Properties In Field Research Articles

Evaluation for the efficacy of haemocoagulase agent (botroclot) as a pulpotomy material as compared to ferric sulfate- an animal study.

Deciduous teeth are thought to be best space maintainers; thus efforts are made to preserve these teeth for as long as possible. Grossly carious primary teeth should be restored and maintained which is the primary objective of “Pediatric dentistry”. Pulpotomy is done in the primary teeth where mechanical pulp exposure occurs during caries removal. All the functions of the radicular pulp are expected to be maintained by pulpotomy procedure. The main objectives are 1) managing reversible pulpal inflammation and keeping pulp in a vital condition. 2) maintain the function of the radicular pulp in deciduous teeth. Success of Pulpotomy procedure is dependent on many factors, and the ability of the pulpotomy medicament being hemostatic is one of the most vital factors to maintain the vitality of the radicular pulp. Considering the limitations of commonly used pulpotomy medicaments for primary teeth i.e. Formocresol and also the disadvantages associated with the hemostatic Ferric sulfate, the present study will be carried out using hemocoagulase (“botroclot”) which has shown improved hemocoagulant properties in the medical field and for healing the extraction socket wounds. The available solution of hemocoagulase agent converted in suitable Gel form will be tested for its tissue compatibility and hemocoagulant efficacy when used as pulpotomy material . The study will be conducted in two phases, I) Formulation of the gel and in vitro tests; II) Animal study to check histopathological effect on the pulp tissue as a pulpotomy agent.

Soil Properties and Forest Decline in the North-Western Part of Romania

The paper presents the study of the soil quality and health expressed by the chemical and biological properties in a research field placed at Varciorog, Bihor County, Romania. The soil samples were collected from 3 soil variants in March 2023. In each soil variant, some soil chemical parameters and the abundance of bacteria were determined. The frequency and intensity of colonization, along with arbuscules and vesicles, were scored to determine the mycorrhizal potential of each soil. The community-level physiological profile was used to determine the functional microbiome and its ability to decompose a specific set of substrates. In the control variant (CTRL), which is a functional forest cultivated with beech in a proportion of 90%, the soil properties were compared with those determined from Site 1 (a declined mixed forest) and from Site 2 (chestnut forest in a stage of complete drying). The data were statistically processed with a one-way ANOVA test, followed by the Duncan post-hoc test, which revealed significant variation in the potential of microbial functional communities across the analyzed sites. Also, the soil parameters that significantly varied in the 3 soil variants were bacterial number, pH, humus, exchangeable aluminum, coarse sand, dust, and fine sand. The Pearson correlation was computed to study the links between bacterial numbers and chemical parameters. The results showed strong correlations between most of the studied soil properties. The Ecoplates approach to soil functional microbiome highlighted various differences between the microbial communities of the three tested sites. Mycorrhizal colonization shows different potentials for symbiosis formation. The peak of mycorrhizal colonization was in declined forest, with 43.36% colonization frequency and 24.56% intensity. Arbuscules reached 11.36% in declined forest, while in control and decayed sites, the indicator was under 4%. Vesicles are more associated with control and decayed forests, with values of presence over 1.30%. As an indicator of microbial general activity, the sum of recorded activities was higher in declined and decayed forests. At these sites, the activity of the functional microbiome was amplified. The decline process activates a higher diversity of functional groups and is associated with a larger area of substrate decomposition capacity, which indicates a more extensive range of microbial functions related to breaking down organic matter.

Strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and interlayer coupling in CoRh/Rh/Fe multilayers tailored by Rh spacer layer thickness

Magnetic interlayer coupling is a critical study topic for spintronic device technology because it is an essential component in designing magnetic multilayers with functionality that can be expanded into application areas. Particularly, the interlayer coupling between two ferromagnetic (FM) layers with different magnetic properties in the magnetic field is the specific situation to develop spintronic applications, such as increasing the sensitivity of magnetic field sensors. Therefore, the film structure was chosen as two layers in this study; the first ferromagnetic layer (FM1-CoRh) has a perpendicular and the second ferromagnetic layer (FM2-Fe) has an in-plane (IP) magnetic easy axis in the presence of a magnetic field. Here, a non-magnetic (NM) Rh spacer layer separated the two FM layers. The magnetic properties dependent on spacer layer thickness (t) in CoRh/Rh/Fe multilayers were investigated in detail. It is found that the strength of interlayer coupling alters depending on the t.

