bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low to very high temperature thermal energy recycling – 3 case studies
Authors: Høeg Arne , Tveit Tor-Martin
Published: October 2021

In this paper we present three case studies of the installation of a stirling-cycle high temperature heat pump applied to recycling thermal energy including steam generation.

Many industries have heat demand at temperatures above 100°C and often the preferred energy carrier is steam. The optimal integration of a heat pump can be determined by investigating the thermal need of the process with pinch technology. For many industries, the pinch temperature is too high for conventional heat pumps. We present a heat pump solution that can recycle thermal energy and deliver this to a heat source up to 200°C, as hot water or steam. The heat pump can be integrated in a thermodynamic efficient way placing the sink and source in-between the pinch temperature. The working medium is a gas throughout the process cycle, with no evaporation or condensation. Thus, the process can auto-adjust to temperature variations and achieve very high efficiencies compared to the Carnot heat pump cycle. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the heat pump vary with the sink/source temperatures as the temperature fraction varies. Another important feature is that the medium has both a global warming potential (GWP) and ozone depletion potential (ODP) of zero. The thermodynamics of the heat pump is explained in more detail in the introduction section.

The first installation is at a dairy plant on the west coast of Norway. In this installation, the heat pump provides cooling at 0-5°C and converts this heat into hot water at 120°C. The second installation is also at a dairy in Norway. Here the heat pump cools the ammonia from the cooling compressors at about 25-30°C and converts the heat to hot water at 110C°. The third installation is at a beverage plant on the west coast of Norway. Here the heat pump is providing cooling to compressors and other equipment. The final temperature of the heat source varies from 20-70°C. The heat is converted into steam at 168°C. In the case study sections, the installations are discussed in more details, together with the performance and a discussion of the experiences with the technology.
Estimation of convective heat losses from conical cavity receiver of solar parabolic dish collector under wind conditions and receiver orientations
Authors: Rajan Abhinav , Reddy K. S.
Published: October 2021

The parabolic dish collector is one of the recognized concentrated solar power systems based on point focusing, which provides high-temperature heat, high concentration ratio, and low heat loss. This system consists of a parabolic reflector and a cavity receiver situated in the focus line. In this work, the conical cavity receiver with an aperture diameter of 0.5 m is considered for a 100 m2 parabolic reflector having a focal to diameter ratio of 0.48. Due to the complexity of flow and temperature profile, the estimation of convective heat loss is a difficult task in a cavity receiver. More heat losses are associated with high temperature obtained in the cavity receiver of the parabolic dish collector. Due to diverse wind effect, the convective heat losses ramp up, which significantly influences the thermal performance of the concentrating power system. The present work aims to investigate the heat losses due to convection from the conical cavity receiver. The numerical investigation was performed using ANSYS Fluent 20R1 to calculate the convective heat losses from the conical cavity receiver of varying diameter to height ratio for varying wind speed, receiver orientation in head-on, and back-on wind flow directions. The considered influential parameters are varying from 0.5 to 1.5 for diameter to height ratio (d/h), 0° to 90° for receiver orientation (γ), 0 to 10 m/s for wind speed (V). The heat losses are highest at 60° and 75° receiver orientation for d/h = 0.5 and d/h = 1-1.5, respectively, at high wind speed in head-on condition, whereas in back-on wind condition, 30° receiver orientation has more heat losses among all the d/h values at high wind speed. The heat loss at 90° receiver orientation is low for 4-10 m/s. The trends of heat loss curve at receiver orientations for given wind conditions are similar for velocity more than 2 m/s. The result reveals that the considered influential parameters have a remarkable effect on convective heat losses from the cavity receiver.
Analysis of a Stirling engine in a waste heat recovery system with internal combustion engine
Authors: Catapano Francesco , Perozziello Carmela , Vaglieco Bianca Maria
Published: October 2021

This work aims to study a Stirling engine (SE) used to recover the heat content of the exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine. The attention has been focused on the heat transfer between the exhaust gas and the working gas inside the heater. Experimental tests have been performed on a two-cylinder gamma-type Stirling engine coupled to a compression ignition engine using a thermally insulated pipe and a cap. A mechanical power of 0.275 kW at 900 rpm SE rotational speed was obtained with a SE efficiency of 11.7%. To investigate how the exhaust gas-heater interaction affects SE efficiency, a 3D model was developed by the authors. The cap-heater system was studied as a shell-and-tubes heat exchanger. Experimental values of temperature and velocity have been set as boundary conditions for the cap, while for the heater, pressure and velocity have been predicted using a 1D adiabatic model adjusted for SE geometry. The results showed that temperature distribution is not uniform in both cylinders, involving that the working pistons do not work in the same way. Therefore, to improve SE efficiency, a proper configuration of SE-CI engine coupling should be designed.
A hybrid approach for neutronics calculations in the neutron shielding of sodium fast reactors
Authors: Hajji Amine , Coquelet-Pascal Christine , Blaise Patrick
Published: October 2021

