bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emission Reductions Visual Presentation R06: Geoscience skills supplement emissions reduction through carbon solutions
Authors: Ball Jeffrey
Published: June 2024

Emission Reductions Visual Presentation R06 As the energy sector transitions, traditional geoscience occupations have been impacted by the decrease in upstream oil and gas activity. However, these roles are highly technical and innovative, and could benefit many sectors if re-deployed. Carbon offsetting is available now to support meeting emission reduction targets and is expected to be deployed in the long term for hard-to-abate areas. In 2018, Woodside started a carbon business that includes the origination of offsets through carbon farming. Millions of seedlings have been planted on less productive farmland in WA. The program has been enhanced through the transferable skills that geoscientists provide, including uncertainty analysis, software technology and data acquisition. Much like the petroleum geoscience discipline, carbon offset investment requires an assessment of a natural resource. There is uncertainty in the total volume, the future state, and the policy conditions impacting the resource. Geoscientists at Woodside have led initiatives to assess carbon yield, quantify and forecast uncertainty, and develop decision-making frameworks for project investment. These initiatives have informed the business as a market participant and project developer in the nascent carbon market. Geospatial analytics is critical throughout the value chain of a planting project, including site selection, project design, site execution, monitoring and reporting. Remote sensing and imagery analysis are used for monitoring growth and quantifying carbon sequestration. Further, geospatial projects have aided efficiency, providing accurate, real-time data to and from the field and re-deploying geoscientists from in-house has contributed towards Woodside’s success. To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Emission Reductions Visual Presentation R04: Reliable local renewable power decarbonising offshore energy
Authors: Marshall Andy
Published: June 2024

Emission Reductions Visual Presentation R04 Reliable local renewable power generation enables more environmentally and economically viable operations, to meet with the challenge of renewable energy intermittency and energy security. The Renewables for Subsea Power (RSP) project support targets towards Net Zero Targets by providing a full solution to generate low carbon, cost-effective, power and communications to remote locations in the offshore energy industry. The development of the RSP system is a collaborative project led by three UK-based companies in partnership with wider industry engagement from operators and the Aberdeen-based Net Zero Technology Centre. Carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is set to play a key role in the energy transition. CCUS developments will incorporate all-electric subsea systems that can benefit from the RSP solution. This first of a kind integrated solution will contribute significantly to the generation of clean energy in the petroleum industry using a Wave Energy Converter and seabed battery energy storage for production control applications. The various applications that would benefit from the cost and CO2 savings from deploying the system, compared to traditional methods, include umbilical remediation, brownfield expansion, long offsets, CCUS, and Autonomous Underwater Vehicle residency. For CCUS projects key advantages are a specific design catered towards simplified controls architecture (e.g. electric controls), and the ability to offer an alternative to direct current fibre-optic from shore. A full system demonstrator deployment commenced in Feb-23 and has demonstrated system capability to power subsea equipment and an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). Trials continue through 2024. To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Engineering Visual Presentation E03: Opening versus shearing of a fluid-driven fault reactivation
Authors: Xiao Feng
Published: June 2024

Engineering Visual Presentation E03 Geological injection of fluids plays a key role in addressing societal challenges such as renewable energy transition and climate crisis mitigation. However, frequent injection activities would disturb the stability of surrounding fault zones and furtherly induce seismicity. When fluid enters a fault, the competition among pressure front and slip front can play a role on the fault’s seismic behaviour. Fault’s stiffness as well as the rock’s Poisson’s ratio affects the shape of the slip and pressure front. In this study, the fault’s seismic behaviour has been extensively study through numerical modelling. The aim is to investigate the impact of deformable aperture and rock matrix’s Poisson’s ratio on the opening rupture and shear rupture of a pre-existing critically stressed fault. The parametric study shows that, with this initial stress state, the opening rupture grows slower than the shearing rupture, and the ratio between the front length is approximately 70%. A slip-weakening feature could boost this difference. Moreover, the variation between the front length along the y-direction and dip-direction of the fault increases with the increase of rock matrix’s Poisson’s ratio. To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Geoscience Visual Presentation G02: Source rocks of the Birrindudu Basin: perspectives from a new sampling program
Authors: Butcher Grace A.
Published: June 2024

Geoscience Visual Presentation G02 The Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic Birrindudu Basin is an underexplored frontier basin straddling the Northern Territory and Western Australia, and is a region of focus for the second phase of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program (2020–2024). Hydrocarbon exploration in the Birrindudu Basin has been limited and a thorough assessment of the basin’s petroleum potential is lacking due to the absence of data in the region. To bridge this data gap, a comprehensive analytical program including organic petrology, programmed pyrolysis and oil fluid inclusion analysis was undertaken on cores from six drill holes to improve the understanding of the basin’s source rock potential and assess petroleum migration. Organic petrological analyses reveal that the primary maceral identified in the cores is alginite mainly originating from filamentous cyanobacteria, while bitumen is the most common unstructured secondary organic matter. New reflectance data based on alginite and bitumen reflectance indicate the sampled sections have reached a thermal maturity suitable for hydrocarbon generation. Oil inclusion analyses provide evidence for oil generation and migration, and hence elements of a petroleum system are present in the basin. To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Geoscience Visual Presentation G12: Petroleum systems analysis of the onshore Otway Basin, South Australia
Authors: Edwards Casey
Published: June 2024

