bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bias in machine learning models can be significantly mitigated by careful training: Evidence from neuroimaging studies
Authors: Wang Rongguang , Chaudhari Pratik , Davatzikos Christos
Published: January 2023

Despite the great promise that machine learning has offered in many fields of medicine, it has also raised concerns about potential biases and poor generalization across genders, age distributions, races and ethnicities, hospitals, and data acquisition equipment and protocols. In the current study, and in the context of three brain diseases, we provide evidence which suggests that when properly trained, machine learning models can generalize well across diverse conditions and do not necessarily suffer from bias. Specifically, by using multistudy magnetic resonance imaging consortia for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorder, we find that well-trained models have a high area-under-the-curve (AUC) on subjects across different subgroups pertaining to attributes such as gender, age, racial groups and different clinical studies and are unbiased under multiple fairness metrics such as demographic parity difference, equalized odds difference, equal opportunity difference, etc. We find that models that incorporate multisource data from demographic, clinical, genetic factors, and cognitive scores are also unbiased. These models have a better predictive AUC across subgroups than those trained only with imaging features, but there are also situations when these additional features do not help.
Adaptive control is reversed between hands after left hemisphere stroke and lost following right hemisphere stroke
Authors: Varghese Rini , Gordon James , Sainburg Robert L. , Winstein Carolee J. , Schweighofer Nicolas
Published: January 2023

Human motor adaptability is of utmost utility after neurologic injury such as unilateral stroke. For successful adaptive control of movements, the nervous system must learn to correctly identify the source of a movement error and predictively compensate for this error. The current understanding is that in bimanual tasks, this process is flexible such that errors are assigned to, and compensated for, by the limb that is more likely to produce those errors. Here, we tested the flexibility of the error assignment process in right-handed chronic stroke survivors using a bimanual reaching task in which the hands jointly controlled a single cursor. We predicted that the nondominant left hand in neurotypical adults and the paretic hand in chronic stroke survivors will be more responsible for cursor errors and will compensate more within a trial and learn more from trial to trial. We found that in neurotypical adults, the nondominant left hand does compensate more than the right hand within a trial but learns less trial-to-trial. After a left hemisphere stroke, the paretic right hand compensates more than the nonparetic left hand within-trial but learns less trial-to-trial. After a right hemisphere stroke, the paretic left hand neither corrects more within-trial nor learns more trial-to-trial. Thus, adaptive control of visually guided bimanual reaching movements is reversed between hands after the left hemisphere stroke and lost following the right hemisphere stroke. These results indicate that responsibility assignment is not fully flexible but depends on a central mechanism that is lateralized to the right hemisphere.
Comprehensive refractive manipulation of water waves using electrostriction
Authors: Mouet Valentin , Apffel Benjamin , Fort Emmanuel
Published: January 2023

The control of wave propagation based on refraction principles offers unparalleled possibilities as shown by the striking example of optics. This approach is unfortunately limited for water waves as it relies mainly on variations of the liquid depth which, while controlling the wave velocity, also trigger nonlinearities and damping. In this article, we show experimentally that electrostriction allows to implement extensive refraction-based control of water waves in a precise and contactless manner. The setup consists of an electrode under high voltage placed above the grounded conductive water. The waves propagating under the electrode can be slowed down up to approximately half their speed compared to free propagation. We characterize the Snell–Descartes laws of refraction and the total internal reflection for the water waves. We implement emblematic refraction-based devices such as electrically tunable focusing lenses, waveguides without obstacles, and beam splitters based on frustrated internal reflection to perform interference experiments.
Teasing apart the evolution of lipoprotein trafficking in gram-negative bacteria reveals a bifunctional LolA
Authors: Smith Hannah C. , May Kerrie L. , Grabowicz Marcin
Published: January 2023

The outer membrane (OM) is the defining feature of gram-negative bacteria and is an essential organelle. Accordingly, OM assembly pathways and their essential protein components are conserved throughout all gram-negative species. Lipoprotein trafficking lies at the heart of OM assembly since it supplies several different biogenesis machines with essential lipoproteins. The
Escherichia coli
Lol trafficking pathway relies on an inner membrane LolCDE transporter that transfers newly made lipoproteins to the chaperone LolA, which rapidly traffics lipoproteins across the periplasm to LolB for insertion into the OM. Strikingly, many gram-negative species (like
Caulobacter vibrioides
) do not produce LolB, yet essential lipoproteins are still trafficked to the OM. How the final step of trafficking occurs in these organisms has remained a long-standing mystery. We demonstrate that LolA from
C. vibrioides
can complement the deletion of both LolA and LolB in
E. coli
, revealing that this protein possesses both chaperone and insertion activities. Moreover, we define the region of
C. vibrioides
LolA that is responsible for its bifunctionality. This knowledge enabled us to convert
E. coli
LolA into a similarly bifunctional protein, capable of chaperone and insertion activities. We propose that a bifunctional LolA eliminates the need for LolB. Our findings provide an explanation for why some gram-negative species have retained an essential LolA yet completely lack a dedicated LolB protein.
An endoscopically compatible fast-gelation powder forms Janus-adhesive hydrogel barrier to prevent postoperative adhesions
Authors: Jia Yuanbo , Feng Jinteng , Feng Zhe , Liu Jingyi , Yang Yanshen , Li Xiaokang , Lei Meng , Guo Hui , Wei Zhao , Lv Yi , Xu Feng
Published: January 2023

