bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of system efficiency and utilisation factor of a mirror integrated solar PV system
Authors: Odungat Mohammed Mansoor , Simon Sishaj Pulikottil , Ark Kumar Kevin , Sundareswaran Kinattingal , Srinivasarao Nayak Panugothu , Padhy Narayana Prasad
Published: March 2020

This study presents the investigation of benefits obtained in a mirror integrated standalone photovoltaic (PV) test system of 0.3 kW capacity. The enhancement of energy extraction is possible only through fixing the mirror at an optimal angle facing towards the PV panel. Hence, the optimal condition for the maximum energy extraction in a year at a specific location is derived and presented considering the total irradiation falling on the panel. A detailed estimation on performance indices and feasibility analysis for the mirror integrated solar PV system (MISPVS) is carried out for one year from May 2018 to April 2019 for the test system with and without mirror arrangement. The total energy generated from the MISPVS during the monitoring period is found to increase from 359.10 kWh to 468.10 kWh which is around 130.3% when compared with the traditional solar PV system (TSPVS). Finally, the experimental results show that the system efficiency and capacity utilisation factor of the proposed system is enhanced to 13.09 and 17.81%, respectively.
Framework of maximum power point tracking for solar PV panel using WSPS technique
Authors: Sukanya Satapathy Susree , Kumar Nishant
Published: March 2020

In this study, a novel ‘Weight of Set Point Similarity (WSPS)’ technique is developed for MPPT (maximum power point tracking) for uniformly shaded solar PV (photovoltaic) panel condition. In classical MPPT algorithms like Perturb and Observe, Incremental Conductance, Hill Climbing etc. the main issues are oscillation in a steady‐state condition, and longer tracking time during dynamic change condition. The mitigation of these issues is the key contribution of this developed WSPS technique. In the WSPS technique, the comparative study of the weight of four sets of duty cycle decides the steady‐state condition, where drastic decrement of the value of step‐change mitigates the oscillation issues in a steady‐state condition. Moreover, for dynamic condition detection, here an envelope of power is created, which range below the lowest value of oscillating power and above the highest value of oscillating power. The performance of WSPS technique is evaluated on different types of solar irradiance change condition, through simulation as well as experimentation. Moreover, the superiority of the WSPS technique is proved through comparative analysis with Perturb and Observe the MPPT algorithm.
GNSS cloud‐data processing technique for jamming detection, identification, and localisation
Authors: Kim Hyeong‐Pil , Jin Gwon‐Gyu , Won Jong‐Hoon
Published: March 2020

Low‐cost signal jammers, which are illegal in many countries but continue to be traded in the black market, emit weak global navigation satellite system (GNSS) jamming signals. This study proposes a method to detect, identify, and localise these signals based on a cloud‐data processing technique in which the jamming detection, identification, and localisation are performed sequentially after gathering received signals from low‐cost GNSS receivers distributed in a monitoring network. This technique consists of two steps: two‐dimensional image correlation in the time‐frequency domain for detection and identification, and signal correlation in the time domain and relevant processing for localisation. For this, technical descriptions of the proposed cloud‐data processing method are first presented with various jamming scenarios. Then, numerical simulations are performed to evaluate the proposed method by generating satellite and jamming signals. The authors are thus able to verify the feasibility of the technique and conclude that, in practical applications, it would allow efficient and extensive monitoring of low‐cost signal jammers.
Sequential unbiased converted measurement non‐linear filter with range rate in ECEF coordinates
Authors: Li Song , Cheng Yongmei , Gou Bin , Gao Shibo
Published: March 2020

Air‐to‐air target tracking is a challenging task for practical military and civilian applications. In this study, an unbiased converted measurement Kalman filter in Earth‐centred Earth‐fixed (ECEF) coordinates (E‐UCMKF) is proposed for air‐to‐air target tracking, which takes account for noisy measurements from the airborne radar and the inertial navigation system/global navigation satellite system. The unbiased measurement conversion approach from spherical coordinates to ECEF coordinates is presented, and the Kalman filter is implemented for target state estimation with the unbiased converted measurements and the corresponding measurement error covariances. Besides, when range‐rate measurements are available to the processor, a sequential unbiased converted measurement non‐linear filter in ECEF coordinates with range‐rate measurements (E‐SUCMNFwR) is developed, which constructs a pseudo measurement to decorrelate the range‐rate measurement noise from the unbiased converted measurement noise, and estimates the state sequentially by the E‐UCMKF and a modified cubature Kalman filter. Target tracking scenarios with different sensor accuracies are presented to demonstrate the validity of the proposed algorithms. Simulation results validate the consistency of the proposed unbiased measurement conversion. The results also show that the proposed E‐UCMKF and E‐SUCMNFwR outperform the conventional algorithms in terms of the position and velocity root‐mean‐square error, demonstrating their effectiveness and practicality.
Radiation from the impact of broad-line region clouds onto AGN accretion disks
Authors: Müller A. L. , Romero G. E.
Published: March 2020

Context.Active galactic nuclei are supermassive black holes surrounded by an accretion disk, two populations of clouds, bipolar jets, and a dusty torus. The clouds move in Keplerian orbits at high velocities. In particular, the broad-line region (BLR) clouds have velocities ranging from 1000 to 10 000 km s−1. Given the extreme proximity of these clouds to the supermassive black hole, frequent collisions with the accretion disk should occur.

