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Modelling THz TDS spectra of powder compacts for analysis of pharmaceutical oral solid dosages
Full text linkTHz TDS is a vital tool in many industrial sectors, however commonly analyzed samples are often produced as powders or granular materials; these morphologies have been demonstrated to produce anomalous spectral features which appear at unpredictable locations and can hamper spectral analysis. Here we systematically study the effects of sample morphology on the appearance of anomalous spectral features and present a physical mechanism to describe their behavior. Two-part powder compacts of PTFE and Borofloat glass are prepared at a range of microsphere sizes and concentrations for TDS measurement. Further, a computational model utilizing raytracing through heterogeneous material is developed, which is able to accurately predict the anomalous spectral features. By attributing a physical mechanism to this phenomenon, we are able to predict their occurrence, and utilize their presence to deduce sample morphology
Staging the outrageous life : Bertolt Brecht’s Verfremdungstheater as practical philosophy of education
No full textThis chapter explores German theatre maker Bertolt Brecht’s theatre as a practical philosophy of education. Drawing on his Verfremdungseffekt (estrangement effect) and gestic acting style, I will show how Brechtian theatre aims to educate its audience (and actors) into a stance of practical philosophising. Positioning his theatre as being ‘anti-Aristotelian’, Brecht does not only seek to make social reality recognisable in the theatre. He also wishes to render possible (through his V-effekt aesthetic) the observation of the social and aesthetic processes, which bring forth the theatrical illusion of ‘reality’ – on stage and in real life. I will show that Brecht’s pedagogical intention pivots around his (rather Aristotelian) view that pleasure resides at the heart of theatre’s pedagogical task. This is an aesthetic pleasure that does not however emerge from Aristotelian/cathartic identification with the protagonist, but instead from the audience’s active reflection on the productive conditions of Brecht’s estranged theatrical mimesis. Here, theatre’s images are not to ‘govern’ the audience’s subjectivity but position people’s innate capacity for intellectual creativity/reasoning at the heart of its pedagogical and artistic work. As I will show in actress Helene Weigel’s masterful embodiment of the outrageous Mother Courage figure (in the eponymous play), Brecht seeks to move his audience into a stance of practical, joyful philosophising about how to live a good life, without re-enacting the in-human circumstances that seek to stifle our capacity for humanity
Setting the stage : the pedagogy of theatrical forms and the theatricality of pedagogical forms
No full textBeware the pedagogue ‘The dogmatic teacher, one could say, forces his concepts upon us.; the Socratic teacher teases them out; the orator and poet give us the opportunity to create them, in apparent freedom, out of ourselves [our translation]’. (Schiller 2000/1795: 175) Theatre/the arts and pedagogy are no easy bedfellows. Ever since Friedrich Schiller’s (2000/1795) influential Über die ästhetische Erziehung des Menschen /Letters upon the Aesthetic Education of Man, ‘education’ has been under suspicion by the artist. The figure of the pedagogue, like Schiller’s dogmatic teacher (or Bertolt Brecht’s out-of-touch university professor, as we will see in chapter 2), enters the scene as a highly self—interested, boring, perhaps even violently didactic purveyor of (likely) irrelevant content that ‘is forced’ upon a not only deeply patronised, but rather tortured and non-agentic student. For this imagined dogmatist, art is merely a means to an end to a preconceived social outcome. The vitality of the open-ended creative process of making a piece of art – or attending to its presentation – is accordingly flattened. Perversely committed to the brutal necessity for an abstract outcome, which is – by its nature - disconnected from the students’ own experience, the educator is also under Ideologieverdacht (suspected of ideological bias). Teaching pre-conceived notions and pre-set social-moral behaviour – the pedagogue insensitively forces art to fit social and rational categories that can be evaluated against an ‘impact’ that supplies to the ideology of the state, neoliberal politics and capital. The artist is weary of the educationalist’s petty intrusions and ideological earnestness. The autonomous sphere of art, the artist (inspired by Schiller) exclaims, thrives on personal liberty, freedom from institutional and ideological guardianship. S/he defends the arts, including the theatrical arts, against the narrow-mindedness of the pedagogue who can only think of instruction, whilst disregarding the open-ended exploration, free play and movement of mind and heart that mark a truly human(e) art and theatre. On the other side of this (admittedly rather curated) dichotomy of freedom-loving art and ideology-driven pedagogy stands the pedagogue – shaking their head at the artistic enchanter. Equally suspicious of the artist’s grand talk of freedom and autonomy, the pedagogue labels it a smokescreen that obscures the artist’s will to wield power over the human psyche. The artist is blamed for using their art not to liberate, but to secretly enchant and enslave the human mind - by arousing unreflective emotions for control by another. The playful is unveiled as a hidden code for a deceptive mind game that uses the non-rational gestalt of the arts, especially in the false imitations of the theatre, to lead astray the human soul and the search for rational truth - in the name of pleasure and entertainment. The artist’s refusal of the pedagogical, and their embrace of the playful and the pleasurable is, to the pedagogue, a clear rejection of a key moral value – authenticity - which