ICCD: Interactive Continuous Collision Detection between Deformable Models Using Connectivity-Based Culling

We present an interactive algorithm for continuous collision detection between deformable models. We introduce multiple techniques to improve the culling efficiency and the overall performance of continuous collision detection. First, we present a novel formulation for continuous normal cones and use these normal cones to efficiently cull large regions of the mesh as part of self-collision tests. Second, we introduce the concept of “procedural representative triangles” to remove all redundant elementary tests between nonadjacent triangles. Finally, we exploit the mesh connectivity and introduce the concept of “orphan sets” to eliminate redundant elementary tests between adjacent triangle primitives. In practice, we can reduce the number of elementary tests by two orders of magnitude. These culling techniques have been combined with bounding volume hierarchies and can result in one order of magnitude performance improvement as compared to prior collision detection algorithms for deformable models. We highlight the performance of our algorithm on several benchmarks, including cloth simulations, N-body simulations, and breaking objects.     

Effect of interlayer on structure and performance of anode-supported SOFC single cells

To lower the operating temperatures in solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operations, anode-supported SOFC single cells with a single dip-coated interlayer were fabricated and the effect of the interlayer on the electrolyte structure and the electrical performance was investigated. For the preparation of SOFC single cells, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte, NiO-YSZ anode, and 50% YSZ-50% strontium-doped lanthanum manganite (LSM) cathode were used. In order to characterize the cells, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) were utilized and the gas (air) permeability measurements were conducted for gas tightness estimation. When the interlayer was inserted onto NiO-YSZ anode, the surface roughness of anode was diminished by about 40% and dense crack-free electrolytes were obtained. The electrical performance was enhanced remarkably and the maximum power density was 0.57W/cm(2) at 800 degrees C and 0.44W/cm(2) at 700 degrees C. On the other hand, the effect of interlayer on the gas tightness was negligible. The characterization study revealed that the enhancement in the electrical performance was mainly attributed to the increase of ion transmission area of anode/electrolyte interface and the increase of ionic conductivity of dense crack-free electrolyte layer.     

Characterization of magnetic materials using a scanning microwave microprobe

We investigated the electromagnetic properties of metals of iron, nickel, cobalt, aluminum, gold, copper, silver, and permalloy thin films on SiO(2) substrates using a near-field microwave microprobe. The electromagnetic properties of metal sheets were estimated by measuring the microwave reflection coefficient S(11) and compared with the theoretical values. We observed the hysteresis behavior of permalloy thin films on SiO(2) substrates using a near-field scanning microwave microprobes (NSMM) system. Experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical model of transmission theory. In order to better characterize the electromagnetic properties of metals and magnetic metals instead of the usual method, we take advantage of the noncontact microprobing evaluation capabilities using a near-field microwave.     

Some observations from interrupted lifetest of GaInAsP/InP inverted-rib laser diodes

Conventionally, lifetests of semiconductor laser diodes usually involved operating the devices continuously at either constant power output or drive current, with periodic recording of their characteristics. In this paper, some effects arising from interrupted lifetest of 1.3 m GaInAsP-InP inverted-rib laser diodes are reported. This unconventional lifetest method involves constant power biasing at 4 mW/facet and 8 mW/facet respectively at 50°C, followed by a period during which the lifetest is interrupted and the devices left unbiased at room temperature. Subsequently, the devices were put back on constant power biasing at 50°C. Among a number of parameters, pronounced reduction in the threshold current, current for 4 mW/facet and 8 mW/facet were observed, indicating strong recovery effects commencing from the time when the life-test was interrupted. Redistribution of mobile defects in the cladding layer is postulated to be the cause of the degradation recovery, and the data supports the occurrence of an aging-current dependent defect annihilation mechanism. Such recovery effects have so far been observed to occur only in the GaInAsP-InP inverted-rib devices.     

Discovery of the ammonium substrate site on glutamine synthetase, a third cation binding site

