Single-photon Emission from an Acoustically-driven Lateral Light-emitting Diode

Single-photon sources are essential building blocks in quantum photonic networks, where quantum-mechanical properties of photons are utilised to achieve quantum technologies such as quantum cryptography and quantum computing. Most conventional solid-state single-photon sources are based on single emitters such as self-assembled quantum dots, which are created at random locations and require spectral filtering. These issues hinder the integration of a single-photon source into a scaleable photonic quantum network for applications such as on-chip photonic quantum processors. In this work, using only regular lithography techniques on a conventional GaAs quantum well, we realise an electrically triggered single-photon source with a GHz repetition rate and without the need for spectral filtering. In this device, a single electron is carried in the potential minimum of a surface acoustic wave (SAW) and is transported to a region of holes to form an exciton. The exciton then decays and creates a single photon in a lifetime of ~ 100ps. This SAW-driven electroluminescence (EL) yields photon antibunching with $g^{(2)}(0) = 0.39 \pm 0.05$, which satisfies the common criterion for a single-photon source $g^{(2)}(0) < 0.5$. Furthermore, we estimate that if a photon detector receives a SAW-driven EL signal within one SAW period, this signal has a 79%-90% chance of being a single photon. This work shows that a single-photon source can be made by combining single-electron transport and a lateral n-i-p junction. This approach makes it possible to create multiple synchronised single-photon sources at chosen positions with photon energy determined by quantum-well thickness. Compared with conventional quantum-dot-based single-photon sources, this device may be more suitable for an on-chip integrated photonic quantum network

Industry 4.0 – LabVIEW Based Industrial IoT Condition Monitoring System

As a result of a substantial shift in focus towards a more digital industry, multiple sectors of industry are now realising the potential of Industry 4.0 and Internet of Things (IoT) technology. The manufacturing industry in particular is subject to unexpected machine downtime from component wear over an extended period. With Industrial IoT (IIoT) technology implemented, there is the potential for gathering large quantities of data, which can be used for preventative maintenance. This research article addresses some of the technological requirements for developing an IoT industrial condition monitoring network, whose composition makes use of wireless devices along with conventional wired methods to enable a series of data capture and control operations in amongst a network of nodes. To provide a platform to host these operations, the industry standard fieldbus protocol Modbus TCP was used in conjunction with the LabVIEW development environment, where a bespoke graphical user interface was developed to provide control and a visual representation of the data collected. In addition, one of the nodes acted as the output for hardware displays, which in turn correlated the alarm status of the user interface. By using industry standard communication protocols, it was also possible to enable connectivity between real industry hardware, further extending the capabilities of the system

Towards Software Based Optical Communication Methods for the Assistance of Docking Autonomous Underwater Vehicles

The use of optical communications systems is prevalent in underwater robotics when short-range data transmission is required or preferred. This paper proposes a method of producing and testing an optical communications system for use in the assistance of optical docking for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). It describes how the Simulink modelling environment was used to program and simulate a model of a transmitter, which was then implemented on a microcontroller. The transmitter model implemented on hardware was then used to produce an optical signal, which was sampled, logged and used to design a receiver model in Simulink. For signalling purposes, the experiment used a light-emitting diode (LED) with a driver circuit and photodiode based receiver. This simulated approach using real world data enabled the analysis of the system at every point during the process, allowing for a hardware in the loop style approach to be used in the receiver model design. Consequently, the Simulink Coder was used to produce the receiver model&rsquo;s equivalent in C++ for later deployment. A benchmark was determined through experimentation to compare within future studies; the system was tested and found to operate effectively at distances between 1 m and 12 m in a controlled in air test environment

A roadmap towards the smart factory

Industry 4.0 is the transformation of industrial manufacturing through digitisation and the use of different emerging technological advancement, when coupled together forms the smart factory. However, the roadmap of adoption is a journey rather than an absolute solution. The objectives of this paper are to give general insights and a roadmap towards the smart factory. A six-gear roadmap concept is proposed and discussed together with different challenges and practical ways of overcoming them. The significance of this paper can serve as a steppingstone for a detailed strategic roadmap for a successful implementation and transformation into a smart factory