Neutron calculations in the neutron shielding of fast neutron reactors are a complex problem as deterministic schemes are usually not suited for such calculations while Monte-Carlo codes have poor computational performance due to the very low flux levels in neutron shields. In this article, both methods are studied, as well as a hybrid scheme on the neutron shielding of the ASTRID fast reactor benchmark. This hybrid scheme uses a fission source calculated by a deterministic code in order to precisely calculate neutron fluxes in the shielding with a Monte-Carlo code using variance reduction techniques. This provides reference results in order to validate deterministic calculations. Comparisons between deterministic codes and this hybrid reference show that large biases are obtained, up to 50%. Further studies are made to reduce the biases, showing that many physical phenomena should be treated, including anisotropy of the scattering law at high energies and spatial self-shielding inside the boron carbide shielding. These improvements reduce the biases to less than 10%. Finally, some applications to designing criteria for the neutron shielding are presented, such as gas production in the neutron shielding and activation of secondary sodium at the intermediate heat exchanger (IHX).
Convergence analysis of adaptive DIIS algorithms with application to electronic ground state calculations
Authors: Chupin Maxime , Dupuy Mi-Song , Legendre Guillaume , Séré Éric
Published: October 2021

This paper deals with a general class of algorithms for the solution of fixed-point problems that we refer to asAnderson–Pulay acceleration. This family includes the DIIS technique and its variant sometimes called commutator-DIIS, both introduced by Pulay in the 1980s to accelerate the convergence of self-consistent field procedures in quantum chemistry, as well as the related Anderson acceleration which dates back to the 1960s, and the wealth of techniques they have inspired. Such methods aim at accelerating the convergence of any fixed-point iteration method by combining several iterates in order to generate the next one at each step. This extrapolation process is characterised by itsdepth,i.e.the number of previous iterates stored, which is a crucial parameter for the efficiency of the method. It is generally fixed to an empirical value. In the present work, we consider two parameter-driven mechanisms to let the depth vary along the iterations. In the first one, the depth grows until a certain nondegeneracy condition is no longer satisfied; then the stored iterates (save for the last one) are discarded and the method ``restarts’’. In the second one, we adapt the depth continuously by eliminating at each step some of the oldest, less relevant, iterates. In an abstract and general setting, we prove under natural assumptions the local convergence and acceleration of these two adaptive Anderson–Pulay methods, and we show that one can theoretically achieve a superlinear convergence rate with each of them. We then investigate their behaviour in quantum chemistry calculations. These numerical experiments show that both adaptive variants exhibit a faster convergence than a standard fixed-depth scheme, and require on average less computational effort per iteration. This study is complemented by a review of known facts on the DIIS, in particular its link with the Anderson acceleration and some multisecant-type quasi-Newton methods.
Nonlinear state-dependent pulse control for an SIRS epidemic model with varying size and its application to the transmission of brucellosis
Authors: Nie Lin-Fei , Zhang Fuwei , Hu Lin
Published: October 2021

As the disease spreads, it will inevitably cause important damage to the life and health of the population, resulting in changes in the population quantity. In addition, in some economically underdeveloped areas, limited medical resources will also have an important impact on the prevention and control of diseases. Based on these, a susceptible-infected-recovered-susceptible (SIRS) epidemic model is established, where state-dependent pulse control strategy, varying total population and limited medical resources are introduced. By using the qualitative theory of ordinary differential equation, differential inequality techniques, Poincaré map, and other methods, some sufficient conditions of the existence and orbital asymptotical stability of positive order-1 or order-2 periodic solution are obtained in various situations. Theoretical results imply that the proportion of infected class can be controlled at a desired low level for a long time and disease will not break out among population. Finally, based on realistic parameters of brucellosis in ruminants, numerical simulations have been performed to expalin/extend our analytical results and the feasibility of the state-dependent feedback control strategy.
Therapie eines bullösen Pemphigoids bei einem Warmblutwallach
Authors: Ehrmann Carolin , Hartung Svenja , Hirz Manuela , Fey Kerstin
Published: October 2021

Ein 15-jähriger Warmblutwallach wurde wegen multipler großflächiger, ulzerativer und krustiger Hautveränderungen vorgestellt, die seit 4 Jahren bestanden. Anhand der histologischen Untersuchung von Hautbioptaten wurde eine subepidermale Spaltbildung unterhalb der Basalzellen und oberhalb der Basalmembran festgestellt und ein bullöses Pemphigoid diagnostiziert. Durch eine immunsuppressive Therapie mit Dexamethason und Azathioprin konnte nach 14 Wochen eine vollständige Remission der Hautläsionen erreicht werden, wobei die betroffenen Hautareale durch Narbengewebe ersetzt wurden. Die Dauertherapie wurde nach schrittweiser Dosisreduktion über 5 Monate mit einer Erhaltungsdosis von 0,5 mg/kg Azathioprin täglich fortgesetzt. Nach 63 Wochen erfolgreicher Stabilisierung kam es zu einem Rezidiv sowie zusätzlich zu unerwünschten Arzneimittelnebenwirkungen (akute Hufrehe und erhöhte Infektanfälligkeit), sodass der Wallach aus Tierschutzgründen euthanasiert wurde.
Osteochondral Allograft Reconstruction of the Tibia Plateau for Posttraumatic Defects—A Novel Computer-Assisted Method Using 3D Preoperative Planning and Patient-Specific Instrumentation
Authors: Zaleski Martin , Hodel Sandro , Fürnstahl Philipp , Vlachopoulos Lazaros , Fucentese Sandro F.
Published: October 2021

