bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Critical current in wide superconducting films in a weak magnetic field
Authors: Ichkitidze L. P. , Skobelkin V. I. , Shermergor T. D.
Published: December 2024

The critical current Ic and the magnitude of the slope α = |dIc/dH| (H is a weak perpendicular magnetic field) have been studied for different reduced temperatures t in polycrystalline films of niobium and niobium nitride, and also in single-crystal niobium films of thickness ∼100 nm and width 100–300 µm. Maxima were found in the curves of α(t) that decreased with increasing external magnetic field (5 Oe ≤ H ≤ 50 Oe) and shifted towards lower temperatures. It is shown that in the region of reduced temperatures t > 0.9, for niobium films, and t > 0.95 for niobium nitride films, Ic and α are well described by the Kupriyanov–Likhaev edge pinning mechanism.
Vibronic and exciton–phonon interaction in α-nitrogen crystals
Authors: Fugoľ I. Ya. , Stepanenko V. M. , Pritula I. M.
Published: December 2024

The intensity distribution and form of the bands of the absorption spectrum of nitrogen crystals in the region 1500−1200 Å at 6 °K are measured. The electronic-vibrational series constants and the parameters of the interaction of the electron excitation with totally symmetrical intramolecular phonons for the weak transitions αʹπg←XʹΣg+ and ωʹΔu←XʹΣg+ are determined. The single-particle nature of the vibronic excitations and the contribution of the Herzberg–Teller interaction to the intensity are established. In analyzing the structure of separate bands induced by the coupling with crystalline phonons, effects due to the competition between bands and localized states are observed. It is shown that the observed changes in the asymmetry and width of bands as a function of the vibron number can be described in the intermediate exciton-phonon coupling approximation. The width of the exciton bands and the signs of the effective masses of the excitons of the a and w states are estimated.
Low-frequency vibrations of anisotropic films
Authors: Kosevich Yu. A. , Syrkin E. S.
Published: December 2024

We have analyzed the vibrational dispersion curves and the low temperature thermodynamics of strongly anisotropic films of different orientations. We find an interval of temperature in which the total lattice specific heat of a thin film is proportional to T2. The possibility of the experimental observation of such a dependence is discussed.
Resonance absorption of ultrasound in cadmium and zinc
Authors: Volkova L. P. , Tsymbal L. T. , Cherkasov A. N.
Published: December 2024

Doppler-shifted cyclotron resonance DSCR is investigated in the absorption of longitudinal and transverse ultrasound propagating along the [0001] axis in cadmium and zinc. It is found that in Cd DSCR of transverse ultrasound and holes of the “monster” manifests itself in the second band at low frequencies in the form of an anomaly of the “Kjeldaas edge” type, which transforms with increasing frequency into an asymmetric peak typical of strain interaction of the electronic and ionic subsystems. On the other hand, harmonic DSCR is observed over the entire frequency range in the form of distinct asymmetric peaks. Another consequence of DSCR is studied experimentally in cadmium, namely Doppler-phonon resonance, which is induced by the excitation of a hole doppleron. The results are in good agreement with the theoretical and existing experimental data on the electromagnetic spectrum of cadmium. In zinc, along with the absorption peak associated with DSCR of sound and electrons of the reference point of the “lens” in the third band, a series of oscillations is observed, which are periodic in the inverse magnetic field and set in for considerably larger fields (≳ 20 kOe) in transverse ultrasound than in the longitudinal mode (≳ 6 kOe). The frequency and angular variations of the oscillations exhibit a linear behavior and are highly consistent with the hypothesis that these oscillations are the result of interference between electron wave packets due to magnetic breakdown between the first and second bands.
The effect of CO
2
ramping rate on the transient weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
Authors: Hankel Camille
Published: December 2024

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a key component of the global climate that is projected to weaken under future anthropogenic climate change. While many studies have investigated the AMOC’s response to different levels and types of forcing in climate models, relatively little attention has been paid to the AMOC’s sensitivity to the rate of forcing change, despite it also being highly uncertain in future emissions scenarios. In this study, I isolate the AMOC’s response to different rates of CO
2
increase in a state-of-the-art global climate model and find that the AMOC undergoes more severe weakening under faster rates of CO
2
change, even when the magnitude of CO
2
change is the same. I then propose an AMOC-ocean heat transport-sea ice feedback that enhances the decline of the circulation and explains the dependence on the rate of forcing change. The AMOC’s rate-sensitive behavior leads to qualitatively different climates (including differing Arctic sea ice evolution) at the same CO
2
concentration, highlighting how the rate of forcing change is itself a key driver of global climatic change.
Persistent humid climate favored the Qin and Western Han Dynasties in China around 2,200 y ago
Authors: Qin Chun , Yang Bao , Bräuning Achim , Charpentier Ljungqvist Fredrik , Osborn Timothy J. , Shishov Vladimir , He Minhui , Kang Shuyuan , Schneider Lea , Esper Jan , Büntgen Ulf , Grießinger Jussi , Huang Danqing , Zhang Peng , Talento Stefanie , Xoplaki Elena , Luterbacher Jürg , Stenseth Nils Chr.
Published: December 2024

