bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydraulic optimization design of centrifugal pumps aiming at low vibration noise
Authors: Wang Yuqin , Luo Jian , Liu Shuai , Han Zhibo , Ni Xiaoqiang
Published: September 2022

In order to reduce the vibration noise generated by the centrifugal pump in the working process and improve the working efficiency of the centrifugal pump, the sound field numerical calculation of IS80-65-160 single-stage single-suction centrifugal pump was carried out. Under the condition that the parameters of the pump body and the impeller remain unchanged, the number of blades of the prototype pump impeller was designed as 4, 5, 6, and 7, respectively. The flow-induced vibration and noise characteristics of centrifugal pumps were studied from two aspects of numerical simulation and test, and the renormalization group k-ε model was used to simulate the steady and unsteady state of centrifugal pumps with different blade numbers. The external characteristics, pressure pulsation characteristics, vibration, and noise of the centrifugal pump were obtained, and the flow-induced vibration and noise test platform of the centrifugal pump was built for experimental verification. The research showed that the flow induction in the model pump was the main factor affecting the vibration of the prototype pump, and the shaft frequency and blade frequency were the main reasons causing the noise of the prototype pump. The vibration of each blade was the most concentrated at onefold blade frequency, and the peak of the sound field acoustic pressure level of the pump body was higher than other frequencies at threefold blade frequency, which was most obvious in the tongue region of the volute. With the increase of blades, the noise in volute decreased. The vibration intensity of the 4-blade prototype pump was lower, but the efficiency and head were also lower. The vibration intensity of the 5-blade prototype pump was the highest, the comprehensive performance of the 6-blade prototype pump was better, and the vibration of the 7-blade prototype pump was unstable. The test results showed that six blades could effectively reduce the flow-induced vibration noise of centrifugal pumps and improve the working environment, which provided certain application value and guiding significance for the hydraulic design of the subsequent low-noise centrifugal pumps.
Taming non-stationary chimera states in locally coupled oscillators
Authors: Li Xueqi , Lei Youming , Ghosh Dibakar
Published: September 2022

The imperfect traveling chimera (ITC) state is a novel non-stationary chimera pattern in which the incoherent domain of oscillators spreads into the coherent domain. We investigate the ITC state in locally coupled pendulum oscillators with heterogeneous driving forces. We introduce the heterogeneous phase value in the driving forces by two different ways, namely, the random phase from uniform distribution and random phase directions with identical amplitude. We discover two transition mechanisms from ITC to coherent state through traveling chimera-like state by taking the two different phase heterogeneity. The transition phenomena are investigated using cylindrical and polar coordinate phase spaces. In the numerical study, we propose a quantitative measurement named “spatiotemporal consistency” strength for distinguishing the ITC from the traveling one. Our research facilitates the exploration of potential applications of heterogeneous interactions in neuroscience.
Ligancy effects on nucleation kinetics
Authors: Rizzi L. G. , Viegas G. , Auer S.
Published: September 2022

Nucleation of particles into crystalline structures can be observed in a wide range of systems from metallic and metal–organic compounds to colloidal and polymeric patch particles. Here, we perform kinetic Monte Carlo simulations to study the nucleation kinetics of particles with different ligancies z at constant supersaturation s. This approach allows one to determine several physico-chemical quantities as a function of s, including the growth probability P(n), the critical nucleus size n*, and the stationary nucleation rate Js. Our numerical results are rationalized in terms of a self-consistent nucleation theory where both n* and Js present a non-trivial dependence on s, but which can be determined from the values of effective z-dependent parameters.
De-carbonization of self-assembled molecular monolayers doping in silicon
Authors: Chang Shannan , Zhang Chufan , Li Kai , Dan Yaping
Published: September 2022

Unintentional C-related contamination can be readily introduced into the substrate in self-assembled molecular monolayer doping. These C contaminants can bind with dopants, forming interstitial defects, which will in return electrically deactivate the dopants. This issue will exacerbate when the dopant concentration is low. In this paper, a low temperature oxidation method (550 °C for 30 min) is introduced to remove carbon before the phosphorus dopants are driven into silicon in a rapid thermal annealing process. The samples with and without the pre-oxidation process are characterized by the Van der Pauw, low-temperature Hall effect measurements, and secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis. The results indicate that the surface carbon concentration in silicon is nearly completely removed with the pre-oxidation process, as a result of which the electrical activity of phosphorus is indeed increased.
Numerical simulation on the effect of inclination on rectangular buoyancy-driven, turbulent diffusion flame
Authors: Sun Yujia , Jiang Lin , Zheng Shu
Published: September 2022

