bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unstable Structure: The improvising modular synthesiser
Authors: White Alex
Published: February 2022

The desire to work in real time and improvise with the possibilities of tape-based studio practice was a key design intention of early modular synthesisers. The resulting instruments, in particular the Buchla, emphasised possibilities for the creation of musical structure in combination with components designed to enable real-time, expressive interaction. As smaller, keyboard-based synthesiser instruments achieved broad commercial success, many of the possibilities for the real-time creation and manipulation of musical structures, developed in the larger modular synthesiser designs, were not carried forward into the new age of commercial electronic music instruments. The resurgence of the modular synthesiser has seen these possibilities for improvisation of musical structures revisited, opening up processes and approaches that were almost lost to a new generation. Following an analysis of the genesis of modular synthesisers, with a focus on the Buchla, this article describes three examples of modular synthesiser-based compositional processes that enable the performer to undertake improvised actions in real time that construct, influence and distort musical structure. These examples are then analysed to better understand the processes, motivations and experiences of using a modular synthesiser to construct musical structure in a real-time and improvised fashion.
The Food Bank: A Safety-Net in Place of Welfare Security in Times of Austerity and the Covid-19 Crisis
Authors: Beck David J. , Gwilym Hefin
Published: February 2022

The food bank has become a charitable safety-net for those who have been failed by the social security system in times of austerity and during the Covid-19 pandemic. In this article we evidence the rise of food banking in the context of declining social security, examining the decade of austerity in the UK and the Covid-19 period. We also contextualise the process of normalisation of food banks as a new safety-net in a reduced welfare state. We argue that the welfare state has failed to address a fundamental ‘Want’ – namely, food security.
‘Truth’, ‘justice’, and the American wave… function: comments on Alexander Wendt's Quantum Mind and Social Science
Authors: Chernoff Fred
Published: February 2022

This paper examines several aspects of Alexander Wendt's Quantum Mind and Social Science. The paper questions the nature of the task, as ontologies are debated in a scientific field once there is a widely accepted substantive theory that stands in need of interpretation, as with Newtonian physics or quantum mechanics; doing this job for international relations (IR) is highly questionable give that there is no widely accepted substantive theory of IR that needs an interpretation. Second, the paper questions Wendt's view of the consequences for ontology of quantum theory being replaced in the future; Wendt the interpretation of the history of science maintains that in the physical sciences a new theory subsumes the older theory, including its ontology. But, this seems to misread history, while the empirical content of classical physics is subsumed by relativity theory, it is far from true that the former's ontology was subsumed. The ontologies are in sharp contrast. The paper raises questions also about the notion of ‘truth’ and of the meaningfulness of evaluative concepts like ‘justice’.
COMPASS: A New COnductance Model Based on PFISR And SWARM Satellite Observations
Authors: Wang Zihan , Zou Shasha
Published: February 2022

Ionospheric conductance plays a crucial and active role in magnetosphere‐ionosphere‐thermosphere coupling processes. Despite its importance, direct global observations of conductance are unavailable. This limitation inspires the development of empirical models that are widely used to specify global distributions of conductance indirectly. In this work, a new model, COnductance Model based on PFISR And SWARM Satellite observations, describing the statistical relationships between conductance and field‐aligned currents (FACs) is presented. The conductance was calculated using the electron densities measured by Poker Flat Incoherent Scattering Radar (PFISR), and the FACs were determined by the magnetic perturbations measured by SWARM at Low‐Earth Orbit. Between 2014 and 2020, there were ∼3,900 conjunction events between PFISR and SWARM, providing a large data set for investigating the relationship between conductance and FACs. It is found that both Hall and Pedersen conductances vary as a power of , and the power index a depends on magnetic local time and the direction of FACs, ranging from 0.0 to 0.6. Properties of this power index a are founded as follows: (a) the largest power index is obtained on the dawn side, and the minimum is at noon; and (b) the power indices are positive for both upward and downward FACs and are larger for upward FACs than downward FACs. The underlying physical mechanisms of the observed variations of the model parameters are also discussed. Despite the complicated relationship between FACs and conductance, this model provides a convenient way to specify global distributions of the auroral zone conductance.
Correspondence Between Model Structures and Hydrological Signatures: A Large‐Sample Case Study Using 508 Brazilian Catchments
Authors: David Paula C. , Chaffe Pedro L. B. , Chagas Vinicius B. P. , Dal Molin Marco , Oliveira Debora Y. , Klein Antonio H. F. , Fenicia Fabrizio
Published: February 2022

