Conversion Technique Research Articles

Biomass Derived Biofluorescent Carbon Dots for Energy Applications: Current Progress and Prospects.

Biomass resources are often disposed of inefficiently and it causes environmental degradation. These wastes can be turned into bio-products using effective conversion techniques. The synthesis of high-value bio-products from biomass adheres to the principles of a sustainable circular economy in a variety of industries, including agriculture. Recently, fluorescent carbon dots (C-dots) derived from biowastes have emerged as a breakthrough in the field, showcasing outstanding fluorescence properties and biocompatibility. The C-dots exhibit unique quantum confinement properties due to their small size, contributing to their exceptional fluorescence. The significance of their fluorescent properties lies in their versatile applications, particularly in bio-imaging and energy devices. Their rapid and straight-forward production using green/chemical precursors has further accelerated their adoption in diverse applications. The use of green precursors for C-dot not only addresses the biomass disposal issue through a scientific approach, but also establishes a path for a circular economy. This approach not only minimizes biowaste, which also harnesses the potential of fluorescent C-dots to contribute to sustainable practices in agriculture. This review explores recent developments and challenges in synthesizing high-quality C-dots from agro-residues, shedding light on their crucial role in advancing technologies for a cleaner and more sustainable future.

Movie Recommendation System using Machine Learning

There is already enough content available on the movie recommendation system. Showing the movie recommendations is essential so that the user need not waste a lot of time searching for the content which he/she might like. Thus, movie recommendation system plays a vital role to get user personalized movie recommendations. After searching a lot on the internet and referring to a lot of research papers, we got to know that the recommendations made using Content-based Filtering are using a single text to vector conversion technique and a single technique to find the similarity between the vectors. In this research work, we have used multiple text to vector conversion techniques and manipulated the results of the multiple algorithms to get the final recommendation list. You can think of it as a hybrid approach using the Content-based Filtering technique only.

Characterizing mid-infrared micro-ring resonator with frequency conversion

Due to the high cost, low-performance lasers and detectors in the mid-infrared (MIR) band, the development of MIR-integrated devices is very slow. Here, we demonstrate an effective method to characterize the parameters of MIR devices by using frequency conversion technology. We designed and fabricated rib waveguides and the micro-ring resonators (MRRs) on a silicon-on-sapphire platform. The MIR laser for the test is generated by difference frequency generation, and the transmission spectrum of the MIR-MRRs is detected by sum frequency generation. The experimental results show that the waveguide transmission loss is 4.5 dB/cm and the quality factor of the micro-ring reaches 38000, which is in good agreement with the numerical simulations. This work provides a useful method to characterize MIR integrated devices based on the frequency conversion technique, which can boost the development of MIR integrated optics in the future.

Indication and Outcome of Late Open Conversion after Abdominal Endovascular Aortic Repair

ObjectiveEndovascular aortic repair (EVAR) has become the standard of care for patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysms over the last two decades. Endograft technology and treatment of complications like endoleaks, graft migration or graft occlusion developed over time. However, sometimes open surgical conversion maybe required. Our aim was to analyze the indications, the technical aspects and outcomes in patients who underwent open conversion after EVAR with different types and generations of endografts. MethodsThis retrospective single-center study reviewed all patients who underwent EVAR from 2004 to 2020. Open surgical conversions > 1 month post EVAR were identified. Conversions for graft infection were excluded. Indications for conversion and operative technique were analyzed. Primary endpoint of the study was 30-day mortality. Secondary endpoints were re-interventions and follow up mortality. ResultsDuring 2004 and 2020, 443 consecutive EVARs were performed, and 28 patients required open surgical conversion, with an additional 3 referred from other hospitals (N=31). The median age was 75 (range 58-93); 94% were male. Conversion was performed after a median time of 55 months (range 16 - 209). Twenty patients underwent elective and 11 emergency conversion. Indications for open conversion were graft migration respectively disease progression with endoleak type Ia and/ or Ib in 52 % (16/31) and sac expansion due to endoleak type II in 26 % (8/31). Of the 31 patients, 17 (55%) had at least one previous endovascular re-intervention. All patients met the device-specific instructions for use for each implanted endograft.In-hospital intervention rate was 16 % (5/31). 30-day mortality rate was 3% (1/31) with one patient died due to multi-organ failure after rupture with complete endograft replacement. Five patients (16%) died during follow-up. Mid-term follow-up was 47.5 months (range 24 -203) with estimated cumulative survival rates of 97%, 89%, and 84%, at 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively. ConclusionLate open conversion remains a valuable treatment option and can be performed safely in elective and emergency setting with a low early mortality. Lifelong surveillance, and prompt intervention when necessary are essential in ensuring optimal outcomes after EVAR and preventing the need for emergent conversions.

