bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multi-objective optimization of western bentonite (Al2H2Na2O13Si4)-blended green sand casting process parameters to improve mould quality
Authors: Nandagopal M. , Sivakumar K. , Velmurugan S. , Durairaj R.B. , Mageshwaran G.
Published: March 2020

The quality of the mould in the green sand casting process plays a vital role in achieving good quality castings. In this research work, the mould properties permeability and hardness are focused on to improve the quality of the mould. These properties are improved by optimizing the process parameters such as degrees of ramming, mould wall thickness, and weight percentage of western bentonite using Taguchi-based grey relational analysis. The optimal level of these process parameters is experimentally validated by producing castings in a modern jobbing foundry. In the validation experiments, the moulds are produced with nominal hardness (92) and the mould wall thickness is reduced by creating cavities for storage of gases at a distance of 30 mm from the mould cavity. An interesting result found is that the nominal mould hardness and reduced wall thickness improve the quality of the mould by increasing the permeability value from 80 to 120. The improved mould quality reduces the mould-related casting rejection rate in pressure plate casting from 40% to 30%.
The Effect of Breath Pacing on Task Switching and Working Memory
Authors: Bonomini Maria Paula , Calvo Mikel Val , Morcillo Alejandro Diaz , Segovia Florencia , Vicente Jose Manuel Ferrandez , Fernandez-Jover Eduardo
Published: March 2020

The cortical and subcortical circuit regulating both cognition and cardiac autonomic interactions are already well established. This circuit has mainly been analyzed from cortex to heart. Thus, the heart rate variability (HRV) is usually considered a reflection of cortical activity. In this paper, we investigate whether HRV changes affect cortical activity. Short-term local autonomic changes were induced by three breathing strategies: spontaneous (Control), normal (NB) and slow paced breathing (SB). We measured the performance in two cognition domains: executive functions and processing speed. Breathing maneuvres produced three clearly differentiated autonomic states, which preconditioned the cognitive tasks. We found that the SB significantly increased the HRV low frequency (LF) power and lowered the power spectral density (PSD) peak to 0.1[Formula: see text]Hz. Meanwhile, executive function was assessed by the working memory test, whose accuracy significantly improved after SB, with no significant changes in the response times. Processing speed was assessed by a multitasking test. Consistently, the proportion of correct answers (success rate) was the only dependent variable affected by short-term and long-term breath pacing. These findings suggest that accuracy, and not timing of these two cognitive domains would benefit from short-term SB in this study population.
Automated Detection of Interictal Epileptiform Discharges from Scalp Electroencephalograms by Convolutional Neural Networks
Authors: Thomas John , Jin Jing , Thangavel Prasanth , Bagheri Elham , Yuvaraj Rajamanickam , Dauwels Justin , Rathakrishnan Rahul , Halford Jonathan J. , Cash Sydney S. , Westover Brandon
Published: March 2020

Visual evaluation of electroencephalogram (EEG) for Interictal Epileptiform Discharges (IEDs) as distinctive biomarkers of epilepsy has various limitations, including time-consuming reviews, steep learning curves, interobserver variability, and the need for specialized experts. The development of an automated IED detector is necessary to provide a faster and reliable diagnosis of epilepsy. In this paper, we propose an automated IED detector based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). We have evaluated the proposed IED detector on a sizable database of 554 scalp EEG recordings (84 epileptic patients and 461 nonepileptic subjects) recorded at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Boston. The proposed CNN IED detector has achieved superior performance in comparison with conventional methods with a mean cross-validation area under the precision–recall curve (AUPRC) of 0.838[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]0.040 and false detection rate of 0.2[Formula: see text]±[Formula: see text]0.11 per minute for a sensitivity of 80%. We demonstrated the proposed system to be noninferior to 30 neurologists on a dataset from the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Further, we clinically validated the system at National University Hospital (NUH), Singapore, with an agreement accuracy of 81.41% with a clinical expert. Moreover, the proposed system can be applied to EEG recordings with any arbitrary number of channels.
Double Kodaira fibrations with small signature
Authors: Lee Ju A , Lönne Michael , Rollenske Sönke
Published: March 2020

Kodaira fibrations are surfaces of general type with a non-isotrivial fibration, which are differentiable fiber bundles. They are known to have positive signature divisible by [Formula: see text]. Examples are known only with signature 16 and more. We review approaches to construct examples of low signature which admit two independent fibrations. Special attention is paid to ramified covers of product of curves which we analyze by studying the monodromy action for bundles of punctured curves. As a by-product, we obtain a classification of all fix-point-free automorphisms on curves of genus at most [Formula: see text].
High-resolution central-upwind scheme for second-order macroscopic traffic flow models
Authors: Chen Jianzhong , Liu Ronghui , Hu Yanmei
Published: March 2020

