bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Incidence and management patterns of alcohol-related liver disease in Korea: a nationwide standard cohort study
Authors: Kim Ha Il , Park Seo Young , Shin Hyun Phil
Published: March 2021

The recent incidence and management patterns of alcohol-related liver disease (ARLD) are not well defined in Korea. We sought to evaluate the epidemiology of ARLD with regard to disease severity and alcohol cessation management after diagnosis. We performed an observational cohort study of standardized Common Data Model data from the Health Insurance Review and Assessment-National Patient Samples database between 2012 and 2016. The incidence and demographic properties of ARLD were extracted and divided into non-cirrhotic alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and alcoholic liver cirrhosis (ALC). ALC was compared with non-alcoholic cirrhosis by severity at diagnosis. The management patterns were captured by the initiation of pharmaco- and behavioral therapy for alcohol cessation. We analyzed data from 72,556 ALD to 7295 ALC patients. The ALD incidence was stable from 990 to 1025 per 100,000 people. In ALD, the proportion of patients who were ≥ 65 years old, the proportion of female patients, and the comorbidity index increased significantly during the study period (all P values < 0.001). ALC accounted for > 20% of all cirrhosis, with decompensation occurring twice as often as in non-alcoholic cirrhosis. The initiation of alcoholism management was stationary in ARLD, remaining at < 10% for both pharmacotherapy and behavioral therapy, regardless of severity or the site of diagnosis. The incidence of ARLD did not decrease during the study period. Moreover, an increasing trend in the proportion of people vulnerable to drinking was observed. Unfortunately, management for the cessation of alcohol use remains very low. The best way to manage ARLD should be evaluated in further study.
Virtual 2-D map of the fungal proteome
Authors: Mohanta Tapan Kumar , Mishra Awdhesh Kumar , Khan Adil , Hashem Abeer , Abd-Allah Elsayed Fathi , Al-Harrasi Ahmed
Published: March 2021

The molecular weight and isoelectric point (pI) of the proteins plays important role in the cell. Depending upon the shape, size, and charge, protein provides its functional role in different parts of the cell. Therefore, understanding to the knowledge of their molecular weight and charges is (pI) is very important. Therefore, we conducted a proteome-wide analysis of protein sequences of 689 fungal species (7.15 million protein sequences) and construct a virtual 2-D map of the fungal proteome. The analysis of the constructed map revealed the presence of a bimodal distribution of fungal proteomes. The molecular mass of individual fungal proteins ranged from 0.202 to 2546.166 kDa and the predicted isoelectric point (pI) ranged from 1.85 to 13.759 while average molecular weight of fungal proteome was 50.98 kDa. A non-ribosomal peptide synthase (RFU80400.1) found in Trichoderma arundinaceum was identified as the largest protein in the fungal kingdom. The collective fungal proteome is dominated by the presence of acidic rather than basic pI proteins and Leu is the most abundant amino acid while Cys is the least abundant amino acid. Aspergillus ustus encodes the highest percentage (76.62%) of acidic pI proteins while Nosema ceranae was found to encode the highest percentage (66.15%) of basic pI proteins. Selenocysteine and pyrrolysine amino acids were not found in any of the analysed fungal proteomes. Although the molecular weight and pI of the protein are of enormous important to understand their functional roles, the amino acid compositions of the fungal protein will enable us to understand the synonymous codon usage in the fungal kingdom. The small peptides identified during the study can provide additional biotechnological implication.
Retraction Note: A Complete Formula of Ocean Surface Absolute Geostrophic Current
Authors: Chu Peter C.
Published: March 2021

Editor's Note: this Article has been retracted; the Retraction Note is available at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86517-3.
Bis-isatin based polymers with tunable energy levels for organic field-effect transistor applications
Authors: Yang Wei , Sun Mingxiang , Wang Yue , Yan Hui , Zhang Guobing , Zhang Qing
Published: March 2021

Two bis-isatin based building blocks have been synthesized with the aid of non-covalent intramolecular interactions. Their polymers showed p-type or ambipolar charge transport in OFETs.
A chemometric strategy for accurately identifying illegal additive compounds in health foods by using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to high resolution mass spectrometry
Authors: Wang Xuan , Zhao Juan-Juan , Zhang Qian , Wang Xing-Cai , Zhang Yu-Ying , Zhou Jie-Jie , Lv Yi , Yu Yong-Jie , Fu Hai-Yan , She Yuanbin
Published: March 2021

This work provides a new cheometric strategy for accurately identifying unknown illegal additive compounds in complex health foods.
Binuclear metal complexes with a novel hexadentate imidazole derivative for the cleavage of phosphate diesters and biomolecules: distinguishable mechanisms
Authors: Shu Jun , Yue Jian , Qiu Xin , Liu Xiaoqiang , Ren Wang , Li Qianli , Li Yulong , Xu Bin , Zhang Kaiming , Jiang Weidong
Published: March 2021

