bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy of neck muscle activation versus strengthening for adults with chronic cervical radiculopathy: a study protocol for a randomised clinical trial
Authors: Sharmin Farzana , Hossain K M Amran , Kabir Feroz , Hossain Md. Zahid , Jahan Sharmila , Rahman Ehsanur , Islam Md. Aminul
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Chronic cervical radiculopathy is a common condition characterised by neck and arm pain, numbness and weakness. Both neck muscle activation and strengthening exercises are widely recognised treatments for cervical radiculopathy, but there is a research gap on the efficacy of neck muscle activation versus strengthening. This protocol will determine the efficacy of neck muscle activation alongside conventional care versus strengthening exercise and conventional care for cervical radiculopathy.

Methods and analysis

We planned a 5-week parallel, two-arm randomised clinical trial on 80 participants with chronic cervical radiculopathy (lasting over 3 months) between July and December 2023. Participants will be recruited from Dhaka’s Agrani Specialised Physiotherapy Centre in Bangladesh and randomly assigned to two groups in a 1:1 ratio. Both groups will receive 14 sessions, each lasting 30–45 min. Post-treatment evaluations will be employed on Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), range of motion, craniovertebral angle (CVA), strength, endurance and Neck Disability Index (NDI) after 5 weeks and follow-up after 12 weeks of post-test analysis. Primary outcomes (strength, endurance and CVA) will be measured using a handheld dynamometer, digital inclinometer and goniometer. Secondary outcomes (pain, range of motion and disability) will be assessed through the BPI scale, digital inclinometer and NDI.

Ethics and dissemination

The Institute of Physiotherapy Rehabilitation and Research of Bangladesh Physiotherapy Association has approved the study. All participants will provide informed consent, and data will be anonymised and accessible only to authorised personnel. The study’s findings will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

Clinical trial registry India

CTRI/2023/09/057587 (13/09/2023)
Twenty-five year occupational homicide mortality trends in North Carolina: 1992–2017
Authors: Martin Chelsea L , Richardson David , Richey Morgan , Nocera Maryalice , Cantrell John , McClure Elizabeth S , Martin Amelia T , Marshall Stephen W , Ranapurwala Shabbar
Published: February 2024

Introduction

Determining industry of decedents and victim–perpetrator relationships is crucial to inform and evaluate occupational homicide prevention strategies. In this study, we examine occupational homicide rates in North Carolina (NC) by victim characteristics, industry and victim–perpetrator relationship from 1992 to 2017.

Methods

Occupational homicides were identified from records of the NC Office of the Chief Medical Examiner system and the NC death certificates. Sex, age, race, ethnicity, class of worker, manner of death, victim–perpetrator relationship and industry were abstracted. Crude and age-standardised homicide rates were calculated as the number of homicides that occurred at work divided by an estimate of worker-years (w-y). Rate ratios and 95% CIs were calculated, and trends over calendar time in occupational homicide rates were examined overall and by industry.

Results

456 homicides over 111 573 049 w-y were observed. Occupational homicide rates decreased from 0.82 per 100 000 w-y for the period 1992–1995 to 0.21 per 100 000 w-y for the period 2011–2015, but increased to 0.32 per 100 000 w-y in the period 2016–2017. Fifty-five per cent (252) of homicides were perpetrated by strangers. Taxi drivers experienced an occupational homicide rate that was 110 times (95% CI 76.52 to 160.19) the overall occupational homicide rate in NC; however, this rate declined by 76.5% between 1992 and 2017. Disparities were observed among workers 65+ years old, racially and ethnically minoritised workers and self-employed workers.

Conclusion

Our findings identify industries and worker demographics that experienced high occupational homicide fatality rates. Targeted and tailored mitigation strategies among vulnerable industries and workers are recommended.
Lessons learnt in evidence-based perioperative pain medicine: changing the focus from the medication and procedure to the patient
Authors: Lirk Philipp , Schreiber Kristin L
Published: February 2024

Over time, the focus of evidence-based acute pain medicine has shifted, from a focus on drugs and interventions (characterized by numbers needed to treat), to an appreciation of procedure-specific factors (characterized by guidelines and meta-analyses), and now anesthesiologists face the challenge to integrate our current approach with the concept of precision medicine. Psychometric and biopsychosocial markers can potentially guide clinicians on who may need more aggressive perioperative pain management, or who would respond particularly well to a given analgesic intervention. The challenge will be to identify an easily assessable set of parameters that will guide perioperative physicians in tailoring the analgesic strategy to procedure and patient.
Intensive training programme for ultrasound-guided minimally invasive synovial tissue biopsy on knees and wrists in different phases of inflammation
Authors: Coletto Lavinia Agra , Marino Valentina , Rizzo Chiara , Goulas Natacha , Rubortone Pietro , Verardi Lucrezia , Gaggiano Emanuela , Bruno Dario , D’Antonio Arianna , Gessi Marco , Di Mario Clara , Tolusso Barbara , Bui Laura , Benvenuto Roberta , Chimenti Maria Sole , Guggino Giuliana , Ciccia Francesco , Caporali Roberto , Gremese Elisa , Lizzio Marco Maria , D’Agostino Maria-Antonietta , Alivernini Stefano
Published: February 2024

Objectives

To develop an intensive training programme for ultrasound (US)-guided synovial tissue (ST) biopsy on knees and wrists in inflammatory arthritis and to assess the learning curve, patient tolerability, sample quality and trainees’ expectations.