Traffic flow models are important tools for traffic management applications such as traffic incident detection and traffic control. In this paper, we propose a novel numerical approximation method for second-order macroscopic traffic flow models. The method is based on the semi-discrete central-upwind numerical flux and high-order reconstructions for spatial discretizations. We then apply the designed high-resolution schemes to three representative types of second-order traffic flow models and perform a variety of numerical experiments to validate the proposed methods. The simulation results illustrate the effectiveness, simplicity and universality of the central-upwind scheme as numerical approximation method for macroscopic traffic flow models.
Spectroscopic ellipsometric investigation of optical parameters of oil-water thin multiple systems
Authors: Ahmadova Kh. N.
Published: March 2020

To determine the optical parameters of crude oil and seawater systems, we carried out spectral investigations using the ellipsometry method, which is a highly sensitive and accurate optical method for studying the surfaces and interfaces of various media. This method is based on studying the change in the polarization state of reflected light after its interaction with the surface of interfaces of these media. Crude oil and seawater from different regions of Caspian Sea were accessed by spectroscopic ellipsometry over the 200–1700 nm spectral range at room-temperature. Optical constants and dielectric function were obtained for massive samples of each substance, as well as for ultrathin layers of the oil spilled over the sea surface. Dielectric function, when completely determined in the frequency regions corresponding to electronic transitions and excitation of atomic or molecular vibrations in the object, is a unique dielectric fingerprint of this object. Oils with even miserable difference in type and concentration of biomarkers and heterocomponents will have different dielectric functions. The possibility to use dielectric function as a unique optical fingerprint for oil identification is figured out.
Synchrotron radiation from a charge circulating around a cylinder with negative permittivity
Authors: Saharian A. A. , Kotanjyan A. S. , Grigoryan L. Sh. , Khachatryan H. F. , Kotanjyan V. Kh.
Published: March 2020

We investigate the radiation from a charged particle rotating around a dielectric cylinder with a negative real part of dielectric permittivity. For the general case of frequency dispersion in dielectric permittivity, expressions are derived for the electric and magnetic fields and for the angular density of the radiation intensity on a given harmonic. Compared with the case of a cylinder with a positive real part of the permittivity, new interesting features arise in the nonrelativistic limit and for the radiation at small angles with respect to the cylinder axis. Another feature is the appearance of sharp narrow peaks in the angular density of the radiation intensity for large harmonics. We analytically estimate the height, width and the location of these peaks. The influence of the imaginary part of dielectric permittivity on the characteristics of the peaks is discussed. The analytical results are illustrated by numerical examples. We show that the radiation intensity on a given harmonic, integrated over the angles, can be essentially amplified by the presence of the cylinder.
Deconvolution of local activation energy of hopping conductivity: Application to p-Ge
Authors: Kajikawa Yasutomo
Published: March 2020

A new method for analyzing the local reduced activation energy [Formula: see text] of the impurity conductivity is applied to Ga-doped [Formula: see text]-Ge samples with a constant compensation ratio of [Formula: see text] reported by Zabrodskii and Andreev [Int. J. Mod. Phys. B 8, 883 (1994)]. Here, the local reduced activation energy is defined as [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] denote conductivity and absolute temperature, respectively. The method enables us to deconvolute the [Formula: see text] curve into contributions from different conduction mechanisms such as free-hole conduction, nearest-neighbor hopping (NNH) conduction and variable-range hopping (VRH) conduction. As a result, it is shown that both the power exponents of the pre-exponential factors of NNH and VRH conductivity tend to decrease with increasing impurity concentration.
Experimental study on tensile mechanical properties of magnetorheological fluid
Authors: Wang Weicheng , Luo Yiping , Ji Meng
Published: March 2020

Magnetorheological fluid (MRF) is a kind of suspension composed of a nonconducting magnetic liquid and small soft magnetic particles with high permeability and low hysteresis. The tensile mechanical properties of MRF reflect its important mechanical properties. In this study, a testing device is designed to investigate the tensile mechanical properties of MRF in accordance with the plate method theory. First, the magnetic field is selected to analyze the influence of different gap sizes on the magnetic field. The magnetic field strength decreases as the gap increases. Second, a testing platform for tensile mechanical properties is built, and the tensile mechanical properties of MRF are experimentally studied under different magnetic field strengths, tensile speeds and surface characteristics. Experimental results show that the stronger the magnetic field, the greater the tensile yield stress. The maximum tensile stress at different velocities is nearly the same. Different surface characteristics affect tensile stress.
An efficient power load forecasting model based on the optimized combination
Authors: Fang Jicheng , Shen Dongqin , Li Xiuyi , Li Huijia
Published: March 2020

The new energy industry gains more and more attention since the problem of resource scarcity and utilization of the renewable energy has become a global highlight issue. In this paper, we propose a new load forecasting model under the development of new energy industry by choosing the typical wind power as the key subject, which is also an important reference for other energy industries. The wind power load forecasting model is built based on optimized combination, which is forecasted and analyzed by the time series, the Markov and the gray forecasting models individually, and then combined by the optimized weighting coefficients. The method has overcome the limitations of poor adaptability of the single forecasting models and come out with an ideal result. Experimental results show our method has better performance compared with other related algorithms in different datasets.
Numerical investigation on cavitation instability and flow-induced vibration of liquid rocket engine inducer
Authors: Zhang Jing , Wu Qin , Zhang Hanzhe , Zhao Xingan , Wang Guoyu
Published: March 2020

