bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mathematical modelling and experimental validation of a hybrid clutch combined with two modes: hydraulic and electrorheological fluid modes
Authors: Musiałek I , Kesy Z , Kesy A , Kim G W , Choi S B
Published: October 2020

The paper presents a mathematical modelling of a combined hydraulic clutch consisting of a hydrodynamic clutch and viscous clutches operating with electrorheological fluid and validates the mathematical model via an experimental evaluation. An electric field is generated in some of the clutches consisting in the combined hydraulic clutch, and it influences the electrorheological working fluid to alter characteristics of the clutch. The mathematical model formulated in this work, which is intended for analysis of different design solutions, is verified on the basis of the results achieved from bench testing. Based on the assessment of modelling errors, it is confirmed that the formulated mathematical model can be successfully employed in building clutches of this type applicable to torque transmission system.
Quantum proportional-integral (PI) control
Authors: Chen Hui , Li Hanhan , Motzoi Felix , Martin Leigh , Whaley K Birgitta , Sarovar Mohan
Published: October 2020

Feedback control is an essential component of many modern technologies and provides a key capability for emergent quantum technologies. We extend existing approaches of direct feedback control in which the controller applies a function directly proportional to the output signal (P feedback), to strategies in which feedback determined by an integrated output signal (I feedback), and to strategies in which feedback consists of a combination of P and I terms. The latter quantum PI feedback constitutes the analog of the widely used proportional-integral feedback of classical control. All of these strategies are experimentally feasible and require no complex state estimation. We apply the resulting formalism to two canonical quantum feedback control problems, namely, generation of an entangled state of two remote qubits, and stabilization of a harmonic oscillator under thermal noise under conditions of arbitrary measurement efficiency. These two problems allow analysis of the relative benefits of P, I, and PI feedback control. We find that for the two-qubit remote entanglement generation the best strategy can be a combined PI strategy when the measurement efficiency is less than one. In contrast, for harmonic state stabilization we find that P feedback shows the best performance when actuation of both position and momentum feedback is possible, while when only actuation of position is available, I feedback consistently shows the best performance, although feedback delay is shown to improve the performance of a P strategy here.
Dissolution of donor-vacancy clusters in heavily doped n-type germanium
Authors: Prucnal Slawomir , Liedke Maciej O , Wang Xiaoshuang , Butterling Maik , Posselt Matthias , Knoch Joachim , Windgassen Horst , Hirschmann Eric , Berencén Yonder , Rebohle Lars , Wang Mao , Napolitani Enrico , Frigerio Jacopo , Ballabio Andrea , Isella Giovani , Hübner René , Wagner Andreas , Bracht Hartmut , Helm Manfred , Zhou Shengqiang
Published: October 2020

The n-type doping of Ge is a self-limiting process due to the formation of vacancy-donor complexes (D
n
V with n ⩽ 4) that deactivate the donors. This work unambiguously demonstrates that the dissolution of the dominating P4V clusters in heavily phosphorus-doped Ge epilayers can be achieved by millisecond-flash lamp annealing at about 1050 K. The P4V cluster dissolution increases the carrier concentration by more than three-fold together with a suppression of phosphorus diffusion. Electrochemical capacitance–voltage measurements in conjunction with secondary ion mass spectrometry, positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy and theoretical calculations enabled us to address and understand a fundamental problem that has hindered so far the full integration of Ge with complementary-metal-oxide-semiconductor technology.
Inherent uncertainty disguises attribution of reduced atmospheric CO2 growth to CO2 emission reductions for up to a decade
Authors: Spring Aaron , Ilyina Tatiana , Marotzke Jochem
Published: October 2020

The growth rate of atmospheric CO2 on inter-annual time scales is largely controlled by the response of the land and ocean carbon sinks to climate variability. Therefore, the effect of CO2 emission reductions to achieve the Paris Agreement on atmospheric CO2 concentrations may be disguised by internal variability, and the attribution of a reduction in atmospheric CO2 growth rate to CO2 emission reductions induced by a policy change is unclear for the near term. We use 100 single-model simulations and interpret CO2 emission reductions starting in 2020 as a policy change from scenario Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) 4.5 to 2.6 in a comprehensive causal theory framework. Five-year CO2 concentration trends grow stronger in 2021–2025 after CO2 emission reductions than over 2016–2020 in 30% of all realizations in RCP2.6 compared to 52% in RCP4.5 without CO2 emission reductions. This implies that CO2 emission reductions are sufficient by 42%, necessary by 31% and both necessary and sufficient by 22% to cause reduced atmospheric CO2 trends. In the near term, these probabilities are far from certain. Certainty implying sufficient or necessary causation is only reached after, respectively, ten and sixteen years. Assessments of the efficacy of CO2 emission reductions in the near term are incomplete without quantitatively considering internal variability.
Repeated differentiation suppresses superoscillations
Authors: Berry M V
Published: October 2020

