bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simulation of the THF hydrate–water interfacial free energy from computer simulation
Authors: Torrejón Miguel J. , Romero-Guzmán Cristóbal , Piñeiro Manuel M. , Blas Felipe J. , Algaba Jesús
Published: August 2024

In this work, the tetrahydrofuran (THF) hydrate–water interfacial free energy is determined at 500 bar, at one point of the univariant two-phase coexistence line of the THF hydrate, by molecular dynamics simulation. The mold integration–host methodology, an extension of the original mold integration technique to deal with hydrate–fluid interfaces, is used to calculate the interfacial energy. Water is described using the well-known TIP4P/Ice model, and THF is described using a rigid version of the TraPPE model. We have recently used the combination of these two models to accurately describe the univariant two-phase dissociation line of the THF hydrate in a wide range of pressures from computer simulation [Algaba et al., J. Chem. Phys. 160, 164718 (2024)]. The THF hydrate–water interfacial free energy predicted in this work is compared with the only experimental data available in the literature. The value obtained, 27(2) mJ/m2, is in excellent agreement with the experimental data taken from the literature, 24(8) mJ/m2. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that the THF hydrate–water interfacial free energy is predicted from computer simulation. This work confirms that the mold integration technique can be used with confidence to predict the solid–fluid interfaces of complex structures, including hydrates that exhibit sI and sII crystallographic structures.
Generating proton-disordered ice configurations using orientational simulated annealing
Authors: Fidalgo Cândido Vitor , Gomes de Aguiar Veiga Roberto , de Koning Maurice
Published: August 2024

We examine an algorithm for the creation of proton-disordered ice cells based on a simulated-annealing (SA) scheme for molecular orientations. Application to defect-free ice Ih, a clathrate-hydrate structure, and a random polycrystalline ice Ih sample demonstrates the SA technique to be effective, attaining maximum HB connectivity using relatively short cooling simulations, thus serving as an alternative method for those cases in which the application of topology-based methods is inhibited.
Strain-induced variations in the Raman and infrared spectra of monolayer InSe: A first-principles study
Authors: Zeng Xiangyu , Chen Yutong , Jiang Yuanfei , Sui Laizhi , Chen Anmin , Jin Mingxing
Published: August 2024

Monolayer indium selenide (InSe), a two-dimensional material, exhibits exceptional electronic and optical properties that can be significantly modulated via strain engineering. This study employed density functional theory to examine the structural and vibrational properties of monolayer InSe under varying biaxial strains. Phonon dispersion analysis confirmed the stability of monolayer InSe, as indicated by the absence of imaginary frequencies. The study extensively detailed how Raman and infrared spectra adjust under strain, showing shifts in peak positions and variations in intensity that reflect changes in lattice symmetry and electronic structures. Specific findings include the stiffening of the A′1 mode and the increased intensity of E″ and E′ modes under strain, suggesting enhanced polarizability and asymmetric vibrations. Moreover, the Raman intensity for the E′ mode at 167.3 cm−1 increased under both tensile and compressive strain due to enhanced polarizability and symmetry disruption, while the IR intensity for the A″2 mode at 192.1 cm−1 decreased, likely from diminished dipole moment changes. In contrast, the low-frequency modes, such as E″ at 36.8 cm−1, demonstrated insensitivity to strain, implying a minimal impact on heavier atoms within these modes. Overall, this study highlights the sensitivity of vibrational modes to strain-induced changes, providing valuable insights into the behavior of monolayer InSe under mechanical stress.
Multi-environment analysis to unravel bread wheat core collection to identify donors for grain quality, phenology, and yield traits
Authors: Kumari Jyoti , Gupta R. K. , Gupta Arun , Honrao B. K. , Vaish S. S. , Sharma Achla , Ram Sewa , Krishnappa Gopalareddy , Sharma Shivani , Bhardwaj Rakesh , Jacob Sherry Rachel , Kumar Sundeep , Vikas V. K. , Pandey Sushil , Rana J. C. , Kumar Ashok , Singh G. P. , Singh Kuldeep
Published: August 2024

Context Untapped wheat germplasm is conserved globally in genebanks. Evaluating it for grain quality and yield will help achieve nutritional and food security. Aims We aimed to evaluate the Indian National Genebank bread wheat core collection for grain quality, phenology and yield, to identify potential donor germplasm. Methods 1485 accessions were grown at three locations in India during winter 2015–2016 to evaluate test weight, grain protein content, sedimentation value (SV), days to spike emergence, days to maturity, grain yield and thousand-grain weight (TGW). Key results Best linear unbiased estimates indicated mean protein of 13.3%, 14.7%, and 13.0% and yield of 73.0 g/m, 70.9 g/m and 66.6 g/m at Ludhiana, Pune, and Varanasi locations, respectively. The SV ranged from 26.6–65.6 mL and 17.7–66.6 mL at the Ludhiana and Pune locations, respectively. The top 10 accessions were identified for all the studied traits. Six high protein accessions, with consistent protein of more than 15% along with moderate Thousand-grain and test weights were further validated and assessed for stability across environments. Grain protein content was correlated negatively with thousand-grain weight and yield, but positively with days to maturity and spike emergence. Conclusion The identified accessions with high trait values could be used in future breeding programmes to develop high yielding biofortified cultivars to address protein malnutrition and also cultivars with suitable end-product quality. Implications The diversity in a core collection can be exploited to develop modern high yielding bread wheat cultivars with higher grain protein content and suitable end-product quality.
Shaping gender policies at the COPs
Authors: Matejak Dora
Published: August 2024

