bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modification of the Filler based on Kaolin and its Use in the Polymer Composites
Authors: Feriancová Andrea , Dubec Andrei , Pagáčová Jana , Pajtášová Mariana
Published: June 2022

Light mineral fillers are the natural inorganic materials of various compositions that have been used in a practical way since the beginning of the rubber industrial processing. Depending on the application, the natural kaolin is often modified by physical processes or by chemical processes (pillaring, adsorption, intercalation, functionalization, acid activation, etc.). It is important to modify kaolin due to improvement of its properties in order to adsorb the inorganic as well as organic molecules. In the introduced study, kaolin from Kaznějov deposit was modified by potassium acetate or dimethylsulphoxide and subsequently functionalized by accelerator dibenzothiazyldisulphide and its last modification was performed by silane treatment. Different techniques, such as the thermal (DTA) and spectral (FTIR) analysis were used to characterize modified kaolin samples. The main aim of the article is to observe the influence of modified kaolin forms on the physico-mechanical properties and structural changes of rubber mixtures. Combined with the carbon black, the given modified kaolin was mixed into a rubber blend in a particular ratio, which was5, 10, 24 phr. The effect of the modified kaolinite on the cure characteristics (minimum torque – ML, maximum torque – MH, optimal cure time – t90, scorch time ts2) and mechanical properties (tensile strength at break – TSb, elongation at break – Eb and hardness)in sulphur-cured rubber composites was investigated. In images from a scanning electron microscope (SEM), we observed the incorporation of modified forms of kaolin into the matrix of the rubber mixture.
Rekonstruktionen von Weichteildefekten der Achillessehnen region
– eine Literaturübersicht
Authors: Rein Susanne , Kremer Thomas
Published: June 2022

Hintergrund Weichteildefekte der Regio tendinis achilleae treten nach
Traumata und insbesondere als Komplikation nach offener Rekonstruktion der Sehne
mit nachfolgendem Infekt auf.

Ziel der Arbeit Es werden Empfehlungen zur Therapie von
Weichteilverletzungen mit Beteiligung der Achillessehne im Kontext der Literatur
formuliert.

Material und Methoden Es wurde eine Recherche der deutsch-,
französisch- und englischsprachigen Literatur zur Rekonstruktion von
Hautweichteildefekten der Achillessehnenregion durchgeführt, welche in
singuläre und kombinierte tendokutane Defekte differenziert wurden.
Kombinierte Defekte wurden basierend auf drei rekonstruktiven Prinzipien weiter
untergliedert in: ein alleiniger Verschluss der Haut ohne Sehnenrekonstruktion
sowie eine Rekonstruktion der Haut zusammen mit einer Sehnenrekonstruktion als
vaskularisiertes oder avaskuläres Transplantat.

Ergebnisse Lokale und distal gestielte Lappenplastiken sind für
die Rekonstruktion über der Achillessehne mit einer hohen lokalen
Morbidität behaftet, weshalb die Autoren freie Lappenplastiken aufgrund
der geringeren Komplikationsrate favorisieren. Hier eignet sich für
kleine Defekte die freie Medial Sural Artery (MSAP-)Lappenplastik, bei
großen Defekten Muskeloder fasziokutane Lappenplastiken. Technik der
Wahl für die kombinierte tendokutane Rekonstruktion ist die
ALTLappenplastik mit vaskularisierter Fascia lata. Als nicht vaskuläre
Sehnentransplantate werden häufig die Sehne des M. flexor hallucis
longus oder des M. peroneus brevis verwendet.

Fazit Die Rekonstruktion der Achillessehnenregion erfordert dünne
strapazier- und gleitfähige Lappen, die eine Schuhver- sorgung
ermöglichen. Die postoperative Kraft und Beweglichkeit des
Sprunggelenkes zeigen vergleichbare funktionelle Resultate nach vaskularisierter
und nicht vaskularisierter Seh- nenrekonstruktion.
Arthroscopic Caudal Cruciate Ligament Damage in Canine Stifles with Cranial Cruciate Ligament Disease
Authors: Agnello Kimberly A. , Brown Dorothy Cimino , Zyla Samuel G. , Hayashi Kei
Published: June 2022

Objective The aim of this study was to describe the arthroscopic changes to the caudal cruciate ligament (CdCL) in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease.

Study Design Arthroscopic video recordings (n = 117) of the stifle with cranial cruciate ligament disease were reviewed. The extent of CdCL tearing was described. Signalment, palpable stifle stability and the presence of a meniscal tear were recorded. Pathology of the synovial joint and the synovium overlying the CdCL were scored at two time points.

Two-way interactions were investigated (p < 0.05). Univariate analysis and a Wald test (p < 0.20) were performed. Factors were retained with a Wald test p < 0.05 or if a confounder, then a changing model coefficient >15%. A weighted kappa statistic was used to evaluate intraobserver agreement.

Results Caudal cruciate ligament tearing was identified in 94% of stifles. Longitudinal tearing (76%) was the most common type of damage (45% partial, 31% full thickness). Synovitis was present in all joints and changes to the synovium overlying the CdCL were less frequently identified (67%).

