One-step pipetting of barcoded planar microparticles into compact monolayer assembling chip for efficient readout of multiplexed immunoassay

Barcoded planar microparticles have many qualities suitable for developing cost-efficient multiplexed immunoassays. But at the translational research level, there are a number of technical aspects yet remain to be addressed which includes robustness and efficiency of the assay readout process. Assay readout process involves automated barcode identification and signal intensity values from each planar microparticle. For this, each microparticle has to be correctly aligned for correct barcode readout while being, ideally, compactly assembled for maximum microparticle imaging efficiency. To simultaneously achieve such alignment and assembly of microparticles but in a straightforward manner, we designed a microfluidic microparticle assembling chip that only requires a single pipetting step. Our design utilizes capillary flow based guided particle assembly, which allows maximum microparticle-based immunoassay readout efficiency. With the aid of image processing algorithms, we obtained good multiplex immunoassay readout accuracy similar to conventional imaging platforms. Our approach is applicable to both soft elastomer materials (e.g. PDMS) and rigid materials (e.g. polystyrene), the latter of which is frequently used for injection molding based mass production. We anticipate our device could help developing facile and user-friendly platform technologies based on barcoded planar microparticles.

Visual Analysis of Crop Rotation Fallow Patterns in Recent 5 Years Based on CiteSpace

Based on the "Web of Science Core Collection" (SCIE database), this article used the visualization software CiteSpace to visualize and analyze the crop rotation fallow patterns in the past five years. It analyzed the countries, institutions, keywords and hot topics of related literature to explore their research characteristics and development, and to provide reference for crop rotation fallow research and practice. The research shows that: 1) developed countries are the main research force in the field of crop rotation and fallowing, and the connection between the research of each country and each institution is not close; 2) research hotspots can be mainly summarized as: crop growth and yield, greenhouse gas emissions and soil health analysis, and the research in this field is constantly refined, combining macro and micro; 3) In recent years, there is a big gap between China and foreign countries in the field of crop rotation and fallow research. It is necessary to strengthen the cooperation with research institutions in developed countries in Europe and the United States, and to carry out crossregional and interdisciplinary research cooperation to improve the quality of papers and scientific research level.

Methods of Developing Sustainable Competitiveness Indicators for Innovative Industrial Clusters

The present article introduces a new system of indicators for assessing the sustainable competitiveness of innovative industrial clusters. The authors reviewed foreign and domestic approaches to monitoring and evaluating industrial clusters and classified them according to assessment type, research level, costs, and effects. Sustainable competitiveness proved to be the most complex characteristic of any cluster. It could be divided into two groups of parameters, i.e. 1) long-term competitiveness and 2) stability as a socio-ecological and economic system. Each group was given a list of indicators for quantitative and qualitative assessment, which included indicators of potential development, organization and management, socio-ecological and economic stability, etc. The research revealed some gaps in the Russian statistics of cluster development, which hinder the information support for monitoring and evaluating the sustainable competitiveness of clusters. As a result, the current databases on the social, economic, and environmental aspects of Russian clusters are fragmented and chronologically incompatible.

Stability Relevant Properties of an SiO2 Aerogel-Based Rendering and Its Application on Buildings

Aerogel-based renderings and plasters have been spreading throughout Europe for nearly a decade. Several national and EU-funded projects have addressed this interesting building product, both at research level within academia and at application level within R&D of renowned industrial enterprises. At present, a number of investigations into the hygro-thermal, chemical and application properties of a commercially successful aerogel-based rendering and its main ingredient, SiO2 aerogel granules, have been undertaken. Immersion in water showed that even under harsh circumstances water does not enter the aerogel granules, but rather accumulates in the porous phase surrounding the granules. A further immersion in calcium hydroxide at different temperatures did not affect the aerogel granule either, which indicates the robustness of the granules with respect to their exposure to moisture and chemical deterioration emerging from the construction materials the rendering is applied on. An executed application to a historic building with a structured finish, and without any reinforcement mesh, showed the advantage of a versatile applicability of this rendering when the external appearance and visible details of a façade must be kept unchanged. The investigation is rounded off by an infrared picture taken on a cold day showing the thermal influence of the aerogel-based rendering, and its effectiveness for reducing heat loss in buildings.

