bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Research on Node Connection Scheme of a New Type of Steel-Concrete Composite Structure
Authors: Chen Hong , Luo Wei , Zhao Fengbing , Lu Wei , Peng Hao
Published: July 2021

Based on the research and exploration of the construction process of the steel reinforced concrete composite structure, this paper summarizes a set of systematic improvement methods for the design and construction of the section steel concrete composite structure. This method first improves the construction method of node connection. Splicing plates are staggered at the beam end to reduce the number of bolts. The BIM technology is employed to build a three-dimensional model to optimize the construction layout of the core area of the steel composite structure. In addition, the precise positioning of beams, columns, splicing plates, stiffeners, bolts, and welds can be obtained in advance. Therefore, the whole process of visualized construction can be realized to reduce construction cost and improve construction efficiency.
Study on the Influence of Reservoir Dispatch of the Upper Yangtze River on the Runoff Control
Authors: Bing Tang , WenChao Wang , Xiaozhi Fan
Published: July 2021

The reservoir group focusing on the Three Georges reservoir has been established in the upper Yangtze River, with a total regulation capacity of 51.5 billion m3. The reservoir group dispatch plays an important role in regulating the runoff. Economic activity in the Yangtze River estuary poses high requirements for water resources security. The water quality of main water supply reservoirs is influenced by the saltwater intrusion. The upstream reservoir group dispatch can enhance sea inlet runoff and mitigate saltwater intrusion hazard. In order to clarify the upstream reservoir group’s influence on the sea inlet water quantity in the Yangtze River estuary, the author designed three typical reservoir group dispatch scenarios to analyze flow rate change and different dispatch scenarios of Datong section. According to the findings, the upstream reservoir group dispatch is important to secure water quantity in the dry season. Through normal dispatch, the Three Georges reservoir can cut the days with a flow rate less than 100 million m3/s from 50.6 days to 8.8 days. In the special dry year, the sole emergency water supplement by the Yangtze River reservoir to the estuary will exert influence on the reservoir power generation. The joint operation of upstream reservoir group can basically eliminate such influence.
Bending moment analysis of super large ore carrier based on graphical interface development
Authors: Yongchao Liu , Xiuwen Liu , Xin Luan , Xingtao Xie
Published: July 2021

In order to improve the safety of shipping process, this paper designs a graphical user interface for calculating the static water bending moment of super large ore earner. Due to the complexity of the actual loading conditions, the long hull girder and the mobility and sinking of cargo, the irregular distribution of gravity and buoyancy along the direction of the captain of the VLCC is prominent. In the actual loading process of ships, compartment loading is adopted in many cases, and the position where the maximum shear force and bending moment appear is generally not in the corresponding position. Traditional ship strength analysis methods can be divided into two kinds. One is to establish the ship’s finite element model to calculate the ship’s strength. The other is to calculate the ship’s strength according to the simple beam bending theory. In this paper, a 360m VALE MAX ore carrier is taken as an example to calculate the local bending moment of the ship at a specific position by using QT software. Compared with the ship loading manual, the error of the program is small, and the program has guiding significance in the actual shipping process.
Model test study of bending moment and negative skin friction for batter rock-socketed piles under surface load
Authors: Wei Guo , Daokun Zhuang , Yuxiao Ren , Wenxi Cui , Changxi Yue , Changyi Yu
Published: July 2021

Batter rock-socketed piles (BRSP) foundation is one of common foundations, such as port engineering or cross-sea bridge, while there are few studies on negative skin friction for BRSP. A series of model tests are conducted to explore negative skin friction of BRSP which are embedded in thick soft clay. The effects of the inclined angle of piles and soil consolidation time to negative friction resistance and the bending moment of BRSP are analyzed. The test results show that: the development of negative friction and bending moment BRSP have pronounced time effect; the longer the consolidation time is, the slower the axial force and bending moment intensify. The ultimate pile shaft axial force and bending moment increases nonlinearly concerning the inclined angle of piles. And the “neutral point” position and peak point of bending moment is always located at 0.9~1.0 times soil depth.
Numerical Simulation And Monitoring Analysis Of Deep Foundation Pit In Shijiazhuang Area
Authors: Yu Zhang , Li Yu , Weichao Liu
Published: July 2021

The foundation pit engineering is a work with large amount of use and high difficulty coefficient. It is necessary to ensure the deformation of soil in the control range and the safety of the whole structure of the foundation pit. In this paper, the foundation pit support project in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province is taken as the research object, and the numerical analysis method is used to simulate the pile-anchor support in the First Section of the fourth section of the foundation pit. In this paper, the horizontal displacement value of deep foundation pit and the settlement value of the top edge of foundation pit are analyzed, It provides reference for future projects.
Dispersing Effect of Core Cross-linked Star Polycarboxylate Superplasticizers on the Cement Paste
Authors: Zhang Jinlong , Huang Furen , Chen Xiaolong , Zhong Kaihong , Xu Haijun
Published: July 2021

