bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A fuel consumption model for mixed traffic flow in multiple connected and autonomous scenarios
Authors: Huang Jianchang , Song Guohua , Wu Yizheng , Zhai Zhiqiang , Zhang Zeyu , Zhang Leqi
Published: March 2023

The potential increase/decrease in energy consumption of traffic operation modes is a hot topic in the studies of connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs), but there are few theoretical studies on the fuel consumption of human driving vehicles (HDVs) and CAV mixed platoon as a result of limited data. Based on the power distribution of light‐duty vehicles, this study developed a fuel consumption model for HDV and CAV mixed platoons by theoretical hypothesis considering the oscillation along with the platoon. Firstly, a vehicle‐specific power (VSP) distribution conforming to normal distribution is constructed with hypothesis‐based VSP standard deviation and constant VSP average value at each speed bin under different platoon arrangement conditions. Then, the fuel factors (mL/km) are calculated by weighted fuel rate (mL/s) according to the VSP distribution. Finally, a library of fuel consumption values for multiple penetration rates, platoon intensities, and speeds was established. In the case, at a speed of 30 km/h, the fuel consumption in the CAV group was reduced by 0.8–5%, 1.9–12.5%, 8.6–12%, and 12.4%, respectively, at the penetration rate of 20%, 50%, 80%, and 100%, compared to the HDV group. The fuel consumption reduction effect of CAV was negatively correlated with the speed.
Robust deadbeat predictive current control of induction motor drives with improved steady state performance
Authors: Zhang Haonan , Zhang Yongchang , Zhu Yeyuan , Wang Xing
Published: March 2023

Conventional deadbeat predictive current control (DBPCC) based on space vector modulation (SVM) shows quick dynamic responses and a good steady‐state performance in induction motor (IM) drives. However, the motor parameters change during operation due to temperature and saturation changes, leading to inaccurate reference voltage vectors and a degraded performance. Furthermore, conventional DBPCC uses a fixed vector sequence of 0127 over the entire speed range, which results in large current harmonics at high modulation indices. To address the above issues, this paper proposes a robust deadbeat predictive current control (RDBPCC) for IM drives. Based on an ultra‐local model, the proposed method updates the input voltage gain and unknown system components online according to the voltage and current of the previous two control cycles. Because the final control expression contains only the measured stator current and voltage values, the model shows a strong robustness. The steady‐state performance is significantly improved by selecting the optimal vector sequence according to the modulation index based on the principle of current harmonic minimization. The experimental results confirm that, compared with conventional vector control and conventional DBPCC, the proposed method achieves a strong parameter robustness and reduces the current total harmonic distortion (THD) by more than 10% and 20% at high‐modulation indices.
Temperature dependence of angular-dependent magnetoresistance in epitaxial Fe(001) film
Authors: Miao Yu , Li Tong , Chen Xiaorui , Gao Cunxu , Xue Desheng
Published: March 2023

Angular-dependent magnetoresistance (ADMR) of an epitaxial Fe(001) film is investigated with current along hard and easy axes in-plane at different temperatures. The temperature dependences of ordinary magnetoresistance (OMR), anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR), and magnetocrystalline anisotropy magnetoresistance (MMR) in ADMR were determined. As temperature decreases, negative OMR and positive AMR with a twofold symmetry show increasing and decreasing amplitudes, respectively. The amplitude of MMR with twofold and fourfold symmetries is almost invariable with both temperature and magnetic field. Meantime, when current was applied at hard and easy axes, MMR contributes an anti-phase signal to ADMR. Our findings of OMR, AMR, and MMR in the Fe(001) ADMR are of great significance to the understanding of magnetoresistance in magnetic films.
Optical properties of AgxCu1–xI alloy thin films
Authors: Krüger Evgeny , Seifert Michael , Gottschalch Volker , Krautscheid Harald , Schnohr Claudia S. , Botti Silvana , Grundmann Marius , Sturm Chris
Published: March 2023

We report on the excitonic transition energy E0 and spin–orbit split-off energy Δ0 of γ-AgxCu1–xI alloy thin films studied by using reflectivity measurements at temperatures between 20 K and 290 K. The observed bowing behavior of the E0 transition as a function of the alloy composition is explained based on first-principles band structure calculations in terms of different physical and chemical contributions within the description of ordered alloys. The spin–orbit coupling is found to increase from a value of 640 meV for CuI to approximately 790 meV for AgI. Furthermore, we show that the temperature-dependent bandgap shift between 20 K and 290 K decreases with increasing Ag-content from 25 meV for CuI to 6 meV for AgI. We attribute this behavior mostly to changes in the contribution of thermal lattice expansion to the bandgap shift.
Heat transfer to proximal cylinders in hypersonic flow
Authors: Patel Monal , Navarro-Martinez Salvador
Published: March 2023