must guide the good, adult life. The theatre artist’s affinity for the inauthentic appearance reveals a dark disinterest in the human, social and, with that, moral sphere. Where the pedagogue seeks to support the student to live a moral and authentic life of truthfulness towards themselves and others, the theatrical introduces (moral) confusion via the stubbornly independent sphere of art. Luring their audiences into believing in mere appearances over genuine content, to embrace the lie over the truth, and worse, of emulating and living by false images about human affairs, the theatre artist’s deceiving role play is masqueraded as a good that however disguises a deeply anti-educational stance. This stark contrast between the artistic and theatrical versus the pedagogical is of course a pedagogical construction of our own making. With the aim to tease out broad sentiments in the discourse that has surrounded the arts, theatre and education since the late 18th century, we curated a rather exaggerated picture of mutual suspicion, blame and misunderstanding between artist and pedagogue. This broad sketch serves to introduce our book’s key terminology, which does in fact not present the theatrical and the pedagogical as opposites on an imagined dualistic spectrum of playful and serious, dynamic and static, authentic and deceptive – perhaps even ‘good and bad’ or ‘true and false’. Instead, the theatrical and the pedagogical are put forward as importantly related and mutually enlightening metaphors. Our contributing authors will show that we indeed need both to remind us that the aesthetic forms that make up our cultural lifeworld, and structure our human relationships, are neither solely ‘natural’, nor merely descriptive, i.e. (value) neutral phenomena
Observation of emergent scaling of spin-charge correlations at the onset of the pseudogap
Full text linkIn strongly correlated materials, interacting electrons are entangled and form collective quantum states, resulting in rich low-temperature phase diagrams. Notable examples include cuprate superconductors, in which superconductivity emerges at low doping out of an unusual "pseudogap" metallic state above the critical temperature. The Fermi-Hubbard model, describing a wide range of phenomena associated with strong electron correlations, still offers major computational challenges despite its simple formulation. In this context, ultracold atoms quantum simulators have provided invaluable insights into the microscopic nature of correlated quantum states. Here, we use a quantum gas microscope Fermi-Hubbard simulator to explore a wide range of dopings and temperatures in a regime where a pseudogap is known to develop. By measuring multipoint correlation functions up to fifth order, we uncover a universal scaling behavior in magnetic and higher-order spin-charge correlations characterized by a doping-dependent temperature scale. Accurate comparisons with determinant Quantum Monte Carlo and Minimally Entangled Typical Thermal States simulations confirm that this temperature scale is comparable to the pseudogap temperature [Formula: see text]. Our quantitative findings reveal a qualitative behavior of magnetic properties and spin-charge correlations in an emergent pseudogap and pave the way toward the exploration of charge pairing and collective phenomena expected at lower temperatures
Side chain engineering of a solution-processed non-acidic hole transport material for organic electronics
Full text linkOrganic semiconductors have the potential to contribute to sustainable electronics manufacture due to their ability to be processed from low-energy solution-processing methods. However, improvements must be made in the lifetime of such devices. PEDOT:PSS, a popular hole transport material, is acidic, which causes degradation in devices over time. Therefore, a replacement is needed to allow for longer lasting organic semiconductor devices. We have previously reported BEDOTPy, a non-acidic, molecular material that could be used to improve the device lifetime of OLEDs. In this work we explore how molecular engineering of BEDOTPy, by modifying the molecule’s side chain, affects the physical properties that are important to device performance and lifetime
Improving small object detection in open water maritime monitoring under low-shot learning
Full text linkSmall object detection in open-water environments faces numerous challenges, including weak feature representation, limited annotated samples, imbalanced data distribution and complex background interference. To address these issues, this study proposes an enhanced YOLOv8-based detection algorithm for maritime monitoring scenarios. First, a full-network fine-tuning transfer learning strategy is employed to adapt pre-trained visual representations to low-shot conditions, thereby improving feature extraction efficiency. Second, a dynamic data augmentation approach based on Albumentations is introduced to expand the training sample space and enhance the model’s robustness to scale variations and deformation patterns. Finally, an optimized Focal and Efficient IOU (Focal-EIOU) loss function is incorporated into the bounding box regression process, integrating IOU, distance and angle losses while assigning higher weights to high-quality anchors, effectively balancing localization precision and sample imbalance. Experimental results on a real-world open-water dataset demonstrate that the proposed method improves [email protected]:0.95 by 8.3 % compared with the baseline model, with detection accuracy gains of 7.1 %, 8.3 % and 9.4 % for passerby, swimmer and suspected swimmer categories, respectively. To further validate generalization, additional experiments were conducted on the SeaDronesSee maritime dataset, where the proposed method outperformed the baseline across multiple categories. These results demonstrate that the proposed approach can substantially enhance small object detection under low-shot learning conditions and highlights its potential for practical applications in maritime rescue and waterway monitoring
