Layer Count Research Articles

Patch Antenna-in-Package for 5G Communications with Dual Polarization and High Isolation

In this paper, we describe the design of a dual polarized packaged patch antenna for 5G communications with improved isolation and bandwidth for K-band. We introduce a differential feeding technique and a heuristic-based design of a matching network applied to a single layer patch antenna with parasitic elements. This approach resulted in broader bandwidth, reduced layer count, improved isolation and radiation pattern stability. The results were validated through finite element method (FEM) and method of moments (MoM) simulations. A peak gain of 5 dBi, isolation above 40 dB and a radiation efficiency of 60% were obtained.

Graphene Quality Assessment Using an Entropy Approach of SEM Images

In this work a new approach of analyzing epitaxial graphene layers on semi-insulating SiC through the gray-scale entropy of SEM images as a measure for the graphene inhomogeneity is demonstrated. Raman spectroscopy as a versatile and the standard tool for graphene characterization allows additionally the determination of the layer properties such as layer count, Fermi level, defect concentration and strain. It is shown that the gray-scale entropy correlates with the defect density derived from Raman measurements and thus can be used as an additional characterization technique with much higher resolution than the conventional Raman spectroscopy allows. As a consequence, the results are used to reflect the two-stepped growth itself and to conclude for advantageous growth conditions.

Time marker of 137Cs fallout maximum in lake sediments of Northwest China

Caesium-137 (137Cs) has no natural source and is commonly employed in establishing the chronology of recent lake sediments in the Anthropocene epoch. Because of their location in the northern mid-latitude Westerlies circulation region, downwind of the Chernobyl accident and their proximity to the Lop Nur Chinese Nuclear Testing (CNT) site, lake sediments in NW China record a137Cs fallout maximum of global atmospheric thermonuclear weapon tests (GTWT) in 1963–1964 Common Era (CE), with probably local fallout subpeaks due to the Chernobyl accident in 1986 CE and CNT in 1976 CE. This complexity means that the use of 137Cs fallout maximum in lake sediments as a time marker in NW China is thus far not well constrained, impeding assessment of recent and future changes in paleoclimate and human activities. To identify the 137Cs time marker and provide a reliable chronology of surface lake sediments for investigating paleoclimatic changes and for defining the Anthropocene epoch in NW China during the last 50–100 years, here we describe chronologies of 6 near-surface sediment cores from NW China based on 137Cs and 210Pb activities, and review the chronology of 23 lake sediments and 10 ice cores from NW China and central Asia based on 137Cs, 210Pb, 239+240Pu, 3H, 241Am, and beta-activity dating methods, and annual layer counting, as well as 240Pu/239Pu isotopic ratios. Based on the potential influence of radioactivity transport from the Chernobyl accident and CNT, and the comparison with deposition records of 26 European lake sediments and 5 Alpine ice cores, we propose that the 137Cs fallout maximum of lake sediments in NW China and central Asia is primarily attributable to GTWT and that there is no unambiguous evidence to confirm the Chernobyl- and CNT-derived 137Cs local-fallout subpeaks. Taking into account the approximately one-year delay between injection of 137Cs into the atmosphere and its incorporation in lake sediment records, we conclude that the 137Cs fallout maximum in lake sediments of NW China provides a reliable GTWT time marker for 1964 CE.

Dating of an alpine ice core from the interior of the Tibetan Plateau

Accurate archive-based paleoclimate reconstruction requires precise dating. However, the dating of mid- and low-latitude alpine ice cores is in challenge, in particular for the lower parts of ice cores. Here, we present a new dating work for a 109 m ice core collected to bedrock from the Qiangtang No. 1 glacier, central Tibetan Plateau. Annual layer counting based on seasonal indicators, in combination with absolute dating of radioactivity peaks, indicates that the upper part (0–79 m) captures a period of 678 years from 1334–2011 AD, with an uncertainty of ±20 years at 79 m. In the lower part (79–109 m), we dated by visible annual layer thickness-depth relationships and found the lower ice core captures 665 years of deposition and can be dated back to 669 ± 66 AD at 109 m. This new method reduces the ambiguity of utilizing glacier flow models that have been widely used in previous study. On the presence of observable optical annual layers, the polynomial fitting method based on annual layer thickness-depth relationships is a superior method to obtain reliable chronology in the lower parts. Furthermore, this method has the potential to improve the dating of other alpine ice cores with similar settings.