The Qin and Western Han dynasties (221 BCE to 24 CE) represent an era of societal prosperity in China. However, due to a lack of high-resolution paleoclimate records it is still unclear whether the agricultural boost documented for this period was associated with more favorable climatic conditions. Here, multiparameter analysis of annually resolved tree-ring records and process-based physiological modeling provide evidence of stable and consistently humid climatic conditions during 270 to 77 BCE in northern China. Precipitation in the Asian summer monsoon region during the Qin–Western Han Dynasties was ~18 to 34% higher compared to present-day conditions. In shifting agricultural and pastoral boundaries ~60 to 100 km northwestward, possibility up to 200 km at times, persistently wetter conditions arguably increased food production, contributing to the socioeconomic prosperity around 2,200 y ago. A gradual wetting trend in the western part of arid northwestern China since the 1980s resembles the historical climate analogue, suggesting that similar benefits for regional environmental and agricultural systems may reoccur under current climate change, at least in the near term.
RNAi of the elastomeric protein resilin reduces jump velocity and resilience to damage in locusts
Authors: Rogers Stephen M. , Cullen Darron A. , Labonte David , Sutton Gregory P. , Vanden Broeck Jozef J. M. , Burrows Malcolm
Published: December 2024

Resilin, an elastomeric protein with remarkable physical properties that outperforms synthetic rubbers, is a near-ubiquitous feature of the power amplification mechanisms used by jumping insects. Catapult-like mechanisms, which incorporate elastic energy stores formed from a composite of stiff cuticle and resilin, are frequently used by insects to translate slow muscle contractions into rapid-release recoil movements. The precise role of resilin in these jumping mechanisms remains unclear, however. We used RNAi to reduce resilin deposition in the principal energy-storing springs of the desert locust (
Schistocerca gregaria
) before measuring jumping performance. Knockdown reduced the amount of resilin-associated fluorescence in the semilunar processes (SLPs) by 44% and reduced the cross-sectional area of the tendons of the hind leg extensor-tibiae muscle by 31%. This affected jumping in three ways: First, take-off velocity was reduced by 15% in knockdown animals, which could be explained by a change in the extrinsic stiffness of the extensor-tibiae tendon caused by the decrease in its cross-sectional area. Second, knockdown resulted in permanent breakages in the hind legs of 29% of knockdown locusts as tested by electrical stimulation of the extensor muscle, but none in controls. Third, knockdown locusts exhibited a greater decline in distance jumped when made to jump in rapid succession than did controls. We conclude that stiff cuticle acts as the principal elastic energy store for insect jumping, while resilin protects these more brittle structures against breakage from repeated use.
Kiwifruit Bacterial Canker: A Recent Disease for Modern Plant Pathologists
Authors: Danzi Davide
Published: December 2024

In the last century, the kiwi industry developed rapidly and starting from the 1950s, the kiwifruit plant began to be planted throughout the world, almost undisturbed and encouraged by the higher profitability in comparison with other traditional crops until the emergence of the bacterial canker disease caused by
Pseudomonas syringae
pv
actinidiae
(Psa) in the 1980s. The first strain was isolated in Japan, where it caused important damage, while later in Italy, a similar strain was not considered a serious threat. Psa has become a major threat since 2008, when a highly virulent strain was found in Italy. The occurrence of this strain in orchards was accompanied by severe symptoms, which turned into huge yield losses and even plant death. This strain spread rapidly all over the world, threatening local kiwifruit production, particularly in New Zealand, where it had numerous social consequences besides the economic impact. With an important scientific effort, the pathogen population and the principal virulence factors have been described, despite these are not fully understood. Due to the recent development of kiwifruit industry and pathogen emergence, the host-microbe interaction is an almost unique case to investigate pathogen evolution and adaptation to new hosts and environments.

Information

© The Author 2024
Conserved densities of hard rods: microscopic to hydrodynamic solutions
Authors: Powdel Mrinal Jyoti , Kundu Anupam
Published: December 2024

We consider a system of many hard rods moving in one dimension. As it is an integrable system, it possesses an extensive number of conserved quantities and its evolution on a macroscopic scale can be described by generalized hydrodynamics. Using a microscopic approach, we compute the evolution of the conserved densities starting from non-equilibrium initial conditions of both quenched and annealed type. In addition to being reduced to the Euler solutions of the hydrodynamics in the thermodynamic limit, the microscopic solutions can also capture the effects of the Navier–Stokes terms and thus go beyond the Euler solutions. We demonstrate this feature from microscopic analysis and from numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes equation in two problems—first, tracer diffusion in a background of hard rods and, second, the evolution from a domain wall initial condition in which the velocity distribution of the rods is different on the two sides of the interface. We supplement our analytical results with extensive numerical simulations.
Exact loop densities in O(1) dense loop model on a cylinder of odd circumference and clusters in half-turn self-dual critical percolation
Authors: Povolotsky A M , Trofimova A A
Published: December 2024

