Viewpoint Of Science Research Articles

Supramolecular deep eutectic solvents: Current advances and critical evaluation of cyclodextrins from solute to solvent in emerging functional food.

The acceptance of nonconventional solvents as viable substitutes for traditional organic solvents has been widely recognized in order to comply with food-safety and sustainability regulations. Cyclodextrins (CDs), derived from starch, are cyclic oligosaccharides with the ability to form inclusion complexes with a variety of functional substances as the result of their distinctive structure, which enables them to effectively encapsulate bioactive compounds, rendering them highly sought after for use in food applications. In the implementing plan to achieve carbon-neutral emissions by 2050, the novel generation of supramolecular deep eutectic solvents (SUPRADES) has garnered increased attention and interest. The approach of utilizing SUPRADES as emerging solvents was just beginning to be applied to food studies. This review summarizes a revision of the current advances and critical evaluation of cyclodextrin-based SUPRADES (CD-based SUPRADES) as promising solvents for the enhancement of the extraction efficiency, solubilization and stability of bioactive compounds, adsorption and separation of food components, packaging materials, and modification of biopolymers. To meet the sustainable processing needs of the food industry, the emerging categories of CD-based SUPRADES need to be further fabricated. Herein, our review will sort out the potential application of CD-based SUPRADES in the food industry, aiming to provide a better understanding of CD-based SUPRADES within the viewpoint of food science. Formulation intricacies and scalability issues in real functional foods using CD-based SUPRADES as media need more efforts.

CURRENT STATE OF PORNOGRAPHIC DEEPFAKES

This paper analyses the current state of deepfake pornography from a Science and Technology Studies (STS) viewpoint. Looking at the phenomenon from a social constructivist perspective shows that misogynistic power structures are embedded in certain deepfake technologies and that deepfake pornography reflects and reinforces such power structures. Additionally, the risk perspective points to the need for effective (federal and global) legislation and to the need for increased public awareness. Finally, the vulnerability perspective reveals how not everyone is affected equally by the potential of being featured in deepfake pornography, with celebrities having a higher risk of being featured in deepfakes and private individuals experiencing greater difficulty disproving deepfakes of themselves. Implications and questions for future research are discussed.

High performance (K,Na)NbO3-based textured ceramics for piezoelectric energy harvesting

Piezoelectric energy harvesters (PEHs), which can provide sustainable green energy for low-power electronics have received extensive attention in the viewpoint of science and industrialization. In order to achieve large output power of PEHs, high-performance piezoelectric materials are extremely desired. Herein, excellent electromechanical conversion properties of d33 ∼ 447 pC/N, g33 ∼ 30 × 10-3 Vm/N, k33 ∼ 47% and Suni ∼ 0.18% were achieved in <001> grain aligned KNN-based lead-free ceramics with a favorable rhombohedral (R), orthorhombic (O) and tetragonal (T) multiphase structure. The superior electromechanical conversion properties can be attributed to grain orientation and crystal symmetry controlled anisotropy, and multiphase coexistence significantly decreased poling energy barrier, as well as the flexible response to external stimuli of the nanometer domains. The PEHs fabricated using the optimal performance KNN-based textured ceramics exhibit high output power of 0.46 mW and power density of 6.7 mW/cm3 at a resonant frequency of 41 Hz, which is associated with the large k33 (∼ 47%) and figure-of-merit (d33×g33 ∼ 13.4×10-12 m2/N) values. The output power can actually light up more than 145 commercial LEDs, demonstrating great potential of KNN-based PEHs to power wireless sensors.

Development and implementation of the Capstone Program on integrating career exploration and medical humanities at a medical school in Korea.

