bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multicaloric effects in metamagnetic Heusler Ni-Mn-In under uniaxial stress and magnetic field
Authors: Gràcia-Condal Adrià , Gottschall Tino , Pfeuffer Lukas , Gutfleisch Oliver , Planes Antoni , Mañosa Lluís
Published: December 2020

The world's growing hunger for artificial cold, on the one hand, and the ever more stringent climate targets, on the other, pose an enormous challenge to mankind. Novel, efficient, and environmentally friendly refrigeration technologies based on solid-state refrigerants can offer a way out of the problems arising from climate-damaging substances used in conventional vapor-compressors. Multicaloric materials stand out because of their large temperature changes, which can be induced by the application of different external stimuli such as a magnetic, electric, or a mechanical field. Despite the high potential for applications and the interesting physics of this group of materials, few studies focus on their investigation by direct methods. In this paper, we report on the advanced characterization of all relevant physical quantities that determine the multicaloric effect of a Ni-Mn-In Heusler compound. We have used a purpose-designed calorimeter to determine the isothermal entropy and adiabatic temperature changes resulting from the combined action of magnetic field and uniaxial stress on this metamagnetic shape-memory alloy. From these results, we can conclude that the multicaloric response of this alloy by appropriate changes of uniaxial stress and magnetic field largely outperforms the caloric response of the alloy when subjected to only a single stimulus. We anticipate that our findings can be applied to other multicaloric materials, thus inspiring the development of refrigeration devices based on the multicaloric effect.
Ab initio methods for L-edge x-ray absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Kasper Joseph M. , Stetina Torin F. , Jenkins Andrew J. , Li Xiaosong
Published: December 2020

The theoretical prediction of x-ray absorption spectra (XAS) has become commonplace in electronic structure theory. The ability to better model and understand L-edge spectra is of great interest in the study of transition metal complexes and a wide variety of solid state materials. However, until recently few first-principles works have modeled L-edge XAS due to the presence of strong spin–orbit coupling in the 2p orbitals, which splits the observed peaks into multiple groups of features. Therefore, a proper description of spin–orbit coupling is vital for the successful prediction of L-edge spectra. A number of new approaches that incorporate spin–orbit coupling have recently made advances in the computation of L-edge spectra. In this review, we describe recent work in computational L-edge XAS and how these methods may continue to improve in the future. Comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the various approaches are considered, with special attention to not only the computational cost of the level of theory but also the various approaches that can be used to compute the absorption spectra with a large number of high energy excited states.
Vegetation change along a Mediterranean to arid zone bioclimatic gradient reveals scale-dependent ecotone patterning
Authors: Caddy-Retalic S. , Wardle G. M. , Leitch E. J. , McInerney F. A. , Lowe A. J.
Published: December 2020

The drivers and rate of vegetation change across spatial gradients can give critical insights into the compositional and structural change we can expect under climate change. Spatial ecotones are of particular interest as they represent heterogeneity in the patterning of vegetation that may reflect how temporal environmental change will manifest in more abrupt step changes in plant composition and/or structure. Another dimension of interest is the degree to which survey methodology impacts the detectability of thresholds in vegetation. We surveyed a Mediterranean to arid zone gradient in South Australia with nested and non-nested transect designs and related the observed vegetation change to soil, landscape and climate to determine the strongest environmental associations. Ordination, principal components analysis (PCA) and threshold indicator taxa analysis (TITAN) were used to detect potential ecotones associated with environmental thresholds. Results from the two transects were compared with test the effects of survey method and spatial sampling on pattern detection. Ordinations and regressions for both transects indicated vegetation changed linearly along the environmental gradient. Species richness and total cover increased with rainfall. Species turnover was very high, with low nestedness, indicating high susceptibility to environmental change. Climate is the major driver of broad-scale vegetation change on our gradient and at this scale vegetation trends are detectable with a range of survey methodologies. TITAN identification of a threshold within the shorter, nested transect (but not the longer transect which extended into the arid zone) indicated that survey methodology influences ecotone detectability, and that although smaller-scale vegetation disjunctions may be present, change spanning the entire mesic to arid zone is largely monotonic.
‘Feeding a cat that isn’t yours? Think again!’: an intervention protocol for reducing the feeding of free-roaming cats by residents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Authors: Davey Gareth , Zhao Xiang
Published: December 2020

