bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Deployment-Related Respiratory Disease: Where Are We?
Authors: Krefft Silpa D. , Zell-Baran Lauren M.
Published: April 2023

Military personnel and veterans who have deployed to Afghanistan, Iraq, and parts of Southwest Asia (SWA) since 1990 are at risk of developing a host of respiratory symptoms and deployment-related respiratory diseases (DRRDs). This review aims to summarize our current understanding of DRRD and inform pulmonary practitioners of recent updates to DRRD screening, diagnosis, evaluation, and management. The most common respiratory diseases in these patients include asthma, chronic sinonasal disease, laryngeal disease/dysfunction, and distal lung disease. Pulmonary function testing and chest imaging are the most commonly used diagnostic tools, but techniques such as lung clearance index testing via multiple breath washout, forced oscillation testing/impulse oscillometry, and quantitative chest computed tomography (CT) assessment appear promising as noninvasive modalities to aid in lung disease detection in this population. We also summarize guidance on conducting an occupational and deployment exposure history as well as recommendations for testing. Finally, we discuss the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act) that includes a list of health conditions that are “presumptively” considered to be related to SWA military deployment toxic exposures, and provide resources for clinicians who evaluate and treat patients with DRRD.
An Assessment of the Three Popular Prognostic Scoring Systems for Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) in an Indian Context
Authors: Saha Anurag , Kakoty Sneha , Patel Kazoomi , Rai Varnika , Sawhney Jyoti , Menat Nainesh
Published: April 2023

Introduction: Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML) is a rare clonal hematopoietic neoplasm with a prevalence of 1.05 to 1.94 cases per 1,00,000 population. There are multiple prognostic scoring system used in practice for CMML, which include both cytogenetic and next-generation sequencing based.

Objective This study assesses the clinicohematological profile of CMML patients, along with comparison of three widely used prognostic scoring systems for CMML (CMML-specific prognostic scoring system, MD Anderson prognostic score, Mayo prognostic model).

Materials and Methods: This study is an 8-year retrospective study. All relevant data had been retrieved and reviewed by the authors. Inclusion and exclusion criteria: All the cases that were diagnosed before 2016 as per 2008 criteria were reclassified, (2) all the cases that were positive for the mutations associated with myeloproliferative neoplasms were excluded, and (3) cases with more than or equal to 20% blast/blast equivalents were excluded. A univariate analysis was done followed by a multivariate analysis for all the parameters constituting each scoring system. Lastly, a receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted for all the three scoring systems.

Result: There were total 23 patients, with a median age of 63 years and a male to female ratio of 2.3:1. Cytogenetic aberration and genetic mutation were observed in 6 and 3 cases, respectively. The median overall survival (OS) was 48 months and the median leukemia-free survival was 12 months. Post-multivariate analysis, the parameters with significant impact on OS were absolute monocyte count more than 10 × 10^9/L, myeloid precursors in peripheral blood, hemoglobin less than 10g/dL, platelet less than 100 × 10^9/L, hemoglobin less than 12g/dL, and absolute lymphocyte count more than 2.5 × 10^9/L.

Conclusion: To summarize, we discovered CPSS to be a better prognostic tool for a setup like ours, since molecular investigations are not always readily available for each case. More such researches are needed in the near future so that we can design better prognostic tools and see for their usefulness in real life.
A Rare Presentation of Sphingomonas paucimobilis in a Healthy Child: Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Yilmaz Busra Zeynep , Akcan Özge Metin , Pekcan Sevgi , Parlatan Havva , Emlik Ganime Dilek , Doğan Metin
Published: April 2023

Sphingomonas paucimobilis is a rarely pathogenic organism that usually infects immunocompromised patients and causes nosocomial infections, but a few community-acquired infections have been identified in relatively healthy adult patients. Herein we report a 5-year-old child who presented with acute ischemic stroke caused by S. paucimobilis that was treated successfully with antibiotics and antithrombotic agents. According to our knowledge, this is the first case of acute ischemic infarction with S. paucimobilis in a previously healthy child.
Fast analytical approximations for the acoustic radiation impedance of rectangular plates with arbitrary boundary conditions
Authors: Zhang Wen-wen , Cui Li-lin , Xu Rong-wu , Peng Ye
Published: April 2023

The radiation impedance is an essential parameter in analyzing the vibroacoustic response of the planar source. In order to calculate the acoustic radiation impedance of the rectangular plate with arbitrary boundary conditions, a unified approximate approach is proposed in this study. The displacement function of the plate is expressed in the form of a supplemented two-dimensional Fourier cosine series, which can be solved by the Rayleigh–Ritz method. The radiated acoustic field from the plate is further determined by the Rayleigh integrals. The coordinate transformation is performed twice to convert the quadruple integrals into simple integrals, significantly reducing the computational effort of the acoustic calculation. Regardless of the wavenumber or frequency, the proposed approach is theoretically accurate because no assumptions or approximations are involved in the mathematical process. Furthermore, the correctness of the formulas is validated by the results obtained from previous studies. Several numerical examples are performed using this approach, and the effects of boundary conditions on the modal radiation impedance are discussed.
Photoluminescence evidence for silicon Frenkel defects in electron irradiated 4H SiC
Authors: Steeds J. W. , Sarua A.
Published: April 2023

