bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stacked Framework for Ensemble of Heterogeneous Classification Algorithms
Authors: David H. Benjamin Fredrick , Suruliandi A. , Raja S. P.
Published: May 2021

Ensemble methods fabricate a sequence of classifiers for classifying fresh instances by procuring a weighted vote of their individual predictions. Toning down the error and increasing accuracy is an avant-garde problem in ensemble classification. This paper presents a novel generic object-oriented voting and weighting adapted stacking framework for utilizing an ensemble of classifiers for prediction. This universal framework operates based on the weighted average of the probabilities of any suite of base learners and the final prediction is the aggregate of their respective votes. For illustrative purposes, three familiar heterogeneous classifiers, such as the Support Vector Machine, [Formula: see text]-Nearest Neighbor and Naïve Bayes, are utilized as candidates for ensemble classification using the proposed stacked framework. Further, the ensemble classifier built upon the framework is compared with others and evaluated using various cross-validation levels and percentage splits on a range of benchmark datasets. The outcome distinguishes the framework from the competition. The proposed framework is used to predict the crime propensity of prisoners most accurately, with 99.9901% accuracy.
Surprising coercivity increment of sintered Ce–Fe–B magnets: Ce partly substituted by La
Authors: Liao Lele , Zhao Wei , Liu Ying , Li Jun
Published: May 2021

Aiming at refining the unideal microstructure and magnetic performance of sintered Ce–Fe–B magnets, La was introduced into the alloy. The role of La addition on the microstructure and magnetic properties revolution of Ce–Fe–B magnet was investigated in this study. The results suggested that La substitution could obstacle the phase structure deterioration during sintering process and maintained high 2:14:1 phase proportion. Meanwhile, uniform grain size and continuous RE-rich grain boundary phase appeared with La addition, which could be attributed to the segregation behaviors of La element and enhanced oxidation resistance with more 2:14:1 phase. The coercivity showed noteworthy increase from 2.93 kOe to 4.78 kOe under the synergetic effect of maintained 2:14:1 phase proportion, uniform RE2Fe[Formula: see text]B grain and even RE-rich phase distribution. This work indicated that La could act as a useful additive to obtain the cost-effective magnetic materials with moderate performance.
Elastocaloric effect in zinc oxide nanowire
Authors: Patel Satyanarayan , Kumar Manish
Published: May 2021

In this work, zinc oxide (ZnO) nanowire is proposed for elastocaloric application which has been overlooked until now. The elastocaloric effect ([Formula: see text]CE) is calculated by Maxwell relation. The large elastocaloric temperature and entropy change evaluated as 17 K and 28 J/kgK, respectively, at 300 K correspond to the stress of 12 GPa or strain of 5.5% by the simulation data. The elastocaloric temperature can be increased to 22 K under the operating tempering of 600 K. However, [Formula: see text]CE estimated from the experimental data is found as 2.6 K at 300 K, which corresponds to stress of 6 GPa. These results are expected to significantly expand the knowledge of ZnO nanomaterials as a potential candidate for [Formula: see text]CE. The results are based on the indirect approximation; hence, a direct measurement is needed to verify the obtained results.
Electroplating of copper/microdiamond composites and the effect of diamond surface functionalization
Authors: Naruse Yuto , Park Jae-Hyeok , Hagio Tkeshi , Kamimoto Yuki , Ichino Ryoichi , Bessho Takeshi
Published: May 2021

Compositing diamonds with high thermally conductive metals, such as copper, have attracted much attention in recent years. In this study, we prepared copper/diamond composites by electroplating and investigated the effect of the surface functionalization of diamond on the interfacial adhesion of copper and diamond in the composite. Oxygen-containing groups were introduced on the diamond surface by a hydrothermal treatment and amino groups were further introduced using a silane coupling agent. Surface functionalization of diamond with both these groups led to drastically increased wettability against the copper sulfate solution and improved the interfacial adhesion of copper and diamond in the composite. Compared with that of the plating based on pristine diamond, the thermal conductivity of the platings based on diamond functionalized with oxygen-containing groups and amino groups increased by 42 and 31 W m[Formula: see text] K[Formula: see text], respectively. Thus, diamond surface functionalization effectively improved the adhesion at the copper/diamond interface in electroplated copper/diamond composites.
Evaluating yield strength of Ni-based superalloys via high throughput experiment and machine learning
Authors: Liu Feng , Wang Zexin , Wang Zi , Qin Zijun , Li Zihang , Jiang Liang , Huang Lan , Tan Liming , Liu Yong
Published: May 2021

Yield strength (YS) is a key factor during design and application of Ni-based superalloys with complex compositions, hence it is of great significance to evaluate the YS prior to manufacturing. In this work, alloy diffusion-multiple technology was employed as a high-throughput way to yield the hardness dataset. Based on the composition and other descriptors, Pearson correlation coefficients, stability selection and feature importance were used to select the efficient feature variables. Thereafter, six different machine learning models were applied to predict the YS. Finally, the individual and interaction effect of Co and Mo could be effectively detected by the Gaussian process regression (GPR) model. The optimum composition of Ni-based superalloys with the largest YS at room temperature was determined using the trained GPR model and genetic algorithm. This method can be extended to predict the YS in other multicomponent alloys, such as Ti alloys, Co-based alloys, and high entropy alloys.
Low-Ti gabbroic pluton in Dali, SW China: new evidence for back-arc lithospheric melting inducing early-stage magmatism of the Emeishan large igneous province
Authors: Zhu Bei , Guo Zhaojie , Zhang Shaonan , Ye Ning , Lu Ziye , Huang Baiwen
Published: May 2021

