Journal articles on the topic 'Ex situ illumination'

The article discusses morpho-functional features of 25 species of woody subtropical plants (Acca sellowiana (O.Berg) Burret, Myrtus communis L., Murraya paniculata (L.) Jack , Coussapoa microcarpa (Schott) Rizzini, Cascabela thevetia (L.) Lippold, Podocarpus macrophyllus (Thunb.) Sweet, Podocarpus salicifolius Klotzsch & H.Karst. ex Endl., Phyllanthus juglandifolius Willd., Nandina domestica Thunb., Asparagus falcatus L., Ficus pumila L., Ficus cyathistipula Warb., Ficus binnendijkii Miq., Ficus retusa L., Ficus sagittata Vahl, Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.Presl, Laurus nobilis L., Olea europaea L., Ligustrum japonicum Thunb., Ceratonia siliqua L., Tamarindus indica L., Pittosporum tobira (Thunb.) W.T.Aiton, Camellia japonica L., Magnolia obovata Thunb., Hibiscus sinensis Mill.) growing in the greenhouse of the Botanical Garden of Samara University. To assess the adaptability of the species, the following parameters are used: the reflectivity of the leaves (upper and lower sides), the thickness of the leaf blade, the specific area of the leaves (SLA), the content of caratinoids and chlorophylls (a, b). The collection of leaf material was carried out during two growing seasons. The analysis of the parameters takes into account climatic factors, such as average monthly temperatures, air humidity, illumination. In the species studied by us, the values of the specific leaf area index range from 58 to 363 sq.cm / g, the thickness of the leaf blade from 100 to 305 microns. During the analysis, a correlation (average conjugacy) was established for the studied species the thickness of the leaf blade with the reflection of the leaf blade (R=0.65) and the content of photosynthetic pigments hl.a (R= -0.79) and carotenoids (R= -0.59), illumination (R=0.43).

Asplenium adulterinum Milde represents one of the natural heritages which have to be protected due to their scientific importance. In the actual context of global warming with myriad effects on biodiversity, the ex-situ conservation of A. adulterinum should be a priority. The possibility to obtain genetically stable individuals through in vitro techniques is a requirement of ex situ conservation. The genetic similarity of A. adulterinum gametophytes maintained 8 years in vitro culture was assessed. Explants represented by gametophyte fragments were analyzed for genetic stability through RAPD. Close similarity (88.88%) was found between gametophytes maintained in the same conditions (medium, illumination, temperature, passages number). Bangladesh J. Bot. 51(2): 387-391, 2022 (June)

This study was aimed to prepare material with high porosity and photocatalytic activity by immobilization of TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) onto poly(lactic acid) (PLA) aerogels. PLA aerogels were prepared in three steps: (1) dissolution of polymer in chloroform at 22 °C, (2) chloroform replacement with ethanol, and (3) supercritical CO2-drying at pressure 19 MPa and temperature 39 ºC. Immobilization of TiO2 NPs was performed by in situ and ex situ methods. Obtained samples were characterized using SEM, EDX, and FTIR analysis. Photocatalytic activity of developed material was tested by following decolorization of dye C.I. Acid Orange 7 in water solution. It was shown that the morphology of PLA aerogels was slightly affected by TiO2 NPs immobilization. PLA aerogels with TiO2 NPs immobilized by ex situ method sustained floatability during test period and provided a complete decolorization of dye solution after 330 minutes of illumination. High photocatalytic activity of the sample was preserved within three repeated cycles of dye decolorization.

New technologies of reintroduction of plant species presuppose implementing both traditional and biotechnological methods for obtaining certain planting materials. However, plants cultivated in vitro exist in specific conditions that lead to changes in their structural and functional state. This explains why it is hard for them to adapt to ex vitro and in situ conditions. Therefore, there is a need for the development of a multistage method of cultivating in vitro plants that would make the influence on their adaptive mechanism in ex vitro and in situ conditions possible. One of its stages is the optimization of the light regime of cultivation which can both initiate the change of the state of the photosynthetic apparatus of plants and increase their bioproductivity stimulating the work of their protective system. This work studies changes in the morphogenesis, growth data and pigment composition of the rare species of Gentiana lutea L. of three populations in the Ukrainian Carpathian (mountains Pozhyzhevska and Sheshul-Pavlyk, plateau Lemska) in vitro focusing particularly on the cultivation light regime. The research has proved the inefficiency of using fluorescent lamps of daylight lamps (LD) type as source of illumination because the low intensity of luminous flux in the area of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), as well as high proportion of wavelength of blue (400–500 nm) and green (500–600 nm) range in the spectrum cause specific reactions of photomorphogenesis, which, despite the high content of pigments in plastids, lead to poor development of root systems, stretching the stems, formation of small leaves with thin leaflet plate, generally low productivity and low adaptive potential of G. lutea plants to ex vitro and in situ conditions. Complement of cold white light lamps to the fluorescent lamps LD type in the ratio of 1 : 1 enables one to increase the intensity of illumination in the field of PAR and raise the fraction of wavelength of red range (600–700 nm). Such light conditions both improve the bio-productivity of G. lutea plants of all three populations cultured in vitro in comparison to the LD type regimen, reducing the content of chlorophyll b and carotenoids in light-harvesting complexes of photosystems and facilitate an increase in the microclonal multiplication factor without using higher concentrations of exogenous growth regulators,which significantly reduces the cost of the process of obtaining planting materials. It was proved that a combination of LD type lamps, cold white light lamps and phytolamps in the ratio 1 : 1 : 0.6 should be used on the final stages of preparation of the planting material of G. lutea before transferring it to ex vitro and in situ conditions. This relates to the fact that the increase of the wavelength of the red range results in the widening of the active surface of the leaves, rise in the content of photosynthetic pigments, and the noticeable growth of the aboveground and underground parts of the plants. The article assumes that the use of such illumination mode will ensure a faster transition of cultured in vitro G. lutea plants from heterotrophic to autotrophic nutrition, improving their adaptive potential and enabling easier adaptation to non-sterile ex vitro and in situ conditions.

β-Ga2O3 thin films were grown on c-plane sapphire substrates by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The films were grown using an elemental gallium source and oxygen supplied by an RF plasma source. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) was used to monitor the surface quality in real time. Both in situ RHEED and ex situ X-ray diffraction confirmed the formation of single crystal β-phase films with excellent crystallinity on c-plane sapphire. Spectroscopic ellipsometry was used to determine the film thicknesses, giving values in the 11.6–18.8 nm range and the refractive index dispersion curves. UV-Vis transmittance measurements revealed that strong absorption of β-Ga2O3 starts at ∼270 nm. Top metal contacts were deposited by thermal evaporation for I-V characterization, which has been carried out in dark, as well as under visible and UV light illumination. The optical and electrical measurements showed that the grown thin films of β-Ga2O3 are excellent candidates for deep-ultraviolet detection and sensing.

Summary Ophrys sphegodes Mill. is a wild orchid species which is threatened and protected due to its pollination biology, small seed and habitat destruction. The aim of this study was to establish asymbiotic germination protocol for the purpose of ex situ conservation. Two basal media Knudson C (KC) and Malmgren (MM), supplemented with organic additives (peptone (PE), L-glutamin (A)e, folic acid, casein hydrolysate (CA)) added separately and control media KC--C and MM--C were used in the present research. All the nutrition media contained 2% sucrose, 7% agar and 1% activated carbon, while their pH was adjusted to 5.8 ± 0.02 before autoclaving at 121 ° C for 20 minutes. The seeds were examined under two illumination conditions, 0/24 light/dark (L/D) and 16/8 L/D. The presented results indicate a huge influence of illumination and nutrition media on the seed germination and protocorm formation. The seed germination was overall significantly more successful in dark conditions (0/24 L/D) than with lighting (16/8 L/D). Protocorm, rhizoids and shoot formation were achieved only on the seeds cultured on MM medium, while the KC medium caused only swelling of the embryo. Organic additives had positive influence on the germination rate. According to the obtained results, the best germination rate and seedling development were achieved on MM-PE media, cultured in dark. The presented procedure accelerates the germination period and can provide a large number of plants in a relatively short period of time so it can be used for conservation programs and mass production protocol.

