bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High prevalence of multiple serotypes of pneumococci in patients with pneumonia and their associated risk factors
Authors: Dhoubhadel Bhim Gopal , Suzuki Motoi , Ishifuji Tomoko , Yaegashi Makito , Asoh Norichika , Ishida Masayuki , Hamaguchi Sugihiro , Aoshima Masahiro , Yasunami Michio , Ariyoshi Koya , Morimoto Konosuke
Published: April 2022

Background

Multiple serotypes of pneumococci have epidemiological and clinical implications, such as the emergence of non-vaccine serotypes and the acquisition of antimicrobial resistance. Prevalence of multiple serotypes of pneumococci in adults and their risk factors are not known.

Methods

We enrolled adult patients from age ≥15 years with radiologically confirmed pneumonia in four hospitals across Japan. Pneumococcal pneumonia was defined with a pneumococcal bacterial density of ≥104/mL in sputum bylytAquantitative PCR, and serotypes were determined. Pneumonias with a single serotype were categorised as single-serotype pneumococcal pneumonia and with two or more serotypes as multiple-serotype pneumococcal pneumonia. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the risk factors.

Results

3470 patients (median age 77 years, IQR 65–85) were enrolled. Pneumococcal pneumonia was identified in 476 (18.3%, n=2605) patients. Multiple serotypes were detected in 42% of them. Risk of having multiple serotypes was low among patients who had received 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPSV23) vaccines (adjusted OR 0.51 (95% CI 0.27 to 0.94)). Proportion of non-PCV7 PPSV23 serotypes in overall distribution of multiple serotypes was 67.4% (n=324/481) compared with 46.4% (n=128/276) in that of single serotypes (p=0.001). Serotypes 5, 9N/9L, 10A, 12/22/46, 17F and 35F were associated with multiple-serotype pneumonia, and serotypes 6A/6B, 23F, 11 and 6C/6D were associated with single-serotype pneumonia. Proportion of more invasive serotypes (serotypes 1, 5, 7F, 8) was significantly higher in multiple-serotype pneumonia (p=0.001).

Conclusions

Multiple serotypes of pneumococci are common in sputum of adult patients with pneumonia. The risk of multiple-serotype pneumococcal pneumonia is lower than that of single-serotype pneumococcal pneumonia among PPSV23-vaccinated patients.

Trial registration number

UMIN000006909.
Monotonic property of steel–RC composite beams strengthened with externally pre-stressed tendons
Authors: El-Zohairy Ayman , Alsharari Fahad , Salim Hani , Arafa Ibrahim T. , Nawar Mahmoud T.
Published: April 2022

This study presents an experimental investigation on composite beams (CB) to explore the effectiveness of adding external post-tensioning (EPT) force, as a strengthening technique, on the monotonic flexural performance of composite samples. Two experiments on CB were conducted under three-point loading. High-strength steel strands post-tensioned to 46% of the ultimate strength were used to apply the EPT. Moreover, a finite element (FE) model is developed to present numerical investigations on the monotonic and fatigue behaviors of the CB with and without EPT by considering the slip between the concrete slabs and steel beams as well as the fatigue deterioration in the concrete slabs. A FE parametric study is conducted using the proposed FE model to investigate the effect of steel beam grade, tendon eccentricity, span-to-depth ratio, and fatigue loading. The optimum span-to-depth ratio to obtain the maximum contribution of the EPT force in improving the CB capacities is 9.0.
Dome-shaped phase diagram in the spin-1 XY ferromagnet with biquadratic exchange and longitudinal easy-axis crystal field
Authors: Mercaldo M. T. , Rabuffo I.
Published: April 2022

We investigate the phase diagram of a spin-1 ferromagnetic XY model in the presence of a longitudinal easy-axis crystal field assuming bilinear (J) and biquadratic (I) exchange interactions between nearest neighbors spins and using the two-time Green Functions framework at the level of the Devlin strategy. Employing both analytical estimates and numerical calculations, we find that the structure of the crystal-field-induced phase boundary changes sensibly as the ratio $$\alpha = I/J$$

α
=
I
/
J

increases. In particular, when $$\alpha $$
α
overcomes a characteristic value $$\alpha ^*$$

α
∗

, two quantum critical points appear which are connected by a dome-shaped critical line. Due to the paradigmatic nature of the anisotropic spin model here considered, we believe that our findings may provide useful insights into the physical origin of recent experimental results found for some innovative materials which exhibit two quantum critical points and dome-shaped phase diagrams induced by non-thermal control parameters driving a non-conventional quantum criticality.