The nature of defects in 4H SiC was studied by means of low temperature photoluminescence before and after energy-controlled electron irradiation. Analysis of experimental data from irradiation at energies above and below the Si displacement energy together with subsequent annealing leads to the conclusion that Si Frenkel defects have been detected experimentally in this material. Reasons why these are formed in some cases rather than carbon vacancy carbon antisite pairs are explored.
Reproducible high thermoelectric figure of merit in Ag2Se
Authors: Jakhar Navita , Kedia Dinesh Kumar , Kumar Ankit , Saurabh Kumar , Singh Surjeet
Published: April 2023

Ag2Se is a potentially useful material with interesting magnetoresistive and thermoelectric properties. In several recent studies, the thermoelectric figure of merit (zT) of Ag2Se has been shown to approach 1 near 380 K (i.e., about 25 K below its superionic transition temperature). However, what plagues the use of Ag2Se in real life applications is its sample dependence and very poor reproducibility. In a recent work, it is clearly established that the root cause of this is Ag migration during high-temperature sintering or melting. Here, we show that high-density Ag2Se samples with high and reproducible zT (0.92 at 370 K) can be prepared by simple all-room-temperature techniques. The ease of sample preparation and high zT along with excellent reproducibility make Ag2Se a promising material for near-room-temperature applications.
Tunable responsivity in high-performance SiC/graphene UV photodetectors through interfacial quantum states by bias regulation
Authors: Zhu Baihong , Sun Cunzhi , Chen Jiadong , Li Zihao , Huang Shiming , Wu Shaoxiong , Lin Dingqu , Lin Yu , Hong Rongdun , Chen Xiaping , Cai Jiafa , Chen Songyan , Wu Zhengyun , Fu Deyi , He Shaolong , Cai Weiwei , Zhang Feng
Published: April 2023

Graphene/SiC/graphene photodetectors were fabricated by epitaxial graphene prepared on semi-insulated 4H-SiC (0001) using the ultra-high vacuum high-temperature thermal decomposition method. The device exhibits a maximum responsivity of 0.01 A/W, a 103 UV–visible rejection ratio, and a high detectivity of 1.34 × 1012 Jones with a ultra-low saturation dark current of 3 × 10−13 A. Interfacial quantum states were adopted at graphene/4H-SiC heterojunction for tuning the Schottky barrier by reverse bias. The extracted Schottky barrier heights decrease from 0.91 to 0.81 eV with bias due to the upward shift of the charge-doped graphene's Fermi level. The peak responsivity of the detector is tuned from 260 to 300 nm, which indicates SiC photogenerated carriers are released from the interfacial quantum states by applied bias. More carriers transit over the Schottky barrier so that the photodetectors achieve high photoelectric conversion.
Bound states in the continuum induced by the strong coupling within the plasmonic lattices
Authors: Wang Zhihang , Li Lingyao , Shi Xiaoqi , Xiao Jiamin , Guo Zhicheng , Wang Wenxin
Published: April 2023

Bound states in the continuum (BICs), manifesting themselves as the collapse of Fano resonance, are observed in many photonic and plasmonic systems. The BICs have been studied systematically through various methods such as the topological photonics analysis, temporal coupled mode theory, multipole decomposition method, and the cavity quantum electrodynamics (CQED) method. Since CQED can give a macroscopic and intrinsic description of light–matter interaction, it is expected to study BIC that participates in strong coupling. What is more, the relation between coupling strength, the Fano parameter, and the asymmetry property of BICs needs to be clarified. In this paper, we investigated the strong coupling between the cavity mode and Bloch-surface plasmon polariton (Bloch-SPP) mode induced by BICs within the plasmonic lattices of the metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) layer. The properties of strong coupling and BIC were revealed theoretically by the quantum model based on the CQED. The increase in the Fano parameters of BICs was proved to facilitate the coupling strength, which was indicated by the monotonically increasing relation between the Fano parameter and the coupling strength. This work may pave the way for flexible modulation and application of BIC in the fields of high-quality plasmonic nanocavity, low-threshold nano-lasers, and quantum information.
The dynamic nature of student discipline and discipline disparities
Authors: Darling-Hammond Sean , Ruiz Michael , Eberhardt Jennifer L. , Okonofua Jason A.
Published: April 2023