The presence of an inclined wall can significantly alter the flow dynamics of a buoyancy-driven turbulent flame. Although flame structure on an inclined wall has been widely investigated, fluid flow has not been widely investigated. A large eddy simulation is performed to study the effect of inclination on the flow dynamics of a flame. The results show that at the initial stage of combustion, a vortex forms at the left side of the flame due to its expansion and the adverse pressure gradient downward. The vortex expands and lifts with the combustion flow, splitting the flame by stretching its left edge. During the continuous combustion stage, the flame is inclined on the inclined wall. Air entrainment on the left side of the flame flows parallel to the inclined wall, while air entrainment on the right side is significantly reduced due to the upward movement of the combustion flow. The flame inclination angle increases with increasing inclination angle and attaches the inclined wall when the inclination angle is 30°, leading to a higher mean temperature and velocity near the inclined wall.
Worsening general health and psychosocial wellbeing of Australian hospital allied health practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Hitch Danielle , Booth Sarah , Wynter Karen , Said Catherine M. , Haines Kimberley , Rasmussen Bodil , Holton Sara
Published: September 2022

Objective To describe self-reported general and psychological health for allied health practitioners at an Australian acute public health service over three time points within the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods This study collected data from cross-sectional online surveys at three time points: May–June 2020 (T1), October–November 2020 (T2) and November–December 2021 (T3). The self-report questionnaire consisted of demographic questions, a general health question and the 21-item version of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21). Results A total of 308 responses were received (T1 n = 135, T2 n = 78, T3 n = 95) from representatives of eight allied health professions. The proportion of allied health practitioners reporting poor general health significantly increased over time, as did mean scores on all DASS-21 sub-scales. General health status was also significantly associated with DASS-21 subscale scores. Anxiety scores increased significantly between T1 and T2, while depression scores increased significantly between T2 and T3. Significant increases in stress scores were recorded across all time intervals. Between T1 and T3, the proportion of allied health practitioners reporting moderate, severe, or extremely severe symptoms increased for depression (10.3–30.9%), anxiety (5.2–18.2%) and stress (13.3–36.3%). Conclusion The general and psychological health of allied health practitioners appears to be worsening as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. Organisational strategies to support the health of the allied health workforce in acute care settings must address the cumulative effects of prolonged pressure on their general and psychosocial health. Support strategies need to be responsive to changes in psychological wellbeing at different phases of the pandemic.
FGFR redundancy limits the efficacy of FGFR4-selective inhibitors in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Tao Zhanchao , Cui Yue , Xu Xilong , Han Ting
Published: September 2022

Aberrant fibroblast growth factor 19 (FGF19) signaling mediated by its receptor, FGF receptor 4 (FGFR4), and coreceptor, klotho β (KLB), is a driver of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Several potent FGFR4-selective inhibitors have been developed but have exhibited limited efficacy in HCC clinical trials. Here, by using HCC cell line models from the Cancer Cell Line Encyclopedia (CCLE) and the Liver Cancer Model Repository (LIMORE), we show that selective FGFR4 inactivation was not sufficient to inhibit cancer cell proliferation and tumor growth in FGF19-positive HCC. Moreover, genetic inactivation ofKLBin these HCC cells resulted in a fitness defect more severe than that resulting from inactivation ofFGFR4. By a combination of biochemical and genetic approaches, we found that KLB associated with FGFR3 and FGFR4 to mediate the prosurvival functions of FGF19. KLB mutants defective in interacting with FGFR3 or FGFR4 could not support the growth or survival of HCC cells. Genome-wide CRISPR loss-of-function screening revealed thatFGFR3restricted the activity of FGFR4-selective inhibitors in inducing cell death; the pan-FGFR inhibitor erdafitinib displayed superior potency than FGFR4-selective inhibitors in suppressing the growth and survival of FGF19-positive HCC cells. Among FGF19-positive HCC cases from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), FGFR3 is prevalently coexpressed with FGFR4 and KLB, suggesting that FGFR redundancy may be a common mechanism underlying the de novo resistance to FGFR4 inhibitors. Our study provides a rationale for clinical testing of pan-FGFR inhibitors as a treatment strategy for FGF19-positive HCC.
The language-communication divide
Authors: Durrleman Stephanie , Peristeri Eleni , Tsimpli Ianthi Maria
Published: September 2022

Has language developed to serve as a system of communication or one of thought? While language is clearly an excellent tool for communication, the possible contribution of higher order cognitive processes other than language to communication may provide insights on how we think about language evolution. Studies show that bilingualism improves communication skills, possibly due to boosting domain general processes, thus suggesting a divide between communication and formal language. However, to date little attention has been paid to bilingual atypical child populations presenting asymmetric developmental delays in language and communication skills. In this study, we explore the language-communication divide in bilingual and monolingual children diagnosed with High Functioning Autism (HFA), displaying primary communication difficulties, and those with Specific Language Impairment (SLI), displaying primary language difficulties. Children were tested on language, cognitive control, Theory of Mind (ToM), social comprehension and verbal communication. Results demonstrate that bilingual children with HFA exhibit enhanced cognitive control, ToM and social comprehension, which in turn improve their verbal communication as compared to their monolingual peers with HFA. On the other hand, no boost emerges in bilingual children with SLI, be it in cognitive control or ToM, though a weaker advantage (relative to the children with ASD) can be observed in their verbal communication skills, with significant mediation from social comprehension. The overall evidence suggests that language, though useful for communication, is not sufficient for communication, and may arguably not have evolved primarily for communicative purposes.
A case of constructional contamination in English
Authors: Hilpert Martin , Flach Susanne
Published: September 2022