Graphic abstract
Impossibility of obtaining a CP-violating Euler–Heisenberg effective theory from a viable modification of QED
Authors: Ghasemkhani M , Rahmanpour V , Bufalo R , Soto A
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we examine the CP-violating term of the Euler–Heisenberg action. We focus in the aspects related with the generation of such a term from a QED-like model in terms of the effective action approach. In particular, we show that the generation of the CP-violating term is closely related with both of vector and axial fermionic bilinears. Although, these anomalous models are not a viable extension of QED, we argue that the CP-violating term in the photon sector is obtained only from this class of models, and not from any fundamental field theory.
Screening effects on the mobility properties in AlGaN/GaN heterostructures with varied Al content
Authors: Yarar Z. , Cesur D. , Alyörük M. D. , Çekil H. C. , Özdemir B. , Özdemir M.
Published: April 2022

The electron mobility at a AlGaN/GaN heterostructure is calculated using an ensemble Monte Carlo (MC) technique where the emphasis is primarily given to screening effects and dislocation scattering. Calculations of electron steady-state velocity-field curves confirm that screening has significant effects on the transport properties of AlGaN/GaN heterostructures. The mobility calculations are obtained for Al-content (8–35%), thickness of AlGaN barrier (30–500[Formula: see text]Å) and for various temperatures (77–1000[Formula: see text]K). Based on our theoretical scattering rates calculations, we show that screening effects should be included for all scattering rates to obtain good agreement with experimental results. Besides, especially dislocation scattering should be taken into account to get mobility results that agree with experiments at low field values. Our overall results agree reasonably well with experimental studies. These results can be highly useful in design and optimization of GaN-based devices.
LIFE SATISFACTION CHANGES AND ADAPTATION IN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: EVIDENCE FROM SINGAPORE
Authors: CHENG TERENCE C. , KIM SEONGHOON , KOH KANGHYOCK
Published: April 2022

We provide novel evidence on how COVID-19 affected overall life satisfaction using a monthly longitudinal survey of middle-aged and older Singaporeans. We study how the subjective well-being of individuals evolves over the course of 18 months including the outbreak of the pandemic, the implementation of the lockdown and the spike of cases due to the delta variant in a country where COVID-19 is controlled in a sustained manner. Using an event-study design framework, we find large declines in overall life satisfaction in the lead-up to and following the lockdown. Fifteen months after the outbreak of the pandemic, and 13 months out from the end of lockdown, individuals have nearly, though not fully, adapted to living with the virus. We find greater negative well-being impacts of COVID-19 among individuals who report a drop in household income during the COVID-19 outbreak compared to those who do not report any income loss. However, we find little evidence of heterogeneity in the dynamics of the recovery in well-being by individuals’ underlying health status, marital status and education. On personality types, people who are high in neuroticism experience larger dips in well-being during the lockdown, and adapt to living with COVID-19 at a slower rate.
Squared eigenfunction symmetries of the constrained integrable hierarchies
Authors: Wang Shen , Guo Weici , Guan Wenchuang , Cheng Jipeng
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we mainly investigate the constrained Kadomtsev–Petviashvili (KP) and modified KP (mKP) hierarchies. Squared eigenfunction (SE) symmetry is an important symmetry defined by eigenfunctions and adjoint eigenfunctions, which can be viewed as the generator of the additional symmetries. Due to special constraints on the Lax operators, it is found that there are three different cases for the generating eigenfunctions and adjoint eigenfunctions of the SE symmetries. Then we discuss the changes of the SE symmetries under the Miura links between the KP and mKP hierarchies. Next, the exponential of the SE symmetries is shown to be the binary Darboux transformations. At last based upon the results above, new additional symmetries for the constrained KP and mKP hierarchies are constructed, different from the additional Virasoro symmetries defined by Aratyn.
A New Three-Level Design of Nano-Scale Subtractor Based on Coulomb Interaction of Quantum Dots
Authors: Han Qinghua , Shi Mingdeng , Mohammed Bayan Omar
Published: April 2022

The quantum-dot cellular automata (QCA) is popular nanotechnology to process at deep sub-micron levels. In recent years, in QCA technology, numerous multi-layer circuits of adders and subtractors have been developed. However, little attention has been made to the QCA circuit’s instantiation of the subtractors schemes. This paper gives a three-layered subtractor with simple access to inputs and outputs as an essential block in QCA technology. This design was created, optimized, and simulated using QCADesigner-E. The results revealed that the suggested proposal effectively reached a higher level of efficiency, speed, and cost, owing primarily to the use of the three layers’ design. Also, this architecture offers a platform to access the input and output lines more easily. The multi-layer crossover technique is used to build this design. According to the simulation findings, the suggested subtractor in QCA technology employs 22 QCA cells. The simulation findings demonstrated that the proposed design surpasses the majority of previous results in the literature.
Power and Noise Reduction of High-Frequency Variable Gain Amplifier
Authors: Sajin C. S. , Shahul Hameed T. A.
Published: April 2022