Daily streamflow dynamics can be accurately simulated by conceptual models as simple as a single bucket in some catchments, while they require more complex configurations in other catchments. However, without resorting to calibration, anticipating where and why a given model structure may be appropriate remains difficult. In this work, we explored the feasibility of relating suitable model structures to the climate and streamflow characteristics of 508 catchments in Brazil. Specifically, we tested four model structures using up to three reservoirs, where each reservoir is intended to represent a catchment function: the rainfall‐runoff threshold, the fast, and the slow hydrograph response. We hypothesized a relationship between suitable model structures and hydrological signatures of aridity (IA) and baseflow index (IB). Our results show that different classes of signatures resulted in distinct patterns of model performance. Wet catchments (IA < 0.9) with low baseflow (IB < 0.4) were the easiest to model, with a single‐reservoir model presenting a relatively good performance. In the case of low baseflow, adding a rainfall‐runoff threshold reservoir resulted in better performance than adding a slow response reservoir, whereas in the case of high baseflow (IB < 0.6) the opposite occurred. In the case of low baseflow, the inclusion of a slow response reservoir helped the simulation of dry catchments (IA < 1.1), but not of wet ones, which we attributed to the impact of permeability in dry catchments. These results indicate a path toward model structure identification from streamflow signatures and potentially from landscape features.
Impacts of Grazing by Small Ruminants on Hillslope Hydrological Processes: A Review of European Current Understanding
Authors: Minea Gabriel , Mititelu‐Ionuș Oana , Gyasi‐Agyei Yeboah , Ciobotaru Nicu , Rodrigo‐Comino Jesús
Published: February 2022

Unsustainable grazing of animals exerts pressure on a range of environmental factors. This review assessed the impacts of grazing of small ruminants (SRs; sheep and goats) on hydrological processes (e.g., runoff occurrence and erosion) within European pasture lands. It also considered other effects of SRs grazing, such as water pollution. Our research highlights the lack of evidence‐based European literature on the implications of grazing by SRs on the hydrological processes. The available literature is limited to the Mediterranean belt (some areas of Spain and Greece), the British Isles, and the Austrian Alps. The reasons behind the lack of literature are discussed in detail, and the knowledge gaps dealing with SRs have been enumerated. However, there are several articles on the subject within Oceania‐Pacifica and United States settings. Some of the reasons contributing to the limited literature on Europe are the possible underestimation of the significance of the problem, it being considered an unattractive research direction, and/or a lack of research funding. Thus, more research and funding are required to address the European knowledge gaps and limitations related to the impacts of grazing by SRs on the hydrological processes.
Stable isotope variations of dew under three different climates
Authors: Tian Chao , Du Kun , Wang Lixin , Zhang Xiao , Li Fadong , Jiao Wenzhe , Beysens Daniel , Kaseke Kudzai Farai , Medici Marie-Gabrielle
Published: February 2022

As a supplementary or the only water source in dry regions, dew plays a critical role in the survival of organisms. The new hydrological tracer 17O-excess, with almost sole dependence on relative humidity, provides a new way to distinguish the evaporation processes and reconstruct the paleoclimate. Up to now, there is no published daily dew isotope record on δ2H, δ18O, δ17O, d-excess, and 17O-excess. Here, we collected daily dew between July 2014 and April 2018 from three distinct climatic regions (i.e., Gobabeb in the central Namib Desert with desert climate, Nice in France with Mediterranean climate, and Indianapolis in the central United States with humid continental climate). The δ2H, δ18O, and δ17O of dew were simultaneously analyzed using a Triple Water Vapor Isotope Analyzer based on Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy technique, and then d-excess and 17O-excess were calculated. This report presents daily dew isotope dataset under three climatic regions. It is useful for researchers to use it as a reference when studying global dew dynamics and dew formation mechanisms.
Gaining confidence in inferred networks
Authors: Diaz Léo P. M. , Stumpf Michael P. H.
Published: February 2022

Network inference is a notoriously challenging problem. Inferred networks are associated with high uncertainty and likely riddled with false positive and false negative interactions. Especially for biological networks we do not have good ways of judging the performance of inference methods against real networks, and instead we often rely solely on the performance against simulated data. Gaining confidence in networks inferred from real data nevertheless thus requires establishing reliable validation methods. Here, we argue that the expectation of mixing patterns in biological networks such as gene regulatory networks offers a reasonable starting point: interactions are more likely to occur between nodes with similar biological functions. We can quantify this behaviour using the assortativity coefficient, and here we show that the resulting heuristic, functional assortativity, offers a reliable and informative route for comparing different inference algorithms.
Normal product form of two-mode Wigner operator
Authors: He Rui , Liu Xiangyuan , Wei Xiangfei , Wu Congbing , Zhang Gang , Kong Min
Published: February 2022

In the context of normal product, we use the method of the integration within an ordered product (IWOP) of operators to derive three representations of the two-mode Wigner operator: SU(2) symmetric description, SU(1,1) symmetric description and polar coordinate form. We find that two-mode Wigner operator has multiple potential degrees of freedom. As the physical meaning of the selected integral variable changes, Wigner operator shows different symmetries. In particular, in the case of polar coordinates, we reveal the natural connection between the two-mode Wigner operator and the entangled state representation.
Cost-effective filtering of unreliable proximity detection results based on BLE RSSI and IMU readings using smartphones
Authors: Filus Katarzyna , Nowak Sławomir , Domańska Joanna , Duda Jakub
Published: February 2022