Oxidative cleavage of phosphate diesters (HPNP, BNPP) is highly faster than the hydrolytic one by binuclear metal complexes with novel imidazole derivative, producing a non-lactone phosphate monoester due to the direct attack of free radicals.
Tunable C–H arylation and acylation of azoles with carboxylic acids by Pd/Cu cooperative catalysis
Authors: Xiang Kang , Zhang Shuo , Liu Long , Huang Tianzeng , Tang Zhi , Li Chunya , Xu Kaiqiang , Chen Tieqiao
Published: March 2021

Direct C–H arylation and acylation of azoles with carboxylic acids are achieved selectively through Pd/Cu cooperative catalysis: biaryls are generated selectively with dppp as ligand, while biaryl ketones are obtained with high selectivity using dpph or Ph2PCy as ligand.
Reading Abilities Post Traumatic Brain Injury in Adolescents and Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Pei Yalian , O'Brien Katy H.
Published: March 2021

Purpose

People with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often struggle with complex reading, limiting participation in work and educational settings. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined studies of reading conducted with adolescents and adults with TBI to describe reading problems post TBI and investigate underlying factors for the effects of TBI on reading abilities.

Method

The search was conducted in EBSCO (including MEDLINE, PsycINFO, etc.), BIOSIS, ProQuest, and Web of Science. Empirical studies that used samples with a mean age greater than 10 years, reported injury characteristics, and investigated complex reading abilities (defined as greater than single-word reading) were eligible for this review. Study quality was evaluated using QualSyst. Study and sample characteristics, measures, and outcomes of interest were extracted and synthesized in the review. Studies that compared reading abilities between people with and without TBI were included in the meta-analysis.

Results

Twenty-four studies met inclusion criteria, six of which addressed reading in pediatric samples. Findings from heterogeneous samples supported the existence of reading deficits post TBI, including mild TBI. In studies of children, comprehension was examined most frequently, whereas reading speed was the focus of most adult studies. Oculomotor functions and processing speed were related to reading speed; cognitive functions, such as attention and memory, were associated with reading comprehension. Intervention studies were limited, but most reported positive effects. The meta-analysis confirmed the impact of TBI on reading with a large effect size (g= 1.23). Demographic, injury, and study variables did not moderate overall reading outcomes, but male sex was a significant moderator of impairment in reading speed.

Discussion

Global reading ability, including both comprehension and speed, is negatively impacted by TBI. Future research should continue to explore reading after TBI, including its underlying mechanisms, effects on complex reading activities such as inferencing, development of screening and assessment tools that address a range of functional reading needs, and efficacy of reading-related interventions.
Phantom motion intent decoding for transhumeral prosthesis control with fused neuromuscular and brain wave signals
Authors: Nsugbe Ejay , Samuel Oluwarotimi Williams , Asogbon Mojisola Grace , Li Guanglin
Published: March 2021

In recent years, the electroencephalography (EEG) brain–computer interface (BCI) has been researched in the area of upper‐limb prosthesis control due to the promise of being able to record neurological signals which follow activation patterns in the cortex directly from the brain with non‐invasive electrodes. This is seen as a way of bypassing the limitation posed by acquiring neuromuscular signals predominantly with electromyography (EMG) directly from the stump, which possesses residual limb anatomy post‐amputation. In this study, the sequential forward selection algorithm to form a 10‐optimal‐channel representation, alongside an extended signal feature vector was applied, to investigate the motion intent decoding performance of EMG‐only, EEG‐only, and a fused EMG–EEG sensing configuration for four transhumeral amputees with varying stump lengths. The results showed a considerable improvement for the EMG‐only configuration with the advanced feature vector, but only a small increase for the EEG‐only, and thus a marginal improvement when information from both signals was fused together. This is likely due to the EEG requiring a greater number of channels spread across the skull to provide a reliable intent decoding. Further work will now involve optimisation studies to find a greater representation of electrode representation and parsimony, to minimise the number of channels while boosting motion intent decoding accuracy.
Two novel approaches of adaptive finite‐time sliding mode control for a class of single‐input multiple‐output uncertain nonlinear systems
Authors: Alinaghi Hosseinabadi Pooyan , Soltani Sharif Abadi Ali , Mekhilef Saad , Pota Hemanshu Roy
Published: March 2021

Some systems, in spite of having multiple outputs, have only one control input, which makes their control a challenge. Two novel controllers are proposed that utilise an adaptive finite‐time sliding mode control (AFSMC) scheme for a class of single‐input multiple‐output (SIMO) nonlinear systems in the presence of unknown mismatched uncertainties. To alleviate the inherent chattering phenomenon of sliding mode control, new forms of the two designed controllers are suggested by using new sliding surfaces. Not only can the proposed AFSMC scheme stabilise the system in a finite time, but also it can provide estimated data of the uncertainty upper bound in the controller. Lyapunov stability theory is used to obtain finite‐time stability analysis of the closed‐loop system. Finally, simulation results are carried out in Simulink/MATLAB for a four‐dimensional autonomous hyper‐chaotic system with mismatched uncertainties as an example of SIMO uncertain nonlinear systems to reveal the effectiveness of the proposed controllers.
Adaptive learning cost‐sensitive convolutional neural network
Authors: Hou Yun , Fan Hong , Li Li , Li Bailin
Published: March 2021

