bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Voices From the Field: A Quality Improvement Project for Progressive Tinnitus Management 2.0
Authors: Clark Khaya , Lovelace Suheily , Moring John C. , Thielman Emily J. , Thompson Kassander A. , Henry James A. , Zaugg Tara
Published: October 2024

Purpose:

Tinnitus is a common health condition in the general population, with increased prevalence among military Veterans. Tinnitus is, in fact, the most prevalent military service–connected disability. There is no cure for tinnitus, but interventions are available to help patients manage their reactions to tinnitus and reduce its functional impact. Progressive tinnitus management (PTM) is a stepped-care protocol that involves coordinated audiological and behavioral health clinical services. PTM was endorsed by national Veterans Affairs (VA) audiology leadership in 2009. Given new clinical insights and research findings since the initial rollout of PTM, it remains necessary to improve and update the protocol in response to feedback from clinicians and patients.

Method:

This two-phase quality improvement project captured quantitative and qualitative feedback from VA and Department of Defense (DOD) clinicians and patients concerning PTM materials. A convergent parallel mixed-methods design was used to integrate the quantitative and qualitative data, and a consensus method was used to adjudicate any discrepant findings.

Results:

In Phase 1, 21 VAs and DOD clinicians and patients completed semistructured interviews and quantitative measures on the PTM handbook and workbook revisions. Phase 1 findings were recommendations to modify content, format, and adaptations of content (e.g., electronic formats with a clickable index). In Phase 2, six non-Veteran patients assisted in pilot testing PTM PowerPoint slides used by clinicians for PTM skills education sessions. Phase 2 findings indicated that the revised PTM PowerPoint slides were useful and clinically acceptable.

Conclusions:

Findings from this study are being used to revise and update materials in the PTM skills education sessions. More generally, the study demonstrates the necessity of end-user input to inform and implement clinical updates.

Supplemental Material:

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.27057691
Teaching Phonetics Online: Lessons From Before and During the Pandemic
Authors: Luque Jenna Silver , Tessel Carol A. , Grover Vikas
Published: October 2024

Purpose:

Online learning has been part of the educational landscape for a long time, but it came to the forefront during the COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020. As many courses moved online, faculty struggled to make their courses effective for students. Phonetics, with its focus on learning International Phonetic Alphabet transcription, was especially difficult to teach online. Fellow faculty members expressed difficulty communicating the content, offering transcription practice and feedback, engaging students, and applying the concepts clinically.

Conclusion:

This tutorial will address these issues and more with specific examples, websites, and explanations for faculty members to immediately implement in their (online) phonetics courses.
Wideband patch antenna through introducing co‐plane terminal
Authors: Sima Boyu , Guo Zhengkun , Liu Run , Gong Heling , Yang Qingqing , Hu Jun , Sun Zhiwei , Wu Wen
Published: October 2024

Wideband operation is a crucial topic in patch structure research. Various wideband methods have been developed for patch antennas. However, some of the key benefits of patch antennas, such as semi‐space radiation and easy fabrication, are degraded. In this study, we refer to the planar inverted‐F antenna (PIFA) and propose a co‐plane terminal loading strategy, resulting in an antenna model termed the co‐plane terminal loaded antenna (CTLA). It transforms the dipole‐to‐background metallic via in PIFA to a dipole‐to‐feed gap in CTLA. Because the gap is a coupling connection, the impedance‐match and resonant‐frequency performance improve, resulting in a wider bandwidth. Based on the proposed approach, three CTLAs, including an original CTLA, an improved CTLA, and a multi‐path CTLA, were constructed and simulated, with relative bandwidths of 63.5%, 55%, and 62%, respectively. The radiation pattern is typically patch‐like, radiating in semi‐space, and hybrid polarisation over the working band. Finally, the improved and multi‐path CTLAs are fabricated and measured to validate this method and ensure that the results are consistent with the simulation results accurately. This study proposes a terminal‐loading method for patch structures, which results in wideband radiation. It can be used in wideband phased arrays, communication systems etc.
Implementation of NLC‐SHM based novel PWM scheme on packed U‐cell multilevel inverter
Authors: Tariq Mohd , Khan Shahbaz Ahmad , Upadhyay Deepak , Sarwar Adil , Sarwat Arif , Peltoniemi Pasi
Published: October 2024

This article introduces a novel integrated nearest level controller (NLC) combined with selective harmonic mitigation (SHM) control approach aimed at efficiently suppressing lower‐order harmonics has been introduced. The proposed methodology is implemented on the PUC‐7 inverter topology, leveraging the combined benefits offered by both NLC and SHM controllers through a hybrid model. The proposed method demonstrates the capability to reduce lower‐order harmonics up to the 49th harmonic from the load voltage. The particle swarm optimization algorithm is employed to determine optimal switching angles and their corresponding nearest levels, thereby reducing implementation time, computational complexity, and overall system intricacy. The performance analysis of the proposed control strategy across various scenarios, including fluctuations in modulation index and monitoring diverse parameters such as load dynamics has been performed. This approach yields a significant reduction in total harmonic distortion in both load voltage and current. A comparative analysis between NLC, selective harmonic mitigation (SHM), and the integrated NLC‐SHM approach is carried out on the PUC‐7 inverter. The integrated SHM‐NLC control is implemented and validated using the MATLAB Simulink environment, complemented by hardware‐based experimentation, to ascertain its effectiveness.
The role of stellar mass in the cosmic history of star formation as seen by Herschel and ALMA
Authors: Leroy L. , Elbaz D. , Magnelli B. , Gómez-Guijarro C. , Daddi E. , Xiao M. , Dickinson M.
Published: October 2024

