bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The synthesis of tetraarylethylene-based conjugated polymers for the application of fluorescence sensing towards nitroaromatics
Authors: Wu Rentuya , Sun Xiaosong , Dong Wenyue , Li Yanwei , Duan Qian , Fei Teng
Published: September 2024

Two tetraarylethylene-based conjugated polymers were synthesized and they exhibit high sensitivity and selectivity towards 2,4,6-trinitrophenol sensing.
Insights into micro-and nano-zero valent iron materials: synthesis methods and multifaceted applications
Authors: Namakka Murtala , Rahman Md Rezaur , Bin Mohamad Said Khairul Anwar , Muhammad Adamu
Published: September 2024

The growing threat of environmental pollution to global environmental health necessitates a focus on the search for sustainable wastewater remediation materials coupled with innovative remediation strategies.
Mechanism and toxicity assessment of carbofuran degradation by persulfate-based advanced oxidation process
Authors: Zhang Chenxi , Xu Youxin , Chu Bingbing , Sun Xiaomin
Published: September 2024

The advanced oxidation process based on persulfate has been proven to be a promising method for degrading the highly toxic carbamate pesticide carbofuran (CBF).
Iodine/DMSO-catalyzed oxidative deprotection of N-tosylhydrazone for benzoic acid synthesis
Authors: Singhal Rakshanda , Mehra Manish K. , Malik Babita , Pilania Meenakshi
Published: September 2024

An oxidative deprotection approach has been developed using iodine-DMSO system to synthesize carboxylic acid derivatives from N-tosylhydraones, yielding good to excellent results.
Discovery of a polyketide carboxylate phytotoxin from a polyketide glycoside hybrid by β-glucosidase mediated ester bond hydrolysis
Authors: Wang Xin , Kong De-Kun , Zhang Hua-Ran , Zou Yi
Published: September 2024

Investigation of the PKS16 cluster in Fusarium reveals an unusual assembly and inactivation process for polyketide carboxylate phytotoxin biosynthesis from polyketide glycosides and uncovers a rare ester bond hydrolysis function of β-glucosidases.
Particle–wall alignment interaction and active Brownian diffusion through narrow channels
Authors: Bag Poulami , Nayak Shubhadip , Ghosh Pulak Kumar
Published: September 2024

Due to particle–wall alignment interaction, some specific self-propulsion velocity directions are stabilized most against the wall. We show that this alignment effect plays a pivotal role in transport control through narrow channels.
Regulation of dual-atom doped porous carbon towards high-performance capacitive storage devices
Authors: Zou Jizhao , Deng Zhewen , Xu Jingyou , Chen Shunhong , Yu Xin , Wu Hongliang , Zhao Fenglin
Published: September 2024

Zinc ion capacitors show impressive energy storage potential for well-balanced energy and power density, but exploring their implicit energy storage mechanism is crucial and still challenging.
A multifunctional layered Ti3C2Tx/VS2 composite sulfur host for promoting the conversion of lithium polysulfides in lithium–sulfur batteries
Authors: Deng Guisheng , Xi Wen , Zhang Junpu , Zhang Youfang , Wang Rui , Gong Yansheng , He Beibei , Wang Huanwen , Jin Jun
Published: September 2024

A multifunctional sulfur host, Ti3C2Tx/VS2, is developed by incorporating VS2 onto the surface of few-layer Ti3C2Tx using a self-assembly method. A 3D-printed Ti3C2Tx/VS2/S cathode with high sulfur loading achieves high areal capacity.
Shielding effect in the synthesis of Gd-doped copper oxide catalysts with enhanced CO2 electroreduction to ethylene
Authors: Cao Zenan , Chen Zhichao , Sun Hanlei , Yao Shuo , Liu Ziyong , Li Fuli , Yang Xiaobo , Zhou Wei , Fan Jingxin , Wang Hongzhi , Liu Licheng
Published: September 2024

Copper oxide catalysts with controlled Gd doping for enhanced CO2 electroreduction to ethylene were successfully synthesized through a tailored solvent shielding effect.
From structure to function: MOF-based and COF-based catalysts for efficient electrocatalytic H2O2 production via 2e− ORR
Authors: Xu Yan , Sun Zeyu , Fan Shuyan , Han Xinping , Li Ling , Gao Zhu , Wang Cuijuan
Published: September 2024

Overview of the structure and performance of organic framework materials applied in 2e− ORR electrocatalysis.
Acellular dermal matrix hydrogels promote healing of radiation-induced skin injury in a rat model
Authors: Liu Xin , Guo Tian , Huang Zhifeng , Chen Sen , Chen Li , Li Chenyang , Tian Tian , Qian Yerong , Yang Lifei , Xiang Junxi , Liu Qiufang , Liu Peng
Published: September 2024

Using a novel rat model of RISI, the research demonstrates that ADM hydrogel effectively reduces wound area and severity, increases epithelial thickness, and accelerates healing compared to controls.
Surface properties and corrosion protection study of a poly(N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridine) polyelectrolyte-based coating on an electrochemically formed Ti|TiO2 surface
Authors: Katić Jozefina , Nikolić Juraj , Juračić Tea , Klačić Tin , Namjesnik Danijel , Begović Tajana
Published: September 2024

In this study, the surface properties and corrosion behavior of a titanium sample modified with an electrochemically formed oxide layer (Ti|TiO2) and Ti|TiO2 sample coated with poly(N-ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium) cations (PE4VP) were studied.
Chemical abundances in nearby Sun-like stars and the history of the Milky Way disc
Authors: Gondoin P.
Published: September 2024

Context. The properties of nearby stars bear the imprint of the formation and evolution of the Milky Way (MW). Reconstructing its history requires the determination of precise ages for large samples of stars over long periods.