Abstract: The role of phototrophs is examined in alternative energy, with the main emphasis on unicellular algae. Particular attention is paid to the use of phototrophs for generating electricity using biofuel cells (plant and enzymatic biofuel cells are discussed). This study focuses on microbial fuel cells (MFC), which, along with electric power, allow obtaining biofuels and biohydrogen. This article explains the factors limiting the MFC power, and ways of overcoming them. For example, it seems promising to develop various photobioreactors in order to reduce the loss of MFC power due to overvoltage. The use of microphototrophs in MFC has led to the development of photosynthetic MFC (or PhotoMFC) through the design of autotrophic photobioreactors with forced illumination. They allow generating oxygen through photosynthesis, both in situ and ex situ, by recirculating oxygen from the photobioreactor to the cathode chamber. Artificial redox mediators can be used here, transferring electrons directly from the non-catalytic cathode to O2, formed as a result of the photosynthetic activity of algae. Biologically catalyzed cathodes have been proven to generate less power than chemical catalysts. It is noted, that the MFC installations with the micro-algae allow utilizing a wider circle of different connections – the components of effluents and withdrawals: organic acids, sugar, alcohols, fats and other substrata. The use of phototrophs for the production of biofuels is of special interest. Several different types of renewable biofuels can be produced from microalgae, the production of which can be combined with wastewater treatment, CO2 capture and production of various compounds.

ABSRTACTIn this article, we report low-temperature electron spin resonance (ESR) investigations carried out on solution processed three-layer inverted solar cell structures: PC61BM/CH3NH3PbI3/PEDOT:PSS/Glass, where PC61BM and PEDOT:PSS act as electron and hole transport layers, respectively. ESR measurements were conducted on ex-situ light (1 Sun) illuminated samples. We find two distinct ESR spectra. First ESR spectra resembles a typical powder pattern, associated with gx = gy = 4.2; gz = 9.2, found to be originated from Fe3+ extrinsic impurity located in the glass substrate. Second ESR spectra contains a broad (peak-to-peak line width ∼ 10 G) and intense ESR signal appearing at g = 2.008; and a weak, partly overlapped, but much narrower (peak-to-peak line width ∼ 4 G) ESR signal at g = 2.0022. Both sets of ESR spectra degrade in intensity upon light illumination. The latter two signals were found to stem from light-induced silicon dangling bonds and oxygen vacancies, respectively. Our controlled measurements confirm that these centers were generated during UV-ozone treatment of the glass substrate –a necessary step to be performed before PEDOT:PSS is spin coated. This work forms a significant step in understanding the light-induced- as well as extrinsic defects in perovskite solar cell materials.

Abstract An alternative method for the fast evaluation of transient liquid crystal experiments is presented in this study. The calibration of liquid crystals has been considered essential to obtain accurate heat transfer measurements. Nevertheless, liquid crystal aging, illumination, and ex situ calibration effects remain a difficult and might influence the heat transfer level. Proposed here is to bypass liquid crystal calibration by utilizing the evolution of the wall temperature gradients. This necessitates the use of the detection times of the maximum red and green intensities of narrow bandwidth liquid crystals, e.g., less than 1 K, whose temperature span is on the order of 0.3 K. The calculation of the heat transfer coefficients can be thus feasible by differentiating the wall temperature from the solution of the semi-infinite body approach with respect to time. This approach is examined over different experiments with varying geometries and liquid crystal detection times. The in-advance possession of the calibration curves of the liquid crystals allows for the method’s cross-evaluation. The results indicate that the proposed method is in sufficiently good agreement with the values obtained using the calibrated liquid crystal signals. In particular, the average heat transfer coefficient of a surface is within 8% from the traditional method which is sufficient for industrial applications and preliminary thermal designs.

In the present work, an insight on the morpho/structural properties of semitransparent organic devices for buildings’ integrated photovoltaics is presented, and issues related to interface and bulk stability are addressed. The organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells under investigation are characterized by a blend of PM6:Y6 as a photo-active layer, a ZnO ETL (electron transporting layer), a HTL (hole transporting layer) of HTL-X and a transparent electrode composed by Ag nanowires (AgNWs). The devices’ active nanomaterials, processed as thin films, and their mutual nanoscale interfaces are investigated by a combination of in situ Energy Dispersive X-ray Reflectometry (EDXR) and ex situ Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. In order to discriminate among diverse concomitant aging pathways potentially occurring upon working conditions, the effects of different stress factors were investigated: light and temperature. Evidence is gained of an essential structural stability, although an increased roughness at the ZnO/PM6:Y6 interface is deduced by EDXR measurements. On the contrary, an overall stability of the system subjected to thermal stress in the dark was observed, which is a clear indication of the photo-induced origin of the observed degradation phenomenon. Micro-Raman spectroscopy brings light on the origin of such effect, evidencing a photo-oxidation process of the active material in the device, using hygroscopic organic HTL, during continuous illumination in ambient moisture conditions. The process may be also triggered by a photocatalytic role of the ZnO layer. Therefore, an alternative configuration is proposed, where the hygroscopic HTL-X is replaced by the inorganic compound MoOx. The results show that such alternative configuration is stable under light stress (solar simulator), suggesting that the use of Molybdenum Oxide, limiting the photo-oxidation of the bulk PM6:Y6 active material, can prevent the cell from degradation.

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer diagnosed in women in the US with almost 280,000 new cases anticipated in 2023. Currently, on-site pathology for location guidance is not available during the collection of breast biopsies or during surgical intervention procedures. This shortcoming contributes to repeat biopsy and re-excision procedures, increasing the cost and patient discomfort during the cancer management process. Both procedures could benefit from on-site feedback, but current clinical on-site evaluation techniques are not commonly used on breast tissue because they are destructive and inaccurate. Ex-vivo microscopy is an emerging field aimed at creating histology-analogous images from non- or minimally-processed tissues, and is a promising tool for addressing this pain point in clinical cancer management. We investigated the ability structured illumination microscopy (SIM) to generate images from freshly-obtained breast tissues for structure identification and cancer identification at a speed compatible with potential on-site clinical implementation. We imaged 47 biopsies from patients undergoing a guided breast biopsy procedure using a customized SIM system and a dual-color fluorescent hematoxylin & eosin (H&E) analog. These biopsies had an average size of 0.92 cm2 (minimum 0.1, maximum 4.2) and had an average imaging time of 7:29 (minimum 0:22, maximum 37:44). After imaging, breast biopsies were submitted for standard histopathological processing and review. A board-certified pathologist returned a binary diagnostic accuracy of 96% when compared to diagnoses from gold-standard histology slides, and key tissue features including stroma, vessels, ducts, and lobules were identified from the resulting images.