The Emeishan large igneous province (LIP) was emplaced on the western Yangtze plate during the Permian and its formation is primarily attributed to a mantle plume. Recent research has shown that material from this plume modified the melts in the Palaeotethys subduction zone. However, it remains poorly understood whether, in turn, the subduction of Palaeotethys affected the formation of the Emeishan LIP. We report here geochronological, petrological, geochemical and isotopic studies of a gabbroic intrusion located in Jiangwei, in the Dali area of the Emeishan LIP. The gabbro has a weighted mean SHRIMP U–Pb age of
c.
262 Ma. The key geochemical features include: depletion in Nb, Ta and Ti; enrichment in Th, U and Sr; low light to heavy rare earth element ratios;
87
Sr/
86
Sr
(t)
values of
c.
0.707; and

ε

Nd
(t)
values of
c.
−0.21. We conducted pMELTS thermodynamic modelling and batch-melting calculations to evaluate the origin and evolution of the gabbro based on real components of low-Ti picrites and xenoliths from the Yangtze lithosphere. Our results show that 3% melting of a hydrated spinel peridotite source from the Yangtze lithosphere can produce magma equivalent to the gabbroic intrusion. Integrating this conclusion with the tectonic background of the western Yangtze plate and the volcano-stratigraphic record of the Emeishan LIP, we infer that the early-stage magmatism of the Emeishan LIP was triggered by Palaeotethys back-arc extension with fluid modification from the subducting slab.

Supplementary material:
Tables S1–S7 are available at
https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5433267
The stratigraphy of the Kimmeridge Clay Formation (Jurassic) of the Vale of Pickering, Yorkshire, UK
Authors: Gallois Ramues
Published: May 2021

The Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation (KCF) underlies much of the Vale of Pickering where it is almost wholly concealed by the Cretaceous Speeton Clay Formation and Quaternary deposits. There are few KCF inland or coastal exposures in Yorkshire with the result that the succession was stratigraphically poorly known until the 1970s oil crisis when the British Geological Survey drilled continuously cored boreholes at Marton and Reighton to examine the formation as a possible source of hydrocarbons. These were supplemented in 1987 by continuously cored boreholes drilled at Marton, Reighton, Ebberston and Flixborough by the Institut Français du Pétrole for hydrocarbons research. Taken together, the boreholes have enabled the lithological, palaeontological, geochemical and geophysical characters of the full thickness of the formation to be examined. Comparison of the KCF successions proved in Yorkshire with those in the adjacent North Sea, the East Midlands and the Dorset coast type area, shows marked variations in thickness related to penecontemporaneous faulting. However, there are only minor variations in the lithologies and faunas at any particular stratigraphical level. This appears to be due to a combination of Milankovitch-driven climatic fluctuations and pulsed variations in sea level which combined to produce similar depositional conditions throughout the English KCF at any one time. The chronostratigraphical classification of the KCF developed in southern England has therefore been shown to be applicable to the Yorkshire outcrop and the southern North Sea. The changes in sea level may be eustatic rather than regional events, but there is insufficient palaeontological evidence to enable them to be correlated with confidence with those of the standard Jurassic sea-level curve.
Inductive Contextual Relation Learning for Personalization
Authors: Zhang Chuxu , Yao Huaxiu , Yu Lu , Huang Chao , Song Dongjin , Chen Haifeng , Jiang Meng , Chawla Nitesh V.
Published: May 2021

Web personalization, e.g., recommendation or relevance search, tailoring a service/product to accommodate specific online users, is becoming increasingly important. Inductive personalization aims to infer the relations between existing entities and unseen new ones, e.g., searching relevant authors for new papers or recommending new items to users. This problem, however, is challenging since most of recent studies focus on transductive problem for existing entities. In addition, despite some inductive learning approaches have been introduced recently, their performance is sub-optimal due to relatively simple and inflexible architectures for aggregating entity’s content. To this end, we propose the inductive contextual personalization (ICP) framework through contextual relation learning. Specifically, we first formulate the pairwise relations between entities with a ranking optimization scheme that employs neural aggregator to fuse entity’s heterogeneous contents. Next, we introduce a node embedding term to capture entity’s contextual relations, as a smoothness constraint over the prior ranking objective. Finally, the gradient descent procedure with adaptive negative sampling is employed to learn the model parameters. The learned model is capable of inferring the relations between existing entities and inductive ones. Thorough experiments demonstrate that ICP outperforms numerous baseline methods for two different applications, i.e., relevant author search and new item recommendation.
Exploiting Real-time Search Engine Queries for Earthquake Detection: A Summary of Results
Authors: Zhang Qi , Zhu Hengshu , Liu Qi , Chen Enhong , Xiong Hui
Published: May 2021