Aims. The present study aims to address the evolution of the MW disc in the region where the Sun and nearby Sun-like stars formed.

Methods. The evolution of the disc composition in that region during the last 6 Gyr was inferred from the mean abundances of various chemical elements in nearby Sun-like stars. Their age was estimated from their mean chromospheric activity index using an empirical age–activity relationship derived from stellar rotation period measurements in intermediate-age open clusters. The mean abundances versus age of the sample stars were compared with chemical evolution models of metal-rich gaseous discs experiencing an infall of pristine gas after a quenching period of star formation.

Results. The chemical composition of the sample stars reveals two distinct evolutionary trends. Light α elements and iron-peak elements show increasing abundances relative to iron with age. In contrast, the abundance ratios of s-process elements decay with age. Models that best fit the mean abundances of the sample stars as a function of age concur to a gas infall and a concomitant burst of star formation that occurred between 6.2 and 5.5 Gyr ago.

Conclusions. This timeline is consistent with a scenario where the first close pericentric passage of the Sagittarius (Sgr) dwarf galaxy ~5.7 Gyr ago induced an infall of metal-poor gas onto the MW disc and a major burst of star formation. The most massive stars that formed in this event rapidly released α elements via type II supernovae explosions, while intermediate-mass stars returned s-process elements on much longer timescales. The first encounter of the Sgr galaxy with the MW played an important role in determining the long-term evolution of the interstellar medium (ISM) composition in the region of the disc where the Sun and Sun-like stars formed, thus explaining the observed correlations between their chemical abundances and their age.
The remarkable microquasar S26: A super-Eddington PeVatron
Authors: Abaroa Leandro , Romero Gustavo E. , Mancuso Giulio C. , Rizzo Florencia N.
Published: September 2024

Context. S26 is an extragalactic microquasar with the most powerful jets ever discovered. They have a kinetic luminosity of Lj ∼ 5 × 1040 erg s−1. This implies that the accretion power to the black hole should be super-Eddington, of the order of Lacc ∼ Lj. However, the observed X-ray flux of this system indicates an apparent very sub-Eddington accretion luminosity of LX ≈ 1037 erg s−1.

Aims. We aim to characterize the nature of S26, explain the system emission, and study the feasibility of super-Eddington microquasars as potential PeVatron sources.

Methods. We first analyze multi-epoch X-ray observations of S26 obtained with XMM-Newton and model the super-Eddington disk and its wind. We then develop a jet model and study the particle acceleration and radiative processes that occur in shocks generated near the base of the jet and in its terminal region.

Results. We find that the discrepancy between the jet and the apparent disk luminosities in S26 is caused by the complete absorption of the disk radiation by the wind ejected from the super-Eddington disk. The nonthermal X-rays are produced near the base of the jet, and the thermal X-rays are emitted in the terminal regions. The radio emission observed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array can be explained as synchrotron radiation produced at the reverse shock in the lobes. We also find that S26 can accelerate protons to PeV energies in both the inner jet and the lobes. The ultra-high energy protons accelerated in the lobes of S26 are injected into the interstellar medium with a total power of ∼1036 erg s−1.

Conclusions. We conclude that S26 is a super-Eddington microquasar with a dense disk-driven wind that obscures the X-ray emission from the inner disk, and that the supercritical nature of the system allows the acceleration of cosmic rays to PeV energies.
Research on hybrid segmentation technologies for postprocessing the lung and trachea CT images
Authors: Zhang Lin , Zhao Xing
Published: September 2024

This paper introduces a systematic method for segmenting the main trachea and bronchioles in lung computed tomography scans. It begins with a stack-based three-dimensional region growth algorithm to outline the main trachea, which is then refined using morphological techniques to improve accuracy. The segmentation of bronchioles is achieved through domain labeling, lung tissue segmentation, adaptive binarization, and inner product analysis. The main trachea and bronchioles are integrated using an operating room (OR) operation and a novel splicing algorithm to form a complete tracheal tree. The method’s accuracy is validated against manual labeling, showing a Dice coefficient of about 0.99, on average, in lung parenchyma segmentation and a segmentation overlap with expert results ranging from 79.89% to 93.31% in lung trachea tree segmentation. This robust methodology is thoroughly tested and validated.
Daytime thermal effects of solar photovoltaic systems: Field measurements
Authors: Cannon Daniel Trevor , Vasel-Be-Hagh Ahmad
Published: September 2024

