Field Of Science Research Articles

A garment-integrated textile stitch-based strain sensor device, IoT-Enabled for enhanced wearable sportswear applications

The field of wearable technology is undergoing a transformative shift with the integration of IoT-enabled, AI-assisted sensors into sportswear, bringing sophisticated performance analysis within reach for a broader audience. Despite advancements in stitch strain sensors, there is a significant research gap in developing high-performance, stable, and IoT-connected complete stitch strain wearable sensor systems. These advanced sensors are essential for enhancing wearable technology and meeting the growing demands for improved user experience and functionality. In this study by utilizing conductive sewing threads and innovative stitching techniques, we fabricated textile strain sensors that offer high sensitivity, flexibility, and durability. Extensive calibration tests revealed strong linear relationships between resistance and tensile strain, with highest sensor sensitivity (2.08 Ω/mm during loading and 2.72 Ω/mm during unloading). These sensors demonstrate reliable performance with minimal hysteresis, particularly in shorter lengths. The wearable sportswear device, tested in gym environments, demonstrated the sensor's capability to provide real-time feedback on knee flexing/bending and body movement during exercise. This functionality supports injury prevention and enhances workout efficiency. The sensor system is IoT-enabled, powered by an ESP8266 microcontroller, facilitating data transmission to the Thing Speak platform for advanced analysis and remote monitoring. This comprehensive approach not only advances wearable technology but also opens new avenues for remote health monitoring and smart e-textiles, contributing significantly to the fields of sports science and fitness technology.

The effect of sodium chloride on the charge state of soot particles in a laminar diffusion flame

This study investigates the effect of sodium chloride on the charge state of soot nanoparticles formed in a laminar diffusion flame by measuring the soot particle size distribution, average charge per particle, and charge fraction at various heights within the flame. The well-studied Santoro burner with methane as the fuel (at 0.35 L/min) and co-flow air (at 70 L/min) was used, which produced a stable laminar diffusion flame with flame height of 61 mm. Samples of soot nanoparticles were extracted via a 0.3 mm orifice in a 3-mm stainless steel tubular probe at various heights above the burner and were immediately diluted by a factor of a few thousand for aerosol measurement. The effect of sodium chloride on a methane flame was investigated by comparing the experimentally measured data for methane-only and methane-NaCl flames. The addition of NaCl particles to the laminar diffusion flame did not have a significant effect on the particles in the nucleation region of the flame. The majority of the incipient soot particles in both flames are uncharged, and their sizes are nearly the same, with diameters of approximately 5 nm or less. However, the size of soot particles differs by approximately 10 % to 25 % between methane-only and methane-NaCl flames in the coagulation-dominated region of the flame. The net charge on soot particles within the coagulation region of the methane-only flames is negative, while it is positive with NaCl addition. The fraction of charged particles and ion concentration decreases with NaCl addition within the coagulation region. The study indicates that the smaller particle size observed in methane-NaCl flames may be attributed to reduced coagulation via altered particle charge states. These factors could be the major contributor to the variations in soot formation between methane-only and methane-NaCl flames. Novelty and Significance StatementThis research addresses a notable knowledge gap concerning the influence of NaCl, a prevalent component of hydraulic fracturing fluids, on soot particle behaviour in flames. By explaining the impact of NaCl on soot formation and charge states, the findings contribute to a deeper understanding of combustion processes in environments influenced by hydraulic fracturing operations, thereby informing strategies for reducing emissions and improving environmental sustainability in energy production. Overall, this article represents a significant advancement in the field of combustion science, with implications for environmental stewardship in energy production.This study provides valuable insights into how the introduction of NaCl alters the electrostatic properties of soot particles. This investigation expands upon existing knowledge by shedding light on the intricate mechanisms underlying soot formation and evolution in the presence of NaCl, elucidating its potential implications for combustion processes involving fossil fuels and industrial flaring.

