bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Machinability analysis of micro-milling thin-walled Ti-6Al-4V micro parts under dry, lubrication, and chatter mitigation conditions
Authors: Wang Peng , Bai Qingshun , Cheng Kai , Zhao Liang , Ding Hui , Zhang Yabo
Published: January 2023

Micro-milling technology is an efficient method for machining titanium alloy thin-walled micro parts. However, the machinability of thin-walled microstructures can be greatly affected by chatters due to their weak stiffness, especially in difficult-to-machine materials like titanium alloys. In order to obtain high-quality thin-walled micro parts, a chatter mitigation strategy is presented and its mechanism is analyzed in this paper. The titanium alloy workpiece is submerged into a kind of high-viscosity fluid, which can improve machining stability by increasing the damping of the micro-milling process. The stability lobe diagrams (SLD) are established, and the machinability is analyzed and compared under different machining conditions. The cutting force, surface roughness, micro-tool wear, and dimension accuracy of thin-walled micro parts are selected as the evaluation criteria for the machinability assessment. Well-designed micro-milling experiments are carried out under dry, lubrication, and chatter mitigation conditions using the same cutting process parameters. The results show that the use of cutting fluid can effectively improve machinability under stable cutting processes, but the effect of cutting fluid is weakened under chatter machining. The proposed chatter mitigation strategy can suppress regenerative chatter throughout the micro-milling process for thin-walled micro parts and improve their machinability comprehensively.
A grey-fuzzy based multi-response optimisation study on the friction and wear characteristics of titanium diboride reinforced aluminium matrix composite
Authors: Dey Dipankar , Bhowmik Abhijit , Biswas Ajay
Published: January 2023

Aluminium matrix composites are nowadays used globally as a substitute for other cast alloys because of their augmented properties. The present experiment deals with the fabrication and characterisation of tribological behaviour of titanium diboride reinforced aluminium matrix composite on a pin-on-disc tribotester under dry sliding condition. In this work, an attempt has been made to minimise the friction and wear characteristics of Al2024-TiB2 composite, by optimising the tribological parameters viz. applied load, sliding speed and sliding distance using grey-fuzzy approach. The tests are carried out based on Taguchi’s L25 orthogonal array. Grey-fuzzy analysis is used for converting the multi-objective optimisation problem into a single-objective optimisation. Based on the grey-fuzzy analysis, the optimal combination of tribological parameters is L1S4D2 (10N load, 2.0 m/s sliding speed and 1000 m sliding distance). The optimal combination of parameters has also been validated with a confirmatory experiment. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) for grey fuzzy grade shows that sliding distance is the most significant parameter affecting tribological performance. SEM analysis of the worn surfaces revealed that, increase in sliding distance results in wear transition from mild to severe. The proposed grey-fuzzy method is found to be successful in solving multi-response tribological problems.
Design and verification passive compliance leg with micro pneumatic prop for legged robot
Authors: Hua Zisen , Zhang Zhiwei , Li Yibin , Hui Chai , Li Xianhua , Sun Yaru
Published: January 2023

The passive compliance plays a crucial role in steady and secure locomotion of the legged mammal. This paper aims to introduce the elastic element into the traditional high rigid leg structure to mimic the passive compliance capacity of the animal’s leg joint. For this purpose, based on the analysis of physiological structure of dog leg, the principle of passive compliance leg is proposed firstly. Further more, the single-edge dual-piston pneumatic prop characterizing by small size, large stiffness and high integration is designed and used to connect the thigh component in series with the calf by means of the added anti-torque arm. Finally, the effectiveness of the new structure is validated through the experiments on the single leg physical platform as well as the results from simulations. All results show that with the help of this passive compliance the impact force between the ground and robot feet can be effectively buffered no matter the actuator with poor responsiveness. In the meantime the motion stability and foot trajectory tracking accuracy are also effectively improved in both position control and force control.
Influence of material uncertainties on thermo-elastic vibration characteristics of graphene reinforced functionally graded porous beams
Authors: Mohd Fahed , Talha Mohammad
Published: January 2023

This paper aims to study the influence of material uncertainties on thermo-elastic vibration response of functionally graded porous (FGP) beams reinforced with graphene platelets (GPLs) using the perturbation-based stochastic finite element method. The influence of material uncertainty on the vibration behavior of FGP-GPL reinforced beams subjected to thermal loading conditions have been discussed for low variability (randomness) in material design parameters (porosity content, amount of nanofillers) and material properties (Young’s modulus, density of metal matrix, and nanofillers) respectively. A C0 continuous stochastic finite element formulation based on higher-order shear deformation theory has been formulated. The convergence and validation of the present formulation have been compared with a traditional Monte-Carlo simulation to establish the accuracy of the present methodology. The homogenized effective material properties are estimated using the Halpin-Tsai micromechanics model and Voigt’s rule of mixture and are typically assumed to be varying along the thickness direction. The results highlighting the effect of uncertainty in material properties on the thermo-elastic vibration response of FGP-GPL reinforced beams have been discussed thoroughly.
Impact of driving and driver’s operating characteristics on high fuel consumption set based on real-road driving data
Authors: Yu Hanzhengnan , Liu Yu , Zhang Hao , Li Jingyuan , Liu Hai
Published: January 2023

