Current Generation Research Articles

Species Scale and Primordial Gravitational Waves

AbstractThe species scale is a field‐dependent UV cut‐off for any effective field theory weakly coupled to gravity. In this letter, it is shown that in the context of inflationary cosmology, a detection of primordial gravitational waves will set an upper bound on the decay rate of the species scale. Specifically, this is derived in terms of the tensor‐to‐scalar ratio of power spectra of primordial perturbations. Given the targets of current and next generation experiments, it is shown that any successful detection would signify that this upper limit is of the order of unity, which is consistent with recent discussions in the literature.

Green architecture: Conceptualizing vertical greenery in urban design

This executive summary introduces the concept paper on Green Architecture, focusing specifically on the integration of vertical greenery in urban design. Green architecture, characterized by sustainable design principles and environmental consciousness, aims to enhance urban environments by incorporating vegetation into built structures. Vertical greenery, a key component of green architecture, involves the strategic placement of vegetation on vertical surfaces such as walls, facades, and rooftops. This concept paper explores the potential of vertical greenery to mitigate environmental issues in urban areas, improve air quality, reduce the urban heat island effect, and enhance biodiversity. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for conceptualizing vertical greenery in urban design, emphasizing the importance of integrating natural elements into the built environment. It discusses various strategies for implementing vertical greenery, including the selection of suitable plant species, design considerations for irrigation and structural stability, and the incorporation of greenery into urban planning processes. Moreover, the concept paper highlights the social and economic benefits of vertical greenery, such as improved health and well-being for residents, increased property values, and enhanced aesthetics of urban spaces. It also emphasizes the role of stakeholder engagement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and ongoing monitoring and evaluation in the successful implementation of vertical greenery projects. In conclusion, this executive summary outlines the significance of incorporating vertical greenery into urban design practices as a means to promote sustainability, resilience, and livability in cities. By embracing the principles of green architecture and integrating vertical greenery into urban landscapes, cities can create healthier, more vibrant, and environmentally sustainable communities for current and future generations. Keywords: Urban, Design, Green, Architecture, Vertical.

WHY GOOGLE GLASSES FAILED?

In this research paper we are basically trying to find out why Google Glasses failed as a product in the market. Google Glasses was launched back in 2012 as a product that created a lot of buzz in the market as “Wearable Smart Glasses”. But it never managed to effectively capitalise on the hype that surrounded the product and failed in capturing the market share and did not turn out as a money-making product. On the contrary, Google lost $895 million and incurred heavy losses and ultimately had to give up on the product. It failed to captivate the imagination of the people and people were not really interested in the product. When we dig deeper into the problem, we found several loopholes and flaws in the product, and in the basic business idea on the fundamental level. First of all, the designers of the idea and the product lacked the clarity as to whether the glasses would be considered as a fashionable device or just stand out as a utilitarian product. The problem was also with the price of the product, as this was so expensive that only the rich could afford and hence inaccessible to the masses and a limited target market. The people were also concerned with the privacy aspect as the current generation is quite conscious about their data being recorded and people did not really like this aspect of Google Glasses. People were even concerned with the safety of this product. People were not really great fans of the design of the glasses and generally regarded the product as uncool. Moreover, the grim problem of low battery life on the glasses was another major flaw. Nobody likes it, if they have to charge their product every now and then, it really drops the satisfaction level, and this happened with Google Glasses as well. The design of the glasses was unappealing and the glasses regularly faced heating and language issues. So overall these were the factors we found out that contributed in the product ending up as a huge failure in the market, despite the fact that it had a huge brand value as the likes of Google backing it up.