Indoor environments are a major challenge in the domain of location-based services due to the inability to use GPS. Currently, Bluetooth Low Energy has been the most commonly used technology for such services due to its low cost, low power consumption, ubiquitous availability in smartphones and the dependence of the signal strength on the distance between devices. The article proposes a system that detects the proximity between static (anchors) and moving objects, evaluates the quality of this prediction and filters out the unreliable results based on custom metrics. We define three metrics: two matrics based on RSSI and Intertial Measurement Unit (IMU) readings and one joint metric. This way the filtering is based on both, the external information (RSSI) and the internal information (IMU). To process the IMU data, we use machine learning activity recognition models (we apply feature selection and compare three models and choose the best one—Gradient Boosted Decision Trees). The proposed system is flexible and can be easily customized. The great majority of operations can be conducted directly on smartphones. The solution is easy to implement, cost-efficient and can be deployed in real-life applications (MICE industry, museums, industry).
Air processed Cs2AgBiBr6 lead-free double perovskite high-mobility thin-film field-effect transistors
Authors: Abiram Gnanasampanthan , Gourji Fatemeh Heidari , Pitchaiya Selvakumar , Ravirajan Punniamoorthy , Murugathas Thanihaichelvan , Velauthapillai Dhayalan
Published: February 2022

This study focuses on the fabrication and characterization of Cs2AgBiBr6 double perovskite thin film for field-effect transistor (FET) applications. The Cs2AgBiBr6 thin films were fabricated using a solution process technique and the observed XRD patterns demonstrate no diffraction peaks of secondary phases, which confirm the phase-pure crystalline nature. The average grain sizes of the spin-deposited film were also calculated by analysing the statistics of grain size in the SEM image and was found to be around 412 (± 44) nm, and larger grain size was also confirmed by the XRD measurements. FETs with different channel lengths of Cs2AgBiBr6 thin films were fabricated, under ambient conditions, on heavily doped p-type Si substrate with a 300 nm thermally grown SiO2 dielectric. The fabricated Cs2AgBiBr6 FETs showed a p-type nature with a positive threshold voltage. The on-current, threshold voltage and hole-mobility of the FETs decreased with increasing channel length. A high average hole mobility of 0.29 cm2 s−1 V−1 was obtained for the FETs with a channel length of 30 µm, and the hole-mobility was reduced by an order of magnitude (0.012 cm2 s−1 V−1) when the channel length was doubled. The on-current and hole-mobility of Cs2AgBiBr6 FETs followed a power fit, which confirmed the dominance of channel length in electrostatic gating in Cs2AgBiBr6 FETs. A very high-hole mobility observed in FET could be attributed to the much larger grain size of the Cs2AgBiBr6 film made in this work.
Involvement of IGF-1R-PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway in increased number of GnRH3 neurons during androgen-induced sex reversal of the brain in female tilapia
Authors: Oda Akari , Inoue Sakura , Kaneko Ryo , Narita Yasuto , Shiono Suzuka , Kaneko Toyoji , Tseng Yung-Che , Ohtani-Kaneko Ritsuko
Published: February 2022

The neuroplastic mechanism of sex reversal in the fish brain remains unclear due to the difficulty in identifying the key neurons involved. Mozambique tilapia show different reproductive behaviours between sexes; males build circular breeding nests while females hold and brood fertilized eggs in their mouth. In tilapia, gonadotropin-releasing hormone 3 (GnRH3) neurons, located in the terminal nerve, regulate male reproductive behaviour. Mature males have more GnRH3 neurons than mature females, and these neurons have been indicated to play a key role in the androgen-induced female-to-male sex reversal of the brain. We aimed to elucidate the signalling pathway involved in the androgen-induced increase in GnRH3 neurons in mature female tilapia. Applying inhibitors to organotypic cultures of brain slices, we showed that the insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 receptor (IGF-1R)/PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway contributed to the androgen-induced increase in GnRH3 neurons. The involvement of IGF-1 and IGF-1R in 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT)-induced development of GnRH3 neurons was supported by an increase in Igf-1 mRNA shortly after 11-KT treatment, the increase of GnRH3 neurons after IGF-1 treatment and the expression of IGF-1R in GnRH3 neurons. Our findings highlight the involvement of IGF-1 and its downstream signalling pathway in the sex reversal of the tilapia brain.
Systematic analysis of putative phage-phage interactions on minimum-sized phage cocktails
Authors: Molina Felipe , Menor-Flores Manuel , Fernández Lucía , Vega-Rodríguez Miguel A. , García Pilar
Published: February 2022

