bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The role of caspases as executioners of apoptosis
Authors: Kumar Sharad , Dorstyn Loretta , Lim Yoon
Published: December 2021

Caspases are a family of cysteine aspartyl proteases mostly involved in the execution of apoptotic cell death and in regulating inflammation. This article focuses primarily on the evolutionarily conserved function of caspases in apoptosis. We summarise which caspases are involved in apoptosis, how they are activated and regulated, and what substrates they target for cleavage to orchestrate programmed cell death by apoptosis.
Underdetermined blind source separation of radar signals based on genetic annealing algorithm
Authors: Jin Hongbin , Luo Weilin , Li Hao , Dai Lingyan
Published: December 2021

Aiming at the problem that the traditional underdetermined blind source separation (UBSS) algorithm does not have high accuracy in estimating the mixing matrix and the number of source signals cannot be determined, a genetic annealing UBSS method with source number estimation function is proposed. This method first performs a short‐time Fourier transform on the observed signal, and then performs single‐source point detection and normalization processing to transform linear clusters into dense clusters. In view of the strong global search ability of the genetic algorithm (GA) and the good local optimization ability of the simulated annealing algorithm, the GA and simulated annealing algorithm are combined, and the number of source signals is determined according to the BWP (Between‐Within Proportion, BWP) index. After estimating the mixing matrix, a modified subspace projection method is used to reconstruct the source signal. The simulation results of four kinds of radar signals show that in the case of dual receiving channels and three receiving channels, compared with the traditional method, the similarity coefficients of the proposed algorithm are greater, which can effectively improve the mixing matrix estimation accuracy, and can accurately determine the number of source signals.
Editorial
Authors:   The GTH Council
Published: December 2021

Dear colleagues,

With this issue of HÄMOSTASEOLOGIE – Progress in Haemostasis it is time to deeply thank Prof Rüdiger Scharf for his accomplishments and his engagement as the journal's Editor-in-Chief (EIC) for more than 10 years.
Experience of Radiology Technologists Performing Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICC)
Authors: Aljediea I. , Alshehri M. , Alenazi K. , Memesh A. , Fleet M.
Published: December 2021

Purpose We conducted this study to review our local experience of performing peripherally inserted central catheters by interventional radiology technologists.

Materials and Methods This is a retrospective study of peripherally inserted central catheters performed by interventional radiology technologists. These procedures were performed using ultrasound guidance for venous puncture and fluoroscopy or electrocardiography guidance followed by chest X-ray to confirm tip location.

Results We reviewed all peripherally inserted central catheters performed in interventional radiology between May 2017 and July 2020. The review process included the success rate, number of venous puncture attempts, method of guidance, procedure time, fluoroscopy time, catheter duration to removal, and complications.

Conclusion Interventional radiology technologists can perform peripherally inserted central catheters safely with high success rate. Extending interventional radiology technologists' role to perform peripherally inserted central catheters allow interventional radiologists to do more complex procedures. This enhances the workflow, increases the interventional radiology team efficiency, and improves the waiting time.
Tissue Plasminogen Activator in Central Nervous System Physiology and Pathology: From Synaptic Plasticity to Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Stevenson Tamara K. , Moore Shannon J. , Murphy Geoffrey G. , Lawrence Daniel A.
Published: December 2021

Tissue plasminogen activator's (tPA) fibrinolytic function in the vasculature is well-established. This specific role for tPA in the vasculature, however, contrasts with its pleiotropic activities in the central nervous system. Numerous physiological and pathological functions have been attributed to tPA in the central nervous system, including neurite outgrowth and regeneration; synaptic and spine plasticity; neurovascular coupling; neurodegeneration; microglial activation; and blood–brain barrier permeability. In addition, multiple substrates, both plasminogen-dependent and -independent, have been proposed to be responsible for tPA's action(s) in the central nervous system. This review aims to dissect a subset of these different functions and the different molecular mechanisms attributed to tPA in the context of learning and memory. We start from the original research that identified tPA as an immediate-early gene with a putative role in synaptic plasticity to what is currently known about tPA's role in a learning and memory disorder, Alzheimer's disease. We specifically focus on studies demonstrating tPA's involvement in the clearance of amyloid-β and neurovascular coupling. In addition, given that tPA has been shown to regulate blood–brain barrier permeability, which is perturbed in Alzheimer's disease, this review also discusses tPA-mediated vascular dysfunction and possible alternative mechanisms of action for tPA in Alzheimer's disease pathology.
Neglected Scaphocapitate Syndrome
Authors: Kadar Assaf , Iordache Sorin D.
Published: December 2021

Background Scaphocapitate syndrome is a rare injury where the proximal pole of the capitate rotates 90 to 180 degrees. The proximal pole of the capitate, thought to receive its vascular supply retrograde, is rendered avascular in such cases. However, recent evidence of low rates of avascular necrosis in displaced capitate fractures, and new vascular studies of the capitate, challenge this paradigm.