Aims. We explore the contribution of galaxies, as a function of their stellar mass, to the cosmic star formation history (CSFH). In order to avoid uncertain extrapolations of the infrared luminosity function, which is often polluted by the contribution of starbursts, we base our analysis on stellar mass. Attenuation by dust is accounted for thanks to the combination of deep surveys by Herschel and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter array (ALMA).

Methods. We combined for the first time the deepest Herschel (GOODS-South, GOODS-North, COSMOS and UDS) and ALMA (GOODS-South) surveys. We constrained the star formation rate (SFR), dust mass (Mdust), dust temperature (Tdust) and gas mass (Mgas) of galaxies as a function of their stellar mass (M⋆) from z ∼ 5 to z ∼ 0 by performing a stacking analysis of over 128 000 Hubble Space Telescope (HST) H-band selected galaxies. We studied the evolution of the star formation efficiency of galaxies as a function of redshift and M⋆.

Results. We show that the addition of ALMA to Herschel allows us to reach lower M⋆ and higher redshifts. We confirm that the SFR-M⋆ star formation main sequence (MS) follows a linear evolution with a slope close to unity with a bending at the high-mass end at z <  2. The mean Tdust of MS galaxies evolves linearly with redshift, with no apparent correlation with M⋆. We show that, up to z ∼ 5, massive galaxies (i.e. M⋆ ≥ 1010 M⊙) account for most of the total SFR density (ρSFR), while the contribution of lower-mass galaxies (i.e. M⋆ ≤ 1010 M⊙) is rather constant. We compare the evolution of star-forming galaxy (SFGs) to the cosmological simulation TNG100. We find that TNG100 exhibits a noticeable difference in the evolution of the CSFH, that is, the marked evolution of massive galaxies found in the observations appears to be smoothed in the simulation, possibly due to feedback that is too efficient. In this mass complete analysis, H-dropout (also called HST-dark) galaxies account for ∼23% of the CSFH in massive galaxies at z >  3. Finally, we find hints that the star formation efficiency of distant galaxies (z = 3–5) is stronger (shorter depletion time) as compared to low-redshift galaxies.
Could very low-metallicity stars with rotation-dominated orbits have been driven by the bar?
Authors: Yuan Zhen , Li Chengdong , Martin Nicolas F. , Monari Giacomo , Famaey Benoit , Siebert Arnaud , Chiba Rimpei , Ardern-Arentsen Anke , Sestito Federico , Thomas Guillaume F. , Hill Vanessa , Ibata Rodrigo A. , Kordopatis Georges , Starkenburg Else , Viswanathan Akshara
Published: October 2024

The most metal-poor stars (e.g., [Fe/H] ≤ –2.5) are the ancient fossils from the early assembly epoch of our Galaxy. They very likely formed before the the thick disk. Recent studies have shown that a non-negligible fraction of them have prograde planar orbits, which means that their origin is a puzzle. It has been suggested that a later-formed rotating bar could have driven these old stars from the inner Galaxy outward and transformed their orbits so that they became more dominated by rotation. However, it is unclear whether this mechanism can explain these stars as observed in the solar neighborhood. We explore whether this scenario is feasible by tracing these stars backward in an axisymmetric Milky Way potential with a bar as perturber. We integrated their orbits backward for 6 Gyr under two bar models: one model with a constant pattern speed, and the other with a decelerating speed. Our experiments show that for the constantly rotating bar model, the stars of interest are little affected by the bar and cannot have been driven from a spheroidal inner Milky Way to their current orbits. In the extreme case of a decelerating bar, some of the very metal-poor stars on planar and prograde orbits can be brought from the inner Milky Way, but ∼90% of them were nevertheless already dominated by rotation (Jϕ ≥ 1000 km s−1 kpc) 6 Gyr ago. The chance that these stars started with spheroid-like orbits with low rotation (Jϕ ≲ 600 km s−1 kpc) is very low (< 3%). We therefore conclude that within the solar neighborhood, the bar is unlikely to have shepherded a significant fraction of spheroid stars in the inner Galaxy to produce the overdensity of stars on prograde planar orbits that is observed today.
Constraining the overcontact phase in massive binary evolution
Authors: Vrancken Jasmine , Abdul-Masih Michael , Escorza Ana , Menon Athira , Mahy Laurent , Marchant Pablo
Published: October 2024

Context. Binary systems play a crucial role in massive star evolution. Systems composed of B-type and O-type stars are of particular interest due to their potential to lead to very energetic phenomena or the merging of exotic compact objects.