Aims.The impact of BLR clouds onto the accretion disk can produce strong shock waves where particles might be accelerated. The goal of this work is to investigate the production of relativistic particles, and the associated non-thermal radiation in these events. In particular, we apply the model we develop to the Seyfert galaxyNGC 1068.

Methods.We analyze the efficiency of diffusive shock acceleration in the shock of colliding clouds of the BLR with the accretion disk. We calculate the spectral energy distribution of photons generated by the relativistic particles and estimate the number of simultaneous impacts needed to explain the gamma radiation observed byFermiin Seyfert galaxies.

Results.We find that is possible to understand the measured gamma emission in terms of the interaction of clouds with the disk if the hard X-ray emission of the source is at least obscured between 20% and 40%. The total number of clouds contained in the BLR region might be between 3 × 108and 6 × 108, which are values in good agreement with the observational evidence. The maximum energy achieved by the protons (∼PeV) in this context allows the production of neutrinos in the observing range of IceCube.
Collimated synchrotron threads linking the radio lobes of ESO 137-006
Authors: Ramatsoku M. , Murgia M. , Vacca V. , Serra P. , Makhathini S. , Govoni F. , Smirnov O. , Andati L. A. L. , de Blok E. , Józsa G. I. G. , Kamphuis P. , Kleiner D. , Maccagni F. M. , Molnár D. Cs. , Ramaila A. J. T. , Thorat K. , White S. V.
Published: March 2020

We present MeerKAT 1000 MHz and 1400 MHz observations of a bright radio galaxy in the southern hemisphere, ESO 137-006. The galaxy lies at the centre of the massive and merging Norma galaxy cluster. The MeerKAT continuum images (rms ∼0.02 mJy beam−1 at ∼10″ resolution) reveal new features that have never been seen in a radio galaxy before: collimated synchrotron threads of yet unknown origin, which link the extended and bent radio lobes of ESO 137-006. The most prominent of these threads stretches in projection for about 80 kpc and is about 1 kpc in width. The radio spectrum of the threads is steep, with a spectral index of up to α ≃ 2 between 1000 and 1400 MHz.
Redox Flow Battery: System for test series with recycling material
Authors: Hickmann T , Zielinski O
Published: March 2020

In this paper a system for experiments on redox flow batteries is presented, giving the operator the possibility of dealing independently with advantages and challenges of this innovative energy converter, in particular with regard to testing new, in this case recycled, materials. The recycling aspect is included due to the permanent requirement of reducing cost of especially as far as bipolar plates is concerned. In addition the hole recycling discussion, it is necessary to use the material recycling in different stages of system development and evaluation. Included in the tests was the development of a four-part series of experiments, in the framework of which the operators will treat intensely the cell structure, its characterization as well as testing of the electrolytes and the challenge of the crossover.
Integrated Energy Purchase-Sale Decision Making and Scheduling for Integrated Energy Service Provider Considering User Grading Dynamic Combination
Authors: Wang Jun , Dou Xun , Wang Shizhen , Wang Zhen , Zhao Longzhang
Published: March 2020

In an open energy market environment, energy retail competition is intensifying. integrated energy service provider (IEPS) with the right to operate regional integrated energy system. Under the requirement of distributed resource transaction access and scheduling security, how to integrate multi-level and multi-type user resources to participate in market operation, allocate resources within the region under its jurisdiction and improve the income of energy purchase and sale is the key for IESP to gain a favourable position in the market competition. Based on the operation framework of IESP including user grading and dynamic combination platform, integrate real-time dynamic combination of user resources into optimal scheduling, aiming at the operating economy of IEPS, an integrated energy purchase-sale decision making and scheduling method for IEPS considering user grading dynamic combination is proposed. Finally, an example is given to analysis through the regional integrated energy system with electric-gas-heat coupling. The results show that by reasonably combining users and scheduling distributed energy and adjustable load. The IESP can ensure the stable operation of the regional energy system, integrate and utilize decentralized resources to participate in the market, and maximize the economic benefits of energy purchase and sale.
Design and sizing of solar PV plant for an electric bus depot in Malaysia
Authors: Islam Shah Mohammad Mominul , Salema Arshad Adam , Lim Joanne Mun-Yee
Published: March 2020

Electric buses consume a high amount of electricity during the charging process, resulting in a high maximum demand (MD) that leads to high operational cost and emissions. Therefore, the aim was to use solar energy to reduce the MD. The off-grid solar PV plant has been designed and sized based on the MD data of the bus depot. The results include the number of PV modules; area required to install the PV modules; sizing of the balance of system. For example, about 7350 modules, 1200 flooded deep cycle batteries, 760 kW inverter size, 566 MPPT smart solar charge controllers and 23,200 m2 (5.73 acres) area are needed to offset 466.5 kW of MD.
Photovoltaic Cooling Utilizing Phase Change Materials
Authors: Kiwan Suhil , Ahmad Hisham , Alkhalidi Ammar , Wahib Wahib O , Al-Kouz Wael
Published: March 2020