Researches on topological modification of polycarboxylate superplasticizers to improve the water-reducing or slump-retainning properties have been a hot topic in rencent years. Herein, a core crosslinked star polycarboxylate superplasticizers (SPCE) were synthesized by crosslinking the comb polycarboxylate superplasticizers (CPCE) in aqueous solution. Crosslinkers and spacing monomers were added into the polymerization to promote the formation of hydrophobic core. A larger molecular weight with 75% of yields of the SPCE were observed by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The dispersing effect of SPCE on the cement paste was then investigated by varying the dosage of crosslinkers and spacing monomers. It was found that the dispersing ability of SPCE became weakened compared to the CPCE. More of the crosslinkers led to smaller flow spread, as revealed by cement paste experiments. Introduction of the spacing monomers contributed to the formation of SPCE. However, the dispersing ability was also weakened. Best conversion efficiency and water-reducing ability was obtained when the molar ratio of crosslinker and spacing monomer to CPCE was set as 3:5:1.
The Study on Urban Landscape Suitability Index of Indigenous Arbors, Shrubs In Nanchang
Authors: Qin Xu
Published: July 2021

This paper through brainstorming, the Delphi method, and in-meeting & after-meeting method, screening out suitability evaluation indicators of indigenous arbors，shrubs plants for urban landscapes in Nanchang. It sets up the suitability evaluation indicator system of indigenous arbors, shrubs to urban landscapes in Nanchang. To improve bio-diversity in cities, we need to focus on indigenous plants in greening initiatives. In this study, the indigenous plants in Nanchang were investigated to analyze the current situations of indigenous plants in this region and their application in urban greening in Nanchang. The problems in using indigenous plants for greening in Nanchang City were analyzed and corresponding suggestions were made.
The Study on Urban Landscape Suitability Index of Indigenous Vines In Nanchang
Authors: Qin Xu
Published: July 2021

This paper through brainstorming, the Delphi method, and in-meeting & after-meeting method, screening out suitability evaluation indicators of indigenous vines for urban landscapes in Nanchang. It sets up the suitability evaluation indicator system of indigenous vines to urban landscapes in Nanchang. The suitability index of 41 kinds of indigenous vines in Nanchang was calculated. Besides, 24 kinds of indigenous vines with a comprehensive score of more than 60 which were recommended by Nanchang were put forward. With these efforts, this paper can provide sufficient basis for the application of indigenous plants in vertical greening in Nanchang.
The Comparative Analysis of the Styles of Christian Churches in Modern Mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong
Authors: Li Xinyu , Tang Jian
Published: July 2021

Chinese Christian (Catholic) architecture is not only an important type of religious architecture, but also an important witness of cultural exchanges between China and the West. This article comprehensively summarizes the architectural styles of Christian (Catholic) churches in modern mainland China, Macau and Hong Kong, and compares the differences in the main styles of their churches horizontally. Based on the data results, a comprehensive analysis of various factors such as age, region, religion, and society is carried out to further explore the reasons for the differences in the architectural styles of Christian churches in the three regions, and discover the historical and religious significance of the Christian churches in modern China.
Expressway traffic risk intelligent early warning method based on Bayesian network
Authors: Kuntao Lai
Published: July 2021

Expressway traffic hazards often evolve into traffic accidents. Because of the potential traffic risks and system complexity, it is difficult to deal with the real-time expressway traffic risk early warning problem by relying solely on the experience of decision makers and scattered monitoring data. Therefore, it is necessary to study the theory and method of expressway traffic risk early warning by means of data-driven decision-making approach, that is, relying on traffic big data technology to construct a holographic view of expressway traffic status for decision makers, excavating the anomalies hidden behind the data sources, and characterizing traffic accidents. This article focuses on expressway traffic risk intelligent early assessment, using the MATLAB toolbox BNT to establish a Bayesian network for expressway traffic for assessing the risk, discussing the validity and interpretability of the model. The accuracy of the training set and test set is about 0.8902 and 0.8874, respectively, which verifies the model is acceptable and valid. The innovation of this paper is to deal with the problem of expressway traffic risk early warning based on the data-driven perspective, and focuses on the interpretability of the model, giving the expressway decision makers adequate warning information.
Design of three-dimensional visualization indoor navigation system in smart city construction
Authors: Guo Chunlei , Liu Cuizhi , Wei Erhu
Published: July 2021

In recent years, smart city has attracted more and more attention because of its high intelligence and informatization. In the future, smart community, smart parking lot and smart exhibition hall will enter people's life. In these smart services, indoor navigation and positioning technology is the basic technology. High precision indoor and outdoor seamless positioning technology plays a vital role in people's future life, is the science and technology source power to promote public innovation and entrepreneurship, and is an important part of supporting the national strategic needs. At present, indoor navigation is still facing challenges such as high cost, poor adaptability and poor endurance. In this paper, combined with threedimensional( 3D) visualization technology, indoor navigation is designed and applied. The results show that the indoor navigation system combines indoor positioning and artificial intelligence to achieve multichannel positioning and reduce power consumption, which can be widely used in the construction of smart city and bring convenience to people's life.
Optimization of Performance Evaluation of Urban Road Pavement
Authors: Zhang Ziyi , Sun Yu , Xu Han , Zhu Qiyun
Published: July 2021