Aims. We aim to determine the orbital period variations of a sample of B+B and O+B massive overcontact binaries, with the primary objectives of characterizing the evolutionary timescales of these systems and addressing the existing discrepancy between observational data and theoretical predictions derived from population synthesis models.

Methods. We used PERIOD04 to analyze archival photometric data going back a century for a sample of seven binary systems to measure their orbital periods. We then determine the period variations using a linear fit.

Results. We find that the period variation timescales of five truly overcontact binary systems align with the nuclear timescale, in agreement with previous findings for more massive overcontact binaries. Additionally, we noticed a clear distinction between the five systems that had been unambiguously classified as overcontact systems and both SV Cen and VFTS 066, which seem to be evolving on thermal timescales and might be misclassified as overcontact systems.

Conclusions. In the case of the five overcontact binaries, our results indicate a noticeable mismatch between the observational data and the theoretical predictions derived from population synthesis models. Furthermore, our results suggest that additional physical mechanisms must be investigated to compare the observed variations more thoroughly with theoretical predictions.
The outcome of collisions between gaseous clumps formed by disk instability
Authors: Matzkevich Yoav , Reinhardt Christian , Meier Thomas , Stadel Joachim , Helled Ravit
Published: October 2024

The disk instability model is a promising pathway for giant planet formation in various conditions. At the moment, population synthesis models are used to investigate the outcomes of this theory, where a key ingredient of the disk population evolution are collisions of self-gravitating clumps formed by the disk instabilities. In this study, we explored the wide range of dynamics between the colliding clumps by performing state-of-the-art smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations with a hydrogen-helium mixture equation of state and investigated the parameter space of collisions between clumps of different ages, masses (1–10 Jupiter mass), various impact conditions (head-on to oblique collisions) and a range of relative velocities. We find that the perfect merger assumption used in population synthesis models is rarely satisfied and that the outcomes of most of the collisions lead to erosion, disruption or a hit-and-run. We also show that in some cases collisions can initiate the dynamical collapse of the clump. We conclude that population synthesis models should abandon the simplifying assumption of perfect merging. Relaxing this assumption will significantly affect the inferred population of planets resulting from the disk instability model.
QSO MUSEUM
Authors: Herwig Eileen , Arrigoni Battaia Fabrizio , González Lobos Jay , Farina Emanuele P. , Man Allison W. S. , Bañados Eduardo , Kauffmann Guinevere , Cai Zheng , Obreja Aura , Prochaska J. Xavier
Published: October 2024

Extended Lyα emission is routinely found around single quasars across cosmic time. However, few studies have investigated how such emission changes in fields with physically associated quasar pairs, which should reside in dense environments and are predicted to be linked through intergalactic filaments. We present VLT/MUSE snapshot observations (45 minutes/source) to unveil extended Lyα emission on scales of the circumgalactic medium (CGM) around the largest sample of physically associated quasar pairs to date, encompassing eight pairs (14 observed quasars) at z ∼ 3 with an i-band magnitude between 18 and 22.75, corresponding to absolute magnitudes Mi(z = 2) between −29.6 and −24.9. The pairs are either at close (∼50–100 kpc, five pairs) or wide (∼450–500 kpc, three pairs) angular separation and have velocity differences of Δv ≤ 2000 km s−1. We detected extended emission around 12 of the 14 targeted quasars and investigated the luminosity, size, kinematics, and morphology of these Lyα nebulae. On average, they span about 90 kpc and are 2.8 × 1043 erg s−1 bright. Irrespective of the quasars’ projected distance, the nebulae often (∼45%) extend toward the other quasar in the pair, leading to asymmetric emission whose flux-weighted centroid is at an offset position from any quasar location. We show that large nebulae are preferentially aligned with the large-scale structure, as traced by the direction between the two quasars, and conclude that the cool gas (104 K) in the CGM traces well the direction of cosmic web filaments. Additionally, the radial profile of the Lyα surface brightness around quasar pairs can be described by a power law with a shallower slope (∼−1.6) with respect to single quasars (∼−2), indicative of increased CGM densities out to large radii and/or an enhanced contribution from the intergalactic medium (IGM) due to the dense environments expected around quasar pairs. The sample presented in this study contains excellent targets for ultra-deep observations to directly study filamentary IGM structures in emission. This work demonstrates that a large snapshot survey of quasar pairs will pave the way to direct statistical study of the IGM.
Rotation state, colors, and albedo of the mission-accessible tiny near-Earth asteroid 2001 QJ142
Authors: Beniyama Jin , Sergeyev Alexey V. , Tholen David J. , Micheli Marco
Published: October 2024

Context. Characterizing mission-accessible asteroids using telescopic observations is fundamental for target-selection and planning for spacecraft missions. Near-Earth asteroids on Earth-like orbits are of particular importance for applications such as asteroid mining. Aims. 2001 QJ142 is a tiny (D ≤ 100 m) near-Earth asteroid on an Earth-like orbit with a semimajor axis of 1.06 au, orbital eccentricity of 0.09, and orbital inclination of 3.10°. We aim to characterize 2001 QJ142 using ground-based observations with future spacecraft missions in mind.

Methods. We performed visible multicolor photometry of 2001 QJ142 using the TriCCS on the Seimei 3.8 m telescope in February 2024. We also revisited the images taken with the Suprime-Cam on the Subaru 8.2 m telescope in August 2012.

