bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perinatal Outcomes of Late Preterm Rupture of Membranes with or without Latency Antibiotics
Authors: Abu Nofal Mais , Massalha Manal , Diab Marwa , Abboud Maysa , Asla Jamhour Aya , Said Waseem , Talmon Gil , Mresat Samah , Mattar Kamel , Garmi Gali , Zafran Noah , Reiss Ari , Salim Raed
Published: March 2024

Objective This study aimed to examine whether the addition of latency antibiotics in late preterm rupture of membranes (ROM) decreases neonatal infection and increases latency.

Study Design This retrospective two-center study was conducted at Holy Family Hospital (HFH) in Nazareth and Emek Medical Center (EMC) in Afula, on data collected between January 2017 and April 2023. HFH is the smaller institution. EMC and HFH implement similar policies regarding ROM at 340/7 to 366/7 weeks' gestation; the only difference is that a 10-day course of latency antibiotics is implemented at EMC. All women with ROM between 340/7 and 366/7 weeks' gestation who were admitted to one of the centers during the study period, and had a live fetus without major malformations, were included. The primary outcome was neonatal sepsis rate. Secondary outcomes included a composite of neonatal sepsis, mechanical ventilation ≥24 hours, and perinatal death. Additionally, gestational age at delivery and delivery mode were examined.

Results Overall, 721 neonates were delivered during the study period: 534 at EMC (where latency antibiotics were administered) and 187 at HFH. The gestational age at ROM was similar (35.8 and 35.9 weeks, respectively, p = 0.14). Neonatal sepsis occurred in six (1.1%) neonates at EMC and one (0.5%) neonate at HFH (adjusted p = 0.71; OR: 1.69; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 0.11–27.14). The composite secondary outcome occurred in nine (1.7%) and three (1.6%) neonates at EMC and HFH, respectively (adjusted p = 0.71; OR: 0.73; 95% CI: 0.14–3.83). The gestational age at delivery was 36.1 and 36.2 weeks at EMC and HFH, respectively (mean difference: 5 h; adjusted p = 0.02). The cesarean delivery rate was 24.7% and 19.3% at EMC and HFH, respectively (adjusted p = 0.96).

Conclusion Latency antibiotics administered to women admitted with ROM between 340/7 and 366/7 weeks' gestation did not decrease the rate of neonatal sepsis.

Key Points
Comparison of Hounsfield Units within the Humeral Trochlea and Medial Coronoid Process in a Population of Labrador X Golden Retriever Guide Dogs and Border Collies
Authors: Ellis Luke F. , House Arthur K. , Shimura Kiyoko , Frances Mika
Published: March 2024

Objective The aim of this study was to determine if variations in Hounsfield units (HU) are present within the elbow between asymptomatic dogs of two breeds of dogs susceptible to elbow dysplasia.

Study Design Guide Dogs and Border Collies that presented for routine computed tomography (CT) screening for elbow dysplasia prior to breeding were evaluated. All dogs had no documented history of lameness. Dogs diagnosed with CT as being free of elbow dysplasia were included. The CT images were randomized and assessed by three blinded observers. A standardised approach to CT image reconstruction to create consistent image planes was used. Hounsfield units were measured within a standardised region of interest (ROI) at the humeral trochlea and medial coronoid process. The minimum, mean and maximum HU within each ROI was recorded.

Results Eighty-six elbows were included in the study with 32 Guide Dogs, and 11 Border Collies. Guide Dogs had significantly higher minimum (99.75 HU, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.02–184.48, p = 0.022), mean (115.09 HU, 95% CI: 80.53–149.64, p < 0.01) and maximum (74.00 HU, 95% CI: 44.58–103.42, p < 0.01) difference in HU within the medial coronoid process ROI, and significantly higher mean (146.49 HU, 95% CI: 100.12–192.87, p < 0.01) and maximum (147.77 HU, 95% CI: 102.57–192.97, p < 0.01) difference in HU within the humeral trochlea ROI.

Conclusion In this dataset breed variations in elbow HU were present between asymptomatic Guide Dogs and Border Collies. This needs to be considered in breeding screening programmes to avoid over-interpretation of elbow sclerosis, in the absence of elbow pathology.
Stress Changes in the Canine Radius after Locking Plate Fixation Using Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Muroi Norihiro , Murakami Sawako , Kanno Nobuo , Harada Yasuji , Hara Yasushi
Published: March 2024

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the stress changes in the radii beneath the locking plates (LP) of dogs implanted with LP using finite element analysis (FEA).

Study Design The study included radii harvested from eight dogs. After computed tomography (CT) scans of the forelimb, the articular surface of the radius was fixed using resin. Material tests were conducted to identify the yield and fracture points and for verification with FEA. The CT data of the radius were imported into FEA software. The radii were classified into three groups based on the placement of the LP (nonplate placement, intact group; 1 mm above the radial surface, LP + 1 mm group; 3 mm above the radial surface, LP + 3 mm group). Equivalent, maximum, and minimum principal stresses and minimum principal strain were measured after FEA at the radial diaphysis beneath the plate.

Results In shell elements, the LP + 1 mm and LP + 3 mm groups showed a significantly lower maximum principal stress compared with the intact group. In solid elements, the LP + 1 mm and LP + 3 mm groups showed a significantly higher equivalent stress and a significantly lower maximum principal stress compared with the intact group.

