Performance analysis of dual-hop mixed RF-FSO systems combined with NOMA.

This paper investigates the performance of hybrid radio frequency/free space optical (RF/FSO) systems combined with non-orthogonal multiple access communications technology. We examine a scenario where the source and destination are separated by a large distance, with no direct link between them. The relay, denoted R, operates using the decode-and-forward (DF) protocol.

Strong exciton-photon coupling in self-hybridized organic-inorganic lead halide perovskite microcavities.

Controlling coherent light-matter interactions in semiconductor microcavities is at the heart of the next-generation solid-state polaritonic devices. Organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites are potential materials for room-temperature polaritonics owing to their high exciton oscillator strengths and large exciton binding energies. Herein, we report on strong exciton-photon coupling in the micro-platelet and micro-ribbon shaped methylammonium lead bromide single crystals.

Optimizing flexural strength of RC beams with recycled aggregates and CFRP using machine learning models.

This paper investigates the flexural bearing behavior of reinforced concrete beams through experimental analysis and advanced machine learning predictive models. The primary problem centers around understanding how varying compositions of construction materials, particularly the inclusion of recycled aggregates and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP), affect the structural performance of concrete beams. Eight beams, including those with natural aggregates, recycled aggregates, fly ash, and CFRP, were tested.

Understanding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon accumulation in road dust of a tropical megacity in southern Vietnam: Implications on environmental management.

This study investigated the characteristics of 23 PAHs in road dust from various areas in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), focusing on spatial distribution, pollution levels, human health risks, and source apportionment. PAH levels in urban samples (residential and industrial sites) ranged from 208 to 7665 (μg/kg), significantly higher than background levels (135 ± 42.2 μg/kg).

EHNet: Efficient Hybrid Network with Dual Attention for Image Deblurring.

The motion of an object or camera platform makes the acquired image blurred. This degradation is a major reason to obtain a poor-quality image from an imaging sensor. Therefore, developing an efficient deep-learning-based image processing method to remove the blur artifact is desirable.

Selective Void Deposition by Continuous, Ultrathin Ag Film Enabled Stable, High-Performance AgNWs-Based Transparent Heaters.

Metallic nanowire-based transparent conductors (MNTCs) are essential to various technologies, including displays, heat-regulating windows, and photo-communication. Hybrid configurations are primarily adopted to design stable, high-functioning MNTCs. Although hybrid MNTCs enhance electrical performance, they often suffer from optical degradation due to losses associated with the hybrid layers.

Evaluation of Gel Coating Performance in Extending the Shelf Life of Egg: The Role of Surface Area and Initial Weight.

This work investigated the impact of chicken egg size, including surface area and initial weight, on the effectiveness of cassava starch-based gel coating during storage at room temperature. The quality of a total of 540 fresh eggs in four different sizes (S, M, L and XL) was evaluated over a 4-week storage period at 25 ± 1 °C (60-65% RH). In this research, images from a scanning electron microscope revealed that the coatings maintained their integrity across all egg sizes, effectively covering pores and cracks throughout storage.

Optimizing the Tensile Strength of Weld Lines in Glass Fiber Composite Injection Molding.

Weld line defects, commonly occurring during the plastic product manufacturing process, are caused by the merging of two opposing streams of molten plastic. The presence of weld lines harms the product's aesthetic appeal and durability. This study uses artificial neural networks to forecast the ultimate tensile strength of a PA6 composite incorporating 30% glass fibers (GFs).

Expression of the Discoidin Domain Receptor Family Depended on Glucose and Their High Expression in Arterial Tissues in the Rat Model of Type 2 Diabetes.

The active form of discoidin domain receptors (DDRs) is expressed in cell surface and regulated post-translationally by glucose. The DDR2 and DDR1 transfected in HEK293 cells were expressed mainly in their active forms with sizes of 130 and 120 kDa, respectively. DDRs were observed predominantly as 100 kDa proteins in glucose-depleted culture conditions.