This research delves into gendered climate change issues and their solutions and explores how they have been
(re)produced within policymaking at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences of the Parties. By
employing Fairclough’s 3D framework of critical discourse analysis, this study examines the latest gender action plan along with
its supporting documents and projects. The findings reveal that prevailing discourses on gender prioritise women as key agents in
addressing both climate change and its gendered consequences while often relegating Parties and other international stakeholders
to ambiguous or supporting roles. Such emphasis on the empowerment and education of women to tackle global climate change issues
may overlook the importance of addressing transformative changes to combat societal gender inequalities. These inequalities not
only marginalise women in the context of climate change but also impede their involvement in the policymaking endeavours which aim
to address it.
Cross-linguistic dataset of force-flavor combinations in modal elements
Authors: Uegaki Wataru , Mucha Anne , Hannon Ella , Engels James , Whibley Fred
Published: August 2024

We present a cross-linguistic dataset of force-flavor combinations in modal elements, which currently contains
information on modal semantics in 24 languages and is accessible at https://github.com/EdinburghMeaning​Sciences/modals_database. We discuss theoretical motivations for constructing the
dataset, the data collection methodology, as well as the design and the format of the dataset. We also present four case studies
using the data: (i) assessment of cross-linguistic generalizations on force/flavor variability; (ii) exploration of
generalizations in the lexicalization of negative modality; (iii) investigation of the typology of the morphological encoding of
modal strength; and (iv) examination of how future contributes to modality. These case studies illustrate that the dataset
supports in-depth assessment of potential cross-linguistic generalizations as well as theory-informed investigations of
cross-linguistic variations in modal semantics.
Quantum generalisation of Einstein’s equivalence principle can be verified with entangled clocks as quantum reference frames
Authors: Cepollaro Carlo , Giacomini Flaminia
Published: August 2024

The Einstein equivalence principle (EEP) is of crucial importance to test the foundations of general relativity. When the particles involved in the test exhibit quantum properties, it is unknown whether this principle still holds. A violation of the EEP would have drastic consequences for physics. A more conservative possibility is that the EEP holds in a generalised form for delocalised quantum particles. Here we formulate such a generalised EEP by extending one of its paradigmatic tests with clocks to quantum clocks that are in a quantum superposition of positions and velocities. We show that the validity of such a generalised version of the EEP is equivalent to the possibility of transforming to the perspective of an arbitrary Quantum Reference Frame (QRF), namely a reference frame associated to the quantum state of the clock. We further show that this generalised EEP can be verified by measuring the proper time of entangled clocks in a quantum superposition of positions in the Earth gravitational field. The violation of the generalised EEP corresponds to the impossibility of defining dynamical evolution in the frame of each clock, and results in a modification to the probabilities of measurements calculated in the laboratory frame. Hence, it can be verified experimentally, for instance in an atom interferometer.
Epitaxial growth of quasi-2D van der Waals ferromagnets on crystalline substrates
Authors: Kumar Negi Subhransu , M B Abhijith , Paul Sourav , Pandey Vineet , K Roy Ajit , R Glavin Nicholas , Watanabe Kenji , Taniguchi Takashi , Sarkar Suman , Kochat Vidya
Published: August 2024

Intrinsic magnetism in van der Waals materials has instigated interest in exploring magnetism in the 2D limit for potential applications in spintronics and also in understanding novel control of 2D magnetism via variation of layer thickness, gate tunability and magnetoelectric effects. The chromium telluride (Cr
x
Te
y
) family is an interesting subsection of ferromagnetic materials with high

T

C

values, also presenting diverse stoichiometry arising from self-intercalation of Cr. Apart from the layered CrTe2 system, the other non-layered Cr
x
Te
y
compounds also offer exceptional magnetic properties, and a novel growth technique to grow thin films of these non-layered compounds offers exciting possibilities for ultra-thin spin-based electronics and magnetic sensors. In this work, we discuss the role of crystalline substrates in chemical vapor deposition growth of non-layered 2D ferromagnets, where the crystal symmetry of the substrate as well as the misfit and strain are the key players governing the growth mechanism of ultra-thin Cr5Te8, a non-layered ferromagnet. The magnetic studies of the as-grown Cr5Te8 reveal the signatures of co-existing soft and hard ferromagnetic phases, which makes this system an intriguing system to search for emergent topological phases, such as magnetic skyrmions.
Asymptotic behavior of a semilinear non-autonomous wave equation with distributed delay and analytic nonlinearity
Authors: Feng Baowei
Published: August 2024

