Conductivity Curves Research Articles

Permittivity Characterization of Conductive and Corrosive LiBr Water Solutions, Method Validation up to 9 GHz Using a Low-Cost SMA Probe

In this article, we present a method for extracting the complex permittivity of high-conductivity solutions up to 9 GHz. Microwave measurements were performed using a low-cost SMA connector, employed as an open-circuit coaxial probe, which was subsequently brought into contact with the liquids under characterization. Compared to state-of-the-art techniques, this method offers the advantage of good accuracy while remaining simple to implement with a low-cost sensor. The affordability of the sensor is crucial because the sensor must operate in a corrosive environment. The use of existing but expensive commercial solutions is prohibitive. Therefore, sensor replacement must be straightforward and inexpensive in case of damage. Two permittivity extraction methods were studied, both relying on a straightforward experimental approach and knowledge of the complex permittivity of reference liquids (deionized water, ethanol, methanol). The technique was initially validated on saline solutions (NaCl) known from the literature before being applied to aqueous lithium bromide (LiBr water) solutions. Eight LiBr water solutions, known to be highly corrosive, were measured for LiBr mass concentrations ranging from 1% to 54% and for conductivities up to 14 S/m. The high conductivity of these solutions brings challenges to extract the real part of the permittivity, which is underestimated by both methods. In contrast, the imaginary part exhibits consistent results with variations strongly correlated to the concentration. Notably, an inversion of the direction of variation was observed for mass concentration in LiBr exceeding 35% aligning with the conductivity curve.

Assessing Roles of Aggregate Structure on Hydraulic Properties of Saline/Sodic Soils in Coastal Reclaimed Areas

During coastal reclamation processes, land use conversion from natural coastal saline/sodic soils to agricultural land changes the soil’s physicochemical properties. However, the impact of soil structure evolution on soil hydraulic properties (SHPs, e.g., hydraulic conductivity and soil water retention curves) during long-term reclamation has rarely been reported. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of reclamation duration and land use types on the soil aggregate stability and SHPs of coastal saline/sodic soils and incorporate the aggregate structures into the SHPs. In this study, a total of 90 soil samples from various reclaimed years (2007, 1960, and 1940) and land use patterns (cropland, grassland, forestland, and wasteland) were taken to analyze the quantitative effects of soil saline/sodic characteristics and the aggregate structure on SHPs through pedotransfer functions (PTFs). We found that soil macroaggregate contents in the old reclaimed areas (reclaimed in 1940 and 1960) were significantly larger than those in the new reclamation area (reclaimed in 2007). The soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) of forestland was larger than that of grassland in each reclamation year. Soil structure contributed to 22.13%, 24.52%, and 23.93% of the total variation in Ks and soil water retention parameters (α and n). The PTFs established in our study were as follows: log(Ks) = 0.524 − 0.177 × Yk3 − 0.093 × Yk1 + 0.135 × Yk4 − 0.054 × Yk2, 1/α = 477.244 − 91.732 × Yα2 − 81.283 × Yα4 + 38.106 × Yα3, and n = 1.679 − 0.086 × Yn2 + 0.045 × Yn1 − 0.042 × Yn3 (Yareprincipalcomponents). The mean relative errors of the prediction models for log(Ks), 1/α, and n were 79.30%, 36.1%, and 9.89%, respectively. Our findings quantify the vital roles of the aggregate structure on the SHPs of coastal saline/sodic soils, which will help us understand related hydrological processes.

Biological and physicochemical effects of magnetic field on <em>Artemia franciscana</em> exposed to cyanobacteria extract and treated with isotherapeutic 200cH