Uncontrolled atmospheric entry of meteors, satellites, and spacecraft components often leads to their partial or complete demise. In this destructive process, driven by hypersonic ablation, reentry objects fragment, interact, and alter each other's aerothermal environment. The effect of these interactions on the heat transfer to the fragments has not been investigated, despite the heat transfer's importance in hypersonic ablation and reentry demise. This study focuses on the numerical investigation of heat transfer to proximal circular cylinders in a thermochemically frozen flow and in two dimensions. First, binary body configurations at Mach numbers 2, 4, and 8 revealed that the heat load and peak heat transfer can be augmented for either or both proximal bodies by +20% to −90% of an isolated body. Second, different clusters of five proximal bodies showed that the heat load to any given body can range from +40% to −90% of an isolated body. Moreover, the average heat load in a cluster is found to vary between +20% and −60% of an isolated body. Intuitively, clusters which are thin in the direction perpendicular to free-stream velocity and long in the direction parallel to the free-stream velocity have their cluster-averaged heat load reduced. In contrast, thick and thin clusters, in directions perpendicular and parallel to the free-stream velocity, are subject to an increased cluster-averaged heat load.
Prediction of gas–water relative permeability in tight rock from movable fluid distribution with nuclear magnetic resonance
Authors: Wang Fuyong , Liu Zhichao , Yue Hui
Published: March 2023

The measurement of the relative permeability in tight rock is challenging due to its ultralow permeability and the time-consuming nature of the experiments. Studying the movable and unmovable fluid distribution and establishing a reliable relative permeability prediction model is an urgent problem to be solved. This paper used nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) to investigate movable and unmovable water distribution in tight sandstone under different centrifugal forces. A new method for predicting gas–water relative permeability in tight rock is established based on movable fluid distribution using the capillary bundle model. The results show that the distribution of movable and unmovable fluids is strongly influenced by the tight rock's pore size distribution and structure. The unmovable fluid saturation increases as the tight rock's permeability and median radius decrease. The nonlinear correlation between the NMR relaxation time and the pore throat size obtained from high-pressure mercury intrusion can be used to derive the pore size of the fluid distribution in tight rocks. The ratio of the movable fluid thickness to pore throat size increases near linearly with the logarithm of the pore throat size. The proposed mathematical model for the prediction of gas-water relative permeability based on movable fluid distribution is verified by comparing with the normalized relative permeability curve measured from experiments. This new model offers an alternative method of estimating the gas–water relative permeability when measurement is unavailable due to the ultralow permeability of the core samples.
Effects of different rearing systems on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and serum biochemical parameters in Gaoyou ducks
Authors: Wang Zhicheng , Zhu Chunhong , Liu Hongxiang , Song Weitao , Tao Zhiyun , Xu Wenjuan , Zhang Shuangjie , Li Huifang
Published: March 2023

Context The rearing system is a critical non-genetic factor that can considerably affect poultry production. Aims This study examined the effects of floor rearing systems (FRS), net rearing systems and cage rearing systems (CRS) on growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality and serum biochemical parameters of Gaoyou ducks. Methods A total of 450 healthy 22-day-old male Gaoyou ducks with similar average bodyweight were randomly divided into the FRS, net rearing systems and CRS groups. The experiment lasted from 22 to 84 days of age. Key results CRS ducks had a higher final bodyweight, average daily feed intake and average daily gain, and a lower feed-to-gain ratio P < 0.05). FRS ducks had higher breast and gizzard yields and shear force, and lower drip loss and abdominal fat content (P < 0.05). Moreover, FRS ducks had significantly lower glucose, total protein and triglyceride, and higher high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (P < 0.05). Conclusions CRS was beneficial to the growth performance of Gaoyou ducks, whereas FRS was beneficial to carcass traits, meat quality and some serum biochemical parameters. Implications The results indicated that the CRS and FRS had their own advantages. Thus, an appropriate rearing system should be selected according to the production target and market demand.
Comparison of dairy cow step activity under different milking schedules
Authors: Hall L. S. , Bryant R. H. , Kuhn-Sherlock B. , Edwards J. P.
Published: March 2023

Context Variations in the number of milkings each day and their timing are becoming increasingly common. How these changes affect cow behaviour is poorly understood. When cows are milked less frequently, their walking to and from the dairy is reduced and their amount of time spent at pasture increases; however, the impact on activity under different milking schedules has not been measured. Aims The objective of this study was to identify any differences in cow walking activity (steps per hour) among three milking frequencies and three milking schedules of 3-in-2 (milking three times in 2 days), at two stages of lactation (34 and 136 days in milk), over a period of 6 weeks. Time spent eating was assessed to help explain differences in activity within a day. Methods Data were collected from five groups of 40 cows (n = 200) milked, as follows: once a day (OAD); twice a day (TAD); 3-in-2 (three groups) at intervals of 12–18–18 h, 10–19–19 h, and 8–20–20 h. All cows were fitted with AfiAct pedometers, which recorded steps per hour. Eight cows in each treatment group were also fitted with CowManager SensOor™ ear tags, which recorded minutes per hour spent eating. Key results Cow steps per hour increased with an increasing milking frequency in both trial periods. When data associated with walking to and from milking were removed, there were still differences in cow step activity. Cows milked OAD took 30% fewer steps than TAD cows. The diurnal pattern of eating time differed between these two trial groups. The effect of milking time among the 3-in-2 trials showed that the shorter the time between the milkings on the day the cows were milked twice, the greater the number of steps per hour. There were graphical eating differences between the 8–20–20 trial group and 12–18–18 trial group on the day that cows were milked twice. Conclusions We conclude that both the number and timings of milkings affect a cow’s step activity and grazing behaviour. Implications Farmers should minimise the amount of time cows spend away from the paddock, especially in the afternoon, to minimise any changes to natural behaviour.
Efficacy of fermented carrot by-product diets on blood profiles, immune responses, and faecal characteristics in fattening pigs
Authors: Chu Gyo Moon , Park Byung Ki
Published: March 2023