Postoperative adhesions occur widely in various tissues, bringing the risk of secondary surgery and increased medical burden. Hydrogel barriers with Janus-adhesive ability can achieve physical isolation of adjacent tissues and are therefore considered an ideal solution. However, integrating endoscopic delivery convenience and viscoelastic Janus hydrogel formation remains a great challenge. Here, we present a report of the in situ formation of Janus-adhesive hydrogel barrier using a sprayable fast-Janus-gelation (FJG) powder. We first methacrylate the polysaccharide macromolecules to break the intermolecular hydrogen bonds and impart the ability of rapid hydration. FJG powder can rapidly absorb interfacial water and crosslink through borate ester bonds, forming a toughly adhesive viscoelastic hydrogel. The Janus barrier can be simply formed by further hydrating the upper powder with cationic solution. We construct rat models to demonstrate the antiadhesions efficiency of viscoelastic FJG hydrogels in organs with different motion modalities (e.g., intestine, heart, liver). We also developed a low-cost delivery device with a standardized surgical procedure and further validated the feasibility and effectiveness of FJG powder in minimally invasive surgery using a preclinical translational porcine model. Considering the advantages in terms of therapeutic efficacy, clinical convenience, and commercialization, our results reveal the great potential of Janus-gelation powder materials as a next-generation antiadhesions barrier.
Three Cases of Plagiarism?
Authors: Zack Liesbeth
Published: January 2023

This article discusses four 19th-century textbooks for teaching Egyptian Arabic to foreigners: Nolden’s Vocabulaire français arabe (1844), Zenker’s Vocabulaire phraséologique français-arabe (1854, published under the pseudonym Barthélémy), Sacroug’s The Egyptian Travelling Interpreter (1874) and De Vaujany & Radouan’s Vocabulaire français-arabe (1887). These books display remarkable similarities. They contain, among other subjects, a vocabulary, a grammar, useful Arabic phrases and Egyptian weights and measures. Zenker, Sacroug and De Vaujany & Radouan copied extensively from Nolden’s book without referring to the original source. However, these three textbooks are not exact copies (or, in the case of Sacroug, not an exact translation) of Nolden’s book: although the authors took Nolden’s Vocabulaire as their basis, they also considerably reworked it and added extra materials. In this paper, the contents of the four textbooks are compared in order to determine how the authors treated Nolden’s work, what they added and how they improved it.
Communication strategies, personal adjustments, and need for recovery in employees with hearing loss who receive a communication group-training
Authors: Hoek-Snieders van der Hanneke E. M. , Boymans Monique , Dreschler Wouter A.
Published: January 2023

Purpose

Communication group-trainings are part of current aural rehabilitation practices, but their effect has not yet been investigated systematically in working adults. The purpose of this study was to describe the communication strategies (CS), personal adjustments (PA) and need for recovery (NFR) of employees with hearing loss before and directly after a communication group-training.

Methods

Nine employees were included at two audiological centres that provided a different group-training. Two online questionnaires were completed, at baseline and after completing the training.

Results

Most employees used more adequate CS after the group-training, but there seems to be a difference between the improvement in PA between the centres. No trends towards a decrease in NFR were observed.

Conclusion

It is still challenging to reduce the work difficulties that are encountered by employees with hearing loss. The inter-centre differences point out a need for standardization. Suggestions for improvements are provided and should be further investigated in a larger population.
Hepatocyte apical bulkheads provide a mechanical means to oppose bile pressure
Authors: Bebelman Maarten P. , Bovyn Matthew J. , Mayer Carlotta M. , Delpierre Julien , Naumann Ronald , Martins Nuno P. , Honigmann Alf , Kalaidzidis Yannis , Haas Pierre A. , Zerial Marino
Published: January 2023

Hepatocytes grow their apical surfaces anisotropically to generate a 3D network of bile canaliculi (BC). BC elongation is ensured by apical bulkheads, membrane extensions that traverse the lumen and connect juxtaposed hepatocytes. We hypothesize that apical bulkheads are mechanical elements that shape the BC lumen in liver development but also counteract elevated biliary pressure. Here, by resolving their structure using STED microscopy, we found that they are sealed by tight junction loops, connected by adherens junctions, and contain contractile actomyosin, characteristics of mechanical function. Apical bulkheads persist at high pressure upon microinjection of fluid into the BC lumen, and laser ablation demonstrated that they are under tension. A mechanical model based on ablation results revealed that apical bulkheads double the pressure BC can hold. Apical bulkhead frequency anticorrelates with BC connectivity during mouse liver development, consistent with predicted changes in biliary pressure. Our findings demonstrate that apical bulkheads are load-bearing mechanical elements that could protect the BC network against elevated pressure.
Big bang singularity resolution in quantum cosmology
Authors: Thébault Karim P Y
Published: January 2023