Optimal segmentation of non-linear and non-stationary time series based on fractal dimension and Poincare section and its application in solving EEG-signal

Non-linearity and non-stationarity characteristics in physiological and biological time series limit the reliability of conventional analysis. The main challenge in pattern recognition problems is determining the Optimal-Window-Duration (OWD) for segmenting these time series. Our study presents an innovative algorithm, based on Individual-Optimal-Segmentation (IOS), which integrates chaos theory using fractal dimension, and Poincare section into the estimation of the OWD for segmenting time series with non-linear and non-stationary characteristics. In the logistic map case study, the IOS algorithm proved to be effective in detecting cycles in a range of numerical examples, from period-2 to chaotic behavior. So that its performance was superior to previous approaches, especially when it comes to detecting chaotic behaviors. Furthermore, the combination of the IOS algorithm with the Welch signal processing method shows promise in identifying abnormal Power-Spectral-Density (PSD) curves related to Beta and Gamma rhythms in depression diagnosis scenarios. The generated depression diagnosis system attained an accuracy (%) of 99.07±0.35 (with 2-channel) using the Monte Carlo simulation method. These findings suggest a potentially valuable tool for addressing segmentation challenges in time series analysis, particularly in contexts involving complex, dynamic data. While, it is suggested that future research investigate the computational efficiency and robustness of the IOS algorithm when handling large-scale or real-time data and increase its application in various fields in data science and signal processing. Furthermore, expanding the application range of the IOS algorithm for other pattern recognition problems with physiological or biological data can strengthen the generalizability and practical application of the algorithm.

A comprehensive study on doxorubicin-loaded aspartic acid-coated magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles: Synthesis, characterization and in vitro anticancer investigations

Magnetic Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (MNPs) hold significant potential across various scientific fields due to their notable properties. For biomedical applications, MNPs must be biocompatible, stable, and possess high magnetic potential. Aspartic acid (ASP) as a coating agent not only provides biocompatibility, stability, and high magnetic potential but also offers the potential for absorbing various drugs for targeted delivery due to its carboxyl and amino functional groups. So, in this study, we synthesized ASP-coated MNPs (ASP-MNPs) through a one-step co-precipitation method and loaded doxorubicin (DOX) onto these nanoparticles to create DOX-ASP-MNPs for targeted drug delivery. Characterization of the nanoparticle confirmed the crystal structure, spherical morphology, and improved size distribution of ASP-MNPs (8.53 ± 2.56 nm) compared to uncoated MNPs (7.05 ± 1.89 nm), as analyzed by XRD, FESEM, and TEM. FT-IR and zeta potential assessments (ZP = −6.3 mV for MNPs, ZP = −31.1 mV for ASP-MNPs) verified successful ASP binding, DOX loading, and nanoparticle stability. VSM analysis indicated a slight decrease in saturation magnetism after coating (51.1 emu/g) compared to MNPs (57.4 emu/g). In vitro release studies demonstrated a higher release rate (83 %) of DOX-ASP-MNPs at pH 5.2, indicating their suitability for cancerous cells. Cytotoxicity assays on A-549 cancer cell lines showed a dose-dependent response. DAPI staining revealed that free DOX caused more DNA damage. Cellular uptake studies indicated a time-dependent uptake of DOX-ASP-MNPs, higher at 3 h compared to 1 h, though lower than free DOX uptake due to different uptake pathways. Apoptosis assays over 72 h showed similar apoptotic rates for DOX-ASP-MNPs and free DOX. These findings suggest that ASP-MNPs possess enhanced physicochemical properties and effective drug delivery capabilities, making them a promising candidate for different biomedical applications, particularly targeted cancer therapy.

Hierarchy of topological transitions in a network liquid

The representation of complex systems as networks has become a critical tool across many fields of science. In the context of physical networks, such as biological neural networks, vascular networks, or network liquids where the nodes and edges occupy volume in three-dimensional space, the question of how they become densely packed is of special importance. Here, we investigate a model network liquid, which is known to densify via two successive liquid-liquid phase transitions (LLPTs). We elucidate the importance of rings-cyclic paths formed by bonded particles in the networks-and their spatial disposition in understanding the structural changes that underpin the increase in density across the LLPTs. Our analyses demonstrate that the densification of these networks is primarily driven by the formation of linked rings, and the LLPTs correspond to a hierarchy of topological transitions where rings form the fundamental building blocks. We envisage entanglement to emerge as a general mechanism for densification, with wide implications for the embedding of physical networks, especially in confined spaces.

