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Copyright of Die Unternehmensbesteuerung (Ubg) is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background Up to 50% of people scheduled for screening colonoscopy do not complete this test and no studies have focused on minority and low-income populations. Interventions are needed to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening knowledge, reduce barriers, and provide alternative screening options. Patient navigation (PN) and tailored interventions increase CRC screening uptake, however there is limited information comparing their effectiveness or the effect of combining them. Purpose Compare the effectiveness of two interventions to increase CRC screening among minority and low-income individuals who did not attend their screening colonoscopy appointment—a mailed tailored digital video disc (DVD) alone versus the mailed DVD plus telephone-based PN compared to usual care. Methods Patients (n = 371) aged 45–75 years at average risk for CRC who did not attend a screening colonoscopy appointment were enrolled and were randomized to: (i) a mailed tailored DVD; (ii) the mailed DVD plus phone-based PN; or (iii) usual care. CRC screening outcomes were from electronic medical records at 12 months. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to study intervention effects. Results Participants randomized to tailored DVD plus PN were four times more likely to complete CRC screening compared to usual care and almost two and a half times more likely than those who were sent the DVD alone. Conclusions Combining telephone-based PN with a mailed, tailored DVD increased CRC screening among low-income and minority patients who did not attend their screening colonoscopy appointments and has potential for wide dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Uncomfortable Television" by Hunter Hargraves is a book that analyzes post-millennial US television through the lens of discomfort and the affects associated with taking pleasure in shows whose protagonists are unlikeable or unpleasant. The author argues that post-millennial television normalizes discomfort as a strategy of governmentality, contrasting it with twentieth-century television that aimed to comfort and instruct audiences. The book explores various negative affects portrayed in television, such as irritation, addiction, perversion, and White guilt, and examines their role in late capitalism or neoliberal capitalism. The author calls for more self-critical analysis in television studies and discusses the misrecognition of viewing discomfort as political action in "woke TV." [Extracted from the article]

Objectives: MAchine Learning In MyelomA Response (MALIMAR) is an observational clinical study combining "real-world" and clinical trial data, both retrospective and prospective. Images were acquired on three MRI scanners over a 10-year window at two institutions, leading to a need for extensive curation. Methods: Curation involved image aggregation, pseudonymisation, allocation between project phases, data cleaning, upload to an XNAT repository visible from multiple sites, annotation, incorporation of machine learning research outputs and quality assurance using programmatic methods. Results: A total of 796 whole-body MR imaging sessions from 462 subjects were curated. A major change in scan protocol part way through the retrospective window meant that approximately 30% of available imaging sessions had properties that differed significantly from the remainder of the data. Issues were found with a vendor-supplied clinical algorithm for "composing" whole-body images from multiple imaging stations. Historic weaknesses in a digital video disk (DVD) research archive (already addressed by the mid-2010s) were highlighted by incomplete datasets, some of which could not be completely recovered. The final dataset contained 736 imaging sessions for 432 subjects. Software was written to clean and harmonise data. Implications for the subsequent machine learning activity are considered. Conclusions: MALIMAR exemplifies the vital role that curation plays in machine learning studies that use real-world data. A research repository such as XNAT facilitates day-to-day management, ensures robustness and consistency and enhances the value of the final dataset. The types of process described here will be vital for future large-scale multi-institutional and multi-national imaging projects. Critical relevance statement: This article showcases innovative data curation methods using a state-of-the-art image repository platform; such tools will be vital for managing the large multi-institutional datasets required to train and validate generalisable ML algorithms and future foundation models in medical imaging. Key points: • Heterogeneous data in the MALIMAR study required the development of novel curation strategies. • Correction of multiple problems affecting the real-world data was successful, but implications for machine learning are still being evaluated. • Modern image repositories have rich application programming interfaces enabling data enrichment and programmatic QA, making them much more than simple "image marts". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article delves into the work of Yoshida Ami, a Japanese artist known for her experimental vocal performances. It explores how her performances challenge traditional notions of race, culture, and gender, and examines the onkyō movement in which she was involved. The article also discusses the relationship between voice and body in experimental vocal performances, critiquing essentialist frameworks and highlighting the impact of race and gender on reception. It challenges the idea of audio technology as a prosthetic device and proposes an assemblage approach to understanding vocal performances. The text concludes with a personal reflection on the power of Yoshida Ami's live performance. [Extracted from the article]

