bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Large‐scale system identification using self‐adaptive penguin search algorithm
Authors: Udaichi Karthikeyan , Chinaveer Nagappan Ravi , Garcia‐Torres Miguel , Bidare Divakarachari Parameshchari , Bhukya Shankar Nayak
Published: June 2023

From an engineering point of view, non‐linear systems are essential to the operation of control systems, because all systems actually have a non‐linear state in nature. In reality, there are many different kinds of non‐linear systems hidden by this negative definition. For successful analysis and control, the identification of non‐linear systems using unknown models is typically necessary. Till now, numerous approaches are developed for identifying non‐linear systems, but it cannot be employed with a large number of components. Moreover, system identification is typically restricted to output and input signals alone, also such systems are rarely used in reality. This is the primary justification for using non‐linear systems in this research. So, this research proposed a non‐linear model of system identification for large‐scale systems under the consideration of two systems: bilinear system and Volterra system. Therefore, a novel algorithm named Self Adaptive Penguin Search Optimization (SAPeSO) is introduced to attain the system characteristics properly and minimize the output variation. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed work is compared with existing works in terms of various error measures. This research mainly focuses on the application‐oriented engineering problems. In particular, the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of the proposed work for the Volterra system at 4000 samples is 18.83%, 14.05%, 8.88%, 29.72%, 19.91%, and 6.70% which is better than the existing bald eagle search (BES), arithmetic optimization algorithm (AOA), whale optimization algorithm (WOA), nonlinear autoregressive moving average with exogenous inputs‐ frequency response function + principal component analysis (NARMAX‐FRF+PCA), Global Gravitational Search Algorithm‐Assisted Kalman Filter (CGS‐KF), and sparse regression and separable least squares method (SR‐SLSM) methods, respectively. Finally, the error is minimum for the proposed model when compared with the other traditional approaches.
Identification and location method of strip ingot for autonomous robot system using kmeans clustering and color segmentation
Authors: Li Qiguang , Zheng Huazheng , Cui Tianwei , Zhang Yumeng
Published: June 2023

In order to improve the efficiency of autonomous robot sorting steel ingots, this paper proposes a two‐dimensional weighted equivalent clustering‐based progressive probabilistic hough transform (2D‐WEC‐PPHT) algorithm for the problem of identifying and locating strip ingots in automatic picking strip ingot palletizing. First, the steel ingot image is preprocessed and the PPHT linear detection method is used to extract the edge linear information of the steel ingot. Second, the angle and position information are normalized and weighted, and a two‐dimensional clustering distance calculation method is proposed for two‐dimensional clustering of the extracted line information. Besides, the clustering line clusters with close angles were processed into equivalent lines by mean fitting. Then, the average threshold method was used to segment the ingot between each two fitting lines, and the minimum rectangle was used to box the segmentation part. The centroid of the box‐selected rectangle is the positioning center of the ingot, and the long side angle of the box‐selected rectangle is the deviation angle information of the ingot. Finally, the experimental results show that the number of redundant lines detected by the 2D‐WEC‐PPHT is significantly less than that of traditional methods such as HT and PPHT. The positioning speed of ingot is faster than that of HT and PPHT, and the processing time is reduced from 20 s to 10 s. In the case of large proportion of old ingots with weak reflection, the recognition accuracy reached 93.5%, and the angular and position positioning accuracy were 2.270° and 11.675 mm, respectively. The recognition accuracy of new ingots with strong reflection reached 99.574%, which met the requirements of picking positioning accuracy.
DASTSiam: Spatio‐temporal fusion and discriminative enhancement for Siamese visual tracking
Authors: Huang Yucheng , Firkat Eksan , Zhang Jinlai , Zhu Lijuan , Zhu Bin , Zhu Jihong , Hamdulla Askar
Published: June 2023

The use of deep neural networks has revolutionised object tracking tasks, and Siamese trackers have emerged as a prominent technique for this purpose. Existing Siamese trackers use a fixed template or template updating technique, but it is prone to overfitting, lacks the capacity to exploit global temporal sequences, and cannot utilise multi‐layer features. As a result, it is challenging to deal with dramatic appearance changes in complicated scenarios. Siamese trackers also struggle to learn background information, which impairs their discriminative ability. Hence, two transformer‐based modules, the Spatio‐Temporal Fusion (ST) module and the Discriminative Enhancement (DE) module, are proposed to improve the performance of Siamese trackers. The ST module leverages cross‐attention to accumulate global temporal cues and generates an attention matrix with ST similarity to enhance the template's adaptability to changes in target appearance. The DE module associates semantically similar points from the template and search area, thereby generating a learnable discriminative mask to enhance the discriminative ability of the Siamese trackers. In addition, a Multi‐Layer ST module (ST + ML) was constructed, which can be integrated into Siamese trackers based on multi‐layer cross‐correlation for further improvement. The authors evaluate the proposed modules on four public datasets and show comparative performance compared to existing Siamese trackers.
Reliability criterion of film capacitor based on moisture diffusion in encapsulation
Authors: Li Zheng , Li Hua , Qiu Tian , Lin Fuchang , Wang Yucheng
Published: June 2023

