bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gender Difference in Liver Enzymes in Newly Defined Subgroups of Diabetes Revealed by a Data-Driven Cluster Analysis
Authors: Zhang Ye , Huang Jiaojiao , Xia Sanshan , Yang Yan , Dong Kun
Published: May 2022

Background Recently, a newly proposed data-driven approach for classifying diabetes has challenged the status quo of the classification of adult-onset patients with diabetes. This study investigated the association between liver injury and diabetes, classified by data-driven cluster analysis, as liver injury is a significant risk factor for diabetes.

Methods We enrolled 822 adult patients with newly diagnosed diabetes. Two-step cluster analysis was performed using six parameters, including age at diagnosis, body mass index, hemoglobin A1C, homoeostatic assessment model 2 estimates about insulin resistance (HOAM2-IR) and beta-cell function (HOMA2-B), and glutamic acid decarboxylase antibodies (GADA) positivity. Patients were allocated into five clusters. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) activity were compared as indicators of liver injury among clusters.

Results Serum ALT and AST activities were significantly different among clusters (P=0.002), even among those without GADA positivity (P=0.004). Patients with severe insulin-resistant diabetes (SIRD) and mild obesity-related diabetes (MOD) had a more severe liver injury. Gender dimorphism was also found for serum ALT and AST activities among subgroups. Female patients had better liver function than males with SIRD and MOD.

Conclusions We verified the feasibility of a newly proposed diabetes classification system and found robust and significant relationship and gender differences between serum ALT and AST activities and diabetes in some specific subgroups. Our findings indicate that more attention should be paid to diabetes subgroups when studying risk factors, indicators, or treatment in diabetic research.
Abdominal Aorta Anastomotic False Aneurysm Leading to Double Focal Vertebral Body Erosion
Authors: Rossi Umberto G. , Petrocelli Francesco , Cariati Maurizio
Published: May 2022

Anastomotic aortic false aneurysm with consequent erosion of vertebral bodies is a very rare event that needs prompt treatment. We report the case of a 71-year-old man with an aortobifemoral graft that was complicated by an uninfected proximal anastomotic pseudoaneurysm with double focal vertebral body erosion.
Stress and the Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Frontline Obstetrics and Gynecology Providers
Authors: Bogaert Kelly C. , Lieb Whitney E. , Glazer Kimberly B. , Wang Eileen , Stone Joanne L. , Howell Elizabeth A.
Published: May 2022

Objective The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic rapidly overwhelmed global health care systems in 2020, with New York City (NYC) marking the first epicenter in the United States. High levels of stress amongst health care workers have been reported in pandemics, but less is known about stress amongst Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) providers. We sought to describe levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and other aspects of mental health among OB/GYN health care workers during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Study Design We conducted an anonymous cross-sectional electronic survey of a wide range of OB/GYN clinicians in a large NYC hospital system in the spring of 2020. We used both original survey questions and validated screening tools to assess stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. We calculated median scores for these tools and compared median score between provider types. We also adapted questions on pandemic-related stressors from the MERS and SARS pandemics to fit the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and OB/GYN providers.

Results A total of 464 providers met study inclusion criteria, and 163 providers completed the survey (response rate = 35.1%). Approximately 35% of providers screened positive for anxiety and 21% for depression. Scores for depression, burnout, and fulfillment varied by provider type, with nurses scoring higher than physicians (p <0.05). The majority of respondents reported stress from pandemic and OB-specific stressors, including the possibility of transmitting COVID-19 to friends and family (83.9%, [95% confidence interval or CI 78.0–89.8%]), uncertainty regarding the pandemic's trajectory (91.3% [86.7–95.8%]), and frequent policy changes on labor and delivery (72.7% [65.1–80.3%]).

Conclusion OB/GYN providers reported high levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The stress of caring for laboring patients during a pandemic may disproportionately affect nurses and trainees and highlights the need to provide interventions to ameliorate the negative impact of a pandemic on the mental health of our OB/GYN health care workers.

Key Points
The combinatory role of online ratings and reviews in mobile app downloads: an empirical investigation of gaming and productivity apps from their initial app store launch
Authors: Sällberg Henrik , Wang Shujun , Numminen Emil
Published: May 2022

Mobile app ratings and reviews are important due to their influence on consumer behavior and the financial consequences for app developers and app platform providers. This paper contributes to prior work by analyzing how rating and review information in combination impact mobile app downloads. To achieve these ends, we utilize daily panel data of 341 gaming (hedonic consumption value-oriented) and productivity (utilitarian consumption value-oriented) apps tracked for almost two years from their release in the Apple App Store. Hence, we contribute to how ratings and reviews matter for the larger majority of apps, whereas previous research has mainly focused on either ratings’ or reviews’ impact on app performance for top-ranked apps. Results of fixed-effects regression analysis reveal different combinatory impacts of text review information (polarity, subjectivity, and review length) and rating information (average rating score, volume of ratings, and dispersion of ratings) on gaming versus productivity app downloads. Important implications of the findings for app developers and platform providers, and for future research into online ratings and reviews, are discussed.
Bayesian two-part multilevel model for longitudinal media use data
Authors: Blozis Shelley A.
Published: May 2022