Metaheuristic optimization algorithms involve various mathematical techniques inspired from nature and various day-to-day activities. These techniques provide the best solution at minimum cost and error along with maximum profit and utility. They can solve many tough optimization problems where conventional computing techniques do not work. Harmony search algorithm (HSA) is one such relatively recent technique. It is derived from the theory to obtain perfect harmony in music. It can handle diversification and intensification, which makes it a highly efficient metaheuristic algorithm. The paper reviews the latest developments and variants of the algorithm in HSA. It provides insights into the algorithm’s applications to help the readers understand it and apply the knowledge obtained in further work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our community is still far away from achieving self‐sustainable ambient intelligence, since it calls for rational energy layouts to satisfy the ubiquitous power demands from diverse terminal products. Harnessing energy directly from the surroundings thus provides ideal solutions. The majority of existing environmental harvesters rely on sophisticated procedures and expensive or toxic materials; while others attempt to streamline the complexity at the cost of compromising performance. This entails transducers that exhibit superb outputs and also employ cost‐effective, even recycled materials and straightforward protocols to render ubiquitous deployments. Here, a high‐efficiency droplet energy nanogenerator (DENG) is devised to satisfy all the requirements. The DENG is fabricated by directly coating a composite layer on a recycled digital video disk surface. It achieves superb electricity generation from one droplet, with an output voltage of >190 V at an instantaneous power density of 65 W m−2, and an energy conversion efficiency of 3.60%. Diverse demonstrations confirm the applicability of the DENG in environmental networks, encompassing self‐sustainable "on plants" sensing systems, smart building windows, and remote environmental monitoring platforms. In light of these superiorities, it is believed that the DENG may open up new alternative routes for future energy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Die Unternehmensbesteuerung (Ubg) is the property of De Gruyter and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explores Richard Wagner's fascination with dreams and altered consciousness, as well as his interest in paranormal phenomena. It discusses Wagner's influences, including the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer and Buddhist concepts of reality and the unconscious. The article also analyzes Yuval Sharon's recent production of Lohengrin at the Bayreuth Festival, which emphasizes the power of women and the significance of dreams in the opera. Sharon's interpretation presents Lohengrin as a Schopenhauerian and Buddhist drama, highlighting the connection between the conscious and unconscious mind. The production uses electricity as a metaphor for creative thought and explores themes of power dynamics between men and women. The staging emphasizes the dream-like quality of the opera and incorporates elements of dualities and symbolism. The article suggests that the production brings new depth and meaning to the opera, transforming it into a work of depth psychology. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Numerous cardio-metabolic risk factors influence screen-related behaviors in children and adolescents. Numerous studies with inconsistent results revealed a relationship between blood pressure and screen time in the children and adolescents. This systematic review and meta-analysis summarized the data regarding the relationship between screen time and hypertension (HTN) in children and adolescents. Methods: We examined three electronic databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Embase to find the recent research on the relationship between screen time and HTN up to 19 July 2022. Twenty papers were included in the final two-class and dose–response meta-analysis. We conducted subgrouping to identify the source of heterogeneity. Results: The highest category of screen time increased the odds of HTN by 8% [odds ratio (OR): 1.15; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.08, 1.23; P < 0.001; I2 = 83.20%] and 1.9 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure [weighted mean difference (WMD): 1.89; 95% CI: 0.18–3.62; P = 0.030; I2 = 83.4]. However, there was no significant difference in diastolic blood pressure. Moreover, screen time in hypertensive children and adolescents was 0.79 h (47.4 min) higher than normotensive subjects (WMD: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.02, 1.56; P = 0.046; I2 = 92.8). A departure from linearity was observed between increased screen time [digital video discs, personal computers, and video games and HTN (Pnonlinearity = 0.049). Conclusion: This systematic meta-analysis review is the first to demonstrate a positive correlation between screen time and HTN in children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antireflective coating helps to reduce reflectance losses, thereby improving photovoltaic (PV) efficiency. Improving PV efficiency while maintaining low innovation cost has been a challenging task for the PV industry, especially in the case of monocrystalline silicon. Herein, the feasibility of integrating polydimethylsiloxane foil onto the protecting glass of an n‐type tunnel oxide–passivated contact silicon cell is studied. The foil is made using a polymer molding technique with digital video