The current reliability criterion (RC) of the film capacitor (FC) is usually a fixed value, which does not consider the staged capacitance loss caused by moisture diffusion under high temperature and/or high humidity. The expected lifetime of capacitors would deviate far from the actual one. The moisture diffusion process of the encapsulated FC is analysed based on Fick's second law. In order to investigate the capacitance loss and moisture diffusion characteristics, 4 types of film capacitors are stressed with AC voltage under different temperatures and humidities. Based on the staged analysis of the capacitance and weight gain curves, the effect of moisture diffusion on capacitance loss is revealed. Results indicate that the linear stage of capacitance loss corresponds to the Fickian moisture diffusion stage of weight gain. The effect of voltage on FC aging is the most significant. The capacitance loss rate increases by 301% when the voltage rises by 30%. An RC calculation method of the FC is further proposed, which could also screen the encapsulation quality and shorten the aging test duration by at least 80%.
CSIT: Channel Spatial Integrated Transformer for human pose estimation
Authors: Li Shaohua , Zhang Haixiang , Ma Hanjie , Feng Jie , Jiang Mingfeng
Published: June 2023

Human keypoints detection is different from general detection tasks and requires networks that can learn visual information and anatomical constraints. Since CNN is excellent in extracting texture features of images and transformer can learn the correlation among keypoints well, many CTPNets (CNN+transformer type human pose estimation networks) have emerged. However, these networks are unconcerned with the processing of the features extracted from the CNN and naturally expand only from the channel dimension, ignoring the spatial features in the visual information that are essential for complex detection tasks like pose estimation. So the channel spatial integrated transformer for human pose estimation, termed CSIT, is proposed. The visual information are summarized as texture and spatial information, and a parallel network is used to expand the feature maps in the channel and spatial dimensions to learn texture features and spatial features respectively. In addition, anatomically constrained information is learned by keypoint embeddings. At the end of the network, the 1D vector representation method with more advanced performance and more compatible with transformer's characteristics is used to predict keypoints. Experiments show that CSIT outperforms the mainstream CTPNets on the COCO test‐dev dataset, and also show satisfactory results on the MPII dataset.
Revisit two memoryless state‐recovery cryptanalysis methods on A5/1
Authors: Xu Yanbin , Hao Yonglin , Wang Mingxing
Published: June 2023

At ASIACRYPT 2019, Zhang proposed a near collision attack on A5/1 claiming to recover the 64‐bit A5/1 state with a time complexity around 232 cipher ticks with negligible memory requirements. Soon after its proposal, Zhang's near collision attack was severely challenged by Derbez et al. who claimed that Zhang's attack cannot have a time complexity lower than Golic's memoryless guess‐and‐determine attack dating back to EUROCRYPT 1997. In this article, both the guess‐and‐determine and the near collision attacks for recovering A5/1 states with negligible memory complexities are studied. Firstly, a new guessing technique called the move guessing technique that can construct linear equation filters in a more efficient manner is proposed. Such a technique can be applied to both guess‐and‐determine and collision attacks for efficiency improvements. Secondly, the filtering strength of the linear equation systems is taken into account for complexity analysis. Such filtering strength are evaluated with practical experiments making the complexities more convincing. Based on such new techniques, the authors are able to give 2 new guess‐and‐determine attacks on A5/1: the 1st attack recovers the internal state with time complexity 243.92; the 2nd one recovers a different state with complexity 243.25. Golic's guess‐and‐determine attack and Zhang's near collision attacks are revisited. According to our detailed analysis, the complexity of Golic's recovery attack is no lower than 246.04, higher than the previously believed 243. On the other hand, Zhang's near collision attack recovers with the time complexity 253.19: such a complexity can be further lowered to 250.78 with our move guessing technique.
Low‐voltage DC building distribution and utilization system and its implementation in China southern grid
Authors: Guo Peiqian , Zhang Xiao‐Yu , Yuan Zhichang , Zhao Yuming , Wang Yizhen , Liu Guowei , Man Jiufang , Wang Yuxuan , Jiang Zhilin , Xiang Miaoyi , Kuenzel Stefanie
Published: June 2023

The demand‐side DC electricity‐using equipment and newly integrated renewables are driving the transformation of power distribution and utilization mode. The building system based on DC technology is emerging as a promising option. In the low‐voltage DC building distribution and utilization system (LVDCBDUS), global energy optimization management and operational control arrangement are key components. To obtain exemplary achievements of those, two different DC building energy management system (DC BEMS) integration schemes are investigated according to the respective features and application‐required functions of various system networking structures. Centralized and decentralized control strategies are presented and discussed for buildings with AC–DC transformation and newly built LVDCBDUSs. On this basis, the centralized DC BEMS and operational control strategy are applied to the first multi‐scenario low‐carbon city‐based future building project—Shenzhen IBR Future Complex. The operation data are recorded and analysed. Problems encountered during the implementation are summarized, and requirements of converter equipment, new technologies and marketization are further discussed to promote the high‐quality development of the LVDCBDUS.
C1,1-Rectifiability and Heintze–Karcher Inequality on Sn+1
Authors: Zhang Xuwen
Published: June 2023