The application of bacteriophages as antibacterial agents has many benefits in the “post-antibiotic age”. To increase the number of successfully targeted bacterial strains, phage cocktails, instead of a single phage, are commonly formulated. Nevertheless, there is currently no consensus pipeline for phage cocktail development. Thus, although large cocktails increase the spectrum of activity, they could produce side effects such as the mobilization of virulence or antibiotic resistance genes. On the other hand, coinfection (simultaneous infection of one host cell by several phages) might reduce the potential for bacteria to evolve phage resistance, but some antagonistic interactions amongst phages might be detrimental for the outcome of phage cocktail application. With this in mind, we introduce here a new method, which considers the host range and each individual phage-host interaction, to design the phage mixtures that best suppress the target bacteria while minimizing the number of phages to restrict manufacturing costs. Additionally, putative phage-phage interactions in cocktails and phage-bacteria networks are compared as the understanding of the complex interactions amongst bacteriophages could be critical in the development of realistic phage therapy models in the future.
Executable network of SARS-CoV-2-host interaction predicts drug combination treatments
Authors: Howell Rowan , Clarke Matthew A. , Reuschl Ann-Kathrin , Chen Tianyi , Abbott-Imboden Sean , Singer Mervyn , Lowe David M. , Bennett Clare L. , Chain Benjamin , Jolly Clare , Fisher Jasmin
Published: February 2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed healthcare systems globally to a breaking point. The urgent need for effective and affordable COVID-19 treatments calls for repurposing combinations of approved drugs. The challenge is to identify which combinations are likely to be most effective and at what stages of the disease. Here, we present the first disease-stage executable signalling network model of SARS-CoV-2-host interactions used to predict effective repurposed drug combinations for treating early- and late stage severe disease. Using our executable model, we performed in silico screening of 9870 pairs of 140 potential targets and have identified nine new drug combinations. Camostat and Apilimod were predicted to be the most promising combination in effectively supressing viral replication in the early stages of severe disease and were validated experimentally in human Caco-2 cells. Our study further demonstrates the power of executable mechanistic modelling to enable rapid pre-clinical evaluation of combination therapies tailored to disease progression. It also presents a novel resource and expandable model system that can respond to further needs in the pandemic.
Impaired phosphocreatine metabolism in white adipocytes promotes inflammation
Authors: Maqdasy Salwan , Lecoutre Simon , Renzi Gianluca , Frendo-Cumbo Scott , Rizo-Roca David , Moritz Thomas , Juvany Marta , Hodek Ondrej , Gao Hui , Couchet Morgane , Witting Michael , Kerr Alastair , Bergo Martin O. , Choudhury Robin P. , Aouadi Myriam , Zierath Juleen R. , Krook Anna , Mejhert Niklas , Rydén Mikael
Published: February 2022

The mechanisms promoting disturbed white adipocyte function in obesity remain largely unclear. Herein, we integrate white adipose tissue (WAT) metabolomic and transcriptomic data from clinical cohorts and find that the WAT phosphocreatine/creatine ratio is increased and creatine kinase-B expression and activity is decreased in the obese state. In human in vitro and murine in vivo models, we demonstrate that decreased phosphocreatine metabolism in white adipocytes alters adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase activity via effects on adenosine triphosphate/adenosine diphosphate levels, independently of WAT beigeing. This disturbance promotes a pro-inflammatory profile characterized, in part, by increased chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) production. These data suggest that the phosphocreatine/creatine system links cellular energy shuttling with pro-inflammatory responses in human and murine white adipocytes. Our findings provide unexpected perspectives on the mechanisms driving WAT inflammation in obesity and may present avenues to target adipocyte dysfunction.
Ptychography at the carbon K-edge
Authors: Mille Nicolas , Yuan Hao , Vijayakumar Jaianth , Stanescu Stefan , Swaraj Sufal , Desjardins Kewin , Favre-Nicolin Vincent , Belkhou Rachid , Hitchcock Adam P.
Published: February 2022

Ptychography is a coherent diffraction imaging technique that measures diffraction patterns at many overlapping points on a sample and then uses an algorithm to reconstruct amplitude and phase images of the object and probe. Here, we report imaging, spectroscopy and linear dichroism ptychographic measurements at the carbon K-edge. This progress was achieved with a new generation of scientific Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (sCMOS) X-ray cameras with an uncoated image sensor which has fast image transfer and high quantum efficiency at the carbon K-edge. Reconstructed amplitude and phase contrast images, C 1s spectral stacks, and X-ray linear dichroism of carbon nanotubes at the carbon K-edge were measured with ptychography. Ptychography and conventional Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) are compared using results acquired from the same area. Relative to STXM, ptychography provides both improved spatial resolution and improved image quality. We used defocus ptychography, with an X-ray beam spot size of 1.0 micron, in order to reduce radiation damage and carbon deposition. Comparable spatial resolution was achieved to that of ptychography performed with a focused beam. Ptychography at the carbon K-edge offers unique opportunities to perform high resolution spectromicroscopy on organic materials important in medicine, biology, environmental science and energy materials.
Conductivity-difference-enhanced DC dielectrophoretic particle separation in a microfluidic chip
Authors: Li Deyu , Yu Weicheng , Zhou Teng , Li Mengqi , Song Yongxin , Li Dongqing
Published: February 2022

Conductivity-difference-enhanced DC dielectrophoretic particle separation in a microfluidic chip. Two immiscible electrolyte solutions with different conductivities in microchannels.
Electronic structure, stability, and aromaticity of M2B6 (M = Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba): an interplay between spin pairing and electron delocalization
Authors: Đorđević Slađana , Radenković Slavko
Published: February 2022

M2B6 (M = Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba) exhibit a singlet ground state, despite the fact that these complexes are π aromatic and σ nonaromatic in the singlet, and double (π and σ) aromatic in the triplet state.
Density functional theory investigation of Ru(ii) and Os(ii) asymmetric transfer hydrogenation catalysts
Authors: Bolitho Elizabeth M. , Coverdale James P. C. , Wolny Juliusz A. , Schünemann Volker , Sadler Peter J.
Published: February 2022

Density functional theory calculations reveal subtle differences between the mechanism of asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of a ketone by half-sandwich Ru(ii) and Os(ii) arene catalysts with 5 chiral centres with formate as the hydride source.
Highly stretchable and sensitive strain sensors with ginkgo-like sandwich architectures
Authors: Feng Pengdong , Zheng Yi , Li Kang , Zhao Weiwei
Published: February 2022