Real‐world classification often encounters a problem called class imbalance. When the data of some classes are redundant than that of other classes, traditional classifiers usually bias their decision boundaries to the redundant majority classes. Most proposed cost‐sensitive strategies often ignore the hard‐to‐learn examples or have a large amount of hyper‐parameters. This article proposes an adaptive learning cost‐sensitive convolutional neural network to solve this problem. During the training process, the proposed method embeds a class‐dependent cost to each class in the global error, making the decision boundary bias to the minority classes. Meanwhile, a distribution weight is assigned to each example to enhance the learning of the hard‐to‐learn examples. Both the class‐dependent costs and distribution weights are learnt automatically in the net. This cost‐sensitive approach makes the algorithm focus on the examples in the minority classes as well as the hard‐to‐learn examples in each class. Besides, this approach can be applied to both binary and multi‐class image classification problems without any modification. Experiments are conducted on four image classification datasets to evaluate this algorithm. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves better performance than the baseline algorithms and some other algorithms.
How important is motion in sign language translation?
Authors: Rodriguez Jefferson , Martínez Fabio
Published: March 2021

More than 70 million people use at least one sign language (SL) as their main channel of communication. Nevertheless, the absence of effective mechanisms to translate massive information among sign, written and spoken languages is the main cause of a negligible inclusion of deaf people into society. Therefore, SL automatic recognition systems have widely proposed to support the characterisation of the sign structure. Today, natural and continuous SL recognition is an open research problem due to multiple spatio‐temporal shape variations, challenging visual sign characterisation, as well as the non‐linear correlation among signs to express a message. A compact sign is introduced to text architecture that explores motion as an alternative to support sign translation. Such characterisation results are robust to appearance variance with relative support to geometrical variations. The proposed representation focuses on the main spatio‐temporal regions to each corresponding word. The proposed architecture was evaluated in a built SL data set (LSCDv1) dedicated to motion study and also in the state‐of‐the‐art RWTH‐Phoenix. From the LSCDv1 data set, the best configuration reports a BLEU‐4 score of 63.04 in a testing set. Regarding RWTH‐Phoenix, the proposed strategy achieved a BLEU‐4 score in a test of 4.56, improving the results under similar reduced conditions.
Effect of DC electric field on moisture migration characteristics in oil‐pressboard
Authors: Yuan Qing , Qi Bo , Zhao Jianshe , Gao Chunjia , Yang Xiao , Zhang Shuqi , Li Chengrong
Published: March 2021

The moisture content has a great influence on the electric insulation strength of oil‐pressboard. Therefore, it is very important to assess the moisture content in power transformers. There is lack of research about the effect of DC electric field on moisture migration. Here, the authors analyse the moisture migration characteristics of oil‐pressboard under DC electric field. The DC electric field has a greater influence on the moisture content in the oil. Compared with no DC electric field, the moisture content in oil is reduced by 22.91 mg/L at 50°C, while it is reduced by 17.63 mg/L at 70°C. Under the same moisture content in the oil, the moisture content in the pressboard which affected by the DC electric field is higher than the Oommen curve, the maximum difference is 0.88% at 50°C, and 0.05% at 70°C. This result can provide a reference for the revision of existing moisture assessment methods.
Static dielectric constant and dielectric loss of cellulose insulation: Molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Hou Wei , Yang Lijun , Mo Yang , Yin Fei , Huang Youyu , Zheng Xiaoling
Published: March 2021

Reducing the dielectric constant and loss of cellulose insulation can make the electric field distribution uniform in oil‐paper insulation systems and decrease the heat generation in dielectric materials, thus ensuring a reliable transformer operation. To guide the experimental design from the molecular level, the fluctuation method was introduced into the molecular dynamics simulation to evaluate the static permittivity of cellulose insulation, εs. The correlation between the dynamics parameter mean square displacement (MSD) and dielectric loss induced by orientational polarization, was investigated. The simulation results and experimental values of five types of cellulose insulation were compared to verify the rationality of the proposed method. The results indicated that the simulation values of εs for five models were agreed well with the experimental values in terms of both the magnitude and the variation trend. The simulation time and permittivity of the surrounding medium εRF are two key parameters, which determine the accuracy of the simulation results of εs. Considering the convergence, 15 ns was chosen as the lower limit of simulation time. The reaction field approximation was adopted to calculate the dipole‐dipole interaction instead of true interaction, that is, εRF→∞. The MSD results reproduced the experimental trend in dielectric loss, indicating that the method can qualitatively predict the dielectric loss of cellulose insulation. Hence, these methods are sufficient to guide design experiments and provide a route to understand the mechanism of the change in dielectric properties at the molecular level.
Metamaterial‐based, miniaturised circularly polarised antennas for RFID application
Authors: Wang Zhan , Dong Yuandan , Itoh Tatsuo
Published: March 2021