As the existence of the gap between real-road vehicle fuel consumption rate and type-approval, the researches focused on real-road fuel consumption characteristics are increasing in recent years. However, the quantitative analysis about the reasons caused the real-road high fuel consumption scenarios are rarely reported. In this paper, based on the real-road driving data, the high fuel consumption scenarios in urban, suburb, and high-way conditions have been extracted, which was defined as HFC (high fuel consumption) set, and the reasons caused the HFC set were discussed from the aspect of driving characteristics and driver’s operating characteristics. Results showed that for vehicle speed and gear state factors, it showed a negative correlation with HFC set’s fuel consumption, and the effects became weaker varying to high-way condition, which were just the opposite of vehicle positive acceleration, acceleration pedal opening, and speed per positive acceleration. While the variation rate of acceleration pedal opening showed a weak or no correlation with HFC’s fuel consumption. To sum up, the ranking of each factor’s effect on real-road vehicle fuel consumption of HFC set under all the conditions, from strong to weak, should be vehicle speed per positive acceleration > acceleration pedal opening ≈ vehicle positive acceleration > gear state > vehicle speed, and the effects of acceleration pedal opening and vehicle positive acceleration were almost the same.
Margins, flows and crossing points: France's liquid territory
Authors: Welch Edward
Published: January 2023

In his accounts of Montmartre and Marseille, Nicholas Hewitt shows how places on margins and frontiers channel flows of different sorts running across city, nation and world. In doing so, they open up suggestive perspectives on the nature of French territory, how it is conceived, and how it can be imagined. In particular, they foreground the productive tension of the marginal place as edge and opening, and interrogate the bounded and regulated space implied by the geometrical trope of the French ‘hexagon’. What emerges instead is a curiously liquid sense of French space-in-time as shifting, shimmering and mercurial, caught up in and contributing to the ebb and flow of global circulation. This article explores how movement, flow and liquidity have featured in recent explorations of French territory and topography, drawing on work by Jean Rolin, Agnès Varda and the photography project France(s) territoire liquide, whose title spells out its assumption about the nature of contemporary French space. At the same time, the article situates those accounts in relation to conceptions of French territory which informed the work of post-war spatial planners, whose substantial material and infrastructural legacies reflected their own sense of territory as flux, flow and liquid force.
Robust weights that optimally balance confounders for estimating marginal hazard ratios
Authors: Santacatterina Michele
Published: January 2023

Covariate balance is crucial in obtaining unbiased estimates of treatment effects in observational studies. Methods that target covariate balance have been successfully proposed and largely applied to estimate treatment effects on continuous outcomes. However, in many medical and epidemiological applications, the interest lies in estimating treatment effects on time-to-event outcomes. With this type of data, one of the most common estimands of interest is the marginal hazard ratio of the Cox proportional hazards model. In this article, we start by presenting robust orthogonality weights, a set of weights obtained by solving a quadratic constrained optimization problem that maximizes precision while constraining covariate balance defined as the correlation between confounders and treatment. By doing so, robust orthogonality weights optimally deal with both binary and continuous treatments. We then evaluate the performance of the proposed weights in estimating marginal hazard ratios of binary and continuous treatments with time-to-event outcomes in a simulation study. We finally apply robust orthogonality weights in the evaluation of the effect of hormone therapy on time to coronary heart disease and on the effect of red meat consumption on time to colon cancer among 24,069 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women’s Health Initiative observational study.
Did the Poor Get Poorer? The Impact of COVID-19 on Social Inequalities Between International and Domestic Students
Authors: Marczuk Anna , Lörz Markus
Published: January 2023

This paper examines the influence of COVID-19 on social inequality in higher education. In particular, we focus on the study duration of international students compared to domestic ones in Germany. We assume that the pandemic has increased or decreased existing differences between both groups, affecting their study delay. The multilevel analyses with data “Studying in Germany in Corona Times” (2020) confirm most of our theoretical assumptions: on the one hand, international students expect a longer study duration due to their worsening financial situation. On the other hand, domestic students expect a longer study duration due to greater learning issues, which are provoked by a lower level of interaction in online teaching. Our results propose a more differentiated picture of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on social inequality: not only do financially poor international students get poorer but educationally advantaged domestic students lose, too.
A hybrid flow energy harvester using combined piezoelectric and electromagnetic transductions for pipeline network monitoring
Authors: Rahman Wahad Ur , Khan Farid Ullah
Published: January 2023