Researchers have long used end-of-year discipline rates to identify punitive schools, explore sources of inequitable treatment, and evaluate interventions designed to stem both discipline and racial disparities in discipline. Yet, this approach leaves us with a “static view”—with no sense of how disciplinary responses fluctuate throughout the year. What if daily discipline rates, and daily discipline disparities, shift over the school year in ways that could inform when and where to intervene? This research takes a “dynamic view” of discipline. It leverages 4 years of atypically detailed data regarding the daily disciplinary experiences of 46,964 students from 61 middle schools in one of the nation’s largest school districts. Reviewing these data, we find that discipline rates are indeed dynamic. For all student groups, the daily discipline rate grows from the beginning of the school year to the weeks leading up to the Thanksgiving break, falls before major breaks, and grows following major breaks. During periods of escalation, the daily discipline rate for Black students grows significantly faster than the rate for White students—widening racial disparities. Given this, districts hoping to stem discipline and disparities may benefit from timing interventions to precede these disciplinary spikes. In addition, early-year Black–White disparities can be used to identify the schools in which Black–White disparities are most likely to emerge by the end of the school year. Thus, the results reported here provide insights regarding not only when to intervene, but where to intervene to reduce discipline rates and disparities.
Octopamine metabolically reprograms astrocytes to confer neuroprotection against α-synuclein
Authors: Shum Andrew , Zaichick Sofia , McElroy Gregory S. , D’Alessandro Karis , Alasady Milad J. , Novakovic Michaela , Peng Wesley , Grebenik Ekaterina A. , Chung Daayun , Flanagan Margaret E. , Smith Roger , Morales Alejandro , Stumpf Laetitia , McGrath Kaitlyn , Krainc Dimitri , Mendillo Marc L. , Prakriya Murali , Chandel Navdeep S. , Caraveo Gabriela
Published: April 2023

Octopamine is a well-established invertebrate neurotransmitter involved in fight or flight responses. In mammals, its function was replaced by epinephrine. Nevertheless, it is present at trace amounts and can modulate the release of monoamine neurotransmitters by a yet unidentified mechanism. Here, through a multidisciplinary approach utilizing in vitro and in vivo models of α-synucleinopathy, we uncovered an unprecedented role for octopamine in driving the conversion from toxic to neuroprotective astrocytes in the cerebral cortex by fostering aerobic glycolysis. Physiological levels of neuron-derived octopamine act on astrocytes via a trace amine-associated receptor 1–Orai1–Ca
2+
–calcineurin-mediated signaling pathway to stimulate lactate secretion. Lactate uptake in neurons via the monocarboxylase transporter 2–calcineurin-dependent pathway increases ATP and prevents neurodegeneration. Pathological increases of octopamine caused by α-synuclein halt lactate production in astrocytes and short-circuits the metabolic communication to neurons. Our work provides a unique function of octopamine as a modulator of astrocyte metabolism and subsequent neuroprotection with implications to α-synucleinopathies.
ADP enhances the allosteric activation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 kinase by calmodulin
Authors: Piserchio Andrea , Long Kimberly J. , Browning Luke S. , Bohanon Amanda L. , Isiorho Eta A. , Dalby Kevin N. , Ghose Ranajeet
Published: April 2023

Protein translation, one of the most energy-consumptive processes in a eukaryotic cell, requires robust regulation, especially under energy-deprived conditions. A critical component of this regulation is the suppression of translational elongation through reduced ribosome association of the GTPase eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF-2) resulting from its specific phosphorylation by the calmodulin (CaM)-activated α–kinase eEF-2 kinase (eEF-2K). It has been suggested that the eEF-2K response to reduced cellular energy levels is indirect and mediated by the universal energy sensor AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) through direct stimulatory phosphorylation and/or downregulation of the eEF-2K-inhibitory nutrient-sensing mTOR pathway. Here, we provide structural, biochemical, and cell-biological evidence of a direct energy-sensing role of eEF-2K through its stimulation by ADP. A crystal structure of the nucleotide-bound complex between CaM and the functional core of eEF-2K phosphorylated at its primary stimulatory site (T348) reveals ADP bound at a unique pocket located on the face opposite that housing the kinase active site. Within this basic pocket (BP), created at the CaM/eEF-2K interface upon complex formation, ADP is stabilized through numerous interactions with both interacting partners. Biochemical analyses using wild-type eEF-2K and specific BP mutants indicate that ADP stabilizes CaM within the active complex, increasing the sensitivity of the kinase to CaM. Induction of energy stress through glycolysis inhibition results in significantly reduced enhancement of phosphorylated eEF-2 levels in cells expressing ADP-binding compromised BP mutants compared to cells expressing wild-type eEF-2K. These results suggest a direct energy-sensing role for eEF-2K through its cooperative interaction with CaM and ADP.
Social perceptions of /f/ fortition in Guatemalan Spanish
Authors: Baird Brandon
Published: April 2023

Research on Guatemalan Spanish has increasingly shown the effects of contact with Mayan languages. However,
whereas most studies have focused on the structural outcomes of Spanish-Mayan contact, fewer studies have analyzed how native
Guatemalans socially perceive these features and, by extension, those who employ them. This study presents an analysis of one
contact feature of Guatemalan Spanish: the fortition of the voiceless labiodental fricative, or /f/ > [p]. Results of a matched
guise of 116 native listeners of Guatemalan Spanish reveal that [p] guises index speakers as Maya and elicit more negative overt
and covert attitudes than [f] guises. Furthermore, participants who self-identified as Maya were more likely to rate [p] guises as
less prestigious than participants who did not identify as Maya, indicating that the Maya participants may display outgroup
favoritism in order to disassociate themselves with the discrimination and racism that often accompanies their racial identity in
Guatemala.
CD150-dependent hematopoietic stem cell sensing of Brucella instructs myeloid commitment
Authors: Hysenaj Lisiena , de Laval Bérengère , Arce-Gorvel Vilma , Bosilkovski Mile , González-Espinoza Gabriela , Debroas Guilhaume , Sieweke Michael H. , Sarrazin Sandrine , Gorvel Jean-Pierre
Published: April 2023

