bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution of antifouling biocides in a coastal area of Tanabe Bay, Japan
Authors: Harino Hiroya , Yamato Shigeyuki
Published: February 2021

Tributyltin (TBT) and triphenyltin (TPT) concentrations in water samples from Tanabe Bay were found to range from 4–28 ng l−1 and 3–7 ng l−1, respectively. In fishing ports, the concentrations of TBT in surface water were similar to those in bottom water. However, in aquafarming areas with poor flushing, the concentrations of TBT in bottom water were higher than those in surface water. This suggested that the TBT in water samples is re-eluted from sediment. No difference in the concentration of TPT was observed between the surface and bottom waters. The concentrations of TBT and TPT in sediment samples ranged from 3–23 μg kg−1 dry weight and 2–37 μg kg−1 dry weight. TBT and TPT concentrations ranged from 3.1–100 μg kg−1 and 3.1–7.2 μg kg−1 in oysters and gastropods, and from 1.1–4.9 μg kg−1 and ＜0.2–3.9 μg kg−1 in fish, respectively. Organotin concentrations in biota were lower than the tolerable average residue levels (TARLs). Alternative biocides – i.e. diuron, chlorothalonil, dichlofluanid, irgarol 1051 and Sea-Nine 211 – were also detected in surface water, and chlorothalonil and irgarol 1051 were detected in sediment. The concentrations of these compounds in surface water and sediment were lower than those reported previously. Dichlofluanid, chlorotharonil and irgarol 1051 were also found at low levels in oysters and gastropods, and at ranges of 325–339 μg kg−1, 268–291 μg kg−1 and 43–49 μg kg−1, respectively, in fish; the concentrations in fish were close to the TARL levels.
Spatial and temporal variation of compositional, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in ectoparasite infracommunities harboured by small mammals
Authors: Krasnov Boris R. , Vinarski Maxim V. , Korallo-Vinarskaya Natalia P. , Shenbrot Georgy I. , Khokhlova Irina S.
Published: February 2021

We studied patterns of compositional, functional, and phylogenetic α- and β-diversity in flea and gamasid mite infracommunities of small Siberian mammals, taking into account host-associated (species) and environmental (biome or sampling period) factors. We asked: (a) How do these factors and their interactions affect infracommunity diversity? (b) Does infracommunity composition, in terms of species, traits, and phylogenetic lineages, deviate from random? (c) Are species, traits, and phylogenetic lineages in infracommunities clustered or overdispersed?, and (d) Do patterns of diversity differ between the three diversity facets and/or the two ectoparasite taxa? We found that the α-diversity of infracommunities was strongly affected by host species, biome, and sampling period. The highest proportion of infracommunity diversity in both taxa was associated with the interaction between either host species and biome or host species and sampling period. Infracommunities of both taxa within, as well as between, host species, biomes, and sampling periods were characterized by the clustering of species, traits and lineages. The patterns of the effects of host species, biome, and sampling period on infracommunity diversity were congruent among the three diversity facets in both fleas and mites. We conclude that the assembly patterns in ectoparasite infracommunities mirror those characteristics of component and compound communities.
Combinatorial proofs of two theorems of Lutz and Stull
Authors: ORPONEN TUOMAS
Published: February 2021

Recently, Lutz and Stull used methods from algorithmic information theory to prove two new Marstrand-type projection theorems, concerning subsets of Euclidean space which are not assumed to be Borel, or even analytic. One of the theorems states that if \[K \subset {\mathbb{R}^n}\] is any set with equal Hausdorff and packing dimensions, then
\begin{equation} \[{\dim _{\text{H}}}{\pi _e}(K) = \min \{ {\dim _{\text{H}}}{\text{ }}K{\text{, 1}}\} \] \end{equation}

for almost every \[e \in {S^{n - 1}}\]. Here \[{\pi _e}\] stands for orthogonal projection to span (\[e\]). The primary purpose of this paper is to present proofs for Lutz and Stull’s projection theorems which do not refer to information theoretic concepts. Instead, they will rely on combinatorial-geometric arguments, such as discretised versions of Kaufman’s “potential theoretic” method, the pigeonhole principle, and a lemma of Katz and Tao. A secondary purpose is to generalise Lutz and Stull’s theorems: the versions in this paper apply to orthogonal projections to m-planes in \[{\mathbb{R}^n}\], for all \[0 < m < n\].
Prevalence of Coxiella burnetii seropositivity and shedding in farm, pet and feral cats and associated risk factors in farm cats in Quebec, Canada
Authors: Cyr J. , Turcotte M.-È. , Desrosiers A. , Bélanger D. , Harel J. , Tremblay D. , Leboeuf A. , Gagnon C. A. , Côté J.-C. , Arsenault J.
Published: February 2021