Numerous gigawatt-scale solar installations will emerge globally within the coming decades, with the global solar installations growing to several hundred million acres by 2050. Understanding such extensive canopies' thermal and mechanical characteristics is crucial to developing an efficient site selection strategy and effective technologies to minimize and mitigate their potential environmental effects. This article shares the findings of a preliminary experimental study that aims to develop this understanding. This scaled, six-month-long field measurement campaign includes five photovoltaic panels instrumented by multiple heat flux, temperature, and humidity sensors, accompanied by wind anemometers and several pyranometers and pyrgeometers to measure incoming and outgoing shortwave and longwave radiations. In this article, the authors only compare fully sunny (no clouds) and completely overcast episodes. The research revealed that a quantitative comparison of upward radiation emitted and reflected by the surface of the panels and the ground using a scaled setup would not represent a utility-scale solar plant. This study also revealed the significant effect of the panels on surface heat flux, surface temperature, and air temperature. The panels also appeared to affect near-surface vertical turbulent heat and momentum fluxes. These effects intensify with increased incoming solar irradiance. Aside from providing a preliminary understanding of the effect of solar panels on surface and near-surface thermal characteristics, this study offers a valuable pool of data for validating computational models and feeding their boundary conditions. We will follow-up on this study by investigating a megawatt-scale solar farm using weather towers and full-scale computational simulations.
Stretchable complementary split-ring resonator using liquid metal and its application for cavity optomagnonics
Authors: Ye Guanqi , Zhu Qian , Xu Changqing , Shi Jianping , Ma Fusheng
Published: September 2024

Split-ring resonators (SRRs) and complementary split-ring resonators (CSRRs) are widely used in microwave devices. Considering its advantages of fluidity, high metallic conductivity, and extreme deformability, liquid metal is expected to enrich the tunability of SRR and CSRR. Here, a stretchable resonator based on CSRR, using liquid metal as the conducting layer and Ecoflex as the dielectric layer, is prepared by 3D printing. From the transmission spectra, we find that the resonant frequency can be continuously tuned from 3.77 to 3.40 GHz by stretching the resonator, which exhibits a stable quality factor, high ductility, excellent stretchability, and linearity. We then study the coupling between magnons in a yttrium iron garnet film and microwave photons in CSRRs. The anti-crossing effects are observed in transmission coefficient spectra by changing either the strength of the magnetic field or the size of the CSRR. The coupling strength g/2π is determined to be 63 MHz at a coupling frequency of 3.77 GHz and magnetic field of 800 Oe. Our findings could promote the development of reconfigurable metamaterials and cavity optomagnonics.
Power quality optimization technology for photovoltaic nanoscale electronic grid-connected systems based on FNN algorithm
Authors: Lu Bing , Chen Hongying , Xu Kebing
Published: September 2024

With the continuous maturity and widespread application of photovoltaic power generation technology, the power quality of photovoltaic grid-connected systems has become a significant factor affecting the power grid’s stability and the lifespan of equipment. This research aims to improve the power quality in photovoltaic nanoscale electronic grid-connected systems. Through in-depth analysis of harmonic problems in grid-connected systems, a harmonic prediction and governance means using a fuzzy neural network algorithm was put forward. To improve the accuracy and adaptability of predictions, the long short-term memory network was combined with a fuzzy neural network to form an improved deep learning model. Comparative experiments confirmed that the research prediction model exhibited advantages in training convergence, prediction accuracy, and various error evaluation indicators, with an accuracy of up to 96.24% and an R2 value as high as 0.9998. It effectively reduced harmonic content by 2.4% and significantly improved the harmonic compensation effect. Based on the above-mentioned model, dynamic compensation governance for harmonics was implemented. By predicting the harmonic content in grid-connected electricity in real-time and taking corresponding measures for compensation, the adverse effects of harmonics on the entire grid-connected system were effectively reduced. The deep learning-based power quality optimization technology developed in this research can accurately predict harmonic problems in photovoltaic nanoscale electronic grid-connected systems. Moreover, it can provide efficient compensation governance solutions and help improve the entire power grid’s energy efficiency and operational stability.
Kinematic modeling and control of orthogonal omnidirectional wheeled two-dimensional conveyor platform
Authors: Liu Kai , Zhang Hui , Zhou Zhiguo , Ma Linhan , Zhou Jian , Lu Shijie
Published: September 2024