This paper is concerned with a semilinear non-autonomous wave equation with distributed delay and analytic nonlinearity. The distributed delay is represented by an integral operator integrating on the delay interval, which considers a segment of the past dynamic information. Firstly we show the global boundedness of solutions and then prove that every globally bounded solution has a relative compact range in the phase space. By the Łojasiewicz–Simon inequality, we prove the convergence to an equilibrium of globally bounded solutions and then show the convergence rate dependence on the Łojasiewicz exponent and the decay conditions on non-autonomous term. The existence and uniqueness of a global strong solution is finally proved. Note that the result of existence and uniqueness of the solution does not need any restrictions on the coefficients between the damping and the delay. The presence of an integral kernel makes distributed delays more difficult to be analyzed compared to its pointwise counterpart.
Thermal modeling and simulation applied to novel microwave hybrid heating process
Authors: Singh Tarunpreet , Sehgal Shankar
Published: August 2024

Owing to the unique encouraging characteristics of microwave hybrid heating, primarily volumetric heating, and additional potentials such as being repeatable, quick, economical, and green; it has been utilized in various processing techniques. The efficient joining of mild steel pipes through microwave hybrid heating in a multimode applicator at 2.45 GHz and 900 W for an operational time of 480 s has already been performed. The modeling and simulation of the process have been performed in this research paper as the numerical analysis of the working environment is crucial for evaluating various aspects of a technique, decreases process-design cycle time, and found to be more economical than experimental trials. The numerical analysis provides in-depth insight-taking into consideration of the electromagnetic field distribution, its interaction with the materials, heat generation and transfer, along with the thermal analysis of the experimental assembly, in addition to the comprehensive parametric analysis. The numerical model of the assembled set-up was developed in order to simulate a real-life heating environment by solving electromagnetic and heat transfer equations and providing analytically predicted results with an accuracy of 3.75% against the experimental results. The analytical modeling and simulation have been strategically fragmented into three phases which are pre-processing, processing, and post-processing phase and elucidated extensively, providing a systematic working of the analytical model. This research will be utilized further in optimizing the microwave hybrid heating process in order to make it time-efficient and inexpensive for its applications to industrial environments.
Enhanced dielectric, magnetic, and photocatalytic properties of sol-gel synthesized Eu-Cr codoped BiFeO3 nanoparticles
Authors: Parida Sridhar , Nanda Jyotirmayee
Published: August 2024

A series of polycrystalline Eu-Cr co-doped BiFeO3 nanoparticles were synthesized using the sol–gel method. The obtained samples were characterized by employing the XRD, FTIR, FESEM, UV–vis, LCR meter, and SQUID techniques. XRD analysis confirmed rhombohedral phase formation for all samples, and the crystallite sizes decreased with higher Cr3+ doping concentrations. The stretching and bending vibrations of Fe-O bonds in FeO6 octahedra and the formation of perovskite nature were confirmed by the FTIR analysis. From microstructural studies, a decrease in crystallite size with increased doping concentration was observed, corroborating the XRD results. The magnetic studies revealed an enhanced magnetization, probably caused by the distorted cycloid spin structure of the codoped nanoparticles with size ≤62 nm. The lower value of the squareness ratio of the M-H loop indicated strong magnetostatic interaction between grains, which might have played a great role in the enhancement of the maximum magnetization of the doped samples. The dielectric constant and loss tangent were evaluated as a function of frequency at room temperature. The photocatalytic activities of all the samples were evaluated by measuring the degradation of RhB dye under sunlight irradiation. The highest photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 94% was achieved with the substitution of Cr3+ (3%) and Eu3+ (4%) ions in BiFeO3 nanoparticles.
Design and control of topological Fano resonance in Kane-Mele nanoribbons for sensing applications
Authors: Jalilvand Samira , Soltani Morteza , Noorinejad Zahra , Amini Mohsen , Ghanbari-Adivi Ebrahim
Published: August 2024

The concept of topological Fano resonance, characterized by an ultrasharp asymmetric line shape, is a promising candidate for robust sensing applications due to its sensitivity to external parameters and immunity to structural disorder. In this study, the vacancy-induced topological Fano resonance in a nanoribbon made up of a hexagonal lattice with armchair sides is examined by introducing several on-site vacancies, which are deliberately created at regular distances, along a zigzag chain that stretches across the width of the ribbon. The presence of the on-site vacancies can create localized energy states within the electronic band structure, leading to the formation of an impurity band, which can result in Fano resonance phenomena by forming a conductivity channel between the edge modes on both armchair sides of the ribbon. Consequently, an ultracompact tunable on-chip integrated topological Fano resonance derived from the graphene-based nanomechanical phononic crystals is proposed. The Fano resonance arises from the interference between topologically protected even and odd edge modes at the interface between trivial and nontrivial insulators in a nanoribbon structure governed by the Kane-Mele model describing the quantum spin Hall effect in hexagonal lattices. The simulation of the topological Fano resonance is performed analytically using the Lippmann-Schwinger scattering formulation. One of the advantages of the present study is that the related calculations are carried out analytically, and in addition to the simplicity and directness, it reproduces the results obtained from the Landauer-Büttiker formulation very well both quantitatively and qualitatively. The findings open up possibilities for the design of highly sensitive and accurate robust sensors for detecting extremely tiny forces, masses, and spatial positions.
A perfect absorber based on a VO2-tunable Fabry–Perot cavity: an analysis of periodic oscillation absorption characteristics
Authors: Zhang Yanpeng , Sun Xuehong , Liu Liping , Qin Guoche , Yu Haibo , Li Zhanxiong
Published: August 2024