Glutamine synthetase (GS) catalyzes the ATP-dependent condensation of ammonia and glutamate to yield glutamine, ADP, and inorganic phosphate in the presence of divalent cations. Bacterial GS is an enzyme of 12 identical subunits, arranged in two rings of 6, with the active site between each pair of subunits in a ring. In earlier work, we have reported the locations within the funnel-shaped active site of the substrates glutamate and ATP and of the two divalent cations, but the site for ammonia (or ammonium) has remained elusive. Here we report the discovery by X-ray crystallography of a binding site on GS for monovalent cations, Tl+ and Cs+, which is probably the binding site for the substrate ammonium ion. Fourier difference maps show the following. (1) Tl+ and Cs+ bind at essentially the same site, with ligands being Glu 212, Tyr 179, Asp 50', Ser 53' of the adjacent subunit, and the substrate glutamate. From its position adjacent to the substrate glutamate and the cofactor ADP, we propose that this monovalent cation site is the substrate ammonium ion binding site. This proposal is supported by enzyme kinetics. Our kinetic measurements show that Tl+, Cs+, and NH4+ are competitive inhibitors to NH2OH in the gamma-glutamyl transfer reaction. (2) GS is a trimetallic enzyme containing two divalent cation sites (n1, n2) and one monovalent cation site per subunit. These three closely spaced ions are all at the active site: the distance between n1 and n2 is 6 A, between n1 and Tl+ is 4 A, and between n2 and Tl+ is 7 A. Glu 212 and the substrate glutamate are bridging ligands for the n1 ion and Tl+. (3) The presence of a monovalent cation in this site may enhance the structural stability of GS, because of its effect of balancing the negative charges of the substrate glutamate and its ligands and because of strengthening the "side-to-side" intersubunit interaction through the cation-protein bonding. (4) The presence of the cofactor ADP increases the Tl+ binding to GS because ADP binding induces movement of Asp 50' toward this monovalent cation site, essentially forming the site. This observation supports a two-step mechanism with ordered substrate binding: ATP first binds to GS, then Glu binds and attacks ATP to form gamma-glutamyl phosphate and ADP, which complete the ammonium binding site. The third substrate, an ammonium ion, then binds to GS, and then loses a proton to form the more active species ammonia, which attacks the gamma-glutamyl phosphate to yield Gln. (5) Because the products (Glu or Gln) of the reactions catalyzed by GS are determined by the molecule (water or ammonium) attacking the intermediate gamma-glutamyl phosphate, this negatively charged ammonium binding pocket has been designed naturally for high affinity of ammonium to GS, permitting glutamine synthesis to proceed in aqueous solution.     

Polar Perturbations in Functional Oxide Heterostructures

Growth and characterization of metal-oxide thin films foster successful development of oxide-material-integrated thin-film devices represented by metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFET), drawing enormous technological and scientific interest for several decades. In recent years, functional oxide heterostructures have demonstrated remarkable achievements in modern technologies and provided deeper insights into condensed-matter physics and materials science owing to their versatile tunability and selective amplification of the functionalities. One of the most critical aspects of their physical properties is the polar perturbation stemming from the ionic framework of an oxide. By engineering and exploiting the structural, electrical, magnetic, and optical characteristics through various routes, numerous perceptive studies have clearly shown how polar perturbations advance functionalities or drive exotic physical phenomena in complex oxide heterostructures. In this review, both intrinsic (engraved by thin-film heteroepitaxy) and extrinsic (reversibly controllable defect-mediated disorder and polar adsorbates) elements of polar perturbations, highlighting their abilities for the development of highly tunable functional properties are summarized. Scientifically, the recent approaches of polar perturbations render one to consolidate a prospect of atomic-level manipulation of polar order in epitaxial oxide thin films. Technologically, this review also offers useful guidelines for rational design to heterogeneously integrated oxide-based multi-functional devices with high performances.     

Effective identification of dominant fully absorbing sets for Raptor-like LDPC codes

The error-rate floor of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes is attributed to the trapping sets of their Tanner graphs. Among them, fully absorbing sets dominantly affect the error-rate performance, especially for short blocklengths. Efficient methods to identify the dominant trapping sets of LDPC codes were thoroughly researched as exhaustively searching them is NP-hard. However, the existing methods are ineffective for Raptor-like LDPC codes, which have many types of trapping sets. An effective method to identify dominant fully absorbing sets of Raptor-like LDPC codes is proposed. The search space of the proposed algorithm is optimized into the Tanner subgraphs of the codes to afford time-efficiency and search-effectiveness. For 5G New Radio (NR) base graph (BG) 2 LDPC codes for short blocklengths, the proposed algorithm finds more dominant fully absorbing sets within one seventh of the computation time of the existing search algorithm, and its search-effectiveness is verified using importance sampling. The proposed method is also applied to 5G NR BG1 LDPC code and Advanced Television Systems Committee 3.0 type A LDPC code for large blocklengths.     

Deterministic Polymorphic Engineering of MoTe2 for Photonic and Optoelectronic Applications

Developing selective and coherent polymorphic crystals at the nanoscale offers a novel strategy for designing integrated architectures for photonic and optoelectronic applications such as metasurfaces, optical gratings, photodetectors, and image sensors. Here, a direct optical writing approach is demonstrated to deterministically create polymorphic 2D materials by locally inducing metallic 1T′-MoTe₂ on the semiconducting 2H-MoTe₂ host layer. In the polymorphic-engineered MoTe₂, 2H- and 1T′- crystalline phases exhibit strong optical contrast from near-infrared to telecom-band ranges (1–1.5 µm), due to the change in the band structure and increase in surface roughness. Sevenfold enhancement of third harmonic generation intensity is realized with conversion efficiency (susceptibility) of ≈1.7 × 10⁻⁷ (1.1 × 10⁻¹⁹ m² V⁻²) and ≈1.7 × 10⁻⁸ (0.3 × 10⁻¹⁹ m² V⁻²) for 1T′ and 2H-MoTe₂, respectively at telecom-band ultrafast pump laser. Lastly, based on polymorphic engineering on MoTe₂, a Schottky photodiode with a high photoresponsivity of 90 AW⁻¹ is demonstrated. This study proposes facile polymorphic engineered structures that will greatly benefit realizing integrated photonics and optoelectronic circuits.