Multilevel models are effective marketing analytic tools that can test for consumer differences in longitudinal data. A two-part multilevel model is a special case of a multilevel model developed for semi-continuous data, such as data that include a combination of zeros and continuous values. For repeated measures of media use data, a two-part multilevel model informs market research about consumer-specific likeliness to use media, level of use across time, and variation in use over time. These models are typically estimated using maximum likelihood. There are, however, tremendous advantages to using a Bayesian framework, including the ease at which the analyst can take into account information learned from previous investigations. This paper develops a Bayesian approach to estimating a two-part multilevel model and illustrates its use by applying the model to daily diary measures of television use in a large US sample.
Exploring the diversity of conceptualizations of nature in East and South-East Asia
Authors: Droz Layna , Chen Hsun-Mei , Chu Hung-Tao , Fajrini Rika , Imbong Jerry , Jannel Romaric , Komatsubara Orika , Lagasca-Hiloma Concordia Marie A. , Meas Chansatya , Nguyen Duy Hung , Sherpa Tshering Ongmu , Tun San , Undrakh Batkhuyag
Published: May 2022

This article sheds light on the diversity of meanings and connotations that tend to be lost or hidden in translations between different conceptualizations of nature in East and South-East Asia. It reviews the idea of “nature” in Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Tagalog, Cebuano, Lumad, Indonesian, Burmese, Nepali, Khmer, and Mongolian. It shows that the conceptual subtleties in the conceptualization of nature often hide wider and deeper cosmological mismatches. It concludes by suggesting that these diverse voices need to be represented in global reports on sustainability, which can be fostered by the direct involvement of experts from diverse traditions of thought who have access and interpretative knowledge of sources in languages other than English. To take into consideration the diversity of conceptualizations of nature can lead to better decisions about sustainability and improve the acceptability and efficiency of environmental policies in each local context, as well as internationally. Solutions and policies on the ground must be designed based on the local conceptual and cultural frames.
Wing-body interaction mechanisms augment forward flight of hawk moths
Authors: Kim Meeri
Published: May 2022

Virtual model of the hawk moth incorporates morphology, kinematics, and aerodynamics of its wing-body to guide future design of bio-inspired flying robots.
Dynamics of photosynthetic light harvesting systems interacting with N-photon Fock states
Authors: Ko Liwen , Cook Robert L. , Whaley K. Birgitta
Published: May 2022

We develop a method to simulate the excitonic dynamics of realistic photosynthetic light harvesting systems, including non-Markovian coupling to phonon degrees of freedom, under excitation by N-photon Fock state pulses. This method combines the input–output and the hierarchical equations of motion formalisms into a double hierarchy of density matrix equations. We show analytically that under weak field excitation relevant to natural photosynthesis conditions, an N-photon Fock state input and a corresponding coherent state input give rise to equal density matrices in the excited manifold. However, an N-photon Fock state input induces no off-diagonal coherence between the ground and excited subspaces, in contrast with the coherences created by a coherent state input. We derive expressions for the probability to absorb a single Fock state photon with or without the influence of phonons. For short pulses (or, equivalently, wide bandwidth pulses), we show that the absorption probability has a universal behavior that depends only upon a system-dependent effective energy spread parameter Δ and an exciton–light coupling constant Γ. This holds for a broad range of chromophore systems and for a variety of pulse shapes. We also analyze the absorption probability in the opposite long pulse (narrow bandwidth) regime. We then derive an expression for the long time emission rate in the presence of phonons and use it to study the difference between collective vs independent emission. Finally, we present a numerical simulation for the LHCII monomer (14-mer) system under single photon excitation that illustrates the use of the double hierarchy equations.
Hot spot ignition and growth from tandem micro-scale simulations and experiments on plastic-bonded explosives
Authors: Roy Shobhan , Johnson Belinda P. , Zhou Xuan , Nguyen Yen T. , Dlott Dana D. , Udaykumar H. S.
Published: May 2022

Head-to-head comparisons of multiple experimental observations and numerical simulations on a deconstructed plastic-bonded explosive consisting of an octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine crystal embedded in a polymeric binder with a 4 ns duration 20 GPa input shock are presented. Hot spots observed in high-resolution direct numerical simulations are compared with micro-scale shock-induced reactions visualized using nanosecond microscope imaging and optical pyrometry. Despite the challenges and limitations of both the experimental and simulation techniques, an agreement is obtained on many of the observed features of hot spot evolution, e.g., (1) the magnitude and time variation of temperatures in the hot spots, (2) the time to fully consume the crystals (∼100 ns) of size (100–300 μm) employed in this study, and (3) the locations of hot spot initiation and growth. Three different mechanisms of hot spot formation are indicated by simulations: (1) high-temperature hot spots formed by pore collapse, (2) lower temperature hot spots initiated at the polymer–crystal interface near corners and asperities, and (3) high-temperature reaction waves leading to fast consumption of the energetic crystal. This first attempt at a head-to-head comparison between experiments and simulations not only provides new insight but also highlights efforts needed to bring models and experiments into closer alignment, in particular, highlighting the importance of distinctly three-dimensional and multiple mechanisms of the hot spot ignition and growth.
The interaction of nanoparticulate Fe with vacancies during melting and sintering: A molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Cheng Qiang , Zhang Jianliang , Wang Yaozu , Conejo Alberto , Liu Zhengjian
Published: May 2022

