bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Numerical and experimental study of the dynamic factor of the dynamic load on the urban railway
Authors: Anh Dung Tran , Van Tham Mai , Xuan Quy Do , The Truyen Tran , Van Ky Pham , Hai Ha Le
Published: January 2021

This paper presents simulation calculations and experimental measurements to determine the dynamic load factor (DLF) of train on the urban railway in Vietnam. Simulation calculations are performed by SIMPACK software. Dynamic measurement experiments were conducted on Cat Linh – Ha Dong line. The simulation and experimental results provide the DLF values with the largest difference of 2.46% when the train speed varies from 0 km/h to 80 km/h
Design and analysis of full duplex RoF system with efficient phase noise cancellation from a coherent RoF system
Authors: Chandrasenan Archa , Zacharias Joseph
Published: January 2021

A energy efficient and high throughput bi directional radio over fiber (RoF) system is designed and analysed. In order to preserve the phase and the magnitude of the transmitted signals, coherent detection (CD) is employed and hence an optical local oscillator (OLO) source is used. A full duplex system is designed by utilising the same OLO. The phase noise in CD system is logically cancelled using digital signal processing techniques. 10 Gb/s 16-QAM at 5.5 GHz, 10 Gb/s 2-QAM at 2.5 GHz , 5 Gb/s QPSK at 5.5 Ghz and 10 Gb/s 4-QAM at 7.5 GHz are transmitted simultaneously over 25 km optical fiber(OF). It is analysed that any coherent RoF system can be designed to a full duplex system with acceptable log(BER) and error vector magnitude(EVM) values. The minimum values of log(BER) values obtained for 16-QAM, QPSK, 2-QAM and 4-QAM are −10, −8, −16 and −22, respectively.
Ramsey numbers of partial order graphs (comparability graphs) and implications in ring theory
Authors: Badawi Ayman , Rissner Roswitha
Published: January 2021

For a partially ordered set

(A,\le )

, let

{G}_{A}

be the simple, undirected graph with vertex set A such that two vertices

a\ne b\in A

are adjacent if either

a\le b

or

b\le a

. We call

{G}_{A}

the partial order graph or comparability graph of A. Furthermore, we say that a graph G is a partial order graph if there exists a partially ordered set A such that

G={G}_{A}

. For a class

{\mathcal{C}}

of simple, undirected graphs and n,

m\ge 1

, we define the Ramsey number

{ {\mathcal R} }_{{\mathcal{C}}}(n,m)

with respect to

{\mathcal{C}}

to be the minimal number of vertices r such that every induced subgraph of an arbitrary graph in

{\mathcal{C}}

consisting of r vertices contains either a complete n-clique

{K}_{n}

or an independent set consisting of m vertices. In this paper, we determine the Ramsey number with respect to some classes of partial order graphs. Furthermore, some implications of Ramsey numbers in ring theory are discussed.
Blow-up analyses in nonlocal reaction diffusion equations with time-dependent coefficients under Neumann boundary conditions
Authors: Tian Huimin , Zhang Lingling
Published: January 2021

In this paper, the blow-up analyses in nonlocal reaction diffusion equations with time-dependent coefficients are investigated under Neumann boundary conditions. By constructing some suitable auxiliary functions and using differential inequality techniques, we show some sufficient conditions to ensure that the solution

u
(
x
,
t
)

u(x,t)

blows up at a finite time under appropriate measure sense. Furthermore, an upper and a lower bound on blow-up time are derived under some appropriate assumptions. At last, two examples are presented to illustrate the application of our main results.
The logarithmic mean of two convex functionals
Authors: Raïssouli Mustapha , Furuichi Shigeru
Published: January 2021

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the logarithmic mean of two convex functionals that extends the logarithmic mean of two positive operators. Some inequalities involving this functional mean are discussed as well. The operator versions of the functional theoretical results obtained here are immediately deduced without referring to the theory of operator means.
S-shaped connected component of positive solutions for second-order discrete Neumann boundary value problems
Authors: Miao Liangying , Liu Jing , He Zhiqian
Published: January 2021

By using the bifurcation method, we study the existence of an S-shaped connected component in the set of positive solutions for discrete second-order Neumann boundary value problem. By figuring the shape of unbounded connected component of positive solutions, we show that the Neumann boundary value problem has three positive solutions suggesting suitable conditions on the weight function and nonlinearity.
Ramanujan’s function k(τ)=r(τ)r
2(2τ) and its modularity
Authors: Lee Yoonjin , Park Yoon Kyung
Published: January 2021

We study the modularity of Ramanujan’s function

k
(
τ
)
=
r
(
τ
)

r

2

(
2
τ
)

k(\tau )=r(\tau ){r}^{2}(2\tau )

, where

r
(
τ
)

r(\tau )

is the Rogers-Ramanujan continued fraction. We first find the modular equation of

k
(
τ
)

k(\tau )

of “an” level, and we obtain some symmetry relations and some congruence relations which are satisfied by the modular equations; these relations are quite useful for reduction of the computation cost for finding the modular equations. We also show that for some