Opto-electro-thermo-mechanical behaviours of perovskite plates

Metal-halide perovskites are rapidly emerging as promising candidates for next-generation solar cells and photoelectric technologies. However, their structural behaviours considering opto-electro-thermo-mechanical properties in multi-physics fields have not yet been fully understood, thus limiting their engineering applications. This paper proposes a new opto-electro-thermo-elastic model taking into account photostriction, photothermal effect, electrostriction, and piezoelectricity for lead halide perovskites and investigates their static and dynamic opto-electro-thermo-mechanical behaviours. The governing equations of perovskite plates are derived within the theoretical framework of first-order shear deformation theory and are numerically solved using the Chebyshev-Ritz method. Comprehensive parametric studies are carried out to examine the influences of multi-physics fields on the critical light intensity, critical electric field, static bending, elastic buckling, free vibration, as well as dynamic responses of perovskite plates. Numerical results show that light illumination, photoinduced temperature rise, and applied electric field play an important role in bending deformation, dynamic deflection, critical buckling load, and free vibration frequency hence need to be taken into consideration for the design of perovskite-based photoelectric devices.

Advanced nanozymes possess peroxidase-like catalytic activities in biomedical and antibacterial fields: review and progress.

Infectious diseases caused by bacterial invasions have imposed a significant global health and economic burden. More worryingly, multidrug-resistant (MDR) pathogenic bacteria born under the abuse of antibiotics have further escalated the status quo. Nowadays, at the crossroads of multiple disciplines such as chemistry, nanoscience and biomedicine, nanozymes, as enzyme-mimicking nanomaterials, not only possess excellent bactericidal ability but also reduce the possibility of inducing resistance. Thus, nanozymes are promising to serve as an alternative to traditional antibiotics. Nanozymes that mimic peroxidase (POD) activity are also known as POD nanozymes. In recent years, POD nanozymes have become one of the most frequently reported and effective nanozymes due to their broad-spectrum bactericidal properties and unique sterilization mechanism. In this review, we introduce the mechanism as well as the classification of POD nanozymes. More importantly, to further improve the antibacterial efficacy of POD nanozymes, we elaborate on three aspects: (1) improving the physicochemical properties; (2) regulating the catalytic microenvironment; and (3) designing multimodel POD nanozymes. In addition, we review the nanosafety of POD nanozymes for discussing their potential toxicity. Finally, the remaining challenges of POD nanozymes and possible future directions are discussed. This work provides a systematic summary of POD nanozymes and hopefully contributes to the early clinical translation.

High magnetization composite magnetic fluid: structure, magnetorheology and new sealing mechanism in rotating seals.

The sealing capacity of magnetofluidic (MF) rotating seals is limited by the highest magnetization of the sealing ferrofluids (FFs) of about 1000 G (80 kA m-1). A sharp, almost an order of magnitude, increase in the supported pressure drop is possible by using a magnetorheological (MR) suspension as sealing fluid, owing to the much higher saturation magnetization of MR fluids compared to FFs. However, rotating seals with MR fluids have several shortcomings, such as a significant increase of the friction torque due to the growth of shear stress in the strong magnetic field specific to MF seals and leakage of the non-magnetic carrier liquid. At least partly, these issues can be avoided by using ferrofluid based extremely bidisperse MR suspensions of micrometer-sized iron (Fe) particles dispersed in a ferrofluid, as sealing fluid. The composite Fe3O4-Fe magnetic fluid used in this study consisted of hundreds of nanometers up to few microns size structures of interconnected (welded) Fe nanoparticles (FeMNPs) dispersed in a high colloidal stability ferrofluid with 500 G (40 kA m-1) saturation magnetization. The volume fraction of iron NPs varies from 0.5 to 15% in the ferrofluid carrier which significantly increases the magnetization and simultaneously produces important changes of flow properties in magnetic field of the resulting composite fluid, from Newtonian to strongly non-Newtonian behavior. The evaluation of the magnetic and magnetorheological behavior includes the dependence of magnetization, effective viscosity, magnetoviscous effect and dynamic yield stress on the volume fraction of Fe nanoparticles dispersed in the ferrofluid carrier. The seal gap filled with interconnected Fe nanospheres consists in randomly distributed microregions with a high intensity and high gradient magnetic field that captures the ferrofluid and provides a new sealing mechanism. Already a small amount of interconnected Fe nanospheres additive (2.5-5.0% volume fraction) produces four times increase of the rotating seal burst pressure, a much higher increase than what can be obtained from using a conventional magnetic fluid with the same magnetization. The nano-composite sealing magnetic fluid proved to be a cost-effective solution to significantly increase the performance of multi-stage rotating MF seals.

