bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conducting research on and with your own students
Authors: Urdal Gro Hege Saltnes
Published: March 2023

Researchers’ proximity to their field of interest can make it difficult to create what Bourdieu called “the strange point of view” needed to look beyond the field’s implicit beliefs when producing new knowledge. Based on a Bourdieusian approach to reflexive sociology, this article discusses proximity and distance when conducting research on and with one’s own students. To problematize proximity and distance in a research project, this article discusses a case in which a teacher/researcher conducted research on and with her own students in a bachelor’s degree program in sign language and interpreting as part of a project focusing on the students’ development of professional characteristics as interpreters for individuals with deafblindness. This article argues that student participation and input created an epistemological rupture and represented the strange point of view that became a counterweight to the researcher’s proximity to the field.
Collectivities in translation (studies)
Authors: Dizdar Dilek , Rozmysłowicz Tomasz
Published: March 2023

Since the cultural and social turn, translation studies has been interested in the role translation practices play in the construction of the socio-cultural world. In particular, it has been concerned with the effects translation practices have on the formation of all kinds of groups, communities or identities: national cultures, genders, social/political movements, and linguistic minorities, for example, have been examined in different ways as to their translational constructedness. In this introductory article, the authors propose to bring these various research endeavours together under one conceptual umbrella by adopting the notion of ‘collectivities.’ The notion serves as a cover term encompassing different shapes, durations, and sizes of collectivities and as a heuristic device within a coherent framework. The analytical value of such a framework, it is argued, consists in integrating existing and future research by relating individual approaches to each other and comparing them.
Complexities and considerations in conducting animal-assisted intervention research: A discussion of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Rodriguez Kerri E. , Green Freya L.L. , Binfet John-Tyler , Townsend Lisa , Gee Nancy R.
Published: March 2023

The field of human-animal interaction (HAI) has experienced prolific growth in the scope, breadth, and rigor of research conducted on animal-assisted interventions (AAIs). As knowledge regarding the preliminary efficacy of AAIs on outcomes of human health and wellbeing continues to accumulate, so has information regarding the feasibility, safety, and acceptability of AAIs. This progression, combined with an increase in funding opportunities, institutional resources, and growing recognition of the field from mental and medical health professionals, has led to more widespread implementation of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in the field. While conducting RCTs in any field of study is an intensive and complex undertaking, researchers conducting RCTs to evaluate the efficacy of AAIs are faced with unique considerations. The goal of this manuscript is to discuss these complexities and considerations surrounding conducting an RCT of an AAI program in regard to study planning, conceptualization, design, implementation, and dissemination. We highlight common confounders in HAI research and provide strategies for minimizing or ameliorating them. Recommendations pertain to such unique issues as ethical considerations, theory, control and comparison groups, sampling, implementation fidelity, and transparent reporting of findings. These considerations and recommendations seek to aid HAI researchers in the design, implementation, and dissemination of future RCTs to continue to advance the rigor of the field.
(De)coupling Positional Whiteness and White Identities through “Good English” in Singapore
Authors: Babcock Joshua
Published: March 2023

English in Singapore occupies an ambivalent status as both global bridge and threat to local “cultural values” (Tan 2017). English is also constructed as threatened by Singlish, or Singaporean Colloquial English (Wee 2018). This article first elaborates the historical-institutional production of a covert raciolinguistic community—“Caucasian” English speakers—whose speech ideologically contrasts with Singaporeans’ “non-native” English. It then analyzes a crowdsourced self-help column, “English as It Is Broken,” and participant observation at a Singlish awareness class. I argue that the figure of the native-English-speaking foreigner (by default white and, increasingly, American) continues to anchor what counts as “Good English” and rescales intersectional self- and other evaluations of Singaporeans’ linguistic deficiency. Good English thus invites aspirational investments in whiteness-as-position (a superordinate position in global, racializing hierarchies) but remains a target that Singaporeans are cast as forever failing to meet due to their nonwhite identities (not “being” white).
Dynamics of a solitonic vortex in an anisotropically trapped superfluid
Authors: Gomez Llorente J M , Plata J
Published: March 2023

We analytically study the dynamics of a solitonic vortex (SV) in a superfluid confined in a non-axisymmetric harmonic trap. The study provides a framework for analyzing the role of the trap anisotropy in the oscillation of SVs observed in recent experiments on atomic Bose and Fermi superfluids. The emergence of common and statistics-dependent features is traced in a unified approach to both types of fluid. Our description, built in the hydrodynamic formalism, is based on a Lagragian approach which incorporates the vortex location as dynamical parameters of a variational ansatz. Previous operative Hamiltonian pictures are recovered through a canonically traced procedure. Our results improve the understanding of the experimental findings. Some of the observed features are shown to be specific to the tri-axial anisotropy of the trap. In particular, we characterize the nontrivial dependence of the oscillation frequency on the trapping transversal to the vortical line. The study reveals also the crucial role played by the nonlinear character of the dynamics in the observed oscillation: for the considered experimental conditions, the frequency, and, in turn, the effective inertial mass of the vortex, are found to significantly depend on the amplitude of the generated motion. It is also uncovered how the coupling with collective modes of the fluid induces a non-negligible shift in the oscillation frequency. The appearance of fine-structure features in the SV trajectory is predicted.
2D flakes of Au decorated SnO2 nanoparticles as electrode material for high performing supercapacitor
Authors: Anshu Satvik , Priya Surbhi , Mandal Debabrata , Rahul R , Singh Trilok , Chandra Amreesh
Published: March 2023

