bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-angle lensless ptychographic imaging via adaptive correction and the Nesterov method
Authors: Wang Jichen , Zhao Jufeng , Lin Binbin , Zhang Peiwei , Cui Guangmang , Hou Changlun
Published: March 2023

Lensless systems based on ptychographic imaging can simultaneously achieve a large field of view and high resolution while having the advantages of small size, portability, and low cost compared to traditional lensed imaging. However, lensless imaging systems are susceptible to environmental noise and have a lower resolution of individual images than lens-based imaging systems, which means that they require a longer time to obtain a good result. Therefore, in this paper, to improve the convergence rate and robustness of noise in lensless ptychographic imaging, we propose an adaptive correction method, in which we add an adaptive error term and noise correction term in lensless ptychographic algorithms to reach convergence faster and create a better suppression effect on both Gaussian noise and Poisson noise. The Wirtinger flow and the Nesterov algorithms are used in our method to reduce computational complexity and improve the convergence rate. We applied the method to phase reconstruction for lensless imaging and demonstrated the effectiveness of the method by simulation and experiment. The method can be easily applied to other ptychographic iterative algorithms.
Hybrid spatial–temporal Mueller matrix imaging spectropolarimeter for high throughput plant phenotyping
Authors: Kudenov Michael W. , Krafft Danny , Scarboro Clifton G. , Doherty Colleen J. , Balint-Kurti Peter
Published: March 2023

Many correlations exist between
spectral reflectance or transmission with various phenotypic responses
from plants. Of interest to us are metabolic characteristics, namely,
how the various polarimetric components of plants may correlate to
underlying environmental, metabolic, and genotypic differences among
different varieties within a given species, as conducted during large
field experimental trials. In this paper, we overview a portable
Mueller matrix imaging spectropolarimeter, optimized for field use, by
combining a temporal and spatial modulation scheme. Key aspects of the
design include minimizing the measurement time while maximizing the
signal-to-noise ratio by mitigating systematic error. This was
achieved while maintaining an imaging capability across multiple
measurement wavelengths, spanning the blue to near-infrared spectral
region (405–730 nm). To this end, we present our optimization
procedure, simulations, and calibration methods. Validation results,
which were taken in redundant and non-redundant measurement
configurations, indicated that the polarimeter provides average
absolute errors of (5.3±2.2)×10−3 and (7.1±3.1)×10−3, respectively. Finally, we provide
preliminary field data (depolarization, retardance, and diattenuation)
to establish baselines of barren and non-barren Zea maize hybrids (G90 variety), as captured from various
leaf and canopy positions during our summer 2022 field experiments.
Results indicate that subtle variations in retardance and
diattenuation versus leaf canopy position may be present before they
are clearly visible in the spectral transmission.
Higher speed, wider angle linear electro-optic deflection via domain engineered KTN crystals
Authors: Shang Annan , Liu Ruijia , Lee Yun Goo , Kabir Mohammad Ahsanul , Ji Yaoyang , Wu Kaicheng , Yin Shizhuo
Published: March 2023

Pulsed-biased higher speed (> 10 MHz @ 30 V, 100 ns pulse width) and DC-biased wider angle (105 mrads @ 410 V/mm) linear electro-optic (EO) deflection is reported in a thermally-controlled domain engineered (DE) ferroelectric (FE) potassium tantalate niobate [KTa1−xNb
x
O3, KTN] crystal. DE-FE KTN crystals can not only provide a higher transmittance and larger linear EO coefficient, but also enable higher speed (10X) and wider angle (2X) deflection than that of its paraelectric equivalent. The physical mechanism behind the optimization of injected space charge on high deflection angles at high speeds is also addressed. This significantly improves its use in megahertz EO applications.
Scintillation characteristics of chemically processed Ce:GAGG single crystals
Authors: Park Chansun , Kim Sangsu , Melis Alima , Lee Wonhi , Elmughrabi Abdallah , Cho Shinhaeng , Yeom Jung-Yeol
Published: March 2023

We investigated the correlation between the surface finish and luminescence properties of chemically polished cerium-doped single-crystal Gd3Al2Ga3O12 scintillators (Ce:GAGG), from the crystallographic perspective. The intrinsic defects in the crystals were identified via photoluminescence spectroscopy followed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to analyze their surface morphologies. Finally, the samples were individually wrapped with an enhanced specular reflector (ESR), coupled with a photomultiplier tube, placed inside a dark box, connected to a digitizer, and irradiated with a 137Cs radioactive source to evaluate the relative light (signal) output and energy resolution of each sample. The as-cut (rough) Ce:GAGG single-crystal samples, that were chemically polished with phosphoric acid at 190°C in air for 60 min, demonstrated a 33.1% increase in signal amplitude (light output to photosensor) and 2.4% (absolute value) improvement in energy resolution, which were comparable to those obtained for the mechanically polished sample. For these samples, the surface roughness was found to be ~430 nm, which was approximately half of that of the mechanically polished sample. The chemical polishing method used in this study is a cost-effective and straightforward technique to improve structural imperfections and can facilitate the treatment of inorganic scintillators with complex shapes and/or on a large scale.
Local delivery of FK506 to a nerve allograft is comparable to systemic delivery at suppressing allogeneic graft rejection
Authors: Davis Brett , Wojtalewicz Susan , Erickson Sierra , Veith Jacob , Simpson Andrew , Sant Himanshu , Shea Jill , Gale Bruce , Agarwal Jay
Published: March 2023