Synovitis was associated with the degree to CdCL tearing. Synovitis overlying the CdCL was associated with lower body weight and lower CdCL damage.

Conclusion Caudal cruciate ligament damage is common in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament disease and longitudinal tearing was the most common injury identified. Severity of joint pouch synovitis was positively correlated with the degree of CdCL damage and the portion of the CdCL not exposed to the synovium was unaffected. These findings suggest synovitis is likely a contributor to CdCL injury.
Contrast-Enhanced Low-Field MRI Occasionally Alters the Surgical Approach for Canine Intervertebral Disc Extrusions
Authors: Craciun Ioana , Khan Sam , Hughes Jonathan , Freeman Paul
Published: June 2022

Objectives The aim of this study was to describe how the addition of contrast-enhanced low-field magnetic resonance imaging sequences can confirm or change the initially planned surgical approach for canine intervertebral disc extrusions.

Study Design Magnetic resonance imagings of 20 dogs diagnosed with intervertebral disc extrusions were retrospectively reviewed by a board-certified neurologist for the location of extradural disc material, contrast enhancement, and whether enhancement reinforced or changed the initially planned surgical approach.

Results Extradural compressive material contrast-enhanced in 17/20 dogs. In 14/20 dogs, enhancement was considered to increase the confidence level of the location for surgery including two cases where the surgical approach was altered.

Conclusion Gadolinium-based contrast agents in low-field magnetic resonance imaging can aid the surgical planning of intervertebral disc extrusions in dogs by improving the confidence level of location and extent of extradural material and occasionally altering the surgical approach.
Controlling wake flow by blowing external fluids through porous surfaces
Authors: Ikenson Ben
Published: June 2022

Active and passive methods combine to manipulate wind and fluid flow forces on a circular cylinder.
Pioneering Major Advances in Brain-Inspired Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Ikenson Ben
Published: June 2022

Solid-state synaptic transistor achieves greatest memory retention capacity for AI computing systems to date
Thickness and volume dependence of dielectric strength in advanced nanodielectric materials allowing for further size reduction of ultrahigh voltage capacitor prototypes
Authors: Schulte E. , Curry R. D. , Dickerson S. , Brown L. , Howard A.
Published: June 2022

We have developed a high dielectric, nanocomposite material, MU100, for use in pulsed power applications that include dielectric loaded antennas and ultra-high voltage capacitors. This paper presents the electrical properties of the first full-scale capacitor prototype along with sub-element modules. Additionally, refinements in the development process have sparked interest in a third-generation capacitor that would use similar dimensions as the initial small-scale samples that recorded breakdown fields of 225 kV/cm on average with peak breakdown fields of 328 kV/cm. The dielectric constant of these large-scale capacitors was 160. These capacitor prototypes have demonstrated voltage hold off of 500 kV. Similarly, thin samples that operated at 35–40 kV had lifetimes without failure in excess of 800 000 discharges at 80% of their maximum rated field strength.
Design of several isolated power combiners based on multimode transmission lines
Authors: Guo Letian , Shao Hao , Xie Shaoyi , Deng Guangjian , Li Jiawei , Zhang Yuchuan , Huang Wenhua
Published: June 2022

In this paper, a series of compact power combiners are designed based on multimode transmission lines. Based on the multimode transmission lines, several multiport mode networks are constructed to achieve two-way, three-way, and four-way high-isolation power combinations. In detail, a four-port mode network based on a rectangular coaxial dual-mode transmission line and a five-port mode network based on a rectangular three-ridge three-mode transmission line are designed to achieve compact high-isolation two-way power combination. A six-port mode network based on a circular-coaxial three-mode transmission line is designed to achieve compact high-isolation three-way power combination. A nine-port mode network based on a four-ridge dual-coaxial six-mode transmission line is designed to achieve compact high-isolation four-way power combination. Based on a compact multimode transmission line, two-way, three-way, and four-way power combinations can be realized with single stages, high isolation, compact cross section sizes, low insertion loss, and high power capacity. The corresponding methods can be used to design several excellent power combiners.
A combined rotating disk electrode–surface x-ray diffraction setup for surface structure characterization in electrocatalysis
Authors: Jacobse Leon , Schuster Ralf , Pfrommer Johannes , Deng Xin , Dolling Silvan , Weber Tim , Gutowski Olof , Dippel Ann-Christin , Brummel Olaf , Lykhach Yaroslava , Over Herbert , Libuda Jörg , Vonk Vedran , Stierle Andreas
Published: June 2022

Characterizing electrode surface structures under operando conditions is essential for fully understanding structure–activity relationships in electrocatalysis. Here, we combine in a single experiment high-energy surface x-ray diffraction as a characterizing technique with a rotating disk electrode to provide steady state kinetics under electrocatalytic conditions. Using Pt(111) and Pt(100) model electrodes, we show that full crystal truncation rod measurements are readily possible up to rotation rates of 1200 rpm. Furthermore, we discuss possibilities for both potentiostatic as well as potentiodynamic measurements, demonstrating the versatility of this technique. These different modes of operation, combined with the relatively simple experimental setup, make the combined rotating disk electrode–surface x-ray diffraction experiment a powerful technique for studying surface structures under operando electrocatalytic conditions.
Inverted conical methane/air flame shape transformation under acoustic excitation: Gravity impact
Authors: Krikunova A. I. , Saveliev A. S. , Cheshko A. D.
Published: June 2022

