Molecular Spectroscopy: A Study of Molecules in Earth and Planetary Atmospheres

The four most abundant isotopologues (N2O, 15NNO, N15NO, and NN18O) of nitrous oxide have been measured in the Earth\u27s atmosphere by infrared remote sensing with the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Fourier transform spectrometer. These satellite observations have provided a near global picture of N2O isotopic fractionation. The relative abundance of the heavier isotopologues increase with altitude and with latitude in the stratosphere as the air becomes older. Near global 85°S{85°N atmospheric measurement of carbonyl sulfide (OCS), including the minor OC34S and O13CS isotopologues, were made by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE-FTS) in low Earth orbit. ACE-FTS data provide volume mixing ratio (VMR) profiles of OCS, OC34S and O13CS from 8 km in the troposphere up to 31 km in the stratosphere. The global zonal and seasonal distributions of OCS isotopologues were studied. OCS observations made with the MkIV balloon-borne Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) are also presented. The results indicate a slight enrichment of OC34S and a significant enrichment of O13CS as the altitude increases. The contribution of OCS to the background Stratospheric Sulfate Aerosol Layer (SSA) is discussed and ACE-FTS data indicate that OCS is a major contributor. Vibration-rotation line lists for AlF, Al35Cl and Al37Cl have been prepared in their ground electronic states (X1Σ+). Experimental rotational and ro-vibrational lines were employed to calculate a potential energy surface (PES) by direct potential fit-ting. The PES was used to calculate ro-vibrational energy levels. Born-Openheimer Breakdown (BOB) corrections were included in the energy level calculations for AlCl. Ro-vibrational energy levels were calculated for the v=0 to v=11 vibrational levels and up to Jmax =200 for the rotational levels. Dipole moment functions (DMFs) covering the range of the PES turning points were calculated for AlCl and AlF by ab initio methods and used to determine line intensities. Partition functions for temperatures up to 3000 K were calculated. AlF and AlCl have been detected in circumstellar envelopes and are predicted to occur in cool stellar and sub-stellar atmospheres. A new line list for the A2Σ+X2Π electronic transition of OH has been calculated. Line positions have been taken from the literature and refitted with Western\u27s PGOPHER program. Line intensities were calculated using a new ab initio Transition Dipole Moment Function (TDMF) obtained with Molpro 2012. The new TDMF and the potential functions from LeRoy\u27s RKR program have been used as input to LeRoy\u27s LEVEL program in order to calculate Transition Dipole Moment Matrix Elements (TDMMEs). These matrix elements were transformed from Hund\u27s case (b) to Hund\u27s case (a) as required for the PGOPHER program. The line list was calculated with PGOPHER for bands with v\u27 = 0 -- 4 in the A2Σ+ state and v\u27\u27 = 0 -- 9 for the X2Π state. Methane (CH4) spectra in the ν3 band near 3.3 μm were measured for 0 Torr, 50 Torr, 150 Torr, 240 Torr, 320 Torr, and 400 Torr pressure of added hydrogen. The spectra were recorded using a high resolution Fourier transform spectrometer. The CH4 spectra were measured at 5 different temperatures from room temperature up to ~1100 K. A multi-spectrum non-linear least-squares fit method was used to determine the line parameters at each temperature. Voigt line shape functions were used to determine the broadening and shifting of methane lines in the P and R branches. Additionally, Hartmann{Tran line shape functions (quadratic Speed-Dependent Hard Collision, qSDHC, including line mixing) were used to measure speed dependent line shifting. Temperature-dependence of coefficients were determined from a fit of line parameters as a function of temperature. Finally, the dependence of pressure broadening (γ0) and shift (δ0) parameters on the rotational quantum number (J) was studied

An Investigation into the Role of Nano-Silica in Improving Strength of Lightweight Concrete

