bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Anti-Stokes fluorescence excitation reveals conformational mobility of the C-phycocyanin chromophores
Authors: Tsoraev Georgy V. , Protasova Elena A. , Klimanova Elizaveta A. , Ryzhykau Yury L. , Kuklin Alexander I. , Semenov Yury S. , Ge Baosheng , Li Wenjun , Qin Song , Friedrich Thomas , Sluchanko Nikolai N. , Maksimov Eugene G.
Published: September 2022

The structural organization of natural pigment-protein complexes provides a specific environment for the chromophore groups. Yet, proteins are inherently dynamic and conformationally mobile. In this work, we demonstrate the heterogeneity of chromophores of C-phycocyanin (C-PC) from Arthrospira platensis. Part of the population of trimeric C-PC is subject to spontaneous disturbances of protein–protein interactions resulting in increased conformational mobility of the chromophores. Upon fluorescence excitation in the visible range, the spectral signatures of these poorly populated states are masked by bulk chromophore states, but the former could be clearly discriminated when the fluorescence is excited by near-infrared quanta. Such selective excitation of conformationally mobile C-PC chromophores is due to the structure of their S1 level, which is characterized by a significantly broadened spectral line. We demonstrate that the anti-Stokes C-PC fluorescence is the result of single-photon absorption. By combining spectral and structural methods, we characterize four distinct states of C-PC chromophores emitting at 620, 650, 665, and 720 nm and assigned the fast component in the anti-Stokes fluorescence decay kinetics in the range of 690–750 nm to the chromophores with increased conformational mobility. Our data suggest that the spectral and temporal characteristics of the anti-Stokes fluorescence can be used to study protein dynamics and develop methods to visualize local environment parameters such as temperature.
The optimization of flux trajectories for the adiabatic controlled-Z gate on split-tunable transmons
Authors: Dheer Vihaan
Published: September 2022

In a system of two tunable-frequency qubits, it is well-known that adiabatic tuning into strong coupling-interaction regions between the qubit subspace and the rest of the Hilbert space can be used to generate an effective controlled-Z rotation. We address the problem of determining a preferable adiabatic trajectory along which the qubit frequency is tuned and apply this to the flux-tunable transmon model. The especially minimal anharmonic nature of these quantum processors makes them good candidates for qubit control using non-computational states as long as higher-level leakage is properly addressed. While the statement of this method has occurred multiple times in the literature, there have been few discussions on which trajectories may be used. We present a generalized method for optimizing parameterized families of possible flux trajectories and provide examples of use on five test families of one and two parameters.
Electronic and optical characterization of bulk single crystals of cubic boron nitride (cBN)
Authors: Milas Peker , Mathab Sheikh , Sam Abraham John Bishoy , Alam Jahangir , Chandrashekar M. V. S. , Robinson Adam J. , Vora Patrick M. , Ozturk Birol , Spencer Michael G.
Published: September 2022

Cubic boron nitride (cBN) is a relatively less studied wide bandgap semiconductor despite its many promising mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties. We report on the electronic, structural, and optical characterization of commercial cBN crystal platelets. Temperature dependent transport measurements revealed the charge limited diode behavior of the cBN crystals. The equilibrium Fermi level was determined to be 0.47 eV below the conduction band, and the electron conduction was identified as n-type. Unirradiated dark and amber colored cBN crystals displayed broad photoluminescence emission peaks centered around different wavelengths. RC series zero phonon line defect emission peaks were observed at room temperature from the electron beam irradiated and oxygen ion implanted cBN crystals, making this material a promising candidate for high power microwave devices, next generation power electronics, and future quantum sensing applications.
An investigation of acoustic relocation phenomenon in a microchannel under acoustic fields
Authors: Jayakumar Sujith , Subramani Karthick
Published: September 2022

This work investigates the effects of actuation frequency and fluid properties on the relocation of miscible inhomogeneous fluids inside a microchannel under acoustic standing waves. Remarkably, we demonstrate the cases in which relocation is achieved relatively faster in the case of fluids with smaller impedance difference between them (1.5%), than in the case of fluids with larger impedance difference (10%) when actuated at an optimum frequency. Subsequently, we show that, if the impedance difference between two fluids is less, actuation of the microchannel at a single frequency is sufficient for the fast and complete relocation, whereas, in the case of larger impedance difference between the fluids, sweeping at multiple frequencies results in fast and more complete relocation compared to actuation of the system by a single frequency. Furthermore, the role of gravity in the process is also analyzed in detail.
Influence of mass flux ratio on the evolution of coaxial synthetic jet
Authors: Panda Samarendra , Gohil Trushar B. , Arumuru Venugopal
Published: September 2022