Terahertz metamaterial absorbers (TMAs) have garnered significant attention as vital electromagnetic wave-absorbing devices. In this study, we designed a terahertz metamaterial absorber (TMA) utilizing an asymmetric Fabry–Perot nanocavity comprising vanadium dioxide (VO2), gold (Au), and polyimide. The TMA exhibits five perfect absorption peaks within 0.1 THz to 10 THz, with an absorption rate exceeding 97%, peaking at 99%. The absorption rate oscillates periodically between 0 and 1, and its oscillating absorption peak can be determined by f

m
(

f

m

=
(
2
m
+
1
)

c

0

/

(
4
t

ε

2

), while tunability of the absorption rate between 15% and 97% is achievable by adjusting the conductivity of (VO2) (2×102∼2×105S/m). The physical mechanism of the absorption peak was analyzed by simulation and compared with theoretical analysis. The results show that the absorption peak of the absorber’s absorptivity can be insensitive to polarization and has a wide absorption angle of 80% up to 40◦ or more. Importantly, the thickness of the absorber (VO2) layer can be calculated from the desired absorption frequency and dielectric constant of the interlayer medium,

d
=

ε

0

/

μ

0

/

σ

, thus reducing the need for redesigning different resonant layer patterns. This work provides a new perspective on terahertz absorber design.
First-principles study on electronic and mechanical properties of Ru2XAl (X = Mn, Zr, Ti, Hf) alloys
Authors: Hao Peichen , Liu Wenzhi , Wang Jian
Published: August 2024

The magnetic properties of Heusler alloys have been a hot research topic. However, the current understanding of the properties of Ru-based Heusler alloys is still very limited. The magnetic, electronic, and mechanical properties of four Ru-based Heusler alloys, Ru2XAl (X = Mn, Zr, Ti, and Hf) were calculated by the first-principles. This article studied the basic mechanical parameters of four types of Heusler alloys, such as bulk elastic modulus, Cauchy pressure, Pugh’s ratio, shear modulus, Kleinman parameter, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and elastic constant. The calculated results of the elastic constant prove that all four alloys are mechanically stable. Ru2MnAl alloy exhibits brittleness, while the other three alloys exhibit excellent ductility based on Poisson’s ratio and Pugh’s ratio. The Kleinman parameter of the four alloys are all greater than 0.5, indicating that they have stronger stability in the tensile state. In addition, the spin magnetic moment of Ru2MnAl alloy is 2.113

μ

B

,

which is consistent with the SP rule and other theoretical calculations.
Synthesis and investigation of polyvinylpyrrolidone-polymer content on magnetic and electromagnetic properties of electrospun BiFeO3, SrFe12O19, α-Fe2O3 nanostructures
Authors: Salehi Moghaddam Vahid , Gholizadeh Ahmad
Published: August 2024

A one-pot electrospinning technique was employed to synthesize polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-based nanofibers containing bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3), strontium hexaferrite (SrFe12O19), and hematite (α-Fe2O3). The influence of PVP polymer concentration on structural properties revealed the formation of pure phases in all samples, except for BiFeO3 nanofibers, which contained an impurity Bi2Fe4O9 phase. Field-emission scanning electron microscope images showed that higher PVP concentrations resulted in longer, thicker nanofiber chains for all samples. Vibrating sample magnetometer analysis indicated that SrFe12O19 nanofibers exhibited strong ferrimagnetic properties with high saturation magnetization (60 emu g−1) and coercivity (5000 Oe), while the other samples displayed weaker magnetic properties. To address the fragility of nanofibers produced via the one-pot method, the highest PVP concentration nanofibers were incorporated into low and high concentrations of paraffin matrices. Electromagnetic testing showed that paraffin concentration significantly increased the real part of electrical permittivity for BiFeO3 nanofibers (from ∼2 to ∼4.5) compared to other compositions (∼2 to ∼3). Impedance results revealed that BiFeO3 nanofibers had the lowest resistance and likely higher reflectivity. Lastly, the real permittivity of nanofibers decreased with increasing frequency, aligning with Koop’s dielectric relaxation theory.
Band structure for relativistic charged particles immersed in a structurally chiral electromagnetic field
Authors: Lima Abraham , Reyes J Adrian
Published: August 2024

