Bandwidth limits of luminescent solar concentrators as detectors in free-space optical communication systems

Luminescent solar concentrators(LSCs)have recently emerged as a promising receiver technology in free-space optical communications due to their inherent ability to collect light from a wide field-of-view and concentrate it into small areas,thus leading to high optical gains.Several high-speed communication systems integrating LSCs in their detector blocks have already been demonstrated,with the majority of efforts so far being devoted to maximising the received optical power and the system's field-of-view.However,LSCs may pose a severe bottleneck on the bandwidth of such communication channels due to the comparably slow timescale of the fluorescence events involved,a situation further aggravated by the inherent reabsorption in these systems,and yet,an in-depth study into such dynamic effects remains absent in the field.To fill this gap,we have developed a comprehensive analytical solution that delineates the fundamental bandwidth limits of LSCs as optical detectors in arbitrary free-space optical links,and establishes their equivalence with simple RC low-pass electrical circuits.Furthermore,we demonstrate a time-domain Monte Carlo simulation platform,an indispensable tool in the multiparameter optimisation of LSC-based receiver systems.Our work offers vital insight into LSC system dynamic behaviour and paves the way to evaluate the technology for a wide range of applications,including visible light communications,high-speed video recording,and real-time biological imaging,to name a few.     

A general class of nonparametric control charts

In this article, we introduce a new general class of nonparametric Shewhart‐type control charts using the lengths of runs of test sample observations between successive observations of a reference sample. Several control charts that have appeared in the literature are members of the new family. In addition, 3 new nonparametric control charts that belong to the class are introduced and studied. Numerical results depict that the proposed charts attain competitive in‐control and out‐of‐control performance as compared with existing nonparametric charts.     

Peripheral Inflammatory Markers TNF-α and CCL2 Revisited: Association with Parkinson’s Disease Severity

One of the major mediators of neuroinflammation in PD is tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), which, similar to other cytokines, is produced by activated microglia and astrocytes. Although TNF-α can be neuroprotective in the brain, long-term neuroinflammation and TNF release can be harmful, having a neurotoxic role that leads to death of oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and neurons and, therefore, is associated with neurodegeneration. Apart from cytokines, a wide family of molecules with homologous structures, namely chemokines, play a key role in neuro-inflammation by drawing cytotoxic T-lymphocytes and activating microglia. The objective of the current study was to examine the levels of the serum TNF-α and CCL2 (Chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2), also known as MCP-1 (Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein-1), in PD patients compared with healthy controls. We also investigated the associations between the serum levels of these two inflammatory mediators and a number of clinical symptoms, in particular, disease severity and cognition. Such an assessment may point to their prognostic value and provide some treatment hints. PD patients with advanced stage on the Hoehn–Yahr scale showed an increase in TNF-α levels compared with PD patients with stages 1 and 2 (p = 0.01). Additionally, the UPDRS score was significantly associated with TNF-α levels. CCL2 levels, however, showed no significant associations.     

Structure,morphology, and photoluminescence of porous Si nanowires: effect of different chemical treatments

The structure and light-emitting properties of Si nanowires (SiNWs) fabricated by a single-step metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) process on highly boron-doped Si were investigated after different chemical treatments. The Si nanowires that result from the etching of a highly doped p-type Si wafer by MACE are fully porous, and as a result, they show intense photoluminescence (PL) at room temperature, the characteristics of which depend on the surface passivation of the Si nanocrystals composing the nanowires. SiNWs with a hydrogen-terminated nanostructured surface resulting from a chemical treatment with a hydrofluoric acid (HF) solution show red PL, the maximum of which is blueshifted when the samples are further chemically oxidized in a piranha solution. This blueshift of PL is attributed to localized states at the Si/SiO₂ interface at the shell of Si nanocrystals composing the porous SiNWs, which induce an important pinning of the electronic bandgap of the Si material and are involved in the recombination mechanism. After a sequence of HF/piranha/HF treatment, the SiNWs are almost fully dissolved in the chemical solution, which is indicative of their fully porous structure, verified also by transmission electron microscopy investigations. It was also found that a continuous porous Si layer is formed underneath the SiNWs during the MACE process, the thickness of which increases with the increase of etching time. This supports the idea that porous Si formation precedes nanowire formation. The origin of this effect is the increased etching rate at sites with high dopant concentration in the highly doped Si material.     