In this paper it is shown that under certain conditions under reverse gravity, acoustics increase the stability of the flame in comparison with normal gravity. It is shown that there is a hysteresis in the V–M and M–V transitions under reverse gravity as well as under normal one. In contrast to normal gravity, the conditions for hysteresis degeneracy under reverse gravity are proven to be independent of the excitation frequency.
Flexible multipole moments in smooth particle mesh Ewald
Authors: Symons Benjamin C. B. , Popelier Paul L. A.
Published: June 2022

The smooth particle mesh Ewald sum is extended with additional force terms that arise from the so-called flexible multipole moments. These are multipole moments (of any rank) that depend explicitly on atomic positions in some local environment that can be made arbitrarily large. By introducing explicit dependence on atomic positions, flexible multipole moments are polarized by their local environment, allowing both intramolecular and intermolecular polarizations to be captured. Multipolar torques are discussed in detail, and it is shown that they arise naturally in the presented framework. Furthermore, we give details of how we validated our implementation of the flexible smooth particle mesh Ewald sum by considering two mathematical limits of the smooth particle mesh Ewald summation.
Modeling of thickness-dependent energy level alignment at organic and inorganic semiconductor interfaces
Authors: Yang Jin-Peng , Chen Hai-Tao , Tang Gong-Bin
Published: June 2022

We identify a universality in the Fermi level change of Van der Waals interacting semiconductor interfaces. We show that the disappearing of quasi-Fermi level pinning at a certain thickness of semiconductor films for both intrinsic (undoped) and extrinsic (doped) semiconductors over a wide range of bulk systems including inorganic, organic, and even organic–inorganic hybridized semiconductors. The Fermi level (EF) position located in the energy bandgap was dominated by not only the substrate work function (Φsub) but also the thickness of semiconductor films, in which the final EF shall be located at the position reflecting the thermal equilibrium of semiconductors themselves. Such universalities originate from the charge transfer between the substrate and semiconductor films after solving one-dimensional Poisson's equation. Our calculation resolves some of the conflicting results from experimental results determined by using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS) and unifies the general rule on extracting EF positions in energy bandgaps from (i) inorganic semiconductors to organic semiconductors and (ii) intrinsic (undoped) to extrinsic (doped) semiconductors. Our findings shall provide a simple analytical scaling for obtaining the “quantitative energy diagram” in the real devices, thus paving the way for a fundamental understanding of interface physics and designing functional devices.
Investigation of multi-photoconductance state induced by light-sensitive defect in TiOx-based memristor
Authors: Yan Bingtao , Kuang Dalong , Wang Wenhua , Wang Yuchen , Sun Bai , Zhou Guangdong
Published: June 2022

A TiOx switching layer with a thickness of ∼83 nm is prepared on a F-doped SnO2 (FTO) substrate by the sol-gel method to fabricate the Ag/TiOx/FTO memristor. The resistive switching memory behavior observed in the developed memristor can be efficiently modulated by the light. After modulating the light-intensity from 2.5 to 12.5 mW/mm2, five discrete photoconductance states can be obtained. The competition and synergy of the oxygen vacancy and Ag atom-based filament are responsible for the resistance switching (RS) memory behavior. The multi-photoconductance states are ascribed to the electron excited by the external light transports along the conduction filament. The programmable multi-photoconductance states provide a realistic RS memory behavior to mimic the function of a visual system.
Measured energy injection, transfer, and dissipation rates in the bulk of dilute polymeric turbulent flow: The concentration and Weissenberg number effects
Authors: Zhang Yi-Bao , Xi Heng-Dong
Published: June 2022

We present an experimental study of the effects of polymer additives on the energy cascade in the bulk of turbulent von Kármán swirling flow and its dependences on the polymer concentration (ϕ) and Weissenberg number (Wi). The turbulent flow is viscous, driven by the rotation of a pair of smooth disks. The velocity measurements show that the flow is more coherent in the presence of the polymers. It is found that there is a critical concentration ϕc below which the energy injection, transfer, and dissipation rates are rapidly suppressed to about 20% of the Newtonian case with increasing ϕ (referred to as the rapid suppression regime) and above which the suppression is saturated at that level (referred to as saturated suppression regime). We found that the Wi dependence of the energy cascade resembles that of concentration dependence with one additional regime referred to as no suppression regime when Wi is very small. The sharp transition from the no suppression regime to the rapid suppression regime implies the occurrence of the coil–stretch transition of the polymers. Although the energy dissipation rate is greatly suppressed in the presence of polymers, the functional form of its probability density function is the same as that of the Newtonian case, suggesting that the mechanism governing the energy dissipation is universal for both the Newtonian and dilute polymeric turbulence. Our experiments show for the first time the similarity between the effects of Wi and ϕ in dilute polymeric bulk turbulence.
The population density and trap-revealed home range of short-eared possums (
Authors: McRae Lachlan J. , Griffin Andrea S. , Tuckey Kersten , Hayward Matt W.
Published: June 2022