This chapter discusses a case of what Pijpops and Van de Velde
(2016) call constructional contamination. Specifically, we investigate the influence of English modified
noun phrases on variation in adverb placement in the passive. On the basis of data from the COCA, we argue that highly
frequent nominal expressions such as sexually transmitted disease influence adverb placement in the
passive, which offers speakers a choice between adverb-initial order (The disease was sexually
transmitted) and adverb-final order (The disease was transmitted sexually). Our results
thus corroborate findings from Dutch corpora (Pijpops and Van de Velde 2016)
and suggest that construction al contamination is a phenomenon that can be observed across different languages. We
further discuss the role of constructional contamination for analogy and contrast.
Analogy and contrast at the morphology-syntax interface
Authors: Sokolova Svetlana
Published: September 2022

This chapter brings together the issues of analogy and contrast through a perspective of linguistic
borrowing. We analyze the integration of new [N[N]] compounds, borrowed from English into Russian (e.g.
top-igrok ‘top player’). By discussing two corpus studies and two small experiments, we show that
Russian new [N[N]] compounds reflect both “levelling” and “extension”. There are at least three factors that can block
“leveling”: statistical preemption, which is overridden by pragmatic factors; multiplicity of competing alternatives,
when several suffixes could be added to the stem to form a relational adjective; and semantics that leads to a split
between the two forms. Compound modifiers seem to represent terms and official titles, whereas adjective phrases
become qualitative, where possible, or pragmatic.
The nature of L2 input
Authors: Jung Boo Kyung
Published: September 2022

How language learners of Korean acquire knowledge on postpositions has been a long-standing research question in Korean
language pedagogy due to their polysemous nature. The present study investigates the nature of input involving the locative function of the
postposition -ey, one of the representative polysemous postpositions in Korean, through the frequency of its occurrence,
types of verbs co-occurring with -ey, and keyness analysis. Sejong written and spoken corpora and two types of textbooks
(eight volumes for each type: two volumes for four proficiency levels) for language learners of Korean are analyzed. Results show that
iss- ‘to be/exist’ predominantly occurred with locative -ey in the Sejong corpora and a few verbs
occupied a large proportion of the total usage. On the other hand, the most frequent verb was ka- ‘to go’ in all
proficiency levels of the textbooks, with the exception of the fourth level of the second-type textbook. This suggests that, while the
Sejong usage highlights its existential role, -ey for indicating destination is widely emphasized in the textbooks. Since
the purpose of language learning is to learn the structure and usage of the target language, this study’s findings can offer guidance in
setting and building pedagogical goals and directions.
Over-extremal brane shells from string theory?
Authors: Danielsson Ulf , Van Hemelryck Vincent , Van Riet Thomas
Published: September 2022

We demonstrate that, if the usual phenomenological compactifications of IIB string theory with warped throats and anti-branes make sense, there must exist spherical brane shells in 4d that are overcharged. They correspond to classical over-extremal objects but without the usual naked singularities. The objects are made from D3-particles that puff into spherical five-branes that stabilise at finite radii in 4d and whose inside corresponds to the supersymmetric AdS vacuum. One can think of these shells as stabilised Brown–Teitelboim bubbles. We find that these objects can be significantly larger than the string scale depending on the details of the warped compactification.
2D electrene LaH2 monolayer: an ideal ferrovalley direct semiconductor with room-temperature ferromagnetic stability
Authors: Shi Yongting , Jia Ningning , Cai Jiangtao , Lyu Zhiheng , Liu Zhifeng
Published: September 2022

In developing nonvolatile valleytronic devices, ferromagnetic (FM) ferrovalley semiconductors are critically needed due to the existence of spontaneous valley polarization. At present, however, the known real materials have various drawbacks towards practical applications, including the in-plane FM ground state, low Curie temperature (

T

C

), small valley polarization, narrow energy window with clean polarized valley, and indirect bandgap. From first-principles calculations, here we predict an ideal ferrovalley semiconductor, honeycomb LaH2 monolayer (ML), whose intrinsic properties can overcome all these shortcomings. We demonstrate that LaH2 ML, having satisfied structural stability, is a FM half-semiconducting electrene (

La

3
+

2

H

−

⋅

e

−

) with its magnetic moments localized at the lattice interstitial sites rather than La atoms. At the same time, LaH2 ML holds the following desired attributes: a robust out-of-plane FM ground state with a high

T

C

(334 K), a sizable valley polarization (166 meV), a wide energy window (137 meV) harboring clean single-valley carriers, and a direct bandgap. These results identify a much needed ideal ferrovalley semiconductor candidate, holding the promising application potential in valleytronics and spintronics devices.
Modal analysis of beam-like structures using multipoint dynamic testing vision system based on composite fringe pattern
Authors: Chen Xinwei , Chi Shoujiang , Lin Yunlin , Zhong Jiajie , Zhong Shuncong , Zhang Yan , Zhong Jianfeng
Published: September 2022