This study aimed to implement and evaluate the outcomes, perceptions, and satisfaction of the Capstone Program developed at the Catholic University of Korea, which integrates career exploration and medical humanities. This study was conducted with fourth-year medical students from 2017 to 2019. First, the study analyzed the trends in the results of Capstone Projects conducted by students as part of their career exploration, where they independently explored areas of interest and selected topics. Second, it qualitatively analyzed the content of individual reports in which students reflected on their experiences from a "medical humanities perspective" through the Capstone Program. Third, it examined students' perceptions and satisfaction with the Capstone Program. The analysis revealed that students chose research topics from a wide range of fields, including basic medicine, clinical medicine, global healthcare, and integrated healthcare systems and innovation. The students reported positive perceptions of their career exploration and research experiences through the Capstone Program, particularly valuing sessions like "Meetings with Seniors" within the conference framework. Students indicated that the Capstone Program enhanced their ability to think introspectively from a humanities perspective, deepening their understanding of their roles and responsibilities as medical professionals. The Capstone Program provides a significant opportunity for medical students to explore their career paths and engage in introspective reflection from the viewpoint of medical humanities and social sciences. Thus, the integration of programs like capstone into the broader medical curriculum, focusing on career guidance and the reinforcement of medical humanities education, is imperative.

The effect of A-site cations on charge-carrier mobility in Fe-rich amphiboles

Abstract Elucidating the high-temperature behavior of rock-forming minerals such as amphiboles (AB2C5 T8O22W2) is critical for the understanding of large-scale geological processes in the lithosphere and, in particular, the development of high conductivity in the Earth’s interior. Recently, we have shown that at elevated temperatures, CFe-bearing amphiboles with a vacant A site develop two types of charge carriers: (1) small polarons and (2) delocalized H+ ions. To elucidate the effect of A-site cations on the formation and stability of charge carriers within the amphibole structure, here we analyzed synthetic potassic-ferro-richterite as a model Fe-rich amphibole with a fully occupied A site via in situ temperature-dependent Raman spectroscopy. We further compare the results from in situ time-dependent Raman-scattering experiments on pre-heated and rapidly quenched potassic-ferro-richterite and riebeckite as a model Fe-rich amphibole with a vacant A site. We show that the presence of A-site cations (1) reduces the activation temperature of mobile polarons and delocalized H+ cations; (2) decreases the magnitude of the polaron dipole moment; (3) slows down the process of re-localization of electrons on cooling; and (4) makes the electrons inert to rapid change in external conditions, supporting the persistence of a metastable state of pre-activated delocalized electrons even at room temperature. Our results have important geological implications demonstrating that the A-site cations may control the depth of development of high conductivity in subducted amphibole-bearing rocks. Moreover, from the viewpoint of mineral-inspired materials science, our results suggest that the amphibole-structure type has great potential for designing functional materials with tunable anisotropic-conductivity properties.

Two Perovskite Modifications of BiFe0.6Mn0.4O3 Prepared by High-Pressure and Post-Synthesis Annealing at Ambient Pressure

BiFeO3-related perovskite-type materials attract a lot of attention from the viewpoint of applications and fundamental science. In this work, we prepared two modifications of heavily Mn-doped BiFeO3 with the composition of BiFe0.6Mn0.4O3. A high-pressure (HP) modification was prepared at about 6 GPa and 1400 K. An ambient pressure (AP) modification was prepared by heating the HP modification at 780 K in the air at AP (post-synthesis annealing). Crystal structures of both modifications and in situ transformation were investigated with synchrotron powder X-ray diffraction. The transformation started at about 700 K and finished at about 780 K. The HP modification crystallized in space group Pnma with a = 5.57956 Å, b = 15.70576 Å, and c = 11.22557 Å, and the AP modification crystallized in space group Pbam with a = 5.63839 Å, b = 11.2710 Å, and c = 7.75923 Å (all parameters were at room temperature). Post-synthesis annealing of the HP modification (conversion polymorphism) is the only way to prepare the Pbam modification of oxygen stoichiometric BiFe0.6Mn0.4O3. Magnetic properties of both modifications have been reported. The Néel temperatures are TN = 350 K (HP) and TN = 335 K (AP). HP modification shows larger spin canting. Both modifications show negative magnetization phenomena at low temperatures in low magnetic fields.