Subdaily‐Scale Chemical Variability in a Torreites Sanchezi Rudist Shell: Implications for Rudist Paleobiology and the Cretaceous Day‐Night Cycle

AbstractThis study presents subdaily resolved chemical records through fossil mollusk shell calcite. Trace element profiles resolve periodic variability across ~40‐μm‐thin daily growth laminae in a Campanian Torreites sanchezi rudist bivalve. These high‐resolution records are combined with seasonally resolved stable isotope and trace element records that allow shell‐chemical variability to be discussed on both seasonal and daily scale. A combination of layer counting, spectral analysis of chemical cyclicity and chemical layer counting shows that the rudist precipitated 372 daily laminae per year, demonstrating that length of day has increased since the Late Cretaceous, as predicted by astronomical models. This new approach to determine the length of a solar day in geologic history through multiproxy chemical records at subdaily resolution yields considerably more control on the uncertainty of this estimate. Daily chemical variability exceeds seasonal variability in our records, and cannot be explained by diurnal temperature changes. Instead, we postulate that rudist shell chemistry is driven on a daily scale by changes in light intensity. These results together with those of stable isotope analyses provide strong evidence that Torreites rudists had photosymbionts. Bivalve shell calcite generally preserves well. Therefore, this study paves the way for daily‐scale reconstructions of paleoenvironment and sunlight intensity on geologic time scales from bivalve shells, potentially allowing researchers to bridge the gap between climate and weather reconstructions. Such reconstructions improve shell chronologies, document environmental change in warm ecosystems, and widen our understanding of the magnitude of short‐term changes during greenhouse climates.

Large-scale scene image categorisation with deep learning-based model

Increasing depth of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) is a highly promising method of increasing the accuracy of the (CNNs). Increased CNN depth will also result in increased layer count (parameters), leading to a slow backpropagation convergence prone to overfitting. We trained our model (residual-CNDS) to classify very large-scale scene datasets. The outcome result from the two datasets proved our proposed model effectively handled the slow convergence, overfitting, and degradation. Our approach overcomes degradation in the very deep network. We have built two models (residual-CNDS 8), and (residual-CNDS 10). Moreover, we tested our models on two large-scale datasets, and we compared our results with other recently introduced cutting-edge networks in the domain of top-1 and top-5 classification accuracy. As a result, both of models have shown good improvement, which supports the assertion that the addition of residual connections enhances network CNDS accuracy without adding any computation complexity.

Cell migration of preosteoblast cells on a clinical gelatin sponge for 3D bone tissue engineering

Using three-dimensional (3D) bone engineering to fabricate bone segments is a better choice for repairing bone defects than using autologous bone. However, biomaterials for bone engineering are burdened with some clinical safety concerns. In this study, we layered commonly found clinical materials, hemostatic gelatin sponges, in a novel manner to create a 3D scaffold for bone engineering purposes. We further examined the comparable benefits of our design with both closed- and open-bottom holders. Cells in stacked layer disc systems were examined after a week of growth and differentiation. Osteoblasts in the outer layers of both closed- and open-bottom holder systems displayed gradually increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity but decreased osteopontin (OPN) expression. Further, cell proliferation assays and LIVE/DEAD staining revealed decreased viable cell counts in the top layer with increased incubation time. However, while layered disc systems with closed-bottom holders underwent differentiation, they kept more differentiated cells alive within the gelatin sponge disc scaffold after 28 d of culturing. Whether cells were inoculated into the top, middle, or bottom portions of the layered disc stack, osteoblasts showed a preference for migrating to the top layer, in keeping with the oxygen and nutrients gradients. Regarding practical application, this study offers valuable information to promote the use of hemostatic gelatin sponges for bone engineering.