Experimental investigation on the high-speed suspension hexamaran in head waves
Full text linkThis experimental study investigates a hexamaran's hydrodynamic performance at 9 m/s in head waves, comparing rigid and spring-suspended configurations. In regular waves, pitch responses show minimal differences at short wavelengths (Formula presented), but the flexible program exhibits greater pitch at long wavelengths (Formula presented) due to slamming. Heave trends align except at 8 m wavelength, where the suspended configuration peaks higher. The rigid program demonstrates favorable wave interference between demihulls, yielding negative added resistance except at 6 m wavelength (slamming-induced surge). The flexible program endures spring vibration superposition, leading to much higher added resistance than the rigid program, especially when the wavelengths are from 6 to 8 m with stronger slamming. Short-wave conditions cross-deck accelerations benefit from suspension damping, long-wave conditions paradoxically increase accelerations. In irregular waves, the hexamaran's vertical acceleration distribution diverges from conventional planing craft, and accelerations at the positions of cross-deck midsection and rear demihull fore are lower than most regulatory values as a function of sea states. Its unique acceleration characteristic enhances wave impact dispersion and stress redistribution, providing operational advantages in high-speed/high-sea-state conditions
Sustainable polyurethane adhesive from modified used palm oil/polyol hybrids : impact of diol-class chain extenders
Full text linkSustainable polyurethane (PU) coatings were synthesised from a 50/50 polyol blend of poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG3000) and modified used palm oil (mUPO) with toluene diisocyanate (TDI) at an NCO index of 100. Ethylene glycol (EG) was used as a chain extender (0–5 mol) to investigate its effects on structure and performance. The developed PUs are intended as bio-based adhesive and structural coatings for glass and polymer substrates, with a focus on bonding strength, flexibility, and thermal stability. FTIR spectra provided clear evidence of urethane linkage formation and intermolecular hydrogen bonding. Mechanical tests demonstrated improvements in adhesion strength and elongation with EG, reaching 26.2 MPa and 284%, respectively, at a concentration of 2 mol. SEM demonstrated rougher bonded surfaces at moderate EG, consistent with the enhanced toughness. Surface analysis revealed that a higher EG content promoted phase separation, increased the water contact angle, and reduced the surface energy from 127 to 12 mJ/m². DSC/TGA indicate improved hard-soft interactions and thermal stability at moderate EG, but performance decreased at higher EG due to plasticisation. In addition, the activation energy (Ea), determined using the Coats–Redfern method, increased progressively from 22.58 kJ/mol (EG0) to 225.19 kJ/mol (EG5), confirming enhanced thermal stability with increasing EG content. These results suggest that EG is a crucial factor in tailoring environmentally friendly PU coatings that balance adhesion, flexibility, wettability, and stability
Explanations of data systems concepts in CS education : an updated view on notional machines
Full text linkAs data-driven fields such as machine learning, visualization, and data science continue to grow, a solid foundation in data systems has become increasingly important. However, research on how students learn concepts of data systems remains limited, particularly regarding the role of notional machines. In this working group report, we examined educational materials, such as textbooks, to collect and categorize notional machines used across database subtopics. Our analysis shows variation in how notional machines are employed: most are presented visually, many rely on prior CS or database knowledge, and a significant number are under-specified, posing risks for student misconceptions. By highlighting well-defined examples and common patterns, this report provides a pedagogical resource for educators, supports the development of clearer instructional materials, and lays the groundwork for theory-building in data systems education
Conceptual design of an internally reinforced pressure vessel for hydrogen storage in heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles
Full text linkCurrent onboard hydrogen storage systems are volumetrically inefficient and represent a major constraint on the driving range of heavy-duty fuel cell vehicles. This work presents a conceptual model of an internally reinforced Type I rectangular-shaped pressure vessel as a solution to enhance the volumetric efficiency of hydrogen storage in heavy-duty vehicles. The pressure vessel’s geometry incorporates an internal reinforcing structure to ensure both the structural integrity of the vessel and compliance with the standards for onboard hydrogen storage. Initially, an analytical approach was employed to determine the base parameters of the wall and the internal structure of the reinforced pressure vessel. Finite element analysis was then conducted to validate the analytical solutions and assess the structural integrity of the pressure vessel under design pressure conditions. This was followed by a parametric optimisation study in which the design parameters were systematically varied to identify an optimal pressure vessel design. The 35 MPa reinforced titanium pressure vessel offers 29% more volumetric capacity than the conventional Type IV storage system. The gravimetric capacity of the titanium pressure vessel is low, 2.9 wt%; despite this, the mass of the vessel is applicable in HDVs. This design increases hydrogen storage capacity, offering a range increase of approximately 29% for the same design space
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