An energy harvester that employs both electromagnetic and piezoelectric effects to convert fluid flow energy in the pipeline into electrical energy for powering wireless sensor nodes (WSNs) of the pipeline condition monitoring system has been developed. The devised hybrid energy harvester comprised a unimorph circular piezoelectric plate fixed in a T-joint, three stacked magnets attached at the middle of the piezoelectric plate, and an adjustable coil holder holding a wound coil. Experimental results of the developed prototype depict that it can produce a maximum load RMS voltage of 3.36 V with the piezoelectric part at 27 kΩ of optimal load resistance and 286 mV from the electromagnetic part at 335 Ω of optimum load resistance. Moreover, at 2.9 kPa flow pressure amplitude and 11.08 l/s flow rate, a maximum load power of 418 µW from the piezoelectric portion and 244 µW with the electromagnetic portion is produced. Upon integrating the harvester with a rectifier circuit, an open circuit DC voltage of 9.4 and 3.32 V are generated with piezoelectric and electromagnetic parts, respectively. Furthermore, under the same fluid flow condition, the piezoelectric part produces 404 µW DC power at 92 kΩ of optimum load resistance, while the electromagnetic portion produces 163 µW DC power at 10 kΩ of optimum load resistance. The developed harvester is also utilized to recharge a 4.8 V power bank from 1.11 to 4.2 V in 210 min. Moreover, it is also integrated with a pipeline condition monitoring system to power a WSN, a controller, and relevant circuitry.
Co-Word Analysis of First-Authored Publications Written by Top Cited Scholars of Social Work
Authors: Song Yajun , Sun Xixi , Duan Wenjie
Published: January 2023

Purpose: Bibliometric analysis has been widely adopted to measure individual productivity and discipline development. This study aims to advance the application of this method in the social work discipline. Method: Using the knowledge mapping technique in CiteSpace 5.8.R3, this study performed a co-word analysis of 1,007 first-authored articles published from 2000 to 2022 by 60 scholars who are listed among the top 2% most-cited scholars on social work and are holding doctoral degrees in the same field. Results: The cluster analysis identified seven main research hotspots and burst detection results revealed four groups of research frontiers, including spiritual and cultural needs, children's wellbeing, social work practices and development, and social work research, with bullying and peer victimization, particularly among African-American adolescents and youth in Chicago's southside, continuing to attract much research interest. Discussion: This study examines how individual works contribute to the conceptual structure and scientific evolution of social work.
Health-Related Quality of Life Among Chinese Pregnant Women in the Third Trimester Based on Theory of Unpleasant Symptoms: A Complex Network Analysis
Authors: Hu Yueyang , Sun Mengzi , Fei Junsong , Meng Cuicui , Yuan Tongshuang , Lv Jianping , Guo Xinmeng , Kong Yixi , Zhang Han , Mei Songli , Wu Fuju
Published: January 2023

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is the result of complex interactions between many different factors. But few studies to date have explored the structure of HRQOL. This study aimed to investigate the complex inter-relationship between HRQOL and influencing factors using network analysis. In all, 624 Chinese pregnant women in third trimester were recruited through recruiting sampling. We used regularized network analysis to create a complex network. The relationship with mother-in-law was the most central node followed by relationship with partner. We found the comorbidity of anxiety and depressive symptoms using network analysis. Physical- and mental-related quality of life were a “bridge node” connecting psychological factors with physiologic factors. The present network analysis highlights the strong link between relationship with mother-in-law or partner and HRQOL, which is also a unique phenomenon under Chinese culture. This analysis provides key variables for future intervention or improvement of pregnant women’ HRQOL.
Postal Delivery of Sleep Monitoring Devices: Research Implications
Authors: Toly Valerie Boebel , Fiala Marisa , Cohen Sharon
Published: January 2023

The purpose of this article is to describe the protocol development, feasibility, and lessons learned in the postal mail delivery of sleep monitoring devices to study participants. The original study protocol included four in-person visits with distribution of a sleep monitoring device (Actiwatch) and return of the Actiwatch via the postal service in a self-addressed, stamped envelope. The COVID-19 pandemic limited in-person research contact thus requiring a remote study protocol for application and return of the Actiwatches using postal delivery. While there were postal delivery and return challenges, the overall return rate of 94.4% confirmed remote protocol feasibility. Key lessons learned were: consistent and frequent communication via telephone calls and/or text; confirming required postage; and use of package tracking labels. All these strategies contributed to successful postal delivery/return and concomitantly decreased the potential loss of data and valuable research equipment.
Structure of Pathological Personality Traits Through the Lens of the CAT-PD Model
Authors: Ringwald Whitney R. , Emery Leah , Khoo Shereen , Clark Lee Anna , Kotelnikova Yuliya , Scalco Matthew D. , Watson David , Wright Aidan G. C. , Simms Leonard J.
Published: January 2023