2D decorated nanostructures are fast emerging as efficient electrode materials for electrochemical devices. Au decorated SnO2, synthesized using co-precipitation and hydrothermal methods, can become a useful electrode material for supercapacitors. Au incorporation helps to mitigate the conductivity issues of SnO2 nanostructures. The superior 2D-flake like morphology leads to appreciable performance enhancement, with specific capacitance of 234 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 current density, which is much larger than that observed in pristine SnO2. The high cycling stability of Au-decorated SnO2 clearly shows its usefulness for high-performance supercapacitors. A theoretical model is also reported to explain the electrochemical results.
Optical potentials for the rare-isotope beam era
Authors: Hebborn C , Nunes F M , Potel G , Dickhoff W H , Holt J W , Atkinson M C , Baker R B , Barbieri C , Blanchon G , Burrows M , Capote R , Danielewicz P , Dupuis M , Elster Ch , Escher J E , Hlophe L , Idini A , Jayatissa H , Kay B P , Kravvaris K , Manfredi J J , Mercenne A , Morillon B , Perdikakis G , Pruitt C D , Sargsyan G H , Thompson I J , Vorabbi M , Whitehead T R
Published: March 2023

We review recent progress and motivate the need for further developments in nuclear optical potentials that are widely used in the theoretical analysis of nucleon elastic scattering and reaction cross sections. In regions of the nuclear chart away from stability, which represent a frontier in nuclear science over the coming decade and which will be probed at new rare-isotope beam facilities worldwide, there is a targeted need to quantify and reduce theoretical reaction model uncertainties, especially with respect to nuclear optical potentials. We first describe the primary physics motivations for an improved description of nuclear reactions involving short-lived isotopes, focusing on its benefits for fundamental science discoveries and applications to medicine, energy, and security. We then outline the various methods in use today to build optical potentials starting from phenomenological, microscopic, and ab initio methods, highlighting in particular, the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. We then discuss publicly-available tools and resources facilitating the propagation of recent progresses in the field to practitioners. Finally, we provide a set of open challenges and recommendations for the field to advance the fundamental science goals of nuclear reaction studies in the rare-isotope beam era. This paper is the outcome of the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams Theory Alliance (FRIB-TA) topical program ‘Optical Potentials in Nuclear Physics’ held in March 2022 at FRIB. Its content is non-exhaustive, was chosen by the participants and reflects their efforts related to optical potentials.
Atomic-scale interpretation of the quantum oscillations in cuprate superconductors
Authors: Lee K S , Kim J-J , Joo S H , Park M S , Yoo J H , Gu Genda , Lee Jinho
Published: March 2023

Cuprate superconductors display unusual features in both k space and real space as the superconductivity is suppressed—a broken Fermi surface, charge density wave, and pseudogap. Contrarily, recent transport measurements on cuprates under high magnetic fields report quantum oscillations (QOs), which imply rather a usual Fermi liquid behavior. To settle the disagreement, we investigated Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ
under a magnetic field in an atomic scale. A particle-hole (p–h) asymmetrically dispersing density of states (DOSs) modulation was found at the vortices on a slightly underdoped sample, while on a highly underdoped sample, no trace of the vortex was found even at 13 T. However, a similar p–h asymmetric DOS modulation persisted in almost an entire field of view. From this observation, we infer an alternative explanation of the QO results by providing a unifying picture where the aforementioned seemingly conflicting evidence from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, spectroscopic imaging scanning tunneling microscopy, and magneto-transport measurements can be understood solely in terms of the DOS modulations.
A simple arithmetic procedure for combining units
Authors: Reed B Cameron
Published: March 2023

A procedure for determining the overall units of a combination of quantities based on simple additions and subtractions is described. This procedure could be programmed into online-quiz software for student exercises.
Correlation-based full-waveform shear wave elastography
Authors: Elmeliegy Abdelrahman M , Guddati Murthy N
Published: March 2023