The objective of this paper is to numerically investigate the unsteady cavitating flow around a four-blade inducer, with focus on the cavitation instability and the flow-induced vibration characteristics. In the numerical simulation, the modified rotation/curvature correction turbulence model and the Zwart cavitation model are used for the simulation of the flow field. The tightly coupled algorithm is adopted for the precise prediction of the fluid-structure interaction, including the calculation of the hydrodynamic loads based on the multiphase fluid dynamics and the computation of the structural displacement via the Finite Element Method (FEM). The results showed that good agreement has been obtained between the experimental and numerical results. The fluctuation of cavity volume is the main cause of the change in the head of the inducer, and the backflow vortex cavitation has little effect on that at this flow condition. The backflow vortex cavity develops and rotates with the blades of the inducer, but with a much lower rotational velocity than that of the blades. The flow-induced vibration of the inducer caused by the unsteady cavitating flow mainly manifests as a first-order bending mode. The backflow vortex cavitation has a significant impact on the vibration of both the blades and the guide-water cone. Besides, a cavitation auto-oscillation at the inlet of the inducer has also been detected based on the phase correlation analysis.
Delay-Induced Resonance in the Time-Delayed Duffing Oscillator
Authors: Cantisán Julia , Coccolo Mattia , Seoane Jesús M. , Sanjuán Miguel A. F.
Published: March 2020

The phenomenon of delay-induced resonance implies that in a nonlinear system a time-delay term may be used as an effective enhancer of the oscillations caused by an external forcing maintaining the same frequency. This is possible for the parameters for which the time-delay induces sustained oscillations. Here, we study this type of resonance in the overdamped and underdamped time-delayed Duffing oscillators, and we explore some new features. One of them is the conjugate phenomenon: the oscillations caused by the time-delay may be enhanced by means of the forcing without modifying their frequency. The resonance takes place when the frequency of the oscillations induced by the time-delay matches the ones caused by the forcing and vice versa. This is an interesting result as the nature of both perturbations is different. Even for the parameters for which the time-delay does not induce sustained oscillations, we show that a resonance may appear following a different mechanism.
Death Behavior of Mean-Field Coupled van der Pol Oscillators Induced by Time-Delayed Feedback
Authors: Guo Qin , Yang Xige , Liu Jiankang , Xu Wei
Published: March 2020

Explosive death in coupled nonlinear oscillators has been an active area of extensive research in nonlinear dynamics in the recent decades. Depending on proper choice of network topology, coupling scenarios, and feedback strength, explosive death can be revealed. In this work, for the first time, we report the effect of delayed feedback on the death behavior in an ensemble of identical mean-field coupled van der Pol oscillators. In both systems with or without time delay, the normalized amplitude exhibits an abrupt transition between the oscillatory state and the death state. Intriguingly, the presence of time delay in the coupling may induce the normalized amplitude of all oscillators in the network to experience a step-like descent with small jumps in approaching the death state, pulling back the forward and backward transition points. The backward transition point has been explicitly obtained, which is confirmed by the numerical results.
Picard–Fuchs Equation Applied to Quadratic Isochronous Systems with Two Switching Lines
Authors: Yang Jihua
Published: March 2020

The present paper is devoted to study the problem of limit cycle bifurcations for nonsmooth integrable differential systems with two perpendicular switching lines. By using the Picard–Fuchs equation, we obtain the upper bounds of the number of limit cycles bifurcating from the period annuli of the quadratic isochronous systems [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], when they are perturbed inside a class of all discontinuous polynomial differential systems of degree [Formula: see text]. This method can be applied to study the limit cycle bifurcations of other integrable differential systems.
Global generalized solutions to a forager–exploiter model with superlinear degradation and their eventual regularity properties
Authors: Black Tobias
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we consider a cascaded taxis model for two proliferating and degrading species which thrive on the same nutrient but orient their movement according to different schemes. In particular, we assume the first group, the foragers, to orient their movement directly along an increasing gradient of the food density, while the second group, the exploiters, instead track higher densities of the forager group. Specifically, we will investigate an initial boundary-value problem for a prototypical forager–exploiter model of the form [Formula: see text] in a smoothly bounded domain [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is nonnegative and the functions [Formula: see text] are assumed to satisfy [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] as well as [Formula: see text] respectively, with constants [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].