A multipoint dynamic testing vision-based system for beam-like structures based on composite fringe pattern (CFP) was proposed. The CFP was decorated on the surface of a beam as a sensor, whose image sequences were captured by a camera for dynamic identification. The CFP consists of two cosine fringe patterns. The fringes on both sides of the CFP are used to locate the measuring positions and the middle one is used to measure the spatial displacement of structures. The key advantage of the proposed method is that it can measure multipoint vibration information along the length direction of the beam at one measurement without point-by-point scanning. Experiments on two different beams were carried out, and the results show that the method can get multipoint vibration information and the modal shapes of the beam. Therefore, the vision and CFP-based measurement method is suitable for vibration monitoring and modal analysis of beam-like structures.
Advances in actinide thin films: synthesis, properties, and future directions
Authors: Vallejo Kevin D , Kabir Firoza , Poudel Narayan , Marianetti Chris A , Hurley David H , Simmonds Paul J , Dennett Cody A , Gofryk Krzysztof
Published: September 2022

Actinide-based compounds exhibit unique physics due to the presence of 5f electrons, and serve in many cases as important technological materials. Targeted thin film synthesis of actinide materials has been successful in generating high-purity specimens in which to study individual physical phenomena. These films have enabled the study of the unique electron configuration, strong mass renormalization, and nuclear decay in actinide metals and compounds. The growth of these films, as well as their thermophysical, magnetic, and topological properties, have been studied in a range of chemistries, albeit far fewer than most classes of thin film systems. This relative scarcity is the result of limited source material availability and safety constraints associated with the handling of radioactive materials. Here, we review recent work on the synthesis and characterization of actinide-based thin films in detail, describing both synthesis methods and modeling techniques for these materials. We review reports on pyrometallurgical, solution-based, and vapor deposition methods. We highlight the current state-of-the-art in order to construct a path forward to higher quality actinide thin films and heterostructure devices.
Research on a novel HTS double pancake coil based on CORC: used for kA-level SMES of accelerator
Authors: Li Ming , Zheng Jinxing , Sheng Jie , Cheng Yuan , Hong Zhiyong , Ye Haosheng , Wang Xueliang , Liu Xufeng , Liu Haiyang
Published: September 2022

Large-scale complex needs high performance SMES system with 5 kA-level current carrying and kA s−1 current ramping rate (such as particle accelerator complex), the inductance of which should be as small as possible (≪1 H) to reduce the terminal voltage and realize ideal energy evacuation. This paper introduces the world’s first application of double pancake (DP) coil with conductor on round core cable (CORC) cable, which can be a unit of MJ-level SMES system with a total inductance of 125 mH and 4 kA current carrying (@30 K, 4 T). The combination of low inductance and high current capacity guarantee the safety during kA s−1 operating condition. The CORC wound with highly anisotropic YBCO tape can realize quasi-isotropy with critical properties. The performance of the CORC with 11 layers and three tapes in each layer has been fully validated with excitation test at 77 K and the critical current can reach 2906 A at 77 K, self-field. The skeleton of the DP coil is specially designed with semi-circular spiral groove and the climbing-layer area is supported by two symmetrical blocks, which can provide reasonable support to the CORC cable. The measured critical current of DP coil can realize 1750 A at 77 K (theoretical value is 1800 A). It means that the coil winding method is feasible to avoid performance degradation during winding. The DP coil based on CORC cable is fully suitable for the SMES system which needs to realize ∼4 kA current carrying and fast energy conversion. It also provides a good practice for the engineering application of CORC cable.
Developing high performance RF heating scenarios on the WEST tokamak
Authors: Goniche M. , Ostuni V. , Bourdelle C. , Maget P. , Artaud J.F. , Bernard J.M. , Bobkov V. , Bucalossi J. , Clairet F. , Colas L. , Desgranges C. , Delpech L. , Devynck P. , Dumont R. , Ekedahl A. , Fedorczak N. , Garcia J. , Gaspar J. , Gil C. , Guillemaut C. , Gunn J. , Hillairet J. , Klepper C. , Lau C. , Lerche E. , Lombard G. , Manas P. , Martin E.H. , Mazon D. , Meyer O. , Morales J. , Moreau Ph. , Nardon E. , Nouailletas R. , Pegourié B. , Peret M. , Peysson Y. , Regal-Mezin X. , Sabot R. , Shiraiwa S. , Urbanczyk G. , Vermare L. , Vezinet D. , Wallace G.M. , the WEST Team
Published: September 2022

High power experiments, up to 9.2 MW with LHCD and ICRH, have been carried out in the full tungsten tokamak WEST. Quasi non inductive discharges have been achieved allowing to extend the plasma duration to 53 s with stationary conditions in particular with respect to tungsten contamination. Transitions to H mode are observed, and H-modes lasting up to 4 s have been obtained. The increase in stored energy is weak since the power crossing the separatrix is close to the L–H threshold. Hot L mode plasmas (central temperature exceeding 3 keV) with a confinement time following the ITER L96 scaling law are routinely obtained. The weak aspect ratio dependence of this scaling law is confirmed. Tungsten accumulation is generally not an operational issue on WEST. Difficulty of burning through tungsten can prevent the discharge from accessing to a hot core plasma in the ramp-up phase, or can lead to rapid collapse of the central temperature when radiation is enhanced by a slight decrease of the temperature. Except a few pulses post-boronization, the plasma radiation is rather high (P
rad/
P
tot ∼ 50%) and is dominated by tungsten. This fraction does not vary as the RF power is ramped up and is quite similar in ICRH and/or LHCD heated plasmas. An estimate of the contribution of the RF antennas to the plasma contamination in tungsten is given.
Structural build-up and breakdown of sodium hydroxide-activated slag paste assessed using oscillatory rheology
Authors: Bilek Jr V , Pazour M
Published: September 2022