Personality pathology is increasingly conceptualized within hierarchical, dimensional trait models. The Comprehensive Assessment of Traits Relevant to Personality Disorders (CAT-PD) is a pathological-trait measure with potential to improve on currently prevailing instruments because it has wider content coverage; however, its domain-level structure, which is of scientific and clinical interest, is not established. In this study, we investigated the structure and construct validity of the CAT-PD’s domain level to facilitate wider use of the measure. We estimated five- and six-factor models with exploratory factor analysis in a pooled sample of eight independent subsamples ( N = 3,987) and found that both models fit the data well; each had interpretable factors that were invariant across gender, sample type, and Black/White racial groups; and the factors had good convergent validity with other measures of maladaptive traits, Big Five personality, and interpersonal problems. Our results support the validity of the CAT-PD for assessing multiple levels of the pathological trait hierarchy.
The DIAMOND-KID: Psychometric Properties of a Structured Diagnostic Interview for DSM-5 Anxiety, Mood, and Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Tolin David F. , Sain Kimberly S. , Davis Elizabeth , Gilliam Christina , Hannan Scott E. , Springer Kristen S. , Stubbing Jessica , George Jamilah R. , Jean Anishka , Goldblum Rachel , Katz Benjamin W. , Everhardt Kate , Darrow Sabrina , Ohr Elizabeth Ellis , Young Matthew E. , Serchuk Marisa D.
Published: January 2023

The objective of the present study was to examine the reliability and validity of a new semi-structured interview for pediatric psychiatric disorders, which is needed as existing interviews do not cover the full range of anxiety, mood, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)-related disorders. Three hundred eleven child patients (aged 10–17) were administered the Diagnostic Interview for Anxiety, Mood, and OCD and Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders-Child and Adolescent Version (DIAMOND-KID). Of these, 65 provided interrater reliability data and 59 provided test–retest reliability data. Participants also completed self-report measures that assessed symptoms of anxiety, mood, and OCD and related disorders. Although parents/guardians could participate in the interview at the clinician’s discretion, most of the initial interviews and all of the reliability interviews were based on the child’s self-report. Test–retest reliability ranged from very good to excellent. Interrater reliability was more variable, with estimates for generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder in the questionable range; the other interrater reliability estimates ranged from good to very good. Convergent validity was established by significant between-group comparisons on applicable self-report measures for all diagnoses. The results of the present study indicate that the DIAMOND-KID is a promising semi-structured diagnostic interview for 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in pediatric populations.
AMES: An Automated Self-Administered Scale to Detect Incipient Cognitive Decline in Primary Care Settings
Authors: Huang Lin , Mei Zihan , Ye Jianfeng , Guo Qihao
Published: January 2023

Early identification and intervention of cognitive decline could be effective to prevent progression to dementia. We developed a self-delivered cognitive screening tool, Automated Memory and Executive Screening (AMES), to assess cognitive domains including memory, language, and executive function. 189 participants with diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 43), subjective cognitive decline (SCD, n = 29), objectively-defined subtle cognitive decline (obj-SCD, n = 18), and normal controls (NC, n = 99) completed the study. AMES had good convergent validity with conventional scales, and was good to discriminate patients with MCI (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.88; sensitivity = 86%; specificity = 80%) and obj-SCD (AUC = 0.78; sensitivity = 89%; specificity = 63%) from NC. These findings support that AMES is an easy to administer and effective instrument to screen for early cognitive impairment in community-based settings.
Evidence-Based Assessment for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Eng Ashley G. , Bansal Pevitr S. , Goh Patrick K. , Nirjar Urveesha , Petersen Madeline K. , Martel Michelle M.
Published: January 2023

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects individuals from all life stages, genders, and races/ethnicities. Accurate assessment of ADHD across different populations is essential as undiagnosed ADHD is associated with numerous costly negative public health outcomes and is complicated by high comorbidity and developmental change in symptoms over time. Predictive analysis suggests that best-practice evidence-based assessment of ADHD should include both ADHD-specific and broadband rating scales from multiple informants with consideration of IQ, academic achievement, and executive function when there are concerns about learning. For children under age 12, parent and teacher ratings should be averaged. For adolescents and adults, informant reports should be prioritized when self- and other-report are inconsistent. Future research should provide more stringent evaluation of the sensitivity of measures to treatment response and developmental change over time as well as further validate measures on historically understudied populations (i.e., adults, women, and racial/ethnic minorities).
Visualization and Quantification of the Association Between Breast Cancer and Cholesterol in the All of Us Research Program
Authors: Feng Jianglin , Symonds Esteban Astiazaran , Karnes Jason H
Published: January 2023