Methods

Active or remission rheumatoid arthritis patients were enrolled. Nine trainees joined the 4-month programme in a centre experienced in performing US-guided ST biopsies consisting of four sequential phases: (1) observation, (2) performance of guided step-by-step phases, (3) execution of the whole procedure on paired joints (knees or wrists) of the same patient in parallel with the trainer and (4) performance of the procedure autonomously. Sample representativity was assessed by histology, and procedure-related adverse events were recorded. Before and after the programme, trainees’ expectations and perceptions were collected.

Results

328 ST biopsy procedures were included. The rate of trainees’ informative samples was: (1) comparable to the trainers in active and remission knees, but lower in active wrists (70% for trainees vs 100% for trainers, p=0.06) in phase 3; (2) excellent on active knees and wrists (91.9% and 90.9% respectively) but lower (77.6%, p=0.0089) on remission knees in phase 4. Procedures performed by trainees did not affect patient tolerability. Trainees’ expectations about procedure-related invasiveness and pain infliction decreased while the difficulty of procedure execution on active wrists and remission knees remained perceived as moderately difficult.

Conclusions

This intensive training programme develops advanced skills in the performance of US-guided ST biopsy on knees and wrists, yielding high-quality specimens available for basic and translational studies on inflammatory joint diseases.
Female reproductive histories and the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Liang Chen , Chung Hsin-Fang , Dobson Annette , Sandin Sven , Weiderpass Elisabete , Mishra Gita D
Published: February 2024

Background

Female reproductive factors may influence the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) through the female hormonal environment, but studies on this topic are limited. This study aimed to assess whether age at menarche, number of children, infertility, miscarriage, stillbirth and age at natural menopause were associated with the risk of COPD.

Methods

Women from three cohorts with data on reproductive factors, COPD and covariates were included. Cause specific Cox regression models were adjusted for birth year, race, educational level, body mass index and pack years of smoking, stratified by asthma, and incorporating interaction between birth year and time. Between cohort differences and within cohort correlations were taken into account.

Results

Overall, 2 83 070 women were included and 10 737 (3.8%) developed COPD after a median follow-up of 11 (IQR 10–12) years. Analyses revealed a U shaped association between age at menarche and COPD (≤11 vs 13: HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.23; ≥16 vs 13: HR 1.24, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.27). Women with three or more children (3 vs 2: HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.17; ≥4 vs 2: HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.28 to 1.40), multiple miscarriages (2 vs 0: HR 1.28, 95% CI 1.24 to 1.32; ≥3 vs 0: HR 1.36, 95% CI 1.30 to 1.43) or stillbirth (1 vs 0: HR 1.38, 95% CI 1.25 to 1.53; ≥2 vs 0: HR 1.67, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.10) were at a higher risk of COPD. Among postmenopausal women, earlier age at natural menopause was associated with an increased risk of COPD (<40 vs 50–51: HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.63 to 1.75; 40–44 vs 50–51: HR 1.42, 95% CI 1.38 to 1.47).

Conclusions

Multiple female reproductive factors, including age at menarche, number of children, miscarriage, stillbirth, and age at natural menopause were associated with the risk of COPD.
Feynman checkers: External electromagnetic field and asymptotic properties
Authors: Ozhegov Fedor
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we study Feynman checkers, one of the most elementary models of electron motion. It is also known as a one-dimensional quantum walk or an Ising model at an imaginary temperature. We add the simplest non-trivial electromagnetic field and find the limits of the resulting model for small lattice step and large time, analogous to the results by Narlikar from 1972 and Grimmet–Jason–Scudo from the 2000s. It turns out that the limits in the model with the added field are obtained from the ones without field by mass renormalization. Also, we find an exact solution of the resulting model.
Light cones for open quantum systems in the continuum
Authors: Breteaux Sébastien , Faupin Jérémy , Lemm Marius , Ou Yang Dong Hao , Sigal Israel Michael , Zhang Jingxuan
Published: February 2024

We consider Markovian open quantum dynamics (MOQD) in the continuum. We show that, up to small-probability tails, the supports of quantum states evolving under such dynamics propagate with finite speed in any finite-energy subspace. More precisely, we prove that if the initial quantum state is localized in space, then any finite-energy part of the solution of the von Neumann–Lindblad equation is approximately localized inside an energy-dependent light cone. We also obtain an explicit upper bound for the slope of this light cone.
A Parallel Convolutional Network Based on Spiking Neural Systems
Authors: Zhou Chi , Ye Lulin , Peng Hong , Liu Zhicai , Wang Jun , Ramírez-De-Arellano Antonio
Published: February 2024