Online search engine has been widely regarded as the most convenient approach for information acquisition. Indeed, the intensive information-seeking behaviors of search engine users make it possible to exploit search engine queries as effective “crowd sensors” for event monitoring. While some researchers have investigated the feasibility of using search engine queries for coarse-grained event analysis, the capability of search engine queries for real-time event detection has been largely neglected. To this end, in this article, we introduce a large-scale and systematic study on exploiting real-time search engine queries for outbreak event detection, with a focus on earthquake rapid reporting. In particular, we propose a realistic system of real-time earthquake detection through monitoring millions of queries related to earthquakes from a dominant online search engine in China. Specifically, we first investigate a large set of queries for selecting the representative queries that are highly correlated with the outbreak of earthquakes. Then, based on the real-time streams of selected queries, we design a novel machine learning–enhanced two-stage burst detection approach for detecting earthquake events. Meanwhile, the location of an earthquake epicenter can be accurately estimated based on the spatial-temporal distribution of search engine queries. Finally, through the extensive comparison with earthquake catalogs from China Earthquake Networks Center, 2015, the detection precision of our system can achieve 87.9%, and the accuracy of location estimation (province level) is 95.7%. In particular, 50% of successfully detected results can be found within 62 s after earthquake, and 50% of successful locations can be found within 25.5 km of seismic epicenter. Our system also found more than 23.3% extra earthquakes that were felt by people but not publicly released, 12.1% earthquake-like special outbreaks, and meanwhile, revealed many interesting findings, such as the typical query patterns of earthquake rumor and regular memorial events. Based on these results, our system can timely feed back information to the search engine users according to various cases and accelerate the information release of felt earthquakes.
The Blossoming of Economic Epidemiology
Authors: McAdams David
Published: May 2021

Infectious diseases, ideas, new products, and other infectants spread in epidemic fashion through social contact. The COVID-19 pandemic, the proliferation of fake news, and the rise of antimicrobial resistance have thrust economic epidemiology into the forefront of public policy debate and reinvigorated the field. Focusing for concreteness on disease-causing pathogens, this review provides a taxonomy of economic-epidemic models, emphasizing both the biology/immunology of the disease and the economics of the social context. An economic epidemic is one whose diffusion through the agent population is generated by agents’ endogenous behavior. I highlight properties of the equilibrium epidemic trajectory and discuss ways in which public health authorities can change the game for the better by ( a) imposing restrictions on agent activity to reduce the harm done during a viral outbreak and ( b) enabling diagnostic-informed interventions to slow or even reverse the rise of antibiotic resistance.
Choice in Insurance Markets: A Pigouvian Approach to Social Insurance Design
Authors: Hendren Nathaniel , Landais Camille , Spinnewijn Johannes
Published: May 2021

Should choice be offered in social insurance programs? This review presents a conceptual framework that identifies the key forces determining the social value of offering choice. We show that the value of offering choice is higher the larger the variation in individual valuations for extra insurance is, but it gets reduced by both selection on risk and selection on moral hazard. Besides adverse selection, the implementation of choice-based policies is further challenged by the presence of choice frictions or the obligation to offer basic uncompensated care. All these inefficiencies can be seen as externalities that do not rationalize the absence of providing choice per se but point to the need for regulatory policies and suggest the potential value of corrective pricing à la Pigou. Applying this framework to the existing evidence on these forces in the context of unemployment insurance, we find that offering insurance choice can be valuable even in the presence of significant adverse selection. We conclude by showing how this framework can constitute a fruitful guide for further empirical research in different insurance domains.
Social Finance
Authors: Kuchler Theresa , Stroebel Johannes
Published: May 2021

We review an empirical literature that studies the role of social interactions in driving economic and financial decision-making. We first summarize recent work that documents an important role of social interactions in explaining household decisions in housing and mortgage markets. This evidence shows, for example, that there are large peer effects in mortgage refinancing decisions and that individuals’ beliefs about the attractiveness of housing market investments are affected by the recent house price experiences of their friends. We also summarize recent work showing that social interactions affect the stock market investments of both retail and professional investors as well as household financial decisions such as retirement savings, borrowing, and default. Along the way, we describe a number of easily accessible recent data sets for the study of social interactions in finance, including the Social Connectedness Index, which measures the frequency of Facebook friendship links across geographies. We conclude by outlining several promising directions for further research in the field of social finance.
From Torrents to Trickles: Irrigation's Future in Africa and Asia
Authors: Ringler Claudia
Published: May 2021

Irrigation has been a key component of agricultural intensification and transformation in Asia and has the potential to take on the same role in Sub-Saharan Africa. Irrigation has contributed to increased food production, lower food prices, higher rural employment, and overall agricultural and economic growth. At the same time, irrigation—through its large consumptive water use—has accelerated water depletion, degradation, and pollution; moreover, it has benefitted richer farmers more than poorer farmers. This article reviews the contributions and challenges of irrigation and identifies a series of measures to increase the sustainability and equity of irrigation going forward.
Determination of Chloramphenicol by a New Electrochemically Activated Glassy Carbon Electrode in Sodium Sulfate Medium
Authors: Peng Rui , Gao Yanmei , Chen Wen
Published: May 2021