Cats represent a potential source of Coxiella burnetii, the aetiological agent of Q fever in humans. The prevalence and risk factors of C. burnetii infection in farm, pet and feral cats were studied in Quebec, Canada, using a cross-sectional study. Serum samples were tested using a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of antibodies against C. burnetii, whereas rectal swabs were assayed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) for the molecular detection of the bacteria. Potential risk factors for farm cats were investigated using clinical examinations, questionnaires and results from a concurrent study on C. burnetii farm status. A total of 184 cats were tested: 59 from ruminant farms, 73 pets and 52 feral cats. Among farm cats, 2/59 (3.4%) were ELISA-positive, 3/59 (5.1%) were ELISA-doubtful and 1/59 (1.7%) was qPCR-positive. All pets and feral cats were negative to C. burnetii ELISA and qPCR. Farm cat positivity was associated with a positive C. burnetii status on the ruminant farm (prevalence ratio = 7.6, P = 0.03). Our results suggest that although pet and feral cats do not seem to pose a great C. burnetii risk to public health, more active care should be taken when in contact with cats from ruminant farms.
Comparative efficacy of pharmacological treatments on measures of self-rated functional outcomes using the Sheehan Disability Scale in patients with major depressive disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis
Authors: Cao Bing , Xu Lu , Chen Yan , Wang Dongfang , Lee Yena , Rosenblat Joshua D. , Gao Xiao , Zhan Siyan , Sun Feng , McIntyre Roger S.
Published: February 2021

Objective

More than 50% patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) have severe functional impairment. The restoration of patient functioning is a critical therapeutic goal among patients with MDD. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy of pharmacological treatments on self-rated functional outcomes using the Sheehan Disability Scale in adults with MDD in randomized clinical trials.

Methods

PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched from inception to December 10, 2019. Summary statistics are reported as weighted mean differences with 95% confidence intervals. Interventions were ranked using the surface under the cumulative ranking probabilities.

Results

We included 42 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) (n = 18 998) evaluating the efficacy of 13 different pharmacological treatments on functional outcomes, as measured by the Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Duloxetine was the most effective pharmacological agent on functional outcomes, followed by (ranked by efficacy): paroxetine, levomilnacipran, venlafaxine, quetiapine, desvenlafaxine, agomelatine, escitalopram, amitriptyline, bupropion, sertraline, vortioxetine, and fluoxetine. Serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors were more effective than other drug classes. Additionally, the comparison-adjusted funnel plot suggested the publication bias between small and large studies was relatively low.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that there may be differences across antidepressant agents and classes with respect to self-reported functional outcomes. Validation and replication of these findings in large-scale RCTs are warranted. Our research results will be clinically useful for guiding psychiatrists in treating patients with MDD and functional impairment. PROSPERO registration number CRD42018116663.
The Political Force of Musical Actants: Grooves, Pleasures, and Politics in Havana D'Primera's ‘Pasaporte’ Live in Havana
Authors: BØHLER KJETIL KLETTE
Published: February 2021

Drawing upon Rancière's argument that aesthetics instigates politics, Latour's rethinking of agency as relational, and Ortiz's work on Afro-Cuban music aesthetics, this article explores how the experience of aesthetic pleasure in Cuban timba grooves makes politics audible and affective in novel ways. Through a combination of ethnographic and musical analyses of Havana D'Primera's performance of ‘Pasaporte’ live at Casa de la Música in 2010, it unpacks the political affordances of call-and-response singing and polyrhythmic timba grooves among participating listeners in Havana. In contrast to the recurrent tendency to exclude musical details from research into the politics of music, this article suggests that engaging grooves and catchy melodies do important political work as musical actants by creating affective communities and new expressions of political critique. The concept of musical actants serves as a lens through which to view these pregnant interactions between rhythmic, melodic, social, and political meanings in time.
Modeling emergence of sterile oat (Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana) under semiarid conditions
Authors: Sousa-Ortega Carlos , Royo-Esnal Aritz , Loureiro Iñigo , Marí Ana I. , Lezáun Juan A. , Cordero Fernando , Saavedra Milagros , Paramio José A. , Fernández José L. , Torra Joel , Urbano José M.
Published: February 2021

Winter wild oat [Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana (Durieu) Gillet & Magne; referred to as A. sterilis here] is one of the major weed species of the Avena genus, given its high competitive ability to infest cereal crops worldwide, with special concern in Spain. A nine-location field experiment was established across Spain where a total of 400 A. sterilis seeds per location were sowed in four replicates in autumn 2016 to monitor the emergence during two growing seasons in dryland conditions. The data were used to test the prediction ability of previously published thermal (TT) and hydrothermal time (HTT) models and to develop new models, if required. Overall, the average percentage of emergence was 30% during the first season and 21% during the second season. In both seasons, the main emergence flush occurred between November and February. According to the phenological stage, A. sterilis achieved the tillering earlier in southern sites, between November 25 and the end of December, compared with northern sites, where this stage was reached at the end of January. The newly developed model described the emergence with precision, using three cardinal temperatures to estimate the TT. The three cardinal points were established at −1.0, 5.8, and 18.0 C for base (Tb), optimum (To), and ceiling temperature (Tc), while the base water potential (Ψb) was established at −0.2 MPa for the HTT estimation. This study contributes to improving prediction of the emergence of A. sterilis and provides knowledge for decision support systems (DSS) for the control of this weed.
Climatic and Tectonic Control on the Bengal Fan Sedimentation Since the Pliocene
Authors: Peketi A. , Mazumdar A. , Pillutla S. P. K. , Sawant B. , Gupta H.
Published: February 2021