Context The agro-industrial by-products are known to be effective in improving the profitability of livestock industry because of the reduction of feed cost due to low supply price and the nutritional characteristics of by-products. Carrots are widely used as food and, thus, produce remarkable amounts of carrot by-products, such as peels and discarded and uncommercialised carrots. Aims This study was conducted to investigate the effect of substituting fermented carrot by-product diets on the blood profiles, immune responses, and faecal characteristics of fattening pigs. Methods Crossed pigs (n = 96, 75.8 kg initial average BW) were divided into eight heads per pen, four diets, and three replications, and were fed an experimental diet for 45 days. Basal diet (C) was substituted with 3% (T1), 6% (T2), and 9% (T3) fermented carrot by-product diets. Key results Although crude protein content in the fermented diet increased at the end of fermentation period (Day 13) compared with the start of the fermentation period (Day 0), the crude fibre content in the fermented diet decreased. Substitution of fermented carrot by-product diet improved the haematic functions of blood due to decreased concentrations of aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and γ-glutamyl transpeptidase, while positively affecting the immunoglobulin G level of serum. Substitution of 6% and 9% fermented carrot by-product diets decreased the emissions of faecal noxious gases such as ammonia, methane, and amine, possibly due to increases in the counts of faecal anaerobic total bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, and yeast. Conclusion Substitution with fermented carrot by-product diets improved the hepatic function of blood and faecal beneficial microflora, while decreasing noxious gas emission and faecal harmful microflora in fattening pigs. Moreover, fermented carrot by-product diets may protect against infection due to increased serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations of fattening pigs. Implication Substitution with fermented carrot by-product diets is expected to decrease swine odour by enhancing the feeding environment of fattening pigs and carrot by-products are secure feed ingredients or materials in pig diets.
Sign language corpus linguistics
Authors: Wehrmeyer Ella
Published: March 2023

Taking the 2004 LREC Workshop on the Representation and Processing of Sign Languages (Streiter & Vettori 2004) as the watershed, this chapter takes stock of the development of sign language corpus linguistics over the past twenty years. After dispelling myths about sign languages, the chapter gives an overview of practices and challenges in building and annotating sign language corpora. The chapter then tracks the historical development of sign language linguistic corpora across the globe, noting the leading role that EU countries still play in this regard. Online archiving and the availability of sign language linguistic corpora to researchers and other users are then discussed. The chapter then explores their contributions in terms of research, education, interpreting, and avatar creation, before reflecting on their role in documenting and preserving sign languages, and their potential benefit for national Deaf communities. Finally, summaries of the chapters that make up this volume are presented.
Negative Concord in Sign Language of the Netherlands
Authors: van Boven Cindy , Oomen Marloes , Pfau Roland , Rusch Lotte
Published: March 2023

In a Negative Concord (NC) configuration, two negative elements co-occur in a clause but the polarity of that clause still remains negative. NC involving two manual negators has been observed in various sign languages, but relevant examples are usually presented in the context of broader investigations on negation in a particular sign language. Also, examples are not usually drawn from natural discourse. In this chapter, we offer the first comprehensive study on NC in a single sign language, namely, the Sign Language of the Netherlands (NGT), based entirely on corpus data. We find that NC is attested in NGT, but that it is optional and rather infrequent. First, our contribution is of a typological nature, as we distinguish different types of NC and compare our corpus-based results with those reported for other signed and spoken languages. Second, we describe in detail our “journey”, that is, our search procedure and inclusion criteria, thereby offering methodological guidelines for future endeavors.
Exploring regional variation in the DGS Corpus
Authors: Hanke Thomas , Konrad Reiner , Langer Gabriele
Published: March 2023

The DGS Corpus was collected in order to document German Sign Language (DGS) for linguistic research, compile the corpus-based dictionary DW-DGS and provide a cultural resource for the language community. Regional aspects played a key role in participant selection, data collection tasks and procedures, as well as in annotation work. Regional granularity implemented had to be a compromise between research interests, corpus size, and privacy issues of participants. In the lexicographic work maps are used to visualize regional distribution of single signs as well as of groups of competing synonyms. Maps are a tool for data exploration, and they support data interpretation as well as quality assurance of the annotation. As they provide an intuitive access to distributional facts maps are also an important element in the dictionary.
Improvement in comprehensive properties of nanocomposite coatings electro-codeposited with nitride and ceria
Authors: Zhong Ning , Yang Songpu , Li Wei , Liu Tao , Li Wenge , Zhao Yuantao
Published: March 2023

