bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compact All‐Optical Quantum Sensor Device Based on Nitrogen Vacancy Centers in Diamond
Authors: Bähr Mario , Jahn Martin , Heinze Christoph , Neckermann Kristin , Meijer Jan , Ortlepp Thomas
Published: October 2022

An integrated magnetic sensor is designed and tested that utilizes the negatively charged nitrogen vacancy centers (NVC) in diamond as a magnetic field‐sensitive quantum material, which is accessed and readout solely optically. The compact sensor device features a side length of 10 mm and includes a small HPHT diamond slab, light‐emitting diode (LED) for excitation, and integrated photodiodes. A microwave‐free approach is used. With the device, DC sensitivity to magnetic fields of 49 nA mT−1 in the range of 5–50 mT is achieved. The sensor device is also capable of detecting very small magnetic fields: Magnetic field dependencies at very low flux densities in the μT range (zero‐magnetic field) show a characteristic fluorescence behavior revealing a sensitivity of 4.8 pA μT−1. Additionally, a ray‐tracing model is applied, to identify loss mechanisms in the setup. Using this device, an ultracompact, reliable, and industry‐ready package is made available for sensor developments in industry and academia.
Tailoring Surface Frustrated Lewis Pairs of Mo‐Doped Porous Ultrathin Carbon Nitride for Photocatalytic Nitrogen Fixation
Authors: Mo Zhao , Wu Guanyu , Zhao Junxian , Yu Limin , Yan Pengcheng , Xu Keqiang , Zhu Xianglin , Zhu Qiang , Lei Yucheng , Xu Hui
Published: October 2022

Frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs), new catalysts with pairs of spatially frustrated Lewis acid and Lewis bases within or between molecules, have aroused high attention due to their strong activation ability for inert small molecules such as CO2 and N2. Herein, Mo is introduced as a Lewis acid site to endow porous ultrathin carbon nitride (g‐C3N4) with FLPs‐like properties. The as‐prepared Mo‐doped porous ultrathin carbon nitride (Mo(0.005)–CN) exhibits N2 fixation rate as high as 479 μmol g−1 h−1, which is seven times more than that of bulk g‐C3N4. This is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of two aspects. First, Mo(0.005)–CN has an excellent light utilization ability. Second, the charge transfer efficiency between the d orbital electrons of metallic Mo and the g‐C3N4 energy band is enhanced in Mo(0.005)–CN. This work paves the way for designing g‐C3N4 from the perspective of FLPs for high photocatalytic N2 fixation efficiency.
Synthesis and Photoelectric Properties of Nitrogen‐ and Phosphorus‐Doped Carbon Quantum Dots
Authors: Hu Yuefang , Li Jinfang , Huang Weijie
Published: October 2022

Herein, nitrogen‐ and phosphorus‐doped carbon quantum dots (CQDs) are synthesized using a one‐step hydrothermal method that uses glucose and diammonium phosphate as the main raw material to improve bottleneck problems, such as low yield of fluorescent quantum, short‐emission wavelength, and the poor photoelectrical performance of CQDs. The optimal synthesis conditions are found to be a duration of 10 h, optimal synthesis temperature of 240 °C, and optimal raw material ratio of glucose: diammonium phosphate as 3:0.5. The shape, composition, optical properties, and electrochemical properties of the nitrogen‐ and phosphorus‐doped CQDs (N,P‐CQDs) are characterized and studied by means of instruments. The experimental results show that the N,P‐CQDs prepared following the hydrothermal method using glucose and diammonium phosphate as the main raw material produce a higher fluorescence quantum yield (41.7%), longer‐emission wavelength (470 nm), and better photoelectric properties, expanding the applicability of N,P‐CQDs in the field of life science.
Recruitment of chalcone's potential in drug discovery of anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 agents
Authors: Valipour Mehdi
Published: October 2022

Chalcone is an interesting scaffold found in the structure of many naturally occurring molecules. Medicinal chemists are commonly interested in designing new chalcone‐based structures because of having the α, β‐unsaturated ketone functional group, which allows these compounds to participate in Michael's reaction and create strong covalent bonds at the active sites of the targets. Some studies have identified several natural chalcone‐based compounds with the ability to inhibit the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus proteases. A few years after the advent of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the publication of many findings in this regard, there is some evidence that suggests chalcone scaffolding has great potential for use in the design and development of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) inhibitors. Artificial placement of this scaffold in the structure of optimized anti‐SARS‐CoV‐2 compounds can potentially provide irreversible inhibition of the viral cysteine proteases 3‐chymotrypsin‐like protease and papain‐like protease by creating Michael interaction. Despite having remarkable capabilities, the use of chalcone scaffold in drug design and discovery of SARS‐CoV‐2 inhibitors seems to have been largely neglected. This review addresses issues that could lead to further consideration of chalcone scaffolding in the structure of SARS‐CoV‐2 protease inhibitors in the future.
3D‐Engineered Scaffolds to Study Microtubes and Localization of Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor in Patient‐Derived Glioma Cells
Authors: Barin Nastaran , Balcioglu Hayri E. , de Heer Iris , de Wit Maurice , Lamfers Martine L. M. , van Royen Martin E. , French Pim J. , Accardo Angelo
Published: October 2022