Strontium and Neodymium isotopic analysis of the lithogenic fractions of the hole U1445A (International Ocean Discovery Program‐353) collected from the deep‐water end of the Mahanadi basin (western Bay of Bengal) was carried out to evaluate the sediment sources as well as to understand the link between the temporal variations in the Sr‐Nd isotope ratios and climatic and tectonic forcings during the last 6 Ma. The Sr‐Nd isotopic compositions along with Fe/Al ratios and clay mineralogy show tell‐tale signature of Ganga‐Brahmaputra sedimentation (Bengal fan) in the study area. The significant temporal fluctuations observed in the Sr‐Nd isotopic compositions suggest variation in the relative sediment contribution by the Ganga and Brahmaputra river systems, which in turn are controlled by monsoon intensity variations coupled with orographic effect, glaciation, and multiple tectonic activities. The results show the marked influence of glacial‐interglacials on the relative sediment contribution by Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers during 0–1.8 Ma, while the sedimentation during the 1.8–6 Ma time window was likely influenced by both climatic and tectonic forcings such as uplift of the Shillong plateau, eastern syntaxis development of Indo‐Burma wedge, reorganization of Brahmaputra river system. The present study is the first high resolution (122 samples within 6 Ma) Sr‐Nd isotope ratio analysis from the Bengal Fan. The study has brought to light multiple isotope fluctuations linked to climatic and tectonic forcings. The work also establishes dominant control of Ganga‐Brahmaputra sedimentation along the deep waters of the Indian east coast.
Energy‐Resolved Detection of Precipitating Electrons of 30–100 keV by a Sounding Rocket Associated With Dayside Chorus Waves
Authors: Sugo S. , Kawashima O. , Kasahara S. , Asamura K. , Nomura R. , Miyoshi Y. , Ogawa Y. , Hosokawa K. , Mitani T. , Namekawa T. , Sakanoi T. , Fukizawa M. , Yagi N. , Fedorenko Y. , Nikitenko A. , Yokota S. , Keika K. , Hori T. , Koehler C.
Published: February 2021

Whistler mode chorus waves scatter magnetospheric electrons and cause precipitation into the Earth's atmosphere. Previous measurements showed that nightside chorus waves are indeed responsible for diffuse/pulsating aurora. Although chorus waves and electron precipitation have also been detected on the dayside, their link has not been illustrated (or demonstrated) in detail compared to the nightside observations. Conventional low‐altitude satellite observations do not well resolve the energy range of 10–100 keV, hampering verification on resonance condition with chorus waves. In this paper we report observations of energetic electrons with energies of 30–100 keV that were made by the electron sensor installed on the NASA's sounding rocket RockSat‐XN. It was launched from the Andøya Space Center on the dayside (MLT ∼ 11 h) at the L‐value of ∼7 on January 13, 2019. Transient electron precipitation was observed at ∼50 keV with the duration of <100 s. The VLF receiver of a ground station at Kola peninsula in Russia near the rocket's footprint observed intermittent emissions of whistler‐mode waves at the VLF frequency range simultaneously with the rocket observations. The energy of precipitating electrons is consistent with those derived from the quasilinear theory of pitch angle scattering by chorus waves through cyclotron resonance, assuming a typical dayside magnetospheric electron density. Precise interaction region is discussed based on the obtained energy spectrum below 100 keV.
Evidence for the Significant Differences in Response Times of Equatorial Ionization Anomaly Crest Corresponding to Plasma Fountains During Daytime and Post‐Sunset Hours
Authors: Kumar A. , Chakrabarty D. , Pandey K. , Fejer B. G. , Sunda S. , Seemala G. K. , Sripathi S. , Yadav A. K.
Published: February 2021

Based on 10 years' (2010–2019) of vertical total electron content (VTEC) data from Ahmedabad (23.0°N, 72.6°E, dip angle 35.2°) and campaign based OI 630.0 nm airglow intensity measurements from Mt. Abu (24.6°N, 72.7°E, dip angle 38.0°), it is shown that plasma density over the equatorial ionization anomaly (EIA) crest region increases in varying degrees during post‐sunset hours (2000–2100 LT) in magnetically quiet periods. The post‐sunset peak in VTEC precedes the corresponding peak in airglow intensity. By comparing post‐sunset VTEC enhancements with ionosonde observations from Tirunelveli (8.7°N, 77.7°E, dip angle 1.7°), it is shown that pre‐reversal enhancement (PRE) of the zonal electric field causes these enhancements over the EIA crest region. These observations are supported by TEC measurements by GAGAN (GPS Aided Geo Augmented navigation), the Indian Satellite‐based Augmentation System (SBAS). Comparison of average VTEC variations with global empirical model drifts reveals that the post‐sunset enhancements in VTEC occurs ∼1.7 h after the PRE and are significant only during December solstice and equinoctial months in high solar activity years similar to seasonal variations in PRE amplitudes. This time delay (response time of EIA crest) is almost half compared to the average response time (3–4 h) associated with the daytime fountain. Based on the latitudinal gradient in SBAS‐TEC, it is proposed that the PRE drives plasma from 5°N to 10°N magnetic latitudes to the EIA crest region leading to shorter response time. These results show the important role of the PRE in conditioning the EIA crest region.
Latitudinal Variations of Daytime Periodic Ionospheric Disturbances From Beidou GEO TEC Observations Over China
Authors: Hu Lianhuan , Lei Jiuhou , Sun Wenjie , Zhao Xiukuan , Wu Baoyuan , Xie Haiyong , Yang Sipeng , Wu Zhi , Zheng Jianchang , Ning Baiqi , Ding Feng , Li Guozhu
Published: February 2021