Study on synergistic effect of multiple physical fields on hot mix asphalt during compaction process.

The multiple physical fields of hot mix asphalt (HMA) during the compaction process have a significant impact on the durability of asphalt pavement, and this research aimed to evaluate the synergistic effect of the HMA field compaction of multi-physical field evolution during the compaction process. First, the temperature field, structural layer thickness variation, and structural layer density variation were monitored during field compaction. Second, the evolution properties of compaction thickness were obtained under the synergistic influence of multi-physical fields by temperature field and compaction thickness. Finally, the evolution properties of compaction density were obtained under the synergistic influence of multi-physical fields based on the temperature field and structural layer density. The results showed that the field compaction process could be characterized by three stages under the synergistic impact of multi-physical fields. The cooling of the temperature field presents two-stage characteristics. There were cubic polynomial evolution properties for the temperature field versus time and the density versus temperature field. There was an exponential relationship between the thickness of the compacted layer and the number of mills. The aggregate particles showed different motion characteristics in the horizontal and vertical directions and vertical directions. The vertical displacement was larger than the horizontal displacement under the synergistic influence of multi-physical fields during the three stages of compaction. The migration and reorganization of aggregate particles affected the evolution of the multi-physics fields of the compaction process under the action of different compaction modes.

Influence of herbicide on rhizospheric microbial communities and soil properties in irrigated tropical rice field

Microbial diversity is an essential biological indicator of soil health as well as crop productivity and helps in maintaining the ecosystem dynamics. In land management, Nature based Solutions (NbS) are not mainstream management, however, for sustaining the balanced ecosystem, integrity in the structural and functional diversity of microbes via NbS is imperative. Direct seeded rice (DSR) cultivation is a promising technique for efficient rice production, but weed infestation can lead to yield loss, requiring extensive herbicide use like pendimethalin (PND) and pretilachlor (PRT). The results revealed that with a reduction in PND and PRT residues (0.93–0.01 µg g−1 soil), values of soil microbial biomass C (132.3–112.6 mg kg−1 soil) and MBN (12.6–8.5 mg kg−1 soil), and enzyme activities increased. Negative correlations were observed between herbicide residues and microbial parameters. In control soils, higher population sizes of archaea, bacteria, and fungi were obtained compared to herbicide-treated soils. High-throughput amplicon sequencing (16S rRNA, ITS genes) detected dominant archaea, atronorbrum_4312, MethanothrixX_B, and Methanosarcina_2619 in herbicide treated whereas Nitrosocosmicus, Methanoregula, in control. Bacillus, Methyloceanibacter, Azospira, and Nitrospira bacterial genera were present in both groups. Control soil showed the dominance of Humicola, Nigrospora, and Paramyrothecium fungi, while treated one exhibited Mariannaea, Ceratobasidium, Funneliformis (PND), Aspergillus, Pseudorhypophila, and Lecythophora (PRT). Overall, herbicides had a detrimental impact on microbial dynamics, and their residues correlated negatively with soil variables and microbial diversity. The research outcomes revealed the dramatic variations in microbial communities under the influence of herbicides. This will further aid in a better understanding of the development of NbS solutions for effectively managing herbicide application in direct-seeded rice for enhancing soil health and ecosystem services while supporting sustained productivity.

Brochosome size variation and its influence on leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) wing wettability.