Geoscience Visual Presentation G12 An updated Petroleum Systems Model was built for the South Australian onshore Otway Basin, incorporating new seismic interpretation, seismic stratigraphy, core interpretations and a recent chemostratigraphy study. The Otway Basin is a divergent passive continental margin, with the Penola Trough the most significant hydrocarbon province discovered to date. Revision of the existing geochemistry database and seismic stratigraphy along with source rock model indicates potential good quality, liquids prone lacustrine source rocks are present in the Jurassic Casterton Formation (S0-P5) and the Early Cretaceous Basal Shale (McEachern Sand equivalent)/Lower Sawpit Shale (S1-P1/S1-P2). Gas prone source rocks are modelled in the Valanginian Upper Sawpit Shale (S1-P4/S1-P5) and Hauterivian Laira Formation (S1-P6–S1-P10). Modelling suggests liquid hydrocarbons were expelled from the Lower Sawpit Shale between 126 and 70 Ma, with the majority sourced from the Penola and Robe Troughs. Gas/condensate expulsion also took place up to 30 Ma from the Upper and Lower Sawpit Shale in the Penola and Robe Troughs. Gas is modelled to have been expelled from the Laira Formation in the Tantanoola Trough, between 100 Ma and present day. To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Geoscience Visual Presentation G08: Chemostratigraphy of the Sherbrook Supersequence – 13 wells from the offshore Otway Basin
Authors: Gunning Merrie-Ellen
Published: June 2024

Geoscience Visual Presentation G08 An elemental chemostratigraphic study of the offshore Otway Basin has been undertaken as part of a collaboration between Chemostrat and Geoscience Australia, the main aim of which is to better constrain the sequence boundaries of, and within, the Sherbrook Supersequence. This study includes the elemental analysis of 1185 cuttings samples from the Sherbrook Supersequence (and overlying stratigraphy) in 13 offshore wells. Sampling of cuttings was particularly challenging as many of the targeted wells have a paucity of material available for destructive analysis. Inductively Coupled Plasma-Optical Emission Spectrometry and Mass Spectrometry (ICP-OES and MS) analysis was undertaken to establish a regional elemental chemostratigraphic framework of the Sherbrook Supersequence. The resultant framework comprises two chemostratigraphic sequences, seven chemostratigraphic packages and eighteen chemostratigraphic units. While the analysis could not clearly distinguish the base of the Sherbrook Supersequence it has provided valuable insight into correlations between wells, within the Sherbrook and overlying Wangerrip supersequences. Importantly it has confirmed that in the offshore part of the basin sedimentary processes and inputs remain unchanged from the Shipwreck to the Sherbrook (Turonian–Maastrichtian). To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Geoscience Visual Presentation G09: Unconventional hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Paleoproterozoic Fraynes Formation in Manbulloo S1, Northern Territory
Authors: Wang Liuqi
Published: June 2024

Geoscience Visual Presentation G09 The Paleoproterozoic Fraynes Formation in the Birrindudu Basin is a chronostratigraphic equivalent to the prospective Barney Creek Formation in the McArthur Basin and yet a comparable understanding of its source potential is lacking. As part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program, this study aims to assess the hydrocarbon generating potential and shale gas prospectivity of the Fraynes Formation in the exploration drill hole Manbulloo S1 through the reconstruction of the original source-rock characteristics and well log interpretation. Internal units inside the Fraynes Formation were defined according to sedimentary facies. The hydrocarbon generation potential was estimated from the calculated original total organic carbon content, hydrogen index and thermal maturity data measured from bitumen reflectance data. The shale total porosity was re-interpreted from bulk density logs by removing the organic matter effect, adding organic porosity for the organic-rich shales, and updating the water saturation. The maximum amount of gas generated from the organic-rich source rocks is 3969, 2769 and 1912 Mcf/a-ft assuming the kerogen compositions of 100% Type I, mix of 50–50% Type I and II, and 100% Type II, respectively. The richness of organic matter and interpreted water saturation (<100%) imply favourable shale gas prospectivity in the Fraynes Formation. This work expands our knowledge on the potential unconventional energy resources in the west of the greater McArthur Basin. To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Health, Safety and Environment Visual Presentation H04: Global focus on ESG in the supply chain – insights into supply chain management of Environmental, Social and Governance requirements and trends both locally and globally
Authors: Bibby David
Published: June 2024