Using total electron content (TEC) data from a chain of Beidou geostationary satellite TEC receivers along ∼110°E during 2016–2019, the local time, seasonal, and latitudinal occurrence characteristics of periodic TEC perturbation associated with medium scale traveling ionospheric disturbances (MSTIDs) are investigated. The results show that the daytime periodic ionospheric disturbances appear prominently in winter with dominant periods ∼30–40 min. An interesting feature is that the latitudinal variations of periodic ionospheric disturbances show two occurrence peaks at higher and lower latitudes, with a minimum centering around 30°N‐33°N, where almost no periodic ionospheric disturbance was detected under the threshold of absolute TEC perturbation greater than 0.3 TECU. Further, using two short‐baseline GNSS receiver arrays at middle and low latitudes, the propagation characteristics of the periodic ionospheric disturbances were derived. The median values of propagation azimuth, phase velocity, and period of the ionospheric disturbances at middle (low) latitude are 153.1° (157.4°), 36.7 min (33 min), and 97.2 m/s (62.5 m/s), respectively, showing typical characteristics of MSTIDs. We surmise that the perturbation source and background electron density could play important roles in causing the latitudinal variation of daytime periodic ionospheric disturbances along 110°E.
Evaluating the Formation Pressure of Diamond‐Hosted Majoritic Garnets: A Machine Learning Majorite Barometer
Authors: Thomson A. R. , Kohn S. C. , Prabhu A. , Walter M. J.
Published: February 2021

Diamond‐hosted majoritic garnet inclusions provide unique insights into the Earth's deep, and otherwise inaccessible, mantle. Compared with other types of mineral inclusions found in sub‐lithospheric diamonds, majoritic garnets can provide the most accurate estimates of diamond formation pressures because laboratory experiments have shown that garnet chemistry varies strongly as a function of pressure. However, evaluation using a compilation of experimental data demonstrates that none of the available empirical barometers are reliable for predicting the formation pressure of many experimental majoritic garnets and cannot be applied with confidence to diamond‐hosted garnet inclusions. On the basis of the full experimental data set, we develop a novel type of majorite barometer using machine learning algorithms. Cross validation demonstrates that Random Forest Regression allows accurate prediction of the formation pressure across the full range of experimental majoritic garnet compositions found in the literature. Applying this new barometer to the global database of diamond‐hosted inclusions reveals that their formation occurs in specific pressure modes. However, exsolved clinopyroxene components that are often observed within garnet inclusions are not included in this analysis. Reconstruction of inclusions, in the 8 cases where this is currently possible, reveals that ignoring small exsolved components can lead to underestimating inclusion pressures by up to 7 GPa (∼210 km). The predicted formation pressures of majoritic garnet inclusions are consistent with crystallization of carbon‐rich slab‐derived melts in Earth's deep upper mantle and transition zone.
Authigenic Iron Sulfides Indicate Sea‐Level Change on the Continental Shelf: An Illustration From the East China Sea
Authors: Liu Jianxing , Shi Xuefa , Liu Qingsong , Liu Shengfa , Liu Yan , Zhang Qiang , Yu Xiaoxiao , Fang Xisheng , Wu Yonghua , Xu Taoyu , Li Jinhua
Published: February 2021

Although sea‐level is the primary control over sedimentary architectures on continental shelves, deciphering such changes is still challenging, except for the easily recognized transgression‐regression cycles. This problem becomes more prominent in sedimentary units with relatively homogenous and fine‐grained lithologies that have been deposited over short periods. Here, we focus on a dominantly clayey silt section of a sediment core from the outer shelf of the East China Sea. Detailed rock magnetic and electron microscopy analyses indicate that authigenic greigite (Fe3S4) is the major magnetic component in an almost 4‐m‐thick interval that was deposited during the late Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3, while pyrite (FeS2) is enriched in the underlying middle MIS 3 sediments. According to microfossil analyses, the identified greigite formed in a prodelta setting that was affected by cold coastal currents after the middle MIS 3, when the Taiwan Warm Current and its associated upwelling were prevailing within a middle‐outer shelf setting favorable for pyrite formation. Large‐amplitude regression occurred subsequently during the MIS 2, limiting sulfate supply and favoring the greigite preservation. Our results, along with the previous studies, demonstrate that both the material and environmental conditions that are crucial to iron sulfide survival have been largely controlled by sea‐level change. Moreover, we make a preliminary proposition that a water depth range of 30–60 m is more likely to lead to the enrichment of greigite on continental shelves. We, therefore, provide a promising avenue for the assessment of sea‐level change on continental shelves over orbital and even suborbital timescales.
First Focal Mechanisms of Marsquakes
Authors: Brinkman Nienke , Stähler Simon C. , Giardini Domenico , Schmelzbach Cédric , Khan Amir , Jacob Alice , Fuji Nobuaki , Perrin Clement , Lognonné Philippe , Beucler Eric , Böse Maren , Ceylan Savas , Charalambous Constantinos , Clinton John F. , van Driel Martin , Euchner Fabian , Horleston Anna , Kawamura Taichi , Knapmeyer‐Endrun Brigitte , Mainsant Guenole , Panning Mark P. , Pike William T. , Scholz John‐Robert , Robertsson Johan O. A. , Banerdt William B.
Published: February 2021