Development of technology and human’s access to nanotechnology brings about the necessity to use nanotechnology in the concrete industry. Since the decrease of particles size leads to new properties, and unusual mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties which are inaccessible in usual state, nanotechnology is highly considered. The emergence of nanotechnology in concrete industry has made great changes in many of the concrete properties. Dead load resulted from weight of ceilings and separation walls is one of the fundamental problems in seismic design and structures implementation especially in tall buildings. Obviously, using the lightweight materials could decrease the dead load, weight of beams, columns, and foundation. However, low compressive resistance of lightweight concrete mostly has a direct ratio with the specific gravity of it. Lightweight concrete has a low resistance as a result of its low specific weight. Silica nanoparticles (SNs) have a high surface energy as a result of their high specific surface.  Therefore, they are supposed to have a high pozzolanic reaction and they accelerate hydration reactions. Since the increase of concrete compressive strength is highly noticeable in the new technology, the increase of effective materials with the purpose of increasing compressive strength of concrete could increase the life circle of concrete structures. The present paper intends to investigate the effect of silica nanoparticles on compressive strength, tensile strength, bending strength, contraction of lightweight concrete, and concrete microstructure

SCALHEALTH: Scalable Blockchain Integration for Secure IoT Healthcare Systems

Internet of Things (IoT) devices are capable of allowing for far-reaching access to and evaluation of patient data to monitor health and diagnose from a distance. An electronic healthcare system that checks patient data, prepares medicines and provides financial assistance is necessary. Providing safe data transmission, monitoring, decentralization, preserving patient privacy, and maintaining confidentiality are essential to an electronic healthcare system. In this study, we introduce (SCALHEALTH) which is a blockchain-based scheme of the Hyperledger Fabric consortium. In this study, we use authentication to agree on a common key for data encryption to send data confidentially. Also, sending data through IPFS is decentralized. Non-fungible token (NFT) is used to send patient prescriptions to pharmacies and insurance companies to ensure the authenticity of patient prescriptions. As the system's main body, blockchain creates authorization and validation for all devices and institutions. Also, all metadata in the system is recorded on the blockchain to maintain integrity, transparency, and timely data monitoring. The proposed study uses two types of blockchain: a health blockchain and a financial blockchain. The financial blockchain is for financial transactions and is based on Ethereum. The health blockchain also introduces a mechanism that allows several blockchains to be active in parallel, instead of only one blockchain. The prototype of this mechanism is simulated in two scenarios. In comparison to the normal state, the proposed plan has superior results

A Scalable Multi-Layered Blockchain Architecture for Enhanced EHR Sharing and Drug Supply Chain Management

In recent years, the healthcare sector's shift to online platforms has spotlighted challenges concerning data security, privacy, and scalability. Blockchain technology, known for its decentralized, secure, and immutable nature, emerges as a viable solution for these pressing issues. This article presents an innovative Electronic Health Records (EHR) sharing and drug supply chain management framework tailored to address scalability, security, data integrity, traceability, and secure data sharing. The framework introduces five layers and transactions, prioritizing patient-centric healthcare by granting patients comprehensive access control over their health information. This access facilitates smoother processes, such as insurance claims, while maintaining robust security measures. Notably, our implementation of parallelism significantly bolsters scalability and transaction throughput while minimizing network traffic. Performance evaluations conducted through the Caliper benchmark indicate a slight increase in processor consumption during specific transactions, mitigated effectively by parallelization. RAM requirements remain largely stable. Additionally, our approach notably reduces network traffic while tripling transaction throughput. The framework ensures patient privacy, data integrity, access control, and interoperability, aligning with traditional healthcare systems. Moreover, it provides transparency and real-time drug supply monitoring, empowering decision-makers with actionable insights. As healthcare evolves, our framework sets a crucial precedent for innovative, scalable, and secure systems. Future enhancements could focus on scalability, real-world deployment, standardized data formats, reinforced security protocols, privacy preservation, and IoT integration to comply with regulations and meet evolving industry needs

Using Blockchain to Achieve Decentralized Privacy In IoT Healthcare

With the advent of the Internet of Things (IoT), e-health has become one of the main topics of research. Due to the sensitivity of patient information, patient privacy seems challenging. Nowadays, patient data is usually stored in the cloud in healthcare programs, making it difficult for users to have enough control over their data. The recent increment in announced cases of security and surveillance breaches compromising patients' privacy call into question the conventional model, in which third-parties gather and control immense amounts of patients' Healthcare data. In this work, we try to resolve the issues mentioned above by using blockchain technology. We propose a blockchain-based protocol suitable for e-health applications that does not require trust in a third party and provides an efficient privacy-preserving access control mechanism. Transactions in our proposed system, unlike Bitcoin, are not entirely financial, and we do not use conventional methods for consensus operations in blockchain like Proof of Work (PoW). It is not suitable for IoT applications because IoT devices have resources-constraints. Usage of appropriate consensus method helps us to increase network security and efficiency, as well as reducing network cost, i.e., bandwidth and processor usage. Finally, we provide security and privacy analysis of our proposed protocol.Comment: 6 page