A major obstacle in glioma research is the lack of in vitro models that can retain cellular features of glioma cells in vivo. To overcome this limitation, a 3D‐engineered scaffold, fabricated by two‐photon polymerization, is developed as a cell culture model system to study patient‐derived glioma cells. Scanning electron microscopy, (live cell) confocal microscopy, and immunohistochemistry are employed to assess the 3D model with respect to scaffold colonization, cellular morphology, and epidermal growth factor receptor localization. Both glioma patient‐derived cells and established cell lines successfully colonize the scaffolds. Compared to conventional 2D cell cultures, the 3D‐engineered scaffolds more closely resemble in vivo glioma cellular features and allow better monitoring of individual cells, cellular protrusions, and intracellular trafficking. Furthermore, less random cell motility and increased stability of cellular networks is observed for cells cultured on the scaffolds. The 3D‐engineered glioma scaffolds therefore represent a promising tool for studying brain cancer mechanobiology as well as for drug screening studies.
Stabilized Efficiency of Nonfullerene Organic Solar Cells Under UV‐Filtered Sunlight
Authors: Chiu Kuan-Yun , Lo Pei-Hsuan , Lin Yi-Ru , Tran Ho Ngoc Khanh , Liao Yan-Jia , Meng Hsin-Fei , Chao Yu-Chiang , Huang Yu-Yu , Horng Sheng-Fu , Zan Hsiao-Wen
Published: October 2022

The ultraviolet (UV) part in the sunlight is known to cause most damage to organic photovoltaics (OPV). UV filters therefore can improve stability. The lifetime of the UV‐filtered OPV is determined by visible light. Herein, visible sunlight is divided into several bands and modeled by light‐emitting diodes to study the stability of ternary OPV. Poly[(2,6‐(4,8‐bis(5‐(2‐ethylhexyl‐3‐fluoro)thiophen‐2‐yl)‐benzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]dithiophene))‐alt‐(5,5‐(1′,3′‐di‐2‐thienyl‐5′,7′‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)benzo[1′,2′‐c:4′,5′‐c′]dithiophene‐4,8‐dione)] (PM6) is used as the donor. 2,2′‐((2Z,2′Z)‐((12,13‐bis(2‐ethylhexyl)‐3,9‐diundecyl‐12,13‐dihydro‐[1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4‐e]thieno[2",3″:4′,5′]thieno[2′,3′:4,5]pyrrolo[3,2‐g]thieno[2′,3′:4,5]thieno[3,2‐b]indole‐2,10‐diyl)bis(methanylylidene))bis(5,6‐difluoro‐3‐oxo‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐indene‐2,1‐diylidene))dimalononitrile (Y6) is used as the acceptor. Another polymer is added as the second donor to improve the stability. As expected, the deep and light blue bands dominate the decay under visible light. After about 1200 h of blue irradiation, the devices enter a relatively stable state up to 3000 h of tracking, in sharp contrast to the continuous decay under UV. No chemical reaction is observed under blue light. Years of outdoor lifetime for nonfullerene OPV are projected with the UV filter.
Multifunctional Passivator Trifluoroacetamidine for Improving the Performance of All‐Inorganic CsPbI3 Perovskite Solar Cells
Authors: Huang Jin , Wang Hao , Chen Chunyang , Liu Shengzhong (Frank)
Published: October 2022

All‐inorganic CsPbI3 perovskite solar cells (PSCs) possess great potential of development with the suitable bandgap and outstanding chemical stability in recent years. However, due to the low tolerance factor of the crystal structure and the high defect density of states within the absorbing layer, CsPbI3 perovskite film displays poor phase stability at room temperature and severe exciton nonradiative loss under illumination conditions. Therefore, a novel multifunctional passivator trifluoroacetamidine (TFA) is introduced to decrease the defect density and improve the photovoltaic performance of CsPbI3 PSCs. The amino groups in TFA not only form hydrogen bonds with I− to suppress the oxidation of I− in the perovskite, but also interact with noncoordinated Pb2+ in conjunction with C=O bonds to passivate Pb‐related defects. Furthermore, the hydrophobic characteristic of –CF3 in TFA could efficiently protect the perovskite layer from moisture damage in the external environment. Consequently, the 0.3 mol% TFA additive based‐device possesses an optimal power conversion efficiency of 19.82% and the excellent fill factor of 0.81. In addition, the optimized PSCs retain 80% of their original efficiency under 1000 h of illumination in ambient conditions without encapsulation.
Heat Transfer Characteristics of a Hot‐Rolled Seamless Steel Tube During a Controlled Cooling Process
Authors: Yuan Guo , Zhang Rui , Zhang Yansheng , Kang Jian , Li Zhenlei , Liu Xiaojin , Wang Jun
Published: October 2022