A molecular dynamics simulation of the mechanisms responsible for the atomic migration and neck growth during the sintering process remains significant due to the nanoparticle size and the vacancy defect in the Fe structure. In this work, we have designed five sets of single Fe nanoparticles with different vacancy concentrations (0%, 2.5%, 5%, 7.5%, and 10%), which were used to investigate the melting and sintering processes. The existence of the vacancy introduced a vacancy proliferation mechanism, which later reduced the bonding energy of the surface atoms and made the surface diffusion easier. As a result, the melting and sintering temperatures slightly reduce according to the vacancy concentration. Atomic vector diagrams and root mean square displacement have been employed to describe the law of atomic motion; common neighbor analysis and coordination analysis have been used to investigate the structural changes within nanoparticles. The consistent results reveal the influence of vacancy defects on the melting and sintering of nanoparticles and provide a new method to reasonably control the sintering process.
Generation of sub-100 fs electron pulses for time-resolved electron diffraction using a direct synchronization method
Authors: Takubo Kou , Banu Samiran , Jin Sichen , Kaneko Misaki , Yajima Wataru , Kuwahara Makoto , Hayashi Yasuhiko , Ishikawa Tadahiko , Okimoto Yoichi , Hada Masaki , Koshihara Shinya
Published: May 2022

To investigate photoinduced phenomena in various materials and molecules, ultrashort pulsed x-ray and electron sources with high brightness and high repetition rates are required. The x-ray and electron’s typical and de Broglie wavelengths are shorter than lattice constants of materials and molecules. Therefore, photoinduced structural dynamics on the femtosecond to picosecond timescales can be directly observed in a diffraction manner by using these pulses. This research created a tabletop ultrashort pulsed electron diffraction setup that used a femtosecond laser and electron pulse compression cavity that was directly synchronized to the microwave master oscillator (∼3 GHz). A compressed electron pulse with a 1 kHz repetition rate contained 228 000 electrons. The electron pulse duration was estimated to be less than 100 fs at the sample position by using photoinduced immediate lattice changes in an ultrathin silicon film (50 nm). The newly developed time-resolved electron diffraction setup has a pulse duration that is comparable to femtosecond laser pulse widths (35–100 fs). The pulse duration, in particular, fits within the timescale of photoinduced phenomena in quantum materials. Our developed ultrafast time-resolved electron diffraction setup with a sub-100 fs temporal resolution would be a powerful tool in material science with a combination of optical pump–probe, time-resolved photoemission spectroscopic, and pulsed x-ray measurements.
Do cities have a unique magnetic pulse?
Authors: Dumont V. , Bowen T. A. , Roglans R. , Dobler G. , Sharma M. S. , Karpf A. , Bale S. D. , Wickenbrock A. , Zhivun E. , Kornack T. , Wurtele J. S. , Budker D.
Published: May 2022

We present a comparative analysis of urban magnetic fields between two American cities: Berkeley (California) and Brooklyn Borough of New York City (New York). Our analysis uses data taken over a four-week period during which magnetic field data were continuously recorded using a fluxgate magnetometer with 70 pT/Hz noise. We identified significant differences in the magnetic signatures. In particular, we noticed that Berkeley reaches a near-zero magnetic field activity at night, whereas magnetic activity in Brooklyn continues during nighttime. We also present auxiliary measurements acquired using magnetoresistive vector magnetometers (VMRs), with the noise of 300 pT/Hz, and demonstrate how cross correlation, and frequency-domain analysis, combined with data filtering can be used to extract urban-magnetometry signals and study local anthropogenic activities. Finally, we discuss the potential of using magnetometer networks to characterize the global magnetic field of cities and give directions for future development.
Chlorine-based non-covalent graphene analog on Cu(111)
Authors: Peng Xinchen , Xiao Lei , Liu Xinbang , Qian Yinyue , Zhang Yonghao , Jiang Wei , Ji Qingmin , Fuchs Harald , Kong Huihui
Published: May 2022

Advanced fabrication of specific graphene analogs on surfaces will facilitate the exploitation of unexplored physical properties that may enrich their potential applications in the future, and the quest for graphene analogs has expanded from covalent graphene analogs to non-covalent ones. Previously, artificial non-covalent molecular graphene has been assembled by atomic manipulation, which, however, is a technical challenge and extremely limits the creation of non-covalent graphene analogs over a large area. Herein, we achieve the fabrication of a chlorine(Cl)-based non-covalent graphene analog stabilized by copper(Cu) adatoms on Cu(111) through an easy-to-facilitate self-assembly approach, as demonstrated by the combination of scanning tunneling microscopy imaging and density functional theory calculations. Moreover, the Cu adatoms are found to uniformly distribute within such a non-covalent graphene analog, which is inaccessible for covalent ones and shows potential for stabilizing the non-covalent graphene analog as well as modulating its overall electronic properties. Such findings exemplify the construction of non-covalent graphene analogs with a large area by a more effective self-assembled approach in contrast to the previous atomic manipulation method.
Thermal transport of monolayer amorphous carbon and boron nitride
Authors: Zhang Yu-Tian , Wang Yun-Peng , Zhang Yu-Yang , Du Shixuan , Pantelides Sokrates T.
Published: May 2022