Insect wing surfaces have nano- and microscale features that enable multi-functionality. Leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) are unique in that they produce and excrete nanoscale particles, called brochocosomes, that are spread onto the integument by the insect. Brochosomes are extra-cuticular, removable, and make the integument both superhydrophobic and anti-reflective, 2 greatly desired properties in engineering and material science fields. Adaptations like this have captured the interest of researchers looking to draw inspiration from the natural world to create novel solutions and optimize current technologies. Here, we compare brochosome size and wettability across 8 species of leafhoppers using scanning electron microscopy and microgoniometry. We demonstrate that brochosome size is variable within species and that size and wettability are both significantly impacted by species. We report the extent of variability in each case and examine the relationship between brochosome size, body length, and hydrophobicity. In discussing potential applications for brochosomes, we comment on an emerging and rapid analysis technique for evaluating small biological particles. Additionally, we discuss a few recent brochosome-inspired designs and comment on important considerations. Our work provides valuable insight on a unique system that can guide the design of functionalized materials with enhanced hydrophobic and self-cleaning properties.

Effects of bacterial consortium enhanced recycled coarse aggregates on self‐healing concrete immobilized with Bacillus megaterium MTCC 1684 and Bacillus subtilis NCIM 2193

AbstractThe strength and durability properties of the recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) have been affected by the cracks and the weak interfacial transition zone (ITZ) of the recycled coarse aggregates (RCA). However, the mechanical and physical features of RCA can be improved by microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP). Therefore, immobilization techniques were used to protect and maintain the high efficiency of Bacillus bacteria for the formation and precipitation of calcium carbonates in self‐healing concrete over a period of time. The objective of the present study was to show the viability of the immobilized bacterial consortium‐enhanced RCA to form self‐healing cracks. Further, the self‐healing capability of enhanced RCA was investigated along with two other immobilization methods, that is, RCA and hydrated lime and brick powder (HBr)‐immobilized bacteria. The experimental results show that the increase in the bio‐deposition time improved the physical and mechanical properties of the RCA. Further, subsequently 56 days of the healing incubation period, the immobilized consortium‐enhanced RCA concrete specimens completely healed the cracks of width 0.58 mm. However, the equivalent cracks of width 0.56 mm were also recovered by the HBr immobilized bacterial cultures. Furthermore, the field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that the existence of precipitation at the crack surface was calcium carbonate with a regular cubic‐shaped and lamellar layer morphology. The outcomes of the current study show that consortium‐enhanced RCA has promising potential to develop self‐healing concrete with self‐repaired and improved durability properties in the concrete construction field.

Anti-icing system based on multi-level micro-nano and electric heating dual structure

The potential application value of superhydrophobic surfaces with anti-icing and de-icing properties in aerospace, telecommunications cables, energy and other fields has always been an important research topic. In this paper, a kind of superhydrophobic surface with stable structure, sufficient heat, excellent heat transfer performance and mass production was prepared based on elastic material. In this study, the multi-stage micro-nano rough structure is synthesized by ingenious pressing and mold closing control, and the surface contact angle of the prepared sample can reach 159°. The multi-stage micro-nano rough structure on the surface of the experimental sample can make the water droplets form a large number of cavitation, which can delay the icing of static water droplets. The height difference on both sides of (Un)pressed mesh surface makes the water droplets freeze asymmetrically, so (Un)pressed mesh surface has excellent anti-icing ability. The experimental sample is connected with 24 V direct current, and the average resistivity is 1.403 Ω·cm. The temperature can be raised to about 60 °C in one minute. The prepared sample has stable temperature, good electrical conductivity, sufficient heat generation, excellent heat transfer performance and high anti-icing efficiency. This study expands the design idea of anti-icing of aircraft rotor.

Transcriptional Response of Pectobacterium carotovorum to Cinnamaldehyde Treatment.