In this paper, by isometrically embedding (Sn+1, gSn+1) into Rn+2, and using nonlinear analysis on the codimension-2 graphs, we will show that the level-sets of the distance function from the boundary of any open set in sphere, are C1,1-rectifiable. As a by-product, we establish a Heintze-Karcher-type inequality on sphere.
Interpolation of gas-liquid multicomponent fluid properties for piping fluid flow analysis
Authors: Skripachenko Maria
Published: June 2023

The article proposes the use of bicubic spline interpolation to optimize hydraulic and thermal calculations while processing thermodynamic library data. Research was carried out both in single-phase gas and liquid regions, as well as in the two-phase gas-liquid region. The accuracy of bicubic spline interpolation was tested for various thermodynamic libraries on multi-component mixtures. Various coordinate systems (P, x), (P, T), (P, H), (P, S) were tested, optimal coordinates and interpolation grids were selected based on the nature of changes in various thermophysical properties. Experiments were conducted in the range of up to 80% of critical pressure, since in the near-critical region the properties behavior changes sharply. Plots of properties and interpolation absolute and relative errors were also produced for a more detailed study and determination of problem areas where property functions undergo sharp changes that make interpolation difficult. The results obtained demonstrate an acceptable level of accuracy for engineering calculations in the approximation of data from thermodynamic libraries.
Alternative methods for solving a hyperbolic system of equations in a simplified water hammer problem
Authors: Sidler Inna , Novitsky Nikolay , Grazhdantseva Elena
Published: June 2023

The paper addresses a mathematical model of the transient process in a pipeline, namely, a water hammer model. Based on this model, a mixed problem for a system of partial differential equations of hyperbolic type is set. In this paper, we obtain formulas for the exact solution of the Cauchy problem for a linear homogeneous hyperbolic system. We compare the effectiveness of explicit and implicit numerical methods for solving a simplified system of water hammer equations.
Methodological bases of organization heat supply in conditions of different interests of subjects of relationships
Authors: Stennikov Valery , Khamisov Oleg , Penkovskii Andrey
Published: June 2023

Heat supply is the most important area for the provision of energy services to a wide range of consumers. This industry determines the well-being of society, social stability and competitiveness of the economies of many countries of the world. The processes of energy liberalization initiated in the early 1990s led to the emergence of new forms of heat supply management based on market interaction among producers and consumers of heat energy. In market conditions, the problem of optimizing heat supply systems becomes much more complicated, and its structuring becomes multivariate depending on the characteristics of the industry organization. To solve the problems of optimal functioning and development of heat supply systems in changing conditions, along with existing optimization methods, it becomes necessary to use new approaches focused on solving problems in some specific uncertain situations characterized by conflicting interests of the parties, and often defined as conflict. The paper presents a comprehensive scientific and methodological approach based on mathematical modeling for solving problems of managing the development and functioning of heat supply systems in a market economy.
Communication security of autonomous ground vehicles based on networked control systems: The optimized LMI approach
Authors: Cai Xiao , Shi Kaibo , She Kun , Zhong Shouming , Wen Shiping , Xie Yuanlun
Published: June 2023

The paper presents a study of networked control systems (NCSs) that are subjected to periodic denial-of-service (DoS) attacks of varying intensity. The use of appropriate Lyapunov–Krasovskii functionals (LKFs) help to reduce the constraints of the basic conditions and lower the conservatism of the criteria. An optimization problem with constraints is formulated to select the trigger threshold, which is solved using the gradient descent algorithm (GDA) to improve resource utilization. An intelligent secure event-triggered controller (ISETC) is designed to ensure the safe operation of the system under DoS attacks. The approach is validated through experiments with an autonomous ground vehicle (AGV) system based on the Simulink platform. The proposed method offers the potential for developing effective defense mechanisms against DoS attacks in NCSs.
La fatigue du contrôle de soi : reconceptualisation de l’épuisement de l’ego et implications dans les activités physiques et sportives
Authors: Forestier Cyril , de Chanaleilles Margaux , Chalabaev Aïna
Published: June 2023