τ

\tau

in an imaginary quadratic field, the value

k
(
τ
)

k(\tau )

generates the ray class field over an imaginary quadratic field modulo 10; this is because the function k is a generator of the field of the modular function on

Γ

1

(
10
)

{{\mathrm{\Gamma}}}_{1}(10)

. Furthermore, we suggest a rather optimal way of evaluating the singular values of

k
(
τ
)

k(\tau )

using the modular equations in the following two ways: one is that if

j
(
τ
)

j(\tau )

is the elliptic modular function, then one can explicitly evaluate the value

k
(
τ
)

k(\tau )

, and the other is that once the value

k
(
τ
)

k(\tau )

is given, we can obtain the value

k
(
r
τ
)

k(r\tau )

for any positive rational number r immediately.
New (p,q)-estimates for different types of integral inequalities via (α,m)-convex mappings
Authors: Kalsoom Humaira , Latif Muhammad Amer , Rashid Saima , Baleanu Dumitru , Chu Yu-Ming
Published: January 2021

In the article, we present a new(p,q)(p,q)-integral identity for the first-order(p,q)(p,q)-differentiable functions and establish several new(p,q)(p,q)-quantum error estimations for various integral inequalities via(α,m)(\alpha ,m)-convexity. We also compare our results with the previously known results and provide two examples to show the superiority of our obtained results.
Approximation properties of tensor norms and operator ideals for Banach spaces
Authors: Kim Ju Myung
Published: January 2021

For a finitely generated tensor norm

α

\alpha

, we investigate the

α

\alpha

-approximation property (

α

\alpha

-AP) and the bounded

α

\alpha

-approximation property (bounded

α

\alpha

-AP) in terms of some approximation properties of operator ideals. We prove that a Banach space X has the

λ

\lambda

-bounded

α

p
,
q

{\alpha }_{p,q}

-AP

(
1
≤
p
,
q
≤
∞
,
1
/
p
+
1
/
q
≥
1
)

(1\le p,q\le \infty ,1/p+1/q\ge 1)

if it has the

λ

\lambda

-bounded

g

p

{g}_{p}

-AP. As a consequence, it follows that if a Banach space X has the

λ

\lambda

-bounded

g

p

{g}_{p}

-AP, then X has the

λ

\lambda

-bounded

w

p

{w}_{p}

-AP.
Skew-symmetric and essentially unitary operators via Berezin symbols
Authors: Altwaijry Najla , Garayev Mubariz , Guediri Hocine , Baazeem Amani
Published: January 2021

We characterize skew-symmetric operators on a reproducing kernel Hilbert space in terms of their Berezin symbols. The solution of some operator equations with skew-symmetric operators is studied in terms of Berezin symbols. We also studied essentially unitary operators via Berezin symbols.
Results on analytic functions defined by Laplace-Stieltjes transforms with perfect ϕ-type
Authors: Liu Simin , Xu Hongyan , Cui Yongqin , Gong Pan
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we introduce the concept of the perfect

ϕ

\phi

-type to describe the growth of the maximal molecule of Laplace-Stieltjes transform by using the more general function than the usual. Based on this concept, we investigate the approximation and growth of analytic functions

F
(
s
)

F(s)

defined by Laplace-Stieltjes transforms convergent in the half plane and obtain some results about the necessary and sufficient conditions on analytic functions

F
(
s
)

F(s)

defined by Laplace-Stieltjes transforms with perfect

ϕ

\phi

-type, which are some generalizations and improvements of the previous results given by Kong [On generalized orders and types of Laplace-Stieltjes transforms analytic in the right half-plane, Acta Math. Sin. 59A (2016), 91–98], Singhal and Srivastava [On the approximation of an analytic function represented by Laplace-Stieltjes transformations, Anal. Theory and Appl. 31 (2015), 407–420].
On singularities of real algebraic sets and applications to kinematics
Authors: Diesse Marc
Published: January 2021

We address the question of identifying non-smooth points in

V

ℝ

(
I
)

{{\bf{V}}}_{{\mathbb{R}}}(I)

the real part of an affine algebraic variety. Two simple algebraic criteria will be formulated and proven. As an application, we investigate the configuration spaces of the planar four-bar linkage and the delta robot and prove that all singularities are CS-singularities.
A multi-power and multi-splitting inner-outer iteration for PageRank computation
Authors: Pu Bing-Yuan , Wen Chun , Hu Qian-Ying
Published: January 2021

As an effective and possible method for computing PageRank problem, the inner-outer (IO) iteration has attracted wide interest in the past few years since it was first proposed by Gleich et al. (2010). In this paper, we present a variant of the IO iteration, which is based on multi-step power and multi-step splitting and is denoted by MPMIO. The description and convergence are discussed in detail. Numerical examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A new refinement of Jensen’s inequality with applications in information theory
Authors: Xiao Lei , Lu Guoxiang
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we present a new refinement of Jensen’s inequality with applications in information theory. The refinement of Jensen’s inequality is obtained based on the general functional in the work of Popescu et al. As the applications in information theory, we provide new tighter bounds for Shannon’s entropy and some f-divergences.
Editorial — Special Issue: ISMM 2019
Authors: Burgeth Bernhard , Kleefeld Andreas , Naegel Benoît , Perret Benjamin
Published: January 2021