Since February 2019, NASA's InSight lander is recording seismic signals on the planet Mars, which, for the first time, allows to observe ongoing tectonic processes with geophysical methods. A number of Marsquakes have been located in the Cerberus Fossae graben system in Elysium Planitia and further west, in the Orcus Patera depression. We present a first study of the focal mechanisms of three well‐recorded events (S0173a, S0183a, S0235b) to determine the processes dominating in the source region. We infer for all three events a predominantly extensional setting. Our method is adapted to the case of a single, multicomponent receiver and based on fitting waveforms of P and S waves against synthetic seismograms computed for the initial crustal velocity model derived by the InSight team. We explore the uncertainty due to the single‐station limitation and find that even data recorded by one station constrains the mechanisms (reasonably) well. For the events in the Cerberus Fossae region (S0173a, S0235b) normal faulting with a relatively steep dipping fault plane is inferred, suggesting an extensional regime mainly oriented E‐W to NE‐SW. The fault regime in the Orcus Patera region is not determined uniquely because only the P wave can be used for the source inversion. However, we find that the P and weak S waves of the S0183a event show similar polarities to the event S0173, which indicates similar fault regimes.
Enhancements of Himalayan and Tibetan Erosion and the Produced Organic Carbon Burial in Distal Tropical Marginal Seas During the Quaternary Glacial Periods: An Integration of Sedimentary Records
Authors: Xu Zhaokai , Wan Shiming , Colin Christophe , Clift Peter D. , Chang Fengming , Li Tiegang , Chen Hongjin , Cai Mingjiang , Yu Zhaojie , Lim Dhongil
Published: February 2021

The Himalayan and Tibetan highlands (mountains), with high rates of physical erosion, are extreme settings for earth surface processes, generating one of the largest recent terrigenous detritus and organic carbon discharges to the ocean. However, their significance with respect to the global carbon and climate cycles during the Quaternary is still unclear, especially in quantitative terms. Here, we present comprehensive records of continental erosion and weathering, terrestrial supply, marine productivity, and organic carbon burial in the distal Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and southern South China Sea since ∼700 ka over orbital timescales. These records exhibit periodicities corresponding to sea level and Indian summer monsoon intensity changes. During glacial periods, the enhanced highland surface erosion and activation of deep‐sea channels significantly increased inputs of terrigenous detritus, nutrients, and organic carbon into the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, whereas strengthened continental shelf surface weathering and organic matter preservation occurred in the South China Sea. Conclusively, our integrative proxies in the study area demonstrate, for the first time, pronounced glacial burial pulses of organic carbon (∼1.12 × 1012 mol/yr), dominantly originating from the highland surface erosion and marine productivity. Together with the increased silicate weathering on the exposed tropical continental shelves and in the tropical volcanic arcs, the enhanced burial flux of organic carbon in the tropical marginal seas, therefore, highlights the large contributions that tropical regions can make within the glacial‐interglacial carbon inventory of the ocean and atmosphere and thus cause significant negative feedback on the global climate.
A Binomial Stochastic Framework for Efficiently Modeling Discrete Statistics of Convective Populations
Authors: Neggers Roel A. J. , Griewank Philipp J.
Published: February 2021

Understanding the coupling between convective clouds and the general circulation, as well as addressing the gray zone problem in convective parameterization, requires insight into the genesis and maintenance of spatial patterns in cumulus cloud populations. In this study, a simple toy model for recreating populations of interacting convective objects as distributed over a two‐dimensional Eulerian grid is formulated to this purpose. Key elements at the foundation of the model include i) a fully discrete formulation for capturing discrete behavior in convective properties at small population sample sizes, ii) object age‐dependence for representing life‐cycle effects, and iii) a prognostic number budget allowing for object interactions and co‐existence of multiple species. A primary goal is to optimize the computational efficiency of this system. To this purpose the object birth rate is represented stochastically through a spatially aware Bernoulli process. The same binomial stochastic operator is applied to horizontal advection of objects, conserving discreteness in object number. The applicability to atmospheric convection as well as behavior implied by the formulation is assessed. Various simple applications of the BiOMi model (Binomial Objects on Microgrids) are explored, suggesting that important convective behavior can be captured at low computational cost. This includes i) subsampling effects and associated powerlaw scaling in the convective gray zone, ii) stochastic predator‐prey behavior, iii) the downscale turbulent energy cascade, and iv) simple forms of spatial organization and convective memory. Consequences and opportunities for convective parameterization in next‐generation weather and climate models are discussed.
Implementation of a 1‐D Thermodynamic Model for Simulating the Winter‐Time Evolvement of Physical Properties of Snow and Ice Over the Arctic Ocean
Authors: Kang Eui‐Jong , Sohn Byung‐Ju , Tonboe Rasmus Tage , Dybkjær Gorm , Holmlund Kenneth , Kim Jong‐Min , Liu Chao
Published: February 2021