This work illustrates the design of the cell-based variable-gain amplifier (VGA) with less power consumption and improved noise margin. The variable gain amplifier is incorporated into the current wireless front-end modules. The body-bias technique in the n channel MOSFET (n-MOS) devices greatly aided in the power reduction of the cells. The device characteristics were fine-tuned to get better gain and bandwidth and reduced the supply voltage. This technique ultimately reduced the number of cell stages required to meet the expectation. The reduction of the supply voltage and the technology upscaling helped to improve the noise margin. The presented unit cell achieved accurate dB-linear characteristics across a wide tuning range, based on a unique gain control method with a combination of sub-threshold n-MOS and saturation n-MOS transistors as active loads. A 7-cell reconfigurable VGA is simulated in 0.18-[Formula: see text]m Complementary MOSFET technology to verify the concept. The simulation results showed that the bandwidth of the VGA is greater than 2.5[Formula: see text]GHz, while less than 0.78[Formula: see text]mW is consumed from a 1.5-V supply. A noise figure of 23.7[Formula: see text]dB is measured. Also, the VGA achieves a gain control range of 19[Formula: see text]dB with a gain error less than [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]dB or 26.3%. These results make the designed amplifier adequate for high-frequency applications.
Generating Optimal Class Integration Test Orders Using Genetic Algorithms
Authors: Zhang Yanmei , Jiang Shujuan , Ding Yanru , Yuan Guan , Liu Junjie , Lu Dongyu , Qian Junyan
Published: April 2022

In recent years, many intelligent optimization algorithms have been applied to the class integration and test order (CITO) problem. These algorithms also have been proved to be able to efficiently solve the problem. Here, the design of fitness function is a key task to generate the optimal solution. To better solve the class integration and test order problem, we propose a new fitness function to generate the optimal solution that achieves a balanced compromise between the different measures (objectives) such as the total number of stubs and the total stubbing complexity in this paper. We used some programs to compare and evaluate the different approaches. The experimental results show that our proposed approach is encouraging to some extent in solving the class integration and test order problem.
An Empirical Study on Rule Violation History of JavaScript Code Blocks on Stack Overflow
Authors: Kim Jungil , Lee Eunjoo
Published: April 2022

JavaScript code blocks on Stack Overflow (SO) are often used in software projects. However, little is known about the issue of rule violation risk in SO JavaScript code blocks. Rule violation is one of the factors which degrades the quality of Java Script code. To prevent prevalence of rule violation by reusing SO JavaScript code blocks, it is needed to investigate how secure SO JavaScript code blocks are against rule violation. To examine the issue, we performed a quantitative analysis to investigate how many rule violations are, when first rule violation occurs and what is the trend of rule violations in evolution history of Stack Overflow JavaScript code blocks. We collected SO posts related to JavaScript and extracted the code blocks contained in the posts. By using ESLint, the most popular rule violation detection tool, we identified rule violations in the evolution history of our target code blocks. We then performed quantitative analyses on the identified rule violations. As the results of the analyses, we found that: (1) 60% of the studied code blocks evolve with any rule violations. (2) In the rule violated code blocks, 92% of the code blocks get first rule violation occurrence in the early phase of their evolution. (3) 80% of the rule violated code blocks never fix existing rule violations during their evolution. Our findings suggest that SO should provide a policy which can reduce rule violations in submitted JavaScript code blocks. The findings can also make SO users attend to rule violations when reusing SO JavaScript code blocks.
On the formulation of size-structured consumer resource models (with special attention for the principle of linearized stability)
Authors: Barril Carles , Calsina Àngel , Diekmann Odo , Farkas József Z.
Published: April 2022

To describe the dynamics of a size-structured population and its unstructured resource, we formulate bookkeeping equations in two different ways. The first, called the PDE formulation, is rather standard. It employs a first-order partial differential equation, with a non-local boundary condition, for the size-density of the consumer, coupled to an ordinary differential equation for the resource concentration. The second is called the DELAY formulation and employs a renewal equation for the population level birth rate of the consumer, coupled to a delay differential equation for the (history of the) resource concentration. With each of the two formulations we associate a constructively defined semigroup of nonlinear solution operators. The two semigroups are intertwined by a non-invertible operator. In this paper, we delineate in what sense the two semigroups are equivalent. In particular, we (i) identify conditions on both the model ingredients and the choice of state space that guarantee that the intertwining operator is surjective, (ii) focus on large time behavior and (iii) consider full orbits, i.e. orbits defined for time running from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. Conceptually, the PDE formulation is by far the most natural one. It has, however, the technical drawback that the solution operators are not differentiable, precluding rigorous linearization. (The underlying reason for the lack of differentiability is exactly the same as in the case of state-dependent delay equations: we need to differentiate with respect to a quantity that appears as argument of a function that may not be differentiable.) For the delay formulation, one can (under certain conditions concerning the model ingredients) prove the differentiability of the solution operators and establish the Principle of Linearized Stability. Next, the equivalence of the two formulations yields a rather indirect proof of this principle for the PDE formulation.
Combined dynamics of magnetization and particle rotation of a suspended superparamagnetic particle in the presence of an orienting field: Semi-analytical and numerical solution
Authors: Kröger Martin , Ilg Patrick
Published: April 2022

The magnetization dynamics of suspended superparamagnetic particles is governed by internal Néel relaxation as well as Brownian diffusion of the whole particle. We here present semi-analytical and numerical solutions of the kinetic equation, describing the combined rotation of particle orientation and magnetization. The solutions are based on an expansion of the joint probability density into a complete set of bipolar harmonics, leading to a coupled set of ordinary differential equations for the expansion coefficients. Extending previous works, we discuss the spectrum of relaxation times as well as convergence and limits of applicability of the method. Furthermore, we also provide the numerical scheme in electronic form, so that readers can readily implement and use the model.
On a two-species chemotaxis system with indirect signal production and general competition terms
Authors: Zheng Pan , Xiang Yuting , Xing Jie
Published: April 2022

This paper deals with a two-competing-species chemotaxis system with indirect signal production [Formula: see text] under homogeneous Neumann boundary conditions in a smoothly bounded domain [Formula: see text], with the nonnegative initial data [Formula: see text], where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text].