Background Surgical treatment of posttraumatic defects of the knee joint is challenging. Osteochondral allograft reconstruction (OCAR) is an accepted procedure to restore the joint congruity and for pain relief, particularly in the younger population. Preoperative three-dimensional (3D) planning and patient-specific instrumentation (PSI) are well accepted for the treatment of posttraumatic deformities for several pathologies. The aim of this case report was to provide a guideline and detailed description of the preoperative 3D planning and the intraoperative navigation using PSI in OCAR for posttraumatic defects of the tibia plateau. We present the clinical radiographic results of a patient who was operated with this new technique with a 3.5-year follow-up.

Materials and Methods 3D-triangular surface models are created based on preoperative computer tomography (CT) of the injured side and the contralateral side. We describe the preoperative 3D-analysis and planning for the reconstruction with an osteochondral allograft (OCA) of the tibia plateau. We describe the PSI as well as cutting and reduction techniques to show the intraoperative possibilities in posttraumatic knee reconstructions with OCA.

Results Our clinical results indicate that 3D-assisted osteotomy and OCAR for posttraumatic defects of the knee may be beneficial and feasible. We illustrate the planning and execution of the osteotomy for the tibia and the allograft using PSI, allowing an accurate anatomical restoration of the joint congruency.

Discussion With 3D-planning and PSI the OCAR might be more precise compared with conventional methods. It could improve the reproducibility and might allow less experienced surgeons to perform the precise and technically challenging osteotomy cuts of the tibia and the allograft. Further, this technique might shorten operating time because time consuming intraoperative steps such as defining the osteotomy cuts of the tibia and the allograft during surgery are not necessary.

Conclusion OCAR of the tibia plateau for posttraumatic defects with 3D preoperative planning and PSI might allow for the accurate restoration of anatomical joint congruency, improve the reproducibility of surgical technique, and shorten the surgery time.
Dispositives of newness and change: academic organisations’ discursive practice at the intersection of excellence and gender
Authors: Wieners Sarah , Maria Weber Susanne
Published: October 2021

On the basis of a genealogical discourse analysis, Weber distinguishes four dispositives of creation. The ‘new’ is created and organised within systematic rationalities of creation. It emerges in (a) an organic cyclical transcendence, (b) a top-down pattern, (c) an entrepreneurial mode that designates man as creator and (d) a collective cyclical dynamic. The dispositives of man as creator and creation as an act are becoming particularly dominant in today’s academic organisations and these dispositives systematically produce institutional programmatics and organisational strategies. In this paper, we analyse how the new emerges in two academic organisations. The starting points of our analyses are two institutional innovations that emerged in Germany in the 2000s: the Excellence Initiative and the gender equality programme. Although they derive from different fields of discourse, both innovations share common features. The Excellence Initiative required universities to relate discourses of excellence and gender equality to each other, and this article investigates how the new emerges in academic organisations to understand whether these innovations produce equality or perpetuate traditional inequalities. Based on Foucault’s dispositive methodology, we use website analyses and interviews with gender equality officers and heads of early-career researchers’ departments. We highlight the discursive connections between gender and excellence for early-career researchers and outline various discursive organisational strategies.
Microscope design promises breakthrough in 3D single-particle tracking
Authors: Ikenson Ben
Published: October 2021

Hardware-based real-time single-photon analysis paves the way for high-speed particle tracking in noisy environments
Flavor-dependent photoproduction in heavy-ion collisions
Authors: Xie Zhuoxuan , Han Ruilin
Published: October 2021

Strong electromagnetic fields produced in the non-central heavy-ion collisions can induce vector meson photoproduction. In this paper, we study the photoproduction J/ψ and ϕ mesons in the relativistic heavy-ion collision from ultra-peripheral nuclear collisions to peripheral hadronic heavy ion collisions. And then include both initial hadronic production and thermal production in quark-gluon plasma (QGP). We find, for the charm anti-charm bound state J/ψ, the photoproduced J/ψs are mainly in the very low momentum region and clearly exceed the hadronic production. However, considering the thermal production of strange quark anti-quark pairs in QGP produced in relativistic heavy-ion collisions, the photoproduced ϕ is usually smaller than the thermal production and only evident at very peripheral collisions as even their photoproduction is much larger than J/ψ.
Majorana zero modes, unconventional real–complex transition, and mobility edges in a one-dimensional non-Hermitian quasi-periodic lattice
Authors: Cheng Shujie , Gao Xianlong
Published: October 2021

A one-dimensional non-Hermitian quasiperiodic p-wave superconductor without

P
T

-symmetry is studied. By analyzing the spectrum, we discovered that there still exists real–complex energy transition even if the inexistence of