How Do Teachers Collaborate in Informal Professional Learning Activities? An Epistemic Network Analysis

Teachers turn to many sources for support and professional learning, including social media-based communities that have shown promise to help teachers access resources and facilitate productive exchanges. Although such online communities show promise, questions about their quality for providing a suitable learning environment remain insufficiently answered. In this study, we examine how teachers’ engagement on Twitter (now known as “X”) may adhere to characteristics of high-quality professional development (PD) activities. In that, we employ advanced conversational analysis techniques that extend the primarily descriptive methods used in prior research. Specifically, we collected data from three Twitter communities related to Advanced Placement Biology (N = 2,040 tweets, N = 93 teachers). Qualitative two-cycle content analyses derived both tweet content and sentiment. Using epistemic network analyses, we examined the collaborative structures to examine how participation patterns can identify characteristics of high-quality online PD. Results indicate that some teachers use Twitter with a content focus and coherent to their individual contexts and prior knowledge. Notably, differences in collaboration and participation patterns by teachers’ overall activity level hint at the existence of an online community of practice. More active teachers communicated more about how their individual contexts relate to instruction, whereas less active teachers exhibited more targeted engagement, for instance, related to sharing teaching resources and organizing learning opportunities. Overall, this study illustrates how Twitter may provide a meaningful learning environment to teachers so that it can serve as a relevant avenue for their professional learning.

Food losses and wastage within food supply chain: a critical review of its generation, impact, and conversion techniques

Food losses and wastage within food supply chain: a critical review of its generation, impact, and conversion techniques

Assessment and classification of COVID-19 DNA sequence using pairwise features concatenation from multi-transformer and deep features with machine learning models

The 2019 novel coronavirus (renamed SARS-CoV-2, and generally referred to as the COVID-19 virus) has spread to 184 countries with over 1.5 million confirmed cases. Such a major viral outbreak demands early elucidation of taxonomic classification and origin of the virus genomic sequence, for strategic planning, containment, and treatment. The emerging global infectious COVID-19 disease by novel Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presents critical threats to global public health and the economy since it was identified in late December 2019 in China. The virus has gone through various pathways of evolution. Due to the continued evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, researchers worldwide are working to mitigate, suppress its spread, and better understand it by deploying deep learning and machine learning approaches. In a general computational context for biomedical data analysis, DNA sequence classification is a crucial challenge. Several machine and deep learning techniques have been used in recent years to complete this task with some success. The classification of DNA sequences is a key research area in bioinformatics as it enables researchers to conduct genomic analysis and detect possible diseases. In this paper, three state-of-the-art deep learning-based models are proposed using two DNA sequence conversion methods. We also proposed a novel multi-transformer deep learning model and pairwise features fusion technique for DNA sequence classification. Furthermore, deep features are extracted from the last layer of the multi-transformer and used in machine-learning models for DNA sequence classification. The k-mer and one-hot encoding sequence conversion techniques have been presented. The proposed multi-transformer achieved the highest performance in COVID DNA sequence classification. Automatic identification and classification of viruses are essential to avoid an outbreak like COVID-19. It also helps in detecting the effect of viruses and drug design.

Motivational interviewing from the paediatricians’ perspective: assessments after a 2-day training for physicians caring for adolescents with chronic medical conditions (CMCs)

BackgroundCounselling adolescents with chronic medical conditions (CMCs) can be challenging regarding suitable interviewing skills and clinicians’ attitudes toward the patient. Successful communication can be a key element of treatment. Motivational Interviewing (MI) is broadly applicable in managing behavioural problems and diseases by increasing patient motivation for lifestyle changes. However, data concerning the applicability, feasibility and implementation of MI sessions in everyday practice are missing from the physicians’ point of view.MethodThe present study was conducted as a mixed methods design. Twenty paediatricians were randomized to a 2-day MI course followed by MI consultations. Data were collected through a questionnaire one year after MI training. Factors for effective training and possible barriers to successful use of MI were examined.ResultsCompleted questionnaires were returned by 19 of 20 paediatricians. The paediatricians’ experiences with MI demonstrate that MI is regarded as a valuable tool when working with adolescents with CMCs. 95% of all respondents reported that they found MI education necessary for their clinical work and were using it also outside the COACH-MI study context. 73.7% percent saw potential to strengthen the connection to their patients by using MI. The doctors were already using more MI conversation techniques after a 2-day MI course. Obstacles were seen in the short training, the lack of time and missing undisturbed environment (interruptions by telephone, staff, etc.) during clinical flow.ConclusionsMI techniques are not yet a regular part of medical training. However, a 2-day MI course was rated effective and provided a lasting impact by physicians caring for children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions (CMCs), although booster sessions should be offered regularly.Trial registrationThe study was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00014043) on 26/04/2018.