This editorial presents the Special Issue dedicated to the conference ISMM 2019 and summarizes the articles published in this Special Issue.
Estimation of seasonal boundaries using temperature data: a case of northwest part of Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Syed Mustafizur , Rahman Syed Mahbubur , Ali Md. Shuzon , Mamun Md. Abdullah Al , Uddin Md. Nezam
Published: January 2021

Seasons are the divisions of the year into months or days according to the changes in weather, ecology and the intensity of sunlight in a given region. The temperature cycle plays a major role in defining the meteorological seasons of the year. This study aims at investigating seasonal boundaries applying harmonic analysis in daily temperature for the duration of 30 years, recorded at six stations from 1988 to 2017, in northwest part of Bangladesh. Year by year harmonic analyses of daily temperature data in each station have been carried out to observe temporal and spatial variations in seasonal lengths. Periodic nature of daily temperature has been investigated employing spectral analysis, and it has been found that the estimated periodicities have higher power densities of the frequencies at 0.0027 and 0.0053 cycles/day. Some other minor periodic natures have also been observed in the analyses. Using the frequencies between 0.0027 to 0.0278 cycles/day, the observed periodicities in spectral analysis, harmonic analyses of minimum and maximum temperatures have found four seasonal boundaries every year in each of the stations. The estimated seasonal boundaries for the region fall between 19-25 February, 19-23 May, 18-20 August and 17-22 November. Since seasonal variability results in imbalance in water, moisture and heat, it has the potential to significantly affect agricultural production. Hence, the seasons and seasonal lengths presented in this research may help the concerned authorities take measures to reduce the risks for crop productivity to face the challenges arise from changing climate. Moreover, the results obtained are likely to contribute in introducing local climate calendar.
On multiplicative degree based topological indices for planar octahedron networks
Authors: Dustigeer Ghulam , Ali Haidar , Imran Khan Muhammad , Chu Yu-Ming
Published: January 2021

Chemical graph theory is a branch of graph theory in which a chemical compound is presented with a simple graph called a molecular graph. There are atomic bonds in the chemistry of the chemical atomic graph and edges. The graph is connected when there is at least one connection between its vertices. The number that describes the topology of the graph is called the topological index. Cheminformatics is a new subject which is a combination of chemistry, mathematics and information science. It studies quantitative structure-activity (QSAR) and structure-property (QSPR) relationships that are used to predict the biological activities and properties of chemical compounds. We evaluated the second multiplicative Zagreb index, first and second universal Zagreb indices, first and second hyper Zagreb indices, sum and product connectivity indices for the planar octahedron network, triangular prism network, hex planar octahedron network, and give these indices closed analytical formulas.
Computing entire Zagreb indices of some dendrimer structures
Authors: Gao Wei , Iqbal Zahid , Jaleel Abdul , Aslam Adnan , Ishaq Muhammad , Aamir Muhammad
Published: January 2021

Topological indices are numerical numbers associated to molecular graphs and are invariant of a graph. In QSAR/QSPR study, Zagreb indices are used to explain the different properties of chemical compounds at the molecular level mathematically. They have been studied extensively due to their ease of calculation and numerous applications in place of the existing chemical methods which needed more time and increased the costs. In this paper, we compute precise values of new versions of Zagreb indices for two classes of dendrimers.
(µ, η)-pseudo almost automorphic solutions of a new class of competitive Lotka-Volterra model with mixed delays
Authors: Amdouni Manel , Chérif Farouk
Published: January 2021

In the natural world, competition is an important phenomenon that can manifest in various generalized environments (economy, physics, ecology, biology,...). One of the famous models which is able to represent this concept is the Lotka-Volterra model. A new class of a competitive Lotka-Volterra model with mixed delays and oscillatory coefficients is investigated in this work. Thus, by using the (µ, η)-pseudo almost automorphic functions function class and the Leray-Schauder fixed-point theorem, it can be proven that solutions exist. In addition, in such situations, we have a number of species that coexist and all the rest will be extinct. Therefore, the study of permanence becomes unavoidable. Therefore, sufficient and new conditions are given in order to establish the permanence of species without using a comparison theorem. By the new Lyapunov function we prove the asymptotic stability for the considered model. Moreover, we investigate the globally exponential stability of the (µ, η)-pseudo almost automorphic solutions. In the end, an example is given to support theoretical result feasibility.
Existence results for some integro-differential equations with state-dependent nonlocal conditions in Fréchet Spaces
Authors: Diop Mamadou Abdoul , Bete Kora Hafiz , Kakpo Reine , Ogouyandjou Carlos
Published: January 2021

In this work, we present existence of mild solutions for partial integro-differential equations with state-dependent nonlocal local conditions. We assume that the linear part has a resolvent operator in the sense given by Grimmer. The existence of mild solutions is proved by means of Kuratowski’s measure of non-compactness and a generalized Darbo fixed point theorem in Fréchet space. Finally, an example is given for demonstration.
Comparative study of two techniques on some nonlinear problems based ussing conformable derivative
Authors: Zulfiqar Aniqa , Ahmad Jamshad
Published: January 2021