So far, hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are considered the source of mature immune cells, the latter being the only ones capable of mounting an immune response. Recent evidence shows HSC can also directly sense cytokines released upon infection/inflammation and pathogen-associated molecular pattern interaction while keeping a long-term memory of previously encountered signals. Direct sensing of danger signals by HSC induces early myeloid commitment, increases myeloid effector cell numbers, and contributes to an efficient immune response. Here, by using specific genetic tools on both the host and pathogen sides, we show that HSC can directly sense B. abortus pathogenic bacteria within the bone marrow via the interaction of the cell surface protein CD150 with the bacterial outer membrane protein Omp25, inducing efficient functional commitment of HSC to the myeloid lineage. This is the first demonstration of direct recognition of a live pathogen by HSC via CD150, which attests to a very early contribution of HSC to immune response.
The perspectives and trends of THz technology in material research for future communication - a comprehensive review
Authors: Shi Ling-Feng , Zahid Adnan , Ren Aifeng , Ali Muhammad Zulfiqar , Yue Hong , Imran Muhammad Ali , Shi Yifan , Abbasi Qammer H
Published: April 2023

In recent years, the realm of terahertz (THz) has seen a new paradigm of unprecedented development and offered new possibilities to strengthen the communication sector by studying the dielectric properties of different materials. The aim of this article is to present a comprehensive review of various THz technologies that have been employed to investigate the intrinsic characteristics of different materials. In addition, the study highlights the significance use of THz wave guides with some discussion on sources, and detectors and components. Towards the end, it highlights the future trends of THz technology and the challenges. The paper concludes that THz technology has a promising potential and offer new opportunities for applications in characterization of composite materials.
Nonlinear modes coupling of trapped spin–orbit coupled spin-1 Bose–Einstein condensates
Authors: Wang Jie , Liang Jun-Cheng , Yu Zi-Fa , Zhang An-Qing , Zhang Ai-Xia , Xue Ju-Kui
Published: April 2023

We study analytically and numerically the nonlinear collective dynamics of quasi-one-dimensional spin–orbit coupled spin-1 Bose–Einstein condensates trapped in harmonic potential. The ground state of the system is determined by minimizing the Lagrange density, and the coupled equations of motions for the center-of-mass coordinate of the condensate and its width are derived. Then, two low energy excitation modes in breathing dynamics and dipole dynamics are obtained analytically, and the mechanism of exciting the anharmonic collective dynamics is revealed explicitly. The coupling among spin–orbit coupling, Raman coupling and spin-dependent interaction results in multiple external collective modes, which leads to the anharmonic collective dynamics. The cooperative effect of spin momentum locking and spin-dependent interaction results in coupling of dipolar and breathing dynamics, which strongly depends on spin-dependent interaction and behaves distinct characters in different phases. Interestingly, in the absence of spin-dependent interaction, the breathing dynamics is decoupled from spin dynamics and the breathing dynamics is harmonic. Our results provide theoretical evidence for deep understanding of the ground sate phase transition and the nonlinear collective dynamics of the system.
Design of a photonic crystal fiber polarization beam splitter with simple structure and ultra-wide bandwidth
Authors: Wei 魏 Yun-Peng 云鹏 , Yuan 苑 Jin-Hui 金辉 , Qu 屈 Yu-Wei 玉玮 , Qiu 邱 Shi 石 , Zhou 周 Xian 娴 , Yan 颜 Bin-Bin 玢玢 , Wang 王 Kui-Ru 葵如 , Sang 桑 Xin-Zhu 新柱 , Yu 余 Chong-Xiu 重秀
Published: April 2023

A novel polarization beam splitter (PBS) based on dual-core photonic crystal fiber (DC-PCF) is proposed in this work. The proposed DC-PCF PBS contains two kinds of lattices and three kinds of air holes to form the asymmetrical elliptic dual-core structure. By using the full-vector finite element method, the propagation characteristics of the proposed DC-PCF PBS are investigated. The simulation results show that the bandwidth of the proposed DC-PCF PBS can reach to 340 nm, which covers the S + C + L + U communication bands, the shortest splitting length is 1.97 mm, and the maximum extinction ratio appears near wavelength 1550 nm. Moreover, the insertion loss of the proposed DC-PCF PBS is very low. It is believed that the proposed DC-PCF PBS has important applications in the field of all-optical communication and network.
High power, widely tunable femtosecond MgO:PPLN optical parametric oscillator
Authors: Yang Jinfang , Wang Chong , Ling Weijun , Xue Jingwen , Du Xiaojuan , Wang Wenting , Zhao Yuxiang , Lu Feiping , Li Xiangbing , Song Jiajun , Wang Zhaohua , Wei Zhiyi
Published: April 2023