In recent years, urbanization has developed rapidly, and urban road play a vital role as the premise. Due to the good effectiveness of asphalt pavement, which is more popular in urban road, and road maintenance demands are also increasing. In order to make the maintenance work appropriate, accurate pavement performance evaluation is the premise. This paper collects the data of a road pavement condition in Shanghai and calculates the sub-indexes of each section. We use the entropy weight method to obtain the influence degree of each sub-index. Then we use the revised set pair analysis to construct the comprehensive performance evaluation model of urban road pavement. The analysis shows that compared with the standard method and the set pair analysis, the revised model is more objective, in line with the actual use of the road.
A grey-forecasting based multiple linear regression model for planning nursing homes
Authors: Xu Tianyi , Li Sheng
Published: July 2021

With the increasing demand for elderly care institutions in society, the issue of elderly care has become a serious social problem and a widely publicised livelihood issue. In order to actively respond to the trend of a deeply ageing population, the infrastructure of urban elderly care services is being strengthened. Led by relevant government departments, many scholars are exploring a model suitable for the development of elderly care in China, taking into account the experience of elderly care services at home and abroad. This paper proposes a universal planning model for elderly institutions based on multivariate integer linearity, introducing the zoning method and grey forecasting. It solves the problem of deciding the number of elderly institutions to be built in each district of a particular city in the government's future planning. Using Nanjing as an example, the model is then substituted with data from the Nanjing Rating Standards for Nursing Homes (for Trial Implementation) to obtain a table of construction plans for various types of nursing homes in five major stages during the period 2021-2035 and a map of the recommended distribution of nursing homes. The model simplifies complex calculations by transforming multivariate non-linear problems into linear ones. The simulation results have been proved to be practical and universal. The research results of the thesis can provide a theoretical basis and decision-making reference for the construction projects of elderly institutions and other functional infrastructures where the population gathers, which is conducive to the promotion of urbanisation and pulling economic growth, and provides material guarantee for the improvement of people's living standards..
Hot metal flow characteristics and its contribution to hearth erosion in the early stage of blast furnace campaign
Authors: Zhang Lei , Zhang Jianliang , Jiao Kexin , Zhang Xiaoke , Duan Sijia , Wu Xian , Wang Jiacheng
Published: July 2021

Hot metal circulation is one of the most important factors for hearth erosion. In this article, both the production conditions reflected by production parameters and the actual erosion state are considered. A series of cases are set up to analyze the hot metal flow characteristics and its contribution to hearth erosion. The main results are as follow: (1) There are two asymmetric high-speed bands existed on both side of the taphole, which is caused by the inner shape of blast furnace hearth and will cause the erosion of blast furnace hearth. (2) The velocity inside the deadman has an obvious decrease from top to middle part and then keeps almost stable, especially at the edge of deadman. It is caused by the inhibition effect of molten iron flow around deadman, and may result in a slower update rate of deadman in the lower part as well as an increase of carbon unsaturation in the molten iron. (3) The velocity of line 4–5# around the bottom increases with the increasing of daily output, and decreases with the increasing of the depth of salamander. Therefore, in the early stage of the blast furnace campaign, a production process with high utilization factor will increase hearth erosion. (4) The inner shape of hearth and the distance between sidewall and deadman are the main factors affecting the flow rate of molten iron.
CIRP Secretion during Cardiopulmonary Bypass Is Associated with Increased Risk of Postoperative Acute Kidney Injury
Authors: Liu Wenyan , Yan Yang , Han Dan , Li Yongxin , Wang Qian , Li Jing , Liu Fengfeng , Zheng Xinglong
Published: July 2021

Background Systemic inflammation contributes to cardiac surgery–associated acute kidney injury (AKI). Cardiomyocytes and other organs experience hypothermia and hypoxia during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), which induces the secretion of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP). Extracellular CIRP may induce a proinflammatory response.

Materials and Methods The serum CIRP levels in 76 patients before and after cardiac surgery were determined to analyze the correlation between CIRP levels and CPB time. The risk factors for AKI after cardiac surgery and the in-hospital outcomes were also analyzed.

Results The difference in the levels of CIRP (ΔCIRP) after and before surgery in patients who experienced cardioplegic arrest (CA) was 26-fold higher than those who did not, and 2.7-fold of those who experienced CPB without CA. The ΔCIRP levels were positively correlated with CPB time (r = 0.574, p < 0.001) and cross-clamp time (r = 0.54, p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis indicated that ΔCIRP (odds ratio: 1.003; 95% confidence interval: 1.000–1.006; p = 0.027) was an independent risk factor for postoperative AKI. Patients who underwent aortic dissection surgery had higher levels of CIRP and higher incidence of AKI than other patients. The incidence of AKI and duration of mechanical ventilation in patients whose serum CIRP levels more than 405 pg/mL were significantly higher than those less than 405 pg/mL (65.8 vs. 42.1%, p = 0.038; 23.1 ± 18.2 vs. 13.8 ± 9.2 hours, p = 0.007).