Recent Advancements in Material Waste Recycling: Conventional, Direct Conversion, and Additive Manufacturing Techniques

To improve the microstructure and mechanical properties of fundamental materials including aluminum, stainless steel, superalloys, and titanium alloys, traditional manufacturing techniques have for years been utilized in critical sectors including the aerospace and nuclear industries. However, additive manufacturing has become an efficient and effective means for fabricating these materials with superior mechanical attributes, making it easier to develop complex parts with relative ease compared to conventional processes. The waste generated in additive manufacturing processes are usually in the form of powders, while that of conventional processes come in the form of chips. The current study focuses on the features and uses of various typical recycling methods for traditional and additive manufacturing that are presently utilized to recycle material waste from both processes. Additionally, the main factors impacting the microstructural features and density of the chip-unified components are discussed. Moreover, it recommends a novel approach for recycling chips, while improving the process of development, bonding quality of the chips, microstructure, overall mechanical properties, and fostering sustainable and environmentally friendly engineering.

A 9-10-Bit Adjustable and Energy-Efficient Switching Scheme for Successive Approximation Register Analog-to-Digital Converter with One Least Significant Bit Common-Mode Voltage Variation.

A 9-10-bit adjustable and energy-efficient switching scheme for SAR ADC with one-LSB common-mode voltage variation is proposed. Based on capacitor-splitting technology and common-mode conversion techniques, the proposed switching scheme reduces the DAC switching energy by 96.41% compared to the conventional scheme. The low complexity and the one-LSB common-mode voltage offset of this scheme benefit from the simultaneous switching of the reference voltages of the capacitors corresponding to the positive array and the negative array throughout the entire reference voltage switching process, and the reference voltage of each capacitor in the scheme does not change more than two voltages. The post-layout result shows that the ADC achieves the 54.96 dB SNDR, the 61.73 dB SFDR, and the 0.67 μw power consumption with the 10-bit mode and the 48.33 dB SNDR, the 54.17 dB SFDR, and the 0.47 μw power consumption with the 9-bit mode in a 180 nm process with a 100 kS/s sampling frequency.

Conversion of T2-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Images of Cervical Spine Trauma to Short T1 Inversion Recovery (STIR) Images by Generative Adversarial Network.

The short T1 inversion recovery (STIR) sequence is advantageous for visualizing ligamentous injuries, but the STIR sequence may be missing in some cases. The purpose of this study was to generate synthetic STIR images from MRI T2-weighted images (T2WI) of patients with cervical spine trauma using a generative adversarial network (GAN). Methods: A total of 969 pairs of T2WI and STIR images were extracted from 79 patients with cervical spine trauma. The synthetic model was trained 100 times, and the performance of the model was evaluated with five-fold cross-validation. Results: As for quantitative validation, the structural similarity score was 0.519±0.1 and the peak signal-to-noise ratio score was 19.37±1.9 dB. As for qualitative validation, the incorporation of synthetic STIR images generated by a GAN alongside T2WI substantially enhances sensitivity in the detection of interspinous ligament injuries, outperforming assessments reliant solely on T2WI. The GAN model can generate synthetic STIRs from T2 images of cervical spine trauma using image-to-image conversion techniques. The use of a combination of synthetic STIR images generated by a GAN and T2WI improves sensitivity in detecting interspinous ligament injuries compared to assessments that use only T2WI.

Water Resources Development Strategy Based On Organizational Change Development

The small population of Fakfak Regency is not an obstacle to developing businesses to manage water resources into bottled drinking water. This is based on the fact that the need for healthy drinking water is a basic need in human life. The research aims to prepare an assessment of the readiness of micro and small businesses to manage water resources into bottled drinking water in Fakfak district. Descriptive research uses a qualitative analysis approach to test the feasibility of a bottled drinking water business. Data was obtained through a simple assessment technique of respondents' opinions using the Balanced Score Card matrix as a reference. Respondents were determined deliberately, and were well known by researchers as parties who were related to water resources. Data is processed in stages using conversion techniques, weighting techniques and gap analysis. The research results show that managing water resources into bottled drinking water is not only very profitable economically, but also helps accelerate economic development for Fakfak district.