Conclusion When an axial load is applied to the radius, LP placement reduces the tension stress on the cortical bone of the radius beneath the plate, possibly related to implant-induced osteoporosis and bone formation in the cortical bone beneath the plate.
Permanent Iatrogenic Fibular Nerve Injury following Tibial Plateau Levelling Osteotomy
Authors: Anderson Oliver , Martin Sophie , Carwardine Darren , Parsons Kevin
Published: March 2024

The aim of this study was to describe three dogs with permanent fibular nerve injury following tibial plateau levelling osteotomy (TPLO). Fibular nerve injury following TPLO led to atrophy of the cranial tibial muscle, absent hock flexion and a mild lameness. Fibular nerve injury was confirmed in one case with electrodiagnostics. All three cases had a drill tract in the same location, on the caudal aspect of the tibia, immediately distal to the tibial osteotomy. Permanent fibular nerve injury following TPLO occurred with a more caudally positioned plate and care should be taken when drilling the tibia from medial to lateral in the region described. Careful gait assessment at routine follow-up was required to identify this complication.
The audit of banks in the USA: Has it changed since the financial crisis?
Authors: Tanyi Paul , Cathey Jack
Published: March 2024

The most recent financial crisis exposed to the auditors the risk associated with the audit engagement of their banking clients. Because many banking clients failed and investors suffered trillions of dollars in losses, auditors are now defendants in numerous shareholder and regulatory lawsuits. There is consensus that the financial crisis was created by an abundance of credit, excessive risk taking through complex financial instruments, weak corporate structures, and ineffective regulatory mechanisms. In this study, we examine how the financial crisis has affected the audit engagements of banking clients. We examine audit fees, audit report lag, and auditor changes before and after the financial crisis with respect to specific bank risks like credit risk, interest rate risk, and liquidity. Overall, we find that auditors are more responsive to bank risks in the post-financial crisis period compared to the pre-financial crisis period.
Pay structure and firm technological innovation: comparative research based on three pay gaps
Authors: Wang Song , Lin Zhiyuan
Published: March 2024

While previous research has extensively explored the correlation between pay gaps and firm innovation, the comprehensive investigation of various pay gaps within a unified framework remains an understudied domain. We advance the understanding of the intricate relationship between pay gaps and firm innovation by examining the tournament effect and social comparison effect. Through empirical analysis spanning the period from 2009 to 2019 of Chinese listed companies, our findings reveal a potential inverted U-shaped curve in the impact of all pay gaps on firm innovation. Specifically, the effects of internal pay gap and management pay gap exhibit the left half of an inverted U-shaped curve, while the external pay gap demonstrates a complete inverted U shape. Additionally, utilizing fsQCA, we unveil that small firms can stimulate innovation through management pay incentives, internal tournaments, or employee tournaments. Conversely, large firms can pursue diverse paths, including management equity incentives, strategic emphasis on low pay for firm growth, or a harmonious combination of management pay and equity incentives. The intricate interplay between pay gaps and firm innovation is contingent upon industry and firm characteristics. Consequently, our study underscores the importance of meticulously designing pay structures that align with strategic goals and unique attributes.
Thrust measurements of a waveguide electron cyclotron resonance thruster
Authors: Inchingolo M. R. , Merino M. , Wijnen M. , Navarro-Cavallé J.
Published: March 2024

Direct thrust measurements are performed on a circular waveguide electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) thruster working at 5.8 GHz using a pendulum thrust balance with mechanically amplified displacement. Thrust levels between 1 and 3.5 mN are found for power levels in the range of 60–350 W and xenon flow rate between 2 and 8 SCCM. A maximum thrust efficiency of 3.5% is reached at 2 SCCM and 60 W. Plasma plume diagnostics are used to estimate the thruster partial efficiencies to understand the main losses, and to perform a comparative analysis between directly and indirectly measured thrust. Results suggest that the low energy conversion efficiency and propellant utilization efficiency (<6.4% and < 53%, respectively) are the key factors spoiling the ECR thruster performance. Finally, retarding potential analyzer measurements show the presence of energetic electrons with energy tail up to about 300 eV.
Magnetic property enhancement of rare-earth-free nanocrystalline LTP-MnBi melt-spun ribbons
Authors: Xiang Zhen , Wang Haiyuan , Zeng Cheng , Yang Yang , Lu Shunda , Xu Huiyu , Nguyen Truongxuan , Lu Wei
Published: March 2024

Rare-earth-free low-temperature-phase MnBi alloys have attracted extensive attention, but achieving high-purity and high-performance remains a challenge. In this study, a low-temperature phase (LTP) MnBi alloy was prepared through melt spinning and vacuum annealing techniques. The crystalline structure, microstructure, and magnetic properties of MnBi alloys were systematically investigated by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and physical property measurement system. Results showed that roller speed effectively improved the purity and coercivity of MnBi alloys. The optimization of process parameters achieved a high saturation magnetization of 70.7 A m2/kg and a significant coercivity of 2.34 T (at 450 K). It revealed that microstructure and magnetic properties were closely associated with rolling speed processes. This work serves as an exemplar for the fabrication of high-performance LTP-MnBi alloys, exhibiting its potential for high-temperature applications.
Pressure-induced emission enhancement: A review
Authors: Zou Boyu , Han Yingxue , Yang Zhihao , Wang Qinglin , Wang Guangyu , Zhang Guozhao , Li Yinwei , Liu Cailong
Published: March 2024