Assuming that [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and that [Formula: see text] satisfies certain structural conditions, we establish the global solvability of this system with respect to a suitable generalized solution concept and then, for the more restrictive case of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], investigate an eventual regularity effect driven by the decay of the nutrient density [Formula: see text].
Analysis of adaptive short-time Fourier transform-based synchrosqueezing transform
Authors: Cai Haiyan , Jiang Qingtang , Li Lin , Suter Bruce W.
Published: March 2020

Recently, the study of modeling a non-stationary signal as a superposition of amplitude and frequency-modulated Fourier-like oscillatory modes has been a very active research area. The synchrosqueezing transform (SST) is a powerful method for instantaneous frequency estimation and component separation of non-stationary multicomponent signals. The short-time Fourier transform-based SST (FSST) reassigns the frequency variable to sharpen the time-frequency representation and to separate the components of a multicomponent non-stationary signal. Very recently the FSST with a time-varying parameter, called the adaptive FSST, was introduced. The simulation experiments show that the adaptive FSST is very promising in instantaneous frequency estimation of the component of a multicomponent signal, and in accurate component recovery. However, the theoretical analysis of the adaptive FSST has not been carried out. In this paper, we study the theoretical analysis of the adaptive FSST and obtain the error bounds for the instantaneous frequency estimation and component recovery with the adaptive FSST and the second-order adaptive FSST.
PROSPECT: A web server for predicting protein histidine phosphorylation sites
Authors: Chen Zhen , Zhao Pei , Li Fuyi , Leier André , Marquez-Lago Tatiana T. , Webb Geoffrey I. , Baggag Abdelkader , Bensmail Halima , Song Jiangning
Published: March 2020

Background: Phosphorylation of histidine residues plays crucial roles in signaling pathways and cell metabolism in prokaryotes such as bacteria. While evidence has emerged that protein histidine phosphorylation also occurs in more complex organisms, its role in mammalian cells has remained largely uncharted. Thus, it is highly desirable to develop computational tools that are able to identify histidine phosphorylation sites. Result: Here, we introduce PROSPECT that enables fast and accurate prediction of proteome-wide histidine phosphorylation substrates and sites. Our tool is based on a hybrid method that integrates the outputs of two convolutional neural network (CNN)-based classifiers and a random forest-based classifier. Three features, including the one-of-K coding, enhanced grouped amino acids content (EGAAC) and composition of k-spaced amino acid group pairs (CKSAAGP) encoding, were taken as the input to three classifiers, respectively. Our results show that it is able to accurately predict histidine phosphorylation sites from sequence information. Our PROSPECT web server is user-friendly and publicly available at http://PROSPECT.erc.monash.edu/ . Conclusions: PROSPECT is superior than other pHis predictors in both the running speed and prediction accuracy and we anticipate that the PROSPECT webserver will become a popular tool for identifying the pHis sites in bacteria.
First-row transition metal porphyrins for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution — a SPP/JPP Young Investigator Award paper
Authors: Lei Haitao , Wang Yabo , Zhang Qingxin , Cao Rui
Published: March 2020

A series of first-row transition metal complexes of tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (1), denoted as 1-M (M [Formula: see text] Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn), were synthesized and examined as electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). All these transition metal porphyrins were shown to be active for HER in acetonitrile using trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as the proton source. The molecular nature and the stability of these metal porphyrins when functioning as HER catalysts were confirmed, and all catalysts gave Faradaic efficiency of >97% for H2generation during bulk electrolysis. Importantly, by using 1-Cu, a remarkably high turnover frequency (TOF) of 48500 s[Formula: see text] 1-Cu the most efficient among this series of metal porphyrin catalysts. This TOF value also represents one of the highest values reported in the literature. In addition, electrochemical analysis demonstrated that catalytic HER mechanisms with these 1-M complexes are different. These results show that with the same porphyrin ligand, the change of metal ions will have significant impact on both catalytic efficiency and mechanism. This work for the first time provides direct comparison of electrocatalytic HER features of transition metal complexes of tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin under identical conditions, and will be valuable for future design and development of more efficient HER electrocatalysts of this series.
Bubble model analysis on the cell formation of a green alga
Authors: Wang Yuandi , Yan Nanjun , Zhou Zhigang , Zeng Kai
Published: March 2020

Mathematical simulation for cell and division, a complex process resulting from a series of major morphological evolution and biological mechanisms, is shown by using variational principle. Groups of differential equation systems with boundary conditions for the cell walls satisfying come out from analysis on minimally total length. Double bubble model for cell geometric formation is found and a mechanism for tri-bubble model is also investigated here. An interesting fact is that every angle between any two tangent lines at the same intersections of cell edges for both double bubble and tri-bubble is equal to [Formula: see text]. In addition to the derivation of these differential equation models, these theories are also applied to the specific experimental data analysis, and it is found that the model is very consistent with the experimental results.
Geometric characteristics and properties of a three-parametric family of Lie groups with almost contact B-metric structure of the smallest dimension
Authors: Ivanova Miroslava , Dospatliev Lilko
Published: March 2020

Almost contact [Formula: see text]-metric manifolds of the lowest dimension 3 are constructed by a three-parametric family of Lie groups. Our aim is to determine the class of considered manifolds in a classification of almost contact [Formula: see text]-metric manifolds and their most important geometric characteristics and properties. Also, the type of the constructed Lie algebras is established in the Bianchi classification.
The components of the structure tensor of five-dimensional almost contact B-metric manifolds
Authors: Ivanova Miroslava , Dospatliev Lilko
Published: March 2020