DeepNeural Network with Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm based Cloud Resources Analysis and Prediction System

Deep Neural Network (DNN) classifier is a DL model for categorizing the exactness of systematic scaling orders in the groupings as an Administration (IaaS) layer of cloud computing. The hypothesis in the study is that calculation precision of scaling orders can be improved by demonstrating a reasonable time-arrangement expectation calculation dependent on the presentation plan after some time. In the examination, outstanding burden was considered as the exhibition metric, and DNN were utilized as time-arrangement expectation procedures. The aftereffects of the trial demonstrate that expectation exactness of DNN relies upon there mining task at hand plan of the framework under learning. Precisely, the outcomes demonstrate that DNN has better forecast exactness in the situations with occasional and expanding remaining task at hand plans, while DNN in predicting unexpected load design. In addition, particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is applied for the optimal selection of hidden layer count to resolve the classical DNN model which has the issue of trapping into local minima and the need of manual selection of hidden layer nodes. Accurately, this study proposed a DNN-PSO design for a self-versatile expectation suite utilizing an autonomic framework technique. This suite can indicate the maximum appropriate forecast technique based on the performance design, which leads to more exact forecast outcomes

Pengenalan Plat Kendaraan Bermotor dengan Menggunakan Metode Template Matching dan Deep Belief Network

The license plate of the vehicle is unique and is only owned by one vehicle per vehicle plate series, to make it easier for the police, especially the traffic police, to track traffic violators through the vehicle number plate. The Deep Belief Network algorithm works by processing the dataset through 3 stages, where the first layer is trained, the results of the first layer are then re-trained, and the results of the second layer calculation are made into the third layer count, the mean results on the calculation of the third layer become the result of learning Deep Belief Network then with the Template Matching algorithm, Deep Belief Network is assisted with the introduction of vehicle plates. In a study conducted using the DBN algorithm with the Template Matching method succeeded in recognizing a vehicle plate with a success percentage of 80% from 20 trials. The experiments carried out included plates that were not clearly seen. Failures that occur in the trials are generally due to under- or over-lighting on the vehicle plate.

The SP19 chronology for the South Pole Ice Core – Part 1: volcanic matching and annual layer counting

Abstract. The South Pole Ice Core (SPICEcore) was drilled in 2014–2016 to provide a detailed multi-proxy archive of paleoclimate conditions in East Antarctica during the Holocene and late Pleistocene. Interpretation of these records requires an accurate depth–age relationship. Here, we present the SPICEcore (SP19) timescale for the age of the ice of SPICEcore. SP19 is synchronized to the WD2014 chronology from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide (WAIS Divide) ice core using stratigraphic matching of 251 volcanic events. These events indicate an age of 54 302±519 BP (years before 1950) at the bottom of SPICEcore. Annual layers identified in sodium and magnesium ions to 11 341 BP were used to interpolate between stratigraphic volcanic tie points, yielding an annually resolved chronology through the Holocene. Estimated timescale uncertainty during the Holocene is less than 18 years relative to WD2014, with the exception of the interval between 1800 to 3100 BP when uncertainty estimates reach ±25 years due to widely spaced volcanic tie points. Prior to the Holocene, uncertainties remain within 124 years relative to WD2014. Results show an average Holocene accumulation rate of 7.4 cm yr−1 (water equivalent). The time variability of accumulation rate is consistent with expectations for steady-state ice flow through the modern spatial pattern of accumulation rate. Time variations in nitrate concentration, nitrate seasonal amplitude and δ15N of N2 in turn are as expected for the accumulation rate variations. The highly variable yet well-constrained Holocene accumulation history at the site can help improve scientific understanding of deposition-sensitive climate proxies such as δ15N of N2 and photolyzed chemical compounds.