The production of hydrogen via photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting using III-V semiconductors as photoelectrodes is a field of current research and challenges in materials science. Under PEC conditions relevant to water splitting, III-V semiconductors are prone to corrosion and suffer from corrosion-related decrease of efficiency, which so far impedes long-term usage of III-V semiconductor-based photoelectrodes. Gallium phosphide (GaP) has an indirect band gap of 2.26 eV which covers both the hydrogen evolution potential (HEP) and the oxygen evolution potential (OEP). Thus, in principal, GaP can be used both as photocathode and photoanode. Notwithstanding the favorable band gap energy, the use of GaP photoelectrodes for the photolysis of water has so far not been successful without applying an additional bias potential. In this contribution we demonstrate that, by specific surface conditioning, we are able to control and optimize the photoelectrochemical surface properties of photoanodes prepared from n-doped GaP(100) for PEC water splitting. We have studied the structural and chemical surface modifications of such photoanodes before and after extended PEC processes by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). An approximately (2±1) nm thin oxide film is produced at the surface of n-GaP(100) via oxidizing the surface at 0.8 V vs RHE (reversible hydrogen electrode) and subsequent hydrogen evolution at very cathodic potentials. The latter step is crucial for a substantial reduction of the potential for water splitting, presumably because the evolved hydrogen passivates electrically active defects in the oxide film. After appropriate surface conditioning, photolytic water splitting was observed without applied voltage or addition of catalysts, as confirmed by detection of hydrogen gas evolving at the Pt counter cathode with a gas spectrometer. The n-GaP(100) photoanode was exposed to high-intensity illumination (120 mW/cm2) at 0 V vs RHE in 0.02 M HCl electrolyte for a duration of 3 days while yielding stable photocurrents. Ex-situ surface characterization of the n-GaP(100) photoanodes was carried out after extended PEC water splitting. AFM revealed a very flat surface, and no signs of corrosion were observed even after extended periods of water splitting. AES depth profiles showed that phosphorous was depleted near the surface of the n-GaP(100) photoanode. Using AES spectra, the thickness of the oxide film was estimated. XPS measurements revealed that the surface oxide consists mainly of Ga2O3, while small concentrations of GaPO4, P2O5 and also metal-like Ga are also present at the topmost surface layers of the n-GaP(100) photoanode. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was carried out to understand the charge transfer processes across the semiconductor/electrolyte interface. Our EIS results suggest that defect states in the surface oxide and metal-like Ga at the very surface in contact with the electrolyte play crucial roles in the effective charge transfer across the semiconductor-electrolyte interface. Our surface conditioning processes lead to the formation of a nonporous, thin and stable Ga surface oxide which inhibits PEC surface corrosion and, at the same time, subserves the water splitting process.

The development of a fully integrated photoelectrochemical cell capable of efficiently producing carbon-neutral fuels from sunlight, water, and atmospheric carbon dioxide is challenged by the electrochemical corrosion of photoelectrodes at the potentials required to drive the desired redox reactions. Recent progress in the development of protective coatings that integrate transparent conductive oxides with electrocatalysts has extended the operational lifetime of technologically important semiconductors such as Si, GaAs, and InP for use as photoanodes in aqueous alkaline electrolytes from seconds to hundreds or thousands of hours. Although an understanding of the failure modes for such devices has not yet been developed fully, systematic examinations of failure modes could lead to methods for improving the maximum attainable lifetimes, and would support the development of accelerated stability-testing protocols as well as modeling and simulation efforts to estimate device durability. This presentation will first provide a brief overview of recent progress in the development of protective coatings and catalyst-placement strategies for the stabilization of semiconductor electrodes for use in integrated solar fuels systems, and will then provide an in-depth examination of the failure mechanisms governing the performance and durability of a model system – Si anodes patterned with micrometer-scale Ni islands operating in contact with 1.0 M KOH (aq). In the patterned-catalyst approach, an insoluble protective oxide layer is grown over areas of the semiconductor not covered by the catalyst islands, and during operation the current is collected at and passed through the catalyst islands. For semiconductors such as Si that form insoluble oxides under water-oxidation conditions, the protective oxide layer can be grown in situ. The patterned-catalyst approach therefore can be considered a model system for protective coatings with pinhole or grain-boundary defects – where stability depends upon on passivation of the semiconductor beneath regions of the coating that allow direct contact with the electrolyte – allowing top-down definition and spatial control over regions analogous to through-film defects that are otherwise difficult to control and vary systematically. Ex situ and operando electrochemical, microscopic, and spectroscopic techniques were used to investigate the performance and stability of Si anodes patterned with a square array of micrometer-sized Ni islands and operated in contact with 1.0 M KOH (aq). Non-photoactive p+-Si(111) substrates were used to evaluate the stability of the catalyst as well as the formation of the passive SiOx layer. The impact of the diurnal cycle on the stability of the electrodes was evaluated by investigating the behavior of Si(100) substrates under open-circuit conditions. Buried-junction np+-Si(111) substrates were used to evaluate performance and stability under simulated solar illumination. The stability and efficiency of the patterned-catalyst Si electrodes were affected by the filling fraction of the Ni catalyst, the orientation and dopant type of the substrates, and the measurement conditions. The electrochemical behavior at different stages of operation, including Ni catalyst activation, Si passivation, steady-state operation, and device failure was affected by the dynamic processes of anodic formation and isotropic dissolution of SiOx on the exposed Si. Buried-junction np+-Si(111) photoanodes with an 18.0% filling fraction of a square array of Ni microelectrodes demonstrated performance equivalent to a Ni anode in series with a photovoltaic device having an open-circuit voltage of 538 ± 20 mV, a short-circuit current density of 20.4 ± 1.3 mA cm-2, and a photovoltaic efficiency of 6.7 ± 0.9%. For these samples the photocurrent density at the equilibrium potential for oxygen evolution was 12.7 ± 0.9 mA cm-2, yielding an ideal regenerative cell solar-to-oxygen conversion efficiency of 0.47 ± 0.07%. The photocurrent passed exclusively through the Ni catalyst islands to evolve O2 with nearly 100% faradaic efficiency. However, the passivating layer of SiOx dissolves in KOH, resulting in Si corrosion and SiOx dissolution especially in the dark. The dynamic processes of SiOx formation and etching affect both the electrical stability of the electrochemical and photovoltaic components, as well as the optoelectronic stability of the photovoltaic component. Localized undercutting of catalyst islands and damage to the emitter profile correlated with the current distribution on sample surfaces, suggesting substantial current branching at the location where the active catalysts and the corrosive solution are both present. This work provides evidence of one likely failure mechanism for Si photoanodes protected by transparent catalytic films, specifically, undercutting and removal of the catalysts at defects in protective coatings that can arise during fabrication, deployment and operation.

Variable domains of heavy chain only antibodies (VHHs) are valuable agents for application in tumor theranostics upon conjugation to both a diagnostic probe and a therapeutic compound. Here, we optimized site-specific conjugation of the chelator DTPA and the photosensitizer IRDye700DX to anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) VHH 7D12, for applications in nuclear imaging and photodynamic therapy. 7D12 was site-specifically equipped with bimodal probe DTPA-tetrazine-IRDye700DX using the dichlorotetrazine conjugation platform. Binding, internalization and light-induced toxicity of DTPA-IRDye700DX-7D12 were determined using EGFR-overexpressing A431 cells. Finally, ex vivo biodistribution of DTPA-IRDye700DX-7D12 in A431 tumor-bearing mice was performed, and tumor homing was visualized with SPECT and fluorescence imaging. DTPA-IRDye700DX-7D12 was retrieved with a protein recovery of 43%, and a degree of labeling of 0.56. Spectral properties of the IRDye700DX were retained upon conjugation. 111In-labeled DTPA-IRDye700DX-7D12 bound specifically to A431 cells, and they were effectively killed upon illumination. DTPA-IRDye700DX-7D12 homed to A431 xenografts in vivo, and this could be visualized with both SPECT and fluorescence imaging. In conclusion, the dichlorotetrazine platform offers a feasible method for site-specific dual-labeling of VHH 7D12, retaining binding affinity and therapeutic efficacy. The flexibility of the described approach makes it easy to vary the nature of the probes for other combinations of diagnostic and therapeutic compounds.