Analyzing Robustness of Automatic Scientific Claim Verification Tools against Adversarial Rephrasing Attacks

The coronavirus pandemic has fostered an explosion of misinformation about the disease, including the risk and effectiveness of vaccination. AI tools for automatic Scientific Claim Verification (SCV) can be crucial to defeat misinformation campaigns spreading through social media channels. However, over the past years, many concerns have been raised about the robustness of AI to adversarial attacks, and the field of automatic scientific claim verification is not exempt. The risk is that such SCV tools may reinforce and legitimize the spread of fake scientific claims rather than refute them. This paper investigates the problem of generating adversarial attacks for SCV tools and shows that it is far more difficult than the generic NLP adversarial attack problem. The current NLP adversarial attack generators, when applied to SCV, often generate modified claims with entirely different meaning from the original. Even when the meaning is preserved, the modification of the generated claim is too simplistic (only a single word is changed), leaving many weaknesses of the SCV tools undiscovered. We propose T5-ParEvo, an iterative evolutionary attack generator, that is able to generate more complex and creative attacks while better preserving the semantics of the original claim. Using detailed quantitative and qualitative analysis, we demonstrate the efficacy of T5-ParEvo in comparison with existing attack generators.

A spin current detecting device working in the drift-diffusion and degenerate regimes

<p>A semiconductor-based device working in the spin drift-diffusion regime and for probing the injected or generated spin current was considered. The electric field effects on spin transport were analysed. A drift-diffusion equation for spin density was derived and contributions to the spin current were examined. By referring to the techniques of the spin current injection and generation, expressions for the spin current and spin-induced transverse Hall voltage arising from the injected or generated spin-polarized current were derived. The spin current and Hall voltage in dependences of the external electric field and temperature in the degenerate regime were studied. The device operated on the basis of with no external magnetic fields gives a voltage probe of the spin-induced Hall effect. Finally, a way of enhancing the spin current was explored.</p>

MARITIME DEPLOYMENT PLANNING AND EXECUTION FOR FIELD TESTING OF OCEAN CURRENT POWER GENERATOR

To develop ocean current power generation, this study explored the planning and execution of the installation and deployment of a 20kW Floating Kuroshio Turbine (FKT) system and anchoring system for field-testing in the southwest coast of Liuqiu Island. During the experiment, the 20kW FKT and anchoring system were loaded onto a vessel from the Kaohsiung Port Intercontinental Container Center by a barge and tugboat for deployment in the southwest coast of Liuqiu Island. The field testing of the 20kW FKT was conducted during this period, and upon completion, the unit will be retrieved. The deployment and retrieval of marine devices are easily affected by wave conditions, which increase the difficulty of the operation. Therefore, when designing the hanging and unhooking system, under the consideration of safety, the convenience of operation for the operators should be simplified as much as possible and safety, The study aims to further develop Taiwan's domestic ocean current power generation technology and provides maritime engineering experience through the installation of the 20kW FKT unit and field mooring tests. Additionally, this research seeks to facilitate a local marine green energy industry development through the economic benefits and commercialization of ocean current power generation.

Quantifying the large contribution from orbital Rashba–Edelstein effect to the effective damping-like torque on magnetization

The generation of large spin currents, and the associated spin torques, which are at the heart of modern spintronics, has long been achieved by charge-to-spin conversion mechanisms, i.e., the spin Hall effect and/or the Rashba–Edelstein effect, intrinsically linked to strong spin–orbit coupling. Recently, a novel path has been predicted and observed for achieving significant current-induced torques originating from light elements, hence possessing weak spin–orbit interaction. These findings point out to the potential involvement of the orbital counterpart of electrons, namely the orbital Hall and orbital Rashba–Edelstein effects. In this study, we aim at quantifying these orbital-related contributions to the effective torques acting on a thin Co layer in different systems. First, we demonstrate in Pt|Co|Cu|AlOx stacking a comparable torque strength coming from the conversion due to the orbital Rashba–Edelstein effect at the Cu|AlOx interface and the one from the effective spin Hall effect in the bottom Pt|Co system. Second, in order to amplify the orbital-to-spin conversion, we investigate the impact of an intermediate Pt layer in Co|Pt|Cu|CuOx. From the Pt thickness dependence of the effective torques determined by harmonic Hall measurements complemented by spin Hall magneto-resistance and THz spectroscopy experiments, we demonstrate that a large orbital Rashba–Edelstein effect is present at the Cu|CuOx interface, leading to a twofold enhancement of the net torques on Co for the optimal Pt thickness. Our findings not only demonstrate the crucial role that orbital currents can play in low-dimensional systems with weak spin–orbit coupling but also reveal that they enable more energy efficient manipulation of magnetization in spintronic devices.