The objective of this study was to determine if locally delivered FK506 could prevent allogeneic nerve graft rejection long enough to allow axon regeneration to pass through the nerve graft. An 8mm mouse sciatic nerve gap injury repaired with a nerve allograft was used to assess the effectiveness of local FK506 immunosuppressive therapy. FK506-loaded poly(lactide-co-caprolactone) nerve conduits were used to provide sustained local FK506 delivery to nerve allografts. Continuous and temporary systemic FK506 therapy to nerve allografts, and autograft repair were used as control groups. Serial assessment of inflammatory cell and CD4+ cell infiltration into the nerve graft tissue was performed to characterize the immune response over time. Nerve regeneration and functional recovery was serially assessed by nerve histomorphometry, gastrocnemius muscle mass recovery, and the ladder rung skilled locomotion assay. At the end of the study, week 16, all the groups had similar levels of inflammatory cell infiltration. The local FK506 and continuous systemic FK506 groups had similar levels of CD4+ cell infiltration, however, it was significantly greater than the autograft control. In terms of nerve histmorphometry, the local FK506 and continunous systemic FK506 groups had similar amounts of myelinated axons, although they were significantly lower than the autograft and temporary systemic FK506 group. The autograft had significantly greater muscle mass recovery than all the other groups. In the ladder rung assay, the autograft, local FK506, and continuous systemic FK506 had similar levels of skilled locomotion performance, whereas the temporary systemic FK506 group had significanty better performance than all the other groups. The results of this study suggest that local delivery of FK506 can provide comparable immunosuppression and nerve regeneration outcomes as systemically delivered FK506.
Needs- and user-oriented development of contactless camera-based telemonitoring in heart disease–Results of an acceptance survey from the Home-based Healthcare Project (feasibility project)
Authors: Borchers Peggy , Pfisterer David , Scherpf Matthieu , Voigt Karen , Bergmann Antje
Published: March 2023

Home-based telemonitoring in heart failure patients can reduce all-cause mortality and the relative risk of heart failure-related hospitalization compared to standard care. However, technology use depends, among other things, on user acceptance, making it important to include potential users early in development. In a home-based healthcare project (a feasibility project) a participatory approach was chosen in preparation for future development of contactless camera-based telemonitoring in heart disease patients. The project study patients (n = 18) were surveyed regarding acceptance and design expectations, and acceptance-enhancing measures and design suggestions were then drawn from the results. The study patients corresponded to the target group of potential future users. 83% of respondents showed high acceptance. 17% of those surveyed were more skeptical with moderate or low acceptance. The latter were female, mostly living alone, and without technical expertise. Low acceptance was associated with a higher expectation of effort and lower perception of self-efficacy and lower integratability into daily rhythms. For the design, the respondents found independent operation of the technology very important. Furthermore, concerns were expressed about the new measuring technology, e.g., anxiety about constant surveillance. The acceptance of a new generation of medical technology (contactless camera-based measuring technology) for telemonitoring is already quite high in the surveyed group of older users (60+). Specific user expectations concerning design should be considered during development to increase acceptance by potential users even more.
Does the economic growth target overweight induce more polluting activities? Evidence from China
Authors: Shi ZhengZheng , Chen Hongwen , Chen Kunxian
Published: March 2023

In China, official promotion evaluation based on economic performance motivates local governments to develop high economic growth targets, which has played an active role in boosting China’s economic growth in the past decades, whereas its environmental consequences have not been fully exploited. This paper finds that the economic growth target overweight has a stronger positive impact on the output of high-polluting industries than on the output of low-polluting industries, thus inducing more polluting activities. To deal with the issues of reverse causality and omitted variables bias, we take an instrumental variable approach. Examining mechanisms, we show that economic growth target overweight promotes polluting activities through the deregulation of the polluting activities in high-polluting industries. We also find an increase in the impact of the economic growth target overweight after the 2008 global economic crisis. Our study provides new evidence for explaining the dual presence of rapid economic growth and heavy environmental pollution in China.
Serum fetuin-A is decreased in cirrhotic patients with Wilson’s disease
Authors: Vörös Krisztián , Márkus Bernadett , Atzél Klára , Szalay Ferenc , Gráf László , Németh Dániel , Masszi Tamás , Torzsa Péter , Kalabay László
Published: March 2023

Introduction

Wilson’s disease may lead to cirrhosis, but timely medical treatment could slow down its progression. Clinical markers helping early diagnosis are essential. Decreased fetuin-A concentration has been reported in cirrhosis of different etiologies. The aim of this study was to investigate whether decreased serum fetuin-A concentration could identify patients with Wilson’s disease who developed cirrhosis.