Conclusion A large amount of CIRP was released during cardiac surgery. The secreted CIRP was associated with the increased risk of AKI after cardiac surgery.
Insights into Nonalcoholic Fatty-Liver Disease Heterogeneity
Authors: Arrese Marco , Arab Juan P. , Barrera Francisco , Kaufmann Benedikt , Valenti Luca , Feldstein Ariel E.
Published: July 2021

The acronym nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD) groups a heterogeneous patient population. Although in many patients the primary driver is metabolic dysfunction, a complex and dynamic interaction of different factors (i.e., sex, presence of one or more genetic variants, coexistence of different comorbidities, diverse microbiota composition, and various degrees of alcohol consumption among others) takes place to determine disease subphenotypes with distinct natural history and prognosis and, eventually, different response to therapy. This review aims to address this topic through the analysis of existing data on the differential contribution of known factors to the pathogenesis and clinical expression of NAFLD, thus determining the different clinical subphenotypes observed in practice. To improve our understanding of NAFLD heterogeneity and the dominant drivers of disease in patient subgroups would predictably impact on the development of more precision-targeted therapies for NAFLD.
Brakeman or booster? Presidents, ideological polarization, reciprocity, and the politics of US arms control
Authors: Böller Florian
Published: July 2021

US arms control policies have shifted frequently in the last 60 years, ranging from the role of a ‘brakeman’ regarding international arms control, to the role of a ‘booster,’ initiating new agreements. My article analyzes the conditions that contribute to this mixed pattern. A crisp-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) evaluates 24 cases of US decisions on international arms control treaties (1963–2021). The analysis reveals that the strength of conservative treaty skeptics in the Senate, in conjunction with other factors, has contributed to the demise of arms control policies since the end of the Cold War. A brief study of the Trump administration’s arms control policies provides case-sensitive insights to corroborate the conditions identified by the QCA. The findings suggest that conservative treaty skeptics contested the bipartisan consensus and thus impaired the ability of the USA to perform its leadership role within the international arms control regime.
Pullback attractors for 2D MHD equations with delays
Authors: Song Xiaoya , Xiong Yangmin
Published: July 2021

The aim of this paper is to consider the asymptotic dynamics of solutions to 2D MHD equations when the external forces contain some hereditary characteristics. First, we establish, respectively, the well-posedness of strong solutions and weak solutions; then, the process Ũ(⋅,⋅) generated by the weak solutions is constructed in MH2(=H×LH2); and finally, we analyze the long-time behavior of the weak solutions by proving the existence of a compact pullback attractor.
Upgrade of vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy system on J-TEXT tokamak
Authors: Zhang X. Y. , Qing W. J. , Zhang X. L. , Jiao S. D. , Li Q. , Ding Y. H. , Wang L. , Cheng Z. F. ,   J-TEXT Team
Published: July 2021

The vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) spectroscopy system on the Joint Texas Experimental Tokamak has been upgraded to achieve fast acquisition for the study of impurity transport in transient modulated experiments. In this upgrade, the previous high-energy charge-coupled device detector was replaced by a microchannel plate with a CsI-coated photocathode and P43 phosphor to transform the VUV light to visible light, which is then acquired by a high-speed electron-multiplying charge-coupled device. Two-stage focusing was achieved using a reference slit plate illuminated successively by a green light source and the Lyman series hydrogen spectral lines from the vacuum-conditioning plasma. The spatial resolution was evaluated as ∼4 mm based on the level of image blurring from the alignment plate. A response time of ∼2 ms was obtained with the ten-vertical-track setup.
Optimal size design of Fabry–Pérot sound absorbers based on the loss equation
Authors: Xie Guolin , Wang Xiaopeng
Published: July 2021

Aiming at the problem of the need for trial-and-error in the design of the size of Fabry–Pérot (F–P) resonant absorbers, we start from the sound absorption caused by loss and propose a design method to accurately obtain the optimal size of F–P tubes with circular and rectangular cross sections. An innovative loss equation is constructed, which relates the F–P tube's critical loss to the transmission loss of sound waves in the tube. By solving the loss equation, the size of the F–P tube required for perfect sound absorption can be obtained. This method avoids the need for experiments or simulations to find the optimal size, and it is simple, fast, and accurate. Single-frequency perfect sound-absorbing metasurfaces of circular and rectangular cross sections were designed using this method. The performances of these metasurfaces were verified using theoretical, numerical, and experimental models. The three resulting sound absorption coefficient curves had good consistency and achieved perfect sound absorption at the target frequency. The feasibility and accuracy of the design method were established. The essence of the loss equation is to find the size of the F–P tube corresponding to the “zero” point on the real-frequency axis of the complex-frequency plane. The work in this paper is of guiding significance for determining the sizes of F–P tubes.
Existence of electron–hole charge puddles and the observation of strong universal conductance fluctuations in a 3D topological insulator
Authors: Mallick Debarghya , Mandal Shoubhik , Ganesan R. , Anil Kumar P. S.
Published: July 2021