We demonstrate a high power, widely tunable femtosecond MgO-doped periodically poled lithium niobate (MgO:PPLN) optical parametric oscillator (OPO) at 151 MHz, pumped by a Kerr-lens mode-locked Yb:KGW laser. With a maximum pump power of 7 W, the OPO is capable of delivering as high as 2.2 W of the signal centered around 1500 nm with tunable signal spectrum ranges of 1377 nm–1730 nm at an extraction efficiency of 31.4%, which exhibits a long-term passive power stability better than 0.71% rms over 4 h. The maximum idler bandwidths of 185 nm at 3613 nm are obtained across the idler tuning ranges of 2539 nm–4191 nm. By compensating intracavity dispersion, the signal has the shortest pulse duration of 170 fs at 1428 nm.
Active control of surface plasmon polaritons with phase change materials
Authors: Qi 漆 Yuan-Zhen 元臻 , Jiang 蒋 Qiao 瞧 , Xiang 向 Hong 红 , Han 韩 De-Zhuan 德专
Published: April 2023

Active control of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) is highly desired for nanophotonics. Here we employ a phase change material Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST) to actively manipulate the propagating direction of SPPs at the telecom wavelength. By utilizing the phase transition-induced refractive index change of GST, coupled with interference effects, a nanoantenna pair containing GST is designed to realize switchable one-way launching of SPPs. Devices based on the nanoantenna pairs are proposed to manipulate SPPs, including the direction tuning of SPP beams, switchable SPP focusing, and switchable cosine–Gauss SPP beam generating. Our design can be employed in compact optical circuits and photonics integration.
The Width–Flux Relation of the Broad Iron Kα Line during the State Transitions of the Black Hole X-Ray Binaries
Authors: Shui Hang-Ying , Xie Fu-Guo , Yan Zhen , Ma Ren-Yi
Published: April 2023

The observations of varying broad iron lines during the state transition of the black hole X-ray binaries have been accumulating. In this work, the relation between the normalized intensity and the width of iron lines is investigated, in order to understand better the variation of iron lines and possibly its connection to state transition. Considering the uncertainties due to ionization and illuminating X-rays, only the effects of geometry and gravity are taken into account. Three scenarios were studied, i.e., the continuous disk model, the innermost annulus model, and the cloud model. As shown by our calculations, at given iron width, the line flux of the cloud model is smaller than that of the continuous disk model; while for the innermost annulus model, the width is almost unrelated with the flux. The range of the line strength depends on both the BH spin and the inclination of the disk. We then apply to the observation of MAXI J1631-479 by Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array during its decay from the soft state to the intermediate state. We estimated the relative line strength and width according to the spectral fitting results in Xu et al., and then compared with our theoretical width–flux relation. It was found that the cloud model was more favored. We further modeled the iron line profiles, and found that the cloud model can explain both the line profile and its variation with reasonable parameters.
Preliminary Simulation and Manufacture of a 40-element PAF Prototype for FAST
Authors: Wang Jun , Jin Chengjin , Peng Bo , Zhu Yan
Published: April 2023

This paper presents the preliminary simulation results of the prototype 40-element phased array feed (PAF) array for the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) and the measurement of a manufactured single Vivaldi element. The simulation results include the characteristic of a standalone Vivaldi element. The full-wave simulation of the explicit PAF array is carried out, from which the performance of the embedded elements and the mutual coupling among the elements could be accurately inferred. The performance of the combination of the PAF and the main reflector of FAST is calculated. The results imply that the PAF combined with the FAST antenna could operate over a much wider bandwidth from 650 to 1450 MHz compared with the standalone element. The antenna temperature remains almost the same for zenith angles from 0 to 40°. From the simulation results, the PAF shows good potential to improve the performance of FAST. A measurement of a manufactured Vivaldi element is also presented.
Pulsar Candidate Classification Using a Computer Vision Method from a Combination of Convolution and Attention
Authors: Cai Nannan , Han Jinlin , Jing Weicong , Zhang Zekai , Zhou Dejiang , Chen Xue
Published: April 2023

Artificial intelligence methods are indispensable to identifying pulsars from large amounts of candidates. We develop a new pulsar identification system that utilizes the CoAtNet to score two-dimensional features of candidates, implements a multilayer perceptron to score one-dimensional features, and relies on logistic regression to judge the corresponding scores. In the data preprocessing stage, we perform two feature fusions separately, one for one-dimensional features and the other for two-dimensional features, which are used as inputs for the multilayer perceptron and the CoAtNet respectively. The newly developed system achieves 98.77% recall, 1.07% false positive rate (FPR) and 98.85% accuracy in our GPPS test set.
Sodium Abundances in Very Metal-poor Stars
Authors: Shen Yu-Fu , Alexeeva S. A. , Zhao Gang , Liu Shuai , Zhou Zeming , Yan Hongliang , Li Haining , Chen Tianyi , Xu Xiaodong , Chen Huiling , Zhang Huawei , Shi Jianrong
Published: April 2023