We consider the O(1) dense loop model in a square lattice wrapped on a cylinder of odd circumference L and calculate the exact densities of loops. These densities of loops are equal to the densities of critical bond percolation clusters on a forty-five-degree rotated square lattice rolled into a cylinder with special boundary conditions which we refer to as half-turn self-dual percolation. The solution is based on a correspondence between the O(1) dense loop model and the six-vertex model at the Razumov-Stroganov point.
Residual physical properties of thermally loaded alkali activated slag
Authors: Keppert M , Pommer V , Kulhavá K , Koňáková D , Vejmelková E , Černý R
Published: December 2024

One of possible application fields of Alkali activated aluminosilicates (AAA) lies in their higher thermal stability compared to Portland cement based systems. AAA may be thermally loaded just moderately (e.g. thermal insulating foams) or more intensively (refractory AAA concrete; ceramics derived from AAA). Thermal loading is obviously causing number of physical and chemical alterations in the material which are reflected by development of functional properties of the material – primarily by its strength. Blast furnace slag is one of the traditional precursors for alkali activated materials. As the first step of the research, the effect of activator composition and dosage (mix of potassium silicate and potassium hydroxide) on the mechanical properties of activated slag was examined in broad range of Si/Al and Al/K ratios. Secondly the selected mixtures were thermally loaded to 200, 600, 800, 1000 and 1200 °C and their residual physical characteristics were determined. The heating to 200 °C caused strengthening of the all materials due to curing of geopolymeric structure. Later, at higher temperatures, the strength decreased alongside with gradual dehydroxylation and shrinkage of the material. However the loading at 1200 °C caused – in some mixtures – significant strengthening due to crystallization of new mineral phases.
A new approach for creating and testing safety components integrated into a robotic cell simulation scenario in a virtual reality environment
Authors: Holubek R , Delgado Sobrino D R , Matúšová M
Published: December 2024

This research paper focuses on novel approaches for testing and debugging various simulation scenarios within robotic workplaces with the integration of various safety components, mainly in the pre-production phase and design of such workplaces. Nowadays, safety components are an integral part of every robotic workplace. Not only legislation but also workplace safety regulates that every single robotic workplace must be equipped with safety components. These components and the implementation of such a robotic workplace represent a significant financial investment. It is the testing of safety components such as safety barriers, traffic lights, central stop button, laser scanner for robotic systems that are very expensive components that significantly increase the overall price of the robotic workplace. It is the possibility of integrating these safety components within a simulation scenario in the ABB RobotStudio software environment and its direct interaction into the immersive VR environment that gives a very good scope for research and deployment of these safety components for robotic systems in order to eliminate the initial financial costs and save overall time in the design phase of new robotic systems with planed integration of the safety components.
Considerations regarding the use of DLC coated tools used in the machining of aluminum alloys used in the aeronautical industry
Authors: Pasca N , Banica M , Butnar L , Nasui V
Published: December 2024

The present paper is intended to be a short presentation of the history of cutting tools coated with DLC diamond coating used in the machining of aluminum alloys used in the aeronautical industry. The authors presents some theoretical considerations regarding the types of DLC coatings, the manufacturing methods, the performance of these types of cutting tools and their specific applications. Also, the evolution of DLC coatings, the advantages and disadvantages of using tools coated with DLC in the machining of aluminum and other metallic materials are presented. Other industries where DLC diamond coatings are used are also synthesized.
Development of a technology for producing an angle bar with variable thickness using resistance welding and roll forming
Authors: Sołtysiak R
Published: December 2024

Various technologies for producing materials and structural parts with variable thickness are known. These technologies consist of several processes, including rolling, stamping, mechanical processing and welding. The sequence and type of processes used to obtain a structural element with variable thickness is related to the specific structural element as well as the type of production. For example, for a specific structural element, the technology for single-unit production will look different from that for mass production. The aim of this work was to develop a technology for mass production of an angle bar with variable thickness using resistance welding and roll forming. The paper presents a numerical analysis of the influence of the profiling tool radius on selected parameters of the variable thickness angle bar profiling process. As a result of the tests, a diagram of a prototype line for the production of an angle bar with variable thickness was proposed.
Evaluation of the prototype Peripheral Electronics Board for the High Granularity Timing Detector
Authors: Ge Zhenwu , Zhang Jie , Zhang Lei ,   the ATLAS HGTD collaboration
Published: December 2024

To mitigate the effects of pileup resulting from increased luminosity during the ATLAS Phase-II upgrade, the High Granularity Timing Detector (HGTD) was proposed to accurately measure the timing of tracks. The Peripheral Electronics Board (PEB) serves as a critical component of the HGTD, functioning as an intermediary between the front-end modules and off-detector electronics. A prototype PEB, designated 1F, was designed and produced by the end of 2023. Extensive evaluations of PEB 1F were conducted in 2024, encompassing both single board tests and collaborative tests with the demonstrator. These assessments well determined the quality of PEB 1F.
How scientists’ collective climate advocacy affects public trust in scientists and voting behavior
Authors: Cologna Viktoria , Freundt Jana , Mede Niels G , Howe Lauren , Bertsou Eri , Gloor Jamie , Oreskes Naomi , Knutti Reto , Schäfer Mike S
Published: December 2024