A theoretical analysis based on mathematical formulations and experimental test to a photovoltaic system cooled by Phase Change Material (PCM) is carried out and documented. The PCM is attached to the back of the PV panel to control the temperature of cells in the PV panel. The experimental tests were done to solar systems with and without using PCM for comparison purposes. A PCM of paraffin graphite panels of thickness15 mm has covered the back of the panel. This layer was covered with an aluminum sheet fixed tightly to the panel frame. In the experimental test, it was found that when the average cell temperature exceeds the melting point temperature of the PCM, the efficiency of the system increases. However, when the cell temperature did not exceed the melting temperature of the PCM, the use of the PCM will affect negatively the system efficiency.
On a quarantine model of coronavirus infection and data analysis
Authors: Volpert Vitaly , Banerjee Malay , Petrovskii Sergei
Published: March 2020

Attempts to curb the spread of coronavirus by introducing strict quarantine measures apparently have different effect in different countries: while the number of new cases has reportedly decreased in China and South Korea, it still exhibit significant growth in Italy and other countries across Europe. In this brief note, we endeavour to assess the efficiency of quarantine measures by means of mathematical modelling. Instead of the classical SIR model, we introduce a new model of infection progression under the assumption that all infected individual are isolated after the incubation period in such a way that they cannot infect other people. Disease progression in this model is determined by the basic reproduction numberR0(the number of newly infected individuals during the incubation period), which is different compared to that for the standard SIR model. IfR0> 1, then the number of latently infected individuals exponentially grows. However, ifR0< 1 (e.g.due to quarantine measures and contact restrictions imposed by public authorities), then the number of infected decays exponentially. We then consider the available data on the disease development in different countries to show that there are three possible patterns: growth dynamics, growth-decays dynamics, and patchy dynamics (growth-decay-growth). Analysis of the data in China and Korea shows that the peak of infection (maximum of daily cases) is reached about 10 days after the restricting measures are introduced. During this period of time, the growth rate of the total number of infected was gradually decreasing. However, the growth rate remains exponential in Italy. Arguably, it suggests that the introduced quarantine is not sufficient and stricter measures are needed.
Transcranial magnetic stimulation: U-shaped coil design for improved intracranial induced electrical field
Authors: Fang Xiao , Ding Hongfa , Liu Chang , Shao Jiannan , He Zhou , Huang Yongheng
Published: March 2020

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) has been widely used in scientific research and clinical application. In TMS, the stimulation coil generates a focusing induced electrical field in the intracranial target area to achieve neuromodulation. Since different disorders correspond to their specific target areas, in order to avoid non-target tissue being stimulated, the figure-of-eight (FOE) coil with good focusing performance is still the most commonly used magnetic coil. In this paper, the U-shaped coil with multi-parameters is introduced and optimized. The spatial distributions of the intracranial induced electrical field produced by the U-shaped coil are obtained using the finite-element method. Compared to the traditional FOE coil, the U-shaped coil not only has a great advantage in improving focalization but also is beneficial to obtain other improved characteristics. The mathematical relationship between the coil geometric parameters and the intracranial induced electrical field characteristics is analyzed under the constraint of fixed coil power loss. To further improve coil efficiency, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) is adopted to optimize the coil parameters. A real human head modeled as homogeneous and isotropic is occupied in this paper to verify our method, and a traditional FOE coil is used as the reference coil. We also checked the maximum induced charge density on the targeted plane generated by the optimized U-shaped coil to make sure that it will not cause induced neurologic damage.
When it comes to forecasting solar irradiance a complex model is not necessarily the best
Authors: Mandel Savannah
Published: March 2020

A comparison of three clear-sky models reveals that a more intricate program isn’t necessarily better for solar forecasting.
Specific Recognition of Methanol Using a Symmetric Tetramethylcucurbit[6]uril-Based Porous Supramolecular Assembly Incorporating Adsorbed Dyes
Authors: Tian Fei Yang , Cheng Rui Xue , Zhang Yun Qian , Tao Zhu , Zhu Qian Jiang
Published: March 2020

A symmetric tetramethylcucurbit[6]uril-based porous supramolecular assembly was prepared in an aqueous H2SO4 solution (5M). The driving force for the formation of this assembly is mainly the outer surface interaction of Q[n], which includes the ion-dipole interaction of SO42− anions and the positive electrostatic potential of the outer surface of the symmetric tetramethylcucurbit[6]uril (TMeQ[6]), the dipole-dipole interactions between the positive electrostatic potential of the outer surface of TMeQ[6] and portal carbonyl oxygens of TMeQ[6], and the hydrogen bonding between lattice water molecules and portal carbonyl oxygen atoms in TMeQ[6]. The TMeQ[6]-based porous supramolecular assembly exhibits the characteristics of absorbed fluorophore guests (FGs), such as dyes and polycyclic compounds with different fluorescence characteristics. Moreover, the resulting luminescent assemblies (FG@As) can respond to certain volatile organic compounds; in particular, the luminescent assemblies of rhodamine B or pyrene display a unique fluorescence enhancement in response to methanol.
Anagostic Interactions in Alkyl-Fluorenyl-Substituted N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes of Palladium(II)
Authors: Almallah Hamzé , Brenner Eric , Matt Dominique , Jahjah Mohamad , Hijazi Akram , Gourlaouen Christophe
Published: March 2020