Epidemiologic evidence for the association of cholesterol and breast cancer is inconsistent. Several factors may contribute to this inconsistency, including limited sample sizes, confounding effects of antihyperlipidemic treatment, age, and body mass index, and the assumption that the association follows a simple linear function. Here, we aimed to address these factors by combining visualization and quantification a large-scale contemporary electronic health record database (the All of Us Research Program). We find clear visual and quantitative evidence that breast cancer is strongly, positively, and near-linearly associated with total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, but not associated with triglycerides. The association of breast cancer with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was non-linear and age dependent. Standardized odds ratios were 2.12 (95% confidence interval 1.9-2.48), P = 5.6 × 10−31 for total cholesterol; 1.99 (1.75-2.26), P = 2.6 × 10−26 for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol; 1.69 (1.3-2.2), P = 9.0 × 10−5 for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol at age < 56; and 0.65 (0.55-0.78), P = 1.2 × 10−6 for high-density lipoprotein cholesterol at age ⩾ 56. The inclusion of the lipid levels measured after antihyperlipidemic treatment in the analysis results in erroneous associations. We demonstrate that the use of the logistic regression without inspecting risk variable linearity and accounting for confounding effects may lead to inconsistent results.
The role of institutional policy in English language teacher autonomy, agency, and identity: A poststructural perspective
Authors: Nazari Mostafa , De Costa Peter I. , Karimpour Sedigheh
Published: January 2023

Scholarship on language teacher autonomy and agency has demonstrated that both constructs are central components of teacher identity and, hence, teacher performance. However, few studies have examined the role of these constructs in language teacher identity, particularly how power mediates their co-constitutive implications for identity construction. Grounded in a poststructural standpoint, this study reports on how institutional power was a key factor in shaping Iranian English language teachers’ autonomy, agency, and identity construction. Drawing on data from narrative frames and semi-structured interviews, we show how institutional power discursively shaped the teachers’ professional performance in three major areas: (1) power as a normative impetus; (2) policies as hierarchical forces; and (3) power as weakening the nexus between autonomy and agency. Our findings reveal that in the space between power and practice, the teachers viewed institutional power as discursively constraining their own personalized understandings and performances. However, the teachers considered the overarching discourse that power bore as positive in helping establish systemic organization. The article closes with implications for teachers, teacher educators, and policymakers in establishing context-specific discourses that positively contribute to institutional and teacher growth.
Helmholtz resonator-based acoustic metamaterials enabling broadband asymmetric sound absorption and ventilation
Authors: Meng Deshi , Li Lijun , Wu Zhenhua
Published: January 2023

Acoustic metamaterials with both ventilation and broadband asymmetric absorption have demonstrated great scientific significance and promising applicability. In this work, we design an asymmetric absorbing cell (AAC) consisting of a pair of detuned Helmholtz resonators (HRs) connected by sound channels that allows airflow with a ventilation ratio (ventilation area divided by sound incidence area) of 40%, which can achieve near-perfect sound absorption in the operating frequency range when sound waves are incident from the left port. However, when incident on the right port, the acoustic absorption coefficient does not exceed 40% at most, so asymmetric absorption is achieved. In addition, we form parallel three-cell asymmetric absorber (PTAA) by paralleling three AACs, which have broadband asymmetric absorption compared to AAC. Furthermore, we design multi-asymmetric absorber (MAA), which can achieve broadband asymmetric absorption range from 1000 Hz to 1750 Hz, and also allow air circulation. Moreover, experimental validation is conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of fabricated MAA by 3D printing technology. Our designs open potential possibilities for developing ventilated functional devices capable of absorbing sound asymmetrically.
Reconstructing the microbrewery taproom experiencescape through narratives in online travel reviews: A case from Houston, Texas USA
Authors: Nelson Velvet
Published: January 2023

The number of craft breweries on the American landscape has grown exponentially over the past several decades. The literature on craft beer and beer tourism has grown accordingly. Yet, visitors’ experience of the craft brewery taproom remains an under-examined aspect of this literature. O’Dell (2005 ) proposed the idea of examining the landscapes of experiences, or experiencescapes, including the physical and social spaces that allow for the co-creation of experiences. The concept has increasingly been used to examine culinary, gastronomic, and wine tourism experiences. Thus, this exploratory study begins to address the gap in the craft beer and beer tourism literature by reconstructing the experiencescape of craft brewery taprooms from visitor narratives in online travel reviews for microbreweries and taproom breweries in Houston, Texas (USA). The study employs thematic narrative analysis to identify the components of the physical and social environments of the brewery taproom that comprise the experiencescape and contribute to positive, memorable experiences. Findings indicate that consuming the craft beer product is only one part of the taproom experiencescape; breweries must consider the taproom experience holistically. Opportunities exist to facilitate a more conscious experiencescape design to engage visitors’ senses for more immersive and memorable experiences.
A comparative analysis of moving average filter and Kalman filter for large diesel engine test cell back-pressure control
Authors: McGurk Colin , Ahmed Hafiz , Foo Mathias , Pike Andrew , Lu Qian , Laila Dina Shona
Published: January 2023