In this paper, three eminent types of time-fractional nonlinear partial differential equations are considered, which are the fractional foam drainage equation, fractional Gardner equation, and fractional Fornberg–Whitham equation in the sense of conformable fractional derivative. The approximate solutions of these considered problems are constructed and discussed using the conformable fractional variational iteration method and conformable fractional reduced differential transform method. The conformable derivative is one of the admirable choices to handle nonlinear physical problems of different fields of interest. Comparisons of approximate solution obtained by two techniques, to each other and with the exact solutions are also presented and affirm that the considered methods are efficient and reliable techniques to study other nonlinear fractional equations and models in the sense of conformable derivative. To explain the effects of several parameters and variables on the movement, the approximate results are shown in tables and two-and three-dimensional surface graphs.
Microfluidic-assisted synthesis and modelling of monodispersed magnetic nanocomposites for biomedical applications
Authors: Sartipzadeh Omid , Naghib Seyed Morteza , Shokati Farhad , Rahmanian Mehdi , Majidzadeh-A Keivan , Zare Yasser , Rhee Kyong Yop
Published: January 2021

Droplet microfluidic was devoted to design and fabricate robust devices in the field of biosensing, tissue engineering, drug delivery, cell encapsulation, cell isolation, and lab-on-a-chip. Chitosan was widely used for different biomedical applications because of its unique characteristics such as antibacterial bioactivities, immune-enhancing influences, and anticancer bioactivities. In this research, a model is used for investigating the formation and size of composite droplets in a microfluidic device. The role of the velocity flow ratio in the composite droplet characteristics such as the generation rate and composite droplet size is described. According to the results, a desirable protocol is developed to control the properties of the composite droplets and to compare the size and rate of the composite droplets in a micro device. Furthermore, the level set laminar two-phase flow approach is exploited for studying the composite droplet-breaking procedure. An experimental procedure is used for validation of the simulation process. Various sizes and geometries of the composite droplets are fabricated to depict a potential in biomedical applications such as bioimaging, biosensing, tissue engineering, drug delivery, cell encapsulation, cancer cell isolation, and lab-on-a-chip.
From materials to devices using fused deposition modeling: A state-of-art review
Authors: Zhang Pengfei , Wang Zongxing , Li Junru , Li Xinlin , Cheng Lianjun
Published: January 2021

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) uses computer-aided design to direct a 3D printer to build successful layers of product from polymeric materials to generate 3D devices. Many reviews have been reported recently on the cutting-edge FDM technology from different perspectives. However, few studies have delved into the advances in FDM technology from materials to 3D devices. Therefore, in this work, with a bottom-up approach from materials (including commodities and nanomaterials) to printing process (including effort for fast printing, effort for resolution improvement, and simulations) and from printing process to 3D devices (including biomedical implants, topological structures, and multifunctional devices), it aims at reviewing the FDM technology developed over the past decades.
Preparation and piezoresistivity of carbon nanotube-coated sand reinforced cement mortar
Authors: Gao Song , Luo Jianlin , Zhang Jigang , Teng Fei , Liu Chao , Feng Chao , Yuan Qian
Published: January 2021

Water and sand were used as the medium of multiwall carbon nanotube (MCNT) and prepared MCNT aqueous suspension and MCNT suspension-coated sand, respectively; afterwards, they were introduced into cement mortar (MNT/CM, MNTSM), respectively. Next, mechanical strengths and piezoresistive properties (DC resistivities (ρ
v), AC impedances (Z
r)) under cyclic loadings (σ
c) of two types of MNT/CM and MNTSM nanocomposites were investigated to explore the intrinsic and self-sensing behaviors. Results reveal that MCNT can be evenly and well-coated on sand, which favors to achieve its intrinsic self-sensing property. Although the fraction changes in ρ
v and Z
r under the same σ
c of MNTSM are both lower than those of MNT/CM, the stress sensitivity of MNTSM is only −1.16%/MPa (DC resistivity), −1.55%/MPa (AC impedance); its sensing linearity and stability (2.53, 2.45%; 2.73, 2.67%) are superior to those of MNT/CM (4.94, 2.57%; 3.78, 2.96%). Piezoresistivity using AC impedance technique is helpful to acquire balanced sensing sensitivity and stability while applied as intrinsic sensors in infrastructure.
Vibrational analysis of an irregular single-walled carbon nanotube incorporating initial stress effects
Authors: Selim Mahmoud M. , El-Safty Sherif A.
Published: January 2021