Concentrated suspensions of inorganic binders are thixotropic fluids with non-Newtonian behaviour. In addition to the physical-chemical interactions responsible for the flocculation of the particles, the rheological behaviour in time is affected by the formation of the reaction products. In this paper, this topic was tackled using oscillatory rheology, namely, by increasingly used measurements at the constant strain amplitude and frequency over time (time sweep test), by the combination of these tests with an inserted rotational step (ORO test), and by almost unexplored oscillation amplitude sweep tests, leading to structural breakdown due to increasing strain amplitude. Common sodium hydroxide-activated slag paste was used for this purpose. The results showed that the recovery of the structure is not significantly altered if the sample is remixed at least after 30 minutes of reaction. In addition, the strain sweep tests suggested that the formation of the first reaction products started after about 15 minutes of reaction and had a decisive impact on the evolution of viscoelastic moduli and the corresponding stresses during this kind of test.
Study of interfacial transition zone in concrete with SCMs
Authors: Kotlanova M Krejci , Dolnicek Z , Dzurov M , Kubatova D , Zezulova A , Bohac M
Published: September 2022

The interfacial transition zone is one of the weakest areas in concrete. Microcracks and new phases often form in this zone, affecting the resulting concrete’s mechanical properties. In this research, concrete in which Portland cement was partially replaced by powdered limestone and/or metakaolin was cured for 1 and 28 days and then mechanical properties were tested. The interfacial transition zone was studied by scanning electron microscopy and selected phases were analyzed by electron microprobe. The addition of a small amount of limestone or metakaolin increases the strength of the concrete. The strength significantly decreases with a content of 10% or more supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete. The microcrack’s thickness at the binder-aggregate interface reaches up to 0.8 μm. In concretes with limestone, rhombohedral calcite crystals up to 0.5 μm in size accumulate in the interfacial zone. This accumulation can significantly reduce the strength of the concrete when the amount of limestone is high. Zeolites with a composition corresponding to Mg-mazzite are formed at the interface of cement paste, quartz and albite, partially replaced by sericite.
A new approach for the determination of thermal shock resistance of refractories
Authors: Nespor B , Chromkova I , Szklorzova H , Prachar V , Svitak O , Stanek L , Nejedlik M
Published: September 2022

The life cycle of refractory materials is affected by a variety of factors. Depending on the type of industrial application, they must be resistant to extreme temperatures, mechanical loads, chemical corrosion and large temperature changes when in contact with molten metal and slag. Correct estimation of durability is important in the choice of material and for determining the service life of individual parts of the structure. Together with the expected maintenance cycles, this influences the choice of material for optimum structural design. In practice, refractories are very often subject to large temperature variations and thermal cycling. Thermal shock is thus a predominant factor that shortens the service life of monolithic refractory products. Therefore, the main objective of refractory manufacturers is to research and develop refractories with higher resistance to thermal shock and to analyse, compare and evaluate them effectively. This paper deals with the issue of testing the resistance of refractory materials, respectively analysis and comparison of standard and new test methods for accelerated thermal shock resistance testing.
Mechanical properties of sandstone improved by impregnation with stone consolidation products
Authors: Slizkova Z , Sperl M , Gajdos L , Drdlova M
Published: September 2022

Sandstones and arkoses are traditional building elements of masonry for many historical buildings in the Czech Republic. There is an endeavour to preserve the original material and to extend the life of a stone, particularly for historically, architecturally and monumentally valuable objects. In the renovation practice, a damaged stone is impregnated with liquid agents which feed a new binder (paste) to the voids in a stone. After curing of the binder, the mechanical properties of the stone restore their authentic values. In the present study, several consolidants were tested from the viewpoint of their effect on selected mechanical characteristics of arkosic sandstone. Especially were investigated the consolidants based on ethylsilicate, and specifically the effect of an elasticised component in ethylsilicate agens on the consolidation of a stone. The degree of consolidation of a stone after the impregnation of notched and un-notched prisms was examined experimentally. It can be considered that notched prisms roughly approach the state of a stone with a crack. It was found that the use of the consolidating agent REMMERS KSE 300E is superior over other agents in compensating the effect of the crack. Beside this product the experiments also proved a positive effect of treating the sandstone with a crack by a 5% solution of an acrylate copolymer Paraloid B 72.
Measurements of water vapour permeability of oriented strand boards
Authors: Stanek K , Richter J , Pavlickova N
Published: September 2022