Health, Safety and Environment Visual Presentation H04 In our increasingly interconnected world, responsible business operation has become a normal, critical part of doing business for virtually all industries. Consumers, investors, and other company stakeholders are demanding businesses take responsibility for their current and future impacts on people and the environment. When assessing the role corporations play in a more sustainable future, many turn their focus to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors that help define and measure sustainable business. Given the wide variety of topics encompassed in ESG, companies often identify which are material, or prioritised by company stakeholders. Quantitative and qualitative information for material ESG topics is often reported using a standard or framework such as the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures; Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures; Sustainability Accounting Standards Board; the Global Reporting Initiative and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), along with other region-specific standards. One reporting challenge includes extending ESG strategies and data collection to a company’s value chain. By including ESG-related requirements in service contracts or pre-qualification metrics, expectations can be clearly communicated and data aggregation becomes simpler. Engaging with vendors on the importance of material topics and providing educational tools and opportunities is necessary for accurate data collection. Benchmarking companies against their peers allows organisations to make informed decisions to continue or halt business relationships. Every company’s approach to ESG will look different, but protecting the business’s reputation and customer expectations is critical to continuous operations. Outcomes: understanding different components of ESG. Recognition of the types of reporting disclosure frameworks. Best practices with contractors and suppliers. To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Health, Safety and Environment Visual Presentation H02: A path to make well-informed decisions when considering the decommissioning of subsea pipelines
Authors: Chikin Andrey
Published: June 2024

Health, Safety and Environment Visual Presentation H02 Australia’s law mandates the removal of infrastructure once not in use unless the Titleholder can demonstrate an equal or superior safety and environmental outcome. Around 100 infield and export pipelines in Australian waters, with an approximate total length of 5000 km, are nearing their end-of-life period. Three common decommissioning options are considered for subsea pipelines: complete removal, partial removal, or in-situ abandonment. Decommissioning these pipelines will cost an estimated US$13 billion, ~33% of the cumulative Australian offshore decommissioning liability, should the full removal option be selected. When decommissioning subsea pipelines, it is essential to consider that they have been exposed to hazardous fluids and aggressive environments. Careful assessments should determine the recyclability of recovered materials, decontamination, and the environmental risks associated with each decommissioning option. A holistic approach is needed to identify and quantify contaminants in subsea pipelines. In the early stages of decommissioning, planning, sampling, and laboratory testing are necessary to identify plastic coating types, degradation mechanisms, constituents released to the environment, types and mechanisms related to mercury/naturally occurring radioactive materials, and chemical stability. This paper aims to identify and present effective methods for addressing the impact of pipeline constituents on the Marine Environment Assessment while assessing potential decommissioning options and explains how tools can support decision-making. In summary, decommissioning subsea pipelines requires careful assessment and planning to ensure environmental and safety compliance. The paper provides a guide to understanding the process, highlighting the importance of quality assurance, risk assessment, and the selection of appropriate decommissioning options. To access the Visual Presentation click the link on the right. To read the full paper click here
Towards accessible robot-assisted physical play for children with physical disabilities
Authors: Mahdi Hamza , Jouaiti Melanie , Saleh Shahed , Dautenhahn Kerstin
Published: June 2024

MyJay is an open-source robot designed to facilitate play between children with and without physical disabilities.
The robot acts as a proxy for children with upper limb challenges, allowing them to participate in physical games with their
peers. Our design was inspired by the FIRST Robotics Competition, which involves teleoperating robots to manipulate objects.
Taking a user-centred perspective, we consulted therapists and conducted remote interviews with children with disabilities and
their guardians at various stages of the design process. We then conducted an in-person feasibility study with 18 typically
developing children in a school setting. The study involved children teleoperating the robot to pick up and throw balls into a
designated goal, and the interaction was evaluated using the user experience questionnaire and the Robotic Social Attributes
Scale. The results of the study show great potential for MyJay to act as a play mediator in various scenarios, and the response
from the children was positive. The ultimate aim of our research agenda is to pave the way towards creating more inclusive play
environments through robot-mediated interactions, breaking barriers posed by physical limitations.
Childhood Trauma and Clinical Outcomes in a Low Secure Male Forensic Population
Authors: Liddle Eve , Ali Salma , Short Roxanna
Published: June 2024