Owing to special annular section shapes, the controlled cooling technology widely used in the field of steel plates is difficult to develop successfully and apply stably in the field of steel tubes. In this research, a finite element simulation method is used to study the difference in flow field distribution between a steel plate and a steel tube with jet cooling. Combined with the heat transfer characteristics of the jet cooling process at different positions, the anisotropy of the cooling heat transfer on the outer surface of a steel tube is revealed. The heat transfer characteristics of the inner and outer walls of a high‐temperature steel tube with the condition of simultaneous cooling are further analyzed. The results show that with the increase of the steel tube rotation speed, the temperature gradient between the wall of steel tube and the center position shows a decreasing trend. With the increase of the axial water velocity, the heat transfer intensity of the inner wall shows an increasing trend. The theoretical research results are successfully applied to the research and development of online controlled cooling technology and the equipment of hot‐rolled seamless steel tubes, and this achieves good application performance.
A Novel Process Design and Industrial Practice of Single‐Slag Smelting in 120 t Converter
Authors: Gao Fang , Bao Yan-ping , Wang Min , Wang Da-zhi , Xing Li-dong , Gu Chao
Published: October 2022

With the reduction of raw material quality and the improvement of user requirements, the cost of dephosphorization increases. Steel plants urgently need an efficient and economic dephosphorization process to support the production. To address this issue, first, the migration and distribution of phosphorus in the converter smelting process are described quantitatively. Based on the regular solution model, the influence of slag components and temperature on the dephosphorization capacity of steel slag is explored. Afterward, considering the phosphorus distribution ratio, melting point, and phosphorus capacity of slag, the advantages of the slag‐forming route with higher FeO content in rapid slag formation and dephosphorization are expounded. Based on the guidance of the slag‐forming route, the scheme of controlling oxygen lance position and charging is optimized, and a novel blowing control mode is proposed. Finally, industrial tests on a 120 t converter show that the optimized smelting mode significantly reduces the cost and improves the efficiency. As a result, the lime consumption used to smelt a ton of steel is reduced by 3.67 kg t−1, and the dephosphorization rate is still increased by about 3.07%.
A modified SEIR model with a jump in the transmission parameter applied to COVID‐19 data on Wuhan
Authors: Bai Tian , Wang Dianpeng , Dai Wenlin
Published: October 2022

In December 2019, Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, was struck by an outbreak of COVID‐19. Numerous studies have been conducted to fit COVID‐19 data and make statistical inferences. In applications, functions of the parameters in the model are usually used to assess severity of the outbreak. Because of the strategies applied during the struggle against the pandemic, the trend of the parameters changes abruptly. However, time‐varying parameters with a jump have received scant attention in the literature. In this study, a modified SEIR model is proposed to fit the actual situation of the COVID‐19 epidemic. In the proposed model, the dynamic propagation system is modified because of the high infectivity during incubation, and a time‐varying parametric strategy is suggested to account for the utility of the intervention. A corresponding model selection algorithm based on the information criterion is also suggested to detect the jump in the transmission parameter. A real data analysis based on the COVID‐19 epidemic in Wuhan and a simulation study demonstrate the plausibility and validity of the proposed method.
Regulating nitrogen vacancies within graphitic carbon nitride to boost photocatalytic hydrogen peroxide production
Authors: Zhu Yanlin , Liu Xuetao , Liu Heng , He Guangling , Xiao Jiamin , Xie Haijiao , Sun Yanyan , Han Lei
Published: October 2022

Introducing nitrogen vacancies is an effective method to improve the catalytic performance of g‐C3N4‐based photocatalysts, whereas understanding how nitrogen vacancies types affect the catalytic performance remains unclear. Herein, two different types of nitrogen vacancies were successfully introduced into g‐C3N4 by pyrolysis of melamine under argon and ammonia atmosphere with subsequent HNO3 oxidation. The pyrolysis atmosphere is found to have a significant influence on the introduced nitrogen vacancies type, where tertiary nitrogen groups (N3C) and sp2‐hybridized nitrogen atoms (N2C) were the preferred sites for the formation of nitrogen vacancies under ammonia and argon pyrolysis, respectively. Moreover, nitrogen vacancies from N3C are experimentally and theoretically demonstrated to facilitate the narrowed band gap and the improved oxygen absorption capability. As expected, the optimal catalyst exhibits high H2O2 yield of 451.8 µM, which is 3.8 times higher than the pristine g‐C3N4 (119.0 µM) after 4 h and good stability after10 photocatalytic runs.
Detecting zoonotic and non‐zoonotic pathogens in livestock and their ticks in Corsican wetlands
Authors: Defaye Baptiste , Moutailler Sara , Grech‐Angelini Sébastien , Galon Clémence , Ferrandi Sandrine , Pasqualini Vanina , Quilichini Yann
Published: October 2022

Background

Corsica is a large French island in the Mediterranean Sea with high human and animal migration rates, especially near wetlands where these migrations are particularly frequent. Among the livestock populations, cattle and sheep are widely present all across the entire Mediterranean region. Trade can be responsible for the circulation of numerous pathogens and their vectors, thereby representing a health and economic threat for the livestock industry.

Objectives

The objective of our study was to investigate the presence of pathogens in cattle and sheep farms in the wetlands of Corsica using a high‐throughput screening technique.

Methods

In our study, blood samples and ticks were collected from cattle and sheep in 20 municipalities near Corsican wetlands to screen for the presence of various types of pathogens. The samples were processed using a high‐throughput screening technique based on real‐time microfluidic PCR: 45 pathogens were screened in 47 samples simultaneously.