Amorphous materials feature localization of electrons and phonons that alter the electronic, mechanical, thermal, and magnetic properties. Here, we report calculations of the in-plane thermal conductivities of monolayer amorphous carbon and monolayer amorphous boron nitride, by reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the thermal conductivities of both monolayer amorphous carbon (MAC) and monolayer amorphous boron nitride (ma-BN) are about two orders of magnitude smaller than their crystalline counterparts. Moreover, the ultralow thermal conductivities are independent of the temperature and strain due to their extremely short heat carrier mean free paths. The relation between the structure disorder and the reduction of the thermal conductivity is analyzed in terms of the vibrational density of states and the participation ratio. The ma-BN shows strong vibrational localization across the frequency range, while the MAC exhibits a unique extended G* diffuson mode due to its sp2 hybridization and the broken E2g symmetry. The irregular vibrational patterns are also analyzed. The present results may enable potential applications of MAC and ma-BN in thermal management.
Mechanism of low Ohmic contact resistance to p-type GaN by suppressed edge dislocations
Authors: Su Huake , Zhang Tao , Xu Shengrui , Lu Juan , Du Hanghai , Tao Hongchang , Zhang Jincheng , Hao Yue
Published: May 2022

In this paper, an excellent Ohmic contact to p-GaN with a low specific contact resistance (ρc) of 2.0 × 10−5 Ω·cm2 is demonstrated using a patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) and oxidized Ni/Au contacts. GaN epitaxy with high crystal quality on the PSS, confirmed by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, played a key role in the improved Ohmic contact to p-GaN. The edge dislocations were annihilated during the epitaxial process on the PSS to afford a low surface dislocation density, which was in accordance with the results of transmission electron microscopy and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. Furthermore, a reduced Fermi level and enhanced activation efficiency of Mg with suppressed segregation around the dislocations were demonstrated by Kelvin probe force microscopy and contact Hall measurements, respectively. A GaN p-channel metal oxide semiconductor device fabricated on the PSS displayed a twofold higher forward current density and superior gate controllability compared with that fabricated on a conventional sapphire substrate.
ZnI2 post-processing of CsPbBr3 quantum dots for red, stable, and low-threshold amplified spontaneous emission
Authors: Zhang Sijian , Hu Jian , Huang Shuo , Zhang Junxi , Lyu Mei , Lu Hongbo , Zhu Jun
Published: May 2022

All inorganic cesium lead halide perovskite (CsPbX3; X = Cl, Br, or I) quantum dots (QDs) have received widespread attention as a class of favorable optical gain materials. The key issue of CsPbX3 perovskites is their instability under light or exposure to air. Notably, the inherent phase instability of CsPbI3 QDs severely restricts the development of red-light emission. Herein, we propose a simple method to post-process CsPbBr3 QDs with a ZnI2 solution. The prepared CsPbBryI3−y (named CPBI-z, where z corresponds to the photoluminescence peaks' position) QDs exhibit adjustable photoluminescence in the range of 550–640 nm. The photoluminescence quantum yield is increased from 73.3% to 97.2% as the surface defects of QDs are passivated by I− and Zn2+. Compared with the pristine CsPbBr3 QDs, the post-processed QDs are more stable under ultraviolet irradiation and in the air. Aside from that, under 532 nm nanosecond laser excitation, CPBI-z QD films exhibit excellent amplified spontaneous emission performance. The CPBI-640 QD film shows a low threshold, 102 μJ cm−2 for red stable amplified spontaneous emission.
Controlling domain wall and field-free spin–orbit torque switching in synthetic antiferromagnets
Authors: Zhao Yuelei , Yang Sheng , Wu Kai , Li Xiaoguang , Zhang Xichao , Li Li , Chu Zhiqin , Bi Chong , Zhou Yan
Published: May 2022

Perpendicular magnetization switching driven by spin–orbit torques plays an increasingly important role for spintronic devices toward practical applications but is also hindered by the well-known technical challenge that an external in-plane magnetic field is required for deterministic switching. Here, we show that the deterministic switching can be achieved in synthetic antiferromagnets through the flexible domain control in the absence of external magnetic fields. Specifically, we have observed that the domain wall (DW) distorts under an applied electric current in contrast to the conventional rigid DW motion in a single ferromagnet. More importantly, the distorted DWs can be precisely controlled under zero magnetic field, leading to the deterministic switching. Our results indicate that the critical technical challenge may be addressed by employing a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer through the DW motion dominated field-free switching.
Geometric flow control in lateral flow assays: Macroscopic single-phase modeling
Authors: Jamshidi Farshid , Kunz Willfried , Altschuh Patrick , Bremerich Marcel , Przybylla Robert , Selzer Michael , Nestler Britta
Published: May 2022