Wind effect analysis on air traffic congestion in terminal area via cellular automata

The behavior of any traffic flow is sensitive to the speed pattern of the vehicles involved. The heavier the traffic, the more sensitive the behavior is to speed changes. Focusing on air traffic flow, weather condition has a major role in the deviations of aircraft operational speed from the desired speed and causes surplus delays. In this paper, the effects of wind on delays in a terminal area are analyzed using a Cellular Automaton (CA) model. Cellular automata are discrete models that are widely used for simulating complex emerging properties of dynamic systems. A one-dimensional cellular array is used to model the flow of the terminal traffic into a wind field. The proposed model, due to the quickness and acceptable level of accuracy, can be utilized online in the tactical phase of air traffic control processes and system-level decision-makings, where quick response and system behavior are needed. The modeled route is an RNAV STAR route to Atlanta International Airport. The model is verified by real traffic data in a non-delayed scenario. Based on simulation results, the proposed model exhibits an acceptable level of accuracy (3–15% accuracy drop), with worthy time and computational efficiency (about 2.9 seconds run time for a 2-hour operation)

Designated Verifier Threshold Proxy Signature Scheme without Random Oracles

In a $(t,n)$ designated verifier threshold proxy signature \, scheme, an original signer can delegate his/her signing power to $n$ proxy signers such that any $t$ or more out of $n$ proxy signers can sign messages on behalf of the original signer but $t-1$ or less of the proxy signers cannot generate a valid proxy signature. Of course, the signature is issued for a designated receiver and therefore only the designated receiver can validate the proxy signature. In this paper, we propose a new designated verifier threshold proxy signature scheme and also show that the proposed scheme has provable security in the standard model. The security of proposed scheme is based on the $GBDH$ assumption and the proposed scheme satisfies all the security requirements of threshold proxy signature schemes

A Development Model for Identifying the Uncertainty Sources and Their Impacts on Bridge Construction Projects

Bridge construction projects are rife with uncertainty because of their unique features, from execution of the work, time estimation, inspection and assessment to fund allocation. Therefore, a critical step is recognise and categorise the uncertainties associated in bridge building in order to meet project objectives in terms of quality, cost, schedule, environmental, safety, and technical indicators. Various models, however, have been created to detect and prioritise the uncertainty. One of the most commonly used approaches for dealing with uncertainty is the spherical fuzzy set. To formulate an issue, this technique uses a mathematical procedure. The analytic hierarchy process (AHP), on the other hand, is a computer technique that solves a complicated problem by breaking it down into numerous basic problems. A hybrid model based on spherical fuzzy sets and AHP (SAHP) can benefit from both approaches. This study proposes a SAHP based on group decision making (GSAHP) to prioritise the sources of uncertainty in bridge construction projects. Likewise, a modified algorithm is proposed for checking the consistency of the spherical fuzzy matrices. To show the model potential, a real case study is illustrated and evaluated. The model demonstrates its capabilities in modelling uncertainty under an environment with a number of unknown components. The findings reveal that the “delays” factor is of the highest, and the “project team conflicts” parameter is of the least importance. The research findings could be used by decision makers and managers to develop preventive measures

Cancerpatienters upplevelser i samband med PET/CT undersökningar

Positronemissionstomografi/datortomografi (PET/CT) är en nukleärmedicins undersökning. Det är en kraftfull metod som används för att för att kartlägga tumörutbredning, bestämma lämplig behandling, utvärdera given cancerbehandling och att upptäcka återfall av tumörsjukdom. Denna undersökning ger möjligheter till förbättringar av vården för cancersjuka patienter. Syfte med litteraturstudie är att undersöka cancerpatienternas upplevelser i samband med PET/CT-undersökningar. De kategorier som framkom efter integrerad analys av 9 inkluderade artiklar är: ”Oro och rädsla”, ”Obehag” och ”Smärta”. Det finns ett stort behov av forskning kring cancerpatienternas upplevelser i samband med PET/CT-undersökningar, både kvantitativ och kvalitativ forskning