Free-roaming cats negatively affect wildlife, human health, and society, and anthropogenic food sources partly maintain their populations. There is a dearth of theory-informed interventions to change people’s beliefs about feeding animals. Here, we outline a behavioural change intervention protocol to modify Malaysians’ key beliefs (i.e. the most influential beliefs) about feeding free-roaming cats. Our protocol serves as a novel, timely, and potentially valuable tool for addressing a significant conservation and societal issue. The Theory of Planned Behaviour is the theoretical framework of the intervention, underpinning its targets (i.e. behavioural beliefs, normative beliefs), content, delivery, and evaluation. The prescriptive intervention consists of one full-day workshop (duration=5h) with three sessions each attempting to alter one key belief using behavioural change strategies. A two-armed parallel-group prospective-cluster randomised controlled trial will be used to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention. The protocol can be easily delivered for the public and adapted for other types of locations, human–animal interactions, and contexts. It also complements animal management and policy change approaches.
Configuration of transition-metal atoms on iridium-doped graphene
Authors: Han Yan , Wan Jian-Guo , Wan Xiaodan , Chang Yuan , Liu Hongsheng , Gao Junfeng , Wang Guang-Hou
Published: December 2020

Our theoretical calculation and analysis show that the configuration of transition-metal (TM) atoms on iridium-doped graphene depends on the number of the d-state valence electrons of the TM atoms. TM atoms with three or less d-state valence electrons prefer to form a horizontal configuration and destroy the original C3v symmetry of the substrate. If there are more than three (but not five) d-state valence electrons in a TM atom, the TM atom selects the site just on the top of the iridium atoms and thus forms a vertical configuration, and the C3v symmetry of the iridium-doped graphene remains. For TM atoms with five d-state valence electrons and a closed s shell, the TM atoms and the iridium-doped graphene prefer to form an inclined configuration. The configuration regularity of the iridium-doped graphene-adsorbing TM atoms is attributed to the unique spin and orbital angular momentum of the electron in the iridium-doped graphene and the unique selection rule of the charge transfer under spin polarization.
Uniqueness and stability of activated dislocation shapes in crystals
Authors: Gröger Roman , Šremr Jiří , Vydrová Jana
Published: December 2020

Simplified models of thermally activated dislocation glide constitute an important link between atomic-level studies of isolated dislocations and macroscopic thermodynamic properties of materials. These models rest upon the activation enthalpy, which is the energy to transform an initially straight dislocation into its activated state at finite applied stresses. Minimizing this activation enthalpy leads to a boundary value problem for the shape of the dislocation line. Besides two constant solutions corresponding to a straight dislocation in its stable and unstable states at the applied stress, there exist an infinite number of non-constant solutions. We investigate the characters of these solutions for dislocations anchored at their ends. Using the second variation of the activation enthalpy, we derive a set of conditions that define a unique activated state of the dislocation. The corresponding analysis demonstrates that the shape of the dislocation in this activated state must change with the applied stress to maintain the state of minimum activation enthalpy.
Influence of transverse magnetic field on the properties of laser ablation produced nickel oxide nanoparticles
Authors: Safa Mina , Dorranian Davoud , Masoudi Amir Ali , Matin Laleh Farhang
Published: December 2020

Influence of transverse magnetic field on the nickel produced plasma plume and structural and optical properties of nickel oxide nanoparticles produced by pulsed laser ablation (PLA) method have been investigated experimentally. Ablation container was placed between the poles of permanent magnets. Strength of external magnetic field was controlled by the distance between magnets. The direction of the magnetic field was perpendicular to the direction of laser pulse propagation. 5 samples were synthesized in the presence of magnetic fields with different strengths in distilled water. Ablation was carried out by 1064 nm wavelength beam of pulsed Nd:YAG laser of 7 ns pulse width. Effects of external magnetic field on the properties of nickel oxide nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction patterns, field emission scanning electron microscope images, transmission electron microscope microimages, UV–Vis-NIR absorption spectra, dynamic light scattering patterns, FTIR and photoluminescence spectra. Furthermore, magnetic properties of synthesized nanoparticles were studied using their hysteresis curve which were recorded by vibrating sample magnetometer. Results show that with increasing the strength of external magnetic field, the intensity of XRD peaks of synthesized nanoparticles was increased while their size was decreased. Applying the external magnetic field caused the cyclotron motion of the charged particles in the plasma plume on the surface of target which increased their energy, and decreased their agglomeration.
On the use of patterns obtained from LSTM and feature-based methods for time series analysis: application in automatic classification of the CAP A phase subtypes
Authors: Mendonça Fábio , Mostafa Sheikh Shanawaz , Morgado-Dias Fernando , Ravelo-García Antonio G
Published: December 2020

Objective. The cyclic alternating pattern is a marker of sleep instability identified in the electroencephalogram signals whose sequence of transient variations compose the A phases. These phases are divided into three subtypes (A1, A2, and A3) according to the presented patterns. The traditional approach of manually scoring the cyclic alternating pattern events for the full night is unpractical, with a high probability of miss classification, due to the large quantity of information that is produced during a full night recording. To address this concern, automatic methodologies were proposed using a long short-term memory to perform the classification of one electroencephalogram monopolar derivation signal. Approach. The proposed model is composed of three classifiers, one for each subtype, performing binary classification in a one versus all procedure. Two methodologies were tested: feed the pre-processed electroencephalogram signal to the classifiers; create features from the pre-processed electroencephalogram signal which were fed to the classifiers (feature-based methods). Main results. It was verified that the A1 subtype classification performance was similar for both methods and the A2 subtype classification was higher for the feature-based methods. However, the A3 subtype classification was found to be the most challenging to be performed, and for this classification, the feature-based methods were superior. A characterization analysis was also performed using a recurrence quantification analysis to further examine the subtypes characteristics. Significance. The average accuracy and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for the A1, A2, and A3 subtypes of the feature-based methods were respectively: 82% and 0.92; 80% and 0.88; 85% and 0.86.
Laser-driven acceleration of ion beams for high-gain inertial confinement fusion
Authors: Badziak Jan , Domański Jarosław
Published: December 2020