disk templates. On average, the foil provides 5.2% total reflectance and 93.5% total transmission. Under 1 sun illumination, the cell's power‐conversion efficiency increases by 12% (among the highest improvement), from 17.3% to 19.3%, in the presence of foil. A combined set of optical spectroscopy and simulation data shows that this improvement is due not only to the index‐matched medium, but also to forward scattering that increases broadband light transmission to the silicon cell through the foil which is different to the prevalent light‐trapping mechanism. The foil is also evaluated under different illumination conditions (indoors and outdoors), which show that the cell's power output nearly doubles at dimmer illumination levels and is stable under a fluctuating light source. While effective, the feasibility of antireflective foil should be reexamined further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies show that the formation of breath figures over polystyrene is not clearly understood—sometimes the patterns are regular and sometimes they are barely formed. In an attempt to understand this process a little more, breath figures over polystyrene of three molecular weights and on the smooth and grooved DVD surfaces are prepared and studied. The microporous films are prepared by the evaporation of the chloroform solution of the polymers in a humid environment. The thus formed breath figure patterns are studied under a confocal laser scanning microscope and the images are analyzed. Breath figures were formed for (a) three molecular weights of the polymer (b) two casting techniques, and (c) on smooth and grooved surfaces (of a commercial DVD). The wetting of the breath figures formed by water is also reported here. The pore diameters were found to increase with increase in molecular weight and also with concentration of the polymer used. Only drop-casting method yield breath figures. Voronoi entropy, calculated from the images, indicates ordered pores on the grooved surface compared to smooth surfaces. Contact angle studies indicate a hydrophobic nature of the polymer, with the hydrophobicity increasing by the patterning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs) are mainly made by polycarbonate disc, a thin layer of aluminum or silver, a thin layer of a coating and a thin layer of a label of paper or PET. The recycling of these discs is difficult due to the removal of these non-polymeric layers and to our best knowledge, no industrial plants have been resent for their recycling. In this work, we propose a facile way to remove the non-polymeric layers and investigate the effect of the repetitive extrusion process on the processability and on the mechanical properties of the recycled polycarbonate. A few works have been published dealing with both the removal of the non-polymeric layers and the mechanical recycling of the disk of polycarbonate. In our approach, the removal of the non-polymeric layers is easily obtained through a thermo-mechanical treatment in a basic solution by ammonia. This process can be considered green because is made at a low temperature with a small amount of water and a very small amount of ammonia, saving energy and water. The properties of the polycarbonate remain good if the mechanical recycling is made after drying the post-consumer polycarbonate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research has investigated the level of e-readiness in public sector university libraries located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan. The study aimed to assess the presence of human resources, electronic infrastructure, network services, and programs in these libraries. The target population consisted of twenty-seven public sector university libraries in the region. The research utilized a quantitative approach and employed a questionnaire-based survey to gather data from the librarians or individuals in charge of these libraries. The collected data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22 (SPSS). The findings revealed that the respondents' satisfaction regarding their knowledge of libraries was low or moderate, as indicated by mean scores below 3. Similarly, the satisfaction levels concerning electronic infrastructure, network services, and programs, as well as the role of libraries in the digital world, were rated as average or below. Based on the results, the study recommended significant transformations in various aspects of public-sector university libraries. To achieve this, the government should allocate necessary resources and provide facilities to meet the informational and recreational needs of the population. Improvements are required in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure of these libraries, including the availability of computer equipment, databases, network servers, multimedia projectors, digital cameras, uninterruptible power supply, scanners, and backup devices such as hard discs and Digital Video Disc/compact Disc [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An electrochemical free chlorine sensor was developed by modifying a lab-made screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE) with gold nanoparticles synthesized with polyvinylpyrrolidone (AuNPs-PVP). The electrode was made by screen printing carbon ink on a waste digital versatile disc (SPC-wDVD). PVP was used to stabilize AuNPs. Scanning electron microscopy showed that AuNPs aggregated without the stabilizer. The electrochemical behavior of the SPC-wDVD was evaluated by comparison with commercial SPCEs from two companies. Electrochemical characterization involved cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The detection of free chlorine in water samples was continuous, facilitated by a flow-injection system. In the best condition, the