Rectification and converter control of the FPSLGs for energy storage applications

AbstractThis article presents two power converters with controllers attached to the Free‐Piston Stirling Linear Generator (FPSLG) and energy storage system (ESS). The rectifier uses hysteresis‐SVPWM current regulation and CB‐SPWM, while the buck‐boost converter utilizes the dual‐loop PI control method. The storage battery receives energy from a linear‐generator with a rectifier and converter. The FPSE and linear motors in the FPSLG convert thermal to electrical energy. A two‐level electrical energy conversion technique using a three‐phase AC signal to DC and DC‐DC converter has been devised to reduce output electrical energy oscillation as well as stabilize the generating system's DC power. Initially, the FPSE's nonlinear model and the three‐phase permanent magnet linear‐motor's linear mathematical model were created and followed by the ESS and control mechanism simulation. The simulation shows that the ESS system and control approach can give stable power to the storage battery using linear‐generator power. The PR controller replaces the PI controller in the position loop to improve frequency and displacement tracing. The control system design was simulated in MATLAB and the topology's feasibility and correctness were confirmed. Comparative analysis shows that, rectifier uses the H‐SVPWM's unity power factor of AC and stability controllability of the DC‐side voltage is better than the CB‐SPWM approach.

Analysis, Design and Effectuation of a Tapped Inductor Current Converter with Fractional Output for Current Source Systems

This article proposes a new connection method of tapped inductors that works in the current source, which enables the current-mode power converter circuit to have a new topological relationship. Usually, in a switched-inductor circuit, a stable output multiple is obtained through the connection of the inductor and the switching devices. This is because the tapped point on the inductor varies, and the magnetomotive force (mmf) of inductance is adjusted. Thereby, the output current is controlled by the states of switching devices within a certain range. This optimized circuit structure can adjust the output current according to load changes in practical applications without changing the input power supply. The proposed method has been verified for its feasibility through detailed analysis and hardware work. The principal analysis based on the flux linkage and the PSIM simulation confirms that the theoretical circuit can be implemented. Finally, a hardware circuit is built to obtain real and feasible conclusions, and it is verified that the circuit can achieve a stable output and variable current within a specific range. The proposed work presents an alternative power conversion methodology using the active switching of mmf, and it is a stable and simple power conversion technique.

Rapid modulation of left- and right-handed optical vortices for precise measurements of helical dichroism.

Helical dichroism (HD), which is defined as the difference in optical absorption between chiral pairs of lights involving left-handed (LH) and right-handed (RH) optical vortices (OVs) carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM), is a promising way to characterize chiral materials. In the current major methods of OV generation using spatial light modulators (SLMs), the speed of OAM switching is typically as slow as 100Hz, which is comparable to low-frequency noise, making precise chiral detection difficult. Here, we theoretically propose and experimentally demonstrate a rapid modulation of the LH and RH OVs at around 50kHz. This modulation is achieved through a rapid modulation of circularly polarized lights carrying spin angular momentum (SAM), combined with a SAM-OAM conversion technique. We establish a theory not only for rapid OV modulation but also for HD measurements using the modulated OVs. We experimentally verify the theory using helical phase holograms drawn on a SLM as a pseudo-HD active sample. Our work addresses the limitations of current methods and offers a new avenue for precise HD measurements, paving the way for the development of sensitive chiral-optical spectroscopy techniques.

Recent Advances in Synthesis and Interaction of Speech, Text, and Vision

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the conversion of images into audio descriptions. This is a field that lies at the intersection of Computer Vision (CV) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), and it involves various tasks, including creating textual descriptions of images and converting them directly into auditory representations. Another aspect of this field is the synthesis of natural speech from text. This has significant potential to improve accessibility, user experience, and the applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this article, we reviewed a wide range of image-to-audio conversion techniques. Various aspects of image captioning, speech synthesis, and direct image-to-speech conversion have been explored, from fundamental encoder–decoder architectures to more advanced methods such as transformers and adversarial learning. Although the focus of this review is on synthesizing audio descriptions from visual data, the reverse task of creating visual content from natural language descriptions is also covered. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the techniques and methodologies used in these fields and highlights the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. The study emphasizes the importance of various datasets, such as MS COCO, LibriTTS, and VizWiz Captions, which play a critical role in training models, evaluating them, promoting inclusivity, and solving real-world problems. The implications for the future suggest the potential of generating more natural and contextualized audio descriptions, whereas direct image-to-speech tasks provide opportunities for intuitive auditory representations of visual content.