We evaluate the physical viability and logical strength of an array of putative criteria for big bang singularity resolution in quantum cosmology. Based on this analysis, we propose a mutually consistent set of constitutive conditions, which we argue should be taken to jointly define ‘global dynamics’ and ‘local curvature’ big bang singularity resolution in this context. Whilst the present article will focus exclusively on evaluating resolution criteria for big bang singularities in the context of finite dimensional models of quantum cosmology, it is also hoped that the core features of our analysis will be extendible to a more general analysis of criteria for quantum singularity resolution in cosmology and black hole physics.
Energetics and Efimov states of three interacting bosons and mass-imbalanced fermions in a three-dimensional spherical harmonic trap
Authors: Kerin A D , Martin A M
Published: January 2023

We consider a system of three particles, either three identical bosons or two identical fermions plus an impurity, within a three-dimensional isotropic trap interacting via a contact interaction. Using two approaches, one using an infinite sum of basis states for the wavefunction and the other a closed form wavefunction, we calculate the allowable energy eigenstates of the system as a function of the interaction strength, including the strongly and weakly interacting limits. For the fermionic case this is done while maintaining generality regarding particle masses. We find that the two methods of calculating the spectrum are in excellent agreement in the strongly interacting limit. However the infinite sum approach is unable to uniquely specify the energy of Efimov states, but in the strongly interacting limit there is, to a high degree of accuracy, a correspondence between the three-body parameter required by the boundary condition of the closed form approach and the summation truncation order required by the summation approach. This specification of the energies and wavefunctions forms the basis with which thermodynamic variables such as the virial coefficients or Tan contacts, or dynamic phenomena like quench dynamics can be calculated.
Accumulation effect of active species in atmospheric-pressure plasma jet driven by nanosecond high-voltage pulses with MHz pulse repetition rate
Authors: Huang Bangdou , Zhang Cheng , Zhang Chuansheng , Shao Tao
Published: January 2023

With respect to successful applications of pulsed power in gas discharges, the enhanced generation of desired active species and control of plasma parameters as required are always decisive issues. In this study, a bipolar nanosecond high-voltage pulse generator with a maximum pulse repetition rate (PRR) of up to 1 MHz (i.e. a minimum pulse interval of 1 µs) in burst mode is developed, based on the principle of full-bridge converter and pulse transformer. This pulse source is used to generate an atmospheric-pressure plasma jet in Ar + 1%CH4 gas flow, and the influence of pulse intervals (from 1–10 µs) is explored. It is found that the pulse interval can strongly modulate the active species, i.e. a short pulse interval enhances the generation of C2 radial and H atom due to the accumulation effect, when the pulse interval is comparable with their lifetime, while it slightly suppresses the generation of Ar excited states and the energy fraction into electronic excitation. Reduced pulse intervals also prominently increase the energy fraction of vibrational excitation. This study demonstrates how the PRR effectively modulates active species and energy branching and enhances the generation of certain active species in atmospheric-pressure plasma driven by pulsed power.
Femtosecond infra-red laser carbonization and ablation of polyimide for fabrication of Kirigami inspired strain sensor
Authors: Biswas Ratul Kumar , Farid Nazar , Bhatt Bharat Bhushan , Gupta Dipti , O’Connor Gerard M , Scully Patricia
Published: January 2023

Microfabrication of polyimide (PI) with femtosecond laser of wavelength 1030 nm is studied in two process conditions. Firstly, the low power-low scan speed regime is investigated for laser carbonization producing piezoresistive laser induced graphene (LIG). The heat accumulation model is modelled to find the temporal evolution of temperature at the laser focus for a single laser scan. Secondly, the high power-high scan speed regime is studied for laser ablation where clean ablation was observed due to multiphoton absorption. To demonstrate the application of this process, a two-dimensional (2D) LIG based strain sensor is drawn on a Kapton PI sheet using laser carbonization and transformed into a three-dimensional (3D) conformal sensor by cutting into a Kirigami design using laser ablation. The strain in the sensor is calculated from finite element analysis and the gauge factor is 88.58 ± 0.16. This laser process enables the transformation of any 2D PI sheet into a 3D conformal sensor using femtosecond laser, which is useful for wearable sensors and health-monitoring applications. The fabricated sensor is demonstrated used on a knee-joint to monitor real-time tracking of bending and twisting knee movements.
Flow control around a pitching oscillation circular cylinder using a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator
Authors: Uemura Takuma , Komuro Atsushi , Ono Ryo
Published: January 2023