Mapping the Landscape of Global Anticancer Organometallics Research: A Systematic Review

Aim: Due to interdisciplinary research, many innovative concepts have been merged that seemed to be impractical. Recently, medicinal organometallic chemistry has made remarkable progress, but the latency of these compounds has not been fully exploited. This systematic review has examined the published literature on anticancer organometallic chemistry across countries, science fields, and organizations involved in organometallics research for cancer. Method: The study data related to anticancer organometallics were searched from Scopus between 2085 and 2022. Biblioshiny and VOS Viewers were used to analyze and visualize patterns in scientific literature derived from Scopus. Results: Publications on organometallic compounds have been found to contribute to, on average, 1.02% per year, accounting for 94.3% of the total scholarly work published in the last two decades since 2003. However, research productivity has been found to be steadily improved, with 81.5% of all publications produced between 2011 and 2022. The countries possessing the highest published work have been found to be China, the UK, and Germany. The leading institutions, the University of Warwick, United Kingdom, and the University of Auckland, New Zealand, have topped the list of organizations with the most publications. Although the use of medicinal organometallics for cancer has become widespread over the last two decennaries, there has been a notable influx of groundbreaking scientific publications in recent years. Conclusion: The findings of this study may enable researchers to envision potential future scenarios for scientific collaborations involving the utilization of organometallics in the treatment of cancer. This study may provide aspiring and current researchers with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively pursue their research endeavors for scientific collaborations investigating the use of anticancer organometallics in the medicinal field. The areas, such as ruthenium with reactive oxygen species and angiogenesis, represent opportunities for future investigation and innovation.

Development and Application of Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering (SERS).

Since the discovery of the phenomenon of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), it has gradually become an important tool for the analysis of material compositions and structures. The applications of SERS have been expanded from the fields of environmental and materials science to biomedicine due to the extremely high sensitivity and non-destructiveness of SERS-based analytical technology that even allows single-molecule detection. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) phenomenon. The content is divided into several main sections: basic principles and the significance of Raman spectroscopy; historical advancements and technological progress in SERS; and various practical applications across different fields. We also discuss how electromagnetic fields contribute to the SERS effect, the role of chemical interactions in enhancing Raman signals, a modeling and computational approaches to understand and predict SERS effects.

Advancing Humanity: Sharīʻah-Compliant Innovations in Contemporary Technology

The ethical need for the development of science and technology to prioritise human benefit is analyzed in this paper. With a focus on Shari'ah's five basic aims namely preserving faith, life, intellect, lineage and property, the ethical consequences of scientific progress are explored through the prism of Islamic law. If ethical considerations are not incorporated in the field of science and technology, we will observe further chaos in the society. This paper concludes the fact that the human beings will get maximum benefits and the impending damages to the society will be minimized if adherence to the five main aims of Shari’ah is made.

Are Scientists Changing their Research Productivity Classes When They Move Up the Academic Ladder?

AbstractWe approach productivity in science in a longitudinal fashion: We track scientists’ careers over time, up to 40 years. We first allocate scientists to decile-based publishing productivity classes, from the bottom 10% to the top 10%. Then, we seek patterns of mobility between the classes in two career stages: assistant professorship and associate professorship. Our findings confirm that radically changing publishing productivity levels (upward or downward) almost never happens. Scientists with a very weak past track record in publications emerge as having marginal chances of becoming scientists with a very strong future track record across all science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) fields. Hence, our research shows a long-term character of careers in science, with one’s publishing productivity during the apprenticeship period of assistant professorship heavily influencing productivity during the more independent period of associate professorship. We use individual-level microdata on academic careers (from a national registry of scientists) and individual-level metadata on publications (from the Scopus raw dataset). Polish associate professors tend to be stuck in their productivity classes for years: High performers tend to remain high performers, and low performers tend to remain low performers over their careers. Logistic regression analysis powerfully supports our two-dimensional results. We examine all internationally visible Polish associate professors in five fields of science in STEMM fields (N = 4,165 with Nart = 71,841 articles).