Le phénomène d’épuisement de l’ego a généré des centaines de travaux en psychologie sociale depuis une vingtaine d’années. Cependant, ce domaine de recherche est actuellement confronté à de profondes critiques, allant jusqu’à remettre en question l’existence même du phénomène. Dans cet article, nous partons du postulat que ces difficultés à répliquer et expliquer l’épuisement de l’ego sont en partie dues à l’absence d’une définition précise et falsifiable du phénomène. Nous proposons une reconceptualisation de l’épuisement de l’ego, et suggérons d’utiliser le concept de fatigue du contrôle de soi pour y faire référence. La fatigue du contrôle de soi se définit comme une altération temporaire d’un acte de contrôle de soi coûteux en effort, causé par un acte de contrôle de soi qui a lui-même nécessité des efforts, visant à résoudre un conflit motivationnel, et provoqué par une diminution des ressources, de la volonté et/ou de la capacité de contrôle de soi. Après avoir défini les différentes composantes de cette définition, nous discutons de ses implications théoriques, et notamment de la distinction entre fatigue du contrôle de soi et fatigue mentale, ainsi que de ses implications pratiques en matière d’interventions dans les activités physiques et sportives.
Time to Mohs Reconstruction: A Systematic Review Comparing Complication Rates between Immediate and Delayed Repair
Authors: Sciegienka Sebastian , Slijepcevic Allison , Lipsey Kim , Spataro Emily , Chen Collin
Published: June 2023

Several known factors affect outcomes of Mohs facial defect reconstruction; however, the effect of repair timing on outcomes is ill-defined. The aim of this study was to determine postoperative complication rates between immediate and delayed repair of Mohs facial defects. Preferred Reporting Items of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were used. Articles were selected using PICO format—population: Mohs facial defect patients, intervention: defect repair, comparator: immediate (<24 hours), or delayed (>24 hours) repair, outcome: complication rate. PubMed/Medline (1946-2020), EMBASE (1947-2020), Scopus (1823-2020), Web of Science (1900-2020), Cochrane Library, and Clinicaltrials.gov were searched. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts; those in English with human subjects reporting repair timing and complication rates were included. Search criteria yielded 6,649 abstracts; 233 qualified for review. Data were gathered from six studies; they alone contained comparative data meeting inclusion criteria. While many well-written studies were encountered, reported results varied widely. A statistically sound meta-analysis could not be completed due to large heterogeneity between studies, biasing the analysis towards the largest weighted study. Clinically important differences may exist between immediate and delayed Mohs reconstruction, but small study numbers, large heterogeneity, and lack of standardized outcome measures limit definitive conclusions. More studies are needed to perform appropriate meta-analyses, including studies using standardized methods of reporting Mohs outcome data.
Knowledge Gaps in Placenta Accreta Spectrum
Authors: Carusi Daniela A. , Duzyj Christina M. , Hecht Jonathan L. , Butwick Alexander J. , Barrett Jon , Holt Roxane , O'Rinn Susan E. , Afshar Yalda , Gilner Jennifer B. , Newton J. M. , Shainker Scott A. ,   for the Pan-American Society for the Placenta Accreta Spectrum
Published: June 2023

Since its first description early in the 20th Century, placenta accreta and its variants have changed substantially in incidence, risk factor profile, clinical presentation, diagnosis and management. While systematic use of diagnostic tools and a multidisciplinary team care approach has begun to improve patient outcomes, the condition's pathophysiology, epidemiology, and best practices for diagnosis and management remain poorly understood. The use of large databases with broadly accepted terminology and diagnostic criteria should accelerate research in this area. Future work should focus on non-traditional phenotypes, such as those without placenta previa–preventive strategies, and long term medical and emotional support for patients facing this diagnosis.

Key Points
Graduate and Continuing Medical Education of Placenta Accreta Spectrum
Authors: Feltmate Colleen , Easter Sarah R. , Gilner Jennifer B. , Karam Amer K. , Khourry-Callado Fady , Fox Karin A.
Published: June 2023

Surgical training experience in obstetrics-gynecology (OB-GYN) residency and fellowship training, particularly in open abdominal surgeries has declined over the last 2 decades. This is due, in part, due to a universal trend toward non-invasive treatments for gynecologic conditions once treated surgically. Management of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) often requires complex surgical skills, including, but not limited to highly complex hysterectomy. The decline in surgical case numbers has fallen as the incidence of PAS has risen, which we anticipate will lead to a gap in critical skills needed for graduating obstetrician-gynecologists to able to safely care for people with PAS.
Potential Impact of Long COVID-19 on Orthodontic Treatment
Authors: Al-Jewair Thikriat , Michelogiannakis Dimitrios , Khoo Edmund , Prevost Ryan
Published: June 2023

Pooled estimates indicate about 226 million individuals are currently experiencing or have experienced persistent symptoms from COVID-19. Long COVID-19 (LC) has been associated with a prolonged inflammatory and stress responses in affected individuals. Due to common pathways, LC could impact the biological mechanisms of orthodontic tooth movement, orthodontically-induced inflammatory root resorption and periodontal tissue response of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. The authors of the present report discussed potential biological mechanisms through which LC may influence orthodontic treatment highlighting the need for further research in this area.
Transradial Transcapitate Perilunotriquetral Coalition Fracture Dislocation
Authors: Bellringer Simon F. , Raut Shruti , Cho Young-Seok , Tourret Lisa J.
Published: June 2023

Perilunate fracture dislocations (PLFDs) are uncommon, usually resulting from high-energy trauma. Several classification systems describe the patterns of injury seen, but there is still significant variation and patterns of injury that do not fit within these classifications continue to be described. Carpal coalitions are rare, mostly asymptomatic, and are, as a result, usually identified incidentally. We describe the case of a transradial transcapitate PLFD in a patient with a Minnaar Type 3 lunotriquetral coalition. Radiographic, clinical, and patient-reported outcomes are reported.