Objective. With the ultimate goal of reconstructing 3D elasticity maps from ultrasound particle velocity measurements in a plane, we present in this paper a methodology of inverting for 2D elasticity maps from measurements on a single line. Approach. The inversion approach is based on gradient optimization where the elasticity map is iteratively modified until a good match is obtained between simulated and measured responses. Full-wave simulation is used as the underlying forward model to accurately capture the physics of shear wave propagation and scattering in heterogeneous soft tissue. A key aspect of the proposed inversion approach is a cost functional based on correlation between measured and simulated responses. Main results. We illustrate that the correlation-based functional has better convexity and convergence properties compared to the traditional least-squares functional, and is less sensitive to initial guess, robust against noisy measurements and other errors that are common in ultrasound elastography. Inversion with synthetic data illustrates the effectiveness of the method to characterize homogeneous inclusions as well as elasticity map of the entire region of interest. Significance. The proposed ideas lead to a new framework for shear wave elastography that shows promise in obtaining accurate maps of shear modulus using shear wave elastography data obtained from standard clinical scanners.
Plasma density determination from ion current to cylindrical Langmuir probe with validation on hairpin probe measurements
Authors: Voloshin D , Rakhimova T , Kropotkin A , Amirov I , Izyumov M , Lopaev D , Zotovich A , Ziryanov S
Published: March 2023

Numerical and analytical approaches to plasma density determination from the ion current to cylindrical Langmuir probe are validated on hairpin probe measurements. An argon inductively coupled plasma discharge in a pressure range from 4.5 mTorr to 27 mTorr is studied. The discharge input power is varied in the range from 200 to 800 W, giving a plasma density in the range from 109 to 1011 cm−3. The approaches used for plasma density determination are analytical collisionless orbital motion limit theory, fluid semianalytical model of ion radial motion with ion collisions and particle-in-cell with a Monte Carlo collisions model of ion current collection by the cylindrical Langmuir probe. The relative error of different models is shown. The ion collisions should be taken into account, even at relatively low pressures, in order to get a reliable plasma density value from the ion current to the Langmuir probe.
Collisionless dissipation at the boundary sheath of magnetized low temperature plasmas
Authors: Krüger Dennis , Köhn Kevin , Xu Liang , Eremin Denis , Brinkmann Ralf Peter
Published: March 2023

In partially magnetized technological plasmas like magnetron discharges or Hall-effect thrusters, the interaction of gyrating electrons with the plasma boundary sheath plays an important role. This study shows that the interaction can be described as a dissipative process. It is assumed that the Debye length

λ

D

is much smaller than the electron gyroradius

r

L

, and

r

L

in turn much smaller than the mean free path λ and the field gradient length l. Focusing on the scale of the gyroradius, the sheath is assumed as thin (

λ

D

→
0

), collisions are neglected (

λ
→
∞

), the magnetic field is taken as homogeneous, and electric fields (= potential gradients) in the bulk are neglected (

l
→
∞

). The interaction of an electron with the electric field of the plasma boundary sheath is represented by specular reflection,

v
→
v
−
2
v
⋅
n
n

, where
v
is the electron velocity and
n
is the sheath normal. A previous study showed that this set-up leads to a scattering process where gyrophase invariant incoming velocity distributions are scattered into outgoing distributions with fractal dependence on the gyrophase (Krüger and Brinkmann 2017 Plasma Sources Sci. Technol.
26 115009). The present research focuses on the subsequent evolution. It is shown that the gyromotion results in fast phase mixing with respect to the gyrophase which quickly restores the gyrophase invariance. In combination, the two phases of the sheath interaction constitute a mapping within the space of gyrophase invariant distributions. This combined process is dissipative and leads to isotropization. As an explicit comparison shows, it acts similarly to elastic electron-neutral collisions and can even dominate the latter in low pressure plasmas. A simplified version of the operator that applies for weakly anisotropic distributions is suited for practical simulation work.
Total-ionizing dose irradiation induced degradation behavior and mechanism of the Cascode GaN HEMTs
Authors: Cai X Z , Chen Y Q , Zhou C J
Published: March 2023

In this article, the effects of total ionizing dose (TID) irradiation and the annealing treatment on the degradation of the commercial Cascode GaN high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs) were investigated, and low frequency noise method (LFN) was carried out to analyze the defects. The DC characteristics show that the device after TID irradiation with different doses exhibits a negative drift of threshold voltage (V
th) and a remarkable increase of drain-source current (I
ds) with respect to the fresh one. Meanwhile, with increasing doses of the TID irradiation, the off-state drain leakage current increases, while the drain-source resistance decreases. The gate-lag characteristic gets better for the Cascode GaN HEMTs after TID irradiation. The transfer characteristics, output characteristics, blocking characteristics and capacitance characteristics of the devices can partly be restored by annealing treatment, but there is no pronounced influence on the gate-lag characteristics and drain-source resistance. The trap density extracted by the LFN method decreases in the Cascode GaN HEMTs after TID irradiation. The degradation behavior and mechanism of the Cascode GaN HEMTs under TID irradiation are analyzed. The experimental results may provide a useful reference for the design and space application of the Cascode GaN HEMTs.
Soft robotic finger with variable effective length enabled by an antagonistic constraint mechanism
Authors: Wang Xing , Kang Hanwen
Published: March 2023