Two imidazolylidene (Im) complexes of the general formula trans-[PdX2(Im)(pyridine)] (X=Cl (2), Br (3)), in which the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand has one of its nitrogen atoms substituted by a bulky 9-propyl-9-fluorenyl group (PrF), have been prepared and fully characterised by spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray structure analyses. In the solid state, the Im ring plane and the coordination plane of each complex are nearly orthogonal, thereby minimising the steric interactions between the N-substituents and the halide atoms. In both structures two methylenic C–H bonds sit near the dz2 axis point to the palladium atom, resulting in CH⋯Pd separations of 2.58/2.95Å in 2 and 2.74/2.74Å in 3. NMR measurements and DFT calculations indicate that these methylene groups are involved in anagostic CH⋯M interactions but not in significant H⋯X bonding.
Comparative analysis of the plastid conversion, photochemical activity and chlorophyll degradation in developing embryos of green-seeded and yellow-seeded pea (Pisum sativum) cultivars
Authors: Smolikova Galina , Shiroglazova Olga , Vinogradova Galina , Leppyanen Irina , Dinastiya Ekaterina , Yakovleva Olga , Dolgikh Elena , Titova Galina , Frolov Andrej , Medvedev Sergei
Published: March 2020

Developing seeds of some higher plants are photosynthetically active and contain chlorophylls (Chl), which are typically destroyed at the late stages of seed maturation. However, in some crop plant cultivars, degradation of embryonic Chl remains incomplete, and mature seeds preserve green colour, as it is known for green-seeded cultivars of pea (Pisum sativum L.). The residual Chl compromise seed quality and represent a severe challenge for farmers. Hence, comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms, underlying incomplete Chl degradation is required for maintaining sustainable agriculture. Therefore, here we address dynamics of plastid conversion and photochemical activity alterations, accompanying degradation of Chl in embryos of yellow- and green-seeded cultivars Frisson and Rondo respectively. The yellow-seeded cultivar demonstrated higher rate of Chl degradation at later maturation stage, accompanied with termination of photochemical activity, seed dehydration and conversion of green plastids into amyloplasts. In agreement with this, expression of genes encoding enzymes of Chl degradation was lower in the green seeded cultivar, with the major differences in the levels of Chl b reductase (NYC1) and pheophytinase (PPH) transcripts. Thus, the difference between yellow and green seeds can be attributed to incomplete Chl degradation in the latter at the end of maturation period.
Overexpression of a putative nitrate transporter (StNPF1.11) increases plant height, leaf chlorophyll content and tuber protein content of young potato plants
Authors: Klaassen Michiel T. , Dees Dianka C. T. , Garrido Rommel M. , Báez Jorge Alemán , Schrijen Michiel , Baldeón Mendoza Pablo G. , Trindade Luisa M.
Published: March 2020

Nitrate (NO3–) fertilisers are commonly used to improve the yield and quality of most non-legume crops such as potato (Solanum tuberosum L.). Root cells absorb nitrate from the soil using plasma membrane-bound transporters. In this study, we overexpressed a putative nitrate transporter from potato (StNPF1.11) to study its effect on the level of tuber protein content in potato. At 10 weeks after planting, overexpression of StNPF1.11 increased the mean level of protein content of all n = 23 transformants by 42% compared with the wild-type control. The level of chlorophyll content in leaves (from upper and lower plant parts) also increased for several individuals at 10 weeks. Tuber yield (fresh) was not structurally impaired; however, the mean tuber dry matter content of the transformants was reduced by 3–8% at 19 weeks. At 19 weeks, an overall increase in protein content was not clearly observed. Throughout plant development, half of the transformants were taller than the control. A basic understanding of the mechanisms that regulate plant nitrogen uptake, transport and utilisation, enable the development of tools to improve both crop nutrition and crop quality that are needed to enhance the viability and sustainability of future plant production systems.
Stock-specific assessment of precise age and growth in the long-whiskered catfish Sperata aor from the Ganges River
Authors: Nazir Aafaq , Khan M. Afzal
Published: March 2020

Sustainable management of the long-whiskered catfish Sperata aor (Hamilton, 1822) in the Ganges River justifies precise stock-specific information on age and growth. The aim of the present study was to estimate the age and growth of three stocks, namely Narora–Kanpur, Varanasi and Bhagalpur, of S. aor from the Ganges River. Among the hard structures chosen for analysis, vertebrae provided precise age estimates up to 9 years of age in all the three stocks of S. aor based on average percentage error. Edge analysis of vertebrae and marginal increment ratio analysis of sectioned otoliths showed annulus formation once per year during April–June. The von Bertalanffy growth rates showed significant differences between the sexes and among the stocks. The growth coefficient k (0.24–0.30 year–1) showed rapid growth relative to asymptotic length (L∞) in all three stocks. The growth performance index was nearly the same for all three stocks. The results of the present study can be used in formulating scientifically sound management policies in view of anthropogenic threats to the populations of S. aor from the Ganges River.
Short-term responses to sheep grazing in a Patagonian steppe
Authors: Valenta Magalí D. , Golluscio Rodolfo A. , Frey Ana L. , Garibaldi Lucas A. , Cipriotti Pablo A.
Published: March 2020