Results. Visible color indices of 2001 QJ142 indicate that 2001 QJ142 is a C- or X-complex asteroid. We detect a possible fast rotation with a period of about 10 min, which is consistent with a previous report. The geometric albedo of 2001 QJ142 is derived to be about 0.3 from a slope of its photometric phase curve, which is consistent with an albedo derived from thermal observations with updated physical quantities. A straightforward interpretation is that 2001 QJ142 is either an E- or M-type asteroid, although surface properties of such tiny fast-rotating asteroids are not well understood.

Conclusions. We infer that 2001 QJ142 is a fast-rotating mission-accessible E- or M-type near-Earth asteroid. More characterizations of tiny asteroids are particularly important for a deeper understanding of their nature.
DUNE: Dust depletion UNified method across cosmic time and Environments
Authors: Konstantopoulou Christina , De Cia Annalisa , Krogager Jens-Kristian , Ledoux Cédric , Roman-Duval Julia , Jenkins Edward B. , Ramburuth-Hurt Tanita , Velichko Anna
Published: October 2024

We present a novel method to characterize dust depletion, namely, the depletion of metals into dust grains. We used observed correlations among relative abundances combining a total of 17 metals in diverse galactic environments, including the Milky Way (MW), Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), and damped Lyman-α absorbers (DLAs) towards quasars and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We only considered the relative abundances of metals that qualify as tracers of dust and we used all available dust tracers. We find linear correlations among all studied dust tracers in a multidimensional space, where each dimension corresponds to an individual dust tracer. The fit to the linear correlations among the dust tracers describes the tendencies of different elements when depleting into dust grains. We determined the overall strength of dust depletion, ∆, along individual lines of sight, based on the correlations among different dust tracers. We avoided any preference for specific dust tracers or any other assumptions by including all available dust tracers in this multidimensional space. We also determined the dust depletion of Kr, C, O, Cl, P, Zn, Ge, Mg, Cu, Si, Fe, Ni, and Ti. Finally, we offer simple guidelines for the application of the method to the study of the observed patterns of abundances and relative abundances. This has allowed for a straightforward determination of the overall strength of depletion and the dust depletion of individual elements. We also obtained an estimate for the gas-phase metallicity and identified any additional deviations due to the nucleosynthesis of specific stellar populations. Thus, we have established a unified methodology for characterizing dust depletion across cosmic time and diverse galactic environments, offering a valuable new approach to the study of dust depletion in studies of the chemical evolution of galaxies.
Implications of scattering for CMB foreground emission modelling
Authors: Li Jia-Rui , Delabrouille Jacques , Cai Yi-Fu , Zhang Dongdong
Published: October 2024

Context. The extreme precision and accuracy of forthcoming observations of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) temperature and polarisation anisotropies, aiming to detect the tiny signatures of primordial gravitational waves or of light relic particles beyond the standard three light neutrinos, requires commensurate precision in the modelling of foreground Galactic emission that contaminates CMB observations.

Aims. We evaluate the impact of second-order effects in Galactic foreground emission due to Thomson scattering off interstellar free electrons and to Rayleigh scattering off interstellar dust particles.

Methods. We used existing sky survey data and models of the distribution of free electrons and dust within the Milky Way to estimate the amplitude and power spectra of the emission originating from radiation scattered either by free electrons or by dust grains at CMB frequencies.

Results. Both processes generate corrections to the total emission that are small compared to direct emission and are small enough not to pose problems for current-generation observations.

Conclusions. However, B modes generated by Thomson scattering of incoming radiation off interstellar free electrons at CMB frequencies are within an order of magnitude compared to the sensitivity of the most advanced forthcoming CMB telescopes, and might require more precise evaluation in the future.
The solar beryllium abundance revisited with 3D non-LTE models
Authors: Amarsi A. M. , Ogneva D. , Buldgen G. , Grevesse N. , Zhou Y. , Barklem P. S.
Published: October 2024

The present-day abundance of beryllium in the solar atmosphere provides clues about mixing mechanisms within stellar interiors. However, abundance determinations based on the Be II313.107 nm line are prone to systematic errors due to imperfect model spectra. These errors arise from missing continuous opacity in the UV, a significant unidentified blend at 313.102 nm, departures from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE), and microturbulence and macroturbulence fudge parameters associated with one-dimensional (1D) hydrostatic model atmospheres. Although these factors have been discussed in the literature, no study has yet accounted for all of them simultaneously. To address this, we present 3D non-LTE calculations for neutral and ionised beryllium in the Sun. We used these models to derive the present-day solar beryllium abundance, calibrating the missing opacity on high resolution solar irradiance data and the unidentified blend on the centre-to-limb variation. We find a surface abundance of 1.21 ± 0.05 dex, which is significantly lower than the value of 1.38 dex that has been commonly adopted since 2004. Taking the initial abundance via CI chondrites, our result implies that beryllium has been depleted from the surface by an extra 0.11 ± 0.06 dex, or 22 ± 11%, on top of any effects of atomic diffusion. This is in tension with standard solar models, which predict negligible depletion, as well as with contemporary solar models that have extra mixing calibrated on the abundances of helium and lithium, which predict excessive depletion. These discrepancies highlight the need for further improvements to the physics in solar and stellar models.
Tithonia diversifolia: beneficial companion plant to control Yellow Aphids on sugarcane fields in Tanzania
Authors: Macé Quentin , Goebel François-Régis
Published: October 2024