Investigating how the population density of a species changes over time is an integral step in determining whether that species is stable or needs assistance from conservation managers. The short-eared possum (Trichosurus caninus) is a species that has been poorly studied with only one previous population density estimate. Short-eared possums were live-trapped between August 2020 and January 2021 in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, to estimate their current density using a spatially explicit capture–recapture (SECR) model. The average density of short-eared possums was 0.46 possums/ha (95% CI: 0.32–0.66) in temperate rainforest and 0.13 possums/ha (95% CI: 0.06–0.28) in wet sclerophyll forest. No individuals were caught in dry sclerophyll forest. Trap-based home ranges were estimated to be 12.5 ha (95% CI: 8–19) for males and 5.5 ha (95% CI: 3–11) for females. This study provides a reference for determining trends in short-eared possum population density within the Northern Tablelands in the future. Adequate conservation of temperate rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest habitat is important to the conservation of the species.
Links between soilborne pathogens, plant parasitic nematodes, farm management and biophysical constraints in a southern Australian rainfed cropping system
Authors: Harries Martin , Flower Ken C. , Renton Michael , Collins Sarah J. , Hüberli Daniel
Published: June 2022

Context Rotations in rainfed farming systems of southwest Australia have shifted towards intensified cropping and it is necessary to reassess soilborne pathogens and plant parasitic nematodes within this context. Aims We tested the hypothesis that these recent changes in rotations and agronomy have altered the efficacy with which rotations reduce the incidence of common root pathogens and plant parasitic nematodes. Methods We tracked changes in common pathogen DNA in soil and the incidence and severity of crop root damage in 184 paddocks, over 6 years from 2010 to 2015, and related this to farmer practices. Key results Overall, severe root damage was rare, with 72% of plant samples showing no damage or only a trace and only 1% severely damaged. We found that the reduction of paddocks in pasture and resultant very low weed populations, combined with early sowing, reduced persistence of pathogens and nematode pests. But some aspects of crop management had the opposite effect: high rates of herbicide, increased frequency of cereals and canola at the expense of lupin and increased N fertiliser use. Conclusions Current agronomic practices and the frequency of non-host crops in rotations appear to be effective in controlling common root pathogens and plant parasitic nematodes. But the aspects of agronomic management that increased populations of pathogens should be applied cautiously. Implications Studies such as this that link multiple productivity constraints, such as pathogens and nematode pests, weeds and nutrients, to management practices are important to understand the sustainability of current or proposed production methods.
Fuel loads and fuel structure in Austrian coniferous forests
Authors: Neumann Mathias , Vilà-Vilardell Lena , Müller Mortimer M. , Vacik Harald
Published: June 2022

Understanding fires in temperate European coniferous forests is hindered by a lack of reliable field observations on fuel load and structure. Fuel load influences the spread, intensity and spotting distance of a surface fire, torching likelihood and potential carbon emissions. We quantified fuel load and structure for Austrian coniferous forests using 93 sample plots across Austria. We compared Austrian fuel types with fuels collected in other regions and biomes. We found significant differences among regions and forest types. Fuel load was more dependent on region and forest type than on age class. Highest fuel load was found in Picea abies stands, lowest in Pinus nigra forests. Dead fuel loads were positively correlated with basal area, while live fuels were negatively correlated, suggesting that basal area drives accumulation of dead fuels and suppresses growth of understorey vegetation. Fuel loads in Austria are similar to published data for other temperate forests. The large variation in observed fuel loads and lack of previous studies highlight the need to further develop fuel models for mixed conifer–broadleaf forests. This pilot study underpins that consistent terminology and fuel classification are important to interpret differences between regions and forest types.
100 GSM paper as an SERS substrate for trace detection of pharmaceutical drugs in an aqueous medium
Authors: Sarma Dipjyoti , Biswas Sritam , Hatiboruah Diganta , Chamuah Nabadweep , Nath Pabitra
Published: June 2022

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is a unique technique that allows us to detect samples in trace quantities. The spectral intensities of the characteristic Raman peaks of the analyte molecule are enhanced manifold in the presence of noble metal nanoparticles (NPs). The existence of NPs is necessary to couple the incident electromagnetic field with NPs through the localized surface plasmon resonance phenomenon, which primarily contributes to the enhancement of an SERS signal. The present work demonstrates the working of a paper-based SERS substrate to detect and quantify two pharmaceutical drugs—paracetamol and aspirin—in water. The proposed SERS substrate was obtained by drop-casting silver NPs over printing grade 100 grams per square meter (GSM) paper. 100 GSM denotes the class of paper where 100 grams of raw materials (cellulose) is used per square meter to manufacture the paper. The performance of the designed SERS substrate was initially evaluated with two Raman active samples—malachite green and rhodamine-6G. The applicability of the proposed SERS substrate was evaluated further through monitoring the Raman spectra of the two aforementioned pharmaceutical drugs in different field-collected water samples, thus establishing the reliability of the scheme in a real field environment.
A novel random subspace method considering complementarity between unsupervised and supervised deep representation features for soft sensors
Authors: Wang Gang , Zhu Hegong , Wu Zhangjun , Yang Min
Published: June 2022