The luminescent properties of some materials undergo significant changes under compression. High pressure generated by a diamond anvil cell (DAC) is often used as an external stimulus to explore the relationship between the structures and luminescent properties of materials, provide traceable color and structural changes, and quantify the environment in which the materials are located. Under high pressure, the luminous intensity or color of materials changes, which has important potential applications in fields such as safety detection, information storage, optoelectronic devices, and mechanical sensing. Recently, many phenomena of pressure-induced luminescence enhancement have been discovered in DAC, commonly referred to as pressure-induced emission enhancement. In this review, recent pressure-induced emission enhancement phenomena have been collected, and the role of pressure in promoting the luminescent enhancement of materials in DAC was revealed and discussed, which helps to design some materials with specific emission characteristics and provides a perspective for in-depth research on the photophysical behavior of materials.
tRNA epitranscriptome determines pathogenicity of the opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Authors: Krueger Jonas , Preusse Matthias , Oswaldo Gomez Nicolas , Frommeyer Yannick Noah , Doberenz Sebastian , Lorenz Anne , Kordes Adrian , Grobe Svenja , Müsken Mathias , Depledge Daniel P. , Svensson Sarah L. , Weiss Siegfried , Kaever Volkhard , Pich Andreas , Sharma Cynthia M. , Ignatova Zoya , Häussler Susanne
Published: March 2024

The success of bacterial pathogens depends on the coordinated expression of virulence determinants. Regulatory circuits that drive pathogenesis are complex, multilayered, and incompletely understood. Here, we reveal that alterations in tRNA modifications define pathogenic phenotypes in the opportunistic pathogen
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
. We demonstrate that the enzymatic activity of GidA leads to the introduction of a carboxymethylaminomethyl modification in selected tRNAs. Modifications at the wobble uridine base (cmnm
5
U
34
) of the anticodon drives translation of transcripts containing rare codons. Specifically, in
P. aeruginosa
the presence of GidA-dependent tRNA modifications modulates expression of genes encoding virulence regulators, leading to a cellular proteomic shift toward pathogenic and well-adapted physiological states. Our approach of profiling the consequences of chemical tRNA modifications is general in concept. It provides a paradigm of how environmentally driven tRNA modifications govern gene expression programs and regulate phenotypic outcomes responsible for bacterial adaption to challenging habitats prevailing in the host niche.
CD38–RyR2 axis–mediated signaling impedes CD8
+
T cell response to anti-PD1 therapy in cancer
Authors: Kar Anwesha , Ghosh Puspendu , Gautam Anupam , Chowdhury Snehanshu , Basak Debashree , Sarkar Ishita , Bhoumik Arpita , Barman Shubhrajit , Chakraborty Paramita , Mukhopadhyay Asima , Mehrotra Shikhar , Ganesan Senthil Kumar , Paul Sandip , Chatterjee Shilpak
Published: March 2024

PD1 blockade therapy, harnessing the cytotoxic potential of CD8
+
T cells, has yielded clinical success in treating malignancies. However, its efficacy is often limited due to the progressive differentiation of intratumoral CD8
+
T cells into a hypofunctional state known as terminal exhaustion. Despite identifying CD8
+
T cell subsets associated with immunotherapy resistance, the molecular pathway triggering the resistance remains elusive. Given the clear association of CD38 with CD8
+
T cell subsets resistant to anti-PD1 therapy, we investigated its role in inducing resistance. Phenotypic and functional characterization, along with single-cell RNA sequencing analysis of both in vitro chronically stimulated and intratumoral CD8
+
T cells, revealed that CD38-expressing CD8
+
T cells are terminally exhausted. Exploring the molecular mechanism, we found that CD38 expression was crucial in promoting terminal differentiation of CD8
+
T cells by suppressing TCF1 expression, thereby rendering them unresponsive to anti-PD1 therapy. Genetic ablation of CD38 in tumor-reactive CD8
+
T cells restored TCF1 levels and improved the responsiveness to anti-PD1 therapy in mice. Mechanistically, CD38 expression on exhausted CD8
+
T cells elevated intracellular Ca
2+
levels through RyR2 calcium channel activation. This, in turn, promoted chronic AKT activation, leading to TCF1 loss. Knockdown of RyR2 or inhibition of AKT in CD8
+
T cells maintained TCF1 levels, induced a sustained anti-tumor response, and enhanced responsiveness to anti-PD1 therapy. Thus, targeting CD38 represents a potential strategy to improve the efficacy of anti-PD1 treatment in cancer.
The effects of assistance dogs on social acknowledgements and engagement of people with visible disabilities – A case study
Authors: Pugh Colin , Nottle Carmel , Young Janette
Published: March 2024