Preparation and characterization of the injectable pH- and temperature-sensitive pentablock hydrogel containing human growth hormone-loaded chitosan nanoparticles via electrospraying.

This research investigated the gelation, biodegradation, and drug release efficiency of a novel injectable sensitive drug delivery system for human growth hormone (HGh). This composite system comprises pH- and temperature-sensitive hydrogel, designated as oligomer serine-b-poly(lactide)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(lactide)-b-oligomer serine (OS-PLA-PEG-PLA-OS) pentablock copolymer, as matrix and electrosprayed HGh-loaded chitosan (HGh@CS) nanoparticles (NPs) as principal material. The proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum of the pH- and temperature-sensitive OS-PLA-PEG-PLA-OS pentablock copolymer hydrogel proved that this copolymer was successfully synthesized.

Defect-Driven MoS Nanosheets toward Enhanced Sensing Sensitivity.

In this study, S-deficient MoS was prepared using proton irradiation and then applied as sensing materials for the detection of NO gas. First, bulk MoS was treated by ultrasonics to produce 2D nanosheets of MoS, which were subsequently bombarded by a flux of high-energy protons, resulting in the appearance of structural defects throughout MoS. The proton fluxes were adjusted to different densities of 1 × 10, 1 × 10, 1 × 10, and 1 × 10 ions/cm.

Injection Molding Condition Effects on the Mechanical Properties of Coconut-Wood-Powder-Based Polymer Composite.

This study investigates the mechanical properties of coconut sawdust powder combined with polypropylene (PP). The effect of compatibility content, wood powder (WP) content, and injection molding parameters on the properties of coconut wood powder composite (WPC) is evaluated. The results could be used to figure out the optimal mechanical properties such as tensile strength, elongation, elastic modulus, and flexural strength by selecting suitable parameters and composition.

Impact of Modifications from Potassium Hydroxide on Porous Semi-IPN Hydrogel Properties and Its Application in Cultivation.

This study synthesized and modified a semi-interpenetrating polymer network hydrogel from polyacrylamide, ,'-dimethylacrylamide, and maleic acid in a potassium hydroxide solution. The chemical composition, interior morphology, thermal properties, mechanical characteristics, and swelling behaviors of the initial hydrogel (SH) and modified hydrogel (SB) in water, salt solutions, and buffer solutions were investigated. Hydrogels were used as phosphate fertilizer (PF) carriers and applied in farming techniques by evaluating their impact on soil properties and the growth of mustard greens.

Polyethylene Glycol/Rice Husk Ash Shape-Stabilized Phase Change Materials: Recovery of Thermal Energy Storage Efficacy via Engineering Porous Support Structure.

This study focuses on modifying the porous structure of acid-treated rice husk ash (ARHA) to enhance the thermal energy storage capacity of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) confined within shape-stabilized phase change materials. The modification process involved a cost-effective sol-gel method in which ARHA was initially dissolved in an alkaline solution and subsequently precipitated in an acidic environment. ARHA, being a mesoporous SiO-based material with a high surface area but low pore volume, had limited capacity to adsorb PEG (50%).

Layer-by-layer thinning of two-dimensional materials.

Etching technology - one of the representative modern semiconductor device makers - serves as a broad descriptor for the process of removing material from the surfaces of various materials, whether partially or entirely. Meanwhile, thinning technology represents a novel and highly specialized approach within the realm of etching technology. It indicates the importance of achieving an exceptionally sophisticated and precise removal of material, layer-by-layer, at the nanoscale.

A new cucurbitane - type triterpenoid from the bark of Kurz.

A new cucurbitacin, 3-(-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-5,6:16,23-diepoxycucurbit-24-en-11-one or hygrocucurbin A , along with two known compounds, including 3-(-D-glucopyranosyloxy)-16,23-epoxycucurbita-5,24-dien-11-one and (+)-lyoniresinol , were isolated from the bark of . Their chemical structures were elucidated by spectroscopic NMR, HR-IDA- TOF-MS analysis, and by comparison with the spectral data of corresponding compounds in the literature. Two cucurbitacins and were evaluated for their -glucosidase inhibitory activity and cytotoxic against KB, MCF-7, Hep G2, and A549 cancer cell lines.