This paper proposes an orthogonal omnidirectional wheeled two-dimensional conveyor platform and the inverse kinematic equations based on the cell model and the omnidirectional wheel model are derived, respectively. The two models use the way of the circumcircle of the cargo box and the dot product method to obtain the cell or omnidirectional wheel directly contacted under the cargo box, respectively. This paper uses YOLOV8_OBB and Strong SORT target tracking algorithms to assign tracking IDs to the cargo box and output the box position information. A feedback mechanism for faulty omnidirectional wheels or faulty cells is proposed, where the faulty area is classified as impassable during path planning and the A* path planning algorithm is used for path planning to avoid the faulty area. A visual feedback-based path tracking is adopted to enable timely correction when the cargo box deviates from the established path. The experimental results show that the omnidirectional wheel-based model improves the path-tracking accuracy by 44.52% and reduces the average power consumption by 2.6 times compared to the cell-based model.
Single hollow-core microstructure fiber biosensor for pancreatic cancer diagnosis in terahertz regime
Authors: Gong Jiaqin , Zhang Yani , Guang Zhe , Rahaman Amanur , Xue Jia , Wang Qiuyang , Yao Yiming , Wang Pinna , Wang Yongkang
Published: September 2024

Pancreatic cancer is a kind of malignant tumor that is difficult to detect in its early stages, developing rapidly and with a 5-year survival rate of only 5% to 10%. Therefore early diagnosis and discovery of pancreatic cancer are very important for the successful treatment of the disease. Here, we report a single hollow-core microstructural fiber (SHC-MSF) biosensor based on a ZEONEX substrate, which has been optimized for the early detection of pancreatic cancer biomarkers. The proposed SHC-MSF biosensor adopts a single-aperture structure to increase the contact range with assay analytes to improve the detection sensitivity. Its biosensing performance was numerically analyzed using a finite element method with a perfect matching layer. Numerical results demonstrated that the proposed MSF-biosensor presented ultra-high sensitivity (bilirubin: 105.55%, glucose: 105.34%, creatinine: 105.67%) and negligible confinement loss (bilirubin: 5.52 × 10−14 cm−1, glucose: 1.65 × 10−14 cm−1, creatinine: 5.57 × 10−14 cm−1) in the range of 0.3 ∼ 2.0 THz. Moreover, the SHC-MSF biosensor could selectively detect and distinguish cancer markers of different concentrations in the blood to achieve a more accurate diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Finally, fabrication tolerance analysis of the proposed MSF-biosensor is provided to ensure the feasibility of rapid preparation.
A study on generalized balanced split drift stochastic Runge- Kutta methods for stochastic differential equations
Authors: Nair Priya , Vignesh D
Published: September 2024

To reduce computational complexity, the balanced numerical approximations of the general split drift stochastic Runge-Kutta methods are analyzed. The primary reasons for considering the numerical approximations of these balanced split stochastic Runge-Kutta methods are their improved stability characteristics and lower mean square error compared to other methods. By balancing the drift and diffusion components, the splitting techniques outperform the mean square error over longer time increments. For Ito multi-dimensional stochastic differential equations, we propose a novel family of balanced universal split stochastic Runge-Kutta procedures. The Kronecker product concept is utilized to derive the mean-square stability conditions. We conduct numerical tests to evaluate these methods against an existing weak order 2 split drift method. Ultimately, a specific numerical example validates the theoretical outcomes of the balanced general split stochastic Runge-Kutta procedures.
The shadow and gamma-ray bursts of a Schwarzschild black hole in asymptotic safety
Authors: Shi Yuxuan , Cheng Hongbo
Published: September 2024

The effects and rules of the dimensionless parameter ξ on neutrino annihilation

ν
+

ν

¯

→

e

−

+

e

+

dominated gamma-ray bursts are analysed and investigated within the context of black holes in asymptotic safety. We also computationally model photon orbits around black holes, as photons and neutrinos have the same geodesic equations near black holes. We show that the black hole shadow radius decreases with increasing ξ. Calculations are made to determine the temperature of the accretion disk surrounding the black hole and the ratio

Q

̇

/

Q

̇

Newt

of energy deposition per unit time and compared to that of the Newtonian scenario. The accretion disk temperature peaks at a higher temperature due to quantum gravity corrections, which increases the probability of neutrino emission from the black hole. It is interesting to note that larger quantum gravity effects cause the ratio value to significantly decline. In the neutrino–antineutrino annihilation process, the energy deposition rate is sufficient even while the energy conversion is inhibited because of quantum corrections. Gamma-ray bursts might originate from the corrected annihilation process. Additionally, we examine the derivative

d

Q

̇

/

d
r

about the star radius r. The findings demonstrate that the ratio is lowered by the black hole’s quantum influence. The neutrino pair annihilation grows weaker the more prominent the influence of quantum gravity.
The power supply process of two-way reel cable and the matching of reel tension
Authors: Zhe Xue , Dening Liu , Liwei Wang
Published: September 2024

In this study, the power distribution problem of underground continuous shearer is discussed. The system composition and power supply and distribution process based on the bidirectional cable winding device are expounded. The system composition and working characteristics of the automatic cable winding device are analyzed. The logical relationship between the target distance, cable tension, and pressure control is studied. The control method of the layered cable edge tension is proposed, and the application test is carried out. The results show that the cable winding control system can accurately and closely follow the power supply target, and the control cable tension is below the safe value.
Short-term PV power prediction study based on EEMD-KPCA-LSTM
Authors: Guo Yinhu , Wang Yufang
Published: September 2024