Scientists increasingly engage in policy advocacy, especially on climate change. Does this advocacy undermine—or bolster—public trust in scientists and support for scientists’ recommendations? We leveraged a unique opportunity to answer this question in a real-world setting: the 2023 referendum for the Swiss climate protection law (CPL), which was supported by a public statement of 252 renowned scientists across disciplines. We conducted a pre-registered, two-wave, quasi-field experiment (n
pre-vote = 1,622, n
post-vote = 891) to test how scientists’ collective support for the law affected public trust in scientists and voting behavior. We found that scientists’ advocacy was associated with greater public trust, particularly among left-leaning individuals; only a minority viewed these scientists as not objective. However, perceptions of scientists’ role in society and policymaking and voting behavior remained largely unaffected when participants were reminded of the CPL advocacy. Although we studied a restrained form of policy advocacy in a somewhat unique setting, our study challenges the widespread assumption that policy advocacy undermines public trust in scientists.
Bath dynamical decoupling with a quantum channel
Authors: Hahn Alexander , Yuasa Kazuya , Burgarth Daniel
Published: December 2024

Bang–bang dynamical decoupling protects an open quantum system from decoherence due to its interaction with the surrounding bath/environment. In its standard form, this is achieved by strongly kicking the system with cycles of unitary operations, which average out the interaction Hamiltonian. In this paper, we generalize the notion of dynamical decoupling to repeated kicks with a quantum channel, which is applied to the bath. We derive necessary and sufficient conditions on the employed quantum channel and find that bath dynamical decoupling works if and only if the kick is ergodic. Furthermore, we study in which circumstances completely positive trace-preserving (CPTP) kicks on a mono-partite quantum system induce quantum Zeno dynamics with its Hamiltonian cancelled out. This does not require the ergodicity of the kicks, and the absence of decoherence-free subsystems is both necessary and sufficient. While the standard unitary dynamical decoupling is essentially the same as the quantum Zeno dynamics, our investigation implies that this is no longer true in the case of CPTP kicks. To derive our results, we prove some spectral properties of ergodic quantum channels, that might be of independent interest. Our approach establishes an enhanced and unified mathematical understanding of several recent experimental demonstrations and might form the basis of new dynamical decoupling schemes that harness environmental noise degrees of freedom.
Modelling eco-friendly behaviour towards environmental performance: a proposition approach
Authors: Azizah Amiril , Wayan Edi Arsawan I , Lina Ni Putu Maha , Kazancoglu Yigit , Koval Viktor , Abdullah Nor’Ain
Published: December 2024

The role of the hospitality industry in environmental conservation efforts has been studied in the existing literature. However, the models built are still separate and in the context of single anchor theory. By conducting content analysis of 500 literatures in the field of environmental reputation, the current study aimed to produces a comprehensive model described in five main propositions for environmental preservation. First proposition revealed about GHRM in encouraging environmental concern, proposition two explain the role of environmental concern in encouraging eco innovation, proposition three integrating eco innovation and sustainable business performance model, proposition four, explaining sustainable business performance model to enhance environmental reputation and legitimacy, and proposition five revealed about possibilities to incorporating anchor theory. The discussion is presented in the paper.
Future shape of eco innovation: Bibliometric analysis and mapping research agenda
Authors: Suryantini Ni Putu Santi , Darmayanti Ni Putu Ayu , Wayan Edi Arsawan I
Published: December 2024

Considering the important for environmental conservation, stakeholders have a responsibility towards conservation efforts. The available literature reveals that environmental performance is influenced by eco innovation and various drivers. However, eco innovation still has various measurements and obstacles in its implementation. The purpose of this study is to map eco innovation in environmental economics literature. By mapping 2,389 articles on a globally reputable database, we found 24 main clusters that can be used as guidelines for conducting future research, relevant topics, and authorship collaborations.
Instrumental and Methodological Framework of State Regulations of Land Use
Authors: Harnaha Oleksandr , Savina Nataliia
Published: December 2024

The article reveals the features of state regulation of land use in terms of economic, ecological and social aspects. The need for cadastral assessment of land plots and its improvement is underlined. The land rent calculation depending on the technological properties of the land is substantiated. Based on the developed evaluation criteria of land use regulation, a sequence of actions to assess the land use efficiency of an agricultural enterprise is suggested. Based on the principles of circular economy the article presents a methodological approach to assessing the efficiency of land use regulation, which is distinguished by taking into account a group of social and environmental parameters, allowing to choose the most balanced standpoint when considering the value of alternative options based on a multifactorial assessment, thereby ensuring the efficiency of managerial decision-making in the sphere of land use state regulation.
Analysis of the Ukraine agricultural companies’ profitability as an indicator of their efficiency in the sustainable development conditions
Authors: Pavelko O , Malchyk M , Knyshek O , Los Z , Kovalchuk Ya , Skakovska S
Published: December 2024