Metal matrix composite coatings have attracted scientific and engineering interest because of their excellent mechanical properties. Nano-Si3N4 reinforced nickel coatings with different ceria contents were fabricated by electrodeposition. The microstructures, hardness, and tribological properties as well as corrosion behaviors of the composite coatings were studied in detailed. The results show that incorporation of ceria nanoparticles into the nickel matrix can decrease the grain size and facilitate the (111) texture of the coatings, leading to a smooth surface, compact microstructure, and dispersion-strengthening composites. The 6CeO2 coating with the highest hardness of 520 HV50g demonstrates the best wear resistance, while the 3CeO2 coating shows the best corrosion resistance with the smallest i corr value of 0.0972 μA/cm2. The study suggests a significant improvement in mechanical and anti-corrosion properties by incorporation with the ceria nanoparticles, which has important implications for the surface protection of engineering materials.
Arc additive remanufacturing of a new type of Al–Cu–Ni aviation case: Microstructure and high-temperature properties under T6 heat treatment
Authors: Dai Hongbin , Zhang Enyu , Miao Jian , Lin Sanbao , Yu Song
Published: March 2023

A new Al–Cu–Ni alloy was repaired by arc additive remanufacturing and T6 heat treatment. The results show that the grain size in the upper part of the weld is slightly larger than that in the lower part, and the whole distribution is uniform without delamination. The orientation of grains in the weld is disordered, and most of them are stable crystal structures with a large angle. The average tensile strength at 300°C is 148.3 MPa, the yield strength is 106.6 MPa and the elongation is 10.5%. δ-Al3CuNi and γ-Al7Cu4Ni increase the strength of grain boundary, and the strength of θ″ and θ′ are dispersed from the α-Al matrix during aging, which are the main reasons for obtaining high-temperature properties.
Effect of hydrostatic strain on the mechanical properties and topological phase transition of bi-alkali pnictogen NaLi2Bi
Authors: Malek Hosseini Seyed Mohammad bagher , Yalameha Shahram
Published: March 2023

The bi-alkali pnictogens have attracted significant attention for optoelectronic and photocathodic device applications. However, in most of the compounds belonging to this family, there has been less effort put into investigating the mechanical properties and topological phase transitions (TPT) of the compounds. Here, in the framework of density functional theory, the mechanical properties and topological phase transition of NaLi2Bi under hydrostatic pressures are investigated. Elastic constants and phonon calculations have shown the mechanical and dynamical stability of this compound under hydrostatic tension and compression. The analysis of the elastic constants show that the NaLi2Bi in the equilibrium state is an auxetic material with a negative Poisson’s ratio of -0.285, which changes to a material with a positive Poisson’s ratio under hydrostatic tension. Meanwhile, Poisson’s ratio and Pugh ratio indicate that this compound has brittle behavior and maintains it under hydrostatic pressures. The calculated results of the band structure within the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) (Tran-Blaha modified Becke-Johnson exchange potential approximation (TB-mBJ)) show that NaLi2Bi is a nontrivial topological material (trivial topological material). It was found that hydrostatic compression (tension) in the GGA (TB-mBJ) approach leads to a transition from a nontrivial (trivial) to a trivial (nontrivial) topological phase for this compound. Moreover, the calculated Wannier charge centers confirm the TPT. Identifying the mechanisms controlling the auxetic behavior and TPT of this compound offers a valuable feature for designing and developing high-performance nanoscale electromechanical and spintronic devices.
Exploitation of second-and fourth-order PDEs to improve Lossy compression of noisy images
Authors: Welba Colince , Simo Thierry , Noura Alexendre , Ntsama Pascal Eloundou , Ele Pierre
Published: March 2023

This paper presents a lossy compression method for noisy images. The main contributions in this paper are: improve the performance of noisy image compression algorithms by using partial differential equations (PDEs) as an image preprocessing filter and show that it is more advantageous to apply a restoration filter before compressing noise images. Method: The preprocessing filter is applied to the noisy image first. A comparing of the obtained outcomes with those in the scientific literature devoted to the restoration of noisy images is performed. The filtered image is then submitted to a compression algorithm. The compression algorithm employed is a hybrid of the following: DWT + SPIHT + HUFFMAN. Results: The simulation results demonstrate that the suggested technique is as efficient as approaches described in the scientific literature for picture compression and/or image restoration.
Optical and dispersion studies of thin S35-xGe15SnxTe50 films: Assessment of some physical parameters of samples
Authors: Hassanien Ahmed Saeed , Sharma Ishu , Sharma Pankaj
Published: March 2023