Materials and methods

In this cross-sectional study we determined the serum fetuin-A concentration of 50 patients with Wilson’s disease. We analyzed the data of patients with liver involvement, comparing cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic patients.

Results

Among patients with liver involvement those with cirrhosis had significantly lower fetuin-A and albumin level, white blood cell and platelet count. Fetuin-A negatively correlated with disease duration, bilirubin level, positively with total protein and albumin concentration, but not with copper and ceruloplasmin concentrations or markers of systemic inflammation. In multivariate analysis with fetuin-A and the Nazer score or its parameters only fetuin-A was a significant determinant of having cirrhosis. In receiver operator curve analysis among patients with liver involvement the fetuin-A level of 523 μg/ml was associated with cirrhosis with 82% sensitivity and 87% specificity. The presence of the H1069Q mutation was not associated with alteration in fetuin-A concentration.

Conclusions

The serum concentration of fetuin-A is a sensitive marker of liver cirrhosis in Wilson’s disease, independently of the H1069Q mutation, ceruloplasmin concentration or systemic inflammation.
Sakura Shrimp as a hybrid spokes-character: How Japanese moe anthropomorphism promotes tourism in Taiwan
Authors: Peng Yen-Zhi , Yueh Hsin-I Sydney
Published: March 2023

The younger generation of Taiwanese do not merely consume Japanese popular culture as a ‘foreign’ product; they have integrated Japanese cultural elements into many aspects of Taiwan’s local cultural creations as a Taiwan–Japan hybrid form. One example of this is that the majority of Taiwanese visual artists follow the Japanese manga format, aesthetics and grammar when they create their own work. In this article, we examine trends of moe anthropomorphism in manga, a method that personifies animals, objects, cities and natural phenomena as cute human characters. Using a cultural studies framework, we trace how Japanese moe anthropomorphism helps Taiwanese visual artists and local governments to promote domestic tourism and further individuals’ desire to get to know Taiwan. The spokes-character, Sakura Shrimp, serves as an example to illustrate the trend, the purpose and the readers’ responses to this new way of local tourism marketing.
Japanese/Korean popular culture in Kuwait and Singapore: Resistance and conservatism
Authors: Botz-Bornstein Thorsten
Published: March 2023

In 2017, I launched a survey on the importance of Japanese and Korean popular cultures in Kuwait. I discovered a paradoxical pattern of resistance to the East through the adherence to another eastern culture. I wanted to examine how other non-western countries handle ‘Japanese culture’ in comparison and decided to adopt Singapore as a sample case. Both Kuwaiti and Singaporean students stress the differences between Japan/Korea and their own country, but also insist on similarities. In both surveys there is a strong emphasis on ethics. Both are impressed by the Japanese politeness and their capacity to organize life, and most reasonings evolve around the theme of ‘conservatism’. Singaporean students, when asked about Japan and Korea, point to conservative patterns predating what they perceive as the Americanization of Asia. The positive values located in this part of East Asia correspond with precisely those values that Kuwaiti students (as well as Singaporean Muslim students) single out as particularly compatible with Islamic mindsets. In both countries, respondents see Korea/Japan as the ‘real’ Confucian/Muslim nations harking back to more pristine values. Negative evaluations, for example of hallyu as a soft power for Korean economic interest, are almost absent.
Yingling and women imagery in contemporary Taiwanese media culture: The Tag-Along film series as an example
Authors: Lin Grace Cheng-Ying
Published: March 2023

With the assistance of textual analysis, this article examines the images of yingling (spirits of aborted or miscarried foetuses) in The Tag-Along and The Tag-Along 2. This popular cinematic demonology searches for a Taiwanese identity through urban legends and folklore. In the films, yingling are imagined as pitiful and malevolent. The spiritual being has desires, emotions and agency. This feto-centric imagination echoes the religious discourses that frame the newly popularized abortion ritual in Taiwan. Women are depicted as determined, independent and mutually supportive. However, the essentialist sexual differences remain highlighted, meaning that they are portrayed as mothers, and their bodies are represented through polluting blood, a signifier of excessive yin that serves the patrilineal needs of reproduction. During the process of modernization, Taiwanese society experienced drastic changes, yet, the ghost, as the persistent past, continues to impact the present. Through the investigation of irrationality, the reality surrounding women and children is revisited and debated.
Alluring Monsters: The Pontianak and Cinemas of Decolonization, Rosalind Galt (2021)
Authors: Mather Philippe
Published: March 2023

Review of: Alluring Monsters: The Pontianak and Cinemas of Decolonization, Rosalind Galt (2021)

New York: Columbia University Press, 312 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-23120-133-9, p/bk, $35.00
Contesting Cyberspace in China: Online Expression and Authoritarian Resilience, Rongbin Han (2018)
Zoning China: Online Video, Popular Culture, and the State, Luzhou Li (2019)
Authors: Moskowitz Marc L.
Published: March 2023

Review of: Contesting Cyberspace in China: Online Expression and Authoritarian Resilience, Rongbin Han (2018)

New York: Columbia University Press, 315 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-23118-475-5, p/bk, $32.00