Previous literature increasingly recognizes the prevalence of childhood trauma (CT) history in forensic settings. Patients in forensic settings are likely to engage in self-harm, violence, and encounter multiple hospital admissions. We aimed to investigate CT history in a low secure forensic population and examine associations between specific types of CTs and three clinical outcomes: self-harm, in-hospital violence, and number of hospital admissions. A retrospective case file review was employed. A data capture sheet was developed using items from two Childhood Trauma Questionnaires. Data was collected from case files of male patients within a low secure forensic setting ( n = 93). CTs were documented if they occurred before the age of 18 years old. Associations were examined between CT and the clinical outcomes using a series of logistic regression analyses. Eighty-five percent of patients had experienced CT and 60.3% had been exposed to two or more types of CT. There were no significant associations between CT and the clinical outcomes. Findings expose the high prevalence of CT experienced by patients in a low secure hospital. Additionally, high rates of CT with low rates of PTSD also suggest potential diagnostic overshadowing. Findings are discussed with reference to trauma-informed care treatment approaches in forensic settings.
Long-Cycle Lithium Batteries with LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 Cathodes above 4.5V Enabled by Uniform Coating of Nanosized Garnet Electrolytes
Authors: Wang 王 Jianqun 建群 , Zhao 赵 Ning 宁 , Guo 郭 Xiangxin 向欣
Published: June 2024

The pursuit of high-energy cathode materials has been focused on raising the charging cutoff voltage of nickel (Ni)-rich layered oxide cathode such as LiNi0.8Co0.1Mn0.1O2 (NCM811). However, the NCM811 suffers from rapid capacity fading upon cycling at cutoff voltage higher than 4.5 V, owing to their structural degradation and labile surface reactivity. Surface-coating with solid electrolytes has been recognized as an effective method to mitigate the performance failure of NCM811 at high voltage. Herein, the nano-sized Li6.4La3Ta0.6Zr1.4O12 (LLZTO) is uniformly coated on the surface of single-crystal NCM811 particles, accompanied with the long-range Ta5+ diffusion into the transition metal layer of NCM811 lattice. It is revealed that the LLZTO coating can not only inhibit the surface reactions of NCM811 with liquid electrolytes but also play an important role in suppressing the bulk microcracking within the NCM811 particles. The incorporation of Ta5+ ion expands the lattice spacing and thereby improves the homogeneity of the Li+ diffusion in the single-crystal NCM811, which alleviates the mechanical strain and intragranular cracks caused by nonuniform phases-transformation at high charging voltage. The synergy of surface protection and structural stabilization realized by LLZTO coating enables the NCM811-based lithium batteries to achieve a remarkable electrochemical performance. Typically, LLZTO coated NCM811 delivers a high reversible specific capacity of 202.1 mAh⋅g−1 with an excellent capacity retention as high as 70% over 1000 cycles upon charging to 4.5 V at 1 C.
Stochastic electromechanical bidomain model
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Authors: Bendahmane M , Karlsen K H , Mroué F
Published: June 2024

We analyse a system of nonlinear stochastic partial differential equations (SPDEs) of mixed elliptic-parabolic type that models the propagation of electric signals and their effect on the deformation of cardiac tissue. The system governs the dynamics of ionic quantities, intra and extra-cellular potentials, and linearised elasticity equations. We introduce a framework called the active strain decomposition, which factors the material gradient of deformation into an active (electrophysiology-dependent) part and an elastic (passive) part, to capture the coupling between muscle contraction, biochemical reactions, and electric activity. Under the assumption of linearised elastic behaviour and a truncation of the nonlinear diffusivities, we propose a stochastic electromechanical bidomain model, and establish the existence of weak solutions for this model. To prove existence through the convergence of approximate solutions, we employ a stochastic compactness method in tandem with an auxiliary non-degenerate system and the Faedo–Galerkin method. We utilise a stochastic adaptation of de Rham’s theorem to deduce the weak convergence of the pressure approximations.
A sound-generating polarity detector for visually impaired students
Authors: Celikkanli Nuray Onder , Karadag Mustafa
Published: June 2024

This study aims to develop a polarity detector that generates sounds in two different patterns for positive and negative polarity, which enables visually impaired students to detect the polarity of electrically charged objects in static electricity experiments. The traditional electroscopes used in physics laboratories are not practical enough to determine the polarity of electrically charged objects. For visually impaired students to perform static electricity experiments on their own, there is a need for an electroscope that informs them about the polarity of electrically charged objects, for example, by generating sounds or vibrations in different patterns. With this motivation, we developed a sound-generating polarity detector with a small budget for two polarities. Visually impaired students and others can easily use such a digital educational tool in the physics laboratories. Physics teachers can use this laboratory tool as an educational material that reduces their workload, and it would be beneficial to bring it into the existing literature.
Efficient ECCD non-inductive plasma current start-up, ramp-up, and sustainment for an ST fusion reactor
Authors: Ono M. , Berkery J.W. , Bertelli N. , Shiraiwa S. , Delgado-Aparicio L. , Menard J.E. , Sánchez-Villar Á. , Shah K. , Shevchenko V. , Idei H. , Hanada K.
Published: June 2024