Zero hunger is supposed to be the second of SDG and the activities of the agricultural sector can have the greatest impact on its achievement. Agrarian companies are able to positively influence the achievement of SDG while operating profitably. The financial results of the agricultural sector, whose activities are aimed at ensuring the country’s food security, have deteriorated significantly due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The dynamics of sold products volume and number of agricultural entities, including companies and individual entrepreneurs, in 2015-2022 is analyzed. The directions of using information in terms of profitability by owners of agricultural companies are outlined. The dynamics of companies operating profitability and profitability of all activities in 2015-2022 is studied. The advantages and disadvantages of agricultural holdings as important subjects of the agricultural market are determined. The results of the functioning of the 20 largest companies of the Ukrainian agricultural sector in 2022 are explored. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov criterion, implemented in the Statistica 6.0 program to test the hypothesis that the net income of 33 Ukrainian farms follows the normal distribution law, is used. To test the hypothesis of a lognormal distribution of farm income, the values of net income are prologarithmized. The hypothesis of a lognormal distribution using the Jacques-Bera test and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov criterion is tested. It is established that the values of net income from sales comply with the lognormal distribution law, which is quite close to the Pareto distribution law.
Trace element contents in kaolin: mineralogy and mass-balance constraints during kaolinitization of granite in Belitung, Indonesia
Authors: Yahya Al Hakim Andy , Alif Ikhsan Muhammad , Kusumawati Lina , Shiddiq Abdussalam Muhammad , Syafrizal
Published: December 2024

Mineralogical and geochemical variations of kaolin as a product of the weathered Triassic and Jurassic granite from the Belitung Island provided an opportunity to examine the effects of the source area on compositions of deposits. This study deals with the trace and rare-earth elements in kaolinite deposit from Belitung regions. Field observations along with geochemical and mineralogical observations using electron microscope were summarized to document mineralogy and element mobilization during weathering and alteration of granite. The weathering of the Middle Triassic of Tanjungpandan granite produces kaolinite, muscovite and illite, with minor abundances of quartz and muscovite. Lithium (Li) and rare-earth elements (REE) concentration of these kaolin deposits ranging from 5-40 μg/g Li and up to 980 μg/g REE. Kaolin deposits originates from the Jurassic granite yield lower lithium and REE contents. Spectroscopic study of kaolin samples indicates that strong absorption mostly occurs at wavelengths of 1413, 1914 and 2207 nm. We report mass balance profile and the geochemical affinities to better understand the behaviour of elements and genetic links between kaolinite, Li, REE, and metal associations.
Direct estimation of petrophysical properties from elastic parameter: A Case Study on the Batu Raja Formation
Authors: Pranatikta Krishna A. , Winardhi Sonny , Prastama Rizky A.
Published: December 2024

Rock physics analysis is a method to characterize petrophysical properties of rocks based on their elastic behaviour. However, this approach requires complete information on mineral composition of the matrix, pore-filling fluids, and in-situ conditions of the reservoir. Recently, a new approach was introduced to model the rock physics of clastic sediments using only acoustic impedance (AI) and the ratio between P- and S-wave velocity (Vp/Vs ratio) for predicting fluid saturation and porosity without requiring detailed Voigt-Reuss-Hill and/or Hashin-Shtrikman bounds and Gassmann fluid substitution. In this study, we combine AI and Vp/Vs ratio to form pseudo elastic impedance attributes that based on attribute rotation scheme. We apply the approach to carbonate sediments in the Batu Raja formation. We combined AI and Vp/Vs ratio to produce SCPEI (Simple Curved Pseudo Elastic Impedance) and SPEIL (Simple Pseudo Elastic Impedance for Lithology) attribute to obtain better estimation of water saturation and porosity, respectively. This new approach provides a way of estimating the two main petrophysical properties, namely porosity and water saturation, from elastic properties commonly derived from seismic inversion.
Remote Sensing of Gas Characteristics in 2018 Gamalama Eruption
Authors: Suhermat Mamat , Anarta Draniswari Windi , Santoso Imam
Published: December 2024