To describe the dynamics of fluid flow in Lateral Flow Assays (LFAs) and to understand the effect of geometry on the propagation speed of the fluid front, a single-phase model is developed. The model can predict wicking time for different geometries. Axisymmetric geometries with changes in their cross sections are studied to understand the wicking behavior. To validate the modeling results, imaging experiments that capture the fluid front are conducted on all geometries. In all cases, convincing agreement between modeling results and experimental data has been observed. Using data-driven information and knowledge about structure–property correlations, it is possible to control wicking processes to establish a desired velocity at a specific position in LFAs. The proposed approach serves as a basis for the creation of a design tool for application-oriented membranes.
Enhanced dynamics in deep thermal cycling of a model glass
Authors: Bruns Marian , Varnik Fathollah
Published: May 2022

We investigate the effect of low temperature (cryogenic) thermal cycling on dynamics of a generic model glass via molecular dynamics simulations. By calculating mean squared displacements after a varying number of cycles, a pronounced enhancement of dynamics is observed. This rejuvenation effect is visible already after the first cycle and accumulates upon further cycling in an intermittent way. Our data reveal an overall deformation (buckling of the slab-shaped system) modulated by a heterogeneous deformation field due to deep cryogenic thermal cycling. It is shown via strain maps that deformation localizes in the form of shear-bands, which gradually fill the entire sample in a random and intermittent manner, very much similar to the accumulation effect observed in dynamics. While spatial organization of local strain may be connected to the specific geometry, we argue that the heterogeneity of the structure is the main cause behind rejuvenation effects observed in the present study.
Some periodic orbits of chaotic motions for time-periodic forced two-dimensional Navier–Stokes flows
Authors: Liu Di
Published: May 2022

In this study, we study the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes flows with time-periodic external forces. Invariant solutions, including periodic orbits and relative periodic orbits, are extracted with the recurrent flow analysis, while low-dimensional projections based on the dynamic mode decomposition algorithm are used to reduce the cost of searching nearly recurrences. When the period of forces gets a constant increase, the flows change from the stable time-periodic state to oscillate and even turbulent flows. In all cases, one periodic orbit is identified near the initial stage. This orbit represents the stable/unstable base state, and the trajectories of vorticity fields are trapped inside it or escape away from it leading to oscillating/turbulent motions. For the oscillating flows, periodic orbits without any symmetries play the role that the flows visit them and then move away from them to other orbits. In addition, for a moderate period of forces, a bursting phenomenon occurs and the state of oscillating flows turns to turbulent flows with the rapid increase in energy. For the turbulent motions, one unstable periodic, which qualitatively represents the shapes of a large vortex dipole that exists in the turbulent motions, is obtained. Its statistical significance is shown by the frequency of that flows visit it.
Molecular interactions at the metal–liquid interfaces
Authors: Orselly Mathilde , Devémy Julien , Bouvet-Marchand Agathe , Dequidt Alain , Loubat Cédric , Malfreyt Patrice
Published: May 2022

We reported molecular simulations of the interactions among water, an epoxy prepolymer diglycidic ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), and a hardener isophorone diamine (IPDA) on an aluminum surface. This work proposes a comprehensive thermodynamic characterization of the adhesion process from the calculation of different interfacial tensions. The cross-interactions between the atoms of the metal surface and different molecules are adjusted so as to reproduce the experimental work of adhesion. Water nanodroplets on the metal surface are then simulated to predict their contact angle. Liquid–vapor surface tensions of the epoxy prepolymer (DGEBA) and hardener (IPDA) and the solid–vapor surface tension of the aluminum surface are also calculated to provide the solid–liquid interfacial tension that remains very difficult to obtain from the mechanical definition.
‘We’re also healers’: Elders leading the way in Aboriginal community healing
Authors: Cox Terrance , Mond Jonathon , Hoang Ha
Published: May 2022

Background The impact of colonisation, dispossession and marginalisation on the health of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples (hereafter respectfully referred to as Aboriginal people) is well documented. Aboriginal people continue to practice traditional healing, and in recent years have initiated numerous community-based healing programs around Australia. The Closing the Gap policy has also resulted in numerous community health programs. Despite these program and policy responses, Aboriginal people continue to experience persistent health disparities. The role of Aboriginal Elders in shaping Aboriginal health has yet to be a focus of research attention. This paper reports on a study that examined the contributions of Elders to the healing of Aboriginal people in a remote Tasmanian community. Methods Our co-designed participatory action research methodology was undertaken with eight community Elders. Results Analysis of qualitative data derived through interviews and yarning circle discussions revealed an emerging theme of community healing; with Elders undertaking a suite of therapeutic practices, and promoting cultural values to strengthen Aboriginal identity, community cohesion and connections to Country. The Elders identified healing as an essential process in response to intergenerational trauma, racism and marginalisation. Conclusions The findings inform policy stakeholders to consider the wisdom and voice of Elders in addressing Aboriginal community healing.
Nuclear waste from small modular reactors
Authors: Krall Lindsay M. , Macfarlane Allison M. , Ewing Rodney C.
Published: May 2022