This paper discusses flow control around a stationary and pitching oscillation circular cylinder using a dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator (PA). The pressure on the cylinder surface was measured to determine the lift and drag forces on the cylinder, and the differences between these values were investigated with and without the PA actuations. The results indicated that the time-averaged lift force increased by up to 140% for the 180° rotating cylinder. Additionally, the effect of the PA on the lift-hysteresis curve of the pitching cylinder were evaluated based on the temporal variation in the surface pressure. Moreover, to investigate the effect of the PA on the flow field, smoke wire and LED-PIV methods were used to visualize the flow around the cylinder. The results showed that PA promotes the mixing between the freestream and separated flow which makes the separated shear layer thicker for both stationary and a pitching oscillating cylinder. For the pitching oscillating cylinder, the flow fields modified by PA actuation are different depending on the direction of the rotation of the cylinder. These results indicate that PA enhances the circulation of the flow around the cylinder.
Device geometry dependent deterministic skyrmion generation from a skyrmionium
Authors: Dash Adyashakti , Ojha Brindaban , Mohanty Shaktiranjan , Moharana Ashish Kumar , Bedanta Subhankar
Published: January 2023

A magnetic skyrmionium can be perceived as an association of two magnetic skyrmions with opposite topological charges. In this work, we have investigated the transformation of skyrmionium into multi-skyrmionic states via domain wall pairs in three different devices with variable geometric configurations. The same device geometries are considered for single ferromagnetic layer and synthetic antiferromagnetic system. It is observed that by tuning the current density, deterministic generation of skyrmions is possible via the spin transfer torque. The proposed device is efficiently adjustable to change the number of skyrmions also at room temperature. The results may lead to development of skyrmion-based devices for neuromorphic and unconventional computing.
Apparent activity and specific activity of lanthanides (La, Ce, Nd) decorated Co-MOF derivatives for electrocatalytic water splitting
Authors: Zhang Qi , Xu Bingyan , Sun Kexin , Lang Jihui , Li Ji
Published: January 2023

Lanthanide (Ln) rare Earth (RE) elements are often used to incorporate and regulate the local coordination environment and electronic configuration of transition metal based electrocatalysts for acquiring improved electrocatalytic performance. But for a given pristine electrode, is a Ln element concentrated more on promoting the apparent activity of original electrode or on enhancing its specific activity? To address this issue, Ln (La, Ce and Nd) decorated ZIF-67 derivative electrodes (Ln/Co/NC) were fabricated following with the detailed experimental testing of apparent activity and specific activity of assembled electrodes. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data confirmed that Ce, Nd and La have played their own role in regulating the coordination electronic structure of the surface atoms of the derived Co/NC by forming different types of chemical bonds. Electrochemical (EC) results confirmed that Ce is concentrated more on the apparent activity of derived Co/NC electrode with the smallest overpotential at 50 mA cm−2 (η
50), while Nd contributes more to its reaction kinetic property with the smallest value of Tafel slope in alkaline hydrogen evolution reaction process. But for oxygen evolution reaction, all of La, Ce and Nd deteriorate the apparent activity of the pristine Co/NC electrode. Comparatively, La shows a greater ability to modulate the specific activity of Co/NC with a larger electrochemical active surface area normalized current density, while Nd exhibits the best ability to re-establish the properties of reaction centers. This work illustrates the difference influence of La, Ce and Nd on the apparent activity and specific activity of the ZIF-67 derivative Co/NC electrode. It will do some favors in engineering RE elements modified composite electrodes for EC applications.
Quantum uncertainty: what to teach?
Authors: Tóth Kristóf , Tél Tamás
Published: January 2023

We present a new secondary school teaching method of quantum uncertainties of two-state systems. Intending to be a material teachable in schools, only two-state systems described by real numbers can be considered. An elementary argumentation based on school statistics leads to the identification of the uncertainty of a physical quantity in such systems with the standard deviation of two random variables. We provide a qualitative picture on the state-dependence of the uncertainty, leading to a pictorial representation in the form of four petals of a flower. When considering the product of uncertainty of two essentially different physical quantities we conclude that the general feature: “if the measurement of one of the quantities is certain, the other remains uncertain”, cannot be faithfully expressed by means of an inequality, the product has no lower bound different from zero. The application of techniques used by school materials for teaching quantum physics leads to an exact formula for the state-dependence of the uncertainty valid in any two-state system described by real numbers, in full harmony with the qualitative picture. We compare the two-state case with the celebrated Heisenberg position-momentum uncertainty relation and show that these are both specific facets, but only the Heisenberg relation can be expressed by an inequality. The latter hardly provides any hint on the uncertainties of physical quantities in two-state systems. We conclude that the two-state approach is worth teaching in schools also in relation to the uncertainty relation, even if the Heisenberg relation is not part of the curriculum.
Ultra-fast, high spatial resolution single-pulse scintillation imaging of synchrocyclotron pencil beam scanning proton delivery
Authors: Clark Megan , Ding Xuanfeng , Zhao Lewei , Pogue Brian , Gladstone David , Rahman Mahbubur , Zhang Rongxiao , Bruza Petr
Published: January 2023