When presented with a rare anatomical variation in the context of a complex injury, the importance of managing these complex injuries according to principles is highlighted.
Prevalence and Characterization of Legionella pneumophila and Related Species from Water-Based Recreational Sites
Authors: Shetty Sneha , Kenjar Apoorva , Raj Juliet Roshini Mohan , D.S Akhila , Karunasagar Indrani , Vittal Rajeshwari
Published: June 2023

Background and Objectives Legionella is a genus of gram-negative bacteria common in soil and aquatic systems and is associated with protists. They have emerged as a pathogenic group due to the increased use and poor maintenance of artificial water environments. This study aims at phenotypic and molecular identification of Legionella in water and swab samples collected from water-based recreational sites. The biofilm-forming ability of Legionella on exposure to various temperatures and iron concentrations was also studied.

Methods A total of 60 samples including 30 swab samples and 30 water samples (decorative fountain ponds, swimming pools, garden sprinklers, drip irrigation system) were collected from in and around Mangalore, Karnataka, India. From each source, swab and water samples were collected as per the Indian standard IS: 1622. The collected samples were processed within 4 hours of collection. The samples were subjected to microbiological and chemical estimation followed by filtration through a 0.2 µm membrane filter. Isolation of Legionella from collected samples was performed as per US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines 2005. The positive isolates were then checked for biofilm-forming ability at various temperatures (25°C, 35°C, and 45°C) and iron concentration (3 mg/L, 30 mg/L, and 300 mg/L) using crystal violet assay.

Results Out of 30, water and swab samples tested, one water sample from a garden sprinkler, swimming pool, and one from both water and swab samples from a decorative fountain showed the presence of Legionella. A biofilm study of Legionella at various temperatures and iron concentrations categorized the bacteria as a moderate biofilm former.

Conclusion This study revealed that most of the water and swab samples were found to be negative for Legionella that is quite encouraging and the contamination of water systems in recreational facilities can be reduced by decontamination techniques and proper hygienic practices.
A Study to Assess the Knowledge and Practice of Parents Regarding Home Management of Minor Ailments in Children Visiting Tertiary Care Hospital Mangaluru
Authors: K. Navitha , lobo Melba Roshini , J. Umarani
Published: June 2023

Background The nation's future depends on its children. Minor illnesses are a common occurrence during childhood. It is crucial to evaluate parents' knowledge and practice when it comes to dealing with minor illnesses. This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of parents regarding home management of minor ailments in children.

Methods The descriptive research design was adopted for this study. The sample consisted of 65 parents of under-5 children The sample was selected on the basis of the purposive sampling technique. Data was collected using a knowledge questionnaire and practice checklist related to the management of minor illnesses in children including fever, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI; cough, cold, sore throat), diarrhea, vomiting, abdominal colic, and superficial wound. Data collected from the subjects were analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results Study revealed that 80% had good knowledge, 20% had moderate knowledge, and none of them had poor knowledge on home management of minor ailments. In terms of practice, 55.4% of parents had moderate practice in the management of fever, 93.8% had good practice regarding the management of URTI, 43.1% had a good practice in managing diarrhea at home, 47.7% of parents had poor practice regarding home management of abdomen colic, 56.9% parents had a good practice on management of vomiting at home, and 92.3% had good practice score on managing superficial wounds at home. There was a significant association found with education status and knowledge score, as well as educational status and occupation with URTI practice and source of health information with fever at p-value less than 0.05 level of significance.

Conclusion The results of this study showed that parents of under-5 children had good knowledge and practice regarding home management of minor ailments.
Linguistic Differences by Gender in Letters of Recommendation for Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Applicants
Authors: Rosenthal Elise , Tappy Erryn , Pan Evelyn , Verma Diksha , Wang Angela , Brown Larry S. , Santiago-Muñoz Patricia , Florian-Rodriguez Maria
Published: June 2023

Objective As in many realms of academia and medicine, in obstetrics and gynecology, women experience gender bias in residency evaluations and academic promotions. More specifically, women in Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) are underrepresented within departmental leadership positions. As a means of identifying spaces where bias may exist, multiple investigators have previously reported on gender bias in letters of recommendation (LORs) for residency and subspecialty training programs. We aimed to determine if linguistic differences exist in LORs for self-identified male and female applicants to MFM fellowship at an academic institution.

Study Design This was a retrospective single-site cohort study from 2019 to 2021. Data collected included applicant's age, self-reported race/ethnicity and gender, geographic region of residency, step 1 and 2 scores, scholarly and volunteer activities, and number of LORs. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software, a validated text analysis program, was used to characterize LOR linguistic content. Multivariable analysis was used to compare letter characteristics to applicant demographics.