When [Formula: see text], we study the global existence and boundedness of classical solutions to the above system in a three-dimensional bounded domain under some suitable conditions of parameters. When [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] [Formula: see text], we discuss the existence of globally bounded solution for all [Formula: see text] provided that the parameters satisfy some suitable assumptions. Furthermore, we consider the asymptotic stabilization of globally bounded solutions to the above system under weak competition and strongly asymmetric competition cases, respectively.
Angular momentum effects on the decay modes of hot compound nuclei formed in 86Kr+134,138Ba reactions
Authors: Verma Dalip Singh , Kushmakshi  , Chauhan Pooja , Vivek
Published: April 2022

The dependence of decay modes of hot compound nuclei formed in [Formula: see text]Kr[Formula: see text]Ba reactions on the angular momentum has been analyzed using the dynamical cluster-decay model. This has been done by analyzing the change of fragmentation potential, preformation probability, penetrability and cross-section as a function of the fragment mass number at various values of the angular momentum. The evaporation residue cross-section calculated using dynamical cluster-decay model has been compared with the measured one for the channels: [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] for the decay of [Formula: see text]U[Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text]U[Formula: see text]. The summed up fragment cross-sections for the light particles, intermediate mass fragments and fission fragments as a function of angular momentum have been studied which gives an idea for the change of reaction mechanism with angular momentum. The charge distribution of the fission fragment cross-section shows an odd–even staggering, i.e., the probability of even-Z fission fragments is relatively higher than others. The mass distributions obtained within the dynamical cluster-decay model for the decay of [Formula: see text]U[Formula: see text] are in conformity with mass distributions determined by means of the double kinetic-energy technique in literature. The position of the most probable channel has been found to be fixed to a constant atomic number instead of mass number.
Bivariate Laplace Transform Order and Ordering of Reversed Residual Lives
Authors: Jayalekshmi S. , Rajesh G. , Unnikrishnan Nair N.
Published: April 2022

The Laplace transform order of reversed residual life, introduced by [I. Elbatal, The Laplace order and ordering of reversed residual life, Appl. Math. Sci. 36 (2007) 1773–1788.] is used in the stochastic comparison of two life distributions. In this paper, we aim to study new notions of stochastic comparisons based on bivariate Laplace transform order of reversed residual lives. We investigate relationships the new stochastic order has with other existing bivariate orders. The interpretation of the new orders and their applications in different contexts are also pointed out.
OPTIMIZATION OF TESLA VALVE-TYPED MICROMIXER BASED ON SIMULATED ANNEALING ALGORITHM
Authors: WANG HELIN , CHEN XUEYE
Published: April 2022

Due to its simple structure and special flow mechanism, the Tesla valve is widely used in various microchannels. A three-dimensional new-fashioned micromixer was designed based on the Tesla valve-typed structure. A simulated annealing algorithm was used to optimize the width of the microchannel ([Formula: see text], the height of the microchannel ([Formula: see text], and the spacing of the mixing unit ([Formula: see text], and the effects of geometric parameters on mixing efficiency and pressure drop were investigated. Then, the mixing efficiency of different sizes of micromixers under four different Reynolds numbers (Res) was analyzed and compared. The mixing efficiency of the optimized micromixer is more than 99% at [Formula: see text]. This is mainly because the liquid flows through the width of the microchannel ([Formula: see text] to form two streams of liquid, and then remixed together, form secondary flow and local vortex. The direction of the fluid flowing through the height of the microchannel ([Formula: see text] changes, and the two fluids collide, thereby greatly improving the mixing effect.
RESEARCH ON SPORTS BIOMECHANICS IN THE REPAIR OF SWIMMING MUSCLE INJURY
Authors: CHEN WEIRAN , LI XIUHONG , WANG DAN , DONG YUE , YAO XIANGYI , WANG XIAOQIAN
Published: April 2022

This paper studies the biomechanics of muscles after swimming. This paper uses exercise biomechanics and deep learning models to process surface EMG signals after muscle injury. In this way, the relationship between the EMG signal and muscle strength after muscle injury after swimming can be obtained. Studies have found a proportional relationship between muscle strength and the strength of EMG signals during muscle injury recovery after swimming. The conclusions of this study can provide us with some clinical experience in the recovery of muscle damage during physical exercise.
Optimal Inspection Period for Structures Subjected to Fatigue
Authors: Li Feng , Xu Qianhui , Zhou Liming , Meng Guangwei
Published: April 2022