Structure of Self-Powered Modular High-Voltage and High-Current Pulse Generator for Magnetron

Structure of Self-Powered Modular High-Voltage and High-Current Pulse Generator for Magnetron

A decadal analysis of road traffic accident-related mortality among women of reproductive age: A cross-sectional study in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran.

Given the extensive impact of road traffic accidents (RTAs) consequences and their potential ramifications on the health of both current and future generations, this study examines the social and demographic factors that influence RTA-related mortality among women of reproductive age. The study population consisted of cases retrieved from the database of the Legal Medicine Organization, encompassing all women aged 15-49 who succumbed to road accidents between 2011 and 2021. The mean age of women in the reproductive age group from East Azerbaijan province between 2011 and 2021 was 33.67 years, with a standard deviation of 9.18. RTAs on main roads accounted for the majority of incidents (395 cases, 50.8%), with 93.7% (728 cases) attributed to road traffic. In 54.4% of these cases, the affected organ was the head and neck, and the primary cause of death in 52.1% was head trauma. Across all age groups, injuries to the neck and head were the most common, followed by injuries to the abdomen, chest, back, and sternum. The higher incidence of road accidents in the 25-29 age group highlights the need for targeted interventions to address risky behaviors, inexperience, and peer influences in this demographic. Our observation of passengers experiencing the highest mortality rate emphasizes the vulnerability of road users, particularly pedestrians, in traffic accidents. Pedestrian violations in the 17-30 age group further emphasize the importance of education and awareness campaigns aimed at reducing risky behavior.

The commoditization of civil nuclear power

The commoditization of nuclear power through the factory production of sealed micro-power units within a digitally enabled holistic assurance framework is described. This would revolutionize nuclear power-plant design, construction, operation and decommissioning through a paradigm shift to manufacture–operate–remove–recycle (MORR). The potential impact of recent research on an integrated nuclear digital environment for large bespoke nuclear power plants and the design, build and operation of fusion power plants using such a digital environment is explored. These strands are interwoven to discuss the technical, economic and socio-political implications of MORR in the context of micro-reactors and to consider the potential evolution of safeguarding issues based on a digital assurance framework that leads to type approvals. Commoditization of nuclear power would lower costs in line with offshore wind and the output from a single production line in a factory could replace a third of current fossil fuel-based electricity generation in the UK over a 15-year period, making a significant contribution to achieving zero greenhouse gas emissions. The challenges associated with the changes in culture, both in the nuclear industry and in society, as well as the technology gaps, that need to be addressed in realizing this paradigm shift are identified and discussed.

Braiding Operations for a Topological Josephson Junction Array Using a Bipolar Current Pulse Generator Controlled by SFQ Logic Circuits

Braiding Operations for a Topological Josephson Junction Array Using a Bipolar Current Pulse Generator Controlled by SFQ Logic Circuits