Results

A total of 372 cattle and 74 sheep were sampled, and 444 ticks were collected from cattle. Out of the eight tick species detected, the main one was Rhipicephalus bursa (38.7% of the ticks collected). From cattle blood samples, one species and two genera were found: Anaplasma marginale, Trypanosoma sp. and Babesia sp. in respectively 61.5%, 58.3% and 12.2% of the cattle blood samples. From sheep blood samples, 74.3% were positive for Anaplasma sp, 2.7% for Anaplasma ovis and 1.4% for Anaplasma capra. This is the first report of A. ovis DNA in blood samples from sheep in Corsica. Out of 444 the tick samples, 114 were positive: 77.2% for Rickettsia aeschlimannii, 20.2% for Rickettsia sp., 3.5% for Babesia sp. and 1.8% for Anaplasma sp. Among them, 2.7% were co‐infected with R. aeschlimannii and Babesia sp.

Conclusions

Our results confirm the extent of possible circulation of different pathogens near Corsican wetlands, not only in ticks collected from livestock but also directly in cattle and sheep, with two (Trypanosoma sp. and Babesia sp.) being detected for the first time in cattle, one for the first time in sheep (A. ovis) and one for the first time in Corsica (A. capra)
Digital and Computational Pathology: A Specialty Reimagined
Authors: Kiehl Tim-Rasmus
Published: October 2022

The field of pathology, which provides tissue diagnoses for clinical and research purposes, is at the heart of medical decision-making. The current move to digital pathology (DP) is a fundamental change in how primary diagnostic work, consultations, education, and multidisciplinary conferences are performed. DP is the prerequisite for computational pathology (CPATH), the big-data approach to pathology that extracts information from images, typically using artificial intelligence (AI) methods. While CPATH offers significant new capabilities and workflows, it also brings new challenges. There will be knock-on effects on other specialties and in teaching and research. The emerging next-generation pathology will be more quantitative, will have more diagnostic consistency, and will be more connected to its medical peers.
First law for Kerr Taub-NUT AdS black holes
Authors: Rodríguez Nelson Hernández , Rodriguez Maria J.
Published: October 2022

Abstract

The first law of black hole mechanics, which relates the change of energy to the change of entropy and other conserved charges, has been the main motivation for probing the thermodynamic properties of black holes. In this work, we investigate the thermodynamics of Kerr Taub-NUT AdS black holes. We present geometric Komar definitions for the black hole charges, that by construction satisfy the Smarr formula. Further, by a scaling argument based on Euler’s theorem, we establish the first law for the Kerr Taub-NUT AdS black holes. The corresponding first law includes variations in the cosmological constant, NUT charges and angular momenta. The key new ingredient in the construction are the independent variations of both angular momenta, the black hole and Misner string angular momenta. Employing the Brown-York quasi-local charge definitions we show that our expression for the mass and spin coincide with our generalized Komar expressions. We indicate the relevance of these results to the thermodynamics of rotating AdS black holes, including the proper choice of time-like Killing vector to produce the correct thermodynamic mass.
Fuglede’s Conjecture Holds for Cyclic Groups of Order pqrs
Authors: Kiss Gergely , Malikiosis Romanos Diogenes , Somlai Gábor , Vizer Máté
Published: October 2022

The tile-spectral direction of the discrete Fuglede-conjecture is well-known for cyclic groups of square-free order, initiated by Łaba and Meyerowitz, but the spectral-tile direction is far from being well-understood. The product of at most three primes as the order of the cyclic group was studied intensely in the last couple of years. In this paper we study the case when the order of the cyclic group is the product of four different primes and prove that Fuglede’s conjecture holds in this case.
Analysis of liquid spring damper for vertical landing reusable launch vehicle with network-based methodology
Authors: Yue Shuai , Titurus Branislav , Li Zhiqian , Wu Chunbo , Du Zhonghua
Published: October 2022

This paper presents the network-based modeling, validation and analysis of the nonlinear liquid spring damper model under vertical landing conditions of reusable launch vehicle. The impedance function of damper model is derived first. Then, its mechanical and hydraulic networks are newly established based on the hydro-mechanical analogy and network-based analysis. By comparing the networks between the corresponding symmetric and asymmetric structures, the meaning of each branch in the network is elucidated. After that, the validity of the network-based model for the liquid spring damper is confirmed by comparison against the experimentally verified nonlinear model in both frequency and time domain. The force and energy absorption characteristics of the damper model are further decomposed, and, specifically, the influence of the orifice area and orifice length on the attenuation performance is studied. The results show that the network-based model provides predictions consistent with those generated by the nonlinear model. The main discrepancy is attributed to the inaccuracy caused by the equivalent fluid bulk modulus. The network-based analysis indicates that the orifice area mainly influences the damping force in the network, which further affects the loads and efficiency of the damper. The orifice length mainly influences the inertia force in the network, which should be limited to a small value. The proposed novel interpretation of the damper models and responses under impact conditions constitutes a framework suitable for systematic design of typically highly nonlinear landing systems in reusable launch vehicles.
A Comparison of Model-Based Methods for Leakage Localization in Water Distribution Systems
Authors: Marzola Irene , Alvisi Stefano , Franchini Marco
Published: October 2022