Abstract. Due to its ability to acquire data regardless of weather conditions and solar illumination, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) intensity data is the preferred data for large-scale flood mapping. However, due to the SAR image distortions and complex land cover conditions at large scale, there are areas where SAR data is unable to measure ground surface changes caused by floodwater, which is crucial information that cannot be overlooked for large-scale applications. To address this limitation of SAR data, two similar products, the LIST Exclusion map (EX-map) and the GFM exclusion mask, were recently proposed to identify these problematic areas. As there is no established criterion to evaluate these two products, a comprehensive comparison is necessary to investigate the consistency and differences between them for different end-users’ needs. We conducted the first-ever comparison between the LIST EX-map and the GFM exclusion mask, from their definitions to the site-scale products, while elaborating on their preferred application domains for different algorithms. We qualitatively and quantitatively evaluated the exclusion map using Sentinel-1 data for 11 test sites across five continents with global land cover maps to identify the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches. The results show that the main differences exist in mountainous radar layovers/shadows and low vegetation such as grass, cropland, and shrubland. The evaluation results demonstrate a good agreement (64.87% ∼ 91.40%) between the two products.

AbstractObtaining understanding of a photochemical reaction relies on the observation, identification and quantification of the compounds involved. The photochemical properties of the individual components are of particular importance, and their determination, however, is not always trivial. This is also true for the quantitative measure on the ability to absorb light, the extinction coefficient εi if more than one species i is present and two or more species absorb light of the same wavelength. In this work, it is demonstrated how pure component spectra can be obtained with a simple combination of successive and repeated ex situ illumination, UV/Vis and NMR spectroscopy. From the complementary information accessible, the wavelength-dependent extinction coefficients of all species can be calculated yielding the pure component spectra. A comparison with published data shows excellent agreement and thus proves that this approach is highly reliable. Graphical abstract

Femtosecond laser ablation has found wide-ranging applications in the surface structuring of nanoelectronics and nanophotonics devices. Traditionally, the inspection of the fabricated three-dimensional (3D) morphology was performed using a scanning electron microscope or atomic force microscopy in an ex situ manner after processing was complete. To quickly monitor and efficiently optimize the quality of surface fabrication, we developed an in situ method to accurately reconstruct the 3D morphology of surface micro-structures. This method is based on a triangulation optical system that utilizes structured illumination. The approach offers a super-resolution capacity, making it a powerful and non-invasive tool for quick in situ monitoring of surface ablation structures.

AbstractRechargeable battery devices with high energy density are highly demanded by the modern society. The use of lithium (Li) anodes is extremely attractive for future rechargeable battery devices. However, the notorious Li dendritic and instability of solid electrolyte interface (SEI) issues pose series of challenge for metal anodes. Here, based on the inspiration of in situ photoelectrochemical engineering, it is showed that a tailor‐made composite photoanodes with good photoelectrochemical properties (Li affinity property and photocatalytic property) can significantly improve the electrochemical deposition behavior of Li anodes. The light‐assisted Li anode is accommodated in the tailor‐made current collector without uncontrollable Li dendrites. The as‐prepared light‐assisted Li metal anode can achieve the in situ stabilization of SEI layer under illumination. The corresponding in situ formation mechanism and photocatalytic mechanism of composite photoanodes are systematically investigated via DFT theoretical calculation, ex situ UV–vis and ex situ XPS characterization. It is worth mentioning that the as‐prepared composite photoanodes can adapt to the ultra‐high current density of 15 mA cm−2 and the cycle capacity of 15 mAh cm−2 under light, showing no dendritic morphology and low hysteresis voltage. This work is of great significance for the commercialization of new generation Li metal batteries.

Imaging fibres are used to perform real-time fluorescence endomicroscopy in vivo, in situ, with the goal of increasing diagnostic information for a plethora of organ systems and diseases. Widefield fibre endomicroscopy systems are simple, cost-effective, and come with fast image acquisition times. However, alternative approaches such as scanning systems produce higher contrast images with intrinsic optical sectioning, improving the visibility of histological features, albeit at the expense of simplicity, cost and acquisition rate. We developed a selective plane illumination microscopy endoscopic fibre platform consisting of an ultrafast laser fabricated end-cap integrated with a polymer coherent fibre bundle and an epifluorescence microscope. Polymer fibres are known to fluoresce when pumped with blue light, increasing background and noise in images. Our end-cap design circumvents this challenge. We demonstrate a reduction of out-of-focus features along with improved contrast of in-focus features in images of a tissue phantom. Moreover, we demonstrate the utility of our platform for endomicroscopy using a whole ex vivo human lung model.

Abstract Ebola virus (EBOV) causes lethal disease in humans but not in mice. Here, we generated recombinant mouse-adapted (MA)-EBOVs, including one based on the previously reported serially adapted strain (rMA-EBOV), along with single-reporter rMA-EBOVs expressing either fluorescent (ZsGreen1 [ZsG]) or bioluminescent (nano-luciferase [nLuc]) reporters, and dual-reporter rMA-EBOVs expressing both ZsG and nLuc. No detriment to viral growth in vitro was seen with inclusion of MA-associated mutations or reporter proteins. In CD-1 mice, infection with MA-EBOV, rMA-EBOV, and single-reporter rMA-EBOVs conferred 100% lethality; infection with dual-reporter rMA-EBOV resulted in 80% lethality. Bioluminescent signal from rMA-EBOV expressing nLuc was detected in vivo and ex vivo using the IVIS Spectrum CT. Fluorescent signal from rMA-EBOV expressing ZsG was detected in situ using hand-held blue-light transillumination and ex vivo through epi-illumination with the IVIS Spectrum CT. These data support the use of reporter MA-EBOV for studies of Ebola virus in animal disease models.

AbstractHeterostructures and crystal interfaces play a major role in state-of-the-art semiconductor devices and play a central role in the field of oxide electronics. In oxides the link between the microscopic properties of the interfaces and bulk properties of the resulting heterostructures challenge our fundamental understanding. Insights on the early growth stage of interfaces and its influence on resulting physical properties are scarce - typically the information is inferred from post growth characterization. Here, we report on real time measurements of the transport properties of SrTiO3-based heterostructures at room temperature, while the heterostructure is forming. Surprisingly, we detect a conducting interface already at the initial growth stage, much earlier than the well-established critical thickness limit for observing conductivity ex-situ after sample growth. We investigate how the conductivity depends on various physical processes occurring during pulsed laser depositions, including light illumination, particle bombardment by the plasma plume, interactions with the atmosphere and oxygen migration from SrTiO3 to the thin films of varying compositions. We conclude that the conductivity in these room-temperature grown interfaces stem from oxygen vacancies with a concentration determined primarily by a balance between vacancy formation through particle bombardment and interfacial redox reaction and vacancy annihilation through oxidation. Using this approach, we propose a new design tool to control the electrical properties of interfaces in real time during their formation.

AbstractThe aqueous photo‐assisted battery is considered an efficient means of converting and storing solar energy in one device. However, identifying a suitable photocathode with excellent iodine capture capabilities for photo‐assisted Zn‐iodine batteries still remains challenging. In this work, bifunctional BiOI is prepared as sole cathode material for a photo‐assisted Zn‐iodine battery while simultaneously realizing an iodine host and solar responsiveness. The as‐presented BiOI with abundant vacancies offers highly reversible photo‐assisted iodine redox reactions. Meanwhile, the dual reaction routes involving vacancy iodine storage and reversible two‐steps iodine redox are confirmed by in/ex situ characterization techniques during the energy storage process. Consequently, the assembled battery exhibits areal capacity of 0.24 mAh cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 with coulombic efficiency exceeding 96.5%. More impressively, benefiting from the wide visible light absorption of the BiOI cathode, the battery demonstrates a much enhanced specific areal capacity of 0.4 mAh cm−2 at 1 mA cm−2 under sun illumination, representing a remarkable increment of 60% compared to that in the dark environment. This work expands the utility of cathode materials for a photo‐assisted Zn‐iodine battery.