Phase-coherent transport manifests itself in various quantum phenomena. Universal conductance fluctuations (UCF) are one of them. Here, we report the detailed study of dephasing of electronic wavefunction by analyzing UCF and weak antilocalization in a device, made by exfoliation from a bulk insulating topological insulator single crystal (Bi1Sb1Te1.5Se1.5). From the parallel magnetic field measurement, we proved that the quantum phenomena in our sample are caused by surface Dirac electrons. Our sample showed very slow dephasing of electronic wavefunction, which has rarely been observed in topological insulator materials. This kind of dephasing indicates the presence of electron–hole charge puddles in our system. The RMS amplitude of the UCF is also surprisingly higher (13 e2h) than the universal value of the conductance fluctuation (e2h) and the fluctuations persist in our sample until the temperature as high as 20 K and above. We also show that the shape of the flake has a significant impact on the prefactor, α, of the Hikami–Larkin–Nagaoka equation. Moreover, the formation of Aharonov–Bohm loops of different areas is responsible for UCF. By analyzing the fast Fourier transform of the UCF data, we have obtained these Aharonov–Bohm loops which are contributing to the UCF.
A perspective on deep neural network-based detection for multilayer magnetic recording
Authors: Aboutaleb Ahmed , Sayyafan Amirhossein , Sivakumar Krishnamoorthy , Belzer Benjamin , Greaves Simon , Chan Kheong Sann , Wood Roger
Published: July 2021

This paper describes challenges, solutions, and prospects for data recovery in multilayer magnetic recording (MLMR)—the vertical stacking of magnetic media layers to increase information storage density. To this end, the channel model for MLMR is discussed. Data recovery is described in terms of the readback stage followed by equalization and then detection. We illustrate how deep neural networks (DNNs) can be used to design systems for equalization and detection for MLMR. We show that such DNN-based systems outperform the conventional baseline and provide a good trade-off between complexity and performance. To achieve additional density gains, several prospective methods are discussed. On a physical level, the selective reading of tracks on different layers can be achieved by resonant reading. Resonant reading promises reduced interference from different layers, enabling higher storage densities. Regarding the signal processing, DNNs can be used to estimate the media noise and iteratively exchange soft-bit information with the decoder. Also, to ameliorate partial erasures, an auto-encoder-based system is proposed as a modulation coding scheme.
High-resolution planar electron beam induced current in bulk diodes using high-energy electrons
Authors: Warecki Zoey , Allerman Andrew A. , Armstrong Andrew M. , Talin A. Alec , Cumings John
Published: July 2021

Understanding the impact of high-energy electron radiation on device characteristics remains critical for the expanding use of semiconductor electronics in space-borne applications and other radiation harsh environments. Here, we report on in situ measurements of high-energy electron radiation effects on the hole diffusion length in low threading dislocation density homoepitaxial bulk n-GaN Schottky diodes using electron beam induced current (EBIC) in high-voltage scanning electron microscopy mode. Despite the large interaction volume in this system, quantitative EBIC imaging is possible due to the sustained collimation of the incident electron beam. This approach enables direct measurement of electron radiation effects without having to thin the specimen. Using a combination of experimental EBIC measurements and Monte Carlo simulations of electron trajectories, we determine a hole diffusion length of 264 ± 11 nm for n-GaN. Irradiation with 200 kV electron beam with an accumulated dose of 24 × 1016 electrons cm−2 led to an approximate 35% decrease in the minority carrier diffusion length.
Rapid frontal polymerization achieved with thermally conductive metal strips
Authors: Gao Yuan , Shaon Fahima , Kumar Aditya , Bynum Samuel , Gary Daniel , Sharp David , Pojman John A. , Geubelle Philippe H.
Published: July 2021

Frontal polymerization, which involves a self-propagating polymerizing reaction front, has been considered as a rapid, energy-efficient, and environmentally friendly methodology to manufacture lightweight, high-performance thermoset polymers, and composites. Previous work has reported that the introduction of thermally conductive elements can enhance the front velocity. As follow-up research, the present work investigates this problem more systemically using both numerical and experimental approaches by investigating the front shape, front width, and heat exchange when aluminum and cooper metal strips are embedded in the resin. The study reveals that the enhancement in the front velocity is mainly due to a preheating effect associated with the conductive element. Moreover, the numerical parametric study for the system size shows that the front speed increases as the system size decreases, ultimately approaching a prediction provided by a homogenized model for polymer–metal composites.
Fabrication of a silicon μDicer for uniform microdissection of tissue samples
Authors: Cordts Seth C. , Castaño Nicolas , Koppaka Saisneha , Tang Sindy K. Y.
Published: July 2021