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) is currently one of the two main paths towards an energy source based on thermonuclear fusion. A promising ICF option is ion fast ignition (IFI), in which the ignition of nuclear fuel is initiated by an intense laser-driven ion beam. This paper presents the results of systematic numerical (particle-in-cell) studies of the properties of laser-driven carbon ion beams produced under conditions relevant for IFI, and the feasibility of achieving beam parameters required for fuel ignition is discussed. It was found that a 1 ps 200 kJ infrared laser driver is capable of producing ion beams with parameters required for IFI, even with a simple non-optimised target, but only at small distances (⩽0.1 mm) from the target. At such distances, the beam intensity and fluence exceeds 5 × 1021 W cm−2 and 2 GJ cm−2, respectively, while the beam energy approaches 30 kJ. The ion beam parameters can be significantly improved by carefully selecting the target thickness and shape. However, even with an optimised target, achieving the beam parameters required for IFI is possible only at distances from the target below 0.5 mm. The ion acceleration is accompanied by the emission of powerful (⩾50 PW) pulses of short-wavelength synchrotron radiation which are the source of significant ion energy losses and may pose a threat to the fusion infrastructure. In addition to ICF, the extremely intense ion beams demonstrated in the paper can be a unique research tool for research in nuclear physics, high energy-density physics or materials science.
Analysis of static electric field characteristics of ships in flowing medium
Authors: Fang Fang , Wang Xiangjun , Liu Dehong , Xu Qinglin
Published: December 2020

At present, the model of ship corrosion electrostatic field mainly analyzes the electrostatic field distribution in the static medium under the given boundary conditions, without considering the actual corrosion of the metal on the ship’s surface in the flowing seawater, and the relationship between the electrochemical corrosion of the metal and the flow of the medium is very large, which results in a large error between the simulation results and the actual measurement results. In this paper, the relationship between corrosion electrostatic field and flow rate in flowing medium is theoretically deduced. Firstly, the distribution of liquid flow rate is analyzed, the thickness of boundary layer on the surface of metal plate is calculated, then the mass transfer process in flowing electrolyte is calculated by combining the flow rate distribution of metal surface medium, and the corrosion current density on the metal surface under the control of mass transfer process is calculated. Finally, the corrosion current density on the metal surface under the control of mass transfer process is calculated. The equivalent source model of electric field is established based on the current density, and the distribution of corrosion electrostatic field in the medium is analyzed. The correctness of the conclusion is verified by the finite element simulation and the ship model experiment.
Prediction method of formation pressure for the adjustment well in the reservoir with fault
Authors: Zhong Liguo , Zhu Tianyin , Hao Tongchun , Zhang Xiaocheng , Wang Xiaopeng , Zhang Lei
Published: December 2020

Adjustment wells need to be deployed in the middle and late stages of oilfield development to improve development efficiency. However, the multiple pressure systems would be happened in the fault block oilfields due to the geological faults are developed and multi-layer joint water injection. The well kick and leakage would happen during drilling and completion operations of adjustment well because of the large dynamic pressure changes such as high-pressure or low-pressure. A pressure prediction method established base on seepage theory and fluid mechanics theory in order to ensure the safety operations during the adjustment well drilling and completion. This method could predict the maximum formation pressure of adjustment wells in complex fault block reservoirs by considering the influence of faults and surrounding injection-production wells. The error between prediction results and numerical simulation results is less than 10% based on Bohai fault block oilfield. The scheme of shut-in of surrounding water injection wells during drilling and completion of adjustment wells in fault block oilfield is given. This method has significance guidance for the design of shut in adjustment well drilling and completion.
Study on the behavior of a light sphere rising in a square tube using the lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Guan Geng , Ying Yuxiang , Nie Deming
Published: December 2020

In this study the motion of a light sphere under gravity in a square tube was numerically investigated through a three-dimensional lattice Boltzmann method. The width of the square tube is fixed at five times the diameter of the sphere. Simulations were carried out in the Reynolds number range of 140 to 200. Three types of behavior of the rising sphere behavior were revealed, namely the steady state, periodic state and chaotic state. In particular, the sphere exhibits a spiral path in the periodic regime. The effects of the Reynolds number on the oscillations of the sphere were also examined.
Post-1980s shift in the sensitivity of tundra vegetation to climate revealed by the first dendrochronological record from Bear Island (Bjørnøya), western Barents Sea
Authors: Owczarek Piotr , Opała-Owczarek Magdalena , Migała Krzysztof
Published: December 2020