This study proposes an experimental model to analyze homeopathic potencies' biological and physicochemical effects on intense magnetic fields. The proposed model is based on the exposition of Artemia franciscana cysts to saxitoxin (cyanobacteria extract) and the treatment with R. raciborskii extract isotherapic 200cH (named saxitoxin 200cH), followed by the hatching and nauplii (larvae) vitality rate (live nauplii/total cysts), and the gene expression of heat shock proteins (HSP 26, 40, 90, and p26), as previously described ad bio-resilience indicators [1,2]. In a second experiment, pH, conductivity, and temperature temporal curves were built, and different treatments were compared before and after being poured into the seawater. The method details are as follows: Artemia franciscana cysts were seeded into artificial seawater in 96-well plates in triplicate, exposed immediately to 25ppm of R. raciborskii extract, and treated with sterile purified water (SPW), succussed SPW (vehicle controls), or saxitoxin 200cH prepared in SPW, submitted or not to a 2400 Gauss static magnetic field for 15 minutes. Plates were kept in a Faraday cage under stable lightening (300 mini-led lamps), temperature (26.5%), humidity (65%), and magnetic field (0.7 µT). The hatching and vitality rate were analyzed after 48 hours. In the second experiment, the physicochemical parameters were analyzed before and after one minute, two, and 24 hours after pouring the samples into seawater (100µL/100mL), kept at the same environmental conditions set for the first experiment. The statistical analysis was made by two-way ANOVA / Tukey, with α=0.05. Treatment of cysts with SPW alone reduced the hatching and nauplii vitality rate in relation to the other treatments (p≤0.05); however, the treatment with saxitoxin 200cH exhibited smaller variance and the highest statistical hatching (p=0.0009) and vitality (p=0.0007) levels. The previous submission of samples to the magnetic field reverted this result by canceling the statistical differences and increasing the variance of saxitoxin 200cH datapoints. The analyses of HSP gene expression are still in course. In the second experiment, there is no specific effect of saxitoxin 200cH on temperature, conductivity, and pH, independent of the exposition of samples to the magnetic field. The results corroborate the hypothesis that a possible interference on dipolar dynamics of saxitoxin 200cH caused by the intense magnetic field could negatively interfere with its biological effect independently of eventual changes in temperature, conductivity, and pH in the seawater, although its clear capacity to improve tracking homeopathic potencies in water when using the method of solvatochromic dyes, as previously shown [3].

Effect of Ionic‐Electronic Coupling on the Percolation Phenomenon of Polymer/Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanocomposite Films

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the effect of ionic‐electronic coupling on the percolation phenomenon of polyethylene oxide (PEO)/rGO nanocomposite films by adding KOTf because the rGO exhibits electronic conductivity and KOTf exhibits ionic conductivity. The electrical conductivity curve of PEO/rGO nanocomposite films exhibits a sharp rise in the percolation zone, followed by constant values in the conductive zone, indicating the formation of rGO conductive pathways through the PEO matrix. On the other hand, introducing KOTf in PEO/rGO nanocomposite films increases the maximum electrical conductivity from to , due to the high ionic‐electronic coupling through the polymer matrix at the interface between phase‐separated regions. Scanning electron micrographs revealed the distribution and morphology of PEO/rGO and PEO/rGO/KOTf nanocomposite films. Finally, the feasibility of using PEO/rGO and PEO/rGO/KOTf nanocomposite films in the conductive zone as an electrochemical charge storage device is investigated. We can conclude that PEO/rGO/KOTf nanocomposite films can be used in several potential applications, including high‐performance UV‐photodetectors, photoactive layers in solar cells, and energy storage devices.

Thermal Shielding Gd3TaO7-Based Thermal Barrier Ceramic with Ultralow NIR Transmittance.

Most thermal barrier coating materials exhibit transparent/semi-transparent properties at higher temperatures, causing the surface heat flow to directly heat the substrate with infrared radiation, which significantly reduces the thermal barrier effectiveness. Herein, composite ceramic materials composed of GdFeO3 diffusely dispersed within the Gd3TaO7 are produced. Specifically, the 0.9Gd3TaO7/0.1GdFeO3 composition demonstrates an ultra-low near-infrared (NIR) transmittance of less than 0.1% across the 400-2500nm range. The introduction of variable-valence behavior and oxygen vacancies contribute to the narrow bandgap of GdFeO3. The incorporated GdFeO3 produces extra multimode vibrations, resulting in the strong infrared emissivity of Gd3TaO7/GdFeO3 composite ceramics. Besides, the refractive index difference between Gd3TaO7 and GdFeO3 can contribute to the potential photons scattering within the composites, severely impeding the infrared radiation penetration. The upward curvature of the thermal conductivity curve of 0.9Gd3TaO7/0.1GdFeO3 at high temperature is significantly suppressed, confirming its excellent IR radiation shielding properties. Moreover, the Gd3TaO7/ GdFeO3 composite ceramic exhibits thermal suitability, with a thermal expansion coefficient (9.47-9.67 × 10-6 K-1 at 1400°C) comparable to YSZ. These combined benefits position the Gd3TaO7/ GdFeO3 composite ceramic system as a promising candidate for the development of infrared radiation shielding and high-emissivity thermal radiation materials.