Case Description We report a case of a missed and neglected scaphocapitate syndrome with more than 30 years follow-up. While the patient experienced midcarpal arthritis, the injury had not resulted in capitate proximal pole avascular necrosis as per T1 magnetic resonance imaging studies.

Literature Review Missed and chronic cases of scaphocapitate syndrome were reported previously. Successful outcomes were achieved with anatomical reduction in cases without midcarpal arthritis. Salvage procedures or arthroplasty procedures are recommended with the presence of midcarpal arthritis. However, there are no reports of a neglected case with more than 30 years follow-up with preserved vascularity of the proximal pole of the capitate.

Clinical Relevance This case illustrates that vascularity of the proximal pole of the capitate can be preserved even in longstanding displaced fractures.
Enhanced Drainage Protocol in Large Amoebic Liver Abscess
Authors: Gandhi Jignesh A. , Shinde Pravin H. , Chaudhari Sadashiv N. , Banker Amay M.
Published: December 2021

Background Amebic liver abscess (ALA) contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality in patients of the developing world. Even though medical management is the primary modality of treatment, 15% of the cases are refractory and require intervention for drainage. Pigtail catheterization is inefficient and results in a long duration of hospital stay. So, we conducted a prospective observational study to determine the efficacy and safety of drainage of large ALA using a wide bore 24 French (Fr) drain compared with a conventionally used 10 Fr pigtail catheter.

Materials and Methods A single center prospective observational study was conducted over a period of 5 years and data of 122 patients was collected. After starting empirical medical therapy, patients underwent drainage of ALA with either a 10 French pigtail or a 24 Fr drain. The primary outcome variables were resolution of clinical symptoms such as fever and pain in abdomen, length of hospital stay, and resolution of abscess on imaging at day 3. Secondary outcome was complications related to the procedures.

Results Data of 122 patients was collected. Males constituted a vast majority (96%) of the study population and the fifth decade was the most common age group involved. Alcoholics had a higher chance of developing a large ALA. Sixty-eight patients underwent drainage of the ALA using a 24 Fr drain which resulted in faster resolution of symptoms (2.4 vs. 5.1 days, p-value 0.033), a shorter duration of catheter in situ (6.4 vs. 13.2, p-value 0.011), and a faster drainage of ALA (residual volume at day 3; 177 vs. 212 mL, p-value 0.021). Twenty-eight patients had a biliary communication of which 26 required therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Conclusion In patients with a large ALA, placement of a wide bore 24 Fr catheter hastens recovery of the patients when compared with drainage with a standard 10 Fr pigtail catheter. Placement of a biliary stent serves as a useful adjunct for their management and it may obliviate the need for a major biliary diversion surgery.
What’s important for relationship management? The mediating roles of relational trust and satisfaction for loyalty of cooperative banks’ customers
Authors: Damberg Svenja , Schwaiger Manfred , Ringle Christian M.
Published: December 2021

Building on the corporate reputation model, this study investigates the drivers of customer-based corporate reputation. We consider two corporate reputation dimensions (i.e., the cognitive dimension competence and the affective dimension likeability, and their effects on customer satisfaction and loyalty). Adapting the model to the banking sector, we theoretically extend this model by reasoning that customer satisfaction and relational trust are mediators of the relationship between the two corporate reputation dimensions and loyalty. Studying a sample of 675 customers and members of cooperative banks in Germany, we find perceived attractiveness to be the most important driver of corporate reputation. Furthermore, we confirm a positive relationship between corporate reputation and loyalty, and a mediating effect of both satisfaction and relational trust. With our study, we give support for the proposition of customer satisfaction's as well as relational trust’s role as mediators of the relationship between corporate reputation and loyalty. With this research, we expand our knowledge on the well-known corporate reputation model, which has high relevance and important implications for marketing research and relationship management practice.
Effect of probiotic supplementation on performance, morphology and gene expression associated with immune responses in early age of broiler chickens exposed to stress induced by corticosterone injection
Authors: Abeddargahi Fakhredin , Darmani Kuhi Hassan , Hosseini Moghaddam Seyed Hossein , Roostaei-Ali Mehr Mohammad , Hosseini Anahid , Sajedi Reza H. , Mohammadpour Fatemeh
Published: December 2021