Deep convolutional neural networks have shown advanced performance in accurately segmenting images. In this paper, an SNP-like convolutional neuron structure is introduced, abstracted from the nonlinear mechanism in nonlinear spiking neural P (NSNP) systems. Then, a U-shaped convolutional neural network named SNP-like parallel-convolutional network, or SPC-Net, is constructed for segmentation tasks. The dual-convolution concatenate (DCC) and dual-convolution addition (DCA) network blocks are designed, respectively, in the encoder and decoder stages. The two blocks employ parallel convolution with different kernel sizes to improve feature representation ability and make full use of spatial detail information. Meanwhile, different feature fusion strategies are used to fuse their features to achieve feature complementarity and augmentation. Furthermore, a dual-scale pooling (DSP) module in the bottleneck is designed to improve the feature extraction capability, which can extract multi-scale contextual information and reduce information loss while extracting salient features. The SPC-Net is applied in medical image segmentation tasks and is compared with several recent segmentation methods on the GlaS and CRAG datasets. The proposed SPC-Net achieves 90.77% DICE coefficient, 83.76% IoU score and 83.93% F1 score, 86.33% ObjDice coefficient, 135.60 Obj-Hausdorff distance, respectively. The experimental results show that the proposed model can achieve good segmentation performance.
Heuristic optimal transport in branching networks
Authors: Andrecut M.
Published: February 2024

Optimal transport aims to learn a mapping of sources to targets by minimizing the cost, which is typically defined as a function of distance. The solution to this problem consists of straight line segments optimally connecting sources to targets, and it does not exhibit branching. These optimal solutions are in stark contrast with both natural, and man-made transportation networks, where branching structures are prevalent. Here, we discuss a fast heuristic branching method for optimal transport in networks. We also provide several numerical applications to synthetic examples, a simplified cardiovascular network, and the “Santa Claus” distribution network which includes 141[Formula: see text]182 cities around the world, with known location and population.
Effect of PCM-filled hallow fin heat sink for cooling of electronic components — a numerical approach for thermal management perspective
Authors: Ohol Sandeep , Mathew V. K. , Bhojwani Virendra , Patil Naveen G. , Barmavatu Praveen
Published: February 2024

This paper aims at the PCM-based heat sink for electronic cooling. In the present analysis, paraffin wax-based phase change material (PCM), in 3-fin and 4-fin hollow heat sinks with the proper volume of PCM in the temperature of the electronic components can be controlled. The PCM-filled heat sinks are placed on top of the high heat-generating integrated circuit (IC) components. The aim is to reduce the maximum temperature of the electronic components and keep them below their critical temperature, hence increasing the life of the IC chips. A correlation is put forward for dimensionless temperature ([Formula: see text]) in terms of heat flux ([Formula: see text]), volume content ([Formula: see text]) and size of the IC chips ([Formula: see text]). It has been found that there will be a 4–[Formula: see text]C drop in temperature when compared to solid fins heat sinks. It is confirmed that the temperature of the IC chip is a strong function of heat flux, size and volume content of PCM.
Phytochemistry of Red Ginseng, a Steam-Processed Panax ginseng
Authors: Wang Chong-Zhi , Zhang Chun-Feng , Zhang Qi-Hui , Yuan Chun-Su
Published: February 2024

Asian ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer, occupies a prominent position in the list of best-selling natural products in the world. There are two major types of ginseng roots: white ginseng and red ginseng, each with numerous preparations. White ginseng is prepared by air-drying fresh Asian ginseng roots after harvest. Red ginseng is prepared by steaming roots in controlled conditions using fresh or raw Asian ginseng. Red ginseng is commonly used in Asian countries due to its unique chemical profile, different therapeutic efficacy, and increased stability. Compared with the widespread research on white ginseng, the study of red ginseng is relatively limited. In this paper, after a botanical feature description, the structures of different types of constituents in red ginseng are systematically described, including naturally occurring compounds and those resulting from the steam processing. In red ginseng phytochemical studies, the number of published reports on ginsenosides is significantly higher than that for other constituents. Up to now, 57 ginsenosides have been isolated and characterized in red ginseng. The structural transformation pathways during steaming have been summarized. In comparison with white ginseng, red ginseng also contains other constituents, including polyacetylenes, Maillard reaction products, other types of glycosides, lignans, amino acids, fatty acids, and polysaccharides, which have also been presented. Appropriate analytical methods are necessary for differentiating between unprocessed white ginseng and processed red ginseng. Specific marker compounds and chemical profiles have been used to discriminate red ginseng from white ginseng and adulterated commercial products. Additionally, a brief phytochemical profile comparison has been made between white ginseng and black ginseng, and the latter is another type of processed ginseng prepared from white or red ginseng by steaming several times. In conclusion, to ensure the safe and effective use of red ginseng, phytochemical and analytical studies of its constituents are necessary and even crucial.
Taraxacum: A Review of Ethnopharmacology, Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activity
Authors: Hao Fusheng , Deng Xinxin , Yu Xin , Wang Wen , Yan Wei , Zhao Xi , Wang Xiaofei , Bai Changcai , Wang Zhizhong , Han Lu
Published: February 2024