Two mathematical phenomena with applications in physics are: superoscillations, in which band-limited functions oscillate more rapidly than their fastest Fourier component; and the transformation of almost any smooth function into a monochromatic oscillation under repeated differentiation. These are opposite phenomena, and one mutates into the other, i.e. superoscillations are destroyed, as the number of derivatives increases. This behaviour is explained, and illustrated with an example.
Experimental study on the Solidification of silt by composite curing agent with fiber
Authors: Li Ding-ding , Zhou Xiao-guo , Mo Jian-bing
Published: October 2020

The influence of jute fiber and polyvinyl alcohol on the solidified silt was analyzed through the unconfined compressive strength test. The results showed that the addition of jute fiber and polyvinyl alcohol could not only improve the strength of the solidified silt, but also significantly improve the residual strength of the solidified soil. With the addition of fiber, the compressive strength of solidified soil increases first and then decreases with the increase of fiber content, and the optimal fiber content is 0.3%. The addition of PVA makes the compressive strength of solidified soil increase with the increase of fiber, and when the PVA content is 0.8%, the strength of solidified soil increases most obviously. Under the action of composite curing agent, the strength of solidified soil increases rapidly in the 1d-7d age, but decreases slowly in the 7d-14d age.
Evaluation Method of Highway Safety Maintenance Based on the Two-Dimensional Cloud Model Considering Equilibrium
Authors: Wang Jing-Chun , Zhang Xing-Xuan
Published: October 2020

In recent years, the total length of highways in service has been continuously increasing, and the demand for highway transportation has also increased. The damages and defects of highway and its supporting facilities with aging have serious effects on operation efficiency and driving safety. This paper studied the evaluation method of highway safety maintenance to assess the safety condition of highway and its supporting facilities. Firstly, an evaluation index system of highway safety maintenance was established from two major aspects: road structure and environment conditions, safety protection and management conditions. Secondly, the impact of discrete degree of index scores on the evaluation result of cloud model was analyzed, and then the equilibrium fine-tuning factor was proposed to improve the weighted mode between weights and scores. Based on the two-dimensional cloud model, a general process of safety evaluation considering the equilibrium fine-tuning factor was thus developed, and a cloud similarity algorithm based on the membership degree method was also proposed. Finally, a numerical study was carried out to validate the proposed model, and the sensitivity analysis of equilibrium significance α was conducted. The results showed that the impact of equilibrium fine-tuning factor on the comprehensive evaluation result is unneglectable, and the proposed method conforms to the reality of safety evaluation better, which can be applied in the highway safety maintenance evaluation for future reference.
Dynamic characteristics of external luminance of highway tunnel in cold area
Authors: Wang Yansong , Zhao Yuguo , Quan Qunshan , Cao Zhengmao
Published: October 2020

The external luminance of highway tunnels in cold areas is a key parameter for the lighting design of the tunnel entrance section. Due to the influence of the tunnel portal form, tunnel orientation, solar radiation intensity and solar irradiation angle, the external luminance of the tunnel varies with different seasons and different times. At present, there are relatively few studies on the time-varying characteristics of the external luminance of highway tunnels in cold areas. Relying on the Wunvfeng extra-long tunnel, combined with different tunnel opening orientations, the changes in the luminance of the tunnel exterior with time under several typical weather conditions are analyzed. The dynamic characteristics of the external luminance outside the tunnel in the cold area was obtained, which provide more detailed and reliable data for tunnel design. It has reference value for the lighting design and operation control of the entrance section of the tunnel and the design of light reduction outside the tunnel.
Multiple Classifier of Traffic Accident Based on Matter-Element Analysis
Authors: Sun Chao , Quan Wei
Published: October 2020

The paper establishes a new multiple classifier for grading the traffic accident based on the Hard Decision Model and the parallel topological structure. Logistic Regression, decision tree(DT) and BP Neural Network are selected as the base classifiers and matter-element analysis is employed as the fusion algorithm to improve the traditional topological structure. Matter-Element analysis has potential to increase the objectivity and dynamic in the criterion setting of the multiple classifier by combining the confidence coefficient of the base classification results. The accuracies of different base classifiers are used for weight factors calculation instead of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) or the fuzzy synthetic evaluation (FSE) to avoid the influence of human factors. 200 recordings of the traffic accident are selected as a case study for methodology verification. The results show that compared with the base classifiers, the capacity to identify the class of traffic accident can be strengthened apparently by the multiple classifier based on confidence coefficient and Matter-Element Analysis Meanwhile, this classifier provides the best opportunity to avoid many bad conditions of single model, such as overfitting and under-fitting.
Construction and Operation of Logistics Parks: Insights from Bremen’s Experience
Authors: Wenwen Jiao , Shuo Su , Dachuan Ding
Published: October 2020