The area of Mount Gamalama is located near densely populated settlements and vital objects such as airports and ports. The eruption of Mount Gamalama in 2018 had a significant impact on aviation activities and social activities of the surrounding communities in the eruption area. The eruption caused airport closures and flight cancellations which impacted population mobility and the local economy. In addition, the eruption also caused losses in the agricultural and tourism sectors. The increase in SO2 gas concentration can indicate the presence of magma activity rising to the surface and can be an early indicator for early eruption detection. Additionally, the measurement of gas characteristics can also provide information on gas flow patterns and volcanic ash cloud movement in the atmosphere that can impact human health and safety as well as air transportation. Therefore, measuring gas characteristics using remote sensing technology is important to improve our understanding of volcano behavior and strengthen early warning systems to reduce disaster risks. This study utilized the GEE (Google Earth Engine) platform with Sentinel-5P satellite data to determine SO2 gas characteristics before and after the 2018 Gamalama’s eruption. SO2 gas concentrations from Mount Gamalama’s eruptions can be monitored using Sentinel-5P satellite imagery. The highest SO2 levels are observed at the crater, with the distribution affected by factors such as data collection timing, wind direction, and volcanic activity.
ANOVA-based performance evaluation of hybrid fibre-reinforced ECC with quarry dust in structural repair applications
Authors: George Mareena , Sathyan Dhanya
Published: December 2024

Engineered cementitious composites (ECC) are high-performance materials known for their exceptional ductility and micro-cracking behaviour due to the inclusion of small percentages of synthetic fibres. This characteristic makes ECC a promising alternative to conventional concrete. However, the high cost of silica sand, a key component of ECC, and the limited availability of polyvinyl alcohol fibres hinder its widespread adoption. Quarry dust powder (QDP), a byproduct of the manufactured sand production process, presents a significant environmental challenge due to its disposal. This study focuses on checking the suitability of quarry dust powder in replacing the silica sand of ECC. Quarry dust powder with particle size <150 μm is added by 5,10,15% by the total weight of the mix and its statistical significance is analysed using ANOVA. Also, the hybridization of fibre is done using 50% Polyvinyl Alcohol fibre (PVA)- 50% Polypropylene fibre (PP) combination and 50% PVA -50% Steel fibre (ST) combination of the total fibre content. The water binder ratio is varied by 0.35,0.32, 0.30.0.28. The acceptability of the ECC is checked by comparing its density, compressive strength, flexural strength, uniaxial tension test and sorptivity test. The repair property of the mix is analysed using bond strength tests like the splitting prism test and slant shear test. The pozzolanic activity of quarry dust powder is analysed using the strength activity index. An optimum mix is determined according to the findings as 10% of the total mix as quarry dust powder, 50% PVA-50%PP combination of total fibre and 0.3 water binder ratio. A surface plot is created using response surface plot to get a graphical representation of all parameters. Interaction plots and main effects plots are used as tools for visualizing and understanding the effects of dependent and independent variables. ANOVA models are developed for each parameter for future research in this area.
Identification and analysis of reference-independent movement event-related desynchronization
Authors: de Melo Gabriel Chaves , Castellano Gabriela , Forner-Cordero Arturo
Published: December 2024

Characterization of the electroencephalography (EEG) signals related to motor activity, such as alpha- and beta-band motor event-related desynchronizations (ERDs), is essential for Brain Computer Interface (BCI) development. Determining the best electrode combination to detect the ERD is crucial for the success of the BCI. Considering that the EEG signals are bipolar, this involves the choice of the main and reference electrodes. So far, no strategy to guarantee signals free of the activity from the reference electrode has achieved consensus among the scientific community. Therefore, mapping the ERD in terms of the spatial distribution of the main and reference electrodes can provide additional perspectives for the BCI field. The goal of this work is to identify subject-specific channels where ERD is temporally coupled to the initiation of an upper-limb motor task. We defined a criterion to determine the presence of the ERD linked to the movement onset and searched, separately for each subject, for the single channel with the most prominent ERD. The search was conducted over all available channels composed by a pair of electrodes, and the selected signals were analyzed according to their temporal and spatial characteristics. We found that alpha- and beta-band ERD temporarily linked to movement onset can be detected in atypical channels (pairs of electrodes) across the scalp. The selected channels were different across subjects. Four ERD temporal patterns were observed in terms of the initiation instant of the ERD. These patterns revealed that the M1 cortex seems to be related to later ERDs. Moreover, they were also associated to different cortical processes related to the motor task. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time these findings are reported. Aiming at BCI development, further experiments with more subjects and with motor-imagery tasks are desirable for more robustness and applicability of these findings.
Printed textile metasurfaces for gain and directivity enhancement
Authors: Kajenski Adria , Strack Guinevere , Khushrushahi Shahriar , Akyurtlu Alkim
Published: December 2024

Wearable printed electronics are of significant recent interest for use in on-body communication devices, including antennas that are readily integrated into textiles using additive manufacturing. Directly printing the device onto textile reduces the need for costly, time-intensive processing steps; however, textile substrates impose design and performance limitations given that the design must be compatible with on-body usage and must also remain below maximum safe radiation levels. Herein, we present a passive solution for improving the performance of a commercial off the shelf omnidirectional antenna using textile metasurfaces. A modular system was developed for gain enhancement and pattern shaping using three metasurface elements with a band stop resonance at 6 GHz, where reflection is used to enhance gain. The versatility of a wearable metasurface is demonstrated for two of the designs which also offer a band pass at 2.4 GHz. Radiation pattern measurements conducted in an anechoic chamber showed that the metasurface achieved a gain improvement of up to 7.2 dB. This methodology enables a wearable, low-profile, passive, and non-destructive system for the improvement of existing wearable communication devices.
NetREm Network Regression Embeddings reveal cell-type transcription factor coordination for gene regulation
Authors: Khullar Saniya , Huang Xiang , Ramesh Raghu , Svaren John , Wang Daifeng
Published: December 2024

Motivation

Transcription factor (TF) coordination plays a key role in gene regulation via direct and/or indirect protein-protein interactions (PPIs) and DNA co-binding to regulatory elements. Single-cell technologies facilitate gene expression measurement for individual cells and cell-type identification, yet the connection between TF coordination and gene regulation of various cell types remains unclear.