Caries-Prone Primary Teeth: A Hidden Reason and Prophylactic Treatment in the Viewpoint of Materials Science.

Dental caries, the most prevalent chronic disease across all age groups, has a high prevalence, particularly among children. However, there is no specific and effective treatment for the prevention of caries in primary teeth (Pr.T.), which stems from a lack of knowledge regarding the basic nature of the tooth surface. Herein, we observed that the adhesion energies of the caries-related bacteria Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus sanguinis to Pr.T were approximately 10 and 5.5 times higher than those to permanent teeth (Pe.T). A lower degree of mineralization and more hydrophilic characteristics of the Pr.T enamel account for this discrepancy. Accordingly, we proposed that the on-target modification of both hydroxyapatite and organic components on Pr.T by dual modification would render a sufficient hydration layer. This resulted in an approximately 11-time decrease in bacterial adhesion energy after treatment. In contrast, a single hydroxyapatite modification on Pe.T and young permanent teeth (Y.Pe.T) was sufficient to achieve a similar effect. Theoretical simulation further verified the rationality of the approach. Our findings may help understand the reason for Pr.T being caries-prone and provide references for treatment using resin restorations. This strategy offers valuable insights into daily oral hygiene and dental prophylactic treatment in children.

Call center data modeling: a queueing science approach based on Markovian arrival process

ABSTRACT In this paper we analyze the well-known ‘Anonymous bank’ call center dataset from a queueing science viewpoint. For this purpose, fitted distributions for both the inter-arrival and service times as well as for customers patiences are integrated in a simulator to infer quantities of interest related to call centers managerial decisions as waiting times, abandonment rates and queue lengths. In particular, it is shown how a type of Markov renewal process, the Markovian arrival process (MAP), is able to capture some of the characterizing properties of arrivals in a modern call center as overdispersion and positive correlation between arrival counts. The work provides a new inference approach for the MAP based on the count process descriptors and presents new properties concerning the dependence structure of the cumulated number of arrivals in a MAP.

Discounting the Distant Future: What Do Historical Bond Prices Imply about the Long-Term Discount Rate?

We present a thorough empirical study on real interest rates by also including risk aversion through the introduction of the market price of risk. From the viewpoint of complex systems science and its multidisciplinary approach, we use the theory of bond pricing to study the long-term discount rate to estimate the rate when taking historical US and UK data, and to further contribute to the discussion about the urgency of climate action in the context of environmental economics and stochastic methods. Century-long historical records of 3-month bonds, 10-year bonds, and inflation allow us to estimate real interest rates for the UK and the US. Real interest rates are negative about a third of the time and the real yield curves are inverted more than a third of the time, sometimes by substantial amounts. This rules out most of the standard bond-pricing models, which are designed for nominal rates that are assumed to be positive. We, therefore, use the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck model, which allows negative rates and gives a good match to inversions of the yield curve. We derive the discount function using the method of Fourier transforms and fit it to the historical data. The estimated long-term discount rate is 1.7% for the UK and 2.2% for the US. The value of 1.4% used by Stern is less than a standard deviation from our estimated long-run return rate for the UK, and less than two standard deviations of the estimated value for the US. All of this once more reinforces the need for immediate and substantial spending to combat climate change.

Analysis of the structural complexity of Crab Nebula observed at radio frequency using a multifractal approach

The Crab Nebula is an astrophysical system that exhibits complex morphological patterns at different observing frequencies. We carry out a systematic investigation of the structural complexity of the nebula using publicly available imaging data at radio frequency. For the analysis, we use the well-known multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis in two dimensions. We find that radio data exhibit long-range correlations, as expected from the underlying physics of the supernova explosion and evolution. The correlations follow a power-law scaling with length scales. The structural complexity is found to be multifractal in nature, as evidenced by the dependence of the generalized Hurst exponent on the order of the moments of the detrended fluctuation function. By repeating the analysis on shuffled data, we further probe the origin of the multifractality in the radio imaging data. For the radio data, we find that the probability density function is close to a Gaussian form. Hence, the multifractal behavior is due to the differing nature of long-range correlations of the large and small detrended fluctuation field values. We investigate the multifractal parameters across different partitions of the radio image and find that the structures across the image are highly heterogeneous, making the Crab Nebula a structurally complex astrophysical system. Our analysis thus provides a fresh perspective on the morphology of the Crab Nebula from a complexity science viewpoint.