Logistics parks have made tremendous contributions not only to freight industry but also to the urban development and social benefits. We took German logistics and logistics parks as an illustration. Firstly, we introduced the definition and the status quo of German logistics and logistics parks, especially the development characteristics of the Bremen logistics park. Then we summarized both domestic and international theoretical researches on the relationship between government and logistics parks. By reviewing the practice of logistics parks in China, we pointed out the challenges and existing problems based on the actual situation of logistics development in China. At last, we put forward the relevant suggestions, which are beneficial to the development of logistics parks in China.
Dispatching and Scheduling of the Lock Chamber of Three Gorges Lock
Authors: Qiangqiang Qi , Yu Zhang , Shuo Zhang
Published: October 2020

In order to maximize the navigation capacity of the Three Gorges and relieve the backlog of vessels, considering the regulation of navigation and the attributes of vessels of Three Gorges Hub, the concept of priority ship collection is introduced and the priority of dispatching is determined. Taking the utilization ratio of lock chamber and the mean latency of vessels at lockage as optimization target, an optimal scheduling algorithm for Three Gorge Lock chamber scheduling is proposed, which integrates two-dimensional strip packing heuristic algorithm and genetic algorithm. The proposed algorithm is tested on the vessels downlink data of Three Gorges Lock in August 2016 then compared with the manual arrangement strategy. The results show that the proposed algorithm has better performance in utilization ratio of lock chamber and the mean latency of vessels at lockage. The proposed algorithm can improve the carrying capacity of the Three Gorges ship lock to a certain extent.
Finite Element Analysis and optimization of a three-storey Parking Garage
Authors: Kesheng Zuo , Bin Gu , Shunan Hu , Jiefu Wang , Jin Wang
Published: October 2020

Finite element analysis is one crucial means to evaluate and optimize the stability and safety of a three-storey parking garage. The geometric model of a three-storey parking garage was built with CATIA. A finite element model was set up by HyperMesh for static strength analysis in Abaqus. It is essential to consider some key factors such as simplification of mesh model, boundary conditions, weight and loads. The strength of the parking garage under full-load was analyzed. Finally, the frame structure of the parking garage was improved based on the result of simulation.
Pricing strategy of NVOCC considering paying freight in advance
Authors: Geng Yong , Lin Qin , Chai Qingchun
Published: October 2020

In recent years, with the increasingly fierce competition, non-vessel operating common carriers (NVOCCs) often pay freight for some small and medium-sized shippers in advance to win more customers. Therefore, NVOCC, whose main source of profit is freight difference, will adjust the freight rate to balance the risk-benefit relationship in the business process. Based on the above business process, this paper establishes the two-sided market pricing model, analyzing the pricing strategy of NVOCC. We find that there is a positive relationship between the capacity utilization and the optimal freight rate and profit of NVOCC; there is a threshold point for the incentive degree of the paid freight in advance by NVOCC to the small and medium-sized shippers: when the incentive degree is higher than the threshold point, the NVOCC obtains the maximum profit by paying freight for some small and medium-sized shippers in advance.
Special Investigation and Countermeasure Suggestions on Electric Vehicle out-of-control Accidents
Authors: Zhang Chao , Gong Biao , He Hong-wen , Li Yi
Published: October 2020

The number of electric vehicles keeps increasing, and security problems are becoming increasingly prominent. Through in-depth investigations of electric vehicle traffic accidents, the characteristics and laws of typical out-of-control accidents of electric vehicles are found, and the internal and external factors and mechanisms of such accidents are analysed. By summarising typical cases, pointing out the current problems in the investigation of electric vehicle accidents, it puts forward essential investigation items, investigation methods and new technical identification schemes for electric vehicles. The study fills the gap of the lack of special investigation and identification methods for electric vehicle out-of-control accidents and helps to identify the causes of electric vehicle out-of-control accidents.
Optimization of tunnel construction parameters in soft rock section with high geostress
Authors: Li Changjiang , Zhang Yutong , Liu Chengming , Song Hengxiang , Li Ke
Published: October 2020

Large deformation and even collapse are prone to occur in tunnel crossing high geostress soft rock section, which seriously restricts the construction progress. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the construction parameters of high geostress soft rock section by bench method. Based on the Wu Nv Feng extra-long tunnel, this paper calculates and analyzes the surrounding rock deformation and structural stress under different excavation height, excavation length and excavation footage. The analysis shows that 2 / 3 h upper bench height can balance the influence of bench height on construction mechanics and construction convenience; considering the construction mechanical characteristics and excavation support time, the excavation height and excavation footage should be reduced as much as possible. Reasonable bench parameters play an important role in controlling the deformation of soft rock tunnel under high geostress, which can provide reference for tunnels with similar engineering geology and construction environment.
Analysis and Optimization of automotive seat structure based on finite element method
Authors: Dongliang Geng , Fengling Gao , Xiaobing Bu , Bayi Yu , Tang Yan , Yuan Wu
Published: October 2020