Objective. To demonstrates the ability of an ultra-fast imaging system to measure high resolution spatial and temporal beam characteristics of a synchrocyclotron proton pencil beam scanning (PBS) system. Approach. An ultra-fast (1 kHz frame rate), intensified CMOS camera was triggered by a scintillation sheet coupled to a remote trigger unit for beam on detection. The camera was calibrated using the linear (R
2 > 0.9922) dose response of a single spot beam to varying currents. Film taken for the single spot beam was used to produce a scintillation intensity to absolute dose calibration. Main results. Spatial alignment was confirmed with the film, where the x and y-profiles of the single spot cumulative image agreed within 1 mm. A sample brain patient plan was analyzed to demonstrate dose and temporal accuracy for a clinically-relevant plan, through agreement within 1 mm to the planned and delivered spot locations. The cumulative dose agreed with the planned dose with a gamma passing rate of 97.5% (2 mm/3%, 10% dose threshold). Significance. This is the first system able to capture single-pulse spatial and temporal information for the unique pulse structure of a synchrocyclotron PBS systems at conventional dose rates, enabled by the ultra-fast sampling frame rate of this camera. This study indicates that, with continued camera development and testing, target applications in clinical and FLASH proton beam characterization and validation are possible.
Interactive slide selection algorithm and machine learning in psychophysiological memory testing
Authors: Randjelovic Vladimir
Published: January 2023

Objective. To present a new type of concealed information test (CIT) that implements the interactive slide selection (ISS) algorithm and compare its effectiveness with a standard CIT (sCIT). Approach. The ISS algorithm presents slides interactively, based on the analysis of electrodermal activity, while sCIT presents slides in a predefined, sequential order. The algorithm automatically selects irrelevant, relevant, and control slides and presents them at the moment which is physiologically most suitable for electrodermal response detection. To compare the ISS-based CIT (issCIT) and sCIT, two objects, a bag, and a wallet, were presented to 64 participants, 32 of whomwere analyzed with sCIT, and another 32 with issCIT. Main results. The results show that ISS had significantly better true/false predictions (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.01). Also, the number of false positives (FPs) was significantly lower in the issCIT group in comparison with sCIT (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.001). Machine learning (ML) classifiers improved precision from 49% to 79% in the sCIT group (McNemar’s test, p < 0.05), and from 85% to 100% in the issCIT group (McNemar’s test, p < 0.05). The testing time in the issCIT group ranged between 42 and 107 s, while the average was 53 s. In the sCIT group, the testing time was always 330 s. Significance. Under the presented experimental settings, the ISS algorithm obtained significantly better classification results compared to sCIT, while the application of the ML algorithms managed to improve the classification results in both groups reaching a precision of 100%. The ISS algorithm allowed for a much shorter testing time compared to sCIT.
Design and experiment of a new double needle type piezoelectric jetting dispenser
Authors: Zhao Runmao , Lv Siyuan , Chen Gang , Chen Jianneng , Wang Qicheng , Wu Min , Zheng Junjie
Published: January 2023

To improve the performance of piezoelectric (PZT) jetting dispensers in the electronic packaging industry and address the problems of oversized, easily fatigued elastic hinges and low repetition accuracy of conventional PZT jetting dispensers with a compliant mechanism-based lever, a new double needle PZT jetting dispenser prototype was developed. The advantage of the proposed structure over compliant mechanism-based lever was demonstrated by dynamics analysis. Firstly, the design stroke of the needle and the modal state of the dispenser body were analyzed using ANSYS. Secondly, the theoretical model of adhesive injection was established, the fluid pressure change process inside the nozzle during the working cycle of the jetting dispenser was simulated using Fluent, and the effects of the supply pressure and needle stroke on the injection speed of the droplet were investigated. Finally, a test bench was built to conduct the experiment, and the results showed that the supply pressure and the driving signal duty cycle between 20% and 80% were positively correlated with the size of droplet diameter, whereas the driving signal frequency was negatively correlated with the droplet diameter, thereby validating the proposed adhesive injection model. Under the experimental conditions, the highest operating frequency of the designed PZT jetting dispenser was 400 Hz, which is close to the high-frequency level of existing studies, and the minimum droplet diameter obtained was 0.36 mm, which is 0.1–0.2 mm less than that of the existing PZT jetting dispenser with a compliant mechanism drive, meeting the industry requirements for the working performance of a PZT jetting dispenser.
Displacement sensing with quasi-zero stiffness structure and flexoelectricity
Authors: Gu Haoyu , Ji Hui , Zhang Shuwen , Zhai Chongpu , Xu Minglong
Published: January 2023

Flexoelectricity is a strain-gradient-induced electromechanical coupling effect promising for high-resolution sensing. A novel displacement sensing method is developed based on long-range quasi-zero stiffness and flexoelectricity. The structure of curved beams is geometrically designed by optimizing the mechanical and flexoelectric responses. For the optimal configuration, the predicted load-displacement properties and flexoelectric polarization obtained based on finite element analyses agree well with experimental observations. Within the quasi-zero stiffness range, the exported flexoelectric charge shows significant linearity to structure deformation. This study contributes a novel approach for displacement sensing with the combination of quasi-zero stiffness and flexoelectricity, providing insights into applications of flexoelectricity in functional materials and structures.
Analysis of critical current fluctuations as a means of checking the quality of high-temperature superconductor tape slitting
Authors: Gömöry F , Šouc J , Godár M , Hintze C , Grosse V
Published: January 2023