Taraxacum refers to the genus Taraxacum, which has a long history of use as a medicinal plant and is widely distributed around the world. There are over 2500 species in the genus Taraxacum recorded as medicinal plants in China, Central Asia, Europe, and the Americas. It has traditionally been used for detoxification, diuresis, liver protection, the treatment of various inflammations, antimicrobial properties, and so on. We used the most typically reported Taraxacum officinale as an example and assembled its chemical makeup, including sesquiterpene, triterpene, steroids, flavone, sugar and its derivatives, phenolic acids, fatty acids, and other compounds, which are also the material basis for its pharmacological effects. Pharmacological investigations have revealed that Taraxacum crude extracts and chemical compounds contain antimicrobial infection, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, anti-oxidative, liver protective, and blood sugar and blood lipid management properties. These findings adequately confirm the previously described traditional uses and aid in explaining its therapeutic applications.
A Drone-Driven Delivery Network Design for an On-Demand O2O Platform Considering Hazard Risks and Customer Heterogeneity
Authors: Sun Xuting , Li Xinhang
Published: February 2024

Nowadays, the online-to-offline (O2O) retailers provide on-demand delivery service for online orders by their own fleets and riders. An intelligent delivery network lays an important foundation to support cost-effective delivery service in the long run. Drones have great potential to revolutionize the instant delivery industry regarding cost and timeliness, while the hazard risks to humans and the environment should be seriously considered through sophisticated network design. In this paper, we propose a framework for a drone-driven intelligent delivery network design problem with the consideration of the multi-dimensional risk map, which needs to determine store location, drone fleet size and allocation, customer assignment, customer delivery mode selection, and delivery routing. A bi-objective non-linear programming model is formulated to maximize profit and minimize integrated risks as well. To tackle large instances, a modified NSGA-III algorithm is developed, which is incorporated with problem-specific search operators and Pareto local search to obtain Pareto solutions efficiently. Real-world data-based numerical experiments are conducted to verify the performance of the modified NSGA-III algorithm compared to the modified NSGA-II. A case study based on the geographical information in Shanghai is analyzed to validate the effectiveness of the proposed model. Moreover, sensitivity analysis is presented to evaluate the effects of multiple parameters on the drone delivery service network design. Some managerial insights are obtained for the O2O retailer who offers on-demand delivery service through online platform.
Nonextensive statistics and the entropy on the horizon
Authors: Maleki Mahnaz , Ebadi Zahra , Mohammadzadeh Hosein
Published: February 2024

We explore the application of nonextensive Bose statistics to describe the behavior of an ideal gas near the horizon of black holes, presenting a compelling case for its efficacy as an effective theory for interacting bosons. The central focus is on the careful selection of a nonextensive parameter, a critical aspect that enables the derivation of the correct entropy on the black hole horizon. Remarkably, this approach aligns with the well-established Bekenstein–Hawking entropy, showcasing the utility of nonextensive Bose statistics in capturing the thermodynamic properties of particles near black hole horizons. The study contributes to our understanding of fundamental interactions in extreme gravitational environments and provides a novel perspective on the statistical mechanics of black hole thermodynamics.
On automorphisms of certain free nilpotent-by-abelian Lie algebras
Authors: Kofinas C. E. , Papistas A. I.
Published: February 2024

For a positive integer [Formula: see text], let [Formula: see text] be a free (nilpotent of class 2)-by-abelian and abelian-by-(nilpotent of class 2) Lie algebra of rank n. We show that the subgroup of [Formula: see text] generated by the tame automorphisms and a countably infinite set of explicitly given automorphisms of [Formula: see text] is dense in [Formula: see text] with respect to the formal power series topology.
A FRACTAL MODIFICATION OF THE PSEUDO-PARABOLIC EQUATION AND ITS GENERALIZED FRACTAL VARIATIONAL PRINCIPLE
Authors: WANG KANG-JIA , LI SHUAI , XU PENG , SHI FENG
Published: February 2024

In this work, a new fractal pseudo-parabolic equation is derived by means of He’s fractal derivative. The semi-inverse method (SIM) is employed to develop the generalized fractal variational principle (GFVP), which can reveal the energy conservation law in the fractal space and provide some new insights on the study of the variational method.
STUDY ON EPOXY RESIN/MULTI-WALLED CARBON NANOTUBES CONDUCTIVE COATING ON AZ31 MAGNESIUM ALLOY AFTER MICRO-ARC OXIDATION
Authors: ZHANG C. , WANG C. , JIANG B. , SONG R. G.
Published: February 2024

After micro-arc oxidation, the surface properties of AZ31 magnesium alloy have been improved. However, micro-arc oxidation treatment leads to high insulation, which limits its application in electronic devices. To increase conductivity, a conductive coating was developed by adding multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to the epoxy resin. The microstructure and performance of the coating were tested by SEM, thermogravimetric analyzer, four-probe conductivity meter, high-temperature friction and wear tester, and electrochemical workstation. The results indicate that the optimal conductivity with a resistivity of 303[Formula: see text][Formula: see text]m is obtained when the MWCNT content is at 4[Formula: see text]wt%. In addition, MWCNTs are filled with a network structure of epoxy resin, which increases the density of the coating and enhances their wear and corrosion resistance.
EXPERIMENTAL, TRIBOLOGICAL STUDIES ON SINTERED Al–xV2O5–2B4C COMPOSITES USING BIO-OILS
Authors: SELVAKUMAR N. , MOHANASUNDARAM S.
Published: February 2024

