Present research concerns the TL signal stored in chalk of the variety commercially available for writing on blackboards. Samples of this have been subjected to x-ray irradiation, the key dosimetric parameters investigated including dose and energy response, sensitivity, fading and glow curve analysis. Three types of chalk have been investigated, each in five different colours. The samples were annealed at 323 K prior to irradiation. For all three chalk types and all five colours, the dose response has been found linear over the investigated dose range, 0-9 Gy. Regardless of type or colour, photoelectric energy dependency is apparent at the low energy end down to the lowest investigated accelerating potential of 30 kV. Crayola (Yellow) has shown the greatest TL sensitivity, thus selection has been made to limit further analysis to this medium alone, specifically in respect of glow curve and fading study. In addition, elemental compositional and structural change characterizations were made for the same medium, utilizing Energy Dispersive X-Ray (EDX) and Raman spectroscopy, respectively.
Present work concerns polymer pencil-lead graphite (PPLG) and the potential use of these in elucidating irradiation-driven structural alterations. The study provides detailed analysis of radiation-induced structural interaction changes and the associated luminescence that originates from the energy absorption. Thermally stimulated emission from the different occupied defect energy levels reflects the received radiation dose, different for the different diameter PPLGs. The PPLG samples have been exposed to photon irradiation, specifically x-ray doses ranging from 1 to 10 Gy, extended to 30-200 Gy through use of a60Co gamma-ray source. Trapping parameters such as order of kinetics, activation energy and frequency factor are estimated using Chen's peak-shape method for a fixed-dose of 30 Gy. X-ray diffractometry was used to characterize the crystal structure of the PPLG, the aim being to identify the degree of structural order, atomic spacing and lattice constants of the various irradiated PPLG samples. The mean atomic spacing and degree of structural order for the different diameter PPLG are found to be 0.3332 nm and 26.6° respectively. Photoluminescence spectra from PPLG arising from diode laser excitation at 532 nm consist of two adjacent peaks, 602 nm (absorption) and 1074 nm (emission), with mean energy band gap values within the range 1.113-1.133 eV.
This study has sought to evaluate patient exposures during the course of particular diagnostic positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) techniques. A total of 73 patients were examined using two types of radiopharmaceutical: 18F-fluorocholine (FCH, 48 patients) and 68Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA, 25 patients). The mean and range of administered activity (AA) in MBq, and effective dose (mSv) for FCH were 314.4 ± 61.6 (462.5-216.8) and 5.9 ± 1.2 (8.8-4.11), respectively. Quoted in the same set of units, the mean and range of AA and effective dose for 68Ga-PSMA were 179.3 ± 92.3 (603.1-115.1) and 17.9 ± 9.2 (60.3-11.5). Patient effective doses from 18F-FCH being a factor of two greater than the dose resulting from 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT procedures. CT accounts for some 84 and 23% for 18F-FCH and 68Ga-PSMA procedures, accordingly CT acquisition parameter optimization is recommended. Patient doses have been found to be slightly greater than previous studies.
The objective of this study is to estimate the annual effective dose for cardiologists and nurses by measuring Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) during cardiac catheterization procedures. A total of 16 staffs members were working in interventional cardiology during 1 year at a tertiary hospital. The occupational dose was measured using calibrated thermo-luminescent dosemeters (TLD-100, LiF:Mg,Ti). The overall mean and range of the annual Hp(10) and Hp(0.07) (mSv) for cardiologists were 3.7 (0.13-14.5) and 3.2 (0.21-14.7), respectively. Cardiologists were frequently exposed to higher doses compared with nurses and technologists. The exposure showed wide variations, which depend on occupation and workload. Staff is adhered to radiation protection guidelines regarding shielding the trunk, thyroid shield, thus appropriately protected. Lens dose measurement is recommended to ensure that dose limit is not exceeded.
Preliminary study has been made of black human hair, carbon concentration of some 53%, a model in examining the potential of hair of the human head in retrospective and emergency biodosimetry applications, also offering effective atomic number near to that of water. The hair samples were exposed to [Formula: see text]Co gamma rays, delivering doses from 0 to 200 Gy. Structural alterations were observed, use being made of Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. Most prominent among the features observed in the first-order Raman spectra are the D and G peaks, appearing at 1370 [Formula: see text] and 1589 [Formula: see text] respectively, the intensity ratio [Formula: see text] indicating dose-dependent defects generation and annealing of structural alterations. The wavelengths of the PL absorption and emission peaks are found to be centred at [Formula: see text] nm and [Formula: see text] nm, respectively. The hair samples mean band gap energy ([Formula: see text]) post-irradiation was found to be [Formula: see text] eV, of the order of a semiconductor and approximately two times the [Formula: see text] of other carbon-rich materials reported via the same methodology.