Results A total of 212 applications were reviewed, including 808 LORs. Women comprised 76.9% of applicants, and men 23.1%. Most applicants identified as non-Hispanic White (52.8%). Men were more likely to be international medical graduates (20 vs. 6%, p ≤ 0.01), and women reported more volunteer activities (7.1 ± 5.1 vs. 5.5 ± 4.3, p = 0.04). There were no differences in step scores, number of research projects, or number of LORs. Multivariable analysis controlling for applicant race, step 1 score, and gender of letter writer revealed that letters written for males contained significantly more references to the word category cognitive processes (7.4 ± 0.2 vs. 7.1 ± 0.1, p = 0.046), specifically in reference to the subcategories of certainty and differentiation.

Conclusion We identified linguistic differences in LORs written for MFM applicants, suggesting potential bias in the style of writing for male and female physicians applying to this field.

Key Points
Ideological drivers of participatory democracy in Europe: disentangling the different approaches of populism and post-materialist politics
Authors: Piccolino Gianluca , Puleo Leonardo
Published: June 2023

Empirical literature regarding which actors support the most participatory democracy is surprisingly scarce. Discussing the core ideological features of populist and post-materialist-centred parties, we expect that these parties emphasise participatory democracy more than their competitors. Additionally, populist parties should embody a monist demand for greater participatory democracy, while post-materialist-centred (PMC) parties should advocate a pluralist understanding of it. Drawing on party electoral manifestos, we verify these assumptions in several national elections across Europe. Our findings show mixed support for the theoretical expectations. Both post-materialist and populist parties support participatory democracy more than other parties, and their principles diverge. More precisely, our data confirm that PMC parties advocate a pluralist understanding of participatory democracy. Yet populist parties show a fuzzier picture. While populist radical right parties exhibit a monist profile, radical left populist parties are much more in line with post-materialist arguments.
Effect of government intervention in relation to COVID-19 cases and deaths in Malawi
Authors: Chirwa Gowokani Chijere , Zonda Joe Maganga , Mosiwa Samantha Soyiyo , Mazalale Jacob
Published: June 2023

The COVID-19 pandemic affected the world in various ways. In response to this, countries set up various interventions such as lockdowns, physical distancing, and mandatory face covering, among others. Governments also put in place measures to ensure compliance. However, the extent to which the various responses impacted the deaths and confirmed cases remains debatable. This paper explores this question by looking at how government stringency measures impacted deaths and cases in Malawi. We employ an instrumental variable (IV) approach to assess the impact of government action on confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. We measure government policy by the stringency index. By leveraging the IV approach, we circumvent potential endogeneity concerns between our main policy variable and the outcome variables. Our data comes from the University of Oxford COVID-19 project and spans a daily frequency from 20 February 2020 to 25 April 2022, covering multiple waves of the pandemic. Overall, the findings show that despite Malawi never having implemented a full lockdown, the government policies may have helped to reduce both cases and deaths related to COVID-19. Specifically, the IV shows that a unit increase in the government stringency index results in a drop of 179 cases and 6 deaths. All the results are statistically significant at 1% level and remain robust to the use of the ordinary least-squares method. This study demonstrates the efficacy of non-pharmaceutical tools implemented by the government to fight COVID-19. Thus, policymakers need to place more emphasis on the need for the public to adhere to these stringency measures in the event of new waves of the pandemic or similar outbreaks.
Preparation process optimisation, structural characterisation and stability analysis of sika deer blood–selenium chelate
Authors: Tang Li-wen , Gao Xiao-chen , Sun Yao , Tian Tian , Li Sheng
Published: June 2023

Context Selenium deficiency occurs all over the world. Therefore, the research and development of selenium supplements has been a focus for relevant scholars. Organic selenium is safer and more efficient than is inorganic selenium. In fact, China’s sika deer resources are of high quality, but the utilisation rate of deer blood is very low. Research has found that deer blood is a reasonable peptide source for the preparation of selenium-chelate supplements. The abundance of deer blood resources provided conditions for this study. Aim To provide new selenium supplements for humans, and further develop and utilise China’s sika deer industry, which to some extent also improves the utilisation rate of deer blood resources. Methods Peptides were hydrolysed by protease, and the best hydrolysates were screened. Single-factor experiments and response-surface methodology were used to study the effects of pH, temperature, time and peptide:selenium mass ratio on selenium-chelating activity. The sika deer blood polypeptide–selenium was characterised and analysed through ultraviolet spectrum, infrared spectrum, amino acid analysis, molecular-weight determination, scanning electron microscopy, and particle-size and potential analysis. Also, thermal-stability and acid–base-stability tests were conducted. Key results The chelating activity of alkaline protease hydrolysate was the highest, being 73.1 ± 0.16%. The pH value, temperature, time and peptide:selenium mass ratio had influence on selenium-chelating activity. Because of the cross-linking of selenium ions, the chelated selenium aggregates into larger particles with a more compact structure. The determination of amino acid and molecular weight showed that the metal-chelating activity of small-molecular peptides was very strong. Glutamic acid (Glu) and aspartic acid (Asp) play an important role in the binding of selenium ions. At the same time, the chelated SDBP–selenium had acid–base stability and thermal stability. Conclusion Studies depicted that SDBP–selenium is suitable as a new type of selenium supplement. Implications The preparation of deer blood polypeptide-chelated selenium provides a scientific basis for the development of new selenium supplements and the practical application of deer blood resources.
Associative plurals and their associates
Authors: den Dikken Marcel
Published: June 2023