This paper highlights a direct numerical simulation study on the flow field of a coaxial synthetic jet (CSJ) generated from two independently controlled synthetic jet actuators, which are combined coaxially with 0° orientation angle. The jet is issued into a quiescent environment from inner and annular openings (orifices) with equal hydraulic diameters, employing an oscillating boundary. Seven different mass flux ratios (Mr) such as 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, and 3.0 are considered for the study. The average velocity (Uavg) of inner jet, measured at orifice exit, is kept at 0.7 m/s (Reynolds number, Re=135), and the same is varied for the annular jet to achieve the desired Mr s. The influence of Mr s on the vortex rings, evolved from inner and annular orifices, along with their dynamics, is predicted by furnishing the instantaneous flow field. Also, we examine the effect of Mr s on the mean flow parameters of the CSJ. Moreover, the CSJ flow field is compared with the inner cavity synthetic jet (SJ), and annular cavity SJ under identical conditions, to demonstrate the superior performance of the CSJ over the single cavity SJs. For CSJ, the azimuthal instability of the evolved vortex rings can be triggered by decreasing the Mr, which results in a wide jet. For Mr≥1.0, the CSJ retains its axisymmetric nature, and the interaction of vortex rings emanating from the inner and annular cavities influences the strength and spreading of the CSJ. The modal decomposition of the instantaneous flow field is also performed using proper orthogonal decomposition method to gain insight of the coherent vortical structures present in the modes. The study will be useful for deploying such novel coaxial synthetic jets in various applications.
Acceleration of hollow carbon nanospheres by gas leakage: An efficient nanomotor
Authors: Dong Yi , Li Yu , Guo Zheng-Rong , Jiang Jin-Wu
Published: September 2022

Nanomotors serve as nanoscale engines by converting various energies into mechanical energy. In addition to the huge number of existing nanomotors, we propose a simple nanomotor based on the hollow carbon nanosphere (i.e., fullerene) that is full of gas. We investigate the acceleration of the nanosphere by leakage of gas through a nanopore by molecular dynamics simulations. The nanosphere can be driven to a high speed of 100 m/s under proper simulation conditions, which can be further tuned by temperature, gas density, and pore diameter. We observe rotation of the pore direction during the acceleration process for a nanosphere of different pore diameters. The acceleration process can be well described by the Meshchersky theory. We also simulate the deceleration process of the nanosphere due to the damping force of the gas, which can be analyzed in terms of the kinetic motion of gas molecules. The nanomotor proposed in this work shall be realizable in experiments and may be useful in driving the mechanic motion of fullerenes.
Numerical simulation of aerodynamic noise for the two-stage adjustable-blade axial-flow fan
Authors: Wang Youhao , Lv Feiran , Sun Lihui , Gao Ming
Published: September 2022

In this paper, a three-dimensional calculation model of a two-stage adjustable-blade axial-flow fan is established and verified by grid independence and numerical accuracy. The pressure distribution and sound power-level distribution characteristics of the blade surface are explored with variable blade installation angles. Based on the Q-criterion, the study reveals the spatial distribution of the channel and trailing-edge shedding and channel vortexes in the flow field. Then, the evolution laws of the fan's aerodynamic noise sound pressure level are also investigated, and its frequency domain characteristics with variable blade installation angles are obtained. The results show that when the rotor blade installation angle is −5°, the front-guide vane matches the installation angle of the first-stage impeller. The upper limit of sound power level is the smallest with variable blade installation angles, which is 123.56 dB. Meanwhile, the number and size of vortex structures in the front-guide vane area are the smallest, and the turbulent flow in the flow field is moderate. As the moving blade installation angle is deflected from −10° to 10°, the total sound pressure level of aerodynamic noise at each component of the fan first decreases and then increases. The minimum value is 121.40 and 128.40 dB at the inlet and outlet when the blade installation angle is −5°. In addition, the number of eddies periodically shed in the fan flow field is the least. This research can supply technical support for the noise reduction of the two-stage adjustable blade axial fan.
Melioidosis in northern Australia
Authors: Hanson Josh , Smith Simon
Published: September 2022

Burkholderia pseudomallei, the environmental bacterium that causes melioidosis, is endemic to northern Australia. Melioidosis is a strongly seasonal disease, occurring predominantly in individuals with specific comorbidities that include diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease, immunosuppresion, malignancy and hazardous alcohol use. Most patients are bacteraemic and the majority have pneumonia, however, the infection can involve almost any organ, with the skin, soft tissues, genitourinary system, bones, and joints frequently affected; multi-organ involvement is also common. Central nervous system involvement is less frequent but is more likely to cause death and long-term disability. The incidence of melioidosis is increasing in Australia, but improvements in management have resulted in the local case-fatality rate declining to approximately 10%. Further progress requires greater awareness of the disease and the development of technologies that might expedite diagnosis. A deeper understanding of the disease’s pathophysiology – particularly the role of virulence factors – may also help define optimal management strategies, including the duration of antimicrobial therapy and the role of adjunctive treatments. Public health strategies that address the risk factors for this opportunistic infection – and the social inequity that drives them – would also reduce the morbidity and mortality of this life-threatening disease.
Chronic activation of pDCs in autoimmunity is linked to dysregulated ER stress and metabolic responses
Authors: Chaudhary Vidyanath , Ah Kioon Marie Dominique , Hwang Sung-Min , Mishra Bikash , Lakin Kimberly , Kirou Kyriakos A. , Zhang-Sun Jeffrey , Wiseman R. Luke , Spiera Robert F. , Crow Mary K. , Gordon Jessica K. , Cubillos-Ruiz Juan R. , Barrat Franck J.
Published: September 2022

Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDCs) chronically produce type I interferon (IFN-I) in autoimmune diseases, including systemic sclerosis (SSc) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We report that the IRE1α-XBP1 branch of the unfolded protein response (UPR) inhibits IFN-α production by TLR7- or TLR9-activated pDCs. In SSc patients, UPR gene expression was reduced in pDCs, which inversely correlated with IFN-I–stimulated gene expression. CXCL4, a chemokine highly secreted in SSc patients, downregulated IRE1α-XBP1–controlled genes and promoted IFN-α production by pDCs. Mechanistically, IRE1α-XBP1 activation rewired glycolysis to serine biosynthesis by inducing phosphoglycerate dehydrogenase (PHGDH) expression. This process reduced pyruvate access to the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and blunted mitochondrial ATP generation, which are essential for pDC IFN-I responses. Notably, PHGDH expression was reduced in pDCs from patients with SSc and SLE, and pharmacological blockade of TCA cycle reactions inhibited IFN-I responses in pDCs from these patients. Hence, modulating the IRE1α-XBP1–PHGDH axis may represent a hitherto unexplored strategy for alleviating chronic pDC activation in autoimmune disorders.
Myosin essential light chain 1sa decelerates actin and thin filament gliding on β-myosin molecules
Authors: Osten Jennifer , Mohebbi Maral , Uta Petra , Matinmehr Faramarz , Wang Tianbang , Kraft Theresia , Amrute-Nayak Mamta , Scholz Tim
Published: September 2022

The β-myosin heavy chain expressed in ventricular myocardium and the myosin heavy chain (MyHC) in slow-twitch skeletal Musculus soleus (M. soleus) type-I fibers are both encoded by MYH7. Thus, these myosin molecules are deemed equivalent. However, some reports suggested variations in the light chain composition between M. soleus and ventricular myosin, which could influence functional parameters, such as maximum velocity of shortening. To test for functional differences of the actin gliding velocity on immobilized myosin molecules, we made use of in vitro motility assays. We found that ventricular myosin moved actin filaments with ∼0.9 µm/s significantly faster than M. soleus myosin (0.3 µm/s). Filaments prepared from isolated actin are not the native interaction partner of myosin and are believed to slow down movement. Yet, using native thin filaments purified from M. soleus or ventricular tissue, the gliding velocity of M. soleus and ventricular myosin remained significantly different. When comparing the light chain composition of ventricular and M. soleus β-myosin, a difference became evident. M. soleus myosin contains not only the “ventricular” essential light chain (ELC) MLC1sb/v, but also an additional longer and more positively charged MLC1sa. Moreover, we revealed that on a single muscle fiber level, a higher relative content of MLC1sa was associated with significantly slower actin gliding. We conclude that the ELC MLC1sa decelerates gliding velocity presumably by a decreased dissociation rate from actin associated with a higher actin affinity compared to MLC1sb/v. Such ELC/actin interactions might also be relevant in vivo as differences between M. soleus and ventricular myosin persisted when native thin filaments were used.
Time-dependent acceleration detection based on phononic sidebands in coupled electromechanical resonators
Authors: Liu Shaopeng , Cheng Renxiang , Qi Zhipeng , Li Ying , Liu Bo , Yang Wen-Xing
Published: September 2022

An efficient route for detecting time-dependent acceleration (TDA) is performed by employing electromechanically induced phononic sidebands in coupled frequency-mismatched electromechanical resonators. Based on the effects of difference frequency mixing and cascaded phonon-scattering in the electromechanical system, the nonlinear responses of normal and anomalous phononic sidebands are generated and enhanced in the strong inter-modal coupling regime. In the detection scheme, the information of TDA can be delivered to the spectral responses of acceleration-induced sidebands (AISs) since there is the piezoelectric coupling between the electromechanical resonators and a test mass that perceives external acceleration. Additionally, the amplitude of TDA could be separately detected by observing the amplitude variation of AISs, while the variation period of TDA could be read by monitoring the frequency of the prominent peak in the AIS signals. The distinctive nature of the electromechanical system in the environment of the cryogenic cooling enables an acceleration resolution of 12 µg (g = 9.8 m s−2) and a frequency resolution of 0.06 Hz.
The use of the IAEA MARIS database in determining the variability of sediment distribution coefficients in the marine environment and potential implications for marine dispersion modelling
Authors: Kelleher Kevin , McGinnity Paul , Howard Brenda J , Boyer Patrick , Vidal Miquel , Bildstein Olivier M
Published: September 2022