P
T

-symmetry breaking. By the inverse participation ratio, we constructed such a correspondence that pure real energies correspond to the extended states and complex energies correspond to the localized states, and this correspondence is precise and effective to detect the mobility edges. After investigating the topological properties, we arrived at a fact that the Majorana zero modes in this system are immune to the non-Hermiticity.
Facile sensitizing of PbSe film for near-infrared photodetector by microwave plasma processing
Authors: Zhao Kangyi , Feng Shuanglong , Yang Chan , Shen Jun , Fu Yongqi
Published: October 2021

High quality PbSe film was first fabricated by a thermal evaporation method, and then the effect of plasma sensitization on the PbSe film was systemically investigated. Typical detectivity and significant photosensitivity are achieved in the PbSe-based photodetector, reaching maximum values of 7.6 × 109 cm⋅Hz1/2/W and 1.723 A/W, respectively. Compared with thermal annealing, plasma sensitization makes the sensitization easier and significantly improves the performance.
Characterization of a nano line width reference material based on metrological scanning electron microscope
Authors: Wang Fang , Shi Yushu , Li Wei , Deng Xiao , Cheng Xinbin , Zhang Shu , Yu Xixi
Published: October 2021

The line width (often synonymously used for critical dimension, CD) is a crucial parameter in integrated circuits. To accurately control CD values in manufacturing, a reasonable CD reference material is required to calibrate the corresponding instruments. We develop a new reference material with nominal CDs of 160 nm, 80 nm, and 40 nm. The line features are investigated based on the metrological scanning electron microscope which is developed by the National Institute of Metrology (NIM) in China. Also, we propose a new characterization method for the precise measurement of CD values. After filtering and leveling the intensity profiles, the line features are characterized by the combination model of the Gaussian and Lorentz functions. The left and right edges of CD are automatically extracted with the profile decomposition and k-means algorithm. Then the width of the two edges at the half intensity position is regarded as the standard CD value. Finally, the measurement results are evaluated in terms of the sample, instrument, algorithm, and repeatability. The experiments indicate efficiency of the proposed method which can be easily applied in practice to accurately characterize CDs.
Sensitivity to external optical feedback of circular-side hexagonal resonator microcavity laser*
Authors: Zhao Tong , Shen Zhi-Ru , Xie Wen-Li , Guo Yan-Qiang , Wang An-Bang , Wang Yun-Cai
Published: October 2021

The sensitivity to fault reflection is very important for larger dynamic range in fiber fault detection technique. Using time delay signature (TDS) of chaotic laser formed by optical feedback can solve the sensitivity limitation of photodetector in fiber fault detection. The TDS corresponds to the feedback position and the fault reflection can be detected by the laser diode. The sensitivity to feedback level of circular-side hexagonal resonator (CSHR) microcavity laser is numerically simulated and the feedback level boundaries of each output dynamic state are demonstrated. The peak level of TDS is utilized to analyze the sensitivity. The demonstration is presented in two aspects: the minimum feedback level when the TDS emerges and the variation degree of TDS level on feedback level changing. The results show that the CSHR microcavity laser can respond to the feedback level of 0.07%, corresponding to -63-dB feedback strength. Compared to conventional distributed feedback laser, the sensitivity improves almost 20 dB due to the shorter internal cavity length of CSHR microcavity laser. Moreover, 1% feedback level changing will induce 1.001 variation on TDS level, and this variation degree can be influenced by other critical internal parameters (active region side length, damping rate, and linewidth enhancement factor).
Molecular Clump Extraction Algorithm Based on Local Density Clustering*
Authors: Luo Xiaoyu , Zheng Sheng , Huang Yao , Zeng Shuguang , Zeng Xiangyun , Jiang Zhibo , Chen Zhiwei
Published: October 2021

The detection and parameterization of molecular clumps are the first step in studying them. We propose a method based on the Local Density Clustering algorithm while physical parameters of those clumps are measured using the Multiple Gaussian Model algorithm. One advantage of applying the Local Density Clustering to the clump detection and segmentation, is the high accuracy under different signal-to-noise levels. The Multiple Gaussian Model is able to deal with overlapping clumps whose parameters can reliably be derived. Using simulation and synthetic data, we have verified that the proposed algorithm could accurately characterize the morphology and flux of molecular clumps. The total flux recovery rate in 13CO (J = 1−0) line of M16 is measured as 90.2%. The detection rate and the completeness limit are 81.7% and 20 K km s−1 in 13CO (J = 1−0) line of M16, respectively.
GGCHEMPY: A Pure Python-based Gas-grain Chemical Code for Efficient Simulation of Interstellar Chemistry*
Authors: Ge Jixing
Published: October 2021

In this paper, we present a new gas-grain chemical code for interstellar clouds written in pure Python (GGCHEMPY (GGCHEMPY is available on https://github.com/JixingGE/GGCHEMPY)). By combining with the high-performance Python compiler Numba, GGCHEMPY is as efficient as the Fortran-based version. With the Python features, flexible computational workflows and extensions become possible. As a showcase, GGCHEMPY is applied to study the general effects of three-dimensional projection on molecular distributions using a two-core system which can be easily extended for more complex cases. By comparing the molecular distribution differences between two overlapping cores and two merging cores, we summarized the typical chemical differences such as N2H+, HC3N, C2S, H2CO,