Stigmatization of people with visible disabilities is a well-recognized concept, as is the knowledge that Assistance Dogs (ADs) may serve as social lubricants. This case study explored the interplay of these two concepts in the everyday life of a person (Mary) with a visible disability and her AD (Cino). This mixed methods study collected both quantitative observational data and qualitative interview data. Four episodes of Mary interacting in the community with and without Cino (AD) were observed using an observation checklist. These were complimented by four in-depth interviews with Mary and one with a close family member. Interview transcripts were used to construct a thematic understanding of the complex ways in which Mary’s life and experience of living with significant disability are impacted by having Cino to support her. Observational data identified that the presence of Mary’s AD considerably increased social acknowledgements of Mary from members of the public during community interactions. Two major themes (The dog makes a difference, and Lack of understanding, awareness, and support) each with four subthemes, emerged from the interviews. The complex mesh of experiences related to the support of her AD(s), both positive and negative, are mapped in the subthemes. While both positive and negative aspects of AD ownership were identified and explored, Mary assesses the net effect of having Cino, as ultimately positive, outweighing numerous complications and drawbacks in life lived with disability. The findings contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the way ADs can impact both positively and negatively in the lives of people living with disability. These insights provide points that can be used in discussing potential AD support with people exploring this option. They also caution against simplistic, “do ADs really work?” approaches in research as Mary’s lived experiences show that this is nuanced by multiple personal, clinical, social, physical, and broad environmental factors.
Human neutrophils drive skin autoinflammation by releasing interleukin (IL)-26
Authors: Baldo Alessia , Di Domizio Jeremy , Yatim Ahmad , Vandenberghe-Dürr Sophie , Jenelten Raphael , Fries Anissa , Grizzetti Lorenzo , Kuonen François , Paul Carle , Modlin Robert L. , Conrad Curdin , Gilliet Michel
Published: March 2024

Autoinflammation is a sterile inflammatory process resulting from increased neutrophil infiltration and overexpression of IL-1 cytokines. The factors that trigger these events are, however, poorly understood. By investigating pustular forms of psoriasis, we show that human neutrophils constitutively express IL-26 and abundantly release it from granular stores upon activation. In pustular psoriasis, neutrophil-derived IL-26 drives the pathogenic autoinflammation process by inducing the expression of IL-1 cytokines and chemokines that further recruit neutrophils. This occurs via activation of IL-26R in keratinocytes and via the formation of complexes between IL-26 and microbiota DNA, which trigger TLR9 activation of neutrophils. Thus our findings identify neutrophils as an important source of IL-26 and point to IL-26 as the key link between neutrophils and a self-sustaining autoinflammation loop in pustular psoriasis.
Indicating the direction in conservation of angular momentum
Authors: Yıldırım Fatih , Sezgin Selçuk Gamze
Published: March 2024

This study developed a teaching material that makes the conservation of angular momentum, which students find very difficult, more concrete. The fact that angular momentum is a vector concept, the direction of the vector and the importance of this vector direction in angular momentum conservation are visualized. The teaching material consists of a table mounted on a freely rotating shaft, two electric motors mutually connected to the table, and a speed adjuster circuit used to change the rotation speeds of the motors. When electric motors begin to rotate, the angular momentum of the motors changes. How the angular momentum of the system is preserved thanks to the changing angular momentum of the parts interacting with each other, the directions of the vectors formed, the inertia torque, angular velocity, angular momentum relationship, and the relationship of the parts forming a system with each other have been tried to be explained in detail through the teaching material. When the motors were operated in different directions and speeds, the change in the rotation direction of the table was observed. This observation concretizes that angular momentum and angular momentum conservation are vector concepts. The right-hand rule, which describes the angular momentum vector direction with the material, can be demonstrated to students in practice. Video recordings showing how the teaching material works have been shared with readers.
Counterdiabatic optimized driving in quantum phase sensitive models
Authors: Barone Francesco Pio , Kiss Oriel , Grossi Michele , Vallecorsa Sofia , Mandarino Antonio
Published: March 2024

State preparation plays a pivotal role in numerous quantum algorithms, including quantum phase estimation. This paper extends and benchmarks counterdiabatic driving protocols across three one-dimensional spin systems characterized by phase transitions: the axial next-nearest neighbor Ising, XXZ, and Haldane–Shastry models. We perform a shallow quantum optimal control over the counterdiabatic protocols by optimizing an energy cost function. Moreover, we provide a code package for computing symbolically various adiabatic gauge potentials. This protocol consistently surpasses standard annealing schedules, often achieving performance improvements of several orders of magnitude. The axial next-nearest neighbor Ising model stands out as a notable example, where fidelities exceeding 0.5 are attainable in most cases. Furthermore, the optimized paths exhibit promising generalization capabilities to higher-dimensional systems, allowing for the extension of parameters from smaller models. Nevertheless, our investigations reveal limitations in the case of the XXZ and Haldane–Shastry models, particularly when transitioning away from the ferromagnetic phase. This suggests that finding optimal diabatic gauge potentials for specific systems remains an important research direction.
Reply to comment on ‘Ultradense protium p(0) and deuterium D(0) and their relation to ordinary Rydberg Matter: a review’
Authors: Holmlid Leif
Published: March 2024