Context Broiler chickens are exposed to various stressors, which can affect production performance. The use of dietary probiotics is one of the feasible methods to maintain performance, intestinal health, humeral immunity, and ameliorating physiological stress in the broiler. Aims In all, 288 1-day-old male broiler chicks were used to evaluate the effect of probiotic supplementation on performance, morphology, and gene expression associated with immune responses in the starter phase of broiler chickens exposed to stress. Methods In total, 288 1-day-old male broiler chicks (Ross 308) were assigned to evaluate the effects of Bacillus subtilis spore (BSS; Gallipro®200) supplementation at three levels (0, 0.8 × 105 colony-forming units (CFU) and 1.6 × 105 CFU/g feed) with corticosterone (CORT; 4 mg/kg BW at 7–9 days of age) or without CORT (oil) subcutaneous injection. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomised 2 × 3 factorial design. Key results CORT injection and probiotic supplementation led to an increase and decrease respectively, in food conversion ratio compared with the control group (P < 0.05). CORT injections reduced the expression of TLR4, HSP70 and IgA in all parts of the intestine. However, the TLR4 gene expression increased in jejunum by CORT injections. BSS supplementation induced the expression of TLR4 in all sections of the intestine, both in stress and non-stress conditions. In stress-exposed chickens, IgA expression in the jejunum was affected by BSS supplementation. Interaction effects between CORT injections and BSS supplementation on the gene expression were significant in different parts of the intestine. Conclusions Chicks exposed to stress conditions induced by CORT injection showed that the ileum was more susceptible than were the other parts, especially for TLR4 and HSP70 gene expression. BSS-supplemented birds showed more capability to face the stress condition, probably due to intestinal health and immunity-modulated effect of BSS. Implication Formulating a ration with a probiotic can be more effective in stress conditions, through modulating immune-responsive genes in the intestine.
Electronic transmission of prescriptions in primary care: transformation, timing and teamwork
Authors: Campbell Chloë , Morris Caroline , McBain Lynn
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in New Zealand in March 2020, there was a rapid shift to virtual consultations in primary care. This change was supported by system adjustments to enable electronic transmission of prescriptions without a handwritten signature if they met certain security criteria. International research suggests potential for unintended consequences with such changes, so it is important to understand the effect on professional practice in New Zealand general practice and community pharmacy. AIM The purpose of this study was to undertake a preliminary exploration of the experiences of New Zealand general practitioners and community pharmacists when prescriptions are transmitted electronically directly from prescriber to pharmacy. METHODS Semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of four pharmacists and four general practitioners gathered qualitative data about their experiences of the shift to electronic transmission of prescriptions. Participants’ perceptions of effect on professional workflow, interprofessional interactions between general practitioners and pharmacists, and interactions with patients were explored. Interviews were audio-recorded, and the data analysed thematically using an inductive approach. RESULTS Four themes were identified: workflow transformation; mixed impact on interactions with patients; juggling timing and expectations; and new avenues for interprofessional communication (with some cul-de-sacs). DISCUSSION Both general practitioners and pharmacists experienced transformational changes to workflow. This was positive for general practitioners due to saved time and increased work flexibility. Pharmacists noted potential benefits but also some challenges. To fully reap teamwork benefits, more work is needed on managing the timing issues and patient expectations, and to refine the new modes of communication between health-care practitioners.
The needs of Pacific families affected by age-related cognitive impairment in New Zealand: interviews with providers from health-care organisations
Authors: Symon Vanda , Richards Rosalina , Norris Pauline , Mapusua Talai , Hale Leigh
Published: December 2021

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Pacific populations in New Zealand are aging, but little is known in the health-care environment about their experiences with cognitive impairment. AIM The aim was to explore the needs of Pacific peoples affected by age-related cognitive decline from the perspectives of health-care providers. METHODS Six health-care service providers from organisations focused on Pacific patients were interviewed to determine services available to aged Pacific peoples, access, and whether they met Pacific people’s needs. RESULTS Three areas of concern were identified by all participants: access to services; getting a diagnosis; and communication and language. Many experienced a lack of information and poor access to services. Diagnosis of cognitive impairment was frequently made difficult by inconsistent access to general practitioners in lower socio-economic areas. Communication was hindered by poor access to information in Pacific languages. DISCUSSION Common themes noted by all participating health-care providers indicated the needs of aged Pacific people experiencing cognitive decline were often not being met.
HIV-1 hypermethylated guanosine cap licenses specialized translation unaffected by mTOR
Authors: Singh Gatikrushna , Seufzer Bradley , Song Zhenwei , Zucko Dora , Heng Xiao , Boris-Lawrie Kathleen
Published: December 2021

Significance

The proliferation of viral pathogens is restricted by hosts, but resilient pathogens antagonize the restriction by hosts. Findings explain that HIV-1 blocked mono-methylated guanosine cap by hypermethylation and engaged novel cap-binding complex for virion protein translation unaffected by global translation inhibition. The hypermethylated cap activity required RNA-structure-dependent binding of RNA helicase A/DHX9. eIF4E interaction proceeded on completely spliced HIV messenger RNA templates encoding viral regulatory proteins, thus eIF4E inactivation by catalytic site mTOR inhibitor suppressed regulatory protein translation, while structural/accessory protein translation was maintained. Two mutually exclusive translation pathways antagonize hosts and facilitate HIV-1 proliferation in primary CD4
+
T cells to the detriment of hosts. eIF4E inactivation imposed an operational rheostat that suppressed regulatory proteins, while maintaining virion production in immune cells.
How production networks amplify economic growth
Authors: McNerney James , Savoie Charles , Caravelli Francesco , Carvalho Vasco M. , Farmer J. Doyne
Published: December 2021