System I/O Optimization with SoC, SiP, PCB Co-Design

Abstract The increasing complexity of system on chips (SoCs) combined with a new generation of designs that combine multiple chips in a single package is creating new challenges in the design of packages, printed circuit boards (PCBs) and integrated circuits (ICs). The process typically involves three independent design processes – chip, package and PCB – carried out with point tools whose interface requires time-consuming manual processes that are error-prone and limit the potential for reuse. This challenge is being addressed by a new integrated 3D chip/package/board co-design environment that makes it possible to holistically optimize the package, board and IC design to a greater degree than was possible in the past by considering the system-level impact of each design decision. The new co-design approach enables designers to optimize routability via pin assignment and I/O placement to achieve minimum layer counts between chip, package and board. The end result is higher performance.

Pectic hydrolysates in the diet of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen): Growth performance, blood and liver biochemistry, histological parameters and intestinal contents

The aim of this study was to investigate the prebiotic potential of pectin hydrolysates that were extracted from agroindustrial waste (apple pomace—AP and passion fruit peel—PFP) and were added to the diet of silver catfish (Rhamdia quelen). A 49‐day biological assay was conducted, and five test diets were evaluated: one diet was a control diet and the other four diets included pectin hydrolysates (2.5 and 5 g/kg). At 49 experimental days, biometric data and biological material were collected to determine the performance, plasma and liver and histological parameters and to evaluate the intestinal contents. The results were analysed by the normality test, which was followed by an analysis of the variance; the treatment means were compared by an orthogonal contrast analysis at a 5% level of significance. The inclusion of 2.5 g/kg apple pomace hydrolysates resulted in a greater production of butyric acid, increased thickness of the muscular layer and higher goblet cell count in the intestine. The inclusion of 5 g/kg apple pomace hydrolysates led to a greater concentration of liver protein. Further studies are needed to increase the knowledge about the use of these additives in the diet of silver catfish and to establish levels that allow greater gains for the species.

Cluster Quality based Non-Reductional (CQNR) oversampling technique and effector protein predictor based on 3D structure (EPP3D) of proteins

BackgroundEffector proteins of bacteria infect their hosts by specific dedicated machinery identified as secretion systems. Currently, no mechanism to identify the effector proteins based on their 3D structure has been reported in the literature. In order to identify effector proteins, extraction of features from their 3D structure is crucial. However, effector protein datasets are highly imbalanced. State-of-the-art oversampling algorithms are incapable of dealing with such datasets. They usually eliminate samples as noise. They do not ensure generation of synthetic samples strictly in the vicinity of the minority class samples. In effector protein datasets, deletion of any samples as noise would lead to loss of crucial information. Furthermore, generation of synthetic samples of the minority class in the vicinity of majority class samples would lead to an inept classifier. MethodIn this paper, we introduce an algorithm called Cluster Quality based Non-Reductional (CQNR) oversampling technique. Its novelty lies in generating new samples proportional to the distribution of samples of the minority classes, without eliminating any sample as noise. Utilizing CQNR, we develop a novel Effector Protein Predictor based on the 3D (EPP3D) structure of proteins. EPP3D is trained on a feature set, balanced by CQNR, comprising 3D structure-based features, namely, convex hull layer count, surface atom composition, radius of gyration, packing density and compactness, derived from the 3D structure of the experimentally verified effector proteins. ResultFscore and Gmean demonstrate that CQNR has outperformed some well-established oversampling methods by approximately 3–5%, with respect to classification accuracy, on five benchmark datasets and three other highly imbalanced synthetically generated datasets. Likewise, for classification of pathogenic effector proteins, a significant improvement of 7–9% in accuracy has been noticed, on the application of CQNR followed by EPP3D. Moreover, EPP3D has exhibited an improvement of 2–4% in classifying effector proteins based on their 3D structure compared to the classification of effector proteins based on their amino acid sequences. The software for CQNR and EPP3D are available at http://projectphd.droppages.com/CQNR.html.

