Volume 34 No 3 March 2019 Special Issue PDF

Scientists demonstrate a self-supervised learning framework that dramatically improves near-infrared spectroscopy classification results, even with minimal labeled data.

To better determine fish freshness within the context of rapid spectroscopic analyses, salmon fillet was analyzed via hand-held fluorescence and absorption spectroscopy devices across the visible and near-infrared (vis-NIR) range and benchmarked against industry-standard potentiometry and the gold-standard laboratory procedure, nucleotide extraction assays, over a 11-day period.

A comprehensive understanding of aging phenomena and the resulting performance loss occurring in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is essential for ongoing improvement of the technology. The formation of a uniform solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) is of crucial importance for the performance, lifetime, and safety of LIBs. Transition metal dissolution (TMD), caused by degradation of the cathode, and subsequent TM deposition on the anode surface can deteriorate the protective properties of the SEI, possibly leading to reconstruction of the SEI and loss of active lithium. We explore this topic here.

In recent years, advances in X-ray optics and detectors have enabled the commercialization of laboratory μXRF spectrometers with spot sizes of ~3 to 30 μm that are suitable for routine imaging of element localization, which was previously only available with scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDS). This new technique opens a variety of new μXRF applications in the food and agricultural sciences, which have the potential to provide researchers with valuable data that can enhance food safety, improve product consistency, and refine our understanding of the mechanisms of elemental uptake and homeostasis in agricultural crops. This month’s column takes a more detailed look at some of those application areas.