Precise Alignment Research Articles

Mechanism Decoding of an S-Scheme ZnIn2S4/H2WO4 Heterojunction with Favorable Surface Electronic Potential for Enhanced and Anti-Corrosion Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution.

The rational construction of heterojunction interfaces plays a critical role in enhancing the carrier separation efficiency for photocatalytic hydrogen evolution. In this study, a ZnIn2S4/H2WO4 S-scheme heterojunction was successfully synthesized via a self-assembly strategy. Compared with conventional WO3, the H2WO4 component exhibits a lower work function, which significantly promotes surface electron overflow and establishes an optimized S-scheme charge transfer pathway. Structural characterization reveals that the intimate integration of H2WO4 nanosheets within ZnIn2S4 nanoflowers provides enhanced interfacial contact, thereby facilitating efficient charge separation and migration. As a result, the optimized ZnIn2S4/H2WO4 composite demonstrates a hydrogen evolution rate of 138 mmol/g/h, achieving a 4.7-fold enhancement over pristine ZnIn2S4 and a 1.9-fold improvement compared to the ZnIn2S4/WO3. This work highlights the dual requirements for oxidation photocatalysts in S-scheme systems: precise band gap alignment and favorable surface electronic properties, both essential for enabling efficient electron overflow and ensuring effective S-scheme charge migration channels.

Quantifying the Accuracy and Precision of the Transition Dipole Moment Alignment from Realistic Angular Emission Data

Quantifying the Accuracy and Precision of the Transition Dipole Moment Alignment from Realistic Angular Emission Data

"Introducing Preservation Rhinoplasty Principles to Cleft Nasal Surgery: Unveiling the Role of Nasal Ligaments in Infant Anatomy".

Preservation rhinoplasty emphasizes maintaining ligament integrity for stable and natural surgical outcomes. However, its principles have not yet been applied to primary or secondary cleft nasal deformities. In our experience using a modified Tajima (reverse U) incision for cleft nasal reconstruction, we have previously reported unique kinking distortions in the cleft-side lower lateral cartilage (LLC) and distinct soft tissue attachments in abnormal relationship with the dome and crural regions. This raises questions about the role of the Pitanguy ligament-a key structure for nasal stability-in these deformities. During primary lip and nose repair on six infants with cleft lip and palate (three unilateral, three bilateral), we adapted preservation rhinoplasty principles by releasing and repositioning the Pitanguy ligament. This approach alleviated tension on the nasal tip, expanded the skin envelope, and facilitated precise midline alignment of the LLCs through controlled reconstruction of the intercrural and interdomal ligaments. Our findings suggest that preservation rhinoplasty principles, particularly ligament release and reconstruction, may offer functional and aesthetic improvements in cleft nasal surgery. This approach could represent a promising direction for primary and secondary cleft rhinoplasty, focusing on ligament management to achieve balanced and lasting outcomes. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and establish normative references for cleft anatomy.

CryoAlign2: efficient global and local Cryo-EM map retrieval based on parallel-accelerated local spatial structural features.

With the rapid advancements in Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM), an increasing number of high-resolution 3D density maps are being made publicly available, highlighting the urgent need for efficient structure similarity retrieval. Exploring map similarity at various levels is critical for fully utilizing these valuable resources. Our previously proposed CryoAlign can provide more accurate density map alignment while maintaining a low failure rate. However, CryoAlign only offers a method for aligning density maps, with low efficiency in local alignment, and has not yet been applied to the retrieval of Cryo-EM density maps. We have developed an alignment-based retrieval tool to perform both global and local retrieval. Our approach adopts parallel-accelerated CryoAlign for high-precision 3D alignment and transforms density maps into point clouds for efficient retrieval and storage. Additionally, a multi-dimension scoring function is introduced to accurately assess structural similarities between superimposed density maps. To demonstrate its applicability, we conducted thorough testing across different retrieval tasks, such as global, local or hybrid similarity retrieval. Our tool achieves up to a 7-fold speedup while supporting precise local alignments. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that even when one density map is entirely contained within another, our tool performs exceptionally well in high-resolution density map retrieval. It provides researchers with an efficient and accurate solution for density map similarity search. The source code, documentation, and sample data can be downloaded at https://github.com/JokerL2/CryoAlign2. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Binding of NF-Y to transposable elements in mouse and human cells