Small modular reactors (SMRs; i.e., nuclear reactors that produce <300 MW
elec
each) have garnered attention because of claims of inherent safety features and reduced cost. However, remarkably few studies have analyzed the management and disposal of their nuclear waste streams. Here, we compare three distinct SMR designs to an 1,100-MW
elec
pressurized water reactor in terms of the energy-equivalent volume, (radio-)chemistry, decay heat, and fissile isotope composition of (notional) high-, intermediate-, and low-level waste streams. Results reveal that water-, molten salt–, and sodium-cooled SMR designs will increase the volume of nuclear waste in need of management and disposal by factors of 2 to 30. The excess waste volume is attributed to the use of neutron reflectors and/or of chemically reactive fuels and coolants in SMR designs. That said, volume is not the most important evaluation metric; rather, geologic repository performance is driven by the decay heat power and the (radio-)chemistry of spent nuclear fuel, for which SMRs provide no benefit. SMRs will not reduce the generation of geochemically mobile
129
I,
99
Tc, and
79
Se fission products, which are important dose contributors for most repository designs. In addition, SMR spent fuel will contain relatively high concentrations of fissile nuclides, which will demand novel approaches to evaluating criticality during storage and disposal. Since waste stream properties are influenced by neutron leakage, a basic physical process that is enhanced in small reactor cores, SMRs will exacerbate the challenges of nuclear waste management and disposal.
Mask wearing in community settings reduces SARS-CoV-2 transmission
Authors: Leech Gavin , Rogers-Smith Charlie , Monrad Joshua Teperowski , Sandbrink Jonas B. , Snodin Benedict , Zinkov Robert , Rader Benjamin , Brownstein John S. , Gal Yarin , Bhatt Samir , Sharma Mrinank , Mindermann Sören , Brauner Jan M. , Aitchison Laurence
Published: May 2022

Significance

We resolve conflicting results regarding mask wearing against COVID-19. Most previous work focused on mask mandates; we study the effect of mask wearing directly. We find that population mask wearing notably reduced SARS-CoV-2 transmission (mean mask-wearing levels corresponding to a 19% decrease in R). We use the largest wearing survey (n = 20 million) and obtain our estimates from regions across six continents. We account for nonpharmaceutical interventions and time spent in public, and quantify our uncertainty. Factors additional to mask mandates influenced the worldwide early uptake of mask wearing. Our analysis goes further than past work in the quality of wearing data–100 times the size with random sampling–geographical scope, a semimechanistic infection model, and the validation of our results.
Coming out for another
Authors: Wang Ping-Hsuan
Published: May 2022

This study adopts three-level narrative positioning to analyze the construction of the closet and integrate the identity- and desired-centered approaches to language and sexuality. In two coming-out narratives, the same-sex desiring Indian immigrants in the U.S. portray their heterosexually married counterparts as ‘deceiving and hiding’. In their recounts (level 1), the narrators position themselves opposite these story characters to create an ‘open and honest’ self. In the interaction (level 2), they evoke shared cultural knowledge with the interviewer regarding the pressure from family. Against the socio-historical context (level 3), the narrators’ outness is accentuated through such authenticating conditions as one’s marital status and nationality. Such coming-out binarism reinforces a normativity that validates ‘out’ homosexuality while/by discrediting its ‘closeted’ form. The theoretical integration highlights the interviewer’s role in coming-out research and illustrates the exclusionary force of coming out that reconfigures same-sex desires into hierarchized, intelligible sexual identities.
Semi-Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum State Tomography
Authors: Li Jian , Zhu Jia-Li , Gao Jiang , Pang Zhi-Guang , Wang Qin
Published: May 2022

As one of the fundamental tools in the quantum information field, quantum state tomography can be utilized to reconstruct any unknown state. Usually, it needs a tomographically complete set of measurements and meantime it requires that all measurements are fully characterized. Here we propose a semi-measurement-device-independent quantum state tomography protocol, which only needs one characterized measurement and a trusted ancillary system. Furthermore, we carry out corresponding experimental demonstrations by using linear optics, and obtain the average state fidelity as high as 0.973, verifying the effectiveness of the scheme.
Quench Dynamics of Bose–Einstein Condensates in Boxlike Traps
Authors: Du Rong , Xing Jian-Chong , Xiong Bo , Zheng Jun-Hui , Yang Tao
Published: May 2022

By quenching the interatomic interactions, we investigate the nonequilibrium dynamics of two-dimensional Bose–Einstein condensates in boxlike traps with power-law potential boundaries. We show that ring dark solitons can be excited during the quench dynamics for both concave and convex potentials. The quench’s modulation strength and the steepness of the boundary are two major factors influencing the system’s evolution. In terms of the number of ring dark solitons excited in the condensate, five dynamic regimes have been identified. The condensate undergoes damped radius oscillation in the absence of ring dark soliton excitations. When it comes to the appearance of ring dark solitons, their decay produces interesting structures. The excitation patterns for the concave potential show a nested structure of vortex-antivortex pairs. The dynamic excitation patterns for the convex potential, on the other hand, show richer structures with multiple transport behaviors.
Radiative transfer simulations for in-situ particle size diagnostic in reactive, particle growing plasmas
Authors: Kobus Julia , Petersen Andreas , Greiner Franko , Wolf Sebastian
Published: May 2022