In this paper, a two-step method combining potentiometry and cyclic voltammetry (CV) was used to prepare the activated glassy carbon electrode (GCE), and a new and simple analytical method for the determination of chloramphenicol (CAP) by using the activated GCE in the new activation medium of 0.1 mol l−1 Na2SO4 was established. The optimum activation conditions were as follows: polarized at 1.75 V (vs SCE) for 320 s and scanned for 10 cycles in the potential ranging from −1.2 V to 1.0 V with CV at 150 mV s−1. Afterward, the electrochemically Na2SO4 medium activated GCE (SSA-GCE) was prepared. The reduction peak current of CAP at −0.64 V (vs SCE) was 13.11 times higher than that of bare GCE under the optimal analytical conditions. The prepared SSA-GCE showed fast surface electron transfer rate, high repeatability, good stability with linear ranges of 0.2 to 2 μmol l−1 and 2 to 50 μmol l−1, and detection limit (S/N = 3) of 0.017 μmol l−1. The SSA-GCE was applied in the detection of CAP in aquaculture water. The recovery was between 95.0% and 103.6%, indicating that SSA-GCE was suitable for the determination of CAP in aquaculture water, and the mechanism of electrode reaction was discussed.
Doping and Stress Induced Raman Shifts in Pd-Decorated CVD Grown Graphene
Authors: Kumar Rakesh
Published: May 2021

In this article, we study the interactions of graphene and Pd by using Raman spectroscopy. Graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method was decorated with Pd films with varying thickness ranging from 5 to 25 nm. It has been shown that the positions of both G and 2D peaks in Raman spectra of Pd-graphene (Pd-G) composite are shifted in both sides of the main peaks of graphene and highly dependent on the thickness of the Pd over layer. A blue shift in both G and 2D bands has been observed for lower Pd thickness (≤10 nm). This blue shift is the resultant of the holes doping in graphene due to a work function difference between graphene and Pd. However, strain-induced red shifts in these Raman bands of graphene have been observed for higher Pd thickness (≥15 nm).
Improved pH-Sensing Characteristics by Pt Nanoparticle-Decorated ZnO Nanostructures
Authors: Chu Yen-Lin , Young Sheng-Joue , Dai Hong-Ru , Lee Yi-Mu , Khosla Ajit , Chu Tung-Te , Ji Liang-Wen
Published: May 2021

In this article, the znic oxide (ZnO) nanorods (NRs) and Pt-nanoparticles (NPs) decorated on ZnO (Pt@ZnO) NRs based on extended-gate field-effect-transistor (EG-FET) sensor were prepared and expolred through a simple hydrothermal method (HTM) and a direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering system (0 and 30 s). The results showed that all crystals preferentially grew in the c-axis direction. The ZnO and Pt@ZnO pH sensors are also called ps-0 and ps-30. The Pt sheet as reference electrode was used to test the sensitivity and linearity of buffer solutions with various pH values. It was found that both of them revealed good linearity and sensitivity, and ps-30 sample showed notably enhanced sensing characteristic. As a result, the average current and voltage sensitivities of the ps-0 samples were 15.50 μA pH−1 and 28.95 mV pH−1, and linearity curves were 0.990 and 0.978, whereas that of the ps-30 samples were 47.82 μA pH−1 and 49.83 mV pH−1 with a linearity of 0.985 and 0.994, respectively. Furthermore, the ps-30 samples have superior output response voltage, which demonstrated that the devices will be extremely useful in pH-sensing applications.
Tri-Layer Structure ZnGa2O4-Based Resistive Random Access Memory
Authors: Chang Sheng-Po , Huang Wei-Lun , Huang Liang-Wei , Pan Sheng-Ying , Lai Wei-Chih , Chang Shoou-Jinn
Published: May 2021

This study aimed to improve the performance of RRAM cell with switching layer of ZnGa2O4. We used radio frequency magnetron sputtering system to insert two layers of gallium-related oxide materials, Al0.05Ga0.95O and In0.9Ga0.1O, into the resistance-switching layer. The on/off ratio can be increased from 101 to 102 by inserting Al0.05Ga0.95O layer. Moreover, with the aids of In0.9Ga0.1O layer, reset voltage of the RRAM device can be reduced to −0.7 V. The heterostructure effectively increases the on/off ratio and lowers the working voltage of the device, which not only improves the memory characteristics but also decreases the power consumption. In addition, the heterojunction memory can switch between high- and low-resistance states more than 100 times and keep stable at each state for 10000 s at room temperature.
Tantalum Doping to Improve Switching Characteristics and Bias Stress Stability of Amorphous Indium-Gallium-Zin Oxide Thin-Film Transistors
Authors: Baek Seung-Ryum , Kim Jong-Ho , Lee Tae-Ju , Seong Tae-Yeon
Published: May 2021