This paper presents a sea ice prognostic model involving a one‐dimensional thermodynamic diffusion model, nudging satellite‐derived snow/ice temperatures, and two‐dimensional Lagrangian ice tracking. The aim of the model is to produce the evolvement of the physical properties of the snow and ice over the Arctic Ocean during the winter season. While the one‐dimensional column process solves the solution at a specific time and location, the evolvement of physical properties of the same ice target can be continuously simulated along the trajectory of ice movement determined by the Lagrangian tracking method. The main inputs were reanalysis‐based atmospheric forcings, thermal conditions constrained through nudging of snow skin temperature and snow‐ice interface temperature, and satellite‐derived ice motion vectors. The simulation results showed that the model can successfully reproduce well‐known regional features and geographical distributions of snow depth and ice thickness. The model‐simulated variables (i.e., snow depth, total freeboard, ice freeboard, ice thickness, and temperature) showed high correlations with the in situ or satellite measurements. In particular, the simulated temperatures were in excellent agreement with drifting buoy measurements. Since the nudging of the satellite‐derived temperature data into the model improved the thermal structure considerably, these data appear to be a key element for the successful simulation of other variables as well.
Copper(ii) complexes with tridentate halogen-substituted Schiff base ligands: synthesis, crystal structures and investigating the effect of halogenation, leaving groups and ligand flexibility on antiproliferative activities
Authors: Kordestani Nazanin , Amiri Rudbari Hadi , Fernandes Alexandra R. , Raposo Luís R. , Luz André , Baptista Pedro V. , Bruno Giuseppe , Scopelliti Rosario , Fateminia Zohreh , Micale Nicola , Tumanov Nikolay , Wouters Johan , Abbasi Kajani Abolghasem , Bordbar Abdol-Khalegh
Published: February 2021

Synthesis and antiproliferative activities of Cu(ii) complexes with tridentate Schiff-base ligands containing pyridine and 3,5-halogen substituted phenol moieties were investigated.
A ROS scavenging protein nanocage forin vitroandin vivoantioxidant treatment
Authors: Zhu Weiwei , Fang Ti , Zhang Wenjing , Liang Ao , Zhang Hui , Zhang Zhi-Ping , Zhang Xian-En , Li Feng
Published: February 2021

A surface-engineered protein nanocage shows excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effectsin vitroandin vivo,viainhibiting the Fenton reaction.
Copper phosphide as a promising anode material for potassium-ion batteries
Authors: Yang Qiuran , Tai Zhixin , Xia Qingbing , Lai Weihong , Wang Wanlin , Zhang Binwei , Yan Zichao , Peng Jian , Yang Huiling , Liu Hanwen , Gu Qinfen , Chou Shulei , Liu Huakun
Published: February 2021

Potassium-ion batteries (PIBs) have attracted great attention due to the abundance and low cost of potassium resources.
Kinetic origins of the metastable zone width in the manganese oxide Pourbaix diagram
Authors: Chen Bor-Rong , Sun Wenhao , Kitchaev Daniil A. , Stone Kevin H. , Davis Ryan C. , Ceder Gerbrand , Schelhas Laura T. , Toney Michael F.
Published: February 2021

The metastable zone width is the region on a phase diagram where a phase transformation is thermodynamically favored but kinetically hindered. Reaction conditions may need to be far beyond the Pourbaix phase diagram boundaries to initiate nucleation.
Robust and efficient UV-reflecting one-dimensional photonic crystals enabled by organic/inorganic nanocomposite thin films for photoprotection of transparent polymers
Authors: Zhang Junli , Xi Shengjie , Mao Guangyu , Yin Rui , Zhu Lin , Li Dengyang , Yao Zhiqiang , Mi Hao-Yang , Han Jian , Liu Chuntai , Shen Changyu
Published: February 2021

A novel robust and transparent UV-reflecting 1DPhC composed of organic–inorganic nanocomposite multilayers was developed for efficient photoprotection of polymers.
Synthesis and reactivity of hydroindole enelactams leading to densely functionalized scaffolds
Authors: Marquès Clàudia , Diaba Faïza , Roca Jaume , Bonjoch Josep
Published: February 2021

The 5-endo-trig radical cyclization of N-benzyl-N-[(2-substituted)cycloalkenyl] trichloroacetamides (tetrasubstituted enamides) using Bu3SnH and AIBN is a reliable synthetic procedure giving access to 3a-methyl- and 3a-methoxycarbonyl enelactams.
Consensus of semi‐Markov multi‐agent systems with stochastically unmatched topologies
Authors: Wang Guoliang , Huang Yifan , Wang Xiaoqiang
Published: February 2021

This paper addresses the consensus problem of semi‐Markov multi‐agent systems, where the topology switching is stochastically unmatched to the original switching. The unmatched property is described by a stochastically conditional probability and quantized by a given transition probability density function (PDF). Then a consensus protocol based on the aforementioned topology is proposed and includes mode‐dependent and ‐independent control inputs as special cases. Based on the Lyapunov function approach and some enlarging techniques, sufficient LMI conditions are presented to solve the controller directly. All the features such as conditional probability, dwell time and transition probability are involved. An improved method but needing nonsingular expectation of the truncated PDF matrix is also proposed. A practical example is offered so as to verify the effectiveness and superiority of the methods proposed in this study.
Video super‐resolution with non‐local alignment network
Authors: Zhou Chao , Chen Can , Ding Fei , Zhang Dengyin
Published: February 2021

Video super‐resolution (VSR) aims at recovering high‐resolution frames from their low‐resolution counterparts. Over the past few years, deep neural networks have dominated the video super‐resolution task because of its strong non‐linear representational ability. To exploit temporal correlations, most deep neural networks have to face two challenges: (1) how to align consecutive frames containing motions, occlusions and blurring, and establish accurate temporal correspondences, (2) how to effectively fuse aligned frames and balance their contributions. In this work, a novel video super‐resolution network, named NLVSR, is proposed to solve above problems in an efficient and effective manner. For alignment, a temporal‐spatial non‐local operation is employed to align each frame to the reference frame. Compared with existing alignment approaches, the proposed temporal‐spatial non‐local operation is able to integrate the global information of each frame by a weighted sum, leading to a better performance in alignment. For fusion, an attention‐based progressive fusion framework was designed to integrate aligned frames gradually. To penalize the points with low‐quality in aligned features, an attention mechanism was employed for a robust reconstruction. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed network in terms of quantitative and qualitative evaluation, and surpasses other state‐of‐the‐art methods by 0.33 dB at least.
Controlling mechanical arms using 3D coordinates gotten from the AR technology
Authors: Ren Yuxiang , Cai Cheng
Published: February 2021