Zoning China: Online Video, Popular Culture, and the State, Luzhou Li (2019)

Boston, MA: MIT Press, 296 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-26204-317-5, h/bk, $40.00
Clinical value of multi-omics-based biomarker signatures in inflammatory bowel diseases: challenges and opportunities
Authors: Bourgonje Arno R. , van Goor Harry , Faber Klaas Nico , Dijkstra Gerard
Published: March 2023

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), encompassing Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC), are complex and heterogeneous diseases characterized by a multifactorial etiology, therefore demanding a multimodal approach to disentangle the main pathophysiological components driving disease onset and progression. Adoption of a systems biology approach is increasingly advocated with the advent of multi-omics profiling technologies, aiming to improve disease classification, to identify disease biomarkers and to accelerate drug discovery for patients with IBD. However, clinical translation of multi-omics-derived biomarker signatures is lagging behind, since there are several obstacles that need to be addressed in order to realize clinically useful signatures. Multi-omics integration and IBD-specific identification of molecular networks, standardization and clearly defined outcomes, strategies to tackle cohort heterogeneity, and external validation of multi-omics-based signatures are critical aspects. While striving for personalized medicine in IBD, careful consideration of these aspects is however needed to adequately match biomarker targets (e.g. the gut microbiome, immunity or oxidative stress) with their corresponding utilities (e.g. early disease detection, endoscopic and clinical outcome). Theory-driven disease classifications and predictions are still governing clinical practice, while this could be improved by adopting an unbiased, data-driven approach relying on molecular data structures integrated with patient and disease characteristics. In the foreseeable future, the main challenge will lie in the complexity and impracticality of implementing multi-omics-based signatures into clinical practice. Still, this could be achieved by developing easy-to-use, robust and cost-effective tools incorporating omics-derived predictive signatures and through the design and execution of prospective, longitudinal, biomarker-stratified clinical trials.
Does the Political Variable Explain the COVID-19 Event in Brazil?
Authors: Dantas Eustógio Wanderley Correia , Santos Jader Oliveira , Pereira Alexandre Queiroz
Published: March 2023

In effectively confronting the Covid-19 pandemic, it is necessary to complement the contributions of Biomedical Sciences to those offered by the Human Sciences. The theoretical foundations derived from the treatment of the interaction of the infectious agent with the host, primates in formatting the guidelines adopted by the World Health Organization, faced strong opposition from government officials in countries such as Brazil, giving rise to critical pronouncements by researchers in the biomedical sciences in space offered by important scientific journals. Despite being fruitful and strategic in nature, we feel encouraged to consider the objective limits of such investiture, a direct reflection of the lack of dialogue with the Human Sciences, in the field of politics and, mainly, of urbanism. Taking as a starting point the unfolding of the phenomenon in Brazil, specifically in the metropolis of Fortaleza-Ceará, we will show how the "denial" posture is inserted in a broader context, encompassing both a representative political framework of a federative government and including postures of insurgency of the Local Governments (of the federative states) in relation to the Central Government as social and economic aspects that characterize a westernized country to establish impactful filtering genre in the implementation of policies of ordering and control of the singular space. In these terms, the drastic expansion of Covid-19 in Brazil denotes a paradoxical picture to represent: a political context of resistance by Local Governments to minimize the controversial actions and attitudes of the Central Government, specifically the creation of the Forum of Governors in the Northeast to guarantee incorporation WHO international guidelines; a trajectory of unequal and perverse modernization that corroborates the indication of a high number of cases and, mainly, deaths in precarious urbanization areas of cities such as Fortaleza, establishing the periphery as the territory of death, registered in areas with a high social vulnerability index of negatively impact the effective implementation of the social isolation policy.
The k-Metric Dimension of Double Fan Graph
Authors: Deddy Rahmadi
Published: March 2023

Diberikan graf terhubung dan sederhana $G=(V(G), E(G))$ dan bilangan bulat positif $k$. Himpunan $S \subseteq V(G)$ disebut sebagai pembangkit $k$-metrik jika untuk setiap pasang titik berbeda $u,v \in V(G)$, terdapat paling sedikit $k$ titik $w_{1}, w_{2}, \ldots, w_{k} \in S$ sedemikian sehingga $d(u,w_{i}) \neq d(v,w_{i})$ untuk setiap $i \in \{1,2,\ldots, k\}$, dengan $d(u,v)$ adalah panjang \emph{path} terpendek dari $u$ ke $v$. Pembangkit $k$-metrik dengan kardinalitas terkecil disebut basis $k$-metrik, dan kardinalitas dari basis $k$-metrik disebut dimensi $k$-metrik dari graf $G$ yang dinotasikan $dim_{k}(G)$. Pada tesis ini, akan disajikan nilai dari dimensi $k$-metrik pada graf \emph{double fan}.
Job satisfaction, professional growth, and mathematics teachers’ impressions about school environment
Authors: Mainali Bhesh , Belbase Shashidhar
Published: March 2023