In this paper, we determine the band structure of an electromagnetic space-time crystal. We construct a coordinate transformation in which the matrix elements of the Dirac equation are constant. Consequently, their corresponding band structure is recovered analytically. The band structure is fragmented into three different energy regions. In the center, there is a region prohibited for all particles (universal band gap), which is symmetrically enveloped by two energy regions of the same width. These regions allow the passage of particles with a specific spin (discriminatory band gaps). Furthermore, we demonstrate that, through the appropriate combination of the refractive index, the length of the electromagnetic wave, and the amplitude of the electric field, it is possible to shorten the bandwidth of the universal gap and replace it with a discriminatory band gap. In that sense, the proposed system constitutes an alternative procedure to observe the Schwinger mechanism experimentally.
Reconstruction algorithm for cross-waveband optical computing imaging
Authors: Xie 谢 Jin-Tao 锦涛 , Bie 别 Shu-Hang 书航 , Li 李 Ming-Fei 明飞 , Yu 余 Yuan-Jin 远金 , Li 李 Yi-Fei 毅飞 , Wang 王 Jin-Guang 进光 , Quan 全 Bao-Gang 保刚 , Wu 吴 Ling-An 令安
Published: August 2024

In a single-pixel fast imaging setup, the data collected by the single-pixel detector needs to be processed by a computer, but the speed of the latter will affect the image reconstruction time. Here we propose two kinds of setups which are able to transform non-visible into visible light imaging, wherein their computing process is replaced by a camera integration mode. The image captured by the camera has a low contrast, so here we present an algorithm that can realize a high quality image in near-infrared to visible cross-waveband imaging. The scheme is verified both by simulation and in actual experiments. The setups demonstrate the great potential for single-pixel imaging and high-speed cross-waveband imaging for future practical applications.
Durability and mechanical characteristics of self healing fiber reinforced concrete
Authors: Neeraja P , Prasad E V
Published: August 2024

The durability of concrete structures is a critical aspect of sustainable infrastructure, and the incorporation of self-healing mechanisms has gained significant attention in recent years. This study presents a comprehensive study on the durability of self-healing concrete using a combination of crystalline admixture and fly ash as a mineral admixture and nylon fibers. The research focuses on the effectiveness of crystalline admixtures in promoting autonomous crack healing in concrete, while fly ash enhances the overall durability characteristics whereas nylon fibers to enhance the tensile characteristics of concrete. Studies on selfhealing of concrete have been done for M70 grade but the current research is focussing the study on M25 to check the efficiency of the crystalline admixture on lower grades of concrete. In the present investigation, the healing properties of cracked concrete varying is analyzed by varying the nylon fibers in o.5 %, 1%, 1.5%, keeping the optimum fly ash percentage as 15%, and using 1.1% crystalline admixture. The mechanical properties of the healed concrete are determined before crack formation and after crack healing. Furthermore, the research examines the influence of fly ash as a mineral admixture on the durability aspects of self-healing concrete by performing various tests such as acid resistance test and alkali resistance test. The inclusion of a 1.1% crystalline admixture, 15% fly ash, and 0.5% nylon fibers in concrete has shown significant benefits in terms of regaining compressive strength and split tensile strength. After a healing period of 28 days, the material’s compressive strength improved by 63.78%, while the split tensile strength increased by 62.57% when compared to the control mix. And also when immersed in acid and alkali solutions the same mix showed minimal weight loss and percentage of strength loss.
Project Management Analysis for a Multi-storey building using Analytical data and Primavera - A Comparison
Authors: Manjunatha  , Rayabharapu Vijay Kumar , Abhay M , Tharun Gangadhar B
Published: August 2024

In India, the construction sector ranks as the second largest industry. Planning, scheduling, controlling, and tracking the projects are necessary for managing construction projects because they frequently have time and cost overruns for a variety of reasons. Project monitoring processes may not be carried out effectively even with well-established principles and policies because of practical problems that arise or exist in the project. To overcome these issues software like Microsoft Project Management (MSP), Primavera, etc…are helpful. In this project, a multi-storey building is selected which is a residential building (G+3) with a total built-up area of 1487 Sqft located at HMT Society, Old Post Office Road, Jeedimetla. A plan is drafted in AUTO-CAD software, the detailed cost estimation of the building is prepared in a Microsoft Excel sheet and manual scheduling is prepared based on the site-monitored data. Its total cost is INR 75,00,000.00/-.

All the major stages like creating an EPS, WBS, linking of activities according to their relationships and availability of resources, and determination of critical Path are clearly shown in the report. Finally, manual scheduling data is analyzed in Primavera P6 software, which clearly shows us the Gantt Chart and activity relationships report to analyze the project. It is found that there is a feasible way to use the data in these tools rather than Manual scheduling.
An experimental study on the effect of a Viscosity Modifying Agent on the rheological and strength behaviour of 3D Printed Concrete
Authors: Prathipati SRR Teja , Vardhan J. , Murali D. , Nithin C. , Karthik Sai C.
Published: August 2024

Automatic construction technologies have become the primary focus of the global construction sector. 3D printing is one of the disruptive technologies emerging from Industrial Revolution 4.0. 3D printing has grown increasingly popular in concrete construction due to its architectural freedom, speed, formwork-free printing, lesser waste creation, eco-friendliness, affordability, and safety. There were issues with the printing process when manufacturing 3D-Printed Concrete (3DPC) mixes, such as poor extrusion and buildability issues. This study investigates the use of Viscosity Modifying Agents (VMAs) in 3DPC to improve printability as well as structural integrity. VMAs, known for their capacity to change the rheological properties of concrete mixtures, are used selectively to optimise the material’s flow behaviour throughout the 3D printing process. The study compares the effect of VMA concentrations on the workability and buildability properties of 3DPC mixtures. Comparative examinations of VMA-enhanced and traditional 3DPC specimens indicate that an optimised VMA dose improves structural performance. The findings of this study hold significant relevance for the advancement of 3D printing technology in construction, offering a more nuanced understanding of the role of VMAs in optimising concrete mixtures for additive manufacturing.
Differential privacy protection algorithm for large data sources based on normalized information entropy Bayesian network
Authors: Ni Guangyuan , Sun Jiaxin
Published: August 2024