This reports the tribological behavior of sintered aluminum composite with bio-oil as lubricant. The composite is fabricated by powder metallurgy route, and the aluminum is reinforced with the particles V2O5 and B4C. The bio-lubricant oil is Pongamia, Jatropha, and blended Pongamia with Jatropha of equal volume. The wear test was carried out at the sliding speed of 3[Formula: see text]m/s and load ranging up to 180 N, and the wear behavior of Al–xV2O5–2B4C composite. Then the composite’s friction coefficient and weight loss were tested on a pin-on-disc tribometer. Further, pinworn surfaces were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope. The mix of Pongamia with Jatropha of equal volume resulted in a good change in specific wear rate and coefficient of friction of composites.
EFFECT OF RANDOM DISTRIBUTION AND SHORT-RANGE ORDERING OF SOLUTES ON THE MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF NANOCRYSTALLINE Cu–Ag ALLOYS
Authors: ZHANG FENG , TANG QIAOYUN , ZHI YOURAN , WANG DEYONG , YANG LIU
Published: February 2024

The effects of solute random distribution (RSS) before relaxation and solute short-range ordering (SRO) after relaxation on the mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline Cu–Ag alloys were analyzed by molecular dynamics simulation. It has been found that the mechanical properties of Cu–Ag alloy mechanics with SRO were better than those of Cu–Ag alloy mechanics with RSS. Specifically, during the whole tensile process, compared with sample #1 with SRO structure, sample #2 with RSS structure has stronger strain–stress response ability, more obvious phase transformation process, and narrower shear strain zone on the grain boundary. Furthermore, when the number of Voronoi seeds is examined concerning the mechanical properties of the nanocrystalline Cu–Ag alloy, it becomes apparent that the average flow stress drops as the quantity of Voronoi seeds increases.
On the consistency of ZF with an elementary embedding from Vλ+2 into Vλ+2
Authors: Schlutzenberg Farmer
Published: February 2024

According to a theorem due to Kenneth Kunen, under ZFC, there is no ordinal [Formula: see text] and nontrivial elementary embedding [Formula: see text]. His proof relied on the Axiom of Choice (AC), and no proof from ZF alone is has been discovered.

[Formula: see text] is the assertion, introduced by Hugh Woodin, that [Formula: see text] is an ordinal and there is an elementary embedding [Formula: see text] with critical point [Formula: see text]. And [Formula: see text] asserts that [Formula: see text] holds for some [Formula: see text]. The axiom [Formula: see text] is one of the strongest large cardinals not known to be inconsistent with AC. It is usually studied assuming ZFC in the full universe [Formula: see text] (in which case [Formula: see text] must be a limit ordinal), but we assume only ZF.

We prove, assuming ZF [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] “[Formula: see text] is an even ordinal”, that there is a proper class transitive inner model [Formula: see text] containing [Formula: see text] and satisfying ZF [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] “there is an elementary embedding [Formula: see text]”; in fact we will have [Formula: see text] ⊆[Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] witnesses [Formula: see text] in [Formula: see text]. This result was first proved by the author under the added assumption that [Formula: see text] exists; Gabe Goldberg noticed that this extra assumption was unnecessary. If also [Formula: see text] is a limit ordinal and [Formula: see text]-DC holds in [Formula: see text], then the model [Formula: see text] will also satisfy [Formula: see text]-DC.

We show that ZFC [Formula: see text] “[Formula: see text] is even” [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text] implies [Formula: see text] exists for every [Formula: see text], but if consistent, this theory does not imply [Formula: see text] exists.
The mouse set theorem just past projective
Authors: Rudominer Mitch
Published: February 2024

We identify a particular mouse, [Formula: see text], the minimal ladder mouse, that sits in the mouse order just past [Formula: see text] for all [Formula: see text], and we show that [Formula: see text], the set of reals that are [Formula: see text] in a countable ordinal. Thus [Formula: see text] is a mouse set.

This is analogous to the fact that [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] is the sharp for the minimal inner model with a Woodin cardinal, and [Formula: see text] is the set of reals that are [Formula: see text] in a countable ordinal.

More generally [Formula: see text]. The mouse [Formula: see text] and the set [Formula: see text] compose the next natural pair to consider in this series of results. Thus we are proving the mouse set theorem just past projective.