Significance

Technological improvement is the most important cause of long-term economic growth. We study the effects of technology improvement in the setting of a production network, in which each producer buys input goods and converts them to other goods, selling the product to households or other producers. We show how this network amplifies the effects of technological improvements as they propagate along chains of production. Longer production chains for an industry bias it toward faster price reduction, and longer production chains for a country bias it toward faster growth. These predictions are in good agreement with data and improve with the passage of time, demonstrating a key influence of production chains in price change and output growth over the long term.
Self-assembly of photonic crystals by controlling the nucleation and growth of DNA-coated colloids
Authors: Hensley Alexander , Jacobs William M. , Rogers W. Benjamin
Published: December 2021

Significance

Assembling optical metamaterials from DNA-coated colloids has been a central goal of programmable self-assembly for decades. Despite significant advances in expanding the structural diversity of colloidal crystals, a lack of understanding of the crystallization pathways has hindered the realization of programmable metamaterials. In this paper, we combine experiments and theory to develop a complete understanding of the crystallization dynamics. We show that the nucleation and growth kinetics of DNA-coated colloids are fundamentally different from those of atoms or small molecules, owing to an effective friction that arises from transient DNA hybridization. By incorporating this effective friction into classical theories, we predict the absolute rates of nucleation and growth with quantitative accuracy, enabling the design of protocols for making photonic crystals.
Oxygen and magnesium mass-independent isotopic fractionation induced by chemical reactions in plasma
Authors: Robert François , Chaussidon Marc , Gonzalez-Cano Adriana , Mostefaoui Smail
Published: December 2021

Significance

Both the physical effect and the chemical conditions at the origin of the oxygen isotope variations in the solar system have been puzzling questions for 50 y. The data reported here bring the MIF effect (the mass-independent fractionation originally identified on ozone) back to the center of the debate. Similar to Ti isotopes, we observe that the MIF effect for O and Mg is triggered by redox reactions in plasmas. These observations reinforce the idea of a universal mechanism observable in photochemical reactions when molecular collisions involving indistinguishable isotopes yield a symmetrical complex stabilized as a chemical product.
THESEUS1 modulates cell wall stiffness and abscisic acid production in
Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Bacete Laura , Schulz Julia , Engelsdorf Timo , Bartosova Zdenka , Vaahtera Lauri , Yan Guqi , Gerhold Joachim Matthias , Tichá Tereza , Øvstebø Camilla , Gigli-Bisceglia Nora , Johannessen-Starheim Svanhild , Margueritat Jeremie , Kollist Hannes , Dehoux Thomas , McAdam Scott A. M. , Hamann Thorsten
Published: December 2021

Significance

Plants need to constantly adapt to a changing environment. Adaptation includes responses to biotic and abiotic stress. Key elements determining the response to abiotic stress are the cell walls surrounding all plant cells and the phytohormone abscisic acid, which influence turgor pressure in plants. Turgor pressure in plant cells is much higher than in animal cells and a key driver of plant growth and development. Here, we investigate the mechanism regulating cell wall stiffness and coordinating changes in stiffness and turgor with abscisic acid production. We characterize key elements of the mechanism and dissect its mode of action. This knowledge will enable us to improve plant resistance to drought stress, which is necessary due to our changing environment.
Migrant doctors’ narratives about patients
Authors: Lazzaro-Salazar Mariana , Zayts Olga
Published: December 2021

Narratives of personal and vicarious experience are part and parcel of being a doctor, as doctors routinely (re)interpret and (re)tell patients’ narratives when reflecting on clinical cases. Taking an interest in migrant doctors’ self-initiated narratives about patients in doctor-researcher interviews about cultural transitions, this study examines over thirty hours of audio-recordings of forty semi-structured interviews conducted as part of a collaborative project in Chile and Hong Kong. The study explores how migrant doctors construct their professional ‘self’ through narratives about patients, and how these narratives help migrant doctors legitimise their arguments and professional stance in criticizing cultural and societal attitudes towards health and illness, and the professional practices of local doctors. Finally, the paper reflects on the ways in which migrant doctors’ identity positionings provide space for the creation of a “symbolic territory” in which the practices of migrant doctors co-exist within the boundaries of the practices of local doctors in the host culture.
Bhlhe40: Gatekeeper of the GC
Authors: Nutt Stephen L. , Tellier Julie
Published: December 2021

The generation of high-affinity antibodies in the germinal center (GC) requires interplay between GC B cells and T follicular helper cells. Rauschmeier et al. (2021. J. Exp. Med.https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20211406) report that Bhlhe40 restrains GC output through distinct regulatory roles in both arms of the response.
CuI/Nylon Membrane Hybrid Film with Large Seebeck Effect
Authors: Han Xiaowen , Lu Yiming , Liu Ying , Wu Miaomiao , Li Yating , Wang Zixing , Cai Kefeng
Published: December 2021