In this paper, an optimal inspection model for three-dimensional structures under random loading is presented from the view of reliability. Neuber method and finite element analysis as well as experiential stress intensity factor (SIF) were applied in the analysis of fatigue life. Based on the series system theory, the reliability function for the structural fatigue life is given. Treat the crack initiation life (CIL) as service life and the crack propagation life (CPL) as inspection period, the optimal inspection period was obtained under a given reliability. The proposed method is proved to be feasible by a numerical example, which involves a bracket under random loading.
A study of bouncing cosmology in framework of f(T,𝒯 ) gravity with probing of cosmographic parameters
Authors: Zubair M. , Farooq Mushayydha , Gudekli Ertan
Published: April 2022

This paper is devoted to explore bouncing cosmology in [Formula: see text] modified gravity. In the background of [Formula: see text] modified theory with [Formula: see text] being Torsion scalar and [Formula: see text] being the trace of energy–momentum tensor, the Hubble parameter is considered for the isotropic, flat, and homogenous universe. The standard bouncing scale factor has employed the exponential term to unify bounce with late-time acceleration. Phase portrait analysis reveals us that Minkowskian origin transfers to de Sitter origin in [Formula: see text]-plane and as past infinite time [Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] constant which corresponds to some physical cosmological scenarios. Since field equations of [Formula: see text] gravity are of second order, a one-dimensional autonomous system has been extracted. Finally, outcomes have been plotted graphically, and any type of singular behavior has not been experienced. The study of the equation of state parameter against cosmic time reveals that phantom phase is quite significant for both models. The inertial force in terms of Hubble parameter and cosmic time gives rise to pseudo Rip. The study of cosmographic parameters tells us that the present model corresponds to [Formula: see text]CDM at a large value of cosmic time.
Coarse-Grained Modeling and Mechanical Behaviors of Actin–Spectrin–Microtubule Complex in Axonal Cytoskeleton
Authors: Wang Yanzhong , Wei Xi , Gong Bo , Lin Yuan , Qian Jin
Published: April 2022

Axon is a long protrusion from the neuronal cell body whose interconnection forms the nervous network and allows biomechanical signals to be transmitted among neurons. From the mechanic’s point of view, the axon cytoskeleton consists of bundles of microtubules (MTs), cross-linked by microtubule-associated protein (MAP) tau, and supported by a periodic array of actin–spectrin rings. Yet, the fundamental question of how these actin–spectrin rings and microtubule bundles behave in synergy to provide the required mechanical strength to the whole axon is still poorly understood. Here, we developed a coarse-grained molecular dynamics model of axon to address this outstanding issue. We show that the dynamic response of spectrin filaments plays a vital role in the strain-softening of axon, which serves as a buffering mechanism for neurons to accommodate externally imposed deformation. Furthermore, the actin–spectrin structure is found to be essential for maintaining the mechanical stability of axon and allowing it to bear larger compressive forces. Our model and predictions not only explain recent experimental observations on axonal mechanics, but also provide insights on how to potentially modify the mechanical response of axonal cytoskeleton and therefore tune its capability in executing different biological duties.
Generalized Theory for DISes in a Large Deformed Solid
Authors: Li Yong , Zhang Kai , Yang Fuqian
Published: April 2022

Analysis of diffusion-induced stress in the electrode materials of metal-ion batteries, especially in silicon-anode lithium-ion battery with large deformation, involves an in-depth understanding of the interaction between atomic migration and matrix volume expansion. Under large migration velocity of solute atoms in a host matrix, such chemo-mechanical coupling can result in the damage or structural degradation of the matrix (electrode), leading to capacity fading. Incorporating the effects of concentration changing rate on strain energy in Helmholtz free energy and the finite deformation framework, a generalized theory has been established to solve stresses in an elasto-plastic electrode induced by lithiation. Numerical calculations of lithiation-induced stresses are performed in an amorphous nano-spherical silicon electrode by using the free-volume-based constitutive relation of amorphous materials and the generalized theory. We analyze the effects of the volumetric expansion coefficient associate with solute atoms and the volumetric expansion coefficient associate with the concentration changing rate of solute atoms on the stress evolution. The results reveal that the concentration changing rate of solute atoms likely accelerates surface cracking of electrode materials during lithiation.
Theoretical Analysis of Stress Intensity Factor for Two Asymmetric Cracks Emanating from Water Conveyance Tunnel
Authors: Wang Hanbing , Huang Jianwei , Zhou Lei , Zhu Zheming , Yang Zhengyan , Shu Yun
Published: April 2022