In this study, Ta atoms were incorporated into amorphous indium-gallium-zinc oxide (a-IGZO) films to improve the subthreshold switching (SS) characteristics and bias stress stability of thin-film transistors (TFTs). As the Ta content (CTa) was increased, field-effect mobility gradually was decreased and threshold voltage (VTH) was shifted toward positive value. Further, the IGZO TFTs with CTa ≤ 0.2 at% exhibited smaller SS, and bulk channel layer trap and interfacial trap densities than the undoped IGZO TFTs. Further, the undoped-IGZO TFT experienced a large positive VTH shift during the positive and negative tests. However, the IGZO TFTs with CTa = 0.15 and 0.2 at% demonstrated smaller VTH shift than the undoped sample. X-ray photoemission spectroscopy results showed that the optimum content of Ta (CTa) (e.g., CTa = 0.15 and 0.2 at%) could effectively reduce the carrier trapping defects by suppressing the formation of oxygen vacancies and reducing the impurities in the IGZO films. These results indicate that optimum Ta content is effective in improving the bias stress stability and SS of the IGZO TFTs.
Effects of Downstream Plasma Exposure on β-Ga2O3 Rectifiers
Authors: Xia Xinyi , Xian Minghan , Fares Chaker , Ren Fan , Kim Junghun , Kim Jihyun , Tadjer Marko , Pearton Stephen J.
Published: May 2021

The effects of downstream plasma exposure with O2, N2 or CF4 discharges on Si-doped Ga2O3 Schottky diode forward and reverse current-voltage characteristics were investigated. The samples were exposed to discharges with rf power of 50 W plasma at a pressure of 400 mTorr and a fixed treatment time of 1 min to simulate dielectric layer removal, photoresist ashing or surface cleaning steps. Schottky contacts were deposited through a shadow mask after exposure to avoid any changes to the surface. A Schottky barrier height of 1.1 eV was obtained for the reference sample without plasma treatment, with an ideality factor of 1.0. The diodes exposed to CF4 showed a 0.25 V shift from the I–V of the reference sample due to a Schottky barrier height lowering around 14%. The diodes showed a decrease of Schottky barrier height of 2.5 and 6.5% with O2 or N2 treatments, respectively. The effect of plasma exposure on the ideality factor of diodes treated with these plasmas was minimal; 0.2% for O2 and N2, 0.3% for CF4, respectively. The reverse leakage currents were 1.2, 2.2 and 4.8 μA cm−2 for the diodes treated with O2, and CF4, and N2 respectively. The effect of downstream plasma treatment on diode on-resistance and on-off ratio were also minimal. The changes observed are much less than caused by exposure to hydrogen-containing plasmas and indicate that downstream plasma stripping of films from Ga2O3 during device processing is a relatively benign approach.
A Initial Exploration of Coupled Transient Mechanical and Electrochemical Behaviors in Lithium Ion Batteries
Authors: Hodson Thomas , Patil Shripad , Steingart Daniel
Published: May 2021

Lithium-ion batteries represent a dominant technology in the current energy storage market. However, many aspects of these batteries are still poorly understood, and proper engineering of these aspects will lead to increased cycle life and performance parameters. In particular, the electrode/electrolyte interface is still an actively researched topic and is notoriously difficult to study. An ultrasound acoustic characterization technique is introduced to probe the electrode/electrolyte interface in operando using signal amplitude analysis. This technique gives insight into lithium ion concentration accumulation and depletion at the electrode/electrolyte interface, and these findings are consistent with Dualfoil model simulations.
Experiment and Applications of Dynamic Constitutive Model of Tensile and Compression Damage of Sandstones
Authors: Dong Chunliang , Lu Xiaoyu , Zhao Guangming , Meng Xiangrui , Li Yingming , Cheng Xiang
Published: May 2021

A dynamic constitutive model of tensile and compressive damage was constructed on the basis of the ZWT and statistical damage models, particularly by introducing the maximum tension and maximum shear stress criteria to solve the failure problem of the surrounding rock mass caused by deep excavation unloading. A shock compression and splitting test of sandstone specimens under different strain rates were performed by using a split Hopkinson pressure bar (SHPB). The constitutive model was developed again by LS‐DYNA for the secondary numerical impact compression and split test of sandstones. Results demonstrated that the constructed dynamic constitutive model of tensile and compressive damage could considerably simulate tensile and compressive stress‐strain relations and failure features of sandstones well. Lastly, the constitutive model was applied to conduct a numerical study on damage distribution and failure laws of the surrounding rocks at Gaochou Roadway, Luling Mine under cyclic excavation unloading. Results showed that the unloading failure of surrounding rocks has significant accumulation effects, and the accumulated damage on the floor is larger than those on the roof and roadway walls. The maximum breaking and damage depths are 0.4 m and 5.31 m, respectively. Circumferential damage showed an “umbrella‐shaped” distribution pattern. With respect to trend, the damage accumulation effect at the rear part of the excavation face is stronger than that at the front part and the maximum influence distance is 6.4 m. However, the influencing degree of the accumulation effect attenuates gradually as advancing into the excavation face. The reliability of the numerical simulation is verified by combining the test results of the field geological radar on the roadway roof.
Method, Design, and Evaluation of an Exoskeleton for Lifting a Load In Situ
Authors: Li Xin , Li Weihao , Li Qiang
Published: May 2021