Room-temperature thermoelectric materials are important for converting heat into electrical energy. As a wide-bandgap semiconductor material, CuI has the characteristics of non-toxicity, low cost, and environmental friendliness. In this work, CuI powder was synthesized by a wet chemical method, then CuI film was formed by vacuum assisted filtration of the CuI powder on a porous nylon membrane, followed by hot pressing. The film exhibits a large Seebeck coefficient of 600 μV · K−1 at room temperature. In addition, the film also shows good flexibility (∼95% retention of the electrical conductivity after being bent along a rod with a radius of 4 mm for 1000 times). A finger touch test on a single-leg TE module indicates that a voltage of 0.9 mV was immediately generated within 0.5 s from a temperature difference of 4 K between a finger and the environment, suggesting the potential application in wearable thermal sensors.
Superconductivity in the Layered Cage Compound Ba3Rh4Ge16
Authors: Zhao Yi , Deng Jun , Bhattacharyya A. , Adroja D. T. , Biswas P. K. , Gao Lingling , Cao Weizheng , Li Changhua , Pei Cuiying , Ying Tianping , Hosono Hideo , Qi Yanpeng
Published: December 2021

We report the synthesis and superconducting properties of a layered cage compound Ba3Rh4Ge16. Similar to Ba3Ir4Ge16, the compound is composed of 2D networks of cage units, formed by noncubic Rh–Ge building blocks, in marked contrast to the reported rattling compounds. The electrical resistivity, magnetization, specific heat capacity, and μSR measurements unveiled moderately coupled s-wave superconductivity with a critical temperature T
c = 7.0 K, the upper critical field μ
0
H
c2(0) ∼ 2.5 T, the electron-phonon coupling strength λ
e−ph ∼ 0.80, and the Ginzburg–Landau parameter κ ∼ 7.89. The mass reduction with the substitution of Ir by Rh is believed to be responsible for the enhancement of T
c and coupling between the cage and guest atoms. Our results highlight the importance of atomic weight of framework in cage compounds in controlling the λ
e−ph strength and T
c.
Nanocavity-Mediated Fast Magnetic Vortex Core In-Situ Switching by Local Magnetic Field
Authors: Ma Xiao-Ping , Yang Hongguo , Li Changfeng , Song Cheng , Piao Hong-Guang
Published: December 2021

Fast in situ switching of magnetic vortex core in a ferromagnetic nanodisk assisted by a nanocavity, with diameter comparable to the dimension of a vortex core, is systematically investigated by changing the strength as well as the diameter of the effective circular region of the applied magnetic field. By applying a local magnetic field within a small area at the nanodisk center, fast switching time of about 35 ps is achieved with relatively low field strength (70 mT) which is beneficial for fast data reading and writing. The reason for this phenomenon is that the magnetic spins around the nanocavity is aligned along the cavity wall due to the shape anisotropy when the perpendicular field is applied, which deepens the dip around the vortex core, and thus facilitates the vortex core switching.
Edge Transport and Self-Assembly of Passive Objects in a Chiral Active Fluid*
Authors: Yang Qing , Liang Huan , Liu Rui , Chen Ke , Ye Fangfu , Yang Mingcheng
Published: December 2021

Topological edge flow and dissipationless odd viscosity are two remarkable features of chiral active fluids composed of active spinners. These features can significantly influence the dynamics of suspended passive particles and the interactions between the particles. By computer simulations, we investigate the transport phenomenon of anisotropic passive objects and the self-assembly behavior of passive spherical particles in the active spinner fluid. It is found that in confined systems, nonspherical passive objects can stably cling to boundary walls and are unidirectionally and robustly transported by edge flow of spinners. Furthermore, in an unconfined system, passive spherical particles are able to form stable clusters that spontaneously and unidirectionally rotate as a whole. In these phenomena, strong particle-wall and interparticle effective attractions play a vital role, which originate from spinner-mediated depletion-like interactions and can be largely enhanced by odd viscosity of spinner fluids. Our results thus provide new insight into the robust transport of cargoes and the nonequilibrium self-assembly of passive intruders.
An experimental analysis of the cooling constant computation
Authors: Perea Martins J E M
Published: December 2021

This work presents the design of an inexpensive electronic system to measure water temperature and generate an experimental data set used to verify the fitting between experimental and theoretical curves of a water-cooling process. The cooling constant is computed with three different theoretical methods to check their efficiency and this approach allows the association of theoretical and experimental aspects of physics, mathematics and electronic instrumentation, which can motivate interesting discussions in the classroom.
Enhanced light–matter interaction in two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides
Authors: Huang Lujun , Krasnok Alex , Alú Andrea , Yu Yiling , Neshev Dragomir , Miroshnichenko Andrey E
Published: December 2021