This study examined high school mathematics teachers’ job satisfaction and professional growth in Nepal. The data were collected from 49 high school mathematics teachers using a structured questionnaire with Likert-scale items and some open-ended questions. The quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed mixed findings. Mathematics teachers were relatively satisfied with their profession; however, various factors were important for job satisfaction and professional growth. The three most important were inservice training and educational resources, schools’ infrastructure, and financial incentives. The data analysis further contends that the school education system must be free from politics, and the procedure of forming the school management committee (SMC) must be isolated from political intervention. Furthermore, school teachers are prohibited or discouraged from participating in politics as political cadres. The data revealed that the different teachers’ unions need to work on behalf of teachers’ welfare rather than carry forward their political parties’ agendas and ideologies.
Chile: Universal Collection, Open Access, and Innovation in the Use of Attendance and Absenteeism Data
Authors: Soto Uribe Carolina , Marzolo Marcela , Alee Yanira , Arbour MaryCatherine
Published: March 2023

In Chile, attendance is recognized as an important component of school quality and educational equity. The Chilean education system has clear, standardized definitions that apply country-wide, and a good registration system for school attendance that compiles national databases containing student-level, daily attendance, absences, and withdrawals for all children attending public schools. Moreover, these data are publicly available via open access, which allows the entire education community and the Ministry of Education access to all schools’ data in an organized, centralized manner. These data contribute to ongoing scholarship about the impacts of attendance and absenteeism on education outcomes. In practice, schools use attendance data to monitor progress toward goals. The Ministry of Education uses data to calculate and pay school subsidies that are linked directly to average monthly attendance in accordance with Chilean law, and to classify schools into categories of education quality. Chilean Fundación Educacional Oportunidad uses attendance data and continuous quality improvement methods to promote attendance and prevent chronic absenteeism with more than 150 schools via a regional Learning Network. Meanwhile, the Learning Network fills an important gap by repurposing the nationally reported data to calculate and focus on individual-level attendance and by creating opportunities for practitioners to learn together how to promote attendance and prevent chronic absenteeism. This paper describes the context of Chile and its educational system; the definition, recording, reporting and use of attendance data; and the methods, outcomes and lessons learned by the regional Learning Network.
Bilingual education in China: a qualitative synthesis of research on models and perceptions
Authors: Liu Qi , Chong Sin Wang
Published: March 2023

Bilingual education has become increasingly popular in China, with a subsequent growth in research, particularly research with a qualitative component that examines learners’ and teachers’ experiences and perspectives. These studies have mostly been conducted in individual classroom settings where contexts and learners differ, making findings less transferrable to other educational settings. To address this need, we conducted a qualitative synthesis of research that aims to provide a holistic and rich description of bilingual education in China. Our focus is on the implementation of bilingual education in different educational contexts, learners’ and teachers’ perceptions of bilingual education, and the research instruments used for the evaluation of bilingual education. Following a discipline-specific methodological framework for conducting qualitative research synthesis (Chong, Sin Wang & Luke Plonsky. 2021. A primer on qualitative research synthesis in TESOL. TESOL Quarterly 55(3). 1024–1034), we identified suitable studies using a pre-determined search string within various databases. Search results were screened based on a set of inclusion criteria and relevant information was extracted from the included studies using a piloted data extraction form. The extracted data were synthesised using grounded theory to identify new themes and sub-themes. Our findings point to the need for more fine-grained classifications of bilingual education models, despite the fact that Chinese learners generally show positive attitudes towards bilingual education. The study ends with an analysis of limitations, as well as recommendations for future research and practice.
Impact of AMSU-A and MHS radiances assimilation on Typhoon Megi (2016) forecasting
Authors: Liu Chaoshun , Gong Junqiang
Published: March 2023

To better understand the assimilation contribution and influence mechanism of different satellite platforms and different microwave instruments, the radiance data of Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) and the Microwave Humidity Sounder (MHS) onboard NOAA-15 and NOAA-18 are assimilated to investigate various assimilation effects on the prediction of path and intensity of Typhoon Megi (2016) based on Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) three-dimensional variation and the WRF model. The community radiative transfer model is employed as the forward operator. The quality control and bias correction procedures before the radiance data assimilation (DA) are performed to improve the simulations.

Impact of AMSU-A and MHS radiances assimilation on Typhoon Megi (2016)’s path and intensity is investigated by six experiments (without and with AMSU-A and MHS DA) with initial conditions at 1200 UTC on 25 September 2016 and 60 h forecast integration.