In this reply to an additional Comment by Hansen and Engelen it is shown that there is no violation of the baryon number conservation ‘law’ in the nuclear reactions in H0). In numerous well-known studies from large groups, baryons are both created and annihilated, without breaking the baryon number conservation ‘law’. This point was misunderstood in the Comment. H(0) molecules have very little in common with covalently bonded H2 molecules. The smallest H(0) molecules are H3(0) and H4(0). The picometer bond distances in H(0) are measured by the kinetic energy release in Coulomb explosions by neutral fragment time-of-flight experiments (not in TOF-MS experiments as stated in the Comment). The bond distances are further measured with femtometer precision in rotational spectroscopy experiments, with spin resolution for s = 2, 3 and 4. Many different molecular forms are observed for p(0), D(0) and pD(0).
Electric-field-driven ferromagnetic response in Janus MnReX3 (X = Se, S) monolayer via asymmetric interface orbital hybridization
Authors: Shan Yun , Li Tinghui
Published: March 2024

Regulating spin-related electronic structures of two dimensional (2D) materials by an external electric field plays a substantial role in achieving spintronic and multistate information storage. However, electric-field-dependent ferromagnetic behavior at atomic-thick 2D materials is very difficult to be realized due to their intrinsic inversion symmetry, in which the symmetric spatial distribution of charge density makes it become insensitive to spontaneous polarization from external electric field. Herein, a new-type Janus MnReX3 (X = Se, S) monolayer with noncentrosymmetric configuration in which their orbital hybridization at internal interface can be engineered by rearranging the spatial symmetry of out-of-plane charge density. As a result, the spin exchange interaction among magnetic sites can be regulated by the electric-field-driven charge density redistribution, leading to a controllable ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. Our results not only suggest a promising strategy to regulate the ferromagnetic response by reducing the crystal symmetry, but also provide a new insight into designing 2D magnetic materials.
The simple pendulum motion by considering the mass of the string: Asymptotic corrections
Authors: Rosales-Vera Marco
Published: March 2024

In this paper the movement of a pendulum is analyzed considering the mass of the string from which the pendulum hangs, the analysis is carried out by perturbations considering that the mass of the string is much less than the mass of the pendulum. The results show that the mass of the string has two effects on the motion of the pendulum, the first is the increase in the inertia of the system and modification of the center of mass of the system, which translates into an increase in the frequency of the pendulum and the second effect is produced by the vibrations of the string itself, modifying the movement of the pendulum.
A novel hybrid scheme for chaotic image encryption
Authors: Li Ying , Wang Qianxue , Yu Simin
Published: March 2024

This paper presents a novel hybrid scheme for chaotic image encryption by means of both public-key cryptosystem and symmetric cryptosystem. In the public-key cryptosystem, the hash value of the plain image can be securely transmitted through a public channel by utilizing elliptic curve for generating public and private keys, embedding hash value, encrypting and decrypting embedded data, and finally restoring hash value in the receiver. Based on a 8-dimensional discrete-time hyper-chaotic system, a symmetric encryption method associated with the hash value of plaintext is then implemented, which achieves several mutually independent encryption operations, including position sequence and row-column cyclic shift for permutation, modulus and exclusive OR operations for diffusion. In particular, because of its passing NIST and TestU01 for random statistical properties, the proposed 8-dimensional discrete-time hyper-chaotic system can also be used to construct a higher-performance S-Box, acting as another crucial component in the chaotic image cryptosystem, so that its security can be further enhanced. Theoretical analysis and numerical experiments confirm the feasibility of the method.
UV-induced resonant excitations of electrons near the Brillouin zone boundary in solid high harmonic generation
Authors: Luo Jianghua , Yuan Bin , Xiao Jiajun , Liu Xi , He Mingrui , Li Yang
Published: March 2024

We propose a novel mechanism to manipulate the electron dynamics at the boundary of the Brillouin zone (BZ) through resonant excitation induced by ultraviolet (UV) laser pulses in solid high harmonic generation (HHG). When adding weak UV pulses to a stronger mid-infrared (MIR) driving field, we show that UV pulses with specific wavelengths generate a resonant excitation zone around the Γ point in k − space, which facilitates the interband transition of electrons in the BZ boundary region. The scheme is not only significant for achieving higher harmonic yield, but also exhibits strong robustness at a relatively low MIR driving intensity due to the inherent manipulation of UV pulses for interband dynamics of BZ boundary electrons. The semiclassical four-step model is adopted to elucidate underlying physics.
Ultrawide-detection-range refractive index sensor based on a two-dimensional mirror-image photonic crystal microcavity
Authors: Sheng Guo , She Kang , Li Lin , Xu Piaorong , Shan Zhengping , Liu Exian
Published: March 2024

In this work, a refractive index sensor is theoretically proposed based on a two-dimensional mirror-image SiO2/Si photonic crystal microcavity. The introduction of mirror-image microcavity effectively enhances the light localization and the coupling between light and liquid analyte. Results show that the sensor exhibits a high near-linear sensitivity of 493.5 nm RIU−1 with a narrow full-width at half-maximum of ∼20 nm in a broad refractive index range of 1.0 ∼ 1.5. Moreover, the detection resolution for the minimum variation of RI reaches to a level of 0.0002 RIU. For the analyses on the sensor performance (such as sensitivity, full-width at half-maximum), the dependences of all structure parameters are discussed in terms of the cylinder diameter, lattice constant, and microcavity size. This design is expected to detect the refractive index of wide-range liquid analytes in the fields of biology, chemistry, and medicine.
Reproduction-mobility trade-off in rock-paper-scissors models in changing environmental conditions
Authors: Menezes J , Rangel E
Published: March 2024