Chemical composition of very metal-poor (VMP) stars can provide observational constraints on current models of nucleosynthesis and the chemical evolution of the Galaxy. It has been found that the scatter of [Na/Fe] versus [Fe/H] in VMP stars is very large in contrast with most other elements. Moreover, a negative slope in [Na/Fe] versus [Fe/H] was found for giants, which is very unlikely according to the theory of nucleosynthesis. For the sample of 93 VMP stars in the metallicity range −4.25 < [Fe/H] < −1.64 we obtained NLTE sodium abundances using the line profile fitting method by employing accurate atmospheric parameters determined when taking into account NLTE line formation for both Fe i and Fe ii. Originally selected from the LAMOST low-resolution spectral database, the spectra of stars were obtained with the High Dispersion Spectrograph of the Subaru Telescope. For 57 turn-off stars in metallicity domain −3.04 < [Fe/H] < −1.64, we obtained mean [Na/Fe] = −0.29 ± 0.14 and positive slope 0.09 ± 0.06. For 21 giants distributed over metallicity −3.59 < [Fe/H] < −2.19, we found mean [Na/Fe] = −0.35 ± 0.1 and positive slope 0.07 ± 0.07. Our [Na/Fe] trend is lower by ∼0.2 dex, compared to the modern GCE model. We believe the GCE model should be adjusted, by considering the associated scatter. Twelve stars in our sample are found to be outliers, with too low or too high Na abundances.
Speedy in-situ magnetic field compensation algorithm for multiple-channel single-beam SERF atomic magnetometers
Authors: Long Tengyue , Song Xinda , Han Bangcheng , Suo Yuchen , Jia Le
Published: April 2023

The currently employed algorithms for the magnetic field compensation of single-beam spin-exchange relaxation-free atomic magnetometers are excessively slow and unstable, which limits the use and commercialization of magnetometer arrays for biological magnetic measurement. This study proposes an improved trisection algorithm (ITSA) to compensate for the magnetic field around the vapor cell in an attempt to resolve these limitations. Through the constant monitoring of the intensity of light emitted from a laser, the proposed algorithm reduces the time required to compensate for magnetic fields to 0.85 s in a single magnetometer, which is nine times faster than the traditional algorithm, and to 26 s in 36-channel magnetoencephalography equipment, which is 15.5 times faster than the traditional algorithm. In addition, an approximately 16% increase in measuring sensitivities is achieved based on the ITSA compared with the traditional algorithm. These improvements can promote the usage efficiency and commercialization of biological magnetic measurement instruments. Furthermore, the ITSA is verified using an experimental setup and the mathematical analysis and comparable experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Research on Two-stage Humidification-dehumidification Heat Pump Desalination System
Authors: Wang Bingdong , Shen Jiubing , Jiang Lele , Wei Wenbin
Published: April 2023

For the humidification-dehumidification desalination unit to perform more efficiently, a two-stage humidification-dehumidification heat pump desalination system was proposed. So as to improve the heat and mass transfer effect between seawater and moist air, the two-stage humidifier was employed to recover the waste heat of seawater discharged from the first stage humidifier. The models of a one-stage and two-stage humidification heat pump seawater desalination system were built using Aspen Plus simulation software. Multi-condition simulation studies were carried out for different inlet seawater temperatures, liquid-gas mass ratios, and refrigerant flow rates of the heat pump. According to the comparative examination of the simulation’s outcomes, it is concluded that: with the increase in inlet seawater temperature and liquid-gas flow ratio, the two-stage humidifier system’s recovery rate and gain output ratio are superior to those of the first-stage humidifier system, and the inlet seawater temperature and circulating airflow needed for the two-stage humidifier system to perform at its best are less demanding than those for the first-stage humidifier system., indicating that the two-stage humidifier dehumidification desalination technology of the heat pump has great performance improvement and a broad application prospect.
Numerical study on the flow field in a supercritical fluid radial inflow turbine volute
Authors: Duan Siyu , Wang Zhongwei , Niu Yaobin , Miao Heyang
Published: April 2023

Due to the axial asymmetry of the volute structure, the circumferential inhomogeneity of the flow at the volute outlet exists, leading to the deviation of the flow in the nozzle and impeller from the ideal state. In this paper, a numerical study of a SCO2-radial inflow turbine is carried out to simulate the flow inside the turbine with the asymmetric and symmetric volute respectively. The results show that the use of a pear-shaped symmetric cross-section volute can effectively reduce the circumferential inhomogeneity of the flow, simplify the vortex structure inside the volute, reduce the flow losses and improve the efficiency of the turbine.
Pretreatment of Mulberry Twig using Nonionic Surfactant-assisted Ionic Liquid for Zymolysis and Subsequent Bioethanol Production
Authors: Ji Gengsheng , Li Qiang , Zhang Jianping
Published: April 2023

A natural cellulosic biomass pretreatment process was established to use ionic liquid (IL) for efficient zymolysis and subsequent bioethanol production, the IL 1, 3-Dimethylimidazolium dimethyl phosphate/Tween-80 ([Mmim][DMP]/T80) was selected in view of its high pretreatment function. The productivity of reducing sugars from mulberry twigs pretreated with the IL at 130°C for 0.33 h reached 74.72% after zymolysis for 48 h, while only a 14.62% conversion rate for the sample pretreated by water. The fermentability character of the hydrolyzate, witdrawn from zymolysis, was fermented into bioethanol using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This kind of microbe could efficiently utilize glucose to produce ethanol with the yield of 0.382 g/g glucose in 30 h fermentation. In conclusion, the ionic liquid pretreatment at low temperatures shows promise as a pretreatment reagent for natural lignocellulosic biomass.
Reactive Power Optimization of Distribution Network with Distributed Power Based on MOPSO Algorithm
Authors: Xu Qianhui , Lan Ying
Published: April 2023