To find sustainable ways to protect its sugarcane areas from the key pest Sipha flava (Hemiptera: Aphididae) in north Tanzania, the local company TPC Limited funded a 6 months project in coordination with the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development (CIRAD) to assess different agroecological practices, such as the use of companion plants around sugarcane fields. In this study, the influence of the flowering species Tithonia diversifolia located at the field edges as a potential banker plant for conservation biological control of the yellow sugarcane aphid was evaluated. Predatory species were identified by direct capture and/or regular observations and the intensity of aphid damage was evaluated through number of colonies. Twenty-four aphid predator species were identified being hosted by T. diversifolia, and the vicinity of this plant reduced by 86% the number of S. flava colonies in the sugarcane edges. These species belonged mostly to family Coccinellidae (ladybugs), Syrphidae (hoverflies), Chrysopidae (green lacewings), Dolichopodidae (long legged flies). This is the first paper evaluating T. diversifolia’s potential as a banker plant in sugarcane crops for pest control.
Probing the properties of the 0+2 state of 4He via 4He + 4He elastic and exclusive inelastic scattering measurements
Authors: Soukeras V. , Cappuzzello F. , Agodi C. , Becker H -W. , Brischetto G. A. , Calabrese S. , Carbone D. , Cavallaro M. , Ciampi C. , Cicerchia M. , Cinausero M. , Ciraldo I. , Dell’Aquila D. , Fisichella M. , Frosin C. , Hacisalihoglu A. , Hilcker M. , Kucuk Y. , Lombardo I. , Marchi T. , Sgouros O. , Spatafora A. , Torresi D. , Vigilante M. , Yildirim A.
Published: October 2024

The 4He+4He inelastic scattering was experimentally investigated in an exclusive measurement at the MAGNEX facility of INFN - LNS, aiming at characterizing the 0+2 resonant state of 4He. Both the 4He+4He→4He+4He∗→4He+3H+p and 4He+4He→4He+4He∗→4He+3He+n configurations were measured together with an elastic scattering measurement in a wide angular range. In the present article, the experimental setup, the measurement and the data reduction are briefly described, pointing out the significance of an exclusive inelastic scattering measurement to suppress the background originating from other processes.
A novel solution to the hyperon-puzzle in neutron stars
Authors: Chorozidou Arsenia , Gaitanos Theodoros
Published: October 2024

Hyperons are baryons with strangeness content and heavier than nucleons. Due to the high densities in the neutron star interior, they are energetically allowed to appear. The strangeness baryons can thus co-exist together with nucleons and leptons in β-equilibrium. However, as a generic feature, the neutron star equation of state softens largely when hyperons are present in neutron star matter. This is the so-called hyperon-puzzle: many state-of-the-art nuclear models cannot describe the precise observations of neutron star masses, when hyperons are included in their descriptions. We propose a new solution to this persisting hyperon-puzzle issue. It is based on the explicit momentum dependence of the hyperon potentials. They modify the strangeness thresholds and forbid or strongly suppress their population in neutron stars.
Neural networks for evaluating induced fission product yields
Authors: Prassa V. , Tsioulos V.
Published: October 2024

Fission product yields (FPYs) play a crucial role in various aspects of nuclear science and technology, including nuclear structure and reactions. However, the inherent constraints of traditional computational methods used in theoretical models, and lack of experimental access to key observables pose challenges in obtaining accurate and comprehensive fission data. Neural Networks (NNs) present a promising solution to address these challenges by effectively modeling and acquiring energy-dependent fission yields. Mixture Density Networks (MDNs) enable learning from available data, predicting unknowns, and quantifying uncertainties simultaneously. Our study demonstrates the effectiveness of MDNs in evaluating fission product yields, particularly in scenarios where experimental data are incomplete. Machine learning algorithms like Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) can capture the distribution of single-fission yields and generate high-quality samples. These samples serve as valuable inputs for MDN networks. This study introduces an MDN approach for evaluating energy-dependent fission mass yields. The results of MDN evaluations indicate satisfactory accuracy in determining both the distribution positions and energy dependencies of FPYs.
Nuclear astrophysics studies with the Trojan Horse Method
Authors: Tumino Aurora
Published: October 2024

Our understanding of how stars evolve relies on two critical factors: energy production and chemical evolution. These factors are influenced by thermonuclear reactions. However, directly measuring these reactions in a laboratory setting can be challenging due to small reaction cross sections or the need for radioactive targets that are impractical to handle.