Miniaturised circularly polarised (CP) antennas based on dispersion‐engineered metamaterial transmission lines (TLs) are proposed and developed for RFID applications. It is first studied and developed based on the equivalent circuit and dispersion curves of composite right/left‐handed TL (CRLH‐TL), which is featured by a novel/low‐cost double‐layered 3D structure, including metallic screws, one ground layer and metal‐insulator‐metal (MIM) capacitor loaded on the top layer. CP radiation is achieved by two crossed CRLH‐TLs with a microstrip‐slot coupling excitation. One CP antenna and one polarisation reconfigurable antenna, which utilise CRLH‐TLs are then implemented, respectively. Compared with the conventional right‐handed (RH) TL‐based antennas (positive resonance‐based antennas), miniaturisation is achieved by pushing down the dispersion curve to a lower frequency using larger LH capacitance or/and inductance. Negative‐order resonances could be successfully excited by cascading π‐type unit‐cells. It shows similar radiation characteristics and additional size reduction as the positive resonance‐based antennas. This antenna shows an electrical size of 0.24 λ0 × 0.24 λ0 × 0.03 λ0, a −10 dB bandwidth of 4.8%, and a peak gain of 4.2 dBic. It demonstrates advantages in terms of flexible size reduction, low cost, easy manufacturing, and good radiation performance, which are very suitable for 902–928 MHz UHF band RFID application.
Analytical scannable‐shaped beam pattern synthesis via superposition principle
Authors: Lei Shiwen , Hu Haoquan , Chen Bo , Lin Zhipeng , Tian Jing , Yang Wei , Tang Pu , Qiu Xiangdong
Published: March 2021

A shaped beam pattern (SBP) synthesis algorithm, which obtains the desired SBP in an analytical way, is proposed. The new algorithm describes the SBP with the weighted superposition of a set of pencil beam patterns (PBPs). First, the array weight of the PBP is obtained via analytical algorithms, such as; Chebychev and Taylor, etc. Then, by computing the weights of the PBPs with the least‐square method, the synthesized SBP is expressed explicitly. Different from the state‐of‐the‐art algorithms, the proposed algorithm can obtain the desired SBP analytically, avoiding the time‐consuming iteration processes. Moreover, the proposed algorithm enables the array antenna to scan the beam in different directions. Simulations with linear and planar array antennas are provided to assess the superiority and effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Miniaturized full‐metal bandpass filter and multiplexer using circular spiral resonator
Authors: Chen Rui‐Sen , Zhu Lei , Wong Sai‐Wai , Lin Jing‐Yu , Yang Yang , Li Yin , He Yejun
Published: March 2021

This article proposes a new class of miniaturized full‐metal bandpass filters (BPFs) and multiplexers using circular spiral resonators (CSRs). The proposed metal CSR is supported on the metal cavity's wall, which serves as a short‐end resonator. This CSR has obvious size reduction compared to traditional cavity resonators and owns low insertion loss, high power capacity and high selectivity. Then, three BPFs using two, three and four CSRs are designed and analysed. All the proposed filters have transmission zeroes (TZs) produced by the source‐load coupling without introducing additional coupling structure. The proposed CSR is further used to design diplexer and quadruplexer. All the proposed filters have ultra‐compact size, especially, the size of quadruplexer is only 0.23λ
0 × 0.081λ
0 × 0.067λ
0. Finally, the fourth‐order filter and quadruplexer are fabricated and measured, the good agreement between the measured results and the simulated results validates the proposed design concepts.
Multiband isolator based on a coplanar metaline
Authors: Boudiar Toufik , Verney Eric , Djekounyom Eric
Published: March 2021

This study presents for the first time the feasibility of a coplanar isolator using YIG material for applications in the Ku, K and Ka bands. The proposed structure is an asymmetric coplanar waveguide with a transverse array of unopened slots etched on a ground plane. Such structures are characterized by several cut‐off frequencies on the transmission parameters. With a low dc magnetic field of 72 kAm−1 applied along with the slots, significant nonreciprocal effects greater than 20, 19 and 29 dB are obtained at 13.95, 23.39 and 39.61 GHz, respectively. The proposed structure can be used as a multiband isolator for microwave applications. The low biasing field of this multiband isolator and its compactness (88 mm2) are its main advantages, which makes this structure particularly suitable for integration.
Experimental demonstration of 1.3 μm VCSEL‐based optoelectronic oscillator at 12 GHz using optical injection‐locking technique
Authors: Coronel Juan , Varón Margarita , Rissons Angélique , Kasmi Chaouki
Published: March 2021

The experimental validation is presented of an optical injection‐locked (OIL) vertical‐cavity surface‐emitting laser (VCSEL)‐based optoelectronic oscillator (VBO) to overcome the direct‐modulation bandwidth limitations of packaged VCSELs. A 1.3 μm VCSEL under OIL is directly modulated at 12 GHz. The carrier phase noise value is −97.7 dBc/Hz at 10 kHz offset. A time domain characterisation of the oscillator based on Allan variance is proposed. The performed measurements showed that the OIL technique allows an increase in the optoelectronic oscillator (OEO) carrier frequency in comparison with free‐running VBOs while maintaining high spectral purity. The results for a 12 GHz delay‐line OEO with amplitude modulation are also compared with the proposed approach.
Realising a system of coupled microgrid networks using single‐phase interconnection lines
Authors: Ferdous S. M. , Shahnia Farhad , Shafiullah GM
Published: March 2021