Fabrication and characterization of Nd-doped BiFeO₃-KNbO₃ solid solution

The polycrystalline Bi0.35Nd0.15K0.5Fe0.5Nb0.5O3 (BNKF) ceramic was fabricated by the solid-state reaction method. Room temperature structural analysis using X-ray diffraction and Rietveld’s analysis confirmed the crystallization of ceramic in the double-phase Tetragonal and Rhombohedral (P4mm+R3c space group) symmetry. The microstructure analysis by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) reveals the densely packed grain distribution with different shapes and sizes. The temperature and frequency dependent dielectric parameters were studied over a broad range of temperature and frequency. The complex impedance analysis reveals a non-Debye type relaxation process and NTCR behavior of BNKF. The frequency-dependent ac conductivity curve follows the universal Jonscher power law. The optimum values of polarization at zero electric field and coercivity are 0.193 µC/cm2 and 6.532 kV/cm respectively. The room-temperature weak ferromagnetism found in the material may be due to the breakage of the spiral spin structure in BNKF.

Modeling compaction effects on hydraulic properties of soils using limited information

Soil compaction leads to an increase in bulk density (ρb) and a shift in the pore-size distribution towards smaller pores. This in turn changes the soil hydraulic properties (SHP), i.e., the water retention curve (WRC) and the hydraulic conductivity curve (HCC). Up to now, attempts to model the effect of altered ρb on SHP has been limited to SHP models that account only for capillary water, neglecting water stored and transmitted in adsorbed films (non-capillary water). We combine a recently developed model for compaction effects on SHP with a SHP model system, which accounts for both capillary and non-capillary water (Peters-Durner-Iden model system - PDI). Due to a plausible course of the PDI-WRC towards oven dryness and a physically based prediction scheme of the PDI-HCC based on the WRC, the new combined approach can fully predict both soil hydraulic functions of compacted soils, even with limited information. The new approach is analyzed via a sensitivity analysis and tested with a large dataset from a silty arable soil. A comparison with an established prediction approach showed that our new approach has slightly better predictive performance within the measurement range and a more plausible course in the dry range. For our field data, the new approach performed best when only 2 of the water retention parameters were scaled based on the known ρb. One of them determines the adsorptive water content and the other the shift of the capillary retention function on suction axis. Both parameters can be considered model independent, indicating that the new approach may not need calibration for each capillary retention model within the PDI model system.

Global influence of soil texture on ecosystem water limitation

Low soil moisture and high vapour pressure deficit (VPD) cause plant water stress and lead to a variety of drought responses, including a reduction in transpiration and photosynthesis1,2. When soils dry below critical soil moisture thresholds, ecosystems transition from energy to water limitation as stomata close to alleviate water stress3,4. However, the mechanisms behind these thresholds remain poorly defined at the ecosystem scale. Here, by analysing observations of critical soil moisture thresholds globally, we show the prominent role of soil texture in modulating the onset of ecosystem water limitation through the soil hydraulic conductivity curve, whose steepness increases with sand fraction. This clarifies how ecosystem sensitivity to VPD versus soil moisture is shaped by soil texture, with ecosystems in sandy soils being relatively more sensitive to soil drying, whereas ecosystems in clayey soils are relatively more sensitive to VPD. For the same reason, plants in sandy soils have limited potential to adjust to water limitations, which has an impact on how climate change affects terrestrial ecosystems. In summary, although vegetation–atmosphere exchanges are driven by atmospheric conditions and mediated by plant adjustments, their fate is ultimately dependent on the soil.