This article presents a study on the optical and dispersion characteristics of a group of thin films with exciting potential for optical applications. Thermally evaporated a-S35−xGe15SnxTe50 thin films (SGST) where x ranges from 0 to 10 at.% have been investigated. XRD, EDX, and FE-SEM techniques are utilized to examine the samples’ physical properties. Meanwhile, optical characteristics are studied in the 300–2500 nm region through transmission and reflection measurements. Experimental and theoretical methods were employed to determine the optical bandgap energies (Eg), indicating that the films’ electronic transition is indirectly allowed. The Eg-values decreased as Sn-content increased, reaching a range of 1.031 eV to 1.301 eV, while the refractive index increased from 2.513 to 2.741. In addition, the Wemple-Di-Domenico model was used to determine the dispersion energies (Eo and Ed), and it is found that they decreased as Sn-content increased, from 2.014 eV to 2.672 eV for Eo, and from 13.009 eV to 15.334 eV for Ed. Many other important parameters, such as the average heat of atomization, total mean bond energy, and deviation from stoichiometry, are also calculated and discussed. The results of this investigation suggest that these SGST samples could be used in various optical applications and provide a basis for further research and innovation in this exciting field.
Computer simulation reveals the effect of severing enzymes on dynamic and stabilized microtubules
Authors: Sen Aritra , Kunwar Ambarish
Published: March 2023

Microtubule (MT) severing enzymes Katanin and Spastin cut the MT into smaller fragments and are being studied extensively using in-vitro experiments due to their crucial role in different cancers and neurodevelopmental disorders. It has been reported that the severing enzymes are either involved in increasing or decreasing the tubulin mass. Currently, there are a few analytical and computational models for MT amplification and severing. However, these models do not capture the action of MT severing explicitly, as these are based on partial differential equations in one dimension. On the other hand, a few discrete lattice-based models were used earlier to understand the activity of severing enzymes only on stabilized MTs. Hence, in this study, discrete lattice-based Monte Carlo models that included MT dynamics and severing enzyme activity have been developed to understand the effect of severing enzymes on tubulin mass, MT number, and MT length. It was found that the action of severing enzyme reduces average MT length while increasing their number; however, the total tubulin mass can decrease or increase depending on the concentration of GMPCPP (Guanylyl-(α, β)-methylene-diphosphonate)—which is a slowly hydrolyzable analogue of GTP (Guanosine triphosphate). Further, relative tubulin mass also depends on the detachment ratio of GTP/GMPCPP and Guanosine diphosphate tubulin dimers and the binding energies of tubulin dimers covered by the severing enzyme.
Chaos in coupled atom–molecular Bose–Einstein condensates
Authors: Deng Haiming , Huang Jianquan , Lei Dajun , Jiang Chunzhi , Kong Chao
Published: March 2023

We investigate the chaotic dynamics of a coupled three-level atom–molecular Bose–Einstein condensate system composed by one molecular mode and two atomic modes. With the increase of atom–molecular coupling strength, we reveal the emergence of chaotic oscillations of the relative population difference between two atomic modes, which can be proven by the broad windows with a huge number of frequencies in spectral density and the chaotic trajectories in phase space diagrams. The different effects of initial states on atomic population oscillations are revealed, where for more particles in the initial state of the molecular model, chaos appears in the larger parameter region of system dynamics. Furthermore, we find that strong intermolecular interaction strength can suppress chaos resulting from strong atom–molecule coupling. This is due to the difficult transformation between atomic and molecular modes, as well as the relatively independent dynamic evolution of atoms and molecules.
High-performance spin-filtering and spin-rectifying effects in Blatter radical-based molecular spintronic device
Authors: Tong Chun-Xu , Zhao Peng , Chen Gang
Published: March 2023

We design a Blatter radical-based molecular spintronic device, and investigate its spin-polarized transport properties using density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green’s function technique. High-performance spin-rectifying and spin-filtering effects are realized. The physical mechanism is explained by the spin-resolved bias voltage-dependent transmission spectra, the energy levels of the corresponding molecular projected self-consistent Hamiltonian orbitals, and their spatial distributions. The results demonstrate that the Blatter radical has great potential in the development of high-performance multifunctional molecular spintronic devices.
Terahertz shaping technology based on coherent beam combining
Authors: Zheng 郑 Xiao-Ran 晓冉 , Ma 马 Dan-Ni 丹妮 , Jiang 蒋 Guang-Tong 广通 , Zhang 张 Cun-Lin 存林 , Zhang 张 Liang-Liang 亮亮
Published: March 2023

The generation of terahertz (THz) waves by focusing a femtosecond pulsed laser beam at a distance is able to overcome the strong absorption properties of air and has rapidly attracted the attention of industry. However, the poor directionality of the THz wave radiation generated by this method is not conducive to THz wave applications. By controlling the morphology of the ultrafast laser-excited plasma filament and its electron density distribution through coherent beam combining technology, we achieve direct THz beam shaping and are able to obtain THz wave radiation of Gaussian or arbitrary transverse distribution. The novel experimental approach proposed in this paper opens up the research field of direct THz wave shaping using plasma. Moreover, it innovates multi-parameter convergence algorithms and, by doing so, has the potential to find beam patterns with higher energy conversion efficiency and break the energy limit of THz waves emitted by lasers at high power.
Application of a supercomputer Tianhe-II in an electron-positron collider experiment BESIII
Authors: Chen Jing-Kun , Hu Bi-Ying , Ji Xiao-Bin , Ma Qiu-Mei , Tang Jian , Yuan Ye , Zhang Xiao-Mei , Zhang Yao , Zhao Wen-Wen , Zheng Wei
Published: March 2023