Almost contact [Formula: see text]-metric manifolds of the dimension 5 are considered. Our aim is to determine the corresponding components of the structure tensor of these manifolds. Some known examples of almost contact [Formula: see text]-metric manifolds are commented.
Free power-slim groupoids
Authors: Celakoska-Jordanova Vesna
Published: March 2020

A power-slim groupoid is a groupoid that has the property: each of its mono-generated subgroupoids satisfies the identity [Formula: see text]. The class [Formula: see text] of power-slim groupoids is a variety. A description of free objects in this variety and a characterization of [Formula: see text]-free groupoids by means of [Formula: see text]-injective groupoids are obtained. It is shown that the class of [Formula: see text]-injective groupoids and the class of [Formula: see text]-free groupoids are hereditary.
A computational study of autoimmune disease model
Authors: Nikolova Iveta , Markovska Anka , Kolev Mikhail
Published: March 2020

Nowadays autoimmune diseases are widely distributed. More than 80 illnesses are included into this group of conditions. Their causes are not clear exactly, but it is believed that among them are genetic factors, viral infections, socio-economic conditions, etc. We propose a new mathematical model describing a general autoimmune disease in order to analyze some mechanisms of autoimmune disorders. The model is a system of ordinary differential equations. We perform preliminary qualitative analysis of the model as well as propose an algorithm for numerical simulations. Some results of our numerical experiments are presented and commented from a biological point of view.
Some results on Srivastava’s triple hypergeometric matrix functions
Authors: Verma Ashish
Published: March 2020

Inspired by the recent work by Abd-Elmageed et al., who established recursion formulas satisfied by the first Appell matrix function, namely [Formula: see text], Sahai et al. presented various recursion formulas for the Gauss hypergeometric matrix function and all four Appell matrix functions. In this paper, we obtain recursion formulas and infinte summation formulas for Srivastava’s triple hypergeometric matrix functions [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text].
A viscosity-type proximal point algorithm for monotone equilibrium problem and fixed point problem in an Hadamard space
Authors: Aremu K. O. , Izuchukwu C. , Mebawondu A. A. , Mewomo O. T.
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we introduce a viscosity-type proximal point algorithm comprising of a finite composition of resolvents of monotone bifunctions and a generalized asymptotically nonspreading mapping recently introduced by Phuengrattana [Appl. Gen. Topol. 18 (2017) 117–129]. We establish a strong convergence result of the proposed algorithm to a common solution of a finite family of equilibrium problems and fixed point problem for a generalized asymptotically nonspreading and nonexpansive mappings, which is also a unique solution of some variational inequality problems in an Hadamard space. We apply our result to solve convex feasibility problem and to approximate a common solution of a finite family of minimization problems in an Hadamard space.
Convergence theorems for mixed type iterative process of single-valued and multi-valued nonexpansive mappings and applications
Authors: Liu Yongquan
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we introduce a new mixed type iterative process, which approximates the common fixed points of single-valued nonexpansive mappings and two multi-valued nonexpansive mappings in a uniformly convex Banach space. We establish strong and weak convergence theorems for the new iterative process in Banach space and give their corresponding applications.
On the behavior of large empirical autocovariance matrices between the past and the future
Authors: Loubaton P. , Tieplova D.
Published: March 2020

The asymptotic behavior of the distribution of the squared singular values of the sample autocovariance matrix between the past and the future of a high-dimensional complex Gaussian uncorrelated sequence is studied. Using Gaussian tools, it is established that the distribution behaves as a deterministic probability measure whose support [Formula: see text] is characterized. It is also established that the squared singular values are almost surely located in a neighborhood of [Formula: see text].
Tracy–Widom law for the largest eigenvalue of sample covariance matrix generated by VARMA
Authors: Tian Boping , Zhang Yangchun , Zhou Wang
Published: March 2020

In this paper, we derive the Tracy–Widom law for the largest eigenvalue of sample covariance matrix generated by the vector autoregressive moving average model when the dimension is comparable to the sample size. This result is applied to make inference on the vector autoregressive moving average model. Simulations are conducted to demonstrate the finite sample performance of our inference.
Review—Polymer Electrolytes for Magnesium Batteries: Forging Away from Analogs of Lithium Polymer Electrolytes and Towards the Rechargeable Magnesium Metal Polymer Battery
Authors: Park Bumjun , Schaefer Jennifer L.
Published: March 2020