The results are compared to the observational data from the China Meteorological Administration tropical cyclone database. The impact mechanisms of DA adjustments to the initial fields and assimilation increment analysis of each physical quantity field are investigated in detail. The findings show that NOAA-15 AMSU-A assimilation produces the best output over the course of the 60 h simulation, demonstrating that assimilation satellite data from multiple platforms is not always better than assimilation satellite data from a single platform. In comparison, MHS assimilation has a favorable effect on short-term path and strength forecasts, but has a negative impact on long-term forecasts. The effect of MHS DA needs to be further investigated.
Optimization-based control strategy for a large-scale polyhydroxyalkanoates production in a fed-batch bioreactor using a coupled PDE–ODE system
Authors: Tawai Atthasit , Sriariyanun Malinee , Panjapornpon Chanin
Published: March 2023

Control strategy development for fed-batch bioreactor (FBBR) plays an important role in the improvement of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production. To develop a feeding strategy for PHA production in a large-scale FBBR, an optimization-based control scheme that considers nutrient dispersion is proposed in this work. A coupled partial differential equations and ordinary differential equation model is proposed to describe the axial-dispersed nutrient and well-dispersed microbial dynamics with process constraints. An analytical model predictive control (AMPC) method that applies integrated variables of nutrients is employed to develop the real-time control system. The control objective is to regulate the PHA concentration at the updated set points by adjusting the nutrient feed rates; a process disturbance is introduced to evaluate the control robustness. Simulation experiments of a fed-batch operation are conducted to investigate the performance of the developed controller; the controlled output is designed to track the updated set points corresponding to the biomass concentration. Results of closed-loop and regulatory systems showed that the proposed control strategy could provide more productivity (33–38%) compared to the applied PI controller. The performance test demonstrates that the developed control system could apply the biomass concentration for updating set points, provide the optimal control actions that promote PHB accumulation and handle the disturbance effectively.
Does God Micromanage the World? Learning about the Cosmos from the Book of Job
Authors: Jančovič Jozef
Published: March 2023

The biblical book of Job contains more extensive discussion of the cosmos and God’s role in it than any other book in the Bible with the possible exception of Psalms. The main issue of the book is God’s justice towards the sorely tried protagonist, Job. The major distinction between the book of Job and the thinking of the general ancient Near Eastern culture is the role of God’s justice and wisdom in the operations of the cosmos. This paper will focus on the key passages about the cosmos in Job in order to define the specific message of the book concerning the relations of God and men to the world, and determine how the book of Job views a control of the world in the overall context of the book. First, we will consider the context and structure of the book. Then the passages about the cosmos and creation themselves will be summarized in an attempt to determine what they are communicating, especially in regard to God’s control of the world. Finally, we will draw conclusions about the overall role that biblical creation imagery plays in the drama of Job.
Effects of boron waste as a reinforcement in the production of Al composite foams
Authors: Kılıç Gökçe , Körpe Neşe Öztürk
Published: March 2023

In this study, the effect of using boron products in the production of aluminium composite foam on the formation of pores and mechanical properties of the material was investigated. Metallic foam was produced by powder metallurgy method by adding borogypsum to the Al matrix and using boric acid (H3BO3) as a pore former. Samples containing 5, 10 and 20 wt% borogypsum were prepared at initial pressing pressures of 420 MPa and 630 MPa and sintered at 550 °C for 3 h. As a result of microhardness measurements taken from the cell wall of foam samples with ∼40% porosity, it was determined that the hardness value increased as the borogypsum ratio increased. According to the results of the quasi-static compression test performed at a deformation rate of 10−3 s−1 at room temperature, the hardness and strength values of 20 wt% borogypsum reinforced Al composite foam prepared at 630 MPa pressure increased. In addition, mechanical properties such as plateau tension and elastic modulus for each sample were theoretically determined with the Gibson–Ashby approach.
Investigation of glass/epoxy laminate composites reinforced with bio-particles under mechanical loading
Authors: Kandas Halis , Ozdemir Okan
Published: March 2023

In this paper, the effects of particle reinforcement on the tensile, compression and flexural properties, as well as the influence of cross head speed on the quasi-static punch shear properties of glass/epoxy composites are investigated. Laminated composites, which are manufactured by hand lay-up method consist of six layers of stitched glass fibers. As the particle reinforcement materials, pinecone and acorn powders with 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 wt% ratios are used for the manufacturing of composites. The quasi-static punch shear behaviour of composites is elucidated at a room temperature through the force – deformation curves and the energy graphs at different test speeds (i.e., 1, 10 and 20 mm min−1). According to the experimental findings of quasi-static punch shear tests, it is concluded that the maximum contact force of each composite increases along with the punch shear test speed. Compressive strength of the acorn reinforced specimens shows their highest compressive value at the particle amount of 5 wt%, while pinecone-reinforced composites exhibit their highest compressive strength at the particle ratio of 2 wt%.
Meta-analysis of the influence of the substitution of maize with cassava on performance indices of broiler chickens
Authors: Ogbuewu Ifeanyi Princewill , Mbajiorgu Christian Anayo
Published: March 2023