According to the rigid design standard of automotive seat frame structure, the strength and stiffness of a vehicle seat is analyzed and optimized in this paper. The finite element analysis results show that the initial design of the seat can basically meet the stiffness requirements under most standard test conditions. However, in the front crash test condition, there is a risk of strength failure in the seat rail. Therefore, it is necessary to optimize the structure. Based on the engineering experience, local characteristics of the seat rail is modified. After conducting simulation of the improved seat structure, it is demonstrated that the seat meets all the design requirements of stiffness and strength.
The Theoretical Research on Modelling Method for the Grid Information Model of Substation
Authors: Wang Qi-xin , Zhou Qiu-peng , Zhou Li , Tang Xue-jun , Ke Fang-chao , Sang Zi-xia
Published: October 2020

On the basis of analyzing the logical structure of grid information model (GIM), a modeling method of GIM using the set theory is proposed for the substations. By studying the coupling principle of power flow and information flow, the GIM was defined as the interconnection between the set of physical objects and the set of information objects. Then, the GIM was decomposed into the power subsystem and load subsystem, which were described from the aspects of input, output, state changes and network structure. Under the constraints of the existing power grid network, subsystems were connected in accordance with rules from different perspectives to form the complete GIM system.
Research status of transportation field based on keyword co-occurrence analysis
Authors: Chun-xiao Zheng , Yao Lin , Yang Wang , Ya-fei Yan , Xiao He , Ya-juan Zhao
Published: October 2020

Transportation is the leading and basic industry in the national economy. It is an indispensable and irreplaceable part of social production and living organization system. The macro analysis of the literature in the field of transportation can provide a new perspective for researchers and managers. This paper uses vosviewer software, based on the keyword co-occurrence relationship of literature, to cluster the conference documents published by the Transportation Research Board of the United States from 2015 to 2019, and analyze in detail eight key areas, including aviation, highway, marine transportation, motor carriers, pedestrians and bicyclists, pipelines, public transportation and railroads. The above analysis reveals the research status of the whole and 8 key sub fields in the field of transportation, so as to provide support for science and technology planning and decision-making in the field of transportation.
Optimization of Railway Express Freight Trains Operation Plan under the Competition of Highway and Railway
Authors: Liu Chang
Published: October 2020

In recent years, China’s economy has developed rapidly, especially in the Internet industry and e-commerce. These have led to the rapid growth of the express industry. The express delivery industry has a huge demand for transportation. However, due to the speed and convenience of highway, the highway transportation occupies a large market share. Due to relevant policies and the inadequate transportation capacity resource allocation, a large number of medium and long-distance freight flows that are suitable for railway transportation choose highway transportation. This not only greatly reduces the profits of the railway transportation department, increases the carbon emission of the transportation system, but also makes the load of some road sections higher than expected. Therefore, in order to protect the environment and enhance the market competitiveness of the railway department, the optimization of the railway express freight train schedule is an urgent task.

On the basis of previous research results, this paper first calculates the generalized cost of highway and railway from the perspective of the cargo owner, and finds out whether the cargo owner will choose railway, that is, which freight flow will be attracted to the railway. Then, with the maximization of the profits of the railway department as the objective function, the 0-1 integer programming model is established under the constraints of railway transportation capacity, freight transportation time and decision variable value restrictions, etc. Finally, a small-scale example is designed. After put the data into the model, the optimized operation plan of railway express freight trains is obtained.
Analysis and Prospect of the current Development of China’s transportation industry: Based on the evaluation index system of transportation power
Authors: Zhang Xinxin
Published: October 2020

The transportation industry is the country’s basic industry, in 2019, the State Council first proposed the transportation power development program. This paper introduces the background and current development of China’s transportation industry, focusing on the evaluation index system of traffic strength, analyzes the current situation of China’s transportation industry. The overall situation is large but not strong, and there is a certain gap compared with developed countries. Finally, the development trend of the transportation industry is prospected.
Study on the Optimization of Air-rail Intermodal Network Layout in The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region under the Background of Xiong’an New Area
Authors: Qianli Zhang , Jie Ouyang , Rui Shang
Published: October 2020

The construction and integration of infrastructure is the hardware foundation for the air-rail intermodal system. The overall structural characteristics and traffic radiation range of The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Regional railway network were analyzed with complex network theory. The railway structures including four major airports of The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region were analyzed. The corresponding optimization ideas are put forward based on the current railway network and existing planning.
Research on the Location selection of Logistics Transshipment Center base on “16+1 Cooperation”
Authors: Lingling Tang , Zhengying Luo
Published: October 2020

Since the launch of the “16+1 Cooperation”, political mutual trust between China and Central and Eastern Europe Countries (CEECs) has been increasing, and economic cooperation relationship has continued to advance. Aiming at the demand of international strategic development ‘going global’, this paper analyzes the development trend of logistics and establishes a mathematical model for location selection of the logistics transshipment center of Chinese enterprise based on the demand of cargos and the transportation distance. According to the total trade volume of the CEECs from 2013 to 2017, the paper introduces the Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (AFSA) to solve the model and finds the optimal logistics transshipment centers under different number of locations. The results show that AFSA is suitable for location selection of the logistics transshipment centers and can provide an important reference for China’s logistics enterprises.
Objective Framework Design for National Road Safety Strategic Plan
Authors: Gong Baiyan
Published: October 2020