A Comprehensive Review of Stimuli-Responsive Smart Polymer Materials-Recent Advances and Future Perspectives.

Today, smart materials are commonly used in various fields of science and technology, such as medicine, electronics, soft robotics, the chemical industry, the automotive field, and many others. Smart polymeric materials hold good promise for the future due to their endless possibilities. This group of advanced materials can be sensitive to changes or the presence of various chemical, physical, and biological stimuli, e.g., light, temperature, pH, magnetic/electric field, pressure, microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, toxic substances, and many others. This review concerns the newest achievements in the area of smart polymeric materials. The recent advances in the designing of stimuli-responsive polymers are described in this paper.

Factors influencing career adaptation: The positive effects of mastery goal orientation, social support, and vocational decision self-efficacy

In the highly competitive employment environment, most college students have left their jobs for a short time after employment, and attention should be paid to students’ career adaptation. However, the further influence of skilled goal orientation, social support and career-determined self-efficacy on college students’ career adaptation needs to be confirmed. This study analyzes the effects of these factors on college students’ career adaptation. This study aims to analyze the impact of mastery goal orientation, social support, and vocational decision self-efficacy on career adaptation among 224 university students in East China. The results indicated that university students generally exhibit positive levels of mastery goal orientation, social support, vocational decision self-efficacy, and overall career adaptation. Female students demonstrate higher levels of mastery goal orientation, social support, vocational decision self-efficacy, and career adaptation compared to male students. As students progress in their academic years, their levels of mastery goal orientation, social support, vocational decision self-efficacy, and career adaptation tend to increase. Students majoring in humanities and social sciences have higher level than students majoring in science and engineering in all factors. Students majoring in humanities and social sciences exhibit more optimism in all factors compared to students in science and technology fields. The relationships among these factors show positive correlations. Mastery goal orientation, social support, and vocational decision self-efficacy all have positive effects on career adaptation. Among these, family support stands out as the most influential subordinate factor of social support on career adaptation. The most influential subordinate factor of vocational decision self-efficacy on career adaptation is conscious decision-making. Therefore, male, lower grade, science and engineering college students are the groups that need to be paid attention to in improving career adaptation. Skilled goal orientation, family support and conscious decision making have a better effect on the improvement of career adaptation. These results can provide important reference information for universities, counselors and college students in the training of career planning, and theoretically enrich the relevant research on college students’ career adaptation, and provide certain enlightenment for future researchers.

Examining the Effects of Peer-Led Team Learning as a Support for Community College Transfer Students’ STEM Achievement

Peer-led Team Learning (PLTL) is a model of instruction and learning that has been used to address low success rates in various science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses and other fields in higher education. (1) While research conveying the efficacy of this model of instruction remains mixed, this project sought to add to the body of knowledge communicating the benefits of PLTL for STEM achievement. This study examined the experiences of STEM community college transfer students’ engagement in PLTL within their major course of study when a suite of supports was provided. (2) Specifically, study participants were enrolled in degree programs at a four-year rural, regional university in the engineering, computer science, and mathematics (ECSM) fields and were provided social, financial, and academic assistance. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed that with a PLTL component, community college transfer students were more likely to participate, engage, and perform better in coursework given the additional supports. (3) Study participants indicated the community of learners created through PLTL was a primary motivator for continued engagement and progress towards ECSM degree attainment. (4) Implications for practice extend to engagement and retention efforts of STEM students from the community college population