Unsupervised and supervised deep learning extract effective and abstract features from different perspectives, which have been successfully applied in soft sensors. However, few studies have fused them and explored the complementary effect between the two kinds of features, which limits the utilization of comprehensive prediction information. To address the problem, a novel random subspace method with stacked auto-encoder (SAE) and bidirectional long short-term memory (Bi-LSTM), named RS-SBL, is proposed for soft sensors. Firstly, unsupervised and supervised deep representation features are extracted by SAE and Bi-LSTM, respectively. Secondly, to leverage the complementarity of the fusion features, an improved random subspcae (RS) method with a structure sparsity learning model is designed to discriminate the relative importance of different features and generate ensemble prediction results. Finally, the experiments on two real-world industrial nonlinear processes demonstrate that the proposed RS-SBL with the feature fusion strategy improves the prediction performance, and outperforms the other comparison soft sensor models.
Towards scalable plasmonic Fano-resonant metasurfaces for colorimetric sensing
Authors: Cerjan Benjamin , Gerislioglu Burak , Link Stephan , Nordlander Peter , Halas Naomi J , Griep Mark H
Published: June 2022

Transitioning plasmonic metasurfaces into practical, low-cost applications requires meta-atom designs that focus on ease of manufacturability and a robustness with respect to structural imperfections and nonideal substrates. It also requires the use of inexpensive, earth-abundant metals such as Al for plasmonic properties. In this study, we focus on combining two aspects of plasmonic metasurfaces—visible coloration and Fano resonances—in a morphology amenable to scalable manufacturing. The resulting plasmonic metasurface is a candidate for reflective colorimetric sensing. We examine the potential of this metasurface for reflective strain sensing, where the periodicity of the meta-atoms could ultimately be modified by a potential flexion, and for localized surface plasmon resonance refractive index sensing. This study evaluates the potential of streamlined meta-atom design combined with low-cost metallization for inexpensive sensor readout based on human optical perception.
Self-activatable carbon nanotube@ruthenium-catechol coordination complex for hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Wu Chenzhi , Wu Tong , Tang Zhenbin , Dai Juguo , Zeng Birong , Xu Yiting , Chen Guorong , Luo Weiang , Yuan Conghui , Dai Lizong
Published: June 2022

We report a simple metal ion-catechol coordination strategy to coat ruthenium-catechol polymer complex (TAC-Ru) on the surface of carbon nanotubes (CNT) to form a core–shell structure (abbreviated as CNT@TAC-Ru). This is achieved by firstly polymerizing catechol and boronic acid monomers on the surface of CNT to form a boronate ester polymer (BP) shell. Then, Ru3+ is used to etch the BP shell, and cleave the dynamic boronate ester bond, leading to the formation of a CNT@ruthenium-catechol coordination complex based on the coordinative efficiency of the catechol group. The electrocatalytic property of the CNT@TAC-Ru composite can be activated through electrochemical cycling treatment. The as-activated CNT@TAC-Ru exhibits evidently improved hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) performance with an overpotential of 10 mV in 1.0 M KOH at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 , which is better than that of commercial Pt/C (32 mV). And the long-term stability is also desirable. This work provides a pyrolysis-free method to form metal-polymer-carbon composite with high HER performance under the alkaline condition.
Centerline extraction by neighborhood-statistics thinning for quantitative analysis of corneal nerve fibers
Authors: Chen Ziye , Yin Xue , Lin Lin , Shi Guohua , Mo Jianhua
Published: June 2022

Objective. Corneal nerve fiber (CNF) has been found to exhibit morphological changes associated with various diseases, which can therefore be utilized to aid in the early diagnosis of those diseases. CNF is usually visualized under corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) in clinic. To obtain the diagnostic biomarkers from CNF image produced from CCM, image processing and quantitative analysis are needed. Usually, CNF is segmented first and then CNF’s centerline is extracted, allowing for measuring geometrical and topological biomarkers of CNF, such as density, tortuosity, and length. Consequently, the accuracy of the segmentation and centerline extraction can make a big impact on the biomarker measurement. Thus, this study is aimed to improve the accuracy and universality of centerline extraction. Approach. We developed a new thinning algorithm based on neighborhood statistics, called neighborhood-statistics thinning (NST), to extract the centerline of CNF. Compared with traditional thinning and skeletonization techniques, NST exhibits a better capability to preserve the fine structure of CNF which can effectively benefit the biomarkers measurement above. Moreover, NST incorporates a fitting process, which can make centerline extraction be less influenced by image segmentation. Main results. This new method is evaluated on three datasets which are segmented with five different deep learning networks. The results show that NST is superior to thinning and skeletonization on all the CNF-segmented datasets with a precision rate above 0.82. Last, NST is attempted to be applied for the diagnosis of keratitis with the quantitative biomarkers measured from the extracted centerlines. Longer length and higher density but lower tortuosity were found on the CNF of keratitis patients as compared to healthy patients. Significance. This demonstrates that NST has a good potential to aid in the diagnostics of eye diseases in clinic.
Constraining dark matter microphysics with the annihilation signal from subhalos
Authors: Runburg Jack , Baxter Eric J. , Kumar Jason
Published: June 2022