Model-based methods for leakage localization in water distribution systems have recently been gaining more attention. These methods identify the leakage position by comparing the measured network data with the corresponding values simulated by a hydraulic model. In this study two model-based methods already proposed in literature, one based on the Sensitivity Matrix method and the other one on the Linear Approximation method, are analysed and compared to each other. The methods are applied to the same case study network, exploiting only data provided by pressure sensors. Various analyses are undertaken in order to investigate the main critical issues tied to the two methods, i.e. a) the use of different amounts of data averaged over different time windows, b) the impact of the model’s accuracy in terms of water demands and pipe roughness, and c) the effect of the number of pressure measuring points. The results show that higher efficiency is obtained by considering the hourly averaged data all together. Moreover, the Linear Approximation method is on average 3 times more accurate than the Sensitivity Matrix when a perfect hydraulic model is used, even with a reduced number of pressure sensors. However, when a hydraulic model and/or measured data affected by errors are considered, the Sensitivity Matrix is more accurate, with an average error almost 10% lower than the Linear Approximation.
Stereotypes and self-reports about spatial cognition: Impact of gender and age
Authors: van der Ham Ineke J. M. , Koutzmpi Vasiliki
Published: October 2022

Cognitive stereotypes with regard to gender are prevalent, especially with regard to spatial cognition. However, literature suggests that age, rather than gender has more impact on objective spatial performance. The aim of this study was to create a detailed picture of the extent and direction of stereotypes held in general population. Individual differences in terms of age and gender, as well as age group identification and gender identification were studied in relation to the stereotypes held. In addition, self-reported performance was also considered, to compare stereotype beliefs to beliefs concerning one’s own performance. An online questionnaire was filled out by a large and heterogeneous sample of Dutch participants (N = 980). Results indicate that gender stereotypes concerning spatial abilities are clearly prevalent and held most strongly by male and young individuals. Stereotype beliefs were very similar to the patterns found for self-reported performance for gender, even though this is not supported by findings concerning objective performance. Stereotypes concerning age were largely absent. These findings indicate that the presence of stereotype beliefs and the individual differences in how strong such beliefs are should be considered in educational and clinical settings where spatial performance is evaluated.
Anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery pseudoaneurysm after distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection successfully treated with balloon-assisted coil embolization
Authors: Ida Shinya , Morita Yoshifumi , Muraki Ryuta , Furuhashi Satoru , Takeda Makoto , Kikuchi Hirotoshi , Hiramatsu Yoshihiro , Tanahashi Yukichi , Goshima Satoshi , Takeuchi Hiroya
Published: October 2022

Bleeding is a fatal complication after pancreatectomy. Although coil embolization is a widely accepted treatment option, ischemia of the remaining organs should be prevented. This study reports the successful treatment of intra-abdominal hemorrhage following distal pancreatectomy with en bloc celiac axis resection (DP-CAR) using balloon-assisted coil embolization (BACE). A 59-year-old man was diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The tumor involves the common hepatic artery, splenic artery, and celiac artery. After four cycles of treatment with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel, the soft-density masses, surrounding the artery, shrunk. DP-CAR and R0 resections were performed. A minor postoperative pancreatic fistula occurred. Six months postoperatively, the computed tomography showed delayed asymptomatic bleeding from an anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (ASPDA) pseudoaneurysm located near the gastroduodenal artery confluence. BACE was performed by placing a microballoon catheter in the region of confluence of the ASPDA and posterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery (PSPDA) to prevent coil migration. After inserting the microballoon catheter, coil embolization was performed in the ASPDA. Hepatic blood flow was maintained from the PSPDA. BACE is a useful technique to preserve blood flow to the remnant organs when performing coil embolization for bleeding following a distal pancreatectomy, especially following a DP-CAR.
Identification of Suitable Recharge Sites by Integrated Hydrogeophysical Approach for Augmenting Groundwater in Reodar Block, District Sirohi, Rajasthan
Authors: Kanwar Priya , Singh Kanwar P.
Published: October 2022

The dependence of human beings on groundwater and ever-increasing demands of growing population, agriculture and industries, has resulted in its over-exploitation. This has led to the decline of groundwater levels and its shortage especially in lean season. The study area, Reodar block of Sirohi district, Rajasthan, is an over-exploited block with the stage of groundwater extraction at 159% and has an average declining water level trend at the rate of 0.24 m/year. Artificial recharge was proposed in the study area through the construction of recharge shafts and injection wells, after delineating the weathered thickness in the submergence area of existing ponds and check dams of the study area by carrying out vertical electrical sounding (VES).