BackgroundTransposable Elements (TEs) represent a sizeable amount of mammalian genomes, providing regulatory sequences involved in shaping gene expression patterns. NF-Y is a Transcription factor -TF- trimer that binds to the CCAAT box, belonging to a selected group implicated in determining initiation of coding and noncoding RNAs.ResultsWe focus on NF-Y TE locations in 8 human and 8 mouse cells. Binding is exclusive for retroviral LTR12, MLT1 and MER in human and RLTR10 and IAPLTR in mouse cells. Cobinding and analysis of the DNA matrices signal enrichment of distinct TFs neighboring CCAAT in the three TE classes: MAFK/F/G in LTR12 and USF1/2 in MLT1 with precise alignment of sites, PKNOX1, MEIS2, PBX2/3 TALE TFs in MER57. The presence of “epigenetic” marks in human cells indicate prevalent co-association with open chromatin in MER, closed in LTR12 and mixed in MLT1. Based on chromatin features, these locations are mostly marked as enhancers, as confirmed by analysis of loci predicted to generate eRNAs.ConclusionsThese results are discussed in the context of functional data, suggesting a complex -positive and potentially-negative role of NF-Y on distinct classes of repetitive sequences.

Rotation-Invariant Feature Enhancement with Dual-Aspect Loss for Arbitrary-Oriented Object Detection in Remote Sensing

Object detection in remote sensing imagery plays a pivotal role in various applications, including aerial surveillance and urban planning. Despite its significance, the task remains challenging due to cluttered backgrounds, the arbitrary orientations of objects, and substantial scale variations across targets. To address these issues, we proposed RFE-FCOS, a novel framework that synergizes rotation-invariant feature extraction with adaptive multi-scale fusion. Specifically, we introduce a rotation-invariant learning (RIL) module, which employs adaptive rotation transformations to enhance shallow feature representations, thereby effectively mitigating interference from complex backgrounds and boosting geometric robustness. Furthermore, a rotation feature fusion (RFF) module propagates these rotation-aware features across hierarchical levels through an attention-guided fusion strategy, resulting in richer, more discriminative representations at multiple scales. Finally, we propose a novel dual-aspect RIoU loss (DARIoU) that simultaneously optimizes horizontal and angular regression tasks, facilitating stable training and the precise alignment of arbitrarily oriented bounding boxes. Evaluated on the DIOR-R and HRSC2016 benchmarks, our method demonstrates robust detection capabilities for arbitrarily oriented objects, achieving competitive performance in both accuracy and efficiency. This work provides a versatile solution for advancing object detection in real-world remote sensing scenarios.

Twist-programmable superconductivity in spin-orbit-coupled bilayer graphene.

The relative twist angle between layers of near-lattice-matched van der Waals materials is critical for the emergent phenomena associated with moiré flat bands1-3. However, the concept of angle rotation control is not exclusive to moiré superlattices in which electrons directly experience a twist-angle-dependent periodic potential. Instead, it can also be used to induce programmable symmetry-breaking perturbations with the goal of stabilizing desired correlated states. Here we experimentally demonstrate 'moiréless' twist-tuning of superconductivity together with other correlated orders in Bernal bilayer graphene proximitized by tungsten diselenide. The precise alignment between the two materials systematically controls the strength of induced Ising spin-orbit coupling (SOC), profoundly altering the phase diagram. As Ising SOC is increased, superconductivity onsets at a higher displacement field and features a higher critical temperature, reaching up to 0.5 K. Within the main superconducting dome and in the strong Ising SOC limit, we find an unusual phase transition characterized by a nematic redistribution of holes among trigonally warped Fermi pockets and enhanced resilience to in-plane magnetic fields. The superconducting behaviour is theoretically compatible with the prominent role of interband interactions between symmetry-breaking Fermi pockets. Moreover, we identify two additional superconducting regions, one of which descends from an inter-valley coherent normal state and shows a Pauli-limit violation ratio exceeding 40, among the highest for all known superconductors4-7. Our results provide insights into ultraclean graphene superconductors and underscore the potential of utilizing moiréless-twist engineering across a wide range of van der Waals heterostructures.