This paper presents an integrated approach to the morphosyntax of the three nominal plural markers of Hungarian: multiplicative-k, possessive-i, and associative plural-ék. It explicates the relationship between the associative and multiplicative plural markers, and between the associative plural and the anaphoric possession marker-é. Central in the analysis proposed is the hypothesis that the marker-éconsistently plays the role of a predicationalrelatorformally licensing the silence of one of the two terms in the predication relationship that it mediates. The syntax underlying the associative plural involves an asyndetic coordination relation in which the content of a silent plural pronoun is specified by a complex noun phrase headed by the silent noungroup. The analysis has im-plications for the syntax of number and demonstratives and for the licensing of silent nouns and pronouns.
The morphosyntax of the Hungarian sociative and dissociative suffixes
Authors: den Dikken Marcel , Dékány Éva
Published: June 2023

This paper examines the morphosyntax of (dis)sociative ‘with(out)’, with particular reference to the facts of Hungarian but with an eye towards universality. The morphological analysis of-stul/stül‘with’ and-talanul/telenül‘without’ unpacks these complex forms, utilizing a variety of morphemes treated as heads of phrases in the syntax; the syntax, in turn, represents (dis)sociatives as depictive secondary predications, with a PRO-subject controlled by either the subject or the object of the containing clause. The morphophonology and semantics of sociative-stuland dissociative-talanulunfold compositionally from the syntactic structure. The analysis of (dis)sociatives reveals the benefits of composing complex word-level formatives in syntax, shows that snowballing head movement and phrasal movement are two discrete strategies for syntactic word formation, and sheds new light on several grammatical formatives and their interactions.
The semantics of ejsze in the Székely dialect of Hungarian
Authors: Gyuris Beáta
Published: June 2023

This paper provides the first formal account of the meaning of the pragmatic marker ejsze in the
Székely (Szekler) dialect of Hungarian. Using standard diagnostics of sentence types, we argue that it is compatible with
declaratives and constituent interrogatives but not with polar interogatives. We suggest that it makes a contribution analogous to
that of German wohl in declaratives, and argue that its use-conditional meaning can be described along the lines
proposed for wohl by Eckardt (2020). Accordingly,
ejsze is analyzed as an inferential evidential, marking that the prejacent is defeasibly entailed by the
maximal body of knowledge of the speaker. The paper discusses contrasts between the distribution and felicity of
ejsze vs. wohl, and ejsze vs. talán, an inferential
particle that appears both in the standard and in the Székely dialect.
The inflection of Latin masculine proper names inThe Old English Martyrology
Authors: Ruiz Narbona Esaúl
Published: June 2023

This paper focuses on the inflectional morphology of Latin masculine proper names in Old English. Most common Latin loans are perfectly integrated into the Old English system. Latin proper names, however, like late scholarly loans, show both Latin and Old English inflectional endings in an apparently chaotic distribution. By analysing a selection of 833 tokens fromThe Old English Martyrology, this paper shows that despite variation, a clear pattern resulting from a combination of the Latin and Old English systems can be detected. While the inflectional endings of one language dominate in some cases, e.g. Latin in the nominative and Old English in the dative, other inflections, e.g. the genitive thematic vowel + ‑s,result from a combination of both languages based on phonetic or spelling similarities. The result is a mixed paradigm predominantly modelled after Old Englisha-stem nouns.
Encapsulating lithium at the microscale: selective deposition in carbon-doped graphitic carbon nitride spheres
Authors: Hong Yu Jin , Lee Siwon , Choi Sungho , Kim Do Youb , Moon San , Kim Se-Hee , Suk Jungdon , Bin Im Won , Wu Mihye
Published: June 2023

For stable lithium deposition without dendrites, three-dimensional (3D) porous structure has been intensively investigated. Here, we report the use of carbon-doped graphitic carbon nitride (C-doped g-C3N4) microspheres as a 3D host for lithium to suppress dendrite formation, which is crucial for stable lithium deposition. The C-doped g-C3N4 microspheres have a high surface area and porosity, allowing for efficient lithium accommodation with high accessibility. The carbon-doping of the g-C3N4 microspheres confers lithiophilic properties, which facilitate the regulation of Li+ flux and dense filling of cavities with nucleated lithium, thereby preventing volume expansion and promoting dendrite-free Li deposition. The electrochemical performance was improved with cyclic stability and high Coulombic efficiency over 260 cycles at 1.0 mA cm−2 for 1.0 mAh cm−2, and even over 70 cycles at 5.0 mA cm−2 for 3.0 mAh cm−2. The use of C-doped g-C3N4 microspheres as a 3D Li host shows promising results for stable lithium deposition without dendrite formation.
Computational fluid dynamics simulations of silicon μ-structure formation during excimer laser modification of silicon-nanoparticle layers
Authors: Neises Julian , Kühnel Laura , Benson Niels
Published: June 2023