With the rapid development of the Internet, privacy protection in big data has become an important research hotspot in the field of information security. Among them, differential privacy protection is the most widely used big data privacy protection technology today. However, the existing differential privacy protection technology cannot fully and effectively deal with the problem of high-dimensional privacy big data. Although the private data publishing method based on a Bayesian network can effectively deal with the conversion problem of high-dimensional data sets to low-dimensional data sets, this method also has some defects and deficiencies. Therefore, this paper proposes a large data source differential privacy protection algorithm (NIE-PrivBayes algorithm) based on normalized information entropy Bayesian network and proposes three improvements to the original PrivBayes algorithm. First, the original data set is protected by differential privacy on the client side. Secondly, the Bayesian network is constructed by the joint probability distribution obtained by the EM algorithm. Finally, the existing Bayesian network construction algorithm is optimized in the aspects of normalized information entropy. Based on significantly reducing the computational overhead, the effectiveness and availability of publishing high-dimensional data sets are realized under the premise of differential privacy protection.
Improving chinese cross-modal retrieval with multi-modal transportation data
Authors: He Yanzhong , Zhang Yanjiao , Zhu Lin
Published: August 2024

As societal development progresses and individual travel needs evolve, the demand for acquiring multi-modal transportation status information has steadily increased. The present domain of transportation status encompasses a wealth of multi-modal information, including vehicle trajectory data, traffic condition visual imagery, and textual information. Acquiring multi-modal transportation status information facilitates a rapid understanding of the prevailing traffic conditions at a given location. In this study, we investigate multi-modal transportation status data encompassing trajectories, textual descriptions, and visual imagery. We establish a multi-modal dataset comprising circuit, text, and image data and enhance the state-of-the-art cross-modal retrieval model within the Chinese domain. We utilize hash codes to compute the similarity between images and textual descriptions. During model evaluation using our collected dataset, the Chinese-CLIP-Hash model (our model) demonstrates performance improvements over the Chinese-CLIP model. Specifically, it exhibits a 1.0% improvement in R@10 for the Text-to-Image task and a 0.4% improvement in R@5 for the Image-to-Text task, along with a 0.2% enhancement in R@10. Furthermore, during the cross-modal retrieval process, it achieves a notable speed increase, exhibiting an 11% improvement in speed compared to the Chinese-CLIP model when handling queries from a set of 400 textual descriptions.
Hydrodynamic pressure sensing for a biomimetic robotic fish caudal fin integrated with a resistive pressure sensor
Authors: Zhao Quanliang , Zhang Chao , Chen Jinghao , Zhang Mengying , Yuan Junjie , Zhao Lei , Zhang Jie , Huang Can , He Guangping
Published: August 2024

Micro-sensors, such as pressure and flow sensors, are usually adopted to attain actual fluid information around swimming biomimetic robotic fish for hydrodynamic analysis and control. However, most of the reported micro-sensors are mounted discretely on body surfaces of robotic fish and it is impossible to analyzed the hydrodynamics between the caudal fin and the fluid. In this work, a biomimetic caudal fin integrated with a resistive pressure sensor is designed and fabricated by laser machined conductive carbon fibre composites. To analyze the pressure exerted on the caudal fin during underwater oscillation, the pressure on the caudal fin is measured under different oscillating frequencies and angles. Then a model developed from Bernoulli equation indicates that the maximum pressure difference is linear to the quadratic power of the oscillating frequency and the maximum oscillating angle. The fluid disturbance generated by caudal fin oscillating increases with an increase of oscillating frequency, resulting in the decrease of the efficiency of converting the kinetic energy of the caudal fin oscillation into the pressure difference on both sides of the caudal fin. However, perhaps due to the longer stability time of the disturbed fluid, this conversion efficiency increases with the increase of the maximum oscillating angle. Additionally, the pressure variation of the caudal fin oscillating with continuous different oscillating angles is also demonstrated to be detected effectively. It is suggested that the caudal fin integrated with the pressure sensor could be used for sensing the in situ flow field in real time and analyzing the hydrodynamics of biomimetic robotic fish.
The transition to humid extreme cold events in winter during the past six decades over China
Authors: He Yongli , Peng Yangrui , Wang Zhanbo , Wang Shanshan , Guan Xiaodan
Published: August 2024