Two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) materials, such as MoS2, WS2, MoSe2, and WSe2, have received extensive attention in the past decade due to their extraordinary electronic, optical and thermal properties. They evolve from indirect bandgap semiconductors to direct bandgap semiconductors while their layer number is reduced from a few layers to a monolayer limit. Consequently, there is strong photoluminescence in a monolayer (1L) TMDC due to the large quantum yield. Moreover, such monolayer semiconductors have two other exciting properties: large binding energy of excitons and valley polarization. These properties make them become ideal materials for various electronic, photonic and optoelectronic devices. However, their performance is limited by the relatively weak light–matter interactions due to their atomically thin form factor. Resonant nanophotonic structures provide a viable way to address this issue and enhance light–matter interactions in 2D TMDCs. Here, we provide an overview of this research area, showcasing relevant applications, including exotic light emission, absorption and scattering features. We start by overviewing the concept of excitons in 1L-TMDC and the fundamental theory of cavity-enhanced emission, followed by a discussion on the recent progress of enhanced light emission, strong coupling and valleytronics. The atomically thin nature of 1L-TMDC enables a broad range of ways to tune its electric and optical properties. Thus, we continue by reviewing advances in TMDC-based tunable photonic devices. Next, we survey the recent progress in enhanced light absorption over narrow and broad bandwidths using 1L or few-layer TMDCs, and their applications for photovoltaics and photodetectors. We also review recent efforts of engineering light scattering, e.g., inducing Fano resonances, wavefront engineering in 1L or few-layer TMDCs by either integrating resonant structures, such as plasmonic/Mie resonant metasurfaces, or directly patterning monolayer/few layers TMDCs. We then overview the intriguing physical properties of different van der Waals heterostructures, and their applications in optoelectronic and photonic devices. Finally, we draw our opinion on potential opportunities and challenges in this rapidly developing field of research.
Improving the accuracy and robustness of RRAM-based in-memory computing against RRAM hardware noise and adversarial attacks
Authors: Kiran Cherupally Sai , Meng Jian , Siraj Rakin Adnan , Yin Shihui , Yeo Injune , Yu Shimeng , Fan Deliang , Seo Jae-Sun
Published: December 2021

We present a novel deep neural network (DNN) training scheme and resistive RAM (RRAM) in-memory computing (IMC) hardware evaluation towards achieving high accuracy against RRAM device/array variations and enhanced robustness against adversarial input attacks. We present improved IMC inference accuracy results evaluated on state-of-the-art DNNs including ResNet-18, AlexNet, and VGG with binary, 2-bit, and 4-bit activation/weight precision for the CIFAR-10 dataset. These DNNs are evaluated with measured noise data obtained from three different RRAM-based IMC prototype chips. Across these various DNNs and IMC chip measurements, we show that our proposed hardware noise-aware DNN training consistently improves DNN inference accuracy for actual IMC hardware, up to 8% accuracy improvement for the CIFAR-10 dataset. We also analyze the impact of our proposed noise injection scheme on the adversarial robustness of ResNet-18 DNNs with 1-bit, 2-bit, and 4-bit activation/weight precision. Our results show up to 6% improvement in the robustness to black-box adversarial input attacks.
Recovering the performance of irradiated high-temperature superconductors for use in fusion magnets
Authors: Unterrainer Raphael , Fischer David X , Lorenz Alena , Eisterer Michael
Published: December 2021

Magnets confining the plasma in future fusion devices will be exposed to a significant destructive flux of fast neutrons. In particular, in cost-efficient compact reactor designs, the degradation of the superconductor becomes an issue and directly impacts the commercial viability. We report on the influence of neutron radiation on the superconducting transition temperature,

T

c

, and the critical current density,

j

c

, and discuss possibilities to counteract the degradation using thermal treatments. We found that the degradation in

T

c

and

j

c

are closely related to each other, likely due to the expected loss of superfluid density; thus,

T

c

is a very useful indicator for the magnets’ degradation. It increases linearly with the annealing temperature, and around 25% of the decrease can be recovered by annealing at 150 ∘C and about 60% at 400 ∘C, which would more than double the magnet’s lifetime. However, a loss of oxygen has to be impeded in the latter case.
Protecting the quantum state from a finite temperature decoherence source by parity-time symmetric operation
Authors: Leng Yang , Yang Li
Published: December 2021

We examine the validity of the parity-time (

P
T

)-symmetric operation in protecting quantum state and entanglement in the non-zero temperature environment. Special attention is paid to the dependence of quantum fidelity and entanglement on the temperature. In particular, by solving the master equation, we get the exact analytical or numerical simulation expressions of the explicit formulas of protection, showing explicitly that

P
T

-symmetric operation does indeed help in protecting quantum state from finite temperature decoherence.
Two-proton radioactivity within Coulomb and proximity potential model *
Authors: Zhu De-Xing , Liu Hong-Ming , Xu Yang-Yang , Zou You-Tian , Wu Xi-Jun , Chu Peng-Cheng , Li Xiao-Hua
Published: December 2021