When considering particles produced in reactive plasmas, their basic properties, such as refractive index and grain size often need to be known. They can be constrained both ex-situ, e.g. by microscopy, and in-situ by polarimetry, i.e. analyzing the polarization state of scattered light. Polarimetry has the advantage of temporal resolution and real-time measurement, but the analysis is often limited by the assumption of single scattering and thus optically thin dust clouds. This limits the investigation of the growth process typically to grain sizes smaller than about 200 nm. Using 3D polarized radiative transfer simulations, however, it is possible to consider multiple scattering and to analyze the properties of dense particle clouds. We study the impact of various properties of dust clouds on the scattering polarization, namely the optical depth of the cloud, the spatial density distribution of the particles, their refractive index as well as the particle size dispersion. We find that ambiguities can occur regarding optical depth and spatial density distribution as well as regarding refractive index and particle size dispersion. Determining the refractive index correctly is especially important as it has a strong impact on the derived particle sizes. With this knowledge, we are able to design an in-situ diagnostics strategy for the investigation of the particle growth process based on radiative transfer simulations which are used to model the polarization over the whole growth process. The application of this strategy allows us for the first time to analyze the polarization measured during a growth experiment in a reactive argon-acetylene plasma for particle radii up to 280 nm.
Automatic optimal camera exposure time control for digital image correlation
Authors: Pan Bing , Zhang Xiaoying , Lv Yang , Yu Liping
Published: May 2022

We present a method that can automatically determine the optimal camera exposure time for high-quality deformation measurement with digital image correlation (DIC) techniques. The proposed method needs to capture a series of surface images of a test sample at its reference state with different camera exposure times. The relationship between the mean intensity gradients (MIGs) and average grayscales of these images reveals that the best quality (i.e. maximum MIG) of a speckled sample surface always corresponds to a certain average grayscale. Thus, the proposed method can serve two purposes in DIC practice. First, at the initial state, the camera exposure time can be adjusted automatically to obtain a reference image with the best speckle pattern quality. Second, by adjusting the camera exposure time to make the average grayscale of an image close to the predetermined optimal value, the proposed method can adaptively output high-quality deformed images with an almost constant speckle pattern quality, regardless of serious ambient light variations. Experimental results demonstrated that the proposed method can automatically obtain stable and high-quality speckle pattern images, thus delivering better DIC measurement compared with regular DIC techniques using a fixed camera exposure time. Because the present automatic camera exposure time control method allows a nonprofessional operator to consistently obtain high-quality speckle pattern images that warrant high-accuracy DIC measurements, it is therefore suggested that the present method should be used as a routine practice in practical DIC applications.
A dual compensation strategy based on multi-model support vector regression for tool wear monitoring
Authors: Zhang Kun , Zhu Hongtao , Liu Dun , Wang Guoning , Huang Chuanzhen , Yao Peng
Published: May 2022

Tool wear monitoring is essential in precision machining and helps to ensure processing quality. Although numerous data-driven methods have been proposed for tool wear monitoring, most of them build global models that ignore local wear characteristics and the changeable working conditions. This study proposes a dual-compensation (DC) strategy based on multi-model support vector regression (MSVR) to improve estimation accuracy and model maintenance. By dividing the original samples into two clusters with the K-means algorithm, the DC strategy develops a separate SVR model for each cluster. Test samples are classified using the decision function and input into the corresponding model. Finally, the predicted value obtained by MSVR is corrected by system error compensation and nearest bias updating, which is improved to adapt to milling environments. In addition, the database is updated after each process. Two groups of milling experiments were conducted to validate the improved strategy in comparison with other methods. The results show that multi-model SVR improves performance by more than 28.7% and has better generalization ability. The root mean square error value decreases from 0.1109 to 0.0392, a 64.7% reduction, with our complete strategy. The DC strategy based on multi-model support vector regression (DCMSVR) can achieve high prediction accuracy in variable working conditions due to its high estimation accuracy and adaptability.
Plasma diagnosis of an unclosed E × B drift thruster with a visible ionization zone
Authors: Zhang Guangchuan , Ren Junxue , Tang Haibin , Zhang Zhe , Fu Yifeng , Zhang Zhongkai , Cao Jinbin
Published: May 2022