We investigate a tritrophic system in which organisms’ energy depletion, resulting from failed selection attempts, leads to a partial loss of capacity to win the cyclic spatial game. The energy required to maintain optimal organism fitness may be impacted by changes in environmental conditions, increasing the death risk due to accelerated deterioration of health. We simulate the evolutionary behavioural strategy performed by individuals of one species, which consists in balancing efforts dedicated to reproduction and mobility to minimise the chances of death by lack of energy. We show that the unevenness introduced by the trade-off strategy unbalances the rock-paper-scissors model, with the predominant species profiting from enemies’ lower birth rate. Quantifying the spatial patterns, we demonstrate that the characteristic length scale of single-species domains decreases as energy loss accelerates due to environmental changes. The erosion in the spatial patterns provoked by the reproduction-mobility trade-off benefits biodiversity, with coexistence probability rising for faster energy depletion and higher trade-off factors. The findings have implications for ecologists seeking to understand the impact of survival behaviour on biodiversity promotion.
Stochastic resetting with refractory periods: pathway formulation and exact results
Authors: García-Valladares G , Gupta D , Prados A , Plata C A
Published: March 2024

We look into the problem of stochastic resetting with refractory periods. The model dynamics comprises diffusive and motionless phases. The diffusive phase ends at random time instants, at which the system is reset to a given position—where the system remains at rest for a random time interval, termed the refractory period. A pathway formulation is introduced to derive exact analytical results for the relevant observables in a broad framework, with the resetting time and the refractory period following arbitrary distributions. For the paradigmatic case of Poissonian distributions of the resetting and refractory times, in general with different characteristic rates, closed-form expressions are obtained that successfully describe the relaxation to the steady state. Finally, we focus on the single-target search problem, in which the survival probability and the mean first passage time to the target can be exactly computed. Therein, we also discuss optimal strategies, which show a non-trivial dependence on the refractory period.
TT-HEALpix: A New Data Indexing Strategy for Efficient Cross-match of Large-scale Astronomical Catalogs
Authors: Zhao Qing , Zhang Chengkui , Li Hao , Zhao Tingting , Cui Chenzhou , Fan Dongwei
Published: March 2024

Cross-matching is an indispensable operation in the data preparation, analysis, and research processes of multi-band astronomy and time-domain astronomy. Multi-catalog time-series data reconstruction is an important part of time-domain astronomy. In the large-scale distributed reconstruction process, boundary problems have always affected the accuracy of time-series data. To optimize these boundary problems and improve data precision, this paper proposes a new hybrid astronomical data indexing method called Translated Transformation based HEALPix Dual Index (TT-HEALPix). Under the reasonable Healpix division level, by translation transformation, the two indexes before and after the transformation form a unique pseudo-hybrid index strategy, which not only retains the advantages of the hybrid index scheme suitable for large-scale parallel computing, but also compensates for its shortage of high omission at the block boundary position. Based on TT-HEALPix, this paper completes the multi-catalog time-series reconstruction process on the Spark platform and compares it with the HEALPix+HTM hybrid indexing strategy. The experiments demonstrate that TT-HEALPix has significant advantages over the traditional HEALPix+HTM hybrid indexing method in terms of data accuracy and cross-matching efficiency. At level 9 of the Healpix index, TT-HEALPix achieves a 6%–19% improvement in cross-matching efficiency in a distributed environment compared to HEALPix+HTM. In terms of data accuracy, for the AST3-II dataset at level 9, TT-HEALPix has 62.2% accuracy improvement over HEALPix and 45.5% improvement over HEALPix+HTM. In conclusion, the proposed novel indexing strategy, TT-HEALPix, is better suited to the efficiency and accuracy requirements of cross-match.
Systematic study of cluster radioactivity within the generalized liquid drop model*
Authors: Deng 邓 Jun-Gang 军刚 , Cheng 程 Jun-Hao 俊皓 , Bao 包 Xiao-Jun 小军 , Zhang 张 Hong-Fei 鸿飞
Published: March 2024

Cluster radioactivity is studied within the generalized liquid drop model (GLDM), in which the shell correction energy, pairing energy, and cluster preformation factor are considered. The calculations show significant improvements and can reproduce the experimental data within a factor of 8.04 after considering these physical effects. In addition, the systematic trend of the cluster preformation factors

is discussed in terms of the

scheme to study the influence of the valence proton-neutron interaction and shell effect on cluster radioactivity. It is found that

is linearly related to

. This is in agreement with a recent study [L. Qi et al., Phys. Rev. C 108, 014325 (2023)], in which

, obtained using different theoretical models and treatment methods than those used in this study, also had a linear relationship with

. Combined with the work by Qi et al., this study suggests that the linear relationship between

and

is model-independent and both the shell effect and valence proton-neutron interaction play essential roles in cluster radioactivity. An analytical formula is proposed to calculate the cluster preformation factor based on the

scheme. In addition, the cluster preformation factors and the cluster radioactivity half-lives of some heavy nuclei are predicted, which can provide a reference for future experiments.
The Metallicity Dimension of the Super Earth-cold Jupiter Correlation
Authors: Zhu 祝 Wei 伟
Published: March 2024