Pharmaceutical Terminology in Ancient and Medieval Time - andrachne, chrysocolla and Others.

Ancient and medieval pharmacological and medical texts contain a substantial amount of plant and mineral names. In some cases, the identification is straightforward. But for the majority of the data, we are unable to identify these ingredients with high certainty. In this paper, we discuss a selection of plant and mineral names both from a humanities and sciences point of view. In one case, the scientists were even able to examine a plant in situ. The conclusion of our paper is that a close collaboration between sciences and humanities is essential to avoid mistakes in the identification of materia medica.

Green Energy Revolution and Substitution of Hydrocarbons with Hydrogen: Distribution Network Infrastructure Materials

Global warming is an accepted fact of life on Earth, posing grave consequences in the form of weather patterns with life-threatening outcomes for inhabitants and their cultures, especially those of island countries. These wild and unpredictable weather patterns have persuaded authorities, governments, and industrial leaders to adapt a range of solutions to combat the temperature rise on Earth. One such solution is to abandon fossil fuels (hydrocarbons) for energy generation and employ renewable energy sources, or at least use energy sources that do not generate greenhouse gases. One such energy carrier is hydrogen, which is expected to slowly replace natural gas and will soon be pumped into the energy distribution pipeline network. Since the current energy distribution network was designed for hydrocarbons, its use for hydrogen may pose some threat to the safety of urban society. This is the first time an overview article has examined the replacement of hydrocarbons by hydrogen from a totally different angle, by incorporating material science viewpoints. This article discusses hydrogen properties and warns about the issue of hydrogen embrittlement in the current pipeline network if hydrogen is to be pumped through the current energy distribution network, i.e., pipelines. It is recommended that sufficient study and research be planned and carried out to ensure the safety of using the current energy distribution network for hydrogen distribution and to set the necessary standards and procedures for future design and construction.

Crafting Attributes of a Geological Now

Taking an Earth Science framework as its point of departure, this paper delves into the sociocultural ramifications of two distinct geological interpretations—epoch and event—of the contested but widely acknowledged term “Anthropocene.” While the term has gained considerable traction for encapsulating planetary-scale anthropogenic changes (PSAC), its meanings are varied, spanning scientific, philosophical, and cultural discourses. Earth scientists often examine PSAC through the lens of their discipline, yet the complex sociocultural implications attached to such geoscientific concepts call for an interdisciplinary perspective. Introduced by Crutzen and Stoermer in 2000, the term “Anthropocene” is designed to account for the transformative impact of modern societies on Earth System dynamics. Presently, two opposing viewpoints exist within geological discourse to describe PSAC: the “Anthropocene-as-an-event” concept, which underscores the accretion of human-induced changes, and the “Anthropocene-as-an-epoch” concept, focusing on a substantial alteration in Earth System dynamics. Utilising Renn’s theory of “The Evolution of Knowledge,” the paper posits these concepts as scientific borderline problems, catalysts for epistemic inquiries, linked to specific “economies of knowledge.” The ensuing analysis accentuates the multidimensionality of articulating PSAC from an Earth Science viewpoint, asserting that it not only mandates understanding the geological dimensions but also calls for integrating sociocultural and philosophical contexts. The paper concludes that geological terminology should consider associated cultural contexts of Earth Science to establish leadership for vital epistemic concepts.