Grazing modifies ecosystem function through direct effects on plants, but also through indirect effects mediated by floristic changes induced by grazing. Although both types of effects occur in the long term, only the direct effects are evident in the short term. We evaluated the short-term direct effects of sheep (Ovis aries) grazing on a Patagonian steppe during one growing season. We measured plant aerial cover in permanent transects located at increasing distances from a watering point in three paddocks with different stocking rates through the growing season. We also measured frequency of defoliation for vegetative and reproductive phases of different plant species located along these transects. Sheep grazing directly (a) reduced aerial cover and/or increased frequency of defoliation of certain preferred grasses and perennial forbs, (b) did not increase the aerial cover of any life form, but only the proportion of bare soil, (c) did not change the litter aerial cover, and (d) defoliated the flowers of even the least preferred shrub. Result a) was coincident with previous plant aerial cover long-term studies; but results (b) and (c) were contrary to long-term studies, probably because they resulted from indirect rather than direct grazing effects. Result (d) was not detected by long-term studies, probably because flower defoliation through grazing is undetectable when measuring shrub plant aerial cover. Our study showed that grazing has short-term direct effects mainly on the most preferred species. This could be useful for rangeland management and conservation of Patagonian steppes because short-term effects may be more easily reversible than long-term ones, and may provide early warning of rangeland condition deterioration.
Talking about intercultural experiences
Authors: Schröder Ulrike
Published: March 2020

The aim of this paper is to ask how exchange students retrospectively co-construct their first ‘culture shock’ experiences on a verbal, vocal, and visual plane. The results show that the different co-occurring levels of communication in the talk of the students offer various insights into cognitive processes: (1) Metaphorical and metonymical gestures are frequently used to represent or compress cultural dimensions in moments of high involvement and emphatic speech style. (2) Such gestures are also often historically and culturally embedded and may additionally serve to gain laughter from the co-participants in order to exaggerate the effect of cultural confrontation, underpinned by the use of prosodic cues. (3) Other prosodic means such as creaky voice may be used as a metaphorical marker for distance and represent therefore another type of cultural shock marker. (4) A dynamic understanding of blending theory might be a tool for laying cognitive processes of intercultural experiences open for the researcher.
Idioms in intercultural communication
Authors: Senkbeil Karsten
Published: March 2020

This paper combines central ideas from Intercultural Pragmatics and Cultural Linguistics to rethink an issue that has been amply discussed in various branches of linguistics: idioms, ‘phrasemes,’ and other forms of fixed-form figurative language, when used in intercultural communication (ICC). It argues that an interaction-oriented approach needs to think beyond the description and mapping of idioms in different languages and cultures, and apply both pragmatic and cognitive linguistic approaches to explain if and how idiomatic language works (or does not work) in ICC. Methodologically, this paper relies on a combination of empirical approaches. A data-inductive analysis of authentic intercultural discourse involving native speakers of German, Afrikaans, and Zulu, who use English as a lingua franca in a project management setting provides interesting real-life examples of the pragmatic aspects of idiomatic language in authentic ICC. The results of this pragmalinguistic analysis have inspired and are accompanied by a deductive-experimental study, using questionnaires for speakers of various native languages (Arabic, German, Russian, Spanish, Turkish), testing the cross-linguistic communicability of English idioms in a ‘laboratory setting.’ These experiments show that an appreciation of both the embodied and empractic-interactional dimensions of idioms promises insights into how figurative language and fixed-form expressions are used successfully or unsuccessfully in ICC and why.
Heterogeneous distribution of cultural conceptualizations and (im)politeness evaluations
Authors: Tayebi Tahmineh
Published: March 2020

The argumentative and variable nature of (im)politeness evaluations and perceptions has long been discussed by scholars working in the field. The variability found in the perception of (im)politeness norms is arguably one of the most important and fundamental components of (im)politeness research. By using a three-stage analysis and drawing on several authentic examples from Persian, the present study uses the notion of ‘heterogeneous distribution of cultural conceptualizations’ to account for instances where differences arise in the conceptualization of (im)politeness in Persian interactions. It will be argued that evaluations of (im)polite behavior vary according to people’s level of internalization of the cultural conceptualizations. Furthermore, this study will also address some of the most significant social and cultural factors that cause variability in people’s evaluations of what is impolite and why it is so.
Responding to dard-e-del (lit. pain of the heart) in
Persian
Authors: Bagheri Mehri
Published: March 2020