Optimizing belt tension and stretch dynamics: a modeling approach for medium-duty conveyor systems

Abstract Medium-duty conveyor belt stretch modelling and simulation are needed to understand belt dynamics during startup, steady-state, and deceleration. Simulations evaluate a mathematical model’s belt tension and stretch prediction accuracy. This paper introduces a novel mathematical model for predicting belt tension and stretch in medium-duty conveyor systems, utilizing field data from diverse industrial settings. The model’s primary innovation is its integration of dynamic simulation with dimensional analysis using Buckingham’s Pi theorem, which allows for the accurate representation of transient behaviors, a critical improvement over previous static models. Operational input and output parameters are included in the data. The model concentrates on transitory behaviours, which are essential in scenarios of output parameter fluctuation. A medium-duty conveyor system with 0.04 Nm torque was simulated using field data, focusing on belt friction and pulley impacts. Experimental and mathematical model data were compared to simulation results. Tension rises early in the operation, stabilizes at a steady state, and then declines significantly as the system decelerates on both tight and slack sides. Slack side tension peaked at 8,757 N and dropped to 3,183 N, while tight side tension ranged from 22,193 N to 23,809 N before falling to 8,633 N by 36 s. The belt stretch reached 5.73204 meters before falling to 5.72993 meters after 30 s. The mathematical model predicted dynamic belt behaviour based on simulation and agreement with the mathematical model. This precise alignment shows that the mathematical model may be applied in real life to assure safe operational limits, eliminate mechanical failures, and extend system durability. Future research should include load changes and environmental characteristics in more complex conveyor settings to improve model reliability.

Multi-level social network alignment via adversarial learning and graphlet modeling.

Multi-level social network alignment via adversarial learning and graphlet modeling.

Improving accuracy in assessing osseointegration in small animal bone using specimen-specific additively-manufactured fixtures based on clinical CT imaging.

Improving accuracy in assessing osseointegration in small animal bone using specimen-specific additively-manufactured fixtures based on clinical CT imaging.

FetDTIAlign: A deep learning framework for affine and deformable registration of fetal brain dMRI.

FetDTIAlign: A deep learning framework for affine and deformable registration of fetal brain dMRI.

Compact in situ probe for magnetotransport measurements of 2D materials under variable tensile strain.

The recent development of freestanding oxide membranes has opened new opportunities for strain engineering of transition metal oxides beyond values accessible in bulk samples. While a number of studies have been performed with fixed strain, the ability to dynamically control the strain state during measurement would be greatly enabling. To this end, we present an in situ uniaxial strain probe optimized for transport measurements of tensile-strained 2D or quasi-2D materials down to 2K. Utilizing a flexible polyimide substrate as the stress transfer medium, our platform simplifies the sample preparation process and allows precise alignment of strain fields relative to the crystalline axes. An in situ optical microscope monitors the macroscopic strain state operando and makes it possible to complete an entire magnetotransport study at cryogenic temperatures under continuous strain variations. We demonstrate the capabilities of the probe on a freestanding LaNiO3 membrane, where we induce tensile strain up to 8% and observe a corresponding strong transport anisotropy. In view of the rapid developments in low-dimensional materials synthesis and the plethora of novel quantum phenomena they exhibit, this strain probe provides general instrumentation for examining and controlling these properties via strain.

EHM: Exploring dynamic alignment and hierarchical clustering in unsupervised domain adaptation via high-order moment-guided contrastive learning.

EHM: Exploring dynamic alignment and hierarchical clustering in unsupervised domain adaptation via high-order moment-guided contrastive learning.

A diffusion-stimulated CT-US registration model with self-supervised learning and synthetic-to-real domain adaptation.

A diffusion-stimulated CT-US registration model with self-supervised learning and synthetic-to-real domain adaptation.