Tundra vegetation dynamics are an excellent indicator of Arctic climate change. In many places in the Arctic, greening of tundra has been observed since the 1980s due to rapid increases in temperature. However, in some areas the opposite process has taken place in connection with a reduction in biomass production. The spatial patterns of tundra ‘greening’ and ‘browning’ constitute important issues in the contemporary analysis of polar ecosystems. The aim of our study was to assess recent tundra vegetation dynamics on the basis of changes in annual growth ring widths of the polar willow. Bjørnøya (Bear Island), located in the western part of the Barents Sea is an important site in the transition zone between the high and low Arctic. No dendrochronological studies have been conducted to date due to the island’s isolation, which makes access very difficult. In 2012 and 2016, 43 samples of Salix polaris Wahlenb. were taken from the south-eastern part of Bear Island. An average chronology of the 29 most closely correlated measurement series was then compiled, covering 95 years (1922–2016); however, the time span 1946–2016 was used for the climate-growth analysis. Beginning in the mid-1980s, an increase in the width of annual increments was observed, whereas over the last decade (since 2005) the growth rate has declined rapidly. Simple correlation analyses showed that temperatures in spring and summer had the positive influence on the radial growth of the polar willow; however, the results of the moving correlation analysis made it possible to conclude that this relationship is more complex and time-dependent. Sensitivity of radial growth to temperature was strongest in the years 1955–2005, whereas the decrease in the strength of positive correlation with temperature since 2005 has been accompanied by a significant increase in the importance of summer precipitation.
Residue in the Mangrove Surface Sediment with the Feasibility of Phytoremediation Application
Authors: Suttiarporn P , Hongsawat P , Siripokharattana K , Thongboonmee N , Dalert M , Thongsai P , Sombut W
Published: December 2020

The present study investigated heavy metal contaminations in the mangrove surface sediment of Rayong coast, Thailand. Sediment samples were collected from 5 locations with each 3 sampling sites and analyzed for heavy metal (Cu, Pb, Cr, Zn and Mn) contents using microwave digestion and MP-AES. The results revealed that concentrations of the heavy metals ranged from 10.54-66.53 mg/kg for Cu, 21.71-116.40 mg/kg for Pb, 21.21-66.66 mg/kg for Cr, 17.67-397.01 mg/kg for Zn and 46.55-1609.53 mg/kg for Mn. Although, the concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn in surface sediments exceed the effects range low (ERL), did not exceed the effects range median (ERM) of the guidelines. Meanwhile, the feasibility of treating a heavy metal-contaminated soil via mangrove phytoremediation showed the removal efficiency of heavy metals contaminated in sediment occurred in descending order of Mn>Pb>Cr>Cu>Zn (93.11, 80.42, 70.03, 67.09 and 52.50 %, respectively). After spiked more concentration of heavy metals, decreasing removal efficiency was occurred in all treatments that might be caused of the higher heavy metal intake. Beside of these contaminated conditions, the mangrove plants can still survived after 30 days. Which indicated the tolerated to the high level of heavy metals.
The Emerging Trends of Risk Management in Renewable Energy Projects
Authors: Xue Jiao , Fan Heng , Yue Gaoyu
Published: December 2020

The development of renewable energy (RE), due to the ever-growing increase in energy demand and the negative impact of fossil fuels on the environment, has become an increasingly important development area at present, with broad prospects. However, compared with traditional energy projects, RE projects often involve long life cycles, complex uncertainties, and they exert for-reaching impacts on risk management. The Citespace software was used to systematically summarize the research hotspots development, and frontiers of researches on the risk management in renewable energy projects in China from 1997 to 2018. Results show that the overall evolutionary trend of risk management in renewable energy field is from RM practice to technology driven integration system. Based on the trend, knowledge gaps and future research directions were found out and discussed.
Experimental Study on the Presence of Mineral Admixtures and Steel Fiber on the Elastic Properties of Self-Compacting Concrete (SCC)
Authors: Vijaya Kumar S. , Swami B L P , Dean Kumar B.
Published: December 2020

The elastic properties like young’s modulus and poison’s ratio are critical issues in the design of concrete structures. This technical paper focuses on the influence of the mineral admixtures like flyash and condensed silica fume along with percentage of steel fibers on the compressive strength and elastic properties of self-compacting concrete (SCC). The flow ability, passing ability along with the segregation resistance tests were conducted. Designed the M40 grade of SCC as per American concrete institute (ACI) provisions. The cement is mingle with flyash(FA) at 20% and condensed silica fume(CSF) at 10% as partial replacement by weight. The steel fiber of diameter 1mm and aspect ratio of 40 mixed at 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, and 0.8 percentages by volume of the concrete. The Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio are resolved as per American standard for testing materials (ASTM) specifications. Based on the experimental investigation, conclusions drawn on the contribution of mineral admixtures and steel fiber on the compressive strength and elastic properties of SCC. A mathematical model developed and checked the validity of the equation with the experimental results.
Synthesis of Polymer Nano-composite coatings as corrosion inhibitors: A quick review
Authors: Sharma Konica , Goyat M. S. , Vishwakarma Piyush
Published: December 2020