A prototype tool has been developed for deriving sediment distribution coefficients, K
d, in the marine environment by harvesting simultaneous measurements of activity concentrations of radionuclides in seawater and sediments based on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s Marine Radioactivity Information System (MARIS). As a case study, the K
d variability in the Baltic Sea was investigated as this region has been extensively monitored by HELCOM since 1984 resulting in a comprehensive dataset with good spatial and temporal coverage and required ancillary parameters. The prototype tool was used to derive a dataset of in-situ apparent K
d(a) values derived from measurements of seawater and sediment in quasi-equilibrium conditions from the Baltic Sea over a period of approximately 35 years. For Cs, a comprehensive analysis of the Baltic Sea K
d(a) dataset was undertaken, focusing on the temporal trend of K
d(a) and comparing the results to K
d values derived elsewhere. For Sr and Pu, for which there were fewer data records available a more rudimentary analysis was carried out. The Cs K
d(a) median values derived from 137Cs data in this study were estimated to be 2154 l kg−1 for seabed sediment and 10 000 l kg−1 for suspended sediment. The value derived for seabed sediment is in good agreement with the previously recommended ocean margin Cs K
d value of 4000 l kg−1. The analysis demonstrated the important distinction in the Baltic Sea between K
d values for seabed sediment and suspended sediments, which differed by an order of magnitude. The analysis also highlighted the dependence of K
d values on the variation in both the salinity of seawater and the type of seabed sediment. Such variability can significantly influence outcomes when modelling the behaviour of radionuclides in marine dispersion modelling.
Machine learning-driven performance-based seismic design of hybrid self-centering braced frames with SMA braces and viscous dampers
Authors: Hu Shuling , Qiu Canxing , Zhu Songye
Published: September 2022

A hybrid self-centering braced frame equipped with shape memory alloy-based self-centering braces (SMA-SCBs) and viscous dampers is proposed to achieve enhanced seismic performance. Based on the proposed hybrid strategy combining the contributions of SMA-SCBs and viscous dampers, this paper investigates the advantages of such hybrid self-centering braced frames in achieving the desired maximum inter-story drift under a considered seismic intensity. To this end, the influence of design parameters of SMA-SCBs and viscous dampers on hybrid self-centering braced frames is examined through parametric dynamic analyses of equivalent single-degree-of-freedom systems. The analysis results indicate that the post-yield stiffness ratio α and energy dissipation factor β of SMA-SCB, and the contribution of viscous damper show significant influence on the peak displacement responses of hybrid self-centering braced frames. The constant inelastic displacement ratio prediction model for hybrid self-centering braced frames is developed using machine learning algorithms. A performance-based seismic design method is subsequently proposed for the hybrid self-centering braced frames to achieve the target displacement responses based on the developed machine learning models. Two hybrid self-centering braced frames are designed based on the proposed design method. Nonlinear dynamic analyses are conducted to investigate the seismic performance of the designed structures. To highlight the advantages of the hybrid self-centering braced frames, another six-story self-centering braced frame with SMA-SCBs only is also studied in this paper. The analysis results indicate that all the designed hybrid self-centering braced frames can achieve the desired performance objective. Compared to the self-centering braced frame with SMA-SCBs only, the hybrid self-centering braced frames can achieve much smaller base shear demand and absolute floor acceleration responses.
Investigation into a conductive artificial muscle based on sodium alginate/cellulose with good response characteristics
Authors: Jia Weikun , Wang Lan , Fang Fujian , Xu Yan , Zhao Gang , Ma Xueyan
Published: September 2022

Artificial muscle is a research topic that combines new driving methods, intelligent materials and bionics. To overcome the weaknesses of the electric actuator made of bio-gel materials, e.g. poor driving effect and short working life, the working mechanism of artificial muscle based on sodium alginate/cellulose (SCAM) and how to improve its performance have explored in this study. First of all, the basic process of preparing conductive artificial muscle with sodium alginate and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as the main materials were defined. Secondly, the addition amount of CMC was optimized based on parameters such as the single-cycle output force, working life and curvature. Thirdly, the electrochemical and microscopic testing methods were applied to expound the internal reaction mechanism of improving the response characteristics of samples based on the FITR. The results show that the addition of CMC enables SCAM to have better response characteristics in the electric field, which is applicable to the practical application of flexible machinery and bio-gel artificial muscle.
Fast and credible likelihood-free cosmology with truncated marginal neural ratio estimation
Authors: Cole Alex , Miller Benjamin K. , Witte Samuel J. , Cai Maxwell X. , Grootes Meiert W. , Nattino Francesco , Weniger Christoph
Published: September 2022

Sampling-based inference techniques are central to modern cosmological data analysis; these methods, however, scale poorly with dimensionality and typically require approximate or intractable likelihoods.
In this paper we describe how Truncated Marginal Neural Ratio Estimation (tmnre) (a new approach in so-called
simulation-based inference) naturally evades these issues, improving the (i) efficiency, (ii) scalability, and (iii) trustworthiness of the inference. Using measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), we show that tmnre can achieve converged posteriors using orders of magnitude fewer simulator calls than conventional Markov Chain Monte Carlo (mcmc) methods. Remarkably, in these examples the required number of samples is effectively independent of the number of nuisance parameters. In addition, a property called local amortization allows the performance of rigorous statistical consistency checks that are not accessible to sampling-based methods. tmnre promises to become a powerful tool for cosmological data analysis, particularly in the context of extended cosmologies, where the timescale required for conventional sampling-based inference methods to converge can greatly exceed that of simple cosmological models such as ΛCDM. To perform these computations, we use an implementation of tmnre via the open-source code swyft.[swyft is available at https://github.com/undark-lab/swyft. Demonstration on cosmological simulators used in this paper is available at https://github.com/a-e-cole/swyft-CMB.]
Neutrino masses and mass hierarchy: evidence for the normal hierarchy
Authors: Jimenez Raul , Pena-Garay Carlos , Short Kathleen , Simpson Fergus , Verde Licia
Published: September 2022