Optimization of signal and noise in x-ray phase and dark field imaging with a wire mesh

Phase differences imparted by tissue are significantly larger than attenuation differences. In addition, small angle scatter from tissue microstructure can provide a dark field signal that is complementary to attenuation and phase. Unfortunately, the low spatial coherence of clinical sources reduces phase and dark field contrast. Our method structures the beam with a single low-cost wire mesh that does not need precise alignment and relaxes the coherence requirement on the source. In addition, focusing polycapillary optics, which can be permanently attached to sources, are employed to allow for the use of high-power primary sources by increasing the phase signal after the focus. However, the coarseness of the mesh reduces the phase and dark field signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) compared with grating-based techniques, so optimization of the phase and dark-field SNR is an important consideration. Here, we consider the impact on the SNR of the distances between the mesh and the source and detector, and of x-ray tube voltages, to optimize the system.

Performance and stability comparison of hydrostatic bearing pad geometry optimization approaches

Hydrostatic bearings are commonly used across a range of applications, yet their reliance on externally pressurized lubricants presents significant energy consumption challenges. This research aims to experimentally assess various approaches for optimizing the geometry of hydrostatic bearing pads. Utilizing a two-pad hydrostatic tester equipped with online diagnostics, we analyzed optimized multi-recess pads developed through both analytical methods and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Our results demonstrate that the CFD method achieves a substantially greater film thickness recess pressure compared to the analytical method under similar experimental conditions. Additionally, the CFD approach reduces pumping power losses by 14%. However, this improvement in performance is accompanied by a reduction in film stiffness and an increased sensitivity to eccentric overload or misalignment, as highlighted in our findings. While the adoption of CFD-optimized geometries offers significant potential for lowering energy consumption, maintaining precise alignment especially in large-scale applications remains essential. In summary, our study suggests that employing CFD optimization can effectively reduce the service costs associated with hydrostatic bearings, but optimal outcomes necessitate careful alignment considerations.

Determination of the Intralesional Distribution of Theranostic 124I-Omburtamab Convection-Enhanced Delivery in Treatment of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma.

This phase 1, dose-escalation study examined the use of the radiolabeled antibody 124I-Omburtamab delivered directly to brain-stem tumors via convection-enhanced delivery (CED). CED bypasses the blood-brain barrier by injecting the agent under the pressure of a peristaltic pump to convectively drive the therapeutic agent through the brain tissue and tumor compartment, enabling high concentrations at the target site. We evaluated 124I-Omburtamab's potential to deliver therapeutic radiation doses to diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in children. PET and MRI were used to assess the alignment between the intended and actual distribution of the agent, with an analysis of tumor coverage and radiation absorbed doses. Methods: 124I-Omburtamab doses ranging from 9.25 to 370 MBq were administered to 36 patients. Tumor distribution volumes were derived from PET images by placing volumes of interest over lesions and overlaying them onto T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI-delineated tumor volumes. Dosimetry metrics evaluated after CED included dose-volume histograms, tumor coverage percentage, and the Dice similarity coefficient between the antibody distribution and tumor volume. A 4-quadrant scatter plot of Dice similarity versus tumor coverage was used to classify treatment variations among patients. Results: Serial PET scans showed 124I-Omburtamab localization in brain-stem lesions from 1 h to 7 d ± 1 d after dose administration. Coverage analysis revealed that 29 patients had tumor volume coverage greater than 50%, and 28 had a Dice similarity coefficient over 50%. The 4-quadrant statistical analysis-percentage of coverage versus Dice similarity coefficient-showed that 27 patients had acceptable coverage for treatment, and 4 patients experiencing suboptimal tumor coverage. Conclusion: CED of 124I-Omburtamab is a novel approach for delivering radiolabeled therapies into brain-stem tumors. Imaging enabled quantification of radiation dose coverage within the MRI-defined tumor target, highlighting the importance of precise alignment between therapeutic agent distribution and tumor volume.