Some of this is not new. [Formula: see text] was known in the 1990s. But [Formula: see text] was open until Woodin found a proof in 2018. The main goal of this paper is to give Woodin’s proof.
Study on the Fundamental Frequency and Dynamic Mode of Traveling Wave Vibration of Rotating PJCS
Authors: Hao Y. X. , Sun L. , Zhang W. , Li H. , Li W. , Yang S. W.
Published: February 2024

The vibrations of rotating joined conical–conical shells with classical supported conditions have been studied extensively. As a matter of fact, in some cases, these classical boundary conditions cannot exactly model actual situations. Moreover, theoretical frameworks on them are still limited. This research aims to investigate the fundamental frequencies and dynamic mode shapes of the traveling wave of the rotating porous metal material joined conical–conical thin shells (PJCS) with elastic supports. By utilizing artificial spring technology, arbitrary elastic supported boundary conditions and classical boundary conditions are achieved efficiently. A new dynamic model has been formulated with the help of the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT) and Hamilton’s principle. By employing the generalized differential quadrature (GDQ) method along with stress boundary conditions and generalized eigenvalues, various factors such as porosity, semi-vertex angles and stiffness are analyzed for their impact on the fundamental frequencies of forward wave (FW), backward wave (BW) and mode shapes. The presented results are validated through the convergence and comparison studies from literatures. The interesting and novel results indicate that the in-plane displacement constraints have the most significant impact on the critical speed, while the lateral displacement constraint has the least effect. The vibrations are more easily excited for the part with a larger half vertex angle. Rotating PJCS with Type 1 has the biggest critical rotating speed.
Dynamic Response of Buried Natural Gas Pipelines under Horizontal Directional Drilling Loads
Authors: zhang Kai , Chen Liqiong , He Ting , Xu Duo , Huang Weihe , Yang Song , Zeng Zhiqiang
Published: February 2024

Due to the unobservable nature of underground construction and the destructive nature of horizontal directional drilling rigs with high power, this type of construction has become one of the most important causes of failure of long-distance natural gas pipelines. In recent years, horizontal directional drilling construction has caused pipeline accidents frequently. Once the accident occurs, the normal operation of natural gas pipelines cannot be ensured. Therefore, studying the damage mechanism of buried natural gas pipelines under horizontal directional drilling loads is important for the safe operation of pipelines. This paper combines the construction characteristics of horizontal directional drilling and the actual situation of natural gas pipelines to explore the relationship between horizontal directional drilling and pipelines. The force situation of pipelines after contacting directional drilling bits is analyzed by the drill bit-soil-pipe finite element model created in the ABAQUS software. The Johnson–Cook ductile damage model was utilized to determine the pipe’s damage condition. The sensitivity analysis results show that he order of the impact of key parameters on the dynamic response of the pipe is bit thrust [Formula: see text] wall thickness [Formula: see text] bit diameter [Formula: see text] pipe diameter [Formula: see text] bit speed [Formula: see text] number of bit teeth [Formula: see text] pipe operating pressure. Therefore, priority should be given to controlling the size of the drilling thrust and the speed of the drill bit to reduce the damage to pipelines by horizontal directional drilling construction. In addition, appropriately reducing the pipeline operating pressure can also reduce the risk of the pipeline being damaged by horizontal directional drilling construction.
A Novel Operational Strain Modal Identification Method Based on Strain Power Spectrum Density Transmissibility (SPSDT)
Authors: Wang Shi-Dong , Ren Wei-Xin , Lu Lian
Published: February 2024

Compared with conventional displacement modal analysis, the strain modal analysis has remarkable advantages in structural damage detection. Identifying the operational strain modal parameters directly from only dynamic strain time–history response measurements of a structure under operational conditions is a challenging issue. In this paper, the strain power spectrum density transmissibility (SPSDT)-based approach is presented to identify the operational strain modal parameters. The SPSDT is first defined by selecting a strain response measurement point as a reference. It is then theoretically proved that the defined SPSDT converges to the ratio of strain mode amplitudes at the system poles. Based on this unique property, the SPSDT matrix is constructed by selecting different strain response measurement points as the references. Singular value decomposition (SVD) is implemented in the matrix at the system pole. The first left singular vector is used to estimate strain mode shape. A simulated three-span continuous beam, a simply supported beam model tested in the laboratory and a full-size arch bridge tested in field are employed to verify the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed SPSDT-based operational strain modal identification method. The obtained results are compared with those of other available methods. It is found that a good agreement is achieved. It is demonstrated that the proposed SPSDT-based method is capable of identifying the operational strain modal parameters of a structure where only the dynamic strain time–history responses are measured. The proposed SPSDT-based method does not need white noise assumption under a single load condition.
The Puzzling of Stefan–Boltzmann Law: Classical or Quantum Physics
Authors: Reggiani Lino , Alfinito Eleonora
Published: February 2024