Compared to traditional rigid robotics, soft robotics has attracted increasing attention due to its advantages in compliance, safety, and low cost. As an essential part of soft robotics, the soft robotic gripper also shows its superior while grasping objects with irregular shapes. Recent research has been conducted to improve grasping performance by adjusting the variable effective length (VEL). However, the existing VEL function achieved by mechanisms such as multi-chamber design or tunable stiffness shape memory material requires a complex pneumatic circuit design or a time-consuming phase-changing process. This work proposes a fold-based soft robotic finger with VEL function from 3D printing. It is experimentally tested and modeled by the hyperelastic material property. Mathematic and finite element modeling is conducted to study the bending behaviour of the proposed soft actuator. Most importantly, an antagonistic constraint mechanism is proposed to achieve the VEL, and the experiments demonstrate that better conformity is achieved. Finally, dual-mode grippers are designed and evaluated to demonstrate the advances of VEL on grasping performance.
Exact diagonalisation of photon Bose–Einstein condensates with thermo-optic interaction
Authors: Stein Enrico , Pelster Axel
Published: March 2023

Although photon Bose–Einstein condensates have already been used for studying many interesting effects, the precise role of the photon–photon interaction is not fully clarified up to now. In view of this, it is advantageous that these systems allow measuring both the intensity of the light leaking out of the cavity and its spectrum at the same time. Therefore, the photon–photon interaction strength can be determined once via analysing the condensate broadening and once via examining the interaction-induced modifications of the cavity modes. As the former method depends crucially on the concrete shape of the trapping potential and the spatial resolution of the used camera, interferometric methods promise more precise measurements. To this end, the present paper works out the impact of the photon–photon interaction upon the cavity modes. A quantum mechanical description of the photon–photon interaction, including the thermal cloud, builds the theoretical backbone of the method. An exact diagonalisation approach introduced here exposes how the effective photon–photon interaction modifies both the spectrum and the width of the photon gas. A comparison with a variational approach based on the Gross–Pitaevskii equation quantifies the contribution of the thermal cloud in the respective applications.
Lead-tungsten oxide interfaces designed as gigahertz/terahertz filters
Authors: Alkhamisi Manal M , Qasrawi A F , Khanfar Hazem K
Published: March 2023

Herein amorphous tungsten oxide thin films of thicknesses of 300 nm are coated onto semitransparent Pb films (100 nm) by the thermal evaporation technique under a vacuum pressure of 10−5 mbar. Optical investigations in these films have shown that Pb nanosheets enhances the light absorbability in the visible and infrared ranges of light without significant change in the energy band gap value. In addition deep analyses of the optical conductivity and terahertz cutoff frequency spectra of the Pb/WO3 optical filters revealed that the cutoff frequency value in the visible range of light is invariant with light signal energy indicating the possibly of filtering none-monochromatic light signals. On the other hand imposing an ac signal between the terminals of Pb/WO3/Au devices has proofed the ability of the device to perform as low pass and as band stop filters workable in the microwave frequency domain. The microwave cutoff frequency for this device reached ∼9 GHz nominating it for use in 5 G mobile technology. The current study showed that coating of tungsten oxide onto semitransparent Pb substrate and coverage small area of the top contact with Au can allow functioning the device as gigahertz/terahertz band filters suitable for communication technology.
Observational predictions of LQG motivated polymerized black holes and constraints from Sgr A* and M87*
Authors: Walia Rahul Kumar
Published: March 2023

Loop quantum gravity inspired partial polymer quantization in four-dimensional spacetime leads to a globally regular black hole with a single horizon. The polymerized black hole metric is characterized by the minimum length parameter k, and mimics the Schwarzschild black hole in the weak-field limit. We present an analytic and numerical investigation of the strong gravitational lensing and shadow morphology to determine the observational impacts of quantum effects. Interestingly, the light deflection angle, the angular separation between the outermost relativistic image, and magnification are significantly larger than those for the Schwarzschild black hole. Using the ray-tracing technique, we simulate the black hole shadows under three distinct optically thin accretion models: static spherical accretion, radially infalling spherical accretion, and the thin accretion disk model. Polymerized black holes' shadow morphology strongly depends on k. We derive constraints on k from the M87* and Sgr A* black hole shadow observations from the Event Horizon Telescope.
The Analyses of Globular Cluster Pulsars and Their Detection Efficiency
Authors: Yin De-Jiang , Zhang Li-Yun , Li Bao-Da , Li Ming-Hui , Qian Lei , Pan Zhichen
Published: March 2023

Up to 2022 November, 267 pulsars had been discovered in 36 globular clusters (GCs). In this paper, we present our studies on the distribution of GC pulsar parameters and the detection efficiency. The power law relation between average dispersion measure (

DM

¯

) and dispersion measure difference (ΔDM) of known pulsars in GCs is

lg
Δ
DM
∝
1.52
lg

DM

¯

. The sensitivity could be the key to finding more pulsars. As a result, several years after the construction of a large radio telescope facility, the number of known GC pulsars will likely be increased accordingly. We suggest that currently GCs in the southern hemisphere could have higher possibilities for finding new pulsars.
Neural correlates of face perception modeled with a convolutional recurrent neural network
Authors: O’Reilly Jamie A , Wehrman Jordan , Carey Aaron , Bedwin Jennifer , Hourn Thomas , Asadi Fawad , Sowman Paul F
Published: March 2023