In all, VES were conducted at 178 sites and recharge structures were constructed at 76 out of 109 scientifically selected sites with suitable weathered thickness and attempt was made to establish their impact on water levels through pre-monsoon water level monitoring. The comparison of pre-monsoon water level observations spanning over four decades reveals its spatio-temporal decline in the study area. The construction of these recharge structures has resulted in significant increase in area from 38% to 68%, under 0 to 20 m below ground level water level range. This study demonstrates the importance of resistivity surveys in scientifically selecting the suitable sites for construction of recharge structures and significance of long-term water level monitoring in assessing the groundwater scenario and impact assessment, in poorly characterized hydrogeological areas.
Comparative analysis of deformation failure and energy properties of raw coal and sandstone under uniaxial compression
Authors: Yang Yushun , Li Xiaoming , He Weijun , Zhang Bang’an
Published: October 2022

This paper analyzes and compares the deformation, failure characteristics, and energy characteristics of coal and rock under uniaxial compression. It is considered that the change laws of the total stress–strain relationship curves of raw coal and sandstone samples are similar, and they all exhibit the primary fracture compaction and closure stage, elastic deformation stage, fracture expansion stage and stress drop stage. The failure mode of coal and rock is a predominantly columnar splitting, and the fractured coal and rock bite each other. The ultimate bearing capacity, elastic modulus and peak strain of coal samples are small for sandstone. Under uniaxial compression, the ultimate bearing capacity, elastic modulus, and peak strain of coal samples were 46.17%, 63.32%, and 69.54% of sandstone, respectively. In the compaction stage, the proportion of releasable elastic energy of the coal sample was higher than that of dissipated energy, while that of the sandstone sample is the opposite. The proportion of releasable elastic energy of coal samples in other stages was higher than that of dissipated energy, and more than 80% of the total energy absorbed by coal and rock specimens in the loading process was stored in the form of releasable elastic energy. Other total energy was dissipated by the internal defects of the samples during compaction, sliding and new micro-cracks in the yield stage.
Layered Networks, Equilibrium Dynamics, and Stable Coalitions
Authors: Fu Jing , Page Frank , Zigrand Jean-Pierre
Published: October 2022

An important aspect of network dynamics that has been missing from our understanding of network dynamics in various applied settings is the influence of strategic behavior in determining equilibrium network dynamics. Our main objective hear to say what we can regarding the emergence of stable club networks—and therefore, stable coalition structures—based on the stability properties of strategically determined equilibrium network formation dynamics. Because club networks are layered networks, our work here can be thought of as a first work on the strategic dynamics of layered networks. In addition to constructing a discounted stochastic game model (i.e., a DSG model) of club network formation, (1) we show that our DSG of network formation possesses a stationary Markov perfect equilibrium in players’ membership-action strategies; (2) we identify the assumptions on primitives which ensure that the induced equilibrium Markov process of layered club network formation satisfies the Tweedie Stability Conditions (Tweedie in Stoch Process Appl 92:345–354, 2001) and (3) we show that, as a consequence, the equilibrium Markov network formation process generates a unique decomposition of the set of state-network pairs into a transient set together with finitely many basins of attraction. Moreover, we show that if there is a basin containing a vio set (a visited infinitely often set) of club networks sufficiently close together, then the coalition structures across club networks in the vio set will be the same (i.e., closeness across networks in a vio set leads to invariance in coalition structure across networks in a vio set).
Intrinsic lipolysis rate for systematic design of lipid-based formulations
Authors: Jacobsen Ann-Christin , Kabedev Aleksei , Sinko Patrick D. , Palm Johan E. , Bergström Christel A. S. , Teleki Alexandra
Published: October 2022

Lipid-based formulations (LBFs) are used by the pharmaceutical industry in oral delivery systems for both poorly water-soluble drugs and biologics. Digestibility is key for the performance of LBFs and in vitro lipolysis is commonly used to compare the digestibility of LBFs. Results from in vitro lipolysis experiments depend highly on the experimental conditions and formulation characteristics, such as droplet size (which defines the surface area available for digestion) and interfacial structure. This study introduced the intrinsic lipolysis rate (ILR) as a surface area-independent approach to compare lipid digestibility. Pure acylglycerol nanoemulsions, stabilized with polysorbate 80 at low concentration, were formulated and digested according to a standardized pH–stat lipolysis protocol. A methodology originally developed to calculate the intrinsic dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs was adapted for the rapid calculation of ILR from lipolysis data. The impact of surfactant concentration on the apparent lipolysis rate and lipid structure on ILR was systematically investigated. The surfactant polysorbate 80 inhibited lipolysis of tricaprylin nanoemulsions in a concentration-dependent manner. Coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations supported these experimental observations. In the absence of bile and phospholipids, tricaprylin was shielded from lipase at 0.25% polysorbate 80. In contrast, the inclusion of bile salt and phospholipid increased the surfactant-free area and improved the colloidal presentation of the lipids to the enzyme, especially at 0.125% polysorbate 80. At a constant and low surfactant content, acylglycerol digestibility increased with decreasing acyl chain length, decreased esterification, and increasing unsaturation. The calculated ILR of pure acylglycerols was successfully used to accurately predict the IRL of binary lipid mixtures. The ILR measurements hold great promise as an efficient method supporting pharmaceutical formulation scientists in the design of LBFs with specific digestion profiles.