Short-term PV power prediction is important for PV power generation stability and power dispatch. In order to cope with the noise disturbances occurring in PV power generation, this paper proposes a prediction model with an improved algorithm. Firstly, the annual PV data are decomposed by using EEMD to obtain the eigenmode function components; KPCA is used to reduce the dimensionality of the original sequences brought by EEMD, eliminate redundancy, and divide the test set and training set; The LSTM neural network is used to model the multivariate feature sequences in dynamic time to achieve the prediction of PV power. The model compares the prediction model of a single algorithm, and the accuracy of the prediction is improved.
Experimental study on thermal economy of 330 MW subcritical thermal generating unit
Authors: Rong Jun , Cai Bin , Liu Hongwei , Li Fengquan , Li Chengguang
Published: September 2024

To achieve carbon peak and neutrality targets, improve energy efficiency and reduce power generation costs, it is particularly important to study the thermal economy of thermal generating units under variable operating conditions. Taking the 330 MW subcritical thermal generator unit as the research object, based on the deep mining of SIS operation data, combined with the testing of key parameters, the thermal characteristics of the boiler, pipeline and turbine are deeply analyzed, and the key factors of heat loss of the unit are studied. The heat input, loss and output are calculated and counted in detail, the heat balance data relationship of the unit thermal system is established, and the heat utilization and loss of the unit are clarified. The main parameters of the thermal system were calculated and analyzed to study the main reasons affecting coal consumption and corresponding optimization measures. Through the research and analysis of thermal characteristics, heat utilization, and economic indicators of coal consumption, the targeted measures of energy saving and consumption reduction can provide a scientific basis for the daily scientific management and operation of thermal generating units and equipment transformation.
Examination of the Resistance Components of an Energy-Efficient Electric Vehicle
Authors: Pusztai Zoltán , Kőrös Péter , Szauter Ferenc
Published: September 2024

The paper presents a comprehensive examination of measurement-based modelling regarding resistance forces. This work offers a detailed explanation of the experimental techniques employed to measure the resistance forces experienced by a lightweight vehicle. The modelling approach is particularly beneficial for characterizing vehicle with low resistance values. Our investigation encompasses key vehicle motion states, including cornering and straight-line motion, making it greatly useful for optimization purposes. The measurements were conducted in a proving ground and laboratory environment. The road load coefficients can be breakdown into components from total resistance force measurement. Based on breakdown, future vehicle development goals can be addressed with a focus on reducing resistance forces.
Temporal connections between extreme precipitation and humid heat
Authors: Johnson Sophie , Ivanovich Catherine , Horton Radley M , Ting Mingfang , Kornhuber Kai , Lesk Corey
Published: September 2024

Individually, extreme humid heat and extreme precipitation events can trigger widespread socioeconomic impacts which disproportionately affect vulnerable populations. These impacts might become greater when both events occur in close temporal proximity, for example if emergency responses to heat stress casualties are hindered by flooded roads. Improved understanding of the probabilities and physical mechanisms associated with these events’ temporal compounding might uncover causal interrelationships offering avenues for improving early warning systems and projecting changes in a warmer climate. We explore sequential humid heat and rainfall relationships during the local summer season, identifying two classes of temporal relationships. We find that high wet bulb temperature (WBT) anomalies in most mid- to high-latitude and tropical regions are preceded by anomalously low precipitation. In contrast, hot and dry subtropical regions generally experience elevated WBTs during and, to a somewhat lesser extent, before extreme precipitation events. High WBT events are followed by positive precipitation anomalies in many land regions.
Causes on the 2018 record-breaking heatwave in South Korea: compound impacts from recurrent large-scale atmospheric teleconnections
Authors: Kim Hyerin , Choi Nakbin , Lee Myong-In , Tak Sunlae , Cha Dong-Hyun , Min Seung-Ki
Published: September 2024

This study analyzed the causes of the extreme heatwave in East Asia in 2018, which brought a record-breaking event in South Korea in terms of the number of hot days and the intensity in history. Long-lasting atmospheric patterns were observed during the 2018 heatwave, and the patterns were similar to those known as the Pacific–Japan (PJ), circum-global teleconnection (CGT), and Arctic Oscillation (AO) patterns identified in a previous study. In 2018, all three patterns appeared to exhibit a strong positive phase. In particular, the PJ and AO Indices showed the highest values within the analysis period, having a major impact on the heatwave. According to a quantitative analysis through multi-linear regression (MLR) of how much each of the three patterns affects the heatwave, all three patterns of PJ, CGT, and AO have significant effects on the heatwave in Korea. The statistically reconstructed heatwave days (HWD) time series with the three indices by MLR account for 51% of the total variability at the interannual timescale. Especially in 2018, most of the occurred HWD could be restored using the three indices. Also, in 1994, when the three indices had a high peak, the number of HWDs was the second-longest ever, while in 1993, when all three indices had a low peak, the heatwave was the lowest. This study quantitatively examined whether the large-scale extreme heatwave in 2018 greatly increased because of PJ, CGT, and AO. This study suggests that extreme heatwave can occur again if three apparently independent atmospheric patterns appear at once in the future.
AMO footprint of the recent near-surface wind speed change over China
Authors: Li Zhi-Bo , Xu Yang , Yuan Hui-Shuang , Chang Youli , Shen Cheng
Published: September 2024