Cinnamaldehyde is a natural compound extracted from cinnamon bark essential oil, acclaimed for its versatile properties in both pharmaceutical and agricultural fields, including antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. Although potential of cinnamaldehyde against plant pathogenic bacteria like Agrobacterium tumefaciens and Pseudomonas syringae pv. actinidiae causative agents of crown gall and bacterial canker diseases, respectively has been documented, indepth studies into cinnamaldehyde's broader influence on plant pathogenic bacteria are relatively unexplored. Particularly, Pectobacterium spp., gram-negative soil-borne pathogens, notoriously cause soft rot damage across a spectrum of plant families, emphasizing the urgency for effective treatments. Our investigation established that the Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of cinnamaldehyde against strains P. odoriferum JK2, P. carotovorum BP201601, and P. versatile MYP201603 were 250 μg/ml, 125 μg/ml, and 125 μg/ml, respectively. Concurrently, their Minimum Bactericidal Concentrations (MBCs) were found to be 500 μg/ml, 250 μg/ml, and 500 μg/ml, respectively. Using RNA-sequencing analysis, we identified 1,907 differentially expressed genes in P. carotovorum BP201601 treated with 500 μg/ml cinnamaldehyde. Notably, our results indicate that cinnamaldehyde upregulated nitrate reductase pathways while downregulating the citrate cycle, suggesting a potential disruption in the aerobic respiration system of P. carotovorum during cinnamaldehyde exposure. This study serves as a pioneering exploration of the transcriptional response of P. carotovorum to cinnamaldehyde, providing insights into the bactericidal mechanisms employed by cinnamaldehyde against this bacterium.

(Invited) Gravitational Level Effects on Electrochemical Interfacial Phenomena

Electrochemical copper refining technology invented in Niagara area made a great progress over more than 100 years through better understanding of natural convection phenomena. Ionic mass-transfer rate enhanced by natural convection developing along 1m high vertical electrode surfaces has been unconsciously utilized by trial-and-error method. As the local electrolyte composition is partly stratified in an electrolytic cell (roughly 5m long x 1.3m wide x 1.3m depth). The industrial electrolytic tank house is composed of about 1000 cells through which the electrolyte is continuously supplied. Thus, the electrolyte circulation is a key technology in industrial copper refining processes as well as appropriate selection of effective additive and stable sedimentation of anode slime containing precious metals on the electrolytic tank bottom.On the other hand, Cu nanowire arrays were electrodeposited potentiostatically with PC filter template in two kinds of electrolytic cell configurations: cathode over anode (C/A) and anode over cathode (A/C). The effect of gravitational level on the coupling phenomena between the morphological variation and the ionic mass transfer rate in nanosized pores(a mesoscopic scale of a fewμm high and 30nm in diameter) was also found. Hitherto, the coupling phenomena accompanied with the electrochemical interfacial reactions confined in such a mesoscopic space has not been studies in spite of the great technological interest for the production of micro- or meso-scale fabrication techniques encountered in microelectronics and energy conversion & storage technology field. The initial stage including nucleation and growth process during electrochemical phase transformation reactions must be at first focused to profoundly comprehend the present subject in order to reasonably design such an advanced device technology.Fundamental aspects in electrochemical processes in microgravity environments have not been frequently reported. However, Artemis projects may provide the large opportunities on the energy storage and power generation, as well as materials processing. The effects of gravitational level and magnetic field gradient on the electrochemical interfacial phenomena should be understood. The drop tower facility surely offers the appropriate & “unique” experimental opportunities to propose such research program in the future space engineering fields. Electrocrystallization of metals is selected as a good subject for starting direction of research. Its reaction mechanism is relatively simple, the deposition rate can be easily varied by changing the current density or potential, and a smooth copper film is deposited so long as it is not too thick.By the way, the damascene process has been introduced to copper wiring process in ULSI field by IBM almost 25 years ago. It is important to control the nucleation and crystal growth in the initial stages of electrodeposition process. For this purpose, many effects of additive have been intensively examined. However, few quantitative examinations have been reported on the coupling phenomena of ionic mass transfer and nucleation and crystal growth. In the present work, we introduce various gravitational levels as new parameters into the nonequilibrium electrochemical processing in order to create or tailor the unique physical properties in nano space field. It is fruitful in terms of physicochemical hydrodynamics that the experiments are done under various gravitational levels. In fact, it has been confirmed that the gravitational levels as well as the magnetic field introduce the intensified effects from that under 1 G normal environment. Here is a report to analyze the effect of gravitational level on the initial stages of Cu electrodeposition on TaN or TiN substrate.