Precision measurements and new physics searches require
massive computation in high energy physics
experiments. Supercomputer remains one of the most powerful
computing resources in various areas. Taking the BESIII experiment
as an illustration, we deploy the offline software BOSS into the
top-tier supercomputer “Tianhe-II” with the help of
Singularity. With very limited internet connection bandwidth and
without root privilege, we synchronize and maintain the simulation
software up to date through CVMFS successfully, and an acceleration
rate in a comparison of HPC and HTC is realized for the same
large-scale task. We solve two problems of the real-time internet
connection and the conflict of loading locker by a deployment of a
squid server and using fuse in memory in each computing node. We
provide a MPI python interface for high throughput (HT) parallel
computation in Tianhe-II. Meanwhile, the program to deal with data
output is also specially aligned so that there is no queue issue in
the input/output (I/O) task. The acceleration rate in simulation
reaches 80%, as we have done the simulation tests up to 15K
processes in parallel.
Gender empowerment and energy access: evidence from seven countries
Authors: Chandrasekaran Maya , Krishnapriya P P , Jeuland Marc , Pattanayak Subhrendu K
Published: March 2023

Gender equity is connected to modern energy services in many ways, but quantitative empirical work on these connections is limited. We examine the relationship between a multi-dimensional measure of women’s empowerment and access to improved cookstoves, clean fuels, and electricity. We use the World Bank Multi-Tier Framework survey datasets from seven countries that include almost 25 000 households in Africa and Asia. First, we apply principal component analysis to construct a household level empowerment index, using data on women’s education, credit access, social capital, mobility, and employment. Then, we use simple regression analysis to study the correlation between empowerment and energy access at the household level. We find a positive association between the women’s empowerment index and energy access variables, though this household pattern does not hold across all countries and contexts. While we do not claim that these relationships are causal, to our knowledge this is a fresh analysis of how the empowerment of women is differentially correlated with household energy access across geographies and technologies. Thus, our analysis provides a first step to further work aimed at clarifying gender-energy linkages.
Simulation analysis on microscopic discharge characteristics of the bipolar corona of a floating conductor
Authors: YANG Dongyang , CHEN Jian , DUAN Zemin , XIAO Dengming , JIN Zhijian
Published: March 2023

A floating conductor exhibits a bipolar corona phenomenon with microscopic discharge characteristics that are still unclear. In this study, a plasma simulation model of the bipolar corona with 108 chemical reaction equations is established by combining hydrodynamics and plasma chemical reactions. The evolution characteristics of electrons, positive ions, negative ions and neutral particles, as well as the distribution characteristics of space charges are analyzed, and the evolutionary flow of microscopic particles is summarized. The results indicate that the positive end of the bipolar corona initiates discharge before the negative end, but the plasma chemistry at the negative end is more vigorous. The electron generation rate can reach 1240 mol (m3 s)−1, and the dissipation rate can reach 34 mol (m3 s)−1. The positive ion swarm is dominated by O+
4, and the maximum generation rate can reach 440 mol (m3 s)−1. The negative ion swarm is mainly O−
2 and O−
4. The O−
2 content is approximately 1.5–3 times that of O−
4, and the maximum reaction rate can reach 51 mol (m3 s)−1. The final destination of neutral particles is an accumulation in the form of O3 and NO, and the amount of O3 produced is approximately 4–6 times that of NO. The positive end of the bipolar corona is dominated by positive space charges, which continue to develop and spread outwards in the form of a pulse wave. The negative end exhibits a space charge distribution structure of concentrated positive charges and diffused negative charges. The validity of the microscopic simulation analysis is verified by the macroscopic discharge phenomenon.
Comprehensive Identification of Chemical Fingerprint and Screening of Potential Quality Markers of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. from Different Geographical Origins via Ultra-High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Hyphenated with Quadrupole–Orbitrap-High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry Combined with Chemometrics
Authors: Yan Yahui , Abdulla Rahima , Ma Qingling , Aisa Haji Akber
Published: March 2023

An integrated strategy was developed for the systematic chemical fingerprint and chemometrics analysis for the quality assessment of Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. The ultra-performance liquid chromatography fingerprint was established, and all common peaks were tentatively identified by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography hyphenated with quadrupole–orbitrap-high-resolution mass spectrometry. Afterwards, the datasets of common peaks were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis and partial least squares discriminant analysis to holistically compare the differences. The results revealed that the samples were predicted to fall into four clusters, which were related to four different geographical locations. Using the proposed strategy, aloesin, aloin A, aloin B, aloeresin D and 7-O-methylaloeresin A were rapidly determined to be the potential characteristic quality markers. Finally, five screened compounds in 20 batches of samples were simultaneously quantified, and their total contents were ranked as follows: Sichuan province > Hainan province > Guangdong province > Guangxi province, which suggests that geographical origins may be an important factor affecting the quality of A. vera (L.) Burm. f. This new strategy can not only be used to explore possibly the latent active substance candidates for pharmacodynamic studies, but it is also an efficient analytical strategy for other complex traditional Chinese medicine systems.
Syndecan-1 predicts hemodynamic instability in critically ill patients under intermittent hemodialysis
Authors: Nascimento de Moura Antônia Cláudia , Mota Sandra Mara Brasileira , Holanda Francisco Márcio Tavares , Meneses Gdayllon Cavalcante , Bezerra Gabriela Freire , Martins Alice Maria Costa , Libório Alexandre Braga
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Up to 70% of intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) sessions in critically ill patients are complicated by hemodynamic instability. Although several clinical characteristics have been associated with hemodynamic instability during IHD, the discriminatory capacity of predicting such events during IHD sessions is less defined. In the present study, we aimed to analyse endothelium-related biomarkers collected before IHD sessions and their capacity to predict hemodynamic instability related to IHD in critically ill patients.