The elimination of the need for an Ohmic heating solenoid may be the most impactful design driver for the realization of economical compact fusion tokamak reactor systems. However, this would require fully non-inductive start-up and current ramp-up from zero plasma current and low electron temperature of sub-keV to the full plasma current of ∼10–15 MA at 20–30 keV electron temperature. To address this challenge, an efficient solenoid-free start-up and ramp-up scenario utilizing a low-field-side-launched extraordinary mode at the fundamental electron cyclotron harmonic frequency (X–I) is proposed, which has more than two orders of magnitude higher electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) efficiency than the conventional ECCD for the sub-keV start-up regime. A time dependent model was developed to simulate the start-up scenarios. For the Spherical Tokamak Advanced Reactor (STAR) (Menard et al 2023 Next-Step Low-Aspect-Ratio Tokamak Design Studies (IAEA)), it was found that to fully non-inductively ramp-up to 15 MA, it would take about 25 MW of EC power at 170 GHz. Because of the relatively large plasma volume of STAR, radiation losses must be considered. It is important to make sure that high Z impurities are kept sufficiently low during the early current start-up phase where the temperature is sub-keV range. Since the initial current ramp up takes place at a factor of ten lower density compared to the sustained regimes, it is important to transition into a higher bootstrap fraction discharge at lower density to minimize the ECCD power requirement during the densification. For the sustainment phase an array of eight gyrotron launchers with a total of about 60 MW of fundamental O-mode was found to be sufficient to provide the required axis-peaked external current drive. High efficiencies between 19–57 kA MW−1 were found with optimal aiming, and these were resilient to small changes in aiming angles and density and temperature profiles.
Properties of ethanol-based foamed asphalt binders using the molecular dynamics (MD) method
Authors: Yao Hui , Da Costa Santana Feriana , Wang Yiran
Published: June 2024

The molecular structure models of asphalt binder, ethanol additive, and ethanol-based foamed asphalt were constructed through the Molecular Dynamics (MD) method. The standard ethanol-based foamed asphalt model was employed to describe the modifier with its different compositions, including 10%, 20%, and 30% ethanol. The simulation calculations were done for the ethanol-based foamed asphalt molecular models under the NPT and NVT ensembles. The density, glass transition temperature, and radial distribution function of ethanol-based foamed asphalt molecular models were obtained to verify the rationalization of asphalt models and analyze the variation of density parameters with temperature and ethanol content for ethanol-based foamed asphalt molecular models. The results show that the simulated densities of the asphalt binder and three ethanol-based foamed asphalt molecular models remained constant with the increase of simulation steps. The simulated density values of basic and 10%-ethanol-based foamed asphalt molecular models are close to 0.9 g cm−3. The simulated densities of 20%-ethanol-based and 30%-ethanol-based foamed asphalt molecular models were 0.8 g cm−3 and 0.75 g cm−3. Meanwhile, the simulated density values of both asphalt binder and all ethanol-based foamed asphalt decreased with the increase in temperature and ethanol additive dosage. The glass transition temperatures of basic asphalt binder, 10%-ethanol-based, 20%-ethanol-based, and 30%-ethanol-based foamed asphalt occurred in the range of 275–295 K, 330–350 K, 330–350 K, and 320–340 K, respectively. In contrast, the glass transition temperature of ethanol-based foamed asphalt increased with the increase of ethanol additive dosage, indicating that adding ethanol additive significantly improved the high-temperature resistance of matrix asphalt. In the radial distribution function diagrams of all samples, the first strong peak appeared at 0.85–1.3 Å, and the second strong peak appeared at 1.95–2.35 Å. Moreover, both peaks increased with the increase of ethanol additive dosage, suggesting that the contact between ethanol molecules and asphalt molecules was closer with the rise of ethanol additive dosage.
The impact of bio-oil on the structure, rheology, and adhesion properties of lignin-modified asphalt
Authors: Wu Qun , Hou Guangzhen
Published: June 2024

This research investigates the efficacy of bio-oil as a sustainable modifier for lignin-modified asphalt (LMA), aiming to enhance its performance characteristics. Utilizing Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the study analyzes the chemical and microstructural changes induced by bio-oil in LMA. Rheological properties were evaluated using Dynamic Shear Rheometry (DSR), revealing that the addition of 5%–10% bio-oil to LMA significantly reduced stiffness and brittleness, improving ductility and fatigue resistance. For instance, LMAs with 10% bio-oil demonstrated a fatigue life at 2.5% strain comparable to unmodified asphalt. Additionally, bio-oil inclusion increased adhesive strength between asphalt and aggregates, enhancing moisture resistance. Low-temperature properties assessed by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed improved flexibility and thermal crack resistance with bio-oil addition. These findings underscore the potential of bio-oil in developing high-performance, sustainable asphalt binders, contributing to the advancement of eco-friendly road construction materials.
New ion-trap could help quantum computers to scale up
Authors: Boerkamp Martijn
Published: June 2024

Researchers have trapped ions with static magnetic and electric fields instead of an oscillating electromagnetic field, which could make it easier to use ions as building blocks for quantum computers.
Entangled photons used to enhance adaptive optical imaging
Authors: Steffel Catherine
Published: June 2024