There are growing numbers of publications on the effect of substitution of maize with cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) on growth indices of broiler chickens with variable results. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to explore the influence of substitution of maize with dietary cassava on growth traits (i.e., average daily feed intake [ADFI], body weight gain [BWG] and feed conversion efficiency [FCE]) of broilers. Search done in PubMed, Google scholar and Scopus databases yielded 303 studies of which 27 were suitable for the analysis. Heterogeneity was explored by subgroup and meta-regression analyses using the following moderator variables: publication year, study continent, processing methods, cassava form, substitution level, broiler strain, number of birds per groups and treatment durations. Results show that dietary cassava reduced ADFI (mean difference [MD] = −5.19 g/day; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −8.60, −1.79; I
2 = 99%) and BWG (MD = −8.49 g/day; 95% CI: −9.65, −7.33; I
2 = 98%) and increased FCE (MD = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.35; I
2 = 99%) in broilers compared to controls. Publication year, broiler strain, treatment durations and substitution level) influenced the outcomes of the study and explained some of the sources of heterogeneity. In conclusion, our results suggested that dietary cassava inclusion at 5% (minimum) and 62% (maximum) reduced growth performance in broiler chickens. However, more effective methods for increasing the nutrient value of cassava roots for broiler chicken feeding as well as the cassava inclusion levels for optimal productivity are required.
How Local Communities Overcome Disaster and Crisis
Authors: Maeva Mila
Published: March 2023

The study considers disaster as a social phenomenon that affects individuals, communities, and societies. It focuses on a specific technological catastrophe—a train explosion in the village of Hitrino in Shumen region, Bulgaria, that killed seven, left 23 injured, and demolished 23 houses. The article describes and analyses the local community’s reactions based on fieldwork, i.e. ethnographic and sociological surveys conducted in 2018 to 2019. Attention is paid to the behaviour, management, and methods of coping with the short-term and long-term consequences of the disaster on individual, group, and institutional levels, as well as to the changes in social and ethnic relations. Hitrino is defined as a community in crisis in relation to the degree of its ability to develop a local strategy in advance, and due to the experience it accumulated. The study shows that disaster recovery strategies must include work with local communities which play a key role in reducing the negative impact of catastrophe.
The Histories We Tell
Authors: Betancourt Manuel
Published: March 2023

FQ columnist Manuel Betancourt discusses the emphasis on history and memory in recent Latin American cinema. Taking Pablo Larraín’s No (2012), about the plebiscite that marked the end of the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet’s regime, as an ur-text, he examines the more recent films Bardo, falsa crünica de unas cuantas verdades (Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths, dir. Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2022), Nuestra película (Our Movie, dir. Diana Bustamante, 2022), and Argentina, 1985 (Santiago Mitre, 2022). These films suggest that Latin American filmmakers are again claiming cinema as an active participant in fashioning how the region’s history is understood, both from within and abroad. Building on the metafictional conceit that to (re)write history is to (re)shape it, they highlight the “story” aspect of “history” by asking viewers to (re)examine how and what one chooses to see, to watch, to remember.
SYNTHESIS AND OPTICAL PROPERTY CHARACTERIZATION OF METAL ION AND HETERO ATOM DOPED TiO2 NANOCOMPOSITE FABRICATION FOR PHOTO CATALYSIS
Authors:   Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia, RAMALINGAM R. J. , LOHEDAN H. A. ,   Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia, AL-DHAYAN M. D. ,   Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia, IBRAHIM S. N. ,   Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia, SYED SHABAN R. M. ,   Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
Published: March 2023

The transition metal ions and heteroatoms such as iron cobalt and nickel modified titania were synthesized by insitu precipitation and hydrothermal technique. Prepared materials are further treated by thermal analysis towards crystalline phase formation. The particle size of prepared titania calculated from intense d-space values of prepared materials and it is found to be 22-23 nm. Raman spectra and the DR UV-Visible spectra of metal ion and nitrogen doped titania extends to the visible region (450-650 nm). Methylene blue (MB) dye degradation was performed to evaluate the photosensitivity property of the as prepared materials under sun light irradiation. Metal ion modified titania (0.01Fe- TiO2, 0.01CoTiO2 and 0.01Ni-TiO2) materials are showing complete degradation of MB. For the comparison purpose, the powder nanotitania samples are prepared and also coated on ITO (indium tin oxide) plates by electrodeposition method. XRD and DRS properties of coated titania were tested for electrode application.
EFFECT OF PROTON RADIATION ON THE PERFORMANCE OF GaAs-BASED SOLAR CELL
Authors:   Laboratory of Semiconductor Devices Physics, Tahri Mohammed University – Bechar, Algeria, ZAOUI O. , DAHBI N. ,   Laboratory of Semiconductor Devices Physics, Tahri Mohammed University – Bechar, Algeria, AYAT L. ,   Laboratory of Semiconductor Devices Physics, Tahri Mohammed University – Bechar, Algeria
Published: March 2023

For the purpose of understanding the effect of the space radiation, we exposed our solar cell that based on AlGaAS/GaAs to proton ions radiation with different energies and different incidence angles using SRIM simulation software, and investigate the effect of proton energy on the I-V characteristics, this lead us to understand the effect of the radiation on the proprieties of the solar cell more deeply, and how can we restrict this effects in order to enhance the performance. We used other simulation software on this work, to simulate and investigate the performance of desired solar cell. The software called SCAPS-1D (Solar Cell Capacitance Simulator in one dimension).
OPTICAL AND STRUCTURAL PERFORMANCE OF NANOSTRUCTURED Te THIN FILMS BY (CSP) WITH VARIOUS THICKNESSES
Authors:   Department of Physics, College of Education, Mustansiriyah University, Iraq, CHIAD S. S. , NOOR H. A. ,   Department of Physics, College of Education, University of Al- Qadisiyah, AlQadisiya, Iraq, ABDULMUNEM O. M. ,   Department of Physics, College of Science, Mustansiriyah University, Iraq, HABUBI N. F. ,   Department of Physics, College of Education, Mustansiriyah University, Iraq, JADAN M. ,   Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, 31441 Dammam, Saudi Arabia, ADDASI J. S. ,   Department of Applied Physics, College of Science, Tafila Technical University, 66110 Tafila, Jordan
Published: March 2023