Stefan–Boltzmann law, stating the fourth power temperature dependence of the radiation emission by a black-body, was empirically formulated by Stefan in 1874 by fitting existing experiments and theoretically validated by Boltzmann in 1884 on the basis of a classical physical model involving thermodynamics principles and the radiation pressure predicted by Maxwell equations. At first sight the electromagnetic (EM) gas assumed by Boltzmann and following Rayleigh (1900) identifiable as an ensemble of N classical normal-modes, looks like an extension of the classical model of the massive ideal-gas. Accordingly, for this EM gas the internal total energy, U, was assumed to be function of volume V and temperature T as [Formula: see text], and the equation of state was given by [Formula: see text], with P the radiation pressure. In addition, Boltzmann implicitly assumed that, for given values of V and T, U and the number of modes N would take finite values. However, from one hand these assumptions are not justified by Maxwell equations and classical statistics since, in vacuum (i.e., far from the EM sources), the values of N and U diverge, the so-called ultraviolet catastrophe introduced by Ehrenfest in 1911. From another hand, Boltzmann derivation of Stefan law is found to be macroscopically compatible with its derivation from quantum statistics announced by Planck in 1901. In this paper, we present a justification of this puzzling classical/quantum compatibility by noticing that the implicit assumptions made by Boltzmann is fully justified by Planck quantum statistics. Furthermore, we shed new light on the interpretation of recent classical simulations of a black body carried out by Wang, Casati, and Benenti in 2022 who found an analogous puzzling consistency between Stefan–Boltzmann law and their simulations to induce speculations on classical physics and black body radiation that are claimed to require a critical reconsideration of the role of classical physics for the understanding of quantum mechanics.
The proper class generated by τ-supplements
Authors: Özdemi̇r Salahattin , Türkoğlu Zübeyi̇r
Published: February 2024

In this paper, we study supplement submodules with respect to a torsion class of any torsion theory, generalizing the concepts of sa-supplement, extended S-supplement, Rad-supplement submodules, etc. We give some homological properties of this class of modules, which forms a proper class, and use them to characterize some rings in terms of those certain modules.
Asymptotic expansion for convection-dominated transport in a thin graph-like junction
Authors: Mel’nyk Taras , Rohde Christian
Published: February 2024

We consider for a small parameter [Formula: see text] a parabolic convection–diffusion problem with Péclet number of order [Formula: see text] in a three-dimensional graph-like junction consisting of thin curvilinear cylinders with radii of order [Formula: see text] connected through a domain (node) of diameter [Formula: see text] Inhomogeneous Robin type boundary conditions, that involve convective and diffusive fluxes, are prescribed both on the lateral surfaces of the thin cylinders and the boundary of the node. The asymptotic behavior of the solution is studied as [Formula: see text] i.e. when the diffusion coefficients are eliminated and the thin junction is shrunk into a three-part graph connected in a single vertex. A rigorous procedure for the construction of the complete asymptotic expansion of the solution is developed and the corresponding energy and uniform pointwise estimates are proved. Depending on the directions of the limit convective fluxes, the corresponding limit problems [Formula: see text] are derived in the form of first-order hyperbolic differential equations on the one-dimensional branches with novel gluing conditions at the vertex. These generalize the classical Kirchhoff transmission conditions and might require the solution of a three-dimensional cell-like problem associated with the vertex to account for the local geometric inhomogeneity of the node and the physical processes in the node. The asymptotic ansatz consists of three parts, namely, the regular part, node-layer part, and boundary-layer one. Their coefficients are classical solutions to mixed-dimensional limit problems. The existence and other properties of those solutions are analyzed.
Antibacterial Activity of Prepared Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles by Eco-Friendly Method Using Olive Leaves and Roselle Flower Extracts
Authors: Muslim Abeer M. , Naji Iqbal S.
Published: February 2024

This research looked at the antimicrobial properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) made from roselle flower extracts and olive leaves as part of a green synthesis method. We used field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to study the morphological, structure and optical properties of ZnO NPs. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) test revealed that the ZnO NPs (Olive leaves) had round particles with sizes ranging from 29.03[Formula: see text]nm to 53.59[Formula: see text]nm, while the ZnO NPs (Roselle flower) had nanoflakes with sizes ranging from 42[Formula: see text]nm to 80[Formula: see text]nm. By using UV–vis spectroscopy, it was found that the optical energy gap for ZnO NPs derived from olive leaves was about 2[Formula: see text]eV and for ZnO NPs derived from rose flowers it was 2.2[Formula: see text]eV. The antimicrobial properties of ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were assessed against two types of bacteria: gram-negative bacteria (Klebsiella pneumoniae) and gram-positive bacteria Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Both plant extracts exhibited a maximal inhibitory zone of 21[Formula: see text]mm against gram-positive bacteria, specifically S. aureus.
Task-Oriented Self-Imitation Learning for Robotic Autonomous Skill Acquisition
Authors: Ran Chenyang , Su Jianbo
Published: February 2024

The inferior sample efficiency of reinforcement learning (RL) and the requirement for high-quality demonstrations in imitation learning (IL) will hinder their application in real-world robots. To address this challenge, a novel self-evolution framework, named task-oriented self-imitation learning (TOSIL), is proposed. To circumvent external demonstrations, the top-K self-generated trajectories are chosen as expert data from both per-episode exploration and long-term return perspectives. Each transition is assigned a guide reward, which is formulated by these trajectories. The guide rewards update as the agent evolves, encouraging good exploration behaviors. This methodology guarantees that the agent explores in the direction relevant to the task, improving sample efficiency and asymptotic performance. The experimental results on locomotion and manipulation tasks indicate that the proposed framework outperforms other state-of-the-art RL methods. Furthermore, the integration of suboptimal trajectories has the potential to improve the sample efficiency while maintaining performance. This is a significant advancement in autonomous skill acquisition for robots.
Anthology: Cognitive Developmental Humanoids Robotics
Authors: Asada Minoru
Published: February 2024