Researchers in France and the UK have used the correlations between photons to produce sharper optical images.
An error-free quantum future
Authors: Brierley Steve
Published: June 2024

Steve Brierley argues that quantum computers must implement comprehensive error-correction techniques before they can become fully useful to society.
Nuclear safety
Authors: Gray Brian
Published: June 2024

A response to the February feature by Robert P Crease about the Reed Research Reactor, which is unique in being the only nuclear reactor in the US run by undergraduate students.
Broadband dielectric spectroscopy of Nb-doped 0.7BiFeO3–0.3BaTiO3 ceramics
Authors: Haronin V , Yang Z , Grigalaitis R , Calisir I , Banys J , Hall D A
Published: June 2024

Bismuth ferrite-barium titanate (BF-BT) solid solutions are lead-free ferroelectrics that show great promise as the basis for high temperature piezoelectric transducers. This article investigates the dielectric properties of such materials using broadband dielectric spectroscopy. The study focuses on the re-entrant relaxor ferroelectric behaviour of Nb-doped BF-BT ceramics, exploring a wide frequency range from approximately 20 Hz to 30 GHz and temperature from 200 to 500 K. The results reveal the presence of thermally induced transitions between ordered and disordered states. Quantitative analysis of the dielectric dispersion is accomplished using the Cole-Cole model, modified to account for the contribution from conduction losses at low frequencies/high temperatures. This analysis revealed that the freezing temperature of the polar nanoregions is around 158 K, with an activation energy of 0.194 eV. The findings contribute to understanding the dielectric relaxation mechanisms and thermal evolution of functional properties in BiFeO3-BaTiO3 ceramics.
Subtype-MGTP: a cancer subtype identification framework based on multi-omics translation
Authors: Xie Minzhu , Kuang Yabin , Song Mengyun , Bao Ergude
Published: June 2024

Motivation

The identification of cancer subtypes plays a crucial role in cancer research and treatment. With the rapid development of high-throughput sequencing technologies, there has been an exponential accumulation of cancer multi-omics data. Integrating multi-omics data has emerged as a cost-effective and efficient strategy for cancer subtyping. While current methods primarily rely on genomics data, protein expression data offers a closer representation of phenotype. Therefore, integrating protein expression data holds promise for enhancing subtyping accuracy. However, the scarcity of protein expression data compared to genomics data presents a challenge in its direct incorporation into existing methods. Moreover, striking a balance between omics-specific learning and cross-omics learning remains a prevalent challenge in current multi-omics integration methods.

Results

We introduce Subtype-MGTP, a novel cancer subtyping framework based on the translation of Multiple Genomics To Proteomics. Subtype-MGTP comprises two modules: a translation module, which leverages available protein data to translate multi-type genomics data into predicted protein expression data, and an improved deep subspace clustering module, which integrates contrastive learning to cluster the predicted protein data, yielding refined subtyping results. Extensive experiments conducted on benchmark datasets demonstrate that Subtype-MGTP outperforms nine state-of-the-art cancer subtyping methods. The interpretability of clustering results is further supported by the clinical and survival analysis. Subtype-MGTP also exhibits strong robustness against varying rates of missing protein data and demonstrates distinct advantages in integrating multi-omics data with imbalanced multi-omics data.

Availability and implementation

The code and results are available at https://github.com/kybinn/Subtype-MGTP.
Why there is Now Non-Western International Relations Theory
Authors: Xiao Ren
Published: June 2024

Over the past two decades, Chinese international relations scholars have embarked on a journey of innovative thinking in world politics. The endeavour has borne theoretical fruits that both complement existing paradigms and potentially constitute a distinct “Chinese school” of international relations. Contrary to common misconceptions, this emerging school seeks not to challenge Western theoretical hegemony outright, but rather to reflect the organic evolution of Chinese intellectual contributions, independent of direct government influence. Notably, such theories as gongsheng/symbiosis have, in diverging from Western IR frameworks, matured autonomously. The emergence of a “Chinese school” thus heralds a significant stride towards a more inclusive Global IR programme.
Application of artificial intelligence to chronic kidney disease mineral bone disorder
Authors: Lederer Eleanor D , Sobh Mahmoud M , Brier Michael E , Gaweda Adam E
Published: June 2024