A strain sensor with superb stretchability and a high resistance growth rate has been realized due to the specific nanocomposites and novel structures, and is characterized by excellent strain resolution and logarithmic linearity.
A novel fluorescent probe based on triphenylamine for detecting sulfur dioxide derivatives
Authors: Sun Wei , Xu Hanhan , Bao Shuqin , Yang Wenge , Shen Weiliang , Hu Guoxing
Published: February 2022

According to the nucleophilicity of sulfur dioxide derivatives, a reactive fluorescent probe was designed and synthesized by linking triphenylamine with benzoindole.
Metal regulated organic–inorganic hybrid ferroelastic materials: [(CH3)3CN(CH3)2CH2F]2[MBr4] (M = Cd and Zn)
Authors: Meng Xin , Liu Zhi-Bo , Xu Ke , He Lei , Wang Yu-Zhen , Shi Ping-Ping , Ye Qiong
Published: February 2022

Two organic–inorganic hybrid compounds [(CH3)3CN(CH3)2CH2F]2[MBr4] (M = Cd and Zn) undergo ferroelastic phase transitions. The substitution of metal center Cd with Zn of inorganic anions regulate the ferroelastic phase transitions.
Catalyst-controlled cycloisomerization/[4 + 3] cycloaddition sequence to construct 2,3-furan-fused dihydroazepines and 2,3-pyrrole-fused dihydrooxepines
Authors: Yu Jinhang , Xu Mengjiao , Wang Xinyuan , Zhang Bei , Mao Hui , Lv Xin , Zhou Liejin
Published: February 2022

A novel catalyst-controlled cycloisomerization/[4 + 3]cycloaddition sequence of readily available acyclic enyne-amides and crotonate-derived sulfur ylides is developed.
Comment on “Natural and synthetic flavonoid derivatives as new potential tyrosinase inhibitors: a systematic review” by R. Obaid, E. Mughal, N. Naeem, A. Sadiq, R. Alsantali, R. Jassas, Z. Moussa and S. Ahmed, RSC Advances, 2021, 11, 22159
Authors: Wojtasek Hubert
Published: February 2022

Flavonoids with appropriate functional groups, such as a catechol group in ring B, are oxidized by tyrosinase and by tyrosinase-generated o-quinones. These reactions prevent formation of dopachrome, thus leading to an apparent inhibition effect.
Phosphorus-bridged ternary metal alloy encapsulated in few-layered nitrogen-doped graphene for highly efficient electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution
Authors: Huang Liping , Li Wenyao , Shen Xudun , Sun Chunyan , Yang Jin , Shi Xue-rong , Zeng Min
Published: February 2022

A strategy of improving the stability and tuning the activity of transition metal catalysts via nitrogen-doped graphene encapsulation and heteroatomic doping is elaborated here. This work makes for achieving precise regulation of electrocatalysts.
A two-electron transfer mechanism of the Zn-doped δ-MnO2 cathode toward aqueous Zn-ion batteries with ultrahigh capacity
Authors: Zhao Wen , Fee Jared , Khanna Harshul , March Seth , Nisly Nathaniel , Rubio Samantha Joy B. , Cui Can , Li Zhuo , Suib Steven L.
Published: February 2022

We developed a Zn-doped δ-MnO2 material via a microwave-assisted method for the cathode in aqueous ZIBs. The successive insertion of H+ and Zn2+ and deep two-electron transfer routes mechanism is revealed systematically by ex situ experiments.
A strategic review of MXenes as emergent building blocks for future two-dimensional materials: recent progress and perspectives
Authors: Abraham B. Moses , Parey Vanshree , Singh Jayant K.
Published: February 2022

The breathtaking success of MXenes arising from a library of unique and fascinating properties has triggered world-wide research interest and opened up several new directions in understanding the science and technology of two-dimensional materials.
Metal-free synthesis of gem-difluorinated heterocycles from enaminones and difluorocarbene precursors
Authors: Wang Fei , Fu Rui , Chen Jie , Rong Jiaxin , Wang Enfu , Zhang Jian , Zhang Zhengyu , Jiang Yaojia
Published: February 2022

A cascade strategy to synthesise gem-difluorinated 2H-furans from reactions of BrCF2CO2Et with enaminones has been described. The reactions work efficiently for a broad substrate scope and tolerate a variety of functional groups under very mild metal-free conditions.
Atomic controllable anchoring of uranium into zirconate pyrochlore with ultrahigh loading capacity
Authors: Sun Jian , Zhou Jing , Li Lili , Hu Zhiwei , Chan Ting-Shan , Vitova Tonya , Song Sanzhao , Liu Renduo , Jing Chao , Yu Haisheng , Zhang Ming , Rothe Joerg , Wang Jian-Qiang , Zhang Linjuan
Published: February 2022

Unavailable high loading of uranium with controllabe doping site on pyrochlore was achieved through molten salt synthesis.
Correction: Pentacyclic spermidine alkaloids with radioprotective and anti-inflammatory activities from Orychophragmus violaceus
Authors: Xu Zan-Xin , Li Bin , Tian Ying , Li Min , Zhang Guang-Jie , Dong Jun-Xing
Published: February 2022