Objective. Event-related potential (ERP) sensitivity to faces is predominantly characterized by an N170 peak that has greater amplitude and shorter latency when elicited by human faces than images of other objects. We aimed to develop a computational model of visual ERP generation to study this phenomenon which consisted of a three-dimensional convolutional neural network (CNN) connected to a recurrent neural network (RNN). Approach. The CNN provided image representation learning, complimenting sequence learning of the RNN for modeling visually-evoked potentials. We used open-access data from ERP Compendium of Open Resources and Experiments (40 subjects) to develop the model, generated synthetic images for simulating experiments with a generative adversarial network, then collected additional data (16 subjects) to validate predictions of these simulations. For modeling, visual stimuli presented during ERP experiments were represented as sequences of images (time x pixels). These were provided as inputs to the model. By filtering and pooling over spatial dimensions, the CNN transformed these inputs into sequences of vectors that were passed to the RNN. The ERP waveforms evoked by visual stimuli were provided to the RNN as labels for supervised learning. The whole model was trained end-to-end using data from the open-access dataset to reproduce ERP waveforms evoked by visual events. Main results. Cross-validation model outputs strongly correlated with open-access (r = 0.98) and validation study data (r = 0.78). Open-access and validation study data correlated similarly (r = 0.81). Some aspects of model behavior were consistent with neural recordings while others were not, suggesting promising albeit limited capacity for modeling the neurophysiology of face-sensitive ERP generation. Significance. The approach developed in this work is potentially of significant value for visual neuroscience research, where it may be adapted for multiple contexts to study computational relationships between visual stimuli and evoked neural activity.
Development of an arch antenna for LHCD in a spherical tokamak
Authors: Wang Yaoyao , Zhou Qing , Wang Zhenxing , Ma Wendong , Liu Chengzhou , Shan Jiafang
Published: March 2023

A lower-hybrid frequency surface wave antenna called arch is designed and fabricated in this paper for the spherical tokamak named EXL-50. It is used to drive plasma current and heat plasma at 2.45 GHz. The arch antenna consists of 27 antenna elements. The left and right rectangular waveguides integrated with the antenna are used for microwave input and output, respectively. The refraction parallel index of this proposed antenna is

4.3

, which is favorable for the lower hybrid current drive. The measurement results in the absence of plasma show that the reflection and transmission coefficients (

S
11

and

S
21

) are

−
12.5

dB

and

−
12.6

dB

, respectively. The antenna was installed and tested on EXL-50. Up to a

35

 kA

plasma current was achieved using the arch antenna with a microwave of

70

 kW

.
Experimental and numerical modeling of plasma start-up assisted by electron drift injection on J-TEXT
Authors: Zhang Junli , Cheng Zhifeng , Peng Yanli , Yang Zhoujun , Nagasaki Kazunobu , Wang Nengchao , Cai Hao , Ding Yonghua , Chen Zhipeng , Chen Zhongyong , Jiang Wei , Xia Donghui , Wang Zhijiang , Pan Yuan
Published: March 2023

Start-up is one of the critical phases for tokamak discharge. The electron drift injection (EDI) system has been developed on J-TEXT for start-up studies. A breakdown experiment with EDI-assisted start-up has been conducted, which verified the effect of pre-ionization by EDI to achieve start-up at a lower ohmic field voltage. A zero-dimensional (0D) model has been developed to explain the effect of EDI quantitatively. The comparison between the experiment and simulation verified the credibility of this model. Based on this model, a comparison between pure ohmic heating start-up and EDI-assisted start-up was presented, showing that EDI improved ionization, causing a lower delay to the peak of hydrogen ionization and radiation losses and a smoother rise in the electron and ion energy. This result quantitatively verified the pre-ionization effect of EDI on start-up . The effects of injecting different currents and electron energy were investigated. A better pre-ionization effect was realized by increasing the injected current, which can be a reference for the upgrading of the EDI system.
Spectrometric imaging of sub-hourly methane emission dynamics from coal mine ventilation
Authors: Knapp M , Scheidweiler L , Külheim F , Kleinschek R , Necki J , Jagoda P , Butz A
Published: March 2023

Anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions contribute significantly to the current radiative forcing driving climate change. Localized CH4 sources such as occurring in the fossil fuel industry contribute a substantial share to the anthropogenic emission total. The temporal dynamics of such emissions is largely unresolved and unaccounted for when using atmospheric measurements by satellites, aircraft, and ground-based instruments to monitor emission rates and verify reported numbers. Here, we demonstrate the usage of a ground-based imaging spectrometer for quantifying the CH4 emission dynamics of a ventilation facility of a coal mine in the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Poland. To this end, we deployed the imaging spectrometer at roughly 1 km distance from the facility and collected plume images of CH4 column enhancements during the sunlit hours of four consecutive days in June 2022. Together with wind information from a co-deployed wind-lidar, we inferred CH4 emission rates with roughly 1 min resolution. Daily average emission rates ranged between 1.39 ± 0.19 and 4.44 ± 0.76 tCH4 h−1, 10 min averages ranged between (min) 0.82 and (max) 5.83 tCH4 h−1, and puff-like events caused large variability on time scales below 15 min. Thus, to monitor CH4 emissions from such sources, it requires measurement techniques such as the imaging spectrometer evaluated here that can capture emission dynamics on short time scales.
Strategy for Controlling Total Current Harmonics Distortion by means Photovoltaic Generation with an Unified Active Power Filter (UAPF)
Authors: Tupiza Pablo , Pavon Wilson , Jaramillo Dario , Acosta-Vargas Patricia
Published: March 2023