The dry-gel conversion synthesis of the lithium sodium borosilicate jadarite, LiNaSiB3O7(OH)

Abstract The lithium sodium borosilicate jadarite, LiNaSiB3O7(OH), was first identified in 2007 in the Jadar basin, Serbia, where it forms the principal ore mineral of one of Europe's largest Li deposits. We report the successful application of the dry-gel conversion technique (DGC) to synthesise a jadarite analogue, via a dry-gel precursor made using sol-gel synthesis and the inclusion of the structure directing agent tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAOH). Pawley refinement of powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) data collected on the synthetic sample was carried out using a monoclinic unit cell in space group P21/c (Whitfield et al., 2007), and gave refined unit cell parameters of a = 6.824(3) Å, b = 13.882(5) Å, c = 7.735(3) Å and β = 124.37(1)° (Rwp = 9.22). Inductively-coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP–OES) on the synthetic sample confirmed an empirical formula of Li1.07Na1.40Si0.79B3O7.32(OH), based on three B atoms per formula unit (apfu). The synthetic product was found to be deficient in Si compared to natural jadarite from analysis of PXRD and ICP–OES data. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed that synthetic jadarite has peaks at 1415 and 1342 cm–1 and between 1180 and 900 cm–1, which are attributed to the presence of trigonal (BO3) and tetrahedral (BO4) borate groups characteristic of the natural jadarite structure, as well as a broad peak at 3441 cm–1 due to the presence of residual TEAOH. Scanning electron microscopy showed similarities in the morphologies between synthetic and natural jadarite particles.

Classification of laryngeal diseases including laryngeal cancer, benign mucosal disease, and vocal cord paralysis by artificial intelligence using voice analysis

Voice change is often the first sign of laryngeal cancer, leading to diagnosis through hospital laryngoscopy. Screening for laryngeal cancer solely based on voice could enhance early detection. However, identifying voice indicators specific to laryngeal cancer is challenging, especially when differentiating it from other laryngeal ailments. This study presents an artificial intelligence model designed to distinguish between healthy voices, laryngeal cancer voices, and those of the other laryngeal conditions. We gathered voice samples of individuals with laryngeal cancer, vocal cord paralysis, benign mucosal diseases, and healthy participants. Comprehensive testing was conducted to determine the best mel-frequency cepstral coefficient conversion and machine learning techniques, with results analyzed in-depth. In our tests, laryngeal diseases distinguishing from healthy voices achieved an accuracy of 0.85–0.97. However, when multiclass classification, accuracy ranged from 0.75 to 0.83. These findings highlight the challenges of artificial intelligence-driven voice-based diagnosis due to overlaps with benign conditions but also underscore its potential.

Robust cascaded frequency conversion through shortcuts to adiabaticity

We propose a cascaded frequency conversion technique based on Stark-chirped rapid shortcuts to adiabatic passage (SCRSAP). The implementation of this technique corrects the coupling function in Stark-chirped rapid adiabatic passage (SCRAP) technique by means of shortcuts to adiabaticity (STA) counter-diabatic (CD) driving. The results of numerical simulations show that SCRSAP technique allows efficient frequency conversion at lower pump laser intensity and a wider range of delay parameters than SCRAP technique, and the STA technique improves the robustness of the process to temperature and signal frequency variations in adiabatic frequency conversion.

Solution Processing of Spinel Nickel Cobaltite: Exfoliation Mechanism, Dispersion Stability, and Applications.

The exfoliation of nonlayered materials to mono- or few-layers is of growing interest to realize their full potential for various applications. Nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4), which has a spinel crystal structure, is one such nonlayered material with unique properties and has been utilized in a wide range of applications. Herein, NiCo2O4 is synthesized from NiCo2- Layered double hydroxides using a topochemical conversion technique. Subsequently, bulk NiCo2O4 is exfoliated into mono- or few-layer nickel cobaltene nanosheets using liquid-phase exfoliation in various low-boiling point solvents. An analytical centrifuge technique is also utilized to understand the solute-solvent interactions by determining their dispersion stability using parameters such as the instability index and sedimentation velocity. Among the studied solvents, water/isopropyl alcohol cosolvent is found to have better dispersion stability. In addition, density functional theory calculations are carried out to understand the exfoliation mechanism. It is found that the surface termination arising from the Co-O bond needs the least energy for exfoliation. Furthermore, the obtained nickel cobaltene nanosheets are utilized as an active material for supercapacitors without any conductive additives or binders. A solid-state symmetric supercapacitor delivers a specific capacitance of 10.2 mF cm-2 with robust stability, retaining ∼98% capacitance after 4000 cycles.