It is important to formulate road safety strategic plan for improving road safety. The road safety strategic plans of several other countries in the world are studied in this paper. The differences between China’s road safety plan and other countries’ are obtained. We can design the objective framework of China’s road safety strategic plan from the perspective of technology, and put forward specific suggestions for formulating China’s road safety strategic plan.
Friction Stir Processing – A Review
Authors: Arun Premnath A. , Tamilarasan A. , Prasanth Kumar R.
Published: October 2020

Friction stir processing (FSP) is a solid state surface modification technique which is recently used to fabricate surface composites. Friction stir processing is an extension of friction stir welding which is developed by the welding institute of UK in 1991. In FSP a rotating tool consist of a pin and a shoulder is inserted into the material which is in the form of a sheet. The main advantages of FSP includes grain refinement and the uniform distribution of reinforcement particles that improves the mechanical and wear properties of the surface composites compared with the as cast alloys. In the review paper a detailed analysis was done on the mechanical and wear properties of the composites fabricated by FSP.
Review on road marking paint machine and material
Authors: Naidu Vyankatesh , Bhaiswar Vinod
Published: October 2020

Road marking plays important role is maintaining traffic and guiding drivers to drive vehicles in proper way. this paper summarizes the continuous analysis and research of road marking paint machine, road marking paint applicator and road marking paint materials. The paper includes review of advance technology used in detection of road marking and recognition of road marking as well. Various types of road marking materials such as retro-reflective thermoplastic paints, cold plastic paints, water based paints, glass on bead paints and primer. Different types of road marking paints have some similar and some different properties which can be used as per requirement of work.
Influence of nanoparticles on the characters of polymeric composites
Authors: Vinayagamoorthy R. , Subrahmanyam K. S. , Murali Krishna Murthy K. , Arun Prajwar K. , Gopinath P. , Sai Lahari M. , Pruthvi Rangan K.
Published: October 2020

The need of structural materials is inevitable for machineries, equipment’s and tools. These materials are mostly made up of metals and polymeric composites and with other materials in rare cases. Polymeric composites nowadays replace almost all materials due to its improved characters and reduced manufacturing costs. The characters of these polymeric composites are improved by reinforcing multiple fibers in it and thus enhances its suitability for different applications. Among the characters of a composites, weight reduction is a vital property that decides the usability of the material in high end applications like aircraft, robots etc. Weight of composites could be enhanced without losing its characters by reinforcing nanoparticles in different forms. Several nanomaterials have been utilized by researchers in various forms and they are proven to be the best in enhancing the characters of the composites. The present research gives a clear picture on the different challenges during the synthesis, fabrication and characterization of nanoparticles reinforced plastic composites.
Multi response Optimization of Welding Parameters in Dissimilar Plasma Arc Welded Joints Using RSM Based GRA Coupled with PCA
Authors: Palani K , Arunprasad S
Published: October 2020

The quality of the joints is essential to achieve customer satisfaction and earning profit in manufacturing industries. This work investigates the multi-response optimization of the plasma arc welded (PAW) process parameters of the dissimilar Ti-3Al-2.5V titanium alloy and AA8011-H24 aluminium alloy joints using RSM based GRA coupled with PCA. The principal component analysis is incorporated into the response surface methodology based grey relational analysis to achieve the optimum responses viz., tensile strength and tensile elongation with the welding parameters, viz., welding current, torch angle, gas flow rate and welding speed of the PAW joints. The response surface and contour plots are used to study the effect of parameters of the joints. The welding speed is the most significant parameter on the composite welding quality index (CWQI) followed by welding current, gas flow rate and torch angle to decide the quality of the joints at the optimal levels.
Electro-chemical corrosion Behavior of Vegetable oil-Based Engine oil
Authors: Ellappan R. , Arumugam S. , Santhanam V.
Published: October 2020

Progressive development of bio-lubricants is the need of the day for replacing petroleum-based lubricants in terms of dependency and degradation. Though the developed lubricants meeting out the properties of petroleum-based lubricants, the hygroscopic nature of the lubricants derived from vegetable oils are suspected to deteriorate the metal surfaces by corrosion. The vegetable oil-based engine oil was formulated via chemical alteration method. The mobility of ions is the key factor for electro-chemical corrosion. In this work we executed the corrosion study of engine oils on metallic coupons through electro-chemistry technique. therefore, vegetable oil-based engine oil and synthetic engine oil were tested in conductivity test using Galvanic cell. In this Galvanic cell, Tetra butyl ammonium perchlorate is used as a catalyst to enhance the mobility of ions in engine oils (electrolyte). The test coupons of ferrous and non-ferrous metal are considered as electrodes. The Tafel plot and impedance curve showed that the corrosion rate for the given current potential is not in the measurable range. Therefore, the electro-chemical corrosion study is not a suitable method to evaluate the corrosion rate of metals on viscous fluids like vegetable oil-based engine oil.
Friction Stir Welding and Friction Stir Processing of Dissimilar Alloys: A Review
Authors: Palani K , Elanchezhian C
Published: October 2020