Superconducting joints for the 1.3 GHz persistent NMR magnet under JST-Mirai Program

Superconducting joint technologies connecting high-T c superconducting (HTS) tapes, such as REBCO-coated conductors and Bi2223 silver-sheathed tapes, have been developed for the fabrication of superconducting magnets generating 30.5 T with persistent current operation at 4.2 K under the JST-Mirai Program since 2017. These are indirect joints using a superconducting intermediate layer to join highly crystallized HTS layers of tapes. Thus far, high I c values of above 100 A at 77 K in the self-field have been achieved by both joints. These performances are sufficient for installation to the 30.5 T magnet, while efforts to further improve the reproducibility of high I c for joints connecting long-length HTS tapes have been continuously made. The current status of HTS joint technologies is summarized in this paper partly from the view point of material science.

Effect of electric impedance on the electromechanical characteristics of tunable spherical piezoelectric transducer

Spherical piezoelectric transducers are a critical component of ultrasonic vibration systems with significant applications in various practical scenarios such as underwater acoustic detection and structural health monitoring. The existing spherical piezoelectric transducers have fixed electromechanical characteristics that limit their applications in scenarios with multi-frequency or frequency variation requirements. It would therefore be intriguing, from the viewpoints of both science and technology, to break through this limit by introducing external electric load impedance. Here we propose a tunable spherical piezoelectric transducer (TSPT) capable of adjusting the electromechanical characteristics by changing the resistance, inductance, and capacitance applied to the passive piezoceramic shell. The theoretical and numerical results show that when the resistance is exerted on the inner and outer piezoceramic shells, the resonance is accompanied by large variations at low values of resistance, while it becomes almost constant at high values of resistance. When the inductance is exerted on the outer piezoceramic shell, the resonance frequency obtained by the finite element method can be changed from 72730 Hz to 42928 Hz by adjusting the inductance, indicating that the TSPT can realize a rich and selective resonance frequency region. The resonance/antiresonance frequency decreases while the effective electromechanical coupling coefficient increases, when the capacitance applied on the inner and outer piezoceramic shells increases. The experiments are conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed TSPT, which is in agreement with the simulated results and theoretical predictions. Our methodology will offer possibilities to extend the working frequency range of the existing piezoelectric spherical transducer for underwater acoustic detection, hydrophones, and the spherical smart aggregate for civil structural health monitoring.

A Cartographic Perspective on the Planetary Geologic Mapping Investigation of Ceres

The NASA Dawn spacecraft visited asteroid 4 Vesta between 2011 and 2012 and dwarf planet 1 Ceres between 2015 and 2018 to investigate their surfaces through optical and hyperspectral imaging and their composition through gamma-ray and neutron spectroscopy. For the global mapping investigation of both proto-planets, geologic mappers employed Geographic Information System (GIS) software to map 15 quadrangles using optical and hyperspectral data and to produce views of the geologic evolution through individual maps and research papers. While geologic mapping was the core motivation of the mapping investigation, the project never aimed to produce homogeneous and consistent map representations. The chosen mapping approach and its implementation led to a number of inconsistencies regarding cartographic representation, including differential generalization through varying mapping scales, topologic inconsistencies, lack of semantic integrity, and scale consistency, and ultimately, to the management of reusable research data. Ongoing data acquisition during the mapping phase created additional challenges for the homogenization of mapping results and a potential derivation of a global map. This contribution reviews cartographic and data perspectives on the mapping investigation of Ceres and highlights (a) data sources, (b) the cartographic concept, (c) mapping conduct, and (d) dissemination as well as research-data management arrangements. It furthermore discusses decisions and experiences made during mapping and finishes with a set of recommendations from the viewpoint of the cartographic sciences.

Formation of Terrestrial Planets from the Viewpoints of Astrophysics and Material Science – Formation of Planetesimals by Chemical Reactions at Contact Points between Solids

Formation of Terrestrial Planets from the Viewpoints of Astrophysics and Material Science – Formation of Planetesimals by Chemical Reactions at Contact Points between Solids

Revival of Ferroelectric Memories Based on Emerging Fluorite-Structured Ferroelectrics.