Design parameters and environmental impact of printed wiring board manufacture

Abstract The environmental life cycle impact of electronics continues to be of interest within the life cycle arena. Previous work has shown the majority of burden can be attributed to the use phase as well as the manufacturing impact of components. This study leverages primary data from an industrial facility to provide an assessment of the cradle-to-gate global warming potential for printed wiring board (PWBs) components used in electronics equipment. There has not been as much evolution in the technology for PWBs as compared to other components such as integrated circuits. A newer technology, high-density interconnect (HDI) PWBs, is evaluated in addition to conventional boards based on various representative designs for consumer products. The results show that the board impact for handheld devices, notebooks and desktops range from to around 0.6 to 10 kgCO2e/board. The cradle-to-gate global warming potential is dominated by the manufacturing energy to fabricate the board as well as the board laminate materials (80% of the total impact). The study demonstrates that environmental impact varies by design parameters other than layer count and board area. The research also assesses the water use and chemical hazard associated with PWB manufacture.

Using Annual Resolution Pollen Analysis to Synchronize Varve and Tree-Ring Records

Fossil wood and varved lake sediments allow proxy analysis with exceptionally high, (sub-)annual resolution. Both archives provide dating through ring and layer counting, yet with different accuracy. In wood, counting errors are small and can be eliminated through cross-dating because tree-rings show regionally synchronous patterns. In varved sediments, counting errors are larger and cross-dating is hampered by missing regional patterns in varve parameters. Here, we test whether annual pollen analysis is suited to synchronize varve records. To that end, annual pollen deposition was estimated in three short cores from two lakes in north-eastern Germany for the period 1980–2017 CE. Analysis has focused on Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies, which show the strongest annual variations in flowering (mast). For both tree taxa, annual flowering variations recorded by forest and pollen monitoring are well represented in varved lake sediments, hence indeed allow us to synchronize the records. Some pollen mast events were not recognized, which may relate to sampling uncertainties, redeposition or regional variations in flowering. In Fagus sylvatica, intense flowering limits wood growth in the same year. Peaks in pollen deposition hence correlate with minima in tree-ring width, which provides a link between varved lake sediments and fossil wood.

Elastic properties and intrinsic strength of two-dimensional InSe flakes

The mechanical properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials are critical for their applications in functional devices as well as for strain engineering. Here, we report the Young’s modulus and breaking strength of multilayered InSe, an emerging 2D semiconductor of the layered group III chalcogenide. Few-layer InSe flaks were exfoliated from bulk InSe crystal onto Si/SiO2 substrate with micro-fabricated holes, and indentation tests were carried out using an atomic force microscopy probe. In combination with both continuum analysis and finite element simulation, we measured the Young’s modulus of multilayer 2D InSe (>5 L) to be 101.37 ± 17.93 GPa, much higher than its bulk counterpart, while its breaking strength is determined to be 8.68 GPa, approaching the theoretical limit of 10.1 GPa. Density functional theory calculations were also carried out to explain the insensitivity of Young’s modulus to the layer count. It is found that 2D InSe is softer than most 2D materials, and exhibits breaking strength higher than that of carbon fiber, yet remaining more compliant, making it ideal for flexible electronics applications. The reliability of our method is also validated by measurement of graphene.

Rapid identification of two-dimensional materials via machine learning assisted optic microscopy

A combination of Fresnel law and machine learning method is proposed to identify the layer counts of 2D materials. Three indexes, which are optical contrast, red-green-blue, total color difference, are presented to illustrate and simulate the visibility of 2D materials on Si/SiO2 substrate, and the machine learning algorithms, which are k-mean clustering and k-nearest neighbors, are employed to obtain thickness database of 2D material and test the optical images of 2D materials via red-green-blue index. The results show that this method can provide fast, accurate and large-area property of 2D material. With the combination of artificial intelligence and nanoscience, this machine learning assisted method eases the workload and promotes fundamental research of 2D materials.