Controlled synthesis of lead‐halide perovskite crystals is challenging yet attractive because of the pivotal role played by the crystal structure and growth conditions in regulating their properties. This study introduces data‐driven strategies for the controlled synthesis of oriented quasi‐spherical CsPbBr3, alongside an investigation into the synthesis mechanism. High‐throughput rapid characterization of absorption spectra and color under ultraviolet illumination was conducted using 23 possible ligands for the synthesis of CsPbBr3 crystals. The links between the absorption spectra slope (difference in the absorbance at 400 nm and 450 nm divided by a wavelength interval of 50 nm) and crystal size were determined through statistical analysis of more than 100 related publications. Big data analysis and machine learning were employed to investigate a total of 688 absorption spectra and 652 color values, revealing correlations between synthesis parameters and properties. Ex‐situ characterization confirmed successful synthesis of oriented quasi‐spherical CsPbBr3 perovskites using polyvinylpyrrolidone and Acacia. Density functional theory calculations highlighted strong adsorption of Acacia on the (110) facet of CsPbBr3. Optical properties of the oriented quasi‐spherical perovskites prepared with these data‐driven strategies were significantly improved. This study demonstrates that data‐driven controlled synthesis facilitates morphology‐controlled perovskites with excellent optical properties.

Controlled synthesis of lead‐halide perovskite crystals is challenging yet attractive because of the pivotal role played by the crystal structure and growth conditions in regulating their properties. This study introduces data‐driven strategies for the controlled synthesis of oriented quasi‐spherical CsPbBr3, alongside an investigation into the synthesis mechanism. High‐throughput rapid characterization of absorption spectra and color under ultraviolet illumination was conducted using 23 possible ligands for the synthesis of CsPbBr3 crystals. The links between the absorption spectra slope (difference in the absorbance at 400 nm and 450 nm divided by a wavelength interval of 50 nm) and crystal size were determined through statistical analysis of more than 100 related publications. Big data analysis and machine learning were employed to investigate a total of 688 absorption spectra and 652 color values, revealing correlations between synthesis parameters and properties. Ex‐situ characterization confirmed successful synthesis of oriented quasi‐spherical CsPbBr3 perovskites using polyvinylpyrrolidone and Acacia. Density functional theory calculations highlighted strong adsorption of Acacia on the (110) facet of CsPbBr3. Optical properties of the oriented quasi‐spherical perovskites prepared with these data‐driven strategies were significantly improved. This study demonstrates that data‐driven controlled synthesis facilitates morphology‐controlled perovskites with excellent optical properties.

AbstractActive pharmaceutical ingredients have emerged as an environmentally undesirable element because of their widespread exploitation and consequent pollution, which has deleterious effects on living things. In the pursuit of sustainable environmental remediation, biomedical applications, and energy production, there has been a significant focus on two-dimensional materials (2D materials) owing to their unique electrical, optical, and structural properties. Herein, we have synthesized 2D zinc oxide nanosheets (ZnO NSs) using a facile and practicable hydrothermal method and characterized them thoroughly using spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. The 2D nanosheets are used as an efficient photocatalyst for antibiotic (herein, end-user ciprofloxacin (CIP) was used as a model antibiotic) degradation under sunlight. It is observed that ZnO NSs photodegrade ~ 90% of CIP within two hours of sunlight illumination. The molecular mechanism of CIP degradation is proposed based on ex-situ IR analysis. Moreover, the 2D ZNO NSs are used as an antimicrobial agent and exhibit antibacterial qualities against a range of bacterial species, including Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and MIC of the bacteria are found to be 5 μg/l and 10 μg/l, respectively. Despite having the biocompatible nature of ZnO, as-synthesized nanosheets have also shown cytotoxicity against two types of cancer cells, i.e. A549 and A375. Thus, ZnO nanosheets showed a nontoxic nature, which can be exploited as promising alternatives in different biomedical applications.

AbstractElectrocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) is widely regarded as one of the most efficient and sustainable strategies for hydrogen production. Up to now, most electrocatalysis research related to HER mainly focuses on stand‐alone electrocatalysis and fails to pay attention to the integration of other driving forces such as light. Herein, Cu2O nanostructures with different exposed crystal facets were synthesized by wet chemical methods for electrocatalytic HER, and it was found that the octahedral Cu2O nanostructures with exposed crystal planes of (111) (O‐Cu2O) had the best hydrogen evolution performance. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations found that the better HER performance on Cu2O (111) facets was attributed to the lower energy barrier in the Heyrovsky step. Operando Raman spectroscopy and ex‐situ characterization techniques showed that Cu2O was reduced during HER, in which Cu dendrites were grown on the surface of the Cu2O nanostructures, resulting in the better HER performance of O‐Cu2O after HER (O‐Cu2O‐A) compared with that of the as‐prepared O‐Cu2O. DFT calculations indicated that the charge transfer at the Cu2O/Cu interface enhanced its surface electron concentration. Under illumination, the onset potential of O‐Cu2O‐A is ca. 52 mV positive than that of O‐Cu2O, which is induced by the plasmon‐activated electrochemical system consisting of Cu2O and the in‐situ generated Cu dendrites. Incident photon‐to‐current efficiency (IPCE) measurements, ultraviolet‐visible (UV‐Vis) spectroscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) demonstrate the hot electron injection (HEI) from Cu dendrites to Cu2O. Ab initio nonadiabatic molecular dynamics (NAMD) simulations revealed that the transfer of photogenerated electrons (27 fs) from Cu dendrites to Cu2O nanostructures is faster than electron relaxation (170 fs), enhancing its surface plasmons activity, and the HEI of Cu dendrites increases the charge density of Cu2O. These make the energy level of the catalyst be closer to that of H+/H2, evidenced by the plasmon‐enhanced HER electrocatalytic activity.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Abstract Background Visualization of cancer during breast conserving surgery (BCS) remains challenging; the BCS reoperation rate is reported to be 20-70% of patients. An urgent clinical need exists for real-time intraoperative visualization of breast carcinomas during BCS. We previously demonstrated the ability of a prototype imaging device to identify breast carcinoma in excised surgical specimens following 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) administration. However, this prototype device was not designed to image the surgical cavity for remaining carcinoma after the excised lumpectomy specimen is removed. A new handheld fluorescence (FL) imaging prototype device, designed to image both excised specimens and within the surgical cavity, was assessed in a clinical trial to evaluate its clinical utility for first-in-human, real-time intraoperative imaging during index BCS. Results The imaging device combines consumer-grade imaging sensory technology with miniature light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and multiband optical filtering to capture high-resolution white light (WL) and FL digital images and videos. The technology allows for visualization of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX), which fluoresces red when excited by violet-blue light. To date, $$n = 17$$ n = 17 patients have received $$20\frac{\text {mg}}{\textrm{kg}}$$ 20 mg kg bodyweight (BW) 5-ALA orally 2-4 h before imaging to facilitate the accumulation of PpIX within tumour cells. Tissue types were identified based on their colour appearance. Breast tumours in sectioned lumpectomies appeared red, which contrasted against the green connective tissues and orange-brown adipose tissues. In addition, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) that was missed during intraoperative standard of care was identified at the surgical margin at <1 mm depth. In addition, artifacts due to the surgical drape, illumination, and blood within the surgical cavity were discovered. Conclusions This study has demonstrated the detection of a grossly occult positive margin intraoperatively. Artifacts from imaging within the surgical cavity have been identified, and potential mitigations have been proposed. Trial Registration Identifier: (Trial start date is September 2010. It was registered to ClinicalTrials.gov retrospectively on April 23, 2013, then later updated on April 9, 2020, to reflect the introduction of the new imaging device.)