Corrosion - a big worldwide issue that destroys metal as its interaction takes place with the atmosphere. In recent years, polymer Nanocomposite coatings emerge as eminent materials for corrosion resistance. Coating means to deploy a layer over the metal interface that provides a shield to metal against corrosion. Polymer Nanocomposites are economic, Eco friendly, exhibits great mechanical strength, self-healing property, durability, chemical inhibition, and thermal stability that is the reason they have been widely used in various fields like an oil field, marine, defense, engineering industry and health industry too as corrosion inhibitors. In this review, the application of various polymer Nano-composites materials for corrosion inhibition with synthesis technique through reported materials are explored also we are identifying challenges that occur for the development of such Nanostructure coatings and overcoming that challenge for the future aspect of this field.
Wireless body area network transmissions for iot-based healthcare network: a review
Authors: Mary A Vinny , Jerine S
Published: December 2020

This survey reviews how electronically aided health monitor ingand observing systems with wireless body area networks (WBANs) support patient’s data analyzing and processing. These technologies in communications domain integrated into conventional medical system and assists as a capable methodology to boost the efficiency of health-care. Wireless body area networks contain dissimilar biosensors are fitted in a patient for analyzing the condition of health continuously. The collected parameters of signals are initially given at a gateway for the accretion of data and then furthered to out-of-the-way medical centers. Patient’s smart devices which has internet connectivity act as the gateways in internet of things-based WBANs, each among them generally stands for single patient. A huge volume of medical data congestion will be occurred during the widespread use of IoT-based WBANs, which is leading to an imperative prerequisite with high utilization based efficiency system for radio resource management. Henceforth, this survey examines methodically the management of transmissions of wireless body area network (WBAN) for internet of things-based a network is sculpted as a multi-server priority queueing system with multi-class delay-constrained with. Based on the result of queueing data packet, a mechanism for the arrangement of data packet transmissions for medical purposes with delay constraints is deliberated.
Optical analysis of T-shaped stiffened plate under compressive loading using central composite design scheme
Authors: Letsatsi M T , Agarwal A
Published: December 2020

The buckling and post-buckling strength of stiffened panels subjected to compressive loads largely depends upon type and dimensions of stiffeners used. The current research investigates the use of T shaped stiffener in vertical configuration in rectangular plate with square opening for improving strength and buckling characteristics. The static structural analysis is conducted using ANSYS FEA software and dimensions of T shaped stiffeners are optimized using Taguchi response surface optimization. The design points are generated using CCD (Central Composite Design) scheme of response surface method and corresponding responses of optimization variables are captured in 3D plots. The sensitivity chart is generated to determine the effect of optimization variables on parameters of interest which are stress, strain, deformation, buckling load and safety factor. The optimization technique has successfully provided set of values for different parameters for which buckling and stresses are minimum and maximum.
Microstructure and properties of LZ91 magnesium alloy processed by asynchronous accumulative roll bonding
Authors: Guo Jiewen , Wang Junli , Zhang Tongying , Zhang Supeng
Published: December 2020

In order to expand the application prospects of LZ91 magnesium alloy, improve its tensile strength and yield strength. In this paper, the asynchronous rolling and cumulative rolling technology are combined in the large plastic deformation technology, and the LZ91 magnesium alloy after coating the aluminum foil by the asynchronous accumulative roll bonding is performed. The analysis shows that the asynchronous accumulative roll bonding technology accumulates a large amount of deformation energy storage inside the material through large plastic deformation, and refines the grain to the micro-nano level, which increases the strength of the LZ91 magnesium alloy by 86% and the hardness by 63.97%. Improve the internal structure and application performance of the material.
Nanowired structure, optical properties and conduction band offset of RF magnetron-deposited n-Si\In2O3:Er films.
Authors: Feklistov K V , Lemzyakov A G , Prosvirin I P , Gismatulin A A , Shklyaev A A , Zhivodkov Y A , Krivyakin G К , Komonov A I , Kozhukhov А S , Spesivsev E V , Gulyaev D V , Abramkin D S , Pugachev A M , Esaev D G , Sidorov G Yu
Published: December 2020