The water conveyance tunnel has been widely applied in tunnel engineering, which may be subjected to compressive stress and shear stress from rock and faults, respectively. The internal pressure caused by water in the tunnel will make the appearance of cracks and propagation, resulting in disasters. In order to study the effects of the cracks and compressive stress on the cracked tunnel model, a plane model containing a circular hole with two unequal cracks under the compression loads, shear stress and internal pressure was established in this study. Complex variable function and conformal mapping function were implemented to theoretically derive the stress intensity factors (SIFs) at the crack tip in the rock mass, the numerical simulation was conducted to validate the theoretical solutions. The results indicate that the numerical results using the ABAQUS code were in good agreement with the theoretical solutions. The effects of compressive stress, shear stress, internal pressure, crack length and crack inclination angle on model II SIFs were discussed, the initiation angle and initiation pressure of different rock materials were also studied. When the crack inclination angle changes from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text], the tunnel is easily destroyed. With the increase of the right crack length, the increasing rate of the SIFs increases quickly first and then linearly, however, the left crack length has a slight effect on SIFs. When the crack inclination angle is [Formula: see text], the crack initiation angle reaches the maximum value.
Synergistic Effect of Field Emission Properties on Growth of CNTs by One-Pot Preparation of Various Concentrations Composite Catalyst
Authors: Sarvar Mohd , Hasan Raza Mohammad Moeen , Aalam Shah Masheerul , Sadiq Mohd , Khan Mohammad Shahid , Zulfequar Mohammad , Ali Javid
Published: April 2022

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) were grown on Silicon (Si) substrate by using low-pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD) technique where iron (Fe) and silver (Ag) colloidal solution act as a catalyst were prepared by chemical route. The as-prepared solutions in varied concentrations were deposited on a Si substrate using a spin coating process at 700[Formula: see text]rpm. The purpose of Fe in composite catalysts is to have high carbon solubility and diffusion rate, and Ag utilization can change catalyst activity temperature and enhance carbon yields. In this work, we demonstrate the growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on different catalyst concentrations ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag), ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag), ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) and ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) catalytic films. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) was used to image the morphologies of various catalyst concentrations MWCNTs. The natures of the synthesized CNTs were determined using Raman spectroscopy and it was revealed that as-prepared CNTs are MWCNTs due to the absence of radial breathing mode (RBM). Raman spectroscopy demonstrated the lower ID/IG ratio (Ratio of the intensity of D-Raman peak and G-Raman peak) of ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) MWCNTs. The ID/IG ratio for ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) catalyzed MWCNTs was 0.76, while the ID/IG ratio for ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) catalyzed MWCNTs was 0.89. The ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) catalyzed MWCNTs were found to be more defective as compared to other. Electron Emission from ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) catalyzed MWCNTs were much stronger than from other samples, as demonstrated by Field Emission measurement using diode configuration. The turn-on field for ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) catalyzed MWCNTs was (0.92 V/[Formula: see text]m) which is slightly lower than that of ([Formula: see text]Fe/[Formula: see text]Ag) catalyzed MWCNTs (1.83 V/[Formula: see text]m), indicating superior enhancement.
Average degree matrix and average degree energy
Authors: Sujatha H. S.
Published: April 2022

If [Formula: see text] is a simple graph on [Formula: see text] vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] be the degree of [Formula: see text]th vertex [Formula: see text] then the average degree matrix of graph [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is of order [Formula: see text] whose [Formula: see text]th entry is [Formula: see text] if the vertices [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] are adjacent and zero otherwise. The average degree energy of [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text] is the sum of all absolute value of eigenvalues of average degree matrix of a graph [Formula: see text]. In this paper, bounds for average degree energy [Formula: see text] and the relation between average degree energy [Formula: see text] and energy [Formula: see text] is discussed.
The extended graph of a module over a commutative ring
Authors: Babaei S. , Sengelen Sevim E.
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we associate a simple graph to a module over a commutative ring and call it extended graph, that adjacent condition depends on the properties of annihilator submodules. We determine the structure of modules, when the associated graph is star or complete. Moreover, we look for relationships between the extended graph and the zero-divisor graph of modules.
Reachability problems in interval-constrained and cardinality-constrained graphs
Authors: Velasquez Alvaro , Subramani K. , Wojciechowski Piotr
Published: April 2022

In this paper, we present two new graph structures that can be used to model information routing in heterogeneous communication networks. These are cardinality-constrained graphs (CCGs) and interval-constrained graphs (ICGs). In both cardinality- and interval-constrained graphs, the nodes in the graph are labeled. In a CCG, each label is associated with an upper bound. A path in a CCG is considered valid, if the number of nodes on the path with any particular label is at most the upper bound associated with that label. In an ICG, each label is associated with both an upper bound and a lower bound. A path in an ICG is considered valid, if the number of nodes on the path with any particular label is between the upper and lower bounds associated with that label. In this paper, we examine the computational complexities of finding valid paths in both CCGs and ICGs. In particular, we show that these problems are NP-hard. Additionally, we propose novel algorithms for finding paths in CCGs and a subset of ICGs. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of our algorithms on CCGs and ICGs of various sizes. The past decade has seen a surge in the degree of hardware-heterogeneous device interconnectivity, Additionally, there has been a proliferation of resource-constrained wireless sensor networks. Thus, the problems of finding valid paths in CCGs and ICGs are of interest. Nodes in wireless sensor networks can be faulty, vulnerable, energy-constrained, or untrusted. These nodes may also have differing degrees of performance or power efficiency. This can pose a significant challenge in routing the flow of information between nodes. The heterogeneity of nodes in such networks is captured through the use of CCGs and ICGs.
Construction of transformer substation fault knowledge graph based on a depth learning algorithm
Authors: Zhu Deliang , Zeng Weihua , Su Jianming
Published: April 2022