The patterns of longitudinal Ic
fluctuations in 12 mm wide manufactured high-temperature superconductor tapes are compared with those obtained after slitting the tapes to widths of 6 mm, 4 mm and 3 mm, respectively. In the statistical analysis of Ic
(x) data, the overall critical current, Ic

,ovrl
, was first calculated. In the case of fluctuating critical current, Ic

,ovrl
is lower than the average critical current, Ic

,aver
. Also, the dissipation concentrates in ‘weak spots’ with reduced critical current. A simple model allows us to estimate the thermal runaway current, I

tr
, at which the weakest location would convert to a ‘hot spot’ with rapid increase in temperature. In the prediction of I

tr
, the absolute minimum of the Ic
value, I
cmin, is essential. Then, by comparing the I

cmin
/Ic

,aver
ratio in the slit tapes to that established previously for the manufactured tape, one can deduce if some new defects have been introduced during slitting. It is also interesting to check if the relation between I

tr
and Ic

,ovrl
remains unchanged, because the lower of these two quantities represents the limit of transportable current. We have found a reduction of both I

cmin
/Ic

,aver
and I

tr
/Ic

,ovrl
ratios in those tapes containing the edges of the originally manufactured 12 mm tape. Contrary to our expectations, the most serious drops in slit tapes were not in the same location as in the original tape. However, the systematically better performance of the central strips (the tapes with both edges cut) is a strong indication that the most serious defects are created during manufacturing, close to the tape edges. We conclude that tape cutting by femtosecond laser has not introduced additional non-uniformity. The analysis also shows that the criticality of defects in applications is largely governed by the width of said defects, the cooling conditions and the thickness of the stabilizing layer.
Spectroscopic Time-series Performance of JWST/NIRSpec from Commissioning Observations
Authors: Espinoza Néstor , Úbeda Leonardo , Birkmann Stephan M. , Ferruit Pierre , Valenti Jeff A. , Sing David K. , Rustamkulov Zafar , Regan Michael , Kendrew Sarah , Sabbi Elena , Schlawin Everett , Beatty Thomas , Albert Loïc , Greene Thomas P. , Nikolov Nikolay , Karakla Diane , Keyes Charles , Alves de Oliveira Catarina , Böker Torsten , Pena-Guerrero Maria , Giardino Giovanna , Kumari Nimisha , Manjavacas Elena , Proffitt Charles , Rawle Timothy
Published: January 2023

We report on James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) commissioning observations of the transiting exoplanet HAT-P-14 b, obtained using the Bright Object Time Series (BOTS) mode of the NIRSpec instrument with the G395H/F290LP grating/filter combination (3–5 μm). While the data were used primarily to verify that the NIRSpec BOTS mode is working as expected, and to enable it for general scientific use, they yield a precise transmission spectrum which we find is featureless down to the precision level of the instrument, consistent with expectations given HAT-P-14 b’s small scale-height and hence expected atmospheric features. The exquisite quality and stability of the JWST/NIRSpec transit spectrum—almost devoid of any systematic effects—allowed us to obtain median uncertainties of 50–60 ppm in this wavelength range at a resolution of R = 100 in a single exposure, which is in excellent agreement with pre-flight expectations and close to the (or at the) photon-noise limit for a J = 9.094, F-type star like HAT-P-14. These observations showcase the ability of NIRSpec/BOTS to perform cutting-edge transiting exoplanet atmospheric science, setting the stage for observations and discoveries to be made in Cycle 1 and beyond.
An axial length measurement system based on the VIPA spectrometer
Authors: Li Jinlu , Zhao Shuang , Yang Qiang , Zhou Zhehai , Liu Fangling , Li Zhende , Ling Shuaishuai
Published: January 2023

In the ophthalmology field, the length of the eye axis is an effective way to determine whether the eye is healthy or not. Thus, the accurate measurement of the axial length becomes very important. In this paper, a measurement system for axial length based on a virtual image phase array spectrometer is planned. This system has many advantages, such as short acquisition time, wide spectrum measurement variability, high spectral resolution, etc. With the advantages of it being non-invasive and the fact that it can be used in real time, the optical coherence tomography system can be used to enhance the speed of the interference image spectrum of the cornea and retina. By verifying the effectiveness of the system, eye samples with an axis length of 18–32 mm are measured accurately with a measurement error of ±0.07 mm and a minimum measurement length of around 0.55 mm. The optical power of the incident light entering the sample at a wavelength of 810 nm is measured by an optical power meter to be less than 710 μm, and the power of the reflected light from the sample is 95nW. Based on the data above, the measurement system in this paper is identified as a biometric instrument that complies with internationally accepted safety standards.
An optical analogue for rotating BTZ black holes
Authors: Chen Ling , Zhang Hongbin , Zhang Baocheng
Published: January 2023