Batteries based on alternatives to lithium are now of global research interest. Magnesium metal batteries are particularly attractive for their potential high energy density. Polymer electrolytes for high density rechargeable batteries have been sought for decades, due to their improved thermal stability compared with liquids and their lower density and cost compared with inorganic solids. Yet, little success has so far been realized in polymer electrolytes for magnesium metal batteries. In this review, the magnesium polymer electrolyte literature is comprehensively explored. Differences between requirements for lithium polymer and magnesium polymer batteries are discussed as well as the consequences on necessary considerations for impactful magnesium polymer electrolyte research.
Chrysalis-Like Graphene Oxide Decorated Vanadium-Based Nanoparticles: An Extremely High-Power Cathode for Magnesium Secondary Batteries
Authors: Pagot Gioele , Vezzù Keti , Nale Angeloclaudio , Fauri Maurizio , Migliori Andrea , Morandi Vittorio , Negro Enrico , Di Noto Vito
Published: March 2020

Rechargeable batteries based on magnesium virtually provide high volumetric capacity, safety, and cost savings thanks to the abundance, dendrite-free electrodeposition, and environmentally green properties of Mg metal anode. The lack of cathodes that can deliver high currents at high potential is one of the principal bottlenecks that limit the entrance of Mg batteries into the market. Here we report the synthesis and characterization of a novel cathode for magnesium secondary batteries based on graphene oxide (GO) and vanadium (V) active species. Thermogravimetric analysis, structural and vibrational analyses, and high-resolution electron microscopies elucidate the complex architecture that characterizes the proposed material and that bestows exceptional electrochemical properties to the cathode. The proposed synthesis is able to give rise to V-based nanoparticles with a very porous surface and wrapped inside a chrysalis-like GO ordered superstructure. Finally, a coin cell device is assembled using a Mg metal anode and the proposed material as cathode. This prototype is able to deliver good capacities when cycled at high current rates (1000 mA g−1) in a higher potential range with respect to classical cathodes for Mg batteries. Thus, a sufficient power (1.70 W g−1) is obtained, making this battery promising towards the substitution of lithium batteries.
Improving the NMC111∣Polymer Electrolyte Interface by Cathode Composition and Processing
Authors: Borzutzki Kristina , Winter Martin , Brunklaus Gunther
Published: March 2020

Despite significant improvements of polymer electrolyte properties, the interfaces towards the electrodes often yield high interfacial resistances due to poor contacts, which are bottlenecks for application of newly developed polymer, ceramic or composite electrolytes in lithium metal batteries (LMBs). Herein, the impact of processing as well as slurry composition of LiNi1/3Co1/3Mn1/3O2 (NMC111) based composite cathodes on the achievable electrochemical C-rate performance of LMBs based on quasi-solid single ion conducting polymer electrolytes (SIPE) is demonstrated. Composite cathodes with varying types and amounts of lithiated species are fabricated and systematically compared. Among all considered electrodes, cathodes with an addition of 5 wt% lithiated terephthalic acid (TA Li) yield the highest discharge capacity of 91 mAhg−1 at 1 C for Li metal∣SIPE∣NMC111 cells. Furthermore, similar cells operated with cathodes whose pores are impregnated with 5 wt% SIPE via drop/spin coating even provide a specific discharge capacity of 113 mAhg−1 at 1 C, thereby clearly highlighting the benefit of the selected processing strategy to realize cathodes with substantially improved charge carrier transport networks.
Fast Charging of Lithium-ion Batteries via Electrode Engineering
Authors: Vishnugopi Bairav S. , Verma Ankit , Mukherjee Partha P.
Published: March 2020

Vehicular electrification necessitates the need for fast charge of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) involving high current densities such that the charging durations reach equivalence with internal combustion engine vehicles refueling times. High C-rate performance of LIBs requires overcoming challenges associated with Li plating, thermal excursions and battery shutdown at sub-zero temperatures. In this work, we aim to understand/improve fast charge characteristics by delving into the electrode level microstructural impact on battery performance in terms of delivered capacity, temperature rise and plating propensity. A microstructure-aware physics-based electrochemical-thermal model is used to ascertain the performance-safety indicators from sub-zero to standard thermal environments. Fast charge is an anode-centric phenomenon; consequently, optimal anode porosities and operating conditions are ascertained. At sub-zero temperatures, high C-rate operation up to a threshold provides good capacities and low plating propensity through large heat generation induced cell temperature elevation to appreciable levels. Beyond the threshold current, self-shutdown of the cell prevents any degradation. Additionally, standard thermal environment operation is majorly limited by rapid temperature rise beyond safe limits and large plating propensities at low porosities.
Hypertension induces glomerulosclerosis in phospholipase C-ε1 deficiency
Authors: Atchison Douglas K. , O’Connor Christopher L. , Menon Rajasree , Otto Edgar A. , Ganesh Santhi K. , Wiggins Roger C. , Smrcka Alan V. , Bitzer Markus
Published: March 2020