Results

To address this, we introduce our innovative computational approach, Network Regression Embeddings (NetREm), to reveal cell-type TF-TF coordination activities for gene regulation. NetREm leverages network-constrained regularization using prior knowledge of PPIs among TFs to analyze single-cell gene expression data, uncovering cell-type coordinating TFs and identifying new TF-target gene candidate links. NetREm’s performance is validated using simulation studies and benchmarked across several datasets in humans, mice, and yeast. Further, we showcase NetREm’s ability to prioritize valid novel human TF-TF coordination links in 9 peripheral blood mononuclear and 42 immune cell sub-types. We apply NetREm to examine cell types in central and peripheral nerve systems (e.g. neuronal, glial, Schwann cells) as well as in Alzheimer’s disease. Top predictions are validated with experimental data from rat, mouse, and human models. Additional functional genomics data helps link genetic variants to TF-TF coordination.

Availability and implementation

https://github.com/SaniyaKhullar/NetREm
Relative contributions of genetic and environmental factors to palatal morphology: a longitudinal twin study
Authors: Giri Jamal , Bockmann Michelle , Brook Alan , Gurr Angela , Palmer Lyle , Brook O’Donnell Matthew , Hughes Toby
Published: December 2024

Objectives

This study aimed to determine the genetic and environmental contributions to phenotypic variations of palatal morphology during development.

Methods

Longitudinal three-dimensional digital maxillary dental casts of 228 twin pairs (104 monozygotic and 124 dizygotic) at primary, mixed, and permanent dentition stages were included in this study. Landmarks were placed on the casts along the midpoints of the dento-gingival junction on the palatal side of each tooth and the mid-palatine raphe using MeshLab. Palatal widths, depths, length, area, and volume were measured using those landmarks. Univariate genetic structural equation modelling was performed on twin data at each stage of dental development.

Results

Except for anterior depth, all palatal dimensions increased significantly from the primary to permanent dentition stages. The phenotypic variance for most of the palatal dimensions during development was best explained by a model, including additive genetic and non-shared environment variance components. Variance in volume and area in the primary dentition stage was best explained by a model including additive genetic, shared environment, and non-shared environment variance components. For posterior palatal depth and width, narrow-sense heritability estimates were above 0.8 for all dental developmental stages. In contrast, heritability estimates for other palatal traits fluctuated during development.

Limitation

This study was limited to twins of European ancestry.

Conclusions

Additive genetic and non-shared environmental factors primarily influenced palatal morphology during development. While the genetic influence on different aspects of the palate varied throughout development, it was particularly strong in the posterior region of the palate and during the permanent dentition stage.
ssMutPA: single-sample mutation-based pathway analysis approach for cancer precision medicine
Authors: He Yalan , Lai Jiyin , Wang Qian , Pan Bingyue , Li Siyuan , Zhao Xilong , Wang Ziyi , Zhang Yongbao , Tang Yujie , Han Junwei
Published: December 2024

Background

Single-sample pathway enrichment analysis is an effective approach for identifying cancer subtypes and pathway biomarkers, facilitating the development of precision medicine. However, the existing approaches focused on investigating the changes in gene expression levels but neglected somatic mutations, which play a crucial role in cancer development.

Findings

In this study, we proposed a novel single-sample mutation-based pathway analysis approach (ssMutPA) to infer individualized pathway activities by integrating somatic mutation data and the protein–protein interaction network. For each sample, ssMutPA first uses local and global weighted strategies to evaluate the effects of genes from mutations according to the network topology and then calculates a single-sample mutation-based pathway enrichment score (ssMutPES) to reflect the accumulated effect of mutations of each pathway. To illustrate the performance of ssMutPA, we applied it to 33 cancer cohorts from The Cancer Genome Atlas database and revealed patient stratification with significantly different prognosis in each cancer type based on the ssMutPES profiles. We also found that the identified characteristic pathways with high overlap across different cancers could be used as potential prognosis biomarkers. Moreover, we applied ssMutPA to 2 melanoma cohorts with immunotherapy and identified a subgroup of patients who may benefit from therapy.