To overcome these challenges, scientists have developed indirect techniques. One such method is the Trojan Horse Method (THM), which utilizes transfer reactions to determine cross sections of reactions relevant to stellar burning processes. In this paper, we will delve into the features of the Trojan Horse Method, its application in nuclear astrophysics, and provide examples of THM measurements.
The Enge Split-Pole Spectrograph at the University of Notre Dame
Authors: Carmichael Scott , O’Malley Patrick , Bardayan Daniel , Bailey Thomas , Boomershine Chevelle , Brodeur Maxime , Coil Sydney , Dembski Cade , Gore Tom , Jones Chloe , Koros Jes , Lee Kevin , Domingues Magro Pedro Luiz , McDonaugh John , Mulcahy Griffin , Porter William , Rivero Fabio , Robertson Daniel , Rufino Javier , Sanchez Adam , Stech Edward , von Seeger William , Zite Regan
Published: October 2024

Nuclear reactions play a crucial role in determining the nucleosynthesis that occurs in astrophysical events. The rates of many reactions that significantly impact certain nucleosynthesis processes can not be currently measured via direct means. These reactions must be constrained in another manner, such as determining the level energies and other structure properties of the compound nuclei. In order to measure level energies of nuclei relevant to nuclear astrophysics, the Enge split-pole spectrograph has been installed and commissioned at the University of Notre Dame’s Nuclear Science Laboratory. The first scientific measurement has also been performed. Structure properties of 58Cu were measured via the reaction 58Ni(3He,t)58Cu to provide the first experimental constraint of the 57Ni(p,γ)58Cu reaction rate, which impacts the production of of 44Ti, 57Fe, and 59Ni in core-collapse supernovae. Preliminary analysis of this measurement confirms the level energies of states in 58Cu that could lead to significant resonances in the 57Ni(p,γ)58Cu reaction rate, while suggesting the presence of additional states that have not been previously observed but could also lead to significant resonances.
Speed regulation system based on proportional resonance self-coupling PI control
Authors: GUAN Wenqing , CHENG Yi , DOU Manfeng , CHAO Shiyuan
Published: October 2024

In this paper, an improved self-coupled PI control dual-loop control strategy is proposed for the vector control of permanent magnet synchronous electric speed control system, to improve the poor motor control effect caused by the dead zone of the inverter, the presence of harmonics in the motor magnetic field distribution, and the error in the sampling process of the current. In order to reduce the tracking error of the signal, an acceleration feed-forward method is adopted, and the self-coupled PI controller with an additional Levant differentiator is introduced into the speed loop of the permanent magnet synchronous motor to ensure the accurate derivation of the input signal containing noise to improve the robustness of the system. In addition, this strategy combines the proportional term of the autotuned PI control structure with the standard resonator to form a proportional resonant autotuned PI in the current loop, so that the permanent magnet synchronous motor can better compensate the current in the current loop control to achieve the effect of current harmonic suppression. Finally, the control mechanism of the servo system analyzed, and based on the mathematical model of the controlled object PMSM, the design method of the improved self-coupling PI control structure is given. The experimental results show that the proposed control strategy can reduce the impact of the motor's own parameter changes on the system performance and has a good current harmonic suppression in the low-speed domain, which verifies the effectiveness of the designed improved self-coupled PI controller.
Study on radiation heat transfer characteristics of aeroengine combustion chamber
Authors: SHI Pengyu , LI Ming , YU Qianqian , WANG Zhisheng , REN Lishi , FAN Wei
Published: October 2024

The thermal radiation of gaseous combustion products in an aero-engine combustion chamber has obvious non-ash-body characteristics. In this paper, based on the OpenFOAM platform, a numerical study on multi-field coupled turbulence-combustion-radiation radiative heat transfer was carried out for a certain type of aero-engine combustion chamber using the mean weighted sum of grey gas (WSGG) gas radiation model, which can accurately describe the non-ash characteristics of the gas. The results show that the radiation heat transfer characteristics are influenced by several factors such as equivalent ratio, combustion pressure and wall emissivity, among which the equivalent ratio is dominant. Increasing the equivalence ratio from 0.11 to 0.4 resulted in a 189% increase in average incident radiation at the combustion chamber wall and a 233% increase in average incident radiation at the exit. Increasing the equivalent ratio, combustion pressure or wall emissivity will increase the average radiation intensity in the combustion chamber and the inhomogeneity of radiation distribution at the exit of the combustion chamber. The radial radiation distribution factor (RRDF) also increases with the increase of equivalent ratio, combustion pressure and wall emissivity.
Study on intelligent anti-occlusion tracking algorithm for infrared ground targets
Authors: ZHANG Peng , ZHANG Kai , YANG Yao
Published: October 2024