Investigation and Fabrication of Brilliant Green Dye Material-Based Organic Heterojunction: Dielectric Response and Impedance Spectroscopy

Brilliant green (BG) dye material-based heterojunction is fabricated by a spin coating route and characterized by impedance analyzer. Here, we study the impedance spectroscopy of such organic material based thin film onto silicon substrate. The capacitance and conductance versus voltage (C-V), (G-V) characteristics are plotted. So, the dielectric response of BG based heterojunction is studied via the plotting of the dielectric constant, modulus components, complex impedance and Nyquist diagram. Real and imaginary parts of electrical conductivity are also plotted at several frequencies. Real and imaginary parts of electric modulus M’-V and M”-V are investigated for all experimental frequencies. The Z’-V characteristics of our device-based BG organic heterojunction exhibit a peak of 1383 W. It is confirmed that an anomalous peak of Z’ is recorded within 0.5-1 V range. The drastic decay in Z”-V plot occurs for lower 100 and 200 kHz frequency range and Z” values become constant beyond 1V for all frequencies. Ac and Dc conductivity curves demonstrate a growth with frequency and angle phase approaches to 90º within reverse voltage. This result reveals a capacitive conduct of our device.

Investigation of Temperature Variation Characteristics and a Prediction Model of Sandy Soil Thermal Conductivity in the Near-Phase-Transition Zone

Soil thermal conductivity in the near-phase-transition zone is a key parameter affecting the thermal stability of permafrost engineering and its catastrophic thermal processes. Therefore, accurately determining the soil thermal conductivity in this specific temperature zone has important theoretical and engineering significance. In the present work, a method for testing the thermal conductivity of fine sandy soil in the near-phase-transition zone was proposed by measuring thermal conductivity with the transient plane heat source method and determining the volumetric specific heat capacity by weighing unfrozen water contents. The unfrozen water content of sand specimens in the near-phase-transition zone was tested, and a corresponding empirical fitting formula was established. Finally, based on the testing results, temperature variation trends and parameter influence laws of thermal conductivity in the near-phase-transition zone were analyzed, and thermal conductivity prediction models based on multiple regression (MR) and a radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) were also established. The results show the following: (1) The average error of the proposed test method in this work and the reference steady-state heat flow method is only 7.25%, which validates the reliability of the proposed test method. (2) The variation in unfrozen water contents in fine sandy soil in the range of 0~−3 °C accounts for over 80% of the variation in the entire negative temperature range. The unfrozen water content and thermal conductivity curves exhibit a similar trend, and the near-phase-transition zone can be divided into a drastic phase transition zone and a stable phase transition zone. (3) Increases in the thermal conductivity of fine sandy soil mainly occur the drastic phase transition zone, where these increases account for about 60% of the total increase in thermal conductivity in the entire negative temperature region. With the increase in density and total water content, the rate of increase in thermal conductivity in the drastic phase transition zone gradually decreases. (4) The R2, MAE, and RSME of the RBFNN model in the drastic phase transition zone are 0.991, 0.011, and 0.021, respectively, which are better than those of the MR prediction model.

Crystallite Size Effects on Electrical Properties of Nickel Chromite (NiCr2O4) Spinel Ceramics: A Study of Structural, Magnetic, and Dielectric Transitions

The effect of sintering temperature on the structural, magnetic, and dielectric properties of NiCr2O4 ceramics was investigated. A powder X-ray analysis indicates that the prepared nanocrystallites effectively inhibit the cooperative Jahn–Teller distortion, thereby stabilizing the high-temperature cubic phase structure with space group Fd-3m. Multiple transitions are confirmed by temperature-dependent magnetization M(T) data. Moreover, the magnetization value decreases and the Curie temperature increases with a decrease in the crystallite size. The low-temperature-dependent real permittivity (ε′-T) for a NiCr2O4 crystallite size of 78 nm exhibits a broad maximum at 40 K that is independent of frequency. This establishes a correlation between electric ordering and the underlying magnetic structure. The temperature dependency of the dielectric constant at fixed frequencies for both NiCr2O4 crystallite sizes rises with temperature for a certain range of frequencies. A significant improvement is evident: the dielectric constant (ε’) at room temperature reaches approximately 5738 for the sample with 28 nm crystallites, while the 78 nm crystallite sample shows a noticeable drop to ε’~174. The frequency-dependent conductivity curves for both types of NiCr2O4 nanocrystallites have different conductivity values. The lower-crystallite-size sample demonstrates higher conductivity values than the 78 nm crystallite size one. This observation is attributed to the decrease in crystallite size, which increases the number of grain boundaries and, consequently, scatters a higher number of charge carriers.