The present work is focused on friction stir welding and friction stir processing of dissimilar alloys due to its emerging technique applied in the wide area of applications viz., aviation, ship building, defence industries etc. In recent years, the novel solid-state joining techniques viz., friction stir welding and friction stir processing are applied in joining of dissimilar alloys even though there is the difference in mechanical properties and chemical composition of the alloys. Due its eco-friendly, versatile and energy-efficient process, these are implemented to reduce the harmful effects and formation of defects in joining of dissimilar alloys compared to the fusion welding techniques. The specially designed non-consumable rotating tools are used in joining process by generating frictional heat between the tool surface and alloys to produce the sound welds. This work discusses the status, opportunities and challenges of above processes in joining of dissimilar alloys, viz., aluminium, steels, titanium etc.
Design and performance study of a gas-Cherenkov detector with an off-axis parabolic reflector for inertial confinement fusion experiments
Authors: SONG Zifeng , ZHU Bin , XIAO Yunqing , XU Tao , LIU Zhongjie , WU Yuchi , ZHAN Xiayu , YI Tao , CHEN Jiabin , TANG Qi
Published: October 2020

In this work, the gas-Cherenkov detector with an off-axis parabolic reflector (OprGCD) is designed using the Geant4 Monte Carlo simulation toolkit, which is helpful to improve the collection efficiency of Cherenkov photons. The method to study the performance of OprGCD based on femtosecond laser-wakefield-accelerated electron beams is presented. Cherenkov signals with high signal-to-noise ratio were obtained, and the measured Cherenkov signals changing with the CO2 pressure were consistent well with the simulation results. The design and study of this OprGCD system lay the foundation for the application of fusion gamma diagnostics system in large laser facilities of China.
First results of negative ion extraction with Cs for CRAFT prototype negative beam source
Authors: XIE Yahong , HU Chundong , WEI Jianglong , XU Yongjian , JIANG Caichao , GU Yuming , ZHAO Yuanzhe , LIANG Lizhen , XIE Yuanlai
Published: October 2020

In order to understand the physics and pre-study the engineering issues for radio frequency (RF) negative beam source, a prototype source with a single driver and three-electrode accelerator was developed. Recently, the beam source was tested on the RF source test facility with RF plasma generation, negative ion production and extraction. A magnetic filter system and a Cs injection system were employed to enhance the negative ion production. As a result, a long pulse of 105 s negative ion beam with current density of 153 A m−2 was repeatedly extracted successfully. The source pressure is 0.6 Pa and the ratio of co-extracted electron and negative ion current is around 0.3. The details of design and experimental results of beam source were shown in this letter.
Mortality Tracker: the COVID-19 case for real time web APIs as epidemiology commons
Authors: Almeida Jonas S , Shiels Meredith , Bhawsar Praphulla , Patel Bhaumik , Nemeth Erika , Moffitt Richard , Closas Montserrat Garcia , Freedman Neal , Berrington Amy
Published: October 2020

Motivation

Mortality Tracker is an in-browser application for data wrangling, analysis, dissemination and visualization of public time series of mortality in the United States. It was developed in response to requests by epidemiologists for portable real time assessment of the effect of COVID-19 on other causes of death and all-cause mortality. This is performed by comparing 2020 real time values with observations from the same week in the previous 5 years, and by enabling the extraction of temporal snapshots of mortality series that facilitate modeling the interdependence between its causes.

Results

Our solution employs a scalable ‘Data Commons at Web Scale’ approach that abstracts all stages of the data cycle as in-browser components. Specifically, the data wrangling computation, not just the orchestration of data retrieval, takes place in the browser, without any requirement to download or install software. This approach, where operations that would normally be computed server-side are mapped to in-browser SDKs, is sometimes loosely described as Web APIs, a designation adopted here.