Spermacosides a and B, two new triterpenoid saponins from burm.f.

Two new triterpenoid saponins, named spermacosides A-B (-), together with two known oleanane-type triterpenoid saponins, 3--D-xylopyranosyl-(1→3)-D-glucopyranosylbayogenin ( and 3---D-glucopyranosylbayogenin (), were isolated from the ethyl acetate extract of Burm.f. in a phytochemical investigation.

Optimal placement and operation of soft open points, capacitors, and renewable distributed generators in distribution power networks to reduce total one-year energy loss.

The paper optimizes the placement of soft open points (SOPs) devices, shunt capacitor banks (SCBs), and distributed generators (DGs) in the IEEE 69-node distribution power grid for reducing the power loss of a single hour and total energy losses of one year. EO is proven to be more effective than previous methods and three other applied algorithms, including the Coot optimization algorithm (COOT), Modified weight inertia factor and modified acceleration coefficients-based particle swarm optimization (CFPSO), and Tunicate swarm algorithm (TSA). So, EO is applied for the last case considering one SOPs, one wind turbine (WT), two solar photovoltaic systems (PVs), and two SCBs over one year with twelve months and 24 h each month.

Enhancing Amplification in Compliant Mechanisms: Optimization of Plastic Types and Injection Conditions.

This study surveys the impacts of injection parameters on the deformation rate of the injected flexure hinge made from ABS, PP, and HDPE. The flexure hinges are generated with different filling time, filling pressure, filling speed, packing time, packing pressure, cooling time, and melt temperature. The amplification ratio of the samples between different injection parameters and different plastic types is measured and compared to figure out the optimal one with a high amplification ratio.

Fracture behaviour assessment of high-performance fibre-reinforced concrete at high strain rates using interpretable modelling approaches.

High-performance fibre-reinforced concrete (HPFRC), a type of cementitious composite material known for its exceptional mechanical performance, has widespread applications in structures exposed to severe dynamic loading conditions. However, understanding nonlinear HPFRC fracture behaviour, particularly under high strain rates, remains challenging given the complexities of assessment procedures and cost-intensive nature of experiments. This study presents an interpretable framework for modelling and analysing HPFRC fracture strength at high strain rates.

Using Carbonized Cotton Fabric Waste to Prepare Poly(ethylene glycol) Composite Phase Change Materials with Improved Thermal Conductivity and Solar-to-Thermal Conversion.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) boasts excellent thermal energy storage capabilities but lacks efficiency in thermal conductivity and solar absorption. Simultaneously, the escalating concern surrounding the substantial volume of discarded cotton fabric underscores environmental issues. In this study, we devised composite phase change materials (PCMs) by embedding PEG into a carbon cotton material (CCM), varying PEG content from 50 to 80%, and conducted a comprehensive analysis of their thermal properties and solar-to-thermal conversion.

Research on the Impact of Data Density on Memristor Crossbar Architectures in Neuromorphic Pattern Recognition.

Binary memristor crossbars have great potential for use in brain-inspired neuromorphic computing. The complementary crossbar array has been proposed to perform the Exclusive-NOR function for neuromorphic pattern recognition. The single crossbar obtained by shortening the Exclusive-NOR function has more advantages in terms of power consumption, area occupancy, and fault tolerance.

Toward sustainable community-based tourism development: Perspectives from local people in Nhon Ly coastal community, Binh Dinh province, Vietnam.

Community-based tourism (CBT) is no longer a new form in many countries, including Vietnam. However, the approach of CBT in a sustainable manner, especially in coastal villages, where tourism has recently emerged as an alternative livelihood, has received little attention. This study explores the impact of tourism on the lives of the local community, the level of people's participation in tourism, and the challenges of tourism development in the coastal commune of Nhon Ly, Binh Dinh province.