This study aimed to investigate the compact 1-bit coding metamaterial design with various conventional and cuboid shapes by analysing the bistatic scattering patterns as well as the monostatic radar cross-section for microwave applications. The construction of this metamaterial design depends on binary elements. For example, 1-bit coding metamaterial comprises two kinds of unit cell to mimic both coding particles such as '0' and '1' with 0° and 180° phase responses. This study adopted a 1 mm × 1 mm of epoxy resin fibre (FR-4) substrate material, which possesses a dielectric constant of 4.3 and tangent loss of 0.025, to construct both elements for the 1-bit coding metamaterial. All simulations were performed using the well-known Computer Simulation Technology (CST) software. The elements were selected via a trial-and-error method based on the phase response properties of the designs. On the other hand, the phase response properties from CST software were validated through the comparison of the phase response properties of both elements with the analytical data from HFSS software. Clear closure was obtained from these findings, and it was concluded that the proposed conventional coding metamaterial manifested the lowest RCS values with an increasing number of lattices. However, the cuboid-shaped design with 20 lattices demonstrated an optimised bistatic scattering pattern of -8.49 dBm2. Additionally, the monostatic RCS values were successfully reduced within the 12 to 18 GHz frequency range with -30 to -10 dBm2 values. In short, the introduced designs were suitable for the proposed application field, and this unique phenomenon is described as the novelty of this study.
In this article, we present the use of a metamaterial-incorporated microwave-based sensor with a single port network for material characterization. The proposed sensor consists of a microstrip patch layer enclosed with a dual-square-shaped metamaterial split-ring. This structure has the dimensions of 20 × 20 × 1.524 mm3 and a copper metallic layer is placed on a Rogers RT 6002 with a partial back layer as a ground. Two resonant frequencies are exhibited for applied electromagnetic interaction using a transmission line. The dual split rings increase the compactness and accumulation of the electromagnetic field on the surface of the conducting layer to improve the sensitivity of the sensor. The numerical studies are carried out using a CST high-frequency microwave simulator. The validation of the proposed sensor is performed with an equivalent circuit model in ADS and numerical high-frequency simulator HFSS. The material under test placed on the proposed sensor shows good agreement with the frequency deviation for different permittivity variations. Different substrates are analyzed as a host medium of the sensor for parametric analysis.
We studied the concentrations of terrestrial and anthropogenic radionuclides in seawater and shore sediment/sand of three selected regions; Khafji, Safaniyah and Menifah along the Saudi Arabian Gulf coast. The mean activity concentrations of the 228Ra, 226Ra, and 40K in the analyzed sand samples are 5.9, 3.5 and 113.5 Bq/kg, and the respective values in seawater samples are 1.6, 0.8 and 10.4 Bq/L. All data show lower than the corresponding UNSCEAR (2000) reported world average values of 35, 30 and 400 Bq/kg for soil matrix. A few relevant radiological hazards were quantified by the estimation of the absorbed dose rate, and the results are compared with the prescribed limits set by international regulatory bodies. Measured data indicates that the studied coastal regions pose a negligible radiological hazards to the public, and show an insignificant radioactive loading to this coastal region by the Busher nuclear power plant.
A Yb3+-doped borate glass system was examined for the structural and optical modifications after γ-irradiation. Among the studied 10BaO-20ZnO-20LiF-(50-x)B2O3-xYb2O3 (x = 0.1, 0.5, 0.7, and 1.0 mol%) glasses, the 10BaO-20ZnO-20LiF-49.9B2O3-0.1Yb2O3 glass showed the highest thermoluminescence intensity, trap density, and trap depth. The glass was irradiated with the optimum γ-dose of 1 kGy towards the analysis of radiation-induced defects. The amorphous nature was preserved before and after irradiation. The glass density slightly increased after irradiation. The structural rearrangement was evident from the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy by the appearance and disappearance of some bonds after γ-irradiation. The transformation of [BO4] units into [BO3] units and non-bridging oxygens was deduced. The color of the glass darkened after irradiation and the optical absorption intensity enhanced between 250 and 700 nm. The optical bandgap reduced and Urbach energy increased upon γ-dose exposure. The electron spin resonance of the irradiated glass exhibited two signals at g = 2.0167 and g = 1.9938, corresponding to the non-bridging oxygen hole center and Boron E'-center, respectively.