Overloading and renewable‐based excessive generation are a frequently observed phenomena in an autonomously operating islanded microgrid (MG) which will lead to unacceptable voltage or frequency deviation in the MG. Such problems can be alleviated by mechanisms such as load shedding or curtailment of renewable sources. Alternatively, coupling the neighbouring MGs and enabling a provisional power exchange amongst them can improve the situation more effectively. The power exchange link between the MGs can be in the form of a conventional three‐phase ac line but a single‐phase ac link is more cost‐effective, especially considering the amount of the power that needs to be transferred through this link. This approach requires power electronics‐based converters to convert a three‐phase ac MG into a single‐phase power exchange link and control the power sharing amongst them. The same is needed when the MGs have to be coupled while maintaining their autonomy, but the corresponding costs of the single‐phase system are less. This article has proposed a decentralised approach to control and couple the neighbouring MGs to realise provisional power exchange through such a structure. The performance of the proposed control mechanism is evaluated through simulation studies in PSIM®, and its sensitivity and stability are analysed against its key design and operational factors.
Managing a 5G mobile phone supply chain under the impact of strategic consumers: A two-period game analysis and applications
Authors: He Zijian , Ma Junhai , Zhang Qin
Published: March 2021

Consumers’ strategic purchasing behavior has a great influence on the pricing and sales of new products. In order to study the impact of strategic consumers on the sales of 5G mobile phones, we establish a two-period pricing model. The supply chain contains two manufacturers, a communications operator and a mobile phone retailer. Cases where two manufacturers have the same or different pricing rights are researched by using the Stackelberg game and the Nash game model. Our research results are as follows: (1) We obtain the optimal 5G communication fees in two periods and find out how they change with the proportion of consumers changing. (2) We figure out the profits of the supply chain in two periods and analyze them. We find that the communication operator earns more than the others most of the time. (3) We investigate how the proportion of strategic consumer impact on supply chain profits and conclude that the optimal price and demand in a period will decrease as the proportion of consumers who only purchase products in the other period increases
Die Häufigkeit von diagnostizierten Fettlebererkrankungen (NAFLD) in der deutschen Bevölkerung – Eine Analyse auf der Basis von GKV-Routinedaten
Authors: Stahmeyer Jona T. , Hemmerling Melissa , Burger Birte , Eberhard Sveja , Krauth Christian , Zeidler Jan , Herr Annika , Weseloh Henning , Rossol Siegbert
Published: March 2021

Hintergrund Die nichtalkoholische Fettlebererkrankung (NAFLD) zählt zu den häufigsten Lebererkrankungen in Deutschland. Langfristig besteht das Risiko einer Leberzirrhose und weiterer Folgeerkrankungen. Epidemiologische Studien zur NAFLD in Deutschland liegen kaum vor. Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist eine dezidierte Analyse der administrativen Inzidenz und Prävalenz (der diagnostizierten Erkrankungen) im Zeitraum von 2008 bis 2018.

Methodik Die Grundlage der Analysen bilden GKV-Routinedaten. Es wurden Personen mit durchgängiger Versicherung im Analysejahr sowie im 3-jährigen Vorbeobachtungszeitraum eingeschlossen (1,7–2 Mio. Versicherte pro Analysejahr). Erkrankte Personen wurden über relevante ICD-10-Codes (K76.0 und K75.8) identifiziert.

Ergebnisse Im Jahr 2018 wurde bei 4,66 % der Versicherten eine NAFLD-Diagnose gestellt, eine erstmalige Diagnose lag bei 0,87 % vor. Diagnosen einer Fettleberentzündung (NASH) waren mit 0,09 % selten. Im Zeitverlauf zeigt sich eine steigende NAFLD-Prävalenz, wobei sich die Zahl der jährlich erstmals diagnostizierten Patienten kaum verändert hat. Bei Vorliegen von Erkrankungen des metabolischen Syndroms war die Wahrscheinlichkeit einer NAFLD signifikant erhöht.

Schlussfolgerungen Es zeigt sich, dass eine NAFLD im ärztlichen Alltag häufig diagnostiziert wird, auch wenn Daten aus populationsbasierten Untersuchungen eine noch höhere Prävalenz vermuten lassen.
Strategies for Pore-Diameter Control in Mesoporous Carbons Derived from Organic Self-Assembly Processes
Authors: Naumann Stefan
Published: March 2021

Soft-templating techniques have greatly facilitated access to (ordered) mesoporous carbon materials. A key strength of these approaches is that the resulting material can be shaped by a multitude of parameters – rendering soft-templating inherently versatile regarding features such as pore arrangement or pore sizes. Nonetheless, rational manipulation of pore sizes/diameters, let alone a systematic variation thereof, remains a formidable challenge with high relevance for research fields as diverse as catalysis, sensing or energy storage and conversion. Thus, this Short Review aims to provide a structured account of the most frequently employed strategies to impact mesopore diameters in carbon materials derived via soft-templating.