Lygodium sp. is a climbing fern that occurs in open forests, settling frequently in areas with disturbed vegetation. In Argentina, Lygodium venustum inhabits in the protected area "Moconá" Provincial Park, in few and small populations. In-vitro cultivation of spores is a strategy for ex-situ conservation of species with reduced or threatened populations. Usually, fern spores need to be surface sterilized before sowing, to avoid the development of unwanted microorganisms. As part of our project focused on the conservation of native fern species in Argentina, the aim of this work was to evaluate a propagation protocol for L. venustum through in-vitro cultivation of spores, employing a standard procedure of disinfection, to investigate its effect on spore germination and the subsequent gametophyte as well as its response by the inoculation with a fungus. A batch of spores was previously treated with 10% (v/v) solution of NaOCl during 2 min and then sown in Dyer agar medium supplemented with 1% Nystatin (T1). The petri dishes were incubated in a growth chamber under white illumination (28μmol m-2 s-1) with a photoperiod of 12 hr and a temperature of 22±2°C. Another set of spores without previous disinfection was sown on Dyer agar medium and under the same conditions and used as a control (T0). Spore germination and gametophyte and sporophyte development were monitored through periodical observations under stereoscopic and light microscopes. As during cultures of non-disinfected spores a fungus developed in association with L. venustum gametophytes, its conidia were morphologically characterized as well as those obtained from the black spots present on the sporophyte leaves. A conidial suspension was applied to 20 days-old gametophytes obtained in axenic conditions to evaluate the appearance of any symptom. In both treatments (T1 and T0), spores germinated at 7 days after sowing. The pattern of spore germination followed the Anemia-type, unlike the Vittaria-type found by other researchers. Untreated spores showed a higher mean percentage of germination than those treated (86 and 72 % in 30 days, respectively). In T0 gametophytes grew in association with a fungus, whose conidia had the morphological characteristics of Pestalotiopsis maculans, as occurred with the conidia obtained from the black spots of L. venustum leaves. The association of P. maculans with L. venustum is reported here for the first time. The gametophytes developed in T0 and those inoculated with P. maculans became necrotic and died before producing gametangia, suggesting a pathogenic role of the fungus. The elevated percentage of spore germination registered in T0 could also indicate some effect of P. maculans or its metabolites in the promotion of spore germination. Gametophytes developed in T1 became bisexual or unisexual male, which points to the presence of some antheridiogen that induces the production of antheridia on smaller or slower-growing gametophytes. The sporophytes arose after 4 months of spore sown in T1, pointing out the methodology employed here suitable for the ex-situ conservation of L. venustum.

Much has been reported about optogenetic based cardiac arrhythmia treatment and the corresponding characterization of photostimulation parameters, but still, our capacity to interact with the underlying spatiotemporal excitation patterns relies mainly on electrical and/or pharmacological approaches. However, these well-established treatments have always been an object of somehow heated discussions. Though being acutely life-saving, they often come with potential side-effects leading to a decreased functionality of the complex cardiac system. Recent optogenetic studies showed the feasibility of the usage of photostimulation as a defibrillation method with comparatively high success rates. Although, these studies mainly concentrated on the description as well as on the comparison of single photodefibrillation approaches, such as locally focused light application and global illumination, less effort was spent on the description of excitation patterns during actual photostimulation. In this study, the authors implemented a multi-site photodefibrillation technique in combination with Multi-Lead electrocardiograms (ECGs). The technical connection of real-time heart rhythm measurements and the arrhythmia counteracting light control provides a further step toward automated arrhythmia classification, which can lead to adaptive photodefibrillation methods. In order to show the power effectiveness of the new approach, transgenic murine hearts expressing channelrhodopsin-2 ex vivo were investigated using circumferential micro-LED and ECG arrays. Thus, combining the best of two methods by giving the possibility to illuminate either locally or globally with differing pulse parameters. The optical technique presented here addresses a number of challenges of technical cardiac optogenetics and is discussed in the context of arrhythmic development during photostimulation.

AbstractConstructing an all‐in‐one wearable electronic system integrated with an energy‐harvesting, an energy‐storing, and a working unit can fundamentally solve the problems of sustainable energy supply, miniaturization, and lightweight for further commercialization. Here, an all‐in‐one wearable system consisting of solar cell, cathode‐free zinc ion micro‐battery (ZIMB) and piezoresistive pressure sensor is proposed, achieving an ultralong and stable power supply. Under the action of photocurrent, this integrated system is stimulated to in situ generate MnO2 on the initial cathode‐free substrate, meanwhile converts into chemical energy for powering the sensor, which eliminates prepreparation and treatment of the cathode for energy storage units. The facial cathode‐free ZIMB combining the all‐in‐one design enhances matching degree between different units and improves the integration. The working mechanism of the cathode‐free ZIMB is analyzed systematically through multiple ex situ characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) simulation. And the integrated sensing system illuminating for 12.0 h realizes the ultralong energy supply of the pressure sensor up to 150 000 cycles. As a concept, the integrated wearable electronic is used to detect human physiological signals, showcasing potential applications in activity monitoring, intelligent robotics, human–computer interaction, and other related fields.

AbstractOne of the main material properties altered by rare earth additions in magnesium alloys is texture, which can be specifically adjusted to enhance ductility and formability. The current study aims at illuminating the texture selection process in a Mg–0.073at%Gd–0.165at%Zn alloy by investigating recrystallization nucleation and early nucleus growth during static recrystallization. An as-cast sample of the investigated alloy was deformed in uniaxial compression at 200 °C till 40% strain and was then cut into two halves for subsequent microstructure characterization via ex situ and quasi in situ EBSD investigations. In order to gain insights into the evolution of texture during recrystallization, the contributions from dynamic and static recrystallization were initially separated and the origin of the non-basal orientation of recrystallization nuclei was traced back to several potential nucleation sites within the deformed matrix. Considering the significant role of double-twin band recrystallization in determining the recrystallization texture, this type of recrystallization nucleation was further investigated via quasi-in situ EBSD on a deformed sample, annealed at 400 °C for different annealing times. With progressive annealing, a noticeable trend was observed, in which the basal nuclei gradually diminished and eventually vanished from the annealed microstructure. In contrast, the off-basal nuclei exhibited continuous growth, ultimately becoming the dominant contributors to the recrystallization texture. The study therefore emphasizes the importance of particular nucleation sites that generate favorably oriented off-basal nuclei, which over the course of recrystallization outcompete the neighboring basal-oriented nuclei in terms of growth and thereby dominate the recrystallization texture.