Wind turbine, photovoltaic and other power supply connected to the grid operation brings new critical problems to traditional reactive power optimization. Considering the safety and stability of operation, a reactive power optimization model with two objectives of minimum voltage offset and minimum network loss is established. In MATLAB, the reactive power optimization simulation analysis of the IEEE33 system connected with a wind turbine and photovoltaic is carried out, and the MOPSO algorithm is used to solve the reactive power optimization model. The multi-objective MOPSO algorithm is optimized to improve the stability of power grid operation and reduce the fluctuation of power flow. The network loss is reduced, and the effectiveness of the strategy is verified.
Wind Power Output Fluctuation Analysis Using Improved Motifs Method
Authors: Li Nan , Li Fang , Ma Xue , Qi Mengxue
Published: April 2023

Wind power has been widely utilized to support a considerable proportion of the power supply. However, wind power output is affected by weather and geographic factors to a large extent and therefore has the characteristics of being intermittent and random. To conduct subsequent studies on wind power output forecasting, a proper assessment of wind power output is required. We modified the traditional concept of three-vertex connected motifs from the perspective of magnitude, inspired by complex network and motif theory, and realized the wind power output fluctuation analysis. To testify to the effectiveness of the proposed method, an experiment based on the real-world wind power output of a wind farm was conducted. The network motifs’ distribution of the experimental results was consistent with the real-world wind power output fluctuation, which verified the accuracy of the proposed method.
Health Status Prediction of Lithium Battery Based on LSTM Model with Optimization Algorithms
Authors: Yang Jie , Zou Lin , Wei Yiying , Yuan Pengju , Zhou Chen
Published: April 2023

Consider the current status of health (SOH) of lithium batteries, which presents challenging existing issues of accurately predicting and calculating. In this paper, an LSTM model and multi-optimization algorithm were used to estimate the battery health state. Taking advantage of the fast convergence speed and wide global optimization range of the optimization algorithm, optimized the number of layers and neurons in the LSTM model so the LSTM model was established, used to predict the health status of lithium batteries, and compared with the LSTM model prediction method without optimization. The results showed that the error of the battery health prediction model based on the proposed prediction model was less than 3%, the prediction accuracy was higher than the LSTM model without optimization, and the model had better accuracy and stability.
INFIERI 2021: Hands-on Lab – LiDAR
Authors: Unno Y.
Published: April 2023

LiDAR is an acronym of “Light Detection and Ranging”, which is to measure the
distance to an object (“Ranging”) by detecting the light being reflected (“Light
Detection”).
The "hands-on" lab is made of two sections: (1) overviewing the technology, the
application, and the key devices of LiDAR, and (2) a laboratory where we operate
a LiDAR setup, do calibration, and look into signals in the electronics.
In the section (1), we learn the “basics” of the LiDAR.
In the section (2), we learn “real stuff” by using a LiDAR setup.
We use a simple desktop LiDAR setup developed by Hamamatsu photonics K.K. (HPK),
adapted for the hands-on lab in collaboration with the author.
The LiDAR setup, which is using “cutting-edge” solid-state devices, is a direct
time-of-flight LiDAR equipped with a 905 nm laser diode and a 16-ch MPPC photon
counting image sensor.
The light emitter is a pulsed solid-state laser (PLD) of 905 nm infra-red light.
The light receiver (a photon counting image sensor (PCI)) is a linear-array of
16 channel MPPC (a solid-state photomultiplier) with a readout ASIC.
The setup is also equipped with a visible-light camera, with which we correlate
the visual image with the feature of the LiDAR setup.
In the LiDAR laboratory, we do “aiming” (i.e., calibrate) by
detecting the infra-red laser light, and
correlating visual imaging and LiDAR “ranging”.
We get insight into the LiDAR setup by monitoring time-of-flight (TOF) and
energy (pulse height with time-over-threshold technology (TOT)) signals in the
electronics with an oscilloscope.
Through the process, we learn the real stuff of LiDAR and the issues associated.
Southwest US winter precipitation variability: reviewing the role of oceanic teleconnections
Authors: Karanja J , Svoma B M , Walter J , Georgescu M
Published: April 2023

The current drought plaguing the Southwest US (SWUS) underscores the need for long-term precipitation predictability to inform sustainable planning of future ecological and economic systems. Precipitation predictability requires understanding the teleconnections and intercorrelations of a suite of climate indices that are known to impact the SWUS. However, decision criteria about the selection of El Niño and southern oscillation (ENSO) and non-ENSO indices, definition of winter months, geographical extent, temporal scale, computation of what constitutes a long-term mean, and determination of the study period, have not been systematically examined, yet have important consequences on the appropriate characterization of SWUS winter precipitation predictability. Here, we used Pearson’s correlations, Mann–Kendall tests, descriptive statistics, and principal component analyses to explore the statistical relationships between natural modes of climate variability and observed SWUS precipitation. We found no statistically significant persistent changes in the patterns of precipitation for a suite of SWUS geographical designations. Our results show that the choice of the temporal scale has an important impact on the determination of the strength of the climate signal. We show that ENSO indices were the primary determinants of SWUS precipitation, although inconsistencies persisted depending on the choice of ENSO index, the selection of SWUS geographical designation, and the chosen winter month combination. Non-ENSO indices in isolation were found inadequate to explain SWUS precipitation outcomes. Our analysis also indicates the predictability of SWUS precipitation must consider neutral ENSO events when non-ENSO modes are found to play an important role. We recommend the undertaking of a coordinated multi-decadal suite of numerical modeling experiments that systematically account for the individual and total impacts of this critical set of climate indices to improve understanding of past precipitation outcomes and by extension, improve predictability for a future for which tens of millions of people will require advanced planning.
Navigating Change: Pacific Islanders, Race, Sport, and Pipelines to Higher Education
Authors: Kukahiko Keali'I
Published: April 2023