This paper explores the confluence of physical embodiment and social interaction in the context of Cognitive Developmental Humanoid Robotics (CDHR). By classifying varied interactions through developmental stages of the “self” and their interaction spheres, the discussion unearths profound insights into the composite nature of developmental processes. It presents a multi-dimensional exploration through different interaction scenarios, ranging from fetus-mother interactions to advanced large language models like ChatGPT, revealing the intrinsic connection between the physical and social realms of existence. In conclusion, this paper broadens the horizon of our understanding of the intricate interplays between physical embodiment and social interaction, setting the stage for more nuanced, ethically sound approaches and explorations in the realm of humanoid robotics and artificial intelligence.
The Reform of Classroom Teaching Quality Evaluation Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process and Convolutional Neural Network
Authors: Zhao Jinku
Published: February 2024

Classroom teaching evaluation is one of the important contents of the new round of basic education curriculum reform in China. The new curriculum reform puts forward new requirements for the construction of the teaching evaluation system: promoting the all-round development of students, promoting the continuous improvement of teachers’ level, and promoting the curriculum of continuous development. However, from the current situation of the implementation of the new curriculum, the original teaching evaluation system is far from the requirements of the new curriculum reform, and does not have much practical value, and cannot provide strong support for the new curriculum reform. If it is not reformed, it will inevitably have a negative impact on the overall promotion of curriculum reform. How to improve classroom teaching evaluation under the background of the new curriculum reform, and how to establish a teaching evaluation scale and system suitable for the new curriculum reform, so as to play the role of evaluation in guiding, motivating and promoting, is an urgent problem to be solved at present. By referring to the relevant literature, the concepts of evaluation, teaching evaluation and classroom teaching evaluation are defined and discussed, and the object of classroom teaching evaluation is clarified.
Business Strategy and M&A Transactions
Authors: Liu Shiang , Yang Changyu
Published: February 2024

This paper establishes the relation between the target’s business strategy and M&A transactions. We find that acquirers purchasing an innovation-oriented firm (prospector) experience significantly lower announcement returns and worse long-run operating performance than when they purchase an efficiency-oriented firm (defender). The effect is more pronounced for the acquirer with severe agency problems. Further analysis finds that synergies can be obtained from combining business strategies. We also show that acquirers respond to the presence of a prospector target by using stock payment in their offers.
Sweeping JET actuator for the control of flow separation on a hump airfoil
Authors: Zhao Tong , Bai Yalei , Gao Chuanyu , Ding Lei , Huang Da , Wang Wanbo
Published: February 2024

Flow control can effectively improve lift and delay flow separation. Sweeping jet (SWJ) actuators have attracted increasing interest for as active flow control actuators. In this paper, the characteristics of the SWJ actuator were studied through large-eddy simulation and experiments. It was discovered that the oscillation frequency of the SWJ actuator is directly proportional to the mass flow rate, and its working principle was determined. Subsequently, SWJ actuators with [Formula: see text], 1.9%, and 6.6% were applied to flow control on the hump airfoil. It was observed that with an increase in momentum coefficient, the SWJ actuator was able to push the shear layer toward the hump airfoil surface, leading to a reduction in the size of the separation vortex.

At [Formula: see text], it was achieved that the reattachment point of the separation vortex shifted upstream from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text], and the separation vortex size essentially disappeared. During the investigation of the flow control mechanism of the SWJ actuator, it was found that the SWJ actuator periodically generates a separation vortex V1, which has entrainment effects, resulting in the formation of an external jet on the airfoil surface, effectively inhibiting flow separation.
Real-Time UAV Trajectory Prediction for UTM Surveillance Using Machine Learning
Authors: Ruseno Neno , Lin Chung-Yan
Published: February 2024

The Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) surveillance plays an important role in monitoring the safety compliance of UAV flights within specific operational zones. However, the quality of data reception from UAVs depends on transmission signal quality, leading to variable data latency during flights. As a means of addressing this issue and improving UAV operational safety, trajectory prediction emerges as a promising solution. This study aims to implement real-time trajectory prediction through the integration of machine learning techniques within the UTM surveillance system using Broadcast Remote ID. To facilitate this, a homemade receiver for broadcast Remote ID is developed using the ESP32 microcontroller. Subsequently, two distinctive flight tests are executed using a DJI Phantom 4 UAV. In the first flight, UAV trajectory data are used to serve as training input for the machine learning algorithms. The second flight focuses on the implementation of real-time trajectory prediction. The trajectory prediction model uses inputs such as latitude, longitude, height, speed, direction, latency time, and the Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI). Through an analysis of the first flight’s offline data, the Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) algorithm is preferred to the Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) algorithm. The outcomes of the second flight test prove the feasibility of the GRU-based trajectory prediction. The GRU model successfully produces real-time predictions during UAV flight, showcasing accuracy levels similar to those derived from offline prediction analyses with short processing time. This real-time trajectory prediction could improve the safety of UAV operation by providing the estimated position when the latency time is higher than the threshold.