Improving the ISO 11819 standards for better characterization of noise reduction of porous pavements

The SPB method (ISO 11819-1) is designed to measure the acoustic properties in semi-free field of road pavements at a specific spot along a road, which in practice may characterize a 15-30 m length of the road lane. The CPX method (ISO 11819-2) is designed to correlate well to the SPB method in characterizing road pavements, while extending the measured road section to an arbitrary distance. It is known that both methods may underestimate the noise reduction of porous pavements compared to dense pavements. A remedy for the SPB method may be to extend it to measure equivalent sound exposure levels (SEL) instead. This will be discussed in the paper. Since the microphone locationsin the CPX method have been selected to give the best correlation between noise reductions measured by the CPX and the SPB methods, the inherent problem of the SPB method exists also in the CPX method. As a remedy for the underestimation of noise reduction when using the CPX method, some users have applied other microphone positions around the reference tires than the two mandatory ones. This paper will analyze this problem and suggest how one can avoid it; essentially by adding a microphone behind the tire.

Study of the Electrochemical Impedance Immunosensor

Colloidal gold has been extensively studied for its unique properties in various fields, including diagnostics and therapeutics. The colloidal gold electrochemical impedance immunosensor is a promising tool in antigen detection. It has high sensitivity, specificity, and rapid results. However, it also faces certain challenges, such as the stability of colloidal gold particles and optimization of assay conditions. To address these challenges, this paper suggests several recommendations. First, advancements in colloidal gold synthesis and surface modification techniques can enhance the stability and reproducibility of the particles. Second, optimizing assay conditions, including sample pre-treatment and antigen binding conditions, can improve the overall performance of the electrochemical impedance immunosensor. Furthermore, research is needed to develop the full potential of this technique in different fields and expand its practical applications. In conclusion, the colloidal gold electrochemical impedance immunosensor shows great promise in antigen detection. By comparing it with other methods and proposing solutions to its limitations, this review paper aims to contribute to the advancement of this technique and its applications in various industries. Continued research and development in this field will undoubtedly lead to further improvements and broaden the scope of this powerful tool.

Effects of vermicompost on soil microbiological properties in lettuce rhizosphere: An environmentally friendly approach for sustainable green future

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of vermicompost on the biological and microbial properties of lettuce rhizosphere in an agricultural field in Samsun, Turkey. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomised design (CRD) and included four vermicompost dosages (0%, 1%, 2%, and 4%) and two application methods (with and without plants). Batavia lettuce was selected as the test plant due to its sensitivity to environmental conditions and nutrient deficiencies. The study evaluated the changes in organic matter (OM), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), carbon dioxide (CO2), dehydrogenase activity (DHA), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and catalase activity (CA) in the rhizosphere of lettuce plants treated with different vermicompost levels (0%, 1%, 2%, and 4%). The findings showed that vermicompost application significantly increased chlorophyll content in lettuce plants, with the highest content observed in plants treated with V1 compared to the control. Different vermicompost concentrations also influenced chlorophyll b and total chlorophyll levels, with positive effects observed at lower concentrations than the control. Plant height and fresh weight were highest in plants treated with V2, indicating the positive impact of vermicompost on plant growth. Additionally, vermicompost application increased plant dry weight and improved soil properties such as pH, organic matter content, and microbial activity. The findings showed that vermicompost increased the rhizosphere's microbial biomass and metabolic activity, which can be beneficial for plant growth and disease suppression. The study highlights the importance of understanding the effects of organic amendments on soil properties and the microbial community in the rhizosphere, which can contribute to sustainable agricultural practices. Overall, the results suggest that vermicompost can be used as an effective organic amendment for enhancing plant growth and improving soil properties in agricultural fields. Moreover, based on the data, it can be suggested that a dose between 1% and 2% vermicompost is beneficial for the overall growth of plants.