Automated Agricultural System for Multipurpose Activities of Farmers

Agriculture plays vital role in the development of country. In India about 70% of population depends upon farming and one third of the nation’s capital comes from farming. Issues concerning agriculture have been always hindering the development of the country. The only solution to this problem is smart agriculture by modernizing the current traditional methods of agriculture. Agricultural tasks automation is significant in recent days to reduce the labor work and increase the yield of crop, efficiency and profit. The project aims on the design, development & the fabrication of the agricultural system which can plough the land, sow the seeds, water spray, pesticides spray, monitor the crops and soil, cut the cultivated crops, separate the grains from the crops, cut the grass. It also aims on upgrading of existing marketing methods. The whole agricultural system works with battery and controlled through Bluetooth technology. Various operations are performed in the agriculture field like seeding, weeding, waste plant cutting, plowing etc. Very basic operation is seeding, plowing & crop cutting. But the present method of seeding, plowing & crop cutting are problematic. The equipments used for seed sowing are very difficult and inconvenient to handle. The machine can be advanced for sowing seeds in farm with particular distance between seed is adjusted. In this project system direction is provided by using Software programming. The current warehouse management system fails to preserve the quality of the stored products overtime, monitor the temperature, humidity, theft and fire attacks in the warehouse. The project also includes smart warehouse management system which includes temperature and moisture maintenance, theft and fire detection in the warehouse and delivers the real time notifications through GSM without human intervention

Real-time monitoring of meat drying process using microwave spectroscopy

The objective of this investigation is to monitor the meat drying process and try to analyse the changes of the electromagnetic (EM) signature from a patch antenna during the process. The antenna has been modelled using High Frequency Structure Simulation Software (HFSS) and then constructed. The experimental work carried out by placing a meat sample on a scale inside the fridge and recording reflection coefficient (S11) and weight measurements 24 times (every hour) a day during one month at the frequency range of 1GHz-6GHz. Then, the change in EM signature and weight loss is correlated and analysed. The results demonstrate a relationship between the reflection coefficient and weight loss of the meat sample. The weight of the sample drops down dramatically first week and then keeps steadily decreasing. Likewise, an amplitude shift is greater at the beginning of the drying process and then the shift stabilises

Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligands Inhibit IGF-II and Adipokine Stimulated Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation

Obesity increases human cancer risk and the risk for cancer recurrence. Adipocytes secrete paracrine factors termed adipokines that stimulate signaling in cancer cells that induce proliferation. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand-activated transcription factor that plays roles in tumorigenesis, is regulated by exogenous lipophilic chemicals, and has been explored as a therapeutic target for cancer therapy. Whether exogenous AHR ligands modulate adipokine stimulated breast cancer cell proliferation has not been investigated. We provide evidence that adipocytes secrete insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF-2) at levels that stimulate the proliferation of human estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast cancer cells. Using highly specific AHR ligands and AHR short interfering RNA (AHR-siRNA), we show that specific ligand-activated AHR inhibits adipocyte secretome and IGF-2-stimulated breast cancer cell proliferation. We also report that a highly specific AHR agonist significantly ( \u3c 0.05) inhibits the expression of E2F1, CCND1 (known as Cyclin D1), MYB, SRC, JAK2, and JUND in breast cancer cells. Collectively, these data suggest that drugs that target the AHR may be useful for treating cancer in human obesity

MgAICO3-HT catalyzed ring opening of oxiranes with TMSN3

1039-104

The Renin Angiotensin System (RAS) mediates bifunctional growth regulation in melanoma and is a novel target for therapeutic intervention

Despite emergence of new systemic therapies, metastatic melanoma remains a challenging and often fatal form of skin cancer. The renin–angiotensin system (RAS) is a major physiological regulatory pathway controlling salt–water equilibrium, intravascular volume and blood pressure. Biological effects of the RAS are mediated by the vasoactive hormone angiotensin II (AngII) via two receptor subtypes, AT1R (encoded by AGTR1) and AT2R (encoded by AGTR2). We report decreasing expression and increasing CpG island methylation of AGTR1 in metastatic versus primary melanoma and detection in serum of methylated genomic DNA from the AGTR1 CpG island in metastatic melanoma implying that AGTR1 encodes a tumour suppressor function in melanoma. Consistent with this hypothesis, antagonism of AT1R using losartan or shRNA-mediated knockdown in melanoma cell lines expressing AGTR1 resulted in acquisition of the ability to proliferate in serum-free conditions. Conversely, ectopic expression of AGTR1 in cell lines lacking endogenous expression inhibits proliferation irrespective of the presence of AngII implying a ligand-independent suppressor function for AT1R. Treatment of melanoma cell lines expressing endogenous AT2R with either AngII or the AT2R-selective agonist Y6AII induces proliferation in serum-free conditions whereas the AT2R-specific antagonists PD123319 and EMA401 inhibit melanoma growth and angiogenesis and potentiate inhibitors of BRAF and MEK in cells with BRAF V600 mutations. Our results demonstrate that the RAS has both oncogenic and tumour suppressor functions in melanoma. Pharmacological inhibition of AT2R may provide therapeutic opportunities in melanomas expressing this receptor and AGTR1 CpG island methylation in serum may serve as a novel biomarker of metastatic melanoma