In the cold dark matter scenario, galactic dark matter halos are populated with a large number of smaller subhalos. Previous work has shown that dark matter annihilations in subhalos can generate a distinctive, non-Poisson signal in the gamma-ray photon counts probability distribution function (PDF). Here we show that the gamma-ray PDF also carries information about the velocity dependence of the dark matter annihilation cross section. After calculating the PDF assuming s-wave and Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation, we perform a mock data analysis to illustrate how current and future observations can constrain the microphysics of the dark matter annihilation. We find that, with current Fermi data, and assuming a dark matter annihilation cross section roughly at the limit of current bounds from annihilation in dwarf spheroidal galaxies, one can potentially distinguish the non-Poissonian fluctuations expected from dark matter annihilation in subhalos from Poisson sources, as well as from dark matter models with an incorrect velocity-dependence. We explore how robust these results are to assumptions about the modeling of the galactic gamma-ray background, but further work is needed to determine the impact of realistic astrophysical source populations on our results. We also point out a four-parameter degeneracy between the velocity dependence of the dark matter annihilation, the minimum subhalo mass, the power law index of the subhalo mass function, and the normalization of the dark matter signal. This degeneracy can be broken with priors from N-body simulations or from observational constraints on the subhalo mass function.
Ionization and Star Formation in the Giant H ii Region SMC-N66
Authors: Geist E. , Gallagher J. S. , Kotulla R. , Oskinova L. , Hamann W.-R. , Ramachandran V. , Sabbi E. , Smith L. , Kniazev A. , Nota A. , Rickard M. J.
Published: June 2022

The NGC 346 young stellar system and associated N66 giant H ii region in the Small Magellanic Cloud are the nearest example of a massive star-forming event in a low metallicity (Z ≈ 0.2Z
⊙) galaxy. With an age of ≲3 Myr this system provides a unique opportunity to study relationships between massive stars and their associated H ii region. Using archival data, we derive a total Hα luminosity of L(Hα) = 4.1 × 1038 erg s−1 corresponding to an H-photoionization rate of 3 × 1050 s−1. A comparison with a predicted stellar ionization rate derived from the more than 50 known O-stars in NGC 346, including massive stars recently classified from Hubble Space Telescope far-ultraviolet (FUV) spectra, indicates an approximate ionization balance. Spectra obtained with SALT suggest the ionization structure of N66 could be consistent with some leakage of ionizing photons. Due to the low metallicity, the FUV luminosity from NGC 346 is not confined to the interstellar cloud associated with N66. Ionization extends through much of the spatial extent of the N66 cloud complex, and most of the cloud mass is not ionized. The stellar mass estimated from nebular L(Hα) appears to be lower than masses derived from the census of resolved stars which may indicate a disconnect between the formation of high and low mass stars in this region. We briefly discuss implications of the properties of N66 for studies of star formation and stellar feedback in low metallicity environments.
Solar Filament Detection Based on Improved DeepLab V3+
Authors: You Jiangchuan , Shang Zhenhong
Published: June 2022

A novel solar filament detection method based on an improved DeepLab V3+ is proposed to address the low detection accuracy of small solar filaments in Hα full-disk solar images. First, the Xception structure of the backbone network is fine-tuned, and the low-level feature information of the filaments is added to the decoder module of the network to improve the utilization of the solar filament features. Second, the receptive field of dilated convolution is expanded, and the information utilization rate is increased via cascaded dilated convolution to improve the detection accuracy of the small solar filaments. In the decoder module, two depthwise separable convolutions are used instead of ordinary convolutions to reduce incomplete detections. Finally, a dense conditional random field is added to optimize the edge of the detection results. Experiments on a public data set comprising full-disk Hα images show that compared with the original Deeplab V3+ algorithm, the proposed method improves the mean pixel accuracy, mean intersection over union, and F1-score by 1.86%, 1.95%, and 2.18%, respectively, which also demonstrates its superiority over other existing solar filament detection algorithms.
Computational studies on magnetism and ferroelectricity
Authors: Xu Ke , Feng Junsheng , Xiang Hongjun
Published: June 2022

Magnetics, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics have attracted great attentions because they are not only extremely important for investigating fundamental physics, but also have important applications in information technology. Here, recent computational studies on magnetism and ferroelectricity are reviewed. We first give a brief introduction to magnets, ferroelectrics, and multiferroics. Then, theoretical models and corresponding computational methods for investigating these materials are presented. In particular, a new method for computing the linear magnetoelectric coupling tensor without applying an external field in the first principle calculations is proposed for the first time. The functionalities of our home-made Property Analysis and Simulation Package for materials (PASP) and its applications in the field of magnetism and ferroelectricity are discussed. Finally, we summarize this review and give a perspective on possible directions of future computational studies on magnetism and ferroelectricity.
An overview of quantum error mitigation formulas
Authors: Qin Dayue , Xu Xiaosi , Li Ying
Published: June 2022