Diesel engine combustion releases many harmful components, thus there are continuous efforts into improving the efficiency of these engines and reducing the harmful gasses and particulates to meet the emission authorities targets. To develop and sell new engine-related products, these engines are required to run and to be audited in diesel engine test cells. A critical measurement for benchmark testing is the exhaust back-pressure, which is the resultant exhaust flow from the engine and a product of the air and fuel consumed. The back-pressure is controlled by restricting the flow of the exhaust using a butterfly valve and this pressure must be set to the defined limits to ensure engine compliance. Setting this limit takes time and consumes large volumes of fuel, which causes additional emissions. Therefore, a feedback control solution to regulate this back-pressure is desirable. In current practice, a moving average filter is used on two commercial standard engine softwares – SGS CyFlex® and AVL Puma 2® Data Acquisition and Control Systems to provide a useful signal for feedback control. Considering the presence of erratic noise associated with the back-pressure measurement, a Kalman Filter with tunable measurement uncertainty and process noise gains is also considered. By modifying the script in SGS CyFlex® and AVL PUMA 2®, a Kalman Filter is implemented for the first time on diesel engine test cells and a comparative analysis between the performance of the two filters is provided. Both filters effectively reduce the noise of the system, with the Kalman Filter showing a closer tracking to the desired system response. This demonstrates the potential of applying the Kalman Filter to provide the feedback signal for improved back-pressure control that could reduce the fuel consumption during testing, thereby makes testing process more economical and environment friendly. The script and results presented in this work will open up the opportunities of applying Kalman filtering method’s in various engine testing functions, which will have broader impact in the current industrial practice.
Marine vessel powertrain design optimization: Multiperiod modeling considering retrofits and alternative fuels
Authors: Ritari Antti , Huotari Janne , Tammi Kari
Published: January 2023

Over the coming decades, maritime transportation will transition from fossil hydrocarbon fuels to hydrogen, ammonia, and synthetic hydrocarbon fuels produced using renewable electricity as the primary energy source. In this context, a shipowner needs to identify a cost-efficient plan for the adoption of alternative fuels and onboard energy conversion system retrofits. This paper presents a multiperiod decision model for the selection of energy system components under increasingly stringent CO2 emissions regulations and cost forecasts over a multidecade planning horizon. The model considers the choice of newbuild architecture, timing of retrofits, component sizes, and allocation of fuels to converters with the objective of minimizing total cost of ownership (TCO). The decision problem is formulated as a discrete time multiperiod mixed-integer linear program. The application of the model is numerically illustrated for a Baltic Sea roll-on/roll-off ferry. The main findings are: (i) modifying the energy system with retrofits obtains 43% lower TCO compared to fuel switching alone; (ii) batteries contribute to 23% lower TCO; (iii) optimal component installation period can be shorter than their maximum lifetime; (iv) running an engine with hydrogen is favored over fuel cells and (v) hybrid propulsion is the key future-proofing design choice for short sea vessels.
The Concept of Political Sophistication: Labeling the Unlabeled
Authors: Gallina Marta
Published: January 2023

The concept of political sophistication, first introduced almost 60 years ago, is still widely discussed in political studies. However, due to the discrepancies in definitions, indicators, and findings, it is often difficult to discern how various approaches have contributed to the broader literature. Thus, to propose an intellectual order, this article uses a simple classification to understand these studies: the distinction between sophistication as the complexity of political reasoning ( cognitive sophistication) and sophistication as the amount of political information ( pragmatic sophistication). In addition, this article discusses the most recent developments in research and examines why previous literature have generally overlooked them. Finally, it provides a schematic summary that can serve as a guide to understanding the variety of research on political sophistication.
Radiation shielding design and development of Bi/Ta/PU lead-free flexible textile composites
Authors: Li Weibin , Chen Shuai , Peng Min , Zhou Xian , Zhao Xiaoming
Published: January 2023

Aiming at the difficulty of designing flexible shielding materials for lightweight and complex structures, the radiation shielding simulation model of coated fabric was established by SuperMC nuclear simulation software system and the γ-ray shielding performance of the material was predicted. Pb and Ta doped Bi/PU coated fabric composites were prepared by coating process. SEM, EDS, γ-ray shielding performance, mechanical properties, and wear resistance were tested. The results show that the simulated values of shielding performance are in good agreement with the measured values, the maximum deviation of the predicted value is 2.94% and the minimum is 0.25%. Doping Pb and Ta can increase the probability of the photoelectric effect and improve the γ-ray shielding performance of the material. When the doping amount of Ta is 5wt%, the shielding rate (simulation value) of Bi/Ta/PU coated fabric composites to 59.5 keV, 122 keV, and 184 keV γ-rays reaches 29.80%, 20.35%, and 8.09%, respectively, which is 3.13%, 2.32%, and 0.95% higher than that without doping. However, Ta is more environmentally safe and can replace Pb as a shielding additive. Doping auxiliary functional particles will improve the shielding performance but will reduce the material’s wear resistance and mechanical properties. After doping 5%Ta, the wear resistance index decreased by 6.81, and the tensile strength decreased by 4.5 MPa. The influence mechanism of process parameters on shielding performance is further revealed by visual analysis, which provides a new reference for the design of lead-free flexible shielding materials.
Diffracting the Special Issue: The Co-Emergence of Response-Able Collaboration
Authors: Thorpe Holly , Newman Joshua I.
Published: January 2023