Considering the preformation probability of the two emitted protons in the parent nucleus, we extend the Coulomb and proximity potential model (CPPM) to systematically study two-proton (2p) radioactivity half-lives of the nuclei close to proton drip line. The proximity potential chosen is Prox. 81 proposed by Blocki et al. in 1981. Furthermore, we apply this model to predict the half-lives of possible 2p radioactive candidates whose 2p radioactivity is energetically allowed or observed but not yet quantified in the evaluated nuclear properties table NUBASE2016. The predicted results are in good agreement with those from other theoretical models and empirical formulas, namely the effective liquid drop model (ELDM), generalized liquid drop model (GLDM), Gamow-like model, Sreeja formula and Liu formula.
Knowledge-driven feature component interpretable network for motor imagery classification
Authors: Niu Xu , Lu Na , Kang Jianghong , Cui Zhiyan
Published: December 2021

Objective. The end-to-end convolutional neural network (CNN) has achieved great success in motor imagery (MI) classification without a manual feature design. However, all the existing deep network solutions are purely datadriven and lack interpretability, which makes it impossible to discover insightful knowledge from the learned features, not to mention to design specific network structures. The heavy computational cost of CNN also makes it challenging for real-time application along with high classification performance. Approach. To address these problems, a novel knowledge-driven feature component interpretable network (KFCNet) is proposed, which combines spatial and temporal convolution in analogy to independent component analysis and a power spectrum pipeline. Prior frequency band knowledge of sensory-motor rhythms has been formulated as band-pass linear-phase digital finite impulse response filters to initialize the temporal convolution kernels to enable the knowledge-driven mechanism. To avoid signal distortion and achieve a linear phase and unimodality of filters, a symmetry loss is proposed, which is used in combination with the cross-entropy classification loss for training. Besides the general prior knowledge, subject-specific time-frequency property of event-related desynchronization and synchronization has been employed to construct and initialize the network with significantly fewer parameters. Main results. Comparison of experiments on two public datasets has been performed. Interpretable feature components could be observed in the trained model. The physically meaningful observation could efficiently assist the design of the network structure. Excellent classification performance on MI has been obtained. Significance. The performance of KFCNet is comparable to the state-of-the-art methods but with much fewer parameters and makes real-time applications possible.
Collective behavior in the North Rhine-Westphalia motorway network
Authors: Wang Shanshan , Gartzke Sebastian , Schreckenberg Michael , Guhr Thomas
Published: December 2021

To understand the dynamics on complex networks, measurement of correlations is indispensable. In a motorway network, it is not sufficient to collect information on fluxes and velocities on all individual links, i.e. parts of the freeways between ramps and highway crosses. The interdependencies and mutual connections are also of considerable interest. We analyze correlations in the complete motorway network in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state in Germany. We view the motorway network as a complex system consisting of road sections which interact via the motion of vehicles, implying structures in the corresponding correlation matrices. In particular, we focus on collective behavior, i.e. coherent motion in the whole network or in large parts of it. To this end, we study the eigenvalue and eigenvector statistics and identify significant sections in the motorway network. We find collective behavior in these significant sections and further explore its causes. We show that collectivity throughout the network cannot directly be related to the traffic states (free, synchronous and congested) in Kerner’s three-phase theory. Hence, the degree of collectivity provides a new, complementary observable to characterize the motorway network.
Stochastic rumors on random trees
Authors: Junior Valdivino V , Rodriguez Pablo M , Speroto Adalto
Published: December 2021

The Maki–Thompson rumor model is defined by assuming that a population represented by a graph is subdivided into three classes of individuals; namely, ignorants, spreaders and stiflers. A spreader tells the rumor to any of its nearest ignorant neighbors at rate one. At the same rate, a spreader becomes a stifler after a contact with other nearest neighbor spreaders, or stiflers. In this work we study the model on random trees. As usual we define a critical parameter of the model as the critical value around which the rumor either becomes extinct almost-surely or survives with positive probability. We analyze the existence of phase-transition regarding the survival of the rumor, and we obtain estimates for the mean range of the rumor. The applicability of our results is illustrated with examples on random trees generated from some well-known discrete distributions.
Hydroelastic analysis of floating structures under wave loads
Authors: Deng Xuhui , Ding Liang , Meng Liuyang
Published: December 2021

Accurate prediction of hydroelastic response in ocean waves is of great significance to the structural design and reliability design of floating structures. In this paper, based on the potential flow theory, a large floating structure is simplified as a thin-plate material, and the hydrodynamic characteristics of the structure are calculated by using the modal expansion method and the boundary element method. The correctness of the theory and calculation is verified by comparing the experimental and numerical results. Further, the wave properties and structural materials characterization were changed, this paper calculates the stress and deflection of the structure under wave action, and analyzes the effects of hydroelastic response on the safety of the structure.
Development of auto loading device in bearing positioning lip stamping
Authors: Qi Pengyuan , Wang Jingbo , Liu Zhe , Ren Xu , Wang Lei
Published: December 2021