The latest cosmological constraints on the sum of neutrino masses, in combination with the latest laboratory measurements on oscillations, provide “decisive” Bayesian evidence for the normal neutrino mass hierarchy. We show that this result holds across very different prior alternatives by exploring two extremes on the range of prior choices. In fact, while the specific numerical value for the Evidence depends on the choice of prior, the Bayesian odds remain greater than 140:1 across very different prior choices. For Majorana neutrinos this has important implications for the upper limit of the neutrino-less double beta decay half life and thus for the technology and resources needed for future double beta decay experiments.
Delayed response to the photovoltaic performance in a double quantum dots photocell with spatially correlated fluctuation
Authors: Zhu Sheng-Nan , Zhao Shun-Cai , Xu Lu-Xin , Chen Lin-Jie
Published: September 2022

A viable strategy for enhancing photovoltaic performance is to comprehend the underlying quantum physical regime of charge transfer in a double quantum dots (DQD) photocell. This work explored the photovoltaic performance dependent spatially correlated fluctuation in a DQD photocell. The effects of spatially correlated fluctuation on charge transfer and output photovoltaic efficiency were explored in a proposed DQD photocell model. The results revealed that the charge transport process and the time to peak photovoltaic efficiency were both significantly delayed by the spatially correlated fluctuation, while the anti-spatially correlated fluctuation reduced the output peak photovoltaic efficiency. Further results revealed that the delayed response could be suppressed by gap difference and tunneling coefficient within two dots. Subsequent investigation demonstrated that the delayed response was caused by the spatial correlation fluctuation slowing the generative process of noise-induced coherence, which had previously been proven to improve the quantum photovoltaic performance in quantum photocells. And the reduced photovoltaic properties were verified by the damaged noise-induced coherence owing to the anti-spatial correlation fluctuation and a hotter thermal ambient environment. The discovery of delayed response generated by the spatially correlated fluctuations will deepen the understanding of quantum features of electron transfer, as well as promises to take our understanding even further concerning quantum techniques for high efficiency DQD solar cells.
Growth behaviors and emission properties of Co-deposited MAPbI3 ultrathin films on MoS2
Authors: You Siwen , Shao Ziyi , Guo Xiao , Jiang Junjie , Liu Jinxin , Wang Kai , Li Mingjun , Ouyang Fangping , Deng Chuyun , Song Fei , Sun Jiatao , Huang Han
Published: September 2022

Hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite thin films have attracted much attention in optoelectronic and information fields because of their intriguing properties. Due to quantum confinement effects, ultrathin films in nm scale usually show special properties. Here, we report on the growth of methylammonium lead iodide (MAPbI3) ultrathin films via co-deposition of PbI2 and CH3NH3I (MAI) on chemical-vapor-deposition-grown monolayer MoS2 as well as the corresponding photoluminescence (PL) properties at different growing stages. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy measurements reveal the MoS2 tuned growth of MAPbI3 in a Stranski–Krastanov mode. PL and Kelvin probe force microscopy results confirm that MAPbI3/MoS2 heterostructures have a type-II energy level alignment at the interface. Temperaturedependent PL measurements on layered MAPbI3 (at the initial stage) and on MAPbI3 crystals in averaged size of 500 nm (at the later stage) show rather different temperature dependence as well as the phase transitions from tetragonal to orthorhombic at 120 and 150 K, respectively. Our findings are useful in fabricating MAPbI3/transition-metal dichalcogenide based innovative devices for wider optoelectronic applications.
Open-source tool for battery module simulation and design
Authors: Perez Estevez Manuel Antonio , Renzi Massimiliano
Published: September 2022

Electric and hybrid vehicles are two of the most promising solutions to meet the new emission requirements of the transportation sector. The energy storage system is their most critical component in terms of performance. Therefore, battery modeling plays an important role for designing and controlling battery modules. Up to now, the design of battery modules is conditioned by the use of expensive tools that involve long simulation times; in response to this, the present work introduces an open-source tool developed in Python to study the performance of battery modules and contribute to their design. To show the scope and use of the tool, a theoretical case study is presented. In particular, the effect of slight differences in cells behavior, due to manufacturing process or aging, is shown at the module level. A SOC difference of 2.5%, due to current imbalances, was obtained among the cells after discharge for a small battery module with new cells. This result points out the importance of accurate and fast module models to correctly predict the remaining travel range and the need for an online parameters identification procedure. In addition, the temperature distribution in the module along with the heat generated by the cells, also estimated by the tool, can be used for proper design and control of the battery cooling system.
Intelligent parking platform based on huawei soft ker cloud
Authors: Lei Guowei , Zhang Jialiang , Mo Yongtian , Liao Wenliang
Published: September 2022