Community detection on elite mathematicians’ collaboration network

Abstract Purpose This study focuses on understanding the collaboration relationships among mathematicians, particularly those esteemed as elites, to reveal the structures of their communities and evaluate their impact on the field of mathematics. Design/methodology/approach Two community detection algorithms, namely Greedy Modularity Maximization and Infomap, are utilized to examine collaboration patterns among mathematicians. We conduct a comparative analysis of mathematicians’ centrality, emphasizing the influence of award-winning individuals in connecting network roles such as Betweenness, Closeness, and Harmonic centrality. Additionally, we investigate the distribution of elite mathematicians across communities and their relationships within different mathematical sub-fields. Findings The study identifies the substantial influence exerted by award-winning mathematicians in connecting network roles. The elite distribution across the network is uneven, with a concentration within specific communities rather than being evenly dispersed. Secondly, the research identifies a positive correlation between distinct mathematical sub-fields and the communities, indicating collaborative tendencies among scientists engaged in related domains. Lastly, the study suggests that reduced research diversity within a community might lead to a higher concentration of elite scientists within that specific community. Research limitations The study’s limitations include its narrow focus on mathematicians, which may limit the applicability of the findings to broader scientific fields. Issues with manually collected data affect the reliability of conclusions about collaborative networks. Practical implications This study offers valuable insights into how elite mathematicians collaborate and how knowledge is disseminated within mathematical circles. Understanding these collaborative behaviors could aid in fostering better collaboration strategies among mathematicians and institutions, potentially enhancing scientific progress in mathematics. Originality/value The study adds value to understanding collaborative dynamics within the realm of mathematics, offering a unique angle for further exploration and research.

Sensitivity and reliability comparisons of EWMA mean control chart based on robust scale estimators under non‐normal process: COVID data application

AbstractRobust control charts are getting vital importance in statistical process control theory as they are insensitive to the departure from normality. Therefore, the main objective of current work is to determine the effects of non‐normal process on the Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (EWMA) control chart. To achieve this goal, the sensitivity and reliability comparisons are made under the non‐normal process by comparing five robust M‐scale estimators, suggested in literature to modify the EWMA control limits for monitoring process mean and on the basis of percentile bootstrap estimator. The paper addresses the run length (RL) distribution of a robust EWMA control chart under the non‐normal process for which the exponential distribution is used as non‐normal process. The standard deviation of RL, out‐of‐control average run length (ARL), and shift detection probabilities are examined to assess the sensitivity and reliability of robust EWMA control charts for mean of monitoring process. The results of this research indicate that the classical EWMA control chart's performance is substantially impacted by the non‐normal distribution and the proposed EWMA control charts show higher sensitivity than classical one in terms of having smaller values of out‐of‐control ARLs. A real‐life example from the medical sciences field is provided the practical usage of the proposed control charts. The simulation analysis and practical example have shown that the suggested control charts are effective in quickly monitoring the out‐of‐control process.

A conceptual typology of energy citizenship

Energy citizenship is viewed as playing an essential role in the transition towards sustainable energy systems on a national and global scale. However, as a social science concept it is rather fuzzy and insufficiently elaborated. This paper proposes a conceptual typology of energy citizenship that aims for a balance between various competing understandings, in full awareness of ontological and disciplinary differences. The identification of conceptual dimensions and categories for the typology is based on a thorough literature research in the fields of energy social sciences and political sciences, resulting in the formulation of ten ideal types. In a next step, the conceptual typology was empirically tested and substantiated by mapping 596 cases of energy citizenship across Europe. This article presents the conceptual background of the typology and describes the ten ideal-types, highlighting conceptual characteristics, and illustrating them with salient examples. The conceptual typology captures the breadth of energy citizenship, encompassing both existing and possible types. It can be used by practitioners in the design of initiatives and/or policies acknowledging the various possible contributions of energy citizenship to a more sustainable, just and democratic energy system, and in social science studies on transformative social innovations, (dis)empowerment and “knowings of governance”.

A dataset of acoustic measurements from soundscapes collected worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic

Political responses to the COVID-19 pandemic led to changes in city soundscapes around the globe. From March to October 2020, a consortium of 261 contributors from 35 countries brought together by the Silent Cities project built a unique soundscape recordings collection to report on local acoustic changes in urban areas. We present this collection here, along with metadata including observational descriptions of the local areas from the contributors, open-source environmental data, open-source confinement levels and calculation of acoustic descriptors. We performed a technical validation of the dataset using statistical models run on a subset of manually annotated soundscapes. Results confirmed the large-scale usability of ecoacoustic indices and automatic sound event recognition in the Silent Cities soundscape collection. We expect this dataset to be useful for research in the multidisciplinary field of environmental sciences.