developed sensor exhibited linearity from 0.25 to 3.0 and 3.0 to 500 mg L−1. The limit of detection was 0.1 mg L−1. The stability of the sensor enabled the detection of free chlorine at least 475 times with an RSD of 3.2 %. The AuNPs-PVP/SPC-wDVD was able to detect free chlorine in drinking water, tap water and swimming pool water. The agreement between the results obtained with the proposed method and the standard spectrophotometric method confirmed the precision of the developed sensor. [Display omitted] • A carbon electrode was screen-printed on recycled DVD polycarbonate. • AuNPs synthesized with polyvinylpyrrolidone were small (17 ± 3 nm). • The lab-made electrode gave sharper current peaks than commercial electrodes. • The developed sensor was stable, analyzing 475 samples with a low RSD. • The sensor detected free chlorine in drinking, tap and swimming pool water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only a few years ago, people interested in novels or movies had no choice but to use physical media such as books or DVDs. Technological advances allowed dematerializing these products, making consumption instantly accessible with a download. The trend towards dematerialization has been steady across product domains, and recent confinement measures might further accelerate it. We investigate how preferences for dematerialized products depend on people's identity motives in consumption. In a series of studies, we find that the identity relevance of a product increases the appeal of its physical versions. Even when the hedonic experience is identical (e.g., watching a movie), material products are better tools for consumers to self-verify (i.e., provide better feedback to consumers about the identity which is implicated in consumption). As a result, identity-motivated consumers are more likely to forgo the benefits of dematerialization. This finding has implications for our understanding of digitized consumption and for the marketing of media products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The light scribe (LS) technique has been applied to reduce graphene oxide (LSGO) over a flexible substrate to be used as a humidity sensor. Graphene oxide (GO) suspension was drop casted over Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrate and then reduced inside a conventional light scribe digital video disc (DVD). Interdigitated electrode was precisely fabricated with dimensions of the finger length of 450 μm and width of 20 μm. The prepared material was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The results confirm the reduction process of GO using the LS technique. Moreover, the humidity sensing properties of the LSGO was evaluated. Results showed that the present light-scribed humidity sensor has many advantages including rapid response, highly precise due to light scribe technique, and more importantly sensors can be fabricated directly on flexible substrates which are highly favorable for future wearable smart electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of digitalization on the three-tier structure of Tanzania film industry. Explicitly, the paper focuses on the period between 1990 and 2020. It follows on the presumptions that omnipresent and pervasive digital video and Internet-based technologies promoted under the theme of digitalization and underpinned by the digital revolution theory are impacting on film industries across nations. The specific drivers of the digitalization that the paper advances are digital video cameras and computer-based nonlinear editing systems applied in the production of films, Digital Versatile Discs (DVD), Online movie streaming and Video on Demand (VOD) platforms as used in distributing films and digital cinema formats and projectors in exhibition of films. Key informant interview method was used to collect qualitative data from twenty six (26) respondents. The respondents included media experts, filmmakers, camera operators, video editors and various film industry stakeholders. Other data collection methods employed included direct observation and online ethnography. The paper reveals that digitalization elicits and enhances specific changes on the three-tier structure of the Tanzania film industry. Due to the effects of digitalization the Tanzania film industry has morphed into a functional film industry. The paper concludes that in spite of the differences in its effectiveness and purposes that are grounded on issues of contexts, digitalization is more important than other determining factors such as capital formation in impacting on the transformation of the three-tier structure of the country's film industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study tested the effectiveness of proposed technology integration model in improving educational technology adoption in Out-of-School Time (OST) learning in primary schools. A quasi-experimental design was adopted, involving experimental and control groups. The model was experimented in Meru District Council, Arusha Region, and reached some 310 pupils in six (6) day schools, their parents, five (5) mathematics teachers and three (3) head teachers. The experiment ran for three months consecutively. Data was collected through digital Video Disks (DVDs), DVD Players and mobile phones. Other tools were home works handbooks, answer booklets and a list of perceived best practices. Participating pupils were availed with necessary materials before pupils in the experimental and control groups were examined under different practices. Specifically, the experimental group was subjected to the proposed model whereas the control group was treated under traditional practices. Then, the two groups were compared in relation to extent they used the developed technology. This primarily achieved by examining the