The continuous reduction in near-surface wind speed (NSWS) before 2010, commonly referred to as ‘stilling’, has been widely observed across land areas in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), though its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we presented robust evidence linking the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) to the stilling over China between 1970 and 2010. Positive AMO phases trigger warming across the NH high-latitudes, weakening the large-scale meridional temperature gradient, and eventually leading to the reduction in NSWS in mid-latitude regions. We confirmed this effect through the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 Decadal Climate Prediction Project and historical simulations, which consistently reproduce the AMO’s impact on NSWS change over China. Additionally, large-ensemble simulations suggest that excluding the contribution of AMO reduces the uncertainty in NSWS trends from 1976 to 2005 by 19%. Our findings underscore the critical footprint of natural internal variability, particularly the AMO, in modulating regional NSWS and highlights its important role in the broader climate system.
Shakespeare and the Law
Authors: Watt Gary
Published: September 2024

Shakespeare and the Law argues that Shakespeare was not primarily concerned with the technical accuracy of law, but with its capacity to generate drama through dispute and playing with rules. Shakespeare employs the rhetorical magic of legal language and performances to conjure playgoers to be a critical jury to events transacted on stage. His poetic sound effects prompt audiences to confer fair hearing. The book’s emphasis on rhetoric as performance is reflected in chapters that structure the book according to elements of performance. These include ‘Stages: Shakespeare’s Legal Time and Place’; ‘Roles: Shakespeare’s Legal Personalities’; ‘Script: Shakespeare’s Legal Language’; ‘Properties: Shakespeare’s Legal Materials’; and ‘Playgoers: Shakespeare’s Judicious Audience’ (addressing the association between sight, hearing, and sound judgment). The concluding chapter scrutinizes ‘Shakespeare’s Justice and Legal Legacy’, observing that Shakespeare’s works have the enduring stability and adaptability we associate with laws, and that judges are fond of quoting him, but that the justice of his works exists principally in their playful challenge to legal categories and rules.
Why Shakespeare and the Law?
Authors: Watt Gary
Published: September 2024

Shakespeare and the Law can be appreciated as cultural phenomena having a similar enduring status and capacity for flexible adaptation to changing social conditions. It can be argued that that they achieve their persuasive power and flexibility through shared recourse to rhetorical performance practices. These practices, which inform the performative elements of legal and playhouse drama, derive from classical sources that were rediscovered and reimagined in the early modern education and culture that lawyers and dramatists had in common. Exemplary of this early modern renaissance in rhetorical education are the practical exercises in trial and disputation conducted by students in the grammar schools, Shakespeare included, and by law students in London’s Inns of Court. Rhetorical practice in controversial dispute and the negotiation of rules and forms is pervasive in Shakespeare’s poetic and dramatic output and demands that we look beyond the obvious ‘law plays’ for a mature appreciation of the legal relevance of Shakespeare’s work.
Stages
Authors: Watt Gary
Published: September 2024

This chapter approaches Shakespeare in the context of his time and place in order to appreciate better how legal influences operate in his poems and plays. With examples from London and England at large, it argues that much of the law of Shakespeare’s time would strike a present-day visitor as belonging more to the medieval mindset than to the modern as having a strong resonance with the pre–printing press legal culture of communal dramatic performance. The chapter shows that the nation was covered in a suffocating quilt of royal, civic, manorial, merchant, maritime, and church authorities represented in central and regional courts attended by justices, officers, lawyers, and members of the public. There is detailed examination of some of these courts and their relation to Shakespeare’s works, as well as a close survey of the legal geography—from prisons to the Inns of Court—of Shakespeare’s London.
Roles
Authors: Watt Gary
Published: September 2024

This chapter is concerned with Shakespeare’s depiction of lawyers, judges, and other officers who make and enforce laws, while noting the curious fact that none of Shakespeare’s plays contains a scene in which a named character who is an actual judge or justice (as opposed to a political or clerical authority) presides over a legal trial according to English law. As well as making direct and indirect reference to specific legal roles, Shakespeare also exploits some stock stereotypes of judges (hypocritical, pompous), lawyers (money-grabbing, verbose), and petty law enforcement officers (stupid, strict), while occasionally going beyond stereotypes to depict lawyers and legal officers—including the humble scrivener or law writer—in ways that border on the sympathetic and even respectful.
Properties
Authors: Watt Gary
Published: September 2024