Large-Area Layer Counting of Two-Dimensional Materials Evaluating the Wavelength Shift in Visible-Reflectance Spectroscopy

An advanced and highly scalable approach for determining the number of layers of two-dimensional (2D) materials via optical spectroscopy is introduced. Based on appropriate subjacent layer stacks, the reflectance spectra of the 2D material assemblies exhibit wavelength shifts in distinct minima, which are linearly related to the number of layers. A linear correlation enables straightforward data interpretation, which is essential for implementing simple and comparatively fast measurement routines for process control on wafer scale. The structure of the optical layer stacks as well as the complex refractive indices of 2D materials were found to strongly influence the spectral position of the reflectance minima as well as the magnitude and the linearity of the wavelength shifts. We experimentally prove this method to be applicable for large-area layer counting of subsequently stacked chemical vapor deposition graphene films on a layer stack consisting of silicon nitride and silicon oxide. The measurement re...

The Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma on the Temporomandibular Joint After Radiotherapy in Rabbits.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was administered into the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) space, which had been exposed to radiotherapy (RT), in an attempt to prevent and/or treat the late-term complications associated with RT when used for the treatment of head and neck cancers (nasopharyngeal cancer in particular) on the musculoskeletal system. A total of 13 adult male New Zealand ( Oryctolagus cuniculus) rabbits were used in the study. The animals were classified into 3 groups: 6 in the RT group, 6 in the RT+PRP group, and 1 in the control group (exposed to neither). The TMJ space of each rabbit was exposed to 2240 cGy external RT in total, and PRP was administered into the TMJ space 1 month later. The joints were surgically removed 1 month later and examined histopathologically. In the group given RT+PRP, the level of inflammation, amount of muscle fibrosis, vascular wall fibrosis, synovial membrane and condyle cartilage thickness, temporal extrabone fibrous cell layer count, and intramuscular changes were similar to those recorded in the control group, although the positive effects of PRP were not found to be statistically significant. The findings of the present study demonstrate that injections of PRP may increase joint inflammation and therefore enhance blood supply, resulting in the onset of regeneration. These favorable effects of PRP may be helpful in the fight against late-term musculoskeletal complications of RT and may minimize such side effects as sore jaw, malnutrition, and weight loss.

Nesting Lipid Bilayers in Nanopores: Effect of Pore Diameter on Macroscopic Order and the Layer Count

Nanotubular lipid bilayer membranes formed by self-assembly and confined by macroscopically aligned nanopores exhibit several attractive features for biophysics and bio-nanotechnology. When fully hydrated such bilayers systems are stable for at least a month and allow for a quick exchange of buffers and other water-soluble molecules. Even more importantly the bilayers have well-defined curvature and are macroscopically aligned over an exceptionally broad range of temperature, pH, and ionic strength. The latter feature facilitates studies of membrane and membrane proteins under close to native cellular membrane conditions by solid-state NMR and other spectroscopic methods. Here we report on the effect of nanoscale pore diameter on packing of lipid bilayers and macroscopic alignment of POPC (2-oleoyl-1-palmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) lipids inside the pores. We show that the pores from 36 to 44, 50 and 72 nm in diameter accommodate progressively larger number of nesting lipid bilayers – from up to two nanotubes for the smallest 36 nm pore to about four for 50 nm wide pore at 40 oC. This is consistent with 26-27 nm being the smallest diameter for the POPC nanotubes. Static 31P linewidth at 300 MHz 1H frequency indicated the best macroscopic alignment corresponding to just 1-3% of mosaic spread for either one or two nesting lipid nanotubes for all pore sizes. 31P linewidth and bilayer macroscopic alignment degraded notably for three nesting bilayers formed in the nanopores and even more for four. The latter is consistent with a formation of wavy lipid tubules previously reported for much larger 140-180 nm nanopores. Supported by DE-FG02-02ER15354 to AIS.