Macro-sized marine litter (>2.5 cm) was collected, characterized, and enumerated along the Cox's Bazar Coast, Bangladesh. Marine litter abundance was converted to density (number of items/m2). Beach cleanliness was evaluated using the clean-coast index (CCI). Plastic polythene bags were the most abundant litter items, followed by plastic cups. Total marine litter abundance was 54,401 ± 184 items. Major sources of marine litter were from tourism, fishery and residential activities. Of 10 sites surveyed, two were classified as dirty, two were moderate, four were clean and two were very clean using the CCI. Marine litter pollution along the Cox's Bazar Coast represents a potential threat to coastal and marine environments. This baseline study will help to establish mitigation strategies that are urgently required to reduce marine litter pollution along the Cox's Bazar Coast.
Study is made of the radioactivity in the beach sands of Langkawi island, a well-known tourist destination. Investigation is made of the relative presence of the naturally occurring radionuclide 40K and the natural-series indicator radionuclides 226Ra and 232Th, the gamma radiation exposure also being estimated. Sample quantities of black and white sand were collected for gamma ray spectrometry, yielding activity concentration in black sands of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K from 451±9 to 2411±65Bqkg-1 (mean of 1478Bqkg-1); 232±4 to 1272±35Bqkg-1 (mean of 718Bqkg-1) and 61±6 to 136±7Bqkg-1 (mean of 103Bqkg-1) respectively. Conversely, in white sands the respective values for 226Ra and 232Th were appreciably lower, at 8.3±0.5 to 13.7±1.4Bqkg-1 (mean of 9.8Bqkg-1) and 4.5±0.7 to 9.4±1.0Bqkg-1 (mean of 5.9Bqkg-1); 40K activities differed insubstantially from that in black sands, at 85±4 to 133±7Bqkg-1 with a mean of 102Bqkg-1. The mean activity concentrations of 226Ra and 232Th in black sands are comparable with that of high background areas elsewhere in the world. The heavy minerals content gives rise to elevated 226Ra and 232Th activity concentrations in all of black sand samples. Evaluation of the various radiological risk parameters points to values which in some cases could be in excess of recommendations providing for safe living and working. Statistical analysis examines correlations between the origins of the radionuclides, also identifying and classifying the radiological parameters. Present results may help to form an interest in rare-earth resources for the electronics industry, power generation and the viability of nuclear fuels cycle resources.
A split-ring resonator (SRR)-based power tiller wheel-shaped quad-band ℇ-negative metamaterial is presented in this research article. This is a new compact metamaterial with a high effective medium ratio (EMR) designed with three modified octagonal split-ring resonators (OSRRs). The electrical dimension of the proposed metamaterial (MM) unit cell is 0.086λ × 0.086λ, where λ is the wavelength calculated at the lowest resonance frequency of 2.35 GHz. Dielectric RT6002 materials of standard thickness (1.524 mm) were used as a substrate. Computer simulation technology (CST) Microwave Studio simulator shows four resonance peaks at 2.35, 7.72, 9.23 and 10.68 GHz with magnitudes of -43.23 dB -31.05 dB, -44.58 dB and -31.71 dB, respectively. Moreover, negative permittivity (ℇ) is observed in the frequency ranges of 2.35-3.01 GHz, 7.72-8.03 GHz, 9.23-10.02 GHz and 10.69-11.81 GHz. Additionally, a negative refractive index is observed in the frequency ranges of 2.36-3.19 GHz, 7.74-7.87 GHz, 9.26-10.33 GHz and 10.70-11.81 GHz, with near-zero permeability noted in the environments of these frequency ranges. The medium effectiveness indicator effective medium ratio (EMR) of the proposed MM is an estimated 11.61 at the lowest frequency of 2.35 GHz. The simulated results of the anticipated structure are validated by authentication processes such as array orientation, HFSS and ADS for an equivalent electrical circuit model. Given its high EMR and compactness in dimensions, the presented metamaterial can be used in S-, C- and X-band wireless communication applications.