1. Introduction

2. Carbonization Temperature

3. Stoichiometry

4. Swelling Agents

5. Design of Polymeric SDAs/Templates

6. Conclusions and Outlook
Automated plasmon peak fitting derived temperature mapping in a scanning transmission electron microscope
Authors: Barker Anthony , Sapkota Bibash , Oviedo Juan Pablo , Klie Robert
Published: March 2021

Nanoscale thermometry, an approach based on non-invasive, yet precise measurements of temperature with nanometer spatial resolution, has emerged as a very active field of research over the last few years. In transmission electron microscopy, nanoscale thermometry is particularly important during in situ experiments or to assess the effects of beam induced heating. In this article, we present a nanoscale thermometry approach based on electron energy-loss spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope to measure locally the temperature of silicon nanoparticles using the energy shift of the plasmon resonance peak with respect to the zero-loss peak as a function of temperature. We demonstrate that using non-negative matrix factorization and curve fitting of stacked spectra, the temperature accuracy can be improved significantly over previously reported manual fitting approaches. We will discuss the necessary acquisition parameters to achieve a precision of 6 meV to determine the plasmon peak position.
Determination of maximum electric field amplitude sustained by electron acoustic solitary waves in an unmagnetized plasma with kappa-distributed electrons
Authors: Mukherjee Arghya
Published: March 2021

This manuscript investigates the maximum electric field amplitude sustained by nonlinear electron acoustic waves, without losing their initial structure, and propagating in an unmagnetized homogeneous plasma comprising cold inertial electrons, hot kappa-distributed electrons, and stationary ions. Using nonlinear fluid Maxwell’s equations in one dimension, traveling wave solutions have been derived in the wave frame, and negative potential solitary structures have been observed. Furthermore, a pseudo-potential method has been employed to determine the maximum electric field amplitude as a function of the dimensionless Mach number (M), initial density ratio of hot to cold electron species (Rn=nh0nc0), and spectral index (κ) of the hot electron species velocity distribution function. We find that at this maximum electric amplitude, the density of the cold electron fluid becomes singular and thus can be called the wave breaking limit [J. M. Dawson, Phys. Rev. 113, 383 (1959)]. Density singularity is an artifact of the cold fluid plasma model and actually diminishes if one introduces a nonzero temperature to the cold inertial electrons. In that case, we find that the maximum electric field amplitude gets modified and follows the same scaling as the ratio of cold to hot electron species temperature (σ=TecTeh), as obtained by Coffey [Phys. Fluids 14, 1402 (1971)], with electron thermal velocity derived for the wave breaking limit of electron plasma waves in a warm plasma.
Evolution of exceptional points and anisotropic transmission resonance phenomenon for one-dimensional local resonant phononic crystal
Authors: Wang Licheng , Xia Ming , Zhang Kaiyan , Yao Yuanwei , Wu Fugen , Zhang Xin , Zhao Degang
Published: March 2021

In this study, a spring–mass physical model is proposed to study the complex band structure of a one-dimensional parity-time (PT)-symmetric local resonant phononic crystal. By solving the kinetic equations, the analytical solutions of the dispersion relation and effective mass are obtained. As is known, the infinite effective mass would appear at the resonant frequency in a Hermitian system without any gain or loss. Once the balanced gain and loss are added to form a PT-symmetric system, the infinite effective mass would become finite, and the exceptional points can be observed in the subwavelength realm. With the increase in gain and loss, exceptional points would coalesce and form a higher order one. The numerical simulations in a practical structure agree well with the analytical analysis. In addition, the simulated transmission/reflection spectrum and field distribution clearly demonstrate the anisotropic transmission resonances. Our investigation enriches the physical connotation of local resonant phononic crystals in non-Hermitian systems.
Taxonomic revision of the
Authors: Meudt Heidi M. , Thorsen Michael J. , Prebble Jessica M.
Published: March 2021

The three main aims of this study were to circumscribe the Myosotis australis R.Br. group, determine the taxonomic utility of pollen characters, and delimit species and revise their taxonomy using macro-morphological and palynological data. The M. australis group is here recircumscribed to comprise two species, M. saxatilis Petrie (Marlborough and Otago, New Zealand) and M. australis. Myosotis australis is a widespread, morphologically variable species with two subspecies. M. australis subsp. australis comprises all Australian and most New Zealand specimens, including M. mooreana Lehnebach, M. lytteltonensis (Laing & A.Wall) de Lange, and several white- or yellow-flowered tag-named taxa from New Zealand, whereas M. australis subsp. saruwagedica (Schltr. ex Brand) Meudt, Thorsen & Prebble, comb. et stat. nov. is endemic to New Guinea. The M. australis group can be distinguished from all other ebracteate-erect Myosotis plants sampled to date, including the Australian endemic, M. exarrhena F.Muell., by a suite of characters, i.e. included anthers, calyx with both retrorse and hooked trichomes, rosette leaf trichomes retrorse abaxially and oblique to the midrib adaxially, and leaf length : width ratio of >2 : 1. Other characters can distinguish the group from M. discolor Pers., M. arvensis (L.) Hill, and M. umbrosa Meudt, Prebble & Thorsen respectively. Pollen characters were not useful for species delimitation within the M. australis group, but they can help distinguish several species outside it, including natural hybrids of M. australis and M. exarrhena in Australia. Myosotis australis, M. saxatilis and M. exarrhena are included in the taxonomic treatment, whereas introduced species M. discolor and M. arvensis are included in the key only.
Assessment of the possibility of using GPR to determine the working resistance force of tools for subsoil reclamation
Authors: Kiełbasa P , Zagórda M , Juliszewski T , Akinsunmade A , Tomecka S , Karczewski J , Pysz P.
Published: March 2021