With the continuous development of our economy, the types and quantity of engine bearing are increasing. In order to prevent the bearing moving in the bearing pedestal, one or both ends of the bearing need to make positioning lip for axial positioning. In order to meet the needs of mass bearing production, an auto loading device for positioning lip of bearing is proposed in this paper. The horizontal conveyor belt and loading guide are used to make the blank turn to the required angle, and then the double cylinder valve and push rod motor are used to realize the time-sharing conveying and continuous loading of the blank. During the loading process, there are inclined slideway and blocking plate to avoid the collision between blanks and ensure the reliable loading bearings. Through the actual production verification, the developed device has the advantages of simple structure, low cost, fine working stability, and made great improving in the efficiency and safety for production of bearing.
Development of Dry Drilling Diamond Bit and Drilling System
Authors: Xu Liang , Liu Yibo , Sun Yanlong
Published: December 2021

This paper summarizes the current situation, market demand and existing problems of dry drilling for stone and building materials construction at home and abroad. The use and characteristics of dry drilling, the structural design of dry drilling diamond bit and the selection of matrix formula are introduced. Finally, through the test of drilling reinforced concrete with long dry drilling bits, the related equipment of the complete dry drilling system is introduced in detail.
Research and Application of Remote Control Test Method of Amplifier Indicators
Authors: Liaoyuemin  , Liaohaiqian
Published: December 2021

As we all know, there are many test indicators for amplifiers, including saturated output power, 1dB compressed output power (P-1), harmonic suppression, etc. The saturated output power and 1dB compressed output power are tested step by step, and the harmonic suppression needs to traverse every frequency point to calculate the results, which require testers to pay more time and effort. When there are batches of power amplifiers to be tested, manual testing methods are unrealistic. In order to simplify the test steps, reduce the input of testers, and speed up the test progress, this article introduces a test method about instrument remote control, based on GPIB and C# after the study and research for the GPIB bus of the GPIB instrument. This method calls the VISA library to drive the GPIB card to communicate with the test instrument by SCPI programmable instrument standard commands and the respective remote control commands of each instrument to perform mixed programming with C#. Finally, we can complete the measurement, display and get the data by controlling the GPIB instruments on the PC side.
Automatic Measurement System of High Resistance up to100TΩ
Authors: Sun Wen , Peng Jiajun , Zhang Huan , Wang Ying , Chen Jiaxu
Published: December 2021

To solve the problems exist in the measurements high resistances in range of 1 MΩ~100 TΩ, such as low precision, poor repeatability, long time consuming and easy to be affected by the external environment, an adapted Wheatstone bridge for high resistances is described. The system uses two DC voltage sources to build a standard proportion, a pico-ammeter as the Null-indicator. The automatic balancing of the bridge is realized through the balance algorithm. The measurement software is compiled to realize the automatic measurement of high resistance. The shielding system is studied, the methods to improve the accuracy are summarized. The experimental results show that the standard uncertainty at 100GΩ reaches 3.2×10−5. The system can meet the calibration requirements of high value resistance, and has been applied in practical work.
Performance of different Formation control methods between Multiple Spacecraft with local part communications
Authors: Zhang Bokun
Published: December 2021

With the development of network and distributed computing, many applications of multi vehicle system have become possible, and motion transformation can be realized. In multi vehicle coordination, the interaction between information exchange topology and control plays an important role. Different formation control methods have different performance. Thus, in order to figure out which method is suitable for multiple spacecraft, the author simulated the signal unstable environment in space to test the robustness and consensus speed of the following three methods. The author use Bearing-only Formation Control, A leader–follower Formation Control and Affine Formation Control to test their performance with local part communications. The author use matlab and simulink to analog communication process of multiple spacecraft. Finally, the author find Affine Formation Control’s performance is the best. It has the best robustness and the fast consensus speed but more energy and signal paths to communicate.
An Attention-Based Photovoltaic Forecasting Scheme Combined with LSTM Model
Authors: Wei H , Chen X , Mi W
Published: December 2021

With the development of new energy around the world, the proportion of photovoltaic energy used as a clean energy in the distribution network is gradually rising. The forecast of photovoltaic power plants is vital to many energy providers for their marketing analysis. Thus, photovoltaic forecasting has become an important research direction at present. However, owing to the high volatility and intermittent characteristics of photovoltaic power generation, it is still a challenge to predict photovoltaic power accurately. As far as traditional photovoltaic forecasting methods are concerned, SVM and ARIMA, as machine learning methods can solve the timing prediction problem of certain scenarios, but they are often not appropriate for some time series closely related to features. To address this problem, this paper proposes a short-term photovoltaic load forecasting model based on the Attention mechanism and LSTM model. Firstly, the correlation coefficient and LASSO regression are used for feature selection to filter out redundant features. Secondly, a long short-term memory network (LSTM) is used to make predictions to solve the problem of gradient disappearance during model training. Finally, the Attention mechanism is added to better capture feature weights and further improve the prediction accuracy of the training model. The proposed method can predict the change trend well. Comparative results confirm that the proposed method with feature selection can has better effect than ARIMA, SVM, and ELM.