HCN

and C2H, which can be used to interpret 3D structures in molecular clouds.
Spring fires in Russia: results from participatory burned area mapping with Sentinel-2 imagery
Authors: Glushkov Igor , Zhuravleva Ilona , McCarty Jessica L , Komarova Anna , Drozdovsky Alexey , Drozdovskaya Marina , Lupachik Vilen , Yaroshenko Alexey , Stehman Stephen V , Prishchepov Alexander V
Published: October 2021

Human-induced fires play a crucial role in transforming landscapes and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. Russia is a country where human-induced fires are widespread and form distinctive spring and summer burning cycles. However, spring fires are not well documented and it is unclear which land-cover types are associated with the spread of spring fires. Using Sentinel-2 optical satellite imagery, a wall-to-wall spring burned area data set for 1 January to 15 May 2020 was created for Russia (excluding the Arctic) using a participatory crowdsourcing digitizing approach on an online platform developed specifically for this application. The 2020 spring fire product had a producer accuracy of 85% and user accuracy of 92%. Approximately 13.38 million ha, comprising 1.8% of the study area, were mapped as burned, with the majority of the 2020 spring burned areas in Siberia. Our spring-fire product revealed five times more burned area estimates compared to the burned area estimates from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) MCD64 product. We also found high variability of burned area per active fire pixel across regions of Russia, when compared to MODIS and visible infrared imaging radiometer suite active fire data. Spring fires started to increase from the end of February and reached their maximum by the end of March through the middle of April. Spring fires were associated with arable lands and grasslands as land-cover types, except Siberia, where spring fires were most common in deciduous and needle-leaved forests, followed by arable lands. While spring fires were associated with croplands and grasslands, an estimate for Central Russia showed approximately 75% of spring fires occurred on abandoned agricultural lands. Our study demonstrated the suitability of optical Sentinel-2 imagery for spring fire mapping and the great utility of a participatory mapping approach for fast and accurate mapping as well as engagement of the community.
Future evolution of virtual water trading in the United States electricity sector
Authors: Graham Neal T , Iyer Gokul , Wise Marshall , Hejazi Mohamad , Wild Thomas B
Published: October 2021

Future transformations in the electricity sector could entail major shifts in power sector technology mixes and electricity trade, with consequences for the trading of virtual water. Previous virtual water trade studies largely focus on historical timeframes. We explore, for the first time, future—through 2050—virtual water trade driven by electricity trade under a range of future electricity sector transformation scenarios using the United States as an example. Under a business-as-usual scenario, virtual water trading in 2050 decreases by 3% relative to 2015 levels. By contrast, virtual water trading increases respectively by 3%, 26%, and 32%, in scenarios characterized by higher socioeconomic growth, higher potential for transmission expansion, and low-carbon transitions. These increases are driven by electricity generation expansion in the western U.S., resulting in higher virtual water trade to the east. In addition, we find that as electricity generation shifts west, an increased amount of nonrenewable groundwater will be consumed to generate electricity that is supplied to the east. Independent of scenario, the US electricity grid largely relies on virtual water exports from only a few states. Our study highlights the need for integrated and national strategies to manage the water and electric systems.
Non-negative matrix factorization for 2D-XAS images of lithium ion batteries
Authors: Tanimoto Hiroki , Hongkun Xu , Mizumaki Masaishiro , Seno Yoshiki , Uchiwada Jumpei , Yamagami Ryo , Kumazoe Hiroyuki , Iwamitsu Kazunori , Kimura Yuta , Amezawa Koji , Akai Ichiro , Aonishi Toru
Published: October 2021

Lithium-ion secondary batteries have been used in a wide variety of purposes, such as for powering mobile devices and electric vehicles, but their performance should be improved. One of the factors that limits their performance is the non-uniformity of the chemical reaction in the process of charging and discharging. Many attempts have been made to elucidate the mechanism behind this reaction non-uniformity. In this paper, to detect non-uniformity in various physical properties from Co K-edge two-dimensional x-ray absorption spectroscopy (2D-XAS) images of lithium ion batteries, we propose a method that consists of one-sided orthogonal non-negative matrix factorization in combination with removal of the reference signal. The difference between x-ray absorption spectra acquired at different positions in the battery is very small. However, even in such a situation, our method can decompose the 2D-XAS data into different spatial domains and their corresponding absorption spectra. From the spectral decomposition of the obtained absorption spectra, we confirmed a transition-energy shift of the main peak as evidence for a change in the state of charge and also found spectral changes due to orbital hybridization in the decomposed spectral components.
Criteria for the absence and existence of bounded solutions at the threshold frequency in a junction of quantum waveguides
Authors: Bakharev F. , Nazarov S.
Published: October 2021