Drawing on insights borrowed from Mey’s pragmatic act theory
(2001) and Sharifian’s framework
of Cultural Linguistics (2011, 2017a), this study attempts to explore
the pragmemes associated with the speech act of responding to
dard-e-del (lit. pain of the heart) in Persian and the
cultural pragmatic schemas underlying them. Dard-e-del can be
described as the verbal communication of suffering, sadness, or hardships to
others, mainly for the purpose of discharging negative emotions, finding relief,
and strengthening social bonds. This study argues that the language used by
speakers of Persian to respond to dard-e-del can be categorized
into three groups of pragmemes. Pragmemes, according to Mey (2010: 2884), are defined as “general
situational prototypes of [pragmatic] acts that are capable of being executed in
a particular situation or cluster of situations.” Besides, it is illustrated
that the identified pragmemes cannot be correctly used and interpreted unless
the interlocutors are aware of the cultural pragmatic schemas informing them. A
cultural pragmatic schema is described as the (assumed) shared knowledge by
members of a cultural group, which is reflected in different features of their
language (Sharifian 2017a, 2017b). Data for the present study was
collected from a number of online forums, where speakers of Persian communicate
their dard-e-del to other users. As a cultural insider, the
author has also drawn on personal observation and insights from some Persian
literary works. Qualitative analysis of the data revealed that interlocutors
mainly employ three pragmemes to respond to dard-e-del. These
pragmemes include wishing to suffer instead of the sufferer, cursing the
cause of suffering, and inviting the sufferer to submit to god’s
will. Each pragmeme has the potential to be expressed in a variety of
ways (practs), depending on the context. The speech act of responding to
dard-e-del in Persian and the associated pragmemes and
practs draw on the three cultural pragmatic schemas of
ghorbâni,
tavakkol
, and
nefrin
, which have
their roots in religion.
Linguistic expressions as cultural units
Authors: Diedrichsen Elke
Published: March 2020

The paper argues in favor of including cultural aspects in the description of communicative interaction. According toEco (1976), a linguistic sign is a cultural unit. In order to use it properly, a speaker relies on communicative experience with this unit within a culture (Wittgenstein 1960;Feilke 1996,1998;Everett 2012). We expand the notion of ‘cultural unit’ by including internet memes found in social media (Shifman 2013,2014;Diedrichsen 2013a,2013b,2019a,2019b). The term builds on Richard Dawkins’ 1976 definition of a ‘meme’ as a unit that is the cultural equivalent of a biological gene. The paper proposes three knowledge sources for the production and comprehension of these units. The first is semiotic knowledge, the second is common ground knowledge (Clark 1996), and the third knowledge source involves culturally shared cognitive conceptualizations on which word meanings and other linguistic conventions are founded (Sharifian 2003,2011,2015,2017). These three knowledge sources are established through daily interactions and learning processes within a culture (Kecskés and Zhang 2009). The paper characterizes the application of these three knowledge sources for a variety of sign uses. We will also show that a cultural view on pragmatics, as suggested bySharifian (2017), serves to describe speech acts by identifying their culturally based source. The paper therefore demonstrates that the inclusion of cultural knowledge enables a perspective on communication that goes beyond the analysis of spoken and written words within communities of speakers, as it includes emerging means of communicative interaction in the digital age.
The development of perfectivity in Khamti Shan
Authors: Inglis Douglas
Published: March 2020

Khamti Shan features the marking of perfectivity comprised of three clause-final particles, one perfective and two
imperfectives, each emerging from the basic verbs, yau¹ ‘finish’, u⁵ ‘live’, and
nam⁵ ‘(be) extensive’. While the perfective category is straightforward, the imperfective category shows an
unusual bifurcation, the first imperfective marker accommodating continuatives and habituals and the second imperfective marker
working exclusively with the nominal predicate construction, clauses of potentiality (hortatives, futures), and the progressive
construction. All three particles of perfectivity develop from lexical sources, with the pathways ‘finish’ >
completive > perfective and ‘live’ > continuous/progressive > imperfective being
well-documented across languages. The pathway ‘extensive’ > imperfective, on the other hand, appears unique to Khamti
Shan. I motivate the usage of these perfectivity particles (primarily) with a semantic-cognitive analysis.
Independent and dependent possessive person forms
Authors: Ye Jingting
Published: March 2020

This study explores the coding asymmetry between independent and dependent possessive person forms (as in Englishmine/my) from a cross-linguistic perspective. On the basis of a typological survey of 70 geographically and genealogically diverse languages, this paper identifies three universal tendencies: the length universal, the constituent order universal and the alienability universal. First, the length universal claims that independent possessive person forms are either longer or as long as the dependent possessive person forms. Second, the constituent order universal claims that the internal constituent order of the person form and the substantivizer correlates with the constituent order of the possessor and the possessum. In addition, in languages where both a composite possessive marker and a composite substantivizer are used, the possessive marker is always closer to the person root. Finally, the alienability universal claims that the possessive person forms in the alienable possessive constructions are more likely to be used as independent possessive person forms than those in the inalienable possessive constructions. These universal tendencies are instances of form-frequency correspondence, which is shown by corpus evidence from three languages.
Effect of extrusion temperature on mechanical properties of as-extruded Zn–22Al alloys
Authors: Sun Shineng , Wang Hanle , Yang Bo , Qin Gaowu
Published: March 2020