Tagata Pasifika (Pacific People) is a transnational affiliation whose collective colonial experiences provide island nations of Oceania a means for contestation over local discourses of power and race. Employing the principle of Tagata Pasifika within higher education necessitates recognition of how postsecondary institutions are significant sites of conflict that engender the collective resistance among Pasifika communities for the following reasons: (a) to close the educational opportunity gap between Pasifika communities and spheres of influence—positions of power that dictate policies, social circumstances, and human living conditions; (b) to affirm Pasifika participation in the knowledge production process by developing ontological self-efficacy and decolonizing spaces in higher education that erase and marginalize Pasifika ontologies; and (c) to engage action research as opportunities that enact various forms of sovereignty, such as the ability to participate in cultural practices as authentic and legitimate ways of knowing and being or recognizing Pasifika intellectual participation as a process of action, or inaction, informed by cultural and experiential values. A salient college access point for Pasifika communities is the phenomena of college athletics because Pasifika college football players are 56 times more likely to matriculate to the National Football League. However, low graduation rates—only 11% of Pasifika college football players graduated from the Football Championship Series college division in 2015—have made this “untraditional” pathway an extractive pipeline that provides the National Collegiate Athletic Association membership institutions with athletic labor. Although college athletes continue to have the conditions of their admissions leveraged against them to prevent student resistance/activism, student-athletes have an unprecedented potential for influence in the “post-COVID” landscape of college athletics.
Timurid Commercial Relations with China
Authors: Kauz Ralph
Published: April 2023

Political and commercial relations between the Timurid Empire (1370–1507) and the Ming dynasty (1368–1644) in China are mostly framed by the so-called “tribute system.” It is indeed difficult to investigate and analyze these relations without referring to this theoretical framework. Closely related to this theoretical problem is the difficulty to distinguish between commercial and political interactions because, according to the regulations of the Ming court, private commercial entrepreneurship was closely restricted and merchants were thus forced to guise themselves as “official” envoys or travel in the retinue of real ones. However, during the first decades of the two empires, political relations probably prevailed, especially when the planned military campaign of Timur against China is considered.

Though the first embassies of both sides offered various wares as “tribute” or “presents”—a requisite of any mission—their basic intention was obviously “political” reconnaissance of the other side. This changed after the death of the extremely external-orientated emperor Yongle 永乐 in 1424. After that, the character of the caravans, which traveled almost exclusively from west to east from this year onward, showed a prevalent commercial intention, as far as can be judged from the Chinese texts, the sole source for the topic.

However, the land-based “silk road” was not the only way from the Timurid Empire to China, but the maritime route was also of major importance. The chief terminus in the Persian Gulf, the Princedom of Hormuz, though it never submitted to the Timurid Empire, functioned as an important harbor and emporium. On the maritime route, commercial interests certainly prevailed.
The Bon Religious Practice in Bhutan
Authors: Tashi Kelzang T.
Published: April 2023

Bon in Bhutan is a little-known religious practice despite the ubiquity of its worldview in the Bhutanese way of life. Characterized by animistic and shamanistic practices, Buddhist writings and oral narratives presented Bon as the antithetical religious belief that has existed before the arrival of Buddhism. In the face of being viewed as false and heretical by Buddhist priests for centuries, the heterodox Bon is widely practiced in Bhutan and the Himalayan hinterlands even as it lacks any formal organizations. The core practices of Bon are oriented toward fulfilling this-worldly and pragmatic goals such as replenishing the blessings associated with property and increasing livestock and fertility. The focus upon the worldly goals and the non-existence of a founder, canonical texts, and metaphysical doctrines render Bhutanese Bon uniquely an unreformed and unorganized religious practice that is primarily oral and pertains to the worship of an amorphous body of worldly deities and spirits, which, until recently, involved live animal sacrifices.
Managing Pain Within Vulnerable Populations of Seniors With Chronic Care Issues
Authors: Schofield Patricia
Published: April 2023

The Western world is facing a crisis. The population is aging dramatically, and soon there will be twice as many older adults as younger counterparts. Clearly, there is a high incidence of pain in the older population, and with this comes a significant burden, including falls, frailty, depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, reduced mobility, and impaired cognitive function. Unfortunately, chronic pain in the older population is often neglected and poorly managed for many reasons, including the expectation that pain is part of the aging process and therefore to be expected; poor assessment practices, hampered by communication problems; limited time for a comprehensive assessment to be carried out; fear of prescribing and administering drugs; and beliefs held by the older person themselves that they should expect to be in pain and therefore do not report it. All of these issues can be addressed with appropriate education and training to enable staff to appropriately apply evidence-based guidelines and effectively manage pain.