In this work, an attempt is done to apply the eigenvalue approach as well as Donnell thin-shell theory to find out the vibrational analyses of an irregular single-walled carbon (ISWCNT) incorporating initial stress effects. The effects of surface irregularity and initial stresses on natural frequency of vibration of nano materials, especially for single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), have not been investigated before, and most of the previous research have been carried for a regular and initial stress-free CNTs. Therefore, it must be emphasized that the vibrations of prestressed irregular SWCNT are novel and applicable for the design of nano oscillators and nanodevices, in which SWCNTs act as the most prevalent nanocomposite structural element. The surface irregularity is assumed in the parabolic form at the surface of SWCNT. A novel equation of motion and frequency equation is derived. The obtained numerical results provide a better representation of the vibration behavior of prestressed ISWCNTs. It has been observed that the presence of either surface irregularity or initial stress has notable effects on the natural frequency of vibration, particularly in the short-length SWCNTs. Numerical results show that the natural frequency of SWCNT decreases with increase in surface irregularity and initial stress parameters. To the authors’ best knowledge, the effect of surface irregularity and initial stresses on the vibration behavior of SWCNTs has not yet been studied, and the present work is an attempt to find out this effectiveness. In addition, the results of the present analysis may serve as useful references for the application and the design of nano oscillators and nanodevices, in which SWCNTs act as the most prevalent nanocomposite structural element.
Therapeutic strategies and potential implications of silver nanoparticles in the management of skin cancer
Authors: Dasari Shaloam , Yedjou Clement G. , Brodell Robert T. , Cruse Allison R. , Tchounwou Paul B.
Published: January 2021

Skin cancer (SC) is the most common carcinoma affecting 3 million people annually in the United States and millions of people worldwide. It is classified as melanoma SC (MSC) and non-melanoma SC (NMSC). NMSC represents approximately 80% of SC and includes squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. MSC, however, has a higher mortality rate than SC because of its ability to metastasize. SC is a major health problem in the United States with significant morbidity and mortality in the Caucasian population. Treatment options for SC include cryotherapy, excisional surgery, Mohs surgery, curettage and electrodessication, radiation therapy, photodynamic therapy, immunotherapy, and chemotherapy. Treatment is chosen based on the type of SC and the potential for side effects. Novel targeted therapies are being used with increased frequency for large tumors and for metastatic disease. A scoping literature search on PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cancer Registry websites revealed that traditional chemotherapeutic drugs have little effect against SC after the cancer has metastasized. Following an overview of SC biology, epidemiology, and treatment options, this review focuses on the mechanisms of advanced technologies that use silver nanoparticles in SC treatment regimens.
A review for modified Li composite anode: Principle, preparation and challenge
Authors: Yang Xinxia , Peng Yi , Hou Jia , Liu Yifan , Jian Xian
Published: January 2021

As the most common energy storage technology on the market, lithium-ion batteries are widely used in various industries and have a profound impact on our daily lives, with the characteristics of high voltage, high capacity, good safety performance, and long cycle life. Lithium metal was first used in the anode of lithium-ion batteries. However, the inherent growth of lithium dendrites and the instability of the SEI film limit the practical application of lithium metal materials. Despite this, lithium metal is still an ideal anode material to meet the growing demands for electronic equipment and electric vehicles due to its extremely high theoretical specific capacity, low density, and the lowest negative electrochemical potential. With the urgent need to develop new energy storage technologies, the research on lithium metal anodes has once again received extensive attention. In this review, the research progress in the modification of composite lithium metal electrode materials is summarized, including lithium/alloy composite electrode, lithium/carbon-based materials composite electrode and artificial SEI film. The possible directions for future development of lithium metal electrode are also prospected.
Shifting of microbial biodiversity and soil health in rhizomicrobiome of natural forest and agricultural soil
Authors: Anggrainy Eka Dewi , Syarifain Roby Ibnu , Hidayat Arif , Solihatin Etin , Suherman Cucu , Fitriatin Betty N. , Simarmata Tualar
Published: January 2021

Intensive agricultural practices and heavy use of inorganic fertilizers have significantly accelerated soil degradation. Mineralization of the organic matter of soil affects soil health and the abundance of soil beneficial microbes (SBMs) and its dynamics in the soil. The research to investigate the shifting of microbial population and the soil health was conducted in natural forest, agricultural, and degraded ecosystems. The research setting involved randomized block design consisting of six ecosystems, namely, natural forest, agricultural soil (oil palm: 10, 9, 8, and 7 years old), and degraded soils. The soil samples were taken with four replications from rhizomicrobiome of each land use. In the soil health analysis, it was understood that soil beneficial microbes (SBMs) consist of total bacteria, phosphate-solubilizing bacteria, nitrogen-fixing bacteria, total actinomycetes, and total fungi). The results showed that natural forest, oil palm plantation, and degraded land demonstrated a significant effect on the changes in biodiversity of SBM in rhizomicrobiome. The highest population of SBMs was in natural forest followed by the 10-year-old oil palm plantations and the lowest was recorded in degraded soils. These results confirm that the shift of forest ecosystems to agricultural soils will accelerate the degradation and decline of soil health.
Influence of priming on germination, development, and yield of soybean varieties
Authors: Lewandowska Sylwia , Łoziński Michał , Marczewski Krzysztof , Kozak Marcin , Schmidtke Knut
Published: January 2021