Due to the unclear application scenarios and force analysis of exoskeletons, there exists a research gap in exoskeleton design. This paper presents a design method and realization of an exoskeleton for a specific scenario of lifting a load in situ. Firstly, the lifting motion process and its data were collected based on a 3-D motion capture system and dynamometer treadmill system. Then, the variations of the torque and motion of each joint were obtained from the data analysis, based on which an active assistance mode for upper limbs and a passive assistance mode for lower limbs were demonstrated. In this design, the hydraulic cylinder for shoulder assistance, the motor for elbow assistance, and the spring for lower limb assistance were calculated and selected according to the motion and torque of each joint. Finally, subjective and objective methods were used to evaluate the exoskeleton based on the results of five test participants, and the median oxygen consumption of the whole test by lifting a load ten times with the assistance was found to be reduced by 9.45% as compared with that in the absence of the exoskeleton.
Mineral Composition of Lentils: Physiological Functions, Antinutritional Effects, and Bioavailability Enhancement
Authors: Benayad Asmaa , Aboussaleh Youssef
Published: May 2021

Lentil (Lens culinaris) is an important nutritious crop, grown and consumed throughout the world due to its high macro- and micronutrients contents, including minerals. Minerals have several beneficial influences on human health. Thus, lentils play a major role in food security, particularly among low-income countries. The current review aims to highlight the present knowledge on the mineral composition of lentils, compare it with the recommended dietary allowance and adequate intake of minerals, investigate the literature regarding its physiological role, give detailed information on different antinutritional factors preventing its bioavailability, and present adopted solutions to enhance the bioavailability of minerals in lentil seeds. Thereby, a literature search was conducted using reliable sources: Elsevier, Springer, PubMed, and CrossRef. Based on the previous studies, 100 g of cooked lentils, for example, may be enough to cover the recommended dietary allowance/adequate intake of iron in infants under six months and children aged one to three years. One hundred grams of cooked lentils may also cover the recommended dietary allowance/adequate intake of zinc and magnesium in infants and children aged one to three years. Hence, it is imperative that the scientists continue to show the significance of pulses as a mineral source and their effects on human health. Indeed, lentils should be exploited for a variety of purposes, mainly towards eliminating malnutrition, on the condition of being well-balanced. Lentils should be incorporated either in snacks or while preparing household, school, or hospital meals, particularly in developing countries.
Leaky Wave Array in Full Planar Substrate with EBG-Based Wave Guiding Channel
Authors: Kong Linghui , Yan Sen , Volskiy Vladimir , Huang Binke , Vandenbosch Guy A. E
Published: May 2021

A new type of wave guiding structure is proposed is this paper. The guiding channel is developed on the full planar dielectric substrate and aligned with electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) units. Since the bandgap of these mushroom-like units is calculated with a coverage of the channel working band, these units are of great importance on ensuring the transmission efficiency and eliminating the coupling effect between channels. Then, this wave guiding structure is extended to the design of a six-element leaky wave antenna array with a complete size of 25.6 mm × 80.6 mm, which is working at Ku band from 12.0 GHz to 12.8 GHz and achieving a bandwidth of about 0.8 GHz, a gain of 11.36 dBi, and an efficiency of ca. 86.7% at 12.0 GHz. Within the working frequency band, this antenna topology achieves a frequency-dependent beam scanning in the forward directions, and it offers a potential for radar application on road speed detecting with low costs.
Fast CU Partition Decision Based on Texture for H.266/VVC
Authors: Zhang Qiuwen , Cui Tengyao , Su Rijian
Published: May 2021

With the development of multimedia equipment and the increasing demand for high-quality video applications, the traditional video coding standard, H.265/High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), can no longer effectively satisfy the requirements. To promote the development of high-quality video, a new generation video coding standard, H.266/Versatile Video Coding (H.266/VVC), is established, and it is the inheritance and development of H.265/HEVC. It not only retains many mature technologies and methods in HEVC but also adds some new coding tools, such as wide-angle prediction and Multitype Tree (MTT) partition structure. The MTT partition structure brings a more flexible partition method of Coding Unit (CU), but the accompanying increase in computational complexity is unacceptable. In order to ensure an effective balance between coding efficiency and coding quality, a fast CU partition algorithm based on texture is proposed in this paper. First, the texture complexity of the neighboring CU is used as a threshold for evaluating the complexity of the current CU, so as to skip the unpromising depth. Then, the gradient features are extracted to determine whether the Quad-Tree (QT) partition is executed. Finally, the improved Canny operator is used to extract edge features, and the partition mode in the horizontal or vertical direction is excluded. The algorithm was embedded in VTM7.0, and the video sequences with different resolutions were tested under general experimental configuration. Simulation experiment results show that the average time saving of this method reached 50.56% compared with the anchor algorithm. At the same time, the average BDBR is increased by 1.31%.
Energy Variation Law and Rockburst Characteristics of Coal under Cyclic Loading
Authors: Guo Hongjun , Ji Ming , Liu Dapeng , Liu Mengxi , Li Gaofeng , Chen Jingjing , Chen Hongjie
Published: May 2021