Availabilityand implementation

https://episphere.github.io/mortalitytracker; webcast demo: youtu.be/ZsvCe7cZzLo.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Cortical Processing of Multimodal Sensory Learning in Human Neonates
Authors: Dall'Orso S , Fifer W P , Balsam P D , Brandon J , O’Keefe C , Poppe T , Vecchiato K , Edwards A D , Burdet E , Arichi T
Published: October 2020

Following birth, infants must immediately process and rapidly adapt to the array of unknown sensory experiences associated with their new ex-utero environment. However, although it is known that unimodal stimuli induce activity in the corresponding primary sensory cortices of the newborn brain, it is unclear how multimodal stimuli are processed and integrated across modalities. The latter is essential for learning and understanding environmental contingencies through encoding relationships between sensory experiences; and ultimately likely subserves development of life-long skills such as speech and language. Here, for the first time, we map the intracerebral processing which underlies auditory-sensorimotor classical conditioning in a group of 13 neonates (median gestational age at birth: 38 weeks + 4 days, range: 32 weeks + 2 days to 41 weeks + 6 days; median postmenstrual age at scan: 40 weeks + 5 days, range: 38 weeks + 3 days to 42 weeks + 1 days) with blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance (MR) compatible robotics. We demonstrate that classical conditioning can induce crossmodal changes within putative unimodal sensory cortex even in the absence of its archetypal substrate. Our results also suggest that multimodal learning is associated with network wide activity within the conditioned neural system. These findings suggest that in early life, external multimodal sensory stimulation and integration shapes activity in the developing cortex and may influence its associated functional network architecture.
Postnatal Development of Glutamate and GABA Transcript Expression in Monkey Visual, Parietal, and Prefrontal Cortices
Authors: Hoftman Gil D , Bazmi H Holly , Ciesielski Andrew J , Dinka Liban A , Chen Kehui , Lewis David A
Published: October 2020

Visuospatial working memory (vsWM) requires information transfer among multiple cortical regions, from primary visual (V1) to prefrontal (PFC) cortices. This information is conveyed via layer 3 glutamatergic neurons whose activity is regulated by gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic interneurons. In layer 3 of adult human neocortex, molecular markers of glutamate neurotransmission were lowest in V1 and highest in PFC, whereas GABA markers had the reverse pattern. Here, we asked if these opposite V1–visual association cortex (V2)–posterior parietal cortex (PPC)–PFC gradients across the vsWM network are present in layer 3 of monkey neocortex, when they are established during postnatal development, and if they are specific to this layer. We quantified transcript levels of glutamate and GABA markers in layers 3 and 6 of four vsWM cortical regions in a postnatal developmental series of 30 macaque monkeys. In adult monkeys, glutamate transcript levels in layer 3 increased across V1–V2–PPC–PFC regions, whereas GABA transcripts showed the opposite V1–V2–PPC–PFC gradient. Glutamate transcripts established adult-like expression patterns earlier during postnatal development than GABA transcripts. These V1–V2–PPC–PFC gradients and developmental patterns were less evident in layer 6. These findings demonstrate that expression of glutamate and GABA transcripts differs across cortical regions and layers during postnatal development, revealing potential molecular substrates for vsWM functional maturation.
Transition to Dolutegravir Is Associated With an Increase in the Rate of Body Mass Index Change in a Cohort of Virally Suppressed Adolescents
Authors: Thivalapill Neil , Simelane Tandzile , Mthethwa Nobuhle , Dlamini Sandile , Lukhele Bhekumusa , Okello Velephi , Kirchner H Lester , Mandalakas Anna M , Kay Alexander W
Published: October 2020

Background

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens that contain dolutegravir (DTG) have been associated with increases in body mass index (BMI) in adults. However, this relationship has not been well described in adolescents.

Methods

In a retrospective observational cohort of 460 virally suppressed (<200 copies/mL) adolescents living with human immunodeficiency virus at a clinical site in Eswatini, body mass index (BMI) measurements were analyzed between 1 year prior to the transition to DTG and up to 1 year after DTG transition. Random-effects linear spline models were used to describe the rate of change in BMI before and after the transition to DTG.

Results

In adolescents, BMI increased at a rate of 0.3 kg/m2 per year before DTG transition and increased to a rate of 1.2 kg/m2 per year after DTG transition. Sex of the adolescent modified the relationship between DTG and rate of BMI change: BMI rate of change after DTG transition was increased by 1.1 kg/m2 in females and 0.6 kg/m2 per year in males.

Conclusions

Transition to DTG in virally suppressed adolescents (aged 10–19 years) is associated with an increase in the rate of BMI change. Female adolescents may experience a larger change than males. Further investigation is required to elucidate the mechanism that underlies these observations and to assess how DTG impacts BMI in adolescents following longer durations of treatment.
Health equity funds as the pathway to universal coverage in Cambodia: care seeking and financial risk protection
Authors: Jithitikulchai Theepakorn , Feldhaus Isabelle , Bauhoff Sebastian , Nagpal Somil
Published: October 2020