In this introduction to the special issue, we (a) describe the unconventional and iteratively constitutive processes by which this special issue came into being and (b) provide a brief overview of how the body-focused research “nodal points” featured therein contribute to the fields of education, social theory, arts, gender studies, and sport and physical cultural studies. We outline a process whereby, in seeking to “diffract the special issue,” contributors to this project engaged in an ongoing process of creating more affirmative, response-able, generative relations between academic texts, people, places, ideas, and bodies. The purpose in so doing, and potential benefit to the reader, is to foreground not only the contents of the special issue but also to map out the ethico-onto-epistemological foundations of the diffracted special issue and to provide some detail as to how ethico-onto-epistemologies surfaced in the praxis of the special issue’s becoming.
The ciliary zonules provide a pathway for immune cells to populate the avascular lens during eye development
Authors: DeDreu JodiRae , Le Phuong M , Menko A. Sue
Published: January 2023

The eye is an immune-privileged site, with both vasculature and lymphatics absent from the central light path. Unique adaptations have made it possible for immune cells to be recruited to this region of the eye in response to ocular injuries and pathogenic insults. The induction of such immune responses is typically activated by tissue resident immune cells, considered the sentinels of the immune system. We discovered that, despite the absence of an embedded vasculature, the embryonic lens becomes populated by resident immune cells. The paths by which they travel to the lens during development were not known. However, our previous studies show that in response to corneal wounding immune cells travel to the lens from the vascular-rich ciliary body across the zonules that link these two tissues. We now examined whether the zonule fibers provide a path for immune cells to the embryonic lens, and the zonule-associated matrix molecules that could promote immune cell migration. The vitreous also was examined as a potential source of lens resident immune cells. This matrix-rich site in the posterior of the eye harbors hyalocytes, an immune cell type with macrophage-like properties. We found that both the zonules and the vitreous of the embryonic eye contained fibrillin-2-based networks and that migration-promoting matrix proteins like fibronectin and tenascin-C were linked to these fibrils. Immune cells were seen emerging from the ciliary body, migrating along the ciliary zonules to the lens, and invading through the lens capsule at its equator. This is just adjacent to where immune cells take up residence in the embryonic lens. In contrast, the immune cells of the vitreous were not detected in the region of the lens. These results strongly suggest that the ciliary zonules are a primary path of immune cell delivery to the developing lens.
Duplex Studies of Amplatzer Vascular Plug II as a Foreign Body: Detection and Localization Following Migration From the Heart to the Extremities
Authors: Noh Cassey
Published: January 2023

This case report illustrates the most unique feature of ultrasound that distinguishes it from other imaging modalities: hemodynamic analysis of blood flow by spectral Doppler waveforms. Duplex evaluation of the patient presented showed the different resulting hemodynamic impacts of the Amplatzer Vascular Plug II (AVP II), an embolic device, as a foreign body in the upper extremity versus the lower extremity: monophasic Doppler waveforms in the upper extremity distal to the location of the AVP II versus multiphasic Doppler waveforms in the comparable lower extremity distal location. This hemodynamic analysis illustrates the different impacts of the migrated AVP II as a foreign body. It is possible that paroxysmal atrial fibrillation could have been a cause of AVP II migration in this case, since there was no surgical manipulation following placement, but that would be a topic for further investigation.
Governance Diaries: An Approach to Researching Marginalized People’s Lived Experiences in Difficult Settings
Authors: Loureiro Miguel , Joshi Anuradha , Barnes Katrina , Chaimite Egídio
Published: January 2023