Generating uniform tissue microfragments is important in many applications, including disease diagnostics, drug screening, spatial-omics, and fundamental wound healing and tissue regeneration studies. Common mechanical dissection methods, such as manual mincing, are imprecise and result in fragments with a broad range in size. This work aims to develop a microscale dicing device, referred to as the “μDicer,” consisting of a hollow array of blades spaced hundreds of micrometers apart. A tissue pushed through this array is diced into many microfragments simultaneously. The focus of this paper is on the fabrication process of the μDicer using a combination of isotropic and anisotropic etching in silicon. A single silicon oxide etch mask is used in a dry silicon etcher for both a tapered etch to form the microblades, and an anisotropic etch to form the through-holes in the hollow blade array. The use of a single mask reduces the mask fabrication time by more than twofold compared with two-mask approaches often used to generate similar etch features. The etch parameters and the design of the etch mask control the blade angles and the edge profiles of the blades. Specifically, the incorporation of “notches” in the two-dimensional mask design generates three-dimensional microserrated features on the blade edges. A custom, open-source etching model is also developed to facilitate the prediction of the etch profiles. Finally, a proof-of-concept application of the μDicer to dissect soft materials and tissues is demonstrated.
Numerical investigation of truncated-root rib on heat transfer performance of internal cooling turbine blades
Authors: Dinh C. T. , Nguyen T. M. , Vu T. D. , Park S. G. , Nguyen Q. H.
Published: July 2021

Due to the great heat obtained from the combustion chamber, the turbine blades of a jet engine always operate at high temperatures. Therefore, to minimize the temperature of the turbine rotor and stator blades, the internal cooling system was developed. The original rib called the squared-rib has been developed as a turbulence generator to enhance heat transfer ability. This technique is to cast ribs in the serpentine passage inside the turbine blades. By this technique, the vortex exists in the rear rib region that causes a low heat transfer zone. In this investigation, a new rib configuration called the truncated-root rib was designed to reduce the squared-rib disadvantage. The configuration of the truncated-root rib forms a small extra-passage into which the coolant passes through and the vortex is comparatively removed. To investigate the heat transfer performance and fluid flow characteristic of the internal cooling turbine blades, a parametric study of the truncated-root rib with the height and shapes of the extra-passage was performed using three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations with the shear stress transport turbulence model. The numerical results showed that all the heat transfer performance of the truncated-root rib configuration is greater than that of the squared-rib. The Nusselt number in the case of the truncated-root rib increases by 8.56% with the Reynolds number of 37 392, and the thermal performance is 39.24% higher than that of the original shape in the case with Reynolds number 53 697.
Extending the source–sink potential method to include electron–nucleus coupling
Authors: Giguère Alexandre , Ernzerhof Matthias
Published: July 2021

The source–sink potential (SSP) method provides a simple tool for the qualitative analysis of the conductance of molecular electronic devices, and often analytical expressions for the conductance can be obtained. Here, we extend the SSP approach to account for decoherent, inelastic electron transport by including the non-adiabatic coupling between the electrons and the nuclei in the molecule. This coupling results in contributions to electron transport that can modify the qualitative structure–conductance relationships that we unraveled previously with SSP. In the approach proposed, electron–nucleus interactions are treated starting from the harmonic approximation for the nuclei, using a non-perturbative approach to account for the non-adiabatic coupling. Our method qualitatively describes experimentally observed phenomena and allows for a simple analysis that often provides analytical formulas in terms of the physical parameters of the junction, e.g., vibrational energies, non-adiabatic coupling, and molecule–contact coupling.
Breed-adjusted genomic relationship matrices as a method to account for population stratification in multibreed populations of tropically adapted beef heifers
Authors: Warburton Christie L. , Costilla Roy , Engle Bailey N. , Corbet Nicholas J. , Allen Jack M. , Fordyce Geoffry , McGowan Michael R. , Burns Brian M. , Hayes Ben J.
Published: July 2021

Context Beef cattle breeds in Australia can broadly be broken up into two subspecies, namely, Bos indicus and Bos taurus. Due to the time since divergence between the subspecies, it is likely that mutations affecting quantitative traits have developed independently in each. Aims We hypothesise that this will affect the prediction accuracy of genomic selection of admixed and composite populations that include both ancestral subspecies. Our study investigates methods to quantify population stratification in a multibreed population of tropically adapted heifers, with the aim of improving prediction accuracy of genomic selection for reproductive maturity score. Methods We used genotypes and reproductive maturity phenotypes from 3695 tropically adapted heifers from three purebred populations, namely, Brahman, Santa Gertrudis and Droughtmaster. Two of these breeds, Santa Gertrudis and Droughtmaster, are stabilised composites of varying B. indicus × B. taurus ancestry, and the third breed, Brahman, has predominately B. indicus ancestry. Genotypes were imputed to three marker-panel densities and population stratification was accounted for in genomic relationship matrices by using breed-specific allele frequencies when calculating the genomic relationships among animals. Prediction accuracy and bias were determined using a five-fold cross validation of randomly selected multibreed cohorts. Key Results Our results showed that the use of breed-adjusted genomic relationship matrices did not improve either prediction accuracy or bias for a lowly heritable trait such as reproductive maturity score. However, using breed-adjusted genomic relationship matrices allowed the capture of a higher proportion of additive genetic effects when estimating variance components. Conclusions These findings suggest that, despite seeing no improvement in prediction accuracy, it may still be beneficial to use breed-adjusted genomic relationship matrices in multibreed populations to improve the estimation of variance components. Implications As such, genomic evaluations using breed-adjusted genomic relationship matrices may be beneficial in multibreed populations.
Implementation strategies to overcome barriers to diabetes-related footcare delivery in primary care: a qualitative study
Authors: Mullan Leanne , Wynter Karen , Driscoll Andrea , Rasmussen Bodil
Published: July 2021