Introduction: Google Autocomplete Algorithms Despite recent attention to the impact of social media platforms on political discourse and public opinion, most people locate their news on search engines (Robertson et al.). When a user conducts a search, millions of outputs, in the form of videos, images, articles, and Websites are sorted to present the most relevant search predictions. Google, the most dominant search engine in the world, expanded its search index in 2009 to include the autocomplete function, which provides suggestions for query inputs (Dörr and Stephan). Google’s autocomplete function also allows users to “search smarter” by reducing typing time by 25 percent (Baker and Potts 189). Google’s complex algorithm is impacted upon by factors like search history, location, and keyword searches (Karapapa and Borghi), and there are policies to ensure the autocomplete function does not contain harmful content. In 2017, Google implemented a feedback tool to allow human evaluators to assess the quality of search results; however, the algorithm still provides misleading results that frame far-right actors as neutral. In this article, we use reverse engineering to understand the nature of these algorithms in relation to the descriptive outcome, to illustrate how autocomplete subtitles label conspiracists in three countries. According to Google, these “subtitles are generated automatically”, further stating that the “systems might determine that someone could be called an actor, director, or writer. Only one of these can appear as the subtitle” and that Google “cannot accept or create custom subtitles” (Google). We focused our attention on well-known conspiracy theorists because of their influence and audience outreach. In this article we argue that these subtitles are problematic because they can mislead the public and amplify extremist views. Google’s autocomplete feature is misleading because it does not highlight what is publicly known about these actors. The labels are neutral or positive but never negative, reflecting primary jobs and/or the actor’s preferred descriptions. This is harmful to the public because Google’s search rankings can influence a user’s knowledge and information preferences through the search engine manipulation effect (Epstein and Robertson). Users’ preferences and understanding of information can be manipulated based upon their trust in Google search results, thus allowing these labels to be widely accepted instead of providing a full picture of the harm their ideologies and belief cause. Algorithms That Mainstream Conspiracies Search engines establish order and visibility to Web pages that operationalise and stabilise meaning to particular queries (Gillespie). Google’s subtitles and blackbox operate as a complex algorithm for its search index and offer a mediated visibility to aspects of social and political life (Gillespie). Algorithms are designed to perform computational tasks through an operational sequence that computer systems must follow (Broussard), but they are also “invisible infrastructures” that Internet users consciously or unconsciously follow (Gran et al. 1779). The way algorithms rank, classify, sort, predict, and process data is political because it presents the world through a predetermined lens (Bucher 3) decided by proprietary knowledge – a “secret sauce” (O’Neil 29) – that is not disclosed to the general public (Christin). Technology titans, like Google, Facebook, and Amazon (Webb), rigorously protect and defend intellectual property for these algorithms, which are worth billions of dollars (O’Neil). As a result, algorithms are commonly defined as opaque, secret “black boxes” that conceal the decisions that are already made “behind corporate walls and layers of code” (Pasquale 899). The opacity of algorithms is related to layers of intentional secrecy, technical illiteracy, the size of algorithmic systems, and the ability of machine learning algorithms to evolve and become unintelligible to humans, even to those trained in programming languages (Christin 898-899). The opaque nature of algorithms alongside the perceived neutrality of algorithmic systems is problematic. Search engines are increasingly normalised and this leads to a socialisation where suppositions are made that “these artifacts are credible and provide accurate information that is fundamentally depoliticized and neutral” (Noble 25). Google’s autocomplete and PageRank algorithms exist outside of the veil of neutrality. In 2015, Google’s photos app, which uses machine learning techniques to help users collect, search, and categorise images, labelled two black people as ‘gorillas’ (O’Neil). Safiya Noble illustrates how media and technology are rooted in systems of white supremacy, and how these long-standing social biases surface in algorithms, illustrating how racial and gendered inequities embed into algorithmic systems. Google actively fixes algorithmic biases with band-aid-like solutions, which means the errors remain inevitable constituents within the algorithms. Rising levels of automation correspond to a rising level of errors, which can lead to confusion and misdirection of the algorithms that people use to manage their lives (O’Neil). As a result, software, code, machine learning algorithms, and facial/voice recognition technologies are scrutinised for producing and reproducing prejudices (Gray) and promoting conspiracies – often described as algorithmic bias (Bucher). Algorithmic bias occurs because algorithms are trained by historical data already embedded with social biases (O’Neil), and if that is not problematic enough, algorithms like Google’s search engine also learn and replicate the behaviours of Internet users (Benjamin 93), including conspiracy theorists and their followers. Technological errors, algorithmic bias, and increasing automation are further complicated by the fact that Google’s Internet service uses “2 billion lines of code” – a magnitude that is difficult to keep track of, including for “the programmers who designed the algorithm” (Christin 899). Understanding this level of code is not critical to understanding algorithmic logics, but we must be aware of the inscriptions such algorithms afford (Krasmann). As algorithms become more ubiquitous it is urgent to “demand that systems that hold algorithms accountable become ubiquitous as well” (O’Neil 231). This is particularly important because algorithms play a critical role in “providing the conditions for participation in public life”; however, the majority of the public has a modest to nonexistent awareness of algorithms (Gran et al. 1791). Given the heavy reliance of Internet users on Google’s search engine, it is necessary for research to provide a glimpse into the black boxes that people use to extract information especially when it comes to searching for information about conspiracy theorists. Our study fills a major gap in research as it examines a sub-category of Google’s autocomplete algorithm that has not been empirically explored before. Unlike the standard autocomplete feature that is primarily programmed according to popular searches, we examine the subtitle feature that operates as a fixed label for popular conspiracists within Google’s algorithm. Our initial foray into our research revealed that this is not only an issue with conspiracists, but also occurs with terrorists, extremists, and mass murderers. Method Using a reverse engineering approach (Bucher) from September to October 2021, we explored how Google’s autocomplete feature assigns subtitles to widely known conspiracists. The conspiracists were not geographically limited, and we searched for those who reside in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and various countries in Europe. Reverse engineering stems from Ashby’s canonical text on cybernetics, in which he argues that black boxes are not a problem; the problem or challenge is related to the way one can discern their contents. As Google’s algorithms are not disclosed to the general public (Christin), we use this method as an extraction tool to understand the nature of how these algorithms (Eilam) apply subtitles. To systematically document the search results, we took screenshots for every conspiracist we searched in an attempt to archive the Google autocomplete algorithm. By relying on previous literature, reports, and the figures’ public statements, we identified and searched Google for 37 Western-based and influencial conspiracy theorists. We initially experimented with other problematic figures, including terrorists, extremists, and mass murderers to see whether Google applied a subtitle or not. Additionally, we examined whether subtitles were positive, neutral, or negative, and compared this valence to personality descriptions for each figure. Using the standard procedures of content analysis (Krippendorff), we focus on the manifest or explicit meaning of text to inform subtitle valence in terms of their positive, negative, or neutral connotations. These manifest features refer to the “elements that are physically present and countable” (Gray and Densten 420) or what is known as the dictionary definitions of items. Using a manual query, we searched Google for subtitles ascribed to conspiracy theorists, and found the results were consistent across different countries. Searches were conducted on Firefox and Chrome and tested on an Android phone. Regardless of language input or the country location established by a Virtual Private Network (VPN), the search terms remained stable, regardless of who conducted the search. The conspiracy theorists in our dataset cover a wide range of conspiracies, including historical figures like Nesta Webster and John Robison, who were foundational in Illuminati lore, as well as contemporary conspiracists such as Marjorie Taylor Greene and Alex Jones. Each individual’s name was searched on Google with a VPN set to three countries. Results and Discussion This study examines Google’s autocomplete feature associated with subtitles of conspiratorial actors. We first tested Google’s subtitling system with known terrorists, convicted mass shooters, and controversial cult leaders like David Koresh. Garry et al. (154) argue that “while conspiracy theories may not have mass radicalising effects, they are extremely effective at leading to increased polarization within societies”. We believe that the impact of neutral subtitling of conspiracists reflects the integral role conspiracies plays in contemporary politics and right-wing extremism. The sample includes contemporary and historical conspiracists to establish consistency in labelling. For historical figures, the labels are less consequential and simply reflect the reality that Google’s subtitles are primarily neutral. Of the 37 conspiracy theorists we searched (see Table 1 in the Appendix), seven (18.9%) do not have an associated subtitle, and the other 30 (81%) have distinctive subtitles, but none of them reflects the public knowledge of the individuals’ harmful role in