In the junctionΩ\Omegaof several semi-infinite cylindrical waveguides, the Dirichlet Laplacian is treated whose continuous spectrum is the ray[λ†,+∞)[\lambda _\dagger , +\infty )with a positive cutoff valueλ†\lambda _\dagger. Two different criteria are presented for the threshold resonance generated by nontrivial bounded solutions to the Dirichlet problem for the Helmholtz equation−Δu=λ†u-\Delta u=\lambda _\dagger uinΩ\Omega. The first criterion is quite simple and is convenient to disprove the existence of bounded solutions. The second criterion is rather involved but can help to detect concrete shapes supporting the resonance. Moreover, the latter distinguishes in a natural way between stabilizing, i.e., bounded but nondecaying solutions, and trapped modes with exponential decay at infinity.
Parametrized symmetric groups and the second homology of a group
Authors: Sinchuk S.
Published: October 2021

The notion of a symmetric group parametrized by elements of a group is introduced. It is shown that this group is an extension of a subgroup of the wreath productG≀SnG \wr S_nbyH2⁡(G,Z)\operatorname {H}_2(G, \mathbb {Z}). Motivation behind this construction is also discussed.
Possible dispersal of the coastal and subterranean carabid beetle Thalassoduvalius masidai (Coleoptera) by ocean currents
Authors: Nakahama Naoyuki , Okano Ryosuke , Nishimoto Yuichiro , Matsuo Ayumi , Ito Noboru , Suyama Yoshihisa
Published: October 2021

The spatial genetic structures of insects are reflected in their habitats. Coastal insects tend to have less genetic differentiation than subterranean insects. However, the general pattern of population structure of coastal species residing in subterranean habitats is unknown. Thalassoduvalius masidai (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Trechinae), endemic to Japan, is a coastal and subterranean beetle. Here, we hypothesized that T. masidai populations disperse among regions by ocean currents, floods and tsunamis, despite their habitat being underground. To test this hypothesis, we performed a phylogeographical analysis of T. masidai using single nucleotide polymorphism data from multiplexed inter-simple sequence repeat genotyping by sequencing (MIG-seq) and the mitochondrial COI gene. The phylogenetic network and tree and STRUCTURE analyses indicated that T. masidai populations were divided into three groups: the western Seto Inland Sea–Izu Peninsula coasts, the eastern Seto Inland Sea–Kii Peninsula coasts and the Japan Sea coasts. The genetic diversity of T. masidai was higher in sites with lower longitude and latitude. These results suggest that T. masidai migrated and dispersed from the south-western area of Japan by ocean currents, despite its underground habitat. The genetic analysis data from the present study would also be helpful for the conservation and taxonomic revision of this species.
The Importance of Forests in Bumble Bee Biology and Conservation
Authors: Mola John M , Hemberger Jeremy , Kochanski Jade , Richardson Leif L , Pearse Ian S
Published: October 2021

Declines of many bumble bee species have raised concerns because of their importance as pollinators and potential harbingers of declines among other insect taxa. At present, bumble bee conservation is predominantly focused on midsummer flower restoration in open habitats. However, a growing body of evidence suggests that forests may play an important role in bumble bee life history. Compared with open habitats, forests and woody edges provide food resources during phenologically distinct periods, are often preferred nesting and overwintering habitats, and can offer favorable abiotic conditions in a changing climate. Future research efforts are needed in order to anticipate how ongoing changes in forests, such as overbrowsing by deer, plant invasions, and shifting canopy demographics, affect the suitability of these habitats for bumble bees. Forested habitats are increasingly appreciated in the life cycles of many bumble bees, and they deserve greater attention from those who wish to understand bumble bee populations and aid in their conservation.
Daily, monthly and annual thermal performance of a linear Fresnel reflector to drive an organic Rankine-cycle system
Authors: Mahmood Hassan , Hossin Khaled
Published: October 2021

The organic Rankine cycle (ORC) coupled with a linear Fresnel reflector (LFR) utilizes a low-grade heat source. This article presents the study of a small-scale LFR–ORC power-generation plant under the climatic conditions of Almatret, Spain. The mathematical modelling is performed using thermodynamic equations and simulations are conducted to evaluate the optical performance of the LFR system and thermal performance of the ORC plant. Therminol-62 is used as a heat-transfer fluid (HTF) in the solar field, whereas NOVECTM 649 is used as the working fluid in the ORC power system. The LFR is integrated with a thermal-storage unit based on a two-tank system and stores the solar thermal energy via a heat exchanger. The thermal-energy output of the receiver tube of the LFR system is 108 kW and thermal losses are 7.872 kW during the peak time operation of a day at 1:00 p.m. The mechanical power output of the ORC turbine is 7.296 kW using the specific design conditions and the two-tank thermal-storage system adds 4 operation hours to the power plant after sunset.
A Unified Framework to Discover Permutation Generation Algorithms
Authors: Ganapathi Pramod , Chowdhury Rezaul
Published: October 2021

We present two simple, intuitive and general algorithmic frameworks that can be used to design a wide variety of permutation generation algorithms. The frameworks can be used to produce 19 existing permutation algorithms, including the well-known algorithms of Heap, Wells, Langdon, Zaks, Tompkins and Lipski. We use the frameworks to design two new sorting-based permutation generation algorithms, one of which is optimal.
Khorana score at an initial chemotherapy is effective on predicting death in patients with gastrointestinal cancer
Authors: Shibata K , Tokushige A , Imamura M , Ohishi M
Published: October 2021

Background

The Khorana risk score (KRS) has been recommended for predicting an incidence of cancer-associated thrombosis (CAT). On the other hand, KRS is that the specific gravity of score for the primary tumor is too high and the prevalence of severe obesity is low, so there are some reports that the KRS is not effective in predicting CAT but is effective in predicting death.