We demonstrate an optical realization for the rotating BTZ black hole using the recent popular photon fluid model in an optical vortex but with a new proposed expression for the optical phase. We also give the numerical realization for the optical vortex to ensure that it can be generated experimentally. Different from the earlier suggestions for the analogue rotating black holes, our proposal includes an inner horizon in the analogue black hole structure. Such structure can keep for a long distance for the convenience of observing analogue Hawking or Penrose radiations.
Tunable single-photon nonreciprocal scattering and targeted router in a giant atom-waveguide system with chiral couplings
Authors: Sun Xue-Jian , Liu Wen-Xiao , Chen Hao , Li Hong-Rong
Published: January 2023

We investigate the single-photon scattering properties of a driven three-level giant atom chirally coupled to two waveguides simultaneously in both the Markovian and the non-Markovian regimes. It is shown that under the Markovian limit, the chiral photon-atom interactions enable nonreciprocal scattering in a single waveguide and targeted photon routing with a probability of 100% in two waveguides, while the presence of the driving field and the giant atom structure introduce a more tunable parameter to manipulate the single-photon scattering behaviors. We also examine how the non-reciprocity and routing capability are influenced by the imperfect chirality and the atomic dissipation. In the non-Markovian regime, we show that the scattering behaviors are more complicated. The non-Markovicity induced non-reciprocity and photon routing are demonstrated in this paper. We believe that those results have potential applications in quantum network engineering.
Experimental study of variable density compound water control based on continuous packer——A case study of deep-water HP/HT LS25 gas field in the South China Sea
Authors: Wang Heng , Diao Huan , Xiao Tan , Jiang Donglei , Yu Yi , Li Zhandong , He Yingwei , Zhou Lei , Teng Dan
Published: January 2023

Based on the deep-water high temperature and high pressure LS25 gas field in the Nanhai Reservoir, through the design of heterogeneous formations and the design of water control experimental schemes, physical simulation experiments of different gas reservoir water control processes have been completed, focusing on evaluating the variable density compound water control technology based on continuous packers. In terms of the adaptability of deep-water gas reservoirs, on this basis, combined with the experiment-mine scale conversion method, a water-controlled exploitation plan for deep water high-temperature and high-pressure gas reservoirs is given. The experimental results show that: (1) Under elastic production conditions, the water body of the bottom water in the gas reservoir rises in a “progressive” manner in the initial stage, and generally develops in a “cone progression” in the middle and late stages. (2) There are obvious differences in the effects of various water control processes. A single continuous sealing body has no obvious effect on bottom water control during the gas production period of a gas well, and a single variable density screen process has no obvious effect on water control in the early stage of gas well production. The effect is good, but the risk of water channeling cannot be avoided after the gas well breaks through. The experimental effect of the variable density composite water control process based on the continuous packer is good, and the bottom water coning effect has changed to a certain extent. The experiments show that the water-free gas production period of the composite water control process is 13.7 years, the total gas production time is extended to 15.8 years, the total gas production after water control is as high as 12.37×108m3, and the recovery rate of gas wells is 9.2%, which is higher than that of elastic production. The research results aim to establish an optimal water control development model for high temperature and high-pressure deep water gas reservoirs and provide a good technical support for rational and scientific research on water control in horizontal wells of offshore deep water gas reservoirs.
Research on real-time monitoring and early warning technology of power equipment attitude under foundation settlement conditions
Authors: Tang Shugong , Zhang Xin , Zhang Jiahao , Li Qi , Zhang Xingqiang
Published: January 2023

the rainstorm erosion, soil erosion and other factors will cause the settlement or unbalanced changes of the tower foundation, which will seriously affect the safety of the transmission line operation. This paper takes a 220kV dangerous tower under foundation settlement as the research object, establishes the finite element model of fine tower and foundation, simulates the stress distribution of each part of the tower under the actual foundation settlement condition, and determines the weakest node of the tower and install a monitoring system. Based on the finite element simulation results under various operating conditions, the reliability of the simulation results is obtained, and the early warning is given according to the real-time monitoring results of the system. In addition, the study can guide the stability of poles and towers under foundation settlement conditions.
Research on the business model of Financing of Capitalized Carbon Quota based on blockchain intelligent integrated energy management and control system
Authors: Zhijun Yu , Jinping Tian , Anqiang Zhang , Yan Zhao , Yu Cao , Lyujun Chen
Published: January 2023

The carbon emission trading in China is mainly managed by a centralized system, with too much administrative intervention and a lack transparent trading information. This has led to the inactivity of the carbon trading market. To innovate the carbon market in China and help small and medium-sized carbon reduction enterprises to achieve the “dual carbon” target, the essay firstly launches a research on the intelligent integrated energy control system (including data uploaded to blockchain, data capitalization and carbon pool bank) based on the low-concentration gas treatment project of Shizuishan abandoned coalmine. The system solves the problems of non-transparent data utilization of abandoned coalmine gas and launches the full life circle carbon trace management mechanism for carbon emission and trading. Secondly, based on the energy control system, the Financing of Capitalized Carbon Quota by Blockchain (FCCQB) business model has been proposed for the first time in China to solve the problem of financing difficulties, lack of financing channels and inadequate policy support for small and medium-sized carbon reduction enterprises. The carbon trading market has achieved interconnectivity and high efficiency by the traceable and indispensable characteristics of blockchain. Besides, the FCCQB business model can be promoted in various industrial parks and enterprise gathering areas across the country.
Influences of Tellurite Glass Frits on the Electrical Properties of Silicon Solar Cells
Authors: Xiang Feng
Published: January 2023