Graphical abstract
The Golem and The Leviathan: Two Guiding Images of Irresponsible Technology
Authors: Popa Eugen Octav
Published: October 2022

What does it mean to be irresponsible in developing or using a technology? There are two fundamentally different answers to this question and they each generate research strands that differ in scope, style and applicability. To capture this difference, I make use of two mythical creatures of Jewish origin that have been employed in the past to represent relationships between man and man-made entities: the Golem (Collins and Pinch, 2002, 2005) and the Leviathan (Hobbes, 1994). The Golem is the traditional image of technology as a creature that can be helpful but needs to be controlled. Irresponsibility in this perspective is the failure to exercise control. The Leviathan is the image of technology as a difficult compromise between fundamental values. Irresponsibility is in this perspective is allowing some values to systematically dominate others. Having worked out the basics of these images, I show that each comes with its specific methodological challenges: where the Golem gives rise to the Collingridge Dilemma of control, the Leviathan gives rise to Münchhausen’s trilemma of justification. Since the Golem image is predominant in scholarship on irresponsibility, I conclude with an appeal for a more equal distribution of efforts in conceptualizing technologies as Golems and as Leviathans.
Multimodal Quasi-AutoRegression: forecasting the visual popularity of new fashion products
Authors: Papadopoulos Stefanos-Iordanis , Koutlis Christos , Papadopoulos Symeon , Kompatsiaris Ioannis
Published: October 2022

Estimating the preferences of consumers is of utmost importance for the fashion industry as appropriately leveraging this information can be beneficial in terms of profit. Trend detection in fashion is a challenging task due to the fast pace of change in the fashion industry. Moreover, forecasting the visual popularity of new garment designs is even more demanding due to lack of historical data. To this end, we propose MuQAR, a Multimodal Quasi-AutoRegressive deep learning architecture that combines two modules: (1) a multimodal multilayer perceptron processing categorical, visual and textual features of the product and (2) a Quasi-AutoRegressive neural network modelling the “target” time series of the product’s attributes along with the “exogenous” time series of all other attributes. We utilize computer vision, image classification and image captioning, for automatically extracting visual features and textual descriptions from the images of new products. Product design in fashion is initially expressed visually and these features represent the products’ unique characteristics without interfering with the creative process of its designers by requiring additional inputs (e.g. manually written texts). We employ the product’s target attributes time series as a proxy of temporal popularity patterns, mitigating the lack of historical data, while exogenous time series help capture trends among interrelated attributes. We perform an extensive ablation analysis on two large-scale image fashion datasets, Mallzee-P and SHIFT15m to assess the adequacy of MuQAR and also use the Amazon Reviews: Home and Kitchen dataset to assess generalization to other domains. A comparative study on the VISUELLE dataset shows that MuQAR is capable of competing and surpassing the domain’s current state of the art by 4.65% and 4.8% in terms of WAPE and MAE, respectively.
New type parallelogram laws in Banach spaces and geodesic spaces with curvature bounded above
Authors: Kimura Yasunori , Sudo Shuta
Published: October 2022

The parallelogram law characterizes a part of the structure of Hilbert spaces. To hold the parallelogram law by the norm, reasonably good conditions are required for Banach spaces. This paper proposes new type parallelogram laws with bifunctions on Banach spaces and geodesic spaces, respectively.
A novel accelerated extragradient algorithm to solve pseudomonotone variational inequalities
Authors: Noinakorn Supansa , Wairojjana Nopparat , Pakkaranang Nuttapol , Pholasa Natttawut
Published: October 2022

In this paper, we propose a new inertial iterative method to solve classical variational inequalities with pseudomonotone and Lipschitz continuous operators in the setting of a real Hilbert space. The proposed iterative scheme is basically analogous to the extragradient method used to solve the problems of variational inequalities in real Hilbert spaces. The strong convergence of the proposed algorithm is set up with the prior knowledge of Lipschitz’s constant of an operator. Finally, several computational experiments are listed to show the applicability and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Common Errors in Meta-Analyses and Meta-Regressions in Strength & Conditioning Research
Authors: Kadlec Daniel , Sainani Kristin L. , Nimphius Sophia
Published: October 2022

Background and Objective

Meta-analysis and meta-regression are often highly cited and may influence practice. Unfortunately, statistical errors in meta-analyses are widespread and can lead to flawed conclusions. The purpose of this article was to review common statistical errors in meta-analyses and to document their frequency in highly cited meta-analyses from strength and conditioning research.

Methods

We identified five errors in one highly cited meta-regression from strength and conditioning research: implausible outliers; overestimated effect sizes that arise from confusing standard deviation with standard error; failure to account for correlated observations; failure to account for within-study variance; and a focus on within-group rather than between-group results. We then quantified the frequency of these errors in 20 of the most highly cited meta-analyses in the field of strength and conditioning research from the past 20 years.

Results

We found that 85% of the 20 most highly cited meta-analyses in strength and conditioning research contained statistical errors. Almost half (45%) contained at least one effect size that was mistakenly calculated using standard error rather than standard deviation. In several cases, this resulted in obviously wrong effect sizes, for example, effect sizes of 11 or 14 standard deviations. Additionally, 45% failed to account for correlated observations despite including numerous effect sizes from the same study and often from the same group within the same study.