Purpose

The purpose of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the efficacy of KRS on predicting CAT and all-cause death at an initial chemotherapy in patients with gastrointestinal cancer.

Methods

260 consecutive patients with no history of thrombosis who started an initial chemotherapy for gastrointestinal cancer during a 2-year period from January 2017 to December 2018 in our hospital were divided into 3 groups according to KRS and observed until December 2019 (122 patients (46.9%) in the low-risk group (0 points), 114 patients (43.8%) in the intermediate-risk group (1–2 points), and 24 patients (9.2%) in the high-risk group (3–6 points)). The incidence of CAT and all-cause death was compared among 3 groups.

Results

The median age of the patients was 67 (60–75) years, and 63.5% of them were male. CAT was observed in 61 patients (23.5%), and 84 patients (32.3%) died during the observation period. There was no difference in the incidence rate of CAT among 3 groups (Log-rank P=0.6), but all-cause death was a significant difference among 3 groups (high risk group: 54.2%, intermediate risk group: 36.0%, low risk group: 24.6%, p value=0.0023). After adjustment for multivariate analysis, the KRS high risk group was still significantly associated with death (HR: 2.83, 95% CI: 1.37–5.83, p value =0.0049), but not with CAT.

Conclusion

The Khorana score at an initial of chemotherapy in patients with gastrointestinal cancer is useful in predicting prognosis, but not CAT.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: None.
Role of platelet GARP in TGFB activation
Authors: Bodart J , Dufeys C , Senis Y A , Nagy Z , Bertrand L , Beauloye C , Lucas S , Horman S
Published: October 2021

Introduction

Transforming growth factor (TGF)β is known to be a central player in the control of cardiac fibroblast properties and fibrosis. However, cellular and molecular mechanisms that trigger its activation remain poorly understood. Platelets are considered as a major source of TGFβ and recent evidence suggest that they are involved in TGFβ activation via Glycoprotein A Repetitions Predominant (GARP) present on their surface.

Purpose

The present study sought to evaluate the role of platelet GARP in TGFβ activation using platelet specific GARP knockout mice.

Methods

We generated a new Cre transgenic mouse strain that allowed Megakaryocyte/platelet specific invalidation of GARP (GpIba-Cre x GARPfl/fl). The impact of GARP deficiency on platelet function was measured in vitro by flow cytometry using thrombin and CRP. Serum production of total and active TGFβ was assessed by ELISA.

Results

Platelet count and other hematological parameters were normal in platelet specific GARP knockout mice, except platelet volume, which was increased by 10.3%, as compared to wild-type platelets. Stimulation by thrombin and CRP increased GARP exposure at platelet surface. However, platelets without GARP displayed normal agonist induced activation, as reflected by CD62P and αIIbβ3 exposure. Interestingly, the generation of active TGFβ was drastically impaired in the serum of platelet specific GARP knockout mice, while the amount of total TGFβ was not affected.

Conclusion

We provided evidence that platelet GARP is a crucial contributor to the systemic activation of TGFβ. Future work will aim to determine its role in cardiac fibroblast myodifferentiation and fibrosis.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Other. Main funding source(s): FRIA
Highly Parallel Genomic Selection Response in ReplicatedDrosophila melanogasterPopulations with Reduced Genetic Variation
Authors: Burny Claire , Nolte Viola , Dolezal Marlies , Schlötterer Christian
Published: October 2021

Many adaptive traits are polygenic and frequently more loci contributing to the phenotype are segregating than needed to express the phenotypic optimum. Experimental evolution with replicated populations adapting to a new controlled environment provides a powerful approach to study polygenic adaptation. Because genetic redundancy often results in nonparallel selection responses among replicates, we propose a modified evolve and resequence (E&R) design that maximizes the similarity among replicates. Rather than starting from many founders, we only use two inbred Drosophila melanogaster strains and expose them to a very extreme, hot temperature environment (29 °C). After 20 generations, we detect many genomic regions with a strong, highly parallel selection response in 10 evolved replicates. The X chromosome has a more pronounced selection response than the autosomes, which may be attributed to dominance effects. Furthermore, we find that the median selection coefficient for all chromosomes is higher in our two-genotype experiment than in classic E&R studies. Because two random genomes harbor sufficient variation for adaptive responses, we propose that this approach is particularly well-suited for the analysis of polygenic adaptation.
The effects of non-Newtonian rheology in the upper mantle on relative sea level change and geodetic observables induced by glacial isostatic adjustment process
Authors: Kang Kaixuan , Zhong Shijie , Geruo A , Mao Wei
Published: October 2021