A knowledge graph is a visual method that can display the information contained in the knowledge points, core structure, and comprehensive knowledge structure technology. In recent years, with the innovation of science and technology, the business field became keen on knowledge graphs and the graphical display method. However, the application of knowledge graphs in the business field is mainly limited to search engines, question, and answer systems because of the technical difficulties of knowledge extraction and knowledge graph drawing of unstructured text, especially the knowledge extraction of amorphous culture. It can provide knowledgeable service to users by analyzing the knowledge entity contained in encyclopedia knowledge or knowledge base. This paper will focus on the critical link of knowledge extraction of the knowledge graph, adopt a depth learning algorithm to solve this urgent problem and combine with the application of knowledge graph in substation fault to analyze the construction process of substation fault knowledge map based on AI.
Towards a Truly Integrated Vector Processing Unit for Memory-bound Applications Based on a Cost-competitive Computational SRAM Design Solution
Authors: Kooli Maha , Heraud Antoine , Charles Henri-Pierre , Giraud Bastien , Gauchi Roman , Ezzadeen Mona , Mambu Kevin , Egloff Valentin , Noel Jean-Philippe
Published: April 2022

This article presents Computational SRAM (C-SRAM) solution combining In- and Near-Memory Computing approaches. It allows performing arithmetic, logic, and complex memory operations inside or next to the memory without transferring data over the system bus, leading to significant energy reduction. Operations are performed on large vectors of data occupying the entire physical row of C-SRAM array, leading to high performance gains. We introduce the C-SRAM solution in this article as an integrated vector processing unit to be used by a scalar processor as an energy-efficient and high performing co-processor. We detail the C-SRAM system design on different levels: (i) circuit design and silicon proof of concept, (ii) system interface and instruction set architecture, and (iii) high-level software programming and simulation. Experimental results on two complete memory-bound applications, AES and MobileNetV2, show that the C-SRAM implementation achieves up to 70× timing speedup and 37× energy reduction compared to scalar architecture, and up to 17× timing speedup and 5× energy reduction compared to SIMD architecture.
StrokeStyles: Stroke-based Segmentation and Stylization of Fonts
Authors: Berio Daniel , Leymarie Frederic Fol , Asente Paul , Echevarria Jose
Published: April 2022

We develop a method to automatically segment a font’s glyphs into a set of overlapping and intersecting strokes with the aim of generating artistic stylizations. The segmentation method relies on a geometric analysis of the glyph’s outline, its interior, and the surrounding areas and is grounded in perceptually informed principles and measures. Our method does not require training data or templates and applies to glyphs in a large variety of input languages, writing systems, and styles. It uses the medial axis, curvilinear shape features that specify convex and concave outline parts, links that connect concavities, and seven junction types. We show that the resulting decomposition in strokes can be used to create variations, stylizations, and animations in different artistic or design-oriented styles while remaining recognizably similar to the input font.
On Finding Rank Regret Representatives
Authors: Asudeh Abolfazl , Das Gautam , Jagadish H. V. , Lu Shangqi , Nazi Azade , Tao Yufei , Zhang Nan , Zhao Jianwen
Published: April 2022

Selecting the best items in a dataset is a common task in data exploration. However, the concept of “best” lies in the eyes of the beholder: Different users may consider different attributes more important and, hence, arrive at different rankings. Nevertheless, one can remove “dominated” items and create a “representative” subset of the data, comprising the “best items” in it. A Pareto-optimal representative is guaranteed to contain the best item of each possible ranking, but it can be a large portion of data. A much smaller representative can be found if we relax the requirement of including the best item for each user and instead just limit the users’ “regret.” Existing work defines regret as the loss in score by limiting consideration to the representative instead of the full dataset, for any chosen ranking function.

However, the score is often not a meaningful number, and users may not understand its absolute value. Sometimes small ranges in score can include large fractions of the dataset. In contrast, users do understand the notion of rank ordering. Therefore, we consider items’ positions in the ranked list in defining the regret and propose the
rank-regret representative
as the minimal subset of the data containing at least one of the top-
k
of any possible ranking function. This problem is polynomial time solvable in two-dimensional space but is NP-hard on three or more dimensions. We design a suite of algorithms to fulfill different purposes, such as whether relaxation is permitted on
k
, the result size, or both, whether a distribution is known, whether theoretical guarantees or practical efficiency is important, and so on. Experiments on real datasets demonstrate that we can efficiently find small subsets with small rank-regrets.
A Survey on Empirical Security Analysis of Access-control Systems: A Real-world Perspective
Authors: Parkinson Simon , Khan Saad
Published: April 2022