Correction for ‘Pentacyclic spermidine alkaloids with radioprotective and anti-inflammatory activities from Orychophragmus violaceus’ by Zan-Xin Xu et al., Org. Biomol. Chem., 2021, 19, 9844–9848, DOI: 10.1039/D1OB01973B.
Recent advances in electrospun magnetic nanofibers and their applications
Authors: Wang De-Hua , Su Jie , Liu Yang-Mo , Yu Yang , Su Ying , Xie Gui-Xu , Jiang Long-Long , Zhou Li-Na , Zhu Dong-Yang , Chen Si-Heng , Yan Jia-Shu , Wang Xiao-Xiong , Long Yun-Ze
Published: February 2022

A review of recent advances in electrospun magnetic nanofibers and their applications
Treatment for School-Age Children Who Stutter: A Systematic Review of Japanese Literature
Authors: Iimura Daichi , Kakuta Kohei , Oe Takuya , Kobayashi Hiroaki , Sakai Naomi , Miyamoto Shoko
Published: February 2022

Purpose:

This systematic review identified and synthesized published research articles, written in Japanese, on the clinical effectiveness of a broad range of nonpharmacological interventions for school-age children who stutter.

Method:

A systematic review of Japanese literature published between January 1, 1980, and July 7, 2020, reporting interventions for school-age children who stutter, was carried out through a search of two databases (CiNii Article database and Japan Medical Abstract Society database) using the key words “stuttering” and “school-age” or “child” or “primary school students” or “children” or “school child” in Japanese. To be included in the review, the articles must report studies where data were subjectively reported by clinicians, where school-age participants were treated for developmental stuttering, where participants received interventions conducted by clinicians, and where quantitative outcomes (pre- and/or posttreatment) were measured; and they must be published in Japanese.

Results:

Forty articles met all the inclusion criteria. Most articles adopted a case series or single-case study design. A total of 179 intervention programs were identified from all the articles and broadly classified into speech therapy, psychological therapy, interventions for modifying the child's environment, and others.

Conclusions:

Our systematic review provided a broad overview of the treatments used for school-age children who stutter in Japan. Future research should focus on gathering more reliable, systematic, and rigorous evidence to establish the effectiveness of stuttering treatments for school-age children and thereby develop evidence-based practices.
Adaptive backstepping controller design on Buck converter with a novel improved identification method
Authors: Saadat Seyyed Amirhossein , Ghamari Seyyed Morteza , Mollaee Hasan
Published: February 2022

An adaptive backstepping method is presented by this paper for a DC–DC Buck converter utilising a strategy for system identification with pulse width modulation in the presence of parametric uncertainties, load variations, and high variance noises. In this control structure, the system is assumed as a black‐box block that can decrease the computational burden providing faster dynamics. An adaptive mechanism is adopted for the BSM using the Lyapunov definition, providing robust dynamics for the controller against various disturbances. In addition, a novel improved exponential recursive least‐squares identification algorithm is proposed, which shows higher robustness in parametric estimations and can decrease the negative impact of disrupting factors on the estimator. Moreover, a particle swarm optimisation algorithm‐based PID controller is designed to be compared with the proposed controller. Finally, the merits of the presented controller are validated for various working conditions through simulations and experiments. It can be seen that the adaptive backstepping method with the improved identification technique provides much better results with faster dynamics.
Thermal shock resistance enhancement by improved interfacial bonding for carbon/aluminium composites
Authors: Wei Wenfu , Huang Zhanglin , Yin Guofeng , Yang Zefeng , Li Xiaobo , Zuo Haozi , Deng Qin , Huang Guizao , Ren Junwen , Liao Qianhua , Yang Yan , Wu Guangning
Published: February 2022

Carbon/aluminium (C/Al) composites have the advantages of low density and high electrical conductivity, which have potential applications in aerospace, rail transportation and other fields. However, the unstable bonding of the C/Al interface and significant thermal expansion differences have resulted in risks of the composites' failure once suffering from severe thermal shock. In this work, the C/Al composites were prepared by the pressure impregnation method, and silicon (Si) was added to overcome the problems of C/Al non‐wettability and thermal expansion differences. The effects of mass fractions of doped silicon on the mechanical properties, electrical conductivity and thermal shock resistance of C/Al composites were also examined. Results show that the formed SiC interlayer has effectively enhanced the interfacial bonding and reduced the differences in the thermal expansion coefficient of each component. As a result, the thermal shock resistance of the composites has been remarkably improved, and the flexural strength could remain 90% of the original level after the thermal shock test, compared with 50% of that without Si doping.
Critical factorisation in square-free words
Authors: Harju Tero
Published: February 2022

A position p in a word w is critical if the minimal local period at p is equal to the global period of w. According to the Critical Factorisation Theorem all words of length at least two have a critical point. We study the number η(w) of critical points of square-free ternary words w, i.e., words over a three letter alphabet. We show that the sufficiently long square-free words w satisfy η(w) ≤|w|− 5 where |w| denotes the length of w. Moreover, the bound |w|− 5 is reached by infinitely many words. On the other hand, every square-free word w has at least |w|∕4 critical points, and there is a sequence of these words closing to this bound.
High order linearly implicit methods for evolution equations
Authors: Dujardin Guillaume , Lacroix-Violet Ingrid
Published: February 2022