How to control the movement of the mechanical arm is a challenging topic recently. It requires much time and energy to program every joint. This paper proposes a new method based on 3D coordinates of the human arm joints, which helps the mechanical arm to imitate the movement of human arms and only needs to calculate angles of human arms’ joints according to the 3D coordinates. Here in this process the key is to get the information of 3D coordinates of human arms. This paper applies an AR (Augmented Reality) application of body detection with LiDAR on iPad Pro 2020 to get 3D coordinates. Then the calculated angle information is transferred from the host computer to the Arduino board controlling the movement of the mechanical arm. Eventually the same movements will be made by the mechanical arm and the human arm.
Design of home intelligent robot of internet of things
Authors: Liang Guangyu , Liu Yanyang , Feng Kangwei , Pan Yuefeng , Liu Yaxiong , Yuan Man
Published: February 2021

An aging society is the challenge we will face and deal with. It is necessary and important to explore the problems and solutions faced by an aging society. In response to this phenomenon, we designed an IoT home smart robot based on ESP8266 and STM32 to improve the quality of life of the elderly. The robot can realize functions such as environmental monitoring, fire warning, electrical power distribution, light control, auxiliary weight lifting, weather forecast, etc. Connecting to the Baidu cloud platform can realize data visualization, allowing children to remotely view the family's data and equipment conditions in the cloud, and has the function of automatically mopping the floor to reduce the burden of housework. On the basis of the mechanical structure design, combined with the current emerging Internet of Things technology and electronic control technology, mechatronics, the research and development cost is low, the function is complete, and it has strong practicability and innovation.
Emotion analysis of teaching evaluation system based on AI techno-logy towards Chinese texts
Authors: Hong Dandan , Gao Zhan , Luo Junfeng , Liu Jun , Xu Mo , Suo Zhihai , Ji Xiangting
Published: February 2021

In order to improve the teaching quality of graduate students, a quick method was designed to analyze the teaching evaluation comments in Chinese from students in the teaching evaluation system based on Baidu AI technology .So that it can help the teaching management department analyze the emotional inclination of students towards each course and grasp the trend and distribution of teaching quality accurately.The result of this article has shown that this method can analyze the students’ evaluation text correctly and provide decision-making reference for teaching management departments or teachers themselves.
Research on the interconnection and rapid deployment of smart energy service platforms under multi-factor game balance
Authors: Qiao Ke , Wu Xinling , Zhan Tao , Huang Furong , Zhou Junchao
Published: February 2021

This paper firstly models the relationship between power companies, photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation networks, and users as a three-stage Steinberg game. In this game model, the power company is the dominant player and the leader of the entire game. Secondly, with the game model, a detailed analysis is carried out to obtain the optimal strategy of each game party. Finally, the simplified model was simulated and verified. The simulation result is consistent with the theoretical solution result. The research results of this paper have improved the level of energy services and innovated energy service models.
Tibetan speech synthesis based on an improved neural network
Authors: Ding Yuntao , Cai Rangzhuoma , Gong Baojia
Published: February 2021

Nowadays, Tibetan speech synthesis based on neural network has become the mainstream synthesis method. Among them, the griffin-lim vocoder is widely used in Tibetan speech synthesis because of its relatively simple synthesis.Aiming at the problem of low fidelity of griffin-lim vocoder, this paper uses WaveNet vocoder instead of griffin-lim for Tibetan speech synthesis.This paper first uses convolution operation and attention mechanism to extract sequence features.And then uses linear projection and feature amplification module to predict mel spectrogram.Finally, use WaveNet vocoder to synthesize speech waveform. Experimental data shows that our model has a better performance in Tibetan speech synthesis.
Analysis on types of spelling errors in true Tibetan characters
Authors: San Maocuo , Cai Zhijie , Cai Rangzhuoma , Dao Jizhaxi
Published: February 2021

Spelling error checking is a challenging research topic with a wide range of applications such as text editing, word processing, spell checking, teaching, etc. As an alphabetic language, spelling errors in Tibetan could be categorized into three types, namely, non-true type, true type, and punctuation misuse. In order to study true Tibetan syllable spelling error in much more depth, the article analyses the types of Tr u e Tibetan syllable spelling errors based on Tibetan word formation rules, grammar and semantic features laying a foundation for Tibetan spelling error checking research.
Modelling dual-channel closed-loop supply chain considering production diseconomies
Authors: Liu Shan , Xing Yan , Yao Fengmin , Chen Dongyan
Published: February 2021