The global derangement of mineral metabolism that accompanies chronic kidney disease (CKD-MBD) is a major driver of the accelerated mortality for individuals with kidney disease. Advances in the delivery of dialysis, in the composition of phosphate binders, and in the therapies directed towards secondary hyperparathyroidism have failed to improve the cardiovascular event profile in this population. Many obstacles have prevented progress in this field including the incomplete understanding of pathophysiology, the lack of clinical targets for early stages of chronic kidney disease, and the remarkably wide diversity in clinical manifestations. We describe in this review a novel approach to CKD-MBD combining mathematical modelling of biologic processes with machine learning artificial intelligence techniques as a tool for the generation of new hypotheses and for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches to this syndrome. Clinicians need alternative targets of therapy, tools for risk profile assessment, and new therapies to address complications early in the course of disease and to personalize therapy to each individual. The complexity of CKD-MBD suggests that incorporating artificial intelligence techniques into the diagnostic, therapeutic, and research armamentarium could accelerate the achievement of these goals.
Advancing PAM-less genome editing in soybean using CRISPR-SpRY
Authors: Chen Xiao , Zhong Zhaohui , Tang Xu , Yang Suxin , Zhang Yaohua , Wang Shoudong , Liu Yiqian , Zhang Ye , Zheng Xuelian , Zhang Yong , Feng Xianzhong
Published: June 2024

Although CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been rapidly applied in soybean genetic improvement, it is difficult to achieve the targeted editing of the specific loci in the soybean complex genome due to the limitations of the classical protospacer adjacent motif (PAM). Here, we developed a PAM-less genome editing system mediated by SpRY in soybean. By performing targeted editing of representative agronomic trait targets in soybean and evaluating the results, we demonstrate that the SpRY protein can achieve efficient targeted mutagenesis at relaxed PAM sites in soybean. Furthermore, the SpRY-based cytosine base editor SpRY-hA3A and the adenine base editor SpRY-ABE8e both can accurately induce C-to-T and A-to-G conversion in soybean, respectively. Thus, our data illustrate that the SpRY toolbox can edit the soybean genomic sequence in a PAM-free manner, breaking restrictive PAM barriers in the soybean genome editing technology system. More importantly, our research enriches soybean genome editing tools, which has important practical application value for precise editing and molecular design in soybean breeding.
An assessment of greenhouse gases emission from diesel engine by adding carbon nanotube to biodiesel fuel using machine learning technique
Authors: Beirami Ali Asghar Moslemi , Maghsoudlou Ebrahim , Nasrabadi Mohammadali , Sergeevna Klunko Natalia , Abdullaev Sherzod , Ibrahim Wubshet
Published: June 2024

Due to the depletion of fossil fuel reserves, the significant pollution produced during their combustion and the increasing costs, biodiesel sources have gained recognition as an attractive alternative energy source. The integration of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as a catalyst with biofuels such as biodiesel and bioethanol has the potential to optimize engine performance and reduce emissions when used in conjunction with diesel fuel. An emissions and performance prediction model for diesel engines is introduced in this research, utilizing biodiesel and CNTs in conjunction with machine learning. Due to its proficiency in forecasting systems with limited data, the emotional artificial neural network (EANN) model of machine learning was implemented. As an innovative approach, this study considers the following variables: fuel calorific value, fuel speed, engine density, viscosity, fuel consumption, exhaust gas temperature, oil temperature, oxygen output from exhaust gas, humidity, ambient temperature and ambient air pressure. The model was informed of every effective technical and functional environment parameter. This study additionally assessed the pollution and engine performance forecasts generated by the EANN model. Adding 5% biodiesel to gasoline fuel decreased carbon monoxide emissions while increasing torque and braking power, according to the findings. The fuel’s specific consumption increased. These findings were consistent with previous investigations. Moreover, as the concentration of CNTs in the fuel mixture increased, NOx, NO, CO2 and CO emissions decreased. The addition of 120 ppm of CNT to biodiesel–diesel fuel decreased emissions of CO, NO, NO2 and NO by 12.90%, 14.53%, 18.80% and 47.68%, respectively. The performance of the EANN model was found to be optimal when trained with the rectified linear unit activation function, as demonstrated by the evaluation results using various neurons.
Investigating the effect of effective parameters on the optimization of zero liquid discharge system
Authors: Mohammadi Sharare , Ahmadi Mohammad Hossein , Ehsani Ramin
Published: June 2024

Due to the critical water situation in the world and the need for freshwater, the use of desalination systems is very common. One of the main problems of using such devices is the production of a high-concentration brine stream, which causes environmental problems. Therefore, the need to use systems that reduce the level of salt water to zero (zero liquid discharge [ZLD]) is felt more than ever. The biggest challenge for the widespread implementation of thermal ZLD systems is its high energy consumption and, as a result, high cost. Therefore, we seek to find effective parameters to reduce the heat transfer surface and energy consumption to make it economic. In this research, it is possible to mention the inlet and outlet salinity, Overall heat transfer coefficients, evaporator temperature and cooling water temperature among the parameters investigated in the evaporator and the parameters investigated in the crystallizer include the operating temperature of the crystallizer and steam temperature in the heat exchanger. The results showed that the most optimal state (the lowest total heat transfer surface and energy consumption) of the ZLD system in the overall heat transfer coefficient in the evaporator is equal to 4 kW/m2 °C. The total heat transfer surface is equal to 2258.78 m2 and energy consumption is 2111.5 kW.
Electric vehicle battery equalization technology applied to vehicle-to-grid
Authors: Zeng Shunqi , Ma Xiangzhui , Hu Linlin , Su Hengxun , Yu Qi , Li Li , Chen Yunpeng
Published: June 2024