Optical Characterization and Comparative Investigation of Cylindrical and Spherical Optical Microcavities

This study focuses on the optical excitation and characterization of cylindrical and spherical microcavities using tapered optical fibers. Optical microcavity technologies offer significant potential for optical sensing applications requiring ultra-high sensitivity. In this study, the interaction mechanisms between tapered fiber structures and microcavities were examined in detail, and the properties of so-called “whispering gallery mode” (WGM) resonances were analyzed. Cylindrical microcavities provide a sensitive sensing platform against environmental changes due to their simple geometric structures, while spherical microcavities stand out with their symmetrical shapes and higher quality factors (Q-factors). These structures play a critical role in enhancing spectral resolution and achieving precise measurements in optical sensing. In the experimental setup, adiabatic tapering techniques were employed to fabricate tapered optical fibers, and the efficiency of fiber-microcavity interactions was optimized. This setup allowed for resolving WGMs spectrally making precise measurement of Q-factors possible. Larger free spectral ranges (FSR) were obtained with cylindrical microcavities, whereas spherical microcavities achieved extremely high Q-factors with denser mode spectra. The results revealed the critical impact of geometric properties, fabrication quality, and alignment precision of microcavities on optical performance. This study provides a significant foundation for the integration of tapered fiber-based microcavities into advanced sensing technologies. In the future, optimizing fabrication techniques and system geometries could further enhance the sensitivity and performance of microcavities.

Hansen Parameter‐Engineered Binary Solvents Enable 19.3% Efficient Organic Solar Cells with Green Processability

AbstractThe widespread use of toxic halogenated aromatic solvents in organic solar cells (OSCs) poses severe environmental and health hazards, yet their replacement with eco‐friendly alternatives remains challenging due to poor solubility of high‐performance photoactive materials. Herein, a Hansen solubility parameters (HSPs)‐guided binary solvents strategy is reported to unlock non‐aromatic, halogen‐free solvent systems for sustainable OSCs manufacturing. By blending dihydropyran (DHP), 2‐methyl tetrahydrofuran (MeTHF), and cyclopentyl methyl ether (CPME) with carbon disulfide (CS2), precise HSPs alignment is achieved, enabling dissolution of the polymer donor PM6 and non‐fullerene acceptor L8‐BO. As the solvent mixture transitions from DHP:CS2 to MeTHF:CS2 to CPME:CS2, the resulting PM6:L8‐BO blend films exhibit progressively enhanced crystallinity, optimized phase separation, leading to more efficient exciton separation, improved charge transport and collection and reduced non‐geminate recombination, ultimately achieving power conversion efficiencies (PCEs) of 13.94%, 17.15%, and 18.51%, respectively. Further optimization via a quaternary blended photoactive layer processed with CPME:CS2 raised the PCEs to 19.31%, representing one of the highest efficiencies reported for OSCs processed with halogen‐free and non‐aromatic solvents. This work underscores the importance of employing a binary‐solvent strategy to discover novel, eco‐friendly solvent systems, thereby advancing the development of high‐performance OSCs.

Interlayer Phonon Coupling and Enhanced Electron-Phonon Interactions in Doubly Aligned hBN/Graphene/hBN Heterostructures.

Engineering the band structure via moiré superlattices plays a crucial role in tailoring the electronic and phononic spectra of hBN/graphene heterostructures, enabling a range of emergent properties. While moiré heterostructures have been extensively studied through transport measurements to investigate electronic spectra, their influence on the phononic spectrum, particularly on phonon-phonon and electron-phonon interactions, remains less explored. In this study, we examine the temperature-dependent (8 K-300 K) frequency and line width responses of the phonon near the K-point of graphene in hBN/graphene/hBN heterostructures for nonaligned, partially aligned, singly aligned, and doubly aligned configurations. The nonaligned samples, where the graphene is rotated by 30° with respect to both top and bottom hBN, exhibit pristine graphene behavior, characterized by minimal frequency variation with temperature and a typical line width increase with increasing temperature. In contrast, doubly aligned samples, where graphene and both hBN are perfectly aligned, display anomalous behavior, with the Raman frequency decreasing linearly and the lifetime increasing with increasing temperature. This anomalous anharmonic response could not be explained by the existing models considering only intralayer (within the graphene) phonon-phonon interactions, but rather indicates the role of strong interlayer phonon-phonon coupling (between hBN and graphene phonons), hitherto not observed. Furthermore, the enhanced electron-phonon interactions due to the resonant condition of phonon decay into electronic channels of doubly aligned hBN/graphene/hBN heterostructures explain the observed line width behavior. Our findings demonstrate the ability to engineer phonon-phonon and electron-phonon interactions through the precise alignment of hBN and graphene lattices, with implications for thermal management and carrier transport optimization in hBN/graphene/hBN heterostructures.