Loss-of-function mutations in phospholipase C-ε1 (PLCE1) have been detected in patients with nephrotic syndrome, but other family members with the same mutation were asymptomatic, suggesting additional stressor are required to cause the full phenotype. Consistent with these observations, we determined that global Plce1-deficient mice have histologically normal glomeruli and no albuminuria at baseline. Angiotensin II (ANG II) is known to induce glomerular damage in genetically susceptible individuals. Therefore, we tested whether ANG II enhances glomerular damage in Plce1-deficient mice. ANG II increased blood pressure equally in Plce1-deficient and wild-type littermates. Additionally, it led to 20-fold increased albuminuria and significantly more sclerotic glomeruli in Plce1-deficient mice compared with wild-type littermates. Furthermore, Plce1-deficient mice demonstrated diffuse mesangial expansion, podocyte loss, and focal podocyte foot process effacement. To determine whether these effects are mediated by hypertension and hyperfiltration, rather than directly through ANG II, we raised blood pressure to a similar level using DOCA + salt + uninephrectomy and norepinephrine. This caused a fivefold increase in albuminuria in Plce1-deficient mice and a significant increase in the number of sclerotic glomeruli. Consistent with previous findings in mice, we detected strong PLCE1 transcript expression in podocytes using single cell sequencing of human kidney tissue. In hemagglutinin-tagged Plce1 transgenic mice, Plce1 was detected in podocytes and also in glomerular arterioles using immunohistochemistry. Our data demonstrate that Plce1 deficiency in mice predisposes to glomerular damage secondary to hypertensive insults.
LRG1 May Accelerate the Progression of ccRCC via the TGF‐β Pathway
Authors: Hong Quan , Wang Shuqiang , Liu Shuxin , Chen Xiangmei , Cai Guangyan
Published: March 2020

Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) accounts for 60‐70% of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cases. It is an urgent mission to find more therapeutic targets for advanced ccRCC. Leucine‐rich a‐2‐glycoprotein 1 (LRG1) is a secreted protein associated with a variety of malignancies. Our study focused on the expression and mechanism of LRG1 in ccRCC based on data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and provided primary verification including LRG1 expression detection, LRG1 gene methylation detection, and downstream signaling detection. We found that LRG1 was overexpressed in ccRCC kidney tissue samples, and the methylation level of LRG1 gene was significantly decreased in ccRCC. Moreover, the expression of LRG1 was negatively related to patient survival. Based on our previous study and the verification reported in this article, we propose that demethylation‐induced overexpression of LRG1 is likely to accelerate ccRCC progression via the TGF‐β pathway.
Oleanolic Acid Attenuates Renal Fibrosis through TGF‐β/Smad Pathway in a Rat Model of Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction
Authors: Zhao Dapeng , Luan Zhongqiu
Published: March 2020

Renal fibrosis is a common final pathological process in the progression of kidney disease. Oleanolic acid is a bioactive pentacyclic triterpenoid and is widely found in medicinal herbs around the world. In this study, we explored the effect of oleanolic acid on renal fibrosis and the underlying molecular mechanisms by using a rat model of unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO). Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were orally administered with oleanolic acid (6 mg/kg/d) or vehicle (olive oil) for 21 days after the UUO surgery. Upon termination, urine and blood were collected for renal function analysis, and kidneys were harvested for pathological analysis by using hematoxylin‐eosin and Masson trichrome staining. Changes of extracellular matrix mRNA expressions and TGF‐β/Smad signaling in the kidneys were also determined. As a result, oleanolic acid significantly reduced the kidney index, the level of serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen, and the urinary level of microalbumin, α1‐microglobulin, and N‐acetyl‐β‐glucosaminidase. Masson trichrome staining showed significantly less collagen deposition in the UUO rats with oleanolic acid treatment. Diminished mRNA expressions of collagen I, collagen III, fibronectin, and α‐SMA in the kidney tissues were observed after the treatment. Oleanolic acid led to decreased protein expressions of TGF‐β, TGF‐β receptor I, and TGF‐β receptor II, as well as the phosphorylation of Smad2. Our current study suggested that oleanolic acid could be a complementary and alternative therapy for renal fibrosis potentially by targeting the TGF‐β/Smad pathway.
Weighted Moving Averages for a Series of Fuzzy Numbers Based on Nonadditive Measures with σ − λ Rules and Choquet Integral of Fuzzy-Number-Valued Function
Authors: Gong Zengtai , Lei Wenjing , Liu Kun , Qin Na
Published: March 2020

The aim of this study is to generalize moving average by means of Choquet integral. First, by employing nonadditive measures with δ − λ rules, the calculation of the moving average for a series of fuzzy numbers can be transformed into Choquet integration of fuzzy-number-valued function under discrete case. Meanwhile, the Choquet integral of fuzzy number and Choquet integral of fuzzy number vector are defined. Finally, some properties are investigated by means of convolution formula of Choquet integral. It shows that the results obtained in this paper extend the previous conclusions.
Access to Functional Handwashing Facilities and Associated Factors among South Sudanese Refugees in Rhino Camp Settlement, Northwestern Uganda
Authors: Namara Frank , Mendoza Hilbert , Tumukunde Gloria , Wafula Solomon Tsebeni
Published: March 2020