Winter extreme cold events (ECEs) pose significant economic and health risks, particularly when cold is combined with humidity. Although global warming has led to a decline in overall ECE occurrences, the changes in humid ECEs remain uncertain. This study uses dry and wet-bulb temperatures to categorize dry and humid ECEs across China and analyzes the proportion of humid ECEs, and the underlying factors influencing this phenomenon. In contrast to the decreasing trend of winter relative humidity (RH), our findings show an increase in RH during ECEs. This observation suggests a shift toward more humid conditions during these events. Further analysis shows an increasing percentage of humid ECEs, especially in Xinjiang, where the occurrence of dry ECEs is decreasing. Classifying ECEs into temperature- or humidity-dominated types reveals a significant increase in humidity-dominated humid ECEs, which is driven mainly by specific humidity changes, not temperature changes. These findings highlight the urgent need for adaptation strategies for more humid ECEs in a warming climate.
Multi-scale impacts of climate change on hydropower for long-term water-energy planning in the contiguous United States
Authors: Broman Daniel , Voisin Nathalie , Kao Shih-Chieh , Fernandez Alisha , Ghimire Ganesh R
Published: August 2024

Climate change impacts on watersheds can potentially exacerbate water scarcity issues where water serves multiple purposes including hydropower. The long-term management of water and energy resources is still mostly approached in a siloed manner at different basins or watersheds, failing to consider the potential impacts that may concurrently affect many regions at once. There is a need for a large-scale hydropower modeling framework that can examine climate impacts across adjoining river basins and balancing authorities (BAs) and provide a periodic assessment at regional to national scales. Expanding from our prior assessment only for the United States (US) federal hydropower plants, we enhance and extend two regional hydropower models to cover over 85% of the total hydropower nameplate capacity and present the first contiguous US-wide assessment of future hydropower production under Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 6’s high-end Shared Socioeconomic Pathway 5-8.5 emission scenario using an uncertainty-aware multi-model ensemble approach. We present regional hydropower projections, using both BA regions and US Hydrologic Subregions (HUC4s), to consistently inform the energy and water communities for two future periods—the near-term (2020–2039) and the mid-term (2040–2059) relative to a historical baseline period (1980–2019). We find that the median projected changes in annual hydropower generation are typically positive—approximately 5% in the near-term, and 10% in the mid-term. However, since the risk of regional droughts is also projected to increase, future planning cannot overly rely on the ensemble median, as the potential of severe hydropower reductions could be overlooked. The assessment offers an ensemble of future hydropower generation projections, providing regional utilities and power system operators with consistent data to develop drought scenarios, design long duration storage and evaluate energy infrastructure reliability under intensified inter-annual and seasonal variability.
Highly conductive, stretchable, and biocompatible graphene oxide biocomposite hydrogel for advanced tissue engineering
Authors: Lee Young Jin , Ajiteru Olatunji , Lee Ji Seung , Lee Ok Joo , Choi Kyu Young , Kim Soon Hee , Park Chan Hum
Published: August 2024

The importance of hydrogels in tissue engineering cannot be overemphasized due to their resemblance to the native extracellular matrix. However, natural hydrogels with satisfactory biocompatibility exhibit poor mechanical behavior, which hampers their application in stress-bearing soft tissue engineering. Here, we describe the fabrication of a double methacrylated gelatin bioink covalently linked to graphene oxide (GO) via a zero-length crosslinker, digitally light-processed (DLP) printable into 3D complex structures with high fidelity. The resultant natural hydrogel (GelGOMA) exhibits a conductivity of 15.0 S m−1 as a result of the delocalization of the π-orbital from the covalently linked GO. Furthermore, the hydrogel shows a compressive strength of 1.6 MPa, and a 2.0 mm thick GelGOMA can withstand a 1.0 kg ms−1 momentum. The printability and mechanical strengths of GelGOMAs were demonstrated by printing a fish heart with a functional fluid pumping mechanism and tricuspid valves. Its biocompatibility, electroconductivity, and physiological relevance enhanced the proliferation and differentiation of myoblasts and neuroblasts and the contraction of human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. GelGOMA demonstrates the potential for the tissue engineering of functional hearts and wearable electronic devices.
Climatic characteristics of centennial and extreme precipitation in Hangzhou, China
Authors: Wang Kuo , Zhang Han , Bao Mengying , Li Zhengquan , Fan Gaofeng
Published: August 2024