In response to the issue of infrared ground target tracking failure caused by background occlusion, a novel anti-occlusion tracker for infrared ground targets is proposed based on an enhanced trajectory prediction network. Initially, an occlusion assessment criterion is proposed to accurately assess the occlusion status of infrared ground targets. Subsequently, enhancements are made to the BiTrap trajectory prediction network. On one hand, velocity information is introduced through a Siamese network structure, adopting a unidirectional prediction method, building the SiamTrap trajectory prediction network that improves trajectory prediction accuracy. On the other hand, refining both the training and application methods enables more precise predictions of ground target trajectories. For short-term occlusion, the SiamTrap network uses temporal context information to predict the occluded position of the target. For long-term occlusion, a search expansion strategy is introduced to address prediction errors accumulated due to a lack of real target information. Finally, a "second verification" criterion is introduced, realizing accurate target capture and normal tracking. Comparative tests are conducted on infrared target tracking sequences with occlusion. Compared to baseline trackers, the proposed algorithm shows a 5.2% improvement in success rate and a 5.9% improvement in accuracy under the OPE evaluation metric. This indicates the robustness of the proposed algorithm in handling occlusion scenarios for infrared ground targets.
Synchronous Spontaneous Cochlear Emissions in Neonates and Adults: A Comparative Study
Authors: Eranna Prajwal Kumar , Winston Jim Saroj , Hegde Sinchana , Prasad Ishika , Goyal Swati , Rachana Dhananjay
Published: October 2024

Objectives The primary objective of the current study was to characterize synchronous spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SSOAEs) in adults and neonates. It was also interesting to compare the prevalence, frequency, and amplitudes of SSOAE in neonates and adults.

Materials and Method A prospective comparative study design was employed in which synchronized SSOAEs were recorded binaurally from 92 neonates and 100 adults using an Echoport ILO 292 OAE analyzer. The recorded spectrum was analyzed for the number, amplitude, spectral distribution, and prevalence of SSOAEs.

Statistical Analysis The data were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics using JASP version 0.16.1.0. A chi-squared test was used to compare the prevalence of SSOAEs in the test population. The Shapiro–Wilk test for normality was administered to check the data distribution. The nonparametric Mann–Whitney U test and parametric independent t-test were used to compare the amplitude and frequency data.

Results The findings revealed a higher prevalence of SSOAEs in neonates (42.8%) compared with adults (18%). The analysis also showed that the multiple-frequency SSOAEs were more prevalent than single-frequency SSOAEs in adults and neonates. The percentage of SSOAE occurrence was highest in the 2- to 3-kHz bin for adults, whereas in neonates, most SSOAEs occurred between 3 and 4 kHz. The results showed that the SSOAE amplitude across frequency bands was significantly higher in newborns compared with adults in all the frequency bins.

Conclusion The present study revealed a lesser prevalence of SSOAE in adults and neonates than in earlier reports. However, no difference in the spectral characteristics was observed.
Sex Disparity in the Canal-to-Body Ratio of the Cervical Spine Indicating the Prevalence of Cervical Myelopathy: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Bisanal Girish Mallikarjun , Manakkal Meethal Jaseemudheen
Published: October 2024

Background A narrow spinal canal and large vertebral body have been thought to be risk factors for cervical myelopathy. It is generally known that males are more likely to develop cervical myelopathy than females. Thus, sex is also a factor that contributes to myelopathy. The anteroposterior (AP) diameter of the cervical spinal canal is well-established as a primary factor of myelopathy.

Objective To investigate the sex discrepancy in the canal-to-body ratio of the cervical spine on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Materials and Methods This cross-sectional study included 59 males and 59 females, all aged between 20 and 40 years. Morphological parameters, including height, AP diameter of the vertebral body, and AP diameter of the spinal canal, were measured on sagittal T2-weighted MRI cervical spine images for each participant. The canal-to-body ratio, obtained by dividing the spinal canal's AP diameter by the vertebral body's AP diameter, served as a key metric. The average canal-to-body ratio values compared between male and female groups at each spinal level (C3–C7) elucidate potential gender-related differences.

Results The height and the AP diameter of the vertebral body were larger in males than in females throughout C3–C7. There was a statistically significant difference between males and females. The AP diameter of the spinal canal was similar for both genders, with no statistically significant difference between them. The mean canal-to-body ratio was significantly larger in females than in males, with a statistically significant difference between males and females at each spinal level.

Conclusion Females had a larger canal-to-body ratio, and men had a significantly lower one. The canal-to-body ratio method was thought to be superior to the absolute value of the AP diameter of the spinal canal for the diagnosis of canal stenosis.
Exploring Hand Function and Performance Disparities among Women in Varied Occupational Spheres: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Damodar Smitha , Bhat Shivarama , Natarajan Manikandan
Published: October 2024

Introduction The hand represents the most interactive aspect of the upper extremity. Previous research indicates that young individuals and females typically exhibit superior hand dexterity. Limited literature exists regarding the impact of occupations that require dexterous activities on hand function, potentially influencing the preservation of dexterity as individuals age.

Objectives This study sought to assess the hand dexterity, grip strength, and pinch strength of female beedi rollers involved in intricate tasks with those of female nonbeedi workers across different age brackets.

Materials and Methods This study in a community setting included a sample of 664 female participants, evenly distributed between two groups. The participants were further categorized into age brackets: 25 to 34, 35 to 44, 45 to 54, and 55 to 64 years. Dexterity, grip strength, and pinch strength were assessed using Purdue Pegboard, Jamar hand dynamometer, and pinch meter, respectively.

Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics with mean and standard deviation; analysis of variance and post hoc Bonferroni test were done for multiple comparisons.