Over the last few decades, the research on ferroelectric memories has been limited due to their dimensional scalability and incompatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. The discovery of ferroelectricity in fluorite-structured oxides revived interest in the research on ferroelectric memories, by inducing nanoscale nonvolatility in state-of-the-art gate insulators by minute doping and thermal treatment. The potential of this approach has been demonstrated by the fabrication of sub-30nm electronic devices. Nonetheless, to realize practical applications, various technical limitations, such as insufficient reliability including endurance, retention, and imprint, as well as large device-to-device-variation, require urgent solutions. Furthermore, such limitations should be considered based on targeting devices as well as applications. Various types of ferroelectric memories including ferroelectric random-access-memory, ferroelectric field-effect-transistor, and ferroelectric tunnel junction should be considered for classical nonvolatile memories as well as emerging neuromorphic computing and processing-in-memory. Therefore, from the viewpoint of materials science, this review covers the recent research focusing on ferroelectric memories from the history of conventional approaches to future prospects.

Міждисциплінарна інтеграція ₋ головний чинник у розвитку клінічного та професійного мислення у студентів медичних закладів вищої освіти України

The purpose of the study was to reveal the essence of an integrated approach to teaching fundamental disciplines as a key factor in the professional training of medical students. Materials and methods. Analysis, generalization and systematization of scientific and methodological literature were used in the study. Results and discussion. Integration significantly changes the content and structure of modern scientific knowledge, intellectual and conceptual capabilities of certain sciences. It is the most important means of achieving the unity of knowledge in the content, structural, scientific, organizational, and pedagogical aspects. Integration in the fundamental fields arose on the background of differentiation of sciences and detailing of specialties, the growing amount of knowledge and requirements for it in each individual field. Integration between academic disciplines is aimed at deepening the interconnections between subjects and is a way to improve it. The interdisciplinary integration of basic disciplines in higher medical institutions provides for a unified approach of the teaching staff of different disciplines to solving common educational problems based on the generalization of knowledge by students. Histology, cytology, embryology and human anatomy as disciplines that study the structure and morphological variations of the human body are perceived from the viewpoint of modern science as the basis of medicine, physiology and pathology, which has been gradually formed since ancient times and up to the current day. Such a close relation between the micro- and macro-structure of the body is consistent and logical in the study of two fundamental disciplines, it becomes possible to transfer theoretical knowledge, practical skills and abilities from one discipline to another. Creating interdisciplinary connections contributes to deeper learning and repetition of previously studied material, and properly organized integration plays both an educational and an upbringing role. The interdisciplinary integration of two fundamental disciplines such as Histology, Cytology and Embryology with Human Anatomy is a necessary component of the training of a future doctor. The use of such interdisciplinary technologies for training a doctor allows to raise him/her to a qualitatively new level of clinical thinking, capable of solving the problems of medical practice in a comprehensive manner based on the wide integration of information from various disciplines. Conclusion. Interdisciplinary integration helps to increase the professional motivation of students in the first and second years of studies in higher medical education, deepens their knowledge in specialized disciplines, activates the cognitive activity of students, promotes the formation of their competencies and improves the quality of knowledge, skills and abilities

Quantum Nano-system Dynamics Based on the Steepest-Entropy-Ascent Quantum Thermodynamics

In this paper, we propose a new formulation [coherent mixed (CM) states approximation] that includes mutual interactions between subsystems of a quantum composite system within the steepest-entropy-ascent quantum thermodynamics framework. The formulation has been applied to a two-level model system that interacts with a locally dynamic phonon field. This is because the non-equilibrium dynamics of quantum nano-composite systems has been reported to show drastic changes due to its dependence on the interactions and correlations with dynamic phonons, and the importance is well realized from both science and technology viewpoints. Based on the formulation of the model system, numerical analysis of population and entropy dynamics has been performed to verify the proposed method. Consequently mutual interactions between the two subsystems that cannot be handled by the hypo-equilibrium state approximation are properly included in the dynamics by the CM state approximation to indicate an intriguing long-living quantum coherence.