Minimizing the effect of noise is essential for quantum computers. The conventional method to protect qubits against noise is through quantum error correction. However, for current quantum hardware in the so-called noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) era, noise presents in these systems and is too high for error correction to be beneficial. Quantum error mitigation is a set of alternative methods for minimizing errors, including error extrapolation, probabilistic error cancellation, measurement error mitigation, subspace expansion, symmetry verification, virtual distillation, etc. The requirement for these methods is usually less demanding than error correction. Quantum error mitigation is a promising way of reducing errors on NISQ quantum computers. This paper gives a comprehensive introduction to quantum error mitigation. The state-of-art error mitigation methods are covered and formulated in a general form, which provides a basis for comparing, combining and optimizing different methods in future work.
Effects of transcutaneous spinal stimulation on spatiotemporal cortical activation patterns: a proof-of-concept EEG study
Authors: Steele Alexander G , Manson Gerome A , Horner Philip J , Sayenko Dimitry G , Contreras-Vidal Jose L
Published: June 2022

Objective. Transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (TSS) has been shown to be a promising non-invasive alternative to epidural spinal cord stimulation for improving outcomes of people with spinal cord injury (SCI). However, studies on the effects of TSS on cortical activation are limited. Our objectives were to evaluate the spatiotemporal effects of TSS on brain activity, and determine changes in functional connectivity under several different stimulation conditions. As a control, we also assessed the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) on cortical activity. Approach. Non-invasive scalp electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during TSS or FES while five neurologically intact participants performed one of three lower-limb tasks while in the supine position: (1) A no contraction control task, (2) a rhythmic contraction task, or (3) a tonic contraction task. After EEG denoising and segmentation, independent components (ICs) were clustered across subjects to characterize sensorimotor networks in the time and frequency domains. ICs of the event related potentials (ERPs) were calculated for each cluster and condition. Next, a Generalized Partial Directed Coherence (gPDC) analysis was performed on each cluster to compare the functional connectivity between conditions and tasks. Main results. IC analysis of EEG during TSS resulted in three clusters identified at Brodmann areas (BA) 9, BA 6, and BA 4, which are areas associated with working memory, planning, and movement control. Lastly, we found significant (p < 0.05, adjusted for multiple comparisons) increases and decreases in functional connectivity of clusters during TSS, but not during FES when compared to the no stimulation conditions. Significance. The findings from this study provide evidence of how TSS recruits cortical networks during tonic and rhythmic lower limb movements. These results have implications for the development of spinal cord-based computer interfaces, and the design of neural stimulation devices for the treatment of pain and sensorimotor deficit.
Application of Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control in Voice Coil Motor Control System
Authors: Zhao Bingjie , Liu Yang , Jia Danping , Zhang Tao , Zhang Hualiang , Yan Hongyu , Lu Xu
Published: June 2022

The requirements of modern industry on the response speed and accuracy of voice coil motors has been the gradual growth, and PID control algorithms have become increasingly unable to meet their requirements. The use of sliding mode control can speed up the response time of the motor, and it also can improve the response speed, overshoot and instability problems in some degree. However, the sliding mode control algorithm will bring jitter to the entire system. This paper combines fuzzy control and sliding mode control to adjust the parameters of the sliding mode control algorithm in real time, which greatly reduces the jitter problem caused by the sliding mode. According to the actual parameters of the voice coil motor, the transfer function of the voice coil motor is deduced, a simulation model of fuzzy sliding mode control is built, and the sliding mode control and fuzzy sliding mode control algorithms are compared. Finally, two signals of step and sine are used as inputs for simulation model. It can be seen through the simulation waveform that the fuzzy sliding mode control algorithm can improve the response speed of the control system and reduce the tracking error.
PFCS Four-redundant Sidestick Randomly Dynamically Grouping Vote Technology
Authors: Wang Xiao-Hui , Yu Wei-Qian , Gu Chen-Bo , Jiang Yi
Published: June 2022

For civil aircraft, the reliability of control device sensors in flight control system is very important for aircraft control and safe flight. Redundancy signal voting and monitoring technology can improve the availability and integrity of sensor signals in fly by wire primary flight control system of civil aircraft. In this paper, a simplified four-redundant signal voting and monitoring method is proposed which randomly and dynamically divides the four redundant signals into two groups for comparison. The safety analysis and simulation results reveal that this simplified method meets the safety requirements and has advantages in robustness and availability.
Research on Transformer Fault Prediction Based on Graph Neural Network
Authors: Fang Mu , Jiang Yun , Li Longtan , Liu Yimin , Zhang Yuqi , Lv Fenfei , Liu Zhigang
Published: June 2022