In this paper, an Unified Active Power Filter (UAPF) is proposed for controlling the current Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) in low voltage distribution networks. The UAPF implements photovoltaic (PV) generation as its source, together with a boost converter. The IEEE 13-bar system is the test-bench, and a non-linear load is in the 7th bus-bar. Thus, discusing the results of the voltage, current and THD in the system. The results were decreasing current (THDi) and voltage (THDv) harmonics, the THDi and THDv reduce to 6 percentage, and 3 percentage, respectively. The results are within the allowed limits in IEEE 1159 standards and ARCERNNR -017/2020 resolution.
Performance of electrocoagulation process for copper removal in simulated artisanal and small-scale mining wastewater
Authors: Almendral Christine Mae , Tayo Lemmuel
Published: March 2023

Electrocoagulation treatment was applied in the simulated artisanal and small-scale mining wastewater for 60 minutes. Copper concentration of 625 mg.L−1 was used in the study which was based on the real artisanal and small-scale mining wastewater (conductivity = 13 mS.cm−1, initial pH = 10) collected from Paracale, Camarines Norte, Philippines. Batch experiments using a pair of iron electrodes with an interelectrode distance of 2 cm were used for this study and we have determined the optimized conditions such as conductivity, initial pH, and current density for the various electrocoagulation runs. Decreasing initial conductivity and pH of real mining wastewater while increasing current density favours higher removal efficiency. With the conductivity of 3.5 mS.cm−1, initial pH of 9, and current density of 33.5 mA.cm−2, copper removal efficiency was 93.5%. Based on these operating conditions, energy consumption was 36.82 kWhr.m−3 and electrodes consumption were 2.09 kg.m−3. This study revealed that electrocoagulation is feasible to treat higher concentrations of copper present in mining wastewater.
Optimization of bioenergy generation and chemical oxygen demand reduction in dual-chamber microbial fuel cells using active soil microbes
Authors: Bartolome G J C , Tayo L L
Published: March 2023

This study focused on the optimization of a dual-chamber microbial fuel cell (MFC) system using carbon fiber brush and titanium electrodes, meat processing wastewater as substrate, and active soil microbes as biocatalyst. Significant findings revealed promising results on the MFC performance. The active soil microbes contain viable bacteria that worked effectively in the anode chambers. Peak open-circuit voltages (OCV) of the MFCs were as high as 1.05 V using titanium mesh and 1.03 V using carbon fiber brush. In closed-circuit conditions, the current obtained were 1.04 mA and 1.38 mA, and the power densities were 1.22 Wm−2 and 0.34 Wm−2, correspondingly. The power densities were normalized based on the surface areas of the anodes. The bioenergy generation profiles also revealed the MFCs can produce peak potentials of 30.109 kJ and 19.415 kJ using carbon fiber brush and titanium mesh, respectively. Furthermore, the results showed that the reduction in chemical oxygen demand (COD) was highest at 24.32 percent using carbon brush and lowest at 13.34 percent using titanium mesh electrodes.
Spectral photon counting for panoramic dental imaging
Authors: Somerkivi V , Sellerer T , Pantsar T , Lohman H , Pfeiffer F
Published: March 2023

Panoramic x-ray imaging is a versatile, low-dose imaging tool, which is routinely used for dental applications. In this work, we explore a further improvement of the concept by introducing recently developed spectral photon-counting detector technology into a conventional panoramic imaging unit. In addition we adapt spectral material decomposition algorithms to panoramic imaging needs. Finally, we provide first experimental results, demonstrating decomposition of an anthropomorphic head phantom into soft tissue and dentin basis material panoramic images, while keeping the noise level acceptable using regularization approaches. The obtained results reveal a potential benefit of spectral photon-counting technology also for dental imaging applications.
A novel and simple heat-based method eliminates the highly detrimental effect of xylene deparaffinization on acid-fast stains
Authors: Marinho Pedro F , Vieira Soraia L , Carvalho Tânia G , Peleteiro Maria C , Hanscheid Thomas
Published: March 2023

Objectives

Histopathology is an important method for diagnosing extrapulmonary tuberculosis, yet tissue sections are often negative for mycobacteria after use of acid-fast stain (AFS). This study investigated the mechanism of AFS use and the detrimental effect of histologic processing—in particular, xylene deparaffinization—on AFS and mycobacterial detection.