A two-factorial field experiment with soybean (Glycine max(L.) Merill) was conducted in a randomized block design, with four replications. The tested factors were seed priming method and genotype responses. There had been seven soybean varieties (Aldana, Aligator, Annushka, Augusta, Lissabon, Mavka, and Merlin) and each of them had control (unprimed) and seed primed groups. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hydropriming on germination ability and emergence under field conditions, on the growth and development of selected soybean varieties. Shortly before harvest, 10 randomly selected plants were collected from each plot, and their morphological and yield-related traits were measured. In addition, the seed yield was assessed. On the basis of statistical analysis, significant differences were found between the applied hydropriming method and the control group in regard to morphological traits. Seed treatment resulted in a slight increase in harvested seed yield, which is within error margin. The seed yield of Aligator increased significantly by 0.5 t ha−1, indicating a genotype-specific different reaction to seed priming in terms of yield.
The Role of Archival Aerial Photography in Shaping Our Understanding of the Funerary Landscape of Hellenistic and Roman Cyprus
Authors: Lysandrou Vasiliki , Agapiou Athos
Published: January 2021

This study deals with the investigation of the Eastern necropolis of Nea Paphos in western Cyprus, employing archival and recent aerial photographs for the identification of surface/near-surface ancient architectural remains. The analysis of the primary archival aerial photograph employed for this study reveals the archaeological visibility of the site as it had been captured approximately 15 years before its rescue excavation in the 1980s. The outcomes from the enhancement and interpretation of the archival aerial photograph supplement known archaeological information of the area and elucidate the understanding of the spatial distribution of the tombs as well as the geographic extent of the necropolis.
Social context affects mental health stigma
Authors: Boxell Oliver
Published: January 2021

Prior research shows mental health stigma is context-dependent and blocks help-seeking behaviors. Any applied solutions will require basic research to understand these contextual nuances. The present paper presents two timed Likert-type rating studies in which participants scored photographs of individuals with mental health diagnoses and other control condition labels in different social contexts. In the first study (N = 99), participants rated the individuals in a professional context and in a non-professional context. The second study (N = 99) systematically manipulated the attractiveness of the individuals depicted. Professional context moderated mental health stigma, indicating that, relative to control label conditions, participants were less accepting of an individual with a mental health diagnosis label as a medical clinician than as a next-door neighbor. Attractiveness had a uniform effect across all the label conditions, which produced a compounding additive effect in which a mental health diagnosis and low attractiveness negatively impacted the ratings simultaneously. The study used timed implicit judgments to demonstrate empirically how previously unstudied social contexts can affect mental health stigma. Understanding how such contextual effects affect stigma is a prerequisite for the development of interventions to overcome the barriers stigma creates for access to treatment and prevention.
Mask material: challenges and virucidal properties as an effective solution against coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Gope Deepayan , Gope Aditya , Gope Prakash Chandra
Published: January 2021

COVID-19 viruses are primarily transmitted between people via respiratory droplets generated from an infected person while coughing, sneezing, exhaling or close contact. Hence, the use of masks are part of prevention and control measures to limit the spread of COVID-19. A comprehensive study on various materials used in masks is required. The filtration efficiency of cotton masks increases with increase in thread count and number of layers, but breathability is affected and therefore a risk for longer durations. Cotton-based masks have filtration efficiency ranging from 5% to 80% depending on the number of layers. Combinations of different hybrid fabric materials and design have an efficiency ranging from 37% to 97%. Bio-cellulose, which is derived from cellulosic biomass by synthesis techniques involving various physical and chemical processes followed by refining techniques, possesses remarkable properties including biodegradability, biocompatibility, low toxicity, etc., making it the most suitable mask material. Masks made of bio-cellulose have an important property of hydrophilicity which makes it adhere to the face tightly, giving a cooling effect to the face. Use of nanocellulose masks can help attaining filtration efficiency up to 99.9980–99.9995% along with other desirable properties. Hence, there is an immediate need to address the issues and challenges of mask materials and work towards the design and development of low cost masks to overcome these shortcomings by the researchers and manufacturers.
Fighting COVID-19 in Freetown, Sierra Leone: the critical role of community organisations in a growing pandemic
Authors: Osuteye Emmanuel , Koroma Braima , Macarthy Joseph Mustapha , Kamara Sulaiman Foday , Conteh Abu
Published: January 2021

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads in Africa, attention is increasingly shifting to the potential and ongoing impact on informal settlements, which face considerable challenges around the implementation of conventional control measures of social distancing, hand washing and self-isolation. In Freetown, Sierra Leone, residents of informal settlements have relied on local community organisations and groups, and their resourcefulness to provide essential preparedness, response and on-going support to alleviate the public health and economic risks associated with the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak. This is also premised on lessons drawn from dealing with previous epidemics, notably the Ebola virus disease in 2014–2015.