There any many different access-control systems, yet a commonality is that they provide flexible mechanisms to enforce different access levels. Their importance in organisations to adequately restrict resources, coupled with their use in a dynamic environment, mandates the need to routinely perform policy analysis. The aim of performing analysis is often to identify potential problematic permissions, which have the potential to be exploited and could result in data theft and unintended modification. There is a vast body of published literature on analysing access-control systems, yet as performing analysis has a strong end-user motivation and is grounded in security challenges faced in real-world systems, it is important to understand how research is developing, what are the common themes of interest, and to identify key challenges that should be addressed in future work. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no survey has been performed to gain an understanding of empirical access-control analysis, focussing on how techniques are evaluated and how they align to the needs of real-world analysis tasks. This article provides a systematic literature review, identifying and summarising key works. Key findings are identified and discussed as areas of future work.
Functional Characterization of Genetic Variant Effects on Expression
Authors: Flynn Elise D. , Lappalainen Tuuli
Published: April 2022

Thousands of common genetic variants in the human population have been associated with disease risk and phenotypic variation by genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, the majority of GWAS variants fall into noncoding regions of the genome, complicating our understanding of their regulatory functions, and few molecular mechanisms of GWAS variant effects have been clearly elucidated. Here, we set out to review genetic variant effects, focusing on expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs), including their utility in interpreting GWAS variant mechanisms. We discuss the interrelated challenges and opportunities for eQTL analysis, covering determining causal variants, elucidating molecular mechanisms of action, and understanding context variability. Addressing these questions can enable better functional characterization of disease-associated loci and provide insights into fundamental biological questions of the noncoding genetic regulatory code and its control of gene expression.
Structural and Electrolyte Properties of Li18P6N16: A First-Principles Computational Study
Authors: Obeidat Abdalla , Al-Qawasmeh Ahmad , Atef Shukri Abdullah
Published: April 2022

In this work we report our First–Principles simulations results of the electrolyte properties of Li
18
P
6
N
16. The obtained simulations of the idealized electrolyte properties suggest that this material is promising solid electrolyte for usage in Li-Ion batteries having Li anode. The simulated crystal structure of this material is found to be in good agreement with experimental data. The phase transition of LiPN2 and Li7PN4 to Li
18
P
6
N
16 at high pressure has been validated through the simulations and found to be in consistent with experiment. The simulations of idealized interfaces with metallic Li anode demonstrate that studied material is likely to form a metastable interface with Li metal. The Li − ion migration analysis suggests that the Li ion migration is dominated with the vacancy migration mechanism which takes place along the c − axis only in Li
18
P
6
N
16. The calculated value of the Li − ion migration activation energy was found to be in good agreement with experiment suggesting that this material possess a promising Li ion conductivity.
A Tanks-in-Series Approach to Estimate Parameters for Lithium-Ion Battery Models
Authors: Kolluri Suryanarayana , Mittal Prateek , Subramaniam Akshay , Preger Yuliya , De Angelis Valerio , Ramadesigan Venkatasailanathan , Subramanian Venkat R.
Published: April 2022

Advanced Battery Management Systems (BMS) play a vital role in monitoring, predicting, and controlling the performance of lithium-ion batteries. BMS employing sophisticated electrochemical models can help increase battery cycle life and minimize charging time. However, in order to realize the full potential of electrochemical model-based BMS, it is critical to ensure accurate predictions and proper model parameterization. The accuracy of the predictions of an electrochemical model is dependent on the accuracy of its parameters, the values of which might change with battery cycling and aging. Parameter estimation for an electrochemical model is generally challenging due to the nonlinear nature and computational complexity of the model equations. To this end, this work utilizes the recently proposed Tanks-in-Series model for Li-ion batteries (J.Electrochem. Soc., 167, 013534 (2020)) to perform parameter estimation. The Tanks-in-Series approach allows for substantially faster parameter estimation compared to the original pseudo two-dimensional (p2D) model. The objective of this work is thus to demonstrate the gain in computational efficiency from the Tanks-in-Series approach. A sensitivity analysis of model parameters is also performed to benchmark the fidelity of the Tanks-in-Series model.
Educating with Captain America: metabolic and nutritional considerations
Authors: Price Ffion , Smith JohnEric W. , Brown Stanley P.
Published: April 2022

Captain America can bring more than entertainment value to the public. The pop icon can also be used effectively in the science classroom, encouraging students to more effectively learn the content. How Captain America uses nutrients and how often he eats are novel ways to communicate real science. The point is to make a connection using science to explain how the superhero can run faster, jump higher, or lift more than is humanly possible. In this way fun, teachable moments are available for the educator.
Measuring short-term changes in specific ventilation using dynamic specific ventilation imaging
Authors: Geier Eric T. , Prisk G. Kim , Sá Rui C.
Published: April 2022

Dynamic imaging providing maps of specific ventilation with a temporal resolution of ∼7 min with a spatial resolution of ∼1 cm3 using MRI was shown to be practical. The technique provides an ionizing radiation-free means of temporally following the spatial pattern of specific ventilation. Reanalysis of previously published data showed that the effects of inhaled methacholine and albuterol were largely complete at ∼22 min and ∼9 min, respectively after administration.