This work focused on the novel and compact 1-bit symmetrical coding-based metamaterial for radar cross section reduction in terahertz frequencies. A couple of coding particles were constructed to impersonate the elements '0' and '1', which have phase differences of 180°. All the analytical simulations were performed by adopting Computer Simulation Technology Microwave Studio 2019 software. Moreover, the transmission coefficient of the element '1' was examined as well by adopting similar software and validated by a high-frequency structure simulator. Meanwhile, the frequency range from 0 to 3 THz was set in this work. The phase response properties of each element were examined before constructing various coding metamaterial designs in smaller and bigger lattices. The proposed unit cells exhibit phase responses at 0.84 THz and 1.54 THz, respectively. Meanwhile, the analysis of various coding sequences was carried out and they manifest interesting monostatic and bistatic radar cross section (RCS) reduction performances. The Coding Sequence 2 manifests the best bistatic RCS reduction values in smaller lattices, which reduced from -69.8 dBm2 to -65.5 dBm2 at 1.54 THz. On the other hand, the monostatic RCS values for all lattices have an inclined line until they reach a frequency of 1.0 THz from more than -60 dBm2. However, from the 1.0 THz to 3.0 THz frequency range the RCS values have moderate discrepancies among the horizontal line for each lattice. Furthermore, two parametric studies were performed to examine the RCS reduction behaviour, for instance, multi-layer structures and as well tilt positioning of the proposed coding metamaterial. Overall it indicates that the integration of coding-based metamaterial successfully reduced the RCS values.
Understanding the public awareness concerning the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP), an Australian rare earths processing plant located in Malaysia, a radiological study in soil and water samples collected at random surrounding the LAMP environment was undertaken using HPGe gamma-ray spectrometry. The mean soil activities for (226)Ra, (232)Th, and (40)K were found to be 6.56 ± 0.20, 10.62 ± 0.42, and 41.02 ± 0.67 Bq/kg, respectively, while for water samples were 0.33 ± 0.05, 0.18 ± 0.04, and 4.72 ± 0.29 Bq/l, respectively. The studied areas show typical local level of radioactivity from natural background radiation. The mean gamma absorbed dose rate in soils at 1 m above the ground was found to be 11.16 nGy/h. Assuming a 20 % outdoor occupancy factor, the corresponding annual effective dose showed a mean value of 0.014 mSv year(-1), significantly lower than the worldwide average value of 0.07 mSv year(-1) for the annual outdoor effective dose as reported by UNSCEAR (2000). Some other representative radiation indices such as activity utilization index (AUI), H ex, H in, excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), and annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) were derived and also compared with the world average values. Statistical analysis performed on the obtained data showed a strong positive correlation between the radiological variables and (226)Ra and (232)Th.
Owing to the unique physical and chemical properties of 2D materials and the great success of graphene in various applications, the scientific community has been influenced to explore a new class of graphene-like 2D materials for next-generation technological applications. Consequently, many alternative layered and non-layered 2D materials, including h-BN, TMDs, and MXenes, have been synthesized recently for applications related to the 4th industrial revolution. In this review, recent progress in state-of-the-art research on 2D materials, including their synthesis routes, characterization and application-oriented properties, has been highlighted. The evolving applications of 2D materials in the areas of electronics, optoelectronics, spintronic devices, sensors, high-performance and transparent electrodes, energy conversion and storage, electromagnetic interference shielding, hydrogen evolution reaction (HER), oxygen evolution reaction (OER), and nanocomposites are discussed. In particular, the state-of-the-art applications, challenges, and outlook of every class of 2D material are also presented as concluding remarks to guide this fast-progressing class of 2D materials beyond graphene for scientific research into next-generation materials.
Sign Language Recognition is a breakthrough for communication among deaf-mute society and has been a critical research topic for years. Although some of the previous studies have successfully recognized sign language, it requires many costly instruments including sensors, devices, and high-end processing power. However, such drawbacks can be easily overcome by employing artificial intelligence-based techniques. Since, in this modern era of advanced mobile technology, using a camera to take video or images is much easier, this study demonstrates a cost-effective technique to detect American Sign Language (ASL) using an image dataset. Here, "Finger Spelling, A" dataset has been used, with 24 letters (except j and z as they contain motion). The main reason for using this dataset is that these images have a complex background with different environments and scene colors. Two layers of image processing have been used: in the first layer, images are processed as a whole for training, and in the second layer, the hand landmarks are extracted. A multi-headed convolutional neural network (CNN) model has been proposed and tested with 30% of the dataset to train these two layers. To avoid the overfitting problem, data augmentation and dynamic learning rate reduction have been used. With the proposed model, 98.981% test accuracy has been achieved. It is expected that this study may help to develop an efficient human-machine communication system for a deaf-mute society.