Edge Computing and Its Convergence with Blockchain in 6G: Security Challenges

Even though the wireless network of 5G has not been investigated exhaustively, the sixth generation (6G) echo systems’ visionaries are already being debated. Therefore, to solidify and consolidate privacy and security within 6G networks, this paper examines edge computing and its convergence with blockchain in 6G: security challenges. Moreover, the paper examines how security might affect the wireless systems of the 6G, potential obstacles characterizing various 6G technologies, alongside possible remedies. This paper unveils the 6G security vision alongside key indicators of performance with tentative landscape threat premised upon predicted sixth generation infrastructure. Furthermore, a discussion of the privacy and security challenges that might emerge from the existing sixth generation applications and demands is presented. Additionally, the paper sheds light into the research-level projects and standardization efforts. Specific attention is accorded to discussion on the security consideration with 6G enhancing technologies, including quantum computing, visible light communication (VLC), distributed ML/AI, physical layer security, and distributed ledger technology (DLT). Overall, this paper seeks to guide the subsequent investigation of sixth generation privacy and security in the early stage of envisioning to practicality.

Improved LEACH protocol for increasing the lifetime of WSNs

<p>Recently, wireless sensor network (WSN) is taking a high place in several applications: military, industry, and environment. The importance of WSNs in current applications makes the WSNs the most developed technology at the research level and especially in the field of communication and computing. However, WSN’s performance deals with a number of challenges. Energy consumption is the most considerable for many researchers because nodes use energy to collect, treat, and send data, but they have restricted energy. For this reason, numerous efficient energy routing protocols have been developed to save the consumption of power. Low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH) is considered as the most attractive one in WSNs. In the present document, we evaluate the LEACH approach effectiveness in the cluster-head (CH) choosing and in data transmission, then we propose an enhanced protocol. The proposed algorithm aims to improve energy consumption and prolong the lifetime of WSN through selecting CHs depending on the remaining power, balancing the number of nodes in clusters, determining abandoned nodes in order to send their data to the sink. Then CHs choose the optimal path to achieve the sink. Simulation results exhibit that the enhanced method can decrease the consumption of energy and prolong the life-cycle of the network.</p>

Evolution and Review of Modern Eastern Vernacular Buildings

This paper divided the evolution of modern Chinese vernacular architecture (1949–2010) into 3 stages: early exploration, confine and confusion, and modern development, by taking time line as the clue, vernacular characteristics of modern architecture in Xi’an during different phases as the support, and combining literature research and field investigation. On this basis, it reviewed historical background, relevant context and typical features of modern vernacular architecture in Xi’an during different phases, and further concluded the evolution laws and research level of modern Chinese vernacular architecture.

Domestic Research Progress Analysis of Research Travel Based on CNKI Big Data Quantitative Analysis

With the big data bibliometric analysis function of CNKI, 925 documents were retrieved with "research travel" as the keyword. Visual analysis and index analysis were performed on these documents. In terms of development trend, authors, keywords, fund support and research level, the characteristics of research progress of domestic research travel are summarized.According to the quantitative analysis results of big data, it can be seen that the research on research travel is in the exploratory stage and the research level is single.In the future, researchers need to continuously deepen their research, increase the research of industry guidance, vocational guidance, basic and applied basic research and other types, and constantly enrich the research levels; grasp the hot spots such as geographical practice, core literacy, geographic core literacy, curriculum development, quality education, small research topics, etc, and deepen the research contents of research travel.

Training Research Mathematicians circa 1900

An American mathematical research community emerged over the course of the closing quarter of the nineteenth century. In its efforts to shape itself, it looked abroad and especially to Germany, France, and Great Britain, three countries long established as mathematical leaders. What it found there were three very different systems for training future mathematical researchers. This chapter compares and contrasts those systems—at the same time that it examines the American system ultimately influenced by them—as they had evolved by the turn of the twentieth century. In so doing, it casts a comparative eye on what have traditionally been treated as four largely separate and distinct national mathematical communities and identifies shared standards of and practices in research-level training as a critical component of the internationalization of the field in the twentieth century.