This paper introduces a new class of numerical methods for the time integration of evolution equations set as Cauchy problems of ODEs or PDEs. The systematic design of these methods mixes the Runge–Kutta collocation formalism with collocation techniques, in such a way that the methods are linearly implicit and have high order. The fact that these methods are implicit allows to avoid CFL conditions when the large systems to integrate come from the space discretization of evolution PDEs. Moreover, these methods are expected to be efficient since they only require to solve one linear system of equations at each time step, and efficient techniques from the literature can be used to do so. After the introduction of the methods, we set suitable definitions of consistency and stability for these methods. This allows for a proof that arbitrarily high order linearly implicit methods exist and converge when applied to ODEs. Eventually, we perform numerical experiments on ODEs and PDEs that illustrate our theoretical results for ODEs, and compare our methods with standard methods for several evolution PDEs.
Intelligent servicing strategy for an online-to-offline (O2O) supply chain under demand variability and controllable lead time
Authors: Choi Seok-Beom , Dey Bikash Koli , Kim Sung Jun , Sarkar Biswajit
Published: February 2022

With the advancement of technologies, industries tries to adopt the advantages of the technology. Customers are busy in their daily life, and the online platform is the best option for retail, whereas traditional customers still prefer to visit the retail shop. Few customers choose the product online but buy it offline or vice-versa. Owing to all those circumstances, current study focuses on an intelligent dual channel (online-to-offline) strategy in industry to arrange the optimal services for customers. The selling price of the product vary with different channel, which helps to determine the demand of product for entire supply chain. Two important factors, backorder and lead-time are examined precisely through marginal value which helps to arrange optimal service and calculate the exact profit. The profit for a centralized and decentralized case are computed for both the players. Some propositions are developed to prove the global optimality. Numerical results prove that a centralized case provides 7.77% better profit than a decentralized case due to bonding between the players.
Wake instabilities of a pre-swirl stator pump-jet propulsor
Authors: Li Han , Huang Qiaogao , Pan Guang , Dong Xinguo
Published: February 2022

The wake of a pump-jet propulsor (PJP) with a pre-swirl stator is investigated using stress-blended eddy simulations. The flow field is analyzed in detail through a systematic comparison of the wake morphology under different loading conditions, allowing the destabilization process and the mechanism of wake instabilities to be inspected. To further examine the evolution of the vortices, as well as their interaction and destabilization, the pressure fluctuations and spectra of turbulent kinetic energy are considered. The mean loads are in good agreement with experimental results. The PJP flow field has a complex vortical system, the evolution of which determines the wake instabilities. The tip clearance leakage vortex first exhibits short-wave instabilities, and the destabilization process then accelerates under the effects of duct shed vortices, which promote the generation of secondary vortices. The secondary vortices further enhance the destabilization process and lead to chaotic evolution. The stator blade root vortices are strongly affected by the rotor blade root vortices, causing an exchange of vorticity that depends on the relative intensity of the two sets of root vortices. The instability of the hub vortices is apparently related to the upstream vortices. The correlation between the tip clearance leakage vortices and the instability of hub vortices is very weak.
A trapping tolerant drain current based temperature measurement of β-Ga2O3 MOSFETs
Authors: Zheng Xiang , Moule Taylor , Pomeroy James W. , Higashiwaki Masataka , Kuball Martin
Published: February 2022

The drain current temperature dependence is an efficient way to determine the channel temperature in semiconductor devices; however, it has been challenging to use due to the potential interference of trapping effects. A trapping tolerant method is proposed, illustrated here for Ga2O3 MOSFETs, making in situ temperature measurements possible, allowing a thermal resistance of 59  K·mm/W to be measured in Ga2O3 MOSFETs. However, neglecting the effect of trapping causes an error of ∼15% in the channel temperature measured using the drain current. 3D simulations show that the measured channel temperature is the average temperature value between source and drain contact.
A composite material with controllable electromagnetic characteristics for the terahertz frequency range
Authors: Moseenkov Sergey , Dorofeev Igor , Dorozhkin Kirill , Sankova Natalya , Zavorin Alexey , Serkova Alexandra , Parkhomchuk Ekaterina , Suslyaev Valentin , Kuznetsov Vladimir
Published: February 2022

In this study, a new method is proposed for producing polymer composites via the adsorption of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) on the surface of polystyrene spheres (PS) to provide a cellular distribution of MWCNTs in the composite. The method makes it possible to control the cell size down to the submicron level and the conductivity of the composite in a wide range. The effect of the MWCNT concentration on the surface of PS on the structure of the resulting composites and their electrophysical properties are studied in the frequency range of 115 GHz–1.4 THz. The percolation nature of the composite conductivity was established. It was shown that the obtained composite is a regularly chaotic medium, and its regularity scale corresponds to the sizes of the PS. MWCNTs on the PS surface form two subsystems: the first is a pseudo-regular subsystem on the edges of cuboid-like PS, while the second subsystem consists of chaotically scattered MWCNTs with unclosed ends on the faces of PS. The first subsystem belongs to the regular part of the structure and mainly determines the properties of the medium at frequencies above 500 GHz. The second subsystem of nanotubes is characterized by a small electrodynamic scale comparable with the size of one PS cell and determines the effective properties of the composites at frequencies below 500 GHz.
Identification of metal-sensitive structural changes in the Ca2+-binding photocomplex from Thermochromatium tepidum by isotope-edited vibrational spectroscopy
Authors: Kimura Yukihiro , Imanishi Michie , Li Yong , Yura Yuki , Ohno Takashi , Saga Yoshitaka , Madigan Michael T. , Wang-Otomo Zheng-Yu
Published: February 2022