Coal mining involves numerous challenges and safety risks owing to the complex engineering properties of coal bodies, which include discontinuities, heterogeneity, and anisotropy. In this paper, the strain energy during the coal deformation process is redivided in combination with cyclic loading and unloading tests to determine the energy evolution law and discuss the rockburst tendency characteristics. The results show that the elastic strain energy, and particularly the base‐material strain energy, consistently dominates during the energy adjustment process, which is an important indicator of rockburst tendency. The elastic energy index and rebound deformation index also show that moderate plastic deformation (e.g., crack expansion and local penetration) can reduce the rockburst tendency level and prevent rockburst accidents. On the basis of the obtained results, precracking and pressure relief measures of blasting are adopted on site in advance of the working face, and good safety and economic benefits are achieved. These findings, thus, provide an important engineering reference for mines under similar conditions.
Collapse Mechanism and Full‐Range Analysis of Overturning Failure of Continuous Girder Bridges
Authors: Song Taiyu , Deng Qinger , Li Guoping
Published: May 2021

In recent years, failings of girders due to overturning in continuous girder bridges have repeatedly occurred in China. To investigate the overturning collapse mechanism and also to evaluate the rationality of anti‐overturning design method using beam element models that are commonly adopted in practical design, detailed 3D finite solid element models of a typical single‐column pier three‐span continuous box girder bridge were built and a full‐range numerical analysis of the models was conducted. The solid models included the prestressing effect and diaphragms. Both boundary and geometric nonlinearities were taken into consideration. Bearings were modeled considering the actual construction and dimensions of pot rubber bearings, the material characteristics and boundary conditions of rubber pads, and the contact properties between each part of the bearings. The analysis results revealed that the behavior of the bridge approached the nonlinear state at the onset of first bearing disengagement; the rotation (overturning) mechanism of the girder was gradually transitioned from deformable‐body rotation to rigid‐body rotation; all the end and middle bearings had been disengaged totally or locally at ultimate overturning failure. The analysis results also showed that bearing disengagements would lead to the ineffectiveness of the constraint in the transverse direction, which significantly reduced the overturning ultimate load and structural ductility before the final collapse. Prior to the first bearing disengagement, the vertical reactions calculated from the beam model were in good agreement with those from the solid model, while the transverse reactions were not. The behaviors were inaccurate after bearing disengagement in the beam models in which the movement of the rotation axis and transition of rotation mechanism failed to be realized. Reliable transverse stoppers and tensile anchors at bearing sections were recommended to efficiently improve anti‐overturning stability and ductility in practical design.
Simultaneous Quantification of 14 Compounds in Achillea millefolium by GC-MS Analysis and Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Combined with Multivariate Techniques
Authors: Guo Lan-Ping , Yang Jian , Zhou Li , Wang Sheng , Kang Chuan-Zhi , Huck Christian W.
Published: May 2021

The proposed work is focused on the simultaneous quantification of 14 compounds in the medicinal plant Achillea millefolium based on Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR). The regression model of single-compound models (SCMs) and multicompound model (MCM) were created by partial least-squares regression (PLSR). Also, these models were calibrated by gas chromatographic mass spectroscopy (GC-MS). The results showed that the averaged standard errors of prediction (SEP) for the SCMs and MCM were 0.49 and 0.62, respectively, and most of the 14 compounds were significantly correlated. 43 correlations were significant at the 0.01 level (47.25% of the total), and 11 correlations were significant at the 0.05 level (12.09% of the total). The first three principal components (PCs) of principal component analysis (PCA) can explain >78% of the total variance. According to the component matrix and the communality table, octadecanoic acid has the largest influence on PC 1 (extraction squared = 46.72%), whose extraction was 0.932. The communality of neophytadiene, Z,Z,Z-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic acid, and oleic acid was also found to be large, whose extractions were 0.955, 0.937, and 0.859, respectively. These results indicate that if one compound shows a linear relationship with the NIR absorbance signal (SCM) also, an MCM can be created due to the close interrelations of these compounds. In this context, the present work highlights a suitable sample preparation technique to perform NIR analysis of raw plant material to benefit from robust and precise calibrations. To sum up, this NIR spectroscopic approach offers a precise, rapid, and cost-effective high-throughput analytical technique to simultaneously and noninvasively perform quantitative analysis of raw plant materials.
Topography and Anatomical Variations of the Axillary Artery
Authors: Yang Kiwook , Lee Hyunsu , Choi In-Jang , Jeong Woonhyeok , Kim Hong-Tae , Wei Qun , Lee Jae-Ho
Published: May 2021

Knowledge of anatomical variations of the limb’s main arteries is significant for the clinicians. Thus, this study is aimed at examining the branching pattern and anatomical variations of the axillary artery. We conducted research on 59 upper limbs of adult human donated cadavers. All axillary artery branches’ origins were assessed, and the correlations between points of origins and variations of specific branches were evaluated. The average length of the axillary artery was found to be 11.22 cm, and this length was defined as reference line. Based on this reference line, the first, second, and third parts were 37.56%, 39%, and 30.05%, respectively. The STA was originated from 25.11%. The TAA and LTA were 42.67% and 54.82%, respectively. The SSA, ACHA, and PCHA were 64.72%, 83.89%, and 84.53%, respectively. The origin of LTA was correlated with that of SSA (R = 0.473, P < 0.05) and AHCA (R = 0.307, P < 0.05), respectively. And there was a positive correlation between AHCA and PHCA (R = 0.705, P < 0.05). The number of branches ranged from 3~6, and 9 types were shown. The most frequent branching pattern was common origin of the LTA and SSA (22/59). And AHCA and PHCA were originated together in 19 cases, and both patterns were combined in 12 cases. TTA and LTA branched together in 9 cases, and common trunk for the SSA, PHCA, and AHCA was found in 2 cases. According to this pattern, the origin of LTA and PCHA was significantly different. This information is particularly useful for surgeons and clinicians.
Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography of Macular Perfusion Changes after Anti-VEGF Therapy for Diabetic Macular Edema: A Systematic Review
Authors: Elnahry Ayman G. , Elnahry Gehad A.
Published: May 2021