Oriented strand boards (OSB) are one of the most used elements in modern timber-based buildings. An important property is their permeability to water vapour. It is commonly characterized by the diffusion resistance factor (μ-value). It is not a constant, but a moisture-dependent function that is most often determined using the cup method. However, results found in the literature have large variance. This paper presents the results of carefully performed laboratory measurements using the cup method. Measurements were made at different sorption moisture contents of OSB. The measured μ-values ranged from 40 for samples with high moisture content to 160 for samples with low moisture content. The measured values were used to derive moisture-dependent functions that cover the entire hygroscopic range. They can be used in hygrothermal modelling of building envelopes containing OSB.
A study of the impact of attacked façades on microbial contamination of the indoor air
Authors: Kukletova I
Published: September 2022

The concentration of moulds in interiors varies over a wide range and is significantly related to the mould concentration in the outdoor air. According to other studies, the mould propagules concentration in the outdoor environment depends on the season of the year, examination location, and climatic conditions. The façade attacked by biological agents is considered to be more of a technical or aesthetic problem. This study compares the results of mapping microbial infestation of façade with levels of microbial ambient air contamination and also with microbial air contamination levels inside housing units of ten buildings in the Czech Republic. The obtained data show that the attacked facade of the building can affect the indoor air of buildings by increasing the number of moulds propagules spreading in the air and their genus representation.
Inertial instability of the time-periodic Kolmogorov flow in a rotating fluid with the full account of the Coriolis force
Authors: Kurgansky M V
Published: September 2022

The inertial parametric instability of a time-dependent spatially periodic flow (Kolmogorov flow) of a rotating stratified Boussinesq fluid is studied, taking fully into account the Coriolis force in the problem and with the possibility that the flow has an arbitrary orientation in the horizontal plane. The existence of instability is shown for velocity shears less than those indicated by the criterion of inertial stability of a steady flow with the same spatial period and velocity amplitude. In particular, the instability estimates are obtained for weakly stratified geophysical media, for example for the deep layers of the ocean, and it is suggested that the possible applications of the theory can also be directly related to a laboratory experiment. Two different theoretical scenarios of inclusion of the full Coriolis force account in the problem are considered, and in both cases this leads to a reduction in the degree of inertial instability of the basic flow.
Low-cost dielectric sheets for large-area floor sensing applications
Authors: Tewari Amit , Huerta Hugo , Chinga-Carrasco Gary , Hindersland Leif Kåre , Ranta Samuli , Pettersson Fredrik , Österbacka Ronald , Toivakka Martti
Published: September 2022

Sensitivity response is a critical parameter that decides the domain of dielectric materials to be implemented as piezocapacitive sensors for low- or high-pressure sensing applications. Here, we have clarified the sensitivity response behavior of three low-cost dielectric materials, two biodegradable paperboards, and one acoustic polymeric foam. The devices are fabricated in the form of a metal–insulator–metal structure, and the capacitive response of the devices is measured using the charge extraction by linearly increasing voltage technique. The sensitivity response curve (ΔC/C
o vs. pressure) reveals that the paperboard materials are sensitive enough to detect low-pressure regimes (45 kPa), whereas the acoustic foam is quite promising for high-pressure monitoring (above 150 kPa). Using a multiplexer circuit, we demonstrated the sensitivity response via 2 by 2 matrix structure both as a steady-state and transient response. Our results show that the passive matrix structure interference between different pixels can be minimized after increasing the spacing between electrodes strip. Finally, a full-scale demonstrator (dimension 120 cm × 400 cm) with a 2 × 8 matrix structure laminated under floor tiling has been demonstrated. We show how such a floor sensor utilizing the low-cost substrates can be used to recognize single-stepping, walking, and falling.
The isospectral problem for flat tori from three perspectives
Authors: Nilsson Erik , Rowlett Julie , Rydell Felix
Published: September 2022

Flat tori are among the only types of Riemannian manifolds for which the Laplace eigenvalues can be explicitly computed. In 1964, Milnor used a construction of Witt to find an example of isospectral nonisometric Riemannian manifolds, a striking and concise result that occupied one page in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the USA. Milnor’s example is a pair of 16-dimensional flat tori, whose set of Laplace eigenvalues are identical, in spite of the fact that these tori are not isometric. A natural question is, What is the lowest dimension in which such isospectral nonisometric pairs exist? This isospectral question for flat tori can be equivalently formulated in analytic, geometric, and number theoretic language. We explore this question from all three perspectives and describe its resolution by Schiemann in the 1990s. Moreover, we share a number of open problems.
Preprint Highlight: Dodecaploid Xenopus longipes provides insight into the emergence of size scaling relationships during development
Authors: Landino Jennifer
Published: September 2022

Although the relationship between genome and cell size is well defined in developed tissues, it remains unclear when in development nuclear-cytoplasmic scaling is established. Here the authors analyzed multiple Xenopus species with varying genome and cell sizes to investigate scaling relationships during development. Imaging of cells, nuclei, and embryos shows that in early development, nuclear size correlates with genome size across species and cell size is predicted by egg size. Mitotic spindle size during cell division was determined by cell size, not genome size. These findings indicate that nuclear-cytoplasmic scaling mechanisms have evolved to support development despite dramatic variations in genome size. This work also suggests that maternal components in the egg drive cell size scaling in early development.
The logic of authoritarian industrial policy: the case of Angola’s special economic zone
Authors: Lippolis Nicolas
Published: September 2022