This chapter appreciates the physical materials of playhouse production (e.g. stage, crown, seal, sword, and book) as realized metaphors. Where a linguistic metaphor carries over its tenor or meaning in a concrete image, a material prop can convey ideas of law and government by a similar metaphorical process. The prop that is tangible to the actors on stage can be held as a figure in the minds of the playgoers. In addition to metaphor, another significant rhetorical figure with special relevance to physical properties of performance is metonymy and the subcategory of metonymy known as ‘synecdoche’ (i.e. the use of a part to represent a whole). We see it, for example, in the use of crown (e.g. Richard II), skull (e.g. Hamlet), ring (e.g. The Merchant of Venice), and throne or ‘state’ (e.g. Henry VIII).
Shakespeare’s Justice and Legal Legacy
Authors: Watt Gary
Published: September 2024

The terms of Shakespeare’s will have left us some points of legal interest, and traces of Shakespeare’s life in the legal record enhance his biography, but Shakespeare as a legal persona has left no lasting mark. We will see in this chapter that attempts have frequently been made to capture Shakespeare’s works in the legal record by means of judicial quotation and allusion. In this way he has achieved a strange and attenuated legal inheritance, but it is argued that his more important gift to the law is the justice inherent in the openness of his works and the breadth and depth of humanity expressed within them. The uncontainable scope of that expression maintains an enduring and salutary challenge to the regulatory ambition of legal rules and categories.
Her Story, in Quotations
Authors: McClure Laura
Published: September 2024

This chapter explores all extant ancient references to Phryne, most of which come from second-century CE author Athenaeus. It notes that the most famous anecdotes in her biography focus on her public nudity, particularly in connection with the Cnidian Aphrodite and her disrobing at her trial. It then discusses the problematic nature of the source material, foremost, that almost nothing survives from the fourth-century CE, including reliable accounts of her trial, and that most of the evidence comes from texts composed hundreds of years after her time and written entirely by men. Scholarly debates for and against the historicity of Phryne are examined. Borrowing the concept of “critical fabulation” from Black feminist theorist Saidiya Hartman, the book aims both to acknowledge the limitations of the source evidence and to foreground possible aspects of her agency by considering her self-fashioning, or the ways she could have helped to shape her own reception.
Tackling Corporate Political Power
Authors: Néron Pierre-Yves
Published: September 2024

This chapter focuses on corporate political activities such as lobbying and involvement in electoral campaigns. Indeed, if corporations are “Islands of conscious power,” they do not simply navigate into “oceans of unconscious coordination,” but within larger political landscapes, which they can also significantly shape and reshape. However, as this chapter shows, these corporate political activities largely represent the political elephant in the CSR room. In order to both diagnose and overcome this neglect, it proposes various theoretical routes to oppose to strong corporate political engagement. Finally, it aims to highlight a further mismatch between our market thinking, in which we like to think about our societies as market-based ones, with corporations as market actors driven by competitive forces within the “rules of the games”; and our corporate societies, in which corporate islands of power significantly shape our political maps.
The Enthronement of Corporations
Authors: Néron Pierre-Yves
Published: September 2024

This chapter aims to draw on some of the lessons learned in the previous chapter to give further levels of sophistication to the claim according to which corporations are not of liberalism, and that we gain by conceptualizing them as conservative orders. It does so by contrasting this interpretation with the neoliberal conception of the firm. It argues that while the neoliberal view represents a powerful strategy to trivialize the fact of power and hierarchy within corporations by essentially denying its very existence, it cannot account for the extraordinary rise of the business firm in our societies, the way it saturates our social imaginaries, what it calls the enchantment of the contemporary business corporation. The chapter argues that only a conservative reading of things can account for this.
Purpose to Action
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

Chapter IV explains the social process from purpose to action and its practical application in social structure, clarifying the concepts of interest, sentiment, and disposition, and how they lead to action. Adam Smith's concepts of prudence, beneficence, and justice are added as features of collective action. Power is analysed to show its nature, function, and distribution in social relations and political structures, especially within the constitutional order. There are five dimensions of action which structure relations between people and officials: restraint, support, participation, vigilance, and criticism. The structure of society is considered, looking at social relations, social spheres, and social fields.
Princely Rule: II
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

Chapter XI looks to the social foundations that support and sustain princely rule, as well as the inherent instabilities. The intricate balance between maintaining order and security, while satisfying the basic needs of the people; the aspiration for more social goods and engagement in governing. The prince’s role in promoting the common good and the balance of power and justification in the eyes of the people. The instabilities of princely rule are stated and analysed, based on sociological understanding. They include: isolation of the prince; concentration of executive and legislative power; subservient judiciary; the lack or selective nature of information; the potential autonomy of the administrative agencies; and finally the limited basis for the people’s engagement, vigilance, and censure.
The Keepers of the Common Good
Authors: Galligan D J
Published: September 2024

Chapter XV reimagines constitutional order, the people’s role in governance. Government is founded on the people's opinions, sentiments, and dispositions of the people, who, while submitting to authority, have influence. A new model of authority is proposed. The people as ‘keepers’ oversee the use of authority. This model begins with the people’s power to elect and dismiss leaders, acknowledges the need for a balance of power across various sites of governance, and emphasises the people’s engagement, vigilance, and right to censure. This chapter places the people at the heart of the constitutional order, celebrating humanity and civility as key to their political involvement, which ensuring the constitutional order serves their well-being, thus redefining the relationship between the people and their officials.
A prehistory of Roman domestic violence
Authors: Beness J Lea , Hillard Tom
Published: September 2024