Background. Diabetic macular edema (DME) is a major cause of vision loss in diabetics that is currently mainly treated by antivascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) agents. The effect of these agents on macular perfusion (MP) is a current concern. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is an imaging modality that allows noninvasive high-resolution retinal microvasculature imaging. Several recent studies evaluated the effect of anti-VEGF agents on the MP of DME patients using OCTA. Our aim is to provide a systematic review of these studies. Methods. Multiple databases were searched including PubMed, Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and Google Scholar for relevant studies published between January 2016 and November 2020 which were included in this review. Studies were compared regarding their design, the number of included patients, the machine and scanning protocol used, the inclusion and exclusion criteria, the number of injections given, the type of anti-VEGF agent used, the outcome measures assessed, and the effect of injections on different MP parameters. Results. A total of 16 studies were included. The studies assessed various OCTA parameters that define MP including the foveal avascular zone area and superficial and deep vascular density and yielded conflicting results. Seven studies showed stable or improved MP following treatment, while 7 studies showed worsening MP following treatment, and 2 studies showed inconclusive results. This could have been due to differences in study design, inclusion criteria, type of anti-VEGF agents used, treatment duration, and methods of image analysis and vascular density quantification. All identified studies were noncomparative case series, and 14 of them (87.5%) used the RTVue XR Avanti OCTA machine. Only one study compared OCTA to fluorescein angiography findings. Conclusion. Analysis of MP changes following VEGF inhibition for DME could benefit from a unified scanning protocol and analysis approach that uses similar study designs to eliminate potential sources of bias. This may provide more definitive conclusions regarding the effect of treatment on MP.
Research on Surface Subsidence of Long‐Span Underground Tunnel
Authors: Yan Jun , Liu Xueying , Bai Xiaoyu , Zhang Mingyi , Jiao Yujin , Jing Desheng , Liu Honghua , Wang Zhongsheng , Kang Wen
Published: May 2021

In the process of urban rail transit construction, underground excavation method is often used in subway station construction. Based on a large number of measured data of Qingdao Metro Line 3, this paper analyzes and studies the ground subsidence law of long‐span shallow buried excavation station. The research results show that vertical surface settlement will be caused by the excavation of both sides of the guide hole, but the settlement is relatively small, basically within −10 mm. Large surface settlement will occur during the middle or middle guide hole excavation, with a large settlement up to −30 mm. Through data fitting, it is found that the regression analysis using cubic polynomial of one degree can get better fitting effect. The horizontal surface variation rules of underground excavation stations are affected by the tunnel depth, geological conditions, management level of monitoring units, monitoring layout and monitoring accuracy, and so on. The differences in horizontal surface deformation and settlement between stations are large. Wannianquan Road Station basically conforms to the deformation law of ground settlement trough in Peck, and Junfeng Road Station directly above belongs to the whole subsidence type. This study has accumulated a large number of surface settlement monitoring data, which can provide a certain reference for the subsequent design of similar lines.
Decreased Sexual Desire among Middle-Aged and Old Women in China and Factors Influencing It: A Questionnaire-Based Study
Authors: Zhu Ye , Yang Xin , Fan Xiangling , Sun Yange , Tan Cheng , Wang Yanjie , Zhu Wei , Ren Dandan
Published: May 2021

Objective. This survey was designed and conducted with an aim to present data on sexual desire and activity in Chinese women. Methods. Between October 2013 and December 2013, we surveyed 3000 women (aged 40–65 years) at Beijing No. 2 Hospital and the Yuetan Community Health Service Center using a questionnaire. The primary outcomes included determination of sexual desire in the past 4 weeks, reasons for stopping sexual activity, and postmenopausal syndrome. The secondary outcome was determination of factors for low sexual desire. Results. A total of 2400 women (mean age 54.33 ± 6.25 years; mean menopausal age 50.11 ± 3.31 years) returned the questionnaire, with 58% of women reporting lowered sexual desire and 39.3% reporting stoppage of sexual activity. Compared with the postmenopausal group, the incidence of anxiety, depressive, somatic, and vasomotor symptoms was higher in the perimenopausal group. Muscle and joint pain (45.8%) and vaginal pruritus (21.5%) were the most commonly reported menopausal and vulvovaginal symptoms, respectively. The odds of decrease in sexual desire were significantly higher with older age, menopause, presence of gynecological disease, menopausal depression symptoms, menopausal vasomotor symptoms, and vulvovaginal atrophy; only cesarean delivery (odds ratio = 0.887,

P
=
0.018

) was associated with lesser reduction in sexual desire compared with the aforementioned factors. Conclusion. This survey showed that a high proportion of Chinese middle-aged and old women have lowered sexual desire and activity. Lack of sexual desire is associated with multiple factors and affects the quality of life of women.