The correlation between close-in super Earths and distant cold Jupiters in planetary systems has important implications for their formation and evolution. Contrary to some earlier findings, a recent study conducted by Bonomo et al. suggests that the occurrence of cold Jupiter companions is not excessive in super-Earth systems. Here we show that this discrepancy can be seen as a Simpson’s paradox and is resolved once the metallicity dependence of the super-Earth–cold Jupiter relation is taken into account. A common feature is noticed that almost all the cold Jupiter detections with inner super-Earth companions are found around metal-rich stars. Focusing on the Sun-like hosts with super-solar metallicities, we show that the frequency of cold Jupiters conditioned on the presence of inner super Earths is

39

−
11

+
12

%

, whereas the frequency of cold Jupiters in the same metallicity range is no more than 20%. Therefore, the occurrences of close-in super Earths and distant cold Jupiters appear correlated around metal-rich hosts. The relation between the two types of planets remains unclear for stars with metal-poor hosts due to the limited sample size and the much lower occurrence rate of cold Jupiters, but a correlation between the two cannot be ruled out.
Plasma profile reconstruction supported by kinetic modeling
Authors: Bergmann M. , Fischer R. , Angioni C. , Höfler K. , Molina Cabrera P. , Görler T. , Luda T. , Bilato R. , Tardini G. , Jenko F. ,   the ASDEX Upgrade team
Published: March 2024

Combining the analysis of multiple diagnostics and well-chosen prior information in the framework of Bayesian probability theory, the Integrated Data Analysis code (IDA Fischer et al 2010 Fusion Sci. Technol.
58 675–84) can provide density and temperature radial profiles of fusion plasmas. These IDA-fitted measurements are then used for further analysis, such as discharge simulations and other experimental data analysis. Since IDA considers measurement data, which is frequently fragmentary, with statistical and systematic uncertainties, which are often difficult to quantify, from a heterogeneous set of diagnostics, the fitted profiles and their gradients may be in contradiction to well-established expectations from transport theory. Using the modeling suite ASTRA coupled with the quasi-linear transport solver TGLF, we have created a loop in which simulated profiles and their uncertainties are fed back into IDA as an additional prior, thus providing constraints about the physically reasonable parameter space. We apply this physics-motivated prior to several different plasma scenarios and find improved heat flux match, while still matching the experimental data. This work feeds into a broader effort to make IDA more robust against measurement uncertainties or lack of measurements by combining multiple transport solvers with different levels of complexity and computing costs in a multi-fidelity approach.
Plasma surrogate modelling using Fourier neural operators
Authors: Gopakumar Vignesh , Pamela Stanislas , Zanisi Lorenzo , Li Zongyi , Gray Ander , Brennand Daniel , Bhatia Nitesh , Stathopoulos Gregory , Kusner Matt , Peter Deisenroth Marc , Anandkumar Anima ,   the JOREK Team,   MAST Team
Published: March 2024

Predicting plasma evolution within a Tokamak reactor is crucial to realizing the goal of sustainable fusion. Capabilities in forecasting the spatio-temporal evolution of plasma rapidly and accurately allow us to quickly iterate over design and control strategies on current Tokamak devices and future reactors. Modelling plasma evolution using numerical solvers is often expensive, consuming many hours on supercomputers, and hence, we need alternative inexpensive surrogate models. We demonstrate accurate predictions of plasma evolution both in simulation and experimental domains using deep learning-based surrogate modelling tools, viz., Fourier neural operators (FNO). We show that FNO has a speedup of six orders of magnitude over traditional solvers in predicting the plasma dynamics simulated from magnetohydrodynamic models, while maintaining a high accuracy (Mean Squared Error in the normalised domain

≈

10

−
5

). Our modified version of the FNO is capable of solving multi-variable Partial Differential Equations, and can capture the dependence among the different variables in a single model. FNOs can also predict plasma evolution on real-world experimental data observed by the cameras positioned within the MAST Tokamak, i.e. cameras looking across the central solenoid and the divertor in the Tokamak. We show that FNOs are able to accurately forecast the evolution of plasma and have the potential to be deployed for real-time monitoring. We also illustrate their capability in forecasting the plasma shape, the locations of interactions of the plasma with the central solenoid and the divertor for the full (available) duration of the plasma shot within MAST. The FNO offers a viable alternative for surrogate modelling as it is quick to train and infer, and requires fewer data points, while being able to do zero-shot super-resolution and getting high-fidelity solutions.
Biomimetic lizard robot for adapting to Martian surface terrain
Authors: Chen Guangming , Qiao Long , Zhou Zhenwen , Lei Xiang , Zou Meng , Richter Lutz , Ji Aihong
Published: March 2024