The traditional annular closed-loop E × B drifting Hall thruster is limited by its compact structure. Two-dimensional (2D) distribution of the plasma parameters inside the discharge channel cannot be accurately measured, thus directly hindering further understanding of the discharge process. In this paper, we propose to employ an unclosed E × B drift thruster with a visible (UDTv) ionization zone to conduct research into the effects of the crossed electric field and magnetic field on the plasma distribution inside the discharge channel. Experiments showed that the UDTv presented discharge similar to a Hall thruster, especially the low-frequency oscillation related to the discharge voltage. A 2D symmetrically crescent-shaped distribution of plasma inside the channel with a hollow zone located near the maximum of the magnetic field was clearly captured by optical imaging and an emission spectrometer. Correlation between the location of the maximal magnetic gradient and the 2D ionization zone configuration was verified. A decreased magnetic mirror effect at the location of the maximum magnetic field enhanced the electron–wall interaction, inducing near-wall conduction and secondary electron emission. The electron temperature presented a canyon distribution, resulting in a bimodal configuration of the plasma density. Increased flowrate lowered the ionization inside the channel and transformed the plasma distribution into a unimodal structure because of enhanced electron conduction and the lower electron temperature. Generally, the ability to capture the correlation between 2D plasma distribution and the magnetic field inside the discharge channel was successfully demonstrated, thus proposing new ideas for further research into the internal plasma of Hall thrusters.
Optimized photoelectric conversion properties of PbS
x
Se1−x
-QD/MoS2-NT 0D–1D mixed-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures
Authors: Cai Biao , Zhao Yipeng , Xu Degao , Ouyang Gang
Published: May 2022

Zero-dimensional (0D)–one-dimensional (1D) mixed-dimensional van der Waals (MvdW) heterostructures have shown great potential in electronic/optoelectronic applications. However, addressing the interface barrier modulation and charge-transfer mechanisms remain challenging. Here, we develop an analytic model to illustrate the open-circuit voltage and charge-transfer state energy in PbS
x
Se1−x
-quantum dots (QDs)/MoS2-nanotube (NT) 0D–1D MvdW heterostructures based on atomic-bond-relaxation approach, Marcus theory and modified-detailed balance principle. We find that the band alignment of PbS
x
Se1−x
-QDs/MoS2-NT heterostructures undergoes a transition from type II to type I, and the threshold of size is around 5.6 nm for x = 1, which makes the system suitable for various devices including photocatalytic device, light-emission device and solar cell under different sizes. Our results not only clarify the underlying mechanism of interfacial charge-transfer in the heterostructures, but also provide unique insight and new strategy for designing multifunctional and high-performance 0D–1D MvdW heterostructure devices.
The optical refractometry using transport-of-intensity equation
Authors: Gritsenko I V , Kovalev M S , Stsepuro N G , Gulina Yu S , Krasin G K , Gonchukov S A , Kudryashov S I
Published: May 2022

A development of a method for measuring the refractive index of optical media based on the transport-of-intensity equation (TIE) is proposed. The method requires only a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera, which registers intensity distributions in several planes. The obtained intensity distributions are used to solve the TIE, known as a non-interferometric and deterministic method of measuring the phase of a light wave. Simple physical relations connecting the phase of the light wave that has passed through an optical medium and its refractive index allows to determine the latter. The results of the experiment confirm the applicability of the proposed method to the problems of optical refractometry.
Divertor plasma behaviors with neon seeding at different locations on EAST with ITER-like divertor
Authors: Meng L.Y. , Wang L. , Wang H.Q. , Deng G.Z. , Si H. , Li K.D. , Xu G.S. , Yuan Q.P. , Guo H.Y. , Eldon D. , Garofalo A.M. , Leonard A.W. , Hyatt A. , Humphreys D. , Gong X.Z. , Liu J.B. , Xu J.C. , Liang R.R. , Zhong F.B. , Lin X. , Duan Y.M. , Zang Q. , Zhang L. , Ding F. , Yang Z.S. , Zhang B. , Zhang T.
Published: May 2022

For the problem of excessively high divertor heat flux, active impurity seeding is an effective method to radiate the plasma energy reaching the divertor and thus achieve the divertor detachment. Neon is a very effective radiation impurity on many current tokamaks, which is also a candidate species to be applied on ITER. In the EAST 2019 experimental campaign, a series of experiments were performed by seeding a mixture of neon and deuterium (Ne-D2) for detachment and core-edge-divertor integration in H-mode plasmas. The divertor partial detachment with high-confinement core plasma has been achieved by using Ne-D2 seeding in EAST with ITER-like tungsten divertor. Both the plasma stored energy and H
98,y2 > 1.1 are maintained, with the divertor electron temperature, heat flux and the surface temperature near the strike point being all significantly reduced. The differences between Ne-D2 seeding at the scrape-off layer (SOL) upstream and downstream have been experimentally investigated in detail. It is found that impurity seeding at SOL downstream is more beneficial to reducing the divertor electron temperature and peak heat flux. By comparison with experiments using divertor D2 fueling, it is further demonstrated that gas seeding in the SOL downstream will enrich more particles near the strike point, while the seeding in the SOL upstream will influence the entire outer target more evenly. Furthermore, in most of the experiments, gas seeding does not cause obvious toroidal asymmetry in the divertor plasma. However, when D2 is injected in an amount similar to that used to build the plasma, it causes the particle flux near the gas-puff to increase locally, i.e., much more than that at the toroidal location far from the gas-puff location. It is a competition between particle source and transport. When the particle source is stronger, it will naturally increase the local particles. In addition, dedicated experiments with different poloidal distances between impurity seeding and strike point on the radiation ability were carried out. Both experimental results and SOLPS simulation show that the seeding close to the strike point is more conducive to neon ionization and energy radiation.