Conclusions

Statistical errors in meta-analysis and meta-regression are common in strength and conditioning research. We highlight five errors that authors, editors, and readers should check for when preparing or critically reviewing meta-analyses.
Vortex dynamics impact on the wake flow of a marine rudder with leading-edge tubercles
Authors: Troll Moritz , Shi Weichao , Stark Callum , Atlar Mehmet
Published: October 2022

The impact of two tubercle leading-edge (TLE) modifications on the turbulent wake of a reference marine rudder at Reynolds number 2.26 × 106 was analysed numerically using Detached Eddy Simulations (DES). This paper studies the counter-rotating vortex pair formation around the TLE and their impact on the wake structures behind the rudder to find out if the vortex interaction can accelerate the tip vortex dissipation. According to the results, the tubercles enhanced lift for angles of attack (AOA) 10º and above, but at the cost of a drag penalty which reduced the rudders’ lift-to-drag ratio. The formation of the distinctive stream-wise counter-rotating vortex pairs occurred behind the tubercles, which then interacted with the dominant tip vortex. Due to the inherent spanwise flow component of finite-span lifting surfaces the counter-rotating vortex pairs were generated at unequal strength and soon merged into singular vortices co-rotating with the tip vortex. The vortices facilitated flow compartmentalisation over the rudder suction side which broke up the trailing-edge vortex sheet and confined the spanwise flow separation over the rudder surface as AOA increased. The tubercles confined flow separation closer to the rudder tip which reduced the lift generation in the tip area and minimised the initial tip vortex strength. Large elements of stream-wise counter-rotating vorticity formed around the localised stall cells of the TLE rudders that interacted with the tip vortex downstream, introducing elliptical instabilities further weakening the tip vortex and changing its trajectory.
Bionic Artificial Self-Recovery Enables Autonomous Health of Machine
Authors: Jinji Gao
Published: October 2022

This paper explores Engineering self-recoveries theory, which emerged from the research of Bionics to meet the great demand of modern high-risk process manufacturing and the development of aerospace vehicles. Bionics opens a new era in which artefact s learn from natural objects. With the rapid development of the industrial Internet and Artificial intelligence technology, we have gained a deep understanding of the law of fault generation and development, which provides an opportunity for the emergence of Engineering self-recoveries theory. Engineering self-recoveries expands the research field of Cybernetics and Engineering cybernetics, endows machines with the self-recovery mechanism, which is unique to humans and animals, and enables machines to store, supplement and activate self-recovery power to maintain body health. Bionics research on Artificial intelligence has greatly enhanced the function of imitating the human brain, but has ignored the important system and function of humans and animals to maintain their own health—the self-recovery system and self-recovery function. Artificial intelligence imitates the conscious thinking control behaviour of the human brain to realize automation and intellectualization, making machines smarter. Artificial self-recovery can imitate the self-recovery mechanism of human unconscious thinking, and prevent and suppress faults in operation to realize self-recovery, possibly making machines healthier. Artificial self-recovery technology includes self-repair, compensation, self-protection and self-recovery regulation. Engineering self-recoveries is the basis of the autonomous health of machines and even artificial systems, and a new research field of Bionics. This has broad application prospects in engineering.
Diagnostic Tests for Hypofibrinogenemia Resulting from Green Pit Viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) Envenomation: A Simulated In Vitro Study
Authors: Tiyawat Gawin , Lohajaroensub Sirin , Othong Rittirak
Published: October 2022

Introduction

The green pit viper (GPV) Trimeresurus albolabris is found in Southeast Asia. Its venom has a thrombin-like activity that can cause hypofibrinogenemia. Fibrinogen measurement is not always available. We aimed to establish a more available diagnostic tool indicating hypofibrinogenemia caused by GPV envenomation.

Methods

This was an in vitro study, in which healthy subjects aged 20 to 45 y were enrolled. There were 2 experiments. In Experiment 1, blood samples from 1 subject had varying amounts of T albolabris venom added to determine its effect on the fibrinogen level (FL). In Experiment 2, 3 sets of blood samples were obtained from another 25 subjects. The 2 venom doses established in Experiment 1 were used on 2 sets of the samples to simulate severe (FL <1.0 g·L−1) and mild hypofibrinogenemia (FL 1.0–1.7 g·L−1). The third set of samples was venom-free. All samples were used for platelet counts, prothrombin time (PT)/international normalized ratio (INR)/activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), and 2 bedside clotting tests. Diagnostic parameters were calculated against the target FL of <1.0 g·L−1 and <1.7 g·L−1.

Results

Twenty-five subjects were enrolled in Experiment 2. On referencing normal cutoff values (platelet count >150,000 cells/mm3, venous clotting time <15 min, normal 20-min whole blood clotting time, INR <1.2, aPTT <30), we found abnormalities of 5, 0, 0, 3, and 22%, respectively. The highest correlation with hypofibrinogenemia was provided by PT/INR. For an FL of <1.0 g·L−1, PT and INR revealed the highest areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.76 (95% CI, 0.55–0.97) and 0.76 (95% CI, 0.57–0.97), respectively. The highest accuracy and the highest sensitivity were provided by PT/INR.

Conclusions

PT/INR could be used as a diagnostic test for severe hypofibrinogenemia in GPV envenomation because of its high accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve.
Peacemaking and Peacebuilding in South Africa
Authors: Carmichael Liz
Published: October 2022

Examines the creation and implementation of South Africa's National Peace Accord and this key transitional phase in the country's history, and its implications for peace mediation and conflict resolution.
Wolves in Beowulf and Other Old English Texts
Authors: Marshall Elizabeth
Published: October 2022

A fresh and sympathetic investigation of the depiction of wolves in early medieval literature, recuperating their reputation.