Power transformer is an important part of the power generation system, as the bottom of the power network, directly connected with the user, only the normal work state of the transformer can ensure the safety and smooth operation of the power system. If the transformer breaks down, it will directly not only affect social production, can timely find power transformer latent fault, accurate judgment fault types and characteristics, to maintenance personnel to formulate appropriate repair plan provides guidance significance, at the same time to improve the power grid reliability and reduce the economic consequences of the transformer faults has important practical significance
Visualizing the school organic chemistry course with augmented reality
Authors: Ya Midak L , Pahomov Ju D , Kuzyshyn O V , Lutsyshyn V M , Kravets I V , Buzhdyhan Kh V , Baziuk L V
Published: June 2022

Nowadays, studying natural sciences, as well as chemistry, is impossible without good-quality visualization of the theoretic data. Supplying mobile apps with augmented reality give the opportunity to visualize the study information for the students and make its perception and learning easier. The paper is dedicated to developing a lap book and mobile app LiCo.STEAM Sugar with augmented reality and studying the “Carbohydrates” topic according to the 10
th
grade chemistry program, and also to investigate it’s effciency within the chemistry lessons. The developed lap book includes the theories with carbohydrate molecules’ images, an experimental part designed for performing chemical experiments and studying properties of organic compounds, and also tasks of different levels. Molecules of carbohydrates, their structure can be visualized with AR, and also video-experiments on this subjets can be played. Using the lap book “Carbohydrates” with augmented reality together with LiCo.STEAM Sugar mobile app allows to upgrade the content and the volumes of the theories, apply modern ICT within the study in order to build students’ skills of a new level. Applying educational data with augmented reality give students the ability to memorize the theories in a better way, which is shown with the increased results of educational achievements of students in chemistry.
Improving the quality of mathematical education of pupils: diagnostics and analytics
Authors: Hrynevych L M , Khoruzha L L , Proshkin V V
Published: June 2022

The article considers the problem of the quality of mathematical school education in the context of pupils’ ability to apply the acquired knowledge of mathematics to solve practical problems. It is established that this ability is a clear understanding and awareness of the role of mathematical knowledge in the modern world. It is manifested in the ability to explain natural and scientific phenomena, to draw sound conclusions, to understand the impact of science on human life. The results of a study in which 1849 pupils of Kyiv schools took part are presented. Their ability to apply mathematical knowledge to solve life problems has been established. Examples of mathematical problems developed for testing by specialists of the Ukrainian Center for Educational Quality Assessment are given. The typical pupils’ mistakes, as well as the most successful solutions are analyzed. Pedagogical recommendations for improving the quality of mathematics education of pupils in the context of the reform of the “New Ukrainian School” are given.
Scientific concepts related to physics from the perspective of students of biology
Authors: Stojanović M. , Maksimović B.
Published: June 2022

In many studies, special attention is paid to examining how students acquire scientific concepts and use scientific terminology. Proper understanding of scientific concept is in direct correlation with the quality of students‘ knowledge. The knowledge composed of irregularly adopted concept leads to misconceptions. The aim of the research was to examine how students of biology understand certain scientific concepts in physics that are relevant to their profession. Also, it is examined their intrinsic motivation for physics using a standardized questionnaire. This research was conducted in February 2016. The research results pointed that students do not understand some basic concepts related to physics, but students’ motivation for learning physics is on a medium level.
Eddy current measurement in hollow conducting tube in electromagnetic forming process
Authors: Choudhary H. , Kolge T. , Kapoor R. , Sharma A.
Published: June 2022

Electromagnetic forming (EMF) is a high strain rate metal
deformation process that utilizes Lorentz force to expand or
compress the conducting tube. Stored electrostatic energy of
capacitor bank is discharged through solenoid coil which surrounds
the conducting tube. Capacitor bank and solenoid coil form a series
R-L-C circuit during current discharge through the coil and hence,
the coil current is damped sinusoidal. Coil current produces time
varying magnetic field which induces eddy current in conducting
tube. Interaction of eddy current in the tube and magnetic field in
air gap between tube and coil causes Lorentz force to expand or
compress the conducting tube. The eddy current is a vital parameter
in electromagnetic forming study and its measurement is almost
unfeasible owing to very few mm gap between coil and conducting
tube. Here we establish a novel method to determine the eddy current
in a cylindrical tube, using a superposition theorem, when a damped
sinusoidal current is passed through a finite solenoid coil. The
present study uses a Al-Mg alloy tube to demonstrate this method of
eddy current determination.
Cold neutron triple-axis spectrometer (Cold TAS) at HANARO
Authors: Hiraka H. , Ji S.
Published: June 2022

A cold neutron triple-axis spectrometer (Cold TAS) has been
installed in HANARO at the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute,
South Korea. It has been designed for high-resolution
inelastic-neutron-scattering (INS) measurements of spin and lattice
dynamics using a neutron velocity selector (NVS) for incident cold
neutrons. We evaluated the wavelength resolution and harmonics
filtration of the NVS and verified the vertical focusing effects of
the pyrolytic-graphite crystal monochromator. The beam flux at the
sample position and the spectrometer resolution, which are key
factors in INS experiments, attained the typical TAS specification.
Finally, we exemplified INS spectra to show the current performance
of the high-resolution mode and magnetic-excitation measurements.