RF magnetron-deposited Si\In2O3:Er films have the structure of the single-crystalline bixbyite bcc In2O3 nanowires bunched into the columns extended across the films. The obtained films have a typical In2O3 optical band gap of 3.55 eV and demonstrate the 1.54 μm Er3+ room temperature photoluminescence. The current across the film flows inside the columns through the nanowires. The current through the MOS-structure with the intermediate low barrier In2O3:Er dielectric was investigated by the thermionic emission approach, with respect to the partial voltage drop in silicon. Schottky plots ln(I/T

2
) versus 1/kT of forward currents at small biases and backward currents in saturation give the electron forward n-Si\In2O3:Er barrier equal to 0.14 eV and the backward In\In2O3:Er barrier equal to 0.21 eV.
On the use of trajectory log files for machine & patient specific QA
Authors: Chuang Kai-Cheng , Giles William , Adamson Justus
Published: December 2020

Purpose: Trajectory log files are increasingly being utilized clinically for machine and patient specific QA. The process of converting the DICOM-RT plan to a deliverable trajectory by the linac control software introduces some uncertainty that is inherently incorporated into measurement-based patient specific QA but is not necessarily included for trajectory log file-based methods. Roughly half of prior studies have included this uncertainty in the analysis while the remaining studies have ignored it, and it has yet to be quantified in the literature. Methods: We collected DICOM-RT files from the treatment planning system and the trajectory log files from four TrueBeam linear accelerators for 25 IMRT and 10 VMAT plans. We quantified the DICOM-RT Conversion to Trajectory Residual (DCTR, difference between ‘planned’ MLC position from TPS DICOM-RT file and ‘expected’ MLC position (the deliverable MLC positions calculated by the linac control software) from trajectory log file) and compared it to the discrepancy between actual and expected machine parameters recorded in trajectory log files. Results: RMS of the DCTR was 0.0845 mm (range of RMS per field/arc: 0.0173–0.1825 mm) for 35 plans (114 fields/arcs) and was independent of treatment technique, with a maximum observed discrepancy at any control point of 0.7255 mm. DCTR was correlated with MLC velocity and was consistent over the course of treatment and over time, with a slight change in magnitude observed after a linac software upgrade. For comparison, the RMS of trajectory log file reported delivery error for moving MLCs was 0.0205 mm, thus DCTR is about four times the recorded delivery error in the trajectory log file. Conclusion: The uncertainty introduced from the conversion process by the linac control software from DICOM-RT plan to a deliverable trajectory is 3–4 times larger than the discrepancy between actual and expected machine parameters recorded in trajectory log files. This uncertainty should be incorporated into the analysis when using trajectory log file-based methods for analyzing MLC performance or patient-specific QA.
aCLImatise: automated generation of tool definitions for bioinformatics workflows
Authors: Milton Michael , Thorne Natalie
Published: December 2020

aCLImatise is a utility for automatically generating tool definitions compatible with bioinformatics workflow languages, by parsing command-line help output. aCLImatise also has an associated database called the aCLImatise Base Camp, which provides thousands of pre-computed tool definitions.

Availability and implementation

The latest aCLImatise source code is available within a GitHub organisation, under the GPL-3.0 license: https://github.com/aCLImatise. In particular, documentation for the aCLImatise Python package is available at https://aclimatise.github.io/CliHelpParser/, and the aCLImatise Base Camp is available at https://aclimatise.github.io/BaseCamp/.

Supplementary information

Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
OCBIL theory examined: reassessing evolution, ecology and conservation in the world’s ancient, climatically buffered and infertile landscapes
Authors: Hopper Stephen D , Lambers Hans , Silveira Fernando A O , Fiedler Peggy L
Published: December 2020

OCBIL theory was introduced as a contribution towards understanding the evolution, ecology and conservation of the biological and cultural diversity of old, climatically buffered, infertile landscapes (OCBILs), especially in the Southern Hemisphere. The theory addresses some of the most intransigent environmental and cultural trends of our time – the ongoing decline of biodiversity and cultural diversity of First Nations. Here we reflect on OCBILs, the origins of the theory, and its principal hypotheses in biological, anthropological and conservation applications. The discovery that threatened plant species are concentrated in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR) on infertile, phosphorous-impoverished uplands within 500 km of the coast formed the foundational framework for OCBIL theory and led to the development of testable hypotheses that a growing literature is addressing. Currently, OCBILs are recognized in 15 Global Biodiversity Hotspots and eight other regions. The SWAFR, Greater Cape Floristic Region of South Africa and South America’s campos rupestres (montane grasslands) are those regions that have most comprehensively been investigated in the context of OCBIL theory. We summarize 12 evolutionary, ecological and cultural hypotheses and ten conservation-management hypotheses being investigated as recent contributions to the OCBIL literature.
Efficiently transporting causal direct and indirect effects to new populations under intermediate confounding and with multiple mediators
Authors: Rudolph Kara E , Díaz Iván
Published: December 2020