How do chronically poor and marginalized citizens interact with and make claims to the different public authorities that exist in fragile, conflict and violence-affected contexts? In other words, how does governance from below look like in difficult settings? Given the centrality of the ‘leave no one behind’ agenda, an understanding of how such populations meet their governance needs can help identify the constraints to achieving development for all in these challenging settings. We wanted to research these questions comparatively, to see if there were common features of response in different contexts, with the presence of various kinds of non-state actors, diverse histories of colonialism and authoritarianism, and widely different social norms. In this article we describe the governance diaries approach, an iterative alternative to large-n surveys and multi-sited ethnographies we developed in the process of answering these questions. Governance diaries, working as a qualitative panel data, are a suitable approach for researching complex behavior that changes over time as large-n surveys are insufficiently dynamic to trace the processes behind change (lacking sensitivity) and ethnographic studies often have limited generalizability (lacking comparability). We describe here how this approach works and the challenges and opportunities it offers for research.
Study on numerical simulation method and dynamic force of dropper of a catenary system
Authors: Pan Like , Chen Liming , Zhang Haibo , Xing Tong , Yang Caizhi , Dong Guankuo
Published: January 2023

The dropper through bends and bears dynamic impact load before and after the train passes in actual service, which has an important impact on the fatigue life of the dropper. In this paper, a simulation model which can simulate the interaction between pantograph and catenary is established by using the numerical simulation method. A dropper model which can simulate the dynamic stress of the dropper is established through the beam-link combination element. The simulation result shows that among the six droppers in a span, the dynamic force of No. 1 and No. 6 droppers is the smallest, and the dynamic force of No. 3 and No. 4 droppers is the largest. The dynamic load variation characteristics of the dropper are characterized by the dynamic coefficient. When the front and rear pantograph pass through, the maximum dynamic force of the dropper appears when the rear pantograph passes through. The maximum dynamic force is located in the middle of the dropper. Through the research of this paper, the simulation method of catenary and dropper is established, and the dynamic stress process of dropper is analyzed, which lays a technical foundation for the subsequent research on the fatigue failure mechanism of dropper.
Impact of green roof and green facade on building thermal performance and carbon sequestration in subtropical climate of China
Authors: Jiang Chao , Zhou Yan , Li Kai , Wei Difang
Published: January 2023

This paper investigates the case building’s cooling effect, energy saving, and carbon sequestration with green facade and green roof. The west and east GF is covered with wisteria, and the GR is planted with different kinds of vegetables. The cooling effect of the GF and GR is analyzed by field test. The cooling energy saving of the GF and GR is deeply discussed with EnergyPlus software simulation. Carbon sequestrations of the GF and GR are calculated considering both plant photosynthetic and energy saving with the field test and simulation. The results show that the average external surface temperature reduction of the west GF, east GF, and GR is 4.5°C, 4.2°C, and 9.7°C on sunny days, 1.3°C, 1.3°C, and 1.4°C respectively on cloudy days. The total cooling energy saving of the GF and GR is 4.75 kWh/m2. The cooling energy saving of the GR with seven kinds of vegetables varies from 529.6 to 2936.3 kWh, which is related to the LAI and height of vegetables. The daily cooling energy saving in hot sunny weather scenario is almost three times that in cool sunny. The carbon sequestration ability per planted GF area is 1.4 kg C/m2, and per planted GR area with seven different vegetables varies from 0.88 to 2.21 kg C/m2, in which the strongest is peanut, and the weakest is lettuce. At last, the cooling energy savings of GF in different orientations on hot, warm, and cool sunny days are discussed, which is shown that the cooling energy saving effect of the different oriented GF mainly depends on the received solar radiation amount in this orientation. The results of this research can provide some assistance in improving the design of the building GR and GF.
Interruptions in contraception and unintended pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Geleto Ayele , Taylor Jo , Beyene Tesfalidet
Published: January 2023

Background:

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted access to and use of maternal, newborn, and child health services. Due to lockdowns and travel restrictions implemented during the first wave of the pandemic, the provision of essential maternal health services such as family planning was critically affected. Unlike most healthcare, contraception-related services are impractical for virtual care provision as women need to attend the clinic in person. Therefore, most women across the world might have been left with an unmet need for contraception during the lockdown period. Interruptions in contraception services have led to an increased number of unintended pregnancies. With the emergence of several pocket studies, it is essential to pool the available evidence reporting the effects of COVID-19 on contraception to inform maternal health policy and practice.

Objective:

The aims of this review are (1) to determine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to contraceptives among sexually active women and (2) to identify the magnitude of unintended pregnancy linked to interruptions of contraceptives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

The protocol for this systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021267077). Electronic databases such as MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar will be searched for articles using appropriate key terms. The identified articles will be assessed against the eligibility criteria. Two reviewers (A.B. and T.B.) will independently screen titles and abstracts of all retrieved articles followed by a full-text review using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses checklist. The quality of the papers will be assessed by using the Risk of Bias Assessment tool for Non-Randomized Studies. Quantitative findings will be pooled using a random-effects model meta-analysis, while qualitative findings will be presented using a narrative synthesis.

Ethics and dissemination:

Ethical approval is not required. The findings will be disseminated through conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

Discussion:

This systematic review will present current data needed to design evidence-based programmes for improving access to contraception and preventing unintended pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic and future emergencies.

Systematic review registration:

PROSPERO CRD42021267077.