Background. Hand hygiene in refugee camp settlements remains an important measure against diarrhoeal infections. Refugee settings are characterised by overcrowding and inadequate access to water and hygiene facilities which favour proliferation of faecal-oral diseases. Handwashing with soap and water is therefore an effective way of preventing such diseases. Despite this knowledge, there is limited information about access to functional handwashing facilities in these settings and associated factors in Uganda. Methods. Quantitative data were collected from 312 refugee households in Rhino Camp Settlement, Northwestern Uganda, using a semistructured interviewer-administered questionnaire. A modified Poisson regression was used to obtain prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the determinants of access to a functional handwashing facility among refugee households. All analyses were performed using STATA 14.0 statistical software. Results. Of the 312 households, 123 (39.4%) had access to a handwashing facility, but only 72 (23.1%) of households had handwashing facilities that were functional. Duration of stay in the camp exceeding 3 years (adjusted PR = 2.63; 95% CI (1.73–4.00)) and history of receiving home-based education on hand hygiene (adjusted PR = 9.44; 95% CI (1.40–63.86)) were independent predictors of access to a functional handwashing facility. Conclusion. Access to functional handwashing facilities among the refugee households was low. Our findings highlight the need for more and continued handwashing promotional programs, most especially among newly arrived refugees in the camp.
An Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Knowledge and Uses of Medicinal Wild Plants among the Marakwet Community in Kenya
Authors: Wanjohi Bernard K. , Sudoi Vincent , Njenga Elizabeth W. , Kipkore Wilson K.
Published: March 2020

Traditional plant knowledge and uses of medicinal wild plants were investigated among the Marakwet community in Kenya. Data were collected through interviews with seven traditional healers and 157 questionnaires for local community members. Traditional names of the plants by traditional healers and local community members were prepared as a checklist. Loss of traditional medicinal names of plants was ascertained with up to 60% overlapping in their nomenclature. The traditional medicinal plants treated 41 diseases within the region, of which local community members understood common ones for treating stomachache (94.8%), diarrhea (70.7%), chest problems (65.5%), and typhoid (63.8%). It was also clear that there was low knowledge index of medicinal plants by the local community members (23.6%) based on knowledge of traditional healers. Clearly, medicinal plants for treatment of malaria, diabetes, tetanus, and pneumonia were recognized by over 40% of the local community members, while plants treating arteriosclerosis, meningitis, arthritis, trachoma, smallpox, rheumatic fever, and gout were known by less than 10% of the respondents. Among plants, the use of roots for treatment was known by over 67% of the local community members compared to fruits, bark, bulb, and flowers (<10%). This low traditional medicinal knowledge in a community relies on the traditional medicinal plants, calling for an urgent need to document the information and perpetuate this knowledge from one generation to another. This can be achieved by collecting the information and developing a database of medicinal plants for future research and potential development of new drugs.
Hydrodynamic Analysis of Ship with Well Deck in the Linear Numerical Wave Tank
Authors: Xu Gang , Mei Tian-Rui , Hu Ming-Liang , Chen Zhen , Hu Jun-Ming
Published: March 2020

In recent years, the development and construction of islands and reefs has been proposed by the government and commercial company. However, as a large cargo carrier cannot reach islands and reefs if the harbor is not available, such type of carrier which has well deck is designed to meet the requirements of delivering people and equipment. It is a possible way to connect the island and supply cargo ships. This paper firstly summarizes the domestic and foreign research progress of hydrodynamic analysis of ships with well deck. Then, based on the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) tools, we set up a linear numerical wave tank and study the hydrodynamic performance of original Wigley-III ship and modified Wigley-III ship with well deck. The hydrodynamic effect of the floating body in the well deck has been investigated and discussed.
Research on Ecological Restoration Mechanism of Rare‐Earth Mines Based on Evolutionary Game
Authors: Yan Guangli , Xue Fei , Li Zhongxue
Published: March 2020

With the continuous improvement of the rare earth’s international status, the status of rare Chinese earth has gradually become prominent all over the world. When China enjoys the advantages of large reserves of rare‐earth resources, at the same time, Chinese rare‐earth enterprises are lagging in technology and lacking innovation capabilities. The rare‐earth industry is mainly concentrated on the separation and smelting process, which has an indelible impact on the ecological environment around the mine. Some scholars have carried out research on ecological restoration in mining areas, but there are few studies on interest subjects in ecological restoration work in mining areas, especially the research based on game theory is more scarce. This article constructs a trilateral evolutionary game model of the central, local governments, and mining enterprises. This article analyzes the impact mechanism of policy changes on the rare‐earth mining industry and analyzes the three‐party evolutionary game model by adjusting the values of external variables. The research shows that the central government’s subsidies to local enterprises, the central government’s performance evaluation to the government, the local government’s punishment to enterprises, and the local enterprise’s reproduction income are important factors that determine the evolution of the trilateral game. Therefore, the central government should strengthen the supervision of local governments and enterprises when formulating policies related to the rare‐earth industry, and local governments should strengthen their own management and local environmental regulations.