In this study, were investigated structural, optical properties and morphological of Te Nano-thin films with different thicknesses by Chemical spray pyrolysis (CSP) method. The structural properties of the films were studied as a Te dopant at 150-450 thicknesses. The films were characterized by XRD to study film structure. It was observed that the hexagonal wurtzite structure of ZnO for all samples. The films exhibited wurtzite (102) preferential growth in different thicknesses. Grain size values calculated from Scherrer’s formula, were varied in range of (96-84) nm. The band gap energy values were calculated respectively for Te thickness samples
MODELING OF THE INDIUM GALLIUM NITRIDE TANDEM SOLAR CELL PHOTOVOLTAIC PERFORMANCES FOR CONCENTRATOR
Authors:   Laboratory of Semiconductor Devices Physics, University Tahri Mohammed of Bechar, Algeria, BELLAL N. , DENNAI B. ,   Laboratory of Renewable Energy Development and their Applications in the Saharan areas, Faculty of Exact Sciences, University Tahri Mohammed Bechar
Published: March 2023

The objective of this modeling investigation is to optimize a solar cell tandem device under the AM1.5G spectrum, based InGaN cells for concentration ratio. In this paper describes the role of the concentration photovoltaic in InGaN dual-junction solar cell. this study, the top cell is made of InGaN (1.64 eV) while the bottom cell is made of InGaN (0.94 eV).the reported for purpose was to extracted the solar cell parameters(photocurrent, open circuit voltage and efficiency) in a fairly wide range of concentration levels (1 to30 sun).Our calculation shows that the efficiency can be improved from (23.87%) for a tandem solar cell with (X=1sun) up to (25.72%) for same device solar cell with (X=30sun) for AM.1.5 illumination and room temperature.
PERFORMANCE OF SIGE SOLAR CELL WITH BSF LAYER EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE AND WINDOW LAYER
Authors:   Laboratory of Semiconductor Devices and Physics (LPDS),UniversityTahri Mohammed Bechar , Algeria, AZEDDINE B. , TALHI A. ,   Laboratory of Environmental and Energetics Systems (LSEE),University Center Ali KafiTindouf , Algeria, HAMI K. ,   Laboratory of Environmental and Energetics Systems (LSEE),University Center Ali KafiTindouf , Algeria
Published: March 2023

The Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) technology, whose preliminary developments date from the mid-1980s and whose arrival on the market is recent, meets this joint need for economy and performance. In our days solar cells to thin films are increasingly used primarily because of their low cost. In recent decades the performance of these cells were significantly improved. In this work, we studied the temperature effect on performance forSiGe solar cell with BSF layer using software AMPS-1D to analyze some parameters. The temperature is one of most important effect and it plays a key on performance of solar cell.
STUDY OF A SOLAR CELL WITH A MULTILAYERED WINDOW BASED ON Si1-xGex USING AMPS-1D
Authors:   Laboratory Smart grid & Renewable Energy (SMART), TAHRI Mohammed University of Bechar. P.O.BOX 417, Bechar 08000, Algeria, BELHADJ M. , DENNAI B. ,   Laboratory of Renewable Energy Development and their Applications in the Saharan areas, Faculty of Exact Sciences, TAHRI Mohammed University of Bechar. P.O.BOX 417, Bechar 08000, Algeria
Published: March 2023

The Silicon-Germanium (SiGe) technology, whose preliminary developments date from the mid-1980s and whose arrival on the market is recent, meets this joint need for economy and performance. In our days solar cells to thin films are increasingly used primarily because of their low cost. In recent decades the performance of these cells were significantly improved. In this work, we simulate solar cell base Si (1-x) Ge (X) multilayer window using software (AMPS-1D) to analyze some parameters. In particular, the properties of the window layer (thickness, doping, etc.) play a key role in the performance of the cell, and in order to optimize them, their influence on the photovoltaic quantities of the solar cell is studied. In order to highlight the importance of the deposition of a Si (1-x) Ge (X) type window layer on the Si (1-x) Ge (X) solar cells, a comparison between three cells , one with a window layer, the other with two layers windows and the third with three layers windows was made under 300 K and one sun (AM1.5) . The optimal solar cell was founding for the first window layer ( 100 nm ; x = 0.3 ) ,second window layer ( 80 nm ; x = 0.2 ) and the third window layer ( 60 nm ; x = 0.1 ) for 15.56 % optimal efficiency. This comparison led to the following conclusion: the multiplication of the cascade windows leads to a cell equivalent to a gradual window.