Pratiques spirituelles et prière incarnée chez Michel de Certeau

Abstract In recent years, numerous studies of prayer practices have been presented in the field of cultural and religious sciences. In his article on “L’homme en prière, cet ‘arbre de gestes’”, Michel de Certeau makes the gestures of prayer and the space inhabited by prayer the starting point for a fundamental approach to human existence. The following article builds on these reflections and, in the context of the ‘spacial turn’ in the cultural sciences, attempts to work out with Michel de Certeau the paths to an ‘intellectus fidei’ in these times of broken links with the ecclesial institution, when spirituality is gaining new importance, even in secular circles.

ISLAM DAN ILMU PENGETAHUAN : REKOGNISI PENDIDIKAN ISLAM DI BARAT ABAD KLASIK

The development of education in the world is inseparable from the contributions of Islam, which has played a significant role in it. Consequently, Islam holds a legitimate position in terms of the quality of education, which should be acknowledged publicly as a marker that these contributions must be academically recognized. The contributions of Islamic education to the world can be seen from the scientific heritage of the medieval period when Europe and the Middle East were engaged in debates over reason. The presence of Islamic education had an impact on the process of classifying knowledge into rational ('aqliah) and transmitted ('naqliah) sciences. This classification led to the emergence of branches of rational sciences, including medicine, mathematics, sciences (physics, astronomy, and chemistry), and sosial sciences (economics, geography, and psychology). In the field of medicine, Abdullah Al-Hasan Bin Al Bin Sina, commonly known as Ibn Sina, emerged with his book "Al-Qanun fi at-Tibb." In the field of mathematics, Muhammad Bin Musa Al-Khwarizmi made significant contributions to algebra, trigonometry, algorithms, and the invention of the number zero, and authored the book "Mukhtasar fi Hisab Al-Jabr Wa’l Muqabala." In addition to his expertise in mathematics, he also had a deep understanding of astronomy, as reflected in his work "as-Sindhind." In the field of technology, Abu Al-Izz Ibn Ismail Ibn Razaz Al-Jazari.

Room‐Temperature Blackbody‐Sensitive Photodetector with Visible‐To‐Long‐Wavelength‐Infrared Photoresponse and Ultrafast Speed Based on a Te/PtSe2 Heterostructure

AbstractRoom‐temperature blackbody‐sensitive infrared photodetectors with ultra‐broadband and ultrafast photoresponses are highly desired in numerous scientific and technical fields. However, it is challenging for an infrared photodetector to simultaneously possess all the aforementioned characteristics. In this study, a room‐temperature Te/PtSe2 heterostructure photodetector is established to address this challenge, utilizing the built‐in field of the heterostructure, the crossing conduction and valence bands of PtSe2, the high mobilities of both materials, and a considerable photogain. The device is photoresponsive over the ultrabroad wavelength range (519 nm–10 µm). The peak responsivity and specific detectivity reach 196.8 A W−1, and 4.3 × 109 cm Hz1/2 W−1, respectively, at the wavelength of 3.32 µm. The device also exhibits blackbody sensitivity, with a responsivity of 24.8 A W−1, and a specific detectivity of 7.4 × 108 cm Hz1/2 W−1. The photoresponse is ultrafast, corresponding to a 3 dB bandwidth of 160 kHz. The study provides new possibilities for high‐performance room‐temperature infrared detection.

The effectiveness of installing playful learning landscapes in everyday urban spaces

ABSTRACT How can city planners, developmental scientists, designers, architects, and public/private institutions come together to leverage the 80% of children’s waking time spent outside of school to benefit their development? One answer is the Playful Learning Landscapes (PLL) initiative, which marries the learning sciences with urban revitalization to craft carefully planned playful learning experiences that focus on learning outcomes. Playful Learning Landscapes installations placed in high traffic environments in cities ensure maximal exposure, aligning with best practices in the field of prevention science. Results of this meta-analysis provide initial evidence that PLL installations demonstrate large effects on caregiver behavior and caregiver-child interaction, and medium effects on child behavior, in comparison to either control sites or pre-PLL installation. Results also suggest the presence of two significant moderators: the presence of community involvement and type of PLL (permanent physical installations versus pop-ups). While the number of studies included here is small, these findings are encouraging and suggest that continued investment in creating and evaluating new PLL installations is appropriate.