The effect of extrusion temperature on the microstructures and mechanical properties of as-extruded Zn–22Al alloys was investigated in this study. With decrease of extrusion temperature from 350 to 200°C, the elongation of as-extruded Zn–22Al alloys increases remarkably at low strain rate and has no change at high strain rate, which implies that the Zn–22Al alloys extruded at lower temperature exhibit high-ductility behaviour. X-ray diffraction and electron back-scattered diffraction analysis demonstrated that the maximum elongation of Zn–22Al alloys extruded at the extrusion temperature of 200°C can be attributed to the elimination of the lamellar structure and the refinement in grain size of the Zn-rich phase.
Study on the grain refinement of A356 alloy by Al–3 wt-% VN master alloy
Authors: Zhang Hui , Chen Gang , Zhang Zhenya , Zhao Yutao , Mu Shuyu , Xu Jiasheng , Zhang Ting
Published: March 2020

A novel Al–3 wt-% VN master alloy, mainly consisting of α-Al and VN phases, was successfully prepared by stir casting. The grain refinement performance of the master alloy on A356 alloy was then investigated. The results showed that the α-Al grain size of A356 alloy refined by Al–3 wt-% VN master alloy was 350 ± 95 µm while that of A356 alloy treated by traditional Al–5Ti–B master alloy was 570 ± 105 µm. Moreover, for A356 alloy with Al–3 wt-% VN addition, the good grain refining efficiency did not fade significantly within 30 min. The effectiveness of grain refinement might be attributed to VN particles, which acted as the heterogeneous nuclei of α-Al grains. Owing to the refinement strengthening, the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength and elongation of A356 alloy were improved.
Extracellular vesicles from plasma have higher tumour RNA fraction than platelets
Authors: Brinkman Kay , Meyer Lisa , Bickel Anne , Enderle Daniel , Berking Carola , Skog Johan , Noerholm Mikkel
Published: March 2020

In addition to Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs), cell‐free DNA (cfDNA) and Extracellular Vesicles (EVs), the notion of “Tumour‐Educated Platelets” (TEP) has recently emerged as a potential source of tumour‐derived biomarkers accessible through blood liquid biopsies. Here we sought to confirm the suitability of the platelet blood fraction for biomarker detection in comparison to their corresponding EV fraction. As publications have claimed that tumour RNA and other tumour‐derived material are transferred from tumour cells to the platelets and that tumour‐derived transcripts can be detected in platelets, we chose to focus on RNA carrying a mutation as being of bona fide tumour origin. After informed consent, we collected prospective blood samples from a cohort of 12 melanoma patients with tissue‐confirmed BRAF V600E mutation. Each blood specimen was processed immediately post collection applying two published standard protocols in parallel selecting for EVs and platelets, respectively. The RNA of each fraction was analysed by a highly sensitive ARMS RT‐qPCR enabling the quantification of the mutant allele fraction (%MAF) of BRAF V600E down to 0.01%. In a direct comparative analysis, the EV fraction contained detectable BRAF V600E in 10 out of 12 patients, whereas none of the patient platelet fractions resulted in a mutant allele signal. The platelet fraction of all 12 patients contained high amounts of wild‐type BRAF signal, but no mutation signal above background was detectable in any of the samples. Our observations suggest that the phenomenon of tumour RNA transfer to platelets occurs below detection limit since even a very sensitive qPCR assay did not allow for a reliable detection of BRAF V600E in the platelet fraction. In contrast, EV fractions derived from the same patients allowed for detection of BRAF V600E in 10 of 12 blood specimens.
f90wrap: an automated tool for constructing deep Python interfaces to modern Fortran codes
Authors: Kermode James R
Published: March 2020

f90wrap is a tool to automatically generate Python extension modules which interface to Fortran libraries that makes use of derived types. It builds on the capabilities of the popular f2py utility by generating a simpler Fortran 90 interface to the original Fortran code which is then suitable for wrapping with f2py, together with a higher-level Pythonic wrapper that makes the existance of an additional layer transparent to the final user. f90wrap has been used to wrap a number of large software packages of relevance to the condensed matter physics community, including the QUIP molecular dynamics code and the CASTEP density functional theory code.
Biologically inspired swimming robotic frog based on pneumatic soft actuators
Authors: Jizhuang Fan , Qilong Du , Qingguo Yu , Yi Wang , Jiaming Qi , Yanhe Zhu
Published: March 2020

