) non-parametric test at 3 levels of significances, namely, 1%, 5%, and 10%. The diurnal temperature range was also analysed. Results showed that maximum temperature experienced significant decreasing trends in the entire Indo-Gangetic plains extending up to the NE region while the Southern region experienced warming. For minimum temperature, all regions except the Central region reported increasing trends indicating warming. As a result, diurnal temperature range showed decreasing trends in many places in the upper half of the country while the lower half is dominated by increasing trends. On a regional scale, the Southern region, in particular, showed increasing trends in all three parameters. On seasonal scale, pre-monsoon and monsoon months remained mostly trendless for all three parameters. Maximum significant decreasing trends were observed during January–May while maximum increasing trends were reported during June–December. Also, a higher Sen slope value of the yearly maximum increase in the minimum temperature indicated steeper increase in minimum temperature over maximum temperature.

Polymer-metal nanocomposites with enhanced mechanical, optical, electrical, dielectric, and antimicrobial properties are currently in high demand for many industrial applications. Here, we study and present the effect of UV-reduced silver nanoparticles on the synthesis of polyaniline-polyvinyl alcohol-silver nanocomposites (PPVA-Ag) and utilize them to make a humidity sensor and antimicrobial agent. A thorough study of the surface morphology of the prepared films using SEM, AFM, and profilometry is performed; it is found that uniform film is formed in all these cases. These studies show that an increase in Ag concentration leads to an increase in the surface micro roughness of the PPVA-Ag film. XPS determines the chemical composition of the prepared PPVA-Ag nanocomposites. At different humidity conditions, the electrical resistivity of the PPVA-Ag nanocomposites is measured. The results show uniform changes in resistivity with an increase in humidity and good repeatability. These polymer-metal nanocomposites are found to have exhibited antimicrobial abilities making them useful for biomedical applications as well. Pioneer Hi-Bred, Qatar National Research Fund, Grantova Agentura ceska Republiky, Qatar National Research Fund Scopus

In an attempt to develop potent and selective anticancer agents, a series of 15 conjugates of 1,4-dihydroindeno[1,2-c]pyrazole chalcone (12a-o) were designed, synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity against MCF7, A549, MDA-MB-231, HCT116 and SKBR3 human cancer cell lines. Among them, 12h, 12l and 12m showed IC50 values: 3.82, 5.33 and 4.21 μM, respectively, on A549 cell with respect to the positive control, Erlotinib (IC50 value: 10.26 μM). Detailed biological assays showed accumulation of mitotic cells in G2/M phase. In addition, Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence study revealed inhibition of EGFR and Akt pathways. In silico computational studies were also carried out to predict the binding modes and pharmacokinetic parameters of these conjugates.

In order to investigate the possible denitrogenation of fuels, oxidation of organonitrogen compounds (ONCs) was carried out by using H2O2 green oxidant over a TiO2-containing carbon catalyst, prepared by the pyrolysis of an MOF-composite [ZIF-8(30)@H2N-MIL-125] (named as MDC-C). Neutral ONCs, including indole (IND) and its derivatives, especially those with high electron density on the nitrogen of the ONCs, different from basic ONCs, could be effectively oxidized, especially in the presence of a suitable extracting solvent CH3COOH. MDC-C showed a high turnover frequency in the oxidation of IND as compared with various commercial or synthesized TiO2 nanoparticles. The used catalyst could be recycled by simple solvent washing up to the fourth run without severe deactivation. Therefore, it could be confirmed that MDC-C is very effective in oxidative denitrogenation to remove ONCs, especially neutral ones, from fuels in the presence of H2O2 and a suitable extractant. Importantly, oxidation of IND derivatives was performed firstly under similar conditions in order to understand the mechanism of the reaction. The results showed that high electron density (that calculated in this study) on the nitrogen of the IND and its derivatives is very important, suggesting that the electrophilic addition of oxygen atoms onto the substrates (via N on the INDs) might play a crucial role in the oxidation, even though further study is essential to support this assumption.