The present study continues research into the utilisation of carbonaceous media for medical radiation dosimetry, focusing on the effects of surface area-to-volume ratio and carbon content on structural interaction alterations and dosimetric properties in sheet- and bead-type graphitic materials (with the respective carbon content of ∼98 wt% and ∼90 wt%). Using 60Co gamma-rays and doses from 0.5 Gy to 20 Gy, the study has been made of the response of commercially available graphite in the form of 0.1 mm, 0.2 mm, 0.3 mm and 0.5 mm thick sheets, also of activated carbon beads. Confocal Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy have been employed, examining radiation-induced structural interaction alterations. Dose-dependent variation in the Raman intensity ratio ID/IG relates to the varying dominance of defect generation and dose-driven defect annealing. Of the various thickness graphite sheets, the 0.1 mm thick medium possesses the greatest surface area-to-volume ratio. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it also exhibits the greatest thermoluminescence (TL) yield compared to that of the other carbonaceous sheet foils used herein. Moreover, the second greatest mass-normalised TL yield has been observed to be that of the porous beads, reflected in the greater defect density (ID/IG > 2) when compared to the other media, due in part to their inherent feature of large internal surface area. Considering the challenge posed in matching skin thickness with skin dose, the near tissue equivalent graphite sheets show particular promise as a skin dosimeter, sensitive as a function of depth.
Computer-aided drug design by molecular docking, statistical analysis like multiple linear regression (MLR), principal component analysis (PCA), and molecular dynamics studies can emerge as an efficient approach to designing promising core scaffolds for coronavirus medication. The main protease [3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro)] of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-1 and SARS-CoV-2 is one of the critical targets for designing and developing broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutic drugs. The main objective of this study was to investigate potential phytochemicals against SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 to ensure effective natural product-induced therapy. In this evaluation, we have selected 40 reported phytochemicals to design efficient core scaffolds that can act as potent inhibitors against the main proteases of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1. We categorized the selected phytochemicals into a more bioavailable and less bioavailable set, considering phytochemical drug likeliness properties. All the selected phytochemicals vigorously interacted with the catalytic dyads His41 and Cys145. Statistical analysis by MLR confirmed their contribution to structural features on binding affinities and PCA analysis for structural activity relationships for their structural pattern recognition to determine the core scaffold inhibitors. We confirmed that 4'-Hydroxyisolonchocarpin and BrussochalconeA were safe and exhibited excellent pharmacological properties. Because 4'-Hydroxyisolonchocarpin and BrussochalconeA are flavonoid derivatives, they exhibit the chalcone's ring. The presence of the reactive α,β-unsaturated system in the chalcone's rings showed different potential pharmacokinetics with an insignificant toxicological profile. Our comprehensive computational and statistical analysis reveals that these selected phytochemicals (4'-Hydroxyisolonchocarpin, BrussochalconeA) can be used to design potential broad antiviral inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1.
Monkeypox is a double-stranded DNA virus with an envelope and is a member of the Poxviridae family's Orthopoxvirus genus. This virus can transmit from human to human through direct contact with respiratory secretions, infected animals and humans, or contaminated objects and causing mutations in the human body. In May 2022, several monkeypox affected cases were found in many countries. Because of its transmitting characteristics, on July 23, 2022, a nationwide public health emergency was proclaimed by WHO due to the monkeypox virus. This study analyzed the gene mutation rate that is collected from the most recent NCBI monkeypox dataset. The collected data is prepared to independently identify the nucleotide and codon mutation. Additionally, depending on the size and availability of the gene dataset, the computed mutation rate is split into three categories: Canada, Germany, and the rest of the world. In this study, the genome mutation rate of the monkeypox virus is predicted using a deep learning-based Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model and compared with Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) model. The LSTM model shows "Root Mean Square Error" (RMSE) values of 0.09 and 0.08 for testing and training, respectively. Using this time series analysis method, the prospective mutation rate of the 50th patient has been predicted. Note that this is a new report on the monkeypox gene mutation. It is found that the nucleotide mutation rates are decreasing, and the balance between bi-directional rates are maintained.
Neutrons can be generated in medical linear accelerators (Linac) due to the interaction of high-energy photons (> 10 MeV) with the components of the accelerator head. The generated photoneutrons may penetrate the treatment room if a suitable neutron shield is not used. This causes a biological risk to the patient and occupational workers. The use of appropriate materials in the barriers surrounding the bunker may be effective in preventing the transmission of neutrons from the treatment room to the outside. In addition, neutrons are present in the treatment room due to leakage in the Linac's head. This study aims to reduce the transmission of neutrons from the treatment room by using graphene/hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) metamaterial as a neutron shielding material. MCNPX code was used to model three layers of graphene/h-BN metamaterial around the target and other components of the linac, and to investigate its effect on the photon spectrum and photoneutrons. Results indicate that the first layer of a graphene/h-BN metamaterial shield around the target improves photon spectrum quality at low energies, whereas the second and third layers have no significant effect. Regarding neutrons, three layers of the metamaterial results in a 50% reduction in the number of neutrons in the air within the treatment room.