Nowadays, parking problem in urban cities has getting more and more urgent. Most of the problems are mainly due to the information share and management. In the work, we develop a cloud platform based on Huawei soft Ker cloud. On the cloud platform, we build a new smart parking platform, and implement methods, programs, and simulation test system for design and debugging. The functions of license plate recognition, car search and navigation, payment, parking lot search, intelligent parking are implemented in the platform through code debugging.
“Seeing” the Invisible: Under Vehicle Reconstruction (UVR) for Surround View Visualization
Authors: Hu Feng , Yu Shuping , Zhou Wenjia
Published: September 2022

Providing blind-spot-free vehicle surround view to the driver is important for many driving maneuvers such as parking. Existing vehicle Surround View System (SVS) can only visualize front, left, rear and right side of the vehicle but leaves the under vehicle area unknown. However, perceiving the under vehicle area is critical for many tasks such as passing through speed bumps, avoiding potholes, driving on narrow roads with high curbs or the unpaved terrain. In this paper, we propose a novel Under Vehicle Reconstruction (UVR) algorithm which utilizes what the vehicle sees in the past and vehicle egomotion to “see” through the original invisible under vehicle area. First, front or back fisheye cameras, are utilized to build a local textured map for future usage. Second, vehicle’s precise location and orientation within the local map is estimated using the vehicle egomotion. Finally, correspondent under vehicle area texture is retrieved from the map using vehicle’s pose and stitched together with traditional Surround View System to provide a new blind-spot-free visualization. As far as we know, our work is the first solution that can provide full under vehicle area reconstruction which empowers many Advanced Driving Assistant System (ADAS) functionalities such as transparent hood or transparent vehicle. Experiments on both simulated and real data are presented to show the effectiveness and robustness of the proposed algorithm.
Development of the photo-diode subsystem for the HERD calorimeter double-readout
Authors: Adriani O. , Antonelli M. , Basti A. , Berti E. , Betti P. , Bigongiari G. , Bonechi L. , Bongi M. , Bonvicini V. , Bottai S. , Brogi P. , Castellini G. , Checchia C. , Casaus J. , Cui X. , Dong Y. , D'Alessandro R. , Detti S. , Giovacchini F. , Finetti N. , Maestro P. , Marrocchesi P.S. , Liu X. , Marin J. , Martinez G. , Mori N. , Pacini L. , Papini P. , Pizzolotto C. , Ricciarini S. , Spillantini P. , Starodubtsev O. , Stiaccini L. , Tang Z. , Tiberio A. , Vannuccini E. , Velasco M. , Wang R. , Wang Z. , Xu M. , Zampa G. , Zampa N. , Zhang L.
Published: September 2022

The measurement of cosmic-ray individual spectra provides
unique information regarding the origin and propagation of
astro-particles. Due to the limited acceptance of current space
experiments, protons and nuclei around the “knee” region
(∼ 1 PeV) can only be observed by ground based
experiments. Thanks to an innovative design, the High Energy
cosmic-Radiation Detection (HERD) facility will allow direct
observation up to this energy region: the instrument is mainly based
on a 3D segmented, isotropic and homogeneous calorimeter which
properly measures the energy of particles coming from each direction
and it will be made of about 7500 LYSO cubic crystals. The read-out
of the scintillation light is done with two independent systems: the
first one based on wave-length shifting fibers coupled to
Intensified scientific CMOS cameras, the second one is made of two
photo-diodes with different active areas connected to a custom
front-end electronics. This photo-diode system is designed to
achieve a huge dynamic range, larger than 107, while having a
small power consumption, few mW per channel. Thanks to a good
signal-to-noise ratio, the capability of a proper calibration, by
using signals of both non-interacting and showering particles, is
also guaranteed. In this paper, the current design and the
performance obtained by several tests of the photo-diode read-out
system are discussed.
Optimal planar leg geometry in robots and crabs for idealized rocky terrain
Authors: Chen Yang , Clifton Glenna , Graf Nicole M , Durand Kayla , Taylor Jennifer , Gong Yifeng , Grezmak John E , Daltorio Kathryn A
Published: September 2022

Natural terrain is uneven so it may be beneficial to grasp onto the depressions or ‘valleys’ between obstacles when walking over such a surface. To examine how leg geometry influences walking across obstacles with valleys, we (1) modeled the performance of a two-linkage leg with parallel axis ‘hip’ and ‘knee’ joints to determine how relative segment lengths influence stepping across rocks of varying diameter, and (2) measured the walking limbs in two species of intertidal crabs, Hemigrapsus nudus and Pachygrapsus crassipes, which live on rocky shores and granular terrains. We idealized uneven terrains as adjacent rigid hemispherical ‘rocks’ with valleys between them and calculated kinematic factors such as workspace, limb angles with respect to the ground, and body configurations needed to step over rocks. We first find that the simulated foot tip radius relative to the rock radius is limited by friction and material failure. To enable force closure for grasping, and assuming that friction coefficients above 0.5 are unrealistic, the foot tip radius must be at least 10 times smaller than that of the rocks. However, ratios above 15 are at risk of fracture. Second, we find the theoretical optimal leg geometry for robots is, with the distal segment 0.63 of the total length, which enables the traversal of rocks with a diameter that is 37% of the total leg length. Surprisingly, the intertidal crabs’ walking limbs cluster around the same limb ratio of 0.63, showing deviations for limbs less specialized for walking. Our results can be applied broadly when designing segment lengths and foot shapes for legged robots on uneven terrain, as demonstrated here using a hexapod crab-inspired robot. Furthermore, these findings can inform our understanding of the evolutionary patterns in leg anatomy associated with adapting to rocky terrain.
Forest fires and impacts of COVID-19 lockdowns on air quality in four Latin American megacities
Authors: Bonilla Jorge A
Published: September 2022