The commodity boom witnessed the emergence of ambitious developmental projects in Africa. But in its focus on the distribution of power, the extant literature struggles to explain the logic driving observed development strategies. To fill this gap, this article provides the first comprehensive study of the Zona Económica Especial de Luanda-Bengo, Angola’s main industrial project of the post-civil war era. Built at a cost of at least US$1 billion, sprawling over 1.5 million hectares, and comprising establishments imported by the state across multiple sectors, the Zona Económica Especial’s ill-conceived design doomed it to failure from the start. But this did not hinder its use for elite rent-seeking, supported by the international networks fed by Angola’s oil wealth. I argue that these outcomes reflect the ruling MPLA’s typical ‘bifurcated policy style’, marked by a disjuncture between discourse and policy practice and the competition for the spoils of the state’s heavy expenditures. Its origins are to be found in the strategies deployed by MPLA leaders to enforce organizational cohesion and to pursue military and programmatic goals over the course of its long civil war. I contend that similar analyses could help illuminate the drivers of industrial policy in other party-based authoritarian regimes.
Measuring Short-Term Exposures to H2O2 Among Exposed Workers; A Feasibility Study
Authors: Hopf Nancy B , Sauvain Jean-Jacques , Connell Samantha L , Charriere Nicole , Saverio Romolo Francesco , Suarez Guillaume
Published: September 2022

Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a strong oxidizing agent often used in hair coloring and as a component in disinfecting and bleaching processes. Exposures to H2O2 generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can cause significant airway irritation and inflammation. Even though workers have reported symptoms associated with sensitivity and irritation from acute exposures below the H2O2 occupational exposure levels (OELs), a lack of sensitive analytical methods for measuring airborne concentrations currently prevents evaluating low or peak H2O2 exposures. To fill these gaps, we propose two different sensitive approaches: (i) luminol chemiluminescence (CL) to specifically measure H2O2; and (ii) photonic sensor method based on the ferrous-xylenol orange assay to evaluate total oxidative potential (OP), a measure of ROS in sampled air. We chose two exposure scenarios: hairdressers preparing and applying hair color to clients (both in simulated and field environments) and workers operating disinfecting cycles at a bottling company. Hair coloring took about 1 h for each client, and the application of the coloring product generated the highest H2O2 concentrations. OP values were highly correlated with H2O2 concentrations (CL measurement) and allowed peak measurements as low as 6 µg m-3 of H2O2 concentrations. The bottling company used a disinfectant containing H2O2, acetic acid and peracetic acid (PAA) in an enclosed process. The photonic sensor was immediately saturated. The CL results showed that the process operator had the highest exposures during a 15-min cycle. There is still a need to develop these direct reading methods for operating in the field, but we believe that in the future an OEL for OP could protect workers from developing airway irritation and inflammation by reducing exposures to oxidizing chemicals.
Molinia caerulea alters forest Quercus petraea seedling growth through reduced mycorrhization
Authors: Fernandez Marine , Malagoli Philippe , Vincenot Lucie , Vernay Antoine , Améglio Thierry , Balandier Philippe
Published: September 2022

Oak regeneration is jeopardized by purple moor grass, a well-known competitive perennial grass in the temperate forests of Western Europe. Below-ground interactions regarding resource acquisition and interference have been demonstrated and have led to new questions about the negative impact of purple moor grass on ectomycorrhizal colonization. The objective was to examine the effects of moor grass on root system size and ectomycorrhization rate of oak seedlings as well as consequences on nitrogen (N) content in oak and soil. Oak seedlings and moor grass tufts were planted together or separately in pots under semi-controlled conditions (irrigated and natural light) and harvested 1 year after planting. Biomass, N content in shoot and root in oak and moor grass as well as number of lateral roots and ectomycorrhizal rate in oak were measured. Biomass in both oak shoot and root was reduced when planting with moor grass. Concurrently, oak lateral roots number and ectomycorrhization rate decreased, along with a reduction in N content in mixed-grown oak. An interference mechanism of moor grass is affecting oak seedlings performance through reduction in oak lateral roots number and its ectomycorrhization, observed in conjunction with a lower growth and N content in oak. By altering both oak roots and mycorrhizas, moor grass appears to be a species with a high allelopathic potential. More broadly, these results show the complexity of interspecific interactions that involve various ecological processes involving the soil microbial community and need to be explored in situ.
Single-stage PV-powered boost inverter-fed permanent-magnet synchronous motor-driven water-pumping system
Authors: Prabhakaran K K , Sunkara Varsha , Karthikeyan A
Published: September 2022