Cross-spectral purity of nonstationary vector optical fields: A similarity with stationary fields

This study establishes a reduction formula for nonstationary cross-spectrally pure vector (or electromagnetic) light fields with any spectral bandwidth. In general, for nonstationary cross-spectrally pure electromagnetic fields, the reduction formula of the two-time Stokes parameters normalized by the corresponding usual Stokes parameters is not similar to the one for stationary fields since the correlation properties for nonstationary fields depend on two-time instants t1 and t2, in addition to their time difference. Here, we derive a reduction formula by including time-integrated correlations that share a similar mathematical structure to that of reduction formulas used for stationary vector fields if the normalized spectra of the interfering fields are identical. Additionally, we examine the requirement of strict cross-spectral purity for nonstationary electromagnetic fields using a time-integrated coherence function, which exhibits a mathematical form similar to that of strict cross-spectral purity in stationary vector fields. This investigation sheds light on the cross-spectral purity of pulse-type fields, which holds potential applications in statistical optics.

Unitary coupled-cluster for quantum computation of molecular properties in a strong magnetic field.

In truncated coupled-cluster (CC) theories, non-variational and/or generally complex ground-state energies can occur. This is due to the non-Hermitian nature of the similarity transformed Hamiltonian matrix in combination with CC truncation. For chemical problems that deal with real-valued Hamiltonian matrices, complex CC energies rarely occur. However, for complex-valued Hamiltonian matrices, such as those that arise in the presence of strong magnetic fields, complex CC energies can be regularly observed unless certain symmetry conditions are fulfilled. Therefore, in the presence of magnetic fields, it is desirable to pursue CC methods that are guaranteed to give upper-bound, real-valued energies. In this work, we present the first application of unitary CC to chemical systems in a strong magnetic field. This is achieved utilizing the variational quantum eigensolver algorithm applied to the unitary coupled-cluster singles and doubles (UCCSD) method. We benchmark the method on the H2 molecule in a strong magnetic field and then calculate UCCSD energies for the H4 molecule as a function of both geometry and field angle. We show that while standard CCSD can yield generally complex energies that are not an upper-bound to the true energy, UCCSD always results in variational and real-valued energies. We also show that the imaginary components of the CCSD energy are largest in the strongly correlated region. Last, the UCCSD calculations capture a large percentage of the correlation energy.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of granular porous media based on deep generative models.

Reconstruction of microstructure in granular porous media, which can be viewed as granular assemblies, is crucial for studying their characteristics and physical properties in various fields concerned with the behavior of such media, including petroleum geology and computational materials science. In spite of the fact that many existing studies have investigated grain reconstruction, most of them treat grains as simplified individuals for discrete reconstruction, which cannot replicate the complex geometrical shapes and natural interactions between grains. In this work, a hybrid generative model based on a deep-learning algorithm is proposed for high-quality three-dimensional (3D) microstructure reconstruction of granular porous media from a single two-dimensional (2D) slice image. The method extracts 2D prior information from the given image and generates the grain set as a whole. Both a self-attention module and effective pattern loss are introduced in a bid to enhance the reconstruction ability of the model. Samples with grains of varied geometrical shapes are utilized for the validation of our method, and experimental results demonstrate that our proposed approach can accurately reproduce the complex morphology and spatial distribution of grains without any artificiality. Furthermore, once the model training is complete, rapid end-to-end generation of diverse 3D realizations from a single 2D image can be achieved.

Synthesis and modification of carbon nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are mono-dimensional carbon nanomaterials with remarkable properties. Since their discovery by Iijima, they have been found to exhibit remarkable properties in mechanical, physical, and chemical fields. However, due to their harsh synthesis conditions and limited inherent properties, the large-scale application of CNTs is challenging. With the aim of providing a reference for further research and development of carbon nanotubes, this review summarizes the currently reported methods for synthesizing carbon nanotubes, focusing on the cost-effective arc-discharge method and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) which produce high-quality carbon nanotubes with stable performance. In addition, two different directions of CNT modifications are presented, namely, CNT filling technology and CNT solubility modification. Among them, the CNT filling technology can use CNTs as templates for nanodevice fabrication and test tubes for microscopic reactions. Meanwhile, solubility modification of CNTs is the key strategy to overcome its inherent limitations and expand their application fields.