This paper studies the pricing selection and coordination strategies for dual-channel closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) considering production diseconomies. Under the centralized and decentralized decision-making, the decision models of CLSC of retailer recycling was constructed, the effects of the manufacturer’s production diseconomy and the sales competition between manufacturer and retailer on new product pricing and waste product recycling were analysed, the optimal pricing strategy of dual-channel CLSC was given, and a “two-part tariff” coordination contract was established based on centralized decision-making. The results indicate that the profits of each member are negatively correlated with the production diseconomy and positively correlated with the degree of sales competition, the direct sales volume of manufacturer is always more than twice that of retailer, and the stronger the competition degree is, the more obvious the advantage is. Further, within the range of contract parameters that the dominant manufacturer and retailer are willing to accept, the “two-part tariff” contract can effectively realize the coordination of dual-channel CLSC.
Measurement of spatial agglomeration level and the characteristics of space–time evolution of China’s construction industry
Authors: Zhao Likun , Tian Junsen , Liu Yanqi
Published: February 2021

Industrial agglomeration is the most prominent performance in current economic activities. In this study, the output value of construction engineering is taken as the core index. The relevant data of 31 provinces and cities in China from 2008 to 2019 are selected. The spatial agglomeration level and spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of Chinese construction industry in 10 years are studied using the Gini coefficient and the strongest gravity model. Results show that the spatial agglomeration level of China’s construction industry has been increasing annually, and the industry has experienced the development process of “disequilibrium to gradual equilibrium.” (1) The distribution of construction industry in 31 provinces and cities of China is characterized by spatial imbalance. (2) The agglomeration areas of high–high construction industrial elements are mainly concentrated in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei and Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration. Low–low industrial element agglomeration areas are concentrated in the urban agglomeration of southwest China. (3) The center of gravity of the spatial agglomeration of the elements of China’s construction industry is moving from the east to the central and western regions and gradually tends to be balanced.
Optimization of Coumarins Extraction from Pterocaulon balansae by Box-Behnken Design and Anti-Trichomonas vaginalis Activity
Authors: Brazil Nathalya Tesch , Medeiros-Neves Bruna , Fachel Flávia Nathiely Silveira , Pittol Vanessa , Schuh Roselena Silvestri , Rigo Graziela Vargas , Tasca Tiana , von Poser Gilsane Lino , Teixeira Helder Ferreira
Published: February 2021

Trichomonas vaginalis causes trichomoniasis, a nonviral sexually transmitted infection with a high prevalence worldwide. Oral metronidazole is the drug of choice for the treatment of this disease, although high levels of T. vaginalis resistance to this agent are well documented in the literature. This study describes the anti-T. vaginalis activity of an optimized coumarin-rich extract from Pterocaulon balansae. Optimization was performed to maximize extraction of total coumarins by means of a 3-level Box-Behnken design, evaluating the effect of three factors: extraction time, plant : solvent ratio, and ethanol concentration. Optimum conditions were found to be 5 h extraction time and a plant : solvent ratio of 1% (w/v) and 60% (v/v) ethanol, which resulted in approximately 30 mg of total coumarins/g of dry plant. The coumarin-enriched extract exhibited a minimum inhibitory concentration of 30 µg/mL and an IC50 of 3.2 µg/mL against
T. vaginalis, a low cytotoxicity, and a high selectivity index (18 for vaginal epithelial cells and 16 for erythrocytes). The coumarins permeation/retention profile through porcine vaginal mucosa was evaluated in Franz-type diffusion cells. After 8 h of kinetics, coumarins were detected in the tissue (4.93 µg/g) without detecting them in the receptor compartment. A significant increase of coumarins in the mucosa layers (8.18 µg/g) and receptor compartment (0.26 µg/g) was detected when a T. vaginalis suspension (2 × 105 trophozoites/mL) was previously added onto the mucosa. No alterations were visualized in the stratified squamous non-keratinized epithelium of the porcine vaginal mucosa after contact with the extract. Overall, these results suggest that the P. balansae coumarin-rich extract may have potential as a treatment for trichomoniasis.
Advances in Internal Plasticization of PVC: Copper-Mediated Atom-Transfer Radical Polymerization from PVC Defect Sites To Form Acrylate Graft Copolymers
Authors: Braslau Rebecca , Li Longbo , Schneider Yanika , Hoeglund Adrienne B.
Published: February 2021

Internally plasticized PVC copolymers were prepared by grafting PVC with butyl acrylate and 2-(2-ethoxyethoxy)ethyl acrylate by atom-transfer radical polymerization, resulting in well-behaved polymers with a wide range of glass transition temperatures (–54 °C to 54 °C). When the grafted side chains made up more than 50% of the polymer by weight, the glass transition temperatures were below 0 °C. The covalent attachment of the plasticizing grafts requires one simple procedure starting from commercial PVC, making this strategy an industrially relevant and environmentally friendly alternative to the use of conventional small-molecule plasticizers.
Visible-Light-Driven Phosphonoalkylation of Alkenes
Authors: Jiang Yue-Ming , Liu Jie , Fu Qiang , Yu Yu-Ming , Yu Da-Gang
Published: February 2021

Phosphonylation of alkenes is important for the generation of valuable organophosphines. However, redox-neutral difunctionalization of alkenes with readily available H-P(O) compounds remains underdeveloped. Herein, we report the first visible-light-driven redox-neutral phosphonoalkylation of alkenes. A variety of organophosphorus-containing three-membered carbocyclic scaffolds are synthesized from alkene-bearing alkyl sulfonates with H-P(O) compounds. The transition-metal-free protocol displays good functional group tolerance, broad substrate scope, high yields, and mild reaction conditions.