Latin America, as other regions in the world, imposed mobility restrictions to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. Although recent research has analyzed the effect of mobility restrictions on air quality in several regions, a scarce literature explores the causal effects of the lockdowns in Latin America at a city scale whose results may guide local policymaking. This article, based on a quasi-experimental approach, estimates the causal short-term impacts of lockdowns on air quality considering the influence of forest fires on pollution in four megacities in Latin America (Bogotá, Mexico City, Santiago, and Sao Paulo). Results show that nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide consistently declined (from 16% to 68%), nevertheless, fine particles rarely decreased across cities. Only Bogotá exhibited an overall reduction in fine particles (45% for PM2.5). Mexico City obtained the lowest reduction in pollutants, whereas Bogotá outperformed other cities in several pollutants. Evidence from mobility statistics supports the decrease in air pollution by a reduction in driving, transit use, and other mobility indicators.
Attributing observed permafrost warming in the northern hemisphere to anthropogenic climate change
Authors: Gudmundsson Lukas , Kirchner Josefine , Gädeke Anne , Noetzli Jeannette , Biskaborn Boris K
Published: September 2022

Permafrost temperatures are increasing globally with the potential of adverse environmental and socio-economic impacts. Nonetheless, the attribution of observed permafrost warming to anthropogenic climate change has relied mostly on qualitative evidence. Here, we compare long permafrost temperature records from 15 boreholes in the northern hemisphere to simulated ground temperatures from Earth system models contributing to CMIP6 using a climate change detection and attribution approach. We show that neither pre-industrial climate variability nor natural drivers of climate change suffice to explain the observed warming in permafrost temperature averaged over all boreholes. However, simulations are consistent with observations if the effects of human emissions on the global climate system are considered. Moreover, our analysis reveals that the effect of anthropogenic climate change on permafrost temperature is detectable at some of the boreholes. Thus, the presented evidence supports the conclusion that anthropogenic climate change is the key driver of northern hemisphere permafrost warming.
Costs of forest carbon sequestration in the presence of climate change impacts
Authors: Golub Alla , Sohngen Brent , Cai Yongyang , Kim John , Hertel Thomas
Published: September 2022

Forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change, and, at the same time, are predicted to experience large-scale impacts of climate change that will affect the efficiency of forests in mitigation efforts. Projections of future carbon sequestration potential typically do not account for the changing economic costs of timber and agricultural production and land use change. We integrated a dynamic forward-looking economic optimization model of global land use with results from a dynamic global vegetation model and meta-analysis of climate impacts on crop yields to project future carbon sequestration in forests. We find that the direct impacts of climate change on forests, represented by changes in dieback and forest growth, and indirect effects due to lost crop productivity, together result in a net gain of 17 Gt C in aboveground forest carbon storage from 2000 to 2100. Increases in climate-driven forest growth rates will result in an 81%–99% reduction in costs of reaching a range of global forest carbon stock targets in 2100, while the increases in dieback rates are projected to raise the costs by 57%–132%. When combined, these two direct impacts are expected to reduce the global costs of climate change mitigation in forests by more than 70%. Inclusion of the third, indirect impact of climate change on forests through reduction in crop yields, and the resulting expansion of cropland, raises the costs by 11%–38% and widens the uncertainty range. While we cannot rule out the possibility of climate change increasing mitigation costs, the central outcomes of the simultaneous impacts of climate change on forests and agriculture are 64%–86% reductions in the mitigation costs. Overall, the results suggest that concerns about climate driven dieback in forests should not inhibit the ambitions of policy makers in expanding forest-based climate solutions.
Factorization of Ising correlations C(M, N) for ν = −k and M + N odd, M ⩽ N, T < T
c and their lambda extensions
Authors: Boukraa S , Cosgrove C , Maillard J-M , McCoy B M
Published: September 2022

We study the factorizations of Ising low-temperature correlations C(M, N) for ν = −k and M + N odd, M ⩽ N, for both the cases M ≠ 0 where there are two factors, and M = 0 where there are four factors. We find that the two factors for M ≠ 0 satisfy the same non-linear differential equation and, similarly, for M = 0 the four factors each satisfy Okamoto sigma-form of Painlevé VI equations with the same Okamoto parameters. Using a Landen transformation we show, for M ≠ 0, that the previous non-linear differential equation can actually be reduced to an Okamoto sigma-form of Painlevé VI equation. For both the two and four factor case, we find that there is a one parameter family of boundary conditions on the Okamoto sigma-form of Painlevé VI equations which generalizes the factorization of the correlations C(M, N) to an additive decomposition of the corresponding sigma’s solutions of the Okamoto sigma-form of Painlevé VI equation which we call lambda extensions. At a special value of the parameter, the lambda-extensions of the factors of C(M, N) reduce to homogeneous polynomials in the complete elliptic functions of the first and second kind. We also generalize some Tracy–Widom (Painlevé V) relations between the sum and difference of sigma’s to this Painlevé VI framework.
Speed of evolution in entangled fermionic systems
Authors: Canseco J Sahory , Valdés-Hernández Andrea
Published: September 2022