The aim of this study is to identify, from the perspectives of key health policy decision-makers, strategies that address barriers to diabetes-related footcare delivery in primary care, and outline key elements required to support implementation into clinical practice. The study utilised a qualitative design with inductive analysis approach. Seven key health policy decisions-makers within Australia were interviewed. Practical strategies identified to support provision and delivery of foot care in primary care were: (a) building on current incentivisation structures through quality improvement projects; (b) enhancing education and community awareness; (c) greater utilisation and provision of resources and support systems; and (d) development of collaborative models of care and referral pathways. Key elements reported to support effective implementation of footcare strategies included developing and implementing strategies based on co-design, consultation, collaboration, consolidation and co-commissioning. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first Australian study to obtain information from key health policy decision-makers, identifying strategies to support footcare delivery in primary care. Implementation of preventative diabetes-related footcare strategies into ‘routine’ primary care clinical practice requires multiparty co-design, consultation, consolidation, collaboration and co-commissioning. The basis of strategy development will influence implementation success and thus improve outcomes for people living with diabetes.
Tensor-tensor algebra for optimal representation and compression of multiway data
Authors: Kilmer Misha E. , Horesh Lior , Avron Haim , Newman Elizabeth
Published: July 2021

Significance

Many real-world data are inherently multidimensional; however, often data are processed as two-dimensional arrays (matrices), even if the data are naturally represented in higher dimension. The common practice of matricizing high-dimensional data is due to the ubiquitousness and strong theoretical foundations of matrix algebra. Various tensor-based approximations have been proposed to exploit high-dimensional correlations. While these high-dimensional techniques have been effective in many applications, none have been theoretically proven to outperform matricization generically. In this study, we propose matrix-mimetic, tensor-algebraic formulations to preserve and process data in its native, multidimensional format. For a general family of tensor algebras we prove the superiority of optimal truncated tensor representations to traditional matrix-based representations with implications for other related tensorial frameworks.
Drugs repurposed for COVID-19 by virtual screening of 6,218 drugs and cell-based assay
Authors: Jang Woo Dae , Jeon Sangeun , Kim Seungtaek , Lee Sang Yup
Published: July 2021

Significance

Recent spread of SARS-CoV-2 has sparked significant health concerns of emerging infectious viruses. Drug repurposing is a tangible strategy for developing antiviral agents within a short period. In general, drug repurposing starts with virtual screening of approved drugs employing docking simulations. However, the actual hit rate is low, and most of the predicted compounds are false positives. To tackle the challenges, we report advanced virtual screening with pre- and postdocking pharmacophore filtering of 6,218 drugs for COVID-19. Notably, 7 out of 38 compounds showed efficacies in inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 in Vero cells. Three of these were also found to inhibit SARS-CoV-2 in human Calu-3 cells. Furthermore, three drug combinations showed strong synergistic effects in SARS-CoV-2 inhibition at their clinically achievable concentrations.
Pain and itch processing by subpopulations of molecularly diverse spinal and trigeminal projection neurons
Authors: Wercberger Racheli , Braz Joao M. , Weinrich Jarret A. , Basbaum Allan I.
Published: July 2021

Significance

To generate modality-specific percepts (e.g., pain vs. itch), the brain must interpret the activity that arises from the output cells (projection neurons) of the dorsal horn of the spinal cord, which receive and then transmit pain- or itch-provoking stimuli. However, neither the extent to which projection neurons relay modality-specific messages nor the molecular makeup of these neurons is clear. Here, we report that the projection neurons are, in fact, diverse, not only molecularly but also functionally. By focusing on genes expressed by projection neurons within the neurokinin-1 receptor (NK1R) and non–NK1R-expressing populations, we also demonstrate considerable functional heterogeneity among these subsets, including nociceptive (pain)-specific, pruriceptive (itch)-specific, and polymodal (both pain and itch) subsets of projection neurons.
Design and proof of concept for targeted phage-based COVID-19 vaccination strategies with a streamlined cold-free supply chain
Authors: Staquicini Daniela I. , Tang Fenny H. F. , Markosian Christopher , Yao Virginia J. , Staquicini Fernanda I. , Dodero-Rojas Esteban , Contessoto Vinícius G. , Davis Deodate , O’Brien Paul , Habib Nazia , Smith Tracey L. , Bruiners Natalie , Sidman Richard L. , Gennaro Maria L. , Lattime Edmund C. , Libutti Steven K. , Whitford Paul C. , Burley Stephen K. , Onuchic José N. , Arap Wadih , Pasqualini Renata
Published: July 2021

