Explore the vast range of titles available.

One of the most widely used techniques to generate light through an efficient electron transfer is called electrochemiluminescence, or electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL). ECL mechanisms can be explored via ‘spooling spectroscopy’ in which individual ECL spectra showing emitted light are collected continuously during a potentiodynamic course. The obtained spectra are spooled together and plotted along the applied potential axis; because the potential sweep occurs at a defined rate, this axis is directly proportional to time. Any changes in the emission spectra can be correlated to the corresponding potentials and/or times, leading to a deeper understanding of the mechanism for light generation—information that can be used for efficiently maximizing ECL intensities. The formation of intermediates and excited states can also be tracked, which is crucial to interrogating and drawing electron transfer pathways (i.e., understanding the chemical reaction mechanism). Spooling spectroscopy is not limited to ECL; we also include instructions for the use of related methodologies, such as spooling photoluminescence spectroscopy during an electrolysis procedure, which can be easily set up. The total time required to complete the protocol is ~49 h, from making electrodes and an ECL cell, fabricating light-tight housing, to setting up instruments. Preparing the lab for an individual experiment (making an electrolyte solution of a targeted luminophore, cooling down the CCD camera, calibrating the spectrometer and surveying electrochemistry) takes ~1 h 15 min, and performing the spooling ECL spectroscopy experiment itself requires ~10 min. In spooling electrochemiluminescence spectroscopy, light emission spectra are continuously recorded during an electrochemical sweep. The formation of luminescent intermediates and products is shown as a function of electrical potential.

Identity spoofing is a contender for high-security face-recognition applications. With the advent of social media and globalised search, peoples face images and videos are wide-spread on the Internet and can be potentially used to attack biometric systems without previous user consent. Yet, research to counter these threats is just on its infancy – the authors lack public standard databases, protocols to measure spoofing vulnerability and baseline methods to detect these attacks. The contributions of this work to the area are 3-fold: first, the authors a publicly available PHOTO-ATTACK database with associated protocols to measure the effectiveness of counter-measures is introduced. Based on the data available, a study is conducted on current state-of-the-art spoofing detection algorithms based on motion analysis, showing they fail under the light of this new dataset. By last, the authors propose a new technique of counter-measure solely based on foreground/background motion correlation using optical flow that outperforms all other algorithms achieving nearly perfect scoring with an equal-error rate of 1.52% on the available test data. The source code leading to the reported results is made available for the replicability of findings in this study.

The histone variant H2A.Z plays key roles in gene expression, DNA repair, and centromere function. H2A.Z deposition is controlled by SWR-C chromatin remodeling enzymes that catalyze the nucleosomal exchange of canonical H2A with H2A.Z. Here we report that acetylation of histone H3 on lysine 56 (H3-K56Ac) alters the substrate specificity of SWR-C, leading to promiscuous dimer exchange in which either H2A.Z or H2A can be exchanged from nucleosomes. This result was confirmed in vivo, where genome-wide analysis demonstrated widespread decreases in H2A.Z levels in yeast mutants with hyperacetylated H3K56. Our work also suggests that a conserved SWR-C subunit may function as a \"lock\" that prevents removal of H2A.Z from nucleosomes. Our study identifies a histone modification that regulates a chromatin remodeling reaction and provides insights into how histone variants and nucleosome turnover can be controlled by chromatin regulators.

Annually, numerous workers face job loss, injuries, and fatalities due to various occupational injuries (OIs). However, less is known regarding the burden of OIs and their associated factors in the textile and garment industries in Bangladesh. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of OI and the individual and job-related factors associated with OI among textile and garment workers in Bangladesh. We analyzed cross-sectional data of 13,738 workers collected during 2016–2017 from the nationally representative Bangladesh Labor Force Survey. We employed multiple Firth logistic regression models to explore the different levels of associated factors of OI. The overall prevalence of OI was 1.8%, with a higher prevalence in the textile industry (3.8%) compared to the garment industry (1.2%). Within the textile industry, jute manufacturing exhibited the highest prevalence (12.3%), while in the garment sector, the embroidery and wearing industries had the highest prevalence (1.8%). Adjusted models revealed that, in the textile industry, migrant workers had higher odds of OI (Adjusted Odds Ratio, AOR = 1.65; p = 0.017) compared to non-migrant workers. In the garment industry, male workers (AOR = 1.95; p = 0.002) and those working over 48 hours per week (AOR = 1.70; p = 0.063) were at greater risk of OI. A hazardous work environment significantly increased the odds of OI in both industries (textile: AOR = 13.06; p < 0.001; and garment: AOR = 3.13; p < 0.001). Additionally, garment workers without adequate protective equipment or cloth while working had a higher likelihood of OI (AOR = 1.90; p = 0.006). Regionally, workers in the Barisal division had higher odds of OI in the textile industry. Although the overall prevalence of OI was low, the disproportionate burden among certain subgroups, especially in jute manufacturing and the manufacture of spooling and thread, highlights critical areas for intervention. Improving workplace safety through the provision of protective equipment and a safer working environment is essential to mitigating OI in the textile and garment industries of Bangladesh.

There is limited evidence on how shifts in plant physiological performance influence vegetation variations in the paleorecord. To evaluate δ13C of pollen from C3 plants as an indicator of community-level physiology, small quantities (10–30 grains) of untreated pollen and sporopollenin from herbarium specimens of Ambrosia (A. tomentosa and A. psilostachya) and Artemisia (A. frigida, A. ludoviciana and A. dracunculus), genera abundant in grassland pollen profiles, were isolated by micromanipulation. Their δ13C values were measured using a spooling-wire microcombustion device interfaced with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer. Leaf δ13C was also measured. Carbon isotope discrimination (Δ) for untreated pollen, sporopollenin and leaves was compared with historic records of seasonal precipitation amount, vapor pressure deficit and the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI). Each species showed positive correlations between Δ of untreated pollen and sporopollenin. Sporopollenin was most strongly correlated with PDSI. Correlations among leaf Δ and moisture indicators were stronger for Ambrosia than Artemisia. These results suggest that sporopollenin Δ indicates the level of moisture stress in C3 plants. Therefore, δ13C analysis of pollen promises to help address important paleoecological questions, such as how community-level physiology contributes to shifts in vegetation composition.