Research on soft robots and swimming robots has been widely reported and demonstrated. However, none of these soft swimming robots can swim flexibly and efficiently using legs, just like a frog. This paper demonstrates a self-contained, untethered swimming robotic frog actuated by 12 pneumatic soft actuators, which can swim in the water for dozens of minutes by mimicking the paddling gait of the natural frog. We designed two kinds of pneumatic soft actuators as the joints on the robotic frog’s legs, which allows the legs to be lighter and more compact. It is found that such soft actuators have great potential in developing amphibious bionic robots, because they are fast-responding, inherently watertight and simple in structural design. The kinematic analysis in swimming locomotion was conducted for the prototype robotic frog, and the locomotion trajectory of each leg was planned based on the analysis of the paddling gait of frogs. Combined with the deformation model of the soft actuators, the robotic frog’s legs are controlled by coordinating the air pressure of each joint actuator. The robotic frog’s body is compact and the total mass is 1.29 kg. Different paddling gaits were tested to investigate swimming performance. The results show that the robotic frog has agile swimming ability and high environmental adaptability. The robotic frog can swim forward more than 0.6 m (3.4 times the body length) in one paddling gait cycle(6 s), whose average swimming velocity is about 0.1 m s−1, and the minimum turning radius is about 0.15 m (less than 1 body length).
International trade and the stability of food supplies in the Global South
Authors: Bren d’Amour Christopher , Anderson Weston
Published: March 2020

Many countries in the Global South depend increasingly on imports to provide food for their rising populations. Trade is a key mechanism to address distributional issues, especially in countries with limited biophysical resources. In theory, by pooling the risk of crop failures via global trade, trade should stabilize food supplies. In practice, however, an over-reliance on imported food may be detrimental to domestic food stability. Here, we disentangle the role of imports from that of domestic production in countries in the Global South for three staple crops: maize, rice, and wheat. First, we use FAO data to differentiate between exposure to production variance in exporting countries, domestic production variance, and total supply variance. Next, we analyze trade relationships and assess the biophysical capacities of countries to investigate why some countries have more unstable supplies than others. We find that food imports have been a source of food supply instability—in particular for maize in Southern Africa, wheat in Central Asia, and rice more generally. But the reason that imports lead to instability is not the same across regions or crops and imports are at times necessary due to limited available water and land resources. Furthermore, the source of imports may be important in the case of co-occurring crop failures in both importing and exporting countries, or exporters with high export variance. Finally, we find that the increasing prevalence of global trade from 1985–2010 has increased exposure to food supply variance in some regions, although it has not increased exposure to supply variance in all regions. These results provide guidance for future analyses to focus on regions that are vulnerable to imported food supply disruptions of important staple crops, and inform debates about the risks associated with food trade in the Global South.
Role of the mean state for the Southern Hemispheric jet stream response to CO2 forcing in CMIP6 models
Authors: Curtis Paul Edwin , Ceppi Paulo , Zappa Giuseppe
Published: March 2020

Global climate models indicate that the Southern Hemispheric (SH) jet stream shifts poleward in response to CO2 forcing, but the magnitude of this shift remains highly uncertain. Here we analyse the SH jet stream response to 4×CO2 forcing in Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6 (CMIP6) simulations, and find a substantially muted jet shift during winter compared with CMIP5. We suggest this muted response results from a more poleward mean jet position, consistent with a strongly reduced bias in jet position relative to the reanalysis during 1980–2004. The improved mean jet position cannot be explained by changes in the simulated sea surface temperatures. Instead, we find indications that increased horizontal grid resolution in CMIP6 relative to CMIP5 has contributed to the higher mean jet latitude, and thus to the reduced jet shift under CO2 forcing. These results imply that CMIP6 models can provide more realistic projections of SH climate change.
More frequent summer heat waves in southwestern China linked to the recent declining of Arctic sea ice
Authors: Deng Kaiqiang , Jiang Xingwen , Hu Chundi , Chen Deliang
Published: March 2020

Southwestern China (SWC) has suffered from increasing frequency of heat wave (HW) in recent summers. While the local drought-HW connection is one obvious mechanism for this change, remote controls remain to be explored. Based on ERA-5 reanalysis, it is found that the SWC summer HWs are significantly correlated with sea-ice losses in the Barents Sea, Kara Sea and the Arctic pole. The reduction of Arctic sea ice can cause low pressure anomalies over the polar region due to increased heat-flux exchanges at the sea-air interface, which subsequently triggers southeastward Rossby wave trains propagating from northern Europe to East Asia that induce anomalous anticyclone over SWC. As a result, the North Pacific subtropical high extends westward, accompanied by divergent winds, decreased cloud cover and increased insolation in SWC, which leads to above-normal air temperatures there. In addition, the East Asian westerly jet stream is shifted northward, which enhances (reduces) the moisture convergence in North China (SWC), resulting in prominently drier soil in SWC. Therefore, the sea ice—forced changes in atmospheric circulation and surface conditions favor the occurrences of SWC summer HWs.
Research on Calculating Formula of Self-Weight of Column-Supported Space Truss
Authors: Xu Bin , Wang Yong , Zhu Yijing , Huang Hao
Published: March 2020

With the rapid development of steel structure engineering in China, grid structure has been widely used. For the self-weight of space truss, the current regulations give the corresponding calculation formula, but in practical engineering applications, it is found that the calculation formula for column-supported space truss has poor adaptability. Therefore, in this paper, the adaptability of the formula is analyzed according to the current self-weight calculation formula for cylindrical point supported space truss, and the self-weight estimation of the space truss is revised on the basis of statistics and regression analysis. The formula modification can improve the applicability of the grid estimation formula, and also provide some reference for the revision of relevant codes and regulations.