Results Manual dexterity scores, grip strength, and pinch strength were evaluated and recorded for all age groups among both beedi rollers and nonbeedi workers. Manual dexterity scores were higher in beedi rollers than nonbeedi workers for all age groups, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). Similarly, grip strength and pinch strength scores were significantly greater in beedi rollers across all age groups (p < 0.05), except for pinch strength in the nondominant hands of participants aged 35 to 44 and 45 to 54 years of nonbeedi workers, where the differences were not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion Across all age brackets, beedi rollers exhibited superior manual dexterity, grip strength, and pinch strength compared with nonbeedi rollers. The elevated dexterity scores observed in beedi rollers aged 25 years and older suggest that occupations requiring dexterity may positively influence and maintain hand performance as individuals age, thus highlighting the potential benefits of dexterity-based occupations on aging.
Fasteners quantitative detection and lightweight deployment based on improved YOLOv8
Authors: Bai Tangbo , Duan Jiaming , Wang Ying , Fu Haochen , Zong Hao
Published: October 2024

Currently, research on on-board real-time quantitative detection of rail fasteners is few. Therefore, this paper proposes and validates an improved YOLOv8 based method for quantitative detection of rail fasteners, leveraging the capabilities of edge miniaturized artificial intelligence (AI) computing devices. First, the lightweight MobileNetV3 is employed as the backbone network for our model to increase detection speed, and the SA attention mechanism is integrated at the end of the backbone network to enhance the feature of the fasteners. Then the deformable convolution is introduced to reconstruct the bottleneck structure of the neck network, which can segment fasteners without compromising accuracy. Subsequently, the optimized network model is utilized on a Jetson AGX Xavier edge AI computing device by the TensorRT acceleration method. Segmentation results are then extracted at the pixel level for quantitative analysis of fastener breakage degree and deflection angle, so as to correct the detection results. Experimental results show that the size of the improved lightweight network volume is reduced by 28% compared to the original YOLOv8 model, and the frame rate on the edge AI computing device is lifted by 71.87%, i.e., 55 f/s. Furthermore, the model is refined based on quantitative analysis results, resulting in an mAP0.5 of 97.0%, and real-time quantitative detection of rail fasteners is realized.
A theoretical study of thermal properties and structural evolution in binary carbonates phase change material: Machine learning-enhanced sampling strategy
Authors: Tian Heqing , Zhang Wenguang , Guo Chaxiu
Published: October 2024

Thermal energy storage and utilization has been widely concerned due to the intermittency, renewability, and economy of renewable energy. In this paper, the potential energy function of binary Na2CO3–K2CO3 salt was first constructed using the Deep Potential GENerator (DPGEN) enhanced sampling method. Deep potential molecular dynamics simulations were performed to calculate the thermal properties and structural evolution of binary carbonates. The results show that as the temperature increases from 1073 to 1273 K, the viscosity and thermal conductivity decrease from 5.011 mPa s and 0.502 W/(m K) to 2.526 mPa s and 0.481 W/(m K), respectively. The decrease in viscosity is related to the distance and interaction between the molten salt ions. In addition, the diffusion coefficients, energy barriers, ionic radius, angular distribution function, and coordination number of molten salt were calculated and analyzed. The CO32− exhibits a stable planar triangular structure. The ionic radius of Na+ is smaller than that of K+, which makes Na+ suffer less spatial hindrance during motion and has a higher diffusion coefficient. The energy barriers that Na+ needs to overcome to escape the Coulomb force is greater than that of K+ ions, so molten salt containing Na+ may possess greater heat storage potential. We believe that the potential function constructed with DPGEN enhanced sampling strategy can provide more convincing results for predicting the thermal properties of molten salts. This paper aims to provide a technical route to develop the novel complex molten salt phase change material for thermal energy storage.
Influence of metal on the far-exploding surface on fragment deformation behavior under contact explosion
Authors: Meng Yuanpei , He Yuan , Guo Lei , Ma Yue , Wang Hancheng , Hao Yu , Yang Yansong , Guo Ziyun , Cheng Jun , Wang Chuanting , He Yong
Published: October 2024

Metals exhibit diverse failure behavior under impact loading. In the context of fragment warheads, preformed fragments also undergo fracture and crushing behaviors when subjected to explosive loading, potentially diminishing the terminal effect and damage capability of the warhead. To address this issue, metal disks of varying impedance were applied to the far-exploding surface of the fragments, and their influence on fragment deformation behavior was examined. The experimental results revealed that when metal disks were attached to the far-exploding surface of the fragments, their fracture behavior changed, and the recovered fragments remained intact axially. Additionally, the axial length of the recovered fragments decreased as the impedance of the metal disk on the far-exploding surface increased. To elucidate the underlying mechanism of this experimental phenomenon, the variation in fragment pressure during the propagation process was calculated by employing theories of planar detonation waves and shock wave propagation in the study. The results indicate that when the impedance of the metal disks on the far-exploding surface is higher than that of the fragments, it leads to an increase in internal pressure and the formation of a compression zone within the fragments, thereby preventing fragment fracture. Conversely, lower impedance results in the formation of a tensile effect within the fragments. The theoretical and experimental results were consistent. Finally, based on the dimensional analysis, the dimensionless models were established to predict fragment deformation and internal pressure values influenced by the metal disk on the far-exploding surface.