Significance

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact. Although several vaccines have received emergency use authorization, demand has created enormous logistical challenges—including supply, access, and distribution—that justify research for alternative strategies. Phage are viruses that only infect bacteria and can be safely administered to humans. Here, as a proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate that aerosol vaccination with lung-targeted phage particles displaying short SARS-CoV-2 S protein epitopes and subcutaneous vaccination with targeted AAVP particles carrying the entire S protein gene both elicit systemic and specific immune responses in immunocompetent mice. Given their unique attributes, including sturdiness, simple-to-engineer platform, cost-effectiveness for rapid large-scale production, and stability at room temperature, these phage-based approaches may become attractive tools for COVID-19 vaccine development.
Discursive ripple effects in language policy and practice
Authors: Ou Wanyu Amy , Gu Mingyue Michelle , Hult Francis M.
Published: July 2021

The advancement of English as an instrument for the internationalization of higher education has foregrounded English as an academic lingua franca (EALF), and the case of China is no exception. This study focuses on the process by which EALF has been interpreted and negotiated across university policies and local practices in China’s internationalized higher education. Drawing upon nexus analysis and multisource data, the study traced the discursive (re)location of EALF across different scales of social activity related to multilingualism at an English-medium transnational university in China. Our analysis illustrates the tension between English and other co-existing languages, as presented in educational language policies and as perceived and practiced by multilingual students in the local communicative context. The findings also show an interactive policymaking process through which students and university administrators opened ideological and implementational spaces that linguistically and semiotically pluralized communicative scenarios at the internationalized university in focus.
Catalytically inactive, purified RNase H1: A specific and sensitive probe for RNA–DNA hybrid imaging
Authors: Crossley Magdalena P. , Brickner Joshua R. , Song Chenlin , Zar Su Mon Thin , Maw Su S. , Chédin Frédéric , Tsai Miaw-Sheue , Cimprich Karlene A.
Published: July 2021

R-loops are three-stranded nucleic acid structures with both physiological and pathological roles in cells. R-loop imaging generally relies on detection of the RNA–DNA hybrid component of these structures using the S9.6 antibody. We show that the use of this antibody for imaging can be problematic because it readily binds to double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in vitro and in vivo, giving rise to nonspecific signal. In contrast, purified, catalytically inactive human RNase H1 tagged with GFP (GFP-dRNH1) is a more specific reagent for imaging RNA–DNA hybrids. GFP-dRNH1 binds strongly to RNA–DNA hybrids but not to dsRNA oligonucleotides in fixed human cells and is not susceptible to binding endogenous RNA. Furthermore, we demonstrate that purified GFP-dRNH1 can be applied to fixed cells to detect hybrids after their induction, thereby bypassing the need for cell line engineering. GFP-dRNH1 therefore promises to be a versatile tool for imaging and quantifying RNA–DNA hybrids under a wide range of conditions.
ICRF modelling in 2D and 3D magnetic configurations using a hot plasma model
Authors: Machielsen M , Graves J P , Cooper W A
Published: July 2021

The generation of energetic trapped ions is important for experiments investigating their confinement in 3D magnetic fields, for plasma heating, for studies into unwanted drive of instabilities, and improved transport regimes. An effective way to generate such energetic ions is with ion cyclotron resonance heating. SCENIC is a tool built to self consistently model the magnetic equilibrium, the radio frequency wave, and the minority distribution function in steady state. In this paper the impact of higher order finite Larmor radius corrections in the dielectric tensor will be described. The RF electric field and the power deposition in the new hot model are compared against the previously used warm model for several JET plasmas. Considerable differences are found in some of the scenarios. The new version of the wave code LEMan also supports the direct use of particle-in-cell marker data to compute the dielectric tensor. An expression for the dielectric tensor is derived, and it is applied to a test case in JET. The power deposition profile agrees very well with that of a Maxwellian reference case, which is promising for future applications. Moreover, a full SCENIC run shows a significantly enhanced fast ion tail. In a demonstration of the novel features of LEMan, it is also applied to minority heating in the intrinsically 3D plasma of W7-X.
Gilbert damping in the layered antiferromagnet CrCl3
Authors: Mi Xinlin , Wang Ledong , Zhang Qi , Sun Yitong , Tian Yufeng , Yan Shishen , Bai Lihui
Published: July 2021

We theoretically and experimentally studied the Gilbert damping evolution of both acoustic and optical magnetic resonance modes in the layered flake CrCl3 with an external magnetic field H applied in plane. Based on a Lagrangian equation and a Rayleigh dissipation function, we predicted that the resonance linewidth ΔH as a function of microwave frequency ω is nonlinear for both acoustic and optical modes in the CrCl3 flake, which is significantly different from the linear relationship of ΔH ∝ ω in ferromagnets. Measuring the microwave transmission through the CrCl3 flake, we obtained the ω–H dispersion and damping evolution ΔH–ω for both acoustic and optical modes. Combining both our theoretical prediction and experimental observations, we concluded that the nonlinear damping evolution ΔH–ω is a consequence of the interlayer interaction during the antiferromagnetic resonance, and the interlayer Gilbert dissipation plays an important role in the nonlinear damping evolution because of the asymmetry of the non-collinear magnetizaiton between layers.