This paper will explain the nature and form of community organisation that can be galvanised and leveraged for COVID-19 preparedness and responses that are suited for informal settlements. Secondly, it highlights the critical contribution of community organisations in social protection measures that tackle deeply entrenched inequalities in rapidly urbanising contexts. Finally, the cases examined seek to provide evidence of the value of processes of continuous learning within community organisation that are essential for both humanitarian assistance and emergency management. Although situated in Freetown, the broad lessons drawn are relevant for urban-poor communities and informal settlements in many urban African centres.
The pluripotentiality of bilabial consonants: The images of softness and cuteness in Japanese and English
Authors: Kumagai Gakuji
Published: January 2021

The current study experimentally examined whether labial consonants were sound-symbolically associated with the images of softness and cuteness in Japanese and English. The results showed that all the bilabial consonants [p, b, m, ɸ, w] used in Japanese convey such images. In English, the consonants evoking the image of softness were bilabials but not labiodentals, and those linked to the image of cuteness were unaspirated, low-frequency bilabials. These results demonstrated the pluripotentiality of sound symbolism, meaning that a certain set of linguistic sounds evokes different meanings and images both within a single language and across languages (e.g. Winter et al. 2019; Kawahara and Kumagai to appear). Moreover, under the backcloth that the description of the glide /w/ concerning the place of articulation in Japanese and English is not uncontroversial, the current paper indicates – based on the current sound-symbolic experimental results – that the glide /w/ is phonologically labial in each language.
What is Salience?
Authors: Boswijk Vincent , Coler Matt
Published: January 2021

A commonly used concept in linguistics is salience. Oftentimes it is used without definition, and the meaning of the concept is repeatedly assumed to be self-explanatory. The definitions that are provided may vary greatly from one operationalization of salience to the next. In order to find out whether it is possible to postulate an overarching working definition of linguistic salience that subsumes usage across linguistic subdomains, we review these different operationalizations of linguistic salience. This article focuses on salience in sociolinguistics, cognitive linguistics, second-language acquisition (SLA), and semantics. In this article, we give an overview of how these fields operationalize salience. Finally, we discuss correlations and contradictions between the different operationalizations.
A clustering algorithm based on nonuniform partition for WSNs
Authors: Tang Chunling
Published: January 2021

Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) have great application potential in partition parameter observation, such as forest fire detection. Due to the limited battery capacity of sensor nodes, how to reduce energy consumption is an important technical challenge. In this paper, we propose an energy efficient routing algorithm of adaptive double cluster head (CH) based on nonuniform partition for WSN. Firstly, according to the distance information from the base station (BS) to every sensor node, the network is divided into several uneven partitions. Secondly, CH is selected for each partition as the primary cluster head (PCH). Because of the cluster-level routing, the CHs close to the BS need to forward more data than the CHs in other areas, which consumes more energy. Therefore, an adaptive double CH method can be used to generate a secondary cluster head (SCH) in the cluster near the BS according to the parameters. Finally, the PCH is responsible for data collection, data integration, and data transmission. while the SCH is in charge of data routing. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can reduce the energy consumption and extend the life of the WSNs, compared with LEACH protocol and the HEED protocol.
Analysis of irregularity measures of zigzag, rhombic, and honeycomb benzenoid systems
Authors: Hussain Zafar , Yang Yujun , Munir Mobeen , Hussain Zahid , Athar Muhammad , Ahmed Ali , Ahmad Haseeb
Published: January 2021

Molecular topology is a key to determine the physiochemical aspects of the molecular structure. To determine the degree of irregularity of a certain molecular structure or a network has been a key source of interest for the molecular topologists as it provides an insight of the key features that are used to guess the properties of the structures. In this article, we are interested in formulating closed forms of irregularity measures of some popular benzenoid systems, namely, zigzag, rhombic, and honeycomb benzenoid systems. We also compared our results graphically and concluded that benzenoid system among above is more asymmetric than the others.
Kinetics and thermodynamics of SO2 adsorption on metal-loaded multiwalled carbon nanotubes
Authors: Zhang Shaopeng , Li Zhuang , Yang Yanchun , Jian Weiwei , Ma Danzhu , Jia Fengrui
Published: January 2021

To investigate the adsorption kinetics and thermodynamic adsorption mechanism and laws of dry flue gas desulfurization, we prepared a new adsorbent by loading Cr, Cu, and Zn on TiO2-loaded multiwalled carbon nanotubes. Desulfurization experiments were also carried out. In this study, three kinds of samples were used for simulation and diffusion processes in the dynamic adsorption of different SO2 volume fractions in flue gas and thermodynamic model analysis of different temperatures in flue gas. Results show that the diffusion coefficient of SO2 in three kinds of samples ranges from 10−16 to 10−14 m2 s−1, and the diffusion may be dominated by configuration diffusion. The intraparticle diffusion model predicts that the performance improves with an increase in the SO2 volume fraction and a shift of adsorption time. This finding indicates that an increase in SO2 volume fraction and a change in adsorption time increase the Kundsen diffusion specific gravity and decrease the configuration diffusion specific gravity, thereby increasing the SO2 diffusion resistance, which becomes faster than the activation energy barrier resistance in the catalytic oxidation reaction. Thus, the diffusion resistance specific gravity increases in the total resistance of the diffusion reaction. One possible mechanism of the adsorption process is the transition to surface reaction control at the early stage of adsorption to joint control of late diffusion and surface reactions. Adsorption thermodynamics studies show that SO2 adsorption by three adsorbents is a spontaneous, exothermic, and entropic reduction process, and the increase in temperature is inconducive for SO2 adsorption in three samples.
Rheological properties of oil–water Pickering emulsion stabilized by Fe3O4 solid nanoparticles
Authors: Li Qiang , Zhang Yuhan , Miao Qing , Chen Lei , Yuan Ziyun , Liu Gang
Published: January 2021