The same intervention can produce different effects in different sites. Existing transport mediation estimators can estimate the extent to which such differences can be explained by differences in compositional factors and the mechanisms by which mediating or intermediate variables are produced; however, they are limited to consider a single, binary mediator. We propose novel nonparametric estimators of transported interventional (in)direct effects that consider multiple, high-dimensional mediators and a single, binary intermediate variable. They are multiply robust, efficient, asymptotically normal, and can incorporate data-adaptive estimation of nuisance parameters. They can be applied to understand differences in treatment effects across sites and/or to predict treatment effects in a target site based on outcome data in source sites.
A Structural Evolution-Based Anomaly Detection Method for Generalized Evolving Social Networks
Authors: Wang Huan , Gao Qing , Li Hao , Wang Hao , Yan Liping , Liu Guanghua
Published: December 2020

Recently, text-based anomaly detection methods have obtained impressive results in social network services, but their applications are limited to social texts provided by users. To propose a method for generalized evolving social networks that have limited structural information, this study proposes a novel structural evolution-based anomaly detection method ($SeaDM$), which mainly consists of an evolutional state construction algorithm ($ESCA$) and an optimized evolutional observation algorithm ($OEOA$). $ESCA$ characterizes the structural evolution of the evolving social network and constructs the evolutional state to represent the macroscopic evolution of the evolving social network. Subsequently, $OEOA$ reconstructs the quantum-inspired genetic algorithm to discover the optimized observation vector of the evolutional state, which maximally reflects the state change of the evolving social network. Finally, $SeaDM$ combines $ESCA$ and $OEOA$ to evaluate the state change degrees and detect anomalous changes to report anomalies. Experimental results on real-world evolving social networks with artificial and real anomalies show that our proposed $SeaDM$ outperforms the state-of-the-art anomaly detection methods.
Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted freezing of Penaeus chinensis by response surface methodology
Authors: Ying Yubin , Xiang Yingchun , Liu Jialin , Chen Xin , Hu Lingping , Li Yujin , Hu Yaqin
Published: December 2020

Objectives

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted freezing of Penaeus chinensis by response surface methodology was studied in order to (1) obtain frozen Penaeus chinensis of high quality and (2) provide practical guidance for the application of ultrasonic-assisted freezing in Penaeus chinensis.

Materials and Methods

Three independent and major variables were selected, including initial ultrasonic temperature (°C), ultrasonic power (W) and ultrasonic time (s on/2 s off). On the basis of one-factor experiments, 17 groups of experiments were established by response surface methodology according to Box–Behnken design. Using multiple regression analysis the experimental data were fitted into a second-order polynomial equation, which was tested by proper statistical methods.

Results

The optimal ultrasonic conditions were as follows: initial ultrasonic temperature 0 °C, ultrasonic power 180 W, ultrasonic time 5 s on/2 s off. Under the optimization conditions, the time of passing through maximum ice crystal generation zone was 105.500 s, which was very close to the predictive passage time of 101.541 s.

Conclusions

Initial ultrasonic temperature, ultrasonic time and ultrasonic power played an important role in the process of ultrasonic-assisted freezing of Penaeus chinensis. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the three factors in ultrasonic-assisted freezing, which could greatly shorten the time of passing through the maximum ice crystal generation zone and maintain the tissue structure of Penaeus chinensis well.
Potential development of non-synthetic food additives from orange processing by-products—a review.
Authors: Dassoff Erik S , Guo Jonathan X , Liu Yan , Wang Selina C , Li Yao Olive
Published: December 2020

Citrus is the largest fruit crop worldwide. Meanwhile, oranges account for 60 per cent of the total, with their main application in juice production. During orange juice production, only about 50 per cent of the fresh orange weight is transformed into juice, with the remaining 50 per cent comprised of residue (peel, pulp, seeds, orange leaves and whole orange fruits that do not reach the quality requirements). With the resulting tons of orange by-products, there has been an initiative to research possible ways to reutilize and revalorize citrus waste. Orange pomace, the by-product from juicing process, is currently used to extract the essential oils for fragrance and flavor, and a majority of the waste is used as cattle feed; however, these applications do not account for all of the waste or capture all of its potential value. Meanwhile, these by-products are put into landfills at the owner’s expense, and contribute to global warming through carbon emissions. On the other hand, orange by-products still contain many useful nutraceutical components, such as dietary fiber and phytochemicals, which could be utilized for value-added ingredients and new product development. Some research approaches in this area include the production of organic fertilizers and biofuels, or the extraction of essential oils, pectins, and antioxidant compounds. There is little information in the literature and in the food industry in terms of utilizing the orange pomace directly or with some simple treatments. Orange pomace may be used for food product development as a ‘clean-label’, non-synthetic preservative, which rationalizes this review.
Genetically determined risk of keratinocyte carcinoma and risk of other cancers
Authors: Dusingize Jean Claude , Olsen Catherine M , An Jiyuan , Pandeya Nirmala , Liyanage Upekha E , Law Matthew H , Neale Rachel E , Ong Jue-Sheng , MacGregor Stuart , Whiteman David C
Published: December 2020

Background

Epidemiological studies have consistently documented an increased risk of developing primary non-cutaneous malignancies among people with a history of keratinocyte carcinoma (KC). However, the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. We conducted two separate analyses to test whether genetically predicted KC is related to the risk of developing cancers at other sites.