Electric vehicles (EVs) do not rely on oil and are in line with the low-carbon concept; vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology can quickly and flexibly dispatch the energy storage of EVs, which has an extensive development prospect. Automotive battery equalization technology can allow many series-connected lithium-ion batteries in EVs to be fully charged and discharged simultaneously, significantly improving the battery pack's available capacity and operational safety. Considering the actual needs of EVs, the optimized buck-boost-based equalization circuit is proposed, which has the advantages of simplicity, small size, and high reliability. Meanwhile, this article presents the optimized voltage-based equalization control strategy, which has the advantages of convenient control and is easy to implement. It analyzes in detail the working principle of the proposed equalization technology and its applicability to EVs. A test platform is built for testing, and the results show that the consistency of battery cells in the battery pack is significantly improved under three working conditions: resting, charging, and discharging. The experimental results prove the feasibility of the proposed strategy.
Nano-thermal energy storage system for application in solar cooker
Authors: Sivaramakrishnaiah M , Reddy B Surya Prakash , Subhanjeneyulu P V , Sreenivasulu N , Veeralingam B , Paramasivam Prabhu , Gurulakshmi B V
Published: June 2024

Most of the household relies on an LPG cooking stove for meal preparation, with approximately 20 crore families across India consuming 1.5 lakh crores of LPG annually. Due to their dependency on open areas, present solar cookers are useless at night and morning, restricting usage to the afternoon despite sufficient solar radiation for 9–10 months. Phase-change materials and expensive thermal energy storage (TES) devices are needed for conventional solar thermal power facilities. An economical TES system using parabolic sun dish collectors is needed to decrease LPG import costs and pollution. In response, this project aims to design a solar parabolic dish collector coupled with a TES system, utilizing specially engineered carbon bricks to enhance heat storage and retrieval capacities while reducing initial costs. Employing ANSYS-CFX software, the TES system undergoes thorough examination. Computational fluid dynamics analysis is conducted to evaluate heat transfer coefficients for both the hot fluid, responsible for heating the bricks, and the cold fluid, which cools them. The results reveal heat transfer coefficients ranging from 15 to 20 W/m2 K for the hot fluid and 25 to 40 W/m2 K for the cold fluid, with the latter demonstrating higher coefficients attributed to air’s higher density compared to the hot fluid’s lower density. Overall, the TES system exhibits an estimated heat transfer coefficient of 20–25 W/m2 K, facilitating efficient heating and recovery of heat.
Study on the effects of low-carbon education on the carbon emissions of college students: a case study in Guangdong Province
Authors: Junting Zhang , Shun Lyu , Zefeng Chen
Published: June 2024

College students are the main force in low-carbon society and social governance, and therefore, their awareness of low-carbon is of vital importance. This article indicates a case study about the effects of low-carbon education on the carbon emissions of college students. In 2019, low-carbon education was promoted on the campus of Shunde Polytechnic and questionnaire survey and interview method were used to study the carbon emissions and low-carbon behaviors of college students after 3 years. Based on the results, the carbon emissions of college students in the aspects of food and daily use accounted for 53.8% and 40.8%, respectively, of the total carbon emissions. In the aspect of food, wine and staple foods accounted for a higher proportion. Their per capital carbon emissions were 291.536 kg and 454.651 kg, respectively. The main contributor to daily use was laptops, which emitted 530.351 kg of carbon per capital. The carbon emissions of clothing, housing, and transportation were relatively low. It is found that low-carbon facilities and measures and low-carbon living environments in colleges have a very positive effect on the reduction of carbon emissions of college students. But the disunity between knowing and doing is still common among college students. Therefore, further measures must be taken to improve the situation.
Gap Between Lyapunov Exponents for Hitchin Representations
Authors: Costantini Matteo , Martin-Baillon Florestan
Published: June 2024

We study Lyapunov exponents for flat bundles over hyperbolic curves defined via parallel transport over the geodesic flow. We consider them as invariants on the space of Hitchin representations and show that there is a gap between any two consecutive Lyapunov exponents. Moreover we show that the minimal possible gap for any two consecutive Lyapunov exponents is achieved if and only if the representation is the one uniformizing the hyperbolic structure of the surface. We give two proofs of the previous fact. In the first one, we relate the Lyapunov exponents to a transverse Lyapunov exponent associated to a deformation of the unstable foliation of the geodesic flow, and we establish a general bound for this quantity. In the second one, we relate Lyapunov exponents to the renormalized intersection product in the setting of the thermodynamic formalism developed by Bridgeman, Canary, Labourie, and Sambarino and we use the already existing bound for such a quantity.