The article presents a study on the determination of working resistance force of a tool that reclaims the topsoil based on GPR research. The experiment used a strain gauge force measurement system in a three-point linkage suspension system of the tool on a tractor with automatic registration of other operating parameters of the unit at a frequency of 10H. For the research with the use of GPR, a shielded antenna with a frequency of 800 MHz was used, allowing to obtain a wavelength of 0.12 m and a resolution of 0.03 m. The tests were carried out for several combinations of soil compaction, which was initially measured with the Eijkelkamp cone penetrometer. A large convergence of the results of the working resistance forces was found with the indications of the states of excessive compaction identified in the space of the echogram. It should be noted that the convergence of the measurement results increases with the degree of soil compaction. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the energy consumption of cultivation treatments on the basis of non-invasive GPR surveys and selective soil reclamation treatment with degraded subsoil.
Assessment of the degree of secondary luminescence generated by coffee subjected to influence of a constant electric field
Authors: Kiełbasa P , Miernik A , Dróżdż T , Zając M
Published: March 2021

The article presents the results of research on the influence of the constant electric field on the size and structure of the ultra-weak photon emission of selected coffee beans. In the research, a combination of the electric field’s impact on the material was used, consisting in the use of 1800 cycles in which the time of exposure to the electric field with a voltage of 3kV was interrupted and renewed every 10 seconds. The experimental material was coffee in the form of whole grains and coffee in the form of granules ready to be dissolved in water. The PMT Photomultiplier tube method was used to count individual photons. It has been found that it is possible to use the single photon counting method to identify the type of coffee and stimulation with a constant electric field increases the differentiation of the photon emission values.
Environmental impact assessment for electric vehicles
Authors: Nęcka K , Knaga J
Published: March 2021

In recent years we have observed a significant increase in the number of cars in use. Most of them are vehicles powered by liquid fuels. Unfortunately, with the increasing intensity of car use, the amount of pollution generated in the transport sector is also increasing. In order to reduce the harmful impact on the environment, multi-track actions are necessary to reduce emissions from burning liquid fuels. One of such actions is presented concept of the operation of electric vehicles on the example of a local businessman and determination of ecological assessment indicators for the analysed solution. The simulations demonstrate that the changes in the transport fleet of the local enterprise will not bring about a reduction in pollution, but on the contrary, it will increase the total emission of pollutants by about 20%. This is due to the fact that electric energy for battery charging comes mainly from burning fossil fuels in domestic conditions. A positive impact on the environment was observed only when electric vehicles were powered from a specially selected photovoltaic installation dedicated to the needs of the customer working in a mixed system. The introduction of the electromobilical fleet in connection with the investment in PV installations allowed to avoid CO2 emissions by 44 Mg per year.
Construction of a zoomorphical robot for rehabilitation of autistic children
Authors: Niderla K , Maciejewski M
Published: March 2021

This article details the construction of a zoomorphical robot for use in therapy of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The robot was designed to act as a proxy in communication between a therapist and the child. It is made to look like a safe, rabbit-shaped toy to invoke feelings of warmth, safety and trust. Two versions of the robot were constructed. Laser cutting and 3d printing were used to construct the mechanical parts of the robots. Multiple movable joints allowed for easy conveying of emotions. The robot uses an LCD touchscreen to display a rabbit face that can be animated to simulate speech. Communication is possible via a camera, microphone and speakers. A specialized controller and control systems were designed to operate the robot. The devices are currently included in ongoing trials under supervision by trained specialists.
Improvement science process skills of high school students through learning models scientific inquiry
Authors: Hutapea Alessandro , Bukit Nurdin , Manurung Sondang R
Published: March 2021

This study’s background is based on the fact that teachers in learning still apply conventional learning, which causes poor science process skills in students. This study aims to improve students’ science process skills taught using the scientific inquiry learning model. This research method is a quasi-experiment. The population in this study were all students of class X SMA, with 130 students. Sampling was done by random cluster sampling. The instrument used was an essay with a total of 8 questions. The results of this study obtained an average pretest value of 41.05 and an average post-test score of 63.31. So it can be concluded that the scientific inquiry learning model effectively increases curiosity and science process skills in students.
Decision support system for truck scheduling in logistic network through cross-docking strategy
Authors: Nurprihatin Filscha , Elvina  , Rembulan Glisina Dwinoor , Christianto Kevin , Hartono Henny
Published: March 2021