Cambodia has developed the health equity fund (HEF) system to improve access to health services for the poor, and this strengthens the health system towards the universal health coverage goal. Given rising healthcare costs, Cambodia has introduced several innovations and accomplished considerable progress in improving access to health services and catastrophic health expenditures for the targeted population groups. Though this is improving in recent years, HEF households remain at the higher risk of catastrophic spending as measured by the higher share of HEF households with catastrophic health expenses being at 6.9% compared to the non-HEF households of 5.5% in 2017. Poverty targeting poses another challenge for the health system. Nevertheless, HEF appeared to be more significantly associated with decreased out-of-pocket expenditure per illness among those who sought care from public providers. Increasing population and cost coverages of the HEF and effectively attracting beneficiaries to the public sector will further enhance the financial protection and pave the pathway towards universal coverage. Our recommendations focus on leveraging the HEF experience for expanding coverage and increasing equitable access, as well as strengthening the quality of healthcare services.
Creating an appropriate access for endovascular repair by replacing a dissected femoral artery in aortic dissection
Authors: Kobayashi Kimihiro , Uchida Tetsuro , Yamashita Atsushi , Sadahiro Mitsuaki
Published: October 2020

Transfemoral endovascular repair has been widely accepted as an effective treatment for type B aortic dissection. However, if the dissection extends to the femoral artery, the transfemoral approach increases the risk of access complications. We describe a case of acute complicated type B aortic dissection involving the dissected bilateral femoral arteries. Successful endovascular repair without access complications was performed through an appropriate access route created by a femoral arterial conduit. We believe that this approach results in reliable cannulation of the true lumen and the reduction of the risk for intimal injury in aortic dissection with the dissected femoral artery.
Sepsis and the Microbiome: A Vicious Cycle
Authors: Miller William D , Keskey Robert , Alverdy John C
Published: October 2020

Sepsis has been characterized as a dysregulated host response to infection, and the role of the microbiome as a key influencer of this response is emerging. Disruption of the microbiome while treating sepsis with antibiotics can itself result in immune dysregulation. Alterations in the gut microbiome resulting from sepsis and its treatment have been implicated in organ dysfunction typical of sepsis across multiple tissues including the lung, kidney, and brain. Multiple microbiota-directed interventions are currently under investigation in the setting of sepsis, including fecal transplant, the administration of dietary fiber, and the use of antibiotic scavengers that attenuate the effects of antibiotics on the gut microbiota while allowing them to concentrate at the primary sites of infection. The emerging evidence shows that the gut microbiome interacts with various elements of the septic response, and provides yet another reason to consider the judicious use of antibiotics via antibiotic stewardship programs.
Validation of Indian Adaptation of Burn Outcomes Questionnaire—Hindi Version (I-BOQ-HV) for Pediatric Subgroup 5 to 18 Years
Authors: Arumugam Praveen Kumar , Thayal Piyush K
Published: October 2020

The American Burn Association/Shriners Hospitals for Children Burn Outcomes Questionnaire (BOQ) is burn-specific quality of life assessment questionnaire for children. In this study, we modified the questionnaire to suit the Indian population and also translated it to Hindi. Three questions were modified according to its Indian context. One new question was added to the “Transfers and mobility” domain; a new domain “Economic impact” with two questions was added to study the economic impact on families. Twenty-five patients of age 5 to 18 years were included in the study. The Indian adaptation of Burn Outcome Questionnaire—Hindi Version 5 to 18 years (I-BOQ-HV 5–18 years) was found to be feasible in the Indian population. The internal consistency of the modified scale was good with all except one domain with Cronbach’s alpha greater than 0.7. Test–retest reliability was done with intraclass correlation which was good, with values of greater than 0.7 for all domains. Pearson’s correlation coefficient showed good discriminant validity between the domains. Factor analysis using principle component analysis with orthogonal rotation resulted in 10 of the 12 components with good factor loadings. The I-BOQ-HV 5 to 18 years has been shown to reliably predict quality of life of children with burns in India.
Impact of Land Use Changes and Habitat Fragmentation on the Eco-epidemiology of Tick-Borne Diseases
Authors: Diuk-Wasser Maria A , VanAcker Meredith C , Fernandez Maria P
Published: October 2020

The incidence of tick-borne diseases has increased in recent decades and accounts for the majority of vector-borne disease cases in temperate areas of Europe, North America, and Asia. This emergence has been attributed to multiple and interactive drivers including changes in climate, land use, abundance of key hosts, and people’s behaviors affecting the probability of human exposure to infected ticks. In this forum paper, we focus on how land use changes have shaped the eco-epidemiology of Ixodes scapularis-borne pathogens, in particular the Lyme disease spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto in the eastern United States. We use this as a model system, addressing other tick-borne disease systems as needed to illustrate patterns or processes. We first examine how land use interacts with abiotic conditions (microclimate) and biotic factors (e.g., host community composition) to influence the enzootic hazard, measured as the density of host-seeking I. scapularis nymphs infected with B. burgdorferi s.s. We then review the evidence of how specific landscape configuration, in particular forest fragmentation, influences the enzootic hazard and disease risk across spatial scales and urbanization levels. We emphasize the need for a dynamic understanding of landscapes based on tick and pathogen host movement and habitat use in relation to human resource provisioning. We propose a coupled natural-human systems framework for tick-borne diseases that accounts for the multiple interactions, nonlinearities and feedbacks in the system and conclude with a call for standardization of methodology and terminology to help integrate studies conducted at multiple scales.