Calcium ions play a dual role in expanding the spectral diversity and structural stability of photocomplexes from several Ca2+-requiring purple sulfur phototrophic bacteria. Here, metal-sensitive structural changes in the isotopically labeled light-harvesting 1 reaction center (LH1-RC) complexes from the thermophilic purple sulfur bacterium Thermochromatium (Tch.) tepidum were investigated by perfusion-induced attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The ATR-FTIR difference spectra induced by exchanges between native Ca2+ and exogenous Ba2+ exhibited interconvertible structural and/or conformational changes in the metal binding sites at the LH1 C-terminal region. Most of the characteristic Ba2+/Ca2+ difference bands were detected even when only Ca ions were removed from the LH1-RC complexes, strongly indicating the pivotal roles of Ca2+ in maintaining the LH1-RC structure of Tch. tepidum. Upon 15N-, 13C- or 2H-labeling, the LH1-RC complexes exhibited characteristic 15N/14N-, 13C/12C-, or 2H/1H-isotopic shifts for the Ba2+/Ca2+ difference bands. Some of the 15N/14N or 13C/12C bands were also sensitive to further 2H-labelings. Given the band frequencies and their isotopic shifts along with the structural information of the Tch. tepidum LH1-RC complexes, metal-sensitive FTIR bands were tentatively identified to the vibrational modes of the polypeptide main chains and side chains comprising the metal binding sites. Furthermore, important new IR marker bands highly sensitive to the LH1 BChl a conformation in the Ca2+-bound states were revealed based on both ATR-FTIR and near-infrared Raman analyses. The present approach provides valuable insights concerning the dynamic equilibrium between the Ca2+- and Ba2+-bound states statically resolved by x-ray crystallography.
Charge breeders: Development of diagnostic tools to probe the underlying physics
Authors: Maunoury L. , Bidault N. , Angot J. , Galata A. , Vondrasek R. , Wenander F.
Published: February 2022

Charge breeders were developed more than 20 years ago in the context of radioactive ion beam (RIB) production. The main goal is to boost the charge state of a singly charged RIB to a higher value matching the A/Q of a post-accelerator. In that way, the RIB produced at some tens of keV can efficiently be accelerated to energies in a range of few MeV/u up to several tens of MeV/u, which is of interest for nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics experiments. Two families of charge breeders have been developed: one based on Electron Cyclotron Resonance Ion Sources (ECRISs) suitable for Continuous Wave (CW) operation and another built around Electron Beam Ion Sources (EBISs) used for pulsed post-accelerators. For many years, experimental studies have been carried out to enhance the charge breeding process and improve the extracted beam quality, i.e., purity, intensity, emittance, and time structure. The evolution of the charge breeders is also closely related to the emergence of new facilities delivering even more exotic beams. Diagnostic tools, such as Faraday cups, beam profile monitors, and emittance scanners, are mandatory to tune the machines and evaluate their performances. However, to go beyond that, a better understanding of plasma physics (in ECRIS) and electron–ion interactions (in EBIS), as well as the 1+ beam characteristics, for instance, energy spread transverse emittance, is needed. Therefore, simulation codes modeling the physics phenomena in both type of charge breeders were developed to support the understanding of experimental outputs and to gain insights into non-observable parameters. Nevertheless, more sophisticated diagnostic tools are required to improve the charge breeding performance and to extend the potential applications toward new RIB facilities. This Review will present the two kinds of charge breeders and their technical evolutions. It will review the diagnostic tools and simulation codes employed for operation and evaluation of the internal physics processes.
Demonstration of reconfigurable magnetic tunnel diode and giant tunnel magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions made with spin gapless semiconductor and half-metallic Heusler alloy
Authors: Maji Nilay , Nath Tapan Kumar
Published: February 2022

Here, we report fabrication of a high quality exchanged biased trilayer magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) utilizing a magnetron sputtering system. The MTJ is composed of a type-II spin gapless semiconductor (SGS) Ti2CoSi inverse Heusler alloy (used as a lower electrode), a thin MgO layer (used as a tunnel barrier), and a half-metallic ferromagnet (HMF) Co2MnSi Heusler alloy (used as an upper electrode). Spin dependent transport properties reveal that the micro-fabricated MTJ can act as a reconfigurable magnetic tunnel diode, which lets the electric current to flow in either the forward or reverse path relying on the relative alignment of the magnetization direction of the upper and lower magnetic electrodes. A considerably high on/off current ratio (∼103) and a significantly low turn on voltage (VT) of 0.09 V have been achieved at 5 K for both parallel and antiparallel configurations. Another important characteristic shown by our fabricated MTJ is that it exhibits extremely large tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 892% at 5 K and 197% at room temperature, which brings to light the utmost importance of using the combination of HMF and SGS materials as magnetic electrodes in a tunnel junction for potential applications in modern spintronic devices. All these exceptional features can undoubtedly nominate CMS/MgO/TCS MTJs as a promising candidate to serve as memory or logic elements in next generation ultra-high density magnetoresistive random access memories together with contemporary spin based electronic devices.