A pore network modeling approach to bridge void ratio‐dependent soil water retention and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity curves

AbstractIn geotechnical engineering, understanding the relationship between soil permeability and deformation is essential, particularly for applications like earth dams, where compaction‐induced permeability reduction is crucial for performance optimization. In unsaturated soils, soil moisture content significantly impacts hydraulic conductivity. Traditionally, changes in unsaturated hydraulic conductivity have been linked to soil void ratios. However, a pore network modeling perspective reveals the significance of structural parameters, such as pore and throat size distribution and pore coordination number. This study introduces a pore network model to estimate unsaturated hydraulic conductivity based on void ratio‐dependent soil‐water retention curves. It examines how soil deformation at varying stress levels affects structural parameters and the water phase continuity. The model shows strong potential in predicting unsaturated hydraulic conductivity across different stress levels, aligning well with experimental data and established equations. Notably, the aspect ratio and coordination number parameters are most affected by stress levels. The study also presents relationships to describe changes in pore network structural parameters with soil void ratio, which can be used to predict soil‐water retention curves and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity at various stress levels.

On the optical characteristics of Cd-Doped gadolinium oxide: A DFT based theoretical study

This research investigated the optical characteristics of Cd-doped gadolinium oxide (Gd2O3) by employing density functional theory (DFT) along with the CASTEP simulation package. After the creation of a Gd2O3 supercell at an initial [2x1x1] scale, the study evaluated the altered properties of Gd2O3 at the supercell level to assess the impact of Cd-doping on the optical features of doped one. Optical properties which were explored included the examining the dielectric function, refractive index, conductivity, and loss function. The dielectric function exhibited distinct peaks at certain photon energies that corresponded to various electronic transitions between energy levels of the material. The prominent absorption peaks observed in the energy range of 0.174-1.55 eV in the imaginary part of the dielectric function. This was attributed to energy transitions occurring between specific orbitals for pure and Cd-doped gadolinium oxide. The refractive index exhibited stability at lower energy levels, while the conductivity curves displayed excitonic behavior in response to Cd-doping at the supercellular level. Furthermore, the Cd-doping resulted in an increase in absorption, as indicated by the simulated changes in the loss function

Investigation on the fatigue properties of adhesives for acoustic transducers in deep logging wells

Abstract Deep well exploration of oil and gas resources requires acoustic transducers that can withstand temperatures above 200 degrees. It is particularly important to overcome the key technology of high-temperature dipole transmitters. The bonding strength of the dipole transmitters with a tri-laminar structure is studied numerically and experimentally. Transducers were prepared using structural adhesives. The aging and fatigue test is conducted at a high temperature of 200 degrees. The aging lasted for 15 hours and the strong electric field fatigue cycle number reached up to 36000. The conductivity curve remains almost unchanged after the high-temperature test. The work provides an application basis for deep acoustic logging technology.

Logging Identification Methods for Oil-Bearing Formations in the Chang 6 Tight Sandstone Reservoir in the Qingcheng Area, Ordos Basin

The Chang 6 sandstone reservoir of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation in the Ordos Basin is one of the tight-oil-rich intervals in the basin. Owing to the strong heterogeneity and complex lithology of the Chang 6 reservoir, lithology and fluid identification have become more challenging, hindering exploration and development. This study focused on the Chang 6 member in the Qingcheng area of the Ordos Basin to systematically analyze the lithology, physical properties, and oil-bearing properties of the Chang 6 reservoir. We adopted the method of normalized superposition of neutron and acoustic time-difference curves, the method of induced conductivity–porosity–density intersection analysis, the method of superposition of difference curves (Δφ), and the induced conductivity curve. Our results indicated that the method of normalized superposition of neutron and acoustic wave time-difference curves could quickly and effectively identify the lithologies of tight fine sandstone, silty mudstone, mudstone, and carbonaceous mudstone. The induced conductivity–porosity–density cross-plot could be used to effectively identify oil and water layers, wherein the conductivity of tight oil layers ranged from 18 to 28.1 mS/m, the density ranged from 2.42 to 2.56 g/cm3, the porosity was more than 9.5%, and the oil saturation was more than 65%. Based on the identification of tight fine sandstone using the dual-curve normalized superposition method, the oil layer thickness within the tight fine sandstone could be effectively identified using the superposition of difference curves (Δφ) and induced conductivity curves. Verified by oil-bearing reservoir data from the field test, the overall recognition accuracy of the plots exceeded 90%, effectively enabling the identification of reservoir lithology and fluid types and the determination of the actual thickness of oil layers. Our results provide a reference for predicting favorable areas in the study area and other tight reservoirs.