Methods

The target of the fluorescent Auramine O (AuO) AFS was investigated using triple staining with DNA- and RNA-specific dyes. The effect of xylene deparaffinization on the acid fastness of mycobacteria in cultures or tissue sections was studied using AuO fluorescence as a quantitative marker. The xylene method was compared with a novel, solvent-free projected–hot-air deparaffinization (PHAD).

Results

Co-localization of AuO with DNA/RNA stains suggests that intracellular nucleic acids are the true target of AFS, producing highly specific patterns. Xylene reduces mycobacterial fluorescence significantly (P < .0001; moderate effect size, r = 0.33). The PHAD process yielded significantly higher fluorescence than xylene deparaffinization in tissues (P < .0001; large effect size, r = 0.85).

Conclusions

Auramine O can be applied for nucleic acid staining of mycobacteria in tissues producing typical beaded patterns. Acid-fast staining depends heavily on the integrity of the mycobacterial cell wall, which xylene appears to damage. A solvent-free tissue deparaffinization method has the potential to increase mycobacterial detection significantly.
Higher local intra- than interspecific variability in water- and carbon-related leaf traits among Neotropical tree species
Authors: Schmitt Sylvain , Boisseaux Marion
Published: March 2023

Background and Aims

Intraspecific variability in leaf water-related traits remains little explored despite its potential importance in the context of increasing drought frequency and severity. Studies comparing intra- and interspecific variability of leaf traits often rely on inappropriate sampling designs that result in non-robust estimates, mainly owing to an excess of the species/individual ratio in community ecology or, on the contrary, to an excess of the individual/species ratio in population ecology.

Methods

We carried out virtual testing of three strategies to compare intra- and interspecific trait variability. Guided by the results of our simulations, we carried out field sampling. We measured nine traits related to leaf water and carbon acquisition in 100 individuals from ten Neotropical tree species. We also assessed trait variation among leaves within individuals and among measurements within leaves to control for sources of intraspecific trait variability.

Key Results

The most robust sampling, based on the same number of species and individuals per species, revealed higher intraspecific variability than previously recognized, higher for carbon-related traits (47–92 and 4–33 % of relative and absolute variation, respectively) than for water-related traits (47–60 and 14–44 % of relative and absolute variation, respectively), which remained non-negligible. Nevertheless, part of the intraspecific trait variability was explained by variation of leaves within individuals (12–100 % of relative variation) or measurement variations within leaf (0–19 % of relative variation) and not only by individual ontogenetic stages and environmental conditions.

Conclusions

We conclude that robust sampling, based on the same number of species and individuals per species, is needed to explore global or local variation in leaf water- and carbon-related traits within and among tree species, because our study revealed higher intraspecific variation than previously recognized.
Delinquent Peers and Delinquency: Findings From a Longitudinal Study of Youth
Authors: Kim Jihoon , Lee Yeungjeom
Published: March 2023

Although the relationship between delinquency and deviant peers has long been an important topic in criminology, there remain unresolved issues including theoretical incongruences and a lack of rigorous empirical studies examining the interplay between the two. Acknowledging this gap in the literature, the primary purpose of this study is to examine the dynamic interrelationship between delinquency and delinquent peers over time. Using five waves of a Korean adolescent sample, we employ two methodologies with different benefits: group-based trajectory models and cross-lagged dynamic panel data models. Results show that heterogeneous developmental patterns of delinquency and peer delinquency are closely related and suggest reciprocal interactions between delinquent peers and delinquency. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
Surgical Outcome Risk Tool (SORT) to predict 30-day postoperative mortality in a mixed surgical population in Swedish tertiary hospitals
Authors: Semenas Egidijus , Helleberg Johan , Bartha Erzsébet , Kalman Sigridur , Holm Manne
Published: March 2023

Background

The Surgical Outcome Risk Tool (SORT) was derived and validated in the UK to improve preoperative prediction of postoperative risk. The aim of this study was to validate the SORT in a European mixed-case surgical population outside of the UK.

Methods

The study included patients aged at least 18 years with ASA Physical Status (ASA-PS) grades I–V who underwent non-cardiac surgery at four tertiary hospitals in Sweden between November 2015 and February 2016. Exclusion criteria were surgery under local anaesthesia and missing data on the SORT predictors (ASA-PS, surgical urgency, high-risk surgery, surgical severity, malignancy, age over 65 years). The outcome was 30-day mortality. Discrimination and calibration of the SORT were assessed using area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) statistics and calibration plots. A sensitivity analysis was done in a high-risk subgroup (ASA-PS III or higher; surgical complexity major to Xmajor according to the SORT; gastrointestinal, orthopaedic, urogenital/obstetric surgery; and age at least 18 years).