In recent years, companies around the world need to find new ways to reduce costs, increase productivity, improve product quality, and meet various customer demands. Each Distribution Center (DC) or warehouse is specifically designed to minimize costs in the company’s supply chain. Cross-docking is a logistics technique that eliminates storing and picking up items at warehouses. Cross-docking has several advantages compared to other product distribution strategies from both an economic and an environmental point of view. Cross-docking decisions are influenced by many factors such as the level of product demand, the cost of stock-outs, and the distance from suppliers to customers. This research builds a Decision Support System (DSS) that can help companies to ensure sustainability in the supply chain. This study assumes the demand is deterministic which is indicated by Economic Order Quantity (EOQ). This system can detect the time and quantity of certain items that experience cross-docks accurately. If the customers’demand cannot be fulfilled by the warehouse, then the goods are categorized as out of stock. By knowing the time and quantity of goods at the time of the cross-dock, the warehouse manager can make operational decisions quickly and accurately related to the resources such asoperators and forklifts.
Analysis of train noise level at bandar khalipah station, deli serdang using sound level meter 130 dB
Authors: Indrayani  , Yani M. , Amiruddin Arfis , Arnita  , Billy
Published: March 2021

The Bandar Khalipah train station is a class B station which is located very close to residential areas. This has an impact on the noise level that occurs in the area. This study aims to analyze train noise using a sound level meter (SLM) and analyze the effect of train operating time on noise levels. The research method was carried out experimentally. Where noise is measured using SLM at a distance of 1.5 meters from the train and the location of the SLM parallel to an adult’s ear, namely 1.5 meters. Measurements were taken as much as 14 arrivals and 14 departures during the week. The result obtained is that the noise that occurs at departure is 98.4 dB greater than the noise at arrival at 97.7 dB. This is because the sound produced by the engine occurs due to the combustion process which requires air and heat, resulting in smoke gas and sound in the chimney. It turns out that the highest noise occurs at 10.42 to 17.22 WIB, with the largest at 98.4 dB at 12.35 WIB. This is due to the greater daytime conditions of air pressure and temperature. Meanwhile, the lowest noise occurred in the morning and evening, namely at 6.45 WIB at 80.2 dB. Train noise at the Bandar Khalifah station that occurs is above the threshold required by the Noise Level Standard in Various Activity Areas according to the Decree of the Minister of Environment of the Republic of Indonesia, No. 48 of 1996 that is 70 dB.
The effect of addition Ni2+ to Cr2O3 and its potential characterization as anode potassium ion battery
Authors: Permatasari Thitania Wahyu , Wijaya Husni Wahyu , Taufiq A. , Wayan Dasna I
Published: March 2021

Potassium ion battery (PIB) is an alternative to replace Lithium ion battery (LIB). In this study, amount of Ni2+ is added to substitute of Cr(III) on Cr2O3. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of adding Ni2+ ions to Cr2O3 and to test its potential as anode of PIB. Synthesis used the coprecipitation method followed by calcination at 700°C for 12 hours. The results showed that the Cr2O3 - NiCr2O4 composites were formed when the addition of Ni2+ was 0.25; 0.50; and 0.75 mole with the most dominant amounts of NiCr2O4 in the addition of 0.50 mole Ni2+. Cyclic voltammetry analysis of addition of 0.50 mole of Ni2+ to the Cr2O3 shows that the material has an a reduction potential of +0.0344 V and an oxidation potential of +0.587 V. NiCr2O4/Cr2O3 material has the potential as anode material for PIB.
Analysis of critical thinking skills student on the topic of optic geometry
Authors: Panjaitan Elminasari , Juliani Rita , Marpaung Nurliana
Published: March 2021

This study aims to analyze: (1) learning activities with multi representation, (2) critical thinking skills of student with multi representation (3) the effect multi representation compared with assignments to student activities, (4) critical thinking skills and activities multiple representations compared with assignments. This research is quasi experimental research with a pretest and posttest control group design. The population in this study were students of class XI SMA Negeri 5 Binjai. The research sample consisted of two experimental classes with multiple representations and a control. Collecting data using observations and tests that have been tested for validity and reliability. The data analysis technique used the independent t test with a significance level of 5%.The results showed that: (1) student activity multi representation was in the active category (85.7%), while student with assignments was in the fairly active category (65.7%), (2) critical thinking skills of student with multiple representations were in the good category (74.3%), while the students critical thinking skills with assignments were in the fairly good category (68.6%), (4) activities and skills critical thinking is better learned in the experimental class rather than in the control class.
Electrical Properties of Electrochemically Exfoliated Graphite with Copper Addition
Authors: Sulistyaningsih Eka , Abdillah Oktaviardi Bityasmawan , Maharsi Retno , Floweri Octia , Iskandar Ferry
Published: March 2021

In this study, the electrical properties of exfoliated graphite (EG) with copper addition is reported. Firstly, EG samples were synthesized using electrochemical exfoliation of the pre-treated graphite sheet then combined with various copper concentrations. X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) characterization indicated that the composites of EG, Cu, and Cu2O were formed. A higher Cu2O amount obtained when the higher concentration of copper precursor was added in the EG. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) images showed that more particles with larger sizes were anchored on the EG surface as higher copper concentration. The electrical properties of the samples were measured using the four-point probe method. The highest electrical conductivity of 37.86 S/cm was produced in the EG sample with 1 wt.% of copper addition. The result reveals that the optimum copper addition can increase the electrical properties of EG.