Exploration of diverse interactions of nonionic poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and anionic sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) polymers in aqueous imidazolium-based surface active ionic liquid solutions

The binding interactions in complex formation between surface active ionic liquids (SAILs) and polymers (nonionic or anionic) are gaining attention because of their potential applications in novel materials. Therefore, the use of a variety of measurements is required for a better understanding of the interactions involved in polymer/SAIL formation. Here, we have investigated the interactions of nonionic poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) and anionic sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) polymers with SAIL 1-tetradecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride [C14mim][Cl] in aqueous solution using different measurements such as conductivity, surface tension, fluorescence spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and rheometric measurements. The surface tension, conductivity and fluorescence profiles for SAIL-NaCMC systems provide distinct breakpoints that correspond to four different aggregation states: the concentration at which SAIL monomers begin to attach to the polymer chain (C1), the critical aggregation concentration C2 (cac), the saturation concentration (CS) and the critical micelle concentration (cmc). In the case of SAIL-PVP systems, the surface tension and fluorescence profiles confer three transition states: C2 (cac), CS and cmc and only two transition states have been observed in conductivity curves. The cooperative binding of SAIL to the NaCMC/PVP chain at the solution interface was analyzed by calculating various thermodynamic and interfacial parameters. Strong complexation was observed between NaCMC-SAIL molecules compared to PVP-SAIL systems at the air-solution surface. This is due to the non-ionic character of the PVP chain, which shows weak interactions with SAIL in comparison to NaCMC. Furthermore, DLS and fluorescence measurements were used to investigate the interactions between SAIL and polymers.

Insight into the variation of soil hydraulic properties under beech and spruce forest—A case study in the forest of Tharandt, NE Germany

AbstractBackgroundThe increasing vulnerability of forests in the temperate zone due to climate change has led to modification in the forest structure to secure woody raw materials and ecosystem benefits. Such changes will influence hydrological processes both at the stand and catchment scale. Soil hydraulic properties (SHP) play an important role in assessing the water cycle in these ecosystems. Yet, knowledge regarding the effect of forest‐ and site‐specific conditions on SHP in temperate climates is scarce.AimsThis work addresses this research gap by assessing the variation of SHP under two common European forest stands, Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies (1) with comparable site conditions, and (2) across differing site conditions.MethodsWe determined the soil water retention curve (WRC) and the hydraulic conductivity curve (HCC) in several plots with the bimodal Kosugi–Mualem's hydraulic model. These functions were determined using combined field and laboratory measurements, including hydraulic conductivity and water content from soil samples.Results(1) We observed distinct variations in SHP between beech and spruce forest stands with comparable site conditions; however, no clear pattern in the variation was discernible. (2) A noticeable effect of the site‐specific characteristics on the SHP was detected. Moreover, SHP in each analysed forest type presented individual variations.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that SHP present a wide range of variations in terms of both forest‐ and site‐specific conditions. Hence, due to its heterogeneity, we emphasise the need for more research to better characterise SHP in temperate zone forests. Moreover, this study underlines the urgent use of a minimum set of parameters in studies when addressing SHP (e.g., tree age, soil texture).

Changing of the excess conductivity near the irreversibility temperature of the top seeded YBa2Cu3O7−x