Unveiling very young O stars

Context. O-type stars are known to significantly contribute to both the dynamics and evolution of galaxies. Massive and luminous, they probably control and regulate the galaxies star formation rates. The stellar feedback generated by such cosmic beasts can strongly affect the local star formation rate, with effects in the current (and future) generations of low and intermediate mass stars, and possibly also in the disruption process of the galaxies’ giant gas reservoirs. Aims. For this work I performed a redetermination of the spectral types and effective temperatures of the Galactic O-type stars MSP182, MSP183, MSP199, VPHAS-01338, and VPHAS-01273. Methods. From a careful examination of the spectral features present in the blue optical spectral region, it was possible to identify several nitrogen lines usually only seen in the blue optical spectra of O2–O3 stars. From the nitrogen ionic equivalent width ratios measured in the spectra of MSP182, MSP183, MSP199, VPHAS-01338, and VPHAS-01273, and in those of standard stars of the O2–O4 spectral types, earlier spectral types and hotter effective temperature values were derived. Results. Two O2V((f*))z, together with three new O3 V stars are now firmly identified in the Westerlund 2 region. Besides RFS1 in NGC 3603, the O2 V stars found in Westerlund 2 are the only other exemplars known to date in the Milky Way. From the nitrogen equivalent width line ratios measured in the spectra of standard stars of the O2–O4 spectral types, linear relations between the N IVλ4058/N IIIλ4640 ratio and the effective temperature in the 47 000–51 000 K range were derived. Based on my spectroscopic analysis of the science targets and the use of a HRD, a mean heliocentric distance of 5 kpc to Westerlund 2 was computed, a result that is in line with the mean heliocentric distance of 5.3 ± 1.5 kpc obtained from the associated Gaia DR3 parallaxes and distances. Conclusions. The Westerlund 2 massive stars studied in this work probably share a common evolutionary process that might be representative of the evolutionary ages of a large fraction of the cluster’s O-type stellar population, which seems to be much younger than 1 Myr.

Financial regulations and sustainability: The role of energy price and climate policy uncertainty

Russia ranks among the top five countries worldwide in terms of carbon emissions, with the energy, transportation, and manufacturing sectors as the major contributors. This poses a significant threat to both current and future generations. Russia faces challenges in achieving Sustainable Development Goal 13, necessitating the implementation of more innovative policies to promote environmental sustainability. Considering this alarming situation, this study investigates the role of financial regulations, energy price uncertainty, and climate policy uncertainty in reshaping sectoral CO2 emissions in Russia. This study utilizes a time-varying bootstrap rolling-window causality (BRW) approach using quarterly data from 1990 to 2021. The stability test for parameters indicates instability, suggesting that the full sample causality test may yield incorrect inferences. Thus, the BRW approach is employed for valid inferences. Our findings confirm the time-varying negative impact of financial regulations on CO2 emissions from energy, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. Additionally, findings confirm time-varying positive impact of energy prices and climate policy uncertainty on CO2 emissions from the energy, manufacturing, and transportation sectors. Strong financial regulations and stable energy and climate policies are crucial for achieving sustainability, highlighting significant policy implications for policymakers and stakeholders.

Understanding the limitations of thick electrodes on the rate capability of high-energy density lithium-ion batteries

As a core component of transportation electrification, lithium-ion batteries need to address two critical challenges: achieving high energy density and enabling fast charging. However, changes in electrode thickness could result in a trade-off between these two characteristics. Herein, the impact of electrode thickness on the electrochemical performance, thermal behavior, as well as energy and power density of LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2(NCM)/graphite batteries are investigated through mathematical modeling. Underutilization of active materials of the thick electrode is identified as the primary limitation on rate capability, which can be attributed to the slow solid-state diffusion and poor electrolyte transport within the electrode, especially the enlarged concentration gradients in the solid phase and the lithium depletion in the electrolyte phase during high-rate charging. Evolutions of local current density and heat generation rate along the electrode thickness are compared, identifying the underlying mechanism of inducing uneven reaction kinetics inside the battery. The trade-off between the energy and power density as a function of electrode thickness is investigated based on the limitations of charge transfer and mass transport. Furthermore, the rate-limiting factors under various application requirements are elucidated. This study will provide guidance for the electrode design of high-energy-density batteries with fast-charging capabilities.

Bandgap energy controlling and electrochemical performances of quaternary metal oxide combined graphene-TiO2 nanocomposite and its photocatalytic hydrogen evolution