Methods

In this prospective observational study, we enrolled adult critically ill patients with acute kidney injury who required fluid removal with IHD. We screened each included patient daily for IHD sessions. Thirty minutes before each IHD session, each patient had a 5-mL blood collection for measurement of endothelial biomarkers—vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), angiopoietin-1 and -2 (AGPT1 and AGPT2) and syndecan-1. Hemodynamic instability during IHD was the main outcome. Analyses were adjusted for variables already known to be associated with hemodynamic instability during IHD.

Results

Plasma syndecan-1 was the only endothelium-related biomarker independently associated with hemodynamic instability. The accuracy of syndecan-1 for predicting hemodynamic instability during IHD was moderate [area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.78 (95% confidence interval 0.68–0.89)]. The addition of syndecan-1 improved the discrimination capacity of a clinical model from 0.67 to 0.82 (P < .001) and improved risk prediction, as measured by net reclassification improvement.

Conclusion

Syndecan-1 is associated with hemodynamic instability during IHD in critically ill patients. It may be useful to identify patients who are at increased risk for such events and suggests that endothelial glycocalyx derangement is involved in the pathophysiology of IHD-related hemodynamic instability.
The Apollonian Staircase
Authors: Rickards James
Published: March 2023

A circle of curvature $n\in \mathbb{Z}^+$ is a part of finitely many primitive integral Apollonian circle packings. Each such packing has a circle of minimal curvature $-c\leq 0$, and we study the distribution of $c/n$ across all primitive integral packings containing a circle of curvature $n$. As $n\rightarrow \infty $, the distribution is shown to tend towards a picture we name the Apollonian staircase. A consequence of the staircase is that if we choose a random circle packing containing a circle $C$ of curvature $n$, then the probability that $C$ is tangent to the outermost circle tends towards $3/\pi $. These results are found by using positive semidefinite quadratic forms to make $\mathbb{P}^1(\mathbb{C})$ a parameter space for (not necessarily integral) circle packings. Finally, we examine an aspect of the integral theory known as spikes. When $n$ is prime, the distribution of $c/n$ is extremely smooth, whereas when $n$ is composite, there are certain spikes that correspond to prime divisors of $n$ that are at most $\sqrt{n}$.
General relativistic precession and the long-term stability of the Solar system
Authors: Brown Garett , Rein Hanno
Published: March 2023

The long-term evolution of the Solar system is chaotic. In some cases, chaotic diffusion caused by an overlap of secular resonances can increase the eccentricity of planets when they enter into a linear secular resonance, driving the system to instability. Previous work has shown that including general relativistic contributions to the planets’ precession frequency is crucial when modelling the Solar system. It reduces the probability that the Solar system destabilizes within 5 Gyr by a factor of 60. We run 1280 additional N-body simulations of the Solar system spanning 12.5 Gyr where we allow the general relativity (GR) precession rate to vary with time. We develop a simple, unified, Fokker–Planck advection–diffusion model that can reproduce the instability time of Mercury with, without, and with time-varying GR precession. We show that while ignoring GR precession does move Mercury’s precession frequency closer to a resonance with Jupiter, this alone does not explain the increased instability rate. It is necessary that there is also a significant increase in the rate of diffusion. We find that the system responds smoothly to a change in the precession frequency: There is no critical GR precession frequency below which the Solar system becomes significantly more unstable. Our results show that the long-term evolution of the Solar system is well described with an advection–diffusion model.
Inhibition of SIZ1-mediated SUMOylation of HOOKLESS1 promotes light-induced apical hook opening in Arabidopsis
Authors: Xiong Jiawei , Yang Fabin , Wei Fan , Yang Feng , Lin Honghui , Zhang Dawei
Published: March 2023

The apical hook protects cotyledons and the shoot apical meristem from mechanical injuries during seedling emergence from the soil. HOOKLESS1 (HLS1) is a central regulator of apical hook development, as a terminal signal onto which several pathways converge. However, how plants regulate the rapid opening of the apical hook in response to light by modulating HLS1 function remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that the small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) E3 ligase SAP AND MIZ1 DOMAIN-CONTAINING LIGASE1 (SIZ1) interacts with HLS1 and mediates its SUMOylation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Mutating SUMO attachment sites of HLS1 results in impaired function of HLS1, indicating that HLS1 SUMOylation is essential for its function. SUMOylated HLS1 was more likely to assemble into oligomers, which are the active form of HLS1. During the dark-to-light transition, light induces rapid apical hook opening, concomitantly with a drop in SIZ1 transcript levels, resulting in lower HLS1 SUMOylation. Furthermore, ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL5 (HY5) directly binds to the SIZ1 promoter and suppresses its transcription. HY5-initiated rapid apical hook opening partially depended on HY5 inhibition of SIZ1 expression. Taken together, our study identifies a function for SIZ1 in apical hook development, providing a dynamic regulatory mechanism linking the post-translational modification of HLS1 during apical hook formation and light-induced apical hook opening.
CRISPR/Cas9 mutants delineate roles of Populus FT and TFL1/CEN/BFT family members in growth, dormancy release and flowering
Authors: Sheng Xiaoyan , Mahendra R Ayeshan , Wang Chieh-Ting , Brunner Amy M
Published: March 2023