ASTRACT

Legendary accounts of Rome’s early history are marked by tales of violence between family members. The well-known episodes do not, however, relate to domestic violence as currently understood; rather (where they are not palace intrigue), they are public acts, and are judged in that light. While revelatory neither of the realities of life in the archaic community nor the violence that occurred within the Roman domus, their importance lies in the manner in which the stories were received, revised, and retailed in later eras—and the judgements both implicit and explicit that attached to them. Two themes in particular emerge: the extent to which the public interest (identified with Rome’s inexorable advance) is set at higher value than the pietas and officia associated with the family; and the concomitant heroization of the perpetrators. Finally, the paper highlights an act of domestic violence associated with Rome’s genesis.
Feasibility of Metrological Traceability Implementation Using the Joint Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine Database Entries Including the Fulfillment of “Fit-for-Purpose” Maximum Allowable Measurement Uncertainty
Authors: Panteghini Mauro , Camara Johanna E , Delatour Vincent , Van Uytfanghe Katleen , Vesper Hubert W , Zhang Tianjiao
Published: September 2024

Background

In previous publications, the Task Force on Reference Measurement System Implementation proposed a procedural approach combining a critical review of entries available in the Joint Committee on Traceability in Laboratory Medicine (JCTLM) database with a comparison of this information against analytical performance specifications for measurement uncertainty (MU) and applied it to a group of 13 measurands.

Content

Here we applied this approach to 17 additional measurands, of which measurements are frequently requested. The aims of the study were (a) to describe the main characteristics for implementing traceability and the potential to fulfill the maximum allowable MU (MAU) at the clinical sample level of certified reference materials and reference measurement procedures listed in the JCTLM database; (b) to discuss limitations and obstacles, if any, to the achievement of the required quality of laboratory measurements; and (c) to provide a gap analysis by highlighting what is still missing in the database. Results were integrated with those obtained in the previous study, therefore offering an overview of where we are and what is still missing in the practical application of the metrological traceability concept to 30 common biochemical tests employed in laboratory medicine.

Our analysis shows that for 28 out of 30 measurands, conditions exist to correctly implement metrological traceability to the International System of units and fulfill at least the MAU of the minimum quality level derived according to internationally recommended models. For 2 measurands (serum albumin and chloride), further improvements in MU of higher-order references would be necessary.
Effect of storage conditions on host egg suitability and the reproductive fitness of Oobius agrili (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae), an egg parasitoid of the invasive emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae)
Authors: Quinn Nicole F , Robertson Rebecca R , Duan Jian J
Published: September 2024

Oobius agrili Zhang and Huang (Hymenoptera: Encyrtidae) is an important egg parasitoid of the emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). Methods for laboratory-rearing O. agrili have been developed but its mass-production depends on the continuous production and storage of freshly laid EAB eggs as well as diapaused parasitoid progeny (inside parasitized EAB eggs). The purpose of this study was to determine optimal environmental conditions for long-term storage of host eggs as well as diapaused parasitoid progeny. Fresh host eggs and diapaused parasitoid progeny were stored at two low storage temperatures (1.7 and 12.8 °C) and three levels of relative humidity (low ~31%, medium ~74%, and high ~99.9%) for various length of time (15–270 days) and then evaluated for host egg suitability and the reproductive fitness of stored parasitoid progeny. EAB eggs were stored for approximately 30 days without significant reduction of their viability and suitability to O. agrili parasitism at low storage temperatures under high and medium relative humidity. Neither storage temperature or humidity had any significant effects on adult parasitoid emergence for storage durations of up to 270 days. When storage durations were over 120 days, however, both adult parasitoid longevity and fecundity declined approximately 20–30% across all temperature and humidity treatments. Relevance of findings to mass-production and storage of O. agrili for biocontrol is discussed.
Urban distribution network planning and zoning design based on improved K-means clustering in low carbon background
Authors: Gao Qiang , Yang Zhengdao , Dai Pan , Wang Lei
Published: September 2024

Aiming at the problem that the traditional algorithm is difficult to adapt to the chaotic planning of urban distribution network and the uneven distribution of load points, an improved K-means clustering algorithm based zoning planning method of urban distribution network is proposed. Firstly, considering the effect of the capacity margin on the partition, the weighted factor is introduced to improve the Euclidean distance. Secondly, considering the selection of power supply units according to the distribution characteristics of the substation, the distance between the cluster center and the substation is calculated. Finally, a distribution network zoning planning model with the maximum number of inter-station power supply units and the minimum total Euclidean distance of power distribution as the objective function is constructed. Finally, taking the transformation of a distribution network in Fujian Province as a practical engineering example, the results show that the average difference of load partition obtained by the improved K-means clustering algorithm is reduced by 34.35% compared with the traditional method.