response of pupils to the given home assignments. The Mann-Whitney test attested a statistically significant use of educational technology in favour of the experimental group (U=7916, N1=167, N2=143, p (0) <0.05). This suggests acceptance of the alternative hypothesis at 95% confidence level, implying that the use of the proposed model improved the actual use of educational technology among the learners. It is thus recommended that the government should support technology integration through by building the capacity of schools and other practitioners for effective integration of OST technology in primary schools in the country. Moreover, extensive studies need to be carried out to assess the applicability of the proposed model in other settings, especially in post-primary educational practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DVD (or Digital Video Disc) has fundamentally changed "the way we interact with movies" (Barlow 2005, p. XI); the DVD is indeed a digital resource offering possibilities which analog equipments such as VCR and VHS - which had always remained a linear medium - could not offer in the 1970s and 1980s. The DVD can be considered not only a media resource but also, and most importantly, a space to investigate the fascinating dialogic relationship involving image, music and (verbal) text. In this sense, if, according to Brummett, "a text is a set of signs related to each other insofar as their meanings all contribute to the same set of effects or functions" (2006, p. 34), then the DVD stands as a "multimodal text" (Kress, van Leeuwen 2001), one where the visual, the musical and the literary are engaged in a fascinating dialogue which allows them to constantly redefine themselves. Interestingly, the DVD format was born in the very same year - namely 1996 - of one of the most fascinating and successful Shakespearean filmic adaptations, that is William Shakespeare's Romeo+Juliet by the Australian director Baz Luhrmann. In the film the poetic and canonic aura of the Shakespearean verses - which are pronounced in their integrity - is somehow transgressed by their contrapuntal juxtaposition to images and sounds belonging contemporary pop culture. In our view, the DVD edition of the film - which includes many extras (on which we will focus in the present essay) such as photo galleries, music videos, interviews, TV trailers, audio commentaries and an introductory essay by the director himself in which he makes reference to the strong relationship between Shakespeare and popular culture (Lanier 2002) - represents the format which seems to be more in tune with the film's hypertextual quality staging its very capacity to exceed the world of cinema to interrogate our own age through the double lens of Shakespeare and contemporary popular culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Ido Movement for Culture. Journal of Martial Arts Anthropology is the property of Idokan Poland Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The big data era has presented major challenges for data centers worldwide in information preservation aspects, such as storage capacity and long‐term sustainability. Here, a newly synthesized optically active polymeric material based on a highly thermally stable penta‐functional monomer dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate is reported. This material supports ultra‐high storage density with century‐long data lifetime utilizing the galvo‐dithered direct laser writing nanofabrication technique. Eighty layers of bit arrays and 16 grayscale‐level coding examples are demonstrated to confirm the feasibility of the 4D data storage with a data density reaching 10 terabytes per digital video disc. With the much‐improved thermal stability (the data degradation point reaches beyond 600 K) than average plastic materials, such as polymethylmethacrylate, this new polymeric material allows a data lifetime of nearly 250 years at room temperature (300 K), as confirmed by the accelerated aging test. This material offers a suitable storage medium solution for next generation optical data storage centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Performance of triboelectric nanogenerators for harvesting mechanical energy from the ambient environment has been limited by structural complexity, cost‐effectiveness, and mechanical weakness of materials. Herein, a cost‐effective vertical contact separation mode triboelectric nanogenerator using polyethylene (PE) and polycarbonate (PC) in a regular digital versatile disc is reported. This cost‐effective nanogenerator with simplified structures is able to generate an open‐circuit voltage of 215.3 V and short‐circuit current of 80 μA. The effects of the distance of impact and the air gap between the triboelectric layers have also been tested from 3 to 9 cm, and 0.25 to 1 cm, respectively. It is determined that 0.5 cm is the optimal air gap. The nanogenerator is also tested in different real‐life scenarios including stresses produced by a moving car, walking, and a rolling skateboard over the nanogenerator. The surfaces of the triboelectric layers are further modified by surface‐charge engineering which induced a 460% increase in the output power. These tests reveal a significant electrical response and mechanical stability under stress. In summary, this study demonstrates that the relatively inexpensive PE and PC triboelectric pair has the potential to be used for highly efficient, mechanically robust triboelectric nanogenerators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through a replacement reaction approach, Ag nanostructure was easily prepared on economical digital video disc (DVD) and polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) with surface structure duplicating from the former. Distinct nanoscale morphology was observed, featuring intersecting Ag nanoplates with abundant hot spots on the DVD and spherical Ag nanoparticles on the PDMS. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra, using crystal violet as a probe, revealed a superior enhancement effect in Ag/DVD versus that in Ag/PDMS. Considering the desirable flexibility and transparency of PDMS for in situ detection, we further developed a protocol to introduce intersecting Ag nanoplates onto the PDMS surface. The resulting Ag/PDMS substrate was endowed with remarkable sensitivity, excellent uniformity and good stability under mechanical bending. Furthermore, effective in situ detection of malachite green on fish was demonstrated, highlighting the great potential of our approach for the in situ detection of target molecules on a curved surface. Intersecting Ag nanoplates abounding with hot spots were formed on rigid DVD while spherical nanoparticles were produced on flexible PDMS by simple replacement reaction. Ag nanoplates of high SERS activity were ingeniously transferred onto PDMS by further growth of embedded nanoplates. The obtained Ag/PDMS substrates were endowed with high sensitivity, desirable uniformity, and good stability under bending. Combined with the transparency and flexibility of PDMS, the ability of in-situ detection of Ag/PDMS was demonstrated, holding great potential for fast practical detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll- a (Chl- a) fluorescence detection is an important technique for monitoring water quality. In this work, we proposed an approach that employs the mass-produced low-cost optical pick-up unit (OPU) extracted from the high-definition digital versatile disc (HD-DVD) drive as the key optical component for our chlorophyll- a fluorometer. The built-in blue-violet 405 nm laser diode of the OPU acts as the excitation light to perform laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). The laser driver and a series of intrinsic lenses within the OPU, such as an objective lens with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.65 and a collimating lens, help reduce the size, cost, and system complexity of the fluorometer. By integrating off-the-shelf electronic components, miniaturized optical setups, and 3D-printed assemblies, we have developed a low-cost, easy-to-make, standalone, and portable fluorometer. Finally, we validated the performance of the device for chlorophyll- a fluorescence detection under laboratory and on-site conditions, which demonstrated its great potential in water monitoring applications. The limit of detection (LOD) for chlorophyll- a is 0.35 μg/L, the size of the device is 151 × 100 × 80 mm3, and the total cost of the proposed fluorometer is as low as 137.5 USD. © 2023 Elsevier Science. All rights reserved. [Display omitted] • Utilizing the built-in 405 nm laser of the OPU to perform laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). • The intrinsic components of the OPU to form an excitation module for fluorescent samples. • Integrating off-the-shelf components to build cost-effective and portable fluorometer. • The rapid and on-site detection of chlorophyll- a in water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel broadband solar absorber is numerically studied based on the commercial digital versatile disc (DVD). Refractory titanium (Ti) material is artificially coated onto the surface of the DVD, which then forms the plasmonic resonant metasurface. Spectral average absorption reaches 91.3% in the whole visible and near-infrared range (0.38–1.50 μm). The total solar absorption in these energy regions is also up to 92.1%. Moreover, the high spectral absorption is insensitive to the incident angle. Interestingly, the absorption is observed to be with high tolerance for the polarized light even if the grating structure is used in the platform. These features suggest that the broadband solar absorption can be maintained well under complex electromagnetic surroundings. Otherwise, the absorbed energy is mainly confined at the proximity surface area of the Ti cavity, which suggests the strong plasmonic near-field localization and paves the feasible way to carry out the local heating operation for thermal antibacterial/antivirus applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Less than 1 percent of the biomedical journals published from India are indexed in Medline; hence, Indian citation index was instituted to index all major Indian medical journals. Analyzing the five biggest Indian states Government health University journals, it was observed that the WBUHS journal-West Bengal, MUHS journal-Maharashtra, RGUHS journal-Karnataka are nonindexed journals. [Extracted from the article]

High-resolution digital audio is believed to produce a better listening experience than the standard quality audio, such as compact disks (CDs) and digital versatile disks (DVDs). One common belief is that high-resolution digital audio is superior due to the higher frequency (> 22 kHz) of its sound components, a characteristic unique to this audio. This study examined whether sounds with high-frequency components were processed differently from similar sounds without these components in the auditory cortex. Mismatch negativity (MMN), an electrocortical index of auditory deviance detection in sensory memory, was recorded in young adults with normal hearing (N = 38) using two types of white noise bursts: original sound and digitally filtered sound from which high-frequency components were removed. The two sounds did not produce any MMN response and could not be discriminated behaviourally. In conclusion, even if high-resolution audio is superior to the standard format, the difference is apparently not detectable at the cortical level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]