A quaternary metal oxide (BiZnSb2O4) combined graphene-TiO2 nanocomposite could be used to control band gap energy using a heterojunction for high hydrogen production by photocatalytic activity. Here, we designed a BiZnSb2O4 combined graphene-TiO2 heterostructure using a high-power sonic synthesis process. The photocatalyst prepared in this way was coated on a nickel foam in the form of a thin film. Various techniques were then used to characterize the nanoscale composite hybrid. Standard three-probe electrode systems were used for cyclic voltammetry test, LSV, and Tafel data. Finally, we obtained good hydrogen evolution results using three different types of nanocomposites with bandgap energy control. To check photoreaction characteristics of the synthesized sample, more current generation reactions were confirmed in the photocatalyst because light existed in the evaluation of electrochemical characteristics depending on the presence or absence of light. Among these three samples, the BZSB-G-T photocatalyst showed the highest hydrogen production amount (95.5 μmol/g without ultrasonic and 112.6 μmol/g with ultrasonic during 4 h). In addition, BZSB-G-T had a lower band-value energy effect with a heterojunction effect compared to the other two types of photocatalysts owing to its synergetic effects.

Green Energy Generation via Water Splitting by Non-Photocatalytic Process based on Gd Doped Magnesium Ferrite Hydroelectric Cell

This study presents compelling empirical evidence that highlights the notable effect of increased defect concentration on the splitting of water molecules in MgGdxFe2-xO4 hydroelectric cells (HECs), which serve as a promising avenue for environmentally friendly electricity generation. The MgGdxFe2-xO4 (x = 0.00, 0.02, 0.06 and 0.10) series for eco-friendly electricity generation has been successfully synthesized using a facile sol-gel technique. These materials exhibit the characteristic spinel cubic structure with the Fd-3m space group confirmed using Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction plots. A maximum strain of 2.06×10-3 was observed in the MgGd0.10Fe1.90O4, indicating the formation of a probable defective structure. Moreover, the X-ray density values decrease with increase in Gd concentration, suggesting an increase in porosity of the samples. Langmuir hysteresis curve follows a typical type IV pattern further consolidating the mesoscopic nature of the materials. Furthermore, the conclusive identification of defects, particularly oxygen vacancies, through Photoluminescence and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic (XPS) studies, holds an utmost importance in facilitating the water dissociation process at room temperature by ferrites. Impedance spectroscopy has been employed to scrutinize the contribution of small polaron hopping-assisted ionic conduction to the observed improved current density. The maximum short circuit output current of 6.8, 10.1, and 13.4mA was achieved for MgGd0.02Fe1.98O4 (GMF-1), MgGd0.06Fe1.94O4 (GMF-2) and MgGd0.10Fe1.90O4 (GMF-3) HECs, respectively. The corresponding open cell voltage values were found to be 0.85V, 0.92V and 0.98V. Off-load peak power output was 5.78mW, 9.29mW, and 13.13mW, respectively. The estimated Gibbs free energy values were -164.02, -177.53, and -189.11 kJ/mol. MgGdxFe2-xO4-based hydroelectric cells possess the advantages of being cost-effective and yielding eco-friendly by-products without reliance on photocatalytic activity, acid/alkali solutions, or electrolytes. The incorporation of Gadolinium (Gd) dopant not only enhances the hydroelectric current but also contributes to sustained current generation over extended periods. The extended operational lifespan of the cell positions it as an excellent candidate for practical applications

Detecting Population III Stars through Tidal Disruption Events in the Era of JWST and Roman

The first-generation metal-free stars, referred to as Population III (Pop III) stars, are believed to be the first objects to form out of the pristine gas in the very early Universe. Pop III stars have different structures from the current generation of stars and are important for generating heavy elements and shaping subsequent star formation. However, it is very challenging to directly detect Pop III stars given their high redshifts and short lifetimes. In this Letter, we propose a novel method for detecting Pop III stars through their tidal disruption events (TDEs) by massive black holes. We model the emission properties and calculate the expected rates for these unique TDEs in the early Universe at z ∼ 10. We find that Pop III star TDEs have much higher mass fallback rates and longer evolution timescales compared to solar-type star TDEs in the local Universe, which enhances the feasibility of their detection, although a good survey strategy will be needed for categorizing these sources as transients. We further demonstrate that a large fraction of the flare emissions are redshifted to infrared wavelengths, which can be detected by the JWST and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman). Last but not least, we find a promising Pop III star TDE detection rate of up to a few tens per year using Roman, based on our current understanding of the black hole mass function in the early Universe.