Studies of glacial isostatic adjustment (GIA) provide important constraints on the Earth's mantle viscosity. Most GIA models assume Newtonian viscosity through the mantle, but laboratory experimental studies of rock deformation, observational studies of seismic anisotropy, and modelling studies of mantle dynamics show that in the upper mantle non-Newtonian viscosity may be important. This study explores the non-Newtonian effects on the GIA induced variations in mantle stress and viscosity and on surface observables including vertical displacement, relative sea level (RSL) and gravity change. The recently updated and fully benchmarked software package CitcomSVE is used for GIA simulations. We adopt the ICE-6G ice deglaciation history, VM5a lower mantle and lithospheric viscosities, and a composite rheology that combines Newtonian and non-Newtonian viscosities for the upper mantle. Our results show that: (1) The mantle stress beneath glaciated regions increases significantly during deglaciation, leading to regionally reduced upper mantle viscosity by more than an order of magnitude. Such effects can be rather localized at the periphery of glaciated regions. However, non-Newtonian effects on far-field mantle viscosity are negligibly small. GIA induced stress is also significant in the lithosphere (∼30 MPa) and lower mantle (∼2 MPa). (2) The predicted RSL changes from non-Newtonian models display distinct features in comparison with the Newtonian model, including more rapid sea level falls associated with the rapid deglaciation at ∼14 000 yr ago followed by a more gradual sea level variation for sites near the centres of formerly glaciated regions, and an additional phase of sea level falls for the last ∼8000 yr for sites at the ice margins. Similar time-dependence associated with the deglaciation is also seen for rate of vertical displacement, suggesting a relatively slow present-day rates of vertical displacement and gravity change. These features can be explained by the non-Newtonian effects associated with a loading event which manifest a fast relaxation stage followed by a relative slow relaxation stage. Our results may provide GIA diagnoses for distinguishing non-Newtonian and Newtonian rheology.
The cost-effectiveness of community health workers delivering free diarrhoea treatment: evidence from Uganda
Authors: Wagner Zachary , Zutshi Rushil , Asiimwe John Bosco , Levine David
Published: October 2021

Community health workers (CHWs) are a vital part of the health infrastructure in Uganda and in many other low- and middle-income countries. While the need for CHWs is clear, it is less clear how they should dispense health products to maximize the health benefits to their community. In this study, we assess the cost-effectiveness of several competing CHW distribution strategies in the context of treatment for child diarrhoea. We used data from a four-armed cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess the cost-effectiveness of (1) free distribution of oral rehydration salts (ORS) via home deliveries prior to diarrhoea onset (free delivery arm), (2) free distribution via vouchers where households retrieved the treatment from a central location (voucher arm), (3) a door-to-door sales model (home sales arm) and (4) a control arm where CHWs carried out their activities as normal. We assessed the cost-effectiveness from the implementor’s perspective and a societal perspective in terms of cost per case treated with ORS and cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted. Free delivery was the most effective strategy and the cheapest from a societal perspective. Although implementor costs were highest in this arm, cost savings comes from households using fewer resources to seek treatment outside the home (transport, doctor fees and treatment costs). From the implementors’ perspective, free delivery costs $2.19 per additional case treated and $56 per DALY averted relative to the control. Free delivery was also extremely cost-effective relative to home sales and vouchers, but there was a large degree of uncertainty around the comparison with vouchers. Free distribution of ORS by CHWs prior to diarrhoea onset is extremely cost-effective compared to other CHW distribution models. Implementers of CHW programmes should consider free home delivery of ORS.
eHEALS as a predictive factor of digital health information seeking behavior among Brazilian undergraduate students
Authors: Lotto Matheus , Maschio Kaiane Fátima , Silva Kimberly Kamila , Ayala Aguirre Patricia Estefania , Cruvinel Agnes , Cruvinel Thiago
Published: October 2021

This study aimed to perform the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the eHealth Literacy Scale (eHEALS) for Brazilian Portuguese. The cross-cultural adaptation was conducted through conceptual equivalence, verbatim translation, semantic, item and operational equivalence, and back-translation. Subsequently, 521 undergraduate students answered the adapted version of the eHEALS, the General Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), the Oral Health Impact Profile-14 (OHIP-14) and sociodemographic and health-related questions. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the dimensionality, internal consistency, stability and concurrent/convergent/discriminant/predictive validities of the eHEALS (p < 0.05). The adequacy of sample size was confirmed by a non-identity correlation matrix (Bartlett’s test of sphericity, p < 0.001), without influence of multicollinearity (determinant = 0.026). The confirmatory factor analysis identified four factors in agreement to the constructs namely as online searching self-efficacy, awareness of available sources, information usage ability, and critical analysis of useful information. The eHEALS displayed an excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.88), a good stability (ICC = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.49–0.84), and it was significantly correlated with GSES (concurrent validity). Higher eHEALS scores were identified among (i) white and (ii) younger students, (iii) from health sciences courses, (iv) with more years of graduation, (v) who their fathers were working in specialized functions (discriminant validity), and (vi) among those who were frequently interested in digital health information (convergent validity). The students with higher eHealth literacy levels were more likely to seek health information in the last 24 h (predictive validity). In conclusion, the eHEALS demonstrated adequate psychometric properties to be applied for the Brazilian population.