Methods

In the first approach (one-sample), we calculated the polygenic risk scores (PRS) for KC using individual-level data in the UK Biobank (n = 394 306) and QSkin cohort (n = 16 896). The association between the KC PRS and each cancer site was assessed using logistic regression. In the secondary (two-sample) approach, we used genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics identified from the most recent GWAS meta-analysis of KC and obtained GWAS data for each cancer site from the UK-Biobank participants only. We used inverse-variance-weighted methods to estimate risks across all genetic variants.

Results

Using the one-sample approach, we found that the risks of cancer at other sites increased monotonically with KC PRS quartiles, with an odds ratio (OR) of 1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.13–1.19 for those in KC PRS quartile 4 compared with those in quartile 1. In the two-sample approach, the pooled risk of developing other cancers was statistically significantly elevated, with an OR of 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03–1.07 per doubling in the odds of KC. We observed similar trends of increasing cancer risk with increasing KC PRS in the QSkin cohort.

Conclusion

Two different genetic approaches provide compelling evidence that an instrumental variable for KC constructed from genetic variants predicts the risk of cancers at other sites.
Collective Ownership and Land Restitution: A New Opportunity for Afro-Colombian Communities
Authors: Peña-Huertas Rocío Del Pilar , Parada-Hernández María Mónica , Abril-Bonilla Natalia , Uribe-Larrota Luisa Fda , Jiménez-Nicholls María Camila , Nieto-Cruz Ana Valentina
Published: December 2020

Some contemporary liberal states incorporate provisions that protect the relationship between ethnic communities and their lands. However, such measures are quite fragile in terms of effectively protecting the communities against market dynamics. We argue that transitional justice systems, such as that currently being implemented in Colombia, provide the mechanisms to not only guarantee the restitution of the dispossessed lands that ethnic communities have lost during armed conflict, but also to strengthen property rights by providing some guarantees to transform the socioeconomic conditions of these communities and, ultimately, to act as a shield against market dynamics.
Cost-Effectiveness of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Screening With Epstein-Barr Virus Polymerase Chain Reaction or Serology in High-Incidence Populations Worldwide
Authors: Miller Jacob A , Le Quynh-Thu , Pinsky Benjamin A , Wang Hannah
Published: December 2020

Background

The incidence of endemic Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-associated nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) varies considerably worldwide. In high-incidence regions, screening trials have been conducted. We estimated the mortality reduction and cost-effectiveness of EBV-based NPC screening in populations worldwide.

Methods

We identified 380 populations in 132 countries with incident NPC and developed a decision-analytic model to compare 10 unique onetime screening strategies with no screening for men and women aged 50 years. Screening performance and the stage distribution of undiagnosed NPC were derived from a systematic review of prospective screening trials.

Results

Screening was cost-effective in up to 14.5% of populations, depending on the screening strategy. These populations were limited to East Asia, Southeast Asia, and North Africa or were Asian, Pacific Islander, or Inuit populations in North America. A combination of serology and nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction was most cost-effective, but other combinations of serologic and/or plasma polymerase chain reaction screening were also cost-effective. The estimated reduction in NPC mortality was similar across screening strategies. For a hypothetical cohort of patients in China, the 10-year survival improved from 71.0% (95% confidence interval = 68.8% to 73.0%) without screening to a median of 86.3% (range = 83.5%-88.2%) with screening. This corresponded to a median 10-year reduction in NPC mortality of 52.9% (range = 43.1%-59.3%). Screening interval affected absolute mortality reduction and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions

We observed decreased NPC mortality with EBV-based screening. Screening was cost-effective in many high-incidence populations and could be extended to men and women as early as age 40 years in select regions. These findings may be useful when choosing among local public health initiatives.
A case of multifocal stroke—the first presentation of underlying ovarian malignancy
Authors: Holt Jonathon N
Published: December 2020

Ischaemic stroke is a rare manifestation of hypercoagulability induced by underlying malignancy. It is proposed that paraneoplastic non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis (NBTE) is the most common cause, predisposing to the formation of friable valvular lesions composed of platelets and fibrin that embolize commonly. Pancreas, gallbladder, stomach, colon and gynaecological malignancies have all been associated with NBTE. We describe a female patient who presented to our facility with syncope and limb weakness. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain revealed ischaemic strokes in both the anterior and posterior circulation. Further investigation revealed a pelvic mass that was biopsy proven to be ovarian malignancy. Prognosis is heavily reliant on disease stage, thus diagnostic clues suggesting the possibility of underlying malignancy in the presentation of stroke should prompt a thorough investigation to exclude malignancy.