Vegetative and reproductive phase change and phenology are economically and ecologically important traits. Trees typically require several years of growth before flowering and, once mature, seasonal control of the transition to flowering and flower development is necessary to maintain vegetative meristems and for reproductive success. Members of two related gene subfamilies, FLOWERING LOCUST (FT) and TERMINAL FLOWER1 (TFL1)/CENTRORADIALIS (CEN)/BROTHER OF FT AND TFL1 (BFT), have antagonistic roles in flowering in diverse species and roles in vegetative phenology in trees, but many details of their functions in trees have yet to be resolved. Here, we used CRISPR/Cas9 to generate single and double mutants involving the five Populus FT and TFL1/CEN/BFT genes. The ft1 mutants exhibited wild-type-like phenotypes in long days and short days, but after chilling, to release dormancy, they showed delayed bud flush and GA3 could compensate for the ft1 mutation. After rooting and generating some phytomers in tissue culture, both cen1 and cen1ft1 mutants produced terminal as well as axillary flowers, indicating that the cen1 flowering phenotype is independent of FT1. The CEN1 showed distinct circannual expression patterns in vegetative and reproductive tissues and comparison with the expression patterns of FT1 and FT2 suggests that the relative levels of CEN1 compared with FT1 and FT2 regulate multiple phases of vegetative and reproductive seasonal development.
Disparity between adolescents’ health information needs and the information received in a middle-income country
Authors: Harrison Abigail , Tyrill Claudine , Cousins Shanita , Rocke Kern , Gossell-Williams Maxine
Published: March 2023

Aim

This study sought to identify adolescents’ health information sources and determine the gap between what adolescents want to hear and what they actually hear from their healthcare providers (HCPs), a proxy for unmet health needs.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in four high schools conveniently selected in Jamaica to ensure adequate representation in rural and urban locales. Adolescents 11–19 years old with relevant assent/consent completed a paper-based self-administered questionnaire. Questions were adapted from the Young Adult Health Care Survey to determine proportion of adolescents receiving confidential care, the level of counselling offered and difference between location and unmet needs.

Results

Adolescents acknowledged multiple sources of information, with urban adolescents reporting television, radio and parents as sources more frequently than in rural setting (p < 0.05). They most commonly wanted to discuss weight management (n = 308, 64.2%), nutrition (n = 418, 87.1%), exercise (n = 361, 75.2%); and emotions they are experiencing (n = 246, 51.3%). Unmet needs differed by location; more rural than urban adolescents found that their desire to discuss school performance (p < 0.05) and sexual orientation (p < 0.05) was unmet, while more urban youth felt their need for discussions about STIs was unmet (p < 0.05), when compared to their rural counterparts.

Conclusion

This study highlights that while there is some access to health information in Jamaica, especially via television, radio and internet, the needs of the adolescent population remain unmet. HCPs need to employ a patient-centred approach where confidentiality is established and screening is done for unmet needs in an effort to optimize health outcomes.
Comparison of the Efficacy of Combined Silver Nitrate Coagulation and Shave Excision With Surgical Excision and Linear Closure in the Treatment of Pyogenic Granuloma
Authors: Çelik Murat , Kara Murat , Özdemir Aydın Görkem , Kocer Ugur , Çaydere Muzaffer
Published: March 2023

BACKGROUND

Pyogenic granuloma (PG) is a common benign vascular neoplasia. Optimal treatment should have an aesthetically pleasant scar and a low recurrence rate. No treatment method that is fully effective in solving these has been demonstrated. Silver nitrate cauterization is another method for the management of PG lesions.

OBJECTIVE

The effects of silver nitrate on the treatment of PG have not been sufficiently investigated and should be investigated with objective data and a controlled study.

METHODS

The prospective clinical trial was designed to compare silver nitrate cauterization with surgical excision treatment. Procedure times and procedure costs, comfort and satisfaction scales, recurrences, the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Score, and the Vancouver Scar Scale were compared to evaluate treatments.

RESULTS

Silver nitrate treatment had lower procedure times, costs, and better satisfaction and comfort scale scores. The scar assessment scores were better for the silver nitrate treatment. The patients in both groups were successfully treated and no recurrence was seen.

CONCLUSION

Silver nitrate cauterization is low-cost, fast, safe, reliable, and effective with good aesthetic results for the treatment of PG lesions. This study shows that silver nitrate cauterization is a good alternative to surgical excision in the management of PG.