In this paper, a photovoltaic (PV) fed boost inverter-based permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM)-driven water-pumping system for stand-alone applications is proposed. The proposed system comprises PV panel, six switches, three inductors (L), three capacitors (C) and a water pump. In this work, the boost inverter is designed with a gain of two and thereby the direct current input required to run the motor is considerably reduced. Hence, the size of the system is reduced. The voltage gain factor depends upon the placement of the L and C components and their values. The speed reference is generated using a perturb and observe maximum power point tracking algorithm. Vector control is employed to control a boost inverter-fed PMSM drive. The proposed system is simulated using a MATLAB®/Simulink® environment and experimental validation is performed on a PMSM laboratory prototype using a field programmable gate array controller. The simulation and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed system.
Industrial strategy in a transforming capitalism
Authors: Bianchi Patrizio , Labory Sandrine
Published: September 2022

Monopoly capitalism stressed the inevitable tendency of monopolisation of economies based on market capitalism, due to the strategic behaviour of firms aiming at reducing competition and preventing entry. The growth of Big Tech in the last decades just confirms this result. However, the digital economy and the development of online platforms reflect deep economic transformations, whereby the nature of competition in markets considerably changes. This paper shows that Cowling’s insights are not undermined as a result, rather the contrary. In particular, we suggest that industrial strategy in the digital economy could be usefully focused on economic governance, as suggested by Cowling. The new regulatory paradigm proposed in the EU with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) seems to follow this suggestion.
Identification of Optimal Urinary Biomarkers of Synthetic Cannabinoids BZO-HEXOXIZID, BZO-POXIZID, 5F-BZO-POXIZID, and BZO-CHMOXIZID for Illicit Abuse Monitoring
Authors: Lee Keane Zhi Hao , Wang Ziteng , Fong Ching Yee , Goh Evelyn Mei Ling , Moy Hooi Yan , Chan Eric Chun Yong
Published: September 2022

Background

The continuous introduction of new synthetic cannabinoid (SC) subtypes and analogues remains a major problem worldwide. Recently, a new “OXIZID” generation of SCs surfaced in seized materials across various countries. Hence, there is an impetus to identify urinary biomarkers of the OXIZIDs to detect their abuse.

Methods

We adapted our previously reported two-pronged approach to investigate the metabolite profiles and disposition kinetics of 4 OXIZID analogues, namely, BZO-HEXOXIZID (MDA-19), BZO-POXIZID (5C-MDA-19), 5F-BZO-POXIZID (5F-MDA-19), and BZO-CHMOXIZID (CHM-MDA-19). First, bottom-up in vitro incubation experiments comprising metabolite identification, metabolic stability, and reaction phenotyping were performed using human liver microsomes and recombinant human cytochrome P450 enzymes. Second, top-down analysis of authentic urine samples from drug abusers was performed to corroborate the in vitro findings and establish a panel of urinary biomarkers.

Results

A total of 42 to 51 metabolites were detected for each OXIZID, and their major metabolic pathways included N-alkyl and phenyl hydroxylation, oxidative defluorination (for 5F-BZO-POXIZID), oxidation to ketone and carboxylate, amide hydrolysis, and N-dealkylation. The OXIZIDs were metabolically unstable, mainly metabolized by cytochromes P3A4, P3A5, and P2C9, and demonstrated mechanism-based inactivation of cytochrome P3A4. Integrating with the results of 4 authentic urine samples, the parent drug and both N-alkyl and phenyl mono-hydroxylated metabolites of each OXIZID were determined as suitable urinary biomarkers.

Conclusions

Drug enforcement agencies worldwide may apply these biomarkers in routine monitoring procedures to identify abusers and counter the escalation of OXIZID abuse.
Cardiogenic shock severity and mortality in patients receiving venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenator support
Authors: Jentzer Jacob C , Baran David A , Kyle Bohman J , van Diepen Sean , Radosevich Misty , Yalamuri Suraj , Rycus Peter , Drakos Stavros G , Tonna Joseph E
Published: September 2022

Aims

Shock severity predicts mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock (CS). We evaluated the association between pre-cannulation Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention (SCAI) shock classification and mortality among patients receiving venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support for CS.

Methods and results

We included Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO) Registry patients from 2010 to 2020 who received VA ECMO for CS. SCAI shock stage was assigned based on hemodynamic support requirements prior to ECMO initiation. In-hospital mortality was analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. We included 12 106 unique VA ECMO patient runs with a median age of 57.9 (interquartile range: 46.8, 66.1) years and 31.8% were females; 3472 (28.7%) were post-cardiotomy. The distribution of SCAI shock stages at ECMO initiation was: B, 821 (6.8%); C, 7518 (62.1%); D, 2973 (24.6%); and E, 794 (6.6%). During the index hospitalization, 6681 (55.2%) patients died. In-hospital mortality increased incrementally with SCAI shock stage (adjusted OR: 1.24 per SCAI shock stage, 95% CI: 1.17–1.32, P < 0.001): B, 47.5%; C, 52.8%; D, 60.8%; E, 65.1%. A higher SCAI shock stage was associated with increased in-hospital mortality in key subgroups, although the SCAI shock classification was only predictive of mortality in non-surgical (medical) CS and not in post-cardiotomy CS.

Conclusion

The severity of shock prior to cannulation is a strong predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients receiving VA ECMO for CS. Using the pre-cannulation SCAI shock classification as a risk stratification tool can help clinicians refine prognostication for ECMO recipients and guide future investigations to improve outcomes.