In this work, a series of tellurite glass frits has been prepared and used as the silver paste in the Ag electrode of the solar cells. The softening temperature of the glass frits have been characterized by the differential scanning calorimeter. The glass frits G3 has the lowest softening temperature, and the corresponding composition of G3 is 42wt.%TeO2-53wt.% PbO-1wt.%B2O3-4wt.%Bi2O3. The surface and cross-sectional microstructures of Ag electrode and the solar cells have been characterized by the scanning electron microscope. The glass frits with lower softening temperature showed the positive influence due to the dense electrode formation and high strength adhesion force. The electrical properties of the solar cells have been also investigated. The solar cells screen printed the silver paste GP3 had the optimum electrical properties, which can be ascribed to the optimized surface and cross-sectional microstructures of Ag electrode. Therefore, the appropriate tellurite glass frits can well improve the electrical performance of solar cells.
Quadratic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic: merging hotspots and reinfections
Authors: Brandenburg Axel
Published: January 2023

The existence of an exponential growth phase during early stages of a pandemic is often taken for granted. However, for the 2019 novel coronavirus epidemic, the early exponential phase lasted only for about six days, while the quadratic growth prevailed for forty days until it spread to other countries and continued, again quadratically, but with a shorter time constant. Here we show that this rapid phase is followed by a subsequent slow-down where the coefficient is reduced to almost the original value at the outbreak. This can be explained by the merging of previously disconnected sites that occurred after the disease jumped (nonlocally) to a relatively small number of separated sites. Subsequent variations in the slope with continued growth can qualitatively be explained as a result of reinfections and variations in their rate. We demonstrate that the observed behavior can be described by a standard epidemiological model with spatial extent and reinfections included. Time-dependent changes in the spatial diffusion coefficient can also model corresponding variations in the slope.
Optical lattices engineered by vector polarization and multisector amplitude modulation
Authors: Liu Yong , Ding Chenliang , Hu Yifan , Zheng Longchao , Kuang Cuifang
Published: January 2023

Optical lattices have several applications including super-resolution imaging, lithography, and light-tweezers. Compared with the conventional multibeam interference method, optical lattices in a tightly focused light fields are presented by cylindrical vector polarization illumination and multisector amplitude modulation. The polarization and phase difference of the illumination beam, including the size and relative position of the sectors, were analyzed using the vector diffraction theory. The obtained results indicate that the primitive cell shape of optical lattices can be controlled by the polarization direction of the illumination beam when the relative positions of sectors in the amplitude modulation mask are set. In addition, the period and primitive cell shape of optical lattices with hyper or complex constructions can be controlled by the relative positions of sectors, while the optical lattice zone primarily depends on the sector size. By combining polarization and amplitude modulation in a high numerical aperture optical system, these engineered optical lattices are potentially beneficial in expanding their applications.
Small bandwidth ℂ*-actions and birational geometry
Authors: Occhetta Gianluca , Romano Eleonora , Solá Conde Luis , Wiśniewski Jarosław
Published: January 2023

In this paper we study smooth projective varieties and polarized pairs with an action of a one dimensional complex torus. As a main tool, we define birational geometric counterparts of these actions, that, under certain assumptions, encode the information necessary to reconstruct them. In particular, we consider some cases of actions of low complexity—measured in terms of two invariants of the action, called bandwidth and bordism rank—and discuss how they are determined by well known birational transformations, namely Atiyah flips and Cremona transformations.
Affect and Emotions in Social Cognition: How Feelings Influence Thinking
Authors: Forgas Joseph P.
Published: January 2023

Affective states have a profound influence on how people view the world, yet the cognitive consequences of feelings for thinking have received relatively little attention until recently. There is growing evidence that people’s affective reactions have been shaped by evolutionary processes and have an adaptive influence on the way information is processed. There is now extensive evidence for the adaptive benefits of positive and negative affect for the way people think and process social information. Based on recent experimental research, there are two kinds of affective influences: affect congruence, in which an affective state influences the content and valence of thinking, and processing effects, where an affective state has a regulatory influence on the kind of processing strategy adopted. The evidence shows a broad spectrum of affective influences on memory, attention, inferences, associations, and judgments, as well as the way more complex social behaviors are planned and executed. All affective states, including the negative ones, confer significant adaptive benefits, serving as useful inputs to information processing strategies. These experimental findings, and recent theories linking affect and cognition have important practical implications for understanding how affective states influence everyday thinking and behavior.