disseminating conspiracy theories. In the list, 16 (43.2%) are noted for their contribution to the arts, 4 are labelled as activists, 7 are associated with their professional affiliation or original jobs, 2 to the journalism industry, one is linked to his sports career, another one as a researcher, and 7 have no subtitle. The problem here is that when white nationalists or conspiracy theorists are not acknowledged as such in their subtitles, search engine users could possibly encounter content that may sway their understanding of society, politics, and culture. For example, a conspiracist like Alex Jones is labeled as an “American Radio Host” (see Figure 1), despite losing two defamation lawsuits for declaring that the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was a ‘false flag’ event. Jones’s actions on his InfoWars media platforms led to parents of shooting victims being stalked and threatened. Another conspiracy theorist, Gavin McInnes, the creator of the far-right, neo-fascist Proud Boys organisation, a known terrorist entity in Canada and hate group in the United States, is listed simply as a “Canadian writer” (see Figure 1). Fig. 1: Screenshots of Google’s subtitles for Alex Jones and Gavin McInnes. Although subtitles under an individual’s name are not audio, video, or image content, the algorithms that create these subtitles are an invisible infrastructure that could cause harm through their uninterrogated status and pervasive presence. This could then be a potential conduit to media which could cause harm and develop distrust in electoral and civic processes, or all institutions. Examples from our list include Brittany Pettibone, whose subtitle states that she is an “American writer” despite being one of the main propagators of the Pizzagate conspiracy which led to Edgar Maddison Welch (whose subtitle is “Screenwriter”) travelling from North Carolina to Washington D.C. to violently threaten and confront those who worked at Comet Ping Pong Pizzeria. The same misleading label can be found via searching for James O’Keefe of Project Veritas, who is positively labelled as “American activist”. Veritas is known for releasing audio and video recordings that contain false information designed to discredit academic, political, and service organisations. In one instance, a 2020 video released by O’Keefe accused Democrat Ilhan Omar’s campaign of illegally collecting ballots. The same dissembling of distrust applies to Mike Lindell, whose Google subtitle is “CEO of My Pillow”, as well as Sidney Powell, who is listed as an “American lawyer”; both are propagators of conspiracy theories relating to the 2020 presidential election. The subtitles attributed to conspiracists on Google do not acknowledge the widescale public awareness of the negative role these individuals play in spreading conspiracy theories or causing harm to others. Some of the selected conspiracists are well known white nationalists, including Stefan Molyneux who has been banned from social media platforms like Twitter, Twitch, Facebook, and YouTube for the promotion of scientific racism and eugenics; however, he is neutrally listed on Google as a “Canadian podcaster”. In addition, Laura Loomer, who describes herself as a “proud Islamophobe,” is listed by Google as an “Author”. These subtitles can pose a threat by normalising individuals who spread conspiracy theories, sow dissension and distrust in institutions, and cause harm to minority groups and vulnerable individuals. Once clicking on the selected person, the results, although influenced by the algorithm, did not provide information that aligned with the associated subtitle. The search results are skewed to the actual conspiratorial nature of the individuals and associated news articles. In essence, the subtitles do not reflect the subsequent search results, and provide a counter-labelling to the reality of the resulting information provided to the user. Another significant example is Jerad Miller, who is listed as “American performer”, despite the fact that he is the Las Vegas shooter who posted anti-government and white nationalist 3 Percenters memes on his social media (SunStaff), even though the majority of search results connect him to the mass shooting he orchestrated in 2014. The subtitle “performer” is certainly not the common characteristic that should be associated with Jerad Miller. Table 1 in the Appendix shows that individuals who are not within the contemporary milieux of conspiracists, but have had a significant impact, such as Nesta Webster, Robert Welch Junior, and John Robison, were listed by their original profession or sometimes without a subtitle. David Icke, infamous for his lizard people conspiracies, has a subtitle reflecting his past football career. In all cases, Google’s subtitle was never consistent with the actor’s conspiratorial behaviour. Indeed, the neutral subtitles applied to conspiracists in our research may reflect some aspect of the individuals’ previous careers but are not an accurate reflection of the individuals’ publicly known role in propagating hate, which we argue is misleading to the public. For example, David Icke may be a former footballer, but the 4.7 million search results predominantly focus on his conspiracies, his public fora, and his status of being deplatformed by mainstream social media sites. The subtitles are not only neutral, but they are not based on the actual search results, and so are misleading in what the searcher will discover; most importantly, they do not provide a warning about the misinformation contained in the autocomplete subtitle. To conclude, algorithms automate the search engines that people use in the functions of everyday life, but are also entangled in technological errors, algorithmic bias, and have the capacity to mislead the public. Through a process of reverse engineering (Ashby; Bucher), we searched 37 conspiracy theorists to decode the Google autocomplete algorithms. We identified how the subtitles attributed to conspiracy theorists are neutral, positive, but never negative, which does not accurately reflect the widely known public conspiratorial discourse these individuals propagate on the Web. This is problematic because the algorithms that determine these subtitles are invisible infrastructures acting to misinform the public and to mainstream conspiracies within larger social, cultural, and political structures. This study highlights the urgent need for Google to review the subtitles attributed to conspiracy theorists, terrorists, and mass murderers, to better inform the public about the negative nature of these actors, rather than always labelling them in neutral or positive ways. Funding Acknowledgement This project has been made possible in part by the Canadian Department of Heritage – the Digital Citizen Contribution program – under grant no. R529384. 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Barry Zwicker Canadian journalist Filmmaker who made a documentary that claimed fear was used to control the public after 9/11. Bart Sibrel American producer Writer, producer, and director of work to falsely claim the Apollo moon landings between 1969 and 1972 were staged by NASA. Ben Garrison American cartoonist Alt-right and QAnon political cartoonist Brittany Pettibone American writer Far-right, political vlogger on YouTube and propagator of #pizzagate. Cathy O’Brien American author Cathy O’Brien claims she was a victim of a government mind control project called Project Monarch. Dan Bongino American radio host Stakeholder in Parler, Radio Host, Ex-Spy, Conspiracist (Spygate, MAGA election fraud, etc.). David Icke Former footballer Reptilian humanoid conspiracist. David Wynn Miller (No subtitle) Conspiracist, far-right tax protester, and founder of the Sovereign Citizens Movement. Jack Posobiec American activist Alt-right, alt-lite political activist, conspiracy theorist, and Internet troll. Editor of Human Events Daily. James O’Keefe American activist Founder of Project Veritas, a far-right company that propagates disinformation and conspiracy theories. John Robison Foundational Illuminati conspiracist. Kevin Annett Canadian writer Former minister and writer, who wrote a book exposing the atrocities to Indigenous Communities, and now is a conspiracist and vlogger. Laura Loomer Author Far-right, anti-Muslim, conspiracy theorist, and Internet personality. Republican nominee in Florida's 21st congressional district in 2020. Marjorie Taylor Greene United States Representative Conspiracist, QAnon adherent, and U.S. representative for Georgia's 14th congressional district. Mark Dice American YouTuber Right-wing conservative pundit and conspiracy theorist. Mark Taylor (No subtitle) QAnon minister and self-proclaimed prophet of Donald Trump, the 45th U.S. President. Michael Chossudovsky Canadian economist Professor emeritus at the University of Ottawa, founder of the Centre for Research on Globalization, and conspiracist. Michael Cremo(Drutakarmā dāsa) American researcher Self-described Vedic creationist whose book, Forbidden Archeology, argues humans have lived on earth for millions of years. Mike Lindell CEO of My Pillow Business owner and conspiracist. Neil Patel English entrepreneur Founded The Daily Caller with Tucker Carlson. Nesta Helen Webster English author Foundational Illuminati conspiracist. Naomi Wolf American author Feminist turned conspiracist (ISIS, COVID-19, etc.). Owen Benjamin American comedian Former actor/comedian now conspiracist (Beartopia), who is banned from mainstream social media for using hate speech. Pamela Geller American activist Conspiracist, Anti-Islam, Blogger, Host. Paul Joseph Watson British YouTuber InfoWars co-host and host of the YouTube show PrisonPlanetLive. QAnon Shaman (Jake Angeli) American activist Conspiracy theorist who participated in the 2021 attack on Capitol Hil. Richard B. Spencer (No subtitle) American neo-Nazi, antisemitic conspiracy theorist, and white supremacist. Rick Wiles (No subtitle) Minister, Founded conspiracy site, TruNews. Robert W. Welch Jr. American businessman Founded the John Birch Society. Ronald Watkins (No subtitle) Founder of 8kun. Serge Monast Journalist Creator of Project Blue Beam conspiracy. Sidney Powell (No subtitle) One of former President Trump’s Lawyers, and renowned conspiracist regarding the 2020 Presidential election. Stanton T. Friedman Nuclear physicist Original civilian researcher of the 1947 Roswell UFO incident. Stefan Molyneux Canadian podcaster Irish-born, Canadian far-right white nationalist, podcaster, blogger, and banned YouTuber, who promotes conspiracy theories, scientific racism, eugenics, and racist views Tim LaHaye American author Founded the Council for National Policy, leader in the Moral Majority movement, and co-author of the Left Behind book series. Viva Frei (No subtitle) YouTuber/ Canadian Influencer, on the Far-Right and Covid conspiracy proponent. William Guy Carr Canadian author Illuminati/III World War Conspiracist Google searches conducted as of 9 October 2021.