Facile Reduction of Nitroarenes into Anilines and Nitroalkanes into Hydroxylamines via the Rapid Activation of Ammonia⋅ Borane Complex by Supported Gold Nanoparticles

Gold nanoparticles supported on titania catalyse, even at a ppm loading level, the quantitative reduction of nitroarenes into anilines and nitroalkanes into alkylhydroxylamines by the ammonia⋅ borane complex. No dehalohalogenation was seen in the case of chloro‐ or bromonitroarenes, while ester, cyano, or carboxylic acid functionalities also remain intact. The nitroarene to aniline reduction pathway does not require nitrosoarenes as intermediate products.     

Antibacterial Activity of Copper Nanoparticles against Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria in Tomato Plants

Copper-based bactericides have appeared as a new tool in crop protection and offer an effective solution to combat bacterial resistance. In this work, two copper nanoparticle products that were previously synthesized and evaluated against major bacterial and fungal pathogens were tested on their ability to control the bacterial spot disease of tomato. Growth of Xanthomonas campestris pv. vesicatoria, the causal agent of the disease, was significantly suppressed by both nanoparticles, which had superior function compared to conventional commercial formulations of copper. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry measurements in tomato leaves revealed that bioavailability of copper is superior in the case of nanoparticles compared to conventional formulations and is dependent on synthesis rather than size. This is the first report correlating bioavailability of copper to nanoparticle efficacy.     

Classical and alternative fuel mix optimization in cement production using mathematical programming

In this paper a systematic methodology is presented for the simultaneous optimal selection of raw materials, fossil fuels and alternative fuels in cement production. The aim is to offer a generic mathematical formulation that can be used as the basis for developing case specific mathematical formulations that can assist the strategic decision-making process. The mathematical model presented takes into consideration the essential elements of a cement plant operation. The final formulation is a mixed integer linear programming problem that aims at minimizing the overall operating cost. A realistic case study is presented which demonstrates the usefulness of the proposed mathematical programming methodology.     

Free-radical synthesis of narrow polydispersed 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-based tetrapolymers for dilute aqueous base developable negative photoresists

Novel (meth)acrylate tetrapolymers based on 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were synthesized via free-radical polymerization in refluxing xylene under monomer-starved conditions for use in negative photoresist formulations. 2,2′-Azobis(2-methylbutyronitrile) was used as initiator and 2-mercaptoethanol as chain transfer agent. Optimized resist formulations were obtained with a relatively narrow polydispersed (D=1.86) low molecular weight copolymer (M_n=1677) of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), isobornyl methacrylate (IBMA), cyclohexyl methacrylate (CHMA) and acrylic acid (AA), in a 40/30/23/7 weight ratio. A novel high-resolution single layer negative tone photoresist suitable for 193 nm and e-beam lithography that meets basic performance requirements (aqueous-base development, enhanced etch resistance, sub-0.2 μm resolution) was developed from the aforementioned (meth)acrylate tetrapolymer, the poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-cyclohexyl methacrylate-co-isobornyl methacrylate-co-acrylic acid) (PHECIMA) and a sulfonium salt photo acid generator. The key-components for the negative image formation (photoacid induced crosslinking) are the hydroxyl groups of the HEMA moieties. The swelling-free negative resist material was developed in diluted aqueous base [tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide, (TMAH) 0.26×10⁻²N] and presented enhanced etch resistance without the use of etch resistance promoters. 0.20-0.14 μm lines were obtained upon 193 nm and/or e-beam lithography.     

Armenian cochineal (Porphyrophora hamelii) and purpurin‐rich madder in ancient polychromy

Samples removed from funeral figurines, dated the third to the second century BC (Hellenistic period) and found in Macedonia, Greece, are investigated using high‐performance liquid chromatography. Two results are reported that provide new insights into ancient polychromy. Firstly, high‐performance liquid chromatography results, in combination with historical information, indicate that insect species of cochineal, most probably Porphyrophora hamelii Brandt, was used in Hellenistic objects. Secondly, madder detected in the archaeological samples contains high amounts of purpurin (alizarin is either not detected or detected in trace). This relative composition, which is recorded using the hydrochloric acid method for dyestuff extraction, is consistent with that prepared from wild madder (Rubia peregrina L.), which is a common plant in the Mediterranean region.