A top seeded YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) superconductor was grown using a bulk Nd123 seed crystal. Orientation peaks directed in the c-axis were observed from the X-ray diffraction measurement for the Y123 sample, indicating single crystal behavior. Magneto-resistivity measurements were carried out as a function of temperature under applied magnetic fields up to 4 T. The superconducting transition temperature (Tc) of the sample was obtained to be approximately 93 K and the excess conductivity curve was obtained experimentally from the resistivity measurement at zero magnetic field. The critical exponents were found to be λsfw = 2.26 ± 0.25, λ3D = 0.47 ± 0.03 and λ2D = 0.82 ± 0.07 for the short wave fluctuation (SWF) region and the mean field region characterized by 3D and 2D fluctuations, respectively. The crossover temperature determined from the crossover from 2D to 3D regime was found to be 96.37 K. The irreversible temperatures determined from the magneto-resistivity measurements and the irreversibility field line of the sample was obtained using the giant flux creep (gfc) model. The sample exhibits a behavior consistent with the gfc and the vortex glass model according to the n parameter calculated from the resistivity temperature measurements. The width enlarges with the applied magnetic field and was found to be approximately 4 K at 4 T for the Y123 sample. The sample was in the 3D regime below 96.37 K, while the sample was in the 2D regime between 96.37 K and 101.35 K. On the other hand, the reversible region was confined between 93.95 K and 93.33 K at 0 T. It was observed that 3D fluctuations are dominant in the reversible region, whereas 2D fluctuations are dominant in the irreversible region.

Characterization and modulation of voltage-gated potassium channels in human lymphocytes in schizophrenia

BackgroundIt is known that the immune system is dysregulated in schizophrenia, having a state similar to chronic neuroinflammation. The origin of this process is unknown, but it is known that T and B lymphocytes, which are components of the adaptive immune system, play an important role in the pathogenic mechanisms of schizophrenia. MethodsWe analysed the membrane of PBMCs from patients diagnosed with schizophrenia through proteomic analysis (n = 5 schizophrenia and n = 5 control). We found the presence of the Kv1.3 voltage-gated potassium channel and its auxiliary subunit β1 (KCNAB1) and β2 (KCNAB2). From a sample of 90 participants, we carried out a study on lymphocytes with whole-cell patch-clamp experiments (n = 7 schizophrenia and n = 5 control), western blot (n = 40 schizophrenia and n = 40 control) and confocal microscopy to evaluate the presence and function of different channels. Kv in both cells. ResultsWe demonstrated the overexpression of Kv1.1, Kv1.2, Kv1.3, Kv1.6, Kv4.2, Kv4.3 and Kv7.2 channels in PBMCs from patients with schizophrenia. This study represents a groundbreaking exploration, as it involves an electrophysiological analysis performed on T and B lymphocytes from patients diagnosed of schizophrenia compared to healthy participants. We observed that B lymphocytes exhibited an increase in output current along with greater peak current amplitude and voltage conductance curves among patients with schizophrenia compared with healthy controls. ConclusionsThis study showed the importance of the B lymphocyte in schizophrenia. We know that the immune system is altered in schizophrenia, but the physiological mechanisms of this system are not very well known. We suggest that the B lymphocyte may be relevant in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and that it should be investigated in more depth, opening a new field of knowledge and possibilities for new treatments combining antipsychotics and immunomodulators. The limitation is that all participants received antipsychotic medication, which may have influenced the differences observed between patients and controls. This implies that more studies need to be done where the groups can be separated according to the antipsychotic drug.

Ultrastable 3D Heterogeneous Integration via N-Heterocyclic Carbene Self-Assembled Nanolayers.

The commercialization of 3D heterogeneous integration through hybrid bonding has accelerated, and accordingly, Cu-polymer bonding has gained significant attention as a means of overcoming the limitations of conventional Cu-SiO2 hybrid bonding, offering high compatibility with other fabrication processes. Polymers offer robust bonding strength and a low dielectric constant, enabling high-speed signal transmission with high reliability, but suffer from low thermomechanical stability. Thermomechanical stability of polymers was not achieved previously because of thermal degradation and unstable anchoring. To overcome these limitations, wafer-scale Cu-polymer bonding via N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) nanolayers was presented for 3D heterogeneous integration, affording ultrastable packing density, crystallinity, and thermal properties. NHC nanolayers were deposited on copper electrodes via electrochemical deposition, and wafer-scale 3D heterogeneous integration was achieved by adhesive bonding at 170 °C for 1 min. Ultrastable conductivity and thermomechanical properties were observed by the spatial mapping of conductivity, work function, and force-distance curves. With regard to the characterization of NHC nanolayers, low-temperature bonding, robust corrosion inhibition, enhanced electrical conductivity, back-end-of-line process compatibility, and fabrication process reduction, NHC Cu/polymer bonding provides versatile advances in 3D heterogeneous integration, indicating that NHC Cu/polymer bonding can be utilized as a platform for future 3D vertical chip architectures.