The digital images are widely used in many fields, such as the military, government, and traffic. DNA encoding, as an important means of image encryption, has received increasing attention due to its powerful parallelism. But its low coding efficiency limits its application. This paper designs a quartering search method and proposes a fast DNA encoding algorithm inspired by the simultaneous peripheral operations online system. By trading off memory for time, the base combinations corresponding to 256 different pixel values are precomputed and prestored in the computer memory or hard disk in advance. When the corresponding DNA encoding or decoding operations are carried out, the data can be called to avoid a large number of repeated calculations. Experimental results and comparative analyses show that the proposed algorithm can greatly improve the efficiency of DNA encoding or decoding and be practical. Our algorithm can further facilitate the promotion and application of DNA encoding in the field of image encryption. Graphical abstract

Many lightweight materials, including aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, and plastic, have been used for automotives. Aluminum alloy—the most commonly utilized lightweight metal—has poor resistance spot weldability owing to its inherent properties, which demand the development of welding solutions. Various welding techniques are utilized to improve the resistance spot weldability of aluminum alloy, including DeltaSpot welding. However, the technological development for welding dissimilar metals (aluminum alloy and steel) required for vehicle body assembly is still in its nascent stages. This study proposes DeltaSpot welding (a resistance spot welding process with spooling process tapes) using the alloy combination of 6000 series aluminum alloy (Al 6K32) and 440 MPa grade steel (SGARC 440). The welding characteristics of the main process parameters in DeltaSpot welding were analyzed and the weldability of the combination of the aluminum alloy, Al 6K32, and 440 MPa grade steel was evaluated. In addition, the characteristics of the intermetallic compound layer between the 440 MPa grade steel and Al 6K32 sheets were identified via scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS).

The mechanical and rheological characterizations of flexible investment casting patterns capable of 3D printing are reported. The wax pattern was composed of microcrystalline hydrocarbon wax (DMW7478), Piccotex 75 (a copolymer of α–methyl–styrene and vinyl toluene with a 75/25 molar ratio, respectively) and Escorene (a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate with a 72/28 mass ratio, respectively). It was found that in order to obtain a wax pattern with appreciable mechanical properties, the content of the microcrystalline hydrocarbon wax in these blends should not exceed 30% (m/m). Thus, a series of patterns with 28% (m/m) wax and varying Piccotex and Escorene contents spanning from 0 to 72% (m/m) was prepared. The dependence of the dynamic viscosities of the wax patterns on the composition was described using a stretched exponential model, whereas their variations with the temperature were interpreted in terms of the Arrhenius–Guzman equation. Furthermore, the slopes of the lines fitted to the viscosity versus temperature curves at the pour point decreased linearly with the Piccotex content. Non-Newtonian changes in the shear stress with the shear rate and shear stress crystallization were observed at temperatures near the pour points. The mechanical properties were evaluated using the uniaxial tensile mode and by three-point bending experiments. It was found that the stress (σ) versus the relative elongation (ε) curves can effectively be rendered by means of the standard linear solid (SLS) viscoelastic model. In addition, it was also established that the Young’s modulus varied according to a sigmoid-type curve with the piccotex content, while the yield stress decreased linearly with the concentration of Piccotex. In addition, based on the spooling suitability and printability, the patterns were rated and it was found that the most appropriate wax pattern compositions for 3D printing were those which contained 30% (m/m) and 35% (m/m) Piccotex.

Surface roughness is an important factor influencing subsea cable/umbilical–soil interaction. The cable/umbilical goes through several steps before being laid on the seabed, including production, spooling, unspooling, and installation on the seabed. Yet, there is no standard method for assessing the outer sheath roughness, whether extruded or roving, of subsea cables/umbilicals, and outer sheath roughness has not been measured in many cable/umbilical–soil test datasets. The lack of a universally agreed method for assessing and preparing surface roughness stems from the diverse applications of cables/umbilicals, each of which is subject to varying environmental conditions and operational requirements. Such diversity complicates the establishment of a single standard. The objective of this paper is to present the measurements used to determine the surface roughness of the extruded outer and roving outer sheath of subsea cables/umbilicals. The surface roughness of the outer sheath of subsea cables/umbilicals is required for the soil interface direct shear tests, and the corresponding results are essential for determining the friction factors of the cable/umbilical–soil interaction on the seabed.

Tubular pipe structures have been used in various applications—domestic, aviation, marine, manufacturing and material testing. The applications of tubular pipes have been considered greatly in the installation of tubular pipes, marine risers and pipe bending. For the investigation of plastic strains and the mechanical behaviour of a tube under bending, considerations were made utilising an exponent model with assumptions on the plane strain. The bending moment, wall thickness effect, cross-sectional distribution, stresses during bending and neutral layer boundaries were all presented as necessary theoretical formulations on the physics of tubular pipe bending. This model was based on the analytical and numerical investigation. In principle, the application can be observed as the spooling of pipes, bending of pipes and reeling. Comparisons were made on two models developed on the finite element analysis in Simscale OpenFEA, namely the linear-elastic and the elasto-plastic models. This study presents visualization profiles using plastic strain to assess its effect on the tubular pipes. This can increase due to the limitation of plastic deformation on the composite materials selected.