Conclusions

We provided evidence that ssMutPA could infer mutation-based individualized pathway activity profiles and complement the current individualized pathway analysis approaches focused on gene expression data, which may offer the potential for the development of precision medicine. ssMutPA is available at https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=ssMutPA.
Mitogenome comparative analysis of 3 Myotis species endemic to Mexico and detecting selection in OXPHOS genes
Authors: Gutiérrez Edgar G , Ortega Jorge
Published: December 2024

Concerning metabolic demands, powered flight stands out as a mode of locomotion characterized by exceptionally high energy requirements. Bats exhibit distinct anatomical and physiological features associated with flight, prompting the anticipation of adaptive evolution in protein-coding genes within their mitochondrial genomes crucial for the oxidative phosphorylation pathway. In this study, the complete mitogenomes of 3 Myotis species endemic to Mexico were obtained and evaluated to obtain signatures of adaptive evolution in genes encoding mitochondrial proteins. The mitochondrial genomes span 17,147; 17,148; and 17,171 bp in size of M. findleyi, M. vivesi, and M. planiceps, respectively. A phylogenetic analysis focusing on the 13 protein-coding genes supports the delimitation of several clades included in the genus Myotis. Notably, Branch Models propose that Cox1, Cytb, and Nad4 may be subject to more robust purifying selection compared to other mitochondrial genes, while the Nad5 gene likely experiences positive selection pressure. The statistical analysis supports that Branch-Site Models contribute insights into 5 genes featuring amino acid sites potentially under selection pressure. Further analysis revealed episodic diversifying selection in Cox3 and signatures of diversifying/positive selection in 5 genes. This research significantly advances our understanding of the adaptive evolution of mitochondrial protein-coding genes in chiropterans, shedding light on their potential role in sustaining active flight.
Policy effect evaluation under counterfactual neighbourhood intervention in the presence of spillover
Authors: Lee Youjin , Hettinger Gary , Mitra Nandita
Published: December 2024

Policy interventions can spill over to units of a population that is not directly exposed to the policy but are geographically close to the units receiving the intervention. In recent work, investigations of spillover effects on neighbouring regions have focused on estimating the average treatment effect of a particular policy in an observed setting. Our research question broadens this scope by asking what policy consequences would the treated units have experienced under counterfactual exposure settings. When we only observe treated unit(s) surrounded by controls—as is common when a policy intervention is implemented in a single city or state—this effect inquires about the policy effects under a counterfactual neighbourhood policy status that we do not, in actuality, observe. In this work, we extend difference-in-differences approaches to spillover settings and develop identification conditions required to evaluate policy effects in counterfactual treatment scenarios. These causal quantities are policy-relevant for designing effective policies for populations subject to various neighbourhood statuses. We develop several estimators that have desirable properties. We provide an illustrative data application to the Philadelphia beverage tax study.
Labour-Saving or Labour-Demanding? Replicating the Illumination of the 1459 Durandus
Authors: Ikeda Mayumi
Published: December 2024

This paper examines the illumination of a group of ten surviving copies of the Rationale divinorum officiorum of Guillelmus Durandus published by Johann Fust and Peter Schöffer in 1459. It considers the methods employed for replicating the design of the illumination of this group, focusing on the opening page for Book Seven (fol. 140r), a page that uniquely demonstrates several patterns of design. Three related designs, called here Versions A, B, and C, are identified on fol. 140r. Version A is the original design, from which Versions B and C seem to have been created independently. Typically, mechanical methods for transferring designs were used to support and/or speed up the illuminator’s work, but in the Durandus they were employed so rigorously that the process must have hindered the illuminators. The impetus for the adoption of these methods, therefore, must have come from the publishers, whose goal was to produce perfect ‘illuminated facsimiles’.
Repeatability of an extended phenotype: Potential causes and consequences of nest variation in Troglodytes aedon (Northern House Wren)
Authors: Carr Chandler E G , Swanson Zoë M , Reichard Dustin G
Published: December 2024

Construction behavior is an aspect of the extended phenotype that allows organisms to build structures that alter their environments in potentially beneficial ways. Although individuals vary in the expression of this extended phenotype (e.g., structure morphology), the repeatability of construction behaviors remains understudied, especially among free-living populations. Many oviparous taxa construct nests, making them of particular interest because variation in nest architecture may directly affect fitness. Using a free-living, cavity-nesting songbird, Troglodytes aedon (Northern House Wren), as our model, we estimated the contribution of the primary builder (the female) to nest variability by measuring the repeatability of nest morphology between successive clutches. We further examined whether nest morphology was related to the dimensions of the nesting cavity, breeding date, or nest success. We found the composition of the cup lining to be a highly repeatable feature of the nesting female’s nest, although the size and composition of the structural platform appeared more related to the dimensions of the cavity. Nest morphology remained variable throughout the breeding season, showing no significant correlations with breeding date, and it was unrelated to clutch size or offspring survival. Our study suggests that variation in construction behavior is likely the product of multiple factors including the preferences of the builder and physical constraints. The absence of any clear links between construction behavior and fitness indicates that nest morphology is not under strong selection. As a result, diverse female building preferences may explain the extreme among-individual variation in nest structure in this species.