The precipitation characteristics in Hangzhou of Zhejiang Province, China under the background of global climate change are analyzed using the meteorological observation data obtained from the Hangzhou base station in this study. We investigate the climate characteristics of precipitation in Hangzhou from several aspects, such as centennial trend, seasonal change, periodicity and the variation of extreme precipitation. Our results show a linear decreasing trend and obvious interdecadal characteristics in the precipitation of Hangzhou on a centennial timescale. Significantly increased amplitude of precipitation fluctuation was observed since the beginning of the 21st century. For the interdecadal variation of seasonal precipitation on a centennial timescale, precipitation in autumn showed a decreasing trend of 8.1 mm/10a, whereas the trends for the other three seasons were statistically insignificant. The precipitation in Hangzhou showed a decreasing trend in spring and an increasing trend in winter over the past 30 years. Our analyses reveal distinct precipitation cycles, including a quasi-30-year cycle since the 1960s and a quasi-10-year cycle since the 1980s. However, the periodicity has weakened in the past 10 years. In addition, the occurrence of torrential rain has increased rapidly in the past 10 years. Furthermore, influenced by global climate change and regional processes, the variation of extreme precipitation in Hangzhou has changed, which shows strong correlations with the overall trend of annual precipitation. The annual maximum daily precipitation in Hangzhou was mainly in the range of 0–40 mm from 1951 to 1980 and in the range of 40–80 mm from 1981 to 2010 with the maximum daily precipitation occurrence rate of 4.7 times/10a and 6.3 times/10a, respectively. This study emphasizes the risk of urban waterlogging caused by short-term heavy rainfall and provides useful reference to the assessment of extreme meteorological and hydrological disaster risk in Hangzhou.
Perceived indoor environment and exacerbations of COPD and asthma – a cohort study between 2000–2018
Authors: Kloster Stine , Vestbo Jørgen , Davidsen Michael , Christensen Anne Illemann , Nielsen Niss Skov , Gunnarsen Lars , Ersbøll Annette Kjær
Published: August 2024

Background. Ambient air pollution has been associated with exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma; however, little is known about indoor environmental factors. Our aim was to study the association between perceived indoor environment and the long-term risk of exacerbations of COPD or asthma. Methods. We followed 2,317 individuals aged ≥16 years with COPD or asthma from the Danish Health and Morbidity Survey from 2000 to 2018. Individuals developing COPD or asthma during the study period were included at the time of incident diagnosis. Individuals were grouped according to their patterns of perceived indoor environment and followed up for exacerbations defined based on information from the Danish National Health Registers. The association between perceived indoor environment and exacerbations was examined using a generalized mixed model with the Poisson distribution of the number of exacerbations and logarithmic transformation of follow-up time as offset. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, education, household income, smoking, calendar year, construction year, urbanization, home ownership, and resident density. Results. A total of 5,352 exacerbations were recorded in 2,317 individuals during a median of 13.9 years (interquartile range, 7.9–18.2 years). The adjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of exacerbations were 1.40 (95% CI 0.85–2.29 and 0.82 (95% CI 0.49–1.38) among individuals with medium and high levels om annoyances, respectively. For annoyances related to temperature and traffic the IRR was 0.88 (95% CI 0.61–1.27) and 1.39 (95% CI 0.88–2.19), respectively. Conclusion. We found no association between indoor environment assessed as annoyances at a single time-point and exacerbations of COPD and asthma.
Evaluation of ecological network resilience using OWA and attack scenario simulation in the Gansu section of the Yellow River Basin, NW China
Authors: Zhang Kexin , Pan Jinghu
Published: August 2024

Regional ecosystem quality has been rapidly declining as a result of rapid urbanization, which has also fragmented landscapes and reduced ecosystem connectedness. Strengthening ecological network resilience helps improve the ecological environment’s quality, protect biodiversity, and maximize ecological benefits. To quantitatively assess ecological network resilience based on 2020 data, we have selected the Gansu region of the Yellow River Basin as a case study in this study due to its significant ecological condition and sensitive vulnerability. Firstly, based on four ecosystem services (ESs)—water yield, carbon storage, soil conservation, and habitat quality—the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) method is introduced to determine ecological sources by calculating ordered weights under different risk coefficients to weigh multiple ESs. Two node attack simulations—random attack and deliberate attack—are used for quantitatively evaluating ecological network resilience, which can simulate the impact of external interference. The concept of a resilience threshold is introduced into the evaluation process of network resilience to improve the objectivity and accuracy of results. The findings indicate that (1) 156 ecological corridors spanning a total distance of 6,569.3 km and 73 ecological sources totalling 20,840 km2 were found in the study area. These findings generally demonstrate a concentrated and contiguous configuration in the southwestern region and a broken and scattered configuration in other regions. (2) With a mean degree of 4.27, a mean path length of 4.08, and a clustering coefficient of 0.47, an undirected and unweighted complex network with improved connectivity and no discernible clustering characteristics was established. (3) The ecological network is more resilient to perturbations from natural disasters when compared to assault simulations in two scenarios; the resilience threshold is 0.34. Considering the final results of node global features and resilience curves, ecological protection suggestions are proposed.
Insights about the effect of metal–organic framework hybridization with graphene-like materials
Authors: Gargiulo Valentina , Capua Roberto Di , Vorochta Michael , Aquilanti Giuliana , Skála Tomáš , Clemente Claudio , Alfè Michela
Published: August 2024

Hybrids based on the copper-based metal–organic framework HKUST-1 and graphene-like materials (GL) have been synthesized at different concentrations of GL, and investigated by means of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (ssNMR) and x-ray absorption techniques (NEXAFS and XANES) with the aim of elucidating the effect of the hybridization on the structural properties of HKUST-1. The comparative analysis of ssNMR and x-ray absorption spectra recorded on parent materials (GL and pure HKUST-1) and on the hybrids indicates that the overall structural features of HKUST-1 are preserved in the presence of increasing GL amounts (up to 30 wt.%) and confirms that the framework development is not massively altered by the presence of graphene-related materials (GRMs) in the synthetic medium.