The exploration of the planet Mars still is a top priority in planetary science. The Mars surface is extensively covered with soil-like material. Current wheeled rovers on Mars have been occasionally experiencing immobilization instances in unexpectedly weak terrains. The development of Mars rovers adaptable to these terrains is instrumental in improving exploration efficiency. Inspired by locomotion of the desert lizard, this paper illustrates a biomimetic quadruped robot with structures of flexible active spine and toes. By accounting for spine lateral flexion and its coordination with four leg movements, three gaits of tripod, trot and turning are designed. The motions corresponding to the three gaits are conceptually and numerically analyzed. On the granular terrains analog to Martian surface, the gasping forces by the active toes are estimated. Then traversing tests for the robot to move on Martian soil surface analog with the three gaits were investigated. Moreover, the traversing characteristics for Martian rocky and slope surface analog are analyzed. Results show that the robot can traverse Martian soil surface analog with maximum forward speed 28.13 m s−1 turning speed 1.94° s−1 and obstacle height 74.85 mm. The maximum angle for climbing Martian soil slope analog is 28°, corresponding slippery rate 76.8%. It is predicted that this robot can adapt to Martian granular rough terrain with gentle slopes.
How can research on modern and fossil bones help us build more resistant columns?
Authors: Houssaye A , Etienne C , Gallic Y , Rocchia F , Chaves-Jacob J
Published: March 2024

Bone is an economical material. Indeed, as moving a heavy skeleton is energetically costly, the vertebrate skeleton is adapted to maximise resistance to the stresses imposed with a minimum amount of material, so that bone tissue is deposited where it is needed. Using bone as a source of inspiration should therefore reduce the manufacturing cost (both financial and ecological) and increase the strength (and lifespan) of bioinspired (BI) structures. This study proposes to investigate which adaptive features of the outer shape and inner structure of bone, related to compressive strength, could be used to build BI support structures. To do so, we explain the choice of the bones to be analysed and present the results of the biomechanical analyses (finite element analysis) carried out on virtual models built from the structures of the different bone models and of the mechanical tests carried out on 3D-printed versions of these models. The compressive strength of these direct bone BI columns was compared with each other, and with those of a conventional filled cylindrical column, and of a cylindrical column whose internal structure is BI from the radius of the white rhinoceros. The results of our comparative analyses highlight that the shape of long bones is less effective than a cylinder in resisting compression but underline the relevance in designing BI cylindrical columns with heterogeneous structures inspired by the radius of the white rhinoceros and the tibia of the Asian elephant, and raise the interest in studying the fossil record using the radius of the giant rhinocerotoid Paraceratherium.
Navigation by magnetic signatures in a realistic model of Earth’s magnetic field
Authors: Gill Jeffrey P , Taylor Brian K
Published: March 2024

Certain animal species use the Earth’s magnetic field (i.e. magnetoreception) alongside their other sensory modalities to navigate long distances that include continents and oceans. It is hypothesized that several animals use geomagnetic parameters, such as field intensity and inclination, to recognize specific locations or regions, potentially enabling migration without a pre-surveyed map. However, it is unknown how animals use geomagnetic information to generate guidance commands, or where in the world this type of strategy would maximize an animal’s fitness. While animal experiments have been invaluable in advancing this area, the phenomenon is difficult to study in vivo or in situ, especially on the global scale where the spatial layout of the geomagnetic field is not constant. Alongside empirical animal experiments, mathematical modeling and simulation are complementary tools that can be used to investigate animal navigation on a global scale, providing insights that can be informative across a number of species. In this study, we present a model in which a simulated animal (i.e. agent) navigates via an algorithm which determines travel heading based on local and goal magnetic signatures (here, combinations of geomagnetic intensity and inclination) in a realistic model of Earth’s magnetic field. By varying parameters of the navigation algorithm, different regions of the world can be made more or less reliable to navigate. We present a mathematical analysis of the system. Our results show that certain regions can be navigated effectively using this strategy when these parameters are properly tuned, while other regions may require more complex navigational strategies. In a real animal, parameters such as these could be tuned by evolution for successful navigation in the animal’s natural range. These results could also help with developing engineered navigation systems that are less reliant on satellite-based methods.
Adiabatic theorem for classical stochastic processes
Authors: Takahashi Kazutaka
Published: March 2024

We apply adiabatic theorems developed for quantum mechanics to stochastic annealing processes described by the classical master equation with a time-dependent generator. When the instantaneous stationary state is unique and the minimum decay rate g is nonzero, the time-evolved state is basically relaxed to the instantaneous stationary state. By formulating an asymptotic expansion rigorously, we derive conditions for the annealing time τ that the state is close to the instantaneous stationary state. Depending on the time dependence of the generator, typical conditions are written as

τ
>

const
.

×

g

−
α

with

1
⩽
α
⩽
2

. We also find that a rigorous treatment gives the scaling

τ
>

const
.

×

g

−
2

|

ln
⁡
g
|

.
Polarization detection employing the spectra of composite vortex beams with multi-mode: associating the polarization handedness and topological charge sign
Authors: Ma Aning , Huang Haofeng , Tian Xinyi , Li Guojian , Ma Kai , Guo Hao , Geng Di , Wang Yurong
Published: March 2024

Polarization detection has been widely used in various fields, especially in free-space optical communication associating with orbital angular momentum (OAM). However, the bulky optical devices and the complexity of the detection process have hindered the integration and miniaturization of communication systems. Herein, a novel polarization detection method is proposed to directly identify the polarization state of incident light based on the normalized spectra of the sorted OAM modes which are converted from a composite vortex beam (CVB) to a set of spatial distinct strip type beams (STBs). The polarization states of light beam can be apparently distinguished via the combination of different STBs without redundant detection elements and the system demonstrates great robustness under specific atmospheric turbulence as well. The introduction of such a polarization detection method in future communication links will obtain lower complexity and consumption, which is very favorable regarding OAM communications.