Results

The validation cohort included 17 965 patients; median age was 58 (i.q.r. 40–70) years, 43.2 per cent were men, and the mortality rate at 30 days was 1.6 per cent. The SORT had excellent discrimination, with an AUROC of 0.91 (95 per cent c.i. 0.89 to 0.92), and good calibration. The high-risk subgroup (1807 patients) had a 30-day mortality rate of 5.6 per cent; in the sensitivity analysis, the SORT had good discrimination, with an AUROC of 0.79 (0.74 to 0.83), and calibration remained good.

Conclusion

The estimates of the original the SORT for prediction of 30-day mortality were valid and reliable in a mixed-case surgical population in a non-UK European setting.
Clinical outcomes following mechanochemical ablation of superficial venous incompetence compared with endothermal ablation: meta-analysis
Authors: Lim Arthur J M , Mohamed Abduraheem H , Hitchman Louise H , Lathan Ross , Ravindhran Bharadhwaj , Sidapra Misha M , Smith George , Chetter Ian C , Carradice Daniel
Published: March 2023

Background

Mechanochemical ablation (MOCA) is an alternative method to endovenous thermal ablation (EVTA) for the treatment of superficial venous incompetence that does not require tumescent anaesthesia. The aim of this study was to compare the outcomes from RCTs of MOCA versus EVTA.

Methods

A search was conducted in MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Meta-analysis inclusion was restricted to RCTs comparing MOCA against EVTA. Outcomes included anatomical occlusion rate, disease-specific quality of life using the Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire, procedural and postprocedural pain, and rates of venous thromboembolism.

Results

Four RCTs were included in the meta-analysis comprising 654 patients. The anatomical occlusion rate at 1 year was lower after MOCA than EVTA (risk ratio 0.85, 95 per cent c.i. 0.78 to 0.91; P < 0.001). No significant differences were detected in procedural pain (mean difference −3.25, −14.25 to 7.74; P = 0.560) or postprocedural pain (mean difference −0.63, −2.15 to 0.89; P = 0.420). There were no significant differences in Aberdeen Varicose Vein Questionnaire score at 1 year (mean difference 0.06, −0.50 to 0.62; P = 0.830) or in incidence of venous thromboembolism (risk ratio 0.72, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 3.61; P = 0.690).

Conclusion

The rate of successful anatomical occlusion after MOCA is significantly lower than that after EVTA, but there is no difference in procedural and postprocedural pain between the two interventions. Long-term data are required to assess the impact of the reduced vein occlusion rate on clinical outcomes such as quality of life and reintervention.
Audience retention on educational dermatological videos: an exploratory study using a dermatologist-led experimental YouTube channel
Authors: Barrutia Leire , Vega-Gutiérrez Jesús , Santamarina-Albertos Alba
Published: March 2023

Background

Patients increasingly search for dermatological information on YouTube; however, the successful presence of dermatologists on this platform is limited. Audience retention is essential to ensure success, as the YouTube algorithm considers it to rank videos. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study in dermatology that focuses on audience retention on YouTube. It is based on a real-life dermatologist-led channel.

Aim

To determine factors that influence audience retention on a dermatologist-led YouTube channel and provide insights that can help dermatologists create engaging content that becomes successful.

Methods

This research studied 137 videos. First, multiple linear regression was performed to test whether the specific video characteristics significantly predicted audience retention. Second, moments of peak retention (spikes) were identified, and their content was analysed to determine what was particularly interesting for viewers. As the videos were educational, spikes were classified into conceptual or procedural knowledge.

Results

The average audience retention was 41.7%. Longer video length and increasing number of days from release had a negative and significant effect on audience retention, with the effect of video length (β = –0.6979; P < 0.001) being strong and that of days from release being weak (β = –0.1948; P = 0.02). Spikes were observed in 76 videos (55.5%), 68.2% of which were classified as procedural knowledge.

Conclusion

These data indicate that audience retention increases as video length decreases, and that viewers are essentially interested in practical information. Consequently, to increase audience retention, dermatologists should design succinct videos and deliver procedural knowledge that creates value for the public.
Enhanced neural mechanisms of set shifting in musically trained adolescents and young adults: converging fMRI, EEG, and behavioral evidence
Authors: Saarikivi K , Chan T M V , Huotilainen M , Tervaniemi M , Putkinen V
Published: March 2023

Musically trained individuals have been found to outperform untrained peers in various tasks for executive functions. Here, we present longitudinal behavioral results and cross-sectional, event-related potential (ERP), and fMRI results on the maturation of executive functions in musically trained and untrained children and adolescents. The results indicate that in school-age, the musically trained children performed faster in a test for set shifting, but by late adolescence, these group differences had virtually disappeared. However, in the fMRI experiment, the musically trained adolescents showed less activity in frontal, parietal, and occipital areas of the dorsal attention network and the cerebellum during the set-shifting task than untrained peers. Also, the P3b responses of musically trained participants to incongruent target stimuli in a task for set shifting showed a more posterior scalp distribution than control group participants’ responses. Together these results suggest that the musician advantage in executive functions is more pronounced at an earlier age than in late adolescence. However, it is still reflected as more efficient recruitment of neural resources in set-shifting tasks, and distinct scalp topography of ERPs related to updating and working memory after childhood.