Development of a 3D-printed spongy electrode design for microbial fuel cell (MFC) using gyroid lattice

Microbial fuel cell technology addresses both issues in finding new ways to clean water systems while harnessing electricity. Several studies suggest that a single large-scale MFC is proven to be inefficient and expensive. Therefore, producing small-scale MFCs is focused on investigation to provide an efficient system and cost-effective approach. This study used 3D-printed MFCs using a spongy electrode design to produce a modern approach to modifying electrode capacity in energy generation. Furthermore, the study identifies the electrical conductivity of the spongy electrode by determining the voltage generated and power density by stacked MFCs in series, parallel, and hybrid configurations. The MFCs generate a maximum voltage of 633 mV and a current of 14.22 . One way to reduce the effects of voltage reversal in the MFC system is the application of hybrid connection circuits. Parallel-series hybrid connection possesses stable voltage generation of 250−300 𝑚𝑉 with the highest current generation of 115.20 𝜇𝐴. At the same time, the Series-Parallel Connection generates the highest voltage and current of 259 mV and 30 , respectively. The spongy electrode design and hybrid connection produced a maximum power and current density of 29.30 μW⁄m2 and 279.41 μA⁄m2 obtained from a different connection of pure parallel and 28P-2S hybrid connection. Furthermore, water quality parameters were examined (pH, TDS, ORP, and COD), that the MFCs design is efficient in wastewater treatment, with a %COD removal of 95.24% efficiency, reduced ORP from +48.00 mV to -7.00 mV, and the TDS concentration from 270 ppm to 239 ppm.

Developmental validation of the ForenSeq® Kintelligence kit, MiSeq FGx® sequencing system and ForenSeq Universal Analysis Software

Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy, a recent sub discipline of forensic genomics, leverages the high throughput and sensitivity of detection of next generation sequencing and established genetic and genealogical approaches to support the identification of human remains from missing persons investigations and investigative lead generation in violent crimes. To facilitate forensic DNA evidence analysis, the ForenSeq® Kintelligence multiplex, consisting of 10,230 SNPs, was developed. Design of the ForenSeq Kintelligence Kit, the MiSeq FGx® Sequencing System and the ForenSeq Universal Analysis Software is described. Developmental validation in accordance with SWGDAM guidelines and forensic quality assurance standards, using single source samples, is reported for the end-to-end workflow from library preparation to data interpretation. Performance metrics support the conclusion that more genetic information can be obtained from challenging samples compared to other commercially available forensic targeted DNA assays developed for capillary electrophoresis (CE) or other current next generation sequencing (NGS) kits due to the higher number of markers, the overall shorter amplicon sizes (97.8% <150 bp), and kit design. Data indicate that the multiplex is robust and fit for purpose for a wide range of quantity and quality samples. The ForenSeq Kintelligence Kit and the Universal Analysis Software allow transfer of the genetic component of forensic investigative genetic genealogy to the operational forensic laboratory.

Text-to-OverpassQL: A Natural Language Interface for Complex Geodata Querying of OpenStreetMap

Abstract We present Text-to-OverpassQL, a task designed to facilitate a natural language interface for querying geodata from OpenStreetMap (OSM). The Overpass Query Language (OverpassQL) allows users to formulate complex database queries and is widely adopted in the OSM ecosystem. Generating Overpass queries from natural language input serves multiple use-cases. It enables novice users to utilize OverpassQL without prior knowledge, assists experienced users with crafting advanced queries, and enables tool-augmented large language models to access information stored in the OSM database. In order to assess the performance of current sequence generation models on this task, we propose OverpassNL,1 a dataset of 8,352 queries with corresponding natural language inputs. We further introduce task specific evaluation metrics and ground the evaluation of the Text-to-OverpassQL task by executing the queries against the OSM database. We establish strong baselines by finetuning sequence-to-sequence models and adapting large language models with in-context examples. The detailed evaluation reveals strengths and weaknesses of the considered learning strategies, laying the foundations for further research into the Text-to-OverpassQL task.