Pickering emulsions have attracted extensive attention due to their good properties including easy to manufacture, high stability, and superparamagnetic response. To improve the emulsifying transportation of crude oil, a Pickering emulsion of crude oil and water stabilized by Fe3O4 nanoparticles was prepared and its rheological properties were tested in this research. It was found that the particle size of dispersion droplet polymerization group in stable crude oil Pickering emulsion is negatively correlated with solid content and water content, and the equilibrium apparent viscosity

{\mu }_{\text{ap}}

of emulsion follows the power law fluid equation. Besides, this kind of Pickering emulsion has higher elasticity of interface membrane, which means by adding functional particles, it obtains good dynamic stability, and thus, has a great application property in crude oil industry.
An extension of Gronwall inequality in the theory of bodies with voids
Authors: Marin Marin , Ailawalia Praveen , Tuns Ioan
Published: January 2021

In this paper, we obtain a generalization of the Gronwall’s inequality to cover the study of porous elastic media considering their internal state variables. Based on some estimations obtained in three auxiliary results, we use this form of the Gronwall’s inequality to prove the uniqueness of solution for the mixed initial-boundary value problem considered in this context. Thus, we can conclude that even if we take into account the internal variables, this fact does not affect the uniqueness result regarding the solution of the mixed initial-boundary value problem in this context.
Modeling and theoretical description of magnetic hybrid materials—bridging from meso- to macro-scales
Authors: Menzel Andreas M. , Löwen Hartmut
Published: January 2021

Magnetic gels and elastomers consist of magnetic or magnetizable colloidal particles embedded in an elastic polymeric matrix. Outstanding properties of these materials comprise reversible changes in their mechanical stiffness or magnetostrictive distortions under the influence of external magnetic fields. To understand such types of overall material behavior from a theoretical point of view, it is essential to characterize the substances starting from the discrete colloidal particle level. It turns out that the macroscopic material response depends sensitively on the mesoscopic particle arrangement. We have utilized and developed several theoretical approaches to this end, allowing us both to reproduce experimental observations and to make theoretical predictions. Our hope is that both these paths help to further stimulate the interest in these fascinating materials.
Magneto-mechanical coupling of single domain particles in soft matter systems
Authors: Seifert Julian , Koch Karin , Hess Melissa , Schmidt Annette M.
Published: January 2021

Combining inorganic magnetic particles with complex soft matrices such as liquid crystals, biological fluids, gels, or elastomers, allows access to a plethora of magnetoactive effects that are useful for sensing and actuation perspectives, allowing inter alia to explore and manipulate material properties on the nanoscale. The article provides a comprehensive summary of recent advancement on employing magnetic nanoparticles either as tracers for dynamic processes, or as nanoscopic actuating units. By variation of the particle characteristics in terms of size, shape, surface functionality, and magnetic behavior, the interaction between the probe or actuator particles and their environment can be systematically tailored in wide ranges, giving insight into the relevant structure–property relationships.
Structure and rheology of soft hybrid systems of magnetic nanoparticles in liquid-crystalline matrices: results from particle-resolved computer simulations
Authors: Siboni Nima H. , Shrivastav Gaurav P. , Peroukidis Stavros D. , Klapp Sabine H. L.
Published: January 2021

Hybrid mixtures composed of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) in liquid crystalline (LC) matrices are a fascinating class of soft materials with intriguing physical properties and a wide range of potential applications, e.g., as stimuli-responsive and adaptive materials. Already in the absence of an external stimulus, these systems can display various types of orientationally disordered and ordered phases, which are enriched by self-assembled structures formed by the MNPs. In the presence of external fields, one typically observes highly nonlinear macroscopic behavior. However, an understanding of the structure and dynamics of such systems on the particle level has, so far, remained elusive. In the present paper we review recent computer simulation studies targeting the structure, equilibrium dynamics and rheology of LC-MNP systems, in which the particle sizes of the two components are comparable. As a numerically tractable model system we consider mixtures of soft spherical or elongated particles with a permanent magnetic dipole moment and ellipsoidal non-magnetic particles interacting via a Gay-Berne potential. We address, first, equilibrium aspects such as structural organization and self-assembly (cluster formation) of the MNPs in dependence of the orientational state of the matrix, the role of the size ratio, the impact of an external magnetic field, and the translational and orientational diffusion of the two components. Second, we discuss the non-equilibrium dynamics of LC-MNP mixtures under planar shear flow, considering both, spherical and non-spherical MNPs. Our results contribute to a detailed understanding of these intriguing hybrid materials, and they may serve as a guide for future experiments.