The laser modification of silicon-nanoparticle layers with a nanosecond pulsed excimer laser leads to the self-organized formation of crystalline, μ-cone-shaped silicon structures with good electronic properties, which have allowed the demonstration of their potential for printed flexible electronics. With the current nanosecond laser process, silicon exhibits only short melting times, resulting in a method-defined substrate contact angle, instead of this parameter being defined by the substrate surface energy as expected for equilibrium conditions. This substrate material-independent non-equilibrium contact angle of the silicon melt was experimentally determined in this study to be Θ = 68 ± 10°. To gain deeper insight into the process of the sequential melting and the formation of the silicon μ-cone structures during laser modification, a two-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulation was performed in COMSOL Multiphysics® solving the Navier–Stokes equation for incompressible fluids. The simulation uses an effective medium approach by applying the conservative level set method to describe the porous silicon-nanoparticle layer. Its sequential melting during the pulsed laser modification is modeled using a newly developed simulation methodology, which uses a time- and depth-dependent dynamic viscosity of the molten silicon. The simulation was carried out for different laser energy densities and verified using scanning electron microscopy images of corresponding laser-modified samples. The simulation results agree well with the experiment and were subsequently used to optimize the laser process.
Mn-doped SnTe monolayer as toxic gas scavenger or sensor based on first-principles study
Authors: Wei Guang , Pang Jianhua , Zhang Jiwei , Chen Hui , Wang Kuanyi , Yan Jin , Wei Songrui
Published: June 2023

Using first-principles theory, we investigated the stability and feasibility on Mn-doped SnTe monolayer and the interactions of Mn-doped SnTe monolayer (Mn-SnTe) for the adsorption of toxic gases H2S, SO2, NO, NO2 and Cl2. The results show that the Mn-SnTe monolayer has a weak interaction for H2S and strong adsorption energies of −1.840, −4.123, −2.954 and −3.578 eV for SO2, NO, NO2 and Cl2, respectively. In addition, due to the high sensitivity of Mn-SnTe monolayer to adsorb SO2 and Cl2, the bandgaps of the developed systems are reduced by about 79.96% and 100%, respectively. The results indicate that the Mn-SnTe monolayer has a high sensitivity for the detection of SO2 and Cl2 gases. Our calculations provide a theoretical basis for the development of Mn-SnTe monolayer for potential applications as sensors or scavengers for toxic gases.
Speckle photography and double aperture speckle interferometry using both sides of a suitably designed hololens imaging configuration
Authors: Mandal Rahul , Ghosh Abhijit , Nirala A K
Published: June 2023

In the present work, both sides of a suitably designed hololens imaging configuration have been used in laser speckle photography and double aperture speckle interferometry. A speckle photographic technique has been used to measure in-plane displacement, and a double aperture speckle interferometric technique has been used to measure in-plane displacement component.
Searching for the Nano-Hertz Stochastic Gravitational Wave Background with the Chinese Pulsar Timing Array Data Release I
Authors: Xu Heng , Chen Siyuan , Guo Yanjun , Jiang Jinchen , Wang Bojun , Xu Jiangwei , Xue Zihan , Nicolas Caballero R. , Yuan Jianping , Xu Yonghua , Wang Jingbo , Hao Longfei , Luo Jingtao , Lee Kejia , Han Jinlin , Jiang Peng , Shen Zhiqiang , Wang Min , Wang Na , Xu Renxin , Wu Xiangping , Manchester Richard , Qian Lei , Guan Xin , Huang Menglin , Sun Chun , Zhu Yan
Published: June 2023

Observing and timing a group of millisecond pulsars with high rotational stability enables the direct detection of gravitational waves (GWs). The GW signals can be identified from the spatial correlations encoded in the times-of-arrival of widely spaced pulsar-pairs. The Chinese Pulsar Timing Array (CPTA) is a collaboration aiming at the direct GW detection with observations carried out using Chinese radio telescopes. This short article serves as a “table of contents” for a forthcoming series of papers related to the CPTA Data Release 1 (CPTA DR1) which uses observations from the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope. Here, after summarizing the time span and accuracy of CPTA DR1, we report the key results of our statistical inference finding a correlated signal with amplitude

log

A

c

=
−
14.4

−
2.8

+
1.0

for spectral index in the range of α ∈ [ − 1.8, 1.5] assuming a GW background (GWB) induced quadrupolar correlation. The search for the Hellings–Downs (HD) correlation curve is also presented, where some evidence for the HD correlation has been found that a 4.6σ statistical significance is achieved using the discrete frequency method around the frequency of 14 nHz. We expect that the future International Pulsar Timing Array data analysis and the next CPTA data release will be more sensitive to the nHz GWB, which could verify the current results.