We consider the simplest identical-fermion system that exhibits the phenomenon of entanglement (beyond exchange correlations) to analyze its speed of evolution toward an orthogonal state, and revisit the relation between this latter and the amount of fermionic entanglement. A characterization of the quantum speed limit and the orthogonality times is performed, throwing light into the general structure of the faster and the slower states. Such characterization holds not only for fermionic composites, but apply more generally to a wide family of six-dimensional states, irrespective of the specific nature of the system. Further, it is shown that the connection between speed of evolution and entanglement in the fermionic system, though more subtle than in composites of distinguishable parties, may indeed manifest for certain classes of states.
Microstructure, mechanical and thermal properties of titanium matrix composites with different reinforcements
Authors: Pan Hengpei , Ding Liang , Xu Yali , Li Longteng , Chen Jieming , Wang Shuo , Jiang Peng
Published: September 2022

In this study, three titanium matrix composites (TMCs) reinforced with graphite, graphene, and boron carbide (B4C) were fabricated through powder metallurgical techniques. The morphologies of grains and secondary phases of these TMCs were observed through Optical Micrograph (OM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results of the mechanical properties of the TMCs showed that B4C was the most effective in increasing the strength and hardness, while the strengthening effect was comparable between graphite and graphene. The plasticity of the graphene reinforced TMC decreased sharply because of the formation of strip-like agglomerations. The small size, large volume fraction, and uniform distribution of the secondary phases contributed to the enhancement of strength and hardness in boron carbide reinforced TMC. Although the thermal properties of the TMCs were lower than pure titanium in the temperature range of 25 ∼ 300 °C, the thermal conductivities of the TMCs were all above 15.6W m−1·K.
Compressive mechanical properties and shape memory effect of NiTi gradient lattice structures fabricated by laser powder bed fusion
Authors: Chen Wei , Gu Dongdong , Yang Jiankai , Yang Qin , Chen Jie , Shen Xianfeng
Published: September 2022

Laser additive manufacturing (AM) of lattice structures with light weight, excellent impact resistance, and energy absorption performance is receiving considerable attention in aerospace, transportation, and mechanical equipment application fields. In this study, we designed four gradient lattice structures (GLSs) using the topology optimization method, including the unidirectional GLS, the bi-directional increasing GLS, the bi-directional decreasing GLS and the none-GLS. All GLSs were manufactureed by laser powder bed fusion (LPBF). The uniaxial compression tests and finite element analysis were conducted to investigate the influence of gradient distribution features on deformation modes and energy absorption performance of GLSs. The results showed that, compared with the 45° shear fracture characteristic of the none-GLS, the unidirectional GLS, the bi-directional increasing GLS and the bi-directional decreasing GLS had the characteristics of the layer-by-layer fracture, showing considerably improved energy absorption capacity. The bi-directional increasing GLS showed a unique combination of shear fracture and layer-by-layer fracture, having the optimal energy absorption performance with energy absorption and specific energy absorption of 235.6 J and 9.5 J g−1 at 0.5 strain, respectively. Combined with the shape memory effect of NiTi alloy, multiple compression-heat recovery experiments were carried out to verify the shape memory function of LPBF-processed NiTi GLSs. These findings have potential value for the future design of GLSs and the realization of shape memory function of NiTi components through laser AM.
A coarse-fine reading recognition method for pointer meters based on CNN and computer vision
Authors: Hou Liqun , Sun Xiaopeng , Wang Sen
Published: September 2022

To enhance the robustness and remove the accumulative error of existing methods, this paper proposes a novel coarse-fine pointer meter reading recognition approach using CNN in the whole recognition procedure. Firstly, the Mask R-CNN is employed to localize the dial position of a meter. Secondly, the dial center is determined by using all the digital scale regions recognized by the R-CNN, while the pointer is extracted by using the regional growth method. The meter’s rough reading is then accomplished according to the position of the pointer and its two closest scale marks found by circular scale searching. Finally, the meter’s exact reading value is recognized by using the proposed CNN model. A set of reading recognition experiments on various meters, meters with disturbances, and on-site meters have been conducted to verify the proposed approach. The experimental results show that the proposed method is robust under various environments and its maximum fiducial error in all the experiments is 0.63%, which is less than the error of the existing methods.
grenepipe: a flexible, scalable and reproducible pipeline to automate variant calling from sequence reads
Authors: Czech Lucas , Exposito-Alonso Moises
Published: September 2022

We developed grenepipe, an all-in-one Snakemake workflow to streamline the data processing from raw high-throughput sequencing data of individuals or populations to genotype variant calls. Our pipeline offers a range of popular software tools within a single configuration file, automatically installs software dependencies, is highly optimized for scalability in cluster environments and runs with a single command.

Availability and implementation

grenepipe is published under the GPLv3 and freely available at github.com/moiexpositoalonsolab/grenepipe.